“Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” will be in Buffalo, NY Nov. 7 to Nov. 14, 2009
On Sun, 25 Oct 2009 13:07:23 -0400, Nova wrote:
Has anyone on the group participated in any of their builds and if so what are you feelings about the experience? I'm sure they build up the entire process and publicize it to hell, but it still comes down to a family in dire need. And very possibly, you might finish up with feeling great in the end. I can't envision any real problem. |
“Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” will be in Buffalo, NY Nov. 7 to Nov. 14, 2009
Nova wrote:
It's been announced the “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” will be building a house in Buffalo on Nov. 7 through Nov. 14, 2009. My church is one of the organizing groups. I've been asked to volunteer and I'm considering doing so. Has anyone on the group participated in any of their builds and if so what are you feelings about the experience? It's honorable to volunteer to help a family in need and I commend you for it. But ABC/Disney should be ashamed of not paying you and the other workers. They will make hundreds of thousands of dollars from the episode, if not over a million. -- -MIKE- "Playing is not something I do at night, it's my function in life" --Elvin Jones (1927-2004) -- http://mikedrums.com ---remove "DOT" ^^^^ to reply |
“Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” will be in Buffalo, NY Nov. 7 to Nov. 14, 2009
-MIKE- wrote:
Nova wrote: It's been announced the “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” will be building a house in Buffalo on Nov. 7 through Nov. 14, 2009. My church is one of the organizing groups. I've been asked to volunteer and I'm considering doing so. Has anyone on the group participated in any of their builds and if so what are you feelings about the experience? It's honorable to volunteer to help a family in need and I commend you for it. But ABC/Disney should be ashamed of not paying you and the other workers. They will make hundreds of thousands of dollars from the episode, if not over a million. The trouble is that the minuted they pay someone they run afoul of union rules and fair hiring practices and the like and it turns into a minefield. |
“Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” will be in Buffalo, NY Nov. 7 to No v. 14, 2009
Nova wrote in news:009d9540$0$32363$c3e8da3
@news.astraweb.com: It's been announced the “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” will be building a house in Buffalo on Nov. 7 through Nov. 14, 2009. My church is one of the organizing groups. I've been asked to volunteer and I'm considering doing so. Has anyone on the group participated in any of their builds and if so what are you feelings about the experience? I've got a buddy who's helped with one of the houses. Still haven't seen it on to see if he got on camera. If you help, make sure you find out the air date of the show so you can tape it. Puckdropper -- "The potential difference between the top and bottom of a tree is the reason why all trees have to be grounded..." -- Bored Borg on rec.woodworking To email me directly, send a message to puckdropper (at) fastmail.fm |
“Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” will be in Buffalo, NY Nov. 7 to Nov. 14, 2009
"-MIKE-" wrote in message But ABC/Disney should be ashamed of not paying you and the other workers. They will make hundreds of thousands of dollars from the episode, if not over a million. That would cause more problems that it solves. How much do you pay? Do you pay the unskilled volunteer as much as the pro? Who keeps track of all the people and time and expense of it all? All the materials are donated as is the labor, the builder's time etc. If not for ABC/Disney, it would not be possible at all to do this in the first place. There may be some legal entanglements also. If you pay one volunteer $5, then you start a nasty chain reaction. Why should I donate material if they can pay the workers? What is wrong with giving some time anyway? Sears and CVS seem to be two of the biggest donors and I commend them for it. |
“Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” will be in Buffalo, NY Nov. 7 to Nov. 14, 2009
Ed Pawlowski wrote:
"-MIKE-" wrote in message But ABC/Disney should be ashamed of not paying you and the other workers. They will make hundreds of thousands of dollars from the episode, if not over a million. That would cause more problems that it solves. How much do you pay? Scale for the television/screen actors' guild. Do you pay the unskilled volunteer as much as the pro? Who keeps track of all the people and time and expense of it all? The same people who are doing it now. It's a television production, they already have people keeping track of all that for everyone else involved in the production... who are getting paid for their services. All the materials are donated as is the labor, the builder's time etc. The material is hardly "donated." No, there isn't an invoice marked "paid," but they wouldn't give any of it anonymously. The show is a mini infomercial with all the product placement and company logos and the mentioning of those companies having donated their stuff. Just like when you watch Nascar and BillyBob wears a Valvoline hat and mentioned their name in every interview. They pay BillyBob for every second the hat is shown on TV and for every mention of the company name. The bean counters know that equates to sales... they have it down to a science. If not for ABC/Disney, it would not be possible at all to do this in the first place. That's another debate, but not why I'm taking issue. There may be some legal entanglements also. If you pay one volunteer $5, then you start a nasty chain reaction. Why should I donate material if they can pay the workers? They would get paid as cast members or extras, using the screen actors guild rates. Sears and CVS seem to be two of the biggest donors and I commend them for it. The fact that you know this and are mentioning it, shows that they have been paid in full. NO corporation does anything charitable without showing their shareholders it will be profitable to do so. And I don't have a problem with that. What is wrong with giving some time anyway? Ask ABC/Disney that question. They're not exactly a 501c. Like Sears and CVS... they're not doing it out of the goodness of their hearts, they are doing it for profit. I'm not against profit... quite the opposite. I'm not against helping the downtrodden... quite the opposite. The ONLY problem I have with all this is the hypocrisy of asking all these people to volunteer so they can milk it for ratings = big bucks. -- -MIKE- "Playing is not something I do at night, it's my function in life" --Elvin Jones (1927-2004) -- http://mikedrums.com ---remove "DOT" ^^^^ to reply |
“Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” will be in Buffalo, NY Nov. 7 to Nov. 14, 2009
On Sun, 25 Oct 2009 15:50:03 -0500, -MIKE-
wrote: The ONLY problem I have with all this is the hypocrisy of asking all these people to volunteer so they can milk it for ratings = big bucks. Aren't you leaving out one important fact? That fact is the needy family that gets the house. Yup, all the businesses involved are profiting in some way. No argument about that. But, someone who needs it is also benefiting. The volunteers get a feeling of doing something good and everybody is happy. Compare that to those 'profiting' businesses just paying some corporate advertising agency and you're left with two outfits that profit and everybody else gets nothing. You tell me which is preferable? If it helps you, the Home Makeover show is less hypocritical than just two companies doing some advertising business. |
“Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” will be in Buffalo, NY Nov. 7 to Nov. 14, 2009
wrote:
On Sun, 25 Oct 2009 15:50:03 -0500, -MIKE- wrote: The ONLY problem I have with all this is the hypocrisy of asking all these people to volunteer so they can milk it for ratings = big bucks. Aren't you leaving out one important fact? That fact is the needy family that gets the house. That's what concerns me. A google search for "Extreme Makeover Home Edition Foreclosure" brings up quite a number of hits. I don't want to end up volunteering my time for the benifit of a bank. Yup, all the businesses involved are profiting in some way. No argument about that. But, someone who needs it is also benefiting. The volunteers get a feeling of doing something good and everybody is happy. Compare that to those 'profiting' businesses just paying some corporate advertising agency and you're left with two outfits that profit and everybody else gets nothing. You tell me which is preferable? If it helps you, the Home Makeover show is less hypocritical than just two companies doing some advertising business. -- Jack Novak Buffalo, NY - USA |
“Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” will be in Buffalo, NY Nov. 7 to Nov. 14, 2009
wrote:
On Sun, 25 Oct 2009 15:50:03 -0500, -MIKE- wrote: The ONLY problem I have with all this is the hypocrisy of asking all these people to volunteer so they can milk it for ratings = big bucks. Aren't you leaving out one important fact? That fact is the needy family that gets the house. Nope. I covered that and said I'm all for it. Yup, all the businesses involved are profiting in some way. No argument about that. But, someone who needs it is also benefiting. The volunteers get a feeling of doing something good and everybody is happy. Compare that to those 'profiting' businesses just paying some corporate advertising agency and you're left with two outfits that profit and everybody else gets nothing. You tell me which is preferable? If it helps you, the Home Makeover show is less hypocritical than just two companies doing some advertising business. You act like I'm advocating dumping the whole thing because I think they should butch up and pay all the "cast members" (which is what they are and should be treated and paid as such). I don't want to throw the baby out with the bath water, so please don't infer that I do. -- -MIKE- "Playing is not something I do at night, it's my function in life" --Elvin Jones (1927-2004) -- http://mikedrums.com ---remove "DOT" ^^^^ to reply |
“Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” will be in Buffalo, NY Nov. 7 to Nov. 14, 2009
"-MIKE-" wrote in message Scale for the television/screen actors' guild. They are not actors, they are not usually on the "set" aside for a few. Paying them scale would put the project out of reach. The same people who are doing it now. It's a television production, they already have people keeping track of all that for everyone else involved in the production... who are getting paid for their services. I don't know the actual number, but the volunteers are about 10X in numbers. More added burden. Ty mentioned tonight they have given 50,000 T shirts to date. Tha tis a lot of people to track and pay. Could easily at $10,000,000 total cost, maybe more. All the materials are donated as is the labor, the builder's time etc. The material is hardly "donated." No, there isn't an invoice marked "paid," but they wouldn't give any of it anonymously. Actually it is. I happen to be doing some business with one of the builders that did a house last season. The builde ris not paid, they donate. As the builder, he had to solicit materials from the suppliers or pay out of his pocket. He told me that he went to people like Pella and asked for a donation and the only info he could give at that time was the project was in thier sales territory. The actual location was not yet disclosed. I also know the company that did the paving in last weeks house in CT and Vinnie donated everything. My workman's comp insurance carrier is the same as used on the job sites also. They donate their time at the job site. The show is a mini infomercial with all the product placement and company logos and the mentioning of those companies having donated their stuff. For the most part, yes. There is a lot of stuff donated and not given credit. See the above about the paving at the CT house. Vinnie's company was not mentioned at all, nor did they show his trucks, crew, or equiipment. I did not stop the final credits to see if there was a mention in the fine print, but the viewer did not see it just watching the show. If not for ABC/Disney, it would not be possible at all to do this in the first place. That's another debate, but not why I'm taking issue. Sure it may be "possible" but have you seen it done? Neither have I. Sears and CVS seem to be two of the biggest donors and I commend them for it. The fact that you know this and are mentioning it, shows that they have been paid in full. NO corporation does anything charitable without showing their shareholders it will be profitable to do so. And I don't have a problem with that. The fact that I mention it means nothing. It is obvious to anyone watching hte show two times that they are heavily involved. That does not mean they are paid. Yes, there may be some promotional consideration, but I'm not privy to that, nor do I care. What is wrong with giving some time anyway? Ask ABC/Disney that question. They're not exactly a 501c. I have no idea what they give or do not give. Do you have evidence of payment? Like Sears and CVS... they're not doing it out of the goodness of their hearts, they are doing it for profit. I'm not against profit... quite the opposite. I'm not against helping the downtrodden... quite the opposite. The ONLY problem I have with all this is the hypocrisy of asking all these people to volunteer so they can milk it for ratings = big bucks. I bet if they said "here comes the well paid workers" the ratings would actually go down. Volunteering makes people feel good and people like to watch it. |
“Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” will be in Buffalo, NY Nov. 7 to Nov. 14, 2009
Ed Pawlowski wrote:
"-MIKE-" wrote in message Scale for the television/screen actors' guild. They are not actors, they are not usually on the "set" aside for a few. Paying them scale would put the project out of reach. I never said they were actors, I said they are cast members. Do you work in TV? Scale for bit parts and extras isn't much. The same people who are doing it now. It's a television production, they already have people keeping track of all that for everyone else involved in the production... who are getting paid for their services. I don't know the actual number, but the volunteers are about 10X in numbers. More added burden. Ty mentioned tonight they have given 50,000 T shirts to date. Tha tis a lot of people to track and pay. Could easily at $10,000,000 total cost, maybe more. Have you ever seen a movie which has a scene at a baseball or football stadium? All those people are accounted for. They all have to sign a release. The producers have record of each and every one of them. All the materials are donated as is the labor, the builder's time etc. The material is hardly "donated." No, there isn't an invoice marked "paid," but they wouldn't give any of it anonymously. Actually it is. I happen to be doing some business with one of the builders that did a house last season. The builde ris not paid, they donate. As the builder, he had to solicit materials from the suppliers or pay out of his pocket. He told me that he went to people like Pella and asked for a donation and the only info he could give at that time was the project was in thier sales territory. The actual location was not yet disclosed. I also know the company that did the paving in last weeks house in CT and Vinnie donated everything. My workman's comp insurance carrier is the same as used on the job sites also. They donate their time at the job site. The show is a mini infomercial with all the product placement and company logos and the mentioning of those companies having donated their stuff. For the most part, yes. There is a lot of stuff donated and not given credit. See the above about the paving at the CT house. Vinnie's company was not mentioned at all, nor did they show his trucks, crew, or equiipment. I did not stop the final credits to see if there was a mention in the fine print, but the viewer did not see it just watching the show. Those local guys who donate their time without recognition are to be commended. My guess is they have no shareholders to answer to. :-) Maybe Sears and CVS should try that. If not for ABC/Disney, it would not be possible at all to do this in the first place. That's another debate, but not why I'm taking issue. Sure it may be "possible" but have you seen it done? Neither have I. Yes, I have. Not important to this discussion though, as I am not taking issue with them helping people, as I've said in every post in this thread. Sears and CVS seem to be two of the biggest donors and I commend them for it. The fact that you know this and are mentioning it, shows that they have been paid in full. NO corporation does anything charitable without showing their shareholders it will be profitable to do so. And I don't have a problem with that. The fact that I mention it means nothing. It is obvious to anyone watching hte show two times that they are heavily involved. That does not mean they are paid. Yes, there may be some promotional consideration, but I'm not privy to that, nor do I care. It's advertising. They either pay for advertising to place their ads during the commercial or, in this case, they donate stuff and get their ads IN the SHOW. They are guaranteed people will see the ads and not flip the channel during the commercials. Those are the best kinds of ads. What is wrong with giving some time anyway? Ask ABC/Disney that question. They're not exactly a 501c. I have no idea what they give or do not give. Do you have evidence of payment? I'm not clear what you are referring to. My point is that Disney is not in this to help people.... or help people and *not* make millions of dollars in the process. Again, I will say clearly... I don't have a problem with that. I am a fan of capitalism. I try to practice a little of it every day. :-) My ONLY point is that Disney shouldn't expect everyone else to volunteer their time to help Disney make a million dollars. Like Sears and CVS... they're not doing it out of the goodness of their hearts, they are doing it for profit. I'm not against profit... quite the opposite. I'm not against helping the downtrodden... quite the opposite. The ONLY problem I have with all this is the hypocrisy of asking all these people to volunteer so they can milk it for ratings = big bucks. I bet if they said "here comes the well paid workers" the ratings would actually go down. Volunteering makes people feel good and people like to watch it. Yeah, that's called ratings. High ones mean they can charge more for advertising.... and charge more to Sears for the privileged of donating their stuff. -- -MIKE- "Playing is not something I do at night, it's my function in life" --Elvin Jones (1927-2004) -- http://mikedrums.com ---remove "DOT" ^^^^ to reply |
“Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” will be in Buffalo, NY Nov. 7 to Nov. 14, 2009
-MIKE- wrote:
That would cause more problems that it solves. How much do you pay? Scale for the television/screen actors' guild. They often have hundreds of volunteers on those jobs and SAG extras get $115/day, you're talking a lot of money. There is also the initiation fee for SAG which can run well over $2,000 for some locals, plus dues, plus adherence to a big fat union rulebook which covers a zillion things like travel and insurance and dressing rooms and meal breaks and on and on. And then there would be residual payments every time the EMHE episode was re-broadcast--all things considered making thousands of volunteers SAG members would be problematic, and if they're being paid then they would have to join the union. All the materials are donated as is the labor, the builder's time etc. The material is hardly "donated." No, there isn't an invoice marked "paid," but they wouldn't give any of it anonymously. Of course it's donated, that the major sponsors get plenty of on-air mention of their support doesn't alter the fact that nobody writes a check for the materials or whatever they contribute. The show is a mini infomercial with all the product placement and company logos and the mentioning of those companies having donated their stuff. Yes, but so what? If you donate to a charity it's still a donation despite you being able to claim it on your taxes. That the donor gets some benefit doesn't mean it isn't a donation. The ONLY problem I have with all this is the hypocrisy of asking all these people to volunteer so they can milk it for ratings = big bucks. If it weren't such a public exercise they wouldn't attract the support they do. Sure, companies are getting publicity in exchange for their sponsorship and donations, but if that weren't happening then they wouldn't be making those donations and those houses for deserving families wouldn't be built. The bottom line for me is they're helping people who often deserve help, i.e. who have taken in handicapped kids or who are fighting to improve their community or whatever. So Sears and Ford and so on get some advertising value out of it, I'd rather have them sponsor this show than some idiot series about teen vampires or celebrities in rehab. I have other problems with the show, like the excessive scale of many of the homes they build which has apparently led to some folks being unable to handle the greatly increased property taxes. I also preferred when they did some rebuilds rather than tear-downs, and they show so little construction these days that the house might as well have been rolled off the back of a truck already finished. I also don't care for the totally phony premise that the family doesn't know they've been chosen until they hear their names being called over Ty's bullhorn--hogwash. If you pay attention you can occasionally see wireless mic packs on some family members as they run out of their old house screaming, obviously they already knew what was up. The audition tapes that went from being amateur to professional in quality are also suspicious. It's also clear that if the family is being sent outside the country on vacation while the house is being built then somebody had to make sure they had passports, they had to get time off work, demo and building permits needed to be pulled, materials ordered, professionals lined up, inspectors arranged, neighbors alerted in some cases--in whole the notion that the family is surprised to see that bus outside is not tenable. Still, I enjoy the show, it's nice to see a popular program that doesn't glorify unrestrained greed for a change. |
“Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” will be in Buffalo, NY Nov. 7 to Nov. 14, 2009
On Sun, 25 Oct 2009 23:47:05 -0500, -MIKE-
wrote: I'm not clear what you are referring to. My point is that Disney is not in this to help people.... or help people and *not* make millions of dollars in the process. Again, I will say clearly... I don't have a problem with that. I am a fan of capitalism. I try to practice a little of it every day. :-) My ONLY point is that Disney shouldn't expect everyone else to volunteer their time to help Disney make a million dollars. Why not? You're not against capitalism, you're against extreme examples of capitalism? Volunteering or not, there's always somebody or some company that profits, usually big profits. Absolutely nothing new there. It happens all the time. Taking an extreme example, a 'run for cancer'. Whether they're visible or not, there's always a dozen companies in the background who profit. At least with volunteering, the volunteers leave happy and feel like they've made a contribution. Ok, they're living under an illusion. Whatever you want to call it, *That's* their payment. Would you have all the volunteers instead be paid subsistence wages like the employees at a Walmart? Then they *would* feel used because they know when it comes to absolute value, their work is worth much more than Walmart wages. I'm not quite sure what you're hung up on Mike, but it's your choice to feel that way. I'm just confused as to why you sound so angry about it. |
“Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” will be in Buffalo, NY Nov. 7 to Nov. 14, 2009
"DGDevin" wrote in message I have other problems with the show, like the excessive scale of many of the homes they build which has apparently led to some folks being unable to handle the greatly increased property taxes. I also preferred when they did some rebuilds rather than tear-downs, and they show so little construction these days that the house might as well have been rolled off the back of a truck already finished. Most of the families need help. A few though, just seemed to negegted their own house and let it fall apart around them. I agree on the size too. The go from tiny to something huge to take care of. I also don't care for the totally phony premise that the family doesn't know they've been chosen until they hear their names being called over Ty's bullhorn--hogwash. If you pay attention you can occasionally see wireless mic packs on some family members as they run out of their old house screaming, obviously they already knew what was up. According to my source, the family is told they are a finalist, one of three in the area that may be chosen. This allows the planning crew to have access. They may know before the bus pulls up, but only by a very short time. They have to meet certain guidlines in awarding the prize to be a charitable setup for the show. |
“Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” will be in Buffalo, NY Nov. 7 to Nov. 14, 2009
wrote:
I'm not quite sure what you're hung up on Mike, but it's your choice to feel that way. I'm just confused as to why you sound so angry about it. Oh, I feel angry about it, do I? You can tell that from reading text, huh? Show me where I used a single exclamation point or "caps" to express this anger. I believe you will only see caps used when I'm replying to someone, like you, who is inferring something in my writing which isn't there. You're confused, alright. :-) -- -MIKE- "Playing is not something I do at night, it's my function in life" --Elvin Jones (1927-2004) -- http://mikedrums.com ---remove "DOT" ^^^^ to reply |
“Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” will be in Buffalo, NY Nov. 7 to Nov. 14, 2009
wrote:
On Mon, 26 Oct 2009 11:33:26 -0500, -MIKE- wrote: Show me where I used a single exclamation point or "caps" to express this anger. The ONLY problem I have with all this is the hypocrisy of asking all these people to volunteer so they can milk it for ratings = big bucks That falls under the category which you deleted from your reply. Considering the limitations of this medium, I'll concede the fact that you might not be angry and I'm mistaken. BUT, your use of the word hypocrisy and milking it for ratings certainly doesn't mean you're dancing a jig of happiness. I think I can say without too much chance of error, that you've been very critical of the whole show, Disney in particular. No, I honestly don't. Since they own about a third of the entertainment industry, they're an easy (and big) target. :-) I think you'll agree that there's nothing new about companies making money, many times on the back of volunteers. With all the thousands of such instances happening daily in capitalist America, you appear to be selecting this instance out for singular criticism. That being said, I'll ask why one more time. Please don't shout at me or berate me. I'm on the verge of tears again and I'm tired of crying. :) Maybe it's a fine line or a big, fat, fuzzy line, I don't know. Maybe it's because I'm a musician and used to people feeling they have a right to take advantage of others' work ("file sharing") that makes me sensitive to it. I don't have a problem with companies donating stuff to charity/benevolent activities for the benefits they receive from such "donations." It's certainly subjective and opinions are like buttholes, right? I just don't want anyone thinking Disney is some sort of Habitat For Humanity, acting as a non-profit charity that *needs* volunteers to survive and continue its existence. When the fact is, Disney could pay for everything themselves and still make a nice profit from the show. I just think, since they are in it for profit, they should pay their workers.... that's all. But as someone else wrote, that would pull nearly as many heart strings. :-) -- -MIKE- "Playing is not something I do at night, it's my function in life" --Elvin Jones (1927-2004) -- http://mikedrums.com ---remove "DOT" ^^^^ to reply |
“Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” will be in Buffalo, NY Nov. 7 to Nov. 14, 2009
On Mon, 26 Oct 2009 11:33:26 -0500, -MIKE-
wrote: Show me where I used a single exclamation point or "caps" to express this anger. The ONLY problem I have with all this is the hypocrisy of asking all these people to volunteer so they can milk it for ratings = big bucks Considering the limitations of this medium, I'll concede the fact that you might not be angry and I'm mistaken. BUT, your use of the word hypocrisy and milking it for ratings certainly doesn't mean you're dancing a jig of happiness. I think I can say without too much chance of error, that you've been very critical of the whole show, Disney in particular. I think you'll agree that there's nothing new about companies making money, many times on the back of volunteers. With all the thousands of such instances happening daily in capitalist America, you appear to be selecting this instance out for singular criticism. That being said, I'll ask why one more time. Please don't shout at me or berate me. I'm on the verge of tears again and I'm tired of crying. :) |
“Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” will be in Buffalo, NY Nov. 7 to Nov. 14, 2009
Ed Pawlowski wrote:
Most of the families need help. A few though, just seemed to negegted their own house and let it fall apart around them. I agree on the size too. The go from tiny to something huge to take care of. I like it when they help families that have sacrificed their own comfort to help others. On the other hand the family that had ended up with a pile of kids because two divorced people got married and brought all their rug-rats with them--not so much. I also don't care for the totally phony premise that the family doesn't know they've been chosen until they hear their names being called over Ty's bullhorn--hogwash. If you pay attention you can occasionally see wireless mic packs on some family members as they run out of their old house screaming, obviously they already knew what was up. According to my source, the family is told they are a finalist, one of three in the area that may be chosen. This allows the planning crew to have access. They may know before the bus pulls up, but only by a very short time. They have to meet certain guidlines in awarding the prize to be a charitable setup for the show. Interesting, I hadn't heard that. I read an article about the show where Ty and the rest tried to stick to the story that it's all a surprise, and clearly it couldn't be. However they did explain those in-ear monitors Ty wears are so the producer can coach him on things to say while they're taping, helps keeps the emotions spontaneous and cuts costs so they don't have to re-shoot scenes. |
“Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” will be in Buffalo, NY Nov. 7 to Nov. 14, 2009
-MIKE- wrote:
.... The ONLY problem I have with all this is the hypocrisy of asking all these people to volunteer so they can milk it for ratings = big bucks. Well, they don't _have_ to volunteer unless they want to. The one filmed close to here was a feeding frenzy of folks trying to get their 15 minutes of fame; I've no doubt it's that way everywhere they go. As somebody else noted, _my_ problem w/ the show is taking a bunch of folks that obviously either have insufficient income or acumen to handle the income they have and then leave them with a house there's no way in the world they can afford even the monthly utilities to heat/cool it, what more the taxes and upkeep. In the long run I doubt the fundamental problems are solved for long irregardless of how well-meaning some of the family principals seem to be; unless they are also provided a continued enhanced income stream they're going to be even worse off on cash flow in a big house. -- |
“Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” will be in Buffalo, NY Nov. 7 to Nov. 14, 2009
Ed Pawlowski wrote:
.... According to my source, ... ... They have to meet certain guidlines in awarding the prize to be a charitable setup for the show. Does your "source" have the skinny on how taxes on the value of the prize and other details of ownership transfer, etc., are handled? It would seem unless the show either pays them up front or somehow else finds a loophole most of these folks would go bankrupt trying to come up w/ the IRS assessment on the value of the prize right off the bat. After that, property taxes, higher utility bills, upkeep, etc., would seem to be beyond the reach of most as well. I think it's too hokey to be enjoyable to watch so have never seen an episode to completion but have wondered some about the more practical and mundane aspects of what happens after the bus leaves for good... -- |
“Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” will be in Buffalo, NY Nov. 7 to Nov. 14, 2009
"dpb" wrote in message ... Ed Pawlowski wrote: ... According to my source, ... ... They have to meet certain guidlines in awarding the prize to be a charitable setup for the show. Does your "source" have the skinny on how taxes on the value of the prize and other details of ownership transfer, etc., are handled? It would seem unless the show either pays them up front or somehow else finds a loophole most of these folks would go bankrupt trying to come up w/ the IRS assessment on the value of the prize right off the bat. After that, property taxes, higher utility bills, upkeep, etc., would seem to be beyond the reach of most as well. I think it's too hokey to be enjoyable to watch so have never seen an episode to completion but have wondered some about the more practical and mundane aspects of what happens after the bus leaves for good... -- they pay the taxes and such for the first year. they also give them access to accountants, lifestyle coaches, etc and attempt to teach them how to deal with the good fortune as well as the mundane things (paying for utilities, upkeep, maintenance, etc). they've said that they keep a good eye on things for that first year, but after that.... there was a couple with a bunch of kids who had this done in gilbert az had a couple brushes with foreclosure, but finally went under a few months ago. http://www.azcentral.com/news/articl...emehome29.html regards, charlie cave creek, az |
“Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” will be in Buffalo, NY Nov. 7 to Nov. 14, 2009
charlie wrote:
.... they pay the taxes and such for the first year. they also give them access to accountants, lifestyle coaches, etc and attempt to teach them how to deal with the good fortune as well as the mundane things (paying for utilities, upkeep, maintenance, etc). they've said that they keep a good eye on things for that first year, but after that.... .... Yeah, and the chances of that lesson being learned to the point of making a lasting-enough difference in that time frame to let them carry on indefinitely w/ a housing cost burden that surely must at a minimum be several multiples of what they previously didn't have the resources (either purely financial or management skills or both) to handle would be vanishingly small I'd think. Almost inevitably they're likely to leave them in worse shape than they were before would be my guess in virtually every case long term. You'd hope for better result but it's a case where they didn't really "teach to fish" but "gave a whale". The net benefit would probably be far greater but less suitable for TV if the network simply donated the monies to Habitat or the Salvation Army or a local United Way. -- |
“Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” will be in Buffalo, NY Nov. 7 to Nov. 14, 2009
"dpb" wrote in message ... Ed Pawlowski wrote: ... According to my source, ... ... They have to meet certain guidlines in awarding the prize to be a charitable setup for the show. Does your "source" have the skinny on how taxes on the value of the prize and other details of ownership transfer, etc., are handled? It would seem unless the show either pays them up front or somehow else finds a loophole most of these folks would go bankrupt trying to come up w/ the IRS assessment on the value of the prize right off the bat. After that, property taxes, higher utility bills, upkeep, etc., would seem to be beyond the reach of most as well. I think it's too hokey to be enjoyable to watch so have never seen an episode to completion but have wondered some about the more practical and mundane aspects of what happens after the bus leaves for good... I've not asked him about that. He was the construction manager for the builder on the job. I did read a while back that the house is leased to the homeowner to get around the tax, but I don't know that for fact. Do you think if you cannot afford to repair your 1000 sq. ft. house you can easily afford the utilities on a 4000 sq. ft. palace? And the taxes that go with it? Depending on where you live, I can see some of these places costing $1000+ a month just in real estate taxes and astronomical heating costs. Some of the recipients certainly need help and are in trouble through no fault of their own. A few though, seemed so intent on doing some other charitable work that they just neglected to take care of the property they own. Of course, we never know all the details . |
“Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” will be in Buffalo, NY Nov. 7 to Nov. 14, 2009
dpb wrote:
Yeah, and the chances of that lesson being learned to the point of making a lasting-enough difference in that time frame to let them carry on indefinitely w/ a housing cost burden that surely must at a minimum be several multiples of what they previously didn't have the resources (either purely financial or management skills or both) to handle would be vanishingly small I'd think. Almost inevitably they're likely to leave them in worse shape than they were before would be my guess in virtually every case long term. You'd hope for better result but it's a case where they didn't really "teach to fish" but "gave a whale". The net benefit would probably be far greater but less suitable for TV if the network simply donated the monies to Habitat or the Salvation Army or a local United Way. That sounds like the typical family on the show was raised by wolves in the north woods and can just barely dress themselves and eat with utensils. Come on, they've built houses for disabled cops and firefighters and Iraq war veterans, and middle-class families that either had some bad luck or made a choice to take on needy relatives or handicapped kids or whoever at the cost of their own comfort. I'm sure *some* of the folks who've been given mini-mansions on EMHE have found themselves in over their heads (I've read of a few cases), but that hardly applies to them all. No offense, but the phrase "sour grapes" comes to mind when I hear this sort of speculation about how those poor dumb slobs on EMHE almost inevitably couldn't handle having an exceptionally nice house. |
“Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” will be in Buffalo, NY Nov. 7 to Nov. 14, 2009
On Sun, 25 Oct 2009 13:07:23 -0400, the infamous Nova
scrawled the following: It's been announced the “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” will be building a house in Buffalo on Nov. 7 through Nov. 14, 2009. My church is one of the organizing groups. I've been asked to volunteer and I'm considering doing so. Has anyone on the group participated in any of their builds and if so what are you feelings about the experience? I was tapped to be the handyman for a salon makeover program last year. I declined once I saw the waiver docs. If they got mad at me on the show, they could totally destroy my business without any recourse. Please be -very- careful what you sign for the goddamned TV companies, Yack. -- "Giving every man a vote has no more made men wise and free than Christianity has made them good." --H. L. Mencken --- |
“Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” will be in Buffalo, NY Nov. 7 to Nov. 14, 2009
On Oct 25, 12:07*pm, Nova wrote:
It's been announced the “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” will be building a house in Buffalo on Nov. 7 through Nov. 14, 2009. *My church is one of the organizing groups. I've been asked to volunteer and I'm considering doing so. Has anyone on the group participated in any of their builds and if so what are you feelings about the experience? They were in Rose Hill, Kansas, just south of Wichita 3-4 years ago to build a home for a family that lost theirs in a storm. They had been living in a RV for some time and trying to maintain their small farm operation and jobs. I didn't work the project but the Makeover crew does put on a circus. They did use local talent and several business got a good sale and advertising. One smaller decorating firm really got a start from their involvement. As I recall, in addition to the house, they also got a car and some scholarship money for their kids. BTW, as it turned out, this couple wasn't quite as down-and-out as some that are featured. A local new team pointed out a month or two later that, in addition to the small farm, the couple owned an old building in Wichita's "Old Town" district. As I recall, one of their parents had bought it years earlier when the Old Town development was just getting under way and it valued in the $200K -$300K range. It made a juicy, short news story but I didn't begrudge them. They were still struggling to keep daily life going and other folks who knew them better nominated them. Might have been better picks tough. |
“Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” will be in Buffalo, NY Nov. 7 to Nov. 14, 2009
DGDevin wrote:
.... That sounds like the typical family on the show was raised by wolves in the north woods and can just barely dress themselves and eat with utensils. Come on, they've built houses for disabled cops and firefighters and Iraq war veterans, and middle-class families that either had some bad luck or made a choice to take on needy relatives or handicapped kids or whoever at the cost of their own comfort. ... That first pretty-much describes the intro scenes I've seen (admittedly probably not a dozen in toto). The cases I've seen the principals obviously were trying to do far more than they had resources to handle--my point wasn't against them at all--only that providing a humongously huge and expensive-to-maintain residence still doesn't appear to be the most likely way to benefit them in the most in the long run. A modest increase in size and the necessary accoutrements for the handicaps/whatever were the special requirements, sure; but the "over-the-top McMansion" on which to pay future property taxes and upkeep just seems like more financial burden than most are going to be able to maintain (again, unless there's also provided some way to solve the underlying basic problem that got them to that point to begin with which was the premise of the above question). If some have survived afterwards that's good (and certainly it's the bad news that gets reported which also probably distorts the picture one receives). It would be interesting to know just what the 5-year-after picture would look like over the population of participants. -- |
“Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” will be in Buffalo, NY Nov. 7 to Nov. 14, 2009
Ed Pawlowski wrote:
.... I've not asked him about that. He was the construction manager for the builder on the job. I did read a while back that the house is leased to the homeowner to get around the tax, but I don't know that for fact. That would imply the property is then owned by somebody else who's paying property taxes, etc. Seems unlikely unless there's a quiet foundation or something similar behind the scenes as the "sugar daddy". Can't imagine the production taking on that obligation for the duration being a likely cost model. Do you think if you cannot afford to repair your 1000 sq. ft. house you can easily afford the utilities on a 4000 sq. ft. palace? And the taxes that go with it? Depending on where you live, I can see some of these places costing $1000+ a month just in real estate taxes and astronomical heating costs. That was precisely the point I was making. These families apparently are hand-to-mouth already in many cases in a hovel, where's the wherewithal going to come from when the new wears off? Some of the recipients certainly need help and are in trouble through no fault of their own. A few though, seemed so intent on doing some other charitable work that they just neglected to take care of the property they own. Of course, we never know all the details . Again, my question/concern/complaint isn't with the principals so much as it is w/ the premise or model of the aid. Whatever got them to the position they're in, a good many seem to be without adequate resources to take care of what they already had. Whether that's a lack of income or attention to the routine doesn't really matter--is this "drop a new mansion out of the sky" thing really going to change the root cause of the problem whether it is financial or behavioral? It only seems likely to do so imo if the case is one where there was a catastrophic event that caused a problem that a one-time infusion can obviate and they have the wherewithal to go on once the situation is set of on a new zero-point. If, otoh, there still isn't enough current income to meet expenses or the underlying behaviors change (and it surely is hard to get people to change long-term behavior voluntarily), it seems almost inevitable that the situation will just revert to that found previously. If there is some longer-term support, that would be good--but, as you say, there's no way to know overall; all one hears about is the ones that do go bad, of course. I'd like to see them all succeed; I agree that most I saw had serious problems and were trying to do good. We participate in aiding situations like that in the area thru other less dramatic mechanisms... -- |
“Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” will be in Buffalo, NY Nov. 7 to Nov. 14, 2009
dpb wrote:
Ed Pawlowski wrote: ... I've not asked him about that. He was the construction manager for the builder on the job. I did read a while back that the house is leased to the homeowner to get around the tax, but I don't know that for fact. That would imply the property is then owned by somebody else who's paying property taxes, etc. Seems unlikely unless there's a quiet foundation or something similar behind the scenes as the "sugar daddy". Can't imagine the production taking on that obligation for the duration being a likely cost model. Do you think if you cannot afford to repair your 1000 sq. ft. house you can easily afford the utilities on a 4000 sq. ft. palace? And the taxes that go with it? Depending on where you live, I can see some of these places costing $1000+ a month just in real estate taxes and astronomical heating costs. That was precisely the point I was making. These families apparently are hand-to-mouth already in many cases in a hovel, where's the wherewithal going to come from when the new wears off? Some of the recipients certainly need help and are in trouble through no fault of their own. A few though, seemed so intent on doing some other charitable work that they just neglected to take care of the property they own. Of course, we never know all the details . Again, my question/concern/complaint isn't with the principals so much as it is w/ the premise or model of the aid. Whatever got them to the position they're in, a good many seem to be without adequate resources to take care of what they already had. Whether that's a lack of income or attention to the routine doesn't really matter--is this "drop a new mansion out of the sky" thing really going to change the root cause of the problem whether it is financial or behavioral? It only seems likely to do so imo if the case is one where there was a catastrophic event that caused a problem that a one-time infusion can obviate and they have the wherewithal to go on once the situation is set of on a new zero-point. If, otoh, there still isn't enough current income to meet expenses or the underlying behaviors change (and it surely is hard to get people to change long-term behavior voluntarily), it seems almost inevitable that the situation will just revert to that found previously. If there is some longer-term support, that would be good--but, as you say, there's no way to know overall; all one hears about is the ones that do go bad, of course. I'd like to see them all succeed; I agree that most I saw had serious problems and were trying to do good. We participate in aiding situations like that in the area thru other less dramatic mechanisms... It's all based in the same notion as Welfare--the way to make a poor person rich is to give him stuff. Poverty for the most part comes from doing the wrong things in your life, not from simply not having money--give someone with the wrong attitude a million dollars and he'll spend it all and end up back where he started from. Change the attitude and even if he's working at McDonalds eventually he'll start getting ahead. |
“Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” will be in Buffalo, NY Nov. 7 to Nov. 14, 2009
Larry Jaques wrote:
On Sun, 25 Oct 2009 13:07:23 -0400, the infamous Nova scrawled the following: It's been announced the “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” will be building a house in Buffalo on Nov. 7 through Nov. 14, 2009. My church is one of the organizing groups. I've been asked to volunteer and I'm considering doing so. Has anyone on the group participated in any of their builds and if so what are you feelings about the experience? I was tapped to be the handyman for a salon makeover program last year. I declined once I saw the waiver docs. If they got mad at me on the show, they could totally destroy my business without any recourse. Please be -very- careful what you sign for the goddamned TV companies, Yack. Although no one is at liberty to tell me who or exactly where the build will take place I have been told that it will be in the inner-city and that more than one house will be built. I've heard rumors of eight home being consturcted, although I don't know how accurate that is. I've seen a number of homes built by "Habitate For Humanity" that were built about three years ago already boarded up as they have been destroyed. I've seen a couple of government built homes for low income buyer's with a H1 Hummer and a BMW Z4 Roadster parked in the driveway daily? At this point I'm pretty sure I'll pass on the invitation to assist. -- Jack Novak Buffalo, NY - USA |
“Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” will be in Buffalo, NY Nov. 7 to Nov. 14, 2009
Nova wrote:
.... Although no one is at liberty to tell me who or exactly where the build will take place ... That "feature" would be enough I'd decline on that basis alone...I'm also sure I'd not fit into the manufactured drama inherent in the premise. :) The other problems described are inherent risks of the bidness of trying to help. It has always amazed me at the lack of appreciation one can find in some cases even when the effort is gratis and, for example, repairing severe storm damage after FEMA and other short-term agencies are done (our particular organization is the one most responsible for the longer-term cases after all other resources available have either been exhausted or aren't applicable). OTOH, one occasionally meets some really outstanding folks that makes up for a hundred or two of the not-so-nice, thankfully! -- |
“Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” will be in Buffalo, NY Nov. 7 to Nov. 14, 2009
"dpb" wrote in message ... DGDevin wrote: ... That sounds like the typical family on the show was raised by wolves in the north woods and can just barely dress themselves and eat with utensils. Come on, they've built houses for disabled cops and firefighters and Iraq war veterans, and middle-class families that either had some bad luck or made a choice to take on needy relatives or handicapped kids or whoever at the cost of their own comfort. ... That first pretty-much describes the intro scenes I've seen (admittedly probably not a dozen in toto). The cases I've seen the principals obviously were trying to do far more than they had resources to handle--my point wasn't against them at all--only that providing a humongously huge and expensive-to-maintain residence still doesn't appear to be the most likely way to benefit them in the most in the long run. A modest increase in size and the necessary accoutrements for the handicaps/whatever were the special requirements, sure; but the "over-the-top McMansion" on which to pay future property taxes and upkeep just seems like more financial burden than most are going to be able to maintain (again, unless there's also provided some way to solve the underlying basic problem that got them to that point to begin with which was the premise of the above question). If some have survived afterwards that's good (and certainly it's the bad news that gets reported which also probably distorts the picture one receives). It would be interesting to know just what the 5-year-after picture would look like over the population of participants. Google says that there are PLENTY of them that lost everything. Seems like the increased tax burden was a major cause. Vic |
“Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” will be in Buffalo, NY Nov. 7 to Nov. 14, 2009
Vic Baron wrote:
.... Google says that there are PLENTY of them that lost everything. Seems like the increased tax burden was a major cause. Seems like would stand to reason...there was a problem before or wouldn't have made the cut; hard to see how this would be the ultimate solution for most. Sad and unfortunate (and, undoubtedly, not anything the producers are worrying much over which is even more regrettable... :( ) -- |
“Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” will be in Buffalo, NY Nov. 7 to Nov. 14, 2009
dpb wrote:
A modest increase in size and the necessary accoutrements for the handicaps/whatever were the special requirements, sure; but the "over-the-top McMansion" on which to pay future property taxes and upkeep just seems like more financial burden than most are going to be able to maintain (again, unless there's also provided some way to solve the underlying basic problem that got them to that point to begin with which was the premise of the above question). If some have survived afterwards that's good (and certainly it's the bad news that gets reported which also probably distorts the picture one receives). It would be interesting to know just what the 5-year-after picture would look like over the population of participants. I agree, they go way over the top all too often, that's one way in which I feel the show has gone downhill. I assume that's driven by sponsors who want their products featured in the most striking settings possible. But I feel that approach has distorted the nature of the show. I also miss them showing how the houses are built, that is almost an afterthought now. It would be interesting to see what's become of all the new homeowners over the years.... |
“Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” will be in Buffalo, NY Nov. 7 to Nov. 14, 2009
J. Clarke wrote:
I'd like to see them all succeed; I agree that most I saw had serious problems and were trying to do good. We participate in aiding situations like that in the area thru other less dramatic mechanisms... It's all based in the same notion as Welfare--the way to make a poor person rich is to give him stuff. Poverty for the most part comes from doing the wrong things in your life, not from simply not having money--give someone with the wrong attitude a million dollars and he'll spend it all and end up back where he started from. Change the attitude and even if he's working at McDonalds eventually he'll start getting ahead. That strikes me as a simplistic explanation for poverty. Some people have the odds against them from the get-go. If you grow up in a broken home in a crime-ridden neighborhood with crappy schools and little in the way of economic opportunity then the deck is stacked against you. That isn't to say some people don't become successful despite being born on the wrong side of town, but the percentage who make it has got to be a lot lower than among people who grew up in safe neighborhoods with good schools etc. IMO welfare should always be accompanied by job training or something like that so people can eventually stand on their own feet. But I sure wouldn't assume that someone who needs welfare is only in that situation because they made bad choices, there might have been no choices to make. |
“Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” will be in Buffalo, NY Nov. 7 to Nov. 14, 2009
DGDevin wrote:
.... ... there might have been no choices to make. There are _always_ choices to be made; unfortunately, often those making them take the choice of "no decision" instead of selecting the positive action. That's not to say it's not more difficult given certain circumstances but that the path is still a result of choices (the road not taken). -- |
“Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” will bein Buffalo, NY Nov. 7 ...
Home Depot is another one who donates their time.money and their workers
along with other volunteers to rebuilt homes,playgrounds and the like around Buffalo.in Fridays Buffalo News there is and article and pictures of volunteers redoing a house with Home Depots help.there is a sense of pride in donating your time to help someone in need for free.thats how i look at it. Dan Sr. |
“Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” will be in Buffalo, NY Nov. 7 to Nov. 14, 2009
On Wed, 28 Oct 2009 15:11:24 -0400, the infamous Nova
scrawled the following: Larry Jaques wrote: On Sun, 25 Oct 2009 13:07:23 -0400, the infamous Nova scrawled the following: It's been announced the “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” will be building a house in Buffalo on Nov. 7 through Nov. 14, 2009. My church is one of the organizing groups. I've been asked to volunteer and I'm considering doing so. Has anyone on the group participated in any of their builds and if so what are you feelings about the experience? I was tapped to be the handyman for a salon makeover program last year. I declined once I saw the waiver docs. If they got mad at me on the show, they could totally destroy my business without any recourse. Please be -very- careful what you sign for the goddamned TV companies, Yack. Although no one is at liberty to tell me who or exactly where the build will take place I have been told that it will be in the inner-city and that more than one house will be built. I've heard rumors of eight home being consturcted, although I don't know how accurate that is. I've seen a number of homes built by "Habitate For Humanity" that were built about three years ago already boarded up as they have been destroyed. I've seen a couple of government built homes for low income buyer's with a H1 Hummer and a BMW Z4 Roadster parked in the driveway daily? Sickening, isn't it? At this point I'm pretty sure I'll pass on the invitation to assist. That's most likely the very smartest move you can make. --- Tomorrow is the most important thing in life. Comes into us at midnight very clean. It's perfect when it arrives and it puts itself in our hands. It hopes we've learned something from yesterday. --John Wayne (1907 - 1979) |
“Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” will be in Buffalo, NY Nov. 7 to Nov. 14, 2009
Yes, but it appears to be 4 homes out of 100 they have built to date.
http://realitytvmagazine.sheknows.co...n-foreclosure/ I think that is allot better than what the average is for the people out there. And it sounds like the some of the people made bad business decisions in using the homes as collateral!? Mike in Ohio Nova wrote: snip That's what concerns me. A google search for "Extreme Makeover Home Edition Foreclosure" brings up quite a number of hits. I don't want to end up volunteering my time for the benifit of a bank. |
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