Caricature Map of the Great War

grandmap Caricature Map of the Great WarClick for Full Version

This artistic and wonderful map of Europe in 1914 showing the countries of the Great War is a masterpiece.

Visit the creator's website for more and the ability to order prints if you like.

The Clanker Powers:

Germany is a massive military machine with weapons aimed outwards to all surrounding countries. It points threateningly at Britain, not so much as a sign of direct aggression, but more as an indicator that it was now Germany’s turn to start a grand global Empire to challenge the world’s current one.

Austria Hungary is an aggressive armoured giant, teetering on shoddy foundations. It is also the primary aggressor in a land grab against Serbia, with two bayonets piercing the border.

The Ottoman empire is a teetering automaton, collapsing under the weight of a paranoid and ungainly spying network that gazes at Europe through many lenses and spy glasses.

The Swiss watch ticks away the time, comfortable to wait it all out.

The Darwinist Powers:

Britain is an militaristic lion with a Roman Imperial italic-type helmet. It sits upon a mound of riches gathered from its Empire.

France’s elephant beast (wearing the French kepi they started the war with before adapting their firefighter helmets) is influenced by the Elephantine Colossus built for the Universal Exhibition of 1889 in Paris (later it ended up going to the Moulin Rouge.)

Russia is a huge imperialist bear, rotting and filled with maggots.

Serbia’s imagery is an indicator of the huge amounts of civilian deaths and suffering they’ll find themselves subject to.

Norway and Sweden are both Scandinavian trolls in the style of John Bauer, an inspirational illustrator from the era who produced a lot of phenomenal work during the war.

Portugal is a parrot for the Entente trying to goad a slumbering Spain into the war.

Ireland looks askance to Britain and brandishes a shillelagh. An indicator of their very rough relationship at the time, and of their upcoming involvement with the Central powers.

Italy is a clutch of snakes with intents on the Central powers despite existing agreements. A foreshadowing of their arrangements at the secret 1915 Treaty of London where they were promised land in exchange for involvement. It was heavily influenced by Italian Prime Minister, Antonio Salandra’s open policy of serving Italy’s "divine self-interest."

Keith Thompson Art

Popularity: 4% [?]

Global Game of Monopoly With Google Maps

500x articlemon 300x135 Global Game of Monopoly With Google MapsWelcome to Monopoly City Streets. You versus the world in the biggest live game of MONOPOLY in history! On the 9th SEPTEMBER, a world of property empire building on an unimaginable scale will be launched! A live worldwide game of MONOPOLY using Google Maps as the game board. The goal is simple. Play to beat your friends and the world to become the richest property magnate in existence. Own any street in the world. Build humble houses, crazy castles and stupendous skyscrapers to collect rent. Use MONOPOLY Chance Cards to sabotage your mates by building Hazards on their streets. Which strategy will you employ? Determined drive? Ingenious daring? Intelligent caution? Will you thrive under the pressure of a fast growing global property empire – or will you crumble? Find out if you’ll thrive, or even survive, in the amazing world of MONOPOLY City Streets. It's going to be epic fun!
Yes, I want in.

Popularity: 1% [?]

Pat Buchanan Apologizing for Hitler.

Pat Buchanan has gone ahead and apologized for Hitler, claiming he sought no empire or wider war with Europe, and had merely benign interests of German unification at heart:
Indeed, why would he want war when, by 1939, he was surrounded by allied, friendly or neutral neighbors, save France. And he had written off Alsace, because reconquering Alsace meant war with France, and that meant war with Britain, whose empire he admired and whom he had always sought as an ally. As of March 1939, Hitler did not even have a border with Russia. How then could he invade Russia?

Included in the many historical inaccuracies in the article, he went so far as to blame the Holocost on the ALLIES, stating “Hitler wanted to end the war in 1940, almost two years before the trains began to roll to the camps.”

After Hitler conquered Poland, he HAD the border with Russia.  Hitler stated many times his ambitions to continue the war and the "expansion of the German Empire".

THIS is the person that previously ran for President?  THIS is the respected Repbulican leader?  THIS is someone who's paid for his political commentary?  If he can't even research historical facts and speeches to get something this well documented correct, why is anyone listening to him?

This is the same man who asked by Rachel Maddow why it was that 108 out of the 110 United States Supreme Court justices have been white, stated:

I think white men were 100% of the people who wrote the constitution, 100% of the people who signed the Declaration of Independence, 100% of the people who died at Gettysburg and Vicksburg, probably close 100% of the people who died at Normandy. This has been a country basically built by white folks.

So because minorities were oppressed throughout history, white men somehow deserve to be the Supreme Court justices.  I don't know.  I can't follow the thinking there.

Popularity: 1% [?]