I can’t say that I’m a big fan of losing a body part that has been with me since birth.

The first time I consciously noted the discomfort in my abdomen was in August, after I finished the Pan-Mass Challenge. I didn’t really pay much attention to it. It came and went, but eventually it became clear that it wasn’t just going to go away. By the end ( Read more... )

As I step away from some of my older hobbies, it looks like kyūdō-the Japanese martial art of archery-might be a new activity that arises to take their place.

People who know me will realize that when I commit to an interest, I ( Read more... )

I recently completed my sixth “sandwich” retreat at CIMC: a nine-day non-residential meditation retreat that starts with all-day sittings on Saturday and Sunday, then evening sittings all week long, followed by another weekend of all-day sittings. All told, it adds up to about 50 hours on the cushion and a lot of sleep deprivation.

First let me ( Read more... )

It’s been a standing joke for as long as I can remember: what is Ornoth’s body fat percentage? Well, after my recent purchase of a scale that includes body composition, we now have a definitive answer.

Sort of.

Before this posting, I solicited guesses from our ( Read more... )

Last year at this time, I reported back from my first Buddhist retreat, CIMC’s “Sandwich Retreat”, so called because it has all-day sessions on two consecutive weekends, and three-hour sessions every weekday evening in between. If you care, last year’s length summary can be found here.

It’s now been a week since this year’s Sandwich Retreat, and ( Read more... )

Let’s talk biological functions, okay? Here’s the deal. See if you can spot the pattern, and the one biological function that breaks the pattern…

Picking boogers: unacceptable in public.
Popping zits: unacceptable in public.
Ejaculation: unacceptable in public.
Vomiting: unacceptable in public.
Defecation: unacceptable in public.
Urination: ( Read more... )