How an Event of Nature Reveals the Stupidity of Some People

[Willow]

Eclipse glasses.

During an eclipse the sun has no ability to harm your eyes in any way more than it would at any other time.  The difference is the inclination of some of us to stare at the sun as the blockage progresses.  Almost every day we look into the sky where the sun lives.  As our eyes pass across the blazing orb no really permanent damage is done.  If you're smart enough not to stare directly into the sun it won't harm your eyes.

People are paying $4.99 for "eclipse glasses" of cheap cardboard and plastic.

One of my wife's acquaintances posted a request on Facebook asking if anyone knew where she could get doggie eclipse glasses because she needed three pair.   What????  Perhaps if you do nothing to encourage the canine to stare into the sun they won't need them.  They wouldn't like them anyway.  Functioning e-glasses allow you to see virtually nothing but the sun.  I don't think even a well trained service dog could be coaxed or induced to stare at the sun.  Are dogs actually smarter than some humans?

I won't be wearing e-glasses.  I won't be staring at the sun.  Honestly, I'm not all that interested in just another natural event.  Sunrise and sunset are inspiring.  If I do decide I want to see it in detail I'll look at the video that someone has taken and posted after the event.    

[Willow]

Oh, and I'll leave my purse in the car.   

[The emperor has no clothes]

I'm with you. Brenda was just telling me that on Facebook it tells people to keep their dog inside.  I doubt any animals wild or domesticated will care a twit about the sun. (I always keep my purse with me)

[Moonshot_1]

I would think that Bats would be in need of eclipse glasses far more than canines. Where do you think "Blind as a Bat" came from? Obviously bats stare at eclipses. We must fit all bats with tiny eclipse glasses.  Kind of like Bob Barker spaying and neutering pets only with bats and glasses.

[Willow]

...  Kind of like Bob Barker spaying and neutering pets only with bats and glasses.

I hate to think of pets being spayed and neutered with bats.  You may want to rethink that plan.   

[Moonshot_1]

...  Kind of like Bob Barker spaying and neutering pets only with bats and glasses.

I hate to think of pets being spayed and neutered with bats.  You may want to rethink that plan.   

They work cheap and it would qualify for a tax credit for hiring disabled because they are blind.

[John Schmidt]

Yes, many, if not most, dogs are smarter than humans. As for me, if I were living in an area where the eclipse caused the day to go dark....great. Another excuse for a nap midday. 

[Moonshot_1]

Got to thinking earlier today....when a cloud goes in front of the sun is that not a solar eclipse as well. The cloud is eclipsing the sun. Shoot we see this 2-3 times a week. Nothing special.

[Jess from VA]

This reminds me of a simple psychological test.

The tester tells the subject, whatever you do, don't think about... (fill in the black).

Of course, all the subject can think about for the next several minutes is... (fill in the black)

People ought to know better than to stare into the sun.  Many will do so anyway.

Reminds me of Uncle Remus (a bad old racist storyteller).

Br'er Rabbit pleads, "Please don't throw me in the briar patch," prompting Fox to do exactly that.

And another old saw...... you can't fix stupid.

[Rams]

Oh, and I'll leave my purse in the car.   

At least you have priorities....................... 

[Wizzard]

I agree totally. 

[old2soon]

10 minutes after the EE Clips those things will be in the trash on the ground and flutterin in da wind. Dogs are smarter than humans. Humans take care of dogs-NOT the other way round!  Far as the purse goes-while not my style-who cares? RIDE SAFE.

[0leman]

having gone thru the last eclipse in OR back in '79, animals are effected by it.  They sense  that something is not right, cattle start bellowing, dogs act worried, cat run and hide, birds make noise and try to hide.  Real end of the earth stuff.   Non of them look at the sun.   It's just us humans that do stupid stuff like that.

[_Sheffjs_]

I apologize in advance if this is a slight offshoot but it reminded me of my wife coming home excited to show me a new car freshener her mom bought. She said this one really lasts, it looks like a small frisbee and is placed under the seat. I think she said she picked it up at the flea market for a few bucks.  She takes it out to show me and I bust out laughing and tell her it is a urinal screen, we buy them for work in bulk for 68¢. 

[Moonshot_1]

I apologize in advance if this is a slight offshoot but it reminded me of my wife coming home excited to show me a new car freshener her mom bought. She said this one really lasts, it looks like a small frisbee and is placed under the seat. I think she said she picked it up at the flea market for a few bucks.  She takes it out to show me and I bust out laughing and tell her it is a urinal screen, we buy them for work in bulk for 68¢. 

Are they safe for watching the eclipse?

[Serk]

Sounds to me like someone didn't buy their eclipse glasses in time and is now bitter about it... 

But for those who did buy theirs in time, don't throw 'em away, hang on to 'em! The Eclipse Glasses will come in handy when North Korea nukes us, that way you can enjoy the unique brilliance of the nuclear explosion without harming your vision!

[John Schmidt]

I apologize in advance if this is a slight offshoot but it reminded me of my wife coming home excited to show me a new car freshener her mom bought. She said this one really lasts, it looks like a small frisbee and is placed under the seat. I think she said she picked it up at the flea market for a few bucks.  She takes it out to show me and I bust out laughing and tell her it is a urinal screen, we buy them for work in bulk for 68¢. 

So Jerry, did you find the couch comfortable the next few nights? Just wondering.....did that "freshener" come with the mint that's usually associated with them? 

[Gavin_Sons]

I think the reason for eye protection is because during this event millions of people will be staring at the sun to watch the whole eclipse. So yes you need eye protection to save your eyes.

[scooperhsd]

There are 2 ways to watch the eclipse - Direct (need the eclipse glasses / filters) or INDIRECT.

Indirect  - take 2 pieces of cardboard, one with a white colored side. In the OTHER, punch a pinhole in the middle.  TO use this, have the pinhole piece closer to the sun, and have the white side to catch the image through the pinhole. Adjust your distance to adjust the size.

DO NOT LOOK DIRECTLY AT THE SUN WITHOUT PROPER FILTRATION ! This is a very good way to burn your retinas out and go blind. It will do the same to your camera without  proper filtration as well. The only time it is safe to look directly at the eclipse is at totality - and keep in mind that at it's longest it is less than 3 minutes anywhere.

You can use the indirect method to both look AND take pictures without filtration.

[old2soon]

There are 2 ways to watch the eclipse - Direct (need the eclipse glasses / filters) or INDIRECT.

Indirect  - take 2 pieces of cardboard, one with a white colored side. In the OTHER, punch a pinhole in the middle.  TO use this, have the pinhole piece closer to the sun, and have the white side to catch the image through the pinhole. Adjust your distance to adjust the size.

DO NOT LOOK DIRECTLY AT THE SUN WITHOUT PROPER FILTRATION ! This is a very good way to burn your retinas out and go blind. It will do the same to your camera without  proper filtration as well. The only time it is safe to look directly at the eclipse is at totality - and keep in mind that at it's longest it is less than 3 minutes anywhere.

You can use the indirect method to both look AND take pictures without filtration.

                All Good common sense stuff and easily applicable to Some folks But as we here are all too aware-Not All. And for the few that do insist on messin with their vision-Who Zackly will they blame when they do in FACT become blind caused by their very own stupidity?  Truth is-some of us know folks or of folks that are likely candidates for doing the Wrong thing here on the 21st. RIDE SAFE.

[The emperor has no clothes]

There are 2 ways to watch the eclipse - Direct (need the eclipse glasses / filters) or INDIRECT.

Indirect  - take 2 pieces of cardboard, one with a white colored side. In the OTHER, punch a pinhole in the middle.  TO use this, have the pinhole piece closer to the sun, and have the white side to catch the image through the pinhole. Adjust your distance to adjust the size.

DO NOT LOOK DIRECTLY AT THE SUN WITHOUT PROPER FILTRATION ! This is a very good way to burn your retinas out and go blind. It will do the same to your camera without  proper filtration as well. The only time it is safe to look directly at the eclipse is at totality - and keep in mind that at it's longest it is less than 3 minutes anywhere.

You can use the indirect method to both look AND take pictures without filtration.

When I was a kid we had an eclipse. It was during school. We all went out with 2 pieces of paper, one with a pinhole in it. Didn't make much of an impression on an 8 year old.  But, I suppose it was a lot better than 600 kids going blind. 

[Valker]

I have one son who thought looking at the sun was cool when he was about six.


This is not my son's eye, but very similar. I'll post his pic when I'm back on my computer.

[Farside]

  Totally agree Willow. The media has made such a fuss about this event and the people that are going out of their way to view this is hard for me to imagine.  Worrying about the animals is ridiculous. Parents are calling my wife's school to allow the kids to go out and watch. The school says NO way, Keep them home and send a note to school with them on Tuesday to be excused.  
  This to me is a great example of how the media escalates an event. I just looked at a picture of what the Highways look like in SC. Bumper to bumper traffic for 3 min's of this event.  

[Farside]

Take your phone and record it. Then watch it if you really want to see the event. Kind of like a selfie, reverse the filming.  

[scooperhsd]

Totally agree Willow. The media has made such a fuss about this event and the people that are going out of their way to view this is hard for me to imagine.  Worrying about the animals is ridiculous. Parents are calling my wife's school to allow the kids to go out and watch. The school says NO way, Keep them home and send a note to school with them on Tuesday to be excused.  
  This to me is a great example of how the media escalates an event. I just looked at a picture of what the Highways look like in SC. Bumper to bumper traffic for 3 min's of this event.  

 Our weekend weather person was making the same observation in NC for I-95 South and I-85 South. Northbound on both is fine.

[Farside]

Totally agree Willow. The media has made such a fuss about this event and the people that are going out of their way to view this is hard for me to imagine.  Worrying about the animals is ridiculous. Parents are calling my wife's school to allow the kids to go out and watch. The school says NO way, Keep them home and send a note to school with them on Tuesday to be excused.  
  This to me is a great example of how the media escalates an event. I just looked at a picture of what the Highways look like in SC. Bumper to bumper traffic for 3 min's of this event.  

 Our weekend weather person was making the same observation in NC for I-95 South and I-85 South. Northbound on both is fine.

Exactly, I'm sure on Monday and Tuesday with folks heading back it will be a zoo. I hope they will be keeping their cool while on the h'way of people. I hope they enjoyed the hours they spent on the road to enjoy the 3 min's. No Really.......

[Serk]

[Patrick]

LMAO !  Where do you find these pictures !?

[The emperor has no clothes]

LMAO !  Where do you find these pictures !?

Serk's wife has taken up skydiving, while Serk has taken up lingerie horse back riding. 

[Serk]

LMAO !  Where do you find these pictures !?

Mostly find 'em on Facebook or some of the other, darker corners of the Internet that I sometimes crawl through...

Every once in a while I make my own. Some times I see a decent idea but hate the image and just transfer the idea to a new image, like this one I just whipped up:

[old2soon]

LMAO !  Where do you find these pictures !?

Mostly find 'em on Facebook or some of the other, darker corners of the Internet that I sometimes crawl through...

Every once in a while I make my own. Some times I see a decent idea but hate the image and just transfer the idea to a new image, like this one I just whipped up:

                  Betcha kimilsungsumbitchbadmojohaircut did NOT see this coming!  OOOPPPPSS-liquidate my intelligence chief-NOW.  RIDE SAFE.

[vanagon40]

Okay, I'll post the dissenting opinion.

I'm not sure exactly what the OP was referring to when referencing the "Stupidity of Some People." If it was the doggie eclipse glasses, then I concur.

If it was "paying $4.99 for 'eclipse glasses' of cheap cardboard and plastic," then I respectfully dissent (I paid $3.34 per pair for mine, but I bought in bulk and gave away a lot to friends and relatives). As an old friend of mine said quite often, I spill more than that in a day.

I am inclined to watch the sun during the eclipse--and I would like to look directly at the event. I need the eclipse glasses. Paying $5.00 for the opportunity to directly view the eclipse seems no more extravagant than paying $5.00 to watch a movie (or ride a roller coaster, or engage in many other activities that cost $5.00).

I also find sunrise and sunset inspiring. In fact, I have driven thirty minutes or more to view a sunrise or sunset from a unique location (at cost of more than $5.00). Sunrises and sunsets have no relevance to the unique opportunity to view an eclipse. The last one I can recall was in 1994. The next one in Indianapolis will be 2024 (and Indianapolis will be in the path of the total eclipse). Unlike the OP, I do not consider the eclipse to be "just another natural event." On an average of once every 15 years, I consider the eclipse to be an extraordinary event that warrants an expense of "$4.99 for 'eclipse glasses' of cheap cardboard and plastic." I plan to drive a little over 4 hours to see the total eclipse. To each his own.

P.S. I do not own a purse, but after 35 years of marriage, I will carry my wife's purse whenever requested.

[Robert]

While being a true way to demonstrate the stupidity of people, we have another way here in Florida, wait till it rains and your on the road. Its a stark reminder every time it rains of the inability of people to truly understand a cope with a natural event.

[Alpha Dog]

What I find amazing is that the Sun is the right distance away, the moon is the right distance and size and in the right orbit and the earth is the correct size to create a total eclipse.   What the heck are the chances of that?  Is this divine intervention or some other intervention?  Yes we are on an amazing planet.

[Art708]

...  Kind of like Bob Barker spaying and neutering pets only with bats and glasses.

I hate to think of pets being spayed and neutered with bats.  You may want to rethink that plan.   

      I doubt the pets would care for it very much either.