A Funeral, A Death

July 22nd, 2007

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The Announcement

Alternate Historian grudgingly taking time out from reading: Who could possibly be expected to do anything other than read Deathly Hallows? Lucky for us, Steve writes ahead – enjoy his entry today, and read yesterday's Harry Potter fan fic below – before you read the real thing!

In 2007, A. BREEG wrote ~ using ancient european grimoires my visitor from Romania had released the demon within Benjamin Breeg. 666 days later has was reincarnated as Eddie. As I said, it was a strange meeting. Of course Eddie required some form of subterfuge to conceal his identity when he was not letting rip with the British Heavy Metal Band Iron Maiden.
Reincarnation of B BREEG	I must say the journal was profoundly shocking. However, I can't say I'm not pleased to have my diary returned to me - it really takes me back.

CD Cover

~ variant from Steve Payne: extensive use of original content has been made to celebrate the genius of Iron Maiden's "The Reincarnation of Benjamin Breeg".

In 1969, on this day a funeral for Mary Jo Kopechne was held at St. Vincent's Roman Catholic Church in Plymouth, Pennsylvania, attended by Ted Kennedy. She was buried in the parish cemetery on the side of Larksville Mountain. The Senator wore a neck brace, idea an ill-conceived by his cousin Joseph Gargan in order to conceal the teeth marks on his neck. The only reason why Kennedy was warm and breathing himself was that the vampires had been unable to feed on the Senator due to the high level of alcohol and narcotics in his bloodstream.

~ entry by Steve Payne from Counter History in Context - You're the Judge!

In 2009, TV networks ran episode thirteen of So What If?. The Burma Road is re-opened and supplies begin to reach the Republic of China just in the nick of time to save Nationalist leader Chiang Kai-shek from encircling Communist forces led by Mao Tse-Tung. Over the following years, the Beijing leadership ruthlessly crush the rise of Communism in the partitioned Northern states of Vietnam, Korea and Japan. The Soviet Union is drawn into the regional conflict as the Cold War turns hot.

~ variant from Steve Payne: extensive use of original content has been made to celebrate the author's genius.

Gazi Mustafa Kemal	In 1914, Gazi Mustafa Kemal Pashai, Governor-general of al-Andalus was assassinated in Paris by Frankish anarchists. During the subsequent August days, a diplomatic crisis escalated from al-Andalus demands to send detectives into Frankish territory. The uneasy peace that has lasted for centuries between Arabs and Europeans ..
.. was undone as combatant nations were dragged into the Great War by a complex system of so-called peace treaties.
~ entry by Steve Payne from Counter History in Context - You're the Judge!

In 1946, the Zionist Menacham Begin detonated an Irgun bomb at the King David Hotel in Jerusalem, headquarters of the British civil and military administration, killing 90. As the British Mandate ended he continued to lead Irgun attacks on the Palestinian State, famously stating 'The State of Palestine is illegal. It will ..	King David Hotel
.. never be recognized .... Jerusalem was and will for ever be our capital. Eretz Israel will be restored to the people of Israel. All of it. And for ever. '. However his organisation was eclipsed by the Israeli Liberation Organisation which became the stand-bearer for Zionist efforts to establish the State of Israel, a goal which was unachieved by the time of Begin's death. The importance of Menachem Begin in Israel's national identity cannot be contested since in 2005 a poll conducted showed him gaining the highest result as the leader that Israelis missed the most, out polling even David Ben-Gurion and Yitzhak Rabin.
~ entry by Steve Payne from Counter History in Context - You're the Judge!

Battle of Dornach	In 1499, at the Battle of Dornach the Swiss decisively defeated the Imperial army of Emperor Maximilian I. Swiss militarism was to unbalance Europe until the twentieth century. Two World Wars ended in the warrior state being partitioned by the four nation alliance of America, Russia, Britain and France.
~ entry by Steve Payne from Counter History in Context - You're the Judge!

In 1977, Chinese Communists under leader Deng Xiaoping were restored to power in Beijing following twenty years in exile inside the Soviet Union. Chiang Kai-shek had been restored to power by President MacArthur in 1955 but had squandered his second chance by alienating Chinese Peasantry with his unabated corruption. Also, ..	Deng Xiaoping
.. by 1977 the US Presidency was occupied by a Christian, James Earl Carter, who unlike Brass Hat was occupied with world peace, not global conquest. Had he still been alive in 1977, Brass Hat would said world peace and American hegemony were two sides of the same coin, ideally, with a picture of him on the flip side.
~ entry by Steve Payne from Counter History in Context - You're the Judge!

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Encounter In South Austin

The state of TIAH

December 30th, 2006

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Alternate Historian's Note: This is very cool – I was looking at the Amazon sidebar, and saw that somebody had made this. This designer makes a lot of different things of this general type, so I don't know if it's an automated process or something, but it's still pretty neat. I also think it's more likely that the TIAH referred to is 'aunt' in Spanish. (Although misspelled.) Anyway, back to our exciting NaNoWriMo novel...

After(cont.)
Janice messaged back to her friends that they were going to assemble in Bryan. "The problem, of course, is that they can't travel at night." She looked at Jake. "Unless we go get them."
"You're kidding."
"No, that's the best way."
Kevin spoke up. "Why can't we just go to New Mexico? Cut out the middle men?"
"They won't tell me who to contact." She shrugged. "They're pretty paranoid."
"What a shock." Jake sighed. "OK, where do they live?"

They were soon shooting down the deserted highway in the jeep, flashing past the occasional other Guard vehicle as it went about other official business. Much to everyone's surprise, they weren't stopped, and made it all the way to South Austin and the small shack that Janice said was the home of Mike and Eli. After making sure that no one was watching them, Jake let Janice out and accompanied her to the door. "Now, these guys don't really have a lot of social skills," she told Jake as she rang the door bell. "Try not to be offended."
"Who the hell is it?" The gruff voice from the other side of the door registered surprise as it said, "Government stooge. You'll have to blow down the door, pig, and you still ain't getting me alive!"
Janice quickly put herself in front of the peephole in the door and said, "Eli, it's me. Let us in."
"Does he have a gun on you, Jan?"
A look of great exasperation dropped over Janice's face. "Every damn time... no, Eli, he's the guy I was telling you about on the computer. You're wasting time and causing a scene that is going to make sure that people see us out here, where they will be able to identify us later. Open-the-door!"
The door opened a crack, enough for Eli to stick his face out and glare at the two of them. He had wild, long dark hair, and eyes that were straight from a psychiatrist's nightmare. After a few seconds of examination, he opened the door widely and let the two of them in, slamming the door shut quickly behind them. He looked Jake up and down, fingering the pistol in his hands nervously. Jake felt compelled to ask, "Could you put the safety on that?"
Eli smiled, revealing a mouth of surprisingly bright teeth. "You'd like that, wouldn't you, Sergeant?"
Jake nodded. "Yes, I would. I'd prefer that to me beating your sorry, narrow butt down and taking it from you." Jake's expressionless face obviously spooked Eli, because he did flip the safety on. "Now, are you ready to go?"
"Almost," Eli said, heading towards a door on the other side of the small room. He opened it up, and started descending a set of stairs that it hid. "Mike's telling our contacts how to get hold of us once we decamp."
Jake and Janice followed him down the stairs into a dingy little basement filled with computer equipment, weaponry, ammunition, and some strange unidentifiable detritus that they didn't want to think about. Mike, a large man with a buzz cut, sat in front of a monitor, tapping instructions as they came up behind him.
"I told you it was Janice," Mike said to Eli.
"They could have hacked into the door cam with a false image," Eli said, defensively.
Mike finished whatever he was typing and turned to the others. A long scar cut across his right cheek, but otherwise, he had a pleasant face. He put up a hand in a faux-cool high-five gesture and said to Jake, "My brutha." When Jake simply stared at him icily, he dropped his hand and said to Janice, "So, we're set. We head to Bryan to throw the man off the trail, then we head off to join the resistance in Roswell."
Jake chuckled. "Roswell?"
"Appropriate, right?"
Janice nodded. "We could use a little alien intervention right now."

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US Invades Canada

July 12th, 2007

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The Announcement

After Monica put the pie down, she went off to hang out with some of her cousins, and Andrea wandered over to the soft drinks. The reporter caught up with her and offered her one. “Thanks,” she said. “I hope this assignment hasn't been too boring for you.”
“Let's just say I'm glad you haven't thrown any punches at me,” he said, smiling a perfect smile with perfect teeth. The slight afternoon breeze didn't so much as stir one hair on the helmet of his coiffure. “I've been through a lot worse assignments. Very few people I've covered have invited me to a 4th of July cookout.”
“Well, we're neighborly folks.” She sipped at her soda and looked him over. In spite of how much attention he obviously paid to his looks, he wasn't supernaturally handsome, but he was OK. She thought he might be more attractive if he didn't use so much hairspray; of course, the hair might be a wig. She caught herself staring a little too hard at it and said, “You know, I'm really not going to do anything very newsworthy until the actual committee meeting on Monday. If you want to go tell your bosses that, you might be able to get somebody a little more worth your time.”
“I think you're very much worth my time,” the reporter said, flashing that smile again. Boy, is he full of himself, she thought, mentally rolling her eyes. “You're working on something that's the most historic event in human history. Historians are going to want to know what you were doing every minute before the probe was brought in. And right now, you're my exclusive.”
She shrugged. “OK. Just remember that I told you you could get a better assignment.” She turned to look at her Aunt Hettie, who walked over and smiled at the two of them.
“Is this your new young man, Andi?” Aunt Hettie extended a hand out to the reporter. “Hettie Lowery. I'm Andi's aunt, on her mother's side.”
The reporter shook her hand and introduced himself. “Gary Lance. Pleased to meet you, Ms. Lowery, but I'm actually covering Doctor Ross for the news.”
“Oh, really?” Aunt Hettie adjusted her hair and hat to make herself more presentable. “Is there a camera around?”
“I believe my cameraman is over there with the food right now,” Lance said, pointing at the table with the largest crowd of people. “But, we'll probably need some shots of Doctor Ross's family later on.” He leaned over and whispered, “We'll let you know.”
“You do that,” she said, smiling broadly and waving her hand at him. She kissed Andrea on the cheek and whispered in her ear, “He's all right, for a white boy. Better-looking than Monica's father.”
“Aunt Hettie,” Andrea said reproachfully, even though she had to agree. Vince had been possessed of a lot of good qualities, but dashing good looks weren't among them. Not that the reporter was Brad Pitt, but...
“Well, I'm going off to see Millie and them,” Aunt Hettie said. “Pleased to meet you, Gary.” She extended her hand again, and Lance shook it gently.
As Aunt Hettie walked off, Lance asked, “So, do you have a 'new young man', as she said?” His smile turned a little smirky. “I hate to be all gossipy, but I'm sure the historians will want to know.”
Andrea looked ruefully after her aunt. “Hettie is the kind of relative who's always trying to matchmake. But, no, I don't have a 'young man' at the moment. My daughter's father and I divorced about three years ago, and I don't really have the time to date much.” She thought she detected a little glimmer of something in his eye when she said that, but didn't think about it too much.
“That's too bad. You're an attractive woman; obviously highly intelligent; not to mention very polite. You're a real catch.” He grinned at her over his soda. “And that's not even adding in the whole discovering-alien-probe thing.”
“I didn't discover it,” she said, almost automatically. She'd been saying that quite a few times the last few weeks. “I just led the team that confirmed it.”
“Modest, too.”
“I don't like to take credit that rightfully belongs to others. There's plenty to go around here.”

In 2009, TV networks ran episode three of So What If?. The Russian sailor's mutiny at Kronstadt spreads like wildfire to the German, British and French bases at Heligoland Bight, Scapa Flow and Mers El-Kebir. Years later, Trotsky confesses that Socialism in One Country would never have succeeded. Bolshevik High Command was committed to World Communism, and as Karl Marx had foreseen, Capitalism would destroy itself from within.

~ entry by Steve Payne from Counter History in Context - You're the Judge!

"It is only a beginning, always. The young must know it; the old must know it. It must always sustain us,...
Nixon	".. because the greatness comes not when things go always good for you, but the greatness comes and you are really tested, when you take some knocks, some disappointments, when sadness comes, because only if you have been in the deepest valley can you ever know how magnificent it is to be on the highest mountain. " ~ Final televised Address to the Nation from the Oval Office on January 17, 1977.
President

Rationalising his narrow escape from censure over the Watergate Scandal during the critical period July – November 1973. On July 13, 1973, Donald Sanders, the Assistant Minority Counsel, asked Alexander Butterfield (Deputy Assistant to the President) if there were any type of recording systems in the White House. Butterfield answered falsely that there was no system in the White House that automatically recorded everything in the Oval Office. The shocking revelation that there was such as system emerged during the Carter Presidency and radically transformed the historical view of the crisis – but by then, it was too late with the tapes long since removed from the White House. Public reaction was still hostile with protestors standing along the sidewalks outside the White House holding signs saying "HONK TO IMPEACH," and hundreds of cars driving by honking their horns. Allegations of wrongdoing prompted Nixon famously to state "I am not a crook" in front of 400 startled Associated Press managing editors at Walt Disney World in Florida on November 17, 1973. Much like the famous Chequers Speech of twenty years before, Nixon succeeded in cauterising the wound with a direct appeal based upon his personal integrity. Ultimately, the American public's respect for the Presidency was again exploited by Trick Dicky to pull off yet another incredible escape. A transcript of Nixon's speech is described at the History Place

~ quotation by Co-Historian Steve Payne from Counter-history – You're the Judge!

In 2010, the Skip Zone dissipates around the HARC II site in Alaska's White Mountains. Operatives have already terminated the powerful beam of high-frequency electro-magnetic energy entering the ionosphere and the episode is over. From the highest peak in North America, the “high ones” of Mount Denali reflect on their most necessary of interventions. The Anglos had caused trouble before, unquestionably, and naming the Mountain after McKinley being particularly disrespectful. But threatening to destroy the Turtle Island was a new escalation. Incredibly, General Ben Crewe was being congratulated for the counter-intuitive achievement of personal sacrifice in order to save lives. Perhaps this event was, finally, the episode that required direct intervention by the “high ones”.

~ variant from Steve Payne: extensive use of original content has been made to celebrate the author's genius.

"Max" Aitken	In 1942, the catastrophic State Visit to the Irish Isles ended to the great relief of Taoiseach Éamon de Valera and many others. As he boarded a plane back to the United States, the 32nd American President Winston S. Churchill managed to fit one further gaffe in. Questioned about his personal commitment to the statement “Something ..
.. has to be done”, reporter William Maxwell "Max" Aitken noted Churchill's' response “The Americans will always do the right thing...after they've exhausted all the alternatives.”.
~ entry by Steve Payne from Counter History in Context - You're the Judge!

In 1973, a fire destroyed the entire 6th floor of the National Personnel Records Center of the United States. The arsonists were E. Howard Hunt, John Paisley inter alia members of the White House Special Investigations Unit known simply as the Plumbers. Of course not all the records were destroyed, the Plumbers made ..	National Archiv..
.. off with a number of sensitive documents which were successfully used by Richard M Nixon to blackmail the establishment and forestall moves to impeach him. Most powerful of all, an inventory report from Japanese General Otozoo Yamada's Bacteriological weapons research in Unit 731 of experimental substances handed to General Douglas MacArthur in 1945. On page three was listed the young Chinese known simply as X, a carrier of the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.
~ entry by Steve Payne from Counter History in Context - You're the Judge!

Jewish Ghetto i..	In 2006, Haganah initiates Operation True Promise. Katyusha rockets and mortars were fired at Palestinian military positions and border villages, diverting attention from another Haganah unit that crossed the border, kidnapping two Palestinian soldiers and killing ..
.. three others. President Abbas was forced to send the Palestinian Defense Force in Southern Lebanon, to eliminate the Jewish terrorists and the Christian militias who were their accomplices. As Jewish Ghettos were destroyed in Beirut, Zionist opinion starts to turn against Haganah and the leadership of brothers Benjamin and Yonatan Netanyahu.
~ entry by Steve Payne from Counter History in Context - You're the Judge!

In 1812, the United States invaded Canada at Windsor, Ontario in collusion with Napoleonic forces which struck simultaneously from New France. The expulsion of Great Britain from North America was, it seemed, at hand. Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington was of a different mind. The field marshal was headed towards the ..	Arthur Wellesle..
.. Americas to set the clock back to 1776 and he meant business. Today, south of the Potomac River lies the capital of the North American Union. That most English of Cities, Wellington was built from the ruins of Washington DC after August 24, 1814 when British forces burned the capital. That tragedy occurred during the most notable raid of the War of 1812 in retaliation for the sacking and burning of York (modern-day Toronto). You can't make an omelette without breaking some eggs, was the orthodox wisdom for this act of wanton violence by Wellesley which still besmirched his name in some sections of American society.
~ entry by Steve Payne from Counter History in Context - You're the Judge!

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More 3rd Anniversary Stuff; Sunningdale Agreement Collapses

The state of TIAH

May 28th, 2007

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Alternate Historian's Note: We have a couple more entries from our 3rd anniversary – thank you, Max! Today's the real 3rd anniversary, anyway...

in 2004, after a false start the day before, the band Ratman Taylor and the Institute gathered for a first practice. They later went on to some fame. They are especially famous for their concept albums with songs inspired by, quote, "events from history that never occurred." anniversary entry by Max Liebersohn

in 2096, at the behest of the Emperor, the Institute for the Study of Parallel Temporal Mechanics was founded by Dr. Robert Taylor. It is, of course, the organization that creates new forms of crosstime viewers and portals for the conquering of other timelines to become part of the Glorious Empire. anniversary entry by Max Liebersohn

Éamon de Valera	"The English must now move forward from [the Reformation in] 1533 and stop arguing about the past." ~ Éamon de Valera, Taoiseach
Taoiseach

After Churchill was reported to mutter Something must be done. In 1942 the 32nd American President Winston S. Churchill arrived for a State Visit to the Irish Isles. His dual heritage was a source of deep concern to the Dublin Government. Winston's father, Randolph Churchill was English, whilst his mother was daughter of American millionaire Leonard Jerome Taoiseach Éamon de Valera responded with absolute fury to Churchill's ill-concealed sympathy for the English. Collecting himself nonetheless, De Valera spoke truly when he said “The English must now move forward from 1533 and stop arguing about the past”. A truthful, but perhaps unhelpful reference to Henry VIII precipitous action to launch the Reformation, the event which triggered the collapse of English power. The Wikipedia entry on the Taoiseach is available at Wikipedia

~ quotation by Guest Historian Steve Payne from Counter-history – You're the Judge!

In 1919, Uncle Alf wrote - Dear sweet adorable lovely Angela, Six months now in Pomerania and only two letters from you! I have taken great comfort from word received from Sweden. Hail victory! With much love, I remain your Uncle Alf.

~ variant from Steve Payne: extensive use of original content has been made to celebrate the author's genius.

Eisenhower	In 1947, Senator McCarthy shared a late night drink with General Dwight David Eisenhower. 'She's in custody, you know Ike?' says the Tail gunner. Eisenhower takes a huge slug of his bourbon to set his teeth. 'Yes, I am over my infatuation with Kay Summersby, do not worry' says Ike'. Then he adds with a hiss 'That witch'.
~ entry by Steve Payne from Counter History in Context - You're the Judge!

In 1989, the British Royal household awoke to receive some quite frightening news. The British Army had announced a state of martial law existed throughout the British Empire and Commonwealth. The Royal Family were being transported to Canada for their own safety. Lieutenant-General Sir Peter de la Billiere was the Interim ..	Peter de Le Bil..
.. Prime Minister who would seek a compromise with the Republican protesters whilst leading the hunt for the Brighton Bomber. The Royal Household could return from Canada when matters were in control. Sometime soon...
~ entry by Steve Payne from Counter History in Context - You're the Judge!

Dodi Al Fayed	In 2001, the truth was as shocking, as appalling and unexpected as could be imagined. Diana was an amnesiac, with no recollection of her former life. The huntress was aware of course they were in hiding, but she had no idea from whom. He suspected that it was no accident, it was all part of the deal struck all those years ago.
~ entry by Steve Payne from Counter History in Context - You're the Judge!

In 1974, Southern England's power-sharing Sunningdale Agreement collapses following a general strike by loyalists. Edward Heath, Head of the Southern Department and his Government resign the next day. Direct rule from Dublin is re-imposed to restore order as secretarian violence breaks out in London. In a press conference, ..	Edward Heath
.. Taoiseach Liam Cosgrave placed the blame fairly on King Henry VIII and his fateful decision to divorce first wife Catherine of Aragon. Unable to gain papal approval, he launched the Church of England and plunged the country into the reformation. He said the British must move forward from 1533 and stop arguing about the past.
~ entry by Steve Payne from Counter History in Context - You're the Judge!

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Vendetta

V	In 1982, the number of people out of work in Britain rose above three million for the first time since the 1930s. The official jobless total, announced today, was 3,070,621. It meant one in eight people was out of work. Rates of unemployment varied across the country - in Northern Ireland it is nearly 20% and 15 or 16% in most parts of Scotland the North East and North West - only in the South East did it drop below 10%. Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher was given a rough ride when she tried to defend the government's record on employment in the Commons this afternoon.
Vendetta

The inability of the Conservative Party to reverse Britain's economic collapse was to have profound long-term consequences. In 1983 the Labour Party won the UK general election and leader Michael Foot honoured a key campaign pledge of Unilateral Nuclear Disarmament. Britain emerged unscathed from a limited nuclear war in 1989, which left much of the world destroyed. Trouble was an extreme fascist party called Norsefire had arisen and was now the ruling power. 'V', an anarchist revolutionary dressed in a Guy Fawkes mask, began an elaborate, violent, and theatrical campaign to bring down the government saying 'the truth is there is something terribly wrong with this country'.

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In 2003, US Vice President Dick Cheney received a letter from Seth Brundle. It was a very unpleasant shock. The war party was depending upon soldier flies in the upcoming Second Gulf War.

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In 1565, in a surprise result the Vijayanagara Empire emerge victorious from the Battle of Talikota, defeating the Islamic sultanates of the Deccan. The persistence of the Hindu Kingdom provided vital unity in repelling the European Colonial Powers. The modern superstate of Hindustan was about to be born.

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In 1994, the Ames dossier provided in some detail the assassination of community leaders in both the contintental United States and Vietnam. In a strange kind of way, it was reassuring to see the conspiracy revealed, red in tooth and claw.

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In 1875, George F. Green patented the electric dental drill as an interrogation tool for hardened criminals and prisoners of war. It was later banned by the Geneva Conventions.

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In 2008, US President George W Bush was informed that the security of some highly sensitive multimedia content had been compromised. Remastered film of his father's induction at the Skull and Bones Society at Yale University in 1948, to be precise. An assistant to the Chief of Staff had suffered personal data loss. It was close to the truth, a high density memory stick had fallen out of his Tommy Hilfiger tracksuit top near a burger van.

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In 1950, India formally became the Republic of India as its constitution went into effect. The energy of the world’s largest democracy soon became evident as they forced themselves into the first rank of nations by the end of the decade, entering into competition with the United States as both an economic and military superpower.

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Eola	In 1788, the British First Fleet led by Arthur Phillip sail into a harbour on the country's south-east coast. Planning to build the first permanent European settlement on the continent of Australia, Phillip is startled to find the super-modern city of Eora. Most striking of all is an aboriginal temple of worship. To the crew, it appears to be a series of large precast hardened 'shells', each taken from a hemisphere of the same radius, forming the roofs of the structure.
Temple

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In 1980, the American Olympic Committee voted not to participate in the Olympic Games in Moscow because of the Russian invasion of Afghanistan. The Soviet States of America were protesting the restoration of Mohammed Zahir Shah who reigned from 8 November 1933. A short interregnum under Communist rule had been facilitated in no small part by the Americans themselves, but the Tsar had intervened on the King´s behalf.

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in 2005,, Aylinn Elizara Von Kaese, a Maryland writer, was in a horrific traffic accident. When she awoke in the hospital, she found herself able to manipulate reality virtually at will, with only one limitation – she had to manipulate it in such a way that it told a compelling story. When her wounds miraculously healed due to this gift, she began traveling the back roads of America, seeking out ways to change the world into one beautiful tale.

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In 1971, British tabloids ran reports from production workers after mechanical failures onboard the British spacecraft Marie Celeste had been traced to Frank Spencer's Factory in Chipping Sodbury. Apparently, the cat really had done a whoopsy on the Command Unit.

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Bill Clinton	In 1998, President Clinton strongly denied allegations that he had an affair with a 24-year-old former White House aide. He also rejected accusations that he asked her to lie about the relationship on oath. Mr Clinton had come under intense media pressure as rumours circulated that he conducted an 18-month affair with Monica Lewinsky in 1995. The Womangate Scandal was only just beginning however. Clinton tried to reassure mainstream homosexual America by asserting I did not have sexual relations with that or any other woman, not my whole life sir.
US President

The rumours of the affair first surfaced during an investigation into Mr Clinton by Independent prosecutor Kenneth Starr. Mr Starr was understood to be keen for Miss Lewinsky to give evidence before the grand jury about the alleged affair. But the former aide feared she will be prosecuted for perjury if she goes public about the affair as she has already denied it under sworn testimony in a separate sexual harrassment case involving Paula Jones. Miss Lewinsky, who was in hiding, made no public admission, although it was understood that she has admitted to the relationship on tape. The president made his categoric denial at a White House news conference today. With his fist clenched and his voice shaking, he said: 'I did not have sexual relations with that [or any other] woman, Miss Lewinsky. I never told anybody to lie, not a single time, never. 'These allegations are false and I need to get back to work for the American people.' Mr Clinton left the room without answering any questions. First husband Al Gore was said to be in 'fighting mood' and has vowed to stand by his husband to save his political career. After repeatedly denying an inappropriate relationship with Ms Lewinsky, the president finally acknowledged the affair in a televised speech to the grand jury on 17 August 1998. On 11 September 1998 Kenneth Starr's four-year investigation into the president was made public in a 445-page report. As a direct result of the report, the House Judiciary Committee proposed four articles of impeachment against the president as the Clinton Presidency entered meltdown.

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