Our beloved fatherteacher Ben Popken seems just fine with his newly lasered eyes, but not everyone sees such great results, says Reuters: “Blurred vision, dry eyes, glare and double-vision have led to depression and in some cases suicide, several patients told a U.S. Food and Drug Administration advisory panel.” These patients want the FDA to take a more active role in regulating the LASIK industry (currently the FDA regulates the equipment but not the people who use it).
Government Policy
Protesting Honda Civic SI Get Transmission TSB
By 4.25.08
Those Honda Civic SI owners who were holding protests in front of dealerships about the widespread transmission problem (where the 3rd gear kept grinding, popping out and randomly going into neutral), finally have their day. Honda issued a TSB (technical service bulletin) on the issue, so now owners experiencing the problem can go their dealership and get it repaired for free, provided they are still under warranty. It’s not quite the recall owners were hoping for, but it’s something. Guess Honda has now heard of the problem they previously said they “never heard of before.” Must have been all that negative news coverage. Here’s links to the TSB (for Honda dealers, for Acura dealers (PDF)) so you can print it out and bring with you. Inside, one of the original newscasts covering the uproar.
First BPA Class Action Lawsuit Announced!
By 4.24.08
It begins! A woman in California, no doubt under the expert legal advice of people who only have her best interests at heart, has filed a lawsuit against Nalgene alleging that they “knew, but downplayed risks, that a toxic substance in its popular…
Rebate Checks Start Arriving Monday!
By 4.24.08
Monday is your lucky day, taxpayer, that’s when rebate checks start arriving, ahead of schedule. That’s right, the rebates were originally slated for May 2nd, but thanks to “a new computer program that updates records daily – faster than an older program that updates weekly,” Americans will start getting their free beer money on April 28th. Wow, IRS and efficiency together in the same sentence?
Peeping Tom Sears Manager Sued For $2.7 Million
By 4.24.08
It seems the floors aren’t the only thing that’s dirty inside Sears. According to Style Weekly, former Sears assistant manager, Robert E. Lee of Virginia, is being sued for $2.7 million for allegedly spying on a young girl and her mother through the ceiling tiles of a dressing room, while hiding inside of a “peeping hutch.” The alleged crime occurred in March, 2006 when Lee was discovered spying from the masturbation station, strategically located above the ladies’ dressing room. The young girl, whose age is described as “prepubescent,” is said to have been traumatized when she suddenly noticed Lee leering from the ceiling while she and her mother were trying on bathing suits. Lee admitted his culpability. The lawsuit states, “During the search of the room, police officials recovered sexually explicit magazines and seminal fluids.” Oh Sears. Before we were only ashamed of you, but now that shame has grown into disgust, with loathing not too far off in the distance.
McDonald's Employee Won't Let You Have It "Your Way" — Shoots You
By 4.24.08
The News On 6 in Tulsa, OK. reports that customer Jeff Cox was placed in intensive care after being shot by McDonald’s employee Erick Thurman at a Tulsa McDonald’s. The chain of unfortunate events began to unfold at approximately 2am on Sunday, April 13th. After waiting nearly an hour for her order, customer Makayla Hall returned to the drive-thru window to ask for a refund…
Recalled Heparin Contaminant Confirmed, And Congress Grills FDA On Inspections
By 4.24.08
Researchers have identified the chemical in the contaminated blood thinner Heparin that killed 81 people in the U.S. and made patients here and in Europe sick:The researchers freeze-dried the heparin and used a combination of nuclear magnetic resonance imaging and liquid chromatography-mass…
By 4.23.08
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Since its creation in 2001, the TSA has fired over 200 employees for stealing. Since the TSA will invariably deny your request for compensation if you file a theft claim, your best bet is to either pack valuables in your carry-on, or just leave them home all-together. [MSNBC]
By 4.23.08
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A California court has upheld the scrawny Netflix “throttling” settlement from 2006. That was when Netflix settled a class-action lawsuit that alleged they intentionally slowed down the rental rates of high-renting customers. The settlement only really benefited lawyers and Netflix, but it stands.
Pizza Hut Delivery Driver Fired For Shooting Armed Robber
By 4.22.08
A Pizza Hut delivery driver with a valid handgun permit has been fired after he shot an armed robber who put a gun to his head and demanded he turn over his cash. Now an Iowa state senator is calling for a boycott of Pizza Hut:
“You tell me any Iowan that was in his situation, that had a gun put to his head, how they would’ve reacted differently,” state Sen. Brad Zaun of Urbandale said. “I think it’s the wrong decision by Pizza Hut and I will not be buying any more Pizza Hut products.”
Pizza Hut says it’s against company policy for delivery drivers to carry guns, even with a valid permit.
LendingTree Data Breach: Former Employees Were Sharing Passwords With Unapproved Lenders
By 4.22.08
LendingTree announced today that several former employees are suspected of sharing passwords with lenders that were not approved by LendingTree, and that this may have exposed customer data including: name, address, e-mail address, phone number, Social Security number, income and employment information.
Azureus: Other ISPs May Also Be Throttling BitTorrent
By 4.22.08
A few months ago Azureus petitioned the FCC, which led to a FCC hearing in February. One of the complaints from the commission was that there is little data available on the scope of BitTorrent throttling, a gap Azureus now tries to fill by collecting data on the prevalence of TCP-resets among ISPs worldwide.
Postal Worker Steals Your New Credit Cards, Goes On Shopping Spree
By 4.22.08
Police have arrested Paul Hank, a distribution clerk at the Smithtown, NY post office, after he stole credit cards from the mail and went on a shopping spree, says Newsday
Jury Says 'Up Yours' To Rectal Exam Lawsuit
By 4.22.08
Remember Brian Persaud, the Brooklyn construction worker who tried to sue a New York hospital for performing a by-the-books rectal exam on him in 2003? On Monday, a Manhattan jury tossed his lawsuit, claiming he failed to show he suffered assault and battery.
U-Haul Must Pay $84 Million To Man For Injuries
By 4.22.08
A Dallas court found U-Haul guilty of negligence for failing to maintain its vehicles properly, and awarded 74-year-old Talmadge Waldrip $84 million in damages, $63 million of which are punitive. “The truck’s parking brake did not work at all,” said the man’s lawyer. “He stepped out of the truck and it rolled right over him.”
You Can Still Join A Fen-Phen Class Action Lawsuit
By 4.22.08
This lady started taking Fen-Phen and lost 30 lbs, but now she’s got high blood pressure, sleep apnea, and swollen legs, possibly indicative of primary pulmonary hypertension (PPH), the negative side effect American Home Products (now known as Wyeth) were successfully sued for upwards of $14 billion. When she called Wyeth, they told her that she had “waited too long” to file a lawsuit. However, the 2006 Fen-Phen settlement actually has a clause that says there’s no statute of limitations on filing a claim. Therefore, you can still join a class action lawsuit against them. Also goes to show you that calling up the customer service department probably isn’t the best route to take if you’re looking for objective information about suing that company…
By 4.22.08
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The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals declined to hear Microsoft’s appeal in the ‘Vista Capable’ class action suit, and it’s moving forward to U.S. District Court. [Seattle Times] (Thanks to T.J.!)
