The world is ending! … Again?
By John Silveira
Issue #85 • January/February, 2004
People love to talk about scary stuff. Especially when it's end-of-the-world scary, such as the big asteroid recently in the news that was supposed to hit Earth and...
James Polk — A model for modern presidents
By John Silveira
Issue #32 • March/April, 1995
It was snowing and three of us were up at the office. Dave Duffy, the fellow who publishes BHM, and I were trying to get some work done...
Biological and chemical weapons through history
By John Silveira
Issue #81 • May/June, 2003
The weather here on the coast of Oregon is nice almost all year-round, and there almost always seems to be some kind of fishingsalmon or winter steelhead running...
Presidents’ wives of the past Part 3
By John Silveira
Issue #34 • July/August, 1995
(This is a four-part series. Click the links to navigate to parts one, two, three, and four.)
Do I have to stay and help you?" my 12-year old son...
An American dollar worth two cents
By John Silveira
Issue #129 • May/June, 2011
Most Americans are unaware that today's dollar has the purchasing power that roughly four cents had back in 1913. That was the year the Federal Reserve (the Fed)...
Homeschooling your dylsexic kid
By John Silveira
Issue #142 • July/August, 2013
I write and edit for a living. I'm the senior editor for Backwoods Home Magazine for which I've written numerous columns during the last 24 years. Before that...
Money can buy happiness
By John Silveira
Issue #72 • November/December, 2001
The results are in: money can buy happiness, but it doesn't come cheap. Not only that, the amount of happiness your money can buy can be measured.
I know...
Avian Flu — How afraid of this
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Avian Flu
How afraid of this chicken should you be?
By John Silveira
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Issue #97 • January/February, 2006
There's been a lot of talk in the mass media recently about Avian flu, also known as Bird flu and...
Our ‘unenumerated’ rights
By John Silveira
Issue #110 • March/April, 2008
I received this question in an e-mail from my younger brother, Mike: "Jack, the other day a friend asked me where in the Constitution does it say you...
Things kids should learn before leaving high school, but don’t
By John Silveira
Issue #159 • May/June, 2016
We send generations of American children to school hoping we're preparing them for adulthood. Among the least of our expectations are that they're going to be able to...
The unheralded roots of America’s freedoms
By John Silveira
Issue #108 • November/December, 2007
I've just finished reading a fascinating book by Charles C. Mann. It's titled, 1491, and subtitled New Revelations of the Americas before Columbus. The book has turned what...
Who’s supposed to protect our rights?
By John Silveira
Issue #102 • November/December, 2006
Who is supposed to protect our rights? The President? The Congress? The courts? The police? Before you answer, let me remind you of something: Our rights are supposed...
Why I Hated Santa Claus
By John Silveira
December 21, 1999
Even as a little kid I didn't like Santa Claus. I liked the loot he brought; I wanted toys. With some trepidation, I even sat in his lap at the...
Baked Macaroni and Cheese to Kill For
Recipe of the Week
Baked Macaroni and Cheese to Kill For
Courtesy of
John Silveira
Ingredients
2 cups uncooked elbow Macaroni
3/8 cup Butter
1/2 cup Flour
1-3/4 cups Milk
1/2 cup Sour Cream
1/2 cup grated Parmesan Cheese...
The ‘risks’ with Swine Flu
By John Silveira
Issue #118 • July/August, 2009
Do we have anything to worry about the reemergence of Swine Flu Novel Influenza A (H1N1) this fall? The short answer is: Probably not. There are...
The false argument about defending our freedom
By John Silveira
Issue #142 • July/August, 2013
I'm tired of hearing how we should honor our veterans because they're defending our freedoms. They're not. No one in any of the Islamic countries is trying to...
