A Look Back, and a Look Ahead

Liberty Just in Case began as an email list at a former job of mine. I'd send around links to Peggy Noonan, Walter Williams, or a great editorial I'd just read at National Review. September 11th changed us all, and changed the email list too. It grew from 4 or 5 employees to several dozen, some of whom were my boss's boss's boss's boss, and requested to be blind copied for anonymity.

I moved to the blogosphere because the list got bigger and bigger, including alot of people outside the company, and corporate policies were changing regarding employee use of the internet. My first real post for what was then called The Gang was May 31st, 2002. It was, of course, a Peggy Noonan piece.

I continued to blog on my own for over a year. A co-worker and friend named Jon read The Gang, and commented frequently. Jon is the polar opposite of me in most every way, and when he became my blog partner in 2003, he brought a fresh, liberal perspective to The Gang. It was Jon that sent me a list of names for the site, which included Liberty Just in Case. Jon was a big part of keeping LJiC running for over a year.

In early August of 2004, I developed a severe breathing disorder. This forced me to the basement, the only part of the house I could breathe in, and to the computer for full-time blogging. After much conversation, Jon and I decided to part ways in the blogosphere, though he remains a good friend, and a semi-frequent commenter here at LJiC. I took LJiC in a decidedly conservative, pro-war, pro-military direction. It will remain so in the future.

My health problems have begun to resolve, which means I can soon resume full-time employment. This will limit my blogging time, and the frequency of posting. About the time I began to realize this, Matt wrote to ask if we could form a partnership. His email couldn't have come at a better time.

I've known Matt as Zaphriel (surely you've guessed that by now) for a long time , and have been deeply impressed with his blogs since he started them. He quickly moved Birth of a Neocon from zero to highly influential in a few short weeks. And his work as a founder of Balance of Power has few equals. His abilities as a blogger are only matched by his artistry at designing new blog templates. You will see that artistry very soon here at LJiC, with ongoing changes coming fast and furious in the future.

One thing that won't change is our committment to the war. Rather you call it the Global War on Terrorism, or the more accurate World War IV, Matt and I are firmly committed to doing whatever needs to be done to win it, period. Matt's military experience will shine as we continue to stay true to our mission statement:

An ongoing dialogue about Politics, Culture, Religion and the Universe in general in the September 12th World.

We continue to live in a September 12th, 2001 world. The shock, and the resolve of that time will remain our primary focus, the backdrop upon which all other dialogue is penned. The phrase "Never Forget" will remain the motto for Matt and myself.

Liberty. Just in case another attack comes. Just in case you need a reminder. Just in case you need courage. Just in case you forget.

Let's Roll.