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.

•

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

•

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

•

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

•

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

•

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.

BLACK BUTTE

Black Butte Non-Alcoholic Porter by Deschutes Brewery.

12 ounce can • non-alcoholic

The non-alcoholic version of Black Butte Porter from Deschutes is very close to its alcoholic sibling. Not exact, but similar enough to pass. I like it.

NØ MØ

NØ MØ Non-Alcoholic IPA by Crux Fermentation Project.

12 ounce can • non-alcoholic

Today finally felt like the right time to explore a couple of non-alcoholic beer options. Deschutes Brewery and Crux Fermentation Project brew some of my favorite beers, so perhaps their NA brews would follow suit.

I had Crux NØ MØ IPA with homemade tacos. It wasn't awful, but it wasn't very good, either. Perhaps non-alcoholic IPAs are just not generally good?

I'm holding out hope for the non-alcoholic version of Black Butte.

THE MATTER of LONELINESS

I attended a two-day symposium, hosted by the Wang Center for Global and Community Engaged Education at Pacific Lutheran University. I was present at every presentation and workshop offered during "The Matter of Loneliness: Building Connections for Collective Well-Being." I'm glad I did because I learned a lot and ended exhausted, but with a full head and full heart.

The first day was focused on theory and the second day was focused on implementation. (Or "inside" and "outside" as PLU thought of the days.)




I left with a bunch of "takeaways" for my workplace and will be reaching out to various people and organizations to put learning into practice.

There were two fascinating workshops I experienced. The first was a Purpose Planning Workshop led by a facilitator from the Blue Zones Project. My top "gift," discovered during a "calling card" exercise was "Exploring the Way." I take it to be a lifelong search for meaning, tied to spiritual and religious practices, and bolstered by my gifts of creating art, writing, and organizing. The second was being present during a Braver Angels community debate between college students that explored whether or not everyone is entitled to a universal basic income. The structure of the debate allowed for constructive conversation without division. It turns out that most people gathered are in favor of some kind of universal basic income, whether on the right or the left, conservative or liberal; the difference comes in the details, such as who would fund such a program.




Both days had a great selection of speakers and thinkers. My favorites were:

• Julia Watts Belser, Professor of Jewish Studies and Disability Studies Core Faculty, Georgetown University, with "Wild Kinship: Disability Wisdom, Interdependence, and the Elemental World."
• Jenny Odell, writer and artist, with "How to Do Nothing."
• Carolyn Finney, storyteller and cultural geographer, with "Our Story: Blackness, Belonging & Dreaming the Family Tree."
• Mike Weiking, founder and CEO, The Happiness Project in Copenhagen, with "The Science of Happiness."

DRIVE-AWAY DOLLS

The Wife and I saw Drive-Away Dolls (2024) directed by Ethan Coen, at The Grand Cinema in Tacoma.

I usually know a bit about a film before I see it. In the case of Drive-Away Dolls, all I knew came from the trailer. It appeared to be a blend of Thelma and Louise and Pulp Fiction. But, as they say, appearances can be deceiving. That is the case here. This is a lesbian romance road film that tries too hard. It's too quirky. It's too fragmented and disjointed. I was most intrigued to see Geraldine Viswanathan (Miracle Workers) in it but her character isn't really allowed to do anything and is mired in sadness. Geraldine's humor is stifled. And there are way too many dildo jokes and shots and scenes of dildoes. No joke. Spoiler alert: it's a major plot point. This is a pass unless you're a Coen Brothers completist; even then tread with caution.

FLOWERING BONSAI

I have visited the Pacific Bonsai Museum many times, but have never been there in the spring when the trees are in bloom. I rectified that today.

Two of the flowering plum trees were in peak bloom. There were many other bonsai—juniper, sweet gum, Gravenstein apple, Japanese maple, azalea—with new growth. Buds and infant leaves were just starting to appear. I'm glad I visited!

TAIJI SWORD

Taiji sword work is completely different from iaido sword work. First, the sword is much lighter, which affects the movement of the blade through space. Second, the double-edged blade means I don't have to be as aware about which way the blade is facing. Third, the movements are slower and more deliberate, even though they aren't necessarily less powerful or dynamic.

This morning, I started working on "body geometry" (my term for it) with Master Shirley. The primary focuses of these early lessons were economy of movement, relaxed form, the sword as an extension of the arm, and moving along a plane. It has been great to remove rigidity from my stances, to apply circular motions toward the angles of the sword and my body, and to learn (again) how to channel energy as it spirals up from the ground while my body moves but my arms mostly don't (at least in relation to my body).