This independent atricle speaks for itself! Please read on to see how personal greed knows no limits!
- The Honcho
[Personal comments in RED]
Comments link: http://www.topix.net/forum/source/orlando-sentinel/T1KHR5AKMKEFE2GEQ
OrlandoSentinel.com
Magic's act of greed takes games off TV
Mike Thomas - COMMENTARY
November 8, 2007
The ink had barely dried on a new arena deal for the Orlando Magic whenthe team expressed its gratitude to fans by yanking its games off broadcast television.
Gee, do you think the timing here was a coincidence?
Rich DeVos and Co. really elevated their game on this one.
Taxpayers are paying for most of an arena that not only will net the Magic millions more each year, but also will increase the value of the team significantly.
But that wasn't enough.
The team then had to stick it to those fans least able to afford it [Can anyone feel their pain? I know I can!].
It used to be that you could watch 30 or so Magic games a year with adecent antenna on WRBW-Channel 65. If the reception was bad, you could get the most basic cable package for about $20.
This arrangement apparently wasn't putting enough money into the DeVos bank account.
So the team cut a deal with Fox Sports Network/Florida to take those games off WRBW, which by the way Fox also owns, and move them to FSN. The Magic won't say how much the team is making on the deal. Our sportspage had it pegged at more than $1 million a year.
Of course, Fox has to recoup this money. Enter Bright House [a local cable TV provider].
Fox has been trying to sell Bright House its FSN channel since taking itover 21/2 years ago. But Bright House has balked, saying there isn't much interest here in the Tampa Bay and South Florida teams broadcast byFSN.
This greed has backfired [does that sound familiar?], setting off a cable TV war that is blacking out games to all Bright House Networks customers.
That the Magic are trying to put the blame for this on Bright House is beyond galling. [It seems like shifting blame is part of Alticor's standard Modus Operandi!] This was an orchestrated ploy to make millions in profits for the Magic and Fox at the expense of customers. A little from everybody amounts to millions for a few. [Another part of Alticor's M.O.]
Even in your living room, you can't escape the long arm of the DeVos Greed Machine.
If the Magic really cared about their fans [If Alticor really cared about their IBO's], here is what Martins would have done:
* Ensured some games still would be broadcast over free television.
* Made its deal with Fox contingent on Fox cutting a deal with Bright House.
[* Provide a real opportunity with fair and competitive pricing & compensation packages for the people working hard to create a better future for themselves!]
If Bright House raises my rates one nickel because of this, I'm going back to rabbit ears and Netflix.
[If Quixtar changes it's name to Amway, I'm going . . . . TOO LATE!! The decision has already been made by the geniouses running Alticore & I've already left their diseased "business opportunity!!"]
Copyright © 2007, Orlando Sentinel
Chris De WittDe Witt Communications
P.O. Box 4952
East Lansing, MI 48826
Thursday, November 8, 2007
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
Leadership and Reading
As the saying goes: Not all readers are leaders but all leaders are readers. Plain and simple. Often we meet "ultimate managers" who believe they are leaders, but their actions speak louder than words. Their power exists purely due to history, nepotism, or position and people in these situations often feel threatened when real leadership is in their presence.
True leaders hunger for change and continuous improvement. In the information age the old saying, "if it ain't broke don't fix it" has been antiquated. To survive and thrive in the information age a new axiom holds true: if it ain't broke, let's break it and make it better!
Unfortunately, Alticor has no intention (let alone hunger) to improve their broken business model. This is obvious in their unprofessional approach and publication regarding the most successful community building organization in Quixtar's history (please reference the Alticor article, "Just Go Team" (see link: http://media.alticorblogs.com/2007/08/10/just-go-team). I am personally embarrassed for Alticor for choosing to publish such an unprofessional, finger-pointing rant. This is the official statement from a billion dollar company?! I could never imagine the likes of GM or GE posting such an unprofessional article. Instead of accepting responsibility for their negative reputation and uncompetitive product prices they turned to gossip and lies.
If the referenced article is too long winded to handle, the following Dilbert (by Scott Adams) cartoon summarizes Alticor's thinking and future business strategy in a nutshell.
Maybe Alticor should try reading some leadership books to enhance their thinking. And, oh - by the way - the book authored by Orrin Woodward & Chris Brady (Launching a Leadership Revolution) debuted this week on the New York Times best selling business book list at number 12! (See link: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/04/books/bestseller/200711besthardbusiness.html?ex=1194930000&en=abf2b301375bad67&ei=5070&emc=eta1) As if that weren't enough, LLR is currently #1 of the Wall Street Journal's best seller list for business! It would be wise for the managers within Alticor to pick up this book and hopefully learn some lessons from the leadership team they just fired.
True leaders hunger for change and continuous improvement. In the information age the old saying, "if it ain't broke don't fix it" has been antiquated. To survive and thrive in the information age a new axiom holds true: if it ain't broke, let's break it and make it better!
Unfortunately, Alticor has no intention (let alone hunger) to improve their broken business model. This is obvious in their unprofessional approach and publication regarding the most successful community building organization in Quixtar's history (please reference the Alticor article, "Just Go Team" (see link: http://media.alticorblogs.com/2007/08/10/just-go-team). I am personally embarrassed for Alticor for choosing to publish such an unprofessional, finger-pointing rant. This is the official statement from a billion dollar company?! I could never imagine the likes of GM or GE posting such an unprofessional article. Instead of accepting responsibility for their negative reputation and uncompetitive product prices they turned to gossip and lies.
If the referenced article is too long winded to handle, the following Dilbert (by Scott Adams) cartoon summarizes Alticor's thinking and future business strategy in a nutshell.
Maybe Alticor should try reading some leadership books to enhance their thinking. And, oh - by the way - the book authored by Orrin Woodward & Chris Brady (Launching a Leadership Revolution) debuted this week on the New York Times best selling business book list at number 12! (See link: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/04/books/bestseller/200711besthardbusiness.html?ex=1194930000&en=abf2b301375bad67&ei=5070&emc=eta1) As if that weren't enough, LLR is currently #1 of the Wall Street Journal's best seller list for business! It would be wise for the managers within Alticor to pick up this book and hopefully learn some lessons from the leadership team they just fired.
Monday, November 5, 2007
Interpreting the Alticor / Amway Spin, Part I
Dear Readers,
Included in this first posting on the IAA, you will find an official posting from the Alticor Media Blog in black along with my Clarified Interpretation in bold, italics, and blue. I welcome and look forward to your feedback!
- The Honcho
Posted on the Alticor Medial Blog (http://media.alticorblogs.com/)
October 24th, 2007 @ 8:45 pm ET…
Why we fight, part 1
After being on the defensive for 20 straight legal attacks, we filed suit yesterday against the corporation that owns TEAM.
Clarified Interpretation: After starting an offensive on August 9th and not effectively stopping TEAM, we filed another frivolous lawsuit again yesterday against the corporation that owns TEAM.
We filed suit because the single legal case we brought (and won) in this matter listed Orrin Woodward as a defendant—but Woodward then claimed to have magically disappeared as the manager of TEAM before the case was heard. (A legal trick like that is like pretending Rich and Jay have nothing to do with our company—but never mind. We’ll straighten it out.)
Clarified Interpretation: We filed suit because the legal case we brought in this matter listed Orrin & Chris; not the TEAM. (We thought they had started a competing MLM, but obviously we were wrong - OOPS!). Woodward resigned as manager of TEAM without checking with us first (this really made us mad since we officially own him!) and the judge ruled they could have meetings (without our permission?!?!). (We eventually used a legal trick and attempted to convince the judge we meant TEAM all along even though it was never listed in our TRO since TEAM is an SM company and not a competing MLM – we lost.)
We filed suit because TEAM has had multiple chances to play by the rules in this dispute, but have gambled that they do not have to play by them. They have interfered with non-compete agreements. They have interfered with non-solicitation agreements. They refuse to arbitrate.
Clarified Interpretation: We filed suit because TEAM has played by the rules in this dispute and the judge in our backyard ruled in our favor. We gambled that we could confuse the judge – he immediately sniffed out our true intentions of trickery and gave us a well deserved spanking. The TEAM has NOT started a competing MLM. Period. In order to satisfy our insatiable private agenda, we must say the TEAM is a competing MLM in order to accuse them of interfering with out non-compete clause. (Remember, character means nothing to us. Our value lies within our reputation (talk about needing a check-up from the neck up!!) and we have tons of money to spend on lawyers and our PR spin!). We could not find a single piece of evidence that Orrin or Chris solicited for a new business (since there isn’t one in existence) so we spun that angle too. They agreed to arbitrate, but we want to shut down their entire business and arbitration will take too long and our chances of doing so are slim to none.
But most of all, we are filing suit because TEAM has taken proprietary business information from Quixtar that IBO's could be using right now to build Quixtar businesses.
Clarified Interpretation: But most of all, we are filing suit because TEAM has embarrassed us by following their leadership instead of bowing to our threats and childish demands. Without the people, we lose our “Jay Factor” profits and that has really ticked off the families and put the official status of my legal job on the line. I sure hope the Nevada judge buys into our perspective that we truly own anyone who ever signs an IBO application or I will be fired and then sold by the family.
If you leave your place of work today, you would leave behind your tools and information so that those who remain can carry on the business. You can’t help yourself to your computer, the stapler, the coffeemaker—or the company’s customer list.
Clarified Interpretation: If you ask Quixtar to amicably leave and you have over a $100 million business that we profit over 25% on, then you will never be allowed to leave! We will trump up charges to terminate you and then sue you for your net worth the very next day. Don’t even bother with trying to negotiate a settlement even if you point out we have regulatory issues across the world and are being sued by top notch attorneys the world over. You still cannot take your friends and families from us or our founding families children will have to go out and earn an honest living. Totally unacceptable! As their chief of legal counsel, I personally came up with the egregious customer list. I don’t care if the judge in Grand Rapids didn’t buy it – there are judges all over and all I have to do is find one to save my job!!
That is ethically and morally wrong. It is also legally wrong. And that’s why we filed suit.
Clarified Interpretation: I know this is ethically and morally wrong but, darn it, I need my job! It is also legally wrong, but that has never stopped Alticor, Amway, or Quixtar and it certainly won’t stop us know. And that, in a nutshell, is why we filed the suit.
Included in this first posting on the IAA, you will find an official posting from the Alticor Media Blog in black along with my Clarified Interpretation in bold, italics, and blue. I welcome and look forward to your feedback!
- The Honcho
Posted on the Alticor Medial Blog (http://media.alticorblogs.com/)
October 24th, 2007 @ 8:45 pm ET…
Why we fight, part 1
After being on the defensive for 20 straight legal attacks, we filed suit yesterday against the corporation that owns TEAM.
Clarified Interpretation: After starting an offensive on August 9th and not effectively stopping TEAM, we filed another frivolous lawsuit again yesterday against the corporation that owns TEAM.
We filed suit because the single legal case we brought (and won) in this matter listed Orrin Woodward as a defendant—but Woodward then claimed to have magically disappeared as the manager of TEAM before the case was heard. (A legal trick like that is like pretending Rich and Jay have nothing to do with our company—but never mind. We’ll straighten it out.)
Clarified Interpretation: We filed suit because the legal case we brought in this matter listed Orrin & Chris; not the TEAM. (We thought they had started a competing MLM, but obviously we were wrong - OOPS!). Woodward resigned as manager of TEAM without checking with us first (this really made us mad since we officially own him!) and the judge ruled they could have meetings (without our permission?!?!). (We eventually used a legal trick and attempted to convince the judge we meant TEAM all along even though it was never listed in our TRO since TEAM is an SM company and not a competing MLM – we lost.)
We filed suit because TEAM has had multiple chances to play by the rules in this dispute, but have gambled that they do not have to play by them. They have interfered with non-compete agreements. They have interfered with non-solicitation agreements. They refuse to arbitrate.
Clarified Interpretation: We filed suit because TEAM has played by the rules in this dispute and the judge in our backyard ruled in our favor. We gambled that we could confuse the judge – he immediately sniffed out our true intentions of trickery and gave us a well deserved spanking. The TEAM has NOT started a competing MLM. Period. In order to satisfy our insatiable private agenda, we must say the TEAM is a competing MLM in order to accuse them of interfering with out non-compete clause. (Remember, character means nothing to us. Our value lies within our reputation (talk about needing a check-up from the neck up!!) and we have tons of money to spend on lawyers and our PR spin!). We could not find a single piece of evidence that Orrin or Chris solicited for a new business (since there isn’t one in existence) so we spun that angle too. They agreed to arbitrate, but we want to shut down their entire business and arbitration will take too long and our chances of doing so are slim to none.
But most of all, we are filing suit because TEAM has taken proprietary business information from Quixtar that IBO's could be using right now to build Quixtar businesses.
Clarified Interpretation: But most of all, we are filing suit because TEAM has embarrassed us by following their leadership instead of bowing to our threats and childish demands. Without the people, we lose our “Jay Factor” profits and that has really ticked off the families and put the official status of my legal job on the line. I sure hope the Nevada judge buys into our perspective that we truly own anyone who ever signs an IBO application or I will be fired and then sold by the family.
If you leave your place of work today, you would leave behind your tools and information so that those who remain can carry on the business. You can’t help yourself to your computer, the stapler, the coffeemaker—or the company’s customer list.
Clarified Interpretation: If you ask Quixtar to amicably leave and you have over a $100 million business that we profit over 25% on, then you will never be allowed to leave! We will trump up charges to terminate you and then sue you for your net worth the very next day. Don’t even bother with trying to negotiate a settlement even if you point out we have regulatory issues across the world and are being sued by top notch attorneys the world over. You still cannot take your friends and families from us or our founding families children will have to go out and earn an honest living. Totally unacceptable! As their chief of legal counsel, I personally came up with the egregious customer list. I don’t care if the judge in Grand Rapids didn’t buy it – there are judges all over and all I have to do is find one to save my job!!
That is ethically and morally wrong. It is also legally wrong. And that’s why we filed suit.
Clarified Interpretation: I know this is ethically and morally wrong but, darn it, I need my job! It is also legally wrong, but that has never stopped Alticor, Amway, or Quixtar and it certainly won’t stop us know. And that, in a nutshell, is why we filed the suit.
Filed by: Corporate Communications
Posted in: Alticor, Amway, Quixtar, Transformation
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
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