For a Gore Prosperous Tomorrow

[CountDVB]

Winter 2007

"So now Fiji has a coup and Ethiopia is getting involved in Somalia, this is getting concerning..."

"RIP Gerald Ford..."

"It's gonna be hard to bond with Russia if stop like this happens and the oil thing is troublesome enough."

The end of 2006 and the beginning of 2007 was a winter of discontent to save the least. The military coup over in Fiji near the end of the year was surprising and concerning, with the Commodore Frank Bainimarama, citing certain policies and racial issues as the motivation behind the coup. This was worrisome given how a coup also occurred over in the year 2000. However, that was not the only news of violence across the world as Ethiopia would admit to having sent troops to Somalia to deal with the Somalian Civil War. The war was a result of years of struggle between various groups, such as the Somalilanders, differentiating from the Somalia because of different colonial background, Puntland and the radical Islamic courts. While Ethiopia was getting involved, the question should be whether the other nations should. The Islamic courts would end up fracturing relatively quickly in part to the challenges presented and the lack of stability they provided. Indeed, Somalia showed another example in the decline of Islamism, a doctrine somewhat defined namely in the political usage of the Muslim faith. It was a reflection of the Gore Administration's approach, successes and the cultural legacy as such, the highlight being the comparison of Wahhabism to the sort of twisted interpretation of "Christianity" as preached by originally the Westboro Baptist Chruch. This along with his speech toward Osama Bin Laden laid a down-to-earth critique in many of these reactionary movements, causing more people to reject them, excluding from being considered "real Muslims." This backlash and shunning by foreigners and fellow faith followers alike led to increased friction though also in-fighting. The Somali conflict would become a bit more prominent in the future as Ethiopia would step in to try and handle it.

Ethiopian army T-55 tank near Mogadishu

Meanwhile, the death of former President Gerald Ford was a reminder of thinking back on the times, such as Ford having to deal wit Nixon as well as how it led to the rise of the 80s and 90s. And in this reflection, people were also looking forward while looking back. After all, it was the beginning of a new year and it was all about dealing with what the future would hold. After all, Bulgaria and Romania join the European Union, while Slovenia joins the Eurozone. The growing scale of the post Cold War world would be best seen in the growing tensions between the Americans and the Russians once more. Russian oil supplies to Poland, Germany, and Ukraine are cut as the Russia–Belarus energy dispute escalated, and with the past years of to move further and further away from petroleum and as such, the Americans had been promoting things like biodiesal and biogas as alternate fuel sources for Europe and other locations to deal with. After a few weeks of so, the Russians and Belarusians managed to come to their agreement, but the growing tensions of the political influence of petrostates like Russia has led to more growth into green energy and technology, with the big race being algae fuel. Beyond that, more events began playing out and being explored. From the release of the first iPhone, the release of Microsoft Vista by Microsoft Operations while MS Applications would release MSOffice 2007 over for the various operating systems in the computers. Delta Air Lines creditors officially reject US Airways' hostile takeover bid. Additionally, there was The International Court of Justice finds Serbia guilty of failing to prevent genocide in the Srebrenica massacre, but clears it of direct responsibility and complicity in the case, something which a bit of a controversy here among various people. However, perhaps most going on from the United Nations was the that the IPCC publishes its fourth assessment report, having concluded that global climate change is "very likely" to have a predominantly human cause. Years of the Gore administration's consistent referencing and the Exxon-Mobil scandal had helped solidify the case in the mainstream, but with this came additional credence and prudence as well. The Gore Administration had made leaps and bounds, especially in the care industry, though it was clear it would take more og a global effort.

Ford lying in state in the Capitol rotunda

 

[CountDVB]

Spring 2007

"Looks like tensions with Russia are becoming greater still with the world..."

"May god be with the people of Virginia Tech..."

"So after the report, we have twisters and tropical storms..."

The Russian-Belarus disputes was seen as another in a long chain of events of the decline of relations between the West and Russia, or perhaps more Russia and more of their neighbors. While the Gore Administration has been attempting to maintain cordial relationships, they also have been working on maintaining American presence over across the world while the Gore Administration's promotion of renewable energy and green fuels over petroleum has led to tensions given how Russia is a massive exporter of coal, petroleum and natural gas. Even with Russia gradually developing into biofuels by taking advtange of their agricultural section, it was still pretty rough. Unsurprisingly, the moves and relations thanks to the Putin Administration of Russia cause some more problems. This was such as how the nation of Georgia accused Russia of having three helicopters firing on the Kodori Gorge, the only area they control over in a break-away autonomous republic of Abkhazia in north-western Georgia. Another incident involving a similar matter were riots done over how Estonia tore down a bonze statue in what would be known as Bronze Night. The statue of the Bronze statue was viewed by the Estonians as a sign of USSR oppression, but to some of the local Russians, they saw it as a sign of pride and its relocation led to a fair bit of riots. On the other hand, Russia and Lativa's rulers managed to finalized an agreement over the borders, showing that not all was troublesome with the global interactions with the Russian bear. Additionally, after 80 years, the Moscow Patriarchate would reunite with the Russian Othodox Church abroad and thus providing further evidence that there was some good news. However, over all, the world, including the United States, was growing warier with the actions of Russian under Putin.

Protests in downtown Tallinn after police cordoned off the streets around the memorial, driving protesters toward the city centre.

On the other hand, not everything was rosy over in the United States. On April 16, thirty-two people are killed over in a horrific massacre going over in Virginia Tech. With this, it has became the deadliest school shooting in the history of the Untied States and the deadliest shooting done over by a lone gunman as of yet. The attacks received international media coverage and while the Americans grieved, the sadness turned to anger over why this has happened, most notably gun laws. It's revealed that the Gunman Seung-Hui Cho was able to buy his firearms legally, despite having a record of mental illness. As such, the debate over gun violence and gun culture exploded within the nation, especially with the previous shootings and murders that have happened as a result. While Cho was noted for his mental illness and he was tried to be medicated under the Gore Administration's expansion of Medicare for youth, at least until he grew too old to apply for the program. However, it did lead back to criticisms on the US's failings over with medical care of the mentally ill along with gun access. However, the latter has come to be more discussed than the former due to the observations that other nations have mentally ill patients, but the gun violence is much lower. As such, questions were raised on the mentally ill and those with violent dispositions being allowed to purchase guns. It would begin an intense debate over gun rights, gun control and overall, a long case that would continue into the future and Gore knew would be a painful debate in the future.

The candlelight vigil on the night of April 17, 2007, taken in front of Burruss Hall

Beyond the tragedy caused over by a lone gunmen, the climate report had led to a growing concern of the environment and for some, surviving the growing problem weather that was going on over time. While not everything was the result of climate change, the fact that the world system was being influenced and threatened, concern and awareness was becoming more vital than ever, even in what would be otherwise a pretty good time for people to live in. In early May of the year, an outbreak of tornadoes was going on and the chaos and disaster that left it struck further into the growingly concerned human mentality. The most disasterous one being in Greensburg, Kansas. Of course, the troubles were just beginning, especially with the beginning of 2007's hurricane season. And it all started with Subtropical Storm Andrea, going over mainly in Florida. The satellite of the Gore administration has been proving vital to send warnings and help to try and minimize the damage, though the concerns of growing danger and hostile weather eveyr years proliferated over in the collective unconscious. While people were getting their care, more systems were being discussed in the hopes of alertness and preparation. This lead to a further increase in the neo-preppers movement. Brought back by the concerns of climate change, it was also influenced by the actions of the Gore administration, such as a greater adherence to science and a growing sense of communication and camaderie than the previous ones. This has led to growing numbers of minority survivalists for example and the effects were also beginning to be seen in pop culture.

The circling clouds of an intense low-pressure system sat off the southeast coast of the United States on May 8, 2007, when the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite captured this image. By the following morning, the storm had developed enough to be classified as a subtropical storm, a storm that forms outside of the tropics, but has many of the characteristics—hurricane-force winds, driving rains, low pressure, and sometimes an eye—of a tropical storm. Although it arrived several weeks shy of the official start of the hurricane season (June 1), Subtropical Storm Andrea became the first named storm of the 2007 Atlantic hurricane season. The storm has the circular shape of a tropical cyclone in this image, but lacks the tight organization seen in more powerful storms. By May 9, the storm’s winds reached 75 kilometers per hour (45 miles per hour), and the storm was not predicted to get any stronger, said the National Hurricane Center. Though Subtropical Storm Andrea was expected to remain offshore, its strong winds and high waves pummeled coastal states, prompting a tropical storm watch. The winds fueled wild fires (marked with red boxes) in Georgia and Florida. The wind-driven flames generated thick plumes of smoke that concentrated in a gray-brown mass over Tampa Bay, Florida. Unfortunately for Georgia and Florida, which are experiencing moderate to severe drought, Subtropical Storm Andrea was not predicted to bring significant rain to the region right away, according to reports on the Washington Post Website.

 

[CountDVB]

So yeah, we got some subtle differences and hinting st stuff. Feel free also to ask questions or provide feedback or suggestions on the world would be here.

 

[staplesdex2]

Well, I like to see more anecdotal pieces from the POVs of ordinary citizens, politicians, Gore himself, etc. on what they think their nation is doing. I want to see more on Al Gore's thoughts in how he's leading the nation.

Also I want to see more POVs on how other Foreign Nations see what they think of the USA and their policies. Their must be some people out there that either like or dislike what the US is doing. I want to see more on how others opposed to what America is doing react and want to see what they are doing about it.

What does Europe think of the USA and how their policies are affecting them?

I want to see more on how Gore handles South American Countries and how he could bring stability to the region.

How does he handle North Korea?

How does Saudi Arabia respond?

What's happening in China and how is it affected by the USA's policies?

 

[CountDVB]

Well, I like to see more anecdotal pieces from the POVs of ordinary citizens, politicians, Gore himself, etc. on what they think their nation is doing. I want to see more on Al Gore's thoughts in how he's leading the nation.

Also I want to see more POVs on how other Foreign Nations see what they think of the USA and their policies. Their must be some people out there that either like or dislike what the US is doing. I want to see more on how others opposed to what America is doing react and want to see what they are doing about it.

What does Europe think of the USA and how their policies are affecting them?

I want to see more on how Gore handles South American Countries and how he could bring stability to the region.

How does he handle North Korea?

How does Saudi Arabia respond?

What's happening in China and how is it affected by the USA's policies?

Yeah, I'll try. This is my first timeline and I'm not sure how to capture everyone so I'm doing a broad sweep then try and answer people. I will see if I can give bits and pieces on citizens. With Gore, not sure how well I can get into his head.

With foreign nations, well, they're enjoying being with Gore better than Bush for the most part. In a simple matter, they kinda see Gore as the USA kinda more or less growing up and being mroe responsible. The Blairites certainly get along well with the Gore administration.

South America, his relationship with the leftists would be complicated though Gore's emphasis on environmentalism and how it permeates throughout the economic sectors would be a strong common ground. Beyond that, Gore's moderate nature would be appealing in the social stance. His support in LGTBQ rights and protections would be appealing whle he wouldn't scare anyone awya by outright supporting gay marriage per say. Only one there would be rpoblems would be is Chavez and that's cause of Venezuela's reliance on oil goign against Gore's green policies. The fact Gore pretty much kicked Exxon-Mobil's butt was proof he walked the walk. So Chavez is kinda losing steam.

Saudi Arabia and the US have been drifing apart sicne the US made epace with Iran and the reformers are becoming bolder with their popularity. That and it becoming more well-known that most of the 9/11 folk came from Saudi Arabia led to worsening tensions alongside the Wahhabism comparison to Westoro Baptist church. It's coming to ahead.

China... need to check up on that, but probably dedicing they're gonna pick up the pace on their green stuff.

 

[CountDVB]

Summer 2007

"With California fires and the heatwave in southern Europe... we should've been trying to fix this years ago."

"Anyone else have a bad feeling on the banking stuff going on in Europe?"

The summer of 2007 was one felt with some mild concerns and worry, even if it was still mitigated by the pre-existing ride of good feelings and optimism for a better tomorrow. There was a new sort of cycle. Many new weather phenomena and trends were being attributed or at least possibly linked to climate change. While the debate on human-driven climate change has died down after the fall of Exxon-Mobil and the admission of defeat by fossil fuel companies and their paid-off scientists, the scope and scale remained a discussion trend. The heat wave over in southern Europe was a large example, as tempatures shot up beyond the normal range and remained there for an extensive period of time. Greece in particular suffered due to the spread of heatstroke, the outbreak of wild fires and the near collapse of the power grid due to demand. Like many other climate-related phenomena, the Gore administration took note alongside the rest of the world. It seemed like a glimpse into a potential future where if things were not changed, then it would go for the worse. This hit closer to home due to the wildfire happening in California in South Lake Tahoe. Perhaps unsurprisingly, this led to the massive participation of the Live Earth event. Inspired by the Live Aid concert of years ago, Live Earth was a series of large-scale events aimed to increase environmental awareness and climate change through entertainment. Through a series of integrated events and media, it brought more attention and awareness. While more people were driven to become aware of the concerns, Live Earth served to try and be as comprehensive and expansive as possible. Beyond just media, panels and debates were held, serving as an examination of such matters. Perhaps one of the largest contributers to Live Earth was Project MAY, allowing people to access the videos and screenings through Youtube, discuss through Myspace and donate through ArtistShare. While a majority were up and coming talent or indie bands who threw in the lot, a few other voices on Youtube made their way here or in discussions. One prominent discussion was on long-term sustainability, criticizing the corn industry and certain other "agribuisnesses" who were contributing to climate change through deforestation to grow crops. Another meanwhile used video games as a way to promote environmentalism and pointed out several examples, such as Final Fantasy VII, the Sonic the Hedgehog series, and Mother 3, all of whim have evironmentalist themes and motifs central to the plot though others noted their Japanese origin and perhaps was a nudge for western developers to try and capitalize on this potential. Beyind that, it also was a large success for Project MAY, showing off the contribution people of the internet could make for a cause without necessarily having to rely on large companies.

Live Earth logo 2007

Of course, despite the growing optimism underlined by urgency, life continued on over for people to work. At the same time, there was a sense of unease developing. The housing market had been looking pretty unwell for a while now and then there was the growing news of banking stuff going on over in Europe. The French global bank BNP Paribas in the United Kingdom blocks withdrawals from three hedge funds heavily committed in sub-prime mortgages. While many people were not paying attention, there was a sense of concern about it and something the Gore administration also took note of to try and prevent or at least minimize the results. After all, the Clinton yearsd manage to pull out the economy well and the Gore administration's economic recovery was tepid, but stable and the early gridlock meant that certain plans were put into the backburner and would not be pulled out until later. There was a sense of concern for some people. At the same time, many people believed they would get through it. Perhaps in a darklhy humorous sign for it,at the height of rush hour in New York City on July 18, a major steam pipe bursts, releasing millions of gallons of boiling water and super heated steam. More than a few people would consider it a sign for what would happen and the problems up ahead. Yet at the same time, the news continued on for people trying to discuss and figure out. One was on how NBA referee Tim Donaghy surrenders to police and pleads guilty to charges brought up by the FBI investigation that he placed bets on games that he refereed. Another was on how the remnants of Tropical Storm Erin re-strengthen into a tropical storm over Oklahoma, causing widespread flooding and wind damage. The optimism that perpuated the 2000s thanks to the successes of the Gore administration was beginning to be dampened yet Gore remained determined and steadfast, encouraging the American populace.

Tropical Storm Erin near landfall

 

[CountDVB]

So yeah, the Recession is inevitable, but yea, it's gonna be delayed. The rates weren't lowered like OTL due to the early gridlock and new events meaning Gore's attention shifted elsewhere, such as the Iran deal, the Exxon-Mobil scandal, the unraveling thing of Nestle and other things such as his end of the fossil fuel subsidies, which I will go into depth later on the details since my brother-in-law was happy to help me out on.

Recession is gonna be a pain for the post-Gore world along with the Arab Spring

 

[CountDVB]

Autumn 2007

"We need to do more for the marginalized people, bit by bit..."

"The Taiwan question is gonna be looming over our heads for a while."

"Weather is becoming harder to deal with."

As the summer troubles begin winding down, people began focusing more on each other. While celeberating in the good times, it was the natural disasters and troubles that was truly binding people together. Starting with Katrina and continuing with the support being sent across thr world in overcoming storms, tsunamis and earthquakes, there was a growing emphasis to support one another and overcome the trials of nature at her angriest. As such, there was a growing need for understanding one another, not just as nations, but as culture. Unsurprisingly, The United Nations General Assembly adopting the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, was a cause for celeberation yet at the same time, a disturbing wake up call. Not everyone was on board and the nations with the biggest complaints were subject to the biggest scrutiny. While the matters were supposedly based on legal wording and the rammifications of such wording, the underlying tone and history associated betrayed their hesitation in confronting the deep-rooted issues. Austrailia became a target of criticisms as reports on the treatment of the Aboriginal peoples and New Zealand would also fall under this regading the Maori as well. Unsurprisingly, also Canada and the United States also displayed their concerns for similar reasons though the United States was the first to support it after they were modified a bit though also in trying to ensure reparations. While the declaration would be passed, there would be a sense of agitation in the Anglosphere as various elements weren't happy for the delay of the implentations and the footdragging gave them an unpleasant appearance. However, a week later, there was a period of levity brought over by the The Universal Forum of Cultures, opening in Monterrey, Mexico. Perhaps one of the biggest surprises was the appearance of President Al Gore himself and a few other representatives. Gore himself spoke in a video conference during the segment of sustainabiltiy, promoting interculture cooperation for combating human-made climate change and adopting sustainable practices for the good of the planet. Unsurprisingly, the promotion and speech by President Gore caused the attention and attendance at the event to skyrocket. So much so that plans were being hand for mroe cooperation and donations for the next one in a few years.

Universal Forum of Cultures Monterrey 2007 logo

However, not everything was rosy. After all, around the same time though a bit earlier, there was also a protest for the recognition of Taiwan, both in the nation itself and in the US with Taiwan-Americans. It also brought back attention to Sino-American relations. While cautiously optimistic, there was still some underlying tensions. Trade and the economy needed to be resolve, but there was also the need to for greater climate change on both sides, especially regarding the standard of living within China. On the other hand, free trade has been a prominent discussion along with China's relations with WTO and normalizing trade relationships with China though it has been on the back burner for a while and thus, hammering out the details would take more time than predicted. Furthermore, projects like the Golden Shield and Internet censorship practices in China began further straining relationships between the two, concerning Gore. While he wished to maintain the amicable business relationships, he began fearing that the Internet censorship may lead to further trouble down the line, especially if more businesses with to do business with China. It would be careful business moving in. Taiwan deserved to have their voice heard, but China was still a juggernaut when it came to power and influence in the UN and on the world stage.

Taiwanese demonstrators hold signs during a mass rally supporting Taiwan's bid to join the United Nations on Saturday, Sept. 15, 2007, in the southern port city of Kaohsiung

At the same time, the concerns over whether continued over with a large 8.0 earthquake impacting Peru and the west coast of South America needed to prepare for the ensuing tsunamis that would be coming as a result of such. Additionally, Georgia's governor Roy BArnes declares a state of emergency due to drought conditions. While he had been rpeparing for such potential problems, he also appealed for assistance with the presidency. However, Georgia needed to cope also with how California's wildfires has become even more dangerous with President Gore sending federal aid and various fire fighters came over to deal with the damages being done. Major contributing factors to the extreme fire conditions were drought in Southern California, hot weather, and unusually strong Santa Ana winds, with gusts reaching 85 mph (140 km/h). California's "fire season," which traditionally runs from June to October, has become a year-round threat, due to a mixture of perennial drought and the increasing number of homes built in canyons and on hillsides, surrounded by brush and forest. For the next couple weeks from late October to the middle of November. The growing responses led to more discussions on the future of fighting fires while also wondering what else could be done given the increaae of hazardous working conditions. Others were worried regarding the housing market in California and were looking elsewhere. The housing market was a bit on the nebulous side. Rates were still the same and while some bought houses and whatnot, the environmentalist concerns have shifted gears a bit and whatnot and the disasters were making people wonder where to buy houses. Regardless, people chipping in to deal with the fire and later the cyclone in Bangladesh was a fresh reminder of the call and need for unity and support.

October 20 – November 9: Flames burn Santa Clarita, California during the California wildfires of October 2007.

 

[CountDVB]

Approach the end of the year with some interesting thoughts? Any questions on which media or whatnot should be covered?

 

[Nivek]

Approach the end of the year with some interesting thoughts? Any questions on which media or whatnot should be covered?

More info about videogames and sports?

 

[CountDVB]

More info about videogames and sports?

Sports are really not my forte, but I meant anything specific besides SEGA and Smash stuff. People are free to suggest stuff and ask questions for this reason

 

[staplesdex2]

What's Gore doing for the US economy in general?

 

[CountDVB]

What's Gore doing for the US economy in general?

Partially continuing what Clinton’s been doing for the most part. He has been working more on free trade, but also working on Fair trade (hence the Nestle debacle) and worked to convert the fossil fuel subsidies into a tax break/investment into green energy and associated parts. One noticeable was basically helping the auto industry adjust to the new norm, namely with the rise of biodiesel cars along with other alternate fuels. Though ethanol is lagging behind biodiesel and biogas is another thing being looked into.
Gore’s also been very Internet friendly, being a genuine nerd and Atari Democrat, so He has a Digital cabinet and looking to further see what the internet can do. Project MAY would be getting more attention with the idea of a service/website allowing you to transfer funds to support something.

Whether or not Gore would make a government service of that is hard to say.

 

[souvikkundu25140017]

what is Gore's view towards India and south asia?

 

[staplesdex2]

What's Gore doing with the housing and banking industries?

What's Gore's plans for improved railroads and trains for transportation?

 

[CountDVB]

what is Gore's view towards India and south asia?

Not really sure though probably promoting free trade, human rights and growing green energy

 

[CountDVB]

What's Gore doing with the housing and banking industries?

What's Gore's plans for improved railroads and trains for transportation?

https://www.ontheissues.org/Celeb/Al_Gore_Environment.htm#Mass_Transit_+_Suburban_Sprawl

Well, for rail and transportation, this is what he proposes and I figure he would try and add the green stuff here.

And for housing, there's this: https://www.ontheissues.org/Celeb/Al_Gore_Welfare_+_Poverty.htm

Would everything pass? Clearly not since the years go by, priorities change and new opportunities and changes present themselves. He probbalu wouldn't be able to lwoer rates because of the initial GOP headbutts and then dealing with other stuff

 

[CountDVB]

2007 in Review

In retrospect, many saw 2007 as foreshadowing for the events to come near the end of the 2000s. However, in the there and now, it was a cotninuation of optimism and hope for the future though underlined with a sense of urgency and duty toward the environment as raging fires and natural disasters brought people together to confront them against the crueler aspects of Mother Nature. A greater sense regarding gun violence had begun awakening in the nation with discussions beginning to rage in regards to such a thing. A notion that made more than a few conservatives nervous given how the case could end up in the Supreme Court. Virginia Tech's shooting and the others remained a haunting spectre and it became another focal point to rail against. While shooter games have no longer been blamed as such except by conservatives, there was a shift away from them or at least from realistic situations of them. The economy was also shifting a bit, with some worrying about a potential recession though it did not seem like there was anything really bad at first. The focus on investments into renewables had been a good deal of focus, especially with the fall of Exxon-Mobil. Cars have been focusing back on their diesels or rather more biodiesals while investments into biogas has been growing alongside with research into associated fuels. In fact, many were looking to see if there were varying byproducts that could be used as a form of synergy. At the same time, Gore has been it clear that it is a stop-gap and electric cars are still the to be researched and many noted that more work needed to be done to truly overhaul the system though the optimism remained. There were growing discussions over biofuel being a stop gap while mroe radicals noted just overhauling the system by having the government mobilizing the whole industry. Indeed, such was the topic in one of the events of the Live Earth. Of course, there were still troubles around the world regarding elections and politics, but bit by bit, there was still the hope the world was getting better. There was still faith and belief in the system, it just needed to be updated was all. Right?

Meanwhile across the world, the folks were wondering who the US will elect after Al Gore, especially with how he has defined the first years of the new millenium. The Kenyan general election took center stage in the last days of the year with massive rioting and controversey that appeared as a result. Beyond that, the various collaborations with a common goal such as dealing with climate change have been helping to heal the rift between the peoples of the world while also working more and more toward dealing with climate change. However, not all nations were working at the paces and some were causing trouble. Russian relations with the West continued to grow cooler and more aloof along with the divide between the USA and Saudi Arabia, especially with the latter's policies.

The film industry also began seeing some growing shifts and changes as well. One of the big news was how Spider-Man 3 would ultimately be cancelled after months of delay, contract disputes and staff quitting, showing how the production snowballed. One notable problem was the forced inclusion of Venom led to a crux of the new problems along with other writing issues. Ultimately, the film would remain incomplete and be considered another failure in some of Sony's rougher years. Additionally, the film industry showed off some more surprises. Riding off the success of their previous animated works, Disney decided something bolder with Wally's Secret Life, an adaptation of another Thurber's works, The Secret Life of Walter Milly. However, it was a looser adaptation, with the protagonist being a dreamy middle schooler named Walter Milly and the creative inspirations in his head from the mundane bits around his life. Unlike its more satrical origin, it's wholeheartedly celeberating the beauty of the dreamer within and encouraging them to unleash their imagination, as Wally is portrayed as a budding cartoonist. Perhaps more daringly was the usage of many different animation styles for the various fantasies going through Wally's head, all done vividly. Perhaps more notably is the final one regarding an examination of the future, done in CGI, which many have seen that Disney accepting CGI animation becoming part of the future. Ironically enough, the bit was done by Pixar, who found it interesting enough to work on it. Ratatouille still did very well, but lost barely over to Wally's Secret Life. Both films did better than Shrek III. A film who's development was delayed by the diffeing zeitgeist, it was a strange mix of focusing on Shrek's past and origins along with his future as he struggles with future fatherhood. At the same time, it still did very well as it continued to develop what happens after the "Happily ever After" and dealing with changing times as Fiona notes that perhaps Far, Far Away changing for the times as well. Additionally, the big animated picture to catch attention was The Simpsons Movie, due to the massive news associated with it. Namely that the film would serve as a series finale for The Simpsons. This was following a decline in viewership and as noted, the changing zeitgeist though some also speculated that it was because of the return of Futurama. Regardless, The Simpsons Movie would close the chapter for the The Simpsons and airing over during Winter Break. It's a return to form as it starts with a Christmas pagent with the family struggling as they realize their life has gotten nowhere and wondering what the future holds. Many fan favorite characters are shown off in the loving tribute to the show in its 150 minute run (with many characters who have not been seen in the film given send-offs over in the final season of the show, which they managed to get many of the original writers back on.) The film explores the relationship dynamics of the family as they, led by Homer, successfully save the day and finally bonds with Bart. The epilogue reveals a timeskip of memories as the family grows up and Bart and Lisa heading of college or wheever in the future, with Bart telling the audience affectionately "Don't have a cow, man." THe film also announced the return of Futurama through an animated short beforehand. While The Simpsons as a show ended, Groening has noted the comics will continue and likely be used to fill in the blanks while noting that they may do long specials involving the characters much how they did films for Futurama. Beyond that, various film news appeared, such as the Transformers film being postponed due to Bay's lack of interest and noting the unlikelihood of the success in the current times while various other films were pushed back or rushed because of the The Simpsons Movie Christmas date. However, this did have an effect on the film Ghost Rider as rumors speculated that the film may be part of a bigger deal.

As for video games, well, many of the best games would be unleashed. Nintendo gave the world Super Mario Galaxy, which won the hearts and minds of many players while also providing Super Paper Mario, which may ave changed the formula up, but also grabbed many players attention. SEGA at Microsoft meanwhile unleashed a new mainstream game and a spin-off game for Sonic: Sonic Rush II and Sonic Rivals. The former was a sequel to Sonic Rush, with the return and expansion of the new "Boost" mechanic. In Sonic Rush II, Blaze the Cat returns and tries to stop the notorious Captain Whiskers and his crew from stealing the Cane of Jewels, a powerful artifact connected to the land. However, things go wrong when she learns that the crew has been augmented by Eggman and in trying to take bake the Cane, it breaks and splits her nation into several island nations. She's saved by Marine the Raccoon, a sailor who fishes her out of the water and upon seeing the state of her land, she travels to recruit Sonic for his help against Eggman, with Tails coming along at Marine's insistence (impressed by his technological skills.) Players go from island to island to clear stages to reclaim pieces of the cane from one of Eggman's robots or members of the crew. Sonic Rivals meanwhile is a racing spin-off games where the heroes can race across various tracks to claim the various prizes at the end, whether it be Chaos Emeralds or pieces of the Master Emerald, with the plot being instigated by the Eggrobo, who rebuilt himself and used the races as a distraction to try and take over Eggman's robots and uses the power of the Chaos Emeralds. Other games included a new NiGHTs game and a new Crazy Taxi among other games. However, many other games have made their mark such as Team Fortress 2, Portal, Mass Effect, Bioshock, and most notably Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, a spin-off focused in the modern warfare where soldiers going into the Middle East are embroiled into a secret conflict involving mercenaries, private military companies and petrol states. The idea was capitalizing on the growing "green" movement in culture while also serving as a critique on the industrial-military complex. It was criticially acclaimed and praised for its gameplay as well as its story in regards to how military conflicts are prolonged for the sake of profit and on certain groups oppising the green change (such as how the final boss is a Russian oligarch.) Sony would still be struggling along, but manage some success with the PSP and other games on it and the PS3. However, the XBox 360's SEGA influence in Japan has led to hurting sales for the PS3, which affected some of the spread of some games. One notable example was on how Persona 3 would end up being ported to the Xbox 360 to try and make up for sales for it among various other developments. Some see this as further unpleasant news for Sony. Online gaming began seeing more through the release of Team Fortress 2 and the expansion for World of Warcraft Burning Crusade, which included new races, such as the draenai for the Alliance and the tauren for the Horde, with them bringing formerly side-exclusive classes with them, such as draenai shamans and tauren paladins.

In world of comic books meanwhile, Marvel was beginning to fully organize the new status quo of their characters after the M-Day debacle led to the formation of a new universe for the mutants. This allowed them to begin paying more attention to lesser known groups or heroes. One in particular were the Inhumans, who got a bit more attention. However, they weren't a replacement for mutants, functioning far differenty (being a cousin race to humanity and served to display a divide between groups of people.) Other heroes began getting more prominence with some having been tweaked a bit. Heroes like Mantis (who was becoming Vision's new love interest) and Monica Rambeau (who many have noticed has been getting closer to Black Panther) have been getting more attention. Marvel decided to showcase the new rules in their cosmos with the Annihilation storyline, showing Annihilus and his forces beginning to ravage and attack various worlds while returning to prominence, cosmic characters like Quasar and Richard Rider as Nova among others while having the heroes of Earth help explore the greater cosmos. Meanwhile, the folks at DC Comics have been preparing for something else. After the various Crisises and whatnot, they were planning to once more try and give a fresh start, leading up to what is being called Final Crisis.

 

[CountDVB]

I will probably add more to this later though of course, feel free to ask questions or suggest stuff based on what’s happening

 

[Nivek]

example was on how Persona 3 would end up being ported to the Xbox 360 to try and make up for sales for it among various other developments

That is a big Hit otl, even if an Upscaled PS2 game, is there too, the rest if MS can hold the lead they got OTL and finally slowly win japan from Sony, the rest is not that bad