Comments

Episode-1031- Listener Calls for 11-30-12 — 42 Comments

  1. Ha, I live in AZ and our state legislature just made it legal to hunt with AR-10s (semi auto high capacity mags) 🙂 One good thing about living here.

  2. Im no expert, but my experience with my blueberry plants has been that they need consistent water more than purely acidic soil. I hooked up a rain barrel to drip irrigation that is always on and buried underneath mulch/pine needles. It works great. For what its worth 🙂

  3. Jack, your situational awareness segment was spot on. Just yesterday I was on my way downtown and a route I take maybe 3 times a month. I spotted a vagrants tent setup along side the expressway, high up in some vegetation, right in the middle of the city. It even included a military style 3D cammo net. Very creative, very through. I am sure 99.5% of motorist never see it.

    Thanks for the tips; they will help me get my kids more situationally aware.

    • I agree. Excellent segment. My son’s boy scout troop did and excercize similar to this at their last meeting. While they were all working on their knot tying, the scoutmaster had his friend come in unannounce, walked past them all talking (words to the beatles “yesterday”) and walk out. He was only there for a minute or less. Once he walked out and they were all confused, they were given a peice of paper and a pen to write down every detail they could remember, hair color, height, weight, clothes, what he said etc. The scout with the most details won a small prize.

  4. Jack thanks for taking the time to answer my question. It really comes down to the last thing you said. You have to trust your gut. I have been doing a lot of soul searching and active duty isn’t in the cards for my family. We came up with a better solution. We are selling our house -to free up more income to pay down our debt- and moving in with her parents. Not glamorous but we would have to sell our house if I went on active duty anyway. I have good potential for a new job, and have a business we are building as well.
    Thanks for all you do jack! I love the show, even when some things you say piss me off ( aka question a deep seated belief I hold dear )

  5. My father has been a builder in south Texas for 40 yrs, and he and other partners have looked into or tried different types of framing and modular construction and came to this conclusion. On site stick frame construction down here (labor is cheap here) is still the most cost effective. For energy efficiency, once you have wiring and plumbing in, then spray foam the crap out of it. 6 in outer walls with spray foam works great.

  6. To the guy that was thinking about joining the military full time. I wont say no don’t do it and I wont say yes. What I am saying is you are already serving. a n d..

    I can’t begin to tell you how difficult it was for me with my 2 very young boys when my husband would not come home. There were times he would be sent out with his plane. He was not allowed to call me. He just didn’t show up after work. I never knew where he was how long he would be gone. There were times he would just disappear for a few days to months at a time. Some times I was lucky and he would sneak off to call me or his boss would happen to stop buy for some coffee or beer. The stopping was code. The beverage was code. I can tell you it was very very hard. That was during peace time. I can’t imagine what people are going through now. I still get choked up when I think about it.

    On the up side military people are different and very tight. They look out for each other. That is good and that is bad. You are gone your wife is home. Both of you are alone scared and can’t be with each other. Others are there to lean on what happens? You need to be able to decide what is what or your marriage will be destroyed.

    After 8 yrs hubby decided to get out. With the boys growing up they needed their dad. It was very difficult for him to be dad when he was gone. When he came back after just a few months it was very hard on hubby to get back in rhythm of the family. The boys still would come to me. That was very hard on my husband. Again I couldn’t imagine how it would have been if he had been gone a year or two at a time.

    It was a good thing that I had to learn how to stand on my own two feet. Yet in a way some 25+ yrs later I still stand on my own maybe a bit too much. Makes it hard. So you both really need to think about it long and hard. The good the bad & the ugly. Then do what is best for you.

  7. Regarding burying fuel containers. If you are going to do this I would consider burying a larger container and placing the fuel container inside. The reason is when you go to dig it up, you do not want to hit that plastic container with a shovel. Also, as the earth settles in around your container it is going to get pretty tight. As such you will have to dig up almost the entire container before you will be able to remove it from the hole. Storing a smaller container inside a larger one reduces the risk of puncturing your fuel container while you are digging it up and you only have to dig to the lid of the larger container to get the smaller one out.

  8. Jack, just wondering if you are taking your greenhouse to your new place. If not have you considered donating it to a listener. Hate to see it go to waste. NO I don’t need it back but it might be a nice item to donate to a local school if not a listener. Hope you got a chance to enjoy it. Steve

  9. Any body have the link to the web site for the less expensive glasses? I didn’t catch the name even after listening a few times. Thanks

  10. Great show, as usual! Another good place to get eyeglasses online is coastal.com; my wife and I got our frames for free and anti-glare/anti-scratch lenses for about $25 a pair. Delivery time was phenomenal too.

    Unrelatedly, I’ve heard very good things about cob construction, particularly in arid regions. I imagine it might lead you to the same problems with selling that earthship etc. would, but I’m aware of very little that matches cob in thermal mass and overall longevity. Any thoughts?

  11. Beware of Remington AR-10 platform. I had one, extremely heavy, 20 inch barrel was unbalanced heavy at the muzzle. Research online and lots of complaints on the AR-10 in Remingtom.

    Also, the AR-10 platform I had by Remington R-25 was made by DPMS and it consistently jammed with factory ammunition and I attempted various different types and it failed.

    I sent it back to Remington and they did absolutely no modification, or actually fixed it. The camo finish was terrible, and already peeling in areas.

    Also, the AR-10 platform is loud in charging the handle in the field which could bother you if you are used to carrying a bolt action around without a round in the hole.

    I had to sell it back to the original seller at a major loss.

  12. First, I was so glad to hear a very sensible answer about colloidal silver. It’s pained me in previous podcasts to hear some of the claims about it.

    Secondly, can anyone here tell me how to clean out an old metal fuel can that held a fuel/oil mixture? I want to put just gas in it but am worried about getting out the previous mixture. Any input, anyone?

  13. A Marlin 1894C 357 Mag lever action carbine is perfect for dropping deer and game and the tube load by passes the high capaciety mag rule. Plus you don’t have to wait till its empty to reload it. Or if you want to drop larger animals a 30-30 carbine with some high quality ammo. September 2011 shooting times has a great article about dropping Black bears with 30-30 ammo.

    When it comes to building a energy home the keys are sealing the building envelope, Making sure the the HVAC system is balanced and delivers even airflow and pressure and the ductwork is sealed with a insulation level of R8 min. Loading the inside with thermal mass to absorb both the heat and cold in the respective seasons. Also consider paint additives that form thermal boundries. Consider passive heating and cooling systems as well as building placement. Avoid construction methods that allow for thermal bridging. Also consider using advanced framing techniques that reduce thermal bridging and allow for more R value. I strongly suggest that you consult with a builder that is both BPI and LEED certified. If you want to incorperate Renewable energy systems make sure you deal with a NABCEP certified professional. I hold both BPI and NABCEP certifications and am a Journey-level tradesman.

  14. Jack I have to disagree with you on colloidal silver, I have been making and taking it daily for more than 10 years and I have never been sick in all those years, I work in the public 6 days a week and I’m around people all day, people have the flu and sneeze on me cough on me all the time and I never get the flu. my GF works in the public as well, seeing 100’s of customers a day and she doesn’t take it daily, she gets then flu several times a year, I give her the colloidal silver I make and in less than 2 days her flu is gone completely! You had a guest here a while back that told you his #1 survival medicine was C.S. I understand it is over hyped, but, for viral infections such as cold and flu, there is nothing on the planet better, this isn’t coming from anything I have read just personal experience

  15. After listening to today’s show it’s obvious that you need a monocle. After you start wearing it, you should put TSP monocles in the gear shop. The world needs more monocles.

    • Bleh. Can’t edit a post. Should say “it’s obvious that you need a monocle.”

      Also, I looked at the foam and steel construction. Looks very interesting, but the company obviously has no clue how to market. Their website has no e-mail address or contact form; only a phone number. They have no, “I’m interested in Step-tech home.” They have no sample floor plans, “These homes have already been built order it for $xxxx.” or click here to customize these plans.

      • I’ll fix your typo for you. If anyone knows a good “edit comments” plugin for wordpress let me know.

        On the housing understand that one company is not the only foam and steel company, I just used that video because it explained the concept well. You are right though as a matter of course foam and steel has not been marketed well. Had I not seen in when working with Mr. Bowles as I mentioned in the episode I would have to say I wouldn’t even know about it.

  16. Thanks for answering my gun question, Jack. I hunted and shot a lot when I was a kid, then moved to the city for ten years. Now, I’m living in the country again and getting back into it all, along with practical survivalism, gardening, and small livestock. I never did hunted big game, and with the finances I grew up with, “machine guns” were something only the military had. I had an opportunity to rent and shoot an M4 up here and it was cool as hell, and I am hell bent on getting one some day. However I had a .22 carbine when I was a kid and loved it, so I might go for the carbine you recomended. Either way, I’m sure if it were legal and you were to to outfit an AR for hunting, it would be just as cost effective to get an AR, keep it simple,and then get some kind of rifle in the $400 range. Two is one, one is none, right? Thanks again for taking my question, and not ripping me arart for being an amateur. That’s the true sign of a good teacher. Again, I’m dieing with anticipation for the Steven Harris battery bank show.

  17. Jack, thank you for not slamming us doctors into the ground and giving us a little slack on this one (munchausen question). I’ve been an MSB member for a few months and working to keep up on current podcasts as well as catch up on all of them from the beginning. I’ve been in the operating room, doing surgery on a patient that I love and care for, listening to your podcast on a small shuffle (yes, I can operate and listen at the same time. Not much different than driving and recording podcasts I suppose. If one has to concentrate that much on what one is doing, one probably shouldn’t be doing it without supervision, right?). Anyway, sometimes you can be pretty hard on the medical community and though I know there are a lot of goofballs out there, just as in any profession, most of us really give a crap and want the best for our patients. God knows we aint doin’ it for the money! Our hands are tied behind our backs on most everything we do. Insurance companies feel that they know what is best for our patients and require us to get “permission” for nearly every test and procedure. Respect and admire you very much; cutting up any profession or industry as a whole (except maybe attorneys….kidding) can ruin credibility. Keep up the spectacular work and thank you again. MJ

    • Hell blaming Docs for the medical industry mess is like blaming soldiers and marines for the fact that we were LIED to by the president and the military industrial complex about weapons of mass destruction in Iraq and for the subsequent invasion on false pretenses.

      I am quite hostile to the modern medical industry but don’t hold 99% of doctors responsible for it. I just wish more of you guys would start to learn the truth about things like vaccines, drugs, etc. Every Doctor out there should read the work of Doctors Joesph Mercola, Michael and Jan Eades, Andrew Weil, and Deepak Chopra. I never expect you guys to listen to a laymen about medicine but those 5 folks are all quite astute MDs and they all speak the truth.

      If every Doc out there would read the work of these people the industry would change. One Doc can’t change an entire industry but few tens of thousands could. You guys are like the voters of this nation, you do have the power to change things you have just lost touch with your collective power.

    • I was talking to a nurse the other day and it occurred to me that ‘our’ crisis is that ‘our’ systems are no longer under our control or of benefit to us. Two quick examples:

      1) Medical/Health System – Bad for doctors, bad for nurses, bad for patients, good for corporations (who don’t need health care as they’re not human).

      2) Education System – Bad for teachers, bad for students, bad for parents. Good for corporations (who don’t need an education, as they’re not human).

      (You can insert ‘non-human person’ for corporation to encompass ‘unions’ and ‘governments’. In all 3 cases, they’re non-human organisms, without human survival needs (think cancer))

      • As an add on..

        ‘Safety Nazism’ is a product of the insurance industry (it reduces their need to payout). Not being a dumb ass is fine.. needing a $100k bridge to cross 1″ of water.. not so much.

        Our latest building code here (CA) says that if you do ANY remodeling of your home, which in our town could mean replacing your front door, you need to install a fire sprinkler system in the entire house. Yes. Really.

        So you either remodel ‘illegally’ or you let your house molder away.

        I won’t even get into our cities latest bright idea to reduce fires.. cut down every tree within 100′ of any building, or we’ll heavily fine you until you do. Sounds great until you realize that would mean cutting down almost EVERY TREE in the entire city (there would be no trees within several miles of my house, and none in my yard). Its basically a ‘bully law’.. not enforced until you ‘step out of line’.

  18. You mentioned reclaiming lead from a shooting berm. On jacketed rounds: once the lead melts, the copper jackets float to the top and are easy to skim off. Keep being awesome, Jack!

  19. Jack: Just listened to your response to the young man considering going active duty. Your response was exactly what I was thinking. While it also pains me to say no to a young person wanting to serve our Country but the points you made were spot on.

    My enlistment age and time in the Army are almost identical to yours, just a few years later. I was married and divorced by 21. Luckily no kids involved. I also met my current wife (just celebrated our 12 anniversary in a deer blind in northern Michigan) when we served together. Mine is not an isolated story, a coworkers son, an active Marine, just went through the same thing.

    If I was single I would still be in. It takes a very special spouse to put up with the bull shit and sadly many are not up to it. If someone wants to serve I will never tell them no. However my usual speech is to take advantage of the education opportunities while you are active, save some damn money and see things you will likely never get to see again.

  20. One Zenni’s site is the ability to order single vision glasses where the prescription is just for reading. In effect what I want is the entire lens to be just the reading portion of my bifocals.

    I asked Zenni (via their chat feature) about this and here’s their response:

    Topic: I’m looking for a single vision lens for reading, that it lenses that have my reading prescription over the entire lens rather than just in the bifocal area. I don’t see that option on your site. Is it available?
    A representative will be connected, please be patient.
    Sara enters the chatroom.
    Sara 11:40:20 PM
    Hello Rich,
    In order to get reading glasses, take the ADD number and add it to the SPH number. Enter the new total in the SPH and do this for both eyes. Remember that the CYL and AXIS don’t change so enter them exactly as they are written. And reduce the PD by 3mm.
    Rich 11:42:39 PM
    so lets see if I have this correct my left eye is -8.25 and the reading prescription is +2.25 so the adjusted prescription should be -6.00 is that correct?
    Sara 11:43:08 PM
    correct
    Rich 11:43:17 PM
    thanks
    Sara 11:43:38 PM
    You’re welcome!

  21. You can hunt in NH with a semi-auto rifle as long as the magazine capacity is no more than 5 rounds this does not apply to game hunting with a 22 rimfire per the 2012 New Hampshire Hunting Digest which is available online as a pdf the info is on page15 second column.

    • Papi
      Do you have any suggestions for a good inexpensive semi auto rifle for moose up here? I’m just getting my feet wet. Thanks.

      • Assuming he is right (I didn’t verify but perhaps I looked up Vermont for some reason when I got your call) you need to look at the ballistic requirement on Moose and I am going to say 30-06 level performance is the minimum on such a large animal. So we are talking 308 or 30-06 as the most common rounds that will do that. For a good semi auto mil spec weapon we end up with

        AR-10
        FN-FAL
        M1A
        M1Garand

        As what would most likely fit the bill.

        An AR15 is not going to be a responsible choice, a 223 does not make a responsible Moose Killer. Nor would an AK with the 7.62×39 you are at sub 30-30 performance there.

        This also opens another “sporting option” the brother of the Remington 7600 (pump) is the Remington 7400 (semi auto) you can get it in 06 and 270 and both are up to the task. Used ones will cost less at a Gun show then any of the milspec options in good shape. They are a hell of a lot lighter then the FN or M1s as well.

        • Thanks so much, Jack. I really appreciate the advice and the time you have spent on this. Luckily there is a gun show coming up just in time for my birthday. Hmmm.

  22. RE Lead reclaimed from a backstop

    As noted above, the jackets float to the top once the lead melts out. Even with FMJ this isn’t a problem. There is a myth of “exploding” jacketed bullets in the melt but it is just that. The jackets are thin and compromised upon impact so don’t sweat it.

    You can melt anything in the berm but can divide into two groups if you wish to influence the ned product of the melt
    group one would be hard cast lead bullets
    group two would be everything else: 22s, fmj, hp, and black powder bullets
    Group one could be processed and recast as is without need to add any alloy to harden up for most applications
    Group two would be soft lead, likely almost pure lead and depending on your application might need addition of a little linotype or similar to use as a “standard” cast bullet alloy. Or, it could probably be used for black powder as is.
    I’ve experimented with “bermining” more than I usually care to admit. 😉

  23. Regarding “Munchhausen by Proxy” that’s the first I’ve heard of that condition. Funny thing is that my boss seems to have that thing with his business. Whenever thing are going really well, and he’s about to start making some real money, he either manufactures some form of interpersonal drama or jumps into bed with some B to B business deal that ends up being all cost with shallow returns. It seems he’s unable to just chill out and let his successful business make him money.

  24. I am so mad at myself for not getting in on time for the Geoff Lawton Consulting on Jack’s new place. The fact there is going to be a video has me completely pumped though. I am closing on my property the middle of December just East of Dallas. Here is the dilemma. I want to start quickly and follow Jack’s advice of starting with the “backbone” of the permaculture. Ponds and swales. However I think there are tons of things to learn from Jack since his being not very far geographically from me. Should I wait and just attack the annual garden, Zone I stuff or find a consultant who specializes in Earth works? Please advise me TSP community.

  25. Jack you were spot on regarding your response to the young man contemplating going regular service. I hadn’t thought about those scenarios of young couples and the military for years, but as soon as you started talking about it, twenty different stories sprang to mind. That was the most reasoned and succinct response to that question I’ve ever heard anyone give.

  26. I have not heard of colloidal silver being pushed as a cancer cure, but who knows. I did hear it was recommended for a possible swine flu scare a few years ago for those who don’t want the vaccine. I agree that alcohol applied to the skin may be different than drinking it, but I didn’t see how that in itself is proof that ingesting some colloidal silver might not work as I don’t know enough about it. Truly unbiased research into areas of alt medicine seems lacking so we are left to our own to figure it out.

  27. I guess because silver is a mineral and the body needs or uses different minerals in ways I don’t fully understand, yet minerals are important and apparently silver has these properties as well. To my mind that may make it different than alcohol, which alcohol is not a mineral .. so I am not sure on that ..