Author Archives: Doug

Alright, Let’s Do This One Last Time…

Yay, Spiderman: Into the Spiderverse is out on video! In the past 24 hours I’ve watch the movie twice already. I love the Marvel Comic Universe in general,1 but this movie stands out as one of the finest movies I’ve seen in ages. There’s a lot a thoughts that I’d love to share about thisContinue reading “Alright, Let’s Do This One Last Time…”

New D&D Adventure: Ghosts of Saltmarsh

I was excited by today’s news: Ghosts of Saltmarsh sails onto the #DnD scene May 21! You can grab an alt-cover (by @ncwinters) from your FLGS or order the standard cover online to jump into a story worthy of a sea shanty sung by a savage sahuagin. #GhostofSaltmarsh #DungeonsandDragonshttps://t.co/l7uVpKEj3Z pic.twitter.com/rDw2BqebiB — Dungeons & Dragons (@Wizards_DnD)Continue reading “New D&D Adventure: Ghosts of Saltmarsh”

Yakudoshi? More Like Yaku-no-shi!

In Japanese culture, certain years are considered inauspicious based on the year you were born and are called “yakudoshi” (厄年). The logic behind these particular years comes from Chinese homophones (words that sounds alike). According to this helpful book, the years listed can also be homophones for bad things. For example “42”, if you sayContinue reading “Yakudoshi? More Like Yaku-no-shi!”

The Twelve Year Zodiac in Japan

With the Chinese New Year recently concluded, I got to thinking about the traditional 60-year zodiac in Japanese culture. The Japanese calendar was originally based off the Chinese Lunar calendar, though this changed in the late 19th century when Japan moved toward rapid Westernization and industrialization. However, the 12-animal zodiac, or jūnishi (十二支), is stillContinue reading “The Twelve Year Zodiac in Japan”