Memnison Journal

Many countries have come into being and changed their public names since they became a separate nation.  For this one, I’ll give you the old colonial name, and you tell me the modern name.  Note that some of the places I’m giving you were eaten up by a larger local state and don’t exist as [...]

When Stalin looks good to the Russians and Emperor Bokassa looks good to the Central African Republic, you know things are bad….now, I’m waiting for a musical about Robert Mugabe with singing, dancing terrorists swinging around AK-47s.  Madame Mao’s dead, so they’ll need to hustle up a new choreographer for that one.

W. Mark Felt obituary in the Washington Post.
“As Deep Throat, Felt helped establish the principle that our highest government officials are subject to the Constitution and the laws of the land,” the prosecutor, John W. Nields, wrote in The Washington Post in 2005. “Yet when it came to the Weather Underground bag jobs, he seems [...]

HBO production and presently running on that network.  My take on it is that it’s a once-funny;  I have a hard time watching gangster movies because I really don’t get off on people beating and killing each other, especially if the people involved doing the beating are serious scum.   This is SOPRANOS GO BAGHDAD; [...]

Zimbabwe is a complex subject, and the complexities have gotten a whole lot rougher on the inhabitants as time passes by.   Europeans under Cecil Rhodes marched in in the ned of the 1800s and took control of the land from the local chiefs, and passed out all sorts of claims to white settlers, who set [...]

Somewhat butchered in information (the origins of the Rittenhousii are different pre-Revolutionary War from what’s said here), but the material after the cut is from a book entitled A Standard History of Ross County, Ohio, dated 1917, and lists out my great-grandfather (Cephus), grandfather (Arthur) and father (Curtis Rittenhouse). (see page 724) At the time this [...]

If anyone around has a good background history on Carthage, suggest away.  I’m looking for something NOT a rehash of the Rome-Punic Wars, but information on Carthage and how it worked at its height.  Thanks!

Probably of utterly no interest to most of you, but there’s been a recent series in Daytonology on the development of the east side of Dayton, which is my home town.  I spent - well, from 3rd grade till I graduated from college on that side of town, and it’s the Olde Home for me, [...]

Uncompleted effort by the sculptor of Mount Rushmore to make a great chamber for the ages about the history of the United States of America.

http://memnison.com/historical-vignettes.html
Being updated whenever Bill does another one of these.  They’re wonderful!

A sitting member of the house was a Democratic Congressman for five years *before* they changed their registration from Republican with the local Board of Elections.  Who is this person?
Name the last President that absolutely refused to use a telephone while in office.
Name the President that served in the Senate before and after his [...]

Query: Your favorite historical novel, and why?
If I had to pick a series, I’d say it would be Colleen McCullough’s “Masters of Rome” series.  Fantastically well-researched, and a great read.  Just picked up on remainder the last book - on Antony and Cleopatra.

Being a student of American History and Political Science, I’ve noticed something since - oh, 1930.  When some Republicans, the more wingnut sorts, are behind the eight-ball and trying to stir things up, they call the Democrats commies, socialists or commie sympathizers.  And traitors to the realm.
Go back and check out the commentary about FDR, [...]

When was the last time the Republicans won the White House without a candidate named Bush or Nixon on the ticket?  (nod to LJ: gridlore)

An alternate history idea I’d had for a long time just went down the sewer.
Porter Alexander, Lee’s artillery chief at the end of the war, was at the final council at Appomattox when Lee discussed what to do next with his officers.   Alexander described the situation in his memoirs in detail; he suggested that Lee [...]