My prayers are with you Mike (Michael Patrick)

[FreeCells]

I would be a hypocrite if I just slammed him for his dumb mistake because I've made pleanty of dumb mistakes myself in my life. Even being a planned mistake, it was a dumb planned mistake. I'm sure if he knew in advance all the trouble it caused he would have told you that he'd be crazy to do something like this. But he didn't know exactly what was going to happen even though it may have been obvious to many of us... All in all, he is my friend. And where I come from friends don't cut down friends publicly behind eachothers back so you will not see me do that to him like the media around here has. We help eachother out. No matter how stupid of a planned mistake the dude made. Now I know everything has it's limits and there are lines that can be crossed in any friendship but personally I don't think this is one of them. Yes people could have been hurt looking for him, but they weren't. Michael Patrick is a great entertainer just like many of us. His whole motive appears to me to be entertainment. From the great escape to the press confrence that was interupted. Sounds like he went out of his way to entertain our whole island and then some. But the problem was it doesn't seem like he fully thought it out enough. Now I know I made TONS of mistakes in my life because I didn't think things through enough. anyway... like I said before, Michael is my friend and I believe friends help eachother out in times like these. So I put together a fundraiser to help him pay this $25,000 debt off. 100% of the profits will go towards his debt and all documents will be posted on the fundraiser website. You can help if you'd like, we would very much appreciate it. I have a show in Daytona Beach this weekend. I will try to update the totals when I can get to a computer. After I return from the show I will update the fundraiser nightly. Here is the website I put together for him.

http://www.MichaelPatrickFundraiser.com

Thanks

[jesus]

Let me just climb up here again.

A big part of personal responsibility is consequences.
Again I use my son as an example.

When my then 8 year old son and a buddy got into the neighbors recycling bin and broke a bunch of glass in a drive way, I didn't offer to pick it up.
I walked down the street to the buddys house to fetch the buddy, told his father what happen and that I was going to supervise the clean up.
I went to the garage and got the two boys some work gloves and made them clean it up. Every last piece. By hand. No broom.
(I did sweep after they had gotten all they could, since they where children and I didn't want the neighbors kids picking up a sliver in the foot.)
It took a long time and unfortunately for them it happened on a Friday. So much for my sons weekend. He spent it in the house reading. No toys no TV.
I never raised my voice or my hand.
Guess what? He doesn't find much joy in breaking bottles any more.

As for making mistakes, yes I have made them and we all do. But when I make them, and its plenty often and sometimes publicly (Colorado 2004), I own up to them.

And there is no hypocrisy in telling someone that they have been an idiot, if they have in fact been an idiot.

If this had been an accident and Michael had been hurt, even though I don't know him I would have been happy to chip in in some way.
But as it is, don't ask me to help him learn a lesson that he needs to be taught.

(Suddenly this is a philosophical forum. Who Knew?
And again I point out that this discussion is more of a social commentary to me than a discussion about one mans foibles.)

[Seadawg]

In one of my previous lives before I became a performer, I was a military aviator and we did Search and Rescue Work.

All I can say is that this really stupid, dumb ass ill conceived publicity stunt run amok should be castigated for what it is.

The fact that these really stupid actions endangered the lives of others and took away priceless resources from other potentially disastrous situations, should be noted. Is $25,000 too much. I think not...

Maybe as he works of his debt for such an ill conceived plan Michael will come to appreciate the severity of his actions. We are all accoutnable...

[Jim]

My "benefit show" line below was typed sarcastically. (If that didn't come through, I apologize. I need to add a sarcasm smiley to the forum.)

Again, Jesus, very well said. Michael needs to clean up his own mess.

[Jim]

Fundraising

FreeCells, It's noble of you to start a fundraiser, but before you start collecting cash, maybe you should wait and see if he actually has to pay $25,000... or any amount. Is he even out of jail yet? We don't know the whole story, or what the actual fines will be.

It seems a bit hasty to already have a website and paypal account set up.

(Also, try using your return key after every couple of sentences. It would make reading your posts easier.)

[jeep caillouet]

escape

Interesting thought,Rondeni tought Micheal to do escape a few years back,now that they are both locked up tighter than Dicks hat band ,witch one is going to get out first! One more thought Jerry Lee lewis told me back whin I was playing music in Memphis,"Jeep if they ain't talking about you then you ain't doing shit'. Micheal there sure talking about you now! Yehaw get it on.

[FreeCells]

Yes it's all over the front headlines today in both Key West and Miami papers. He's in jail and he owes the money... rumors are going around that the $25,000 has been increased to $50,000...

You have a point though, I do need more facts. I have put the fundraiser on hold until I got all the facts.

Thanks

[pablo]

You must be kidding.

I accidently shot myself in the foot today.

I bought a gun, loaded it, pointed it at my foot and pulled the trigger. Boy oh boy, does it hurt!

So I'm having a Fundraiser to pay my medical expenses and put some spare change in my wallet. All profits will go directly to... Me!

Forget about the homeless, the hungry, the poor, the illiterate, the handicapped, the terminally ill & all those starving kids in Africa. Let Madonna & Brad & Angelina save them.

Don't wait. Send your money to me immediately. I've still got the gun, and I know how to use it.

[FreeCells]

LOL good one, I do help others also... it would be quite narrow minded to think I am only doing a fundraiser for Michael however it was a good joke. Both my wife and I got a laugh out of it, Thanks

[The Amazing Beaumanz]

Wow

He's an ass!!! But he is still a very dear friend. I agree with Miles, and I won't pass judgement until I hear the rest of the story.
I wondering if the police made him answer my phone call. He was being question as we spoke. I could hear them coughing. They probably told him to because it was probably someone wanting to see if he was ok.

I like what Jerry told you Jeep!!!

[jeep caillouet]

Hey Dallas, a bondsman just called me and said his girlfriend had just called and was looking for someone to get him out. She's pissed too! She also wanted to know where she could find a good lawyer. I guess now we have to start him a legal defence fun as well.

[Peter Voice]

Forget fund raising for F@#$ sake.

If he did it for the "BIG" act and the accompanying publicity, let him pay for it from the rewards. It's his show.

I've been involved and instigated fund raising for performers that need it but shit some people have had very public break-downs that have been discussed here, other lives trashed by serious injuries, drugs and depression.

This was and still is a stupid act and Michael seriously owes his community, on many levels.

It is a little rich to expect that same community to bail him out.

[Seadawg]

Peter makes some very good points.

Had he been attacked, or suffered some other misfortune beyond his control, then charity doesn't seem out of the question....

But a very ill-conceived publicity stunt that caused nothing but anguish for others and jeopardized others lives doesn't even come close.

Everytime an aviator, diver, policeman, fireman or concerned citizen has to take actions to save some "Harvey Dumbfuck" the potential for their getting hurt always is there,

I cannot for a second condone those kind of self-centered egotistical moves by anyone.

[jesus]

That about covers it.

"The somber search left many tourists and locals, including children, worried and bothered at the thought of witnessing a possible suicide or a stunt gone fatally wrong."
From keynews.com

No one has the right to put that fear or thought into the eyes of a child.
He deserves a large and unruly cellmate and he deserves to lose everything he owns.
He will get out of his cell. He will get another home.
But the children that were in the audience will never get a different memory of their "special" Halloween in Key West.

(Yes this posting IS a personal attack)

[jeep caillouet]

woops

O.K. here we go. WE as street performers or in better words buskers practice freedom of speech and expression. He did not yell fire in a crowded movie theater, what he did do was ask his crowd if they wanted to see him him do a back flip into the water , and his crowd in loud response yelled YES. He therefore preceded to jump off the pier into the water to there delight. Remember they encouraged him to do just that. He did not yell fire and put them into panic! What he did do was execute a some what planned performance of free expression. I see it that he played a really good joke on his crowd. I do this every single show that I do, now no one likes to be the butt of the joke,but that's comedy weather you like it or not. Even though you may not like it the joke is still on you. It seems he duped his crowd, the police dept. the coast guard ,the fire and rescue people, and every one else. The jokes on you or us get over it already. It seems to me that he executed a really good performance and every is pissed because he made every one the but of his joke,and no one likes to be the butt of a really good joke. My guess is that Michael, you will git out well before Rondini so good luck on what appears to be a really good escape act,and a good performance of free speech and expression. Come on folks thank about it!