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Comment Re:and long ago there was (Score 1) 102

Ha! The page is still up.
I managed to get him to bring that to a small meet we had in 2004 and there are some pics of it unfolding from the suitcase and a video of someone "driving it" here

If I recall the brief history correctly, Mazda engineers created this as a fun concept and then the sales force got hold of it and would bring it to shows and give rides on it until it broke (it was always a prototype and they should have used splined shafts for the driven wheel, but did not).
Anyways, the thing would go back into storage until someone would go "hey where's that old Suitcase Car we made?" and they would drag it out, break it and then bring it to this guy to fix. One day they brought it to him to fix and then never picked it up. I guess it is better than being lost in storage someplace.
If Mazda wants it back all they have to do it Google it.

Comment former film biz worker here (Score 1) 131

There is a good possibility that all this is a moot point in the end thanks to "hollywood accounting".

take a look at the end credits of any movie. They are ALWAYS initially "owned" by a shell corporation, usually using the name of the movie + LLC or something.
There is a reason for this.
Once the movie is made it is promptly sold for a loss (or very small profit) to the "parent" company or any number of other companies in between before it gets to the top. It could also be sold (on paper) for a massive amount of money so that the "costs" are never actually recouped.
I can't really say with any authority because that is an area kept secret from the likes of me.
The point of this is obfuscation of actual ownership, costs, and rights for tax advantages at the very least.

Comment Re:Just saying... (Score 1) 198

And i suspect Paul McCartney and the owners of the rights to apple music might disagree :-)

and I suspect they won't.
From APPLE Press Release February 2007:

CUPERTINO, California and LONDON—Apple® Inc. and The Beatles’ company Apple Corps Ltd. are pleased to announce the parties have entered into a new agreement concerning the use of the name “Apple” and apple logos which replaces their 1991 Agreement. Under this new agreement, Apple Inc. will own all of the trademarks related to “Apple” and will license certain of those trademarks back to Apple Corps for their continued use. In addition, the ongoing trademark lawsuit between the companies will end, with each party bearing its own legal costs, and Apple Inc. will continue using its name and logos on iTunes®. The terms of settlement are confidential.

newspaper accounts at the time stated that Apple Computer was buying out Apple Corps' trademark rights for a total of $500 million.

Comment I also have a sleep disorder (Score 1) 384

AND I went back to college as well, but I am even older than you.
My disorder has been under control for decades now, but I found similar issues re: studying/retaining info when going back to school.
All I can say is that I found that daily exercise to get my heart up to 2X normal for 10-20 minutes really seemed to help tremendously.
I have an elliptical at home and used that.
If you don't have something like that, consider some other exercises to get your blood moving and in turn help your brain get nourishment.
It won't happen overnight, but made a difference for me at least.

Comment Look at Home Power Magazine (Score 1) 298

www.homepower.com
They have a print version, but have been offering a PDF version (no DRM) for many years.
The PDF used to be available for free download from the main web page, that seems to have changed so it is now available to subscribers only.
I do not know what CMS (Content Management System) they use but it seems to work for them.
Each subscriber gets a unique download url so I don't think it can be shared.

Alternatively you could just create a FUDL (Fake Unique Download URL) like:
www.example.com/5tsQ7ghs/issue3-2013/
and send those out to each "subscriber", telling them it is for their use only and change the name of the directory to some other goofy name for the next issue.
of course this does not really provide PP (Piracy Proof) content, but I think that has been commented on enough already and I think you should just let that part go.
Make it easy for people that want to pay to get the digital version but make it just a little bit hard to figure it out if you are not a subscriber.

Comment Videos to MP4 (Score 1) 154

finally started digitizing all my home videos (that include work documentation over the years too) to MP4 format. I have at least 100 tapes (8mm and miniDV). I import about 3-4 a day and then let FCP batch process them while I sleep. I can still edit them if I want, but I've already done that with the ones I want. Right now I just want to be able to skim through a 2hr video to find something without sticking the tape into the machine.

Comment Re:They should give people 1mo free HBO to make up (Score 4, Informative) 202

We had an odd problem with the U-Verse phone service where it would not display the Caller ID for my MIL.
My wife won't answer the phone if she can't see the Caller ID, so if it says "UNAVAILABLE" she will let it ring.
I tried to get them to figure out what was wrong and after about 2 hours they figured it out.
The rep was very apologetic and offered to "make it up" to us because we were so "understanding"
He offered 1 month of Free HBO

I asked him what was our obligation after that free month.
He paused.
I asked him if we would then get billed for the second month if we didn't cancel.
"Well, yes" was his reply
I asked him if there was ANY other way he was authorized to "make it up" to us.
He told me there was nothing else.

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