Gettin' Our Freak On With The Econ' Since 2009

I honestly never dared to hope that The Economist Group would take off at all, let alone that it would turn into the vast and vibrant community it has become. The thought of so many many wonderful people, diverse in both thought, and continent of residence being united by a love for a British news magazine moves me on a very profound and deep level. I would like to extend my best regards, and most sincere thanks to all of the exceptional individuals who made this possible.

It was an indescribable pleasure to be able to meet some of you at the Second Annual [E] Meetup, held across the street from The Economist's New York offices last summer. I'd like to thank the paper's editor, John Micklethwait, for that rousing and inspirational guest address which opened the festivities. The after-party was no less memorable. Who could forget a very inebriated “yamjac” being convinced to get a “tramp stamp” tattoo of The Economist logo? Or “Adam.Smith” projectile vomiting all over the hotel room after imbibing five penalty shots for failing to laugh at pun-based headlines during The Economist Drinking Game?

Of course, that joyous evening eventually took a tragic turn. Let's all take a moment to remember “[SDMR] Rad Paul Cola”, who was brutally stabbed to death after asserting that print subscriptions were intrinsically superior to digital subscriptions. While I do not regret what I did, I do regret that it had to be done (NOTE TO ALL LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES: THIS IS NOT A CONFESSION, NOR IS IT ANY MANNER OF ADMISSION OF GUILT).

Let's make sure to honor our fallen compatriot's dying wish for us to continue our group's meteoric rise, and to comport ourselves in a manner that will bring glory and success to our news publication of choice. May the next two years be even better than the first!