unforum

[Degausser]

Eh, who knows. It seems pretty obvious that it's drop point, and we found what it was pointing at in any case... Not quite as illuminating as I'd hoped, perhaps, but something to work with, that's for certain.

[wkelly42]

In JC's Skype username/description, there's a url -- http://tinyurl.com/2nhyxu

It leads to this page: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/02/world/asia/02musharraf.html?_r=1&ref=world&oref=slogin

Wondering about the significance of that particular story, since so much of our clues seem to be pointing toward Saudi Arabia and China.

And just as an aside, the Chinese Consulate is in Los Angeles:

500 Shatto Pl
Los Angeles, CA 90020
(213) 807-8006

21 minutes away from the spot that we found in the red-monday.com/gabriel page.

[wkelly42]

I'm in Skype chat w. JC -- seems we've got a whole new wrinkle in this plotline .....

more as things develop.

EDIT:
We're involved in a real ARG with a capital Alternate. JC's current president seems to be John Kerry. That's as far as I've figured out so far. As I get more, I'll edit this post.

[Kortheal]

Hey folks...who is the current president of the United States? JC and I are having a long winded argument that John Kerry, senator of massacusetts is the current President

I wanna say Bush is the president...

[Nereus_Theophilus]

[wkelly42]

OK, just finished my chat w/ JC. I wonder if the whole alternate reality thing isn't supposed to be a part of the game -- otherwise, why would he have brought it up at all?

Anyway, apparently Ohio went Democrat in JC's reality. We had a nice discussion about multiple universes and all that stuff, but he's convinced that we're all trying to mess with his head. And that it was Nereus' idea.

[Nereus_Theophilus]

[wkelly42]

Here's the log:

[8:26:19 PM] JC says: Hey, humor me for a moment
[8:26:29 PM] JC says: because I've been arguing with Kage about this for about 20 minutes now
[8:27:27 PM] wkelly42 says: ok...
[8:28:27 PM] JC says: Who is the current President of the United States? Kage keeps insisting it's George Bush.
[8:28:42 PM] wkelly42 says: George W. Bush
[8:28:50 PM] wkelly42 says: Why -- who do you say it is?
[8:29:01 PM] JC says: ....
[8:29:09 PM] JC says: haha funny
[8:29:26 PM] JC says: is Nereus putting you up to this? are you guys all playing a trick on me?
[8:29:29 PM] wkelly42 says: OK, so who is the President of the United States?
[8:29:32 PM] JC says: you're in on it too, arent you
[8:29:48 PM] wkelly42 says: I wouldn't hose you like that. Straight up
[8:29:59 PM] wkelly42 says: Who's the President?
[8:30:08 PM] JC says: come on, stop kidding around
[8:30:12 PM] JC says: this is starting to freak me out a little
[8:30:47 PM] wkelly42 says: hmmmmmmm.
[8:31:17 PM] wkelly42 says: Who do you like in the election next year?
[8:31:26 PM] JC says: Nobody
[8:31:35 PM] wkelly42 says: That much we can agree on, anyway.
[8:31:40 PM] JC says: at this point, I'd be up for another Bush term, things are just so terrible
[8:32:07 PM] wkelly42 says: Which Bush?
[8:32:38 PM] JC says: George W. Bush
[8:33:10 PM] wkelly42 says: He can't have another term.
[8:33:20 PM] wkelly42 says: He's had 2 already
[8:33:31 PM] JC says: No he's only had 1
[8:33:37 PM] wkelly42 says: And I'm not sure he deserves to go FDR on us.
[8:34:06 PM] wkelly42 says: So Kerry won in '04?
[8:34:38 PM] JC says: this isnt funny, wkelly
[8:34:50 PM] wkelly42 says: I can imagine.
[8:34:58 PM] wkelly42 says: You read much science fiction, JC?
[8:35:07 PM] JC says: of course
[8:35:09 PM] JC says: I'm a big Trekkie
[8:35:22 PM] wkelly42 says: Good man.
[8:36:06 PM] wkelly42 says: Remember the City On the Edge of Forever?
[8:36:33 PM] JC says: yeah, the one where bones went through the time portal
[8:37:21 PM] wkelly42 says: And changes the future. One little event changed everything.
[8:37:41 PM] JC says: yeah, I recall
[8:37:42 PM] wkelly42 says: I've always wondered about time travel, and alternate universes.
[8:38:02 PM] wkelly42 says: The whole 'multiple universe' quantum mechanics thing
[8:38:11 PM] JC says: that's all sci fi though
[8:38:20 PM] wkelly42 says: Is it? I wonder.
[8:39:09 PM] wkelly42 says: You're living in a California (I assume) where George W. has only served one term. I'm living in an Ohio where he's served two, and has been under fire for the past two years.
[8:39:29 PM] JC says: ???
[8:40:30 PM] wkelly42 says: I'm just wondering about the physics that allows us to communicate this way. And I'm NOT a physicist.
[8:40:49 PM] JC says: I dont follow what you're saying
[8:41:25 PM] wkelly42 says: Your President is Kerry right now, correct? (judging from your profile)
[8:42:30 PM] JC says: What do you mean "my" president? I didnt vote for him
[8:42:52 PM] wkelly42 says: lol. OK -- the President of the United States is John Kerry, correct?
[8:43:00 PM] JC says: is the sky blue?
[8:43:03 PM] JC says: yes
[8:43:40 PM] wkelly42 says: Did Ohio go Kerry in '04?
[8:44:17 PM] JC says: Yes
[8:44:23 PM] JC says: I believe it did
[8:44:33 PM] JC says: I dont follow politics very closely but I think that was the clincher back then
[8:44:46 PM] wkelly42 says: and THERE, as they say in science fiction circles, is our Point of Divergance.
[8:44:52 PM] wkelly42 says: My Ohio went for Bush.
[8:45:06 PM] JC says: "your" Ohio?
[8:45:16 PM] JC says: there's only 1 ohio
[8:45:23 PM] wkelly42 says: The Ohio I'm living in -- I don't own the whole state
[8:45:39 PM] wkelly42 says: One per universe, yes
[8:45:49 PM] JC says: ok you've really lost me
[8:45:57 PM] JC says: There is 1 state of Ohio
[8:46:00 PM] JC says: it went to Kerry in 2004
[8:46:04 PM] wkelly42 says: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multiverse_(science)
[8:46:16 PM] JC says: ?
[8:46:23 PM] wkelly42 says: That will explain what I'm getting at better than I probably can.
[8:46:29 PM] JC says: like in TNG
[8:46:29 PM] JC says: oh this is that thing
[8:46:34 PM] wkelly42 says: wikipedia is always right, after all.
[8:46:37 PM] wkelly42 says: Yep
[8:46:37 PM] JC says: when worf went and there were all the universes of him
[8:46:44 PM] JC says: or something
[8:46:49 PM] wkelly42 says: yes
[8:46:54 PM] JC says: but that's not real
[8:47:10 PM] JC says: you're saying you're in another universe?? lol
[8:47:15 PM] wkelly42 says: And yet you're talking to someone whose President is George W. Bush. Second term
[8:47:36 PM] JC says: damn, I must have a faster web pipeline than I thought...
[8:47:40 PM] JC says: hahaha
[8:48:01 PM] wkelly42 says: THAT'S what I was talking about when I wondered about the physics....
[8:48:08 PM] JC says: No, I'm talking with someone who's trying to play a trick on me
[8:49:14 PM] JC says: and a bad one at that
[8:49:17 PM] JC says: it's not very funny
[8:49:59 PM] wkelly42 says: I'm not that cruel OR creative
[8:50:50 PM] JC says: then why are you trying to convince me that George Bush is the president?
[8:50:51 PM] JC says: I watch TV
[8:50:55 PM] JC says: I surf the internet
[8:50:56 PM] JC says: I talk to people
[8:51:02 PM] JC says: I dont live in a cave somewhere
[8:51:37 PM] wkelly42 says: I'm not trying to convince you that Bush is your president. I'm trying to convince you that he's mine.
[8:51:49 PM] JC says: We live in the same country, don't we?
[8:52:01 PM] wkelly42 says: Same country, different realities.
[8:52:07 PM] JC says: you're not off in some baltic country oddly named Ohio, are you?
[8:52:12 PM] wkelly42 says: One quantum difference
[8:52:16 PM] JC says: dude
[8:52:17 PM] JC says: okay
[8:52:20 PM] JC says: look, I watch Trek
[8:52:24 PM] JC says: I know the concept
[8:52:24 PM] JC says: I also know
[8:52:26 PM] JC says: it's FICTION
[8:52:29 PM] JC says: it's NOT REAL
[8:52:30 PM] wkelly42 says: Ever watch Sliders?
[8:52:31 PM] JC says: yes
[8:52:34 PM] JC says: I enjoyed sliders
[8:52:37 PM] JC says: my point is not that
[8:52:40 PM] JC says: my point is
[8:52:41 PM] wkelly42 says: (loved that show)
[8:52:59 PM] JC says: you're not going to convince me that I'm in a seperate "quantum alternate-verse" than you
[8:53:02 PM] wkelly42 says: I've never thought it was real, either. But now I'm starting to think otherwise
[8:53:31 PM] JC says: oye
[8:53:44 PM] JC says: and my dad said I watched too much Sci Fi Channel
[8:53:57 PM] wkelly42 says: I read too much Harry Turtledove.
[8:54:01 PM] wkelly42 says: That's my problem
[8:54:59 PM] JC says: anyhow, I need to get back to work on some stuff
[8:55:19 PM] JC says: take it easy
[8:55:30 PM] wkelly42 says: OK. You too

Edited a bit, because my computer did some funny things to me for some reason.

[Satire]

Mightily Excited

[Nereus_Theophilus]

Re: Mightily Excited

[Satire]

Questions in the Alternative

[Nereus_Theophilus]

Re: Questions in the Alternative

[wkelly42]

September 11 happened before the POD (point of divergence). POD is (roughly) November 2004, unless there were circumstances in Ohio that changed that led to them voting for the Dems. War in Iraq was declared in March of '03, so it happened. It's up in the air whether or not it's still going on. What I'm wondering about is the creation of the NCS, which wasn't announced until 2005 ...

It's going to be hard for us to ask "common knowledge" questions to him unless he buys the idea that we're in an alternate reality.

And City On The Edge Of Forever was one of my favorite Treks.

[Kortheal]

Here's MY run-in with JC about the whole presidential thing

[Satire]

Maybe it would be better to play along and act as though we're in the same reality. It may be what the PM expects as we are playing a game and all.

You've assumed the POD is the Ohio votes. But it could very well be that if September 11th didn't happen, there was no strong anti-terror campaign and consequently a lack of votes to continue Bush's presidency. Could be way off, but a possibility (and an interesting one at that - there must be SOME reason Bush lost).

Also: you probably shouldn't refer to Unfiction in your talks with him. Even if he's choosing to break the curtain, we shouldn't do the same.