Comments

Episode-334- Listener Feedback and Emails for 12-10-09 — 16 Comments

  1. Hi Jack,

    Thanks for all your hard work in putting these shows together. Although I do not fully agree with all the issues you discuss (many, though), I do enjoy your perspective and passion.

    I do have a quick comment regarding the recent comments you’ve made regarding climate change. You briefly discussed the EPA’s endangerment finding on your program today, but I think you left out some keys points that could mislead your listeners. Although you pointed out late in the discussion, this was borne from a lawsuit (Mass v. EPA, 2007) settled by the Supreme Court, you did not make that point strongly. Most listeners who are not well-informed likely will infer this is something the Obama Adminstration has drummed up, which is not true. In fact, this should have been implemented under the Bush Administration, who promptly punted the issue to the subsequent president in quite a political fashion.

    I would suggest (if you are really intereted in this issue) looking into the “Johnson Memo” (http://www.eenews.net/public/Greenwire/2009/10/01/2) which should answer some questions on the matter.

    Another key point is that the Endangerment Finding does not actually regulate anything, but it does open the door to regulation — think of it as the first domino that will fall. To boil it down, the EF basically GHGs cause/contribute to the health/welfare of humans; therefore, the EPA must regulate greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles. The EPA is working on a rule to enact the new light-duty CAFE standards (35.5 MPG fleet ave. by 2016). This effectively curbs GHG emissions to <250 grams/mile on a fleetwide average. The kicker is once the EPA regulates a pollutant in one sector, it is bound to for other sectors (e.g., power plants, etc.).

    In order to prevent States and industry from being completely overwhelmed by this rule, they are developing a “tailoring rule” which is an attempt to limit the number of affected industries to those (basically) that are already being regulated for other pollutants. The proposed level is 25,000 tons/year, so feel absolutely free to breathe at will!

    My last point is I think this may fall on deaf ears, but I think there is an abundance of information out there that points to climate change being affected by anthropogenic (human) inputs. It seems you do not agree with that, which is absolutely your right, but I have read quite a bit on the matter and have TRIED to find how this could be a cyclical matter, or that solar intensity has increased, etc. If I had to bet my house on it, I’d definitely say humans have a hand in the matter and I think the proof is out there.

    Again, I do want to thank you for all your efforts! Best regards and good luck with all your prep-work!

    Zac

  2. Zac,

    I no longer debate climate change with individuals who point to an “abundance of evidence” until they look into the other side of the debate, I have looked at the abundance of evidence as you call it. I only ask that true belivers look at the counter view point with an open mind. Once you do that we can disagree and debate all you like but at that point we can debate facts, not the mythology of Al Gore’s propaganda.

    Hence if you want to discuss climate change with me, go here,

    http://joannenova.com.au/global-warming/

    Read the two PDFs in full and I will then be happy to discuss the issue with you. I am not asking you to first agree with the information as that would be pointless. I only ask that you read it with an open mind, at that point you won’t be speaking to a “deaf ear”. Yet to debate an issue intelligently both parties must have a view point of the other.

    I know about the studies, etc on your side, look at my view point, then we can discuss it openly and with some level of mutual understanding.

    Now on the case you brought up, I actually covered it when Bush was in office, I was no kinder to the assclown Bush than I am to the assclown Obama. You can say what you want but under the ruling CO2 is now legally a toxin, subject to regulation. Hence in the end every human and every animal for that matter is now legally polluting the planet by breething.

  3. In reference to office fires… The surviving disaster show on spike did a show recently on exactly that subject. The show is a little silly, but there is some good information and I leaned a few things in it, some things that could save my life.

  4. Just visited the Marlin Firearms website. Either you read their minds or they read yours: Marlin just released the new XS7 rifle in 7mm/08, 243 Win, and 308 Win. (There may be a typo on the Marlin website which says 270 Win. However, if you look at the specs, it lists a twist rate for 243 Win. Also, if you follow the link to Gallery of Guns, they have caliber listed as 243.)

    Based on the naming, XL7 and XS7, and the caliber choices, I think it designates long- or short-action. For example, .30-06 is a long-action and available in the XL7, while the .308 is a short-action and available in the XS7.

    They didn’t change the overall length, barrel length, etc., but they have started producing a new receiver for the calibers that you listed in the show.

  5. Re: Honda generators. Let me preface by saying we’ve been a Honda dealer for 30 years.

    Every situation is different, but an EU2000 should be sufficient for smaller situations. Check all wattages as you said http://www.hondapowerequipment.com/products/generators/content.aspx?asset=gg_howmuchpower

    My last house was ~2,000 sq ft and I had an EU3000 setup with a Gen-Tran transfer panel http://www.gen-tran.com . If you spend the cash on a genset, spend a little more on an xfer panel. Mine was about $300 and being skilled I was able to put it in myself. If you are not comfortable or knowledgeable, PLEASE hire an electrician.

    With my EU3000 I was able to run everything in the house except: A/C, dishwasher, dispose-all, electric dryer. Besides who the hell needs those in an ice storm or SHTF.

    Stuff I ran: All lighting, gas furnace, 12yr old fridge, 4 OLD computers, laser printer, a phone switch/ssytem @1250 watts, all internet and ISDN connectivity, tv, stereo, satellite, flood lights, etc. Now…. you don’t fire that puppy up and switch it all on. Bringing things up gradually let me run it all for 4 days during a massive ice storm. Growing up like Jack did but much farther north taught me you don’t run them all the time, just as needed.

    If you own or buy a genny, please test and run it regularly. Like your car and lawnmower they need oil changes and extra plugs on hand. Every month I fired mine up for at least 45 minutes to get the cobwebs out. Once a quarter like clockwork it was run and the whole house was switched to generator for 2 hours. Regular testing and maintenance keeps things running properly.

    Yes you can buy a cheap, errr less expensive model anywhere. The problem with them is that they are not continuous run and Honda as well as others are. Running a $300 set from BigBoxWorld for more than several hours a day is very likely to kill it. My longer term plan was to have a natural gas carb’ed model as backup even though there were always 4 months of gasoline properly and safely stored.

    Honda ain’t cheap and I pay dealer cost. Get a cheap one as a backup/loaner/giveaway. Get a good model (or two) of any make to get you through. You can cheap out and buy several, or spend more for a good model you have forever. Just like everything else.

  6. Jack, speaking of globalization and the U.N. do you think that with Obama’s help the U.N. will enact some sort of arms agreement and use this to control small arms in the united states?

  7. Hi Jack,
    The line about denmark came from a Warren Zevon song called “rolland the Headless Thompson gunner.”
    Your friend ‘Viking’ from the forum.
    Doug

  8. “help the U.N. will enact some sort of arms agreement and use this to control small arms in the united states?”

    Get a lathe, some of the works by P.A. Luty,Gérard Métral, Bill Homes, Ronald B. Brown and etc. and have a ball making the limp wristed Useless Nations decrees into birdcage fodder.

    Any time the Useless Nations has deployed a polygot force from member states, using our strategic air and sea lift, it has been a disaster due to a Byzantine command structure and the numerous diplomats/bureaucrat that stymie command and control.

    Despise the U.N., never fear it. It is a prime example of how bankrupt socialistic and communistic entities are.

  9. For determining the generator wattage needed, Northern Tools has a handy load tester. You plug it into the appliance the into the receptacle, when you turn the appliance on, it will tell you the surge & running power needed. $25.00 is well worth it

  10. Regarding highrise fires, I think they’re a risk worth some degree of preparation. If you want to read an excellent book on the subject, along with other survival psychology issues, take a look at The Unthinkable. It looks at the mistakes many individuals made on 9/11 and why they made the decisions they did (i.e. going up the stairs instead of down, only attempting one stairwell instead of trying both, etc.). It also brings up useful suggestions for your building manager to integrate, like using glow in the dark paint or tape alone the inside and outside edge of the stairs to aid if the lighting system fails.

    Personally, I have one filing cabinet drawer dedicated to preparedness. It contains four bottle of water, three MREs, a rain coat, a 150′ rope (not necessarily to rappel out the window, but so I can find my way back if I’m wandering in the dark and smoke in the building), an emergency escape smoke hood, a first aid kit, and two flashlights (one large 4 D cell, one 2AA LED light). Some of that might be over the top, but it’s rassuring to know that if the worst case scenario unfolds, I’ve taken steps to ensure a greater margin for error and comfort.

  11. Honda generators

    Jack, one of the great things about the super quiet Honda generators, is they allow you to hook 2 of them together. So if you bought that EU2000 generator, you would have a great small generator. But if you had 2 of them and the parallel cable, you would have the option of having 2 2000 watt generators or linking them together to basically have a 4000 watt generator. I’m sure that running 2 small gensets burns more gas than a single bigger one, but the option is there.

  12. Hey Jack,

    I\\\’m the guy from Appleseed that was working with you early on. I\\\’m a shoot Boss out of E TN. Any thing I can do to link the two communities would be my pleasure. We have a big nation wide event in April. This could be a chance to get TSP folks together at a shoot…

    Aaron

  13. Catching up on some podcasts I missed and caught the question on the gps dying in the cold. All batteries work on a chemical reaction and this reaction slows down in the colder temps. I’m in Canada and winter is not kind to batteries. Flashlights die, radios fade to nothing and the gps has no information. Lithium ion seems to be the best in the cold by everything I’ve read. A head lamp with an external battery pack is the only way to go for light in the cold nights of winter here. You can keep the battery pack under your insulating layers and all is good.
    As a gps has an internal battery, I would keep the unit in an inside pocket and only take it out to use it.
    Just some thoughts from the “Great White North”. I wouldn’t be looking at a better gps as it is the power supply that is failing not the unit.