Interesting piece on Livestrong

[jimbob_in_co]

Thank you for sharing. Unfortunately, Lance is not alone in this kind of behavior. Most A-list celebrities have similar charitable foundations that bear their names. It allows them to get their friends and relatives on the payroll, and allows them to shelter a significant percentage of their own personal lifestyle choices from taxation. It also serves as a way to "stay relevant" in the media when you've otherwise "got no game" (such as retirement, between films, between albums/tours, etc).

In-between projects but still want to get press-hits? Go visit a hospital.

Odds of Lance visiting a hospital room of a little kid with no cameras or reporters present?: 0:1

I know BB, Armstrong is hardly alone in this 'doing friends a favor' behavior. I've seen that firsthand other places as well. I was not trying to single him out.

Still I do believe there are a couple celebrity founded organizations (okay, at least one) that focus(es) primarily on helping others, with less 'ego' involved.

 

[Polish]

I figured I'd address something on this forums about which I have some knowledge: working with the Lance Armstrong Foundation.
)

A bit bitter there "jimbob-in-co"...

Let me guess - you are the owner of the "Fausto Copy" print shop in Austin.
And you lost out to Ginny on your bid for the lucrative LAF contract.
Bummer.

But c'mon, partner, dust yourself off and get back on that horse.

Even though Lance has a personal GNP of Continental Proportion, that does not mean that your contribution is mostly meaningless.

 

[JMBeaushrimp]

Ahhh... This is why I lurk... It's sort of like gold-panning, lots of work but every now and then you get some goods.

This (potential LAF implossion) reminds me of something. Anyone remember the start of the 'Adbusters' magazine? It was founded on a bunch of disgruntled marketing and advertising guys who were fed up (and disenfranchised) with the use of their giant brains to ***** their talent towards getting stupid people to buy useless things.

I sense a LAF diaspora coming to the fore... Maybe it's time for a new magazine.

I'm voting for 'Ballbusters'...

 

[jimbob_in_co]

A bit bitter there "jimbob-in-co"...

Let me guess - you are the owner of the "Fausto Copy" print shop in Austin.
And you lost out to Ginny on your bid for the lucrative LAF contract.
Bummer.

But c'mon, partner, dust yourself off and get back on that horse.

Even though Lance has a personal GNP of Continental Proportion, that does not mean that your contribution is mostly meaningless.

At least I now feel proper initiated. I've done been 'Polish-ed'.

Care to reflect on the facts I presented re: 2006 and LAF fundraising, "Mr. Santa Christmas Poo Icon"?

 

[BotanyBay]

I was never an employee, just a sucker who gave a fair amount of my time and money. As for disgruntled, I'm guilty as charged.

Jimbob. Just curious. What "tipped the boat" for you? Why are you here now?

 

[Hugh Januss]

A bit bitter there "jimbob-in-co"...

Let me guess - you are the owner of the "Fausto Copy" print shop in Austin.
And you lost out to Ginny on your bid for the lucrative LAF contract.
Bummer.

But c'mon, partner, dust yourself off and get back on that horse.

Even though Lance has a personal GNP of Continental Proportion, that does not mean that your contribution is mostly meaningless.

Sometimes you are funny other times a blithering idiot, but at no time do you ever manage to make very much sense.

 

[JMBeaushrimp]

Thank you for sharing. Unfortunately, Lance is not alone in this kind of behavior. Most A-list celebrities have similar charitable foundations that bear their names. It allows them to get their friends and relatives on the payroll, and allows them to shelter a significant percentage of their own personal lifestyle choices from taxation. It also serves as a way to "stay relevant" in the media when you've otherwise "got no game" (such as retirement, between films, between albums/tours, etc).

In-between projects but still want to get press-hits? Go visit a hospital.

The scene above is very altruistic of Mr White. Or is it? Would he be there with no cameras present?

Odds of Lance visiting a hospital room of a little kid with no cameras or reporters present?: 0:1

I love ya, BB. But, I'm not sure I can jump on the bandwagon of slamming everyone doing something good (re White playing foos with the little bald kid).

I'd rather reserve judgement until it's so obvious that you'd have to be seriously head-injured to keep buying it.

Unfortunately, no matter how many times I hit myself in the head with a hammer I still can't buy Lance's schtick...

 

[BotanyBay]

I love ya, BB. But, I'm not sure I can jump on the bandwagon of slamming everyone doing something good (re White playing foos with the little bald kid).

I'd rather reserve judgement until it's so obvious that you'd have to be seriously head-injured to keep buying it.

Unfortunately, no matter how many times I hit myself in the head with a hammer I still can't buy Lance's schtick...

I'm not "slamming" them for doing the charitable work, but any of us "regular schmoes" that do such work have nothing "media-related" to gain from it.

That's a tear-jerking shot of White with the kid playing foosball. And you must ask yourself, what if the photographer had to go home, would he keep playing? I'm not saying that he wouldn't, but I'm willing to bet that he's got a foundation of his own.

 

[Polish]

Sometimes you are funny other times a blithering idiot, but at no time do you ever manage to make very much sense.

Lol - my cat feels the same way about me.
She doesn't wear melons on her head however

 

[D-Queued]

Given this is my first post here ("first time caller, long time listener, Mr. King, How are you?") I figured I'd address something on this forums about which I have some knowledge: working with the Lance Armstrong Foundation.

First off, this IS Armstrong's and Stapleton's show. ...

Thanks!

Congrats also for drawing your first snipe so quickly.

Sorry to hear the confirmation from the inside of what is obvious from the outside. Sincerely - given your insider situation.

Thanks to the dot-bomb, there was a perfect site for the insider view. It was incredibly entertaining in its Freemium heyday.

Sorry to say it has stopped posting new content. Otherwise, we would all probably be paying the fee to view the stuff on Livestrong.

From Wikipedia:
F****d Company was a website created by Philip J. "Pud" Kaplan as a "dot-com dead pool"[1] which chronicled failing and troubled companies in its unique and abrasive style after the dot com bust in 2000.[2] The web site also sold rumor listings to subscribers.

The site's name is a parody of Fast Company, a magazine that began covering technology companies during the Internet dot-com boom.

As of August 2007 the site ceased posting new content

Dave.

 

[JMBeaushrimp]

I'm not "slamming" them for doing the charitable work, but any of us "regular schmoes" that do such work have nothing "media-related" to gain from it.

That's a tear-jerking shot of White with the kid playing foosball. And you must ask yourself, what if the photographer had to go home, would he keep playing? I'm not saying that he wouldn't, but I'm willing to bet that he's got a foundation of his own.

I'd like to think that the foos would continue...

My problem is that, according to my wife, I'm 'retardedly optomistic'. I'd like to add 'ridiculously idealistic'.

I don't have enough of a take on White to interpret his altruistic deeds and motivations, so I'll stay mum on that. I think the protagonist of this thread, however, has revealed enough of his true nature to make an accurate call on his motivations and interests.

I'm not sure about White, but I'm fairly certain Armstrong would've bailed. He probably had a date, though...

 

[BotanyBay]

I'm not sure about White, but I'm fairly certain Armstrong would've bailed. He probably had a date, though...

He'd have been 'bangin the pediatric nurse that same night.

 

[BotanyBay]

Thanks to the dot-bomb, there was a perfect site for the insider view. It was incredibly entertaining in its Freemium heyday.
Sorry to say it has stopped posting new content. Otherwise, we would all probably be paying the fee to view the stuff on Livestrong.
Dave.

Oh man, do I remember Pud. I worked in the 'alley'. My company finally had to block access to that site because it was so awesome. Long live Pud!

BTW, Pud was also accused of selling the identities of the tipsters BACK to the ratted-out companies. Pud was the original wikileaks!

 

[Semper Fidelis]

Precisely. The point of this was to make themselves immune from any and all accountability in the public eye. And it's serving its purpose right now as we speak. So if anyone tries to allege fraud or misrepresentation in regards to fund-raising, they can always go back and say "We never said we're about funding research". They can point to the lame PR stunt on the TDF final podium as an "awareness move that directly affected millions".

Clearly, the LAF is an organization that exists to hold events that raise money, so that they'll have the funds needed to hold more events that raise money (and so on):

Those jerseys were so cool. I wonder if they will have them for sale for the public. Please dooooooooooo etc. etc. etc. etc.

That was what I read when they wore them that day. A large majority of people were mesmerized and wanted to buy a freaking jersey. That says all we need to know about what type of "true cycling" fans follow the shack.

 

[Semper Fidelis]

You mean they are both a vast wasteland only inhabited along the coastline?

You do not think we all live on the coastline do you? There is more than a couple large groups of population within the state of Texas.

 

[Semper Fidelis]

A bit bitter there "jimbob-in-co"...

Let me guess - you are the owner of the "Fausto Copy" print shop in Austin.
And you lost out to Ginny on your bid for the lucrative LAF contract.
Bummer.

But c'mon, partner, dust yourself off and get back on that horse.

Even though Lance has a personal GNP of Continental Proportion, that does not mean that your contribution is mostly meaningless.

Ginny is about to have some comp! I am moving Glennies into Austin after the first of the year. I have a place picked out near the Mellow Pelota.

 

[BotanyBay]

You do not think we all like on the coastline do you? There is more than a couple large groups of population within the state of Texas.

 

[Polish]

Ginny is about to have some comp! I am moving Glennies into Austin after the first of the year. I have a place picked out near the Mellow Pelota.

Ginny has a lock on the copy biz....

Maybe "Glennies" should offer "entertainment" options for the LAF.
You know what i'm talkin about....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vppbdf-qtGU
.
..
.

 

[BroDeal]

I tend to think that any charity doing things for "awareness" is a scam. My favorite is when climbers who want to climb Everest but cannot afford it get their expedition sponsored under the guise of awareness for something or other. Then there is the always popular "environmental cleanup" climb where they hire a few Sherpa to haul trash down from the South Col while the Westerners concentrate on topping out.

There is a local guy here who raises money to help Africans. Instead of spending the money on developing water supplies in poor villages or something that would really help, he spends it on awareness. The awareness consists of him competing in triathlons around the world. Last year he did forty plus races. Next year I hear he is signed up for ten M-dot Ironmans. The kicker is that he and his family are on government assistance because he does not have a real job. The douchebag is getting food stamps.

 

[I Watch Cycling In July]

......Lance should recuse himself at every opportunity - and possibly even step off the Board itself when he is receiving such a large personal benefit......

I share your perspective on conflicts of interest in general, although I actually think there is a worse conflict of interest between Lance and LAF than you have listed.

Can I ask if your perspective on conflict of interest is an American one? Not meaning to be personal; it's just that there have been indications from some forum members that conflicts of interest are often* not viewed as seriously in the US as they would be in NZ or the UK.

I'm just trying to get an idea of what the consequences in the States would for LA/LAF if these conflicts of interest were made public, out of idle curiosity.

*trying to avoid gross generalizations that risk "insulting an entire nation"

 

[Semper Fidelis]

I tend to think that any charity doing things for "awareness" is a scam. My favorite is when climbers who want to climb Everest but cannot afford it get their expedition sponsored under the guise of awareness for something or other. Then there is the always popular "environmental cleanup" climb where they hire a few Sherpa to haul trash down from the South Col while the Westerners concentrate on topping out.

There is a local guy here who raises money to help Africans. Instead of spending the money on developing water supplies in poor villages or something that would really help, he spends it on awareness. The awareness consists of him competing in triathlons around the world. Last year he did forty plus races. Next year I hear he is signed up for ten M-dot Ironmans. The kicker is that he and his family are on government assistance because he does not have a real job. The douchebag is getting food stamps.

Well that no doubt put the guy on BB’s “team Jackhole”. This guy you point out is classic. The president of LAF is Doug Ullman and he took awareness all the way to the Himalayan’s to do a awareness ultra marathon.

This next statement or opinion will probably make me very unpopular. I think the same type of folks who support the awareness at the LAF are also the same folks who run a marathon for “charity”. So they do not need to worry with entry fee or in some cases qualifications for a bib number. If it is for charity they are in, and get a trip to Hawaii or wherever for the marathon. STUPID in my opinion. They get a spot on “team Jackhole” also.

 

[BroDeal]

I'm just trying to get an idea of what the consequences in the States would for LA/LAF if these conflicts of interest were made public, out of idle curiosity.

*trying to avoid gross generalizations that risk "insulting an entire nation"

We won't be insulted. After the the economic meltdown, everyone here has accepted that the country is hopelessly corrupt. Conflicts of interest are standard operating procedure.

 

[kurtinsc]

The arrangement was as follows..... a select few Livestrong employees who had arranged the event had their travel paid. The top brass minus Lance Armstrong was paid for. Lance received payment to race in the Tour of Ireland and also received payment from Livestrong to speak at the summit. Delegates had to pay their own way by their own foundations/organisations but food, beverages and a Livestrong goody bag was funded by Livestrong. There were also a small number of “Livestrong Travel Scholarships” places which went to a select few which was airfares and accommodation only. Now for the interesting part. The expenses for the travel came under “Programs” not travel in the accounts thus the 2 million stands.

Link?

No offense Hog, but you have a history of making stuff up and passing it on as fact. (or perhaps passing rumors on as fact)

 

[Dr. Maserati]

Wow, every penny, every drop of water, every trip out the door, every drop of fuel, every facial expression, every word, every turn of the pedals so closely and expertly scrutinised, evaluated, and commented on by the hen house. What would all you girls do with your time is there was no "he who must not be named?"

Marry guys like you of course.

At this point it is difficult to understand what the topic of the thread is. I thought it was about “Interesting piece on Livestrong” the OP says that Lance Armstrong has done more for good than Floyd Landis revelations (confession) ever will.

What it is now,,,is a debate about CN forum members and the main topic of discussion is how these couple of member or members does not have objectivity, can not answer questions and is a hypocrite. This could go on forever correct? Dr. - you and BB tried earlier yesterday to lump me in with this even when it was a sarcastic joke on my part. That just shows how easy some are at jumping the gun to label someone a fanboy, trollcraft, etc.

LAF will never live up to the charity it is seen as because the individual is bigger than the cause. Seems like when given the chance it is all about Lance and not about the charity. That should be opposite. In my opinion.

Right idea- but the wrong way round.

Miloman is the one who wished not to discuss the issues - me, I am happy to look through everything. Which is why I may not agree with someone like 'kurtinsc' but I respect their view and do appreciate their posts and that they debate the points.

I was highlighting to 'Martin' not to engage with Miloman as he was now only interested in making it personal and bringing in things that no-one had said - it is not the first thread that they have done that on.

I know that I certainly did not call you a troll or a fanboy - as quite simply I do not call anyone a troll or a fanboy.
I didn't know (nor care) if it was sarcastic - I just used your leadout to tie the whole process together, because up until then it had not been addressed and it was a fair point. Peace.

 

[jimbob_in_co]

This next statement or opinion will probably make me very unpopular. I think the same type of folks who support the awareness at the LAF are also the same folks who run a marathon for “charity”. So they do not need to worry with entry fee or in some cases qualifications for a bib number. If it is for charity they are in, and get a trip to Hawaii or wherever for the marathon. STUPID in my opinion. They get a spot on “team Jackhole” also.

I think you are absolutely correct Glenn. Too many 'athlete fundraisers' do these things with the 'free trip'/'registration fee waiver' being much too important to them. These people are doing it for the wrong reasons and overall not really helping the charities in question in the big picture.
"Donate $395 more dollars and I get a free trip to X!", blah.

I also believe that many other people feel this way; but speak up about it, even on WWW forums, and you are labeled an 'evil hater, athletic purist snob who HATES these charities'.

Sure I've run many marathons, and pedaled hundreds of miles to raise money for NPOs. I've always paid my own way for all expenses and/or donated a VAST majority of the total monetary funds raised, out of my own pocket.