Re: Robert Russell is a fraud
Previous sub-producers, I believe that most, if not all of you, were ripped off by RRussell the same as the smaller guys were ripped off. In the following words I'm not passing judgement or anything but rather want to mention a couple of things pertaining to "perception" that you might want to think about. This is just my perception and I may be the only person on this planet that has seen things this way, but...here it is anyhow.
One thing that always bugged me with the many Russell sub-producer websites that I checked out "back when" (and I checked out *several* of them) was that the only way to contact them was through a web form...I've just never liked sending money to a "web form", though. There were no email addresses offered, no physical addresses, and for the ones that I checked out I don't recall there being any owner names given. On some websites there would be pictorals of the local area or beeyards and might give a general location...but these read more like a flyer to attract tourists or something. I imagine that better contact information would have been given to me if I had placed an order...using PayPal at least some type of an email address would be given. But, for a business to not be upfront with this information caused me to wonder about the entire sub-producer thing, especially in light of the developing situation with Robert Russell.
Many of the sub-producer websites now appear to be down or either have statements distancing themselves from (Robert) Russell. Only one or two appear to have their old (pro-Russell) content still online...I think those are probably just from neglect. Some websites have reverted back to their old names and sites (good for them). Of the websites that have made changes but appear to be using the cookie-cutter web software I see only one that has good contact information to it...I applaud the Missouri producer. But, most of the "modified" websites (as of this morning) still only offer web forms for contacting them.
With the smoke and mirrors that apparently have been the norm for Robert Russell and his business it seems that businesses previously associated with them would strive to have greater transparency and distance themselves from any possible perception of having something to hide.
One other item is that If you were a sub-producer and you're still using the cookie-cutter software that came with the "franchise" be aware that visually the "web store" says RUSSELL very loudly. Those ribbons in the lower righthand corner of many of the item pictures reminds me greatly of Russell's web store. I would think that other businesses use the software with good results but if used in the bee business I think that at least in the near future it will bring up bad memories for many folks. I don't know if you really want to continue using it or not. Just thought I'd mention it.
I know I've made some jokes and jabs in the past about the situation in trying to add some levity to a somber situation, in it all I never intended to harm anyone and hope that I didn't. I wish all involved, from the single queen purchaser to the franchise owners, that in some way good will come out of this for you. My brother was a kidney transplant patient who went through over 10 years of dialysis, he was not a quitter, he was a fighter. Sometime back in the early eighties a (dentist) friend of ours came into the office one day with a rolled up poster in his hand. He proceeded to hop up on my brother's desk (which faced a wall), unroll the poster and tape it to the wall. It is a picture of a very rocky ocean shoreline, very treacherous water looking outward to the safe, open ocean. It has a caption below it.
A couple of years later my brother received a donor kidney that worked marvelously. After that he fathered two sons, something that his doctors did not think would happen. He was successful and lived life to the fullest. Two days after Christmas in 2001 my brother died in my arms at that desk. Massive heart attack. I don't think he had any regrets even though he caught a lot of crap in his life.
That poster has yellowed some and is getting brittle...but it's still hanging on that wall. Like many businesses, my business is hurting from the bad economy and I'm not sure what the future holds for it, but if per chance I leave this office that poster comes with me.
In life we get dealt things that aren't, or don't, seem fair. Sometimes those things are self-inflicted, other times other people inflict them on us. But it is what we're dealt. We are also dealt good things. Whichever the case is, it is up to us how we continue on with our life past these things.
As for my brother's poster it simply reads, "Obstacles are what you see when you take your eyes off the goal."
So...what are you seeing? What are your beekeeping goals? Sure, obstacles arise but do you stay focused on them or do you put your eyes back on the goals? Your choice...
Ed