[meteorite-list] Farmer's Moroccan trips
From: Jim <Jim_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 10:02:28 2004 Message-ID: <001201c1cadc$fe5ce040$530af0d1_at_nwa482> This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_000F_01C1CAB3.15009140 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable I wanted to refrain from jumping into this but since the mis-information = greatly affects me then I can hold out no longer................. Here are the facts, as I know them, without all the BS and name calling. I have been in with Mike from day one on these Moroccan trips. Some of = the trips have been investor trips while some have been spur of the = moment trips with only Mike and I picking up the tab. Some of the trips = have been rewarding and others have been marginal. Overall, this has = been a very rewarding experience over the nearly two years now that this = has been going on, even without NWA 482. Knowing what I do about business in Morocco, I assure everyone that none = of us are dealing with Nomads. Nomads live in the desert and wander the = border area of Morocco and Algeria. The good meteorite hunting areas = are really in Algeria although some of the meteorites have come from = Morocco (CR2, the new LL6, etc). Dean, if you have been to a Nomad tent = to do business, do us all a favor and post a photo to prove it. You = posted a photo of what you call a nomad's home on your website and said = that you bought fossils from him. That was not a nomad in the true = sense of the word. A nomad is a wanderer, that is the definition of = "nomad". A true nomad lives in a tent, not a fixed dwelling. As far as I know, absolutely no one who has put money into any of Mike's = trips has asked for a refund or expressed displeasure with what they = received. In fact, there is a waiting list of people wanting to put = money into any future investor trips. Those results speak for = themselves. =20 Also, many people think that they know what each of us accomplishes by = dealing in Morocco. This is absolutely not true. Just like in any = business, people tell you what they think that you want to hear. They = tell you one thing and then turn around and tell me the complete = opposite. Mike and I deal with different Moroccans and the business is = not discussed between them individually. Moroccan #1 does not know what = business we do with Moroccan #2. Oh sure, if they know each other they = probably lie to each other once we are gone. Do you really think that = as a Moroccan I would tell another dealer what my true business is? = Hell, if you call me up on the phone and ask me who my best customer is, = do you think I am going to tell you. Business is no different in = Morocco than it is anywhere else. The one thing that is constant with Mike's trips is that one of the same = guides that Mike hired on the first trip is still being hired. This is = called cultivating a relationship of trust with someone who will be your = loyal agent while you are not in the country. He does what ever he is = told to do and keeps his mouth shut. He has been told to go to a = certain town before, find a person who he has never met, buy XYZ = meteorite and send it DHL. This he does without question because he is = paid well and does not have to rely on the customary kickback that is a = way of life in Morocco. This guy does not have a list of people that he = takes Mike to when he goes to Morocco. He takes Mike where Mike wants = to go no questions asked. This relationship/friendship has progressed = to the point where Mike and I were discussing at the Tucson show of = trying to talk him into coming to the United States and taking him to = Las Vegas in the future. Now, wouldn't that be a real eye-opener!!! = This is what I mean about trust and friendship. You know Dean, when Mike was in Morocco in January, I told you of a new = contact that I had personally made. Mike had already left the town that = he lived in and was not going to return. Therefore, Mike was not going = to be able to look at the meteorites that he claimed he had, one of = which looked promising as it only slightly attracted a magnet. So, = since I knew you were going to be in Erfound, I gave you the guys name = and telephone number and suggested you take a look at what he had to = offer, perhaps you could get lucky. You told me that you would probably = not be able to see him because your guide would not want to take you to = someone with whom he did not have a kickback arrangement. You accused = Farmer of being lead around Morocco by a leash but in fact you are the = one who seems to be spoon fed meteorites by a select few Moroccans, = chosen by your "handler" instead of being able to make new finds like = Mike has. =20 Believe me when I tell you that even though you know much of what we = have gotten in Morocco, you don't know as much as you think. No one = does, except the people directly involved. When a trip has involved = investors then much of the information has been kept confidential = between all of us. Many people do not want all of their business = transmitted over the internet and the real important information has = remained between us, such as quantities, types and suspected types, etc. = There is just no need to broadcast this information. This is called = respect for each of us involved in a particular trip. One thing that makes me different from Mike, is that I do not feel the = need to respond to others claims of knowledge of what we have or don't = have. I would rather just sit back and laugh to myself because = generally the rumors are either grossly exaggerated or underestimated. = But, that is just me. Dean, I hope you and Mike can bury the hatchet (and not in each other's = back) as this kind of in-fighting does not do this hobby any good at = all. In closing, let me just say that the future looks very bright for new = discoveries, so lets get back to the discussion of what we all love.... = METEORITES!!!!! They are just so cool to hold and dream about where = they have been on their long journey through space.........kind of like = the words to the song "Drops of Jupiter" by Train. Jim Strope 421 Fourth Street Glen Dale, WV 26038 Catch a Falling Star Meteorites http://www.catchafallingstar.com ------=_NextPart_000_000F_01C1CAB3.15009140 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META http-equiv=3DContent-Type content=3D"text/html; = charset=3Diso-8859-1"> <META content=3D"MSHTML 5.50.4134.600" name=3DGENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY bgColor=3D#ffffff> <DIV>I wanted to refrain from jumping into this but since the=20 mis-information greatly affects me then I can hold out no=20 longer.................</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Here are the facts, as I know them, without all the BS and name=20 calling.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I have been in with Mike from day one on these Moroccan = trips. Some=20 of the trips have been investor trips while some have been spur of the = moment=20 trips with only Mike and I picking up the tab. Some of the trips = have been=20 rewarding and others have been marginal. Overall, this = has been=20 a very rewarding experience over the nearly two years now that this has = been=20 going on, even without NWA 482.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Knowing what I do about business in Morocco, I assure everyone that = none of=20 us are dealing with Nomads. Nomads live in the desert and wander = the=20 border area of Morocco and Algeria. The good meteorite hunting = areas are=20 really in Algeria although some of the meteorites have come from Morocco = (CR2,=20 the new LL6, etc). Dean, if you have been to a Nomad tent to do = business,=20 do us all a favor and post a photo to prove it. You posted a photo = of what=20 you call a nomad's home on your website and said that you bought = fossils=20 from him. That was not a nomad in the true sense of the = word. A=20 nomad is a wanderer, that is the definition of "nomad". A true = nomad lives=20 in a tent, not a fixed dwelling.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>As far as I know, absolutely no one who has put money into any=20 of Mike's trips has asked for a refund or expressed displeasure = with what=20 they received. In fact, there is a waiting list of people wanting = to put=20 money into any future investor trips. Those results speak for=20 themselves. </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Also, many people think that they know what each of us accomplishes = by=20 dealing in Morocco. This is absolutely not true. Just like = in any=20 business, people tell you what they think that you want to hear. = They tell=20 you one thing and then turn around and tell me the complete=20 opposite. Mike and I deal with different Moroccans and the = business=20 is not discussed between them individually. Moroccan #1 does not=20 know what business we do with Moroccan #2. Oh sure, if = they know=20 each other they probably lie to each other once we are gone. Do = you really=20 think that as a Moroccan I would tell another dealer what my true = business=20 is? Hell, if you call me up on the phone and ask me who my = best=20 customer is, do you think I am going to tell you. Business is = no=20 different in Morocco than it is anywhere else.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>The one thing that is constant with Mike's trips is that one = of the=20 same guides that Mike hired on the first trip is still being = hired. This=20 is called cultivating a relationship of trust with someone who will be = your=20 loyal agent while you are not in the country. He does what ever he = is told=20 to do and keeps his mouth shut. He has been told to go to a = certain town=20 before, find a person who he has never met, buy XYZ meteorite and send = it=20 DHL. This he does without question because he is paid well and = does not=20 have to rely on the customary kickback that is a way of life in = Morocco. =20 This guy does not have a list of people that he takes Mike to when he = goes to=20 Morocco. He takes Mike where Mike wants to go no questions=20 asked. This relationship/friendship has progressed to the point = where Mike=20 and I were discussing at the Tucson show of trying to talk him into = coming to=20 the United States and taking him to Las Vegas in the future. Now, = wouldn't=20 that be a real eye-opener!!! This is what I mean about trust and=20 friendship.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>You know Dean, when Mike was in Morocco in January, I told you of a = new=20 contact that I had personally made. Mike had already left the town = that he=20 lived in and was not going to return. Therefore, Mike was not = going to=20 be able to look at the meteorites that he claimed he had, one = of which=20 looked promising as it only slightly attracted a magnet. So, since = I knew=20 you were going to be in Erfound, I gave you the guys name and telephone = number=20 and suggested you take a look at what he had to offer, perhaps you could = get=20 lucky. You told me that you would probably not be able to see him = because=20 your guide would not want to take you to someone with whom he did not = have a=20 kickback arrangement. You accused Farmer of being lead around = Morocco by a=20 leash but in fact you are the one who seems to be spoon fed meteorites = by a=20 select few Moroccans, chosen by your "handler" instead of = being=20 able to make new finds like Mike has. </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Believe me when I tell you that even though you know much of what = we have=20 gotten in Morocco, you don't know as much as you think. No one = does,=20 except the people directly involved. When a trip has involved = investors=20 then much of the information has been kept confidential between all of = us. =20 Many people do not want all of their business transmitted over the = internet and=20 the real important information has remained between us, such as = quantities,=20 types and suspected types, etc. There is just no need to broadcast = this=20 information. This is called respect for each of us involved in a=20 particular trip.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>One thing that makes me different from Mike, is that I do not feel = the need=20 to respond to others claims of knowledge of what we have or don't = have. I=20 would rather just sit back and laugh to myself because generally the = rumors are=20 either grossly exaggerated or underestimated. But, that is just = me.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Dean, I hope you and Mike can bury the hatchet (and not in each = other's=20 back) as this kind of in-fighting does not do this hobby any good at = all.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>In closing, let me just say that the future looks very bright for = new=20 discoveries, so lets get back to the discussion of what we all = love....=20 METEORITES!!!!! They are just so cool to hold and dream about = where they=20 have been on their long journey through space.........kind of like the = words to=20 the song "Drops of Jupiter" by Train.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Jim Strope<BR>421 Fourth Street<BR>Glen Dale, WV 26038</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Catch a Falling Star Meteorites<BR><A=20 href=3D"http://www.catchafallingstar.com">http://www.catchafallingstar.co= m</A><BR></DIV></BODY></HTML> ------=_NextPart_000_000F_01C1CAB3.15009140-- Received on Wed 13 Mar 2002 05:18:24 PM PST |
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