$1000.00 Montecristi for a Ten Dollar Bill

[Zig2k143]

I'll take hundreds of photos if I can. That should be one for each kid in Montecristi.

I'd really like to do more for these kids.

 

[Art Fawcett]

Gemtlemen,
I've been on the Lounge since it's early beginnings and have developed a sense of what a good place this is and can be. I must tell you that I believe we have the finest group of Ladies & Gent's congregating here and it just keeps getting better. I'm not at all surprised that this event went as well as it did and I'm also not surprised that the comments post raffle are so warm and gracious as thay are. After all, that's what Gentlemen do, so please know that my thoughts about this place and it's inhabitants are simply...affirmed.

Folks, those of you that want to make this a regular event, I respectfully disagree. One of the things that makes the Lounge what it is, is that noone puts "the bite on you". If we do this too often it first wouldn't be as special as this event was, but second might change the character of the Lounge which, in my eyes, would be unacceptable.

My hearty Congrats go out to Bud-n-Texas and Sharpetoys who put this together and approached Robert & I with the ideas. Job well done Gents, job well done!! and to MK who allowed this to happen...here!! here!!! Thank you

 

[Zig2k143]

I agree doing the same thing like this over and over again would not be the right thing. But I think we could come up with something maybe monthly or six times a year or so to give back to humanity.

 

[Art Fawcett]

Zig, I haven't spoken to anyone about it but personally I think twice a year would be a good target. Any more than that & it would lose it's luster.

I need to point out that the charity accepts donations all year long so those that believe in this should not wait for a raffle to help out, each child really DOES matter, raffle or not.

 

[Tango Yankee]

Congrats, Doc... and everyone else!

A great event! And timely, too... I've put money down on raffles before that didn't finish for months. This was a refreshing change.

A tip o' the hat to everyone who made it happen. :eusa_clap

Cheers,
Tom

 

[Zig2k143]

Zig, I haven't spoken to anyone about it but personally I think twice a year would be a good target. Any more than that & it would lose it's luster.

I need to point out that the charity accepts donations all year long so those that believe in this should not wait for a raffle to help out, each child really DOES matter, raffle or not.

Art I'm not talking about a raffle for one of your beautiful hats... Twice a year would be great for that.... but say every other month we try to come up with something to do for charity... Doesn't have to be you or me or anyone in general... But I think something like that could work and might even get some press for MK and his site.

 

[Art Fawcett]

Zig, in spirit I'm with you. My concern is from a practical standpoint. If we are "constantly" ( used loosely) asking for help we are imposing on the members, in my opinion, to a point that we could have a "chicken little" scenario going pretty quickly. Yes, we have a great body of people here but anyone will turn a blind eye when asked too often. That's the point I'm trying to make. Again, in spirit I agree with your thoughts, but this really IS the place where noone puts the bite on you. Take a look at how the vendors conduct themselves here. You won't see anyone "pushing" their product. There's a solid reason for that and it's one of the things that makes this place special.

 

[Tango Yankee]

Zig, I think Art's got the right idea. Anyone who has worked in an office where someone is always coming around collecting for going away gifts, wedding gifts, baby gifts, etc. knows just how quickly people start to groan when they see the collection box coming around again.

Cheers,
Tom

 

[Zig2k143]

Zig, in spirit I'm with you. My concern is from a practical standpoint. If we are "constantly" ( used loosely) asking for help we are imposing on the members, in my opinion, to a point that we could have a "chicken little" scenario going pretty quickly. Yes, we have a great body of people here but anyone will turn a blind eye when asked too often. That's the point I'm trying to make. Again, in spirit I agree with your thoughts, but this really IS the place where noone puts the bite on you. Take a look at how the vendors conduct themselves here. You won't see anyone "pushing" their product. There's a solid reason for that and it's one of the things that makes this place special.

I hear what you are saying.... However, not everyone who belongs to FL had to donate and many didn't. I'm just saying every 60 or 90 days should be long enough to think of something nice to do and make it fun for the people who like to get involved. Again this is just my opinion..

 

[Zig2k143]

Zig, I think Art's got the right idea. Anyone who has worked in an office where someone is always coming around collecting for going away gifts, wedding gifts, baby gifts, etc. knows just how quickly people start to groan when they see the collection box coming around again.

Cheers,
Tom

You're right collecting for things would suck. I'm thinking of making it something fun.

 

[Panamabob]

Since I'm a schoolteacher and I work with kids and their parents all year long, I don't get upset in the least bit when a collection or something is going around. It is part of normal life for me. I'm also a Mennonite, and service and giving are ways of life. However, I see my friends who are accountants, attorneys, or plumbers get bent over the least bit of charitable solicitation. Heck, some of my best friends don't give a dime to a charity that I'm the secratary (sp?) of. I always wonder why, but I don't ask. I'm very tickled pink that the Fedora Lounge allowed this. I'm also tickled that Bud thought it up.

 

[HungaryTom]

Think starters-and a few Q's waiting for A's

I'm going to try and beg Simon Espinal to make the hat, but since he's got that lucrative contract (indentured servitude) he probably won't be able to. We'll get a member of his family to, though.[/QUOTE]

It was just really strange to hear that Bob must beg an artist who lives in a shack… which issue is discussed at FL since at least since 2-3 years

Maybe there are some lawyers among the 2800+ FL viewers here. I am not a lawyer and have 0 knowledge in US/Ecuadorian business law-sorry for my un-professionalism.

• What law (US?/Ecuadorian?) guarantees a person (or legal entity) to entirely purchase the production capacities workforce of any person?
• Are subcontractor or employment contracts allowing that?
• Is such a contract automatically valid for descendants?
• Are such contracts indefinite?
• After what time must be a contract be reviewed by the parties?
• Does a weaver contract have a manager clause which prohibits him to weave lets say for 2 years once he left his current partner?
• What compensation does such Optimo/Colonial style blocked contract provide in return?
• Does the US/Ecuadorian law allow anything that is written on paper and signed and sealed in the presence of an advocate?
• What does hinder any selfless advocate (active or lurker FL member) to write a letter to Espinal that he is free to sell to anyone?
• Just also as a selfish business goal: to keep Espinal hats in PanamaBob’s range.
• You know the price difference: any of PHM clients gets some 50-90% discount from PanamaBob compared to other sellers. Please consider that price edge as your remuneration.
• Otherwise this option might be closed.
***
• I am just asking these questions not as a Marxist. Not at all. Rather as a small entrepreneur.
• Striving for win-win situations if you know what I mean.
• Win-loss situations are dead-end they are just simply a loss…
• If a co-operation with a partner does not bring any progress by the passing of time – and not due to the lack of own performance - it is time to re-think.
• Seeing that with the years just the children grow, the utilities costs grow, expectations grow, weaving quality grow and only one thing stays – the wage – anyway is it a wage with social contributions/health insurance or just a payment of 400 USD?
• Getting stuck below market prices there is no point in continuing to do the ‘exclusive’ contract.
• One must diversify partners- basic interest the loss of a partner brings total loss of income!
• I am not talking about abandoning a long-term partner just about the right to acquire new ones.
• If market prices stagnate –if ”dos meses” weaving and “three hundred cogollos shoots” - and the resulting unfinished hat body buys just the same 400-500 USD since years- that is a dead-end. Especially if the partner admits “making a healthy living selling Panama hats”.
(Simon scored a superfino joke again-it went through uncensored! Espinales never surrender! )–Cesar Alonza in Pampas needs to cut a dozen cogollos for his wife’s "super-fino" –
• Scoring in CBS, seeing the own name in Financial Times, or National Geographic or wherever does not increase income and does not ensure the future.
• “Simon is a dying breed” - getting filmed and photographed answering a few words to reporters – unknown faces whom he will never meet after hat delivery…after a while that is not more fun and earning 400-500 USD multiplied by 5-6 times a year reduces significantly the joy of belonging to Phil Keoghan’s heroes.

Bob, if you return with a photo of you and Simon with that same panther-patterned curtain in the background like August 2006 in Pile, Ecuador…:rage: than it is something really terribly wrong with the world and just time to make a change.