Blogroll Updates | Categories

You may have noticed that I've updated the blogroll. No longer are the "other blogs" listed simply in alphabetical order. I have attempted to categorize them! The current categories are:

1. Faith -- Blogs about particular spiritual paths, or blogs that specialize in how religion/faith is covered in the press or academics.
2. Think -- Blogs covering a range of topics (history, meta-gnostic-physics, film, commentary, etc.), but all designed to make you think ... or at least ponder a new idea or two.
3. Politic -- These are blogs that cover politics, politicians, and news about politics and politicians.
4. Tech -- Blogs where the primary focus is on science, technology, computers, etc.
5. Personal -- These blogs might venture out with posts that fit the first 3 or 4 categories I've already defined, but they seem to be more focused on documenting personal experience.
6. Mixed -- Blogs that don't necessarily have a primary focus. They cover topics that fall under categories 1 through 5, but I really cannot bring myself to label them as specifically "personal."
7. Sports -- This category obviously covers blogs that focus on sports and recreation.

If I have a link to your blog, and you feel I have not correctly labeled it, feel free to contact me. Or just leave a comment to this post.

Who is Buried in Jesus' Tomb?

If you haven't heard by now (and I don't see how that is possible), James Cameron's latest documentary is about a collection of tombs believed to hold the remains of Jesus ... and his family. 

Slated to air on the Discovery Channel this coming Sunday, The Lost Tomb of Jesus purports to present evidence that a tomb uncovered by a construction crew in Talpiot, Jerusalem, in March of 1980, contains 10 ossuaries (limestone bone boxes). And that five of those ossuaries contain the remains of key figures in the New Testament (Jesus, Mary, Matthew, Joseph and Mary Magdalene) and that another one holds "Judah Son of Jesus." 

 As expected, Biblical scholars and experts are questioning -- if not altogether rejecting -- the documentary's claims. And there is all sorts of chatter about the event on the blogosphere and mailing lists. One of the better responses to the story comes from the skeptical Smijer, who reminds us all of what skepticism isn't while pointing out truly skeptical responses to the film. I'm not jumping on any bandwagon either for or against the documentary. But I will probably watch the documentary, if I am home that evening, and only to give it a fair shake. Besides, I already blogged about Jesus' tomb back in December of 2004 -- only this one is in Japan, where local tradition claims Christ died as a humble garlic farmer.

Alas Poor Clippy

Graphic borrowed from monkeyPi.net

I have been a technical writer for over a decade, and for much of that time I have used Microsoft Office. So I am thrilled over the news of Clippy's "death." And this account of Clippy's exit interview is all kinds of good nerdy humor.

Quotable | Carry

Yup, that's what friends are for!

You know the old saying: When you can't run anymore, you crawl. And when you can't do that, you find someone to carry you. -- Firefly

Friday Pet Blogging | Cat Naps

What do cats do best? Sleep! And, oh, how cute they are when they do...

Milo curls up on his security blanket

Otis, the warm sleeper.

And one by one, the pet blogging posts steal my sanity ...

More Pet Blogging See the Friday Ark, featuring a compilation of today's pet blogging posts, over at The Modulator. Check the M&O Archives for some previous Milo & Otis appearances. Carnival of the Cats, coming at you every Sunday. And one of the funniest/cutest/obsessivest (OK, I know that's not a word!) sites for cat photos, StuffOnMyCat.com is a must see. Take it from them: Stuff + Cats = Awesome!

Sit a Spell

Lifehacker has a relevant post for all those folks who, like me, are desk jockies. They're not cheap, but we are talking about maintaining your spine ... and that just can't be replaced, y'know.

Four best ways to sit at your computer

UPDATE: Buck (from Tête-à-Tête-Tête) pointed out that the link to the story was broken. I have corrected it, and there are two alternative links posted in the comments.

Quotable | Cry Life

He who cries at life feels it. And he who feels it ... lives it. -- Mrs. Hale (in A Good Look at Boney Kern, a play by Jonathan Daly)

Friday Pet Blogging (on Saturday) | Tackle

Otis tackles a poor, defenseless (and stuffed) kitty on the back of the couch.

And one by one, the pet blogging posts steal my sanity ...

More Pet Blogging See the Friday Ark, featuring a compilation of today's pet blogging posts, over at The Modulator. Check the M&O Archives for some previous Milo & Otis appearances. Carnival of the Cats, coming at you every Sunday. And one of the funniest/cutest/obsessivest (OK, I know that's not a word!) sites for cat photos, StuffOnMyCat.com is a must see. Take it from them: Stuff + Cats = Awesome!

Quotable | The Way to Love

The way to love anything is to realize that it might be lost. -- G.K. Chesterton

Two New Posts...

...over at my theater blog.

• Boney Kerne: Window Wizardry

• Boney Kerne: More Progress on the Set

More on the Revival of Greek Pagan Worship

After a break of 16 centuries, Greek pagans are worshipping the ancient gods again - despite furious opposition from the Orthodox church. Helena Smith asks them why they're so keen to revive the old religion. [ Full Guardian Story ] I think my favorite bit in this Guardian Op-Ed piece, would have to be in just the fourth paragraph:

the one-hour ceremony has achieved the near-impossible task of unnerving Greece's powerful Orthodox church... hierarchs have redirected the venom they usually reserve for homosexuals, Catholics, Jews, Jehovah's Witnesses, masons and the "barbaric" Turks at the "miserable resuscitators" of the degenerate dead religion. In fire-and-brimstone sermons priests have slammed the "satanic" New Ageists and fulminated against their idols.

Whoa. Now, the Orthodox church may not be happy about losing their only-religion-on-the-block status. But is that any reason to refer to spiritual seekers as "miserable resuscitators"? Or to call their chosen path a "degenerate dead religion"? If the Greek pagans are truly sincere in turning to their ancestral gods and goddesses, and they feel their path is valid, who is anyone to question it? Greek mythology is no less a collection of fairy stories than the Judeo-Christian mythologies. And, yes, I feel fully justified in refering to the stories of both religions as mythologies. And I do not feel that such a term belittles either camp. It's high time folks got back to the proper use of "myth" as something epic and inspirational ... and get out of the mindset that "myth = untrue".

Friday Pet Blogging | Lord of the Landing

Milo in the off, off, off, way off Broadway smash: Lord of the Landing!

"You have been judged ..."

"And found unworthy!"

That's a wrap, folks!

And one by one, the pet blogging posts steal my sanity ...

More Pet Blogging See the Friday Ark, featuring a compilation of today's pet blogging posts, over at The Modulator. Check the M&O Archives for some previous Milo & Otis appearances. Carnival of the Cats, coming at you every Sunday. And one of the funniest/cutest/obsessivest (OK, I know that's not a word!) sites for cat photos, StuffOnMyCat.com is a must see. Take it from them: Stuff + Cats = Awesome!

Help Turn a Military Fort into a Theater

See my theater blog for details.