NY Times #8

Video games are no longer being upgraded with internet speeds. Microsoft and Sony are especially taking their time to update. The video game industry does not expect an upgrade from either company until the year 2014. That would make a nine-year gap for Microsoft, and and eight-year gap for sony.

Analysts say that the reason for extending the console's life-span is cost. They are invested in to hace intensive graphics and complex gameplay. It is also said that the companies are trying to recoup their investments. Nintendo has suffered less losses, and is sticking to the traditional upgrade cycle. Today, these companies are facing competition from online games such as Farmville on Facebook. Nintendo's Wii is targeted towards women, children and seniors, and is immensely popular. Microsoft and Sony's movement consoles are significantly less popular. Sony says that they think the PS3 is "hitting its stride". Nintendo is considering redoing the Wii so it will appeal to the hardcore gaming crowd, with better graphics. Nintendo wants to make movies appear in HD, the way they do on Sony and Microsoft systems.

NY Times #7

The Tony award winning musical, "Hair", is coming BACK to Broadway. It was announced this week that the show would return in July, after only being closed for about a year. The performances will conclude in September, and the show will begin touring around the country. The cast will include members from the 2009 revival and from tour. This ever-popular show has been nominated for eight tony awards, winning one. The show went to London for several months but was unsuccessful and lost the theater $200,000. The producers are more careful financially for the show.

NY Times #6

Netflix is wonderful for the consumer with its low rates and HD, but many internet providers dislike the service and would like to set up tolls to make sure the bits being streamed do not fall in cost too quickly. Last October, 20% of the web's traffic was generated by Netflix. ISP's are faced with video streaming's growth. Netflix data is growing more, and more threatening.

The company, Mu, has measured other HD online video websites, and Netflix has been proven as overwhelmingly worse than the others. The non-HD versions, while still delivering a ton of bits, is better than the HD versions. Due to these new releases, Netflix has decreased the quality of its streams in Canada to help consumers affected by bandwidth caps.

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NY Times #5

The Mediterranean diet is rich in olive oil, whole grains, fish, fruits, vegetables and wine, has become a multi billion dollar global brand. Food related trips to Italy make as much as 5 billion euros a year. The Mediterranean diet is associated with lower rates of heart disease, diabetes, and depression. However, Mediterranean people have the most fattening diets in Europe. Greeks are the fattest, with 75 percent overweight.

During WWII, it was proven that mortality from coronary disease declined in Northern European countries due to wartime food restrictions. It was proven that well-fed people suffer from high cholesterol and other heart problems, due to high saturated fat. It was concluded that people should turn to vegetable oils instead of saturated fat, changing the way Americans eat.

Mediterranean diets share commonalities-fruits, vegetables, small dishes and less meat; however there is no single Mediterranean diet. Many eat/ate lentils instead of meat for monetary reasons.

Today more than half the populations in Italy, Portugal, and Spain are overweight. Obesity is growing in Eastern Mediterranean countries, especially among the young.

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NY Times #4

People dying from chronic diseases like cancer have been getting more aggressive medical care in NY than in the rest of the country for years. 46 percent of chronically ill patients in Manhattan were being treated in hospitals when they died, instead of dying in hospices or nursing home; the highest in the country. Long Island/Queens are second, Bronx is third, and Brunswick, NJ is fourth. Nationally, the rate is 28 percent.
The disparity may be driven by financial incentives for keeping patients in hospitals while possibly neglecting the patient's wishes. Medicare generally paid better for hospital care than for community-based medical services.

If someone doesnt have a home, it is hard to send them home, therefore extending their stay. Statistically, Black and Hispanic patients are more likely to prefer dying in the hospital than Hospice care. Hospice care is increasing in NY and across the country. It focuses on quality of life, rather than curing the disease.

NY Times #3

Many school districts are suffering from budget cuts, forcing the school officials to cut certain programs and classes-especially sports and gym. Many families are not looking into alternative sports such as boxing, especially in Southern California. Cuts to athletic programs in toledo were the most extreme; cross country wrestling, golf, tennis, cheerleading and dance teams, even freshman and middle school programs. Only $1 million is left to finance remaining programs. The option is to send children to boxing where they will suffer from injuries, orleave the kids alone afterschool in gang filled neighborhoods.

NY Times #2

Actor Josh Radnor has been filming two very different New York based projects; Television Sitcom "How I Met Your Mother" (cleaner and Studio based), and an indie film called "Happythankyoumoreplease". The film is Radnor's debut film which wrote, directed and stars in. He wanted the fim to be more raw and realistic with thrift store clothing and prtrayal of an accurately sized NY appartment. The film opened on Friday in NY and LA.

His two projects have several things in common: young people in search for love, and success. The film is much less comedically toned. Radnor says that he wanted to incorperate things into the movie that wouldnt be covered in the show. In the film, characters tend to find solutions to their problems instead of just feeling like "why-me?". The movie is basically about gratitude.Radnor and his producer consider cynicism to be boring, they want an optimistic twist.

Radnor is characterized as positive and he acctually thinks before he speaks. This is why he was casted as Ted in the show. Josh is very similar to Ted in real life. Josh does not drink coffee or alcohol and has always wanted to live in NY (even though he went to NYU) he now resides in LA.

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Kevin Scanlon/The New York Times

Josh Radnor of the sitcom “How I Met Your Mother,” has made a film, “Happythankyoumoreplease,” also about New York.