Season Four General Discussion

[ketose]

It's back! And there's a cow.

[DoctorK]

Bull shit as always, they rented the cow:

http://railingkill.com/alaskan-bush-people-news/browntowns-new-cow-rented-for-filming/

I have heard of rent-a-center but never rent-a-cow.

[SRTouch]

1 hour ago, DoctorK said:

Bull shit as always, they rented the cow:

http://railingkill.com/alaskan-bush-people-news/browntowns-new-cow-rented-for-filming/

I have heard of rent-a-center but never rent-a-cow.

Oh yeah, cause when you're off grid trying to be self sufficient, don'cha know, the thing to do is buy an old dairy cow who is scheduled to be butchered because of age and becoming a poor producer. Guess we're not supposed to know cows ain't cheap to feed and maintain. And, uh, with a milk cow the whole wolf pack can't go on hauling jobs for days on end - oh, what am I saying, the same was true with the chickens. Would have been more realistic to start raising goats, but same problem with any lifestock, you have to actually work to maintain them. Ah well, from the news reports Sabrina was something of a pet at the dairy, so they're probably happy to let her retire to SE Alaska instead of becoming hamburger - assuming the Brownclowns don't get her eaten by bears - and from the pictures and story she's a looker and halter broke. I haven't watched yet, but guess we'll once again be treated to Browntown construction nonsense.

Edited January 5, 2017 by SRTouch
Spelling

[brgjoe]

Wonder what BS backstory they will come up with for them to get that cow. 

Did they barter one of Noah-Divinci's inventions for it?  Possibly barter for it using one of Ami's doghair knit sweaters?  Gee, I can't wait to find out!  :P

[clod]

maybe they will pay off the cow-loan™     with cheese.        b-b-b-bush cheese!

it's almost to die for.  

[Beden]

I was out and missed all but the last few minutes but I did manage to catch a look at Matt--playing the 'woe, pity is me after my problems but I'll prove I'm okay and back even better than ever' card as he tried--and seemed to fail--to kill a deer for the wolfpack.

Okay, I have genuine sympathy for his problems but he still comes off as marginally functional, as lightweight as a feather and basically an idiot.

I also am bemused by the cow, a sweet seeming animal. On an island with the lightest bear population on the planet. Cared for (supposedly) the Moron Family. I wonder how long the rental agreement is for...or simply how long was their filming season? Cows are herd animals, I suspect she'll be happy to get back to her friends and sincerely hope she remains a pet back at her real home.

[SRTouch]

1 hour ago, Beden said:

I also am bemused by the cow, a sweet seeming animal. On an island with the lightest bear population on the planet. Cared for (supposedly) the Moron Family. I wonder how long the rental agreement is for...or simply how long was their filming season? Cows are herd animals, I suspect she'll be happy to get back to her friends and sincerely hope she remains a pet back at her real home.

Remember back in Sept when we first learned Sabrina was retiring from the farm and becoming reality TV star. Here's the local paper's article that ran back then http://www.lyndentribune.com/news/local/reality-show-alaskan-bush-people-casts-local-edelweiss-cow/article_9b90463e-6bc4-11e6-99d6-ebf086e0fe7e.html 

Not much new there, just that Sabrina was only scheduled to stay in Browntown for a month of filming. Then, the plan was to head of to some locals to finish out her life. Wouldn't surprise me, if she turns out to be a star, if she isn't called back for curtain calls. Heck, if she stays in the area they can probably build a set over at her new place and shot episodes there.

Hmmm, wonder if this is the same locals who ended up with the chickens.

[iluvobx]

I curious as to when Hoohan became 3 hours by boat instead of 1 hour.  Such bullshit in the episode.

Poor Sabrina, the owners should be shot for allowing the Browns/production use her.  

The production and Browns act like there is no one else on Chichagof Island.  Dr. Oakley, Yukon Vet show had her going to a farm on Chichagof.  It seems that it was a cow farm (I could be wrong about the animals), but Dr. Oakley went.

I also would like to know that if they work so hard and don't have that much to eat, why then is Billy and No-all so damn fat?  Bird has put on a lot of weight also.

[AZChristian]

I checked with a second-hand connection I have on FB.  Sabrina was apparently adopted by some real people, and is now happily living on a farm near Hoonah (the "big town" near Browntown).

[SRTouch]

Ah, whole new season of bush nonsense. As usual, ABP has a fair about of rerun clips and a variety of little snippets which really don't fit into the flow of the episode. In tonight's first little snippet we see Billy acting as a barber, cutting Gabe's hair. Billy tells us he's the only barber ever to cut the boys' hair. I actually could believe a family member taking over the hair cutting. My only objection to the scene is the idea that these poor bush people, struggling to be self sufficient because they're hours and hours away from civilization, would be using trash bags as a barber sheet instead of a towel or sheet that could be reused for years. Sure, one plastic bag isn't much, but if I was scrambling, trying to squeeze every penny and be self sufficient, I would not be using plastic bags when something else is around.

Next up Ami shows us she hasn't forgotten where they put the garden. It actually looks like a nice little garden, certainly not big enough to support all those mouths, but then they also have Matt's plastic wrap green house - assuming someone ever went back and planted something in there before the wind wrapped the plastic around the tree tops. Do we have any gardener types here reading this? I used to do landscaping, and have to say I wish I knew the Brown secret for staying so clean while digging in the garden and cutting down brush (with machetes,  yet). Actually, I think I know their secret - just work 2 minutes while the camera is rolling. Any more than that and their backs would be screaming at them the way they were going at it. Hmmm, that also explains Ami digging carrots without getting mud on her nice clean blue jeans and fringe jacket, or even much dirt on her hands. For another snippet, Billy and Gabe go put out crab pots, moaning about all the other folks who are also crabbing and how their take is diminishing over the years, and we get to watch, yet again, the scene where two idiots throw their pot over only to watch it drag the float under as it sinks in the deep deep sea on a short line.

Ah, time for rerun clips of years gone bye - good for a few minutes of wasted time. Why bother with new film when they can show old stuff? And it's a good way to exploit Matt's rehab stay. Quite a bit of tonight is taken with rehashing Matt's confessing to sneaking off to town at night to get drunk, (still not sure how he was sneaking off to the bar, which is HOURS away) his treatment, and now going off on a great solo hunt to reconnect with his "bush" center. Oh yeah, just don't anyone think this is how to actually hunt! Oh, and to go along with the how not to hunt deer, later on two of the clowns give a short tutorial on what not to do when a bear approaches where you're doing a little EXTREME hand sawing. Instead of making some noise to let the bear know you're there and encourage it to move on, whisper as you sneak closer so you can get a close look. Oh, never mind worrying about making sure both idiots have a big bad bear gun, as long as Gabe has his hand gun in hand (and at one point pointing at his brother a couple feet away as Brother Bear lies on the ground to watch big bad man eating bear) they'll be fine.

Ah, now the call to a meeting where Billy outlines this year's goal to become ever more self sufficient. Last year, as I recall, one part of this big plan was putting in boardwalks so they wouldn't have to wade through mud. Well, the production crew let them down, the crew never built it, and they're still slogging through the mud. Of course, one year it was the chickens - which was good for several episodes, but in the end to much hassle to take care of - besides, Noah needed a place to take his San Diego sweetheart, and the old chicken coop is the perfect playboy pad. This season we get Sabrina, the retired dairy cow. Just think of all the wondrous upcoming events. We'll get to see clowns learn to milk a cow, make butter, protect it from the inevitable bear attack, etc. (Yep, already starting with renewed bear presence and figures prominently in previews of upcoming shows.) Already today two of the clowns created a corral and we heard Bear talk about how he's hardly ever drank cow milk, usually just powdered milk and for awhile goat milk. I've mentioned before how I think they'd be way ahead going with goats instead of a cow. Hey, with goats they could even ditch the machetes and let the goats cut down the bush. Goats, chickens, rabbits, I think I'd try all those before a cow. Guess not, though, as Bear says he doesn't like goats.

Tonight, and probably most of the season, revolves around Sabrina. Tonight we have Gabe and Noah building a corral while Matt is on his solo hunt and most the wolf pack build a pen on the barrel barge before heading off to Hoonah to pick up the cow. Course, whenever the Integrity starts her engines you're just about guaranteed to have a storm. Tonight, as they start on the voyage we learn that, what with continental drift and what not, Hoonah is now a six hour trip. (Remember way back, when a canoe load of girls paddle out from Hoonah in a canoe. They paddled out, spent the day, then paddle home, all in one day - geez days sure are long in SE Alaska.) Anyway, the expected storm arrives and Billy and the mighty crew of the SS MINNOW INTEGRITY have to spend the night in a safe anchorage, while the wind blows down a tree on top of Gabe's shack and almost drops another on top of poor Matt, who is still out bumbling around trying to get a deer and blasting away even when all he can see is a tail going into the woods.

While the storm blows, Gabe and Ami are snug in the cabin doing another of her crafty projects. Hmmm, ruin a jar of mayonnaise so it separates, pour some mayo oil into a jar lid, cut up jeans, soak in mayo, light it up and viola, a mayo lamp. Ah, to be self sufficient and create your own lighting system. I have to question the whole ruining mayo, poking a hole in the reusable jar, cutting up jeans that the cuffs aren't even frayed on, and doing all this while sitting in a finished kitchen with electric lights just after we heard the whole master plan, self sufficiency talk.

Final little snippet, we watch the clowns working really hard to collapse Gabe's death shack before Cupcake, the wonder dog, gets in there and has it fall in on him. In typical Brown clown fashion, they employ their own Brown techniques, which include lots of manual labor, ropes, and even a cannon to blow holes in the walls. I guess 1 person with a chain saw finishing the job in a day just doesn't make as good TV as a half dozen clowns with ropes and a black powder cannon - uh, but that 1 guy could have done it safer, and had that tree limbed and cut into manageable usable sizes. Who knows, some of that shack may have even been salvageable, after all remember that off-the-grid, bush self-sufficient plan. Nonsense, a cannon is MUCH more fun, it's loud and smokey, so who cares that it was totally useless. Oh well, true they never actually got it flat on the ground, or cleaned up, but I guess production can finish it.

Edited January 5, 2017 by SRTouch
Wording/spelling

[Beden]

1 hour ago, SRTouch said:

Nonsense, a cannon is MUCH more fun, it's loud and smokey, so who cares that it was totally useless. Oh well, true they never actually got it flat on the ground, or cleaned up, but I guess production can finish it.

Which led me to wonder what they were using to load the cannon. You got me on that one...and (since I missed 90% of the episode) are the cats still around?But happy to hear the cow now has a good home.

[SRTouch]

2 hours ago, Beden said:

Which led me to wonder what they were using to load the cannon. You got me on that one...and (since I missed 90% of the episode) are the cats still around?But happy to hear the cow now has a good home.

Didn't see the cats. I've wondered before about them and gunpowder - like when The Extreme One was burning "X's" into that Extremely useless knifehandle. Really, I guess there's no such thing as she safety officer for that crew. I just always assumed they used smokeless powder cause it's safer than old fashioned black powder.

[brgjoe]

Did they ever get the chickens back?  And if so, where is NO-UH sleeping these days?

Once again, I bow to you SRTouch!  Thanks for watching it and reporting on the Browntown tomfoolery so we don't have to.   Thanks for taking one for the team!  :)

[Beden]

14 hours ago, SRTouch said:

I just always assumed they used smokeless powder cause it's safer than old fashioned black powder.

Oh dear...we know what happens when we assume....

One might assume that these morons would know how to secure a skiff so it doesn't disappear out to sea, that they'd check the depth before creating a ghost crab pot, that they might know how to bear proof their bear heavy home, that they know how to hunt, that they wouldn't end up needing air/sea rescue because they didn't remember where they left the crab pot, that they might suspect that a house made of saran wrap wouldn't be functional, that wearing constantly wet clothing (from swimming, sitting in the rain, neglecting to remove said clothes when wading in frigid streams or tide water) isn't the bestest idea ever.

I could go on and on as could we all.

[DoctorK]

Quote

assumed they used smokeless powder cause it's safer than old fashioned black powder.

Well, yes and no. Real black powder is risky to handle because it can be ignited by flame, static, impact, friction, etc. while modern smokeless propellants are far less likely to be initiated accidentally. On the other hand, in a confined space (e.g., a cannon barrel), smokeless propellants burn at a much faster rate than black powder, at higher temperatures and pressures. Many old black powder firearms have been blown up by people who loaded them with modern smokeless propellants. I sincerely hope the production people are aware of modern substitutiotes for real black powder such as Pyrodex, which are as safe to handle as smokeless propellants but have burn rates and temps consistent with black powder. There is also an issue that black powder charges are generally measured by volume and the same volume of modern smokeless propellant may generate a lot higher pressure than the same volume of black powder.  Oh well, enough pedantry for the day.

[jwc]

Well now the cow has a barn.  Not sure how bear-proof a tin sided shack is though.  Luckily they had all those milled 8 x 8's just laying around for the project.  Just like the sliced bread that was all ready when the butter was done.  Seriously that butter churn was the most over-engineered solution to a non-problem ever.

Congrats to Matt though for going out and getting Bambi.  Although unlike every other Alaska show with hunting, they evidently don't eat the heart or liver.  

[Beden]

7 hours ago, jwc said:

Congrats to Matt though for going out and getting Bambi.  Although unlike every other Alaska show with hunting, they evidently don't eat the heart or liver.  

And while I'm not a hunter, surely there are easier ways to transport a deer carcass over however many miles other than dragging it on the uneven, rocky ground in a tarp. With the added weight of the head attached. In the rain while wearing a blanket/poncho so long you trip over it.

And yes, aren't various innards full of various needed vitamins and not to be wasted when food is allegedly hard to obtain and you have 9 mouths to feed (assuming the production crew doesn't supply you with pringles and TV dinners while you're actually living in a heated, fully supplied lodge down the coast)?

As the good lord is my witness this is crossing the line to unwatchable. Seriously. All I could think of was the 'Alaskan Hillbillies' ala Jed Clampett and family.

[Rock knocker]

Dadgummit, I thought moment was right and the butter churning was going to morph into a Cialis™ momemt, or better yet, an actual paying Cialis™ commercial.

[DoctorK]

Quote

All I could think of was the 'Alaskan Hillbillies' ala Jed Clampett and family.

Except the Browns are pathetic instead of funny.

[iluvobx]

This show used to be great for the shits & giggles but no longer.  Not sure what happened last night as this put me to sleep.

If Discovery wants this show to continue, they need to figure something out because this is such a snoozefest and insulting.

[Mambo Gladys]

I am also tiring of this show. They have taken it too far trying to convince the audience how "wild" the family is. Everyone knows they are relatively up-to-date with modern things. Instead of lying to us about not even knowing what an iPhone is, why can't they just say that they don't have cell phones? That's probably still not true but it's at least conceivable.  

[SleepyAndClumsy]

The scene of Noah doing tai chi in the field gave me life.

[SRTouch]

4 hours ago, iluvobx said:

This show used to be great for the shits & giggles but no longer.  Not sure what happened last night as this put me to sleep.

If Discovery wants this show to continue, they need to figure something out because this is such a snoozefest and insulting.

Nah, it's educational. Here all this time I thought loud noises scared off bears, and now Matt tells us a gunshot is like a dinner bell. All this time I heard you're supposed to make noise so you won't startle the big grizz. Nope, for two weeks now the Brownclowns have shown us the RIGHT way... you're supposed to try to sneak up and yell BOO! I'm still not over Gabe holding the handgun pointed at Bear last week as they hid in the bushes watching the bear. 

Matt's great solo hunt has already been beat on quite sure bit, what with typical Brown hunting techniques and all, but I do have a question. I could have sworn last week Matt told us it was doe season, yet 3 days later he's hunting a buck - nah, must have heard wrong.

Final word on the drag vs carry on the way hone. I'm no hunter, either, but my understanding is that dragging your deer out of the woods is not unusual. Not the way Matt was doing it necessarily - he was making it way harder than it needed to be, but then just watch the Brown on their hauling jobs. Now, like someone said, he could have lost a lot of weight boning and quartering it, but then we're supposed to think they utilize the whole deer. When he first tried to put it over his shoulder and carry it I thought of the stories I've heard of hunters who were shot when another hunter saw them with a deer on their back, thinking they were seeing a deer walking through the woods. I had an uncle who was shot that way.

[AZChristian]

2 minutes ago, SRTouch said:

When he first tried to put it over his shoulder and carry it I thought of the stories I've heard of hunters who were shot when another hunter saw them with a deer on their back, thinking they were seeing a deer walking through the woods. I had an uncle who was shot that way.

But was your uncle surrounded by a camera crew in an area that was not available to the general public - like Browntown?  

[Beden]

The other thing which vaguely caught my attention was Billy crowing on about how that now they have a cow and they'll be self-sustaining and Browntown is a real town and blahblahblah...wasn't that the exact same line he spouted when they got the chickens? And we've seen how long they lasted. Mayhaps Gabe could use the cow's soon to be deserted paddock as his new house since his was squashed by a tree....(ala his baby bro Noah living in the chicken coop).

 

Dumber and dumber.

[iluvobx]

16 hours ago, SleepyAndClumsy said:

The scene of Noah doing tai chi in the field gave me life.

I will admit, that was funny as shit watching that.  Just proved what a really big dumbass he truly is.

[SRTouch]

14 hours ago, AZChristian said:

But was your uncle surrounded by a camera crew in an area that was not available to the general public - like Browntown?  

Ah, the camera crew. Maybe Matt isn't such a terrible hunter with that mob crashing through the brush scaring every critter within mile.... nah, I still think he a bad hunter. 

Anoyher way you can tell the real hunters who have camera crews following them around... they look ready to shoot the cameraman when he scares away the game. I'm totally fine with shows staging hunting scenes, because any hunt must be incredibly more difficult with someone following you around.

[AZChristian]

1 hour ago, SRTouch said:

Ah, the camera crew. Maybe Matt isn't such a terrible hunter with that mob crashing through the brush scaring every critter within mile.... nah, I still think he a bad hunter. 

Anoyher way you can tell the real hunters who have camera crews following them around... they look ready to shoot the cameraman when he scares away the game. I'm totally fine with shows staging hunting scenes, because any hunt must be incredibly more difficult with someone following you around.

I was watching "The Last Alaskans" the other day.  The guy on there was REALLY hunting to feed his family.  As he got out of his skiff to approach the animal he had seen, he said to the cameraman, "Stay in the boat and don't make any noise."  So the video was of the back of the hunter as he quietly approached the game - but we all felt invested in being quiet so he could feed his family.

Now THAT'S how you know the show is real.

[SRTouch]

6 minutes ago, AZChristian said:

I was watching "The Last Alaskans" the other day.  The guy on there was REALLY hunting to feed his family.  As he got out of his skiff to approach the animal he had seen, he said to the cameraman, "Stay in the boat and don't make any noise."  So the video was of the back of the hunter as he quietly approached the game - but we all felt invested in being quiet so he could feed his family.

Now THAT'S how you know the show is real.

Yeah, I remember a scene where someone, could have been Last Alaskans or maybe Life Below Zero, told the camera joker to stay back and not move. As I recall he was carefully edging up to scout for mountain sheep. Anyway, cameraman did not follow directions, moved to get a better angle... sheep were out of there. You could almost see the steam coming out of the hunter's ears as he paused to cool down before saying anything, then said we might as well climb back down the mountain because they weren't going to get close enough for a shot.

[roundtheworld]

When Ami was talking about running low on food and gathering some things in a bowl I could swear I saw a banana or plantain in her hand. Whichever it was I'm sure it didn't grow locally, unless they want us to believe there is a large greenhouse supplying tropical fruit and we just happened not to hear about it.

[SRTouch]

23 minutes ago, roundtheworld said:

When Ami was talking about running low on food and gathering some things in a bowl I could swear I saw a banana or plantain in her hand. Whichever it was I'm sure it didn't grow locally, unless they want us to believe there is a large greenhouse supplying tropical fruit and we just happened not to hear about it.

Nah, no greenhouse needed, just take it from the breakfast buffet at the Lodge before you leave for the set.??

[SRTouch]

Sooo, other day I sort scoffed at Matt's claim that gunshots have turned into some sort bear dinnerbell. Hmmm, just watched last night's episode of Last Frontier, and by golly heard the same thing. So, off to google I go, and by gum, if it isn't true. Turns out bears have figured out a gunshot often means food, so more and more they come to check it out.

Edited January 17, 2017 by SRTouch
Wording changed

[Beden]

That's the other thing about bears people seem to forget; they're smart. There was an incident around my area a year or so ago--a man was hiking with his kids, stepped over a fallen log right onto a sleeping bear. The bear, not surprisingly, wasn't happy and bit his leg. The man ended up being fine, maybe a couple of stitches and the general sympathy was with the bear. You know--watch where you're stepping and, in this case, the bear had a good point. He/she was left alone--no hunting, no tagging, no relocation.

But I'm afraid I have to reiterate; This mess is becoming (has become?) unwatchable scripted crap.

[Blondie]

10 hours ago, SRTouch said:

Sooo, other day I sort scoffed at Matt's claim that gunshots have turned into some sort bear dinnerbell. Hmmm, just watched last night's episode of Last Frontier, and by golly heard the same thing. So, off to google I go, and by gum, if it isn't true. Turns out bears have figured out a gunshot often means food, so more and more they come to check it out.

I'm sure by now production and the Browns have googled a lot of stuff hoping to look more authentic.

[AZChristian]

42 minutes ago, Blondie said:

I'm sure by now production and the Browns have googled a lot of stuff hoping to look more authentic.

Yep . . . because they ALL (production and the Browns) have iPhones.

[clod]

this internet thing,..... is that where they learned that "tai chi"  was an authentic activity for bush people with no knowledge of the outside world?

 

imagine those poor production assistants that have to watch thousands of bush-league youtube videos to find something suitable.

Edited January 17, 2017 by clod

[SRTouch]

Tonight is all about making Browntown truly self-sufficient. We start out with Bear and Rainy out chasing escaped chickens. Yep, a new batch of chickens are here. Guess Noah refused to give up the coop. The new coop is a simple A-frame, down by Sabrina the cow, which appears to be mismatched left over metal roof panels and some chicken wire. They've gone from massive overkill with the last coop to flimsy next to nothing with the new one.

Next little snippet, Bear goes all extreme putting muddy old wrestling mat on the benches where the Browns gather for the meetings in the rain and mud. Just a short little bit, mainly so Bear can get all muddy. Next step for the old mud hole - how bout a tarp and some drainage ditches... nah, they like sitting around in their wet outfits pretending to be in the bush.

As everybody else is working, Billy is walking the beach thinking up the next big project - a wind turbine to replace the generator so they can get away from the need to travel all those treacherous miles for fuel. Looks like this promises to be a multi-episode project. Tonight was all about building a base out of logs. Ah, it was great, as it involved digging a hole, blasting a rock with gunpowder taken from bullets, and actually breaking the no mechanical advantage rule when they broke out a chainsaw winch. Course, as they're digging I can't help but notice Billy using the one-handed fake shovel method, and Bear doing extreme digging with a square shovel with old splintered wooden handle. No need for anyone to wear gloves or remove their rings as they dig and hoist away on ropes - well, Bear has his extreme fingerless gloves.

While one bunch of the clan is doing the turbine bit, Matt and Bam head to the dump to find the parts needed for to make a Browntown turbine. Who knew, you don't need all that fancy high dollar stuff, just visit the dump and you can have your own wind farm. Well, not really, they struck out on turbine parts, but Matt found all he needed to built a portable band saw sawmill. Hey, it's lightweight, will probably be all warped and out of shape before the second log, but it does sort of look like a real mill. Well, he calls it an alaskan sawmill where I would have just said a portable band saw mill - but I guess that's just semantics. I always thought an alaskan mill used a chainsaw,  where the bandsaw mill is heavier, more powerful, cuts bigger logs... well maybe with that little engine and flimsy metal and wood frame... anyway, he manages to make a couple passes to level two sides - we'll have to check back in future episodes to see if he's figured out how to square it up and make dimensional lumber, assuming he can adjust the height to control the thickness of the planks.

That's about it, except for a new love interest for Noah. We get another example of his flowery flowing letter writing skills worthy of any 2nd grader. Yep, they've hired another lower 48 girl to appear as his latest love interest. We'll have to wait a day or two to find out if she's another failed actress or just a girl who wanted to get on tv. First impression - she was more believable than the San Diego actress. But then they didn't have Noah take her to the coop... she did get tai chi lessons from the master, though.

Next week looks to be something new and unusual. They hop on the Integrity... AND THEY MAY ALL GO DOWN!!! In a storm.

Edited January 19, 2017 by SRTouch
Wording changed

[brgjoe]

Thanks again for the summary, SRTouch!

I was flipping between that and a couple of other channels.  Probably saw all of 15 minutes of this episode.  So now they have chickens again, eh?  Or were those the same ones they shipped off to someone else for "safe keeping" last season?  I did see some of those idiots trying to build that wind turbine.   That will make them so self sufficient....SURE it will... It will probably topple the first time a decent thunderstorm heads their way.

I finally bailed when No-UH was showing off his Tai Chi skills to his newest "soulmate".  Will you mind telling me how these people who supposedly live in the bush can become Tai Chi experts?  Did Yogi Bear teach them or something?  Well, I guess he is smarter than the average bear, y'know. 

And you knew our Bear would be playing with the mud it would be....EXTREME!  

Ugh.

This show is becoming so silly and cheesy that it's even tough for me to hate-watch anymore.  So thanks for the summary so I didn't have to watch the whole darn thing, SRTouch!

[SRTouch]

Well, if you watched 15 minutes you probably saw all the new film - well, I guess only if you happened to get the right 15 minutes. Not sure, but I think we even got a rerun of the Copper River Valley cabin - remember, the one they abandoned because it was too cold - err... I mean someone shot at them in the night - or a neighbor shot fireworks at a camera helicopter.

[brgjoe]

I didn't see the beginning with the chickens.  Did they say where they came from?  Also didn't see if either Matt's chainsaw/mill thingie was successful or the Brownstown Boobs ever got that tower for the wind turbine to finally stand.   Just didn't really care at that point.

Getting back to the chickens, wonder how they will protect them from the wildlife too.   Is Noahdivinci creating some sort of electrified fence to ward off said wildlife?

[Beden]

Oy. The whole episode just...oy.

The lumber mill. Uh-huh. I just kept noticing that it seemed to maybe be on the beach or some similar space, out in the open, no protection from rain or wind, miles from anywhere which might be convenient and likely going to warp in the next rain storm.

Of course I was also reading a book during this so I probably missed the really, really important parts. I did catch that Matt was proud of being back after his rehab and able to contribute. It's a good thing if his problems really are in remission but...oy. Did he cash a paycheck while he missed episodes? I guess that would depend on his contract.

[Rock knocker]

How long before the actress playing Noah's girlfriend freaks out at his inability to speak English?  He can't even say similar (there's no u in it you idiot!)

 

No Ami at all in this episode.

Edited January 19, 2017 by Rock knocker

[Rock knocker]

And the tower.....

 

Why do all that with a dog underfoot?  That's just dangerous and imperils the poor pooch, cause they don't know what "run like hell" means.  Did you notice that they got the tower up about 40%, into a rickety and unsafe position, and then they all congratulated themselves and called it good.

[SRTouch]

47 minutes ago, Rock knocker said:

And the tower.....

 

Why do all that with a dog underfoot?  That's just dangerous and imperils the poor pooch, cause they don't know what "run like hell" means.  Did you notice that they got the tower up about 40%, into a rickety and unsafe position, and then they all congratulated themselves and called it good.

Or that in a couple long shots you can see the remains of the mouldy beach shed, still not fully collapsed, under the fallen tree. Thought it was a big danger that was going to fall in on Cupcake one day. Just think, with Matt's new mill they could make planks of that downed tree and put a wood deck around the mud hole with the benches (which now have fancy blue cushions, thanks to Bear).

Edited January 19, 2017 by SRTouch
Wording changed

[SRTouch]

7 hours ago, Beden said:

The lumber mill. Uh-huh. I just kept noticing that it seemed to maybe be on the beach or some similar space, out in the open, no protection from rain or wind, miles from anywhere which might be convenient and likely going to warp in the next rain storm.

Guess one of the reasons I watch, besides the obvious, is that it makes me think of what REAL off grid homesteaders would do. Yes both the windmill and sawmill are legitimate projects. In fact, I read that wind power is a big thing in Alaska, and have seen it in a couple other of the Alaska shows. Course, as usual, Billy's plans for a homemade 5kW wind turbine are way out there. 

Way back when they traveled to make planks with an alaskan chainsaw sawmill a light went off and I thought, what a great idea. They have all those trees, lots of them already down. Some of them maybe not already rotting, a usable resource. I did some time on Google and found that lots of folks do just that, selectively turn their trees into dimensional lumber, both for themselves and to sell. Course, one of the selling points with a chainsaw mill is that it's lightweight and easy to move, you can take it into the woods and cut your logs into lumber - so why did they have to haul their logs across the perilous seas - oh, for the show.

Oh, you might be wondering what my obvious reason for watching is. Well, you see I always liked the Three Stooges, Gilligan Island, Green Acres - those type comedies. So, while the idea of the saw mill makes sense, Matt's is more comedic than useful. As you say, out on the tidal flats instead of protected with a few sheds nearby where the cut wood could dry before being used or sold. Then, the lightweight metal and wood would warp after the first heavy log, or, just as likely just collapse. Naw, his version is sort of a leggo mill - it looks like a mill, but is only for show. A real lightweight bandsaw mill would weigh in at a few hundred pounds and be cheap at a couple thousand bucks new. As I recall, last time around they just cut planks with the chainsaw mill, instead of turning the log a couple times and cutting the log into a rectangle so they end up with true dimensional lumber. Not sure how marketable green lumber would be, though... they need those drying sheds.

Anybody else wonder about the great find of a working scooter at the dump? Geez, all that thing needed was a cleaned carb and a little gas, and it starts right up. Tires were flat, but didn't even appear to be worn that much. Ah, the luck of the Browns. And I guess the locals tossed a usable blade, too - those things can't be cheap. Same thing with Billy's wind turbine. Yes, a 5kW turbine is doable, but it ain't cheap, nor something even the Professor would be able to do from parts at the dump - he'd need, at least, some coconuts.

Edited January 19, 2017 by SRTouch
Spelling

[SRTouch]

On 1/19/2017 at 5:27 AM, brgjoe said:

I didn't see the beginning with the chickens.  Did they say where they came from?  Also didn't see if either Matt's chainsaw/mill thingie was successful or the Brownstown Boobs ever got that tower for the wind turbine to finally stand.   Just didn't really care at that point.

Getting back to the chickens, wonder how they will protect them from the wildlife too.   Is Noahdivinci creating some sort of electrified fence to ward off said wildlife?

Nope, very short clip, mainly so the extreme 29yo could run around chasing the birds. Hopefully, the chickens are another short term lease, and will go home after a quick day or so of filming. Couldn't really tell, but looked like a simple A-frame covered in tin sitting on the ground with cheap chicken wire on the ends. No nesting boxes and next to nothing for protection. Guess no one told these guys, but that type wire does nothing to keep out predators. Course once the mill is in full operation there will plenty of lumber to built a proper coop.

Edited January 20, 2017 by SRTouch
Clarification

[Sup wit dat]

3 hours ago, SRTouch said:

Nope, very short clip, mainly so the extreme 29yo could run around chasing the birds. Hopefully, the chickens are another short term lease, and will go home after a quick day or so of filming. Couldn't really tell, but looked like a simple a frame covered in tin sitting on the ground with cheap chicken wire on the ends. No nesting boxes and next to nothing for protection. Guess no one told these guys, but that type wire does nothing to keep out predators. Course once the mill is in full operation there will plenty of lumber to built a proper coop.

@SRTouch I can't stop laughing.  I hope you keep watching because your recaps and comments are freakin' hilarious!

I was about to delete the timer on my dvr because I was getting tired of saying "WTF" to my tv, but reading the comments on this forum make it worth watching.

Edited to add:  after Bear's extreme awesome explosion to clear the rock(s) from the hole for the wind turbine base, there wasn't any rock removed. They also showed an aerial shot and there weren't any rocks laying around looking like they had just been removed from the ground.  It looks like after the fail explosion they threw dirt in to cover the rock back up and called it a day.

Edited January 20, 2017 by Sup wit dat

[Sup wit dat]

On 1/5/2017 at 7:13 AM, iluvobx said:

I curious as to when Hoohan became 3 hours by boat instead of 1 hour.  Such bullshit in the episode.

Poor Sabrina, the owners should be shot for allowing the Browns/production use her.  

The production and Browns act like there is no one else on Chichagof Island.  Dr. Oakley, Yukon Vet show had her going to a farm on Chichagof.  It seems that it was a cow farm (I could be wrong about the animals), but Dr. Oakley went.

I also would like to know that if they work so hard and don't have that much to eat, why then is Billy and No-all so damn fat?  Bird has put on a lot of weight also.

I noticed that, too!

[Beden]

9 hours ago, Sup wit dat said:

I also would like to know that if they work so hard and don't have that much to eat, why then is Billy and No-all so damn fat?  Bird has put on a lot of weight also.

Because the vending machines back at the lodge where they really live are kept fully stocked...I mean...like, duh! (okay, that was snarky, I admit it--true though it likely is).

[iluvobx]

1 hour ago, Beden said:

Because the vending machines back at the lodge where they really live are kept fully stocked...I mean...like, duh! (okay, that was snarky, I admit it--true though it likely is).

:D  Nothing wrong with snark.....  love it

As I said, it's getting harder to watch just for the shits & giggles aspect.