Thursday, August 31, 2006

One-Two, One-Two, And Through And Through...

The state of TIAH

August 31st, 2006

in 1888, the first victim of the hideous murderer known as Jack the ripper is found in the Whitechapel area of London. Mary Ann Nichols, who had turned to a life of prostitution in her youth, was found cut to pieces on Buck’s Row. Her murder was followed by several others, and then the killings stopped for several years. The murders remained unsolved for many years until the killer published, of all things, a children’s book in which he wrote a cryptic confession of his dark deeds. Thomas Wyndham, a detective at Scotland Yard with a fondness for puzzles and cryptograms, was reading the edition of Alice In Wonderland known as Nursery Alice to his daughter when a passage on the page seemed to leap out at him; he rearranged the words and it turned into a confession of ominous portent. He and a colleague paid a visit to author Charles Dodgson, and after hours of questioning, the author broke down and confessed everything, also implicating his friend, Thomas Bayne, a colleague from Oxford. The sensational capture of the elusive Jacks stunned the world of children’s literature, and Dodgson’s work was pulled from publication; it is read today only by criminal pathologists seeking insight into the twisted mind of this terrible murderer.

in 1959, advice columnist and back-to-basics advocate Gari Strawn was born in Houston, Texas. After marrying young and poor, Strawn started living as close to the earth as possible, making all her family’s clothes, recycling materials, cooking all meals from scratch, and, in later days, growing food and generating power from various natural and renewable resources. She started an advice column in the Houston Post on natural living, and it quickly spread to hundreds of papers around the country and the world. Although this made her and her family quite well-to-do, the only changes that Strawn allowed in her private life was the acquisition of more land on which to practice her back-to-basics philosophy. The Strawn movement is credited with the popularity of many of the more stringent environmental laws we live under today, “to ensure that the planet we live on doesn’t run out of resources before we can pass it on to our children.”

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Wednesday, August 30, 2006

Victory In Egypt

The state of TIAH

August 30th, 2006

in 723 AUC, Egyptian ruler Cleopatra and her consort, Marcus Antonius of Rome, achieved a miraculous victory over the forces of Octavian of Rome, due to the intervention at the last moment of the Ethiopians. The Ethiopians allied themselves with Egypt, and with Antonius’ insurgent forces back in Rome, overthrew Octavian and his followers, and established Marcus Antonius as Antony, first Emperor of Rome. He was a mere puppet for Cleopatra and the Ethiopian king, though, and it was a mere 4 years before they cast him aside and ruled Rome openly. This caused another civil war, which left the Roman Empire shattered into 3 pieces; Cleopatra ruled the Central Empire, the Western Empire returned to republican rule, and the far east of the Empire went back to indigenous rule, rejecting Roman ways. Over time, the Central and Western Empires sought reconciliation, but the fundamental differences between monarchy and republic always stood in their way.

in 1918, Comrade Nikolai Illich Ulyanov, better known to the world as Lenin, is shot and killed by a fellow revolutionary as he speaks to workers in a factory in Moscow. With the death of the Bolshevik leader, chaos erupts among the revolutionary factions; Trotsky’s forces fought Stalin’s in the streets of Moscow as the summer ended, and Trotsky emerged victorious from the struggle as winter seized Russia. Stalin was forced into exile, while Trotsky tried to turn his starving, impoverished nation, beset on all sides by white governments eager to restore the monarchy, back into a world power. Although he was harsh at first, Trotsky truly believed in socialism, and enacted reforms across Russia that benefited the working class of the nation. He also believed that the “dictatorship of the proletariat” should fade away sooner rather than later, and once the civil unease was quelled in 1927, called for elections across the huge nation. People who had never voted for anything before in their lives now were able to choose the leaders of Russia, albeit from a somewhat limited slate of candidates. The Russian Soviet State’s first Prime Minister was Trotsky himself, who served 1 term of 5 years, and then was succeeded by a non-Bolshevik, Pyotr Nyetchev of the Socialist Reformation Union. Stalin even attempted to run for Prime Minister when he was pardoned from his exile in 1945, but his power base in Russia by that time had dwindled to nothing.

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Tuesday, August 29, 2006

Truman Seizes Nation's Oil Industry

The state of TIAH

August 29th, 2006

in 1945, President Truman orders the Navy to seize control of the petroleum industry in order to keep a dispute between oil workers and management from endangering the ending of the war. With the military in charge, oil flows smoothly through the armed forces and around America, as well, and the country is very pleased in the change. When former oil industry executives come to President Truman after the war's end and ask him to return control of the industry back to them, he flatly refuses, saying, “Oil is a matter of national security, and the way you gentlemen use it is endangering the country.” He signs an executive order nationalizing the industry, which sparks protests from some die-hard free marketeers, but few others. The government-run oil business proves so successful that Truman and the Congress are able to lower taxes, which seals the public's approval behind the deal. When oil becomes a little harder to acquire, the government begins experimenting with alternative fuels, and by 1971, the nation is freed from having to use foreign oil deposits at all; America's natural isolationism then takes over, and the great nation withdraws from world affairs to concentrate on its own people.

in 1968, at the contentious Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Vice-President Hubert Humphrey was killed just as he approached the podium to accept his nomination as the party's presidential candidate. With memories of Bobby Kennedy's assassination fresh in many minds, the Democrats in the convention hall were out for blood, and severely beat the young man who shot Humphrey. Amid the chaos, Senator Gene McCarthy strode to the podium and appealed for calm from the delegates. His soothing words brought the party back from the brink of chaos, and, as Humphrey's assassin was led from the hall, they called out for McCarthy to lead the party in the fall election. A hasty series of votes gave the Minnesotan Senator enough delegates to secure the nomination, and he accepted with a tearful speech at 4AM. When this was broadcast on most morning news shows, America saw a new man from the one who had been forced out of the running earlier on in the year. President Johnson, who had been negotiating a peace treaty in Vietnam, secured it just in time to hand McCarthy victory in November against Republican Richard Nixon. McCarthy's economic policies, a combination of liberal and libertarian ideas, proved less effective than Johnson's, but he shone in foreign policy, setting America firmly on the side of peace in all matters. He negotiated an end to the conflict between the Palestinians and Israelis at the end of his second term in 1975, and will probably be remembered most fondly for the cessation of the Cold War under his administration, when the Soviet Union pledged its friendship with the US at the announcement of the joint American-Soviet Moon Base Mission. With the two great nations tied together by the space race, the hostilities of the past faded away, and the world looked forward to a new era at America's bicentennial.

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Monday, August 28, 2006

#250,000

Alternate Historian's Note: - We just hit our quarter-millionth visit! Number 250,000 is someone in the Air Force in Massachusetts - if it's you, email us and let us know! We're at althistorian@gmail.com.

The Hammer And The Anvil

The state of TIAH

August 28th, 2006

Alternate Historian's Note: Today, TIAH reaches a huge milestone. Sometime this morning, we will hit 250,000 visitors. That's just amazing to someone who got maybe a thousand total visits to his original site in the 90's. We'll make an announcement when we see it happen, and if you're the lucky quarter-millionth visitor, we'd like to put you in an entry all to yourself – watch for the announcement later today!

in 1571, a Spanish fleet attacks the south coast of England as Mectezuma's Aztec fleet hits Wales. Caught between the hammer and the anvil, Queen Elizabeth calls for aid from Scotland and France, and rallies the British to defend their homeland. The Aztec find Wales difficult to advance across, so the Spanish find themselves without reinforcement. The French answer Elizabeth's cry for help and send reinforcements across the channel; although they have no great love for the English, they have even less for the Spanish. With the French assistance, the Spanish are driven from the south before the mighty Aztec warriors can arrive to back them up. Mectezuma is left with only his own forces, and no allies when he reaches the great capitol of England.

in 1879, Zululand's King Cetshwayo evades capture by the British and spirits into the countryside of his small African nation, taking a leaf from the old Boer handbook and instigating a guerrilla war against the Brits. His constant harassment forced the British to expend forces in Zululand that left other former Boer possessions open – and soon the Zulu and Boer made common cause against the British, helping each other in the guerrilla struggle. Together, the two drove the British out of southwestern Africa, freeing Natal and Zululand when the war finally ended in 1887.

in 1963, the largest peaceful demonstration that the US capitol had ever seen witnessed what would be the first and last time that both Martin Luther King and Malcolm X shared a stage together. After King's soaring 'I have a dream' speech, X took the podium and delivered his extemporaneous reply, 'I have a nightmare.' X's speech described his counter-vision of America, should it reject the rosy scenario that Dr. King described. The fiery speech nearly disrupted the day's harmony, but Minister X finished without incident and stormed away from the podium. On news broadcasts of the day, King's inspiring speech was ignored in favor of the more incendiary rhetoric of the Nation of Islam spokesman, and the peaceful demonstration was recast as a gigantic hate rally. The biased news coverage disillusioned many civil rights leaders, and even Dr. King felt that the news organizations had betrayed the movement. But the Nation of Islam enjoyed an unprecedented spurt in growth as young African-Americans, inspired by Malcolm X's speech, joined up to emulate the strong, fearless man they had seen on the television, urging them to fight back against their oppressors. Washington's political establishment, seeing that black sympathies were coming into line more with Malcolm X than Martin Luther King, quickly passed the Civil Rights Act of 1963 in order to try to move African-Americans back to the center of American politics.

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Sunday, August 27, 2006

Minh's Peace Conference Gambit

The state of TIAH

August 27th, 2006

Alternate Historian's Note: One of our entries today is from Guest Historian Steve Payne. Thanks for lightening the workload here at the Academy, Steve! If you would like to be a guest historian too, just read the state of TIAH link above and then email me.

in 1919, Ho Chi Minh gains an appointment with US President Woodrow Wilson at the Paris Peace Conference. Presenting arguments based on the consequences of excluding African Americans from the US Constitution, Wilson accepts that the principle of self-determination applies to the population of the French Colony of Indochina. Despite determined pleas from British Prime Minister Lloyd George and French President Georges Clemenceau, Wilson insists that the Treaty of Versailles extends to indigenes outside of Europe. Due to Minh's timely intervention liberation had come to the last of the indigenous people languishing in the former British Empire and French Union by the end of 1920s. -Post by Guest Historian Steve Payne-

in 1941, Japanese Prime Minister Prince Fumimaro Konoye meets with President Franklin Roosevelt of the United States in order to improve relations between the two countries in light of Japan's war with China. Konoye, who hated the European fascists that his country had allied itself with, sought to divert American attention from his country to Europe; he knew that Roosevelt also hated the fascists, and was quite willing to be moved in that direction, if Konoye could assure him that American interests in the Pacific would not be compromised by Japan. The Prime Minister was eager to grant such guarantees, and returned to Japan with a peace agreement that relieved a great deal of pressure from the island nation. Although the military was unhappy with this deal, they saw the advantage of not having to fight American forces in addition to the allies of China that they were currently struggling against. They called off a secret plan to attack Hawaii and other Pacific American possessions in the winter, and instead focused on the Chinese mainland and the nations of Oceania.

in 1954, Georgia Ann Taylor is born in the small town of Bryan, Texas. Discovered by one of Lawrence Welk's talent scouts while she was at college in Oklahoma, Miss Taylor became a regular guest on Welk's show in the early 70's, crooning popular tunes. She left the show in 1979 and toured Europe for several years before coming back to America and becoming one of the fixtures in the wholesome entertainment scene in Branson, Missouri. As the eldest daughter of a Baptist minister, Miss Taylor often included little homilies from the Bible in her show, and recorded a couple of albums of Christian songs, which attracted the attention of shows like The 700 Club, which she appeared on a few times in the 1980's and 90's. Today, Taylor owns her own theater in Branson and assists other entertainers seeking to break into the Christian music scene, as well as performing her own music once a week.

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Saturday, August 26, 2006

John Paul I

The state of TIAH

August 26th, 2006

Alternate Historian's Note: Today's post is from Guest Historian Tom Oliver, whose format will break from our normal one, as you'll see below. Our thanks to Tom for giving us the day off, and if you would like to do the same, just email me.

Italian Cardinal Albino Luciani, 65, was elevated to the papacy as John Paul. Though in sickbed for weeks with a highly mysterious ailment, following just a month of being pope, he made a 'miraculous' recovery. Though perceived as an intellectual lightweight and 'out-of-his-league' by critics in his first month of his papacy, his brush with death (due to circumstances never fully explained) changed such perceptions. He was one of the longest-serving popes in modern history, dying at the ripe old age of 93, in 2006. He outlived the man he had mistakenly predicted would be pope some day, the conservative Pole, Karol Cardinal Wojtyla.

John Paul was a hugely popular pope with the masses; unpretentious, and a moderate in terms of theology. There was great consternation among conservative elements in the Church when the pope allowed for certain types and uses of contraception. The public cheered him for allowing the Italian police authorities access to information related to the Vatican Bank and its murky relations to the Banco Ambrosiano, data which led to the huge scandal that rocked the Italian government and financial elites for a decade (and led to the disgracing of a media magnate, Berlusconi, for his attempts to protect friends with biased reporting in all his media outlets.)

John Paul was far from popular with many conservative Americans, Catholic and non-Catholic alike, such as President Ronald Reagan; the pope's improving of Church ties to the Soviet Union, and dismissal of many pro-US clergy, seemed to conservatives to be prolonging the Cold War and strengthening the USSR's diplomatic position on the global stage. When John Paul made a public pronouncement against the installation of US Pershing II missiles in West Europe, US and Vatican relations soured for decades (though the US is rumored to have stealthily installed them anyway). The Holy Father's stance towards the Russians was seen as lacking in moral clarity vis a vis which side in the Cold War was more committed to true human freedom – it was 'moral equivocationism', in the words of then Vice President George H.W. Bush, in 1983. The pope was given high marks by most Balkan experts across the political spectrum for his calming, 'non-partisan' pronouncements regarding the possible breakup of Yugoslavia after Marshal Tito's death in 1980 (a breakup which never occurred, ethnic aspirations being assuaged with strongly autonomous ethnic republics that remained within a loose federation.) However, John Paul was criticized for not speaking out against a robust yet ostensibly 'humanitarian' Soviet intervention in 1987 that prevented land-grabbing, 'score-settling', or population-removal attempts, albeit with a marked favoring of the Orthodox Serb (fellow Slav) brethren of the Russians. (This intervention continues to this day; the Russians accuse the US of arming Croatian, Bosnian Muslim, and Kosovo Albanian independence movements that wage armed struggle against the Soviet 'peacekeepers'.)

Though the dream of many neoconservatives, in the successive two-term Reagan, Bush, and Dole administrations, of regime change in Moscow has yet to be realized (as of 2006), most liberals dismiss any conservative carping about the significance of John Paul's "not standing up to the Communists". Many liberals either believe in the moral equivalency promulgated by John Paul, or at least the non-confrontational approach he took toward the Soviets, or feel that the political importance of the Vatican in the late-twentieth and early twenty-first centuries was highly exaggerated by the neocons.

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Friday, August 25, 2006

Council Of Nicaea; Liberation Of Paris

The state of TIAH

August 25th, 2006

in 325, the Council of Nicaea concludes with its pronouncement of Christ as co-equal with God in the Holy Trinity, and declares the Arian doctrine of God as supreme and Christ as subordinate as heresy. This causes a huge schism among the Christians, splitting the church just as they were gaining political power under Emperor Constantine of Rome. When Constantine, who had become a Christian mainly as a political show, sees the chaos that the church is fostering in the empire, he reluctantly renounces his faith in the Christian God and proclaims his return to the “Original faith of Rome; the beliefs of our fathers, and their father before them. Jove and the gods of Olympus shall guide us where this little god of the desert could not.” Without the Emperor's patronage, the Christians dwindled in number and were subsumed by the greater pagan community around them.

in 1571, the mighty Aztec fleet of Mectezuma meets a much smaller English force off the coast of Ireland. The Aztec ships easily defeat the English, with only 1 ship out of the 8 English ships escaping. The Aztecs land on the northern Irish coast and raid a few communities to resupply before crossing over to the main British island. In spite of the warning that the English have been given about the Aztecs, the sheer size of the fleet coming to attack them is overwhelming, and some of the Queen's counselors advise surrender. This bristles Elizabeth's pride, and she haughtily declares, “We shall never surrender to these barbarians, though they lay waste to all of Britain. We shall fight them to the last man, the last woman, the last child; we shall preserve English civilization.”

in 1944, as Allied forces rumbled towards Paris, German General Dietrich von Choltitz reluctantly followed Hitler's command that Paris become “a field of ruins” rather than fall back into French hands. Explosions rocked the city as one irreplaceable monument after another was destroyed by the retreating Germans. French General LeClerc, leading his 2nd Armored Division, wept openly as the Notre Dame Cathedral was demolished seconds before his tanks could clear the Germans away from it. The only building that von Choltitz couldn't bring himself to destroy was the Louvre, filled with all the priceless art; other than that, almost all of Paris' famous buildings, from the Eiffel Tower to the Arc de Triomphe, lay in shambles after the city was freed of German control. When Generals de Gaulle and LeClerc captured von Choltitz in his headquarters that afternoon, it was rumored that they nearly beat him to death themselves for his desecration of their capitol.

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Thursday, August 24, 2006

King Charles' Reconciliation With The Huguenots

The state of TIAH

August 24th, 2006

in 1572, King Charles IX of France rejects the counsel of his mother and instead issues a decree granting the Protestant Huguenot community of the country full rights of citizenship. This enrages many Catholic leaders, as well as the Pope in Rome, who had wanted France to crack down hard on the Protestants in their midst. Admiral Gaspard de Coligny, and influential Huguenot who was friendly wit the king, advised Charles to place a reign on Catherine, his mother, lest she instigate violence against the Huguenots herself. This was well-placed advice, because Catherine de Medici had been planning a massacre of Huguenot leaders. Shocked at the scope of her plan, King Charles placed Catherine under house arrest, and de Coligny became his chief advisor. With a Protestant by his side, Charles was able to forge a lasting peace and alliance with England, and the two nations together fended off attacks from the Catholic Church against their sovereignty. At one point during his reign, when the Pope threatened to excommunicate Charles, the king said, “Let the pope do as he will. I will convert to the Church of England.” This made the pope back off, and without the power of excommunication, the church's hold over France withered. The rest of Europe also saw a loosening of the church's grip as the Protestant movement gathered strength. Over the next century, even such Catholic stalwarts as Spain and Italy enjoyed a liberalization of religion in their nations, and a flowering of tolerance took hold of Christendom.

in 2017, the Pokor and the Eagle saw the great gas giant of Amandara in their viewscreens, and a cheer erupted from the crews. Captain Mawrao ordered the helm to take the ship to Amandara 14, then turned to Commander Patterson. “I guess this is goodbye for us, then. I will be very sad to see you go.” Commander Patterson smiled and placed a hand on one of Mawrao's three arms. “Mawrao, I can honestly say that you are my favorite alien. Before we part ways, what do you say we break out some of that fungus juice you guys drink and have a party?” Mawrao replied, “Now, you talking!” The captain gave all non-essential personnel leave and ordered them to “Party up with our earth friends one last time.” The crews of the two ships were decidedly the worse for the wear when they reached orbit around Amandara 14, and there were many tearful hugs before the Eagle launched out of the Pokor's cargo bay. As Commander Patterson piloted her own ship away from the gas giant, she looked at the huge world in the viewscreen and a tear ran down her face. “Najib, you figure that thing out,” she said, jerking a thumb back at the jump device, “because I want to retire here.” Kasem, who had just finished putting in the coordinates for earth, said, “Aye, aye, Commander.” Patterson ordered the crew to prepare for the jump, and the blinding white flash brought the Eagle home.

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Wednesday, August 23, 2006

The Boston Bolshevik Takeover

The state of TIAH

August 23rd, 2006

in [time unknown], Najib Kasem and Monkar work on getting the jump device to move the Pokor and the Eagle back to their own time and to the Pokor's home of Amandara. “I thought I felt them calling me,” Kasem says to Monkar. “I thought they would solve all of our problems.” The Quarai considered this, and replied, “Well, you know, sometimes people will say things they don't mean just to get you to do something they want you to do. I see it all the time on Oprah.” Kasem laughed heartily at the picture of this alien being an avid fan of the talk show format, and felt a weight lift from his mind. He clearly saw the coordinates that would put them back in the Amandara system and their own time, and told Monkar, “I think I have it. Warn the crew.” Monkar activated the ship's com system and said, “Najib thinks he has it. Brace for jump,” in both English and Quarai. Kasem carefully input the last few commands, then activated the device; but this time, he felt something in the great white blindness besides himself...

in 1927, Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti are pardoned for the murders of a shoe company employee and a guard. 2 years before, a convicted murderer had confessed to the crime they were in prison for, and after news of this new evidence reached Massachusetts' governor, he issued a full pardon for the two Italian-born men. On their release, the Italian anarchists showed that prison had only served to further radicalize them – they became leaders in the Communist Party, attempting to subvert wholesome American youth to their nefarious ideology. Governor Fuller regretted their pardon as his single greatest mistake, and even attempted to deport them before leaving office, but was unsuccessful. In 1934, at the height of the Great Depression, Vanzetti was elected Boston's mayor, on the promise of cleaning up “these filthy capitalist pigs” as he called them. Business leaders in the city cried out for both state and federal aid as the radical Communist enacted his plan to collectivize all businesses in the city and share the profits with the city's workers. Massachusetts Governor Joseph Ely sent in the National Guard to take over the mayor's office and throw out the city council, which also had a large number of Communists. In the pitched battle for control of Boston, over three hundred people were killed, and hundreds more were wounded. Leftist parties from across America, and even from other countries, converged on Boston to aid in the struggle, and the city was torn apart in what radical leftists have called The Big Tea Party, while more moderate elements referred to it as The Boston Bolshevik Takeover.

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Tuesday, August 22, 2006

The Battle Of Bosworth Field

The state of TIAH

August 22nd, 2006

in [time unknown], the Pokor reappeared in the middle of an asteroid field. They were still carrying some of the atmosphere from the Starwalker world, and it dissipated around them as Captain Mawrao ordered the ship to a stop. “Where are we now?” The Pokor's sensors detected about a dozen planets in the system they were currently in – 4 inner rocky worlds, followed by 4 gas giants, and 4 small rocky worlds at the edges of the system. “That sounds like earth's system,” Commander Patterson said, and Captain Mawrao called the information on the system's 3rd planet up on a viewscreen. The planet bore some resemblance to earth, but the continents were wrong. The Eagle's geologist took a look at the planet and said, in a hushed tone, “Actually, Commander, they're right for earth – a few million years ago.” The realization that the jump device could move them through time as well as space hit the crew fairly hard. Captain Mawrao and Commander Patterson asked Najib Kasem and Monkar to work on getting the Pokor back to its own time and its own world as quickly as they could.

in 1485, torn between loyalty to his king or to his stepson, Lord Thomas Stanley makes the fateful decision to remain loyal to King Richard III, and enters the battle at Bosworth Field under the Yorkist banner. With his aid, King Richard is able to defeat Henry Tudor, although the victory is bought at a heavy price; Tudor captures and kills Lord Stanley. Although King Richard sends many men after him, Henry escapes the field with almost a thousand men left from his original force of 5000. Unwilling to sacrifice any more English lives for the man he calls, “this French traitor,” King Richard calls off the pursuit of Tudor and returns to London. The consequence of his mercy is more unrest over the next 7 years as Tudor attempted to raise support for his claim to the throne. Tudor even went so far as to make the absurd claim that King Richard had murdered his nephew, Prince Edward, in order to clear his path to the throne. Since young Edward was enjoying the social life in London at the time, people laughed off this absurd claim. Tudor's final attempt to take the crown of England occurred at Stoke Field in 1492, when King Richard finally captured and killed him in single combat. With Tudor's claim finally put to rest, the Lancastrian branch of the Plantagenets gave up their wars to retake England and King Richard III reigned in relative peace for nearly 30 years. Since his own legitimate son had died in 1484, Richard named his nephew John de la Pole as his heir, who assumed the throne in 1512 as King John II.

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Monday, August 21, 2006

Nat Turner's Revolt

The state of TIAH

August 21st, 2006

in [time unknown], the officers of the Pokor and the Eagle intercept the Starwalkers carrying the golden jump device off of the human's spaceship. They are able to physically overpower them; the Quarai use a martial art that is very effective in nature, but “causes no damage,” Captain Mawrao said. They then struggled the device back on board the Eagle and roused their crew. The Pokor took off quickly, and was almost instantly pursued by Starwalker ships. Commander Patterson ordered Najib Kasem to activate the jump - “We need to get the hell out of here, Najib!” Kasem, calling on the changes in his mind that close contact with the device had made, quickly inputs coordinates into the device and asks Captain Mawrao, “It's ready to go – are we?” The Quarai captain told the crew to brace themselves, and said to Kasem, “Do it.” While still in the atmosphere of the Starwalker world, Kasem turned on the jump device, and the familiar white light enveloped them.

in 1831, the slave minister Nat Turner freed the slaves on the plantation of his owner Joseph Turner, killing the Turner family in the process. He revealed his plan to them – they would work their way slowly to Jerusalem, Virginia, gathering other slaves on the way, take the armory in Jerusalem, and thus armed, move to the west and establish themselves as a free nation. His plan worked brilliantly, and with hundreds of slaves at his back, Jerusalem was his. However, this success drew the attention of the Virginian government, which felt that they couldn't let this challenge to their authority go unanswered. The state militia was called out, but too late – they reached Turner and his army after they had the weapons from Jerusalem's armory, and in the bloody battle for the town, Turner emerged victorious. Slaves across the south rallied to his side, and, although many were lynched or killed by their former owners in the process, many more swelled Turner's numbers until he had an invincible force in western Virginia. The state asked for federal assistance in November, and this led to the great debate between the free states and the slave states in the US House of Representatives. The Representatives from the free states were often quite hostile to the notion of sending out American troops to quell what they considered a battle for liberty, and the slave state Representatives were horrified that their colleagues were willing to allow this “alien army,” in the words of Virginia's Representative Joseph Augustine, to rampage across the south. The debate became so vicious that the southern Representatives left the House en masse, and talk began circulating among southerners that they would secede from the Union if it refused to protect them. President Andrew Jackson ordered some troops to Virginia, and this proved too great an offense against Congress' powers to make war – they impeached him and removed him from office. The southern states then made good on their threat to secede, and the south was quickly embroiled in war against its huge population of African slaves. President Martin van Buren of the Union held the northern states together as well as he could, but the chaos in the south spilled over into the rest of the US by the turning of the year, and by the time hostilities finally ceased in 1842, the former United States was now three countries – several states of New England had merged with Canada, the surviving mid-Atlantic states still called themselves the US, and a large chunk of the south and central US was held by Turner's New Israel.

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Sunday, August 20, 2006

Lovecraft Born

The state of TIAH

August 20th, 2006

in [time unknown], just as Commander Patterson feared, the Grey-like aliens that Najib Kasem believes are the creators of the jump device board the Pokor and then the Eagle. When they come to the Eagle's cargo bay, they disable the crewmen guarding the device and then deactivate the force field surrounding the device. Commander Patterson is woken by the radioed cry for help that these crewmen send before being incapacitated. She tells Kasem what the Starwalkers have done, and says, “We need to get out of here, Najib. What else do you know about these people?” Kasem thinks quickly and walks to a wall of the area they are being contained in. He speaks several words in the Starwalker language, and part of the wall opens up. Patterson rouses everyone in the room and they rush toward the Pokor, hoping they are not too late.

in 1890, H. Philip Lovecraft was born in Providence, Rhode Island. Phil, as he was known to his friends, inherited a mysterious mansion from relatives while in his 20’s, and spent most of the rest of his short life there. He only surfaced to send manuscripts to the world of the strange goings-on at the mansion; in 1929, Phil and the mansion disappeared altogether.

in 1968, in spite of intense pressure from the Soviet Union, Czechoslovakia’s First Secretary Alexander Dubcek continued to reform and liberalize life in the satellite state. Soviet Premier Leonid Brezhnev, remembering the world’s condemnation of the Soviet invasion of Hungary the decade before, decided that diplomacy was the best way to bring this errant sheep back into the fold, and negotiated with the Czechs to slow down their movement towards democracy.

in 1989, Jose and Kitty Menendez of Beverly Hills, California, were shot and killed by Michael Walters, a drifter who had come to the house for a handout. The Menendez’ sons, Lyle and Eric, wrestled the intruder to the ground, but tragically too late to save their parents. In the struggle, Walters’ gun went off and killed him, wounding Lyle at the same time. The brothers’ heroic story was made into a TV movie, starring real-life brothers Emilio Estevez and Charlie Sheen.

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Saturday, August 19, 2006

Aragon Becomes Jewish State

The state of TIAH

August 19th, 2006

in [time unknown], Najib Kasem tells Commander Patterson that he saw this world while he was in the coma, and that he has been drawn here since then. “I've been changing coordinates every time we jumped, trying to bring us here. I think that these people are the ones who made the jump device. They're the Starwalkers.” Commander Patterson radioed the Eagle and asked if they were all right. When the crew said that they had been under guard, but untouched by the aliens, she asked, “Is the jump device still in the cargo bay?” It was. She then ordered, “Keep 24-hour surveillance on it.”

in 1263, King James of Aragon embraces Judaism, and announces his conversion to the ancient faith. The shock of this announcement sends ripples throughout Europe; James is excommunicated immediately, of course, but Jews flocking to Aragon swell his land into one of the mightiest on the continent.

in 1913, author H.G. Wells releases the followup to his game Little Wars, Little Warriors. In this game, the players are able to take on the role of the individual warriors in a battle, while a War Master plays the part of enemy combatants. It is even more successful than Little Wars, and spawns a new genre of games called role-playing games.

in 1921, television producer Bob Wesley was born Eugene Roddenberry in El Paso, Texas. After serving in the Army Air Corps during World War II, Wesley came back to civilian life with a vision of a Wagon Train to the stars, which he turned into his hit series, Star Trek (1964-1973). He is credited with starting the sci-fi craze of 70’s television, as well as bringing real issues and morals to the genre. He died in 1991, and is sorely missed.

in 1977, art impresario Julius Marx dies in New York City. The brother of famed harpist Adolph Marx, he had managed his brother for many years before opening his first gallery. His keen eye for new artists such as Andrew Warhol placed his galleries at the top of New York’s art scene.

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Friday, August 18, 2006

Temujin's Death

The state of TIAH

August 18th, 2006

in [time unknown], the crews of the Pokor and Eagle are led into what looks like a council chamber, with many of the Grey-like aliens sitting behind a raised platform above them. One of the “councilors” speaks to the group, and Najib Kasem, with some assistance from Quarai translator Monkar, speaks back. “They asked which side we were on in their struggle,” Kasem told his crewmates, “and I told them that we were strangers who took no position in their fight.” Monkar interjected, “We hope – I'm not so sure about the word for strangers.” The council deliberated amongst themselves for several minutes, then said something to Kasem. “They want to know if we would be willing to fight on their side in this war.” Captain Mawrao objected immediately, as did all of the Quarai. “We cause no harm,” Mawrao said, emphatically. “Is highest Quarai philosophy. The Pokor is no combat vessel.” Commander Patterson gently said, “The Eagle has some combat capabilities, but I'd be interested to see what they think of Captain Mawrao's answer. Tell them, Najib.” Kasem and Monkar spoke to the council again, and this caused a buzz among the small beings. “I don't think they like that answer,” Kasem said, and was proven right when their group was roughly escorted out of the chamber and brought to a large, featureless room. What looked like food was brought in, and then they were left alone. Kasem took the opportunity to pull Commander Patterson aside and tell her, “Commander, I have to tell you about something.”

in 3923, the Mongol wise man, Temujin, dies in camp with his tribe around him. The son of a chief, Temujin was forced out of his tribe at his father’s death, and his wanderings in exile led him to the seat of learning in Beijing. He brought the teachings of the Chinese to the Mongols, and led them to join the empire through peaceful means, rather than the warrior's way he had been taught as a child. His great work as a mediator for the Empire led the Emperor himself to name Temujin as a member of his Council of Ministers, the first Mongol ever so honored.

in 1590, the governor of Roanoke colony in the Americas, John White, returns from a trip to England to find his home completely bereft of human life. His 100 fellow colonists seemed to have just vanished into thin air; the only clue they left behind was a carving in a tree that read fnord.

in 1952, dancer Patrick Swayze was born. Hailed as the greatest talent in ballet since Nureyev, Swayze’s movie-star good looks and subtle moves made him the most famous dancer in the world by his 30’s. He even had a few small movie roles, usually as a dancer of some kind. However tempted he might have been by Hollywood, though, Swayze always returned to his first love, and dazzled the world with his grace and style, not to mention his sweet Texas charm. Swayze's infamous flirtations were responsible for his two divorces, but also a flock of admirers who follow his performances with uncritical admiration.

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Thursday, August 17, 2006

Crockett Born; Prize In Math Established

The state of TIAH

August 17th, 2006

in [time unknown], the crews of the Pokor and the Eagle find themselves in a large, featureless room. The opening they entered through closes behind them, and they are unable to signal the ships. While they are contemplating their position, part of the wall opens up, and a creature that is decidedly humanoid walks into the room. “Holy Cheko,” Captain Mawrao says, “It's a Grey.” Indeed, the being that has entered the room does resemble the classic alien type, and Commander Patterson sees why Mawrao said that. But, there are subtle differences; for one thing, the being's skin is a dark brown rather than grey, and it's eyes are fairly human-like, rather than large black almonds. It examines them with a strange hand-held device for a few minutes, then says something in the strange language that they heard before and leaves. Najib Kasem and the Quarai translator Monkar both say, “I think I understood that.”

in 1786, statesman David Crockett was born in Tennessee. Woodsman, legislator and hero of the successful battle of Texican forces at the Alamo, Crockett returned to Tennessee and American politics in 1838 by winning the governorship of his home state. The Whigs nominated him for president in 1840, but he lost by a narrow margin to Martin Van Buren, who was widely considered one of the worst presidents America has ever elected. Crockett was nominated again in 1844, and won, but died before taking office. His vice-president, John Tyler, took office in his place. It is said that the only way Tyler got anything accomplished was by waving the legend of Crockett about like a flag, but Tyler was fairly successful in his two terms.

in 1938, citing the importance of the field in virtually all scientific endeavors, the Nobel Prize Committee in Sweden announces a new category, a Nobel Prize in Mathematics. Scientists around the world applaud the decision, especially mathematicians.

in 1962, the Silver Beatles’ manager, Brian Epstein, meets with their former drummer, Pete Best, and begs him to rejoin the band. Best, infuriated, tells Epstein, “They missed out on their chance at stardom, mate,” and storms out of Epstein’s office. Best’s 1st album had just gone gold in the U.K., and the Silver Beatles were having a hard time selling anything.

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Wednesday, August 16, 2006

Elvis=Steve Ballmer?

The state of TIAH

August 16th, 2006

in [time unknown], the crews of the Pokor and the Eagle don space suits and exit their ships. The atmosphere of the brown planet is cold even by Amandaran standards, and the air is heavy with a strange element that all of the doctors on board feel is toxic. The landing area that the Pokor has been set down in is surrounded by high walls, so that they cannot see anything beyond the opening beckoning them to come forward. “You know, for the first time since I met you, I feel afraid,” Captain Mawrao said to Commander Patterson. “I hope it goes away, soon.” They led their people forward to the opening.

in 1977, Jesse Presley, depressed over the deterioration of his physical state and his relationships, took an overdose of barbiturates and collapsed. Although he was still alive when his girlfriend found him at his Memphis mansion, he was dead by the time an ambulance got him to the hospital. The entire world mourned the loss of the musical legend, and his grave, next to his infant twin brother Elvis', was quickly flooded with flowers and memorabilia of his long career in rock and roll. Some even refused to believe that he was dead, saying that he faked his death in order to escape from the pressures that superstardom were exerting on him.

in 1977, Elvis Presley, after secretly securing a body double at the morgue, slipped out of his Graceland mansion in Memphis and started the new life he had been craving for 6 years. Although he only took a few million with him, he was able to keep himself in luxury while in hiding because of his investment in a small company a friend had told him about called Microsoft. Slowly, he worked off the excess pounds he had put on during his bouts of depression, and shaved his head so that his trademark locks wouldn't give his identity away. He looked years younger than his actual age, and decided to take a new course in life – he learned about computers and under the name of Steve Ballmer, used his investments to secure himself a position inside Microsoft and direct the company.

in 2004, the King of Rock and Roll, Elvis Presley, died in a tour bus in Alabama after a particularly exciting concert. Elvis's heart had been weak for years, although after a mild attack in the late 70's, he had started an exercise regime to help strengthen it. He often credited his love of the martial arts for helping him get off the drugs he had been addicted to for decades. They had taken their toll, though, and Elvis' last concert was enough to push it too far. Fans around the world mourned the only man to have #1 hits in 6 decades – Paul McCartney, one of the surviving Beatles and possibly the only man capable of breaking that record of Elvis', said, “The King is dead. I'm just a little Beatle in his shadow,” and swore off rock and roll out of tribute to the legend's passing.

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Tuesday, August 15, 2006

The Scottish King

The state of TIAH

August 15th, 2006

Alternate Historian's Note: Our thanks to Guest Historian, Viannah Duncan, for filling in for us yesterday. She did a great job, and we hope she enjoyed it as much as we did the day off :)

in [time unknown], for two days, the crews of the Pokor and the Eagle have been constrained in orbit around the brown planet. Their ships have been unable to break free from the the strange force that the alien ships have been using against them. They detected various probes being made of the ships and the crews, but no attempts at communication. Najib Kasem and the Quarai translator Monkar have been working almost without rest to decipher the radio transmissions they had received earlier. Kasem keeps feeling that the language is within his grasp, but never quite realizes why. Together, the two manage to unravel a tale of civil war and planetary devastation – the people of the brown planet have been evacuating to the 3rd and 5th planets in the system in order to save something of themselves. Hostilities have followed them there, though – the 5th planet, where the majority of the refugees are, is currently being bombarded, and Kasem finds a snippet of conversation in one transmission that speaks of a great weapon that will be used on this world to show the power of one of the factions in the civil war. Just as Kasem informs Commander Patterson and Captain Mawrao of this weapon, the Pokor is forced into a descent by the ships holding it. “We're landing,” the Pokor's helmsman says.

in 1057, with the powers of black magic on his side, Scottish King MacBeth slaughters the army of Malcolm Canmore, son of MacBeth's predecessor, Duncan I. Although Canmore's side had hoped that his general MacDuff's birth through caesarian section would counteract the prophesy that no man born of woman could defeat the Black King, MacDuff was never able to reach MacBeth in the heat of the battle, and was slain by the King from afar. It wasn't until MacBeth's attack on the noblewoman McAfferty's lands in northern England that the true meaning of the prophecy came true; Lady McAfferty, after seducing the King, poisoned his wine.

in 1935, Oklahoma's governor, former humorist Will Rogers, is invited to Washington to speak to an meeting of the nation's governors to discuss ways of alleviating the pain of the Great Depression the nation finds itself in. Rogers is popular across party lines, even though he himself is a Democrat, and had been chosen because under his leadership, Oklahoma's poorest had been given enough of a living to where they were no longer fleeing the state in record numbers. As his plane left the airport in Oklahoma City, though, a twister sprang out of nowhere and sent it spiraling into the ground, killing the governor and all aboard. The nation mourned the loss of this gentle, funny man.

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Monday, August 14, 2006

My Birthday Gift - A Guest Historian

The state of TIAH

August 14th, 2006


Alternate Historian's Note: For my birthday, I was given the best gift of all – a Guest Historian, Viannah Duncan, has written today's entire post. Enjoy her work as I take my birthday off, and let her know how well she's done in comments! And, if you want to be a Guest Historian, too, follow the “state of TIAH” link above to find out how...

1281: Kamikaze hits Mongol forces; Khan nevertheless conquers Japan

Mongols conquer Japan despite Japanese kamikaze—“divine wind”. Kublai Khan was determined to bring the “rogue islands” under his rule. Staging a two-pronged attack, Khan sent more than 40,000 Mongol soldiers on more than 900 ships from Korea and over 100,000 troops on around 3,500 ships from southeastern China. Although his forces were met with unanticipated resistance, including a typhoon—which the Japanese called “kamikaze”—that wiped out half of his army, Khan managed to take control of the islands and his dynasty ruled Japan, Korea, China, and much of the rest of Asia for over 600 years.

1910: Acceptance of Esperanto leads South America, Africa to power

The sixth International Congress of Esperantists is held in Washington D.C. After the conference ends, delegates from nearly every country return to their capitols to work for the addition of Esperanto to their official language(s). Esperanto, the universal language, is adopted by all of South America and Africa within ten years time and because of the new ability to converse with one another, leaders in South America and Africa band their countries together and overthrow European and North American hegemony.

1935: Social Security Act causes outcry

Social Security Act becomes law, much to the chagrin of most of the American public. Many lobbyists had been helping to push the legislation through the proper channels even though 78% (Gallup poll) of citizens didn’t think they needed the “extra protection” the act would provide. After all, everyone who worked (that is, the men who worked) all had pension plans anyway. After the act passed, there was a great public outcry for it to be nullified so that they wouldn’t have to pay even more money to the government that they already didn’t trust. It was repealed the following January and those members of Congress who had supported it were thrown out of office.

1984: MS-DOS bombs in the market... again

IBM releases MS-DOS version 3.0. Since versions 1.0 and 2.0 were complete failures, those funding IBM gave them an ultimatum: put out or find another sugar daddy. Unfortunately, 3.0 was just as much a failure as the previous two versions and IBM had its funding yanked. Shortly afterward, IBM dropped off the map—taking most modern electronics with it—and the world was directed away from computerization towards a more natural, primitive lifestyle.

1995: Faulkner becomes first female cadet at Citadel

Shannon Faulkner becomes the first female cadet at the Citadel, South Carolina’s state military college. Many had speculated that she would wash out immediately after proving her point—that women should be allowed access to military training if they want it—but Faulkner defied nearly everyone’s expectations and graduated at the top of her class four years later. She went on to become one of the highest ranked U.S. Army generals and never turned down an appointment to overseas service, no matter how uncontrollable or detestable others thought the post to be. She is famous for turning the terrible Abu Ghraib tragedy into a case for reforming the Army from the top down.

-Guest Historian, Viannah Duncan-

Sunday, August 13, 2006

Yellow Fever Epidemic

The state of TIAH

August 13th, 2006

in [time unknown], Najib Kasem recommends moving the Pokor away from the brown planet they are currently orbiting. “We haven't finished translating their language, but it seems remarkably similar to the language of the Starwalkers, and I can tell that there is some hostility occurring on the planet's surface. They're in the middle of a war.” Commander Patterson has to explain the concept to the Quarai crew, but the P'tar ambassador understands immediately. She tells Captain Mawrao that the ship needs to be evacuate immediately. As the Pokor thrusts away from the brown planet, its sensors detect several ships breaking orbit and heading towards them. “I don't think I've ever asked you this before, Captain,” Commander Patterson said to Mawrao, “but what defenses does the Pokor have?” Mawrao tells her, “We have force shield, we have pulse weapon that disable electrical equipment; that's about it.” Commander Patterson says, “The Eagle has a nuclear drive that can be turned on our opponents if need be.” The Quarai captain is reluctant to initiate hostilities, though. “Maybe we should see if they can be negotiated with.” The ships from the brown planet surround the Pokor within minutes, and Kasem and the Quarai translator Monkar attempt to radio them a message of peace and friendship. Their signal is returned by a brief speech in what Kasem confirms is the Starwalker language, and he replies remarkably well in the same language. Their ship is seized by some unknown force, and they are redirected back to the brown planet. “I don't think they mean us harm,” Kasem says, somewhat unconvincingly. Mawrao and Patterson consider activating the Jump device, but think that they might bring these ships with them in the jump field. The crew brace themselves for whatever awaits.

in 1878, Memphis restaurateur Kate Bionda dies of yellow fever, the first of millions as the disease decimated the American south and midwest. Panic gripped the young American nation as quarantines initiated to stop the spread proved too porous to be effective. Both mosquitoes and people break through the quarantine lines, and even the military is unable to contain people who are too scared to realize that they are dooming anyone they run towards. Tennessee becomes a charnel house, with virtually the entire population dead within weeks of Ms Bionda. The states surrounding Tennessee suffered 90% casualty rates, and the disease caused deaths as far away as Greenland and Panama before finally subsiding. With this epidemic hitting just as they were nearly finished rebuilding from their Civil War, the American nation, and most of the North American continent, lost their place in world affairs, and the English-speaking nations of the new world never became major players on the world stage, unlike Brazil in South America.

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TIAH Editor says we'd like to move you off the blog, if you're browsing the archives - and most people are - more than half of them are already on the new site. We need to be sure the new web site accomodates your archive browsing needs because we don't want to lose any readers. Please supply any feedback or comments by email to the Editor and please note the blogger site is shutting on December 1st.