Hello Kathy and thanks for the Love Letter, I am sorry that you have such a
low personal opinion of my posts and I am sure you are not alone. I will
try to do better in the future as I surely do not know it all and have room
for some improvement in my life.
 
I will make a few points since I have rung your bell I might as well add to
your lists of personal grievances. If you are not interested you are free
and welcome to add me to your reader's byte bucket list and should do it
now before reading any farther.
 
(EXIT NOW)
 
1st and most important I have always been up front with what I post and I
always try to impress all readers that what I post is "in my own humble
opinion" (IMHO), and what I write should not be taken as anything more then
the Bee Gospel according to my own experiences from a lifetime within the
Beekeeping Industry and in my own beehives and many others. I am sure
other's may have done the time but I would not expect them to have the same
opinion's or express them in the same style as I do, if at all, that's life..
 
I do pride myself on being honest and truthful in what I say but admit that
I use a style of writing that I hope makes other's think and in no way is
intended to do any more then cause all to read what I write. I do not write
the politically correct post as anyone can see. It may be seen as
aggressive by some, but other's take a certain amount of pride to have been
the subject of one of my so called report's and some do make changes
because of them and many of these victims are in real life considered my
friends. Maybe it is a painful learning process which is the norm when
working with bees or the Internet. Everyone who read's what I write is free
to e-mail any challenge to what I post and they do and I have at times
admitted I was wrong in my opinion's which have not been cast in stone or
handed down from above.
 
Some feeling and ego's do get bruised but that is the nature of this thing
we call language and the impersonal nature of the Internet's news groups,
list mail, and e-mail,.. most experienced readers and posters do not and
should not take what anyone write's as personal. I am sorry for those who
do shed a tear because they felt they were personally attacked and can only
say to them it's a two way street of experience and if anyone feels they
were personally offended they are free here to express their own opinions.
A common mistake that we all make and that is reading something into
other's post that was not intended by the sender. I do not have time for
personal fights or personal attack's in my life's work, but know that my
style of writing can be the subject of mis interpretation by those who may
read what I write, not all do as many do not like long winded posts or
posts that ramble, both are the norm for me, and all are welcome not to
read them.
 
I don't expect many to agree with what I write and yet every week I am
asked for permission to use what I have written in one way or another and
this gives me the warm fuzzes but also does surprise me and I have without
effort, other then what is required to make a post, became one the most
quoted beekeepers on the world wide net. I don't know if this is good, but
for sure many want to read what I have to say and are not turned off by how
I say it and find my effort's worthwhile or they would not be making the
efforts to add my words to their own web pages, newsletter's, real
newspaper's, books, and other not so friendly places.
 
Anyway I am in no way offended when other's don't agree with me personally
and welcome and encourage all to express their own opinions and I do not
judge anyone because he or she has expressed a differing opinion or do I
try to belittle those who ask questions as I found out a long time ago the
only bad question is the one that was not asked and believe it or not I
learn by what other's ask. I have personally set up a "auto responder" for
new bee's who want some basic information and it is well used to the point
that I seldom mention it as it costs me dearly, but thankfully others have
followed my lead and several "auto responders" are now installed on the
Internet for beekeeper's use.
 
I also believe that "if you can do it better then I, then have at it!". I
personally plan on continuing with my own efforts as long as I am able as I
have a lot to say and have just began to say it.
 
>I wouldn't worry about it. It sounds like you did the right things, if
>anything you erred to the side of caution and IMHO, that is a good
>thing.
 
What was that you say, someone may have errored.., IMHO it was one error
that so many beekeepers, new and old make, and that is looking to
government to solve a common everyday beekeeping problem.
 
>As for Andy Nachbaur's other comments about  "Afro Bee Slash and Burn"
>"quarantine boss with star and gun at the ready"; it appears to me that
>Andy has some problem with the current method of quarantine being used
>in this country to attempt to stop/slow the spread of african honeybees
 
Yes, this includes ALL US bee quarantines which have done nothing to stop,
slow down or cure any beekeeping problem and in fact have ruined the lives
of so many good beekeepers and their families who were no different from
anyone else on this earth other then to have been the victims of the zeal
of others. At least one death can be pointed out as a direct result of one
of the bee quarantines though not from a gun shot or bee stings but a
broken heart and many others have suffered such a degree of damage that no
amount of liberal rhetoric can ever make them whole again or will I ever
personally forgive those whom I know were responsible or those in positions
of responsibility who did nothing but fan the fires knowing all along that
it was wrong. The US bee quarantines have been so bad that even the US
government agency that was responsible for them now uses them as an example
of what not to do in their internal training operations. Even the AHB
guarantee is due to expire because the science behind it is so poor that
any lower court challenge would end it anyway.(IMHO)
 
>I recall an earlier post in which he advises someone looking for African
>honeybee stock to breed in the US, that he contact some of the guys behind
>quarantine lines to get AHB breeding stock.
 
I did that? It is my own opinion that since we have AHB we should take our
heads out of our sand boxes., It is time we got to know our bees including
the AHB personally and up close and work and use them, not as attack dogs,
but use some of their well known productive qualities to make improvement
to most any stock now in this country. We don't have to import them via
some government program as they are here now in abundance, nor do we have
to relied on the judgement of persons with nothing to gain or lose in
choosing the right stock for ourselves. Believe it or not many beekeepers
in the US are doing what I have suggested above and they do live with fear,
and that's not right. Man or beekeepers should have the right to use what
God has provided without fear of punishment or destruction from his fellow
man the bee cop with the badge and in some areas a gun dressed in his green
suit.
 
Well for a fact if there are so called quarantine lines they have not kept
beekeepers from moving in and out of these areas such as bees from Texas
and other states known to have AHB, (now including California, an infested
state) and these same bees can be found in both the South, East, West and
North and have not caused any reported problems and have added to the
wealth of this county with honey production and pollination of many
agricultural crops, then what good are quarantines other then to provide
employment to government people whom could be doing other more productive
things like checking meat for bad smells or bugs and chemicals.
 
>I figured when no one blasted him for that (IMO irresponsible) post,
>that most everyone here on BEE-L had come to appreciate Andy for his
>forwarding of other peoples info, press releases, etc. but had learned
>to ignore much of what  he personally had to say
 
>(I was lucky to have been forewarned).
 
You may have been the victim of some poor information but you make it sound
like there is a "Kill the OLd Drone Club".<G> But as long as you read what
I write I believe in time you may with real time beekeeping experience have
a somewhat more moderate opinion on ignoring what I and other commercial
beekeepers have to say and may even change your open personal attacks on my
own opinions and my posts made at great personal investment and without
expectations of rewards or even the recovery of out of pocket costs.
 
I seldom blow my own horn like this but I take great pride in the numbers
of people who over the years have taken the time to come up to me
personally, sometimes years later, and tell me how that at one time they
thought I had one wheel off the track but they have with experience changed
their own opinion's and think it is important enough to personally tell me
that I was on the right track all the time. This is the only real reward I
get for my personal public efforts and does make it worthwhile and calms my
own fears and cold chills I get when so many times I have stood up alone
before National and State Beekeeping groups, University Boards, the
Legislature's, and the Court's, trying in my own way to protect myself and
my industry from those who would do us as individuals under by telling it
in my own way as I see it and it has worked well and I would be happy to
give you details but will not take the time now. I have always included all
beekeepers in my efforts and do not judge individuals by the number of bees
they have or the reason they have them or even what they post to newsgroups
or list mailers but I read them all as time permits and even the personal
Love Letters from other readers.
 
IMHO, ttul, the OLd Drone