@fairlanefastback

I finally got through playing "catch-up" on the lawsuit and this events center deal. All I can say is Oh My Word...

The management folks at all these involved companies can't possibly *want* this lawsuit to actually go to a juried trial -- this has to be coming from the investors. The whole purpose of a trial is for the lawyers of each side to trash the witnesses of the other, and also so the defense can convince a bunch of clueless people of reasonable doubt. Trials are rarely about truth, justice or "moral rightness" -- character defamation is the name of the game. As everyone knows truth and interpretation can be twisted every direction from sideways.

Even though the lawsuit is about trademark infringement and failure to deliver, if this really does go to trial *all* the dirty laundry from AInc, Hyperion and Eyetech will be blowing in the wind for the public to see. That's a lawyer's job. Even though AInc has the signed contract on their side all their names will be dragged through the mud.

Talk about publicity, this should do it. And the politicians and organizers of this event center are going to look like fools when all this dirt comes out. People are going to wonder just why this world famous company, "Omega", er, "Amiga" (wait for it, she'll get it right) that few people have ever heard of wasn't investigated just a teensy bit more.

In everything I've read or listened to I've not come across any mention of any kind of product demo or proof of delivery that was shown to the event center organizers or politicians. They apparently just swallowed the BS that was handed to them -- amazing.

Then again, these *are* politicians we're talking about here... When a cash cow (or bull) comes mooing you don't turn it away.

Kay

@Needle

Quote:

Needle wrote: Talk about publicity, this should do it. And the politicians and organizers of this event center are going to look like fools when all this dirt comes out. People are going to wonder just why this world famous company, "Omega", er, "Amiga" (wait for it, she'll get it right) that few people have ever heard of wasn't investigated just a teensy bit more. In everything I've read or listened to I've not come across any mention of any kind of product demo or proof of delivery that was shown to the event center organizers or politicians. They apparently just swallowed the BS that was handed to them -- amazing.

Just so so so strange, the whole thing. If they can't pay mad politicians will result. If you can pay that huge a price tag, why monkey games with such small time stuff like Hyperion. Its like some bizarre dream...

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@hatschi

Quote:

hatschi wrote: No, but in a few days you should be able to access it directly from the archive.

No new meetings posted yet, 4/17 is the last one. Maybe they will catch up with the archives soon. :)


@Moxee

Did you and Bolton Peck end up going to the meeting?

edit: fixed a spelling mistake

Last edited by fairlanefastback on 07-May-2007 at 06:21 PM.

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@fairlanefastback

Quote:

No new meetings posted yet, 4/17 is the last one. Maybe they will catch up with the archives soon. :)

Have a look at the schedule here. They broadcast the meeting at 7am/pm and 12 am/pm from Thursday, May 3 through Wednesday, May 9, 2007.
Later, it will also be accessible from the archive.

@hatschi


Here was my take away as I understood it:

So its a 20 year deal with Amiga, Inc.

Amiga pays 2.5 million USD once construction begins.

Then $500,000 USD each year for 20 years.

Not tied to the deal but Amiga according to this meeting, wants to move from NYC to Kent, meaning approx 250 new jobs to Kent over the next 2 to 3 years.

It looks like the Events Center is something the city really looks to be moving forward on and they plan to have it done in Fall 2008 if at all possible, so Amiga would have to pay 2.5 million USD to Kent not too far down the road it seems.

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Now that Amiga are getting money from the government we know they have nothing of value to offer us. They're a bunch of shysters looking to fleece people. What in the world have Bill McEwen and friends ever produced that people were willing pay them for voluntarily? Nothing. They have no ideas, no vision; nothing at all. A voodoo chant has as much chance of reviving the Amiga as they do; better, actually, if it's resurrection we're after.

To associate the "Amiga" company that exists now with the Amiga of 1985 is a desecration. The Amiga was a machine ahead of its time (at the time) and is a great computer philosophy that is timeless, and will endure so long as people remember it. But the exact implementation of that philosophy does not have to be called "Amiga". You would be honouring the Amiga in spirit - the Amiga as it was - if you were to ditch the pretenders that now call themselves by that name. They are a Hannibal Lecter that has eaten it and are wearing its face.

Somehow, some people have caught on to the idea that the Amiga is all about faith. This is wrong. Maybe if you're trying to build a cult or an effigy of Bill Gates to light on fire, but not for someone who is going to actually create an OS or platform that takes intelligence to invent. The Amiga was an invention, and anyone who has the presumption to think that it can be reincarnated by them had better know how to have produced something better if they were there competing with it in 1985.

@soft

Quote:

soft wrote: Now that Amiga are getting money from the government

Amiga isn't getting any money from the government. The City of Kent is getting money from the government. All Amiga is getting is a billboard, and for this they are giving money to the government.

We should all move to Kent so we may all benefit from this investment.

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Quote:

Amiga isn't getting any money from the government.

From here:

Quote:

The City of Kent has committed financing that will cover two-thirds or more of the total cost of this facility,

There! That's two-thirds that Amiga would otherwise have had to pay for. Amiga doesn't do things on its own, because it can't, because they're no good. Going for this "Amiga center of kent" is like a dictatorship building monuments while over half the population are starving. What the hell do they need a center for? It doesn't matter, because they got it from someone who didn't want to pay for it.

Quote:

The City of Kent is getting money from the government.

"The city" is a government entity; local government is still government. It's all government.

@soft

Quote:

There! That's two-thirds that Amiga would otherwise have had to pay for.

Amiga, Inc. was never expected to pay any part of the construction cost of the arena. Amiga, Inc. is paying only for the naming rights. The part of the construction cost not covered by the city of Kent will be covered by, IIRC, Washington state.

I'm not sure if the Kent city officials were actually duped by Bill McEwen's glowing description of the company, or if they knew he was bullsh*ting but didn't care as long as the money comes. They certainly sounded convinced, judging from the audio file of their announcement meeting. I'd hate to think that was just an act so that later, if/when the critics are shown to be right about Amiga, Inc. being an empty shell, the city officers can play the innocent victims. But they are politicians. Could be that they simply didn't want to look too closely.

The show of support by Bill McEwen might have just been leveraged by the city to convince the state -- which voted soon after -- to approve the project. In this scenario, Bill McEwen's entertaining proposal would just be the rock under the lever, no problem if the rock crumbles into dust later on. Construction is approved, and the naming-rights money can be made up elsewhere or done without.

Quote:

What the hell do they need a center for? It doesn't matter, because they got it from someone who didn't want to pay for it.

The city of Kent wants a center. It isn't Amiga, Inc.'s. They are just paying to have their name put on it, just like other, real companies do for other stadiums, etc.

This is really pretty fun. I'm very curious how Bill McEwen intends to live up to the image he described to the arena project people -- devcons attended by thousands, involvement in local schools, Amiga technology actually used to make the arena a high tech showcase.... Yes, bring it on!

-- gary_c

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Quote:

The city of Kent wants a center.

Except for those who don't.

Quote:

This is really pretty fun. I'm very curious how Bill McEwen intends to live up to the image he described to the arena project people -- devcons attended by thousands, involvement in local schools, Amiga technology actually used to make the arena a high tech showcase.... Yes, bring it on!

They're going to have to sell 200, 000 coupons this time.

@soft
Quote:

Except for those who don't.

Well, sure, that's always true for public projects, government spending, etc. But I didn't come across any "say no to Kent arena" messages anywhere. Unlike some projects that have strong and obvious local opposition, this one seems to be welcome by the community.

Quote:

They're going to have to sell 200, 000 coupons this time.

That'll be easier than coming up with products/services that demonstrate how they're "the world's premier provider of multi-media enabling technology." Or could coupons qualify for that in some way?

-- gary_c

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@soft


soft wrote:
Quote:

Quote: Amiga isn't getting any money from the government. From here: The City of Kent has committed financing that will cover two-thirds or more of the total cost of this facility,

The facility belongs to the City of Kent, not Amiga. Amiga just gets to name it. Cities do this to offset the construction costs by selling the naming rights to companies who use it for advertising.

The City of Kent is getting this money to finance the Arena, not Amiga.

Quote:

There! That's two-thirds that Amiga would otherwise have had to pay for.

No, that's one third the City of Kent would otherwise have had to pay for.

Quote:

Amiga doesn't do things on its own, because it can't, because they're no good. Going for this "Amiga center of kent" is like a dictatorship building monuments while over half the population are starving. What the hell do they need a center for? It doesn't matter, because they got it from someone who didn't want to pay for it.

You are totally disconnected with what's happening here. Look around at other cities, say, Rochester NY, who sold the renaming of the "Rochester War Memorial" to Blue Cross, and is now named "the Blue Cross Arena".

Quote:

Quote: The City of Kent is getting money from the government. "The city" is a government entity; local government is still government. It's all government.

I'm trying to help you understand what's happening here, because you don't. The Federal government is giving the City of Kent a grant to subsidize the Arena. The Arena belongs to the City of Kent. The City of Kent sold Amiga the naming rights, not the Arena itself.

This happens all the time, all across the country, it's very common. Another Rochester example: Pioneer Field. Hell, pick any city and you'll see stadiums and event centers selling the name, but realize they're just selling the name.

Again, this isn't Amiga buying an event center, it's Amiga buying a billboard. A really really big one. I'm not saying I think it's a good idea, rather, I think it's a really *stupid one, but that's what's happening.

* Considering what else you could do with 20 million dollars.

Last edited by T_Bone on 08-May-2007 at 10:27 AM.

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@gary_c

Quote:

The city of Kent wants a center. It isn't Amiga, Inc.'s. They are just paying to have their name put on it, just like other, real companies do for other stadiums, etc. This is really pretty fun. I'm very curious how Bill McEwen intends to live up to the image he described to the arena project people -- devcons attended by thousands, involvement in local schools, Amiga technology actually used to make the arena a high tech showcase.... Yes, bring it on! -- gary_c

Ahh I have possible scenario on this. Now as with any bit of conjecture its just that, conjecture. But it certainly at the least has a certain fun conspiracy theory element to it if nothing else. Here is that possible scenario:

Amiga's only custom branded apps that I am aware were done for the Seattle Thunderbirds semi-pro hockey team.

Example:

http://www.amiga.com/shop/index.php?cat_id=11&prod_id=187

The Seattle Thunderbirds as it so happens appear to be the only signed tenant for the building so far.

Here is their site:

http://www.seattlethunderbirds.com/news/press.php

The team wants this new home, the city wants this center. People at the Seattle Thunderbirds know Bill from the branded software they had Amiga make.

The center needed the support of state funding and the city went so far as to have multiple lobbyists working on this. An established tenant and a rich corporate sponsor make it less of a thing to question or roadblock up at the capital.

And Amiga wants to look nice and solvent these days and they want to look "established" in light of the lawsuit with Hyperion.

The rest of the scenario is like possibilities you've floated Gary, it was likely to help cement the highest probability of success at the capital. And since the Amiga money is a cherry on top if they bail last minute the project will still go on. And its a good favor to the Thunderbirds management who gave you previous business when you otherwise don't have much of a product catalog to show for. Amiga can bail last minute, the Thunderbirds won't cry, the city won't and they can just find another corporate sponsor then, by then all needed money is earmarked and work is started. As for Amiga they have proceeded further in their case and have a lot more of the look of a vibrant company wrongly stifled by Hyperion.

Or maybe Pentti Kouri just likes Bill a lot and keeps floating him cash for some un-known reason.

Truth or fantasy or somewhere in between its all wacky at this point. And in the meantime we'll still all be likely debating ACK machine specs anyway. ;)

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Interesting background article about the Thunderbirds desire to move from their current venue and the prospect of the proposed Kent Center:

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/hockey/306236_tbirds06.html

More on the relationship between Amiga and the Thunderbirds:

http://www.amiga.com/news/?art=22

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@hatschi

fairlanefastback quote:
Quote:

No new meetings posted yet, 4/17 is the last one. Maybe they will catch up with the archives soon.

hatschi quote:
Quote:

They broadcast the meeting at 7am/pm and 12 am/pm from Thursday, May 3 through Wednesday, May 9, 2007.Later, it will also be accessible from the archive.

It is available now for those who did not listen to the daily rebroadcasts.
http://www.ci.kent.wa.us/kenttv21/online.asp
Quote:

Archived meetings Tuesday, May 01, 2007

#6

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@all

Perhaps related from:
http://www.amiga.org/modules/newbb/viewtopic.php?topic_id=37885&forum=22

The MagicM quote from thread "Re: so if a reporter w/the Seattle Times wanted to talk...":
Quote:

telling the truth doesnt bring any trouble. I replied to her so we'll see what happens.

I don't see any confirmation that talk is proceeding with a Seattle Times reporter, so we'll just have to "watch this space".

#6

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@soft
Quote:

There! That's two-thirds that Amiga would otherwise have had to pay for.

No, that's one-third LESS that the City of Kent otherwise would have had to pay for. Amiga didn't decide to build the center, the City of Kent did, and in order to help cover the construction costs they opted to sell the name of the center to a high bidder of their choosing. Yes, it's unfortunate that they chose Amiga Inc.

Quote:

Going for this "Amiga center of kent" is like a dictatorship building monuments while over half the population are starving.

Half the population of Kent is not starving, many of them are farmers and ranchers. By accounts of people who live near the area Kent has been growing over the last several years and seems to be doing quite well.


Quote:

What the hell do they need a center for?

Did you even read any of material the City of Kent has put online? It's a multi-use stadium/convention center that will be host to a hockey team. Cities build these kind of things in order to attract people to the area, thus increasing business, thus increasing city revenue and popularity.

Quote:

It doesn't matter, because they got it from someone who didn't want to pay for it.

Better call someone from the agricultural office to check the water in your village well, obviously it's contaminated.

Last edited by jorkany on 09-May-2007 at 01:52 PM.

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Here for the whimpering end

For anyone going to watch the video, the Kent Center discussion starts at around 1 hour in...

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Are we not done with the same silly arguments and flames yet??!

@wegster
make that 56 minutes.

But, seems like it's going to happen, to be built in 2008.

Some quotes not exact, but..
'Amiga wants to move their company to Kent, providing around 250 new jobs to Kent.' (!!!)

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@number6

Quote:

number6 wrote: @all Perhaps related from: http://www.amiga.org/modules/newbb/viewtopic.php?topic_id=37885&forum=22 The MagicM quote from thread "Re: so if a reporter w/the Seattle Times wanted to talk...": Quote: telling the truth doesnt bring any trouble. I replied to her so we'll see what happens. I don't see any confirmation that talk is proceeding with a Seattle Times reporter, so we'll just have to "watch this space". #6

Well I view this as a good thing. Worst case there is nothing to find and Amiga somehow legitimately has the money for this deal and plans to stick to fulfilling it.

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