From Bob's Cluttered Desk

Many of us love our pets. They are friends. They are family. This makes losing a cherished animal a very difficult thing; but for a variety of reasons some are harder to lose. Such was the case with our cat Coal, who passed away Thursday night. My wife and I have had numerous pets (animal…

I've already said it, but it bears repeating. The Consumer Electronics Show held last week in Las Vegas was an overwhelming experience. A towering monument to man's innovative spirit, it is a cacophonous display of unbridled creativity. We saw the best and brightest ideas on display in Las Vegas last week; yet as the 165,000…

I am just back from my Geekathon sojourn to the Annual Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, and it would be an understatement to say that I was left with many strong impressions. While many of the the gadgets and imagination on display were truly amazing, one of the biggest takeaways for the week came…

For those of us, like myself, who have never before attended the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, it can be a bit overwhelming. The annual technology showcase that is held here every year is simply massive; 150,000 attendees and thousands of vendors in numerous exhibit halls across several facilities. It is ground zero for…

A Malvern, PA Telemarketing Company that publishes business newsletters must pay $1.75 million to thousands of employees who it forced to clock out while going to the bathroom, as well as when taking other short breaks. The federal judge who ordered the payment cited Labor Department regulations and pronouncements promoting the value of short breaks…

It has been a few years since I issued a “Top Ten” prediction for the new year. This is for a variety of reasons, none less relevant than the fact that I generally suck at it. Seriously, my past performance has been less than stellar when it comes to annual prognosticatory behavior. An annual prediction…

Bob’s now traditional holiday message, originally published 12/23/2011. It has been updated to reflect the current calendar: As I have stated here before, and as people who know me will attest, I am NOT a person who subscribes easily to the notion of political correctness. So it is with no great simplicity that I attempt…

The Michigan State Legislature has been busy this year doing something very unusual. At the request of Governor Rick Snyder, they have actually been working to take laws off the books. That like never happens, dude. Legislators almost always add on or revise, but never, ever remove. In this case it was an effort to…

What can I say? Some of us in the workers' compensation industry are just “givers”. We commit to the greater good. We sacrifice. We forgo basic comfort and safety for the greater benefit of the collective. There is no need to thank us. It is just what we do. Such will be the case this…

If only these boobs had been from Butte; the headline for this piece would be perfect. Alas, they were not boobs from Butte, but rather miscreants from Missoula. No worries, they still give us much to ponder. A Montana jury last week found a former janitor guilty of workers’ compensation fraud for faking a workplace…