In Confessions, Saint Augustine contrasts the love of learning with the love of spectacle. His friend Alypius disliked the gladiatorial games of Rome. One day Alypius’s friends convinced and bullied him to join them for a round of games. The excitement of the bloodsport captured him. As Augustine wrote: “Without any awareness of what was…
What is Moxa?
If you read any Japanese literature or history, you see moxa and moxa treatments mentioned. Basho in his travel writings discusses getting a moxa treatment before he travels. But what is moxa? What did it treat? Moxa treatments, often called moxibustion, is a folk treatment used to treat cholic, arthritis, gout, cancer, gastrointestinal problems, and…
What Seppuku Represents
Anyone who knows anything about Japan has heard of seppuku or seen it in a samurai film. Seppuku was a ritualized form of suicide and a judicial sentence handed down to men and women of the samurai class. The ritual began on the battlefield with the first recorded case performed by Minamoto Tametomo after his…
The Importance of Owning a Blog
If you write or consider writing a novel, you’ve likely ran against the idea of the platform. This creature acts as the steed that carries the author to success if you believe the platform-oil salespersons. Email lists stand at the saddle for this steed. Honestly, it’s a lot of bunk. I’ve found the process of…
Anime Blogging 101: Writing an Informative Essay
I love writing informative essays. I never know what goodies I will find when I set out to research for an informative essay. Informative essays involve all the gobbledygook about citations, quality of information, and copyright we’ve discussed. They also use the same writing techniques as reviews and critiques. The phrase informative essay sounds boring,…
Anime Blogging 101: Citations, Attributions, and Libel
Citations aren’t bad. I promise. Formal and semi-formal citations are important for anime blogging. Luckily, you don’t have to have every comma and period perfect for blog citations. The main purpose of citations isn’t to protect against plagiarism. They help readers find your sources. Citation design maximizes the ability of readers, and you, to find…