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Episode-1100- Listener Calls for 3-29-13

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Join Me Today as I Answer Your eMails

Join Me Today as I Answer Your Calls

Today on The Survival Podcast I take your calls on “woody beds”, food forests, hydration, livestock, water rights, egg fertility,  technology, salt, protection, fungal inoculation more .

Remember to be on a show like this one just pick up your phone and call 866-65-THINK. The best way to improve your chances of being on the air is ask your question or make your point up front, then provide details.

Also please do your best to call from a quite area with a good connection and speak up so you can be well heard. I can’t put all calls on the air but I do my best to get most of them on.

Join Me Today As I Respond to Your Calls and Discuss…

  • Is nitrogen loss a concern with woody beds
  • Is it possible to actually drink to much water
  • Thoughts when starting construction of a food forest
  • Dealing with to much manure in a roosting area
  • Thoughts on water rights on a property
  • How long do hens remain fertile after breeding with a rooster
  • Objectivist vs. libertarian does it matter in the self sufficiency world
  • PC vs. Mac and why
  • The real way illegal immigration suppresses wages in the US
  • No till, no herbicide hay, yep it is being done and very well
  • What causes some compost to become hydrophobic and how do you fix it
  • Thoughts on the production of salt
  • What should an ex convict do for personal protection
  • The value of “fungal inoculation” in food production systems

Resources for today’s show…

Remember to comment, chime in and tell us your thoughts, this podcast is one man’s opinion, not a lecture or sermon. Also please enter our listener appreciation contest and help spread the word about our show. Also remember you can call in your questions and comments to 866-65-THINK and you might hear yourself on the air.

 

Comments

Episode-1100- Listener Calls for 3-29-13 — 42 Comments

  1. On drinking water: Book by F. Batmanghelidj, MD. “You’re Not Sick, You’re Thiirsty!” Water for Health, for Healing, for Life

    Very interesting book. I can say I have had people with back pain headaches and aches and pains come see me. Many many times I will have them drink water and then recommend that they drink 1/2 oz per pound of body weight as a norm. More if they are working hard or under stress. Surprise the issues they had go away.

    Of course don’t think this is the miracle cure all. But it such a simple thing to do and cheap why not give it a try. Your energy goes up your skin looks better and many times it can get rid of headaches bad breath and …. If you are normally healthy this is not going to hurt you. Just like with the recommended daily allowances on nutrients recommendations being low so was the old stand by of water. And NO ice cubes in a bourbon do not count as water. LOL

    I think gardeners can get the whole point behind the what’s what. Your plants can grow and do ok with low watering. But you really see a big difference when they have ample water CONSISTENTLY. Then in times of drought they fair far better than those that mainly look heathy just not as robust as they could be. Same with how a plant looks when it starts to wilt from lack of water. It can perk up and look 100% better with a good soaking but will never be as healthy productive or disease resistant as a plant that gets regular watering. I figure the body is pretty much like that. course I am not a Dr. It’s just what I have observed.

    this is also on a normal average day to day basically healthy person. If you have been in 120F in a chem. suit for a while most likely chugging a plain cold water would not be the best. Just like with a dried out soil you get run off. The surface may be wet but the underneath about an inch is still bone dry. I see it as a way the plant is chucking up water as humans often times will throw up in cases like that. Again just an observation.

    yeah I am a huge water pusher. lol

  2. Good points Jack, I would also try adding some legumes to help fix nitrogen into the woody beds also, instead of hauling some greed material into the bed

  3. I’ve seen drinking too much water (called hyponatremia) happen. It took 1)drinking about three 3 liter camelbaks in a few hours before a patrol 2) 120+* Iraqi summer day 3) not eating (not replacing electrolytes) and 4) supplements like hydoxycut or N O xplode. So yeah, it can happen but it takes a lot to do!

  4. Oh boy… Mac vs. PC!

    I’ve been an Apple user since 1979 and my wife a PC user. One day I placed an 20 iMac on her desk and told her to play with it and use it when she was able. I had to answer an occasional question over 6 weeks. On the sixth week I told her I needed the Mac back and she refused. She muttered something about dead body. She says that the Mac was much more intuitive and easier to use than her PC.

    The point is that it is never too late switch over. I tell people not to let that be the only excuse. All of Jack’s points about software packages and such are valid but for my wife it was worth it.

  5. Guess the technical term would be diuretics with too much water and not enough electrolytes causing hypotonic leaching of electrolytes from the body. You got water with electrolytes leaving fast, diuretics making it leave faster, water but no electrolytes coming back in. The dude had bad uncontrollable cramps that made us halt the mission til we could get some saline drips and oral rehydration salts into him.

  6. In response to the caller from OK. regarding defensive options for an ex con. Assuming you’re not still on parole, or some other form of post prison supervision and with the disclaimer that I’m not an lawyer, so I don’t know if this will work in your state. There should be nothing preventing your spouse from owning a firearm. In my state, this is completely legal, as long as the weapon is kept locked up and the felon does not have access to it. Just something to think about and look into.

    • As someone who was convicted of a ” violent misdemeanor” 18 yrs ago, no a spouse can not own a firearm and have it in your residence or somewhere the convicted has access to I.E. a storage unit, not even a live round. It’s punishable by 10 yrs. however, you can have your rights restored after a period of 10yrs. Start by having your conviction/ convictions “set aside” even before the 10yrs, then after the 10 yrs from date of conviction, not release, get a criminal lawyer to file the paperwork to have all of your rights restored, because you’ll only get ONE chance at it. My lawyer cost $500 flat rate and I am in the waiting period right now (1-2wks) and I should be legal to buy, own, and carry. Additionally as a convicted felon you can still bow hunt… Just saying its a thought

  7. On the question of salt. I like to keep 200 lbs of sea-90 around my place . Has great mix of trace minerals and works for stock / wildlife saltlicks as well as a folier feeder for plant. It’s in my salt grinder also.

      • Salt weighs approximately 7.2 pounds per gallon, depending on the size of the grind. So, 200 pounds of salt would be about 6 and a quarter 5-gallon buckets of salt. Hope this helps!

  8. I had a severe case of hyponetrema last year but it had occurred over a span of a few weeks. The Friday and Saturday after thanksgiving, I experienced some severe headaches and disorientation. By Saturday night I was convinced I was totally insane. I checked into er where they found that my sodium was 112, well below the low range of normal o 136. Doc said I could easily have gone into a coma. After 2 days of IV they let me out. Now I drink red Gatorade instead of water and limit beers to 1 or 2 a day

  10. Salt in the SF bay area is not an issue here. I rode my bike out to the mud flats near me and was easily able to pick up several pounds of salt that had evaporated and dried. Cargill has a plant up the bay that harvests the same resource, albeit, more on a heavy industrial level.

  11. I’ve had great experience working with the NRCS. So if you want to use water wisely or need help in designing a water usage and catchment system contact the NRCS. Hell they sent engineers to my place several times to help me establish a micro farm. Also Contact or visit the FSA and get a farm and tract number now your legally a farm and that one step cuts out a lot of restrictions from the locals. In Missouri the “right to farm” act clearly states that local governments can not create new laws that restrict farming once a farming operation has been established. Visit the FSA and get that farm and tract number first before you DO ANYTHING.

    The point is despite the feds stupidity on many things, take full advantage of the federal governments programs and resources to produce your own food. The one thing our government is very good at helping food producers.

    • Careful with designating your property as a farm, because one day you might want to sell it.
      Any buyers would not be able to buy it with a normal conventional loan; with your property being designated as an “official” farm they would be forced to get an agricultural loan – and that cuts down the number of potential buyers significantly.

  12. For the felon that called in (I’m sorry, I forgot your name between your call and the end of the show):
    Take a look at one of our country’s most famous felons: G. Gordon Liddy.
    Even though he was a former military officer, even though he was a successful lawyer, even though he was a prominent FBI agent – once he was finished with his felony sentence (commuted and then good behavior), he also could not legally own a weapon.
    However, he had a weapon within reach at all times and there was quite the collection in his home.
    MRS. Liddy was quite the collector… wink wink. She had no record and was completely cleared to purchase and own whatever firearms she wished.

    Mr. Liddy often talked on his radio show about how ridiculous the system was, that it deemed him with all of his training, medals, and awards incapable of owning a firearm, yet it let his *wife* own all the firearms she (he) could ever want and keep them right within reach of his very trained, but felonious, hands.

    When Mrs. Liddy passed away, all of *her* (cough) firearms were passed down to her many children, many of whom just so happened to prefer keeping them in the safety of their mother’s home (cough) – grandkids and great-grandkids being in their home just made that a safer option, don’t ya know. 😉

  13. Jack,

    Not sure who “explained” Objectivism to you, but they must have done a very poor job. The “non-aggressive” ideal that you hold is the same in Objectivism. We just call it “non-interventionism”. You won’t miss much if you don’t read Atlas Shrugged. It’s a decent story for a LONG piece of fiction. I would recommend “Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal”. It’s only 200-300 pages and does an excellent job explaining what real Capitalism is. The section/chapter entitled “Man’s Rights” is one of her best works (my opinion).

    All in all, Ayn Rand was very close in the values of a “Libertarian”, she just didn’t like to be labeled as anything. Sounds like most of us. We take what information we view as useful, and leave the junk and garbage. That’s one of the beautiful things of being a human.

    Great episode!

    Nate

    • Nate, well I know for a fact Rand herself didn’t practice the non aggression principle.

      • On Ayn rand and the use of force. She made it very clear in John Galt’s radio speech (Atlas Shrugged) that the use of force is a no-no as an act of aggression, but is totally justified as a response to aggression (deadly force is OK), but only against the person(s) who initiated it in the first place. Your views are are nearly identical to hers.

  14. To the caller (ex-con) who wants home defense: In many states the person can successfully petition the state government to reinstate their rights.

  15. “Is nitrogen loss a concern with woody beds” –On a related note, DuPoint/Pioneer is paying farmers about $12-$15 per acre for the rights to the corn stover (left over stalks after harvest) for cellulosic ethanol production. Because some farmers are concerned about biomass removal, and $15 an acres isn’t much compensation, one of DuPont’s selling points is that the “excess” carbon in the form of stover binds up nitrogen and reduces yield. Same argument in play as for wood chip mulch or wood in beds. Very short-sighted…most of the nitrogen is still there, it’s just not available for plant growth when microbes are using it to break down carbon. It will be there later.

  16. Ok. how do you fix hydorphobic soil? When I search the interwebs the only solution I see is to use a salt based natural soap and water. Now what is a salt based natural soap? Any name brands I can look for in the store?

    The reason I need to know is I have a large pile of rabbit manure and paper shavings that gets hydophobic, and I would like to spray the pile to prevent it from getting hyrophobic, and help it to break down. I can never keep it wet enought to break down quickly (wholely differnent issue).

  17. For what it is worth, I found a local source a couple of years ago of chipped apple tree trimmings. It had been on the ground for a couple of weeks and was steaming when I loaded it into the truck. I spread it on the garden that day. Within a few weeks I had mushrooms springing up out of it.
    Last year I found a source for hardwood sawdust and got about 8 large garbage sacks full. I bought some MyoGrow for vegetables from Fungi Perfecti and followed the directions and tossed the sawdust on top. I didn’t see any more mushrooms than the prior year without it, but it may have been working more underground. It was pretty cheap, about $5 for a package. It was a little vague on coverage.
    I have a line on more sawdust this year and will be using that for mulch again as it works well and seems to help build that fungal net.

  18. Jack, regarding the subject of growing hay chemical free, we are doing that very thing on an old family farm we’re working to get operational again as a horse drawn operation. Its been lying fallow for 20+ years, so its as as clean and pure as you can get these days, and I’ll keep you posted about the methods we’ve used and rationale behind it, as well as good AARs.

    I know you’ve said in the past that you have very limited experience with livestock, so when you said in this episode (as well as one from a week or two ago), that you think you’d do grass/pasture instead of hay for a given scenario, I’m not sure if you knew that in places like Colorado (where the caller was from), or anywhere where real winters occur — you need to cut hay in order to get the livestock through the winter when there is no pasture/grass available. We’re getting ready to plant both pasture and hay, so I realize hay seed mixtures can be different when pasture seed mixes, and maybe thats what you meant. If not, I wanted to clarify that in general, hay is simply grass thats been cut and stored to be able to feed to livestock through the winter when the pastures are covered in snow. In places other than Texas, or in the half of the country that gets snowy winters, cutting/making hay isn’t some either/or option — its an absolute necessity for the survival of your livestock.

    • Not exactly, that doesn’t mean everything needs to be hayed. Also you can graze some land, cut hay from other parts and feed that hay to your cattle on the same land it was cut on. I know this can be done because it is being done.

      Also as far as snow preventing grazing it does but not as much as many believe, gain look at Greg Judy’s work.

      • Yes, we’re on the same page. We’re planting both pasture and hay, and are designing a fully rotational system. The beef will be grass fed, the pigs will be foraging, and the poultry will be in chicken tractors — but everything gets rotated, including the hay and pasture fields.

        I heard you mention Greg Judy’s work and meant to investigate, but haven’t yet. Lunch breaks spent commenting and reading here could be why… 🙂

  19. To the ex-felon who called in:
    Jack gave you some very good advice on how best to defend you and your loved ones while not being armed with a firearm. The old adage about “it is better to avoid than de-escalate, it is better to de-escalate than run, it is better to de-escalate than fight, it is better to fight than die” really applies here. We teach our krav maga students, and women who come to our womens self defense classes, the innumerable things you can do to drastically minimize your chance of even having to defend yourself [starting with common sense things like ‘3-stupid rule’ (don’t go stupid places with stupid people to do stupid things. An example could be something as innocent seeming as getting gas at noon when your tank was half full instead of waiting until it was on walk, its midnight, and you’re not in a great part of town), ‘nothing good happens after 10pm’, etc… ]

    I’m an architect by day and my niche is self-sufficient and defensible homes, and Jack was right when he mentioned the many things you can do to make your home less appealing of target. The bad guy wants something for free, or as cheaply as he can get it, so you’ve got to make it more expensive — so much so that he looks elsewhere for an easier target. These are basic, but the following is the top 10 things we advice people to do to make their home less appealing to criminals:

    1) Maintain your home. Mow the grass, trim the hedges, make it look like you care. Remove large hedges from risky places and tree limbs that give 2nd floor access.
    2) Light the place up. Go for wow factor, drama… however you have to justify it. Light. It. Up. (do NOT do this in a grid-down scenario)
    3) Add thorny bushes under every 1st floor window, and keep them to a manageable size.
    4) Add flower boxes to every 1st floor window, and secure them to the house. It looks nice, and makes your windows harder to get into.
    5) Put your stuff away. The cars, the toys, the ladders, even the concrete goose. (Theres no need to advertise what you have, or to give the bad guys the tools they need to get into your house).
    6) Keep your valuables out of sight. Your big screen tv and/or gun safe shouldn’t be visible from the street… or any window if possible.
    7) Close your curtains at night. If someone is trying to look in your windows, don’t make it easy for them.
    8) Don’t put your alarm panel within sight of a window or door. It makes it too easy to see if its armed or not.
    9) Be smart with your trash. Shred/burn your personal docs, tear up new computer & tv boxes and put them in a bag, and set trash out ONLY on trash day morning.
    10) Be smart while on vacation. Use the alarms “vacation” mode, or even light timers. Have a trusted neighbor get your mail, even park in the driveway. Have the Sheriff check on the house. Many counties do this for free.

    The same applies to making your home (car/retreat/etc… too) not just less appealing, but also harder to get into. Top 10 “Things to do to Harden Up Your Home”

    1) Use your locks. Lock ALL of your doors, ALL of windows, gates, etc… every single time. 2nd floor windows too, especially those over above a 1st floor roof.
    2) Add lights above all exterior doors. This is mandatory.
    3) Add a storm door to all exterior doors. A robust door with a stout, keyed lock. Even if you have to open your main door, you still have something between you and whoever is on the porch.
    4) Add exterior lighting. Soffit and tree lighting is best, but even ground spot lights can be effective.
    5) Add window dowel and door bars, and keep them in place. Use door bars every single night. Add door jamb reinforcement and window film. Don’t forget the skylights, and any roof access.
    6) Get a dog. The bigger the better, but really any size is better than nothing. There is no substitute.
    7) Change the settings on your garage door opener from the factory – and common — ones.
    8) Add a quality security system. Don’t just wire the doors and windows. Get an integrated system with motion detectors in & out, with light and sound, and monitored. Add cameras and a perimeter alert system. Keep the recorder in a hidden, locked location! Add a fence that surrounds the garage too. Run a strand of electric fence along the top (non-lethal voltage!)
    9) Create Safe Places on every floor, and a Safe Room. Can be home-made, or full out panic room, but always complete with script, phone, and tool(s).
    10) Keep a loaded firearm inside the door, mounted to the door, of your safe.

    This is just one persons advice and these may get edited out, but its a place to start.

    Regarding your firearm restriction:
    Its my understanding that this issue, like many others, is one left to the states. Most states do not return 2nd amendment rights to ex-felons (which, like Jack said, is very much an infringement. They sure return the privilege of being taxed), and some do not return the ability to even vote. Other states do return voting rights, and there are even some that return 2nd amendment rights. I looked into this issue years ago, and at that time found that Texas returned those rights as long as the barrel length exceeded a certain length (26″ perhaps) after 5 years, and one of the Dakotas returned full rights after 10 years. Yes, you can petition your state to expunge your record, set aside your conviction, etc… but its my understanding that this being granted is much more than exception than the rule, and if your crime involved a firearm in the first place — its highly unlikely that your state will set aside your conviction.

    Having said that, a firearm is just a tool, like any other. Yes, its one of the more efficient and desirable tools, but its just a tool. There are many other tools you can put into your toolbox. Jack mentioned several, and truly the list can be extensive. Whatever tool or tools you decide to become proficient with, you have to be the weapon. A lot of gun people become overly dependent on their gun, and whether through ignorance or fear, never ask themselves what other tools they have if their gun isn’t available. In a sense, your restriction could become a blessing because it won’t let you fall into that trap, and forces you to come up with other ways to defend yourself and your loved ones.

    Best wishes to you and your second chance at being a productive member of society.

  20. To the guy that was asking the PC/Apple question. Have you considered Linux? You alluded to not liking that the hardware has to be updated often, that’s not really the case with Linux. You get the benefit of the inexpensive PC hardware, and can even go with the very cheap hardware because as a rule, Linux runs on old hardware.

    One of the complaints people had about Linux in the past was it is not newbie friendly. This has drastically changed. Now Linux is a graphical install. You can even test it out on your hardware by using a Live CD or USB stick.

    Most of the software on Linux is free of cost. I have yet to find anything where there isn’t software to do the job. I don’t get stuck buying a piece of software only to find that it really doesn’t do what I need it to do. I try out the software and if I find something useful to me, I then choose to support that developer.

    My main reason for choosing Linux is choice. I can choose run the software on state of the art hardware, or an old box I have in the basement. I can choose to make my desktop look and act just like Windows or Mac OS, or make it look like something completely different. I can choose the software I want to use. I can choose exactly what I want on my system.

    Is it for everyone? No. But for the user that Jack described. The person doing the “normal” computer stuff like surfing the web, checking e-mail, editing some photos, etc. Linux fits the bill perfectly and is worth taking a look.

    • We’ve been running Linux since the ’90s. I’m not a computer geek. I blog, I use e-mail, I suft the ‘Net, and a I play a few games. Currently, I’m using a machine that I bought for $200 (from WalMart with Linux pre-installed) that’s still running like a champ. My husband built his machine back in ’04.

      My kids are growing up with Linux, and they had no troubles whatsoever going to school and using Windows-based machines. Neighbor kids who come over to play also have no trouble using the kids’ computer. Firefox and Thunderbird are very intuitive, and the Linux GUIs are pretty similar to the MS GUIs.

      We too choose Linux for the flexibility. The kids’ computer was literally dug out of an attic. We replaced a couple fans, stuck Linux on it, and got them a machine that runs circles around machines of its age (that could likely only run XP — badly.)

      Better yet, we don’t have to maintain expensive software packages including virus protection and malware. We can take a cheapy PC, slap a bunch of free software on it, and get a machine that’s perfect for the average computer user. Yes, Linux can’t run everything, but if there’s something that you can’t run through the emulator, you can make your machine “dual boot” for those rare occasions when you want to do something different. For most of us who just use their PCs for e-mail, web, and word processing though, Linux is the best bet for its affordability, reliability, and flexibility.

  21. Ah yes , XP, SP 3, I still use it on my other machine.

    And good old DOS…
    Fdisk /mbr

    LOL

  23. I am not a lawyer.

    It is my understanding that antique black powder rifles and guns are not considered guns under most state laws. You may want to look into owning those. I have read of several ex-felons who have owned them without any issue. I would consider this better than nothing at all.

    Double and triple check this with your state laws before acting on this info.

    • I think under terms of parole about anywhere you go that would still be considered an illegal weapon.

  24. on the kubaton – first, never heard that name, those are pretty cool.

    i recently acquired an ‘acceptable’ form of a kubaton, a ‘tactical pen’. here is a link from the ebay sale: http://i.ebayimg.com/t/Self-Defense-Tool-6-Black-Tactical-Pen-5452-/00/s/NzY4WDEwMjQ=/z/oIEAAOxyyF5RSmA7/$T2eC16N,!ysE9sy0hYPRBRSm!7fq7Q~~60_12.JPG

    i paid $8.50 for it and i would not want to get hit with it. it is solid and writes well too boot.

    also, i have proof for how acceptable it is. i had to go to the county court house to file some papers. i had to check my firearm of course, but thought i’d see about getting my pen through security. the man made me take a nail file out of my wallet, but let the pen go through. i don’t know how much more acceptable than that you can get.

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