Blog Category
My Obsolete MacBook Pro
Posted on July 19, 2020 3 Comments
“You know,” I said to my wife, “I think I’m going to buy that new MacBook.” We were driving down the road to go grab something to eat. It was the summer of 2012. I was still working at the Maryland Department of Health, but I was picking up more and more side gigs writing. […]
What You Need to Know About COVID-19 Right Now (mid-July 2020 Edition)
Posted on July 16, 2020 3 Comments
So many things have changed since the pandemic began. Here are a few things you need to know right now… Right. This. Instant.
The Parent Ren, Part XIII: Passing on Some Knowledge
Posted on July 16, 2020 1 Comment
The pandemic has been very weird. On the one hand, you have a pandemic — something that, by definition is worldwide and happening concurrently — but then we’re seeing its effects in spots around the country instead of all over simultaneously. This is not a bad thing, per se. I’d rather we buy some time […]
Someone Yelled Something While I Was Out Jogging Today…
Posted on July 13, 2020 3 Comments
As I went out for a jog this evening, I ran on a trail that runs behind several houses in our development. It’s a nice trail, with lots of hills and valleys to really work up a sweat and build up some stamina. It has trees and grass on either side, so there’s some shade […]
The Things You Need to Think About Before You Reopen Schools
Posted on July 10, 2020 3 Comments
I’d like to start off this blog post by telling you that I am in no way advocating for or against reopening schools. This is currently a hot-button issue, and many policymakers are scratching their heads on how to do school reopening correctly. I am also not telling any one person or group how schools […]
Twenty Years Since…
Posted on July 9, 2020 3 Comments
Most if not all of my friends and family looked at me like I was a salamander on a salad when I told them that I wanted to move out to the East Coast after college. I had never been east of the Mississippi. The farthest from the El Paso region that I had gone […]
They’re Laughing at US
Posted on July 5, 2020 4 Comments
It has almost been 20 years since the attacks on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and Pennsylvania of September 11, 2001. Since then, numerous conspiracy theories have been floated in an attempt to explain the unimaginable tragedy that that day was for the families of the victims. These theories range from the insane to […]
The Relationship Between Binge Drinking and COVID-19 Cases May Be Linear, But…
Posted on July 3, 2020 4 Comments
NOTE: This blog post has apparently been living rent-free in Dr. Glazer’s head for a couple of days. Instead of pointing out that his thesis may be incorrect, Dr. Glazer keeps pointing out that I mention that the data have to be normally distributed for the linear regression to work. In fact, the residuals from […]
The Abuse You’re Going to Have to Take
Posted on July 2, 2020 2 Comments
It’s been a weird pandemic. From day one of the response, I was asked to manage several very young and very bright public health workers for several jobs. Later on, I was promoted to managing other public health workers. Through it all, I’ve tried to follow one rule: Always be on the side of my […]
Operation Onesimus
Posted on April 13, 2020
Onesimus was an African slave brought by force to what was then the Massachusetts Colony. The knowledge and wisdom he brought with him saved lives at a time when smallpox was pandemic. I hope to be able to use all of the knowledge and wisdom of the people around me to do what I can in this pandemic.