#roller coaster manufacturers

[queenie435]

THE WORLD'S FIRST ELECTRIC ROLLER COASTER

Granville T. Woods (April 23, 1856 – January 30, 1910) introduced the “Figure Eight,” the world's first electric roller coaster, in 1892 at Coney Island Amusement Park in New York. Woods patented the invention in 1893, and in 1901, he sold it to General Electric.

Woods was an American inventor who held more than 50 patents in the United States. He was the first African American mechanical and electrical engineer after the Civil War. Self-taught, he concentrated most of his work on trains and streetcars.

In 1884, Woods received his first patent, for a steam boiler furnace, and in 1885, Woods patented an apparatus that was a combination of a telephone and a telegraph. The device, which he called "telegraphony", would allow a telegraph station to send voice and telegraph messages through Morse code over a single wire. He sold the rights to this device to the American Bell Telephone Company.

In 1887, he patented the Synchronous Multiplex Railway Telegraph, which allowed communications between train stations from moving trains by creating a magnetic field around a coiled wire under the train. Woods caught smallpox prior to patenting the technology, and Lucius Phelps patented it in 1884. In 1887, Woods used notes, sketches, and a working model of the invention to secure the patent. The invention was so successful that Woods began the Woods Electric Company in Cincinnati, Ohio, to market and sell his patents. However, the company quickly became devoted to invention creation until it was dissolved in 1893.

Woods often had difficulties in enjoying his success as other inventors made claims to his devices. Thomas Edison later filed a claim to the ownership of this patent, stating that he had first created a similar telegraph and that he was entitled to the patent for the device. Woods was twice successful in defending himself, proving that there were no other devices upon which he could have depended or relied upon to make his device. After Thomas Edison's second defeat, he decided to offer Granville Woods a position with the Edison Company, but Woods declined.

In 1888, Woods manufactured a system of overhead electric conducting lines for railroads modeled after the system pioneered by Charles van Depoele, a famed inventor who had by then installed his electric railway system in thirteen United States cities.

Following the Great Blizzard of 1888, New York City Mayor Hugh J. Grant declared that all wires, many of which powered the above-ground rail system, had to be removed and buried, emphasizing the need for an underground system. Woods's patent built upon previous third rail systems, which were used for light rails, and increased the power for use on underground trains. His system relied on wire brushes to make connections with metallic terminal heads without exposing wires by installing electrical contactor rails. Once the train car had passed over, the wires were no longer live, reducing the risk of injury. It was successfully tested in February 1892 in Coney Island on the Figure Eight Roller Coaster.

In 1896, Woods created a system for controlling electrical lights in theaters, known as the "safety dimmer", which was economical, safe, and efficient, saving 40% of electricity use.

Woods is also sometimes credited with the invention of the air brake for trains in 1904; however, George Westinghouse patented the air brake almost 40 years prior, making Woods's contribution an improvement to the invention.

Woods died of a cerebral hemorrhage at Harlem Hospital in New York City on January 30, 1910, having sold a number of his devices to such companies as Westinghouse, General Electric, and American Engineering. Until 1975, his resting place was an unmarked grave, but historian M.A. Harris helped raise funds, persuading several of the corporations that used Woods's inventions to donate money to purchase a headstone. It was erected at St. Michael's Cemetery in Elmhurst, Queens.

LEGACY

▪Baltimore City Community College established the Granville T. Woods scholarship in memory of the inventor.

▪In 2004, the New York City Transit Authority organized an exhibition on Woods that utilized bus and train depots and an issue of four million MetroCards commemorating the inventor's achievements in pioneering the third rail.

▪In 2006, Woods was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame.

▪In April 2008, the corner of Stillwell and Mermaid Avenues in Coney Island was named Granville T. Woods Way.

[ashen--dreams]

with this in mind you would have to pay me to step foot on any chinese flat ride

state laws or lack of regarding safety checks/incident reports for fixed and portable rides is crazy

[david-talks-sw]

Let's briefly talk about this scene.

It starts with Anakin lamenting how the Clone War corrupted the Jedi and the principles of the Republic.

Now, Padmé thinks she and Anakin are talking about the same thing: this war is corrupting the Jedi and the principles of the Republic and Palpatine doesn't seem to want to put an end to it, instead increasingly amassing power.

She asks Anakin to get Palpatine to cease the fighting and let diplomacy resume. And Anakin. Gets. Triggered.

Why?

Well, firstly... it's because they weren't talking about the same thing.

1. What Anakin really means when talking about "the principles of the Republic".

While Anakin may say that he's concerned for the corruption of the Jedi Code and the principles of the Republic... he isn't really.

Anakin has a track record of saying he supports abstract principles and concepts, then complaining when standing by that hurts him.

Like when he'll preach that wartime forces him to make hard choices, duty over emotion...

... but then gets mad when someone else makes the hard choice in doing their duty, and it hits close to home.

There's this line Matthew Stover wrote in the ROTS novelization, which I think is very relevant:

“I think," Obi-Wan said carefully, "that abstractions like peace don't mean much to him. He's loyal to people, not to principles. And he expects loyalty in return. He will stop at nothing to save me, for example, because he thinks I would do the same for him.”

Anakin isn't about abstractions like "peace", "duty" or "democracy". He'll say he is, because he knows he should be, in theory... but, in practice, he's more loyal to people than to principles.

And right now, he's very loyal to Palpatine. Arguably more than anyone else. No matter how blatantly he acts like a dictator, Anakin stays on his side.

So whenever he uses the words "Senate" and "Republic", what he means is "Palpatine". To him, they're one and the same.

He loves Palpatine very much but the two other people he loves, Padmé and Obi-Wan, are both telling him Palpatine's bad news.

Which brings us to the second reason he gets triggered...

2. He's under an enormous amount of stress.

He's barely had any sleep since his nightmare about Padmé and is now scared at the prospect of losing her like he lost his mother.

He's been on an emotional roller-coaster with the Council, first being put on the Council, but not as a Master, then being given a mission but it's a mission to spy on a mentor and father figure. Now he's not even sure the Jedi trust him and he's not even sure they should, after his outburst.

Also Padmé herself is asking him to tell Palpatine to stop, criticizing the Chancellor just like the Jedi do.

It's understandable that he's on edge. That said... a huge chunk of this stress isn't Padmé or the Council's fault. It has been manufactured by Palpatine.

He appointed Anakin to be his representative on the Council specifically because he knew it would put Anakin under pressure... pressure he can exploit for his own gain.

That's what Palpatine does. He orchestrates pressure then swoops in, in the guise of a savior.

With the Republic, he does this by engineering a war then bringing about order (to the chaos he caused) as an Emperor.

With Anakin, he does this by engineering conflict between him and his family - Padmé, Obi-Wan, the Jedi - then presenting himself before Anakin as the solution to all his problems.

From that point on, he enables the Republic and Anakin to give in to the worse parts of themselves and implode.

The former goes from being a democracy to a dictatorship, the latter goes from being a sweet kid to a bad man.

[alton-towers-real]

Since the Smiler has been trending on different platforms and some new fans are spreading misinformation about the 2015 crash, so here is the correct information:

Incident Overview:

June 2nd, 2015, the Smiler roller coaster at Alton Towers crashed, resulting in severe injuries to riders, including two teenagers losing their legs.

Operating Conditions:

The park was unusually busy with high wind speeds exceeding safety limits set by the manufacturer.

Technical Difficulties:

At 1 pm, the Smiler experienced technical issues, prompting closure for maintenance.

Safety Oversight:

During maintenance, a fifth train was added without informing the maintenance team, breaching safety protocols.

Faulty Procedure:

Despite high winds, the empty fifth train was sent without water dummies for weight, causing it to roll back and stall.

Miscommunication:

Maintenance incorrectly assumed a "ghost train" triggered a safety mechanism, leading to an override.

Collision and Injuries:

The overridden safety mechanism led to a collision between the stalled empty train and a fully loaded one, resulting in injuries to all riders.

Responsibility and Fines:

Investigations attributed fault to both ride operations and maintenance teams, with Alton Towers receiving the majority of blame. The park was fined five million pounds.

Safety Improvements:

Post-incident, enhanced safety measures were implemented, including more CCTV, revised staff training, and the prevention of override unless by senior engineers.

Preventative Measures:

Gerslauer, the manufacturer, introduced features to prevent operation during high winds, ensuring a similar incident would be impossible, enhancing safety across the industry.

[starqueen87]

THE WORLD'S FIRST ELECTRIC ROLLER COASTER

Granville T. Woods (April 23, 1856 – January 30, 1910) introduced the “Figure Eight,” the world's first electric roller coaster, in 1892 at Coney Island Amusement Park in New York. Woods patented the invention in 1893, and in 1901, he sold it to General Electric.

Woods was an American inventor who held more than 50 patents in the United States. He was the first African American mechanical and electrical engineer after the Civil War. Self-taught, he concentrated most of his work on trains and streetcars.

In 1884, Woods received his first patent, for a steam boiler furnace, and in 1885, Woods patented an apparatus that was a combination of a telephone and a telegraph. The device, which he called "telegraphony", would allow a telegraph station to send voice and telegraph messages through Morse code over a single wire. He sold the rights to this device to the American Bell Telephone Company.

In 1887, he patented the Synchronous Multiplex Railway Telegraph, which allowed communications between train stations from moving trains by creating a magnetic field around a coiled wire under the train. Woods caught smallpox prior to patenting the technology, and Lucius Phelps patented it in 1884. In 1887, Woods used notes, sketches, and a working model of the invention to secure the patent. The invention was so successful that Woods began the Woods Electric Company in Cincinnati, Ohio, to market and sell his patents. However, the company quickly became devoted to invention creation until it was dissolved in 1893.

Woods often had difficulties in enjoying his success as other inventors made claims to his devices. Thomas Edison later filed a claim to the ownership of this patent, stating that he had first created a similar telegraph and that he was entitled to the patent for the device. Woods was twice successful in defending himself, proving that there were no other devices upon which he could have depended or relied upon to make his device. After Thomas Edison's second defeat, he decided to offer Granville Woods a position with the Edison Company, but Woods declined.

In 1888, Woods manufactured a system of overhead electric conducting lines for railroads modeled after the system pioneered by Charles van Depoele, a famed inventor who had by then installed his electric railway system in thirteen United States cities.

Following the Great Blizzard of 1888, New York City Mayor Hugh J. Grant declared that all wires, many of which powered the above-ground rail system, had to be removed and buried, emphasizing the need for an underground system. Woods's patent built upon previous third rail systems, which were used for light rails, and increased the power for use on underground trains. His system relied on wire brushes to make connections with metallic terminal heads without exposing wires by installing electrical contactor rails. Once the train car had passed over, the wires were no longer live, reducing the risk of injury. It was successfully tested in February 1892 in Coney Island on the Figure Eight Roller Coaster.

In 1896, Woods created a system for controlling electrical lights in theaters, known as the "safety dimmer", which was economical, safe, and efficient, saving 40% of electricity use.

Woods is also sometimes credited with the invention of the air brake for trains in 1904; however, George Westinghouse patented the air brake almost 40 years prior, making Woods's contribution an improvement to the invention.

Woods died of a cerebral hemorrhage at Harlem Hospital in New York City on January 30, 1910, having sold a number of his devices to such companies as Westinghouse, General Electric, and American Engineering. Until 1975, his resting place was an unmarked grave, but historian M.A. Harris helped raise funds, persuading several of the corporations that used Woods's inventions to donate money to purchase a headstone. It was erected at St. Michael's Cemetery in Elmhurst, Queens.

LEGACY

▪Baltimore City Community College established the Granville T. Woods scholarship in memory of the inventor.

▪In 2004, the New York City Transit Authority organized an exhibition on Woods that utilized bus and train depots and an issue of four million MetroCards commemorating the inventor's achievements in pioneering the third rail.

▪In 2006, Woods was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame.

▪In April 2008, the corner of Stillwell and Mermaid Avenues in Coney Island was named Granville T. Woods Way.

[hyper-coasters]

Scorpion — This old gal is 44! The oldest roller coaster at Busch Gardens Tampa opened in 1980 and was manufactured by Anton Schwarzkopf. Just because it's the oldest at the park, doesn't mean it's the first! Scorpion was the second coaster to debut at the park, and is only 1 of 3 Silver Arrow model coasters built by Schwarzkopf, and is the only permanent one. The roller coaster runs at 41 mph, and is just under 61 feet at it's tallest point. It has a lot of force packed into such a small layout, you'd think it's a kids coaster but it proves you wrong!

[reactivatedrockstar]

Closed starter for @6am-saveme

It was practically a tradition at this point for Freddy and Bonnie to spend a day at the amusement park shortly after the Bunnie family's annual trip. As much as the freckled bassist loved spending time with his siblings, he always ended up watching the younger ones that were too short to ride all the big, intense roller coasters. Mom and Dad took the triplets and Brielle around kiddie land, whereas Brent, Bridgette, and Bibi ran off to go ride all the stuff Bonnie wanted to, leaving the responsible teenager to keep an eye on the fellow middle children. That's why he and Freddy always went back: to give Bonnie the chance to ride what he missed out on.

Bonnie absolutely loved it, because who wouldn't want to spend the day at the amusement park with their best friend?! Especially since he didn't get to ride the park's new giga coaster, Night Train. While it didn't have any inversions, he'd heard nothing but good things about this ride, and it was even made by one of his favorite manufacturing companies, so he knew that the restraints would be nice and comfortable. Bonnie had been geeking out about this coaster for months before it opened, so naturally, standing in line to ride it was a hard thing for the brunette to do.

"I am literally so excited for this."

[berlynn-wohl]

okay here we go, aziracrow honeymoon at disneyland

Crowley after exiting Mr. Toad's Wild Ride: "Alright, I have some notes."

In New Orleans Square, Aziraphale remarks, "You know, I've actually never been to New Orleans. Is this anything like the real Bourbon Street?" Crowley replies, "Sort of...? Except it doesn't smell like sweat and piss and there's no one staggering around in a toga asking if I want to see his cock and balls."

Aziraphale sees the bride and groom mouse-ear hats and considers purchasing them. He lingers at a stand where they are being sold. The hat for the bride is white, and the hat for the groom is black. Aziraphale dithers over this dichotomy of gender and color, because he wants Crowley to be happy with the hat he will wear, and he understands that Crowley of course prefers black apparel but also that he has a complex relationship with gender presentation. Aziraphale is not sure either hat will work for Crowley. At last he turns around to ask Crowley directly. Crowley is not there. He left ten minutes ago and went to California Adventure so he could order booze.

They get stuck in the darkest segment of Pirates of the Caribbean. They're in the back row of the boat so Crowley starts getting fresh to pass the time. Aziraphale begins to get suspicious the third time this happens on a ride.

Crowley anticipates some bafflement on Aziraphale's part, because many of the parks' rides and attractions are based on recent manufactured, profit-seeking pseudoculture which he assumes Aziraphale is not familiar with. When they're in line for Star Tours, Crowley begins explaining the basic premise of Star Wars, but Aziraphale interrupts him: A: That's not necessary, my dear, I haven't seen the films but I have read their novelizations. C: ...Why have you done that? A: Oh, I read everything by Alan Dean Foster. (He never elaborates on this.)

Aziraphale actually recognizes quite a lot of things in the park, such as the William Tell Overture on the Silly Symphony Swings. These moments delight him to no end, and make up for his occasional bewilderment.

But Aziraphale's favorite thing about Disneyland is of course the food. Every imaginable confection in novel shapes and colors! Food that is designed to be comically large or small! Perfectly ordinary traditional Earth foods that purport to be from a faraway galaxy! Foods whose names are delightful puns! Aziraphale waits in line for beignets with the same frenetic anticipation that other visitors wait in line to ride the roller coasters.

They catch people staring sometimes, and they wonder if it's judgmental gawping because they are usually holding hands. It becomes clear that actually people are just trying to figure out if they're cosplaying when someone comes up to them and says, "...Are you act one Alexander Hamilton and ginger Bono?"

While they are visiting the park, the janitorial staff have an easier day, because somehow, some way, no other visitors spill their popcorn, no one drops their ice cream, and no one urps after riding Space Mountain.

[spacetimewithstuartgary]

Nanoink and printing technologies could enable electronics repairs, production in space

An Iowa State University engineer floats in the air while other researchers hang tight to a metal frame surrounding and supporting their special printer. It's not the usual photo you see in a research paper. Tests aboard microgravity flights aren't your typical materials experiments, either.

The flight path to these experiments began when a research team led by Iowa State's Shan Jiang, an associate professor of materials science and engineering, and Hantang Qin, formerly of Iowa State who's now an assistant professor of industrial and systems engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, wondered if their ink and printer technologies would work in the zero gravity of space.

The ink features silver nanoparticles synthesized with biobased polymers. After heat treatment, the ink can conduct electricity and can therefore print electric circuits. The printer uses electrohydrodynamic printing, or 3D printing that jets ink under an electric field at resolutions of millionths of a meter. The electric field could eliminate the need for gravity to help deposit ink.

If the technologies work together in zero gravity, astronauts could use them to make electric circuits for spacecraft or equipment repairs. And astronauts might manufacture high-value electronic components in the special, zero-gravity environment of space.

NASA wondered if it would work, too.

Diving into microgravity

Researchers bolted the printer to the floor of a jet and prepared for a "roller coaster, basically," Jiang said.

The NASA plane would continuously climb and dive, going in cycles from about 24,000 feet over Florida to 32,000 feet, then back to 24,000. The dive phase produced about 10 seconds of pure zero gravity.

"It was exciting and new," Jiang said.

Motion sickness was a problem for some. Others enjoyed the thrill of it. Jiang felt "frozen" the first time he experienced microgravity. "I was blank."

But that didn't last. "There was so much time and investment in this project. We wanted to achieve good results."

But printing for a few seconds at a time on a microgravity flight "is a very challenging experiment," Jiang said. "It's so easy on the ground where everything is stable. But if anything gets loose during the flight, you lose your printing."

The first microgravity flight was a good example. The printer wasn't adequately secured against the plane's shakes and vibrations.

"These are very intense experiments that require a lot of teamwork and preparation," Jiang said.

So, the team went back to work, made some changes, made more test flights and produced better results.

"This proof-of-concept microgravity experiment proves the unique capability of (electrohydrodynamic) printing under zero-gravity conditions and opens a new venue for future on-demand manufacturing in space," the researchers wrote in a paper published in Applied Materials & Interfaces.

Making a new nanoink

The key innovation by Jiang's research group was developing a new laboratory method to synthesize the ink with its silver nanoparticles.

"This is a new combination of materials and so we needed a new recipe to make the ink," Jiang said.

Both programs "strive to support innovative and leading research in Iowa," said Sara Nelson, director of the programs and an Iowa State adjunct assistant professor of aerospace engineering. "We are thrilled to have supported Dr. Jiang's research. His work has helped to build Iowa's research infrastructure and is an important part of NASA's strategic mission."

The project also makes use of an abundant Iowa resource, plant biomass.

The ink includes a biobased polymer called 2-hydroxyethyl cellulose, which is typically used as a thickening agent. But it is also a cost-effective, biocompatible, versatile and stable material for the inks necessary for high-resolution ink jet printing under an electric field.

"There is a lot of biomass in Iowa," Jiang said. "So, we're always trying to use these biobased molecules. They make a wonderful polymer that does all the tricks for us."

Jiang called that "the biggest surprise of this research. We didn't know that before. Now we know what we can do with these biobased polymers."

The Iowa State University Research Foundation has filed a patent on the new nanoink and the technology is currently available for licensing.

"This success is really just the beginning," Jiang said. "As humanity ventures deeper into space, the need for on-demand manufacturing of electronics in orbit is no longer science fiction; it is a necessity."

Next up for the researchers could be the development of 3D space printing for other electronic components such as semiconductors.

After all, Jiang said, "You can't just make one component and assemble an electronic device."

TOP IMAGE: Researchers—as well as a toy Cy the Cyclone—test their nanoink and printer technologies during a NASA microgravity flight. Pictured, left to right, are: Fei Liu, Yanhua Huang, Matthew Marander, Xuepeng Jiang and Pavithra Premaratne. Credit: Shan Jiang

LOWER IMAGE: Credit: ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces (2024). DOI: 10.1021/acsami.4c07592

[19spicykitty93]

Hear me out

Cornelius Robinson has a mechanical engineering degree (I headcanon this anyway).

Billie Robinson likes trains.

I present to you: Cornelius and Billie collaborating on desigining and manufacturing a roller coaster.

🤯🎢👀

[chaosducks]

you belong to the Smiler

Everyone's heard of the 14 inverting Gurstlauer coaster with one of the most infamous histories in the history of roller coasters. The smiler opened on 31st of May 2013 after having been delayed many many months due to teething problems. To make way for this beast of a coaster, the Black hole had to be removed, or rather, its tent did since the attraction closed in 2005.

Manufactured by German company Gurstlauer, the smiler was the first Infinity coaster smashing records with its many inversions and immersive theming.The ride also consists of two chain lift hills (one of which is at a 90° angle) and a soundtrack to drive you mad which is blasted in your ears the second you enter the X-sector area.

During the 2012 scarefest, the backstory of the ride was released in the form of a scare maze. This maze would take guests through the Sanctuary, run by the ministry of joy. It would introduce us to Dr Kelman and Miles Cedars(the first smiling advocate) and the story of The Smiler. As well as this, Towers released a four part mini horror series titled “Smile.Always'' which would be a slogan for the ride that gave enthusiasts insight into what the ride would be about. However, after the crash most of the backstory behind the ride had to be removed.

Unfortunately I can't talk about The Smiler without bringing up that tragedy that happened on June 2nd 2015. The smiler crash was a human error, yet it causes many theme park goers to feel hesitant about the ride. So, how did it happen? On a particularly windy and particularly busy day in June 2015, The Smiler ride broke down around midday due to technical difficulties- it shouldn't have been open in the first place with gusts exceeding 46 miles per hour(the ride should only operate in gusts under 34 mph) and due to the high queue times a fifth train was added to the tracks. However, the people who added the train (The ride operators for that day) never told the maintenance team that the train had been added and since the train wasn't weighted with water dummies to help it make the course of the track. This caused the train to stall in a valley near the ride's batwing element. Once the train had come to a complete stop, a loaded train had already been dispatched sending guests up the first lift hill. It stopped. This is a good thing, the ride is supposed to stop at this point since sensors were likely to have detected something obstructing the track and is called a block section. The maintenance team were still on site and so assumed that the block section had been triggered by a ghost train yet the empty carriage was no ghost and very much real. After the override of the block section, the train continued along the track, reaching the same valley of the empty train.

The collision caused what some have described as “a horror scene”, “similar to a 90 mile per hour car crash” and Alton Towers was fined millions of pounds to compensate for the 16 injuries that were caused.

This mustn't mislead you, The Smiler (and other rides similar) are safer now that the crash has happened and it is safe to say that it will not happen again. So, you shouldn't be scared of The Smiler, not for those reasons anyway. The ride is safer and still thrilling nine years after the crash occurred.

[chimerickat]

What am I even doing I don't know how to write articles...

The name Seto Kaiba may not be familiar to most of our readers. I admit, when I received this assignment, I had to google his name. What I found seemed like a fictional story. 

Orphaned at a young age, Seto Kaiba found himself adopted by the founder of Kaiba Corporation after beating him at a game of chess. At the time, the company manufactured weapons. However, Kaiba made headlines at the age of 16 when he took control of Kaiba Corporation and turned it into a gaming company. Many believed that by dismantling a successful company, Kaiba was guaranteeing bankruptcy, but he proved them wrong, and today, Kaiba Corp is a household name in Japan. 

With his cutting edge technology, Kaiba plans to make his company a household name worldwide. Currently, he plans to expand his reach to the United States with Kaiba Land, an amusement park dedicated to showing off his games and technology. 

At first, I was convinced his park would be a rip off of Disneyland. However,  I was able to visit prior to the official opening and experience the park for myself. I can say with confidence that Kaiba Land is in a league of its own.

In Kaiba Land, children can live out their wildest fantasies. Seto Kaiba, a visionary when it comes to technology, has equipped his park with the best his company has to offer. The virtual reality simulators allow you to visit anywhere in the world at any point in history that you desire. I was able to visit ancient Egypt and see the pyramids in all their glory. 

If you want to visit somewhere fictional, you can do that too. I was able to experience flying on a dragon in a medieval-type setting. 

You can even fly to space to explore the moon if that’s something that interests you.

Besides being able to live out your wildest fantasies, Kaiba Land also has an entire arcade section dedicated to gaming. Classic games are lined up side-by-side with Kaiba Corp. games. 

Kaiba Land also has a few rides available. They have a dragon-themed roller coaster and a ferris wheel. 

Regarding Kaiba Land, Seto Kaiba had this to say:

“I want Kaiba Land to be a place where any child can come and visit no matter how rich or poor their parents are. We’re committed to providing free access to anyone in the foster system as well as children without parents.”

If Kaiba Land is any indication of what Seto Kaiba has to offer, he should become a household name worldwide in no time. Our readers can purchase discounted early access tickets via our website.

[beenbaanbuun]

a little bunny lore for you all:

the coaster i’m about to go on is my favourite coaster in the world. i rode her for the first time 10 years ago and she started my love of rollercoasters. she was shut last year for refurbishment and they’ve completely rethemed the whole area based on the lore of the roller coaster (which they also updated). it’s her 30 year anniversary and she is beautiful!!!!

she’s a b&m inverted coaster (the first one outside of the US) which is probably my favourite type of coaster. i have a lot of respect for b&m as coaster manufacturers and designers; a lot of the features they implement in their rides are specific to b&m and i just think that’s so cool!!!!!!

[crystalsenergy]

the mind's entrapment and the heart's path (wtf? come here and see)

when we consider that people also make wrong choices because they are also in learning processes,

repeating others' steps is literally copying and pasting their mistakes into your life.

Why are you so afraid to follow yourself?

The mind seeks what worked for others, but this has always frustrated you and will continue to frustrate you because no path is the same...

Just think about the feeling of frustration when you search the internet for an answer to a completely personal and particular question, and nothing comes up that truly resonates.

Why?

Perhaps because the answer is not outside?!

Or because there is no encyclopedia in our existence with all the answers to every personal situation each of us has.

The mind seeks the quickest path,

which often will frustrate you, in the short or long term...

The heart, however, feels, lives, and vibrates with what truly makes sense on your personal path.

The amount of love I feel for a person is understood by me, and I cannot expect others to understand and feel the love I feel. The amount of happiness I feel in a career is felt and understood by me...

In other words: there is no experience by proxy.

It's the same as p0rn0gr4phy. People try to transfer themselves to someone else's external experience, FAKING feelings, desires, and sensations, but it's so false that it becomes a repetitive and vicious cycle, of roller coasters rather than something stable, true, and lasting.

After all, they are not experiencing it; they are manufacturing their own feelings.

Experiences MUST be lived by us.

I said it before and I repeat it now: there is no experience by proxy.

In the process of experience, we must connect, feel, perceive, because each experience will have a unique meaning depending on the person.

And each experience will occur according to what you need to learn and be now. Break free from the chains of patterns... connect to YOURSELF.

It is much more enjoyable and personal when it is about you, with you, for you (and I'm referring to anything in your life!).

It is important to understand that things must be what our essence wants to seek and achieve, not what others say it should be.

The other's path made sense to them. But it won't necessarily make sense to you (and there is more than a 90% chance it won't make sense to you).

Especially when we consider that people also make wrong choices because they are also in learning processes. Repeating others' steps is literally copying and pasting their mistakes into your life (adding this mistake to another: that of already avoiding yourself).

It’s like copying someone’s test in school or college, but doing this in life is even more serious because you will always be copying from others, and unlike a test, getting out of this mistake will cost a bit more time and energy.

So, why not start today reflecting on WHICH STEPS YOU HAVE TAKEN? And if you have been doing this to follow someone specific or society, stagnating or regressing in your own process of evolution? Why are you so afraid to follow yourself?

That is why a person gets so frustrated when seeking ready-made answers; when they watch videos looking for ready-made answers to their situation or what should be done.

There is no protocol for life. The script is your own path, to be discovered, painted, and filled in by you.

Look INSIDE, not outside.

That is why we don't understand the processes of others, let alone our own. It’s a mirror. When we don’t understand ourselves on our own path, we distance ourselves from our essence and from what the heart truly wants to point out.

When we don’t understand ourselves, how can we understand others?

And then we gradually distance ourselves from other attributes linked to the essence: intuition, empathy, sensitivity.

Because everything becomes mechanized, and thus, we disconnect from feeling, from self-connection, and from connection with others.

And, doing this, patterns are reinforced,

after all, people were constantly doing exactly what did not resonate with them, but which the world viralized and determined as right (but which worked for one, two, or a small group).

And then you distance yourself from understanding everything that is within the essence (intuition, connection w/ yourself, self-knowledge, truly knowing others) and everything that is particular and unique also becomes increasingly imperceptible to your eyes... becoming incomprehensible as well.

When you need answers, look inside, not outside.

[shirohige-pirates]

Birds of a Feather

CisFem Reader x Marco

CW: Violence, blood, language, adult themes and scenes. 18+ only

Summary: Life has not been kind to you. After a string of bad relationships, you're a little jaded and a little depressed in all honestly. The worst day of your life seems to be the turning point, but the roller coaster ride that follows could either throw you soaring free, or have you caged forever?

Chapter 16: Frustrations

Tuesday you entered the garage once Marco brought the two of you back to your house for the day. Sure enough there was your car - you’re practically new car. Everything had either been machined, replaced, or refurbished, and you were certain the only miles on the new engine were however many Kid used to make sure everything was perfect before driving it from the shop to here.

“Wow.” Marco whistles. “It looks brand new.”

“Technically it practically is.” You admit, walking by the small work bench you had in the garage and picking the keys up before walking around it. “Man, Usopp did a phenomenal job.”

The 1978 phoenix design had been expertly recreated on the hood. Black lined the body, fading into blue, and then teal, and finally there was small golden area around where the bird’s heart would be. The wings were hollow like the original design, lined thinly in metallic gold with teal for the flames. Against the blue of the car’s body it really made the design pop.

The final touches were what you and Usopp had talked about the most. It was based off a design you’d seen of the mythological Phoenix in a book you’d read. One that, well, you weren’t sure anyone else had access to anymore.

Three sets of golden rings chained from the main body of the bird’s tail feathers. One wove its way down around the headlight assembly, the final orb painted behind the car’s manufacturer’s insignia. The other two chains slid off the hood and fluttered down the quarter panels of the car, ending just before the door handles.

“`What uh… what prompted these colors and this design?” Marco questions, walking around the car with you and admiring the work.

“It’s a little unorthodox right? Usually the phoenix is depicted with reds and golds. A powerful entity of life and rebirth and immortality.” You begin. “Timeless and mythological.”

Running your fingers over the last few chain links of golden tail feathers on the car’s door you pause for a moment before continuing.

“I read a book a long time ago, thanks to Ivan shoving books in my hands almost faster than I could read them, that had an illustration of the phoenix with colors like these.” You smile softly, a mix of the memory and your little white lie. Ivankov had shoved books into your hands as fast as you could read them when you were younger, but even so, most of the books you had read were contained within your library. A place no one could enter unless you let them.

A place that would get you executed on the spot, changed world or not, if anyone ever learned about it. You hadn’t even told Ivan about it, though you were pretty sure that he knew you had a devil fruit, even if you never used it or talked about it. Your surrogate guardian was dangerously observant.

“It was a book on Devil Fruits,” you say a little abruptly, pulling yourself out of your own memories. “That’s where I got the word tori too. The Tori Tori no Mi are a class of bird-related devil fruits, and besides, Tori-chan is just an absolutely adorable name for a car that’s probably going to sound like a demon if I rev the engine a little roughly.”

“Ah, I see. So you’re a, uh, fan of that devil fruit?” His words are a little awkward, but his expression is relaxed. He gives you an easy smile when you look over at him.

“I mean, it is a really cool fruit, but I don’t know that I’d say I was a fan.” You clarify. “No matter what a devil fruit is or does, the effectiveness of any of them is based on a ton of different variables. The stamina of the user, their capacity to mesh with the fruit, the creativity required to utilize it, and the control to keep from burning themselves out.”

You clear your throat a little, popping the trunk to see if Kid left you any surprises. “If I was a fan of any fruit, it’d be more like being a fan of the person who had it. You know, how well they could use it, and what they used it for.” You explain, pulling out a jumper kit, an emergency kit and a blanket from the trunk before lifting up the floor to see how the spare tire and jack were situated.

“I mean, who’d be a fan of someone who had like, a healing fruit and all they did was go around and kill people?” You start putting the kits back in the trunk and give Marco a smile. “It wouldn’t be the fruit’s fault, at least, but what a waste.”

“That makes sense.” He murmurs. Taking in a breath he smiles, focusing on you more than the car. “Want some company for your first drive?”

You grin. “You trust me enough to relinquish control like?” You tease.

Marco grins. “I like driving my car, yoi.” He begins. “It doesn’t mean I have trust issues.”

“Mmm, but you do like being in control.” You assert, giving him a pointed look as you unlock the car.

“You’re not talking about driving anymore.” He grins, getting into the passenger seat and setting it as far back as it will go.

“I was not,” you admit, settling in and hitting the garage door before you start up the car. The engine in your Firebird is a little louder than Marco’s SEL, but it rumbles smoothly, and the even though it’s amplified within the confines of the garage, it’s not so loud as to be a nuisance.

“It feels like it’s been months since I’ve gotten behind the wheel.” You run your hands over the steering wheel. “It’s a little surreal honestly.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah, everything’s new, effectively. This isn’t my car, but it is most certainly my car.” You try to explain. “Kid did a solid job.”

“You’re not wrong, yoi. I might have to consider seeing if he’d be willing to be my primary mechanic.”

“If you actually let him work on that SEL he’d probably pay you for the privilege.” You laugh. “Next time we have a reason to go to the shop I’ll see if I can get him to show you Victoria.” You turn, looking over your shoulder as you back out of the garage. “It’s certainly one thing you two have in common, if nothing else.”

“Hm? He’s more into the older luxury cars?”

“Yeah, Vicky’s a 1957 Bel Air.”

You drove the two of you along a few back roads, hitting a long open stretch and really opening the motor for a couple of miles. You didn’t want to push your luck too much, but it was nice to be behind the wheel again. It was even nicer to have a car that wasn’t going to break down on you on the way to work, or well, anywhere within the island honestly.

You and Marco talked about cars while you drove. How he effectively inherited his from his Pops, and you admitted that your car had been a gift from Ivankov. It wasn’t in the greatest shape when you’d first gotten it, and you’re pretty sure Ivan had only meant for you to drive it for a couple of years before buying your own.

Before the car had given out, however, you’d ended up getting close to Kid. With his business it just made sense to let him keep the car running, and in the process you yourself had learned quite a bit about cars. It had worked out in the end, and even Kid had been trying to get you to replace the Firebird for the last couple of years.

He wasn’t sick of working on it, so much as he was probably worried the frame would just snap while you were in the middle of driving.

But now that wasn’t a concern. Tori-chan was as new and as safe as you could hope for, and in a way the entire process really had made her something of a phoenix.

After the drive it was dinner.

And then farewells.

The kiss in the foyer was gentle, long, sweet, and entirely too brief.

Your fingers had stayed entwined in his for as long as you could possibly manage, and you didn’t want him to leave.

He didn’t want to leave.

But there would be work in the morning, and you had your date plans set for Friday. Time that had danced around you and slipped through your fingers might deign to slow the next couple of days, but it would still move forward. It had no other choice.

Once you closed your front door, however, you had a problem you hadn’t really ever had before.

Your home was empty.

Empty hadn’t ever really been a word you had used to describe it before. It was, perhaps, a bit too big for a single person, but it had all that you needed and more. You had shelves of books, plenty of storage, and room enough to host parties occasionally. A little more than modest, decidedly less than ostentatious.

But it hadn’t ever felt empty before. Not like this.

You tried to tell yourself it was the rush of a new love, but you’d had “new” lovers before now, and even then your home had been comfort. The peace and quiet gave you time to recharge, or cool off. It never left you feeling almost hollow.

Almost cold.

It was frustrating! You were full-grown, not some teenager led around by your nose by your libido. There was no reason to be so dramatic about it.

Flopping onto the couch with a sigh, you already knew the problem wasn’t your libido. Sure there was a lot of chemistry between you, and a lot of tension, and a lot of tenderness too. You teased each other on near equal terms, and you were certain he was struggling as much as you were.

The flush in his cheeks, the red in his ears, the heat that rolled off his neck and the desire that slipped from his lips like silk. The way his fingers twitched and flexed, and the pleased sounds that rattled around in his chest.

The way he restrained himself even though you could tell he just wanted to completely take over.

In some ways you wanted to let him. Not to lose yourself in him completely, but a little. Enough that, at least in certain situations, you could happily let him lead. Let him decide.

Let him hunt you.

“-you’re going to end up that Vet’s pet, little mouse.” Kid’s words echo in your brain a little, and you scoff into the empty air of your home.

Empty.

Grumbling and muttering, you pull yourself off the couch and grab a shower before turning in early for the day. Time would pass because it had to, and if you were just going to be frustrated sitting on the couch, you might as well get a little extra rest.

If things went well this weekend you’d need the extra energy anyway.

[phantomram-b00]

Oh boy I got another headcanon today. This time with Ineffable bureaucracy since they definitely deserve their flowers after that W in the finale.

And also that they’re adorable af 🤭

Anyway, so considering Beelzebub favorite song is Everday, and Beelzebub gave him a cute fly. Gabriel was able to get ticket to an fair or amusement park because he saw they got rollercoaster (nudge nudge) as a surprise for them.

“You…got this for us?” Beelzebub would say giving a cheeky smile. “Didn’t take you for a amusement park, you surprise me everyday Archangel”

“W-well, I just thought since you got me something and you really like roller coasters“ he stumbles in his word as his face grows redder. “A-and You know, I just thought it would be nice if me and y-you would l-like to check out this humanly designed a-attractions these human invented a-“

“Of course I’ll love to go Gabe.” They chuckled as their face too grows red.

And then they go, Gabriel is in awe with how colorful the park is with there decor and almost all rigged games with cute plushies as Beelzebub talks about them. And they both raved as they play their rigged games; Gabriel starts to realize just how much he beginning to love humanity.. how could they destroy something so precious, so beautiful. And to see Beelzebub smile that glows it wash away his own worries back home. As long as they were both having fun, that all that matters in this moment. And to think they could destroy this planet.

Then, after using countless miracles to win prizes and consuming delectable park foods Beelzebub look up and smiles.

“Oi! Gabe! Check out this beauty. Think you can handle this one Angel?” Beelzebub daringly with hints of mischief in their tone as Gabriel look to see a rollercoaster ride with more loops than any halos manufactured. At least according to Gabriel’s view.

“Pfft, you insult me” he spoke to retort to amuse their banter with a smile. “You’re on.”

They ran to the rollercoaster and Gabriel start to feel his heart beating in an irregular fashion as they wait in line. ‘it’s fine! It’s fine! It’s fine!’ He repeats in his mind as they wait in line. Though the more he repeats the more he shakes. The more he look at the rollercoaster the more he’s shakes about having to deal with paperwork heaven forbid something happens. ‘It’s fine! It’s all fine! Don’t worry, you’ve dealt with worse things. I-I mean you even fight in the Great War all those millennia ago! It’s fine! It’s fine!’

Then they get to the front, Beelzebub look at Gabriel’s Violet shaking eyes. Their raise an eyebrow before

Oh.

Oh..

“Gabe, you alright?” They asked making a soft smile with a more soften look.

“O-oh! Yeah Pfft totally.” Gabriel shakes his head looking away from their gaze. “Sorry, I don’t know what’s happening.”

“Let me guess, heart beating faster than the speed of light? Shaking? And thoughts going fast?” Gabriel hesitates before nodding. “Hm. Angel, you might be scared.”

“Scared? Me? Can’t be. I’m an archangel. How can I be frighten over this death trap.” Gabriel’s shaky laugh was all that needed to be said.

“You know. We don’t have to go. it was a silly dare. I may be a demon but I won’t even put the lower class demons through this torture. Though, that can be interesting to suggest to the dark council” Beelzebub snicker at the last sentence. But Gabriel can tell they’re being genuine.

“N-no. I’m willing to do it, j-just. What can be another way to help me not f-feel this..”

“Fear?” Gabe nodded again. “Well, from what I’ve understand with the complexity of these humans. You either can expose yourself and go through it. Or as the humans bravely say “face your fears” or whatever nonsense” Gabriel got confused. “Yeah human are very confusing, yet so crafty with their craftsmanship. But another is..singing while facing your fears.”

“Singing? Singing. Y-yes! Let try that.”

Beelzebub thinks as the rollercoaster came at a halt as the previous riders began jumping off. They didn’t know what can be a song that they know can soothe the poor supreme archangel’s fear. At least not the one they were thinking about with song from Metallica to fast pace instrumental music from the strings of electric guitars. Then the idea clicked, of course. ‘Buddy Holly do your work!’ They thought as they and the rest of the riders began sitting.

“Everyday it’s-a getting closer” Beelzebub sang as they begging to pull down the handles. Gabriel smiles.

“Going faster than a rollercoaster” Gabriel sang back as he reached to hold Beelzebub hand.

“Love like yours will surely come my way” they both sing looking at their eyes. The world stop for a short moment as they look at each other with reddish face.

“A-hey A-hey- Aaaaa!” Gabriel shouted as the rollercoaster blasted off and Beelzebub couldn’t help but chuckles. And soon. Gabriel’s fear also washed away. But not because the song calmed him but Beelzebub laughs was enough to make sure they’re okay.