You can take your offer, fold it until it's all sharp corners, and then...

The insurance company of the guy who knocked me off my bike made an offer to settle liability last week. At 60/40 (in my favour).

i.e. he takes 60% of the blame (and pays me 60% of whatever my settlement works out to) and I take 40% of the blame (and pay him 40% of whatever fixing his car cost).

I instructed my lawyer to reject the offer rather firmly. Negotiations continue.

My lawyer did recommend that I reject this offer by the way, not that there was any chance of me accepting it. As far as I'm concerned, he's 100% to blame and I'm not settling for anything less. I strongly suspect that this is their opening move in a haggling game which will settle down to the ultimatum "80/20 or it goes to court". At which point I will go to court, unless my lawyer advises otherwise in a very convincing manner.

I spoke to her on the phone this afternoon and got a few very tentative ideas as to timescales and ballpark figures for settlements, as well as a bit of a feel for how she's viewing the liability negotiations so far. ( Read more... )

Aye, avast.

Having received my PotC DVD, I ended up not watching it last night, because instead I went to the cinema in MK with rixxin. To watch, erm, PotC (at easyCinema, for £1.55). This being the third time I've seen it, I managed to tear my eyes and mind off of Cap'n Sparrow for long enough to notice a few mis-applications of 'aye' this time.

As far as I'm aware, the derivation of 'aye aye' as a shipboard term is from the formal phrase "I understand the order I have been given, and I will comply with it fully", used when receiving orders in the Navy. As such, "Aye sir" is an appropriate response to an order, but not to a question to which the answer is 'yes' - then you say "Yes sir" (also, saying 'yes sir' to an order would be wrong, as it doesn't officially say that you're going to do as you've been told). In PotC, 'aye' is used for 'yes' in a couple of places that I noticed.

Just thought I'd mention it, for no particular reason.

Of course, the scottish seem to use 'aye' for 'yes', so perhaps there are other derivations - but the one used by pirates is likely to be the one I've given above, I think?

Mmmmm, Cap'n Jack Sparrow. Excuse me a moment...