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Post by simon darkshade on Apr 12, 2021 18:28:07 GMT
Steve,
Not a problem.
Where I’m going with this is a segment on resources and energy, with a visit to an underground bunker containing a rather special intelligent mainframe-analytical engine. It is able to model the production and flow of resources along with every Merchant Navy ship on a simulated world map and then use the data for a variety of purposes. It is one part Project Cybersyn, one part HAL-9000 and one part Asimov’s MULTIVAC, developed by a team including Professor Alan Turing, Professor Stephen Falken and Stafford Beer. It is going to be linked up with other mainframes in different PYTHON bunkers.
Simon
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Post by stevep on Apr 13, 2021 9:48:27 GMT
Steve, Not a problem. Where I’m going with this is a segment on resources and energy, with a visit to an underground bunker containing a rather special intelligent mainframe-analytical engine. It is able to model the production and flow of resources along with every Merchant Navy ship on a simulated world map and then use the data for a variety of purposes. It is one part Project Cybersyn, one part HAL-9000 and one part Asimov’s MULTIVAC, developed by a team including Professor Alan Turing, Professor Stephen Falken and Stafford Beer. It is going to be linked up with other mainframes in different PYTHON bunkers. Simon
Multivac I can take but for some reason Hal-9000 makes me rather twitchy! 
Of course the big problem with centralised planning is that while its the most efficient in a static environment and were the inputs and decisions are accurate they tend to suffer in a fluid situation or where initial decisions are inaccurate. [The old GIGO problem] Especially when those decisions make errors in terms of what people want. As such the basic assumptions will need regular checking and revision and hopefully both the people in charge of it and those in government above them realise that.
Steve
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Post by simon darkshade on Apr 13, 2021 10:26:23 GMT
Steve,
None of those involved have stars in their eyes as to the limits of the technology. Barton is much more of a social democrat than a socialist, but he does have notions of developing a genuine third way with a uniquely British flavour - Empire Socialism, as it were. If the infrastructure could be put in place for workable centralised economic planning, he wouldn’t rule it out, having been a keen student of the experience of economics and government in the Second World War. The immediate purpose of this experimental machine + network will be to coordinate resource extraction/production, transportation, stockpiling and utilisation; analysing patterns and flows of transport (with a view towards modern convoy planning as a contingency); how long it would take to build strategic stockpiles; and analysing patterns of trade.
This is the era of the “white heat of technology” and there is just as much enthusiasm for its potential utilisation as in @. If Britain is to compete with the USA, USSR and China, then it cannot do it head to head - it has to use its head.
Apart from those three mentioned above, there are perhaps only three other potential ‘natural’ or ‘continental’ superpowers: India (should it forge its own completely independent path) and Brazil are the obvious ones and the other being some combination of Germany + Austria-Hungary.
Simon
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Post by stevep on Apr 14, 2021 14:31:47 GMT
Steve, None of those involved have stars in their eyes as to the limits of the technology. Barton is much more of a social democrat than a socialist, but he does have notions of developing a genuine third way with a uniquely British flavour - Empire Socialism, as it were. If the infrastructure could be put in place for workable centralised economic planning, he wouldn’t rule it out, having been a keen student of the experience of economics and government in the Second World War. The immediate purpose of this experimental machine + network will be to coordinate resource extraction/production, transportation, stockpiling and utilisation; analysing patterns and flows of transport (with a view towards modern convoy planning as a contingency); how long it would take to build strategic stockpiles; and analysing patterns of trade. This is the era of the “white heat of technology” and there is just as much enthusiasm for its potential utilisation as in @. If Britain is to compete with the USA, USSR and China, then it cannot do it head to head - it has to use its head.Apart from those three mentioned above, there are perhaps only three other potential ‘natural’ or ‘continental’ superpowers: India (should it forge its own completely independent path) and Brazil are the obvious ones and the other being some combination of Germany + Austria-Hungary. Simon
Definitely agree with both bits of this. We need a qualitative edge to match with the big guys, even with close cooperation with the dominions.
In the longer term, although it would be unlikely at the moment, would a Muslim/Arab combination be a potential other super power. In the nearer turn, if they developed as OTL possibly also Japan, at least economically.
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Post by simon darkshade on Apr 14, 2021 15:28:26 GMT
Steve,
The second question can be answered by looking at what are the attributes of a superpower. I think I’ve done this before here in some form, but here we go:
- Population above 300 million
- Massive natural resource base
- Very large land forces, blue water navy, Tier 1 air force
- Thermonuclear weapons
- Industrial capacity sufficient to compete with the big boys
- Ability to fund and sustain a large defence budget
- Lack of dependence on foreign trade on any particular key commodity
- Tier 1 economy and trade network
- Space programme and rocket construction capacity
- Very strong research basis through universities and other organisations
- Power projection
By that basis, Japan falls down on a few counts, but most particularly its own resources. The Arabs fall down on population, resources, power projection and a few other factors. Not impossible in either case, but needs a lot to go right. Japan + Korea does get a mention as a worrying combo soon.
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Post by simon darkshade on Apr 19, 2021 13:34:00 GMT
1967 International Resources Overview
Coal (million tons)
USSR: 627
USA: 599
Germany: 462
China: 402
Britain: 383
Steel (million tons)
USA: 149
USSR: 132
Germany: 79
Japan: 72
China: 58
Britain: 52
Oil (million bbl/day)
USA: 12.5
USSR: 8.6
Arabia: 8.4
Iraq: 5.2
Persia: 4.9
Trucial States: 4.2
Canada: 3.6
China: 3.5
Mexico: 3.2
Brazil: 3.1
Britain: 2.9
Indonesia: 2.7
Kuwait: 2.5
Nigeria: 2.4
Natural Gas (million cubic metres)
USA: 524
USSR: 413
Persia: 146
Canada: 125
Arabia: 111
China: 109
Australia: 98
Britain: 96
Uranium (tons)
USSR: 34,000
Canada: 10,000
Australia: 5800
South Africa: 4200
USA: 1800
China: 1400
India: 800
Copper (thousands of tons)
Chile: 9000
Peru: 5000
Rhodesia: 3800
USA: 2900
USSR: 2000
China: 1500
Mexico: 950
Britain: 800
Aluminium (million tons)
USA: 7.5
USSR: 4.3
Canada: 2.3
China: 2.2
Norway: 1.6
Germany: 1.3
Britain: 1.2
Sweden: 1.1
India: 1.0
France: 0.9
Australia: 0.7
Nickel (thousands of tons)
Canada. 520
USSR: 417
Indonesia: 350
Bensalem: 310
Philippines: 230
Australia: 205
China: 102
USA: 96
West Indies: 78
Manganese (millions of tons)
South Africa: 5.25
Australia: 2.2
Spanish Congo: 2.13
USSR: 1.5
Brazil: 1.4
India: 1.3
Malaya: 0.6
Chromium (million tons)
South Africa: 15
Ottoman Turkey: 13.1
USSR: 12.5
India: 5
Rhodesia: 3.24
Finland: 1.9
USA: 0.9
Tin (tons)
India: 52,000
Indonesia: 45,000
China: 42,000
Malaya: 30,000
Peru: 26,000
Bolivia: 24,000
Brazil: 15,000
USA: 15,000
Britain: 12,000
Australia: 9000
USSR: 5000
Titanium
USSR: 79,000
Japan: 40,000
China: 25,000
South Africa: 8000
Zinc (thousands of tons)
USA: 2100
USSR: 1700
Peru: 1500
Australia: 1000
India: 900
Mexico: 875
Bolivia: 750
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Post by simon darkshade on Apr 28, 2021 12:40:42 GMT
1960 US State Populations and Electoral College Votes
- As populations have risen markedly in between 1960 and 1967, it is likely that California and Florida will rise and there may be some adjustment to the total of 550 votes (108 Senate and 442 House of Representatives).
- 276 are needed for a majority
Alabama: 4,642,784 (9 votes)
Arizona: 2,083,458 (5 votes)
Arkansas: 2,544,134 (4 votes)
California: 25,063,598 (LA: 5,517,291, SF: 1,254,675) (41 votes)
Colorado: 2,680,303 (6 votes)
Connecticut: 3,856,374 (8 votes)
Delaware: 712,068 (3 votes)
Florida: 7,522,496 (14 votes)
Franklin: 2,529,644 (6 votes)
Georgia: 5,724,985 (11 votes)
Hawaii: 896,436 (3 votes)
Idaho: 906,723 (3 votes)
Illinois: 17,529,152 (Chicago: 12,597,288) (29 votes)
Indiana: 9,259,997 (16 votes)
Iowa: 3,842,887 (8 votes)
Jefferson: 2,836,812 (6 votes)
Kansas: 2,964,462 (7 votes)
Kentucky: 4,527,059 (9 votes)
Louisiana: 4,380,234 (9 votes)
Lincoln: 1,428,359 (4 votes)
Maine: 1,265,932 (4 votes)
Maryland: 4,061,102 (Baltimore: 1,427,982) (8 votes)
Massachusetts: 8,423,775 (Boston: 4,032,369) (15 votes)
Michigan: 11,416,898 (Detroit: 4,206,980) (20 votes)
Minnesota: 4,897,921 (10 votes)
Mississippi: 3,026,547 (7 votes)
Missouri: 6,211,709 (St. Louis 1,672,573) (12 votes)
Montana: 892,996 (3 votes)
Nebraska: 1,872,368 (5 votes)
Nevada: 462,117 (3 votes)
New Hampshire: 921,564 (3 votes)
New Jersey: 8,573,851 (15 votes)
New Mexico: 1,326,534 (4 votes)
New York: 32,219,746 (NYC 24,986,225) (52 votes)
North Carolina: 6,698,844 (12 votes)
North Dakota: 875,326 (3 votes)
Ohio: 15,055,286 (Cleveland 1,632,349; Cincinatti 1,453,672) (25 votes)
Oklahoma: 2,568,296 (6 votes)
Oregon: 2,574,899 (6 votes)
Pennsylvania: 18,110,985 (Philadelphia: 6,429,275) (30 votes)
Rhode Island: 1,113,247 (4 votes)
Sequoyah: 901,698 (3 votes)
South Carolina: 3,612,143 (8 votes)
South Dakota: 932,058 (3 votes)
Sylvania: 792,483 (3 votes)
Tennessee: 3,035,253 (7 votes)
Texas: 16,243,719 (27 votes)
Utah: 1,225,340 (4 votes)
Vermont: 526,773 (3 votes)
Virginia: 7,347,118 (13 votes)
Washington: 5,296,157 (10 votes)
West Virginia: 2,579,352 (6 votes)
Wisconsin: 6,324,859 (12 votes)
Wyoming: 429,346 (3 votes)
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Post by simon darkshade on May 9, 2021 15:58:27 GMT
Notes on The Fellowship of the Ring (1967)
- Begins with a rendering of the prologue, introducing the events of The Hobbit, Bilbo and the background of Middle Earth
- Bilbo’s birthday party and the aftermath 17 years afterward come straight from the book
- Meeting elves on the road occurs, followed by Farmer Maggot’s segment
- Bombadil, Old Man Willow and the barrow wight are all featured
- Gandalf meets with Saruman
- Bree, Riders and Escape
Intermission
- Battle at Weathertop
- Race to Rivendell and rescue by Glorfindel
- Council of Elrond
- Misty Mountains
- Moria: Battle and Balrog
- Lorien and the Breaking of the Fellowship
- Plenty of poetry and song included
- The musical score is even more epic than the 2001 adaption, befitting the nature of the time
- Heavy use made of landscape shots and scenery
- Aragorn has a different, more kingly character arc. He is great, noble and powerful
- Boromir gets more screen time and comes across as a classic tragic hero
- He goes down against over 100 orcs, slaying dozens
- The Elves and Elf Lords are presented as mighty, but few
- Gandalf is portrayed as even mightier yet and uses many spells and much overt magic
- Frodo is a deeper, wiser character
- Plenty of scenes of food and feasting
- The looming War of the Ring is foreshadowed in a wider context, as the Dark Earth trilogy does have a tad more mention of the other fronts
-
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Post by stevep on May 10, 2021 14:46:23 GMT
Notes on The Fellowship of the Ring (1967) - Begins with a rendering of the prologue, introducing the events of The Hobbit, Bilbo and the background of Middle Earth - Bilbo’s birthday party and the aftermath 17 years afterward come straight from the book - Meeting elves on the road occurs, followed by Farmer Maggot’s segment - Bombadil, Old Man Willow and the barrow wight are all featured - Gandalf meets with Saruman - Bree, Riders and Escape Intermission - Battle at Weathertop - Race to Rivendell and rescue by Glorfindel - Council of Elrond - Misty Mountains - Moria: Battle and Balrog - Lorien and the Breaking of the Fellowship - Plenty of poetry and song included - The musical score is even more epic than the 2001 adaption, befitting the nature of the time - Heavy use made of landscape shots and scenery - Aragorn has a different, more kingly character arc. He is great, noble and powerful - Boromir gets more screen time and comes across as a classic tragic hero - He goes down against over 100 orcs, slaying dozens - The Elves and Elf Lords are presented as mighty, but few - Gandalf is portrayed as even mightier yet and uses many spells and much overt magic - Frodo is a deeper, wiser character - Plenty of scenes of food and feasting - The looming War of the Ring is foreshadowed in a wider context, as the Dark Earth trilogy does have a tad more mention of the other fronts -
Now that sounds good, especially with Tom[Bombadil] getting a look in although his nature might be confusing to some. I hope with the deeper look at Aragon that they don't exclude things like his initial shabby experience and the doubts the 4 hobbits have about him as the Rangers are a small and scattered people who's work is largely unknown and overlooked. Having Tom [Barleyman] telling Gandalf about his concerns about the party going off with Strider and Gandalf's relief at hearing the news is a good show on how overlooked the Ranger's are. - Similarly in the 3rd book when the returning hobbits tell Barleyman about the return of the king and he's worried about how this stranger will have little interests in the problems of the region then they tell him who the king actually is.
I must admit I had misread the earlier post as I thought this film was about the entire LotRs story. Glad its going to be a trilogy as OTL. 
Hope this film includes my favourite bit, with Bilbo's retort to Boromir when he questions Aragorn's status during the Council of Elrond.  The one down side I can see is that with 1960's technology some of the special effects are likely to be fairly primitive compared to the Jackson films. [Unless they can use some magic possibly]. Things like the fight with the Balrog especially might be a challenge.
Steve
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Post by simon darkshade on Jun 18, 2021 15:09:57 GMT
I've got a few pieces in the pipeline coming soon (after exams) but have been casting my eyes ahead to 1968 for one particular issue: The US Presidential Election.
JFK is limited by the 22nd Amendment and, although noises have been made, it has not been repealed. His vice president, George Smathers, doesn't really have the profile, desire or capacity to make a serious run.
Democratic Candidate Options
Yes
Senator Hubert Humphrey
Governor John Connolly
Secretary of War Henry Jackson
Senator Edmund Muskie
Maybe
Secretary of Air Bruce Wayne: Very wealthy, but lacks a huge political profile
Secretary of Defense Clark Savage: Extremely capable and respected, but not a natural politician
Governor James Carter: Narrowly won the 1966 Georgia gubernatorial election, but hasn't really had the opportunity to make his mark yet
Robert Kennedy: Hasn't made the jump to the Senate yet
No
Eugene McCarthy: Not only isn't there the same anti-Vietnam youth vote, but he isn't even in the Democratic Party, having gone to the Whigs/Liberals
George Wallace: Not a factor without the segregation issue firing up the south
Republican Candidate Options
Yes
Governor Ronald Reagan
Governor Nelson Rockefeller
Governor George Romney
Maybe
Former SecState Jefferson Smith: Possible, but lacks a nationwide constituency
No
Richard Nixon: Supreme Court Justice
Senator Everett Dirksen: Too old
It is a lot wider open than the historical poll, but carries the complicating factor of the Vietnam War hitting its climax. That is why I am thinking about a repeal of the 22nd Amendment, although the timeframe is very slim.
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Post by lordroel on Jun 18, 2021 15:25:12 GMT
I've got a few pieces in the pipeline coming soon (after exams) but have been casting my eyes ahead to 1968 for one particular issue: The US Presidential Election. JFK is limited by the 22nd Amendment and, although noises have been made, it has not been repealed. His vice president, George Smathers, doesn't really have the profile, desire or capacity to make a serious run. So there are some voices in the United States who want to have unlimited terms in office for a president. |
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Post by simon darkshade on Jun 18, 2021 18:31:39 GMT
Not unlimited, but there is a view from the Democrats that the 22nd is biased against them, given its origin. Kennedy being a popular President in the midst of a war might be an ace in the hole.
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Post by simon darkshade on Jul 15, 2021 14:13:49 GMT
Creatures of Australia
Yowies (9ft tall hairy ape-like creatures akin the sasquatch and yeti)
Bunyip (Vicious aquatic reptile living around the Murray River and coastal areas)
Wonambi (25ft long constrictor python)
Marsupial Lion
Giant crocodiles (45ft long saltwater crocs)
Zaglossus hacketti (Giant venomous echidna)
Diprotodon
Giant short-faced kangaroo (8ft tall omnivorous predator kangaroo)
Death Wombat
Drop Bear (Giant carnivorous koala)
Thunderbird
Bullbird/Demon Duck of Doom
Megalania (Giant goanna/monitor lizard)
Giant spiders
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Post by stevep on Jul 15, 2021 14:42:31 GMT
Creatures of Australia Yowies (9ft tall hairy ape-like creatures akin the sasquatch and yeti) Bunyip (Vicious aquatic reptile living around the Murray River and coastal areas) Wonambi (25ft long constrictor python) Marsupial Lion Giant crocodiles (45ft long saltwater crocs) Zaglossus hacketti (Giant venomous echidna) Diprotodon Giant short-faced kangaroo (8ft tall omnivorous predator kangaroo) Death Wombat Drop Bear (Giant carnivorous koala) Thunderbird Bullbird/Demon Duck of Doom Megalania (Giant goanna/monitor lizard) Giant spiders
Oh nothing to be worried about then, gulp.  I know there are saltwater crocks that plague the northern regions especially but think that 45' is rather longer than them. Some of those other sounds distinctly ugh! How safe are the sheep in DE Aussie, let alone the people?
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Post by simon darkshade on Jul 15, 2021 15:05:38 GMT
The sheep and people are reasonably safe, given fencing, hunting and rule .303. Most of the creatures in question have dramatically reduced ranges compared to pre European settlement and pre-Aboriginal times.
The saltwater crocodiles are actually in danger of being wiped out in Australian waters due to a policy of eradication and the freshwater crocodiles are further on the path to extinction.
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The one down side I can see is that with 1960's technology some of the special effects are likely to be fairly primitive compared to the Jackson films. [Unless they can use some magic possibly]. Things like the fight with the Balrog especially might be a challenge.
I know there are saltwater crocks that plague the northern regions especially but think that 45' is rather longer than them. Some of those other sounds distinctly ugh! How safe are the sheep in DE Aussie, let alone the people?