The Enigma of the Wi-Fi Allergy

Schools have started getting better about understanding allergies. Some schools have banned peanut butter in an effort to keep kids with peanut allergies safe. The Wi-Fi allergy, however, is still an enigma. What is an allergy? According to the Mayo Clinic, allergies occur when a person’s immune system reacts to a foreign substance (pollen, bee venom, peanuts) that doesn’t cause a reaction in most people. Symptoms of allergies can range from sneezing to hives to anaphylaxis. Allergies cannot be cured, but some can be managed. The best way to manage an allergy is for people to avoid the things that … Continue reading

Free TV at 35,000 Feet

Southwest Airlines is giving passengers another way to stretch their travel dollar.  The discount airline recently announced that it will be allowing customers to watch TV for free on all Wi-Fi enabled planes. The new “TV Flies Free” offer is a budget-conscious traveler’s dream come true.  Just bring along your own personal device–iPhone, iPad, iPod or other Internet-ready gadgets–and Southwest will hook you up with satellite TV provider Dish network’s 14 live TV channels and 75 on-demand shows.  The new service is currently being offered on the airline’s 425-plus Wi-Fi equipped planes, which is nearly 75% of Southwest’s entire fleet. While … Continue reading

Campfire E-Mail

Graham crackers? Check. Marshmallows? Check. Bug spray? Check. Laptop? Uh Check. Remember when camping meant getting away from it all? Camping is a sort of mini vacation from life, when you leave your phone and other modern conveniences behind to bond with nature. Well, times they are a-changing. These days, roughing it may mean living without a modern bathroom but not without e-mail. That is because more and more campgrounds are catering to those of us who are wired up to our laptops and other technical devices 24/7. Increasingly, people are wondering, what is a campground without Wi-Fi Internet access? … Continue reading

The Coffee Shop – An Office Away From Home

I am sitting at the coffee shop as I write this frantically typing away on my laptop. I’ve quite literally “set up shop” here again like I do every Thursday. It is my office away from home. If you are a big fan of the classic television show, “Cheers” you’ll fondly remember how everyone shouted, “Norm!” when he walked into the bar. That’s how I feel at my favorite coffee joint. “Hi Traci…are you having the usual today?” I am still trying to come up with a few witty responses like Norm always did. Here’s one of my favorite Norm’isms… … Continue reading