I’m just a poor country mathematician trying to add it up, like everyone else

Jobs, Journalism, Justice

Dr. Wes is the Real Change Circulation Specialist, but, in addition to his skills with a spreadsheet, he writes this weekly column about whatever recent going-ons caught his attention. Dr. Wes has contributed to the paper since 1994. Curious about his process or have a response to one of his columns? Connect with him at [email protected].

Articles by Dr. Wes Browning

At this stage in my life, I’ll say it from here: BLACK LIVES MATTER

By Dr. Wes Browning | June 10, 2020

It was about this time four years ago when I told my supervisor at Real Change that Trump would likely win the 2016 election, and he was so sure that was impossible he bet me a dinner at my favorite restaurant that it wouldn’t happen. I didn’t have to put up any counter offer, not that it would have mattered. That was a good dinner.

It’s hard to see how Trump could win this time around. The president’s threat to send the military to states to put down protests brought condemnation from Pat Robertson! “You just don’t do that, Mr. President.” ...

My longest digression ever. Batter up!

By Dr. Wes Browning | June 3, 2020

The funniest thing I’ve read all week was President Trump’s threat to stop using his Twitter account.

Of Twitter, NPR quoted him saying, “I think I’d be hurting it very badly if we didn’t use it anymore. We have other sites we can use, I guess, or we’d have to develop other sites.”

It brought back warm memories of sandlot baseball games. I guess I should explain sandlot baseball games to those who were born too late. ...

Everybody gets hydroxychloroquine! And you can stay home only if your home looks like mine

By Dr. Wes Browning | May 27, 2020

According to the interweb, NASA has found a parallel universe where time flows backward. Big deal. Time has been flowing backward for me since March.

Time has been in reverse in Washington, D.C., since Jan. 20, 2017, and now it is starting to look like the 12th century. The Department of Justice wants legislators to suspend habeas corpus from now until at least a year after the COVID-19 emergency is over without telling any of us what would constitute it being over. When no one has died from it anywhere in the world for one year? Or one month before that? ...

‘Your honor, of what am I being charged?’ ‘You’re charged with having been charged’

By Dr. Wes Browning | May 20, 2020

Trump now accuses Obama of a crime, but won’t say what crime. (“You know what he did.”) If he can do it to a former president, he can do it to anyone. This is very dangerous behavior.

Also dangerous is Mitch McConnell saying Obama “should have kept his mouth shut” rather than criticize the administration’s COVID-19 response. ...

Hey, Trump, I need underpants mailed to me from Cincinnati

By Dr. Wes Browning | May 13, 2020

After decades of telling us that shelter couldn’t be found, it got done as soon as it seemed homeless people could pass this virus to the non-homeless.

I don’t know what’s crazier: we’re all going down the tubes because of a virus, we’re all going down the tubes because of a president, or NASA is going to let Tom Cruise shoot a movie at the International Space Station.

So far, who’s even trying to guess what the movie will be about? Mission Impossible 9? ...

Surprises around every corner to ingest with toast, sardines and cheese

By Dr. Wes Browning | May 6, 2020

Sign of the time: Facebook, in the interest of bringing people together online in spite of physical isolation, has made available a “care” reaction. In German, it’s called umarmung, which means “hug.” I’m now virtually hugging friends who complain about having to stay home.

The Seattle Times has an article featuring recipes for canned sardines, because canned tuna is getting hard to find. The big takeaway: Get the expensive European imports packed in oil and grill them until the skin is crispy. Mmm, I want to try that on toast with melted provolone. ...

I’m fixin’ a hole in New Zealand, where I’ll live with the rest of the introverts

By Dr. Wes Browning | April 29, 2020

“There’s no circumstance in which you should take a disinfectant or inject a disinfectant. ... It can cause death and very adverse outcomes.” — Former FDA commissioner Scott Gottlieb

Trump is actually leading his own supporters to inject themselves with Lysol by suggesting, essentially (not his exact words but close), “Hey, it’s a disinfectant, right? Disinfectants kill the virus, right? Why wouldn’t it work?” He actually said he thought it was a good idea to try injecting disinfectant directly into the lungs of a coronavirus patient. Wowwy wow. ...

You get a postal service! And you get a postal service! Everyone gets a postal service!

By Dr. Wes Browning | April 22, 2020

I want to talk about some other anxieties besides the Big C, for a change.

That USPS might fold in June is scary. I rarely get mail that matters to me anymore, but there are some serious problems with the end of postal service. ...

Our curve is inconveniently lopsided and telling. Plus, I hate statistics

By Dr. Wes Browning | April 15, 2020

Flattening the curve! Flattening the curve!

We shall come rejoicing, flattening the curve!

Our whole country is playing limbo with hospital capacity as the bar.

I do love a curve. One of my earliest memories was seeing Koko Head Mountain in Oahu, Hawaii, from the coast. To your left the mountain rises steeply toward a summit, just like the curves of infected numbers observed in a pandemic, such as ours. ...