By allowing ads to appear on this site, you support the local businesses who, in turn, support great journalism.
Leprechaun traps, decorations and 'Green Eggs and Ham' help make a family friendly St. Patrick's Day
d5629aadfae3dbee42cb0fcdfc5ef51a82930031eb4726ff8d152c109f6d7eca
Sam-I-Am reads "Green Eggs and Ham," by Dr. Seuss, to his children, Kayla, Layna, Hanna and Aaron on St. Patrick's Day. - photo by Sharon Palmer
Aside from the widely practiced tradition of wearing green and pinching those who dont, St Patricks Day traditions can be as varied as the individuals who celebrate the holiday.

In our household, the most important part of any holiday, including St. Patricks Day, is decorating. Rainbows, leprechauns and shamrocks appear everywhere in the house, almost magically, accompanied by gold-foiled covered chocolate coins. Corned beef and cabbage are on the menu for dinner, and Lucky Charms are our traditional breakfast. Some of us attempt to speak in Irish accents during the day and, of course, we wear green. Sometimes the patch of green is small or hidden to trick others into pinching us, but its always there.

My brothers family celebrates St. Patricks Day with an annual reading of Dr. Seuss Green Eggs and Ham read by my brother, Sam-I-Am. When my nieces and nephew were school aged, my sister-in-law dyed all their food green for St. Patricks Day every year. This was once a concern for my nieces teacher because she thought my sister-in-law had sent my niece to school with moldy sandwiches.

At one of our local elementary schools, several of the classes set leprechaun traps. A leprechaun trap consists of a student-made basket or box placed upside down in the middle of the classroom, propped open with a ruler. Sometime during the day, usually at recess time while the students are outside, a leprechaun springs the trap while escaping it and leaves a bag of treats for the students as an apology.

The celebration of St. Patricks Day is a good reason to create fun family traditions while honoring the beautiful country of Ireland. These traditions can be as unique as the people who create them. Top of the mornin to ya.
Its toxic: New study says blue light from tech devices can speed up blindness
93cbd7a5475cccd1cee701424125d3abaa9b4beaa58d3663208f656cbbbd7661
A new study from the University of Toledo found that blue light from digital devices can transform molecules in your eyes retina into cell killers. - photo by Herb Scribner
It turns out checking Twitter or Facebook before bed is bad for your health.

A new study from the University of Toledo found that blue light from digital devices can transform molecules in your eyes retina into cell killers.

That process can lead to age-related macular degeneration, which is a leading cause of blindness in the United States, according to the researchs extract.

Blue light is a common issue for many modern Americans. Blue light is emitted from screens, most notably at night, causing sleep loss, eye strain and a number of other issues.

Dr. Ajith Karunarathne, assistant professor in the UT Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, said our constant exposure to blue light cant be blocked by the lens or cornea.

"It's no secret that blue light harms our vision by damaging the eye's retina. Our experiments explain how this happens, and we hope this leads to therapies that slow macular degeneration, such as a new kind of eye drop, he said.

Macular degeneration is an incurable eye disease that often affects those in their 50s or 60s. It occurs after the death of photoreceptor cells in the retina. Those cells need retinal to sense light and help signal the brain.

The research team found blue light exposure created poisonous chemical molecules that killed photoreceptor cells

"It's toxic. If you shine blue light on retinal, the retinal kills photoreceptor cells as the signaling molecule on the membrane dissolves," said Kasun Ratnayake, a Ph.D. student researcher working in Karunarathne's cellular photo chemistry group. "Photoreceptor cells do not regenerate in the eye. When they're dead, they're dead for good."

However, the researchers found a molecule called alpha-tocopherol, which comes from Vitamin E, can help prevent cell death, according to Futurism.

The researchers plan to review how light from TVs, cellphones and tablet screens affect the eyes as well.

"If you look at the amount of light coming out of your cellphone, it's not great but it seems tolerable," said Dr. John Payton, visiting assistant professor in the UT Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. "Some cellphone companies are adding blue-light filters to the screens, and I think that is a good idea."

Indeed, Apple released a Night Shift mode two years ago to help quell blue lights strain on the eyes, according to The Verge. The screen will dim into a warmer, orange light that will cause less stress on the eyes.