What's in the Sidebar?

I think the blogroll & links need a bit of explanation.

First, yes, it is a long list. And one of the wonders of Safari (I'm an inveterate Mac guy, and will mention it every chance I get, especially when PC people complain about media problems. Feh.) is tabbed browsing, with an "auto-click" option. This lets you set a whole list of links and open them in separate tabs (within a single window) all at once. I have a single button set for each category and can progressively open the whole lot of them, then hang on to them until I read them in bed at night. (Have I mentioned yet that I love my new—as of 6 weeks—laptop?) So I do check most of these sites daily, including all the blogs. I wanted to make that clear so that no one thinks I'm just indiscriminately listing a bunch of things I never pay attention to myself.

Second, like this blog, the links are very much about sex. Unapologetically so. Frankly, as I approach 40, I'm becoming increasingly unapologetic about quite a few things. I also realized that the proportions in this list pretty faithfully represent my own inclinations. So, with those disclaimers out of the way, a bit more about the listings:

I've tried to categorize the links in broad categories, alphabetized within each. There are some borderline calls, of course, as some belong in more than one place.

• The Ladies and The Gents: Most of these folks are single, but not all. Some might fit under Kinky or Partnered & Playing, about which more later. Their primary focus is on their own experiences, as opposed to, say, the Couples.
  
  
• LesBiGay: probably speaks for itself. Men, women, couples, you name it; but the LGBT part of their identity is the primary focus. This blog might well fit here, but that remains to be seen as I write more.
  
  
• Couples: Most of these are jointly-written, and even those that are primarily by one partner tend to focus on the life of their relationship. Some are playing, some are kinky, but they seemed to fit best here.
  
  
• Partnered & Playing: Some are couples, others are by one partner only, but in all cases, they focus on some version of polyamory, swinging, cheating, and the like. (Different writers all use all of those words and others, despite, or perhaps because of, their differing connotations.) This blog might also fit here.
  
  
• Kinky: Just like LesBiGay, there are single women & men here, as well as couples. The kinky aspects of their life is front and center.
  
  
• Photoblogs: Not all blogs, not all sex, but all are visual treats.
  
  
• Fiction: Less history, more story.
  
  
• Bigger than Bloggers: People who preceded and now continue to transcend the form deserve a place of their own. Violet Blue and Susie Bright are (deservedly) at the top of the list, and more will follow.
  
  
• Metablogs: The folks who turn over rocks, look in corners, and keep their ears to the ground to find all the stuff we need and want to see.
  
• Podcasts: This needs some filling out, and clearly will include bloggers, just as other bloggers in the list have podcasts. These folks, though will be best known (at least in my little world) for their aural skills.
  
  
• Churchy Stuff: I go to church. At least weekly. And the version of Christianity I know has a lot to say about how we treat others, and not a word about what pictures we look at, what we read, and who we sleep with (always keeping in mind the bit about loving your neighbor). Some are serious, others aren't; you can (I trust) tell the difference.
  
  
• Sexy Stuff: The non-blog world of my favorite stores & sites. Things from these places are taking up lots of space, either in the toybox or on my hard drive.
  
• Politics and the Rest: Actually, this is where I start my browsing. Salon is my homepage; The Well was my first home on the internet, over 10 years ago, and I'm still a loyal member. I mostly (though not always) agree with the other folks here, and at least find them thought-provoking.

So that's the bunch. If you've somehow found this site and waded through this long post, I'll be glad to get your feedback to keep the sidebar alive. If you're listed in the wrong place, I'll be glad to move you. If you're listed in the right place, I'll be glad to know I got it right. And if you find new and stimulating brain food here, come back and let me know that too. More to come…