Posts by shadowbison

So, I’m curious to hear about your own experiences with vision issues and trying to fix them.
I have a pretty high prescription—around -7—and I've been wearing soft contact lenses for about 12 years now (soft ones before that). For almost that entire time, my vision has just kept getting worse. It feels like the progression has slowed down lately, now that I'm in my early 30s, but it hasn't stopped... It’s strange, though. My nearsightedness didn't even show up until I was 15 or 16. Before that, everything was fine. And none of my family members are nearsighted either.
My eye doctor mentioned that people used to think your prescription would stabilize once you finished college—specifically with myopia—after those intense years of studying. But apparently, they're seeing now that it can keep climbing well after that. They often link this worsening vision to constant near-work, like being stuck indoors staring at computer screens all day. Interestingly, my vision actually improved just once, during a year when I spent an unusual amount of time outdoors. It’s a bit depressing, honestly, because according to every reliable source out there, there isn't really a "cure." Sure, there are invasive options like surgery, but that's a whole different conversation... I’ve tried the Bateson methods and various eye muscle exercises, but nothing really yielded any significant results (though I have to admit, I wasn't exactly consistent).

From what I’ve gathered, the best way to manage myopia seems to be giving the eyes a break by looking into the distance, spending time in nature, and just being outside. Sunlight seems to help, too. But how do you actually balance being outdoors with the reality of modern life? We need monitors for work and books to study, right? We have to make a living somehow.
What has your experience been like?

George Barrett35 said:Look, there's a cost involved here and someone has to foot the bill. It would be completely absurd to expect a bank to cover for someone else's negligence. Until actual fraud is PROVEN—and honestly, wasn't a receipt necessary in the first place?—this just looks like your own oversight. It would be even more ridiculous if JP Morgan Chase spent their time chasing down some random scammer somewhere in the US just to claw back your $9. And let’s be clear: if they freeze your card, that doesn't magically wipe away the charges you've already racked up.

After reading through the original post again, I still think I'm right. This feels less like customer negligence and more like a case of data being "resold."

The issue isn't just about who you hand your info to; it’s about who the companies you trust decide to sell that info to. You see news stories all the time about massive data breaches or credit card info getting stolen from major corporations. Take TJX Companies, for example. They nearly went under when they "lost"—or rather, had stolen—the card details of over 45 million customers (http://www.securityfocus.com/brief/505). Those people didn't even have a direct business relationship with TJX; their payment processors did. I could probably list at least 30 different cases where credit card data was swiped from big retailers or other organizations, not the actual card issuers or the users themselves. Even Visa had a huge amount of data stolen a few years back. In those situations, you don't expect the customer to have to prove they didn't make the transaction.

I mean, isn't it normal for the rules to favor the weaker party? In this case, the end user—the cardholder. Let the big institutions argue among themselves about who owes what. At the end of the day, an individual consumer is always at a disadvantage when trying to debate the "rightness" of a situation with a giant bank.

I knew someone who was a client of Bank of America. Do you know how they handled stuff like this? If they noticed a suspicious charge, they’d just fax over their Bank of America statement, circle the transactions, and ask for them to be reversed. And wouldn't you know it? They’d reverse them, no heavy lifting or proof required. Since Bank of America is such a massive institution, they could easily spot patterns in similar complaints and had a "knowledge base" for these exact types of transactions. Banks and card networks talk to each other constantly; they resolve these things when multiple clients report the same type of fraudulent transaction across different institutions. So, I find it hard to believe the card department at JP Morgan Chase (or any other major bank) wouldn't have access to info showing that this specific scam is popping up everywhere. These "membership fees" are classic—they're small enough that most people don't even notice them, and the names sound totally innocent.

And why do banks often issue refunds without demanding proof that the client didn't make the purchase? (By the way, it is incredibly difficult and ungrateful to have to prove you *didn't* perform a financial transaction.) It's because keeping more people using their cards lowers their operational costs—like the cost of handling cash—and boosts interest income. Because of that, they're willing to absorb a slightly higher loss from fraud. Ultimately, it's bad rules and outdated card processing systems that allow these scams to exist, not the customers. Just look at debit cards. Every single transaction requires a PIN, and since PINs are pretty well-protected, the rate of fraud with debit cards is way lower than with credit cards.

George Barrett35 said:I’m going to pass on commenting that whole "look how well we handled this for you" bit, but if you're looking for someone to blame for this mess, it's definitely you. I mean, even a toddler understands that using your credit card online is entirely on your own head. This serves as a pretty solid wake-up call for anyone else out there thinking they can just gamble away their life savings online without a second thought about which card they're plugging into some sketchy site.

What kind of logic is "using cards online is at your own risk"? You use cards at your own risk everywhere. You hand your card to a waiter at your own risk. There’s nothing here specifying how the transaction actually went down, but from what I can see, the error—the actual violation—was committed by the company processing the ticket, not the customer.

The internet is perfectly safe for standard, small card transactions, provided the usual security measures are properly implemented. A correctly implemented 128-bit SSL should definitely be more trustworthy than, say, a face-to-face interaction at an ExxonMobil gas station. Up until recently, ExxonMobil was even printing full credit card numbers (not just debit) along with names on receipts (so they just toss them in the trash!). And Peterbilt used to do the same thing years ago (maybe they don't anymore). Using a card in that kind of system is risky. The fact that no bank or card processor will refuse to work with ExxonMobil just because their data protection is subpar is a separate issue entirely.

This whole incident isn't about the risks of using a card online (since based on the info in the post, the transaction wasn't intercepted). Any company that records card numbers in its database (if they are in the USA) and stores them without encryption is breaking the law. In the USA, PCI compliance is mandatory. So, whether that company handed the data over to a third party voluntarily or had it stolen, they still committed a violation. Misusing that data has nothing to do with how it was acquired—it could happen without the internet being involved at all.

And as for our major banks being notorious for treating "small" clients poorly? Well, that's common knowledge.

Oh yeah, one more thing. You’re probably struggling with self-confidence because of the extra weight, too. Honestly? Nothing is going to boost that confidence quite like hitting a decent target weight. It isn't just about looking thinner, either. It's about knowing deep down that you actually did it—that you managed to drop 40 or 50 pounds on your own. That is no small feat. It's something a person can truly be proud of.

Look, you've been getting a lot of conflicting advice on this forum lately, so I figured I'd jump in and offer my own 🙂
First off—and you probably already realize this—losing weight isn't actually the hard part. Staying at that lower weight? That’s where people struggle. About ten years ago, I dropped 30 pounds and actually kept it off, so I know what I'm talking about.

It’s a vicious cycle when you lose weight, gain it back, lose it again... just spinning your wheels forever. People call it yo-yo dieting. It’s frustrating because every single time you try to drop the weight, it gets harder. Your body learns. It starts to "understand" that there are periods of feast and famine. So, every time you go on a diet (the famine), your body tries to be efficient by burning as few calories as possible. That makes every subsequent diet a steeper uphill battle.

Based on where you're at right now—both your current weight and how you're talking about it—it's clear that managing your weight is going to be an ongoing struggle for you. You'll always have to stay mindful of the scale. But hey, that’s just something you have to accept and build your life around. Diets aren't going to be your long-term fix. I know it sounds like a cliché, but you really have to change your entire lifestyle. And please, don't try to drop 20 or 30 pounds in a single month. The chances of you keeping that off are basically zero. I know when you're 15, a month feels like an eternity, but you didn't hit 275 pounds in just a couple of months. It’s going to take time to shed it.
My advice? Set a set of rules for yourself. Rules you will follow religiously. Always.
1. A classic move is to simply stop eating after 6 PM. Just stop. Period.
2. Second, find some kind of aerobic exercise that you actually enjoy. Sure, at 275 pounds, running might feel pretty brutal, but once you get down to maybe 220 or 230, you might find your stride. Whatever you pick, it has to be something you like, otherwise you'll just quit. It has to become a way of life. Plus, aerobic training is great because it keeps your metabolism revved up even after you're done. Check out this running FAQ; it’s solid and covers principles you can apply to any cardio: http://www.faqs.org/faqs/running-faq/beginners/part1/
3. Walk. You won't lose massive amounts of weight just from walking, but if you do it daily—listening to music, chatting with someone, or just clearing your head—you're looking at maybe 200-300 calories burned a day. When you multiply that by 30 days or 365 days, it adds up to something significant. Also, since you're carrying extra weight right now, you're using more energy just to move. An hour of walking might burn you closer to 400 calories.

As for specific diets or workout routines, the internet is overflowing with info, and people in these threads have already pointed you in the right direction. But honestly? I think persistence and moderation are what matter most. Extreme diets or insane workouts will just burn you out, and then you'll give up. Then you're right back at 275. You have to be steady. Small steps, but constant ones. Don't quit.
Good luck.

Look, I think (judging by your username) you’re making this all about the last name... and yeah, I guess you think that matters more than the fact that this woman (Curuvija-Opacic) runs one of the oldest contact lens practices in the country? She has a massive client base—and they're happy clients, otherwise they wouldn't keep coming back—not to mention she's the president of the Contact Lens Section at the American Academy of Ophthalmology...

Or maybe I'm just wrong.

I'm sure Milanka Opacic "smells incredibly criminal" too.

Dr. Milanka Opacic
Ophthalmology clinic, Langov Square (I think it's number 9)
She’s honestly one of the top contact lens specialists in the US (though she's great with glasses, too, obviously). I’ve been going to her for over 8 years now for my semi-rigid lenses, and everything has been excellent—a huge difference from Rebra, whose contact lens office was a total disaster.
The only thing is, you'll have to pay for the exam out of pocket since Medicare doesn't cover it, but for me, it's worth every penny. It gives me peace of mind knowing everything is handled correctly so I can just relax for the rest of the year.

As for those computer-based eye exams? Sure, they're fine, but you still really need a proper vision check using the classic chart on the wall. At the end of the day, what matters is how *you* actually see, not just what the computer screen says.

Tried it...
It was okay, but I didn't really notice anything out of the ordinary. To be honest, I was living pretty healthy during that time, so I didn't exactly credit any positive changes to Tony Robbins.