On March 19, 1649, the House of Commons of England passed an act abolishing the House of Lords, declaring it “useless and dangerous to the people of England”. Perhaps it’s time Americans did the same with our Senate–or better yet return our Senate to its proper role–representing the individual States rather than electing Senators by popular vote. – JWR
March 18th is the birthday of novelist John Updike. (He was born in 1932 and died in 2009.) It is also the birthday of Luc Besson, director and producer of films such as La Femme Nikita and The Fifth Element. o o o Today, we present another entry for Round 69 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The nearly $15,000 worth of prizes for this round include: First Prize: A $3000 gift certificate towards a Sol-Ark Solar Generator from Veteran owned Portable Solar LLC. The only EMP Hardened Solar Generator System available to the public. A Gunsite Academy Three Day …
March 17th is the birthday of novelist Pearl S. Buck, best known for her novel The Good Earth. (Born 1887, died 1973.) This is also the birthday of Józef Franczak (born 1917, died 21 October 1963), who was a Polish Army Corporal who fought in the World War II resistance against the invading Germans. He then carried on after the war, to fight against the occupying Soviets and their Polish communist stooges. Eventually, he was one of the last of the Cursed Soldiers resistance in Poland. His nom de guerre was Lalek. o o o Today, we present an entry …
Today is the anniversary of the Battle at Pound Gap Kentucky (1862). o o o Today, we present another entry for Round 69 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The nearly $15,000 worth of prizes for this round include: First Prize: A $3000 gift certificate towards a Sol-Ark Solar Generator from Veteran owned Portable Solar LLC. The only EMP Hardened Solar Generator System available to the public. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate that is good for any one, two, or three day course (a $1,195 value), A course certificate from onPoint Tactical for the prize winner’s choice of …
This is the birthday of General and President Andrew Jackson, in 1767. He was the 7th President of the United States (1829-1837). o o o Today, we present part two of an entry for Round 69 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The nearly $15,000 worth of prizes for this round include: First Prize: A $3000 gift certificate towards a Sol-Ark Solar Generator from Veteran owned Portable Solar LLC. The only EMP Hardened Solar Generator System available to the public. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate that is good for any one, two, or three day course (a $1,195 …
This is the birthday of fighter ace Major Raoul Lufbery (born 1885). He was shot down and killed in 1918.) o o o Today, we present Part one of a two part entry on vinegar for Round 69 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The nearly $15,000 worth of prizes for this round include: First Prize: A $3000 gift certificate towards a Sol-Ark Solar Generator from Veteran owned Portable Solar LLC. The only EMP Hardened Solar Generator System available to the public. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate that is good for any one, two, or three day course …
Today is the birthday of the astronomer Percival Lowell, born in 1855. His flawed “Canals of Mars” theories persisted from 1895 to 1909.
Today is the birthday of science fiction author Harry Harrison, who is best known for his Deathworld trilogy. (He was born in 1920 and died in 2012.) On March 12, 1850 the first U.S. $20 gold piece was issued. The current bullion (melt) value of a $20 gold piece (not even considering any numismatic value) is about $1,185. Lesson learned: Trust gold, not paper.
Today is the birthday of author Douglas Adams (born 1952). He is the author of Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. Also on this day, the Great Blizzard of ’88 struck the northeastern United States (1888). March 11th is the birthday of the late actor Anton Yelchin (born 1989, died June 19, 2016). He is remembered for his portrayal of Kyle Reese in Terminator: Salvation, and as Ensign Pavel Checkov, the most recent Star Trek movie series. He died in a freak accident wherein his parked Jeep Grand Cherokee unexpectedly rolled forward on an incline, pinning him to a security fence. …
On March 10, 1893 New Mexico State University canceled its first graduation ceremony, because its only graduand, Sam Steele, was robbed and killed the night before. On March 10, 1910, China officially ended slavery. But unofficially, China now has one of the world’s largest slave populations. These are mostly political prisoners, working in prison factories. Sadly, there is no way of reliably knowing whether or not most of the “Made In China” merchandise that you buy might originate from these prisons. o o o Today, we present part four of a four part entry for Round 69 of the SurvivalBlog …
Today is the birthday of writer John McPhee (b. 1931), a master of creative nonfiction. One of McPhee’s most widely read books is Coming into the Country, which eloquently describes the Alaskan wilderness. March 9th is the birthday of Cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin– the first man to ever travel in space. He was born in 1934 and died in the crash of a MiG-15-UTI fighter on March 27, 1968. o o o Ki4u.com is selling a Radius P10 Shelter (from an estate sale) for 75% off. If you’re looking for a ready-made shelter that can hold your entire family, this is …
March 8th is the birthday of famed revolver shooter, big game hunter, and gun writer Elmer Keith, who co-designed the S&W .44 Magnum and .41 Magnum cartridges. He authored the book Sixguns, which is still considered a standard reference. His fascinating life story is told in his last book, Hell, I was there! Keith spent the second half of his life on a ranch near Salmon, Idaho. (Keith was born in 1899 and died February 12, 1984.) o o o Today, we present part two of a four part entry for Round 69 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The …
Panic in Year Zero: It is important that SurvivalBlog readers take the time to read at least the summary of the Wikileaks “Year Zero” March 7th announcement. (Also known as Vault 7.) The ramifications of this release of state-sanctioned and state-sponsored cyberweapons are huge. The sheer volume of weaponized code that has been unleashed is amazing. The mis-use of these cyberweapons could very rapidly devastate e-commerce, banking, satellite navigation systems, and public utilities, including national power grids. Do not dismiss this as mere speculation. The risk is real, and the risk is huge. This announcement is just one more reason …
March 6th was the birthday of Leroy Gordon “Gordo” Cooper Jr., (1927) in Shawnee Oklahoma. This U.S. Air Force pilot and astronaut, who was aboard Mercury 9 and Gemini 5, had his exploits well documented in Tom Wolfe’s book The Right Stuff, and in the well-done film of the same name. Cooper died at age 77 from heart failure at his home in Ventura, California, on October 4, 2004. Coincidentally, this is also the birthday of Valentina Tereshkova (born 1937), a Soviet cosmonaut and the first woman in space (aboard Vostok 6). She was born in Maslennikovo, USSR.
Today is the birthday of Momofuku Ando (born, 1910) the Taiwanese-Japanese inventor of instant noodles and Cup-O-Noodles, born in Wu Baifu, Taiwan. (He died in 2007.) His inventions have saved counted thousands of American college students from starvation. This is also the birthday of Howard Pyle (1853-1911), an influential American book illustrator, painter, and author. He was the mentor of many great American artists, including Thornton Oakley, Frank E. Schoonover, Allen Tupper True, and of course N.C. Wyeth.