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Mi News Segment Ends W/ Message For Cachers...


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I, too, like Bigredmed's idea....hit where it hurts: in the pocket book. Find a list of their advertisers (just call the station, that information is public access). Look for any companies that are even remotely connected to the game, and send emails to them, as well.

 

Hey, the guy's comment was rude and condescending, but going after advertisers...gimme a break. It's not like he bared a breast or anything! :rolleyes:

Keep this in perspective. Express your disgust at what he said and hope for an apolpgy. If none is forthcoming, then move on. There is no need to get so defensive about it. We all know that as geocachers we have much more of a life than their thousands of viewers who spend all their time on the couch watching the tube.

I am not suggesting that we flame the advertisers, merely let them know how we felt about the station's comments. Urge the advertisers to also put some pressure on the station to elicit an apology. Money talks, and they are more likely to listen to their income source than a bunch of "techno-geeks" with "no life".

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I suggest that when people write or call that they do so in a professional manner. Overly angry and unprofessional letters or calls will only serve to make geocachers appear to be... well... overly angry and unprofessional. Generally an assertive, yet polite and professional call or letter will get more results and place cachers as a whole in the best light.

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It reminds me of the news article done on Where's George's here last year, same kind of reaction from the news crew. I sent off a nasty e-mail to them. And I'm not even big on Where's Georges! Unfortunately, that idiot moved over to a better channel. He left Fox and is now on CBS. I'll compose something to send to this idiot. I'm sorry, was that unfair? I should take that back.

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I sent my protest email in and got back the standard reply that somebody else got, which started as

 

"Thank you for contacting us. Our ministry is dependent upon your prayers and support. We are anxious to be a blessing to you through any avenue the Lord has made available to us...."

 

Jeeezzzzz, the reply didn't even have anything to do with the topic.

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Done.

 

From: Poulsbo, Washington

 

Mr. Turner,

 

I am joining my Geocaching friends to call for an on-air apology from you, Frank Turner, for the comments made on the air regarding the need for Geocachers to "get a life."  Apparently, you don't know much about the activity if you make a comment like that.  Geocaching is an opportunity for me to get into the great outdoors and spend time with my friends and family.  While we may be using a high-tech gadget that may appear nerdy to the technically disinclined, the opportunity to spend time with my friends and family, enjoying the great Northwest, and thrill of the hunt are my main goals.  That is life.

 

Patiently awaiting your response.

 

Michael Ellingson

http://www.CrimsonWrath.com/Geocaching/

Geocaching@CrimsonWrath.com

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Well, they've got mail from Miami.

 

Dear sir,

 

First, I would like to thank you for taking the time to read this email.

 

It has been brought to my attention that you made a derogatory remark regarding geocaching. Rather, you made a remark that directly insulted geocachers, insinuating that participants do not have a life. I'm quite sure that you have been inundated with numerous emails due to this verbal foible. It is my hope that the statement: you can "...get a GPS unit for around $75... or you can get a life," was an unfortunate comment given to you by a teleprompter, not your own personal lack of judgement.

 

As demonstrated by the emails sent to you from around the globe, geocaching is a wide reaching and growing sport. It is appreciated by a huge variety of people. Yes, there are techno geeks and computer nerds, eclectics and weirdos. There are also very successful, intelligent and active participants in geocaching, ranging from beauty queens to former pro baseball players. These people participate in many different activites, including skydiving and scuba diving, motor sports and charity work. They appreciate the environment and natural beauty. They carry trash out of parks and nature reserves; trash left not by other geocachers, but by those people who apparently "have a life."

 

I do hope you could extend an apology to my community. You've insulted a great many people, including myself.

 

Catherine J. Behrens,

Geocacher from Miami, Florida

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Very good letter Snideswipe.

 

Edit: Here is mine:

 

I am a geocacher in Lincoln, Nebraska and was disappointed to learn that after your station produced a well done story about geocaching, an anchor stated "you can get a GPS for $75 or you can get a life." This was accompanied by laughing from another anchor.

 

On the whole, geocachers are active outdoors people who often volunteer their services to parks systems for maintenance and trash pick-up and tend to be very involved in education about other topics such as mapping and orienteering. To essentially be told that we need to "get a life" when we are outside and active, enjoying our hobby and educating the community is quite offensive.

 

Your station took the time to produce an otherwise good segment on geocaching. I question why the station chose to explore the topic if it thought so little of it. Regardless, I feel that the anchor's comments and the laughter at the end were unprofessional and condescending. I hope your station will extend an apology to the geocacher featured in the segment and will reconsider how future segments are commented on by the anchors.

 

Sincerely,

 

Carleen Pruess

Edited by carleenp
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$75? Dang, I paid $100 for mine.

 

LOL, I just paid a whole lot more, plus got a laptop for caching programs and am about to buy a PDA.

 

Hmmmm maybe I should re-think this. It would be a lot cheaper if I "got a life" as the anchor suggested! :rolleyes:

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Here's mine:

 

Deer mister newsman.

 

I relly think youre stoopit to say wat you did about geocashing that we needs to get a live. well i do has a live becaus i am alive so wat do you no you stoopit birdbrane jerkface.

 

sinserely,

 

brian sniatkowski

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Here's mine:

 

Deer mister newsman.

 

I relly think youre stoopit to say wat you did about geocashing that we needs to get a live. well i do has a live becaus i am alive so wat do you no you stoopit birdbrane jerkface.

 

sinserely,

 

brian sniatkowski

Baa Haa!

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Rather than demanding apologies, MiGO should challenge/invite Turner to go out on a hunt, preferably to a high quality cache, to see what "a day in the life" of a geocacher is like. Educating the uninitiated about our hobby may serve us better down the road than inflammatory emails. Granted, one would think a newreader would actually listen to the content of a news report before opening his piehole to toss off a glib comment.

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Here's mine:

 

Deer mister newsman.

 

I relly think youre stoopit to say wat you did about geocashing that we needs to get a live. well i do has a live becaus i am alive so wat do you no you stoopit birdbrane jerkface.

 

sinserely,

 

brian sniatkowski

You spelled a few words right. You might want to fix that. :rolleyes:

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I have also sent the following letter to Mr. Zimmerman:

 

Dear Glenn,

 

Thank you for your work on the insightful segment you did on the hobby of Geocaching. I found it very informative, well-written, and positive. I am sorry that your fellow co-workers didn't feel the same way, and decided to not only deride the hobby, but also insult you and all Geocachers worldwide. I'm sure by this time, Mr. Turner has received hundreds, if not thousands of emails from offended Geocachers, and I would hope that the station will react properly and offer an apology for the snide comments and laughter that followed your segment. I would also hope that Mr. Turner is professional enough to apologize to you personally.

 

Thank you again for the wonderful segment on Geocaching,

 

(My Name Here)

Mount Hope, Kansas

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After watching the whole thing (very good by the way!) it seemed to me like the anchor laughed because he couldn't believe what the teleprompter was telling him to say, not because he ad-libbed in the comment.

 

Shame on the person who created that comment! :rolleyes:

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After being encouraged to do so by another forum reg, I finally sent off my reply. Since I'm in ministry too, I hope I was able to bring a bit of a different perspective to Mr. Turner on the hobby of Geocaching and exactly how much it's meant in my life. From my own perspective, prior to geocaching I was way too obsessed with my work and had absolutely no hobbies at all. In a real way, geocaching has helped me to GET a life.

 

I feel like I should probably apologize to all of you for Frank. "Forgive him, for he knoweth not what he sayeth." I've found myself way too many times going for a stupid joke (excuse me Brian, that should be "stoopit") that ultimately could have cost me a little bit of my integrity. We all have those moments when you really wish you could hit the rewind button and take the words back. That feeling at times is amplified in this particular line of work.

 

Ok...that's done...now back to work.....except there's a brand new cache about 20 miles away ....mocking me....it's saying, Come play, Bret...come outside...it's nice here..the sun is shining....don't you want to be outside?!!?!?"

 

I hate when they talk to me! :rolleyes:

 

Bret

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Ok...that's done...now back to work.....except there's a brand new cache about 20 miles away ....mocking me....it's saying, Come play, Bret...come outside...it's nice here..the sun is shining....don't you want to be outside?!!?!?"

 

I hate when they talk to me!

 

Do you talk back to them? Anyway, work shirk, get a life and go play with the cache in the sunshine! :rolleyes:

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I bet dollars to donuts that that guy likes to golf. I run into a lot of golfers who badmouth cachers.

I'm not sure what makes walking around a manicured field of grass chasing a ball and whacking it with very expensive clubs wearing very expensive plaid pants and golf spikes better than walking around a field, wooded area, mountainside, park, or rest area looking for an ammo can or film canister.

 

It's very strange to me that anyone would sneer at what others do with their leisure time. Don't like it? Don't do it. Do what you want to do with your time off, I'll do what I want to do with my time off.

 

Edit: spelling

Edited by Bull Moose
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After watching the whole thing (very good by the way!) it seemed to me like the anchor laughed because he couldn't believe what the teleprompter was telling him to say, not because he ad-libbed in the comment.

 

Shame on the person who created that comment! :rolleyes:

I thought the same thing, but even if the words were written on a cue card, he's the one that said them on air.

 

Maybe he needs to take a break from being an anchor and get out and do a little down and dirty news reporting again...(just my recommendation in case anyone at his station is reading this!)

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I bet dollars to donuts that that guy likes to golf. I run into a lot of golfers who badmouth cachers.

I'm not sure what makes walking around a manacured field of grass chasing a ball and wacking it with very expensive clubs wearing very expensive plaid pants and golf spikes better than walking around a field, wooded area, mountanside, park, or rest area looking for an ammo can or film canister.

 

It's very strange to me that anyone would sneer at what others do with their leisure time. Don't like it? Don't do it. Do what you want to do with your time off, I'll do what I want to do with my time off.

 

Ok, I'm now insulted twice in one day. B) Two of my hobbies are golf and geocaching, if you think about it they have many elements in common; long walk, searching for the impossible to find, outdoors, funny looking gear . . .

 

I guess I have no life at all. :rolleyes: At least it keeps me happy. B)

 

BTW: I've spent more on geocaching gear than golf gear. It balances out with the fact that the walk is usually free when geocaching.

Edited by Laserman
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I would like to thank Mr. Turner for making me take the time to evaluate my lack of a life. After this self re-evaluation, this is what I came up with.

 

I can sell my company and “live off the Government” giving me more time to watch more news, thus supporting more arrogant anchormen.

 

I can stop my Ministry work on Tuesdays and Thursdays; after all, disadvantage youth from broken homes really do not need to know how to cook for themselves. Nor do they need to be exposed to the “good things” life has to offer. This would free up a bunch of time for me to get a life watching TV, supporting arrogant News Anchors.

 

I could terminate my position on the Board of Directors for the Cherokee Cultural Society of Houston, the kids at the schools we go to really hate it when we come talk to their class about Indians. This could free up some time to watch more news, supporting arrogant Anchors.

 

I am sure there are a few other things I could sacrifice in my “lack of a life” to free up even more time to watch the news, supporting arrogant anchors.

 

Sniff, sniff, sniff. Is that sarcasm I smell?

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Agreed with Calvin (of course, I own so many of his great books...so I knew I'd agree with him). That's why if you check my e-mail to them, it mentions that I was disgusted at the anchor's comments because he is the company's representative/spokesperson/etc. Even if he did not come up with that witticism on his own and was simply reading it from a teleprompter, he was the one who said it as a UPN news frontperson. Either way it shows badly on the News crew and they need to hear about it. The Janet/FCC/Super Bowl thing was absurd (both in the doing and in the response it received) but as absurd as the response was, it garnered a reaction from CBS, simply because a large enough number of complaints were lodged. These people serve the almighty dollar and if they worry that that dollar will go somewhere else they will rectify the problem (no need to contact the sponsors, since they'll see the viewer numbers later if you simply complain to the company/stop watching).

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Several years ago, a woman got into an accident on a bridge in Detroit. The other driver got out of his car and beat her until she jumped off the bridge and drowned. Every news outlet mentioned that crowds stood around and cheered! After a few days, the real story got out, but by then the national media was reporting the inaccurate story. The local media was very upset by the inaccurate story being broadcast nationally, and many stations openly questioned where that story came from. :rolleyes:

 

It's amazing what people will say on the "news".

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Did you give the name of the female anchor laughing in the background? I want to write her as well.

I need to watch the clip again but for some reason I think its Diana Lewis who was the co-anchor cackling in the background, not sure if its because they show her or I recognized the voice.

 

here is a link to the reporters and anchors for wxyz 7, an abc affiliate.

 

http://www.detnow.com/wxyz/anchors_reporte...Z_15900,00.html

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Ok, I'm now insulted twice in one day. B) Two of my hobbies are golf and geocaching, if you think about it they have many elements in common; long walk, searching for the impossible to find, outdoors, funny looking gear . . .

 

I guess I have no life at all. :rolleyes: At least it keeps me happy. B)

 

BTW: I've spent more on geocaching gear than golf gear. It balances out with the fact that the walk is usually free when geocaching.

No where did I say golfing isn't a fun thing to do. I pick up the clubs once a month or so, myself.

My point is that golf is "accepted" so no one would ever tell people spending hours on the course or driving range, hundreds of dollars on equipment, or reading Golf Magazine to "get a life". But spending $100 on a GPSr to go geocaching (which is all you really NEED to geocache)? We must be out of our minds, right?

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Here's my letter. Couldn't resist a little cheap shot of my own!

 

Mr. Turner,

 

Last year I was diagnosed with diabetes, high blood pressure and extremely high cholesterol. I was a mess, a walking heart attack waiting to happen. Since discovering geocaching in August '03, I've lost 67 pounds and my blood sugar, BP and and cholesterol levels are in the normal range every day now. Certainly dietary changes made a huge difference, but having been a couch potato TV addict all my life, I was having real trouble staying committed to any excercise program for any length of time. But then I read a newspaper article in the Indianapolis Star that changed my life. Geocaching provided the lure that got me off the couch and out the door for those long painful walks, and the search for the box at the end of the hike made it impossible for me to cut and head home before the goal was obtained.

 

I enjoyed Glenn Zimmerman's segment about geocaching on Detroit's Action News 7. He seemed to enjoy the game, and I think he did a great job. But I take offense and exception to your comment: "...You can get a GPS for around $75... or you can get a life..." Well, sir, without geocaching, I well might not have a life of any kind. Caching gave me back my life, after I squandered the best years in gluttony and sloth. Now I am making up for lost time, enjoying the outdoors with my new good health, working on losing the rest of the weight, and looking forward to what each new day brings. And thanks to caching, each day brings new vistas, new public green spaces that I never would have found without the game, and new friends met in pursuit if the game.

 

You owe Mike Wunderlich, Mr. Zimmerman, and the entire geocaching community a public apology.

 

By the way, in seeing that segment, it occurs to me that you could stand to lose a few pounds yourself. Maybe you should go take a walk in your local park or nature preserve from time to time.

Edited by 2qwerqE
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Here's my letter. Couldn't resist a little cheap shot of my own!

 

By the way, in seeing that segment, it occurs to me that you could stand to lose a few pounds yourself. Maybe you should go take a walk in your local park or nature preserve from time to time.

Well, I certainly don't think taking cheap shots like that does anything to bolster the community's image. :rolleyes:

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sent:

 

wow. our michigan friends have informed us (and recorded and played back for us) you really insensitive remarks about geocachers and our failure to have lives. i'm going to suggest to you that my life is full enough that i do not feel a need to snipe at other people's hobbies or lives in public or private forums.

 

my credentials as a person with a life are impeccable. i also own a GPS and buyy lots of sporting goods. after i find out which national merchants support the station on which you broadcast, i'll be informing them that my purchases will be with other companies, and i will tell them why.

 

i am also spreading the word to my other friends who are also geocachers.

 

copies sent to your station,

geoching organizations,

and various merchants.

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I sent a thank you to Glenn in an email (the reporter) and he responded. Thought you would like to see his response.

 

Hey Mike,

 

Thank you for the kind words (yes, Steve "the photographer" is clearly the

unsong hero).  All I can say about Frank's comments is this... they were not

in the script, they were simply his "off-the-cuff" remarks, and finally (and

most importantly), I am so sorry he offended you or anyone who geocaches.

 

I truly enjoyed myself that day, and plan on trying to hit the woods again

when my schedule is a little less crazy.  I am passing on all of your

concerns to my boss, as well as to Frank himself.  Thank you again for

taking your time and showing me a sport which really is a lot of fun.

 

sincerely,

 

Glenn Zimmerman

 

P.S. Many people have emailed me, please pass this note on to anyone I may

have not reached.

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I sent a thank you to Glenn in an email (the reporter) and he responded. Thought you would like to see his response.

 

Hey Mike,

 

Thank you for the kind words (yes, Steve "the photographer" is clearly the

unsong hero).  All I can say about Frank's comments is this... they were not

in the script, they were simply his "off-the-cuff" remarks, and finally (and

most importantly), I am so sorry he offended you or anyone who geocaches.

 

I truly enjoyed myself that day, and plan on trying to hit the woods again

when my schedule is a little less crazy.  I am passing on all of your

concerns to my boss, as well as to Frank himself.  Thank you again for

taking your time and showing me a sport which really is a lot of fun.

 

sincerely,

 

Glenn Zimmerman

 

P.S. Many people have emailed me, please pass this note on to anyone I may

have not reached.

Cool! :rolleyes:

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And how are they going to know they are fraudulent?

If I were the station mnager and I had to approve an on air apology from one of my staff, or even order one, I would want to know exactly who the apology was directed to. I would be checking out this site. THAT'S how I would know - if it were me.....

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frank turner is doing the news on air right now.

Yup, he sure is and I'm watching it for some reason waiting to hear some news.

 

Maybe it was an evil plot all along to get more of us to tune waiting for a resolution.

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