Wednesday, November 28, 2007

Adam Curry lies to everyone he meets?

Below you'll find a message from a newsgroup set up by Doug Pilgrim, an Adam Curry devote interested in why we didn't get Trinity (the bio-diesel car Adam promised). The original question to Curry went unanswered of course, so I asked Doug a question, below

Before we were promised the bio-diesel car named Trinity, the same car Adam "the podfather" Curry failed to actually deliver to us, there was another group of folks who were lied to...

This group went by the name FREE TRINITY - the FREE TRINITY project was spearheaded by a fella Doug Pilgrim - Doug's initial plan was to drive with his son from coast to coast.

Doug backed out of participating with PROJECT A YEAR AT THE WHEEL

Below you'll find the exchange I had with Doug over the question as to what was really behind his decision not to get involved in PROJECT A YEAR AT THE WHEEL?"

My response to Dougs comments will be in bold.

When I first thought up "Free Trinity" I envisioned a cross country
project with my kid. A chance to have one last time together before he
drifted off to adulthood and a chance to for us to create something
positive, a podshow on clean alternative technologies as we crossed
the country. I hoped we could interview people like the ladies of
"More Hip then Hippie" and other enviro-centric podcasts and
businesses. Hopefully Trinity would have died half way across and
Brock and I would have had to scramble to bring her back to life. I
have always subscribed to the theory that "the story stats when
something goes wrong" In my perfect fantasized world, when the trip
was over I had hoped to create a clean tech podcast where I
interviewed people from Trinity, like the Taxi Confessionals , and
find out what they where truly about. Like David Posluszny, a Umass
student who went to Iran with the Massachusetts Reserve. He came home
and turned his old Mercedes into a grease car that runs on waste
vegetable oil (WVO) so that "no kid would have to die in the desert"
because of his use of oil. ( Youtube Greasybrothers). I hoped to also
have a 60 minutes moment with some on the limousine liberals on cape
cod who talk about the environment as long as the wind turbines aren't
fucking up their million-dollar ocean views.

*** great - and when we thought up PROJECT A YEAR AT THE WHEEL we dedicated ourselves to action, not talk. That's right, ACTION - we were and very much still are very dedicated to our plan - again, a plan of action.


This isn't a hobby for us, it's a way of life.
I have been communicating, publishing and doing, rather than just talking about doing for over 20 years. I started broadcasting online way back in 2003 and have kept up with all the new forms of distribution, including, but not limited to podcasting.


I'm glad you spilled you guts here, and I only wish you would have done it sooner - like when Adam tried to revive your very dead idea thru OUR very alive idea. ***


So, you can imagine my initial excitement about going forward, then
my disappointment, when Adam redirected the program to include many
podcasters driving the car around the world. But I understood. Instead
of a solo effort, Trinity could become a spring board for many
podcasters to express their views and promote their shows. I also
understood Curry's vision. This would promote podcasting and promote
Podshow. Podshow is a business. They need to attract investors and
they need to attract advertisers. Many podcasters starting an
international buzz is better then just Brock and I rapping into my
Iriver over a ten day period.

*** so, how did this change with the incorporation of PROJECT A YEAR AT THE WHEEL?


Why not get re-involved and make the most out of it? ***

There were quite a few people that were vested into this project at
this point. Palo Alto Podcaster was trying to coordinate all these
drivers and people like the "prolific programmer" were working on
setting up the Nokia N800 to podcast from the car. It was not what I
had originally hoped for, but I figured that Brock could carve out ten
days with the car here in the North East and at least be part of a
great project. And from a personal Ego perspective, it would have been
very cool to see my original day dream morph into something greater
and world wide.

*** Right, and wen I found out about Free Trinity I understood we were stepping into a shit storm and we would probably get zero from a crowd Curry had soured.


We felt we could make it up to all involved in a "big picture" kind of way... like making a stop of each participant, giving them their moment, taking their suggestions, covering/interviewing some of their interests... I also knew we'd have to be about ACTION first as the all-talk no action meter was in the red.***

But from the start I felt the feasibility of this part of the project
was a long shot. I left a message on the DSC that I thought Adam
should "run this past the suits" first. I felt the liability of
passing a car off, from stranger to stranger along the highway, would
be huge. Can you imagine a podcaster driving off the road hitting a
tree? Who do you thing would get their asses sued off? AC and Podshow.

** So, you warned Adam Curry about the liability issues... did he air it on his show?
I'd love to hear it. can you reference a show number or give a link where we might here it?


Funny thing is, Podshow used that as their excuse... liability issues that is.


Ok we said, simple enough - let's find a fix... after all, a big part of running your own business is about problem solving, right?


We came up with multiple solutions.

Podshow came up with none.


Oh, and to give you a frame of reference as to when we were told of this "liability issue" - this was one week before we were to hit the road.


What kind of multi million dollar corporate "president" doesn't think about liability issues? Especially after being warned and essentially failing and the first go at "free trinity".


And what king of company waits 5 months to act on something they committed themselves to so far in advance. ***

Well, the project drifted, and then stalled. I speculated that may be
AC was trying to find sponsors. Or maybe the issue was legal.
Regardless, it went away.

*** And you shoulder part of that blame, or at least you should... why didn't you make it happen, why did you choose to sit on your hands and wait for Curry?


Same reason we did - we believed he would be a man of his word, for us it wasn't idol worship as much as it was logic - after all he broadcasted to the world that he would sponsor our entire trip, including paying us for content.


Because of the deal Curry offered, we knew we had to perform, so we spent 5 months both working full time making sure we could give back ten fold what Curry had offered us.**

Then it was announced that "a year @ the wheel" was going to be the
sole recipient of the car. What? Who? It was a turn I was not
expecting. And it seemed to trash a lot of work that had gone into
trying to make this happen. So I took a look at your web site to find
out what your show was all about. There I found a video of a drunken
homeless guy running for president. Quite frankly, I did not get it.
Mercedes, Tom Tom and Nokia were going to sponsor a year of this? I
must be missing something. May be there is more to this. Then AC
stated that he was thinking that may be Brock and I should drive
Trinity, from California to Chicago to give her to you guys.


**Doug, how did it trash any of the work that had gone into it?
If anything, us willing to risk it all, driving around the US for a full year takes YOUR idea out of the fantasy and makes it a reality.


Why not get involved and help direct us in a positive path.
Did we not fit into YOUR community?


But you didn't even try - you gave up... and without a word to Amy or myself


As far as the drunken homeless guy, you sure did NOT get it, nor did you bother to ask or communicate like a human being... you cast judgement by the cover of the book. BTW, the drunk is a drunken artist and respected throughout certain communities.


Regardless of your thoughts of me, my wife, out intentions or the artist you call a drunken homeless guy, I'm glad you found Curry's words suspicious, there's still hope in saving you from the Curry spell you're under. **

I believe in you right to say anything that you want, and when it's
all said and done, it's Adam's fucking car and he can give it to whom
every he sees fit. But I will be god damned if I am going to take
vacation time from my first job, quit a second job and pull my son out
of school to become glorified delivery boys for "a year @ the wheel".

** but you would have participated in the "other plan" you remember the one you mentioned with multiple podcasters. So, mr Doug - why so negative about lil ol' Shane and Amy participating... seems OUR idea could have helped facilitate YOUR idea... we were up for anything, picking up podcasters, interviewing environmentalists ect.


Funny thing is, we spent 5 months, both working full time to present more than just drunken underground artists... Noam Chomsky had agreed to speak with us, Mountain Top removal was the next stop after Chicago.


I even did a video for the Willie Nelson Peace Initiative in hopes of getting attention to our trip. And thru my actions, I DID get their interest...that video got us the attention of Willie Nelson's entire family, they not only offered us a place to stay, but Bio-Diesel support. ( http://revver.com/watch/408924/ ) *****

Since no one can tell me why you guys don't have the car, I can only
speculate. Curry, if anything, is candid, open and unedited. The DSC
is unique in that he has taken us behind the scenes of the "next new
thing" and has given us an inside look at what podcasting is and what
its potential is. Is it self serving, you bet, but it's given
outsiders access that we not have gotten from any other medium.
Christ, he has even opened up his personal life to everyone. We know
about his wife, daughter, Mom's passing and his relationship with dad.
He opens his mouth and speaks uncensored and maybe commits to things
that are not thought out fully.

*** Come on! He's open and honest, but no-one can tell you?
He's open and honest but has yet to comment on this issue?
How are empty promises and lies open and honest? Don't believe the hype.


Let me tell you why, it's all a game to Curry... sorta like chess but he uses real folks, he's simply waiting for us to comment more on the details of the deal so he can try and twist our words against us.


Regardless of how he plays this - the fact will remains he said alot, promised more and delivered nothing. ***

I feel that when he was sitting there alone with his mike, he
honestly wanted to commit to your project. He was taking shit for the
stalled project and he wanted to move ahead with it and get it off his
plate. I think he is also getting spread out too thin. He running
three podshows, growing the Podshow business on two continents and in
three countries and still trying to have a family life. A lot of balls
in the air, something has to drop.

*** wow - now this is sweet... you imagine him sitting there with his mic out, stroking... yea... keep imagining you know someone based on their public face.


If you think a guy behind a multi million dollar company doesn't think about his every move, well, your sadly mistaken.


And, how do his problems become mine?

Bro, you're looking at this douche as if he were your neighbor - he's not.

They have the money to fix things with the stroke of a fucking pen... and in that world if a ball drops it's by calculated choice.


Honestly Doug, you sound like the wife of a drunk making excuses for his ill behavior. Another star struck Curry Cultist... hoping to once again bask in the light of his fading star.***

Or maybe when he finally got to run it past Podshow it got shot
down. I not trying to piss you off, but they are trying to get
investors and advertisers. Maybe some one at Kleiner Perkins heard
about it and thought it was crazy and they shot it down. I don't think
Mercedes want their next Ad to be "buy a 500 SEL, smoke a joint and go
find a slurpee.

** hmmm.. so you have issue with smoking a joint and slurping on a slurpiee??
have you really listened to Adams show - you realize he smokes weed, right? you do realize podshow markets themselves as the most dangerous content, right? So are you saying we're more dangerous than the most dangerous? Could it be true that our kinda free-speech is just too free?


And even if what you said about sponsors is true -and let's forget our first business phone call from Adam way back in July when I told him we were next to impossible to find a mainstream/corporate sponsor for, and let's forget our initial call in to the Daily Souce Code, the one where Adam makes us the offer... the one where I tell him we were run outta a town... You'd think a fella that runs a tech biz might run a google search or read thru our site to find out that Mercedes ain't gonna go for it?


hmmm... I'm thinking this was very obvious from all angles, then again I've never looked at things atop millions on invested dollars.


I did however bring honesty and a bit of common sense to the table early on and suggested corporate folk who could use our connection to hipsters that spend their green on tattoos, t-shirts and entertainment - folks like the shoe company Vans or the ultra spooky Coffin Case - both told us early on they were interested.... but even earlier Adam stated podshow would run the show from their HQ and everything must go thru them... and poof - Podshow and Curry turn another opportunity to shit.


And really, if you listen to what was said - a sponsorship from Mercedes was never an issue... PLEASE go to Adam Curry Lies Dot Com and LISTEN to Adam Curry make us the offer - sponsor or NO sponsor.


And, if for some reason he did make a mistake, and what we do is too spooky for the mainstream consumer - most responsible business folk would try and fix their problem and make it go away. Or maybe, just maybe this was all part of a bigger plan.


Curry obviously works under the spectacle over talent idea when it comes to getting attention and he choose us to fuck with, knowing we take very little shit and we always fight back! ***

When it's all said and done I am sure you don't want to have to
those companies as your sponsors anyway. It hard to be underground,
when you're taking the man's money. I don't remember Hunter S. Thomson
saying "this episode of Fear and Loathing is brought to you by GM and
NBC.

** Fuck you - I'll take the money and run just like Hunter did or any self-respecting creator would... Hunter wasn't self published you know?


Secondly, I once believed in what Curry was doing, and thought, because of this new-media, new territory he would do things in a NEW way... I was ok with him having millions because it was to fuel the new-media revolution.. so, is Curry the man or is he anti-the man?


From my experience dealing with major media and a bit inside the entertainment industry this is the same old same old.


Adam Curry and podshow are OLD MEDIA in NEW MEDIA clothing.


But really - this is about a man not following thru with is word and or not admitting to and fixing their mistake.


ADAM CURRY LIES DOT COM is a site set up is to warn others about working with him or Podshow.


Advertisers, investors, content providers and artists of all shapes and sizes should know, if this is the company selling you, can you really trust them? I say NO WAY. ***

My thoughts are you just let it go, and build on what your show
could be. The proper sponsors will come. At least AC drove a lot
people to your show. Which has to be big numbers? Now give the
listeners a reason to stay subscribed. Unless the whole show is "we
are victimize artists that got screwed", which will get old, quick. I
don't know, I could be wrong, I usually am! Doug Pilgrim

Doug - the purpose of ADAM CURRY IS A DOUCHE BAD DOT COM was to remove his negative stink from out project. It is also about addressing this issue to the listeners we had way before Curry came along.


Adam made a promise, he lied, never made good and should be held accountable for it.


All my years doing the underground thing, with all the underground artists and brethren - I have never seen such a fucked-up non-professional situation like podshow... and that's saying alot coming from one fucked up and non-professional person like myself.


My crazy paranoid thoughts are:


-Podshow/Curry are broke and on their last leg, why you ask - because we work way to cheap not to have made us happy and quiet.


- Curry can only get headlines/hype thru his "spectacle" theory and has used us in his manipulation of the on-line masses.


- We will see a similar idea, but instead of Shane and Amy it'll be Dawn and Drew. I suspect we may have even been used as leverage in contract negotiations to get them to do something similar for alot less than market value.


And if Adam tries to tell you he made us an "offer" and we turned it down - that's Bullshit. Trust that living on a floor/couch ain't comfortable, getting from town to town ain't easy and at times is quite dangerous - we would have taken just about anything they offered.. we just couldn't stand being treated so poorly as they stuck it to us.


Doug and the rest of the Curry cult - remember - words are the biggest illusion - never trust the simple trickster who relies on words over action to manipulate... look to their results and more importantly how they deal with their lack of results.


I leave you with a quote I wish I had seen when accepting the offer from Podshows Adam Curry...


"He didn't invent podcasting, he didn't figure out that RSS would be a good transport. And he didn't write the first iPodder... these lies have gone on and on, he just doesn't stop." - Dave Winer.

"Thing is -- Adam's star is fading, again. At some point he's going to need some friends, and then I'm going to kick him in the ass, and then look him in the eye and say "Shouldn't have lied so much, dickhead." - Dave Winer.

Dave Winer is the fella who REALLY did the work behind what we call "podcasting" Curry has since tried to steal that credit thru, guess what LIES.
go here to read more: http://www.scripting.com/2005/05/14.html

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Without having any opinions on the matter, after having read Doug's post then your post; I have.

You seem like an extremely bitter person, wanting to go way too far in making others feel like you.

You might be right about Adam, you might not. He probably bites over more he can chew and he didn't have the time to chew over this, bad luck. What he does, lies about, and doesn't do is his choice. Now stop being a crybaby about it, and move on.

PROJECT A YEAR AT THE WHEEL said...

Bitter - YES!
How'd you figure it out... I guess the ADAM CURRY LIES DOT COM and or ADAM CURRY IS A DOUCHE BAG DOT COM didn't do it for you?

I knew I shoulda used Adam Curry is a steamy pile of shit dot com.

This is more inspired by Lenny Bruce than an attempt at "making" others fell like I do.

I'm bitter and for good reason - and you my friend must be a Curry fan.

Badd luck indeed... and I feel sharing that with Mr. Curry is only right.

He's an asshole who's bottom line does not include the human factor - this is quite contrary to the words coming outa his face... you as a Curry fan might wanna take note of this next time he tries to sell you a Nokia product - can you really trust Podshow and Adam Curry?

zkarj said...

I have no opinion on Adam Curry as an individual because I don't know him from, well, Adam!

I do enjoy his published works (DSC etc) and I am very happy to have the opportunity to publish my own podcast on his dime.

What I would LIKE to see is for you to calm down and set out a clear set of facts and argument for your side of the story - then challenge Adam to counter with his side of the story. As this blog stands now I wouldn't blame him for ignoring it as the work of a raving lunatic.

I believe you have a case for Adam to answer, but I don't know what it is yet because your writings are full of invective and emotion which does not help your cause.

zkarj said...

Oh,and please don't brand me a fanboy because I don't fully agree with you. Christian's comment was LESS emotive than your writings and it was pretty clear to me he was taking a middle of the road approach.

PROJECT A YEAR AT THE WHEEL said...

zkarj - I'e been over this until I'm blue in the face.

yes some of it was/is very emotional, but if YOU take the time and look into it, you'd see it's a simple case of Adam said one thing and did another.

I'll state my case her for you...

Adam mad a promise to me and my family. We then made a deal that could hold up in court.

My wife and I dedicated 4 months to living up to our side of the deal.

The date Adam was to deliver came and went. That date was a public event with the media and others watching.

It was personally embarrassing.

It was also something that was financially devastating to out project... you see, we spent what little savings we had over the 4 months of preparation for the trip. Preparation that was mandatory to making sure our end of the deal was kept.

I used to listen to the DSC, and this seems to go against the person he portrays.

His efforts to work this out were minimal at best and amounted to yet another virtual slap in the face.

It wasn't insurance issues, it wasn't anything but an person who lied. And his lie hurt actual people. His blatant lie should also be a warning to listeners, that his on-air rants could be true or they could be lies - you just can't trust him... a good enough reason for me not to listen to the DSC - you see, I like to trust in the broadcasters I get my info from.

This website was set up as a warning - beware of an adam curry deal/promise.

zkarj said...

OK, that was far more readable and, as I suspected, you have a case for him to answer. So what will you do next?

Has he ever responded to the site or the allegations?

PROJECT A YEAR AT THE WHEEL said...

as far as Adam commenting - not that I know of.

Hell, at some point I did expect him to be human about this and at least throw us a plug once in a blue moon... but zip.

Please, ask him your self to make it clear... I'd love to hear what he has to say.

I think the only FAIR solution as far as my words VS. his would be a LIVE on-air chat.

I'm up for it - are you Mr. Curry?