Born of fire. It was a blazingly hot summer day, five years ago, when I first penned this quick little intro blurb:

An inauspicious start if ever…

I mean it was hot, like 104 hot. Four days later, I got around to a real posting: The Shared Responsibility TAX: ObamaCare a hit with the Supremes…

It was still hot as Hades – I even noted that in the first sentence. Today, it’s not so bad. Yesterday, was more like it; I undertook the first heavy outdoor activity of the year, and I picked the first near-100 degree day to do it. Got it now: yard work in the cool; blog in the heat. Or is that backwards? Heatstroke typing…

ObamaCare has been a recurrent sub-theme over the years. The title has shifted to TrumpCare, or GOPCare, or WhoCares, or something; the problems remain. The first problem is the sheer stupidity and criminal neglect of Washington. Yesterday, Rand Paul (not his father, but all we have left) interjected a little sanity into the malaise: Rand Paul: Insurance should be available for $1 a day.

I’m not entirely sure anything can be had for $1 per day but I like the concept. What he’s talking about would require a renaissance in insurance and medical coverage. It’s happening here and there, naturally, on the medical front. The insurance business racket is another story. As Rand points out, the main purpose of the old law seems to be to stabilize insurance syndicate profits.

But, please, I babble – perhaps the most common feature of the site. That’s not what we’re here for today, is it?

FIVE YEARS

And, thank you so very much! When I started I really had no idea what I was doing. I’m proud of my consistency in that regard… But it seems to work. There’s been massive growth, month over month, and year over year – all thanks to you. And “You” is a big, broad group. Primarily a US-centric endeavor, with vast Western defensive leanings, I manage to reach people in some 130 or so countries.

The top nine for 2017 so far:

For perspective: I’ve had more traffic this week, a slow one, than I had in all of 2012. Consistency plays a part in that; for a while, there was none.

In June of 2012 I rattled off the above two posts. Then there was silence. In February of 2013 I resumed the labor and piped away, periodically, until September. Then came more silence. A jabbering or two in June and July, 2014. More silence. In January, 2015, on the advice of a friend, I commenced persistent work. This month makes 30 months in a row. I’ve now had at least one article or post per day for over a year.

And, as I always say, I’m just getting started. There’s always more and better to come, just around the corner. Stay tuned.

As a thank you for your devoted and loyal readership, I procured some balloons.

Have some cake before you go.

Happy birthday, little website. Thank you, dear readers, one and all, and please hurry back.

– Perrin