refactor: Change firehose from a drifting overlay to a fixed bottom strip and message display from a top-pinned section to a centered overlay.

Reviewed-on: #11

README.md

@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 > *Digital consciousness stream. Matrix aesthetic · THX-1138 hue.*
 
-A full-screen terminal news ticker that renders live global headlines in large OTF-font block characters with a white-hot → deep green gradient. Headlines auto-translate into the native script of their subject region. Ambient mic input warps the glitch rate in real time. A `--poetry` mode replaces the feed with public-domain literary passages.
+A full-screen terminal news ticker that renders live global headlines in large OTF-font block characters with a white-hot → deep green gradient. Headlines auto-translate into the native script of their subject region. Ambient mic input warps the glitch rate in real time. A `--poetry` mode replaces the feed with public-domain literary passages. Live messages can be pushed to the display over [ntfy.sh](https://ntfy.sh).
 
 ---
 
@@ -12,44 +12,102 @@ A full-screen terminal news ticker that renders live global headlines in large O
 python3 mainline.py                      # news stream
 python3 mainline.py --poetry             # literary consciousness mode
 python3 mainline.py -p                   # same
+python3 mainline.py --firehose           # dense rapid-fire headline mode
+python3 mainline.py --refresh            # force re-fetch (bypass cache)
 ```
 
-First run bootstraps a local `.mainline_venv/` and installs deps (`feedparser`, `Pillow`, `sounddevice`, `numpy`). Subsequent runs start immediately.
+First run bootstraps a local `.mainline_venv/` and installs deps (`feedparser`, `Pillow`, `sounddevice`, `numpy`). Subsequent runs start immediately, loading from cache.
 
 ---
 
 ## Config
 
-At the top of `mainline.py`:
+All constants live in `engine/config.py`:
 
 | Constant | Default | What it does |
 |---|---|---|
 | `HEADLINE_LIMIT` | `1000` | Total headlines per session |
+| `FEED_TIMEOUT` | `10` | Per-feed HTTP timeout (seconds) |
 | `MIC_THRESHOLD_DB` | `50` | dB floor above which glitches spike |
-| `_FONT_PATH` | hardcoded path | Path to your OTF/TTF display font |
+| `FONT_PATH` | hardcoded path | Path to your OTF/TTF display font |
-| `_FONT_SZ` | `60` | Font render size (affects block density) |
+| `FONT_SZ` | `60` | Font render size (affects block density) |
-| `_RENDER_H` | `8` | Terminal rows per headline line |
+| `RENDER_H` | `8` | Terminal rows per headline line |
+| `SSAA` | `4` | Super-sampling factor (render at 4× then downsample) |
+| `SCROLL_DUR` | `5.625` | Seconds per headline |
+| `FRAME_DT` | `0.05` | Frame interval in seconds (20 FPS) |
+| `GRAD_SPEED` | `0.08` | Gradient sweep speed (cycles/sec, ~12s full sweep) |
+| `FIREHOSE_H` | `12` | Firehose zone height (terminal rows) |
+| `NTFY_TOPIC` | klubhaus URL | ntfy.sh JSON endpoint to poll |
+| `NTFY_POLL_INTERVAL` | `15` | Seconds between ntfy polls |
+| `MESSAGE_DISPLAY_SECS` | `30` | How long an ntfy message holds the screen |
 
-**Font:** `_FONT_PATH` is hardcoded to a local path. Update it to point to whatever display font you want — anything with strong contrast and wide letterforms works well.
+**Font:** `FONT_PATH` is hardcoded to a local path. Update it to point to whatever display font you want — anything with strong contrast and wide letterforms works well.
 
 ---
 
 ## How it works
 
-- Feeds are fetched and filtered on startup (sports and vapid content stripped)
+- Feeds are fetched and filtered on startup (sports and vapid content stripped); results are cached to `.mainline_cache_news.json` / `.mainline_cache_poetry.json` for fast restarts
-- Headlines are rasterized via Pillow into half-block characters (`▀▄█ `) at the configured font size
+- Headlines are rasterized via Pillow with 4× SSAA into half-block characters (`▀▄█ `) at the configured font size
-- A left-to-right ANSI gradient colors each character: white-hot leading edge trails off to near-black
+- A left-to-right ANSI gradient colors each character: white-hot leading edge trails off to near-black; the gradient sweeps continuously across the full scroll canvas
 - Subject-region detection runs a regex pass on each headline; matches trigger a Google Translate call and font swap to the appropriate script (CJK, Arabic, Devanagari, etc.) using macOS system fonts
 - The mic stream runs in a background thread, feeding RMS dB into the glitch probability calculation each frame
 - The viewport scrolls through a virtual canvas of pre-rendered blocks; fade zones at top and bottom dissolve characters probabilistically
+- An ntfy.sh poller runs in a background thread; incoming messages interrupt the scroll and render full-screen until dismissed or expired
+
+---
+
+## Architecture
+
+`mainline.py` is a thin entrypoint (venv bootstrap → `engine.app.main()`). All logic lives in the `engine/` package:
+
+```
+engine/
+  config.py       constants, CLI flags, glyph tables
+  sources.py      FEEDS, POETRY_SOURCES, language/script maps
+  terminal.py     ANSI codes, tw/th, type_out, boot_ln
+  filter.py       HTML stripping, content filter
+  translate.py    Google Translate wrapper + region detection
+  render.py       OTF → half-block pipeline (SSAA, gradient)
+  effects.py      noise, glitch_bar, fade, firehose
+  fetch.py        RSS/Gutenberg fetching + cache load/save
+  ntfy.py         NtfyPoller — standalone, zero internal deps
+  mic.py          MicMonitor — standalone, graceful fallback
+  scroll.py       stream() frame loop + message rendering
+  app.py          main(), boot sequence, signal handler
+```
+
+`ntfy.py` and `mic.py` have zero internal dependencies and can be imported by any other visualizer.
 
 ---
 
 ## Feeds
 
-~25 sources across four categories: **Science & Technology**, **Economics & Business**, **World & Politics**, **Culture & Ideas**. Add or swap in `FEEDS`.
+~25 sources across four categories: **Science & Technology**, **Economics & Business**, **World & Politics**, **Culture & Ideas**. Add or swap feeds in `engine/sources.py` → `FEEDS`.
 
-**Poetry mode** pulls from Project Gutenberg: Whitman, Dickinson, Thoreau, Emerson.
+**Poetry mode** pulls from Project Gutenberg: Whitman, Dickinson, Thoreau, Emerson. Sources are in `engine/sources.py` → `POETRY_SOURCES`.
+
+---
+
+## ntfy.sh Integration
+
+Mainline polls a configurable ntfy.sh topic in the background. When a message arrives, the scroll pauses and the message renders full-screen for `MESSAGE_DISPLAY_SECS` seconds, then the stream resumes.
+
+To push a message:
+
+```bash
+curl -d "Body text" -H "Title: Alert title" https://ntfy.sh/your_topic
+```
+
+Update `NTFY_TOPIC` in `engine/config.py` to point at your own topic. The `NtfyPoller` class is fully standalone and can be reused by other visualizers:
+
+```python
+from engine.ntfy import NtfyPoller
+poller = NtfyPoller("https://ntfy.sh/my_topic/json?since=20s&poll=1")
+poller.start()
+# in render loop:
+msg = poller.get_active_message()  # returns (title, body, timestamp) or None
+```
 
 ---
 
@@ -62,7 +120,6 @@ At the top of `mainline.py`:
 
 ### Graphics
 - **Matrix rain underlay** — katakana column rain rendered at low opacity beneath the scrolling blocks as a background layer
-- **Animated gradient** — shift the white-hot leading edge left/right each frame for a pulse/comet effect
 - **CRT simulation** — subtle dim scanlines every N rows, occasional brightness ripple across the full screen
 - **Sixel / iTerm2 inline images** — bypass half-blocks entirely and stream actual bitmap frames for true resolution; would require a capable terminal
 - **Parallax secondary column** — a second, dimmer, faster-scrolling stream of ambient text at reduced opacity on one side
@@ -75,6 +132,10 @@ At the top of `mainline.py`:
 - **Persona modes** — `--surveillance`, `--oracle`, `--underground` as feed presets with matching color themes and boot copy
 - **Synthesized audio** — short static bursts tied to glitch events, independent of mic input
 
+### Extensibility
+- **serve.py** — HTTP server that imports `engine.render` and `engine.fetch` directly to stream 1-bit bitmaps to an ESP32 display
+- **Rust port** — `ntfy.py` and `render.py` are the natural first targets; clear module boundaries make incremental porting viable
+
 ---
 
 *macOS only (system font paths hardcoded). Python 3.9+.*

engine/app.py

@@ -0,0 +1,114 @@
+"""
+Application orchestrator — boot sequence, signal handling, main loop wiring.
+"""
+
+import sys
+import time
+import signal
+import atexit
+
+from engine import config
+from engine.terminal import (
+    RST, G_HI, G_MID, G_DIM, W_DIM, W_GHOST, CLR, CURSOR_OFF, CURSOR_ON, tw,
+    slow_print, boot_ln,
+)
+from engine.fetch import fetch_all, fetch_poetry, load_cache, save_cache
+from engine.ntfy import NtfyPoller
+from engine.mic import MicMonitor
+from engine.scroll import stream
+
+TITLE = [
+    "  ███╗   ███╗ █████╗ ██╗███╗   ██╗██╗     ██╗███╗   ██╗███████╗",
+    "  ████╗ ████║██╔══██╗██║████╗  ██║██║     ██║████╗  ██║██╔════╝",
+    "  ██╔████╔██║███████║██║██╔██╗ ██║██║     ██║██╔██╗ ██║█████╗  ",
+    "  ██║╚██╔╝██║██╔══██║██║██║╚██╗██║██║     ██║██║╚██╗██║██╔══╝  ",
+    "  ██║ ╚═╝ ██║██║  ██║██║██║ ╚████║███████╗██║██║ ╚████║███████╗",
+    "  ╚═╝     ╚═╝╚═╝  ╚═╝╚═╝╚═╝  ╚═══╝╚══════╝╚═╝╚═╝  ╚═══╝╚══════╝",
+]
+
+
+def main():
+    atexit.register(lambda: print(CURSOR_ON, end="", flush=True))
+
+    def handle_sigint(*_):
+        print(f"\n\n  {G_DIM}> SIGNAL LOST{RST}")
+        print(f"  {W_GHOST}> connection terminated{RST}\n")
+        sys.exit(0)
+
+    signal.signal(signal.SIGINT, handle_sigint)
+
+    w = tw()
+    print(CLR, end="")
+    print(CURSOR_OFF, end="")
+    print()
+    time.sleep(0.4)
+
+    for ln in TITLE:
+        print(f"{G_HI}{ln}{RST}")
+        time.sleep(0.07)
+
+    print()
+    _subtitle = "literary consciousness stream" if config.MODE == 'poetry' else "digital consciousness stream"
+    print(f"  {W_DIM}v0.1 · {_subtitle}{RST}")
+    print(f"  {W_GHOST}{'─' * (w - 4)}{RST}")
+    print()
+    time.sleep(0.4)
+
+    cached = load_cache() if '--refresh' not in sys.argv else None
+    if cached:
+        items = cached
+        boot_ln("Cache", f"LOADED [{len(items)} SIGNALS]", True)
+    elif config.MODE == 'poetry':
+        slow_print("  > INITIALIZING LITERARY CORPUS...\n")
+        time.sleep(0.2)
+        print()
+        items, linked, failed = fetch_poetry()
+        print()
+        print(f"  {G_DIM}>{RST} {G_MID}{linked} TEXTS LOADED{RST} {W_GHOST}· {failed} DARK{RST}")
+        print(f"  {G_DIM}>{RST} {G_MID}{len(items)} STANZAS ACQUIRED{RST}")
+        save_cache(items)
+    else:
+        slow_print("  > INITIALIZING FEED ARRAY...\n")
+        time.sleep(0.2)
+        print()
+        items, linked, failed = fetch_all()
+        print()
+        print(f"  {G_DIM}>{RST} {G_MID}{linked} SOURCES LINKED{RST} {W_GHOST}· {failed} DARK{RST}")
+        print(f"  {G_DIM}>{RST} {G_MID}{len(items)} SIGNALS ACQUIRED{RST}")
+        save_cache(items)
+
+    if not items:
+        print(f"\n  {W_DIM}> NO SIGNAL — check network{RST}")
+        sys.exit(1)
+
+    print()
+    mic = MicMonitor(threshold_db=config.MIC_THRESHOLD_DB)
+    mic_ok = mic.start()
+    if mic.available:
+        boot_ln("Microphone", "ACTIVE" if mic_ok else "OFFLINE · check System Settings → Privacy → Microphone", bool(mic_ok))
+
+    ntfy = NtfyPoller(
+        config.NTFY_TOPIC,
+        poll_interval=config.NTFY_POLL_INTERVAL,
+        display_secs=config.MESSAGE_DISPLAY_SECS,
+    )
+    ntfy_ok = ntfy.start()
+    boot_ln("ntfy", "LISTENING" if ntfy_ok else "OFFLINE", ntfy_ok)
+
+    if config.FIREHOSE:
+        boot_ln("Firehose", "ENGAGED", True)
+
+    time.sleep(0.4)
+    slow_print("  > STREAMING...\n")
+    time.sleep(0.2)
+    print(f"  {W_GHOST}{'─' * (w - 4)}{RST}")
+    print()
+    time.sleep(0.4)
+
+    stream(items, ntfy, mic)
+
+    print()
+    print(f"  {W_GHOST}{'─' * (tw() - 4)}{RST}")
+    print(f"  {G_DIM}> {config.HEADLINE_LIMIT} SIGNALS PROCESSED{RST}")
+    print(f"  {W_GHOST}> end of stream{RST}")
+    print()

engine/config.py

@@ -21,10 +21,14 @@ FONT_PATH = "/Users/genejohnson/Documents/CS Bishop Drawn/CSBishopDrawn-Italic.o
 FONT_SZ = 60
 RENDER_H = 8              # terminal rows per rendered text line
 
+# ─── FONT RENDERING (ADVANCED) ────────────────────────────
+SSAA = 4                  # super-sampling factor: render at SSAA× then downsample
+
 # ─── SCROLL / FRAME ──────────────────────────────────────
-SCROLL_DUR = 3.75         # seconds per headline
+SCROLL_DUR = 5.625        # seconds per headline (2/3 original speed)
 FRAME_DT = 0.05           # 50ms base frame rate (20 FPS)
 FIREHOSE_H = 12           # firehose zone height (terminal rows)
+GRAD_SPEED = 0.08         # gradient traversal speed (cycles/sec, ~12s full sweep)
 
 # ─── GLYPHS ───────────────────────────────────────────────
 GLITCH = "░▒▓█▌▐╌╍╎╏┃┆┇┊┋"

engine/effects.py

@@ -0,0 +1,133 @@
+"""
+Visual effects: noise, glitch, fade, ANSI-aware truncation, firehose, headline pool.
+Depends on: config, terminal, sources.
+"""
+
+import random
+from datetime import datetime
+
+from engine import config
+from engine.terminal import RST, DIM, G_LO, G_DIM, W_GHOST, C_DIM
+from engine.sources import FEEDS, POETRY_SOURCES
+
+
+def noise(w):
+    d = random.choice([0.15, 0.25, 0.35, 0.12])
+    return "".join(
+        f"{random.choice([G_LO, G_DIM, C_DIM, W_GHOST])}"
+        f"{random.choice(config.GLITCH + config.KATA)}{RST}"
+        if random.random() < d
+        else " "
+        for _ in range(w)
+    )
+
+
+def glitch_bar(w):
+    c = random.choice(["░", "▒", "─", "╌"])
+    n = random.randint(3, w // 2)
+    o = random.randint(0, w - n)
+    return " " * o + f"{G_LO}{DIM}" + c * n + RST
+
+
+def fade_line(s, fade):
+    """Dissolve a rendered line by probabilistically dropping characters."""
+    if fade >= 1.0:
+        return s
+    if fade <= 0.0:
+        return ''
+    result = []
+    i = 0
+    while i < len(s):
+        if s[i] == '\033' and i + 1 < len(s) and s[i + 1] == '[':
+            j = i + 2
+            while j < len(s) and not s[j].isalpha():
+                j += 1
+            result.append(s[i:j + 1])
+            i = j + 1
+        elif s[i] == ' ':
+            result.append(' ')
+            i += 1
+        else:
+            result.append(s[i] if random.random() < fade else ' ')
+            i += 1
+    return ''.join(result)
+
+
+def vis_trunc(s, w):
+    """Truncate string to visual width w, skipping ANSI escape codes."""
+    result = []
+    vw = 0
+    i = 0
+    while i < len(s):
+        if vw >= w:
+            break
+        if s[i] == '\033' and i + 1 < len(s) and s[i + 1] == '[':
+            j = i + 2
+            while j < len(s) and not s[j].isalpha():
+                j += 1
+            result.append(s[i:j + 1])
+            i = j + 1
+        else:
+            result.append(s[i])
+            vw += 1
+            i += 1
+    return ''.join(result)
+
+
+def next_headline(pool, items, seen):
+    """Pull the next unique headline from pool, refilling as needed."""
+    while True:
+        if not pool:
+            pool.extend(items)
+            random.shuffle(pool)
+            seen.clear()
+        title, src, ts = pool.pop()
+        sig = title.lower().strip()
+        if sig not in seen:
+            seen.add(sig)
+            return title, src, ts
+
+
+def firehose_line(items, w):
+    """Generate one line of rapidly cycling firehose content."""
+    r = random.random()
+    if r < 0.35:
+        # Raw headline text
+        title, src, ts = random.choice(items)
+        text = title[:w - 1]
+        color = random.choice([G_LO, G_DIM, W_GHOST, C_DIM])
+        return f"{color}{text}{RST}"
+    elif r < 0.55:
+        # Dense glitch noise
+        d = random.choice([0.45, 0.55, 0.65, 0.75])
+        return "".join(
+            f"{random.choice([G_LO, G_DIM, C_DIM, W_GHOST])}"
+            f"{random.choice(config.GLITCH + config.KATA)}{RST}"
+            if random.random() < d else " "
+            for _ in range(w)
+        )
+    elif r < 0.78:
+        # Status / program output
+        sources = FEEDS if config.MODE == 'news' else POETRY_SOURCES
+        src = random.choice(list(sources.keys()))
+        msgs = [
+            f"  SIGNAL :: {src} :: {datetime.now().strftime('%H:%M:%S.%f')[:-3]}",
+            f"  ░░ FEED ACTIVE :: {src}",
+            f"  >> DECODE 0x{random.randint(0x1000, 0xFFFF):04X} :: {src[:24]}",
+            f"  ▒▒ ACQUIRE :: {random.choice(['TCP', 'UDP', 'RSS', 'ATOM', 'XML'])} :: {src}",
+            f"  {''.join(random.choice(config.KATA) for _ in range(3))} STRM "
+            f"{random.randint(0, 255):02X}:{random.randint(0, 255):02X}",
+        ]
+        text = random.choice(msgs)[:w - 1]
+        color = random.choice([G_LO, G_DIM, W_GHOST])
+        return f"{color}{text}{RST}"
+    else:
+        # Headline fragment with glitch prefix
+        title, _, _ = random.choice(items)
+        start = random.randint(0, max(0, len(title) - 20))
+        frag = title[start:start + random.randint(10, 35)]
+        pad = random.randint(0, max(0, w - len(frag) - 8))
+        gp = ''.join(random.choice(config.GLITCH) for _ in range(random.randint(1, 3)))
+        text = (' ' * pad + gp + ' ' + frag)[:w - 1]
+        color = random.choice([G_LO, C_DIM, W_GHOST])
+        return f"{color}{text}{RST}"

engine/fetch.py

@@ -0,0 +1,133 @@
+"""
+RSS feed fetching, Project Gutenberg parsing, and headline caching.
+Depends on: config, sources, filter, terminal.
+"""
+
+import re
+import json
+import pathlib
+import urllib.request
+from datetime import datetime
+
+import feedparser
+
+from engine import config
+from engine.sources import FEEDS, POETRY_SOURCES
+from engine.filter import strip_tags, skip
+from engine.terminal import boot_ln
+
+# ─── SINGLE FEED ──────────────────────────────────────────
+def fetch_feed(url):
+    try:
+        req = urllib.request.Request(url, headers={"User-Agent": "mainline/0.1"})
+        resp = urllib.request.urlopen(req, timeout=config.FEED_TIMEOUT)
+        return feedparser.parse(resp.read())
+    except Exception:
+        return None
+
+
+# ─── ALL RSS FEEDS ────────────────────────────────────────
+def fetch_all():
+    items = []
+    linked = failed = 0
+    for src, url in FEEDS.items():
+        feed = fetch_feed(url)
+        if feed is None or (feed.bozo and not feed.entries):
+            boot_ln(src, "DARK", False)
+            failed += 1
+            continue
+        n = 0
+        for e in feed.entries:
+            t = strip_tags(e.get("title", ""))
+            if not t or skip(t):
+                continue
+            pub = e.get("published_parsed") or e.get("updated_parsed")
+            try:
+                ts = datetime(*pub[:6]).strftime("%H:%M") if pub else "——:——"
+            except Exception:
+                ts = "——:——"
+            items.append((t, src, ts))
+            n += 1
+        if n:
+            boot_ln(src, f"LINKED [{n}]", True)
+            linked += 1
+        else:
+            boot_ln(src, "EMPTY", False)
+            failed += 1
+    return items, linked, failed
+
+
+# ─── PROJECT GUTENBERG ────────────────────────────────────
+def _fetch_gutenberg(url, label):
+    """Download and parse stanzas/passages from a Project Gutenberg text."""
+    try:
+        req = urllib.request.Request(url, headers={"User-Agent": "mainline/0.1"})
+        resp = urllib.request.urlopen(req, timeout=15)
+        text = resp.read().decode('utf-8', errors='replace').replace('\r\n', '\n').replace('\r', '\n')
+        # Strip PG boilerplate
+        m = re.search(r'\*\*\*\s*START OF[^\n]*\n', text)
+        if m:
+            text = text[m.end():]
+        m = re.search(r'\*\*\*\s*END OF', text)
+        if m:
+            text = text[:m.start()]
+        # Split on blank lines into stanzas/passages
+        blocks = re.split(r'\n{2,}', text.strip())
+        items = []
+        for blk in blocks:
+            blk = ' '.join(blk.split())   # flatten to one line
+            if len(blk) < 20 or len(blk) > 280:
+                continue
+            if blk.isupper():             # skip all-caps headers
+                continue
+            if re.match(r'^[IVXLCDM]+\.?\s*$', blk):  # roman numerals
+                continue
+            items.append((blk, label, ''))
+        return items
+    except Exception:
+        return []
+
+
+def fetch_poetry():
+    """Fetch all poetry/literature sources."""
+    items = []
+    linked = failed = 0
+    for label, url in POETRY_SOURCES.items():
+        stanzas = _fetch_gutenberg(url, label)
+        if stanzas:
+            boot_ln(label, f"LOADED [{len(stanzas)}]", True)
+            items.extend(stanzas)
+            linked += 1
+        else:
+            boot_ln(label, "DARK", False)
+            failed += 1
+    return items, linked, failed
+
+
+# ─── CACHE ────────────────────────────────────────────────
+_CACHE_DIR = pathlib.Path(__file__).resolve().parent.parent
+
+
+def _cache_path():
+    return _CACHE_DIR / f".mainline_cache_{config.MODE}.json"
+
+
+def load_cache():
+    """Load cached items from disk if available."""
+    p = _cache_path()
+    if not p.exists():
+        return None
+    try:
+        data = json.loads(p.read_text())
+        items = [tuple(i) for i in data["items"]]
+        return items if items else None
+    except Exception:
+        return None
+
+
+def save_cache(items):
+    """Save fetched items to disk for fast subsequent runs."""
+    try:
+        _cache_path().write_text(json.dumps({"items": items}))
+    except Exception:
+        pass

engine/mic.py

@@ -0,0 +1,62 @@
+"""
+Microphone input monitor — standalone, no internal dependencies.
+Gracefully degrades if sounddevice/numpy are unavailable.
+"""
+
+import atexit
+
+try:
+    import sounddevice as _sd
+    import numpy as _np
+    _HAS_MIC = True
+except Exception:
+    _HAS_MIC = False
+
+
+class MicMonitor:
+    """Background mic stream that exposes current RMS dB level."""
+
+    def __init__(self, threshold_db=50):
+        self.threshold_db = threshold_db
+        self._db = -99.0
+        self._stream = None
+
+    @property
+    def available(self):
+        """True if sounddevice is importable."""
+        return _HAS_MIC
+
+    @property
+    def db(self):
+        """Current RMS dB level."""
+        return self._db
+
+    @property
+    def excess(self):
+        """dB above threshold (clamped to 0)."""
+        return max(0.0, self._db - self.threshold_db)
+
+    def start(self):
+        """Start background mic stream. Returns True on success, False/None otherwise."""
+        if not _HAS_MIC:
+            return None
+        def _cb(indata, frames, t, status):
+            rms = float(_np.sqrt(_np.mean(indata ** 2)))
+            self._db = 20 * _np.log10(rms) if rms > 0 else -99.0
+        try:
+            self._stream = _sd.InputStream(
+                callback=_cb, channels=1, samplerate=44100, blocksize=2048)
+            self._stream.start()
+            atexit.register(self.stop)
+            return True
+        except Exception:
+            return False
+
+    def stop(self):
+        """Stop the mic stream if running."""
+        if self._stream:
+            try:
+                self._stream.stop()
+            except Exception:
+                pass
+            self._stream = None

engine/ntfy.py

@@ -0,0 +1,75 @@
+"""
+ntfy.sh message poller — standalone, zero internal dependencies.
+Reusable by any visualizer:
+
+    from engine.ntfy import NtfyPoller
+    poller = NtfyPoller("https://ntfy.sh/my_topic/json?since=20s&poll=1")
+    poller.start()
+    # in render loop:
+    msg = poller.get_active_message()
+    if msg:
+        title, body, ts = msg
+        render_my_message(title, body)
+"""
+
+import json
+import time
+import threading
+import urllib.request
+
+
+class NtfyPoller:
+    """Background poller for ntfy.sh topics."""
+
+    def __init__(self, topic_url, poll_interval=15, display_secs=30):
+        self.topic_url = topic_url
+        self.poll_interval = poll_interval
+        self.display_secs = display_secs
+        self._message = None   # (title, body, monotonic_timestamp) or None
+        self._lock = threading.Lock()
+
+    def start(self):
+        """Start background polling thread. Returns True."""
+        t = threading.Thread(target=self._poll_loop, daemon=True)
+        t.start()
+        return True
+
+    def get_active_message(self):
+        """Return (title, body, timestamp) if a message is active and not expired, else None."""
+        with self._lock:
+            if self._message is None:
+                return None
+            title, body, ts = self._message
+            if time.monotonic() - ts < self.display_secs:
+                return self._message
+            self._message = None
+            return None
+
+    def dismiss(self):
+        """Manually dismiss the current message."""
+        with self._lock:
+            self._message = None
+
+    def _poll_loop(self):
+        while True:
+            try:
+                req = urllib.request.Request(
+                    self.topic_url, headers={"User-Agent": "mainline/0.1"})
+                resp = urllib.request.urlopen(req, timeout=10)
+                for line in resp.read().decode('utf-8', errors='replace').strip().split('\n'):
+                    if not line.strip():
+                        continue
+                    try:
+                        data = json.loads(line)
+                    except json.JSONDecodeError:
+                        continue
+                    if data.get("event") == "message":
+                        with self._lock:
+                            self._message = (
+                                data.get("title", ""),
+                                data.get("message", ""),
+                                time.monotonic(),
+                            )
+            except Exception:
+                pass
+            time.sleep(self.poll_interval)

engine/render.py

@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ import random
 from PIL import Image, ImageDraw, ImageFont
 
 from engine import config
-from engine.terminal import RST, W_COOL
+from engine.terminal import RST
 from engine.sources import SCRIPT_FONTS, SOURCE_LANGS, NO_UPPER
 from engine.translate import detect_location_language, translate_headline
 
@@ -71,8 +71,11 @@ def render_line(text, fnt=None):
     draw = ImageDraw.Draw(img)
     draw.text((-bbox[0] + pad, -bbox[1] + pad), text, fill=255, font=fnt)
     pix_h = config.RENDER_H * 2
-    scale = pix_h / max(img_h, 1)
+    hi_h = pix_h * config.SSAA
-    new_w = max(1, int(img_w * scale))
+    scale = hi_h / max(img_h, 1)
+    new_w_hi = max(1, int(img_w * scale))
+    img = img.resize((new_w_hi, hi_h), Image.Resampling.LANCZOS)
+    new_w = max(1, int(new_w_hi / config.SSAA))
     img = img.resize((new_w, pix_h), Image.Resampling.LANCZOS)
     data = img.tobytes()
     thr = 80
@@ -129,8 +132,8 @@ def big_wrap(text, max_w, fnt=None):
     return out
 
 
-def lr_gradient(rows):
+def lr_gradient(rows, offset=0.0):
-    """Color each non-space block character with a left-to-right gradient."""
+    """Color each non-space block character with a shifting left-to-right gradient."""
     n = len(GRAD_COLS)
     max_x = max((len(r.rstrip()) for r in rows if r.strip()), default=1)
     out = []
@@ -143,7 +146,8 @@ def lr_gradient(rows):
             if ch == ' ':
                 buf.append(' ')
             else:
-                idx = min(round(x / max(max_x - 1, 1) * (n - 1)), n - 1)
+                shifted = (x / max(max_x - 1, 1) + offset) % 1.0
+                idx = min(round(shifted * (n - 1)), n - 1)
                 buf.append(f"{GRAD_COLS[idx]}{ch}\033[0m")
         out.append("".join(buf))
     return out
@@ -165,7 +169,6 @@ def make_block(title, src, ts, w):
                      ("\u201d",'"'), ("\u2013","-"), ("\u2014","-")]:
         title_up = title_up.replace(old, new)
     big_rows = big_wrap(title_up, w - 4, lang_font)
-    big_rows = lr_gradient(big_rows)
     hc = random.choice([
         "\033[38;5;46m",    # matrix green
         "\033[38;5;34m",    # dark green

engine/scroll.py

@@ -0,0 +1,195 @@
+"""
+Render engine — ticker content, scroll motion, message panel, and firehose overlay.
+Depends on: config, terminal, render, effects, ntfy, mic.
+"""
+
+import re
+import sys
+import time
+import random
+from datetime import datetime
+
+from engine import config
+from engine.terminal import RST, W_COOL, CLR, tw, th
+from engine.render import big_wrap, lr_gradient, make_block
+from engine.effects import noise, glitch_bar, fade_line, vis_trunc, next_headline, firehose_line
+
+
+def stream(items, ntfy_poller, mic_monitor):
+    """Main render loop with four layers: message, ticker, scroll motion, firehose."""
+    random.shuffle(items)
+    pool = list(items)
+    seen = set()
+    queued = 0
+
+    time.sleep(0.5)
+    sys.stdout.write(CLR)
+    sys.stdout.flush()
+
+    w, h = tw(), th()
+    fh = config.FIREHOSE_H if config.FIREHOSE else 0
+    ticker_view_h = h - fh         # reserve fixed firehose strip at bottom
+    GAP = 3            # blank rows between headlines
+    scroll_step_interval = config.SCROLL_DUR / (ticker_view_h + 15) * 2
+
+    # Taxonomy:
+    # - message: centered ntfy overlay panel
+    # - ticker: large headline text content
+    # - scroll: upward camera motion applied to ticker content
+    # - firehose: fixed carriage-return style strip pinned at bottom
+    # Active ticker blocks: (content_rows, color, canvas_y, meta_idx)
+    active = []
+    scroll_cam = 0     # viewport top in virtual canvas coords
+    ticker_next_y = ticker_view_h  # canvas-y where next block starts (off-screen bottom)
+    noise_cache = {}
+    scroll_motion_accum = 0.0
+
+    def _noise_at(cy):
+        if cy not in noise_cache:
+            noise_cache[cy] = noise(w) if random.random() < 0.15 else None
+        return noise_cache[cy]
+
+    # Message color: bright cyan/white — distinct from headline greens
+    MSG_META  = "\033[38;5;245m"     # cool grey
+    MSG_BORDER = "\033[2;38;5;37m"   # dim teal
+    _msg_cache = (None, None)        # (cache_key, rendered_rows)
+
+    while queued < config.HEADLINE_LIMIT or active:
+        t0 = time.monotonic()
+        w, h = tw(), th()
+        fh = config.FIREHOSE_H if config.FIREHOSE else 0
+        ticker_view_h = h - fh
+
+        # ── Check for ntfy message ────────────────────────
+        msg_h = 0
+        msg_overlay = []
+        msg = ntfy_poller.get_active_message()
+
+        buf = []
+        if msg is not None:
+            m_title, m_body, m_ts = msg
+            # ── Message overlay: centered in the viewport ──
+            display_text = m_body or m_title or "(empty)"
+            display_text = re.sub(r"\s+", " ", display_text.upper())
+            cache_key = (display_text, w)
+            if _msg_cache[0] != cache_key:
+                msg_rows = big_wrap(display_text, w - 4)
+                _msg_cache = (cache_key, msg_rows)
+            else:
+                msg_rows = _msg_cache[1]
+            msg_rows = lr_gradient(msg_rows, (time.monotonic() * config.GRAD_SPEED) % 1.0)
+            # Layout: rendered text + meta + border
+            elapsed_s = int(time.monotonic() - m_ts)
+            remaining = max(0, config.MESSAGE_DISPLAY_SECS - elapsed_s)
+            ts_str = datetime.now().strftime("%H:%M:%S")
+            panel_h = len(msg_rows) + 2  # meta + border
+            panel_top = max(0, (h - panel_h) // 2)
+            row_idx = 0
+            for mr in msg_rows:
+                ln = vis_trunc(mr, w)
+                msg_overlay.append(f"\033[{panel_top + row_idx + 1};1H  {ln}{RST}\033[K")
+                row_idx += 1
+            # Meta line: title (if distinct) + source + countdown
+            meta_parts = []
+            if m_title and m_title != m_body:
+                meta_parts.append(m_title)
+            meta_parts.append(f"ntfy \u00b7 {ts_str} \u00b7 {remaining}s")
+            meta = "  " + " \u00b7 ".join(meta_parts) if len(meta_parts) > 1 else "  " + meta_parts[0]
+            msg_overlay.append(f"\033[{panel_top + row_idx + 1};1H{MSG_META}{meta}{RST}\033[K")
+            row_idx += 1
+            # Border — constant boundary under message panel
+            bar = "\u2500" * (w - 4)
+            msg_overlay.append(f"\033[{panel_top + row_idx + 1};1H  {MSG_BORDER}{bar}{RST}\033[K")
+
+        # Ticker draws above the fixed firehose strip; message is a centered overlay.
+        ticker_h = ticker_view_h - msg_h
+
+        # ── Ticker content + scroll motion (always runs) ──
+        scroll_motion_accum += config.FRAME_DT
+        while scroll_motion_accum >= scroll_step_interval:
+            scroll_motion_accum -= scroll_step_interval
+            scroll_cam += 1
+
+            # Enqueue new headlines when room at the bottom
+            while ticker_next_y < scroll_cam + ticker_view_h + 10 and queued < config.HEADLINE_LIMIT:
+                t, src, ts = next_headline(pool, items, seen)
+                ticker_content, hc, midx = make_block(t, src, ts, w)
+                active.append((ticker_content, hc, ticker_next_y, midx))
+                ticker_next_y += len(ticker_content) + GAP
+                queued += 1
+
+            # Prune off-screen blocks and stale noise
+            active = [(c, hc, by, mi) for c, hc, by, mi in active
+                      if by + len(c) > scroll_cam]
+            for k in list(noise_cache):
+                if k < scroll_cam:
+                    del noise_cache[k]
+
+        # Draw ticker zone (above fixed firehose strip)
+        top_zone = max(1, int(ticker_h * 0.25))
+        bot_zone = max(1, int(ticker_h * 0.10))
+        grad_offset = (time.monotonic() * config.GRAD_SPEED) % 1.0
+        ticker_buf_start = len(buf)  # track where ticker rows start in buf
+        for r in range(ticker_h):
+            scr_row = r + 1  # 1-indexed ANSI screen row
+            cy = scroll_cam + r
+            top_f = min(1.0, r / top_zone) if top_zone > 0 else 1.0
+            bot_f = min(1.0, (ticker_h - 1 - r) / bot_zone) if bot_zone > 0 else 1.0
+            row_fade = min(top_f, bot_f)
+            drawn = False
+            for content, hc, by, midx in active:
+                cr = cy - by
+                if 0 <= cr < len(content):
+                    raw = content[cr]
+                    if cr != midx:
+                        colored = lr_gradient([raw], grad_offset)[0]
+                    else:
+                        colored = raw
+                    ln = vis_trunc(colored, w)
+                    if row_fade < 1.0:
+                        ln = fade_line(ln, row_fade)
+                    if cr == midx:
+                        buf.append(f"\033[{scr_row};1H{W_COOL}{ln}{RST}\033[K")
+                    elif ln.strip():
+                        buf.append(f"\033[{scr_row};1H{ln}{RST}\033[K")
+                    else:
+                        buf.append(f"\033[{scr_row};1H\033[K")
+                    drawn = True
+                    break
+            if not drawn:
+                n = _noise_at(cy)
+                if row_fade < 1.0 and n:
+                    n = fade_line(n, row_fade)
+                if n:
+                    buf.append(f"\033[{scr_row};1H{n}")
+                else:
+                    buf.append(f"\033[{scr_row};1H\033[K")
+
+        # Glitch — base rate + mic-reactive spikes (ticker zone only)
+        mic_excess = mic_monitor.excess
+        glitch_prob = 0.32 + min(0.9, mic_excess * 0.16)
+        n_hits = 4 + int(mic_excess / 2)
+        ticker_buf_len = len(buf) - ticker_buf_start
+        if random.random() < glitch_prob and ticker_buf_len > 0:
+            for _ in range(min(n_hits, ticker_buf_len)):
+                gi = random.randint(0, ticker_buf_len - 1)
+                scr_row = gi + 1
+                buf[ticker_buf_start + gi] = f"\033[{scr_row};1H{glitch_bar(w)}"
+
+        if config.FIREHOSE and fh > 0:
+            for fr in range(fh):
+                scr_row = h - fh + fr + 1
+                fline = firehose_line(items, w)
+                buf.append(f"\033[{scr_row};1H{fline}\033[K")
+        if msg_overlay:
+            buf.extend(msg_overlay)
+
+        sys.stdout.buffer.write("".join(buf).encode())
+        sys.stdout.flush()
+
+        # Precise frame timing
+        elapsed = time.monotonic() - t0
+        time.sleep(max(0, config.FRAME_DT - elapsed))
+
+    sys.stdout.write(CLR)
+    sys.stdout.flush()