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Mascoutah, Illinois | Eddie, I accept the apology you offered me today and I offer you mine as well. What I don't understand in this whole process is why you have singled me out over the past year? I do not believe I ever did anything to you to provoke you to continually attack my character as an individual. If I have, I hope you can share it with me either through NAT or my personal email which is in my profile.
Was I way out of line with my verbal outburst last night? Yes I was, and everybody on here knows I was way out of line. I choose not to make excuses for my behavior but I was acting like a "punk" for no better terminology.
I offer up my apologies to everyone on NAT also. I am sorry you had to read the garbage I directed at Eddie. I should have never put any of you in that position. I ask for your forgiveness and I am sorry.
A couple of comments were made here from other posters which I will take the time to address. Was I on the wrong side of a trade? No, I wasn't. Every single trade which is conducted has someone on the wrong side of it. Do I have any skin in the game? Yes, I do. We have a family operation which dates back to my grandfather who was born in 1890. He had some land and a dairy farm back in the day. Do I post here and expect folks to kiss my butt? It couldn't be farther from the truth. Nobody is always right, unless you are a woman. (It was a joke.) In reality everybody makes mistakes on a daily basis. Some are magnified more than others because the consequences have different levels of impact.
My reasons for posting on NAT and offering my opinions lead back to my former boss of approximately ten years. His name is Jack Bell. I was fortunate enough as a young man to learn from somebody about giving back to your community. My brother got me started on NAT back in February of 2009. NAT was a free source of information and ideas that could be shared amongst the folks who are the backbone of our great country. It was a perfect fit for me and it gave me a chance to give back to a community of folks from all parts of the country and the world.
I became somewhat educated in marketing through television, the internet, and just listening to someone's opinion. I have gotten a great deal better at it because of the platform this site provides at no single charge. I have learned so much here from everyone and I am so appreciative of people taking not only the time, but the courage to post. Nobody wants to be ridiculed or degraded because you don't agree with their opinion. What I am asking for is to present your arguement with facts and not "name calling." I will use Tarafarms as an example because we have a "love hate" relationship on this site. We disagree quite frequently, however, he makes his point of view with relevant facts whether I agree with them or I don't. I want to personally thank Tarafarms for challenging me on a daily basis and making me a better thinker. You have done a great deal of good in helping me develop my ideas and how I present them.
Senior Citizen has set the precedent on this site about giving back to the community. This gentleman has credentials and experience none of us may ever attain. He could charge for everything he does, but he doesn't. He is the ultimate giver in this forum and as a community we should follow his leadership in my humblest opinion.
Through many conversations and emails, I have learned that marketing your crop is "gut wrenching" and stressful. Think about it, your paycheck changes every single time a trade is made at the CME. Folks who work 9-5 pretty well know what their paycheck is going to be at the end of the week. A farmer or livestock producer doesn't. Farmers have a very difficult life to lead each and everyday due to so many factors which affect their operation. It could be weather, outside markets, or political policy to name a few. Folks have to make decisions not only to keep their operation running well, but to feed and cloth their families as well. The second guessing in this game is difficult and it tends to shorten the lives of many who operate in this industry. I was hoping to do my part in helping folks with their decision making by using the few tools I have to make them better marketers and to make their life a bit less stressful. Some folks pay for marketing services and I hear some complaining and read some posts on this site backing up those claims. My solution is if you can teach someone how to analyze data, empower them, and they gain some confidence in themselves, they usually become a better decision maker.
In closing, this site isn't about any single individual. It is about "US" as a whole. Pat H made a great post earlier today and I hope everybody can abide by it. The name-calling needs to subside as does the ridiculing. If it stokes your ego to do so, you probably need to rethink why am I a part of NAT. You should be asking yourself, am I here to help people or am I here to hurt people? I hope the answer is ALWAYS TO HELP.
I want to thank everyone for all of the kind words sent to me through email today. It is nice to know you are appreciated and your ideas are appreciated.
Once again, I apologize to Eddie for my outburst. If you are ever in my neck of the woods, you are welcome for dinner and drinks. I would like to sit down and here some of your ideas and suggestions.
To the rest of my family on NAT, I am sorry you had to be in the middle of this sparring contest.
If we could, let's get back to sharing ideas and helping one another become better marketers and better people in general.
Thank you for your time. I hope this clears up some of the mystery about me on this site. My email is always open and I always respond within a day or two if not sooner.
Edited by djmcountryboy 8/6/2010 21:35
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Eddie, I accept your apology and offer you mine.
