This is regarding the Student Affairs Office.

May 26: I noticed I hadn’t graduated yet so I went to Student Affairs and they said they said they’d look into it and that I should check back next week. I felt good after this meeting, like I was being taken care of.

May 31: I followed up as requested and was told that there was a form that needed to be signed by two teachers, that they had requested the form, and that I should check back next week to see if they’ve gotten it and it was being processed.

I’m betting on video podcasts. In a big way. I’m forming a production company whose initial sole method of distribution will be via internet. And the easiest way to watch a video podcast nowadays is via the iTunes Music Store, which means video podcasts. There are the gigantic media corporations with whom my meager company cannot compete: the huge broadcast and cable TV networks with production budgets in the millions. But producing a video podcast, or vodcast, can cost next to nothing. The only thing is, with a budget of next-to-nothing comes a product quality of next-to-nothing, as is evidenced by the current offerings of video podcasts. Oh sure there are the occasional gems, but making a good product requires time, effort, and resources. There’s the good/fast/cheap triangle. And in my beginning ventures I must omit the fast because I will not settle for less than good and I cannot afford more than cheap.

This is their “ecofit” model. You can’t buy them in the USA, but if you live in Europe you’re in luck. I wanted a factory option on a towing device and this fit the bill. So much cooler than the American options. The towbar bolts in to factory holes in the subframe, replacing the rear bumper (not bumper cover). There were little pulltabs on my car which if you ripped them off with pliers would reveal the hole for the bolt. Pug ‘n’ play. The towball locks into the receiver with a bolt and key-locked cap that keeps it in place. It’s 50mm or just under 2” and rated for 75 kg tounge weight and 1600 kg maximum trailer weight. My car actually came with a 4 pin trailer plug so I just routed it to near the hitch.

The only time universal truths are universal is when everyone in the room agrees with them.

http://www.freakstreets.com/

Renting U-Haul’s smallest trailer from LA to Denver would cost me $371. But if I were moving that same trailer from Portland, OR to LA it would cost me $26!!!. Wow.

If I had the time and the choice, I’d look for the metro area with the lowest U-Haul rates out of town and move there. It must be indicative of resident satisfaction or something.

http://www.coyoteblog.com/coyote_blog/2006/02/uhaul_indicator.html

A place in the UK. One of the longest placenames in the world.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch

I’m thinking of producing a video podcast in a short-length reality TV format based on the struggle of my sister to make it in showbiz. The show, tentatively titled Living the Dream, needs to have a model for making money. Either people will pay to watch a 5-10 minute weekly podcast or they will get it free and I will sell short 5-10 second advertising space at the beginning and end of the podcast.

My quandry is this: would you be willing to pay a minimal fee, such as 99¢ per download, or would you prefer a free download if it contained short ads at the beginning and end of the episode? Myself I can tolerate ads if it means it’s free but then again I’m a cheapskate. It also may mean a broader viewing base and that in turn may mean more advertising revenues. But I would prefer to deliver ad free product if at all possible. It just may not be the way to make a living at it.