Remembering 9/11

It is impossible to not remember that day.

I had taken the day off for a doctor's appointment. My alarm was the radio. I woke up to vaguely hear something about the World Trade Center. As I began to wake up, I heard about the second tower. That woke me up.

I turned the TV on to see horrific footage in disbelief. And then a report on the third plane. "This can't be real!" I think everyone thought that.

I didn't personally know anyone working in the World Trade Center, but I knew of people, relatives and co-workers of people I knew. Cell phone calls weren't getting through. A lot of us were making frantic calls to check on friends and family.

I was living in the suburbs at the time. Downtown was being evacuated, and Metra did a good job getting people out of the city.

When I got to the doctor's office, it was the only thing playing on the TV. Of course.

Our boss had flown in that morning for a meeting. He tried to get a flight back home, which of course was not possible as all flights had been grounded. We were worried about Chicago, especially downtown with all the skyscrapers, being targeted as well.

We will never forget, but we will stay strong.

So, reader, I am asking for your stories. Where were you on 9/11, and what went through your mind?

As always, please keep it civil and relevant. I promise I will refrain from commenting on your experience, but I might be curious enough to ask questions to better understand your story.

Thoughts on Illinois face mask rule effective August 26, 2020

So, I’ve been selectively dining out since June 3, 2020, when restaurants began allowing sit-down. It started with outside seating only.

Beginning June 26, 2020, diners could sit inside as long as restaurants limited themselves to 25% and no more than 50 diners at any given time. I’ve done both. Diners must have face masks on if they were to walk through the restaurants. They could leave their face masks off if they were sitting down.

Effective August 26, 2020, if you want to eat at a restaurant in Illinois, you must wear a mask when the wait staff or other employees come to your table, even if you're sitting outdoors. Now, that’s when it becomes impractical.

It’s highly recommended against to keep constantly putting on and taking off a face mask due to risk of contamination, so if you’re eating or drinking and the server stops by the table you’ll need to put the face mask back on. What I see is people leaving their face masks on the table. Another risk of contamination.

I totally support the effort to keep restaurant staff safe, but this new rule is not practical. People really aren’t following it because it is so hard to follow. Of course, servers maybe should only stop by when summoned, which goes against what they’re used to do.

I suggest requiring restaurant staff to wear face masks AND face shields, only because it eliminates a lot of the face mask on and off problem, which actually makes it less safe, and to rethink how they interact with patrons.

So, reader, I am asking for your thoughts on this new rule. If you’ve been dining out, what are your thoughts on wearing face masks in restaurants?

As always, please keep it civil and relevant. I promise I will refrain from commenting on your experience, but I might be curious enough to ask questions to better understand your opinion.

Reflections on China

This is not a political post. I’m just reflecting on the rhetoric against and hostility towards China and why.
Most people only know China from the last 80 years from around WWII through the Cultural Revolution to Tiananmen Square, Tibet, Xinjiang, etc., so for many people Communist China is and has always been China.

China has been flexing her muscles and refusing to back down on a lot of issues, political or economic, and this has made a lot of countries very angry. I think we really need to know her history to understand why she refuses to be bullied.

China endured occupation by the Japanese during WWII, but her sovereignty was challenged during the humiliating Opium Wars. The West practically beat China into submission.

Also, remember China was ruled by the Manchus during the Qing Dynasty. Since the Manchus are not ethnically Chinese, the Chinese were essentially ruled by foreigners for almost 300 years before the Qing Dynasty was overthrown. Being told what to do by foreigners has been her recent history.

It was during the Qing Dynasty that the US became acquainted with China, especially with the stereotypical garb associated with Chinese people, which were imposed on them by the Qing rulers. Men wore long queues, that they were forbidden to cut off, that was a source of ridicule.

The bullied will no longer be a victim of bullying. Whether we agree with what China is doing, and there are a lot that most of us disagree on, none of it came without precedent. Her history has shaped her mentality. It will help understand her unwillingness to negotiate.

So, reader, I am asking for your thoughts on China. Do you think we should consider China’s history in order to understand her interactions with the rest of the world?

As always, please keep it civil and relevant. I promise I will refrain from commenting on your opinion, but I might be curious enough to ask questions to better understand your views.