The Jam Cruise Forum

i'm just really NOT into drum circles. they are usually poorly-executed, self-indulgent, and obnoxious. i'm not saying don't do it, but PLEASE be courteous when choosing a time and place. just because you're fucked up and have a drum (or tambourine or some noisy-ass belt or clappy hands) doesn't mean anybody else wants or needs to listen to you. i don't pay to go on JC for the amateurs. sorry. you can get that crap at any other festival on the planet. JC is for the pros.


ps - there is a very big difference between raffling something something off and giving it away.

pps - if your foundation seemed legit, i'd seriously consider contributing, but i gotta be honest. This...



...sounds like a way for wooks to help other wooks be wooks. maybe i'm an asshole and/or a cynic. i just don't see your vision.

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Shredding the high seas since 2007

Then I must need help-

WHat's the difference- Cause I am giving away the money- and raffling the drum.

PS- My 5th cruise-I am a pro

pps-THERE IS NO FOUNDATION YET- that is the point-

I am not worried- people who are interested will dig furthur- Those who are not- will keep doing their lives.
and wooks will help wooks...
Look what Bush did

People are buying raffle tix for a chance to win the drum. To say that you're giving it away would imply (in my head at least) that no money is changing hands... but maybe I'm just being a stickler on that one.

FWIW, I did dig further. I get that you're using the money raised to get the foundation off the ground, but the stated goals are vague at best and the strategy for achieving them is completely unstated. After reading that whole page AND checking out the festival family website AND the foundation's facebook page, I still have no idea where exactly the money is going. In fact, I couldn't even find anything on the festival family website that mentioned the foundation.

I can't speak for anyone else, but I've always thought the most important thing about getting people to donate to a cause is transparency. People want to know what they're helping to accomplish. I'd wager that plays a part in getting 501(c) status as well. I'm really not trying to be a dick about this, but you could really be doing a better job selling this whole thing. I never really liked the whole marketing ideology either, but you have to get people to "feel" that a "need" exists here, and that your organization is the one to help fulfill it. As much as your life story resonates with you and those close to you, I really don't think it's going to help you raise much money. Maybe it's just me (and odman). I wish you the best of luck.


Maybe I just really dont like drum circles... especially the ones that never go anywhere and last all night... right next to your campsite. Definitely not a "pro" move in my book, but I might be an asshole.

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Shredding the high seas since 2007

Q4T, well said the raffle vs free distinction is that you ARE "selling" the drum as money is being collected - value received for product. The fact that you say you are donating the proceeds of the raffle to a yet-to-be-created non-profit Foundation doesn't change that fact.

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coming soon...

It was a pretty bad drum circle

At the risk of being kicked off again as a spammer... Here is a link to a ROUGH DRAFT in Google Documents of what I am trying to do.
https://docs.google.com/present/edit?id=0AeoNKqzNxarfZGdycm13Z25fMGc2bW52cGc2&hl=en&authkey=CJeVt70F

I am very thankful for your honesty.

Up to NOW- I have been relying on MYSELF-IN PERSON to spread the word. My Website hasn't worked yet-
...SO IT OBVIOUSLY NEEDS TWEEKING
In REALITY- The only people who have donated are the people who talk to me face to face


Festival Family has almost NO PART of this. This is all doing on my own- AND YES- YOU HAVE TO TRUST ME.
I have NEVER attempted something this big or crazy-SO EVERY STEP IS A LEARNING STEP!

As for paying for the drum-This lays ONCE AGAIN in your DEFINING of TERMS. IF YOU MET ME IN PERSON-You would find that I have been giving away a "gift" to EVERY person who has donated me $10 so far...

The strategy of BE Heady MIMICS what EVERYONE today calls EVERYDAy COMMERCE, so I understand if you THINK I am selling something
--It is not easy to understand something NEW-and Unheard of... and I am not doing a good enough job explaining

...the understanding is- Some of us have more energy than others and know how to DIRECT IT...
I am ASKING 100,000 people to trust that I can direct their $10 DONATION somewhere better than they can.

IF NOT- That is also why I want to stream my festival LIVE. EVERY PERSON COMES OUT WITH SOMETHING

SO EVERYONE WHO DONATeS-ACTUALLY GETS MORE THAN $10 of value for their LOTTERY RAFFLE CHANCE...
NOTHING IS FOR SALE!!!!
DONATIONS ONLY!!!!!

You've got your quotes mixed up. That'd be col4bin, not serk. She agreed with the statement (as do I), but the quote belongs to the good colonel.

The giant letters are exactly the way I saw the statement. It's a huge red flag. If you are giving people a "gift" with their $10 donation, it is no longer a donation. I feel the same way when PBS says you get a totebag and a cd with your donation. It's no longer a donation when you are giving something in exchange for money. That's called making a sale. Perhaps calling it a contribution rather than a donation, I would feel better about it. I'm still not giving you $10 though.

What started this whole discussion is the idea of having a drum circle on Jam Cruise at sunset. No. Unacceptable. I am all for the participation of experienced musicians (i.e. Matt Grondin, Ralph Roddenberry, Zach Deputy) alongside the paid talent in the jamroom etc. but when it comes to your average, run-of-the-mill boat-goer, I don't want to hear your attempt (regardless of how gifted you believe you are) at playing your djembe in the hallway, or at the pool deck bar, or on the tennis court while the sail away party if going on. If there's a chance that you will take away from the music I have paid to see, I'm gonna be upset by this. Sounds like I am not alone. This is not 10K, this is not Bear Creek, this is not Wakarusa. There is no real place to escape to where a drum circle can be executed without disrupting the good time of the majority of cruisers. Yes, there are (I'm sure) a handful of us that would love to stumble onto a drum circle in some corner of the boat and some unexpected moment, but finding that spot and knowing that it's not bugging someone to absolute death is impossible.

If you must bring your drum, and you must organize a drum circle, please do so with respect to those that don't want to be a part of it, especially the musicians we are there to see. It's everyone's ship and we all deserve to enjoy it.

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There are no words.

I agree with you-It is everyone's ship...I am not organizing a drum circle-But I have played this DJEMBE EVERY year on 4 cruises I have been on. I got MAD respect from "run-of-the-mill" cruisers and musicians alike. It is great because on the boat- WE ARE ALL EQUAL...MUSICIANS and CRUISERS ALIKE....
..I am very sad to be bringing a Headless Drum this year- and even moreso to be GIVING it away on 4/20

I have been on 3 different versions of the ship, and this one is by far the largest- If there was a circle on the front of the boat-NO ONE WOULD HEAR IT-THE WIND KILLS SOUND UP THERE!!!

In fact- You may go the whole time w/o seeing HUndreds of different people- WHich is why I loved JC4; JC7 was too big and gaudy...Did you ever get the REAL TREATMENT LIKE WE GOT ON JC4? room service, fresh fruit, back deck?

That was a cruise...

...and THIS CRUISE IS NOT JUST ABOUT MUSIC

IT is about SUSTAINABLE MUSIC- I learned this on JC7 when I went to EVERY discussion hosted by Toast!
It changed my perspective-This is where you will meet people like me...I really hope to meet you all there as well...
...It's also a fine place to get some "Free Toast Time with Toasty"

hey the way it works is:
1)get an idea
2)think the idea out
3)write the idea down
4)re-analize the idea
5)take the idea to some friends/family for input
6)THEN TAKE THE IDEA TO THE STREET

you are way ahead of yourself and you should slow down ,maybe get some help from a lawyer friend.take a step back and CREATE A REAL PLAN.

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livin' my life like it's golden

Alright, I know I promised to shut up about this, but since it looks like you're actually thinking about it, here's some practical tips:
1 - Lose the Wookie nonsense. We all do silly things at festivals, that's what they're all about.
Don't try to start a trusted non-profit charity organization based on some festival alter-ego.
2 - Lose the confused bio on your website. Replace with a well thought-through presentation like
it seems like you're attempting to make. Make me believe that you know what you're doing.
2 - It's 501(c)(3) not (501)(3)(c) [Silde 2]
3 - Don't EVER suggest that you're going to use 501(c)(3) proceeds to pay taxes [Slide 14]
The IRS has no sense of humor.
4 - Go through the 501(c)(3) paper work and see what kind of accounting
practices and reporting they require. That's the same requirements I will have before I give you a penny!
5 - If you want anyone here to contribute, stop trying to dupe us. It's a raffle where all (or some or most?)
proceeds will go to charity. It's ok. Tell the truth.
6 - Plan! Why should I give you $10 instead of giving it directly to my favorite charity? At least some %
will always be lost in the process. What's the motivation? So this time you have a drum. Maybe
it has some value to somebody. That raffle will go on until next April. Then what? What's your
business plan? How do you sustain the operation?
7 - Focus. Choose some similar charities that you believe in and cooperate with. If they don't endorse
you, nobody will believe you. Don't spread too thin. You say you're a one-man operation, then
you can't possibly work with all this.
8 - If Tom is your partner then who is he? How are you organized?
See http://www.irs.gov/charities/charitable ... 19,00.html
9 - All through your site there are references to "recreational activities" (I can't be more specific on
this forum) that I'm sure a lot of people can identify with, however I would advice against using
that as a main theme when you're soliciting money for charity.
10 - Think! Donors, charities and the IRS will look through all your stuff before deciding to work with you.
Statements like "A redirectional marketing element to furthur the life of Buehlerhead." in combination
with my point 9 is guaranteed to give people an impression that you probably don't want. (Amazing
what Google can find, isn't it?!)
11 - If you have no idea what I'm talking about, don't feel bad. 501(c)(3) is not for you, but you can
still be a good citizen and contribute wherever and whatever you can!

A finaly word: After every disaster like Katrina, Haiti or Chile you hear about unscrupulous assholes that
try to rip good-hearted people off when they want to help other people in their hour of need. How it is
even possible to get that rotten is beyond my comprehension, but that's the world we live in. Internet
has made the scams proliferate to a never before seen level. After every disaster, you always hear on
the news the same message: Check your charities. Go with large well known organizations. Be alert.
This is the reality in which you want to launch your organization. This is what you have to overcome.
Still want to do it? Good luck!

cheers
Knut

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Decisions, decisions...
What if it's all real?

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coming soon...

so much material here to work with LOL! like when did Brad get so smart? giggle..

most of all..why do you need ONE MILLION DOLLARS to start a 501? (insert photo of dr.evil with his pinky to the corner of his lip here)

sorry..doing this from my phone

Wow- I wanted to wait a while before I reposted, but odman has left me dumbfounded...Thanks Dude, Wish we could have just talked in person.

So I want to thank you for checking out my Blog-It has been up for years, and NO ONE ever finds it.




Well- I said I would never part with my drum, unless I was paid $1,000,000. I do not just talk, I go out and accomplish...

...now since I do not need any money, I am going to direct the funds to furthur my life, and the lives of people who are doing thngs I like which I have been watching them do UNNOTICED for years...and IT IS TIME TO HELP THEM!! I am/have been communicating with like minded people who do not need PLANS and things written out so much...but It IS coming closer to that point...I have a lot of respect for your time to help me.

You see- I am not working with something physical, I am creating and manifesting new (really just old ideas recycled) methods of marketing and exchange w/i our community to the outside world...THIS will be huge- I am just a spark- People will help this take off.
...I didnt go to college for free using your taxes by joining the military for nothing!!!

Actually, -YOU ALL PAID ME TO DO THIS IN SOME SICK-TWISTED WOOKIE REALITY-- I did not want the name, BUT I EARNED IT-and it has helped me in more ways than the name BUEHLER...

uhhhhh, I thought this FORUM IS friends and family-Sorry for intruding and trying to get some input...

...cant wait to see you all at the Rythym Devils, unless the drummin is too loud

BeHeady

hold on..I'm about to be non-cheerleader & Miss JamCruise-isk-esk...

THIS is ALL the reason any of us need for not giving you money...

you keep mis-quoting us!!! So how are we gonna trust you with $1million let alone $10???

Can I be on your Board of Directors?

If a photo is all you you need..then here is my reference... I'll take Chairwomen of the Board...