Really? Tino's Calendar thread was closed?

[The Stig]

Why was Taz's thread closed? All he said was that we and Steve would be willing to produce a calendar for the GTM crowd.

Is this year any different from the past few years?

Hmm...

Mike

[Ray]

Admin closed the topic because the OP is not a supporting vendor. He was selling a calendar and FFR already has a calendar for sale.

Ray

[LCD Gauges]

Tino? Not this Tino…

I think you mean Taz (Ashley)!

I want a calendar!

[The Stig]

Yep. I did mean Taz... Sorry Taz.

And yes, I'd like a calendar also! Just like the last 5 years or so.

This same sort of thing came up when Factory Five told Shane that he couldn't sell his aluminum splitter and rocker extensions that he offered to the GTM builders. They later came back saying that they wouldn't tell him or any other member that they couldn't produce and sell parts that would benefit the group as a whole. This seems to be the same thing in my eyes. The builders on this forum have the opportunity to have their cars displayed in print. I can tell you from past experience that it's a matter of huge pride when you see the car that you've been building over whatever period of time, displayed in the calendar and appreciated by your peers.

Steve & Taz have done a phenomenal job of putting together photos of forum members cars for each calendar year. They charge only to recover the cost to assemble, print, and ship. It's not a profit thing. It a way that we can all share in the pride of our builds.

Geese... What's next? Can we still buy Kooks exhaust systems, or close out panels, or wings from Shane for the GTM? I know that Factory Five supplies and exhaust, panels, and offers wings with the kit... So far those haven't been banned.

Factory Five's calendar features their Factory Five cars. While they are really nice, and they certainly show what can be done with any of the kits, they are not customer cars.

Come on guys...

Mike

[Presto51]

I'm with Mike on this.

It's was always about the customer builds that are featured, and those who help other forum members build their dreams. It gives so much pride in ownership, and encouragement for other builders to keep on plugging away, that yes this dream can happen.

Lighten up McGraw!!

Ron

[Edgeman]

I am also with Mike on this one.

Come on Factory Five and Admin. I was lucky to get my car in and show it to others. Factory five did not phone me and ask if I would like to put my car in there calendar.

Lighten up!!

Now Taz has been banned from this forum. Really!!!

[LCD Gauges]

If I am not mistaken , Taz (Ash) doesn't make a dime from these calendars, or maybe enough to cover materials.

It is something the GTM group does as an extension of our hobby and it's limited to our group, not a mass produced product.

I personally would be upset if my third annual calendar was not made available.

[The Stig]

Now Taz has been banned from this forum. Really!!!

Are you serious? This is getting pretty ridiculous.

[Kalstar]

I agree with the masses here. Come on!

Also bring Taz back. He is a great friend of Factory Five.

[David Hodgkins]

I've reversed Taz's infraction as time served. The infraction wasn't a permanent ban to begin with but I gave for the reasons explained below.

I don't want to get into a long winded explanation of the rules here but let me just say that we can't just roll over and allow group buys by folks who aren't vendors. The vendors pay the bills folks, and they are going to be protected. I've given Taz free access to vendor status so he could sell his art because it was such a LOW volume thing and I didn't want to deny him an ability to test the market and see if there is any interest. My book keeper started sending him $10 invoices this year, which I didn't know about. Taz never paid - which is fine - but then called and told FFR that he wasn't a vendor. That's OK too because like I said, I was "sponsoring" him. But since he told FFR flat out that he wasn't a vendor I removed his status. Then ONE day later the group buy shows up. I close, then delete it. Two days later he posts the same group buy. I close and delete the thread and this time issue and infraction.

Taz and I haven't had a chance to talk so this I'm sure could have been resolved if we had but I'm a working guy and trying to finish my own build at the moment so I gave the infraction knowing that there would be pushback but pushing that off to a later time, which appears to be now.

We've had non-vendor group buys before, when there was no vendor who could supply the service. Like when the portable-lift thing happened. Or like when the previous GTM calendars happened (kinda-sorta. FFR produces a nice Calendar, and their sales may be -will be- affected by this calendar). It happened the first year and I did nothing. It happened again last year, and I did nothing. This year it happened AGAIN, right after Taz declares he's not a vendor. So I hit him with a short time out.

Was I asked for permission? No.
Will I allow it here(thefactoryfiveforum), so you guys can have your Calendars? Yes.
Should someone ALWAYS ask, if they want AN EXEMPTION to posting group buys? YES.

Carry On.

[Kalstar]

Dave I would like to prepay for Taz sponsor benefits for the next 5 years. How do I send the $$?

No need for you to do this site for free and Taz has been very good to many of us. It is the least I can do to help out two buddies.

[The Stig]

We've had non-vendor group buys before, when there was no vendor who could supply the service. Like when the portable-lift thing happened. Or like when the previous GTM calendars happened (kinda-sorta. FFR produces a nice Calendar, and their sales may be -will be- affected by this calendar). It happened the first year and I did nothing. It happened again last year, and I did nothing. This year it happened AGAIN, right after Taz declares he's not a vendor. So I hit him with a short time out.

Was I asked for permission? No.
Will I allow it here(thefactoryfiveforum), so you guys can have your Calendars? Yes.
Should someone ALWAYS ask, if they want AN EXEMPTION to posting group buys? YES.

Carry On.

Hi David,

We understand that you have a responsibility to the forum as far as making sure that the rules are followed. And I also know that you have been able to "look the other way" from time to time. But in this case, I think that they're reaching if they feel that their sales drop off as a result of the GTM calendar.

There is a significant reason why their calendar sales may be low. They only showcase the Factory Five Show cars. I think if Factory Five produced a calendar that showcases their customer's cars as opposed to their show cars, they might get a larger response, and not see the drop off in sales when someone else fills that gap. As stated previously, they don't appear to be asking anyone here if they would like to have pictures of their car used for their calendar.

As well, I am more interested in a GTM calendar: Not and 818 or 33 Hot Rod, or Type 65 Coupe, or Mk-IV Roadster calendar. Maybe if/when I build one of those, I would buy the corresponding calendar. In this calendar, we get 12 months of GTMs. That's why the GTM crowd gets together to produce a GTM calendar.

But I could be wrong...

Mike

[crash]

This did happen the year when Richard Migliori decided to put a GTM only calendar together.

To side step the problem I sponsored the selling of those, which was a total PITA, and especially because there was no profit involved, not that we were asking for that, but the point is that we were short on time enough with trying to prepare for the 25 hour race at the end of the year that also doing the calendar for free really didn't make much sense to us going forward. We were VERY happy when Taz stepped up to carry on with something that I think is really nice for the GTM community.

If need be, I will use my vendor status to facilitate the sale of these for cost, but it really would be a lot better if Taz was just allowed this pass once a year. It's not like he is selling suspension arms, or copying another vendors unique designs without being a vendor such as some others do on here and the other forum.

[LCD Gauges]

Thanks for the explanation Dave, it's very appreciated and I think everyone can agree.

As for buying calendars, I believe the sales will not be affected. In my case alone, I have no use for them. With calendars on smart phones and computers to organize my schedule, it's a done deal.

The only reason I have interest in this collective project is because I can take pride in seeing my car, or a friend's car posted each month.

For what it's worth, I haven't hung any of the GTM calendars. They are piled next to my. 1/10th scale model that hasn't been touched in a year.

[Taz Rules]

Hi all,
I'm going to do this in 2 posts. The first one will be more of a summary, which will allow those who don't really care about the back story and details to skip the second post.

So here's a couple of points from my perspective to summarize the situation.

1. First, I'd like to think all you guys who jumped to my defense here. It's really cool to be part of a community where we have each others backs. Please know that I would do the same for you.

2.Second, on the issue of the banning. I admit to being taken completely by surprise, and will admit but I was a bit hurt and a lot angry when I found out. After reading David's explaination, it makes a a lot more sense, and was mostly a miscommunication. I'll get into details in my next post, and spare those who don't want to read them all. The huge irony here is that I found out I was banned when I tried to log on to tell you guys not to go too hard on Factory Five and admin over this.

3. Third, I think it is vitally important to note here that in the past year, and in the days leading up to this whole kerfuffle, I have actually being treated very well by the site admin and factory five. Details below. I never ruled out being a vendor . That I think was more of a miscommunication . But suffice it to say we have had a good relationship in the past, and I would like it to continue.

4. Finally, regarding the calendar, no, I did not ask. That was perhaps a mistake, but I assumed permission because I had being involved in the calendar last year without being a vendor, and factory five themselves provided an image and their show car was in the calendar. As an aside, I've not made a dime from this, and in fact did this year's calendar in exchange for 4 copies of the calendar.

As I said, more details later, but this is typing from my phone, which is a pain.

Oh and special thanks to Kalstar and Crash for your generous offers.

[Taz Rules]

Ok, some more in-depth backstory and details for those who actually care about them.

Backstory...
I have a personal situation, where I lost my income of approximately $5,000 per month, and am medically unable to work and earn any income at all. This situation is complex, and has now been to the Courts twice. It's still ongoing. I have not been paid since 2009. This situation has caught up to me, & I wound up losing my house among other problems. Btw, this is backstory only. I'm not trying to garner sympathy.

About a year ago, after the 2015 calendar was well and truly underway, I wound up talking to Dave the site administrator. He did me a really solid favor and allowed me 3 months sponsorship as a vendor. I got the idea to talk to site admin about something like this after a forum member's wife contacted me and bought a painting for the member for Christmas. The deal, as I understand it at the time, wish he would sponsor 3 months, and if it worked out I would continue on as a vendor and pay just as any other vendor would (and should!)

Then what happened is my personal world blew up a bit. Mom with stage 4 cancer, Dad showing signs of alzeimers, a few health issues and an emergency surgery of my own...and, well you get the idea. The last thing on my mind was GTMs, or selling artwork. In fact I completely forgot I had been given vendor status. Never entered my mind.

Last week I flipped the page on my calendar and thought about it for the first time. I emailed Steve, who actually took care of all the printing/ordering, and everything except the actual artwork, and asked if he wanted to do it a second time. (The 2015 calendar was the first one I have been involved with) In checking my emails...the Taz-rules address is not my primary email...I discovered I was being billed as a vendor. No problem, as that was actually the agreement that we had. The only problem was that I can't afford the back billing right now, for the reasons set out above. So I called Factory Five to see if we could come up with an arrangement, seeing as I hadn't used the vendor status at all. No promotion, no sales, not even a forum post for months.

It is with this phone call that I think the miscommunication arose. I did not speak directly with Dave Hodgkins. If I had, I agree with him that this whole situation would not have happened.

I asked if FFR could waive the back pay owing, and if we could work something out going forward, or if I could drop the vendor status until my finances stabilized. The lady I spoke to was great, and I have no doubt about her good intentions. But something got lost in the translation. Its not a blame or fault thing, just something that happens from time to time.

So anyways, I think everything is taken care of, and that David will let me know what he wants to do with my status going forward. In the meantime, I'm a day out from leaving for a couple of weeks to help a friend out with something, and I'm concerned with time crunch on the calendars when I get back. So I put out a call for images and suggestions for the calendar. Because I wasnt a vendor last year when I did the calendar, I never put the vendor situation together with the calendar. So I never mentioned it on the phone call or thought about it when I posted the message on the forum. That one is totally on me, all the way.

Next day,as I'm leaving, I see the thread gone. I never checked email, so I had no idea why it was gone. I figured it was a glitch. So I reposted it.

Time goes by and I see the thread about the calendar thread disappearing. Then I see some of the "pushback" as David called it. I've now arrived at my destination, so I go to post a note telling people to go easy on admin, and that I had been treated well by FFR, and that it is probably just a miscommunication. This is when I found out I was banned. The note on my account said til the 16th. I was, admittedly, really pissed and a bit hurt. I knee-jerked 2 PMs through the other site to tell them I was banned. The both leapt to my defense. (Thank you for that!) Others chimed in (and thank you for that!)

Then I read David's explanation, and the whole thing makes a lot more sense. Also, communication was hampered by the fact this is all taking place over a weekend, AND I'm not home to be reached. Plus, lets face it, David has more pressing worries, as well.

Reading both sides of the story should help everyone realize that this is a simple misunderstanding and that no hard feelings need arise from it.

Summary....
Do I want to do the calendar this year (for no profit).....yes.
should I have asked FFR, especially considering my up-in-the-air vendor status? .....yes
Did I intend to start a crapstorm over it?...... NO

Would I love to be a vendor and market my artwork and photoshop work to the GTM community?.....yes, but I can't afford to right now.

Do I greatly appreciate this community and the support ? Hell yes!

And once again, Kalstar, thank you for your offer...perhaps we can work something out.

And finally, a sincere thank you to David and FFR for the break you gave me at the beginning of the year with the vendor thing. I think that was above and beyond, and should be recognized.

Now, as David so eloquently put it....
carry on.

[LCD Gauges]

Hang in there Ash., things are going to change for the better.

I thought about sending this info via private message, but it's important for all to see. If your loved ones are experiencing memory loss and have
been taking any sort of cholesterol reducing drug (IE: Lipitor), get them off that s**t! The FDA has issue warning about this drug, yet doctors all over
the continent continue to prescribe it.

From the FDA website:
http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/Cons.../ucm293330.htm

In general, the symptoms were not serious and were reversible within a few weeks after the patient stopped using the statin. Some people affected in this way had been taking the medicine for a day; others had been taking it for years.

Memory Loss and Diabetes risks from statin users:
http://healthland.time.com/2012/02/2...iabetes-risks/

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) added new safety warnings to cholesterol-reducing statin drugs on Wednesday, noting increased risks of Type 2 diabetes and memory loss for patients who take the medications.

The FDA said that statins may increase users’ risk of brain-related effects like memory loss and confusion. The reports have generally not been serious, however, and the symptoms go away once the drug is stopped, the agency said.

Sorry for the derail, but I'm tired of loved one's getting improper health care. If you want more information about how to deal with cholesterol THE PROPER WAY, feel
free to message me.

If you didn't already know, your body (LIVER) produces cholesterol naturally for a reason. The memory region of your brain is made primarily of cholesterol.
Stopping your body from producing it causes problems as you can see!

Back on topic:

Thank you to F5R and Ashley for their understanding, hard work and getting these GTM calendars processed. If there's anything I can do, please ask.

[Kalstar]

Glad to see your back.....stranger!

[Edgeman]

This site needs a like button.

[crash]

Hang in there Ash., things are going to change for the better.

I thought about sending this info via private message, but it's important for all to see. If your loved ones are experiencing memory loss and have
been taking any sort of cholesterol reducing drug (IE: Lipitor), get them off that s**t! The FDA has issue warning about this drug, yet doctors all over
the continent continue to prescribe it.

From the FDA website:
http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/Cons.../ucm293330.htm


Memory Loss and Diabetes risks from statin users:
http://healthland.time.com/2012/02/2...iabetes-risks/




Sorry for the derail, but I'm tired of loved one's getting improper health care. If you want more information about how to deal with cholesterol THE PROPER WAY, feel
free to message me.

If you didn't already know, your body (LIVER) produces cholesterol naturally for a reason. The memory region of your brain is made primarily of cholesterol.
Stopping your body from producing it causes problems as you can see!

Back on topic:

Thank you to F5R and Ashley for their understanding, hard work and getting these GTM calendars processed. If there's anything I can do, please ask.

I have been dealing with this situation personally. Thanks for posting that as the doctors made me feel like I was "special" and that they "had never heard of that before". If I had a dollar for every time I heard that one...

[LCD Gauges]

Good to know that message helped you out.

After my father nearly died from a heart attack, i began a
flury of research and self-directed education. With 5 years of studying human anatomy and wholistic nutrition, my eyes
have been opened.

My family and some friends have distanced ourselves from
the common medical system with astonishing results.

Probably the best example is my father who suffered two heart
attacks (one left him flat-lined for a few minutes). The doctors
put him on seven different drugs. He was constantly in and out
the hospital due to side effects; his quality of life noticeably deteriorating.

For the last 18 months he has been 100% drug free and chasing
My two year old daughter around on a daily basis.

I could literally write a book on what I've learned and the success
stories from my immediate family alone. Sometimes I feel like studying
for a certification and begin practicing, but that is quite a career change!

Sorry once again for going off topic. Perhaps I should start a thread in
the general discussion forum.

P.S. if you know someone on Metformin (or any "Biguanide" type drug), you may eventually suffer the same fate. Both statins and biguanides inflame and inhibit the liver's ability to produce cholesterol and glucose. Yes, that is right… your liver also makes and regulates blood sugars. You can reverse type 2 diabetes without drugs! My father did, and myself as well (pre type 2)!

[sk7500]

I have not been following the forum as closely as I would like. So I was a little put off when I found out Taz was taking grief over volunteering to do the artwork for a 2016 calendar. October is the month that for the last three years I have worked on a GTM calendar. I started out doing the calendars as a way make sure I had a Christmas gift for those hard to buy for friends and family. Then I thought, maybe my forum buddies might enjoy them as well. I had no idea that me SELLING 50-60 calendars was a threat to FFR. Last year Taz volunteered to do the artwork for the 2015 calendar and he did an amazing job. Unless one has actually done it, one can't possibly understand how hard it is to get 12 GTM guys to send you good usable car pictures. Then he takes those pictures,works his magic on them, sends the proofs out to 12 owners for approval and proof reading. Then he makes the needed revisions and sends them back to the car owners. This whirlpool continues until everything is just right for at least 12 people. Do the math on how many Email correspondences that adds up to. He did all that last year for some free calendars. and now he's getting a disciplinary action against him!?
Then he sends me the 13 files and I format them and send them to the printer. Experience tells me 60 is all I'll send out. So that's how many I order. Now I have to try and get 50 to 60 peoples address and PayPal information organized, buy shipping folders and make countless trips to the post office. Between building two cars and a house, a job and a family, I really wish Factory Five would do something for their red haired step child. I'm willing to bet the best advertising FFR gets for GTMs is when someone pays them $25K to do their advertising with a kit purchase. Just like all of you, I have put in a few hours of blood sweat and tears advertising for them. My car was on the cover of two magazines. What do you think the chances I received even an email from FFR saying "congratulations" or "good job"? All I get is a "You have become a vendor if you want to sell calendars". Well lets just say I'm less than enthusiastic to spend money to have a one month privilege of maybe breaking even if I put no value on the one thing that cannot be replaced and that's time.
If I had a business selling car parts, it would totally make sense to advertise on the forum. But Taz and I are just a couple enthusiasts trying to give a little back to the community we enjoy so much. I so much want to blow this off and go about my life, but that would only let down the people (my friends) who have enjoyed the calendars in the past and FFR wouldn't even notice.
OK I'm done ranting now.

[David Hodgkins]

.../OK I'm done ranting now.

Good. Any one else? No? OK.

I gave permission to produce the calendars as stated above. I don't care if you make money or not, or if your doing it for profit or altruism. If you want to sell anything here on a consistent basis, or at all if it's not left over parts, you go through me preferably, or another mod if I'm unavailable.

NOT FFR. This is NOT an FFR issue. and they don't enforce the rules here, The other mods and I do.

Closing this thread.