Fagopyrum Friday

Actually...we've got TWO mangled headlines, both medical in nature.

Breast-Feeding May Reduce Sleep-Related Breathing Disorders
(Wonder how many men are going to use this on their girlfriends? "Honey, I have to do this if you want me to stop snoring!")

Viagra may aid jet-lagged travelers
(Well...they won't be thinking about how TIRED they are, that's for sure...)

Well...it's FRIDAY.

(Ooh...Sudiegirl's indeed the observant one...)

It's been cooler the past couple of days...we had a real gully-washer of a rainstorm a couple of days ago. However, I'm sure hot weather is on the way, thanks to Western weather patterns. Right now, though, I'm enjoying my long-sleeved t-shirts and such so it's all good here.

Not much planned for the weekend either - was just informed by my Mom that she and my aunt are coming here in a couple of weeks to celebrate the birth of my aunt's first GREAT grandchild. Should be interesting...the father of this child was the ring bearer at my first wedding. Yep...I felt about 10 gray hairs sprout right about then. Great.

Other than that...just the same ol' same. Like it's gonna change radically from one day to the next? I'd say "B***h PLEASE!" but I know better these days. However, something's been kind of on my mind...

I think my friend/collaborator/kinda-sorta golf teacher DD is bipolar. And NO, I'm not painting him with the same brush as I paint myself with. Let's just say I'm starting to see it. DD just gets whipped into a frenzy about things (positive or negative ones) and PLUS he told me when we first started working together that his dad was BP and killed himself when DD was only 12.

It's kind of strange. We discussed the possibility of BP in his makeup after one particularly horrendous night (which I thought he took well). I gave him some information about a BP book that Psychology Today touts under its own publishing masthead. It's my "bible" about the disease, and it's taught me a lot about how to manage it. Whether or not HE actually takes my concern seriously is another matter altogether, but I'm not his mommy. I can't be. I chose not to have children for a reason.

Anyway, enough of reality coming to crash the party here at Rancho Sudiegirl. Let's give out some awards!!!

First, this award is given on behalf of me and all the other fellow DC Metro-ites that are pissed off as hell about this situation:

Recipient: DC Administrative Law judge Roy Pearson
Reason: As Simon and Garfunkel put it, a lack of "tryin' to keep the customer satisfied..."

To quote one of the many articles...

Under cross-examination, Pearson said the District of Columbia Consumer Protection Act, under which he is suing Custom Cleaners, should grant a customer whatever he or she wants if there is a "Satisfaction Guaranteed" sign.

Pearson, 57, originally sued Custom Cleaners for about $65 million by adding up violations under the act and almost $2 million in common law claims. He is no longer seeking damages related to the pants, focusing his claims on two signs in the shop that have since been removed.

Uh...for those who haven't heard about this, Mr. Pearson has been at odds with Custom Cleaners over a lost pair of suit pants. Here's a thumbnail sketch of what brought this case to court:

Pearson says his problems with Custom Cleaners began in May 2005 when he brought in several suits for alterations. A pair of pants from a blue and maroon suit was missing when he requested it two days later. The Chungs say they found the pants soon after and tried to give them to Pearson, but Pearson insists those are not his. The charcoal-gray, cuffed pants are now evidence.

Judge's comments:

First check out the numbers.

Original dollar amount sought: $65 million
Re-figured dollar amount: $54 million
Amount Judge Pearson wants for himself:
$2 million (damages for mental anguish, etc.)
Amount Judge Pearson wants for legal fees:
$500,000

(NOTE: Pearson is representing himself in court. Very important to note this, because in essence he's asking the court to pay him for being his own lawyer.)

NOW, take this into consideration - If you go to the Men's Wearhouse website and shop, you can find a Calvin Klein suit for $399.99 (click the link here...), among many many more.

I'm not ignorant of this fact listed below:

Under questioning, Pearson confirmed he had only $1,000 to $2,000 to his name when his problems with the dry cleaners started. Pearson said he did not have a job at the time and was collecting unemployment benefits.

So yeah...I GUESS it makes sense that Pearson would get a little honked off if one of his pairs of pants went missing and he couldn't afford to replace them because he didn't have a job. However, here's the extent of how far this dude went to prove they weren't his pants:

He also submitted into evidence a photograph of every pair of pants in his home to show that he does not like pants with cuffs.

Four words: la-dee-frickin'-da!

I'd like to know how much time was spent taking pictures of all his damned pants. For the amount of time he spent snappin' pics of his trousers, he could have gone to Men's Wearhouse! For that matter, we have some kickin' "gently used" clothing stores for men and women around here, so couldn't he have paired up the remaining jacket with another pair of dress slacks? I mean, COME ON!

Of course, this has stressed the owners of Custom Cleaners. To quote another article, linked to here:

Shop owner Soo Chung, an immigrant from South Korea, was not so amused.

"Economically, emotionally, and health-wise as well, it's been extremely hard for us," Chung said through an interpreter as she broke down crying. It has cost tens of thousands of dollars to defend against the lawsuit, with a quarter of that covered by donations, a spokeswoman said.

But you know what makes me laugh at Judge Pearson as opposed to near him?

This statement...

Even Bartnoff had a hard time keeping a straight face as Pearson, wearing a gray pinstripe suit and a stained lavender tie, wielded a 6-inch-thick (15-cm-thick) binder of laws and court decisions that he said bolstered his case.

OK...if this man is so concerned about his pants, why didn't he check the stain on his tie? Come on...a weary nation wants to know!

I understand being reimbursed for the cost of the suit, especially if it was a custom suit. But really, it should end there. If you're claiming $2 million for personal anguish when a suit at Mens Wearhouse can cost $400 or something, there's a real problem with priorities.

If he was going through a divorce at the time this whole mess started, I really feel for his wife. It couldn't have been happy to be married to a man who has the tenacity to take pictures of every pair of pants he owns!

I'm rootin' for an outcome that favors the couple who own the cleaners.

And with that, I think I've worn my little self out, so I'm headin' out of the blogosphere for now. Have a great weekend...comment early...comment often...etc., etc., etc.

Sudiegirl
(Not exactly the consumers' friend but working on it...)