As I may have mentioned in these pages before, the inimitable Zoe is quite in love with our dog Mal. (Wash always knew this would happen.) She is quite expressive with him, rubbing her head on his face, licking his ears. He is semi-tolerant of all this, nosing her neck from time to time, but mostly ignoring her. It occurred to us the other night that we have the feline/canine equivalent of Jackie and Hyde.
Anyway.
Can I just tell you, I have the worst mouse hand this week. Fire in the heel of my hand, and a dull ache from fingertips to elbow. Ergo, I am looking for an alternate pointing device. Can you, my three loyal readers, suggest anything that has worked for you? This site has some interesting suggestions, including the head-movement = mouse-control widget, and this zero tension mouse that rather disturbingly resembles a sex toy. That’d be a conversation starter in the office, wouldn’t it?
on 
on Feb 19th, 2008 at 9:21 am
Fingerworks (http://www.fingerworks.com/) had the best thing ever and I loved mine until it broke and being that they’re out of business now, there’s nothing I can do about it any more.
You had to really be able to touch type though to use their keyboard. But when you learned how to do it it was simply amazing. The keyboard was the mouse at the same time.
on Feb 19th, 2008 at 9:23 am
Then WHY would you recommend it to me, you sadistic bastard???!?!?!
on Feb 19th, 2008 at 1:50 pm
I have their mouse:
http://www.evoluent.com/
It took a couple of days to get used to, but it was worth the $60 or so. It doesn’t eliminate all of my finger/hand/wrist/arm/shoulder pain, but it definitely minimizes it. One thing I love about it is that the middle button is a double-click, although the buttons are programmable. And as I edit electronic docs all day, let me tell you, that one-click-double-click has saved my fingers.
Why don’t you just get a chip implanted and be done with it? : )
on Feb 19th, 2008 at 1:51 pm
Oh, and was Hyde not the hottest kid on television when the show was new? I mean, he’s still hot in the re-runs, but… you know. Or maybe it was just me.
on Feb 19th, 2008 at 3:06 pm
Ah yes, that’s the one I tentatively picked out on Amazon since it is virtually the mouse I have now, only turned sideways.
Chip implantation is for ‘net surfing only *sniff*
I always liked Hyde. I’m sure it had nothing to do with the bad boy thing. *whistles innocently*
on Feb 19th, 2008 at 7:42 pm
I’ve actually brought in the little footstool from the living room and have it next to my office chair. The mouse sits there, right at the resting end of my arm extension, so basically, my wrist is above the mouse. Mucho relief. I don’t use it all the time, but it’s a nice change-up for when I’m just surfing.
on Feb 20th, 2008 at 8:49 am
I’ve wanted to do that – I think half the pain comes from having my arm at such an odd angle for nearly 8 hours. I haven’t been able to find the right sized table at work, though.
on Feb 20th, 2008 at 8:50 am
I raised my keyboard tray yesterday morning, and my hand felt pretty good…until I got on the laptop in the living room. It has an eensy mouse, and I’m leaning on my right arm up against the couch, as well….so I think I’ve found the culprit.
on Feb 20th, 2008 at 3:36 pm
I have carpal tunnel in both wrists/hands, along with pinched nerves in my shoulders. I have the wireless version of this kensington mouse on my desktop system (http://us.kensington.com/html/4006.html) and this one (http://us.kensington.com/html/6366.html) for my laptop. I’ve been using the desktop one for like the last four years, and I haven’t had anywhere near the problems that I used to have. Unfortunately, you can only get them on eBay now, which is stupid.
on Feb 21st, 2008 at 12:48 pm
http://ergonomictouchpad.com
I got this one after I got the pinched nerve in my neck/shoulder. It’s pretty versatile, sometimes I just hold it in my right hand with my arm straight to the floor. And yes, Hyde is my next-to-favorite bad boy too…
on Feb 21st, 2008 at 12:55 pm
Ok, that’s cool!
And who is #1?
on Feb 21st, 2008 at 1:06 pm
Ha! Discretion is the salt, and fancy the sugar of life; the one preserves, the other sweetens it.
on Feb 21st, 2008 at 1:08 pm
See, that’s just mean.