It has been quite some time since I've written about the termination of John Plotkin. In fact, it has been just over a year since we've shared any new information regarding the Oregon insurers rendition of the Salem Witch Trials, where the vaporware backed canning occurred. People still ask me about Mr. Plotkin, and are…
Oklahoma Supremes Uphold Commissions Ability To Determine Constitutionality
The Oklahoma Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that the Oklahoma Workers’ Compensation Commission and its administrative law judges have the power to determine whether a provision of that states workers’ compensation law is being unconstitutionally applied to a particular party in a Commission proceeding. This means the Commission can decide the constitutionality of any part of…
RIMS Offers Explosive Lesson On Risk Management
I missed the opening reception of RIMS in San Diego this year. From what I hear it was quite the event. They had closed a couple blocks on a street in San Diego's fabled Gas Lamp District, and brought in thousands of attendees to kick off the annual conference this year. Then they inadvertently launched…
In A Kids' Chance State of Mind
While the next few weeks are extremely busy from a travel perspective, there has been no doubt that this week has been and will continue to be largely about Kids’ Chance. The non-profit organization, now known to many in our industry for making scholarships available to children whose parents have been seriously injured or killed…
The California Tushy Doctrine: Employees, Seriously, Have a Seat
You’d better sit down for this. There are times when I fully agree with a decision made by a court of law. There are times when I completely disagree with a courts opinion. And then there are times where I just don't know what to think. Such is the case with a decision just issued…
A Conversation, 1,000 Rounds of Ammo and New Ideas in Workers' Comp
Two weeks ago I had one thousand rounds of small caliber ammunition delivered to my house. It was the most ammo I had ever purchased at one time. Now, some of you might be asking why I would need or desire 1,000 bullets delivered conveniently to my front door. I could tell you that blogging…
Dude, Smoking Extra Bud Makes You a Dud
A study out of California is sure to harsh the mellow of the pro-marijuana crowd this week. The report, issued by researchers with the University of California Davis, showed that the more pot one smoked on a recreational basis, the more likely that person would be a “loser”. To clarify, they did not find that…
Microsoft AI Flunks Out of Twitter University
I must say, this was one of the most poorly thought out programs that I've come across in a long, long time. I haven't seen something so badly thought out since Windows 98. No wait, make that Windows Millennium. Scratch that – Windows 8. At any rate, I really don't know what Microsoft engineers were…
Let's Start Talking: When Labor Sec Labels Opt Out a "Pathway to Poverty", We All May Be Subject to the Cure
Within the last year I participated on several blogger panels at conferences around the nation. For at least two if them, the question of potential intervention in workers' comp by the Federal Government was broached. Almost all involved unequivocally stated that this would never happen; workers' comp has been, is and shall remain a state…
The Continuing Wussification of America
Two news articles caught my eye this week that disturbed me greatly; well, disturbed me even more than my customary level of disturbment (disturbage?). They were stories that, if representative of current trends in America, signal the end of life here as we know it. One was about a class action lawsuit filed against Starbucks…