8 years and more than 3000 posts ago

Even though the first posts were written in December 2002, the blog came on line on January 6 2003.  More than 3000 posts, including about two hundred from other hands who brought great stuff and should thus be acknowledged.  And as always, if people did not read it, the blog would have stopped long ago.  It is thus a celebration of long time readers, even those who hate it.