棘 / TOGE

A new sword joins the family. Using basic sword strikes from the Filipino martial arts (kali / escrima), I "built" a new sword meditation, 解剖学的研究 / Kaibōgakuteki kenkyū / "Anatomical Study" for the backyard dojo. 

This lighter sword, with its double-edge blade, and only being held with one hand, is allowing me to explore deeper into some of the body mechanics of sword use. And it's an absolutely beautiful weapon: one side is darker than the other, and there are waves of grain running across her blade.

She is a beauty to behold and a beauty to wield.

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棘 / toge / thorn
espada / kamagong ("ironwood") Filipino wooden short sword

Some [seed] fell among thorns, and the thorns grew with it and choked it.
—LUKE 8:7

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爪 / tsume / claw
jian / unsharpened Chinese straight sword

Then I desired to know the truth concerning the fourth beast, which was different from all the rest, exceedingly terrifying, with its teeth of iron and claws of bronze, and which devoured and broke in pieces, and stamped what was left with its feet.
—DANIEL 7:19

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頤 / ago / jaw
"Musashi oar" suburito / heavy oak wooden sword

Then he found a fresh jawbone of a donkey, reached down and took it, and with it he killed a thousand men. And Samson said, “With the jawbone of a donkey, heaps upon heaps, with the jawbone of a donkey I have slain a thousand men.”
—JUDGES 15:15-16

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舌 / shita / tongue
katana iaito / unsharpened long sword

In his right hand he held seven stars, and from his mouth came a sharp, two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining with full force.
—REVELATION 1:16

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牙 / kiba / fang
wakizashi iaito / unsharpened short sword

Fire and hail and famine and pestilence, all these have been created for vengeance; the fangs of wild animals and scorpions and vipers, and the sword that punishes the ungodly with destruction.
—ECCLESIASTICUS 39:29-30

PORTLAND JAPANESE GARDEN

Visiting Portland Japanese Gardens was a holy experience. We first walked through three of the five gardens with a volunteer guide for an hour. Judy provided excellent and encyclopedic context for what we were encountering. Then we had time to wander all five gardens alone. Absolutely splendid. If I lived closer, I would visit frequently.

FRESH HOP

Fresh Hop Non-Alcoholic IPA by Deschutes Brewery.

12 ounce can • non-alcoholic

When in Portland...

One of my favorite restaurants is Deschutes Brewery. They think about their food and how it pairs with their beer. And they think a lot about their beer, which makes them one of my favorite breweries. So I expected this visit to be more awkward than it was.

Fortunately, their non-alcoholic version of Fresh Hop is close enough to the original that I don't miss the alcohol in it. Plus the food was top notch, as always. The medium-rare flank steak was perfectly prepared. The asparagus was some of the best I've ever had due to the seasoning, which was light by shifted the flavor just enough to be a delight on the tongue. The food and non-alcoholic beer worked well together, so my worries were unfounded.

EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL at ONCE

All Fools Day was a great day to watch Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022) directed by Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert. It's a wild blend of film genres—Chinese-American family drama, surreal comedy, kung fu fighting, multiverse space-time bender—and it ably and absolutely marries them together. The lead actors seem to be having the best time inside their characters. I loved this film!

I shied away from this film for so long because some people I share movie tastes with didn't care for it. I'm glad I gave it a chance.

Streaming on Netflix.