And the mouse police never sleep

Alright, let's get right to it - no dilly, no dallying - and put another dent into reader mail. Excited? Me, too!


I found your blog through a Larry McMurtry search. You haven't mentioned him in a while. He's my favorite author. How do you rank him?

Lizabeth12


Well, Lizabeth12, he ranks very high with me. The Lonesome Dove and Berrybender  books floored me. When I first started reading Lonesome Dove, I expected it to be a well-written, serious western. Instead what I got was a well-written (so fucking well written!) rollicking adventure that had a welter of twists and turns, drama, humor, sorrow, you name it! The closest thing to his westerns that I've read is George R.R. Martin's Song of Ice And Fire series, another favorite of mine. Despite being in the throes of four books right now, I've got the strong urge to read some McMurtry. Can I resist the urge long enough to finish one or two first? We'll see.




I've tried meditating before but honestly I think it doesn't work. At least not for me. I gave it a couple of weeks and didn't feel any change. What do you get out of it?

theBaron&Duke

I've been a meditator most of my adult life. I've utilized various methods, including the use of a mantra, visualization, and giving attention to the breath. I've gone long stretches meditating daily followed periods of no meditating at all. When I meditate consistently, I benefit in different ways, some subtle, some overt. I could go into more detail, but I won't because I want to get on with this post. Here's the deal with meditation:

When you sit still in a quiet place for an extended period of time, you will be hooked again and again by thoughts. It happens to beginners and adepts alike. Our minds are overgrown, unkempt gardens. Or, as Chogyam Trungpa put it, "The human realm is a huge traffic jam of discursive thought". I've talked to so many people who've abandoned their practice early on because they felt they were doing it wrong or weren't good at it. "No matter how hard I try, I can't quiet my thoughts" is a common complaint. Having thoughts while meditating is to be expected. Our minds are constantly churning them out and usually we are at their beck and call. Meditating gives us the opportunity to acknowledge the rising and falling of thoughts that manifest as craving, grasping, desire without becoming attached to them. During almost every session I get hooked by thoughts right out of the gate. Some are stickier than others but eventually I reach a place of quiet; the sea may be stormy on its surface but not at its lower depths.

When I meditate frequently I'm more discerning about which thoughts I heed and I get hooked less frequently. This results in a calmer demeanor and more skillful decision making, among other things. Maybe in another post I'll expand on the topic and riff about the appearance of synchronicity and a stronger sense of intuition that comes with a consistent meditation practice.




I had a debate with a friend about whether smoking cigarettes is a form of suicide. I think it is. How about you?

DeezEjacobs


I wouldn't go so far to classify it as suicide but I see where you're coming from.I'd say it's more of a gamble. When I smoked, I wasn't trying to end things; I took the gamble that I'd escape the habit's adverse effects, which are many. I'm so glad I quit; it's such a satanic habit and it had me under its spell for too long. I'm also glad that more and more people are quitting. I rarely encounter smokers these days. That is a good thing.




Alright, lovers, time to wrap this up. I didn't get to all of it, but I made some headway.

Cheers!