tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-105264352024-03-08T04:09:47.551+01:00Translation in the TrenchesA blow-by-blow of a dog-eat-dog world.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger94125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10526435.post-1115875849912648852005-05-22T15:22:00.000+02:002007-11-09T18:58:51.006+01:00Zwei Seelen wohnen, ach, in meiner BrustVarious translations of this quote online:<blockquote>Two souls dwell, alas! in my breast<br />Two souls, alas! reside within my breast.<br />Two souls, alas, are housed within my breast.<br />Two souls, alas, are dwelling in my breast.<br />Two souls, alas! are lodg'd within my breast.</blockquote>Damn squatters. Faust should have charged <span style="font-style: italic;">both </span>souls rent. It's not like the space is free or anything.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10526435.post-1116611441505882112005-05-20T19:34:00.000+02:002007-11-15T17:54:30.789+01:00Imparting Pearls Of Utter FoolishnessAfter slogging through 250 pages of why ISDN H-channels are not the same as N x 64 channels, my brain, like a recalcitrant pony, is balking at the sheer thought of reading another page. It's not the best behaved brain in the world, mind you. After 250 pages, it always balks. It's like clockwork. I've tried caressing it, feeding it tasty oats and taking it for a trot in the morning, but right now it looks a little fagged. Maybe I should put it out to pasture.<br /><br />However, I have learned some valuable lessons from reading <a href="http://shop.osborne.com/cgi-bin/osborne/0072193565.html" target="_blank">Telecommunications: A Beginner's Guide</a>, which I would like to share with you, dear reader.<br /><ol> <li>There is a reason why Cisco's marketing materials sound like they were written by an army of monkeys on crack. Because they <span style="font-style: italic;">were</span>.</li> <li>These are probably the same goddamn monkeys who invented English pronunciation rules, or rather the lack thereof.</li> <li>Switches are essentially modern-day witchcraft, and anyone who understands them has probably sold his soul to the devil.</li> <li>This joke is still not funny:<br />Q: What did the data terminal equipment say to the data circuit terminating equipment?<br />A: 10101001110001010010100100100101000100111!</li> <li>All work and no play makes Trench an unspeakably dull boy.</li> <li>When I'm reading this bilge, I can't get no inspiration. But I try. And I try. And I try. And I try.</li> <li>The next textbook I read will have pictures, color-by-numbers and crossword puzzles. You know, something like "Pokémon Visits the Polymer Processing Plant".</li> <li>Whoever wrote the ISDN chapter is guilty of committing acts of gross boredom and should be boiled in oil. <span style="font-style: italic;">Feet-first.</span></li><li>Advanced Intelligent Networks are pretty cool, actually.</li> <li>I used to say that the best thing about being a translator was the fact that you were constantly learning. Now, I think it's a toss-up between learning and writing. God, I missed blogging.</li> </ol>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10526435.post-1116061439135713212005-05-14T11:01:00.000+02:002007-11-09T18:41:49.952+01:00My SchedulerSince there are no project management applications just for freelance translators, I've had to set up my own as an Excel table. It consists of three parts:<br /><br /><ol> <li>A calendar (Columns A-H)<br /> </li> <li>A speed calculator (Columns I and J)<br /> </li> <li>A notes section (Columns K-ZZZ)<br /> </li> </ol><br />The calendar section turns blue when you enter a number in it. Take B21, for example. I have a job that I want to finish on Monday by 6 p.m. So I enter 209 lines (the number of lines for the job) and set aside the next hour for proofreading. The job propagates up through the table until it reaches zero.<br /><br />It also warns you if you have a scheduling conflict. In E23, I've inserted a job, but it overlaps with the next job down. I'll have to fix this later.<br /><br />The Lines and Speed columns tell me if I'm translating fast enough to make my deadlines. In the calendar, my target rate is 20 lines per half-hour. In the speed column, I've set down 25 lines per half hour. The extra 5 lines per half-hour is my planning slack.<br /><br />In this case, I translated fast enough from 11:00 to 11:30, but was a little slow from 11:30 to 12:30. I did fine from 2:00 to 2:30, but I obviously was distracted or really slow from 2:30 to 3:00.<br /><br />The Notes section begins at column K. I use a formula to calculate the number of lines I have left based on a character count. I also enter any pending quotes so I don't book time I've agreed to reserve provisionally for another client.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Warning:</span><br />You can't drag and drop cells or move entire columns back and forth because of the scheduling conflict formula I had to use. Other than that, this little spreadsheet does almost everything I want.<br /><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/img/54/4162/640/MySchedule1.jpg"><img style="border: 1px solid rgb(0, 0, 0); margin: 2px;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/img/54/4162/320/MySchedule1.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />My Schedule<br /><br />If you're interested in using it for yourself, <a href="mailto:trenchwarrior2005@yahoo.com">e-mail me your Yahoo address</a>. I've got it in my Briefcase, but I need a Yahoo handle to share it. If you're in a rush, just add a comment telling me you've sent me an e-mail. I'll be sure to check my e-mail then.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10526435.post-1115996046680925952005-05-13T16:48:00.000+02:002007-11-15T17:54:50.838+01:00Driving Myself CrazyI have a theory that alongside the drive for sex, recognition and companionship, everyone has a built-in, plug 'n play linguistic drive. I know I do. The only problem is that my linguistic drive seems to have two gears: intake and output. Right now, I'm absorbing a book on telecommunications. My brain is so focused on Media Access Control addresses and synchronous payload envelopes that it's uninterested in producing anything creative.<br /><br />Don't laugh - I'm serious. My wife thinks I'm nuts for actually enjoying this stuff, but what can I say? The moment I stop learning at my job is the moment I'll give it up and drive a cab for a living.<br /><br />Just so you get an idea of what I mean by absorb, here's a book page before I mark it up:<br /><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/img/54/4162/640/FKK-Page.jpg"><img style="border: 1px solid rgb(0, 0, 0); margin: 2px;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/img/54/4162/320/FKK-Page.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">In all its naked glory</span><br /><br />And here's one after I mark it up:<br /><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/img/54/4162/640/MarkToMarket.jpg"><img style="border: 1px solid rgb(0, 0, 0); margin: 2px;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/img/54/4162/320/MarkToMarket.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Pretty, ain't it?</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10526435.post-1115658706445615912005-05-09T19:10:00.000+02:002007-11-09T18:58:51.007+01:00Sense Of Humor, Anyone? - Part 2<a href="http://www.proz.com/topic/31242" target="_blank">ProZ has a funnybone!</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10526435.post-1115657752826488392005-05-09T18:50:00.000+02:002007-11-09T18:58:51.008+01:00Sense Of Humor, Anyone?While it doesn't even come near the weapons of mass lawyer humor stockpiled around the 'net, I did find a <a href="http://www3.sympatico.ca/srajano/jokes.html#three" target="_blank">page devoted to translation jokes</a>. Here's my current favorite:<blockquote>Translator gets 400 words to translate.<br />Client : How long will it take?<br />Translator : About a week.<br />Client : A whole week for just 400 words? God created the world in 6 days.<br />Translator : Then just take a look at this world and afterwards take a look at my translation.</blockquote>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10526435.post-1115549180061260422005-05-08T12:43:00.000+02:002007-11-09T19:09:14.660+01:00Bigwig BitchingMight just be the world's greatest translation for "Jammern auf hohem Niveau"*.<br /><br />I dare you to use it. No, I double-dog dare you. No, you first. No, <span style="font-style: italic;">you </span>first.<br /><br />___<br /><span style="font-size:85%;">* Literally "Complaining at a high level." Means that high-powered politicians and executives in Germany are running around complaining that the sky is falling and it's everyone else's fault but theirs.</span><br />___<br /><br />Update: I was wrong, obviously. All it means is that people are complaining before they really need to. <span style="font-weight:bold;">sigh</span> Sometimes I think I'm never going to learn German.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10526435.post-1115486724541168232005-05-07T19:25:00.000+02:002007-11-09T18:41:49.953+01:00Tongue-Tied? Try This Trick.Let's say you have the tagline "Unlocking Value Through Integrated Supply Chains". Okay, this may not seem like a tough nut to crack, but try coming up with something snappy. It's harder than you might think. So what do I normally do?<br /><br />First, I try coming up the basic concept (or proposition, if you want to split hairs). So I might write “We Interconnect All Your Logistics Operations So You Don’t Have To And Can Make More Money In Your Core Business.”<br /><br />It’s not snappy. It’s not supposed to be. It just gives me a starting point in English. By absorbing the ideas, I spend less time trying to translate the word "unlock” and more time developing a native-sounding solution. Once I've gotten the basic concept down, often the ideas really start flowing. And the best thing is that these ideas sound American.<br /><br />If that doesn’t work, I often start having fun with (or maybe making fun of) the tagline. Bear with me here. I may write, “We Want To Take Over Your Company. We Totally Rock And Everyone Else Sucks. We Will Send Your Stuff To, Like China And Stuff."<br /><br />I’m not disrespecting the tagline. All I’m doing is reasserting my personality so I can write something creative and express an idea that I’ve thought. This is really good if I’m working on a high-pressure job for a high-profile client. I let off a little steam and realize, hey, it’s just another job. And haven’t I done plenty of these before? And wasn’t I happy with the results?<br /><br />One last thing: <span style="font-weight: bold;">I always write out my ideas.</span> They won’t do any good in my head. I have to see it black on white, right next to the real text. Only then will these two techniques work their magic.<br /><br />Let me know if you try them out - and if they work!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10526435.post-1115406499742368972005-05-06T20:44:00.000+02:002007-11-09T18:31:15.343+01:00Stop Me If You've Heard This One Before...The Naked Translator <a href="http://www.nakedtranslations.com/en/2005/05/000391.php" target="_blank">stole my scoop today</a>, but the story is so important that it deserves double billing.<br /><br />Here's a selective quote from the <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/arts/4517877.stm" target="_blank">BBC article</a>:<br /><blockquote><span style="font-weight:bold;">Booker Prize to award translators</span><br /><br />A new award honouring translators has been announced by the organisers of the international Booker Prize. <br /><br />Chairman of the international Booker judging panel John Carey said: "We became increasingly aware of the huge role translators play in making first-rate fiction accessible to a global audience".</blockquote>Is this just another prize? Hardly. The Booker Prize is hands down the best literary prize in the English language. The Nobel Prize is highly politicized. The Pulitzer is vanilla mainstream. But the Booker? It’s take-no-prisoners innovative. Last year’s <a href="http://books.guardian.co.uk/bookerprize2004/story/0,14182,1331439,00.html" target="_blank">winner</a> was excellent, if a bit straightlaced. The also-ran <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0375507256/002-9287289-1604812" target="_blank">Cloud Atlas</a>, however, is the literary equivalent of a brain transplant: you never see the world the same way again.<br /><br />Now take that cutting-edge approach and apply it to translation. Beautiful. I can’t wait. I really can’t.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10526435.post-1115279205823109592005-05-05T09:39:00.000+02:002007-11-09T18:58:51.011+01:00Murphy: 4, Trench: 0My website: down.<br />My computer: not working.<br />My new webhoster: incompetent.<br />My expensive bicycle: hit by a truck.<br /><br />Tell Murphy that the next time I see him we're gonna throw down. I'm not taking this anymore.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10526435.post-1115205214006383562005-05-04T13:11:00.000+02:002007-11-09T18:58:51.013+01:00It's A Bitch, Then You DieLife. <span style="font-style:italic;">n.</span> What gets between you and blogging.<br /><br />I will resume posting once the Blogging Gods are with me again. Right now, they're hurling fire and brimstone down.<br /><br /><strong>Update:</strong><br />Actually the Blogging Gods <em>are </em>with me. Not that it helps much. As divinities go, they're 98-pound weaklings, so the other gods keep kicking their asses all over Paradise. Wimps.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10526435.post-1115052061856012582005-05-02T18:33:00.000+02:002007-11-09T18:59:14.067+01:00David Berkowitz, Eat Your Heart OutI'm not dead; not kidnapped. I'm just doing a big rush job right now. I'll go back to real posts tomorrow.<br /><br />If you're a big <a href="http://www.crimelibrary.com/serial/son/sonmain.htm" target="_blank">Son of Sam</a> - er - fan, you'll love <a href="http://www.raypro.com/newsroom_press.php?id=95" target="_blank">this</a>:<blockquote>Son of Boss is the government’s name for a very technical, multi-step tax shelter “transaction” that was heavily marketed to high-wealth individuals, allowing them the opportunity to generate tax losses without incurring substantial economic risks or real economic losses. Son of Boss deals typically utilized a combination of the technical tax laws applicable to securities dealers, currency options, partnerships and partnership interests to inflate the basis in a foreign currency investment, which would then be sold at a large loss.<br /><br />The techniques used to carry out Son of Boss deals were formally identified as abusive “listed transactions” by the Service in 1999, and again in 2000. However, these deals continued to be marketed and sold to taxpayers in 1999-2001, and beyond.<br /><br />The Service discovered the widespread marketing of these transactions and filed lawsuits to obtain memoranda and investor lists from firms whose clients had engaged in Son of Boss deals. Moreover, the Service, in conjunction with the United States Department of Justice and State prosecutors, has conducted criminal investigations related to the promotion of Son of Boss shelters.<br /><br />As these civil and criminal matters proceed, many of the taxpayers who “bought” the Son of Boss deals have joined in large civil lawsuits against entities involved in the sale of the shelters. Although at least one major taxpayer initiated has been settled by the law firm accused of fraud, civil law suits – along with criminal investigations – are likely to remain unresolved for years. Based on the significant dollars at issue, it appears that the Son of Boss will not be quickly laid to rest.</blockquote>And:<br /><blockquote>"Son of Boss" is a spinoff of another tax shelter known as "BOSS," an acronym for Bond and Option Sales Strategy.</blockquote>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10526435.post-1114939837868868982005-05-01T11:26:00.000+02:002007-11-09T18:59:14.067+01:00Things That Make Me Say Huh?<a href="http://taxprof.typepad.com/taxprof_blog/2005/05/nysba_submits_r.html" target="_blank">Today's TaxProfBlog</a> said:<blockquote>The new withholding guidelines are applicable when <span style="font-weight:bold;">an employer has sufficient New York nexus</span>.</blockquote>Nexus: "A seller's minimum level of physical presence within a state that permits the taxing authority to require the seller to register, collect and remit sales/use tax and comply with the Country's, Province's, State's and/or County's taxing statutes and regulations."Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10526435.post-1114796404470441532005-04-29T19:30:00.000+02:002007-11-09T19:00:03.423+01:00We Are The ChampionsI'm gnawing my way through excruciatingly witty ad copy today. To get through some of the bumpier spots, I've been checking out the U.S. competitors. Suddenly, I realized a big difference between U.S. and German slogans that had always bothered me on a subconscious level.<br /><br />All-American slogan: "Satisfying customers for 30 years!"<br />Typisch deutscher Werbespruch: "Mit Erfolg seit 30 Jahren!"*<br /><br />Is it just me, or do German companies come off sounding like jerks?<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">*"Successful for 30 years!"</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10526435.post-1114794088375655172005-04-29T18:58:00.000+02:002007-11-09T19:00:03.426+01:00Buckling Under...Lots of work today - and more to come this weekend. But here's something to tide you over: <a href="http://www.mondaq.com/article.asp?articleid=32143">an interesting article</a> on managing international transactions by a Canadian lawyer. You have to register to view the article, but it doesn't take long.<br /><br />He says this about language and cultural issues:<blockquote>This is sometimes the biggest hurdle to overcome in an international transaction. During intense negotiations, one group may break into a foreign language, which leads the other party to suspect devious actions and bad faith. Cultural differences can often produce similar concerns: one side invites the other to join it for social activities during the negotiation process, whereas the other party prefers to remain alone. The problem is that by refusing the invitation, the party extending the invitation views the refusal as a supreme insult.</blockquote>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10526435.post-1114676061924381982005-04-28T10:04:00.000+02:002007-11-09T18:59:14.068+01:00Beneath The Buzz: ITILCIO Magazine rips into the myth that the IT Infrastructure Library is a cure-all in <a href="http://www.cio.com/leadership/buzz/column.html?ID=4186" target="_blank">this article</a>.<br /><br />The comments are interesting, too.<br /><br />Actually, the entire Beneath The Buzz column is interesting. Too bad I can't say that about the rest of the magazine, which is essentially a series of advertorials.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Update:</span> Just found a <a href="http://www.itilfoundations.com/cat_processes/" target="_blank">nice introduction to ITIL</a>.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10526435.post-1114668314751124782005-04-28T07:59:00.000+02:002007-11-09T18:59:38.731+01:00Why I Love This JobYesterday's topics: pens, pizza and mascara<br /><br />Today's topics: money laundering<br /><br />Not one second of boredom here! Well, maybe one second. Or two. But no more than two seconds of boredom!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10526435.post-1114666902853430432005-04-28T07:27:00.000+02:002007-11-09T18:59:14.068+01:00TPB Opens A Can Of Whoop-Ass On CPAJThe February 2005 issue of CPA Journal has an article on <a href="http://www.nysscpa.org/cpajournal/2005/205/essentials/p61.htm" target="_blank">IRC section 509(a)(3) supporting organizations</a>:<br /><blockquote>Supporting organizations can be used by anyone in the high-income tax bracket who wishes to retain control of assets within the family. They can receive a 50% adjusted gross income (AGI) deduction for removing the asset ownership from their estate, yet maintain virtually the same control they had as fee-simple owners.<br /></blockquote>Hmmm. A tax shelter. Hmmm. We-e-e-lllll, it's gotta be kosher, right? I mean, it's in the Internal Revenue Code and all.<br /><br />Imagine my surprise, then, when I read <a href="http://taxprof.typepad.com/taxprof_blog/2005/04/senate_finance_.html" target="_blank">yesterday in TaxProfBlog</a> about <blockquote>reforms to stop the use of 'supporting organizations' for generous tax breaks rather than charitable purposes.</blockquote>For the record, CPA Journal had put that article in its "Essentials" section.<br /><span style="font-size:85%;"></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10526435.post-1114372966068828702005-04-27T07:23:00.000+02:002007-11-09T18:58:51.015+01:00Source Or Target? Yin Or Yang? Death Or Hell On Earth?In locker rooms, guys talk a lot about whether they're a "butt and legs man" or a "boobs man". In fact, that's pretty much all they talk about in locker rooms. Translation is a lot like locker rooms, except there's less risk you'll get thwacked on the ass with a wet towel in the shower.<br /><br />I, myself, am a target man. Nothing floats my boat better than a sweet, juicy target text that reads, feels and sounds like the author has never been farther upstate than Bowling Green, Kentucky, let alone Germany. I hadn't done any stick-to-source* texts in so long, I had forgotten what it was like.<br /><br />Until, that is, I got some standard contract terms that shriveled up my translation libido faster than a naked picture of Rush Limbaugh. For me, it was the translation equivalent of getting thwacked with a wet towel. Really <i>hard</i>.<br /><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/img/54/4162/640/WetTowel.jpg"><img style="border: 1px solid rgb(0, 0, 0); margin: 2px;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/img/54/4162/200/WetTowel.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><i>Real</i> men thwack (and translate) to the death.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">*Stick-to-source: </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >adj.</span><span style="font-size:85%;"> Refers to texts that - c'mon, this is a humor post. Do I really gotta get into theory here? Just roll with it. Believe me, it will make it a lot funnier.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10526435.post-1114354551485410182005-04-26T08:09:00.000+02:002007-11-09T18:58:51.016+01:00The Hired Guns Weigh InTo Whom It May Concern:<br /><br />It has come to our attention that the operator of the website trenchtranslation.blogspot.com (hereinafter "the Website") has made numerous disparaging, hateful and defamatory comments regarding the World Association of Lexicographers (hereinafter "Harmless Drudges").<br /><br />We hereby demand that you cease and desist from mounting any such groundless attacks against Harmless Drudges on the Website until such time as we have looked up the exact definitions of "trenchant" and "blog", and have made a determination as to whether it means "cash in the bank for us".<br /><br />Yours faithfully,<br /><br />Lex Luther, Esq.<br />Attorney-At-LawUnknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10526435.post-1114417401477381532005-04-25T10:21:00.000+02:002005-04-25T11:00:11.540+02:00Fischer On PhoenixIf you've been following the visa affair in Germany, Joschka Fischer is defending his position live on Phoenix right now.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.phoenix.de" target="_blank">Here's the link</a>. Click on the red Live Stream button, sit back and enjoy. Have a brewski, get your chips and dip. Invite your friends over. It's like the Superbowl! Maybe Joschka will also have a wardrobe malfunction? Oh, the suspense!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10526435.post-1114371372774549002005-04-25T07:59:00.000+02:002007-11-09T18:58:51.017+01:00Let's Play Guess The Reference!<span style="font-style:italic;">This one goes out to all the translators in Annual Report Land:</span><br /><br />April is the cruellest month, breeding<br />Profits out of the dead land, mixing<br />Targets and desire, stirring<br />Dull hopes with earnings forecasts.<br />Winter kept us warm, nurturing<br />Indexes with measured hikes, feeding<br />A little life with warmed-up forecasts.<br />The 200-point index plunge surprised us, coming over Wall Street<br />With a shower of gloom; we stopped in Fifth Avenue,<br />And went on in the sunlight, into Starbucks,<br />And drank coffee, and day-traded for an hour.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10526435.post-1114150953762759932005-04-24T14:22:00.000+02:002007-11-09T18:58:51.017+01:00In A Bookstore: Vol. 4Clerk <i>(turning to Other Clerk)</i>: Remind me again: why am I doing this job?<br /><br />Other Clerk: Because you hate translating.<br /><br />Clerk: Oh, yeah. Right. <i>(Picks up a broom and starts sweeping behind the counter. Soon, he begins whistling cheerfully)</i>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10526435.post-1114150924181715272005-04-24T08:21:00.000+02:002007-11-09T18:58:51.018+01:00In A Bookstore: Vol. 3Clerk: Dictionaries 'R Us, Buddy speaking, how may I help you?<br /><br />Translator: You RIP-OFF BASTARDS! I bought this CD, this, whatchamacallit, Eichborn. And now I can only use it on one PC?<br /><br />Clerk: I'm sorry sir, if there are any restrictions they're not ours. We just sell the dictionaries.<br /><br />Translator: 500 euros.<br /><br />Clerk: Excuse me?<br /><br />Translator: 500 euros is what I paid for this piece of crap. Now I gotta buy a new one if I upgrade my PC. You BASTARDS! I HOPE-<br /><br />Clerk: <i>(hangs up)</i>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10526435.post-1114244500920118312005-04-23T10:14:00.000+02:002007-11-09T18:45:08.935+01:00Standard Contract Terms Link<a href="http://www.lex2k.org/sfc/discussion.html" target="_blank">This</a> is an interesting article on the conscionability of standard contract terms. He mentions U.S., French, German and South African contract terms. Under the reasonable expectations test of the Uniform Commercial Code<br /><br /><blockquote>the clarity and conspicuousness of [a possibly inconsciable] term ... [are] considerations in determining knowledge of the weaker party.</blockquote><br /><br />Is that why U.S. standard contract terms for consumers list certain sections in caps? Do they honestly think it's easier to read?Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0