Month: October 2008

By Posted on Posted in Author, Average Weekly Wage, Business, EAMS, Free, Open Source, PDRater, Technobabble, Website Updates, Wordpress, Workers Compensation Resources No Comments Tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Changing themes for a WordPress website is incredibly easy.  However, sometimes there can be slight problems in the transition.  I had heavily edited and customized the prior theme’s code so that it would be better suited to this website. ((Click this link see what the prior theme looked like.))

Fixing things
Fixing things

Changing the website’s theme has involved a few small tweaks ((Photo courtesy of CharlesThompson)) :

  • For about four days the Articles section was merged with the Blog section.  This has been fixed.
  • I’ve found a really great plugin that allows me to insert footnotes into blog posts. ((Cool, no?))  My previous attempts at inserting footnotes manually were either time consuming or incredibly clumsy.  ((A special thanks to Mr. Simon Elvery for writing this great footnote plugin.))
  • I’ve made minor alterations to the current theme – background colors, menu ordering, etc.
  • Some people were separating their WCAB “legacy” number to ADJ number searches by semi-colons, rather than commas.  I believe there’s really no sense in fighting users.  ((Unlike a certain “web-based” electronic adjudication management system…))  If a slightly different method makes sense to users, go with it.  I’ve adjusted the WCAB “legacy” number to ADJ number search function so that you can separate by semi-colons or commas. ((Or both!))
  • In printing out some Average Weekly Wage calculations, I discovered to my dismay that this website looked terrible when you tried to print it out.  Worse yet, the website header, sidebar, and other navigation information took up nearly a page.  This meant that a printout of a calculation might span two or more pages.  I’ve since fixed this using some particularly cool CSS. ((Well, my definition of cool, anyhow.))

By Posted on Posted in Not Workers Compensation No Comments Tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Obama vs McCain: Round 3
Obama vs McCain: Round 3

Obama was calm and succinct while McCain was impassioned and aggressive.  ((Photo courtesy of DaveHogg.  Photo editing, all me!)) Impassioned and aggressive  are not bad qualities – but they are less ideal during a debate.  Ultimately, Obama came out slightly ahead in the debate because he held his own and didn’t make any big blunders (I love that video!).

How about those predictions, huh?

  • McCain came out swinging for the fences.  He was interrupted Obama and brought up specific grievances with Obama’s past and campaign.  Heck, McCain even interrupted and corrected the moderator!
  • McCain was clearly passionate about his positions.
  • McCain looked directly at Obama as he challenged and questioned him.
  • Obama had witty retorts handy for most of McCain’s challenges.  At least once he actually chuckled during McCain’s monologues.
  • Obama ignored many of McCain’s direct attacks, not making eye contact during most of these challenges.
  • Obama responded to attacks, but didn’t counter-attack.

Not surprising, given the latest headlines:

  • Obama compared McCain to Bush.  Shocking!
  • McCain brought up Bill Ayers, ACORN, and Lewis.  Shocking!

What I could not have predicted:

  • “Joe the plumber.”  No one except foreign dictators has ever enjoyed as much mention during a presidential debate as Mr. Joe Wurzelbacher.
  • McCain said Palin’s baby has Autism.  He should know her newborn son has Down’s Syndrome.
  • Obama dumbed down his language.  Obama, you went to Harvard.  HARVARD.  Pronounce the goddamn G’s.  Don’t say,” workin’ ” say, “working.”
  • Obama wore an ugly tie.  There I said it.  It could have been my TV, but that was an ugly tie.
  • McCain’s eyes and tounge???  Palin was winking and McCain was blinking.  I can ignore the blinking, but why was he sticking out his tounge?
  • Obama and McCain are both lefties!  I didn’t know that.
  • Obama would be the one wearing a flag pin while McCain didn’t.
  • “Troops to Teachers.”  McCain wants to remove tests and qualifiying exams for former members of the armed forces who want to be teachers?  Um – why?
  • A man would name his newborn “Sarah McCain Palin.”  He put the name on the birth certificate without without telling his wife.

And, a very special thank you goes to Bob Schieffer.  Moderators are there to keep the candidates on topic.  If you can’t reign in the candidates, you have no business sitting between them.  I’m looking at you Tom Brokaw.

By Posted on Posted in Insurance, Not Workers Compensation No Comments Tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

There are two types of “smell tests.” ((Photo courtesy of Charles & Clint.  Photo editing: All me!))

Smell test: Good or bad investment?
Smell test: Good or bad investment?

The first type of smell test is a very literal smelling test.  A bachelor smells an article of clothing to determine whether said article of clothing could be worn on that day around the people said bachelor anticipates being near.  Doesn’t smell bad?  Put it on!  Smells bad?  Turn it inside-out and put it on!

The second type of “smell test” is where you evaluate a situation based upon your gut reaction.

Some blame “credit default swaps” for our current financial crisis.  (Disclaimer: I have no special knowledge about finance – I just listen to NPR constantly).  So, here’s what happened:

  1. Investors (Company A) buy up lots of sub-prime mortgages through a trust.
  2. Company A, looking to make money as investors are wont to do, sell pieces of the trust as if they were stocks.
  3. Other people (Company B), having seen these investors buying up risky sub-prime mortgages, have a great idea – “credit default swaps.” (Or, as they are known on NPR, “CDS’s”).
  4. Company B promises Company A that, in exchange for a very reasonable sum, if one of the people living in one of those sub-prime mortgage homes stops paying that mortgage, Company B will be responsible for that lost asset and income.
  5. Company B tells Company A that this wonderful product is called a “credit default swap,” and that it is definitely-not-insurance.  In fact, its significantly cheaper than buying insurance.
  6. Since Company B is not selling insurance they don’t have to be regulated like insurance.  Insurance companies are required to hold “reserves.”  A “reserve” is simply money that can’t be spent in case an insurance company be required to honor some of their insurance policies.
  7. There are so many Company A‘s looking to hedge their bets that all the Company B‘s CDS’s are selling like hotcakes.  The people that own Company B are so pleased with themselves that they don’t really bother with reserves.
  8. In a few years those sub-prime mortgages with adjustable rates were finally out of their introductory rate period – and thousands of people start defaulting on their loans.
  9. Company A‘s portfolio is now worthless, but they are very happy they had so much foresight as to take out not-insurance policies with Company B.
  10. Company B‘s doesn’t pick up the phones.  Their offices are boarded up, the e-mails bounce back, and Company A stops getting Christmas cards from Company B.

The problem is that Company B went out of their way to invent something that was definitely-not-insurance so they wouldn’t be regulated like insurance companies.  Obviously, Company B didn’t use the “smell test” when they designed their product.  If they had, they would have charged more or kept more money in reserve.

Unfortunately, Company A didn’t use the “smell test” either when shopping around for a way to insure their investments.  You don’t insure your home, car, or life with the cheapest or newest insurance company.  You choose a company that has been around a while and charges reasonable rates for reasonable risk.

When people stop performing the “smell test” $62,000,000,000,000.00 evaporates overnight.

By Posted on Posted in Not Workers Compensation No Comments Tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
"I want to be big"*
"I want to be big"

I recently posted my impressions on the vice presidential debate as well as the first and second presidential debates.  But, let’s not live in the past.  Why not jump on the prognostication bandwagon and make a few predictions? ((Photo courtesy of Zesmerelda.))

  • Prediction: Obama will be calm, cool, and collected.  He will appear aloof and superior throughout the debate.  He will also not go on the attack.
    • Conventional wisdom says that a candidate that is ahead in the polls has nothing to gain and everything to lose by directly engaging the opposition.
    • By not directly attacking McCain, Obama gives up the possibility of an additional rhetorical gain against McCain – but he’s so far ahead in the polls that he doesn’t need those possible gains.
    • The flip-side is that by not attacking Obama can appear to be above the fray and petty partisan politics.
    • Instead of attacking and counter-attacking, Obama will have a witty retort for every point McCain makes.
    • Obama will essentially ignore, or make light of, McCain’s attacks.  He will direct his remarks to the moderator and camera.
    • Obama will make a few vaguely sniping attacks.  Look out for extremely subtle references to McCain’s age or McCain’s actions as being inconsistent, unreliable, unpredictable or erratic.
  • Prediction: McCain will be clawing like a cornered wolverine.  We will see him attacking and challenging Obama relentlessly.
    • McCain has to walk a fine line – appearing to be conservative enough to keep (or, rather, win back) the red states Bush won in 2004 – while being moderate enough to pick up blue states.  In order to retake those red-states, McCain will stress his experience and commitment to core Republican values.
    • McCain doesn’t say “maverick” nearly as much as Palin.  While being a “maverick” is a decent way to collect undecided or Democratic voters, its a serious turn-off for Republicans.  As a friend and staunch Republican recently told me, “Maverick is a word for someone who screws their own party.”  I’m fairly certain Democrats feel the same way about Joe Lieberman.
    • Its easy to see McCain becoming impassioned during his speeches and debates.  However, McCain faces a special dilemma when pressing the attack.  If he attacks too strongly, he risks being seen as desperate or hot-headed.  Neither is an attractive quality for a possible president.
    • McCain is so far behind in the polls that he needs to score some big points.
    • During the first debate we saw McCain bring the attack to Obama.  Obama was forced to play defense much of the time, accusing John of getting the facts wrong.
    • We’re going to see McCain pressing the attack, posing questions directly to Obama, and trying to draw him into a head-on discussion.
    • Unlike Obama who will be speaking to the moderator and audience, we’re going to see McCain addressing most of his remarks to “that one.”  McCain will also take every opportunity to highlight when Obama doesn’t answer a question or gives a vague response.

So, there you have it, my totally ill-informed predictions based on nothing more than what I saw in the coffee grounds this morning.

By Posted on Posted in Author, EAMS, Open Source, PDRater, PHP, Technobabble, Website Updates, Wordpress, Workers Compensation Resources No Comments Tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
New v5.0
New v5.0

First off, don’t be afraid, this is the same website you’ve come to know and love.  Change can be good!  Besides, this latest change is almost 100% cosmetic.

I have been meaning to change the entire look of PDRater.com for a while now.  Thus far I’ve been focusing on improving the workers’ compensation calculators and the website content.

Previously I showed the evolution of PDRater.com from a ridiculously ugly but useful website into a less ugly and more useful website.  Since these latest changes have been mostly cosmetic rather than functional, this should really be something like Version 4.647.  I figure with adding six new calculators in September and updating the look, I’ve earned the right to call this Version 5.0.

Besides, its my blog, right?

The last theme I used was based upon the fantastic WordPress Themer Kit, which is an incredible tool for people who either have little graphic design skill or who don’t want to build a new theme from scratch.  Ultimately, I just don’t have the skill, time, or inclination to build an aesthetically pleasing theme.  (But, let’s be real, its mostly the lack of skill thing).

That said, I am good at adjusting and incorporating.  The original Aeros theme looked significantly different than the one you see.  I’ve changed the background color, removed the slight transparency, highlighted the different sidebar sections, and moved the top menu to the left side.  Since the theme was open source, this mostly involved tinkering with the CSS and underlying PHP.

How do you like this new theme?  Shoot me an e-mail or leave me a comment.