Nov 2, 2020Member-onlyBexar County Election Day FAQsWith a certain amount of confusion swirling around many, many elements of this process, let’s clear up some things here based on reliable advice. You can vote anywhere in Bexar County on Election Day, not just at a single voting location you’ve used in the past or understand you are…Voting7 min read
Nov 20, 2019Member-onlyThe Wage Gap is Shocking, and Latinas in Particular Suffer from itIt’s almost Thanksgiving, and while our thoughts may traditionally turn to “turkey, trimmings and time with family,” it’s important to acknowledge another important day. November 20, 2019 is “Equal Pay Day” for Latinas, an acknowledgment of just how far into the year Hispanic women had to work to earn the…Women4 min read
Oct 20, 2019Member-onlyWhat I Learned from Looking at ~100K Domestic Violence Cases in San Antonio and Bexar CountyI’ve spent much of my free time for the past few months analyzing almost 100,000 domestic violence cases in Bexar County over the past 10–20 years (10 for felonies, 20+ for misdemeanors). …Domestic Violence9 min read
Jul 24, 2019Member-onlySave “Battered” for Fish Sticks and Chicken Tenders: It’s Time for a Domestic Violence Language UpgradeIt’s so weird to me that in 2019 we still use a word, “battered,” whose first known usage was in 1593, as such a common descriptor within the domestic violence/intimate partner violence space. There are “battered women,” “battered women’s shelters,” offenders who are known as “batterers,” and so on. …Domestic Violence6 min read
Mar 2, 2019Member-onlyThe Strength — and Worth — of a Good ApologyBeing and conveying that you’re sorry turns out to be an important life skill Many years ago, I managed a mediation program in Seattle where 400 lawyers worked pro bono to resolve cases pending in Superior Court. Most of what we handled were car accidents, and my boss at the time — who had founded the program, and was a persuasive, folksy and very…Life Lessons9 min read
Feb 23, 2019Member-onlyIs Social Media Killing Our Creativity?Benjamin Franklin, put down that smartphone! We need you to invent cool stuff instead. If Ben Franklin were alive today, would you find him obsessively scrolling Facebook on his phone? Would Thomas Edison be in his workshop, or on an app? …Social Media4 min read
Dec 24, 2018Member-onlyIn Winter’s DepthsThe Shortest Days of the Year Offer a Great Opportunity for Reflection, Stillness and Contemplation “Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk beside the fire. It is the time for home.” …Winter4 min read
Nov 13, 2018Member-onlyShe Served: Women Veterans Are Also a Big Part of Military City, USASan Antonio, the nation’s seventh-largest city, is home to quite a few U.S. military veterans — more than one in 10 residents alive today in “Military City, USA” have served their country in various capacities, including combat, from World War II until today’s conflicts.Veterans5 min read
Nov 11, 2018Member-onlyOn the Map: Where Military Veterans Choose to Live in and around San Antonio, TexasSan Antonio has a long and storied history as “Military City, USA,” and it’s no surprise that between the warm and sunny climate, friendly hospitality and reasonable cost of living so many former service members both male and female make their home in the nation’s seventh largest city. …Veterans5 min read
Sep 10, 2018Member-onlyKicked to the Curb: How Eviction Can Make Poverty’s Impacts Even WorseMatthew Desmond won the Pulitzer Prize in 2017 for “Evicted,” his devastating and densely researched narrative of those who profit from — and those whose lives are indelibly affected by — the business of forcefully removing residents from their homes for non-payment of rent, among other infractions. As Desmond, a…Housing9 min read