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Alternate Wikibox Thread

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Full map here.
 
gonna post this here just because i haven't done a wikibox in weeks, even though it only took me ten minutes
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My favourite trope in wikiboxes is "Take someone famous and make them deliberately obscure."
Did his artificial heart stop working and Q gave him a chance to relive his reckless youth in Edinburgh, which he spent as a pugilistic new Labour ensign, fighting Nausicaan Tory activists?
 
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A rundown of both the actors to play the Doctor, and of those playing the Master in the Jeavonsverse, now dubbed For Want of a Grade.

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Was scrolling far too quickly and accidentally convinced myself the newest Master was David Schwimmer.


is this what it feels like to be cursed with knowledge
 
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Was scrolling far too quickly and accidentally convinced myself the newest Master was David Schwimmer.


is this what it feels like to be cursed with knowledge
i, despite watching many, many episodes of Friends in my time, cannot replicate Ross Geller's character as if he were The Master. I'm very disappointed in myself, and I hope you all are too.
 
The team had not parted on good terms. So when George W. Bush announced his bid for a second non-consecutive term, his ambitious former Vice President, Christine Todd Whitman, was not involved whatsoever. She announced her own bid in time, and the primaries began to go back and forth. Both of them wanted a shot at defeating the Grand Old Man, who announced and went through with a bid for a second term after having been given a terminal cancer diagnosis that was not made public until his death. It soon became apparent that there was going to be a brokered convention, and a certain sense of deja vu began to creep in. This time, however, Bush by quite a large margin had a plurality of delegates, and indeed of the popular vote with Whitman relatively far behind. The convention came, and the delegates for the other parties began being instructed to go for Whitman. McCain was seen with a shit eating grin on his face as he did unto Bush what Bush had done eight years earlier. And with that, Whitman became the nominee on the final round of voting. She made history as the first female presidential candidate in history, and decided to make further history by selecting Representative Michele Bachmann as her running mate, creating the first all woman ticket in American history. The general election campaign had begun, and the shenanigans at the Republican convention caused a major shift in the momentum for the Grand Old Man.

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This was just the boost that the Grand Old Man needed. Unlike in 2000, when both McCain and himself were screwed out of their respective nominations by Bradley and Bush, the very lopsided convention coup from Whitman and McCain made the Republicans plummet in the polls. This and the pick of the (quickly becoming) immensely unpopular Michele Bachmann as her vice president caused the Republicans to begin to fall behind in states where they really had no business falling behind. Sure, the Grand Old Man was expected to win, probably by a somewhat increased margin from 2004, but nothing on the scale that some of the polls were suggesting was expected. These leads came to a crescendo when about a month before the election, they were leading in states like Texas and even West Virginia. While the leads in those states would fade away, especially quickly in West Virginia, it was very very clear who would win the general election. As the returns started coming in, it was clear that the results were roughly in line with most of the polls predicting a landslide victory for the Grand Old Man's ticket. The race was called very quickly for him and Whitman conceded. The coup had not paid off.

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The President was soon inaugurated for a second term, but the happy times were not to last as the Grand Old Man passed away seven months into his second term due to brain cancer. Vice President Vilsack would accede to the presidency, pledging to carry on the legacy of the well beloved Grand Old Man, President Edward Moore Kennedy.

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"Claire Wright, Independent, thirty three thousand..."

And there you go, Claire Wright, the independent candidate who has stood in the last two elections has defeated the new Conservative candidate Simon Jupp who has replaced the retiring Hugo Swire. A very large majority of over ten thousand, overturning a majority of over eight thousand, it rather reminds me of when Martin Bell defeated Neil Hamilton back in 1997. This seat has been Conservative for over one hundred and eighty years. Claire Wright is only the second independent elected since then, and we may have another in Beaconsfield but we'll have to wait and see.


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i also wrote a thing with Claire Wright in it
 
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Martian esotericism refers to the esoteric spiritual practices present on the various settlements on Mars. Following the establishment of the first permanent settlement on Mars in 2052, a gradual rise in distinct Martian culture would occur. Martian esotericism as a movement was first identified during the Martian renaissance of 2089 to 2103 and persisted in the decades that followed. Martian esotericism took many cues from western esotericism as well as Earth-based movements such as Thelema, Gaianism and Wicca. Below is a brief overview of some of the core people considered part of Martian esotericism.

Natalie Heng (born 2057) is considered the forebearer of modern Martian esotericism. Heng was raised in a family that had practiced Thelema on Earth, but dropped the practice upon settling on Mars owing to distinctions between Mars time and Earth time throwing off much of the practice. Heng, however, would rediscover the works of Thelemite authors such as Aleister Crowley, Kenneth Grant, Georgina Rose and Vivian King, which she used to develop a new model of the practice. Heng is a prolific author, but her most notable book remains New World Correspondences which helped play a key role in building Martian astrology based off distinctions in planetary relations on Mars versus Earth. Heng also helped devise the Rite of the Red Planet, a ritual intended to invoke the energies of Mars itself for the benefit of practitioners. Heng is also the founder and current head of the Fraternitas Homini, a ‘Martian Thelemic’ order dedicated to the adaptation of Thelemic principles on Mars.

Tyler Abras (2060-2127) played a key role in developing one of the strands of Martian esotericism that is today embraced by Gaia’s Children. Abras had a rather secular upbringing, but in the 2080’s became an avid fan of Gaianism. Abras was particularly drawn to the Gaian ideal of spreading life energy as widely as possible. In 2093, Abras would write Gaia Above which outlined a vision of how Gaianism ought to apply to residents of Mars. Abras argued that humanity’s ‘Earthties’ obligated it not only to nurture life on Earth, but to spread life to Mars. Abras thus was a strong advocate in favor of terraforming Mars during the Great Terraforming Debates of 2101 to 2123. Arguing that life itself was sacred, Abras thus attracted a great deal of ire among the Pure Mars Society. It was a member of the Society, Richard Nowasz, who ultimately assassinated Abras. Despite his death, Abras remains an influential figure for pro-terraforming activists and is considered a martyr by the Living Planet Party.

Alex Harris (born 2062) is the current deputy head of the Fraternitas Homini and is a close associate of Heng. Harris was born into a wholly secular family and had initial aspirations of simply being an artist, but early on developed a strong fascination with Thelema. They came to the attention of Heng with the creation of the Harris Tree of Life and the Olympus Mons Tarot Deck in 2095. Harris based their version of the Tarot and the Tree of Life bearing their name on the Martian astrology first devised by Heng, which altered the correspondences of different cards (along with unique designs Harris drew themselves) as well as planetary affiliation of the Sephiroth based on the correspondences Heng developed for a unique Martian astrology. Harris is also credited with developing the idea that Olympus Mons is a central point of spiritual energy that would become the basis for the religion of Monsianism, though Harris never participated in that sect themselves.

Benjamin Hernandez (2053-2137) was one of the first children born on Mars. Hernandez was an avid fan of science fiction, especially science-fiction depicting Mars. Hernandez would, in the 2060’s, become aware of the principles of chaos magick through the work of Phil Hine and Margaret Williams. Inspired, Hernandez would write To Grok Among the Stars, where he makes the case that older works of science fiction based on Mars could wield additional power for residents of the planet today. In particular, Hernandez cites Stranger in a Strange Land’s Church of All Worlds as a model to follow for Mars residents (something bolstered by his formation of an identically-named group in 2070). However, Hernandez also supported the use of other Mars-set works and characters in spellcraft—he himself outlines in the book rituals involving John Carter, J’onn J’onzz, the Ice Warriors and the Molluscs. Known for a rather colorful style of dress and mannerisms, Hernandez drew a major following for this work and the rituals he outlined. However, he would also be a controversial figure—critics and former members of the Church of All Worlds accused him of being overly controlling and of potential cult-like behavior. While these claims were never proven, Hernandez’s more hedonistic side ultimately got the better of him as he ultimately died of a heart attack during an orgy.

Kevin Musk (2074-) is the current head of the Arena Rumrum RELIQUA and the writer of a number of short esoteric texts including Grimoire of the First Ones and The Shifting Sands. Musk, a descendent of the businessman Elon Musk best known for the failed Mars colonization mission of 2038, is a controversial figure owing to his claims to have established contact with the spirits of an ancient race of ‘First Ones’ who used to live on Mars. Musk claimed the spirits of the First Ones shared with him rituals that help one develop spiritually and relayed their history, which saw the bulk of their kind perish due to attempting too strongly to control their environment. Musk and his followers hold that Mars ought to be altered as minimally as possible, with only resource extraction in the vicinity of the human settlements being tolerable and that the ‘Red Planet must STAY RED’ to honor the lost First Ones, who are often consulted by members of the Arena Rumrum RELIQUA via the Communion of the First Ones. Musk thus is considered one of the main supporters of the anti-terraforming movement and additionally is one of the most well-known members of the Pure Mars Society. Musk has been accused of attempting to start a cult, but Musk has pushed back on these claims by citing the fact that following his first communications with the First Ones, he shut down most operations of his major business holdings despite projections of billions in profit had he kept them.
 
The team had not parted on good terms. So when George W. Bush announced his bid for a second non-consecutive term, his ambitious former Vice President, Christine Todd Whitman, was not involved whatsoever. She announced her own bid in time, and the primaries began to go back and forth. Both of them wanted a shot at defeating the Grand Old Man, who announced and went through with a bid for a second term after having been given a terminal cancer diagnosis that was not made public until his death. It soon became apparent that there was going to be a brokered convention, and a certain sense of deja vu began to creep in. This time, however, Bush by quite a large margin had a plurality of delegates, and indeed of the popular vote with Whitman relatively far behind. The convention came, and the delegates for the other parties began being instructed to go for Whitman. McCain was seen with a shit eating grin on his face as he did unto Bush what Bush had done eight years earlier. And with that, Whitman became the nominee on the final round of voting. She made history as the first female presidential candidate in history, and decided to make further history by selecting Representative Michele Bachmann as her running mate, creating the first all woman ticket in American history. The general election campaign had begun, and the shenanigans at the Republican convention caused a major shift in the momentum for the Grand Old Man.

View attachment 36774

This was just the boost that the Grand Old Man needed. Unlike in 2000, when both McCain and himself were screwed out of their respective nominations by Bradley and Bush, the very lopsided convention coup from Whitman and McCain made the Republicans plummet in the polls. This and the pick of the (quickly becoming) immensely unpopular Michele Bachmann as her vice president caused the Republicans to begin to fall behind in states where they really had no business falling behind. Sure, the Grand Old Man was expected to win, probably by a somewhat increased margin from 2004, but nothing on the scale that some of the polls were suggesting was expected. These leads came to a crescendo when about a month before the election, they were leading in states like Texas and even West Virginia. While the leads in those states would fade away, especially quickly in West Virginia, it was very very clear who would win the general election. As the returns started coming in, it was clear that the results were roughly in line with most of the polls predicting a landslide victory for the Grand Old Man's ticket. The race was called very quickly for him and Whitman conceded. The coup had not paid off.

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The President was soon inaugurated for a second term, but the happy times were not to last as the Grand Old Man passed away seven months into his second term due to brain cancer. Vice President Vilsack would accede to the presidency, pledging to carry on the legacy of the well beloved Grand Old Man, President Edward Moore Kennedy.

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The Grand Old Man was dead. Vice President Vilsack succeeded him. The new Vice President was Senator Mark Warner. Chaos, yet expected in inner circles. And what did the Republicans decide to do 4 years later in the primaries? Well, they decided to have another brokered convention of course. 2000, 2008, and now 2012. There were seven contenders. Ron Paul, running for the third election in a row, was one of the big faces this time and was considered to actually have a chance this time around. There was Michele Bachmann, the intensely unpopular Vice Presidential nominee to Christine Todd Whitman in 2008, who wanted to galvanise the support of the grass roots Republicans. There was John McCain, the Senator from Arizona trying for the third time after having been dicked from the nomination by Bush in 2000, and then himself playing his part to dick Bush from the nomination in 2008. He had his momentum, but he wasn't expected to do as well as in 2008, and certainly not in 2000; he would be 80 if elected to a second term. There was John Kasich, running for a second time 12 years after his first bid, having come in third place behind Bush and McCain. He had his followers but his bid in 2012 was not entirely expected. There was Jeb Bush, the brother of George W. and son of George H. W, having a go in order to return the Bush family to the White House. George W. Bush was expected to make a fourth consecutive bid for the White House, but decided against it. Bush was one of the front-runners and was expected to do quite well indeed. There was Mitt Romney, the former Governor of Massachusetts, having his second go after having come sixth in 2008, but having won three states. This time, he was one of the two front-runners along with the brother Bush. Then, there was the Crazy Old Man. Born in Tennessee but associated with Georgia, he had briefly made a bid for President in 2000, before dropping out and endorsing Alan Keyes, who came in fifth behind former Vice President Quayle.

It was to moderate surprise that Michele Bachmann won Iowa, but it wasn't a completely unconceived hypothetical. However, it came as a shock when the Crazy Old Man won in New Hampshire, having been polling in single digits. Then, to the horror of the establishment Republicans rooting mainly for Bush but also some for Romney, he began to win the states leading up to Super Tuesday. He actually didn't win on Super Tuesday, But the momentum he achieved from the states that he did win on Super Tuesday was bigger than the momentum won by Romney and Bush. In the end, the primaries came down to three. Jeb, Mitt, and the Crazy Old Man. For the third time in twelve years, it soon became painfully apparent that there was going to be a brokered convention in the Republican Party. When the final delegate count was revealed, it was by far the most fractious of the three. While 2000 had been a 1012-1142 split ending up with Bush winning 1360-1142, and 2008 had been a 609-1111 split ending up with Whitman winning 1269-1111, this time the convention delegates had to endure a three way with the Crazy Old Man, Mitt Romney, and Jeb, with only a couple dozen delegates between them; 743-723-701. COM had a narrow lead of 20 delegates ahead of Romney, and 42 ahead of Bush. Former VP candidate Bachmann released her delegates to COM. Ron Paul gave his delegates to McCain. McCain released his delegates and gave them to Kasich. Kasich, against all expectations, actually gave his delegates, including McCain's released ones, to the delegate leader. The reason for this, however, would become apparent soon enough. The decider now, was Jeb Bush. It now being confirmed that the Bushes would not have a fourth Republican nomination so yet, Bush decided that after a lot of thinking that it would only do harm to the Republicans if they dicked the delegate and popular vote leader out of the nomination three times out of three of the last three times that the Republicans had had a brokered convention.

And so, in the end, Bush gave his delegates to the Crazy Old Man, securing the nomination for him. An absolute rank outsider, he announced that John Kasich would be his running mate. This had been arranged before the convention, but was only announced after the final vote. He had decided to do this to help woo over the establishment-inclined voters in the general election. With another disaster avoided, given the 2008 convention debacle widely being considered to have lost the Republicans the 2008 election in a landslide, the Republicans could take something of a deep breath, with some anxiousness to their nominee's platform and ability to win, and turned to the general election.


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The Crazy Old Man was consistently behind President Vilsack in the polls. It was at one point predicted that the President would win in a landslide similar in strength to that of his predecessor, the Grand Old Man. These kinds of predictions soon ceased as polling stabilised, but the President was consistently in the lead. The Crazy Old Man's campaign was lambasted as simply that; crazy, and the final polls before polling day suggested a three point lead for the incumbent President. If the election had been held in the days and weeks after the Grand Old Man's death, the Crazy Old Man would very likely have been condemned to irrelevancy and sent back to the fringes of the Republican Party. The Crazy Old Man, at worst, saw the opportunity to be something of a Goldwater figure, leading the way for a generation after him to follow in his footsteps in a new era of politics in about twenty years time. It was with this mindset that he found himself in as the returns started coming in.

And then, for the Democrats, shit hit the fan.


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Nobody knew how, but the Crazy Old Man was vastly overperforming expectations. Much, much more than the degree to which Kennedy exceeded expectations in 2004. Florida flipped red for the first time in twelve years. Wisconsin voted red for the first time since 1984. States like Indiana and Ohio came back home to daddy; the latter being helped by Kasich's presence on the ticket. The final result was a rather bizarre map, given trends, but the end result made the Crazy Old Man the President-elect of the United States, and left President Vilsack with a consession speech to give, as the first incumbent Democrat president to lose an election for 36 years. The President-elect was jubilant, but the Democrats were absolutely fuming. Vilsack had won the popular vote by a hundred thousand, and the Crazy Old Man would be entering the White House. Sure, the 2000 election was close, but at least Bush actually won the popular vote. For the first time in 124 years, the popular vote winner had been cheated out of the White House.

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In 1949, a Chippenham family moves to San Francisco for work shortly before the birth of their new baby, who eventually enters fringe party politics. Three years later, a San Francisco family move to Chippenham to provide the best life for their new baby, and they eventually join Labour party politics.

The rest as they say is history...

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In 1949, a Chippenham family moves to San Francisco for work shortly before the birth of their new baby, who eventually enters fringe party politics. Three years later, a San Francisco family move to Chippenham to provide the best life for their new baby, and they eventually join Labour party politics.

The rest as they say is history...

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Jeremy Corbyn fighting in Vietnam and middling amid the mediocre obscurity of Green Party internal politics feels too cruel a punishment
 
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