#Helix Control-M Trainings

[the-spmglobaltechnology]

BMC Control-M effective workflow orchestration | SPM

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[spmglobaltech]

We are a reputed BMC Helix Control-M Vendor offering consultancy, customization, deployment, and support services. Get workflow automation tool implemented.

[tacoma-narrows]

Finally went through my camera photos from my experience at Dorney Park's first ever Winter Chill Out event last weekend!! It was so cool to see the park closed during the off-season and all the rides being broken down for their off-season maintenance!

Recap of a lot of what we saw under the cut!

We got to see a whole bunch of different places including:

Seeing the new trains for Thunderhawk for that ride's 100th anniversary this coming season. They look absolutely fantastic!! I love the colors (first picture)

Got to go into an off-season maintenance building to see a bunch of ride vehicles and stuff including wheel assemblies, cars, vehicles for their newly rethemed set of flying scooters, and it was crazy to see a box with the B&M logo on it lmao (pics 2 thru 5)

We also were shown the thing they use to inspect the tracks of rides like Steel Force, Talon and Hydra! This crazy looking gyroscopic hamster ball on an arm thing that hugs the track of the ride and can be controlled along it for the technicians sitting in the ball to inspect the track (6th pic)

We got to go into a behind the scenes area behind Hydra and Steel Force to get some really cool shots of both (pics 7 and 8). They were also test cycling Steel Force while we were back there, so it was awesome to see it fly through the helix a bunch while we were back there!

It was also just rlly cool to see all the different rides closed down for the winter, with the Wave Swinger, Musik Express and Demon Drop shown here (pics 9 through 11)

And of course we got to see the brand new Iron Menace up close! It may not be the biggest or most dynamic dive coaster ever, but it looks fantastic, both in its own right and in Dorney's skyline! The colors are great and I absolutely cannot wait to see what the whole new Steelyard themed area around it will look like when it's done! (Pic 12)

We also got to take a light on tour of the park's Ghost In The Machine Halloween Haunt attraction! I didn't include any pics of that here, but it's tied in with the story of Iron Menace and was SUPER cool too!

Then lastly we got to go into the electrical room for the park's Intaimin Impulse Coaster, Possessed! (Pics 13 and 14) Just all the electronics and wiring that go into that thing was crazy. Since the ride is launched magnetically, it uses a HUGE amount of power. The guy showing us everything said that when it does the initial launch of 0-70 mph, the ride uses more power in that moment than the entirety of Dorney's attached waterpark COMBINED! And if you know how big Wildwater Kingdom is, that's no small feat lmao

Anyways, that's a sampling of some pics and a general rundown of what I saw at Dorney Park's Winter Chill Out! It was such a cool event and I'm so happy I was able to go! Hopefully Dorney continues to put these on, because I'd love to go to more of them in the future!

[heartsoulrocknroll]

Kings Island trip report!!!!! June 2023.

Kings Island was as great as I had hoped. I had been wanting to go here so badly for so long, and it exceeded expectations. Beautiful park, great operations, great rides. Loved it. Now let's talk coasters.

1) Mystic Timbers -- 5 rides -- This has been one of my most anticipated coasters for a long time, because of how insanely fast it looks in POVs, and I was not disappointed. It absolutely feels as fast as it looks -- the pacing is excellent, the transitions are quick, and the airtime never stops. The twisting drop is fun, and every hill delivers with the negative Gs, from the larger hills to the smaller banked hills. However, the out-and-back layout causes Mystic Timbers to lack the twists/turns that make Thunderhead feel so out of control for me. As a result, while I love both rides, Thunderhead remains my favorite GCI by a small margin.

2) The Beast -- 4 rides, including 1 night ride -- The Beast may be one of the most iconic roller coasters in history, but it is still ridiculously underrated among enthusiasts. Because of that, I went into this ride with low expectations. And boy oh boy, was I blown away. The first drop into the tunnel rocks. The setting deep in the woods is incredible. The ride feels like it is never going to end. The finale after the second lift hill is, of course, the highlight. The unnatural banking on that shallow drop is a crazy sensation on its own. And then, the love of my life, the double helix in the tunnels!!!!!!!!! The continuously increasing speed plus the LATERALS plus the tunnel wall being right beside my head on the left side of the train!!! All of this is crazy enough during the day, but at night, deep in the woods where you cannot see what is coming next??? WTF????? I waited over an hour and a half for my night ride, and my god, for the way I was losing my mind during that ride, it was sooooo worth it. A large part of me wants to put The Beast above Mystic Timbers. It's impossible to choose.

3) Diamondback -- 4 rides -- This is one of my favorite B&M hypers, right up there with Goliath. It's hard to choose between Diamondback and Goliath, as they are both great for different reasons. The airtime on Diamondback is unlike any of the other B&M hypers I've ridden. Diamondback may not (key word here is may) have a hill that outdoes the first hill on Mako in terms of one singular moment of sustained floater, but cumulatively, Diamondback has way more airtime than Mako. Even in row 7 (the closest to the front that I rode), the airtime hits. But in the back row??? I managed to be the least stapled I've ever been with this type of restraint, and I thought I was going to die on the first two camelbacks because of how sustained (and relatively powerful) the floater air is. Even the drop off the midcourse and the small hills after the midcourse give good airtime. And I love the splashdown on this ride, not only because it looks cool, but because you can actually get wet in the back row if you try.

4) Orion -- 4 rides -- This ride is extremely underrated. I think people who act as if there is some kind of night and day difference between Orion and Fury are insane. The height and the sense of speed alone are amazing, but Orion also has a great mix of forces. The first drop is excellent and basically indistinguishable from Fury's first drop, giving great airtime all the way down. The positive Gs at the bottom of the first drop are awesome. The inward banked hill after the drop does nothing, so that's one legitimate complaint. The speed hill after the turnaround and the camelback that follows are the standout elements. The speed hill gives borderline ejector airtime, while the camelback gives great floater. I also like that this ride has a helix to add some more positives into the mix. The helix is not as intense as I would have hoped, but it was still good. (Maybe I'm just spoiled by the beautifully sustained positives of Goliath's 540 degree helix.) Overall, just a great ride.

5) Banshee -- 1 ride -- I really needed to ride this more than once to get a good feel for it, but I just didn't have time, and honestly, I didn't really want to because of the restraints. I try not to let little things ruin my opinion of a ride, but I cannot get past those vest restraints on some B&Ms. Anyway, I liked this ride. The drop is huge, and there are no midcourse brakes, so this ride has breakneck pacing and crushing positive Gs, which I love. However, the inversions are more gracefully profiled with far less whip than the other inverts I have ridden. I found the slow inline twist at the end to be particularly out of character. The snappy inversions are the main reason why I have loved every other invert I've done, and because Banshee falls short in that regard, it ranks as my least favorite invert. (Also of note, this ride rattles hard for its young age. I personally don't mind that, but thought it was worth mentioning.)

6) Invertigo -- 1 ride -- This inverted boomerang is so much better than a traditional boomerang. It is incredibly forceful and didn't really bang my head at all.

7) The Bat -- 1 ride -- This is a completely different ride than the only other Arrow suspended coaster I've done, Iron Dragon. The Bat has a great sense of speed, as it is continuously descending throughout the ride. The setting in the woods is nice, and the swinging is crazy in parts, particularly coming into the final brakes.

8) Racer -- 1 ride -- I love my woodies, but these old PTCs just aren't the intense ride experience that I need. This one actually did give a little bit of airtime on some of the hills, and it is very smooth since the recent track work. Just a nice, fun ride.

9) Adventure Express -- 1 ride -- This is one of the better mine trains I've done, but it's still a mine train.

I didn't ride Flight of Fear or Backlot Stunt Coaster, as I have already ridden their clones at Kings Dominion and wanted to spend my time on re-rides on the top 4. But they would rank at #9 and #10 respectively, following Racer.

[yabookers]

Once & Future by Amy Rose Capetta and Cori McCarthy

I’ve been chased my whole life. As a fugitive refugee in the territory controlled by the tyrannical Mercer corporation, I’ve always had to hide who I am. Until I found Excalibur. Now I’m done hiding. My name is Ari Helix. I have a magic sword, a cranky wizard, and a revolution to start. When Ari crash-lands on Old Earth and pulls a magic sword from its ancient resting place, she is revealed to be the newest reincarnation of King Arthur. Then she meets Merlin, who has aged backward over the centuries into a teenager, and together they must break the curse that keeps Arthur coming back. Their quest? Defeat the cruel, oppressive government and bring peace and equality to all humankind. No pressure.

Disclaimer: I received a copy free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

When Ari pulls Excalibur from an old tree on Old Earth, she starts a cycle that has been repeating for centuries. She is deemed to be the 42nd reincarnation of the legendary King Arthur. Merlin, who has been ageing backwards and has only one cycle left, needs to train Ari up so she is ready to lead humanity against its greatest threat. But, Arthur’s reincarnations always end up repeating the same doomed cycle – pull Excalibur, fall in love with Guinevere-only to end up broken-hearted- and then killed by the enchantress Morgana. Ari is different, and in her, Merlin sees a chance to finally put the cycle to rest.

‘”That’s what resistance looks like, Merlin. It’s not one glorious, shining victory. It’s a torch that you keep burning, no matter what.”‘

I’ve been looking forward to reading Once & Future since it was announced. I’ve been wanting a queer Arthurian retelling for so long and Once & Future really delivered. It had an f/f romance and an m/m romance too, it also featured a disabled side character, an ace side character, and a non-binary side character and plenty of characters of colour too!

At the heart of the story, Once & Future is about fighting oppression and injustice. About fighting for the little guy against the big bad corporation, and about what happens when good people do nothing but also about what happens when good people actually do something.

Once & Future is sort of a mash-up of different genres, it has fantasy elements, science fiction elements, and comedic elements and for the most part, it does work. I enjoyed the more medieval aspect of Lionel mixed in with the science fiction aspects of space stations and intergalactic politics. Cori McCarthy and Amy Rose Capetta manage to take a well-known legend and create it into something really original.

Some of the characters were the highlight of the book. I loved both Merlin and Ari, our main protagonists. I really loved Morgana and Gwen and I loved the complexity of their characters.

One of the reasons this isn’t getting five stars from me is because the group dynamics weren’t always as fleshed out as they could have been and sometimes I found it hard to really care about their friendship. The pacing also felt a little rushed at times and revelations and twists were not always well placed, and sort of thrown in your face a little bit, Once & Future is probably a book that could have done with being longer and a little more fleshed out in general.

Overall, Once & Future is a good science fiction novel that is diverse and inclusive and is a book that I would highly recommend & I am definitely looking forward to the sequel. 

Rating: ★★★★☆ | book depository

[spellbccks]

«♡» ─────  I N T R O D U C I N G . . . *✧｡⋆

                      . . .  A Z A Z E L  P E T H A M E N O S  !

        the  boy  made  of  golden  smoke  . . .

«♡» ─────  STATS  !

BASICS !

name:  azazel  pethamenos

nicknames:  zazzy

age:  nineteen

gender:  demiboy

pronouns:  he/they

date of birth:  may 13th, 2000

parent(s):  bill  cipher;  adopted  by  hades  &  persephone

hometown:  the  isle  of  the  lost;  the  underworld

occupation:  student  &  prince / god  ?

PHYSICAL !

hair colour: black

eye colour:  gold  irises  w/  red  pupils

height: 167cm

tattoos:  none,  but  !  he  has  the  pethamenos  family  crest  branded  into  the  left  side  of  his  chest  !

piercings:  three  piercings  in  his  right  lobe,  four  piercings  in  his  left lobe,  double  helix  on  his  right  ear,  triple  forward  helix  on  his  left  ear,  industrial  through  his  right  ear  !

scars:  he  has  to  many  to  count,  but  noticeable  ones  are:  two  long  scars  on  either  side  of  his  spine,  a  long  scar  along  his  throat,  a  small  scar  along  his  left  cheekbone,  a  jagged  scar  through  the  brand  on  the  left  side  of  his  chest  !

faceclaim:  jeon  jeongguk

«♡» ─────  ABOUT  !

he  was  born  on  the  isle  of  the  lost  as  the  biological  son  of  everyone’s  favourite  inter - dimensional  dream  demon,  bill  cipher.

it’s  needless  to  say  that  bill  wasn’t  the  best  parent  around  . . .  in  fact,  he  wasn’t  really  much  of  a  parent  at  all.  what  bill  lacked  in  love  and  compassion,  he  devastatingly  made  up  for  in  abuse  and  torment  ---  and  azazel  had  always  been his  most  favoured  plaything.

for  the  first  few  years  of  his  life,  azazel  grew  up  under  the  grand  knowledge  that  he  wasn’t  really  anything  more  than  an  object,  a  plaything,  a  toy  for  bill  to  use,  distort,  warp  however  and  whenever  he  saw  fit.

and  yet  . . .  he  also  grew  up  being  told  that,  while  he  would  never  be  grander  than  his  father,  he  would  always  be  grander  than  everyone  else;  he  had  a  multi - verse  at  his  very  fingertips  if  he  just  knew  how  to  get  to  it.

so,  while  he  was  the  subject  to  years  and  years  of  torture  and  abuse  at  the  hands  of  his  very  own  father,  there  was  also  this  sort  of  . . .  god  complex  that  was  instilled  into  him;  and  it  was  that  exact  god  complex  that  would  be  his  demise  !

see,  despite  the  lack  of  magic,  azazel  started  becoming  . . .  powerful  on  the  isle.  he  was  the  epitome  of  chaos  and  destruction,  instilled  fear  just  about  everywhere  he  went,  brought  death  down  upon  people  for  so  little  as  looking  at  him  the  wrong  way;  he  was  as  close  to  a  god  as  one  could  get  on  a  place  like  that  and  he  reveled  in  it.

at  first,  the  power,  for  lack  of  a  better  word,  that  azazel  has  acquired  on  the  isle  had  been  all  fun  and  games  to  bill,  but  as  he  grew  older,  the  elder  cipher  began  to  see  his  own  son  as  a  sort  of  threat.

he  began  to  see  his  son’s  god  complex  outweigh  the  part  of  azazel  that  was  supposed  to  know  his  place,  the  part  of  him  that  was  supposed  to  know  that  he  was  just  a  plaything  for  his  father’s  amusement.

so,  in  order  to  eliminate  any  kind  of  threat  to  himself  that  he  had  accidentally  created  within  his  son,  bill promptly  killed  azazel  quite  brutally  (  as  in  . . .  he  cut  into  him  and  essentially  tore  him  to  shreds  . . .  )  at  the  young  age  of  . . .  twelve-ish  !

upon  his  death,  azazel  was  sent  to  the  underworld  ---  the  greek  underworld,  where  persephone  found  him,  soul  beaten  and  battered  and  barely  conscious,  and  instantly  took  him  in  !

the  original  plan  had  been  to  simple  nurse  him  back  to  whatever  sort  of  health  a  soul  requires  and  then  release  him  into  the  rest  of  the  underworld,  but  persephone  soon  found  herself  adoring  this  child  who  she’d  brought  back  to  health,  for  lack  of  a  better  word,  and  she  insisted  he  be  their  child,  which  hades  begrudgingly  agreed  to,  because  . . .  he’s  whipped  for  his  wife.

azazel,  knowing  only  abuse  his  entire  life,  was  reluctant  to  agree,  though  upon  realising  that  his  newfound  father  was  the  god  of  the  underworld  . . .  he  realised  he  didn’t  have  much  of  a  choice.

the  first  little  while  in  his  new  home  was  better  than  anything  he’d  ever experienced  before  ---  persephone  doted  on  him  like  there  was  no  tomorrow  and,  while  hades  was  a  tad  more  distant,  it  was  evident  that  he  too  had  a  growing  adoration  for  this  boy.

but  sweetness  only  lasts  so  long  before  it  turns  bitter  ---  long  story  short,  somehow  kronos  and  rhea  were  raised  from  tartarus  (  probably  by  hades,  since  he��‘s  power  hungry  even  now  )  and  upon  finding  out  exactly  what  azazel  is,  he  saw  an  undeniable  potential  in  him.

thus,  kronos  began  treating  azazel  similarly  to  how  bill  did,  except  his  reason  for  the  abuse  was  because  he  was  “  training  him  to  be  a  god  ”  and,  in  all  his  naivety,  azazel  believed  this  and  still  does.

hades  and  persephone  witnessed  the  abuse  being  forced  upon  their  child,  they  were  aware  of  it,  and  persephone  hated  it;  but  going  against  the  father  of  one  of  the  most  powerful  gods  alive  ?  going  against  a  titan  ?  not  even  the  gods  who  preside  over  the  underworld  would  do  that.

so,  a  new  life  of  torture  and  torment  is  what  azazel  was  forced  into,  once  again  being  used  as  a  plaything,  except  this  time  ?  he  was  told  it  was  for  his  own  good.  he  was  told  that  he  was  being  molded  into  the  god  that  he  had  all  the  potential  to  be.

so,  he  took  the  abuse  almost  happily,  even  though  his  daily  sessions  with  his  grandfather  were  the  most  dreaded  hours  of  his  life.  he  saw  them  as  normal,  as  something  that  he  needed,  something  that  he  was  almost  addicted  to.

as  he  grew  older,  as  he  neared  the  age  of  eighteen,  he  began  being  told  (  by  his  father,  this  time  )  that  he  would,  one  day,  inherit  the  throne  to  the  underworld  and  would  one  day  be  the  king  ---  the  god  ---  of  what  is  essentially  hell.

this  news  was  new  to  azazel,  but  it  influenced  him  in  ways  nothing  else  ever  had  ---  he  began  taking  everything  his  grandfather  had  told  him  to  heart;  he  had  to  discipline  himself,  to  train  himself,  to  be  the  grandest  fucking  god  anyone  has  ever  seen.

so,  all  of  the  violence  and  abuse  that  his  grandfather  forced  upon  him  ?  was  doubled  as  azazel  began  forcing  it  upon  himself  as  well.  he  would  mimic  upon  himself  all  that  his  grandfather  would  do  to  him,  though  he  did  this  mostly  in  private,  not  letting  his  mother  or  father  know  as  he  knew  they  wouldn’t  approve  of  such  self - harm.

then,  within  just  the  past  month  or  two,  he  was  given  the  opportunity  to  attend  university  in  auradon.  truly,  he  didn’t  want  to  attend,  as  he  didn’t  see  why  he  should  need  to  attend  college  when  he’s  going  to  be  a  king,  the  god  of  the  underworld.

persephone  insisted  that  it  would  be  a  good  opportunity  for  him,  but  it  was  kronos’  influence  that  convinced  him  ---  his  grandfather  told  him  that  he  should  go  to  auradon,  and  he  should  become  a  god  at  last  and  use  all  of  his  powers  to  find  a  way  to  free  the  underworld  from  the  isle.  so,  needless  to  say,  azazel  left  the  underworld  and  the  isle  to  come  to  auradon.

before  he  left,  though,  kronos  gave  him  an  incantation  and  instructions  for  a  ritual  ---  “  complete  this  ritual  and  recite  this  during  the  devil’s  hour,  “  he  told  the  boy,  “  do  this  and  you  will  be  a  god.  “

azazel  wasn’t  sure  what  his  grandfather  meant  by  this,  but  this  incantation,  this  ritual  was  the  first  thing  he  did  upon  coming  to  auradon  and,  instantly,  he  understood.

the  completion  of  the  ritual  channeled  olympian  divinities  and,  just  like  that,  azazel  was  granted  god - like  status  &  powers,  in  reflection  to  those  of  his  father,  hades,  in  addition  to  all  that  he  was  born  with  as  a  dream  demon.

and  now  that  he’s  in  auradon,  he’s  doing  all  that  he  can  to  try  and  find  a  way  to  free  the  underworld,  his  underworld.

«♡» ─────  PERSONALITY  &  MISC  !

he’s  the  epitome  of  chaos  !  kills  for  fun  !  alters  reality  for  fun  !  literally  the  worst  !

oh  !  he  steals  souls  !  makes  deals  w/  people  and  grants  them  a  wish  in  return  for  their  soul  !

he  . . .  throws  tantrums  . . .  a  lot  . . .  will  just  start  shrieking  . . .  they  don’t  ever  end  well,  because  he  doesn’t  know  how  to  control  his  powers,  so  uh  !  beware  !

he’s  fucking  . . .  touch - starved  as  shit  . . .  please  . . .  love  him  . . .

but  also  !  trust  issues  !  doesn’t  actually  let  people  touch  him  !  is  afraid  of  people  hurting  him  !

he’s  . . .  always  covered  in  bruises  &  wounds  &  scars  . . .  please,  don’t  ask  him  about  them  . . .  or  do  . . .  piss  him  off  . . .  go  wild  . . .

his  trademark  colour  is  gold  !

he’s  known  for  disappearing  into  a  cloud  of  sparkly,  gold  smoke  !  it’s  his  thing  !

also,  his  appearance  is  very  . . .  light.  looks  more  like  an  angel  than  the  god - in - training  of  the  underworld.

also  being  the  heir  to  the  underworld  throne  is  . . .  key  to  his  character  . . .  sniffles  . . .

don’t  . . .  call  him  azazel  . . .  ever  . . .  always  zazzy  . . .  only  zazzy  . . .

[jellidile]

Teddies (Barris x Magda)

Woo BOY! I don’t know what happened but motivation hit me like a freight train! I’ve got a few Vergil pieces in the works and so much more Helix Waltz! Enjoy this fluffy fic for now! Let me know if there are mistakes! ;D

Lex is character lovingly introduced to me by @gdcee go check them out :D

Teddy bear’s and babies go hand in hand, don’t they?

She never would have dreamed of having Barris’ child. Being married to him had crossed Magda’s mind once or twice. A fantasy she hoped could come true and did. But she didn’t need more after that. She was content to spend all her days happily snuggled in her husband’s arms hearing his genuine chuckle. Laughing when he would give her those butterfly light kisses. Watching totally smitten when the gold light of the sun highlighted the rise and fall of his chest, and the look of utter peace he held as he slept.

Now she carried his child. She knew for a fact Barris would be overjoyed at the news. But Magda just couldn’t figure out how to tell him. Having Barbara and Asteria to confide in was very helpful. Well, they were helpful after Barbara stopped jumping for joy and squealing,

“Well, Magda! You’ve come to the right people!”

“Has she really?” Barbara huffed to Asteria,

“Yes, she has! Anyways-”

“Neither of us have ever had children though Barbara…” Barbara cleared her throat. Asteria sighed,

“Well, I feel like I have children but I doubt that counts… I’m sure Barris will be happy no matter how you tell him. Just don’t go over the top. Something small.” Magda giggled as Barbara finally got her turn,

“Like I was saying, perhaps you should make something! Like a pie or cake! Something to represent, uncle and the baby!” Magda hummed. A cake would be nice,

“It would be nice to have something that would last though… something the baby could use…” Asteria smiled,

“What about a toy? A little stuffed animal for the child.” Magda smiled wide. A toy would do just fine. Black and pink just like Barris’ cloak, a teddy bear. Barbara saluted,

“Please let me help Magda! I can do anything you need!”

“Could you get the fabric Barbara?” She nodded running out of the room. Asteria smiled handing over two gold buttons,

“Barris said they came from his own childhood toy. He was going to just leave them on the fireplace. But I think you’ll make better use of them.” Magda could only thank her. The smile never leaving her face.

The bear was proving easier to make then Magda expected. Already in the first day, she was able to cut out the pattern and begin sewing the legs. Magda knew how to sew, but it wasn’t anything advanced or impressive. Simple stitches that could fix simple tear’s. Although ultimately it was because of Barbara, when Rebecca sauntered into the sitting room and directly across from Magda, she could’ve sworn the woman had some sort of sewing sense. Rebecca cooed at the bear,

“Oh look at how darling it is! Almost too simple for my taste, but I’m sure the Minister will love it, Magda dear!” Magda sighed,

“I don’t know… I don’t feel I’m doing this as well as I should be…” Rebecca smiled pointing at Magda’s needle,

“Well, before you do that next stitch, just remember not to sew too close to the edge or too far away. What you’ve done so far is splendid, Mrs. Sakan!” There was a wink accompanied with the last name. Magda still wasn’t used to being called a Sakan. Each time she heard it there was a flutter in her heart. Rebecca saw the pieces for the head and huffed. Magda chuckled weakly. She wasn’t looking forward to connecting the multitude of pieces. She could see where they connected, but she could tell something would go wrong. Thankfully Rebecca seemed incapable of self-control as she pulled a pin cushion out and began to sew. Magda chuckled as the two sat sewing. Rebecca sighed,

“So sorry… It’s just… the pattern is amusing, to say the least. Honestly, whoever designed this designed it to be confusing.” Magda chuckled, Asteria had found it up in the attic,

“Most likely because it’s old Ms. Werchy.”

“The fabric pieces do give me an idea for a dress though… Days are never boring with you Magda!” Magda laughed to herself. Rebecca would find inspiration in the strangest of places.

That night Magda hid the bear in an old basket underneath one of the couches. As she climbed into bed Barris sighed lying beside her. She smiled,

“What has you troubled dear?” Barris groaned,

“I found the buttons my childhood bear had and I’ve made a horrible mistake.” Magda held back her smile,

“What happened?”

“I… lost them. I wasn’t that interested in them, but now that I can’t find them…” Magda smiled pecking his cheek,

“You’re a smart man Barris. You’ll find them.” She couldn’t wait to surprise him.

Day three and Magda was almost bouncing with excitement. The day before she’d managed to get some cotton to stuff the toy with. She would have to thank Juven for that. She’d already sewed on the golden buttons onto the front of the toy and she just needed a ribbon for the neck and something for eyes. A figure Magda had grown quite accustomed to seeing hurried into the sitting room. They looked up and gave a smile,

“Mrs. Sakan! A pleasure to see you!” Magda smiled as Lex grumbled looking around,

“I’m afraid there’s no time for a leisurely chat right now… The Minister forgot his files. Again. I swear, that man...” Magda laughed pointing to the pile of papers right in front of her,

“I found them this morning.” Lex sighed picking up the files. Their eyes flicking to the nearly finished toy in Magda’s hands,

“Who’s that for m’ lady?” Magda beamed,

“Well, promise me you won’t tell Barris, but… I am with child! This little toy is how I’m going to tell him! I just need something for eyes and a neck ribbon.” Lex’s eyes sparkled. A smile gracing their face,

“Really! Oh, that’s wonderful Mrs. Sakan! Your secret is safe with me! Trust me, I’ve hidden worse…” Lex snickered fishing something out of their coat pocket. Magda smiled when she was graciously handed a piece of white ribbon. Before she could even thank Lex the assistant was sending their regards,

“No need to thank me! Chairman Linglan gave it to me, said something about getting the Minister to wave it like a white flag… Since that won’t happen, ever. Consider it a gift! Farewell!” Magda laughed. Waving back at them.

As if on cue Barbara barrelled into the sitting room. Magda sighed as the girl vaulted onto a chair, blue eyes brimming with excitement,

“What’s got you so excited?” Barbara puffed her chest, producing two small screw like objects with smooth tops,

“Magda do you know what these are?” Magda shook her head. Barbara chuckled,

“These dear Auntie are teddy bear eyes! With these uncle’s toy will be finished!” Magda gasped feeling her smile grow. She leaned forward and hugged Barbara. Forgetting her embarrassment at being called “Auntie”.

In the evening Magda invited Barris into the sitting room,

“I found your buttons Barris.” Barris smiled,

“Really? That’s good. I’ve been worried sick about them. They’re important to me.” Magda smiled pulling out the black and pink bear. The pads of the feet and arms, the snout, inside the ears, and body were all black. Leaving the rest pink. Barris’ golden buttons were sewn down the middle of the bear’s chest. Magda had painstakingly sewn the nose and mouth. The white ribbon Lex had given her tied into a perfect bow. She watched Barris’ eyes grow, gently taking the bear,

“Love, this is… I’m too old for toys. But you did a wonderful job. No wonder Ms. Werchy was teasing me the other day.” Magda laughed putting her hands over Barris’,

“This isn’t for you Barris. It’s a gift for someone you get to meet.” Barris cocked his head,

“Who am I meeting?” Magda almost groaned. For a Minister he sure was clueless,

“Well, who plays with teddies?”

“Children, Magda.” He still looked confused,

“Which family wears “rose red”?”

“We do. Don’t call it pink… I’ve already met Barbara though. What other Sakan is there for me to meet?” Magda chuckled taking one of his hands and placing it on her stomach,

“The future Sakan in here Barris.” Barris looked utterly confused. Magda waited and watched as her husband’s eyes widened. His green eyes flicked down to her,

“Are you…!” Magda laughed taking the bear from his weak hold,

“Guilty!” Barris smiled wide, eyes shining with tears. He stood up pulling Magda with him. When she was finally to her feet he twirled her around laughing, finishing it with a kiss. As he pulled away,

“Do you have any idea how happy you make me Magda? How I love you so.” He chuckled holding her close. Magda could only smile. How she loved his laugh,

“I love you too Barris.” Barbara fell to the ground from behind the door, and then Juven, then Rebecca, and Lex followed suit. The door swung open revealing a sighing Asteria. The group on the floor laughed and clapped yelling out one phrase,

“Congratulations Barris!!” and for once he could only chuckle at his family’s antics while he held Magda. For Magda, she wouldn’t have it any other way. Safe in her husband’s arms, and laughing with her family.

[lizziebennetnotinjapan]

Drarry Fic Rec Masterlist

I’ve been meaning to put this together properly for some time now, so finally, here is a list of my top Drarry fics. Definitely read through all the other works of these amazing writers. These are just my personal favourites.  Enjoy! Hahahahah good luck ever doing anything else ever again.

First and foremost comes Saras_Girl like, I CAN’T EVEN. So, my top favourites of theirs:

Turn (E) The Foundations series GUHHH: Part 1: Reparations (E) Part 2: Foundations (E) Helix (E) Catfished (T) It Takes a Village (M) Salt on the Western Wind (M) All Life is Yours to Miss (M) (I don’t need to say anymore to pitch these. They are your bread and butter. READ THEM.)

Tales From the Special Branch by femmequixotic (E) When Gawain Robards asks him to form Special Branch seven-four-alpha, Harry Potter knows they'll have to work outside the confines of the law--even though they are the law.

(Aurors!Harry and Draco, forbidden fruit, case fic, lots of excellent smut, incredibly complex and well-written plot. I can’t even with this fic it’s so freaking good. Most recent in the series has just started posting but each individual fic is brilliant stand-alone. MASTERFUL. And so satisfyingly long. They have so many great fics, go read them allllll!)

Temptation on the Warfront by alizarincrimson (E) Draco Malfoy is forced into hiding with the Golden Trio and dragged into their search for horcruxes. What ensues is a journey of redemption, unexpected friendships and an unwanted, turbulent romance with Harry Potter. Warnings for swearing, sexual content, and dark themes.

(7th year AU. Really well developed and reworked to include Draco. One of my drarry firsts and an all-time love.)

Running on Air by eleventy7 (T) Draco Malfoy has been missing for three years. Harry is assigned the cold case and finds himself slowly falling in love with the memories he collects.

(So, I’m not great at reading T-rated fics... I actually read this one by accident. I am so glad I did. Beautiful fic. Melancholy and lovely and just yes.)

Against All Odds by momatu (E) Beauxbatons is hosting the first ever Quidditch Summer School for children from all over Europe, and Harry has promised to enroll Teddy as his birthday present. Meanwhile, Draco is stuck in his office, putting together the first ever Quidditch Summer School for children from all over Europe during, when he should be enjoying summer holidays.

(Momatu really does their research and creates a vivid world with great development between Harry and Draco. Highly recommend trawling through their work and reading it all. Massive thanks to @siriusly-not-over-remus​ for reccing this to me!)

One Touch by Fleetofshippyships (M) An unexpected incident late one night sets off a series of events that could save one young man in desperate need of help, even if doing so may destroy the other.Harry commits an act of great violence, but doesn’t remember why. Malfoy urges him to run, and takes the blame instead. The most obvious explanation makes no sense, and it only gets more complicated from there.What follows is their struggle to trust and open up to one another while dealing with dangerous and invasive magic; when stepping wrong and losing control, even if only for a few moments, could have severe consequences for them both. 

(8th year AU. Fantastic concept for plot and really well developed idea. Another one to absolutely check out a load of their work. I also highly recommend by them:

Restraint (E) Someone casts the Imperius curse on Draco Malfoy, and whatever the instructions may be, Harry finds himself an unwilling target. The encounter leaves him torn between pleasure and revulsion. As they fight in the aftermath, a tense game begins. Harry fights to convince Malfoy, and himself, that he was not affected by that initial encounter, or any of those following it. Faced with a series of escalating encounters, Harry must come to terms with desiring things he never thought he could, things he wishes he didn’t respond to. They each use signs of arousal as weapons against each other in a mad struggle to finally shame the other into backing down for good. But it’s only after the game is over that Harry starts to understand.

(8th year AU. Great angst and enemies to lovers progression. Drinking. Games. A hella lot of rough sex. This is a smuuuuut fic. I also helped beta this fic because it was so good and I couldn’t wait for updates.)

Balance, Imperfect by bixgirl1 (E) When Harry sustains an injury in the line of work, he no longer knows how to navigate the life he loved, and finds help and solace from the most unexpected source.

(Auror!Harry, Physiotherapist!Draco. I totally got @sirussly​ to read this and she loved it, closet hardcore Drarry shipper right there. I LOVE @bixgirl1 I cannot explain. All the stuff by them is just fantastic. Especially: The Shape of the World (E) and: In Evidence of Magical Theory (E)

They are also in the middle of a collab with the wonderful @l0vegl0wsinthedark on a super cute and super smutty Virgin!Draco series on here (search either of their blogs under the ‘virgin draco’ tag.)

Speaking of! l0vegl0wsinthedark has a whole load of great fics (all the good smut). Absolutely worth working your way through it all!)

Draco Sodding Malfoy by Shewhxmustnxtbenamed (M) Harry finds Draco outside a pub and takes him back to his place, only to find out that Draco is in an abusive relationship. Harry invites Draco to stay until he can get back on his feet. They go to Draco's ex-boyfriends house, and come back with more than they bargained for.

(So. Cute. Domestic bfs. Also very worth checking out @shewhomustnotbenamed​ and their drarry videos hallooooooo) 

Azoth by zeitgeistic (E) Now that Harry is back at Hogwarts with Hermione for eighth year, he realises that something’s missing from his life, and it either has to do with Ron, his boggart, Snape, or Malfoy. Furthermore, what, exactly, does it mean when one’s life is defined by the desire to simultaneously impress and annoy a portrait? Harry has no idea; he’s too busy trying not to be in love with Malfoy to care. (Hogwarts Apprentices!Drarry. Animagus magic. SO GOOD GUH. I really love the idea for Harry’s animagus and the progress is so excellent.) 

Any Instrument by dicta_contrion (E) Draco Malfoy wouldn't go back to England for anything less than an exceptional case. Being asked to figure out why Harry Potter can't control his magic might be exceptional enough to qualify.

(MindHealer!Draco. THE BIG LEAGUES SO GOOD YES. Excuse me while I go read this again. OKAY BUT LOADS OF THEIR OTHER STUFF TOO ESPECIALLY:

The Vanishing Department (E) The things we lose have a way of coming back to us in the end, even if that involves a lot more form-filling, bickering, covert glancing, miscommunication, and flying furniture than we might expect.

(Brilliant characterisation of Draco and really interesting idea. YES.)

House Proud by astolat (E) His house liked Draco Malfoy more than him.

(OKAY, I LOVE THIS. WIZARD HOUSES ARE THE SHIT AND THIS IS SO CLEVER YES. REALLY FREAKING GOOD BANTER BETWEEN HARRY AND DRACO. Also other stuff by them like:

NEWTS

“I’m twenty-eight!” Harry said. “I’ve been an Auror for ten years! You want me to go back to Hogwarts now?" (Harry has to go back to Hogwarts before he can be promoted, Professor!Draco. Yisssssss.)

- Timeshare (BONDING FIC YES)

Eclipse by Mijan (T) Draco swore his revenge on Harry for Lucius's imprisonment, and Harry all but laughed at him. But Draco is planning more than schoolyard pranks this time. The old rivalry turns deadly when Draco abducts Harry for Voldemort. It's the perfect plan, guaranteeing revenge, power, and prestige, all in one blow. But when Draco's world turns upside down, the fight to save himself and Harry begins, and the battle will take them both through hell and back. If they come back. (6th year AU. Pre-HBP. Another accidental T read with 0 regrets. I LOVED this, SO MUCH.)

A Year In Training by Omi_Ohmy (M) Harry is finally living his dream and training as an Auror, but nothing seems to be going right: he’s just so angry all the time. And Draco Malfoy’s presence on the programme really isn’t helping with that, either.

(Aurors!Drarry: Harry’s pissed off Draco is better than him. I’m sure you can see where this goes...)

Eternally Consistent by kitsunealyc (E) Draco Malfoy and Harry Potter assumed they would never be anything but civil enemies, until Potter lands on Malfoy's doorstep, bleeding, covered in curses, and acting very strangely indeed.

(Unspeakables!Harry&Draco: Nice swift enemies to lovers progression, goooood!)

Tea and No Sympathy by who_la_hoop (E) It's Potter's fault, of course, that Draco finds himself trapped in the same twenty-four-hour period, repeating itself over and over again. It's been nearly a year since the unpleasant business at Hogwarts, and Draco's getting on with his life quite nicely, thank you, until Harry sodding Potter steps in and ruins it all, just like always. At first, though, the time loop seems liberating. For the first time in his life, he can do anything, say anything, be anything, without consequence. But the more Draco repeats the day, the more he realises the uncomfortable truth: he's falling head over heels for the speccy git. And suddenly, the time loop feels like a trap. For how can he ever get Harry to love him back when time is, quite literally, against him?

(Really nice development of Draco, and fun plot! Definitely worth going through their other works too, some really great stuff!)

Strangeness and Charm by FeelsForBreakfast (E) One November night during his eighth year at Hogwarts, Draco ends up in the forbidden forest. That’s how it starts. or: If two boys fall in love in a magical forest, does it still make a sound?

(8th year AU. Dreamlike and sweet. Check out their other works too. I especially recommend 'Like Holly or Blood' (M) and 'Open for Repairs' (M).)

Strange Bedfellows by hurt_mod and ravenclawsquill (E) When Harry encounters a frail and fidgety Draco Malfoy at the Ministry, he just knows something is wrong and he’s determined to get to the bottom of it. A story about Deadly Nightshade, crippling insomnia, excellent wine … and finding what you need in the strangest of circumstances. (Addict!Draco. All the good angsttttt.)

Boom Clap (The Sound of my Heart) by femmequixotic and noeon (E) Post-war Hogwarts has been energized by its new teaching fellows program. Where once bitter enmity divided the wizarding community, Malfoy and Potter chummily patrol hallways together whilst Granger and Zabini seek lost parts of the castle at McGonagall’s behest and Chang supervises Quidditch when not lecturing in Charms. It’s a veritable wizarding utopia and life is predictable for the first time in years. Which is, of course, when everything blows apart as the result of a drunken dare and Malfoy’s life is ruined beyond his capacity to repair it. Ever. In a million years.

(TeachingFellows!Harry&Draco: Drinking games wohooooo!) 

Lift Your Open Hand by firethesound (M) With Draco Malfoy as his assigned partner for the next six weeks of Auror training, Harry had been prepared for things to go poorly. But getting themselves accidentally bonded to each other in the first twenty minutes of their very first assignment seemed going above and beyond, even for them.

(Aurors!Drarry. Who doesn’t love a good magical bonding fic?? Lots of great works, also recommend:

A Convenient Impracticality (E) Somehow Harry ends up agreeing to a fake relationship with his ex-nemesis-turned-friendly-acquaintance-with-benefits, except for some reason it involves an awful lot of actual dating and, sadly, not much sex. Confused? Harry is too, but when has anything with Draco Malfoy ever been as straightforward as it seems?

(Aurors!Drarry, That good fake relationship trope. *thumbs up*) The Light More Beautiful (E) Thirteen years after Draco accepts Potter's help escaping the horror of his sixth year, he returns to England where he makes the unfortunate discovery that Potter is still as obnoxious as ever. And worse, more than a decade overseas hasn't been enough to dim Draco's obsession with him.

(Sort of 6th year AU, then post-war Aurors!Drarry. Really interesting speciality for Draco and great development)

I will keep updating this as I remember more/find more great fics.  If you have any requests for specific types of fic, hmu and I’ll see if I can help :)

Happy reading! <3

M x

[your-dietician]

Mydecine to launch Phase 2A clinical trial on psilocybin assisted psychotherapy to treat PTSD in veterans

New Post has been published on https://depression-md.com/mydecine-to-launch-phase-2a-clinical-trial-on-psilocybin-assisted-psychotherapy-to-treat-ptsd-in-veterans/

Mydecine to launch Phase 2A clinical trial on psilocybin assisted psychotherapy to treat PTSD in veterans

CEO Joshua Bartch said the upcoming trial is aimed at achieving safer and more accurate psychedelic-led psychotherapy results in a supervised setting

Mydecine Innovations Group Inc () () () is the first company to treat post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and smoking cessation with the natural form of psilocybin (MYCO – 001).

The Denver, Colorado-based biotech is gearing up to launch a Phase 2A clinical trial on psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy to treat PTSD in veterans. Mydecine hopes to achieve safer and more accurate psychedelic-led psychotherapy results in a supervised setting.

“We are waiting for final approval on our Investigational New Drug before launching our Phase 2A PTSD clinical study in the late third quarter, or early fourth quarter,” Mydecine co-founder and CEO Joshua Bartch told Proactive in an interview. 

Psilocybin is a tryptamine that binds to serotonin receptor 5-HT2A in the brain. At certain doses, the psilocybin elicits profound changes in consciousness and has great potential in treating mental health disorders.  

Mydecine is well-funded to grow its IP portfolio and carry out advanced clinical trials with its proprietary psychedelic molecule MYCO – 001. 

Roth Capital recently initiated coverage on Mydecine with a ‘Buy’ rating and a C$3 price target, citing the “blockbuster potential” of MYCO – 001 for PTSD peaking at “$3 billion five years after introduction (2027).”

Mydecine has identified four patentable lead drug candidates which include MYCO – 001, a pure psilocybin from natural fungal sources; MYCO – 003, a psilocybin-based formula with reduced anxiety potential; and MYCO – 004, a patch delivered tryptamine compound.  

A serial entrepreneur, Bartch co-founded the Cannabase.io cannabis wholesale platform which was acquired by Helix TCS. 

Proactive sat down with CEO Bartch to learn about Mydecine’s clinical calendar and how it is leading the charge in psilocybin and psychedelic-assisted therapeutics.    

Proactive: What is Mydecine’s value proposition and why should investors care? 

Mydecine has a very unique approach — we are focused on first and second-generation therapeutics derived from psychedelic molecules. The reason why this is important is our paths to approval. We have both short and long-term goals on that path and obviously the infrastructure to support both initiatives. 

In our first generation, we are already in a Phase 2A PTSD and a late-stage addiction study. There’s our MYCO–001, a pure psilocybin from natural fungal sources. For the first time, a company has been able to take a natural fungal source, extract the psilocybin and take it down to 99.9% purity so it is analogous to the synthetic versions of the COMP360 products that are out in the market in clinical studies. But remember we are pulling it from a natural source, so we have full freedom to operate without infringing on any patents. 

We have novel approaches to our second generation of medicines. We address things like controllability, reducing the experience time down to a more controllable hour or two depending on the indications — safety rails and we look at things like shelf stability. Psilocybin has a single molecule — it is not oxygen stable. We’ve been able to address that problem. As a single molecule psilocybin is also not skin permeable, but we’ve tailored a molecule to permeate the skin through unique fast delivery mechanisms, while making the uptick time and controllability more accurate.

By acquiring NeuroPharm and Mindleap Health, Mydecine has increased its assets and diversified into telehealth. Will acquisitions be a part of your growth strategy? 

There’s definitely going to be a number of M&A transactions and consolidations as the industry progresses. You have a company like Mydecine that is well along its journey to the NASDAQ. We’ve raised tens of millions of dollars and have very solid infrastructure globally with approved clinical sites. With our exclusive partnership with Applied Pharmaceutical Innovation and the University of Alberta, we can literally go from A-to-Z on drug development with full cGMP certified pharmaceutical manufacturing capabilities on-site and in-house as well. You are going to start to see this divide between new companies that have smaller balance sheets, but potentially good IP. And later stage companies like Mydecine that have larger balance sheets and are further along in their market journey who will be able to acquire a number of these companies.  

What is the kind of work that is being done at the Mydecine Center of Mycology?  

Our functional mushroom research happens in Denver, Colorado at our 7,500 square feet advanced mycology lab. This world-class lab is built around exploring medicinal mushrooms and the vast array of fungi medicinal compounds, which could potentially cure some of life’s biggest problems. We are looking at mushrooms like cordyceps, Lion’s Mane, reishi and others. We are breaking them down to the molecular level and developing unique IP around different genetics and compounds.  

Our Chief Scientific Officer Robert Roscow is a well-known geneticist and worked at Canopy Growth and Ebbu where he ran their genetics division. He was the first to use CRISPR/Cas9 technology on the cannabis plant to isolate different character traits. We are doing the same thing with functional mushrooms and medicinal mushrooms, looking at what are the compounds of interest in these mushrooms. 

You are evaluating PTSD, addiction, depression, anxiety, and other mental health conditions. Where are you with your clinical trials?  

In regard to PTSD, we have multiple global test sites — three in the US, three in Canada, which are all very well-known and prolific, and then there are two in Europe. We are carrying out clinical trials in three continents for the Phase 2A study of psychedelic treatments for PTSD in veterans and EMS personnel to achieve safer and more accurate psychedelic-led psychotherapy results in a supervised setting. We are waiting for final approval on our Investigational New Drug enabling studies before launching our Phase II PTSD clinical study this year.  

We are taking the value that is currently present in natural molecules, such as the psilocybin molecule in MYCO-001, and adding in patentable safety features. MYCO – 001 is likely to be used at mid to late-stage clinical trials. In addition, we have a later stage addiction study that we will be launching later this year, or early next year.  

So, you have an advanced clinical program calendar? 

That is definitely a yes! 

Mindleap is the only digital health platform that combines traditional telehealth with psychedelic medicine and mood, emotion, behavior tracking and analytics. Tell us about Mindleap. 

We have invested significant time, money, and resources in Mindleap. We appointed William Cook as the interim CEO. At , Cook designed the Patriot missile system software parameters for the US Army. He is a systems architect by profession and has a Master’s degree in marriage and family therapy. A West Point grad, Cook has been involved in massive builds and also has artificial intelligence expertise. 

We have revamped Mindleap’s capabilities. At its core Mindleap was aimed at solving the issues that you have with psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy. You are looking at protocols that have tens of hours of psychotherapy associated with a single treatment. This is not accessible to everyday people as you have a limited number of locations/ketamine clinics where people can actually go and get treatments.

But when you look at the protocols, nine-tenths of the equation are therapy interactions between patient and therapist without any substance taken. These are interactions pre-and post-experience, and you have one or three possibly under the influence of a substance throughout the whole protocol. So, to be able to administer the treatments — seven, eight, or nine-tenths of the equation remotely — through a HIPAA-compliant telehealth app with trained professionals versed in the protocols is incredibly advantageous.

Mindleap 2.0 is set to launch in the coming weeks with more robustness to the platform. We have an educational platform that will share videos from top professionals, as well as audio clips with experts discussing what are psychedelics, how do they interact with our brains, what are the safety profiles of different substances, and what are the success rates? These are open questions and people don’t have easy access to professional advice.

Now you have this community-based app that individuals can go on for a low monthly subscription rate. They can not only access groups, and information, but find yoga, meditation, breathwork therapy classes, and ancillary services that promote overall mental health. We are incredibly excited about the overall product that we’ve been able to deliver.

Where do you see the psychedelic therapeutics industry five years from now, and what does this mean for your company? 

You are going to see incredible advancement in the science behind these molecules and FDA approvals on a number of molecules for different indications — actually see real life treatments for individuals that have been suffering for ages with really no viable solution. We hope to be one of those making significant progress on clinical trials and the regulatory front. 

Separately, one of the biggest hurdles to adoption is public acceptance of psilocybin and psychedelics. You’re looking at a substance that’s been taboo and is talked about as a party drug. However, when you look at the safety profiles of these substances, comparatively speaking to serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI), a class of drugs that are typically used as antidepressants, they’re not even in the same ballpark in terms of their safety profile. Studies have shown that psilocybin and MDMA have no long-lasting effects. 

Patients are also looking at one to three psychedelic-assisted therapy sessions to round out the whole protocol, compared to taking a pill every day of their lives. Most importantly, it is a curative solution, a very different proposition from popping a pill every day and feeling maybe better, maybe not! It’s a matter of time before the FDA grants approval for psychoactive compounds and psilocybin to be used therapeutically. Then you will see them enter the mainstream with profound implications for psychiatry and the treatment of mental disorders and addiction. 

Contact the author Uttara Choudhury at uttara@proactiveinvestors.com 

Follow her on Twitter: @UttaraProactive 

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[double-up-rides-blog]

My Top 10 Roller Coaster I’ve Ridden (as of June 2019)

For my first post on this blog (save for my introduction), I thought it would be fun to start of simple: with a list of my favorite roller coasters! Please keep in mind that as of now, I only have 49 credits, so this list will change drastically even by the end of the summer as I ride more rides. That being said, I feel like I have enough world-class coasters under my belt to put together a comprehensive first list. Plus it would be fun to look back and see how much this list has changed over the years! Anyways, without further ado:

Number 10: Blue Streak (Conneaut Lake Park)

This is sort of a hidden gem in northwestern Pennsylvania! Conneaut Lake Park is a rundown, super sketchy amusement park about 5 minutes from my college. The gem of this park is the Blue Streak, a classic wooden coaster opened in 1937 and consistently ranks decently in the Golden Ticket awards. It has a basic out-and-back layout, but the restraints leave room for a lot of airtime. The ride has definitely seen better days, so part of the fun is how sketchy the ride is. It also goes back into the woods, so a night ride on this ride is really great.

Number 9: Stormrunner (Hersheypark)

This Intamin launch coaster opened in 2004. When I was younger, this was always a bucket list coaster to me because of its inclusion in the Roller Coaster Tycoon 3 DLC. I finally rode it in 2015, and it was a really solid ride. The launch was a lot of fun, the top hat had some decent airtime, and the rolling snake dive is one of my favorite elements on any roller coaster. 

Number 8: Thunderbolt (Kennywood)

I love wooden roller coasters. Another classic, Kennywood opened Thunderbolt in 1924. The drop right out the station is really fun, and the airtime is pretty solid and the drops into the ravine are a lot of fun. The interactions with Phantom’s Revenge are really cool, as well. Despite being older, it’s also in a lot better shape than Blue Streak.

Number 7: Diamondback (King’s Island)

This was a tough choice, deciding between this and the roller coaster at number 6. One of only two B&M Hypers I’ve ridden, this is an excellent ride. Solid airtime throughout, but not the most intense ride out there. The splashdown is a nice visual effect, but all in all this is just a nice solid ride that does everything it does good, but not exceptional at any one thing.

Number 6: Goliath (Six Flags Over Georgia)

The only other B&M Hyper I’ve ridden, I have to give Goliath the slight edge over Diamondback. The airtime is very good, and I found it to be much more intense; I even greyed out on the helix during one ride. The general consensus in the enthusiast community seems to be that this is one of the better B&M Hypers out there, and I can see why.

Number 5: Ravine Flyer II (Waldameer Park)

My top 5 are super close, and Ravine Flyer II is my favorite wooden coaster I’ve ridden despite not riding some top tier wooden coasters like El Toro and Voyage. However, this will probably always rank very highly for me due to the sentimental value to me. It has some really great airtime, the views of Lake Erie at the top of the lift hill are beautiful, and the airtime hills over the highway are a neat touch. It has a fun, out-of-control feeling throughout the whole ride. A backseat ride on this ride is really amazing.

Number 4: Millennium Force (Cedar Point)

A few years ago this would have been my number 1. It even kind of pains me to put it this low, because it is a really incredible ride. This ride is interestingly simultaneously both overrated and underrated. I don’t think it deserves the nickname “Millennium Forceless,” because I’ve had some pretty intense rides on this coaster. The first drop is incredible, and the views are beautiful. However, this ride doesn’t do much beyond that. The few airtime moments are pretty good, but the overbanked turns don’t really do much. It hauls the entire ride, and is still incredible, however.

Number 3: Phantom’s Revenge (Kennywood)

The first time I rode this ride, I was 12 years old and didn’t know about the famous second drop, and I’m told my reaction was priceless. I, love, this ride. It’s silky smooth, fast the entire way, the ejector airtime at the end is insanely fun. This ride is just an absolute blast.

Number 2: Maverick (Cedar Point)

Oh man this ride. From the second you leave the station to the second you hit the break run, this ride does not let up. The first drop always catches me off guard because I forget how intense it really is. The quick transitions throw you around all over the place. The airtime hill is really great. The inversions are quick and snappy. The launch is just a blast, pun intended, and the water jets are fun to watch. Then the stengel dives, my favorite part of the ride. Those things are violent and I love them. I love Maverick, it always gets my adrenaline pumping.

Number 1: Steel Vengeance (Cedar Point)

Oh my God, this ride is perfection. It’s so intense but so smooth, the airtime is out of this world. The outer banked turn is the coolest and most fun element I’ve ever experienced. It feels like it’s going to toss you right out of the train. The ride never lets up, and a rain ride is incredible. This thing hauls through it’s elements and throws you all around but never hurts. This ride leaves me speechless every time I ride it.

[klarolicityswan]

lets talk about 520 spoilers stravaganza shall we?

After what felt like eons we finally started to get Olicity spoilers for 5x20 (love me some parallels) I almost forgot what being hyped felt like in this fandom!

Most of the spoilers are comig from “the other side” of the fandom, which make the experience funny af. also kinda reliable info if you ask me. Their pain is our gain, fam!

so lets see what we got so far:

http://jbuffyangel.tumblr.com/post/158197209523/5x20-spoilers-from-marc-guggenheim

[pause to fangirl]

now I´m assuming that the sex scene is happening post break up. Tho the timeline of the scene hasn´t been confirmed I think its gonna go that way. Ya know, sex with the ex. Classic. and if the force is with us is gonna be in the bunker and Oliver will be using his sleveless suit. Hot stuff

[pause to imagine the thing]

So if in fact Oliver and Felicity are going at it against a wall, on a training mat or that shiny round table... how will this situation translate to the present time? The spoilers also said that there´s gonna be "Pillow talk".

and THAT, my friends, is the Pokemon we´ve been trying to catch. The Olicity talk. Harder to get than a fucking Horrocrux. and THAT is what they will parallell with the present. That adult conversation Stephen hinted. (the bedroom antics are just a very welcomed bonus to bless our screens and our dash with precious gifsets). Steve also said we would get to see how Olicity got to the freezing cold  state we find them at the beginning of the season. what comes to my mind is that in that flashbacks Oliver will try to get Felicity back and she will say no (ouch). Maybe she will tell him he is not ready and that she doesn´t believe he can let her all in or something like that. Oliver told her he would never lie to her again and I think he really believes that. He´s is trying to change like he said. But if Felicity is gonna marry this knucklehead, she´s is gonna marry all of him. Oliver Queen, The Mayor and the Green Arrow with the dark/dangerous/blurry past.  you know Oliver lives in extremes. He compartmentalizes both sides of his life. He chooses one or the other over and over again. Vainilla or chocolate. The Mayor or the Green Arrow. The saint or the killer. The man or the mask. Light or darkness. Black or white. He needs to find his grey. Only when he learns how stop being at war with himself he will be able to have a full life. That´s what the episode 100th was about. Oliver would have been happy with that life if he was "Ollie" the man that never jump on the Gambit with Sara. Except he´s not. He did jump on the Gambit and he went through the hell that make him the man he is today. That´s why he said it wouldn´t have been a full life. beacuse  parts of him were missing. And that´s why Prometheus is the villain of this season. Beacause he is Oliver in a way. Or something of his “creation”. He is a reminder of the past but also the darkness he was and still is capable of. So I think he might realize this and he starts embracing both sides of the coin. And only then he will be able to walk that fine line without falling into the darkness again and rather use it to fight things only he can and not lose himself in the process. Beacuse the line exist and must exist. the diference between killing because he can and killing beacuse he must. and being able to make that choice. That´s the part that will make him a rightful vigilante. Now what will make him a whole man? learning that he doesn´t have to carry the burden of that choices alone. To share. to accept that he cant control everyone around him or their choices. To let people in. and when both parts of his life merge into one he will be the hero he´s meant to be. and what´s the first thing he´ll try to get when all the pieces click in his pretty head? that´s right, fam, the ying to his yang.  future wife and mother of his children. Now regarding Felicity, Wendy said that joining Helix would give her a new perspective. That she would see Oliver´s actions in a new light. Dancing with the darkness will give her a connection with a side of Oliver that was maybe missing till now. True that she always empathized with him. But I think Felicity could always connect more with the man. now she will conect with the mask. That´s why they are parallelling her Helix storyline with The Hood in S1. (fighting fire with fire/ the list-Pandora, etc) She can understand deeply that sometimes lying to the people you love feels like the way to go when you think is justified. or how easy is to fall into the "darkness with darkness" motto. She is wlaking in his shoes in a way. How you can ignore all the red flags around you when you feel there´s something you need to do. And when her actions blow up on her face maybe she will unnderstand him and will be able to forgive Oliver and give their love story another chance. And the rebuild shall begin!

now what do YOU think?

[heartsoulrocknroll]

Holiday World Trip Reports July and October 2023

This is late, so this is just an amalgamation of my thoughts from the four days I spent at Holiday World in July and the two days I spent there in October.

1) The Voyage - 20 rides!!!!!! (1 night ride) - I've already made a post just for this ride, but I can't and won't shut up about it. There is absolutely nothing else like The Voyage. It has everything. The drop is fun, especially in the back row. The first two hills give good floater air. The valleys in the tunnels on the outward leg are super intense (more because of the pure wooden coaster feel at such high speeds than because of strong positive Gs). The rumbling of the train along the track echoes violently in the tunnels, further amplifying the sense of intensity. Perhaps the things I love most about this ride are the abrupt laterals that occur in the middle of airtime moments, such as the small hill after the first tunnel and the small hills on the return run. The spaghetti bowl is filled with small banked hills that give quick, sudden pops of airtime. And when you think it can't get any better, all hell breaks loose after the midcourse. The triple down in the tunnels is maybe my favorite element of the ride, offering great, intense airtime by the third drop. By this point, the ride is absolutely flying, and it only continues to pick up speed as it flies downhill through a series of small, banked hills that offer the some of the craziest, quickest pops of floater air I have ever experienced. This ride is an endurance test. By the end, I struggle to keep my hands up. But it is an endurance test in the best way. After trying and failing several times due to the park closing early for thunderstorms, I finally got a true night ride, and it was fantastic. But honestly, this must have been a much better night ride before Thunderbird was built. There is too much light back there now. It is really dark in spots, but I can't imagine how much more insane the night ride would be if it were truly pitch black, like the setting of the Beast. Still an insane, out of control experience though.

2) The Legend - 8 rides (2 night rides) - This ride goes so hard. I love lateral forces on wooden coasters, and Legend does them like no other, with the double helix providing the strongest, most sustained laterals of any coaster I have ridden. This element pins you to the side of the car for a solid ten seconds, and it rocks. This ride also has a few good airtime moments, including the first part of the double up that travels underneath one of the water slides and a couple of small hills toward the end, following the double helix. My controversial (?) opinion is that Legend may very well be the best night ride in the park (and one of the best in the world). I was a 10 on the "WTF is happening scale" riding Legend in the pitch dark (so much darker than Voyage). It is just pure insanity.

3) The Raven - 6 rides (1 night ride)- This is a short ride, but it packs in some great elements. The first drop is aggressive in the back of the train. The turnaround over the water offers a beautiful view and great laterals. Then the ride kicks into high gear, starting with the fifth drop that gives a shocking pop of airtime and dramatically increases the speed of the train, so that it feels like you are absolutely flying through the S-curve and into the brakes. This is another awesome night ride as well.

4) Thunderbird - (6 rides) - This is easily my favorite of the three B&M wing coasters I've done so far. The launch is punchy, the Immelman and vertical loop are forceful, and the slow inline twist at the end is perhaps the only hangtime moment that I have ever really enjoyed. For some reason, I can prevent the restraints from tightening on me on this ride in a way that I can't on Wild Eagle, so the comfort aspect is better as well.

[allspark]

It’s time for our weekly Diamond Comics Shipping List! Check out some great titles IDW has in store for us next week like G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero, DuckTales, Sonic the Hedgehog, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and much more! All coming your way for September 19th!

GI JOE A REAL AMERICAN HERO SILENT OPTION #1

Larry Hama, Ryan Ferrier (A/CVR B) Kenneth Loh (A/CVR A) Netho Diaz

“Silent Option,” Part 1 (of 4)! Following in the bloody footsteps of the smash-hit “Dawn of the Arashikage” story arc, living legend Larry Hama brings us the newest chapter in breakout character Dawn Moreno’s G.I. JOE journey-and her first (un)official mission as a JOE may very well be her last… and nobody will ever know. Because when Agent Helix is involved, the only option is the SILENT OPTION.

•   The return of breakout character Dawn Moreno (Snake Eyes) to the pages of G.I. JOE: A Real American Hero! •   The introduction of Agent Helix to the G.I. JOE: A Real American Hero universe! •   Each over-sized issue includes the 20-page main story by the “Dawn of the Arashikage” superstar creative team of Larry Hama and Netho Diaz, and a four-page backup “Codename: Helix” origin story by Ryan Ferrier (G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero vs. The Six Million Dollar Man) and Kenneth Loh (Dead Rising: Road to Fortune, KISS). •   A great jumping on point for new readers! •   Self-contained canonical mini-series that takes place within the G.I. JOE: A Real American Hero continuity!

DICK TRACY DEAD OR ALIVE #1

Lee Allred, Michael Allred (A/CVR B) Rich Tommaso (A/CVR A) Michael Allred

IDW Publishing proudly presents the rebirth of one the most iconic comic-strip heroes of all time, Dick Tracy! The All-American detective just made the biggest collar of his career, and it only cost him his job! But now the honest cop has packed his bags for “the city by the lake,” and its criminals better watch out! Reimagined for the 21st century through a retro lens by the superstar team of Michael Allred, Lee Allred, Rich Tommaso and Laura Allred, Dick Tracy: Dead or Alive is a lock to be the pop-art event of 2018!

•   Bizarre villains! Crooked cops! Gunfights galore! •   Cover art and co-written by Eisner Award-winning superstar Michael Allred (Madman, iZombie, Silver Surfer, Batman ’66)! •   Illustrated by Rich Tommaso (Spy Seal, Dry County) with Michael Allred inks! •   Each issue features a “mug shot” alternate cover by Rich Tommaso! •   Ask your retailer about the “coloring book” variant cover by Michael Allred! •   Ask your retailer about the ultra-rare Mike Oeming variant cover!

DUCKTALES #12

Steve Behling (A) Gianfranco Florio (CVR A) Giuseppe Fontana (CVR B) Marco Ghiglione

Gladstone Gander takes Donald’s place on Scrooge’s next adventure! Will he prove to be a good luck charm? Plus: Scrooge and the kids meet Huge McDuck, another billionaire who claims to be a long lost relative! But can he be trusted?

IMPOSSIBLE INC #1

J. M. DeMatteis (A/CVR A) Mike Cavallaro

Join 17-year-old Number Horowitz as she and her team board a cosmic train called the Non-Local Express, riding across the quantum sea and into the Infinite Spiral that leads to other worlds, new dimensions, parallel universes and through time itself.  Impossible, Incorporated is the tale of a teenage girl with extraordinary abilities, seeking the truth about the universe-and her own mysterious past!

•   Written by Eisner-winner J.M. DeMatteis (JLA, The Amazing Spider-Man) •   With art by Mike Cavallaro (Ben 10 Omniverse, Cartoon Network Action Pack)!

SONIC THE HEDGEHOG #9

Ian Flynn (A/CVR B) Tracy Yardley (CVR A) Lamar Wells

“The Battle for Angel Island,” Part 1. One of the greatest threats Sonic has ever faced descends upon Angel Island, home of the mystical Master Emerald, seeking to take the Emerald’s power and control the world. Can Sonic and his friends stop the attack on the island-or is it already too late?

•   Tails, Amy, Knuckles, Tangle, Whisper, Shadow… Everyone’s in this issue! •   It’s all been building to this!

SWORD OF AGES #5

Gabriel Rodriguez (A/CVR A & B) Gabriel Rodriguez

War! It all ends here with the climatic conclusion to an epic two-issue battle! Will Avalon and her companions emerge victorious against the combined might of the Red Clan and the Templar Order? Do our heroes have what it takes to prevail?

TMNT ONGOING #86

Tom Waltz, Kevin Eastman (A/CVR A) Dave Wachter (CVR B) Kevin Eastman

“Battle Lines,” Part 1 of 3! The maniacal Bishop has his eyes set on destroying the Utroms and the Triceratons once and for all. The Turtles will have to use all of their resources to stop him… but new divisions between the brothers threaten to ruin the plan before it begins!

•   The start of a pivotal new story arc!

UNCLE SCROOGE #40

Carol McGreal, Pat McGreal (A) Giorgio Cavazzano (CVR A) Andrea Freccero (CVR B) Corrado Mastantuono

“The Case of the Saucer Impostor!” O.K. Quack’s coin-shaped spaceship can shrink to the size of a real coin-and since Scrooge McDuck spent it and lost it, he’s forced to help Humphrey Gokart, ace detective, find it!

It’s the stuff dreams are made of! Meet Humphrey Gokart, Disney’s infamous duck detective-beloved in comics around the world, with master artist Giorgi Cavazzano at his service!

•   Continues this beloved series’ legacy numbering at #444!

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IDW Comics Shipping List for September 19th! It’s time for our weekly Diamond Comics Shipping List! Check out some great titles IDW has in store for us next week like…