Dear Larry Tarlin...aka Baltimore Jack

[Lion King]

You are an ass.

I have let things go for a long time.
You called my wife (now ex) a Towel head (remember crayfish valley right north of Atkins?)...which shows how red your neck is as well as how ignorant you are. Egyptians arent towelheads...ass.
I walked away from that even though other hikers who were there stated they would have dropped you like a bad habit.

You insisted on chewing and cursing me out this year in hot springs for something someone else said...the Rabbit invite to the camping area, and the person whom invited them was sitting right there and Denied it...which makes me angry as well.
Again, even though you were being a total jerk...I walked away.

Every year since I have been out I have had to hear other hikers I meet telling me..."Oh you're Lion King, well we meet Baltimore Jack and he was chewing you a new ass...blah blah blah..."
and it goes on till today.

Now, at Trail Days, I really at first wanted to put you in your place, but I let it go...it wasnt the place...but dude...

I have had so many people coming up to me this year, as well as every other year, and telling me of how you constantly bad mouth me...and I aint really like a lot of the other hikers you do that to...I will only listen to it so much.

Now, my film, which is a basic emotional show about what it is like to be out here on the AT...my version, how I feel about it, what I feel it does to you, good and bad...it is called WALKING WITH FREEDOM, not "THE WORLD ACCORDING TO JACK," which you in your holier then thou ways seem to think everyone should live.

In Glencliff last year, you said people would question my integrity because I didnt hike every inch of the trail..the only thing or person who has a problem with it is YOU and all those people...from M Janets to Duncannon this week...who have seen it and enjoy it, they tell me of how much you bad mouth me while they are trying to enjoy it.

I cant talk to you in person about this as you are loud and obnoxious to the point of being sickening, and you do not listen to a thing anyone else has to say...and that is common knowledge out here.

How I, or any person out here hikes is their business, you seem to like to tear people apart when they arent around, well screw you you drunk ass, you deserve the slap I heard you got this past week, and more.

I hike because I love it, I am out here alot ---blue blazing /aqua blazing /and yes YELLOW BLAZING (Shudder)...and for that I have to have the one place of peaceful life I enjoy destroyed because you have to run your fat mouth about everything and be insulting, and it gets back, and I got news for you...those people who come around and share what you say...they dont like you...at all.

Grow up man, HYOH, and if you cant say something nice, go home...if you have hiked this many times you should have gotten what this trail and this journey is about...but it is obvious with every person I meet who has dealt with you that you dont have an inkling about what it means to be a decent person.

Run your mouth all you want Larry, but keep me out of it, because it always comes back.

I just want to hike and be happy, please allow me that.

[jeepcj258]

HOLY COW! Somebody get the popcorn!
:eek:

[Ridge]

:eek: YEA, and don't forget the Gummy Bears :eek:

[TJ aka Teej]

if you cant say something nice, go home.
"Th' reason he's got so much advice to give t'others is coz'n he ain't never used none on his own self." - 'Razmus

[Sly]

What's the old purist saying, "hike your own hike as long as you do it my way?" :rolleyes:

[Lone Wolf]

A Dr. Phil or Oprah intervention is in order. BTW, IMO Lion King's vid is the best out there.

[Sly]

BTW, IMO Lion King's vid is the best out there.

Although I haven't seen them all, I thought WWF was a great flick. Do I care if he kissed every white blaze during the filming? Not in the least.

[Youngblood]

Although I haven't seen them all, I thought WWF was a great flick. Do I care if he kissed every white blaze during the filming? Not in the least.My sentiments also.

Youngblood

[smokymtnsteve]

A Dr. Phil or Oprah intervention is in order. BTW, IMO Lion King's vid is the best out there.

perhaps our homeboy OrangeBug could head the intervention, :datz

[FatMan]

Hey Lion King....

Don't hold back, tell us what you really think.:bse

[smokymtnsteve]

Oh Baltimore will love this.

[neo]

i like baltimore jack,he is a great guy,:cool: neo

[The Old Fhart]

Wow! :eek: Jack doesn't like the AMC or WWF. I just gotta see this film now! :D

[Moxie00]

I hope this doesn't drive Baltimore jack to drink.

[Jack Tarlin]

Geez, I was out doing Trail magic and driving hikers around all day.....what a nice surprise at the end of the day.

I'm not going to say much here, Mike. I'm hitting the Trail tomorrow, and won't be back on the Internet for several weeks. So this is my last comment on this matter for awhile:

Sorry you're so peevish. Too many mooched beverages?

And you're right. I don't think much of your film, tho I've NEVER commented on this on the Internet, even when requested to do so. (Anyone that doubts this can check any of the numerous posts here or on other Trail websites that discuss recent Trail movies....I defy ANYONE to produce a negative comment I've made about Mike or his film on this site or any other. Mike seems to think I have this weird pathological obsession against himand his film; he's gravely mistaken. I really couldn't give a rat's ass. He himself has shamelessly plugged and shilled his film here around 65 times, but I defy himtoshow one of his posts that I responed negatively to, or attacked his picture. For one on such a desperate mission to submarine his film, one might think it odd I never used the Internet, no?

In fact, Mike, other than the occasional off-hand comment to hikers who've directly asked me about your film, I haven't discussed it anywhere near as much as you evidently seem to think I have. Believe it ot not, I generally have other things on my mind.

If you really WANT me to discuss your picture on the Internet, Mike, I will. Even tho I never have. If you want me to discuss the manifest flaws and dishonesty of the film, Mike (in that it portrays your hike in 2003 as a thru-hike when we all know it was anything but)....if you want me to discuss this, Mike, I'll be happy to do so. Remember, I usedta get paid for reviewing movies. This one, tho, I'll happily do for free....if that's what you want.

Your letter left a lot out, Mike,like a few simple facts: For several years, I've cautioned you (privately, I might add) about your extraordinary history of fudging and exaggerating your hiking resume, and that how people who knew better thought it was pretty silly. I told you thisto your face (and not on a computer forum)that I thought your behavior was wrong, that it was eliciting comment,and that it was hurting your good name.

You didn't listen.

I've been on the Trail since mid-March, Mike. I've encountered countless hikers who related stories of you telling them of your numerous (three...four, whatever) thru-hikes. We all know this is nonsense. To be perfectly frank, I rather doubt you've hiked the Trail in its entirety once,never mind numerous times. Unfortunately, you've adopted the attitude that a lie told frequently enough will pass un-noticed.

In short, you're a bull**** artist of the first order. Anyone who doubts this need only check out the liner copy of your picture, where it invites folks to share "the adventures, pain joy and intereactions of Michael Thomas Daniel as he traverses the Eastern Seaboard on foot along the 2,173 mile Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine."

Time for a reality check and a wake-up, Lyin' King.

1. You didn't thru-hike in 2003. Nice use of the word traverse, but we both know how much you hiked that year. And so do lots of other folks.
2. You didn't travel on foot. You out-Brysoned Bryson.
3. You can talk all you want in the film andelsewhere about the Trail....you can have all the shots you wantof Amicalola Falls,your rapture on "reaching" the 2000-milemark,and the tearful,carefully staged shot of you embracing the Katahdin sign at journey's end.

But your trip was fraudulent, as is much of your film. Your film has been assiduously and carfully presented as a vivid re-creation of a 2003 thru-hike. We both know that it was anything but. However, instead of raising your concerns in private correspondence, you evidently seem to want lots of folks to know about our disagreement. Well now they know. Are you happy?

Wanna keep going? Want me to print your well-planted "news releases" of your film's screening out West, where you also mis-represented your film, its history, and your own? You want me to send those along,Mike?

Geez, this is ridiculous. And if you've had grave concernes about this for months, you certainly didn't have the gumption to mention it to me the last time I saw you, at Thomas Knob Shelter a few weeks ago. My most conspicuous memory of this occasion was my comment to you, after you'd bummed three cigarettes in two hours, was that fine tobacco products are freely available for sale all across this great nation. Oh, and if you dispute this occurence or dialogue,I can produce the names of some of the folks present.

Damn, enough of this. I didn't start this nonsense,nor did I desire it. Have I discussed your film with others? Yup. Absolutely. Have I answered people's direct questions when asked what I thought of it? Yup. Absolutely. Have I gone out of my way to take every available opportunity to hurt your reputation, damage sales of the film, sully your character or your hiking credentials?

No I have not, and we both know it. This is, as I said,the first time I have spoken publicly at length on the Internet about your picture. Fact is,Mike,I have been at great pains NOT to go after you or your film,and that was because up until about fifteen minutes ago, I kind of liked you. You're something of a rogue, true,but I always rather liked you.

Anyway, gotta go. This will be my last comment on this matter for at least several weeks,as I'm off to do some hiking.(And no car support, either). How-
ever,if you persist inyour personal attacks, I'll have no choice but to respond with adetailed accounnt of my qualms with your motionpicture. If this is what you really want,Mike, youneed only ask.

If you wish todiscuss this matter further, Mike, you know how to find me. If you wish to discuss this further on the Internet,well that's fine,too, tho I don't thinkthat would be to your benefit, unlessof course, you think letters such as this one somehow elevate you. But in case I'mmistakenand you want to continue this, I'll be happy toaccomodate you....if you really want a shot-by-shot discussion of your film, with detailed analysis of itshistorical and geographical errors, its manifest flaws, its obviously fake or re-created scenes....wll, if this is what you really want,you need only let me know.

But to be truthful, I don't have the several hours available to do justice to the taskof totally debunking and stripping the artificial bark off your little picture.

I'm gonna go hiking. I hope you're pleased with initiating this thread and forcing me to clearly state what I'd been very coy about discussing previously.

Let the record show that this thread,and this unfortunate airing of dirty cinematic linen was not initiated by me.

Final comment: Before the screening of your movie this weekend (which I did
nothing to discourage,and actually encouraged many folksto see), I joked to several hikers present in Duncannon that we were actually scrapping the screening of your film in order to instead present the central Pennsylvania premiereof the new edition of "Girls Gone Wild."

Guess which flick got the most votes? I guess artificially inflated bosoms have more appeal than an artificially created hiking career.

And on that note, I'm leaving for the Trail.

[SGT Rock]

Closing this thread, the reason:

USELESS