Preparedness Notes for Monday — September 30, 2024

On September 30, 1880, American amateur astronomer Henry Draper took the first-ever photograph of the Orion Nebula.  More recent images have of course been more dazzling, but Draper’s was the first.

 

On this day in 1938, the short-lived Treaty of Munich was signed by Hitler, Mussolini, Daladier, and Chamberlain. This treaty forced Czechoslovakia to cede territory to Germany.

I just heard of the death of Kris Kristofferson, at age 88. First known for his music, and later for his acting, he was among America’s Larger Than Life crowd. I first became aware of him as an actor when I watched the 1987 television miniseries Amerika. So now Willie Nelson is the last surviving member of The Highwaymen. Kris just made it to Heaven’s Gate. (Seriously, he did become a Christian, and he wasn’t shy about talking about it.)

Today’s feature article is a review by our own Tom Christianson.

Round 114 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest ends today, but we are seeking entries for Round 115. More than $900,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. In 2023, we polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Please refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic. You can start writing an entry for Round 115 and e-mail it to us. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how-to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.