Glasses, online
Glasses, online!

A few months ago I ordered glasses online from Goggles4U.com and GlobalEyeGlasses.  (Click those links to go to my full reviews of each website).  The quality of the glasses was excellent and I paid about $80.00 for four pairs. ((Including one pair of sunglasses and one pair of transition lenses)) At those prices its like they were paying me to take the glasses off their hands. ((Photo courtesy of Morningstar Lee))

I just received a coupon code from Goggles4U for 20% off an order.  The Goggles4U.com coupon code is: “glasses20″

Before you order glasses online, you should really take a look at my post about how to order glasses online in 5 easy steps. It even includes a chart for you to print out and take with you to your eye doctor!  ((Just another way I try to make your life easier…))

love
Permanent disability calculators only a workers' compensation nerd could love

And, really, what’s not to love about free permanent disability calculators? ((Photo courtesy of aWee)) ((That’s a picture of an accounting sheet!))

A few days ago I disparaged the MicroSoft and their new search engine, Bing.com.  Today I tried a search for “permanent disability calculator” on their site.  Guess who’s at the top? ((Hint: the website’s name rhymes with “PDRater“))

Search engine optimization, like fortune,  is a fickle creature. ((This post has been brought to you by O Fortuna and the Rubaiyat.)) ((Look at me, waxing all philosophical!))

New Laptop
New Laptop

I recently posted about how to buy a new computer.  First, you need to think about balancing wants versus needs.  My second post was about the new laptop category of cheap and lightweight netbooks.

Why should you choose a basic laptop?

If you are highly concerned about cost, portability, battery life and not as concerned about optical drives  ((DVD/CD drives)) , screen size, or keyboard size you probably want a netbook.  It will probably run you between $300 – $500. ((Photo courtesy of Ciccio Pizzettaro))

If cost-be-damned you just must have absolutely everything, well, then get yourself a high end laptop. ((Scroll to the bottom for my pic k.))  The sky’s the limit with a computer like this.  You can configure an Alienware laptop that will make Deep Thought hide its processor in shame for $5,000.00 or so.

If you are concerned about cost but just cannot sacrifice optical drives, screen size, or keyboard size, you probably want a basic laptop.  A basic laptop is all about compromises.  You get the hardware you need from a desktop, but without the thin, light, elegant, and portable design.  These laptops typically weigh between 6 and 8 pounds and cost between $600 and $1000 or so.

There are so many nearly indistinguishable computers in this category, there is no real point in suggesting a particular laptop.  Just about every manufacturer has several choices for basic laptops.

I 3 Huckabees is the worst movie ever made
"I Heart Huckabees" is the worst movie ever made

Life’s too short to watch a bad movie.  ((Like “I Heart Huckabees” the worst movie ever made.  Just go to YouTube.com and do a search for “I don’t heart Huckabees” to see what I mean.)) Unfortunately, the only way to really determine whether a movie is bad is to wait until the end credits roll. ((Photo courtesy of Scootie.))

I have a simple rule about watching movies that has saved me countless hours of agony.  I don’t care about reviews, awards won, who’s in the movie, what’s going on in the movie, or what’s about to happen.  If I’m not entertained within 30 minutes, I shut it off.  ((Fifteen minutes for a TV program.))

Before I created this rule I sat through innumerable movies in the hopes that they might somehow get better.  Eventually I came to the realization that the people who made the movie boring me cannot be trusted to improve the movie before its end.

Don’t believe me?  Try and think of one good movie that bored you for the first half hour.  ((I can only think of one movie that falls into this category: Unforgiven.  Cinematography, acting, blah, blah, blah.  The movie was just barely worth it for the last fifteen minutes.))

What’s the worst movie you’ve seen?

WCAB: Throwing babies out with the bathwater since 1965
The WCAB: Throwing babies out with the bathwater since 1965

For context, its best to see the prior post about the WCAB’s Weiner v. Ralph’s (en banc) decision.  There’s even a link to the Weiner v. Ralphs (en banc) decision for download – just so you can play along at home.

The question in the title of the post is really a question about the WCAB’s rationale – not their end legal justification behind Weiner.  I believe the Weiner case hints that the WCAB is going to go the other way and uphold their rulings in Almaraz/Guzman and Ogilvie.

However, I think the WCAB’s rationale for ending vocational rehabilitation was because of the potential for enormous retroactive vocational rehabilitation maintenance allowance awards at the temporary total disability rate outside the cap (VRTD). ((Photo courtesy of Stephane Raymond)) ((You see, I’m suggesting that the bathwater is VRTD and the baby itself is vocational rehabilitation.  Kinda kills the metaphor, eh?))