Tuesday, November 30, 2004

Elizabeth Hodges - Astro-Woman

November 30th, 2004

in 723 AUC, the alliance of Rome and Egypt ended the rebellion of Marcus Antonius, who had ruled in a triumvirate with Octavian and Marcus Lepidus, but had attempted to seize power for himself in 721. Cleopatra VII, ruler of Egypt, had flirted briefly with the idea of allying with Antonius before a personal plea from Octavian brought her back into Rome’s camp.

in 1667, future Bishop Jonathan Swift was born in Dublin, Ireland. Bishop Swift arose to his position by his harsh treatment of his native countrymen; during a particularly terrible famine in Ireland, he even suggested to Pope William that the Irish could use their young as a source of food. Of all the Archbishops the Holy British Empire appointed to oversee Dublin and Ireland, none was hated more than Bishop Swift.

in 1835, Samuel Clemens, who wrote under the nom de plume of Mark Twain, was born in Florida, Missouri, North American Confederation. Clemens was a noted humorist in his day, but is chiefly remembered today for his invention of the Scientific Romance with such novels as the time-travelling tale A Connecticut Yankee In King Arthur’s Court and the Mlosh-inspired novel Letters From Earth, an imagined conversation between a Mlosh on our planet who had managed to invent a machine capable of transmitting back to their homeworld and friends of his back there.

in 1947, Jewish and Muslim settlements in Madagascar were attacked by New Reich marine forces. The soldiers of the island nation fought bravely, as did the settlers themselves, but the threat of nuclear weapons that the New Reich levied against them forced Madagascar to surrender their Semitic population. Some managed to escape, but most of the 24,000 Semites on the island were put to the death.

in 1947, playwright David Mamet was born in Chicago, Illinois. Mamet was famous for his family-friendly plays and movie scripts. He was known to remark, “if you have to swear to say something, it really wasn’t worth saying, was it?

in 1954, the course of human evolution was altered when Mrs. Elizabeth Hodges of Sylacauga, Alabama, was struck by a meteorite. The powerful energies contained in the rock from outer space transformed her into the being known today as Astro-Woman. Seemingly immortal, this crime-fighting Alabaman has been foiling evil ever since, and along with her children, Astro-boy and Comet-girl, and their dog Shooting Star, she has kept the American south safe for two generations.

in 1965, Security Advisor Jake Russell warns Comrade President Gus Hall of encroachments by the capitalists throughout the American sphere of influence. Soviet American troops currently stationed in North Chile were fighting a civil war against the reactionary forces of the South, supplied by the monarchies of Europe. Comrade Russell advised Comrade President Hall to increase the number of troops in North Chile; failure to defend fellow communists would result in a domino effect of nation after nation succumbing to the lures of capitalism.

in 1965, during their first American tour, the Gathering Moss were honored by the Colorado state legislature with their own day. Stones throughout Denver were decorated with moss for the band’s concert that evening.

Monday, November 29, 2004

Magic Of Your Touch

November 29th, 2004

in 1540, Archbishop Wolsey of York is burned at the stake for heresy after he questions the decision of Pope Henry VIII to divorce yet another wife. The execution of a close and trusted advisor on a whim sends a message across the Holy British Empire that the young pope is unstable, and the other cardinals and archbishops treat Pope Henry very gingerly for the remainder of this reign.

in 1803, scientist Christian Doppler is born in Salzburg, Austria. Doppler was accepted at the Mlosh Science Academy in Germany as a young man of 14, and excelled in his studies. He was particularly adept at defining the properties of light, and the Doppler Effect is named after him; this is the shift in color that light-waves make when approached at differing speed and direction.

in 12-12-9-14-2, Oueztecan troops commit another atrocity in their war in the north of the continent as they slaughter helpless Cheyenne and Arapaho people who were attempting to surrender. As news of the slaughter spreads among the northern people, resistance against Ouezteca stiffens; the people of the north feel that they have nothing to gain by giving up to the southern empire, and everything to lose.

in 1944, New Reich forces conquer the eastern Adriatic coast on their way southeast to Greece and the Ottoman Republic. Muslim forces fell for the first time in struggle against the New Reich when Muslim Albanians joined the Greater Zionist Resistance in their struggle against the Reich’s onslaught.

in 1948, Australia auto manufacturer Holden Automotive met the challenge issued it by the government to produce a car entirely in Australia. The Holden FX was a tremendous success, not only in Australia, but around the world. The models that followed, the Torana and Commodore, proved that the FX was no fluke. By the 1960’s, Australia’s cars were outperforming American cars in the lucrative American market. This led many Michiganders to urge boycotts and stiff trade barriers against Australian cars, but the nation continued to buy them. When the Japanese entered the auto ring in the 1970’s, America’s automotive industry fell into its final collapse.

in 1962, Comrade President Gus Hall appoints Coleman Young as head of a committee to investigate the assassination of Comrade President Joel Rosenberg the week before. Comrade Young establishes conclusively that the lone counter-revolutionary, Lee Oswald, was responsible for the murder, but lunatic conspiracy theorists have questioned this conclusion for decades.

in 1963, Pete Best releases his love song, Magic Of Your Touch, which sends his young female fans into paroxysms of delight across Great Britain and Europe. His star is well and truly on the rise at this point, as the song reaches the top of the European charts and even crosses over into the American charts and hits the top there.

in 1986, Archie Leach, a musical comedy favorite from the 1930’s through the 1960’s, died at his home in Davenport, Iowa. Leach had entered the U.S. as a teen when he was part of a group of acrobatic performers. He stayed and soon his dashing good looks and singing ability landed him parts on Broadway, where he became noticed by movie studios. He made his first film in 1932 in This is the Night, and before long he was starring opposite such leading ladies as Marie von Losch, Mary West and Katharine Hepburn. He had retired from filmmaking twenty years earlier, adhering to the old theater adage, “always leave ‘em wanting more.”

Sunday, November 28, 2004

First Message From Mlosh Homeworld

November 28th, 2004

in 4216, Chen Gongshi reaches the southern tip of the Incan continent, a land of fierce cold and wild storms. Bravely his ships rounded the land and headed back north, entering the stormy waters on the far eastern side of the continent. Chen called this ocean Blue Ice, because of the chilly temperatures he endured when he first entered it. As he sailed north, though, his perception of the ocean changed, but the name has stuck to this day.

in 1904, a message pod from the Congress of Nations vessel heading towards the Mlosh homeworld reaches our solar system and relays a wealth of information. Since no Mlosh survive from the original generation that landed on earth, everyone viewing the recordings is seeing the Mlosh homeworld for the first time. The first few minutes show a solar system remarkably like earth’s, with several gas giants in the outer system, and smaller planets in the inner. The Science Ministry of the Congress of Nations withheld the rest of the recordings for further study.

in 1929, Admiral Robert Byrd, aiming to make history as the first man to fly over the South Pole, took off from the Little America base in Antarctica and headed south. He was never heard from again; it is presumed that his plane crashed in the snow and was swallowed up by a storm.

in 1943, German Underground forces captured a meeting of Greater Zionist Resistance leaders in Teheran, Persia. The G.Z.R. had assembled a small group of strategists in Persia to plan a counter-attack against the G.U. forces in the west. This capture was a serious blow to the G.Z.R., as it took many of their best generals.

in 1954, the U.S. military becomes interested in Richard Tolman’s parallel universe cult when nuclear physicist Enrico Fermi disappears after attending a cult meeting. Military investigators at first suspected Fermi had been killed by the cult, but could find no evidence they had done any foul play. One of the investigators also disappeared a couple of weeks into the investigation, further complicating matters.

in 1989, in yet another blow to the Communist Movement, the government of Venezuela stepped down voluntarily and transferred power to an elected committee of industrialists and bankers. The Congress of the Soviet States of America pleaded with Comrade President Ann Richards to halt the erosion of the people’s power in the American hemisphere, but she again refused, just as she had in Panama.

in 1994, freshman Republican Congressman Jeffrey Dahmer was declared the winner in the race for his House seat after a tense recount. After Congressman Dahmer returned to his Washington office, though, several young men in Wisconsin began speaking to the police about Dahmer’s advances towards them during the campaign, and he resigned in disgrace barely a month later.

in 2003, Estellians, the followers of Estelle Gerard, storm the Tower of London and free hundreds of their brethren held there. The guards at the Tower were so weak from the plagues striking across the Holy British Empire that they were unable to resist the Protestants, and many crossed over to their side. Pope Righteous I excommunicated all guards who did so.

Saturday, November 27, 2004

Babbage's Notes Sold To U.S.; Gerald Ford Rejected As Nixon's V.P.

November 27th, 2004

in 1095, Pope William II, son of the Norman usurper of the Holy British Empire, incites all of Europe to send armies to the Holy Land to recapture it in the name of Christendom. He hopes that this will mollify those who see his line’s rule over Christianity’s most sacred throne as sacrilege, and it does serve the purpose of uniting Christianity; it fails in its stated purpose, and Muslims continue to hold the Holy Land for centuries.

in 1743, composer Freiderich Handel’s Dettingen Te Deum is performed to celebrate the victory of King George against the Bavarians that year. It makes history by using Mlosh singers to perform the parts of the Mlosh soldiers in King George’s army, the first appearance of the alien race in any human theatrical performance.

in 12-10-2-1-13, Oueztecan troops created an incident against the Masoki people on the far eastern shores of the continent, blaming them for killing soldiers during a feather war. This gave the Empire an excuse for a full-scale assault against the peninsula, with a naval blockade and ground troops soon crushing the Masoki and forcing them into the Empire.

in 1852, in order to stave off her debtors, Augusta Ada King, Lady Lovelace, sold off the notes she had taken as mathematician Charles Babbage’s assistant. The U.S. government bought the notes and gave them to the American inventing community to see what could be done with them. Thomas Edison proved the investment worthwhile in 1872 when he built the Edison Difference Engine, (or Eddie, as it was popularly known), based on the notes.

in 4636, innovative filmmaker Lee Yuen Kam was born in Hong Kong. A martial artist since his youth, Lee developed his own school of Gong Fu he called Jeet Kune Do. This fluid fighting style was featured in his films, first by himself and then by his students when Lee felt too old to properly execute his own stunts. Lee’s action films spawned a generation of action filmmakers who were martial artists/actors, such as Kong-san Chan, Yuen Chu and Li Lian Jie.

in 1942, Seattle’s most famous musician was born. James Hendrix played the guitar as a young man, and when he entered the Army in 1959, entertained his company with his music during his tour as a paratrooper in Vietnam. When he left the armed forces in 1963, he returned to the States and played backup for many other acts before going solo as an opening for The Monkees in 1967. Although the kids who were Monkees fans didn’t really get his music, their old brothers and sisters did, and Hendrix was soon a breakaway hit. This success brought drug use with it, but he was able to kick the habit with the help of his old paratrooper buddies from the Army, and has been enshrined as the first of rock ‘n’ roll’s guitar gods. And, he still has it – his latest album, Transmissions From Planet 3, went gold 4 days after it went on sale in 2002.

in 1973, arguments in the Senate forced them to postpone the approval of Representative Gerald Ford as President Nixon’s vice-president after his first V.P. was forced to resign to face bribery allegation when he was governor of Maryland. Nixon was thrown for a loss on this, and didn’t name another candidate for the office before being forced from office himself in 1974. This resulted in the elevation of Speaker of the House Carl Albert to the presidency. The Oklahoman mended fences across the aisle, helping to heal the nation by imprisoning Nixon on treason charges in 1975.

in 1978, Mayor George Moscone and City Supervisor Harvey Milk of San Francisco are killed by former Supervisor Dan White. Milk, who was openly homosexual, was mourned in a candlelight vigil by the city’s large gay community, which waited for the trial of his killer with low expectation of justice. Much to their surprise, White received life in prison for the double murder, due largely to the ludicrous “Twinkie Defense” strategy that his legal team pursued. They had blamed White’s rampage on too much sugar in his bloodstream. This conviction quelled the anger of a minority that had been ready for rioting if the verdict went against their wishes.

Friday, November 26, 2004

Constitution Day; King Tut's Curse

November 26th, 2004

in 1536, Archbishop Wolsey of York excommunicated all printers in the Low Countries who printed the heretical non-English versions of the Bible. Pope Henry III had appointed him his Chancellor of Foreign Affairs, and gave him the full authority of the Holy British Empire to hunt out and punish heresies.

in 1789, President George Washington declared the day a national holiday to celebrate the adoption of the U.S. Constitution. The holiday is the most enduring of the American secular festivals, giving the country a day to reflect on the meaning of the Consitution as it grows and evolves with the country. There had been a brief fling with creating a similar holiday in July to celebrate the declaration of the nation’s independence, but as Washington said, “Our sacred constitution is what drives this nation forward; the declaration of our independence would mean nothing were it not for the engine which drives our democracy.

in 1840, the first full-time shuttle service between the earth and the Brahe community on the moon begins sevice in the North American Confederation. The concept of quick transport to the moon catches on, and within a decade there is steady service from over 30 countries to the lunar colonies. This easy access to the moon is what made lunar colonization popular in the last half of the 19th century.

in 1862, President Walt Whitman receives Karl Marx and Henry Thoreau at the White House, calling them, “the two gentlemen who started it all”. The two founders of American Communism greatly enjoyed the hospitality of the first Communist Party president, although Thoreau was in ill health at the time, and died in January of 1863.

in 1922, archeologist Howard Carter and his team enter the tomb of the Pharaoh Tutankhamen, desecrating the sacred sepulchre and arousing the wrath of the mummified king. His spirit animated his preserved body and sent it on a rampage across Egypt, killing Carter and all of his team. The mummy, appeased, returned to its tomb, never to be disturbed again.

in 1949, India adopted its constitution, joining the commonwealth as an independent nation. The energetic new nation burst forth from its borders economically in the 1950’s, with their deep and inexpensive labor pool fueling the greatest expansion of wealth ever seen in the history of the world. Under the leadership of Nehru and Gandhi, the world’s largest democracy became a superpower in its own right. Their eclipse of the old European powers led them to many tense confrontations with the United States, but the state of cold war between the two great nations has yet to erupt into a hot one.

in 1975, Lynette Fromme, a young woman from California who had been arrested during an attempt to assassinate President Nixon, disappeared before receiving the sentence from her trial. Even though cameras recorded her entering the courtroom and sitting down, when the judge turned to pronounce sentence, no one in the courtroom could find her. Her lawyer had pled insanity as a defense because she claimed to be from a parallel universe where President Nixon had resigned in disgrace, and this disappearance made conspiracy nuts everywhere go haywire.

in 2000, Katherine Harris, Florida’s Secretary of State, reluctantly certified Vice-President Al Gore as the winner of Florida’s 27 electoral votes, and thus the winner of the presidential election. Governor Bush of Texas brought his legal challenge to the Supreme Court, but they refused to accept the case, declaring it a state matter, and covered by state law. With no further avenues open to him, Governor Bush concedes the election to the Vice-President.

Thursday, November 25, 2004

A Day Of Thanks

November 25th, 2004

in 1720, with the last colony ship landed, the Mlosh have a feast with as many of their human neighbors as will join them, celebrating their landing on a hospitable world with friendly people. Most of the celebrations were recorded, and the recordings became a tool for showing the human race how similar to them the Mlosh were.

in 2617 AUC, a day of thanks to Jupiter is declared throughout the Roman Republic. The festival celebrates the end of fall and the beginning of winter, and had been a folk festival for centuries already.

in 1864, in one of his last official actions, President Walt Whitman declares the last Thursday in November to be a national day of Thanksgiving for the blessings the American nation has received over all others.

in 4561, Emperor Min-Yuan declares this day to be a day of thanks across the Chinese Empire for the successful conclusion of the war against the Siamese and Vietnamese. It is at this celebration that he makes public his intention never to kill his own people again.

in 12-12-9-13-18, Emperor Quitchehuan opens the last of the Festivals of Huitzilopochtle by personally sacrificing an Apache caught in a Feather War. During the sacrifice, Quitchehuan had a great vision of the sun disappearing from the sky should the festivals continue, and he forbade them during the remainder of his reign. When the Empire remained strong in spite of Huitzilopochtle’s blessing, the festivals were never reinstated.

in the Dreaming, the great Spider returned with a web that connected the lost people with the people of the land. The people were so overjoyed at being united that they gathered together all of the food they could, and made great music to the heavens, and to the spider for his searching, and to each other to show their love for their kindred.

in 1864, Pope Victoria declares a Day of Giving Thanks throughout the Holy British Empire. God had spoken to her and told her to lift up from the mourning she had gone into at her consort Albert’s death. From that day on, she devoted herself to spreading of the Holy British Church.

in 1999, to coincide with Thanksgiving in the U.S., the United Nations General Assembly designated November 25th the International Day for Ending Violence Against Men. The tragedy of the weaker sex had come to international attention with the announcement of an end-of-the-millennium study showing that domestice violence against men was at an all-time high, and the women of the U.N.’s General Assembly felt that they should make a statement to all the men of the world that women of good character would not stand for this. President Hillary Clinton praised the designation, saying, “Men need all the protections they can get.”

Wednesday, November 24, 2004

On The Origin Of Species...

November 24th, 2004

in 4335, imperial astronomers observe the transit of Jinxing across the sun. It is an event that will not be repeated for hundreds of years, and the scientists made careful notes of it as it happened. It helped establish the motion of Jinxing across the sky and plan for the eventual landing on the planet in 4621.

in 1740, William Duell of London became the first human brought back from the dead by Mlosh medical technology. Duell’s neck had been snapped when he fell from a scaffolding while building homes for Mlosh moving into London. A Mlosh doctor on the scene tended to Duell post-haste, and saved his life. Some who saw this felt that the Mlosh were angels with the power of life; others thought that they were devils, pretending to have the power only God could have. Thus, this act of mercy only complicated the Mlosh’s early situation.

in 1859, the Holy British Empire saw the publication of On the Origin of Species by Divine Will by Father Charles Darwin. The treatise by the naturalist/priest countered the arguments being put forth by natural philosophers that species arose by a method being called evolution rather than by the design of God.

in 1903, Thomas Edison hires inventor Clyde Coleman, who has plans for an electric car. Coleman is part of the team that designs the Jove, Edison’s wildly successful electric auto line.

in 1940, the German Underground and the Greater Zionist Resistance clashed in the ancient Polish city of Krakow. The fierce fighting on both sides utterly demolished the city, destroying thousands of lives and irreplaceable artifacts of Poland’s history.

in 1947, brilliantly underrated voice and character actor Bill Schultz was born in Baltimore, Maryland. Besides providing the voice for a legion of video game and cartoon characters, Schultz also played a memorable recurring character in Bob Wesley’s Star Trek: The Next Generation, as well as the “Howling Mad” Murdock character on The A-Team.

in 1971, hijacker Dan “D.B.” Cooper took his $200,000 in ransom and parachuted from the Northwest Airlines 727 he had taken over. An intense police hunt in Washington found him in short order – Cooper, an inexperienced jumper, had gotten hung in a tree and was unable to free himself. He was sentenced to life in prison at his trial, and has been denied parole twice.

in 1989, Communists in the People’s Republic of Panama step down from power, in a crushing blow to Soviet American hegemony on the continent. Comrade President Ann Richards, though baited on the issue by Congress, does not send in troops to restore the People’s Party to power, saying, “They’ve made their choice and we must respect it. We will always stand ready to support our comrades, even when they choose not to fight.”

Tuesday, November 23, 2004

Alfonso The Wise; Groom Lake Deaths

November 23rd, 2004

in 912, Otto of Germany, the last serious pretender to the old Roman Empire, was born in Saxony. Maintaining that Pius had lacked the authority to crown Arthur pope, Otto led rebellions against the Holy British Empire throughout his life until his final defeat in 971 by Pope Edward the Peacable.

in 618, Alfonso the Wise, Caliph of Castile and Leon, was born with Allah’s blessing in Toledo, Espagne. He was among the first few generations in his country to accept the teachings of the Prophet, and established great schools of learning during his reign, some of which still teach to this day.

in 1837, physicist Javan der Waals was born in Holland. der Waals worked on the propulsion mechanisms that powered the ship sent to the Mlosh homeworld. In his youth, he had flirted briefly with anti-Mlosh movements, but rejected them after delving into the large body of knowledge made possible by the arrival of the alien race. He assisted Dutch police with infiltrations into the movement for some time before his work began to suffer.

in 1940, Romanian insurgents rise up against the Greater Zionist Resistance, and with weaponry supplied by the German Underground, successfully drive the G.Z.R. from the nation. The Romanian fascists became some of the most blood-thirsty of the G.U.’s allies, killing hundreds of thousands as they fought against the Zionists across Eurasia.

in 1947, two Bedouin shepherds contacted Jerusalem’s Hebrew University with news that they had discovered a cache of scrolls in Qumran. Translated, the documents told of a gigantic hoax played on the people of Rome, whereby the Essene sect of Judaism convinced the Romans that a savior named Jesus had arrived in the world, and would absolve them of all sins. The texts were bought for an astronomical figure by the Roman Catholic Church, and immediately suppressed.

in 1970, physicist Roy Kendall of the University of Nevada went public with information he had stolen from the secret military base at Groom Lake, Nevada. In a live interview with Walter Cronkite of CBS News, Kendall maintained that alien technology was being back-engineered at Groom Lake; unfortunately, as soon as he said that, armed men broke into the studio, shot him dead, and fatally wounded Cronkite. His evidence was never seen, and the government maintained that Kendall and Cronkite had been slain by gamblers Kendall was attempting to pay off with a lucrative hoax.

in 1991, opera impresario Farrokh Bulsara died in London, England. An unimpressive singer, but a dazzling marketeer, Bulsara applied his talents to bringing the music he loved to popular culture. He produced several operatic albums that went gold in the lucrative American market – he knew how to sell to American audiences as no one before him had. His tragic death from AIDS took much of the vitality out of modern opera.

in 2001, the largest crowd to ever watch a football game in the soviet of Texas were treated to a victory of the Texas A&M Comrades over the People’s University of Texas Lone Stars, 14-7. 87,555 fans crowded Memorial Stadium in Austin, Texas for the game.

Monday, November 22, 2004

Assassination In Dallas

November 22nd, 2004

in 1863, during a visit to Dallas, Mexico, North American Confederation First Chancellor T’Grito is assassinated as his procession leads through the center of the city. T’Grito had been unpopular in the Mexican state since his economic policies had caused rampant unemployment in the region. Human League activists took credit for the murder, their first outside the British Isles.

in 1962, during a visit to Dallas, Texas Soviet, Comrade President Joel Rosenberg is shot to death by a fanatical counter-revolutionary, Lee Oswald. Many investigations have proven that Comrade Rosenberg was killed by a lone gunman, but conspiracy theorists continue to insist that there was a plot to kill the President, and Oswald was simply the patsy.

in 1963, during a visit to Dallas, Texas, President Kennedy narrowly escapes death when a crazed gunman shoots at him from a book depository. Governor John Connally of Texas, traveling with him, is fatally injured when bullets meant for the president strike him, instead.

in 1963, during a visit to Dallas, Texas, President Nixon is shot and killed by gunmen firing from a book depository and a grassy knoll on the route. Republican Senatorial candidate John Tower, traveling with him in the motorcade, was wounded as well. Investigations into the assassination proved that a conspiracy of communists and Mafioso were behind the killing; his successor, President Henry Cabot Lodge, used the assassination as a spur to halt organized crime and communist infiltration into American society.

in 1963, during a visit to Dallas, Texas, President Lyndon Johnson is assassinated by a crazed gunman angry with his Cuban policy. Johnson, having narrowly won the Democratic nomination against his eventual running mate, John Kennedy of Massachusetts, as well as narrowly winning the general election against Vice-President Richard Nixon, was an incredibly divisive force in American politics, and his native Texans in particular had turned against him.

in 12-17-10-3-13, during a visit to the Apache of their northern possessions, Oueztecan Emperor Kanticli is killed by lunatics opposed to his Yucatanian Gulf war. Kanticli had planned to ease restrictions against the rebel islands in the gulf the following year, but his successor, Emperor Quetzos, stepped up the reprisals against the islands in revenge.

in 1963, during a visit to Dallas, Texas, President John Kennedy is assassinated. Although the initial investigation tries to pin the killing on a lone gunman, Lee Harvey Oswald, (who was conveniently murdered before being brought to trial), subsequent investigations show that the killing was the work of a dazzling cabal of Mafioso, communists, aliens, Republicans, Illuminati, Masons and Merovingians seeking to stop Kennedy’s ascension to the order of high exalted ones. Little did they know that their very action caused his ascension, and now he is one with the other Most High Ones.

in 1963, during a visit to Dallas, Texas, President John Kennedy manages to mend some fences with conservative Democrats unhappy with his somewhat liberal policies. In a related event, a man was killed during the President’s motorcade ride through the city when he fell from the 6th floor of the Texas Book Depository. It was assumed that the former Marine, Lee Harvey Oswald, had been trying to get a better view of the motorcade when he fell out the window.

Sunday, November 21, 2004

Information Is Not Free; D.C. Becomes 51st State

November 21st, 2004

in 1638, a rebel group of church assemblymen in Glasgow, Scotland, banded together and founded the Church of Scotland in defiance of the Holy British Empire. This was one of many problems that led to the secular rebellion against Pope Charles I, one of the worst Popes in Holy British history.

in 1694, Francois Marie Arouet was born in Paris, France. As a young man, he became one of the first humans to enter the philosophical academy of the Mlosh colony ship in Prussia, and emerged as France’s leading thinker. His treatises on existence and sentient relationships are still read with wonder today.

in 1783, the Montgolfier brothers, testing their new hot-air balloon, successfully managed to send a French nobleman, the Marquis d’Arlandes, and a prominent physician sailing through the Parisian sky. It was the first time anyone had flown untethered, and the last for a long time, because the Montgolfiers hadn’t quite perfected the method of landing the aircraft. The Marquis’ successor had them both executed.

in 4492, Chinese sailors in the eastern ocean discover a settlement of Polynesian people on a chain of islands the natives call Hawai’i. Though the islands are small, they are rich in agricultural produce, as well as natural beauty. Hawai’I soon becomes a trading partner and vacation spot for the Chinese Empire.

in 1941, with Germany secured from the Greater Zionist Resistance, German Underground leader Adolf Hitler has his architect, Albert Speer, begin constructing a New Berlin to show the face of what he calls Nazism to the world. Speer is assigned several staff members who are neo-Nazis from the future, who assist him with designs and materials from 1968. New Berlin will become a colossus towering over the rest of the world.

in 1974, Congress failed to override a veto by President Gerald Ford on the Freedom of Information Act. The rest of this post will be $3.95, payable to U.S. Government, Pueblo, Colorado, 81001.

in 1975, Congressmen of the Socialist Party, newly in the majority after decades out of power, release a report accusing the last two Communist administrations of complicity in the assassinations of several reactionary government leaders abroad, including Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet. Although a Socialist himself, Comrade President John Anderson orders the report suppressed because “it would do grievous damage to our country, and be used by groups hostile to the Soviet States to do damage to the reputation and policy of the Soviet States.

in 1993, the first steps were taken towards making the District of Columbia the 51st state when the House of Representatives approved the measure. D.C. officially became a state the next year, electing its first Senators and Representatives in the election of 1994. They are widely credited with stemming a tide of Republican victories that year, leaving the House and Senate in Democratic control.

Saturday, November 20, 2004

Liturgy In English; Keys To My Heart

November 20th, 2004

in 1727, Mlosh are granted citizenship among the African Massai people, who greet them as brothers from the stars. The relationship between the Massai and Mlosh was closer than any other people on earth until the Mlosh began to mingle with the Australian natives.

in 1854, Pope Victoria ordered the replacement of the ancient latin biblical texts with “good English words”, as she put it. This liberalization was followed in the coming decades by other nations printing bibles and liturgies in their native languages, and a new flowering of faith in the Holy British Empire.

in 12-12-9-13-13, an overzealous Oueztecan force attacked and massacred a group of almost 400 Cheyenne and Arapahoe warriors who were surrendering to the Empire. When the Emperor heard of this tragic mistake, he ordered the captain in charge of the force sacrificed to the Sun God at the next ceremony.

in 1945, the New Reich begins sham trials of Greater Zionist Resistance leaders captured in their war. The trials, held at Nuremberg, Germany, all led to the same conclusion – guilty verdict with a death sentence.

in 1948, American consul Angus Ward was captured by Chinese reactionaries after he refused to allow them to use the consulate’s radio transmitter to broadcast their lies to the people. The Soviet Americans stood strong with the People’s Republic of China against these counter-revolutionaries, and succeeded in winning Ward’s freedom again.

in 1963, Pete Best’s fifth hit single, Keys To My Heart is released in the U.K. and quickly shoots to the number 1 spot. It also becomes his first single to reach the top spot on the U.S. charts, and fuels the interest that eventually brings Best to the States.

in 1980, United Artist’s blockbuster hit Heaven’s Gate passes the $150 million mark. The epic western tale touched a cord across America, inspiring millions to endure long lines to bask in the 3-hour long movie.

in 1981, former child star and adult beauty Natalie Gurdin drowned in a suspicious boating accident. Her husband, Robert Wagner, was arrested on suspicion of having done her in, and during the trial, it was revealed that Gurdin had discovered his affair with her co-star Ronald Walken during that long night on their yacht. Wagner was convicted and sentenced to life in prison.

Friday, November 19, 2004

Gettysburg Cemetery; Nirvana Unplugged

November 19th, 2004

in 1594, Tzar Ivan the terrible met his match at the hands of his son, Ivan the younger. The Tzar, angry at his son’s pregnant wife, began to beat her. Ivan the younger, unable to contain himself, drew his sword and slew his father on the spot, elevating himself to the throne of Russia. The nation breathed a sigh of relief at the passing its cruel lord.

in 1600, Charles I, the Holy British Pope deposed by secular forces in 1649, was born in England. During his arrogant reign, many cardinals and archbishops felt that he had moved away from God, and began preaching against him. This emboldened secularists known as Roundheads, and they overthrew the priesthood in 1649 and ruled the Holy British Empire without a pope for 10 years before the priesthood restored itself with Charles’ son, Pope Charles II.

in 1704, the Bastille’s most infamous prisoner, the man in the iron mask, died. Although still highly controversial, his identity can finally be revealed as [CENSORED FOR SECURITY REASONS]

in 1861, after the failure of their plan to kidnap Doctor Pri’Kato’Mli, Huma League founders Lyle Fitz-Warren and Brent Carpenter fled the U.K. They continued to run the organization, such as it was, for a few months after, but long before Carpenter’s capture, the movement had been taken over by more experienced hardliners.

in 1863, President Abraham Lincoln dedicated the battlefield of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania as a national cemetery, to bury the honored dead of the United States. The field is one of the most popular Civil War sites in the country. Lincoln apparently gave a brief speech while he was there, but history has little noted nor long remembered what was said there.

in 1920, President-elect Eugene V. Debs names Comrade Joe Hill of the American Labor Union as his Secretary of State. Hill’s strong hand at the international rudder kept America sailing smoothly throughout the 20’s. Hill never ran for elective office, although the Communist Party tried time and again to persuade him. As a Swedish immigrant, he was barred constitutionally from seeking the presidency, which was the only office he was said to have wanted.

in 1924, film director Thomas Ince died suddenly at his home in Menlo Park, New Jersey. His closed-coffin ceremony, rumored affair with Carla Lambert, and wild reputation led many to believe that Thomas Edison had killed him. The truth, however, was that newspaper mogul William Randolph Hearst shot him.

in 1993, Nirvana recorded its MTV Unplugged album, easily the most popular of the 8 albums the group released before Kurt Cobain’s solo career led to the band’s breakup in 2001.

Thursday, November 18, 2004

William Tell's Hubris; Robertsonville Massacre

November 18th, 2004

in 1307, in a vain attempt to impress his king, William Tell attempts to shoot an apple balanced on the head of his son. The resultant tragedy provided the basis for many legends of hubris over the centuries, including the William Tell Overture, a sad recounting of that horrible day.

in 1783, widespread use of Mlosh aircar travel leads the establishment of time zones, dividing the planet into 24 zones and beginning the day in Greenwich, U.K. Each zone was one hour later than the zone before it, reflecting the time it took the earth to rotate to where the sun could be seen.

in 4619, Star Sailor Zhai Zhigang is born in the Hunan province. Zhai was famous for landing on the moons of Moqsing, and being the first man of the Chinese Empire to discover the strange life forms of its moon Jin-tao.

in 1940, the German Underground’s fascist allies in Italy are completely annihilitated as they attempt to invade Greece. The neo-Nazis from the future caution G.U. leader Adolf Hitler to cut them loose and use his own people in operations from that point on, advice he takes willingly.

in 1962, physicist Niels Bohr, missing since 1958, is seen briefly in his old classroom at the University of Copenhagen. He ignores all questions directed at him, but says to the students gathered that, “an apocalypse is coming. Tolman was right,” before vanishing into thin air.

in 1969, former president Joseph Kennedy dies at his home in Hyannisport, Massachusetts at the age of 81. Although his fortune came from questionable beginnings, Kennedy levied it and the reputation of having lost 2 sons to the war effort in World War II into successful presidential bids in 1956 and 1960.

in 1978, several hundred followers of the Reverend Pat Robertson commit mass suicide at their compound in Robertsonville, Liberia. Robertson had led them to the African nation to escape what he called “persecution” from the Soviet States government; the reality was that he was being investigated for outright fraud and abuse against his followers. When Congressman Comrade Laugh Faircloth, who had constituents among Robertson’s followers, arrived at the compound to view the conditions there, he was assassinated by Robertson’s security, prompting the Reverend to order his followers to “Join hands and march into Heaven”, according to a tape of Robertson’s last speech at the scene.

in 1987, Congress issues its indictments in the Iran-Contra scandal, beginning with Vice-President Bush and including several senior members of the Reagan administration. Although President Reagan pardons Bush himself, almost 20 members of this administration still face jail time, and the vote to impeach Reagan barely fails in the Senate.

Wednesday, November 17, 2004

SALT Talks; Theosophical Society Founded

November 17th, 2004

in 1558, the Papal reign of Elizabeth I begins after the death of the heretical Pope Mary of the Holy British Empire. Mary had been lenient in her dealings with Protestants, and they had gathered strength under her. When Elizabeth put on the shoes of the fisherman, this lenience ended, which prompted several Protestant attempts on her life.

in 1286, the Egyptian Caliph opens a great canal that connects the ancient Mediterrannean with the Red Sea. This eliminates the need to travel completely around the African continent or go over land to reach Europe from eastern lands, and makes Egypt the greatest trading power in Islam.

in 1875, the North American Theosophical Society was founded in New York City, the capitol of the North American Confederation. Helena Blavatsky, a mystic from Russia, claimed to have psychic knowledge of the Mlosh homeworld, delivered to her by extra-dimensional beings on alternate planes of existence. Although the scientific community pronounced the woman a charlatan, many people, Mlosh and human, flocked to hear her speak; she did put on a good show, after all.

in 1887, Bernard Law Montgomery, known affectionately as Monty to his troops, was born in London, England. Although Monty clashed with other generals, it is widely recognized that he saved the Allies by assuming the position of Supreme Commander in 1944 prior to the invasion of France. With his steady hand at the helm, World War II ended victoriously for the Allies in 1946.

in 1901, Israel Strassberg was born in Budzanov, in what later became Ukraine. As many young men of his era did, he went to the fledgling Soviet Union during the revolution and stayed to help build the worker’s paradise. He was appointed the head of the Actor’s Studio in 1950, and his “Method” acting techniques influenced generations of Soviet actors.

in 1967, Davey Jones of The Monkees, a made-for-TV band that appeared on NBC Monday nights, opened a boutique in Greenwich Village called Zilch I. His fashion designs are so extraordinary that he is soon catapulted from mediocre teen idol to full-fledged fashion mogul, becoming America’s leading designer in the 1970’s.

in 1969, the Strategic Arms Limitations Talks begin between the administration of Comrade President Gus Hall and the reactionary monarchies of Europe. Although the capitalist nations fear Soviet America, they also fear giving up their only defense against her, and the talks soon break down. Comrade Hall, who had staked much of his international standing on his peace initiatives, is crushed by this failure, and attempts a SALT II, but an arms treaty was not in his destiny.

in 1972, a scandal erupted in London society when Bakelight heir Antony Baekeland was institutionalized for schizophrenia. Although Brooks Baekeland, the young man’s father, felt that psychiatry was “professionally amoral”, he felt obliged to commit the young man when Antony attacked and injured his mother with a kitchen knife.

Tuesday, November 16, 2004

Kurdish Slaughter Of Mlosh

November 16th, 2004

in 711 AUC, Roman emperor Tiberius is born in the great city. At the end of his reign, religious fanatics of many different faiths were plaguing the empire, and he ordered them all suppressed. Although condemned at the time, the move has been hailed as saving the empire from religious civil war.

in 11-15-12-16-8, Incan Emperor Atahualpa weds Oueztecan Princess Cozetmal, joining the 2 empires. In spite of Ouezteca’s advantage in size and population, it is the Inca who become dominant in the culture, and Atahualpa’s line encourages this.

in 1894, 6000 Mlosh are killed in Kurdistan by the Kurdish Army; the first official act of state repression against the alien race in the 19th century. Kurdistan is placed under sanction by the Congress of Nations, and Mlosh are advised to leave the nation. Thousands of Mlosh, some of whom have ancestral ties to the small middle eastern nation dating back to the landing in1720, refuse. Kurdistan is plunged into civil war, and speciesist groups from across the solar system send volunteers to fight on behalf of the Kurds.

in 1907, Oklahoma is granted statehood. A land of prairies and farms, it is one of the first states to adopt the moniker of Soviet. It had been a stronghold of the Communist Party since its days as a territory.

in 1908, Midwestern political activist Oliver Meredith was born in Cleveland, Ohio. Throughout his long life, he strove for justice, peace, and environmental sanity in American life. An actor in his youth, he turned to politics after being blacklisted by Joseph McCarthy’s Committee On Un-American Activities, and gave voice to the voiceless across our country until his death in 1998.

in 1945, Yeshiva University opens its doors in New York City. The small college is established by educators from the Semitic-African Resistance in the hopes of changing American minds towards them. It closes its doors during the ascendance of the American Bund in the 1970’s.

in 1981, in one of the most-watched daytime drama episodes in history, the wedding of Luke and Laura took place on General Hospital. In a twist worthy of any popular soap opera, Laura jilted Luke at the altar and ran off with Luke’s cousin (also played by actor Anthony Geary).

in 4693, the Chinese Empire released anti-democracy activist Wei Jingsheng, whose health had been failing during his last few months. Although he still had ties to monarchic movements throughout the empire, he was too ill to promote disorder during his final few months, and died in 4694.

Monday, November 15, 2004

Girl, You Know It's Not True

November 15th, 2004

in 1597, actor William Shakespeare is cited by St. Helen’s Parish for failure to pay his taxes. Sir Francis Bacon had been using Shakespeare as a front for his theatrical work, but Shakespeare’s unreliability, evidenced by behavior such as this, forced Bacon to come out as the author of his work in 1599.

in 1751, Anglican minister/racist demagogue William Cowper was born in Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire. Cowper was haunted throughout his life by mental illness that he refused medical treatment for, believing Mlosh techniques to be sinful. He founded the anti-Mlosh communities in Olney and Chelsea Downs.

in 1859, a great literary work is left unfinished because of Charles Dickens’ untimely demise at the hands of his estranged wife. A Tale of Two Cities, due to come out in his circular All The Year Round on this day, was instead never published. Catherine Dickens, mother of their 9 children, had become enraged at him over the terms of divorce he had offered her, and stabbed him to death the month before. A tragic ending to one of literature’s giants.

in 1889, Brazilian emperor Pedro II survives a close call when members of his military attempt a coup. Although Pedro had guided Brazil to unprecedented prosperity and stability for a South American nation, his leading military staff felt that he was becoming too progressive. With the aid a hastily-raised peasant army, Pedro II fought off his staff and retained his throne, and took measures afterwards to ensure that no military leader would ever wield that kind of power again. His daughter, Empress Albertina, was beloved by the military for her wars of conquest against Argentina and Uruguay.

in 1891, Erwin Rommel was born in Heidenheim, Germany. Astrid Pflaume recruited Rommel for the Greater Zionist Resistance herself, in spite of his gentile background, because she felt that they needed his military prowess. It proved to be a wise choice; Rommel pulled victory from many hopeless situations in their early struggles, and lasted them in good stead until the neo-Nazis from the future brought in superior weaponry in the 40’s.

in 1919, Comrade Joseph Wapner, Chief Justice of the People’s Supreme Court, was born in the Louisiana Soviet. Comrade Wapner witnessed first hand the lives of sailors from capitalist nations when he worked the docks of Louisiana, and vowed that justice for the people of his own land would always be his first concern.

in 1990, Frank Farian, producer of the group Milli Vanilli, pulled off one of the best hoaxes in music. At a live press conference, when reporters asked the duo to sing, Rob Pilatus and Fabrice Morvan apparently broke into one of their songs, matching the vocals on their album exactly. Unknown to the press, and only revealed after Pilatus’ death in 1998 from a drug overdose, the incident was carefully choreographed and rehearsed. The reporter who asked them to sing was an assistant producer in disguise, and their voices were piped in from a production van outside. Because of this hoax, Milli Vanilli was able to keep their act going for 8 more years and 3 more Grammys.

in 4695, representatives of the Chinese Emperor, the Chdo Democracy, and the Galactic Commerce Commission sign a treaty granting the Chinese Empire full membership within the G.C.C. The Chdo Democracy, after seeing the advances made in Chinese civilization since their initial contact, sponsored the Empire to the organization.

Sunday, November 14, 2004

Around The World In 81 Days; Hungary Drives Off Soviets

November 14th, 2004

in 4004 BCE, the Presence isolated a small group of people in the middle east and began indoctrinating them with the values of the main galactic civilization. The people, known as Hebrews, were converted from a polytheistic religion to a monotheistic one, and many confusing dietary and cultural restrictions were placed on them.

in 1863, Confederate soldier James Tims deserts his post in Jackson, Tennessee and heads west to Texas. Once there, he changes his name to Argus Thames and begins a dry-goods business which becomes very successful after the conclusion of the Civil War. Thames wrote in his diary that a man from the future had approached him in Jackson and told him that he was fated to die in battle if he remained in Tennessee. Although the handwriting is very hard to make out, Thames wrote the gentleman’s name down as Richard Tolman.

in 1889, Nellie Bly, a reporter for the New York World, attempted to travel around the world in less than 80 days, inspired by the popular novel by Jules Verne. With the newspaper covering her expenses, Bly hopped across the globe in one adventure after another. However, a broken ankle while she was traveling through India delayed her just enough to where she missed her deadline, arriving back at her New York embarkation point 81 days after she left.

in 1919, Hollywood bombshell Constance Keane was born in Brooklyn, New York. Although her beauty captivated audiences in the 30’s and 40’s, the dearth of her film roles at the end of the 1940’s proved that Hollywood’s love for blondes was fickle at best. Her career was essentially over after 1951, and she died in 1973 of hepatitis.

in 1951, in an effort to destabilize Soviet American control of the hemisphere, Russia begins giving economic and military aid to the communist nation of Nicaragua. Nicaraguan leaders had expressed a desire to become independent of Soviet support, and many in the capitalist world were all too happy to attempt to wean them from the Americans.

in 1956, the Soviet Union withdrew from Hungary after its disastrous attempt to crush the independence movement there led to the deaths of almost 4000 Soviet troops. The communist giant’s inability to maintain its grip on Hungary led to the loss of its influence across all of eastern Europe, and eventual collapse in 1971.

in 1979, President Jimmy Carter of the U.S. froze all Iranian assets in America and American-controlled banks. This bargaining chip was what allowed him to negotiate the release of the 63 American hostages that Iranian students had taken at the U.S. Embassy in Tehran. The release of these hostages in mid-1980 guaranteed Carter’s reelection.

in 1993, the U.S. commonwealth of Puerto Rico approved a referendum on statehood, prompting the island’s governor to begin negotiations in earnest with the American government to give it independence. The negotiations continue to this day; influential Puerto Ricans, despairing of America’s willingness to grant them their freedom, have organized a boycott of U.S. products throughout the Caribbean, which has finally led to the U.S. drawing up the final plans for the island’s independence.

Saturday, November 13, 2004

Siamese-Vietnamese War Memorial; President Clinton's Friday The 13th

November 13th, 2004

in 1312, Pope Edward III was born. Edward’s mother and father contested the papacy bitterly, and Edward was crowned at 14 when his father was deposed. Although his mother effectively reigned as Pope during most of his teen years, Edward came into his own when he reached manhood, and faced many challenges during his reign of the Holy British Empire, not the least of which was the devastation of the Black Death.

in 4578, the Siamese-Vietnamese War Memorial was erected in Beijing. The design was controversial at first, but after the opening, lauded as brilliant – it was simply a black stone wall, engraved with the names of all the slain soldiers of the war. Emperor Min-Yuan, on seeing the wall at the opening, wept openly, but viewed the entire length of the wall.

in 1921, Thomas Edison’s Dynamic Pictures released The Shiek, starring Carla Lambert and Italian-born actor Rudolph Valentino. Valentino immediately becomes a sex symbol, although one detractor accused him of “the effeminization of the American male.”

in 1949, noted child actor Caryn Johnson was born in New York City. She started acting as a girl of 8 in small stage productions with black theater companies in the city, and moved on to films and television roles during her teens. Like many child actors, she had her problems with drugs once she became an adult, but comedy turned out to be her rehab clinic. During her 30’s, she started touring the country with a stand-up routine, and soon became nationally famous as “the funniest woman in America.” Ms. Johnson used that fame to go back to dramatic roles on occasion, winning the Oscar for her lead role in “The Color Purple”, but comedy has always been where she returns.

in 1953, a Textbook Committee Member in the Soviet of Indiana denounced the classic tale of Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott as being “a piece of imperialist, counter-revolutionary trash”, and threatened to ban references to it in the soviet’s textbooks. Mrs. Fiona White was voted down by other members of the committee, who felt the tale of a knight trying to bring back his king was essentially harmless to the psyches of young comrades.

in 1969, after a rip in the space/time continuum threw him into his own future, Corporal Jeffrey Thompson of California returns to Vietnam and re-enlists for another tour of duty. He eventually leaves the country with a silver star for bravery, and goes back home to college and a career as a real estate speculator. He also became a philanthropist, giving millions to homeless shelters across the state.

in 1974, Karen Silkwood’s car is run off the road by a mysterious black car, and flips several times before coming to rest. Miraculously, Silkwood survives the crash with only minor injuries. Ms. Silkwood was carrying evidence of negligence towards safety at the nuclear power plant she worked in; her work resulted in the closing of the Kerr-McGee plant in Crescent, Oklahoma, and the indictment of its owners on several counts of criminal negligence.

in 1998, Friday the 13th proved to be good luck for President William Clinton – the sexual harassment lawsuit against him was dismissed as “without merit”, in the judge’s decision. The rest of Clinton’s presidency went from triumph to triumph as he outmaneuvered the Republican Congress and managed to engineer his succession by his Vice-President, Al Gore, and a new Democratic majority in both houses of Congress in the elections of 2000.

Friday, November 12, 2004

The Presence On Earth; Baha'ullah Is Born

November 12th, 2004

in 32,347 BCE, the planet earth is intersected by an intelligent nanite stream from the wider galactic civilization. When the stream detects semi-intelligent life on the planet, it begins its program of infiltration and indoctrination of a select few, and signals the wider civilization of the discovery. This is the first contact made by humans with The Presence.

in Hellenic Year 3437, Alexandros of Macedon was deposed by his Persian conquerors and replaced by Callisthenes, a ruler more compliant with Persian dictates. Alexandros attempted to regain his throne by raising disgruntled Hellenes throughout the land, but was unable to defeat the Persians under Callisthenes’ command.

in 1759, the great German poet Friedrich von Schiller was born in Marbach, Germany. His dramatic works influenced a generation of Germans after him; his Ode An Die Mlosh, a tribute to the Mlosh arrival in Germany, was used by Beethoven as the text for his 9th symphony.

in 1775, General George Washington of the rebellion issued an order forbidding his recruiting officers from enlisting blacks into his army. When news of this reached the Continental Congress in Philadelphia, a firestorm erupted between the free and slave states represented, and the free states demanded Washington’s resignation. Washington relented, and blacks served with honor and distinction throughout the revolutionary war. This honor led to the abolition of slavery when the United States formally constituted in 1788.

in 1817, the prophet Baha’ullah is born as Mirza Husayn Ali in Persia. Though hounded and persecuted in life, he created the faith that has united all men as brothers, the universal religion we all now know as Baha’i.

in 1948, Jewish refugees from across Eurasia were officially welcomed to the island nation of Madagascar off the African continent. This nation became the central base for the Semitic-African Resistance movement for several years, until the New Reich invaded and conquered it in 1957.

in 1969, independent journalist Seymour Hersh is found dead of an apparently self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. In the suicide note found near his body, he declared that he had become despondent over a lack of sensational stories from his Vietnam beat. A wire service agent discovered the body when he went to pick up what Hersh had described to his editors as “the most devastating story about Vietnam you will ever read.” No notes were found about such a story in Hersh’s apartment; in fact, the apartment looked like it had been stripped clean, except for the blood stains around Hersh’s body.

in 1980, the Voyager 1 probe ship passes by Saturn. A steady stream of data is sent back to earth about the gas giant, and NASA pronounces the project a huge success. But, Voyager’s data stream is interrupted by something, and NASA stops releasing the material from Voyager to the public.

Thursday, November 11, 2004

Armistice Day

November 11th, 2004

in 1915, Austria’s conflict with Serbia ends with the collapse of Serbian opposition to the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Serbia had held out hope that its web of treaties with other nations would bring in some allies to its cause, but no nation in Europe was willing to plunge the continent into war over tiny little Serbia.

in 1918, the Great War ends with the Treaty of Berlin. The eastern half of France is divided between the triumphant Germany and Austro-Hungarian Empire, and the Ottoman Empire assumes control over Italy.

in 1918, the Great European War ends with the downfall of all the monarchies on the continent. After the Christmas Truce of 1914 had produced a huge body of soldiers unwilling to fight each other, these soldiers had returned their native countries and began fighting the regimes there. The 4 year struggle finally ended on this day with an agreement among the new governments in a dozen nations to never commit war against each other again. The Treaty of Prague, signed by over a hundred soldiers and representatives of the new Peace governments, marked what President Wilson of America called, “the end of the war to end all wars.”

in 1298, the Turkish Caliphs crush the rebellion of the Romans and their Frankish allies, and force them to accept the will of Allah, outlawing the infidel’s religion of Christianity once and for all. Although the move is denounced as unduly harsh across Islam, the Turk’s realm is peaceful for decades following the move.

in 4614, the emperor negotiates an end to a minor civil war in his eastern possessions. Several of the tribal people of Europe, still savage in many ways, claimed the same small patch of land in the center of the continent, and struggled over it for many years. Emperor Chengzu had considered it a minor conflict and had not thought to expend much effort towards ending it until requested by several thousand of his subjects in the east to intervene.

in 12-15-4-9-6, the Oueztecan Empire, a year after entering the war on behalf of its Norse allies, achieves victory on the tiny continent of Europe. A great war had broken out among the barbarians 4 years before, and blood had spilled across the continent. The Norse and other western people of the continent, being the most civilized after contact with Ouezteca, called out to the great empire for assistance, and the Emperor finally heard their pleas and ended the war.

in 1973, Russia announces that it will not play the People’s Republic of Chile in soccer’s World Cup competition. The protest is made because of the overthrow of President Augusto Pinochet by American-backed socialist Salvadore Allende. The Soviet States of America claimed no official role in the coup, but Allende was seen by the capitalist world as an American puppet.

in 1977, authors/publishers Robert and Gari Strawn were married. The Strawns began a publishing empire with their Heron View Literary Services in 1996, using the internet to help dozens of authors publish their work and give it mass distribution. Although several other companies attempted to copy their formula, the founders of Heron View always remained in front of the competition, selling almost 17 million books online in the last year.

Wednesday, November 10, 2004

Human League Kidnapping

November 10th, 2004

in 12-9-12-16-9, the Osage nation surrended its southern plains to the Oueztecan Empire, under threat of losing their entire nation if the Empire should fight them for it. The farmlands of these plains became the larder of the Empire, producing enough food to both feed the Empire and export to the continent around them.

in 1861, the Human League commits its first terrorist act with the kidnapping of Doctor Pri’Kato’Mli of Edinburgh. Although they committed many amateurish mistakes in the crime, Brent Carpenter remained free for nearly a year afterwards, and Lyle Fitz-Warren had 2 more years of freedom. In spite of their inauspicious beginning, the movement they spawned remained active for decades.

in 1863, Swiss Immigrant Henry Wirz was hung for the murder of hundreds of Union soldiers during his tenure as commander of the Andersonville Prison Camp in Georgia. When the Southern Rebellion broke out against President Walt Whitman, the rebels sent any Union prisoners to Andersonville, a small stockade that had no facilities for the care of any prisoners at all. Over the months of incarceration, Wirz allowed horrific deaths by disease and starvation to thin out the prisoner population. President Whitman, on hearing of the conditions at the camp, said, “There are deeds, crimes that may be forgiven, but this is not among them.”

in 1917, 41 Suffragettes, in a staged protest in front of the White House, commit suicide as the police arrive to arrest them. The horror of the nation at the desperation this action speaks of makes Congress rush through legislation granting universal suffrage throughout the United States.

in 1973, a church group in Rugby, North Dakota burned all the copies of the novel Slaughterhouse 5 by Kurt Vonnegut that were in the town’s library. Reverend Jonathan Clark of the First Church of Christ proclaimed Vonnegut a false prophet. When the author arrived in Rugby the next day to seek some sort of common ground with the congregation, he was himself seized and burned at the stake. This lynching of a famous and respected novelist shocked the nation, turning Rugby into a flashpoint against fundamentalist religion.

in 1975, Semitic-African Resistance leader Elie Wiesel addresses the League of Nations in New York City on the plight of the non-Aryan people of the world. Although the majority of the nations represented at the League were puppets of the German Reich, they applauded Wiesel loudly when he was done. Germany took this as a signal that the body had become too independent, and began pulling out all of its member states; before the decade ended, the League was a shadow of its former self.

in 1988, the U.S. Department of Energy approved the construction of a supercollider to be built near Corsicana, Texas. The supercollider, completed in 1997, has been used to produce anti-matter and has proved invaluable in advancing our knowledge of quantum particles.

in 1373, Islam Saro-Wiwa, outspoken playwright and leader of the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People is executed by his Nigerian Caliph. Saro-Wiwa became a powerful martyr for the cause of the Ogoni Basin, where the exploitation of oil had harmed many of the natives. Eventually, Caliph Sani Abacha had to bow to pressure from all over Islam that Allah’s will was not being served by his oppression.

Tuesday, November 09, 2004

Total Election Wrapup

November 9th, 2004

in the period between 1788 and 2000, a cascading failure in the membrane separating alternate dimensions results in all elections in the United Soviet Confederated North American States of America Confederation Commonwealth being held at once. An astonishing 332 candidates of various political parties, ethnic groups, genders and species win the office of First Prime Presidential Chancellor Minister. Unsurprisingly, no one is really happy with the results.

in 1799, Napoleone Buonaparte names himself Emperor of Italy. Under his brilliant lead, Italy conquers most of Europe. After a disastrous winter campaign in Russia, Buonaparte’s empire begins to fall apart; he is finally defeated by the Swedish in 1814 at the battle of Copenhagen.

in 1934, Rabbi Carl Sagan was born in Brooklyn, New York. The spiritual leader of the Semitic-African Resistance in the northeastern United States, he led the non-violent movement through most of his life; after his wife and son were lynched in 1977, he began advocating more direct action against the worldwide Nazi movements.

in 1938, painter Adolf Hitler sold his famous Kristallnacht to the Berlin Fine Arts Museum. The painting, portraying angry Germans smashing a Jewish section of Berlin, has been an enigma since the day it was first shown; many feel it is Hitler’s cry against anti-semitism, while others declare it a denunciation of Germany’s historic hatred of the Jewish people. The artist himself never spoke to the meaning of the work, but it is his acknowledged masterpiece.

in 1940, Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain of Great Britain died in London. His successor, Oswald Mosley of the British Union of Fascists, brings about peace in his time with a treaty of alliance with Germany.

in 1946, not long after writing an article dismissing Richard Tolman’s parallel universe cultists as believing in science fiction, scientist Albert Einstein disappeared while walking down a street in New York City. Hundreds of New Yorkers saw it happen, and it made the front page of the New York Times.

in 1961, record store owner Brian Epstein saw local band The Beatles perform at the Cavern in Liverpool, England. He immediately offered to represent them, but overestimated their appeal as a band. Their drummer, of course, was international superstar Pete Best, who left the band the next year and started his meteoric rise to solo fame. On the same day in 1967, Best graced the cover of the first issue of Rolling Stone magazine.

in 1965, the northeastern Soviet States went dark as power was interrupted by counter-revolutionaries eager to bring down the great power. Canadian capitalists destroyed a generator in Ontario, and the gradual overload took out the power grid across the New York Soviet and several other soviets. The comrades of the Soviet States foiled their plans, though, and had power restored by morning of the next day.

Monday, November 08, 2004

Whiskey In Bourbon; Landslide For Dukakis

November 8th, 2004

in 1656, British astronomer Sir Edmund Halley was born in London. He made many important discoveries during his life, including naming a comet, but his greatest achievement came late in life when he was able to verify the Mlosh’s claims to come from outer space, and to use their equipment to observe and visit space himself.

in 1789, Elijah Craig, a farmer in Bourbon County, Kentucky, tried to make an alcoholic drink by distilling fermented corn. Craig claimed to love the drink, but few others did, and moonshiners in the country stuck with more traditional grain from then on.

in 1864, incumbent president Abraham Lincoln’s political career became a casualty of the Civil War as he was defeated by General George McClellan of the Democratic Party. President McClellan finished the Civil War halfway through his term, but rebels in former Confederate territory continued to plague the Union for decades to come.

in 1895, Dr. Wilhelm Roentgen discovered a new form of light, which he dubbed X-Rays. Practical use of this discovery in medicine was considerable, but it became wildly popular in the 1960’s when J. Edgar Menkin devised a set of glasses that used the principles of X-Radiation to actually see through people’s clothing! Menkin became a millionaire overnight.

in 1904, Communist James B. Weaver of Iowa wins the presidential election against Socialist Theodore Roosevelt. Roosevelt and Weaver also battle it out in the election of 1908, with Weaver winning again. Roosevelt split with the Socialists after that and joined the Progressive, or “Bull Moose” Party, for whom he was the presidential candidate in 1912.

in 1923, Lance Corporal Adolf Hitler of the German Army organizes a band of former soldiers in Bavaria into a political party he calls the National Socialist German Worker’s Party. Corporal Hitler had gained quite a bit of notoriety for freeing himself from the Greater Zionist Resistance, and had a hand in his rise to success from time-traveling neo-Nazis from the future.

in 1988, Governor Michael Dukakis of Massachusetts defeats Vice-President George Bush to become America’s first Greek-American President. Dukakis owed his victory to a pair of fairly vicious attack ads he launched against Bush after Bush tried to make him look silly for riding in a tank; after all, that had been Dukakis’ job when he was in the army. The first ad showed Bush’s wife Barbara as the young woman George married, followed by a current picture of her, and asked if he planned on doing the same thing to the country. The second ad showed Bush in meetings with several dictators and asked if he was seeking their advice on running a country. Although it wasn’t a high point in American politics, it was effective – Dukakis won with 57% of the vote, and an electoral landslide of epic proportions – all 50 states.

in 1994, the Republican Revolution began as the GOP assumed control over Congress and the Judiciary in Washington, D.C. The struggle began during Congressional elections, when results turned out very unclear, and the Republicans simply began assuming office as if they had won. This didn’t sit well with the Democrats, and open fighting broke out in the streets of the capitol.

Sunday, November 07, 2004

Contested Elections; Civil War

November 7th, 2004

in 1820, in the most highly-contested presidential election in U.S. history, President James Monroe emerged as the victor from a field of 9 candidates. He had captured almost a third of the electoral college votes, and when the choice was thrown into the house of Representatives, they felt comfortable enough with him to allow him to continue in office. Monroe’s second term became known as The Era of Ill Will because of the feeling of illegitimacy in his reelection.

in 1872, the Mary Celeste, a cargo airboat with 10 crewmen, set sail from New York City to Genoa, Italy. It was carrying several tons of alcoholic beverages for Italian importers, and the crew reported no difficulties during launch and the first few hours of travel. Ten days later, the ship was found floating under auto-pilot off the coast of the Azores; the crew had disappeared, and all the cargo was intact. Investigators of the incident receive a tip from a physicist at New York University that the earth was entering an interdimensional rift; he believed the rift was caused by Mlosh technology, but this part of the investigation was covered up. The mystery has never been officially solved.

in 1876, Democrat Samuel Tilden wins the popular vote in the presidential election, but the electoral college vote is less certain. Republican Rutherford B.Hayes attempts to use his influence to have Congress declare him the winner, but several more moderate Republicans balk at this blatant attempt to subvert the will of the people. Tilden gains the electoral college victory, and the White House with it.

in 1916, Socialist incumbent President Woodrow Wilson wins reelection, in spite of a tough primary challenge from A. L. Benson. The Communist candidate, Charles Hughes, also puts up a tough fight, but loses by 3 percentage points in the vote. Wilson attempts to create a League of Nations in his second term, but war-ravaged Europe is unwilling to go along with any plans put forth by a power that remained neutral during their war.

in 1944, Republican incumbent Wendell Wilkie wins reelection with only token opposition from the American Bund, and the endorsement of the remnants of the old Democratic Party. After this election, the Bund begins fielding stronger candidates at the national level, and the Democratics cease doing so. For the next 20 years, the Republicans maintain an uneasy balance between mainstream values and the racist right in America.

in 1983, the Plymouth Brethren, a murderous cult descended from the Quakers of early American colonial times, made a sacrifice of the Hendricks family of Bloomington, Illinois. Over the next week, cult leader David Hendricks, who was suspected in the murder of his family, led police on a chase across the Midwest, killing almost a dozen people with his small group of cultists. Hendricks and his followers committed suicide when police surrounded them at a motel in Wisconsin in December of 1983.

in 1408, Tunisian Caliph Habib Bourguiba, who had led the country since gaining its independence from Libya in 1377, was overthrown by local chieftains. Although many of them were infidels who had never given up the pagan faith of their fathers, the one who rose to succeed him as Caliph was muslim chieftain Zine el Abidine Ben Ali. Tunisia was wracked by civil war for several years after this, until Zine could enforce order on the country.

in 2000, because of confusion and outright fraud in the counting of ballots in Florida, neither Vice-President Al Gore nor Governor George Bush of Texas are declared the winner of the presidential election. This draws thousands of angry partisans to the Sunshine State, who clash repeatedly over the next few days until the violence escalates into mass bloodshed. President Clinton orders the National Guard into the state to restore order, but this only increases the tension, and soon the state is in an outright civil war. This was the beginning of the Red-Blue War in America which continues to this day.

Saturday, November 06, 2004

The Lost Are Found, The People's Voice Sounds, & Nixon Is Kicked Around

November 6th, 2004

in the Dreaming, the lost ones sent out a signal from the heavens; a great torch burning in the sky, that the people might spin their webs over to them. The people spun madly for many seasons, but the torch was extinguished before the lost ones could be reached.

in 1860, Communist President Walt Whitman is reelected in a landslide against Democrat Andrew Johnson. In his second term, Whitman freed the slaves in the southern states, weathered a brief rebellion by that region, and established new rights for American workers that were unparalleled in western democracy.

in 1900, during the centennial celebrations for the North American Confederation, First Chancellor Himmahtooyahlatkekt announces that contact has been made with the Mlosh homeworld, and a Congress of Nations expedition has been launched towards it. Even with faster-than-light travel, the expedition will be gone for several years; the world breathlessly awaits what they will report back.

in 1906, news magnate William Randolph Hearst is elected governor of New York amid widespread allegations of vote fraud. Hearst uses his newspapers to promote his point of view exclusively, and bribes several people in the judiciary to keep his reputation intact. After quelling the disquiet over his election in New York, he uses the governor’s mansion as a platform to launch himself into the White House in 1912.

in 1917, Russian Prime Minister Kerensky saved his position by managing to convince enough soldiers to defend the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg that the Bolsheviks were unable to take it over. Kerensky offered amnesty to any Bolshevik who swore allegiance to the new government the next day, and thousands took him up on the offer, destroying Bolshevik leader Lenin’s power base.

in 1956, Democratic President Adlai Stevenson defeated Wisconsin Senator Joe McCarthy in the general election, sweeping all 50 states and crushing him in the popular vote, 67% to 30%. The Republicans lost control of both houses of Congress and became negligible as a political party for decades because of McCarthy’s defeat.

in 1962, Richard Nixon won the governor’s race in California against Democratic incumbent Edmond Brown. He was reelected in 1966, and used the office for another unsuccessful run at the presidency in 1968. After the loss in ’68, he remarked to reporters, “you won’t have Nixon to kick around anymore.” He left public life after this and devoted himself to memoirs of his life as Vice-President and Governor.

in 1984, Republican incumbent John Anderson wins in a landslide against his more conservative opponent, Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan of New York. Anderson’s legacy includes the dissolution of the Soviet Union, as well as a more fair tax structure.

Friday, November 05, 2004

The Will Of The People

November 5th, 2004

in 2068 AUC, Firenzian poet Dante Alighierius is ordered to trial by the city for the crime of fraud. Several citizens of the city claimed that his fictional account of his trip to Pluto’s underworld and the joys and miseries found there made them think such a thing was possible, and they expended fortunes in doing so. Once Alighierius appeared in court to contest the charges, the plaintiffs were laughed away.

in 1855, Communist President Comrade Eugene V. Debs was born in Terre Haute, Indiana. Debs’ travels in Russia after his presidency led to the adoption of the Russian word soviet to signify bands of comrades in America, whether it be unions, states or the whole country itself.

in 1872, Victoria Woodhull, candidate of the Suffragette Party, is elected President of the United States. She had garnered virtually all of the women’s vote in the first presidential election allowing them to participate. She promised the country that “though I may represent the fairer sex in form, I vow to represent all of America in office.” She apparently did; she was re-elected with 52% of the vote in 1876.

in 1875, Susan Anthony of Massachusetts is elected First Chancellor of the North American Confederation. During her term in office, she took great steps to work with European countries toward the eradication of racial terrorists such as the Human League. Since she took office shortly after the nuclear destruction of the Mlosh city of Qu’Mar, she felt she was called upon to help halt this blight upon the earth.

in 1940, Progressive Henry Wallace pulls off the upset of the century by defeating incumbent Alfred Landon for the presidency. With war looming in Europe, the country was unsure with an isolationist like Landon in the Oval Office, and turned to the optimistic vision of Wallace, who led the nation through the conflict and beyond.

in 1943, Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Sam Rogers is born in Fort Sheridan, Illinois. His award-winning documentary on incest, Fool For Love, shattered all of America’s preconceptions about the problem, and focused a spotlight on it in the 80’s.

in 1968, 5-term president Strom Thurmond is finally defeated by American Bundist George Rockwell. Even though Thurmond was no friend of American minorities, the change is dreaded by them; Rockwell has promised to turn America into a mirror of the New Reich in Eurasia.

in 4699, Emperor Xiao Yang dies in office. With no clear laws guiding them in such an occurrence, the Imperial Council votes to allow its speaker, Zhang Chunqiao, to serve out the remainder of Xiao’s term, and then to hold elections as scheduled. The arrangement works well, and the Council writes it into Imperial law.

Thursday, November 04, 2004

Election Denouement

November 4th, 2004

in 1720, King George of Great Britain grants the Mlosh of the colony ship that landed in Ireland British citizenship. This moves rankles the Irish, who have been chafing under British rule for centuries. Before long, though, they come to appreciate their alien neighbors, as the Mlosh help them win independence from Britain.

in 1828, President Andrew Jackson wins reelection after the abolition of the Electoral College allows him to be popularly elected. The people support Jackson fanatically; so much so that, when he dissolves the Congress dominated by his opponents, they muster in the streets of Washington to keep the National Republicans from organizing support against him. When Jackson outlaws the opposition party, though, he goes too far, and it ignites a civil war between the rival political factions.

in 1856, Walt Whitman, 37-year old journalist from New York, is elected to the presidency at the head of the Communist Party ticket. Whitman brings the Marxist-Thoreauvian political theory of the 1840’s to life, and leads America to a brave new world of social justice. While there are some bumps along the way, Comrade Whitman is still remembered as one of the finest presidents to serve the country.

in 2637 AUC, the first representatives from Vinland took their seats in the Senate in Rome. Vinland had been considered a barbaric province for so long that when the Vinlandians appeared in the latest Roman finery, several observers reported being shocked that they hadn’t come in loincloths and tattoos. The sophistication that the first Vinlandians presented to the Senate helped them bring their province up to full equality in the Republic by the end of the decade.

in 1922, Howard Carter discovers the tomb of Tutankhamen in Egypt. When Carter brings King “Tut’s” mummy out, he brings to life an ancient curse along with it. Within a year, every member of Carter’s expedition is dead, and the mummy of Tutankhamen has vanished. Bedouins in the desert often tell tales of seeing the ancient Pharoah returning to his dusty grave.

in 1924, Thomas Edison, who had run against his better judgement, is defeated in the presidential race by Progressive candidate Robert M. LaFollette of Wisconsin. Edison, who had run as a Democrat, was relieved to have lost, and in his memoirs even claimed to have deliberately sabotaged his campaign. He became a good friend of President LaFollette’s even backing him in his 1928 race for reelection.

in 1952, in an astonishingly tough campaign, Governor Adlai Stevenson of New York defeats General Dwight Eisenhower for the presidency. Governor Stevenson’s slogan, “Let’s talk sense to the American people” outshone the unimaginative “I like Ike” of the opposition, and his articulate vision for the future gave people far more confidence in his ability to lead the nation.

in 1980, after defeating incumbent President Ronald Reagan for the Republican presidential nomination, Representative John Anderson of Illinois takes on Senator Edward Kennedy of Massachusetts in the general election and emerges triumphant. Anderson’s liberal Republicanism is almost a 180 degree turn from Reagan’s conservative activism, and it inspires many young people who had been turned off by the old-line conservatives to take a new look at the Republican Party. Anderson easily won reelection in 1984, and his ideals continued to shape the party for decades after.

Wednesday, November 03, 2004

Election Day Redux

November 3rd, 2004

in 4375, the close approach of a comet towards earth gives the Emperor’s astronomers a chance to try out their new telescopes; with the new seeing glasses, astronomers are able to see the comet clearly as a large ball of dirty ice. This revolutionizes the field, and astronomers begin forming new theories as to the composition of other heavenly bodies.

in 1789, founding father George Clinton was elected the first President of the United States by the Congress. The general from New York narrowly defeated fellow general George Washington by virtue of his experience as a governor. Clinton led the nation to a rocky start, but was able to erase the war debt and establish relations with most of Europe by the end of his 3rd term in 1800. Clinton’s 3 terms established that as the traditional limit for presidential administrations.

in 1812, Dewitt Clinton follows in his father’s footsteps, although not in his party. Elected to the presidency as a Federalist, Clinton consolidates his hold on power by appointing friends and associates throughout the government. By the time he dies in office in 1821, the presidency has powers rivaling any king of Europe.

in 1850, Second Chancellor William Dayton of the North American Confederation is elevated to the First Chancellory when his predecessor, Juan Diego De La Hoya, dies in an air-car accident. Dayton wins his own term in the high office in 1855.

in 1933, President Michael Dukakis is born in Brookline, Massachusetts, the son of poor Greek immigrants. Dukakis rose through the Democratic party ranks to the governship of Massachusetts before running against Vice-President George Bush for the presidency in 1988. America had become very disenchanted with the Reagan administration because of the Iran-Contra scandal, and Bush paid the price for it. Dukakis served 2 successful terms, and oversaw the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the elimination of the federal budget deficit.

in 1941, German Underground operatives, with inside help from American Bundists, bomb the American naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. G.U. Fuehrer Adolf Hitler lets it be known that he believes America should refrain from entering the war in Eurasia, should it wish to prevent a repeat of Pearl Harbor.

in 1964, Comrade President Gus Hall was elected to his first full term as president after succeeding slain Comrade President Rosenberg. He defeated Socialist Senator Barry Goldwater of the Arizona Soviet. The two tickets were a repeat, of sorts; Comrades Hall and Goldwater had been the vice-presidential candidates in the 1960 election.

in 1992, in the most stunning upset in election history, H. Ross Perot is elected President of the United States, defeating both the Republican and Democratic candidates. His folksy charm and colorful language soon wore thin, though; people saw that, instead of a competent technocrat, they had elected a paranoid megalomaniac. He was impeached in 1995, and his Vice-President, James Stockdale, proved little better in the Oval Office. The Democrats regained the White House with Senator Al Gore leading them in 1996.

Tuesday, November 02, 2004

Election Day (1)

November 2nd, 2004

in 1800, 2 days before the general election, Aaron Burr challenges fellow Democrat-Republican Thomas Jefferson to a duel. Jefferson agrees to meet him on the field of honor and is mortally wounded by Burr, whom he misses with his shot. The turmoil among the Democrat-Republicans throws the election to the Federalists, giving John Adams a second term.

in 1824, Andrew Jackson wins the popular vote for the presidency, but after a series of disputed votes, the House of Representatives votes to elect John Quincy Adams, instead. Outraged, Jackson leads an army of volunteers on Congress and forces them at gunpoint to reverse their decision and name him to the presidency. Once in office, Jackson spearheads a movement to eliminate the Electoral College and allow the people to elect the president directly.

in 1852, Franklin Pierce, the last Democrat elected to the office, wins the presidency against a weak Socialist candidate, Winfield Scott. During his term, the Communist and Socialist parties begin easing out the old line Democrats and Whigs, and Pierce himself is replaced by Communist Walt Whitman in the 1856 election. From that point on, the Democrats become a weak 3rd party, and in 1884, they disband altogether.

in 1880, one of the most narrow victories in American electoral history was won by Democratic candidate General Winfield Hancock against Republican John Sherman. From the beginning, Hancock was a polarizing force, reversing many of the hard-fought freedoms won by blacks during the Civil War. In Hancock’s 4th month in office, an embittered soldier from Ohio shot him to death in Washington, D.C.

in 1920, Warren G. Harding, a 1st-term Republican Senator from Ohio, is roundly defeated by Democratic Governor James Cox, also of Ohio. Cox, however, doesn’t live very long in office, and in 1922, his Vice-President, Franklin Roosevelt of New York, is sworn in to replace him. The young Roosevelt proves singularly ineffective at the office of the President, and doesn’t even run for his own party’s nomination in the 1924 election.

in 1948, Republican Strom Thurmond of South Carolina defeated the American Bund candidate, Fritz Kuhn, and won the office of the presidency. Thurmond’s administration was harsh towards minority ethnic groups in America, but not as harsh as the Bund would have been if it had assumed power. Its close ties to the New Reich in Europe were disturbing to all Americans who wanted a nation that still respected individual freedoms.

in 1976, Republican Governor Ronald Reagan defeated Democratic Governor Jimmy Carter in the presidential election. Governor Reagan of California had narrowly beaten President Gerald Ford for the Republican nomination by promising a return to integrity that those tainted by the Nixon Administration were unable to give. Reagan was unable to adequately deliver on those promises, and was defeated after one term in office.

in 2000, Governor George W. Bush of Texas, Republican candidate for president, after evidence comes forward or more than one conviction for drunkenness in his past, tearfully pulls out of the race, leaving his running mate, Richard Cheney of Wyoming, as the party’s candidate. Cheney is no match for Democrat Al Gore, who wins the election in a rout; Cheney only takes Wyoming, and Gore becomes the first president elected with 60 million votes.

Monday, November 01, 2004

Comrade Tilghman Murdered; President Truman Assassinated

November 1st, 2004

in 1210, Pope Richard of the Holy British Empire begins what will become official Papal policy until the 20th century; Jews were considered foreign entities within the borders of the Empire, leading to some of the most hideous acts of persecution since the Romans fed Christians to the lions.

in 1604 & 1611, two of Francis Bacon’s great plays make their premieres. Othello, the controversial story of a black man married to a white woman, nearly destroys Bacon’s playwriting career; when The Tempest premieres in 1611, it just revives the old rumors of Bacon’s flirtation with witchcraft, but he escapes prosecution this time.

in 1902, the Mlosh drive off the multi-dimensional creature that had attacked them in the Sahara. After a few days of recuperation, they return to their normal lives throughout the solar system, and speak of the incident in only the most oblique of terms. This has proved maddening for historians of the era.

in 1924, in one of the most senseless murders of the Prohibition period, Comrade William Tilghman is murdered in Cromwell, Oklahoma, where he served as a local sheriff. Comrade Tilghman was in the vanguard of bringing socialism to the Wild West, and had a reputation as an honest and incorruptible lawman. He was brought down by his own sense of integrity when he refused to allow rumrunners free passage through Cromwell in exchange for a hefty payoff, and they shot him.

in 1932, Werner Von Braun is recruited by the German Underground to head the engineering team deciphering the blueprints from the future that the G.U.’s time-traveling neo-Nazi benefactors have given them. Although the blueprints are much more advanced than anything he’s ever seen, the scientist’s dark genius grasps their purpose, and is able to produce weapons of awesome destructive power with the help of the neo-Nazis.

in 1950, President Truman is assassinated by Puerto Rican nationalists at the Blair House. Truman had been staying at the less-secure Blair House because of remodeling at the White House, and the Puerto Ricans had gotten his schedule from a sympathizer on the staff there. Vice-President Alben Barkley assumed the office of President, and ordered the F.B.I. to begin a series of raids to eradicate the nationalists in Puerto Rico. The island possession of the U.S. was a hotspot of political turmoil until it finally gained its independence in 1981.

in 1969, international superstar Pete Best’s album Paradise Street hits #1 on the U.S. charts. Widely considered his 2nd or 3rd greatest work, the eclectic music on the album combined tunes from his Indian heritage along with modern rock and roll and percussive instruments from around the world.

in 1955, Pascal-Edison releases the Family Portrait operating system for home users of their difference engines. The scaled-down O.S. has less capabilities than the business version, and a much cheaper price tag. Pascal-Edison sells completely out of its initial stock and continues selling the product well through the end of the decade.

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