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Archive for the ‘Blindness’ Category

Link between Covid-19 infections and smell blindness – The Thaiger

Sunday, April 12th, 2020

Deaths from the Covid-19 coronavirus in the US topped 20,000 yesterday (20,577 to be precise), surpassing Italy, previously the worlds hardest-hit country. It was a grim start to the Easter holiday weekend on which US President Donald Trump had earlier hoped to reopen the country. With the report of 1,863 new deaths nationally yesterday, the US has reached two grim milestones all 50 states are now in a state of emergency, and the US outbreak is the deadliest in the world.

Italy has still lost more people per capita: with a population of 60 million, roughly 31 of every 100,000 people there have been killed by the virus. In the US that ratio is 5. If the US death toll were to match the ratio in Italy, more than 100,000 Americans would die.

But after two months of extreme social distancing and devastating losses, Italys crisis seems to be gradually subsiding; the daily number of new cases has fallen by almost half since the peak in late March. The US is still on an upward trajectory of its pandemic curve, with the number of new cases increasing nearly every day.

Estimates on how many people will end up dying in the US have fluctuated in recent weeks as new data continues to pour in from various attempts at mathematical modelling. A leading projection model from the University of Washington has forecast about 60,000 deaths, far fewer than the 100,000 to 240,000 deaths that were projected in a White House press release less than 2 weeks ago. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, had this to say

The real data are telling us that it is highly likely that were having a definite positive effect by these mitigation things that were doing, this physical separation, so I believe we are gonna see a downturn in that. And it looks more like the 60,000 than the 100,000 to 200,000.

As Americans desperately seek assurance that the country has a path out of its crisis, the official response has been fractured and uncertain.

In his daily briefings and private calls with officials, US President Trump has sought a strategy for resuming business activity by the end of April. But leaders in states with some of the biggest outbreaks caution against actions that they say could lead to another spike in cases and prolonging the crisis.

In an interview on Friday night, Fauci said he hoped the nation would find a real degree of normality by November.

The US is still stepping up its response to the virus, albeit delayed by politics and states vs federal frictions. The Pentagon announced yesterday it will invest 133 million dollars to increase domestic production of N95 masks needed by health-care workers on the front lines of fighting the virus.

Across the country, Americans braced for the unthinkable: empty churches, silent ballparks, students struggling to learn over a Zoom connection, families without food, doctors desperate for protective equipment and an ever-growing list of the dead.

In an interview, Rev Timothy Cole, a priest at Christ Church in Washingtons Georgetown district, who was the districts first known Covid-19 patient, said this moment feels more like the darkness of Good Friday, when Christians believe Jesus died on the cross, than the rebirth celebrated by Easter Sunday.

SOURCES: USA Today

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Did Sandra Oh win at the 2019 Emmys, will she be in Killing Eve season 3 and is she married? – The Scottish Sun

Sunday, April 12th, 2020

SANDRA Oh has been bagging awards left, right and centre for her role as Eve Polastri in the incredibly successful Killing Eve series.

But was the former Grey's Anatomy actress able to beat out her co-star Jodie Comer for the Outstanding Lead Actress gong at the 2019 Emmy Awards? And what else has she starred in? We have all the details below.

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Sadly for Sandra, she did not win the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama series at the 2019 Emmys.

But we're sure she didn't feel too bad about it because the gong went to her co-star and friend Jodie Comer.

The British actress was given the honour for her thrilling performance as everyone's favourite assassin, Villanelle.

The win was even more sweet for Jodie because it was her first time being nominated in the American awards show.

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Sandra will be making a comeback on season 4 of Killing Eve as the titular character.

The entire season 4 will drop on BBC iPlayer tomorrow, Monday, 13 April, 2020 at 6am.

Fans are excited to see Eve Polastri chase the elusive Villanelle for yet another season.

Sandra, 48, was born on July 20, 1971, and is a Canadian actress.

Born to Korean immigrant parents, she was one of three children.

She rejected a four-year journalism scholarship at the Carleton University to study drama at the National Theatre School of Canada.

Sandra promised her parents that she would try her hand at acting for a few years and if it all failed she would return to university.

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Sandra is best known for her role as Dr. Cristina Yang on Grey's Anatomy.

Her role on the medical drama won her a Golden Globe Award, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, andfive Emmy nominations.

However, that's not all as her credits as an actress are countless.

She also starred in the BBC America dramaKilling Eveas the MI5 agent Eve Polastri.

Sandra received an Emmy 2018 nomination within the Lead Actress in a Drama Series category for her work in Killing Eve and is up for a Golden Globe.

Her movie credits include The Princess Diaries (2001), Blindness (2008) and Rabbit Hole (2010).

In 2019, the actresshosted the Golden Globe awardsas the first host of Asian descent alongside Andy Samberg.

Apart from hosting it, she also accepted the award for Best Actress in a TV Drama for her part in Killing Eve.

This, together with her Golden Globe for Grey's Anatomy, made her the first woman of Asian descent to have multiple Golden Globes.

While many fans hope that Sandra might one day reprise her role as Christina, the actress has confirmed she won't be returning to the show for a cameo.

She made the revelation at the Killing Eve season 2 premiere in Hollywood.

The actress to Extra: "You know, I gotta tell you, you guys keep on asking me that question.

"I just got to tell you, creatively you have moved on and while I know, and I deeply appreciate it, because I feel it from the fans how much they love Cristina and that the show also still keeps Cristina alive, for me, [Killing Eve] is my home now."

She continued: "This is w here I am. I am Eve and that's where I plan to stay as long as the show will have me. And that's really where I want to be."

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Sandra dated filmmaker Alexander Payne for five years before making it official.

The pair tied the knot on January 1, 2003.

However, following their separation in 2005, Sandra and Alexander officially divorced in late 2006.

The actress is now datingLev Rukhin.

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We take a look at series three of The A Word

Sandra is worth $25 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth.

That equates to around 19.6 million.

Her wealth is downto the countless successful movies and television series she's been in.

Most notable of these are Grey's Anatomy, Arli$$, Blindness, and Killing Eve.

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Did Sandra Oh win at the 2019 Emmys, will she be in Killing Eve season 3 and is she married? - The Scottish Sun

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Prevent Blindness Urges Women to Make Their Vision Health a Priority Today to Help Protect it for the Future – Yahoo Finance

Friday, March 27th, 2020

Prevent Blindness Declares April as Women's Eye Health and Safety Month to Educate Public on Ways to Save Sight

CHICAGO, March 26, 2020 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Because women have higher rates of eye diseases and eye conditions than men, Prevent Blindness, the nation's oldest non-profit eye health organization, has designated April as Women's Eye Health and Safety Month. The group provides free information to the public on various eye health topics, including vision issues, possible changes in vision during pregnancy, cosmetic safety and more.

Women have a higher prevalence of many of the major vision problems, including:

The National Eye Institute states that 26 percent more women aged 12 and older have uncorrected visual impairment due to refractive error compared with men aged 12 and older. And, 14 percent more women aged 40 and older have refractive errors compared with men aged 40 and older. Additionally, women are also more likely to have autoimmune conditions, which often come with visual side effects.

According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, for women, fluctuating hormone levels of estrogen and progesterone can affect the eye's oil glands, which can lead to dryness. Estrogen can also make the cornea less stiff with more elasticity, which can affect how light travels into the eye. The dryness and the change in refraction can cause blurry vision and can also make wearing contact lenses difficult.

Pregnancy brings an increase in hormones that may cause changes in vision. Women with pre-existing eye conditions, like glaucoma, high blood pressure or diabetes, need to alert their eye doctor that they are pregnant (or planning to become pregnant).

Lastly, women often make the majority of their family's health care decisions and are often responsible as caregivers for the health care choices of their children, partners, spouse, and aging parents. It is important to remind women to make their own vision and eye health a priority to prevent unnecessary vision loss in the future.

Prevent Blindness recommends steps that should be taken to protect vision and eye health, including:

OCuSOFT Inc., a privately-held eye and skin care company dedicated to innovation in eyelid hygiene and ocular health, is partnering once again with Prevent Blindness in support of April's Women's Eye Health and Safety Month.

"Today, obviously there are significant challenges in maintaining overall health," said Jeff Todd, president and CEO of Prevent Blindness. "We want to remind women of all ages that there are many ways to protect the gift of sight today so that it can be enjoyed for many years to come."

For more information on women's eye health, including fact sheets on eye diseases and eye protection, please visit https://www.preventblindness.org/see-jane-see or call (800) 331-2020. Prevent Blindness offers a free listing of financial assistance services in English and Spanish at: https://www.preventblindness.org/vision-care-financial-assistance-information.

About Prevent Blindness Founded in 1908, Prevent Blindness is the nation's leading volunteer eye health and safety organization dedicated to fighting blindness and saving sight. Focused on promoting a continuum of vision care, Prevent Blindness touches the lives of millions of people each year through public and professional education, advocacy, certified vision screening and training, community and patient service programs and research. These services are made possible through the generous support of the American public. Together with a network of affiliates, Prevent Blindness is committed to eliminating preventable blindness in America. For more information, or to make a contribution to the sight-saving fund, call 1-800-331-2020. Or, visit us on the Web at preventblindness.org or facebook.com/preventblindness.

SOURCE Prevent Blindness

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Bulgakovs biting vision of an avoidable plague – The Economist

Friday, March 27th, 2020

The Fatal Eggs is a parable of bureaucratic bungling and drastic countermeasures

Mar 25th 2020

Editors note: The Economist is making some of its most important coverage of the covid-19 pandemic freely available to readers of The Economist Today, our daily newsletter. To receive it, register here. For more coverage, see our coronavirus hub

The Fatal Eggs. By Mikhail Bulgakov. Translated by Hugh Aplin.Hesperus Press; 112 pages; 6.99.

WHEN PROFESSOR Vladimir Persikovs wife runs off with an opera singer, she leaves him a note. An unbearable shudder of revulsion is aroused in me by your frogs, she tells him. In The Fatal Eggs, a little-known novella by Mikhail Bulgakov, a pestilence spawned by the professors zoological research threatens not just his marriage, but civilisation itself.

The scourge in the storypublished in 1925 and set three years lateris not a disease, exactly. In their imagination of epidemics, novels such as Mary Shelleys The Last Man, The Plague by Albert Camus or Jos Saramagos haunting Blindness might seem more apposite in the time of covid-19. Nor is this biting tale Bulgakovs finest work (that is his satirical fantasia, The Master and Margarita). But as a parable of bureaucratic bungling, avoidable disaster and drastic countermeasures, it is horribly relevant.

In his laboratory in Moscow, Persikov discovers a ray of life that makes amoebae and tadpoles reproduce at speed. Thrilled, he orders extra kit from Germany and exotic eggs from across the Atlantic (like the virus, this is a globalised affair). Foreign powers covet the new technology, but the Soviet state requisitions it to help kick-start poultry production. The apparatchik in charge of the state farm, Alexander Faight, was once a flautist in Odessa; he is carrying his instrument when he encounters a giant serpent, which he tries to pacify with a waltz from Eugene Onegin. He fails, and the beast eats his wife.

The Russian author takes digs at the church, heedless carousers in the streets, blinkered scientistsand, naturally, at the Bolsheviks. But his depiction of blas, incompetent officialdom resonates across the ages and all forms of government. Honest to God, itll work out, Faight says blithely of the poultry plan, like a president recommending an unproven drug. Disaster ensues because the authorities botch their deliveries, sending the hens eggs meant for the farm to Persikov, and his exotic specimens to the farm. Then, after the creatures hatch, the first, all-too familiar response is disbelief and denial. Faight stammers a report to two security agents; one thinks he is hallucinating, the other that a circus animal might have escaped. A newspaper editor dismisses an urgent telegram as a drunkards raving.

Before long, though, everyone goes berserk. Martial law is declared in Moscow amid a flood of refugees. Like quarantined Europeans applauding ambulances from their balconies, cowering citizens take to the pavements to salute the cavalrymen on their way to interspecies battle, and the marching gas squadrons with breathing tubes over their shoulders and with cylinders on straps behind their backs. Artillery units bombard forests; aeroplanes spray poison. Civilian casualties mount. And, following a perennial instinct, vigilantes hunt for someone to blame.

In the end, the weather intervenes, as some hope it might today. An unseasonable summer frost kills the serpents and freezes the eggs, and a year after the trouble arose, it is all over. Moscow, Bulgakov writes encouragingly, again began to dance, to burn and to spin with lights.

Dig deeper:For our latest coverage of the covid-19 pandemic, register for The Economist Today, our daily newsletter, or visit our coronavirus hub

This article appeared in the Books and arts section of the print edition under the headline "The yolk of fate"

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Bladder Medication Linked To Dangerous Eye Problems – The Ring of Fire Network – The Ring of Fire Network

Friday, March 27th, 2020

Elmiron, a medication used to treat bladder conditions, may be associated with a rare eye condition called pigmentary maculopathy, according to recent scientific reports. Pigmentary maculopathy reportedly occurs after long-term Elmiron treatment.Ring of Fires Farron Cousins discusses this with Scott Hardy, the President of Top Class Actions.

Transcript:

*This transcript was generated by a third-party transcription software company, so please excuse any typos.

Farron Cousins:A popular bladder medication called Elmiron has now been linked to very serious side effects that affect a patients eyes and their vision. Joining me now to talk about this investigation is Scott Hardy with top class actions and Scott, unfortunately this is a very common story. We see this with a lot of pharmaceuticals all the time. One of the biggest areas of, of, of legal practice in the country today is bad pharmaceuticals and it looks like we may have another one on our hands. So tell us whats happening here.

Scott Hardy:Sure. So weve actually reported on Elmiron in the past, and its connection to possible macular degeneration, but whats really peaking attorneys interest right now is the connection to pigmentary macula, maculopathy. And so its similar to macular degeneration, but it can also result in blindness for people. A very good friend of top class actions was just talking to me last night and she said, shes got this bladder condition. And she said, you know, Scott, I wanted to take Elmiron because the bladder condition is so painful. Its, its terrible. But knowing about this side effect, I dont want to go blind and there are support groups of people out there that take Elmiron and that have said, yeah, Im starting to see some of these symptoms.

And so thats what these attorneys are going after because people havent been warned that if they take Elmiron for this bladder issue that they could go blind and its, it hasnt been populated out there and this is the only drug thats affective for this specific condition. So it puts these folks in a very tough position of, do I, do I suffer the pain and the discomfort of having this, this bladder issue? Or do I roll the dice and take Elmiron for some relief and hope that I dont have permanent vision problems after taking it?

Farron Cousins:See, thats a really interesting point there because usually what we see in the cases of these pharmaceuticals, the lawsuits, is itll be a relatively new drug thatll come out and the pharmaceutical companies go out there and tell doctors, hey, our drug is way more better than something thats been on the market for 20 years. So please start prescribing this and then the side effects pop up. The patient has to switch to the other. But in this one, as you say, there is no other one. So were not looking at necessarily the same scenario that we typically see with these pharmaceutical cases where they push something they know is dangerous as better than something that is not.

So this is a very tough position I guess for, for these patients to be in. And, you know, you mentioned somebody you know has a bladder condition, a family member of mine has one and these are exceedingly painful for people. They, they want relief, they need relief and its going to put them in the position, well do I want this pain, this constant pain to stop and possibly go blind or do I just live with pain and not risk it? Thats a horrible choice for anyone to have to make.

Scott Hardy:It really is and the problem is that people dont know if they will be impacted by it and they dont know if they can start taking Elmiron and get some relief for their bladder issue and then start experiencing partial blindness, blurred vision, other problems, and then go, okay well Im going to stop. Because unfortunately some of these medical issues, once that ball starts rolling down that hill, there is no stopping it and so its unclear, you know, Ive had friends with MS that were taking a specific drug and then as soon as they tested positive for a certain condition, they stopped taking it. Because it could cause death, once they tested positive. For this one, they dont know. You know, if youre taking Elmiron and then all of a sudden you start having blurry vision, you start having vision issues and you stop taking the drug, it might be too late.

And thats what we, you know, Id love for the makers of Elmiron to come out and say, hey, heres a strategy. Because thats what they did with this MS drug is they said, hey, our drug works and so were going to test you every six months and as soon as you hit positive for this specific condition, well tell you if you continue taking this drug and you have this condition, it can kill you. What do you want to do? Elmiron hopefully will have a similar strategy to come out with and say, well run tests, use our drug, get that relief that you want. But heres some tests and if you start suffering these problems, then well pull you off it, then well figure out a new treatment solution.

Farron Cousins:Absolutely. So lets hope that that happens. As of right now, obviously this investigation is still ongoing and, you know, if it yields the results that its already been yielding, we can expect, you know, pretty significant lawsuits in the near future. So folks, if youre on this drug, if you know anybody on this drug, please follow the link in the description of this video. Head on over to top class actions and if you havent already done so, please do subscribe to their weekly newsletter. Scott Hardy with top class actions, always a pleasure. Thank you.

Scott Hardy:Youre welcome. Thanks for your time.

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Effect of Banner Blindness on Design – BBN Times

Friday, March 27th, 2020

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If you're thinking about selling products online but you're unsure where to begin then don't worry, you have definitely come to the right place.

Whether you've been running your business for years or you've only just started, you need to be sure you're as prepared as you can be when it comes to selling your products online. Luckily, there are lots of ways in which you can do exactly that. From working out which products you're going to sell to finding out a way to direct traffic to your store, you need to be sure you're doing all that you can to prepare for your launch in advance. Whilst it may be overwhelming at first, you'll be thankful when your business is a huge success. With that in mind, here are 13 things to consider before selling your products online:

One of the first things you need to do when it comes to selling your products is to put together a business plan. Whether youve already started working on one or youre yet to give it a go, having a business plan in place in the best way to ensure your business is going to get off to a strong start. It will feature your mission statement, your goals and all of the steps youre going to need to take in order to run your business successfully.

Although it can take some time to put together, having a business plan is essential for those that want to succeed. For some tips and tricks when it comes to putting together a business plan, you can visit this site here.

While youre putting together your business plan, you also need to think about the products youre going to sell. Whether youre selling your full product line online or youre just choosing a select few products, having a clear idea of what you want to list online will make all of your other decisions much easier. If youre unsure what you should be selling online, you may want to take a look at what your competitors are doing and what is performing well for them. It may be that you launch a couple of products, to begin with, and then build on your range.

When youre thinking of your products, you need to consider whether or not youre going to be buying them yourself or getting them from a supplier. Although both are great options, you need to think about your business model before you started selling things online. Have you always created your own products? Do you make enough profit margin? For a guide to making your own products for your business, you can visit this site here.

Another important thing to consider when it comes to your products is how much stock youre going to need at once. If youre a small business that only gets one or two orders a week, chances are youre not going to need to keep high levels of stock. If youre expecting lots of orders, however, youre going to need to ensure you have the stock levels that are needed to fulfil the orders. If you notice youre getting busier and busier each week, you may want to consider increasing your stock in small increments.

If you have to invest a lot into your stock before it sells, its best to start with small numbers at first.

Once you have started to think about the products youre going to sell and the quantity of stock youre going to need to think about where youre going to be selling them. Whether youre using social media as your sole platform or youre using sites like Etsy or eBay, its important you know which platform your target audience is most likely going to be using. If youre unsure, you may want to trial a couple of different platforms before you find what is right for you. For advice when it comes to choosing the right platform to sell your products, you can visit this site here.

Another great way to sell your products online is to build your own website, which is what most online sellers should be aiming to do as their business starts to grow. If youre going to be setting up your website from the start of your launch, you need to be sure youre doing all that you can to make it a success. This means hiring a designer and web developer, putting all your efforts into writing the web copy and ensuring that it works from a user perspective. The more time you put into your website, the better.

If youre worried about creating a website, there are lots of people that you can outsource the work to. Not only will this help free up your time but it will also ensure that your website is fully functional from the get-go.

Once you have built your website or started listing your products online, you need to think about how youre going to be driving traffic to your website. From focussing on your SEO to working with a paid ads specialist, there are lots of ways to get people to click through to your site. Although it may not happen right away, after a little bit of hard work youll soon start to see your numbers grow. Patience is key when it comes to traffic.

Another great way to direct traffic to your site and to grow your brand is to use social media to promote your products. Again, this is not something that will happen instantly but if youre consistent in your message it will come. Whether youre using Instagram to share photos of your products or youre using Facebook to go live and show a behind the scenes look at running a business, the more followers you have the more chance you have of turning them into paying customers.

When it comes to followers, you need to ensure theyre all within your target audience if you want a high chance of converting them.

If youre struggling to grow your brand and direct traffic to your site, working with influencers and bloggers is a great idea. Working with influencers who have a similar target audience to you will allow you to get your products in front of people who may be interested. Although it will cost you, its proven to be super effective.

Another important thing to consider when it comes to selling your products online is how youre going to be shipping your products once they start to sell. Whether youre using a shipping company or youre heading to the post office on your own, you need to choose the method that is easiest for you. In most cases, it will come down to the time and cost that you have to invest. For more information when it comes to shipping, you can visit this site here.

Speaking of shipping, you also need to think about whether or not youre going to be charging for delivery. Although some companies choose to offer free delivery over a certain spend, often not possible for those that are running small businesses from their home. If you do want to charge free delivery, you need to ensure your prices reflect that.

Another important thing to consider is whether or not you need to put together a refund and returns policy. Although you dont necessarily want to think about people returning your products and asking for refunds, having a policy in place will make it much easier should this happen. If you can, try to include this policy on your website.

If you need help when it comes to putting together a refund and returns policy, you can visit this site here.

Finally, you need to think about whether or not you have a contingency plan in place. Although you may never need to use it, knowing what youre going to do if your business is not successful is important as it will allow you to prepare in advance. After all, you never know what could happen in the world of business.

Are you thinking of starting an online business selling products? What can you do to ensure your business is a success from the start? How will you be selling your products? Did we miss anything? Let me know your thoughts and ideas in the comments section below.

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Inspiration – We are all Christ’s ambassadors | – South Peace News

Friday, March 27th, 2020

Pastor Terry Goerz,Redeemer Lutheran Church

Jesus healed a man who was born blind. The church officials of the day refused to believe that Jesus could have done this, since in their eyes Jesus was a sinner. He was healing on the Sabbath, the holy day, when no work was to be done.

The blind man testified he was born blind and Jesus put some mud on his eyes, told him to go wash, and he could see.

They refused to believe. They called his parents who testified that he was born blind and now he could see, but they did not know how.

They called the blind man again who again testified that Jesus had restored his sight. They still refused to believe, Jesus was a sinner, and God does not use sinners to heal.

The man born blind not only had his physical sight restored, but he had his spiritual sight restored as he worshiped Jesus as the Son of Man, that is the long promised Messiah who was to save the world.

Jesus concluded this account saying in John 9:39, For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind.

When we read this account from scripture we may feel what dummies. Couldnt they see the obvious? Sadly, this same blindness is all around us today. God creates us as spiritual beings, knit together in the womb, yet multitudes of babies are murdered in the womb.

It is now legally possible to take your own life, or anothers, through the euthanasia legislation. Homosexuality, described as an abomination to God, is now celebrated as an alternative life style. Marriage, which is described in scripture as the lifelong union of one man and one woman, is ignored with same sex marriage becoming common.

It seems our society today suffers from the same blindness that the church officials of Jesuss day suffered from. We think, as a society, we are so advanced, so smart, so enlightened. Yet the word of God seems to be screaming what dummies.

The real problem, though, is not connected to mankinds natural intelligence. As a result of the fall of man in the garden of Eden we are all born in sin and conceived in iniquity. We are naturally alienated enemies of God and destined for an eternity separated from God in a torturous place called hell; unless we have our spiritual eyes opened. Without God working in our lives, mankind cannot see and understand what is obvious.

As Jesus said earlier, For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind.

Paul tells us the same thing in 1 Corinthians 1:18,19 for the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written, will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.

Fortunately for mankind we have a God who is full of mercy and grace. It is His desire that all mankind be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth. This is the message of reconciliation that has been committed to all Christians.

2 Corinthians 5: 1921: That God was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ, not counting mens sins against them. And He has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christs ambassadors, as though God were making His appeal through us. We implore you on Christs behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.

While there may be some value in rallying and lobbying against the blindness that is so obvious in our society, the real answer is to apply the balm that opens their eyes. God made Jesus to be sin for us. Jesus has paid the penalty for the sin of the whole world, past, present and future.

We who serve our Lord should be acting as Christs ambassadors and telling all those around us that God wants to be reconciled to them, that forgiveness and life eternal are a free gift available to all who will believe.

God will use that message in those whom He has called and chosen to open their eyes to the truth. One by one God will use us as He snatches the lost from the fire.

Blessings!

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Inspiration - We are all Christ's ambassadors | - South Peace News

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Free Cosby… From Coronavirus | TheThings – TheThings

Friday, March 27th, 2020

Can the Coronavirus be the key to getting Bill Cosby out of the slammer? His lawyers hope so.

As per Page Six, Cosbys legal team is filing a motion to get him released from his Pennsylvania jail and put on house arrest amid reports that at least one prison officer has tested positive for COVID-19.

At his age, Cosby is at a greater risk of having serious complications if he were to contract the Coronavirus. Not to mention the close quarters in prison.

His lawyers say he is not a threat to the public if hes allowed to serve his time from home due to his advanced age and blindness. He would wear an ankle monitor and his wife would supposedly take care of him.

Will the plea work? We will have to wait and see. Considering his Pennsylvania mansion is 9,000-square-feet, as Page Six notes, he can easily practice social distancing.

Related:Celebrity Inmate Bill Cosby Says He'd Rather Do A Decade In Prison Than Show Remorse

Another celebrity-turned-criminal dealing with COVID-19 is Harvey Weinstein. Hehas tested positive for the virus, as we reported on The Things. Will Weinstein be handed a get out of jail free card too, so he doesnt spread it around?

Cosby may even push for Weinstein to be given special treatment. Cosbys publicist called Weinsteins conviction a sad day for the American judicial system, as NBC News reported.

Two peas in a pod? At least theyre not in the same prison.

Next:More Trouble For Harvey Weinstein... He Tests Positive For Coronavirus!

Mason Disick Takes To Social Media And Spills Info About Kylie Jenner

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Fun ways for kids to reconnect in the garden – The Portugal News

Friday, March 27th, 2020

in Lifestyle 27-03-2020 01:00:00 0 Comments

If you're lucky enough to have your own garden, there's lots of ways you and your family could enjoy it - and connect with nature and benefit from a wellbeing boost in the process.

With social distancing at the height of the agenda at present, you might need to make sure you keep a safe distance from neighbours, so be sensible and follow the all-important guidelines. But gardens can bolster wellbeing for both children and adults, says gardening writer, presenter and horticultural influencer Ellen Mary.

Mary, who specialises in gardening for wellbeing, has just launched a 30 Moments In Nature challenge on her website, featuring activities to help people reconnect with nature.

"We all lead such busy lives, with everyday stresses of work, school and digital life, that 'nature deficit disorder' and even 'plant blindness' has become all too real," she says.

"There is nature everywhere, and spotting it, even in the most unlikely places, can give a much better understanding of how we are all connected - to nature, not our phones."

Here, Mary offers top tips on how you and your children can reconnect with nature in your own garden...

1. Garden tracing

This is an activity many of us took part in at school as a child and it's still really good fun, no matter what age we are. Children can learn about plants and trees in their garden, identify them and be outside away from computers and mobile phones. Studies have shown that walking among trees reduces levels of cortisol and can even boost the immune system.

Activity: Take a walk in your garden with some paper and a crayon. Trace the bark of a tree, if you have one, and a fallen leaf to stick on the paper by your tracing. Look closely at the tree, identify it, touch the bark and the leaves. Back inside, put it on your fridge. Each time you look at your tracing, remember how you felt in the garden, the smells and the air on your face.

2. Walk barefoot

Walking barefoot brings us into direct contact with the planet and allows us to absorb the natural energy the earth provides. This is known as 'earthing' and it's said to have a host of benefits. Great on a warm morning in the garden.

Activity: Get your socks off! Put your shoes aside. Feel liberated by walking outside on the lawn or a soft outdoor surface with bare feet. Feel the natural negative charge from the earth being absorbed through the soles of your feet. Allow it to happen, accept it. Breathe deeply and relax.

3. Spot a star constellation

When we are busy looking down at phones and laptops, it's easy to forget to look up. By looking up at the night sky not only is it a hub of fascination and awe but it's also a relaxing activity before bedtime. Finding shapes in the moon and trying to spot star constellations can be a lovely way to switch off before a good night's sleep.

Activity: Did you ever stare at the stars as a child and wonder what they are? Glistening in the sky, light years away. It's really good fun identifying star constellations but if you can't work out where Orion is, make your own shapes in the sky like a dot-to-dot drawing.

4. Sow some seeds

Sowing seeds is now only a great way to grow your own food, but also for children to understand where their food comes from. Great seeds to try with children are sunflowers, nasturtiums and microgreens, which grow really quickly.

Activity: Be mindful and sow some seeds. Before you do, feel the seeds in your hand. What is the texture, shape, size? Look close at the detail - does each seed differ? Smell them and if they are edible, taste them. Be marvelled at the way those tiny seeds become big fruits, vegetables or flowers.

5. See life beneath

Picking up a large stone from your garden, your children will be able to marvel at the life beneath. They'll be fascinated by the woodlice, ants, worms and beetles. We forget that inner child as we grow up and life takes over.

Activity: Revisit those memorable moments with your children, lifting a stone in your garden and encouraging the children to stay inquisitive and keep looking.

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Fun ways for kids to reconnect in the garden - The Portugal News

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We crossed over this week: coronavirus is heaping cruelty upon cruelty – The Guardian

Friday, March 27th, 2020

Monday marked the turning. There appeared a line that we all stepped over together into this odd, unsettled twilight land we now find ourselves in.

On Friday thousands still gathered at Bondi beach. But a friend who was there said the vibe, which couldnt be captured by the pictures (themselves now viral), was more complex. There was this instinct to come together one last time, to seize the dwindling moment, he told me. It was less wilful blindness, he said, and more paradoxically a life-affirming impulse in the face of the terrible known unknown that was coming next.

By Sunday, Bondis brief Weimar Republic moment was over. The beaches were fenced shut. We all knew now, if we didnt know it then, that our lives would enter a new, much darker phase, unlike anything most of us have experienced.

By Monday an estimated 88,000 people lost their jobs in the hospitality industry alone and tried to file for unemployment. The system crashed under the demand.

Black Monday brought waves upon waves of frightening news (record job losses, NRL season over, Olympics wont go ahead, Queensland to shut borders, 3,000 Australians stranded on cruise ships; pubs, cafe, licensed premises, gyms etc all shut at midday). There were heartbreaking sights: the streets all across the country empty, except for thousands and thousands of people queuing at a mandated social distance for Centrelink. The next day people started lining up at 4:30am.

The virus is invisible but the economic devastation is a tragedy you could see. Each job loss represents a seismic explosion in an individuals world. By the end of Monday at least 15% of people I know had lost a substantial portion of their income, or their jobs or businesses they had spent decades building up.

And in all this - when you need it most you cannot get a hug from your friends

Suddenly jobless in my circle were yoga teachers, barmen, baristas, cafe owners, a university support worker, university cleaner, personal trainers, roadies, two tour managers for bands, freelance journalists, friends in PR and regional journalism, playwrights, coffee cart owners, sound engineers, winery owners, chefs, cinema operators, kitchen hands, film production crew, ushers at theatres, stage hands, driving instructors, those doing contract work for financial services, event organisers, florists and professional MCs.

When I spoke to these friends, the conversations were flooded with fear.

As a society, white Australia has not experienced this level of fear collectively before.

Fear is everywhere this week. You can see it in peoples eyes and hear it in their voices. It even leeches out of text messages as if the virus had the power to distort even the most disembodied form of communication.

But mostly fear is in the air thick and heavy all around us like an invisible pea soup, carrying an almost chemical taint. This taint feels hormone-like in its elements, a kind of an anti-pheromone that repels rather than attracts. Passing people quickly on the streets the fear is dense and hard to move though and when home, secure in our houses, we carry it back with us on our clothes and around our bodies.

There is cruelty heaped upon cruelty with this pandemic. The fear is not just the mortal fear of contracting what could be a deadly virus, the fear is losing your job and having no money, the fear is being evicted and made homeless, the fear is foreclosure, the fear is being separated from your family whether interstate or overseas (or in my case, a town two hours away), the fear is bankruptcy and sacking your staff, the fear is your debt, the fear is for the education and anxiety of your children, the fear is for the health of your elderly parents, the fear is for your immunocompromised friends. It goes on.

The fear also includes each persons unique personal reckoning. Right now were all meeting our own fears and limits. Character is being swiftly revealed. Each persons bundle of fear is different: you are in an imperfect or dysfunctional relationship, or you are isolated alone in an enormous tower in the city in a 50 sqm flat, or you are single and lonely and miss your friends, or you are sheltering with a violent or unpredictable partner, or you are overwhelmed by your children, or you are in substandard or insecure housing, or you are with near strangers in your random share house, or with your boyfriend of three weeks, whom you really dont know that well yet.

And in all this, when you need it most you cannot get a hug from your friends.

What parts of ourselves are we going to meet there in our quarantine houses and apartments, during our 4am insomnia and aching with loneliness and heartache for the lovely, bright lost world outside our doors?

On Monday, in central Victoria, it was the last day of trade for many small, independent businesses in my town. The high street had changed overnight. A man (security? management?) stood at the door of the butchers shop in gloves, wiping down doors, policing social distancing. Shoppers were wearing face masks, people swerved away from each other when passing in the street. Everything looked familiar, and entirely strange. The weather was crisp and sunny and the gold leaves were yet to turn.

I got my last coffee from my favourite cafe and stood in a warming patch of autumnal sun.

Across the street there was a funeral home, and a service was coming out. There were plastic chairs spaced far apart in the forecourt and large bottles of hand sanitiser on trestle tables.

People came out dispersing onto the street. I watched and waited then I saw it people hesitating, then hugging each other quickly on the road.

Watching this broke my heart. It was a bit of the old world of touch and comfort and a bit of the new world of fear and distance. This is the week were crossing over.

The cafe shut indefinitely now, the tables were packed away. I stood still in the patch of sun for a long time after, crying outside a funeral for a stranger, and then walked home to isolate.

Brigid Delaney is a Guardian Australia columnist

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We crossed over this week: coronavirus is heaping cruelty upon cruelty - The Guardian

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I Watched ‘Love Is Blind’ With My Eyes Closed – The Federalist

Friday, March 27th, 2020

I watched Love is Blind with my eyes closed, and I cant say I was surprised.

After days of hearing all about Netflixs new hot dating show, I decided to see what the hype was about, and given the unique circumstances presented in the program experiment, I decided to play along. If the dating was going to be blind, I would be blind too. But it turns out, love really probably isnt all that blind. Theres a lot one can still gather from the sound of anothers voice.

For those unfamiliar, the rules are simple. Participants had about ten days in pods to shop around for a fiance before they must decide whether to get married in a matter of just a few short weeks following a brief getaway to Mexico together. But heres the catch: singles were barred from actually seeing each other until a marriage proposal was accepted in the pod.

With nothing to go off in the way of their appearance except for their voice, which, as I discovered, you can still tell a lot from, it presented a daunting experiment to those participating. Is love really blind? Can couples really disconnect emotional compatibility with physical attraction? Do we really have dating reversed in the real world? Intriguing questions to be sure, but they were presented in a limited experiment at best.

For one, the cast of characters turned out to be pretty predictable. I only kept my eyes shut for the first episode, and by the time episode two rolled around, Cameron and Lauren had already gotten engaged. Both quirky, cute, geeky and charming, it came as little surprise. These traits and mannerisms could be picked up on just by the sounds and inflection in each of their voices, and Lauren had given away that she was black by telling off another guy who speculated about her race.

The other couples in the season were even more predictable, particularly Barnett who was found stuck between Amber and Jessica. Sure its judgmental and assuming, but its human, and all three sounded just as attractive as they looked, and the participants could probably pick up on the others level of attractiveness through the pod. It was no surprise either that Mark, a fitness instructor, was hitting things off with Jessica too, whose high-pitched feminine voice painted a relatively accurate picture as one of the shows prettiest people.

In the end, the couples to end up engaged in Mexico had found their partner evenly matched in their level of attractiveness despite not even seeing each other before they got engaged. Subconsciously, I suspect deep down that they all saw what I did in the blindness of the pods, imagining the figure behind the wall through the context presented by the sounds of their voice and any other clues in their background, i.e., fitness expert. After all, its human nature.

The biggest surprise to come when opening my eyes for the rest of the series was how well the singles so often dressed as if they were preparing for a magazine photoshoot. These people were talking to a wall and drinking copious amounts of alcohol, so why dress up? They were on TV to be fair, but there was plenty of time to play dress up in the more momentous occasions on the show such as the second proposals where their looks were revealed and their trips to Mexico.

The experiment seemed to work, for some couples. Of course thats something to celebrate, and I wish them all the best. But the experiment remained limited in scope as the couples no doubt were able to sense identifiable physical characteristics through the sound of the others voice.

So is love blind? Probably not.

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I Watched 'Love Is Blind' With My Eyes Closed - The Federalist

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The CW Shares Start Dates for In the Dark and DCs Stargirl – Broadcasting & Cable

Friday, March 27th, 2020

The CW shared spring premiere dates, which sees season two of In the Dark debut April 16 and DCs Stargirl premiere May 19.

Perry Mattfeld stars in In the Dark. She plays Murphy, a messy 20-something who struggles with love, alcohol and blindness. CBS Television Studios and Warner Bros. Television, in association with Red Hour Films, produce the show. Executive producers are Corinne Kingsbury, Ben Stiller, Jackie Cohn, Nicholas Weinstock, Michael Showalter and Emily Fox .

DCs Stargirl follows high school student Courtney Whitmore as she inspires an unlikely group of heroes to stop the villains of the past. Brec Bassinger, Luke Wilson and Amy Smart star. That show debuts a day after its digital debut on DC Universe.

Geoff Johns executive produces with Melissa Carter, who is co-showrunner, and Greg Berlanti, Sarah Schechter and Greg Beeman. Berlanti Productions and Mad Ghost Productions produce the series in association with Warner Bros. Television.

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The CW Shares Start Dates for In the Dark and DCs Stargirl - Broadcasting & Cable

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Obituary: Beverly Patte Szewczyk – The Ithaca Voice

Friday, March 27th, 2020

It is with great sadness to announce that Beverly Patte Szewczyk of Rochester (Penfield), NY, passed away peacefully on March 20, 2020, at the age of 78.

Bev was born in Holyoke, MA. She spent her childhood in Dryden, NY and graduated from Ithaca College with a degree in Physical Education. She spent her child-raising years in Rochester (Brighton), NY and Madison, CT. Bev loved the outdoors, sports, and was involved in many PTA activities. She passed these passions on to her children and grandchildren.

Bev was an amazing woman who was an inspiration to anyone who knew her. Even with her blindness, she always had a positive outlook on life. She was a fun-loving spirit and had a recognizable laugh that brightened up any room. Her incredible strength was very evident during her battle to survive numerous medical issues over that last several months. She lived a fantastic life.

Bev is survived by her loving husband of 53 years, Richard Szewczyk; her son, Todd Szewczyk and wife Kim (Hollis, NH); and her daughter, Kathleen Kenney and husband Dan (Jamison, PA). She is also survived by 5 grandchildren, Lindsey, Kyle and Brian Szewczyk and Kylie and Danny Kenney; her brother, George Patte and wife Mary; and sister, Mary Ann Hester and husband Gerry. She is predeceased by her parents, George and Patricia Patte; and her, sister Kathy Malison.

A memorial service and celebration of life will be postponed and announced at a later date due to the virus pandemic that has affected the entire nation. Lansing Funeral Home in Lansing, NY, is assisting the family. In lieu of flowers, please consider a contribution in Bevs name to ABVI (Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired), 500 South Clinton Street, Rochester, NY 14520.

To share a memory, please visit http://www.lansingfuneralhome.com.

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Number of U.S. adults at risk for blindness on the rise – The Union Leader

Wednesday, March 25th, 2020

The proportion of U.S. adults at high risk for blindness has grown over a 15-year period and so has the share who say they cannot afford eyeglasses, according to a new study.

Between 2002 and 2017, the number of people at high risk for vision loss seniors, people with diabetes and those with eye disorders rose from 65 million to 93 million, but 40% of adults said they hadnt been getting yearly eye exams, researchers report in JAMA Ophthalmology.

Nearly 1 in 10 also said they couldnt afford eyeglasses.

We have a large number of adults at high risk for vision loss and at high risk for not receiving recommended eye care, said study leader Sharon Saydah of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The solution is to really improve access, awareness and the affordability of eye care.

Saydah and colleagues looked at nationally representative surveys of 31,000 adults in 2002 and nearly 33,000 adults in 2017.

The proportion at increased risk for vision loss grew between the two surveys: adults over age 65 rose from about 51% to 53% of the total, and those with a diabetes diagnosis rose from about 21% to 25%.

People reporting vision problems or eye diseases such as age-related macular degeneration, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, or eye injury grew from 9% in 2002 to almost 11% in 2017, the study found.

Among all adults, the proportion who said they couldnt afford eyeglasses rose from 8.3% in 2002 to 8.7% in 2017.

While not having corrective lenses wont lead to vision damage, it can lead to injury, Saydah said. Having poor vision and not being able to see properly can contribute to falls and can lead to other disabilities, she said.

A major factor leading to vision loss in seniors is high blood sugar, Saydah said. But if diabetes is managed properly and blood sugar levels are controlled, that can help reduce vision loss, she added.

While U.S. seniors are covered by Medicare, the original version of the federal health insurance program for those 65 and older doesnt cover regular eye exams unless the patient has diabetes or is at high risk for glaucoma.

In 2017, among adults at high risk of blindness, 57% reported visiting an eye care professional annually and 60% had received a dilated eye examination.

This study highlights critical gaps in eye care access and affordability in the United States, and indicates these gaps have persisted despite shifts in our health insurance landscape, Bonnielin Swenor, of the Wilmer Eye Institute and the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore, said in an email.

This study is not examining a question about improving eye conditions, but instead focuses on access and affordability of eyeglasses, said Swenor, who wasnt involved in the study.

Currently most medical insurance and Medicare do not cover the costs of eyeglasses, which this data support as an important gap for the American population.

Unless something changes, the problem is likely to get worse, said Dr. Syed Mahmood Ali Shah, an associate professor of ophthalmology at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.

While there was a slight increase over the past 15 years in the percentage of patients getting examined, the number of elderly with diabetes is expected to double by 2040, said Shah, who was not involved in the new research.

Shah suspects cost is the big reason for patients skipping eye exams. Even among those with some coverage, there can be a significant copay, he said, which not everyone can afford.

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Number of U.S. adults at risk for blindness on the rise - The Union Leader

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Driving license might soon be issued to those with colour blindness – Livemint

Wednesday, March 25th, 2020

Colour blindness may not remain a roadblock for driving anymore as the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways on Monday drafted a notification for issuing license to people suffering from colour vision deficiency. "Being sensitive to the issues raised and considering the demand of such citizens, the Ministry has issued a draft notification GSR 176 E, dated 16 March 2020 for amendment to Form 1 and 1A of Central Motor Vehicles Rules 1989 for soliciting comments and suggestions," ministerial officials told ANI.

"The matter was sympathetically examined consulting the Medical experts. It had been reported that the citizens with certain degree of colour blindness can be provided with driving license and this is being done in many countries of the world," they added.

The issue was brought to the notice of the ministry that the colour blind are unable to own a license for driving.

The draft norms have been prepared after ophthalmologists from the All Indian institute of Medical sciences suggested its positive recommendations.

According to the new draft regulations, the question of distinguishing between pigmentary colours, red and green, 'Yes/No,' shall be omitted.

However, the certification of medical fitness regarding the applicant's colour vision have been mandated. The applicant needs to prove whether he/she have been found suffering from severe or total colour blindness.

This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.

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What Our Contagion Fables Are Really About – The New Yorker

Wednesday, March 25th, 2020

When the plague came to London in 1665, Londoners lost their wits. They consulted astrologers, quacks, the Bible. They searched their bodies for signs, tokens of the disease: lumps, blisters, black spots. They begged for prophecies; they paid for predictions; they prayed; they yowled. They closed their eyes; they covered their ears. They wept in the street. They read alarming almanacs: Certain it is, books frighted them terribly. The government, keen to contain the panic, attempted to suppress the Printing of such Books as terrifyd the People, according to Daniel Defoe, in A Journal of the Plague Year, a history that he wrote in tandem with an advice manual called Due Preparations for the Plague, in 1722, a year when people feared that the disease might leap across the English Channel again, after having journeyed from the Middle East to Marseille and points north on a merchant ship. Defoe hoped that his books would be useful both to us and to posterity, though we should be spared from that portion of this bitter cup. That bitter cup has come out of its cupboard.

In 1665, the skittish fled to the country, and alike the wise, and those who tarried had reason for remorse: by the time they decided to leave, there was hardly a Horse to be bought or hired in the whole City, Defoe recounted, and, in the event, the gates had been shut, and all were trapped. Everyone behaved badly, though the rich behaved the worst: having failed to heed warnings to provision, they sent their poor servants out for supplies. This Necessity of going out of our Houses to buy Provisions, was in a great Measure the Ruin of the whole City, Defoe wrote. One in five Londoners died, notwithstanding the precautions taken by merchants. The butcher refused to hand the cook a cut of meat; she had to take it off the hook herself. And he wouldnt touch her money; she had to drop her coins into a bucket of vinegar. Bear that in mind when you run out of Purell.

Sorrow and sadness sat upon every Face, Defoe wrote. The governments stricture on the publication of terrifying books proved pointless, there being plenty of terror to be read on the streets. You could read the weekly bills of mortality, or count the bodies as they piled up in the lanes. You could read the orders published by the mayor: If any Person shall have visited any Man known to be infected of the Plague, or entered willingly into any known infected House, being not allowed: The House wherein he inhabiteth shall be shut up. And you could read the signs on the doors of those infected houses, guarded by watchmen, each door marked by a foot-long red cross, above which was to be printed, in letters big enough to be read at a distance, Lord, Have Mercy Upon Us.

Reading is an infection, a burrowing into the brain: books contaminate, metaphorically, and even microbiologically. In the eighteenth century, ships captains arriving at port pledged that they had disinfected their ships by swearing on Bibles that had been dipped in seawater. During tuberculosis scares, public libraries fumigated books by sealing them in steel vats filled with formaldehyde gas. These days, you can find out how to disinfect books on a librarians thread on Reddit. Your best bet appears to be either denatured-alcohol swipes or kitchen disinfectant in a mist-spray bottle, although if you stick books in a little oven and heat them to a hundred and sixty degrees Fahrenheit theres a bonus: you also kill bedbugs. (Doesnt harm the books!) Or, as has happened during the coronavirus closures, libraries can shut their doors, and bookstores, too.

But, of course, books are also a salve and a consolation. In the long centuries during which the plague ravaged Europe, the quarantined, if they were lucky enough to have books, read them. If not, and if they were well enough, they told stories. In Giovanni Boccaccios Decameron, from the fourteenth century, seven women and three men take turns telling stories for ten days while hiding from the Black Deaththat last Pestilentiall mortality universally hurtfull to all that beheld ita plague so infamous that Boccaccio begged his readers not to put down his book as too hideous to hold: I desire it may not be so dreadfull to you, to hinder your further proceeding in reading.

The literature of contagion is vile. A plague is like a lobotomy. It cuts away the higher realms, the loftiest capacities of humanity, and leaves only the animal. Farewell to the giant powers of man, Mary Shelley wrote in The Last Man, in 1826, after a disease has ravaged the world. Farewell to the arts,to eloquence. Every story of epidemic is a story of illiteracy, language made powerless, man made brute.

But, then, the existence of books, no matter how grim the tale, is itself a sign, evidence that humanity endures, in the very contagion of reading. Reading may be an infection, the mind of the writer seeping, unstoppable, into the mind of the reader. And yet it is alsoin its bidden intimacy, an intimacy in all other ways banned in times of plaguean antidote, proven, unfailing, and exquisite.

Stories about plagues run the gamut from Oedipus Rex to Angels in America. You are the plague, a blind man tells Oedipus. Its 1986 and theres a plague, friends younger than me are dead, and Im only thirty, a Tony Kushner character says. There are plagues here and plagues there, from Thebes to New York, horrible and ghastly, but never one plague everywhere, until Mary Shelley decided to write a follow-up to Frankenstein.

The Last Man, which is set in the twenty-first century, is the first major novel to imagine the extinction of the human race by way of a global pandemic. Shelley published it at the age of twenty-nine, after nearly everyone she loved had died, leaving her, as she put it, the last relic of a beloved race,my companions, extinct before me. The books narrator begins as a poor and uneducated English shepherd: primitive man, violent and lawless, even monstrous. Cultivated by a nobleman and awakened to learningAn earnest love of knowledge... caused me to pass days and nights in reading and studyhe is elevated by the Enlightenment and becomes a scholar, a defender of liberty, a republican, and a citizen of the world.

Then, in the year 2092, the plague arrives, ravaging first Constantinople. Year after year, the pestilence dies away every winter (a general and never-failing physician), and returns every spring, more virulent, more widespread. It reaches across mountains, it spreads over oceans. The sun rises, black: a sign of doom. Through Asia, from the banks of the Nile to the shores of the Caspian, from the Hellespont even to the sea of Oman, a sudden panic was driven, Shelley wrote. The men filled the mosques; the women, veiled, hastened to the tombs, and carried offerings to the dead, thus to preserve the living. The nature of the pestilence remains mysterious. It was called an epidemic. But the grand question was still unsettled of how this epidemic was generated and increased. Not understanding its operation and full of false confidence, legislators hesitate to act. England was still secure. France, Germany, Italy and Spain, were interposed, walls yet without a breach, between us and the plague. Then come reports of entire nations, destroyed and depopulated. The vast cities of America, the fertile plains of Hindostan, the crowded abodes of the Chinese, are menaced with utter ruin. The fearful turn to history too late, and find in its pages, even in the pages of the Decameron, the wrong lesson: We called to mind the plague of 1348, when it was calculated that a third of mankind had been destroyed. As yet western Europe was uninfected; would it always be so? It would not always be so. Inevitably, the plague comes, at last, to England, but by then the healthy have nowhere left to go, because, in the final terror of pandemic, there is no refuge on earth: All the world has the plague!

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What Our Contagion Fables Are Really About - The New Yorker

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The Power Of Purpose: How Brands Can Work With Be My Eyes To Help The Blind And Low-Vision Community (Part 1) – Forbes

Wednesday, March 25th, 2020

The Be My Eyes app which connects the blind and low-vision community to sighted volunteers

In the age of coronavirus, it is more important than ever before to help the blind and low-vision community feel supported and safe. Be My Eyes is a free mobile app with one main goal: to make the world more accessible for blind and low-vision people. The app connects blind and low-vision individuals with sighted volunteers (over 3.7 million and counting) and companies from all over the world through a live video call.

Progressive and forward thinking brands like Microsoft, Google and Procter and Gamble have also started partnering with Be My Eyes to create dedicated customer experiences. According to the WHO, the estimatednumberofpeople visually impairedin theworldis 285 million: 39 millionblindand 246 million having low vision. They represent a hugely underserved market for brands wishing to reach new customers and build unique new experiences and content.

I caught up with Will Butler, VP of Community to find out more about his journey and how brands can work with this inspiring platform.

Afdhel Aziz: Will, welcome. Please tell us about your personal journey, and how it lead you to your work at Be My Eyes?

Will Butler: Ive been dealing with changing vision most of my life. I used only one eye all throughout high school, but mostly maintained as a regular "sighted" person. I drove a car, did all the normal things a sighted person would do. It wasn't until I was 19 that my "good eye" finally gave out on me that I had to really start confronting the idea. But it took me four more years to finally take the most important step: adopting a white cane.

I wrote about this in this Times piece, but the cane is so stigmatized, it is really hard for us as newly blind people to admit that we need the tools that are available. It's like accepting defeat. But once you adopt the tools, it's far beyond defeat: it's total empowerment.

That's what I'd like to think we're doing here with Be My Eyes: giving people a tool that can change their life. An app that allows you to randomly harness the power of someone else's eyes for on-demand assistance with no strings attached? That means not leaning on friends, loved ones, or colleagues to overcome your most common daily barriers. That's pretty powerful when utilized, and I think many of our users who use the app often would testify that it has changed their lives for the better.

Will Butler, VP of Community for Be My Eyes

Aziz: Thank you for sharing that Will. Is it true that Be My Eyes is the largest online blind community out there? How do we get more members of the blind or low vision community to join?

Butler: Yes there are very few communities that have a self-selecting blind/low vision membership like ours, and certainly none that serve users in almost 200 languages. With the power of crowdsourced volunteerism and translation, we were able to scale up our UI quickly in terms of translation to meet the needs of a global community, not just a U.S.-based or westernized community. We're very proud of that and it's particularly rewarding to see Be My Eyes utilized in parts of the world where there are little to no services it truly becomes a lifeline for blind people in rural and underdeveloped parts of the world.

Due to regulations around medical data and privacy considerations, many companies have no idea who their blind users are. That's why companies even big ones with their own video chat apps, like Microsoft and Google come to Be My Eyes for that portal into the blindness community. Be My Eyes is known around the world as the go-to hub for getting support as a blind person, and for that reason companies join our platform as support providers to meet customers and users where they already are.

At the end of the day, we grow as a community by word of mouth: the power of our message, both from the volunteers and other blind users, is what propels us forward as a community. Growing the blind community is a fascinating and difficult challenge which is one that I take most of the responsibility for at Be My Eyes. We have strong connections with blindness organizations around the world who provide direct services, making sure they know about us. We attend and speak at conferences. And we use the same digital marketing tools as anyone else!

Historically blind people have been very isolated having a very custodial relationship with their sighted friends and family and haven't been directly connected to traditional information channels. Today, it's different. Blind people have incredible accessible technology natively running on iOS and Android devices. So you can reach blind people directly, searching by interests, the same way you reach someone who likes cats or sports or golf. That's pretty cool, and a sign that blind people have come a long way in terms of participation in society.

Aziz: That is pretty cool. There is something heartwarming about the fact that you have so many sighted volunteers (4 million) - why do you think that is?

Butler: I don't care what anyone says: Helping other people is the most fundamental aspect of human nature. We all tend to our needs: food, water, sleep, etc. But helping others having an understanding of ourselves in relation to other beings is the thing that elevates us beyond animals. Be My Eyes gives people who are searching for meaning and let's be honest that's all of us an opportunity to get out of the "smartphone zombie" loop and connect with a real human in a powerful way.

There's the simple task at hand: a straightforward, solvable A to B interaction. Then there's the knowledge that you helped someone, the feeling of connection and meaning it provides. I've never seen such a dopamine rush come from any other app. That's why we're approaching 4 million volunteers, and it's why people so freely and openly take to social media to share their experiences. I couldn't think of a better bridge between humans for these strange virtual times we're now living in.

In Part 2 of this interview (click here), we explore how brands like Microsoft, Google and others are working with Be My Eyes to create unique customer experiences.

See the rest here:
The Power Of Purpose: How Brands Can Work With Be My Eyes To Help The Blind And Low-Vision Community (Part 1) - Forbes

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Letting the Lord heal our blindness – CatholicPhilly.com

Sunday, March 22nd, 2020

Posted March 21, 2020

Although we may have the gift of physical sight, we are all born blind blind to our pride, our sinfulness, and above all, to our true dignity as beloved children of God.

Andrew Lane, a seminarian at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in Wynnewood, Pennsylvania shares how Christs miraculous healing of a man born blind invites us to let ourselves be healed by Gods love, that we in turn might help to heal others and the wounded world in which we live.

If youre accessing this podcast on a mobile device and do not wish to download the SoundCloud app, simplyclick on the Listen in browser option. You can also find us onStitcher,Google Play, andiTunes.

Please join in the church's vital mission of communications by offering a gift in whatever amount that you can -- a single gift of $40, $50, $100, or more, or a monthly donation. Your gift will strengthen the fabric of our entire Catholic community.

Make your donation by check:CatholicPhilly.com222 N. 17th StreetPhiladelphia, PA 19103

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Letting the Lord heal our blindness - CatholicPhilly.com

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Institute on Blindness gets grant extension for improved mobility and rehabilitation programs – News at Louisiana Tech

Sunday, March 22nd, 2020

Louisiana Techs Institute on Blindness has received grant approval for Structured Discovery Cane Travel (SDCT) and Structured Discovery rehabilitation training, a development that brings more depth and opportunity to the Institutes education programs that are specialized for teaching individuals who are blind or visually impaired.

Louisiana Tech University is the only university in Louisiana to offer graduate certifications and master programs in Teaching Blind Students (TBS), Orientation and Mobility (O&M), and Rehabilitation Teaching for the Blind Counseling and Guidance. These graduate certifications and master programs train individuals to become teachers who help give independence to the blind community. The innovative and effective SDCT and Structured Discovery rehabilitation training programs will offer more opportunities to improve mobility and daily living skills for individuals who are blind or visually impaired.

Dr. Edward Bell, Director of the Professional Development and Research Institute on Blindness (PDRIB),expressed that he has seen great success from previous years and through the renewed grant he anticipates exponential growth.

Over the past five years, Louisiana Tech has benefited from this grant and has trained 35 individuals who have gone on to be employed across the country in professional careers, Bell said. With this new grant, we are excited to train as many as 40 new and eager students who are ready to change the world by bringing independence to blind kids and adults nationwide.

The PDRIB, housed in Techs College of Education, prepares highly qualified professionals to educate and rehabilitate individuals who are blind or visually impaired. The PDRIB also conducts thorough research that broadens perspectives, deepens the overall understanding of blindness, and seeks the best methods to increase independence for individuals who are blind or visually impaired.

However, there is a nationwide shortage of educators for the blind and visually impaired community.With a 90% illiteracy rate and a 75% unemployment rate nationwide within the blind community, there is a dire need to increase the number of educators trained in teaching students with visual impairments.Job opportunities have grown exponentially for teaching blind or visually impaired students; currently there are four times the number of teaching jobs available than there are the number of qualified educators and instructors to fill those positions.

Through their job assistance placement services and new program offerings, Bell and his team seek to do their part to fill this hiring need and empower educators to change lives within the visually impaired community.

All tuition and fees are covered for the Structured Discovery Cane Travel (SDCT) and Structured Discovery rehabilitation training programs. Scholarships are available on a competitive basis for those who pursue these programs. Students who receive scholarship funding must work in the field of rehabilitation for two years for each year of their scholarship support.

To become an educator for the blind and visually impaired community, contact Bell at ebell@latech.edu. For more details on how to make a difference in the national shortage of teachers for the blind and visually impaired, visit pdrib.com.

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Institute on Blindness gets grant extension for improved mobility and rehabilitation programs - News at Louisiana Tech

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Don’t let COVID-19 be a story of blindness – Omaha World-Herald

Sunday, March 22nd, 2020

In his 1995 novel, Blindness, author Jose Saramago tells a story about a world in which nearly everyone is stricken with blindness.

The epidemic brings out the worst, and sometimes the best, of humanity. Panic overtakes reason. Self preservation replaces care for others. Order is eclipsed by chaos.

The pandemic weve come to know as COVID-19 is bringing out our best and our worst. Some folks have been fighting over toilet paper. Others are hoarding garages full of hand sanitizer. And a few are even vilifying sick people who unknowingly exposed others to the virus.

There are also stories of care and compassion: neighbors reaching out to neighbors. Employers caring for workers. Teachers serving their students.

Were all authors and characters in this non-fiction thriller, so we get to decide whether or not it will be a story of blindness.

In Saramagos book, one person keeps her sight in the midst of the epidemic: a woman who feigns blindness in order to accompany her husband into a makeshift, and horrific, quarantine. As the story unfolds, she uses her sight to lead a small band of blind followers through the apocalyptic scenes of a lawless city.

Imagine being a person who could see in an epidemic that steals sight. How would you use your vision? Would you aim to preserve your life or serve others? Is it possible to do both?

How you answer those questions will depend a lot on where you look for answers.

This virus, and other large-scale disasters, are physical problems that require physical solutions like hand sanitizer, social distancing and self quarantine.

But our world is more than just physical. Its both physical and spiritual. We are more than just living hosts for opportunistic viruses. Were living souls. And even though were naturally susceptible to self preservation, we also have a strong desire to help others, especially when life is at stake. Its a tension between physical and spiritual reality, and were not the first to feel it.

Martin Luther lived through a plague more brutal than the one in Blindness and more sinister than COVID-19. When the bubonic plague swept through Europe in the 16th century, Luther penned a letter he titled, Whether One May Flee From a Deadly Plague. His answer brings vivid clarity to how we see our physical and spiritual world. I shall ask God mercifully to protect us. Then I shall fumigate, help purify the air, administer medicine, and take it. I shall avoid places and persons where my presence is not needed in order not to become contaminated and thus perchance infect and pollute others, and so cause their death as a result of my negligence.

He trusted God and took medicine. He practiced social distancing before it was a term. But he also practiced incarnational proximity, by serving the sick when they needed him. He and his wife even welcomed patients into their home. Not everyone is called to that response, but acknowledging the tension will draw our eyes to the one who turns blindness into sight.

Jesus doesnt distance himself from our viruses or our fears. He takes them on. His incarnation brought Him into close proximity with the sick, the lame and the lepers. His teaching opens our eyes to the reality of trusting God and serving others. That seems more useful than fighting over toilet paper.

Were writing history here. Lets make sure it isnt a story of blindness.

Gregg Madsen is the Lead Pastor of Steadfast Gretna. Reach him at gmadsen@steadfastgretna.org.

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Don't let COVID-19 be a story of blindness - Omaha World-Herald

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