Stupid Luck and Happenstance, Thread III

When it is time to bury Margot Blackwood a song from "The Wizard of Oz" is going to be played and it is not going to be "Over the Rainbow".

Zella is finding out that there are two reasons that she is an on air talent for ARD, her ability to get breaking stories under extreme conditions like in Poland and the Adriatic Sea and her ability to connect with the viewers on the soft puff pieces they like.
Zella with her level of contacts should start thinking about doing a major documentary project with the 30th anniversary of the start of the ITTL WW II coming up.

Young Manfred has learned the Art of Keeping Ones Mouth Shut in front of the trading cadre afterwards he can tell everyone else the truth about the trading course they were on.
 
Poor Zella. While she is undoubtedly good at both the hard-edged and soft, puff news stories, she is (yet again) learning that the (some) of the producers back at headquarters are friggin idiots who want their more harmless fantasies played out on air. In this case, seeing Zella dressed up as a medieval milkmaid because "it will play well in the cities"; where at least half the population is convinced their rural countrymen & women still dress this way all the time.

It reminds me of when TV3, here in New Zealand, sent presenter Jackie Brown (comic & puff piece presenter) to the National Field Days at Mystery Creek near Hamilton. The Field Days are a week long agricultural exhibition with exhibits showing the latest in agricultural equipment, science, practices, etc. Needless to say, it draws farmers from the entire country and even overseas. So, one year TV3 got the bright idea to send Jackie Brown to cover the Field Days while dressed as Little Bo Peep. They thought it was a brilliant idea. Once there, Jackie Brown took about 5 minutes to realise that the agricultural community were not amused; I'm pretty sure her producer never did. I have never seen someone look so embarrassed in my life; she looked as if she wished the ground would open up and swallow her. To be fair, we mostly felt sorry for her; the "fucking idiots" comments were directed to her oblivious producer/director.


The interaction between Marie & Henriette seems to be based on a series of mutual misunderstandings. It is obvious that Henriette was expecting Marie to act like how most people think a princess acts (much like Parker keeps thinking about Kiki); i.e. aloof, reserved & more than a little superior/snobby. Because Marie isn't acting like that, even denying that she is a princess (even though her mother is), Henriette has been thrown off balance a little, having prepared herself to not show weakness in the face of royalty. Factor in the cultural misunderstanding over the word "Bohemian", which means a certain type of artistic-leaning counter-culture mindset to North Americans, but which, to Marie, means the people who live in a certain central European country that is part of the German Empire and so, the confusion just gets enhanced.
 
The interaction between Marie & Henriette seems to be based on a series of mutual misunderstandings. It is obvious that Henriette was expecting Marie to act like how most people think a princess acts (much like Parker keeps thinking about Kiki); i.e. aloof, reserved & more than a little superior/snobby. Because Marie isn't acting like that, even denying that she is a princess (even though her mother is), Henriette has been thrown off balance a little, having prepared herself to not show weakness in the face of royalty. Factor in the cultural misunderstanding over the word "Bohemian", which means a certain type of artistic-leaning counter-culture mindset to North Americans, but which, to Marie, means the people who live in a certain central European country that is part of the German Empire and so, the confusion just gets enhanced.
When that barrier breaks, both of them are in for a culture shock. That will be amusing.
 
Poor Zella. While she is undoubtedly good at both the hard-edged and soft, puff news stories, she is (yet again) learning that the (some) of the producers back at headquarters are friggin idiots who want their more harmless fantasies played out on air. In this case, seeing Zella dressed up as a medieval milkmaid because "it will play well in the cities"; where at least half the population is convinced their rural countrymen & women still dress this way all the time.
This is a little bit different from the case of Jacque Brown that you mentioned in that Zella is at an open air museum that does living history, so she is not out of place. However, the sort of reaction she is anticipating is all too real. I could bore you with videos of examples of the lecherous behavior she is dreading, but I think you already get the idea.
 
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This is a little bit different from the case of Jacque Brown that you mentioned in that Zella is at an open air museum that does living history, so she is not out of place. However, the sort of reaction she is anticipating is all too real. I could bore you with videos of examples of the lecherous behavior she is dreading, but I think you already get the idea.
Well, Zella has already seen that reaction from Yuri, her own damn cameraman who should, crush not withstanding, know better.
 
Zella is finding out that there are two reasons that she is an on air talent for ARD, her ability to get breaking stories under extreme conditions like in Poland and the Adriatic Sea and her ability to connect with the viewers on the soft puff pieces they like.
True. I mean, being able to connect with the viewers is a talent that's not to be sneezed at, and sometimes puff pieces can be made into more than just light entertainment, if they're handled well.

...mind you, after seeing her in a 'medieval milkmaid' costume (I'm skeptical as to how authentic this outfit is), I imagine some would-be comedians will joke that there's two other reasons she's so popular...

Actually, I wonder could she get her revenge by turning it into a short on the inherent sexism of living history/RenFaires and how their 'authentic period costumes' for women usually involve corsetry and low necklines...
Zella with her level of contacts should start thinking about doing a major documentary project with the 30th anniversary of the start of the ITTL WW II coming up.
Now that's a very good idea...

This is a little bit different from the case of Jacque Brown that you mentioned in that Zella is at an open air museum that does living history, so she is not out of place. However, the sort of reaction she is anticipating is all too real. I could bore you with videos of examples of the lecherous behavior she is dreading, but I think you already get the idea.

Well, Zella has already seen that reaction from Yuri, her own damn cameraman who should, crush not withstanding, know better.

Indeed...
 
The interaction between Marie & Henriette seems to be based on a series of mutual misunderstandings. It is obvious that Henriette was expecting Marie to act like how most people think a princess acts (much like Parker keeps thinking about Kiki); i.e. aloof, reserved & more than a little superior/snobby. Because Marie isn't acting like that, even denying that she is a princess (even though her mother is), Henriette has been thrown off balance a little, having prepared herself to not show weakness in the face of royalty. Factor in the cultural misunderstanding over the word "Bohemian", which means a certain type of artistic-leaning counter-culture mindset to North Americans, but which, to Marie, means the people who live in a certain central European country that is part of the German Empire and so, the confusion just gets enhanced.

Marie obviously grew up multi-lingual and picks up additional languages for fun, but she still might not realise that English doesn't make the German distinction between Fürst/Fürstin and Prinz/Prinzessin. And unless I'm really wrong, courtesy titles like in the UK aren't really a thing among German nobility. Outside of the Prinz/Prinzessin for royalty.
 
At least for Zella there no idiots yelling “Punch her in the p***y” in the background at this time and with her work in television it is going to make her acceptable to the German public as a wife to Prince Louis Ferdinand as they will feel that they know her.
 
Zella with her level of contacts should start thinking about doing a major documentary project with the 30th anniversary of the start of the ITTL WW II coming up.
I second this.
Especially if it could be a joint German, British, Russian and Japanese project.

You could have Sergei Bondarchuk, Karl Schönöck, Sir Lawrence Olivier and Toshiro Mifune provide the narrations for the various markets. Mifune especially, would be able to draw on his wartime experiences in the Japanese Airforce, (assuming, ITTL, he survives the war).
 
Growing up I watched The World at War with one of my brothers and later my younger sisters would watch with us and my father would always say to us that he knew what the ending was, the Germans and the Japanese lost and the Allies won (Gee Dad thanks for spoiling it for us).

I have been trying to find it on a streaming service and while looking for it I found out about a little bit of history of the program and it occurred to me that it was made about the last time possible before a lot of the people interviewed started to die off and this should be just as true ITTL as it was IOTL.
In my mind I have Maximillian Schnell doing both the German and English narration.
Maximillian Schnell won the Academy Award ITTL for his portrayal of Fleet Admiral Jacob von Schmidt in the film about The Battle of the South Sea and when the film first premiered in Berlin the scene that showed the Admiral on the bridge of his flagship after the surface battle was over and the sun was beginning to rise in the east he gave the order to "Bayonet the Survivors" the movie had to be stopped for fifteen minutes because of the cheering and standing ovation that followed.

Edit: For some strange reason when I typed east it came out west go figure:).
 
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Part 116, Chapter 1925
Chapter One Thousand Nine Hundred Twenty-Five



11th August 1969

In Transit, Central Pacific Ocean

The SMS Antonia Marie was proceeding on a north-westerly course at a leisurely pace with the Marshal Islands as the next destination. It was a welcome change after what had turned into weeks of frenetic activity when they had been moored in Western Samoa. Kiki had lost count of the surgeries she had assisted in and it had all been a reminder that as an Emergency Surgeon she needed to be able to handle whatever was thrown at her. The experience of working with Specialists was invaluable for that exact reason, it was the very reason she had been assigned to the Antonia in the first place. Kiki had a lot weighing on her though she knew that this should have been one of the easiest portions of her time aboard the Antonia. Remembering to eat meals with the other Doctors was something that she needed to remind herself to do because if she didn’t, it was likely that the Ship’s Medical Director would ask her why. To avoid that she was eating lunch quietly as the others watched television, shows and news programs from a few days earlier. Kiki’s mind kept going back to what she had been told earlier that day, things that seemed more important.

There had been briefings about the situation in China. There was an ongoing civil war along with a famine and a viral outbreak that might a lingering echo of Japanese experimentation during the Pacific War. This had resulted in opportunists coming out of the woodwork. Pirates and smugglers mostly, taking advantage of the Western Pacific region becoming unsettled. The Navies of the world couldn’t be everywhere, so all manner of illegal conduct was flourishing. Like always, the Chinese Government was deeply suspicious of outsiders which added an extra layer of complication. It was assumed that such groups would have little regard for International Law and might see the SMS Antonia Marie as a tempting target.

As the Commanding Officer of the FSR Company aboard the Antonia, Kiki played a key role in the security of the ship and had been present at every one of those briefings along with her counterpart who commanded the Marine Infantry who were aboard. That had been weighing on her because they were headed straight for the very region that was so unsettled and the hospital ship carried scores of items of incredible value, not to mention the people themselves who were aboard who had skills not easily found elsewhere. Basically, they had to be prepared for anything. Kiki knew there were enough weapons on board to outfit both the FSR and Marine Infantry Companies. When they had left Kiel that had seemed sort of excessive because supposedly, they were not in that sort of business. Now in retrospect she wondered if it would be enough if they really got into trouble. Doctor Berg had told Kiki many times that she was an idealist who was often disappointed when she collided with a less than ideal world. Was this another one of those times?

“You know her, right Kristina?” One of her colleagues asked and Kiki looked at the television screen that was playing news from home just in time to see Zella looking rather uncomfortable and trying hard to hide her irritation as she interviewed a somewhat oblivious University Professor about the replica of a Medieval farming village that he had constructed using historical accounts. Judging by the ridiculous looking clothes that Zella was wearing, her employers must have had another flash of the sort of brilliance that Kiki knew Zella hated. For all the efforts that Zella had made towards being taken seriously as a Journalist, the people she worked for just couldn’t seem to get past her being an attractive woman. Kiki felt bad for her whenever this sort of thing happened. This wasn’t the first time, not by a longshot.

“Yes” Kiki replied, leaving it at that.

“Is she anything like her public image?”

“What image is that?” Kiki asked in reply and the man looked away.



Cambridge, Massachusetts

Living with Velma took a lot of getting used to and that grew ever more apparent as she made a huge deal of preparations for the party she was throwing for her birthday next week when the term ahead should have been her primary focus. When Hillary brought that up with her, she had laughed and told her that she needed to live a little. Then there were the two boyfriends that Velma had somehow acquired, Bill and Brad. Bill lived a couple hours away in New Haven, Connecticut where he attended Yale, while Brad was a Graduate Student at WPI Upstate. The two of them were odd in that they were so alike that even Velma mixed them up at times. What Hillary seemed to find most odd about the two men was that they were perfectly aware of the other seeing Velma and seemed to be perfectly fine with the arrangement.

That left Hillary quietly making plans to spend the night at a friend’s house and anticipating the massive cleanup that would probably await her on Tuesday morning in the likely event of the apartment being trashed. She figured that she would also being kissing her deposit on the apartment goodbye at the same time. Perhaps some good would come of this if that were enough of an excuse to send Velma packing.
 
Could be a different Bill as IOTL he was at Oxford on a Rhodes Scholarship at the time and there really shouldn't be any reason that he wouldn't be there ITTL and with no Vietnam War and draft he could possibly finish his studies there.
 
@Peabody-Martini good to see you back. I get the feeling that someone is going to try something stupid with the SMS Antonia Marie, probably try and board her claiming to have wounded on board, watch it all go wrong then actually have wounded on board who will need treating after the Marine Infantry have gone through the junk like a dose of salts throwing every weapon, and probably the occasional obstructive pirate, overboard.
 
@Peabody-Martini good to see you back. I get the feeling that someone is going to try something stupid with the SMS Antonia Marie, probably try and board her claiming to have wounded on board, watch it all go wrong then actually have wounded on board who will need treating after the Marine Infantry have gone through the junk like a dose of salts throwing every weapon, and probably the occasional obstructive pirate, overboard.
That is a very good possibility and unlike previous times that Kiki was deployed, the JMS is making a big deal about Princess Kristina being on the SMS Antonia Marie which makes it even more tempting for anyone who thinks they can get a quick score by taking her hostage.
I wonder if the KLM has any S-Boats, Frigates, or Corvettes on permanent patrol in the area along with other assets like a Marine Infantry detachment with a MA Sea Lion component.
If there is a boarding attempted remember that high pressure water hoses make a great repelling weapon.
Kiki can see the discomfort that Zella is trying to hide during her on camera report and the others are not picking up on that.
 
As the Commanding Officer of the FSR Company aboard the Antonia, Kiki played a key role in the security of the ship and had been present at every one of those briefings along with her counterpart who commanded the Marine Infantry who were aboard. That had been weighing on her because they were headed straight for the very region that was so unsettled and the hospital ship carried scores of items of incredible value, not to mention the people themselves who were aboard who had skills not easily found elsewhere. Basically, they had to be prepared for anything. Kiki knew there were enough weapons on board to outfit both the FSR and Marine Infantry Companies. When they had left Kiel that had seemed sort of excessive because supposedly, they were not in that sort of business. Now in retrospect she wondered if it would be enough if they really got into trouble.
Well, that sounds ominous...
I get the feeling that someone is going to try something stupid with the SMS Antonia Marie, probably try and board her claiming to have wounded on board, watch it all go wrong then actually have wounded on board who will need treating after the Marine Infantry have gone through the junk like a dose of salts throwing every weapon, and probably the occasional obstructive pirate, overboard.
SKS & Marine personnel: "We beat them up and them the Docs patched them up."

From memory, international maritime law back then stated that pirates fell within the jurisdiction of whichever navy chose to take an interest.

Edit: Grenade launchers are also effective against small craft, although I suspect that German hospital ships might even have 20mm light AA guns aboard as 'anti-pirate' weapons.
Could be a different Bill as IOTL he was at Oxford on a Rhodes Scholarship at the time and there really shouldn't be any reason that he wouldn't be there ITTL and with no Vietnam War and draft he could possibly finish his studies there.
Bill Clinton could also be stuck back in Arkansas... if those butterflies have flapped their wings in just the right(?) way. After all Che Gueverra is a doctor who regularly visits/lives in Germany ITTL.
 
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