Category Archives: Scratch Pad

Liberty Ships Named For Oil Pioneers Eluded Axis Submarines

Posted on October 4, 2023 by Allen Mesch

The four Liberty ships named for oil pioneers, SS Edwin L. Drake, SS Orville P. Taylor, SS Lewis Emery, JR, and SS Patrick C. Boyle, made many voyages across the seven seas during the war and all escaped sinking by … Continue reading →

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Artificial Intelligence Tackles Friday Night Lights

Posted on August 23, 2023 by Allen Mesch

Mason City Iowa school district ejects Friday Night Lights book from reading game. The Iowa Senate File 496 requires every book available to students to be “age appropriate” and free of any “descriptions or visual depictions of a sex act.” … Continue reading →

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Harris, DeSantis, and Florida History Curriculum

Posted on August 16, 2023 by Allen Mesch

Florida History Curriculum Vice President Kamala Harris declined Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’ offer to “debate the merits of the state’s new curriculum on African American history.” At an African American Methodist church in Orlando, Florida, Vice President Harris proclaimed, “There … Continue reading →

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Alliance of Independent Authors

Posted on August 9, 2023 by Allen Mesch

I just learned about the Alliance of Independent Authors and I thought I would share some information about this international organization. Who Are They? The Alliance of Independent Authors is a non-profit professional association for authors who self-publish. Their mission … Continue reading →

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My Current Writing Activities

Posted on August 4, 2023 by Allen Mesch

I have been busy this year thinking about additional subjects to write about and writing two new books. Bullets and Barrels Bullets and Barrels is a non-fiction book about how American Civil War officers and soldiers helped develop the oil … Continue reading →

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I Like What Ike Said

Posted on August 3, 2023 by Allen Mesch

I will obey the general and president’s orders.

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Historical Insults

Posted on July 26, 2023 by Allen Mesch

These insults are from a time before the English language got boiled down to four-letter words. These insults from famous people had style, imagination, and class. I only wish that I could burrow some to inflict on someone. 1. “I … Continue reading →

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From Bookstore to Bestseller

Posted on June 26, 2023 by Allen Mesch

Colleen Hoover is an American author who writes novels in the romance and young adult fiction genres. She is best known for her 2016 romance novel, It Ends with Us. She self-published many of her works before she was picked … Continue reading →

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Emancipation and Juneteenth

Posted on June 17, 2023 by Allen Mesch

Did Lincoln Free the Slaves? The Emancipation Proclamation, officially Proclamation 95, was a presidential proclamation and executive order issued by President Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863, during the Civil War. The Proclamation changed the legal status of more than … Continue reading →

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Arlington National Cemetery

Posted on May 26, 2023 by Allen Mesch

Arlington National Cemetery, the most famous cemetery in the country, is the final resting place for many of our nation’s greatest heroes, including more than 300,000 veterans of every American conflict, from the Revolutionary War to Iraq and Afghanistan.  Since … Continue reading →

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