#Immersion Cooling Key Players

[123567-9qaaq9]

Immersion Cooling Market, Market Size, Market Trends, Key Players | BIS Research 

Immersion cooling is an innovative cooling solution for data centers, aiming to address the challenges of traditional air-cooled systems. It involves submerging IT hardware, such as servers and other components, directly into a dielectric fluid or coolant

The global immersion cooling market was estimated to be at $251.0 million in 2021, which is expected to grow with a CAGR of 36.3% and reach $1,605.5 million by 2027. The growth in the global immersion cooling market is expected to be driven by increased water scarcity and boosting numbers of number of colocation and hyper data centers.

Overview of Immersion Cooling

Immersion cooling, also known as liquid submersion cooling, involves submerging IT components, such as servers and other hardware, into a dielectric fluid. Unlike traditional air-cooling methods, which rely on fans and air circulation, immersion cooling leverages the superior heat conductivity of liquids to dissipate heat more efficiently. This results in enhanced performance, reduced energy consumption, and a smaller carbon footprint for data centers.

Key Advantages

Heat Dissipation Efficiency

Space Optimization

Reduced Environmental Impact

 Market Growth and Size:

The Immersion Cooling market has witnessed significant growth in recent years, fueled by the escalating demand for high-density computing and the need for sustainable and energy-efficient solutions. 

Download the free sample page to understand better @ Immersion Cooling Market Report 

Key Market Trends:

Rising Adoption of High-Performance Computing (HPC):

The increasing demand for HPC applications, such as artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), and data analytics, is a major driver for the adoption of immersion cooling. 

Green Computing Initiatives

With a growing emphasis on sustainability, immersion cooling aligns with green computing initiatives. 

Increased Efficiency and Cost Savings

Immersion cooling has demonstrated superior heat dissipation capabilities, resulting in increased energy efficiency for data centers. 

Refer to our vertical page and understand better @ Energy and Power 

Market Challenges

While immersion cooling presents a promising solution, there are challenges that the market must address for widespread adoption:

Initial Implementation Costs:

The upfront costs associated with transitioning to immersion cooling can be a barrier for some organizations. 

Industry Standardization:

The lack of standardized practices and industry-wide regulations may hinder the market's growth. 

 Future Outlook:

The Immersion Cooling Market Report 2024 anticipates continued growth, driven by advancements in cooling technologies, increased awareness of environmental sustainability, and the ongoing expansion of data-intensive applications. 

Conclusion:

The Immersion Cooling market is riding the waves of technological advancement, reshaping the future of data center cooling solutions. With a focus on sustainability, efficiency, and performance, immersion cooling is positioned to be a transformative force in the IT landscape.

[bangtansfavwriter]

🎨 art supplies store owner! taehyung 🎨

- You were once again out of white paint and realised that you had also lost several brushes in the limbo of your room.Every single out supply you had found its way on the floor as you were rummaging through your stuff to find that one brush that seemed to be the key for your painting to be perfect. So you were standing there in the middle of the room, ready to let your inner Monet out, easel and canvas right in front of you..... and proceeded to throw the rubbish brushes across the room. The good ones were simply nowhere to find. You sighed deeply and went to pick up the brushes since your rage quit faded away as quickly as it happened in the first place. Weirdly enough, even this moment couldn’t curb your enthusiasm to paint again after a time which felt like ages, so you picked up the phone and looked up where to find art supply stores nearby.

- And there were NONE, at least not one that seemed to fit your needs, as you knew about that one store nearby that barely had any art supplies but a whole lot of stationary stuff.

- So you decided to just do sketches instead and went on with your day, despite the lingering disappointment of unfulfilled motivation

- A few days later, as you were wandering through town in search of a bakery that had almond croissants everybody you knew seemed to obsess over.

- You walked past a place that drew your attention and you immediately walked back to take a closer look

- You were standing there, in absolute awe of the minimalist yet gorgeous showcase of beautiful paintings that were put up between fine decorations of dried flowers, old brushes and used palettes, right next to an old record player and vintage vinyls, mostly of jazz artists.

- What surprised you most about it that it all seemed so personal – like an artist who was showcasing a part of their atelier, which drew you in so much that you found yourself studying every little detail

- Mentally you were drawing a picture of that person whose paintings and belongings you were looking at. It felt like a fresh breath of air to you, yet you felt a sense of familiarity that usually grabs one when you suddenly recognise a scent that wanders through air, like a loved one’s perfume, or the scent of fresh pastries that remind you of the now closed bakery that used to frequent in your childhood days. Something about this took you right back and you found yourself lost in thought, while listening to an old street musician was playing an accordion nearby.

- “I wish I could meet you”, you thought to yourself and mentally lamented over the fact that you probably cannot ever tell this stranger what their work did to you at that very moment.

- You took a few more steps to now see the next window that was decorated similar to the one that drew you in so intensely.

- You were taken by surprise when you noticed a guy with dark brown hair and roundish glasses who was watching you through the window the entire time.

- You started laughing at yourself when you realised how you must have looked, startled, tired, fascinated and in dire need of the almond croissants.

- The stranger in the shop smiled back at you with a gorgeous, boxy smile that instantly made a warm feeling erupt through your body.

- He hinted at the door, a silently plea for you to enter and join him in the shop

 - The little bells at the door rang through the shop as you finally entered the cozy store

- You instantly realised how tough it was going to be to keep your cool around him because this man was ridiculously handsome and looked at you with his big brown and sweet-as-honey eyes... and wtf were you supposed to do but to crush on a complete stranger? Your heart could only take this much, right?

- “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you.” he said as he shyly scratched his head and smiled. “No worries. I suppose I was to immersed in this showcase at the front that I didn’t take notice of you over there.”

-  You both went quiet and neither seemed to be able to stop staring at the other one.

- “Uhm,” you started fidgeting with your bag, “do you... perhaps know where i can buy some high quality oil paint and ... I think they’re called filbert brushes?” He stared at you with a blank face, which suddenly made you feel confused, until he snorted and hinted at his surroundings with both hands.

- You looked around and felt pure embarrassment creeping throughout your body, as you were, in fact, standing in the middle of an art supplies store and happened to be right in front of a wall display of a whole colour palette of paint tubes.

- The stranger giggled when you mumbled “Oh my god...” and hid your face behind your hands.

- “Please don’t be like that!” he exclaimed, as he feared he made you feel self-conscious all of a sudden. “I can help you after all. Please...”. He looked at your pleadingly, waiting for your response. He huffed out in relief when you smiled at him, touched by his attempt to lift your spirits which worked instantly. You, once again, found yourself bewitched by his dazzling, boxy smile. 

- “Filbert brushes, let’s see ...” he said and started walking through the shop. Meanwhile, you let your gaze wander across the utensils that were displayed between old wooden tables and shelves that had vintage and probably hand-made carvings on them, too. You looked at the posters of Miles Davis, Chet Baker and Ella Fitzgerald and noticed the many vinyls at the opposite side of the wall. “I’m guessing the vinyls at the front are a part of this collection?” you asked loudly, unsure about where he was among the shelves. “Yup, they are my babies.” he replied, and you could swear he was smiling as he said that.

- He walked towards you, indeed with this handsome smile of his that made your knees feel weak. “You know, that’s probably my most prized possession. I have a thing for jazz, I suppose. And art, obviously. But jazz, especially on vinyl... that’s just pure class, in my humble opinion.” – “I agree. Though I think it’s a shame I can’t see Billy Holiday anywhere. Don’t you have her poster here?”

-  He was standing in front of you, his arm leaning against the wall next to you. He was observing your every feature, taking in how your lips were slightly parted and how flushed your cheeks became under his gaze. He, too, felt a blush creep upon his face, as he wondered how someone’s eyes could be so piercingly beautiful.

- “Filbert brushes! Let’s go get those brushes...” he mumbled and walked away from you instantly, but to a halt a few metres away from you. You followed him and noticed the set of four filbert brushes which he shyly handed you over.

- “You’re a life saver. Thank you so much!” you beamed. The stranger felt blood rushing to his head once again and hoped you wouldn’t notice his now deep crimson ears and the blush that made its way over his entire face. You were way too concerned with your own, though, to notice that he was as affected as you were. He nodded at you and went back to the counter, hoping to gain some composure again. He felt like he lost every ounce of it as soon as he noticed you looking at his paintings outside the shop. Seeing someone so immersed in the little display of his mind that he tried to represent over there was a huge boost to his ego but at the same time he found himself unable to look away from you. When you had noticed him, he was actually afraid you’d think of him as a creep. Hearing the bells toll inside the shop, made any worry fade, though, and replaced it with a sense of familiarity that he couldn’t quite pinpoint. Yet he knew that you were not to stay a stranger for him and tried to calm his heartbeat that rose with every inch of the red string of fate that led you to him. “Stay.” was the only thought resonating inside his mind.

- You followed suit and walked to the counter where you put down the brushes and pulled your wallet out. “No, absolutely not” he said with a stern look on his face, surprising you with his sudden change of demeanour. “Why?” you asked “Just let me pay.” You almost started laughing at the bewildered look on his face. “I’m actually serious. I’ll take it as a personal offense if you don’t accept my gift.”

- “Oh my god, ok!”. He watched you put the brushes in your bag and now smiled rather sadly. He was suddenly hoping for a rain storm, ideally with lightning strikes and such. What if you were afraid of thunder though? Would he be able to soothe you? Would you stay with him and listen to him sing My Funny Valentine to you? Oh, how he wanted to be Chet Baker for you.

- “Is everything ok?” you asked him, noticing his sudden and obviously intense train of thought. He nodded. The door suddenly seemed far to near for both of you.

- “I’ll get going now...” you said under your breath and took heavy steps towards the door. How you wished you could hear him talk about his favourite artists more. How great it would be to listen to him explaining how he came across every record of his vinyl collection. Why couldn’t you be more upfront with him and show him how utterly fascinated you were by him, how ridiculously attracted you were to him...

- “Take care...?” you said in a questioning voice, hoping to now have a name to this handsome face. “It’s Taehyung” he replied. “Please, grant me your name, too, before you leave.”

- You were sure your heart was about to jump out of your chest at his plea.

- “My name is Y/N...”

- “Y/N” he repeated slowly, with his deep, honey-like voice that made your name sound like the shortest poem you ever heard. “Oh, this is on” you thought. “There’s no way I won’t go after this connection or whatever the hell this is.”

- “Will I see you again, Y/N?” he asked.

- “You will. Pretty soon actually.”

- He looked at you in surprise, yet pleased.

- “You see, I forgot to buy white paint... A shame, really. It seems I must come here again. How about tomorrow? We could get those almond croissants from that bakery across the street. Maybe have dinner, too, I don’t know.”

- You walked towards the door, rushing every word on your way out, as you were shocked at your own sudden boldness. He grinned from ear to ear as he listened to you blurt out your ideas, which sounded absolutely heavenly to him.

- He stopped you in your tracks and grabbed your hand. “You know, you could probably lure me anywhere with these croissants. And dinner sounds lovely. I could tell you about some painting workshops I offer, what about that? Rest assured that I will drag it out as long as I can.” You two laughed. You two knew.

        “I’m counting on it, Taehyung.”

         “I’ll see you tomorrow then, lovely.”

[smash-64]

2024 Game of the Year Countdown #2: The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky Sony PlayStation Portable, 2011

According to my save data, I have not played the first installment of the Trails series in six years! This is quite astounding since I think about Trails on the daily, and going in with all the knowledge I have picked up since last playing it, I am fully enjoying all the little bits of lore that are continually sprinkled throughout the dialogue and story. It makes me wonder exactly how much of the larger story had been planned out when Trails in the Sky was initially released in 2004, as we have now celebrated 20 years of this ongoing and highly interconnected series of 13 games (11 localized). 

Trails in the Sky for the PSP is very much an older style JRPG that would feel at home on the PS1 during the Golden Age of JRPGs. Going back to play it after playing the most modern games reminds me of how much the patience of players has been eroded over the years. You can’t skip battle animations. Menu navigating is slow and saving is slower. There is only a very small amount of voice acting, all reserved for combat phrases and grunts. However, these are simply part of the charm of games from this era, and something that I became accustomed to very quickly. 

The inclusion of voice acting in modern games is a great thing, but I think it can take away from the wonderfully depicted character portraits that are full of emotion and nuance as developers have seemingly decided that having both is not necessary. Falcom has yet to reach the same heights with their 3D animation that they had with these 2D portraits. The subtle differences are really cool and I wish we’d get some sort of return to this at some point. Maybe some sort of mini-installment as a flashback DLC or something? I doubt we’d ever get something like that, but I can always wish.

The first Trails in the Sky game, commonly referred to as FC (First Chapter), is undoubtedly the slowest of slow burns when it comes to JRPGs and Trails games, which is really a thing to behold since Trails prides itself on such things. If you want fast, high-flying and nonstop action, you’re going to be sorely disappointed in this game. Luckily, I was not looking for anything other than a fantastic story and world into which I could dive and be fully immersed. Sky FC is the most charming and immersive entry point to the Trails series. I found myself genuinely wanting to spend time just existing in the Trails world. Walking the streets, visiting the restaurants, seeing the sights, watching the plays. I want to live here!

Estelle Bright remains my all time favorite video game character, and getting to see her grow from a young and inexperienced rookie to a more level-headed senior Bracer by the end of FC was a joy for me. The charm and endearing dialogue that we got in the Sky series has yet to be matched, despite the great work we’ve seen in the Crossbell and Erebonian arcs.

There’s just something that has been somewhat lost as the stories and settings have become larger and with dozens upon dozens of characters. I won’t go too far down that road, but it was refreshing to come back to a much more intimate journey once again.

Players who did not start with Trails in the Sky may find the combat to be a bit difficult at times, especially on higher settings since the games weren’t balanced for anything other than Normal. Aidios help you if you decide to play on Nightmare! I played on Hard with my NG+ save and still had to restart a couple of fights. I didn’t exactly make it easy on myself since I brought the precious cinnamon roll, but absolute glass cannon, Tita Russell, with me to the final gauntlet of boss fights, but I couldn’t pass up putting all my favorites together.

Music plays a key role in JRPGs and Falcom is well known for good compositions. Simple location tunes set the tone wonderfully with songs like “A Cat Relaxing in the Sun” and “Ruan.” Meanwhile, “Sophisticated Fight,” while perhaps a bit overplayed, is a nice break from what many traditional JRPG battle tunes sound like. “Silver Will” is an obligatory inclusion in any Sky music discussion, and “Decision to Leave” brings a soft, sad, distant piano sound to a key moment. However, my favorite is still “Hoshi no Arika,” the song that plays during the credits and closing shots. It fits the mood perfectly and brings a tear to my eye as the game rips me in two, demanding I play the sequel once I recover.

Trails in the Sky is just as good today as it was when I first played it, and it continues to be the best entry point to the Trails series, should anyone who has been blatantly ignoring my pleas for the past few years decided to change their minds. It exudes the same sort of feeling that the Golden Age of JRPGs had and that many people desperately miss in modern gaming. With the announcement of a 3D remake coming in 2025, there is no longer the “it looks old” excuse for JRPG fans. 

[karasukarei]

Miscellaneous WinBre-adjacent Experiences

I did lots of random stuff during my recent trip and I thought some of them would be of some interest to the WinBre circle 👀

Edit: Omg I forgot to put everything under a cut I'M SO SORRY FOR MAKING EVERYONE SCROLL

Stuff under the cut:

WinBre x Sanrio

Natori's concert

Shizuoka's tea fields

Other random things of some note

WinBre x Sanrio collab

Yeah the title says it all. If I were to be brutally honest I didn’t really like many of the collab designs… The only one I found that was pretty nice was Suou x Kuromi.

The chibis really weren’t that cute imo ;-; 

Also the collab was held at the TV station, so they had the original promo standees on display too!

Yeah this is me simping.

Ok but this was both unhinged and genius. Whoever decided to put the standee in the aquarium. You are my new hero.

Natori’s concert - 劇場〜再演〜

I managed to score tickets to Natori’s concert in Osaka! This is gonna be a mini concert review (and some mild simping, cos I followed Natori even before Wind Breaker). (Just in case you’re not aware, Natori was the artiste for Wind Breaker’s opening Zettai Reido)

Overall, it was REALLY GOOD. He’s one of the rare singer/songwriters who isn’t just a musician, but is an actual performer. I’m not even kidding when I say that he sounds way better live than in any of his recordings, and the way he changes the notes between cadences on the fly really makes each live performance unique. He’s also really big on dancing and enjoying the music, multiple times he’d tell everyone “踊ろうぜ” (let’s dance!) and he’d just start dancing as he sings, it’s just so chill and enjoyable. They also had a brass triplet on stage, they were SO GOOD, the sax player even switched to flute for some songs!

The stage decor was pretty cool as well, you can essentially split the performance into two halves. For the first half, it was a sort of halloweenish sort of situation, where there was like grey cloth (I think to mimic grey stone or thick cobwebs) draped over the stage pieces and overhanging the projector. Once he starts Gekijou (song 11), all of that falls off and you can see all the intricate wooden detail on the stage sets!!! It was SO COOL, and the different decor really complemented the two halves of the setlist.

Setlist

(source)

Commenting on just the memorable parts or areas that I found of note:

Song 2 Sleepwalk was where all the dancing started! It’s so groovy and the easy swing is SO CATCHY, I really admire how he just sings all these long run-on lyrics effortlessly! (I must admit that the way he sings the endings of a few lines, even in other songs, quite erotic cos of how he growls a bit and alters the notes x_x)

Song 6 EAT was SO GOOD live. I heard the demo before and the quality wasn’t great so I couldn’t really appreciate it, but this version was GOOD. It was so much more polished and had better mixing, and you can feel the high and low tension points in the song now, instead of it sounding a bit flat in the demo.

Song 9 Terminal wasn’t a really big favourite of mine when I first heard it, but it’s SO GOOD live OMG. The tension points were a lot clearer, and singing along with the repeating "da da da la da da da" makes it so much more immersive. This completely changed my perspective on the song, I really like it so much more now!!!

Song 10 Seishatachi I REALLY like this song (it’s the B-side to Zettai Reido), from the live you can tell it’s a pretty technically difficult song cos of the all the off-beats x_x I also realised that the very last syllable in the song is a very very long “da-“ that you can’t hear in the recording cos of all the mixing ^^; he just screams “DA——“ into the mic and holds it for a few seconds, it was SO COOL.

Song 11 Gekijou’s true stars were the brass triplet in my opinion, hearing them live was really what turned the performance into a theatre!!! Natori also welcomes you by saying “劇場へようこそ！” (Welcome to the theatre) while striking the same pose as the key visual, it’s just so cohesive and well thought-out and I was SO IMPRESSED by all the planning that went into this one song.

Song 13 Overdose had an extended mix with the chorus repeating at least 2-3 times at the end (I didn’t count cos I was having SO MUCH FUN). I must admit I wasn’t that big a fan of Overdose (yes I’m a weirdo, my favourite songs are Eureka and Cult), but DAMN the party atmosphere in this mix was amazing.

Song 15 Melodrama is his new collab song with Imase, the only note I have is that you get to hear Natori sing both parts instead of splitting with Imase hahaha (I do actually prefer Natori’s voice over Imase for this song).

Song 16 IN_MY_HEAD is an unreleased song and it is SO WILD, the video they showed with the song felt like something out of a Kyary Kyary Pamyu MV with brains spinning around on neon coloued backgrounds x_x But it’s pretty different from his previous songs, it’s far more rock-influenced with more repetitive choruses and head-banging. Part of me likes to think that Kitani Tatsuya might have had some influence on this www.

Song 17 Zettai Reido was one of the only songs he played guitar for (I can’t remember the other one but I do remember it was an acoustic guitar for that), and damn this is a REALLY hard song. I do think this is one of the few songs where his recordings were slightly better, but tbh I do very much prefer the live version because his voice wavers a bit and gives the song so much more flavour.

Songs 18 and 19 Eureka and Cult - DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW HAPPY I WAS TO HEAR MY TWO FAVES IN A ROW. THE JOY AND EXCITEMENT. THE ACCOMPANYING VIDEOS WERE SO NICE TOOOO. I especially loved the one for Cult, it was an animated view of a town from up on a hill, and you can see the seasons and day/night cycles throughout the year, and was just so chill and poignant ;-;

Song 20 Itoudenwa sounds SO GOOD live, I already liked the original version but I LOVE the live version, he really sounds like he’s serenading and crooning you ;-; This was also the song where they popped streamers!!! I was surprised at how well they timed the pop, it blended seamlessly into the music and was just such a pleasant surprise.

Merch and goodies haul

GINTAPE (i.e. streamers) - THEY ARE SO PRETTY. This one is pretty beaten up after I tried to get into the case (oops) but I do have spares (might consider a giveaway in future… let’s see how things go.)

Chiitara snack collab - it’s a cheese snack (that I don’t really like…) but they gave out one to each person at the end of the concert! The packaging is limited edition, and the Osaka and Tokyo performances have different designs! The Osaka design I have reflects the food in Dotonbori, while the Tokyo one includes landmarks such as Tokyo tower. Imma be honest the collab is super funny, cos the company that sponsored the snack is a completely unrelated food company called Natori (HELP). 

Gacha album cover art pins - kinda sad I didn’t get Zettai Reido or Eureka, but at least I have Cult and Overdose!! Overdose appears to be especially in demand lmao (for obvious reasons), but I must admit it had the nicest design too.

Zepp tour early bird code - the little card you see includes a code to get access to the earliest round of balloting for next year’s Zepp tour!!! Still wondering if I should just try… Idek if I can take leave ;-;

Shizuoka’s tea fields

In one of Suou’s daily character question, he mentions that a place he’d like to visit is the tea fields of Shizuoka. For personal reasons, I really did make a trip down to the tea fields ^_^

I went tea picking here!!! It is very back breaking work and I have ever greater appreciation for the farmers who grow and process tea now (they are my true heroes; I don’t drink coffee www)

Also here’s the mountain with the word “tea” (茶) on it! It used to be planted with pine, but then weevils destroyed it so they switched to cypress ^^;

Super random but we got lost while looking for this, we ended up too close to the mountain so we couldn’t get good photos ^^; there was a tea shop there with a really kind owner that served us different types of tea and showed us the way to the best photo spots! 

^ this was the original spot we ended up in but you can't see the word really well ^^;

Random merch and other stuff I guess

Yeah I found the vegetable curry, it was the LAST ONE in store. Maybe this will make me start eating vegetables.

I also had a chance to try Wasanbon in some tea snack I bought from Ise Shrine:

It certainly tastes expensive 😳

Thanks for listening to my simping. Please have a nice day ^_^

[satoshi-mochida]

Yuri Visual Novel 'Clover Reset' Launches Free Demo On Steam-Noisy Pixel

The heartwarming yuri visual novel Clover Reset has launched its demo on PC via Steam, inviting players into a coming-of-age story filled with love, friendship, and that drama that only a yuri can deliver. Developed by vividX and published by mirai works, the game promises an immersive school romance set in the scenic Shonan region of Kanagawa.

A Love Story Rooted in Fate

At the core of Clover Reset is Marin Tachibana, a reserved and gentle girl with a passion for art, and Shizuku Kujyo, a cool and mysterious transfer student. Their fateful meeting at Shonan Saika Academy is marked by a four-leaf clover—a symbol of happiness and wishes. As their bond deepens, they navigate the complexities of growing emotions, friendships, and personal struggles. The story also introduces two key supporting characters: Mashiro Saotome, an energetic mood-maker, and Kiyoka Jinguji, a responsible and caring figure. Together, they form a quartet of friendships that wavers between deep affection and unspoken desires.

Stunning Artwork and Voice Cast

Clover Reset is visually brought to life by the renowned Japanese artist Kukiha, known for their delicate and expressive character illustrations. The game also features a stellar voice cast, including:

Saho Shirasuna (The Detective Is Already Dead, Blue Archive) as Marin Tachibana

Yūki Takada (New Game!, Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid) as Shizuku Kujyo

Yūki Kuwahara (Arifureta: From Commonplace to World’s Strongest, The Day I Became a God) as Mashiro Saotome

Noriko Shibasaki (Idolmaster Shiny Colors, Arifureta: From Commonplace to World’s Strongest) as Kiyoka Jinguji

Dynamic Expressions and Emotional Storytelling

The game promises a “99% sweetness × 1% surprise” formula, delivering heartfelt storytelling through expressive character animations and immersive voice acting. Players will experience the joys and challenges of youth as Marin and her friends seek their own definitions of happiness.

Are you ready to uncover the meaning behind the four-leaf clover? Let us know your thoughts on Clover Reset, and stay tuned to Noisy Pixel for more updates!

[hermitshell]

(Building off of your Gem world hopping lore a bit here)

Maybe this won’t make any sense, but I’ve had this idea rattling around in my head for a while about Gem being something like the universe’s champion. Not a god, not someone all powerful, but a player with the world’s blessing in all she does.

You’ve got her connection to the End, which is already one of the most iconic parts of the game. Then you also have her mentioning that dreaming is the key to dimension hopping, which is easily comparable to the end poem. And, of course, her whole thing with ender dragons, which really finished the trio off.

That lore is cool on its own, but it’s also in her play style. She’s drawn to villages, and while she did it in HC9 the worlds that really stand out to me are two of her hardcore worlds, where she’s based in villages, remodeled them, and protected the villagers, whom she gave names and personalities. She delights in the mundane or common parts of the game. Things like that.

It’s like how Etho feels uniquely Minecraft-y because he’s been around for so long, as ancient as the lands around him. Gem doesn’t have the same old world feel- she’s younger, bursting with potential. Maybe she has some sort of grand mission, maybe that mission is simply to live, to experience. No matter what, the player has played the game well

OH MY GOD ❤️_❤️ anon thank you for the ask I am staring at this so hard

Gem who's entwined with the universe... it's champion.... The key to finally opening the end in the life series and fully immersed in the worlds she inhabits yet unimpeded by the laws that govern places such as empires.

You mentioned her hardcore worlds and that also reminds me of the time she got the villager origin in afterlife, and stuck to that village the entire series. She became it's stalwart protector up until her death. So even there she continues that theme.

The universe loves all it's players but it's like it's given her the master's key to unlock any door she wants, to dream however and wherever she wants to. To open a door in dawn and step out into hermitcraft, to open the end, to escape the end of a world, anywhere she wants to go, anywhere she wishes to dream. Perhaps even guide her here or there with a little blue flame? AUGH

[homestuckreplay]

Shrinking Wormholes; Transferring Syllogism Twine

(page 134-137)

Homestuck is my worst enemy. These past couple days without updates left me time to transcribe the video on page 137, which took long enough that I never want to look at it again. Which is a shame, because it's a cool video, the shifting colors and the twisting spirograph are good to look at and I like the irregularity of the movement. And I do respect the attention to detail - the fact that Hussie took the time to write out 231 meaningless phrases about DIY and spread them unevenly throughout the video shows a real dedication to recreating the video game experience. It feels very real, I can sense the anticipation when the video gets stuck on a particular phrase for a full second, that feeling of just wanting to play the game but having to wait.

Below the cut at the end I've listed all the phrases in the video, but it's LONG, so be warned. I'm also not sure this was a good use of time, there's not loads here that seems relevant. We get a broad overall sense of the game, which seems to be a building/DIY simulator, maybe something like digital Lego, maybe something more like having to maintain a house day to day, perform repairs and give it 'upgrades' like new lighting or a new garage, as most of the nouns are tools you could buy in a Home Depot.

Here's a few exceptions that jumped out to me:

Observing Avenues, Analyzing Eyes - both of these relate to surveillance

Transferring Syllogism Twine, Auditing Nescience Passages - relate to knowledge/logic or the lack of it

Anticipating Gateways, Shrinking Wormholes, Referring Time Spools, Retrofitting Aesthetics Portals - these relate to time and space, perhaps to messing with the laws of physics

Transcribing Existence Rivets, Finalizing Atma Augers - relate to life and the soul

It's interesting to me how these phrases are hidden within a barrage of far more mundane ones. I think this game will seem on its surface to be very normal and simply a reflection of John's existing life, playing in a digital house not too different to his very real one, but that it has more and weirder stuff going on below the surface. The game will present opportunities to escape the trap of the suburbs in ways that John can't yet figure out in real life - but will be able to in the game, because he has experience with gaming and coding. It might take some mild hacking and exploiting loopholes in the mechanics, but these possibilities are clearly coded into the game, or they wouldn't be in the loading screen. It's a game that wants the players to push its limits and see what's possible, and rewards a player who tries to go beyond the mechanics as presented.

John's had a lot of practice messing with his sylladex for 130+ pages, and I think that's really going to pay off when he starts using a similar skillset in game. It's interesting, because most characters (or people) would have an arc of learning a skill in a game and then exporting it to real life, while I think John's going to have the opposite, with the supposed constraints of the game actually giving him freedom, and the supposed open world of real life just closing doors to him.

Anyway, no wonder TT is excited to play this game. I bet she's eating up all these long words.

Transcript of Flash animation, p.137. Spelling mistakes come from the original.

Transforming Soffits Reorganizing Keys Formalizing Immersion Joints Justifying Kick Extractors Advising Aggregates Managing Elbows Recasting Connectors Achieving Aluminum Trowels Officiating Disks Exhibiting Absolute Spigots Progressing Coil Hydrants Jerry-building Reflectors Informing Casters Inventing Rubber Hoists Performing Wrenches Judging Chalk Adapters Upgrading Ignition Paths Regrowing Flashing Recommending Ratchets Approving Barriers Sweeping Impact Fillers Sewing Mirrors Detailing Collectors Enforcing Measures Distributing Systems Presenting Plugs Interwinding Registers Piloting Ash Diffusers Gathering Cranks Supplying Eave Pockets Undertaking Scroll Stops Accelerating Straps Designing Fittings Protecting Diamond Boilers Logging Downspouts Correlating Shingles Uniting Mallets Qualifying Electrostatic Lifts Sharing Clamps Obtaining Circular Fluids Ranking Foundation Gauges Sensing Miter Brackets Originating Space Networks Translating Drills Regulating Guards Selecting Gable Padding Utilizing Pellet Dowels Reconciling Artifacts Altering Pulleys Shedding Space Filters Determining Vents Representing Mortar Remaking Flash Rakers Supporting Funnels Typecasting Rotary Chocks Expressing Junctures Resetting Auxiliary Vises Professing Strip Treads Inlaying Matter Trowels Questioning Drivers Forming Edge Fittings Sketching Blanks Overshooting Spark Breakers Rewriting Controls Playing Tunnels Inventorying Buttons Enduring Joist Handles Effecting Ratchet Bibbs Unwinding Couplings Forsaking Vapor Conduits Defining Sockets Calculating Heaters Raising Grids Administering Tiles Measuring Resources Installing Ignition Remotes Extracting Corners Manufacturing Ventilators Delegating Consoles Treating Mounting Stones Enacting Jig Deflectors Intensifying Alloys Improvising Cargo Pinpointing Bobs Prescribing Arc Masonry Structuring Metal Chocks Symbolizing Lathes Activating Plumb Kits Adapting Coatings Fixing Channels Expediting Cordage Planning Compressors Enlisting Hangers Restructuring Keyhole Augers Shearing Ridge Hardware Collecting Reciprocating Bolts Maintaining Corrugated Dimmers Whetting Hole Collars Conducting Mandrels Comparing Assets Compiling Sealants Completing Paths Composing Equivocation Wheels Computing Dampers Conceiving Electrostatic Treatment Ordering Cotter Grates Organizing Ties Orienting Ladders Exceeding Materials Targeting Thermocouples Demonstrating Emery Stock Expanding Latch Bases Training Wardrobe Adhesives Overcomming Fasteners Streamlining Storm Anchors Navigating Springs Perfecting Turnbuckles Verifying Gate Pegs Arbitrating Arithmetic Lifts Negotiating Outlets Normalizing Strips Building Surface Foggers Checking Key Torches Knitting Grinders Mowing Planers Offsetting Stencils Acquiring Bulbs Adopting Rivets Observing Avenues Ascertaining Coaxial Grommets Slinging Wing Winches Instituting Circuit Generators Instructing Wicks Integrating Pry Shutters Interpreting Immersion Lumber Clarifying Coils Classifying Wood Bits Closing Cogs Cataloging Matter Strips Charting Holders Conceptualizing Push Terminals Stimulating Supports Overthrowing Shaft Spacers Quick-freezing Connectors Unbinding Ground Hooks Analyzing Eyes Anticipating Gateways Controlling Proposition Rollers [blank bar momentarily]

Converting Power Angles Coordinating Staples Correcting Benders Counseling Joist Gaskets Recording Gutter Pipes Recruiting Drains Rehabilitating Rafter Tubes Reinforcing Washers Reporting Guard Valves Naming Freize Sprues Nominating Rings Noting Straps Doubling Nailers Drafting Circuit Hoses Dramatizing Flanges Splitting Framing Compounds Refitting Stems Interweaving Patch Unions Placing Sillcocks Sorting Slot Threads Securing Mode Cutters Diverting Catharsis Plates Procuring Load Thresholds Transferring Syllogism Twine Directing Switch Nuts Referring Time Spools Diagnosing Knobs Discovering Locks Dispensing Hinges Displaying Hasps Resending Arc Binders Retreading Grooves Retrofitting Aesthetics Portals Seeking Stocks Shrinking Wormholes Assembling Blocks Assessing Divets Attaining Lug Boxes Auditing Nescience Passages Conserving Strikes Constructing Braces Contracting Saw Catches Serving Instantiation Irons Recognizing Fluxes Consolidating Fuse Calipers Mapping Shims Reviewing Chop Groovers Scheduling Lag Drives Simplifying Hoists Engineering Levels Enhancing Tack Hollows Establishing Finishing Blocks Estimating Adhesives Evaluating Mortar Examining Auto Turnbuckles Processing Foggers Servicing Avenues Transcribing Existence Rivets Revising Consoles Separating Absolute Stencils Budgeting Sheet Grommets Preparing Kits Realigning Cartesian Mandrels Painting Fasteners Filing Grout Hangers Finalizing Atma Augers Formulating Couplings Identifying Sillcocks Imagining Materials Inducing Shutters Influencing Wheels Licensing Chocks Lifting Extrinsic Mallets Overdrawing Ratchets Overlaying Ventilators Overriding Cardinal Soffits Specifying Element Aggregates Systemizing Divets Shaping Pockets Publicizing Aether Remotes Governing Archetype Dimmers Monitoring Assets Launching Manifestation Systems

[cashruleseverythingaroundme232]

am I the only one who thinks fnaf isn’t scary anymore? Like the jumpscares, the designs, and atmosphere aren’t scary anymore. Steel Wool makes everything look too cartoony (?) when the animatronics are supposed to look uncanny and disturbing. Take Jackie for example, she doesn’t have that “I look alive even though I’m supposedly not” kind of look that past animatronics in Fnaf had. The thing I liked about the designs for the robots was that they resembled actual animatronics you’d see irl. And some might say “well she is catered towards children in the game” and I get that but when you look at say the toy animatronics they’re also catered towards children, and still look disturbing because of how realistic they look. She doesn’t look uncanny, she looks like she’s from a game, which breaks the immersion for me. The reason why I liked Fnaf is because of how realistic the animatronics looked but the recent designs and the ones from security breach just don’t do it for me.

This is scary imo:

This isn’t:

I don’t know if maybe the newer renders of the animatronics are being made by someone else and not Scott or if maybe his style has just changed, but the creepy/scare factor when it comes to the look of the robots just isn’t there anymore. Maybe I’m tripping or something idk……

The atmosphere is another big thing I don’t really like. The staple in all Fnaf games is their atmosphere/environment. All games make you feel like there’s this looming threat hanging over your head and it could pop out at any moment. The environment is the number one thing that makes me scared when I’m playing fnaf games. Security breach and secret of the mimic don’t have that scary environment. It truly feels like and looks like I’m playing a random “horror” game/ mascot horror game off of steam.

Sound design is key too. Almost all games make it a priority for the player to listen closely to the sounds and actually focus. To survive the night, fnaf uses clever sound effects to indicate whether an animatronic has just arrived or has just left while combining them with other background noise that confuses you a bit. This leaves the player on the edge of their seat making them have to basically lock in so they won’t miss a sound cue and subsequently lose. Newer games in the franchise like security breach and (from what I’ve seen) the secret of the mimic have kind of tossed this cool mechanic out the window in favor of cheap jumpscare tactics like a can falling after a music spike or a rat/toy running across the floor.

Anyways I’d really like to know what others think about this and if I’m actually going crazy.

[sir-subpar]

BanBan Reimagined!

I had a couple ideas with BanBan. Below the cut

For the record: I'm not doing this to bully the Developers. Especially since I genuinely think they have some cool ideas for this game series. I'm just writing down what I probably would have done differently with the characters

I wanted to give him more of a fun Kondergarten look, and I foind this suit online and figured it was perfect. So I just kind of gave it a few tears and messiness to show that it's been a while since he's actually interacted with kidsm

I imagine that he is kind of like a companion that would follow you around. At first it would start off the same as in the game, being a voice over the intercom, telling you he's locked somewhere and needs a key card.

But unlike the game, he's actually telling the truth, locked up in the office.

If needed/wanted, he could still punch the player when they arrive. Most likely feeling startled/not expecting you to arrive so fast, I possibly reacting by punching you had a fear that you were someone else (possibly jumbo Josh or something, Idk)

He seems like a physically strong character, and he's pretty tall, so maybe when he's around you don't need to use the drone to reach buttons that are high up for example. Maybe there could be a gag in the game where you're struggling to unlock a door and he punches it down or something by accident.

I still think he'd still be drawn to the smell of organs (specifically pancreas is since he seems to be drawn to those in the game) and his monster instincts get yhe better of him if the player is injured/bleeding. I don't know, could be a cool mechanic or something

I think BanBan would want to help the player find their kid(s) due to the fact that he cares about children. I mean, if he was specifically designed to educate/protect/entertain kids, I feel like that would still be a bid priority for him, even if everything's gone to s***

I think it could be a neat mechanic that you have to keep an eye on him, watching for "tells" for when he's about to lose control. Maybe he could start drooling from hunger, or growling, maybe he has retractible teeth, maybe his demeanor would change. Some subtle hints to help the player know when to run without shoving it in their face obnoxiously, y'know?

Looking for your point in the games where they decide it's too dangerous to have BanBan nearby, and so he goes back to being a voice on the intercom, ready to help if necessary.

You could have some good comedy moments with him too. Or just other immersive things. I've noticed the game doesn't really have music most of the time.

Maybe there could be moments where you could call BanBan and tell him to turn on some music over the intercom. He doesn't seem to like silence. You could have a funny moment similar to Ick from The Upturned where the music becomes a funny hindrance.

Yeah, I feel like if they're going to make him a companion for the player that has some caveats they should really lean into it! I think it would really help the game stand out from other mascot Horrors by having a more present companion. Besides, it would actually let you get to know his character so when Stinger Flynn captures him it would mean more. Because it's Not my just some sunburned lookong guy getting captured, it's a friend and guide.

Similar to how chapter 4 of BATIM had Alice capture Boris

[voiceofthe-silly]

Fanart of Nightmare from Slay The Princess!

This sucks and was mostly done to distract from a panic attack and has the quality of a quick doodle despite taking 2 hours (though I suspect most of it was spent drawing that damn hand) but it was fun :3.

I did trace over the face sprite for parts of her face as I suck as I wanted to stay true to the original artstyle for that part but I couldn’t be bothered to study it for 2 seconds, but I consider this piece more of a perspective and rendering practice rather than a full artwork.

TW gore is discussed in my uncessarily-long ramble about the game. Though that isn’t too surprising considering the name of the game.

This game is awesome yippee. I rewatched a play through of it recently and it’s even better than I remember lol. The new stuff added in Pristine Cut is great, especially the Cage! I love that not picking up her head gives you an actual ending relating to it rather than taking you to Drowned Grey for some reason lol, as much as I love the Grey chapters. Also the voices are so fun. I love Voices of the Paranoid and Cold, and Voices of the Hero and Skeptic are great! I don’t have much of an opinion on the others, except that I hate Voice of the Stubborn with a passion. And the art is actually so impressive. Ome single person (to my knowledge) drew and animated thousands of incredible art pieces on paper, by hand is so freaking cool. Even the Beast, who is one of the princesses I do not like as much, is such a great experience for me to watch playthroughs of purely due to the wonderful artwork in each and every chapter. And the fact that almost everything throughout the game remains in monotone colours makes it all the more effective when injuries occur and a bright red infiltrates the dull tones of the screen. This is especially done well when she starts cutting her arm or head off suddenly (primarily the latter, as I believe that is entirely unprovoked and not discussed beforehand) because it’s so sudden and disturbing, even more so if it’s one of your first playthroughs.

Anyways Nightmare and Moment of Clarity are probably my favourite parts of the game. Idk why. They’re just really cool imo. Voice of the Paranoid really got to shine in this chapter, which is epic considering he was already my favourite voice (excluding Voice of the Cold, my beloved). I did include his “Heart, lungs, liver, nerves” phrase in the artwork as it’s definitely a key element of the chapter. I also may or may not have been listening to an hour-long recording of this phrase being said over and over as I drew. The idea that the Voice of the Paranoid is the one that ends up saving our life throughout the entire chapter because the paranoia he experiences and embodies results in him recognising this massive threat and attempting all he can to prevent it from occurring is just really cool and awesome use of his character. The Voice of the Hero attempting to repeat the phrase is so funny to me. In fact, the voice acting in general is amazing, but especially in this chapter! Nightmare’s voice is so haunting, and the way you can hear Voice of the Paranoid permanently in the background is such a cool effect. You can audibly hear his voice crack, his tone rising as he panics, the fear and upset he experiences when Nightmare goes too close to the Player and as he desperately attempts to keep his body working throughout all of this. It’s epic. Plus, the overall voice acting outside of this scene is great. The way the actor of both the Voices/Narrator (whom I do not know the name of and primarily refer to as The British Guy) and the Princesses can voice so many unique characters yet still effectively manage to make them sound seperate and somewhat identifiable is impressive and greatly adds to the immersion of the game. It’s clear that their range is spectacular. Nightmare is also just such a fun Princess, idk how to describe it. She seems like such an actual, direct threat to the Player (I mean, your body literally shuts down when we she comes near) and the overall writing is impressive.

but yeah. Rlly cool game. Not so cool fanart but I tried kinda maybe. I can do weird shading and weird hands sometimes, so that’s a win possibly. This ramble is incredibly long for no good reason but I can’t be bothered to re-read it and cut out the unnecessary parts, and I put too much time into this post to simply discard it. Idrc if anyone reads it lol, ramblibg like this is the only way I don’t implode from thr hyperfixations. Anyways farewell.

[tow3rofbabble]

The World’s Worst Player

March 26, 2025

Picture this: You’re 22, fresh out of college, absolutely fumbling your way through every interview; the job market might as well have told you to tear up your $80,000 a year degree and every single day feels like the physical embodiment of molasses. Out of nowhere, you get a call from your old high school saying that they need a leave replacement and you’re quick to jump on the opportunity (completely forgetting what it’s like to BE in high school, let in a role of authority at that), and next thing you know, the original teacher isn’t coming back, you’re a full-time teacher and you’re exactly where you were 4 years ago except, now you’re the one in charge. 

Honestly, it doesn’t sound that terrible; I mean, I’m making money, I’m putting my “art degree’, as I like to jokingly call it, to use and I get to shape the great minds of our future! I think this is okay, it’s steady and predictable; it fits my mildly type-A personality and I get to spend every single day talking about things, I would argue, I actually know about. Granted, I haven’t taken 9th grade English since, well, 9th grade, and don’t even ask me what the key plot points of “Of Mice and Men” are or how the hell you explain literary devices in the most bare-bones way known to men to a group of kids who genuinely couldn't care less about the role of duality in Romeo and Juliet; however, in the simplest terms, this is cool. Direct deposit hits, I live at home, and my commute is all of 13 minutes on days when I hit traffic, so, what’s the real issue? 

I’ll tell you what the real issue is: I am, once again, in a space where it feels like I’m the only. Now, you may be asking yourself: the only what?

I feel like I’m the only black person, which is weird because I definitely have two other black coworkers, one of which is my mother, but something about it still feels incredibly lonely. It definitely has something to do with age, in my opinion. Ever since I saw Kendrick’s SuperBowl Halftime Performance, I’ve been feeling a lot like Samuel L. Jackson’s line: “Too loud, too ghetto, too reckless… Do you really know how to play the game?”

I can’t help but think, no, I definitely don’t know how to play the game and I think that is what is so isolating about this experience; I find that older black people know how to play “the game,” they don’t really rock the boat, and they know when to talk and when to be silent. That’s something that I’m personally really struggling with; no one talks about how hard it is to bite your tongue in the workforce and know when exactly to be the Huey Newton of the group and when to just shut up and turn the other cheek. It’s an odd balance, and to be fair, my balance has always been a bit off center. I think it’s making me way less palatable, and I think it’s a total 360 from how people used to perceive me. Let me establish a little context:

I was totally the “token negro” for my all-white, private, Catholic school; realistically, they could not get enough of me. They quite literally still use my high school photos in their promo and used to ask me to come and speak at the school up until my senior year of college. I was like their badge of honor: Whoooooo-weeeeee, look at what we done here with this negro! Got her into an Ivy League and everything!

Like yeah, that’s cool, it wasn't like I worked my ass off to get to where I am today, but it’s fine: just take the credit. 

Now, here I am, back 4 years later and a lot of soul-searching and immersing myself in pro-black culture, I am this place’s (and the people that inhabit it) worst nightmare, and honestly, some part of me absolutely revels in the thought. However, back to the point of this entire story, I feel like this has led to some more than awkward encounters that really showcase how I do NOT know how to play the game. 

For example, I met with a parent recently, black kid’s parent, and I thought the interaction went great! We easily bonded over both being Haitian, and I completely understood every concern she was expressing; a lot of things went unsaid because there was already a very mutual understanding. Some things don’t have to be said out loud in order for the person to understand what you mean, remember that. To make a long story short, her son is a basketball star; I mean, kid is an absolute phenom, definitely has the potential to go D1 and I truly wouldn’t be shocked if he went pro one day. She was voicing how you have to know more than how to dribble a ball, you have to show them you’re well-rounded and I told her that’s pretty much the same advice I always give him. 

I tell him: Dude, it’s awesome that you’re such a good player, and I have no doubt that you’ll get signed, but what’s going to happen when they hand you the contract and you don’t have a clue what the hell it’s saying. Signing away your life to god knows what, and they’re going to pull a fast one on you because of course, you don’t know what the contract means. That’s what they expect from you. You’re there to dribble a ball, dunk, and have some corny, albeit probably catchy, hand gesture that you do every time you score; they don’t want you to have intellect and it doesn’t even matter if you do. Harder for them to screw you over, anyways. 

Now, I can acknowledge that is an incredibly reductionist take of the NBA and professional sports in general, but you get what I mean; it’s a trope, the dumb athlete. Regardless, after my conversation, I returned to my faux-office space, which is just an over-glorified closet that I share with 4 other people, and was immediately asked by my old, and truthfully possibly mildly senile, white coworker how the meeting went. Now, this is regular behavior; if you must know, teachers love to gossip, it’s their favorite thing to do, however, this particular coworker and I have some history.

As I told you, this is my old high school and my freshman year, I had an incident where this coworker (at the time, my teacher) hit me with the craziest micro-aggression I had ever experienced and did it in front of the entire class; it definitely felt like it was meant to embarrass me, and yeah, it’s been easily 9 years since that happened, but I’m still on edge with her. I told her a vague description of the meeting and basically said that the mom just wanted to make sure her son wouldn’t slip through the cracks and I fully understood that: black athlete in a PWI? Don’t worry, girl, I absolutely got you. 

Well, this coworker replied with, “Well, he’s not a good student anyways. That’s what they all do. Just dribble a ball, anyways.”

Excuse me? 

My face couldn’t even hide my absolute confusion and disgust at her statement, truthfully, I wanted to be like. “What the hell are you talking about?” What does that even mean? And who in the world is this ‘other’, this ‘they’, that you have so much to say about? Obviously, she meant black people; she’s incredibly vocal on her political stances and racial ideology, but what really had me thrown for an absolute loop was, what the absolute fuck about me says that I would subscribe to this? 

So, I stared at her for a second, an uncomfortably long stare that definitely made her shift awkwardly in her seat and asked: “What do you mean by that?”

I’ve realized the best way to address something like this isn’t to immediately snap, but rather have them explain it to you like you’re a moron; make them say out loud and explicitly say what they’re implying, let them really ruminate on what they’re saying and the implications of it. She just replied with, ‘Oh, come on. You know what I mean.’

Actually, no, I don’t.

I mean, I do, but I want you to say it. I want you to say out loud that you think that black people are dumb and are only meant to play sports and act foolishly. I want you to stand on your racist beliefs and say it with your chest and I’m not willing to let this go until you do. That’s when I realized for certain, I don’t know how to play the game. Coming to this realization was a bit heavy, but as I sit here, thinking about it over and over, I realize, why do I have to play the game by your rules? This stupid game, where I’m a palatable black person doesn’t benefit me or anyone else; it just makes ignorant people more comfortable with being a complete ass, and one thing about me? I’m not here to make anyone comfortable; I think about that little saying all the time: All I have to do is stay black and die. 

Needless to say, the conversation got real awkward after that, and I definitely heard her talking to other coworkers about me, but I just couldn’t bring myself to care. I knew that it probably wasn’t the smartest decision, and could definitely make work uncomfortable for the following days, but I just did not care. I wasn’t just going to let a comment like that slide; I wasn’t 14, and in order to be respectful, swallowing my pride and letting comments I knew, in my gut, weren’t right slide. I was there to rock the boat.

I could also, in the same vein, see my mom, shaking her head and telling me to just let it be because it wasn’t worth the headache. It wasn’t worth the uncomfortable silence that has filled our makeshift office; it wasn’t worth the obviously dirty looks her ‘friends,’ give me; it wasn’t worth singling myself out. But to me, it was worth it; it’s all worth it because I am not your token negro, I’m not “one of the good ones.” I’m not one to let shit slide. 

Existing in these predominantly white spaces is, truly, not for the weak and I think just teaches black people to make themselves small, to not rock the boat, and to play the game properly. However, it’s way more nuanced than that, and I’ve decided that my job, perhaps my purpose, is to take up as much room as possible. I’m not here to shrink myself to make space for you; I’m here to take up just as much space as anyone else. 

So, I teach my students black history; introduce them to black literature; show black cinema; wrap my locs for work; correct incorrect language; give them worldly perspectives; talk about marginalized groups; play black music, and everything and more. I shake up their entire world because I’m not here to play your game; I’m here to be myself and do what I do while doing a damn good job at it. 

So, apologies to my coworker, but not really; you should watch what you say next time. 

[sokowachi]

STON.fi SDK: Transforming Blockchain Gaming with Seamless DeFi Integration

Blockchain gaming is evolving at an incredible pace, and every innovation is pushing the space closer to mainstream adoption. One of the biggest challenges, however, has always been smooth financial interactions within games. Players shouldn’t have to go through complicated processes just to access tokens, trade assets, or make transactions.

This is where STON.fi SDK is making a major impact.

With its latest integration into Elympics, a next-generation GameFi infrastructure, STON.fi is simplifying DeFi for gamers—allowing them to transact effortlessly while staying fully immersed in the game.

Elympics: The Future of Competitive Blockchain Gaming

Many blockchain games struggle to maintain player engagement due to slow transactions, unsustainable tokenomics, and complex onboarding processes. Elympics is changing this by providing a scalable, developer-friendly infrastructure designed specifically for competitive gaming.

Key Features of Elympics:

✅ Scalability: Games remain smooth even with a high number of active players.

✅ Skill-Based Competitions: Rewards go to players based on merit, not random luck.

✅ Tokenized Economy: In-game assets and rewards have real-world value.

✅ Easy Blockchain Integration: Developers can build on-chain mechanics without deep technical expertise.

This framework is designed for long-term success, ensuring that both players and developers benefit from a strong and sustainable ecosystem.

STON.fi SDK: Powering Seamless In-Game Transactions

A common frustration in blockchain gaming is the disconnect between gameplay and financial transactions. Players often need to switch between different platforms just to swap tokens or make purchases.

With STON.fi SDK, these issues are eliminated.

What STON.fi SDK Brings to Elympics:

➡️ Instant Token Access: Players can get TON-based memecoins directly inside the game.

➡️ Smooth Transactions: No external swaps or complicated wallet processes.

➡️ Integrated Rewards System: Earn, use, and trade tokens within the gaming ecosystem.

This integration makes DeFi invisible in the best way possible—players don’t have to think about it, they just use it effortlessly.

Why This Matters for Game Developers

Building a successful blockchain game is more than just fun mechanics and cool graphics—the underlying infrastructure must support long-term growth and economic stability.

STON.fi SDK provides a game-changing advantage by handling complex DeFi functions in the background.

How Developers Benefit from STON.fi SDK:

🔹 Quick & Easy Integration: No need to build custom DeFi tools from scratch.

🔹 Access to Liquidity: Games can tap into STON.fi’s liquidity pools for seamless transactions.

🔹 Improved Player Retention: A frictionless economy keeps players engaged longer.

Developers can now focus on creating amazing gaming experiences, while STON.fi ensures that the financial mechanics work flawlessly.

A Big Step Forward for GameFi

The integration of STON.fi SDK into Elympics is a major milestone for blockchain gaming.

For players, it means a better experience with fewer obstacles—transactions become a natural part of the game rather than a technical burden.

For developers, it offers a plug-and-play solution to incorporate DeFi mechanics without dealing with unnecessary complexity.

Blockchain gaming is advancing fast, and solutions like STON.fi SDK are leading the way.

[thegodthief]

'Tis But A Game

Dreamt of an immersive MMORPG that all the "cool kids" (read: anyone younger than me) were playing. Players entered the world as "witches" and would play through an individual story line that occasionally called for group attacks on key NPC and locations.

My daughter got me to create an account and play. She was confident that my old ass would be able to not only catch up to her character level, but that I would exceed it quickly. Turns out, the immersive nature of the game meant you weren't limited by keyboard and mouse, only your intuition.

I started in the tutorial island, with a simple black robe and matching witch hat, and a styrofoam broom as my weapon and steed. She wasn't kidding about the immersive nature of the game. Everything felt real and tangible. She walked me through the initial quests and then it was time to level up.

The quest to leave the tutorial island was to mount the broom and fly over the chasm that separated it from the game's mainland. From there, I would have to navigate an obstacle course designed to test my connection to the elements before presenting myself to the Witchtree to be judged.

Along the way, my daughter encountered some friends of hers who were delighted that her mom was in the game. I quickly collected an impromptu coven of new and experienced players that became invested in my advancement. They showed me tricks to the game and cheered each encounter.

Someone spent money to bestow a custom title on me. "Witch Mom" My daughter laughed to see it. Even though I was the newest player, I had picked it up quick, so other new players assumed I was a mentor of some kind and would ask me to show them techniques. The coven encouraged it.

Finally, it was time for our group to enter the main world. I was last to arrive at the launch point, but I was able to observe how the experienced players mounted their brooms and flew across the chasm. I helped other players do the same until it was just me and my daughter remaining.

"Just like this, Mom!" She grabbed her broom and held it out. Without a word, she jumped and it moved forward with her momentum. Her character slipped into a side-saddle position on the broom and she hovered over me.

"Yours is wood though. This is kid-safe foam. It collapses under my grip and isn't going to bear my weight."

"Mom, you forgot! We're in a game. None of this is real. If you perceive it to be inadequate, then it will be. Part of the game is about focusing your will and I know how stubborn you are!"

I did forget. The NPC repeated the same set of instructions over and over. Across the chasm, the coven were cheering and calling for me to catch up to them. I stood on the launch point and felt the winds swirling around me. Game or no, I know this feeling. I knew what to do.

I held the foam broom out the same way my daughter held hers, but, instead of trying to jump on the shaft to bear me across, I willed the broom to shape the winds to bear me instead. Using the broom like a joystick, I flew across the chasm to the waiting coven.

"Hey, that's an advanced move! How did you do that, Witch Mom? I thought this was your first time playing!" "That's the starter broom, it can't move air like that, air moves it!" "Hey, kid, there's something about your mom that you're not telling, huh. What is she offline?"

Daughter looked at me and I just nodded in acceptance. "Mom's a witch offline. Kinda. It's complicated, but occult magic is her thing." The coven of players fell silent.

An advanced player quietly said, "Most offline witches look at us like trash. Like our MMO is mocking them or something. What do you think of the game, Witch Mom?"

"I think it's fun! What you think of yourself determines what you can do. This is encouraging."

"How so, Witch Mom?"

"You can have the most rare tools as a real witch. You could have a hundred spirits at your command. But if you have no sense of self, those tools are worthless. This game forces you to consider yourself first. How is that bad?"

The player that spoke up came to me. Now that they were close to me, the game told me they were an end-game player, having completed all the quests and trials. Their garb was as plain as my starter robes and hat. To anyone else, we were both novice initiates.

"I was going to give you some gear, but you don't need it. Instead, as someone who is not a witch offline, let me give you some advice. What you just said applies to mundane matters as well as occult. It's not the clothes that determines who you are, but who you are within them."

They turned to the waiting coven around us. "Alright, so you know how to fly! But, do you know how to move within the world? The Witchtree is waiting for us! Let us prove ourselves worthy!"

The coven cheered and began running to the next quest marker: The Trial of Elements.

Again, I was the last to enter the trials. But I was one of the first to emerge. The immersive nature of the game meant that I could call on my offline wooishness to navigate the challenges within the game's framework. When I stepped out of the trial, the advanced player stopped me.

"Let everyone else meet the Witchtree first. If this goes how I think it will, I do not want other new players to be disheartened when they can't duplicate your method of success." I agreed and waited to the rear of the area.

I watched other players, fresh from the trial and renewed by game mechanics, approach the massive tree that dominated the hilltop. I realized that the path of the trial had been formed by its roots, and that the Witchtree had been watching us this entire time.

The Witchtree is an individual encounter that others could witness but not interfere with. Each player would approach the Witchtree and be individually challenged by the elements of fire, water, earth, and air in that order. The challenge was tailored to the player's performance in the trials.

Failing an element would not fail the quest. Some players took the easiest route of just doing nothing and failing all elements. Most players gave it their best shot to varying degrees of success and failure. Very few players beat all four elements.

After that was an individual conversation with and judging by the Witchtree. The player would be asked what is their goal in life (within the context of the game). The Witchtree would then bestow upgraded armor and/or broom based on the answer.

Players that did the bare minimum received barely upgraded gear. Players that gave it their all but failed were given gear that supported their weaknesses. Players that gave it their all and triumphed were given gear with unique looks or titles.

"So, tell me Witch Mom, why do I dress plain here?"

I looked at them. "To not draw attention to yourself and make yourself a target of the PVP gloryhounds here. You have already out-leveled the gear needed for these areas. But there's always some fool that wants to prove themselves your better."

"Are you going to continue in the game after the Witchtree?"

"Probably not. I'm already playing this offline. If anything, it's showing me what I need to pay attention to there if I am going to continue on that path. I'm really here to make my daughter happy. It's something we can share."

"It's good to share things with the people you care about." They looked back at the slowly dwindling numbers. "When you meet the Witchtree, give it your all, please. I know this is just a game to you, but like you said, it is revealing things you wouldn't see any other way."

Finally, it was just me and the end-game player remaining before the Witchtree. I knew they could come and go from this zone at will, so I offered to shake their hand as a farewell. They accepted, but wanted to stay to observe my results.

"Why are you here, Witch?" Something about the Witchtree's question made me pause. I realized that the script called for the player to be addressed as "Initiate", but I was addressed as "Witch". This title was reserved for those who completed the first group battle. Too soon for my character.

I answered with the game's prompt. "I am here to discover my power and my place."

The Witchtree responded as scripted. "Your power is what I give to you and your place is where I bid you to."

I replied with the game's prompt again. "My power is what I make it to be and my place is where I am."

"Then, do you challenge me, Witch?" The wrong title again. I began to taste iron in my mouth. Something wasn't right with this game.

I kept to the script. "I do, as I challenge any that would stand against me."

"Then, be broken and humbled." That was NOT the game's script. The Witchtree is supposed to be a supportive character, not a sudden enemy. But before I could call out to the end-game player, the elemental trials began.

If I had relied only on what the game had taught as proper for the character, I would not have survived the first assault of Fire. But, as both my daughter and the end-game player knew, I drew on my offline witchy understanding and intuition.

Each element assaulted me with full intention of unmaking me. I heard the end-game player call out, "Be true to yourself, Witch, and don't hold back!" I realized that I was dreaming. Right. Weaver, it is, then.

I drew on my years of lucid dreaming and path-working to first defend myself against the elements, and then to retaliate and counter in turn. Drawing on my skills, tools, and understandings, I brought my entire self into the game. Fire, Water, and Earth fell quickly.

Air, an element I have not achieved certain milestones with in my offline life, almost broke me. Just because Weaver has a raven aspect doesn't mean that all matters of air come easy to them. The fight against Air was drawn out and bloody, but Weaver triumphed in the end, barely.

My gear was ripped and torn. The tip of the witchhat had been neatly severed and the crown of my bloodied head was exposed. The gloves had been burnt off by fire and my fingers were nearly black from Earth's blight attacks. I struggled to breathe and had to keep reminding myself that I'm dreaming.

The poor foam broom was a cooling puddle of plastic slag behind me. The ground around me in the quest circle was still settling. My ears were ringing. I could not sense anything outside of the quest circle. It suddenly expanded to include the Witchtree.

The Witchtree moved. Great branches lowered themselves like arms and extended towards me. From their extremities hung clothes. A plain black robe. A new black hat. New gloves, pants, and durable shoes. It broke off one of its smaller branches and gave me a new broom. I dressed quickly.

"Well done. Weaver."

I looked up at the Witchtree in surprise. It felt like I had seen that tree before even as I recognized its appearance to be a mashup of at least three distinct species. It laughed and its appearance changed. The end-game player now stood before me.

They came close and pulled a cloth from their robes. "Here. [Static.] You will need this as well, both for the reasons you think and the reasons you have yet to discover." They wrapped a gauzy shawl loosely around my head and neck like an hijab.

"If you decide to continue in this game, know that it will be much harder for you than it will be for others, /Witch Mom/, because you know that this game and /that/ game are the same. You are most yourself when you're not trying to live up to expectations, after all."

"Be yourself, please. Be yourself and break those that would break you. Humble those that would humble you. And that includes yourself as self-deprecation makes you your own worst enemy."

They called their broom to their hand and pointed to a new path leading down the far side of the hill. "If you want to continue playing in this sandbox of a dream, follow that path to catch up to the other players."

They stepped close and pointed to my heart. "If you want to find out just what the hell you even are, follow this path to catch up with your selves."

"Farewell for now, Weaver. Do level up, in this world or the other. I look forward to seeing what you are capable of when you are fully yourself." They hopped on their broom and flew away to catch up with the novice coven. They took my "Witch Mom" title with them and bore it themselves.

Night fell in the game and the empty hilltop felt desolate as darkness crept up from all around. I looked at my in-game character and saw just how many of Weaver's markings were softly glowing upon it. Accepting the lucidity, I logged out of the game, and in doing so, woke up.

[chemicalmarketwatch-sp]

Exploring the Growing $21.3 Billion Data Center Liquid Cooling Market: Trends and Opportunities

In an era marked by rapid digital expansion, data centers have become essential infrastructures supporting the growing demands for data processing and storage. However, these facilities face a significant challenge: maintaining optimal operating temperatures for their equipment. Traditional air-cooling methods are becoming increasingly inadequate as server densities rise and heat generation intensifies. Liquid cooling is emerging as a transformative solution that addresses these challenges and is set to redefine the cooling landscape for data centers.

What is Liquid Cooling?

Liquid cooling systems utilize liquids to transfer heat away from critical components within data centers. Unlike conventional air cooling, which relies on air to dissipate heat, liquid cooling is much more efficient. By circulating a cooling fluid—commonly water or specialized refrigerants—through heat exchangers and directly to the heat sources, data centers can maintain lower temperatures, improving overall performance.

Market Growth and Trends

The data centre liquid cooling market  is on an impressive growth trajectory. According to industry analysis, this market is projected to grow USD 21.3 billion by 2030, achieving a remarkable compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 27.6%. This upward trend is fueled by several key factors, including the increasing demand for high-performance computing (HPC), advancements in artificial intelligence (AI), and a growing emphasis on energy-efficient operations.

Key Factors Driving Adoption

1. Rising Heat Density

The trend toward higher power density in server configurations poses a significant challenge for cooling systems. With modern servers generating more heat than ever, traditional air cooling methods are struggling to keep pace. Liquid cooling effectively addresses this issue, enabling higher density server deployments without sacrificing efficiency.

2. Energy Efficiency Improvements

A standout advantage of liquid cooling systems is their energy efficiency. Studies indicate that these systems can reduce energy consumption by up to 50% compared to air cooling. This not only lowers operational costs for data center operators but also supports sustainability initiatives aimed at reducing energy consumption and carbon emissions.

3. Space Efficiency

Data center operators often grapple with limited space, making it crucial to optimize cooling solutions. Liquid cooling systems typically require less physical space than air-cooled alternatives. This efficiency allows operators to enhance server capacity and performance without the need for additional physical expansion.

4. Technological Innovations

The development of advanced cooling technologies, such as direct-to-chip cooling and immersion cooling, is further propelling the effectiveness of liquid cooling solutions. Direct-to-chip cooling channels coolant directly to the components generating heat, while immersion cooling involves submerging entire server racks in non-conductive liquids, both of which push thermal management to new heights.

Overcoming Challenges

While the benefits of liquid cooling are compelling, the transition to this technology presents certain challenges. Initial installation costs can be significant, and some operators may be hesitant due to concerns regarding complexity and ongoing maintenance. However, as liquid cooling technology advances and adoption rates increase, it is expected that costs will decrease, making it a more accessible option for a wider range of data center operators.

The Competitive Landscape

The data center liquid cooling market is home to several key players, including established companies like Schneider Electric, Vertiv, and Asetek, as well as innovative startups committed to developing cutting-edge thermal management solutions. These organizations are actively investing in research and development to refine the performance and reliability of liquid cooling systems, ensuring they meet the evolving needs of data center operators.

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The outlook for the data center liquid cooling market is promising. As organizations prioritize energy efficiency and sustainability in their operations, liquid cooling is likely to become a standard practice. The integration of AI and machine learning into cooling systems will further enhance performance, enabling dynamic adjustments based on real-time thermal demands.

The evolution of liquid cooling in data centers represents a crucial shift toward more efficient, sustainable, and high-performing computing environments. As the demand for advanced cooling solutions rises in response to technological advancements, liquid cooling is not merely an option—it is an essential element of the future data center landscape. By embracing this innovative approach, organizations can gain a significant competitive advantage in an increasingly digital world.