JOHN'S WORLD IN 2036

The following posts are isolated to questions and comments about John's
worldline in 2036.

What are your memories of 2036?

I remember 2036 very clearly. It is difficult to describe 2036 in detail
without spending a great deal of time explaining why things are so
different.

In 2036, I live in central Florida with my family and I'm currently
stationed at an Army base in Tampa. A world war in 2015 killed nearly three
billion people. The people that survived grew closer together. Life is
centered on the family and then the community. I cannot imagine living even
a few hundred miles away from my parents.

There is no large industrial complex creating masses of useless food and
recreational items. Food and livestock is grown and sold locally. People
spend much more time reading and talking together face to face. Religion is
taken seriously and everyone can multiple and divide in the heads.

How is our worldline different from this one?

For starters, the fact that I'm here makes it different. I've also noticed
little things like news events that happen at different times, football
games won by other teams, things like that.

I would guess the temporal divergence between this world line and my
original is about 1 or 2 percent. Of course, the longer I am here, the
larger that divergence becomes from my point of view.

Are you drawn back to your worldline of origin for any reason? Is
instability a problem for you?

I'm not sure what you mean by stable. If you mean mentally, there are many
things that bother me here but being with my parents right now is important
to me. Physically, the only thing really wrong is the number of colds I get.

Are you able to return to your home?

Yes.

Do people know where you are? Can you communicate with your home?

No. They do not know where I am and I cannot communicate with them.
Interesting idea though. From their point of view, I will return almost
exactly at the same moment I left. From their viewpoint, I will only have
aged more than expected.

You do not rewrite history. I can only affect what happens here just as
easily as you can. Why do people in this time period worry so much about
time traveler's destroying their world line when they have no problem doing
it themselves every day?

My goal is not to be believed. Most people do not take news of the war very
well but I find that everyone believes it's inevitable. Even in your own
history, are not great inventions and discoveries made during a time of war
in your effort to kill and maim in new and more efficient ways?

No, I do not work for GE or any other company. Are "stock tips" really the
first thing you want to know about in the future? As a representative of
your time period, do you realize what that says about you? You should
probably know that this time is not remembered for its selflessness, charity
or ability to work together.

Why would I want to talk to you? Why don't you believe you have something
interesting or worthwhile to say to someone in the future?

No, the ice caps are not melting any faster than they are now. There is also
far less smog and industrial waste in 2036.

You asked about the North Polar ice pack. I never said the environment
wasn't a problem. Doesn't water expand when it freezes? If the polar ice cap
melted, wouldn't sea level go down? I don't know if there's enough ice for
this to make a difference and I'm not an expert on global warming.

Yes, I realize people become hostile. I don't expect anyone to believe me
and I have nothing to sell. I take no offense by it. Just out of curiosity,
if you were a time traveler, what do you think it would take to get people
to believe you?

I suppose we could agree that no particular era in history is famous for its
development of humanity but just once I would like to hear questions like,
"What is family life like in the future? How does society deal with poverty?
Is AIDS, abortion and drug use still a problem?"

Why don't I give you a stock tip? The money you make would dilute the
intelligence and forethought that a smart person had in picking the stock
all by themselves. If I told you how to get rich, I would be taking money
from them and giving it to you.

I am not aware of any physical change to my DNA or "aura". I do however seem
to be more susceptible to colds.

Yes, you will remember me if you want to. Worldlines do not change that way
and I will only become an insignificant part of your history.

Yes I believe in Jesus Christ and we pray to God in churches. There are some
differences you may be interested in. Religion is a major part of people's
life in 2036. Pain and change tend to bring people together and closer to
God. However, religion is far more personal than it is now. There are no
huge, centralized religions and people talk openly about their beliefs. It
might also interest you to know that the day of worship is Saturday, the day
God meant to be the Sabbath and the 10 commandments have been restored to the "10" that God gave us.

Life is much more rural in the future but "high" technology is used to
communicate and travel. People raise a great deal of their own food and do
more "farm" work. Yes, compared to now, we do work long hours. After the
war, my father made a living selling oranges up and down the West coast of
Florida. My closest friend raises horses and another works for a company
that maintains "wireless" Internet nodes.

Life has changed so much over my lifetime that it's hard to pin down a
"normal" day. When I was 13, I was a soldier. As a teenager, I helped my dad
haul cargo. I went to college when I was 31 and I was recruited to "time
travel" shortly after that. Again, I suppose an average day in 2036 is like
an average day on the farm.

Yes, there is a post office. The Internet is still alive and well in the
future. People spend more time talking because life is more centered on the
community. I've noticed the same type of effect here when the power goes
off. People tend to come out of their homes and actually spend time with
their neighbors. There is a lot more personal trust and less paranoia.

When I'm with my parents, I live in a community made up of "tree houses" on
a large river in Florida. The river floods sometimes and we have access to
the Gulf. Most of our neighbors make a living off the sea or in moving cargo
by boat.

No new information there (on UFOs and aliens). I find that an interesting
subject myself. Personally, I think "UFOs" might be time travelers with very
sophisticated distortion units. But that might be a bit wacky.

One of the biggest reasons why food production is localized is because the
environment is affected with disease and radiation. We are making huge
strides in getting it cleaned up. Water is produced on a community level and
we do eat meat that we raise ourselves.

Yes, genetic engineering is used but it's like any other technology. It can
be good and bad. One thing we did not do was create more hybrid seeds. What are people thinking?

I am a Christian Agnostic (Did John mean Gnostic?). I do not believe faith
alone is enough to get us back to God. I'm not sure what happens when we die
but I'm pretty sure it's not a walk in the park.

We are working on it (space travel).

My greatest joy is sailing. For fun, I enjoy swimming, playing cards,
reading, playing games on the net and talking with people who live in other
countries. As a community, we celebrate much more and have bon fires and
dances. My hobby is sorting through old magazines and videos of life before
the war.

After the war, early new communities gathered around the current
Universities. That's where the libraries were. I went to school at Fort UF,
which is now called the University of Florida. Not too much is different
except the military is large part of people's life and we spend a great deal
of time in the fields and farms at the "University" or Fort.

Most of my memories growing up are not fond. Life was very hard. Simple
things make me happy like hugging my mother and father. Yes, we have
cameras. More digital. Film is used like painting is today. No hologram
camera though.

Yes we have phones but the service is through the web. Most power generation
is localized. It amazes me how much power is wasted now. Yes, solar is big.
There is thought that a singularity generator could also be used but most
people are against it.

The elderly are highly revered and looked after on a community level. So are
orphans. There is always something people can do now matter what. The idea
of avoiding work is looked down on. Everyone pulls together to keep the
COMMUNITY strong.

Hats are more common in the future and flashy colors are less common. Dress
is much more functional and we "dress up" whenever we get a chance. I have
noticed that no one in this time dresses for occasions even when they have
the clothes. Why do people wear shorts to church?

We do not spend nearly the amount of time on our hair as people do now.
Women like to wear their hair longer and men have it much shorter. Both
sexes shave it all off when they're in active military service.

Far less medical treatment in the future even though It's more advanced.
People die when they now its time to die. No lasers. Genetic medicine and
cloning organs are the obvious new techs in the future.

The Constitution was changed after the war. We have 5 presidents that are
voted in and out on different term periods. The vice president is the
president of the senate and they are voted separately.

We have cars, just not a whole bunch of them. There is public transportation
from city to city.

If I could bring some material thing back to your time from 2036, it would
be a copy of the new US Constitution.

Can you explain what the purpose of time travel is on your worldline?

In 2036, a great deal of effort is going into "repairing" our environment. I
was sent to 1975 to get a computer system and take it back to 2036. Time
travel is not a secret in 2036 and I expect it will become more common.

Why is time travel used?

Right now, its used to get information or "items" that would be helpful in
getting a post WWIII world back to a normal condition. There are 7 other
time travelers in my unit.

Where do time travelers go the most?

Right now, most of our practical missions are from 1960 to 1980. There is a
great deal of research into later and future periods but the farther you go,
the lower the divergence confidence of the world line.

Has cancer or AIDS been cured yet?

Aids, no. Cancer, some progress.

What would you say to any world leaders who might be reading this right now?

Revel in your confidence today because you will not win tomorrow.

Earlier you spoke about the patch you wear on your uniform. You said the
spirals represented two paths. One was safe and the other lead to God. What
does that mean?

The safe way is the one calculated to take you in time where you want to go,
the other path will take you to God (death). Both are equally accepted and
anticipated before each trip.

What is music like in 2036?

Most of the same music you enjoy is available on archive. However the days
of mega-stars playing multiple track studio produced music and lip-synching
on a huge stage are pretty much isolated to your time period. Like
everything else, music is much less centralized. The general trend is away
from "computer generated" music and more toward real people playing real
instruments. Music is much more of a personal experience. More people know
how to read music and play together in small groups.

What are the social prejudices in 2036?

Yes there are. However, as odd as it may sound, it serves a useful purpose
in my time. First, you must realize that your experiences with "prejudice"
and mine are different. I would characterize the intolerance you have here
as a result of ignorance and fear. I have observed that people with
unfounded and irrational fears about their fellow man in this time have the
luxury of not having their beliefs tested.

After the war, much of the prejudice you have now was swept away by simple
necessity. People had to work and fight together just to survive. This has a
way of opening a person's eyes as to the value of fellow human beings.

What difference does the color of a man's skin make when you are both
fighting against the same enemy to survive or find water or grow food? On my
world line, if a man doesn't't pull his weight in the community, then we
feel prejudice towards him as a burden to us. This feeling of shame he
experiences then makes him realize his responsibilities.

What is the health care like in 2036?

You would probably not like it at all. I would compare it to what you see in
Western movies. We do have hospitals but there are more family doctors and
house calls as compared to what you are used to. There is no real organized
health care. If you get a serious disease, you die. This however has had a
tendency to strengthen the general genetic pool. Doctors are more concerned
about things like broken legs, snakebites and delivering healthy babies.

What is the entertainment industry like in 2036?

Again, entertainment is less centralized. There are "movies" and "TV" but
everything is distributed over the net and more people produce their own
"shows".

What's it like to start from nothing and work your way up in 2036?

Very easy. If you can work with your hands and get along with other people,
you will always find work.

Could you travel in time to escape your original worldline? Would you be
looked down on for that?

From a physical standpoint, I suppose that would work if you were trying to
escape a natural disaster. But you must consider that trying to "escape" by
time traveling has its own problems. I'm not exactly sure what you mean by
being looked down on.

Is there some sort of new world government in place by 2011?

On my world line in 2011, the United States is in the middle of a civil war
that has dramatic effects on most of the other Western governments.

When you first started posting online, did anyone believe you?

I don't know if anyone believes me now. But you must realize that I don't
expect anyone to believe me or does it affect me one way or the other. I
enjoy these conversations too. What would you expect a time traveler to say
or do in your time?

How far have computers and software progressed in 2036?

Good question! I would say the biggest difference is in the reliability of
the hardware and software. It absolutely amazes me how willing people are
here to accept computer and software failures on such a regular basis. I was
very surprised to see how prolific it is. You can look forward to very
stringent manufacturing parameters and programming discipline. Think back to
the early days of the computer and how much work and cleverness it took to
fit those programs into such small areas of memory. Has more and cheaper
memory brought better programs or just more programs?

As far as technical specifics, I'm afraid I cannot go into too much detail.
However, I will tell you that processor speed and memory size take dramatic
leaps forward.

Who won the Super Bowl in 2001?

I do not answer questions like this. Although I don't really know the
motivation for the question.I can guess. If a time traveler had knowledge of
your future, and you could only ask one question, would this be it? Besides,
can you tell me if it rained in New York on June 4th 1932? You are from
their future so should you know that?

What type of money do you use in 2036?

Its not very different than it is now. Yes, we have money and credit cards.
However, like everything else, the monetary system is decentralized. Banking
is based mostly around the community structure. There are no multinational
banking or computerized economic systems. There are also no income taxes.

Are radio location systems still used on livestock?

Some of the larger farm communities use electronic markers and fences. I am
not a farmer so I don't have very many details about that.

Is the GPS system still in use in 2036?

Oh yes! In fact, the unit I have with me works here. I'm not sure why that
surprises me. There are also a great many communications and Internet
satellite systems.

Do you still have an American flag? What does it look like in 2036?

Yes, we still have the flag. There is a debate about changing it from 50
stars to 5.

Do any of the states have new names?

Not that I can think of... No major cities anyway. I am aware that some
smaller towns changed their names after the war and most universities have
the word "fort" before them on my world line.

Is it still safe to fish in 2036?

Yes, we can fish. There are some areas that are still too dangerous to
spend a lot of time in so we can't fish in those areas.

Is there public transportation in 2036?

A high-speed train system connects the larger cities. Roads are still used
for cars and many people ride horses and bikes.

What music and books do you enjoy? Do you play an instrument?

I read a great deal of history. I like piano classics and some older rock
and roll. (why did that type of music go so far down hill?) No, I don't play
any instruments myself.

Are you taking pictures and video?

Oh yes.

What is your favorite food?

It's very hard for me to find food here. It all scares the Hell out of me.
I've found a couple of local farms where I am reasonably sure the raw food
is safe and my mother started a garden for me.

Do medical advances in 2036 have anything to do with genetics?

Again, I'm no expert. I believe there is a great deal of progress in
treating the cancer cells with modified viruses. So I guess the answer is
yes.

The question involved details on natural disasters and temperatures in 2036.

That's one area I've decided not to talk about, sorry. The average
temperature worldwide is a bit cooler.

Is time travel discussed on the web in 2036? Do you recognize any web sites
now from the future?

Time travel is a major point of social discussion. I'll have to check when I
get back. Most of the larger servers that were in the major cities were lost
or destroyed. I'll try to bring a copy back with me. Perhaps you can check
that in your 2036.

Does anything happen in the year 2012? I've heard stories about the world
ending.

In my 2012, I was 14 years old spending most of my time living, running and
hiding in the woods and rivers of central Florida. The civil war was in its
7th year and the world war was three years away. Yes, there are unusual
events in 2012 but they do not cause the world to end. Unfortunately, I have
decided not to discuss events that you or I can do anything about. It is
important that they be a surprise. Perhaps you are familiar with the story
of the Red Sea and the Egyptians?

The question lists a number of paranormal conspiracy theories and then asks
about weather control in the year 2036.

I must admit I am unfamiliar with most of what you have asked here. I am
aware of the Harp system but I don't know how they would control weather
with it.

Please describe any details you can about the education system in 2036.

The education system has been through many changes. School in 2036 is no
longer a political indoctrination system and students "learn how to learn".
Since community activity varies from place to place, the emphasis on basic
reading, math and language is augmented with skills particular to the
community. One school may emphasis farming while another teaches
woodworking. Having children is a bit different and less common in 2036. A
typical school day involves a setting very much like it was 100 years ago
with smaller classes and few administrators to teachers. Other areas of
study that are less common now are history, citizenship and personal
economics.

If you could post a picture of money used in the future, that would be more
impressive than your time machine pictures.

I am disappointed that you feel I am trying to impress you. Why would I
bring money from 2036 with me? Besides, isn't that something that could
easily be faked? Now if I told you I was your cousin's brother and I knew
about that scare on your left leg.that would convince you.

Where do you think all the water came from in the great flood stories?

I believe the explanation for the "great flood" stories originate with the
changes that occurred near the Mediterranean at the end of the last ice age.
Even on this worldline, there is a great deal of evidence to support the
fact that sea levels did change radically in isolated areas worldwide.

I also heard someplace that if the ice mass on Antarctica melted today, sea
level worldwide would rise about 100 feet. I'm not exactly sure that's true
but still. Mt. Everest might be a bit of a stretch.

I do however agree with you that there are no physical paradoxes but for the
opposite reasoning.

In 2036, community life is a bit different. People are valued and judged
based on their contribution and worth. Work is organized around the family
and the value of that work is assessed inside of the community. Most
communities range in size from 1000 to 4000 people. If a family wanted to
move from one community to another or if a son or daughter wanted to move to
another community, they must apply and be interviewed by the community
leadership council. During this process, the family or individual is
evaluated as to whether or not the work or skill they have is required or
necessary to that individual community. Once accepted, the family or
individual is expected to uphold their end of the work and support the
community. If they don't, the community stops supporting them and they are
forced to change their attitude or move away from the community.

The family work we did was picking, sorting and shipping oranges by sailboat
up and down the coast of Florida. We were expected to produce a certain
amount for the community and a certain amount for other communities as
agreed to by our CLC. In exchange, we received power, water, a certain
amount of food and other necessities that were produced inside our
community.

I see this message board as a small community and I have no other way to
value the contributions of others on it other than what my past experiences
tell me. I have tried to answer as many questions as I can without being
annoying, repetitive or inappropriate, and for some of you, entertaining.
Under these conditions, I have decided to seek guidance from all of you, the
other members of this community, as to whether or not my postings are of any
value to the direction of these discussions. If they are getting distracting
or repetitive, I will stop and continue to enjoy reading your thoughts and
ideas.

Who receives the Nobel Prize for time travel? Since you claim no two
worldlines are the same, this information could not hurt anything.

There are a great many people involved with the discovery of time travel.
Just as I will not give "stock tips", I will not divulge their names as that
may impact their lives now.

What would happen if you gave us technical information that's discovered in
a year or so?

If I had any and I published them, I'm sure they may have a large impact.
Unfortunately, I don't have any with me. Even if I did, I'm sure they would
be scrutinized. Again we get back to the same question. If you were a time
traveler, what would you do to establish your credibility?

What happens to (name of person asking question)? Am I involved in Time
Travel? What of the (armed) resistance?

I have no idea what happens to you in your future. There was a resistance on
my worldline but their goal was to maintain power and control over other
people. We killed most of them by 2020.

Are there still books in 2036?

Yes, books are still published.

What do they look for when choosing someone for a mission?

Depending on the mission, time travelers are usually chosen for a particular
mission based on their ability to gain the cooperation of someone related to
the goal on the target worldline. In my case, my grandfather was directly
involved with the building and programming of the 5100.

If a time traveler is bad and commits murder or goes crazy, is there anyway
they can be recalled?

There is a difference of philosophy between us that should be clarified.
Since I believe that all possible outcomes and events are possible, probable
and certain, it is impossible to assign "goodness" or "badness" to a person
or situation.

On some other worldline, I am an insane time traveler causing destruction
and death while (name of forum member who confronts John on a regular basis) chases me with his band of devoted followers. However, on this one, I am not. Since both events are certain, their value is neutral.

You can only assign goodness and badness to the events and experiences you
have direct control over or witness. Only actions are good and bad, not
people or things. I suppose if I was a psychotic killer, I could accomplish
my mission, avoid capture and still return to my worldline of origin without
penalty. There would be no way for them to know what happened. However, I
believe that action is wrong and I would be accountable to my God.

How do you know our worldline and yours will follow the same path?

This worldline and my own are almost exactly alike.

Why don't you give us more detailed information about the future so we won't
be so skeptical?

I think skepticism is a good thing and no one should lose it.

You could still give us details about the future that wouldn't harm anyone
and still add to your credibility.

Again, I do not seek to add to my credibility. There is no point to it.
Actually, by providing information that was useful, I would be adding to
your collective fear that I am real. In that case, this cycle we are in
concerning "truth" only spirals and gets worse.

Why can't you name the five presidents you have in your time?

Over the past few postings, I have tried to describe the limits of what I
will talk about and why. Here is a short recap list. In future postings, I
will place the following number next to each question as to why I will not
discuss it.

1. I will not disclose any information that will cause someone to personally
gain by its knowledge. This means no stock or sports tips.

2. I will not disclose any detailed information that would allow someone to
avoid death by probability. This means no earthquake or bombing information.

3. I will not disclose any information that may compromise any future
actions by individual people or threaten their family and well-being.

On my worldline, we are no longer afraid of the "NWO". Are you afraid of
Nazis?

The reason the job of President was split into an office of 5 has 4 main
reasons. With 5 (presidents), foreign policy is more consistent, power
shifting between parties has less of an impact on the overall government,
individual strengths between presidents add to the strength of the overall
office, and one president is elected for each major area in the United
States.

What is the extent of Presidential power in 2036?

The office of President is far more diluted and decentralized than it is
here. The powers of the national government are more defined and reside more at the county and state level.

What is the new government like in 2036 compared to the current one?

I think the new government is good. However, since the concept of nationally
subsidized welfare is gone, most people here may not appreciate it.

Where is the new US capitol?

The new US capitol is in Omaha Nebraska.

How do the 5 presidents take power?

The voting for individual candidates is on a rotating schedule.

What are the other time travelers' destinations, and missions?

I am not aware of the details of other missions. Of the seven, three had
already left before I did. I suspect they are on similar missions.

Is it possible to send a message through time?

Unless the information physically travels with the person; none that I'm
aware of.

If you're from the future, than you should know what happens to (personal
names of people on forum)? Am I involved in time travel?

This is the only question I found from your postings that you could be
referring to. Again, I have no knowledge of you in any possible future nor
would I comment on it if I did. As far as the photograph of me in a uniform,
I'm not sure what that would prove even if I had one.

Your future seems to be fixated on killing people. Isn't there a criminal
justice system or do you just enjoy killing people?

Perhaps you could take the dialogue in question and post it with your
question. However, if I understand you, you're asking about death on my
worldline. Yes, it is more a part of our lives than it is yours (at least
for now) and capitol punishment is a reality.

Although the documents posted were printed from a computer printer, is it
really that hard to believe that manual typing is just a bit more common in
thirty years? After the war, many things like manual printing machines,
bicycles, sailboats and hand tools were valued a great deal. I have noticed
more people in California are installing wood burning stoves.
Are the Olympics still being played in the future?

As a result of the many conflicts, no, there were no official Olympics after
2004. However, it appears they may be revived in 2040.

What sort of future do you imagine after 2036? Will we colonize the solar
system?

Keep in mind that not all humans were destroyed but we were all affected.
There is an effort going into colonizing space because it is believed that
the problems of overpopulation were a large cause of the war. Personally, my
generation sees itself as having a duty to try and repair the mess our
fathers handed to us. When we were young, most of us had a small taste of
the world you live in now and our only dream is to clean it up and give it
back to those still able to have children.

(1) Industrialized mass production does not produce the uncountable tonnage
of useless consumer items so gleefully absorbed by your society. I would
estimate there are about 10 units like mine (C204) and twenty larger units
(C206). The main difference is the sensitivity and number of the main Cesium
clocks. I would estimate that some sort of public time travel will be common
around 2045.

(2) I'm not aware of any other time traveler's "here" now. But if they are
here, I'm sure they're pouring over sports history books so they can go back
in time another week and start a friendly conversation on the web.

(3) The "Mad Cow" story here is yet to begin but don't worry, the fruited
gelatin deserts are safe.

(4) I'm glad to see it's so easy for to dismiss the Middle East. Yes, I
suppose it is a no brainer but pretty soon it will be a "no arrmer" and a
"no legger".

Unfortunately, winners of historical sports betting events are not high on
the priority list of people in 2036. As a thought experiment, if I did tell
you who the winning horse was and you killed it before the final race, would
that make me a liar or would it support my statement that our worldlines are
about 2% different? Do you know who won that race 30 years ago?
If you could change one thing about your government right now, what would it
be?

The United States is still a representative republic in 2036 but it was
touch and go for a while. After the war, the U.S. had divided into 5 general
areas based on their economic and defensive strengths. Many people blamed
the government organization for the war and the last Constitutional Congress
was held in 2020 to officially scrap the Constitution and start over.
Fortunately, this exercise in anger pointed out how hard it was to come up
with anything better. It was decided the document wasn't at fault. As a
result, there have been a few small changes to the Constitution and the
executive branch but you would easily recognize it. The average citizen is
more educated about the Constitution and aware of the rights and
responsibilities it gives them. Federal power has been decentralized and the
focus of daily politics is in the state senates. Federal law has also been
streamlined but much harder to change or make additions to.

The people who sign my paycheck told me why we needed a 5100 and sent me off to get one. I was not in a position to make alternate suggestions. As I
recall, isn't the Cray a rather large system? We need something portable.
The 5100 isn't required for its reliability, its needed to translate between
APL, UNIX and a few obscure IBM mainframe languages.
The fishing is great and you're more than welcome to join us but the "me"
here is only three. I'll have to tell him your coming.

Can you give us some personal stories of your past?

I was born in 1998 so I do share some childhood memories with all of you. I
remember going to Disney World at Christmas and I remember going to the
beach in Daytona. When the civil "conflict" started and got worse, people
generally decided to either stay in the cities and lose most of their civil
rights under the guise of security or leave the cities for more isolated and
rural areas. Our home was searched once and the neighbor across the street
was arrested for some unknown reason. That convinced my father to leave the
city.

From the age of 8 to 12, we lived away from the cities and spent most of our
time in a farm community with other families avoiding conflict with the
federal police and National Guard. By that time, it was pretty clear that we
were not going back to what we had and the division between the "cities" and
the "country" was well defined. My father made a living by putting together
12-volt electrical systems and sailing "commodities" up and down the coast
of Florida. I spent most of my time helping him.

Outright open fighting was common by then and I joined a shotgun infantry
unit in 2011. I served with the "Fighting Diamondbacks" for about 4 years.
(Hearing in my right ear isn't as good as I would like it). The civil war
ended in 2015 when Russia attacked the U.S. cities (our enemy), China and
Europe. As unusual and bad as my childhood might seem, I wouldn't trade it
for anything.

Africa is not a pleasant place to be in 2036 although I would characterize
it as recovering.

The music you enjoy now is quite popular and available it's just not
produced in anywhere near the same amount. There is a revival of "local" and
classical music. Many people have learned to play their own. I personally
enjoy Big Band, some Classical and interesting lyrical pieces from the 1970s
and 1980s.

Yes, we still have football and you will easily recognize it in 2036.

Yes, there are significant advances in computer science. It's interesting
how easy it is to be fixated on the "machine" itself without any curiosity
about many of the support systems. This is not really big news but if / then
is out and if /then /maybe is in.

Yes I am with the "me" on this worldline and he is three now. I find that
fact to be rather hard for people to get along with so I don't bring it up
directly. This is the second time I have "met myself".

The "machine" is owned by the military. I am part of a unit stationed in
Tampa Florida. The real energy is in creating the machine, not operating it.
It's interesting you should bring up the divergence percentage. You may find
it entertainingly interesting to know that the divergence can be more
accurate with more sensitive gravity sensors and clocks. The C206 uses 6
Cesium clocks and an active method of timing the changes in the atom.
We time travel to solve problems. A great deal of effort is going into
repairing the environment and infrastructure.

(1) Who wins the (sporting event) for the next 20 years?

I don't know. Even if I did, you could stop the horse(s)anyway and make it
untrue.

(2) Who will be elected president for the next 20 years?

Please see number 2.

(3) Will there still be (popular motorcycle) around when you are born?

I was born in 1998.

(4) Please tell me the price of gold for the last 20 years.

I don't understand the importance of this type of information. Please tell
me your opinion why this is interesting and worth remembering for 30 years.

(5) Will it still be lawful for me to own handguns?

I thought owning a handgun was legal in the United States? Yes, being
familiar with firearms (along with the other responsibilities of the
Constitution) becomes an important part of people's lives in thirty years.
Korea United?

I guess you could say that. Taiwan, Japan and Korea were all "forcefully
annexed" before N Day.

I don't remember a great deal about media coverage during the civil
conflicts. I would probably characterize it the same way you see coverage of
Waco, Ruby Ridge and Elian Gonzalez.

From my viewpoint, yes, this is an alternate timeline. From your viewpoint,
no.

Australia is sort of interesting in what is unknown. After the war, they
were not very cooperative or friendly (can't blame them really). It is known
they did repulse a Chinese invasion and most of their cities were hit. They
have a trading relationship with the U.S. but I would characterize them as
reclusive and ticked off.

After reading the questions, I want to paint a picture that may help with
the general theme of our collective experience in 2036. The war had very
profound affects on people and how they relate to each other. As
individuals, almost everyone in 2036 is very familiar with death. We all
have stories of loved ones that have died from disease, war or acts of
inhumanity. Most of us have even taken part in dishing the same thing out to
the other side. As a result, we have become far more compassionate to the
ones we love but mush less forgiving to those who don't pull their weight.
We are more accepting of other's differences in our community because we
depend on them to survive. We are also more conservative with our resources
and closer to God because for a period, life on Earth was Hell.

The other major difference is in the concept of good and evil. With multiple
worlds come multiple decisions and outcomes. For every good act, there is an
equal and possible bad act on another worldline. Taken to the extreme, this
must mean that in God's eyes, there is no total good and total bad in the
superverse. It balances itself out to infinity. I believe we are judged on
the decisions we make as individuals and the good/evil I see on my worldline
is an illusion that has no worth to God. My reaction to it is what's
important to God. Although this may seem rather heartless, it does allow me
to see past the evil that people do and acknowledge the core of potential
goodness inside them.

5. We do not live in a racist society but definitely a prejudice one.
Everyone carries their own water.

6. Our government looks very much like yours. It is a representative
republic.

7. My definition of a patriot is anyone who defends the Constitution
against all enemies, foreign and domestic.

8. Religion has become far less centralized. Extremes tend to bring you
closer to God so I would characterize religion and spirituality as a much
more of a personal institution.

10. It's difficult to define the most predominant religion. Christianity
has fragmented into many groups and people with different beliefs speak mush
more openly with others who have different outlooks and opinions. I would
imagine there are large groups of Hindus, Buddhists and Muslims but I have
not come across them personally.

11. No, Jesus did not come back. At least not that I'm aware of. If or when
Jesus returns, do you think he'll be a lamb or a lion?

12. No mission to Mars but we are working on it. There is a group working
on the idea of gravity displacement to get into space but the calculations
and error rate are very large obstacles to overcome.

13. We don't know what's on Mars yet.

14. We're not on the moon yet either. A great deal of technical effort is
going into cleaning the planet up.

15. I'm not aware of any "mind control" devices being used on you now.
However, there are a great many "non lethal" weapon systems in development
that turn out to be quite lethal. Sometimes I watch your television programs
that show SWAT teams using new non-lethal weapons. They usually start out
with, "In the future, the army and police will fight its enemies with new
weapons systems." When they use the word "enemy", they're talking about YOU!

You don't really think the Marines are going to jump out of helicopters
overseas with sticky goop, pepper spray and seizure lights, do you?

16. I'm not familiar with the term Psionics. I'll look it up and see if we
just have another word for it.

 Surah 18. The Cave: