Three years ago, I wrote the first memorable post on this blog: Test. From that simple beginning this blog has grown into one of the most important, well-read, and influential Canadian blogs that I have ever been a part of.

It's been an up and down ride. There have been periods of extreme activity, and there have been some nasty funk-induced ruts. One of those ruts almost metastasized into full-blown blog paralysis this winter, and it took a great deal of effort to build a bit of momentum and get it moving again. It's too early to declare victory, but so far the signs are promising.

I've never been clear on what this blog is about. I have many interests and not so much focus. So you never know what's going to turn up on this page. But after reviewing the thousand or so posts I've written these past few years, there are some topics and themes that come up regularly. Here are the primary ingredients in the Autonomous Source stew:

• The Kids: I love Captain Destructo and The Mistress of Chaos more than I ever thought it was possible to love something. But they also drive me absolutely batty. I write about them to remember their antics and to ease some of the tension they cause in my life.
• Canadian Politics: I'm politically active in the Conservative party at the local level. That doesn't mean I support everything the party does, but I see them as the best of a bad lot. I find it's more useful to work for my beliefs (smaller government, more individualism, less identity politics, freer markets) within an organization that has the opportunity of doing something about it than to slouch on the sidelines and bitch. But I don't always get what I want.
• Free Market Economics: The heart of capitalism is that two people (or two corporations) can make a free, uncoerced exchange and each feel that they are the better for it. As a result of millions and millions of these exchanges, the world grows richer and people are better off. This seems so obvious, yet so few people understand it.
• Fighting Tyranny: The history of the world is packed with brutal regimes that ruled with terror and the threat of violence. The relatively free societies we live in today are fragile exceptions to the rule. I believe we have the duty to try to spread this freedom when possible and support it in places where it is under attack. That's why I still support the invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan. I am absolutely flummoxed by the supposedly caring people that want to throw the people of those countries to the wolves.
• Junk Science: Superstitious beliefs are still commonplace in this age of reason. They're just given a scientific veneer. I occasionally try to do a bit of sanding to get to the truth.
• The Lying No-good Media: The modern news media is very susceptible to bias, herd-thinking, sloppiness, and corruption. I have been known to be somewhat critical of it.
• Neat Stuff: I love video games, music, art, nifty web pages, movies, and comic books. Well, the good stuff anyway. And when I find something I love, I want to share it with the world. This blog is my conduit.

Okay, that's enough for now. Time to get back to real life...