Has anything of interest happened to you recently?

MulMizu, have you already filed a workers comp claim? Generally if your injury is job related that is your first (and usually only) option. it should be covered by their routine insurance. (I don't know what you said in the other thread. )

Why am I up at 3:14 on a work night? This sucks. It did let me catch up on Supernatural bloopers clips and "best quote" lists. This week Castiel is my favorite Supernatural pretty boy. Yum.

I filed the claim and did all of that. Unfortunately, that only covered six or so sessions of physical therapy. And while that did help (my knee doesn't lock up as much as it used to), it's still incredibly difficult to do basic tasks that most jobs require. Like stand for an extended period of time.

...well, I can do it, I just don't like the pain that comes with it. :<

My biggest problem is that too much of what I do is in my head and I don't have any good procedures for getting it out of there. The process of writing up the details of my invoices is something that takes the bulk of my time, so having an assistant do billing really doesn't save much time since I have already got the bulk of the work done by the time I've described the job performed and set how many hours/dollars it is.

I know what I need to do, I need to get all these past bills caught up so I can afford to take on less short-term work and have more time to plan and delegate stuff to my part-time guy. It just means I'm gonna have to work more hours right now in hopes of working less in the future and that is always a hard sell when I'm already tired and wiped out at the end of the day.

In short, WHINE WHINE WHINE. I just need to cowboy up and do it and stop bitching, but BITCHING FEELS SO GOOD SOMETIMES.

It may be discomforting to you, but if you sustained an injury at work and the therapy they've paid for didn't help, it's time to talk to a personal injury lawyer. And yeah, your mom needs to stop talking about your business.

The US Embassy happened to me.
Let me say, that having traveled in the Soviet Union during the cold war, these guys had nothing on you when it comes to bureaucracies.

So, in order to go to the US and work as a journalist, you have to have a visa (gotta keep tab on those dangerous types). First you have to fill out a 20 page DS-160 with details like every foreign country visited in the last five years (16 in my case) and the time and date of every visit to the US. They also asked if you were a terrorist or were planning any terrorism (that always makes me wonder about the expectation they have). Sadly they didn't ask me about membership of political parties (only if I was or had been an insurgent), which is a shame because directly translated to English, I'm a member of the Radical Left.
The rules also stated that if you filled it in wrong, you could be turned away and asked to start the process over, so when on the second to last page, it started asking me questions about my temporary work visa, I was in trouble. I couldn't skip the questions, I couldn't answer them truthfully and the helpline was only open two hours every thursday...

Then you have to pay a fee - this can only be done in person in a bank. Not online. Of course as true capitalists the US government has chosen to work with the worst of the Danish banks. One that has decided that customers are more trouble than they're worth and are thus closing down most physical branches... yet I had to be in one. Of course they demanded two additional fees to proces the mandatory fee that only they were allowed to handle ($184 thankyouverymuch). Of course the fee is unrefundable if you make any mistakes.

You also have to hand over your passport (here local bureaucrats confounded matters by not allowing me to get one expedited, but telling me that it normally takes 8 days - three weeks later I called them asking about my passport *shuffleshufflewshuffle* "oh, it's right here. You can come pick it up") and either 1, 0 or 2 passport photos depending on where on the embassy webpage you check. Of course these are in a completely different format from the rest of the world - the one I had a professional take for my passport didn't work, but the crappy one I had the intern shoot with my iPhone did...

Then, you can book an appointment. I'm flying on the 6th of January, 1st appointment was on the 2nd. Write the Embassy and ask for an emergency slot. "Sorry, no. But we'll try to get your passport to you in time... if you're approved". Ask again in a more whining tone. "Sorry, but check the website, once in a while a few slots open up". Check the website, and suddenly a whole week in December with 40+ slots is open. You couldn't just have told me that?
When you go to your appointment, you're told, that if you're late, you lose the slot and must re-schedule. Just under that it says in underlined writing, that arriving early is forbidden?!?
I'm a rebel, so I arrive 5 minutes early. Two security guards are checking peoples passports and printed appointments against a guestlist, and you're placed in another queue (on the pavement outside in Denmark in December - it's raining). 15 minutes later I'm let in to a small room - like airport security but with an airlock and only one person admitted at the time. Here I hand over my telephone and keys (to be returned when I leave - no electronics allowed) and walk through the scanner - another guy was turned away, because he had an iPad "come back later". I wait some more and is let into the waiting area proper. This is like at the doctor's office complete with old issues of Golf Digest. I take a number.
15 minutes later I'm called to the desk where the nice lady behind the glass takes all my papers, reciepts and whatnot. I'm told to sit down. 10 minutes later another nice lady at another desk takes my fingerprints. I'm told to sit down. 15 minutes later I'm called again - this is my interview. The thing all this has been in preparation for. This person has to power to approve my visa or send me packing.

Now at this time I was expecting somebody in a suit, perhaps the local "Trade attaché" or some good cop-bad cop interviewing technique to ferret out all the holes in my DS-160, but instead it's a third nice lady:
"What are you doing?"
"Consumer Electronics Show"
"Where is that?"
"Las Vegas"
"Where are you staying?"
"Mandalay Bay"
"Very nice! - Ok, your visa is approved..."

Kinda anticlimactic.

tl;dr
Your Homeland Security is keeping you guys safe from impatient foreigners.

RyanMM: set aside some time every month, I'm talking even up to a week, when you aren't doing the "field work" of your job, and do you executive work. Managing your resources (time, money, energy) is the linchpin to success in a business where you've already got competance, dedication, motivation, and all the cultural-type factors handled.

I don't mean you have to go full-on accountant. I managed my own dot.com sole prop for years with just a spreadsheet. But you do need to pay attention to it. Based on what you're written here this comes in two parts:

1. Better scheduling and project management. You are overworked but don't have tons of work for a part-timer, OK that's a hard place to be. So prioritize what you're going to work on, which ongoing clients get priority (probably more than one-offs), and when each thing is going to be done. Build a big ass calendar (like 5' x 10') in your home-office if you need to, like construction companies do. This is going to help you organize the details so you can make executive decisions about the big picture. It will also help you plan a little better on timing to receive payments from customers and on days when you will schedule no field work so you can do business and money stuff.
2. Be honest with yourself about collecting from people who owe you. It isn't about confrontation bro, it's just business; and they know it. Show up at their doors during a business day and let them know you're there to collect and could they go ahead and write a check now bitches. You aren't the one who needs to be sheepish, put them on the spot. You aren't in the wrong. If they're 30 days in arrears let them know they're a month behind and that at 60 you'll have to send the bill to collections. If they pull a whiney sad face on you, remind them that this is your business by which you support a family. It isn't a whinefest, it's facts.

It isn't about bucking up cowboy, it's about getting organized, spending time where it needs to be spent, and doing your best as an entrepreneur. Note that none of this is about making 4-second mistakes that cost you hours; those happen. This is about big picture stuff.

And if you still need motivation, get mad you sonofabitch!

Go and do likewise, gents.

You might go back to HR/work and see about having them buck up for further therapy first. Going right to the lawyer is something I'm not a fan of in American culture.

I'm not saying sue, but she should talk to a lawyer to find out what her options are; they'll have seen her situation a hundred times. Now, they may be very SUE HAPPY, but at least when she does go to HR/work she'll be better informed than before.

In California and I think most Workers Comp systems, the workers comp insurance system is the ONLY place to get compensated for work-related injuries unless they result from your employer's intentional or egregious conduct. This is part of the "bargain" that gets the legislation passed; mandatory insurance is traded for immunity from lawsuits.
Somehow I broke the post. Excuse the formatting wonkiness.

There are "applicant's lawyers" who can help you get the max for your situation, but they are few in CA these days.
So work that system hard.
More info from self-help publisher Nolo Press:
Workplace Injury: When You Can Sue Outside of Workers' Compensation
http://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/workplace-injury-lawsuit-sue-30334.html
If I remember right MM is in CA. if so contact your Information and Assistance Officer for help http://www.dir.ca.gov/dwc/IandA.html

"If you were injured because of your employer's intentional or egregious conduct, you might be able to bring a personal injury lawsuit against your employer."

Does this mean if my employers did something they weren't supposed to? Saaaayyyyy not giving me my break until 6-7 hours into my shift instead of the 3 hour mark? I know why they did it (they didn't have enough people; lots called in sick), but...

That's actually a serious violation of the law, and they could get hammered for that (and it sounds like it should). My boss drilled into me that if I don't take a break in every four-hour time block, I am creating a significant liability for the company an it is grounds to terminate my employment.

Oooh. See, they were doing that to everyone (some people didn't even GET breaks), but they were trying to cover it up by saying "WELL, YOU'RE GETTING MEAL PENALTY (you're being paid like 10-15% more for your pain...when your normal pay is $8.60/hr, that really is like nothing srsly) SO AT LEAST YOU HAVE THAT", so I figured it was just okay. Ugh.
Ugh. I'm angry because it's like...what if I do all of this and it all goes through and I can sue and ALL of that great stuff...and then it turns out there's nothing that can be done about my knees? I can have all the money in the world, but I'd still be kind of upset that my knees just aren't as good as they should be. Thank goodness I can walk, but this shit kind of seriously narrows down my ability to find work, since jobs that require standing for an extended time are sort of an automatic "no".

This seems to be a textbook case of "You really need to talk to a lawyer". I am not qualified to give you legal advice, I can only tell you what I was told by my boss.

If you need help finding a decent lawyer, this I can perhaps help with.

I used that uh...Nolo site that was recommended earlier, but I mean if you know an easier way to go about this, LAY IT ON ME.

MulMizu, I actually had to do a WC lawsuit in 2007. I was working a job that involved a lot of physical labor, and I hurt my back. I wasn't able to return to the job, so I had to do a lawsuit. It really wasn't that big of a deal. The lawyer did his thing, I agreed to the settlement, and that was it. I got enough to treat my back (which luckily did get better with treatment) and pay some living expenses. Now, I wasn't in California, so I don't know what it's like there, but it wasn't scary to do it. And that was for a pretty small workplace. Where you work is massive, and they probably deal with this kind of thing regularly. So... deep breath, and look into getting a lawyer. It's for your own good.

Not being given breaks is the key issue in probably half of the big-time class actions that have made the news in the last few years. In fact just last April the California Supreme Court ruled on a case involving taking breaks and meals. I don't know if it applies here and am not an attorney, but without knowing any of the facts I'd recommend you see about getting a consultation. Plus amusement parks are fucking meat grinders for workers anyway.

The biggest reason I'm afraid is because it's going up against Universal. And Universal has its hands in a lot of things.
I feel like I am a tiny person hiring another tiny person to go against this gigantic company and all of its crazy-knowing law people with giant briefcases and scary law loopholes. :<

The thing is, workers' comp is a normal part of doing business, especially for companies with physical work (like, say, standing for hours on end). They're not going to be all "grrr we'll hate you forever." Or, at least, they shouldn't be. Most places aren't. They carry insurance for it too, usually, so typically they're not even paying you out of pocket.

Obviously I am not a lawyer and can't give actual legal advice. Just sharing my experience.

Generally, when you hire a lawyer, it doesn't matter how tiny they are; a good lawyer can win a judgment against a big company on something this simple and the big company knows it, so they just settle and move on.

(I'm asking around for lawyer contacts. Will PM you when I have information. If anyone else knows lawyers in MulMizu's area, feel free to preempt me.)

If she's in Cali, I'd ping Rywill, he's bound to know some ambulanupstanding personal injury lawyers.

I just found a refund check from my insurance company, since I apparently had over-paid on my premiums. By like 50% or so.

Unfortunately the check was issued in March and went to some dark corner of the apartment so it's "expired." Will be calling them in the morning to find out how to resolve this, since it's not credited to my account or anything.

Surprise money is awesome!

I have spent the last couple of hours cleaning ALL THE THINGS. Well, at least organizing my junk in the den, filing things away, and throwing out a shit ton of crap. I feel much better for having done this. Tomorrow there will be laundry and vacuuming. This weekend I organized my tea and kitchen stuff... Maybe I'm starting to feel better. Cleaning is a good sign...

I sent out enough invoices today to cover two months' pay...assuming any of the recipients give a sufficient number of fucks. We'll see what happens.

TIME FOR SCOTCH.

I have beer. Let's celebrate! A toast, to Getting Shit Done!

I will drink to that!

so i was finally inspired to draw after so much time of hating everything i drew (this includes my current avatar, but eh) and then i got frustrated because of song interpretation and music nerd things and so i lost my art inspiration and i got really sad and cried.
and then i started doodling without thinking; whenever I've tried drawing recently, i usually think out something i want to draw before i draw it. AND GUYS.
GUYS. THINGS THAT I DIDN'T HATE CAME OUT OF MY HANDS. and it made me cry in happiness.

so I guess this all boils down to "I AM DRINKING WITH YOU HELL YEAH FOR GETTING SHIT DONE."

FWIW, I think your art is awesome (and that includes your current avatar).

I'd drink with you guys for 'getting shit done' (in my case, getting done with yet another semester of college), but I appear to be all out of rum. I'm going to have to get some tomorrow, it seems.

but by tomorrow the group dinking will be over
unless we all drink again

which is totally an okay thing to do btw

I unfortunately know zero PI lawyers. Their world and mine don't really overlap. However, Sharpe is, or at least was, a workers' comp lawyer, so he could probably steer you in the right direction in terms of finding a labor & employment guy or gal.

RSharp?

I figured you'd be liable to know a few, don't all lawyers retire to private clubs to drink whisky and lament how silly the rest of us are?

I imagine all laywes by a fire
with cratves aand little chinese take out box hatrs ion teher aheads and smokgin cornboc poapes and being laisk
"thiase silly people OHOAHOHO"
alps really fancy lounge cahiens.

i'll go back ato the adrunk thead byea

Woohoo! Mazel tov!

And would totally join the rest of you in the drinking-to-productivity, but...Percocet. Though I did have some Baileys between pain pills. Easier on the stomach than bourbon, and just as tasty.

To be fair, I actually finished classes for the semester last Friday, but I've been too busy enjoying my freedom to find time to announce it in the thread.

No, Sharpe. Sorry, I was editing that thing because I couldn't figure out how to tag a username at first.

I am not that kind of lawyer. Prosecutors retire to their cramped offices to lament how all the other lawyers get all the money, and, as if that wasn't bad enough, all the whiskey.

I liked that, though. Liable to know a few, get it?! HAHAHA

I do what I must because I can.

Yep Sharpe is a workers' comp attorney, not sure if he reps applicants or companies though.

As I understand it, companies do have an interest in minimizing expenditures because it has a very direct rate on premiums for them, so the companies are permitted (and may want) to oppose claims at times. A big company like Universal should have the risk spread out enough to not be too affected by any one case, though. I would hope.

For a work injury, Mrs. Widget has already covered the essentials: in CA if you get hurt at work, your primary option is a workers' compensation claim. There are attorneys who specialize in that and the State of CA also has an Information and Assistance office (linked above by Mrs.W) which can provide basic info. In CA, workers' comp is no fault so it doesn't matter who was at fault for the injury as long it was work related. Also, CA recognizes "cumulative trauma" type injuries which means injuries that come on gradually due to repetitive stuff like constant walking on hard surfaces, continuous data entry, frequent heavy lifting and so forth, so if you have a gradual type injury, you still have a valid claim.

If you do have a work injury in CA, and you need more help than you can get from the state or other free resources, research a good workers' compensation attorney. I disagree with what Mrs. Widget said: there are tons of them and its pretty easy to both find one and get a free consult. There is a big difference between a good Applicant's firm and a "mill" type firm but the rate they charge is a percentage of recovery set by law so both the good and the less-good firms charge the same. Therefore it's strongly in your interest to research a good one: a good attorney can make a world of difference and will not cost you any more than a 1-800-WESUE4U lawyer.

A few things to look for: generally someone who is a "Certified Specialist" in CA Workers' Compensation law (certified by the State Bar) is preferred. Also, firms that use non-attorney "hearing representatives" are IMO typically offering a lower level of service. Additionally, firms that use 1-800 referral services tend to be "volume filers" which means your case will be one of thousands chugging through a largely automated process. Lastly, one specific red flag in my personal opinion is firms that refer you to chiropractors as primary treating physicians. Although there are many good chiros out there, there are tons of scumbag chiros IMO and firms which rely on them tend, IMO to be on the lower quality side.

Also, if you have a work injury, document everything. Keeping good records is the best way to make sure things go smoothly.

None of the above is legal advice and represents only my personal opinions.

I was retweeted by a twitter person who is a semi-celebrity. At the least a twitter celebrity. I have seven new followers who don't appear to be bots!

I got retweeted or replied to by Colin Hanks once. That was awesome.