When my mother calls to see how I am going I almost always say: same old; same old. I feel like this post is a little like a phone call to my mother. That is to say, when I call mum because it has been awhile, she will almost always ask: how are you dear? Good mum and you? I am fine, thank you. Then she will follow that question with the following: what have you been doing? Oh, same old. same old. Of course, after this initial phase and with the parsing of short term memory we do find something to talk about.

So, how have I been? Dare I say it…same old; same old. Oh wait…actually…I do have some news.

Recently I agreed to join the Journal of Buddhist Ethics (JBE) as a copyeditor. JBE began back in 1994 and in that time has become an example of a well run professional publication in Buddhist studies. This is my first editing type role, and it should provide good experience for the future. It will give insight into how a professional journal runs its publication, and of course valuable information from the writing to publication process. I spent part of yesterday reading their style guide and becoming familiar with the paper I was assigned. The work is very part time, which of course suits me as i am already quite busy. I am looking forward to working with Dan Cozort and co.

Then, this upcoming Easter, I will be traveling to Sydney for retreat with Alan Wallace—the retreat dates are April 2-8, 2010. I am really looking forward to getting away from books, keyboards and thinking, and getting back to some serious meditation practice. Even if it is only for a week, it will be a great week with 9 1/2 hours of meditation per day—it should be a good break. While I do not know if there are any places for the retreat still available, if you are interested there is more information here

During this week-long retreat, B. Alan Wallace will explore in theory and practice a range of methods for developing meditative quiescence, or shamatha. This is an opportunity to gain the skills to take your meditation practice to another level and to reap the benefits of a more concentrated mind.

Lastly, I recently received an invitation to give a keynote presentation at a conference on meditation in Melbourne of this year. Here is last years conference website http://www.meditate09.com.au/

The date of the talk is July 31st 2010. At this stage I do not have any further information. No doubt there will be more to come. I am thinking about writing an essay on dispositional narrative, dysfunction and its relation to mental training for the presentation.