Names have been changed to… who am I kidding, the buyer is my sister. I thought it was too funny not to post.

Hello,

I received my DVD today in the mail and was not impressed. I do not believe that this was a brand new DVD as almost all Disney DVD’s have the cover slip on them and sealed with tape that has the movie’s name on them, which this one did not.

Furthermore, the DVD was scratched on the other side and the title of the movie was misspelled leading me to believe that this is a pirated copy. I am not happy with this purchase and would like my money back, unless you can prove to me that this is an authentic Disney DVD.

I own almost every Disney DVD and this particular one doesnt look anything like them.

- Amanda

RESPONSE:

Hello Amanda,

All of our DVD’s are brand new from an authorized distributer, the item should have been sealed when you received it. I believe the problem is that you are comparing this DVD to a retail store purchase which it is not.

Only DVD’s purchased in retail stores ever had the security tape or protective sleeve. The majority of them from the Disney DVD club, Columbia House, or other online retailers never included this which a simple Google search will confirm.

As for the scratch, was the dvd loose in the case or anything or more importantly is the DVD playable?

- Mike

Hi Mike,

Thanks for getting back to me. The problem is I was expecting a ‘bought from retail’ looking Disney DVD especially for $37. I collect them, and I want the sleeve that goes with it.

Upon further inspection of the papers that are inside the box, there is a typo of Dwarfs that is spelled Dwarts making me believe this is not a real copy. Also as I have previously mentioned the misspelling of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs appears on the underside of the DVD as Shou Whife and Seven Dwarfs…

I know for a fact that a real copy of this movie would not have misspelled the very title of the movie. I dont doubt you bought this movie from an authorized dealer but I do believe that this is a pirated copy. Even the graphics on the paperwork are kinda crappy looking and not sharp images like my other Disney movies.

As for the scratches on the 2 disc’s right around the middle it looks like someone has taken a tool of some kind and scratched something out, also they are stamped “FP” which I have never seen on any other Disney movie.

I am not saying you knew this was not a real Disney DVD, I would just like my money back because I am not happy with this purchase and I do not want a fake or pirated Disney movie.

Please don’t think I am accusing you of anything! I just do not think that this is a real Disney DVD, and would like a refund, unless you have any other suggestions? This did come sealed, yes, in the clear plastic and I would be happy to send you pics of the scratches I am talking about too…then you can see the misspelling as well!

Thanks,
Amanda

RESPONSE:

Hey Amanda,

I definitely see where you are coming from here however please read this before you jump to any conclusions. It should explain how Disney DVD’s vary in look and quality so that you can understand the differences.

Also note that 37 is a pretty good deal for this release, I’ve seen ones with the slip covers sometimes go for around $100 on ebay but usually go for between 50-60.

Of course if you would still like to return the product you may do so however they are definitely authentic in that they are licensed releases with royalties paid to the Disney Corporation.

Mike

Mike,

Thanks for the link, but I still think it’s a fake. The corners of the paper on the title page are square. Disney rounds the corners of the title pages. I own 30 Disney DVD’s ALL of them have ROUNDED CORNERS except for the one you sold me.

Coincidence?

Send me documents that Disney received royalties…send me something to prove that this is a GENUINE Disney DVD! There are too many things wrong with this movie that point to a pirated version. It also will not play in my laptop or my DVD player. It will only play on my play station.

ITS A FAKE.

- Amanda

Seller has yet to respond.

An Open Letter to the Graduating Class of 1999:

It’s hard to believe it’s been 10 years since we walked the halls of Gleneagle. 10 years since we felt that high school would never end and we couldn’t wait to get out into the “real world” and start living.

Now it’s 2009. I bet a lot has changed. Maybe you’re married. Maybe you have kids. Maybe you’re still living at home…maybe not.

Maybe you’re on the fence about attending the upcoming reunion on May 23. Well here’s 7 reasons that will convince you to come.

1. Nobody cares that you don’t have an amazing job

This seems like the main reason people don’t want to attend most reunions. You feel like everyone else is a millionaire, celebrity, professional athlete, or any number of vague professions that are more glamourous than yours.

But chances are, most people are working a normal job. And besides, if you have one great - if you don’t reunions are great for networking.

2. Nobody cares that you still live at home

With the cost of housing these days, it’s no wonder we’re the generation of “boomerang kids.” Don’t be ashamed. After all, the food is great and you can’t beat the rent.

3. It’s in the school gym.

Think of all the great times we’ve had in the school gym. Watching basketball games. Awkwardly square-dancing. Now we get to relive the experience, and you don’t have to do any sit ups!

4. Taylor Kitsch is rumored to show up

Taylor loves Gleneagle Reunions

Hot off his superstar movie career, Taylor wouldn’t miss the reunion for the world. Or would he…

We’re not saying he’ll show up for sure. But it’s possible. And if you’re lucky, you could be in the back of a paparazzi photo!

5. Like you have something more memorable to do that night

Do you really need another drunken night at Rooster’s or The Point? And you can always watch those reruns of Friday Night Lights another time. On the flipside, you’ll remember your 10 year high school reunion forever.

6. You finally have a reason to wear those Calvin Klein jeans and No Fear t-shirts again

“Second place is the First loser.” With slogans like that, it’s amazing No-Fear t-shirts haven’t come back in style already. Kickstart the trend by rescuing them from your closet.

7. You haven’t slow danced to “November Rain” in forever

Remember when the song feels like it’s over, but then it’s not over, and you wonder if you should keep dancing with the person or break off and move away slowly? Yep, good times.

So there you have it - no more excuses left to avoid the Gleneagle 10 Year Reunion. We’ll see you there!

Sincerely,

Ian & Ben

There’s an in-joke between web workers that goes like this: you’re allowed to have a neglected website that you don’t update very often.

Why? Because it means you’re too busy actually working on other projects. (This excuse works even when you’re not busy…just too lazy to update.

Thankfully, I use the excuse here as part of the former group. I’ve been spending my days and nights on a variety of work that has been interesting, fun, and rewarding. To prove so, I’ll outline them here:

• Matador Travel - After completely overhauling the Network sites, I’m now collaborating for a complete redesign of the social community. It’s going to rock the socks off backpackers…everywhere.
• One Week Job documentary - Almost 2 years in the making, this will be my first full length film. It follows the journey of Sean Aiken, a 25 year old who worked 52 jobs in 52 weeks trying to find his passion. It’s been a long road, but I’m nearing the first cut.
• Word Travels - In June, I’ll be on the road most of the month, working with the crew of Word Travels, a reality show based on the life of travel writers. I’m be in the company of the talented Robin Esrock and Julia Dimon.

As for the rest of the summer, I’m intending to complete the West Coast Trail and last at least a few days in the searing pit of Burning Man.

Am I excited? Yes…yes I am.

I recently came across this gem of a speech delivered by Japanese author Haruki Murakami.

He was in Israel, accepting the Jerusalem Prize, given to writers whose work deals with themes of human freedom, society, politics, and government.

An excerpt:

“Between a high, solid wall and an egg that breaks against it, I will always stand on the side of the egg.”

Yes, no matter how right the wall may be and how wrong the egg, I will stand with the egg. Someone else will have to decide what is right and what is wrong; perhaps time or history will decide. If there were a novelist who, for whatever reason, wrote works standing with the wall, of what value would such works be?

What is the meaning of this metaphor? In some cases, it is all too simple and clear. Bombers and tanks and rockets and white phosphorus shells are that high, solid wall. The eggs are the unarmed civilians who are crushed and burned and shot by them. This is one meaning of the metaphor.

This is not all, though. It carries a deeper meaning. Think of it this way. Each of us is, more or less, an egg. Each of us is a unique, irreplaceable soul enclosed in a fragile shell. This is true of me, and it is true of each of you. And each of us, to a greater or lesser degree, is confronting a high, solid wall. The wall has a name: It is The System. The System is supposed to protect us, but sometimes it takes on a life of its own, and then it begins to kill us and cause us to kill others - coldly, efficiently, systematically.

I have only one reason to write novels, and that is to bring the dignity of the individual soul to the surface and shine a light upon it. The purpose of a story is to sound an alarm, to keep a light trained on The System in order to prevent it from tangling our souls in its web and demeaning them.

Judging by the comments on the speech, it appears the metaphor was lost on many of the readers. A Philosopher wrote:

…If the situation were reversed and the Palestinians were instead in possession of tanks, there wouldn’t be any eggs left in the middle-east.

The wall we build is exactly to protect us, as eggs, from the wolf lurking outside. And if the terrorists didn’t use their own eggs as shield, they wouldn’t break either.

Thankfully, at least one person understood. AT wrote:

Murakami isn’t suggesting that Israel is the system and Palestine the egg. The System is the Israeli government and the army and the dangerous ideas of Zionism; it’s also Hamas and Fatah and the networks of terror. The two aren’t exclusive.

The eggs are not just the Palestinian civilians slaughtered by the Israeli army for political gain; they’re also the Israeli civilians, and the soldiers sent to war, and the people convinced to blow themselves up as suicide bombers, and - perhaps most of all - the precious few on both sides crying “Stop! This is madness.”

Read the entire speech here.

Spend enough time on the internet and you can find information on just about anything.

For instance: did you know that the Apollo moon landing was a hoax? That 9/11 was an inside job? That flouride is a mind control substance designed to keep humans dumb and under control?

The list goes on. Some of these theories may, in fact, be true. The vast majority of them are more likely false. But given an infinite space as vast as the web, and the tools for anyone to publish any thoughts in their head, and you have the ability to refute or bolster any claim imaginable.

Therefore it is much trickier to believe that any worldview is “the truth.”

The problem with conspiracy theorists is they ask you to demolish your mental programming, but demand you replace it with their own.

The result is to exchange one unproven worldview for another. And unfortunately, basing your decisions on the conviction of “knowing” is responsible for many of the world’s ills.

The only real truth is that it’s impossible to “know” anything. And the only real method of making decisions is through probability.

Bonus: Michael Shermer on why people believe strange things

Aside from the colourful costumes and legions of dancers, I couldn’t help but notice a little booklet that kept appearing. The book was called El Camino de la Felicidad (The Way To Happiness).

I couldn’t read the book itself (since it was in Spanish) but something about it seemed…odd. It definitely had the air of a religious text, that much was clear. But even more bizarre was when I realized the books were being handed out to the crowd by the soldiers.

Why would the theoretically neutral army agree to hand out religious texts at the Carnaval?

I asked a Spanish speaking friend to call one of the soldiers aside and ask why he was handing them out. He said they were told to. My friend asked if he knew what the book was about. He shook his head, though said “Something about how to live better?”

A large truck drove by, loaded to the brim with boxes upon boxes of this handbook. Children clutched the book in their fingers as their moms flipped through the pages of their own copy.

A group of performers walked up to the barricade near me and offered me the book. I held up the copy I was already studying - they nodded and continued on.

I had to get to the bottom of this mystery. I searched the book for any more clues as to the origin.

Finally, on the copyright page, one name struck me: L. Ron Hubbard Publications.

I couldn’t believe it. It was Scientology. Somehow, they’d managed to convince the Colombian army to hand out their “non-religious” booklets as if it were an official document, sanctioned by the state.

On the last page, a website was listed: The Way To Happiness.

Visiting the page for the first time now at home, I’m confronted with an extremely slick presentation of short video PSA’s illustrating the key concepts of this new “moral code.”

Here’s the dilemma.

The PSA’s are very good. The messages contained therein, as far as I can tell, are timely and important.

I have nothing personally against Scientology. I even took their guided tour while in LA last year. But the method of distribution for these booklets, under the facade of being “non-religious”, feels shady.

Then again, like anyone outside the Scientology, I’ve been jaded by Tom Cruise’s antics and Hubbard’s rumoured quote “The way to make a million dollars is to start a religion.”

So what’s more important: the message or the messenger?

The start of the journey is generally the most anxious. It’s the point where the weeks ahead are completely unknown. You may have a vague idea of what adventures await…based on remarks from friends, photos in guidebooks, and your own wishes.

You go through the rituals of preparation: scanning documents, packing your bags, securing travel insurance. All the while excitement is building.

Suddenly the day of departure arrives.

You actually lock the door behind you, bid farewell to your home, and step across the threshold.

It’s tempting to flash forward. To think of reaching your destination, immersed in the experience.

You’ll find your first hostel, unpack your bags, and find yourself sitting at an unfamiliar cafe - studying your surroundings as if you opened your eyes for the first time.

But all that comes later. First, you must concentrate on the now.

The journey begins only once.

The defining conflict of the 20th century tends to be characterized as Democracy versus Totalitarianism. First, the Fascist dictatorships of Hitler and Stalin, then the spectre of Communist Russia.

By the turn of the century, it appeared that Democracy had won. Then suddenly, a new threat emerged to fill the hole: Islamic fundamentalists.

It’s tempting to see this struggle as something new and far different than previously fought. After all, nations can be reasoned with, truces negotiated, cease-fires declared. But terrorists (theoretically) want nothing less than to destroy or convert the infidels.

Bush Jr. made it clear when he stated, “You’re either with us or with the terrorists.” There is no middle ground in this war.

And so the 21st century’s defining conflict has become Religious Fundamentalists versus Freedom. Or has it?

The real issue is revealed when you look closely enough.

Distilled even further: Good versus Evil.

Finally, you arrive at: Us versus Them.

The current struggle is simply another incarnation of the previous wars. The enemy changes, but the position remains the same.

Rather than continue to replace one external threat with another, I believe the real challenge of the 21st century will be whether we can transcend the destructive mental illusion that we are separate from others.

We must go beyond Us versus Them.

A jug fills drop by drop.
- Buddha

Chesley Sullenberger miraculously landed US Airways Flight 1549 in the Hudson River, saving the lives of every passenger on board. On his hometown return to Danville, California, he appropriately received a hero’s welcome.

In the tv series Heroes, one of the main characters Hiro Nakamura believes he is on a quest to save New York City from nuclear desctruction. All his energy is focused toward preparing himself for this act of greatness.

So what is a hero?

It’s generally accepted that someone is a hero after performing a heroic act: saving a life, landing a plane, winning the Cup, and other “grand” moments.

But here lies the fundamental misperception of the hero myth.

The Continuum

There are no such thing as singular grand actions. There is no place to point to and say “This is the beginning, and this is the ending.”

The pilot of Flight 1549 was able to perform because of the thousands of actions and decisions he made before the day in question. All the people he met along the way, all the moments he experienced, and all the skills he aquired contributed to his “heroic” act.

Perhaps through his Eastern culture, Hiro Nakamura understands this truth.

He conquers the various trials on his way to New York City not by pushing them aside, but by choosing to act “like a hero” no matter the circumstance.

He understands each seemingly mundane act is just as important as the heroic moment.

All The Small Things

This matters because so many of us operate day to day on auto-pilot. We’re wrapped in our own work, our own issues, and lost in our own thoughts.

We interact with others through thousands of decisions that appear mundane on the surface. We cut someone off in traffic. We dismiss a chat with a friend. We spead gossip at work.

We stick to the belief that small actions don’t matter. Were a “heroic” moment to present itself, we believe we would rise to the challenge.

In the brilliant tv drama The Wire, there’s an iconic scene in Season 4 that speaks volumes.

Herc, a police officer, is charged with delivering a young witness to another lead investigator on a murder. Instead of completing this seemingly simple task, Herc shirks his duty and sets off a chain of events that result in catastrophic damage to the witness.

Herc defends his actions, stating it wasn’t a big deal. His captain, Carver, who had originally promised protection to the witness, now realizes the effect of such thoughtlessness.

“It matters,” Carver tells Herc. “Everything matters.”