We are rapidly approaching the ninth year of this labor of love I call Ramparts of Civilization.  Since inception on July 4th, 2010, almost 500 individual treatises encompassing over 400,000 written words have filled the pages of this blog.  Topics have kept a diverse view of an interesting world. We watched the unfolding amazing rescue of Chilean miners through techniques of horizontal drilling we now recognize as the basis of modern fracking, to the introduction of private industry to the once government exclusive world of space travel.  We visited the heroic worlds of Washington at Trenton, Confederate regiments at Gettysburg, and the brave airmen of the Royal Air Force in the Battle of Britain.  We sought the roots of inspiration of great artists like Caravaggio and Winslow Homer, master composers such as Haydn, Debussy, and the immortal Beethoven.  We memorialized inspirational leaders in crisis  like Lincoln and Churchill,   We uncovered greatness in lesser known heroes of western civilization, like Norman Borlaug, Nikola Tesla,  and Roger Bannister.  And through it all, Ramparts kept pace with the characters, political challenges and strains applied to the foundational creeds of western civilization, and leapt to the defense of unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.  Over 37,000 viewers from 167 countries have sought out, and hopefully enjoyed, the stories of our mutual contributors, legacy and journey.

Its been fun and educational for me, and, if you’ll  have me, I think I’ll try to keep it all going a while longer.

To keep the experience fresh, a few changes are worthwhile and appropriate.  In keeping with the times, the blog theme has been changed in appearance and color, to bring a cleaner, more accessible look to the site.  Rather than having to scroll down for each individual posting, the essays will be more coalesced on the front page, with introductory paragraphs visible to hopefully entice a deeper dive, and a more diverse reading experience.  Some may miss the old Ramparts brand photo of Fort Union, New Mexico, one of the final stops of the Santa Fe Trail, but the contemplative and discerning figure of Abraham Lincoln highlights the increasing depth of focus of the site, consistent with readers who have been staying longer, and responding more.   The mobile site now Apps on your phone  as Winston Churchill, a patron saint of Ramparts, so you can take Ramparts with you for review on your phone, wherever you go. And one more subtle change.  The site’s banner, “Get Your Daily Ramparts”  has been changed to the more assertive “Come Defend the Ramparts”, as it has become increasingly apparent that the once universal values that girded civilization are under increasing attack and require a more inspired defense, that demands, and will require, the  active vigilance of each and every one of us.

I hope you will find the site still worth a portion of your time you reserve for the internet.  The ongoing vastness of interesting subjects, people, and events awaits us.  Through it all, we will keep the same vision that inspired the very first page of this blog 8 years ago, and stays like an eternal flame today.  Welcome again dear readers and commenters,  to the refreshed Ramparts of Civilization.