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an increase in pay because you're concerned you'll price yourself right out of a job?

I make 9 cents a line IC.  I get my line count pumped up to where I want by hard work on the accounts I'm working.  I get pretty efficient in that account and then I get pushed to different work where I have to start all over again and work really hard to make a decent line count.  It's seemed to happen again, so I'm thinking about requesting a pay increase but then I start thinking that I'm already at a "better than most" pay from what I've seen posted here and elsewhere.  What do you think?  I'm interested in opinions if anyone will share.  Thanks.

ANybody else having problems with Vonage last night this morning????

Thanks

I'm just being nosy because I'd like examples.  I feel like I'm drowning in "stuff".  I've been decluttering and trying to get organized for years now, but it doesn't seem to be helping.  I got rid of all the stuff I was saving for "some day it might be worth something".  I feel like just going through the house and chucking everything because I'm tired of looking at the piles of crap everywhere.  It's not like it's a pigsty either, but there's just too much of it.  I've sold stuff on ebay and in yard sales, but it's all piling up again.  I hate it.  I'm not a packrat.  Anybody else feel like this?

And finances.  Do you have a checkbook or do you operate on a cash basis?  Do you track every single penny every month using a home accounting program?  I've been really anal about our finances for years now, too.  I'm just tired of the stress of it.  It seems like life would be so much easier if we just lived life instead of trying to remember where it all went.  Honestly, why do I need to keep track of it all?  It's not like I'm a wasteful spender.

I saw the post below and looked at the Kinesis Classic keyboards.  Wow, they are very different looking.  I wonder how long it takes to get used to working with one of these...

What ergo keyboard do you like?

How long did it take to get used to it?

Any advantages over other keyboards?

How long until my wrists and hands stop hurting?

I'm seriously debating making this investment, but I have on idea where to start.  Thanks so much for taking the time to help.

With our jobs, come our problems.....very interesting article.

http://infotech.indiatimes.com/articleshow/msid-616323,flstry-1.cms

I want to take an online course for MT and have been doing some research and reading this board but could use some help.  I was approved for a pell grant but the top 3 MT schools don't take it.  Can anyone refer me to another "online" course/school that takes pell grants???

Thanks for your help

Lynn

Hi - I have been a Transcriptionist for 9 years and have considered testing to be a CMT but I want to know if it really matters?  I'd welcome any opinions either way. 

Thanks!

reading a lot of the posts regarding the AHDI issue I see so many impressive, educated, eloquent posts that I am feeling confident again that our profession can be saved from being swallowed up like so many other professions that have fallen away.  We need more people like you to stand up for the little guy (no offense intended). 

Let me FIRST say that I do not usually rant, I am not a ranter, if something bugs me I take a deep breath, look at the offending item in the grand scheme of my life and realize that most of the time it isn't that big a deal.  However, these condescending trailer park references that I run into are a bunch of crap!

How can you make a derogetory referrence regarding people who live in trailers?  If it had something to do with race or sex you have been flamed by the whole board.  I am sick and tired of generalizations directed basically towards me!  I live in a trailer in a trailer park and I MOST CERTAINLY am not a skank.  I have heard it all, white trash, trailer trash, skank, etc. when people talk about parks.  My town even named it a "Manufactured House Community" and hid it where you can't see it!  I am here because I can afford it here.  The average price for a house in my town in Maine is $250,000 ++.  While we do just fine, I cannot afford that on my MT salary (been MT for 6 years) even though my husband works his butt off at 3 jobs.  Oh sure, we could probably get a loan for a $300,000 house but I refuse to get in over my head in debt just to convince people like YOU I am in your league!  I also LIKE it here.  My neighbors are the best I have had.  All of our homes (trailers) are well maintained, the lawns are spotless, and there is not a single car up on blocks that I can see anywhere!!  Don't even bother to tell me that is not the norm for parks because there are 300+ trailers in this park and they are all just as well taken care of! 

Another thing that irritates me is the word "skank".  I have never understood why women have to tear each other down using trashy descriptions like that.  Of course I am sure there are those out there who DESERVE the title but most of the time women seem to judge based on the look of the offending party. 

You may think your comment was tiny and I am blowing it out of proportion, but I am not!  It is comments like that that makes people like my neighbors ashamed to even tell people where they live. 

I have said my piece and I await the flaming.  When you drive through my park (yah right) and see me standing on the nice, green lawn in front of my pretty trailer with my 7-year-old in the yard, my toddler on my hip, looking very pregnant in my cutoffs and tank tops, you can THINK "skank" all you want.  I KNOW that I am a strong, educated, well-employed woman with a nice little family who refuses to put all our happiness and our hard-earned savings on the line to prove that I am EQUAL to people like you! 

tia

I would really love to learn how to stenotype when doing medical transcription.  Can anyone recommend a good on-line course or website to get me started?  Also, if there are any of you here that are medical stenographers, would you mind telling me what kind of productivity I can expect once I learn the keyboard?

I took ShortHand in highschool, but I won't say how long ago that was.  LOL

Thank you!

What was your expeience?  Is it very expensive?  I was thinking about renting a laptop computer to use for work on vacation for a couple of weeks and not ready to invest in purchasing a new laptop yet.  Can you rent things for about a month or do they require longer?

Thanks for any help you guys might give.');>

Does anyone know of any MT companies that do not require a specific weekly line count and lets you set your own hours (part-time)?  I need something about 10 to 15 hours a week.  Thanks.

To my fellow MTs on Thanksgiving Day.  A poem that makes me realize how blessed I am to have a job at all in this economy.  Even if it's not perfect, it's a paycheck.    Hope it touches the heart of all who read it.

BE THANKFUL

Be thankful that you don't already have everything you desire.
If you did, what would there be to look forward to?

Be thankful when you don't know something,
for it gives you the opportunity to learn.

Be thankful for the difficult times.
During those times you grow.

Be thankful for your limitations,
because they give you opportunities for improvement.

Be thankful for each new challenge,
because it will build your strength and character.

Be thankful for your mistakes.
They will teach you valuable lessons.

Be thankful when you're tired and weary,
because it means you've made a difference.

It's easy to be thankful for the good things.
A life of rich fulfillment comes to those who
are also thankful for the setbacks.

Gratitude can turn a negative into a positive.
Find a way to be thankful for your troubles,
and they can become your blessings.

~Author Unknown~

Here is how the story goes.  Have been married for 5-1/2 years to a great man.  We are young, in lower 30s, have one child who is almost 4.  My husband is disabled due to mental illness which is somewhat controlled with medication.  We get disability for him.  I work from home as a MT.  We were doing great but then became careless with our money a bit.  That was fine.  I could make extra money, but then my work became VERY LOW for about 2 months straight. Bills got behind, we almost lost our house in foreclosure, etc.  We have no help.  Then I became surprisingly pregnant, which we were both HAPPY with but only to end in miscarriage days after we found out I was pregnant.  My doctor, probably since I have no medical insurance, said "let nature take its course" by letting the miscarriage happen and remove itself on its own.  This was grueling - took almost one solid month which I had to get blood test every 6 days to see how low the count was going.  We recovered from that and my work began to pick back up - thank God.  I have been working a lot, almost getting out of our crunch - would be out of this mess by mid-July.  The problem:  During this time period we had gotten into some fights, he left and went to his parents (who always - and I mean ALWAYS - interferes with our business), they went and switched (the same day of our fight) his mom to be representative payee for his monthly check.  So when we made up the next day he told me this.  I was irrate! First of all, I would NEVER EVER try to steal his money or what have you - he should know that by now.  I am not like that.  Well during the course of the next few months we had always missed the date to switch it back to my name and they said to wait until next month.  Well, we have been fighting for a few days lately, but I thought everything was okay - just a fight.  His mom tells us how she is going to spend his money for July - which I disagreed on because I have a set schedule of certain bills automatically withdrawn - so I get a little upset and tell him as soon as the beginning of next month happens, we will switch me back to being his rep. payee for his check ---he tells me "NO, my mom is staying my rep. payee!"  I LOSE IT!!!  I tell him I am not working my tail off for his parents to decide how OUR money is going to be spent.  He thinks all of the hardship is my fault, which honest to God I haven't bought any clothes, shoes, got my hair fixed, bought makeup or ANYTHING for just about this whole year.....He was gambling heavily awhile back - not hundreds but money that we could have used for something important, he wasted on that.  So I talk civilized to him and say, "Maybe we should separate a bit and you can pay your bills (credit cards, car) and I will pay for the house, utilities, my credit cards, and care for my son....this is AFTER he said he is going to have his mom take his money and pay off HIS bills since I was so horrible at it. 

Sorry this is so long....

The thing is what else can I do?  There is nothing that I want to do.  I feel like I have gotten the shaft here horribly.  But he thinks he is totally right.  His parents come first - what they say he believes even if he said the sky was purple and he was looking at and saw it blue he would still believe it was purple because they said so....I think a lot of his mental issues are from his parents and upbringing.  How do I handle this the adult way?  I offered to help pay on 2 of his credit cards because I helped with them - but total for both is only like 800.00.  I am sticking to my guns of him NOT coming back as long as his mom is rep. payee.  I just don't see how a marriage can work like that. 

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.  I guess I just wanted to vent and see where did I go wrong.  I know I have been grouchy lately at times due to stress but I don't cuss or anything so he was never cussed out or anything....I take care of ALL bills, do ALL cooking, do ALL laundry.  He sleeps until 1-2p every day while I get up early, try to work and watch my son.  He has gotten lazy since he has been disabled.  Before he worked MANY HOURS and was NEVER EVER LIKE THIS....Help.

I'm wondering if anyone has the same problem I'm having with Chartscript.  I have never worked in Chartscript before, and my new primary account is in Chartscript. This is a brand-new account for my company (I work for a small MTSO), and they are pretty clueless with Chartscript and with Instant Text so are no help to me on this issue.

I don't know if it is my Instant Text that is causing the problems that I'm having.  Sometimes when I'm in Chartscript, I'll use a heading from my Instant Text in the document.  Then when I go to the next heading to insert it from Instant Text, it will copy the previous heading that I've just inserted.  Also, sometimes if I have just copied and pasted something, it will insert that rather than the Instant Text entry that I am trying to insert into the document.  It is SO aggravating and time-consuming!!

Also, Chartscript is so slow!  It's like it can't keep up with my typing, but it happens even if I'm just trying to highlight something in the document or delete something.... it is so cumbersome it seems!!  Is it ME, or is this something that other MTs have problems with also in Chartscript.  Need some feedback please!

What are the healthiest fruits and veggies to eat?  I know raw veggies are supposed to be better for you too and that frozen is better than canned.  Any other advice?  Thanks.

I heard there are free tols on the internet that can convert a DSS files to a WAV file. Does anyone know where to find a good one? I just used the DSS software that came with my handheld to do it, and it went from a 2 MB DSS file to a 35 MB WAV file, which is unwieldy. Am I supposed to now zip the WAV file? How do you do that? 

Thanks a lot.

Dave