World History Map Corrections & Updates

After a short break, I'm back to working on my world history maps again. I haven't made any more new maps yet, but I have been going back over some of them and making some corrections and improvements. So far I've gone over the maps of 323 BC, 200 BC, 100 BC, and 001 AD. (That's 4 down, 35 to go!)

Source References
Probably one of the most important improvements is that I'm doing a better job of documenting my sources. A lot of people wanted to know where I was getting my information for the maps, but originally I didn't document that info very well. If you want to see the sources of my information, check out the new TAL_Map_Sources.html page.

Corrections on borders
You'll notice on recently updated maps some of the borders are change significantly. For example, notice the difference in the map of 100 BC, between the OLD version and the NEW version, especially in India. The reason is because originally I only had a few sources. As more information becomes available, I show it in the map.

Note: On maps after 800 AD, my borders in Northern Europe are inaccurate due to the geographical differences between my base map and the source maps from http://www.euratlas.com/. A Wikipedian named User:Bogomolov_PL did a great job of showing me how I was off on the map of 1200 AD. If anyone can do the same thing Bogomolov did, and show me how I can correct the borders of other maps, it would be greatly appreciated!

How to Report Possible Errors:
I appreciate any information that can help make the maps more accurate. If you'd like to report a possible error on any map, please see here. Some people have sent me emails telling me about errors in the maps. Unfortunately they usually don't send their source info, and I cannot make any changes without source information to back up the change!

Questions, Concerns, and Feedback:
Please feel free to email me if you have any questions, concerns, or feedback. I do appreciate anything that can help improve them!

Thomas Lessman
Website: www.thomaslessman.com
Blog: www.talessman.blogspot.com
Email: talessman@yis.us

World History Maps by TAL: www.worldhistorymaps.info

Lessman's Farm & Catfish Pond:
www.thomaslessman.com/LessmanFarm/
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World History Maps update

A few updates in my world history maps...

I've now got 39 world history maps online, from 1300 BC to 1500 AD. The website is http://www.worldhistorymaps.info/. The maps cover the "old world" (Eastern Hemisphere) during every 100 years and several key points in history.

How much of the world did Alexander the Great conquer compared to Ghengis Khan? What were the Germanic kingdoms that replaced the Western Roman Empire? How big was the Roman Empire during Jesus' lifetime? How much smaller was the Roman Empire during the Crusades?

There are many different kinds of history maps available online, but very few large scale maps (covering large parts of the world during specific dates.) There are many maps of the world in 1900 AD, but what about a map of the world in 900 AD? We have all read about the Egyptian Empire, but what other nations did the Egyptians trade or compete with? http://www.worldhistorymaps.info/.

The Eastern Hemisphere in 1300 BC,
during the height of the Egyptian Empire

It took me a lot of time and research to make these maps, especially because sources often conflict, and I make corrections when new information comes my way. The maps aren't perfect (show me ANY perfect history map!). But they are as accurate as possible and updated whenever new, verifiable information is available to me.

So check them out; they show a view of history that is valuable but rarely seen. It gives you a better understanding of history when you can see the BIGGER picture during any given year.

Thomas Lessman
. http://www.thomaslessman.com/
Blog: http://www.talessman.blogspot.com/

World History Maps:
http://www.worldhistorymaps.info/
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Truckhenge Media Coverage

Ever since I was a kid, my dad collected antique trucks. By 2001 he had several of them. Then a petty Shawnee County health inspector decided he didn't like my dad competing with some local landfills by allowing clean rubble dumping on our property. So the County took my dad to court charging him with misc. nuisances. One of which targeted my dad's collection of antique trucks. The Judge ordered my dad to "pick the trucks up". So he did!

He put them in the ground pointing up to the sky, painted them, and called them "Truckhenge". He's added several metal and beer-bottle sculptures, some boats, and more. The whole farm is really pretty cool.

The TV show "Rare Visions and Roadside Revelations" has taped the farm, and KDHE featured Truckhenge in its "Get Caught Recycling" campaign. There is also a nice video of Truckhenge at the http://www.roadsideamerica.com/ website and a good section about it at http://www.kansastravel.org/.

This Thursday, Feb. 21, 2008, there is a TV crew from Sweden that will come to Topeka to tape the Farm. Is that cool or what? My dad has definitely made a name for the farm and for himself. And believe me, it is a real cool grassroots arts park. He's happy to give tours, just make sure to stop at the house and he'll take you on a tour.

For more information, check out the official Truckhenge website, at
www.thomaslessman.com/LessmanFarm/ .

Thomas Lessman
. http://www.thomaslessman.com/
Blog: http://www.talessman.blogspot.com/
Email: talessman@yis.us

WW3

(Published in the Topeka Metro, Oct 12, 2007)

I hate to say it, but I seriously doubt we'll survive another World War. It's not nukes or chems that I'm afraid of. Think about this:

1. There are 30 million + illegal aliens in our nation. If even 1/10th of them are hostiles? That's 3 MILLION enemy soldiers inside our own borders, strategically located inside our nation!

To be "hostiles", they don't have to be soldiers from islamic, or communist, or rival nations. Hostiles also include groups like "M-13", the central american gang that is rampant in the American Southwest. Groups like La Raza openly flout their anti-Americanism, yet they are slated to receive over several MILLION $$$ in federal subsidies in the next few years? Why don't they give equivalent funding to the Minutemen?

It seems our own federal government is working against us too! How hard has the government tried towards revoking the 2nd amendment and disarming our own citizens? The British lost the Revolutionary war because American Citizens were armed and able to fight back. Germany knew it would fail in any invasion of the US because they knew many of the citizens were armed. Kinda puts a damper on any organized invasion of the US, when the enemy knows we can field a "Citizens' Army" larger than anything they can throw at us...

Add to that the almost determined effort by the federal government to outsource many of our best paying, quality jobs to 3rd world nations (thus impoverishing a LOT more of our population than they let on). AND stationing our troops in so many nations that our own army is terribly stretched thin and unable to return to the US if we are attacked on several fronts.

A friend of mine brought up a tragically great point the other day. I want to preface it by saying that I get a lot of calls from guys who have been screwed over so bad in family courts (which can destroy a life and smile while doing it). Some of them (and other groups) get so frustrated they say it's time to stop working within the system to reform it, and just grab guns and start fighting back.

I tell each of them that, while I understand their frustrations, grabbing our guns is the stupidest thing we can do. The citizens of the US have set themselves up for failure. If we can't get 20 guys to stand outside their courthouse and publicly protest against officials they know are anti-American, what on earth makes you think we can get 20 MILLION people to stand up and fight back with guns? Because it will take at LEAST that many to stop the Apache helicoptors, stealth bombers, tanks, and other advanced weapons that would be thrown at us.

My friend brought up a great point. "If America revolts, WHO do you think will be putting down that revolt?" He said, "It won't be our own military; very few of our soldiers will fire on their fellow citizens. Instead, it will be UNITED NATIONS troops who would be sent in as "peacekeepers", because they are well armed and trained, and they have no alliegance to the US or our citizens. In fact, many are from nations who strongly hate the US. Do you really think they'd have any mercy or understanding for "We The People", knowing that we elected our own government?

Thomas A. Lessman
. http://www.thomaslessman.com/
Blog: http://www.talessman.blogspot.com/
Email: talessman@yis.us
Phone: 785-230-4546
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Blind hate leads to blind stupidity

Recently, a man named Jeff Cohen wrote an opinion about urging people to buy Citgo gas to punish 7-11 for not supporting Venezuela's socialist tyrant, Hugo Chavez. You may remember that a few weeks ago, Chavez called President Bush II "the Devil" at a UN assembly.

Several people on MySpace, including my own sister, were ecstatic and sent it around to everyone they knew. After all, they reasoned, ANYONE is better than Bush II.

Oh how blind hate can so easily lead to blind stupidity...

I'm a Libertarian, and as such I'm definitely NO fan of Bush II. Bush will go down in history as one of America's worst presidents (as will Clinton).

That said, Bush will NEVER be as hypocritical or anti-freedom as Chavez is. Cohen seems ignorant to the FACT that if he wrote a column criticizing Chavez, he'd better not show his face in Venezuela or he'd get arrested.

Yes, you read that right. Chavez, the man Cohen claims is a champion of the poor and downtrodden, does NOT allow freedom of speech in his country. Furthermore, Chavez' administration is far more corrupt and abusive than Bush's administration is in the US - and that's pretty bad!

Cohen claims that Citgo's oil profits go to the poor of Venezuela, but that's a CROCK and Cohen should know better. Citgo's profits actually go to the managers of Citgo and to Chavez' cronies. Chavez isn't running a democracy - he's creating a socialist nation that borders on Communism.

But apparently Jeff Cohen thinks ANY hypocritical dictator would be better than Bush.

That's the problem with "politically correct liberal speak". It sounds nice until you actually SEE it in action.

Bush II is bad. Chavez is worse. Jeff Cohen should either open his eyes, or move to Venezuela to see just how bad his "champion" really is.

Sincerely,

Thomas Lessman
Candidate for KS House Dist. 53
Website: www.ThomasLessman.com

Here is the opinion sent out by Jeff Cohen:
Of the top oil producing countries in the world, only one is a democracy with a president who was elected on a platform of using his nation's oil revenue to benefit the poor. The country is Venezuela. The President is Hugo Chavez. Call him "the Anti-Bush."

Citgo is a U.S. refining and marketing firm that is a wholly owned subsidiary of Venezuela's state-owned oil company. Money you pay to Citgo goes primarily to Venezuela -- not Saudi Arabia or the Middle East. There are 14,000 Citgo gas stations in the US. (Click here http://www.citgo.com/CITGOLocator/StoreLocator.jsp to find one near you.) By buying your gasoline at Citgo, you are contributing to the billions of dollars that Venezuela's democratic government is using to provide health care, literacy and education, and subsidized food for the majority of Venezuelans.

Instead of using government to help the rich and the corporate, as Bush does, Chavez is using the resources and oil revenue of his government to help the poor in Venezuela. A country with so much oil wealth shouldn't have 60 percent of its people living in poverty, earning less than $2 per day. With a mass movement behind him, Chavez is confronting poverty in Venezuela. That's why large majorities have consistently backed him in democratic elections. And why the Bush administration supported an attempted military coup in 2002 that sought to overthrow Chavez.

So this is the opposite of a boycott. Call it a BUYcott. Spread the word.

Of course, if you can take mass transit or bike or walk to your job, you should do so. And we should all work for political changes that move our country toward a cleaner environment based on renewable energy. The BUYcott is for those of us who don't have a practical alternative to filling up our cars.

So get your gas at Citgo. And help fuel a democratic revolution in Venezuela.
http://www.commondreams.org/views05/0516-25.htm