I know Ztonk probably still hasn't recovered from the Christmas Cheer being spread last night. Some of the ladies at the party took it upon themselves I think to really show their appreciation to some of the guys. I know that around 3AM I walked back into the Conference Room and found that the conference table, some chairs and a wall were being put to a use not really designed but HEY! Fun is Fun....
And there were dozens of other Christmas Parties happening so Space is probably busy elsewhere.
It's Sunday morning and few people tend to look at the board but shortly, I would think, A mod will come around and the latest annoyance will be sent off for a holiday vacation.
I find it rather ludicrous that anyone that so freely discards the rules of community feels entitled to question ANYONE about anything.
Ozmosis freely posts text messages and PMs/emails (I'm not sure) both violations of Board rules, in two different CoEd threads currently and then feels entitled to repost the content of a LockerRoom post taken totally out of context.
I don't think it is a violation to say that there is NO Locker Room discussion questioning anything regarding the Fundraiser.
What there IS is a discussion about another subject that Ozmosis injected his ongoing ignorance of matters into showing he does not remotely comprehend yet another subject and then when handed his ass by a half dozen other guys trys to spin the conversation in a different direction.
I do believe though that there should be no question regarding the question he raised so I will respond.
A month ago Maxeen and I met as she was interested in possibly having her birthday party in a location that would make for a good fundraising event.
Maxxen and I have had several decent conversations over a period of time about possibly doing an event together. Co-Hosting a party for example. We both tend to put together a pretty decent group of people and we both have noticed the total lack of "community" in play for most of this last year.
Anyway. Maxeen generously offered to suggest to some of her clients that instead of bringing her an actual gift to her birthday party that people bring a gift card that she could donate to the FundRaiser.
This was talked about in a thread and the idea of doing a part of her Birthday Party in a location that we looked at together one evening did not come to fruition.
Maxeen DID however contact me and later met me to bring 4 Gift Cards she had collected. We sat and talked about a variety of things for a few hours afterwards.
What Max brought was 4 Gift Cards. Each was supposed to be loaded with $100. The design of these cards in their packaging has a perforated Tab on the ends with the dollar amount on it. One of the cards was "missing" these perforations. (Maybe Max will remember who)
Most people bringing cards that are not clearly labeled with the dollar amount also bring the receipt so I know how much credit to give them.
I did not question Maxeen. I don't really question anyone. But I will let Maxeen know here publicly that the person that gave her the one card missing the tabs and telling her it was $100 did not actually load $100 unto the card. It had a $50 load.
Now perhaps it is wrong, but in my way of thinking, these cards were gifts to Maxeen for her Birthday. Maxeen then re gifted these cards. so the 4 cards Maxeen gave me were recorded as being FROM Maxeen. Certainly NOT an anonymous person. Hell...
The mere concept of Max being anonymous flys in the face of logic.
Max and I discussed these as there was a drawing and I intended to give her tickets. At first she did not want to take them. We allow ladies to "win" but if the prize they draw is actually one of the other ladies, we do require it to be "re gifted". The bulk of the money comes from the guys and we need to encourage that. Several ladies over the years, Lilly this year for example, re gifted the kind gesture of another provider by selecting a favorite client to receive her!.
Maxeen's donation resulted in 16 tickets being issued with Max1 wrote on 4, Max2 wrote on 4, Max 3 wrote on 4 and finally Max 4 wrote on 4. Had any of those ticket's been drawn it would have been Maxeen's decision as to what to do with the prize.
later in discussing different things and where it was falling short Maxeen reached into her purse and pulled out another $200 and added to the $400 donation. Those 8 tickets had Maxeen wrote on them.
Now Ozmosis seems incredibly inept at debating an issue without trying to get personal and taking things in a different direction. I have no idea why he has had such a hard-on for me but it is no secret that he has tried to start shit in a dozen different threads,
He is obviously lonely and attention starved. We have had a few members here like that in the past and I think we may in time come to learn he was known to us by a different name for a while.
Even if not..... He's definitely not one that tends to reason things out properly and wants to mix it up with me and others.
I've been trying to stay away from controversy for a good part of the year and this time of the year my focus is on one thing.
This Fundraiser.
And there is still a lot of work to do.
There are $1430 in uncollected Pledges out there. Some guys seem to want to talk about what they will do and then not pony up. It was discussed last night and I've been encouraged to out them.
But..... Shit happens. Things come up..... And if they can't..... I'm not going to make an issue of it...... (except maybe this reminder that they an still participate!)
Each year, this year included, at the cash registers when items are being purchased, we encounter gift cards that are not loaded..... Yes... Some people hand over a card and say what they charged it up with and it is not really that amount. So far that has happened 4 times this event, one of those cards being a card handed to Maxeen, Supposedly for $100 and actually only $50.
Three others.....
Hey.. If you need the money.... certainly keep it...... The smallest donation I received this year was $5. I am grateful for each and every donation no matter how small.....
So along comes Ozmosis who has not remotely shown any interest in participating or donating and decides to question some obscure remark made in a thread in a private area calling it a Public Statement.
The Locker Room is NOT a Public Area.
And I will restate here and now that to ME, there were no "anonymous" donations. Maxeen donated $600 and received an invitation to the Appreciation Party as a result of her Donation that took her into the top 10. She was not present to attend.
For me to question or be concerned with where any person that donated got the money for that donation is ludicrous.
Now feel free to redefine and twist the statements any way you see fit.
"Community" came up in the course of this.
I want to make a couple of statements about "community".
The First two years I ran this it was very much a "Community Event". At just about EVERY drop off point 6-10 people would come by and a lot of mini parties occurred leading up to the party.
This year "Community" was very poorly represented. I spent 53 hours sitting in various locations to meet with 18 people.....
I've asked a few what they felt it was due to. Was it me? I've stayed out of most board drama this year and definitely have been more mellow in the last 6 months posting than my entire history on ASPD and ECCIE. I'm not sure myself but everyone I spoke to feels that the issues with CoEd this year and the degradation of what WAS a Community is the responsibility of a number of others that seemed to try to rise up and replace the posting style and issues dealt with that myself and Sixxbach and a few others tended to post about.
Love me or hate me... or Sixxbach or any of those threads credited to the fictitious "Attack Pack"..... They represent some of the highest viewed and most entertaining threads presented in recent years.
I personally find it hard to find much going on to interest me on the boards this last year..... And a lot of good friends that used to post seem to be losing interest as well.
"Community" definitely seems to be falling to the side. IMO the rapid growth of the board itself is taking things away from being community oriented.... too many people and new people have to learn so they bring uo the same things over and over and the board loses interest......
I mentioned a couple of times that we were lacking in donations and meeting the needs of the groups was in question. I had a Gentlemen contact me last week and ask what the shortfall was and I expected the generosity he had already shown to get bumped a few hundred dollars.... I was very grateful as well as incredibly surprised when he told me he would personally cover whatever shortfall I encountered. In addition, he was one of the guys that chose to NOT accept a prize if his tickets yielded on in the drawings.
But "Community" does not really exist here any more, in my opinion. We do seem to have some small cliques of like minded people that do things together..... Maybe 2013 will find a way to bring a few of those groups together with the intent of building a community....
Only a few people have the vaguest idea of the amount of hours that Ztonk, Kboy and Myself have put into this over the years as we staged these.
I KNOW I have been a controversial figure over the years and I KNOW that there will always be talk and questions....
Usually by people like Ozmosis that strike me as lonely and bitter because it is seated deep in them that the only real attachment they have to anyone around here comes at the cost associated with the price of a session. Their money spent, gifts and tips to the ladies establishes exactly what their value is here.
Personally. I consider myself immensely wealthy. I consider myself incredibly wealthy because I measure wealth by the number and the quality of those I consider friends. There are people here in Austin, in Houston, in South Florida and Los Angeles that I have built friendships with over the years that have enriched my life and the lives of others in so many ways.
When someone like Ozmosis comes along ranting the way he does and people of the caliber of Metal Smith and Gentleman feel the need to speak up it really gives me pride that they are guys I can pick up a phone and talk to or meet for drinks or a bite to eat.... They are guys who's integrity is unquestionable by anyone that knows anything about the Hobby in Austin or knows them in any way. Spacemtn, Ztonk and AustinKboy are also cut from the same cloth.....
I reached out to Ztonk years ago when starting the luncheons because he was firmly in the "other camp" respected and loved by members and ladies alike that did not care for my posting style. We became very good friends I think.....
AustinKboy had a huge following and was adored by many so I drug him into my world last year as well....
Heck... I did not even WANT to do this Fundraiser this year. To be honest... I'm over worked and tired.... I also have a personal relationship with a lady that although AWARE of my participation here is wanting me to set it aside....to share in her life and the life of her son.....
Kboy's involvement last year was no fluke..... I wanted him to take this thing over.... Unfortunately, he made the decision I am being faced with and pulled the plug on his involvement here..... But he attended the kids Christmas party with me and a couple of others last year.
But back to what "Community" means to me and how it applies to this.......
We received 40% less donations this year. Although the money raised will meet all the needs and we will exceed last years collections, it came from a much smaller group of people.
Far fewer people chose to be involved this year. Maybe the Economy is getting worse. I personally work in a field that is seeing tremendous growth that would indicate otherwise.
All kinds of guys make up what i left of this "community". Indy and Agency Guys, Massage Guys and Street Guys... and yes.. there are those "Strip Club Guys.....
This has always been an event that had a large participation from the Strip Club Guys...... This year 52% of the donations came from the strip club guys.....
But......79% of all the monies collected came from those I consider my friends.
And I Thank them for that. Last Night I hosted, fed and liquored them up in appreciation of their support,,,,,
As I start 2013 I will do so with my Net Worth having increased yet again as a result of the relationships I've made in this last year......... As I add JustJane
(not too many could get away with the breast worship and motor boating of my girl the way you did!) , Luz, and Lilly ( damn that woman can hear!). I've always liked Vicky
(You know there was a camera right above the door you followed me out of last night half dressed?) and was glad to see her last night as well as Reya
(Sixxbach dropped by hoping to rereate last years meet) ..... The Good James has certainly endeared himself to me with his generosity and Hobby Rover and CowboyFan are joining Odikar and others as well in that group of people that can ask me for help if they ever need it....
Thank-you all....
Each and everyone one of you whether $5 or $500.... It will all go to good use.....
An Ozmosis........ As you read this....... You can know that you have reached that very rare plae only a few others have over the years where you get a response from me that is out of character and breaks a rule of the board......
You sir...... Can go Fuck Yourself!
Anyone not agreeing with you is Hijacking "your" threAD? Hummmmmm.......
