Solar eclipse

Grumpy

Grumpy

Well-Known Member
Good to know..

(Cullowhee, NC)



Preparations for the the upcoming August 21st solar eclipse are in high gear at Western Carolina University. The school is located within the zone of totality in the mountainous part of the state.



Afternoon classes will be cancelled and festivities on the Central Plaza will include Native American moon dancers, performance art and the Tasty Tofu Taco Truck, locally known as T4.



But there are some students who will be refusing the eclipse and have demanded the University provide a safe space for them during the event.



So far three groups have separately approached University officials with concerns the eclipse will cause potential problems.



Amanda Huggenkiss, director of the University’s student/employee daycare is worried about the children’s natural sleep cycle being disrupted by the darkness. “If the children fall asleep during the day it’s going to affect their bedtime routine that night which may cause some parents stress and anxiety”. Mr. Huggenkiss has requested the children be moved from their atrium daycare to a classroom auditorium with no windows where the lights can be kept on.



Sophie Phelt, a feminist-gender studies major, is concerned about the potential for sexual assault during the sky darkening event. “Like, everybody knows that since Trump’s election, more women are sexually assaulted at night than in the daytime. A lot of people are literally scared over this. And it’s not just for our safety in the dark but, like, it’s also an in-your-face reminder of all the climate change that is happening.”



Samantha Jones, spokesperson for the campus Mountain Trans group, echoed Ms. Phelt’s comments. “The Trans community has a difficult time enough without it getting dark in the middle of the day and all the fear that comes with it”, Ze said.



The campus Black Lives Matter group has expressed concern also.



Davarius Goldblatt, the BLM leader said “The eclipse is an example of natural racism. The darkness is the hope of power for the African people yet it doesn’t last and is eventually extinguished by the coming of the light. That is oppression and we will not participate”.



Wilbur Maulkop, the director of campus security, met with Ms.Phelt, Mr. Goldblatt and Mr. Jones along with other students and listened to their concerns. He said, “They are right about more sexual assaults happening at night than in the day. We hear their worries and will be providing a safe space on the football field at the stadium where we will have security and turn on the field lights. Anyone who is offended by or chooses not to participate in the eclipse is welcome to join us at the stadium. All are welcome.”



The local animal rescue shelter will provide a puppy and kitten cuddle area on the football field and the University food court will provide hot chocolate and chicken tender snacks. The KA fraternity Southern BBQ food truck will serving in the stadium parking lot. Vegetarian snacks will be provided by the Valley Vegan Co-op.



(Update 8/11/17 9:20 am) The Middle Eastern Moon God eclipse ceremony will be moved to the stadium parking area to protest the serving of pork BBQ. They will be joined in protest by the campus PETA chapter.
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K

KMQZ

New Member
7-11 in CH and Mechanicsville are sold out and said not to expect to have any in stock in time. Lowe's in California is sold out and not expecting a new shipment. Walmart in California - unknown, but none displayed. At this point I'd expect them to be behind counters anyway, with people buying them cheap and selling them for $10/ea on e-bay.
 
jazz lady

jazz lady

~*~ Rara Avis ~*~
PREMO Member
Lots of fake glasses flooding the markets:

http://www.newsmax.com/TheWire/fake-eclipse-glasses/2017/08/10/id/806903/

Fake eclipse glasses will likely be worn by many when millions of Americans turn their faces skyward to see the first coast-to-coast total solar eclipse in a century. Knockoffs of specially designed protective eyewear for staring at the sun are flooding the U.S. market.

Experts cautioned the public to stay clear of unsafe counterfeits, Reuters reported.

Even as makers of certified, safety-tested solar eye ware rushed to meet surging demand before the Aug. 21 eclipse, they have joined astronomers and optometrists in warning of defective knockoffs.

"It's a bunch of unscrupulous people cashing in on the eclipse and putting public safety at risk," said Richard Fienberg, press officer for the American Astronomical Society.
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http://www.daytondailynews.com/busi...solar-eclipse-glasses/tyHpkjgOponYrTeV6knHCN/

If you bought eclipse glasses on Amazon, you may be getting a refund

“Safety is among our highest priorities,” Amazon said in a statement, KGW reported Saturday. “Out of an abundance of caution, we have proactively reached out to customers and provided refunds for eclipse glasses that may not comply with industry standards. We want customers to buy with confidence anytime they make a purchase on Amazon.com, and eclipse glasses sold on Amazon.com are required to comply with the relevant ISO standard.”

Some possibly counterfeit eclipse glasses were removed from the website, as well, CNN reported.

KGW, citing Amazon, reported that “customers who did not receive an email purchased glasses that were safe to use.” If you weren’t contacted but still are worried about your purchase, WRC reported that you can request a refund from Amazon customer service.

The news comes after the American Astronomical Society issued a warning on its website about potentially unsafe glasses for sale ahead of the Aug. 21 solar eclipse. Even glasses stamped with an International Organization for Standardization seal (ISO) could be fake, the AAS said.

“Now the marketplace is being flooded by counterfeit eclipse glasses that are labeled as if they’re ISO-compliant when in fact they are not,” the AAS said. “Even more unfortunately, unscrupulous vendors can grab the ISO logo off the internet and put it on their products and packaging even if their eclipse glasses or viewers haven’t been properly tested.”
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K

KMQZ

New Member
Yeah, be extremely wary of eclipse glasses you get online. American Paper Optics - the most copied brand - have a guide on how to tell if your glasses may be fakes (it would have their name, the same certification text, etc. It's the shape of the glasses that the fakers didn't bother to copy correctly, probably as they re-used existing cut-outs): https://www.eclipseglasses.com/pages/safety

If you want to be 100% sure that you'll have safe eclipse glasses, check your library. St. Mary's Libraries (Charlotte Hall, Leonardtown, Lexington Park) will have eclipse glasses available for free. There is a limit of 1 per person as there is a limited amount, and to help prevent people just running off with a bunch and selling them for a premium. The glasses will be available when they open on Saturday, August 19th. Opening hour is usually 9am, but be prepared to come early as strong demand is expected.
 
nobody really

nobody really

I need a nap
KMQZ said:
Yeah, be extremely wary of eclipse glasses you get online. American Paper Optics - the most copied brand - have a guide on how to tell if your glasses may be fakes (it would have their name, the same certification text, etc. It's the shape of the glasses that the fakers didn't bother to copy correctly, probably as they re-used existing cut-outs): https://www.eclipseglasses.com/pages/safety

If you want to be 100% sure that you'll have safe eclipse glasses, check your library. St. Mary's Libraries (Charlotte Hall, Leonardtown, Lexington Park) will have eclipse glasses available for free. There is a limit of 1 per person as there is a limited amount, and to help prevent people just running off with a bunch and selling them for a premium. The glasses will be available when they open on Saturday, August 19th. Opening hour is usually 9am, but be prepared to come early as strong demand is expected.
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Calvert Libraries are doing the same, but they will starting giving them out at 1:00 Monday.
 
K

KMQZ

New Member
That's good to hear! It won't help families who had planned to venture out, but for those taking part in the libraries' events, 1pm Monday should be fine (partial eclipse in Calvert should be from about 1:20pm to 4pm!)
 
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b23hqb

b23hqb

Well-Known Member
PREMO Member
I'll be heading up to SC on Monday, via my brothers house in GA Sunday. They're about three hours south of where we want to be at around 1300 Monday. NASA predicts the worst traffic day in US history, and that interstates will become parking lots. That I believe.
 
K

KMQZ

New Member
Yeah, I fully intend to be wherever I want to go (still considering locations. Any place is good to view the eclipse itself, but it'd be nice to have scenery around that shows the sudden darkness well) very well in advance of the event, probably leaving Sunday evening. Even then I know a lot of other people will have the same idea, but hopefully it won't be entirely too terrible.
 
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