mourningdove

Pierced Hands

I think I’ve mentioned I’m a bit of a clutz even though (I think) I try really hard not to be. One place this becomes really obvious is the kitchen. Though the frequency with which I burn and stab myself has definitely decreased with time, I’d say I still give myself a stitches-grade knife woundContinue reading “Pierced Hands”

Rikki-Tikki-Tavi

We saw a couple of mongooses in Oahu, and it reminded me of a cartoon we used to watch when it came on every year around Halloween as kids: Rikki-Tikki-Tavi. It’s based on a short story by Rudyard Kipling about an English family’s pet mongoose in India and its battle with local cobras who wantContinue reading “Rikki-Tikki-Tavi”

One good thing about time changes

When I fly west, I’m actually up early enough for sunrise. Which, when you’re staying on the east coast of Oahu, is a good thing.

Ceramics Saturdays: Qingbai ware

Qingbai ware was produced during the Southern Song and into the beginning of the Yuan dynasty in the 14th century at sites around Jiangxi, mostly at the Jingdezhen kilns but elsewhere, even Jizhou, as well. It was never an imperial ware: it was designed for the merchant class, to mimic Ding wares. But Qingbai achievedContinue reading “Ceramics Saturdays: Qingbai ware”

Friday Favorites: Kung Fu Movies

This is far and away my favorite genre of film, and I’ve watched a loooooooooooooooot of these over the years. Here are my favorites (like Spinal Tap, this list goes to 11): One-Armed Swordsman: A Classic Shaw Brothers joint starring Jimmy Wang. My friend John reminded me about this movie the other day, and IContinue reading “Friday Favorites: Kung Fu Movies”

Disenchantment (Short Story)

“I think,” David Hume’s reedy voice cut through the cramped salon, “that either an idea must be derived from actual experience or there must be no truth to it. Id est, you cannot infer the existence of God from a rose.” They were discussing Tertullian in their tutor’s rundown Grassmarket flat. “All right,” saidContinue reading “Disenchantment (Short Story)”

Self Care

I thought I’d continue the last post on daily choreography with a post on self care. It just seems like a good time to talk about it. Maybe it’s the change of seasons…. My friend Amy and I were joking that it’s been cloudy/gloomy here for the last week, and that’s apparently all it takesContinue reading “Self Care”

Daily Choreography

I’m not a routine person. I wish I were: I fully admit that routines are the secret to success in life. But something in my personality actively militates against doing the same thing over and over again, no matter how healthy it is. This has created several problems in my life: e.g., flossing (I flossContinue reading “Daily Choreography”

Cherry Pit Bitters

I’m not sure what my attraction is to food that could kill me. I think it’s just that I like strong and unusual flavors, and these tend to come along with concentrated chemicals of other kinds. I’m pretty sure it all started with Amaretti di Saronno, the wonderful little crunchy Italian cookies. They taste soContinue reading “Cherry Pit Bitters”

Ceramics Saturdays: Jizhou Ware

Though we’re through the Five Great Kilns now, there are still some really spectacular Song ceramics you should know about. We’ll start with my favorite kiln: Jizhou. Fired in Jiangxi during the Southern Song (1127-1279), these wares weren’t intensely prized at the time: their body was a relatively drab and coarse gray-brown, and their glazeContinue reading “Ceramics Saturdays: Jizhou Ware”