Ben Grapevine -

Geography Grapevine's Atlas History United States

Counting Counties

The history of the bizarre subatomic particles that make up our states.

Tags california, counties, iowa, Minnesota, nebraska, new mexico, the prolonged and infinite rise of nebraska's cherry khanate

Flags Geography Grapevine's Atlas History

One of Us Has to Change

Did two countries show up to Hitler’s Olympics wearing the same flag?

Tags chad, cote d'ivoire, flags, haiti, indonesia, ireland, liechtenstein, Olympics, polish ships in distress immediately become property of the prince of monaco, repeat appearances by hitler, romania, rwanda

Grapevine's Atlas History

The Exile

Post author By Ben
Post date May 27, 2024
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Part five: History repeats.

Tags bokassa, central african empire, that gent today you gave a cent today once had several chateaux

Grapevine's Atlas History

The Emperor

Post author By Ben
Post date May 21, 2024
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Part four: Pathological corsicophilia.

Tags bokassa, central african empire, getty images wants me to pay $250 for a picture of the throne what the hell

Grapevine's Atlas History

The President

Part three: Papa Bok.

Tags Africa, an islamic proposal, central african empire, central african republic, napoleon complex

Geography Grapevine's Atlas History

The Soldier

Post author By Ben
Post date April 17, 2024
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Part two: The radio tutor’s power play.

Tags bokassa, central african empire, central african republic, too stupid to pull off a coup d'etat

Grapevine's Atlas History

The Last Emperor of Africa

Post author By Ben
Post date April 7, 2024
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Part one: Wishful thinking.

Tags boganda, bokassa, central african empire, central african republic, dacko, napoleon's biggest fan, wizardry

Christmas Culture Geography Grapevine's Atlas History

Dickensian London is iconic, but its plentiful snowdrifts bear little resemblance to the modern city. Is this artistic license? Or are Tiny Tim’s environs evidence of a centuries-long frosty period that gave us Frankenstein, witchcraft, and America?

Tags charles dickens, Christmas, climate, frankenstein, little ice age, lutefisk, my forty-eight hour crash diet, witchcraft, year without summer

Grapevine's Atlas History United States

Maryland, My Maryland

Maryland never joined the Confederacy, but for 82 years its state song was an anti-Lincoln diss track set to the tune of ‘O Tannenbaum’.

Tags maryland, state songs, weird slavery fan-fiction