Our Lady

The state of TIAH

December 12th, 2006

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Alternate Historian's Note: Stephen Payne takes up the slack for us as we head down to the conclusion of the first half of our NaNoWriMo novel. We hope you are enjoying this change in format – let us know how you feel about it in comments or by emailing us. This will be the format of TIAH throughout the holiday season, unless we receive a great outcry about it. Speaking of the Holiday Season, keep in mind those who need help year-round and keep yourselves safe and happy, as well. And, should you feel generous inclinations towards our guest historians, you can visit the sites of those who have separate ones from TIAH; generosity towards us here at the Academy is always appreciated, too, and you can find ways to help us out all over the site. Right now, we'd appreciate a lead on a good day job, but my lovely Co-Historian could also some more memory on her PC, if anyone feels generously inclined. (It's PC133-style – yes, it's an old machine). Any good wishes you have towards us can be emailed here.

in 0, Mullah Elijah Rafsanjani is starting to believe his abduction plan will succeed. Delivering Jesus to the post-jihad year 2126 and frustrating the ministry will deliver a heroes' welcome, surely? -entry by Steve Payne from Counter History in Context - You're the Judge!-

in 1531, Our Lady of Guadalupe (the Virgin Mary) appears in a manifestation to St. Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin on the hill of Tepeyac near Mexico City. In 1648 Miguel Sánchez, the author of the first Spanish-language apparition account said that "this New World has been won and conquered by the hand of the Virgin Mary” in a reference to the conversion of the Americas to Roman Catholicism with the notable exception of the Amish and Mormons. -entry by Steve Payne from Counter History in Context - You're the Judge!-

in 2000, the United States Supreme Court releases its decision in Bush v. Gore. To unite the country, the Court proposes a joint inauguration followed by the candidates sharing the presidency with each serving a two-year term. Best practice had been established by an indecisive election in Israel during 1984 when Prime Ministers Yitzhak Shamir and Shimon Peres agreed to the same power-sharing formula. British Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown calls Gore to strongly advise him not to accept the proposal. After all he had made a similar agreement with the British Prime Minister Tony Blair in 1994 and he was still waiting. Dismissing Brown's advice as a counsel of bitterness, and being a gentleman, Gore invites Bush to serve first – whilst he occupies the Senate Presidency as agreed. For two years they fight tooth and nail over 9/11 and the invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan, tearing the country to pieces. -entry by Steve Payne from Counter History in Context - You're the Judge!-

Before(cont.)
“What is it?” Steph didn't think she really wanted to know, judging from the way Jake sounded, but wanted to get it over with.
“I need to come back to your place, all right? And I'm afraid I'm gonna be bringing Specialist Bradley and a couple of other people with me.”
Steph was confused. “Why?”
“Are you on the cordless phone, Steph?”
That was a weird question. “Yeah.”
“I'll email you, OK? It's not something that I can talk about over the line.”
That just scared her. “Are you sure you need to come here, Jake?”
“Yeah, Steph, I really am.”
She wanted to tell him no; she and the kids had been through so much in the last 2 days, and she didn't like how mysterious he was being. But, if he really needed her help... then she had to give it. “OK, Jake. When are you gonna be here?”
“I'll tell you in the email. See you soon, Steph.”
The receiver went dead and she hung up. She walked over to the computer, where Joan was chatting with some of her friends. “I need to use the computer, Joanie.”
“Just 5 more minutes, OK, mom?”
Steph didn't think Jake was hitting 'Send' right then, so she said, “All right. But not a minute more.”
“OK.” Joan typed furiously, giggling a little at something that somebody had just messaged to her. Steph felt good that Joan was in a better mood than the previous day. She wished that she could toss all of her cares away that easily. George was happily watching his Justice League DVD's, without a care in the world. All the adult stuff was still a little unreal to him.
It felt a little unreal to her, too. She pulled a chair up next to the computer, making Joan a little uncomfortable. “Don't read over my shoulder, OK?”
“Don't write anything you feel like I shouldn't read, then,” Steph told her, smiling. She didn't read what her daughter was typing; she felt that the threat that her mother was close enough to read what she was writing was enough to deter the girl.
It obviously made Joan uncomfortable, because she wrapped up the conversation and turned the computer over to her mother. “There ya go, mom,” she said, getting up and walking over to the TV to torment her little brother.
Joan brought up her email program and signed in. Spam drifted in quickly, and she scanned through it until she found one from Jake. “Steph,” it read, “you need to delete this email as soon as you've read it, and empty your trash folder after doing that. There's more that Bradley told me you need to do, but we'll explain it when we get there. We've found out something here that kind of threw us for a loop, and we need some time to think about our next move. We won't stay there long, but we need a place where we can meet up with a couple of people before moving on. If you can't let us stay there, don't reply to this email. Instead, post a message to the forums at www.jcconspiracy.com saying S cannot help J. It's really important, though, babe. If we don't see that post before 3PM, we'll assume that you agree. Thanks.”
She looked at the clock in the corner of her computer's desktop. It was 2:14. That gave her a little time to think about what she had just read. She deleted the email and emptied the trash folder, then opened up her Internet browser and went to the mysterious www.jcconspiracy.com. It was one of those nutjob conspiracy sites, with all kinds of 'proof' that Bush was behind 9/11, or aliens were being pumped for information at Area 51, or JFK was killed by the CIA; another real estate agent at her firm believed that stuff and tried to talk to her about it all the time.
She saw the link to the forums, and clicked on it. There were several somewhat cryptic postings; she guessed that people this paranoid needed someplace they could post things anonymously. A huge number of these postings were from today and yesterday; the nutjobs were out in force. What was Jake doing telling her to go here? He didn't believe any of this crap.
The clock had flipped to 2:33 while she had been wading through all the craziness on the forums. Joan had also gotten bored with torturing her brother and was now seated next to her. “What's with all the whoo-whoo stuff, mom?”
Steph closed the browser. “Nothin', Joanie. Your father and some friends are gonna be here tonight. Help me get the place straightened up.”

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Shepherds

Jesus	In 2007, the Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come shows Ebeenezer Scrooge a strange vision of the far future. Portly parents (and children too!) consume vast quantities of packaged food in a shopping mall flooded with light. Huge amounts of money pass hands. Yet something is missing in this future. Despite the wild extravagance there's not nearly so much joy as at the 1843 Cratchit family christmas. Something is missing. Or rather, someone.
Is Love

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	In 5764 anno mundi, on the 25th day of Kislev according to the Hebrew calendar European Jewry celebrated Hanukkah (Hebrew: חנוכה‎, alt. Chanukah or Hanukah). The Festival of Lights commenced an eight-day Jewish holiday commemorating the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem at the time of the Maccabean Revolt. The earliest known celebration of Hanukkah in Europe was the arrival of the Bethlehemite Rabbhi Yeshua Ben Jesse in Rome in 3761 anno mundi.
Hannukah

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in 1929, American courts had the good sense to ban that British pornographic tome, Lady Chatterly’s Lover. Once it was settled that the moral health of the nation stood to gain from the government determining what was good for the citizenry to read, the Department of Censorship was created and its secretary made a full Cabinet officer. Now, we only read what’s good for us.

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In 1996, NeXT merges with Apple Computer, starting the path to Mac OS X which is used on 98% of personal computers today.

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In 1984, British Horror Writer Graham Masterton published IKON, a tribute to Philip K Dick's 1964 counter-factual novel Man in the High Castle. Set in America in 1985, the once-proud nation has been reduced to an Oblast of the USSR with a powerless President. All because some twenty years earlier America secretly lost the Cuban Missiles Crises. Like Dick before him, the essence of Masterton's masterpiece is the book within the book, 'The Eagle Lies Heavy', a work of fiction written by a man called Graham Masterton. It describes a world where the Americans won the Cuban Missile Crisis - as a result, it has been banned by the Americans. Given his unpopularity with the world's two great powers, Masterton is said to live in a heavily fortified home and has become known as "The Author in the High Castle". Critics panned the concept but loved the story. After all, it was predicated on the US surrendering to Secretary Khrushchev. Today we know that Mr Kennedy meant it when he said “the problems of the world today are not susceptible to a military solution”. He had already surrendered by then.

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In 1812, the North American Confederation started a minor war against its Sioux neighbors when a group of N.A.C. colonists moved into land they mistakenly believed to have been ceded to them by the Sioux. Nearly 50 colonists were killed, along with an equal number of Sioux, before the dispute was settled and the N.A.C. colonists withdrew.

In 1946, magician and world-renowned skeptic Uri Geller was born in Tel Aviv, Israel. Geller, an accomplished magician, took on all sorts of “psychics” in his native land, proving them to be phonies. He then took his act to America, where he helped unveil the truth behind notorious frauds such as Jeanne Dixon.

In 1980, in one of the most obvious attempted murders of the century, Sunny von Bulow was found in a coma in her Rhode Island mansion. Her husband, Claus, was arrested and quickly confessed, since the police had him dead to rights. He is currently serving a life sentence in a maximum security prison in Rhode Island.

In 1977, Home Secretary Margaret Thatcher returned from a Christmas reception at Number 10 Downing Streeting hosted by Interim Prime Minister Lord Louis Mountbatten and his deputy Major General Ord Wingate, DSO. Young people from the Norwich Choir showcase British youth of the “the right sort”. The smile wiped off her face, Thatcher worked through the night on plans for the forthcoming Miner's Strike. She would break the back of the Trade Union movement for sure, but first she needed to stockpile oil and coal like crazy.

Violent End

In 1973, on this day the Spanish Caudillo, General Franco, was killed in a car bomb attack in Madrid. The 78-year-old, his bodyguard and a driver died instantly and four other people were injured after a remote-controlled bomb was detonated as he passed. A massive explosion sent the car hurtling into the air and over the roof of the San Francisco de Borga Church where Mr Blanco had just been attending mass. The vehicle landed on the second floor terrace of a building on the other side of the church and a great deal of damage was caused in the area. No one has admitted carrying out the attack.

The General's death came 15 minutes before the start of a trial involving 10 of Spain's leading opponents of the Franco regime, one of them a Roman Catholic priest. They were arrested in a Madrid Church 18 months ago and were accused of unlawful assembly. Thousands of angry demonstrators have campaigned against the case and have already clashed with police. Commentators said the General's death must be seen in the context of this controversial trial and against the backdrop of his staunch support of General Franco's regime. Not since the Civil War, which ended in 1939, has a government minister died in such violent circumstances.

Carter	In 2003, on this day the compendium “A Collection of Political Counterfactuals” was published. Simon Burns' masterful sequel "What if Raymond Lee Harvey had missed?" was a keynote contribution, considering the scenario of May 5, 1979 where President James Earl Carter survives the shooting at the civic center mall in Los Angeles. In this story, another man is hired to create a diversion so that Mexican hit men armed with sniper rifles could kill Carter; he fails and Raymond Lee Harvey shoots Carter with his pistol but misses. The consequence is that Carter is re-elected and implements a two-state solution of Israel and Palestine, bring peace to the Middle East.

In 2182, the United States General Accounting Office (USGAO) published economic and demographic forecasts up to the end of the twenty-second century. By 2200, America would be a quadrillion dollar economy with one billion citizens it was confidently predicted by the USGAO. One man thought otherwise, he had plans to return the Turtle Island to the First Nations by setting the clock back seven hundred years. And he had just obtained the means to do so.	C22 Jihadist

Suleiman

In 1522, Suleiman the Magnificent accepted the surrender of the surviving Knights of Rhodes, who are allowed to evacuate. They eventually re-settle on Gibr al-Ţāriq and become known as the Knights of Gibraltar.

In 1989, the United States sends troops into Panama to overthrow government of Manuel Noriega and recover Extraterrestrial Technology (ET) buried in Panama. However, Noriega had beaten Bush to it, and the US Marines were confronted by Panamanian troops armed with futuristic weapons.	Bush41

Return From The Moon

The state of TIAH

December 11th, 2006

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Alternate Historian's Note: Stephen Payne takes up the slack for us as we continue our NaNoWriMo novel. We hope you are enjoying this change in format – let us know how you feel about it in comments or by emailing us. This will be the format of TIAH throughout the holiday season, unless we receive a great outcry about it. Speaking of the Holiday Season, keep in mind those who need help year-round and keep yourselves safe and happy, as well. And, should you feel generous inclinations towards our guest historians, you can visit the sites of those who have separate ones from TIAH; generosity towards us here at the Academy is always appreciated, too, and you can find ways to help us out all over the site. Right now, we'd appreciate a lead on a good day job, but any good wishes you have towards us can be emailed here.

in 1931, the British Parliament enacts the Statute of Westminster, which establishes a status of legislative equality between the self-governing dominions of the Commonwealth of Australia, the Commonwealth of America, the Irish Free State, Newfoundland, the Dominion of New Zealand, and the Union of South Africa. -entry by Steve Payne from Counter History in Context - You're the Judge!-

in 1972, Apollo 17 becomes the sixth mission to land on the Moon - and the first to return to Earth with a highly contagious space bug. -entry by Steve Payne from Counter History in Context - You're the Judge!-

in 1977, rich with North Sea oil revenue, Scotland gains its independence exactly one hundred and seventy years after the Act of Union 1707 united the two countries as the Kingdom of Great Britain. The declaration of independence from Holyrood House, Edinburgh was also seventeen years after British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan told a stunned Parliament of South Africa, 'The wind of change is blowing through this continent. Whether we like it or not, this growth of national consciousness is a political fact'. Whilst 'Supermac' could just about accept the End of Empire, he could not accept the dissolution of the United Kingdom, which he denounced and moved to South Africa himself. Three years later at the Moscow Olympics in 1980 the 28-year old athlete Allan Wells took the first Olympic Gold Medal for the new country. Running as fast as the wind, he finished first in the 100m sprint race, ushering in a new decade of hope for the great nation of Scotland. -entry by Steve Payne from Counter History in Context - You're the Judge!-

Before(cont.)
Going down the stairs was a lot easier than going up; they all agreed on that. Janice let the two servicemen lead the way down to the computer room. Specialist Bradley, still in shock after seeing President Bush not only alive, but unharmed, walked like a zombie towards the computer station he had been working at earlier. He sat down and logged in again, reading the user name and password from the list they had been provided with.
“They wanted me to pull up the seismic and satellite data for this area,” he told them. He was pulling that data up now.
“My guess is that you were gonna pull that up, then either you would erase it, or they would later.” Janice looked over his shoulder at the screen. “I have no idea how to read this stuff – do you?”
“Just because I can find it on the computer doesn't mean I know what I'm lookin' at,” Bradley said. He pulled out a removable drive and plugged it into the computer. “I'll copy as much as I can fit onto this. I don't know if it'll hold everything they wanted me to erase.” She looked into his eyes. “I thought it was for national security.”
“OK, then.” She straightened up and walked over to Sergeant Morris. He was sitting at a blank computer screen, his helmet off, and his face was a stone. She pulled a chair next to him and sat down. “How you doin', Sarge?”
“Jake. Call me Jake.” He reached his hand out to shake hers. “If I'm gonna betray my oath for what you say, we might as well be on a first-name basis.”
“Fair enough. So, how you doin', Jake?”
“I'm tired.” He looked it, too. “I didn't vote for the man; I'm not like Bradley over there. But, I never thought...” He turned his eyes over to Bradley. “Maybe this is all part of a counter-attack. They let the terrorists think they got us, then get 'em while their guard is down.”
“Martial law really necessary, then? It's not like Crawford's a huge metropolis that needs control restored to it – and I'd bet that once the initial panic was done, there wouldn't have been any disorder at all.”
Morris leaned back and ran his hand over his face. “Yeah, you're probably right. I just had to say it. I had to give it one more chance.” He smiled. “There was this guy I grew up with, he joined the Nation of Islam when we were teenagers. He used to tell me about all the conspiracy crap that they told him, how the white devil was keepin' us down with lies and propaganda. He didn't think that Bush would let go of power, either.”
“Sounds like a man after my own heart,” Janice said, and they both chuckled. Bradley looked over at them, confused. “Don't worry, Specialist, we're just having a little fun. There's still plenty of gloom and doom to go around.”
“Don't piss off Bradley,” Sergeant Morris said. “He's a millionaire, now.”
“Say what?”
“He won the lottery.”
“What the hell am I doin' talking to you, then?” They both laughed heartily, prompting another look from Bradley. “Hey, Specialist Bradley, you're not married, are you?”
Bradley was very confused. “No,” he said, shaking his head. “Why, are you offering?”
“How much did you win?”
“Oh,” Bradley muttered, turning back to the computers. “Three million.”
“Sweet,” Janice said. “I can think of a lot of ways to help you spend it.”
“I have a few of my own, thanks.”
“Suit yourself.” Janice turned back to Morris. “I'm not exactly good at ingratiating myself to people.”
“No, you?” The Sergeant looked disbelievingly at her, and they cracked up again. Janice found herself liking him more and more. He was cute, too. But, he had an annoying habit of getting back on the point. “So, after we get this stuff, what do we do with it?”
Janice pulled her laptop out of her backpack and propped it up on a desk. “I'll get in touch with a few guys I know. We'll meet them at an undisclosed location and give them a copy of the data, so that they can begin examining it for proof. We may need to go into hiding for a while, Jake.” She flipped open her computer. “Life on the run. Doesn't it sound romantic?”
“How long do you think it'll take?”
“Depends on the other side. If they decide to come clean after the jig is up, maybe it won't take that long at all. If they fight, well; let's just say we may be in for the long haul.”
Morris looked worried. “I have two kids. I need to let my ex-wife know where I am.”

The phone rang again. It wasn't as startling as last time, but Steph was still nervous when she went to answer. She glanced at the caller ID, and it was someone she didn't recognize; someone Italian. She picked up the receiver. “Hello?”
“Hey, baby.” Jake was on the other end, and he sounded strange. “I have something I have to tell you.”

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No Man Born Of Woman...

August 15th, 2005

in 1057, Macbeth, King of the Scots, proves that you can’t use semantics against prophesy; he defeats Malcolm Canmore in battle, proving no man born of woman could defeat him, securing his throne for the next 20 years.

in 1769, Napoleon Bonaparte was born in Ajaccio, Corsica. He rose from somewhat humble beginnings to unite Italy under him as Napoleon I. He conquered virtually all of continental Europe during his 13-year reign of the Italian Empire.

in the Dreaming, Wandjina is cast down from Heaven to one of the native lands he is guarding. The people’s roar of triumph over their old patron is heard throughout Heaven, and there is a quake of fear among all the natives as they prepare for the next attack from the people.

in 1892, with hundreds of thousands of tons of rock in tow, the Bandai vulcanologists returned to an earth that was being wracked by eruptions and quakes. With all speed, the Mlosh and human scientists began rebuilding the earth’s mantle with the rock they had carried from the asteroid belt. The world watched in tense anticipation.

in 1935, humorist Will Rogers wraps up filming on Okie Corral, a comedy he had been cast in just a couple of months before. He was disappointed at the film’s mediocre reception, because he had given up a trip to Alaska to star in it.

in 1944, Linda Ellerbee, first woman to anchor the CBS Nightly News, was born in Bryan, Texas. When Walter Cronkite decided to retire, he wanted to pick a successor from Texas, and both Dan Rather and Linda Ellerbee fit the bill. Cronkite took the bolder course, and CBS backed his decision. Ellerbee still anchors CBS’ news program, and is now the most trusted woman in America.

in 1947, India finally throws off British rule. Their joy at independence is marred, though, as fractions develop between the Hindu and Muslim alliance, and soon there is a religious civil war raging across the huge nation. The new Prime Minister, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, a Muslim who had been placed at the head of the government in the hope that this would stave off religious division, was overthrown by Hindu nationalists and murdered in the streets of New Delhi.

in 1958, Buddy Holly and Maria Elena Santiago were married in Lubbock, Texas. The new Mr. and Mrs. Holly apparently had true love ways, because they were together until Buddy’s death in 2001, and had 4 children and 7 grandchildren.

in 1961, West German workers began construction of the Berlin Wall, shutting off the fascist west from the enlightened socialism of the east. The Soviet States of America immediately denounced the construction, calling for the West to “remain open to trade, to ideas, to the world outside their narrow ideology.”

in 1969, the Woodstock Music & Art Fair began in Bethel, New York. The festival had planned for thousands to show up and had 24 big-name rock acts lined up to perform, including The Who, Jimi Hendrix and Creedence Clearwater Revival. When traffic problems caused thousands, and possibly hundreds of thousands, to turn away, the planned 3 days of the festival became 2, and it closed to a nearly empty field.

in 1996, Dr. Melvin Courtney makes several photocopies of all of his notes and creates two backup copies of the hard drive on his computer. He places a stack of photocopies and a hard drive backup in a safe deposit box and leaves another with an old friend he hasn’t seen in years. He now feels ready for the interview the next morning.

in 2000, Mikhail von Heflin and Velma Porter accompany their host, Li Huang-Sen, to the farm land outside of Shanghai, and the home of the old man who came to collect the debt from Li. The old man shows them into a hidden basement, where a young girl is staying. “My granddaughter is no longer able to stay here,” he tells them. “Please help her escape the country.” The Baron and his wife agree to smuggle her to America.

in 2004, a probe is launched into the Oort cloud to scan for the Elder power signature that the Lalandians have managed to transmit to earth. This will be their early warning signal in case the aliens find earth in spite of their preparations. Discussion begins in the space agencies of each major power about building a generation ship, as the Lalandians did, to escape from the clutches of the Elders. Their plan is to build the ships well before the Elders arrive, so that there is actually time to escape.


Still wishing...

As your humble alternate historian enters the downhill slope of the 40's, he still has his birthday wish - a contract with a publishing company like Workman Publishing to produce a page-a-day calendar of TIAH. If you are an editor for such a company, or can place us in touch with one, please fulfill this belated birthday wish!

Thanks to everyone for their generosity!

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Monstrous

In 388, a ten year old boy named Cyrill died in the Roman City of Alexandria. His Uncle Theophilus discovered strange alphabet formations in the dwelling. Soon he too would be victim, but of a more powerful force - Nestorianism which was spreading like wildfire out of Constantinople.

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Balrog	In 1892, the scholarly giant of modern England, John R. R. Tolkien, was born in Bloemfontein, South Africa. His escapist fantasy writing was greatly influenced by combat tension suffered as a Second Lieutenant in 1916. Whilst Tolkien was with the eleventh battalion of the Lancashire Fusiliers, this tension reached a new and frightening level of intensity for Tolkien as his imagination was over-stimulated by the horror of the Somme. At night, he saw that most frightening of creatures charging across no-mans land. A creature of the imagination which he would never speak directly. Only W.H. Auden would guess at the depiction of the 1916 apparition. Later in the year, Tolkien was invalided with trench fever. And it was as this time he was gripped by the epic struggle, as Gandalf battled a Balrog, an ancient demon creature, and fell into a deep chasm under the Mines of Moria, apparently to his death.
Tolkiens Phantasm

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In 1967, Jack Ruby's cancer went into remission, allowing him to be placed on trial for the murder of Lee Harvey Oswald. From the stand, Ruby spun a story of conspiracy, deception and treason, and the judge was forced to place a gag order on news from the trial. When the courtroom blew up the next day, it was blamed on a “gas leak” under the courthouse.

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In 1521, German monk Martin Luther was excommunicated by Pope Henry VIII of the Holy British Empire. Brother Martin was disgusted with the corruption of the British Papacy, and nailed a series of theses on his local church door, enumerating and protesting the wickedness of the English Church. Pope Henry, who had never been one to tolerate protestants, excommunicated then executed Brother Martin.

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In 2006, International Visit Today In Alternate History Day receives the unwelcome attention of most security agencies in North America. In a deft manoerve, Reverend Rattie reports that “Apparently, when you post before turning off your feed, your post appears on the feed anyway. So much for our vaunted computer skills.” Within the CIA, older hands suspect that Rattie was attempting to understate the real number of online alt-lifers.

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In 1892, the scholarly giant of modern England, John R. R. Tolkien, was born in Bloemfontein, South Africa. At Oxford, Tolkien penned some of the greatest literary criticisms of the 20th century, delving into the mythic roots of Beowulf, the legends of King Arthur, the Germanic and Celtic influences in English literature, and dozens of other subjects. In recent years, his son Christopher published a few of the bed time stories Tolkien wrote for his children, of which the most famous are his Father Christmas stories. There has even been talk of making a movie of these stories, although no one really expects they would be very popular.

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In 4620, Egyptologist and adventurer Luo Gan discovers the ancient tomb of Pharaoh Tutankhamen, and its hideous curse. Over the next five years, he and the twenty members of his team die gruesome deaths. Although most dismiss this as mere coincidence, the Imperial Ministry of Antiquities has forbade further digging into ancient Egypt’s past.

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In 12-17-10-5-15, Pachacamac, Incan musicians famed throughout the Empire, give their first performance before the emperor at Oueztec City. The music of the sweet mountains of their birth lofted throughout the court, bringing smiles and tears to the assembled courtiers. The emperor himself is so moved by their performance that he ennobles them all.

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In 1977, the number one computer company in the world, Apple Computers, was incorporated by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak in California. From humble beginnings as a machine for hobbyists, Apple computers soon made their way onto desktops in businesses and homes around the world with the introduction of the Macintosh line of computers. They might have stumbled in the 80’s when IBM’s operating system supplier, Microsoft, made a graphical interface to match the Macintosh, but a successful lawsuit against the company crushed that dream.

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Silmarillion	In 1914, John Ronald Reuel Tolkien began working on the Middle-earth stories. A good deal was written while Tolkien, then a British officer returned from France during World War I, was laid up in a military hospital and at home with trench fever. Truth be told, Tolkien's imagination was over-stimulated by the horror of the Somme. In escapist fantasy writing, Tolkien's inner hero struggled to restore his own dissipated life force.

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In 1947, the pederast Thomas Edward Lawrence was exposed in the Times newspaper following evidence of an inappropriate relationship with a fourteen year-old Arab boy, Selim Ahmed in 1914.

A clue was carefully hidden in Chapter 2, of Seven Pillars of Wisdom which describes homoerotic behaviour "quivering together in the yielding sand, with intimate hot limbs in supreme embrace." The book itself is dedicated to "S.A." with a poem that begins: "I loved you, so I drew these tides of men into my hands and wrote my will across the sky in stars To gain you Freedom, the seven-pillared worthy house, that your eyes might be shining for me When I came.", which had previously been considered a reference to Saudi Arabia, the chosen name of Abdul-Aziz bin Saud's Republic that was eventually founded in 1932.

Shortly afterwards, Lawrence was stripped of meritous awards that he had received after the war - Companion in the Order of the Bath, Distinguished Service Order, French Légion d'Honneur and Knight Commander of the British Empire which he received in October 1918.

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