Five Years (And A Day) Later

As has happened before, the occasion of this blog's anniversary escaped my attention yesterday. It's five years now, which is kinda like almost half a decade of this tabloid stuff ... innit.

In the time since 2008, there have been 2,637 published articles here attracting more than 1.6 million page views - at an average of 999 per day (how frustrating is that figure!) - from 241,000 unique visitors and just over 950 RSS subscribers.

As I've mentioned before, though, I'm more proud of the 21,435 comments that have appeared here in that time. I do read every one, even when finding my time increasingly constrained to reply. Your input is also especially welcomed - commenters and lurkers alike - when acting as 'fellow jewel robbers' by submitting FOIs; sending letters to politicians; digging up dirty documents squirrelled away in the nether reaches of websites ... and brilliantly telling me all about it. 

Interestingly, although that real life thing keeps intruding and preventing me writing as much as I have in the past, visits have remained constant with July 2013 actually surpassing the previous record high of July 2011 when our Stony Stratford day out was the centre of much attention. I put this mostly down to the e-cig effect considering that my Twitter following has also increased commensurate with the elevated activity of the EU and MHRA against vaping.

Which is proof that I was on the right lines when I predicted this last year.

Well, if anything, the situation as regards personal liberties which encouraged me to set Casa Puddlecote up in the first place has become exponentially worse. Whereas before the problem of dozy MPs listening to self-interested trouser-stuffers was becoming sinister and worrying, masks have since slipped; gloves have been discarded; and they are now openly treating the vast majority of the public with utter contempt. 

Indeed, the themes that we discuss here are almost becoming fashionable as scales tumble from the eyes of many and this incessant anti-freedom, anti-social onslaught against human nature is beginning to be recognised.

And ... (emphases mine)

Being a stubborn sort, I reckon there will be even more nonsense to highlight in the coming weeks, months and years; even more nauseating stink bombs of state policy; even more hideously pompous egos to prick; even more corrupt arseholes from whom to steal big fat juicy analogous jewels from. No point stopping now.

Quite accurate, I thought. Let's go for another year then, eh?