Interesting interview up at GOOD, with a Lama who leads 12- or 36-month spiritual retreats. You've got to love this quote: "We asked them not to send us any letters from anyone. We asked them not to send us any news. We didn’t know about 9/11. It happened during our retreat and we found out a couple years later. They didn’t tell us. I think we were the only ones on the planet who didn’t know about it."
Makes my three-day break down the coast seem... I dunno... not quite as relaxing.