Category: Note

On July 5, 1810, P. T. Barnum, the great American showman, was born. He died on April 7, 1891. He is often credited with the phrase “There is a sucker born every minute.” While the actual attribution of the quote is suspect with many versions of the story abounding, the concept remains valid, especially when one considers the economic state of the entire world. Only in a world of fools could the economy of entire nations, indeed the vast majority of the world, be driven solely off of debt. — Today we present a guest post by Brandon Smith, of …

Happy Independence Day!  As we celebrate our liberty, please use this opportunity to remind your friends and neighbors about the liberties that we’ve lost and encourage them to take action, to regain them. I’ve said it many times before: Stock up, Team up. Train up.  Oh, and vote the incumbent rascals out! The Democrats must go. Ditto for those Republicans in Name Only (RINOs). — I spotted this 20-acre listing with National Forest land on three sides, at SurvivalRealty.com: NW Montana Off Grid. — Today we present a review written by our Field Gear Editor Emeritus, Pat Cascio.

On July 3, 1890, the Idaho Territory became the 43rd state in the Union. July 3rd is also the birthday of both musician Aaron Tippin and actor Tom Cruise. — Today we are posting a review written by our Redoubtable Field Gear Editor Emeritus, Pat Cascio.

On July 2nd, 1937 aviator Amelia Earhart and navigator Fred Noonan disappeared over the Pacific Ocean while attempting to make the first round-the-world flight at the equator. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 101 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include: First Prize: The photovoltaic power specialists at Quantum Harvest LLC  are providing a store-wide 10% off coupon. Depending on the model chosen, this could be worth more than $2000. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any of their one, two, or three-day course …

July 1st is the anniversary of the beginning of the Civil War Battle of Gettysburg, in 1863. — We’ve completed our camping trip, so I’ve reactivated the shopping cart system, at Elk Creek Company. Thanks for your patience. — Today’s feature is some advice that I have for folks without an FFL who might sell or trade guns from time to time, to improve their collections. — Our nonfiction writing contest is in progress. Round 101 ends on July 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on …

June 30th is the anniversary of the tragic death of 19 hotshots in the Yarnell Hill Fire, in 2013. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 101 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include: First Prize: The photovoltaic power specialists at Quantum Harvest LLC  are providing a store-wide 10% off coupon. Depending on the model chosen, this could be worth more than $2000. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any of their one, two, or three-day course (a $1,095 value), A course certificate from onPoint …

On June 29th, 1941, the Germans invaded and occupied Lvov, Ukraine, slaughtering thousands of people. Russia followed a scorched earth policy as Germany invaded just as they had during Napoleon’s invasion. They burned, destroyed, flooded, dismantled and removed anything and everything in territory that they were forced to give up. As the Germans moved in, the Soviets proceeded to murder 3,000 Ukrainian political prisoners. It was so bad that the Germans were actually seen as liberators by the local population. Sadly, within days, they were forced to endure the horrors of the Nazi regime as some 2.5 million Ukrainians were …

June 28th, 1703 was the birthday of John Wesley, who died March 2, 1791. — Today’s feature article, written by one of our long-time readers, is too short to be considered in the judging for Round 101 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. But it is quite useful and greatly appreciated, nonetheless. — More than $725,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running our writing contest. Round 101 ends on July 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how-to” skills for survival …

Today is the birthday Leroy James Sullivan, born June 27, 1933. (Pictured.) He is an American firearms inventor. Going by Jim Sullivan, he has designed several “scaled-down” versions of larger firearms. He also designed the Beta C-MAG double snail drum magazines. And today is the birthday of Paul Mauser, (June 27, 1838 – May 29, 1914). He was a German weapon designer and manufacturer. His strong and reliable bolt action design was used by many nations. The U.S. Springfield Model 1903 is based on the Mauser Model 1898, and in fact the U.S. government famously lost in a patent infringement …

June 26th is the birthday of Marine Corps Lt. General Chesty Puller (born 1898, died October 11, 1971). Perhaps America’s finest-ever maverick officer, Puller was part of what I call the Even Greater Generation. — Because I have some travel scheduled, I’ve put Elk Creek Company on hiatus for a week. I will resume taking orders, via our shopping cart, on July 1st.  Thanks for your patience. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 101 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include: First Prize: The photovoltaic power specialists at Quantum Harvest …

On June 25th, 1876, Native American forces led by Chiefs Crazy Horse and Sitting Bull defeated the U.S. Army troops of Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer in a bloody battle near southern Montana’s Little Bighorn River. The Battle of Little Bighorn–also called Custer’s Last Stand –marked the most decisive Native American victory and the worst U.S. Army defeat in the long Plains Indian War. While complicated, the generally accepted reason for the battle is that the discovery of gold in South Dakota’s Black Hills in 1875 led to the U.S. government disregarding previous treaty agreements. The gruesome fate of Custer …

June 24th the birthday of rifle-toting abolitionist pastor Henry Ward Beecher. (Born 1813, died March 8, 1887.) He and his adherents from his church smuggled so many Sharps rifles to Bleeding Kansas that the Sharps rifles picked up the nickname Beecher’s Bibles. Wikipedia states: “Several of his brothers and sisters became well-known educators and activists, most notably Harriet Beecher Stowe, who achieved worldwide fame with her abolitionist novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin.” — Some Good News: Supreme Court Strikes Down New York Concealed-Carry Restriction.  This will force at least six liberal states to adopt “shall issue” instead of “may issue” CCW …

On June 23, 1868, American inventor Christopher Latham Sholes received a patent for a typewriter. Sholes invented the QWERTY keyboard. Along with Samuel W. Soule, Carlos Glidden, and John Pratt, Sholes has been contended as one of the inventors of the first typewriter in the United States. — Today’s feature article is not an entry for Round 101 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. It was written by a SurvivalBlog advertiser, and hence it is ineligible for the writing contest judging. — More than $725,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. Round 101 ends …

On June 22, 1633, Galileo Galilei was coerced by Pope Gregory XV to recant his belief in heliocentrism–that the Earth orbits the Sun. The Vatican did not concede that it was wrong until October 31, 1992. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 101 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include: First Prize: The photovoltaic power specialists at Quantum Harvest LLC  are providing a store-wide 10% off coupon. Depending on the model chosen, this could be worth more than $2000. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used …

June 21st is the birthday of Rex Applegate (June 21, 1914 – July 14, 1998), author of Kill or Be Killed. He was the friend and mentor of SurvivalBlog’s Field Gear Editor Emeritus, Pat Cascio. — A Special Request from JWR:  I’m in the process of re-organizing my workshop, so I’m looking to buy several sets of used, reasonably-priced heavy-duty storage shelves with metal frames, from here in the American Redoubt. I’m willing to travel as far away as Spokane, Washington, Kalispell, Montana, Lewiston, Idaho, or Colfax, Washington, to pick them up. They can be up to 12 feet tall, …