BY SANDRA GUY

As the sun’s warmth beckons, it’s yet another in this age of cautionary tales: UV rays can penetrate and damage skin cells, and overexposure to UV can lead to skin cancer. 

But there’s good news: You can stay true to your commitment to natural products by using sunscreen that provides broad-spectrum protection and add on creams and gels with ingredients such as propolis, caffeine, aloe vera, raspberry oil and Buriti oil.

Caffeine helps the skin eliminate sun-damaged cells, while Buriti oil is rich in beta-carotene, vitamins C and E and essential fatty acids that keep the skin hydrated. Aloe vera and raspberry oil provide added moisture to sunscreen.

Just remember to re-apply sunscreen with a high UVA rating and an SPF of 30 to 50 every two hours, experts say.

The natural ingredients show us yet another way to let the environment guide our thinking. Just as bees use propolis — a resinous mixture that bees collect from plants — to seal and protect their hives, its rich antioxidant properties help protect against UVB and UVA rays.

Another tip: Wear sun-protective lip balm. And if you’re fashion-conscious, it’s OK to put lipstick on top.

If you’re prone to acne, choose an oil-free gel sunscreen. Beware if you’re taking Doxycycline for acne or skin infections; it can increase your risk of getting a sunburn, experts say.

Other natural ways to save yourself from a painful sunburn or long-term skin or eye damage are:

• Wear loose, light-colored clothing. It reflects the sun’s rays better than dark clothing. Or better yet, wear clothes with a UV protective factor.

• Drink plenty of water or hydrating fluids – starting the day before your day in the sun. Drink hydrating fluids when you’re thirsty.

• Wear sunglasses. It’s easy to forget, but long-term sun exposure can cause basal-cell carcinoma on your eyelids and temporary or permanent damage to your retina, lens or the thin surface layer of your eye’s cornea.

And you should always wear a wide-brimmed hat to protect vulnerable ears and scalp.

“No hat is not a good idea, even if you have a full head of hair. That’s 25 percent of your exposed skin right there,” said Dr. Samuel Grief, associate professor of clinical family medicine at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

If you haven’t seen Quora, it’s a place where people can ask questions and share ideas.  It’s also a place where trolls can hype the latest in conspiracy theories, while others ask complex questions to which only they know the answers.

Some people work to display unfathomable detachment from reality and gullibility beyond comprehension.

Quora is the place to send anyone who tells you that there is no such thing as stupid questions.

It may be just be the thing for quarantedium (made-up word).  It’s something to do after you’ve seen everything on Netflix.

Note of caution: Anonymous people say a lot of crazy shit on the internet, so you may not want to put yourself out there if you’re easily offended.

The subject of how Donald Trump handled the COVID-19 pandemic is, as you would expect beaten around like a dead horse.

I wrote my own piece entitled Covid-19 will probably kill someone you know because Little Donnie is more concerned about his “numbers” than he is about YOU: Part II 

If you’re on the fence about Trump’s handling of this pandemic, consider this:

1. The combined populations of Germany, Japan, South Korea and Canada are about the same as the population of the United States. Those four countries have a COMBINED death toll from COVID-19 of 17,000.

Our death toll is over 113,000, with about 500 new deaths each day.

2. South Korea and America both experienced their first COVID-19 deaths on February 20,2020.

Since then, South Korea has suffered 272 COVID-19 deaths.  We’re over 113,000 and counting.

3. Trump is bragging that we’re doing almost 3 million COVID-19 tests a week.  The best of the medical world (people who won’t tell you to drink bleach) says that we need to be doing 2-3 million tests PER DAY.

One Quora guy, Siegfried Braun wanted to know if I could have done any better than Trump.  That seemed like a trick question, since almost ANYONE could have done better.

It only required someone to do something, instead of no one doing anything.  It only required a leader who could recognize his or her own shortcomings and seek advice from those who know more.

It’s just common sense.

You work to protect America and make changes as information becomes available.  You don’t create a false narrative to make yourself look better and you don’t disseminate false information and dangerous prescriptions for cleaning products and unproven remedies.

I’d like to think that I would’ve admitted the pandemic threat when WHO announced a world health emergency on January 30, 2020.

I wouldn’t have spent the next six weeks denying, covering up and lying about the threat of a looming pandemic.  That cost the lives of tens of thousands of Americans.

I would have enacted a national policy of wearing masks and social distancing IMMEDIATELY.   This would have prevented the rampant, undetected spread of coronavirus across America and eliminate the need for a complete shut down, thereby causing less impact on the economy.

As an example, as a leader, I would wear my mask in all public appearances.

I would have prioritized testing and the distribution of testing materials and tests across the country.

I would have organized, at a national level the production and distribution of protective gear for health care workers instead of making states bid against each other for scarce resources.

I’m no genius, but doing all that might have prevented the rapid rise of hospitalized COVID-19 patients.

Respirators should have been distributed on a national level and immediately put into production under the National Production Defense Act.

All that would have been a start, but well within the capacity of any competent leader.  Sadly, this nation is without competent leadership.

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Even though most sports are on hiatus, a sports-themed gift is still perfect for the 2020 dad who is a fan.

Take a look at five options that will make anyone’s Father’s Day.

Face masks

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Cornhole boards

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Michael Jordan rookie jersey

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Bears shorts

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Samer Asous learned how to make bagels from his dad and uncle. What started out as the family baking for H&H Bagels in Manhattan eventually turned into their own Mom and Pop shop down in Brooklyn. Samer helped his family by learning both the baking and business side of operations.

Note – If you’re new to this series, it might be helpful to start with Part 1.

Taking over the family business or starting his own shop wasn’t Samer’s only driving interest. He was also passionate about healthcare. A few years ago, Samer decided to move to Chicago – not to open a bagel deli – but to attend med school at St. James School of Medicine. But as he settled in and adjusted to Chicago versus New York, he felt like something was missing.

“I was looking for a bagel and there’s not a true authentic New York bagel [here],” Samer said. “That’s where the idea came up.”

Samer took his board exams before beginning construction on Taste of New York Bagels and Deli in Lakeview at 3268 North Clark Street, less than half a mile away from Wrigley Field. He was running between going to clinics 3-4 days a week while supervising construction at the store. Talking with lawyers. Contractors. Calling people while in rotations. He tried to at least pick the easiest electives during this time and then took a 3-month break when the store opened up.

New York City

I feel like we all have our natural habitat. Someone who feels comfortable in a small town dreads the thought of cramming into a subway car, being surrounded by sirens, car horns, and millions of people. Likewise, the city person can’t imagine being in a small town. Just too quiet.

For me, the first time I walked the streets of Manhattan, I felt this flow, like I was on the same wavelength as the city. There was so much going on around me. There were sirens and mice and rats. The Empire State Building, Madison Square Garden, Times Square. When you looked up at night, you couldn’t really see the stars.

My brain has always been pretty fast-paced, pretty sure it’d qualify as ADHD. But in New York City, ADHD might be a requirement for survival. Brain activity-wise, it was like having a sports car that now got to drive 90 mph vs. 45.

And I expected to be homesick. I was homesick during my first semester at Hope College and that was only three hours away. Wouldn’t 12 hours be 4x worse? But I think faith is kind of like a goldfish; it grows to the size of the tank that it’s in. The surprise: I felt more relaxed, more at peace with Ashley in New York City than I’d ever felt in my life. We were hanging out all the time, buzzing around the city, falling in love.

One night we were at a pizza place, I think it was called Lazarra’s around 38th or 40th street in the Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood. A guy walked in who looked incredibly familiar. I squinted, double-checked my phone. It was Jerry Stiller, Ben Stiller’s real-life dad, and George Costanza’s fictional father on Seinfeld. As he picked up his pizza, I held back every urge to shout out, “It’ll be Festivus for the rest of us!”

Taste of New York Bagels and Deli

“I bring the dough all the way from New York City,” Samer said. “Bake fresh daily. All throughout the day.”

Samer describes the perfect bagel needing to be chewy on the inside, crispy on the outside. He points to the higher levels of magnesium and calcium in New York City’s water as the secret for why you just can’t get a good NYC bagel anywhere else.

Samer makes his own spreads in house. Has 20+ cream cheeses. Everything starts from scratch with no preservatives. They use fresh vegetables, fresh fruit. No added sugar. If they add anything else to the mix, it’s only honey. He keeps everything organic and healthy, as much as he can. Offers close to 20+ different bagel flavors. Gluten-free bagels too.

“We’re trying to cater to almost everybody while trying to keep it simple.”

“The Dumbo” is the crowd-favorite. Philadelphia cheesesteak, eggs, American cheese. Served on a plain NYC bagel.

From New York to Holland to Chicago

When I came home from New York City, my Mom gave me a hand-written journal she’d created of all the text messages I’d sent to her – or at least the ones with stories – while I was away. It was incredible. It was like having this perfectly documented journal of the entire trip. Everything from the restaurants to my agonizing intern work documenting each one of Derek Jeter’s 3,000 hits for the New York Daily News special edition.

We finished out our senior year of college. Ashley went back to the Northwest Suburbs of Chicago. I worked the summer in Grand Rapids. Then, without having a full-time job lined up, I said yes to Chicago. For some reason, it didn’t feel crazy at the time. I knew I wanted to be back in a big city and with Chicago you get to keep the Midwest.

After a couple years working at the Chicago Tribune, Ashley sent me a link to a company in Chicago called Jellyvision. “This looks so cool!!” I did some research. Found out they had an annual Mustache Day where the whole company goes to Fogo de Chao and eats an absolute feast. Done. Sold. I immediately applied for their writing job.

But I didn’t get it.

They had me come in for a separate interview for a different role.

Didn’t get that one either.

Feeling discouraged and believing somewhere in between “three strikes you’re out” and “eh, third time might be a charm,” I reached out to Josh Fosburg, Jellyvision’s VP of Sales, who just so happened to be a Hope College alum. Landed the interview and a little over two years later, I was walking up the stairs as Cosmo Kramer, ready to join Sam, Molli, Jordan, and Jeff – aka the cast of Seinfeld – to celebrate another Mustache Day.

It’ll be a Festivus, for the rest of us. 

This series will end up being partially a profile of the New York Bagel & Deli restaurant in Chicago, part reflections, and philosophy on how ideas come together. In case you missed Part 1, you can read that right here. And if you enjoy this type of style, you might enjoy the four-part series I did featuring Tango Sur and some Kierkegaard.

• Chicago, Argentina (Part 1)
• Chicago, Argentina (Kierkegaard intermission)
• Chicago, Argentina (Part 2: The Family Behind Tango Sur)
• Chicago, Argentina (Kierkegaard Finale)

Despite the name, Medium Rare isn’t normally a food blog. But for the next several weeks, every Tuesday, I’ll be featuring great local restaurants around the Lakeview neighborhood in hopes that readers support these spots with pickup & delivery orders now and go in-person later this year. Other posts in the seires include:

• Black & Caspian – Part 1
• Black & Caspian – Part 2

To subscribe to Medium Rare via email, just enter your email address in the box below. See you next week!

2020 has been the year of the cancellation. Coronavirus! Everything from jobs and school to vacations and even people have been cancelled. It’s been that kind of year. If the major events in life have been put off, you can imagine how far on the back burner the minor ones have gone.

This coming August, a couple of my schools (I attended multiple schools) had reunions planned for my class. They were biggies. Fifty years! Postponed! The fiftieth reunion has become the fifty-first. 

2020 has also become the year of Zoom. The world has gone virtual. Schools, work, family, even dating and romance has moved to the internet. Was there even Zoom a year ago? If so, did you know it existed. Now we take it for granted. Now it’s part of our everyday life.

So if all these events can be done by Zoom, why not a reunion? If twenty unruly, seven year old first graders can sit in front of their computers and learn, why can’t one hundred or so adults meet up and have a virtual reunion? Sounds like a good idea, right? Sounds easy, right? Let’s it give it try!

The 50th reunion for the class of 1970 meets up on June 7, 2020, at 4 pm central time. Make sure your devices are fully charged!

FIFTY YEARS!! Man, where did the time go. Seems like 1970 was only a few weeks ago….sometimes. At this point of our lives, we are able to look back on what we used to be. We can also look in the mirror to see what we’ve become. We see how we’ve grown. The cliques in high school no longer exist. Football players aren’t playing sports anymore. Cheerleaders aren’t shaking their pom poms. The prom king and queen are now just a regular, normal guy and girl, like the rest of us. The nerds/geeks, well….they’re still that way, but because of them we have all the technology, including Zoom, that gets us through our daily lives…so thanks for that! The different cliques get along better with each other now than they did fifty years earlier.

By the fiftieth, even the every ten year reunion has changed. I’m a lot less impressed by someone’s job, money, spouse and social status than I was at the tenth or twentieth reunion….and I wasn’t all that impressed back then. All the photos of our young children have been replaced by photos of our grandchildren. We all have experienced the same ups and downs in life. Marriages, divorces, deaths of parents, siblings and mutual friends. Life makes it easy to relate. It’s even easier when you’re with people that you have known since childhood.

So it’s four o’clock on Sunday. I turn on my laptop and find the new link to the Zoom room that was recently sent. Sounds simple, right? Hmmm…there are only a few people here. Turns out that some people were using the new link and others the original link. A reunion in two rooms. Just a minor technical issue. Welcome to 2020. You could also hear background noise. I guess not everyone muted when they weren’t speaking. I’m pretty sure not everyone even knew there was a mute button on Zoom. Welcome to 2020…again!

Eventually everyone made it into one room. Phew! I think the number of folks was between sixty to seventy. Looking around the room, there were plenty of familiar faces. There were also plenty that I haven’t thought about in five decades. There were also some that I had never heard of. I think all of that is fairly normal.

Hey look at this…..it seems like half my fourth grade class is here. There’s Gerry, Janice, Carol, Gary and Larry. Have I ever told you about fourth grade? Maybe another time…

So you’re probably wondering, how does a reunion with sixty-plus people on Zoom work? The rules were everyone got fifty seconds to tell their life story. Fifty years in fifty seconds…how clever….hmmm…I just got that as I’m typing this. Maybe that’s why my class rank was….nevermind.

I listened to the stories for about an hour. Lots of commonalities in spouses, ex-spouses, new spouses, children and the best grandchildren in the world! Lots of variety in careers ranging from doctors and lawyers to musicians and journalists…and everything in between.  After an hour, I had to go, but I heard it went on for another hour or so. The reviews I’ve read have been glowing. People loved seeing their old friends and want to do it again. They’re hopeful that others will join in the next time.

So thumbs up to the first Zoom reunion. Will this replace the in person ones? I doubt it. People will still want the live version. They’ll still want the real thing. Waving to someone on a computer will never be better than an actual hug. But, it’s 2020….hugs aren’t allowed. This is the best we can get. At least no one had to wear a mask.

Related Post: How many personal events are you missing because of the coronavirus pandemic?

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