Self-Congratulatory Fluff

Well, this took a lot less time than I'd expected. And I think I know why.

Just checked in with the analytics code craftily embedded in the front page of The Speculative Scotsman to find that we've passed 1,000 page views in the seven days since I undertook to employ Google's free and extensively detailed service. The mind boggles that blogspot doesn't offer its users some stripped-down version of its own reporting software.

In any case, this is just a quick note to say how grateful I am to the community at large and particularly to the bloggers who have helped drive a little traffic this way. Patrick, Aidan, James, Graeme, Jeff: I'm looking at you. If you don't know who these people are, readers, scurry down the page a bit and you'll find the blogroll. Every single site I've chosen to link there is worth your attention.

Every last reader counts, here and there the same, and I'm thankful for the lot of you.

I'm not usually this appreciative. You must understand that I'm amidst a bottle of cheap red uncorked to celebrate this first milestone in the history of TSS. In service of such a noble cause, even the cheapest wines take on a body, a flavour, a history, all their own.

But I won't bore you with any more such prattle. Unless it blue, or I'm drunk in front of a keyboard, you have my assurance that wine will not feature on the blog again.

Stay tuned for a review of Cherie Priest's Boneshaker early on tomorrow, although I can't promise those of you who are already Clockwork Century converts that you're going to like it...