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August 10, 2009

Homeless Tom honored by Progressive Buddhism blog and Four Honest Scrappy blogs

This blog was honored in a blogpost two days ago, "My Twelve," in the much esteemed Progressive Buddhism blog as one of the "best Buddhist blogs by individual practitioners." Thanks to Kyle Lovett for his very kind commendation.

With only a couple exceptions [ones I was unaware of], the blogs Kyle cites are excellent Buddhism blogs I have long read and admired. Those blogs I was unaware of are ones I am now aware of, have read them, seen they are mighty fine, and added them to my reader.

Of Homeless Tom [the blog], Kyle wrote,
Tom Armstrong is one of the most strong willed men I know. He has been through a lot of hardship in his life and he still has managed to be a powerful voice for all Buddhist bloggers with his annual administration of the Blogisattva awards and his Zen Unbound project. He also is a tireless advocate for the homeless and still finds time to write some very insightful and compelling stuff. He says what he thinks, and doesn't back down from talking about any subject.
Kyle also commended the individual blogs of several of his co-contributors to the Progressive Buddhism group blog. Again, these are some of the outstanding Buddhism blogs in the Buddhoblogosphere.

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I am embarrassed to say that I had not acknowledged til now [and mostly didn't know about] kudos this blog has received from other Buddhobloggers in the expansive "Honest Scrap" awards. "Honest Scrap" winners are tasked with bragging about receiving the award, naming seven blogs they find to be awesome and inspiring and then listing ten honest things about themselves.

The magnificent and kind TMcG, blogger of Full Contact Enlightenment [formerly TMcG buddhablog ], wrote in her blogpost "Honest Scraps being handed out..." of May 23, 2009,
I’ve been reading Tom’s blogpost from the days of Zen Unbound and his journey on the path has been one which gives a strong first person account of the voice of homelessness. He’s whip smart, creative and a fresh voice and I believe he needs to get a book deal - STAT. I learn so much from him.
NellaLou of enlightenment ward was magnanimous in her Honest Scrap blogpost of April 30, 2009, "Yikes! Honest Scraps Makes a Visit Here," writing about Homeless Tom [the blog],
I have followed this blog since it’s inception and often been challenged by Tom’s astute viewpoint. I don’t always agree but I always pay attention here.
Monkey Mind blogger [and minister at Rhode Island's largest UU Church], James Ford, was generous in his May 7, 2009 post "Honest Scrap Comes to Monkey Mind":
Homeless Tom is Tom Armstrong's project. Tom is a Buddhist thinker and Dharma bum who is currently homeless in Sacramento. He is a first rate writer and a very interesting thinker.
Nathan, who has a fondness of squirrels and is an Honest Scrap winner for his blog Dangerous Harvests, wrote kind words about Homeless Tom [the blog and the fellow] in his May 13, 2009, blogpost "Blogosphere Awards":
http://homelesstom.blogspot.com/ is such an eclectic experience. This guy writes about so many things, from homelessness in Sacramento to zen, to Christianity, even the Talking Heads.
I am grateful to Kyle of Progressive Buddhism, TMcG of Full Contact Enlightenment, NellaLou of enlightenment ward, James Ford of Monkey Mind and Nathan of Dangerous Harvests – nice and talented people, each, who ride herd on wonderful blogs. Tomorrow, or in a day or two, I will properly meet my Honest Scrap obligations. I bow.

8 comments:

Mumon K said...

You know, I'm glad you're around. That means I'm profoundly grateful, in case my on line wording is a bit too abrupt, as it often is.

You really shocked me about the suicide thing - please don't do that again - but truly, if it weren't for you I would not have found so many Buddhists on line.

And, believe it or not, your posts help me illuminate to me what it means for me to be a Buddhist - and sometimes I'm not a particularly good one.

Thanks & congratulations.

Franko said...

honored, and rightly so. thank you for all you do.

Kyle said...

I'd like to expand a bit on what Mumon said, if it weren't for your efforts a lot of Buddhists online wouldn't have become part of this vibrant and expanding community. James, Justin and you were the first guys I talked with over 2 years ago when I began to blog.

Thank you so very much for what you have done.

Nathan said...

You're welcome Tom. As the others have said, you are an important voice on here, and I'm glad to have you back again in the blogosphere.

Bows,
Nathan

Unknown said...

Thanks, guys. I'm embarrassed by the attention, but since this blog is progressive, buddhist, honest and scrappy -- and since I'm so arrogant to be involved in the foisting of awards on bloggers & blogs, myself -- with as much humility as I can muster, I bow and accept your kind words.

Steve said...

You're the man! :-)

Congratulations on receiving the accolades you richly deserve.

Buddhist_philosopher said...

We all owe you a great deal of thanks, Tom. To second Kyle's apt words, "if it weren't for your efforts a lot of Buddhists online wouldn't have become part of this vibrant and expanding community." Hear hear! Long live Tom :)

Unknown said...

Thanks, my great friend Nagarjuna.

And thanks O Mighty Justin, just back from China. At the moment, jsut as your comment came, I'm quaking in my boots. Over at my other blog, I just outed some Communists [well, sort of] and I'm getting harsh email response -- not that I am hearing denial of facts.

Bloggers must be brave.