I started blogging 7 years ago this week back when this blog was called Postmodern Politics. I used that name for a couple of years but, after a visit to the US Senate chamber, I changed the name to match the inscription chiseled into the stone over the main dais: E Pluribus Unum.

I began blogging back when blogging (and Blogger) was the answer to a trivia question. It was long before Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Wordpress, and Dkos.

Anyway, since then I’ve met a ton of wonderful people in Blogville and frankly, if I were having more fun, I’d have to be twins.

In the beginning, I did it alone, but for the last year or two I’ve been joined by Mark Adams and Shep. Nice job, guys! It’s been a blast — I’m privileged to share the blog with y’all. I look forward to another seven years at least.

So…what sort of legacy does a blogger have after seven years? Well, at one time or another, EPU has attained a top 10 ranking for certain keyword phrases at Google, e.g.:

• We’re #1 when people search on what is the difference between preventive and preemptive war?
• #2 for unconstitutional Cheney
• #3 for “hang together or hang separately”
• #4 for E Pluribus Unum
• #6 for boehner drunk
• #6 for funny presidential trivia
• #9 for we met on eharmony
• #17 for marbury vs. madison…
• At Google.co.uk we’re #1 for Chuck Norris Facts
• …and, oddly enough, last week at Google.jp, we were ranked #6 whenever people searched for wet panty shop. Heh.

I guess that’ll give you an idea of the range of topics that we’ve covered at EPU over the years.

During that time, I’ve also cross-posted a lot of my stuff over at Dkos. Here’s a chronological listing of some of my stuff that made jotter’s “high impact diaries” list in 2008-09:

• Reagan: Obama’s Trump Card (January)
  Obama asks “Do you think that you are better off now than you were four years ago or eight years ago?” to which 19% of you answered “I didn’t lose my job. I know exactly where it is. It’s in China.”
• Rove: Obama “lazy” (January)
  Turdblossom opines on why Obama lost New Hampshire and/but manages to avoid using the words “shiftless” and “watermelon.”
• SCOTUS says ACLU is SOL (Recommended, February).
  My single recommended diary of 2008. What can I say — I happened to be sitting in front of my PC when the news broke that the Supremes had rejected a challenge to the Bush administration’s domestic spying program. [Note: My tip jar on this diary ("I picked a hell of a day to quit sniffing glue") also ranked among the top comments of the day.]
• Nader: I’m In (February)
  Remember Ralph Nader? Yeah, me neither.
• What If Obama Picks Hillary? (May)
  That seems like a hundred years ago now, doesn’t it?
• Speaking as a 55 year old man…WTF, Tim? (June)
  When Russert dropped dead, there was a collective shudder from all the 50+ year old men who had been meaning to get back to the gym.
• Howard Dean Talks to My Son (VIDEO) (August)
  A dad will do anything to stop his son from voting for McCain.
  P.S: it worked.
• Obama-Doubters: Buy a Hat and Hang the F**k Onto It (August)
  We liked Obama because of his judgment. So how come, when he was down in the polls, everyone questioned his judgment?
• McCain asks that Friday debate be postponed (September)
  I was 8 minutes late trying to get my second recommended diary. I snoozed, I losed.
• The Polls: Rip Van Winkle Gets Some Shocking News (September)
  This one was for all the people that thought Obama should be up on McCain by twenty points.
• Look For Obama’s Lead To Shrink Again (October)
  Yeah, it did. Then it got bigger. Then he won. Let’s remember this the next time we’re obsessing about polls.
• Congressman Nadler: F#@k you. (December)
  Nadler, instead of calling for impeachment, wants to amend the Constitution to take away the power of the pardon. The steam is still coming out of my ears.
• The Zero Emission Car & The Network It Runs On (December)
  I grew up in Detroit and I think Shai Agassi should be running GM.
• Snow in Baton Rouge: WTF? (VIDEO) (December)
  The title says it all. Bonus: hearing from all the expat Tigers and Cajuns.
• Electric Cars: Give One To Each Auto Worker (December)
  Nearly a hundred years ago, Henry Ford paid his workers enough to afford to buy the cars they built. Why not jump-start the market for electric cars the same way today?
• Blago: “I won’t be that long.” (January, 2009)
  Blago opened his last press conference with the words in the diary’s title, jumping the shark and illustrating for us the difference between a gaffe and a Freudian slip.
• Israel in Gaza: An Alternate Scenario (January, 2009)
  I was willing to defend Israel during the Lebanon war. But with Gaza, not so much.

Well, there you have it. Thanks again for being such a lovely audience — I’d like to take you home with me, I’d love to take you home. I’m looking forward to another year and I hope you are too.

After all, what choice do we have?