Charlie K

Here here. So as an American Democrat I have been wondering if one of our top priorities for the next four years should be electoral reform and enabling more than two parties to participate in government. How do you guys think that would fare for us? How do these kinds of coalitions do in your own countries? They give people a lot more choice but I'm sure there are just as many compromises and sometimes outright gridlocks, too. Yet, I also think they may keep us more honest, provide a better system of checks and balances.

 

God yes, I am intrigued by the concept of a plurality or coalition government. When three or more parties have control more or less equal to one another, so that two of the parties can ally against another on an issue, the switch alliances on the next issue as it pertains to their platform and constituency. Something like that would keep the process more honest. I also think the time has come for term limits. Career politicians and corruption are symbiotic. You can't have one without the other in politics, so limit the number of terms they serve and the corruption can't root so deeply as it does to someone holding office for a long time.

So I'm on the right track! Well, I for one am going to write my legislators to get this on the agenda and do what I can to make it happen. I've actually been planning a letter to Obama for some time now that will say something like: I voted for you, I dig you, please keep doing what you're doing but add the following to your list - electoral reform, close Gitmo, stop the drone strikes.

Well, well, well, if it isn't Charlie K.

I didn't think you'd have the nerve to ever show your face around here after the last time. I thought me and my posse ran you off for good.

It's nice to see you again, Charlie. I thought you were never dropping by again.

Well well well, Indiana Jones. I always knew some day you'd come walking back into my life... What's new, Christian?

I knew I wasn't crazy when I thought there was more than one K.

 

Great to see you're still kicking, man. Blessings to you and yours.

Thanks, and to you! I think you were a noob about when I was fading out, but now you're probably running things around here with Big Boss Atticus, right?

I'm just here to say, it's ElectricInca! I haven't seen you in forever.

 

Hi Christian, thanks for noticing. I'm going to try to be posting here a little more often than once in a blue moon.

Here here. So as an American Democrat I have been wondering if one of our top priorities for the next four years should be electoral reform and enabling more than two parties to participate in government. How do you guys think that would fare for us? How do these kinds of coalitions do in your own countries? They give people a lot more choice but I'm sure there are just as many compromises and sometimes outright gridlocks, too. Yet, I also think they may keep us more honest, provide a better system of checks and balances.

Brother K!!! Nice to see you, sir. Glad things are going well. I know autism can be a challenge. But as long as he has loving family, he can't lose

Thank you thank you! Yeah, it's hard to sum it all up in a few words but he is doing very well and we are very happy. We're very lucky in some ways; Sammy is higher functioning than other kids and also very easily comforted when his sensory issues get to be too much. A lot of autistic kids get very upset and are severely limited in what they can do, often lashing out, hitting, fleeing, or sometimes "stimming" (flapping or making noises ) to comfort themselves. Because Sam struggles with sound, a lot of times he can be seen rocking a pair of noise-cancellation headphones. I'll get some pics up. Of course he loves his Uncle POWAH, too.

I've been absurdly busy and I keep meaning to drop by the forums more often. Why so busy? Well, I'm doing very well professionally (marketing) and so my ability to screw around on the forum during coffee breaks is greatly curtailed. So that's good. Also have a very lovely little family that takes up the rest of my time. Beyond that, I'm the same: kendo consistently, of course, and working out, reading all the time (but not comics, sadly!), and not writing enough. Probably the biggest "what's going on with you" thing I should update you on, for those that remember me, is that baby Lou I used to post about is now 9 years old and he has a kid brother, Sammy, that is six. Sammy has autism, which has of course been a challenge for all of us as a family but with which we're doing very well. Little Lou is a Hellblazerite in the making in that he loves TV, video games, comics, super heroes, Pokemon, stuff like that. Sammy - well, no autistic kid is quite the same so I think I can best describe him as a very cute little boy that is non-verbal and whose particular sensory issued involve sound, especially human speech. We've got him in the best school possible and he's learning, little by little. Usually he's just tagging along with the rest of us holding mom or dad's hand and smiling and playing and, you know, not speaking! Hard to sum up the whole autism thing but I wanted to jump back into the forum!

I came back to the forum for Rogan's birthday. No, seriously, I am going to post more often in celebration.

-Kendo 4 life!

My partner and me recently acquired a katana. It cuts for real. Hand-crafted, from Toledo. Carbon steel, stainless steel gets destroyed if you try to sharpen it. Well balanced. It cuts for real. I didn't know you can get cutting swords for real.

What should I do now, sensei?

Is it a "wallhanger" or something like this:

http://bugei.com/katana-6-ctg.htm

If the former, admire, play with it carefully, but put it under no stress. If the latter, seek a teacher and expand your badassery to the ultimate level.

lol, miss you guys, too. We still talking about getting drunk, having dreams, books, religion, relationships?

Ain't it something? Avaunt, loving that quote in your sig.

Mark's tattoo and Pook's dogs look great!

Hi, y'all! Long time no post. Super busy as usual. Lemme see, the short version:

-Still remarkably good looking.

-Great job.

-Kendo 4 life!

-Family family family!

Can you believe the little Ks are turning 8 and 5 in August?!

Bili, we talked about you - we talked about all of you! And as we were driving by the UM hospital I pointed out the soccer fields where once you played. I need to hear how you're doing. Hmmm... maybe I'll make a separate thread...

You can do it, Sophia! When I quit smoking I got into martial arts so it was really a leveller for me.

You're not going to believe this but last night I had dinner with my brother, Red, and Jessie!!

Is it any coincidence that they're today all missing body parts?

Hey, they should not have gotten so close to me and my steak!

By the way, Red has something he wants to tell you all about American beer and how it compares to European beer. TELL THEM, RED!

You guys were missed. We all got to get together in the UK or something sometime.

I need to catch up. Even with the thug-looking guy!

I thought you just said you had dinner with Pål?

badum-tish!

You're not going to believe this but last night I had dinner with my brother, Red, and Jessie!!

Oh, hello. I'm Charlie K. I used to run this forum like a prison gang but that was before.... my accident.

I kid! I have missed being on the forums, just been too, too busy at work and home, but for real, , I had dinner with these lovely people at my brother's place and it was utterly fantastic. Lot of great beer, great food (my brother's a pretty damn good cook!) and great conversation. We didn't get the problems of the world sorted out but we do know what needs to be done with Hellblazer so if Vertigo would like to just put us in charge we can get these changes implemented right away, kythx.

Nice to "see" you all, I need to catch up. Even with the thug-looking guy!

"Have you lost your mind, or just the ability to play chess?"

Neither, dear. As I would happily demonstrate, were you man enough to dare face me on the chessboard :icon_gun_s:

I'm gonna come right out and say that Red has whipped my sorry butt up and down the chess board pretty consistently. It's too bad he's an atheist and does not recognize that God made him good at chess as well as intelligent and good looking.

Avaunt, been missing you, too, brother! How the hell are you? I'm work and family all the time, me and my boys - who will be SIX and THREE, can you believe it?

"Have you lost your mind, or just the ability to play chess?"

This thread is still going. I am amazed!

Whassup, y'all!

Yopu married yet, old bot?

You know what's good? SAcotch.

Scothc isa good.

Hello, Andy!

Long time forum member. Haven't been around much and am usually in the off topic section. Just wanted to say I just read the first two issues of your run and I think it's fantastic. I'm always way behind in my comic reading because I am a busy family man on a limited budget but I finally went up and got a huge stack of HB to catch up on. Just finished Mina's run and started yours. Loved "In the Deep End." Absolutely loved it.

I've always thought HB worked best as a series of supernatural crime stories, or crime-horror if you will. Not just that, they are a specific kind of crime story - the con artist story, with its twists, turns and personalities. As such, I think the story lends itself better to "short cons" than "long cons." Five issue arcs, max. "In the Deep End" was pitch perfect, a trap, a con, a few twists. With an HB story, it's like The Grifters or The Maltese Falcon or The Sting or House of Games - only with ghosts and demons as well as police and thieves.

I thought the best writer to have a lock on the character and really capture what I enjoy about HB was Mike Carey. Based on what I've read so far, you'll be up on that pedestal, too!

Anyway, that's just me. I'm sure comics writers get frustrated because they can't please everybody on a comic, and the internet allows more people to have a voice in these things. I've got a lot more reading to do... maybe in a couple of days I'll hop on the board and say, "I take it all back! You suck!" :wink:

It's St. Patrick' day, pal!

^LOL, it' like that coming from yer avataar.

Happy St, Patrucls' Day ya fucks!