... the human touch

We've Moved!

2011-05-18T10:51:00.000-07:00

This blog is now hosted at http://cseinsurance.com/blog. Please stop by!

Are Dog Bites A Problem In California? We Ask The Experts

2011-05-11T07:05:00.000-07:00

According to one of those (ahem) "other" insurance carriers, California leads the nation in dog bite claims. To further investigate this, our intrepid staff interviewed several leading experts in the field. Here's what they had to say:

		"Do I look like I'd bite someone?"
		"Gawrsh! I would never do such a thing!"
		"My pal Stimpy here will gladly tell you I could never bite someone! Isn't that right, Stimpy?" "Duh... that's right, Ren!"
		"Woof!" (We think that means "no biting for me.")
		"Look -- if I haven't bit the kid after all she's dragged me into the past eighty-seven years, do you think I'm going to start now?"
		"Hi there! My name is Dug. I have just met you and I LOVE you! I am a good dog. I... SQUIRREL!"

Legislation Enhancing Punitive Powers of California Insurance Commissioner Fails to Make its Way out of Committee

2011-05-10T22:47:00.000-07:00

A bill recently introduced in the California legislature that would have provided specific authority to the state Insurance Commissioner to order restitution as an element of any administrative enforcement action against an insurance company has failed to make it out of committee.

The Insurance Brokers and Agents of the West (IBA West) had spoken out in opposition to the bill, stating it would have provided the commissioner with excessive power to punish any broker-agent or other insurance licensees whenever, in the commissioner's opinion, any violation of the state insurance code had taken place.

According to the bill's sponsor Sen. Noreen Evans, whose district encompasses several counties in the northern portion of the San Francisco Bay Area, the bill was needed due to the insurance commissioner in many cases presently lacking the specific authority necessary to order restitution or other financial compensation when violations of the state insurance code had been determined to have transpired.

Images from Yesterday's Cinco de Mayo Lunch

2011-05-06T09:30:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, the Fun Club held a Cinco de Mayo lunch in the Walnut Creek office. Below are some images from the event:

Preparations are made for the event.

Matt and Nick add some decor.

Lest we forget what we're celebrating...

The spread is, well, spread.

"Flowers and beads are one thing..." Sorry, had an Iron Butterfly flashback there.

Matt makes his list and checks it twice.

Next, he reveals his hitherto secret desire to join a mariachi band.

Just what is on that iPad, anyway?.

Did we mention the Sharks are up three games to none over Detroit in the playoffs?

Truth in advertising - a four foot long burrito is outrageous.

The gang begins to chow down.

Rohin and Melissa are in attendance.

Lining up!

The Fun Club crew, hard at work.

Serving up the chow!

Mike gets in the spirit of the holiday.

Lisa flashes her smile.

Angie rocks the sombrero.

We're all a little concerned about Mary...

Lauren LOVES having her picture taken.

Joel informs he don't need no steenkin' badge.

Dave smiles despite his Flyers being down 3-0 in the playoffs.

Xavier gets in the spirit of the day, setting aside how Cinco de Mayo commemorates the defeat of the French army in 1862.

Smile, Ken...

Jerusalem can make any look look cool.

Bob, on the other hand...

C'mon, Jim, it's not that bad.

Melissa strikes a pose.

You didn't know this came with working here, did you Melissa?

Maria grins and bears it.

Elizabeth's thrilled. No, really.

Maria wonders when this clown with the camera will leave.

Larry's in the spirit!

Linda gives us a grin.

Carol shows how everyone enjoyed the lunch...

... and we do mean everyone!

Possible New Gasoline Tax?

2011-05-05T08:46:00.000-07:00

Although not yet law, nor introduced as a bill before Congress, the draft of a bill by the Obama administration is raising eyebrows due to it proposing a new gas tax based on the amount of mileage driven.

The proposal states that a new Federal office, namely the Surface Transportation Revenue Alternatives Office, be established within the existing Federal Highway Administration. The new office would be charged with studying how a mileage-based user fee (i.e. tax) system could be established, including the technical aspects of how to track the mileage of all motor vehicles driven in the United States.

A total of $295 million would be allocated to the office over five years.

The draft bill follows a report by the Congressional Budget Office issued in March which suggested tracking, reporting and taxing total vehicle miles traveled (VMT). Whether such a tax would be in addition to, or in lieu of, existing Federal gasoline taxes is not mentioned in either the report or the draft bill.

Presently, there is a Federal tax of 18.4 cents on each gallon of gasoline sold. In California, there is an additional tax of eighteen cents per gallon plus a 6% state sales tax, 1.25% county sales tax, any additional sales taxes levied locally and a 1.2 cents per gallon state UST (underground storage tank) fee.

A spokesperson for the Obama administration has stated the proposed bill is in draft form, and has been neither approved nor reviewed by the administration.

Insuring Star Wars Day

2011-05-04T12:49:00.000-07:00

Today is Star Wars Day, this stemming from a play on "may the force be with you" being changed into "May the fourth be with you." Either that, or it was invented by someone who started celebrating Cinco de Mayo a little early. In either case, it's Star Wars Day.

There are few films more deeply ingrained in the pop culture psyche than Star Wars. Granted, it's "only" the fourth highest grossing film of all time in the United States and not even in the top ten worldwide, although Star Wars I: The Phantom Menace is fourth highest. Yet its place is far, far higher than films that have earned more money, such as Titanic. No matter how many times you watch it, the boat sinks. Star Wars? A whole lot more at play, especially when the small fry espy one of the multitude of Star Wars Lego sets currently available.

Given how Star Wars features a whole lot of people and places either blowing up, ending up at the wrong end of a blaster or getting sliced and diced by light sabers, the natural temptation is to think insurance is probably the last thing on the minds of assorted humans, aliens, Wookies, robots and whatever Yoda is. Ah, but you'd be surprised. Our intrepid team of researchers has uncovered some actual correspondence samples from an insurance agency a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away...

To: Luke Skywalker

Sir:

Thank you for updating your claim about damage to your X-Wing Fighter. While we were at first reluctant to accept this claim due to you, by your own admission, parking your vehicle in an unsafe area to hereafter be referred to as "the swamp," we now understand your vehicle has been moved to a safer location. However, we must caution you that the moving company used, one "Yoda," is not authorized by our firm and you will have to pay any damages resulting from the move yourself. Also, please be aware that "the force" is not an approved method for vehicle relocation. Going forward, please call one of our authorized tow services.

To: Darth Vader

Sir:

We are denying your claim for damages to your vehicle, hereafter referred to as "death star." While we understand the vehicle is a total loss, and can appreciate the hardships this may present, our adjuster informs us that a known design flaw was present in the vehicle and was not properly addressed. In the future, please ensure all vehicles in your possession are both properly designed and equipped with current safety devices, as you being the sole survivor of the accident can hardly be described as an acceptable risk.

To: Princess Leia

Madam:

Please find enclosed a check for $417.38 to cover the after-deductible cost of garment repair due to, as stated on the claim, "Wookie hair removal." While we are happy to settle this claim on your behalf, we advise you to invest in some form of less easily shed-upon material.

To: Han Solo

Sir:

Thank you for your recent inquiry. We regret to inform you that we do not presently offer insurance for high-risk individuals such as smugglers. Should you ever change professions into something more pastoral, such as entering into a personal relationship with a princess or searching for archeological treasure, please contact us as we will be more than happy to put together a policy that meets your needs.

To: George Lucas

Sir:

Jar Jar Binks? Really?!!

Driver Ed at McQueen High

2011-05-02T11:10:00.000-07:00

We're well into our 2011 youth scholarship contest. With two weeks left to go -- last date an entry can be postmarked is Friday, May 13 -- we've received fifty-nine entries, with doubtless many more to come. The more, the better!

The overall quality of entries thus far has been excellent; it's going to be very difficult selecting the winners, as there are many worthy entries. However, one entry to date has stood out. Not due to the essay's content, which for the record is one of the better ones received. No, it's due to the school name.

McQueen High School.

This immediately conjures up two distinct images of what a driver instruction course there could look like...

Turn Right to Go Left 101. This course will emphasize the fundamentals of dirt track racing, along with the need to have a good team behind you. You will also experience firsthand what proper towing technique feels like courtesy of special quest instructor Mater. Extra credit will be offered for students assisting with road repair.

Street Driving Skills 101. This course will be held off-campus on the streets of San Francisco. Students will learn necessary skills such as how to jump their vehicle off of a hill, bob & weave through intersections and drive at very close proximity to the car next to you. Also, a demonstration on the dangers of improper stopping methods at gas stations will be offered. Students are advised to bring their own car, as it is doubtful their parents will appreciate the shape the family vehicle will be in once the course is completed. Green Mustang preferred.

How Not To Handle Rising Prices

2011-04-28T13:20:00.000-07:00

As you've no doubt noticed, the price of gasoline has soared recently. We're now beginning to see the trickle-down effects of this in other areas. Comparing prices from this time last year to now:

A loaf of bread costs on average seventeen cents more.

A gallon of milk costs on average thirty-one cents more.

Twelve ounces of ground coffee from Starbucks? A dollar more.

A half-gallon of orange juice costs on average sixteen cents more.

A pound of ground beef costs on average forty-seven cents more.

A five-pound sack of potatoes costs on average thirty-eight cents more.

A pound of chicken breasts costs on average thirty-nine cents more.

It adds up fast. And for the record, nationwide a gallon of gas costs on average $1.03 more than at this time last week. In California it's $1.12 and nine-tenths.

Since not eating isn't an option, and since unlike the federal government's actions simply printing money isn't legal, the question becomes how to handle this additional strain on our individual budgets. Most of us can trim back here or there. But when you depend on your car for the job, making driving less not possible, you cut elsewhere. You don't go to that movie. You don't buy that new outfit. You skip that ballgame.

You don't get that insurance coverage.

It's easy to say "well, you're an insurance company; of course you're going to tell people not to skimp on their insurance." Which is true insofar as we are an insurance company. However, let's take a moment to look at who actually pays the cost for inadequate insurance, or none at all.

Let's say you're in a car accident in California. You have insurance. The other person doesn't, even though the law says it's mandatory. Hopefully you have UM (Uninsured Motorist) coverage as part of your auto policy. If not, good luck getting any kind of compensation, be it for repairing or if need be replacing your car. As well as repairing you and/or your passengers. No insurance carried by anyone can handle replacement of same.

Next, take a look at your bank account. Can you afford to replace your residence, and everything in it, out of pocket? If so, congratulations. If you're like the other 99 44/100% of us, the answer is no. Might want to think twice before low-balling yourself on coverage.

Yes, times are tough and money's too tight to mention. However, in trying to budget things so you don't come up short, don't short yourself.

A Visit From The Board Of Directors (Part Three)

2011-04-25T13:19:00.000-07:00

Following the greetings and introductory remarks, a meet-and-greet session took place where CSE employees mingled with the Board of Directors members. Special thanks to Vicki George for providing many of the photos below:

A Visit From The Board of Directors (Part Two)

2011-04-20T15:45:00.000-07:00

President and CEO Pierre Bize welcomes everyone. Thierry Derez stands nearby.

Patrice Forget (R) smiles as Pierre continues with the welcoming comments.

Pierre presents Thierry with a clock commemorating the years of partnership between CSE and COVEA.

Dominique Salvy says hello.

Thierry thanks everyone for the reception.

A Visit From The Board Of Directors (Part One)

2011-04-19T14:55:00.000-07:00

Recently, we were visited by our Board of Directors, for whom we had a reception. We have a number of photos to share with you from the event. Here are but a few:

What would a reception be without cake?

The employees gather to the left...

... and to the right.

More tomorrow.

Using "Cars" to teach about driver safety and other valuable lessons

2011-04-13T13:33:00.000-07:00

As you're probably growing ever more aware of, especially if you have a young son who's prone to going through the toy department at Target, Cars 2 will be hitting theaters in June. Since Pixar is apparently genetically incapable of making a bad film, it goes to reason that the continued adventures of Lightning McQueen, Mater and others will be something both kids and adults will enjoy. However, I'm not here to promote the movie; there is no doubt Disney will do just fine in that area. Instead, a few illustrations from the original movie that can be used to both teach driver safety, as well as an appreciation for what the automobile has brought to American culture, are suggested.

It's never too early to start teaching kids the fundamentals of driver safety. While no one is advocating putting a six year old behind the wheel of the family car and letting them have at it, planting seeds is always worth the effort. In the movie, Doc Hudson challenges Lightning McQueen to a race on dirt. Lightning McQueen, overconfident in his abilities, takes off at the start of the race... and then runs off the course when he attempts to turn left and skids out of control. Doc Hudson mocks Lightning McQueen as he tells him that on a slick surface, such as a dirt track, in order to turn to the left you have to steer to the right. This creates a controlled skid. Which will most likely mean little to a six year old, but ten years from now when they find themselves hydroplaning on a rain-soaked freeway knowing what to do not solely from a half-slept through drivers education course, but through a beloved cartoon, can be a lifesaver. (As an aside, should you have a teen in the house having them watch this six-minute cartoon starring Goofy will most likely have a greater impact on their driving than any number of lectures.)

The other lesson one can take from Cars comes later on in the movie when Lightning McQueen, mostly through the efforts of Sally, learns about the freeway that used to go by the town of Radiator Springs before a super highway was built that bypassed the town. Take a moment to share with your children what this is referring to, namely Route 66. While to today's kids a car ride without DVDs to watch is as foreign as, well, Route 66 itself, much of Cars is devoted to Lightning McQueen discovering the past he never knew existed. Take the opportunity this offers to teach your children how to value and cherish what the past has to offer, when you can bringing in people who lived during the middle part of the last century to tell the stories first hand. For the musically inclined, picking up a copy of the CD Old Angel by a band named the Lost Dogs which plays a musical style generally referred to as Americana can also help. It's also available on iTunes.

It's not as hard as it may appear to teach about driving safety and the place the automobile has in American culture. Give it a spin. Without spinning out, of course.

Both Sides Of The Story

2011-04-12T16:19:00.000-07:00

It's far too easy in this world to generalize, compartmentalize and stereotype others. A prime example of this is the ongoing debate about public employees.

In the face of those who attempt to portray all government workers as irresponsible and sponging off the taxpayer's money comes this stinging retort from the wife of a federal law enforcement professional:

Do you remember the last time you were zapped while scaling an electric fence chasing a criminal illegal alien because you needed to deport him? Oh, you’ve never done that? Well, my husband has. Where did you spend Christmas ’05? My husband spent his working a double shift. Yes, he got paid overtime. Many in the private sector get overtime for that too.

I also have a loved one who works as a social worker for the state. She worked her way through college for the masters degree required to do her job. She lives in a lovely mobile home park not far from here, but we don’t get to see her much. She’s very busy.

(T)he fight for smaller government has led to many using a ridiculously broad brush on federal employees (and public school teachers and law enforcement), and I just can’t be any part of it. Mainly because every time I read this stuff feels like getting slapped in the face.

I take comfort in my caviar and luxury car’s soft Corinthian leather. Just kidding. My car doesn’t have leather seats, but it does have 130,000 miles and a squeak that’s getting louder and louder.

It's always good to hear both sides of the story.

A Former Scholarship Winner Shares

2011-04-08T09:04:00.000-07:00

As our 2011 Youth Scholarship contest rolls along, we'd like to take a moment and look back to last year's contest. More specifically, at one of the winners who recently send us a thank-you card including this note:

Thank you so much for making my dreams possible. My first two quarters at San Luis Obispo have been absolutely wonderful and could not be possible without your contribution. The money you have generously donated has been used for various architecture projects, for books, and for general fees on campus. As an architect major, I have worked on dozens of projects. Some pictures of my most successful projects are included.

I am having a wonderful time at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. All of my classes are incredible and I love going to class every day. Thank you for making it all possible and allowing me to pursue my dreams as an aspiring architect. Thank you so much for making my dreams possible.

So what has our winner from last year been accomplishing? Quite a bit, actually. Here are the photos of some of his projects, with his description:

A simple compositional project made from wire placed on a base.

A basswood model using the same ideas of the wire project.

A remodeling project of Hartford Pier, a pier located in Avila Beach. This bridge was designed as a lookout point out to the ocean that separates itself from the chaotic and busy pier deck. The primary focus of this project was on craft along with the design aspect.

Known as paraSITE, this is the most involving and experimental project to date. Made of over 130 pounds of steel, with over 80 pounds suspended on the two points, one at the box and the other at the wall. This taught me how to use many of the tools that CAED had at its disposal such as a complete welding shop, metal shop and wood shop. I have learned how to use many of the various saws and sanders, metal shears and spot welders, and the welder and plasma cutter. These lifelong skills could only have been obtained through your contribution.

It's good to have this reminder of how helping the children of the people who serve the people yields positive returns for everyone!

If Shakespeare Wrote The Annual Report

2011-04-07T08:59:00.000-07:00

We've just finished work on our annual report. For those among you who have never read one, an annual report is a summary of the preceding year, filled with facts and figures detailing how everything went for the business in question.

By nature, annual reports are usually rather dry reads, as people read them to get technically correct data about a company as opposed to seeking to be wowed with florid prose. However, while putting this year's edition together, a thought did come to mind:

What if, in-between plays and sonnets, Shakespeare decided to pick up some freelance work by writing an annual report for one of the insurance companies of his day -- yes, there were insurance providers doing business in the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries-- and in the course of doing so becoming confused as to the assignment's nature and therefore wrote it as a play?

Let's see how this might have worked out…

SCENE: Morning in the town. Enter ACTUARIUS, UNDERWRITICUS, CLAIMSICUS and MARKETUS.

MARKETUS:

Gentlemen! I greet you with the excitement of the new day.
For lo, the sun doth rise brightly in the eastern sky;
Scattering its beams across hills and valleys
As they brush away the slumber from eyes across the land.
We must seize this grand opportunity provided by Nature itself
To travel across hill, dale and if need be Chip;
Proclaiming how our fine products and service
Bring comfort and renewal to all
Even as the fiery globe now above us warms and soothes.

UNDERWRITICUS:

Do not make haste to so travel.
We must proceed with caution most diligent,
For not all in this land are of fine nature.
Nay, some are of a scurrilous peculiarity,
Seeking compensation for losses not their own,
Or of a time so firmly rooted in the distant past
Whatever grievance they might have suffered
Has long since been erased by time's incessant march.

CLAIMSICUS:

Thou kiddeth not.

ACTUARIUS:

I too urge caution.
For whilst I am in the midst of my work,
We know not what compensation from the people
Is correct exchange for the protection we extend.

MARKETUS:

Upon my word, you three
Erect such barriers of reticence
You truly drain the light right out of the sky.

UNDERWRITICUS:

Better to drain the sky
Than draw from the reinsurance fund.

Enter ITICUS.

ITICUS:

Underwriticus, Claimicus and Actuarius, my good men!
Fret not over the plans of Marketus.
For I have provided him such tools and implements of exquisite nature
As to soothe any fears of overreach.
You have my most solemn word
That naught will spin out of control.

UNDERWRITICUS, CLAIMSICUS and ACTUARIUS:

Thy pun is most unforgivable.

Enter AGENTICUS.

AGENTICUS:

Gentlemen!
What have thee to offer me
With which I can entice the people who serveth the people
To entrust me with their trust?

MARKETUS:

We provide products most fair;
Protection for their domicile and carriage.

Enter COMMERCIALICUS.

COMMERCIALICUS:

And place of business
Or apartment or townhouse complex!

AGENTICUS:

What?

COMMERCIALICUS:

Uh… I'll explain in a few hundred years.

MARKETUS:

As was being said,
We offer service and comfort
Great of value yet small of price.
Should ever thy customers suffer
The slings and arrows of outrageous misfortune,
Swift will be the hand of care we provide
To right that which has been made wrong.

AGENTICUS:

Verily thou hath inspired me!
Go forth I shall
To sell thy wares,
For you are most favored among all such businesses
And offer such goodness.

Enter AMBESTICUS and WARDICUS.

AMBESTICUS and WARDICUS:

We concur.

ALL:

Huzzah!

Tax Truths

2011-04-06T08:54:00.000-07:00

For most of us, April 15th is a day filled with dread. Why? It's the deadline for filling out and sending in your federal income tax papers.

Exactly why it has never been set up that in lieu of withholding and all the assorted financial gymnastics that take place when it comes to income tax a set percentage is taken out of your paycheck and that's the end of it has oft been discussed. There's no doubt a perfectly good reason, although other than keeping a lot of people on the government payroll while working for the Internal Revenue System quite possibly has something to do with the matter. However, we're getting off track here; back to the significance of April 15th. More precisely, two days after April 15th.

If you live and work in California, should you take your yearly salary starting January 1st and pay every penny of it as tax until you had paid all of the taxes you will owe during the year, April 17th would be the first day of the year you would actually start keeping what you earned. Another way to look at it is this: if you were to be paid every day of a non-leap year -- 365 days -- everything you earned in 106 of those days would be taken away from you in the form of one tax or another. In Arizona and Nevada the first day you's start keeping what you earned would be April 3rd, while in Utah it would be April 11th.

There are states with even higher tax burdens than California. The first day working for themselves for anyone living in New York is April 25th. In New Jersey, it's April 30th. The, uh, "champion" in this category is Connecticut. The first day its residents keep what they earn? May 3rd.

Ah, but it gets better.

If the above formula was applied to paying what the government actually spends, the first day we would keep what we earn would be May 24th.

Makes you wonder about where it's all going, doesn't it?

How Not To Handle Criticism

2011-03-31T08:35:00.000-07:00

Everyone who works in a service industry, such as insurance, will at some point in time work with the public. After all, they are the ones who ultimately pay our salaries by purchasing the services or goods we as a company offer. Even if you're not in a position where you directly deal with the public on a routine basis, such as customer service, you need to have the proper people skills so as to follow the old axiom: don't mess with the meal ticket.

Sooner or later, you're going to face criticism of your work. It's easier said than done to simply shrug it off if you know you're doing the right thing the right way. However, it is a necessary skill to have if you're going to last for very long.

The above comes to mind when contemplating one Jacqueline Howett. She is an author who recently released his first full-length book titled The Greek Seaman.

Now, something everyone who puts a piece of work out there, be it creative or work process-oriented, has to accept is that others have the right to criticize their work. You take it for what it's worth. Some people offer a critique out of sincerity, while others do so out of spite and/or malice. In either case, it comes with the territory.

What's the one thing you never do in the face of criticism?

Have a public meltdown.

Which brings us back to Ms. Howett.

A review of her book was posted on a blog devoted to such things. In the review was this:

If you read The Greek Seaman from the start until you click next page for the last time I think you’ll find the story compelling and interesting. The culture shock felt by the newlywed bride, Katy, who finds herself far from her native England, living on a cargo ship with her seaman husband Don is a good story in itself. Katy adapting to this all male environment with a crew of mixed nationality, most non-English speaking, is compelling. Whether Katy and Don will survive the criminal conspiracies the ship owner and captain have planned is yet another conflict that should keep a reader in suspense to the end.
However, odds of making that final click are slim. One reason is the spelling and grammar errors, which come so quickly that, especially in the first several chapters, it’s difficult to get into the book without being jarred back to reality as you attempt unraveling what the author meant. At times, you’ll be engrossed in the story when you’ll run across a flowery description of the emotions Katy is feeling about her situation or her husband. These are numerous and sometimes very good. Chances are one of these sections originally pulled you so deeply into Katy’s world. Then you’ll run into one that doesn’t work and get derailed again. Reading shouldn’t be that hard.

Shortly after this was posted, Ms. Howett responded. Repeatedly. A sample below:

My writing is just fine!

You did not download the fresh copy.... you did not. No way!

As to annoymous

Al was given the option of a free copy from smashwords the following day to download in any format he preffered.

Look AL, I'm not in the mood for playing snake with you, what I read above has no flaws. My writing is fine. You were told to download a new copy for format problems the very next day while they were free at Smashwords, so you could choose any format you wanted to read it in and if their were any spelling mistakes they were corrected. Simply remove this review as it is in error with you not downloading the fresh copy i insisted. Why review my book after being told to do this, and more annoying why have you never ever responded to any of my e-mails?

And please follow up now from e-mail.
This is not only discusting and unprofessional on your part, but you really don't fool me AL.

Who are you any way? Really who are you?
What do we know about you?

You never downloaded another copy you liar!
You never ever returned to me an e-mail

Besides if you want to throw crap at authors you should first ask their permission if they want it stuck up on the internet via e-mail. That debate is high among authors.

Your the target not me!
Now get this review off here!

The reviewer responded with very detailed, gracious comments pointing out the errors he was referencing.

To which Ms. Howett responded with language that cannot be repeated here.

I'm thinking she most likely isn't improving sales with this approach.

P.S. Here is the book's description as written by the author:

What is an eighteen year old doing traveling on a massive merchant ship anyways, hadn't she gone to Greece on tour in a ballet as a dancer? These are questions Katy asks herself while traveling the high seas with Don, her chief officer who she marries. However, little do they know, a smuggling ring is also on board for this ride, on a blue diamond exchange, and when explosions and threats to sink the ship also happen, they must try to save themselves. True story.

What Not To Do When Writing

2011-03-30T14:09:00.000-07:00

We're currently finishing up our annual report. It recaps the events of 2010, providing numbers and details about what took place at CSE this past calendar year.

Given that accuracy is of utmost importance when detailing company activities, the report has been read and re-read by several pairs of eyes, making sure no factual errors slip through. It's also being proofread to make sure no errors of the written word variety make their way to the printed report.

Like, for example, not including proper punctuation...

Going the Extra Mile

2011-03-23T13:30:00.000-07:00

One of our traditions here at CSE is whenever disaster strikes, we move swiftly and directly to help our insureds who have been touched by tragedy. In recent years, whenever firestorms rampaged through southern California the top people from our company were there when the embers were still warm, finding our customers and handing them checks to get them started on the road to recovery. We're proud of that.

However, when it comes to going above and beyond the norm in the face of disaster, one man has recently set the bar about as high as it can go. His name is Hideaki Akaiwa.

It was just a few days ago; March 11th to be exact. Mr. Akaiwa was at his office working away on a Friday afternoon. Everything seemed normal.

It wasn't.

You see, Mr. Akaiwa lives in Ishinomaki, Japan. A port city in the north-eastern part of the country.

Where the 8.9 magnitude earthquake struck.

Making things worse, a half-hour later the tsunami hit Ishinomaki, washing away cars and buildings like they were autumn leaves floating down the gutter after the rain, completely devastating the entire city. Mr. Akaiwa, having made it to higher ground outside the city, watched helplessly as the torrent of water ripped through Ishinomaki, crushing and sweeping along everything in its path.

Somewhere in the midst of this destruction and horror was Mr. Akaiwa's wife.

To which he reacted in a manner that makes Chuck Norris look like Barney the dinosaur.

Somewhere, somehow he managed to find some scuba gear. The news stories about it don't say exactly where.

Once outfitted, Mr. Akaiwa made it down from where he had been, out of the tsunami's path...

... and dove into it.

Sometimes wading and sometimes swimming, Mr. Akaiwa dodged the broken glass, broken timbers, cars, houses, and most everything else imaginable that was floating in the water. Which was hardly still; it continued to violently rush through the city.

Didn't matter. He was going to find his wife.

Eventually, through sheer tenacity and determination he made his way to what was left of his house, which although still standing was almost totally submerged. He forced his way in and found his wife, alive but trapped on the upper level with barely enough room to breathe. She couldn't have lasted much longer. Mr. Akaiwa would have none of that. He managed to get her free and out of the house.

However, they were hardly safe.

The water was still rushing. It was getting dark. The couple would have to fight their way through the destruction. With only one underwater breathing apparatus they'd need to share.

After all they'd been through, you think they'd let minor annoyances like that stop them?

They made it back to dry land.

And the story doesn't end there.

Mr. Akaiwa was still missing his elderly mother.

For four days he searched through the shelters that had been hastily thrown together. Nothing. The search and rescue teams were doing the best they could, but the water was still so deep in what was left of Ishinomaki progress was extremely difficult at best.

So, Mr. Akaiwa did what by now came naturally.

He put the scuba gear back on and dove into the water.

Yes, he found her. Like his wife had been, she was alive but trapped in the upper level of her house.

Yes, he got her out safely.

And yes, even with his wife and mother now safe Mr. Akaiwa is still diving into the water, looking for survivors.

Now that is going the extra mile.

Is Order Breaking Down In Japan?

2011-03-16T12:47:00.000-07:00

One of the facts often commented on by Western observers of the Japan earthquake and tsunami's aftermath is how even in the midst of unimaginable destruction and horror, there has been no rift in the country's orderly society. Victims wait patiently in line for food and water. There has been no looting whatsoever. People have remained calm.

Most people, anyway.

Reports by Japanese users of Twitter have started to surface concerning outbreaks of unruly behavior. A rough translation is as follows: "Mad rush for food. Fighting over scraps. Devastation after riot. Marauding gangs."

The tweets continue, "Is this the reality of Japan? Do not look! DO NOT LOOK!"

Now, photos have appeared in conjunction with the tweets, confirming these ugly truths. Please be forewarned the photos are not for the faint of heart. In order to protect the innocent from these images, I have placed them well below.

If you have the courage to look, scroll down...

Mad rush for food!

Fighting over scraps!

Devastation after riot!

Marauding gangs!

And before you ask, yes, this is actually going around Japan on Twitter.

Last Night I Had The Strangest Dream

2011-03-15T13:41:00.000-07:00

It's difficult to find something to smile about these days, as every hour brings a fresh batch of bad news. The destruction wrought by the earthquake and tsunami in Japan. Bloody civil war in Libya. A family brutally murdered as they slept in Israel. No sources of comedy in any of these.

Yet it is at times such as these we most need humor, something to laugh over or at the least bring a smile. Humor is our great defense, the thing that provides momentary escape and relief from the news that otherwise can crush our spirit. There are so many desperately unfunny situations in life. We should seize the opportunity for laughter whenever we can.

And so, I'd like to share a dream I had last night.

I was here at the office. It was late in the evening, and I needed to get from one spot to another. So, I went out into the hallway, which became increasingly more maze-like as I was trying to find my way to wherever it was I was going (don't remember that part).

Somehow I ended up in a large, pyramid-shaped freight elevator that was made out of aluminum. I rode the elevator from the ninth floor to the basement, where I exited the elevator and found myself walking... the same maze-like hallways I had been trying to navigate before I entered the elevator.

After a while, it occurred to me that I was no longer in the office, but was in fact aboard the starship Enterprise of Star Trek fame. It was the one from Star Trek: The Next Generation. I saw various crew members scurrying about, and eventually made my way to what looked like a large cavern filled with partying crew members and aliens encouraging them to party some more.

I then realized the aliens were in fact drugging the crew members in order to make them their slaves. Obviously it was my duty to save them, but I saw I was the only non-drugged person on board other than the aliens.

I managed to escape the cavern and made my way back through the ship, eventually entering a room that was an exact duplicate of the server room here in the office. I said aloud (in the dream), "Where am I going to find someone who's innocent and pure, and can't be tempted by the aliens, to help me take back the ship?"

In walked Winnie the Pooh.

Together with Pooh, we realized that phasers were useless against the aliens and we needed to find some other weapon. Finally we did: a pistol from the 1800s that when fired at an alien would turn them into...

... Lego blocks. Which also freed any crew member they had poisoned.

And so, Pooh and I took back the starship Enterprise.

Hope this helped bring a smile.

California Budget Stalemate Continues

2011-03-14T13:09:00.000-07:00

As reported by the Sacramento Bee, negotiations between Governor Jerry Brown and Republican legislators on the state's budget woes have ended without an agreement being reached.

State Sen. Tom Harman (R - Huntington Beach) commented that the sticking points included Brown's insistence that the proposed maintaining of what will otherwise shortly expire tax hikes enacted by the previous administration be for a five year period. The Republicans proposed an eighteen-month extension. Other issues included the Republicans wishing to place additional measures on the special election asking voters to extend the tax hikes, which will be submitted to the people in an election on either June 7 or June 14 of this year, that would impose a hard cap on state spending and modify the pension plans of current state workers.

It is expected that Brown's next move in regard to the state budget will be discussions with the "Big Four," a nickname for the Democratic and Republican heads of the State Senate and Assembly. As the Democrats hold a solid majority in both houses, and as per a voter-approved measure in the last election it takes only a majority to pass the budget, the negotiations with Republicans either by themselves or in conjunction with Democratic legislators are little more than a courtesy.

Referring back to the election, there are reports that as a means to cut expenses incurred by a special election the entirety of the election will be conducted by mailed-in ballots, with no polling places being used or set up. This remains unconfirmed.

Wouldn't Cracking A Joke Have Been Easier?

2011-03-10T21:49:00.000-08:00

You remember high school, right? Granted, for some of us high school was so long ago that whenever the kids ask if it's true that in biology instead of dissecting a frog we used a wooly mammoth. But we still remember.

Given that high school is populated by teenagers, and the primary interest of teenagers is... well, other teenagers, a fair amount of doing whatever is deemed necessary to impress and/or get the attention of members of the opposite sex occupies time during high school years. Even at East High School, where no one is over a size 4. (High School Musical reference there.)

Usually, attempts to get attention and curry favor with whoever the one true great and eternal love of a young lad or lassie's life is this week -- stop by next week to meet the next one true great and eternal love as they change often -- are restricted to familiar gestures: athletic or academic prowess, attempts to be witty with occasional forays into glibness and sometimes a dip into suave sophistication provided your acne medication is holding out. That said, sometimes a teen decides to go the extra mile to impress fellow teens.

Or the extra 200 feet.

By jumping off the Golden Gate Bridge and living to tell about it:

Frederic Lecouturier, 55, said he was surfing under the bridge when he saw the boy drop into the waves.

"I thought, 'Well, he's going to die,' and then it was a miracle when he popped up alive," said Lecouturier, of San Rafael. "I paddled out there, and he told me he jumped 'for kicks.'

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/03/10/BA101I8RMI.DTL#ixzz1GKbhmkNv

Wrong Way

2011-03-08T19:19:00.000-08:00

The current furor in Wisconsin over state government efforts to eliminate its deficit by placing strict limits on state employee unions is generating a public image unfortunately lacking in reality on both sides of the argument. Let's focus on the teachers portion of the debate.

It has become fashionable in some circles to either universally praise or condemn public teachers. Those who shower nothing but accolades paint a picture of every teacher being a shining paragon of virtue and noble sacrifice, while holders of negative opinions consider teachers one and all to be tax-sucking sloths interested in nothing but their tenure and pension plan. Neither viewpoint is anywhere close to reality.

Let's discard the clichés about teachers and look at the truth. As is the case with any group of workers, there are good ones and bad ones. That said, there are far, far more good teachers than bad out there. They genuinely care about their students. They do their best to teach them well. They make a positive difference in people's lives. And they do not deserve to be tarred with the same brush presently being wielded against those who give every impression of having no interest in anything other than making a living off the public dime.

We live in economically troubled times, in which it is more important than ever for all levels of government to maintain tight controls on their spending. This includes the cost of labor, namely salaries and benefits. That said, lumping all members of any given profession together with those who consider public temper tantrums an acceptable form of behavior is extremely short-sighted. Don't let the few doing it the wrong way lead you into you yourself doing things the wrong way by incorrectly labeling the many.

What Can iPad 2 Do For You?

2011-03-03T21:01:00.000-08:00

Now that the announcement has been made and the numbers are known, what can be gained by buying the iPad 2 when it comes out next Friday, especially by current iPad owners?

Answer: plenty.

While the thinner and lighter aspects are nice, the most important improvements in the iPad 2 over the original lie under the hood. The beefed-up processor will result in a huge performance boost, both in running applications and anything involving video. The iPad is already the most ergonomically-friendly device on the market, one that makes the old joke about how people will always rather curl up with a good book since curling up with a good computer doesn't work as well utterly obsolete. Now, the iPad is even more comfortable and easy to curl up with; more personable. Yes, technology that's personable. It's not only possible. It's here.

All well and good, one might think. But what about for business? Here the iPad 2 also shines. In addition to being able to better run existing business apps, such as the excellent mini-office suite Quickoffice and Apple's own word processing, spreadsheet and slideshow presentation software, the addition of forward and back-facing cameras will make the iPad 2 a valuable field tool. If you pick up either the AT&T or Verizon wireless model, using the available data plans will mean you can do field reports from anywhere there is a signal. We've already seen what apps such as CSE's own claims app can do for iPhone and Android users. With the far greater capacity of the iPad 2, even more superb apps for the insurance industry are now possible.

Also, don't forget that in a matter of days a free GoToMyPC client for the iPad will be available. Now, you can enjoy the comfort and freedom of an iPad while being able to tap into your regular computer whenever necessary.

So what can iPad 2 do for you? A lot. It will be well worth the investment.

He Lost His Job For What?

2011-03-01T21:05:00.000-08:00

Very few of us sit around thinking about ways we can lose our job, primarily because we know them. Preferably not from personal experience. Not doing the work, dishonesty, theft, unacceptable workplace behavior. All well known, all scrupulously avoided.

It's especially important in the insurance industry to be on the up and up. We have to fight the clichés about insurance, and the people who work therein, every day by our example. How we treat our customers matters. It's as simple as that. And so, we keep it clean by avoiding that which might jeopardize our employment.

As noted above, everyone knows the reasons people get walked out the door. However, there are other reasons one might not suspect could lead to instant unemployment.

Did you know applauding can get you canned?

It's true, and it happened but a few days ago. It's no secret yours truly is a huge NASCAR fan. The 2011 season started Sunday before last as it does every season with the biggest race of the year, namely the Daytona 500. It was a thrilling race, won by an unlikely combination: the oldest race team owners in the sport, the Wood Brothers, and the youngest driver in the sport, twenty-year old Trevor Bayne. Who, for some reason, has become rather the instant fan favorite:

Anyway, at the end of the race, a reporter covering the event for Sports Illustrated was so excited by what had just happened he applauded for a few seconds.

Unfortunately for the reporter, he was in the media center at the time.

A few days later, Sports Illustrated fired him for violating the unwritten law about no cheering in the media center or press box. Ever.

Okay... but doesn't firing someone over it seem like a bit of an overreaction?

Grace Under Self-Induced Pressure

2011-02-25T10:05:00.001-08:00

We've all faced those moments when the sudden, chilling realization hits that something we meant to say in private, or at the least to a specific individual, has instead been broadcast to the world and/or the wrong person. For example, a negative comment about the boss meant for one co-worker... that instead was e-mailed to everyone in the company. Including your boss. It happens. Although, strangely enough, it seldom happens twice to the same person. Go figure.

Anyway, a new variation of this oopsies is when someone writes something via social media -- Facebook, Twitter, blog -- that was meant to be sent on their personal account but instead was put on the corporate account. Such an occurrence took place a few days ago to the American Red Cross, when whoever was overseeing their Twitter account at the time clicked the wrong ID from which to send this:

Ryan found two more 4 bottle packs of Dogfish Head's Midas Touch beer... when we drink we do it right #gettngslizzerd

Oops!

Fortunately, all parties concerned remained calm. The next tweet on the account read:

We've deleted the rogue tweet but rest assured the Red Cross is sober and we've confiscated the keys.

Now, bear in mind the American Red Cross has some 268,000 followers on Twitter, so despite the original tweet being deleted more than a few people read the thing. Apparently they were well assured by the Red Cross' response, choosing humorous replies to the original tweet such as:

After I drop off a pint of blood to the Red Cross, I'm going to replace it with a pint of Dogfish beer.

The brewer of Dogfish beer got into the spirit... er, occasion on their Twitter account by encouraging its customers to give blood to the Red Cross, then note having done so on Twitter with the hashtag #gettngslizzerd. For which the Red Cross has thanked them, albeit it with a word of caution that drinking and donating blood should always be spaced well apart on your schedule for health reasons.

The moral of the story is that when a mistake happen -- and it will happen -- one is best advised to own up to it and do their best to turn it into an advantage. That, and remember how most people are more than willing to cut some slack to others when this happens, being that they've been in the same situation themselves.

And avoid discussing getting slizzered when online.

See this Amp at http://amplify.com/u/brrby

San Francisco Bay Area faces dire threat from global warming...

2011-02-24T09:26:00.001-08:00

... that is, if you consider snow a sign of global warming.

Yes, the weather forecast for the San Francisco Bay Area calls for snow this weekend, and not just at the higher elevations. It is expected to reach down to sea level. Which doesn't happen very often.

Given the rare nature of such an event, suffice it to say the natives are ill-prepared for such an occurrence. Those of us who have lived elsewhere at some point in time and will consider whatever snow accumulates to be little more than a dusting will try to keep a straight face at those who consider the sighting of a single flake a sure sign of Snowmageddon. Like Armageddon, but chillier.

Anyway, as a public service we at CSE are providing the following helpful hints should it in fact snow out here. And stick around for more than five minutes.

Tempting though it may be, do not plan on being able to grab your skis or snowboard and head toward Lombard St. San Francisco's finest take a dim view of slaloming down public thoroughfares.
Free-form figure skating is great fun. But not while you're driving. If the area does get snow, and especially ice, if at all possible stay off the road until it thaws.
Cover your plants and pets. But not with each other.
Speaking of pets, Fido and Fluffy are going to be one cranky puppy and kitty if left outside when the white stuff arrives. Not to mention it's not safe for them.
There will likely be a call to conserve energy if everyone has their heater going full blast. Do so. There's no shame in throwing on an extra sweater or sweatshirt. However, avoid wearing snowshoes inside the house, especially if you have shag carpeting. (Does anyone still have shag carpeting?)
No matter how awesome the waves may be from the storm, this will not be a good weekend to go surfing. Trust us on this.
Expect zero sympathy from your relatives back East when either you call them to complain about the weather, or they call you for the sole purpose of laughing hysterically.

Be safe and enjoy the snow, if in fact it does snow. While if there's enough of it there will be inconveniences, it still beats the San Andreas fault having a temper tantrum by a mile.

See this Amp at http://amplify.com/u/brmx9

Just Give The Man The Money

2011-02-16T16:44:00.000-08:00

You have to be a stickler for the rules in insurance. It's part of how we protect our good customers, by actively seeking out those who would jack up everyone's rates by attempting to abuse the system.

That said, sometimes you can be a bit too much of a stickler for the rules. Such was the case last Saturday night in Indianapolis.

The Indianapolis Ice minor league hockey team, like most hockey teams, has a contest in-between periods. Last Saturday night, one of the contests was shooting the puck the length of the ice into the net at the other end. Making it even more of a challenge, the front of the net was completely covered except for a three-inch wide slot at the bottom.

Which is the exact size of a hockey puck.

On to the ice stepped a 73-year old gentleman, who stated prior to taking the shot that if he made it, he's donate the $50,000 prize to a local heart center which had performed life-saving surgery on him a few years back.

He made the shot.

The insurance company sponsoring the shot has thus far refused to pay up, insisting he stepped over the line prior to taking the shot. Never mind how this cut the shot distance down from 190 feet to maybe 189 feet. Or that the team mascot was goofing around beforehand and moved the gentleman to the spot from which he took the shot. No, you were over the line, and you don't get the money.

The team, wisely, has thus far declined to name the insurance company in question.

For the record, it was not CSE.

Announcing our 2011 CSE Youth Scholarship Contest!

2011-02-14T15:41:00.001-08:00

It's time for our annual CSE Youth Scholarship contest!

Youth Scholarship

2011 Essay Competition For Children of Public Employees

ENTRY GUIDELINES

AWARD

To promote driver safety and awareness among young people, in 2011 Civil Service Employees Insurance Company (CSE) will offer a total of $12,000 in scholarships. The competition is divided into three geographic regions: Northern California, Southern California, and Arizona/Nevada. In each region, CSE will offer scholarships in the amount of $1,500 for first place, $1,000 for second place, and $500 each for third through fifth places to a child of a full-time or retired public employee, based on an essay discussing ways the teenage automobile accident rate can be reduced. CSE, a California-based company, has provided personal automobile insurance to public employees and their families for over half a century.

ELIGIBILITY

Applicant must be a California, Arizona or Nevada resident attending his or her senior year of high school.

Applicant must have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0.

Applicant must have been accepted to an accredited four-year college or university, or trade school, in the United States, with intent to enroll as a full-time freshman by the Fall 2011 session.

The applicant's parent or legal guardian must be currently employed full-time by -- or if retired or deceased, must have been employed full-time by -- a government entity. This definition of public employee includes, but is not limited to, peace officers; firefighters; educators; postal employees; military personnel; and federal, state, and local government workers.

CSE employees, employees' relatives, and its agents and vendors are not eligible.

PROCEDURE

Submit in a single packet:

An essay that discusses ways the teenage automobile accident rate can be reduced. The essay must be your original work, written by you, and be typed (double spaced) or printed neatly in ink on 8.5" x 11" white paper. It must be in English and must not exceed five hundred words. Enclose two copies of your essay. Write your name, and the name and city of your high school, on one copy only. Do not write your name or the name and city of your school on the second copy. Applicants will be evaluated on the originality, creativity and written proficiency displayed in their essays.

The signed and completed application form.

A letter of recommendation stating that you are a senior in good standing for graduation with the class of 2011. The letter must be written on school stationery and be signed by a representative of that institution.

* A letter of acceptance from the post-secondary institution you will be attending full-time by the fall of 2011. The letter must be written on the institution's stationery and be signed by a representative of that institution.

Your official school transcript in a sealed envelope.

Send all materials to Scholarship Contest, CSE Insurance Group, P.O. Box 8041, Walnut Creek, California, 94596-8041. All materials must be received by Friday, April 29, 2011. Regular mail is preferred; avoid certified or other special mailings. No fax or electronic submissions will be accepted. All directions on the application must be followed exactly, and all requirements for submission must be met. Materials must be legible. CSE is not responsible for lost or misdirected application materials.

Scholarship winners will be notified by Friday, May 13, 2011. No other applicants will be notified

PLEASE PRINT AND COMPLETE THE APPLICATION FORM

ALL MATERIALS MUST BE RECEIVED BY CSE NO LATER THAN APRIL 29, 2011.

Adobe® Acrobat® Reader® is required to view or download the Application Form - click here to download it free.

See this Amp at http://amplify.com/u/aq9b7

Watching the Grammys (So You Won't Have To)

2011-02-14T15:25:00.001-08:00

There are few certainties in life, but there is one thing on which you can always count. Well, two things. CSE being there for its insureds is one.

The other is people trying to figure out what they just saw on the Grammys.

The Grammys, in case you've missed them, is the yearly awards ceremony for the recorded music industry to reward itself over being such good boys and girls. In recent years it has become known as a haven for performances and outfits that, shall we say, defy logic and in some cases gravity. Not to mention defying good taste.

Let's review the... uh, highlights, shall we?

Lady Gaga arrived inside a giant plastic egg, carried by several muscular young men. It was all rather reminiscent of that scene in Cleopatra when the queen makes her grand entrance aboard a sedan chair carried by slaves. It also did little to squash the rumors that Lady Gaga and Big Bird are romantically entwined.

Many a parent and/or grandparent were left with the dubious honor of having to explain to members of the younger generation the identities of Bob Dylan and Mick Jagger.

One of the most widely praised performances came from Mumford and Sons, the English new folk quartet featuring passionate music and lyrics which, when studied, reveal none of the members have a date this Valentine's Day and if they did they'd mess up the relationship before the evening was done.

Someone named Esperanza Spalding won the award for Best New Artist over Justin Bieber. Considering how most Best New Artists award winners quickly fade into oblivion, perhaps Bieber should be glad. Nevertheless, this enraged his tweener fan base, many of whom are now holding a massive pout-in at the nearest shopping mall food court.

Arcade Fire won the Album of the Year award. This marks the first time the award has been won by a Canadian rock band. This also marks the first time most people knew there were any Canadian rock bands other than Rush.

See this Amp at http://amplify.com/u/aq98v

Announcing our 2011 CSE Youth Scholarship Contest!

2011-02-08T16:34:00.000-08:00

It's time for our annual CSE Youth Scholarship contest!

Youth Scholarship

2011 Essay Competition For Children of Public Employees

ENTRY GUIDELINES

AWARD
To promote driver safety and awareness among young people, in 2011 Civil Service Employees Insurance Company (CSE) will offer a total of $12,000 in scholarships. The competition is divided into three geographic regions: Northern California, Southern California, and Arizona/Nevada. In each region, CSE will offer scholarships in the amount of $1,500 for first place, $1,000 for second place, and $500 each for third through fifth places to a child of a full-time or retired public employee, based on an essay discussing ways the teenage automobile accident rate can be reduced. CSE, a California-based company, has provided personal automobile insurance to public employees and their families for over half a century.

ELIGIBILITY

Applicant must be a California, Arizona or Nevada resident attending his or her senior year of high school.
Applicant must have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0.
Applicant must have been accepted to an accredited four-year college or university, or trade school, in the United States, with intent to enroll as a full-time freshman by the Fall 2011 session.
The applicant's parent or legal guardian must be currently employed full-time by -- or if retired or deceased, must have been employed full-time by -- a government entity. This definition of public employee includes, but is not limited to, peace officers; firefighters; educators; postal employees; military personnel; and federal, state, and local government workers.
CSE employees, employees' relatives, and its agents and vendors are not eligible.

PROCEDURE
Submit in a single packet:

An essay that discusses ways the teenage automobile accident rate can be reduced. The essay must be your original work, written by you, and be typed (double spaced) or printed neatly in ink on 8.5" x 11" white paper. It must be in English and must not exceed five hundred words. Enclose two copies of your essay. Write your name, and the name and city of your high school, on one copy only. Do not write your name or the name and city of your school on the second copy. Applicants will be evaluated on the originality, creativity and written proficiency displayed in their essays.
The signed and completed application form.
A letter of recommendation stating that you are a senior in good standing for graduation with the class of 2011. The letter must be written on school stationery and be signed by a representative of that institution.
* A letter of acceptance from the post-secondary institution you will be attending full-time by the fall of 2011. The letter must be written on the institution's stationery and be signed by a representative of that institution.
Your official school transcript in a sealed envelope.
Send all materials to Scholarship Contest, CSE Insurance Group, P.O. Box 8041, Walnut Creek, California, 94596-8041. All materials must be received by Friday, April 29, 2011. Regular mail is preferred; avoid certified or other special mailings. No fax or electronic submissions will be accepted. All directions on the application must be followed exactly, and all requirements for submission must be met. Materials must be legible. CSE is not responsible for lost or misdirected application materials.
Scholarship winners will be notified by Friday, May 13, 2011. No other applicants will be notified

PLEASE PRINT AND COMPLETE THE APPLICATION FORM

ALL MATERIALS MUST BE RECEIVED BY CSE NO LATER THAN APRIL 29, 2011.

Adobe® Acrobat® Reader® is required to view or download the Application Form - click here to download it free.

Tail... Er, Tale of a Survivor

2011-02-03T13:50:00.000-08:00

There is a lot of dark news right now: the unrest in Egypt and elsewhere, typhoon in Australia, much of the United States buried under snow. For many, today isn't about getting ahead or making plans for the future. It's a battle to simply survive. Ofttimes that's where we come in, providing reassurance to our insureds that should the unfortunate strike they will not have to attempt recovery alone. We can't do everything, of course. Some things folk have to do on their own.

Consider this moo-ving... uh, moving tail... er, tale of a true survivor.

In January of 2006, a young woman faced execution although she had committed no crime. Pleas of innocence were ignored as her captors led her to her fate. However, this resourceful individual had other plans than going gentle into that good night.

Or at the least, winding up on the menu at Wendy's.

The woman in question was a 1,200 heifer at a meat processing facility -- in other words, a slaughterhouse -- in Montana. Yearning to breathe free as opposed to becoming the one-time only guest at a barbecue, the resourceful cow decided it was time to lay to rest the notion that bovines were nonathletic creatures. And save her own hide (literally) in the process.

How?

She jumped, not over the moon, but over something thought equally impossible for a cow: a 5 1/2 foot tall fence.

That was only the start of the cow's adventures. Danger followed her every step as she ran through town -- well, as much as a cow can run -- with the local police and animal control people hot on her hooves. She dodged a determined German Shepherd who had no doubt never seen a walking T-bone steak before, deftly avoiding being turned into a hood ornament by an SUV, and wound her way through a railroad yard. In a final dash of Old West desperado, she swam across the Missouri River. It took not the usual one, but three tranquilizer darts before the heroic heifer finally let them take her alive.

The meat processing facility were so impressed with her spirit, not to mention having no desire to go through this all over again, they granted her a pardon and named her Molly B in honor of the unsinkable Molly Brown. As sending her back to the herd was nixed due to fears she'd start teaching the other cows extreme survival skills, Molly B was sent off to live at an animal reserve.

Sadly, it fell on hard times, forcing the local animal control people to euthanize many of the animals living there. But not Molly. Although suffering from a sore hoof, she was not one to let this get in her way. A new animal reserve was found, and a few days ago Molly was moved to her new digs where she has no doubt already established herself as the alpha cow.

Molly B, we salute you. With a veggie burger.

It's a Girl!

2011-02-03T08:39:00.001-08:00

CSE Insurance Group Marketing Manager Sarah Ferrucci and her husband welcomed Miss Dilynn Gia Ferrucci into the world at 1:12 AM this morning! 8.1 lbs., 20.5 inches. Mother and daughter are doing well. This is the Ferrucci's second child.

See this Amp at http://amplify.com/u/aoc2a

It's a Girl!

2011-02-03T08:35:00.000-08:00

My Boss is Having a Baby!

2011-01-31T08:30:00.000-08:00

My boss is having a baby any day now. She’ll be at work today, which brings up all kinds of thoughts about whether assisting with the birth comes under “perform other duties as specified.” Then again, she is currently writing my job description, so maybe it’s in there.

Anyway, today is her last day before going out on maternity leave. Given her oft-demonstrated penchant for the workaholic side of things, I wouldn’t be all that surprised to receive an e-mail later this week informing me that she’ll read my monthly report in-between contractions. This, as the doctor is trying to pry the iPhone out of her hands as she’s being wheeled into the delivery room.

She’s going to have a girl, something about which she is quite pleased as it will at least partially balance her house, presently occupied by her husband, their son (twenty months old, as I recall) and two dogs, both boys. Or, as she refers to the assembled throng of Y chromosomes, her four children.

Her firefighter husband is reportedly having a fair amount of difficulty adjusting to the notion of having a little girl in the house, thus was delighted to see one of the gifts I gave my boss at her baby shower was a teal San Jose Sharks outfit. (Hey, gotta make sure she’s raised right.) I also gave her a Disney Princess sleeper, for while I am a guy, I’m not that dense. Once in a while.

Anyway, I’m currently running a betting pool as to what month it’ll be when daughter has Daddy wrapped around her little finger, official signal being when he’s the one sheepishly standing in line with her at the Princess Faire in Disneyland. I am reminded of the scene I saw at Auto Club Speedway in southern California a few years ago when NASCAR was in town, as a steady stream of moustached macho men in their leather jackets and tattoos tried their best to slink through the souvenir trailers unnoticed, their pink-clad daughters clutching with one hand Daddy’s while the other firmly grasped their Jeff Gordon or one of the other driver’s stuffed animals freshly purchased at the Build-A-Bear mobile location.

Speaking of the baby shower, I was quite relieved when others offered to throw it as for a while it looked like I was going to have to serve as party planner. Can you imagine a baby shower planned by a Raiders fan? It’d consist of handing the mother-to-be a box of diapers with a bow on it. And you know they’d be the wrong size. That, and do you know how hard it is to find shoulder pads with spikes in infant size?

I’m glad my boss is having a baby. Not that I’m trying to get her out of the office for a few weeks; she’s terrific (and stop calling me a suck-up). Rather, it’s seeing the “once I get this pregnancy over with it’ll be so worth it” look on her face, along with hearing it in her voice. Also, there is one personal note of joy in all this. I’ve said way too many goodbyes lately. It’ll be good to say hello.

Welcome, little one.

Not Horsing Around... In A Manner Of Speaking

2011-01-27T10:12:00.001-08:00

A huge part of CSE's business directive is personalizing the insurance experience, both at the business end and among our customers. It is our intent to ensure that everyone we insure is seen as an individual, not blips and blobs in a file somewhere.

Recently, we took care of the needs of one of our insureds who is an avid horseman. A couple of years ago, he detailed a journey he and his horse Primo along the Pacific Crest Trail from Mexico to Oregon for Equestrian Network Magazine (link here).

We're always on the lookout for interesting tales to tell, so if you know of an insured, or are one, with something you'd like to share please let us know. Thanks!

See this Amp at http://amplify.com/u/ans94

Our SAVE Program Featured in Insurance Journal

2011-01-26T14:12:00.000-08:00

Hot off the presses... er, Internet:

Walnut Creek, Calif.-based CSE Insurance Group has filed a pay-as-you-drive auto insurance program with the California Department of Insurance.
Upon approval, customers who take part in the SAVE program will be rewarded for driving fewer miles with lower auto insurance premiums. This optional program will be available in an annual policy term with the minimum mileage starting at 5,000 miles. At policy inception, customers will provide estimated annual mileage and will have the opportunity to increase their mileage if needed during the policy term.
The insured will receive a refund if the annualized mileage is below the original estimated annual mileage reported. If the actual mileage driven is greater than the original estimated yearly mileage, the insured will be billed for the difference, making the program a consumer-managed program.
Pierre Bize, president and CEO, said, “This is a true pay by the mile program where our customers pay for the miles they drive. Not only are drivers reporting their actual mileage, they are reimbursed for the difference between their estimated and actual annual mileage. We believe the SAVE Program generates other clear benefits that fit squarely into our green initiative efforts by encouraging program participants to drive less.”
Policyholders will be able to logon to CSE’s Insured Portal 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to report and/or request a change in their mileage. The program also offers multiple payment options.
Insurers Automobile Club of Southern California and State Farm Mutual Insurance Automobile Insurance are approved to offer pay-as-you-drive programs in the Golden State.

Make sure you go to the post on the Insurance Journal website (link here) and leave a comment!

Sunday Bloody Sunday

2011-01-24T14:41:00.000-08:00

Last Thursday in Miami, two police officers were fatally shot by an individual wanted for murder. The suspect was shot and killed by another officer.

Sunday, an Indianapolis police officer was shot and critically wounded during a routine traffic stop. A suspect is in custody.

Also on Sunday, in Lincoln City, Oregon a police officer was shot and critically wounded during a routine traffic stop. The suspect is still at large.

Again on Sunday, in Port Orchard, Washington two sheriffs deputies were wounded in a gun battle with a shooter in a Wal-Mart. The gunman was killed.

And again on Sunday, an individual walked into a police station in Detroit, Michigan and opened fire. Four officers were wounded before the shooter was killed. All four officers are expected to recover.

This morning in St. Petersburg, Florida two police officers were shot and killed by an individual on whom they were attempting to serve an arrest warrant. A sheriffs deputy was wounded. The suspect was killed.

Now is a very good time to pause and reflect on the people we serve who themselves serve the people.

And thank them.

A New Threat to Online Privacy - And What You Can Do About It

2011-01-20T23:42:00.000-08:00

The debate about online privacy, or lack thereof, has been raging for some time. Lately, a new player in the game has made it all too easy to reveal a ton of information about each of us.

The site is Spokeo (http://www.spokeo.com/). Visit it, enter your name, and prepare to be alarmed.

Spokeo sifts through information available from numerous sources and compiles them into one frighteningly complete profile: address, phone, probable value of residence, and much, much more. Hardly the sort of stuff any of us wants hanging out there.

However, there is a method to ensure your information is removed from Spokeo:

Go to a free e-mail site -- Yahoo, Gmail, etc. -- and create a new e-mail address for yourself. You'll see why this is advisable in a bit.
Once you've got your new e-mail address, go to the site and look up your information.
When you're at the page where your information is located, copy the URL.
Next, click on the Privacy link at the lower right hand side of the page.
On the resulting page, paste the URL into the indicated field.
Enter your new e-mail address into the indicated field.
Enter the code on the page, then select Remove Listing.

The reason for the new e-mail address is so the address you normally use can't be captured and used by Spokeo, or whoever is trolling the site looking for information.

It's worth noting that Spokeo can also be used to search by e-mail address, phone number and other tools.

Technically, Spokeo is doing nothing illegal. However, for peace of mind and privacy's sake, all are best advised to remove their data from the site ASAP.

See this Amp at http://amplify.com/u/bn8vp

All Was Quiet Two Days Before New Year's Day... Except For The Pregnant Cow

2011-01-18T16:11:00.001-08:00

At a time when ragging on public employees has grown rampant, it's good to note the good work so many of them do on our behalf.

One could almost say it behooves us to applaud their efforts.

Or is it be-hoofs?

Very late last year, namely December 30th, a young lady named Marciel was feeling a bit down in the dumps, despite being surrounded by wellness.

Seems she'd fallen into a well.

Given that Marciel, who was with child, weighed in at a svelte 1300 pounds getting her out of the well was a tad more involved than throwing her a rope and telling her to start climbing. The lack of opposable thumbs was another handicap.

As you have hopefully surmised by now, Marciel is a cow.

The fire department arrived on scene and, along with members of the sheriffs department, swiftly went to work pumping water out of the well. Marciel, who had been treading water as best a 1300 pound pregnant cow can, was appreciative of this effort, given that it allowed her to stand.

A sheriff's brother, whose profession is a cowboy, was recruited for the task of entering the well and securing a harness around Marciel. He did so with aplomb, no doubt relieved she didn't select that particular moment to go into labor bovine style.

Finally, an hour and forty-five minutes after first arriving on the scene, all parties concerned breathed a sigh of relief as Marciel was lifted out of the well and placed back on solid ground. A quick checkup by the vet, and she was back with the rest of the herd doing what cows do. Namely, eat grass and stand around a lot.

I'm surprised she hasn't been asked to appear on Oprah.

But seriously, thanks to the firefighters and sheriffs who ensured Marciel and the little Marciel will enjoy a happy and healthy 2011.

See this Amp at http://amplify.com/u/bmn29

Balance of Power

2011-01-13T14:11:00.001-08:00

This past Saturday evening, as the nation was reeling from what had taken place in Tucson earlier in the day, this writer was at a concert featuring several favorite artists from the 1980s. One of the songs played by the headlining act, a band named Undercover, was from their Balance of Power record. It contains these lyrics:

I can see it's hard to read your eyes.

Your eyes are all prepared to take me for a ride.

Oh my soul upset, I'm so upset, the world come crashing down

The balance of power is all upset and now we're going down

Trust me now, but don't you come too near

Too near is just too close to where we stand right now

I fear it's all upset, degenerate, the world come crashing down

The balance of power is all upset and now we're going down...

An eerie reminder of the madness that had taken place a few hours earlier 450 miles away.

However, the evening was anything but somber. There was a spirit of shared joy reverberating throughout the audience toward the artists, reflected right back again. It was an evening where, as Undercover's leader Joe Taylor commented, one could embrace the notion of neither giving up directly nor giving up by becoming complacent. Life is too precious and fragile to fritter away in such a manner.

It's very much like our mission here at CSE. We, and everyone involved with the company, are a living encouragement to both never give up and never become complacent. Should misfortune befall one of our insureds, we provide the resources to help them get back on their feet. We also remind our insureds to not become complacent in the form of being lax on preventative measures that can make needing our services avoidable. Not that we mind claims, but it's so much better for the insured to not have a need to file one!

We live in an unpredictable world, one where not only can anything happen, but eventually will. It's good to know we're here, ready to help when one of our insureds own balance of power is upset.

See this Amp at http://amplify.com/u/bltn4

Unveiling Our New TV Ads!

2010-12-28T14:25:00.000-08:00

Here's a first look at our new TV ads!

Each ad comes in two parts. Each part is 15 seconds long, with the parts designed to bookend around a 30 second commercial by a different advertiser.

This is the first part of our firefighters ad:

And the second:

Now, the first part of our teachers ad:

And the second:

We're currently developing a law enforcement ad as well.

Stay tuned!

Philosophical Man in Blue

2010-12-21T14:39:00.000-08:00

When a police officer chronicles their profession, one usually expect a fair amount of cops and robbers, good guys and bad guys. Some action, some drama, some excitement. Not a lot of intense reflection.

Unless you're Phil.

Phil, last name not given, is a patrol officer in Los Angeles. Hardly the easiest city to protect and serve. Yet he does so, taking time to record his thoughts on Twitter and his blog.

Phil writes with a dry wit that at first glance can come off as disaffected, yet upon further review reveals a level of thought seldom seen. He doesn't blog often, but when he does it's a treasure trove of expressed ideas and philosophy. For example:

The content of what I'm writing, the idea I'm toying with, is all expressed in the words you're reading on this page. And yet, imagine if I stripped out every period, comma, and paragraph spacing. Imagine how tedious and frustrating it would be to read without punctuation. Our holidays, whichever we choose, are the punctuation in our years. They are the pauses, the breaths, the dividers and emphasizers in our lives.

Another post talks about the futility of seeking revenge:

I think some people I deal with crave any form of power or control they can find in their own spheres of influence (in fact, this phenomenon takes place in various forms in any class or culture, I'm sure). The victim suffered a lack of control in being victimized, but in stoking the fires of a grudge, they've suddenly transformed it into power. They're the ones pulling their own strings now and the more passion they can wring from the offense, the longer they can keep that illusion of control.

Phil doesn't post very often in his blog: two, maybe three times a month. Each one, though, is a gem. Can't recommend his writing enough.

More Photos From Our Upcoming TV Ads

2010-12-20T15:17:00.000-08:00

As mentioned last Thursday, we're filming some new television commercial to debut next year. Here are some more photos from filming:

Some photos from the filming of CSE's new commercials. Each commercial will feature either a firefighter, teacher or police officer talking about the advantages of being insured through CSE.

On this day (Wednesday December 15th), all parties took advantage of the sunshine to film the firefighter commercial.

The director checks the sound levels.

Almost there!

The firefighter relaxes between takes...

... and studies the script.

VP of Market Strategy & Business Development Matt Hull channels his inner Cecil B. DeMille as he checks out the sound and picture.

Filming.

More filming.

And more filming!

Friday December 17th, while the weather outside was frightful - it poured rain all day - inside it was a perfect time to film the teacher ad.

Another view of the teacher ad set.

Some Snapshots From Our Super-Secret Photo Shoot

2010-12-16T16:57:00.000-08:00

Actually, it's part of our next round of television ads! More details coming soon.

Fruitcake From... When?

2010-12-14T22:03:00.000-08:00

It sounds strange, but in many countries around the world fruitcake is a highly prized dessert. In the United States it's a fate worse than death.

Many a story has been told about the longevity of fruitcake, this stemming from two reasons: the lengthy shelf life fruit enjoys when treated with high concentrations of sugar, and the even lengthier life cake itself enjoys when soaked in brandy or variations thereof. This has led to many an interesting moment over the years when tee-totaling family members suddenly break into a rousing chorus of "Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer" shortly after dessert.

The unquestioned king, or queen, of fruitcakes belongs to the Ford family, no known relation to Henry Ford. The story goes that late in 1878 - yes, 1878, not 1978 - one Fidelia Ford baked her annual fruitcake for her children and grandchildren, with the idea it would be served the following Thanksgiving as many believe a properly preserved fruitcake improves with age. Alas, Filedia shuffled off this mortal coil prior to Thanksgiving 1879, one of the results being her grieving family deciding they would set her fruitcake aside until the following year as they couldn't bear to consume this memento. Next year, same thing. And the next. And the next. And the next. Next thing you knew... well, suffice it to say the fruitcake is still with us, something that anyone who's ever tried to actually eat one usually says for several hours afterward.

Should A Line Be Drawn When Looking At An Employee's Online Life?

2010-12-09T16:01:00.000-08:00

As has been mentioned here several times, we're a big fan of social media. When used properly, it is a valuable tool to keep in touch with agents and insureds alike. The ease of instant communication through Facebook and Twitter make them perfect for the dissemination of information, along with views of and opinions on the topics of the day.

The issue of privacy online is a constant theme in social media circles. When someone posts something on the Internet, unless it is encrypted or hidden behind passwords and such it is out there for anyone who runs across it to do with as they please. Youth is constantly reminded to be more circumspect on what they share, and with whom.

Where things become clearer is in usage of social media by employees of any given company. When you're on the company network, the company has the right to monitor online activity to ensure their employees are not involved in illegal or time-wasting practices when they're on the clock. Some privacy advocates have cried foul, but the general acceptance is an employer is fully within its to keep tabs on, and if need be prevent, certain online behaviors.

But what about potential employees?

A recent article in Insurance Journal examines how some companies specialize in the burgeoning field of online background checks. It searches for information posted in any one of several forums -- Facebook, Twitter, MySpace (yes, it still exists), blogs, comments on other people's blogs, message boards and so on -- to see if there is anything that indicates whether a given individual is someone worth hiring.

The problem is at what point does this cross over into an invasion of privacy. Does an employer, current or potential, have the right to use material posted online by a current or potential employee that is unrelated to the job as a consideration in regard to that job? The argument goes like this: if you and your friends quaffed a few last weekend, and someone grabbed their phone to snap some pictures and put them up somewhere, recording how things got a little crazy, unless you show up hung over, or don't show up at all, for your next scheduled day at the office is it anyone's concern but yours? The counter argument is that an employer has the right to know if an employee's off-duty habits are detrimental to their work performance, therefore it is acceptable to look around and see what people are up to on their free time.

What do you think? Is an employee's online life away from work something in which an employer should take interest? Or is it no one's concern but the individual? Leave a comment and let us know your opinion.

Our holiday card and calendar design contest mentioned in Insurance Journal

2010-12-08T08:55:00.001-08:00

You can read the story here: http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/west/2010/12/07/115478.htm.

See this Amp at http://amplify.com/u/hxkk

Presenting The Winners In Our 1st Annual Holiday Card and Calendar Contest!

2010-12-07T08:26:00.001-08:00

There were a lot of tough calls, but here are the four youthful masterpieces that we're grateful to have adorn our holiday cards this year!

Grace Borg
Age 6
Daughter of Kyle Borg
Allegiance Alliance
Glendale, AZ

Isabella Rose Fraher
Age 6 1/2
Granddaughter of Bob Fraher
Philip J. Fraher and Company
San Francisco, CA

Sabrina Katarjian
Age 11
Daughter of Mireille Mary Katarjian
United Agencies, Inc.
Pasadena, CA

Melodie Lo
Age 9
Daughter of Ada Tang
All Homes Insurance Services
San Jose, CA

Getting Ready To Select The Winners In Our 1st Annual Holiday Card and Calendar Contest!

2010-12-01T08:42:00.001-08:00

We're approaching time to vote for our winners in our 1st Annual Holiday Card and Calendar Contest!

It's going to be a tough call as well have several excellent entries. Submitted for your consideration are the final two entries received:

Winners will be announced shortly!

See this Amp at http://amplify.com/u/h1pp

If These Don't Warm Your Heart, Charles Dickens Wrote A Book About You

2010-11-18T15:04:00.000-08:00

Check out these entries in our 1st Annual Holiday Card and Calendar Contest!

You can get the full details on the contest here.

A Slightly Unusual Auto Policy

2010-11-18T14:30:00.001-08:00

A recent news article in Insurance Journal notes that Hulk Hogan has added his ex-wife in a lawsuit against his insurance broker for failing to adequately protect his fortune. Seems said broker neglected to mention to the Hulkster that given his wealth, an umbrella policy might be in order.

Although the case itself isn't all that interesting, it does bring up the issue of special insurance needs held by members of certain professions, which would no doubt cause some interesting moments should they come by an office to buy a policy. For example:

"Now, sir, I understand you'd like to purchase an auto policy with us."

"That is correct."

"And you say the car in question is an Aston Martin."

"Yes."

"Well, luxury sports cars do require a high premium, but I'll be glad to help you. I'll just need some basic information. The license plate number?"

"Which one?"

"Um... you car has more than one license plate?"

"Yes, it has several."

"Isn't that a bit unusual?"

"Well, I rotate them depending on where I am."

"I see. Now on your application form, sir, you indicated the car has some modifications that might require additional endorsements."

"Yes."

"Very well, let's take a look here... you want coverage for ancillary damage from weaponry?"

"Quite. Despite all efforts to avoid it, there are times when a missile or bullet might go astray."

"Your car shoots missiles and guns?"

"Yes."

"Sir, we don't insure military vehicles."

"Oh, I assure you it's not a military vehicle. Just a sports car."

"Do all sports cars come equipped with rocket launchers?"

"It is an unfortunate necessity in my line of work."

"Um... of course. Now, you say you also need a boat policy?"

"Yes."

"Very well then... name of boat manufacturer?"

"Aston Martin."

"Sir, Aston Martin doesn't make boats."

"I know. It's for the car."

"The car is a boat?"

"It has that capacity, yes."

"Sir, is this some kind of joke?"

"Oh, no. I'm quite serious. The car can be used as a boat if need be."

"Er... very well, sir. Now, it says here you're not interested in the glass replacement coverage."

"Correct."

"The reason being?"

"Bulletproof glass. Quite indestructible."

"But of course, sir. Oh, your name please?"

"Bond. James Bond."

"I should have known."

How To Argue

2010-11-16T22:37:00.000-08:00

Given that we're all human, there will come a time or two (or three or four or more) when we'll find ourselves in an argument with someone else. It happens.

The question is how best to handle an argument. Which probably sounds like a bit of an oxymoron, since we're often taught the best method with which to approach disagreements is avoiding them. Certainly we should try to skip needless arguments. However, people being people disagreements will arise. How to handle them?

Author Barry Eisler recently offered some suggestions:

Insults and the Golden Rule. Speak to the other person in the manner to which you wish to be spoken. Lay off the sarcasm.
No one cares about your opinion. This sounds harsh, but it is often the case. Argue with logic, reason and facts as your basis, not "want to know what I think?"
Your ego is your enemy. The moment you make an argument about yourself, or take things too personally, you're tap-dancing in a minefield. Remain detached.
Good argument is good conversation. Keep the tone and demeanor warm. As my Mom often said, you catch a lot more flies with honey than vinegar.
Avoid false binaries. If you employ an either/or scenario in your argument, make sure it's logically and factually sound. "Either we lower taxes or the blue meanies will invade Pepperland" notions should be avoided.
Avoid sham arguments. A prime example of this is using a truism as the basis of your argument. This is a none-too transparent way of saying the person you're arguing with is so dense they can't grasp basic facts. Refer back to the first rule. You don't score points by insinuating the other person is a moron. Also, avoid the straw man technique, which consists of creating someone or something to first attach to the argument, then attack, that has no genuine bearing on the subject at hand.
Avoid cliches. They speak of only unoriginality. If you can't come up with anything fresh to express your point of view, why should you expect the other person to accept your point of view as something other than a rehash?
Don't digress. Stay on target.
Separate the subjective from the objective. Don't dispute the other person's opinion. They have as much right to one as you. Instead, focus on facts.

Thoughts?

The Risks Of Public Service

2010-11-15T10:40:00.001-08:00

According to statistics compiled by the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics, civil servants run a significantly higher risk of job-related injuries than private employees. 1.85% of public employees require time away from the job due to workplace-related injuries and/or illnesses, as compared to 1.06% for private firms.

The occupations with the highest occurrence of workplace-related injuries and/or illnesses are:

Transit and intercity bus drivers

Law enforcement officers

Emergency response workers, such as firefighters

Nursing aides and orderlies

Understandable, given the natures of said professions.

Yet another reminder of why CSE serves the people who serve the people.

They deserve it.

See this Amp at http://amplify.com/u/fa1p

The Risks Of Public Service

2010-11-12T09:32:00.000-08:00

Picking up from yesterday:

The occupations with the highest occurrence of workplace-related injuries and/or illnesses are:

Transit and intercity bus drivers
Law enforcement officers
Emergency response workers, such as firefighters
Nursing aides and orderlies

Understandable, given the natures of said professions.

Yet another reminder of why CSE serves the people who serve the people.

They deserve it.

Are Public Employees At Greater Risk On The Job Than Private Employees?

2010-11-11T23:02:00.000-08:00

Given our string connection with public employees, here's a note of interest. According to the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics, civil servants have a much higher rate of workplace-related injuries than workers in the private sector.

More on this tomorrow.

Tips For Saving Money During The Holidays (And All Year 'Round)

2010-11-09T15:58:00.001-08:00

The holidays are fast approaching, and with them the one thought that consumes hearts and minds across the land:

How am I going to pay for all this stuff?

Short of giving mouth-to-mouth resuscitation to your MasterCard, one way to beat the holiday budget blues is by tightening up elsewhere. Naturally, this means you can afford to spend more on others, who in return will do the same for you. Either that, or you can make them feel like a heel throughout the upcoming year.

Here, according to the fine folk at WalletPop, are ten areas in which you can save some serious scratch by going the do-it-yourself route:

Text messaging. Unless you text a ton and have an unlimited plan, those OMG's will leave you saying just that when you get the bill. According to the Chicago Tribune, the average phone carrier realizes a profit of 6,000% on each message. Which is nothing to LOL about when you're paying for it.

Bottled water. No, this isn't some PC environmental deal, although that does figure into the matter. It's more the 4,000% markup we pay every time we buy a bottle of water instead of drinking from the tap. Granted, sometimes there's little choice in the matter. However, whenever possible grab a glass or refillable bottle.

Popcorn at a movie theater. Yes, eating popcorn while watching the latest flick is almost mandatory behavior. But the 1,275% markup should be enough to make anyone decide they can live without for a couple of hours.

Brand name prescription drugs. Unless there is no generic for whatever your doctor prescribes, always ask for the generic. In the past year, brand name drugs have increased in price by an average of 10% while generics have had a price decrease. Add this to the already far higher cost of brand names (anywhere from 200% to 3,000%)... you get the idea.

Mini bar in a hotel room. Unless shelling out a 300% to 400% markup is your idea of a fun time, do not open that door!

Coffee. No, no one's suggesting you abstain altogether from the stuff. (Unless you're like me and allergic to caffeine. But I digress.) No, where to steer clear is coffee shops. At a 300% markup over what you'd pay to brew a cup at home, a thermos would be a wise investment.

Wine at a restaurant. If ever you wanted a reason to stop drinking, the 300% markup should do the trick.

Greeting cards. 200% markup, or sending someone a hand-written note? Your call.

In-room movies at a hotel. At a 200% markup, you're better off watching the local news. Or movies on your laptop.

Pre-cut fruit and vegetable platters. Save 40% by doing your own chopping, slicing and dicing.

Now, there is one area the story missed...

Not having both your Auto and Homeowners insurance with CSE. Do you really want to miss out on taking 14% off your Auto policy and 10% off your Homeowners policy? Didn't think so.

See this Amp at http://amplify.com/u/evyo

The Things You Can Do On Twitter

2010-11-04T13:22:00.000-07:00

One of the more popular hobbies for folk on Twitter is the hashtag game. On Twitter, a hashtag (#) when placed directly in front of a word, or words strung together into one, creates a link which when selected will pull up a list of all tweets by all users who have the hashtag in one of their tweets. As an example, if you have a Twitter account (and if not, you need one), try searching the hashtag #insurance sometime. You'll get some interesting results.

The game aspect of hashtags comes when someone makes up one and it catches on. Occasionally they can be rather risque, but for the most part they're harmless.

One that's been going around today is #tweetyour16yearoldself. It's a way of doing what we all wish we could do; namely, warn ourselves about what we should and shouldn't do during our hazy, crazy teen years. It's also providing the opportunity for some rather witty statements:

Do NOT alienate that history teacher! It will cost you an extra year of high school. You never listen. Ever.
I think if I could just meet Rick Springfield, he'd see we were meant to be together! (Good Grief!)
Try being a miserable teenager now instead of when you're 20 - it's much more socially acceptable.
It gets better... but your hair doesn't.
Keep putting money into $AAPL and don't sell. Trust me on this one.
Irrespective of what your PE report suggests, learning to throw & catch is not an essential life skill.
For the September 4th, 1986 lottery drawing, have Mom buy a ticket with the numbers 3-14-17-23-39-47.
Keep the supermodelling up. You'll need something to fall back on if the neuroscience & astrophysics don't work out.
Write a novel about a boy wizard learning magic at an old British boarding school.
Keep ALL of your old video games and consoles. No point buying them twice, you idiot.
Trust me, you'll be glad you grew up before the age where everyone has a cellphone camera & twitter account.

And my favorite thus far:

#tweetyour16yearoldself has reminded me of what a self-pitying, self-righteous, whiny, know-it-all little snot I was at 16.

Election Day is Cupcakes and Cocktails Time -- Honest

2010-11-02T14:50:00.000-07:00

As you hopefully know, today is Election Day across the nation.

The privilege of being allowed to freely select those who hold positions in government is not one to be taken lightly. Many a soldier, sailor, Marine and airman over the past two hundred and thirty years has paid the ultimate price so we can vote for the candidate of our choice. And then complain about them all the way up to the next election.

And if you don't vote, turn in your 'right to complain' card immediately.

A few enterprising individuals have added culinary enticements to the appeal to vote. For example, locations of The Counter hamburger chain are offering a free side of fries today with proof of voting, otherwise known as your "I Voted" sticker. Meanwhile, assorted bars in San Francisco (I'm personally amazed they have anything left to serve after last night, but whatever) are offering fifty cent drink specials to people who've voted. For those whose taste run more toward frosting than the foam atop a glass of beer, various shops are devoted to enticing your sweet tooth with the offer of a free cupcake upon proof of voting.

In any case, free food or not... please vote. Thanks!

CSE Insurance With IICF Serving The People

2010-10-28T13:41:00.000-07:00

Bob Pick was kind enough to provide some details of this year's volunteer efforts on behalf of IICF.

On Thursday the 21st of October, 13 of us went to the Alameda County Community Food Bank. The food bank distributes food to other agencies in Alameda County, who then feed the needy. Our job was to bag a few carrots. 2500 pounds of them to be precise. They brought in about four boxes of loose carrots, grown specifically for the food bank. We put the carrots into bags, and put them into other boxes, after tying off the ends - the hardest part of the job. Lori Velasco and I thank everyone for a job well done.

Those who participated at the food bank were Lana Hee, John Conduracki, Craig Martinelli, Keenan Wong, Lori Velasco, Nick Chuinklin, Melissa Frasier, Antonette Caren, Sebastian Lopez, Maureen Boesch, Gigi Rayos, Ken Grant, and Bob Pick.

Special thanks go to John Conduracki and Craig Martinelli for providing rides to those who needed them, even going out of their ways, sometimes by intent.

The previous day, a smaller group including Tony Razo, Gordon Ching and I went to near the Caldecott Tunnel to the Gateway Gardens Vegetation project - in the area of the Oakland Hills Fire. We took a pile of mulch and spread it around to prevent growth of fireweed and other burnable plants. These guys worked hard - shoveling mulch into wheelbarrows, taking the wheelbarrows where the mulch was needed, and spreading it out. In just 3 hours, we got rid of a dump truck's worth of mulch.

A few photos from Thursday's carrot caper:

The gang gathers for a group photo. (L to R) Maureen Bosch, Melissa Frasier, John Conduracki, Craig Martinelli, Ken Grant, Bob Pick, Keenan Wong, Gigi Rayos, Lana Hee, Nick Chuinklin, Lori Velasco, Antonette Caren (Sebastian Lopez was hiding).

Lori, Gigi and Antonette smilingly note how much faster their box is emptying than...

... the one belonging to Nick, Keenan and Ken.

Ken silently reminds Nick and Maureen that if he hears "what's up doc" one more time...

John and Lana bag away.

See? There really is a bottom of the box!

Nick's future is so bright he's gotta wear shades.

One more group photo, this time with Sebastian.

Don't forget our Holiday Card and Calendar Design Contest!

2010-10-26T16:24:00.001-07:00

See this Amp at http://amplify.com/u/e17w

I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight

2010-10-26T15:07:00.000-07:00

One of those "talk about that in order to talk insurance" posts, so please bear with.

There's been word of some sporting event taking place tomorrow in the San Francisco Bay Area. Anyone heard about that? I know the San Jose Sharks and New Jersey Devils are playing tomorrow night in San Jose...

Seriously, it is well nigh impossible to go anywhere or do anything up here without being reminded the Giants are in the World Series. Orange and black are the colors du jour, and at least one-fifth of the population in these parts know how to spell Lincecum. Whether they know who he is is a matter of debate. But one thing at a time.

The problem with all the excitement is that for those of us who every time we hear the phrase "your San Francisco Giants" immediately reply "they ain't mine," the hype is highly distracting from assorted tasks at hand. Like, oh, this election thing coming up next Tuesday? If the Series goes to a Game Six, be thankful it'll be the day after or else all campaigns in the City by the Bay will have to be decided by coin toss due to lack of ballots cast.

Luckily, I have the aforementioned Sharks-Devils game to fill time tomorrow evening, although given how it'll be starting when the baseball game will be drawing to a close I imagine the only people paying attention to hockey when the puck drops will be me and hopefully the players. The rest of the time? I'm predicting a lot of reading, or guitar practice or similar activities.

Anyway, went through all of the above to discuss the danger of preoccupation.

We all get carried away with, at various points in time, certain events to the exclusion of most everything else in life. Which is okay. To a point. However, we must never allow ourselves the unaffordable luxury of sailing blissfully and merrily along, living solely in whatever moment is most appealing. Life happens regardless of whether we approve. Or appreciate the interruption.

Be prepared. That's where we come in.

That all said, sometimes we do need to blow off some steam...

Break Out The Crayons

2010-10-25T14:48:00.000-07:00

The Penalty For Honesty

2010-10-21T23:57:00.001-07:00

It's happened more than a few times. I've been in conversation with someone I've either just met, or know through casual contact online or elsewhere. The dialog goes something like this...

"So, where do you work?"

"It's an insurance company."

"Oh." At which point the room temperature suddenly drops a few degrees.

There is definitely a reality gap when it comes to popular conceptions -- misconceptions, really -- and the truth about insurance companies. I'd like to dispel a few myths:

No, our role model isn't Snidely Whiplash.

We do not in our spare time tie the heroine to the railroad tracks just before foreclosing the mortgage on the orphanage, preferably in the middle of a snowstorm.

We pet puppies and kitties. In fact, most of us are diehard animal lovers who own dogs and cats. Well, in the case of the latter owned by them.

We did not invent disco, polyester leisure suits or the Macarena.

We cannot pay off the national debt with our pocket change.

We do not have piranha in our fish tanks, nor did we root for the shark in "Jaws." Although the Sharks did win tonight (shameless plug for my team).

Our customer service representatives do not have a running contest to see how long they can leave someone on hold.

We don't get our jollies out of denying claims.

We don't know where Waldo is either.

Yes, sometimes there is a penalty for honesty when you tell people the truth about insurance. But we've learned to live with it.

See this Amp at http://amplify.com/u/djie

Remember the joy of coloring books?

2010-10-19T13:02:00.001-07:00

This might sound like a rather odd title for an insurance company blog post, but allow me to explain.

Every year, we send out holiday cards in December. Starting last year, we also send a calendar to our agents.

This year, we're kicking it up a notch. Instead of the usual photos and what not, we're letting you design our holiday card and 2011 calendar!

Well, not you specifically. The calendar contest is for children 12 and younger who are either the children or grandchildren of agents, or employees of an agency, that are appointed with CSE. The holiday card contest is for children 12 and younger who are either the children or grandchildren of a CSE employee or the children or grandchildren of agents, or employees of an agency, that are appointed with CSE.

Here's how it works:

The contest will run from November 1st through November 15th.

The Calendar contest will be open to all children and grandchildren, aged 12 and under, for all employees of CSE appointed agencies.

The Holiday Card contest will be open to all children and grandchildren, aged 12 and under, for all employees of CSE and all employees of CSE appointed agencies.

Design criteria:

- The holiday card designs should be of a generic holiday theme.

- The calendar designs should feature one or more of our targeted Educator, Law Enforcement and Firefighter occupations.

- Designs must be on a white, unlined piece of 8.5”x11” paper and may be in black and white or color (color preferred).

Each child/ grandchild is allowed only one (1) entry for the holiday card and only one (1) entry for the calendar.

It is preferable that the designs be sent unfolded.

Designs must be postmarked no later than Monday, November 15th to be eligible.

Please submit all designs to:

CSE Insurance

Attention: Corporate Communications

2121 N. California Blvd., Ste. 555

Walnut Creek, CA 94596-3501

Please include child/ children’s name and age, CSE appointed agents name, agency, and contact information (address and phone number) on all designs submitted.

All designs will become the property of CSE and will not be returned to the participant.

Winners will be selected on Friday, November 19th, by the Corporate Communications Department, located in the Walnut Creek office.

CSE will select the winners based on the design criteria explained above. A total of four (4) holiday cards and twelve (12) calendar designs will be selected.

All designs will also be posted on CSE’s Facebook page ( http://tinyurl.com/cse-facebook ). CSE’s fans will be able to “like” their favorite designs through Friday, November 19th.

The name, age, and parent of the winner plus the parent’s agency will be printed on the card and calendar.

All winners of both the holiday cards and calendar designs will receive a $25 Toys R Us® gift card. Please allow up to 4 weeks for delivery of the gift card.

The design (combination of holiday and calendar designs) that receives the highest number of “likes” on CSE’s Facebook page, will also receive a $25 Toys R Us® gift card.

Please allow up to 4 weeks for delivery of the gift card.

See this Amp at http://amplify.com/u/d8rn

What Makes An Effective Ad?

2010-10-14T13:58:00.000-07:00

Other than a truly awesome voiceover, of course:

Raging ego aside, what makes an effective ad?

For me, the key is often humor. A couple of excellent examples from NASCAR:

And a non-NASCAR classic from earlier this year:

Finally, what is commonly regarded as the most memorable television commercial ever made. Little known secret: it was aired only once.

You're #1 With Us

2010-10-08T05:59:00.000-07:00

Some companies say their customers are #1. We prove it!

Starting today, we’ve lowered the down payment requirement on all new Auto policies in California, paid for through EFT, from three months to one!

Now, the quality and peace of mind that comes through insuring your car through CSE is even more affordable!

CSE. Where you are #1 every day.

Wonder How That Claim Worked Out

2010-10-06T15:34:00.000-07:00

One evening in 2001, a doctor in Australia, who was also a pilot, prepared to make a night flight over water. Unfortunately, when he attempted to start his plane, he discovered it had a dead battery.

Undaunted, the doctor decided to to things the old-fashioned way and start the engine by hand-turning the propeller. Unfortunately, it worked.

While the doctor avoided being sliced and diced, he now faced the dilemma of realizing he had managed to start the plane without the handbrake being engaged. For the plane's part, it dutifully started taxying down the runway...

... with the pilot hanging on to the tail for dear life.

The plane, left to its own devices, merrily chugged down the runway blissfully unaware of anyone or anything in its path. Thankfully, there was no one else around.

However, there was another plane in the area...

His insurer was out around $1.5 million.

The doctor later went to court, claiming that the handbrake was indeed engaged at the time he started the plane.

No word on how that came out.

California Residential Property Bill of Rights (With Commentary)

2010-10-05T22:27:00.000-07:00

Although the California state legislature remains thoroughly incapable of passing a budget, it has managed to get more than a few bills through to Governor Schwarzenegger's desk for his yea or nay. A few days ago, he said yea -- well, signed anyway -- a bill related to how property insurance in California is sold.

The bill, AB2022, takes effect on July first of 2011. It reads as follows... actually, it's rather dry reading material. So...

Instead, in our never-ending effort to make insurance more enjoyable for all, here is the new California Residential Property Bill of Rights. It must be given to all purchasers for residential property insurance starting July 1, 2011. Minus the, shall we say, editorial comments added:

California Residential Property Insurance Bill of Rights

A consumer is entitled to receive information regarding homeowner's insurance.

Honest, just ask us. We'll tell you what it's about!

The following is a limited overview of information that your insurance company can provide:

Note the word "limited." As opposed to "unlimited," which is often used in conjunction with "imagination." As in the unlimited imagination some people use in believing what insurance covers.

The insurance company's customer service telephone number for underwriting, rating, and claims inquiries.

Sorry, pizza delivery not included.

A written explanation for any cancellation or nonrenewal of your policy.

Please ignore the urban legend about how grounds for canceling a policy includes owning a Justin Bieber CD.

A copy of the insurance policy.

No, there isn't a coloring book version.

An explanation of how your policy limits were established.

Which, contrary to public opinion, did not involve the usage of an Ouija board.

In the event of a claim, an itemized, written scope of loss report prepared by the insurer or its adjuster within a reasonable time period.

Please note that "reasonable" does not mean five minutes after the claim is filed.

In the event of a claim, a copy of the Unfair Practices Act and, if requested, a copy of the Fair Claims Settlement Practices Regulations.

Now there's some exciting reading material!

In the event of a claim, notification of a consumer's rights with respect to the appraisal process for resolving claims disputes.

It's a little more involved than a coin toss.

An offer of coverage and premium quote for earthquake coverage, if eligible.

Earthquakes? In California? When did that start?

A consumer is also entitled to select a licensed contractor or vendor to repair, replace, or rebuild damaged property covered by the insurance policy.

Choose... wisely.

The information provided herein is not all inclusive and does not negate or preempt existing California law. If you have any concerns or questions, contact your agent, broker, insurance company, or the California Department of Insurance consumer information line at (800) 927-HELP (4357) or at www.insurance.ca.gov for free insurance assistance.

Contact your agent first. Trust us.

Who Can Best Administer Insurance?

2010-09-30T15:08:00.000-07:00

Getting back to the subject mentioned earlier this week, the subject of government-provided insurance comes to mind.

The case for some forms of government-provided insurance is that the nature of a major catastrophe -- hurricanes, earthquakes and the like -- is far too great for private insurers to bear. Which is true.

Where the problem with government-provided insurance lies is in how it's administered. More specifically, by whom it is administered.

There are very, very few things the government can do more efficiently, either in terms of cost or service, than the private sector. Why? Simple. The private sector in an open market is actively competing for the consumer dollar. Therefore, each organization striving to be the end recipient of that dollar will expend maximum energy to be the best choice.

The government has no such pressure. It is the ultimate monopoly.

A strong case can be made for the government to act as a reinsurer in case a catastrophe strikes. But as a primary provider? It would be well advised to leave such matters to the professionals.

Sadly, it's advice that is seldom taken.

Is CLCA A Solution In Search Of A Problem, Or Is It A Solution At All?

2010-09-28T21:51:00.000-07:00

Earlier today, Governor Schwarzenegger signed into law an extension to the California Low Cost Auto Insurance plan, or CLCA. The plan provides a very basic level of coverage at rates lower than offered by most carriers.

Sounds great, considering how auto insurance is mandatory in California. However, when the estimated number of uninsured drivers in California is presently floating around one-quarter of all drivers, one has to wonder whether CLCA, with presently less than 57,000 policyholders, is of any genuine effectiveness in its goal.

A Hint Of What's To Come

2010-09-23T22:04:00.000-07:00

In the post earlier this week, mention was made of Carriers Who Shall Not Be Named and their plastering the airwaves with advertisements.

Advertising is good when done well. By saying an ad is done well, a wide spectrum of factors are involved: the attractiveness/effectiveness of the ad itself, how easily it can be measured in terms of direct effect and so on.

Speaking of ads...

Caffeine Insanity?

2010-09-21T20:58:00.000-07:00

A brief personal note with which to begin this post.

I apologize for not posting anything last week. There was a reason. Last Tuesday morning, I found myself in quite the state -- heart racing, confused, difficulty breathing. Either I had just fallen head over heels in love, or something was seriously awry. It was door number two. A battery of tests later, and the answer became clear: I had suffered an allergic reaction.

To caffeine.

While the thought of getting through the day -- every day, actually -- minus coffee isn't the most pleasant thought, going through another allergic reaction has even less appeal. I liken it to some food allergies I've known about for years, namely corn and tree nuts. I can handle foregoing visits to Starbucks forever and anon. But a life without popcorn and Cap'n Crunch? It's been brutal. Still, given the alternative, namely being sick, it's a sacrifice relatively easily made.

Moving away from personal diet issues to matters of far greater general interest, coffee is deeply embedded in the business culture. We pour ourselves a cup first thing in the morning, then have another one later. What's the first thing we do when someone comes to call? We ask them if they want a cup of coffee. It's how the business world rolls.

No, this isn't going to devolve into a sermon on healthy diet and all that. Rather, it's more of a comment on what coffee symbolizes, rather than coffee itself.

We exist in an industry that is at one static and fluid. The static nature of insurance is rooted in the immovable nature of key elements: determining appropriate premiums, maintaining sufficient reserves, the mechanics of claims handling and the like. Where the fluidity comes into play is in its customers.

We all want the most coverage at the least price. Some gamble by carrying less insurance than they ought to, while others go the opposite route and purchase far more coverage than they could possibly need. For the most part, people choose the middle path, carrying enough insurance and no more. And we'll go to whoever offers the aforementioned most coverage at the least price.

The constant barrage of advertisements for carriers who shall not be named has seen a paradigm shift the past year or so. Whereas before it was price price price and do it all yourself online, the emphasis has gone to selling service along with price. Apparently the carriers who thought their customers could do it all realized you can't expect people to take care of their insurance needs in the same manner as buying a book from Amazon.

A cup of coffee, offered to a guest at your place of business, is a symbol of the welcoming side of service. Helping someone with their insurance needs from a purely technical standpoint is good and necessary. However, it's also lacking.

Service also entails empathy, the gift of genuine concern for the person purchasing goods and services from you. We've all dealt with "those people," the kind who on the surface ooze compassion, but at their core are interested solely in your wallet. Sure, they'll offer you a cup of coffee. But they'll also do their best to charge you for it. Don't be one of "those people." Be genuine in what you do. Be generous with the coffee.

Just make mine decaf, thanks.

California Processes 15.5% Fewer Surplus Line Premiums

2010-09-09T20:47:00.000-07:00

(Courtesy Insurance Journal)

The Surplus Line Association of California has processed $1.9 billion in premium for the first six months of 2010, a decrease of 15.5 percent compared to the same period in 2009. The total number of policies filed with the SLA from January 1 through June 30, 2010, was 209,545, representing a 4 percent decrease compared to the 2009 six month policy count.

If the trend continues, SLA expects it will process $3.8 billion in premium for the year, according to Joy Erven, stamping office director.

Year-to-date, U.S. domiciled insurers wrote 76.4 percent of the California surplus line premiums, while Lloyd's wrote 17.1 percent and all other alien insurers wrote 5.4 percent.

The top 10 surplus line brokers in California are:

Rank	Broker	Premiums Processed (in Millions)	% of Total
1	Risk Specialists Companies Insurance Agency Inc.	$131.8	6.92%
2	Swett & Crawford	$114.2	5.99%
3	Aon Risk Insurance Services West Inc.	$112.6	5.91%
4	AMWINS Insurance Brokerage of California LLC	$105.7	5.55%
5	Marsh USA Inc.	$105.3	5.52%
6	Hart, Anthony Joseph	$90.5	4.75%
7	CRC Insurance Services Inc.	$58.8	3.08%
8	Crump Insurance Services Inc.	$51.7	2.71%
9	Worldwide Facilities	$48.8	2.56%
10	Lockton Companies LLC	$47.8	2.51%

Auto Insurance and Our Nation's Infrastructure

2010-09-07T10:52:00.000-07:00

An illustration, if you don't mind.

When an experienced carpenter is building a house, and turns to their apprentice to say, “I need a hammer,” it is safe to assume the carpenter needs a hammer. Not a saw. Not a wrench. A hammer.

And why is it safe to assume the carpenter needs a hammer?

They have the experience needed to know what tool is required at any given point during the construction of a house. Therefore, you trust their judgment. After all, they know better than you what goes into the construction of a house. They’ve done it, and they’ve done so successfully. If this was not the case, they wouldn’t be able to find work in their chosen field.

Now, when the experienced carpenter turns to their apprentice and says, “I need a hammer,” does the apprentice get them a hammer? Or do they argue with the carpenter about what tool is required, doing so based on the belief they know better?

Logic says no. They cannot know more than, or better than, the carpenter.

Yet in reality, far too often this is precisely what happens. Whether the root cause is the apprentice believing they know far more than is actually the case, or believing that while the carpenter may have experience on their side they are so much smarter than the carpenter it more than negates the experience factor, tremendous amounts of time and energy are wasted debating what ought not to be so much as a point of discussion.

Meanwhile, the house sits uncompleted.

Breaking this down into specifics, few can argue the wisdom of investing in the nation’s infrastructure. Any one whose daily commute includes a crumbling highway, or who insures the vehicles receiving an unnecessary pounding from chewed-up roads, knows full well the vital nature of this work. There's no argument there.

But you still have to pay for it.

Believing that, as it was outlined yesterday by President Obama, the fifty billion dollars required for this effort can be conjured without adding to an already ruinous national debt is quite the leap of faith. If the President and Congress can pull it off, more power to them. Now, reveal any indication this can be done. The track record isn't encouraging.

Were we to see a better breakdown of price and effect when it comes to public projects such as what has been proposed, it would be far easier to sell. Here are the roads, here is the number of cars that drive over them daily, here is the shape they are in, here is what it costs to repair and/or improve them. There will always be complaints about any amount of taxes taken, but when there is a clear definition of what is needed, it becomes far easier to gain public support.

Which, reportedly, is something politicians prefer having, especially around election time.

That said, you still have to pay for it all. It is critical this project be done both efficiently and with fiscal responsibility at the fore.

Our roads and highways are one house that must not be allowed to sit uncompleted.

A Journey Through Time... Well, The All-Employee Meeting

2010-09-03T12:35:00.000-07:00

Here at the Walnut Creek office, we've just concluded our monthly all-employee meeting. It's the first one we've held since reunification of our San Francisco and Walnut Creek offices, so not only did we have a bigger crowd, but more energy.

And what would an all-employee meeting be without pictures? Once the business discussions were concluded, the fun began. First, we bid a reluctant farewell to the three interns who've been here this summer:

Alex Seys;

Damien LeClerc;

and Amanda Mournier.

Next, a warm CSE welcome to our two newest members of the family:

Eda Gotterup, our Director of Accounting;

and Sarah Ferrucci, our new Marketing Manager.
(Also this author's new supervisor.)

Following the introductions, it was time for service awards marking special anniversaries with the company. First up, celebrating ten years was our resident mail room master Rizal Udan. Rizal is with our President and CEO Pierre Bize (L) and Rizal's supervisor Mario Ubaldi (R).

Also celebrating ten years with the company, ol' what's-his-name, standing in-between VP of Market Strategy & Business Development Matt Hull (L) and Pierre (R).

"I would like to thank the members of the Academy..."

Another member of the ten year team was Senior Data Entry Operator Maria Machek, with Pierre on her left and Maria's boss Operations Manager Romey Dalisay on the right.

Commemorating fifteen years, Product Development Supervisor Bob Pick receives his well-deserved recognition from Pierre and Bob's boss Vice President of External Relations Greg Parini.

Finally, marking twenty years of service was Senior Business Analyst Kevin Johnson, standing in-between Pierre and Kevin's boss Manager of Computer Operations Vicki George.

Finally, we wish Elpidio Cruz a happy retirement!

A Question Of Balance

2010-08-31T17:33:00.001-07:00

One tends to think of Forbes magazine as a fairly staid publication, devoted to capitalism and those who practice same. Hardly the place for fiery statements about the public sector, other than decrying tax increases. This makes an article by John Tamny presently running in the publication something of an eyebrow-raiser.

Tamny, whose credentials include senior economist with H.C. Wainwright Economics and senior economic advisor to Toreador Research and Trading, sharply criticizes the present levels of compensation for civil servants as compared to those privately employed, which averages out to $123,000 annually for government employees as compared to $61,000 for their citizen counterparts. He hammers away at how the public sector now drains both the necessary funds for private business development through excessive taxes and the manpower that otherwise would be engaged in private enterprise:

We must always consider the "unseen," and in this case it's the wealth we won't create and the companies that will not materialize thanks to the greedy hand of the federal government.

Not exactly a fan of the present situation, what say?

Tamny is hardly alone in his opinion. There is an ever-growing resentment among the general public toward public employees. The tea party phenomenon isn't strictly about lower taxes, although that certainly plays a part. At its core is a belief in limited government, with the people free to conduct their business and affairs unfettered by excessive taxation, regulation and bureaucratic impediment. Every story of abuse within government employment, such as the revelation last week that in Norfolk, Virginia an individual had drawn a paycheck for twelve years with a taxpayer-funded agency without once actually showing up for work, adds to the palpable anger.

This creates a challenge for CSE. On one hand, we were founded by civil servants. We are dedicated to serving the needs of civil servants and their families. We applaud and honor the devotion and sacrifice of firefighters, law enforcement professionals and educators among other public employees. Yet at the same time, we work with an independent agent force who face the difficulties outlined in Tamny's article, namely high taxes and personnel drain. We ourselves at CSE are private citizens. If there is excess and waste in government, we too pay the price.

So what can we do?

It's easy to define what we can't do. We can neither provide a blanket, blind endorsement of all public employees, nor can we condemn the foundation of our company with a similar broad brush. We, too, are in a very real sense victimized by both failures by civil servants and unfair generalizations against them.

It is a difficult balance to strike, clinging to what is good while abhorring what is evil. Yet this is our only option.

Balance is a most difficult proposition at times.

P.S. Off-topic, but speaking of a question of balance, remember this one?

Some Advice For The Newly Relocated

2010-08-26T22:52:00.000-07:00

As mentioned earlier this week, CSE is combining its Walnut Creek and San Francisco offices in Walnut Creek. For the benefit of those co-workers getting ready for the move, some helpful pointers about their new home:

You will no longer have to break out a parka when summer rolls around.
Any longing for the thriving culture of San Francisco can be alleviated by visiting the thriving culture of Walnut Creek, conveniently located just a block from at the office in the yogurt section at Target.
A sound like a car backfiring is a car backfiring.
That said, be careful downtown. Several people have fallen victim to drive-by snubbings.
The closest thing you'll get to a gang fight is two soccer moms reaching for the same latte at Starbucks.
Speaking of such, the nearest Starbucks is in Target. Bullseye is the barista.
For after-work entertainment, nothing beats going down to Broadway Plaza and seeing what's new at Build-A-Bear.

Welcome, one and all!

The Big Move

2010-08-24T13:31:00.000-07:00

Earlier this year, it was decided that CSE would reunite its Walnut Creek and San Francisco offices in one location. The two had been one before September of 2000, when part of the office moved to Walnut Creek while the rest remained in San Francisco.

Walnut Creek was chosen as the new home. Rather than relocate in order to accommodate the San Francisco staff, a certain amount of renovation and expansion has been called for.

Since we don't have the luxury of putting out a "pardon our dust while we remodel to serve you better" sign, as is the case in retail, we of the Walnut Creek office have been working to the accompaniment of assorted saws, drills and whatnot for a few weeks. It's been an interesting time.

Anyway, thought a small photographic journal of where the construction is at might be of interest:

Some people just can't resist the urge to save every scrap of paper that comes across their desk.

There's a hallway in there somewhere...

We were hoping for a skylight, but the people in the offices on the next floor up simply refused to cooperate.

A bold experiment in minimalistic painting!

I could have sworn we ordered something slightly more heavy-duty...

Not quite sure what this room will end up being, but in the meanwhile it's being used as storage space for the North Pole.

And all of this without a hiccup in services!

Will The Circle Be Unbroken

2010-08-19T21:52:00.000-07:00

Hope you don't mind if I wander off-topic for a bit.

You've probably never heard the name Marc Borland. He wrote a few different blogs, most prominent among them one called Full Throttle, which covered most everything imaginable connected to auto racing. He was a true pioneer, starting his blog in 2002 at a time when blogging in general was a generally unknown quantity to the world at large. Sports blogging? Unheard of. Yet there was Marc, posting away about not only sports, but a sport many don't so much as consider to be one.

Marc was a pure blogger. He was a individualistic man of singular vision. Full Throttle was his domain, a place from which he would comment at length on the individuals and events that together formed the sport he loved. Marc was a walking encyclopedia of racing knowledge, which he would both generously share and bash over the head of anyone who expressed opinions contrary to his own. Woe unto any who dared argue with him without first arming themselves to the teeth with knowledge. Marc would chop the ill-informed down without a shred of mercy. Sometimes it came off as arrogance. But it never was that. It was passion in action.

Marc was a Navy man, who after serving his country settled in the Philippines where he married and raised a family. If you ever wanted to turn the self-professed crusty curmudgeon into a bag of mush, a simple inquiry about his two daughters would do the trick. Marc ofttimes was thought of as being fierce. In fact, he was fiercely loyal to those who saw past the gruffness into the thoughtful, caring man that was underneath a hardened surface.

Marc passed away earlier this month. It took several days for word to reach those of us who knew him online. When it did...

There are certain fellowships for which membership is available only to participants. We're familiar with the brotherhoods of cops and firefighters. Bloggers who center around the same theme also know this fellowship, especially if our chosen topic is anything but fashionable. We reach past the mechanics of what we write about into the whys of our subject matter. Which leads to who we are and how this leads to our writing. Which leads to bonds of friendship that, while seldom spoken, are always present. Yes, we still argue about things. But that disappears in a heartbeat as we genuinely care about, and for, the people behind the opinions.

It's hard to accept that Marc is gone. Yet there it is.

Farewell, blogging buddy.

Continuing The Discussion On HR 1586

2010-08-17T22:14:00.000-07:00

Picking up from last week:

To say the bill has met with less than an enthusiastic response from all sides is quite the understatement. Susan Urahn, managing director of the Pew Center on the States, a division of The Pew Charitable Trusts, has this to say:

When President Obama signed H.R. 1586—the Education Jobs and Medicaid Assistance Act—last Tuesday, sending $26 billion in aid to the states, Democrats called it an economic stimulus plan necessary to save jobs. Republicans said it allows states to postpone making tough decisions to balance their budgets. The truth? It does both.
The problem is not that state leaders haven't made tough choices. It's that they haven't yet made the toughest choices needed to manage our increasingly bleak fiscal outlook.

Regardless of where one stands on the issue, the fact such a bill was felt necessary reflects the increasing politicization of the public sector. There is a discernible, growing resentment in the tea party movement against public employees, who as a whole are being portrayed as gorging themselves at the public trough without providing any genuine return on investment. Conversely, portions of the liberal mindset are inclined to believe the fault lies not in excessive government spending, but rather misplaced priorities where insufficient funds are expended on the entire spectrum of education, including teacher salaries.

Let us know your thoughts on the issue in the Comments area.

The XXXXXX Act of XXXX, i.e. the emergency education funding bill

2010-08-12T22:53:00.000-07:00

This past Tuesday, President Obama signed into law an emergency jobs bill designed to protect jobs in the public sector. The measure will, according to its proponents, save 300,000 teachers and other public employees from being laid off due to shrinking state and local revenues.

The bill was offered in such an abbreviated period of time it had yet to receive a name prior to being signed into law. Thus, the bill's official title is 'XXXXXX Act of XXXX.'

The funds for the measure will be primarily provided through two separate initiatives: the elimination of selected tax breaks for income earned outside the United States, and a reduction in the food stamps program.

The bill, in its original form, was a resolution regarding funding for the modernization of air safety equipment under the FAA's jurisdiction. It was subsequently modified to at first impose additional taxes on bonuses received by employees of companies who had received TARP bailout funds from the government, and later modified again to allocate the aforementioned additional funds for public employees.

As signed into law, the bill mandates no less than $10 billion dollars be allocated for the Education Jobs Fund. The funds will be allocated by the Secretary of Education to be used in either the 2010-2011 or 2011-2012 school years. The funds may be used solely for employment expenses, such as the retaining, re-hiring or hiring of personnel, and may not be used for administrative expenses. The funds also may not be used as a reserve against future expenses, nor may they be used to pay off existing debt.

The bill prohibits dividing the foreign tax credit previously available to individuals and corporations from the related income. Also, the bill eliminates the foreign tax credit with respect to income earned overseas that is not subject to taxation here by reason of covered asset acquisition.

The Issue of Mandatory Insurance (Part Two)

2010-08-10T21:38:00.000-07:00

As was mentioned last week in the post The Issue of Mandatory Insurance, the recent passage of Proposition C in Missouri has re-opened the debate as to whether insurance can be made mandatory at all. Breaking this down further, can divisions be made between the different branches of insurance, such as life, health and property casualty?

Taking California as an example, although it is mandatory for anyone registering a vehicle to provide proof of insurance at the time of registration, the fact remains a large number of drivers presently on the road in the Golden State have no insurance. An exact percentage is difficult to deduce, but best guesses place the number from 18% t0 25%. In simple terms, should the higher end estimate be accurate, one out of four drivers places the financial burden squarely on the three other drivers who do carry insurance. And, of course, their insurance providers.

Given how regardless of how ecologically-minded and environmentally-friendly various elements of California society fancy themselves, the fact remains we are an auto-dependent populace, there is little outcry against the notion of mandatory auto insurance. For most, their car is not only a major financial investment. It's the means of transportation on which they must depend for transport to and from work. Public transit in California is spotty in both quantity and quality. Even with the increasingly woeful condition of California's roadways on both the local and state-maintained level, these roads are vital. As are the cars driving across their surfaces.

Considering the above, and the understandable reluctance for anyone to bear the financial burden of someone else's mistakes behind the wheel, as noted not much of anything is said against mandatory auto insurance. However, at the same time the law is routinely ignored by an alarmingly large number of people who view driving as either a right, or a necessity, that cannot be encumbered with such legal matters as, say, responsibility.

The argument in favor of such a law rests, among other items, on the basis of not placing an undue financial burden on one party carrying insurance by another not carrying insurance. This ultimately translates into an undue burden placed on the insurance providers, but it is more than a little doubtful this fact often enters the consideration.

In this light, what is the difference between mandating everyone who drives carry auto insurance and mandating everyone who breathes carry health insurance? Assume for a moment the purpose of mandatory auto insurance is avoiding an unfair financial burden being placed on those who carry insurance, thus are charged higher rates than would be the case if everyone had insurance. Why? To cover the expenses of those with no insurance.

Why, then, is this not applicable to health insurance?

Leave your thoughts in the Comments area. Thanks!

The Issue of Mandatory Insurance

2010-08-05T21:53:00.000-07:00

This past Tuesday, voters in the state of Missouri issued a resounding "no" to the notion of mandatory health care. 71% of those who cast ballots voted in favor of Proposition C, which although not legally binding forbids the government from implementing in 2014 a key provision of the recently passed federal health care initiative. Namely, the portion requiring all citizens to purchase health insurance, penalizing those who don't.

Specifically, the law mandates a fine of $95 or up to one percent of an individual's income, whichever is greater, if they do not buy health insurance. This will increase to a minimum of $750 or up to 2.5% of an individual's income by 2016. Families will face a fine up to $2,085 or 2.5% of household income. The one that is the greater amount will be the one assessed. Collection of fines will be through the IRS.

Putting it mildly, the notion of mandatory health insurance is a hot-button issue. Supporters of the measure see this as a necessary element to offset the increased costs that will take place under the bill's mandate to make health insurance available to most everyone. Those opposed to the bill view it as a violation of Constitutional rights. There's not much in the way of common ground. In fact, there's none at all.

That all said, mandatory insurance has been around for a while. Not mandatory health insurance, but rather for auto. In California it's been the law for several years.

Some thoughts on this next week.

Insert Jokes Here...

2010-08-03T21:35:00.000-07:00

... although it isn't all that funny:

... the Nevada Board of Examiners has approved spending $1.7 million to move Nevada Insurance Division workers out of a pigeon-plagued office building that made some employees sick.

Take Me Out To (And Put Me In) The Ballgame

2010-07-29T10:02:00.000-07:00

There are certain dreams most every red-blooded American boy harbors of what they'd like to be when they grow up. Cowboy. Astronaut. Race car driver. Baseball player.

As we grow older, while the pursuit of dreams are often set aside in favor of more mundane professions, the dreams themselves remain. A few years back, Tom Selleck was invited to take batting practice with the Los Angeles Dodgers before a home game. Tommy Lasorda, and a camera crew, were there to commemorate the occasion. After he had taken his swings in the batters box, Lasorda asked Selleck if he had to choose between the two which he'd prefer: his lengthy and successful acting career, or one day as a major league baseball player. Without hesitation he replied, "Ballplayer."

Most of us will never so much as set foot on the field of a major league ballpark. Yet for some, not only have they done so, they've been fortunate enough to actually play ball there. Recently, our own Larry Friel from our Claims department had such an opportunity.

When he's not performing his duties on the job or home as husband and father, Larry enjoys keeping active by playing a little baseball. No slow-pitch softball either; this is the real deal. He pitches for Benecia in the Norcal Oldtimers Baseball League, which since 1941 has served as an outlet for players 35 and older to participate in the game they love at a level a notch above your average recreational league. A few days ago, Benecia played San Jose on a field more than a few notches above the norm.

As in AT&T Park, home of the San Francisco Giants.

Honoring America during the National Anthem

Larry tells the story:

My baseball team, Benicia Oldtimers Baseball (not softball -- real baseball), was given the opportunity to play a game at AT&T Park. We played the West Coast Giants out of San Jose.
Larry makes contact!
We were allowed three hours to play our game. We finished nine innings with a 7-2 win.
Not quite a splash hit, but a solid single.
It was great to be able to play on a field of this caliber. They tried as much as they could to make it seem like a real San Francisco Giants game. They had an announcer, scorekeeper, line-up on the big board, four umpires, and ushers.
Warming up in the bullpen.
As you could guess, the field was in spectacular conditions. The field did not seem a whole lot different from what we normally play on, but the outfield area seemed enormous.
Dealing the heat.
We had about 200 people attend from Benicia. Mostly family and friends, but a few people who read about it in the local paper.
How could you not enjoy yourself?
We are a team of baseball players over the age of 35. We have 9 players over 50 years old that have been playing with this team anywhere from 19-28 years. Our oldest guy is 62 and he has been playing with me for 19 years. In fact, he was my Little League coach when I was 10 years old back in 1968. Our team was formed in 1941 along with the league.

Congratulations on fulfilling a dream, Larry!

What We Do Is What We Do

2010-07-27T22:11:00.000-07:00

If the name rings a bell at all, DEVO conjures up images of a quirky pop hit from 1980 titled "Whip It," sung by a band wearing upside down flower pots on their heads:

And what could this possibly have to do with insurance, one may ask?

Although as noted DEVO is generally known for one song and not much else, to the band's fan base DEVO was something far more significant than one-hit wonders. Actually, that should be "is" and not "was," since DEVO is back in action with a new album released a few weeks ago. More on that in a bit; back to the band.

DEVO espouses a belief in "de-evolution." The band defines this as instead of humanity evolving and growing, it is going backwards in terms of social development and overall intelligence. This philosophy, along with a penchant for sardonic swipes at most every rock'n'roll cliche imaginable, is the foundation upon which DEVO has built a career that's seen the release of several albums cherished by fans for their mixture of wit, sarcasm and a musical strength which surprises many who judge the band solely on the basis of its self-created public image as anything but your typical rock ensemble.

Now, making all this relevant to insurance.

As noted, DEVO has re-formed and released a new album titled Something For Everyone. It's quite good, actually, if you're a fan of slightly offbeat synthesizer-dominated rock/pop. Which is beside the point, but thought I'd throw that in. Back to the subject.

Given DEVO's fondness for lampooning assorted elements of society, it comes as no surprise that a large part of the new album's marketing campaign has consisted of a set of videos which together form a "mockumentary." A mockumentary is a satirical film made to look like a documentary, but which in reality is a spoof of the chosen target. In DEVO's case, it has put together a mockumentary of... the marketing of its new record, complete with actors playing the parts of its record label's marketing director, the head of an outside marketing consulting firm, and members of focus groups.

What ties this into insurance is a combination of factors:

DEVO's philosophy that despite the technical advances of humanity, humanity itself isn't progressing -- in fact, it's regressing;
The notion of a band returning to the public eye thirty years after most people last heard from, or about, it -- and with new material that is relevant to the current music scene;
The concept of following the "standard" mainstream marketing plan for a new album by a band whose fan base is anything but mainstream.

When it comes to selling insurance, by far the heaviest push the past several years has been by providers emphasizing a do-it-yourself approach. Get on the Internet, get a quote, buy a policy. Everything is but a few mouse clicks away. Ultra-easy and convenient, right?

No, not really.

It's amusing how the same companies which had been incessantly pushing the meme of an insured being the original one-person gang, capable of doing it all online, are now with equal fervor pushing the notion of either talking to one of their agents, or how they have people available whenever you need them. In short, all the boasts about advancement are now being pushed aside in favor of extolling the virtues of doing things the old-fashioned way.

Which isn't old-fashioned in the least.

Here at CSE, while we're working feverishly on making services and information available online to our agents and customers alike, we also have never lost faith in the belief that nothing beats experienced professionals working directly with the people who need their expertise. We don't need focus groups to tell us this is the way to do business. Instead, we trust in the experience of being in business for over sixty years.

When we tell people to contact their local agent, we do so with the full confidence they will have their needs met, both when buying a policy and should they ever need the coverage provided in that policy. It's how we've always done things. Not because we're stuck in a loop, but because it works.

And we've never needed to wear upside-down flower pots. (For the record, DEVO calls them "energy domes." In case you were wondering.)

How Would You Collect Damages?

2010-07-22T13:44:00.000-07:00

CSE offers boaters insurance for different kinds of private vessels. I'm pretty sure the boat -- ship, really -- in this story isn't eligible for coverage from us. Which is probably a good thing, because I'm pretty sure the other party doesn't carry insurance:

A couple on a whale-watching trip off Cape Town, South Africa, say they had a lucky escape when a 10m (33ft) specimen lept on to their yacht.
The southern right whale, a species known for poor eyesight, snapped the mast before sliding back into the water.

Here's the money quote from one of the people on board:

"We were just the wrong boat, in the wrong place at the wrong time."

Indeed.

The damages look to be around $13,000.

Interested In Making A Splash?

2010-07-20T15:49:00.000-07:00

Then sign up (deadline is this Friday) to participate in this year's JP Morgan Chase Challenge, being held Wednesday, August 4th starting at Piers 30 and 32 in San Francisco.

You can run 3.5 miles, right? If not, you can also walk the course. No one will mind.

You'll be raising money for worthy charities while having fun. And getting in shape. Or showing off what great shape you're in. It's up to you.

You'll be running along the beautiful San Francisco waterfront, going past such landmarks as AT&T Park, home of the San Francisco Giants. No, they're not playing that night, but as you go past you'll have a tremendous opportunity to imagine yourself circling the bases after dropping a splash hit into McCovey Cove.

Seriously, we'd love for you to join us. If you're an employee of CSE, or one of our agents, contact Lori Velasco at our San Francisco office (loriv at cseinsurance dot com) or Dave Brinker at our Walnut Creek office (dbrinker at cseinsurance dot com).

The cost to sign up? Nothing, nada, zip, zilch. There will be a nominal fee for your team t-shirt, but once you see it you'll know it's more than worth the price. No, no hints on what it looks like. But trust us. It's a good one.

Come join us. Working up a sweat never felt so sweet.

CSE Records Second Straight Year Of Zero Justified Complaints With The CA Department of Insurance

2010-07-15T14:24:00.000-07:00

From the press release:

CSE Insurance Group (www.cseinsurance.com), for over sixty years a leader in providing civil service employees with quality protection at affordable rates, today announced that Civil Service Employees Insurance Company had no justified complaints from any of its Homeowners policy holders filed with the California Department of Insurance in 2009. This is the second year in a row this has been accomplished.

Jim Williamson, Senior Vice President of Claims for CSE, states, “We have been constantly upgrading and scrutinizing our claims handling procedures, looking for areas in which we can improve. In addition, we have invited our insured who have filed claims to fill out online surveys so we can hear directly from them about the service they have received. The results testify to our success, and challenge us to become even more efficient in taking care of our insured’s needs.”

CSE has been named to the Ward’s 50 Top Performers List!

2010-07-15T13:43:00.000-07:00

From the press release:

CSE Insurance Group (www.cseinsurance.com), a leader in providing civil service employees with quality protection at affordable rates, today announced that the Ward Group has named CSE to its elite Ward’s 50 group of top performing companies in the Property Casualty field.

This prestigious accomplishment is awarded only to those companies meeting the Ward Group’s strict standards of excellence. An insurance provider must pass a series of stringent performance, safety, and consistency tests before it is considered for inclusion on the list. The company must pass all of these tests for a minimum of five consecutive years, thus demonstrating it is a solid, secure provider in which its customers can place their trust.

The Ward Group (www.wardinc.com) has, since 1991, measured the strength and business sense of insurance providers throughout the United States. It is recognized as a leader in establishing benchmarks against which companies can measure their performance. To be included on the Ward’s 50 Group list means an insurance provider has exceeded the Ward Group’s high standards.

Pierre Bize, President and CEO of CSE Insurance Group, comments on the award, “This honor is the culmination of years of hard work by everyone involved with the company’s efforts to provide the best products and service for our insureds. Congratulations to the executives and personnel of CSE on a job well done! I especially thank our independent agent force. Without them, CSE would not exist.”

Not To Boast Or Anything...

2010-07-13T17:33:00.000-07:00

... but we'll have some boasting to do this Thursday.

What about? Swing by and find out!

Amping Up Amplify

2010-07-08T23:29:00.000-07:00

There's a cool new social media app I encourage you to try. It's called Amplify (http://amplify.com).

Amplify is, to a degree, a mini blogging site. The difference is you can choose who to follow, and you can automatically post anything you write there to your Twitter or Facebook accounts.

It's a handy little service that's only going to grow. Definitely worth checking out.

Storybook Ending

2010-07-06T09:31:00.000-07:00

Another one of those "telling you a story in order to talk about insurance" stories.

This past Friday evening at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida, NASCAR had a race in what is called the Nationwide Series (yes, it's sponsored by Nationwide Insurance).

The Nationwide Series is something of a minor-league series to NASCAR's main series, which is the Sprint Cup. However, several drivers who are in Sprint Cup also drive in Nationwide. Some do it full-time, others every once in a while.

The winner of this past Friday's race was one of those occasional drivers in the series. His name? Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Even casual sports fans, with little or no interest in NASCAR, know the name Dale Earnhardt Jr. He is the son of the late Dale Earnhardt, who alongside Richard Petty is NASCAR's most revered driver.

Earnhardt died in a crash on the last lap of the 2001 Daytona 500. His death, perhaps more than any other event, defined the sport as it unleashed a torrent of grief among NASCAR's fan base.

Earnhardt's nickname was the Man in Black, referring to the paint scheme on his #3 Goodwrench-sponsored car. It was also an apt description of his menacing presence on the track. Earnhardt was as rough and tumble a driver as they come, never afraid to force his way to the front. He was also a self-made man, growing up in a hardscrabble environment and eventually overseeing a business mini-empire including his own multi-car racing team. One of those drivers at the time of his death was his son.

Following Earnhardt's passing, the expectations placed on Earnhardt Jr. from the get-go were amplified tenfold by a fan base which transferred their devotion from father to son, these in addition to Earnhardt Jr.'s original fans. By most standards he's had a solid career in NASCAR, winning eighteen races and often finishing high in the standings. However, his father won seven championships in what is now called Sprint Cup during his career. Earnhardt Jr. has never won one.

The past season and a half have been rough for Earnhardt Jr. No wins. Incessant talk that he's lost his edge, or that he was overrated from the beginning. A lot of pressure.

So how does he respond?

By bringing more on himself.

Several weeks ago, Earnhardt Jr. announced the culmination of a deal involving several race teams, including the one his father drove for and the one his father owned, for which he no longer drives. He would drive the #3 car for one race.

The Nationwide Series race during the Fourth of July weekend.

At Daytona International Speedway.

You know -- the place where his Dad died?

But he did it anyway.

And won.

Okay, the insurance part.

We are conditioned to believe in something -- anything -- other than happy endings. Life is hard, we are told. Fairy tales where everyone lives happily ever after simply do not happen.

Which is true most of the time.

Sometimes, the stars do align and everything else falls into place. Sometimes, the hero comes through in the end. Sometimes, the good guy wins.

Our job is to compensate for when he doesn't.

That's insurance in a nutshell.

A Bit Early...

2010-07-01T21:29:00.000-07:00

... but have a happy and safe Fourth of July from all of us at CSE Insurance Group!

Latest From The Sacramento Merry-Go-Round

2010-06-29T22:13:00.000-07:00

In news that rivals "dog bites man," the prospects of a budget being done on time in Sacramento rank right alongside a vuvuzela being welcome in a library.

This go-around, an added element is the threat by Governor Schwarzenegger to put a chunk of California state employees on minimum wage until such time as a budget is passed. This, however, would not apply to state employees who belong to one of the unions which recently reached an agreement with the governor regarding assorted wage and pension rollbacks.

As they say, stay tuned.

Something's Missing Here

2010-06-24T20:42:00.000-07:00

Bit of a personal story to illustrate an insurance point.

Earlier this year, the aunt I and my family members living out here California way cared for during her declining years passed away. And so, it's fallen on us to prepare her condo for sale.

My aunt was a carefully detailed person who chronicled, and detailed, everything she did during her life. Which, for a woman who never married (her fiancé died in World War II) and lived a quiet life, was a surprising amount. She and her sister traveled across the country and to several different countries over the decades. Every trip was memorialized, down to saving every receipt. These were then neatly filed away. Whether they were ever subsequently referenced I don't know, but should the notion have ever crossed her mind, the saved memories were there.

My aunt saved everything. And I mean everything. Every bill, every Christmas card, every scrap of paper. Not that she was a packrat by any means; her condo was always immaculately kept and never cluttered. Instead, she kept everything in numerous file cabinets located throughout the place. All of which we now have to go through.

Here's where the insurance aspect kicks in.

What's the one thing we have yet to find?

You guessed it.

Her life and homeowners policies.

A reminder to us all to make sure this isn't the case for us!

News From California

2010-06-22T15:07:00.000-07:00

We'll get back to the topic touched on in the last post later. Some recent news is more pressing in nature. From the Los Angeles Times:

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger won a major victory Wednesday in his push to rein in state worker retirement benefits when leaders of four unions, including those representing state firefighters and California Highway Patrol officers, agreed to a substantial and rare pension rollback...
In exchange for the concessions, the unions received a promised end to the three days per month of unpaid furloughs they have endured since last summer.

No better time to get the word out about how CSE offers discounts of 20% or more to government-employed firefighters and law enforcement professions!

Getting The Information Across (Part One)

2010-06-17T21:29:00.000-07:00

A bit of rumination on the art of selling.

To start, let's take a look inside the realm of social media as it applies to the gathering and dissemination of news. When blogging first came to be a known quantity in 2000-2002, it was customary for traditional media, both individually and collectively, to dismiss it as a playground for amateurs. Jonathan Klein, who at the time was an executive with CBS News and is currently president of CNN's American division, made this comment: "... you couldn't have a starker contrast between the multiple layers of checks and balances, and a guy sitting in his living room in his pajamas writing what he thinks."

Unfortunately for Mr. Klein, shortly after he made this statement CBS News was caught in a falsehood by bloggers. They noticed typewritten documents CBS was showing in a story on 60 Minutes, allegedly from the early 1970s and purporting to be a record of then President Bush's military service, could not have been created during the time period to which they were assigned, as the font face and formatting were unavailable on any typewriter in existence. In fact, what was shown mirrored exactly the default settings for Microsoft Word, which debuted in 1983. Despite CBS' insistence that the documents were real, and the New York Times calling them in a headline "fake but accurate," eventually several people at CBS lost their jobs due to the brouhaha generated by the story.

This and similar incidents notwithstanding, while blogs have gained at least a foothold and grudging respect from traditional media, in the public eye they're... well, not in the public eye. Even the most popular political blogs receive but a minuscule fraction of the number of visitors sites such as CNN and FOX News' websites receive. When it comes to getting the news online, the overwhelming majority of people automatically go to the source. This is as opposed to heading for blogs offering snippets of stories from said sources, along with commentary.

And this all has exactly what to do with selling and/or servicing an insurance policy, you ask? Tune in next Tuesday to find out.