#Alternatives

[hyliandude]

8 alternative ttrpg systems to play instead of d&d:

1. Icon (inspired by Final Fantasy video games)

2. Thirsty Sword Lesbians

3. Lancer RPG (inspired by Mobile Suit Gundam and other Mech Suit franchises)

4. Avatar Legends

5. Coyote & Crow

6. CBR PNK

7. .dungeon

8. Wanderhome

[thirdity]

For me fiction is a way of asking: what if things were other than they are? And a central component of that is to ask: what if I was different than I am? I have always found the practice of writing fiction far more an escape from self than an exploration of it.

Zadie Smith, "The I Who Is Not Me"

[alradeck]

Anti AI alternatives to DA and my experience. by ALRadeck. I originally meant to post this to twitter but this works here too. For folks who have a DA site and hate themselves. 

[anarchywoofwoof]

Alternatives to Mainstream Online Platforms

Facebook | Diaspora, Friendica

Twitter | Mastodon, Pleroma Left/Anarcho/Alt friendly sites: todon.nl, todon.eu, ni.hil.ist, kolektiva.social

Reddit | Raddle

Youtube | Peertube Left/Anarcho/Alt friendly sites: Squat!Net Peertube, Kolektiva Peertube

Gmail/Hotmail |

Free Riseup, ProtonMail, Tutanota, Disroot email, Autistici email

Paid Mailbox, StartMail

Instagram/Imgur/Flickr | Pixelfed

Forums | Discourse, Disroot Discourse, nodebb, Raddle

Wordpress.org | noblogs.org, network23, Pleroma

Whatsapp, Telegram, SMS | Signal (Centralized), Matrix, Briar, Silence

Slack, Discord | Matrix, Rocket Chat, Pixie.town, Revolt (Unencrypted), Mattermost, IRC, XMPP

Google Docs | CryptPad, Disroot nextcloud

Political Organizing | Amplify, Mobilizon

Events Agenda | radar.squat.net

Craigslist | Freecycle

Apple Maps, Bing Maps, Google Maps, Yahoo! Maps | OpenStreetMap

[tightwadspoonies]

What To Do... Hygiene Edition

If you don't have a toothbrush-

The goal of brushing teeth is to prevent tooth decay. Prevent tooth decay by preventing bacteria buildup on teeth. Plaque (the slimy film that appears on teeth after a day or two) is a buildup of bacteria, saliva, and tiny food particles. If you can remove this once or twice a day, before it becomes hard (tartar) you are much less likely to have cavities and gum disease.

You can do this without a toothbrush by taking a small piece of rough cloth (like the corner of a washcloth or towel) and rubbing it all over your teeth twice per day. Rinse it well afterwards and let it dry completely (preferably in the sun) between uses.

If you don't have toothpaste-

Toothpaste is a paste containing rough particles, flavorings, and other chemicals that remove and may help prevent plaque and tarter from forming.

If you're doing a good job brushing your teeth to disrupt that plaque formation, you technically don't need toothpaste. However, if you would like a little bit of freshness or feel like you need more than just a brush or cloth, you can take a pinch of baking soda and (optional) add a drop or two of flavored extract (like vanilla or peppermint- DO NOT USE ESSENTIAL OILS FOR THIS). Put this on your toothbrush or cloth and brush as normal.

If you don't have deodorant-

Deodorant is not absolutely necessary for health, but if you work somewhere that has a "hygiene code" or some BS you probably need to smell like something other than a human.

The recipe is the same as toothpaste above. A pinch of baking soda and (optional) a drop of extract like vanilla or peppermint. Rub under each armpit.

If you don't have lip balm-

Lip balm is often necessary in colder or dryer climates to prevent cracking and infection. Any fat can be used as lip balm, for example, petroleum jelly (Vaseline), lard, butter, vegetable oils, your own face grease, etc... Just put a drop on a finger and rub on your lips until it rubs in.

If you don't have toilet paper-

You will need a plastic cup and a wash cloth. Use the plastic cup to pour water over the soiled area. If it's poop you'll need to use your hand to make sure everything washes off. Once clean, use the wash cloth to dab up any remaining water. Wash your hands well afterward.

This might sound horrible if you're used to toilet paper, but it is used all over the world and leaves you a lot cleaner than TP does.

If you don't have soap-

For handwashing- use water to wash anything visible off the hands, then follow with hand sanitizer or a few drops of rubbing alcohol to sanitize.

For body washing- You don't actually want soap for most of your body, including your privates. Wash with water only. For hair (since it tends to look greasy if unwashed), use a few teaspoons of baking soda or tablespoons of lemon juice and rub it in. This will help get rid of dirt and grease when soap or shampoo is not available.

If you don't have nail clippers-

Use sharp scissors. While these might be more challenging the first time and you'll need to be careful, you can absolutely use scissors for nail clippers, it's what everyone did before the invention and popularization of nail clippers.

[s-n-arly]

Hey, are there any alternatives for google.doc?

It depends on what you're using Google Docs for. If it's a word processor, I really love the Libre Office suite. It's got a match for everything in the Microcrap Office suite and it doesn't piss me off the way Word does. If you are using Google Docs for collaboration and sharing, it's probably the easiest and cheapest option, especially if you are sharing with people not on the same network and you want to have access to the same documents at the same time. If you don't need access simultaneously, you can ship a text document (doc/docx/odt/etc) via email and use track changes to identify who made what changes. Microsoft has One Drive, which is supposed to be good for file sharing, but it is not. It sucks and made me want to poke out my eyes with sticks.

Hope this helps.

[unimatrix-420]

Decentralized social networks to use instead

Instead of Facebook

Friendica

Lectrn

Instead of Goodreads

BookWyrm

Instead of Instagram

Pixelfed

Instead of Reddit

BrutalLinks

Lemmy

Lotide

Instead of Spotify

Funkwhale

Instead of Twitter

Mastodon

Misskey

Pleroma

Instead of Youtube

PeerTube

[basicallyanotherwitchesthing]

Psychic Life, Vol. 5 No. 6, Deja Vu Pub., 1985

[minu-moni]

Looking for possible alternatives for Google Docs

Considering the state of the world currently and especially regarding AI, I wanted to get a hold on possible alternatives for Google Docs, but nothing I’ve seen so far has appealed to me

I’m looking for apps that might be used for writing with these features:

1. Mobile portability

I write primarily using my phone, but to post stuff on ao3 I need to use the computer because the interface is awful on mobile, so it has to be an app I could use both on my phone and on my computer.

2. Offline usage

I don’t always have internet and don’t want to lose all progress I might have done offline.

3. Free or cheap (preferably free)

I’m Brazilian. Everything that costs a dollar will cost FIVE TIMES the price to me, so I’m not doing the bullshit that Scrivener does that would force me to pay for TWO licenses, which would unironically cost HALF the money I make in a month. It’s either free or under 100 reais (about 20 dollars, but the number might go down if the dollar gets more expensive).

4. Simple and ORGANIZED interface

I’m a slow learner and frankly don’t care about fancy writing stuff that I’m never gonna use. Please, I don’t want those apps that have a shit ton of stuff splashed on the screen, they’ll just confuse me more than anything and I’ll never use any of that trash. Just give me a word counter and I’ll be happy.

— —

For now I’m sticking with Google docs, it’s the best option to me even if it starts lagging after about 40k words. It seems better than every other option I’ve come across.

But if anyone knows of a better app I could use, please let me know! 🙏🙏🙏

[normystical]

Alternative word for "simp"? Apparently that's AAVE and I'm misusing it. I want something that can mean "person who is attracted to a character" but I don't want to replace, for instance, "Vox simp" with "Vox lover" or "Vox fangirl" because I do carnally desire him but also I fucking hate him. I am not in any way his fangirl nor do I love him. What other words can I use? Please and thank you

[evilhorse]

Sometimes shame is the cause, Rachel. It was the best option we had.

(Rise of the Powers of X #3)

[catmint1]

There was another life that I might have had, but I am having this one.

Kazuo Ishiguro, Never Let Me Go

[punkbakerchristine]

it’s starting to get cool at night again (ah, life at high altitude), and thus, it has me in a fall mood. so, are you like me and tired of seeing pumpkin spice everything by the time the end of august rolls around (especially when you’re like me and you don’t really like pumpkin, anyway)?

last year, i compiled a list of flavors to substitute pumpkin spice.

allow me to be like robin hood with these 🔥🍂

apple cinnamon 

ginger snap (gingerbread, too)

mexican hot chocolate 

apple + honey

orange + cloves

maple syrup, cinnamon, and nutmeg

white chocolate + cranberries 

pear + ginger

maple + bourbon with goat cheese 

allspice + vanilla

hazelnut and vanilla almond 

bonus: chai latte (coffee, black tea, milk, black pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cardamom), chai latte breve (the above but with heavy cream in lieu of milk)

there’s also the flavor combo used in my spice cake: cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, cardamom, and apple, which doesn’t get more september-october to me 🍂

[inactivedoll]

Some Affordable BJDs and alternatives from my experience

Time for some rambling from me again. I will only list companies whose dolls I own since I can't give much of a recommendation if I don't have a doll.

Guard Love- Resin company with both realistic and cute anime heads. They have variety of bodies and heads available and you're able to mix and match within the size. They also have a good range of resin colors. I think their anime heads are actually quite varied since they have different mouth and eye shapes. Hertz is a very distinct anime sculpt and they also have a head where you can use decals for the faceup instead of of painting it yourself. Their production times are fairly quick, being around 3-4 months. Your doll also comes in a grey duffel bag that you can use to carry other dolls in. Most dolls are under $300 blank.

Fatemoons - Really pushing it as their dolls are just slightly under $300, but you can get some really nice sculpts. They're popular in their home country of China but not so much on English forums, which is likely due to them being a banned company on DOA. This is due to an account issue and not from recasting or counterfeit issues. They also sell a variety of resin parts such as accessories, wings, limbs, and pets. Their current available sculpts are humanoid, but they do occasionally have a more unusual sculpt such as one of their cat heads, Willow. It's my favorite cat head sculpt and I do have one. Their 1/3 dolls are over the $300 budget and some newer 1/4 dolls are also over that.

Jun Planning Ai - This line has long been retired, but these are tiny 1/12 strung ABS dolls. Single jointed. A complete set has a wig, eyes, shoes, a full outfit set, and some have an additional accessory. Their price varies, but they show up all over the place, usually ranging from $50-100 dollars depending on which doll it is. This is actually my first BJD before I even realized what a BJD was since I found an almost complete Nerine [just missing her teddy] at Goodwill for just $3. So keep your eyes open for them in the wild.

Lots of 1/6 dolls from more expensive resin companies are under the $300 mark although shipping is a different story. A lot of companies also have 1/4 dolls under the $300 mark as well. I'm just naming a few companies that have dolls in this price range. I would say that most resin doll aren't even anywhere near even $500. If, and only if, you are collecting in 1/4 and below scale. I don't have a lot of 1/3 and I can't give you good reference for that.

Alternatives

Most of these are well known, but I'll go over them.

TinyFox - Anime styled plastic dolls. They're not vinyl though, and they're mostly called that due to the lack of proper terms to describe their classification. They are primarily known for selling elaborate full sets, or a doll that comes with faceups, wig, eyes, and clothes. No shoes though. They have a rubbery coating on them that stains super easily and is impossible to fix once stained, but I heard the newer ones don't have this coating. Honestly, I wished they never had this coating to begin with seeing how hideous the stains are on my dolls. Their clothes are well made and elaborate and you can buy just clothes once in a blue moon. These dolls are heavy and their joint system is similar to a ball socket. Think obitsu 11s. Almost all of their dolls are under $300, and they come in either 1/4 or 1/6 sizes. They also sell bodies and heads that you can customize yourself. No boy bodies at the moment though.

Imomodoll - Honest to goodness vinyl dolls structure wise like a Dollfie Dream. I have issues with their quality, but they have a bunch of available options that Dollfie Dreams usually don't have available for everyone. Such as tan skin [it's darker than DD too] and male bodies. They have 1/6, 1/4, and 1/3 sizes, and they also have a small strung doll at the 1/12 size. A complete doll from this company varies depending on size. 1/6 dolls are roughly ~$60, 1/4 ~$90, and 1/3 ~$200. Really depends on your dealer. There are a lot of different heads that you can buy and a good range of bodies with more to be released in the future. Imomodoll also has resin dolls, but they're slightly over $300, so they don't really make the list.

Obitsu/Parabox - A cheaper vinyl doll company selling a whole bunch of different sizes and a whole lot of heads. You can either buy parts individually yourself or get a premade set. Most of these dolls fall under the $300 budget range, although whether this holds true or not depends on your currency's exchange rate against JPY. And while some of their larger dolls like the 80 cm Otohime would meet the budget, the shipping costs are high. You can also select a variety of faceups, clothes, wigs, and eyes for your doll. The only issue with this company is the availability of items, with you needing to wait for several months with no idea when an item will be available. Their obitsu 11 bodies are widely available, which leads me into

Obitsuroids - A whole type of dolls that I would argue is even more customizable than the typical BJD doll. So where to even start with obitsuroids? Most are around the 1/12 scale, although it's been creeping up to 1/8 and 1/6 scales as of late. There are a variety of different materials for this doll, ranging from PVC, vinyl, resin, and even rubbery materials somewhat like silicone. These dolls are called obitsuroids due to the original ones being Nendoroid heads on Obitsu 11 bodies, but it's really used as a catch all term for all dolls with Nendoroid styled faceplates and 1/12 bodies. If you want to get into obitsuroids, keep in mind that you will need something called a headback to complete the head. A faceplate is not a complete doll head. If you get Nendoroid hair, this can complete the head, but if you don't, you will need a headback. You also need a neck card to attach your head to the body and not all companies that make bodies for obitsuroid hybridization [oh i can go on a whole tangent, only mini tangent though] comes with a neckcard. Overall, obitsuroids fall well under the $300 mark, but that really depends on what body, faceplates, hair or headback it has. And it can be difficult for some to source parts, although I'm sure there's resources available for this somewhere. I have a ton of obitsuroids and I will probably make a master post for this one day. The 1/12 blind box BJDs are also structurally based on obitsuroids, albeit modified for proprietary purposes.

Azone Pureneemo and Picconeemo - A line of 1/6 and 1/12 fashion dolls, although the Picconeemo lines and female body Pureneemo lines often have more elaborate joints like an Obitsu of a similar size. They're known for their well made clothes, and the cost of the doll is primarily in the clothes over the actual doll itself. Most of these dolls are under $200 new or secondhand, although some dolls can be over that. However, a lot of their dolls have painted eyes and their hair is rooted in, although I think they have unrooted caps available for some dolls.

Dollce Mini Sweets Doll - Cute little 1/12 dolls. Expensive for their scale and size, but you can find some secondhand ones for cheap. Most shouldn't be more than $150, although I have seen a few like that for really no reason. They use Dollce vinyl heads and obitsu 11 bodies.

If you don't mind second hand dolls and have a currency that's strong against the JPY, Mandarake is an excellent Japanese second hand shop, with some dolls even coming with accessories from their previous owners. There is a risk of running into counterfeit dolls, but Mandarake is reputable and I have bought several dolls from them. You can also find a lot of obscure Japanese brands via Mandarake as well and even parts.

There are way more affordable dolls in the marketplace than I listed here or on other lists, but they aren't accessible, or 'region locked' so to say. But keep that in mind.

[lord-here-i-am]

Halloween, celebrated on October 31, has origins in the ancient Celtic festival Samhain, a pagan tradition marking the end of the harvest season and the start of winter. Samhain included rituals to ward off spirits, as people believed this day blurred the boundary between the living and the dead. Over centuries, it was Christianized to become “All Hallows’ Eve,” the day before All Saints' Day.

Reasons to avoid "Halloween"

Halloween’s focus on death, ghosts, and the supernatural can conflict with Christian values, which emphasize the celebration of life, light, and goodness over darkness and death.

While often just in fun, dressing up as demons, witches, or monsters can trivialize or even glorify evil.

Celebrating Halloween without awareness of its deeper meaning may inadvertently desensitize people, especially children, to concepts of good and evil, fostering a casual attitude toward things.

Alternative "Holyween"

Christians celebrate by hosting “All Saints’ Day” parties where children dress up as saints or positive historical figures. Many communities hold fall festivals or “harvest nights” with wholesome games, activities, and treats, celebrating the season without darker themes.