|
looking for a cave
friday, october 5th, 2007
in the 17+yrs, since I built JSGC&Ns from an empty, 20ac cornfield, to a regional power in the garden center and landscaping industry, I've never had a true sense of what my business was really worth. There was no reason to, since buyers weren't flocking to my doorstep and throwing money at me. I was very happy doing what I was doing, and had no intent of even considering selling my business. This past July, an unsolicited email inquiry from a local real estate broker, on behalf of his wealthy Maryland client, "forced my hand", in getting a Real Estate Appraisal, a more comprehensive Business Valuation Study and a CMA (Comparative Market Analysis) done, for the first time in all those years. I have commissioned two of the three documents and have received a final for the RE Appraisal, and a preliminary for the Business Valuation. The CMA's on-hold, until I determine whether it's even necessary. Last week, I told you about the Real Estate Appraisal results, which I'd commissioned several weeks ago, and that I was awaiting an upcoming Business Valuation Study, due last Friday. Here was my statement from last week's Journal: "Several months ago, I commissioned a "Real Estate Appraisal" to be done, by a local Commercial-Industrial Appraiser (****, PA) for the GC&N's 20-acres; 13.6ac of which I'd bought at $5,000/acre in 1990, and another adjoining 6.4ac which I'd purchased, under contract for the same $5,000/ac, in 1996. Total original investment: $100,000 for
agricultural-zoned property. The value today: $780,000. Not bad, IMO, for farmland over 17yrs. I'm also expecting a "Business Valuation Study", by a local CPA firm (*******, PA), which will give me the total
overall value of the business, including the real estate, which I've never had done, and which I have no idea of the bottom-line, net worth of my 17yr effort. My guess: $10,000,000. Eh, who knows? I will today, at 2pm. More on that upcoming report, next week." Okay, that was a week ago. Today (Friday, 9.28.07) at 2pm, I met with the local CPA, whom I'd commissioned 7 weeks ago, to review/discuss his preliminary research on, "John Shelley's Garden Center & Nursery Business Valuation 2007". It was, to say the least, "disheartening" and "eye opening", all at once: a lousy $2,000,000. After 17yrs of "blood, sweat & tears", working 7 days a week, 10-15hr days, cost-me-a-marriage/children, building a major regional player garden center/landscaping business from nothing, providing a comfortable living to over 211 employees (in 17yrs) and their families, doing countless beneficient/"gratis" service projects for individuals and local communities, donating $100,000+ (in material & labor) to community service organizations, religious, educational and other non-profits over those 17yrs, and I get a major ***financial kick in the corporate/financial ass***. Yet, subhuman pieces-of-lowlife-dirtbag-filth, like this verminous garbage, — CRapper Jay-Z "enjoyed an exceptionally-lucrative 12 months with earnings of around $83 million" — make me want to find a dark, dank isolated cave, crawl inside, and pull the rocks shut behind me. Okay, sure; it was merely a "preliminary report", albeit only one accounting method was used of numerous methods of arriving at a company's net worth and selling price. It takes into account only one narrow methodology, and omits many "intangibles", such as "reputation", "community goodwill", "customer base", "established brand value" and doesn't project growth etc over the coming years, among other factors. Those "intangible" factors alone, would hike-up the sales price to around $3.5-4.2m, if they were ever used. I've thus provided the CPA with the additional numbers he'd requested, and he will take another look at the numbers, through several additional methodologies, which will take those intangibles into account. The so-called "intangibles" are merely "negotiating points", and are always "thrown under the bus" first, in any sale negotiation. Net net: I'm staying put, and not considering selling my hard-earned business, to anyone now, for less than $10m. Which essentially means that no one will own my business, except me. Screw the 2006 Ford GT; I really didn't want one, anyway. I value and cherish my loyal Employees and Customers, and love my Family Partners far more than I lust after such "things". I make a very comfortable living, as things are right now, and I refuse to change that; I'm staying put. End of discussion. Just as I thought it was the "end of discussion", a Conservative Friend emailed me that, "to whom much is given, much will be required", and I began thinking upon that statement, of his. I will address it in a later "Journal" entry, but for now, I'm done.
Around The Garden Center™.
Not an alarmist by nature, I recognize that "The Drought From Hell" continues, and for the next 12-14 days, shows no signs of abating. With only "isolated and scattered thunderstorms" hitting us ramdomly, and giving no truly-appreciable ground moisture, the damage is going to be prolific, in the Spring. Millions of plants are turning color, dropping leaves and shutting-down, 30+ days early, this Fall. And it isn't from the Fall weather; it's from the unending drought.
With my 6 of 8 wells drawing-down/quitting during the regular 12-zone/16hr watering cycles, I've cut the field trees back by 65%, and have switched to pumping from the 1,600,000-gallon retention pond, for those tree-row areas, only. The main nursery areas still are on a slightly, cut-back regimen, from the 6 of 8 active wells. My neighbors are bemoaning their creeks/streams/spring and wells, going dry. It's the worst drought I've seen in my short 17yrs in business. I just hope that Winter comes early, leaves drop quickly and I can cut the water to all plant material, after they've gone dormant. I'm just worried about what's going to happen, in the Spring, when I fear many, many thousands of plants will outright *die*, from heat and drought stress, this Fall. This is one point I sure wouldn't mind being wrong about, BTW.
I'm using an evaluation copy of Macromedia's HomeSite v5.5 HTML Editor, and will be upgrading to it, prior to the 30-day expiration period, from HomeSite v4.5 (formerly the Allaire Co). The new v5.5 is well-reviewed and I'm looking forward to having it on both my office and condo machines. Last Sunday, I made the online purchase, and ordered a CD back-up hardcopy (coming UPS in 5 days), and installed it on my condo machine. I also installed the downloaded copy onto my office machine, on Monday morning. Flawless download/upgrade installations, and well-worth the $29 upgrade price, IMO.
Are you a "Boomer", like me? Do you remember the 60s? Here's a very well done video of those "memorable, comfortable years", to enjoy. Grab an adult beverage, sit back and watch, "Take Me back To The 60s". Ha, great stuff!
The drought, excessive heat and stumbling 3rd Qtr economy all contributed to my company's 3rd Qtr business downturn. The Summer months of July/August are problematic anyway, as they have been in this area for the past 17yrs, since the heat/humidity, vacations and waiting for my once-a-year 25% Off Fall Sale, all contribute to lowered retail sales, while landscaping jobs usually remain strong and intact. This year, we have a full schedule of contracted, large — $45,000+ — landscaping jobs on the books, while most of the small and medium jobs, have fallen-away, due to the ongoing "Drought From Hell". Despite my mandatory Drip Irrigation Systems being spec'd-into all landscape jobs, many people are just too worried about the capacity of their wells and the rapidly-falling water tables, in the area. Me too. With so many new homes being built, water table levels are dropping, in concert with the ongoing "Drought From Hell", which isn't allowing the replenishing of local water tables. (sigh)
Ha, I can get maybe 2-3 skips on my small retention/run-off pond, but 51 skips? No way; wowser!
The Fall-like weather sure didn't last long, and by Wednesday, the humidity returned though temps rose to the low-80s. No rain in the 10-day forecast. Just damn! The rest of the nation was enjoying rainfall, by the entire east coast was bone-dry, with a huge high-pressure area sitting on our faces, pushing the low-pressure, cool fronts to the north of us. I just don't know how much longer the wells can take this, before they begin failing, wholesale. At some point, I may need to have 8,000gal tanker trucks, holding un-chlorinated swimming pool water, brought into the 20ac site, and pump directly from them, into the irrigation systems. That's a "court of last resort", and I'm not quite ready to go there, just yet.
Hmmmmmmmm, the DJIA's back into the 14k range — 14,087.55 as of Monday 4pm — for the first time in 2½ months, and although very few of my investments are impacted by such fluctuations.
One year ago this week, a mentally-ill, lowlife POS took 10 Amish school children hostage in Nickel Mines (PA), Lancaster Cty, just to the east of us in York Cty, and headshot them, killing 5 of the young girls, and grievously-wounding the other 5 little girls. The subhuman nutcase, Charlie Roberts, 32, the son of a police officer and father of three young children, killed himself, thankfully. RIP, precious little children; you're with God, now and in a far better place than we are.
The "8 most fattening foods"? Right here, and 6 of them are long-time favorites of mine. Just damn, WTFC!
I've just finished writing a new GC&N print ad, for Drip Irrigation Systems, which will be unveiled in early April, in conjunction with out 18th Open House, the Saturday after Easter Sunday. There just isn't enough left of this season to run it, to any positive effect. It's better left to Spring '08, which I'm sure will show everyone that we're still in the throes of "The Unending Drought From Hell", in The Mid-Atlantic Region.
Things Which Make Your Head Explode™.
Ethanol prices dropping? I said it was total and complete BS, years ago, BTW. Ethanol costs more energy to produce, than it gives back in savings from petroleum usage. Now, so many US Farmers and investors in that bogus/scam technology, are going to get screwed. So be it. I told you so, several years ago, BTW. Ethanol is a scam.
Who cares? The spic screwed up; so freaking what? Deport the filth back to the turd-world hellhole he came from!
Coward, liar, dirtbag, traitor, seditionist, saboteur, disgraced scumbag, US Sen John "Fucking" Kerry (TRAITOR-MA), attacks Rush Limbaugh for calling a lying, leftist scumbag, a phony "soldier" (like Kerry), and Kerry the punk, can't take The Truth.
Yes, I support Blackwater USA 100%, in Iraq. The need to use "whatever force is needed", to subdue/kill the 6th century, murderous muslim-islamist-tribal filth, should be unlimited and unquestioned Carte Blanche, IMO. Anything less is PC-idiocy and suicide, IMO. Go, Blackwater, GO! Wake-up, Bush!
Heard the "Hitlery Rotten Klintoon Cackle", yet? Blood-chilling, isn't it?
O'Reilly, Savage and Limbaugh are "racists", for speaking-out about criminal, illegal alien, subhuman SPICS? Read this disgraced, impeached shit from Bubba Jeffy Klintoon, and decide for yourself! Klintoon's a racist piece-ogf-shit, IMO. Any questions, lib-dem shitheads? Ummm, though not, assholes.
"Thank you for your service to America", Eduardo Gonzalez, petty officer second class with the US Navy, but if your wife, Mildred, and child are criminal, illegal aliens, then they/you should be deported, IMO. Maybe all three of you should go back to that turd-world hellhole, Guatemala.
Lowlife, Subhuman Garbage Filth™.
A bench warrant was issued Thursday for antiwar activist Cindy Sheehan, who did not appear for arraigment Thursday in a Washington, DC, courtroom to face charges related to her Sept 10th disorderly conduct arrest, at the DC Capitol. Distict of Columbia Superior Court Judge Michael McCarthy issued the order to Sheehan around noon, a court spokeswoman said. The warrant means she is to be taken into custody and brought before the court. She also faces one count of unlawful assembly. The traitor, seditionist, saboteur needs to be duly arrested, tried, convicted, sentenced and hung/executed/killed, IMO. Sheehan's subhuman filth/garbage/trash/shit/scum.
Lowlife, dirtbag, shithead, California State Senator, Jack “I love democrats 'cause democrats are stupid” Scott (COMMIE-CA), needs a suppository-bullet in the head, IMO. Scott is shitscum filth garbage, IMO. Put the homo-sodomite-faggot into a dumpster, where he belongs, IMO.
Hey, subhuman, fatty pig-fuckers: don't fly Southwest Airlines! Get your slovely, lardass onto a CASE frontend-loader, and be uplifted to a ocean-going, freighter, you pig-shit, fat, bloated, subhuman garbage filth!
IMO, Archbishop Desmond Tutu (Niggas®) should have been shot/killed many years ago. He's a piece-of-shiot, lowlife, dirtbag, shitfilth scumbag, and truly needed "permanent elimination" from the world's scene.
Traitor, seditionist, saboteur, disgraced piece-of-pigshitfilth, US Sen Lincoln "Dirtbag Homo-Sodomite-Faggot" Chafee (TRAITOR-RI), who lost his Senate seat in the wave of anti-Republican sentiment in last November’s election, said yesterday that "he has left the party". Good riddance, asshole. Stand the treasonous-seditious-saboteur against a wall, and summarily-try-shoot him, IMO. Chafee is subhuman filth.
The commie, socialist, homo-sodomite-faggot, subhuman filth, SF Bored of Stupor-visors, need summary trial and execution, IMO. They've denied The First Amendment to Dr Savage, and are typical liberal-demokkkRAT filth and scum. I spit, piss and shit on all of those SF Stupor-visor assholes. They, IMO, need summary trial and execution/killing.
Mattel Toys: you're assholes for "apologizing" to the murderous, lowlife, dirtbag verminous, commie/chink/gook/dink/slope/yellow-dogs, for their using lead-based paint in all those millions of children's toys, IMO! Mattel is dogshit, and is headed toward Chapter 13! Good riddance, chink-lovers!
Transgender freaks/subhumans is quietly becoming a protected class in South Florida as cities vote to prohibit discrimination against a group that faces tremendous challenges fitting in. Huh? Stand the "transgender garbage" against a wall and summarily try-execute them all. They're subhuman filth/garbage/shit/trash/junk, IMO.
Mentally-ill, socialist, hate-US Military dirtbag scumbag, NYSlimes lying, homo-sodomite-faggot, Bobby "I Hate America" Herbert, who says that the GOP is "ugly, anti-black", also needs standing against a wall, and summary-trial/execution, IMO. BANG! Buh-bye, asshole-licker! The GOP are idiots, morons, scumbags, liars, cowards, punks and turd-polishers, but they aren't anti-Niggas®, at all. The liberal-demokkkRATs are the racist, bigoted filth, who've kept the Niggas® down on the "lib-dem plantation", for the past 60-70yrs, dependent upon welfare checks, free abortion clinics and the largesse of the lib-dem trash/shit/filth/garbage/scum/petty-tyrants/golem etc, IMO. C'mon and refute that, ANYONE! I dare you!
Dear Lord: please allow some crazed, muslim-islamist-fanatic-filth, to shoot and kill the treasonsous, seditious, saboteur, disgraced ex-president Jimmy Carter-farter, while he's in Africa. (Hey, it never hurts to "ask").
Ditto the same "prayer request", for this homo-sodomite-liar-dirtbag, ambulance chaser, Edwards. (Still waiting for an answer, on the first request, BTW.) Ha.
Traitor, seditionist, saboteur, disgraced, liar, criminal, piece-of-shit, New York Gov Eliot Spitzer-Shitzer (TRAITOR-NY), wants to make it easier for illegal aliens to get driver's licenses. He says it would make our roads safer. Safer for whom? Spitzer-Shitzer needs due-charging, arrest, trial, conviction, sentencing and execution, IMO. Spitzer-Shitzer's subhuman filth. Bury the pig, face-down in pigshit.
Shoot this talentless, worthless, lowlife piece-of-shit, Ryan Adams, a 32-year-old singer-guitarist, who can't find his own ass with both hands, in a well-lit room. Adams is a dirtbag punk faggot, IMO, and well-deserves a bullet-in-the-head whopping case of brain cancer, IMO. Adams is talentless, washed=up dogshit; never heard his pathetic music "noise". I spit/piss/shit on Adams' noise.
A town's corrupt, criminal liberal-demokkkRAT mayor and his slut-skank, whorebag-filth wifey, surrendered to the FBI on Friday and were charged with diverting campaign funds and taking cash in exchange for aiding a bar owner. Lowlife dirtbag, criminal scumfilth, liberal-demokkkRAT, David Delle Donna (CRIMINAL-NJ), mayor of Guttenberg, is the latest of several New Jersey liberal-demokkkRAT mayors, to face charges in recent years in a state plagued by liberal-demokkkRAT government corruption. Criminal, corrupt liberal-demokkkRAT Mayors of Asbury Park, Camden, Hoboken and Paterson have been sent to prison. The former longtime Nigga® mayor of Newark, the state's largest city, is under indictment. Delle Donna (SKANKFILTH-NJ), 49, a liberal-demokkkRAT who has been mayor since 2002, and his wife, Anna, 58, were arrested at the FBI office in Newark, NJ. IMO: summarily try/execute them all.
Yes, I believe that all useless, worthless, subhuman, drug-addicted, alcoholic, garbage/shit/junk/crap/trash, homeless filth, should be sterilized and permanently-prevented from breeding. I support Judge Marilyn O'Connor, family court judge, 100%. The liberal-demokkkRAT filth, five-judge panel of the Appellate Division of state Supreme Court, should be summarily-tried and executed for sedition/sabotage, IMO, for trying to sabotage/subvert America, from within, IMO. Also, the New York Civil Liberties Union needs "total and complete eradication" from the face of the earth, IMO. Rid the earth of that lib-dem filth. There is NO US Constitutional Right, to "procreate", BTW.
Global Warming Bullshit™.
Have you seen this video: "BBC: The Great Global Warming Swindle"? It was banned from leftist, hate-filled, dirtbag lowlife scumbags, Google.com's and YouTube.com's websites, by the mentally-ill dirtbag, subhuman, left-wing, global warming idiot wackos, but I've preserved it, for posterity, aka you, me and *ours*. Watch, be informed and download it for others to see. It's on my corporate server, and will stay there, BTW.
Global warming is an entirely natural phenomenon and its effects can even be beneficial, according to two leading researchers.
Have you taken "The Global Warming Quiz"? It's a simple 10 questions, right here. I got 9 or 10, on my first try; missed the one on temperature measurement methods. How did you do?
Gosh; another video which completely-refutes and destroys the shit-for-brains, mentally-ill asshole, AlGorBore's crap PowerPoint slideshit-show, "An Inconvenient Idiocy". watch it, and be informed.
Some People Just Need Killing™.
Two Silicon Valley computing engineers — Lan Lee, an American, and Yuefei Ge, who is Chinese — have been charged with economic espionage for allegedly conspiring to steal sensitive microchip designs they hoped to use to go into business with the Chinese military. Both subhuman gooks/chinks/slopes need summary trial and killing, IMO. I volunteer to headshoot them both, no charge to US Taxpayers!
Lowlife, lying, piece-of-shit, subhuman dirtbag, 23-year old turd-boy, shit-for-brains faggot, Jesse Macbeth of Tacoma (WA), needs summary-killing, IMO. Headshoot the lying, fake, piece-of-shit, liberal punk scumbag! KILL HIM!
Global "Incident" Map.
You're ready for your vacation. You've made your reservations, read the guidebook, and even cajoled someone to feed the cat while you're gone. But have you checked everything? What about terrorism near your vacation spot? This site maps "terrorism and other suspicious events," so you can get a quick view of just what's going on in the world. Besides the map, you can search events by type, country, city, and date. There's even a scroll of breaking news and newly-added 'happenings'. From airport incidents to biological threats, explosives, shootings, and even terrorism arrests — it's possible to be a well-informed traveler. And it doesn't just cover problems abroad. The "list" is global, and that includes your home town. Buy more food, water, guns and ammo. The so-called "list" gets larger, by the day, and in a few months, may well become a conflagration on a global scale, IMO. Do yiou "get it", yet? The world is exploding! Lock 'n load, my Conservative Family & Friends.
|
