They're backkkkkkkk...GOLD RUSH...2011

[aschumacher]

Maybe more would have been accomplished if TOM instead of TODD was there !

 

[aschumacher]

Anybody check out the following show 'Bearing Sea Gold'? The guys with the big barge, that paddles its way out to sea with the excavator...they sucked up 50 oz of gold on their last outing! Don't think there is much danger of the Hoffmans changing locations since there seem to be enough 'amateurs' at the new place already.

 

[thoffman]

Allen,
Thanks for the vote of confidence!
And on the Hoffmans crew going to the Bearing Sea thing.....Never say never! That would be another TV show.

 

[aschumacher]

Dakota Fred gets his name mentioned !

Gonna have to talk to somebody about that !

 

[jchamberlin]

Allen: I followed your link, but I found I couldn't wait for the Swiffer commercial to finish. I'm not Dakota Fred's biggest fan, anyway.

 

[thoffman]

I think that Schnauble (sp) kid need a good healthy portion of reality & a b---h slapping!

 

[jchamberlin]

Yes, the Schnaubel kid learned something from his old man --how to resuscitate a diesel engine after you run it out of fuel. I thought "burning off the waste" was novel; I've never owned a diesel engine of any sort, so I was learning as much as he was.

However, I thought his father nailed the interpersonal dynamic pretty well, saying something to the effect, "He was embarrassed, and I made it worse by digging him (about running out of fuel mid-way through his shift) --it (my digging) was instinctual." The interpersonal relationships amongst the Schnaubel clan are interesting.

As Mike Frade is quick to point out, we only see what they want us to see; but in the case of "the Schnaubel kid" we see the world through the eyes of a teenager, who is more concerned about being embarrassed than fixing a piece of equipment. And who is caught up in an "enterprise" to which "homework" looms as a major distraction. (You remember those days, don't you?) A lot of this world's "hard *****" are formed by such teenage concerns and experiences as depicted on the Gold Rush show. The producers should be appreciated and commended for selecting episodes that "tell a story" as incomplete as it might be.

What is clear about "the Schnaubel kid" is that he loves/fears/respects his old man (his father), and that he loves/loves/loves his grand-father. We are not shown much about the relationship of the Grandfather to the father; we are shown the Grandfather-to-Grandson bond.

From the actions of the mother and the father, though, one suspects that they feel their son's working his Grandfather's claim is "playing around." There seems to be a lot of judgementalism, sarcasm, and "summary actions" in the Schnaubel family; yet the old man (grandfather) seems to serenely survey the carnage much of the time.

What intrigues me is that the grandfather seems to be very much aware of the toxic nature of many of the family relations, and he is at great pains to rescue and/or buffer "the kid" from them. I wonder what role, if any, he had in creating the toxic nature of the family's behavior.

So, bottom-line, I don't see the "Schnaubel kid" as a zero; I see him acting heroically at times --look at what he's attempting-- and humanly at times. I feel for him. I hope that he finds something after he "keeps on digging." Because, if what he takes away from his gold-mining experience is to "keep on digging" (in life) the experience will have been worthwhile.

 

[digger]

TWO WORDS depict the lack of what EVERYONE on that SA show has.

Common sense

But is rather fun to watch and wait for each and every train wreck they create and produce!

 

[thoffman]

Another thing. The track adjusters didn't look to be all the way out (the shinny round piece behind the front ideler). Taking a link out seemed to extream to me. But I didn't check 'em either. Making the tracks too tight isn't a good thing when working sand and gravel, but if it's a fix to make the season, I could live with that.

 

[mfrade]

Jeremiah;
"What intrigues me is that the grandfather seems to be very much aware of the toxic nature of many of the family relations, and he is at great pains to rescue and/or buffer "the kid" from them. I wonder what role, if any, he had in creating the toxic nature of the family's behavior. "

Um... interesting observation... I don't see any toxic nature!

Tom H, to run a week maybe two, I woulda done the track deal too. I couldn't see the idler, I'd hope they are smart enough to tension a track but then I realized they couldn't check the oil level in the planetary drives!

 

[jchamberlin]

Mike, consider the following comments and who made them:

"I don't know what his thirty-year plan is" from the kid's dad about his son's mining his grandfather's claim

"I can put a stop to this" from the kid's mom about his mining activity

Then there was the "control issue" early on when the grandfather was issuing orders to the crew when the "kid" was supposed to be in charge.

The members of this family are judgmental (towards each other) and extremely stubborn. They don't listen to each other: they order each other around!

The "kid" is learning as he is taught.

That's all I'm saying.

 

[thoffman]

Oh, And if I haven't said it before.........KEEP OLD MAN JACK AWAY FROM THE BACKHOE!!! "No, no I can get it. I don't need any help.". DAMN! When the guy on the ground says stop, that means stop. You can't see/hear/do everything from the seat.

 

[jchamberlin]

Tom: I agree with your assessment, he certainly seems to be a frustrating person to deal with; however, I have also seen him actually take care of stuff by himself that no one else thought he could. However, as you point out, as a TEAM MEMBER, you listen to the guy on the ground to respect his role. If Jack is truly confident that what he proposes is the ONLY way it can be done, he should be willing to wait until the others call on him to "work his magic."

After watching Jack, and Dakota Fred, I would have to say that the gold is driving some people crazy, or better, their DESIRE for gold is driving them crazy.

Some of them just need to "get a grip" on reality.

But, as Charlie points out, it does make for some entertaining television --"What will these doofusses do next"?

 

[mfrade]

Jeremiah, I only see 2 parents concerned for an underage young man. Grandpa had a weak moment and thought he was doing the right thing because nothing more was to be accomplished (in his opinion), he said shut it down.. Junior is stressing to do an above average job and pops his cork. Why have an underage kid carrying that load is all Mom was thinking.. imho! Like any mother, she's concerned for her child. again, imho. Dad was only trying to impress a lesson into juniors head, slow down and take care of the details, or it bites you in the butt! And sometimes hard!! Again, just my opinion, the parents are worried for junior and at the same time realizing he's leaving the nest soon. Thanks for allowing my opinions.

 

[jchamberlin]

Mike: I appreciate you expressing your opinions! I don't see we disagree. I hear you saying that two parents care deeply about their son, as does his grandfather: agreed. I'm saying that HOW that love is expressed is not always helpful and sometimes (often?) hurtful. You've heard the saying, "You only hurt the ones you love." There seems to be be a lot of hurt being spread around by persons who love each other and whose lives are inextricably bound.

I believe that love can build up or love can tear down; love can promote growth or foster destruction; "perfect love can casts fear," but not all love (or lovers) are perfect.

All I'm saying is that the Schnaubels aren't perfect; they could all find better ways to express the love they feel towards each other.

But, as you have so saliently pointed out in the past, we only see what the producers and directors of the show want us to see. Even though I don't feel the shows are "staged," the producers and directors control the story line. So like everyone else, I'm left to ponder the snippets I see as they resonate in my own experience.

I know my father could certainly have expressed his love for me better than he did, and I'm told (often) that I could express my love for my own children better. So my observations probably say more about me and my family than they do about the Schnaubels.

Oh well, I'm not perfect.

 

[mfrade]

Jeremiah, you're correct in that no-ones perfect. And your also correct on love being unknowingly destructive. I just see it as the parents are stressing about their son being out on his own and supposedly in charge of this operation that "they" say needs to make a profit to survive. We aren't privy to the behind the scenes "arrangements" between son and parents. I'm sure getting the homework done is a priority because we did see a glimpse of that. That also means they live close-by as he was working the mine on a school day.

 

[aschumacher]

Tom H., from your Sunday note on the track repair. A week or 2 ago the man driving the D8 commented about being cautious when backing up as not to run the track off the idler when turning since 'the front adjusters are all the way out'. At least they had sense to get the industrial people there to finally fix the tracks.

 

[thoffman]

So the track adjuster seal is out on the D8. I would have got a bottle jack, pushed it out and cut a few pieces of steel the proper length and welded 'em in. It's just a bandage for now but it would have gotten you though.

And now I hear Jack is a Morphine addict, and James was unattended in the "Gold Tent"..........

 

[mfrade]

I found it refreshing that a guy blows a gasket when he knowingly pushes a machine beyond it's limit and causes damage! He knew it was a bad deal and said so. And it was a gamble at that point if they were on the gold as they like to say.

And I think it's not Jack who's an addict, I think it's the mechanic who's hooked on the pain killers. And that's why he left "for his back"...

Just guessin'! We'll see...

 

[aschumacher]

Well, last show of the season, except for review/interviews next week. The Hoffman team got 93oz, not their goal but respectable. Each got 5oz or $8000 as their share.<font size="-2">Work ur butt of for a lousy $8000 in 3-4 months. Must be really low cost-of-living where they're from!</font>
I lost track of the Schnable operation. We saw the youngster found some gold, but not enough to cover costs. As we last saw there may be a new find of gold for next season. Looks like grand dad willing to spring for costs next year. Now that poor arrogant schmuck Fred owes Jack $20 because he didn't get more gold this season. He might have made some money except his big pump crapped out at the end. Looks like he maybe onto a good gold source<font size="-2">as long as he doesn't drop the excavator into the hole!</font> He still got $128000 worth of gold with a $48000 profit. Darn that gold digging stuff, even small scale, is expensive.
And if you watch Bearing Sea Gold later on, what a bunch of clowns! But that big dredge can really suck up gold. 50+oz at a digging! But the boss sez he needs $1.5 million to cover costs and some profits. Thats an expensive toy that doesn't even have engines get!
Oh well, see you at the closer next week...until next year....A.