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SteveJ
04-14-2009, 11:28
http://gojoe.net/main.html?src=%2F

Downsized business exec / financial recruiter, who plans to get sponsored on his hike, partner with a non-profit, video the hike; after the hike, make a movie, write a book, and make inspirational speeches.....

I'm sure he'll receive a warm welcome by all who meet him on the trail! :-?

Lone Wolf
04-14-2009, 11:31
ess than 500 have thru-hiked the trail

buff_jeff
04-14-2009, 11:38
"Once Joe got his first unemployment check he realized he needed to do something different to generate income and to help as many people as possible."

Yeah, alright. :rolleyes:

I'm skeptical of most people who hike the AT for charity. I know there are some really good people who do it for the "right" reasons but the ones I've met.....just want attention and funds.

buff_jeff
04-14-2009, 11:39
I'll add that I still wish the dude best of luck. :sun

Engine
04-14-2009, 13:28
I noticed there was no place on his web site to leave a message...too bad.

kayak karl
04-14-2009, 13:32
ess than 500 have thru-hiked the trail
whats that about? only 500 SOBO?????

Manwich
04-14-2009, 13:38
A portion of all revenue generated will be donated to [his non-profit] partner.


Revenue.

I don't like that word when it comes to hiking.

EverydayJourneyman
04-14-2009, 13:43
Yeah, alright. :rolleyes:

I'm skeptical of most people who hike the AT for charity. I know there are some really good people who do it for the "right" reasons but the ones I've met.....just want attention and funds.

There are some, like me, who give 100% of the money raised to charity. Had I hiked a year earlier as planned, I don't think the stars would have alligned to help Habitat for Humanity.

Rockhound
04-14-2009, 13:45
AT books, movies etc..are becoming like beannie babies. More and more of em keep hitting the market with supply quickly exceeding demand. You want to make a movie or write a book/journal for you and your friends and family great. If you want to make buck from it then you better have a hiking resume and/or the film/book should be original and intriguing. Not just the same thing that's been done to death.

kayak karl
04-14-2009, 13:46
when is he planning on leaving? looks like soon if he is planning 2010 speaking engagements.

Gumbi
04-14-2009, 14:05
when is he planning on leaving? looks like soon if he is planning 2010 speaking engagements.

He is planned that far in advance?! I am going to laugh if he drops out the first month...

You can't be that cocky-confident that you will make it...

EverydayJourneyman
04-14-2009, 14:09
Maybe its just me but I don't think thru-hiking the AT automatically qualifies you for speaking engagements. If you're a Andrew Skurka or Dan White or Jennifer Pharr, then yes.

But this guy strikes me as a chode of epic proportions.

Lone Wolf
04-14-2009, 14:12
Maybe its just me but I don't think thru-hiking the AT automatically qualifies you for speaking engagements. If you're a Andrew Skurka or Dan White or Jennifer Pharr, then yes.

But this guy strikes me as a chode of epic proportions.

really. what's there to talk about? average joe goes walkin' for 5 or 6 months. just takes time and money

vamelungeon
04-14-2009, 14:14
"I went for a walk in the mountains. I didn't take a bath for days. I got calluses on my feet.
That will be $100. Thanks for listening."

kayak karl
04-14-2009, 14:23
He is planned that far in advance?! I am going to laugh if he drops out the first month...

You can't be that cocky-confident that you will make it...

HE WRITES......

Speaking Engagements

Once Joe returns from accomplishing the mission of the entire 2,175 miles of the Appalachian Trail Southbound Joe will be engaging on a Speaking Tour in order to share his story with businesses and groups around the world. This tour will kick off in January of 2010. Some of the topics will be: The Essential E's of Excellence - Joe discusses how these E's were established and refined in the business and military worlds then tested on the Appalachian Trail.

i put the bold in. in the '70 the book IN SEARCH OF EXCELLENCE flooded the business world. guess he plans on digging it back up. i found out "There are 11 essential Es everyone needs to be equipped with such as Energy, Enthusiasm, Expertise, Emotional Intelligence, Endurance, Edge, Excellence, Example, Empathy, Efficacy and Enterprise"

yuppy:D

stumpy
04-14-2009, 14:31
Sounds like a "pipe dream". I am not sure one can finish an entire thru hike without the proper motivation. Making money does not seem like the right reason to start that type of comitment. But, I have never attempted a thru, so what do I know? :-?

~Ronin~
04-14-2009, 14:35
This guy is a joke. His hike will be a joke, and his speeches will be a joke. Sounds like he is trying to turn the Appalachian Trail into a reality show. If some joe-shmo like me said he was going to do the same thing, it wouldn't receive any attention at all. I thought that thru-hiking was about soul searching not money grubbing.

EverydayJourneyman
04-14-2009, 14:35
He kinda reminds me of the dad from Little Miss Sunshine.

It really does sicken me that he's only giving an undetermined amount of money raised to a charity. Gives people like me a really bad name.

TJ aka Teej
04-14-2009, 14:38
There are some, like me, who give 100% of the money raised to charity.
You gave 100% of that Jeep too, even though it was probably a little beat when you were done with it. :sun
Good on ya, Loyal - and good luck on your hike!

paintplongo
04-14-2009, 14:40
How is he going to motivate businesses and people when he can't keep his own job? I don't know the circumstances of his jobloss, but generally you lose your job when you don't do it well.

YoungMoose
04-14-2009, 14:55
i dont like the way this guy is for some reason. Everything is just too perfect on the website

iesman69
04-14-2009, 14:55
Why doesn't he get back into the USMCR??

Spogatz
04-14-2009, 15:03
HE WRITES......

Speaking Engagements

Once Joe returns from accomplishing the mission of the entire 2,175 miles of the Appalachian Trail Southbound Joe will be engaging on a Speaking Tour in order to share his story with businesses and groups around the world. This tour will kick off in January of 2010. Some of the topics will be: The Essential E's of Excellence - Joe discusses how these E's were established and refined in the business and military worlds then tested on the Appalachian Trail.

i put the bold in. in the '70 the book IN SEARCH OF EXCELLENCE flooded the business world. guess he plans on digging it back up. i found out "There are 11 essential Es everyone needs to be equipped with such as Energy, Enthusiasm, Expertise, Emotional Intelligence, Endurance, Edge, Excellence, Example, Empathy, Efficacy and Enterprise"

yuppy:D


He left out the 3 W's


Walk, Walk, Walk.........:banana

Frosty
04-14-2009, 15:08
HE WRITES......

Speaking Engagements

Once Joe returns from accomplishing the mission of the entire 2,175 miles of the Appalachian Trail Southbound Joe will be engaging on a Speaking Tour in order to share his story with businesses and groups around the world. This tour will kick off in January of 2010. Some of the topics will be: The Essential E's of Excellence - Joe discusses how these E's were established and refined in the business and military worlds then tested on the Appalachian Trail.

i put the bold in. in the '70 the book IN SEARCH OF EXCELLENCE flooded the business world. guess he plans on digging it back up. i found out "There are 11 essential Es everyone needs to be equipped with such as Energy, Enthusiasm, Expertise, Emotional Intelligence, Endurance, Edge, Excellence, Example, Empathy, Efficacy and Enterprise"

yuppy:DEfficacy is one of the great words of the English language.

Frosty
04-14-2009, 15:11
i dont like the way this guy is for some reason. Everything is just too perfect on the websiteNot everything is perfect on the website:

"Joe will meet up with professional colleagues, friends and family on the trial for taped conversations."

McKeever
04-14-2009, 15:15
HE WRITES......

Speaking Engagements

Once Joe returns from accomplishing the mission of the entire 2,175 miles of the Appalachian Trail Southbound Joe will be engaging on a Speaking Tour in order to share his story with businesses and groups around the world. This tour will kick off in January of 2010. Some of the topics will be: The Essential E's of Excellence - Joe discusses how these E's were established and refined in the business and military worlds then tested on the Appalachian Trail.

i put the bold in. in the '70 the book IN SEARCH OF EXCELLENCE flooded the business world. guess he plans on digging it back up. i found out "There are 11 essential Es everyone needs to be equipped with such as Energy, Enthusiasm, Expertise, Emotional Intelligence, Endurance, Edge, Excellence, Example, Empathy, Efficacy and Enterprise"

yuppy:D

Go Joe "E"go (away) Id(iot)

buff_jeff
04-14-2009, 15:24
AT books, movies etc..are becoming like beannie babies. More and more of em keep hitting the market with supply quickly exceeding demand. You want to make a movie or write a book/journal for you and your friends and family great. If you want to make buck from it then you better have a hiking resume and/or the film/book should be original and intriguing. Not just the same thing that's been done to death.

Yeah, the market for these things is totally inundated. I've read 3 AT books and I have no interest in ever reading another. It's the same thing over and over and over. It's a great thing-thru hiking the AT, but so many people have done it, and so many people have written about it, made movies about it, trail journaled, blogged, etc. that it's just ridiculous.

makoboy
04-14-2009, 15:30
You can email Joe at [email protected] ...maybe let him know that more than 500 people per year complete this same "mission".

buff_jeff
04-14-2009, 15:33
A southbound hike will allow you much more solitude, but you will be “breaking in” on the most rugged part of the Trail. A Maine-to-Georgia hike also requires that you traverse long distances between re-supply points in the early part of your trek. In many ways it's a tougher hike than a northbound thru-hike. Fewer than 500 people have reported completion of the A.T. southbound.

A typical southbounder, starting in June or July and finishing in December, can expect:



Starting with Katahdin, the most difficult climb on the entire Appalachian Trail
The two most challenging states of the entire Trail—Maine and New Hampshire.
Swarms of black flies in Maine in summer
Possible encounters with bears, snakes, and desease carrying mosquitos and ticks
Storms with dangerous lightning and flash floods. Possible rockfalls.
Muddy trail and difficult stream crossings in Maine in summer.
Four weeks of hot, humid weather in the mid-Atlantic states.
Fall colors in Virginia. - At least there is one positive - right?
Hiking through hunting season from late October onward.
Cold weather during last month or two of hike, snow likely.

Maddog
04-14-2009, 15:46
this reeks of a telesummit!

vamelungeon
04-14-2009, 16:00
Not everything is perfect on the website:

"Joe will meet up with professional colleagues, friends and family on the trial for taped conversations."
Trials and taped conversations do go hand in hand. :banana

SteveJ
04-14-2009, 16:11
How is he going to motivate businesses and people when he can't keep his own job? I don't know the circumstances of his jobloss, but generally you lose your job when you don't do it well.

Based on what I saw on his website, he was an executive recruiter for the financial industry... I would bet that there are hundreds (thousands?) of those who have done both well and not well that out of work in that industry.....

sheepdog
04-14-2009, 16:17
What a bunch of nay-sayers. If he can figgure out how to hike the trail and get paid, more power to him!!!

SteveJ
04-14-2009, 16:21
What a bunch of nay-sayers. If he can figgure out how to hike the trail and get paid, more power to him!!!

Honestly, that's what I was thinking...the piece of the puzzle that's missing for me is that I don't recall there being anything on his website that indicates that he has any backpacking experience other than his time in the Marines...not to belittle that, but I think he's been out of the Marine Corp for a while....

Maybe he'll log on here and give us his perspective...

YoungMoose
04-14-2009, 16:27
What a bunch of nay-sayers. If he can figgure out how to hike the trail and get paid, more power to him!!!hehe i have to agree with that.

vamelungeon
04-14-2009, 16:42
There are people right here in this forum much more qualified to give motivational lectures on walking the AT. Some have done it more than once, some have done it despite great personal adversity. If he can make a living with this, more power to him but there are much more interesting people IMHO right here in this forum, so put me in the nay-sayer column.

Mags
04-14-2009, 16:49
Just a quick note, having lots of hiking experience and being a good public speaker (or writer) do not go hand-in-hand.

The ability to give forth information, inspire and let people share the experience is just that..an ability.

There are many "rockstar" outdoors people who do not have the ability (or desire) to put themselves out there.

It may just be walking...but obviously people want to read/hear about it. I think because it IS just walking, it is why people enjoy the the talks or writing.

Whether the person in question can actually walk the walk AND talk the talk remains to be seen. Let's just see what happens. :)

EverydayJourneyman
04-14-2009, 17:06
What a bunch of nay-sayers. If he can figgure out how to hike the trail and get paid, more power to him!!!

But why piggyback it into an altruistic experience. I have no issue with lecture tours or book deals or movie sales. But attaching it to a nebulous charity seems very shady.

joefromgojoe.net
04-14-2009, 17:51
Hello all. Yes here I am Joe... I love all of the feedback! I'm sure many of you did not expect me to post here. But here I am. I'd love to clarify what I'm doing and who I am. First I'd like to comment to the person who sent me a very strong email about the number of thru-hikers I referenced on my site. The number I found in my research is 500 southbound thru-hikers. I found this number on the Appalachian Trail Conservancy website. If this is wrong please tell me where I can find the number of southbound hikers. I know there are more who completed the trail northbound but that is not what I'm doing so to be specific I used the number that best represents my hike – a southbound hike. I'm not trying to diminish what others have done. I applaud all who have hiked the trail whether it be northbound or southbound. Next up - why is my site so neat. I wish my college professors could here that comment maybe I would have done better. hahah I'll take the neat setup as a compliment. The site may not be what you are used to seeing regarding a hike. It is also a marketing tool to help me find a job after this. Think of it as a resume but on a website. I poured a lot of hours into that site so I am happy it is neat. Hey also thanks for the "trial" misspelling it does make for a good joke but I'll be sure to fix that. Seems like a lot of you have problems with me raising money. To be clear I will be donating everything I generate other than my mortgage payment. I may lose my house if I don't do this so I'm stuck there. I know some of you will take that the wrong way no sympathy here I'm just giving information. Lets see what else I can help with...oh my non-profit partner. I will be announcing them soon. Their lawyers will not let me use their name until I sign their document. They are a military friendly organization that is directly related to my experience. So lets hit that. I saw a post of someone saying that simply being a Marine does not qualify you to hike the trail. You are right. I served 9 years. Part of those 9 years was in Iraq. I crossed the boarder on the night of March 19 2003 on foot with a 70lb combat load wearing a gas mask and NBC suit. I walked in the desert for about 100 miles total with my unit. Not all at once but walking in the sand with that much weight is not easy. The A.T. will be even more of a challenge. I am all about challenges. My motivation for putting all this out there is because that way I can not fail. If I fail it will be crushing. So now I've made it so I have additional motivation. I am a long distance runner - again thanks to my Marine Corps training. But one key point that someone else made is that I'm not a hiker. I will freely admit that. But to me that is what makes the story. Someone else was correct about my career. I was a headhunter - an Executive Recruiter. I loved the comment that someone made about me losing my job. That comment would be correct if this was early 2008. The only time a recruiter loses his/her job is when they fail. 2009 is a little different for my industry. I am or I guess I was a top producer and divisional leader for my firm. The firm eliminated my division and decided to focus strictly on consulting. So there was no place for me to go. I've interviewed but no one is hiring finance recruiters right now because people in finance are losing their jobs. You don't need a finance headhunter if there are no finance jobs. So did I get it all hahahaha. Hit me back with as many comments as you would like. I'd love to hear them!! I have a great deal of respect for all of you who have completed the thru-hike and even those who have attempted it. For me it will give me a spiritual journey that I desperately need as well as an incredible physical challenge. Man - I love a good physical challenge. Semper fi. Joe

Lone Wolf
04-14-2009, 17:53
Semper Fi
give 'em hell!

vamelungeon
04-14-2009, 17:56
My son is a Marine too. I hope you finish your thru hike.

Maddog
04-14-2009, 17:57
good luck!

YoungMoose
04-14-2009, 17:57
Hello all. Yes here I am Joe... I love all of the feedback! I'm sure many of you did not expect me to post here. But here I am. I'd love to clarify what I'm doing and who I am. First I'd like to comment to the person who sent me a very strong email about the number of thru-hikers I referenced on my site. The number I found in my research is 500 southbound thru-hikers. I found this number on the Appalachian Trail Conservancy website. If this is wrong please tell me where I can find the number of southbound hikers. I know there are more who completed the trail northbound but that is not what I'm doing so to be specific I used the number that best represents my hike – a southbound hike. I'm not trying to diminish what others have done. I applaud all who have hiked the trail whether it be northbound or southbound. Next up - why is my site so neat. I wish my college professors could here that comment maybe I would have done better. hahah I'll take the neat setup as a compliment. The site may not be what you are used to seeing regarding a hike. It is also a marketing tool to help me find a job after this. Think of it as a resume but on a website. I poured a lot of hours into that site so I am happy it is neat. Hey also thanks for the "trial" misspelling it does make for a good joke but I'll be sure to fix that. Seems like a lot of you have problems with me raising money. To be clear I will be donating everything I generate other than my mortgage payment. I may lose my house if I don't do this so I'm stuck there. I know some of you will take that the wrong way no sympathy here I'm just giving information. Lets see what else I can help with...oh my non-profit partner. I will be announcing them soon. Their lawyers will not let me use their name until I sign their document. They are a military friendly organization that is directly related to my experience. So lets hit that. I saw a post of someone saying that simply being a Marine does not qualify you to hike the trail. You are right. I served 9 years. Part of those 9 years was in Iraq. I crossed the boarder on the night of March 19 2003 on foot with a 70lb combat load wearing a gas mask and NBC suit. I walked in the desert for about 100 miles total with my unit. Not all at once but walking in the sand with that much weight is not easy. The A.T. will be even more of a challenge. I am all about challenges. My motivation for putting all this out there is because that way I can not fail. If I fail it will be crushing. So now I've made it so I have additional motivation. I am a long distance runner - again thanks to my Marine Corps training. But one key point that someone else made is that I'm not a hiker. I will freely admit that. But to me that is what makes the story. Someone else was correct about my career. I was a headhunter - an Executive Recruiter. I loved the comment that someone made about me losing my job. That comment would be correct if this was early 2008. The only time a recruiter loses his/her job is when they fail. 2009 is a little different for my industry. I am or I guess I was a top producer and divisional leader for my firm. The firm eliminated my division and decided to focus strictly on consulting. So there was no place for me to go. I've interviewed but no one is hiring finance recruiters right now because people in finance are losing their jobs. You don't need a finance headhunter if there are no finance jobs. So did I get it all hahahaha. Hit me back with as many comments as you would like. I'd love to hear them!! I have a great deal of respect for all of you who have completed the thru-hike and even those who have attempted it. For me it will give me a spiritual journey that I desperately need as well as an incredible physical challenge. Man - I love a good physical challenge. Semper fi. Joei still dont think youll give money to charity no offense

YoungMoose
04-14-2009, 17:59
well i should take that back but i dont think its shady. I am mostly confused now. Are you giving your money to charity or to pay for your houses mortage.

Engine
04-14-2009, 18:03
He stated he would keep only enough to pay his mortgage and donate the remainder to charity. I see no reason why he should end up homeless, so that shouldn't be a problem.

As for this being his first post, :welcome !

YoungMoose
04-14-2009, 18:05
ok i agree with that now thanks for clearing that up

joefromgojoe.net
04-14-2009, 18:06
I just noticed I missed something. The motivational speaking engagements. I'm sure any of you can do this if you have enough time to organize it and a little practice. I have time because I'm unemployed right now. Many of you feel I'm not qualified to do it. What qualifies anyone to be a speaker? Here is my info - I am a US Marine ended my career a little over a year ago as a Company Gunnery Sergeant (a leadership role) prepping Marines for deployments. Also giving speeches and training classes to groups of 100 to 200 Marines. My business career as an Executive Recruiter consisted of presentations at outplacement firms with between 25 and 100 people in the audience. I also lead training initiatives and classes on a national basis. Those E's on my site are combined from the Marines and from my recruiting training classes. So, take all of that and combine it with the spiritual journey that I will take on the trail. It will put a different spin on everything I know from the Marines and the business world. I don't know exactly what that spin is right now but I'm sure it will be powerful. Why would I not share all of this with as many people as possible? I will put all of this together into an entertaining 45 minute interactive speech. I have 90% of it completed already. The other 10% will be the tweaks I make from everything I learn on the trail. I don't think there are enough people out there who effectively tell their story to help others. That is what I will do. I'm going to keep reading through the comments here. Please keep posting! Joe

YoungMoose
04-14-2009, 18:08
i think you should wait to finish your speech until you finish thru hiking so you can share examples as well as relating some things

EverydayJourneyman
04-14-2009, 18:08
Seems like a lot of you have problems with me raising money. To be clear I will be donating everything I generate other than my mortgage payment. I may lose my house if I don't do this so I'm stuck there.

What you're doing is inherently a slippery slope and this is coming from someone who has partnered 100% with one of the biggest philanthropic organziations on the planet for his 2009 AT thru-hike.

All expenses are being paid out of my pocket and all that is donated goes directly to the charity. There shouldn't be any grey area.

Your mortgage payment could account for 98% of what's donated. It seems questionable to even partner with an non-profit organizatio , outside of the fact that it creates a great narrative for you "former Marine, now out of work financial exec, hikes the AT for charity."

I wish you success on the trail and with the business venture post-AT but I'm extremely unsure about the charity competent and I suspect others will be as well.

joefromgojoe.net
04-14-2009, 18:09
i still dont think youll give money to charity no offense

Shortly I will have a signed agreement with specific amounts to donate. I set up the agreement with the non profit to make sure everything is legitimate. If I don't raise enough it will have to come out of my pocket. Semper fi... Marines always do what they say.

EverydayJourneyman
04-14-2009, 18:15
Shortly I will have a signed agreement with specific amounts to donate. I set up the agreement with the non profit to make sure everything is legitimate. If I don't raise enough it will have to come out of my pocket. Semper fi... Marines always do what they say.

But how are you going to agree to an specific donation amount or overall goal, if you need to raise money to make sure you don't lose your home while out on the AT? :confused:

YoungMoose
04-14-2009, 18:17
Shortly I will have a signed agreement with specific amounts to donate. I set up the agreement with the non profit to make sure everything is legitimate. If I don't raise enough it will have to come out of my pocket. Semper fi... Marines always do what they say. thats good to hear. Plus marines dont do everything they say. but thats a whole other topic so lets not discuss that:D

kolokolo
04-14-2009, 18:18
I wish him luck, and hope he learns something.

These days, I know a lot of very skilled people who did their jobs very well but still lost them.

joefromgojoe.net
04-14-2009, 18:21
What you're doing is inherently a slippery slope and this is coming from someone who has partnered 100% with one of the biggest philanthropic organziations on the planet for his 2009 AT thru-hike.

All expenses are being paid out of my pocket and all that is donated goes directly to the charity. There shouldn't be any grey area.

Your mortgage payment could account for 98% of what's donated. It seems questionable to even partner with an non-profit organizatio , outside of the fact that it creates a great narrative for you "former Marine, now out of work financial exec, hikes the AT for charity."

I wish you success on the trail and with the business venture post-AT but I'm extremely unsure about the charity competent and I suspect others will be as well.



I understand where you are coming from. I didn't think of that angle. The "donations" are going to charity. In fact the "sponsor a mile" section of the site will soon be changed to go directly to my non-profit partner and nothing at all to me. The money I get from speaking engagements, the business pamphlet and anything else I produce will be donated to the non-profit after I make my mortgage payment. One speaking engagement covers more than twice my mortgage payment. If I get two speaking engagements a month I will be able to donate 75% of that to charity. That is a significant amount from a single person. You do make a great point though - I'm not sure how to get around it though... Any suggestions?

Frosty
04-14-2009, 18:24
How is he going to motivate businesses and people when he can't keep his own job? I don't know the circumstances of his jobloss, but generally you lose your job when you don't do it well.Sadly, this is not the case. Very often it is the best performers that are let go because they are making the most money, are older, closer to retirement, etc.

Keeping a couple lower-paid (even though less experienced) employees rather than one top-notch higher paid employee is seen as a advantage when the goal is to cut costs. Yeah, I know this is self-defeating in the long run, but the people making the decisions are trying to keep thier own jobs in the short run, and will cut costs where ever possible to have a better bottom line this year, this quarter.

I think this guy is full of himself, but that just puts him in company with so many other business executives. I wouldn't read too much into his losing his job.

Skidsteer
04-14-2009, 18:25
............Hit me back with as many comments as you would like. I'd love to hear them!!...................... Man - I love a good physical challenge. Semper fi. Joe

Use some freakin' paragraphs and all is forgiven in my book.

joefromgojoe.net
04-14-2009, 18:28
You can email Joe at [email protected] ...maybe let him know that more than 500 people per year complete this same "mission".


Just want to clarify this one again. I got my information from the Appalachian Trail Conservancy where they state that less than 500 people have completed the thru-hike southbound. I know more have completed it northbound but that is not the hike I'm doing. My hike will be southbound. If that information is wrong please let me know and I will make the change on the site. I do not want to diminish any ones accomplishment. Thanks Joe

EverydayJourneyman
04-14-2009, 18:30
I just think you have to be clear, and it's not even 100% clear in just the past few posts you've made, that EVERYTHING raised from Maine to Georgia is going to your charity, whether its $2500 or $25,000. No overhead, no minor expenses, nothing. All charity.

I would keep the future speaking engagements separate for now and quite honestly, I don't think people would care if you pocketed 100% of that. That then has become a full-time job.

If you later want to create your own NPO or remain commited to your current one, you can do any number of fundraisers or events or donation strategies.

I would be leery of talking too much about lectures and speaking engagements because A), it's putting the proverbial cart before the hourse and B) it looks like you're only hiking the AT for future gain, which completely negates any spirtual quest or altruistic goals.

joefromgojoe.net
04-14-2009, 18:34
I just think you have to be clear, and it's not even 100% clear in just the past few posts you've made, that EVERYTHING raised from Maine to Georgia is going to your charity, whether its $2500 or $25,000. No overhead, no minor expenses, nothing. All charity.

I would keep the future speaking engagements separate for now and quite honestly, I don't think people would care if you pocketed 100% of that. That then has become a full-time job.

If you later want to create your own NPO or remain commited to your current one, you can do any number of fundraisers or events or donation strategies.

I would be leery of talking too much about lectures and speaking engagements because A), it's putting the proverbial cart before the hourse and B) it looks like you're only hiking the AT for future gain, which completely negates any spirtual quest or altruistic goals.


Great points! Thanks EverydayJourneyman. Joe

J5man
04-14-2009, 18:40
Joe, good luck. Just remember that Jesus himself could post here and someone would question his authenticity and motives. I don't know you from Adam, but I hope your plan works out. Personally, I would find your end product interesting. Safe travels and best of luck.

EverydayJourneyman
04-14-2009, 18:55
Great points! Thanks EverydayJourneyman. Joe

no worries, good luck.

kayak karl
04-14-2009, 19:01
Great points! Thanks EverydayJourneyman. Joe
what if you don't make it? for what ever reason. it can happen!
you are counting your chickens a little early:-?. i know Failure begins with an F, but what if?

it took me 2 years to get my ducks in a row to hike this year and i sold everything so there were no bills. how are you financing the hike and gear. thats an easy 6K?

sorry, but the hype and charity bit puts a bad spin on it in my mind.
just saying!

KK
PS i hope you succeed:)

Wheeler
04-14-2009, 19:21
what if you don't make it? for what ever reason. it can happen!
you are counting your chickens a little early:-?. i know Failure begins with an F, but what if?

it took me 2 years to get my ducks in a row to hike this year and i sold everything so there were no bills. how are you financing the hike and gear. thats an easy 6K?

sorry, but the hype and charity bit puts a bad spin on it in my mind.
just saying!

KK
PS i hope you succeed:)
True, even Marines break ankles.

Fiddleback
04-14-2009, 19:34
...I thought that thru-hiking was about soul searching...

Ooops! I never heard that before...I may have been doing it wrong! Is it for all hiking or just thru-hiking?:D

FB

sheepdog
04-14-2009, 19:35
Have a good hike. I'll try to keep tabs.
Sheepdog

McKeever
04-14-2009, 20:02
I think no one took Joe's endeavor serious based upon his very vague website containing context errors (such as the reader assumes that nobos and sobos only total 500). Now that's he's here and very much for real, let's support him with suggestions on how to avoid syntax errors (I personally will not donate to any one who is going to make their house payments from the kitty).

For EverydayJourneyman, I will buy you a cheeseburger when you make it to Pearisburg and donate $20 to Habitat if you say you have hiked every white blaze, conditions permitting. When you summit Katahdin, I will make another donation to Habitat if you state you hiked the entire AT. I challenge all WB'ers to do the same.

God Speed to both of you.

buff_jeff
04-14-2009, 20:08
Good luck, boss. :banana

Lone Wolf
04-14-2009, 20:14
thats good to hear. Plus marines dont do everything they say. but thats a whole other topic so lets not discuss that:D

elaborate. and capitalize Marines

Engine
04-14-2009, 20:17
elaborate. and capitalize Marines

Yeah, even this Army Ranger wants to know.

SteveJ
04-14-2009, 20:27
Welcome, Joe! :welcome

I'm glad you found us! It sounds like you're getting some good advice....

A couple of questions for you:

* why a thru-hike? I'm the one that made a comment about "I know you were in the Marines...." It certainly wasn't meant to belittle your experience in the Marine Corps, but to acknowledge that you have learned to handle yourself outdoors. Other than that, you evidently haven't hiked as a hobby, as many of us do. Why did you choose a thru-hike to revamp your career?

* one can thru-hike either "supported" or "un-supported." Generally, a supported hiker has someone travelling along with him/her in a vehicle, meeting up at road crossings to re-supply, etc. (see the "Where's Karl" thread from last year for a few laughs / info on that one!) "Un-supported" means you're doing it on your own. When you run out of food / fuel, you get to a road crossing and hitch / walk to the nearest town to re-supply. What's your plan?

* gear? mid-June will come quickly. What are you planning on carrying? Post a gear list - you prolly want to start a new thread in the gear forum - you think you're getting a critique on your website, wait till people wade in on gear selections!

Steve

Engine
04-14-2009, 20:30
Welcome, Joe! :welcome

I'm glad you found us! It sounds like you're getting some good advice....

A couple of questions for you:

* why a thru-hike? I'm the one that made a comment about "I know you were in the Marines...." It certainly wasn't meant to belittle your experience in the Marine Corp, but to acknowledge that you have learned to handle yourself outdoors. Other than that, you evidently haven't hiked as a hobby, as many of us do. Why did you choose a thru-hike to revamp your career?

* one can thru-hike either "supported" or "un-supported." Generally, a supported hiker has someone travelling along with him/her in a vehicle, meeting up at road crossings to re-supply, etc. (see the "Where's Karl" thread from last year for a few laughs / info on that one!) "Un-supported" means you're doing it on your own. When you run out of food / fuel, you get to a road crossing and hitch / walk to the nearest town to re-supply. What's your plan?

* gear? mid-June will come quickly. What are you planning on carrying? Post a gear list - you prolly want to start a new thread in the gear forum - you think you're getting a critique on your website, wait till people wade in on gear selections!

Steve

Let me start by saying if your not carrying what I am, you are both wrong and doomed to failure! That seems to be the typical message...:D

buff_jeff
04-14-2009, 20:33
Nah, you're both wrong. Buff Jeff has the perfect packing list. :D

Lone Wolf
04-14-2009, 20:34
It certainly wasn't meant to belittle your experience in the Marine Corp

that's Corps

EverydayJourneyman
04-14-2009, 20:41
For EverydayJourneyman, I will buy you a cheeseburger when you make it to Pearisburg and donate $20 to Habitat if you say you have hiked every white blaze, conditions permitting. When you summit Katahdin, I will make another donation to Habitat if you state you hiked the entire AT. I challenge all WB'ers to do the same.

God Speed to both of you.

It's 21.75 and Habitat for Humanity of the Mississippi Gulf Coast would surely appreciate it, though I must add they're fundraising before and during the hike but not necessarily afterwards.

Make it a veggie cheeseburger and I'll see you in Pearisburg. :D

SteveJ
04-14-2009, 20:45
that's Corps

Yeah, I know - slip of the finger. Thanks for pointing it out!

By the way - "Go ARMY!"

(proud dad whose son just informed him he's in the top 30% of his class at W.P.!...and who would be horrified if he knew I was bragging on the 'net!!:D)

RITBlake
04-14-2009, 20:50
Joe two bits of critical advice:

1. Please get rid of the sound effects on your website. It reeks of late 90's website "design."

2. Please, please use paragraph breaks when posting here. I want to read everything you write but you make it difficult when you clump all your words in to one massive running paragraph.

RITBlake
04-14-2009, 20:55
oh and good luck, SOBOs are kings of the AT

McKeever
04-14-2009, 21:25
It's 21.75 and Habitat for Humanity of the Mississippi Gulf Coast would surely appreciate it, though I must add they're fundraising before and during the hike but not necessarily afterwards.
Make it a veggie cheeseburger and I'll see you in Pearisburg. :D

A thru hike never ends, it's re-entry afterwards. I know the Exec Dir of HFH here so I'm sure a donation after successfully completing your hike for the MGC can be worked out. Glad to hear you are a vegetarian, we'll go for steaks now since you will be passing on the Angus! We'll find something you like!

Dr O
04-14-2009, 21:31
"Once Joe got his first unemployment check he realized he needed to do something different to generate income and to help as many people as possible."

Yeah, alright. :rolleyes:

I'm skeptical of most people who hike the AT for charity. I know there are some really good people who do it for the "right" reasons but the ones I've met.....just want attention and funds.

Yea really. Hiking helps nobody. Now housing for humanity or The Mad Housers on the other hand...

http://www.madhousers.org/

EverydayJourneyman
04-14-2009, 21:33
A thru hike never ends, it's re-entry afterwards. I know the Exec Dir of HFH here so I'm sure a donation after successfully completing your hike for the MGC can be worked out. Glad to hear you are a vegetarian, we'll go for steaks now since you will be passing on the
Angus! We'll find something you like!

sounds like a plan :banana

Wise Old Owl
04-14-2009, 21:41
Just by bringing this on to everyones attention you know Joe - Katz in f-in disguise is about to bring in a lot of money, even folk who don't make it to the top of Everest are guilty of this "fund raising"

Mags
04-14-2009, 21:48
Let me start by saying if your not carrying what I am, you are both wrong and doomed to failure! That seems to be the typical message...:D

HOW TIMELY!

http://www.pmags.com/joomla/pdf/hike-my-hike-damn-it.pdf

(500 k for those on dial-up)

SteveJ
04-14-2009, 22:02
HOW TIMELY!

http://www.pmags.com/joomla/pdf/hike-my-hike-damn-it.pdf

(500 k for those on dial-up)

That's some funny stuff, Mags!

Pokey2006
04-14-2009, 22:38
Mags, given the success of your own published book, perhaps you can recommend a good editor for this fellow?

Downhill Trucker
04-15-2009, 04:51
really. what's there to talk about? average joe goes walkin' for 5 or 6 months. just takes time and money

He is going to speak about how the trail changed his life, made him a better person, blah, blah, blah.

He realized the financial world was about finances, and bottom lines, blah, blah, blah.

You ask questions before your next hike. You do not ask for endorsement. And after your hike you do not ask for respect. You merely appreciate the stories you tell around the next "campfire".

This guy may make it though, Lone Wolf. It appears he has time and money... is this what thru hiking has come to?

RITBlake
04-15-2009, 09:04
It appears he has time and money... is this what thru hiking has come to?

If I had the time and the money I'd definitely be out on another thru hike instead of sitting down at my office chair to stair at a computer for the next 10 hours.

Lone Wolf
04-15-2009, 10:23
This guy may make it though, Lone Wolf. It appears he has time and money... is this what thru hiking has come to?

what was it before?

Darwin again
04-15-2009, 10:38
Everybody wants to be rich and famous.
But most people still wouldn't know happiness if it landed on them like an elephant.

I wish everyone good health and that they get what they need from their hikes, including Joe. He's about to start down a well-traveled path. The part about signing a contract to pay a charity money seems like a bad move, IMO, though, on the part of both parties. A million things happen on the trail to end hikes, most of them unplanned.

My advice to Joe? Hike light, both in terms of gear and state of mind. As for the corporate hoo-rah motivational speakerage, the message of the trail is lost on the corporate culture, except as a self-serving tool. But I digress.

Darwin again
04-15-2009, 11:18
Just checked out the web site. The musical chord is pretty annoying and joe needs an editor.

I think Joe's hike-hike in the big scary woods (bears, snakes, and desease (sic) carrying mosquitos (sic) and ticks, oh my!) will be an apt metaphor for the behavior of the financial industry, especially over the past decade or so: Exploit something great, commodify it, repackage it, resell it, profit!, repeat process as much as possible until all the money is gone or everyone is is debt up their eyeballs.

Maybe the country is tired of that. Maybe that's why we go hike. To get away from that. Think about it. :-?

TD55
04-15-2009, 11:35
True, even Marines break ankles.

For some reason that does't seem to stop them from charging up the friggin hill.

DAJA
04-15-2009, 12:15
I think Joe's hike-hike in the big scary woods (bears, snakes, and desease (sic) carrying mosquitos (sic) and ticks, oh my!) will be an apt metaphor for the behavior of the financial industry, especially over the past decade or so: Exploit something great, commodify it, repackage it, resell it, profit!, repeat process as much as possible until all the money is gone or everyone is is debt up their eyeballs.

Maybe the country is tired of that. Maybe that's why we go hike. To get away from that. Think about it. :-?


My thoughts exactly!

With any luck at all (I’ll forgo wisdom, as it's clear none has been practiced for some time) what is coming next is what the financial sector would call a "paradigm shift". Then again, I'm a realist, and don't expect the financial wizards to just roll over and play fair!

Nice post!

CowHead
04-15-2009, 12:30
I'll drink a cup a Joe with Joe if I see him on the trail, after the first 15 miles he'll say the heck with this or keep on going

CowHead
04-15-2009, 12:34
If I had the time and the money I'd definitely be out on another thru hike instead of sitting down at my office chair to stair at a computer for the next 10 hours.

Amen I can't wait to retire to do my thru in 2020

Darwin again
04-15-2009, 12:34
Who knows?
Joe the Hiker could become the next Wingfoot.

His hike could become The Centerpiece of this season's hiking.

vamelungeon
04-15-2009, 13:34
Amen I can't wait to retire to do my thru in 2020
Me too. Maybe I can find someone to pay my mortgage for me and I can go sooner, you know?
I will donate money to a charity in Joe's name after he finishes but I ain't paying his house payment. I don't think that's an unreasonable attitude.

SteveJ
04-15-2009, 13:38
Me too. Maybe I can find someone to pay my mortgage for me and I can go sooner, you know?
I will donate money to a charity in Joe's name after he finishes but I ain't paying his house payment. I don't think that's an unreasonable attitude.

Before we pass too harsh a judgement on Joe, why don't we let him finalize his contract, so he can tell us the details, then see what we think?

Just an opinion!

EverydayJourneyman
04-15-2009, 19:55
Go Joe's Twitter is pretty interesting



A company found my site and called me in for an interview today. One problem they are not willing to wait for me to hike the AT whats next?
about 2 hours ago from web

Navy FCU is stepping up with administrative assistance but not financial...Thats much better than Sprint who completely wasted my time.
8:35 AM Apr 14th from web

With the help of a friend I may be announcing a partnership with a PR person willing to help GoJoe.net pro bono
3:06 PM Apr 13th from web

I have meetings today with LLBean, Navy FCU, and Sprint regarding their support of GoJoe.net
8:46 AM Apr 13th from web

dloome
04-15-2009, 21:16
My personal opinions and speculations (formed in the last 10 minutes about something I actually know nothing about):

-The sound effect on Joe's website is excruciating. It makes me want to tear my hair out... every 6 seconds.

-I sense a self-serving endeavor with a "charity" guise that strikes me as especially transparent. If I thought that this guy had the tiniest shred of actual interest in long distance trails and wasn't just hiking the AT as a vehicle to promote his particular brand of corporate speaking and cheap self-motivation, presumably to his own eventual financial benefit, maybe I could muster up some degree of enthusiasm for his efforts.

-From reading the content of his website, I sense a guy with great deal of business and financial motivation strugging to turn the AT into a questionable reflection of the corporate world for his own selfish purposes.

-I can't help but chuckle a bit at some descriptions of the AT on his site. I have this little movie playing in my head of a guy neck deep in a river while fending off a bear, while slapping a mosquito and yelling "DAMN this humidity and mountainous terrain!" as a snowstorm rages all around. Man... I wanna hike that AT, sounds exciting. But I get it, you have to captivate your audience.

-I just hope this guy isn't as irritating on video as Francis Tapon, another excecutive-turned-hiker, though Francis actually has completed some ridiculously challenging endeavors.

But I digress, and I need a snack.

fiddlehead
04-15-2009, 21:44
I agree Bleach, to a point anyway.

I used to think that anyone who can make money from their hiking passion: Good for them.

But this guy is working on the money end before he has the passion. SO far, it is just made up fantasies like the disease carrying mosquitoes. (has dengue fever or malaria hit the states now???) Has he ever done any backpacking?

Like my buddy Rainman used to say: "You have to walk the walk before you can talk the talk"

Reminds me of a Marine i know from home who was all gung-ho about going down south to hike the AT and set a speed record back in 76. HE made it to Suches GA. (yeah he was NOBO)

I do wish him well as I do any hiker setting out on their first thru, but save the motivation speech till you earned it.

EverydayJourneyman
04-15-2009, 22:04
The whole thing just seems kinda strange. I mean, it took this thread to bring up issues for a website/project he'd already constructed. Someone should have already brought these things to his attention months ago.

I first thought of hiking the AT in 2007 and the Habitat for Humanity part didn't come into play until the following year.

I'm just curious how much forethought went into his proposal.

fancyfeet
04-16-2009, 00:35
Hey Joe, here's a few of my impressions.

- Regarding the "less than 500 SOBOs" statistic, I think you went wrong by adding up the numbers from recent years on the ATC website. There were 367 listed between 2002 and 2008 alone. Also, keep in mind that these are only the reported thruhikes. The ATC estimates approx. 10% of all reported thrus are SOBOs, so that would be more than 1050 to date. Do a little more research so that your site is accurate.

- On your website: dude, kill the sound effect. It's just wrong (save it for your Powerpoint.) Fill in your facts a bit more. Keep updating the site to keep it interesting.

- Break up your posts a bit. One huge paragraph just makes it heard to read. Find a good editor for your book.

- While working your business side, be confident (no problems, there). While on the trail, be humble. Your trail and business colleagues are going to be two disparate groups. Pitching to hikers will just get annoying.

- Don't let your hike get lost among all the business and promotional aspects surrounding it. No matter what your expectations are from the trail, it will surprise you.


- Have fun!

Lemming Fleming
04-16-2009, 07:20
[quote=SteveJ;822047]Before we pass too harsh a judgement on Joe, why don't we let him finalize his contract, so he can tell us the details, then see what we think?[quote]

Contract? the words hike and contract? That feels wrong right there!

I don't really feel like I have enough experience here for my words to carry any weight but what you're doing Joe annoys me. Not because what you're doing is morally wrong or anything but just because the reasoning behind it is totally alien to me. And try as I may, I can't work it out.

Doing things for charity is a noble act and, if you were doing this 100% for charity then my estimation of you would be higher. Pay your own mortgage payments and do the AT when you can afford to, like I would like to, and I'm sure 99% of people on here have done.

I can't say the reasons why most people here have done the AT, me? I just happened to be reading a book on it while going through some pretty bad stuff and got inspired. I would love to be able to get a full thru hike semi funded through donations but then it wouldn't be for 'me' and would negate anything I was hoping to get out of it. I don't like all the potential self publiccism that goes with what you're doing. The reasons are just a bit unclear. We all do, or want to do a thru hike for self gain, but I, and I figure most on this forum are doing it for spiritual self gain or 'non profitable' self gain. The trail for you seems to be a 'tool' for you to reach some goal whereas it is a dream or escape for most.

As it is, I will settle for a section hike and then return to britain with nothing but memories, no after hike benefits other than self satisfaction and hopefully a desire to plan a full thru hike ... without all the extra baggage you're taking on yours.

Sorry :) and good luck with the hike.

EverydayJourneyman
04-16-2009, 07:28
I don't understand the need of a contract period. The money that's donated for my Habitat for Humanity fundraiser goes directly to Habitat, there's no grey area. If I fall off a cliff, it still goes to Habitat. If its an amount that widely exceeds expectations, it goes to Habitat.

This isn't a business arrangement, it's a philanthropic endeavour that happens to coincide with what should be one of my most emotionally rewarding adventures ever. It's a win-win.

buff_jeff
04-16-2009, 08:22
My biggest gripe is still the damn sound effects. :mad:

Darwin again
04-16-2009, 08:43
SO far, it is just made up fantasies like the disease carrying mosquitoes. (has dengue fever or malaria hit the states now???)

Actually, they carry West Nile, plus these other nasties (http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/diseases/list_mosquitoborne.htm).
The more you know...

4eyedbuzzard
04-16-2009, 08:46
Oooooh. A laid-off guy hikes the AT and plans to spin it into lectures and a book. I've never heard a plan like that before. :rolleyes:

Big Yawn.

fiddlehead
04-16-2009, 09:25
Actually, they carry West Nile, plus these other nasties (http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/diseases/list_mosquitoborne.htm).
The more you know...

Has an AT hiker ever gotten West Nile Disease? (while hiking)

I had dengue last year. No cure, just suffer for a month. (7 people on my street had it)

EverydayJourneyman
04-16-2009, 09:47
Dengue Fever, sounds fun.

Thanks to my trip to Africa, I'm relatively safe from

DPT
Hep A
Hep B
Typhoid
Meningococcal Meningitis
Yellow Fever
Malaria

famous last words as I become the only AT hiker to catch Bird Flu or Mad Cow disease.

McKeever
04-16-2009, 10:50
I don't understand the need of a contract period. The money that's donated for my Habitat for Humanity fundraiser goes directly to Habitat, there's no grey area. If I fall off a cliff, it still goes to Habitat. If its an amount that widely exceeds expectations, it goes to Habitat.

This isn't a business arrangement, it's a philanthropic endeavour that happens to coincide with what should be one of my most emotionally rewarding adventures ever. It's a win-win.

The contract is prob needed to make sure he gets his cut of the donated money back from the charity.....

DAJA
04-16-2009, 10:57
The contract is prob needed to make sure he gets his cut of the donated money back from the charity.....

The way i'm reading it, it would appear he recieves any donated money first, uses that to pay his morgage, and what is left over gets donated to the charity. So what happens if he does not recieve enough donations to even cover his morgage? In that case, people donating believing they are contributing to this charity when in fact, they contributed only to his morgage...:confused:

Please correct me if i'm wrong!

DAJA
04-16-2009, 11:02
On the other hand, this economic mess is a unique situation. Your tax dollars are bailing out the banks that made risky investments, so they're being let off scott free. While this fella, is left still holding a morgage that it appears he can no longer afford.. If public money can buy up banks bad decisions, why can't public dollars be used to protect individuals caught up in the middle of this. I'd sooner see a family keep their home, than be tossed to the street, meanwhile the banks end is covered and they can resell the home for a profit... Shady situation!

DAJA
04-16-2009, 11:03
On another hand, you should not be asking for donations to support your financial situation while you go on a six month hike, under the hopes that you'll be able to kick a little extra back to a charity!

Darwin again
04-16-2009, 11:42
Has an AT hiker ever gotten West Nile Disease? (while hiking)

This guy (http://members.tripod.com/gohike/trail_at02/menu.html) did.

And we only know about it because he wrote it up online.
I'd bet plenty more get West Nile (and other nasties) and never connect it to their hiking.

(Yes, Joe over-dramatizes the obstacles out there, but plenty of hikers get plenty of sick every year.)

Engine
04-16-2009, 11:45
Actually, they carry West Nile, plus these other nasties (http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/diseases/list_mosquitoborne.htm).
The more you know...

West Nile, Encephalitis, and occasional cases of Malaria in the gulf states.

Darwin again
04-16-2009, 12:11
Yep. Even in New York.
http://www.health.state.ny.us/diseases/west_nile_virus/

~Ronin~
04-16-2009, 14:25
My personal opinions and speculations (formed in the last 10 minutes about something I actually know nothing about):

-The sound effect on Joe's website is excruciating. It makes me want to tear my hair out... every 6 seconds.

-I sense a self-serving endeavor with a "charity" guise that strikes me as especially transparent. If I thought that this guy had the tiniest shred of actual interest in long distance trails and wasn't just hiking the AT as a vehicle to promote his particular brand of corporate speaking and cheap self-motivation, presumably to his own eventual financial benefit, maybe I could muster up some degree of enthusiasm for his efforts.

-From reading the content of his website, I sense a guy with great deal of business and financial motivation strugging to turn the AT into a questionable reflection of the corporate world for his own selfish purposes.

-I can't help but chuckle a bit at some descriptions of the AT on his site. I have this little movie playing in my head of a guy neck deep in a river while fending off a bear, while slapping a mosquito and yelling "DAMN this humidity and mountainous terrain!" as a snowstorm rages all around. Man... I wanna hike that AT, sounds exciting. But I get it, you have to captivate your audience.

-I just hope this guy isn't as irritating on video as Francis Tapon, another excecutive-turned-hiker, though Francis actually has completed some ridiculously challenging endeavors.

But I digress, and I need a snack.


Agreed, on all counts. Plus, he acts like he's the only person in the US who has gotten laid off. Don't get me wrong, I don't wish any ill will on the guy. In fact, I hope he finds another job soon. I guess I just don't like motivational speakers:D. Plus in my mind, the AT is the antithesis of the corporate world, not a reflection of it.

joefromgojoe.net
04-16-2009, 17:04
Hello all. Here are some recent updates to continue to spark the conversation. I have had a few offers from folks on the site for donations. Thank you very much, you are more than generous. You will each get an email from me redirecting your assistance. I will ask you to donate directly to the Iraq Afghanistan Veterans Association if you wish.

I have learned something great here on whiteblaze.net….I’ve learned that there really is no difference between the cut throat business executive and the experienced hiker. They just have a different hobby. I am glad that I was turned on to this. I know this doesn’t apply to everyone. I have met some great people on this site who have sent me some motivating emails. That is the same case in the business world. I have met great people who are now great friends and I have met some not so great people.

Most of you have already figured this out but the idea of my site was to get a buzz going about me in order to uniquely market myself in this rare severe economic downturn. It has worked very well. As is evident here - none of you would have ever have heard of me if I didn't create that site. The power of the internet is awesome.

I have been contacted by two firms asking to interview me for executive level positions. One of them even mentioned that he found the info on whiteblaze and that is what finally convinced him to send me an email. If I land one of these jobs I will take it. I may have to break up my AT hike over a series on years by doing long weekend hikes. Either way I will hike every mile of AT before I die. That is definitely a goal.

Just in case you are curious, my non-profit partner was the Iraq Afghanistan Veterans of America. I will be writing them a personal check for the donation. I will also give them a portion of the sign on bonus from my new job, if I get one.

I have posted on other sites for laid off executives and business people and I directed them here to read through the posts. I have also asked them to look at my site to see what I did and the mistakes I made. That sound is really annoying - isn't it. Now that it's in there I can't figure out how to get it off. hahahah. There's a button at the top to mute it but no one see's the button.

Believe it or not everyone that has posted here has helped me a great deal. You helped me to get back into the corporate world and you will directly help others like me get more creative about their job search. My site has only been up for 9 days….that is just awesome and all of you are a part of that success.

I'll see you out on the trail - you can count on that! Stay passionate - your passion will get you far in life!

Semper fidelis

clured
04-16-2009, 17:32
You've got it all figured out Joe. You are a master of public relations.

Darwin again
04-16-2009, 17:40
I’ve learned that there really is no difference between the cut throat business executive and the experienced hiker. They just have a different hobby. ... I may have to break up my AT hike over a series [of] years by doing long weekend hikes.

Bwah-hahahaha. :cool: Long weekend hikes ... cut-throat business executives and the experienced hiker are the same... BWAH-HAHAHAHAHA. o' lawdy...

Gustatus similus pullus. :D

4eyedbuzzard
04-16-2009, 18:00
Hiking is good. Charity is good. Paying your mortgage is good.
Paying your mortgage out of donations by using a connection to a charity to solicit those donations? Not so good.

What's the REAL charity case here?

Jester2000
04-16-2009, 18:36
I will put all of this together into an entertaining 45 minute interactive speech. I have 90% of it completed already. The other 10% will be the tweaks I make from everything I learn on the trail. I don't think there are enough people out there who effectively tell their story to help others. . .

There definitely aren't a lot of people who could write 90% of a speech before anything had actually happened.

Why not just stay home and shorten the speech by 10%? Seems an awful long way to walk for 4.5 minutes of content . . .

Then again, you might land one of those jobs and not thru-hike at all, which may have been the whole purpose of this rigamarole. Which, if you think about it, is pretty brilliant -- coming up with all of the plans for how to capitalize on a hike that hasn't happened, only to be rewarded for a hike that never will.

dloome
04-16-2009, 19:02
I’ve learned that there really is no difference between the cut throat business executive and the experienced hiker.

Most of you have already figured this out but the idea of my site was to get a buzz going about me in order to uniquely market myself in this rare severe economic downturn

I have been contacted by two firms asking to interview me for executive level positions. One of them even mentioned that he found the info on whiteblaze and that is what finally convinced him to send me an email. If I land one of these jobs I will take it. I may have to break up my AT hike over a series on years by doing long weekend hikes. Either way I will hike every mile of AT before I die. That is definitely a goal.

I'll see you out on the trail - you can count on that!


I think there's a difference. Wait... Yeah, pretty sure there is. :rolleyes:

Sheesh. No offense there Joe, but I'm finding this, and you, increasingly pathetic... I think you have a lot to learn about yourself, your motives, other people, your goals, and what might constitute questionable means in accomplishing them. I also have a hard time taking seriously your use of the word "goal" when you seem to redefine yours on a daily basis. Of the many things that rang my initial "bullsh-t detector", the biggest was:

-he realized he needed to do something to help as many people as possible.

Which I read as "needed to save his ass through whatever means necessary"... and golly, looks like I might have been right. So now that you might have a job, what about all the people you previously so enthusiastically wanted to "help" with your amazing story?

Or did you suddenly just decide they'd be okay without your inspiration and corporate motivation? I think your priorities, namely yourself and your own selfish interests have become pretty obvious, and personally, I think I'll survive, (somehow) with hearing about the "E's". :rolleyes: Congratulations on the job search, and bonus points for creativity.

I sincerely hope you disappear into the world of corporate hoo hah from whence you came. That'd be 'E'-xcellent! The most valuable thing I've heard from you is where the mute button is on your website.

Also, somehow I doubt that many business executives manage to stumble upon whiteblaze. Just saying. ;)

kayak karl
04-16-2009, 19:17
the Way I'm Reading It, It Would Appear He Recieves Any Donated Money First, Uses That To Pay His Morgage, And What Is Left Over Gets Donated To The Charity. So What Happens If He Does Not Recieve Enough Donations To Even Cover His Morgage? In That Case, People Donating Believing They Are Contributing To This Charity When In Fact, They Contributed Only To His Morgage...:confused:

Please Correct Me If I'm Wrong!
Hit The Nail On The Head :)

Darwin again
04-16-2009, 19:21
There definitely aren't a lot of people who could write 90% of a speech before anything had actually happened.

Why not just stay home and shorten the speech by 10%? Seems an awful long way to walk for 4.5 minutes of content . . .

Then again, you might land one of those jobs and not thru-hike at all, which may have been the whole purpose of this rigamarole. Which, if you think about it, is pretty brilliant -- coming up with all of the plans for how to capitalize on a hike that hasn't happened, only to be rewarded for a hike that never will.

That's so spot-on it's spooky, Jester. :D

'Course, it's not so hard to see through the scammers nowadays.
Joe's scheme sound kinda like taking a whole bunch of mortgages you know will never be paid back, bundling them up together and selling them for face value to other banks around the world, then purchasing insurance against that commercial paper.

Where have I heard this before...:-?

Pure genius!

Tuna
04-16-2009, 19:22
Joe, this what hiking the AT for charity looks like.

http://walkforacure.terapad.com/

These guys have made sacrifices, saved up their money and are giving 100 per cent of the money they raise to Cancer Research. No talk of contracts, no covering the rent or mortage first, no plans for self-promotion after they're done. Just good old fashioned alturism and the desire to do something for other people.

Your website simply looks...odd. And the language you use makes your motives seem questionable.

Hoop Time
04-16-2009, 19:27
How is he going to motivate businesses and people when he can't keep his own job? I don't know the circumstances of his jobloss, but generally you lose your job when you don't do it well.

I actually thought once, many years ago, about trying a career as a motivational speaker. Seemed like an easy buck. My "gimmick" was going to be to share my mistakes and failures as a lesson to others.

Just could not figure out how to get people to pay me for that.

I wish this guy the best, but his "resume" page mentions no writing background yet he plans to sell a book. No film production background, yet he plans to produce and sell a film.

More power to him if he can pull this off, though the last thing I'd want to do if I were hiking is twittering. A journal entry at the end of the day as a way to reflect and unwind, yeah, that I can see. But tweeting from the trail sounds to me like the type of hike I'd never want to hear a speech about, read a book about or watch a film about.

AND ... I hate the damned music thing embedded in his Web sitre enough that I doubt I will bother checking it again.

Oh yeah, and one other thing -- no wonder the guy is out of work. What kind of executive recruiter can't even find himself a gig?

EverydayJourneyman
04-16-2009, 19:30
Joe, this what hiking the AT for charity looks like.

http://walkforacure.terapad.com/

These guys have made sacrifices, saved up their money and are giving 100 per cent of the money they raise to Cancer Research. No talk of contracts, no covering the rent or mortage first, no plans for self-promotion after they're done. Just good old fashioned alturism and the desire to do something for other people.

Your website simply looks...odd. And the language you use makes your motives seem questionable.

Or this guy :sun

http://www.hfhmgc.org/index.php

I think we can lay this thread to rest

from Joe's Twitter account (it was all a scam)




2 interviews now from firms who found the site 1 SVP and 1 Exec Dir role. The power of marketing on the internet is amazing! Not sure where the AT will fall in maybe day hikes over a few years? I have to be flexible

DAJA
04-16-2009, 19:32
Hello all. Here are some recent updates to continue to spark the conversation. I have had a few offers from folks on the site for donations. Thank you very much, you are more than generous. You will each get an email from me redirecting your assistance. I will ask you to donate directly to the Iraq Afghanistan Veterans Association if you wish.

I have learned something great here on whiteblaze.net….I’ve learned that there really is no difference between the cut throat business executive and the experienced hiker. They just have a different hobby. I am glad that I was turned on to this. I know this doesn’t apply to everyone. I have met some great people on this site who have sent me some motivating emails. That is the same case in the business world. I have met great people who are now great friends and I have met some not so great people.

Most of you have already figured this out but the idea of my site was to get a buzz going about me in order to uniquely market myself in this rare severe economic downturn. It has worked very well. As is evident here - none of you would have ever have heard of me if I didn't create that site. The power of the internet is awesome.

I have been contacted by two firms asking to interview me for executive level positions. One of them even mentioned that he found the info on whiteblaze and that is what finally convinced him to send me an email. If I land one of these jobs I will take it. I may have to break up my AT hike over a series on years by doing long weekend hikes. Either way I will hike every mile of AT before I die. That is definitely a goal.

Just in case you are curious, my non-profit partner was the Iraq Afghanistan Veterans of America. I will be writing them a personal check for the donation. I will also give them a portion of the sign on bonus from my new job, if I get one.

I have posted on other sites for laid off executives and business people and I directed them here to read through the posts. I have also asked them to look at my site to see what I did and the mistakes I made. That sound is really annoying - isn't it. Now that it's in there I can't figure out how to get it off. hahahah. There's a button at the top to mute it but no one see's the button.

Believe it or not everyone that has posted here has helped me a great deal. You helped me to get back into the corporate world and you will directly help others like me get more creative about their job search. My site has only been up for 9 days….that is just awesome and all of you are a part of that success.

I'll see you out on the trail - you can count on that! Stay passionate - your passion will get you far in life!

Semper fidelis

Lets be clear here, just so we're all on the same page. This is the fellow who recruited the financial wizards that pull the strings on our economy. Now is there any question why we're in the situation we're in?

EverydayJourneyman
04-16-2009, 19:41
I have been contacted by two firms asking to interview me for executive level positions. One of them even mentioned that he found the info on whiteblaze and that is what finally convinced him to send me an email.

Considering the tepid (to put it lightly) response here, I find that hard to believe. Are we sure Joe and the marine backstory and his entire website are actually real?

vamelungeon
04-16-2009, 19:55
Considering the tepid (to put it lightly) response here, I find that hard to believe. Are we sure Joe and the marine backstory and his entire website are actually real?
No.
If anyones' BS detector failed to trip, you might want to return it to the factory for servicing.

buff_jeff
04-16-2009, 19:59
Move this to hiking humor. Has to be a joke.

Darwin again
04-16-2009, 20:39
I think he's for real, all right.
His level of sophistication is just laughable.

What he's doing is called "innovation" in the "financial services industry." He's looking for leverage, looking for a way to get the "get" and take his cut, which is business as usual for these types.

True story: In January, one of these displaced "financial services" operators was going door to door in my neighborhood, handing out his business card and the perspectus for his company. I met him on the porch and handed his papers back to him as soon as I realized what he was and what he was "selling." He pointed to my rain barrels and asked, "What are those?" "Rain barrels," I said. "What do you keep in them?" he asks. "Rain water," I said. "What do you use that for?" he asks. "To water the plants," I said. "Oh." It was kind of sad, actually. But I knew he'd take as much money from me as I'd give him to "invest" and that these are the kind of people, working in cahoots in a culture of complete unaccountability who've just about wrecked our country. I was glad to see him walk away.

Now that their dens are being cleared out, these modern-day snake oil salesmen are lurking among us, doing what they do best: taking money. Beware these folks, as they'll as soon stab you in the back as give you a friendly handshake. And heck, this "Joe" wasn't even one of them: he was one of the recuriters who helped firms hire those types of people.

Scary business. I'm extremely proud of the Whte Blaze folks on calling this one like it is. Good work, hikers. (See ya, Joe!)

kayak karl
04-16-2009, 21:15
What he's doing is called "innovation" in the "financial services industry."
NO. its called PANIC and to heck with all others. its kind of a executive survival exercise.:D do you want this guy in the shelter with YOU:confused:

Pokey2006
04-16-2009, 21:21
I don't know. A chance to "go back to the corporate world," or thru-hike the AT. I know which one I'd pick, which is to say, a different one than Joe has already picked. Joe's loss. It's actually very sad.

johnnybgood
04-16-2009, 21:39
NO. its called PANIC and to heck with all others. its kind of a executive survival exercise.:D do you want this guy in the shelter with YOU:confused:
Not a chance in hedes of that happenin' , I sleep in a tent.;)

RITBlake
04-16-2009, 21:50
Joe, as quickly as you arrived you disappeared in to the night. You will always be known in this circle as corporate Joe. Don't let the door hit you on the way out though, oh and you give me the chills.

DAJA
04-16-2009, 21:53
Where are the marines to save the fallen man?

RITBlake
04-16-2009, 21:57
Also Joe, I almost vomited when I noticed this quote at the bottom of your website. You are the epitome of the road commonly traveled.

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I -- / I took the one less traveled by, / And that has made all the difference. (18-20) The Road Not Taken - Robert Frost

clured
04-16-2009, 22:01
haha RITBlake I was just about to comment on that. Yes, Joe, such the eager consumer of poesy pure! Such a sensitive intellect!

What a snake. I go to an east coast university that is one of the biggest feeder schools for the Manhattan financial scene, and all of this is incredibly, horribly typical - the entitlement, the sense that everyone-but-me's a schmuck, and I can just pull the strings and make all these suckers fall into my lap.

Mags
04-16-2009, 22:02
C'est la vie. At the very least, it makes for an amusing story.

I am going to revamp my website. I figure there is a large market for laid-off IT workers who love history, can write reasonably well, takes decent photos and makes pretty good southern Italian style food.

I just need to come up with cutesy slogan and get a speech writer...

RITBlake
04-16-2009, 22:12
C'est la vie. At the very least, it makes for an amusing story.

I am going to revamp my website. I figure there is a large market for laid-off IT workers who love history, can write reasonably well, takes decent photos and makes pretty good southern Italian style food.

I just need to come up with cutesy slogan and get a speech writer...

Mags, I am writing a business plan based on this model. I'm willing to share this business plan with you for a one time donation of $5000 to a charity of my choice. (to be named later, much much later)

But for now I will share the 3 E's of a successful thru hike money generating do-it-yourself website:

bE sure to add an annoying sound effect to your website that goes off every 6 seconds.

When people laugh at your website and the never ending death sound rEassure people how incompetent you by throwing your hands up and saying "I can't figure out how to get it off hahahah"

Finally, as you make your departure, leave your audience with a mEmorable quote like "there really is no difference between the cut throat business executive and the experienced hiker."

Mags
04-16-2009, 22:22
Mags, I am writing a business plan based on this model. I'm willing to share this business plan with you for a one time donation of $5000 to a charity of my choice. (to be named later, much much later)



...you forgot to mention you'll make the donation after beer, pizza and car payment expenses.

I like the plan, though.

Tell me more...

STEVEM
04-16-2009, 23:11
Good luck, Joe!!

Dr O
04-17-2009, 00:05
"Seems like a lot of you have problems with me raising money. To be clear I will be donating everything I generate other than my mortgage payment. I may lose my house if I don't do this so I'm stuck there."

You could have rented it out, it's not like you'd be using it.

Heh, I guess charity starts with your home. :p

fancyfeet
04-17-2009, 01:01
Heh, I guess charity starts with your home. :p


That's supposed to be "charity starts at home", but who's gonna argue semantics with a guy armed with Erudite Efficacy in Exigency.

"I’ve learned that there really is no difference between the cut throat business executive and the experienced hiker." ~ Joe

Really? That's what we taught this guy??? :confused: (That and how to make his posts more readable.)

Good luck, Joe, you Machiavellian corporate fiend.

Erin
04-17-2009, 01:15
This is a classic con deal and this site is the mark. A con throws a line and sees who hooks. Someone always does. A person gets on and says he is a Marine and is collecting for a charity and has all these backers. Ok. Might be for real but do your homework before you fork over money. Ask a real Marine who the best old Marine was and they know....Ask a fake Marine and they never know they guy whose first name rhymes with Zesty. Check the charities and see if they have ever heard of this person raising and giving money. Then ask him why the donors are not giving to a trust account, not managed by the solicitor, for the specific charity. The trust account should be managed by a, oh, a real bank. and how about his 503(c) status for a non-profit? Registered with the State Attorney General? Required by law in most states for a charity. How about a real donor list. A con will have an answer or story for everything because cons are excellent salesmen. Donate and kiss you money good bye and it will not go to a cause. Sounds like a snake oil sales man to me and they are all over and have slick websites, vague promises. But then again, I doubt that people on this site, who hike for fun and usually on a shoeshring, will give a con a dime.

sly dog
04-17-2009, 01:19
This guy reminds me of octomom, exploiting something for their own benefit. Hmmm.....send octomom my hard earned pay or send it to Joe...ppfffft NOT!:p

zoidfu
04-17-2009, 01:41
Haha, I'm on Joe's side. Someone's got to be:cool:

sly dog
04-17-2009, 01:51
..> ..>
http://wnep.images.worldnow.com/images/794091_BG1.jpg..>..>
This is the real Go Joe!! This is our local weatherman that rides every year for a local charity and ALL money goes to unfortunate children.......You could learn a lot from this Joe....Joe!! This is from last years ride. Imagine that...... a guy that is out to help others, not himself.



Go Joe X will raise money for St. Joseph's (http://stjosephscenter.org/)
Center . This year, Go Joe will reach its 10th year! Not only that, but total donations over the years are now approaching 1 million dollars!!! For those reasons, it is being called the 10 year Million Dollar Thank You Tour.
Yes, Joe will still be cycling near 100 miles a day for five straight days, but this year, all miles logged will be in the viewing area. From the Valley Cities to the Western Counties, Northern Tier, East / Poconos and Southern Counties, much of WNEP-Land will be visited. The exact route is uncertain and changing as will the availability of live shots each morning and evening in the viewing area, but we will be hitting and highlighting many parts of the area in the five days leading up to St. Joe's Telethon and Festival on July 28th weekend. Of course all money donated will be helping better the lives of residents at St. Joe's Center in Scranton.
You can support Joe's efforts by making a donation to St. Joseph's Center. You are welcome to make a flat donation or sponsor him by the mile.

fiddlehead
04-17-2009, 01:59
Maybe we could start a "Top Story of the Week" on Whiteblaze.

So, for this week, would it be the drug sniffing dogs or Joe's antics?

Both make for interesting debate and good enterntainment.

Thanks at least for that Joe. (But I think you really pissed off the Marines)

Engine
04-17-2009, 06:34
Maybe we could start a "Top Story of the Week" on Whiteblaze.

So, for this week, would it be the drug sniffing dogs or Joe's antics?

Both make for interesting debate and good enterntainment.

Thanks at least for that Joe. (But I think you really pissed off the Marines)

Why don't we have a dog sniff Joe's antics and kill two birds...:-?

DAJA
04-17-2009, 08:01
Maybe we could start a "Top Story of the Week" on Whiteblaze.

So, for this week, would it be the drug sniffing dogs or Joe's antics?

Both make for interesting debate and good enterntainment.

Thanks at least for that Joe. (But I think you really pissed off the Marines)

And you folks where giving the the dopers a hard time... Perhaps you should consider who is watching over your money...

Darwin again
04-17-2009, 08:38
Corporate Joe's just goin' for the BEZZLE (http://market-ticker.denninger.net/archives/857-The-Bezzle-Defined.html).
It's all he KNOWS!
Leave Joe aloooonnnneeeeeee!

( Semper gustatus similus pullus!)

vamelungeon
04-17-2009, 09:27
And you folks where giving the the dopers a hard time... Perhaps you should consider who is watching over your money...
What money? It's all gone. :(

Downhill Trucker
04-20-2009, 05:27
Joe, as quickly as you arrived you disappeared in to the night. You will always be known in this circle as corporate Joe. Don't let the door hit you on the way out though, oh and you give me the chills.

Trail name: Corporate Joe
Year of attempt: 2009
Mileage completed: 0
Reason for quitting: No intentions of starting, just needed a new scam

You guys couldn't see this from the beginning? JOE, if you ever read this do NOT leave trash on your dayhikes... I have a feeling you would be the type.

freefall
04-21-2009, 02:03
Trail name: Corporate Joe
Year of attempt: 2009
Mileage completed: 0
Reason for quitting: No intentions of starting, just needed a new scam

You guys couldn't see this from the beginning? JOE, if you ever read this do NOT leave trash on your day hikes... I have a feeling you would be the type.
Speaking as someone who lost his job, maybe he was planning on hiking but still actively seeking employment? It is required by the people at the unemployment commission.I'll bet lots of people start planning hikes only to be hired only he was just MUCH more vocal about it. And even if he were paying his mortgage first, he was not hiding the information, so anyone that donated would be informed, they could decide whether to do so or not. I have no thoughts one way or the other, he could a been legit or not. But at least he gave some disclosure to his fund distribution.

The Weasel
04-21-2009, 02:24
A man had a dream, albeit a really badly thought out one and one unlikely to come true, and obviously - at least it was obvious to all of us who know other people's lives so much better than we know our own - doomed to fail. How kind of all of you to stomp it to death in public and, in the process, cruelly attack a man who very well may be at a desperate and tragic place in his life.

At least jackals wait until a corpse is dead before feeding.

The Weasel

freefall
04-21-2009, 03:04
A man had a dream, albeit a really badly thought out one and one unlikely to come true, and obviously - at least it was obvious to all of us who know other people's lives so much better than we know our own - doomed to fail. How kind of all of you to stomp it to death in public and, in the process, cruelly attack a man who very well may be at a desperate and tragic place in his life.

At least jackals wait until a corpse is dead before feeding.

The Weasel
Amen.

I do no have lot of faith in lawyers but I have faith in the system. How do we appoint supreme court judges without being political?

fiddlehead
04-21-2009, 08:17
Hey Freefall, Your signature is very interesting and so true.

Here in Thailand, the average Thai person has an IQ of 89, is not taught anything outside of their country, which leads them to think things like the Beatles are from Bangkok, Jimi Hendrix from NE Thailand, etc. (I remember my wife thought that Abraham Lincoln was Thai when i first met her 6 1/2 years ago)
But, you can see it in their eyes when they talk about the pride they have in their country and King.
They too believe they are the best country in the world. (they sure have the hottest women)

Hey Weasel, the guy was pretty "in your face" with his bragging and talking about how he was going to go on this big lecture tour afterwards to teach motivation. (and get paid for things all along the way from people he was duping)
Didn't even step on the trail.
He deserves a bit of fun thrown at him.

Jester2000
04-21-2009, 09:06
Whenever anyone asks me what the hardest part of the trail was, I always reply, "getting on the trail." Huge numbers fail at that; this guy just did it in front of us.

Assuming, of course, that he ever meant to step on the trail . . .

4eyedbuzzard
04-21-2009, 09:21
A man had a dream,
A dream, or a scam to profit from the charity of others? :-?

albeit a really badly thought out one
Ya think?

How kind of all of you to stomp it to death in public and, in the process, cruelly attack a man who very well may be at a desperate and tragic place in his life.
Desperate and tragic place in his life? :eek: Melodramatic. He simply lost his job just like millions of other people. If he's as resourceful he claims to be, he'll find a more honest and acceptable way of generating an income. And if you don't want to be stomped to death in public, don't try to spin panhandling for mortgage and vacation money into some BS attempt at an altruistic charitable event.

At least jackals wait until a corpse is dead before feeding.
Even the jackals would have pounced on this one before it was down. Culling is sometimes necessary to keep the herd healthy.

Worldwide
04-21-2009, 11:14
Marines like this made me choose the Army! Plus, Lone Wolfs shoes are too hard to fill!

The Weasel
04-21-2009, 12:06
A dream, or a scam to profit from the charity of others? :-?

Ya think?

Desperate and tragic place in his life? :eek: Melodramatic. He simply lost his job just like millions of other people. If he's as resourceful he claims to be, he'll find a more honest and acceptable way of generating an income. And if you don't want to be stomped to death in public, don't try to spin panhandling for mortgage and vacation money into some BS attempt at an altruistic charitable event.

Even the jackals would have pounced on this one before it was down. Culling is sometimes necessary to keep the herd healthy.

I think your post proves my point.

This is not the first time that people on WhiteBlaze have attacked someone who was totally new to the Trail culture, and done it so viciously as a mob that the person fled WhiteBlaze and, probably, the Trail, thinking (perhaps correctly) that it is a place that is emotionally dangerous. Does it make people here proud to drive someone away? To humiliate them? That gets your rocks off?

Just who the blazes are you all to judge how devastating losing a job - being unemployed for the first time in one's life - can be? You're so totally without sin that you get the stone pile? Balderdash. A guy gets fired and you say that's melodrama? I hope - and I mean it - that it doesn't happen to any of you. If it does, I sure the crap ain't gonna tell you "stop being melodramatic". I might offer you a hand, and an ear, some advice and whatever help I can. But that's me. It sure isn't what I see in this thread.

And a vet? You want to pick on a vet? Here's a guy who has done the combat thing, and in recent memory. He's a Marine - all of you Leathernecks here who have otherwise stuck together make it clear that someone remains a Marine even after their service ends - and no less proud of it than most Marines, including those who put it on their resume as proof of their abililities. And you mock his service, basically call him a liar for saying he even was a Marine who served, and even challenging that he didn't say "Chesty Puller" fast enough for some of you. Maybe he didn't kiss your butts enough, but in my book, any man or woman who served in any branch, any time, any where - and I don't give a rat's butt if it was in the Coast Guard in Manitowoc in 1957 - doesn't get slams for their service, and if they try to use that service to help get a better job, well, John McCain did that too, and God bless him for trying. Me? When vets walk bye, I step aside to let them pass; I don't spit on them. You all did, and you all should be ashamed. And to a Marine, too. Where are you guys? They mocked out a Gunnery Sargeant with 7 or 8 or 9 years in the Corps and you just blinkin' sit there?

And as for all your hypocrisy about "charity" and "public service," well, that's crap too. You pick your charities, and I'll pick mine, and if you have a problem with whether mine are legal or not, call the cops. Other than that, that's up to me and you don't get a vote. If you don't want to give me money to pass on to those I support, fine. But you don't get bitchin' rights for free, either.

It wasn't all that long ago that I remember a guy who was gonna do the trail as a promotional thing, and maybe even get paid government dollars to do it. He was pretty excited about it, and a lot of other people here were supportive of his goal. He didn't pull it off, either; he did his tours in Iraq too, and came back to being our Administrator. Thanks, Rock. I still wish you'd gotten to do it before the Iraq War started. And I'm glad we didn't treat you the way we did this guy. Maybe that was then, and this is now. I hope not.

I'm sorry for this screed, folks, but Rock more than once has mentioned the tendency here to "Wolf Pack" people here, and this is another sad example of it. Yeah, the "herd" may need to be "culled" by wiping out the "weak". But WhiteBlaze isn't a "herd". We don't prey on the weak. That's not who we are.

Russ E. Boltz

Ladytrekker
04-21-2009, 12:47
Don't cheapen the trail Go Joe. Just Go Home.

Lone Wolf
04-21-2009, 12:48
Don't cheapen the trail Go Joe. Just Go Home.

how does one "cheapen" a trail? it's just walkin'

Worldwide
04-21-2009, 13:02
how does one "cheapen" a trail? it's just walkin'

Take out the pay campsites in Vermont would be a good start to "cheapen" the trail:)

4eyedbuzzard
04-21-2009, 13:07
I think your post proves my point.

This is not the first time that people on WhiteBlaze have attacked someone who was totally new to the Trail culture, and done it so viciously as a mob that the person fled WhiteBlaze and, probably, the Trail, thinking (perhaps correctly) that it is a place that is emotionally dangerous. Does it make people here proud to drive someone away? To humiliate them? That gets your rocks off?

Just who the blazes are you all to judge how devastating losing a job - being unemployed for the first time in one's life - can be? You're so totally without sin that you get the stone pile? Balderdash. A guy gets fired and you say that's melodrama? I hope - and I mean it - that it doesn't happen to any of you. If it does, I sure the crap ain't gonna tell you "stop being melodramatic". I might offer you a hand, and an ear, some advice and whatever help I can. But that's me. It sure isn't what I see in this thread.

And a vet? You want to pick on a vet? Here's a guy who has done the combat thing, and in recent memory. He's a Marine - all of you Leathernecks here who have otherwise stuck together make it clear that someone remains a Marine even after their service ends - and no less proud of it than most Marines, including those who put it on their resume as proof of their abililities. And you mock his service, basically call him a liar for saying he even was a Marine who served, and even challenging that he didn't say "Chesty Puller" fast enough for some of you. Maybe he didn't kiss your butts enough, but in my book, any man or woman who served in any branch, any time, any where - and I don't give a rat's butt if it was in the Coast Guard in Manitowoc in 1957 - doesn't get slams for their service, and if they try to use that service to help get a better job, well, John McCain did that too, and God bless him for trying. Me? When vets walk bye, I step aside to let them pass; I don't spit on them. You all did, and you all should be ashamed. And to a Marine, too. Where are you guys? They mocked out a Gunnery Sargeant with 7 or 8 or 9 years in the Corps and you just blinkin' sit there?

And as for all your hypocrisy about "charity" and "public service," well, that's crap too. You pick your charities, and I'll pick mine, and if you have a problem with whether mine are legal or not, call the cops. Other than that, that's up to me and you don't get a vote. If you don't want to give me money to pass on to those I support, fine. But you don't get bitchin' rights for free, either.

It wasn't all that long ago that I remember a guy who was gonna do the trail as a promotional thing, and maybe even get paid government dollars to do it. He was pretty excited about it, and a lot of other people here were supportive of his goal. He didn't pull it off, either; he did his tours in Iraq too, and came back to being our Administrator. Thanks, Rock. I still wish you'd gotten to do it before the Iraq War started. And I'm glad we didn't treat you the way we did this guy. Maybe that was then, and this is now. I hope not.

I'm sorry for this screed, folks, but Rock more than once has mentioned the tendency here to "Wolf Pack" people here, and this is another sad example of it. Yeah, the "herd" may need to be "culled" by wiping out the "weak". But WhiteBlaze isn't a "herd". We don't prey on the weak. That's not who we are.

Russ E. Boltz

You are the one who originally brought up the "jackal" metaphor.
You are entitled to your high opinion of him.
I'm entitled to mine. I think he's using a connection to charity as a means to serve his own ends--like saving his own @$$--it's got nothing to do with charity. I don't happen to like or agree with his methods. As for his prior military service: apparently he forgot something about honor along the way.

One simple rule: Don't announce in public what you don't want commented on.

wcgornto
04-21-2009, 13:07
Marine or not, the first time he points his video camera at me, he won´t be filming any more of his journey.

Lone Wolf
04-21-2009, 13:08
Marine or not, the first time he points his video camera at me, he won´t be filming any more of his journey.

this ain't the "badass" thread :rolleyes:

The Weasel
04-21-2009, 13:35
You are the one who originally brought up the "jackal" metaphor.
You are entitled to your high opinion of him.
I'm entitled to mine. I think he's using a connection to charity as a means to serve his own ends--like saving his own @$$--it's got nothing to do with charity. I don't happen to like or agree with his methods. As for his prior military service: apparently he forgot something about honor along the way.

One simple rule: Don't announce in public what you don't want commented on.

Yes, as I said, your post proves me right: I brought up the "jackal metaphor" and you promptly made it clear you believe in such savaging in terms of "culling the herd" here at WhiteBlaze.

As for my opinion of "Joe," I don't have the information to make it a low one. He's an unemployed vet at risk of losing his house, and you pompously say he should "save his money." As for "honor," well, I'm not sure if you are a Marine, or even a vet. But this man is, and a man who took up his gun and walked across the Kuwaiti border in '03 with an Eagle, Globe and Anchor on his cap deserves better for his dream than the schoolyard bullying that a moderator here on WhiteBlaze seems to think justified. So don't preach about "honor". Just siddown and be grateful that Joe did for you what he did, and if you don't like his freakin' haircut or whatever, well, shut up and cut him some slack.

So go ahead: Try to weasel - and yeah, I know what that term means better than most - out of it, but bullying is bullying, and congratuluations! You all have driven someone away by doing so.

The Weasel

Engine
04-21-2009, 13:37
Boy, for a bunch of "tree huggers", we sure have trouble hugging each other. :D

buff_jeff
04-21-2009, 14:05
Boy, for a bunch of "tree huggers", we sure have trouble hugging each other. :D

There are a lot of angry folks on here.

zoidfu
04-21-2009, 14:47
I like the idea of culling the herd. I've always said that online eugenics are mankind's last hope.

vamelungeon
04-21-2009, 14:52
There are a lot of angry folks on here.
The guy didn't make me angry. I hope he goes on his hike. I love Marines, my son is one. I love vets, I am one, my son is one, my old man is one. I donate money to charities all the time.

But don't tell me you want me to donate money to a charity when it's really going in your pocket, whether it's to pay for your house or whatever.

fraufrack
04-23-2009, 16:31
Chapter 7, 1-5 of Matthew:

"Don't pick on people, jump on their failures, criticize their faults -- unless, of course, you want the same treatment. That critical spirit has a way of boomeranging. It's easy to see a smudge on your neighbor's face and be oblivious to the ugly sneer on your own. Do you have the nerve to say, 'Let me wash your face for you,' when your own face is distorted by contempt? It's this whole traveling road-show mentality all over again, playing a holier-than-thou part instead of just living your part. Wipe that ugly sneer off your own face, and you might be fit to offer a washcloth to your neighbor."

And here are some excerpts from "To Throw the Stone" in Chapter 8 of John, in the Message:

"The religion scholars and Pharisees led in a woman who had been caught in an act of adultery. They stood her in plain sight of everyone and said, 'Teacher, this woman was caught red-handed in the act of adultery. Moses, in the Law, gives orders to stone such persons. What do you say?'

Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger in the dirt. They kept at him, badgering him. He straightened up and said, 'The sinless one among you, go first: Throw the stone.' Bending down again, he wrote some more in the dirt."

Dr O
04-23-2009, 16:45
There's a sucker born every minute - P T Barnum

Rockhound
04-23-2009, 17:41
This thread has got me thinking. I might just start hiking for a charity. Better yet I'll create my own charity. I'll call it "Rockhounds home for wayward young morally flexible hiker chicks. Donations now being accepted.:D Seriously if you want to hike for a charity then great, but every penny raised should go to that charity. By that I mean pay for the hike yourself. Don't use unsuspecting people who think they are helping a cause pay for your hike. Better yet take the $5,000 you'll spend on the hike and donate it directly. Save some time. Or match donations if you feel that strongly about the cause. I urge everybody to be careful about what charities they support. They are businesses that prey on the kindness and laziness of others. People that would love to help to make themselves feel better but are too lazy to do anything other than write a check. Many charities can legally keep 80% to 90% of the money they raise. Other not so legal charities keep it all. I would not give any money to a person with a sob story who just lost a job saying he is representing xyz charity. I have worked for a Disabled American Veterans charity that kept most of the monies raised. I've sold timeshare. I've sold campground memberships. I've sold cars. You can not con a con and something just does not smell right about this supposed charity. Please provide more details and prove me wrong.

Rockhound
04-23-2009, 17:49
any % of money going to this guys mortgage is just wrong. Pay for your own f@#$ing house.

DAJA
04-23-2009, 18:00
any % of money going to this guys mortgage is just wrong. Pay for your own f@#$ing house.

It's a shame that banks don't have to follow this advise... Public money should be used for public needs.

EverydayJourneyman
04-23-2009, 18:02
. Better yet take the $5,000 you'll spend on the hike and donate it directly. Save some time. Or match donations if you feel that strongly about the cause.

Well, ideally you would benefit from the hike and the charity would benefit from the hike. Removing one from another isn't very helpful. I've spent $1,727.94 on my thru-hike thus far, however on Habitat for Humanity's end they hope to raise an amount many times that amount.

A good rule of thumb is that the money should always go directly to the charity. When you start talking about portions, it's an issue.

The Weasel
04-23-2009, 18:12
Chapter 7, 1-5 of Matthew:

"Don't pick on people, jump on their failures, criticize their faults -- unless, of course, you want the same treatment. That critical spirit has a way of boomeranging. It's easy to see a smudge on your neighbor's face and be oblivious to the ugly sneer on your own. Do you have the nerve to say, 'Let me wash your face for you,' when your own face is distorted by contempt? It's this whole traveling road-show mentality all over again, playing a holier-than-thou part instead of just living your part. Wipe that ugly sneer off your own face, and you might be fit to offer a washcloth to your neighbor."

And here are some excerpts from "To Throw the Stone" in Chapter 8 of John, in the Message:

"The religion scholars and Pharisees led in a woman who had been caught in an act of adultery. They stood her in plain sight of everyone and said, 'Teacher, this woman was caught red-handed in the act of adultery. Moses, in the Law, gives orders to stone such persons. What do you say?'

Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger in the dirt. They kept at him, badgering him. He straightened up and said, 'The sinless one among you, go first: Throw the stone.' Bending down again, he wrote some more in the dirt."


If this comes from a bound and printed version, I'm buying it.

Thanks.

TW

gravityman
04-23-2009, 18:37
Did read the whole thread, but is any one else wondering how one becomes an financial executive recruiter one year our of the marines?

Doesn't sounds like he had that much experience before doing that, he only did it for less than one year, and now he claims he can't find a job in that area, so he needs to hike?

Maybe he should try a different career? It's not like he had that much time invested.

Maybe a road construction worker, seems like a lot of that going on these days...

G

Bearpaw
04-23-2009, 18:49
Did read the whole thread, but is any one else wondering how one becomes an financial executive recruiter one year our of the Marines?

Could be a fancy title with not that much meat to it.

Could be he was a reservist who got called back to full time in 2003 and finally retired from the reserves last year.

BTW, I fixed that typo in your quote where you forgot to capitalize "Marines". http://hikinghq.net/forum/images/smilies3/flag-marines.gif ;)

Dr O
04-23-2009, 19:24
There's a sucker born every minute - P T Barnum

Oh heck, I should have used something from the bible. If I remember correctly, even Jesus couldn't keep his cool when people tried to profit from charity.

Erin
04-23-2009, 20:37
Weasel said..'I don't spit on them (the military), you all did."
Aren't you stereotyping people on this site?

Have you not not heard about people that claim a military background to take advantage of others? Or the tiny percent of military that lose honor after service? Terry McVey comes to mind, unfortunately.
I hope Joe does his hike and keeps his promises but the thing smells funny. He put this out on a public forum and should expect responses. I doubt the internet will crush his plans, if he is being honest about them.
Please check a charity out first. Or don't. You are absolutely right that it is your money and you can do whatever you want. I hope you have already sent him a big fat check. I really hope that it goes to charity and that you are not filing a complaint in a year with the authorities.
This is not personal. But you are out of line when you make assumptions about MY feelings about veterans. You are dead wrong on that. And I have been unemployed before and I am not a Marine. I am assuming you are a vet that got angry by some of the responses, including mine. If so, that is ok, you are entitled to your opinion and if you are a vet, in any capacity, I thank you for your service to our country.

Bearpaw
04-23-2009, 22:37
I am assuming you are a vet that got angry by some of the responses, including mine. If so, that is ok, you are entitled to your opinion and if you are a vet, in any capacity, I thank you for your service to our country.

Weasel never served.

Nearly Normal
04-24-2009, 09:30
Trail runners or boots?
Taking shelter or sheltering?
UL or heavy?
Dog or no dog?
Booze or Dope?
Blue blazing or not?
Hostels or hotels?
Hiking poles or not?
Hanging food or sleeping with it?
Pistol or blowgun?
Canister or alcohol?
Mail drops or winging it?
Filter or drinking it straight?
Cellphone or not?
Maps or not?
HYOH or following the crowd?
Gaiters or not?
Rain suit or umbrella?

~Ronin~
04-24-2009, 10:24
Wait, I thought this whole thing was revealed as a scam a few pages ago. He wrote on his site that he got offered a job that he was going to take, and said something like, "I don't know how I'll have time for my hike....Maybe a series of weekend hikes over a few years."

I seriously doubt he ever intended to start the hike, let alone finish it. I don't even necessarily think he was trying to scam money for his charity cause. I think the scam was that he was more or less trying to use this story as a way to find a new job. Correct me if I'm wrong.

DAJA
04-24-2009, 10:43
Wait, I thought this whole thing was revealed as a scam a few pages ago. He wrote on his site that he got offered a job that he was going to take, and said something like, "I don't know how I'll have time for my hike....Maybe a series of weekend hikes over a few years."

I seriously doubt he ever intended to start the hike, let alone finish it. I don't even necessarily think he was trying to scam money for his charity cause. I think the scam was that he was more or less trying to use this story as a way to find a new job. Correct me if I'm wrong.

Thats what i've gotten out of it as well. This whole thing was a creative way to seek employment... And it appears to have worked... Yay, another win for shameless self promotion at the expense of others... Whoever hired him must be a class act... Probably AIG or someother useless multi national...

The Weasel
04-24-2009, 14:15
Weasel said..'I don't spit on them (the military), you all did."
Aren't you stereotyping people on this site?

Have you not not heard about people that claim a military background to take advantage of others? Or the tiny percent of military that lose honor after service? Terry McVey comes to mind, unfortunately.
I hope Joe does his hike and keeps his promises but the thing smells funny. He put this out on a public forum and should expect responses. I doubt the internet will crush his plans, if he is being honest about them.
Please check a charity out first. Or don't. You are absolutely right that it is your money and you can do whatever you want. I hope you have already sent him a big fat check. I really hope that it goes to charity and that you are not filing a complaint in a year with the authorities.
This is not personal. But you are out of line when you make assumptions about MY feelings about veterans. You are dead wrong on that. And I have been unemployed before and I am not a Marine. I am assuming you are a vet that got angry by some of the responses, including mine. If so, that is ok, you are entitled to your opinion and if you are a vet, in any capacity, I thank you for your service to our country.

Erin:

No, I didn't lump everyone in together. Just those who, without knowing this man, treated him like crap, including, to be blunt, your comments above in which - sight unseen - you imply that he may be among those who have "lost their honor" along with Tim McVeigh. I don't know you, either, so I can't say, "You're a nasty person who jumps to conclusions and hurts people needlessly," and I hope you're not. But words here can hurt, and those of many people here did so. They trashed a dream of someone they don't know. This is not the first time that it has happened with almost exactly the same kind of situation, and I know at least one person who was terribly excited about going on the trail and frankly quit because he didn't want to hang out with people like those here.

No, I'm not a veteran. But I honor those who were by not prejudging them and assuming that they must have "lost their honor" to do something that I don't fully understand.

This is a tragic thread, and I'm ashamed that it is part of WhiteBlaze.

TW

EverydayJourneyman
04-24-2009, 14:24
= They trashed a dream of someone they don't know.

I don't know if dream is the right word. In any case, he seems to be doing quite well via his Twitter posts



Interviewing with a company outside of the staffing industry...very interesting role and organization. Wild world we live in isn't it
3:04 PM Apr 22nd from web

Heading out to pick up my uniform from the dry cleaner and get my haircut for Alumni Mess Night back to the high and tight. Semper fi
9:45 AM Apr 17th from web

2 interviews now from firms who found the site 1 SVP and 1 Exec Dir role. The power of marketing on the internet is amazing! Not sure where the AT will fall in maybe day hikes over a few years? I have to be flexible
2:39 PM Apr 16th from web

A company found my site and called me in for an interview today. One problem they are not willing to wait for me to hike the AT whats next?
4:44 PM Apr 15th from web

DAJA
04-24-2009, 14:26
Erin:

No, I didn't lump everyone in together. Just those who, without knowing this man, treated him like crap, including, to be blunt, your comments above in which - sight unseen - you imply that he may be among those who have "lost their honor" along with Tim McVeigh. I don't know you, either, so I can't say, "You're a nasty person who jumps to conclusions and hurts people needlessly," and I hope you're not. But words here can hurt, and those of many people here did so. They trashed a dream of someone they don't know. This is not the first time that it has happened with almost exactly the same kind of situation, and I know at least one person who was terribly excited about going on the trail and frankly quit because he didn't want to hang out with people like those here.

No, I'm not a veteran. But I honor those who were by not prejudging them and assuming that they must have "lost their honor" to do something that I don't fully understand.

This is a tragic thread, and I'm ashamed that it is part of WhiteBlaze.

TW

The only tragidy I see here is a guy that essentially is attempted to use the internet in a panhandling scheme under the guise of charity to pay his morgage and find a job... The only difference between this dude and a panhandler, is a panhandler at least has the courage to ask you for money face to face... It's a shame he lost his job, and his home was at risk, but there are more honerable ways to deal with the situation than go on a hike and expect others to pay for it.

The Weasel
04-24-2009, 14:47
Gosh, DAJA, a guy is upfront and open about what he hopes to do, and why. He does something that others have done, including some on this site who are valued and respected. He tells the truth, as he sees it, or at least no one here has shown anything to be false. Oh, and he is a Marine, and proud of it. So you get to call him names, and Erin gets to liken him to a terrorist and mass killer. It must be wonderful to be as good, and pure, and special, and "honerable" as you are who don't have "tragidy" in their lives.

Glad you never sought a scholarship to college. I mean, after all, that would be "panhandling" to do something neat, like education, "and expect others to pay for it. And I'm so glad you're not like those scum who apply for scholarships by mail, since they lack "the courage to ask for money face to face." Yeah, sucks to be people like them, instead of really perfect people like you and Erin, huh?

Me, I think I like Joe. He's working hard to get a job. He's proud of being a Marine. He wants to do the AT one way or another. Good for him. Hope I meet him some day. You, on the other hand, and Erin, I can wait a little longer to ever see.

Yeah..."and Jesus wrote in the dirt so more."

TW

Rockhound
04-24-2009, 15:40
The guy wants to raise money for charity then take some of that money to pay for his house. Is this not correct? How much more do I need to know before I can call this guy a scumbag? Military background or not this is a sleazy thing to do.

DAJA
04-24-2009, 17:58
Gosh, DAJA, a guy is upfront and open about what he hopes to do, and why. He does something that others have done, including some on this site who are valued and respected. He tells the truth, as he sees it, or at least no one here has shown anything to be false. Oh, and he is a Marine, and proud of it. So you get to call him names, and Erin gets to liken him to a terrorist and mass killer. It must be wonderful to be as good, and pure, and special, and "honerable" as you are who don't have "tragidy" in their lives.

Glad you never sought a scholarship to college. I mean, after all, that would be "panhandling" to do something neat, like education, "and expect others to pay for it. And I'm so glad you're not like those scum who apply for scholarships by mail, since they lack "the courage to ask for money face to face." Yeah, sucks to be people like them, instead of really perfect people like you and Erin, huh?

Me, I think I like Joe. He's working hard to get a job. He's proud of being a Marine. He wants to do the AT one way or another. Good for him. Hope I meet him some day. You, on the other hand, and Erin, I can wait a little longer to ever see.

Yeah..."and Jesus wrote in the dirt so more."

TW


Scholarships are earned, and when put to use for education benifit us all...

When fundraising, people donating for your cause do it to benifit the organization your representing, they don't expect that the fundraiser gets to take a cut first then give whatever is left over to the organization.

I am far from perfect, but I do know whats right is right and whats wrong is wrong, and this whole affair is just so saddly wrong... But thats my opinion..

Tell you what, rather than sit here and tell all of us how treaturous we all are, why not walk your walk and go make a donation to this fella... I'm sure he'd be thrilled for you to slap down a few hundred bucks on his morgage for him...

Not sure what Jesus has to say about this, never met the man, hope'n maybe I do someday.. Bet the dude smokes some smooth grass...

The Weasel
04-24-2009, 18:26
Scholarships are simply given; they're a gift like any other kindness. No one has a "right" to them any more than Joe has a "right" to money from me. And if I choose to give, or not, that doesn't mean he is any more, or less, entitled to the common decency of not being attacked, any more than those who are unable to attend college should be vilified as "worthless poor" - which they aren't, but which, in the past, they were called.

My donation? I don't tell you, or many, what I do or don't contribute, nor do I criticize those with whom I disagree for their soliciting funds. Jesus? Well, if you haven't met him, when you do you'll realize that the "Writing in the dirt" story was about people not judging others when they aren't perfect themselves. It's printed in an earlier post. Go read it.

Joe? Perhaps you're reading this. Do what you think is best, and I hope one day to meet you on the Trail. Don't let these people make you think they're typical of the Trail Community. They're not. Thank God.

TW

TW

DAJA
04-24-2009, 19:07
So are scholarships different in the States than in Canada? Up here scholarships are often donations put in trust, often in memory of someone and their particular interest, and always attached to some form of achievement such as academic, sport or otherwise.. And yes I got a few, but mainly I got student loans... Lots and lots of student loans... It's the only debt I have, but what better to invest in than myself, right... It's good too, cause like Joe, I too am being layed off next month.. It would be great to spend that time in between doing a thru, but unfortunately, EI can't pay for my debt and a hike... Oh wait, perhaps I could just ask for donations...

Ok folks, i'm hitting the trail June 01, heading SOBO, my EI will cover my monthy student loan payment but won't leave enough to provide for me on the trail. I expect my monthly expenses on the trail to run around $500.00/month... I'll accept check or Cash... Much abliged!

Darwin again
04-24-2009, 19:09
Corporate Joe likened hikers to cutthroat bankers.
That should tell you all you need to know.

The guy is a con man who spins webs of lies to enrich himself and others. He tried to bring that culture here and he got roasted, then eaten with melted butter on garlic toast.

Nothing wrong with that.
And so it goes...

Darwin again
04-24-2009, 20:29
Weasel never served.

Thank you, service police.
Not that it matters a whit in the context of this thread. :-?

(We have a cased casket flag here at the house, btw, since that kind of thing seems to matter to you.)

SteveJ
04-24-2009, 20:55
<clip>The guy is a con man who spins webs of lies to enrich himself and others. <clip>

Personally, I disagree with that assessment. My perspective is that Joe set a plan in place to re-start a career (a post-hike one based on speaking and a book), with the hope that the plan itself would get attention and give him career opportunities that he would not have otherwise had (which appears to have worked).

As the OP, I thought Joe's hike would be interesting to watch from several perspectives:

* would he really be able to get enough people to sponsor him on his hike to meet his goals;
* who his not-for-profit partner would be, and what that relationship would be;
* as a corp exec. type, would he be really be able to "let go" enough to do a 6 month hike (as a thrice downsized MBA management type, now a classroom middle school teacher, I thought this would be a big challenge for him);
* how he would be received by the online "hiking community;"
* would Joe be willing to take suggestions here to improve his chances of implementing his plan (which he appeared to be willing to do);
* whether he would be successful in restarting a career based on a book and speaking engagements.

Joe has made it pretty clear that he will probably not be doing a thru- this year. Personally, I wish him the best. Since he won't be doing a hike, and there isn't much interesting to see here (and I have to agree with TW, the piling on here has been unseemly), as the OP, I request that the thread be closed.

Steve

sheepdog
04-24-2009, 21:28
The guy wants to raise money for charity then take some of that money to pay for his house. Is this not correct? How much more do I need to know before I can call this guy a scumbag? Military background or not this is a sleazy thing to do.
Just about every charity takes money for expenses. Often some of that money goes to a CEO and staff so they can pay their mortgages.

EverydayJourneyman
04-24-2009, 21:32
Just about every charity takes money for expenses. Often some of that money goes to a CEO and staff so they can pay their mortgages.

There's a difference between a charity using some of the funds for operational costs and a person advertising a charity fundraiser where a portion goes to the charity and the rest to him or herself.

sheepdog
04-24-2009, 21:36
There's a difference between a charity using some of the funds for operational costs and a person advertising a charity fundraiser where a portion goes to the charity and the rest to him or herself.
What is the differance between staff getting a salary (which they use to pay their mortgages and buy groceries) working for a charity, and the dude paying his mortgage? Just call it his salary.

EverydayJourneyman
04-24-2009, 21:44
What is the differance between staff getting a salary (which they use to pay their mortgages and buy groceries) working for a charity, and the dude paying his mortgage? Just call it his salary.

Quite a bit actually

For starters, unless the person actually works for the 501(c)(3), he shouldn't be recouping any direct financial gain from said fundraiser. I discussed this with Joe at some length and he agreed. If you later want to do a circuit of lectures, book tours, etc, and include in your materials that you did a charity hike, that's completely acceptable and expected.

But you're going to a charity fundraiser, those funds raised should go to the charity, which will allocate those funds as needed. Whether its for raw materials or light bills, it goes to the charity.

Most proper charity organizations have full-disclosure as to how the money from fundraisers is spent.