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	<title>pwlk blog</title>
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	<description>Just Another Silly Ordinary Night...</description>
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		<title>Battery Life Management</title>
		<link>http://www.pwlk.net/blog/2010/03/10/battery-life-management/</link>
		<comments>http://www.pwlk.net/blog/2010/03/10/battery-life-management/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 10 Mar 2010 20:36:29 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jason</dc:creator>
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		<category><![CDATA[Apple]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[Technology]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.pwlk.net/blog/?p=624</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Today while sitting in class I was thinking about the different ways that I prolong my battery life on my MacBook.  These ways basically come down to the brightness of my screen and what I am doing on my computer.
If I am on YouTube or some other Flash intensive sites, my battery will die very [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Today while sitting in class I was thinking about the different ways that I prolong my battery life on my MacBook.  These ways basically come down to the brightness of my screen and what I am doing on my computer.</p>
<p>If I am on YouTube or some other Flash intensive sites, my battery will die very quickly.  Flash sucks.  But if I limit the amount of Flash use in conjunction with limiting the brightness of my screen, my 2.5 year old battery will easily last me 4 or 5 hours.</p>
<p>With this thought process, one can easily manage their battery life.  But is the &#8216;normal&#8217; computer user knowledgeable enough to know what really affects battery life?  I propose that a new power management system be implemented.  I don&#8217;t know at what level the power management system in different operating systems needs access to in order to implement this idea, but I might have a look sometime in the future.</p>
<p>You know how your battery will tell you how much longer it has until it is dead?  Most operating systems now-a-days have this feature.  The way this works is, it takes a measurement of current computer usage and assumes that you will continue using the computer in the current manner until the battery dies.  This is why, when watching movies or something else that requires to computer to process lots of information, the battery life will be shorter, but when you stop watching the video and go back to editing a text document, the amount of time left on the battery will jump higher.</p>
<p>Well, what if instead of the battery life remaining reacting to your computer performance, your computer performance reacted to the battery life remaining?</p>
<p>Let&#8217;s say I get to class at 9am and know that I have class on and off until 1pm.  There should be a way for me to tell the battery that I want it to last until 1pm.  Then, in order for this to happen, the performance of the computer will make cutbacks in order to save battery life.  The screen might dim itself to save battery and the graphics may not render as smoothly.  This won&#8217;t make the user experience as pleasant, but if the priority is for the battery to last the full time, then it is worth it.</p>
<p>Of course there would be lots of details for user preferences where they could set priorities on what gets downgraded, whether screen brightness, graphics rendering or something else, but that would be of course for more of the power users instead of the &#8216;normal&#8217; user that just wants their computer to stay on throughout the entire school day or work day.</p>
<p>You might also question, &#8220;Well if a person wants their laptop to last as long as possible, then why don&#8217;t they downgrade everything already?&#8221;  The answer is simple.  The purpose of this power management system is to give the user the best possible performance for the given time.  In the example above where I get to class at 9am and need my laptop to last till 1pm, I could set the screen at the darkest possible, squint all day long at my screen, and sure my laptop would last beyond 1pm, but the user experience would be terrible.  The goal would be to schedule the computer&#8217;s performance so the battery would die at the exact time you schedule it.  Best possible performance for set battery life.</p>
<p>I think it is a good idea.</p>
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		<title>Steven Curtis Chapman &#8211; I Will Be Here</title>
		<link>http://www.pwlk.net/blog/2010/02/08/steven-curtis-chapman-i-will-be-here/</link>
		<comments>http://www.pwlk.net/blog/2010/02/08/steven-curtis-chapman-i-will-be-here/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 09 Feb 2010 01:43:18 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jason</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Home]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Music]]></category>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.pwlk.net/blog/?p=620</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Recently I have been playing a lot of guitar.  It was my first purchase after receiving my first paycheck from the Navy.  I am by no means fantastic at it, but I love learning new songs.  I have always known a few chords and plucked around on my dad&#8217;s guitar, but since having my own, [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Recently I have been playing a lot of guitar.  It was my first purchase after receiving my first paycheck from the Navy.  I am by no means fantastic at it, but I love learning new songs.  I have always known a few chords and plucked around on my dad&#8217;s guitar, but since having my own, I have taken more of a liking to finger picking.  I don&#8217;t have the finger nails for the real nice sound, but I&#8217;d prefer the softer tone and shorter nails than having to worry about my finger nails.</p>
<p>Anyways, here is a video I made of Steven Curtis Chapman&#8217;s I Will Be Here.  It is a really pretty song that I absolutely love.  It will be Melissa and my first dance at our wedding on March 27th, 2010.  My guitar playing is shaky (I completely flub a chord in the middle of the song) and my voice isn&#8217;t the greatest, but I love singing and playing the guitar &#8230; and last time I checked, this is my blog <img src='http://www.pwlk.net/blog/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_wink.gif' alt=';-)' class='wp-smiley' />   I hope you enjoy the song.</p>
<p>I learned the song from some great tabs and instructional videos located: <a title="Instructional Video" href="http://grahamchoo.blogspot.com/2008/10/i-will-be-here.html" target="_blank">http://grahamchoo.blogspot.com/2008/10/i-will-be-here.html</a></p>
<p>And if you really like the song, you can purchase the song on <a title="iTunes Link" href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/greatest-hits/id717582">iTunes</a>.</p>
<p><object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" width="445" height="364" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="src" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Vu4JohHgZpY&amp;hl=en_US&amp;fs=1&amp;border=1" /><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="445" height="364" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Vu4JohHgZpY&amp;hl=en_US&amp;fs=1&amp;border=1" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></p>
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		<title>How to block FarmVille on Facebook</title>
		<link>http://www.pwlk.net/blog/2010/01/19/how-to-block-farmville-on-facebook/</link>
		<comments>http://www.pwlk.net/blog/2010/01/19/how-to-block-farmville-on-facebook/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 20 Jan 2010 03:39:01 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jason</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Home]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Computer]]></category>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.pwlk.net/blog/?p=617</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I won&#8217;t bore you with my rants on how silly I think the FarmVille application on Facebook is because you undoubtedly found this post while looking for a way to block the application.
(Side note: This method mentioned here works for any Facebook application actually, not just FarmVille)
So here is how it works:
Visit the FarmVille homepage [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I won&#8217;t bore you with my rants on how silly I think the FarmVille application on Facebook is because you undoubtedly found this post while looking for a way to block the application.</p>
<p>(Side note: This method mentioned here works for any Facebook application actually, not just FarmVille)</p>
<p>So here is how it works:</p>
<p>Visit the FarmVille homepage on Facebook: <a href="http://www.facebook.com/apps/application.php?id=102452128776" target="_blank">http://www.facebook.com/apps/application.php?id=102452128776</a></p>
<p>Under the FarmVille logo image on the top left of the page, you will see a few links (see picture below).  The last link should say something along the lines of: &#8216;Block Application&#8217;.  Click this link!  In the image below, you will note that mine actually says: &#8216;Remove Block for Application&#8217;.  So if you choose, you can always remove the block at a later time.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.pwlk.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/Screen-shot-2010-01-19-at-22.34.39.png"><img class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-618" title="FarmVille Screen Shot" src="http://www.pwlk.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/Screen-shot-2010-01-19-at-22.34.39-200x300.png" alt="" width="200" height="300" /></a>Hope this helps!</p>
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		<title>Lasik: few weeks after</title>
		<link>http://www.pwlk.net/blog/2010/01/05/lasik-few-weeks-after/</link>
		<comments>http://www.pwlk.net/blog/2010/01/05/lasik-few-weeks-after/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 06 Jan 2010 01:16:09 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jason</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Home]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Lasik]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.pwlk.net/blog/?p=615</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I had another follow-up appointment at LasikPlus today.  This appointment took about 5 or 10 minutes and brought forth no issues.  The doctor asked if everything has been feeling &#8220;normal&#8221;, which it has.  I did tell him that I have been using the artificial tears at times, which he said is normal, especially during the [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I had another follow-up appointment at LasikPlus today.  This appointment took about 5 or 10 minutes and brought forth no issues.  The doctor asked if everything has been feeling &#8220;normal&#8221;, which it has.  I did tell him that I have been using the artificial tears at times, which he said is normal, especially during the winter months.  I read the chart again at 20/15 and he shined the lights in my eyes to check them out &#8230; and &lt;insert porky pig&gt; that&#8217;s all folks, I was on my way.</p>
<p>My next appointment will be sometime in April.</p>
<p>I was able to sign a paper release form and get copies of all my paperwork to send to the Navy as well.  It is all just that easy!</p>
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		<title>Year of change</title>
		<link>http://www.pwlk.net/blog/2010/01/01/year-of-change/</link>
		<comments>http://www.pwlk.net/blog/2010/01/01/year-of-change/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 01 Jan 2010 14:27:33 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jason</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Home]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Navy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Personal]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.pwlk.net/blog/?p=611</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Quite the year 2010 promises to be!
March I get married
June I graduate from college
August I report to Officer Candidate School for the Navy in Newport, Rhode Island
And then depending on the needs of the Navy, I&#8217;ll either end the year with some time in Cincinnati or spend some time at Information Warfare Basic Class in [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Quite the year 2010 promises to be!</p>
<p>March I get married<br />
June I graduate from college<br />
August I report to Officer Candidate School for the Navy in Newport, Rhode Island<br />
And then depending on the needs of the Navy, I&#8217;ll either end the year with some time in Cincinnati or spend some time at Information Warfare Basic Class in Pensacola, Florida</p>
<p>There are two types of change occurring this year.  One of exciting uncertainty and the other of perfect clarity.</p>
<p>People always ask me what I&#8217;m going to be doing as an Information Warfare Officer.  I always tell them the truth &#8230; &#8220;I honestly am not 100% sure.  But the uncertainty of the job description is one of the attractions.&#8221;  For the past few years I have always made it a point to write at least one post each month.  I honestly don&#8217;t know if this blog will survive past August 1st, 2010.  I have no idea what is truly in store for me.  This would of course fulfill the exciting uncertainty role.</p>
<p>As to the change that has perfect clarity, I don&#8217;t feel the need to make this a mush fest blabbing on about my feelings for the future Mrs. Melissa Pawlak, but let&#8217;s just say that I have never known anything on this world to be more perfect than the time I spend with her.  In the craziness that will surely ensue this upcoming year, I know that whether I am sitting right next to her or on the other side of the world, she will be my constant.  This upcoming March when we each say our &#8220;I do&#8217;s&#8221;, that moment will be the best change of my life.</p>
<p>For no reason other than just wanting to look, I was scouring Google for poems on the topic of &#8220;change&#8221;.  I came across a poem titled: &#8220;My Comfort Zone&#8221; written by an anonymous author.  Here is an excerpt that I liked:</p>
<blockquote><p>I couldn&#8217;t let my life go by just watching others win.<br />
I held my breath; I stepped outside and let the change begin.<br />
I took a step and with new strength I&#8217;d never felt before,<br />
I kissed my comfort zone goodbye and closed and locked the door.</p>
<p>(via <a href="http://www.wow4u.com/cz/index.html" target="_blank">http://www.wow4u.com/cz/index.html</a>)</p></blockquote>
<p>And for moments when I am not nearly as excited about change, here are a few Bible verses:</p>
<blockquote><p>Don&#8217;t you know? Haven&#8217;t you heard? The LORD is the eternal God, Creator of the earth. He never gets weary or tired; His wisdom cannot be measured. (Isaiah 40:28)</p>
<p>Jesus Christ never changes! He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. (Hebrews 13:8)</p>
<p>Every good and perfect gift comes down from the Father who created all the lights in the heavens. He is always the same and never makes dark shadows by changing. (James 1:17)</p></blockquote>
<p>Happy New Year everyone.  I am excited 2010 is here and am ready to get started.</p>
<p>Ready, Set, GO!</p>
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		<title>A pyramid scheme that just might work!</title>
		<link>http://www.pwlk.net/blog/2009/12/17/a-pyramid-scheme-that-might-work/</link>
		<comments>http://www.pwlk.net/blog/2009/12/17/a-pyramid-scheme-that-might-work/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 17 Dec 2009 19:12:54 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jason</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Home]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[nonsense]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.pwlk.net/blog/?p=607</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[You know how pyramid schemes work, right?  A single person starts the &#8220;company&#8221; and recruits others to join the &#8220;company&#8221;.  The way you join this company is you pay an enrollment fee.  Then your only job is to recruit more people to said company.  When person A recruits person B and C, the enrollment fees [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>You know how pyramid schemes work, right?  A single person starts the &#8220;company&#8221; and recruits others to join the &#8220;company&#8221;.  The way you join this company is you pay an enrollment fee.  Then your only job is to recruit more people to said company.  When person A recruits person B and C, the enrollment fees from B and C are split between person A and whoever recruited A.  When you visualize the hierarchy, it kind of looks like a pyramid, where the person who starts the company is at the very tip top.  The person at the top has the potential to get rich without lifting a finger beyond recruiting a few people that are willing to recruit others.</p>
<p>Genius!  Unfortunately, pyramid schemes are illegal in the United States</p>
<blockquote><p>&#8220;Both Ponzi schemes and pyramids are quite seductive because they may be able to deliver a high rate of return to a few early investors for a short period of time. Yet, both pyramid and Ponzi schemes are illegal because they inevitably must fall apart. No program can recruit new members forever.&#8221;</p>
<p>(via <a href="http://www.ftc.gov/speeches/other/dvimf16.shtm" target="_blank">http://www.ftc.gov/speeches/other/dvimf16.shtm</a>)</p></blockquote>
<p>If only pyramid schemes weren&#8217;t illegal, I would have a great working scheme &#8230; err &#8230; company to go with.  I think the pitfall of these pyramid schemes is that they charge too much as an enrollment fee.  If an &#8220;investor&#8221; is recruited and spends $1,000 or even $20, that is a chunk of change that would be missed.  My idea is something of an affordable pyramid scheme.  What if enrollment was simply $1.  Then a 5 year old could enroll and start getting recruits without breaking the bank.</p>
<p>Now I know the downfall of this system is that it lacks the &#8220;get rich quick&#8221; luster that others might hold.  But think about it for a moment.  I bet I could much more quickly find 1,000 people willing to give me a dollar compared to one person willing to give me 1,000.</p>
<p>Taking this affordable pyramid concept a little further, what if the enrollment fee was completely flexible dependent on the recruiter?  If a recruiter can set the enrollment price, that all of a sudden creates competition for goods (the goods being a return on your investment).  Then, a person who is already a member of the company would able to buy in under other recruiters when the rates are good and then try and recruit others for a larger profit than he or she paid as the enrollment fee.  When demand goes up, so do the enrollment fees, and when people slack off and demand falls, so do the enrollment fees.</p>
<p>By golly &#8230; I think this plan might just work! &#8230; wait &#8230; whoops, I think I just described Wall Street</p>
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		<title>Redbox Coupon Codes</title>
		<link>http://www.pwlk.net/blog/2009/12/16/redbox-coupon-codes/</link>
		<comments>http://www.pwlk.net/blog/2009/12/16/redbox-coupon-codes/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 16 Dec 2009 05:23:38 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jason</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Home]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Videos]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.pwlk.net/blog/?p=605</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Have you seen or rented movies from a Redbox yet?  They are those giant red machines in Krogers that have a computer screen for renting movies.  Pretty cheap in fact, just $1 per day!
I was very excited about the movie G-Force (Redbox&#124;IMDB) coming out in the Redbox yesterday (12/15/09).  So during the day I was randomly [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Have you seen or rented movies from a <a href="http://www.redbox.com/" target="_blank">Redbox</a> yet?  They are those giant red machines in Krogers that have a computer screen for renting movies.  Pretty cheap in fact, just $1 per day!</p>
<p>I was very excited about the movie G-Force (<a href="http://www.redbox.com/Titles/AvailableTitles.aspx?name=g-force" target="_blank">Redbox</a>|<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0436339/" target="_blank">IMDB</a>) coming out in the Redbox yesterday (12/15/09).  So during the day I was randomly searching online about Redbox, to make sure it was actually the day that the movie was available.</p>
<p>In my searching I found the following site: <a href="http://www.insideredbox.com/redbox-codes/" target="_blank">http://www.insideredbox.com/redbox-codes/</a></p>
<p>InsiderRedbox is not related to the official Redbox at all.  In contrast it is actually quite the opposite.  InsiderRedbox is a community that posts coupon codes (or promo codes) for Redbox rentals.  When I went to Kroger tonight I tried out the code: ACME26 and what do ya know, it worked!  Free rental!</p>
<p>Apparently, Redbox keeps track of coupon codes by each card used in a transaction.  So if I have three different cards that I could swipe for a normal Redbox transaction, I could use that same ACME26 coupon code with each card and receive three free rentals!  Amazing!</p>
<p>Needless to say, I was pretty excited about this find.  Now the question, however, is is getting all these free DVD rentals really worth cheaping out on something that is good?  Paying $1/day for a DVD rental is awesome and I wouldn&#8217;t want Redbox to go out of business or raise prices just because people like me are working the system.</p>
<p>Not sure where I&#8217;ll go on that one, but I had to share (at least for those of you that may have lost your conscience back down the road somewhere).</p>
<p>Happy movie watching!</p>
<p>PS. G-Force ROCKS!  Next on my list is Inglorious Basterds (<a href="http://www.redbox.com/Titles/AvailableTitles.aspx?name=g-force#Detail&amp;page=1&amp;sort=3&amp;titleId=2889&amp;titleName=&amp;pageSize=10&amp;genreID=-1" target="_blank">Redbox</a>|<a href="http://www.imdb.com/find?s=all&amp;q=inglorious+basterds" target="_blank">IMDB</a>).</p>
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		<title>Lasik: Day after</title>
		<link>http://www.pwlk.net/blog/2009/12/15/lasik-day-after/</link>
		<comments>http://www.pwlk.net/blog/2009/12/15/lasik-day-after/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 15 Dec 2009 17:56:42 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jason</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Home]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Lasik]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.pwlk.net/blog/?p=603</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I went to my day after follow up appointment at LasikPlus this morning.  Just 19 hours after the surgery which includes &#8220;day of&#8221; nap and a full night of sleep last night, my vision is at 20/15!  That is the same quality of vision I had with my glasses!
Everything is looking great today.  Last night [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I went to my day after follow up appointment at LasikPlus this morning.  Just 19 hours after the surgery which includes &#8220;day of&#8221; nap and a full night of sleep last night, my vision is at 20/15!  That is the same quality of vision I had with my glasses!</p>
<p>Everything is looking great today.  Last night things were clearing up quickly but I could tell that something was a little bit off.  Today the &#8216;off&#8217; sensation is still there a little bit, but very minimal.  The main thing is that I still feel like my eyes want to be lazy sometimes and lose focus (mainly when looking at something very near, such as my laptop).  But today I was out driving to my appointment as well as a few errands after.  I&#8217;m scheduled to teach a private music lesson this afternoon that I was hoping I wouldn&#8217;t have to cancel, and it looks as though everything will be just fine for it.</p>
<p>My next appointment is scheduled to be in three weeks from now.  Until then I just continue to follow the directions on the sheets they gave me:</p>
<p>Use one drop in the operative eye(s) four times a day for one week after surgery</p>
<ul>
<li> Vigamox (prescription antibiotic)</li>
<li>Omnipred (steroid)</li>
<li>Various single dose samples of artificial tears</li>
</ul>
<p>The entire time I was in the car with Melissa, I&#8217;d pick out a far away sign and see if I could read it, then ask her, &#8220;can you read that white/red/blue sign up ahead???&#8221;</p>
<p>The results are definitely very exciting!</p>
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		<title>Lasik: Evening after</title>
		<link>http://www.pwlk.net/blog/2009/12/14/lasik-evening-after/</link>
		<comments>http://www.pwlk.net/blog/2009/12/14/lasik-evening-after/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 15 Dec 2009 03:37:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jason</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Home]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Lasik]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.pwlk.net/blog/?p=592</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Today was the big day, I went under the knife (laser) and got a new set of eyes!
My appointment was for 3:00pm this afternoon and I showed up at LasikPlus about 2:40pm.  There was no need to get there that early as Melissa and I just sat there until 3:00pm.  3:00pm on the dot, however, [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Today was the big day, I went under the knife (laser) and got a new set of eyes!</p>
<p>My appointment was for 3:00pm this afternoon and I showed up at LasikPlus about 2:40pm.  There was no need to get there that early as Melissa and I just sat there until 3:00pm.  3:00pm on the dot, however, the secretary called me up to sign my papers.</p>
<p>LasikPlus didn&#8217;t have written down that I was going to get Lasik, but only had PRK approved on my form.  This was because that is what I was talking most about during my pre-screening visit.  I told them I had decided to go with Lasik, so they set me back with a doctor for a quick checkup to make sure I was eligible (enough tissue to make the flap).  All was fine and soon enough Melissa and I went back to our own private waiting room where an assistant talked me through what was going to happen and when to use the eye drops that were both given to me and prescribed.</p>
<p>During this time, I also went and got another Wavefront scan.  They took 5 pictures of each of my eyes, then the doctor selected the best 3, then the computer selected the best 1 of the 3 (I think is how it worked).  By this time it was about 4:00pm with most of my time being spent waiting around.  Melissa and I made it through the majority of hidden images in Highlights magazine, which was fun.  During this waiting time, I was also offered (and of course I took) Tylenol PM to help me sleep after the surgery was over.</p>
<p>Finally it was time to go back to the operating room.  Melissa stayed in the private waiting room where they had a television set up for her to watch my surgery (I&#8217;ll post the pictures when I get them from her).  I laid back in a chair and they put a lot of eye drops in my eyes to numb them and prepare them for the surgery.  I was laying between two machines.  The machine on my  left was for making the flap on my eye, and the machine on the right was used to correct the vision.  There were a lot of steps that happened during this point and I&#8217;ll do my best to talk about as many of them as I can.</p>
<p>First, the doctor put some type of device on my eye that caused a good bit of pressure and made my vision fade away to darkness.  The other eye that was not being operated on was then covered up with a patch.  This made everything pitch black even though both my eyes were open, very strange feeling.  I was then slid under the machine to my left that makes the flaps.  I could feel a little bit of tinglyness while I assume the laser was cutting a flap on my eye.  At the very end of the flap cutting for one eye it felt as though (for lack of better explanation) a blade left my eye.  I don&#8217;t know if this was the completing of the flap cut or what, but that&#8217;s what I felt.  It didn&#8217;t hurt, just tingled.</p>
<p>I was then slid out from under the machine where the doctor removed the clamp from my right eye and moved it over to my left eye.  He then covered up my right eye with the patch and we repeated the whole process which was about 30 seconds per eye.</p>
<p>Now, while all this was going on, one of the assistants was off to the side narrating everything that was going on, telling me that I was going to feel some pressure, that I was doing great, not to move, how much time I had left under one machine and all the sorts.  Having there talk me through the entire thing was EXTREMELY helpful and comforting.</p>
<p>Now that both my eyes had their flaps cut, the doctor folded the flap back from my right eye which made everything around me very very blurry.  He then covered up my left eye and slid me under the machine to my right that corrects vision.  Under that machine I saw a blinking orange light and was told to look at it.  I don&#8217;t remember if he used the same clamp as before during this part, but I did not lose vision at all and my eye was secured in one way or another.  During this part of the surgery, you hear a bunch of loud clicks, which is the laser molding your eye.  The lady that was narrating counted down how much time I had under each laser during this point, which was good.  It took 19 seconds under this machine for my right eye and 15 seconds for my left eye.  One thing that I will remember from this machine is the smell.  I don&#8217;t know what the smell was or where it came from, but it almost smelled like sulfur.  It smelled like something burning, and I can only assume that it was from the laser.</p>
<p>After each eye was complete, the doctor put drops in my eye after folding the flap back over.  And you know what happened after that &#8230; nothing!  The entire process was over.  I sat up in the chair and looked around.  Honestly I was expecting some sort of miracle where everything was crystal clear, but it wasn&#8217;t like that.  My vision was a little blurry and pretty hazy.  All things considered, however, my vision was immediately much better than it was prior to the surgery.  In the car I was reading signs and enjoying my new eyes.</p>
<p>On the way home I wore my new sunglasses they gave me to sleep in for the next week so I don&#8217;t rub my eyes when asleep.  We also stopped by Kroger to pick up some prescription eye drops.  They gave me a lot of sample packs of artificial tears, a bottle of steroids, and a prescription for eye drop antibiotic to use for a while.  I was told that when I got home to rest my eyes/sleep for 3 hours.  Then to take drops of the steroids every 2 hours for the rest of the night.  Beyond this evening I was told to take drops of the steroid, antibiotic, and artificial tears with breakfast, lunch, dinner, and before bed.</p>
<p>On the way home, we stopped by Kroger to fill my prescription.  Once there I had the challenge of getting my insurance information due to the transition from my parent&#8217;s insurance to Tricare.  After spending more time than I cared to be there with my eyes starting to burn and needing sleep, we finally figured out that my health insurance is with an account under Express Scripts.  Hopefully I&#8217;ll be getting my insurance card soon and not have to worry about this any longer.</p>
<p>That&#8217;s really about it.  I took a few hour nap with my sunglasses on when I got home and things look and feel much much better after.  My vision isn&#8217;t quite as good as it was with my glasses on, yet, but I am seeing huge improvements very quickly.  The main thing I notice is that my eyes seem tired and that they keep wanting to be lazy and let whatever I am looking at go out of focus, but I expect sleep will help in that area.</p>
<p>Tomorrow I have a follow up appointment at LasikPlus and am expecting to see a bright and shiny day!</p>

<a href='http://www.pwlk.net/blog/2009/12/14/lasik-evening-after/dscf0383/' title='Lasik1'><img width="150" height="150" src="http://www.pwlk.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/DSCF0383-150x150.jpg" class="attachment-thumbnail" alt="Sad face because I am wearing glasses (before Lasik)" title="Lasik1" /></a>
<a href='http://www.pwlk.net/blog/2009/12/14/lasik-evening-after/dscf0384/' title='Lasik2'><img width="150" height="150" src="http://www.pwlk.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/DSCF0384-150x150.jpg" class="attachment-thumbnail" alt="All &quot;dolled&quot; up for the surgery" title="Lasik2" /></a>
<a href='http://www.pwlk.net/blog/2009/12/14/lasik-evening-after/dscf0385/' title='Lasik3'><img width="150" height="150" src="http://www.pwlk.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/DSCF0385-150x150.jpg" class="attachment-thumbnail" alt="Laying down in the operating room at the beginning of the surgery" title="Lasik3" /></a>
<a href='http://www.pwlk.net/blog/2009/12/14/lasik-evening-after/dscf0390/' title='Lasik4'><img width="150" height="150" src="http://www.pwlk.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/DSCF0390-150x150.jpg" class="attachment-thumbnail" alt="Dimmed lights and aligning my eye under the machine" title="Lasik4" /></a>
<a href='http://www.pwlk.net/blog/2009/12/14/lasik-evening-after/dscf0393/' title='Lasik5'><img width="150" height="150" src="http://www.pwlk.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/DSCF0393-150x150.jpg" class="attachment-thumbnail" alt="My propped open eye during the surgery" title="Lasik5" /></a>
<a href='http://www.pwlk.net/blog/2009/12/14/lasik-evening-after/dscf0394/' title='Lasik6'><img width="150" height="150" src="http://www.pwlk.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/DSCF0394-150x150.jpg" class="attachment-thumbnail" alt="Sporting my cool shades after the surgery back at my apartment" title="Lasik6" /></a>

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		<title>Lasik: Before</title>
		<link>http://www.pwlk.net/blog/2009/12/13/lasik-before/</link>
		<comments>http://www.pwlk.net/blog/2009/12/13/lasik-before/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 13 Dec 2009 23:57:26 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jason</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Home]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Lasik]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.pwlk.net/blog/?p=588</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Introduction
I started wearing glasses in the 6th grade.  My older brother had started wearing glasses not long before so for one reason or another I was kind of excited about getting my own glasses.  Goodness, how the mentality has changed.
I just scheduled my Lasik appointment for this upcoming Monday, December 14th at LasikPlus Vision Institute. [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<h2><strong>Introduction</strong></h2>
<p>I started wearing glasses in the 6th grade.  My older brother had started wearing glasses not long before so for one reason or another I was kind of excited about getting my own glasses.  Goodness, how the mentality has changed.</p>
<p>I just scheduled my Lasik appointment for this upcoming Monday, December 14th at <a href="http://www.lasikplus.com/" target="_blank">LasikPlus Vision Institute</a>.  Over the past week I have visited four different clinics in the Cincinnati area:</p>
<ol>
<li><a href="http://www.midwesteyecenter.com/" target="_blank">Midwest Eye Center</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.lasikvisioninstitute.com/" target="_blank">Lasik Vision Institute</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.lasikplus.com" target="_blank">LasikPlus Vision Center</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.cincinnatieye.com/" target="_blank">Cincinnati Eye Institute</a></li>
</ol>
<p>All of these clinics were very friendly, helpful, and basically most everything you&#8217;d want when putting down a not so small sum of money for an &#8220;elective&#8221; surgery.</p>
<h2><strong>Why I&#8217;m going with Lasik instead of PRK</strong></h2>
<p>Before talking too much about the specific clinics, let me talk a little bit about my research and outlook on eye surgery.  I did a good bit of research about the different types of eye surgery and basically narrowed my options down to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LASIK" target="_blank">Lasik</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photorefractive_keratectomy" target="_blank">PRK</a>.  Although, I of course checked with my recruiter who in turn checked with the proper people to verify that I, as an Information Warfare Officer (candidate) in the United States Navy was eligible for the various types of eye surgery.  All checked out and both Lasik and PRK are options for a person in my position.  The basic difference between the two is how the surgeon gets to the part of the eye the surgery occurs.  Wikipedia says it just fine, so here is their take on the difference between Lasik and PRK:</p>
<blockquote><p>Because PRK does not create a permanent flap in the deeper corneal layers (the LASIK procedure involves a mechanical microkeratome using a metal blade or a femtosecond laser microkeratome to create a &#8216;flap&#8217; out of the outer cornea), the cornea&#8217;s structural integrity is less altered by PRK.<br />
The LASIK process covers the laser treated area with the flap of tissue which is from 100 to 180 micrometres thick. This flap can mute the nuances of the laser ablation, whereas PRK performs the laser ablation at the outer surface of the cornea. The use of the anti-metabolite mitomycin can minimize the risk of post-operative haze in persons requiring larger PRK corrections.<br />
PRK does not involve a knife, microkeratome, or cutting laser as used in LASIK, but there may be more pain and slower visual recovery. Unlike LASIK, PRK does not create the risk of dislocated corneal flaps which may occur (especially with trauma), at any time after LASIK.<br />
An evolved form of PRK is called No Touch laser vision correction. It also treats the surface of the cornea but unlike other techniques, requires no assistance from manual surgical instruments. It is the only technique to use exclusively an excimer laser from start to finish</p>
<p>(via <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photorefractive_keratectomy" target="_blank">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photorefractive_keratectomy</a>)</p></blockquote>
<p>All in all, people typically get PRK because the tissue on their eye is not thick enough to safely create the flap for Lasik.  Another reason is that the procedure is slightly safer due to not &#8220;digging&#8221; as deep.  Post op, the military has said that the surgery is more resilient due to no flap being present on the eye.  In very rare cases of head trauma, the flap created in Lasik has become detached, not a good thing.</p>
<p>Being a sky diver, scuba diver, pilot in training, among a general desire to try new things, I had my worries about this last difference of PRK and Lasik.  I didn&#8217;t want a rough landing while sky diving to cause concern for added injury beyond what is already worried about.  I also knew from following various eye surgery threads on <a href="http://www.airwarriors.com/forum/cmps_index.php" target="_blank">AirWarriors.com</a> that the Navy currently only waivers PRK applicants, although there is some sort of test group of Lasik aviators (I believe).</p>
<p>My main concern about PRK, however, was the recovery time.  I was told that if there was any thoughts about enhancement surgery in the first year after the initial surgery, it would be considered until about 5 months after the initial surgery.  This is due to the slower recovery time of PRK.  I did not mind the lack of clear vision or the slight discomfort that was possible for the first week(s) after surgery if PRK was going to give me a better life long result, but if there was touch up work that needed to be done, we might have issues due to my schedule.  I go to OCS in Newport, RI on August 1, 2010.  This means that five months after initial surgery it will be mid May.  And I need a six month window between surgery and OCS to be physically qualified after eye surgery.  You seen my concerns?</p>
<p>All-in-all, after talking to doctors at all the clinics, none of them had any concerns that my lifestyle would cause any issues with regards to my Lasik surgery.  They did, however, all say that PRK is, all things considered, a safer procedure and if people didn&#8217;t mind the recovery, they would recommend it for everyone.  But the end vision result would be the same after either procedure.  I thought about what they said and mulled it over, going back and forth, thinking about all scenarios.  In the end, I decided that the assurance of results in my timeline really did outweigh the extremely minimal and practically non-existent added risk that Lasik had over PRK.</p>
<h2><strong>Why I&#8217;m going with LasikPlus Vision Institute</strong></h2>
<p>Now let me tell you my thoughts about the various clinics that I visited.  I will talk about them in the order I visited, independently and then summarize at the end.</p>
<h3>Midwest Eye Center</h3>
<p>Midwest Eye Center was the quickest to send me information in the mail after I my request.  I scheduled a time with them and went in the most blind as I had not talked to a doctor prior to this visit with regards to Lasik or PRK.  I ran through minimal tests to ensure by eligibility, watched the Lasik video and then met with a doctor, Dr. Ralph R. Lim.  He was previously with the Air Force at Wright Patterson Air Force Base where he was Director of Ophthalmology Services.  He was very quick but thorough with answering all the questions I had.  I left feeling very impressed with their offerings.  I was told that if I wanted to go with them, I would need to schedule another appointment where they could do a complete evaluation to make sure I was truly eligible (dilation and more measurements).</p>
<p><strong>Price offerings:</strong><br />
David M. Schneider, M.D.<br />
Advanced Custom Wavefront with Intralase: $4395.00<br />
Advanced Custom Wavefront (OR PRK): $3995.00<br />
Traditional Lasik with Intralase: $3595.00<br />
Traditional Lasik: $2995.00</p>
<p>Ralph R. Lim, D.O.<br />
Ryan T. Smith, M.D.<br />
Advanced Custom Wavefront with Intralase: $3495.00<br />
Advanced Custom Wavefront (OR PRK): $3095.00<br />
Traditional Lasik with Intralase: $2895.00<br />
Traditional Lasik: $2295.00</p>
<p><strong>Enhancements:</strong><br />
Discounted enhancements for the first 5 years</p>
<p>Dr. Schneider is their face on TV and the owner of the practice, so that is why he is more expensive.  Even with the other two doctor&#8217;s experience, Dr. Lim told me that they were priced lower due to Dr. Schneider wanting to get them more experience.  I personally would have felt comfortable with any of them doing my surgery.</p>
<h3>Lasik Vision Institute</h3>
<p>I had a little more knowledge going into Lasik Vision Institute.  I went through the same screening as I did at Midwest, however, they were willing to do the full screening including the eye dilation.  I unfortunately didn&#8217;t have the amount of time they required so kept with the same screening procedure that I went through at MidWest.  One thing that irked me a little while there was that my prescription was measured at two completely different numbers.  On one machine I was much more &#8220;blind&#8221; than the other.  This threw the technician off and he wasn&#8217;t sure what to make of it, but once I met with the doctor, he assured me that the difference was likely to my youth, and I had strong muscles in my eyes that were &#8220;over-compensating&#8221; while adjusting to a blurry image.</p>
<p>One of the big differences about Lasik Vision Institute was that their surgeon is only on-site every other Friday.  In his other time he works at a hospital.</p>
<p><strong>Price offerings:</strong><br />
Lasik Vision Institute prices by the prescription.  The worse your sight is, the more expensive the surgery gets.  It also sounded like this price was a bit negotiable.<br />
Custom Wavefront with Intralase or PRK: $2700 (after 10% military discount)</p>
<p><strong>Enhancements:</strong><br />
Benefit of Lasik Vision Institute is their Lifetime Warranty.  Free enhancements for life that aren&#8217;t related to Presbyopia (reading glasses) as long as you go to an eye doctor every year and fax them the results.  Then if you do need enhancements, you must pay a $99 fee for them to do an eye exam which may or may not be covered by your insurance.</p>
<p>I really did enjoy the people that were working at Lasik Vision Institute.  He kept talking about being upfront and honest, almost to a point that made me cautious though.  The cheaper price caught me off guard as well and I wasn&#8217;t too sure what to make of it.</p>
<h3>LasikPlus Vision Institute</h3>
<p>I had driven by LasikPlus Vision Institute many times.  It is just down the street from my current apartment and they have a big eye ball in the glass of the office building.  How cool is that?!?</p>
<p>Their office was very nice and this was the first place that I went through the entire screening process, eye numbing, dilation, and the whole 9 yards.  Again I watched a video, basically the same as the previous two clinics and asked basically the same questions.  By this point of my search, the routine was getting sort of automatic, not necessarily a good thing.</p>
<p><strong>Price offerings:<br />
<span style="font-weight: normal;">CustomVue IntraLase: $3,298.00 (after December discount which was about the same as their 15% military discount)</span></strong></p>
<p><strong>Enhancements:<br />
<span style="font-weight: normal;">Free Enhancements for life, which seemed to be the same as Lasik Vision Institute.  The main difference, however, is that LasikPlus does not require a yearly optometrist visit.  They of course recommend you get a check up every year, but if you don&#8217;t, it will not void your warranty.</span></strong></p>
<p>I left LasikPlus feeling rather neutral.  They were on the pricey side, but they offered the better warranty.</p>
<h3><strong>Cincinnati Eye Institute</strong></h3>
<p>My Grandmother had had some work done at CEI before, and they are a gigantic clinic for both eyes and ears.  It was quite the impressive practice they have set up in Blue Ash.</p>
<p>At CEI, I went through the motions again but this time had my fiance, Melissa, with me, as she wanted to learn more about the surgery.  I got all the same measurements done and watched their DVD, same as before and then talked with the Doctor.  After talking with the Doctor, I went and talked to their surgery scheduler lady.  She talk about her experience with CEI and was very friendly (of course).</p>
<p><strong>Price offerings:<br />
<span style="font-weight: normal;">Global fee:<br />
-1.00 to -3.00: $2890.00<br />
-3.01 to -7.00: $3290.00<br />
-7.01 to -10.00: $3490.00<br />
-10.01 and up: $3690.00<br />
+anything: $3290.00<br />
Custom Vuew LASIK/LASEK: $1000<br />
IntraLase: $600</span></strong></p>
<p><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;"><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">And the lady was nice enough to call me her &#8220;family or friend&#8221; to give a big discount.</span></strong></span></strong></p>
<p><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;"><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">For me, the total came to:</span></strong></span></strong></p>
<p><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;"><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">PRK: $3140.00<br />
Lasik: $3490.00 </span></strong></span></strong></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><strong>Enhancements:<br />
<span style="font-weight: normal;">Within 1 year: No charge<br />
1-2 years: $499 per eye<br />
2-3 years: $999 per eye<br />
4 years+: 10% discount</span></strong></span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><strong> </strong>I enjoyed the people that worked at CEI very much.  However, they didn&#8217;t offer much of a warranty and were quite expensive.  Although it was after leaving CEI that I was feeling as though Lasik was really the better path for me to take.</span></span></p>
<p>The reasons I ended up scheduling with LasikPlus was the lifetime warranty and the fact that I felt more comfortable there over Lasik Vision Institute.  My Mom is a teacher and was able to get a number of people from her school to respond to a request of opinions regarding where they had had Lasik done.  From her query, it sounded like most of the people went to Midwest Eye Center with a few going to Cincinnati Eye Institute.  I did take this into consideration, however, I heard no negative reviews.  Really I would feel comfortable at any of the places I visited as they have done thousands of these surgeries before and really would not be in business any longer if things were not going well.</p>
<p>Whether it was the comfort of the chairs, the taste of the coffee, or something else, I really just felt more comfortable at LasikPlus.  If something were to go wrong with the surgery, I would feel more comfortable knowing that I went to LasikPlus and didn&#8217;t cheap out at Lasik Vision Institute.  I had heard talk about the laser that Lasik Vision Institute uses, something about it not being one of the &#8220;top three lasers&#8221;, but honestly I did not look into this much further.</p>
<h2><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Conclusion</span></span></h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">I am very excited to have this surgery and see how the world looks unobstructed by glasses or contacts.  After spending a much longer than expected time writing this book &#8230; I mean blog entry, I will have my new eyes in less than 24 hours.  Hopefully those of you that might be searching for answers to Lasik or PRK in the Cincinnati, Ohio area will find some insight in my post.  As much as I searched, I could not find too many reviews of any of the clinics around Cincinnati.  I could have expanded my search to Dayton, however I feel very confident that I am making the right decision with the type of surgery and location.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">I will follow up sometime post op with a follow up entry to talk about how it went and my initial reaction.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Ready, set, go!</span></span></p>
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