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Episode-1716- Listener Feedback for 1-25-16 — 22 Comments

  1. I’m surprised I didn’t hear the term “polar vortex” when hearing about this storm on the news.

  2. Media loves to mention how many billions of dollars in loss a snow storm causes too. I’m more inclined to spend money when I can get my car out of the driveway.

  3. Pre-made plans put me in NYC one day before the snow. Other than a few trips that found me in a snowy place, I have never been in the snow and I have never lived in a place where it snows so this was quite an experience for me. Just a few comments: No one in NYC that I spoke with was hyped out over the snow news. Most people I talked to snickered at the hype. The attitude was pretty nonchalant although more than a few long-time residents told me this was among the biggest snow storm they had seen in the city. Most people here live in apartments and things like generators or even moderate prepping are out of the question. However, barring something major – like a power black out for a week or other relatively long-term disaster – I think this city can take it all on. I was absolutely amazed at how quickly and efficiently the municipality and private business got back up and running. I am not a fan of government but in this case, I got a sense of the need. Simple take-away: People who live in crowded urban areas need government a lot more than people who don’t. Honestly, the snow plows and city workers were just amazing. The snow was pretty massive for a crowded city that usually doesn’t have to deal with 2 feet of snow or even close to that. The city roads did become impassable for the most part but within hours after the storm passed, this city was humming again. (Still here. It is major slush now. )

  4. you mentioned storing dox on a Corsair Survivor flash driver….seems rugged enough BUT does it have password/file encryption capability ?

    • Encryption is a function of soft not hard ware. You can simply password protect all documents if you want or use an encryption software if you want. If you have a mac you can encrypt any thumb drive, with a few clicks, why PCs don’t do this I just don’t great.

    • Encryption programs are available for the PC for free but they are clunky and difficult to install.

      All such security programs have one security flaw, whether Mac or PC. Most people do not use a long and varied password. I have difficulty remembering a long password so I use a pattern that I recognize on my keyboard. I can type it out as long as I can see it, but if law enforcement ever asked me what it was, I could answer honestly, “I have no idea whatsoever.”

      My password is a pattern and not individual letters or numbers or punctuation.

      Alex Shrugged

  5. I don’t think they do it cause people are stupid are. I think they do it cause places of businesses are stupid….

    I can remember when we were due a huge snow storm and my boss wanted to make sure everyone was going to be in….We worked for a cable assembly company not necessary what so ever, We worked in the dark with the generator supplying power for the water and the company computers…..

    If I hadn’t needed that job at the time I would have told them to screw off.

    More for companies then the person I think……

    • If weather is ever a danger, do not drive to work. If they threaten to fire you, let them. If they do it, get a lawyer and sue the fuck out of them. Lots of these pricks threaten jobs and shit, most are smart enough to know they are fucked if they actually do it though.

  6. Medicare, medicaid and insurance has enabled people to keep expensive end of life care going. If people were forced to pay higher percentage of care that was futile people would not be so quick to jump on that bandwagon. The way it stands now, expensive and futile end of life care cost are distributed to everyone and that is not fair. We live in a very selfish society and no one really cares how much debt out country accumulates thru government health insurance or how much insurance premiums go up.

    These increased demands by taking care of those chronically sick and end of life care have put huge demands for health care workers which has caused staff shortages and have increased wages because of it.

  7. Jack. Absolutely one of your most entertaining podcasts I have ever listened to!
    From idiots measuring snow to principles who need a beating. Bernie Sanders and Rand Paul..absolutely one of the best!
    Thanks for all you do!

    P.s. John in WVA..hope all is well.

  8. I don’t think it was 24-hour news worthy, but the storm was pretty significant. I was out early Sat morning and the visibility was about 1/8 mile, if that. But, we were set up for pretty much anything with that storm. Enough food, water and flashlights/ candles to make it through and my Jeep goes pretty much anywhere. And about those impassable roads….I’d bet most are passable but, as a former mechanic, the tires I see on peoples cars nowadays makes snow covered roads impassable.

    • She was 17.

      His behavior was totally extremely out of line but I can’t see it painting him as a Pedophile. He might just be a retarded cog of the state with no comprehension of the impact of his actions.

      Or he could indeed be a pervert tripping on his power, but when the victim is 17 it’s difficult for me to assume he was a pedo.

      • No, he is a pedophile. The fact that he constantly insisted that she kneel in front of him, and couldn’t even control that urge when the parents were there gives him away. He needs to be investigated and charged, and everyone working at that school who knew what he was doing and didn’t report it also needs to be charged.
        If you are going to work in a government school then you need to follow the government rules.

        • Is he? May be? May be not? Is he a perv, likely!

          But no one seems to get the point. In our current system legally he did NOTHING WRONG. Instead of arguing about how immoral this prick is and on what level, let the larger horror sink in.

          One person objected to this and said, “kneeling to have a skirt measured to enforce dress code is standard practice”.

          Yes I know, that is the problem!

  9. And now for something completely different. Jack Spirko asked listeners to share things about which they have changed perspective since making the journey into homesteading.

    It reminded me of one of those “looking in the mirror” moments on our journey where the face in the mirror was not the one of my memory.

    After years of raising and processing chickens, a friend invited me to share a pig with him. The only catch was that we would need to process it. I had only processed chickens up to that point.

    I tagged along as the processing assistant and the moment came: He had eviscerated the pig, had his hands full of liver and needed to hand it off. I have to admit, I paused for a split second wondering if I should grab a container. Then I thought, “Screw it, there is no way I am going to make it through the day with clean hands,” and grabbed the liver and took it to the bagging table.

    That was a moment when I realized that I no longer thought of processing animals as gross – just part of the food cycle. How different that moment from the days where I would barely touch the meat I was preparing under the fear of contamination.

    • Good one Nicole. I also have one to share. I was in a safety briefing at work and they were telling us about hazards to be aware of around the office and office building. We regularly have Canadian geese walking around outside and they poop all over the sidewalk. One guy in the audience said, half jokingly, “Make sure you don’t step in goose poop!” after which the safety instructor said, “No kidding that stuff is toxic!” In my mind I was thinking, “Toxic? Are you kidding me… That is probably the best garden fertilizer around…” I was surprised others in the room seemed to agree the poo was toxic!

      • In all fairness they were probably envisioning contaminating surfaces in their homes with salmonella or similar.

        The goose manure is great stuff in the right place, but the germophobes [although a bit silly] do base their paranoia on a certain degree of reality.

  10. Texas is part of the “Super Tuesday” primary on March 1st this time…just in case it matters to folks here.

    Early 2016 primary and caucus schedule
    Feb. 1: Iowa

    Feb. 9: New Hampshire

    Feb. 20: Nevada Democrats, South Carolina Republicans, Washington Republicans

    Feb. 23: Nevada Republicans

    Feb. 27: South Carolina Democrats

    March 1: Texas, Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Georgia, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Dakota Republicans, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, Wyoming Republicans

    • Last time around it was all over but the crying by Super Tuesday, this year will likely be the same.