Rosario's Cool Links For Bored People

***This list is periodically updated and perpetually incomplete!

Are you bored? I am frequently bored. Even when I have a ton of things to do, I'm bored.

My stages of boredness are staring at the wall, staring at social media, and then staring at the internet *off* of social media. The latest stage of boredness leads me to some very fun and creative places.

I miss the days when the Internet was fun. When you really could "surf the web," hopping from website to website, gaining knowledge and having fun. But the internet isn't gone, even if it's dominated by social media and online shopping. There's plenty of standalone websites I've come across that actually feel special to me.

I try and list sites that are interesting and useful to myself and others. Many articles I link to are intended to be a reccommended starting point on websites with more articles or academic papers on them that are worth checking out. I try not to feature too many shops, unless I find that their existence is useful and entertaining without needing to buy anything.

Here are some that I've come across that may be useful resources for you.

    Webrings

Hobby

  • DELISHKITCHEN. A Japanese website chock full of all sorts of simple recipes. Great for when you're looking for something interesting and unique to cook, but you don't know where to start. An automatic translator works fine on this site, and there are videos for every recipe. You can also check out my personally curated list of my favorite DELISHKITCHEN recipes!

  • BJD Collectasy. If you want to learn about ball-jointed dolls, start here. The top of this site is plastered with graphic links to different popular doll companies and dealers, and there's frequently updated information on doll releases from all over the world.

  • Global Tea Hut. If you're interested in gongfu tea, this is a magazine you can subscribe to that comes with gorgeous full-leaf fresh-from-the-farm-in-China tea samples. You can also read past issues of the magazine online, and download the PDFs for FREE!

  • Chiyagekikan. A Japanese website with guides on how to make decorative Chinese knots. Knotting cord is really cheap and easy to get online, and if you know how to make several different knots, you'll have lots of charms to hang off of your bags, keys, collars, bracelets, phone case, etc. and a skill that will impress the ladies!

  • How to paint Japanese dragons. I always wanted to learn how to do this, but I could never find any good resources in English, so I found one in Japanese instead. This website has lots of good tutorials for ink painting in general, but even if you don't know how to draw, you can learn a simple formula for making Japanese dragons and doodle them on everything!

  • Ita.toys Scans. One of the top sites on Neocities, so it doesn't need my advertising, but you can read scans of old J-fashion magazines here.

  • The ever-classic Springhole. The ancient Internet texts of writing advice. Pretty well known, but I'm putting it here for whoever doesn't know about it.

  • Spriter's Resource. Sprite rips from all your favorite games! Even if you don't have a use for anything on the site, it's lots of fun to go through when you're bored. There's also the sounds, textures, and models.

  • KartFab.Were your parents too busy getting divorced to help you build a go-kart as a kid? This is the website for you! Build the go-kart of your dreams as an adult! My dream is to make them with friends, and then meet places at night and race, like it's Initial D! Eurobeat included!

Kimono and Sewing

  • Kimono Recipe. A kimono-specific social media lookbook where modern and traditional kimono stylists and designers post their work for the inspiration of others. Super cool to look at for style inspiration, even if you don't wear kimono.

  • Nunodoll. If you want to make plush dolls, this site is for you. I started making plushies from this site when I was just 11 years old. You should make yourself a big life-size anime girl, just because.

  • SouSou Straight Stitch Sewing. A site full of simple cutting diagrams for patternless sewing that only requires a straight stitch! Perfect for anyone who wants to learn to sew and draft patterns, or anyone who wants a quick and easy project for a cool patterned fabric. Especially check out their shopping bag and katai shoulder clothes tutorial. It takes very little fabric and time to make these very useful things!

  • How to make a Fundoshi. A guide on how to make your very own fundoshi loincloth. According to this website, you can improve your immunity to Covid-19 by wearing a loincloth, because it helps you sleep better to have better ventilation down there. This is very funny, and while I do not believe it, I will be lounging around in a loincloth this summer while my husband feeds me grapes, as if I am Dionysus.

  • Silk & Bones, A kimono restoration blog.The person who runs this blog restores old and damaged antique kimono. Very cool!

Activism and Social Issues

  • Hazel Newlevant's COVID Zine. Not all of us have the privilege of ignoring the pandemic in 2024. In fact, none of us do! This is a zine for COVID precautions in 2024, with advanced safety tips and reliable citations and studies. Learn about how you can protect yourself from this mass disabling event, especially if you are at high risk of developing medical complications. COVID-19 is still a serious risk, and this guide is wonderful at explaining all the most up-to-date ways of protecting yourself!

  • BreatheSafeAir. Are you looking for a mask that fits your everyday needs to protect you from air pollution or the spread of Codiv-19? How about a Carbon Dioxide detector? This is a great blog to help you learn about different available masks and their capabilities, if you're not too keen on the somewhat abrasive crowd on r/Masks4All and r/ZeroCovid.

  • Fucking Trans Women.The official website for the famous zine, Fucking Trans Women, run by Mira Bellwether's family. A guide to fucking trans women, and a work that will surely enhance your understanding of the trans sexual experience.

  • Plume.If you're having trouble getting HRT from a doctor, you can go through Plume, like I have. They also help with other needs, like meds for anxiety and depression. Overall, a very worth it service where you can see a doctor that will respect your trans identity and access group counselling resources as well.

  • Arab.org You click once a day, they donate. Help children, Palestine, refugees, poverty, women, and the environment.

Independent Media

  • Data Sparrow. "If you’re looking for mechanically bizarre, stylish-looking tabletop games and a vast, varied sci-fi universe tying the whole thing together, you’ve come to the right place." Data Sparrow, my beloved. My beloved, Data Sparrow.

  • KRITIQAL A website that covers games as artistic statements, political instruments, and cultural objects.

  • PIZZAPRANKS's Indiepocalypse. Go here if you want to play some interesting indie games. Andrew curates collections of great indie games you can buy for $15 a bundle, with an included zine.Indiepocalypse 53 is the best one, but every Indiepocalypse is worth a look.

  • Marginalia.A search engine for the small indie web. You can go on this site when you want to explore the web outside social media, and get acquainted with all the cool things the niche indie-web can offer.

Useful Tools

  • Cobalt Tools.A great tool for downloading videos from YouTube or social media posts. No ads, no trackers, no viruses, just downloads.

  • Blockposters. Free! Upload a picture, and this site will generate a PDF of a printable poster that spans across multiple pages that you can tape together! This is how I made all of my display pieces for my con tables, and the giant 8-ft tall Val in my room.

  • STRAWPAGE.Personally, I prefer Neocities, but this is a really fun website builder you can use right from your phone. Why not make a website for no reason? It's a dying art, you know.

Asian Studies

Just for Fun

  • Zangai's Atsushi Sakurai dressup :) A little dressup game of Atsushi Sakurai from Buck-Tick, for when you're missing his beautiful thighs. Enjoy listening to "Moonlight" while you play :)

  • Dollzmania dollmakers. A website that works to preserve beloved old Dollzmania dollmakers, an endangered species of dressup game.

  • Tamashells. This is an archive of every Tamagotchi shell to ever exist.

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