John Randolph was born June 2, 1773, in Prince George County, Virginia. He died May 24, 1833. Randolph was an important proponent of the doctrine of states’ rights in opposition to a strong centralized government.

According to Britannica.com: “A descendant of notable colonial families of Virginia as well as of the Indian princess Pocahontas, Randolph distinguished himself from a distant relative by assuming the title John Randolph of Roanoke, where he established his home in 1810.

In 1799 Randolph was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, and he served in that legislative body almost continuously until 1829. His political rise was so rapid that by 1801 he was chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee and leader of the Jeffersonian Republicans in Congress. His debating skill and biting sarcasm made him a feared opponent through the years, and he anticipated the states’-rights theories of John C. Calhoun by passionately defending state sovereignty on every occasion. He thus opposed a national bank, protective tariffs, federally financed internal improvements (such as roads and canals), and federal interference with the institution of slavery—though he freed his own bondsmen in his will.”

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Some unexpected news: I just heard that Iron Edison is going out of business. From their announcement:

“It is with great sadness that we announce the closure of Iron Edison after 12 years of operation. We deeply appreciate the opportunity to have served our customers throughout the years, and it is regrettable that we cannot continue our presence in the battery industry.

While our operations have ceased, we have a limited staff available in June to fulfill existing orders and liquidate our remaining inventory. Next week, we will be sending out an e-mail detailing our inventory liquidation sale, which may include both new and used equipment.”

My advice:  If you need any spares, then jump on them, ASAP. – JWR

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 107 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest.

But first, we are announcing the writing contest judging for Round 106…