My, My, My More Monday Meandering

Listening to: Hound Dog Taylor, Hound Dog Taylor and the Houserockers

Jim sez first - this is the post I was working on when my worthless Adelphia High-Speed Internet (which SUCKS) went down for it's daily reprieve (see previous post) and hijacked my high praise for some well-deserving bloggers.

Considering this month's Blogging For Books is officially under way, I'll risk what modicum of humility I might pretend to possess and state that I'm happy with my entry. Sure, a bit on the Blue side ("blue" in an archaic sense, applied as it was to Redd Foxx comedy records back when I was knee-high to a dinosaur) but I don't think anyone who's read me regularly was appalled enough to permanently turn their gaze heavenwards and pray for the salvation of my mortal soul. Indeed, perhaps a few are praying for my carnal reward.

Nonetheless, in reading around, I was stunned by the excellence of an entry by Vicki on my newest daily delight Outside In (you'll see the addition of her superb blog on my linkage on the left). Her entry is exceptional, beautiful, heart-breaking, harrowing, emotionally mature and brutally poignant.

In short, I've been spanked. My entry is dwarfed by Vicki's masterpiece.

After reading her piece and being so moved, I left a brief compliment in her comments. She replied with an email that moved me almost as much as her entry, it was the sweetest thing (I hope she doesn't mind me posting it here):

Thanks for your kind words. I consider it high praise, indeed, coming from you. I've only been blogging for a couple months but yours is one I follow closely. I enjoy the writing, the versatility, the subject matter.

I'm not worthy. Please, go read her blog and see for yourself what an awesome place it is. I'm honored to be esteemed by a writer of Vicki's caliber (and surprised someone actually enjoys reading me).

Which brings me to my next meander. After making my acquaintance with Outside In and being flattered to find my blog linked there, I felt immediately inclined to reciprocate her link. As I've raved on above, Vicki certainly deserved the reciprocity. However, it brought to mind various controversies regarding blogrolls I've seen mentioned by a couple of my blog loves.

Grace D wrote a wonderfully biting critique of blogrolling cliquishness an issue that has bothered me from the start of my blogging days. Grace handled the matter with aplomb (as opposed to a bomb, which is what would have thrown) but that stands to reason - Grace has scads of class and the fact she's named me a classmate means she's democratic to a fault.

Likewise classy, the brilliant Lauren has taken a look at the flipside of the coin and has gotten passels of undue crap for her trouble. Having decided to do her own thing (on her own damn blog) she moved her blogroll to a cavil heretofore known only to the Focus on the Family board viewing a Spongebob Squarepants DVD. Furthermore, Lauren's equivocating on the direction her blog has taken and is considering a more personal, less pedagogic affair and that's also created a shitstorm by well-meaning humorless twits who care less about Lauren than having someone smarter than them speak their minds.

Point is, it's her freakin' blog and she's doing all the work. Hell, considering the amount she posts (and the quality, thereof), as well as being a single mom AND a brilliant student, she's got more going on than any of her narrow-minded detractors.
I've always maintained that tiny minds exist on the left as well as the right (although not nearly with the right's ubiquity), it appears she's been swarmed by the worst of the left. I wish her the best in whatever she decides to do.

I didn't set out to kiss ass but it appears my lips are chapped. Oh well. Sometimes, I prefer when this thing is not about me. Vicki, Grace, and Lauren... I love ya'. Keep doing what you do (and do so well) and keep me ranting...

UPDATE: Snidget also gives me some love but doesn't blogroll me (dammit), reminding me what a wild and wonderful universe we inhabit.