I started this blog on a whim on this day in October 2004. I never dreamed that I’d still be doing it all these years later.
Much of what irked me then is doing so now. We have a nominally Conservative government in place of the New Labour one and still we are fighting a rearguard action against the encroachment of our liberties. Still we have people who are elected to serve thinking that it is their place to dictate. Still our liberties are being eroded and nothing happens.
In 2004, we were faced with identity cards because of the twin towers attacks. A completely unrelated issue, but an excuse nonetheless. David Amess was murdered last week and we are supposed to lose our online anonymity. Are these related? No, of course not, but the hard of thinking cretins who occupy the green benches are never slow when it comes to an opportunity to impose new draconian measures. I do notice that being safe from knife wielding jihadis is suddenly something that people need protection from if they are an MP. The rest of us must take our chances.
As an aside to this, the naming of a law after a victim is a surefire way of ensuring badly thought out, draconian laws based on emotion rather than good, well conceived law that actually achieves a desirable objective – but we are dealing with vacuous, emotionally incontinent and intellectually retarded cretins here, so what should we expect?
For the past eighteen months we have experienced the most evil and sustained assault on our liberties seen in my lifetime all because of an unpleasant flu-like virus. On top of that we have a prime minister who has gone full on ecoloon and is determined to bankrupt us in the process – if we don’t freeze to death first. Anyone who voted for this man and his party, thinking that they were getting a Conservative PM must now surely realise that they were duped.
When I set this blog up, I found that there were other like minded voices out there. Some of those voices went silent as the years passed. Devil’s Kitchen for example, stopped writing shortly after he got a proper job and can now be found on Farcebook making the occasional foray under his own name, but it’s tame stuff compared to the enjoyable swearblogging of yesteryear. I recall also Mr Eugenides, Dick Puddlecote and Trooper Thompson. Others we lost to the Grim Reaper – Captain Ranty, Anna Raccoon, Raedwald and only the other week, Frank Davies and the guys at Samizdata lost Brian Micklethwait.
Some of us continue to spuddle along – Samizdata, Ambush Predator, James Higham, Legiron and Grandad for example. Some, like Tom Paine make the occasional foray. We still scream into the wilderness, wondering if our voices are making any difference. And somewhere out there is the troll Dickie Doubleday who tried to shut us down, silent now in defeat. Like the vegan activist who made similar threats. Despite their best efforts, I’m still here and they failed.
Along the way, my life changed. I lost my wife of nearly thirty years and the world is a lonelier place because of it. I also found an outlet for my fiction with Legiron, and channel much of my spare time into this – currently novel number five is coming along albeit slowly. It’s a form of escapism. One solace here is that Mrs L was still alive to see this happen and she was proud of the achievement. I recall her pleasure when she read the dedication inside my first short story collection. It’s a memory I will cherish until my dying day.
In the early days, blogging was the new big thing and there were the bandwagon jumpers. I recall Pluck for example contacting me with this wonderful opportunity – they would syndicate my work to major news outlets and I would get the glory. They would get not only the money but also my copyright in perpetuity. Oddly enough, I managed to resist that one and Pluck, along with their blogburst product, disappeared without a trace as others thought similarly. My inbox is quiet these days as no one is interested in this little corner of the Internet – not even the spammy guest post scammers can be bothered now. It’s become something of a backwater as vlogging is the new thing and no one is interested in bloggers. I suppose that I could have done that, but I really can’t be bothered with all the set up and recording faff along with the editing. Then, of course, there is the real problem: The platforms are owned and run by big tech and as Sargon of Akkad found out, there are consequences for wrongthink. I’d have been demonetised and booted off long ago. This place is self hosted, so Google et al can’t do anything about it – apart from shadow ban me from their search results (which they haven’t yet), but that’s not something that concerns me.
Seventeen years. Whodathunkit?
Please continue. I read/check your blog daily. I “found” blogging in general around about the time you started, and your blog probably via a link associated with No2ID. Back then bloggers did a little ’round Robin’ exercise, linking to each other. In that way I discovered Julia, Leggy, Mr. E, DK, Samizdata and others, some of whom no longer blog. I have found it of benefit to myself, and to be reassured by your writings, and others, that I am not the only on who thinks that the world has gone crazy, and that the one I was born into is under attack, by unworthy people.
I too share your loathing of governments (of all colours) bossing the populace around, with no mandate to do so. Vlogging is ok for subjects that benefit from visual input, but there is no substitute for a well phrased, researched, and punchy written blog. Ideally with swear-bombs aplenty.
Keep writing.
Thanks.
Please keep up the good work. Reading your blog has been part of my morning routine since you started (as was the much-missed Dick Puddlecoat). Considering the blatant brainwashing pumped out by the MSM under the guise of ‘news and comment’, it really does makes a huge difference to know that people think the same as I do.
What’s happened to Dick Puddlecote? I used to look forward to new posts there, and the blog suddenly froze in time last year.
Like you, I’m more of a lurker than a commenter, first discovered the blogs around 2009, the first being Captain Ranty. His blogroll led me to many others including this one.
Keep writing, you are very good at it and I’m an avid reader of yours and others.
I don’t think we are ever going to ‘win’ sadly but it is good to know that there are others out there that share our views.
Keep going there are more listening than you know. I think they have put something in the water to make the population compliant. Been on a private water supply for over 30 years!
Since we never know when we’re going to lose someone, and it’s such a shock whenever we do, I’ve decided it’s time to say a Thank You – to you, to Legiron and Grandad, all of whom I read whenever you write. There are a few others, too, like Diocles, whom I sometimes read. It must feel as if you’re talking into the void sometimes, but please don’t stop. I don’t comment much, only when there’s something I think is a bit special to say.
I battle a great deal with life-limiting long-term depression and anxiety, but you all feel to me like kindred spirits, and that is such a comfort.
I fear my own writing muse has left me, at least for now. Long may yours remain and guide you. You are all wonderful people.
Here’s to another seventeen more! * raises champagne glass *
I tend to prefer the written format on the internet, I find watching videos a bit of a chore. Lately I’ve been coming here and browsing through some of the archives. I know from the comments that I’ve been following this blog for over ten years. We seem to have a fair bit in common you and I, and I tend to agree with you about quite a lot. I used to feel that I should take the time to follow those that I don’t agree with too, and keep an open mind so to speak, but after a while that becomes tiresome. There were places where even polite disagreement got you labelled as a troll. Nowadays I prefer to go to friendly places.
“I recall also Mr Eugenides, Dick Puddlecote and Trooper Thompson.”
If this wasn’t text, I’d be about to utter one of those sentences that’s out of your mouth before you realise what you’ve said, so I’ll hastily amend it to: I really liked Mr Puddlecote’s blog.
“The platforms are owned and run by big tech and as Sargon of Akkad found out, there are consequences for wrongthink. I’d have been demonetised and booted off long ago.
Yep. Although I never blogged myself (apart from a short spell at the similarly lamented Counting Cats), I spotted that from the get-go. In fairness, I didn’t seriously believe it would actually happen in the way, or to the extent, that it has, but it was always the danger of these platforms.
“Keep going there are more listening than you know.”
I remember saying over at CC that my rule-of-thumb since the Usenet days is that for every person who replies to one of your posts, at least ten have actually read it. Don’t know if it’s strictly true or not, but there are a lot more lurkers than you think, and never forget that people are far more likely to comment if they disagree. A bit you think has fallen on stony ground might have a thousand people quietly nodding their heads.
So yeah, stick at it Longrider, and congrats on the anniversary.
I can only echo what others have already said. Keep at it LR, you are a voice of reason in a world full of bullshit.
Happy Blogging Anniversary, Marl. Greatly enjoy reading your posts. Here’s to many more years of blogging.
Please continue, it is reassuring to know there are others out there!
Nil carborundum illegitimi, as they used to say in ancient Rome (or so Boris told me last week).
Never commented here but am a regular lurker.
I enjoy the content here, even if I sometimes disagree – you and the other Scriberlus bloggers are a light in the wilderness AFAIAC… keep it up!
Shiney
Many congratulations on another successful year – and eternal gratitude for being one of a few oases of sanity these past nineteen months.
May I add my thanks too. I found you via Tim Worstall, who I found via The Register.
Do keep going, those pigs might just learn to sing eventually!
Ditto re the discovery
El Reg has gone woke from what I can tell. Only visit on a Friday these days for Dabsy and BOFH. Such a shame as it used to have very strong people like Lewis page who told it like it is.
Nice pice, LR, hang in there, son.
Wasn’t aware that Raedwald had passed away. Only in his 50s too, if his bio was correct.
Keep up the good work – a rare voice of sanity amongst the madness. And we need more cat pictures on the blog >^..^<
Perservere.
You are much appreciated.
Enjoy your blog. Found it via a mention by Stonyground in a Samizdata comment. Please keep going on. One small thing worth mentioning is that I quite like the length of your posts.
To keep readership numbers up, it’s important to post regularly. Once a day is about right. Minimum four times a week.
Although I like Samizdata and feel a certain amount of loyalty to the site (which sounds dumb) they suffer from overly academic posts that aren’t polemical or salty enough for my liking and infrequent posting.
Sam, what happened to Counting Cats? I enjoyed reading that site whilst it lasted.
Other sites I miss are Chateau Heartiste, which wasn’t a libertarian site but I enjoyed the Gonzo writing and the mix of alt-right politics and lads mag writing. The writing was on the wall that it was going to get banned, and quite predictable (if disappointing) that the proprietor hadn’t made any back up plans.
Tim Newman’s blog was always a good read but I think he’s taken a holiday of indefinite duration from blogging (he’s active on twitter though).
It was on Cats’ own server and he didn’t bother to keep it updated or online. Eventually he gave up the struggle, which was a shame.
LR, I have been popping my head around your door for years. Stopped commenting if nothing to add. I do have something to say now though. Congratulations and thank you. Thanks for the toil, the hope you give us all that we are not alone.
Please don’t give up, I read your posts every day. It’s an oasis of sanity in a world that seems to have gone mad.
I’ve been reading the blog for years but only occasionally comment. Please do keep going with my admiration for the self-discipline needed to keep up a blog.
Mark,
I can only repeat what others have said. I visit your site daily (and suffer the disappointment if there’s no new offering). I frequently don’t comment as there’s only so many times I can add “Hear, Hear” or “I totally agree” without it becoming tedious. Please continue for at least the next twenty years.