INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Identify what your friend or partner is doing and let them know how it makes you feel. It is easy to feel snubbed if your companion checks their phone rather than engaging with you. That said, they may not even realize they are doing it. Give your companion an opportunity to realize their mistake.  You could say, “I noticed you’re scrolling through your phone. That makes me feel like you’d rather not be at lunch right now.” Expressing concern can also be a subtle way to do this: “You’ve been looking at your email for a while. Is everything okay?” Shooting your companion a text message or giving them a phone call lets them know in a direct but funny way that you’d like their attention. It brings into sharp focus that the purpose of a phone is to contact people who are not present. With luck, you’ll both laugh and your friend will put their phone away.  Send a text message saying, “Hey, I’m right here!” or “Want to hang out?” with a winky emoji. Call them and say, “Oh, hi. Do you come here often?” People are usually more receptive to negative feedback if you deliver your complaint between two positive statements (a “complaint sandwich”). Start with a positive statement that will encourage your friend or partner to listen to you. Deliver your complaint in an earnest way. And then close with another positive or empathetic statement.  To complain about your partner’s usage you might say, “I really appreciate how hard you work at the hospital. Sometimes all the calls from your resident at night really interrupt our alone time together, though. I love you so much. Can we make a plan to meet your needs at work and mine at home?” To complain about your friend’s usage you might say, “I know it’s been a really difficult break up with John. But your checking his Facebook page while I’m trying to have lunch with you is making me feel ignored. Can we enjoy our sandwiches without our phones, and then talk through any difficult feelings you’re having?”

SUMMARY: Point out the issue you’re seeing. Use humor to diffuse the situation. Use the complaint sandwich technique.


INPUT ARTICLE: Article: At the beginning of each phone call you are expected to introduce yourself and the survey company, describe the topic of the survey and explain the demographics of the survey.  It's helpful to use dynamic language in your introduction. Instead of "Are you interested in taking a survey?" you might say something like "This is a very important survey designed to directly impact the services and programs available to your family." Tell each survey respondent how their contact information was obtained. Inform the participant if their phone number was selected at random from a list or if it was obtained from a professional agency. Reveal the purpose of the research and survey and provide an estimate of the time needed to complete the survey. Giving the respondent a clear picture of what the survey entails shows that you’re being forthright and makes them more likely to proceed with the survey.  Promise confidentiality and anonymity to the respondent when it is appropriate. Let the respondent know that participation in the survey is voluntary. Inform the respondents that it is permissible to skip a particular question if they prefer not to answer it. Provide the lead investigator's name if the respondent asks for it. Your employer should provide specialized training to teach you how to convert survey refusals into completed surveys. Some of these methods include stressing the importance of your research, assuring the respondent that the survey won’t be burdensome, and (if the survey is short) letting the respondent know you won’t take up too much of their time. Attempt to change a refusal to a completed survey at least twice. If you are unable to do so, request permission to call back at a more convenient time.

SUMMARY: Introduce the survey to each respondent. Describe the survey process. Persuade respondents to complete the survey.


INPUT ARTICLE: Article: A monthly flea preventative is the best way to prevent tapeworm infections in your cat. Different types of feline flea preventatives are available, so your veterinarian will prescribe the one that will work best for your cat. Give the preventative year round—if you stop administering it during the winter, you may forget to start it up again in the spring, leaving your cat more susceptible to fleas and tapeworms.  Advantage is a frequently used feline flea preventative. Fleas are not the only source of tapeworms. Dead wild animals (e.g.,squirrels, rodents, birds, and mice) can also harbor tapeworms. If you have an outdoor cat, you may want to keep her indoors to keep her away from dead animals.  To keep your cat busy when she is indoors, give her lots of toys and some scratching posts. It would also be a good idea to spend extra quality time playing with her. If bringing your cat indoors is not a reasonable option for you, consider keeping a close watch on the presence of dead animals in your yard. If you see dead animals, contact a professional animal removal service. lean your home. Cleaning your home is also very effective at maintaining a flea-free environment and preventing tapeworm infections. Vacuuming your floors every 1 to 2 days and cleaning your cat's bedding in hot water once a week will help remove fleas from your cat's environment.  Vacuum every location where your cat spends time (e.g., perches, furniture) and throw away the vacuum bag afterwards.  Replace your cat's bedding when it starts to look old and worn. Flea larvae like to burrow into dark places, such as bedding, so getting rid of old bedding can remove a heavy flea larvae population. People can get tapeworm infections in the same way as a cat—by swallowing an infected flea. Tapeworm infections in people are rare, and occur mainly in children. If you have children, make sure they wash their hands after they play with your cat. If you have older children who clean out your cat's litterbox, instruct them to wash their hands after they clean out the litter box.  A child infected with Diplyidium caninum may not show signs of being sick. Heavy tapeworm infections in children can cause abdominal discomfort, diarrhea, and itching around the anus.  Take your child to your pediatrician if you suspect they have a tapeworm infection.

SUMMARY: Give your cat a monthly flea preventative. Keep your cat away from potential tapeworm sources. . Prevent tapeworm infections in humans.


INPUT ARTICLE: Article: 25” x 6.25” stiff craft felt. Some craft felt is very, very expensive. You’d never think felt would cost a pretty penny, but it can. Skip that aisle and go for the stiffer, cheap version that most craft supply stores have, too. You need it to be stiff anyway. This shape of box has a taller bottom half and a shorter lid, hence the size discrepancy between the two sheets of felt. Of course, you can adjust these dimensions how you see fit. You’re holding in your hands two box halves that are ready to go once you glue them together. You can use whatever you have on hand, though hot glue is easiest. Just dab a bit on the center of the tabs, making sure not to squeeze it outward and all over the sides of the box. Let it dry for a few minutes, holding the tabs to the sides of the box. Then place the box top over the base of the box and marvel at your handiwork.

SUMMARY:
Get one piece of 9” x 9” stiff craft felt and one piece of 6. Glue the tabs to the sides and voilà.