Crystal Reports Solved: Select Criteria help (or / not)

Message

     I'm trying to get a particular set of select criteria, and not having luck. 

My goal is to pull all entries except where a couple of "likes" exist AND to also excluse another "like" only if performed by a particular system account.

Here are a couple examples I've tried that are not returning accurate data.

Example #1:

The "or" basically includes everything since both portions are using "not", and whatever one doesn't include, the other does.

If i use "and" instead of "or" it applies my system account restriction to all entries, not just those that I want.

I tried breaking them apart with parentheses, but if using all "ands" Crystal gets rid of my parentheses.

(
  not ({act_log.action_desc} like "*to '" & {@ActivityLastFirst} & "*") and
  not ({act_log.action_desc} like "*to '*" & "Pending*") and
)
or
(
  {@ALGAnalyst} = "Web Request" and
  not ({act_log.action_desc} like "*from 'Authorization, Pending*") and
)

Example #2:

Excludes entire entries that used to exist.

not ({act_log.action_desc} like "*to '" & {@ActivityLastFirst} & "*") and
not ({act_log.action_desc} like "*to '*" & "Pending*") and
if {@ALGAnalyst} = "Web Request" then
not ({act_log.action_desc} like "*from 'Authorization, Pending*")

Edited by Erik - 07 May 2014 at 8:28am