This is a follow-up post to a blog that I wrote in May titled, "Dear God, Please Take Kessler Off The Air".  If you didn't read it, 1st - Shame On You and 2nd - Here it is:

http://community.livinglakecountry.com/controlpanel/blogs/posteditor.aspx?SelectedNavItem=Posts&sectionid=449&postid=205522

Anyways, a couple of weeks ago I received a response from Richard Kessler.  He asked that I pass a message on to you in response to my post.  He said that if he has annoyed any of you with his commericals he is sorry.  But, if you would all just come in and buy a diamond, the crisis would be solved.  Then the commericals could come off the air. Simple solution.  But until that time he is going to stick with his original plan.  Which, I'm guessing, is working.

I have to say that I enjoyed getting a response from Mr. Kessler.  It seems that his commercials are a little less annoying.  Well, maybe not.  I suppose my wife is going to want a new diamond now that she knows I talked with Richard Kessler.  Oh oh, this could backfire. 

Then as I was preparing to write this post, I figured it out.  His response was genius, now he has me marketing Kesslers for free! 

Damn he's good! 

I have to share this story with you. 

Last week and Thursday, a young white male came into my gas station to fill his pick up truck.  He pulled way out to the farthest pump, faced his vehicle out and began to fill.  I have very aware employees.  They immediately became suspicious of him.  When anyone makes an effort to get to the farthest pump, face the road and leave their vehicle running when there are many pumping stations easier and closer that are available, you get suspicous.  So my employee went out and got the plate number of the truck, made eye contact with the driver and came back in the store. 

He took off without paying!

So next step was to call the police and file a report.  We had video coverage burned to CD, descriptions and pictures.  The truck was very unique in its appearance.  I thought for sure someone will see this truck.  They ran the plates and they came back as stolen.  Great!  Now what?  Now I have to just wait it out and see if an officer sees the suspects vehicle around town. 

Fast forward to today, September 25th.  I'm working away in my office.  The same employee comes running to the office door and yells,  "You gotta get out here, that same truck is back!"  So I go running out there and see that it is definetly the same truck.  This time he is not filling up but is in the store waiting in line.  I asked who owned the green truck outside and his buddy he was with pointed to the guy.  I recognized the driver from the video from the week before.

He says, "Yeah it's my truck, why?"

Me, "That truck stole gas from this store last week."

Criminal, "That truck wasn't even in Pewaukee last week!"

Me, "I got pictures of that truck in Pewaukee last week!"  HA - I didn't really say HA, just added that for fun :)

After that brief exchange, he immediately turned and left the store, got in his truck and sped out of here.  While all this was going on, another employee was out getting license plate information off the truck.  Interestingly, the plate number was different than it was last week.  Hmmm?  So again I call the police.  The dispatcher remembered the incident from last week and even said, "Oh that was that green truck, right?".  This time the plate number matched the vehicle. 

After filing a statement with police and burning more video to prove it was the same guy and same truck, I am now in waiting to see what the police come up with.  Hopefully you will be reading about him getting busted in the reporter soon.

I think we got him this time!  Can you believe he came back?

I live in the sticks.  I love living in the sticks!  But, you can encounter some internet connection problems.  I have not posted a blog for like a month as I was struggling with my high speed connection.  It looks like it is going to be back up and running well. 

So hopefully I will be able to post this week. 

Maybe no one cares, but I just wanted to let you know that I'm still here.

 THANKS - Derek

So, none of us know the real story behind the Favre return.  Who knows if he was pressured into leaving, did he do it on his own, is he being a jerk, is Ted Thompson being a jerk  yada yada?!  At this point, I don't really care. 

Every team in the NFL wants to have a star QB.  Some have them (Indy, NE, Dallas etc), some(MOST) can't seem to find one.  So here we are, the Green Bay Packers, we have one and we might not let him play.  What the?  I can't understand the thinking here.  Even if you are mad at Favre and the way he handled this situation.  Maybe you're mad about how he has handled retirement over the past few years.  So what!  Who gives the Packers the best chance to win?  Rodgers?  I think not.

When it all comes down to it, we have an all-star, future hall of fame quarterback on our team.  We went to the NFC championship game last year.  The pack was 13-3 in season play.  HELLO!!  Put the number 4 jersey back in his locker and get him on the field. 

I like to see the Packers win.  Favre is still the way to win...Rodgers - who knows.  Why take the risk when you have Brett Favre?

I have had enough of Obama already!  What is the point of this guy running around the Middle East acting like he is the President of the United States?  He's not.  Hopefully he never will be.  It is rather sickening how the media is fawning over him for his approval.  The mainstream media is spineless!  Obama has no credibility, no valid experience in any political arena and no foreign policy.  Why on earth do we have to see him on TV all the time?  If

If someone just crawled out from under a rock and watched the news, they would think Obama had just taken over the thrown.  Or maybe he had just rose from the dead for the 2nd coming!  Please!

If you don't thing that the mainstream media is tilted to the left after this display, you must be blind. 

The guy in this picture stole gas from a store in Pewaukee on July 16, 2008 at around 8:30pm.  Does anyone out there have any information on the identity of him?  The little blue car in the other picture is his. 

If you have any information...please comment back to me.  It would be greatly appreciated and I will keep it confidential if you would like.

My guess is that many of you have seen the recent closings of Home Depot stores.  There have been many theories as to why and how this could happen.  I've heard different thoughts like just not enough sales, oversaturated market with home repair stores and loss of major contractor agreements. 

However, I have a close source that said one of the biggest problems and reasons is retail theft.  There was just too much stuff walking out the door.  That makes me mad and sad to hear that.  Why is this happening?

This is not just in the home repair industry either.  Every retail industry has to deal with theft.  In the end, it means higher prices for you, the honest person.  That just sucks.  The majority of people in this county, state, country are good, honest people and once again we have to foot the bill for losers.  Keep that in mind when you go to your local retail store, no matter what industry it is.  If you feel the price is high and seems to keep going up, you may be paying for the jackass who steals stuff from the store owner. 

I read an interesting theory in an email the other day, maybe you saw it...Goes like this:

Most of us have to pass a drug test to be employed and pay taxes.  Now, this doesn't worry most of us and we have no problem with it.  The theory was, lets require people to pass a drug test before they can receive money from the governent.  Sounds fair to me. 

Thanks and I aplogize for my lack of posts over the past 2 weeks.  My ISP has been giving me fits...think they are in financial trouble and it is not good for me.  At least the kids aren't in school right now and needed the internet for homework. 

It is my belief in today's day and age, there is a severe case of overparenting when it comes to youth sports. 

I have coached baseball and soccer for about 10 years now.  In that time coaching all age levels from t-ball to 13 14 year old competitive sports.  It has been fun.  The one thing that I noticed is that many parents are too helpful for their kids.  I'm not talking about volunteering for clubs and stuff like that.  Volunteering to help the clubs keep running smooth and helping out is critical in the success of youth sports.  Actually in the clubs I have worked, parent volunteering seems pretty exceptional. 

What I'm talking about is the amount of "help" they give to their own kids.  I've had kids taking batting practice that are just dialed in.  Hitting everything I throw at them and feeling very confident.  Then when the game starts and that kid gets up he chokes.  Maybe it is game pressure.  But I wonder.  As he got up to bat, the one voice you could hear over everything, was his mom.  Yelling all postive things, but none the less, yelling!  He looked petrified and didn't even get close to making contact. 

Then on the soccer field.  A message to all soccer parents:  If you want to coach your kids team, go get a license and volunteer to coach.   I'm sure the club would take more coaches.  Don't coach them from the spectators sideline.  So many parents coach the kids as they are trying to play.  How can they know what the real coach is having the kids do?  They don't know the game plan.  It just confuses the kids even more.  I encourage parents to cheer postively(just not too loud:)), but let the kids do what they are supposed to for the coach.  Often times in my teams practices we focus on some specific skill.  Then in the game we work on it.  Most of the time the parents don't know or understand what we are doing.  Their kid may be working the drill masterfully, but they think he/she is goofing up.  If you are curious about stuff like that, ask the coach after the game or before the next practice.  Heck, we even don't mind if you give a call to see what was going on.  But please don't confuse the kids during the match. 

Practicing at home and working with your son or daughter is another thing.  You should always do that.  Coach them at home.  They may help you learn something about what they are doing at practices and such.  Of course, you will help them by being out there with them.  It is hard to let go of children, but it can be great for them to have something like sports to sort stuff out for themselves.  It really is a great learning experience. 

Youth sports has been a pure joy for me.  For the most part, parents are great.  There are just a few instances, so I felt the need to share them with you.  Maybe it will help someone someday.  If you have any stories along these lines, please share.  I enjoy your comments to my blog. 

Just curious how the price hovering around $4.00 a gallon is causing you the readers to adjust your lifestyle? 

Do you do things differently?  Or is it pretty much the same? 

Being in the gasoline business, I find this interesting.  The industry has seen a drop in demand.  So I was hoping to open a discussion with the readers of this web site to see the things you are doing differently.  Are you combining trips more?  Did you buy a smaller vehicle?  Do you bike instead? 

Seeing as food prices are going up as well, do you adjust your lifestyle there?  Do you eat out less?  Do you shop at the "big box" store more to save?

I'll get it started.  My family has made some adjustments.  With four kids we need to watch our expenses closely.  We have been taking less trips by trying to combine them.  Or just not going as much.  We haven't cut back on food though.  The boys just keep eating!!  We did expand the garden.  Nothing like homegrown vegetables. 

Please comment back with the changes you've made or if you haven't changed anything due to rising gas and food prices.  Thanks 

I think this video is an interesting piece from the GOP. 

I say thanks to President Bush for doing what he felt was the right thing to do to protect the security of this country.  

http://www.bercasio.com/movies/dems-wmd-before-iraq.wmv

I'm pretty much sick and tired of all the America haters. 

Let's see:

1. Greatest country ever in the history of mankind
2. Most generous nation in the world
3. Welcomes anyone into the country, with little to no resistance
4. Presents the greatest opportunity for human development and personal success
5. The people are free

So why is the finger always pointed at America?  So often from its own people.  It seems so many want to blame America for the worlds problems.  The world was a lot worse off before America.  The free people of America have made the world a better place to live.  Why can't the people in the media write more stories about the good that America does?  The stories are always angled to make us look like the bad ones.  That's simply insane.  I take offense to it.  You should too.  

Does it make someone feel good to sit around and bash their own country while they enjoy the freedoms and successes created by it?  If your conscious is that heavy, join the peace corps or something.  Most of the people in this country are kind, generous and giving people.   They work hard and help each other out.  Isn't that how America is for you?  Or am I living in fantasy land?  I'm not rich but I have enough to provide my family with what we need.  Does that make me bad?  I don't think so.   

It's time for Americans to start standing up for themselves in the world.  It's time for our own media to not spin the news to make us look like we are evil.  Terrorists are evil.  They want to kill us...no questions.  We are not the bad guys!

Cast your vote    Comment "American rules" if you are for America

                        Comment "Down with the US" if you are against America

Thanks

So over the past weekend, my family and I drove up to Neenah, WI for a soccer tournament.  Maybe some of you were there and I hope you had success.  Our team won 2 and lost 1.  We didn't advance to the championship round as we were short on points by not shutting any teams out.  Oh well.

Anyways, as you drive north on highway 41 through the Town of Addison you drive by the wind farm.  Most of you have probably seen it before.  It is quite a sight.  I always marvel at the idea of wind energy.  Does anyone know how many they have there?  It seems so clean and easy to get.  I wonder why on earth we don't use more of it.  I don't have to live near these huge windmills, but I find them appealing to look at.  I honestly don't think it would bother me.

By about the time I hit Fond du lac I begin to wonder why more environmentalist aren't out pimping the idea of windmills to the world.  Clean energy.  Minimal "carbon foot print".  Despite the cost of the equipment, it is basically free.  Then I remember, the birds!

That's right, the birds are going to be flying into those big blades and getting chopped up.  How could I forget?  Now my thought focus changes again.  Hmmm, those building down in Milwaukee are A LOT taller then these windmills.  It must be dangerous to walk in downtown Mil-town.  It must be raining geese, ducks, seagulls and crows.  Maybe we could have someone shoveling them up right away to keep them fresh and use them to feed the hungry?  Years ago, before I had children, I was a small plane pilot.  I saw birds in the sky while flying.  They always seemed to avoid the planes in the sky.  Good thing too, a big old goose could do a number on a little 152 Cessna.  I don't see geese slamming into trees.  Are there piles of crows under all those cell towers?  You know that tower up on highway 60 and 41?  When we were kids we called it the giants chair.  That thing must be a regular suicide magnet.  The Golden Gate Bridge for birds.      

Do people honestly believe that the birds aren't going to make an adjustment in their flight?  Are they all blind?  They sure seem to be able to avoid the shot from my shotgun pretty easily.  I should think a huge windmill would be a breeze for them.

I just wonder who the person is that picks up the dead bird carcasses up there.  Must be a pretty easy job. 

OK...the guy is a good marketer.  He has officially engraved the brains of southeastern Wisconsin with "I want to be your jeweler".  But enough!

I don't think that I am in the minority in saying that I am just plain sick of hearing that guys voice on my radio.  I doesn't matter what channel, what time of day, am or fm ... he is always on there.

Again, don't get me wrong, I think that he has done a great job of marketing and growing his business.  I wish him well and luck in the business world.  Heck, he has to be busy to be able to afford all the air time he fills up.  Maybe I am just burned out of hearing about the mothers day rose or how Kesslers has a diamond for any budget.  Because diamonds are all they do you know?

I have seriously gotten to the point where I will turn the radio down for 1 minute as soon as I hear his voice.  Just so I don't get angry.  Maybe I need a shrink??  Thank god I can turn it back up after the commercial and hear Rush Limbaugh...a voice I don't ever get sick of hearing.

If for some strange reason Richard ends up reading this(ha ha), I pose this question - Richard, you know that lady that you bought the diamond for when you had no money?  the love of your life?  the one you had to show your love for with a diamond, of course.  Maybe you should try her voice on the radio for a while.  Just a couple months rest from hearing you.   No offense, just need a break. 

Arthur Brooks reports:

Who are all these gun owners? Are they the uneducated poor, left behind? It turns out they have the same level of formal education as nongun owners, on average. Furthermore, they earn 32% more per year than nonowners. Americans with guns are neither a small nor downtrodden group.

Nor are they "bitter." In 2006, 36% of gun owners said they were "very happy," while 9% were "not too happy." Meanwhile, only 30% of people without guns were very happy, and 16% were not too happy.

In 1996, gun owners spent about 15% less of their time than nonowners feeling "outraged at something somebody had done." It's easy enough in certain precincts to caricature armed Americans as an angry and miserable fringe group. But it just isn't true. The data say that the people in the approximately 40 million American households with guns are generally happier than those people in households that don't have guns.

The gun-owning happiness gap exists on both sides of the political aisle. Gun-owning Republicans are more likely than nonowning Republicans to be very happy (46% to 37%). Democrats with guns are slightly likelier than Democrats without guns to be very happy as well (32% to 29%). Similarly, holding income constant, one still finds that gun owners are happiest.

 

Listen, I know these rising gas prices are no good for retailers or consumers.  But they are here and you have to deal with it.  You are all out there on the front line facing unhappy consumers.  It happens and it is part of the job.  Just remember the majority of your customers who are great!  Most of them are nice, hard working honest people who know that the rising prices are out of your control.  

My question to you is this, why should you be expected to make little profit, no profit or a loss on each gallon of gasoline you sell?  I saw a retailer just the other day whose gas was 2 cents below cost that day.  That's without the credit card fee too!  Don't tell me that their inside store sales were so gigantic that it made up for the losses.  I know that is not true.  Meanwhile, credit card companies, distributors, manufactors, haulers, OPEC and the government all take their cut of what you sell. 

I don't believe that you should be forced to use gasoline as a loss leader.  You spend way too much money on it to not deserve a least some of the profit. 

Think about it.  You have to spend money for:

1. The high tech dispensing equipment, including dispensers, hoses, nozzles, break aways, whips and filters.   How about your underground tanks, lines, pumps? 
2. Employees to be there and help the customers - they always want to get paid...go figure!
3. Don't forget the 2-3% of every sale that goes to the credit card company - if you are the average store, around 70% of your sales are charged to a card 
4. Theft - think about how much gas you have to pump at a tiny profit per gallon to make up for a $40 theft of fuel.  How's that every going to be replenished if you're selling at a loss??
5. Annual testing of your equipment
6. Insurance
7. Electricity
8. Security systems
9. General maintenance and upkeep
10. A city/town/village approved street sign blaring out the price per gallon&9/10

Seeing as most of you are small business owners with less than 3 stores, it is tough to keep the business going.  Why kill yourself by losing money on gasoline?  If you're going to get yelled at, you might as well be making a profit.

Thought you might find this interesting.  Is this the "change" that everyone is so eager to vote for?

Proposed changes in taxes after the 2008 general election:

Capital Gains Tax:

McCain = Stay at 15%, no change

Obama = Increase to 28%

Clinton = Increase to 24%

If you sell your home you will be paying 24-28% of the profit in taxes.  If your home is a retirement savings for you, the hit will be tough.

Divident Tax:

McCain = Stay at 15%, no change

Obama = Increase to 39.6%

Clinton = Increase to 39.6%

If you have money invested in the stock market, IRA's, college funds, mutual funds, life insurance or anything that pays dividends you will be paying nearly 40%! in taxes if one of them wins the White House.  Talk about crashing the stock market.  Ouch!

Income Tax:

McCain = No changes

Single making 30K - tax $4500;Single making 50K - tax $12500; Single making 75K - tax $18750; Married making 60K - tax $9000; Married making 75K - tax $18750; Married making 125K - tax $31250

Obama = revert to pre-Bush tax cuts

Single making 30K - tax $8400;Single making 50K - tax $14000; Single making 75K - tax $23250; Married making 60K - tax $16800; Married making 75K - tax $21000; Married making 125K - tax $38750

Clinton = Same as Obama

Need I say more?

Inheritance Tax:

McCain = 0%, no change from Bush repeal of this tax

Obama & Clinton = keep the inheritance tax as it was

Should the government get any of the assets you have accumulated over a lifetime?  Why do they deserve any of it.  It is yours to do with as you want.

Other taxes proposed by both Obama and Clinton:

• New government taxes proposed on homes that are more than 2400 square feet
• New gasoline taxes
• New taxes on natural resources consumption
• New taxes on retirement accounts
• New taxes to pay for socialized medicine so we can receive the same level of medical care as other third world countries

Is this really the "change" you want...I sure don't.

Here's some interesting data from the "change" America voted for in 2006

A little over one year ago:

1. Consumer confidence stood at 2.5 year high
2. Regular gasoline sold for around $2.19 a gallon
3. Unemployment rate was 4.5%

Since voting democrats into congress in 2006:

1. Consumer confidence plummets
2. Regular gasoline soars over $3 a gallon
3. Unemployment up to 5%
4. American households have seen $2.3 trillion in equity value evaporate
5. Americans have seen their home equity drop
6. 1% of American homes are in foreclosure
7. Democrat controlled Congress approval rate tanks to 11%, down from 31% 2 years ago

Summary - Democrats are bad for the economy, bad for America and bad for your own personal finacial security.  We need to keep them out of office.

I know, sounds like a strange topic.  I guess it is.  Why do I think about this stuff??

I assume most everyone has used a public restroom at some point in their life.  Do you ever think about what goes on to make that available to you?  How many of you have ever used a public restroom at a local business, then left without purchasing anything?  Have you ever stopped at a bank that you don't have an account at and used their public restroom?

We as a public owe a gratitude to those business owners that provide us with the convenience of relief!  These restrooms cost money to operate.  Granted, some of them are pretty nasty...but they still spell relief.  I think often times the nastiness may have come from the person just ahead of you though.  Maybe there wasn't time to get to cleaning the joint up yet.  That is why you should always carry a book of matches with you...a match will knock odors right out!  The nasty ones help you to really appreciate the nice, clean, well stocked and downright fancy ones.  

Another thing, why do some people get a thrill out of damaging a public restroom?  What the??  It's a bathroom, why write on the wall with a sharpie?  Oooo scratching a public restroom mirror sure is brave!  I can honestly say that I didn't even think of defacing a public restroom as a young, wild teenager.  Maybe I'm odd but....couldn't be.  lol

Enough ranting about restrooms. Next time you use a public restroom, please be sure to support the business owner that is providing the service for you.  If it is nice fancy restroom that you really appreciate, you may even want to say thanks to her/him. 

Don't forget your matches :)

Just wanted to share these quotes with you.  Our greatest leader ever.  A true conservative.  They should have cloned him!

'Here's my strategy on the Cold War: We win, they lose' - Ronald Reagan

'The most terrifying words in the Enlish language are: I'm from the government and I'm here to help.' - Ronald Reagan

'The trouble with our liberal friends is not that they're ignorant; it's just that they know so much that isn't so.' - Ronald Reagan

'Of the four wars in my lifetime, none came about because the U.S. was too strong.' - Ronald Reagan

'I have wondered at times about what the Ten Commandments would have looked like if Moses has run them through the U.S. Congress.' - Ronald Reagan

'The taxpayer: That's someone who works for the federal government but doesn't have to take the civil service examination.' - Ronald Reagan

'Government is like a baby: An alimentary canal with a big appetite at one end and no sense of responsibility at the other.' - Ronald Reagan

'The nearest thing to eternal life we will ever see on this earth is a government program.' - Ronald Reagan

'It has been said that politics is the second oldest profession. I have learned that it bears a strikinig resemblance to the first.' - Ronald Reagan

'Government's view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it.  And if it stops moving, subsidize it.' - Ronald Reagan

'Politics is not a bad profession.  If you succeed, there are many rewards; if you disgrace yourself, you can always write a book,' - Ronald Reagan

'No arsenal, or no weapon in the arsenals of the world, is as formidable as the will and moral courage of free men and women.' - Ronald Reagan

'If we ever forget that we're one nation under God, then we will be a nation gone under.' - Ronald Reagan

People - Please don't be angry at your local gasoline retailer for the rising gas prices.  They don't control it.  As gas prices go up, the retailers struggles increase as well.  In the area where I work, 75% of gasoline purchases are put on a credit card.  In order to process a credit card, retailers are charged a percentage of the sale.  Generally between 2-3% of the sale.  Now, as the prices go up, so does the amount of the processing fee.  However, the retailers profit per gallon(or loss per gallon) normally does not cover the increase in processing fees.  So the retailers net profit goes down.  As do the sales because customers become more conservative in their driving needs. 

So, retailers don't like the rising prices either!  But we all have to learn to deal with it because it is what it is.  We still have some of the cheapest gasoline prices in the world.