No Email Issue on 21 June 2021 for New Staff Onboarding
We traditionally refrain from sending an email issue of TidBITS during the week around May 31st because that’s the Memorial Day holiday here in the United States. We take the day to spend with our families and honor those who gave their lives for our country. But you might have noticed that we published a rare Memorial Day issue this year.
There’s a reason for that. The newest addition to my family, Elizabeth “Betsy” Anne Centers, is scheduled to be born on 17 June 2021, so Adam graciously adjusted the TidBITS publication schedule so I can take time off that week and the following Monday. Hopefully, we’ll be settled back in by then, but you never know. The birth of our first child, James Harrison, ended in an emergency C-section (see “Canon EOS M Combines Quality and Simplicity at a Low Price,” 23 August 2013). Our second child, Jeremiah Stone, had to spend a few days in the hospital soaking in some rays under a blue light to combat jaundice. That wasn’t a fun time, but he was the coolest newborn I’ve ever seen.
Spending much of the past year at home made us realize how blessed we are by our children. Unfortunately, many parents struggled with that situation, but our sons have been a constant source of joy and entertainment. Without them, it would have been easy to fall into despair.
As always, thanks to all the TidBITS members who’ve paid my salary for the past eight (!) years and enabled me to work at home with my boys. I’ve seen many great writers and editors leave the Apple sphere in that time, and all too many Apple publications have folded or decayed. I’ve been incredibly fortunate to have your support. Thanks to my other gigs as a Take Control author and editor at The Prepared, my wife Hannah has been able to stay home with our children as well. I might have the strangest niche in media as an Apple prepper guy, but I’ve somehow turned my hobbies into a living for my family.
We’ll continue to publish new articles throughout the next two weeks, and TidBITS will return to your inbox on 28 June 2021, where we’ll undoubtedly sort through more of the aftermath of this year’s WWDC and look ahead to Apple’s upcoming operating systems.
In the meantime, TidBITS members can receive articles in email as soon as they’re published or read the full text of articles via RSS. Everyone else can follow along on our Web site, via Apple News, in the TidBITS News iOS app, in Google News, or using Flipboard (see “Read TidBITS in the TidBITS News App, Apple News, Google News, and Flipboard,” 5 October 2018).
If you’d like to take advantage of our week off to catch up on issues you’ve missed, all back issues remain available.
Times have changed.
When my sister was born with a similar condition, we were just told to put her crib next to the window. It worked fine, but I suspect it took longer.
Of course, most homes today have UV-blocking glass so maybe that wouldn’t work well today.
They can’t charge you for that :-)
Eight years! One of the greatest things I ever did accidentally was reply to you on Twitter, clearly!
See, I’m all Glenn’s fault!
Thank you Glenn, I’ve tried to make the most of it.
My daughter Sophia Susana was put under gro-lights too, back in 1990. There was a whole room full of 'em, catching a few rays, wearing tiny sunglasses.
Best wishes, Josh. At last, a daughter! It doesn’t get any better.
Congratulations on the upcoming addition to your family.
. I hope that this new one is healthy and brings joy to your home.
Congratulations to you Josh and Hannah on Betsy’s arrival. A baby girl… treasure, doesn’t get much better. Hope Mom is well too.
Sorry to be pedantic, but as a paediatrician I feel the need to correct a common misunderstanding. The lights used for phototherapy for jaundice use light in the blue (i.e. visible) spectrum, not ultraviolet light. From memory, I think the most efficient wavelength is about 460nm. Sometimes phototherapy uses white light, but only because that of course contains blue light. As an Australian, I occasionally get to experience the effect of exposing skin to UV light first-hand, and it’s not pretty!
For more information:
http://brochures.mater.org.au/brochures/mater-mothers-hospital/baby-jaundice-and-phototherapy
Congratulations to you both Josh and Hannah. Welcome Betsy!! What joy for you all!
Interesting, thanks. So what are the goggles for?
The intense light can damage newborn eyes.