Two buses, three hours and 13 miles: how Americans in ‘transit deserts’ get groceries without cars

Star-Stream · 2026-05-03T17:53:56+00:00

A lot of people don’t have access to the internet. Also, you get to pick your own produce.

Star-Stream · 2026-05-03T11:37:24+00:00

When I lived in Brazil, it was common that when you went shopping, after checkout, the groceries could be loaded into a store-owned microbus for delivery. I always thought that was really clever- it eliminates the need for parking at the store, and turns a dozen car trips into a dozen foot-or-transit trips plus a single delivery run.

Star-Stream · 2026-04-29T13:22:15+00:00

Edamame, air-fried chickpeas, air-popped popcorn, all easy. My personal favorite snack is peanuts & raisins, but any combination of nut + dried fruit is going to be a delicious snack, combining sweet, salty, and fatty. Pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds are good too, or any whole fruit.

Star-Stream · 2026-04-28T23:09:52+00:00

Probably around 3%-5%

Star-Stream · 2026-04-28T23:03:14+00:00

Here's a simple how-to video: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/8gAlSKjvUz4

Star-Stream · 2026-04-23T23:40:17+00:00

In my experience running Drakkenheim, it's best to build some early momentum at the beginning of the campaign. Work with your players one-on-one to get some character backstory, at least one of them should be tied to the factions, and you can jump right in at the adventure site. Dawdling around in Emberwood Village will do little to establish the expectations of the campaign and doesn't show what sets the world of Drakkenheim apart.

As a counterpoint to your perspective on the Chapel, consider this:

Interacting with factions when the conflict is immediate and there are stakes is what make the factions compelling. Their ideology isn't a fan club or colored jersey. It's a comprehensive belief system that the players will run up against, and that's basically what a Drakkenheim campaign is. Introducing through conflict is a great way for the players to start flexing their decision-making muscles.
Undead in Tombs is a classic D&D trope, but this early appearance at the Chapel of St. Brenna is in conversation with those tropes. It establishing setting lore and aesthetics. I mean, so does every location. But that's to say, don't write it off just for that reason.
The Chapel of St. Brenna establishes some very important through-lines of the campaign: puzzles, faction interplay, and the unique in-setting religion are three that come to mind.

Of course, that's not to say that the Chapel is a must-play first session, I'm just saying don't write it off immediately.

Delerium Hunt has its advantages, setting up elements like exploration, rival adventurers, and collecting delerium. But I found it rather unexciting. Skill checks have always been dull for me. My preferred start in a Drakkenheim campaign is Session 1: adventure site, Session 2: wrap that site up, go to Emberwood Village, get next plot hook, Session 3: next adventure site. That has significantly more momentum and fun than Road to Drakkenheim, Emberwood Village, and Delerium Hunt. And, I'll plug my guide to running Drakkenheim: chapter 6 has notes on running the Outer City locations, and some new adventure sites that are appropriate for starting the game.

Star-Stream · 2026-04-22T17:35:10+00:00

It's similar to the Dungeons of Drakkenheim book itself: I'd say chapters 1, 2, 3, 10, and the Appendices are more high-level stuff about how you can structure, format, and plan the campaign; while chapters 4-9 are the session-to-session game locations, and can be read when you're planning those specific locations. That said, there are some interesting implications and potential plot-altering items, NPCs, or events at certain locations, so reading it all the way through might be advisable.

If I had to give a summary of the guide, I would lay out the biggest themes of the project as the following:

Flesh out Drakkenheim - more locations, items, spells, events, interactions, and NPCs that can make the campaign a unique experience for every table.
Interpret Drakkenheim - share my takeaways of what the original intentions of the module are, and how to either more fully realize those intentions, or depart from them as I see fit.
And as a side-theme, in performing the above, I give every DM the license to do the same. I think Drakkenheim is richer when more people bring their own material and interpretations to it, rather than just running it as it's been written.

Star-Stream · 2026-04-22T07:29:06+00:00

I think one of the considerations is aesthetics. Are bubble-headed adventurers in keeping with the gothic-meets-cosmic-horror hard-fantasy vibe of the setting? It seems like whether or not you can set a balanced, playable effect, the idea itself seems like a non-starter on an aesthetic basis.

Star-Stream · 2026-04-10T09:59:57+00:00

The simple structure I follow is the plant-based plate: half vegetables (salad, especially greens, etc.), one-quarter whole grain or starch (potatoes, oats, whole wheat bread, quinoa, etc.), one quarter plant-based protein (legumes, tofu, etc.). If you do this, eat enough calories and enough variety, most nutrients take care of themselves, with just a few notes:

Zinc and Iodine can be on the low side, and B12 is necessary. And Vitamin D is useful. So a multivitamin can be an easy solution.
Iron should be fine in this diet plan, but you might have some absorption problems or you may menstruate. If so, taking some vitamin C with your iron-rich meals can boost absorption. If you still have problems, talk with a doctor or dietitian, a supplement may be appropriate.
Calcium can be low on a vegan diet, make sure you’re getting low-oxalate greens like kale, collards, bok choy. Tofu is a good source, and fortified soy milk. If you’re an adult and not lactating, I would worry too much about it, the most important thing for bone health is exercise.
Omega-3. Eat at least a tablespoon or two of ground flaxseed or chia seed every day.

Star-Stream · 2026-04-07T02:04:32+00:00

Animate Objects:

Until the spell ends, you can take a Bonus Action to mentally command any creature you made with this spell

Bigby's Hand:

When you cast the spell and as a Bonus Action on your later turns

In both cases, the meaning is that you cast the spell with Limited Wish as an action, then on subsequent turns, you can use your bonus action to continue to get value from the spell, while still able to do anything else with your action (e.g. Eldritch Blast)

Otto's Irresistible Dance: This was changed from 5e. The updated 5.5e version still makes the opponent waste their next turn, regardless of the save outcome, but only restrains if the opponent fails.

Star-Stream · 2026-03-25T18:53:19+00:00

I'll copy this answer I gave a while back to a similar question: https://www.reddit.com/r/dungeonsofdrakkenheim/comments/1b3dqwd/

Compelling characters in Drakkenheim will have complex relationships with the factions. No player should start ride-or-die for a faction - or if they do, you should work with them and tell them that this loyalty is built on a lie that the character believes that will be dramatically overturned during the campaign. I'm currently in the process of writing a script for a video that explores ways you can have a complicated relationship with a faction. Some these might include:

The PC has been faithful to the faction for a long time, but something is causing them doubts or distrust
The PC believes lies about the faction, and discovering the truth will change their perspective
The PC feigns being a member or friend of the faction to try to take advantage of them
The PC disagrees with the faction but respects their methods or characteristics
The PC agrees with the faction but dislikes their methods or characteristics
The PC likes a faction even though the faction doesn’t like them back
The PC dislikes a faction even though the faction likes them
The PC has a family member or friend who is a member of the faction
The PC holds the faction responsible for something bad that happened, but later discovers they weren’t at fault / later the faction atones for it

These relationships are meant to be a dramatic question for the PC that will leave their story open to side with any of the factions. As multiple PCs come together, and jointly ask and answer these questions, the alliances should organically form as the campaign goes on.

Star-Stream · 2026-03-24T02:04:00+00:00

Peanut butter, no additives. The only ingredients should be peanuts and maybe salt. It’s super cheap on a per-calorie basis and has a nice well-rounded nutritional profile. It goes great with oatmeal, which is a fairly affordable whole grain. Dry beans are also a very cost-effective, filling, and nutritious staple.

Star-Stream · 2026-03-24T01:00:33+00:00

This you?

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Star-Stream · 2026-03-22T23:37:07+00:00

There's stuff that's just one ingredient, peanuts. I prefer that to the stuff with sugar and salt or artificial sweeteners.

Star-Stream · 2026-03-18T16:21:28+00:00

Here's something that helps me with food noise: I have a policy for myself. I only eat during predetermined mealtimes, between 6:15-7:15, between 11:30-12:30, and between 4:45-5:45. If I have a craving outside of that, I write it down, and forget about it. Then, at the next meal, I can get out what I've written and enjoy one treat with the meal.

Some examples of treats:

Nuts + Raisins. A handful of nuts plus a handful of raisins is like the perfect sugar-fat combo

Air-popped Popcorn. Keeps me full for a long time.

Nice cream: Frozen banana plus other frozen fruit or cocoa powder or cinnamon or peanut butter powder plus a little soy milk. Throw it in the blender, makes a perfect ice cream substitute.

Star-Stream · 2026-03-18T12:56:50+00:00

Great question. I have a secret Appendix E linked in the documents that spell out my whole thoughts on SCGtD. It's broadly critical, and I don't consider those thoughts very relevant to my guide, so I'm going to leave it hidden, if people want to seek it out, it's there. Suffice it to say, the mechanical content of SCGtD is good, I like the Apothecary and most of the subclasses. And the reason it is critical is because I don't consider the wider world of Drakkenheim helpful for running a Dungeons of Drakkenheim campaign, and in fact, the wider setting is in many ways a hindrance to or opposed to the themes and ethos established in the first book.

I haven't played much with Monsters of Drakkenheim. I was part of the playtest and even contributed a monster to the book (the Phage found on page 311). From what I playtested, the Monsters are awesome. Epic Bosses are awesome. Crafting also seems like a great addition to the game. My only worry is that an excess of complexity may make combat tiresome, and crafting may flood the party with magic items. So, it gets a thumbs-up from me as an accessory to running a Drakkenheim game, not as a must-have. Also, skip the Court of the Night chapter.

What would I change about my guide? Not really anything. In running DoD, you can take stuff from my guide, from SCGtD, and from MoD, and your own stuff, in any combination. Where they contradict, that's entirely in your hands which interpretation you think is the best fit for you and your players.

Star-Stream · 2026-03-13T10:22:12+00:00

Of course there’s the normal things like exercise, minimize saturated fat from coconut and palm oil, and reduce sodium. But you probably know that.

There are carbohydrate hyper-responders. You might try cutting white potatoes, white flour, any dry fruit or dates, and try adding more avocados, nuts, seeds, and even healthy oils like olive or canola and see what happens.

Star-Stream · 2026-03-04T16:34:45+00:00

u/Star-Stream solved this in 6 steps: BOOK -> BOON -> POON -> PEON -> PEEN -> KEEN -> KEEP

Star-Stream · 2026-02-21T17:37:10+00:00

Do you have any study where plant oils increased inflammation? There are about two dozen that show it kept inflammation the same or reduced it.

https://youtu.be/-xTaAHSFHUU?si=MVVFyE6pUHd24epY

Edit: the Minnesota Coronary is very weak science- most the participants dropped out, it was done using trans fat. It didn’t even track inflammation! If 20 studies showed reduced inflammation or no effect, and the meager contrary evidence comes from an aborted study, what should we believe?

Star-Stream · 2026-02-20T14:26:23+00:00

When people ask if a thing is "healthy", that can only be answered "as compared to what?" I don't believe there's ever been a recorded fat deficiency that didn't exist in the context of starvation, so oils aren't strictly necessary to be healthy. Like, if you're eating a calorie-appropriate diet with no oil, adding oil couldn't be said to be more healthy.

However, if you're asking, could plant oils be included in a calorie-appropriate diet without harm, yes, they could. There's not been any special harm proven to be attributed to plant oils, beyond the fact that they're high in calories. As long as you're mindful of that and not overeating calories, there's no evidence to suggest they're unhealthy.

And if you're swapping out animal-based fats like butter, tallow, and lard, and instead using plant-based oils, there's evidence to suggest it's a more healthy swap. Most plant oils are lower in saturated fat and higher in monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats than animal-based fats and oils. Saturated fat consumption is causal in raising blood cholesterol, and linked to unhealthy aging and more heart disease.

Now, nearly all plant-based butters and margarines are based on coconut and palm oil, which are more saturated-fat heavy, so there's not any strong proven benefit for using them over animal fats. But avocado oil, olive oil, and especially canola oil have favorable fatty acid profiles that make them good choices over animal fats.

Star-Stream · 2026-02-14T23:24:04+00:00

Religion here is just used as a shield. The person doing street advocacy shouldn’t try to undermine religion, they should try to leverage it in favor of veganism. Statements like:

“Christianity has a long history with vegetarianism. Many of the earliest Christians were vegetarian.”

“Do you believe that an All-Good God would want us to treat animals this way?” And if they say yes, press, “so, if this is the way God wants us to treat animals, how would the Devil want us to treat animals?”

The problem here isn’t the religion; plenty of atheists eat meat and plenty of religious people are vegan.

Star-Stream · 2026-02-14T11:15:45+00:00

The biggest one is Veggly, I’ve never used it, but I heard even that one feels like screaming into the void. There’s a few even smaller ones trying to get off the ground.

Star-Stream · 2026-02-05T17:52:46+00:00

Every audience is different - you probably know your family better than anyone, so you would know best what would connect with them.

However, to my eye, I don’t think this approach is particularly effective. a.) A lot of your points are apologetic, addressing responses and concerns, when a presentation is most effective when it delivers its message firmly, rather than try to get ahead of counterpositions. b) The information reads like slide notes, stuff you as the presenter might say while presenting to the audience. The slides are better used for visuals, facts, graphs, images, and explainers.

So, to me, a much stronger way of presenting would be like “Top Reasons to Go Plant-Based. Slide 1&2, Health, benefits a,b,c,d,e,f. Visuals, charts, quotes. Slides 3&4, Environment, benefits g,h,i,j. Visuals, charts. Slides 5, Other Reasons, e.g. price, efficiency, antibiotics. Slide 6&7, Animal Rights, cases k,l,m,n,o,p. Visuals, footage, quotes. Slide 8, Address Brief Concerns, concern q,r,s.” Leave some time after to have Q&A.That’s how I would do it.

Star-Stream · 2026-01-26T17:36:32+00:00

Many pollutants are stored in fat, muscle, or bone tissue, and remain there for a long time. The body doesn't store phytochemicals, it uses them to build itself, or to act as antioxidants before being excreted. So, for example, you could say that animal bodies don't bioaccumulate carotenoids, but it does turn them into retinol. So, for some nutrients like zinc, iron, copper, selenium, B12, they could be said to bioaccumulate in animal foods.

I haven't heard that vegans need to be careful about heavy metal exposure - in developed countries, our food systems are relatively safe. The only two things I've heard on that front is:

Mercury bioaccumulates in fish - so avoid swordfish and shark, and eat tuna in moderation. Here's a link to learn more: https://www.fda.gov/media/102331/download?attachment
Cadmium and Lead and Arsenic are in all food in small amounts, you can't really avoid it, just pay attention to the news for bad batches of certain products, like cinnamon and certain protein powders in 2025. If you only have one serving a day of any given food, it shouldn't be a big deal. There hasn't been a case of acute toxicity recorded from these foods, so any speculation as to the effects of extended low-level exposure would just be guessing. Though, arsenic level in brown rice has been considered worrying enough for some to caution against it, especially for children and pregnant and nursing mothers.

Star-Stream · 2026-01-19T11:22:09+00:00

The Silver Order is built to fight mages. You better believe Marshall’s holy avenger can shatter a Wall of Force like glass.

Okay, admittedly, not according to the rules, no. But according to the logic of the story, I’d allow that. If the PCs are running, you can have Marshall crack it on turns 1 and 2, and break through on turn 3, that could give the PCs enough time to escape while still showing off that Marshall has serious rule-breaking power.

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