Sooooooo fricken mad at Discovery Channel guy.

[x101airborne]

So I just got done watching the season finale of Gold Rush. And the attitude of the host, I dont remember his name was AWEFUL!!! I mean, really? He asked Parker to talk like 3 times and when he did, "Thats enough out of you......" and when the other men talked, "OK, thats enough, we will get to that later......

I would have hit him. Sorry bout that. I was all about that series till I saw that. I have gone from 100% supporter to 100% nay sayer. How do you respect a man for 3 years then treat them like **** on live TV? That dude needs to come to Texas for a while to learn some respect.

[Love Life]

Don't even get me started on that show. It makes my blood sky rocket just watching how incompetent Todd Hoffman is. When his dad talks it makes me want to punch stuffed animals. I have a standing offer with my buddy Big John (going to Alaska to mine) that if he ever sees them in person...

[runfiverun]

i watched that show for a while..
i have never mined for gold ever not even once.
i could however make better decisions and actually get some gold from the claims they have had.

i don't think they are even there to make money,i think they are just a clean off crew so that the claim can show improvement and show to have found gold so the claims can be re-sold

[41 mag fan]

I like the show. I think Todd Hoffman is a fool at time on some of his decisions, his dads got some good knowledge about mining though.
Fred Hurt is the smartest of them all, while Parker is a spoiled kid whose had everything handed to him on a gold plate. But his grandfather...now thats a fella I'd like to meet and talk to.
I could also see Dave Turin going off on his own someday, he's got the smarts thats needed.

Miners are a different breed. Lord knows I should know, being an underground coal miner myself. Whether it be surface or underground, they walk, talk, and act totally different than any other job I've worked at.

The way the producer talked to them, I didn't find offensive. For one they did have a schedule to stick to. Whether it's surface or underground, it's very easy to get killed. when you spend more time with the miners than you do with your family, and you have an atmosphere where a wrong move could mean your life, you become a band of brothers, a code is formed, and the way the host talked is one of those codes, it's just how miners talk to one another and it's not meant to be offensive, it's just how it is.

When I started mining, I had come from 11 yrs as a supervisor at a factory, I was abhorred how the guys talked to each other and to me. It took me about 1 1/2 yrs to get used to it, and now....7 yrs later, well I'm worse than some now.
We might talk sh*tty to one another, give each other all types of h*ll, and be quite blunt and act rude when we're joking, but theres not a 1 guy at the mine, who if there was an accident underground, that wouldn't be lined up to go back in to rescue anyone that might be trapped.

It's a band of brothers and a code, that miners establish with each other, and I guess thats why i didn't find anything wrong with the host, since being a miner myself, I let it go on the huff, just like they did.

Now Bearing Sea Gold, thats a whole different type of mining. I find each and every one of them to be idiots. Esp the guy who runs the Anchor Management. I'd love to get him underground for a week. We'd have him sobbing like he did the night he got drunk on the show. That guy would find himself stripped naked, greased in every orrifice imaginable, and drove out on the mantrip with just a line curtain,to cover up with, or he'd find hisself spadded to a rib and left for the next crew to find. Or he'd find hisself rib bolted behind a hog panel for the next crew to find, or MSHA taped drenched in water, then rolled in rock dust. Rock dust we use underground hits water, it becomes concrete.
But we would do everything imaginable to make his life miserable till he broke.

[Chihuahua Floyd]

"Reality TV" = Drama
I have enough drama in my life without adding to it.
IMO all "reality" tv is **** and if the truth in advertising rules applied, they would stop using th name. Course, then we would quit hearing "assualt weapon" and "Gun Violence".
CF

[PatMarlin]

The gold mine is in the show for certain. Lordy, I wish I would have thought of it.

Hell, I been there and done that. Ran dredges in Cambodia and Vietnam back in 1996-97, and was a partner in an operation just like these fools. It ain't easy, but it helps when you have some mechanical background and common sense... :mrgreen:

Those guys with floating rat traps in Nome are idiots. There are some super great teams of guys dredging in Nome, with first class rigs but probably no entertainment value.

Now the show with the real head scratchers were the 2 realestate losers trying to mine placer in Africa. Every time they did a cleanout, they only retained about the same small amount of amalgam, which looked to me all their sluice boxes would ever hold at any one time. That's what happens with plain carpet and no riffles or recovery system.

Truly ignorant. Truly out of their league.

[x101airborne]

41 Mag Fan,
Thank you for educating me. I was unaware that it is common for miners to talk to each other like that and since you say it like that, then I am less mad at them. Down here we dont talk to each other like that. I guess the roughest talk I have ever done or heard was when I was roughnecking on an oil rig and it wasn't near disrespectful like that. But if that is the way it is, then I have no room to judge. I guess I am just not used to it.
Thanks again for the education.
Trey

[PatMarlin]

Now here's some miners for ya...

I took those pics way up in NE Cambodia, probably where no whiteman except for you guys that were there back in the war has been. Lovely pea green soup water,. They were getting good gold the old fashioned way. Probably been doing it that way for 100's of years.

The guys above were part of our security crew, courtesy of the Royal Cambodian Army.


62158

[TXGunNut]

"Reality TV" is one big reason why my TV hasn't been hooked up for over a year. Incredible waste of time and money. I may cave and put up an antenna someday but I can't imagine paying for the garbage on TV today.

[btroj]

Reality TV has little to do with reality and lots to do with TV.
Face it, how many of us would be that interesting to follow for weeks at a time? Certainly not me.

Ratings need drama. I hate drama.

[357maximum]

Reality TV has little to do with reality and lots to do with TV.
Face it, how many of us would be that interesting to follow for weeks at a time? Certainly not me.

Ratings need drama. I hate drama.


Here here I will drink ( a pepsi) to that. What amazes me is how many people need that drama in their life to feel alive I guess.??????just do not get it myself.

[starmac]

I know absolutely zero about underground coal mines, but do know several people that work in real alaska gold mines. You can get real knots on your head for talking bad and disrespecting those that I know. My son being one of them capable of some large knots. lol The guys I know don't have a script to follow though.

[dakotashooter2]

And Todd is setting himself up for his biggest failure yet....... Going south? If he thinks going is tough and getting equipment in Alaska/Canada is bad wait till he gets down south..........His guys know it and that is why a couple are bailing out. FWIW even with the gold they found this year I doubt they have even broke even for expenses since they have started mining....................... I'm guessing their equipment alone cost them 3/4 a million before fuel and maintenance.................
I suspect the ONLY income any of the crew has gotten is off the filming..............


If Dave had been in charge I have no doubt they would have pulled 1500-2000 oz this season....... partially because both mines would have been running.................. I think Dave would even make Fred look like an amateur.
Todd, his dad and Fred do have one thing in common................. They all let "gold fever" cloud their judgement.

I just love how Parker tried to pirate Todds workforce. I wouldn't doubt if he gets one or two...................

[Love Life]

I will say that I would very much enjoy spending a couple hours talking to John Schnabel and Fred Hurt.

[cbrick]

Reality TV has little to do with reality and lots to do with TV.

Ratings need drama. I hate drama.

What they call reality TV has zero to do with reality.

Not so much that I hate drama but such incredibly phony, poorly acted, fake, BS drama. The only reality TV I've seen is ads for these shows and that is far more than enough for me. Just the ads are tough to sit through, I can't imagine trying to sit through an entire episode of any of those shows. I have a perfect reality TV record . . . I've never seen a single one of them and I plan on keeping it that way.

Rick

[PS Paul]

What they call reality TV has zero to do with reality.

Not so much that I hate drama but such incredibly phony, poorly acted, fake, BS drama. The only reality TV I've seen is ads for these shows and that is far more than enough for me. Just the ads are tough to sit through, I can't imagine trying to sit through an entire episode of any of those shows. I have a perfect reality TV record . . . I've never seen a single one of them and I plan on keeping it that way.

Rick

but you're denying yourself the pleasure of rootin' for Honey Boo-Boo and the bozos who look into storage lockers up for auction, Rick! ha-ha!!

[cbrick]

I don't even know what a honey boo boo is and I suspect I'll be better off if I keep it that way.

Rick

[btroj]

All that made up, scripted reality TV turns me off. No reality, just stupidity.

Mike, I would gladly have a drink with you but not Pepsi, I am a die hard Coke man. Sorry.

[41 mag fan]

41 Mag Fan,
Thank you for educating me. I was unaware that it is common for miners to talk to each other like that and since you say it like that, then I am less mad at them. Down here we dont talk to each other like that. I guess the roughest talk I have ever done or heard was when I was roughnecking on an oil rig and it wasn't near disrespectful like that. But if that is the way it is, then I have no room to judge. I guess I am just not used to it.
Thanks again for the education.
Trey

Trey, It's whole different world in mining, esp underground. I work for Peabody Energy, the largest coal producer in the world.
We've had guys come from strip mines that Peabodys shut down, and they assimilate right into the mix of us, and they say it's just like this above ground, with how the guys act.
Theres an old saying for us...leave your feeling in the truck, because you will get them hurt underground. And it's true.
It took me 1 1/2 yrs to get used to how they talk to each other and in the next breath, they pull you out from under a slip or rock thats ready to fall, or we'll see a potential danger and let you know, then in the next breath we'll get right back to being ruff and gruff.

My wife says I'm a Dr Jeckyl and Mr Hyde, when we are out somewhere and I see another miner out, and how we talk to each other.
Tells me I'm a real a**hole. I keep telling her, no thats how we talk to each other. you think thats bad, you ought to see how I talk to orange hats underground. Almost every facet of mining can kill you underground, talking nice wont save them, but talking like i do will save them, because it gets their attention.
She still tells me I'm an a**hole though!!

When I was an orange hat(inexperienced miner) I was appalled at how i was talked to.
By my 2nd year, I was talking to orange hats the same way I was talked to.
There is a reason for it too. It'll get their attention, and keep them safe.
Underground, esp if you're in sh*tty top, it can kill you if you're not watching and being looked out for.
Talking nice to someone might not save them from a rock getting ready to fall, but getting gruff will..I know it sounds weird, but it works.
It's a tight knit group us miners are. Esp underground. It's very similar to how the LEO's and firefighters are with each other.
It's really hard to explain, till you've worked in the atmosphere where it's a get in, get it done, and get out and move on scenario.

[41 mag fan]

Now here's some miners for ya...

I took those pics way up in NE Cambodia, probably where no whiteman except for you guys that were there back in the war has been. Lovely pea green soup water,. They were getting good gold the old fashioned way. Probably been doing it that way for 100's of years.

The guys above were part of our security crew, courtesy of the Royal Cambodian Army.


62158

Those are some neat pics there Pat. Thanks for sharing them!

[horsesoldier]

The military is the same way.But that show is worthless in my opinion.Distractions for the masses while Rome is burning....

[montana_charlie]

I'd rather watch an episode of World's Dumbest (whatever) than any of those 'reality shows'.
The guys with the tow trucks are as stupid as the guys building guns. And, the father & son fighting each other while building motorcycles are as stupid as the guys creating 'drama' while cutting timber. Thank God the dumass bounty hunters are a thing of the past.

I haven't looked in on the gold miners (any of them) because the promos say enough about how they go.

Just give me reruns of NCIS and I'll stay happy.

[cbrick]

Just give me reruns of NCIS and I'll stay happy.

I watch re-runs of shows like Little House on The Prairie, one of the most successful shows ever made. It's main themes were religion, family, hard work. Sadly in Hollywood successful no longer has anything to do with anything . . . Those three themes simply do not fit the political agenda so look at the shows we have today that do.

Rick

[starmac]

Or I love Lucy. lol

[William Yanda]

but you're denying yourself the pleasure of rootin' for Honey Boo-Boo and the bozos who look into storage lockers up for auction, Rick! ha-ha!!
You didn't even mention Sonia and the rest of the krew on Repo!

[cbrick]

You didn't even mention Sonia and the rest of the krew on Repo!

What is "krew on repo"?

Rick

[xs11jack]

What with all my interests in things mechanical, wood, and so many books to read, my wife is the only tv watcher in my house. I just can't sit still for that stuff.
Jack

[tinsnips]

My son in law has met Dakota Fred more than once he works part time as a weekend manager at Red Lobster in Bismarck ND . Fred is from Minot ND he said he is as nice a person that he has ever met. That is an act for tv ,all those reality shows are a joke . My good friend has been to Pawn Stars in LasVegas he said that is a dump, an the only time those guys from that show are there is to film it.I would rather read posts on this forum at least I learn something everyday.

[quilbilly]

Reality TV has little to do with reality and lots to do with TV.
Face it, how many of us would be that interesting to follow for weeks at a time? Certainly not me.

Ratings need drama. I hate drama.
I feel the same way about Axmen. I run into some of the loggers pretty regularly while on business and they are just not like that. On the other hand, some of those places they are logging will be mighty fine hunting spots after a year or so therefore I keep notes. I am hoping to find out where those Rygards are logging in the current show. Just about got it narrowed down.

[PatMarlin]

Half the loggers on that show looked like tweekers to me. I only saw one or 2 episodes, but the guy running the yarder was definitely on crank (meth). I would be money on it.

I've had mining buddies for years and logging buddies. Serious long time professionals, and none of them are like the bottom of the barrel like some of the idiots in these shows. I wouldn't work with them, thats for sure.