#future-proofing components

[techdriveplay]

Upgrading Your Gaming Rig with the Latest Computer Parts

In the rapidly evolving world of PC gaming, staying ahead of the curve is essential for an immersive and competitive experience. Upgrading your gaming rig with the latest computer parts not only boosts your system’s performance but also ensures that you’re getting the most out of your gaming sessions. This comprehensive guide will walk you through the key components to consider when upgrading…

[livingdeadhorse]

idk what this is. i like robots. i’ll clean these up later. i think.

anyways while drawing these I started thinking abt like. idk does this count as an AU.

General shit:

I didn't make it clear, but the robots that have pupils were built without a hardcoded purpose. They've always been free to explore what they want to do. The robots with fully colored "scleras" were created with a purpose from the jump, so their creators didn't feel the need to make them appear more "human".

The more expensive a robot's parts are, the less clunky it is.

Right now, I'm going with "their human family built them" but that's liable to change.

The designs are also liable to change because uh. duh.

Celestia Ludenberg:

Viewed the robots with an imbued purpose as interesting and superior (something something humanity's advancement). She wants to be praised like that, so she emulates them

Her cat loves how much heat she radiates so it's always near her.

Most of her upgrades are cosmetic but if they aren't, they're stupid. She won't upgrade her CPU or her motherboard, but she'll load up with three 4090s that her other components can't even keep up with. Yes, she does it to flex.

She'll distract from bootleg, refurbished, or shoddily painted parts by turning on her RGB. It gets annoying.

She knows that she's fairly unsettling and she revels in it.

All things considered, her cable management is pretty good.

Her gambling skill is still just luck here, but she tells everyone it's because she has a never-seen-before GPU(& CPU) that does calculations at insane speeds.

Most don't believe her but have no way to disprove her lie.

Kiyotaka Ishimaru

I can't decide if he was built by his father or his grandfather.

Either way, he was built before Toranosuke's downfall, so his internals were all pretty expensive for the time. Luckily for him, that means he was slightly future-proof and has a viable upgrade path.

Unluckily for him, this means he's stuck with really old parts and his 8gb of RAM can barely keep up in a 32gb world sadge

His chassis is built from secondhand or scrap parts. It's why his joints are so ancient in comparison to the rest of him and why he has so much cabling that he can't seem to manage.

Shit chassis = shit airflow = he is always overheating

BUDDY IS YOUR CPU BURNING HOW IS THERE SMOKE

Older tech = LOUD AF. The class bought him new fans to avoid the loud ass whirring. It's not quiet but he used to sound like a jet engine.

He runs on Debian. It was originally going to be Arch since it's lightweight but Debian's whole "old but stable" reputation fits him more. I don't see him properly dealing with bleeding edge software anyways.

His room is filled with past HDDs that no longer have storage. He deems all educational material important so he refuses to delete any lessons. He doesn't have the money for SSDs.

Mukuro Ikusaba:

Is usually in reconnaissance mode, meaning she has a shit ton of hidden cameras in her chassis

This used to benefit Fenrir. Now it benefits Junko.

She can have her parts shifted around with no issue to make room for a better arsenal.

She’s durable in her reconnaissance mode but she’s nigh on untouchable in her combat mode. Her chassis gets 10x bulkier and she can split her attention to several different tasks on the battlefield.

Fenrir Mercenary Group doubles as a weapons company. Mukuro is the only model of her kind though.

They tried to give her reconnaissance model the look of a “normal girl” so she could gather info more efficiently. They failed real bad. They also didn’t account for the fact that Mukuro isn’t good at socializing.

She allocates a CPU core to a process dedicated to Junko. 24/7 365

She believes herself to be less capable of emotion than she actually is. She can’t seem to find the system process that triggers such painful emotions.

Chihiro Fujisaki

Each “fold” in her skirt doubles as a screen. Think of the skirt as having two layers: the top shell and the under shell. The top shell is what doubles as a screen.

Optimized her hardware to work on code as fast as possible (fingers, skirt, etc).

She tends to test out new software on herself regardless of their compatibility with her pre-existing shit. She constantly has to reinstall her OS, but it’s all fun for her.

Speaking of her OS, I was going to make her run on Gentoo but IDK cause of the compile times. It’d be faster if she used distcc but I can’t see her screwing over her classmates like that lol.

So I’m between Nix and Arch.

Insecure about the fact that she overhauled her original model so extensively. Got made fun of for being a ‘defective’ robot. Her father supports her modifications but she still feels bad about having ‘failed’ somehow.

Cue identity issues

She helps out her classmates when it comes to repairs.

Tendency to stay up programming leads to high uptimes. If her friends notice her lagging or crashing, they’ll try to get her to shut down. (In a computer sense lol, not an emotional shut down)

Do y’all remember the xz utils backdoor? Yeah that’s how extensively she combs through code.

Sayaka Maizono

I can’t decide if she was built to be an idol or was originally some other type of robot.

Loves to make kids smile, so she has a sort of candy mechanism in her arm.

Everything about her glows or spins. You will never get bored looking at her.

Her skirt isn’t actually see through I just didn’t feel like erasing the hip joints lmao.

If corpos give her manager enough money, she has to perform with literal ads on her.

State-of-the art facial recognition software. It makes her fans feel special to have their names remembered.

She has a regular sleep cycle due to how load-intensive her everyday life is. Has to shut down for a couple hours every week at least.

Her psychic ability is just her running a million calculations based on people’s behavior and sensing which one is most plausible. This feature is in place to avoid PR disasters during interviews or public appearances.

There really aren’t enough worker’s rights regulations in place for robots.

The company gets alerts whenever she freaks tf out, so she feels even more stifled and repressed. Chihiro helped remove this.

Kyoko Kirigiri

Can’t decide if she was built by her father or grandfather. Probably just built by Jin and he “left” her in Fuhito’s care.

Fuhito made her go through several modifications, hardcoding his own investigative skills into her system.

Her grandfather loves her but has fucked up ideas about her own autonomy.

The events of DR:K still happen. She chose not to replace her hands.

Fuhito doesn’t make much use of a backdoor in her system anymore. He used it a lot more when she was a child but he sees her as a viable heir of the Kirigiri clan now. Chihiro isolated the backdoor to a separate SSD anyhow.

Still complicated father-daughter issues

Everything about her (but her OS) is proprietary, probably commissioned from Towa Industries. Her OS is a fork of Mint. The Windows 7 UI is just because I imagine her grandfather is One of Those lmao.

Has way too many scanners and sensors. She can’t test any evidence herself but she can gather a fair bit of information. Has a vast database for cross-comparison anyways.

Same issues as Togami and Mukuro: sees herself as less capable of emotion than she actually is.

The ramen noodle incident called for actual repairs.

Byakuya Togami

His superiority complex is far worse because he was literally CREATED to be the perfect Togami. You can’t tell him shiiiiiiit.

Gold joints. Scoffs at those with unoptimized cable management or software.

He’s constantly streamlining his own processes. Brings up that he runs on his own OS when Nobody Asked.

Had a similar backdoor to Kyoko’s but Koji did check that one. Obsessively. Nobody would tell Byakuya but He Just Knew. The lack of privacy irritated him. Aloysius helped fix it once Togami finally took over.

Only trusts Aloysius with his repairs. Has a hard time admitting when he needs repairs in the first place so Aloysius hides it under “monthly maintenance”.

Does everything from the terminal even when he 1) shouldn’t and 2) can’t. Bragging rights. He has written a bunch of his own scripts though to speed things up.

Kernel and OS provided to him by Koji. (UNIX-based. Proprietary) Byakuya maintains and builds his own updates. Doesn’t trust cheapskate peasants to do it for him.

Anti-FOSS. For him at least.

Has glasses for the aesthetics. Doesn’t need them.

[sicklyseraphnsuch]

The Duality of Simon (or the Importance of Marcy)

Travel back to the early 2010s, when Adventure Time was still a fairly new thing. The fandom was growing, the theories were flowing. We've had confirmation that Ooo is in fact a post appcalyptic world. And then we get:

Here was living, breathing proof of the intersection between Ooo and our world. Simon Petrikov was a literal connection to the past, and moreover one of the ways Adventure Time really began to develop its inner tragedies.

But honestly, as sad as the Idea of Simon Petrikov was - it remained that he was a relic, an inert tragedy that was a connection to the past, but not necessarily connected to the future.

Enter:

You can mourn the losses of ages past. But it won't necessarily move you to act. Because there's nothing to compel you. You can stand to gain something but it's more important that you don't lose anything by keeping the status quo. In short, there weren't any stakes.

No, not those kind of Stakes... Well... maybe a little

So, bear in mind, Betty won't make her debut until two seasons after "Holly Jolly Secrets". To us, she was a non-entity. Simon's grief over her loss was for the audience, a mostly intellectual exercise. How sad for this poor cursed man to lose the woman he loved - replacing all proper nouns with common nouns because we didn't know Simon either. But his situation is clearly sad, just in a general, unspecific way. Because again, there's nothing at stake here.

Marcy drives thoses stakes up (and into our hearts). Suddenly, Simon becomes Very Very Real because we know Marcy. We've hung out with her for at least five seasons now leading up to the game changing "I Remember You".

By connecting Marcy to this Simon, suddenly we had something to lose - suddenly we already lost something. Marcy gave Simon's curse weight - dimension - texture - rendering it very real instead of a mere intellectual tragedy. Simon matters because he matters to someone here and now, because someone was still crying over him. And we love Marcy. We don't want her to cry.

It was through the Marcy and Simon relationship that we came to learn of and love Simon. Betty came later. Betty came after. We already loved Simon by then so learning of his love story was just building on that love. Naturally, being invested in the Simon and Betty relationship without prior connection to Simon is possible. But the fact that he was already established and endeared to the audience goes a way into investing in the Simon and Betty relationship.

So we get to Fionna and Cake.

We get exactly one scene with the Marcy we know and love. And Simon isn't even in the same room as her.

And the show is fully justified in doing so because Fionna and Cake was a series about Simon and Betty. And Simon and Marcy have little to do with that A story (the love plotline). Even if the B story (the recovery plotline) does pay homage to Simon and Marcy by showing Simon that he does have value, the homage amounts to only a few scenes (maybe cumulatively three minutes of screen time) in the whole series.

However, Simon and Marcy's relationship wasn't just to show that Simon is an integral component to the way Ooo came to be, and his impact on the people he loves. Simon and Marcy's relationship is integral to how we came to love Simon - against all odds and all tenets of common sense, a man that was slowly warped by madness chose to take care of a completely unknown little girl that he found in the wreckage of the world.

The problem here is that Marcy's Simon and Betty's Simon never got to meet in the middle. A lot of this is rooted in the original Adventure Time series where Betty and Marceline never speak more than ten words to each other.

Literally the only time they share the screen (and no I'm not counting Betty bot in Broke his Crown)

Which is BANANAS considering they are literally the two most important people in Simon's life.

And listen, again, by Fionna and Cake, we are invested in Simon and Betty, especially after what she did during the finale. We want to know about them.

And again, the Fionna and Cake series is well and wholly complete without ever having Simon and Marcy talk.

But it leaves a little ache. Because again, the first opportunity to truly love and connect with Simon came through Simon and Marcy. And we never really know how they get on now that they're back together. We seriously have maybe 10 lines of conversation between them since the finale and this includes Obsidian.

Literally, he says hi to Marcy twice and that's it. Very meaningful conversation.

Aaaand there's also the supreme irony where in one relationship, Simon never gets a chance to contribute equally, and in his other relationship, Simon wore himself down to nubs giving all that he had. But this duality within Simon is never really connected. There is a throughline here, his impulse for self sacrifice shares a root for his self centered perspective that blinded him to Betty's self effacing habits.

Now here's the thing, Fionna and Cake also built its conflict around Simon's identity and his self worth, etc. Yet it doesn't really contend with all that Simon has done without Betty, and before Ice King. By centering the narrative on only how he was with Betty (both pre and post Mushroom War), we get very little foundation laid out for what he could do after he says goodbye to her.

And this isn't a mistake because again, the series stands on its own just fine. The story works without it because at least that central relationship of Simon and Betty is fully established. But it does come at the cost of a missed opportunity to fully explore the cause of Simon's myopia, or how living through an apocalypse could reinforce that myopia because Simon keeps romanticizing "when his life was great".

Finally, the other downside is that Fionna and Cake stands on its own, maybe a little too much. It's still based on the characters of Adventure Time, building on the love for the original show. So it would have been a crowd pleaser, shall we say some fan service, to get more of what the original show worked hard to make us love.

[girlwithamissingpearl]

I understand things have been dry in Outlander land but even desert dry has me smh. Ladies, if you have to try that hard to shit all over SH, I’m not saying it makes you a hater but it sure as shit doesn’t make you a liker.

Back after a bit- admit it, we all need to occasionally take a break- I feel I needed to pace myself during the drought. But after a bit of scrolling, I felt compelled to dive right in. Isn’t this fandom about fun, entertainment and guilty pleasure? That’s why I’m here. So why the endless posts from the SH haters? Do people dislike SH, enjoy the snark or just think the man is stupid?

So just for fun (or insomnia) I thought I would play a short game of SH: Stupid, Smart or just SMH?

1. SH and Cons/Private events for $

Why do people have such a problem with SH trying to make a living? Most if not all actors part of a series or movie franchise participate. In my opinion SH is doing it now, so he won’t need to in his 60’s to pay the rent. While most fans are priced out of the more exclusive events, all I can say is the paying fans are the only ones that never complain. Supply and demand. If any charitable component is part of the deal, great. So can we finally put a line under this?

Verdict: Smart as hell

2. SH always “Shilling” SS to his Fans and on SM

Uhm, he is the brand. It’s his company. Can it be a bit much? Yes. Promotion to the fan base and the use of sm is marketing 101. In order for people to try the product they need to know about the product. We can disagree as to his methods or success to date, but fans are not the only ones buying bottles. As for the constant and consistent presence of AN with SH during events? Suddenly they are a couple? WTF. AN is a business partner. He owns part of the business. They both work hard promoting SS, and so far it looks like they will continue to release more SS. Ladies, don’t put your lawn chairs away yet!😉

Verdict: Smart

3. SH and boundaries with his fans

Regardless of the letter you attach to SH, he is a recognized actor around the world. Definitely a people pleaser, in imho, he will happily take a selfie with anyone. Obviously, he never wants to disappoint any fan, but his lack of boundaries and security at events can be cringe worthy at times. If a female actor was touched, mauled, or asked to sign fans boobs or t-shirts it would be a #me too moment. Someone, anyone in security or a handler needs to be bad cop if he won’t. How far is too far?

Verdict: Stupid with a side of SMH

4. SH as a Philanthropist and Charitable Causes

This one really bugs me. MPC has raised over $6m for charity. SH’s name attached to any cause raises awareness and $. The BS from the haters who discount this based on the fact SH apparently never donates his own money is petty nonsense. Gentleman’s ride is one example. Agree it was his female fans that made it happen. And? This is my only fandom but SH is held to an impossible standard. Apparently he is a hypocrite in his support for clean oceans because someone on his team had a catered lunch using single use plastics. Great topic for discussion, but the man didn’t throw the containers in the ocean. Also let’s not judge a person’s commitment based on sm posts. SH can literally, yes ladies literally never win. Thankfully the causes he supports do. I dare you to disagree.

Verdict: Smart

5A. SH’s dating life

According to an extremely ardent part of this fandom, SH has dated😉 every fit blonde 👱‍♀️ within a 250 mile radius of everywhere. I wish that someone would keep track of all the mysterious initials and lack of any literal proof of these women. This is where I separate the snark from the hater’s. While I’m in owe of the investigative skills of some, and enjoy the gossip-even though mom thought gossip was a sin, sorry mom- not all women aka initials welcome the attention. Any woman save CB that SH is remotely warranted or not attached to, has an avalanche of hate comments and 💩emoji in their future, welcome or not. Personally, I believe SH, goes out of his way to protect the people he cares about, and perhaps even those he may not. I think we can agree he is not a monk. However an actor is entitled to privacy. Ginger Jesus included.

5B. SH ‘s Sexuality

From the beginning, 3 years for me, I’ve read posts about someone who knew a friend of a friend of a bartender’s friend who knew for a fact SH had a boyfriend. WTF. You know the drought is real when this bullshit gets recycled. We all know the question has been asked and answered by SH. More than once. Next.

Verdict: SH keeping his private life private: Smart as hell.

6. SH and the use of all things Outlander related

If you don’t get it, I don’t have the time and am too lazy to explain it to you.

Verdict: Smart. Smart as hell

7. SH and CB

The only real problem here is obvious. And I don’t know why the fans or even the haters- btw, I use the term haters like I do profanity- perhaps not the best word, but like GFY, FU, MF, C, etc. I’m lazy and it saves time and no confusion to whom I address. So where the actual f&ck is the audition tape we all want to see? You know the part of which I speak. If only the fandom investigators could put aside any petty differences and uncover the SH, CB chemistry kiss tape? I’m not saying it will be a unifying and CTJ moment, but it would give SH fans something to make the drought less….thirsty.

No verdict necessary. 👩‍❤️‍💋‍👨😚😉

And last but definitely not least…

8. SH and Thirst Traps

Ladies, because of Outlander and all things Outlander related, we’ve had the pleasure to observe SH from every view and lovely angle. Come on, if you 👀 closely it’s all there. Why the actual f&ck people in this fandom have a problem with his shirtless posts is beyond me. Not only is he promoting the results a good fitness regime can produce, he is literally, yes literally giving his fans something they want. And don’t even try me with- you’re treating him like an object. This is a 100% consensual relationship. And if the word “hater” seems harsh about the same gang that complains and shits all over his shirtless thirst traps, then please find me a better name.

Verdict: Smart as hell and thank you

So for those who may not get it, this post is silly and something for my handful of friends or any SH fan to have a laugh. If anyone has the patience to read the entire thing😉 So any comments are welcome, but to the people or person sending awful and cowardly anon messages: save your time. Or GFY. See what I did there?🤓

[jingwei]

Class A Event Cafe Business Model

Analyzing Gakushu's school festival business plan from a comprehensive finance and psychological perspective reveals several key strengths and potential risks. I'll delve into the intricacies of the revenue model, cost structure, operational efficiency, and psychological tactics for a nuanced understanding of his business strategy and its implications. (This may get wordy.)

The event cafe's primary revenue source is the 500 yen entrance fee, which provides attendees with free food, drinks, and access to performances. This model banks on repeat visits, assuming high engagement levels. The psychological underpinning here is the ‘fear of missing out’ (FOMO), as events are scheduled at one-hour intervals, creating urgency and encouraging multiple payments.

Examining the cost structure, Gakushu’s reliance on free performances by pop stars pals and comedian buddies significantly cuts entertainment expenses. This cost-saving measure, however, hinges on personal relationships, posing sustainability risks. If these relationships wane or if performers seek compensation in the future, it could disrupt the cost structure. Since this is a fictional case scenario, I'm going with the possibility that Gakushu's network can be relied on.

The endorsement deal with Suzume Izakaya food services provides substantial financial support and in-kind contributions. This sponsorship not only reduces operational costs but also enhances the festival’s credibility, as Suzume Izakaya’s brand reputation can attract more visitors who trust the quality of the food and beverages.

Offering free food and drinks is a double-edged sword. On one hand, it is an attractive feature that can draw a large number of attendees, enhancing perceived value and satisfaction. On the other hand, it presents a significant cost burden. Effective inventory management and supplier negotiations are crucial to balance cost and supply. There is also a risk of overconsumption, which must be managed to avoid resource depletion.

Operational efficiency is another critical component of Gakushu's plan. Organizing events at one-hour intervals on different stages maximizes space and time utilization, keeping the audience engaged and minimizing downtime. This continuous engagement strategy ensures that attendees are constantly entertained, increasing the likelihood of repeat entrance fee payments. The immediate start of subsequent events also helps maintain a steady flow of visitors, reducing congestion and enhancing the overall customer experience.

Psychologically, the one-hour event intervals create a sense of urgency and scarcity, compelling attendees to make quick decisions to attend multiple events. This tactic leverages the psychological principle that limited availability increases perceived value, driving higher engagement and repeat visits.

The use of celebrity performances taps into social proof and authority. Featuring well-known pop stars and comedians draws their fan bases and generates buzz, enhancing the festival’s attractiveness. This social influence can significantly boost attendance, as people tend to follow the actions of those they admire. The endorsement by Suzume Izakaya also adds an element of authority and trust, reassuring attendees about the quality and safety of the festival’s offerings.

The all-inclusive 500 yen entrance fee creates a high perceived value, making attendees feel they are getting a good deal. This pricing strategy increases their willingness to pay, especially when considering the continuous entertainment and free provisions. The plan also aims to foster customer loyalty by ensuring a captivating experience that encourages repeat visits.

Quoting what the Virtuosos said, such a complex and multifaceted plan is particularly challenging for a third-year junior high student. The management skills required to coordinate performances, manage resources, negotiate partnerships, and ensure operational efficiency are significant. Gakushu’s ability to pull off this plan and win the school festival showcases exceptional organizational and leadership skills. This ability to leverage personal networks and psychological principles to drive engagement and revenue are commendable. Successfully managing such a demanding project at 15 could be foreshadowing of his future as an executive when he started a business in Silicon Valley after receiving an MBA at MIT.

[hestzhyen]

Kagurabachi, Family, and Abuse

(This is kind of heavy, so please take care if you choose to read.)

I can't stress enough how much I love Kagurabachi for it's nuanced takes on complicated issues. Legacy, abuse, trauma, and the people involved in these cycles- very sensitive stuff that should be handled with great care. So this manga taking the time to examine issues with delicacy is surprising for an action series where the MC and his foes lose limbs on the regular. The Rakuzaichi arc won me over heart and soul because of how it tackled abusive families in particular.

I don't think it's controversial to say that leaving your abusers behind to focus on yourself is a key part of healing. But when family is involved, that component tends to get scrambled or lost entirely. Somehow if it's a relative or a sibling or a parent, the situation is changed. The victim should try harder to work things out. The onus is on them to find out what's wrong and fix it somehow; become less vulnerable. Even the most saintly, well-meaning ally can fall into the trap of telling the victim that blood-related abusers somehow deserve extra grace. They're abusers but they're also family, after all. Families love each other and good intentions should mean a lot.

We see it all the time in media too. A parent lashes out in anger. A sibling destroys precious, irreplaceable mementos. A cousin bullies and their parents do nothing. Blood relations hit and hurt and do awful things. But family is family at the end of the day, so they come together to heal with tears and apologies. Everyone is suffering in some way but it'll be okay if they stick together and work through the pain. Pan out, roll credits.

Obviously the Sazanami clan was far more skewed towards villainy than what we see in the real world. But the extra context given to Kyoura right before his death humanized all of them. They were abusers who were trapped in the cycle by misguided devotion to familial duty. And now that the cycle is broken, the family has their chance to heal. Braidbro was told to help the little kids and honor Tenri's sacrifice by letting them avoid his fate, so hopefully they manage it. No more slavish devotion to the auction above familial bonds. They can come together with tears and apologies and work towards a better future.

Yet Hakuri won't be there to see it.

In another series, he might have stayed to help after working with Chihiro proved he was strong enough to stand on his own. Hakuri could have rebuilt the family with a new purpose since he's the first since the progenitor to naturally inherit the subspace sorcery. He'd have the clout to do it, being the only one able to ensure business returns to normal. He even landed the killing blow on Soya to prove his resolve and signal a shift in the family's status quo. It would have been even more vindication for him to go from family embarrassment to patriarch, and who doesn't love it when the underdog comes out on top? He could be the one to fix things! But taking over the family would have truly been a bad end for him- proof that he was still trapped.

Because what could possibly make up for what Hakuri endured all that time? No amount of crying and saying sorry and promising to do better heals an abuse victim. Braidbro and Sazasis could make sure he's waited on hand and foot for the rest of his life but the damage was done long ago. The emotional pain lingers far longer than the broken bones and torn skin. Even if Soya was the only one going so far as to use peelers and pliers on him, Hakuri was abused by all of them. They all agreed -implicitly or tacitly- to ostracize him and give him the worst jobs. We saw him getting ganged up on to be kicked and gut-punched. Kyoura wasn't the only one to deliberately look away. Hakuri's torture was a family affair.

So to see him walk free of it all makes my heart soar. Because Hokazono fucking gets it. The victim shouldn't be on the hook to lead the reform effort once the situation is exposed. They shouldn't even have to participate in group therapy. In order to truly heal, they need to leave. And Hakuri choosing to do so was framed as the best possible thing he could have done in the moment, thank god. No "but they're still family" guilt tripping from the author here. Hell, Hokazono even went out of his way to make sure Shiba gave Hakuri a clear out. Fuck rehabilitating abusive families thanks to the victim's hard work. Fuck glorifying victims becoming irreproachable ubermensches to stop "inviting" abuse. And a flying fuck off to giving the family the benefit of the doubt by waiting around to witness the improvement process. Hakuri is finally free to move on without looking back, as is every victim's right.

Kagurabachi went above and beyond my expectations for having this be the culmination of his arc. I was a bit worried that a story so strongly focused on family bonds would fall into the same pitfalls as many before it. I've been burned by authors mishandling familial abuse with "family above all" messaging way too many times. But we saw that dumbass mindset blatantly and thoroughly deconstructed into fine particulate matter at the end of the Rakuzaichi arc. And it's really sold me on Hokazono's ideals and storytelling in a way that the Sojo arc didn't.

This manga is more than just flashy sword fights and considering how best to honor and interpret family legacies now. Sometimes, families and their legacies are in fact too toxic to be allowed to continue. And thank god the abused kid doesn't have to be the one to help the family fix their shit after it all comes crashing down. I hope future arcs continue to showcase this level of sensitivity and care for the different types of pain the characters are going through.

[diversestardewvalley]

Diverse Stardew Valley 4.0 Sneak Peak!

Hey everyone! DSV 4.0 is getting close to being done, so I thought I’d show off some of the cool stuff that’s gonna be included! 😊 I’ve also been sharing little snippets in the DSV Discord server recently, so if you’re not already a member, check our website for the link.

It’s pretty long and has a lot of images, so click through to see them!

The big news is that DSV 4.0 will move back to an all-in-one download (and will also be hosted on Nexus again) with a SMAPI component, DSV Core, which will consolidate all of the config options for more convenience. DSV Core is the hard work of KediDili from a concept originally by Nuztalgia!

It’ll also mean that other mods will be able to read your DSV config choices, which opens up a lot of potential for compatibility! Platonic Partners and Friendships users may be familiar with how this works, since PPAF has a similar feature and DSV is able to automatically provide compat depending on your PPAF config.

[image id: two screenshots from DSV Core showing a selection of configuration options. The first is a table of contents and the second shows some of the options available in the Global Options page.]

Options will be divided into different pages so that it’s not an overwhelming list of choices, and DSV Core will also automatically disable compatibility options for other mods if you don’t have that mod installed, so it’ll reduce some of the option clutter. We’ve also future-proofed the config so that you also won’t need to redo your config settings when we add more options in the future and added a function to automatically fix common typos in manually-edited config.jsons!

[image id: a screenshot showing DSV Core’s page of Compatibility options.]

As you can see in the screenshot above, 4.0 will also add dialogue for many characters related to DSV’s variants! This feature has been much requested and a lot of people have contributed dialogue, so thank you to everyone who wrote some lines for us 💖 If you’re interested in helping out with dialogue as well, feel free to join the DSV server and chat to us about it!

Another major content update will be DSV’s swimsuits! We’ve updated all of the swimsuits to have fresh new designs, and there’ll be a new option for every character with a beach swimsuit in the vanilla game to use either the vanilla design (with some minor tweaks to clean up art issues & match DSV’s bases) or the DSV design.

[image id: a selection of portraits from DSV showing the characters’ vanilla variants wearing the DSV Style swimsuits]

[image id: a selection of portraits and sprites from DSV showing the characters’ vanilla variants in a before and after of the default swimsuits on the left versus the updated Vanilla Style swimsuits on the right.]

Other stuff being included is a skintone saturation boost for modded Harvey and Black Emily and Haley, after feedback from our sensitivity checkers...

[image id: a before and after of DSV’s modded Harvey and Black Emily & Haley showing the difference in skintones.]

...new & updated outfits for some characters (Emily’s outfits are by Meowpix while Sebastian’s ao dai is by Elaho)...

[image id: a selection of portraits from DSV showing updated outfits for Abigail, Sebastian, and Emily.]

...compatibility with Life Cycle and other mods...

[image id: portraits for DSV’s modded Caroline, Emily, Kent, and Demetrius showing new formalwear.]

...options for small immersive features...

[image id: portraits for DSV’s modded and vanilla Abigail wearing a variety of goth makeup looks.]

...and saving the best for last, DSV’s best girl Marigold will be making a return with updated art! She’ll be a non-friendable NPC and will require Sprites in Detail as a temporary measure until SDV 1.6 is released, but she’ll also have more dialogue, including dialogue from Linus about her, and new animations 🐕‍🦺

[image id: a screenshot of Linus’s tent showing his service dog Marigold with larger updated sprites.]

Thanks to everyone that’s supported us and I hope you’re all hyped for DSV 4.0! 💖

[antiv3nom]

Bedman (Romeo)

omg havent had an excuse to talk abt bedman in a hot minute thank u anon...

favorite thing about them:

i love the tragedy of his story arc... that feels like a weird thing to say but its the first thing that came to mind! just. look. the road to hell paved with good intentions bit taken to the extreme really works here!!! the idea that he remembered the name of every person he ever killed because he was under the impression he could bring them all back, only to have the rug pulled from under him? hurts me! in the best way!!!

other than that i do enjoy his design, both romeo himself and the bed :] i wanna give my bedman cosplay another try sometime for sure, it didnt work out for various reasons but i have most of the components and would enjoy cosplaying him fr in the future

least favorite thing about them:

i think i dont really dislike anything about the way bedman is written in the source material strongly enough to point it out here? i think my main gripe is the way the fandom treats him to either extreme, like theres "bedman did nothing wrong ever" people and "bedman is horrific" people and i wish both camps would chill out and recognize hes like. a complex character? but i do think most people do this already which i can appreciate

favorite line:

im a little obsessed w his win line against may in xrd

"I do not understand humans who are motivated by love. A person is born, lives for a number of years, and interacts with up to eight billion people. What proof is there of something they can't even define?"

bc like. buddy. you dont even realize it. YOURE driven by love. all this shit wasnt just for yourself but it was for delilah too!!! fuck!!! you dont even see it as love you see it as necessary because shes that important to you!!! and dont even get me STARTED on the bed in strive and how its still running because of his last minute code additions which almost act as the last part of his will to protect delilah. GAHHHH

brOTP:

BEDMAN AND AXL INTERACTIONS. PLEASE. PLEASE. their dynamic is so interesting as characters with such fascinating ways of interacting with the world...gah. GAH. and no one fucking talks about it!!!

OTP:

sinbed. must i wlabo.

ok but i will, im not as into them as i was like a year ago but i still do really enjoy their dynamic. sin being such a beacon of hope and being so willing to see people as good contrasted with a post-xrd living bedman (bc all my sinbed stuff exists within au but im having fun out here so sue me) seeing himself as inherently evil due to his actions despite his intentions and believing no one would ever care for him? it hits for me

nOTP:

i dont know of anything off the top of my head that ive seen for him??? nothing prevalent at least.

actually on second thought i think ive seen like one instance of bedman and ram in a romantic sense, and that im not a fan of but i guess i could see the appeal, just not my thing

random headcanon:

this motherfucker would have gotten heated in some internet forums or wiki talk pages, DEDICATED to accuracy out here and he WILL fight you about it

unpopular opinion:

not entirely certain i have one? i think the "bedman while flawed is not actually a terrible person and was doing his best given his extremely fucked up circumstances" is a pretty cool take by this point for most people

i think the only thing i have is that my interpretation of bedman has always been as like a young adult rather than a kid but like i dont really have a concrete opinion on that and i totally understand people who do see him as a kid like its entirely understandable to do so

song i associate with them:

other than his character themes, its GOTTA be dramaturgy by eve, which just. it gives the vibes. read the english lyrics it will make sense i prommy

favorite image of them:

THE EEPER...

OTHER than this one its more an animation but his 6p in xrd is so silly i love it so bad...and for a more serious option his instant kill is really cool

[nightmarebeforenewsiesau]

...I want to preface this by saying why offed the character, before yall find out who he is.

Jack, although he was already upset to begin with, was ready to go back and fight again. He's determined, the only thing that can stop him is the knowledge that he's putting his friends in danger. But someone merely getting hurt isn't enough- he had a plan for that. I needed something he had no plan for, something that would pull him back down to earth really fast.

I also needed a character who, when their remains were found, the part of them that was found suggests that they might still be alright somewhere, which leads to Jack spiraling, only for him to realize they ARE dead and it's his fault.

My first idea was Crutchie.

Jack could have found his crutch. But aside from not wanting to put you all through that, that didn't seem distinctive enough as proof that Crutchie was hurt. And he couldn't have made it over to Jack fast enough to try and save him, so the explosive that hit him wouldn't have actually hit him- it would have hit Jack.

That's how I landed on the actual victim. He has a detachable component to him, which is a part of him that can be hurt, he is close to Jack, and he loses that part of him constantly, giving Jack the hope that he could be okay. He's fast acting, but quiet enough for Jack not to notice what he was doing until it was too late. He's also major enough for you all to care but minor enough not to break all of your hearts.

My one regret is the fact that someone reblogged a post with him in it obsessing over how much they love him. To that one (1) person, I am sorry- it was either him or Crutchie, and I promise I will draw more happy stuff of him in the future to make up for the fact that he died. If anything, it gives him an impactful, memorable role he wouldn't have had otherwise.

Now, without further, ado, your deceased (again) friend:

.

.

[maeve-is-annoying-about-books]

Dawntrail endpoint review

Or: Wow they really spent half an expansion setting up for this and I love it. You know the deal, spoilers and all. Random internet opinion machine go! ->

I feel like before I get into Heritage Found and Living Memory I gotta talk about Shaaloani. I'm really sorry but I feel like this area, above all others, is really reflective of how Dawntrail needed a hard editing pass. Just one.

To say it's bad would be a misnomer, but the area story as a whole is a little bit of a... a non-sequitur? We just got out of the Rite of Succession's big high point and now we're gonna visit Erenville's home but very little of what happens here relates to the story that comes before or after. A tweak or two and it'd flow a lot better, maybe a story more focused on how Koana's march of progress here affects people. This is a place balanced too far on the side of Reason, and perhaps Lamaty'i can send us here to add a little of the Resolve's flair and unite people. Or maybe I'd use it to focus more on reflection, and here we have something that really caught back my attention.

The trolley crew of the First are reflected here in the train crew and this? Was brilliant. It primed me to look for similar reflections in Alexandria's lands and was very rewarding and more than that I think it's a subtle show of the difference between souls and memories. The train crew are still the same intrepid enthusiasts at a core, true level. At least in terms of FFXIV's world, soul and memory are two different components of a person and the essential difference is demonstrated well with this tiny scene. I'd LOVE to have seen it more repeated across Shaaloani as the intersection between memories, souls, and even our environment.

Then Zoraal Ja happens, the bastard. He is the worst parts of the other three competitors for the throne combined. He always was, we just never see it because he's so obviously strong. There's no way he's insecure, right? But look again at his goal, he wants to unite the world, the only way he could possibly outperform his father and carve his name. He frames it as such a noble goal but the truth of it is what we see in the invasion. He is an insecure coward. He can't die for his cause like he demands others do. He's a piss-poor commander who only cares for terror. He borrows power from others and calls it his own. Lamaty'i thanks us, Koana accepts help, Bakool Ja Ja is at least indignant when his cohort joins the fight. Zoraal Ja is a sad man with a sad death. He'll devour those in his care if it means he can achieve his goal.

He never will. The blasted second head of his monstrous form says it all.

Sphene stands as the true counterpart to Lamaty'i. Wuk Lamat's arc wasn't finished when she took the throne, her plea to stay in Tural with her was proof of that. Like Sphene needing Zoraal Ja. And then, also like Sphene, she grows beyond this need and becomes more assured of her path, albeit it in a gentler and more loving way. If I were to put it in words, Sphene learned brutality from her dependence on Zoraal Ja, while Lamaty'i learns to be true to herself from the WoL's belief in her, thus bringing about the final acts for each, a diametric opposition both sides regret.

In the Dark Knight quests, the WoL (through their counterpart Myste) brings back the memories of others. Giving life to the thoughts of the departed. And it was just as unsustainable then as it is for Living Memory. We see how Myste has to constantly siphon living aether to perform this act and even then it's a vanishing and hollow thing. Most people who encounter our memories know they aren't really there. Living Memory is this act on a worldly scale. Living Memory devours life to produce itself. Living Memory is an eternal golden era perpetuated by feeding on the potential future and other cultures. It is, dare I say, colonialism made manifest. A foreign power who arrives without warning and takes and shapes a land and while it brings a higher standard of living, supposedly, the highest and most revered tier is beyond the reach or knowledge of most.

But. Living Memory is also a place to say goodbye. It's a heaven where you can rest easy knowing some piece of you will carry on and meet your lover again. Hang out with a long-lost friend. Make up with someone who became your enemy due to a mistake. It is an area filled with love and catharsis and beauty with a terrible price for its continued existence. But even if we found some way to infinitely fuel it, I don't think it would be any better of a place, because while your memories live on there, there is no one back in life who remembers you. No one to speak your name or trade a tale with. The people there are more dead than Gulool Ja Ja, a man who is remembered fondly, whose legacy binds disparate people together and whose wisdom guides a new generation. His hand still holds Lamaty'i's, even in death, while the Endless lose their place outside of this nostalgic world of twilight.

Just... fuck, dude. What an incredibly poignant story to tell, one that necessitated the story that came before. What a fitting one for the first expansion to come out after the TEN YEAR arc that led up to Endwalker. It's a story that asks itself how it can hope to stand up to the weight of a legendary legacy and takes its tumbles with aplomb to set the groundwork for a new tale to come. For a new generation and a new leg of the journey.

[davekat-sucks]

Feferi, Fefetasprite and ghost Nepfef (the ship) are the greatest proofs of wasted potential envolving a troll I've ever seen in hs.

It would be cool if the author remembered the relationship (by adoption) that Feferi has with the Egbert-Harley-Crocker-English and addressed Feferi as a "nice" aunt. I would like to see Feferi in the role of guardian of the Dream Bubbles and having relevance with the ghosts.

Fefetasprite interacting with Erisol and Arquius... it would be bittersweet, sad and emotional if given the opportunity to her (and not exploding).

And ghost Nepfef: They seemed to get along well in the dream bubbles, I would like to see some friendship, or maybe something more, appear there.

It's a shame that the author seems to hate Feferi and put that bootleg version of HIC in her place.

And yet, Andrew Hussie discarded Feferi. He says she is nothing more than a joke character like the rest of Blue Team, despite being tied to something bigger. And part of his excuse of not wanting her in is because he hates her typing quirk, thus would have other characters make an excuse to drop the )( thing. To continue pushing Feferi aside, people saw how the fandom was loving Aradia and uses her to replace Feferi as the one to guide the Dream Bubbles, despite the person with the best connections to Horrorterrors, especially to Gl'bgolyb. Aradia may be a Derse Dreamer like Feferi, but Gl'bgolyb had whispered prophecies about her future, likely with Sgrub and the events that come, to Feferi. Which is probably why she had trust and wanting to connect with the Beta Kids because her lusus told her what it is to come. The only other thing that would even come close to tying the horrorterrors with any other trolls would either be Gamzee or Eridan, due to the blood color of horrorterrors are a shade of purple or violet. It could have gone to either one due to them being villains. With Gamzee being part of Lord English that it becomes ironic that horrorterrors would share the same blood color as one of the components as their enemy or Eridan, the one that despite had helped Feferi to feed Gl'bgolyb, would also be the one to kill Feferi too in his despair and his action was needed to move the timeline along.

It would have been interesting for Nepeta and Feferi to have talked to each other either as their ghost selves or reflecting as they were as Fefpetasprite. Nepeta and Equius moirail relationship would be something that Feferi had thought she and Eridan were back then and would have wished it was back then. But then she hears about how Equius would try to make Nepeta keep distance from other lowbloods, it might get her to think twice about it. While in turn, Nepeta could sympathize that the people she had trusted or wanted to believe in, were not great or had left her for good. Cause at least for Nepeta, she can always fall back to Equius after death. But Feferi, she doesn't have anyone. It's not like she can go to Eridan if he is in an emotional mess for his actions that he feels guilty and believes distancing himself from her would be for the best. She can't go back to Sollux since he's back with Aradia, his real girlfriend. Her lusus died and the Dream Bubbles she and her other dead friends get to live in is her only evidence left that her lusus had cared for her. So who does Feferi have? Nobody. And that's sad. Feferi was brushed off as a joke character and Hussie created Meenah to apologize to Feferi fans. They couldn't have two fuchsiabloods because that would mean typing out similar quirks involving the )( thing. And Hussie prefers the femdom attitude that Meenah has over the sweet but passive aggressive Feferi. Because Meenah would be like Vriska. And we know how much Hussie likes Vriska. He loves her so much that we would have many other Vriska clones later on. That's why Meenah was even lesbians with Vriska. I really feel so sorry for Feferi fans.

[techdriveplay]

How to Set Up a Home Theater System

Creating a personal home theater system is a thrilling venture that can transform your living space into an immersive entertainment haven. “How to Set Up a Home Theater System” is not just about assembling the latest gadgets; it’s about crafting an experience that brings movies, games, and music to life. Whether you are a tech-savvy enthusiast or a novice, this guide will walk you through every…

[alias-milamber]

Parables of the Lost Voyage: McSweeties

In 1872, Angus McAdams founded McSweeties in Ayr, Scotland, selling sweetmeats from a cart in the market square. By the time before the fall, his business had been bought several times over, but the glutenous jelly figures that were their major product would still have been recognised by their creator, though the recipe had been changed many times to first be better, and later, cheaper. With the advent of generalised AI and cheap production came the marketing campaign that would change their future: The McSweetie Doll.

A thick rubbery doll made to look like the sweets they were selling, all named Angus after their mascot, a humanoid jelly sweet with a crown. In various colours, about 20cm tall. They could be posed to sit, and had cheap cameras and animatronics and a simple GAI so they could complete their primary function: To listen to kids talk about their day, make appropriate comments, and then tell the kids they'd been good enough to deserve a bag of McSweeties.

Parents loved not having to listen to their children about the inanities of school! Kids loved actually getting attention! The corporation loved the kids (and parents) buying the sweets!

Made with stock components to be as cheap as possible, McSweeties parent company churned these out by the tens of thousands, giving them away where they couldn't sell them, but The Fall wasn't kind to the confectionary industry, and soon McSweeties and all its brand and assets was up for a fire sale.

The bright spark at Brunswick Security who bought it for a song found it made her career, as with a small firmware patch over the network they suddenly had the most widespread surveillance network ever put into private hands. Those McSweeties that weren't already in homes marched out of their warehouses in legions, to sit atop walls and inside bushes, and sell what they saw to anyone who would buy it.

Brunswick's automaton division - still McSweeties - is now its most profitable sector, barely mindful dolls of all shapes and sizes, though the cheap rubber and aluminium skeletons of the original models have long been replaced by bullet-proof resins and reinforced titanium structures. As cutely as they waddle, they're terrifying when they run, and if you can see the adorably crowned doll-sized sweetie perched on a shelf, you may have missed the eight foot mountain of impenetrable green rubber that's softly lumbering from behind you.

--

(The Parables of the Lost Voyage are a short series of fiction pieces exploring the world around an Eclipse Phase campaign I’m planning)

[devoqdesign]

Responsive vs. Adaptive: Choosing the Right Design Approach for Web and Mobile

In today's digital landscape, creating a seamless user experience across various devices is crucial for the success of any website or application. With the proliferation of smartphones, tablets, and desktops of varying sizes, designers and developers face the challenge of ensuring their content looks great and functions well on all screens. Two popular approaches have emerged to tackle this challenge: responsive design and adaptive design. In this blog post, we'll explore both methods, their pros and cons, and help you decide which one might be the best fit for your project.

Understanding Responsive Design

Responsive design is an approach that aims to create a fluid and flexible layout that automatically adjusts to fit the screen size of the device it's being viewed on. This method uses CSS media queries to modify the design and layout based on the viewport width, allowing the content to "respond" to the user's device.

Key Features of Responsive Design:

Fluid Grids: The layout is based on proportional percentages rather than fixed pixel values.

Flexible Images: Images scale within their containing elements to prevent them from displaying outside their parent container.

CSS Media Queries: These allow different styles to be applied based on the device's characteristics, primarily screen width.

Advantages of Responsive Design:

One Design for All Devices: Developers only need to create and maintain a single version of the website.

Future-Proof: As new devices with different screen sizes emerge, responsive designs can often accommodate them without major changes.

Cost-Effective: Generally less expensive to implement and maintain compared to creating separate designs for each device type.

SEO-Friendly: Google recommends responsive design, which can potentially improve search engine rankings.

Disadvantages of Responsive Design:

Performance Challenges: The same content is loaded for all devices, which can lead to slower load times on mobile devices.

Complex Implementation: Creating a truly responsive design that works well across all devices can be challenging and time-consuming.

Limited Control: Designers have less control over how the layout appears on specific devices.

Understanding Adaptive Design

Adaptive design, also known as adaptive layout, takes a different approach. Instead of creating a fluid design that changes continuously with the screen size, adaptive design detects the device type and loads a pre-set layout designed specifically for that device's screen size.

Key Features of Adaptive Design:

Multiple Fixed Layouts: Typically, designers create layouts for common screen sizes (e.g., 320px, 480px, 760px, 960px, 1200px, and 1600px).

Server-Side Components: Often involves server-side detection of the user's device to serve the appropriate layout.

Device-Specific Optimizations: Each layout can be tailored to the specific capabilities and constraints of target devices.

Advantages of Adaptive Design:

Optimized Performance: Each device receives only the resources and code necessary for its specific layout, potentially improving load times.

Greater Control: Designers have more precise control over how the site looks on specific devices.

Tailored User Experience: The design can be customized to take advantage of device-specific features or accommodate limitations.

Disadvantages of Adaptive Design:

Higher Development Costs: Creating and maintaining multiple layouts for different devices can be more time-consuming and expensive.

Less Flexible: May require updates when new devices with different screen sizes become popular.

Potential for Redundant Code: If not managed carefully, adaptive designs can lead to duplicate code across different layouts.

Choosing the Right Approach

Deciding between responsive and adaptive design depends on various factors specific to your project. Here are some considerations to help guide your choice:

When to Choose Responsive Design:

New Projects: For new websites or applications, responsive design is often the go-to choice due to its flexibility and future-proofing.

Content-Heavy Sites: Blogs, news sites, and other content-focused platforms often benefit from the simplicity of responsive design.

Limited Budget: If resources are constrained, responsive design can be more cost-effective in the long run.

SEO Priority: If search engine optimization is a primary concern, responsive design aligns well with Google's recommendations.

When to Choose Adaptive Design:

Existing Sites: When retrofitting an existing desktop site for mobile, adaptive design can sometimes be easier to implement.

Performance-Critical Applications: For sites where speed is crucial, adaptive design's ability to serve optimized content for each device can be beneficial.

Complex Functionality: If your site has features that require significantly different interfaces on mobile vs. desktop, adaptive design offers more control.

E-commerce Platforms: Online stores might benefit from adaptive design's ability to tailor the shopping experience to different devices.

Hybrid Approaches

It's worth noting that the choice between responsive and adaptive design isn't always binary. Some projects benefit from a hybrid approach that combines elements of both:

RESS (Responsive Design + Server Side Components): This approach uses responsive design as a base but incorporates server-side components to optimize certain elements for specific devices.

Adaptive Content: Some sites use a responsive layout but adapt the content served based on the device, combining the flexibility of responsive design with the performance benefits of adaptive content delivery.

Conclusion

Both responsive and adaptive design have their place in modern web development. Responsive design offers simplicity and flexibility, making it a great choice for many projects, especially those starting from scratch. Adaptive design, while potentially more complex to implement, can provide performance benefits and a more tailored user experience for specific devices.

Ultimately, the best approach depends on your project's specific needs, target audience, and resources. Consider factors such as your content, desired user experience, development resources, and maintenance capabilities when making your decision. In some cases, a hybrid approach that leverages the strengths of both methods might be the optimal solution.

Devoq Design is a premier UI/UX design agency with a strong presence in both Kolkata and Asansol. As a leading UI/UX design agency in Kolkata, Devoq Design specializes in crafting visually engaging and user-centric digital experiences tailored to the specific needs of local businesses. Similarly, as a top UI/UX design agency in Asansol, Devoq Design excels in delivering innovative design solutions that enhance user interaction and satisfaction. With a team of skilled designers dedicated to excellence, Devoq Design ensures that each project is customized to meet the unique requirements of their diverse clientele, driving growth and success in both cities.

[sirfrogsworth]

The last thing my mom bought me was a fancy A/V receiver. She got some inheritance after her mom passed and wanted to do something nice for me since I took care of her and dad pretty much all by myself.

She died shortly after it arrived and I didn't even take it out of the box for over a year. I didn't hook it up until after my dad died. I don't know why I took so long. I guess for a long time it just didn't feel all that important anymore.

It has a lot of features and a lot of power and it seems really good... on paper.

The plan was to install 4 ceiling speakers and add two more floor speakers to get a 7.1.4 Dolby Atmos experience in my basement bedroom. I would be able to have sound come from literally every direction. (Well, not from below.)

That is still a plan, but I have had to postpone all of that due to budget cuts. The fancy receiver has been relegated to a measly 3.1 experience since I moved upstairs. I'm considering converting the upstairs living room into my home theater instead of my bedroom. I'd have a little more space and higher ceilings for the Atmos speakers, but I'd lose the concrete floor of the basement. So I'd have to figure out how to temper the vibrations of the subwoofer into our creaky floor.

ANYWAY.

The problem is... the actual day-to-day operation of this fancy receiver has been super quirky and frustrating.

The thing people may not realize about high end electronics is that they always have their issues. You'd think they'd be bug-free for that price, but it is usually quite the opposite. You have to figure out what all the bugs are and then research all of the workarounds in forums and eventually you'll learn a workflow to make the device function for your needs.

Part of the reason is that the higher the price, the more features they cram in, the more that can go wrong. But a lot of it is just poor software development. They focus almost all of their attention on getting the hardware right.

It's a maddening troubleshooting process and sometimes makes you want to buy that Sonos crap or maybe even... Bose. *shiver*

But this receiver has been *extra* buggy. I was a little disappointed by this. And I felt guilty for hating this wonderful gift my mom gave me. I have this Yamaha receiver that was a third of the price and it functions wonderfully.

Or maybe I just think that because I've already figured out all the quirks and workarounds.

No, I'm pretty sure the Yamaha has been a fairly smooth experience.

I kinda love my old Yamaha.

And I also love that they make pianos and motorcycles and drums and marching band equipment and sporting goods and boats.

Yamaha was all...

It's just that Yamaha doesn't have the Dirac calibration system included like the Onkyo and everyone on the forums said that was a big deal. So I abandoned the trusty Yamaha brand for Onkyo and it's 130 watts and 11 channels of processing and HDMI 2.1 future proofing.

The other day I noticed something extra weird with the Onkyo. My Nvidia Shield (another amazing yet frustrating device) was outputting a 5.1 signal. But my receiver thought it was stereo.

Another bug.

So I headed to the forums and found the solution. I had to turn off "Dolby processing" in a deep submenu of a submenu in my Shield settings. My receiver already does Dolby processing so I guess I was doing double Dolby processing and that is like crossing the streams in Ghostbusters.

Weirdly, this fixed like half of my issues. I don't know how in the world I was supposed to know this one setting buried deep in the menus was causing all this havoc. But it has made me go from wanting to yeet this thing out the window and get a Bose clock radio... to mostly enjoying the experience of having a fancy receiver.

It still handles HDMI switching as if it is having a stroke, but I have found if you turn everything off and power on the Shield FIRST and then all the other components, I can prevent most of the stroke symptoms.

Though sometimes it takes 3 tries.

Onkyo: SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT??? WHAT'S THAT??

In any case, THANKS MOM!

I'm sure I will love your gift when I have 12 speakers blaring at me from every direction.

[april]

SFF PC cases: make maintenance difficult

"future-proofing" when buying PC components: only makes sense if upgrading down the line is difficult or impossible

synthesis: a future-proofed SFF PC is less stupid of an idea than a future-proofed non-SFF PC

counterpoint: just don't spend money on overpriced components OR make your life difficult on purpose? (needs research)