Old Weather Forum

Posted: **Mon Jun 21, 2021 2:52 pm**

Even with a good chair you should get up and move around regularly

Also, according to the American Academy of Ophthalmology:

The discomfort some people have after looking at screens is most likely digital eye strain. Most of us blink less when looking at screens, causing eye strain and dry eyes, says Rahul Khurana, MD, a spokesperson for the American Academy of Ophthalmology. The good news is eye strain does not cause lasting damage and is easily preventable.

The best way to protect your eyes against eye strain is to take regular breaks using the "20-20-20" rule: every 20 minutes, shift your eyes to look at an object at least 20 feet away for at least 20 seconds. You can also use artificial tears to refresh your eyes when they feel dry.

Skip the glasses that claim to protect your eyes against blue light, because of a lack of evidence that they are effective. The Academy does not recommend any special blue light-blocking eyewear for computer use.

....

When you stare at a screen for hours at a time, whether it is a computer, TV, phone or tablet, you are exposed to blue light from the device. Alarmist headlines claim blue light from too much screen time is blinding us. But there is no scientific evidence that blue light from digital devices causes damage to your eye.

Posted: **Mon Jun 21, 2021 3:04 pm**

Well said!! I take it as very important that I check how the birds are doing out on the feeder every twenty minutes. I've set an alarm on my phone to remind me. Not that I keep to the 20 second rule. I reckon that a minute or two is rather better. Refreshes the eyes and refreshes the soul.

Posted: **Mon Jun 21, 2021 6:38 pm**

Ah yes - I have heard of the 20-20-20 rule, but have not always been diligent about applying it!

Interesting info about blue light. I have heard it is also bad for sleep, which is why you shouldn't use electronic devices for an hour before bed.
In fact, some pro athletes wear those blue-blocking glasses before big games, because they think it helps them sleep better.

Due to family things (nothing serious, just changes of plans), we will be flying to NJ not this week, but next one - on Thursday, July 1st. We are still staying the same amount of time, so I get back on July 23rd instead of 16th.

Took a while to arrange everything with the airline, and get my vacation moved at work, but it's all settled now - everything has been worked out.
I only hope this is the last time we have to make any changes. Blasted virus.

Posted: **Mon Jun 21, 2021 6:58 pm**

I hadn't heard of it before, and it will definitely take me some time to get in the habit

That article also has sections:

Blue Light Can Keep You From Falling Asleep
You Get More Blue Light Exposure From The Sun Than Your Screens

Hope your vacation goes smoothly!

Of to stare out the window for 20 seconds

Posted: **Mon Jun 21, 2021 9:13 pm**

My health insurance company gave me a free Fitbit recently. It encourages me to take breaks at ten minutes before each hour. If I haven't walked at least 250 steps yet that hour, it vibrates to get my attention and tells me how many steps I need take in the next ten minutes to reach 250 for the hour.

Posted: **Mon Jun 21, 2021 9:56 pm**

Sounds like a wonderful invention Gordon. All these little things are good for a healthy life

Posted: **Mon Jun 21, 2021 10:11 pm**

Posted: **Tue Jun 29, 2021 9:26 am**

Took a COVID test this morning and it's negative, so I can fly to New Jersey on Thursday!
Wow, I feel so relieved right now... It may seem kinda silly, but I was really worried about getting a false positive - or even worse, a TRUE positive - as these rapid tests are not 100% accurate. I even avoided going swimming a couple times in the past weeks because of this.

Not sure why I felt this way, but it may be because I tend to worry about worst-case scenarios in general - on previous trips, I would double-check that I still have passport, wallet, phone and keys over a million times.
Or maybe it's because it felt like I had to overcome a lot more obstacles than usual this year: Had to rebook with Lufthansa twice, and get my passport renewed earlier this year, when the pandemic was really bad, which was not easy at all (It was the first time in my life I used a check to pay for something, because that's the only method the consulate accepted)!

But yep, now that that's all settled, I can relax and await fun times with family.
Reminds me of the German expression "A stone has fallen of my heart", which describes my current feeling perfectly.

Posted: **Tue Jun 29, 2021 9:38 am**

You are not alone in finding previouly normal activities more stressful. I think all the warnings, stories of people having major problems etc etc have left many people feeling anxious, others react by saying a variety of 'What the heck ..." and either carrying on as before or even becoming more reckless. I suppose it's a version of 'Eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow we die'. Even when the local case rate was coming down nicely I was fairly restrained, unfortunately our local cases are now soaring ~300 per 100k. We get different stories about vaccines and the delta variant so I am being pretty cautious desite being double vaccinated. I hope you manage the inevitable airport queues OK and really enjoy meeting up with family and old friends as well as meeting some new people.

Posted: **Tue Jun 29, 2021 1:08 pm**

I agree with studentforever

Take your best masks and wear two at once at the airport - take a bottle of hand sanitiser. If someone gets too close, run away! I'm so happy for you that you're OK to travel. Think of eating lemons to keep your mouth and nose moist. I absolutely understand that a stone has fallen from your heart, it would be a weight off my shoulders too

You'll have such an awesome holiday

Posted: **Tue Jun 29, 2021 3:02 pm**

Hooray for you, Hanibal. Metaphorically speaking, you're on the last 50 metres of the marathon and you just have to get across the finish line and you'll be in N. J.! I'm sure you'll have an awesome time!!!

Posted: **Fri Jul 02, 2021 3:43 am**

Yeah! By now you ought to be here! (Well, the other side of the country.) Enjoy your visit. There are likely people here with falling rocks waiting to see you with the same hopeful expectation. Travel safely!

Posted: **Fri Jul 02, 2021 11:18 am**

Hi everyone,

Thanks for the well-wishes! I am indeed in New Jersey at the moment, we got in yesterday.
After all my worrying, it actually was very uneventful - flights were on time, paperwork all checked out (US Immigration was much faster than normal, probably because they only let US citizens/residents in!), and it's really great to be here and see family again.

Weather is rather rainy at the moment, and supposed to be that way for a couple days but better afterwards. At least we can use that as an excuse to get shopping done.

I'll be popping up in the forum like always, and contributing to the OW WW2 project (the one on Zooniverse) a bit.

Chris

Posted: **Fri Jul 02, 2021 2:38 pm**

Wonderful news, Chris!!!
I hope you have a really great time

Your weather sounds similar to ours. After a few really hot days I am enjoying it thoroughly.

Posted: **Fri Jul 02, 2021 3:33 pm**

Have a great holiday, Chris!

Posted: **Fri Jul 02, 2021 3:43 pm**

I'm glad everything worked out so well!

Posted: **Fri Jul 02, 2021 5:07 pm**

Fantastic!! Have a really great time Chris

Posted: **Thu Jul 08, 2021 12:57 am**

ggordon wrote: ↑Mon Jun 21, 2021 9:13 pm My health insurance company gave me a free Fitbit recently. It encourages me to take breaks at ten minutes before each hour. If I haven't walked at least 250 steps yet that hour, it vibrates to get my attention and tells me how many steps I need take in the next ten minutes to reach 250 for the hour.

Not that that isn't a good idea, but I just came across:
Do We Really Need to Take 10,000 Steps a Day for Our Health?
The advice that we take 10,000 steps a day is more a marketing accident than based on science.

Posted: **Thu Jul 08, 2021 1:21 pm**

Posted: **Wed Jul 28, 2021 2:15 pm**

Tlingit & Haida Closes Offices to the Public Due to Increased COVID-19 Cases

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