Kate has a lovely post thanking a few folks, including me, for linking her I Think Therefore I Blog blog, more personal than her Electric Venom blog. She writes:

Links mean that someone likes what you write, and they’re ready to say as much to those who read them. Those with whom they’ve earned their own reputation, those who’ll judge them by the links they’ve chosen to display.

Right on. My blogroll is comparatively short; I like to be careful who I add because where I send people from here says volumes about me and my values. I know that the blogroll will grow as the blog does and I’m looking forward to seeing who I’ll add in the future.

Because what Kate says is so true, that links mean somebody likes what you write and will say so to everyone who reads their blog, it’s a world of encouragement to a nugget blogger like me when the older, established bloggers add me to their blogroll and link my posts.

For that I thank Xrlq, who, the night I wrote him to say the blog was online, wrote back to say he’d already read and blogrolled it–much to my astonishment, since even though he knew I’d be starting, I didn’t suppose he had the time or motivation to watch for it. He readily offers advice and recommendations, technical and substantive, whenever I ask. I love reading him for his no-nonsense views and bottom-line arguments. Blog life would be dull if we always agreed, but we agree far more often than not and it’s almost a pleasure when we disagree because I know he will never be at a loss to pick through the long, twisty sentences that come out when I get going on something.

Thanks also to Karol at Alarming News. I love reading her for her eagle political eye, knack for searching out some of the best argument going, and staunch devotion to American and Republican ideals.

Beth at My Vast Right Wing Conspiracy followed a link trail to my blog, read something, commented, and blogrolled. Snap. Just like that. I remember being shocked–somebody I had no prior commenting relationship with, who found my blog from a common topic, liked it, and linked? You mean … it really works that way? Talk about encouragement to a new blogger. And Beth is another no-nonsense blogger … you don’t click there unless you’re up for the really straight talk, the kind that comes with a language warning. Thanks, Beth.

Allen Thompson of Thompsonian*Net, you of the clever domain name, clever IT skills that migrated this blog away from its original ill-chosen hosting company to the new stable one, and clever snark about politics, pop culture, and many other things, thank you.

And of course, bringing this full circle: Thanks, Kate. I came to Electric Venom through blogrolls elsewhere and stayed for the insightful looks at education, politics, and some of the more egregious examples of the dark side of human nature. Here’s to your guts in putting your more personal self on the line at I Think Therefore I Blog and your luminous descriptions of life in the personal. Carry on. We’ll both be glad we did.

Okay. Sentiment off. Long stream of “Blogging” posts off. More disagreement with Xrlq (and Lileks, just to make it more fun) on a substantive issue tomorrow. Mwahahaha.