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Mike Hollingshead
There are just a few things offered on the site that make me wonder and that is one of them.
Funding for post-tragedy stuffed animals? Maybe it is all out of honest concern and not done for the desire of making more money. Then again maybe not. I can't help but think when the stuffed animal thought came to mind as well as this spotter emergency relief fund, that it was for the soul purpose as a way to make more money(under the mask of something 'for the good'). No one can really know for certain this or that and when they can't all we can do is presume(as I have no reason to take or not take their word). I presume most of what I hear isn't so far from the truth. It might not mean someone is evil or a bad person, but in each example I can certainly say I think it is goofy as hell.
the expensive chase tours
It is for the children as well.
Wild. $3500 for five days, you get to drive your own vehicle and pay for meals and lodging.
Nothing gets a person digging in their pockets quicker than saying something is 'for the children'. I am left wondering why they can't set some direct fund up just for what they say it is for. Why always have it attached to things you can easily make unclear as to what was true expenses and what should go to this 'fund'? It just seems fishy to me.Dennis Gulley
EF1
OK, im guilty for slaming Warren in my eariler post without knowing anything about him. I just have a problem with big ego's and greed as I suffer from low self esteme and a small bank account. My apologize to everyone and Warren for my comments.
As far as the high cost, I work in business aviation, private jets etc. and the cost of the trip with Warren is just a drop in the bucket compaired to cost of parts for a private jet. A part that would cost you $100 dollars for your car would cost thousands for your jet even though they were the same. We also burn thousands of dollars of fuel just doing a couple of hours of engine testing. The clients that will take him up on this adventure proberly keep that much around as pocket change.
For a guy that has a problem with egos and greed I sure made a bad career choice. Oh well, it keeps food on the table.
Dennis
Jay McCoy
EF5
I think thats the point somew people are mssing. his tour offers arent for "tourists" but for high end clients that pay $10,000 for a watch and $5000 for a suit or for 1 night in a classy resort. $5000 for a week is cheap to them and they will spend that much and more on the cameras and clothes they bring with them. Oh to have that kind of $$ to just blow for fun.
I am not saying I agree with everything he does but it is a business just like the other tours but to higher clientel and if he can get that price then why not charge it. I dont know what would be worse though. babysitting a bunch of "tourists" stuck in a van all day hoping to see a tornado or babysitting a rich snobby client who "expects" you to find him a tornado while pamdering to his every need. I prefer to say forget both. I chase with friends for fun. no pressure.Mickey Ptak
EF5
This has nothing to do with this topic really, but the only thing I will bash Warren for is his siren-blowing bit. On a few occasions in 2004 (5/12/04 and 5/22/04) I was out side of my car filming and he drove by and blew his car horn/siren. Scared the shit out of me both times man. I just have to say to my good friend Warren - stop the horn/siren thing. lol but not kidding.
Mickjoel ewing
EF5
Boy, I didn't expect to be back in this forum again, typing away at another reply today. I figured after last night...this was gonna go away. But...it's cool. I've enjoyed this discussion. There have been some really good postings regarding this topic.
If any of you have kept an eye on my postings over the last day or two, you'll remember that I'm a really good friend of "The Warren"...but as I've also stated, usually once or twice during a year I'll want to ring his neck. Of course I never would, but everybody in here probably has a good friend or chase partner like that (or is it just me??). I mention that because I want you guys reading this to know that even though I will defend him on occasion, I'm fully aware of his "warts" too....and there are indeed some things I can't defend him on. He'd probably say the same thing about me. A realistic way of describing our relationship is, if the poop comes down waayyy too hard on him in here or anywhere else......I'll side with him regardless. But then I'm enough of a real friend to take him aside and say "dude....yeah, I defended ya, but the truth is....YOU are the one who f'd up."...... then chew him out.
You gotta know Warren to really judge him. However, at this point, let me interject that I think it's perfectly fair game for anybody to judge anybody else. Yes...I really mean that. I know a lot of (especially) younger chasers have grown up with this so-called political correctness permeating their thinking... i.e."we" should never "judge" anybody else.....but I say b.s. to that....all of us do it at one time or another. Making quick judgements is how we all survive in this world. That being said...I also think that even though we have a right to judge....it's incumbent on us that we obtain all the facts prior to doing so. Man, it just seems to me that so many people rush to judgement regarding Faidley....he's become the chaser's whipping boy. I found it most interesting that somebody a few posts ago stated that in his observation... the most venomous attacks on Warren seem to come from those in the UONorman crowd. That point was brilliant. Why this is...if indeed it really does have some creedence....I don't know. In fairness, I've also seen and heard several UONorman folks shed positives in Warren's favor. Go figure.
Warren is a very unique guy in that whatever he dreams and wants......he'll shut everybody else out and away and work like a demon 25 hours per day and burn all kinds of midnight oil UNTIL IT FINALLY COMES TO FRUITION. Sorry to shout there, but I wanted to make that clear. A lot of you older chasers (like me) might have heard how the great guitarist Eric Clapton wanted to learn the guitar so badly that he locked himself away in his bedroom for 2 years and played non-stop until he'd collapse in bed in the wee hours...night after night after night. Warren is very much like that. He had to be that type of personality to get as far as he has in this chase world. Don't forget...there was precious little recognition, ink or airtime given towards chasing way back when Faidley got started. Virtually, aside from the meteorological world....nobody had any idea that the schools like UON or Texas Tech in Lubbock had guys in school that were chasing. Warren carved out his niche and a lucrative career by being his own self-advocate and promoter. It was an uphill battle every inch of the way. Sure, there were plenty of great chasers before him....but in my opinion....he really "kicked the door down" early on......and drew some serious attention to chasing. Whether that's a good thing or not....that's for another debate. And.....from my viewpoint...it was during these early years that Faidley got crossways with a lot of folks...and he's to blame for some of it for sure, but damn sure not for all of it.
In closing....Mike Hollingshead, in response to some of your points about "for the children" etc..... I certainly understand how you or anybody else would come to raise an eyebrow over that. It just sounds and reaks of sleeziness and an attempt at a con-job. But I swear to God and everybody else in this forum...his ideas for fiscal help for tornado victims was pure in motivation. I remember discussing it with him years ago...before he even initiated his Angel-Foundation But if you know Warren like I do.....that whole project is just classic "textbook" Faidley. He ponders things deeply and dreams big. Believe it or not........there is a huge soft-spot inside him that he keeps very private. I've seen it many times. If Faidley were a fraud or a scammer regarding this particular project....I would have spotted it immediately. The fact is....I never even knew he had initiated it and had it up and humming along until after the fact...and even then he didn't beat his chest like Tarzan and proclaim his benevolent greatness to me. Personally I can visualize that with his grit, determination and high profile......this foundation of his will someday obtain the traction it needs. Even with only a few large corporations donating a small tidbit of their annual donation budgets....this could turn into a wonderful, wonderful entity that brings hope and smiles to many unfortunate families and children that have had their lives turned upside down from a tornado. I think most of us in here would agree that a little bit of postive national exposure from the "tornado chasing world" would be welcomed by all of us, wouldn't it?? It might even mitigate the notion that we're all "just a bunch of crazies" that pray for tornadoes and clog the roads and keep emergency vehicles from getting to their victims.
In closing.....just an unsolicited plug for Mike Hollingshead's video "Storm Structure 101"......dude....I watched it again yesterday....great stuff. You sure pour your heart and soul into each one of your projects don't you?
Hmmmmmmmmm.....sounds like somebody else I know.
Joel
JoelAndrew Geil
EF3
Paragraphs, dude, paragraphs.
Tim Vasquez
EF5
- Joined
- Dec 4, 2003
- Messages
- 3,411
I have to agree with Jay McCoy's sentiments. The prices are ostentatious, but it seems like more of a business matter that affects only Warren. If people won't pay the prices, then he'll be scraping by... but if they will pay them, more power to him and there's no reason the rest of us can't tap into that market. Funneling money from the wealthy to the regular folks is always a good thing (though I guess Rush & Sean Hannity may not agree).
Now only if good chase video could command those prices on a daily basis.
Tim
mikedeason
EF5
Is there any place around here that can't be permeated by politics? :roll:
Regards,
Mikejoel ewing
EF5
I hear ya bro, but some things cannot be batched into paragraphs.joel ewing
EF5
Tim.....are you a communist or a socialist?David Wolfson
EF5
Ahem...to change the subject, Joel... any relation to Reid Ewing, the urban planner, who used to live in Tucson? I worked at PAG for many years.
I also met Warren Faidley and found him altogether personable, though I have to confess I'm slightly jealous of his studly looks.joel ewing
EF5
Hi David, no...I'm no relation to Reid Ewing. I did happen to meet him oh geez....probably 15 yrs. ago or so while he was pounding some campaign signs into the north Tucson desert. I stopped to ask him about his Ewing roots. As I remember, he was from Indiana....and mine were primarily out of Nebraska.
He seemed to have a pretty good future in politics around here, at least I thought so anyway. I wonder what he's doing now?
You get to chase the plains at all yourself, David?David Wolfson
EF5
Me, my wife Monica, and Dean Cosgrove are out for ten days this spring, May 15th to the 24th and a few days on our own. It's getting to be that time when you watch each new GFS run with apprehension and giddy anticipation (or black depression).
Reid Ewing link: http://www.sptimes.com/2005/04/01/Columns/..._sprawl_D.shtml
I guess he's at the University of Maryland now. Darn, there's the politics coming in again.... What does he know! He's just one of those knee-jerk liberal professors....Billy Griffin
Wow! When I started this post, I never knew it would end up with over 6 pages worth of replies.
The thing that I was simply getting at is that he seems to "make up" a lot of his stories, and I do agree with what one individual said earlier... he was sort of a "pioneer" in popularizing the hobby versus a real pioneer in research, etc.
I can remember watching some of his videos in the late 80s and early 90s thinking this is amazing! :shock: It was disappointing to learn that so many of his photos are "doctored" and so many stories "fish tales."
I respect the business-like way he has tapped into the market, and if Mr. Faidley can get $6g a pop for these rich folks to ride along with him, heck, go for it. At least that's one less person out on the road not knowing what they're doing and in danger of getting someone hurt or worse.
On the gripe side, I just can't help but wonder about all these charities, etc... why do we never hear of them? I know he has made a living doing this storm chasing stuff for many years, and I think that he looks as the so many newcomers as competition. Face it, the more and more folks who have incredible pictures and video, the less interested they are to buy his "exclusive" footage. What's so "exclusive" about having the same video as 25 other chasers? :wink:
So, in closing, I think it's just his attitude that has changed, perhaps not. I've never met the man. All I know is that these far-fetched stories are getting old, and to seemingly take advantage of people just because they have a lot of money, well, it just seems wrong. I guess if someone flashed $6000 in my face for a one-week ride along, I'd probably be as guilty as he is. Nevertheless, it's still kind of silly.
All my best,
Billy GriffinSimilar threads
