I have these nigerian friends....

[TYM]

It seems to be a trait of people in Kintyre, that we wish things to fail

I have to say that sadly, there is probably some truth in this. Having had the experience of running shops in Campbeltown and Lochgilphead, it was very noticeable that people in Lochgilphead were much more likely to say "I would rather give you the business as you are local" than someone from Kintyre. As a result, the support I received from the Mid Argyll Area was ultimately higher than from my home town.

I think we need a change in mindset in Kintyre. Until we realise that the first step is to help ourselves then we cannot expect others to treat us as a "Special Case".

[Govangirl]

My remark wasn't about fun, although it was making a point in a humorous way.

Exactly. I couldn't even bother to reply but once I have a glass of wine in me...... so I'd like to make a few points:

1. I have to reiterate that certain people seem to always escape the flak as $7.46 (what does it matter what currency you use!) joined in!
2. Perhaps it's because he's a local but my main point is that we wouldn't have been following that thread if we weren't interested in the topic. I have much experience in the regeneration of my own area (which is far more deprived than Kintyre) and I was just following the discussion in order to contribute at an opportune moment.
3. The investment discussed did shock me too so I thought Bobbie's comment was really valid. And why should it just be locals that ask questions seeing it's on a public forum anyway?!
4. Some folk have no sense of humour at all. Threads go off topic all the time - wee chats about hats and sparrowhawks and locals enjoying a wee bit of banter as they obviously know each other personally. Do I jump up and down throwing my rattle out the pram? Some folk need an urgent humour / personality transplant. Get a life.
5. Certainly, Mo* just jumps in to have a wee whine every few weeks but I suspect he/she is someone else on the forum and hides behind that pseudonym. I'm happy for him/her to unload, care in the community and all that.
6. I just do not have any experience of this sniping and lack of humour in my everyday 'real life' so it always shocks me on the forum. Quite mystifying really! But hey, if you can't beat them................

If some of you need help...............................................................I have these counsellor friends......

[Ship called Dignity]

How do you reply to that?

Cut to the chase and name names.

[Bobbie En Tejas]

Exactly. I couldn't even bother to reply but once I have a glass of wine in me...... so I'd like to make a few points:

1. I have to reiterate that certain people seem to always escape the flak as $7.46 (what does it matter what currency you use!) joined in!

Govan! $7.46! (3.73 pounds .. he's only $6.86 today ) One of my favorite people in the world! (thats 73.99 pesos by the way )

[Mo*]

Bobbie said that the Opportunity Kintyre project ‘smelt like a scam’. She likened it to a Nigerian money-making e-mail fraud.
She obviously knows very little about OK. She ignored what the people who do obviously know about it said. She saw that one person who knows about it and cares for the area left the forum because of her comments. That person did feel hurt, whether or not she thinks they should have felt that way. Yet she still thinks she shouldn’t apologise.
Does she really believe that she is some colonial overlord who knows better than the poor, ignorant people from the old country?

[Govangirl]

Bobbie, believe me, I am NOT making any reference to Mr Money Man - I've just re-read some of his posts and he is a wee gem. No, I am just amused that there seems to be some who escape the flak when it comes to unnecessary nit-picking. I have just come to my senses over it and decided that I will stop apologising when someone takes me to task again. It's got a bit out of hand recently where in just a few days, apologies are given for the slightest thing, i.e. when I contributed to the 'What are you reading just now?' thread -NOT, btw, 'What NOVEL are you reading just now?' I exchanged a few comments about poetry and had to apologise for doing so to Mr 'I-don't-want-to-be-rude-but....that-means-I-will-be'. Ridiculous really, I made a list when I was 30 about 30 things I was going to do that year and one was to read a poem every day. It was so delicious that I extended it to reading one every day from then on (and no need to count, that's an awful lot of flaming poems, I know!). So, I'm discussing what I'm reading. Plain and simple.

I'm not being controversial, just pointing out that instead of going off in a huff in the future, I will politely point out why I think it's possible - nay, important - some of us may go off topic now and again. It's like a conversation.

[£3.73]

Bobbie said that the Opportunity Kintyre project ‘smelt like a scam’. She likened it to a Nigerian money-making e-mail fraud.
She obviously knows very little about OK. She ignored what the people who do obviously know about it said. She saw that one person who knows about it and cares for the area left the forum because of her comments. That person did feel hurt, whether or not she thinks they should have felt that way. Yet she still thinks she shouldn’t apologise.
Does she really believe that she is some colonial overlord who knows better than the poor, ignorant people from the old country?

Mo*,

If someone came to your door selling something, went through the product knowledge ... and at the point where you ask a question or 2 and indulge in some light hearted banter, said "how dare you", about turned & stormed off into the sunset in the cream puff ... you probably wouldn't buy their product ..

If you were that salesman's manager, you might be thinking to yourself ... why would my salesman do that ...
You might conclude either ...

a) They don't have product knowledge, and are easily harassed ... (can't comfortably answer questions) or
b) They don't believe in the product they are trying to sell ... (can't be bothered answering questions)

Now, in LO's case, he very kindly took the time & trouble to type up a fairly lengthy summary of OK, and was thanked for doing so .. because, let's be honest here, a lot of people know next to nothing about it ! So, that was much appreciated !

Obviously, not everyone agreed with some of the content (as is their right), and got that across using humour ..

We are all adults hopefully, we all care about the future of Kintyre, & on the finer details we can agree to disagree in places.

Perhaps LO was just having a bad day.

[Govangirl]

Does she really believe that she is some colonial overlord who knows better than the poor, ignorant people from the old country?

You crack me up you do!!!!! Don't be so melodramatic, Mr Cotton Picker or whoever you think you are today. Bobbie was simply making a simple connection in order to ascertain ONE aspect of the scheme. I joked about it because in my experience of regeneration this sort of thing happens all the time and sometimes humour can be used to lighten the situation. Have you ever experienced that? Maybe not. Are you seriously saying that those few words caused that poster to give up? If so, surely she is right when she questions the ability to handle far more serious issues?

[Bobbie En Tejas]

When I decided on a particular condo to buy, I didn't just believe the realtor or the seller. For all I knew, they could have been working together to find a sucker. I hired an inspector and they inspected every corner of the place, every outlet, water, appliances, walls, looking to make sure I wasn't being taken. It is prudent.

I said a humorous remark in passing that could have been smiled at by LO, who then would have said, no, what happens is, the money is invested back into the community, not given to a company to ride off into the sunset with. That would have been the end of that. It was presented as giving someone $100,000 to find out why the community is deprived, and to keep it relatively quiet, except by word of mouth so others can give too. That doesn't sound suspicious to anyone else?

But, I have since looked online, saw some videos (the video is a little iffy and reminds you of an infomercial), read a lot of things, but nowhere could I find anything negative about the Sirolli institute, no one has been taken, no one blogging about a scam. It seems that there are different states in the U.S. who have taken this institution seriously. From the the StateLine Midwest (The Midwestern Office of The Council of State Governments, Volume 13, Number 8 August 2004, page 6) http://www.csgmidwest.org/memberservice ... st2004.pdf

Policymakers, then, are trying to discover the
best way to promote entrepreneurial activity at
the state level. Kansas, for instance, has actively
embraced the enterprise facilitation model
offered through the Sirolli Institute by providing
seed money for five regional projects in
different rural areas of the state.
The Sirolli model has sometimes been compared
to an “old-fashioned barn raising.” Its
grass-roots approach relies on local knowledge
and skills to create new jobs by assisting in the
development of small businesses. To help
projects succeed, the enterprise facilitation
model utilizes a “trinity” management concept
in which local volunteers — some with a passion
for the product, others with expertise in marketing
or financial management — help launch
new enterprises. Sirolli provides technical
assistance to the local entrepreneurs.

Having said that, I don't apologize for my remark, but I am sorry it wasn't taken for the humor it was intended to be in the first place, and LO, I'm sorry I hurt your feelings.

[Bobbie En Tejas]

...Does she really believe that she is some colonial overlord who knows better than the poor, ignorant people from the old country?

You are so cute I just want to pinch your cheeks...

[Malky]

The locals get touchy when you overlords drop in Bobbie. Stop flirting with them

Malky

[minto]

Why are two or three people who clearly have no ties to Kintyre so interested in what is going on? Why do you have to poke your nose in to everything that is discussed? I thought about registering last week to join in what I felt was a sensible thread about taking Kintyre forward only for it to be ridiculed by people who seem to think they are some kind of forum mafia.

I suppose it isn't different from living here in Kintyre. I've seen the very village I grew up in change dramtically by pompous gits who move here from down south thinking they can just sell up move to Kintyre and try and change the way it is run!

[Govangirl]

That's quite ungracious of you 'minto' (I see you only joined today and hope it wasn't just to be rude) and exactly the opposite of the welcoming attitude of your Kintyre fellow residents.

[Malky]

Something you'll find about certain folks in these parts Govangirl - they generally only register on here to complain about some poster or other. Well that's if they can be bothered registering - mostly they just read and complain.

Malky

[minto]

That's quite ungracious of you 'minto' (I see you only joined today and hope it wasn't just to be rude) and exactly the opposite of the welcoming attitude of your Kintyre fellow residents.

Do I have to do some initiation before I can post? Or perhaps ask permission? I have now remembered why I never registered before now. Perhaps someone could answer the question I posed?