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


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In Mr. Turner's defense, trippy did mention that he "assimilates golf balls" into his "collective" and paints little faces on them as part of his signature that he had been there....

 

:rolleyes:

 

Maybe Fred just meant the Star Trek nerds who are also geocachers....

 

:PB) B) B);)

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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

LOL... Well I had to laugh when I saw this. I am an avid golfer as well as an avid geocacher. Yes, I have expensive golf clubs. Yes, I use the best golf balls. Yes I pay way too much sometimes to walk around manicured land whacking the hell out of as little white ball trying to hit it into a small hole.

 

Both are equally as relaxing and fun to me and I don't dress in funny clothes when I golf. I probably look weirder when I dress to geocache but who cares.

 

Maybe I'm just getting old! LOL :rolleyes:

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First of all, I also happen to golf - and geocaching will probably take a back seat in golf season. Albeit, they will be in the same car (and a Yugo at that).

 

After watching the clip, it looks like he is starting to laugh before he says anything, and the background laughter sounds like it is from more than one person. The news is all the same, the little banter at the end of each story, is contrived and fake. The laughter is all fake as well. The laughter heard in the clip is definately not fake, which leads me to believe something happened off screen (crewman tripping, spilling something etc.) that made people laugh. - THEORY #1

 

It was on a cue card or prompter, and he just read what he was supposed to. That was why he started laughing before he said it. - THEORY #2

 

Those were my initial thoughts, and I thought there was some over reaction here.

 

It still doesn't excuse the "get a life" part. But would there be as much outrage if it were just the comment w/o laughing? Probably not. I have heard news stories about quilting, ice fishing, and other "fringe hobbies" - some of which I take part in. The anchors always make little comments like that.

 

That all being said, we as cachers shouldn't go around bashing other hobbies or people in general. Polite emails of concernto the station or the anchor are fine, personal attacks, and irate emails, just make us look bad.

 

CACHE ON!!!!!

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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

should have been "brain sniatkowski".

 

that'd learn 'im.

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It was on a cue card or prompter, and he just read what he was supposed to. That was why he started laughing before he said it. - THEORY #2

 

Nope, Glen Zimmerman confirmed that it wasn't scripted and they were his own "off the cuff" remarks. I think trippy posted the email he got back from Glen back towards the end of page 3 of this thread.

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Yeah, I know. I read that post. That was one of my first thoughts before I read that. I take it that there has been no official word from the station?

Not as of yet and I don't expect one to be honest but we'll see.

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In Mr. Turner's defense, trippy did mention that he "assimilates golf balls" into his "collective" and paints little faces on them as part of his signature that he had been there....

 

Haha... I thought that was hilarious. :lol:

 

I sent an e-mail to Mr. Turner, but I have come to accept that caching is somewhat of a "nerdy" hobby. Unless you find the idea of treasure hunting exciting, and have somewhat of a "kid" mentality, it will sound stupid to you. For me, it's the coolest thing since sliced bread. I don't want to grow up. I love toys, and games, and goofing off, and procrastinating, etc. etc. I used to pretend to hide treasure and find it when I was a kid, and this is the coolest thing ever to be able to find "real" treasure. My girlfriend does not find caching too exciting, but she has come to accept that I will never really grow up.

 

When Trippy1976 said that thing about "assimliating golf balls" it just reminded me even more why I like to cache. I HATE star trek, but that was funny as hell. You could see that he new it was silly, but he liked it anyways, because BEING SILLY IS FUN!

 

There will always be the football playing jarheads that make fun of the nerds, and all that. But the nerds with their gadgets and gizmos will always have more fun.

 

So, while I have never been considered a nerd, I have often found great fun in "nerd" hobbies. I like computers, and I love electronics, and cool gadgets. Even though, I think it is very important to make a strong statement that people shouldnt be talking trash about caching, "sticks and stones...". :lol:

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I didn't hear the newscast, but reading what was said, could he have meant something else? Perhaps what he meant was, "For all you lazy couch potatos out there, get a GPS for $75 and do something fun, or get a life". As for the laughter, perhaps after he made the statement, his trousers fell down and the office lady was laughing at his boxer shorts. :lol:

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Perhaps what he meant was, "For all you lazy couch potatos out there, get a GPS for $75 and do something fun, or get a life".

 

I never thought of it that way, but if you heard it, you would probably change your mind.

 

It's a great segment otherwise though. If your modem isnt too slow, you should download it.

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I didn't hear the newscast, but reading what was said, could he have meant something else? Perhaps what he meant was, "For all you lazy couch potatos out there, get a GPS for $75 and do something fun, or get a life". As for the laughter, perhaps after he made the statement, his trousers fell down and the office lady was laughing at his boxer shorts. :lol:

You need to watch the clip. He was clearly saying that cachers need to "get a life."

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We sent our letter! Hope it helps. Here it is:

Dear Mr. Turner,

It has come to our attention in Northeast Ohio that a segment on Geocaching was aired on your news station recently. Though Glen Zimmerman was the reporter and Mike Wunderlich the featured geocacher, you were the anchor who presented the segment and commented on it at its conclusion. We understand that you ended the segment with the remark that one could "...get a GPS for $75... Or you could get a life."

 

Sir, you obviously have no understanding of the nature and scope of our sport. We began caching a year ago and have now logged 876 finds. The sport has taken us to breathtaking spots, unique historical sites, and incredible forests in many different states. We have discovered parts of Washington D.C. we never knew existed, explored the Gorge Trail in Niagara Falls, and come within inches of wildlife that most people never experience first hand. We even discovered back roads in the Bahamas while there for our daughter's wedding that gave us a unique experience of the island culture. Indeed, we do hunt "tupperware in the woods" and trade silly little trinkets in our caches, but we have met folks in every state we have visited, and have developed a network of friends all over the country.

 

Often, our daughter and her husband come caching with us. They too are "hooked" on this sport. Not only do they love it but it has become a teaching tool for their 5 year old son who can now read a GPS, knows his compass directions, and can locate a cache nearly as well as any adult. He has learned to hike, scale hillsides with ease, and take in the beauty around him as he undertakes each new adventure.

 

In truth, we invite you sir to "get a life" and buy a GPS. Yes, please do "get a life" and go caching. No doubt you will broaden your horizons and most certainly your very narrow mind.

 

Sincerely,

Tom & Anna Mary Bowers

Memebers of North Ohio Cachers

North Royalton, Ohio

 

At least he knows that we in Ohio don't like his remarks either!

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Yeah, yeah. When I saw the piece I thought to myself "We do 20 minutes of interviews and they choose to include my nerdiest 3 seconds." :lol:

 

I've accepted long ago that Geocaching isn't the least nerdy hobby in the world. However, *they* sought me out, arranged a time to come & meet to do a cache hunt, went to the trouble of producing a segment and finally decided it was air worthy.

 

Had I known that it would all end with an insult - I would have taken a pass.

 

The comment, in any tone or context, was inappropriate. Passing judgement on the people who help you produce a news segment, and some of your general audience - it's just bad form. There's no way to cast it in a light that makes it okay or 'less negative'. At least not in my mind.

 

I'd love to get some kind of official contact back from the station, but I agree with umc - it seems unlikely.

Edited by trippy1976
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I watched the clip. Too bad the anchor also mentioned right at the beginning "the name of their game is BURIED treasure." The reporter also said "And it could actually be BURIED in here?" I'm sure he was talking about buried in snow, but it probably would appear to non-cachers that cachers could be buried.

 

The "buried" misconception about geocaching seems to pop up in every kind of article/news segment.

 

Cacheola Mom

Edited by Cacheola Crew
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Oooh that made me angry! Thanks very much for putting the segement on line so we could see for ourselves. If you can get a hold of Mr. Zimmerman, ask him if he would like to cover a local CITO event. Would be a great follow up piece!! Canada has spoken too! :lol:

 

Here is the e-mail I have sent....

 

Mr. Turner

 

The geocaching community is large and far-reaching, as I am sure you have by now, found out. Cachers range in age from babes in arms, to seniors. Fitness levels range from armchair quarterbacks, to those who are competitive athletes. In one careless moment, you managed to offend them all.

 

The segment from your news broadcast has been made available on the Internet for all geocachers to watch for themselves. Mr. Zimmerman was privy to our sport and was one of the few reporters to prepare a thorough and accurate piece. How unfortunate to have that hard work lessened by your off the cuff and obviously inaccurate remark of "You can get a GPS for $75, or you can get a life."

 

Mr. Turner, were you not watching the segment as it played? Geocaching is a fun, family oriented outdoor activity. There are many among us who have taken up the hobby in order to improve our fitness levels, recover from injuries, or to get outside and enjoy nature with our families. Sure, we throw some silliness into the mix when we can. It is because of that, that geocaching has spread around the world. If you took at look at our www.geocaching.com site, I think you would be amazed at the number of countries that have caches.

 

If you need further evidence of the heart and soul of cachers, may I suggest that you have Mr.Zimmerman report on the annual "Cache in Trash Out" day coming up in April. You will see cachers from all around the world, head out to their local parks and clean up after all those people too lazy to find a trash can. Conservation is a large part of the hobby.

 

In closing Mr. Turner, I, like hundreds of my fellow cachers, would appreciate an on-air apology from you and your co-worker who was heard laughing in the background. Mr. Zimmerman deserves your apology too. You can get a GPS for $75, AND you can get a life.

 

Sincerely,

Carol Green

Victoria BC

Canada

Edited by GroundClutter
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Why are all of you babies so sensitive? I watched the clip, it's funny. Man, grow up already. Can't you laugh at yourselves?

 

Yeesh.

I don't see where someone telling someone else to get a life is funny. I don't care if it has to relate to geocaching or not.

 

Let me remind you that this thread has been constructive and there is no need for calling everyone here a baby.

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Why are all of you babies so sensitive? I watched the clip, it's funny. Man, grow up already. Can't you laugh at yourselves?

 

As I understand it, the job of a news anchor is to report the news. Not editorialize, or poke fun. His comment was highly unprofessional. He's supposed to be a news anchor, not Andy Rooney.

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Why are all of you babies so sensitive? I watched the clip, it's funny. Man, grow up already. Can't you laugh at yourselves?

 

Yeesh.

Unless you be like a babe's,you can not enter the Kingdom of Heaven.

We are chewing meat here!

 

I am a babe and As a Christian,I thought that their context to their professed God has us doing this attitude is deplorable.

 

And I can sit back and laugh at it too. :lol::lol::lol:

 

BUT HE WAS STILL UNPROFESSIONAL IN HIS ACTIONS TOWARDS OTHERS,

THAT IS NOT A CHRISTIAN TRAIT,AND BY FAR NOT PROFESSIONAL.

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My reply to Mr. Turner

 

Mr. Turner,

 

As an avid geocacher in Panama City, FL, I took great offense to your remarks at the end of your newscast. I am aware that you are a mere talking head, but I thought you could have concocted a better quip than "...or you can get a life." I'm sure your producers cringed with fear as they heard you deviate from your pre-planned spiel. The lack of journalistic talent that appears to be a prerequisite for anchoring constrains you to petty remarks about issues you do not understand, much to the chagrin of your producers, who hired you to wear makeup and read a teleprompter. So, to help you with your lack of imagination/talent, I've offered some suggestions for you to use the next time you read some material on the tele-prompter you don't understand:

 

"...or you can watch paint dry."

"...or you could take up anchoring."

"...or you could watch my broadcast."

 

You may highlight these and print them on 3x5 cards at your leisure so you can refer to them during your broadcast. (As teleprompters seem to have a destructive effect on imagination and short-term memory.)

 

Good Luck and Happy Anchoring,

Matthew Davis

Panama City, FL

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I thought it was somewhat funny also. I have no problem laughing at myself. The problem is that I dont think that should have been said publicly, and I think it's great that we are making outselves hear in a big way. I was not personally offended, but some people who have considered geocaching a healthy change in their lives, and would possibly not be alive wihthout it, would feel much stronger about his statement than I would.

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As I understand it, the job of a news anchor is to report the news. Not editorialize, or poke fun.

 

So we should also barrage the media with email complaints when they report a traffic accident as being "bad." That is an editorial comment as well.

 

I don't mean to be devil's advocate here, but how many of you would welcome an email from someone which tells you how they think you should do your job?

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I don't mean to be devil's advocate here, but how many of you would welcome an email from someone which tells you how they think you should do your job?

Well, if I were to tell my clients to get a life I wouldn't have a job for very long so I would welcome the suggestion but common sense should take care of that and it clearly didn't in this case.

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I don't mean to be devil's advocate here, but how many of you would welcome an email from someone which tells you how they think you should do your job?

Well, if I were to tell my clients to get a life I wouldn't have a job for very long so I would welcome the suggestion but common sense should take care of that and it clearly didn't in this case.

I'm sorry that you didn't understand. I am not talking about anyone's clients. I am asking how people would react to someone attempting to instruct them on how to do their job.

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I do it all the time and I'll bet most of you in professional positions do as well. They're called satisfaction surveys. Every company wants feedback on how they perform, whether it be good or bad. So we are exercising our right to give unsolicited feedback, which I am sure the newscaster and tv channel take quite seriously. ( No sarcasm inteded)

 

Edit: sounded sarcastic at the end, in actuality I am confident they are taking at least the local consumer satisfaction seriously

Edited by Ox
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I just got off the phone with Glenn Barr, the Action 7 News Executive Producer. He is going to call me this afternoon to discuss. When I mentioned my name to the secretary in the news room she said "Ah yes, I've heard about this."

 

I'll let you know how the discussion goes. This is good. It appears they are taking it seriously. Whether we'll see an on-air apology or whatever, who knows. At least they want to discuss it with me.

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I don't mean to be devil's advocate here, but how many of you would welcome an email from someone which tells you how they think you should do your job?

If my job was as a public interface in a competitive marketplace, I certainly would listen to what the publlic had to say about how to do my job.

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I don't mean to be devil's advocate here, but how many of you would welcome an email from someone which tells you how they think you should do your job?

Well, if I were to tell my clients to get a life I wouldn't have a job for very long so I would welcome the suggestion but common sense should take care of that and it clearly didn't in this case.

I'm sorry that you didn't understand. I am not talking about anyone's clients. I am asking how people would react to someone attempting to instruct them on how to do their job.

No, I did understand.

 

You asked:

 

how many of you would welcome an email from someone which tells you how they think you should do your job?

 

If you are talking about my job, my clients are a part of my job, its is my job to take care of them much as we (the viewers) are Channel 7's clients and its their job to take care of us, not make fun.

 

I am asking how people would react to someone attempting to instruct them on how to do their job.

 

Yep, thats what I thought, I also figured you asked that because it related to the situation at hand. Point is that if I was being told how to do my job as you see Frank Turner is being told how to do his job by us sending email pointing out its not nice to tell people to get a life then like it or not its necessary as he must be clueless.

 

Again, if I were doing something wrong in my job and someone brought it to my attention I would not react negatively yet accept what was brought to my attention.

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OK, I guess we all have our opinions. I doubt anyone at the station is going to take it seriously. People in broadcasting know that they can't please everyone and they certainly don't want to call attention to mistakes.

You couldn't be more wrong in that statement. News programmers do take public comment seriously, and they do act on any complaint that is lodged against them. Their position with any affiliate broadcaster is as a money making tool, to draw viewers in to their channel. When they do something as assinine as insult a worldwide community such as this, they lose viewers, and thereby lose their market share, and thereby lose advertisers, and thereby lose money. I've seen news anchors and even station managers make on-air apologies for offensive comments they have made, not just in this area, but all across the country. They take viewer complaints very seriously!! :lol:

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Letter sent March 3, 2 PM.

 

Mr. Turner,

 

I am a successful CPA in Traverse City, MI, I have healthy 4 week old son, and a beautiful wife. I am involved in my community and church. I am active in both golf and bowling leagues, and am Secretary/Treasurer of our local Business Networking International chapter. And I also have found over 100 hidden containers in the woods of Northern Michigan, not to mention 6 other states, so I guess you can add frequent traveler to the list. I haven’t bothered to consult my Webster’s dictionary recently, but it sounds like I have a life, doesn’t it?

 

I’d suggest next time you have a snide comment to share with your viewers, maybe you should think about if it is hurtful. Apparently you hold yourself out to be some kind of religious person, but from what I see, you are just a mean spirited man.

 

T. Dunson

Traverse City, MI

 

 

Man, I really wanted to rip into him, but what good would that do? I hate being an adult at times. Now, back to my general goofiness!

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I had to laugh when I googled that reporter and one of the top stories about him was his return to broadcasting after a period of getting his life back together. Maybe his bankruptsy and problems with drugs and phone bills has caused him to have a rather skewed idea of what a "life" should consist of.

I certainly am not interested in his version of a life, even if he truely has turned himself around.

 

http://www.detnews.com/2000/entertainment/...8/c01-38427.htm

 

I stopped watching TV on purpose quite a while ago. (I still watch socially, it's like drinking... addictive to some, not to others) It was never as good as reading the paper and usually the anchor's personalities annoyed me. So I must say that this really didn't suprise me to hear about. I do expect that Trippy will recieve an apology from someone with the station.

-Jennifer

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Another idea is to email letters to the editor of the newspaper(s) there in the area.

Similar to one of my ideas that I posted in our MiGO forums.

 

It was to contact Fox 2 news "Problem Solvers". They are a group of news casters from a competing station (another big station here) and what they do is get answers for people.

 

For example, say someone is renting and pays their rent on time and all that fun stuff but the landlord refuses to fix some things that need to be fixed after being asked to repeatedly someone might call the "Problem Solvers" to have them look into it and get the answers the tenant couldn't

 

I said this (jokingly) would be a good idea and the irony of it all would be great. :lol:

 

Truth is that it may be an option if nothing comes of the current approach. :lol:

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I had to laugh when I googled that reporter and one of the top stories about him was his return to broadcasting after a period of getting his life back together.  Maybe his bankruptsy and problems with drugs and phone bills has caused him to have a rather skewed idea of what a "life" should consist of.

I certainly am not interested in his version of a life, even if he truely has turned himself around.

 

http://www.detnews.com/2000/entertainment/...8/c01-38427.htm

 

I stopped watching TV on purpose quite a while ago. (I still watch socially, it's like drinking... addictive to some, not to others)  It was never as good as reading the paper and usually the anchor's personalities annoyed me.  So I must say that this really didn't suprise me to hear about.  I do expect that Trippy will recieve an apology from someone with the station.

-Jennifer

It looks like his idea of a life is 40 of beer, a line of some nose candy and a hot date with his 2 favorite ladies Rosey Palms and Wristina!! Talk about a freak of nature!

 

Oh yeah, sent a e-mail to :lol:

Edited by The Weasel
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Well I know that the public would be interested in it, at least for those who didn't see it. A letter to the editor in the paper there where many will read will put the station in the spotlight. I will guarantee that an apology will definitely come out of it. The article that Jennifer posted above is very interesting. He has the nerve to tell others to get a life?

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Just a quick reminder that it hasn't even been 48 hours since the comments were made. The station does understand that a Bad Thing happened and from the sounds of it, they wish to make things better.

 

I just had a 20 minute conversation with Glenn Barr, the EP of Action 7 News about my feelings on the subject and my expectations. He was very amicable and very receptive. He listened to my points and took them down to discuss with the EP of the 10:00 UPN 50 news as well.

 

I communicated that at this point my expectations were that a formal apology would be issued from Frank for the comments both to myself and to other Geocachers. I explained that the comments, while I felt personally very offended as I was in the segment and can be most closely correlated to the comments, were an insult to geocachers everywhere and I explained to him a bit about our community and the nature of caching and who's involved. (everybody... basically. Not just us 'geeks')

 

He seemed receptive to an apology but conceeded it was unlikely it would come in the form of an on-air apology as they were very rare. I asked then that the apology be published in the credits and sent to me in writing by Frank. He indicated they do not have credits that they can do that in. However, he didn't poo-poo the idea of an apology in writing.

 

Now the interesting part. He gave me Frank's direct number. I won't share it, so don't ask :lol: However, I did call and have left Frank a voicemail on the subject with my information. Glenn will continue to persue this from his end, but he would like me to speak with Frank directly about it as well. He felt it was important that Frank hear directly from me the effect that his words have had on myself and the geocaching community and that he have a chance to hear what I told Glenn about the nature of our community and who participates in geocaching.

 

As always... I'll keep you posted.

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