Blog Category
Mistaking Criticism with Mockery
Posted on January 28, 2019 1 Comment
Some months ago, I wrote a blog post describing the takeover of an anti-vaccine Facebook page by a pro-vaccine activist. The takeover was a thing of beauty, and it revealed the weak constitution of so many anti-vaccine types. Well, someone found my blog post and posted it on an anti-vaccine Facebook group (a different one […]
Mr. Bloomberg, Please Don’t Segregate Baltimore More Than It Already Is
Posted on January 23, 2019
Michael Bloomberg wants an armed police force at Johns Hopkins University institutions in Baltimore. Not a good idea, according to the evidence. Better jobs, better access to education, and investments in the community will go further to stop violence than more cops and more guns, and more segregation.
Let the Past Die. Shred It, if You Have To.
Posted on December 31, 2018
Things have a way of grabbing on to you and not letting you go. They can get in the way of your happiness and growth. Sometimes, it’s best to let the past die… Shred it, if you have to.
The Man They Wanted Me To Be
Posted on December 18, 2018
The idea of what a man should be like, or should be all about, has certainly changed over the years. It’s changed in my lifetime. But there are some ideas of manliness that are still out there, and they’re hurting men just as much as they hurt others. Growing up, the most macho of men in my extended family wanted me to be a certain way. I was lucky in that the men who counted let me be me. Now, it’s up to me to teach my daughter what being a man is all about, so that one day she can deal with men and — if she so chooses — can choose a man who’ll be her partner in achieving wonders.
The Epidemic of Violence in Baltimore Continues
Posted on December 15, 2018
The epidemic of homicides in Baltimore continues. Violence is infectious, and Baltimore’s former “Public Enemy No. 1” is one of the latest victims.
The Parent Ren, Part VIII: A Man Raising a Woman
Posted on December 6, 2018 1 Comment
When I think of how hard it must have been for my mother to raise me, I think of the one time we went to the state fair in Juarez. There was a band playing some very loud music, and there were a lot of people dancing and having a good time. Mom and I […]
You Don’t Need No Stinkin’ Badges
Posted on December 2, 2018 1 Comment
In which I finally understood why I wanted to wear my work badge outside of work all that time…
The Villains You’ll Encounter
Posted on November 28, 2018
I’ve been in the presence of supervillains only a handful of times in my life. The latest was a few weeks ago when antivaxxers descended on a talk by a well-known pediatrician and vaccine developer. Their leader cannot be described in any other way than as being a supervillain. He’s good with words. He’s charming. […]
A Quick Explanation on Why 95% Confidence Intervals Get Smaller (For Non-Epidemiologists)
Posted on November 24, 2018
I’ve been tutoring some students in online MPH programs for a few weeks. We started talking about 95% confidence intervals. All you need to know when reading a confidence interval is that it is used for telling you (the reader) where we (the researcher) are 95% confident that the true measure is located. Here, let […]
Epidemiology for Non-Epidemiologists?
Posted on November 22, 2018
Epidemiology is the basis for much of the work that goes into public health. From the research that gives us the evidence we need to conduct good public health policy, to the work that is done investigating outbreaks, we use epidemiology to help us understand what we are seeing. It’s a scientific branch (or a […]
EpidemioLogical 