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Author: Jay Shergill

Workers' Compensation Defense Attorney. Certified Specialist Workers Compensation Law. California State Bar Board of Legal Specialization. Partner at Purinton, Jimenez, Labo & Wu, LLP
Aug
1
2008
PDRater, Technobabble

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Here’s a (simplified) overview of how my permanent disability/impairment and workers’ compensation benefits calculators work. As I’ve mentioned elsewhere, I wrote these website calculators using javascript, PHP, MySQL, and AJAX.

In a recent post, I created a really simple test for cell phones using the above languages. Here’s what was happening:

  • The user clicks the button “Cell Test.”
  • The javascript embedded in the button detects the “click.”
  • The javascript embedded in the button then tells an AJAX program that the button was clicked.
  • AJAX sends a little bit of information to the web server – saying that the user clicked that button.
  • The PHP program on the server is notified that the button was clicked.
  • The PHP program checks a MySQL table to see what it should happen when that button is clicked.
  • The MySQL table returns the answer, what should happen when a button is clicked, to the PHP program.
  • The PHP program takes the answer from the MySQL table and sends it back to the AJAX program.
  • The AJAX program takes that information and, using a little bit of javascript, displays the answer in your web browser.

Easy!

Jul
31
2008
Links, Not Workers Compensation

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Dr. Horrible
Dr. Horrible

This post has nothing to do with workers’ compensation whatsoever. So, you know, you might enjoy it. ;)

Long story short: Joss Wheedon, the guy who brought us Serenity, Firefly, Buffy the Vampire Slayer (the movie), Buffy the Vampire Slayer (the T.V. show), decided to put together a short internet movie during the writer’s strike. The result is Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog – a kind of three act musical comic book.

Starring Neil Patrick Harris of Doogie Howser M.D. fame. Seriously.

Why, oh why, have I posted about this? I watched the videos when they were released for free for a limited time – but only just before they they expired. They have just been posted again for free on the Dr. Horrible website.

These damned songs have been stuck in my head ever since I watched it. My nominations:

  • Best song: “Brand New Day”
  • Best quote not from a song: “Dude. You’re NOT my nemesis.”
  • Best line from a song: “That’s the plan. Rule the world. You and me. Any day. <wink>”
Jul
30
2008
Business, PDRater

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Kitchen Nightmares
Kitchen Nightmares

Gordon Ramsey, the super duper chef and Fox network star, has a show called, “Kitchen Nightmares.” I watched an episode last night. Its about what you’d expect from a Fox reality show – a slow motion train wreck from which your eyes cannot be pried away.

Nevertheless, I watched it.

It featured a pizzeria owner who had a failing and tragically flawed restaurant which was entirely supported by his wife’s income. The owner prided himself on his stubbornness and his ability to do anything he set his mind to. He had dreams of turning his establishment’s business model into a global franchise.

He kept running this restaurant for two and a half years. Some might admire his persistence. I think he probably would have learned a lot more about building a successful business by failing spectacularly, rather than throwing time and money at a losing proposition. As best as I can tell, successful people take risks. Throwing good money after a bad proposition just doesn’t seem risky or brave.

My thought: When your business doesn’t make money, its just a hobby. An expensive and time consuming hobby. A friend once referred to this as “feeding the beast,” when your business turns from a money making proposition to something that will eat your savings, free time, mortgage, second mortgage, and marriage. (Thanks anonymous!)

This may seem contradictory to my prior post where I quoted, “do what you love and the money will follow.” Now, I may be a victim of Fox’s incredible ability to edit footage, but that guy didn’t seem to love what he was doing. He seemed to love the idea of what he was doing – playing at being a chef and restaurateur. The reality of his situation seemed to be escaping him.

I’m rather lucky with this little hobby/business of mine. There is no beast to feed. I have no office, no staff, no programmers, no graphic design team, and no ad department.1 Of course, I did have a significant upfront time investment. But, I said I didn’t want to talk about that. :)

Perhaps that trite phrase is better stated as, “do what you love and the money won’t matter.”

Look at me waxing all philosophic!

  1. Reminds me of the song “Turning Japanese” by “The Vapors.” [↩]
Jul
28
2008
PDRater, Technobabble, Website Updates

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Warning! Technobabble! Warning! Permanent brain damage could result! If you’re not into technobabble, please just skip this post.

In order to put up the Articles page, I had to modify the WordPress theme I’m using. The WordPress Themer Kit is a really really great tool for the design-challenged.12

You don’t have to have any special design skill, just the ability to tinker with cascading style sheets.3

Melty calculators
Melty calculators

Up until now, I’ve tried to keep the theme modifications to a minimum. I’ve done this before – such as to add the nifty little rounded corners to the tops and bottom of each page. One little error and your entire blog looks like alphabet soup or, worse, a Dali painting.

Don’t get me wrong – I like Dali. I just think my calculators would be more difficult to use if they went all melty.
P.S. Don’t leave your website calculators out in the sun.

  1. I think the bald guy is going to win. [↩]
  2. My wife watches the show. Sounds like a lame disclaimer, I know. [↩]
  3. I warned you! Didn’t I warn you about the technobabble!?! [↩]
Jul
27
2008
PDRater, Website Updates

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I’ve just put up an “Articles Page.”

I’m looking forward to publishing articles from California workers’ compensation professionals. I have a few requirements, but they’re nothing onerous. So, if you’re a doctor, attorney, claims examiner, judge, hearing representative, lien claimant, or anyone else who makes your living through Workers’ compensation, drop me a line.

Jul
26
2008
Cell Phones, PDRater

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A friend sent me an e-mail letting me know their Verizon LG 9400 phone works with the calculator test. (Thanks Patty!) According to Verizon’s site this phone is out of stock.

FYI, when I need to research a phone, I use PhoneScoop.com. I find it a handy way to search/compare features. My own phone… has seen better days. I’m thinking the LG Dare, but we’ll see.

If your phone does not already work with PDRater.com, have you tried using a different web browser on your phone? Everyone knows Internet Explorer (sorry, no link :P ), most people know about FireFox (my own browser of choice), but there’s also Opera and OperaMini. OperaMini can be installed on some phones as an alternative to the factor web browser. From playing around with the OperaMini demo page, it looks like OperaMini will work with my calculators.

Almost completely off topic, have you seen the iPhone simulator? Sure, it doesn’t play music or make phone calls, but if you need a fix or want to test out some calculators (ahem), it’s a pretty cool website.1

  1. Do people even use iPhones for telephone calls anymore? That’s sooo analog. . . . [↩]
Jul
25
2008
Cell Phones, PDRater, Website Updates

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Thus far, I’ve discovered only two cell phones that can take advantage of my calculators:

I’ve only tested the iPhone with the version of this site launched on September 17, 2007. However, it should still work.

Do you have a cell phone with a web browser? Click here:
If you see a message appear, your phone will probably work with the calculators.

Jul
24
2008
Author, PDRater, Website Updates

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So, yeah, the whole getting the “new calculators working” by July 23, 2008 thing isn’t going to happen. But, you knew that. I’m kinda sorry I even wrote that post. Two reasons:

  1. I broke the cardinal rule of software development. Under-promise and over-deliver. As a one-man show, I’m wearing the programmer and project manager hats. I should really know better by now. A friend of mine had a great post on this exact issue.
  2. And, I ended a sentence with a preposition.

That said, here’s my new goal: Updated calculators before the 2009 Permanent Disability Rating Schedule is adopted!