Ink Spots is a year old today!

Picture it: June 2009, five half-in-the-bag security nerds stumbling up 18th Street in Adams Morgan (seriously, I never go to Adams Morgan) late on a Wednesday night.

"So seriously, are we gonna do this blog thing?"

"Sure, why not. I mean, we definitely have plenty to say. Especially MK: look how much he writes in the comments section on Abu Muqawama! He'll surely be a prolific blogger!"

"Yeah, you're right. Let's do it!"

(Some random, drunk French guy walking past:) "SOLIIIIIIIDE!"

And so it was.

Here we are a year into this thing, believe it or not, and 400 posts deep. We were fortunate to get a lot of good pub from folks in our field, bloggers and academics and policy folks alike, back in our infancy last summer, and we've been fortunate enough to sustain a pretty good following over the subsequent months. I wish I had some flashy new initiative to roll out, some commitment to new platforms or concepts or even just to write more often to keep you interested, but alas... Same old Ink Spots.

Thanks though, to everyone who has read and commented over the last year, especially our stalwarts like SNLII, Madhu, Starbuck, Schmedlap, and Mike Few -- you've elevated the debate, and the vain hope that we're actually causing people to think is what keeps all of us writing. (Well, it's what keeps me writing, anyway. That, and solipsism.)

So here's hoping for another good year. Thanks again. And on that note, I'm going on vacation.

(No, seriously, I am going on vacation, but it's not a Blog Birthday celebration. At least, you're not sure it is.)

So you guys keep reading and thinking about security policy and whatnot. I'm packing a bag full of golf shirts, a box of cigars, and a long Delillo novel, and I'm not thinking about Small Wars, big wars, or any wars until I get back from Napa on Tuesday. Happy Fourth of July!

P.S. While we're talking about Small Wars, would you just go and donate some damned money to SWJ already? I want to have something to read when I get back!