John Corrado: You’re right, and I apologize. I read your comments following the thread hijacking about which I teased some of the other posters in this thread. My “I’ll turn this thread around” was a lighthearted continuation of Flypsyde’s exhortation to return the thread to its subject lest “manny reaches into the backseat and wallops us.” But you weren’t part of that, so there’s no reason you should have made the connection. Sorry again.
Everyone else: On advice of counsel, my “proposal” in this thread is closed. Please read further or email me for more detail.
Phaedrus: I have consulted with counsel on this issue. Although it pains me to be unable to share the money as I had hoped (and my spirit was not as malevolent as my phrasing on that subject), I accept in a general sense your condition that I not share the proceeds with other board members.
However, I cannot of course agree to the exact language of your earlier post that “NO ONE on this board receive a single penny and have the paperwork use language that not only will expressly forbid you from handing out money to other members but will include a fine well in excess of $10,000.00 if you do.” I understand that you posted that in some haste and probably don’t mean it exactly as you said it, but just in case I’ll ask you to rethink how you phrase that.
Here’s why: I cannot forbid myself the opportunity to engage in any financial transaction (whether by gift or otherwise) with 4,000 strangers. I have bought dinner for some of the New York crowd (no one in this present controversy), and may do so again (although next time, they’re buying!). I may engage in transactions with members of this board who are involved in the present controversy on issues unrelated to the matter at hand. Most importantly, I may in the future engage in a transaction with a member in the course of my employ, with or without knowledge that the person is a member here. If my employers (or regulators, for that matter) found out that I had agreed to such a thing, the loss to me would far exceed $10,000. Indeed, because of the nature of my work, it is quite possible that I am already involved in financial dealings with one or more members, however indirectly.
So when you have your attorneys draw up the papers, please reinforce your statement that “The instructions will be simple and will not include anything unreasonable on your part. I will not set up all kinds of hoops for you to jump through.” I can only be prohibited from sharing the proceeds of the Challenge, and that absent a specific reference to the Challenge, the assets become co-mingled with mine and then become as disposable as any of my assets.
Since my email server seems to be spotty (that’s the most charitable term I can use), please feel free to post here. I give up some privacy that way, but it reinforces your view that the net is (or ought to be) every bit as real as other forms of communication. In addition, please let me know whether you prefer to complete the transaction by wire or by check (You said “cash” but I know you meant the UCC sense as opposed to the currency sense).
I for one am excited that this remarkable event seems about to transpire.
Livin’ on Tums, vitamin E and Rogaine
