Deepthroat letter from the Philippines re; MAC

[Anonymous]

Regarding hobby clubs:

How many of you actively participate on the BOD of any marine societies? I am fairly confident that the amount of money that could possibly come from such a resource is being grossly overestimated.

By the way, I have been on the BOD of my local marine club in some capacity for at least 8 years now, work closely with several other regional clubs, and have been visiting another club nationally to speak at least once per month for going on two years now. Most of these organizations have a few hundred to maybe a couple of thousands of dollars at any given moment.

I am currently President of one of the larger California clubs.
I am not sure how much money is being estimated that could come from clubs.
I don't think the money would actually come from the club proper, rather from the members via fundraising. Money was collected for that netting thing and for several salt studies. In my area, people are looking for places to give money - they just want assurances that it is worthwhile because we have been burned in the past.
Of course, what people say they can give and what they actually give might be very different.

 

[aquaticvet1]

Moderators ,
I have many issues, most that were spawned on your very board.
I do not know any other way to state it .

Sorry if I am offensive but how many nice parasites have you known . By the way that parasite phrase was coined on your very board and you allowed it then , why can't I discuss it now ?

Race

 

[Anonymous]

Moderators ,
I have many issues, most that were spawned on your very board.
I do not know any other way to state it .

State away. Stop muckraking.

Sorry if I am offensive but how many nice parasites have you known . By the way that parasite phrase was coined on your very board and you allowed it then , why can't I discuss it now ?

Race

You aren't discussing it. You are mentioning it over and over again which does nothing to further the dialogue, it only serves to inflame.

 

[aquaticvet1]

Sorry Righty , I guess that I made my point then.

StevenPro , If I can be of any assistance in forming a new, unified organization please contact me . I have no desire to be it's leader but Kevin Kohen and I can help in other professional ways. Perhaps a little good did surface today .

Thank you mods for your time. I need to go for today.----Race

 

[bookfish]

Moderators ,
I have many issues, most that were spawned on your very board.
I do not know any other way to state it .

Sorry if I am offensive but how many nice parasites have you known . By the way that parasite phrase was coined on your very board and you allowed it then , why can't I discuss it now ?

Race

You are welcome to discuss it in a thread where such discussion is relevant. You are welcome to start such a thread. If it sidetracks an existing thread that is on another topic it is not relevant to that thread. If, in the future, you feel you are being castigated in an unfair way please report it to us by PM or the "report this...." button and it will be dealt with. I only ask that we try to stay focused and on topic.
Thx-Jim

Edit- Whoops! no "report this" button here!
Just PM me if there are problems

 

[dizzy]

I'll get back to everyone on the Les Village project as soon as possible. I'll be talking to them as they wake up this am.
Steve

I got a slogan for Ruwi and the boys. Les is more. :wink:

 

[clarionreef]

I think its a good slogan more or Les.
Steve

 

[JennM]

Jenn quit scrubbing tanks and get in here. You always have all of the answers. Lets hear it.
Race

Actually this afternoon I'm finishing painting my bathroom - I worked only until about 3:30 today

I posted my opinion on the topic at hand, earlier in this thread - perhaps page 2? Long before it became the pissing match that it has become again.

Tell ya what... I'll "answer" when you do You've left a few loose ends here and there.

For what it's worth, Mitch has summed up my sentiments concerning drop-shipping quite eloquently - although that has naught to do with this particular thread.

As for MAC and AMDA, I've never been a member of either, but I was solicited by both. At the time I didn't think it was worth my hard-earned money to join either. I did join PIAG (Pet Industry Association of Georgia) and found the only thing worthwhile that my membership bought was a "free" dinner every November, on the other side of town. I also learned that I could attend the free dinner regardless of whether I was a member or not - so I opted not to renew (Maybe there's no free lunch but there IS a free dinner!)

I was the secretary of MASNA for 2 years. Based on that experience I really can't say if I think clubs will ante up for anything except a "power buy" or other discount I founded the Atlanta Reef Club in 2000 but I'm not an active member anymore... I was a paid member but not active but I haven't even renewed my membership yet - I guess I will if I want to attend SaltwaterU this year... but I've found that the club by and large, with the exeption of that conference, exists mainly to give people a base to trade frags and get freebies and discounts. It used to be about exchanging information and learning but the focus has shifted from that, IME.

Jenn

 

[Anonymous]

Vitz,
Remember when they swarmed on you like an infantile pack of Hyenas . I am sorry that I did not come to your rescue. Forgive me , I am here now.
Race

:lol:

believe me, ain't no hyena that worries me at all, and i can sling it out w/the best of 'em

although i have great admiration for what steve's trying to accomplish-i actually can't stand the ****er, especially after recieving afew of his pm's in the past-i know that he usually accepts someone's opinion of being of value, only when that individual's membership to an org reflects his own preferences (and yes, steve, i still have that pm from my CORL days )


i have my own issues with the behavior and 'gung ho' posting by some here, and i've told them so publicly, as i'm not a 'mincer of words' by any definition (just ask around-if fact, mark@mac may even be able to attest to such-as we had a mild exchange of words with each other while i was working for CORL, and he was all starry eyed with holthus's bs)

i'm just as 'acerbic' with regards to our local true chicken little, who shall remain nameless (ok, wayne ? ) (but simnply because he's truly a chicken little, who really posts for his own gain, and no-one elses )

but here's some excellent food for thought: ('twas epiphanous for me, really)

i was watching a neat show on discovery last nite about squirrels.

they showed about 3-4 different people, who were having 'issues' w/these very smart clever sob's (which was really what the show was about-squirrels, and how clever they are, etc)...


so this one lady goes to her local store, at least 3 times, for some 'anti squirrel technology' designed bird feeders-none of which even remotely came close to doing what they claimed.

none of these products could have ever passed even the most basic of tests designed to prove their functionality (like the 'shepherd's hook' feeder that the store assured this lady was waaaay too thin for squirrels to climb-of course they were all over it in about 10seconds, lol....




but the truly telling thing was that this woman wasn't even all that upset-it's like she didn't even expect the pet shop to know what they were talking about....i'll bet that if she had purchased a wacklesnaff for her fribbitzator that didn't work, she'd have been screaming foul play (no pun intended).


it says alot (volumes, even) about the rep the pet industry in general has in the eyes of the public....... (imo)


how can the PET industry show it's genuine concern for the issue at hand, and convince consumers that these issues are real, and are being dealt with honorably, if our buying public thinks we're a buncha dumbasses, thanks in part to the way ALOT of stores do this business? (i.e.-only knowing about a product to the extent of what's written on a box, etc ? , and selling stuff that doesn't even work, that they should know doesn't work, and not offer or carry? )


(remember, we're part of that larger industry)

 

[Anonymous]

i mean, after all,- i was referred to once as having posts equal to toilet feces, by a former admin of rdo who didn't like my haircut (and on his first day of modding this forum, no less)

 

[Jaime Baquero]

To all,

I think that Race is saying something that is important and everyone should pay attention. It is true that S. Robinson's insults to many of us (including myself) do not contribute to the cause. Insults and attacks to exporters in the Philippines have damaged Reefs.org image overseas. Here at home people are tired of his rethoric and lack of concrete action. As an example we can see what happened with the fund raising campaing organized by Robinson during his Presidency at AMDA. The result were not good, people do not follow the man.

Les villages co-operative is a good idea that needs the support of fish buyers in North America, the problem I see is that many people (large importers) won't ge on board knowing that S. Robinson is "supporting" it. Seems that many things happened in the past and people have not forgotten

 

[aquaticvet1]

Hi Jenn ,
I have a few minutes. Would you please ask me a couple of questions that you would like answered and I will do my best ?

Thank you , Race

 

[aquaticvet1]

Jamie ,
I do believe that Steve R. has been very toxic to our industry . Having said that I think that he has at times attempted some good .

Having done my homework, I have a "Manila" folder a mile long on his past and he certaintly has seen his share of Philippine fish . He accuses everyone else of being the problem when in fact I believe that he has brought more Philippine fish into this country than I have ever seen.

People have the right to change but your past practices reflect your true grade . You cannot earn a 4.0 by skipping the midterms and only taking
the final.

Race

 

[Jaime Baquero]

Race,

I have been around since 2002 and have seen more negative than positive coming from S.R. Strong in rethoric weak in what counts.

 

[Anonymous]

Okay, all that stuff being said, please no more heresay and name-dragging on people's pasts. I could care less who's got what info on whom. Everyone has dirty laundry.

Let's work toward a positive future, both for this forum and for the industry.

Peace,

Chip

 

[JennM]

Hi Jenn ,
I have a few minutes. Would you please ask me a couple of questions that you would like answered and I will do my best ?

Thank you , Race

I'm still painting - trim is done now I have a few touch ups to do. Just waiting for the trim to dry before I get out the stuff to do the touch ups. Laundry room is next...

My questions are ones left over from another thread and therefore have no place in this one - in fact, this answer has no business in this thread, except that you called me out in this thread, not once, but twice now.

As I stated above, I addressed my own opinions about MAC in the beginning of the thread, and I expanded a bit on my experiences concerning MASNA and AMDA in my last post... that's about all I have constructively to say about this thread at this time, which could be considered on-topic.

If I get a chance later or tomorrow or so, I'll compile some of those lingering questions from the other threads, posed by myself, and others, Race, and make a new thread for you.

Jenn

 

[aquaticvet1]

Jaime ,
My goal today was to get things out in the open so that a new dialogue could be created . There are many people that will not post or participate for fear of Steve R. insults. His main focus is to be "Born Again" from his past which is very seedy at best . A trip and some conversations around L. A. will verify that and the industry can do without it .

I for one can handle Steve R. as I am more informed than he is . He can have the Phillipines but do not insult us on the homeland , I work here.

Controversy does not bother me . Take it from a guy that runs a pet catalog and serves on the Board of Directors at the College of Veterinary Medicine , Michigan State University . I have been through all of this before , I can handle it . I will continue to suppress Steve's negativism as long as I remain in the industry. The hobby deserves it and I am up to the challenge.

Race

 

[JennM]

What is this, "Pick on Steve Day?"... I'm not speaking for Steve, nor does he need a spokesperson, but it seems like this thread is shifting into an "insult" thread (again).

We get it, Race, you don't like Steve. Jaime doesn't like Steve... probably a few others don't like Steve... This forum is about more than Steve.

Didn't we all just get our hands slapped for being less than cordial?

Jenn

 

[Jaime Baquero]

Jenn,

The problem is when the "few others" that do not like S. R. are large exporters in the Philippines, country where we "want to contribute to solve a problem" and importers, wholesalers and dealers in North America "who could help to solve the problem".

 

[bookfish]

I will now split off the parts of this thread that I consider useful and productive.
Thx-Jim