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Alex Shrugged
Alex Shrugged
9 years ago

Regarding whether a solar minimum corresponds to a cooling of global temperatures, I have no doubt that the Sun has a lot to do with the temperature of the Earth. 🙂 I also know that in the past a solar minimum has occurred around the same time that the Earth went through a cooling period. But that implies that a lack of sunspots indicates a reduction in solar heat output and I haven’t see proven.

I looked for journal articles on the subject in JSTOR: search terms (solar minimum global temperatures). I read a couple of articles by Mike Lockwood. He lost me in the math, but he was pointing out that trends in the past linked with solar activity has been working just the opposite in the last 20 years. So… I don’t know. I’ll have to run these articles by my son. He can do math without pulling off his shoes to count. 🙂

The articles I saw were…

“Solar change and climate: an update in the light of the current exceptional solar minimum” by Mike Lockwood in Proceedings: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences, Vol. 466, No. 2114 (8 February 2010), pp. 303-329.

http://www.jstor.org/stable/25661441

and

“Recent Oppositely Directed Trends in Solar Climate Forcings and the Global Mean Surface Air Temperature” by Mike Lockwood and Claus Fröhlich, Proceedings: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences, Vol. 463, No. 2086 (Oct. 8, 2007), pp. 2447-2460.

http://www.jstor.org/stable/20209324

I wish I could say more but these are very technical articles written for technical people in their field.

Alex Shrugged

Ryan Bradley
9 years ago

Jack,
Thank you for the weekend inspiration at the start of today’s show! Congratulations to Honey Locust Home and all the rest of us who have seized opportunities to drive our own futures! There are certainly challenges, but they’re worth it.

Josh
9 years ago
Reply to  Ryan Bradley

Thanks Ryan.

Steve
Steve
9 years ago

Jack at 30 min in you apologized for going long before the expert council. I know that the topic for Fridays is the expert council, but hey man, it’s your show.

We tune in to listen to you talk about what you want to talk about. Keep up the great work.
-Steve

Josh
9 years ago

Thanks for the plug today Jack and thanks to those fellow TSPers that have checked out our site and Facebook. I think the TSP directory is a great idea. We would love to support other members of the TSP community beyond the MSB.

I will send a bottle of my stout for sure but you might prefer it in a soap over a bottle…not that it is bad but I am a much better soap maker than I am a beer maker…just saying

Darby Simpson
9 years ago
Reply to  Josh

I would LOVE to see a TSP directory of services.

Adam
Adam
9 years ago

I would like to agree with what Darby said about small scale pigs, we are doing 5 pigs this year. I also bought 7 100 ft rolls of the premier netting and built a training area out of hog panels for the piglet (you need to use hog panels not cattle panels since the cattle panels bottom holes are large enough for piglets get out; that was lesson one after the pigs were on the property for 5 minutes or so since I had one cattle panel left over from the chicken tractors) For food and water we set a 4 door hog grower gravity feeder that hold 400 lbs of feed on a pallet and put that pallet onto skids, we then installed a cast iron bowl water to that same pallet and attached it all to a scrap 4×4 I had with a hose connected to it, that hose run uphill to a 300 gallon ICB tote, that will provide enough pressure to run that water any where on my property with enough hose. we leap frog the 1/4 acre paddocks every 2 weeks or so depending on how the area we placed the hogs look. You can also tell by how hard they are hitting the feeder. I know Joel lets his hog run out before he moves them but we feel they tear up that smaller paddock more with that so we go off how the paddock looks and we drag the feeder/water pallet combo forward into the next paddock with the pick up. Its great to know that we came up with a similar system to Darby.
I really enjoy this show format, keep up the great work Jack.

Joe
Joe
9 years ago

While I can’t speak on the belts that Bryan black recommended (which are probably very good belts), the best belt I have ever owned hands down was made by Jason christensen at concealment solutions. It’s a non-tacticool normal looking belt that I’ve worn every day for the past 4 years and you would never know it…so durable.

It’s the one without kydex in the center as I think that one might be too stiff for EDC. He didn’t have th horsehide one when I bought mine, but I have some horsehide holsters from him and they are insanely durable.

He custom makes them so if you want more holes for a changing waistline it’s no problem.

They aren’t cheap…price or quality.
http://www.concealmentsolutions.com/belts.html

Greyhawke
Greyhawke
9 years ago

something that we have used for easily portable outdoor shelters for hogs are Porta-Huts http://www.port-a-hut.com/livestock-shelters.cfm They also have farrowing huts and farrowing pens. Hope this is helpful to those looking at hogs.

Darby Simpson
9 years ago
Reply to  Greyhawke

Do you find those easy to move for rotating pigs like he’ll be doing? They are nice shelters, just look heavy (and maybe pricey?).

Tracy kuykendall
Tracy kuykendall
9 years ago

For the person looking for more ways to use prickly pear fruit, (locally known as pear apples), I’ve never done it but have tried them, they can be canned like watermelon rind, just use peeled and de seeded pear apples in place of watermelon.

(The New) Mike Cornwell

200 dollars a week for a business, awesome. I doubt it took them 40 man hours per week to get that 200 dollars either.

Matthew K
Matthew K
9 years ago

One note on the guy who asked about the firewood. He might also be talking about face cords which would be like 5 to 10 full cords a year. One thing I found out quick when I started burning is that a lot of people will say cord when they mean face cord.

EricM
EricM
9 years ago
Reply to  Matthew K

Hi Matthew and Jack!

I was the guy who asked about the firewood. Unfortunately my brother’s “compound” is not using face cords, but full cords. At the moment he has a shed that is 40′ by 20′ with the giant boiler in the middle and 8′ tall stacks of wood on all sides. The boiler can burn anything small enough to fit through the doors; so he often will dump an entire 3′ diameter round into the boiler using his tractor.

However, Jack made an excellent point – we really have no good estimate of how much wood we will be using, because so many variables are constantly changing. For example, between last year and this year we have dramatically invested in spray insulting the houses because there was absolutely no insulation between the floor of the house and the crawl space, so when it was 20 below zero F outside, the crawl space was 50-60 degrees F! That will dramatically help with wood use. However, they also had a VERY large barn built that will be heated via thousands of feet of Pex in the slab of the barn, heated by this same boiler; so that will increase the wood usage.

However, Jack’s comments definitely smacked me in the face – if we have a 100% variance in our estimate of wood use, how do we plan? So I think our plan for this winter is to very carefully monitor how much wood is used.

I also was probably wrong about “old growth forest.” Michigan was heavily logged from 1840 to 1890, so you are probably right that this is not 1,000 year old forest. But it definitely looks like “fully successed” into forest. The woods have lots of 100 foot oaks, plenty of fallen and dead 50-year old trees, not a bit of light hits the floor of the forest, the soil in there feels like a sponge when you jump on it. It is what you see when you go to a state park, and walk a thousand yards off the trail.

It’s very fun, a great resource, but also incredibly intimidating; because the only tool I have is “attack the edges.” I’m not going to go in and clear-cut an acre or two because of the environmental destruction that would cause. However, there are all kinds of areas along the edges that gets tons of sun, or I could knock down a 30′ stretch of garbage trees to start the black locust. In a lot of ways, I feel like a 40 acre fallow corn field would have been easier to start with. Because you really can’t screw it up any more than it already is. 🙂

Also, thanks for the recommendation of rocket stoves and other better uses of the wood. I am very slowly introducing them to more sustainable concepts at a rate that they don’t freak out and “kick the hippy out.” They are making huge progress, and I will be able to help them with things like a rocket stove in a greenhouse; but not in their pretty and traditional living area.

Nick – if you happen to still be in this thread, do you have any thoughts on the best way to propagate black locust? I see I can buy seed or bare roots. I don’t mind buying a start of one of those; but after the first year I would like to help them reproduce them on their own. I have both the Permaethos PDC and your plant propagation course; so I just need to know which method you would recommend and I’ll go watch those videos again.

-Eric

Matthew K
Matthew K
9 years ago
Reply to  EricM

That’s a lot of wood…. The only other thing I would have to input, is the wood he uses dried for a couple years? It’s not as critical for outdoor boilers since you don’t have to worry about chimney fires catching your house on fire, but efficiency of wood usage is still equally effected. And if he is dropping in whole rounds, I would say he is loosing a lot of heat to boiling off moisture in the wood. Here is a more in-depth look at the numbers:

http://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/heat-loss-due-to-wet-wood.58445/

The recommended drying time is usually 2 to 3 years for cut, split, and stacked wood. With rounds split at least into quarters. So cut this summer/winter, let dry for the next 2 summers. It’s a lot of work to build up to that since you essentially have to play catch-up, but in the long run, you’ll burn less wood. And you’ll have the following year’s wood pile to fall back on for really cold, heavy usage winters. Think of it as a 2 is 1, 1 is none for wood usage 😉

EricM
EricM
9 years ago
Reply to  Matthew K

Wow, that is an awesome link! They dig into the BTUs/pound, how much energy it takes to evaporate the water, and so forth. That’s huge. I would have guessed it might take 10% of the energy to dry the wood first, but it’s not – it’s up to 50%; that’s amazing. We have been thinking about clever ways to use solar power to dry the wood, because right now it is completely covered to prevent rain from getting to the wood. But I bet putting the freshly split wood into a greenhouse type structure with a small fan exhausting the humid air would greatly increase the drying time without any energy use.

Also, trying to back into the amount of wood he is using; I looked up the boiler, which I’m pretty sure is this one: http://www.centralboiler.com/products/e-classic/. It has a 32 cubic foot inside area, and assuming he can fill it 50% full because of all the gaps in between big pieces of wood, that is 16 cubic feet of wood. He needs to refill it every three days. A cord of wood is 128 cubic feet. So he uses one cord every 24 days. If we assume he is running it from October – April, that’s 183 days, or only 7.6 cords of wood. So either my math is way off and the air gaps are smaller than what I’m thinking, or he isn’t even using 15 cords of wood.

Thanks again for that link, that is great!

Trevor
Trevor
9 years ago

I am very excited to hear about the TSP business directory. It would be fantastic to see some of the local business I can support that I just don’t know about. Fantastic idea!

Michael Jordan "The Bee Whisperer"
Reply to  Trevor

I will be adding my name. I think it is a great idea

Agorculture
Agorculture
9 years ago

Jack, John –
Thank you very much for taking my question, for the business advice and for the motivation. One of the things I struggle with is being overwhelmed by decisions.

How does one know if they are “wired” to be an entrepreneur? I am a Myers Briggs INTP with ADD, OCD and a MBA.

Thank you and I look forward to listening to today’s “Do it Now!” episode.

Insidious
Insidious
9 years ago
Reply to  Agorculture

The only one of those that’s going to hurt you is the MBA. 😉

You MIGHT want to consider statistics as a way to short circuit your OCD tendencies when you’re trying to stop thinking and start doing.

What the heck do I mean? Well as an INTP, you want to do things ‘the right way’. But, in reality, its not possible for you to account for every possible variable, and gather every possible bit of knowledge (you are not omniscient).

So logically, there is an OPTIMAL amount of knowledge/certainty that you can gather before you should LOGICALLY take action (appealing to your INTP).

In other words, its possible to develop a rigid set of rules, and then rigidly adhere to them, that include the flexibility to reevaluate and restrategize.

The problem of course is if your ADD cancels out your OCD to the point that you can’t even adhere to your system. 😉

But.. there is another issue.. are you really ADD and/or OCD? How do you know? To what degree? If so, is it being exacerbated by your lifestyle and environment? Can you adopt new habits, or change your environment to effect your tendencies?

Then there is Jack’s advice. Join a team where your tendencies are needed, and their strengths fill in your lack. There is no ‘one way’ that is best for everyone, you need to figure out what works best for YOU.

Along that line you might want to check out Peter Drucker’s ‘Managing Oneself’.. its a quick read.

https://hbr.org/2005/01/managing-oneself

http://academic.udayton.edu/lawrenceulrich/LeaderArticles/Drucker%20Managing%20Oneself.pdf

Agorculture
Agorculture
9 years ago
Reply to  Agorculture

Jack – thanks for the advice; it does sting but now I am aware. So, a business is like making sausage?

Insidious – Thank you for Drucker’s article; he is brilliant! I don’t really know if I am ADD and OCD (I am probably Asperger’s, too). I am afraid to find out if I am any of these things as they might take my guns away if it goes on record. I have my quirks. They are very much exacerbated or mitigated by lifestyle, habits and environment. A strict Paleo, anti-inflamatory diet with intermittent fasting and ketosis helps tremendously. In fact, I was Paleo without knowing it when my symptoms alleviated. Exercise, neurofeedback, meditation, supplements and nootropics are also highly beneficial. Alcohol can degrade my performance for 1-2 days after drinking. I’ll see how I can apply your other tips. Some entrepreneurs minimize the insignificant decisions they have to make to focus on the big things – right down to wearing the same outfit and eating the same thing every day.

I sent this to Jack this morning but probably not in time for today’s show: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/case-against-full-time-employees-dave-ashton Fits perfectly with my question to John Pugliano.

Roundabouts
Roundabouts
9 years ago

In regards to not doing it for fear of doing it wrong; BWHAHAHAHA Got some words of advice here GET OVER IT. That is coming from the Queen of doing it wrong. Don’t worry about it. The faster you mess up and fix up the faster you learn. The faster you get to where you want to be. Business, homesteading, jobs, personal finances, yup been there and screwed each one up. Repeatedly. Just keep going you learn you grow. Then you learn how to fix those screw ups really really fast.

steelhead1969@gmail.com
steelhead1969@gmail.com
9 years ago

A bit late in the game here but just listened to this episode and was re-inspired and now have a very basic question: In California it takes about $800 to do all the legal mumbo-jumbo (name, license, taxes, state, city, Fed) and that is BEFORE the initial inventory and operational setup for a home biz. That is a month’s groceries for us and hard to swallow for a home biz that may not bring in a ton of income. And I do leatherwork, wife makes earrings and we both make CP soap and skincare products. All are currently giveaways to friends until we feel comfortable launching into business. I can’t imagine spending $800 x 3 so we can run the 3 micro-businesses. We just plain don’t have the dough.
Is this how people do it? Is there another cheaper, quicker way to leap into business?…outside of moving out of California? 🙂 …which we constantly consider…
thanks for any input.

Roundabouts
Roundabouts
9 years ago

Can tell ya in Vancouver WA clark county we also have to do inventory once per year so we can pay “use” tax on every thing we have in the office. Or you can just pay a flat rate if you don’t feel like counting every frigen pen. Not sure if that is state wide or not. That is seriously messed up. On a hope business you have to get written permission from each neighbor if your business is going to have more than 4 I think it is people including deliveries show up at your door. Course the same people who gave their permission can also take it away. Grr.

yeah still looking at moving. Not easy must keep within hubby’s commute time. To good of a job that he loves so wont walk away from it. Not sure Oregon is much better.

steelhead1969@gmail.com
steelhead1969@gmail.com
9 years ago

Thanks Jack. Yep, I work in a corporate supply Chain environment with other skilled people, some CEO level, that are “crafty” and we have discussed the insanity of going into small business as a side project in California. Basically adding a bunch of extra work to pay more taxes for very small returns. Freaking kills me. I just want to check that I”m not missing something…I guess not dammit. I live in Sonoma County, craft businesses everywhere, but Cali regs will eventually snuff them all out when the economy dips again. Got a buddy in DFW making a move sound very attractive…

steelhead1969@gmail.com
steelhead1969@gmail.com
9 years ago

…and to your second entry, HA HA! That is EXACTLY why I lobbed this question here on TSP, I could not wrap my head around the idea it could be this complicated…but there you go. Even the city clerk couldn’t make it not sound like a shit show.

My concern and lack of clarity with combining all products into one business would be marketing focus, how to drive each product to the right end user/consumer. For crying out loud my wife just wanted to sell her freaking earrings on Etsy but not at this cost.
Been a listener since episode 89 in your old car. Thanks for everything Jack.

Insidious
Insidious
9 years ago

@steelhead1969

..and the training is complete.

Instead of getting on with doing.. the first question that springs into an American’s mind is:
‘From whom do I need to seek PERMISSION to do x? Who must I dance for, and how much must I pay for APPROVAL of what I want to do? What fears must I live under, lest my LICENSE be taken away, or the LAW changed so that I can no longer practice?’

steelhead1969@gmail.com
steelhead1969@gmail.com
9 years ago
Reply to  Insidious

I’m sorry, is this directed at me? Do you have another suggestion to get around the stupid fucking dance and hurdles that the “powers that be” throw up at every angle to drain our pockets? Do you have anything to add other than what “Americans” think? Maybe I missed something. Thanks for the feedback but to be blunt you don’t know fuck-all about me or my background. Its hard enough to hold on to what I have without taking on the extra fear of being nailed with taxes I wasn’t aware of, the fear of having my house taken away for not submitting the right bullshit form, the fear of my daughter not having a roof over her head…THOSE are my fears. THIS is why I haven’t “gotten on with doing”, because at every turn there is some fucking pitfall that will either eat what little money you have, or land you behind bars. This is what I’m trying to clarify. I’ve lived a good portion of my life outside of the system. I’m extremely cautious when it comes to working within it…

steelhead1969@gmail.com
steelhead1969@gmail.com
9 years ago

So yea, looks like I read it as if he was saying that I was some sort of puppet for the government with my “american mind”. I fully, and historically, understand the concept of working under the table, we barter/trade our stuff with others…did construction for years under similar circumstances. But in terms of buidling the biz there are very real concerns. You made it clear by defining that were all controlled by the same bullshit system. I’m definitel pissed at the cancer not the doctor, but if Insidious is the doctor he needs to work on his penmanship.

Insidious
Insidious
9 years ago

absolutely NOT about you as an individual steelhead. As you say, I don’t know anything about you or your situation.

Just musing on the fact that the default response in our society now is to seek out ‘the authorities’ for ‘permission’.

The fears you’re stating are exactly the point. You want to do x, but you don’t know if you’re permitted to. And you’re afraid of potential punishments for taking action without the ‘proper’ permission.

I’m down in Marin county. And this is exactly why I’m leaving CA. I live in constant fear that I’m violating some rule that will land me in prison. Not due to harming a fellow citizen, but simply because some asshole in Sacramento has decided that I’m doing something ‘wrong’.

In my experience visiting and living in other states.. I don’t feel that way after I get out of CA. I actually fear the government of CA MUCH MORE than I fear the federal government. Simply because the laws here are arbitrary and capricious, and ‘punishment’ is sporadically replied.

Example:
San Rafael passed a fire ordinance that you can’t have a tree within 100 feet of a structure if you live on a ‘wilderness boundary’. If you have a tree and they cite you, you are fined several thousands of dollars per tree, or jailed, if you don’t remove the offending trees.

The catch.. to comply with this ‘ordinance’ would require that almost EVERY TREE in the entire city be cut down (most of the lots are 1/10 of an acres). So EVERYONE is in violation of this ordinance.

Occasionally, someone is randomly (?) cited under this ordinance.

Reasonable law, or simply a tool of fear and oppression?

So.. totally NOT making a crack about your situation or actions steelhead, just very very sad.

steelhead1969@gmail.com
steelhead1969@gmail.com
9 years ago
Reply to  Insidious

Yea, sorry for being touchy and for misunderstanding, I get what your saying and am in full agreement. I guess the pressure in this state and especially in the “larger” Bay Area get me a bit twichy.
I have many friends that are blind to what this state imposes on its serfs so I find myself either trying to illustrate the BS to them or just throwing up my hands. As you well know being in Marin Cty, most of the people here are completely blind, especially now that the economy is strong again.

I ache to bail out but my aging in-laws are here. (Actually in San Rafael, on one of the wooded streets in the hills ha ha!) At some point we just need to decide and jump…we’ve had a couple false starts over the years, another source of my angst. An old buddy in DFW would make it really easy for me but all I know is the North Coast. The killer is coming up with the money to visit each location when were just trying to tread water as it is.
Thanks for the input and the references. Good luck with your move!

Insidious
Insidious
9 years ago
Reply to  Insidious

What actually prompted this comment was a talk I heard where the speaker stated:

‘The goal of government is to make every human action require a ‘license’. And thereby, to become the gatekeeper and controller of all human action.’

Which made me think of Lysander Spooner..
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lysander_Spooner

I realize this isn’t very helpful when dealing the the EXISTING bureaucracy. For that, I would recommend going to the library and checking out the NOLO guides, specifically for CA (it takes a team of lawyers to keep up with the changes here).

For an even MORE horrifying example of the way this ‘licensing’ is being used against us:
http://www.oftwominds.com/blogaug15/destroy-jobs8-15.html

Specifically.. the requirement that someone wanting to open a restaurant (in NV) needs:
‘A complete list of vendors. Said vendors must be USDA certified wholesale food suppliers. No farmer’s markets, supermarket or home grown.’

steelhead1969@gmail.com
steelhead1969@gmail.com
9 years ago
Reply to  Insidious

Good stuff, thanks. I have several old friends that consider themselves socialists, with a small “s”. Ultimately it is modern fantasy BS but what scares me is watching them willfully give dependency to government…often without thought of actually what is happening. Many of these old friends grew up in subculture “fuck authority” etc…but now they are older and are bowing to authority. It is amazing and horrifying to watch. Sometimes taking the red pill is a pain in the ass.
there is something called C-TPAT (Customs Trade Partnership Against Terrorism) in global trade that essentially casts a net through the supply chain, vendors and suppliers, to audit security all around. Those that arent’ up to snuff cancel out the certification more or less. Its now a law…yet, but another way of monitoring businesses through the guise of protection. Just more of those little peeks in a global system getting ready to pounce…or something.

steelhead1969@gmail.com
steelhead1969@gmail.com
9 years ago

Yea, hey I’m just a simple operations guy, not a marketing guy ha ha! Just winging it here, trying to build a brand off the “know your customer” type mindset, but what you say makes a lot of sense. We never considered combining the products under one banner. The clientelle is going to be very different base on the specificity of each end product but we can work with it.
Thanks for the kick in the right direction.

Mike
Mike
9 years ago

Jack, which book of Charlie Papazian were you recommending? Amazon has a few choices. If you said it I missed it. Thanks!

Agorculture
Agorculture
9 years ago

Steelhead-
Maybe I could sell you products for you for a percentage ;-D Or, I could have an app or deep web service created to make a location-free/favorable location for entrepreneurs trapped behind enemy lines. I’ll call it Galt’s Gulch! What about Prop 65? Seems like everything causes cancer and birth defects in California.
Regarding the fees, $800 seems in line with what a lawyer will charge but see what you can do yourself. Is it mostly applications and forms? Look into services like Legal Zoom, etc. Many states have programs to help small businesses get legally established (so they can pay taxes). I am an Anarchist but they are going to be taxing you anyway.
What is the payback period for $800? What is your distribution model? Craftshows or storefront? Online? Are you a business or hobby? The IRS has a definition. Does Kalifornia? What are the odds of enforcement and the penalty? What do the illegal aliens do? If caught, maybe you could say it is a proof of concept before you take the plunge into business? Luke Callahan puts getting your first customers before making it official: http://www.permaculturevoices.com/7-steps-to-start-your-profitable-permaculture-based-business-presented-at-pv2-by-luke-callahan-pvp104/
Couple articles for your consideration – set up a business elsewhere, even if you can’t leave. And then you still have it when you do!
http://www.howtovanish.com/2011/07/tim-ferris-is-californias-bitch/
http://www.howtovanish.com/2010/03/state-of-colorado-jobs/
The 4 Hour Workweek is an excellent book, btw. You need to read/listen to it and get some ideas for a virtual business.
I would make a plan to get your in-laws out now. They aren’t getting any younger and it isn’t getting any easier. It might take a couple years for them to accept the idea. Use the time to do virtual research. I moved to New Hampshire without hardly any research and visited the state the first time for the job interview. Move to New Hampshire – it’s awesome!

Victor from Ukraine
Victor from Ukraine
9 years ago

I don’t mean to disappoint you Jack, but GMO soy and corn are pretty common both in Europe and here in Ukraine as well.

Victor from Ukraine
Victor from Ukraine
9 years ago

Yeah, it has labels. Almost anything you buy in a store would say “no gmo”, however I do not believe some of those labels.