Often for one reason or another we need to sort a list of nodes arbitrarily. Here is a comparison list of modules to do the trick. Here is a recipe using Weight and Views. I've a Content type project that are the only nodes that need sorting.

1. Install Weight and Views
2. Enable Weight, Views and Views UI
3. Create a new View admin/build/views/add
4. Add a new display Add Display : Page
5. Style : Weight Changer
6. Page settings :
   1. Path : project/sort
7. Fields :
   1. Node : Title
   2. Node : Edit link
   3. Weight : Weight
8. Sort criteria :
   1. Weight : Weight (ascending)
   2. Node : Post date (descending)
9. Filters :
   1. Node : Type = project
10. Save it and browse to the page you set in Path

The patch contributed to Weight to allow this is written up here. http://www.zivtech.com/blog/drag-and-drop-content-ordering