Last month I mentioned that this website had a record number of new visitors. I honestly thought that was an anomalous one day spike in traffic. Instead we’ve had a sustained increase in new visitors and people signing up to use the workers’ compensation calculators for free.
Ever since I relaunched this website I’ve had this idea in the back of my mind that getting to 500 users would be a big deal. There are literally hundreds of workers’ compensation professionals who rely on this website and its calculators to make their lives a little easier. This certainly feels like a big deal to me.
I’ve just finished the COLA / SAWW future life pension rate calculator to determine what the future life pension rates are assuming a COLA / SAWW increase of 4.7% per year. If you’re interested in becoming a beta tester for this COLA / SAWW calculator for life pension increases, please drop me a line and ask for access. ((If you have already helped me out as a beta tester, you already have access to this calculator.))
Please keep in mind that this is not a life pension with SAWW / COLA increase commutation calculator. The actuarial math involved in performing that calculation is … intense.
As an interesting side note, this week I saw my very first DEU commutation of a life pension with COLA increase. Unlike the typical commutations everyone receives from the DEU, this commutation calculation was devoid of the actual methodology used. I was pretty disappointed to find this out.
No matter! Help beta test the new calculator by dropping me a line. After you’ve given it a whirl, let me know what you think.
At the end of January I was fortunate enough to witness more security shenanigans.
A man in line behind me took off all metal from his person and placed it in the provided gray plastic bin. Here’s a summary of the exchange between this gentleman and the security guard:
Security: Sir, you’re going to have to take off your belt.
Man: My belt buckle is metal. I took it off, see? There’s no metal in my belt.
Security: That doesn’t matter, sir. Please take off your belt.
Man: But, there’s no metal in it.
Security: Sir, you’re going to need to put your belt through the metal detector.
The man finally took off his belt…
I have several problems with this ((imaginary)) “security procedure.”
It is irrational and absurd.
This system encourages security guards to be lazy and unobservant, encouraging the hiring of unsophisticated or untrained security guards.
This system places too much importance on the value of x-ray machines.
Let’s take this point by point, shall we?
First, when challenged to provide any rationale for their demands, the security staff resorts to argumentum ad verecundiam. ((Latin argument for “appeal to authority” aka “I have a badge so I must be right” aka “‘Cause I said so, that’s why.”)) There’s no reason why a non-metal belt buckle or, heaven forbid a piece of paper, needs to be fed into the x-ray machine. They’re not security risks.
Second, the current system allows the security guards to insist all detachable belongings be fed into the x-ray machine. ((Don’t forget to put your right to privacy in that bin. After all, you don’t have anything to hide from Big Brother, do you?)) ((For a while they actually required the removal of shoes too. Taking your shoes off at the airport is bad enough. But at the Oakland state building???)) The current system essentially removes the incentive for hiring trained, competent, or intelligent staff. And, really, why should they? A mannequin with a sign around its neck could instruct everyone to remove all belongings.
Finally, the current system allows all the security guards at the Oakland state building to place too much importance on the x-ray machines. Once you’ve placed your belongings ((And dignity! Don’t forget your dignity! Don’t worry, after a couple of times through this system it will be small enough to fit comfortably between your cell phone and belt buckle.)) in the plastic bin, you aren’t given a second glance. What happens if someone decides to conceal a dangerous non-metalic object on their person? These security guards believe that paper should be x-rayed! I’m supposed to trust in their powers of keen observation?
Can you tell I’m frustrated with the security situation at the Oakland WCAB?
A few months ago someone e-mailed me this video clip about an attorney struggling with EAMS. My thanks go out to Matthew Brueckner of the Law Office of Matthew Brueckner for putting this together.
Get your prescription. When getting your eye prescription, being sure to have your physician provide your “Pupillary Distance.” ((The “Pupilary Distance” is the distance between your two pupils, measured in millimeters.)) I’ve put together a chart at the bottom you can take with you to the doctor’s office.
Measure your glasses. Measure your current glasses using a metric ruler. The most important measurement is going to be “Temple Width.” The “Temple Width” is the overall front width of your glasses.
Choose frames. On the website of your choice, narrow down the available glasses by the “Temple Width.” From there you can narrow down the available choices.
Wait. Both of the websites I ordered glasses from took about two weeks to get the glasses to me.
Double check. Take your new glasses back to your eye doctor. They will have a machine that can check the prescriptions on the lenses.
