Number 53 - October/November 2008
For Point of Divergence #53
In keeping with tradition, deadline kinda snuck up on me, so I'm busily
writing away here at the last moment. Fortunately, this provides a
convenient excuse for any grammatical amusements, unclear comments,
and other problems I might have to otherwise own up to...;)
We
haven't been doing too much 'round here but trying to avoid the heat.
However, back in August, we headed down to San Pedro to see the Los
Angeles Festival of Sail – specifically the “Parade
of Sail” where a whole flock of “tall ships” come
into the harbor, “parade” down the channel, and finally
dock at San Pedro so that you can take tours of them.
It actually proved to be quite fun. Oh, because they were deep in the harbor (and quite a bit down the relatively narrow channel between San Pedro and Terminal Island) they were hardly coming down under full sail. But they still mostly managed to have at least some canvas up and the parade of fifteen, sixteen ships (ranging from actually historical sailing ships to movie reproductions, from eighty feet to nearly three-hundred) was a nice Friday's fun.
Oh, and I got to see that most AH of sailing ships, the Coast Guard Barque Eagle...
After the parade, we went on tours of some of the ships (including the “HMS Bounty”) and generally mucked about Ports 'O' Call before heading home later that afternoon, day of fun complete.
Now, we were going to head back a second day, catch some of the ships we missed and so on, but unfortunately I discovered that perhaps not applying sunblock when you're going to be spending six, seven hours standing in the sun right next to the water is ill-advised.
Worst sunburn I've had in at least two decades.
Well, because it sounded interesting, I bought the book Lost States: Real Quests for American Statehood as it promised to have some interesting “What If” potentials for states that didn't quite make it.
Problem is, it turned out to be interesting all right...but not that useful. Every “wannabe” state in it is limited to two pages in the book – one of those a map of where it is/was/would have been, the other a one page description of where it is/was/would have been and why it isn't. But one page isn't nearly enough in most cases.
Oh, I guess a “Lost Dakota” (a scrap of the Dakota territory that didn't get assigned to anyone when the territory was broken up into states) can be handled in that one page. But covering the whys and wherefores of “Franklin” or “West Kansas” or “Baja Arizona” proposals and eventual failures can't really be (from a AH standpoint, anyway) handled on a single, two-column page...especially when he usually takes up a big chunk of that page with another picture related to the ur-state.
To sum: It's a nice book to kill about an hour with on a slow afternoon, but from our – admittedly, rather non-standard - viewpoint, not a really useful one.
Now, on with the show!
We
haven't been doing too much 'round here but trying to avoid the heat.
However, back in August, we headed down to San Pedro to see the Los
Angeles Festival of Sail – specifically the “Parade
of Sail” where a whole flock of “tall ships” come
into the harbor, “parade” down the channel, and finally
dock at San Pedro so that you can take tours of them.It actually proved to be quite fun. Oh, because they were deep in the harbor (and quite a bit down the relatively narrow channel between San Pedro and Terminal Island) they were hardly coming down under full sail. But they still mostly managed to have at least some canvas up and the parade of fifteen, sixteen ships (ranging from actually historical sailing ships to movie reproductions, from eighty feet to nearly three-hundred) was a nice Friday's fun.
Oh, and I got to see that most AH of sailing ships, the Coast Guard Barque Eagle...
After the parade, we went on tours of some of the ships (including the “HMS Bounty”) and generally mucked about Ports 'O' Call before heading home later that afternoon, day of fun complete.
Now, we were going to head back a second day, catch some of the ships we missed and so on, but unfortunately I discovered that perhaps not applying sunblock when you're going to be spending six, seven hours standing in the sun right next to the water is ill-advised.
Worst sunburn I've had in at least two decades.
Well, because it sounded interesting, I bought the book Lost States: Real Quests for American Statehood as it promised to have some interesting “What If” potentials for states that didn't quite make it.Problem is, it turned out to be interesting all right...but not that useful. Every “wannabe” state in it is limited to two pages in the book – one of those a map of where it is/was/would have been, the other a one page description of where it is/was/would have been and why it isn't. But one page isn't nearly enough in most cases.
Oh, I guess a “Lost Dakota” (a scrap of the Dakota territory that didn't get assigned to anyone when the territory was broken up into states) can be handled in that one page. But covering the whys and wherefores of “Franklin” or “West Kansas” or “Baja Arizona” proposals and eventual failures can't really be (from a AH standpoint, anyway) handled on a single, two-column page...especially when he usually takes up a big chunk of that page with another picture related to the ur-state.
To sum: It's a nice book to kill about an hour with on a slow afternoon, but from our – admittedly, rather non-standard - viewpoint, not a really useful one.
Now, on with the show!
|
Divergent Opinions - Comments on P.O.D. 52
|
|
Section One
|
Cover
Me
The old restroom that was torn out to make the Archive Room...and then was decided to
not be made into the Archive Room...has now been made into,
um, the Archive Room.
Mind you, there are still a bunch of shelves and stuff they haven't set up, but four months after they started (and three after they said they'd be done by), construction in the basement of the Library is basically done.
Mind you, there are still a bunch of shelves and stuff they haven't set up, but four months after they started (and three after they said they'd be done by), construction in the basement of the Library is basically done.
Kurt Sidaway
ct: Tom Cron:
“...Germany's
ships would be even bigger and better protected, virtually a
floating armoured box.”
That's gotta entail some serious side effects though, doesn't it? I
mean, you add that much extra armor, it's going to degrade your
speed, maneuverability, and range something fierce. Probably cut
into seaworthiness too.
Now while Germany (and probably Italy) could afford that trade-off – after all, in a war their ships (mostly) didn't have to make any long trips to get somewhere to shoot at someone – I can't see the other “battleship powers” feeling this is all that good an idea – especially for their Pacific fleets! The last thing you want there is slower speed and less range!
Now while Germany (and probably Italy) could afford that trade-off – after all, in a war their ships (mostly) didn't have to make any long trips to get somewhere to shoot at someone – I can't see the other “battleship powers” feeling this is all that good an idea – especially for their Pacific fleets! The last thing you want there is slower speed and less range!
ct: Me: re: Tom:
“The
obvious one is that EVERYONE is Jewish”
Obvious – but almost certainly impossible...so I ignored it.
I mean, to begin with, Judaism isn't really big on the proselytizing. And then I have severe doubts that any religion could “take over” the entire world. If for no other reason than when you reach three people in your religion, you seem to have a good chance of developing at least two sects.
And it doesn't take long before one or both sects start loathing the other as “not really of 'The Religion'” - with all the fun that implies.
“The less obvious one would involve a major alteration of the Jewish faith – to make it less exclusive” That would probably help a bit. But I have firm confidence that even the most inclusive religion possible will still generate those who wish it destroyed and it's worshipers burned at some sort of stake-like object. Heck, too inclusive will probably be as bad as too exclusive in this regard!
I mean, to begin with, Judaism isn't really big on the proselytizing. And then I have severe doubts that any religion could “take over” the entire world. If for no other reason than when you reach three people in your religion, you seem to have a good chance of developing at least two sects.
And it doesn't take long before one or both sects start loathing the other as “not really of 'The Religion'” - with all the fun that implies.
“The less obvious one would involve a major alteration of the Jewish faith – to make it less exclusive” That would probably help a bit. But I have firm confidence that even the most inclusive religion possible will still generate those who wish it destroyed and it's worshipers burned at some sort of stake-like object. Heck, too inclusive will probably be as bad as too exclusive in this regard!
re: Νέα Aθήυγναί:
“...in OTL the nearest settlement is Vila do Bispo.”
Well, I was close! I only had them a hundred miles or so too far
north.
Christopher Nuttall
Interestingly, when
I do a search of “Invasion of 1950” in Google, most of what I get is on the invasion of Tibet...
...makes for a busy year on your AH.
Yeah, shoot me a copy. I'll see if I can add to the nitpicks. ;)
“Did anyone notice the irony that the Master made a much better human than the Doctor?” Well, he was trying to blend in. What I think is more interesting is that he's decided the reason the Doctor keeps winning all their battles is that he's always got female companion hanging around...so the Master picked up one of his own.
...makes for a busy year on your AH.
Yeah, shoot me a copy. I'll see if I can add to the nitpicks. ;)
“Did anyone notice the irony that the Master made a much better human than the Doctor?” Well, he was trying to blend in. What I think is more interesting is that he's decided the reason the Doctor keeps winning all their battles is that he's always got female companion hanging around...so the Master picked up one of his own.
re: “The Nazis Against The Rising Sun”:
I'm tempted to say that the U.S. would say something along the lines
of “thanks but no thanks” to a German offer of help in
the Pacific War. I mean, any such help would be – as you show
here – trivial at best...obtained at the cost of a lot
of problems working with the rest of the Allies in the Pacific war (whose help was anything but
trivial). By December 1941, the Nazis had (deservedly) way
too much bad press for the U.S. to work with them - IMHO – and
their offer would look like (and be, really) just a poor attempt to
make some political brownie points with America.
So that leaves Germany in more or less the same situation as Dale's “no declaration of war on U.S.” scenario – with the additional problem (for Germany) that now the rest of her allies know she's willing to throw them to the wolves if it'll bring a perceived political benefit!
That's gotta have some negative knock-ons down the line for Germany. Far from a cease-fire in 1943, Germany may be in even worse shape than on OTL.
So that leaves Germany in more or less the same situation as Dale's “no declaration of war on U.S.” scenario – with the additional problem (for Germany) that now the rest of her allies know she's willing to throw them to the wolves if it'll bring a perceived political benefit!
That's gotta have some negative knock-ons down the line for Germany. Far from a cease-fire in 1943, Germany may be in even worse shape than on OTL.
Dale Cozort
re: “Mind of Ice”:
Neat little stub. Rather Dresden Files like, actually.
re: “Jar Jar Binks Must Die – A Musical”:
Well, I agree with the title, certainly.
re: “They Killed Like Men”:
Nice start. Kinda a pity you won't be continuing it.
re: Battleships & Biplanes:
I was beginning to wonder when biplanes were going to come into it!
It seems like one of the best ways to get a “battleship & biplane” conflict would be to squeeze in some sort of war in the late 20's early 30's – though who would be fighting who I couldn't begin to answer.
It seems like one of the best ways to get a “battleship & biplane” conflict would be to squeeze in some sort of war in the late 20's early 30's – though who would be fighting who I couldn't begin to answer.
re: Washington Naval Treaty Talks Collapse:
Seems to create surprisingly little change from OTL. Of course, the operative word here is “seems.”
I want to see where you're going with this.
I want to see where you're going with this.
re: Spain Joins the Axis, pt4:
Continues to be cool – even if short.
re: review - “The Pearl Harbor Myth”:
It seems unlikely to me that planning on getting Germany to declare war on you by getting the Japanese to declare war on you would get much past a “back of the envelope” stage. There just seem to be too many variables that have to go “right” for it to work as a plan.
Heck, it requires you be reasonably sure the Japanese would go with the extremely risky plan of attacking Pearl in the first place. The Philippines, that's probably a certainty, but Hawaii? I'm led to understand it was a pretty close thing the Japanese signing off on that raid – with “nah, too risky” being almost as likely a decision.
I can almost see the whole thing as an elaborate plan to pull the Japanese south so as to keep them from attacking the Soviets but – honestly – just shutting off their oil did that almost as effectively. Mind you, I can see a “what if” being inserted into the embargo plan warning that if they did this, the Japanese might try and capture the oil fields – then I can see it with a reassurance that “fortunately, this will prevent them from attacking the Soviets at least as well as interdicting their oil supply.” Or, IOW, embargoing the oil got them the effect they wanted, but even if the Japanese upped the ante, the effect would remain.
Heck, it requires you be reasonably sure the Japanese would go with the extremely risky plan of attacking Pearl in the first place. The Philippines, that's probably a certainty, but Hawaii? I'm led to understand it was a pretty close thing the Japanese signing off on that raid – with “nah, too risky” being almost as likely a decision.
I can almost see the whole thing as an elaborate plan to pull the Japanese south so as to keep them from attacking the Soviets but – honestly – just shutting off their oil did that almost as effectively. Mind you, I can see a “what if” being inserted into the embargo plan warning that if they did this, the Japanese might try and capture the oil fields – then I can see it with a reassurance that “fortunately, this will prevent them from attacking the Soviets at least as well as interdicting their oil supply.” Or, IOW, embargoing the oil got them the effect they wanted, but even if the Japanese upped the ante, the effect would remain.
ct: Me:
“What is it about large organizations that seems to gather low IQ types at the top?” Part of it, I think, is a tendency of those at the top not to hire people who would – because they're smarter – eventually pass them by on the Great Ladder of Success. This is probably a minor effect, though.
Another part – possibly less minor – is the practice of giving references when you try for a job. On the whole, if the person is a goof-up/idiot/incompetent/ whatever, it's far easier (especially in big organizations) to talk him up in references so that he's promoted/hired somewhere else than where you are than to get him fired (conversely, I wouldn't be surprised if some references are talked down because the people they're getting the reference from don't want to lose that person).
I suspect this tends (over time) to slowly move that incompetent person to better and better jobs (since he's obviously not going to put in a resume for a worse job) and that collectively, this tends to concentrate stupid at the top.
“I suspect we would be appalled if we knew how poor the security of a lot of organizations with our personal information is” I do know and – yes – am appalled. Take a look at Bruce Schneier's blog1 if you ever want to be really, really appalled.
“I can talks to Speirs about the massage girls, but I'm guessing DeeDee might have a word or two to say about that.” Well, it depends on whether they give massages, or “massaaages”...;)
Another part – possibly less minor – is the practice of giving references when you try for a job. On the whole, if the person is a goof-up/idiot/incompetent/ whatever, it's far easier (especially in big organizations) to talk him up in references so that he's promoted/hired somewhere else than where you are than to get him fired (conversely, I wouldn't be surprised if some references are talked down because the people they're getting the reference from don't want to lose that person).
I suspect this tends (over time) to slowly move that incompetent person to better and better jobs (since he's obviously not going to put in a resume for a worse job) and that collectively, this tends to concentrate stupid at the top.
“I suspect we would be appalled if we knew how poor the security of a lot of organizations with our personal information is” I do know and – yes – am appalled. Take a look at Bruce Schneier's blog1 if you ever want to be really, really appalled.
“I can talks to Speirs about the massage girls, but I'm guessing DeeDee might have a word or two to say about that.” Well, it depends on whether they give massages, or “massaaages”...;)
re: X-Prizes for a broken society:
Good idea.
One thing, though, the computer “prizes” that have already been surpassed show that not only do you need to identify expensive problems, but (in order for this to be cost-effective) you need to know those problems that won't be handled anyway just as part of the normal course of events. It's silly to waste money offering prizes for something people will be working as hard as they can already!
One thing, though, the computer “prizes” that have already been surpassed show that not only do you need to identify expensive problems, but (in order for this to be cost-effective) you need to know those problems that won't be handled anyway just as part of the normal course of events. It's silly to waste money offering prizes for something people will be working as hard as they can already!
re: Thin Films:
Interesting article (I've been reading similar ones). The only problem is that I've basically spent the last forty years or so hearing that “solar power is right around the corner” - and by now I've got a strong “boy who cried wolf” syndrome on the subject. I mean, it's not as bad as the predictions for fusion power, still...
Anywho, me, I'm waiting for a real-world version of "Douglas-Martin sun-power screens" myself...
Anywho, me, I'm waiting for a real-world version of "Douglas-Martin sun-power screens" myself...
e: Marsupial weasels, dogs, cats and bears:
Interesting articles on a whole style of fauna that is no more.
It is odd that only opossums managed to survive (long term) the connection with North America. I can't really see any real reason why these species were less “fit” than their placental counterparts and they should have at least had their longer time to adapt to South American biomes on their side in the contest.
Because of this, I suspect that it was just a question of bad luck (and changing climates...which itself is “bad luck”) that – say – Angelenos are not having to worry about Cladosictis or Prothylacinus coming out of the foothills to steal pet-food left outside (and perhaps steal the occasional small pet – medium-sized pet, in the case of Prothylacinus).
It is odd that only opossums managed to survive (long term) the connection with North America. I can't really see any real reason why these species were less “fit” than their placental counterparts and they should have at least had their longer time to adapt to South American biomes on their side in the contest.
Because of this, I suspect that it was just a question of bad luck (and changing climates...which itself is “bad luck”) that – say – Angelenos are not having to worry about Cladosictis or Prothylacinus coming out of the foothills to steal pet-food left outside (and perhaps steal the occasional small pet – medium-sized pet, in the case of Prothylacinus).
Robert Gill
“Like that cover?” Yes. Nicely sick & twisted...
Have to check out Storming Paradise. My comic book store should have the back issues.
(addendum: Found the first three issues – and it's surprisingly good AH. One of the plot threads, however, makes me worried they'll go off of “reasonable accurate AH” and into “semi-ASB” territory by the end of the series, which would be a shame. We'll see...)
Have to check out Storming Paradise. My comic book store should have the back issues.
(addendum: Found the first three issues – and it's surprisingly good AH. One of the plot threads, however, makes me worried they'll go off of “reasonable accurate AH” and into “semi-ASB” territory by the end of the series, which would be a shame. We'll see...)
ct: Sidaway: re: “Lost Christianities”:
Sounds interesting, I may have to track it down.
Thecla becoming canonical might have a lot of possibilities for a more female-friendly Christianity. Possibly if a Byzantine Empress takes her to heart and does a sorta “Constantine” with the Acts, making them part of approved doctrine.
Barnabas...well, what was he smoking? And, yes, I can “imagine clashes emerging between supporters of Church doctrine and the early advocates of biological sciences”2 - It'd be like the current ones between real science and creation “science,” but with more torture and burnings at the stake...
Thecla becoming canonical might have a lot of possibilities for a more female-friendly Christianity. Possibly if a Byzantine Empress takes her to heart and does a sorta “Constantine” with the Acts, making them part of approved doctrine.
Barnabas...well, what was he smoking? And, yes, I can “imagine clashes emerging between supporters of Church doctrine and the early advocates of biological sciences”2 - It'd be like the current ones between real science and creation “science,” but with more torture and burnings at the stake...
re: “Charlie Jade”:
I watched it when it came on SciFi – and fortunately, having a DVR, didn't miss any episodes when SciFi started playing “what absurd time shall we play this at now?” with it.3
Honestly, the whole concept is interesting and well done, but it strikes me (maybe more than you) as too slow. It seemed to take Charlie forever to realize, hey, maybe there are alternate Earths after he ended up in the Betaverse.
I mean, admittedly for us, that would be the first thing that came to mind, so maybe I shouldn't judge. Still...
And then...he just sorta sat on that information. Oh sure, some episodes he tried to track down a bit of VexCor info that might lead him back home. But others he just seemed to sit around and mope.
Again, this just might be me.
I wonder if it actually rains that much in Cape Town, or was the “noir” just doing a sort of permanent Blade Runner on the place?4
Honestly, the whole concept is interesting and well done, but it strikes me (maybe more than you) as too slow. It seemed to take Charlie forever to realize, hey, maybe there are alternate Earths after he ended up in the Betaverse.
I mean, admittedly for us, that would be the first thing that came to mind, so maybe I shouldn't judge. Still...
And then...he just sorta sat on that information. Oh sure, some episodes he tried to track down a bit of VexCor info that might lead him back home. But others he just seemed to sit around and mope.Again, this just might be me.
I wonder if it actually rains that much in Cape Town, or was the “noir” just doing a sort of permanent Blade Runner on the place?4
re: Howard Hawks “Casino Royal”:
It would have to be better (and have more effect) than the 1967 Casino Royal Feldman eventually made!
Tom Cron
re: Robert Kennedy Lives:
Interesting. Both in that it's a “Robert Kennedy is not assassinated” scenario that doesn't end up with a “President Robert Kennedy” in 1969 (and there are damn few of those!), but one that still has major (yet believable) effects down the line.
re: “Flights of Fancy”:
Interesting collection of “might have been” aircraft.
The “Ring Wing” idea later got snagged by Larry Niven for use as his sub-light interstellar “Slowboats” for the early years of his “Known Space” series (best shown in the book A Gift from Earth). Mind you, he scaled them up a bit...
The description of why Lowe created his “Planet Airship” (“wanted something a bit faster”) is at best an off-handed remark – and certainly not accurate.
The “Ring Wing” idea later got snagged by Larry Niven for use as his sub-light interstellar “Slowboats” for the early years of his “Known Space” series (best shown in the book A Gift from Earth). Mind you, he scaled them up a bit...The description of why Lowe created his “Planet Airship” (“wanted something a bit faster”) is at best an off-handed remark – and certainly not accurate.
e: Yorktown: “If the British Had Won...”:
My, isn't this an unlikely outcome!
Heck, the map alone tells you that. Why would there be a transcontinental Canada in a world where fear the U.S. would take over British Columbia didn't exist?5
Catalina as a “Japanese Hong Kong” - that got a chuckle out of me. An island with minimal water supplies (and no way to get more), whose blocks of available flat land are measured in single-digit acres, with a harbor about the size of a pea...yeah, that'll be an industrial/financial powerhouse!
BTW, they're the “Channel Islands” not the “Catalina Islands”
And a French Louisiana surviving the Napoleonic wars? When all Britain had to do to capture the whole thing was basically take New Orleans? Hah!
And that's just what popped up at me from a casual skimming. Imagine what I could do to it if I took a little more time...
Heck, the map alone tells you that. Why would there be a transcontinental Canada in a world where fear the U.S. would take over British Columbia didn't exist?5
Catalina as a “Japanese Hong Kong” - that got a chuckle out of me. An island with minimal water supplies (and no way to get more), whose blocks of available flat land are measured in single-digit acres, with a harbor about the size of a pea...yeah, that'll be an industrial/financial powerhouse!
BTW, they're the “Channel Islands” not the “Catalina Islands”
And a French Louisiana surviving the Napoleonic wars? When all Britain had to do to capture the whole thing was basically take New Orleans? Hah!
And that's just what popped up at me from a casual skimming. Imagine what I could do to it if I took a little more time...
Wesley Kawato
What was this, the “All Dead Computer” issue?
When you say “it stopped letting me save anything” (hard drive and removable media?) do you mean just your word processing program, or everything in general?
Honestly, I'm kinda at a loss to see how the latter would happen...I mean and still have it boot up at all.
It sounds like either a bad hard drive – though again, I'm not sure how you'd still be booting then – or you need to reinstall at the least your word processor and probably Windows (it is a Windows machine, right?).
When you say “it stopped letting me save anything” (hard drive and removable media?) do you mean just your word processing program, or everything in general?
Honestly, I'm kinda at a loss to see how the latter would happen...I mean and still have it boot up at all.
It sounds like either a bad hard drive – though again, I'm not sure how you'd still be booting then – or you need to reinstall at the least your word processor and probably Windows (it is a Windows machine, right?).
ct: Cron:
“There were too many people trying to invent the train and someone would have succeeded...the Civil War was destined to be fought with trains” the first part's true – but it wouldn't have taken too much of a change to delay use of railroads in the United States, making a “rail war” for the Civil War no longer a certainty.
After all, at the start of the Civil War it had only been about thirty years since “full service” (as opposed to special purpose railroads, like from mines to forges and the like) started building in the U.S. and the big
growth was in the 1850s. A slight delay in getting the first working
engine in the U.S...a company collapse at the wrong time...a bill going through Congress promoting more canals that didn't pass on OTL...it wouldn't take much to (pardon the pun) derail how trains advanced here.
And it wouldn't even have to be a drop in total miles. Just shifting where the trains go would do it. Railroads were useful, after all, because they went more or less to where the fighting was on OTL. Maybe on this timeline the South is even morebackwards reluctant to embrace trains. That means the number of lines heading towards the battlefields (which were mostly in Southern territory after all) gets real light.
I'm rambling here. Basically I just want to say while it's probably the way to bet, I wouldn't guarantee the Civil War would be the first rail-powered one.
After all, at the start of the Civil War it had only been about thirty years since “full service” (as opposed to special purpose railroads, like from mines to forges and the like) started building in the U.S. and the big
growth was in the 1850s. A slight delay in getting the first working
engine in the U.S...a company collapse at the wrong time...a bill going through Congress promoting more canals that didn't pass on OTL...it wouldn't take much to (pardon the pun) derail how trains advanced here.And it wouldn't even have to be a drop in total miles. Just shifting where the trains go would do it. Railroads were useful, after all, because they went more or less to where the fighting was on OTL. Maybe on this timeline the South is even more
I'm rambling here. Basically I just want to say while it's probably the way to bet, I wouldn't guarantee the Civil War would be the first rail-powered one.
ct: Me:
“I think a well made 1963 Disney 'Star Wars'” would still be watched
today. People still watch 'Mary Poppins' and 'The Sound of Music.'” Well, the latter isn't a Disney film, so it doesn't count,
but it should be noted that Mary Poppins is (at least half) a cartoon
– and Disney (at least, up until the 70's) always
put more money/production values into its cartoons than live action.
I mean, let's look at Disney films from that era:
Twenty-four films. Three of them (italicized) are animated (partially, in Mary Poppins case) and thus seen all the time. Of the other twenty-one live action, I can think of only three or four that get regular viewings...and one of those, Son of Flubber, only gets that because it usually ends up as a “double feature” with Absent-Minded Professor.
And the ones still watched are light comedies. They hold up a lot better over the years than Disney's dramas. Therefore, I strongly suspect a Disney “Star Wars” from that era is much more likely to end up in the same class as a Greyfriar's Bobby6 than a Mary Poppins. So that if it's watched at all it'll either be for the nostalgia value (for the few watchers old enough) or MST3K type amusement...
...hmmm. Now there's a thought:
I mean, let's look at Disney films from that era:
1960 Pollyanna
1960 Toby Tyler
1960 Kidnapped
1960 The Sign of Zorro
1960 Ten Who Dared
1960 Swiss Family Robinson
1961 One Hundred and One Dalmatians
1961 The Parent Trap
1961 Nikki, Wild Dog of the North
1961 Babes in Toyland
1961 The Absent-Minded Professor
1961 Greyfriars Bobby
1962 Bon Voyage!
1962 Big Red
1962 Almost Angels
1962 Moon Pilot
1962 The Legend of Lobo
1962 In Search of the Castaways
1963 Son of Flubber
1963 Summer Magic
1963 Miracle of the White Stallions
1963 Savage Sam
1963 The Sword in the Stone
1963 The Incredible Journey
1964 Mary Poppins
1960 Toby Tyler
1960 Kidnapped
1960 The Sign of Zorro
1960 Ten Who Dared
1960 Swiss Family Robinson
1961 One Hundred and One Dalmatians
1961 The Parent Trap
1961 Nikki, Wild Dog of the North
1961 Babes in Toyland
1961 The Absent-Minded Professor
1961 Greyfriars Bobby
1962 Bon Voyage!
1962 Big Red
1962 Almost Angels
1962 Moon Pilot
1962 The Legend of Lobo
1962 In Search of the Castaways
1963 Son of Flubber
1963 Summer Magic
1963 Miracle of the White Stallions
1963 Savage Sam
1963 The Sword in the Stone
1963 The Incredible Journey
1964 Mary Poppins
Twenty-four films. Three of them (italicized) are animated (partially, in Mary Poppins case) and thus seen all the time. Of the other twenty-one live action, I can think of only three or four that get regular viewings...and one of those, Son of Flubber, only gets that because it usually ends up as a “double feature” with Absent-Minded Professor.
And the ones still watched are light comedies. They hold up a lot better over the years than Disney's dramas. Therefore, I strongly suspect a Disney “Star Wars” from that era is much more likely to end up in the same class as a Greyfriar's Bobby6 than a Mary Poppins. So that if it's watched at all it'll either be for the nostalgia value (for the few watchers old enough) or MST3K type amusement...
...hmmm. Now there's a thought:
Mystery Science Theater 3000 - SEASON ONE 1989-1990
Episode 106- Disney's STAR WARS with short: COMMANDO CODY AND THE RADAR MEN FROM THE MOON PT 1
Episode 106- Disney's STAR WARS with short: COMMANDO CODY AND THE RADAR MEN FROM THE MOON PT 1
In theory, this special issue of Metachronological Geographic does a compare & contrast of three different alternate world's Californias. In the "real" world, all three of the "Island California's" in question have been discussed at one point or another in POD.
The top left one (where it's next to Alaska) is, in a weird way, a "future" California (after it's drifted north for another fifty or sixty million years) mapped onto current day. Mind you, had California drifted like that, Alaska (and especially the Aleutians) would look totally different as well...but then no one would recognize it as Alaska, so I cheated. When I was making it, the file got named “Alaskalifornia.”
The middle-right one is of course from my Isle of California timeline.
Like previous covers, the barcode actually does read "POD 52 200807." There's also a "Verse 218 Edition" as a nod to Charlie Jade's terminology.
There's a bunch of cities named on all three islands, but one city on each is named (as you move down) "Point," "Of," and "Divergence." And, no, you can't see them on the cover as printed.