These are my cats. The small brown and tan one is Diva, she is a purebred seal-point siamese. She is very, very friendly, but definitely a one-man cat. She never shuts up. The large black and white one is Oberon, he is mostly Norwegian Forest cat. I can't picture him in the wilds of Norway. He is dumb as a post, but also very sweet. I've had them for nearly 13 years. There has not been a day since I got both of them that I have not brushed Oberon, and had chin grooming from Diva, except when I am away.

Ok, so this is not my cat. (This is Friday cat blogging, btw.) This is Leo, who is the lion at the Central Park Zoo in new York City. I don't know who took this picture, but I think it is beautiful. The stark grey winter background, his amazing tawny colour, and the roar? yawn? It's amazing.

The thing I like about cats, (and I have two) is that from the largest to the smallest, they are virtually the same in behaviour. Leo at several hundred pounds purrs about the same things my six-pound Siamese Diva does. Their motivations are roughly the same, though the only thing my twenty-pound Norwegian hunts for is a warm place to sleep. When I look into their eyes, however, even my poor stupid Oberon has a slightly mysterious, wild look that I see in the eyes of the wildest African cheetah.

Anyway, Oberon and Diva will have their pictures posted tonight when I get home.

I'm really going to try to not have this blog become yet another source for liberal blogosphere ranting about what a mess the President has made of things. Really, for an abundance of that, read my favourite blog AmericaBlog...John Aravosis is much more articulate about such things than I. But news has come across the wires today that the US has launched the largest air strike on insurgent targets since the end of open warfare more than two years ago. I really just wonder what "Mission" was accomplished when the President stood on the deck of an aircraft carrier and declared the "official" end of hostilites against the former Iraqi government.

Stay tuned for Friday cat blogging. Apparently, Atrios and DailyKos do this, and Aravosis over at AmericaBlog does Friday orchid blogging (they really are beautiful). So, I will keep up the tradition. Oberon and Diva, Friday is all yours.

Since I'm new to blogging, I wanted to see if I could successfully post a picture onto my blog. Seems that I can. This is a close up shot of the console of the organ at Marsh Chapel at Boston University where I am the Associate Dean. It isn't usually in this position...but we had it out in the center of the chancel for a concert and so I took some pictures. If you want to see more, let me know and I'll post some more. Or, go to the Chapel link at the right for a fuller look at what I do.

Hello! I will be studying at Regent's Park College at Oxford University for six weeks this summer. In thinking about how best to share photographs and the "Oxford Experience" with my friends and colleagues, Blogger seemed the best option.

I leave for the UK on May 16th, and will return on June 27th. Not a long time, but long enough.

I'll be studing with the Rev. Dr. Paul Sheppy, a real Oxford Don who is a whole lot smarter than I am, and who knows a lot about my particular interest...Death rituals and rites for 20th and 21st century Christians.

I'm enrolled as a Doctor of Ministry candidate in the School of Theology at Boston University, where I am also called as the Associate Dean of Religious Life at Marsh Chapel, the University's Office of Religious Life.

More posts will follow, as will very, very rough drafts of what I am writing.