tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-173726632024-03-07T13:45:02.008-05:00No DisintegrationsUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger160125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17372663.post-29456026632111972692018-10-07T16:03:00.004-05:002018-10-07T16:03:55.452-05:00How To Replace Battery in DM1219 Accutime WatchDid you buy an Accutime LED watch with a rubber band that has now stopped working? Do you need to replace or remove the watch’s battery? Is the model number on the back of the watch case DM1219? Then this post is for you!<br />
<br />
<br />
<ol>
<li>Very gently push one of the holding pins through the rubber watch band to free one corner of the plastic watch case</li>
<li>Gently push / pull the same pin through the rubber watch band at the second corner, being careful not to secure the first corner again</li>
<li>You should now have one side detached from the band</li>
<li>Flip the plastic watch case away from the band allowing the other pin to keep the plastic case secured to the rubber watch band</li>
<li>Gently remove the plastic bag enclosed watch circuit board from the plastic case</li>
<li>One side of the circuit board has the LED holes in shapes of 8s and the Home button</li>
<li>Flip over the circuit board and you will see the battery and a diode on the other side</li>
<li>Examine the plastic bag to locate the sealed edge and gently push the circuit board out of the open end</li>
<li>Using a small flat head screwdriver, gently push the plastic retaining crescent on the battery toward the open crescent gap while gently prying the CR2016 battery up</li>
<li>The battery should pop out </li>
<li>Take a new CR2016 battery and gently push it into the empty battery compartment in the same orientation as the battery just removed</li>
<li>Place the circuit board back into the plastic bag enclosure</li>
<li>Gently push the circuit board back into its retaining compartment in the plastic case, being sure to have the Home button aligned to be at the bottom of the rubber watch face and the LED display aligned to the top of the watch face</li>
<li>Swing the plastic case back into the rubber watch band</li>
<li>Secure one corner by gently pushing the retaining pin back through the rubber band’s pin hole</li>
<li>Once the first corner has the pin protruding on the outside of the rubber band’s pin hole, pull the pin out to align the other side of the pin with the second pin hole</li>
<li>Gently pushing the other side of the pin back through the band’s other pin hole</li>
<li>The watch should now be reassembled back to it original condition</li>
<li>Press the home button to verify the LED display lights up and shows numbers</li>
<li>Use the Home button to reset the date and time by holding the button down for a few seconds, and cycling through the setting options</li>
</ol>
<div>
You have now completed the battery replacement and the watch should be functioning as it originally functioned.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
If time permits, pictures will be added to these instructions, but with these basic steps, batteries can be replaced and the watch can continue to function. </div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">Thank you for reading No Disintegrations!</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17372663.post-79322133788547327792016-01-30T16:11:00.000-05:002016-01-30T16:11:30.472-05:00See Facebook Friends Not Facebook Pages in News Feed<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ9jxQAFRA3zNla3LRk04aWS0v1hc3trPMCATaYFJ3tDKXO7Tntjh3GalHC5say2sC6M0TqUCCSvD5adwoqpyqqwjaQ-QgmEUoiKwSG7SnnlgXSkRCP94s6V5XJQ_9N7mhh19E/s1600/FB_pagesout_friendsin.png" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ9jxQAFRA3zNla3LRk04aWS0v1hc3trPMCATaYFJ3tDKXO7Tntjh3GalHC5say2sC6M0TqUCCSvD5adwoqpyqqwjaQ-QgmEUoiKwSG7SnnlgXSkRCP94s6V5XJQ_9N7mhh19E/s400/FB_pagesout_friendsin.png" /></a><br />
<br />
Thanks to some inspiration from a <i><a href="http://www.gizmodo.com/" target="_blank">Gizmodo</a></i> article, I was finally able to reclaim my Facebook News Feed. Now, if you want to do the same, I'm going to tell you how.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a>Facebook's news feed algorithm places priority on posts that have links to content they believe other users will be inclined to share. This means that if you follow any pages on Facebook, their posts will always get priority over the posts of your friends. The newish "News Feed Preferences" wizard was supposed to help ensure your friends' posts don't disappear completely by allowing you to identify a set of about 20 people whose posts you wanted to see first. Unfortunately, even these settings are no match for the default algorithm I've found.<br />
<br />
The really sad part about this is that every time you like a page's post, all posts by that page are moved up in ranking for your individual news feed algorithm. So every time you click "like" on a post by a page, more of your friends' posts disappear and more posts by that page appear in your feed. For me, this meant I could no longer see posts my friends liked, or even some of their posts unless a bunch of other people liked it or my timing was just right or I happened to have notifications set up for their posts. Over time, I saw less and less friend posts and more page posts until almost my entire feed was posts by page except for the 20 or so people I set up in preferences. I missed all kinds of interesting posts by my other friends, and began to feel like my news feed wasn't much more than an RSS feed of pages I liked. So this week, I finally decided to take some action on this and override the algorithm once and for all. Now, I can see my friends' posts, and still keep up on pages I like <b>on my phone</b> with very little hassle (trust me the phone part was essential to this plan).<br />
<br />
Here are the instructions and some tips on how to tailor the news feed to what you want to see.<br />
<br />
<b>MY GOALS:</b><br />
<ol>
<li>To be able to see posts from pages I like to follow, but remove them from my normal feed so I can see my friends' posts again. </li>
<li>Whatever my adjustments were, they needed to work with Facebook on the web and on my mobile device.</li>
<li>Switching between feeds needed to be super easy so I didn't feel like the changes caused me to lose anything.</li>
</ol>
<b>WHAT YOU WILL NEED:</b><br />
<ol>
<ul>
<li>Desktop, laptop, tablet, or phone that can display the full web-based version of Facebook</li>
<li>Phone or other mobile device that can use the Facebook app</li>
<li>Time - depending on the number of pages you follow</li>
</ul>
</ol>
<b>STEPS:</b><br />
<b>Create a List of Pages You Want to Follow</b><br />
<ol>
<li>On the full web-based version of Facebook, scroll down to the <b>FRIENDS</b> menu section</li>
<li>Hover over <b>FRIENDS</b> until the <b>More</b> link is displayed</li>
<li>Click <b>More</b></li>
<li>Click the <b>Create List</b> button</li>
<li>Enter a name for a list of every page you follow and still want to see posts from</li>
<li>Click the <b>Create</b> button</li>
<ol><ul>
<li><i>NOTE: Do not add anything to the Members box before clicking Create</i></li>
</ul></ol>
<li>The page will refresh to your empty custom list</li>
<li>Click the <b>Manage List</b> button</li>
<li>Click <b>Edit List</b></li>
<li>Click the <b>On This List</b> button</li>
<li>Click <b>Pages</b></li>
<li>Click the first page to select it</li>
<li>Select all the other pages you want to keep following</li>
<ol><ul>
<li><i>NOTE: You can select the other pages by clicking each one, or using the <b>Tab </b>key and then the <b>Enter </b>key to continue selecting</i></li>
</ul></ol>
<li>After selecting the pages you want to keep following, click the <b>Finish </b>button</li>
</ol>
<b>Remove Pages from Your Regular News Feed</b><br />
<ol>
<li>Click your name on the Facebook toolbar to load your profile page</li>
<li>Click the <b>View Activity Log</b> button</li>
<li>On the left menu, click <b>Likes</b></li>
<li>One the Likes sub menu, click <b>Pages and Interests</b></li>
<ol><ul>
<li><i>NOTE: Every page or interest you have ever liked will be displayed in reverse chronological order</i></li>
</ul></ol>
<li>Hover over the name of each page (it's a link) until a page preview displays</li>
<ol><ul>
<li><i>NOTE: You can also right-click and open each page in its own tab if you're not great with hover menus. The remaining steps will work either way.</i></li>
</ul></ol>
<li>Click the <b>Liked </b>button</li>
<li><b>CHOOSE WHAT YOU SEE FROM THIS PAGE</b> is displayed</li>
<li>Click <b>Posts in News Feed</b></li>
<li>Click <b>Unfollow</b></li>
<li>Repeat steps 5-9 for each page</li>
<ol><ul>
<li><i>NOTE: I also found this part of the process to be a good opportunity to unlike pages I didn't care about any more or that weren't active anymore</i></li>
</ul></ol>
</ol>
<b>Create a Shortcut to Your Pages Feed for Your Facebook Mobile App</b><br />
<ol>
</ol>
<div>
<ol>
<li>Click <b>Home </b>on the Facebook toolbar</li>
<li>Scroll down to the <b>FRIENDS</b> menu section</li>
<li>Hover over <b>FRIENDS</b> until the <b>More</b> link is displayed</li>
<li>Click <b>More</b></li>
<li>Hover over the list of pages you created</li>
<li>Click the gear icon to the right of the list name</li>
<li>Click <b>Add to Favorites</b></li>
<li>Hover over the list name in the FAVORITES menu on the left side of the page</li>
<li>Click the gear icon to the left of the list name</li>
<li>Click <b>Rearrange</b></li>
<li>Drag the page list up until it is right under News Feed</li>
<ol><ul>
<li><i>NOTE: You can place this link anywhere in favorites, but make sure it is high enough in the list that you can select it from your mobile device</i></li>
</ul></ol>
<li>Click the <b>DONE </b>link at the bottom of the FAVORITES menu</li>
<li>Open the Facebook app on your device</li>
<ol><ul>
<li><i>NOTE: If the app was open and running in the background, you need to completely close it and then restart it to see your changes.</i></li>
</ul></ol>
<li>Select the <b>Settings </b>icon</li>
<li>Scroll down to the FAVORITES section</li>
<li>If you can see the list of pages you created, you are finished</li>
</ol>
<b>Switching Feeds on Your Facebook App</b></div>
<div>
<ol><ul>
<li>Your regular news feed which should now be full of friends' posts can be accessed by using the news feed shortcut as you normally do on the main Facebook app toolbar</li>
<li>To open your Pages News Feed:</li>
<ol>
<li>Select the <b>Settings </b>icon on the Facebook toolbar</li>
<li>Scroll down to the FAVORITES section</li>
<li>Click the list you created</li>
</ol>
</ul></ol>
That's it. You can now see your friends posts and posts from pages you like without page posts suppressing posts from your friends anymore. Creating two separate feeds is the only way I've found to permanently override the algorithm to prevent pages from taking over your news feed. Keep in mind that when you like new pages, you will need to go back and add them to your Pages list and unfollow them as directed above to keep the feeds clean.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Good luck, and feel free to leave any feedback or your own Facebook tips in the comments below.</div><div class="blogger-post-footer">Thank you for reading No Disintegrations!</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17372663.post-53495711988883919772015-03-24T16:30:00.000-05:002015-03-24T16:30:20.226-05:00Taking It Back So, it's been a while since I have made a substantial post here at <b><a href="http://nodisintegrations.readpopculture.com/">No Disintegrations</a></b>, and when I came up with the title "Taking It Back" for the first entry into ND version 3, I immediately thought of this quote:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy66tCUIAqPVlK8G7CpSrc5znqaPq2UpYIBOehrQ2kllIAm3jj-Vhw79c73_ayPqArBXfqEG6rGpyyI0K6yXI90sS5f3OhQFQm6sYq7j-m4J2joEGaBn-0mAq6gVUCVeAV8nD4/s1600/Taking+it+back2.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy66tCUIAqPVlK8G7CpSrc5znqaPq2UpYIBOehrQ2kllIAm3jj-Vhw79c73_ayPqArBXfqEG6rGpyyI0K6yXI90sS5f3OhQFQm6sYq7j-m4J2joEGaBn-0mAq6gVUCVeAV8nD4/s1600/Taking+it+back2.PNG" /></a></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">"Yeah, but you know what? This one, this one right
here, this was my dream, my wish, and it didn't come true. So I'm
takin' it back. I'm takin' 'em all back." </span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
~Mouth, <i>The Goonies</i></blockquote>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<i><b><br /></b></i></div>
Now, I'm not a big fan of <i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0089218/" target="_blank">The Goonies</a></i> movie (I've only seen it once or twice all the way through, and only as an adult), but that scene definitely conveys the emotion that has prevented me from writing here more in the last three years, and why I'm taking it back up now.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
I think "dreams" and "wishes" are the "stories" we tell ourselves about our lives that we want to come true. In this scene, Mouth feels like his story won't come true. So, he's going to take back the sacrifice (coin) he made to make it come true, and he's also going to get retribution for everyone else whose story hasn't come to pass by retrieving their sacrifices (coins) as well. Most likely he's doing this out of anger, disappointment, revenge, sadness, and a bunch of other emotions.<br />
<br />
As someone who saw the story or "dream" I was working to achieve get wiped away, I can relate to this extremely well. Now, I'm not going to detail the drama, cheating, lies, and indecisiveness I lived with for over a decade that led to that story disappearing - and I'm <i>not</i> planning on taking <i>any </i>retribution. My fear of trying to write anything else and that information pouring out is the reason I haven't posted here in such a long time. I know there are at least three sides to every story of a relationship - one for each of the people involved, and somewhere in between or in combination of those two sides lies the truth. My side of the story has never been fully told, but I know the other person's side is probably out there - along with pieces of my side, other people's opinions, and maybe even a few grains of truth. I don't know if I will ever tell my side (unless I write it in a longer format, like a novel or something, which will be so unbelievable it will classified as fiction by people reading it).<br />
<br />
But, I do want to talk about what I've realized about the "stories" and "dreams" people have for their lives, and specifically the stories and dreams of my life as a result of what I went through. Maybe it will help someone else, or maybe it will just let me get some of what I need to say about it out so I can go back to writing about other things on this blog.<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">“If you don’t turn your life into a story,</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">you just become a part of someone else’s story.”</span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: center;">
~ <i>The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents</i></blockquote>
What did I learn? The quote above from <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Amazing-Maurice-Educated-Rodents-Discworld/dp/0060012358" target="_blank">The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents</a></i>, is the basic gist of what I've learned. The main story most of us face goes something like this: grow up, get a job, meet someone, fall in love, get married, and have children. (You'll notice that I'm making this non-specific to gender or orientation, because in my ideal story, those things don't matter). Movies, TV, books, parents, friends, and society shove this story down our throats on a regular basis. In fact, this story is so ingrained, that many people go to extreme lengths to see the story to its end. They stay in bad or abusive relationships, and they give up other pieces of their lives to make this story come true. In fact, most people just assume that this is how everyone's story will go. Case in point, I recently had a doctor's appointment and the doctor, trying to make small talk, recommended that I move to a specific location because it had good schools for raising kids. Never mind the fact that <b>I don't have any kids. </b><br />
<br />
All of my life, I tried to live up to this story. For the sake of my family and fitting into socially acceptable society. I sacrificed where I wanted to live, my career, my happiness, and even, in the end, my own story to try to make this "acceptable" story happen. Instead of living this story, I became part of someone else's story. Of course, the longer it went on, the harder it was to change the story's ending.<br />
<br />
You see, in this story that wasn't actually mine, I wasn't the narrator, and the narrator telling my story was, at best, unreliable. The story kept changing. The backstory and history of my character was rewritten and revised so many times that I started to forget who my character was and what I was supposed to be doing. The worst part was, I began to realize that in this story, I wasn't the <i>hero</i>. Hell, I wasn't even the <i>hero's sidekick</i>. I was the <b>villain</b>. I wasn't even a cool or particularly evil villain. I was just something for the "hero" to rage, plot, and work against throughout the story.<br />
<br />
As the villain of this story, all of the obstacles the hero had to face were all my fault and all concocted by me, or so that's the way the story was told. At turns, I was a mean villain, a crazy villain, or even a villain that isolated the hero from his supporting characters and made it impossible for him to change and grow on his journey. In the end, just as the tale usually goes, the hero defeated the villain and journeyed on to find the next princess to begin the next chapter of the story. No one was the wiser that this story featuring me as a villain may have been the greatest work of entirely contrived fiction ever told.<br />
<br />
Here's an example of what the story looked like to me:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6DoAjdclRbq879Ur2HAs4nbNXk6RDbKIRyHK8FEq0V9fDAPypC-vBf6ZyZwuAJEGRos1BCP2eU79F1wzGafPQTsUvrrlguzYep1oytCEY9_QNQQts8uxY-fAA4OxepPt4Lkk5/s1600/magnumpi_glee.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6DoAjdclRbq879Ur2HAs4nbNXk6RDbKIRyHK8FEq0V9fDAPypC-vBf6ZyZwuAJEGRos1BCP2eU79F1wzGafPQTsUvrrlguzYep1oytCEY9_QNQQts8uxY-fAA4OxepPt4Lkk5/s1600/magnumpi_glee.png" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
That story made no sense, right? Now you know how I felt when the "story" about my life, told by someone else was told to me.<br />
<br />
After a tale like this, when your natural state of being is laid-back, supportive, and non confrontational, you begin to question yourself and the story you're being told. So slowly, I became an introspective <strike>villain</strike> protagonist. First, I had to figure out how I became the villain of the story, and how I could possibly return to being the protagonist. It took a long time, but I finally realized that I became the villain by letting someone else be the narrator. I was so focused on the story I thought was happening, that I didn't realize everyone else was hearing a different story. I even went to great lengths to not make the narrator look unreliable while the story was happening, so only one version of the story survived. When I finally decided to retell the story from my point of view to a few people, they were shocked. At this point, I decided it was time to start telling my own story.<br />
<br />
First, I had to take some time to figure out what the next chapter of my story would be. Would I continue to try to fulfill the commonly "accepted" story that I saw so many others reaching for? Was it worth the sacrifices I'd previously made and was still making to continue that story? After a lot of thought and careful consideration, I decided that the answer is:<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>"Hell no"</b>.</span></div>
<br />
I've always been different, maybe even a little weird. My story is about experience, not marriage and family. There's an endless list of narrators to tell that tale, and I have no problem with them telling it. But, I'm starting to realize, as I grow older, that there are a lot of people that seem to have a problem with the story I want to tell. I'm not sure why being unmarried, childless, and straight is such a problem for some people, but it seems to be. Basically, because I am these things and approaching 35, "there must be something wrong with me" is the general consensus I get from "society's" feedback.<br />
<br />
Guess what? I don't care. I'm going to tell my story for me from now on. I have a feeling that when it finally ends, it will make a lot more sense than the story I was living, the story I just told you about Magnum P.I., or the last episode of <i>Lost</i>.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidg3Wz67PAJxQ_Xt6YK6LrbtYjG0TKJwP6HEoOAVsLGUw4F3BF0Df-lu8_i5aDIlLgYub6Cr1RC6iDwUyR5UmmrUZy5imSh6XL-z2ByVRlMQ2aax_OmbCajLs3FvDpu-UuyS_1/s1600/lost-ending.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidg3Wz67PAJxQ_Xt6YK6LrbtYjG0TKJwP6HEoOAVsLGUw4F3BF0Df-lu8_i5aDIlLgYub6Cr1RC6iDwUyR5UmmrUZy5imSh6XL-z2ByVRlMQ2aax_OmbCajLs3FvDpu-UuyS_1/s1600/lost-ending.jpg" height="185" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Here are a couple of random quotes I found on the internet that will give you an idea of where my story is probably going:<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">"Perfect heroines, like perfect heroes, aren't relatable, and if you can't put yourself in the protagonist's shoes, not only will they not inspire you, but the book will be pretty boring." ~ <i><a href="http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/protagonist.html#vl8wIzUlTI10o6Wd.99" target="_blank">Cassandra Clare</a></i> </span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">"The main question in drama, the way I was taught, is always, 'What does the protagonist want?' That's what drama is. It comes down to that. It's not about theme, it's not about ideas, it's not about setting, but what the protagonist wants." ~ <i><a href="http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/protagonist.html#vl8wIzUlTI10o6Wd.99" target="_blank">David Mamet</a></i></span></blockquote>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
From now on, I will live my life for me, and pursue my own dreams and wishes. Right now, that boils down to enjoying what I'm doing and who I'm spending time with at work, home, or anywhere else. If someone doesn't like my story, that's fine, and they don't need to be a part of it. No matter what challenges I must face in my story, I'm taking it back for me.<div class="blogger-post-footer">Thank you for reading No Disintegrations!</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17372663.post-74189334617835421722013-07-11T20:56:00.001-05:002013-07-11T20:56:44.682-05:00SDCC Prep - Custom Arrow Shoes<div> I decided to make some custom <i>Arrow</i> shoes to wear to San Diego Comic-Con this year. I'm hoping Warner Brothers, The CW, D.C. Comics, and Stephen Amell will excuse the infringements of a fan, and that maybe this will inspire some more merchandise from the franchise for <i>Arrow</i>. Enjoy!</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLDNh3qGI0c0hR7pZO-fRtZrcFuH3gOipDzVafWAPFlYpaspbPlebIYVhJ71SRUiszcqMt7c3ke8RtAmM9jrkphBszDhuX1reVLFqgicb7EZ9d_SXT0MJQYMoIzpJolTZbIUnP/s640/blogger-image-895338972.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLDNh3qGI0c0hR7pZO-fRtZrcFuH3gOipDzVafWAPFlYpaspbPlebIYVhJ71SRUiszcqMt7c3ke8RtAmM9jrkphBszDhuX1reVLFqgicb7EZ9d_SXT0MJQYMoIzpJolTZbIUnP/s640/blogger-image-895338972.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4auWYwpxiQYzr3a6V-ZQu0f1Y6ATBAZLVawpZqTf1XKK676bI55MdWgBMpxc-VOYJvfPgcL5xYT09B-c_kBjqtHPtukPNQIsIeB6wDySE1zzDNuivAu_YLQXcwF4HuFq1L5U2/s640/blogger-image--935793253.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4auWYwpxiQYzr3a6V-ZQu0f1Y6ATBAZLVawpZqTf1XKK676bI55MdWgBMpxc-VOYJvfPgcL5xYT09B-c_kBjqtHPtukPNQIsIeB6wDySE1zzDNuivAu_YLQXcwF4HuFq1L5U2/s640/blogger-image--935793253.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_r8KCxFQ0m4rZhCzgktUxREupo9CKKnUP-jaaCoQUKcHXXzH5vJFdl3iZ-3gRaMBqTBzBoLrgtSbTue30Qp7WptWU_KFcGai-bJ_XvHSNITYLoTyMnmmLvXlEYwUQjH8GBrvF/s640/blogger-image--1494315002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_r8KCxFQ0m4rZhCzgktUxREupo9CKKnUP-jaaCoQUKcHXXzH5vJFdl3iZ-3gRaMBqTBzBoLrgtSbTue30Qp7WptWU_KFcGai-bJ_XvHSNITYLoTyMnmmLvXlEYwUQjH8GBrvF/s640/blogger-image--1494315002.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhh8m7zwhYvmwD9FrA9NNq38avOWYjxBvYJ0TLs8rBhlTaoTV9gEikdwPl0liLhH1LwxNnM2n7VaNAACUsrBDvLYBodc4crMPz8iKsf5IOvMJT1aWcvEgA6dBNqY5V7YVDUx5E/s640/blogger-image--532506387.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhh8m7zwhYvmwD9FrA9NNq38avOWYjxBvYJ0TLs8rBhlTaoTV9gEikdwPl0liLhH1LwxNnM2n7VaNAACUsrBDvLYBodc4crMPz8iKsf5IOvMJT1aWcvEgA6dBNqY5V7YVDUx5E/s640/blogger-image--532506387.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnBQN9tb97XuN-bicBOq73HUYiIHo1j8K1UTuM2vkpDDzJ1oNwHbf3cO_z1qGdV3lyfmgRAE3k_4k6uNXo-ZrBj2AoNehz6SOEyd9N4HSdOT3jryT1KmXTPoFfOvQiQGt0FHiH/s640/blogger-image-1990443395.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnBQN9tb97XuN-bicBOq73HUYiIHo1j8K1UTuM2vkpDDzJ1oNwHbf3cO_z1qGdV3lyfmgRAE3k_4k6uNXo-ZrBj2AoNehz6SOEyd9N4HSdOT3jryT1KmXTPoFfOvQiQGt0FHiH/s640/blogger-image-1990443395.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLR6CLoW4DJvnVuD9iUo_Ozb6fCO45fHzYRBk9lEiGqokVgb-9bJ10FKLiOeWvlm5ZHudKyUUzBLNxGvfbngHbuhjRIgp0BRx-Qph_r81U6J083YqjOhOA7exwmid4RsoaU2fD/s640/blogger-image-957328491.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLR6CLoW4DJvnVuD9iUo_Ozb6fCO45fHzYRBk9lEiGqokVgb-9bJ10FKLiOeWvlm5ZHudKyUUzBLNxGvfbngHbuhjRIgp0BRx-Qph_r81U6J083YqjOhOA7exwmid4RsoaU2fD/s640/blogger-image-957328491.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">Thank you for reading No Disintegrations!</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17372663.post-48656146412584302182013-01-08T21:47:00.001-05:002015-03-15T18:34:18.283-05:00Geeks, Nerds, Gamers, etc. Buy a Dictionary or a ThesaurusI read a post on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/geekxgirls/posts/542619319082498" target="_blank">Facebook</a> today that a friend commented on that really made me step back and think for a minute. I had sworn an oath to myself that the next post I wrote for this blog would be about Teen Wolf (TV show), but now I find myself forced to delay it once more to speak out on a topic that I think needs addressed - labeling.<br />
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I really like sci-fi, fantasy, computers, cats, and... (wait for it)... (wait for it)... CW TV shows (other TV shows too). I read tons of articles, posts, and reviews or memes of all of these things. I think about them all the time. I talk about them with such enthusiasm that people have labeled me a "geek", a "nerd", and who knows what else. I have news for everyone - I AM ME.<br />
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It's as simple as that. Most people have a desire to find commonalities with others and to belong to a group. While I definitely enjoy talking about things I like with people who like the same things, I could care less about whether or not I belong to any given group. Period.<br />
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The human brain enjoys patterns and classification. Primarily because these instincts help determine survival. Being able to spot something out of the ordinary can often prevent danger. As our everyday dangers have shifted, people began to apply this mechanism to other people. Stereotypes, nomenclatures that define cultures or groups, and assumptions are easy. It's much more difficult to look at an individual as an individual. To accept someone as uniquely the person they are requires additional brain power and efforts that most people don't want to be bothered with. People want to belong, so they hold tight to these terms and redefine them to fit themselves. We all do it. I even do it. In fact, I referred to a person as part of a culture and remarked on a trait they possessed that in my experience is not the cultural norm (and it was only a half hour before I read this random post). What I am suggesting is that my life and everyone else's might be enriched if we refused to do this.<br />
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When I think of all of the people I know, especially those I know really well, I don't immediately classify them as anything other than who they as an individual are. I don't think of my friends as "gay", "straight", "geeks", "gamers", or whatever else. That would be limiting, and at times absurd. They are "Tom", "Sally", "John", or "Suzie" (not referring to real people, but you get the gist). I have no issues with people forming groups, but in my experience there is usually more to a person than just the collection of groups they belong to.<br />
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To define yourself by one or two words or characteristics is a travesty in my opinion. There are over a quarter of a million words just in the English language (the derivatives, denotations, and connotations of these words, plus the evolution of language, propel the meanings of these words into the millions). You and I can be multifaceted, conglomerations of words. That way I can be singularly me, and you can have the same luxury.<br />
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Don't get me wrong - I understand the need to belong, the euphoric feeling you get when you feel like a part of a group, and the power of people working together toward a goal. All good stuff, really. I'm just saying don't let one or two words be your definition. Even words have multiple words to define them. Use a dictionary or a thesaurus. See what other great words out there fit the uniqueness that is you.<br />
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With that, I will end this rant with three thoughts:<br />
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<li>My next post will be back to normal, and will involve Teen Wolf.</li>
<li>Walk Unafraid.</li>
<li>Read to the end of this (even if you skip the next section).</li>
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<i> "Walk Unafraid" ~ music and lyrics by R.E.M </i><br />
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<i> As the sun comes up, as the moon goes down<br />These heavy notions creep around<br />It makes me think, long ago<br />I was brought into this life a little lamb<br />A little lamb<br />Courageous, stumbling<br />Fearless was my middle name.<br />But somewhere there I lost my way<br />Everyone walks the same<br />Expecting me to step<br />The narrow path they've laid<br />They claim to<br />Walk unafraid<br />I'll be clumsy instead<br />Hold my love or leave me high.</i> </blockquote>
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<i>Say "keep within the boundaries if you want to play."<br />Say "contradiction only makes it harder."<br />How can I be<br />What I want To be?<br />When all I want to do is strip away<br />These stilled constraints<br />And crush this charade<br />Shred this sad masquerade<br />I don't need no persuading<br />I'll trip, fall, pick myself up and<br />Walk unafraid<br />I'll be clumsy instead<br />Hold my love or leave me high.</i> </blockquote>
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<i>If I have a bag of rocks to carry as I go<br />I just want to hold my head up high<br />I don't care what I have to step over<br />I'm prepared to look you in the eye<br />Look me in the eye<br />And if you see familiarity<br />Then celebrate the contradiction<br />Help me when I fall to<br />Walk unafraid<br />I'll be clumsy instead<br />Hold my love or leave me high.<br />Walk unafraid<br />I'll be clumsy instead<br />Hold my love or leave me high.</i></blockquote>
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<b>PS - That's right T.J., I freaking quoted R.E.M. to end this post.</b><br />
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<b>PPS - Friend who commented on the post - I thought your comments were insightful, and I thank you for giving me a chance to use some brain cells today.</b><br />
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<b>PPPS - This writing reflects my natural train of thoughts (haphazard as they may be), and is a not reflective of what I know to be proper grammar.</b><div class="blogger-post-footer">Thank you for reading No Disintegrations!</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17372663.post-8761088796505026322012-08-26T22:28:00.002-05:002015-03-15T18:21:20.459-05:00I LOVE YOU…YOU ASS<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I LOVE YOU…YOU ASS.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"> What makes a fan a fan, and when does he become a jerk? Being in the age of social media, this question has popped into my head more frequently. Between Twitter and Facebook alone, the arenas for fans of all ages and of all things to voice their opinions (positive and negative) have multiplied extensively in the last three years alone. One can go to his or her favorite movie’s Facebook Page and post a comment on its wall about how awesome the movie was. Someone can also go to the same page and write how horrific the movie was. Now, this type of expression is not exclusive to movies. It can be a TV show, a book, a movie star, a stand-up comedian, a pro-wrestler, so on and so forth. Thanks to the internet, the possibilities are endless.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"> Some fans, however, don’t see this as a world of possibilities. They don’t see this as a place where opinions can be expressed, feedback can be given, and in the end produce an even better product than the one they fell in love with. They see this forum as a battleground. These are the fans that take something they love and declare war on it just because they disagreed with something that happened. Or they disagreed with what someone said. Or they disagreed with how something was written. There’s no constructive criticism. It becomes rude, offensive anarchy.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"> Twitter, which I love as a form of communication, seems to be a magnet for this negativity. One of the people I follow on this site is Chris Hardwick (@nerdist). I listen to his podcast religiously, and even met him at this year’s Comic-Con. He’s a great guy. I also understand that he may not be everyone’s cup of tea. Heck, HE even knows that. If you go to iTunes and read reviews for <i>The Nerdist</i> podcast, for every multitude of five-star reviews, there are a few one-star reviews. Within these one-star reviews, the listeners say what they didn’t like about the show. It was constructive, even if negative, criticism, and that’s how a better show can be made.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"> I apologize for the exposition there. Let’s get back on point. A few weeks ago on Twitter, a person asked Chris to “re-tweet” something for a film this person was trying to get funded. Chris did not do this. Now we have to keep in mind that Chris has close to 1.6 million followers. Things may have fallen through the cracks. I myself have tweeted him a few times, to no response. (If you happen to read this Chris, I forgive you. <span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span> ) This person, however, was not amused. He proceeded to not only lay into Chris with a plethora of profanity-laden tweets, he convinced a few other people to do the same. All because a request of someone they are a “fan” of didn’t automatically ask “how high?” when told to jump. Chris almost threatened to reach out to law enforcement because of the material within the tweets. From what I could tell, nothing was reported, but it was seemed Chris was really shaken up and bothered by the harassment.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"> And that’s an example of what makes me ask this question: Where is the line? Yes, it is the internet. Yes, there is a LOT more freedom of expression when it’s on the internet. That’s why a lot of entertainers are starting to utilize it more and more, because you can basically say what you want. “What you want.” That’s the main problem. People think that phrase is like an invisibility cloak you get for Christmas at Hogwarts. People can go onto the internet and feel that because there are less restrictions, that there are no consequences. Well, I have news for you. Just because you are merely posting digital words on the internet, doesn’t mean the words hurt any less. It doesn’t matter who you are, whether it’s me, just a guy from Seattle trying to learn how to write, or the aforementioned Chris Hardwick, who has spent years honing his craft if the entertainment business. Being told, “Hey, you SUCK,” doesn’t feel good at all. “Hey, I didn’t like this thing you did/said, and here’s why.” That previous sentence took me about five more seconds to type, and doesn’t make anyone feel like they should question what they are doing, but it can help them possibly make what they are doing just a little better.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"> So I guess one answer to the question, “When am I a fan, and when am I a jerk?” could be “Whenever I want to. It’s the internet. Screw You.” Another answer could ALSO be: “I’m a fan. Why would I WANT to be a jerk?”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">By Donnie Lederer</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.twitter.com/dtrain1813" target="_blank">@dtrain1813</a> on Twitter</span></div>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">Thank you for reading No Disintegrations!</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01634177992323768911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17372663.post-77307072187224329022012-08-19T20:08:00.000-05:002012-08-19T20:08:40.178-05:00Superhero of the Day - 08/16This hero, based on the title announcement alone, is going to be the Marvel sequel I look forward to the most. Here is the protagonist in "The Winter Soldier,"<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYFCi915ZcZWyr6iKy9us_JUy3h0036uvfL6l2puXAttCweBCPhW2OHV7k6rAUNNu_csV8OYP2UC4d-Ihj00Lwe1jqQ1rhiE4l8aWSsFlPaIFPjnTSTdoxrFERYS_We7OsG5YBHw/s1600/2387920-2365942_69944comic_storystory_full_9351045geraldparel_large.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYFCi915ZcZWyr6iKy9us_JUy3h0036uvfL6l2puXAttCweBCPhW2OHV7k6rAUNNu_csV8OYP2UC4d-Ihj00Lwe1jqQ1rhiE4l8aWSsFlPaIFPjnTSTdoxrFERYS_We7OsG5YBHw/s400/2387920-2365942_69944comic_storystory_full_9351045geraldparel_large.jpg" width="281" /></a></div>
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CAPTAIN AMERICA!!!<div class="blogger-post-footer">Thank you for reading No Disintegrations!</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01634177992323768911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17372663.post-45907682956480824322012-08-19T19:58:00.003-05:002012-08-19T19:58:50.437-05:00Superhero of the Day - 08/15Might solve a mystery, or rewrite history! DUCKTALES!!!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibGTHugwpk7VITEZf9EQvCLCzJgD-woa9I6f3iGKd0lc3sSLJND04LBY2N_5ozWq_7Ty7Y9eJXGfsZKATKShP6e4pREMhVfomprVkxXf65OtR1XrsWfHWagGfiN-2lUtEdrPf8Bw/s1600/1878857-louie_large.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibGTHugwpk7VITEZf9EQvCLCzJgD-woa9I6f3iGKd0lc3sSLJND04LBY2N_5ozWq_7Ty7Y9eJXGfsZKATKShP6e4pREMhVfomprVkxXf65OtR1XrsWfHWagGfiN-2lUtEdrPf8Bw/s400/1878857-louie_large.gif" width="263" /></a></div>
LOUIE!!!<div class="blogger-post-footer">Thank you for reading No Disintegrations!</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01634177992323768911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17372663.post-36450797178121797842012-08-19T19:52:00.001-05:002012-08-19T19:52:45.019-05:00Superhero of the Day - 08/14Racecars. lasers, aeroplanes. It's a, DUCKBLUR!!!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ7xVhPX0S7m29fPyCzC4B9tNsDnC3jkDrtcDBIjCRB3IFTPFqzXepDoe5PqlAsGvhhLABoNCD41JA-bUbmb-DVHaepG3y8aVzp7TUfubHhq1gx6vWSo0bYF_m_nt-jWy0t8Ft7A/s1600/1878852-dewey_large.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ7xVhPX0S7m29fPyCzC4B9tNsDnC3jkDrtcDBIjCRB3IFTPFqzXepDoe5PqlAsGvhhLABoNCD41JA-bUbmb-DVHaepG3y8aVzp7TUfubHhq1gx6vWSo0bYF_m_nt-jWy0t8Ft7A/s400/1878852-dewey_large.gif" width="208" /></a></div>
DEWEY!!!<div class="blogger-post-footer">Thank you for reading No Disintegrations!</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01634177992323768911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17372663.post-45437187773315364722012-08-19T19:29:00.000-05:002012-08-19T19:29:07.304-05:00Superhero of the Day - 08/13Sorry for the delay, but get ready for some consecutive catch up posts!!!<br />
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Life is like a hurricane, here in, Duckburg...<br />
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HUEY!!!<div class="blogger-post-footer">Thank you for reading No Disintegrations!</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01634177992323768911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17372663.post-58955326102669196782012-08-12T17:48:00.001-05:002012-08-12T17:48:22.957-05:00Superhero of the Day - 08/12 Today's cartoon character is one of the first things I was called as a kid as a chance to make fun of me. That was of course until high school, where I was called a name I will not dignify with writing in this space. Here is...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGHUj3SiDiPabe4d0QnqfJuCbRcLaefUiLYrtbD-_zIytGSPSd7a41PhFZmQNrhC0mGercQkQgnwD0Y6OhmosvxTow9ATi4Xfl1wPwzMG0tG0TQ1OJRyXWNx2PN9qrfP8hfY1mcA/s1600/292327-110735-donald-duck_large.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGHUj3SiDiPabe4d0QnqfJuCbRcLaefUiLYrtbD-_zIytGSPSd7a41PhFZmQNrhC0mGercQkQgnwD0Y6OhmosvxTow9ATi4Xfl1wPwzMG0tG0TQ1OJRyXWNx2PN9qrfP8hfY1mcA/s400/292327-110735-donald-duck_large.jpg" width="280" /></a></div>
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DONALD DUCK!!!<br />
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P.S. HA! No pants...<div class="blogger-post-footer">Thank you for reading No Disintegrations!</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01634177992323768911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17372663.post-50700583458391646682012-08-12T01:19:00.000-05:002012-08-12T01:19:05.354-05:00Superhero of the Day - 08/11 Today's hero just started filming his next movie. I hope to everything in this world that it doesn't suck. Rumor has it that he will be the sequel to last summer's X-Men reboot, but in more than just THE BEST CAMEO EVER. One can hope. Here is...<br />
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WOLVERINE!!!<div class="blogger-post-footer">Thank you for reading No Disintegrations!</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01634177992323768911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17372663.post-23689343973330168822012-08-11T00:50:00.000-05:002012-08-11T00:50:09.624-05:00Superhero of the Day - 08/10 I saw the panel for the movie starring today's hero at Comic-Con last month. If you saw the teaser when you saw Dark Knight Rises, let me tell you, it didn't do it justice. I think Christopher Nolan has done it again. Here is the Man of Steel...<div>
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SUPERMAN!!!</div>
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<br /></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">Thank you for reading No Disintegrations!</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01634177992323768911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17372663.post-9706887591978947562012-08-09T19:34:00.001-05:002012-08-09T19:34:47.049-05:00Superhero of the Day - 08/09 Today's hero is currently the main character in the #1 movie in the world. He's one of the few heroes that we could actually be. All you would have to do is win the lottery and have an obsessive quest for vengeance, that would then turn into a quest for justice. (Oh, and you also have a weird hobby of taking teenagers and putting them into positions that should have most CERTAINLY gotten them killed.) Here is...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs1qv36Sbd_AGml00dYn38HGTqEDEbKAJwjkzzXrINhXspyhj562t8lerAzpt66vG37nkNQZrekaOJNuStfg00SpGNAru9yEya6b5ssd4XtMFuh3rBzIgSGTqMgp-61CuIHmFLPQ/s1600/2048314-bm_cv3_var_large.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs1qv36Sbd_AGml00dYn38HGTqEDEbKAJwjkzzXrINhXspyhj562t8lerAzpt66vG37nkNQZrekaOJNuStfg00SpGNAru9yEya6b5ssd4XtMFuh3rBzIgSGTqMgp-61CuIHmFLPQ/s400/2048314-bm_cv3_var_large.jpg" width="257" /></a></div>
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BATMAN!!!</div>
<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">Thank you for reading No Disintegrations!</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01634177992323768911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17372663.post-26646112769146029472012-08-08T19:12:00.001-05:002012-08-08T19:12:24.467-05:00Superhero of the Day - 08/08<br />
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Yes, you read that right. Superhero of the Day.
What is it? Exactly what it says it is!
Each day I will provide a new hero, cartoon character, villain,
etc. The title will still be kept
Superhero of the Day, even if I post a picture of Donald Duck. Why?
Laziness. Plain and Simple. Enjoy!!!<o:p></o:p></div>
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Today’s hero we have seen before, but not in this light.
This is a drawing done by renowned comic artist Alex Ross, who was asked to
design a concept costume for the 2002 blockbuster film…..<o:p></o:p></div>
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SPIDER-MAN!!!<o:p></o:p></div>
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P.S. If you have any
suggestions for a character to feature on SHOTD (the new acronym), let me know! I accommodate easily!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">Thank you for reading No Disintegrations!</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01634177992323768911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17372663.post-50684177075551594242010-11-04T19:40:00.002-05:002010-11-04T20:03:08.960-05:00Facebook Groups review Pt 1I decided to dive into using Facebook <a href="http://www.facebook.com/help/?page=414">groups</a> today. So far, I have created a few groups for family and friends. I wasn't sure what to expect. Something like the <a href="http://www.facebook.com/help/?page=826">Old Groups</a>? Or <a href="http://www.facebook.com/help/?page=768">Friend Lists</a>? No, it's like a private mini-Facebook.<br />
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When you make a post to a group, the post shows up in the Most Recent News Feed to other group members. People who aren't members of the group don't see the post. It seems like Facebook combined the best part of Friend Lists (privacy settings) and the best of Old Groups (messaging, sharing pics and video, private Wall) to make the New Groups. You can do a group chat or collaboratively edit documents. It will be interesting to see how this ends up working for my groups.<br />
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So far, I like what I'm seeing in terms of privacy and integration. Making the groups part of the main news stream will help keep them from getting stale. I'll post an update in a few months (after the holiday season) and give a review of how well my groups took off and which features are good and which ones are lacking.<br />
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<i>P.S. I see that Apple is starting a social network based on music and iTunes. It will be interesting to see what happens with that venture.</i><div class="blogger-post-footer">Thank you for reading No Disintegrations!</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17372663.post-45096700134420849432010-01-27T00:35:00.005-05:002010-10-10T20:43:47.602-05:00eBay Drove Me Away, But Now They Are Caving To Small Seller NeedsWhat you are about to read is based on my experience, some web research, and an email I received from <a href="http://www.ebay.com/">eBay </a>containing this link:<br />
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<a href="http://pages.ebay.com/sellerinformation/news/StandardFees.html">http://pages.ebay.com/sellerinformation/news/StandardFees.html</a><br />
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When eBay acquired <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">PayPal</span>, I feared the good times were over. I have occasionally been selling / reselling collectibles and comics on eBay to support my own collecting habits. I've been a member of the site for over 10 years now, and began selling 3-4 years ago. At that time, sellers could accept personal checks or money orders, insurance was optional, and listing fees were high.<br />
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In the last year or two, eBay changed their selling policies several times to help prevent fraudulent sellers and buyers from taking advantage of people. I was involved in at least two disputes with fraudulent sellers that I was able to resolve with <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">PayPal</span> prior to these changes, and I think eBay had the right intentions when it came to trying to protect its users. Unfortunately, good intentions often pave the road to someplace unpleasant.<br />
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The first convenience to go was the option to accept personal checks or money orders. This used to account for 40% of my sales. I saw a huge drop-off on low priced item sales. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">PayPal</span> and pay at pick up are now basically the only options for small sellers. I have also heard horror stories for years about <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">PayPal</span> freezing accounts, but I have to say that I was lucky to never experience that. Other folks were not so lucky, and eBay's changes contributed to their disillusionment with the whole marketplace.<br />
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Then, eBay started requiring sellers to either offer insurance or not. It was no longer optional for buyers or sellers. I've also had to deal with USPS insurance claims as a buyer, and my issues were resolved successfully. I see the merit in this for idiots like me who occasionally forget to add insurance and then have a seller ship ceramics in thin newspaper. I learned that lesson the hard way as a buyer and changed my ways.<br />
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For sellers, this change bumped up shipping and handling charges if they required insurance (and any reputable seller dealing in collectibles usually does require it). These sellers were then subject to lower search rankings because their charges are inaccurately compared to sellers who don't offer insurance. I received the warning message several times while listing that my item seemed to have a shipping price higher than normal for the category. My internal response was "yes, because I pack my items securely, which adds weight, which adds money, and I require insurance". The number one question I have received as a seller is "can you ship it cheaper?" With postage increases and the current economic conditions, this also made being a seller a rough road to travel. Customs changes in the last two years by USPS have made international sales a living nightmare and driven me out of selling outside of the US.<br />
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Later, eBay tried to help small sellers like me by offering free listing incentives to increase listings. After reaching a predetermined number, or listing in an ineligible category, listings fees reverted to the normal pricing scheme. eBay also offered listing discounts. It really didn't help sellers much because they only took the risk of a "no-buy" listing fee away for a few items or categories. The changes did nothing for items that sold, because they also took a larger percentage of the sale on these listings out of the back-end of the transaction through their Final Value Fee.<br />
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My sales steadily declined. Listing items became a hassle for the small profits (losses in many cases) I was receiving. Disillusioned, I began searching for other selling options.<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/">Amazon.com</a> catered to a more financially sound clientele, but my products do not really fit in their successful seller schema (people with media to get rid of - consider Amazon your happy place). eBay had already burdened me with less options, more up-front decisions, and buyers became more aggressive in nasty emailing about shipping, timing, and changes as a result of eBay's changes. So, I found a new site to sell on called <a href="http://www.bonanzle.com/"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Bonanzle</span></a>.<br />
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Last week, I set up a booth at <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Bonanzle</span> because they have no listing fees or durations. They also provide the option to post items as freebies to entice buyers to purchase from your booth and select their own bonus gifts. The listing form is ridiculously easy to use, and they allow insurance to be optional, and they allow <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">PayPal</span>, money orders, and Google Checkout for payments.<br />
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Today, I receive an email from eBay with the link provided at the beginning of this post. eBay has decided to make listing less risky and costly for small sellers by allowing 100 free listings per month subject to terms and conditions on their site. Why would they do this? Well, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Bonanzle</span> has experienced remarkable growth over the last year and is being highly recommended by reviewers as a sound alternative to eBay.<br />
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I think <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Bonanzle's</span> growth and the growth of other marketplace providers is directly contributing to eBay's sudden change in policy regarding listing fees. eBay has always been consistent since inception about getting money upfront whether your item sells or not. I think eBay is finally caving to seller demands due to small sellers flocking to alternative web solutions, like <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Bonanzle</span>. Falling returns (check eBay's year end report), growth of alternative sites, and the trend of eBay becoming merely a resale site for items purchased directly from Asia is forcing eBay to give up on some of their founding principles and policies and seek new ways to lure sellers to their website.<br />
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As a small seller, I am not yet completely wooed. eBay still needs to up the ante to get completely back into my good graces. However, I think they might finally be headed in the right direction and I am looking forward to seeing what other changes lie ahead.<div class="blogger-post-footer">Thank you for reading No Disintegrations!</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17372663.post-64335256436668292132009-07-25T00:28:00.002-05:002009-07-25T00:31:34.128-05:00SDCC 2009 UpdatesHey folks! It's been a fun and tiring 3 days so far. With spotty wi-fi and limited time, most of my updates are on my Twitter feed. I also just uploaded some pics to my Picasa Photostream. Both can be found on this blog, but you won't get any email updates when new things are posted. They will just magically be there. Keeping checking back throughout the day tomorrow because lots of new Tweets will be hitting my feed.<div class="blogger-post-footer">Thank you for reading No Disintegrations!</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17372663.post-20136237870778592882009-04-02T22:20:00.008-05:002010-11-04T20:04:24.080-05:00So I got an iPod Touch...for my birthday.<br />
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I ended up getting the 16 GB so I don't overload it and have to change things out more often. After playing with it for a few hours, I am already in love. I like the free apps I downloaded so far, and I think once I get the navigation down (it's hard for a shortcut-key mogul like me to switch to point and swipe) I'll be in heaven.<br />
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I went with the iPod Touch instead of the iPhone because they were identical in the features I wanted, except the Touch has wi-fi instead of 3G. I do need an excuse to be unplugged every now and again and I treat my phones like crap. Plus, with the $20/mo additional fee on the cell bill, this seemed like the best choice for now. The only thing it really lacks in my mind is an integrated camera, which the iPhone does have. However, I just got an awesome digi-cam for Christmas and I can hold back on uploading until I am in proximity of my laptop.<br />
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What this means for you readers - all two of you. I have decided to make this blog mobile-friendly by setting up a mobile mirror at <a href="http://nodisintegrations.mofuse.mobi/">http://nodisintegrations.mofuse.mobi/</a>. You can get there by clicking the "Mobile Friendly" icon at the top of this blog. It also means that come Comic-Con this year, there will be nothing stopping me from posting mid-action. We'll have to see if this blog or Twitter wins out on that. I may have finally found a use for Twitter after all this time following others. I can already tell that some sort of stylus would be a benefit.<br />
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Here's a quick run down of my initial impressions:<br />
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<ul><li>Video: Much, much better than I expected. So far I've only tested with video purchased via iTunes, but the quality is extremely sharp.</li>
<li>Audio (built-in speakers): It's audible, but not loud enough to make out over a din of noise. Turning it up full blast sounds very distorted</li>
<li>Apps: So far, decent free ones and fairly easy to use</li>
<li>Navigation: Very difficult for keyboard addicts. I have small fingers too and found it hard to always hit the right spot, so I can't imagine what people with sausage fingers do. I think a soft stylus should fix that issue.</li>
<li>Safari web: Decent. Not anything super surprising, but again, the navigation is not intuitive.</li>
<li>Orientations: Okay. Many apps and other features don't support landscape when it would make them much easy to use.</li>
<li>Keying data: The keyboard is decent with a QWERTY structure and some shortcuts depending on what you are entering. Still, it's very easy to mistype.</li>
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Overall, I'm pleased and impressed with this device. This is my first Apple hardware purchase (I have been using iTunes at a novice level for a while), but so far I'm not seeing any issues - even with the proprietary data transfer, which the wi-fi helps resolve. As I learn more, I'll post more.<div class="blogger-post-footer">Thank you for reading No Disintegrations!</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17372663.post-33104005427330815112009-03-10T22:49:00.006-05:002010-10-10T20:45:13.254-05:00Brief Castle Review<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG86GnNDdF3vCf3L0YVvYX5zIR_rBGNuQnZdUlOxgzAjQ5X3FdEvxbCow-rkY2GVet62xYmKDHqUDxD48P8tl1ILOcCrRkyzcsXLc4VFovB8h9BmJhcSga9B6ir4VW6JiKRdNs/s1600-h/17675_800_100.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5311777591577747890" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG86GnNDdF3vCf3L0YVvYX5zIR_rBGNuQnZdUlOxgzAjQ5X3FdEvxbCow-rkY2GVet62xYmKDHqUDxD48P8tl1ILOcCrRkyzcsXLc4VFovB8h9BmJhcSga9B6ir4VW6JiKRdNs/s320/17675_800_100.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 40px; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
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I'm going to keep this short and sweet. I DVR'd Castle last night and finally watched it tonight. I wasn't show how this new procedural would fair, especially since it's on ABC (which I haven't watched a show on for many, many years). The premise is that a mystery writer is questioned about his books and fan mail after two murders are committed that replicate murders that take place in his novels. It definitely sounded like a one show deal or a Murder She Wrote remake from that description.<br />
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The show stars Nathan Fillion as Rick Castle (the titular author) and Stana Katic as Kate Beckett (the strong female detective). Both characters were decently fleshed out in the series premiere, which is always a good sign. The actual crime and clues that served as the plot were okay. Mystery fans would find it a little predictable, while some might have been surprised at the few twists in plot. The first episode was definitely character-driven, and I was impressed at the snappy dialogue.<br />
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Fillion's character is very similar to his previous roles as Captain Hammer (Dr. Horrible's Sing-along Blog), Bill Pardy (Slither), Mal Reynolds (Firefly), and even Caleb on Buffy season 7. He's smarmy, arrogant, and womanizing, but also surprisingly observant and has very interesting relationship dynamics with his daughter and his mother. Katic's character is similar to Starbuck (BSG), but only in terms of inner strength and wit, and can also be very conservative and a touch obsessive. She's also a closet Castle fan.<br />
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Overall, I was very impressed by the pilot and will tune in for at least a few more episodes to see which way this show is going. I liked its pilot better than the Dollhouse pilot (which I am currently hoping is just due to network interference). So far, it looks like they are naming the episodes after Castle's book titles which could get interesting if the series get picked up for another season.<br />
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So take a chance and tune in on Saturday, March 14 at 10:00 pm on ABC to see the pilot when it's aired again, or skip ahead to the next new episode on Monday, March 16 at 10:02 pm on ABC.<div class="blogger-post-footer">Thank you for reading No Disintegrations!</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17372663.post-10528320283500711432008-11-10T21:33:00.000-05:002008-11-10T21:33:30.927-05:00'Battlestar Galactica' Items to Be Auctioned Off to Fans<a href="http://www.buddytv.com/articles/battlestar-galactica/battlestar-galactica-props-to-24277.aspx?cf=1048576">'Battlestar Galactica' Items to Be Auctioned Off to Fans</a><br /><br />Start saving your Holiday pennies...<div class="blogger-post-footer">Thank you for reading No Disintegrations!</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17372663.post-38957724247521082002008-11-10T21:31:00.000-05:002008-11-10T21:31:44.287-05:00Five Reasons Why 'Smallville' is Better Than 'Heroes'<a href="http://www.buddytv.com/articles/smallville/five-reasons-why-smallville-is-24244.aspx?cf=1048576">Five Reasons Why 'Smallville' is Better Than 'Heroes'</a><br /><br />All I can say is that I couldn't agree more with the turn Smallville has taken this season. It lives up to the 5 points illustrated in this article this season, and I can't wait to see where it goes next.<div class="blogger-post-footer">Thank you for reading No Disintegrations!</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17372663.post-43111202912002423622008-07-30T21:52:00.002-05:002008-07-30T21:57:18.464-05:00SDCC Posts at PCPI have been posting all my adventures at <span style="font-weight: bold;">SDCC </span>over on <span style="font-weight: bold;">TD</span>'s <a href="http://popculturepanopticon.wordpress.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">PCP</span> </a>blog. I'm not syndicating these to <span style="font-weight: bold;">ND</span> because I'm lazy, so go over there and check them out!<br /><br />To tide you over until you get the full reports, here's a link to <span style="font-weight: bold;">SciFi.com</span>'s full video of the <span style="font-style: italic;">Battlestar Galactica</span> panel I attended:<br /><a href="http://video.scifi.com/player/?id=279928"><br />http://video.scifi.com/player/?id=279928</a><br /><br />It was just as frakkin' awesome as the video makes it out to be.<div class="blogger-post-footer">Thank you for reading No Disintegrations!</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17372663.post-40163999355101760862008-06-18T22:41:00.004-05:002008-06-18T22:50:42.365-05:00This blog is still active!<span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I am posting new content daily for all to enjoy. Some people post an entry full of links to other cool stuff around the web. Because I read so many feeds on a daily basis, I stumble across a lot of cool posts, articles, and sites. Instead of making a million posts that clutter up this site and make it hard to tell what actually contains something written by me, I've decided to make use of Google Reader and just display the 20 latest things I've seen that catch my interest. If you use Goggle Reader, let me know and I'll let you link directly to my shared items. For those of you who don't feed read, I've made it easy by linking to the web version of my shared tidbits. You can always click "Read more" at the bottom of the top stories feed to see older items or the next set listed. So please, keep stopping by and enjoy what I've linked up for you.<br /></span></span><div class="blogger-post-footer">Thank you for reading No Disintegrations!</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17372663.post-30620722968233900132008-05-23T10:25:00.004-05:002008-05-23T11:06:13.347-05:00Indiana Jones and the KOTCS<img src="http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f347/ellidnn/No%20Disintegrations/indyjones1-2.jpg"><br /><br />I'm not sure what to say about this movie except that I really, really enjoyed it. It's not groundbreaking, it's not different, and it's not another <em>"Phantom Menace"</em>. It's familiar and strange and comforting all at the same time.<br /><br />Harrison Ford is great as Indy (not like anyone else could ever fill those shoes, which should hit you over the head when you see it). Shia LaBeouf wasn't as bad as people will say he was. His character wasn't Short Round or Young Indy - he was a decently portrayed combo of Indy and Marion.<br /><br />The plot was okay (the first half hour was great!), but there were some questionable scenes and some huge leaps in suspension of disbelief. I didn't mind it being a little askew to the older films though. It was nice to see something completely and totally unbelievable and in action during an Indy film. The expanded universe books always had better quests and artifacts than the three original movies (the artifacts were harder to obtain and carried graver consequences), so it was nice to see the film step away from Christianity and Hinduism (which for the unenlightened was the basis of the much loathed <em>Temple of Doom</em>) and turn to another religion we know even less about but couple it with something (aliens) that is familiar.<br /><br />People will probably crush this movie down (most reviews I've read so far are reluctant to give a final rating until after a second viewing). I was so worried it would be another <em>PM </em>that I may have had really low expectations. Also, I am definitely a huge fan which biases me in its favor. However, for people who like the Indy movies and want to jump back into what Dr. Jones has been up to, this movie is awesome. If you can relax and enjoy it instead of analyzing it, it's a great movie: humor, adventure, wit, and a great cast. I definitely recommend seeing it.<div class="blogger-post-footer">Thank you for reading No Disintegrations!</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0