Comments

Episode-640- Survival Podcast Listener Calls 4-8-11 — 23 Comments

  1. @Jack,

    I certainly hope you are wrong about taxing “movement,” not only because of the practical damage it will do to our economy through yet more insane taxation, but because it will be an indicator that we are truly and fully become a fascist state.
    I’m not engaging in hyperbole here, but I see no difference between someone stopping you at the point of a gun from moving about freely in their own country vs economically controlling you from moving about freely.
    Such a system is inherently, and directly in opposition to the CORE principles of a free society.
    I have no basis to agree or disagree with your prediction, but I’m quite sure about what such a thing would mean. That would mean we have crossed that line VERY deeply–past the point of no return, so I can only pray that you are very, very wrong.

  2. Jack you need to fix the edit the “pepper spray guy” have the same answer as the “fuel tax guy”

    Keep up the good work

  3. @Kam I agree but I also know this is coming and I am not wrong. The question is will it wake up enough sheep or will most shrug and go on with life. Watch for sneaky shit like, repealing 100% of the gas tax (at some promised point in the future) as a trade off. The other hold up will be state and local governments fighting over who gets what part of what funds.

    @tmbrwolf, HUH?

  4. jack on the show you had the same answer for the tax question and the pepper spray question, just a heads up

  5. Just want to throw up a caution about the ATF study results. There is nothing that restricts this to importation only. Rifles are by default “normal” firearms, and the specific import ban only affects imports. This is not the case for shotguns.

    Every shotgun above .410 bore is presumptively a destructive device covered by the National Firearms Act, except that the ATF has the authority to render any shotgun a “normal” firearm if it has a “sporting purpose”. So this is not an “import only” issue, nor is it something you can accessorize yourself – if ATF were to rule that tactical features had no sporting function, they could consider every shotgun with them as NFA firearms, regardless of their origin. Making one yourself becomes a 10-year federal felony (unless you file a form1 to create a destructive device).

  6. Thanks for the answer. I got four pine tree’s that I was going to put the blueberry in the ground next to or the pot around them. So plenty of pine needles for me. Thanks again!

  7. I have been using vinegar on Poison Ivy with success, I don’t know if it will work on Russian Thistle.

  8. @Jack,

    Can you explain what makes you so sure this is the route they are going to go? Not saying you are wrong, but I’m curious about your reasons.
    Also, perhaps I’m misunderstanding the extent of this that you’re envisioning. If this effectively prevents people from moving from place to place–not inconvenience, but hard hindrances without alternative routes, I’d expect this will be met with major resistance.
    Why would politicians start such a blatant fight with clear liberty-related issues, when they’ve been so successful at draining money with the current system? They’ve already got a proven system–gas tax, and I doubt there would be nearly the resistance to that continually creeping up (its essentially hidden), to make up for any loss in revenue?
    It just seems to me that that is a path of much less resistance. Additionally, we know that they’ve been looking to pursue energy taxes (Carbon tax, etc), and while they’ve not yet been successful, it telegraphs their intended route.

  9. @All sorry about the duplicate answer on today’s show I will correct it on the next call in show.

  10. You can pay federal taxes with credit cards through officialpayments.com…

  11. On the Russian Thistle & other Nasty weeds, I have used Agricultural Grade Hydrogen Peroxide. That would be 35%, which means that you need to dilute the solution & WEAR Gloves because it is Toxic at that dilution. I would start with using 2Tbs to a gallon of water. Now this is saying that if you do this it is not in an area that you want things to grow right away. Because it can sterilize the soil. IF it is in an area I that you need to plant something right away I would use a 1Tbs to the 1 gallon of water. Then wait. I would also cut down the thistle first & pour this into the root directly for more effectiveness. IF it is in an area that you want to grow something I would use a good ground cover first, that was nitrogen rich to replace what could be lost.. Remember if there is a weed it has something to say about your soil & what it is lacking. You feed it what it’s lacking & you will create a better space without that weed.
    Hydrogen Peroxide has a lot of uses in your home & garden that have not had the publicity that it truly deserves. Hydrogen Peroxide is excellent for also bringing in oxgen to the soil & plants but at a lower dose for obvious reasons. It will keep slugs & other pests off of you plants which is nice & it’s ORGANIC! It’s also good for sterilizing not only the soil but in barns and other areas where if a disease is present this will take it away.

    Vinegar has many uses inside the home and garden as well. Vinegar has been used in some cases for getting rid of weeds but the mixture is different.

    Maybe this is information overload but this is my first time responding. I hope this helps.

  12. The following is my personal local observations regarding taxation of vehicular mileage: The infrastructure for monitoring vehicle movements can already be seen on some Interstate Highways. Most of the monitoring devices are mounted on light poles. They are typically ‘flat panel’ objects colored off-white mounted at about 12-foot elevation, angled downward toward the traffic lanes (just like the ones used in “Toll Tag” or “Speed Pass” lanes, only slightly smaller). Occasionally one is tied-in to a pan and tilt camera mounted in an external ruggedized housing. I live near an interstate and noticed these installations several years ago. The ruggedized camera near my home is mounted underneath a programmable billboard used for ‘Amber Alerts’ and other driving-related alerts. I believe the infrastructure I’ve seen was put in place to monitor the on-board RFID on long-haul trucks taking advantage of the ‘quick-pass’ option for weigh stations. Very clever, I’m sure.

  13. In response to the last caller: My daughter belongs to a local food coop. Produce and other food is bought in bulk, often from smaller local farmers. Food comes in once a week, volunteers split up the produce into shares for the participants. Everyone picks up their food at a set time and place.
    While not food storage specific, it is an example of bulk buying power. The issue they are running into is shortage of volunteers. If she doesn’t call in her order right away, all the spots are taken.
    http://www.bountifulbaskets.org/

  14. Jack,

    Another great show! You cleared up some misconceptions I had about using manure in containers. Thanks for that! On a side note I’ve REALLY been enjoying your “five minutes with jack” segments…I don’t know how i missed those but they have been really helpful so far. Thanks!

  15. RE: The timing of implementing the “toll tax”

    Jack, you estimated 10 to 15 years as far as how long it’ll be before RFID chips get included in our inspection stickers as a way to tax our road usage. I personally think it’ll happen as quickly as a mere 5 to 8 years. I say that only because of my own estimations as to when the REAL pain from Peak Oil will start manifesting itself.

  16. In regards to the Caller Dave in Michigan. I agree with Jacks recommendations on seeding, swaling etc, as a way to improve the pasture after knocking down the weeds, and to deal with the cause of the infestation, but I think a little info on what weed we are talking about is in order. Russian thistle (Salsola tragus) is an annual, and if it is dealt with by disking, pulling, flooding or repeated cutting, it is relatively easy to control. Applications of any broadleaf herbicide will kill it quickly. In a healthy pasture, tumbleweed can’t even get a foothold unless you have bare ground. It does not grow back from roots, persist in the presence of healthy plant communities, or handle flooding at all. Repeated mowing prior to flowering and revegetation will clean it right up, as long as you dont have a heavy seed bank for it to grow from next year if you haven’t improved pasture health. Pen goats on it and they will annihalate it as well . However, If Dave has Russian KNAPWEED or spotted Knapweed, then its all hands on deck. It is a big problem, is toxic to horses, and requires serious attention to control. Herbicide application has to be done thoroughly, with toxic herbicides that target it specifically. Call the extension office if you have questions about what you have and how to treat it. They might even treat it for you if it’s Knapweed.

  17. The mileage tax is something that has to be implemented as we move toward electric and higher fuel mileage vehicles. As these vehicles become more viable, and charging stations (at home or otherwise) become more ubiquitous, it would be a simple matter for the charging station to read the mileage and apply a surcharge to the power being used for the charge (smart grid anyone?). At a public charging station you’ll simply complain about it being more expensive than home, and at a home charging station you’ll simply complain when the monthly electric bill is a little higher than it used to be. Hiding these fees in a larger bill is a politician’s favorite form of taxation. This is just a gas tax of another type. I personally foresee a dual system for at least some time where the electric surcharge and the liquid fuel tax become analogous. I personally don’t trust any politicians, so it’s up to all of us to keep our eyes on them and hold their feet to the fire.. One of the best things we could do to force reform of the tax system would be to eliminate withholding and make everyone pay quarterly. When people saw the actual cost to their take home pay, there would be a revolt. The politicians understand this and will IMO use a similar model on new fuel taxes and surcharges. In the end, we do have to raise enough money to maintain the roads and bridges, but they’ve squandered a lot of the highway trust fund, and we need to make sure it doesn’t continue. Keep in mind that it Is very important to collect money from you in small chucks, the same way they do with withholding from your paycheck. You learn to live on less. If you’ve ever worked for yourself, you really see how bad the taxes are when you send in a quarterly payment and the pols know this well.

    As for the U.N. firearms ban, I’ve seen this thing sent to me at least 5 times from 5 separate people. First thing I do (as Jack said) is remind them that congressional action is required for a treaty, and then ask them if they’ve gotten an alert from NRA, or Buckeye State Firearms or for others, your state firearms association). The answer is always a rather sheepish, no. Not getting alerts from NRA or other organizations, you really should be.

    On the topic of how inflation will affect your mortgage, I recall a scenario discussing this from an economics course I took many years ago in college. Assume you have a $30,000 mortgage on a house (cheap house or you’ve been paying a while) AND you have $30,000 dollar in the same bank that holds the mortgage. At $1.00 per loaf, you can buy 30,000 loaves of bread, or pay off your house. Now assume huge hyperinflation. Bread is now $100 per loaf, which means you can now only buy 300 loaves of bread, OR you can still pay off your house.

  18. Check out: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homestead_%28law%29

    Depending on where you live there may be protections in place to keep the banks from taking your home. In some places there’s a dollar limit on the protection. Also, many banks required you to waive your homestead rights during the signing process. So, you’ll need to check your loan documents, too.

  19. @Oil Lady

    First if you think you know when peak oil will really hit you don’t none of us do. Even the best informed people that think they know absolutely do not know. It could be 5 years it could be 50 but they are not doing this around peak oil they are doing it as a way to ensure permanent taxation on vehicle movement no matter how they move.

    Second, I actually think the RFID in the stickers is less than 5 years away, I am giving 10-15 years for 100% penetration of a “movement tax”, there will be about a 20% penetration in less than 5 years.

  20. Caller referenced work by Bill McDonough + Michael Braungart. Google ‘Cradle to Cradle’ if you want to learn more. Thanks, Jack

  21. Re; Thistles. Not sure what kind of “Russian thistle” you might be talking about. Might be Russian Star thistle.

    People with invasive weed issues should look into “Integrated Pest Management” as a philosophy. I don’t have a specific cure for our star thistle infestation, I have a system;
    Remember, the goal here is to use natural systems to the advantage of the plants you want to have growing. Thistle removal is brutal I make no apology for the warfare terminology.

    Mowing. Do not just willy-nilly mow an area with thistle. This is the equivalent of carpet bombing. For one thing, thistles are “primary succession” plants. If you don’t know what that means, look it up. You should. The reason its invasive is because it has a competitive advantage over everything else in the field. If it didn’t it wouldn’t be invasive.
    If you mow, mow only right before the plant begins to “bolt” (go to seed.) Whatever you do, don’t mow once seeding begins (dispersal) or when the natives are seeding.
    The goal here is an “unlevel playing field” against the invaders

    Because mowing is taking a plant, chopping it up and broadcasting it, you always run the risk of broadcasting the enemies seeds. Obviously bad. To every extent possible avoid mowing.

    Hand picking or weed eating is preferable. A weed whacker allows you to selectively target the enemy, and cut it closer to the base. This allows you to more easily allow friendlies to live, less collateral damage, competitive advantage. Additionally, a weed eater allows you to take down enemy plants without chopping them up and distributing them. In the case of Russian Star thistle, the seed bank has a 7 year viability. We want to drain that bank as soon as possible and prevent “deposits”.

    Hand picking is obviously the best, but clearly time consuming. I save it for the edges, the “front lines” of the battlefield. Take out the scouts with hand weeding, and save the center for more drastic measures.

    What ever you do. DO NOT SCRAPE. like I said, thistle is a primary succession plant. Many of them need disrupted soil to get a foothold. What we want is an unlevel battle field with all the tactical advantage going to the natives. Scraping does just the opposite.

    I don’t like poisons, simply because they kill indiscriminately.
    Other techniques;
    I’ve notices that thistle generally spreads when a seed head manages to get into disturbed soil and produces a “flare up” on the outside of the field. These flare ups gradually expand and turn into outlying infestations. This is why you often see a band of thistle along roadways and no thistle further away from the road. Teh road pushes seed heads via wind along the road inevitably finding disturbed soil (in abundance along roads) and it just spreads from there.
    To counter these flare ups, especially in my yard, I buy straw and simply bury the thistle while its young in a thick flake of straw, and hand pick any the straw doesn’t cover. It sounds hokey, but it works.

    Another technique that I have seen employed for bad infestations is tarping. Sheets of 10 mil black plastic weighted down with whatever. I am less of a fan of this as it kills everything.
    Hope these suggestions help! Death to the Commie Thistle! 😉

  22. I forgot to add, “plants that are weed whacked or hand picked should be collected and burned.”

  23. @ gun ban/restriction:

    Classic Arms has a statement on their website in regards to the Saiga shotguns that,

    “AS AN INDUSTRY FYI, WE HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED BY THE IMPORTER THAT THIS IS A VERY SMALL SHIPMENT OVERALL, AND THEY ARE ONLY CERTAIN OF ONE FURTHER SHIPMENT, WITH A STRONG POSSIBILIY OF A PRICE INCREASE FROM THE RUSSIANS, AS NO MORE FORM 6 IMPORT PERMITS ARE BEING APPROVED ON THESE AT THIS TIME.”

    Ploy to sell guns or legit? IDK, interesting if nothing else.