This is bullshit, DVDs are obsolete. Hold out for the Blu-Ray.

maybe hold out for some some nice promotional materials as well... a poster or a hat...

Send the letter.. jerks.

It's some lawyer in the company who has learned at weasel school that there is no harm in ASKING someone to sell their work cheaply; this is how they operate.

So the more I think about it the more I think, don't dare send that. Give them a good vibe about the use of your work but don't sign anything; allow time to proceed, and do everything you can to make them feel like this is a certainty;

Only at the last minute do you suggest that their offer is not quite good enough and that you will need to retain all publishing rights.

If they believe they can use your material, perhaps they will mistakenly invest time and money and creativity into the project with the assumption that no changes will have to be made. Perhaps at that point it will be cheaper to do the right thing.

It's a chance anyway

I was thinking similarly, but more that they go so low that it isn't worth anom's time/money to have his lawyer take up the negotiation. What is really needed is a counter-offer well within the industry standard in full legalese.

yeah, that's the more sane/ sober thing to do, especially if the project is finished and already being marketed with a pending release date...

you know, in theory

I like the golden rule strategy. If you don't want to be lowballed or slowwalked, don't do it. If you want a fair price for good work, say so.

Send a reply; but, keep it short and sweet to let them know that as a business person you don't want your time wasted. You can say something like: Thank you for your artistic interest in my work. Feel free to contact me again should you develop a serious business interest.

WARNING: VENTING IN PROGRESS. WEAR APPROPRIATE PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT

Okay, I am no longer mildly irritated. I am pissed off.

I took my car in for its Major Service for 200,000km.
This involved all fluids, plugs, water pump, a complete timing gear rebuild including guides and hydraulic tensioner, water pump etc. It cost $1,925.

When I got it back (after silly delays, natch) it had a nasty rattle. As I took it back for a recheck, the rattle disappeared but an ignition misfire continued. The mechanics managed to break the radiator and charge me $395 to fix that, but did not fix the ignition misfire.

So I took it to a different mechanic, a subaru dealer. After trying a few easy fixes like subbing out the leads and the coil, they couldn't fix it, so they dug deeper.

Turns out, the RH camshaft sprocket had been incorrectly installed. This caused incorrect timing which caused the ignition misfire.

It has also resulted in damage to the sprocket and the camshaft. There could well be further damage (to the valves, most likely) but this cannot be determined until the cam and sprocket are fixed.

The camshaft almost never needs replacing. The part will have to be imported from Japan, and in fact may need to be made to order.

This could take anywhere between two and six weeks, and cost around $1,650 - assuming no further work is required.

I might be able to recover some or all of this cost from the first (so-called) "mechanic" but that will require substantial effort to document and argue etc etc and I hate that sort of shit.

I also have a bunch of other stuff going on in my life right now which for legal reasons I am not putting here until it is resolved, but I very likely have plans for the next 2 to 6 weeks that crucially involve this car.


Shitfuckshitfuckshitfuckyoustupidincompetentdickheadarsesuckingfuckwitblinddickwads.

Oh and Ibram, if you see this, when your Subi needs any kind of work, take it to an expert. A subaru specialist. I think you mentioned you had a good reliable one - keep him.

BigV can probably make you a new camshaft out of a bit of wood and some leather scraps.

Yeah, I'm sure he could whip something up. :p

Does your insurance have rental car coverage? Or do you mean it crucially involves your specific car?

I don't think my insurance will spring for a rental.

(a) I don't think that's in my policy.
(b) It wasn't crashed, just bollocksed up by a mechanic. I don't think that is covered.

I will give them a call just in case.

I'm in the RAA (AAA to youse, I think) and my next move (after venting here) will be to get some legal advice from them.


ETA: Well it doesn't have to be this very car, but i was planning some driving and hiking holidays and an all-wheel drive wagon that I can sleep in the back of was part of those plans.

Car and plumbing problems are the WORST.


Sending good gibes your way.