Join me today along with John Willis of SOE Tactical Gear & Nicole Sauce from Living Free in Tennessee for our monthly first Tuesday Coffee chat. Today we ring in the new year right, take a look at current events, answer your questions and more.
We honestly had a great ass kicking first show of the year with this chat today. Tune in to be motivated and get your back side bruised as we kick off 2024 with one hell of a bang. We talk money, business, health, marketing, cooking, meat cutting and a ton more today.
Remember to comment, chime in and tell us your thoughts, this podcast is one man’s opinion, not a lecture or sermon.
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Special Notice – The Vevor 10 inch meat slicer is on a special holiday deal today at 17% off. That will save you almost 50 bucks today on this awesome item that if used correctly can pay for itself in a few months. So if no one got you one for Christmas, get one for yourself.
Every day I bring you an item on Amazon that I personally use or has been purchased by many members of the audience and I have researched enough to recommend.
Today’s TSP Amazon Item of the day is the Vevor Commercial 10 Inch Meat Slicer. This powerhouse of a slicer is the perfect addition to any homestead kitchen. Imagine the convenience of slicing through your favorite meats with the precision of a professional deli, right in your own home. The adjustable thickness control allows you to customize each slice from paper-thin to 0.6 inches thick, ensuring that your sandwiches, charcuterie boards, and meal preps are elevated to a new standard of excellence.
But it’s not just about the convenience or the professional results; it’s also about the savings. By purchasing larger, unprocessed cuts of meat and slicing them yourself, you’re cutting out the middleman and the extra costs associated with pre-sliced products. Over time, the Vevor meat slicer doesn’t just pay for itself; it turns into an investment that keeps on giving. You’ll notice the difference in your wallet as well as your palate.
Moreover, the ease of cleaning and maintenance means that you won’t be spending your valuable time trying to keep this slicer in top condition. It’s designed with simplicity in mind, featuring removable parts for a quick wash, and a built-in sharpener to keep the blade razor-sharp for smooth slicing every time.
There are two things I want to make you aware of on this subject of cleaning and maintenance. One really great one, and the other not bad, but it was unexpected and honestly, while a simple fix, it is something you should be aware of.
First, the really great one, the one that made me buy it in the first place. All slicers must be broken down and cleaned, which means removing the blade. Now think about this: you have a 10-inch round, very sharp blade that is sharp everywhere. And I mean 360 degrees all around. Well, duh, right? Right up until you need to remove it, clean it, and put it back on. Okay, where are you going to grab it? Most people suggest a cut-resistant glove set. These are okay for prep work, but when handling equipment, starting screws, they make the job harder.
Well, the Vevor has two holes with tapped threads about halfway between the center and the edge. There is also a small adjustment knob on the back; you can simply remove that knob, screw it into either hole, and you have a handle. What a great, functional, and simple idea. All of the companies making these things should totally rip off that idea. The ER docs doing stitches will endorse this idea, I am sure.
Next, the not-so-good one, and really, it is just more of an irritating fact. In the lead-up to the workshop, I had three pieces of Basturma I had made. It is a hard-cured beef made traditionally in Turkey and surrounding countries, also called Pastrama at times. Here’s a short video of how it is made. I grabbed one and tried the first use of the slicer. It bluntly sucked; the blade was dull as crap. This bugs me, QA much, Vevor?!
However, I flipped around the sharpening cover on the top, pinched the buttons, and ran it for about 30 seconds. Flipped it back around, and it turned three half eye of round hunks of Basturma into super thin, buttery deliciousness in a matter of minutes. Hence, if you order one, it MIGHT arrive dull, but you will need to learn to sharpen it anyway, and it literally takes less than a minute and no skill to do.
So even shipped with the dull blade, I am full-on endorsing this one. I looked at a few others that were in this level of performance. The least expensive was over 100 dollars more, some were 200-300 dollars more, and none had the tapped hole in the blade.
So, whether you’re a culinary enthusiast looking to add that professional touch to your dishes, or a savvy shopper keen on maximizing value and taste, the Vevor Commercial 10 inch meat slicer is your kitchen’s new best friend. Make the smart choice and invest in one today; your taste buds, and your budget, will thank you.
* Remember you can always find all of our reviews at TspAz.com
See These Videos for Info on the Blade Removal and the Sharpening & to See it in Action!
I have been in and out on Saturday vs. Sunday but now 1 week out Saturday has the better looking “weather guesser report”. If you have signed up for the class you should get an email today or tomorrow with my address, phone number and some directions to make sure you find our place. The rest I will cover here.
Time – We will begin at 10:30 and it will run about 4 hours total. If we need more time I will give it, but 4 hours is the plan. You are welcome to show up anytime from 10 AM on.
Work Flow – We will begin with a basic instructional outlining the process, build one bioreactor, take a look at some active ones, do some mushroom spawn inoculation of one, etc. This will be the hands on portion of things. This should take 2-2.5 hours. I will have coffee and likely some breakfast bars on the patio but if you need “breakfast” bring something or get it on the way in.
Lunch – We will be having a heck of a pile of meat, likely my reversed smoked sous vide pork shoulder, rattlesnake and rabbit sausage (yes really) and some other surprises. I will have some beers for lunch as well, water, etc. We will have lunch on the patio or in the shop depending on the temps outside.
Questions & Answers – While i will make sure to answer questions during the build we will also have a short Q&A period after lunch to make sure nothing was missed.
Walk About – I am going to take you guys after the Q&A to my back gardens to see the results from our compost and cover crop work we did in Nov. along with some work I have just done. Additionally we will be showing you a very cool new tool I just found for planting and injecting compost/fertilizer/biochar.
That will about wrap it up.
What to Bring
Dress in layers, temps will be in the high 30s low 40s when you get here, but we will be working enough to warm up and the temps will be in the 50s (if the weather man isn’t wrong) by the time we are done.
Gloves – Not necessary but you may really benefit form them.
A Dust Mask – You can bring a classic chin diaper, a N95, a gaiter, a bandana, anything. This is only for when working in the coop. Stuff gets dusty. We will set up a fan that blows out the back to reduce it but a mask is a good idea. I usually use a gaiter mask when doing this work since I have them for fishing anyway.
Camera Etc. – You can film, photograph, record anything you want, given this is part of a course for sale though I ask that you don’t publish stuff this time as to the actual instruction. Pics, short vids, etc. are fine to publish though.
Seeds/plants/items for sale or trade – I don’t have time to do a full on barter blanket for a half day class but if you have anything to share, sell or trade we are agorists after all you are welcome to bring it.
A goal to learn and make friends. Please get more than just the class out of this, exchange numbers, etc. almost everyone will be reasonably “local” at this one.
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When You Get Here
My property has two main fenced areas. Our house is on 2 acres with a main gate. To our west we have another acre of pasture. There is a double gate that I will open about quarter to 10 for you to park. Please park in the field, make your way to the red duck coop where there is a cross though gate to come to our main property. We will be assembling on the back porch of the house for coffee, etc. when getting ready. Again we will have coffee and some other stuff. Aaron Hatch and I will be making sure all the cameras and mics work during this time so you guys can hang out and get to know one another while we do that.
DO NOT repeat DO NOT attempt to come in the main gate in front of the house. My dogs will not allow this! Park in the field and call me if you are the first one before you come over. Once Charlie and Lucy have their stand down orders we will be good to go. Until then you are a stranger and the dogs don’t let strangers in. It isn’t personal they just have a job to do. Again I will give you my cell number in the email I will send in a bit if you bought a ticket.
That is all again if you bought a ticket and have not gotten an email from my by end of the day on Jan. 1st please reach out to me.
Welcome to Friday Flashbacks, after 15 years and hundreds of interview shows we decided to run them as flash backs ever Friday, beginning with the oldest of them going forward.There is a tremendous library of wisdom in all the great interviews we have done over the years.So sit back and enjoy, whether this is your first or second time around with todays episode I am sure you will enjoy today’s episode and learn a lot from it.
Remember to comment, chime in and tell us your thoughts, this podcast is one man’s opinion, not a lecture or sermon.
Join the MSB Today
Want all the Early TSP Episodes?
Remember in addition to discounts to over 80 vendors who supply stuff you are likely buying anyway, tons of free ebooks and video content, MSB Members also get every edition of The Survival Podcast ever produced in convenient zip files in blocks of 24. More info on the MSB can be found here.
Today is an episode of TSP Rewind, commercial free versions of past podcast episodes. Today’s episode was originally Episode-845- Ben Franklin on Modern Survivalism & was originally first published on February 22nd, 2012.
The notes below are the original notes from that episode.
Several dozen of you told me that this article sounded like 8 things I say often on TSP.
So rather than read the article at all I decided to do the show based just on the 8 tenets of Franklin and see how much in sync we really are or are not. One thing for sure old Ben’s advice seems quite timeless to me.
Join Me Today as we Discuss these 8 Pieces of Advice from one of Our Founders
Understand the true value of things
Be self-sufficient
Invest in yourself
Surround yourself with friends who share your values
Don’t compromise your integrity for money
Steady diligence is the way to wealth
Time is money (I have changed this to time is value)
Remember to comment, chime in and tell us your thoughts, this podcast is one man’s opinion, not a lecture or sermon.
Join the MSB Today
Want Every Episode of TSP Ever Produced?
Remember in addition to discounts to over 40 vendors who supply stuff you are likely buying anyway, tons of free ebooks and video content, MSB Members also get every edition of The Survival Podcast ever produced in convenient zip files in blocks of 24. More info on the MSB can be found here.
Today is an episode of TSP Rewind, commercial free versions of past podcast episodes. Today’s episode was originally Episode-2320- Ten Basic Preparedness Questions Answered & was originally first published on Oct 30th, 2018.
The notes below are the original notes from that episode.
I feel we need to do more fundamentals shows than we have been doing lately. I almost called them beginner shows but I don’t feel that is really what they are. While great for beginners fundamentals are for everyone.
Back when I played various sports, even when I got to an advanced level we often worked on the same fundamentals we all had started with say 10 years earlier. There is a reason, in any discipline when your fundamentals are solid everything you add to them improves things. Yet, when those fundamentals are weak the opposite happens, everything you makes things work.
So today I am going to answer ten basic questions on getting prepared. Should be a great show for old and new listeners alike and a great one to share with friends and family…
Join me today as I answer…
What are the top 5 most likely disasters a person would be likely to experience
Job Loss
Serious or Terminal Illness or Injury (ie auto accident, phyical assault)
Storm Damage (wind, water, ice, etc)
Fire (local area, wide spread or just your house)
Specific local threats (riots, volcano, earthquakes, etc.)
What are the top 5 first things to get into your preparedness plan
A documentation and plan kit
A basic black out kit
A basic bug out kit
An emergency cash fund
30 days of basic food, water and needs
What is the easiest way to get to a 30 day supply of reserve food
Keep a food journal
Eat what you store and store what you eat
Practice basic inventory control and stock rotation
What are the 6 best life skills for the self reliant life style
Cooking
Basic “Handyman Skills” (carpentry, auto mechanics, etc.)
Situational Awareness
Basic First Aid
Self Defense
Financial Management and Discipline
What about really big “Hollywood Disasters” – Pandemic, Global Collapse, etc.
What role does growing your own food play in preparedness, is it necessary
If you are going to carry a gun, what gun should you carry and why
What is the role of EDC in preparedness and what should you carry in an EDC kit
What is the biggest thing most prepper types overlook in their planning
What is the single biggest determining factor of survival in most situations
Remember to comment, chime in and tell us your thoughts, this podcast is one man’s opinion, not a lecture or sermon.
Join the MSB Today
Want Every Episode of TSP Ever Produced?
Remember in addition to discounts to over 40 vendors who supply stuff you are likely buying anyway, tons of free ebooks and video content, MSB Members also get every edition of The Survival Podcast ever produced in convenient zip files in blocks of 24. More info on the MSB can be found here.
The notes below are the original notes from that episode.
I see and hear versions of this admittedly extreme version of why survivalists are nuts all the time. I just talked to a guy that pointed out how “we were all gonna die from swine flu” and it turned out to be nothing but “a bunch of bullshit”. I guess he hadn’t listened to my show called, “Lessons From the Non Event of Swine Flu“.
It is really common though for the average person to look at a “prepper” or “survivalist” and wonder why we in their minds waste money and resources. The reality is we actually save money and maximize resources it all depends on how you look at things. As I said from day one, modern survivalism is about “living a better life if times get tough, or even if they don’t”. Is it really possible though, you bet.
Join me today as we discuss…
The myth, the world must end as we know it for preparedness to pay off
The well it won’t happen to me bias, the why and dangers behind it
Why debt elimination must be part of the plan or the naysayers may be right about you
Why you never lose money storing food if you do it with sanity
The value of “alternative energy” even just at the property value level
Gun ownership is like voting, exercise the right or you may very well lose it
Having some gold and silver is something every rich guy I know does, so why not you too
A garden improves physical health, improves mental health and can increase property values
Only the ignorant would say being informed is a bad idea
Help me out, what is the “down side” in this survivalist thing
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Remember to comment, chime in and tell us your thoughts, this podcast is one man’s opinion, not a lecture or sermon.
Join the MSB Today
Want Every Episode of TSP Ever Produced?
Remember in addition to discounts to over 40 vendors who supply stuff you are likely buying anyway, tons of free ebooks and video content, MSB Members also get every edition of The Survival Podcast ever produced in convenient zip files in blocks of 24. More info on the MSB can be found here.
You guys know me a shutdown for the holidays is my thing and I don’t do much if any work during that time. But I just got a pricing alert on Anker Soundcore P20i Wireless Earbuds for 50% off.
Anker is my favorite value brand for electronics. Day to day they have better gear than big brands at a fraction of the cost. At the regular retail of 40 bucks the Anker Soundcore P20i Wireless Earbuds are a great deal. Equal in quality in my opinion to 150 dollar Apple Airpods. I’ll put it this way, I own these, my son owns these and everyone I have told about them that has tried them loves them.
Frankly at this price I bought another set just to have them around. Give them a shot and you will wonder why anyone would pay more for wireless ear buds. They work great, can be fine tuned with a free app from Anker and they just have great sound and at 20 bucks they are stupid cheap, as long as this deal lasts that is.
Now you procrastinators, they won’t make it by Christmas but they are great belated gift and again at this price you may just want to get a pair for your own use. Okay I am back to slacking off but I didn’t want to let this one go by without giving you a heads up.
P.S. – This time a year it will come as no surprise that Anker has a ton of gear on sale at great prices. Just be careful when you use this link because Amazon does insert sponsored results into search listings. Check the great deals on Anker gear here.
Welcome to Friday Flashbacks, after 15 years and hundreds of interview shows we decided to run them as flash backs ever Friday, beginning with the oldest of them going forward.There is a tremendous library of wisdom in all the great interviews we have done over the years.So sit back and enjoy, whether this is your first or second time around with todays episode I am sure you will enjoy today’s episode and learn a lot from it.
Remember to comment, chime in and tell us your thoughts, this podcast is one man’s opinion, not a lecture or sermon.
Join the MSB Today
Want all the Early TSP Episodes?
Remember in addition to discounts to over 80 vendors who supply stuff you are likely buying anyway, tons of free ebooks and video content, MSB Members also get every edition of The Survival Podcast ever produced in convenient zip files in blocks of 24. More info on the MSB can be found here.
Most of today’s show is a recreation of 2008’s Christmas special. Today we pause and take a moment to reflect on Christmas and how it has become the Holiday we celebrate today. Many American’s have no idea just how Christmas became unique here in America, the role it played in bringing our nation together after two wars of independence and the civil war.
Christmas is special and a time to pause and reflect. Christmas is indeed a special time of year, today I will cover many aspects of it that may make this Christmas just a bit more special.
Tune in today to hear about…
Christmas was banned in England at one time and even parts of America
Early Americans didn’t really celebrate Christmas, (congress was in session on Dec 25th, 1789)
In the early 1800s Christmas was a rowdy holiday spurred by class conflict, turmoil and unemployment
In 1819, best-selling author Washington Irving wrote The Sketchbook of Geoffrey Crayon bringing us many “ancient customs”, he simply invented
Leading up to the Civil War, Christmas was a “southern holiday” and Thanksgiving a “northern holiday”
How Christmas and Thanksgiving together helped to heal a young America
Today is a time to pause, reflect and just be, prepping, planning and stress will all wait patiently for you
Different ending music for today’s show! The most beautiful version of Oh Holly Night I have ever heard, just pause, listen and realize what really matters while it plays.