The links, they are a changin'
I had this whole completely genius Sir Linksalot theme going in my head to start this post, because I SWEAR when I was a kid, my sister and I watched Nickelodeon and there was a show called Sir Linksalot, and it was live-action chimps driving around in cars, wearing suits, and solving mysteries. The chimps had voiceovers as though they were actually having conversations. It was terrible, but we had outgrown Little House on the Prairie, and we had parentally-invoked TV restrictions for all the good shows (aka: Dukes of Hazzard).

But I Googled Sir Linksalot and I can't find a link to it anywhere, so maybe I made the whole thing up, or just imagined I was watching chimps in suits solving crimes on TV. Mom, help me out here if you can vouch for Sir Linksalot.

(My mom reads my blog)

Anyway, I'm working on updating my links to blogs. I added quite a few today. And here is my first official MOL Nation Tribute Blog (blatantly inspired by all recent MOL blogs).

This is legal for me since MOL Jr. left a comment some weeks ago that I am officially MOL, and he reinstated a link to my blog on his blog. However, MOL Tyrant takes this opportunity to point out that not only did I score the link on MOL Jr.s blog, I scored placement in his list of DAILY reads.

I rock.

Big ups to MOL Jr. for the link placement, and for stopping by the Rantings on a more than just weekly basis.

Anyway, I feel a need to explain the links a bit. Because linking blogs, or linking anything, for that matter, is a source of headache and soul-searching for some of us. While I generally blog openly here, I also must be wary of my readership. Which, as many of you may know, spans the globe. (Hello to my readers Down Under! Gooday, mates!)

I've got kids (not really, but kids read this), I've got peers, I've got parents, I've got cousins, I've got complete strangers, and I've even got long-lost blog twins that I've never met before- all of whom read my blog on a regular basis. It's a wide spectrum of interest level, as well as a wide spectrum of sensitivity, and even a wide specturm of familiarity with the Tyrant. Some know me in life, and also read my blog. Some have known me ALL of my life, and have found my blog. Some know me only through my blog and have no real idea of my life. So I must always be mindful of my audience. Depending on who you are, you may or may not really know me, and the blog is an integral piece of what you may or may not know about me.

Of course, there are the days when I just don't care, and I blog whatever I feel like just because it's my blog and I can do that. People still come and read, and so far I haven't lost any loved ones over it. It's good. I like what I've got going on here. Even though I tend to still struggle with being really real here, sometimes. It's too easy to make a universally audience friendly blog, and avoid ruffling feathers.

So, now with the links.

Friend L once told me he would know he had made it in the blogworld when his link moved up on my list of links. Unfortunately, if this is his guage of his success as a blogger, he will never make it. My links are in alphabetical order, have been from the beginning, and will be until I blog no more. I do this for severalfold reasons:

1. So that I can find the blogs I am looking for. I know the alphabet pretty well. If I want to read a bit from my non-bimbo friend, I know where to find her via simple alphabet rules.

2. No one blog is more important to me than any other blog. I do not play favorites. Although I do have some blogs I read more often than others (mostly it's your own fault if I don't read you regularly, because you likely don't post regularly), I don't play favorites by listing them in any particular order of preference. Not to say that I don't read them in an order of preference each day (a secret order which I will carry to my grave). And, not to say that is a bad thing if you list blogs in any order of preference on your blog (see several paragraphs up and my excitement over being a daily read of MOL Jrs.). But as a Tyrant policy, blogs will stay listed in alphabetical order.

3. I lack some creativity in how I link blogs (see here, and here for MOLs with far greater creativity than me in the blog link department). While I fancy myself as mega-creative in many areas of my life, these MOLs impress me with their creativity in the simple task of linking fellow MOL blogs.

Mostly, what I want to communicate here is that I am proud to be part of this MOL Nation. I started blogging long before most of these MOLs began blogging, and it has been a joy to see them embrace this thing we do called blogging. I am also proud to know each of these people, whether they are currently all up in my business, or MOLs that have special places in my world past. I love taking time each day to read from them, whether I agree with what they say, how they say it, what they do, or not.

I love the passion they exude about the simple things, the silly things, or the deeper things in life. I love the humor they bring to my day, just by things like JORTS! I love how they make me think about things I might not think about on my own, and I love different perspectives and conversations formed around any one MOL post of the day.

I love that we are pretty, and we're not afraid to say it.

I love the interaction encouraged outside of the blogs, brought on by much of what goes on inside the blogs. I love that we have this world to explore with each other, and how it rounds out my relationships with each of the MOLs behind the blogs.

I love that we are interested enough to continue reading even the things we say that make no sense to any of the rest of us whatsoever.

What I hope with this list of blog links is that it will serve as an introduction to the people in my life. Not all of the people, mind you. But many of the ones that I like.

Although not all of the blogs I link to are technically MOL blogs (I have longtime links to a few blogs that I just happen to like... or they like me), I hope my links do not provide opportunity to pass judgement on me, or the people in my small (yet mighty) sphere of influence. It's a peek into my world, through the blog world. And it opens to the worlds of brilliant, witty, sensitive, kind, spiritual, and precious people. Tread there with respect.

My list of blogs is not complete, so if you are not there yet and you know I know you or read you, be patient. I'm getting there. My attention span grows shorter everyday. I likely got bored with this blog link thing right.... now.

MOLs, and chimps in suits, forever.

C.T.