I think these USB lights are cheaply made, and may be the cause of this flickering. Several years ago I ordered five of 'em online, two flickered, the other three were just fine. As for reading at night on my PE (or in a gloomy coffeehouse in order to enhance my reading of gothic novels), I wear a 5-LED head lamp that comfortably wraps around my head with cloth stretch bands (Walgreens, $5.59). I don't care what anyone thinks; it lights my way through the tombs, er, "tomes".