Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with focus and resolved

How do you block gmail through etc/hosts?

tomargue — Thu, 16 May 2013 02:46:43 -0800

Most "distracting" sites I can block by an entry in my etc/hosts file (Mac OSX 10.8.2). e.g.: 127.0.0.1 plus.google.com But this method doesn't seem to be able to block gmail. Here's the relevent lines in my etc/hosts file:

127.0.0.1 localhost
255.255.255.255 broadcastlocalhost
::1 localhost
fe80::1%lo0 localhost

127.0.0.1 https://gmail.com
127.0.0.1 gmail.com
127.0.0.1 www.gmail.com
127.0.0.1 https://mail.google.com
127.0.0.1 mail.google.com
127.0.0.1 https://accounts.google.com
127.0.0.1 accounts.google.com

But none of these seem to block gmail.

Does anyone have any suggestions?

I could try a "site blocker" but most of these rely on setting a "blocking time" e.g. 30 minutes -- this is not practical for gmail as I want to be able to log into it when I need to confirm my email address if I sign up to a site. I would prefer to be able to block gmail with the knowledge that I could unblock it in about 30s -- I find this "overhead" gives the best of both worlds.

I could also take Ritalin, and/or practice my self-control. That's also another option :).

NB: moments before I was about click "post" I was able to solve this. I'll post the solution then close the question in the hope it helps someone else.

Meditation n00b, difficulty in remaining in the zone

Wordshore — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 08:55:46 -0800

So, I'm starting out on meditation, but finding it near impossible to stay focused for more than a few seconds. Any tips for not thinking about cheese et al for a while? Context; may be irrelevant. Trying this for:

- Physical health reasons. On two meds which is keeping high blood pressure normal, but pulse rate is persistently high. Mid forties, and this is becoming a major issue.
- Mental health reasons. Long-term (decades) deep stresses through family reasons.
- Inability to focus. The mind operates in one of two negative ways:
1. Thinks in 'hypertext'; can get distracted by something in mid-sentence, goes down 'thought rabbit holes'
2. Flips between (pointless) future planning, hopes and fears for the future, and memories, ruminating on the past. In other words, rarely stays focused on the 'here and now'
- Quiet mind-space. It would be so good to have just a few minutes every day where my head is not endlessly invaded with thoughts of work, health, family, emigration, missing my fiancee and so forth.

After reading around, rather than stuffing yet more meds inside me, would rather work, adopt and persist with non-chemical techniques such as these. I don't have a problem with sitting still for meditation (useful previous AskMe thread), nor getting into the mind-calm zone (another useful AskMe thread). The problem is staying there i.e. my mind not wandering off onto an aforementioned thought path after 10 or 15 seconds.

Been trying this daily for around three weeks now, and the "quiet head time" duration isn't getting better. Am I being too hasty in expecting to go from hyper-mind to zen-mind, or are there useful tips or tricks to get there?

Do I need to be medicated or am I just a lazyass?

hegemone — Mon, 22 Oct 2012 09:20:33 -0800

Should I maybe get evaluated for ADD or ADHD? I'm starting to wonder if I need to make an appointment with my primary care physician or ask for a referral to a psychiatrist to be evaluated for ADD or ADHD. History: since childhood I've had a hell of a time buckling down to focus. In particular, schoolwork: I was not an unintelligent child, but I sometimes lagged behind my classmates in completing things because I could not make myself concentrate. Examples: I became a voracious reader and loved books later on in elementary school, but the unstructured, go-at-your-own-pace reading comprehension exercises assigned to us during 2nd grade meant I was going at a frickin' snail's pace, because it was, y'know, soooo boooring and my 8 year old brain could not manage to stop checking out. Unlike reading, math never got easier, because my attention span for any given problem was flea-like. Short assignments took an unreasonable amount of time to finish, because I'd be repeatedly distracted by... anything else my brain could think of that was more interesting than this long division problem.

When I was 12, a cousin my age was diagnosed with ADD, and there was some discussion about that being something I might have, but while my issues were problematic, I was still actually an okay student and it was never anything that was severely debilitating my progress.

But my issues with focus and concentration are still around. I'm now 30, and in my last semester of my undergraduate degree. I've maintained a good GPA and am still a decent student, but I think I could have done so much better these past few years. I'm a TERRIBLE procrastinator, extremely avoidant about assignments I'm not really interested in, to the point where I will just not check my email for several days in a row to avoid emails from partners or profs. To fulfill my last few credits, I'm doing research with a prof, which involves some unstructured paper writing on my part, which I'm way, way behind on. And it's not even like it's a difficult paper? I just can't bring myself to work on it. (I actually should be working on it right now.)

Prior to returning for my undergrad degree, I was working as a receptionist. There was some amount of paperwork that I completed as part of my daily routine and I could have easily taken on more work, but instead it took me a really long time to complete easy but monotonous tasks, because there was always something I needed to look up on the internet, or Metafilter to refresh, or email to check, or whatever. Anything to avoid working on actual work for more than ten minutes at a time. I actually think probably made existing issues with concentration worse.

So, I can identify that I have issues with a) lack of structure to keep me on task, b) focusing on things that I find monotonous or boring, and c) procrastinating and avoiding things that I know I'll have trouble concentrating on, d) I also, embarrassingly, every few months will let unpaid bills pile up. Not because I can't pay them, just because I... don't want to deal with it? I don't know. Again, it's like I just can't bring myself do just open the envelope, take out my checkbook, and write the check. It's... dumb. I think everyone sort of has some of these things, do some degree or another, right? So it possible that I'm simply extremely mentally undisciplined and need to start some meditation regime or something? Or does this sound like it could be an ADD or ADHD thing? I'm basically doing alright in life, I keep my apartment clean, I'm generally healthy otherwise... I just wonder if I could be doing better.

Hivemind, your thoughts, please? I'm not trying to oversell my case here, but should I make the call to the doctor?

What do you do when you need to "sort things out"?

Calicatt — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 14:20:53 -0800

What do you do when you need to "sort things out"? Hey friendly MeFi people,

For the past 3-4 years I've been in an MFA graduate program, working part time and doing the student thing. I recently completed my degree and am having a little hangover from the thesis (I haven't produced anything creative in about a month.) I've been playing a lot of video games and generally dicking around, and after a while of beating myself up, I figured this was basically avoidance behavior, and what I really needed to do was to get a clearer sense of my goals for the next few months and for the next few years.

So the general question is:
What do you do when you need to sort things out? Generally I take long walks and write in my journal, but both of these activities have been less than helpful lately.

___
Extra info:
--I have a history of depression, and while I have it mostly under control via drugs, I'm a little worried that being too rudderless for too long will trigger a relapse.
--I had a therapist but my insurance has a cap on mental health...so therapy is not an option.
--I've been feeling a snippy at my friends/family lately (an offshoot of my frustration at myself), so I haven't wanted to turn to them for advice. And the few times I have, it hasn't been real helpful.
--Also, I am not religious, so talking to a rabbi/minister/etc is not an option.

Specifics of my situation, if you want to give specific advice:
--I have $60,000 in debt, so that gives me a little panicky feeling whenever I think about it. Right now I'm in income based repayment, which means if I can't pay it off in 25 years, it's forgiven, also if I work in a service-related career (which I'm in right now, part time) it can be forgiven. But the other side of me thinks PAY IT OFF ASAP!!!
--The part time job I have now is in a profession where I would need another, different advanced degree in order pursue. It's possible that I could get it covered by my current job, but it would lock me in to a five year commitment to my current employer.
--I just applied for a full-time position at my current job, which I'm 98% sure I won't get (because of other more qualified candidates), but I'm also not sure I want
--I have two projects (novels) which I could finish (and I mean finish, finish. They're already through draft three) by the end of the year if I continued to work only part time. Not to toot my own horn, but they're both pretty high quality, and I have a good chance of getting an agent and selling them. But how much money that will bring in, and how long that will take...it's definitely a crap shoot, and a kind of bleak one.
--My boyfriend right now is helping me with the rent. He doesn't seem to think anything of it, but I feel guilty.
--I'm making enough money part-time that I can support myself (with the exception of rent) and pay my IBR loan payments.

OK tl;dr ;) Thanks mefiers

Herbs/supplements for academic writing?

cejl — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 21:01:10 -0800

I am in the last two weeks of writing my master's thesis and I was wondering what herbs or supplements others have found useful for writing. Focus is part of it, but I also need to produce and get in the flow, so to speak. It comes sometimes, but I can never force those really productive moments. I have a cupboard full of various herbs, but no time to experiment. Wondering what has worked for other, including combinations. I have tried rhodiola, ashwaghanda, piracetam, siberian ginseng, fish oils.... not sure what's working.. some of these are overstimulating.

Looking for metaphorical images to divert attention during childbirth

Xalf — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 04:55:02 -0800

Please suggest, preferably with specific links, images that are metaphors for birth to be used for focusing on and creating visualizations during labor. Baby Xalf is arriving next month! One of the many comfort measures suggested in Penny Simkin's The Birth Partner is Attention Focusing, which "diverts the mother's mind from her pain by having her concentrate on something else." Baby Xalf's mom has lots of ideas for what something else could be, but I thought I'd try to create some other options by printing up ten or so images of inspiring metaphors for pregnancy. I have some obvious ideas, like space shuttle launches or locomotives, but I'm open to more subtle ideas (especially ideas that are not so stereotypically male!). Links to specific images are great, copyright free images are greater.

P.S. Please don't be shy about sharing relevant personal experiences from your labor.

P.P.S. I am absolutely prepared for this idea to not in fact be of any help to Baby Xalf's mom. We are practicing lots of other comfort measures.

MeFites, I need your help learning to focus...

cassini — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 19:32:09 -0800

MeFites, I need your help learning to focus... I'm a 26 year old man with a voracious appetite for knowledge and yet I have a lot of trouble staying focused on a single thing for very long. Friends of mine joke that it's my super power to spend a month's worth of focus into a single week on a new thing then lose interest in it and move on to something different and repeat the process. It's great because I get exposed to a lot of different things but I would like to try to actually master something. With all of the children today being diagnosed with ADHD I sometimes wonder if I might suffer from something similar yet it wasn't as prevalent when I was that age. What are some of your tips or knowledge regarding honing one's focus?

Using context to get more things done?

parudox — Sat, 24 Sep 2011 19:04:20 -0800

How important is context to getting work done? What are effective ways to manipulate context to get more done? Most of the things I need to do are computer-based, and I work mostly on my netbook. I'm relatively portable, but this also means that generally I'm not tied down to any particular context. I feel that maybe my contexts (e.g. kitchen table) are too relaxed, and this makes it more difficult than necessary to begin and maintain focus on "work" things.

Is manipulating context useful? What are good ways to use context, and good contexts to use? Are they places, clothes, sound, routines, transitions? The goal is increasing my ability to willingly (and productively) spend time on my tasks.

(What I have to work with: a GTD-like system on Remember the Milk, a timer for Pomodoro-style use, and a notepad in which I keep track of time spent on pretty much everything. Please feel free to give advice not specific to my situation.)

I need to temporarily become a workaholic

tempythethird — Sun, 21 Aug 2011 17:33:04 -0800

I need to work my butt off, burn the candle at both ends, turn on the afterburners, etc etc. I can work just fine, but I don't know how to be that guy who puts in 16 hour days and sleeps on a cot in his office. How do I become that guy? I need to get a project (a web/mobile app) off the ground within the next six months or so, otherwise the project will fail. (The reasons for this deadline aren't relevant to the question.)

I have no reason to think that it will fail. The project is off to a good start. It's at the edge of my capabilities, but I have no reason to doubt that I won't be able to pull it off, the issue is simply time.

The time that I have is sufficient if I work my butt off, and there's my problem. I have no problems putting in 6 quality hours a day, plus 2-3 more that are half-hearted and procrastinaty. What I need to do now though is to burn the candle at both ends, 10-12 hours a day 7 days a week. (I know its unhealthy but this will be temporary and there very much is an exit plan.) The problem is that I've never done this, and don't really know how to do it.

I say yes to friends when I should say no, I lose hours to coffee or a movie or a whole day when one beer turns into four and I have a hangover. I somehow find that an inordinate amount of time goes into making food and the basic errands of keeping my life functioning. I feel like every day, I either haven't called my parents in weeks and really need to do that, or I should really answer that email from my dear friend that's sitting unanswered, or I really need to finally clean the goddamn bathtub. Every day, a bunch of these little things will add up. I try to limit my sleep to 6-7 hours but keep hitting snooze until my body gets its usual 8.5. Worst of all, after putting in a good 6-7 hours of work my brain turns to mush and no matter how hard I push myself no further work will happen, or at least not anything that's intellectually strenuous.

I feel a little weird asking this question because I feel like the reply will mostly be "just do it." Perhaps I simply don't have the willpower to pull this off. If so, is there anything that I can do to "expand" it?

Discernment for the People-Oriented Free Spirits

sunnychef88 — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 12:31:35 -0800

Are there any ENFPs (Myers-Briggs Type) medical doctors out there with advice on how to get through all of the mundane, logical coursework that prerequisites and medical school classes entail? As a recent graduate about to do the year of coursework required to take the MCAT, I just have so much anxiety over whether this is the right field for me since my Ne (Extraverted intuition) is always free associating and making connections at a thousand miles an hour, seeking novelty and creativity, and quickly tiring of having to do the same task over and over again. I know that I'm intelligent enough to get As in the prerequisites (chemistry, biology, organic, etc.) and that I have so much passion for what I'll be doing someday as a doctor, practicing holistic patient-centered care. I know with my empathy and way of connecting with people on their level, and creative problem solving skills, I have the potential to be a great doctor if I can get through all of the busy work and remain organized and pay attention to details.

Aside from excessive boredom, I struggle with wanting think about people over whatever else I should be thinking about. Personal relationships have, in the past, thrown a kink into my academic pursuits, and I'm terrified that I'll form an emotional attachment to someone a month before the MCAT and bomb it for lack of preparation or sleep. That's just an example of how emotionally-driven and people oriented my brain is.

Have you been able to tame your brain and make it work "inside a box" for the duration of time (~6 years) it takes to become an MD or DO? Any strategies or inspiring stories are welcome.

Focus?

mungaman — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 09:24:38 -0800

I recently finished a very rigorous school year. For the last month I was in class/lab/doing homework around 12-16 hours a day 7 days a week. I am looking for tips, anecdotes or exercises for keeping up a similar, though less crazy level of productivity now that I am not racing against the hard deadlines (homework and projects, tests, etc.)? During school, most of my waking time was productive because I had no choice. If I fell behind, then all my effort was wasted. I wish to maintain that level of performance though I don't feel any desire to work quite as many hours a day.

What I am trying to do: I am working at a research job without set hours so I can work at pretty much whatever times of the day I choose. I am also beginning triathlon and ultra-marathon training. Furthermore, I wish to learn a new language this summer and learn different subjects from reading textbooks that I do not have time to take classes for.

All this would be a breeze at my school year pace. However, without the onslaught of homework and due dates, I am finding it harder to channel that productivity.

Currently, I am using HabitJudo which helps immensely with keeping track of all the little things I need to do throughout the day. However, this doesn't aid in creating the "mindset" I am looking for.

Thanks!

To infinity but not beyond . . .

datacenter refugee — Fri, 13 May 2011 11:37:52 -0800

∞ focus at ∞ distance = out of focus? In attempting to take some moon pictures I noticed something wacky - on my manual reflex/mirror lens I must focus WAY pre-infinity to get the moon in focus. It's the moon - it's infinite distance right? Is this normal or is there something wrong with the lens and/or pairing of lens and camera?

Camera: Nikon d90 (APS-C sensor, lens is film-era)
Lens: (super old) Osawa 650mm mirror lens

focusing through trauma

slow graffiti — Sun, 01 May 2011 14:06:34 -0800

I had something traumatic happen a little over a week ago. I need my brain back. When do I start to worry and what do I do? I saw a friend killed in front of me (bike vs. car incident) a week ago. I'm as okay as I can be, all considered, but I REALLY need to get my focus back now so I can finish the semester in my PhD program as normal.

I am supposed to have a test this week and I think I'm going to have to postpone it, as much as I really don't want to. I am obviously behind on other stuff and I am having a really tough time getting my focus back. I had this problem in a mild way before, and I had to turn off the internet sometimes to have long blocks of productive time. Now my brain doesn't want to cooperate, internet or not. I just feel dumb and not all there, which is probably normal. Yes, I've seen counselors and talked to friends and all that- I really just want to get back to work. I'm not trying to not grieve or anything, but I enjoy doing science and it's frustrating not being with it enough to write code or read complicated journal articles.
I'm not having PTSD-style intrusive thoughts about the accident, just feeling foggy and tired. I'm sleeping as long as I can but I've been waking up a little too early.

If I just have to let myself be dumb for a while, okay. When do I start worrying that it's been too long, and how long did it take you to get your focus back after something traumatic?

Any attention hacks that will help me get back in the saddle might be useful here. I'm thinking of stuff like setting a timer and taking enforced breaks, etc. Did anything work for you personally? Do I need to go back and get more pro help for this specifically, or wait it out?

help! I can't concentrate!

marimeko — Sun, 26 Dec 2010 16:21:10 -0800

What do you do to snap yourself out of a completely unfocused, unproductive state? I was on a roll for weeks getting some freelance work done from home. Now I need to rewrite/edit some things. I meant to work on this a little each day since last Thursday - but Christmas kept getting in the way! Now I've lost my focus entirely and feel overwhelmed. I'm procrastinating as a result (writing this question is just one of the ways I've managed to avoid this all day - not that I don't actually need the advice, I do!). I'm also exhausted and vaguely "ill" due to eating and drinking all the wrong things during the holiday. Can I salvage this? I want to be able to send something via email to my boss in the morning. I am not adverse to staying up all night to accomplish this.

My question is: What do you do to snap yourself out of a completely unfocused state when you absolutely must?

What would happen if you practiced focusing your vision in and out?

bleary — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 08:07:48 -0800

What would happen if you practiced focusing your vision in and out? Would you strain your eyes? Just wondering because sometimes I sit around and play with my vision in different ways. Sometimes I shift my focus from far to close to see what things look like, and I also like to do the thing to my vision that people do when they look at 'magic' pictures to pop the 3d image out.

Maybe if you're lucky, instead of harming your eyes, you make them focus faster and stronger.

Smallest VR / IS prime lens for Nikon?

mwhybark — Sun, 17 Oct 2010 11:41:55 -0800

What is the smallest Nikon (or compatible) image-stabilization lens? My search results seem to indicate it is this: Nikon 18mm - 55mm f/3.5-5.6G AF-S DX (VR) Vibration Reduction Wide Angle Autofocus Zoom Lens, which is a VR version of the kit lens on a D40. I have a D40, and I like it OK, but have used full-size Nikons in the past. There is a likelihood that I will eventually trade up. The d40 lacks on-board image stabilization. I hate shooting anything but available light, so the kit lens has been quite frustrating for me.

My ideal lens for the camera would be one that I can open up just huge and which applies image stabilization if I want it. I am totally uninterested in zoom for this lens; I have a VR 55mm-200mm zoom that meets my needs, and of course the kit lens.

Since I have found the kit lens to be lacking (it won't open up as much as I'd like), I'd prefer to find a different - and physically smaller - lens.

Finally, I don't care about autofocus for this lens either. I rarely use it on the other two lenses; I feel like I am fighting with the camera whenever I leave it on. My survey of the available stuff seems to indicate that in general manufacturers and the public view AF as the most important manual override feature with IS coming in second. I further suspect that the physical size requirements of the mechanisms govern the smallest lens which offers them, apparently that 18mm-55mm lens linked above.

Am I SOL? Is there a small lens, no AF, big aperture, that incorporates VR for Nikon?

I should note there is a relatively recent, somewhat related question:

DSLR lens advice wanted

However, while the poster asked specifically for image-stabilization on the primes, the ones suggested generally do not appear to offer it, unless I misread what I examined.

How to engage students while taking time for individuals?

SNWidget — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 15:37:53 -0800

I'm teaching a college course where I have to lecture to a full class, yet use portions of the class time to work with smaller groups while some people sit around, waiting. How do I not waste their time, or make them feel disengaged from the course? I teach a woodwind methods course to undergraduates as a graduate student at a large college of music. The basic gist of the course is that we cover the basics of playing the woodwind instruments, and over the course of the year, each student will get the opportunity to play all 5 major woodwind instruments (flute, oboe, clarinet, sax, bassoon) for several weeks.

The problem I'm running into is this - we only have so many instruments, and given that, not everyone in my class of 17 can be on the same instrument at the same time. So, when I teach (for example) something about flute technique, only 4-5 students out of the class will actually have something in their hands on which to practice it. Whether it's fingerings, embouchure, or anything else, only that portion of the class will get the chance to work on it while everyone else just listens and jots things down.

The biggest complaint I've heard about other undergraduates who have taken this course before is that they hour and a half drags slowly when the lecturer takes 15 minutes to work on individual things with a certain group while everyone else just sits there. I'm required by the higher ups to have an attendance policy that makes every person be there for every class, so I can't work with the flutes one day, then move down the line. They'll all need all of the information eventually, but it seems so criminally inefficient, but it's been this way for as long as anyone can remember. No matter what, there will be a time when I'll have to help someone individually with their embouchure/hand position/something, and everyone else will be sitting there, glazing over.

As of right now, for example, I'm trying to do my best with what I have. I did a lecture on assembling all of the instruments, and those with the instruments assembled theirs while I discussed them. So flutes assembled when I discussed flutes, and the other 14 people just watched and took notes. I did do a switcheroo or two at the very end of the class, where everyone had to pass their instruments to someone else. The issue is going to be less easy to solve as they begin playing more (due to sanitary issues, etc etc).

The closest non-musical analogy I can think of would be like trying to teach a class on programming with 5 kids in the front having computers, and everyone else having to listen to me talk about it while they actually do it. And then, 3 weeks later, new people get to use the computers, but we may be onto another topic by then.

What am I missing? How do I make this a less miserable experience? Have you ever been in a learning situation like this before? What did your professor/teacher do to make this more palatable? What would you do in my situation?

How can I force myself to love something I naturally do not?

coldblackice — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 05:37:53 -0800

How can I force myself to love something I naturally do not? I realize "learn" is a probably a better word than "force".

PROBLEM
There are many things in life I wish I could enjoy -- (certain) people, sports, dancing, university classes, foods, etc, but for whatever reason, I do not. I love computer programming, my friend loves working out. And there's no middle ground between these two.

BACKGROUND
I recently posted a question on how to write stories. I received fantastic responses, However, as I thought of the question, I realized that part of my problem/frustration was this -- I don't like to write.

"What?, friends may ask. "But you write such fantastic prose, such moving stories, such motivating speeches!"

Yes, I love the RESULTS of what comes from writing, but as for the actual process itself, I find it very difficult and unenjoyable. Computer programming, on the other hand, is different -- I very much enjoy the process and the results (and frustratingly, this 'like' is suffocating other areas in my life I want to do and like).

Often, the solution is to either avoid these things or just breathe-deeply-and-count-to-three to tolerate them. I believe in the the power of thought, choice, and will, and believe that we can enjoy things that we previously did not, but I don't know specifically how.

EXAMPLES
I spent a couple years living on islands in the South Pacific. When I arrived, I knew I was in for a drastic diet change that involved (very) raw fish. I never liked fish. I wanted to really know and understand these Polynesian people, and I knew that enjoying the food would be a big part in connecting with them. As such, I developed a love for fish that continues to this day. But how did I do this? Just by "wanting" and then having no other option?

The World Cup. I have never enjoyed watching soccer, but with all the excitement and frenzy the world gets in over it, I wanted to be a part of it this time. I printed off a bracket and watched games every morning, and now suddenly I really enjoy it -- yes, even the dives :)

I've tried the Jerry Seinfeld calendar method. It worked great to at least "forcibly" get me to do the thing I don't like, even if it's under a false pretense (don't break the chain). However, if and when a chain was broken, the motivation to start again is completely sapped.

I've wondered about the likes of Tony Robbins/Steven Covey and the power of positive thinking and attitude, but I don't know much on the subject and if it has any research or empirical studies backing it. Anyone tried or know about this?

In answering, please be as specific as possible to methods of application you know or have come across. General advice is welcome, i.e., "be positive", but doesn't give actual steps on how to apply.

How can I learn to love things that I'm not naturally inclined to?

Need the part # for a 2009 Ford Focus Passenger-side Mirror

jlabrash — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 21:38:00 -0800

I'm trying to find part number(s) to repair a sideswiped passenger side mirror on a 2009 Ford Focus. Most of the mirror is intact, so I'd like to replace only the piece that clips the mirror into the holder cavity. If this isn't possible, I'll grudgingly pony up for the whole mirror assembly. Bonus question: is there a place to buy the part in Orlando, FL before Sunday? Thanks!

(What's the Story) Morning blurry?

XiBe — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 07:29:21 -0800

IKnowYouAreNotMyDoctor-filter: one blurry eye in the morning. Hello,

I've had a new eye behaviour since this Monday. Waking up, I quickly opened my eyes, only to discover a slight change of perception to my right eye, and a feeling as if opening my peeled something off my cornea - but it might just my brain trying to adapt a blurry right eye to a perfect left eye.

Yes, because I don't wear glasses or lenses - never have. I used to have very clear vision in both eyes (not perfect, mind you, but I could read easily some very far texts).

I slowly regained focus on my right eye, but since then I have a slightly blurrier vision in the right eye than my left. Next morning (yesterday), I woke up with no noticeable change. This morning, I again woke up with a blurry right eye, which improved in the next few minutes.

Yes, I am planning to see an ophthalmology, but it can take months before I get a appointment, so in the meantime I'm asking The Hive: have you ever witnessed such a behaviour (both the morning blur, and the slight loss of focus from one day to the next)? Should I be worried?

Details: I'm 32 and healthy, I work on a computer all day (have been for years with no issue)... and have slightly lacked sleep these last few days (what with being single again, y'know).

Thanks a lot for any insight.

Keep On Truckin'

ocherdraco — Mon, 18 May 2009 14:18:56 -0800

How do I reboot myself when I feel like I'm getting nothing done at work? Occasionally, I have a day at work (like today) where I don't get very much done because of distraction, or feeling overwhelmed by all the things on my to do list. (Knowing that I'm not going to be able to make all my deadlines can make it difficult to decide which deadlines to focus on.) I stay late at work to help compensate, but sometimes I feel that does nothing except make me more tired and stressed.

There's lots of advice on AskMe about how to deal with distraction and workflow—I've used it to good effect. But these kinds of days still happen from time to time, and it can be hard to rebound into productivity.

What can I do to keep one day of distraction and underproduction from turning into a string of them?

"The First Noel, the Angels did..." oooo look, a Snow Flake!

matty — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 10:18:54 -0800

Adult ADD... if you've got it, how do YOU handle it? I've recently been diagnosed with Adult ADD. It certainly explains a lot about my personality, but it leaves me with a LOT of questions. I used to be in the military - and it was the only job I've ever really thrived in. I guess I handle the environment well when forced to focus. That and I tend to hyperfocus, which was perfect as an air traffic controller. But now I'm out of the military in a less constrained environment.

I don't focus on any one task (except bodybuilding) for more than 5 minutes at a time. In the gym I don't think about anything except what's right in front of me. The weight. But at work I jump from task to task (and the internet - like now!) and hardly accomplish any of them. None of it is interesting enough to keep me involved with it for more than a couple of minutes. I've always had a hard time carrying on a conversation because I change subjects to fast, so these days I'm more of a listener. And hey OMG - there's window washers outside!!

At home in the evenings my partner gets upset with me while we're watching TV because I'm also surfing the net and texting on the phone at the same time. He says I can't get enough input. He's kinda right. LOL.

My question(s) is - I'm DEAD SET against doing any drugs to help me focus. Other than the exercise that I already do (again, bodybuilding and cardio 6 days a week), what can I do to help me focus? I found a related AskMe here, but it's over 3 years old. Are there any new approaches to controlling my myself? Are there any mefites out there who are the same way, and what do they do?

Application windows disappear when switching or opening applications

djgh — Tue, 25 Dec 2007 09:04:38 -0800

OSX troubles - whenever I open or switch applications, all other open application windows disappear. How do I fix this? I'm on OSX 10.4.11, and an Intel MacBook.

Whenever I have applications running, whenever I switch applications (either through cmd-tab, clicking on the dock or through Quicksilver) all currently open application windows disappear, rather than moving behind the application in focus. cmd-H (hide) has also stopped working - I can no longer hide applications by choice (it just happens whenever I open or switch). Also, the menu that pops up when I cmd-tab occasionally fails to register an app - e.g., I'll have Mail, Safari and Terminal open. I'll cmd-tab and Mail won't show up. Or occasionally Finder.

The only change I can recall making recently is installing Visor. However, I've since removed Visor (and SIMBL), and the problem persists. I've run Onyx and Cocktail (restoring permissions and cleaning caches etc.), to no avail.

Can anyone help? I just want my regular OSX back...