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Laptop Fingers: A Painful Condition Caused by Typing

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Laptop fingers is a condition that can be a real pain. Here are tips to deal with laptop fingers to avoid carpal tunnel syndrome, arthritis and similar issues.

Even as I type now, I am managing a minor issue that plagues most writers, coffee shop junkies and email addicts. It is an uncomfortable condition that I call “Laptop Fingers.”

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Laptop Fingers occur when you spend 10 or more hours per day typing on a laptop keyboard that was designed for a person with 3 inch long hands. That, tied in with the need to move the cursor around with a tiny ball in the middle of the keyboard, or by ice skating your fingers over a smooth plastic square that somehow knows where the pointer on your screen is.

If you are on a laptop right now reading this, take your fingers right now and slowly act like you are about to move the pointer. What happened? I bet your pointer and middle fingers instinctively grew together and began serving as a pseudo mouse. Now place those fingers on the square and move them around. You can probably feel the pressure already. Now pay attention to the feeling you are creating in the base of your other two fingers. What is this doing to our fingers over time?

As someone who used to work in data entry, I know the risks and dangers of carpal tunnel. Can Laptop Fingers put you on that road? In extreme cases these problems can develop into arthritis.

In my case, the pain would sometimes grow all the way down my arm to the elbow – and that’s around the time that I decided data entry wasn’t for me – not even part-time. I mean hello, I’m a writer. What would I do if I couldn’t type because of crippling pain in between sentences?

Back to the keyboard problem. If you look at a standard PC keyboard, it is wide with huge comfortable keys and a space bar that is not the same size as the “Enter” key. These keyboards are designed to make your typing experience as comfortable as possible.

On the other hand, laptop keyboards are not ergonomically designed. They are composed of tiny, fragile keys that are squeezed together into one glob of black squares — I’m almost positive the computer manufacturer wasn’t thinking “comfortable” when creating this laptop. I also don’t think it helps when a key is missing from the keyboard, causing you to have to push down extra hard to create that letter on you screen. (Who’s going to be motivated to replace the whole keyboard over one digit?)

Here are a few simple solutions:

1) Type with a standard keyboard – most laptops have a connection where you can use an ergonomic USB keyboard.

2) Navigate with an actual computer mouse (not the little button or pad that causes you to have to scrunch your fingers together into an uncomfortable positions).

3) Take a 5-minute break from typing every 30 minutes to an hour or so to give your hands and fingers a good stretch.

4) Get an extra large laptop. Add gel wrist rests and other ergonomic features to make your typing experience more comfortable.

5) Use a speech-to-text program like Dragon Naturally Speaking to compose the majority of your writings. I’ve found that the modern speech-to-text programs are very adaptive, easy to use and save you time when you’re writing (especially if you’re composing a book or longer work).

If nothing else, make an effort to at least reduce the behaviors that may be causing you to feel the effects of “laptop fingers” as much as possible over time.

Take good care of your hands and fingers! Visit a doctor immediately if pain in your hands, fingers, wrists or arms progresses.

 

Posted by Jade

 

 

How to Stop Crying Before it Starts

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Solutions and tips for how to stop crying before it starts.

There are some people, like myself, who sometimes have a hard time controlling their emotions — they can cry at the drop of a hat. All it takes is some type of difficult conversation or emotional moment for the waterworks to start building up. Many other people can’t understand why we cry — they see this as a sign of weakness. So you may be looking for ways to control crying and stop crying your heart out all over the place to get more respect from other people. Here are a few tips for how to stop crying before it starts.

Take a Deep Breath and Stop Talking

As someone who has been afflicted with this problem since childhood, I find that taking a deep breath when I feel the emotion building up helps a lot. You need to stop talking — the talking is where you reveal the fact that tears are coming, then you can’t control the tears when they start flowing. So deep breath, and stop yammering. Then once you get a hold of yourself, you can proceed with what you have to say, keeping the next suggestion in mind…

Shift Your Thoughts to Something Funny

When you know that you are going to be talking to someone about a topic that is pretty emotional for you, get a firm picture of something funny in your mind beforehand. Someone who fell down the stairs the week before. A funny joke someone sent you via email. A funny Youtube video. Whatever makes you laugh every time you see or think about it. Keep that picture going on in the back of your head while you talk about the emotional subject. As soon as you finish saying what’s on your mind, immediately think back to the funny thought to bring a smile to your face.

And make what you have to say quick. Don’t belabor on tough subjects and conversation if you know that you have a tendency to cry when they’re brought out.

Get Something in Your Hand to Distract You from What You are Saying

You don’t want to think too hard about the emotional subject you are discussing. That is what is triggering the tears in the first place. Thoughts being brought out from where they were formerly under lock and key is why we cry. You have to learn how to control those thoughts if you want to control crying. So one last suggestion is to have something in your hand to distract you as you are talking about a difficult issue that could make you emotional. That way your thoughts are partially on the something in your hand, whether it be a stress ball, a phone that you are playing with (maybe a silent game), or knitting job.

I know how tough it is to control crying. Some of us just have that seemingly uncontrollable urge. But you have to learn how to stop crying your heart out in order to exhibit strength in certain situations. Using these basic suggestions for how to control your crying before it even starts is a great way to start on that goal.

Posted by Jade

 

 

Grow Your Own Herbs at Home with a Mini Greenhouse

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If you are like me and enjoy preparing homemade meals with fresh herbs, a mini greenhouse will allow you to have fresh herbs at your finger tips! With this small greenhouse in your home, you can grow your herbs year round.

mini greenhouseGardeners, for years have been utilizing large outdoor greenhouses to grow a variety of plants, herbs and vegetables year round. So, it just makes sense to have a mini greenhouse inside your home that can be used for the same purpose. I particularly, enjoy growing basil, parsley, dill, rosemary, cilantro and thyme.

To me, one of the most important steps to growing your own herbs is using organic soil and organic non-GMO heirloom seeds. That way you have healthy plants that you can get new seeds from year after year. You can purchase these items online or at your local nursery. After these items (including a mini greenhouse) are bought, it is now time to begin. I prefer organic seeds and soil because I want to avoid harmful man made chemicals that are now being used to produce food cheaper and faster. I also believe that organic foods taste better.

If you like to cook gourmet with fresh ingredients, you’ll save a lot of money each year by growing your own herbs. Just think of how many trips you make to the grocer’s on a yearly basis to purchase your herbs fresh or dried in containers. I use to travel to my local grocers at least four time a month to buy fresh herbs. It was costly and time consuming.

So, one day while thumbing through a magazine I saw an advertisement for an affordable mini greenhouse, that was easy to assemble. I immediately purchased it. I obtained all of my organic material and awaited for the delivery of my mini greenhouse. I was so excited! Yay, it arrived early on afternoon and I was anxious to assemble it. I made sure that I followed the instructions properly. I then filled each small sized pot with soil and labeled each pot to ensure that when I choose herbs for cooking there were no errors to be had. I fit as many pots as I could inside the greenhouse. I placed three seeds in each pot. I then, watered all of the pots, adequately. The greenhouse should be near a window that gets plenty of sunlight.

It took less than a week for my seeds to sprout. I made sure to vent the greenhouse daily to allow air to circulate and the inside temperature to cool. I was so proud when my sprouts matured into full grown plants. Now, each year I try to grow different herbs to cook with. I no longer have to purchase herbs from my neighborhood grocer. It has been extremely convenient to have all of my herbs just steps away from me to cook with.

I highly recommend that you try a mini greenhouse in your home.

Posted by Lorraine

Ways to Keep Food Cold Outside

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Here are a few simple ways to keep your food cold outside when throwing a party, barbecue or picnic!

When you are having an outdoor event in the hot summer sun, it can be a challenge to keep your cold foods cool. There are a few ways that you can go about maximizing the time that your cold food items stay at just the right temperature for the duration of your gathering. Regardless of the option you choose, make sure that you keep all of your cold items close to each other and far away from your hot food.

Plastic Cooler

Consider investing in a large heavy-duty plastic cooler like the Coleman Xtreme Cooler if you frequently have outdoor parties in the heat. These coolers can keep ice and food cold for about five days in very hot weather, like a small temporary refrigerator. They cost about $40 to $100 each depending on the size. Be sure to get the largest cooler available and place it on a short table. Place the food on top and allow your guests to help themselves.

“Ice Sandwich”

Purchase large bowls that are large enough to fit circular plates and bowls that will hold your cold food. Fill the bowls with ice and nestle the dishes inside of them. For example, you can have a large bowl, then ice in the middle, then a smaller bowl on top-like an ice sandwich.

Inflatable Kiddie Pool

Buy a small square inflatable kiddie pool. Fill it up with ice and nestle your bowls, plates, and trays inside. This should take care of most if not all of your cold food items. Wait until the very moment your guests start to arrive before filling the pool with ice and adding your food items. This idea is probably best for a kids’ birthday party or pool party. For a more classy, adult outdoor event, get an inflatable serving bar instead.

Dry Ice Pellets

Buy dry ice pellets for your party. These pellets can keep food cool for an extended period of time (sometimes up to two or three days). Insert the pellets in plastic bags-they should not come into directly contact with your food. Still, make sure the dry ice is “food grade” meaning that it should be reasonably safe to have in the presence of food.

Deep Freezer for Ice Cream

Position a deep freezer directly outside the house (if this is outside of a home) and run an extension cord inside or to an outdoor outlet to keep it running. Place your ice cream and other frozen treats inside of the freezer for the party. Make sure you put the freezer outside hours before the party so that it will have time to get ice cold.

As you can see there is more than only way to keep food cold outside for your upcoming outdoor event. Choose the option that best fits your needs and the theme of your party.

How to Write a Good Customer Service Letter

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Here are some tips for how to write a customer service letter that will help you resolve issues with a company. Whether it’s a bank, a fast food chain or a cell phone company, the following tips will apply, and better your chances of resolving your customer service matter.

Remain Calm

You’ve just slammed the phone down in frustration after speaking with customer service at XYZ company. Before you pick up your pen, or turn on your computer to write that letter, sit down for a moment and take three deep breaths. Inhale, exhale; three times. Yes, that’s better.

Trust me, I know the rage that has built up when you have just gotten off of the phone with snotty Ryan, the 23-year-old kid who hates his job, has too much attitude, and refuses to help you. It is particularly infuriating when the situation directly involves a loss of money; your blood is boiling and you want to curse everyone out in sight. But you don’t want this to be reflected in your letter.

Address Your Letter to Customer Relations

Once you have taken a chill pill and are ready to write your letter, it’s time to get information about the company. You will probably easily be able to find the address of the corporate office online, or by calling their 800 number. In my opinion, it is always best to send a letter via snail mail rather than emailing, because when you have taken the time out to physically write, print, and spend 41 cents postage to send your complaint, the company sees that you are very serious. They will realize that you will probably not forget and go away so easily.

One point you don’t want to forget is to address the letter to “Customer Relations” both in the address at the top of the letter, and on the envelope you are sending the letter in. This way it won’t be routed to the wrong department and buried somewhere, most likely in the round file.

Don’t Talk in Slang and Curse

Depending on the size of the company, Customer Relations departments probably receive thousands of letters each week. So they are very used to reading people’s complaints. Cursing at them in the letter, calling them stupid, or ranting on and on about the bad customer service personnel you had an exchange with will most likely make them less willing to help you. They will assume that the customer service person you dealt with was probably right being that you are being so disrespectful to them in the letter.

So be nice and get to the point. Customer Relations didn’t sin against you — give them a chance to make it right. Write your letter in a reasonable yet firm tone describing your situation in detail, and include any figures, account numbers, names, and dates they would need to process your request. Your letter shouldn’t be over one page long.

End the Letter With a Specific Request

You didn’t really write this letter just to vent and complain, did you? Probably not, so make sure you are clear about what you want the company to do to resolve the matter. Give them your name and contact information so that they can get in touch with you to discuss the matter. They usually will call or send you a personal letter in response.

As someone who has written probably a hundred customer service complaint letters in her lifetime, I can firmly attest to the value of following this process. I would estimate that over 90% of the time I got what I wanted from the company, and we were able to resolve our differences based on the letter alone. So take your time to write a good letter with a request at the end, address the letter the appropriate department, and most of all, be nice.

Here’s one last tip: customer service departments almost always receive negative feedback in the mail. Once in a while, take the time out to write a letter of thanks or positive feedback when they’re doing a great job. You may be surprised when you receive a letter back thanking you with free coupons and other goodies for your gesture!

Posted by Jade

Panera Bread Restaurants: The Unspoken Rules of Using Panera Bread Free WiFi

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What you need to know before using the free WiFi at Panera Bread Restaurants.

Panera Bread Restaurants first came on the scene in 1981. Today they’ve grown to over 1200 locations in the USA and Canada. I personally love going here to work and study because it has such a nice, relaxing family atmosphere. Here are some unspoken rules and guidelines to follow when you are using the Internet at Panera Bread Restaurants.

Buy Something!

When you come to Panera Bread restaurants, laptop strapped to your shoulder, your first stop should be to the counter to order something. Whether it be something as small as a coffee or as large as a delicious Bacon Turkey Bravo sandwich platter, you’ve got to buy something before you settle in for a long stay while using their Internet service. Their food is so good and hearty that I’m almost always tempted to buy lunch while working on my computer.

Respect Panera Breads Lunch Rush

If you’re gonna be there pretty much all day, you have to take a lunch break between the hours of 11:00am-2pm…. elsewhere! Those are Panera’s busiest hours. Many Panera Bread Restaurant locations do not even allow you to access the Internet for more than a half hour in that time period. So give Panera Bread Company some respect and appreciation for allowing you to use their facilities as a pseudo office for an entire day. Pack up your laptop and go elsewhere for lunch, then return after 2pm.

Find an Outlet

Don’t just sit anywhere when you come to Panera Bread restaurants. Sit near an outlet so that you won’t end up running out of battery power on your laptop. If you only plan to stay for an hour or so, there is no need to take up an outlet. Leave it for someone else who may need it.

Find a Small Table

Panera Bread restaurants literature asks that you find a small table if you’re by yourself using the Internet, so that you won’t deprive a large party of dining patrons access to a large table. So just grab a two-seater table instead of a 6 to 8 person table.

The Laptop Buddy System

You will find that there may be several other laptop users at your Panera Bread location. Kind of like a circle of surfers, freelancers, and students. One last unspoken rule of the Panera Breads circle is to never leave your laptop unattended. So when you have to get up to use the bathroom, ask someone else with a laptop to watch yours. When you come back, be sure to thank them. At some point, after drinking all of that coffee, they are going to want to get up also to use the bathroom, and guess who they’ll ask to watch their laptop? That’s the laptop buddy system.

The next time you visit a Panera Bread restaurant, keep these unspoken rules in mind. Like any other arrangement, there has to be some rules and respect. Following these guidelines will allow the environment at Panera Bread to remain functional and efficient.

Posted by Jade