From Bob's Cluttered Desk

On the surface it seems like any other normal holiday business transaction. A Texas man finds an escort on Craigslist, and arranges to procure her services on Christmas Eve. She comes to his home, they reach a contractual agreement, and she accepts a $150 payment prior to services being rendered. Now despite the Norman Rockwellish…

I received an email yesterday telling me that registration for the upcoming AASCIF 2013 conference closes this Friday. The conference is being held this year July 14 – 17, in Austin TX. I am not too worried about the closing registration. I am already signed up, as is my wife. I've been quietly practicing my…

How many New Jersey Lottery Managers does it take to promptly remove a million dollars worth of moldy, smelly lottery tickets? Apparently more than they currently have, as it took more than 6 months to remove storm damaged lottery tickets that appear to have made some employees sick.  The employees filed worker's compensation claims after…

62 year old Peggy Hill, of Bradenton, Florida, spent her weekend in the Manatee County jail. For all I know, she is still there, awaiting payment of a bond set at $5,000. She is charged with Felony Battery on a law officer. Her crime? She kissed a Manatee County Sheriff's Deputy on the nose. Sergeant…

I had the distinct pleasure this week of becoming a contributing author to the Cavalcade of Risk, a bi-weekly collection of blog articles representing issues from the many faces of risk management. Started in June of 2006 by Henry Stern, the C of R is intended to “offer insights into the world of risk management”.…

It is said that all politics are local, and that both politics and politicians often drive change in workers' compensation programs across the nation. I suspect that both axioms are true. A Missouri politician's “letter to the editor” addressing the workers’ comp concerns of their modest fire district tends to lend credibility to those standards.…

We have spent, over the last couple decades, an inordinate amount of time, resources, money, energy and effort “sensitizing” the American employer, ostensibly to improve the workplace experience and enhance productivity in this country. We have seminars, motivational speakers, sensitivity training, books, blogs, audio programs, online courses and more, all designed to make today's modern…

  I am apparently sick. Gravely ill; in need of medical treatment, which will no doubt involve multiple co-pays, lab visits, and a multitude of new prescriptions. My disease? Hi. My name is Bob Wilson, and I am an obese man. (I will pause while you all say “Hiiiii Bob”)  Yesterday the American Medical Association…

Spammers and malware propagators are the bane of an internet professionals' existence. While most are familiar with spam and its related effects, you may not be as familiar with malware and its potential threats. Malware, quite simply, is software designed to do bad things. It can be so evil as to infect your computer, delete…