Thoughts of a retired physician

  “Facts are stubborn things; and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passion, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence.” -  John Adams, 2nd President of the United States Critical race theory (CRT) is the hot topic on Fox News these days. As The Washington Post notes, Fox News has mentioned it almost 2000 times this year. It has become the latest right-wing bugbear, with Republicans saying it will destroy democracy by indoctrinating students who are exposed to it with racism and hatred for our country. The Wikipedia  entry notes that it has been around since the 1970s, primarily in academic circles, as a framework to “ critically examine U.S, law as it intersects with issues of race in the U.S. and to challenge mainstream American liberal approaches to racial justice .” I seriously doubt there are any Republican politicians who can truly articulate what CRT is all about, except as a new way to whip up ideological fervor in their MAGA f

  There is a lot to comment on and think about today -- but I just wish to say Happy Father’s Day! to all the dads I know and have known over my lifetime. We may at times look like the guy above -- but our hearts are in the right place.

  A good walk is useful in so many ways, according to Shane O’Mara in his recent book In Praise of Walking . Because the first heat wave of the year is starting, we went out for a walk early this morning. O’Mara was correct, for we were only a minute or two into the walk when we saw a car parked on Alameda Street with a man sleeping in it. The car was crammed with stuff. The man was clearly homeless but still had a vehicle for shelter. This was on the sidewalk of the beautiful retired living community we have lived in since 2019. We talked as we walked and compared notes on the condition of the United States in 2021. We are not what could be called wealthy but having worked, saved, and invested wisely, the American dream in many ways has come through for my wife and I. We are both senior Baby Boomers and the happenstance that the first 30 years of our lives were in an America that emerged from the Second World War relatively unscathed certainly were to our benefit. Please note I said

  It is a pleasant day in Southern California. It is currently 70 degrees, sunny, with a light south wind and 52% humidity. I have a nice cup of green tea as I sit here writing. The primary component of green tea is water, of course. Water is increasingly precious because the West is in the midst of a historic drought . That’s my topic today. What is drought? The common definition is a long period when there is little or no rain . There are several categories of drought: meteorological drought, agricultural drought, hydrological drought. Socioeconomic drought wraps the types of drought into effects on products to show the ramifications on human society. California has endured drought for most of the 21st century . As of today, over 37 million Californians are affected by drought and May 2021 was the 5th driest May in the past 127 years. The pleasant weather I am experiencing has to be put into that context. The emerging consensus is that we are in another megadrought in the American

  Tomorrow is Memorial Day, the time to remember all of the Americans who have fallen fighting the wars America has waged. Sadly, Republicans in the Senate voted against a bipartisan commission 3 days before Memorial Day that would investigate the January 6th storming of the U.S. Capitol building -- because their party bears culpability for the attempted coup. This dishonors all Americans who have fought for over 200 years to defend democracy.  I am done with the Krazy Kult that the Republican Party has become. As a military veteran who served during war, I cannot countenance a political party that is aligned with opponents of democracy, both foreign (Putin) and domestic (white supremacist terrorists). I will do all that is in my power to turn them out of office. You can join in that effort. Remember Memorial Day. Remember the 28th of May. Remember the 6th of January.

  I have not posted for several weeks -- life has been extraordinarily busy here but is now at a more even and manageable keel. The Covid-19 pandemic continues its devastation around the globe, with India and Brazil as current global hotspots. The situation in the United States is clearly improving . Understanding the variations in the pandemic provides clues to what works and doesn’t work to contain and mitigate it.  India’s situation is indicative of what can happen when control measures (masks, social distancing, ventilation, avoidance of crowds) lapse. India’s curve from Johns Hopkins statistics is here: After a surge last fall, cases dropped precipitously until mid-March 2021 -- then literally exploded. What happened? A good analysis was made in Time magazine . After major efforts in 2020, including massive lockdowns, blunted the epidemic in India, a narrative emerged that India’s self-reliance had overcome Covid-19. Political leadership trumpeted this. On 21 February, the ruli

  Happy Mother’s Day to all Moms!!!