Posts by Mark Wood12

Caught it last night by accident. It’s not a disaster, but it’s not exactly great either. Ashton Kutcher is pretty much what I expected—kind of plastic. But honestly, his look and how much he resembles Steve Jobs gives him just enough authenticity to make it watchable. I’m no Apple or Steve Jobs expert, mind you; I just read the biography and watched Pirates of Silicon Valley a few years back (which I actually liked better). I didn't spot any massive historical or conceptual blunders. The movie tried to tackle both sides of Steve Jobs—the visionary versus the maniac—and it kind of pulled it off. Well, as much as Kutcher's acting allowed. Even Woz wasn't quite right for me. The actor isn't bad, but the character felt a bit fake—maybe too patronizing? Like he was being played for sympathy? The rest of the cast was solid, though; John Sculley (Matthew Modine), the rock star vibes (J. K. Simmons), Mike Markkula, the Mac team... Everything really falls apart with Jony Ive. The casting, the acting, even the dialogue feels pretty hollow there.

The soundtrack was a total letdown for me. I was expecting plenty of Bob Dylan, The Beatles, and other hits from that era. And where was Joan Baez? Besides, if my memory serves me right, the trailer had more scenes from that early period than the actual movie did...

And yeah, there are some tripping scenes. Pretty uninspired and nothing to write home about.

If I had to pick one thing besides the music, the biggest flaw was the lack of focus on the technology itself. In real life, Steve Jobs' greatest legacy was his products, but here they just feel like random gadgets. Plus, there's almost nothing mentioned about NeXT or Pixar...

Exactly.

Who specifically are we talking about here?

Mark Wood79 said:Look, I don't really follow film criticism—especially not the American scene—but I've noticed everyone constantly tearing into Pavicic over spoilers and a few other things. It makes me wonder why you all let Professor James ruin movies for you like this.

Who knows, right? Maybe there's just a lack of other sources? Or maybe people are just being lazy? Or pure ignorance?
Food for thought...

Someone’s gotta call out the critics, too.

Mark Wood79 said:There's already a thread for critics on the forum, so I don't get why you guys need a whole thing about Pavicic.

Fair point. I didn't realize there was a dedicated critic thread. Honestly, this could probably just move over there.
I mean, this thread hasn't really earned its keep anyway—unless you count him letting me know certain movies actually exist. Who would've thought?
All I know is that the spoilers drive me crazy. And that's the big one.

Mark Wood79 said:A lot of you folks on here keep insisting that Pavicic ruins everything—basically claiming he spoils every movie he touches or just ignores the facts entirely—but despite all that complaining, you still keep clicking on his reviews, don't you? 🤷

When I look at a movie review, I’m really just looking for confirmation that the film actually exists. That’s pretty much the only thing I need from a critic. So, if a reviewer totally misses the mark with an article, it’s not really a disaster for me since I tend to stay pretty neutral anyway. But honestly? It becomes a real problem when I open a review and find it's absolutely loaded with spoilers.

Yeah, seriously.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0103105/awards

Fair enough. Even if we assume the journalist was being pretty shallow and lazy—they should still know what a spoiler actually is, right? And how you're supposed to handle them.

Does this guy even understand the concept of the spoiler?
Like, does he realize they're actually a bad thing?

I don't know how many times he's ruined a movie for me now—honestly. If you set aside the spoilers, this article isn't even all that bad. You can tell some effort went into it, and I don't see any major flaws. It doesn't come off as mindless or crude, either. So why does he keep doing this?

The real question is how the drivetrain actually behaves—how am I supposed to tell if the bike isn't shifting right? It looks fine for now, though.
I'll see what kind of offers come my way.
Thanks.

Thanks, Walter Gomez16. This gives me plenty to work with now. $333 I set that as my absolute ceiling—though, honestly, I did some bad math there. I thought the drivetrain and derailleurs were included, but I see that now...
I've been doing a bit of reading on local bike shops. Now that I actually know what I'm looking for, I think I'll give a shop a call and see what they quote me.
Still totally open to suggestions, though—especially if anyone knows a reliable shop that won't break the bank.

Thanks again—I really appreciate any help you can throw my way.

Alright, I'll get some photos over to you.
Do you think it's better to shoot it fully assembled or taken apart? It's kind of in pieces right now since I started cleaning it—but I can put it back together if that helps.
The main thing, though—the part that actually snapped—is the axle. I can't get a photo of that because I tossed it out somewhere back in 2002.
A shop in Pittsburgh just isn't going to work for me. If I'm looking for service, I'll probably head to Washington, D.C.

Thanks. That’s what I figured—though I was really hoping someone here could give me the lowdown on the specifics. You know, prices, if it's actually worth the cash, availability, and whether everything is compatible. I'm out of town right now, and honestly, lugging this bike around is such a pain.
If I take what I’ve got into a shop, which one should I look for?

From what I've seen elsewhere, being clueless about how things work—like my situation here with bike tech and the market—is basically a recipe for getting ripped off. I don't personally know anyone who really knows their stuff, so I figured I'd just ask you guys.

Back in 2001, I picked up a Schwinn Frontier—a hardtail with a rigid fork—just for some casual riding. As a total newbie back then, people steered me toward this specific bike. They told me the frame and those aluminum wheels were solid for the price, and that I could always swap out the brakes or the 7-speed Shimano setup later for something better.

I rode this thing almost every single day on the same loop—roughly 9.9 miles miles. It was mostly hilly terrain—think rolling hills near Pittsburgh—with about half of it being gravel and the rest asphalt. No stunts or anything, but I didn't exactly baby it either. Maintenance was pretty minimal, too. After just over a year of that kind of abuse, the rear axle literally snapped—so now the bike is just sitting in my garage. The weight I worked so hard to lose back then? Yeah, it came right back—I'm sitting at 220 lbs now, which probably matters for what I'm about to ask—and I think it’s time to start over. Same plan as before, though. My first thought was to get this Schwinn back on the road. And that brings me to my questions.

What I know for sure is that I need to replace the rear axle and a chain that's seen better days (it's rusted). I remember back then, once I learned a bit more about the hobby, I really wanted to upgrade the drivetrain. I specifically remember looking at Shimano Deore, though the names don't mean much to me anymore. I also wanted to grab a suspension fork. Money is a little tight right now, so I don't want to buy a whole new bike if fixing this one is going to cost an arm and a leg. Besides, I've already stripped it down and started cleaning everything. I think I have enough hands-on experience to handle the repairs myself.

1. Is it actually worth fixing this old bike?
2. What parts should I be looking to replace?
3. Can I just buy the axle itself, or am I stuck buying a whole new wheel?
4. If I go through with buying these parts, where’s the best place to shop in Washington, D.C.?
5. Are there big differences in component compatibility between 2001 and today?
6. Any other advice?

Thanks in advance for any help—and sorry if I'm bugging anyone or sounding like a total amateur. 🤷

Cheers!

I need to get checked out by a neurologist. It’s nothing life-threatening, but still—it’s been a month and a half already. How long does it usually take to get an appointment at the Golden State Warriors hospital? Way too long, right?
Does anyone know of a hospital with a neurology department where you won't be waiting forever?
Or should I just go private? If so, any recommendations on where to go?

Thanks for sticking with me, everyone.
I'm doing alright—healthy and happy—for now.

The manufacturer finally sent over their findings. They’re admitting it doesn't meet the usual standards, though they're claiming there's no actual health risk involved.

I haven't had a chance to drop off a sample for private testing yet, so I can't really compare the data; but if anyone's curious, you can check out the results here.

So, I picked up a case of sparkling water from a major domestic brand—you know, one of those big names you see everywhere. I cracked open one bottle, took just a tiny sip, and immediately hit this sharp, chemical stench. It was way more intense than even chlorine. To be safe, I opened three more bottles, and yeah—they all had that same weird smell.

Thinking maybe I’d actually poisoned myself, I called their toll-free customer service line to see what they had to say. The lady on the phone just took my info and basically brushed me off, insisting there was no way something like that could happen.

About 30 minutes later, some manager calls me back for details. At first, he was pretty blunt—almost rude, honestly. But once I stood my ground and showed him I wasn't playing around, he started apologizing profusely. He kept promising me that nothing bad could happen and that there are absolutely no chemicals in their water. After I pushed for answers, he finally admitted there might have been an instance where too much chlorine was left over from cleaning the bottles. Honestly? The whole thing feels incredibly sketchy to me.

Anyway, the current plan is that he’ll personally swing by tomorrow or the day after to pick up the water for testing and bring me the official results.

Has anyone else dealt with something like this? Any advice?

What should my next move be?