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Ed Braaten (Thomison) Flying W Reptiles

Yes I did

I told the officer when I called from Lubbock that I wanted a civil standby. When I got there and called, I was told that it was a civil matter and to handle it on my own. When I went to Ed's house, I used no profanity or threats. I simply told him that I was there to collect my money or take the snake back. Ed started making up excuses saying the snake wasn't there when I had talked to his mother-in-law and she told me they were in the barn. She said she would help me, but she was scared of the snakes and that is when she gave me permission to go to Ed's house, which was on the property, and talk to Ed. I didn't do anything wrong when I was there.

The day after I returned, Ed sent me an email saying he filed charges. I called the officer and asked if it was true and told him that I would take of the charges if there was any. The officer told me that there were no charges, so evidently he was just trying to bully me around about being arrested. I knew that I didn't viloate any laws while I was there because when the officer told me that Ed didn't want me at his house, I left. And when the officer told me that, I wasn't even at Ed's house. I was at the gas station where Ed told me his buddy would bring me the snake. I never went to his house other than the inital attempt to get my snake or money.

As I stated before, I made those calls to try to scare him into making good on the deal. It obviously didn't work because he was a coward about it. It was a wrong what I did and I know that. After I didn't get any response from him, I began pursuing the small claims suit against him.

I still send him emails from time to time to make the offer as I wrote above, but he refuses to answer me. I posted the offer on this thread, which I feel is an adult way to handle the problem, but he refuses to make good on the deal. I have used no profanity or threats since I apologized and

The way I see it is this, He screwed up then I screwed up. I offered an apology which I know can't undo the phone calls, but is the only thing I could do about the calls at this point. Other than an apology, I don't know what I can offer him. Some on here can't except an apology but that is their deal. I hope they never do anything wrong in life that they want an apology accepted for. I do believe in forgiving people. I can forgive him if he makes good on the deal, and it is up to him if he forgives me.

Thanks,
Jody Barnes
 
For John Schmitt

John, this is a portion of the email you sent me.


You had everyone on Fauna on your side initially. No one doubted that you were in the right. Then, you made your little sojourn to Ed’s home and demanded that he produce your animals.


You obviously didn't read my original post. I went to Ed's to solve the problem before I ever posted here.

Now, you are saying what I did at Ed's house made me look dangerously unstable and psychotic.

When I went to Ed's house, I knocked on the door and told him I was there to collect my money or the snake. He said he needed thirty minutes to get the snake and shut the door. I sat in my pickup in the driveway and waited. He never came out and that is when he called me and told me to go to the gas station. Whe I left Ed's house, I never went back. I had no other contact with Ed, period. Because of this, the officer never had anything to file charges over. Again, I left town without ever speaking to Ed or seeing him again.

I don't know what about that is psychotic or dangerously unstable.

I think you are dangerously illiterate and cannot read. Your sig line says you are entitled to an iformed opinion. You are completely uninformed and are just going along with your buddies on this. You need to read before you type. I am sick of seeing you post inaccuracies and using that to insinuate that I am psychotic or unstable.

Until you can get the story striaght, shut up.

If you have any doubts as to my actions at Ed's house, you can call Deputy Gurley at the Sheriff's Office and ask him what I did at Ed's house and he will tell you I did nothing. He is at the S.O. in the county that Rose Hill, KS is in. I can't remember the name of the county but you can google it and find their number.

Don't you think if I would have done anything at Ed's house he would have stated that as a reason for his theft of the snake? After all, he is using the phone calls as a smoke screen to owing me money and that would be extra for him to add to that.

Other than phone messages that you have never heard, you have no other knowledge about how I acted at Ed's house.

I am sure you will stay say I am psychotic, but no one on here knows me personally or has ever met me. I have written proof that you are illiterate and don't have a clue what you are talking about.
 
Well Jody, I can see you are unwilling to take any constructive criticism at all. I believe that has to do with the obvious overdose of testasterone you are drowning in. Ed's account of your visit reads a bit differently but, just for clarification, let's take a look at the full text of your Email to me and my full response. I generally refrain from posting private correspondence but you seem to be determined to shred whatever vestige of credibility you might have remaining.

Your Email:


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: Jody Barnes [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Wednesday, December 12, 2007 7:45 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: Hi John



I do not know what posessed you to insinuate that I am psychotic and to suggest that I need help.



You made a very offensive comment towards me, and it was undeserved. If you can show me where I insulted you or made an inappropriate comment towards you, then do so, but until then you have no basis to make insulting comments toward me.



If you want to post something in regards to the question I asked, then your input is appreciated, but keep the insults to yourself. You do not know me, nor do I care to know you. As far as I am concerned, you no longer have a reason to say anything to me in the forums, in person, or otherwise. If our paths ever cross, which I hope they do not, I will turn and walk away from you and would not piss on you if you were on fire.



As far as doing an animal deal with me. I have a long list of people that I will never do business with, and will give negative comments about because of their actions that were unwarranted against me. You sir are on that list.



Have a nice day,

Jody Barnes

My Response:


Jody



Thus Email would be a pretty good example of how that opinion formed. You simply do not know when to quit. You had everyone on Fauna on your side initially. No one doubted that you were in the right. Then, you made your little sojourn to Ed’s home and demanded that he produce your animals. While you may think that is the “manly” way to handle the situation, most people would simply find it intrusive and threatening. Then, we add a string of life threatening and distinctly unbalanced voice mails that were sufficient to cause a police officer to deem you a threat and attempt to arrest you. While I have been read excerpts from those Emails, I really did not need to hear them myself. Jay Owen’s assessment is good enough for me. His reputation for honesty is unimpeachable. We then add you overall attitude on Fauna. You basically informed the membership there that you would handle your problems any way you saw fit and that if we had a problem with that, keep it to ourselves. There were also numerous veiled threats to both Braaten and the rest of the posters. Not really the way the BOI works Jody.



You could have easily stepped back at that point but you insisted on cementing everyone’s opinion of your mental state by starting that idiotic thread about Jay Owens. Again Jody, you simply don’t know when to quit. My position on your list is just fine Jody. My reputation in this industry is solid with no blemishes. I am sure that your name now figures prominently on the “Do not sell to” lists of virtually everyone who has read that thread.



There will be no need for you to reply to this Email as your address will be blocked after I hit send.



On a final note and with the utmost sincerity I will make this final comment. I do not mean this in a sarcastic or insulting way but, Jody, you really do need to at least seek out some serious counseling. Your obvious rage and inability to deal rationally with problems will end up badly eventually



Good luck to you



John Schmitt

Suncoast Herpetological



www.suncoastherps.com

Rather than taking quotes out of context Jody, you really should show the
entire text.

Let me reiterate. This is not an insult but an observation based on careful examination of your posts and this Email.

You are a dangerously unstable individual who has serious rage issues and a complete lack of understanding of what constitutes proper behaviour in a civilized society. Your visit to Ed's home was an intimidation tactic plain and simple. Your death threat phone messages were appalling and unacceptable under any set of parameters. An apology for them after the fact is like pissing on a forest fire. It just doesn't cut it.

The majority of your posts contain very thinly veiled threats. The officer in Ed's home town behaved correctly. You deserved to be arrested.

I am done with you after this post. Seek help Jody. Without it I seriously fear
for your safety and the safety of those around you
 
Jody, In spite of the emails and banter that has gone back and forth between you John Schmitt had the integrity to come out clearly on your side in posts #57 and #58. I myself tried to council you to into taking a lower profile. It is obvious that you are troubled and I would hate to see you lose your money because of your difficulty in controlling your emotions.If you continue to act like a rabid skunk there is unfortunately no point to you seeking relief on this forum.
 
Merry Christmas Rick

I didn't have time to call you today, but wanted to. I had to teach the kiddo how to ride a skateboard. Yall have a Merry Christmas and I will talk to you this week.
 
I was really hoping that this would be over. Rick your the best and i really appreaciate your help when i first wanted to get into snakes, and I am sorry you think I got you involved, which i did. I am over the snake thing. I wanted a little hobby to teach the my kids responsibility and some science. They have learned alot about genes and reproduction, but its not worth it to me for all the harassment and the threats on my familys life. Its not that I am not being a man, or putting my head in the sand, i just was hoping that all this would slow down. Its my opinion, and mine only, that Jody is a little nuts. I have 6 kids to take care of here and the little money i have invested in snakes is not worth putting them at risk. They light up so much everytime that i either feed the snakes or teach them about the geneology, but If anyone wants to buy me out let me know.

I was hoping this would go to court, so it would all be on record, but NO I DIDN'T STEAL HIS MONEY! I dont have a snake that belongs to him and we were even when i sent the pastel females. Once again, I dont have a snake that belongs to him, and i dont owe him a dime. He originally told me that he was going to do what it took to screw me because the 3 female pastels i sent him wouldnt eat, but i had fed them more than 5 times before i sent them. They were fine when i sent them and i am sure are still fine.

OK, with that being said...I am done with snakes. I will either keep them and just hold back everything or be done with them. Its not worth the threats. I have 3 racks full of snakes, mostly normal females, but the males are a fire, a black pastel, a lemon pastel, cinny, and a spider.

I really hate to even reply cuz i am scared that a nut will show up at my house and pull a columbine. ITS NOT WORTH IT TO ME. Its only money i have invested, i didnt buy into this for the weirdos. There is easier ways to make money.

Thanks for your time,

Ed
 
Wait Wait Wait

You don't owe me any money? Why did you call Rick Carrick the week that I posted this thread and tell him you were going to make the deal good by the end of the week? You called him without being asked to. Is he a liar too? You act like you like him, but you don't answer when he calls you. He has tried to call you many times to mediate and help you but you ignore him.

Would I drive 500 miles because I didn't have anything better to do? Don't think so.

Why has it taken you since September to deny that you owe me money or have the mojave ball python? If someone accuses me of something I didn't do, I would have immediately tried to clear my name.

I didn't say I was going to screw you. You accused me of screwing you because I reported you to kingsnake.com and they immediately banned you because you were using two user names. I also said that I would out you to everyone possible if you didn't honor your end of the deal.

What do you mean take care of your kids? When I was at your house, the front window was broken and a wasp nest bigger than a softball was between the broken window and the screen. Also, let us know about how the little girl that was burnt by the incubator and had to go to the emergency room is doing.

Are you getting out of snakes or keeping them and holding back everything you breed? You can't even tell the truth about what you are doing with my snake and your snakes.

Nice advertisement in the BOI. Are you not aware that there is a fee owed to fauna to place advertisements on their website and a proper place to post a classified ad?

You didn't do anything here but lie about this situation, and everyone will see that. The offer still stands to ship the snake back to me at my expense and I will post here that you honored your deal and be done with it.

Thanks,
Jody Barnes
 
royalkreationz said:
Would I drive 500 miles because I didn't have anything better to do?
No, perhaps it has to do with your delusions, which are perfectly consistent with all of your other behaviors.

It seems that there are two sides of this story. One from a madman and one from someone who seems (so far) to be fairly reasonable and rational. I know which one my money is on.
 
Well

you call me crazy but you are stupid for believing him. Why did he wait so long to try to clear his name if he has been reding what is going on?

if you can't figure that out, then that is on you.

Go and Jedi Knight somewhere else dork
 
royalkreationz said:
you call me crazy but you are stupid for believing him. Why did he wait so long to try to clear his name if he has been reding what is going on?

if you can't figure that out, then that is on you.

Go and Jedi Knight somewhere else dork

LOL his avatar clearly shows an image a a dog dressed as Vader. NOT A JEDI.
Jim is just speaking his mind. It seems everyone who says something you do not want to hear becomes an instant threat to you. If you go back and read every post it is clear you have some issues. If you don't think you do that is fine. But how many other people think that you do. . Ok you can go ahead and attack me now...
 
I was going to stay out of this and just watch the train wreck continue after his obvious lack social skills but re-reading the thread I noted some things that have me wondering.

Mr. Barnes repeatedly posts references to one snake

royalkreationz said:
When I went to Ed's house, I used no profanity or threats. I simply told him that I was there to collect my money or take the snake back.

When I went to Ed's house, I knocked on the door and told him I was there to collect my money or the snake.

ship the snake back to me at my expense and I will post here that you honored your deal and be done with it.
Yet in post #22 when attempting to justify his behaviour he posted
royalkreationz said:
Would you trade a breeder cinny pastel and a 400g mojave for 3 bably lemon pastel females?

Why is only the one snake being requested to be returned?

What about returning his 3 snakes getting back both of yours, if there were ever two snakes, and calling it a wash out?
 
John E Dove said:
Why is only the one snake being requested to be returned?
Of course, I am only ASSuming here, but I think that he was equating the value of what Ed owes him ($700) with one of the two snakes that he sent him. The other snake was of comparable trade value to the 3 female pastels.

Of course, like I said, I am assuming.
 
clarification

During our original conversation we made a deal to trade the breeder cinny for the three pastel females. Before I shipped he called me and said he wanted my mojave also, and I told him I would sell if for $700. He wanted me to put the mojave in the box with the cinny to save on shipping. I agreed. When he shipped back, the three pastels were in the box, but no check. Therefore, he honored the portion of the deal involving the cinnamon but not the mojave.

Thanks,
Jody Barnes
 
royalkreationz said:
Go and Jedi Knight somewhere else dork

Simmer down tough guy!
skullcracker.gif


People happen to be speaking of EXACTLY the way some of your posts are coming across. You may not like it, but it is a fact that some of your comments come across a little threatening, irate, or coming from someone who just ain't all together there.

Some advice. When one person says you are acting loony, it may just be an opinion. When MANY people are stating this too you, it's time to step back and take a look at yourself.

I can understand that you are upset about the $700, but acting in an immature manner is not going to help your case. Contrary, it is likely to make people care less whether you get this resolved or not.

I'd suggest you go crack open a cold one and reflect on peoples words a bit. You really are not helping your case with stupid little remarks at people who are not even involved in your transaction, but merely offering an outside, unbiased point of view.
 
Thank you Dr. Owens,
I too had ASSumed that he was placing a retail/trade value of about $2,550 on the Cinnamon Pastel Breeder. (value based on the price of three Lemon Pastel Female Babies on a prominent breeders website)
But since no further reference had been made to the breeder or to canceling out the entire deal with a full return exchange I was curious if this snake ever existed.
I am also still questioning if the $700 ever existed as part of the deal since nothing in writing has been posted stating anything on this trade deal.
 
Mr. Barnes,
Have you considered attempting to get a neutral party to attempt to assist you in doing a complete trade back if Mr. Braaten were willing?
 
Trade

We had nothing in writing, as everything was done by phone. I wished I had known about the place on here where you can make the contract. That is my fault. We based the trade value on the fact that he was offering the females for $250 on a kingsnake.com ad, and that I paid $900 for the pastel cinny from Fred Kick. I lost a little money on the deal, but I figure that when the pastels produce I will make my money back with one clutch. I paid $700 for the mojave, and that is what I was going to sell it for. I bought the mojave from Serpent's Den.

Until this point, I had never had any problems with a snake deal, and haven't since this. I was too trusting and it bit me in the butt.

For those that ask why I sent the snake before I got the money, here is the explanation.

When trading animals, most people say they will never ship first. My theory is that if everyone said that, then no trades would happen. So, I feel that if I contact someone to trade for an animal they have posted that I should ship my animal first so they can inspect it and make the decision that they do want to complete the trade. If someone wants to trade for an animal I have posted, they should ship the animal they are offering so I can determine if I want to do the trade. I see this as fair and sensible for both parties involved.

I agreed to ship to Ed because I wanted to trade my cinny for the three pastels he posted. He accepted my offer, and then stated that he wanted to buy the mojave for the agreed upon price of $700. Ed asked if I would ship the mojave with the cinny to save on shipping, and he would put the money in with the pastels. I accomadated him, but he did not include payment in the box he shipped in.

Thanks,
Jody Barnes
 
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