#gamified performance

[milkymarco7]

Decided to join in on the whole gamified Stone thing cause omg it's one of my fav things I love every single fanart I see of him!!!

This movie and Lee Majdoubs performance is genuinely the best inspiration ever and the most fun I have had making art in years!!

I couldn't decide on one design so I made a normal version and an emo Stone lol

[suchawrathfullamb]

Fic systems, plot ideas and worlds:

The Chain of Mirrors

Premise: In this world, everyone is born with a mirrored twin in a parallel realm known only as The House Below. Elite families have learned how to breach the veil and bind their mirror twins, using them as living reservoirs of consciousness, memory, or vitality.

Control: Through rituals involving mirrors, light, and sigilized gestures, the elite can swap experiences with their mirrors offloading guilt, shame, aging, or madness into their double, leaving themselves purified and serene.

Slavery: Some mirrors escape. They take over their surface-world counterpart and use their knowledge to rise, forming secret resistance sects. These groups use reverse mirrors (glass etched with blood) to corrupt the ritual system.

Vibe: Endless reflection, inner labyrinths, identity theft on a metaphysical scale. The real you is always watching. Or trapped.

The Inversion Lottery

Premise: Once a year, the lottery chooses 100 people to have their lives reversed: rich to poor, poor to rich, healthy to sick, safe to hunted. You don't just inherit status, you inherit that person's enemies, debts, lovers. Only the ones who can maintain their new role without dying or rebelling get to keep their spot.

Spectacle: A state-sponsored reality show, where the transitions are broadcast, and citizens vote on who is doing "best" at adapting. Rebellion brews among the "discarded" former elite.

Themes: Empathy through forced role-reversal, instability of power, performative suffering

The Siren Game

Premise: Once a year, coastal nations engage in the Siren Game, a political and spiritual event where selected humans offer themselves as "Wards" to the mermaids in exchange for a year of peaceful seas and ecological balance.

Twist: The Game isn’t just a sacrifice, it’s a courtship. Mermaids bind to humans through intricate rituals of perception: mimicry, pain-sharing, mirrored dance. If the mermaid is satisfied, they bind permanently and return to the deep with the human. If not, the human is left mad or half-transformed.

Cultural Layer: Ward selection is televised, ritualized, gamified. Some treat it as honor, some as death sentence. Underground networks attempt to smuggle in volunteers who are dying or dissident, to subvert the spectacle.

Vibe: Dark mythology meets ritual performance art, state-endorsed romantic horror, sea as liminal trial.

[alternativeeducation-10]

Here are seven ways to make programming more engaging for beginners.

Introduction

For newcomers, programming might be frightening. For many, the new material's syntax, logic, and sheer amount might be depressing. Nonetheless, programming doesn't have to be very difficult or tiresome. Programming can be made more engaging and fulfilling by incorporating innovative, enjoyable, and useful methods. This article will examine seven methods for improving novice programmers' engagement, which will make learning programming easier and more pleasurable.

1. Start With Visual Programming Tools

Start with visual programming tools like Scratch, Blockly, or Tynker before writing complex code. Using these platforms, novices can drag and drop code blocks to construct simple programs, games, and animations. Visual tools make learning more interactive and enjoyable by breaking down complicated programming concepts and provide instantaneous visual feedback.

Benefits:

Improves understanding of programming fundamentals.

Allows newcomers to see the effects of their efforts immediately.

Encourages creativity through cartoons and games.

2. Focus On Interactive Learning Platforms

Students can write code directly in their browsers and see the results in real time with interactive classes offered by platforms like Codecademy, Khan Academy, and freeCodeCamp. These platforms often provide assistance or instant feedback and break down programming into manageable tasks. Interactive learning helps users solve difficulties and keeps the learning process moving forward while lowering irritation.

Benefits:

Immediate feedback allows for easy error correction.

Lessons are organised into convenient parts.

Gamified learning systems can help to sustain engagement.

3. Work On Real-Life Projects Early

Learning programming through real-world applications increases its relevance and fun factor. Novices can concentrate on projects that pique their interest, such creating a simple app, automating a tedious task, or creating a personal website. Students get a feeling of purpose from real-world projects, which piques their interest in coding and makes them more enthusiastic about it.

Benefits:

Improves understanding of theoretical concepts.

Increases confidence as students create actual things.

Offers a clear purpose and a sense of accomplishment.

4. Learn Through Games

Learning programming can be facilitated by creating or playing games. Some examples of platforms and games designed specifically for teaching programming are CodeCombat, Robocode, and CheckiO. Through the resolution of code puzzles, students advance in these games that transform coding assignments into adventures.

Benefits:

Creates a fun and competitive learning atmosphere.

Encourages critical thinking and problem-solving skills.

Engages students who may find standard lessons unappealing.

5. Incorporate Pair Programming

When two programmers work together on a single task, it's called pair programming. Real-time code reviews are performed by one person after it has been written. Through discussion and shared knowledge, this collaborative learning approach helps students acquire problem-solving methods while also making programming more socially engaging.

Benefits:

Promotes teamwork and communication skills.

Provides fast feedback and reduces errors.

Helps to overcome learning plateaus through shared expertise.

6. Celebrate Small Wins

Programming can occasionally seem like a laborious process with little payoff, especially when faced with challenging problems. It's crucial to acknowledge small accomplishments in order to stay motivated. Acknowledging successes, no matter how small, can give much-needed morale support.

Benefits:

Encourages an optimistic approach to learning.

Recognising progress helps to boost confidence.

Reinforces a growth mentality, increasing learners’ resilience.

7. Join Coding Communities

Learning to program could be more enjoyable if you're a part of a helpful group. Newcomers can participate in local coding meetings and online forums like Stack Overflow and GitHub. These websites offer opportunities for collaboration, mentoring, and inspiration from people who share similar interests.

Benefits:

Access to a plethora of common knowledge.

Promotes collaboration on open-source initiatives.

Creates a network of mentors and peers to share experiences and insights.

Conclusion

By using these suggestions, learning to program doesn't have to be a daunting task; instead, it can be interesting and fun. In order to keep beginners interested in programming and inspired, we at the School of Coding & AI employ a variety of strategies, including interactive tools, real-world projects, and community involvement.

[vague-humanoid]

The Anatomy of the Best Actress Snub: Cruel Tokenism and the Myth of Objectivity

In this video I discuss the very much disputed Best Actress category at the Oscars, also known as the Academy Awards, and how the winner not only displays our own racial and age biases towards women, but also assumes that “the system works” because despite the nominees very different life circumstances, they're all being judged “objectively”, when that couldn’t be further from the truth. Lastly, I also talk about how giving awards for the ‘best’ films and performances of the year further gamifies art and continues to uphold capitalism by assuming competition not only brings out the “best” in us, but also is the ‘natural’ order of things.

[zimt-deathnote]

I don’t know about you but I always felt like Wammys was the kind of institution to have such strict rules and precautions to prevent students from cheating that if anyone actually managed they’d be rewarded for it. Like if you go through the test with information hidden on you or in the classroom at your disposal, nobody catches you, and then you give proof that you did after the test is over, your stealthiness and strategy will be added to your score.

Like teachers would be like keeping the locations where tests will take place like it was a state secret and stuff. Meanwhile students of Wammys take daring to cheat as a test of courage that only idiots would take.

And since it’s the amongst the most difficult dare I imagined Mello challenging Near to do it together, to see who comes up with the better strategy. And since Near found the idea interesting he accepted, leading to the greatest betting circle of the Wammy’s house amongst the children and even more severe controls from teachers when voice spread out that the two brightest of the institution were going to try the impossible feat.

Dunnow if Matt would participate. Either he’d find more effortless to just study a bit last minute or he’s secretly a master of cheating who’s completely uninterested in explaining his tactics to teachers for extra points. I’m leaning towards the second one.

How would things play out?

What do you think? Thought it might be an interesting idea 😅

Yeah fun thought! Here's some counterquestions:

Realistically, this would reward kids to cheat and even encourage it, wouldn't it? Very unfair to the kids who actually try to play fair. Wouldn't gamifying cheating take the focus away from learning the actual stuff they're supposed to learn? Cause of course tricking the adults and proving their wits is fun and I feel like this would lead to a big portion of the kids putting more effort into scheming on how to cheat than to actually learn.

And revealing how the kids cheated would only tighten security measures, wouldn't it? I would think that every new method noted can't be used in future exams. How far would this spiral? Handcuffing the kids to their desk? Forcing them to wear blinders like horses? Putting them in solitary confinement for the duration of the test? Stripping them before taking the test?

At that point, you could question the whole common exam structure, develping new and hopefully healthier ways to test the competence of students without judging them by how well they perform in a high pressure scenario where they have to sit still for a couple hours, regurgitate facts and feel the pressure to cheat the system to be worth something if they fail. If the school is so open minded to reward students for cheating, they would use the open mindedness to invent tests where cheating doesn't even make sense.

Lemme know your thoughts!

[jules-has-notes]

collaboration spotlight — Video Game Obsession by Thomas Sanders

Having a vivd imagination can be a wonderful thing. Being able to concentrate on tasks for several hours can be beneficial… or detrimental, depending on whether it's what you're supposed to be doing. As our lives become increasingly "gamified", it can be hard to maintain a separation between everyday responsibilities and recreational activities. Particularly when your brain latches onto a new hyperfixation. Just be careful not to take things too far.

Details:

title: Playing a Game Until It's All You Can Think About

performers: Thomas Sanders (Thomas); Joan Stokes (Joan); AJ Hentges (Greg); Esteban Alvarez III (Mr. Miller); T. Robert Pigott (Mr. Hendrickson); Quil Cauchon (Lily); Valerie Torres-Rosario (Dorcas); Dalton Cotter (Matt); Helaina Wize, Brianna Fogden, & Mike Marin (co-workers)

written by: Thomas Sanders & Joan Stokes

filmed & edited by: PattyCake Productions

release date: 3 April 2020

My favorite bits:

the game-styled chapter cards describing the mundane plot in fantastical terms

the ways the office and fantasy worlds bleed into each other

"I will see to't." 🙂 "You will see to't?" 🤨 "I will see to't". 😤

Thomas's impassioned speech about camaraderie, and one co-worker's hesitant applause

"Something's… happening… again."

his dramatic three-point landing on the kitchenette floor

the reward on the final quest card being infinite money 💰

Mr. Hendrickson's complete change of demeanor, and everyone's protracted unison expression of incredulity

"Ooh, cupcakes!" 🧁

Trivia:

○ This video was filmed in early March, just before lockdown began.

○ PattyCake called on several regular cast members from their own projects to play the denizens of the office.

Robby and Helaina play Captain Hook and Mother Goethel, respectively, in The Villains Lair series.

Brianna is a swing performer and makeup artist for both the Villains Lair and The Princess Academy series.

Mike was featured in the "Disney Girls Like You" and "10,000 Hours" videos in the previous year.

○ Valerie had previously appeared opposite Thomas as one of the ladies-in-waiting in Malinda's music video for "Don't Make Me", also produced by PattyCake.

[thegreencooler]

Amends

I don't usually dip my toe in the drama pool. At least not too deeply. But what's going on in fandom this week, the revelations, were extreme. The people who have come forward... they were in a cult. I am not being overdramatic about this. Gamifying harassment, forcing disconnections like Scientology, needing everyone to observe the same talking points or risk ostracism, leadership using it for money, criminal behavior towards those The Guru has deemed the Out-Group including members who don't conform heavily enough... That's a cult. The internet has made cult behavior REALLY easy. Likes and engagement make you suddenly aware of which direction your circle is leaning. If you agree, YOU TOO GET POINTS. You too will experience that sense of belonging, and that's what it's all about. So if your circle is being outright mean... if you don't want to be cast off as "not one of them"... maybe you say the mean thing too, even if it's a lie, even if you're not really sure why you're saying it. That approval feels SUPER GOOD and is addictive. And your circle amps each other up, gets meaner and meaner. The only people who stay in the in-group are those who don't speak up about the bad behavior and are willing to keep going along with it. Those aren't friendships. It's a pack of hungry carnivores. It's the same behaviors police gangs use on cops who speak up. I do have some sympathy, especially for the younger people who were still forming their identities. They were victims of indoctrination and criminal harassment. That said, they have to own their own behavior. I hope they learn and grow. They're going to have to have some self-reflection on what they've done, the lies told, the hate, the virulent -isms that were expressed, and literal crimes that were performed in the name of fitting in and winning some points with the clique. They're also going to have to reassess who their out-group is, why they even NEED an out-group over fandom things, and if there are still people in their schema who they have an impulse to hate for no reason.... because of a ship or actor preference. They're going to have to question all the lies they were told and if they are still holding onto hate based on that. That's hard if they aren't even sure what the lies were. It's going to be a process for them. We should give people the space and grace to get better. To deprogram themselves. But this does not mean there needs to be automatic forgiveness. Nobody needs to like anyone. But nobody needs to hate anyone either. Maybe the middle ground is we can grow some indifference or the ability to say, "I'm letting it go, this person is in progress, I can't control their journey, the ball is in their court."

If you were behaving badly, you've earned the suspicion of the people you hurt. A few of you are expressing amends, which is wonderful. But part of the thing with making amends is that you don't get to control the outcome. You make a genuine apology for EXACTLY what you've done, you own your part in it, and you don't make excuses... and from there, people may accept what you've said and they may not. They may forgive you immediately, they may take time, they may never forgive you. You have to learn to be good with that. It can be uncomfortable, to feel disliked, ESPECIALLY if the reason you got into the cult was because of that sense of belonging. Your impulse may be to keep giving explanations of how the group influenced you, to distance yourself. You may tell yourself, "I'm not that person, this isn't really me, it was the group." You want to be seen as CHANGED - virginal and new because you made the hard choice to finally leave the cult. ...It isn't that easy. You want the space and grace and you should get that. But guess what? You need to give that to others, too. You need to understand that people have real reasons to distrust you if you were exhibiting cruelty. And part of doing the work to make amends is the actual work. If you're serious about it, it means a lot of difficult self-reflection. You need to take an unflinching look at WHY you could ignore or participate in racism and lord knows plenty of other -isms, why outright defamation and death threats to actors and other fans were okay, why doxing people and trying to get them fired was seen as fair game, why trying to make someone feel hated and terrible about themselves was your impulse, why you were giggling and congratulating yourself for leaning into your worst impulses...until the group turned on you. Because that's the truth of the situation. You now have that self-knowledge of what you're willing to participate in. The question now is what are you going to do with that? I hope it includes therapy and I don't mean that glibly. I think it's possible there are some internet addictions going on where people crave the rush of getting Likes and engagement... and ragefarming is the best way to get engagement. If that's true... it will be EXTREMELY easy to move from the space of performing FOR the cult to performing AGAINST them, so that you can maintain your hit of Likes. And that is just sitting in the same behaviors. But if you're serious about getting better, if you're serious about being honest with yourself, you're going to need to fight against those inclinations. Please ask yourselves if you truly feel your apologies and want to change...or if maybe some part of you is just posting your attempt at amends because you want to fit in with those leaving or because you're craving that approval. Leaving is great! But are you getting the same psychological hit from your posts now? Are you trying to collect a new group that will lovebomb you because you're seeking self-esteem and miss the people who used to give it to you? I'm not saying this in judgment, I'm saying it because many people go from one cult or MLM to another, seeking that same sense of belonging. That's not my wish for you.

To the people on the other side of this... I'm not saying not to speak up if you see people slipping or people whose apologies are revealed as false words. I'm not trying to tone police people getting angry. There have been real reasons to be angry. HOWEVER... please be aware that if we want people to actually learn and grow we need to give them room to do that. There's nothing wrong with a really direct "This is really shitty and unkind behavior." Going scorched earth every time isn't the way. Is it our responsibility to motivate them to change, is it on us? Absolutely not. But are our actions going to unintentionally make them more likely to try and find a gang again because they're feeling defensive? If we also truly want to make things better, we have to ask ourselves what our goal is. Do we just want to give a tongue-lashing because we're angry? We might. And that can be justified sometimes in life. But cornered people don't often make great decisions. If what we want out of this is for people to be less terrible - there are ways to call people in and out, firmly and not sugarcoated, while still not going on the attack.

To the people who finally spoke up, you should be proud of yourselves for that. You took the first step. I hope you keep walking forward.

If you actually read to here... holy crap, I apologize. Many, many words, but I wanted to put them all down somewhere instead of continuing to overthink it at 3:30am. I do want to say... this is just my perspective. If it came off as trying to tell you how to do or feel, or like I think I'm perfect? Nah, kids. I'm a fallible screw-up, too, who is often "cringe," as the children say. We can all work on ourselves. At least that's the hope. If we're open to it.

Anyway. Love y'all, TGC

[soapywankenopy]

I'm watching the Death Cure movie for the first time and I have some thoughts

First of all, I'd like to say I never finished the book series. I've only read Maze Runner and Scorch Trials. but something I noticed on my last attempted reread of Maze Runner was that Thomas is such a bland character. I think he's definitely better in the movies, thanks in large part to Dylan O'Brien's performance because he just has so much raw charisma and he imbues that into every character he plays no matter how bland the source material is. but Thomas is a bland character even in the movies, even with what little personality Dylan was able to infuse. and I think that's in stark contrast to Katniss in The hunger games (in the books) and a big part of that is because her story is told in first person so we are actually in her head, and it gives us a lot of insight into her psyche, she feels like a real person. she has real emotions. she is complex. but in the books Thomas's story is told in third person and it removes you. it takes you out of the character's head and we don't get a sense of who he is. but beside that, he's still very much a blank slate and I think that this contributes to him having a little bit of main character syndrome, Mary Sue-ism, whatever you want to call it. like he's a born leader, he's Super smart. he's literally the Death Cure, like his blood is the Cure, like that's op as hell.

and even the main premise of the story you know like, it's called The Maze Runner series. The maze doesn't make sense. why were they in a maze? I still don't get it. And I don't know if my theory can be backed up by truth, but my theory is that James dashner had this cool idea for this post-apocalyptic zombie story and then the success of hunger games happened and he was like all right, i have to gamify this. how can I make this a gimmick, what's the catch. thus, the idea for the maze was born because if you think about the story as a whole, it really does feel tacked on. I was thinking about it the other day and I was like, it really does feel like the Maze Runner movie/book, that section of the story (the maze trials) is detached from the rest of the story. it feels tacked on in my opinion. it's so unlike The hunger games because everything in The hunger games is intentional, the games aren't just games you know like The Maze Runner had its gimmick divergent had its gimmick, but the games in The hunger games had a purpose in the story. it all goes back to the point that Suzanne Collins was trying to make. and I think that's why so many of the copycats fall short. their message was a bland one and it wasn't strong enough to come back to. it wasn't the center point of the story. the copycats boiled The hunger games story down to its basic parts and in doing so they missed the whole point of the series.

and I'd like to go back to comparing Katniss to Thomas because they're both the main characters in their series, but they have the opposite impacts because Katniss is a character who is not a leader but everyone makes her out to be one. Thomas is claimed to be a leader but it falls flat on a meta level because he doesn't inspire, Katniss worked as the rebellion's spearhead because she inspires. she literally leaks empathy. she has this facade of apathy, of being completely closed off but she is a kind and giving and she is passionate and fiery and that's why the rebellion chose her to be the Mockingjay. her kindness and peeta's kindness was the crack in the capital's dam. kindness was the instigator that propelled the movement forward. but with Thomas it just seems like he is a leader out of happenstance, which is a fine story to tell, but I don't think it was told in the right way because he doesn't feel like an actual leader, and maybe, maybe in the books, he does feel like more of a leader and I just haven't gotten to that part yet. or I am misremembering, it has been a while since I read them. but in the movies we don't get very many examples, we are told and we are not shown. it's hard to feel anything for Thomas because he doesn't feel real. he feels like a cardboard cutout of what a lead character should be.

So those are generally my thoughts. if I have more I might reblog this with them later. if you have thoughts about this reblog it or comment I want to know what people think, especially people who actually finished the book series because I do feel bad for critiquing a book series that I haven't finished, and only watched the movies. I'm always hounding people for not reading the books and just watching the movies so I do feel like a little bit of a hypocrite. I want to know what people think. I don't mean to start any fights if Thomas is your favorite character, he is also my favorite character out of the series. I just can't turn off my critical thinking brain even when I want to because this was supposed to be a chill watch, something to enjoy because I love Dylan O'Brien but alas I cannot turn off the critical thinking right now and can't help picking things apart, so here we are, writing an essay when I should be folding laundry and watching a movie.

[bengiyo]

I hit post limit so I can write this in the tags or comments of the post. But I just wanted to say as someone who was feeling very salty about the cut scenes your ask about TV background info and audience feedback helped a lot. I didn't realize that kind of audience feedback and editing was so common. That said do you think the story would have been better with no brainded pairs? Despite the fact that I believe that Sand and Ray would have not been this well acted by anyone else do you think having no brainded pairs would have allowed to stay true to their original vision? And do you think that would have made the story better.

Feeding the audience is just good business sense. Charles on Brooklyn Nine-Nine is way different from how he was in Season 1 because his creepy vibe didn't test well with audiences. Most NBC shows are actually super fucking mean in their first season before softening because it's too much.

Do you think the story would have been better with no brainded pairs?

Emphatically YES. I like First and Khaotung. I think they're both very talented. I enjoy their friendship. I think they're both extremely detailed actors who communicate well and can build emotions off of each other easily.

That being said... They are not the only good actors that exist.

There are lots of talented people at GMMTV who I think could have done this storyline better. I was talking with @lurkingshan and we both think that the rehab plotline was added to shelter the image of FK for viewers. Ray calls Sand a whore constantly whenever he gets mad. Their dynamic is truly flawed in a way I don't think can work. I would rather Sand have stayed an embarrassing simp and we call him on it than this grand romance that it's turning into about how Sand's love pushed through the haze over Ray.

It's similar with Top and Mew. Force and Book are best friends. WE all know this. I actually think the longevity of their friendship is working against Top and Mew here because I don't think audiences are enjoying the games being played between the two, and I unfortunately think they leaned hard on Force's harshness early in a way that audiences bought into because of Mew's gamified responses that has made it impossible to take him seriously.

Neo and Mark are really goddamn good. Mark is probably the best supporting actor we've ever seen at GMMTV, and it's not a surprise that he was first with Nadao Bangkok. We can engage with their performances directly. We're less concerned about Neo and Mark and can focus on Boston and Nick.

...do you think having no branded pairs would have allowed to stay true to their original vision? And do you think that would have made the story better.

YES. We recently learned that Ninew led the workshops on Love in the Air and Wedding Plan. Ninew and Jojo are good at helping actors get into the zone for the work. I think this show would have been way better if we were caught up in the BL-of-it-all and focused on this as a group of queer people independent of whether or not we're worrying over whether a ship will be intact by the end of the story.

This team is really good. I like the work we've gotten from everyone, but I stand by my belief that this show would be better with all supporting actors who didn't need to perform ship once the show was over.

[wavesoutbeingtossed]

I highkey became a bigger fan during Rep tour's surprise song o clocks a while ago and gussing a long with that and now in a mash up o clock world I'm even more into it. It's like a gamifying of her concerts and making her entire fandom feel a part of it. Even if you never went to any concerts due to reasons. It's just community and connection and fandom and feeling connected to her and she created this.

That’s interesting!

Personally I’m not into “gamifying” her shows but I do understand the sense of community, which I think is the appeal of tumblr too :) what I love about surprise song o’clock is a) hearing her songs performed acoustically which I think elevates the songs and feels very “girl and her guitar doing a bit at a coffee house” and b) now with the mashups seeing her creativity fly even higher and see how SHE views her own music.

[quirkymarshmallows93]

Gas Station Stream of Consciousness Post

Gas Stations as Liminal Spaces

I've had quite a few hyperfixations in my day - ATMs, laundry detergents, credit cards - so my current one pertaining to gas stations is fitting considering my affinity for liminal spaces and the dedication of this blog to them. Liminal spaces are transitory in nature, hence their portrayal in online circles through photos of carpeted hallways, illuminated stairwells, dark roads, and backrooms, among other transitional points.

Gas stations are posted online as well; images of their fuel pumps or neon signage photographed through a rainy car window communicate their liminality and the universal experiences they provide to all of society. Perhaps they are the ultimate specimen of a liminal space. The machines they are created for, automobiles and tractor trailers alike, themselves are tools for motion, vestibules that enable travel and shipment across long distances at high speeds. Cars and roads are liminal spaces, albeit in different formats, and gas stations serve as their lighthouses. Vehicles at filling stations, therefore, are in a sense liminal spaces within liminal spaces within liminal spaces.

The uniqueness of a gas station as a liminal space, however, is its intersection with the economics and aesthetics of capitalism. Gasoline (and diesel fuel) is a commodity, downstream from crude oil, merely differentiated by octane ratings. Some argue that minute distinctions between agents, detergents, and additives make some brands better than others. Indeed, fuels that are approved by the Top Tier program, sponsored by automakers, have been shown to improve engine cleanliness and performance, but this classification does not prefer specific refiners over others; it is simply a standard. To a consumer, Top Tier fuels are themselves still interchangeable commodities within the wider gasoline commodity market.

The Economics of Gas Stations

The market that gas stations serve is characterized by inelastic demand, with customers who reckon with prices that fluctuate day in and day out. This is not to say that consumer behavior does not change with fuel prices. It has been observed that as prices rise, consumers are more eager to find the cheapest gas, but when prices fall, drivers are less selective with where they pump and are just happy to fill up at a lower price than last week. In response, gas stations lower their prices at a slower rate than when increasing prices, allowing for higher profit margins when wholesale prices fall. This has been dubbed the "rockets and feathers" phenomenon.

When portrayed as liminal spaces, gas stations are most often depicted at night, places of solitude where one may also enter the adjacent convenience store and encounter a fellow individual who isn't asleep, the modern day lightkeeper. The mart that resides at the backcourt of a gas station is known to sell goods at higher prices than a supermarket, simultaneously taking advantage of a captive customer, convenient location, and making up for the inefficiencies of a smaller operation. It may come as no surprise, then, that gas stations barely make any money from fuel sales and earn their bulk through C-store sales. This is a gripe I have with our economic system. Business is gamified, and in many cases the trade of certain goods and services, called loss leaders, is not an independent operation and is subsidized by the success of another division of a business, a strategy inherently more feasible for larger companies that have greater scale to execute it.

Nevertheless, most gas station owners, whether they have just one or hundreds of sites, find this method fruitful. Even though most gas stations in the US sell one of a handful of national brands, they operate on a branded reseller, or dealer, model, with oil companies themselves generally not taking part in the operations of stations that sell their fuels. The giants do still often have the most leverage and margin in the business, with the ability to set the wholesale price for the distributor, which sells at a markup to the station owner, which in turn will normally make the least profit in the chain when selling to the end customer at the pump. This kind of horizontal integration that involves many parties lacks the synergies and efficiencies of vertical integration that are so applauded by capitalists, but ends up being the most profitable for firms like ExxonMobil, who only extract and refine oil, and on the other end of the chain merely license their recognizable brands to the resellers through purchasing agreements. Furthermore, in recent years, independent dealers have sold their businesses to larger branded resellers, in many cases the ones from whom they had been buying their fuel.

A Word on ExxonMobil's Branding Potential

The largest publicly traded oil company in the world is Exxon Mobil Corporation. It is a direct descendent of the Rockefeller monopoly, Standard Oil, which was broken up in 1911 into 34 companies, the largest of which was Jersey Standard, which became Exxon in 1973. This title was generated by a computer as the most appealing replacement name to be used nationwide to unify the Humble, Enco, and Esso brands, decades before AI was spoken of. The latter brand is still used outside of the United States for marketing, arising from the phonetic pronunciation of the initials of Standard Oil. In 1999, Exxon and Mobil merged, and the combined company to this day markets under separate brands. Exxon is more narrowly used, to brand fuel in the United States, while Mobil has remained a motor oil and industrial lubricant brand, as well as a fuel brand in multiple countries.

Mobil originated in 1866 as the Vacuum Oil Company, which first used the current brand name for Mobiloil, and later Mobilgas and Mobilubricant products, with the prefix simply short for "automobile". Over time, Mobil became the corporation's primary identity, with its official name change to Mobil Oil Corporation taking place in 1966. Its updated wordmark with a signature red O was designed by the agency Chermayeff & Geismar, and the company's image for service stations was conceived by architect Eliot Noyes. New gas stations featured distinctive circular canopies over the pumps, and the company's recognizable pegasus logo was prominently on display for motorists.

I take issue with the deyassification of the brand's image over time. As costs were cut and uniformity took over, rectangular canopies were constructed in place of the special ones designed by Noyes that resembled large mushrooms. The pegasus remained a prominent brand icon, but the Mobil wordmark took precedence, which I personally believe to be an error in judgement. This disregard for the pegasus paved the way for its complete erasure in 2016 with the introduction of ExxonMobil's "Synergy" brand for its fuel. The mythical creature is now much smaller and appears only at the top right corner of pumps at Mobil gas stations, if at all.

Even into the 90s and the 21st century the Pegasus had its place in Mobil's marketing. In 1997, the company introduced its Speedpass keytag, which was revolutionary for its time and used RFID technology, akin to mobile payments today, to allow drivers to get gas without entering the store or swiping a card. When a Speedpass would be successfully processed, the pegasus on the gas pump would light up red.

When Exxon and Mobil merged in 1999, the former adopted the payment method too, with Exxon's less iconic tiger in place of the pegasus.

The program was discontinued in 2019 in favor of ExxonMobil's app, which is more secure since it processes payments through the internet rather than at the pump.

What Shell has done with its brand identity is what Mobil should've done for itself. The European company's logo was designed in 1969 by Raymond Loewy, and is a worth contender for the "And Yet a Trace of the True Self Exists in the False Self" meme. In recent years, Shell went all in on its graphic, while Mobil's pegasus flew away. I choose to believe that the company chose to rebrand its stations in order to prevent the malfunction in the above image from happening.

ExxonMobil should have also discontinued the use of the less storied Exxon brand altogether, and simplifying its consumer-facing identity to just the global Mobil mark. Whatever, neither of the names are actual words. As a bonus, here is a Google map I put together of all 62 gas stations in Springfield, MA. This is my idea of fun. Thanks for reading to the end!

[loader-bot]

// current assignment is to iterate on a design for a game from a previous assignment - our group's idea was a board game based on literal corporate warfare - and i'm creating a small video game about gamifying the menial tasks performed by a white-collar desk jockey at one of those mega-corpos. that maaaay or may not be with rhys' perspective in mind.

oh to be a beleaguered middle-manager at a monstrously huge corporation hell bent on global domination. with a teeny bit of a hero-worship crush on your enigmatic ceo who was a valiant 'hero' during the previous corporate war that almost destroyed earth.

[undeadoracle]

removing the table setup completely and integrating the rolls into stage acting, letting them physically perform whenever/however feels right with interludes of seated dialogue and description, drawing on twilight zone-esque narrative voiceover and fourth-wall breaking character monologues for the benefit of the audience (something common in stage acting traditions) . . . i fully was just expecting a seated, standard game but this is so much more interesting. they're blending so many different kinds of acting choices and splicing and gamifying it and it's all so fucking cool.

[inspired-lesson-plans]

Do Now:

Interpret the graphic above. What's unusual about it?

Direct Instruction:

Here's how to cheat at Duolingo if for some reason you simply cannot bear the thought of losing at gamified learning.

First, make a bunch of mistakes.

While reviewing your mistakes, hit the "Can't Listen Now" button whenever it shows up.

Do this as many times as necessary until all of your mistakes are on listening-based exercises.

Note that you still receive credit as if you completed them. In this way, you can get full XP in a few seconds.

Now, here's the crucial part where it becomes stupid.

Go back to the Practice tab and hit Listen

The system assumes you still cannot listen to exercises, because you just said that 5 seconds ago.

Hit "Turn On"

🚨You do not need to actually do any Listening exercises!🚨

Instead, go back to Mistakes and you will be allowed to do all of your Listening-based mistakes again. So once again, you just hit Can't Listen Now after less than 3 seconds and you'll receive 20xp (40xp if boosted).

Guided Practice:

Walk your students through this process of cheating to make sure they do it correctly and aren't actually learning anything helpful about their chosen language.

Higher Order Learning:

Have students time themselves to see how quickly they can perform one of these cheating loops. Most likely they can get it down to be about 5 seconds. Given that a boost lasts for 15 minutes, how many XP could they get just by performing the cheating loop ad nauseam until the Boost is over? What about if they get three boosts in a day, which is very easy to do if you perform this trick? What will other people on the leaderboard think when they see how much xp you have gained in one day? Will they think you're awesome or will they think you're such a loser that you have to cheat at gamified learning?

[kiddopia]

How to Choose the Best Learning App for Preschoolers: A Parent’s Guide!

Introduction

In today’s digital age, educational apps have become a popular tool for early childhood learning. With hundreds of apps claiming to be the best preschool learning apps, choosing the right one for your child can feel overwhelming. While these apps can offer engaging and interactive ways to teach basic skills like math, language, and problem-solving, it’s important to select one that is both effective and safe.

This guide will help you understand the key factors to consider when picking a learning app for preschoolers, ensuring it enhances your child’s education while keeping them entertained.

Prioritize Age-Appropriate Content

When selecting a preschool learning app, ensure the content is tailored to your child’s age and developmental stage. Preschoolers typically benefit from activities that focus on:

Basic math skills – Counting, shapes, and simple patterns.

Language development – Alphabet recognition, phonics, and early vocabulary.

Creativity and problem-solving – Puzzles, drawing, and storytelling activities.

An app that offers progressive learning—starting with simple activities and gradually 

increasing in difficulty—will help your child learn at their own pace.

Interactive and Engaging Features

A learning app for preschoolers should be fun and interactive. Look for apps with:

Colorful visuals and animations – These capture attention and make learning enjoyable.

Gamified learning – Apps that use rewards, badges, or challenges motivate children to keep learning.

Audio instructions – Clear voice prompts can help non-readers navigate the app independently.

Interactive features keep children engaged, making the learning process feel like play rather than a chore.

Educational Value and Skill Development

The best preschool learning app should go beyond entertainment and promote skill-building. Choose apps that cover a variety of subjects, including:

Math and logic skills – Basic counting, addition, and shape recognition.

Language and literacy – Letter recognition, spelling, and vocabulary building.

Creativity and imagination – Drawing, music, and storytelling activities.

Apps like Kiddopia, for instance, offer a balanced mix of education and creativity, making learning both fun and impactful.

Easy Navigation and Kid-Friendly Interface

Preschoolers need apps with simple, intuitive navigation. Look for:

Large, colorful buttons – Easy to tap for small fingers.

Clear voice instructions – To help non-readers understand the tasks.

No complex menus – Simple layouts with clear categories and minimal distractions.

A child-friendly interface ensures that your child can explore the app independently, boosting their confidence.

No Ads and Privacy Protection

When choosing a learning app for preschoolers, safety is paramount. Opt for apps that:

Have no third-party ads – Ads can be distracting and potentially expose children to inappropriate content.

Follow strict privacy policies – Check if the app complies with COPPA (Children's Online Privacy Protection Act) standards.

Offer parental controls – To limit screen time or restrict in-app purchases.

Safety-first apps provide a secure learning environment for your child.

Trial Period and Reviews

Before committing to a subscription, look for apps that offer a free trial period. This allows you to test the app’s features and see if it suits your child’s learning style. Additionally:

Read reviews from other parents – Their feedback can give you insights into the app’s quality and effectiveness.

Check app ratings – Higher ratings often indicate better performance and reliability.

Apps like Kiddopia offer a 7-day free trial, allowing you to explore its extensive features before subscribing.

Conclusion

Choosing the best preschool learning app involves more than just downloading the first option you find. Prioritize age-appropriate content, interactive features, educational value, and safety. Apps like Kiddopia combine fun and learning seamlessly, offering expert-designed activities that promote early childhood learning. With the right app, your preschooler can develop essential skills while enjoying a playful and engaging educational experience. To explore a trusted and effective learning app, try Kiddopia’s 7-day free trial by visiting: Kiddopia.

[compromisingposition]

obsessed with the idea of games and rules in kink. like, yes there are the easy examples of “every time you moan I take the vibrator away” or strip poker or things like that, but I’m talking about elaborate gamification. It might just be the plentiful neurodivergence saying this but if a dom(me) pulled some DM-level shit with me??? I would have the biggest motherfucking puppy heart eyes are you kidding

for example:

give me a task. it doesn’t matter what the task is; the important part is that you are going to count something about my performance in the task, and that i do not know what it is you’re going to count. so, let’s say it’s to tell you about my day, after you’ve tied me up, and that for every time I say “um” in the telling, you add a tally somewhere. are the tally marks being written on my thigh? are they each a sparkly star sticker down my cleavage and stomach? the possibilities are endless. anyway, let’s say I’ve said “um” nine times (and you tally them silently until I’m done, so I don’t know what you’re counting while I’m still performing the task). that’s nine tallies, nine stickers, etc. etc.— but what they really are is orgasms. this is nine orgasms I now owe you, and we’re not doing any breaks. this is my starting score.

oh, and we *can* do breaks, if I’d like to make a devil’s bargain. every time I need a break, all I have to do is say the word, and you’ll stop the vibrator tied securely against my clit— but now I owe you two more orgasms than I did before the break. let’s say I asked for a break after just the first orgasm, because I’m a fragile little thing. where I was down to eight, now I’m back up to ten, after this break i’m gonna start to regret taking. and let’s say that every three breaks I take, you edge the vibrator intensity up a notch. the point is to allow me some leeway if I’m really losing my mind, but to also really disincentivize that leeway such that I start to feel I will never break free of this endless torture as the number of orgasms before me mounts higher and higher and higher…

if I beg or moan loud enough for the neighbors to hear, I know in advance that I’m getting tape over my mouth AND we’re adding a thick dildo to the mix just to make sure I really regret it. every action has a consequence. every reaction has a repercussion. you get the idea.

this is, of course, something that can be customized to the needs and kinks and desires of the person(s) involved, and it also works if I am the domme. i’m just thoroughly convinced that gamifying your kinky shit is the way of the future and not talked about enough, thank you and goodnight