I’ve had my license for almost two years. I had never been in a major accident until about 2 weeks ago. I was driving around 70 mph on the highway when someone in front of me cut me off going about 30 mph. I slammed the brakes to avoid hitting them but lost control of the vehicle and spun around 5 or 6 times before hitting the concrete barrier. The car was totaled and the driver who cut me off just drove off like nothing happened. Two days ago my dad gave me a loan and I bought a new car. I was driving to the DMV in my brother’s car to get my new car registered today, and I was feeling nervous on my way to the DMV as a result of the accident from two weeks ago. I’m not sure how I didn’t notice the other driver, but somehow I ended up side swiping someone who was in my blind spot. Thankfully there was no major damage to either cars, just some scratches and dents, but now my driving anxiety has gotten worse. The idea of driving my new car scares me. It’s a bit nicer than my previous car and I’m scared of getting into another wreck. I think a potential cause of the driving anxiety might be financial related. I wasn’t physically harmed in either accident, but my first car only had liability insurance and I had to get a loan from my dad to buy a new car out of pocket. My brother’s car got a dent after the accident, but it was already in very poor cosmetic condition before the accident so he doesn’t care. What scares me is I offered to pay out of pocket to fix the damage to the other driver’s car because I’d feel bad raising my dad’s insurance rates, but I already don’t have a lot of money and don’t know if I’ll be able to afford it, especially with making monthly payments to my dad. If this new car were to get wrecked I don’t know what I’d do. I don’t have the money to replace it, I’d still have to pay my dad back, and I wouldn’t have a way to get to work or class. The thought of another wreck is making me too nervous to drive it. I’ve felt a lot of anxiety as a passenger too after the first accident and I don’t know how to solve it. I just don’t feel comfortable being in a car right now.

So this is just my list of powers and abilities if the Greek demigods are as powerful as Percy. This is just my ideas. Idk if some of you feel like Percy is OP too. This is a bit lengthy tho...
Children of Zeus - (more) control over Lightning and Electricity, ability to manipulate and control the air currents, create gusts of wind, and even fly, summon storms, create thunderstorms or tornadoes, and manipulate atmospheric conditions, might possess natural leadership abilities, charisma, and the power to inspire others. (Basically like Jason Grace but more powerful?)
Children of Poseidon - Percy
Children of Demeter - Meg
Children of Ares - Exceptional fighting skills, including mastery of various weapons such as swords, spears, and axes. Their reflexes, agility, and strategic thinking would be honed to a high level, making them formidable warriors. As the children of the god of war, they would have an innate understanding and proficiency with a wide range of weapons.
Ares is often associated with the concept of fear in war. The children of Ares might possess the ability to induce fear in their opponents, manipulating their emotions and psyche to gain an advantage in battle.
The children of Ares might have the ability to enter a heightened state of battle rage or berserker mode. In this state, their strength, speed, and aggression would increase even further, making them more formidable and dangerous in combat.
Children of Athena - They would have exceptional knowledge and understanding in various fields, including strategy, tactics, and critical thinking. They would be excellent strategists and quick thinkers, capable of analyzing situations and devising effective plans. The children of Athena might have an innate ability to absorb and retain knowledge at an accelerated rate. They could quickly grasp new concepts, languages, and skills, giving them an advantage in acquiring and applying information.
Athena is associated with strategic warfare, and her children would have a natural aptitude for planning and executing battles. They would excel in devising battle strategies, understanding the strengths and weaknesses of opponents, and finding ways to outmaneuver and outwit their enemies. Although not as physically powerful as some other demigods, the children of Athena would possess above-average combat skills. They would be trained in various forms of martial arts and armed combat, and their agility, reflexes, and precision would make them formidable opponents in battle.
Children of Athena might have heightened senses and intuition, allowing them to perceive and analyze their surroundings more keenly. This heightened perception could help them anticipate danger, detect hidden traps or weaknesses, and make informed decisions.
Children of Apollo - Children of Apollo would have the ability to manipulate and control light. They could create intense beams of light, manipulate their intensity and direction, and even create illusions using light manipulation. Children of Apollo might have the ability to absorb and harness solar energy. They could draw strength and power from sunlight, enhancing their physical abilities or channeling it into various forms of energy-based attacks.
Apollo is associated with healing, so his children would likely possess enhanced healing abilities. They could heal wounds, cure diseases, and alleviate pain using their hands or through light-based healing techniques.
Apollo is also the god of archery, so his children would have exceptional skill in archery and marksmanship. They could exhibit remarkable accuracy and precision when using bows and arrows or other ranged weapons.
Apollo is the god of music, so his children would have a natural talent for music and performing arts. They could play musical instruments with great proficiency, sing beautifully, and have an enchanting presence on stage.
Apollo is the god of prophecy, so his children might have the ability to receive visions or glimpses of the future. They could possess a heightened sense of intuition and be able to interpret signs and omens.
The Hunters of Artemis - The Hunters of Artemis would possess unparalleled skill and precision in archery. They could hit their targets with remarkable accuracy, even under challenging conditions. Their arrows might possess unique properties, such as enchantments or the ability to track their targets.
The Hunters would have heightened senses, particularly in regard to their ability to track and perceive their surroundings. They could have enhanced night vision, acute hearing, and an uncanny sense of smell, allowing them to navigate and detect potential threats even in darkness.
Artemis is associated with the moon, and her followers would draw power from its influence. They might gain increased strength, agility, and stamina during the night or under moonlit conditions. They could also tap into the moon's energy to enhance their abilities and perform specialized attacks.
The Hunters would have a deep connection to nature and the wilderness. They could communicate with animals, command the loyalty of creatures they encounter, and draw strength from their surroundings. They might even be able to control and manipulate plants to create barriers or aid them in their missions.
Children of Hephaestus - Ofc, Fire Manipulation. Children of Hephaestus would have a natural resistance to fire and heat. They could withstand intense temperatures and forge metal in extreme conditions without being harmed.
Children of Hephaestus would have a natural affinity for technology and machines. They could manipulate and control machinery, making them adept at repairing, modifying, and even controlling mechanical devices. They might be able to communicate with and understand the inner workings of complex systems.
The children of Hephaestus would likely possess enhanced physical strength and durability. They would be stronger and more resilient than regular demigods, enabling them to handle heavy machinery, forge metal with ease, and withstand physical stress and injuries.
They could create and manipulate metal effortlessly, forging powerful weapons and crafting intricate armor. Their creations would be of superior quality and possess unique enchantments or properties.
The children of Hephaestus might have a natural talent for inventing and creating advanced technological devices. They could design and construct innovative gadgets, automatons, or inventions that harness their abilities or serve specific purposes.
Children of Aphrodite (my fave part) - Charmspeak: Aphrodite's children might possess the ability to charm and influence others through their words. They could speak with a persuasive and enchanting voice, compelling others to follow their suggestions or commands. This power could be particularly useful in negotiations, persuasion, or calming conflicts.
The children of Aphrodite would have natural beauty and allure. They would possess an irresistible charm and physical attractiveness, which could captivate and mesmerize those around them.
Aphrodite is associated with love and desire, so her children might have the power to manipulate emotions. They could enhance feelings of love, attraction, and affection in others, or alternatively, dampen or redirect emotions to diffuse conflicts or establish peace.
Children of Aphrodite might emit an aura that promotes love, harmony, and positive energy. Their presence could soothe tensions and conflicts, fostering a sense of peace and unity among those nearby.
Aphrodite's children might possess the ability to create illusions and glamour that enhance beauty, create enchanting environments, or disguise their true appearances. They could manipulate perceptions and create illusions of love, desire, or idealized beauty.
The children of Aphrodite might have heightened empathy, enabling them to understand and feel the emotions and desires of others. This empathy could aid them in building connections, resolving conflicts, and offering comfort and support to those in need.
Children of Dionysus - The children of Dionysus might draw strength and power from the energy of celebrations, parties, and revelry. The more joyous and energetic the atmosphere, the more their own abilities would be enhanced.
Children of Dionysus would possess enhanced resistance to the effects of alcohol and toxins. They would have a higher tolerance for substances and be able to recover more quickly from their effects.
Dionysus is associated with madness, so his children might have the ability to induce temporary states of madness or frenzy in others. This power could be used to disorient opponents or create chaos in battle.
The children of Dionysus might have the power to control and manipulate vines and plant life associated with wine. They could summon and shape vines for various purposes, such as binding or ensnaring opponents, creating barriers, or providing aid and support.
Dionysus is known for his revelry and heightened sensory experiences. His children might possess heightened senses, allowing them to detect subtle changes in their surroundings, perceive hidden dangers, or appreciate the nuances of taste, aroma, and sound.
Children of Dionysus might possess an enhanced ability to influence and persuade others. They could have a natural charm and charisma that makes them convincing and persuasive in their interactions, allowing them to sway opinions and gain allies.
The children of Dionysus might have the power to enhance the atmosphere of celebrations and parties. They could infuse the environment with a sense of joy, energy, and merriment, creating an irresistible party atmosphere that entices and captivates those present.

This piece recounts the first time I drank an ancient plant medicine called Ayahuasca. It comes from Amazonian tribes who consider it a sacred plant medicine with healing powers and, given what a hugely beneficial impact it has had on my life, I am very comfortable describing it as medicine.
One Saturday, in the spring of 2016 I was greeted by the medicine man himself with a big hug, let’s call him Blu. I came into his kitchen to be greeted by several women with slightly comical homemade, feather headdresses and couldn’t help but think I’d walked into a kid’s birthday party. In the garden, there was a small festival tent set up which had a hay bale altar with easter decorations.
The ceremony had around 30 other participants and 10 shamans. In the middle of the tent stood the medicine man’s wife, Sun who was very much the master of the ceremony. She had the most daring headdress, flowing orange robes and a rattle in her hand. She spoke to us with warm, friendly humour telling us that we would know the medicine had kicked in once her singing started to sound good!
She advised that each experience is unique and we should try not to have huge expectations, sometimes nothing at all happens the first time. Having waited five years for this day I was quietly confident that this would not be the case for me and boy was I right!
We went around the circle introducing ourselves and explained what we were hoping to get out of the ceremony. Focusing on your intent during a psychedelic experience is meant to help you get what you are looking for.
During my turn, I expressed my desire to regain my self-confidence and passion for the opportunities and women in my life to whom I never seem to be able to fully commit.
Once we had all shared, we learned that it was time to drink.
My heart was filled with profound forbearing and excitement as I went up to receive a small glass of harsh-tasting, brown liquid which certainly tasted like medicine!
I had a basic camping mattress and a duvet laid out for me which I snuggled into before pulling on my eye mask. I was on my back trying not to think too much about the medicine, whether it was working or maybe wouldn’t work while I meditated for an hour.
The shamans started singing and shaking rattles. One of the female shamans, Nubia had an incredibly beautiful soprano voice that stood out from the others. It was while listening to the song of the shamans that I started to feel a warm flow of energy along my limbs. I tried to dismiss it at first, thinking it might somehow be related to my fasting for 40 hours prior.
When I moved my eye mask to let some light into my eyes I saw the tent roof overlaid with a flowing grid of beautiful, metallic, geometric grids with multi-coloured light flowing through the lines. The Individual elements of the grid reflected every colour of the rainbow like oil on water’s surface and I started to feel joyful, like a child rolling through leaves on a warm autumn day.
Nubia started singing to us again and it was like nothing I’d ever heard. It was so beautiful and mesmerizing I didn’t want her to stop.
I could hear the people around me, some giggling and some vomiting or, purging medicine into their buckets. I checked myself, asking if should I purge but I felt a gentle presence speak inside of me saying: ‘No, you’re fine. Just relax.’

They call this presence Mother Ayahuasca. The reason people drink the brew is to speak with and receive her guidance.

My eye mask was back on my face and I turned into the fetal position with the duvet pulled over my head I felt exceptionally comfy with this strange yet familiar presence as I started to explore the un-intimidating hallucinogenic world within my mind. She showed me complex pictures of flowing energy with multicoloured lights in perfect alignment while I was gently gliding along, watching the beautiful colourful spectacle.
It was around this time that Sun asked into the ceremony if anybody would like a second dose. I slowly sat upright and looked around. I checked myself. Truthfully, I was enjoying the experience. I was slightly nervous that having more could take me to a deeper, darker place however I had mentally prepared myself for the full immersion experience.
The presence told me: ‘It’s okay. You can handle it. I’ll be gentle.’
So I pulled on my shoes, got up and slowly walked over feeling slightly wobbly. I was worried Sun might tell me I’d had enough but when I sat in front of her, she gave me a big smile and beckoned me towards her. The second dose was about half the previous one and tasted familiar, not quite as harsh.
After I got up I walked out of the tent into the house. Sitting in the small toilet I saw the walls gently rippling with energy and recognized the phenomenon from previous psychedelic experiences. I’ve experienced mild, LSD-induced hallucinations before but nothing quite as mesmerizing as watching bright sparks of colorful energy emerging from objects and pictures.
Snuggling back under my duvet I listened to the rattles and felt myself floating deeper into the kaleidoscopic universe seeing my own body curled up but instead of my skin and flesh, I saw myself as streaming veins of energy. Millions of thin fibre optic threads pulsated with warm healing energy which outlined my body.
I felt myself lying on the floor in the jungle with mystical symbols and ineffable tribal figures around me. I felt like I was in a different, timeless dimension however I was surprisingly lucid and could snap out of it to check myself with ease. At some point I had to giggle as my boring pragmatist made the smart-ass remark, ‘You’re not lying in the jungle. You’re in a garden less than 100 meters from the Thames estuary!’
I had my eyes closed for most of the afternoon. I was seeing ever richer patterns. When I opened my eyes the patterns were still there but they were overlaid on the reality in front of my eyes. I could change them with the blink of an eye or bring back shapes I had seen previously.
I started thanking this entity for showing me all this beauty and felt the urge to reciprocate. I revealed some personal memories but they looked so very different. It seemed like they had a photo filter applied that filled the memory with golden light as they came alive with breathtaking beauty, streaming with colourful energy. I visited various life moments and it felt like entering into a photo and suddenly being there on that day!
I was there sitting in our garden at home. Once again I was a chubby baby covering my face with baked beans. I was actually there! I was picking the baked beans off my face and pushing them, one by one into my mouth.
They say that Mother Ayahuasca is a deep ancient spirit and I always imagined her as a deeply serious, majestic queen. I started wondering what she might look like… and so she appeared.
She was stern but not an old woman. Aya was young, perfectly matched to my age and exceptionally beautiful. She had long, smooth brown hair and big beautiful eyes filled with power and inspiration. As I looked closer at her exquisite face I realized that her features were constantly changing complexion. Her skin cycled from Amazonian to Latin to Nubian to Oriental and Mediterranean. She was outlined by swirling rainbow-coloured curls of light. The rest of her naked body only came into being when I directly looked at it. I realize that she was not one woman but a combination of every beautiful woman I’ve ever felt attracted to. I wanted her. She wanted me. We kissed and whirled around as we floated through my Entheoverse. My body of swirling rainbow energy flowed into her and hers into mine and this is how we made love passionately.
I had visions of us being on a summer weekend getaway in a stylish city. We lay in luxurious hotel rooms and I remember a cream-coloured clock on the wall, with Roman numerals but no hands to tell the time. I was dressed smartly as I led her by her hand into classy restaurants that had champagne poured, waiting by our table. It was like we were on a never-ending date, teleporting from one experience into the next, eloping while taking our time to enjoy each other’s energy, and passionately loving one another.
Afterwards, she lay in my arms and I asked what else she could show me and she replied; ‘What else would you like me to show you?’ I wasn’t prepared for this and my mind went a bit blank realizing that I could do anything, go anywhere in space and time I wanted.
I asked her; ‘Can you help me find my confidence?’
There was no clear answer. Instead, I had the random idea to become the temple stem of my friend Julio’s glasses. I looked at him from the bit next to the hinge and I could see him put the glasses on in the morning, and take them off at night and in the reflection of his right eye, I saw him coming home and watched his beautiful daughter jumping into his arms. Then I saw on his eyeball the reflection of me walking into the room and a felt warm glow spread through me.
Next, I visited my baby nephew sitting in my brother’s living room, in his red chair. I crossed my hands on my chest like he does and saw my brother and his wife smiling at me giving me warm hugs but more than seeing their faces while they hugged my body I could feel the way they felt when they put their arms around me and press me to their chests.
I saw all my brother’s smiles and happy faces as we jollied about, trying to make each other laugh as we do. I visited all my closest friends, took in their smiles and one by one, as I hugged each of them, I could feel their love for me.

Later I realized that Aya was indeed trying to give me confidence by showing me how much the people in my life care for me

I visited the girl I had just started dating called Anna whose raw energy I find simply irresistible. I came into her new apartment that I’d never visited before. She was standing in sexy lingerie by a floor-to-ceiling window looking down onto the busy Tottenham Court road. I remember her turning her beautiful face as I approached, touching it with ten fingers and kissing her lips passionately as we erupted into rainbow swirls of energy.
I also visited my ex-girlfriend Jo, whose body and spiritual mind I still loved but whose soul is too damaged by the fear of rejection and tough mental armour I never managed to vanquish.
She was asleep in our white room in LA that she had so carefully decorated and I spooned my energy into her little body. She woke and we cuddled and kissed and I said I was sorry it didn’t work out between us and she replied; ‘It’s ok. I wasn’t ready for you…’
I asked Aya if we had made the right decision to stop forcing it and just be friends and felt her nod wisely.
At some point, I remember all three of us lying in bed together but instead of feeling like the king of the world, I felt like a greedy pig.
One of the underlying themes of the whole journey was how slowly gently and unhurried everything felt and I think the lesson I was meant to learn was that it’s ok to not settle right now — I thought I just haven’t found the one, the right woman to share my life with…
Aya kept giving me gentle advice throughout. I asked her about the stimulants I love such as cannabis, coffee and alcohol but instead of the stern telling-off I was secretly hoping to receive she told me; ‘You know they don’t serve you when you abuse them but they are also a part of what shaped you… Take care of the beautiful body you have been given.’
She repeated many times; Take care of yourself more… take care.
I asked Aya how I could find the power to harness my mind which has always been blessed and cursed with a distracting imagination and to keep my lack of attention from killing my dreams.
Instantly, I saw an unreal version of myself.
I was standing in something like a black shiny display window, straight out of a Mercedes advert. This guy was not merely a little bit better than I am now and I realized that the version staring back at me was my best self!
That guy is sharp, he is determined, and he dresses immaculately. That guy knows exactly what he is doing. When he enters the room, people notice his presence from the invisible halo that brightly surrounds him.
I asked Aya, how I could become him and the answer became clear. That guy works. He knows exactly where his energy comes from and all of a sudden I understood — The confident image he projects comes from the love he feels for himself which makes him look loved and successful in other people’s eyes. There is no room for distraction because that guy knows his worth and knows his purpose.
She gave me such a clear image of myself. I can still see myself standing motionless in the black, shiny shop window with rainbow-coloured fibre optic strains lighting the air that gently flowed around me.
How long I lay like that is impossible to say but I guess it was around 5–6 hours but it felt like an eternity of journeying into myself.
But it wasn’t all just warm energy and neon colours. I distinctly remember at some point realizing, it was time to go to the toilet. Afterwards, I walked back into the garden and found the Ewok-faced little terrier yapping at me. I laughed at him as I noticed the blue silver and chrome energy swirls around his head and ears. I couched down to see if I could pacify him but I suddenly became aware that his barking must be interfering with other people’s experiences. I turned to hurry into the tent as one of the shamans came out, to tell off the dog saying; ‘What’s wrong doggy, he’s alright!’ As I walked into the tent there were certainly more people sitting upright than when I had left and I read some irritated expressions on people’s faces, at least three people got up and walked out.
I lay down in shame but all my friend’s energy avatars ran up to me saying ‘It’s fine!’ as they doggy piled on top of me. It made me feel better. I felt them warm the cold shame out of me and I began relaxing again. I played around as before but the energy had markedly changed, it didn’t feel as light-hearted anymore. It was heavier and more serious. I was feeling the effects of the medicine becoming even stronger so I decided to sit up but when I opened my eyes, I saw Nubia hit the deck at my feet on a hastily arranged bed after having just purged into a bucket. I could see vomit in her black wavy hair as I started to think, ‘…oh dear if even the shamans are starting to falter, I’m in trouble.’
I didn’t know what to do. I tried to lie back down again. I asked Aya to help me, as she had several times previously when I’d gotten a little bit frightened but this time I could not sense her presence and I knew why. I had to go through this for myself.
It felt like I was sitting in a shopping trolley, rolling down a steep hill toward darkness, realizing as it picked up speed and bucked to and fro that this had been a bad decision, a dangerous idea and the only way it would end would be for the momentum to collide with suffering.
I needed help so I weakly put up my hand and within a few seconds, one of the shamans sat down next to me. She was wearing a white feather dress and occoured to me like an angel. She helped me sit up and as soon as I was sitting upright I began to retch. She passed me my bucket which I gratefully barfed into…
After I purged I felt better. My angel asked me if I felt okay again and I asked her to stay with me and hold my hand for a while longer, which she did. I gently leaned over and rested my head on her feathery bosom and felt a sense of peace and strength flow back into me. I saw my energy self, the swirling electrons of light curling my limbs as I sat cross-legged, hunched over like a bear cub being cradled by his mother bear.
She helped me lie back down and I started to return to my technicoloured dream state. I asked Aya if we could make love again and she said ‘Of course’ but it felt different, when I opened my inner eye to see the face of the person I was entangled with I saw my own. Aya had taken on my form and this might well be the strangest thing I’ve ever written but I was exceptionally attracted to myself and I realized that this could be how girls who are in bed with me see me. I could feel the burning desire a girl feels when we make love. It felt strange but also good.

They said Ayahuasca show you not what you want to see but rather what you need to see at any specific point in your life.

I visited countless friends, some people no longer in my life becouse we have grown apart and even those whose who have passed away. I visited my German grandparents and told them how much I loved them.
While I cuddled Oskar, the dog I grew up with, and played with him in our garden I looked up to see my dad approach us with tears in his eyes. I knew what he was going to say. When he told me that my grandmother had died I didn’t run away in confusion as I had on that day, instead, I went to hug my mom and for the first time, I empathized with the pain she had felt in that moment of hearing that her mother had passed.
I visited my friend Keith whose passing I have always felt a slight responsibility for since I know he read my travel blog and went to Costa Rica a month after I’d been there where he swam out to sea and drowned. I hugged him tightly and cried gently but he grabbed me firmly by the shoulders and said; ‘It wasn’t you! It wasn’t you…’
I visited my old school friend Alex who I had not been close to but whose misfortune to be on flight 447 still touched me. I told him and his beautiful fiance whom I’d never met that I was so sorry for them having been so frightened when they died but instead of me comforting them, they hugged and comforted me as I lay there silently crying for the people I missed. But it was not painful. Quite the opposite, it felt cathartic, like I was letting out the pain and healing myself.
At some point, while it was still light out Sun said “OK, I know that some of you are still on your journey but we will start having some food soon so if you want to share what you experienced now is the time.” I listened to some of the reports.
Several people said that they had a very rough ride because they had tried to fight it. One girl even said she was convinced she was dying. I felt very lucky and grateful for my gentle, warm ride through my multi-coloured Enthenoverse and wondered if I would ever return…
When it was my turn I said that I had finally been able to see how my friends and family see me and why they think I am awesome which will give me the confidence to finally believe that I am awesome (that got a laugh :). I also shared my new appreciation for how profoundly beautiful my life has been up until now and hoped that it will give me the strength to stop comparing myself to others, to focus on my own path and become my best self.

10 weeks later

My life has undeniably changed over the last 10 weeks.
The following day I drove back to my rented shepherd’s hut in a nature reserve and had an exceptionally rich experience walking through the marshes. The sun was shining and everything seemed so intensely beautiful. I was moved just by watching something as simple as a male and a female bird fly across the water in perfect sync. It made me well up emotionally.
I’ve cried a lot recently and I believe it’s a good thing. I cry on most days.
Usually, it happens when I see someone doing something kind and for a brief moment I get overwhelmed and shed a tear. But again, they are not tears of pain they are usually tears of joy and I feel like I have become much more in touch with my emotions.
It feels like bringing Aya’s female spirit into my awareness has tripped a switch in my brain making me more feminine, hence a more complete human being. I’ve also started to care more about my appearance. My mum commented recently that I looked different and she is right. I’ve been working out more. I get my hair cut more frequently and I’ve even gone and bought new clothes that dress me with more style, even when it’s not particularly necessary.
My work attitude has also changed. I find myself a lot more productive and capable of operating at a higher level while enjoying the entire experience so much more!
I honestly feel more in control of my life. I feel focused on who I am, who I can become and what I can achieve. Previously my decisions in life seemed more vague and fuzzy.
Above all, I feel the happiest that I have felt since childhood. The last 10 weeks have been almost like a too-good-to-be-true dream for me.
I’m also positively influencing the people around me. My grandfather wrote me the following sentence after my most recent visit.
You have this mysterious gift of raising the spirits of people both just by being there and by your gift of empathy.

Epilogue

I have indeed had more Ayahuasca ceremonies since I first wrote this and even though there was a 4 year gap between my 4th and my 5th experience I have felt the effect compound over time. I will be publishing more of my trip reports over on medium and would appreciate your supporting me by following me over there where I also publish contant whihc is not just psychedilic in nature. https://medium.com/@hi_niels

Hi. I was born and raised in New Jersey. I have a degree in education. I was a high school mathematics teacher and also a part time college professor. Since then I have moved to Florida and became a home owner that transition into aviation as a career. Currently working from home as an air traffic controller. This shift started when I had free time to study during the pandemic.
I like going to the beach. But unfortunately as a teacher you often stumble upon students and it is very weird and inappropriate to be seen in non professional clothing. I’ve been trying to stop drinking beer. I have a problem with drinking it as a beverage all the time. But now I limit myself to 1-2 cans a day. Now it’s just a nice refresher for when I’m at the beach. Also make sure you clean after yourself and keep the beach clean.
Im married. I don’t have any kids. I can’t actually have kids due to some issues on my end. We are trying though through other methods. Been married for 9 years. I nerd and geek out over mathematics and anything with numbers. Not so much a literature person but considering im trying to make friends, hopefully if I get messages they will be addressing everything that I shared in this post. Let’s have an actual conversation.

Purpleair AQI for my area is 351. My partner thinks putting a damp towel on the outside of the air conditioning unit in the window will help. I cannot find any information anywhere confirming this. Should we leave AC on? I’ve had it running on fan all day, now it’s on Cooling. Scared I followed bad advice have been poisoning my dog and I since this AM? We also have a box fan going. All windows are closed etc.
I have no filters or N95s as of now. Any advice is very appreciated!

I live in British Columbia and my family often hosts at our home because we live on a lake.
However I seem to always get roped into watching the kids. Which means I don't get to enjoy my life when we have guests.
My husband will drink beer with his brother and dad and my MIL and SIL will go on winery visits and I end up at the house responsible for my nieces and nephews.
So last weekend I made sure I was high as fuck when they showed up.
My husband and his brother had to watch the kids because I was in no condition. Their mom is pissed at me because she "trusts me to make better choices". I told her that my free time is valuable and I wasn't free child care.
My husband had already had a few so his brother had to stay sober, poor baby.
My husband thinks I should have tried talking to them again for the fiftieth time instead of getting fucked up. I think they now know better than to not ask me if I even WANT to watch the kids.

“Pete knows what he saw, Martha!”

“Bunch ‘a frightened children ain’t exactly the--”

A door slammed shut.

Clark Kent, only a young boy, squeezed his eyes shut until it hurt and pressed his hands against his ears until his temples throbbed.

One step after the other. Heavy. Crunching grass.

“You think I’m an idiot, Martha?!”

“Now, I never said that.”

The pained look on Clark’s face softened -- softened, so it could be remolded into a whimper while the rest of his body stiffened.

“He ain’t done nothing wrong, all I’m saying is--”

“All you’re saying is that you’d rather not talk about it!”

“There’s nothing to talk about!”

Then why wouldn’t they stop talking! All of these voices, the thousand-million voices screaming at him, and all Clark could hear were the two arguing over him! Him!

A long, creaking groan. Wood shuddering.

“CLARK!”

The word, his name, knocked the other two sources of dismay from his head, an instant of soothing comfort before the pain took hold again and even more intensely, now as if he were pressing his head against a bass booster. “Pa!” Clark cried out, only to regret it as quickly as he had acted on the impulse.

“CLARK!”

His father called for him again and, judging from what should have been the imperceptible way the wind whistled, began dashing around in search of him; it took nothing less than an eternity for Pa to finally find him and one thunderous thwump after the other to finally lay eyes on him.
Pa pulled down the last barrel of hay -- Clark had stacked some around himself in an attempt to muffle the noise -- before breathing a sigh of relief; little did he know, it was a veritable wind storm to his son. “Remember…” he made sure to whisper, his small crisis finally abetting, if only a little. “This is all you. You’re inside your own head and that’s making it so much worse. You are the one in control.”
Clark’s only response was a strangled noise and to curl up further into himself.
To that, Pa felt his own throat tighten. “So open your eyes, son, get on back to the rest of the world… I’m right here.” He extended his hand, gently nudging Clark.
Again, no response and, again, Pa’s throat tightened, twisting and winding until the strain became too much to bear, and finally snapped loose under the pressure.

“DAMNIT, CLARK!”

He burst out, the sudden snap of tension giving each word a trembling quality as it all came pouring out. And then Clark flinched, like all boys do when they’re scared or hurt or both, and the dam was suddenly closed again, sealed with a silent promise.
“Son, I--” Pa stammered, his voice the sort of wreck so mired with cracks and creaks that it was a miracle it held together at all. “I didn’t--”
It was then that Clark finally stirred, hands at last unwrapping themselves from around his head, which peaked up ever so slightly to look out beyond his hay-fort at his father. “I’m sorry,” he said, voice so small that Pa struggled to hear it.
His body screamed a thousand different things to say, but he knew that just was the last thing Clark needed right now. So, fighting back to the calm, measured tone he had managed just a scant few moments ago, Pa said, “You best not be sorry, you ain’t done nothing wrong,” and pulled his son out from his refuge.
“Seriously?” Clark seemed dumbfounded by the statement, so much so that he even resisted the tug, if only for a passing second. “You seen what’s happening back there?” He jabbed a finger towards the house. “It’s all me. Literally. They’re arguing about me. ‘Cuz I-I’m some sort of freak or something!”
Pa was quick to correct him. “You ain’t no different from any other boy I ever met.”
He was met with a piercing glare from his son.
“You know what I mean, aside from your gifts--”
“How the hell’re these supposed to be gifts!” Clark threw up his hands in his best attempt at exasperation, but even an ear without super hearing could hear how his throat stiffened with each word.
Pa smiled, shrugging. “Able to race the car, leap the barn in a single bound…”
“But I don’t want to do any of that!” he said, voice finally breaking. “And w-when it comes with stuff like… this…! I just wanna be Clark Kent: Pete and Lana’s friend. Your and Ma’s son. Not some freak!”
“Clark--!” A cross of anger and dread flared in Pa’s voice, and he caught himself from pulling Clark into a hug. Swallowing hard, he instead summoned the warmest smile he could, ruffling the boy’s hair.

“You are my son, but you are so much more than that too.”

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DC Next Proudly Presents…!

SUPERMAN: HOUSE OF EL

The Return of Superman - Part 3, Moving at Super Speed
By JPM11S
Edited by ClaraEclair & Deadislandman1
< Next>>
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To say silence hung thick in the air would have been an understatement, because even silence was something more than being frozen in a single, inescapable instant: Kal-El staring down the man clutching his throbbing hand, the man’s friend looking on flush-faced, and the rest of the establishment bracing for whatever happened next. It was a rare thing that Jon Kent found himself slipping into Bullet Time on accident -- a state of heightened awareness where the world seemed to grow still around him -- and an even rarer thing that it should happen when a bright red cape wasn’t slung around his shoulders; simply put, as an instinctual reaction to being threatened, there needed to be, well, something that could threaten him, and there weren’t very many things that seriously could: Kryptonite, which Jon was confident wasn’t in play, and being yelled at, which he couldn’t have even known.
It was then that it dawned on him, so obvious that the muscles and tendons along Jon’s arm tensed in anticipation of slapping himself upside the head before he stopped himself -- a small thunderclap born from his own embarrassment was likely to only make the feeling worse. ‘Just an adrenaline rush…’ Jon explained to no one but himself. ‘Because… you know… watching dad do… that.’ The recently appeared doppelganger of his father had broken a man’s finger to “teach him a lesson” -- something his father most certainly would not have done; what he would have done, and what Jon was currently doing, was take a deep, relaxing breath, easing the stress away so that he could “hit play” on the rest of the world.
It came as something of a mild surprise when… nothing happened; Jon panicked, doing a double take as the terrible thought sprung into his mind: What if this was something else, some time-weapon unleashed just then on the city? Or what if he had failed to slow himself down? Would he be forced to wander the world a waking ghost? Jon shook his head, knocking such silly notions from his mind -- and also getting the attention of Natasha Irons.
“Something up?” she asked, broken from her spellbound trance.
Jon blinked. “Nope. Nothing.” The Ace ‘o Clubs could be a little rough around the edges, so what didn’t even qualify as a minor scuffle at the bar hardly registered with many of the patrons, who merely kept about their business as if nothing had happened -- because, to them, nothing had. Jon shook his head again, chidding himself for thinking that a cursory glance in that general direction had been any real indication of interest; his own bias, he supposed.
Kal-El returned to the table, his sheer weight and size making it known despite the fact that Jon’s attention had been elsewhere. No one said anything, and it took the visitor from another world a few passing seconds to realize that fact -- like they were all waiting for him to do something.
Kal looked up, a look of restrained puzzlement on his face.
Lois’s lips went thin. “What was that?”
“What was… what?” Kal-El’s eyes darted across everyone’s face, searching for an answer.
Irons nudged him gently.
“Wait, really?” he almost recoiled, tilting his chin up and cocking his head, confusion finally overtaking him. “I--”
“Was wrong.” Lois finished the sentence for him. “The hell were you thinking?!”
Jon and Natasha exchanged looks.
Kal-El shrugged it off. Literally. “The way I see it, a broken finger or two isn’t going to impede him in any real way, while also being something he’s not going to just forget.”
“So that makes it alright?!” insisted Lois, leaning forward.
“...yes?” he answered. “Though I feel like that’s… not the answer you wanted.”
“That’s not how we do things here.”
At that moment, with just how each word was frozen in a block of ice, Jon could have swore his mom had spontaneously developed Frost Breath; ironically, that was what inspired him to finally intervene. “You know, mom,” he explained, “In class, the professors always talked about how different all these cultures were from each other: food, clothing, language, medicine, you get the idea… Their sense of justice, how they handled punishments and such… that was one of the big ones too. Judeo-Christian morality versus something like Hammurabi's ‘an eye for an eye.’” He paused, making sure his mom was actually listening. “So, you know, on Kal’s Earth, maybe that was perfectly acceptable. Heck, there’re a lot of people here who would agree with him.”
Lois stopped to consider her answer, though it seemed more an imitation of the action than a genuine attempt. “He’s here now, and that wouldn’t make it right if he wasn’t.”
“Listen, I’m really sorry if--” Kal-El raised his hands in apology.
“No, no,” Jon waved him off, gaze never breaking from his mom. “You can’t just force your values onto another culture.”
“Like he forced that guy’s finger back?” she countered, rising to the bait. “Seems like that’s exactly what you’re talking about.”
“If I was talking about him right now, sure, but I’m talking about you,” insisted Jon. “You’re just doing the same thing you’re complaining about him doing.”
Lois lowered her chin, motioning towards herself. “So, wait, I’m the one who’s done something wrong here?”
“The both of you, yes.”
“So you’re saying it was perfectly alright?”
“I just said it wasn’t.”
“Oh, so you’re not judging him based on your own values?”
Jon shook his head, grinning. “You’re trying to distract from the point!”
“No, I just think the entire argument is flawed, since by criticizing someone like that, you’re inherently impressing your own values on them,” she explained. “You know, the thing you’re taking issue with.”
“But you’re from the same culture as I am: he isn’t.”
“He isn’t sitting right here, yes…” Kal-El groaned.
Lois and Jon kept going like he wasn’t.
“He’s impressing his own cultural values on someone from another.”
“Right, and I agree, but I’m taking issue with you right now, because--”
“Because it’s time for this conversation to end,” Irons finally interjected, much to the audible relief of Kal and Natasha, whose shoulders visibly relaxed. “Seriously, I think I speak for all of us when I say I can hardly follow what you two are going on about.”
“We’re saying--” Jon and Lois began in unison, only to be cut off with a raised hand.
“We’ll manage without it,” he chuckled.
There was a brief lull in the conversation, a time where the most activity was Jon’s eyes scampering about the place and the beat of Kal-El’s fingers against the table. Eventually, Jon’s gaze locked onto something or, more accurately, the lack of something.
With his mouth hung open just slightly, Jon asked, “Hey, did anyone notice Mr. Bibbowski?”
“Yeah,” Natasha spoke up, glancing around the table. “Didn’t you guys’s see?”
She took the blank stares as a no.
“Didn’t you guys catch the sign-note-thing?”
More blank stares.
“Okay, seriously, two of you have literal super senses and the other two are, like, super geniuses.” Nat waved her hands around. “You know what, doesn’t matter. I’m getting off topic. Bibbo’s in the hospital. The sign was about raising money.”
“What?” Lois pressed, immediately leaning forward. “What’s wrong?”
His gaze a million miles away -- or, more accurately, only a few -- Jon answered first. “Lung cancer. He’s in Metropolis General. Room 414.”
Irons chewed his lip, then looked up directly into Jon’s eyes. “First thing tomorrow, you pay him a visit, ‘kay?”
“But I was just going to now…?” Jon cocked his head. “What don’t I know about?”
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In retrospect, the thought that Kal-El would need somewhere to stay really should have occurred to him sooner than it had -- well, that might have been putting it a little too generously: had occurred to him at all. To be fair, though, it wasn’t every day that you met your deceased father from another world, though, also to be fair, he dealt with weirder things on a regular basis.
The Fortress of Solitude, Superman’s icy abode at the top of the world and one of the scant few remaining pieces of Krypton, seemed the most logical place to house Kal while they worked on returning him -- and everyone else -- back to the proper Earth, and it seemed that Jon wasn’t the only one who thought so. Following their malaise-laiden departure from the Ace ‘o Clubs, it was the immediate destination of the not-so-merry band, traveling up across the globe to it’s frosty doorstep, where they needed Jon to heft the Fortress’s giant, golden key above his head and unlock an equally gargantuan front door. The key was made of Supermanium, a metal forged by Clark from the heart of a dying star, and weighed an incalculable millions of tons, the only security measure needed despite it sitting out in the open.
Jon slotted the end of the key bearing the Crest of El into the groove, turning it to trigger the rumblings of icy shards as they peeled back to reveal a wall of blinding, cleansing white light. The group took a step forward, entering into another world -- almost literally: born of materials not of Earth and minds born far from it, the Fortress resembled something best described as an alien, crystalline landscape. The ground was a maze of large, roughly hexagonal spires with smoothly shorn tops, each of which peaked at a slightly different elevation and tapered off in the distance to create a sheer drop; at the edge of that cliff sat a circular array of crystals gently pulsing with light and humming just barely above perception. Placed around what was assumedly the central chamber of the Fortress, judging from the hewn hallway entrances at the perimeter, were trophies and mementos from Clark’s decades-spanning career as Superman, items ranging from the mundane, like Lex Luthor’s shrinking ray, to the absurd, such as psychic sand from the dimension of Quarm, to the profound, like the precious Bottled City of Kandor, a shrunken Kryptonian city rescued from the clutches of the vile Brainiac many years ago.
Kal-El loosed a low whistle. “Wow,” he said, eyes flitting about the place, jumping from the looming pillars that came together to form an arched ceiling, to the large, gaping voids dotted around where the spires didn’t conjoin. “It’s so… clean.”
“Come again?” Jon quirked a brow.
With a flutter of his cape and a look that Jon almost mistook for melancholy, Kal-El raised several inches above the ground and began drifting between the various exhibits on display. “Clean. See, I… I live in my… Fortress of Solitude, so--”
Jon finished for him. “Like a dirty room.”
“Exactly,” Kal looked up from the display and flashed him a subtle smile. “Like a dirty room.”
Lois, unable to fly and wearing shoes ill-begotten for her husband’s arctic-O.S.H.A.-violation, carefully stepped across one hexagonal tile to the next until she finally approached the black-suited Superman. “Little lonely living at the top of the world, no?”
“It is called the Fortress of Solitude.” There was a slight edge to his voice, though Lois could tell it wasn’t one pointed towards her. “Maybe, I wanted to be alone.”
Lois cocked her hip, rested her hand on it, and considered for a long moment pressing deeper, giving in to the gut screaming at her that this was the thing to pick at. Her heart, though… her heart counseled now was not the time, and she had long since learned the wisdom of always following her heart. “If you’re looking for solitude, we might have brought you to the wrong place,” she suggested instead.
In the same manner Jon had not a moment ago, Kal quirked a brow. “What do you mean?”
“A thousand apologies.” From across the room, a voice not unlike his carried, though distorted to an almost unnatural bass and strained with what was best described as someone fighting hard against a thick accent. “If I had been expecting guests, I would have prepared something for you all to enjoy.”
The comparisons to Clark and Kal-El didn’t end with just the man’s voice; while his face and form were the same general shape, his skin was ashen and craggy, like a smooth stone. With every step forward he took, the mass of rippling, coiled muscle underneath his purple-blue Superman t-shirt strained against their confines. “Ah, I see we have another visitor, unless my brother decided death didn’t suit him.” He inclined his head, placing a large hand over his even larger chest. “For now, you can call me Bizarro.”
Natasha, a gleaming smile on her face, chimed in. “We’ve been working on choosing a name!” she said, bounding towards the behemoth and wrapping herself around one of his hulking arms.
Bizarro returned the affection as best he could. “It was Nat’s idea. We were watching Space Trek: Pathfinder one night and--”
“And I was there too,” Jon interjected.
“And Jon was there too,” he chuckled. “But one of the characters was searching for a name and, considering the circumstances, it seemed appropriate that I do the same.”
Floating over towards Bizarro, Kal-El dragged his sight up and down the man, the doppelganger of his enemy from another world, eyeing him with a mix of reservation and curiosity. Eventually, Kal paused on the Crest of El worn on his chest. “You’re not like mine.”
Bizarro nodded. “In one key respect, yes. I’m not as--”
“Dumb.”
“Slow,” he finished, correcting him with a side-eyed glance. “While Jon was working a case with the Flash, Mister Allen devised a way to ‘speed up’ my thought processes.” (Author’s Note: See The Flash #19!) Bizarro paused for several more long moments, looking at Kal like he had to him not a second ago before shaking his head, seemingly perishing the thought. “You’ve met me,” he said, smiling. “Have you had the chance to meet our other housemate?”
Kal cocked his head. “Other housemate?” He threw his eyes behind Bizarro, expecting someone else to enter the chamber, but no one came. “Another reformed villain?”
“Your cousin,” Jon interjected, taking a step forward. “Kara. She got here only a few months ago.”
The spark of joy on Kal’s face lived up to its description: appearing in a bright instant, only to vanish as soon as it came, replaced now by a deeply furrowed brow, emphasizing the lines on the man’s face. “How’s she taking the adjustment? Losing one world, then another, I can’t--” Kal cut himself off when he saw Jon’s eyes widen slightly and his mouth open in response: he didn’t need to wait for the correction he was about to receive. “She’s not from another Earth like me… Where is she? I’d like to meet her.”
Lois shrugged. “She’s busy in National City right now, if I remember correctly, but--”
Irons stepped behind Lois, his hulking form framing her. “But we’d like to wait a minute and figure out how to break the news to her first.”
“No,” Kal said, every muscle in his powerful body visibly tensing, rearing. “She needs my help! You don’t understand what it’s like! You’re not like her! None of you, not really. Only I can understand.”
With a withering look, Irons replied. “You’ve never even met her, how can you know better than her own family?”
“I am her family,” asserted Kal, beginning his ascent into the air. “I helped my Kara through this once already, I can do it again.”
“And you’re the problem! You know how much she’s going through right now?!” Irons shouted up at him. “You died! The person she was sent here to protect! Dead! And now here you are in the flesh and blood! She’s got a lot to process already without that!”
There was a lengthy bout of silence between Kal and everyone else, only coming to an end when the otherworldly Man of Steel asked, “And who’s going to stop me if I try anyway?”
Jon swallowed.
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To be continued in Superman: House of El #4, Don’t Call her Supergirl!

1. Switches. Electromechanical Relays. Ladder Logic

6.1. Switch Types
A switch is a device that interrupts the flow of electrons in a circuit when pressed. They can switch between two states: completely on (‘’closed’’) or completely off (‘’open’’), which makes them similar to the binary devices. There are different types of switches, some simple, some more complex, but all of them have the ability to either be ‘’open’’ or ‘’closed’’.
6.1.1. Toggle Switches
The toggle switch can be found in most common households. They are actuated by a lever angled in one of two or more positions. Most used toggle switches will come to rest in any of their lever positions. There are also others that have an internal spring mechanism returning the lever to a certain normal position, allowing the so called ‘’momentary’’ operation.
6.1.2. Pushbutton Switches
Pushbutton switches are two-position devices actuated with a button that is pressed and released. Most pushbutton switches have an internal spring mechanism like the one mentioned above by the toggle switches. Others will stay in their ‘’pressed’’ position until the button is pressed again to go into the ‘’pulled out’’ position.
6.1.3. Selector Switches
Selector switches are actuated with a rotary knob or lever to select one of two or more positions. Like the toggle switch, selector switches can either rest in any of their positions or contain an internal spring mechanism for momentary operation.
6.1.4. Joystick Switches
A joystick switch is actuated by a lever free to move in more than one axis of motion. One or more of several switch contact mechanisms are used depending on which way the lever is pushed, and in some cases by how far it is pushed. Those types of switches are most commonly used for crane and robot control, sometimes even designed to be operated by the motion of a machine rather than by the hand of a human operator.
6.1.5. Limit Switches
The so-called limit switches are motion-operated switches. They are often used to limit the motion of a machine by turning off the actuating power to a component if it moves too far. These switches closely resemble rugged toggle or selector hand switched fitted with a lever pushed by a machine part.
6.1.6. Proximity Switches
Proximity switches sense the approach of a metallic machine part either by a magnetic or high-frequency electromagnetic field. Simple proximity switches use a permanent magnet to actuate a sealed switch mechanism whenever the machine part gets close (typically 1 inch or less). More complex proximity
switches work like a metal detector, energizing a coil of wire with a high- frequency current, and electronically monitoring the magnitude of that current. If a metallic part (not necessarily magnetic) gets close enough to the coil, the current will increase, and trip the monitoring circuit. Another form of proximity switch is the optical switch, comprised of a light source and photocell. Machine position is detected by either the interruption or reflection of a light beam.
6.1.7. Speed Switches
These switches sense the rotary speed of a shaft either by a centrifugal weight mechanism mounted on the shaft, or by some kind of non-contact detection of shaft motion such as optical or magnetic.
6.1.8. Pressure Switches
Gas or liquid pressure can be used to actuate a switch mechanism if that pressure is applied to a piston, diaphragm, or bellows, which converts pressure to mechanical force.
6.1.9. Temperature Switches
The temperature switches use a temperature-sensing mechanism called ‘’bimetallic strip’’, which is a thin strip of two metals, joined back-to-back, each metal having a different rate of thermal expansion. When the strip heats or cools, differing rates of thermal expansion between the two metals causes it to bend. The bending of the strip can then be used to actuate a switch contact
mechanism. Other temperature switches use a brass bulb filled with either a liquid or gas, with a tiny tube connecting the bulb to a pressure-sensing switch. As the bulb is heated, the gas or liquid expands, generating a pressure increase which then actuates the switch mechanism.
6.1.10. Liquid Level Switch
A floating object can be used to actuate a switch mechanism when the liquid level in a tank rises past a certain point. If the liquid is electrically conductive, the liquid itself can be used as a conductor to bridge between two metal probes inserted into the tank at the required depth. Level switches can also be designed to detect the level of solid materials such as wood chips, grain, coal, or animal feed in a storage silo, bin, or hopper.
6.1.11. Liquid Flow Switch
Inserted into a pipe, a flow switch will detect any gas or liquid flow rate more than a certain threshold, usually with a small paddle or vane which is pushed by the flow. Other flow switches are constructed as differential pressure switches, measuring the pressure drop across a restriction built into the pipe.
6.1.12. Nuclear Level Switch
Another type of level switch, suitable for liquid or solid material detection, is the nuclear switch. Composed of radioactive source material and a radiation detector, the two are mounted across the diameter of a storage vessel for either solid or liquid material. Any height of material beyond the level of the source/detector arrangement will attenuate the strength of radiation reaching the detector. This decrease in radiation at the detector can be used to trigger a
relay mechanism to provide a switch contact for measurement, alarm point, or even control of the vessel level. Source and detector are outside of the vessel, with no intrusion at all except the radiation flux itself. The radioactive sources used are weak and pose no immediate health threat to operations or maintenance personnel.
6.2. Switch Contact Design
One way to construct a switch is by bringing two conductors into contact with each other in a controlled environment and manner. A crude but easily understandable example will be two copper wires touching each other by the motion of a lever, or directly pushing two metal strips into contact. The conductive parts in a switch used to make and break the electrical connection are called contacts. They are typically made of silver or silver-cadmium alloy, whose conductive properties are not significantly compromised by surface corrosion or oxidation. Gold contacts exhibit the best corrosion resistance, but are limited in current-carrying capacity and may “cold weld” if brought together with high mechanical force. Whatever the choice of metal, the switch contacts are guided by a mechanism ensuring square and even contact, for maximum reliability and minimum resistance. Contacts such as these can be constructed to handle extremely large amounts of electric current, up to thousands of amps in some cases.
The limiting factors for switch contact ampacity are as follows: heat generated by current through metal contacts (while closed); sparking caused when contacts are opened or closed; the voltage across open switch contacts (potential of current jumping across the gap). 6.2.1. Mercury Switch A common type of sealed-contact switch is the mercury switch. Mercury is a metallic element, liquid at room temperature. Mercury switches use a slug of liquid mercury metal as a moving contact. Sealed in a glass tube, the mercury contact’s spark is sealed from the outside environment, making this type of switch ideally suited for atmospheres potentially harbouring explosive vapours. 6.2.2. Magnetic Reed Switches Reed switches are another type of sealed-contact device, contact being made by two thin metal “reeds” inside a glass tube, brought together by the influence of an external magnetic field. 6.3. Contact “Normal” State and Make/Break Sequence The normal state of a switch is that where it is unactuated. For process switches, this is the condition it’s in when sitting on a shelf, uninstalled. Therefore, contacts that are open in this position are called normally open and contacts that are closed – normally closed. Sometimes those terms are abbreviated to N.O. and N.C., respectively. Normally-open contacts are designated by the lines not touching, while normally-closed contacts are designated with a diagonal line bridging between the two lines. The switch on the left will close when actuated, and will be open while in the “normal” (unactuated) position. The switch on the right will open when actuated, and is closed in the “normal” (unactuated) position. Multiposition switches can be either break-before-make (most common) or make-before- break. The “poles” of a switch refers to the number of moving contacts, while the “throws” of a switch refers to the number of stationary contacts per moving contact.
6.4. Contact ‘’Bounce’’ Due to the mass of the moving contact of a switch and the possible elasticity inherent in the mechanism and/or contact materials, contacts will ‘’bounce’’ upon closing for some milliseconds before coming to a full rest and providing unbroken contact. Most of the times this presents no consequences, however, if the switch is used to send a signal to an electronic amplifier or some other circuit with a fast response time, contact bounce may produce very noticeable and undesired effects. For example, if we use a switch to provide a ‘’clock’ signal to a digital counter circuit, so that it increases the counted value with one every time the button is pushed. When the so called ‘’bouncing’’ happens, the circuit will mistakenly count a single push as several counts. Therefore, when we use switches for such precise work, we need to find a way to debounce them. There are several different ways of debouncing a switch contact: to reduce the kinetic energy of the moving contact, which will reduce the force of impact as it comes to rest on the stationary contact, thus minimizing bounce; to use “buffer springs” on the stationary contact(s) so that they are free to recoil and gently absorb the force of impact from the moving contact; to design the switch for “wiping” or “sliding” contact rather than direct impact, such as a “Knife” switch design; to dampen the switch mechanism’s movement using an air or oil “shock absorber” mechanism; to use sets of contacts in parallel with each other, each slightly different in mass or contact gap, so that when one is rebounding off the stationary contact, at least one of the others will still be in firm contact; to “wet” the contacts with liquid mercury in a sealed environment, so that after initial contact is made, the surface tension of the mercury will maintain circuit continuity even though the moving contact may bounce off the stationary contact several times. Each one of these suggestions sacrifices some aspect of switch performance for limited bounce, and so it is impractical to design all switches with limited contact bounce in mind. 6.5. Relay Construction Relays are extremely useful when we have a need to control a large amount of current and/or voltage with a small electrical signal. The relay coil which produces the magnetic field may only consume fractions of a watt of power, while the contacts closed or opened by that magnetic field may be able to conduct hundreds of times that amount of power to a load. In effect, a relay acts as a binary (on or off) amplifier. Just as with transistors, the relay’s ability
to control one electrical signal with another finds application in the construction of logic functions. In the above schematic, the relay’s coil is energized by the low-voltage (12 VDC) source, while the single-pole, single-throw (SPST) contact interrupts the high-voltage (480 VAC) circuit. 6.6. Contactors When a relay is used to switch a large amount of electrical power through its contacts, it is designated by a special name: contactor. Contactors typically have multiple contacts, and those contacts are usually (but not always) normally-open, so that power to the load is shut off when the coil is de- energized. Perhaps the most common industrial use for contactors is the control of electric motors.
Large electric motors can be protected from overcurrent damage through the use of overload heaters and overload contacts. If the series-connected heaters get too hot from excessive current, the normally-closed overload contact will open, de-energizing the contactor sending power to the motor.

Hi. I was born and raised in New Jersey. I have a degree in education. I was a high school mathematics teacher and also a part time college professor. Since then I have moved to Florida and became a home owner that transition into aviation as a career. Currently working from home as an air traffic controller. This shift started when I had free time to study during the pandemic.
I like going to the beach. But unfortunately as a teacher you often stumble upon students and it is very weird and inappropriate to be seen in non professional clothing. I’ve been trying to stop drinking beer. I have a problem with drinking it as a beverage all the time. But now I limit myself to 1-2 cans a day. Now it’s just a nice refresher for when I’m at the beach. Also make sure you clean after yourself and keep the beach clean.
Im married. I don’t have any kids. I can’t actually have kids due to some issues on my end. We are trying though through other methods. Been married for 9 years. I nerd and geek out over mathematics and anything with numbers. Not so much a literature person but considering im trying to make friends, hopefully if I get messages they will be addressing everything that I shared in this post. Let’s have an actual conversation.

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Question 6 Explain why Binary Coded Decimal (BCD) is sometimes referred to as the “8421” code. Why is this code used at all? Answer BCD uses groups of four binary bits to represent each digit of a decimal number. The LSD place weights are 8-4-2-1, while the next significant digit’s place weightings are 80-40-20-10, and so on. Convert the following decimal numbers into BCD form: 73910 2510 9224110 Convert the following BCD numbers into decimal form: 1000 1001 0100 0111 0110 0011 1000 0101 0001 Answer 73910 = 0111 0011 1001 2510 = 0010 0101
9224110 = 1001 0010 0010 0100 0001 1000 1001 = 8910 0100 0111 0110 = 47610 0011 1000 0101 0001 = 385110 Question 7 Standard ASCII codes are seven bits in length, but communications equipment usually sends data in eight-bit (byte) groups. The extra bit is often used as a parity bit. What is the purpose of a “parity bit,” and how is it used? Answer “Parity bits” are used as a primitive form of error detection. Communications equipment making use of parity for error detection may either be configured for “even parity” or for “odd parity”. I’ll let you research and explain how parity bits are used in the transmission of ASCII data.
Question 10 An important parameter of logic gate circuitry is noise margin. What exactly is “noise margin,” and how is it defined for logic gates? Specifically, how much noise margin do digital circuits exclusively composed of CMOS gates have? How does this compare with the noise margin of all-TTL circuitry? Answer: Noise margin is the difference between the acceptable voltage limits for corresponding input and output logic states. Notes: This question, to be answered properly, involves more than just a definition of “noise margin.” Students must first discover that there is a difference between voltage compliance levels for gate inputs versus outputs, then recognize that the difference constitutes a “margin” that imposed AC voltage (“noise”) must not exceed. They must then present their answer in terms of manufacturer specifications, obtained in datasheets. In summary, there is a lot of research that must occur to answer this question, but the results will be worth it! Question 11 In Claude Shannon’s famous 1948 paper entitled A Mathematical Theory of Communication, he opens with the following statement: “The recent development of various methods of modulation such as PCM and PPM which exchange bandwidth for signal-to-noise ratio has intensified the interest in a general theory of communication.”
Explain what Shannon was referring to when he said, “exchange bandwidth for signal-to-noise ratio”. In many cases, the superior signal-to-noise ratio of digital communication over analog communication is the primary reason justifying the much greater complexity of digital communications equipment. Also, elaborate on how bandwidth becomes sacrificed in order to achieve relatively noiseless signal transmission. Answer: Digital signals are highly resistant to corruption from noise, because they are composed of discrete (“high” and “low”) states rather than continuously-variable quantities as analog signals are. However, in order to communicate any significant measure of digital information in serial form, many pulses are needed. This requires a high-bandwidth data path to be comparable in speed to analog. Notes: Shannon’s language is perhaps a bit above the norm for technician-level education, but it nevertheless captures an important quality of digital communication: that the noise immunity enjoyed by digital communication comes at a price: high bandwidth. Without a high-bandwidth medium in which to exchange digital information, communication is either slow or completely impractical Question 12 Suppose an analog-digital converter IC (“chip”) inputs a voltage ranging from 0 to 5 volts DC and converts the magnitude of that voltage into an 8-bit binary number. How many discrete “steps” are there in the output as the converter circuit resolves the input voltage from one end of its range (0 volts) to the other (5 volts)? How much voltage does each of these steps represent? Answer This ADC (Analog-to-Digital Converter) circuit has 256 steps in its output range, each step representing 19.61 mV. Question 13 What is meant by the word resolution in reference to an ADC or a DAC? Why is resolution important to us, and how may it be calculated for any particular circuit knowing the number of binary bits? Answer: The resolution of either a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) or an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) is the measure of how finely its output may change between discrete, binary steps. For instance, an 8- bit DAC with an output voltage range of 0 to 10 volts will have a resolution of 39.22 mV. Notes: Note that I did not hint how to calculate the resolution of a DAC or an ADC, I just gave the answer for a particular example. The goal here is for students to inductively “work backwards” from my example to a general mathematical statement about resolution.
There are actually two different ways to calculate the resolution, depending on the actual range of the converter circuit. For the answer given, I assumed that a digital value of 0x00 = 0.00 volts DC and that a digital value of 0xFF = 10.00 volts DC. If a student were to calculate the resolution for a circuit where 0xFF generated an output voltage just shy of 10.00 volts DC (e.g. an R-2R ladder network where Vref = 10 volts DC, and a full-scale binary input generates an output voltage just one step less than Vref), the correct answer for resolution would be 39.06 mV. You may want to bring up such practical examples of resolution as the difference between a handheld digital multimeter and a lab-bench digital multimeter. The number of digits on the display is a sure clue to a substantial difference in ADC resolution. Question 14 Answer: An important feature of microprocessors is the use of flag registers. What, exactly, is a “flag”, and what are they used for in microprocessor programming? Identify some common machine- language commands that set flags, and some common commands that read flags. Flags are single-bit registers in a microprocessor set according to the results of an operation. Arithmetic and logical operations are common examples of commands that set flags. Conditional operations such as “Jump if Zero” are based on flag status: that is, the status of certain flags dictate what a conditional operation will do.
Question 16 What does the normal status of an electrical switch refer to? Specifically, what is the difference between a normally-open switch and a normally-closed switch? Answer The “normal” status of a switch refers to the open or closed status of the contacts when there is no actuating force applied to the switch. Notes: An important qualification for an electrical switch to be either “normally-open” or “normally-closed” is that it have a spring to return it to its “normal” state in the absence of an actuating force. Latching switches such as most toggle switches really cannot be defined in terms of “normally-” anything. Discuss this with your students, possibly showing them some examples of momentary contact switches that are either N.O. or N.C. Question 17 A special class of electromechanical relays called time-delay relays provide delayed action, either upon power-up or power-down, and are commonly denoted in ladder logic diagrams by “TD” or “TR” designations near the coil symbols and arrows on the contact symbols. Here is an example of a time- delay relay contact used in a motor control circuit: In this circuit, the motor delays start-up until three seconds after the switch is thrown to the “Run” position, but will stop immediately when the switch is returned to the “Stop” position. The relay contact is referred to as normally-open, timed-closed, or NOTC. It is alternatively referred to as a normally-open, on-delay contact. Explain how the arrow symbol indicates the nature of this contact’s delay, that delay occurs during closure but not during opening. Answer Note that the “Arrow” is pointing in the up direction, toward the direction of contact closure. Notes:
The arrow symbol is not difficult to figure out, but it is essential to know when working with time- delay relay circuits.
Question 21 Suppose an automobile manufacturer was designing a new car engine design, and they needed a memory chip to store look-up tables for the engine’s control computer, holding data such as optimum fuel/air ratios for different engine loads which the computer would then consult to maintain best performance, or economy, or emissions. What type of memory chip would you recommend for the task, and why? Choose from the following list: Static RAM (SRAM) Mask ROM PROM Dynamic RAM (DRAM) EPROM Magnetic core Answer: EPROM would probably be the best choice. I’ll let you discuss this with your classmates and with your instructor, though! Notes: This question is multi-faceted. Students must consider volatility and ease of updating (the data), as well as simply applying the concept of a look-up table to a car’s engine control computer, in order to intelligently answer this question. Question 22 Explain the difference between static RAM (“SRAM”) and dynamic RAM (“DRAM”) memory technologies. Which type of memory technology provides faster access of data, and why? Which type of memory technology provides the greatest storage density, and why?
Answer: Static RAM provides the fastest access, while dynamic RAM provides the greatest amount of memory per physical volume (storage density). Follow-up question: how is refreshing provided for dynamic RAM chips? Is this something taken care of internal to the chip, or must the circuit designer provide external circuitry to refresh the dynamic RAM chip’s memory cells? Question 23 Two very important concepts to understand when working with digital memory devices are address and data. Define each of these terms in your own words. Define the following acronyms: ROM: PROM: EPROM: EEPROM: UVEPROM: Be prepared to explain a few things about each of these memory technologies: how they work, what applications they might be found in, advantages and disadvantages of each. Answer: ROM: Read-Only Memory PROM: Programmable Read-Only Memory EPROM: Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory EEPROM: Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory UVEPROM: UltraViolet Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory Question 24 An important use for read-only semiconductor memories is as look-up tables. Describe what a “look- up table” is, and what one might be used for. Answer: A look-up table is a set of data programmed into a memory device, used to map a function of some kind: for each unique input (address), there is an output (data) that means something to the system in which it is installed. An example of a look-up table is an EBCDIC-to-ASCII code converter, where an EBCDIC code input to the address lines of a ROM chip “looks up” the equivalent ASCII character value from memory, and outputs it as the result through the ROM chip’s data lines.
Notes: The EBCDIC-to-ASCII code converter concept is not hypothetical! I actually designed and helped build such a circuit to allow standard personal computers to “talk” to an obsolete CNC machine tool control computer which didn’t understand ASCII data, only EBCDIC. A look-up table implemented in a UVEPROM served as a neat way to implement this function, without a lot of complex circuitry. Question 25 Digital computers use a numeration system with a base of two, rather than a base of ten as we are accustomed to using. It is much easier to engineer circuitry that counts in “binary” than it is to design circuits that count in any other base system. Based on what you know of numeration systems, answer the following questions: How many different symbols (ciphers) are there in the binary numeration system? What are the different place-weight values in the binary system? How would you represent the number “seventeen” in binary? In our base-ten (denary) numeration system, each character is called a “digit.” What is each character called in the binary numeration system? Answer: There are only two valid ciphers in the binary system: 0 and 1. Each successive place carries twice the “weight” of the one before it. Seventeen = 10001 (in binary). Each character in the binary system is called a “bit” rather than a “digit”. Question 26 A numeration system often used as a “shorthand” way of writing large binary numbers is the hexadecimal, or base-sixteen, system. Based on what you know of place-weighted numeration systems, describe how many valid ciphers exist in the hexadecimal system, and the respective “weights” of each place in a hexadecimal number. Also, perform the following conversions: 3516 into decimal: 3410 into hexadecimal: 111000102 into hexadecimal: 9316 into binary:
Answer: There are sixteen valid ciphers in the hexadecimal system (0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, A, B, C, D, E, and F), with each successive place carrying sixteen times the “weight” of the place before it. 3516 into decimal: 5310 3410 into hexadecimal: 2216 111000102 into hexadecimal: E216 9316 into binary: 100100112

My(31f) husband (30m) has always had this on and off hatred with my sister (21) they are best friends for a lil while then can't stand each other. In February my husband and sister started working together. He kept making comments about my sister that I let slide at first. Then I got paranoid and starting checking the living camera in the mornings (they worked night). I would find him to be self pleasuring literally every day (he would sleep on the sofa from night shifts) after an argument were I informed him it made me feel like I was just here for childcare cooking and cleaning (I'm not working at the moment as our little girl has a degenerative condition and complex needs)... we started working on our relationship... however he then quite his job... again... after my sister switched to days... let that paranoia cook for a few weeks and check his Internet history.. which is on my phone anyway because he doesn't check emails messages voicemails ect... find that he was looking for pictures of my sister on Instagram and only fans, plus general searches with her name +naked... these searches have been made periodically over the past 3 years... I say I'm done and feel that I would of preferred him to be cheating than playing with himself on my sofa, in my house, to images of my sister. I feel thats worse as its literallyso close to home... he says I'm overeating there's no intention of actually wanting to have sex with my sister, he hates her and she's a chav. He also says that making him leave puts our daughter at risk, even though I care for her 24 7, do all the appointments and meetings. Take care of all the house chores. And have recently taken on guardianship of my 13 year old brother as our mum passed away from Cancer in March. 2 weeks before the comments on my sister started.

When I was little, I always complained about pain in my left leg, the thigh area, but my parents didn't think much about it. They just have me some ibuprofen and called it a day. This had been going on for years, even before preschool. It started at, what, 3? And I'd keep not talking, I'd just point at it and cry or something because I was little. This kept happening, until one day when I was 5 almost 6 in kindergarten... I had 2 friends, I think one was called Lydia, the other Zoe, I believe? It was a type of Z name. I was lining up, after recess. I wanted to impress them, I wanted to show off my "ninja moves." I jumped up in the air, put one of my legs out in a kick, and my landing ended in complete failure when I tried to catch myself and balance on one leg. Obviously, I couldn't. I couldn't, and my other leg fell, then I landed in a complete split. It was a perfect one... But it hurt like HELL, so I was crying and saying, "I want mama," My friends' arms were hooked around mine, and everyone was looking at me. We made our way to the nurse. She thought I'd broken my leg. (I didnt) They realised that a nurse couldn't take care of me, and I went to the ER. This is where everything went wrong. I had a tumor in my thigh. (well, femur, but still). I was unconscious in the OR, (cuz I needed surgery, I needed a metal plate in my femur). The doctors told my parents that there was a chance (I don't know what it was but it was fairly high, not too high though) That the tumor wasn't benign. (benign = not cancerous) I'm not sure what cancer it was, as I wasn't there, but it most likely was bone cancer. There's a 70% chance of survival for kids as I was 6 at the time. They did the surgery, and I had to have a wheelchair for a few months and crutches for some too.
(Extra story-)
After, I was like 9, and my dad's ex broke up with him, we didn't have a place to stay, (My brother, T, was 18 at the time, and my sister, A, was 17), we decided to stay at my grandparent's house, my grandparents were happy for us to stay. My siblings had this "creature" that would "respond" every night to our messages or whatever, and I wasn't so sure it was real. But I went outside to check it out with my brother, it was pitch black. I heard something in the bushes, and I ran. I fricking RAN!... Until I tripped on a mole hill. It hurt so bad. My brother babied me. My dad checked it out and he realized it was serious. Went to the ER. My metal plate broke which broke my leg! I got another surgery.
Well.. This is the end! That's how I became disabled!! (I am according to the FDA)

I’ve had countless failures in the past couple years, messed up relationships, and now I am completely lost. I have responsibilities to pay for things and live a normal life but I feel at any second I could have a mental breakdown and run away from it all. Although I don’t know what that would do except make things worse. I quit wrestling in hs, I took my football career of 9 years into college but quit that,I got my realtors license in Wisconsin but quit that, I tried to join the army but failed due to the size of my lungs, then I moved back home to AZ and tried very hard to find a job. Got one at a kitchen, hated it, quit. Got a job picking up apartment trash pickup , of course I hated it cuz it was trash-y, I had to walk 50+ flights of stairs and pick up people’s disgusting stuff. Did it for three weeks then quit right as I got a new job. Been at this job for 2 months. The newest one is Sales and security in the airport. I work for a company called clear which has this service that they open up a separate line from general or tsa pre check, when people go down that lane we sign them in then walk them to the front of their appropriate line. I hate the airport environment and I hate how the floor at the phx airport sits at and angle and feels terrible to stand on. I also hate that I have to dance around the truth or blatantly lie to get a lot of sales. Very few people can truthfully sell some product, especially if they don’t look like a super model. Which makes me think about my health. I have pains in my body like a 80 year old man but I’m only 19. I do my physical therapy and do hot yoga with my mother 2x a month. Its our little thing we just started so that should be good for my health. I used to live to work out when I was training to play NCAA Football but now I don’t go near a gym. Still my brain tells me I’m not good enough and I instead work out at home in the living room but only when no one is home. I hate it all. I have no friends within 25 miles of me. I have no family to hang out with. All I have is some friends on my games but I always feel like a loser when I play video games. Even if I only play for 2 hours a week( but sometimes it is more like 20 hours a week lol). I also feel that isn’t healthy. I try to eat healthy and feel like I generally eat well. I’m 6’4 215 or so and don’t feel extremely fat but also don’t feel skinny. More of a skinny fat with lack of muscle. I lack confidence, a sense of belonging, passion, or motivation. I’m on some shitty dating apps and girls will text me but I feel like I’m so insignificant why even bother. I don’t know what to do and I don’t know where to go. I wish I could run away and be with nature and eat real food and work out all day with my friends but of course how can I make money doing that and I barely have 5k to my name and I’m expected to pay 10k by the end of the year for rent and all these things. I don’t even know what I’m saying anymore. Oh and above it all I hate where I am. I’m in Scottsdale Arizona. The capitol of douchebaggery and old people. It’s like parts of Florida but dry and in a damn dessert. I want to be with trees and fresh air and water and I want to work in a environment that supports me , I want to help people, I want friends, I wanna look great. I don’t know. Any ideas?

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I 14f and my brother 13m got into a fight a couple of days ago over a graphic novel before I begin you're going to need some insight when I was 10 I was sa'ed by my at the time stepfather long story short I got him put away for 10 to life but after it happened my mother got me three gifts a stuffed animal a blanket and a graphic novel over the years the stuffed animal and blanket were destroyed so they were thrown out but I had this graphic novel in perfect condition when I was helping my brother get prepared for school "it was the end of the school year" I decided to trust him with three graphic novels that he could read to entertain himself at school after the week was up he handed me my books back I could see that there was water damage to the cover and pages were ripped and bent the books were completely destroyed as soon as he handed them to me I burst out in tears and began to cry as soon as he seen this he shouted at me "what is so damn special about those books" as soon as I heard that I scream at him and locked myself in the bathroom and cried for an hour when our mom and his dad got home my mother slapped me across the face took my phone and scolded me my stepfather was understanding and he talked it out with me but my mother took my brother's side yet again so I want to know am I the ahole???

Hi, I'm Matthew, and I am a porn and masturbation addict. I am now 2 Days Clean. Since I live in New Jersey, I had to do my best to stay indoors to avoid the smoke from the wildfires. Luckily, I used this as an opportunity to work on my cooking pasta for dinner and I would say that it went well. My family and I also made sure my youngest brother studied enough for a quiz he has tomorrow. I am also making arrangements to go to a marine science research symposium in a few days, I was invited by one of my teachers from college, especially because one of the topics being presented is something I want to focus on in my career). For Day 3, I will likely be waiting until the smoke in NJ clears up and I can breathe actual air. In addition to this, I will be chatting with a former classmate of mine who has agreed to give me a ride to the symposium and I will be figuring out what I need and don't need for a volunteer event for Saturday.

Since so many people are affected by wildfire smoke, I thought I'd create a thread on that with some tips. Please feel free to add to it:

• Monitor air quality, and particulate amounts in your area (AQHI).
• You can also monitor wildfire smoke predictions for North America here: https://firesmoke.ca/forecasts/current/

In your home:

• Close fresh air intakes from furnaces, fireplaces, or stoves, close windows and doors.
• Turn on your air conditioning if you have it, and set it to recirculate. Keep it running to help filter the air and keep your family cool. (Just remember that some air conditioning systems don't filter the air or improve indoor air quality.)
• If you have central forced air furnace, upgrade the filter to MERV13 / Filtrete 1900 or better to help remove fine particles. Close your windows and run your blower fan on high to circulate and clean the air in your house. In heavy wildfire smoke you may need to replace the filters more often.
• If you don't have central air, get a portable HEPA air purifier. Make sure they have a decent enough CADR Rating, and do not produce ozone. Another option is to build a Corsi-Rosenthal Box.
• Use humidifiers, which might help remove some of the smoke. The humid air can also help keep your nose and mouth moist. (or even put a wet bandana over your mouth, create steam via shower or boiling water)
• Drink lots of water - keep yourself hydrated

If you have to go out:

• Wear a well-fitted respirator type mask such as an N95 - a good seal is important. Surgical masks are for droplets, and will do nothing for small particulates that irritate the lungs and throat/nose.
• Limit time outside, do not exercise if AQHI is high, depending on your level of sensitivity (for me even moderate will do me in)

With Asthma

• Keep your medication stocked up, keep taking your medication as prescribed
• Consider if you need to use your rescue inhaler prior to leaving the house (see here)
• Have an Asthma Action Plan created with your doctor and know what you need to do with what symptoms

Resources:
California - Protecting yourself from wildfire smoke
BCCDC - Wildfire Smoke - Protecting Yourself
BCCDC Wildfire Smoke Infographic
BCCDC Portable Air Cleaners Fact Sheet

Favorites:

1. Boyd. Dude is a BEAST!! He does his best to take care of everyone else in town. Is willing to take risks to find out what’s going on/Getting out of there. He NEEDS to communicate tho. No doubt.
   
2. Jade. Dude is super smart, but is determined to figure out the symbol and also getting the hell outta there. Him talking to Tabitha was great progress.
   
3. Victor. Dude knows what’s up. He definitely knows more then he’s telling people. But I feel like the trauma is too crazy. I mean imagine how many people have died while he’s there. Besides the point, people need to listen to him. He knows what he’s doing.
   
4. Donna. Is a hard ass and doesn’t tolerate BS. She also wants to take care of her people. Great leader. I wish she wanted to learn more tho.
   
5. Elis. Team player. Will do what’s best for everyone else, and isn’t scared to take a risk.
   

Least Favorites:

1. Matthew’s family. This entire family is a joke. Jim has something with the voice on the radio, but he thinks hes 100% correct. Acting like it’s a sure thing it’s a government experiment, but the only evidence he has is a voice from the radio. He can’t explain anything else. Tabitha is annoying asf. She has gotten better over time, but still she’s annoying. Tabitha and Jim are both stubborn and annoying. Julie is just an air head. I feel like she’s clueless. That whole thing with Elgin acting like she’s some sort of OG in the Town but in reality she doesn’t know much.
   
2. Ethan. Yes he gets his own ranking. Dude is annoying ASF!! He’s a little shit who doesn’t listen to anything. Someone tells him to leave or fuck off and he just keeps talking. And this whole Quest/Brave Kid thing needs to stop. He’s a little kid, he’s scared shitless. He’s also 0 help for the group. His parents need to tell him to knock it off with the “quest” stuff and just tell him the truth. Your a little 9 year old kid living in a night mare. This is your life now. All u need to do is be quiet and stay inside. And quit bugging Victor. Wouldn’t mind seeing Ethan get violently eaten.
   
3. Elgin. Dude seems a little clueless too like Julie. I think he could be valuable to the team, but I think he’s so shocked about where he is that he’s not a as focused as others. Kid also made some dumbass decisions.
   
4. Meriane. I think that’s her name. Kristis girlfriend. She seems like a liability more then anything. If she can get her shit together she can help with the nurse stuff, but right now she’s more of a liability.
   
5. Randall. He can definitely be valuable to the group. But he’s hard headed. He’s an asshole. He needs to realize this is his life now and stop being a dick