Howdy!

[Colin]

Niles, how've you been? Wow, just wow, its great to see you back. You're one of the best GMs and Newspaperman that Atlasia ever had. Hope you stick around.

[Bono]

Who is this guy?

[Niles Caulder]

Hey Bono!  Good to see you!

Really don't have the time or energy...and from the looks of it you've got a capable and dedicated guy at the helm.  I read a sample of his stuff and it looks great!  Plus his handle is simply awesome.  I'll bet there's a nuclear devise hidden inside the lead Maltese Falcon...NSA better keep tapping that Sydney Greenstreet.

Hey Colin! 

It's a damned demanding post.  I'm glad to see someone still stepping up to the plate.  "The mark of a moderate man is freedom from his own ideas."  It's essential for the job, and you've got a real winner on your hands: a Zen 'void in the center.'

A18: I was a previous void.  Verbose, stubborn, and hard-nosed...but essentially void....

[A18]

Who is this guy?

Huh? You sure seemed to recognize him above.

[Akno21]

Akno!!

How you been, partner?

Haven't gone back into government but still hanging around, the whole thing is very interesting, even if you're watching from the sidelines. I still appreciate your work for me in Akno21 v. Fritz.

[Bono]

Who is this guy?

Huh? You sure seemed to recognize him above.

Oops, I thought I had wrote something. :S
That post was suposed to read "He was the best GM ever."

[A18]

Did he ever post outside fantasyland? Why don't I remember him?

[afleitch]

Did he ever post outside fantasyland? Why don't I remember him?

I remember his name (probably from the Members online list) but thats all I'm afraid.

[Niles Caulder]

Now now...I haven't had the privilege of sizing up Sam--but Ernest had me beat hands down.

By the way, the little spare time I do have is spent doing the blog thing.  Predominantly but not exclusively political musings.  Way too much boring lament on real life...but hopefully not too nausiating.

http://spaces.msn.com/Niles-Caulder/

I wouldn't expect any more consistent interaction if I were you, though.

[Defarge]

Welcome back Niles!

[Niles Caulder]

Thanks Defarge!  Good to see you!  Just passing through--y'all were missed.

[Sam Spade]

Turns out I have internet access here after all...

Verin!  [waves his unconcious face with a hand-held fan...]

Nice to meet you, Sam!  (I'm a huge Bogey fan.)  I like your paper!
Big job isn't it?  I bit off a bit more than I could chew back in the day.  Got pretty absorbing...didn't get through a tenth of my story-arc agenda.  Looking back I see I was way too technocratic given the four-month term cycles.

It's a lot of work, more than I had anticipated, especially over the past few months when I've been really busy.  Fortunately, the typical election chaos means that I can slow things down a bit for the time being, but I'm planning on doing more once the election's over with.

Actually, I've been continuing more in the John Ford mold of GMing, which leans more towards real-life impacts of budgets and economic affairs, rather than the past model of setting up scenarios.  It also involves me having to less of a story arc, even though I still have some ideas that I want to get down to paper. 

Basically, the only minor story arc I've come up with so far is a parallel storm to Katrina, which probably only had a major influence in getting of the balanced budget amendment which had passed.

Bono probably wants me back in the Senate, with you as GM, knowing him. 

Anyway, I'm always open to suggestions and the like.  Good to see you back. 

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Welcome, stranger!

[WMS]

Welcome, even if only for a little while.

[DanielX]

Hello, old guy who left around when I came here. I'm a former Senator who also happened to lead a rebellion, serving briefly as President of West Atlasia.

Basically, head to the 'afewiki' above for more info on anything that's happened here.

There have been multiple attempted secessions and takeovers (including West Atlasia, East Atlasia, Jesusland aka eastern King County, Washington, TN2024's two attempted coups, a few times the South nearly seceded, and assorted snafus).

Here's the Presidents from PBrunsel on:
4. PBrunsel (November-February) - Republican
5. True Democrat (February-March) - Independent Liberal
6. Alcon (March-July) - Constitutional Union
7. Siege40 and Acting President Emsworth (July-November) - Independent Liberal
8. Joe Republic and Acting President Ebowed (November-February) - Independent

Lately, a big trend is for Presidents to be curiously absent during crises, requiring the Veep and Cabinet to take over. This was particularly endemic in October, when NOBODY knew whether Emsworth or Joe Republic was actually going to be president due to a series of election snafus that helped lead to the West Atlasian Succession Crisis.

None of the political parties around a year and a half ago still exist, with the exceptions of the Jesus Christ and States Rights one-man shows. The ACA are closest, as they're pretty much a renamed Republican party. Parties that came into existance after you left (like the United Left, Freedom, and Constitutional Union parties) no longer exist. The Democrats fragmented over the GirlGoneWild scandal (others can tell you more over that one), the Independent Liberals are basically the succesor party to them. The UAC is long dead, they fragmented into the Freedom and CU parties, both of which no longer exist (Freedom's been replaced with the Christian Democrats, the CU with the Free Democrats, both slightly more extreme than the originals).

I'm a troublemaker from Maryland, who started in the UAC, became an independent, formed my own one-man party, ran for Governor of the Mideast, lost in a landslide to Peter Bell, joined the Republicans, moved to Wyoming, ran for Senate against Gabu, switched when Hughento resigned his seat, won that seat, switched to ACA when the Republicans became the ACA, was reelected, resigned my seat when I became a revolutionary leader, ran for my seat again after the crisis was over, left and helped form the FDP/Free Democrats, decided to run for President, left the Presidential Campaign, and just recently resigned my seat. All the while trying to campaign for legal prostitution, low taxes, and big spending cuts.

[Niles Caulder]

Thanks for catching me up!

Well, I think Atlasia's better angels are looking forward...not back.  I had a heck of a whole lot of fun...wish I could have finished more of what was started.  But the torch got passed and burns ever brighter for the better runners than I!

["than I"...I love that phrase.  Pretentious as well as ungrammatical!]

Now y'all quit making me look like Julius Caesar feining refusal of some crown thrice in a day.  Makes me look over my shoulder wondering where Senator Harry Brutus is standing....

I'm just passing through to catch up and say I missed you guys.  Love what you've done with the place.

And on that note, I have to open a restauraunt in the morning, so I'm off to bed.  I shall dream of the Atlasian Constitution in all its democratic glory....

Rock on, Sam.

Govern well, nefarious civil servants.

And God Save the Ford!

[JohnFKennedy]

How's life treating you Niles? Last you were here I was President if I recall it correctly. Now I barely remember to vote. How things change eh?

[Platypus]

Hey, is Ernest still in these parts?  (I noticed Hughento left in a huff.)

That would've been the second resignation, I think. My latest (fourth of fifth?) was much quieter.

Don't let anyone tell you you can change things

I'm glad your health is improved. You had me quite concerned back there!

[Niles Caulder]

The thing that always bothered me is how new guys rack up thousands upon thousands of posts where I always moped along struggling to get to 500!

JFK, Hugh, Ernest!  Y'all rock as always.  Glad to see y'all are still around WMS, Bono, Defarge!  I think I salutated (    )  the others already.  Oh hell...have another one.  [Salute!]  Y'all whom I have missed--you've indeed been missed.

Thanks for indulging me this unoffical thread in the midst of important Government business.  Feel free to delete it at your inclination.

Off to see the Wizard!  Have fun!

[Alcon]

I thought I'd already posted here!  Good to see you, Niles.  Drop in more often!