More on alternate history

Holy balls. I've been reading up on World War I, and I think I know why I've never seen anyone do a alternate history of it.

It would be fucking difficult to do well.

I mean, okay, let's face it... there's a lot of alt-history about WWII. Most of it is "What if the Nazis had won?", although Harry Turtledove takes a somewhat different route and has aliens invade during the war. And, while it's not necessarily much easier to write alt-history of WWII (or for that matter, any fiction), it's easier to determine who the antagonists are. (Here's a hint. They're Nazis.)

But World War I? It saw the end of the German, the Austro-Hungarian, the Ottoman and the Russian Empires. Hell, the causes of WWII can be traced to the end of WWI. Not to mention the rise of Communism, the partitioning of the Middle East (although that had started before the Ottoman Empire jumped into WWI), and a number of other things that people are still dealing with to this day.

I mean, okay, let's say, for shits and giggles, that the Triple Alliance managed to not lose. Not that necessarily won, but that they managed to bring it to a draw. You wouldn't have the rise to power of Adolf Hitler if the Hollenzollerns hadn't been forced to abdicate. You wouldn't necessarily have all the Middle Eastern countries set up the way they are if the Ottoman Empire hadn't been cut up into chunks.

Heck, with a strong Germany and Austro-Hungary after WWI, you probably wouldn't see the same expansion of Communism out of Russia.

I really need to do more research into this.

say wha?

Major cigarette companies are suing over the new tobacco law.

Okay, it hardly comes as a shock that they are suing. I mean, I didn't expect them to roll over and take the new law quietly.

But they're suing to block the marketing restrictions of the new law, claiming that it violates their right to free speech.

Yeah.

What's one of those marketing restrictions? The mandated health warnings that will cover about half the pack, moving the brand name to the bottom of the pack, where it will be 'hard to see'.

Okay, I don't smoke. I really haven't ever. A couple in high school, and one a few years ago. That's about it. Asthma and smoking do not mix well. But I know a number of smokers. And I've seen a lot of people in front of me in lines at various gas stations and stores. Do any of them have any problem ordering their smokes? Why no. They know what brand they like and want, and the whole thing could be wrapped in a large label saying "WARNING: SMOKING THESE WILL FUCK UP YOUR LUNGS AND MAKE YOU DIE YEARS EARLY" and they would still smoke them.

In fact, some of these guys would probably be able to pick their brand out by the color of the pack, or by one exposed letter of the name brand on the carton.

So, I really don't have a whole lot of sympathy for the cigarette companies in this one.

Mouth of the South (me, not Jimmy Hart)

Links courtesy of jblaque. (Yeah, it takes someone in Illinois to point out things happening in the state I live in.)

So, in recent South Carolina news, it seems that the State Board of Education chairwoman, Kristine Macguire, is going to resign. She cites "family reasons", which according to the article, have to do with having two teenagers that she home-schools as well as taking care of her parents. On the other hand, it could be related to the swirling rumors that she writes hardcore erotic fiction.

I could care less what she writes, and when she wrote it. It bothers me more that she was the chairwoman of the State Board of Education and home-schools her kids. Just... damn. I mean, what's the equivalent of that? A bank president stuffing money in his mattress? A 5-star restaurant chef only eating McDonald's food?

Also, I have mentioned, several times, that our Governor, Mark Sanford, is still facing criticism and calls for his resignation, from within his own party, and recently, even from his Lt. Governor, Andre Bauer. At the annual gathering of the RNC (in Myrtle Beach no less, because you can't find as many bikini-clad women in Columbia), apparently, NO ONE spoke in favor of the Governor.

Of course, shit flows downhill (and in this state, uphill and sideways as well), so it's not a huge surprise that in the days since Andre Bauer has spoken out against Mark Sanford, there's claims that Bauer is a closeted gay man. Again, I personally don't care with whom Mr. Bauer gets off, but this would hardly make him the first closeted politician to support anti-gay legislation (as Mr. Bauer has supported an amendment to the state constitution to ban gay marriage).

Finally, something from outside South Carolina. Remember Carrie Prejean? The former Miss California? Yeah, she's suing pageant officials over being fired from the beauty contest. She's suing pretty much everyone possibly involved in her firing, except of course, for Donald Trump. Mostly because his lawyers would feast on her lawyer's bones.

I can't make this up.

You want to hunt deer? You want to take a crap? Why not do both at the same time?!

I want to think that it's just a port-o-potty that has been converted into a deer stand, but in this state, you never know. It could actually be designed so's a hunter can... err... multi-task.