This week, I embark on a contemplative journey, sharing a unique perspective on patriotism that transcends conventional allegiance to country. Born in Mexico and residing in the United States, I dive into the complex relationship between patriotism, sports, and national identity, challenging the tribal divisions often amplified by global events. This episode offers a candid reflection on the essence of patriotism beyond flag-waving and anthem-singing. Through personal anecdotes and thoughtful commentary, I explore the value of freedom of expression, the perils faced by dissenters in less tolerant societies, and the nuanced appreciation for the freedoms available in his adopted country. I invite listeners to reconsider what it means to be patriotic in today's interconnected and often polarized world, emphasizing the importance of critical thought, empathy, and the universal pursuit of equality and democracy. Join us for a deep dive into the meaning of patriotism, when you're not tied to a single nation, but to the ideals that unite us all.

In this episode, I share my thoughts following a conversation with fellow public health professionals. I talk about the challenges we face in urban public health, the relationship between socio-economic factors and crime, and the complexities surrounding homelessness.

I also explore how political ideologies, both conservative and liberal, influence our approaches to critical issues like vaccination mandates, gun safety, and mental health.

Drawing on my personal and professional experiences, I discuss the often difficult balance between scientific evidence and political biases in shaping public health policies.

The featured image for this episode was created by DALL-E artificial intelligence from OpenAI.

I'm an early adopter of technology, even the more controversial technology. I don't know why ChatGPT has awakened so many fears because it is clear to me that it is just another tool for us humans to use for good or evil. In this episode, I talk about my relationship with ChatGPT, what I use it for... And I even interview the darned thing. It's pretty cool, and it won't eat your lunch if you won't let it.

You might not know that I am a big fan of aviation. But I'm also one who gets nervous in planes with turbulence. Go figure.

A quick 5-minute update about my recent illness, and how -- yet again -- I am promising to keep up this podcast.

My parents made sure I knew stuff, so I wouldn't fall for stuff. Scammers have to work hard to get me, and they hate that. I can see through the web of lies of antivaxxers and people who try to sell me Supplements or Complementary and Alternative Medicine (SCAM). I hope I'm passing all this on to my daughter, so she knows stuff and can identify bullsh*t when she sees it.

Experiences in high school led me to understand how LGBTQ+ people needed me to stand with them, defend them, and, most of all, love them. And now, we in public health need to stand up against policies from governments who are looking to hurt transgender kids.

I'm a scientist, so I get a lot of questions about my religion. Like others have said, many of those questions are more in order to pass judgment or to identify with me than to really get to know me. That's okay. It's how humans work.

This year, I've seen many people claim to be of one religion but act nothing like it. We see it all the time with the current Administration in the White House, right? We have someone who claims to be Christian but puts their needy neighbors in cages. And their followers, who also claim to be Christian, love every minute of it.

It's not just a problem with Christians, but they are who I am passing judgment on because they are the people with whom I identify. They are the ones that trouble me because they're the majority in the place where I live, and they are not acting at all like they should. They have too much power, and they're being wicked.

Have you ever wondered why infectious diseases are a thing? I mean, why do people keep giving things like gonorrhea or HIV to each other? Why do we get colds? The reason here is that viruses and bacteria that cause disease have figured out that we humans just can't seem to stay away from each other and/or follow public health guidance.

This pandemic would have been over in a matter of weeks if we all would have just stayed home, worn masks and got tested. If we all cooperated with contact tracers, this thing would be a thing of the past like it is in New Zealand and other parts of the world where people did their part to follow recommendations. But no, not us. Or, rather, not U.S.

We will justify everything we did wrong in the pandemic by saying that we had to live our lives, that life is short, that businesses are people, or that one year off from school could prove fatal. Even as more than 300,000 people (and counting) are dead, we kind of just do what we do, and the novel coronavirus is laughing all the way to the bank.

Lucky for you, we have these things called vaccines, right?

So, no judgment and no talking down to you, I'm just going to put it out there that we are no better than one another in how we reacted to the pandemic.

Do you take apart your car engine and make sure that it is functioning at 100% before you take a drive? Do you check and double-check to make sure that your airplane pilot went to the proper school, knows what to do in an emergency and doesn't have something in their past that would make you think twice about flying with them?

A lot of what we do day after day -- without thinking about it -- we do on faith, with a lowercase F. We don't really think too much about stuff because doing so would drive us nuts. So, we just go with it.

Should something go wrong, we do have mechanisms of making people, institutions and companies accountable. And the people who choose not to believe that all the mechanisms to make sure that something is safe are doing their job... Well, those people are in the minority. They may be loud and obnoxious -- or vociferous -- but they're in the minority. Don't be bullied away from an effective public health intervention because they call you names.