"People Suck Sometimes"

(Thank you to my ex- Crystal for the quote. And despite the fact I have not spoken to her in 4 years... Happy Birthday.)

But, she's right. People just suck sometimes.

Case in point: I (with some help, of course-- after all, credit shall be given where credit is due) have started two projects over the past 8 months. Unfortunately in both projects, I have been shit upon by a certain group of people. (**I do not intent to stereotype everyone involved, nor do I intend to call out others... but I really just need to ventmy frustrations, and they should know how upset I am about this.**)

The first project is a fundraiser (Mavs United), that I started with the help of 20 other people. Well, it was supposed to be 20 people... actually 22.

This season we got together on a message board and pledge one dollar for every power play goal that the [University of Nebraska at Omaha] Mavericks scored this season. There were a couple of options if people wanted to pledge more, but it's not worth the detail at this time. The Mavericks scored 37 power play goals this year. So if you figure 20 people are paying $37 each, simple math would tell you that I should have evxpected to collect $740 to donate to our charity for the year (the Children's Hospital of New Orleans).

WRONG.

For whatever reason, the total amount collected was $540... and of that, I was in for $80... as was 'Tarzan' (you remember him from some earlier bashings of me) and his family. There's $160, right there. So we got $380 from other sources (I know Matty is one, but I don't know how much he donated-- but again, not a big deal what he donated-- he donated, he paid... and I thank him for his participation).

Shameful.

The other very major project that I undertook this year was the production of a television series. Mike Kemp, the head coach of the Mavericks, broadcast a radio show every Tuesday night from a local bar. Mark, Chaz, and I then undertook the task of taking a raw video feed from that live radio broadcast, and replay the show in its entirety on tape-delay, Thursday nights.

We dropped in the highlights from the previous week's games and turned out a nice little show. It was nothing special, but it was something-- and a great experience for my first producership.

What I haven't told you is that we produced this show without a budget. Any cost for the show-- tapes, meals, etc.-- all came out of personal pockets... mine. We also did not get paid for our work on the show. We were strictly volunteers.

In an attempt to generate some form of a budget for next year, we are attempting to sell the show's archive on DVD. Chaz and I have posted comments on the aforementioned message board to sample the interest there would be in purchasing the show.

Some have taken it upon themselves to attmept to find a bargain-basement deal for the reproduction of the season. It has since become a fight over how much the season will cost.

WE DON'T KNOW. If we knew, we would tell you. I have given every piece of information I have at my disposal.

The response I got was as follows: "We need to know what you are going to be selling us -- and what it is going to cost -- before we can make a "hypothetical" commitment."

Hypothecically, you COULD kiss my ass. We were not asking for hypothetical commitments. We were asking for moderate interest.

Twice in two weeks I have been shit on by the same group of people. And over what? Charity.

WHAT THE FUCK, PEOPLE?

You know, I understand there are some people in that community who don't like me. They simply don't know me. They have drawn conclusions from a few select postings I've made, when the reality is that I am not the complete asshole others like to make me out to be.

Ask 'Tarzan'.

I've had my differences with 'Tarzan', but we've since burried the hatchet, and put it behind us.

The problem is that someof these people don't know me. But if they'd ask around, or talked to me, they might find out who I am. Yes, I'm an abrassive person. I don't deny it. But I am also a very passionate, and very generous man.

Generous. Yes, I started a fundraising foundation. I'm the old-fashioned type of guy who still opens and holds the door for the ladies (Joel, insert a joke about being a D-1 door-opener, here). And I understand that one bad thing I've done can overshadow a thousand good things. But that one thing, is something I did... don't carry your dirty laundry over to charity cases. You are making others suffer for something you're pissed at me over.

(**In the interest of full disclosure, many people are still pissed at me for speaking my mind about some injustices and other wrongs that existed with the community. Deal with it, I said it, I backed it up with fact, and if you can't handle the truth your issues are with your soul, NOT WITH ME. Don't question my character, question my methods. You're mad at me for voicing my concern in a public manner, when the rest of you would have bottled it up and repressed it. I believe in the turth, and as such I will always show my true colours, and show those colours means wearing my emotions on my sleeve. I will not hide anything, and I will give you the respect of letting you know what I truely believe.**)

But it absolutely makes me sick to my stomach to come up over $200 short in a fundrasier. It's is fucking gutless for anyone to promise to donate, then rescind on that promise. There is only one indeniable excuse-- health. If you have an unexpected medical bill (or you die), we wouldn't hold you to your donation-- you've got something much more important to deal with (and that extends to some other aspects of life). At least show some respect-- tell us why you backed out.

I know of one person who backed out. That's it. ONE. And he cited a personal indifference I had with someone else. I understand, he didn't wish to support an idea if he doesn't believe in the founder. I wish he would have reconsidered, I think a personal indifference is not a valid excuse to back out of a caritable donation, but at least he had the respect to confront me with it. (I do believe he made a donation to another charity, using the same formula we used at Mavs United.)

So, I was still fuming over that disrespectfulness when the DVD thing fired up. It really is nothing more than the hipocritcal nature of these people. All year long they bitch and moan about the lack of television coverage they get on the local netowrk affiliates. So, we came out with this show on public television. And while not everyone is able to watch the show, we knew many were happy we were able to air the show.

Now, they could care less. They would rather fight with me over how much it is going to cost.

Think about this: It will cost money for us to produce the DVDs. It has cost us money to produce the show, and I'm not even going to recollect the money I pumped into the show. Again, your purchase of the DVDs will go directly into a fund, which will become a working budget for the show.

Unfortunately, the Mike Kemp Show will not be found in the 99-cent bin next to every John Tesh album ever released. But I also don't think it's going to run at the History Channel's rate for $19.99 for an hour-long show.

Look at it this way: If I quote a price, guessing high, I'm likely to scare off some potnetial consumers who think it will be too expensive. But if I quote a price that is too low, get more of you to commit, then have it cost more, you'll all bitch that we deceived you to get more people to buy. It's lose-lose, either way.

And if you're going to hassle me over the difference of $20-$30 in price, consider this...

Not only did I have to pay many expenses out of my pocket, I also put in over 500 hours of volunteer time on this show. I got paid for a grand total of NONE of it. Even at the over-generous government pay rate of $6 an hour (what I get paid for my other work at UNO-TV), that is $3,000 out of my pocket before we even start.

You didn't think about that, did you?

I think some of you need to go take a look in the mirror and think about if you have treated others (directly, or indirectly) the way you would like to be treated. If the roles were reversed, how would you feel?

Kinda makes you sick, doesn't it?