Wii Fit Plus, Worth the Upgrade?

The short answer: yes.

Wii Fit Plus effectively makes the original obsolete. It takes almost everything from the original and adds more: streamlined weighing, six new exercises, 15 new games, calorie measures for exercises and the ability to create workout setlists.

My one principal complaint is that you

Clear Vision for Six Months

Things have never been so clear.

It’s been about six months since I underwent LASIK surgery, and the results show: my eyeglasses have been filed away and a year’s supply of unopened contact lenses has been returned to Costco.

Although there are small problems, like seeing starbursts and occasional dry eye (the latter is common for the first few months), simple things like being able to see the numbers on my alarm clock and watching TV from my bed make the surgery worth the price.  My doctor also said the benefits of the surgery in its current form will last until my 40s, when most people need reading glasses.  The price of a year’s supply of contact lenses and solutions for the same amount of time would be similar in cost to LASIK.

LASIK is a vision correcting procedure that uses a laser to change the eye’s focusing power by reshaping the cornea. Some believe the procedure is dangerous, or not worth the cost or inconvenience. However, as long as you have the money, and you and your surgeon are qualified for the procedure, the benefits far outweigh the potential drawbacks.

The most frightening thing for potential LASIK patients is the creation of the corneal flap, as doctors call it.  Before the surgery, patients are given a few drops to numb each eye.

Preparing for surgery...

Other Side of Things: Short History of Graffiti

In response to my article: Tag! Hooligans graffiti Ozone Park (Queens)

Many people would call the scribbling and drawings on the walls and doors of buildings graffiti – an act of vandalism that causes urban decay. But to the “writers” themselves and supporters of the practice, the writings on the walls are works of art.

The historical account of how graffiti as a practice began is debated within the community. It was first documented in the 1970s, when a 17-year-old named Demetrius would write “Taki 183” on New York City subway cars, walls and sidewalks all over the tri-state area, the New York Times reported in 1971.

Demetrius was following in the footsteps of JULIO 204, who was apparently one of the first to tag his name and street all over the city. After Taki 183 started writing his name, the practice of graffiti became widespread.

Many insiders of the graffiti subculture say “writers” tag to get attention. When word spread among participants of others’ efforts, it created a sort of competition to tag more and more locations and come up with more elaborate designs.

Despite measures set by the city to remove and prevent graffiti, many people still “write.” New York City is still one of the most attractive hubs as it is graffiti’s birthplace. People from all over the country and even Europe come to New York City to tag.

Not all graffiti is illegal. Property owners can commission artists to paint their walls. In Queens, artists have 5 Pointz, a large factory where “writers” must apply to paint.

Immigrants, Credit Cards?

Recently, banks have dramatically increased their efforts to reach out to immigrant groups for an additional market, financial experts said.  But In Richmond Hill, where more than half of the population was born outside the United States, many immigrants did not want to speak about whether or not they have credit cards.  One person who did comment raised the concern that many immigrants distrust the concept of credit cards.

“The government is 100 percent behind them,” said Augusto Cerrone, a 56-year-old immigrant from Italy. “By the end of the year, the IRS says you spent this much, when you only earned this much.  It’s to get the cash out of the people.  It’s to keep tabs on how much you spend.”  Cerrone, who came here thirty years ago, works as a shoemaker in Richmond Hill.  He said when he uses his credit cards he quickly pays the bills.

Cerrone’s attitude towards credit companies reflects a general mistrust held by those who may not have knowledge of how credit works.  There are an unknown amount of immigrants living in the United States, and credit card usage data for this demographic does not exist, said Doug Massey, a professor at the Office of Population Research at Princeton University.

Public Access Host Gets Caught In a Web

In Richard Graziano’s dream, an unidentified man prepared extensively for an audition. The man woke up early the next day and arrived on stage, but before he got his first note out, the music stopped and the producers said “next.”

Graziano, the host of Queens Public Television’s “The Filthy Rich Show,” told this dream to a small crowd in the station’s break room an hour before his lewd public access variety show. About 10 people made up of producers and guests ate pizza in the room, a small space with an aged microwave and an old style coffeemaker, while Graziano cracked perverted jokes and used a white paper bag and black plastic bag he found in the room as a hat and beard.

After eight years of “The Filthy Rich Show,” Graziano still believes in his imminent rise to fame. But media has changed, and it has rendered public access television nearly obsolete. Graziano, a self-described attention seeker, musician, poet and artist, admitted to a limited knowledge of the Internet. Yet he attempted to have his first live stream with an October evening episode.

Media: Analysis and Length in the New York Times

Reporters at the New York Times have questioned whether a higher word count allows more freedom to stray from journalistic objectivity.  Some worried about the ethical principles of the publication, and looked towards the standards of the magazine, which some believed to be too lax.

Article length plays a significant role in print news.  Daily reports require the recitation of facts while longer pieces rely on analysis.  Reporters have been pressured to state just the facts in shorter pieces, but longer articles allow them to include more information and additional angles on the focus of the story.

Articles in magazines are considerably longer than newspaper pieces.  Gerald Marzorati, the editor of the New York Times magazine, said longer pieces allow narratives to unfold, which may present history, personal profiles or a story of a specific thing.  “A cover story we published a couple of years ago on Social Security reform took thousands of words to explain the origins of S.S. and the changes to the program over the years — something a newspaper piece would never have the space to do,” he said in an e-mail.