Notes for Sunday – January 01, 2017

John Cantius Garand (January 1, 1888 – February 16, 1974) was born in St. Rémi, Quebec. John Garand designed one of America’s best known battle rifles, the M1 Garand. General Patton praised Garand’s design, writing to Chief of Ordnance Lt. Gen. Levin H. Campbell, Jr., (January 26, 1945): “The M1 rifle is the most deadly rifle in the world.” o o o More bad news: Debbie Reynolds has passed away. She was an amazing dancer, singer, and stage performer.




Notes for Saturday – December 31, 2016

December 31st is the birthday of Dr. Cynthia Koelker, SurvivalBlog’s Medical Editor. It is also the birthday of Frederick Selous (born 1851, died 4 January 1917). o o o Mountain House is hiking most prices on their 30-year freeze-dried foods January 1 (as much as 10%). Safecastle is offering MH Sale discounts of as much as 48% through Dec. 31 (midnight Eastern time). Prices may never be this low again, so don’t miss this opportunity. o o o Today, we present another entry for Round 68 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The nearly $15,000 worth of prizes for this …




Notes for Friday – December 30, 2016

December 30, 1865 was the birthday of Rudyard Kipling. I should mention that his writings about Afghanistan have sparked a modern-day revival of interest in Kipling among British, Australian, and American officers and NCOs deployed to Afghanistan. o o o Today, we present another entry for Round 68 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 …




Notes for Thursday – December 29, 2016

One of the deadliest mass shootings in U.S. history was actually perpetuated by the Federal Government itself on December 29th, 1890, on the Lakota Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. While unconstitutionally disarming the people, the U.S. 7th Cavalry Regiment opened fire on men, women, and children, killing over 150 Indians, nearly half of which were women and children. Another 50 or so were wounded, some dying later from those wounds. The officers lost control of their men, and some were recorded as fanning out and finishing off the wounded. Wounded Knee stands as a prime example of why the Second Amendment …




Notes for Wednesday – December 28, 2016

December 28, 1793 is the day that Thomas Paine was arrested in France for treason. The charges against him were never fully detailed, but he was tried in absentia on December 26 and convicted. Best known as the author of Common Sense, he moved to Paris to be part of the French revolution. Initially welcomed, the tide soon turned against him, because he was opposed to the death penalty, and the French revolutionaries were sending hundreds to the guillotine. o o o Today, we present another entry for Round 68 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The nearly $15,000 worth …




Notes for Tuesday – December 27, 2016

On this day in 1979, in an attempt to stabilize the turbulent political situation in Afghanistan, the Soviet Union sent 75,000 troops to enforce the installation of Babrak Karmal as the new leader of the nation. The new government and the imposing Soviet presence, however, had little success in putting down anti-government rebels. Thus began nearly 10 years of an agonizing, destructive, and ultimately fruitless Soviet military intervention in Afghanistan. Death by a thousand cuts. o o o Don’t forget, Ready Made Resources has a very limited supply of Knight Vision AN/PVS-30 Night Vision Weapon Site available. These have seen …










Notes for Saturday – December 24, 2016

December 24, is the 15th Anniversary of when John Joe Gray’s legal troubles began. He and his family were self-sufficiently holed up in their Texas ranch for a few days short 15 years, in defiance of a warrant for his arrest. This was the longest standoff in American history, in which he has faced the administrations of four different county sheriffs before the district attorney dropped the charges.










Notes for Wednesday – December 21, 2016

On December 21, 1620, William Bradford and the Mayflower Pilgrims landed on what is now known as Plymouth Rock in Plymouth, Massachusetts. o o o Today, we present another entry for Round 68 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 …




Notes for Tuesday – December 20, 2016

On December 20th, 1606, the Virginia Company loaded three ships with settlers and set sail to establish Jamestown, Virginia, the first permanent English settlement in the Americas. o o o Today, we present another entry for Round 68 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 …







Notes for Sunday – December 18, 2016

December 18th is the birthday of Charles Wesley (18 December 1707 – 29 March 1788). He wrote more that 1,700 hymns. Today is also the birthday of Jørgen Haagen Schmith (born December 18, 1910, died October 15, 1944). He was better known under the codename Citron and was a famous Danish resistance fighter in occupied Denmark. His biographical sketch at Wikipedia describes his death, after he was tracked down by the Nazis: “German soldiers arrived at the house to arrest or kill Schmith. He fought for hours against an overwhelming force of enemy troops killing 11 and wounded scores of …