Pirate Radio!
Pirate Radio!

Last week while in Stockton I heard on NPR that a local station was switching to an “all ’90’s” format.  I hoped against hope that it was not KWOD 106.5.

However, on the drive home yesterday I was flipping around the dial and caught FM 106.5 from Sacramento.  I grew up in Sacramento and have fond memories of this particular station.

  • I remember the time a rival station, 102.5, was playing rap and hip hop and alternarock.  At about the same time 102.5’s format went more towards the rap and hip hop while KWOD 106.5 went towards the grundge and alterna-rock scene.
  • I remember a DJ on 106.5 who decided to play the entirety of U2‘s (then) newest album “Achtung Baby” start to finish without interruption at midnight the day that it was supposed to be released.  He was doing this because for some reason the release date had been delayed a few days.  I sat next to my stereo ((Dual cassette –  thankyouverymuch)) with a blank cassette so I could tape the entire album.  That album was released on November 19, 1991.  ((Thanks to Wikipedia for making me look smarter than I really am.))  This album was also one of the first prerecorded cassette tapes I ever owned.  ((So much for the RIAA and music piracy, eh?)) ((Photo courtesy of id-iom))
  • I remember feeling a little sad and nostalgic when the morning duo ((Shawn & Jeff in the Morning)) jumped to another station, 100.5.
  • I was listening to KWOD 106.5 when I learned that Kurt Cobain had committed suicide.

Anyhow, KWOD 106.5 just became “The BUZZ.”  I listened to it for about five minutes this evening and shut it off.  BuzzKILL is more like it.  ((I sound like my dad.))  ((Sorry Dad!))

A blustery day at the Stockton WCAB
A blustery day at the Stockton WCAB

I’ve got a hearing at the Stockton WCAB this morning. ((Photo thanks to Google and their StreetView))  Stop by and say hello if you’re in the area.

Permanent disability calculators that will fit in your pocket!
Permanent disability calculators that will fit in any pocket!

I was at the San Jose WCAB on Friday.  Since recently discovering that I could run this website’s permanent disability rating calculators from my phone’s web browser, this was the first time I left my rating manual, money chart, and date wheel in the car. ((Photo courtesy of .robbie))

It was great.  That morning I used my phone to:

  • Find the ADJ number associated with the legacy SJO number on my file
  • Calculate an Ogilvie adjustment of a rating string
  • Calculate the number days between two dates
  • Perform old and new schedule ratings
  • Perform a CVC (combined values chart) calculation ((Oh, and I called my client at one point.  Ha!))

The benefit for me is not so much that I don’t have to carry the rating manuals, dollar value charts, and date wheels.  Unlike these tools, my phone is not something I’m going to misplace or loan and never see again.

The best part is that if I want to refer back to the calculation I just performed, I can just e-mail it to myself!

This phone will not run PDRater calculators, but yours might!
This phone will not run PDRater calculators, but yours might!

I recently discovered that installing the Opera Mini web browser on my “smartphone” has allowed me to run this website’s workers’ compensation calculators from my phone. ((Photo courtesy of storm gal))

Since launching this website I’ve given a lot of thought to support for cell phones.  There just are not many phones that can run these calculators. ((It would be more correct to say there are not many phones that support javascript and AJAX well enough to interact with this website in a meaningful fashion.)) The glaring and notable exception is the iPhone.

Amusingly, one of this website’s users has asked for an “iPhone app” version of this site.  Seriously, you’ve got one of the few phones that can use this site and that’s not good enough for you?  (Thanks Chris!)

This is huge.  It means:

  • I can blog from the Board ((Probably a lot more interesting for me than it is for you…))
  • More importantly, no more bulky money charts or rating manuals at the Board!

Smith/Amar Reversed
Smith/Amar Reversed

Oral argument on Smith v. WCAB (California Youth Authority) went forward on Smith out that on April 7, 2009.  Today, we have the result – Smith/Amar has been unanimously reversed by the California Supreme Court in case number S150528.  Download a copy and read it for yourself here:

For more background on Smith/Amar, check out my prior post discussing the oral argument.