Andrew Sullivan has been near the very top of my blogroll since I started this blog, but I haven't read him in months (except to follow someone else's link to something in particular) because he seems to have come unhinged against the administration and his critics over "torture" (but I really think it's about the gay marriage thing). Things like this are also why. I've finally removed him.

The problem with labeling oneself as a Conservative, or even Liberal these days, is being grouped in with people who seemingly have lost their objectivity. This is a fine example.

As much as I hate to say it, many Conservatives are following the liberal tack of becoming single-issue voters. Looking for politicians who will support there own ideas on abortion, gay marriage or even the war to be their own personal litmus test for voting. They'll vote for the Devil himself to get their pet idea into that elected seat of power.

To me this seems like eating only green food. While it may in fact be healthy to eat green food. Eating ONLY green food leaves out many other good considerations.

Andrew who?

It's a shame, really. Andrew's a talented writer, but he has been getting more and more one-note in recent years, whether the topic is gay marriage, torture, or whatever his next obsession-of-the-year turns out to be. Writing in a style of continuing to pound his readers over the head that THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT ISSUE THAT IS SO VITAL THAT I HAVE TO KEEP BRINGING IT UP REGARDLESS OF ITS ACTUAL RELEVANCE TO THE ITEM I'M WRITING ABOUT got old and stale.

Took you long enough.

But looking at the bigger issue, perhaps it's time to abolish the concept of the blogroll altogether and condition readers to rely on in-post links when they assemble their reading lists.

This way, expiration of rolls is maintained in each one's feed reading software, where it can even be automated.

Blogrolls perform the function of social networking, but without the convenience of uniform network such as any "walled garden" type of arrangement provides (e.g. Mixi, Orkut). I do not think that this function is self-sustaining when distilled into a blogroll.

"I will not keep a 'blogroll'. Links to others will occur amid my applause for -- or jeers at -- their efforts. Links will earn their keep, here, in the action."

From my "Weblog Precepts" -- the very first post when I started my blog.