text:
Company has a hangar available for maintenance, so all I have to do is get there. There's a NOTAM out saying that all taxiways and the apron are closed for resurfacing, but the private hangar has its own apron that can be reached from the runway without my needing to use the closed taxiways.
I walk around the airplane carefully, looking for anything that would make me demand they come to this airport instead, or anything else they should be repairing during the downtime. There's no puddle on the ground from the oil, just what seeped out and flowed over the nacelle during yesterday's flight. It's not very much oil, as can also be verified by the fact that I didn't have to add any to make it up to the correct level on the stick. I wipe the nacelle clean, not out of fastidiousness--it will soon have greasy engineer and apprentice fingerprints all over it--but for their information. By asserting that I left with it clean, I am showing the engineers exactly how much leaked during the flight.
It's still not the shiniest airplane in the skies, but I wouldn't really say it needed painting. The tires are all okay and the gear uplocks and rollers click and roll as they should. All the vortex generators are present and I don't see any rivets shedding their paint. When the paint comes off the head of a rivet, it's a sign of stress along that join. Better to investigate when the paint is coming off than wait until the heads start popping off some of the rivets.
Happy with my preflight inspection, I secure my baggage and fire up the engines. They start nicely, better than they have all month, because every other flight I've done has been of a hot airplane, just returned from a flight with my colleague. Engines don't like to start when they are too hot or too cold. The too cold problem is because the oil is thick and provides resistance to turning. I think the too hot problem may be from the fuel vapourizing too easily and the engine becoming flooded. I'm not positive about that, but the hot start and the flooded start procedures are similar. It always feels like the airplane is complaining that it already worked hard this morning, why does it have to go out again? I regard the engines as a collection of tired horses shaking their heads and trying to bolt towards the barn, as I coax them to start, instead.
I text company to say when I will arrive while I wait for the engines to warm up. The oil temperature gauges and EGTs come up evenly showing temperatures I expect. I test the various systems. The right propeller doesn't respond to the feather check right away. I check the left and it is okay and then go back to the right and now it works properly. Part of the feather check is checking function, and part is just getting the oil to circulate through the hub. I make a note, though, because they supposedly just flushed the propellers at a recent scheduled maintenance, so it should be peppier. Maybe something they supposedly flushed is still oozing around in there. Also the left tach needle seems to be oscillating too, not just the right one. I guess we're going to wring every last bit of use out of this mechanical tach before we go digital.
The wind is calm and for once I'm not waddling out at max gross, so I take off from the nearest end of the runway without backtracking for the extra few feet available before the numbers. There's a gigantic blast shield before the threshold of the runway, so that jets taking off don't blow cars off the road behind them. That blast shield makes the beginning of the runway unusable for landing (unless you want to glide through the barrier) but I can still backtrack and use it for takeoff if I want to. But on this occasion I don't.
Power, gauges green, roll, rotate, climb, gear up, power reduction, turn on course, talk to ATC, level off, set cruise power, consult the checklist to make sure my fingers did all the right things, and adjust my heading as I speed up and require a different wind correction angle.
Now I just monitor everything, looking out the window for traffic, making sure the temperatures and pressures are what they should be, and looking through the "nearest" display on the GPS so that when someone calls on 126.7 out of Goat River for Empress Lake or dropping jumpers over Marvik (or did he say Bartuk?) I have a hope in hell of knowing whether he might be a conflict.
I call flight services on a discrete frequency with a position report, and to get an updated altimeter setting. It's a routine call and I go back to 126.7. About five minutes later flight services hails me on 126.7. Sometimes they do it if they are looking for an airplane and you are in the area where they think it is, so they will ask you to try and raise it. I respond. The specialist just thought I might like to know there was a NOTAM for my destination, that the apron and taxiways are closed. I thank him, and assure him I have the NOTAM, but leave it a mystery to him why I am going to an airport where it appears I cannot exit the runway. Was that cruel?
The destination is ahead and I'll be straight in for the runway. I pick up the ATIS of the nearest controlled airport to update my altimeter again and to confirm what I know about the wind from the ripples on the lakes. I'm going to be a few minutes late. I didn't include the time to complete the run up in my estimated time enroute. Another NOTAM warned of parachute activity here, so I call the ATC frequency that was given for more information, but the controller acts like he's never heard of such a thing. I guess it hasn't been a busy summer for the jumpers.
I land and then turn around on the runway to taxi back to where I can see my PRM standing with an engineer the company often contracts to, on the private apron. The PRM has come out to make sure this airplane gets everything fixed properly this time. The engineer gives me marshalling signals and I shut down in front of them. Oh you're not going to believe this, but the left tach is now dead. It couldn't even make it through the flight.


text:
Are you looking for a simple donation plugin for a charity or for example the local football club? This plugin is both suitable for one-time donations and for periodic payments. All payment methods of Mollie are integrated into the plugin. The plugin is also available in several languages: Dutch, English, German and French.
Although the plugin is very easy to install, it contains enough options:
- Donations can be found in the WordPress admin panel.
- Donors can enter their details.
- You can specify different projects, so donors can choose which project they want to donate.
- You can choose which data donors should provide for the donation.
- You can set a redirect page yourself.
- You can specify by default the choice of the donor.
- You can style the form as desired.
Recurring payments
In addition to one-time donations, this plugin is also useful for collecting periodic amounts. This works on the basis of Mollie's "Subscription API". This system makes it possible, for example, to collect a certain amount monthly, quarterly or annually by credit card or by SEPA Direct Debit.
Let your donors donate in their own currency. Enable this setting so the donor can select a currency when donating, or set a default currency for all donations.
Please take a look at Mollie Forms which contains more features to create forms with payments.
- Install "Doneren met Mollie" in WordPress
- Activate plugin in WordPress
- Create an account at Mollie.com and copy the Live API-key
- Go to the settings page in "Doneren met Mollie" and fill in the Live API-key
- Place the shortcode [doneren_met_mollie] on a page to show the form
- You can also use the optional shortcode [doneren_met_mollie_total] to show the total raised money
Can I use shortcodes?
Yes! The following shortcodes are available:
- [doneren_met_mollie] To display the form
- [doneren_met_mollie_total] To display the total raised money
- [doneren_met_mollie_total project="My project"] To display the total raised money of a specific project
- [doneren_met_mollie_total start="500.20″] To display the total raised money and start at a specific amount
- [doneren_met_mollie_goal goal="1000″ text="Goal reached!"] Countdown to your goal. Goal must be higher then 0 and the text will be displayed when the goal is reached
- [doneren_met_mollie_donors start="0″ unique_email="true"] To display the number of donors.
Contributors & Developers
"Doneren met Mollie" is open source software. The following people have contributed to this plugin.
Contributors"Doneren met Mollie" has been translated into 3 locales. Thank you to the translators for their contributions.
Translate "Doneren met Mollie" into your language.
Interested in development?
Browse the code, check out the SVN repository, or subscribe to the development log by RSS.
2.10.4 – 12/03/2024
- Update readme
2.10.3 – 07/03/2024
- Security fix
2.10.2 – 14/12/2023
- Fix webhook for starting subscriptions
2.10.1 – 22/11/2023
- Show subscription details on donation detail page
2.10.0 – 03/07/2022
- Added Google reCaptcha V3 integration
- Added total donated amount to donors and subscriptions table
2.9.4 – 06/04/2022
- Fixed bug where all donations were marked as recurring
- If subscription is already cancelled at Mollie, the plugin will now update the status when you are trying to cancel it
2.9.3 – 08/12/2021
- Also creating customers/donors for one-time payments
- Fixed another issue with amounts with comma for default amount
2.9.2 – 29/11/2021
- Fixed issue with amounts with comma for default amount
2.9.1 – 29/11/2021
- Fixed issue with amounts with comma
2.9.0 – 23/11/2021
- Fixed currency symbol when donor choose other currency
- Changed input type to number instead of text for own amount field
- Tested up to WordPress 5.8.2
- Minimum WordPress version is now set to 5.3
2.8.11 – 18/07/2021
- Fixed issue with multiple classes
2.8.10 – 20/03/2021
- Fixed issue with multiple classes in submit button
2.8.9 – 02/03/2021
- Fixed bug with permission checkbox that stayed hidden
2.8.8 – 11/02/2021
- Added labels to fields.
2.8.7 – 21/01/2021
- Fixed issue with projects dropdown
2.8.6 – 21/01/2021
- Fixed issue with tabs in settings
2.8.5 – 16/01/2021
- Currency dropdown now also uses fields class
- Fixed security issue with exports.
- Escaped all output
2.8.4 – 06/12/2020
- Added the possibility to bulk delete donations and donors.
2.8.3 – 17/03/2020
- Changed e-mail field to type email
- Added more currencies
2.8.2 – 31/01/2020
- Added option to delete donors. Please note that this will also cancel all the subscriptions.
- Added shortcode [doneren_met_mollie_donors] to display the number of donors. Use [doneren_met_mollie_donors unique_email=false] to include duplicate or empty email addresses
2.8.1 – 14/07/2019
- Fixed recurring settings page
2.8.0 – 11/07/2019
- Replaced Mollie PHP client with own version to resolve conflicts
2.7.0 – 05/07/2019
- Added currency column to exports
- Added option to settings to disable the metadata that are sent to Mollie
- Added the filter 'dmm_donate_form_validation' to add form errors for custom form fields (credits to van-ons.nl)
- Added the action 'dmm_donate_form_posted' to process post data for custom form fields (credits to van-ons.nl)
- Added the action 'dmm_donate_form_paid' to do something after a successful donation payment (credits to van-ons.nl)
- Added the action 'dmm_donate_form_top' to add custom fields to the top of the donate form (credits to van-ons.nl)
- Added the action 'dmm_donate_form_bottom' to add custom fields to the bottom of the donate form (credits to van-ons.nl)
- Updated Mollie PHP Client to v2.10.0
2.6.0 – 12/04/2019
- More data in the Mollie metadata
- You can now get the total raised money per project [doneren_met_mollie_total project="My project"]
- You can now get the total raised money starting at another amount [doneren_met_mollie_total start="500.20″]
- Added actions "dmm_payment_paid", "dmm_payment_chargedback", "dmm_payment_refunded", "dmm_payment_open" and "dmm_payment_failed"
- Fixed some translations
- Other minor fixes
2.5.10 – 01/02/2019
- Fixed warning about undefined constant
2.5.9 – 15/08/2018
- Updated Mollie PHP Client
2.5.8 – 15/08/2018
- Bugfix when creating subscription
2.5.7 – 15/08/2018
- Bugfixes
2.5.6 – 20/06/2018
- Bugfixes
2.5.5 – 20/06/2018
- Prepared plugin for new payment methods Giropay & eps
- Fixed bug for not displaying Bancontact and ING Home'Pay for recurring payments
2.5.3 – 29/05/2018
- Added settlement amount to donation in admin
- Bugfixes
2.5.2 – 28/05/2018
- Bugfix when not selecting a payment method in dropdown
- Bugfix in counting goal at refunds and chargebacks
- Fixed column header in csv export
2.5.1 – 28/05/2018
- Option to add GDPR checkbox to form
- Bugfixes
2.5.0 – 27/05/2018
- Multicurrency
- Updated Mollie API Client to v2.0.1
2.4.11 – 16/02/2018
- Updated Mollie API Client to v1.9.6
2.4.10 – 10/01/2018
- Updated Mollie API Client to v1.9.4
2.4.9 – 20/12/2017
- Bugfixes
2.4.8 – 30/11/2017
- Added shortcode [doneren_met_mollie_goal]. See the FAQ for more info
- Bugfixes
2.4.7 – 29/11/2017
- Bugfixes
2.4.6 – 27/11/2017
- Translation bugfixes
2.4.5 – 06/11/2017
- Use translations from wordpress.org
- Update Mollie API Client to v1.9.1
- Deleting donations is now possible
- Bug fixed with messages in export
- Variable {interval} possible in description, for the interval of the payment
- Visible in the export if the payment is recurring
- Use home url instead of site url
- Project is now visible in projects table
- Setting default interval possible
- Metadata is also used for first payments
- Set rights for donations and subscriptions
- Visible in donations if payment is recurring
- Bug fixes
- Bug fix when redirecting to page in some WordPress installations
- Address fields didn't show, this is now fixed
- [doneren_met_mollie_total] shortcode added to display the total raised money
- At list display the first option is selected by default
- Bug fixes
- Bug fixes
- Fix when WordPress is used in a sub directory
- Fixed bug with cancelling subscriptions
- Default payment description set
- Recurring wasn't possible after change at Mollie API, this is now solved
- Export donations to CSV possible
- First amount for recrring payment is now the amount of the first period instead of €0,01
- Email address possible in description with variable {email}
- Update Mollie API client to v1.7.1
- Bug fixes
- Bug fixes
- Search function for donations added
- Webhook system updated
- Translation bug fixes
- Several bug fixes
- Database problems solved
- Problem solved with updating fields when recurring is active
- Webhook issues resolved
- Selection menu interval not visible if recurring not enabled
- Fixed problem with translation options payment methods
- Message field now also has full width
- If a recurring payment, only available verification methods are visible
- Recurring Payments now available!
- Possibility to set the minimum amount to be donated
- Plugins now also translated into French and German!
- Settings made more clear
- Free entry and drop-down amount at the same time
- Variables are included in the description
- Choose the display of payment methods
- Possible to add projects
- Added more fields
- Make fields active and / or mandatory
- Add more classes possible
- Translated into Dutch and English
- Code improved
- Bugs resolved

subset: commoncrawl


text:
At 04:30pm on July 19, 1952, the attention of Customs Inspector Sr. Domingo Troncoso, then with the Peruvian Customs Office at Puerto Maldonado on the jungle frontier with Bolivia, was called to a very strange cigar-shaped flying object over the river area. The big dirigible-shaped craft was flying horizontally and fairly low in the sky, passing from right to left from the observers position. It was leaving a dense trail of thick smoke, vapor, or substance on its wake. This object was a real, structured, physical machine and may be seen from its reflection in the waters of the Madre de Dios river underneath it. The object was estimated to be over a hundred feet long.
Further information from UFO Casebook and Mark Cashman:
Peru, 4:30 PM 7/19/52. Report Summary:
At about 16:30 in the afternoon of 19 July 1952, the attention of Customs Inspector, Sr. Domingo Troncoso, then with the Peruvian Customs Office at Puerto Maldonado on the jungle frontier with Bolivia, was called to a very strange cigar-shaped flying object over the river area. The big dirigible-shaped craft was flying horizontally and fairly low in the sky, passing from right to left from the observer's position. It was leaving a dense trail of thick smoke, vapor, or substance of some kind on its wake. The thick, whitish substance appeared to be emitted from the aft end of the object in flight. That this object was a real, structured, physical machine may be seen from its reflection in the waters of the Madre de Dios River underneath it. It can be clearly seen to be well above the broad-leaved jungle trees along the bank of the river in the foreground of the picture. The object was estimated to be over a hundred feet long. Sr. Troncoso obtained a camera and was able to get one good photograph of the cigar-shaped object.
The following was submitted by Colonel McHenry Hamilton, Jr., USAF, American Air Attache, Lima, Peru.
Aside from some comments by the preparing officer, the report consisted of a translation of a newspaper article in a Lima daily.
A "luminous disc" was supposed to have sped over the Puerto Maldonado area of Peru near the Bolivian border at 4:50 p.m. on July 19th [1951], and among those who claimed to have witnessed the passage was a Peruvian school teacher who took a picture of the UFO, an object that was spewing an impressive wake of smoke. A newspaper account read in part:
"The colour of the head or nucleus of this disc was an intense orange. The direction was south to north, was visible from 1 to 2 minutes, leaving a thick vaporous trail which floated for more than 15 minutes. The altitude was more or less 2500 to 3000 feet. It was seen in broad daylight. During its passage, the Peruvian Corporation of the Amazon radio went dead and wasn't able to transmit or receive any signals."
"The Peruvian Minister of Education later held discussions with American Embassy officials about the UFO report. The school teacher's photograph and an article about the discussion with the Americans was published in the August 15th issue of the Lima newspaper El Comercio.
"The American Intelligence report on the case seems to be incomplete because there is an unexplained reference to more than one photograph. Colonel Hamilton was informed by Peruvian authorities that some falsification had occurred involving "three different photographs taken by three different persons."
In a letter dated August 10, 1957, Mr. Moseley gave NICAP the following account of the incident:
In Lima I met Senior Pedro Bardi, who is an agricultural engineer. On July 19, 1952, while on a farm in the Madre de Dios section of Peru, he and others saw a saucer. It was about 4.30 p.m. and they were talking to Lima by radio.
Suddenly, according to Bardi, the radio went dead. They looked out the window and saw a round object going by at high speed. (The witnesses included Pedro Arellano, owner of the farm). The object had passed; it was at an estimated 100 meters altitude and was a little smaller than a DC-3, according to Bardi. It made a buzzing sound as it went by.
The object's speed, Moseley explains, was determined by a report that it was seen four minutes later near Porto Maldonado, 120 kilometers distant. This speed was computed at 1117 miles per hour. The photograph was secured from a customs administrator named Domingo Troncosco, who said he had taken it as the object flew near the port. Though the photo shows a cigar-shaped object instead of the round shape Bardi described, this could possibly have been due to an elongated effect caused by speed.
"It seems obvious to me, Moseley told NICAP, that the photo is genuine."
"Incidentally, I strongly doubt if this particular saucer was anything but earth-made."
"The object traveled from left to right at about airplane speed. When the trail settled to ground it turned out to be a mass of thin fibrous threads."
1. UFO Photographs Around the World Vol.2 (A.Roberts/W.Stevens..1985), thanks to Victor J.Kean
2. Loren Gross's UFO:s a history, the 1951 booklet pages 34 and 35, courtesy Anders Liljegren
3. UFO Investigator of September 1957 courtesy Anders Liljegren
4. Video: UFO Sightings: The Photographic Evidence Vol 2; Wendelle Stevens
FAIR USE NOTICE: This page may contain copyrighted material the use of which has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. This website distributes this material without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. We believe this constitutes a fair use of any such copyrighted material as provided for in 17 U.S.C § 107.


text:
The Second Edition of Miracles
Lewis changed the title of the third chapter of Miracles, from "The Self-Contradiction of the Naturalist" to "The Cardinal Difficulty of Naturalism." His revision of the argument from reason deals with several of Anscombe's criticisms, such as his conflation of the nonrational with the irrational (which he accommodates by simply substituting the former term for the latter), and the paradigm case argument. His primary revision deals, appropriately, with Anscombe's primary criticism: the claim that explaining a belief in terms of grounds or causes are two distinct types of explanations that are not in competition with each other.
Causes and grounds
As Lewis puts it, we use the word "because" in two different senses: to indicate a cause-effect relation ("He cried out because it hurt him") and to indicate a ground-consequent relation ("It must have hurt him because he cried out"). The former is a dynamic connection -- his being hurt is what caused him to cry out -- while the latter is a logical one -- his crying out is our ground for believing that it hurt him.
He further emphasizes this by giving two illustrations of it: first, just as we can use the term "because" in two different senses, so we can use the word "follow" in two different senses. We can use it in a temporal sense ("B followed A"), which corresponds to the cause-effect relation; and we can use it in an eternal or logical sense ("B follows from A"), which corresponds to the ground-consequent relation. The first describes an accidental relation, while the second describes a necessary one.
The other illustration he offers is to point out that acts of thinking, i.e. inferences, are unique: they are about something other than themselves, and as such, can be either true or false. This is not true of other events, or even of other acts undertaken by a subject. Inferences, then, can be understood in two different senses: they can be seen as subjective physical, physiological, and psychological events in the brain (cause-effect), or as insights into something other than themselves (ground-consequent).
The problem comes in when we recognize that if a belief could be fully accounted for by a cause-effect relation, there would be no room left for the ground-consequent relation to play a role in reaching the belief. How could having or not having a ground-consequent relation have any bearing on the belief? It would be held regardless, because
… if causes fully account for a belief, then, since causes work inevitably, the belief would have had to arise whether it had grounds or not. … But even if grounds do exist, what exactly have they got to do with the actual occurrence of the belief as a psychological event? If it is an event it must be caused. It must in fact be simply one link in a causal chain which stretches back to the beginning and forward to the end of time. How could such a trifle as lack of logical grounds prevent the belief's occurrence or how could the existence of grounds promote it?{1}
Thus, contra Anscombe, Lewis argues that these two types of explanation are in competition with each other. If the grounds of a belief have nothing to do with one's coming to hold that belief, then the grounds are simply irrelevant. One would hold the belief whether it had grounds or not, because it has been caused.
Yet Lewis also recognizes that both relations need to apply to a belief in order for it to be valid. It needs a ground-consequent relation in order to be epistemically justified; without it the belief would not be derived from a reason, and so would not be valid. The ground-consequent category must be valid and accepted in order for inference and human knowledge to be valid and accepted. However, the belief also needs a cause-effect relation in order to take place at all; even if we ignore the principle of causality for the sake of argument, any belief that just spontaneously appeared in the mind without any cause could not make any claim to being valid, since it would not be derived from a reason.
In order to resolve this, Lewis argues that the ground-consequent relation and the cause-effect relation must coincide. They must be united into a single explanation in order for a belief to be valid. In other words, the ground of the ground-consequent relation must also be the cause of the cause-effect relation -- not merely by being the ground for it (because then every possible conclusion would be caused) but by being seen to be the ground for it. "If you distrust the sensory metaphor in seen, you may substitute apprehended or grasped or simply known. It makes little difference for all these words recall us to what thinking really is."{2}
This "seeing to be" is essentially any truth-tracking element that connects the knowledge of something to that which is known. For Lewis, it is similar to the correspondence theory of truth: the degree to which a belief corresponds to what is known is the degree to which what is known is known. If the belief were totally explicable by something other than what is known, it does not qualify as knowledge. In the same way, "the ringing in my ears ceases to be what we mean by 'hearing' if it can be fully explained from causes other than a noise in the outer world -- such as, say, the tinnitus produced by a bad cold."{3} Once we have factored the tinnitus out of the equation, whatever is left over is what qualifies as real, valid hearing. Similarly, valid knowledge is what is left over once we have factored out causes of a belief other than what is known (as a cause). Thus, any account of our reasoning capacities that does not provide for them to be connected to what is known is essentially an argument that no argument is valid, and is therefore self-refuting. It is comparable to saying, "I heard that everything we hear is produced by tinnitus."
After this analysis, one could be forgiven for taking Lewis's point to be that naturalism is somehow inconsistent with the correspondence theory of truth,{4} or with his account of how the ground-consequent and cause-effect relations apply simultaneously to the same belief. However, his argument is much more basic than this: naturalism is the view that everything can be accounted for by natural processes. But natural processes only provide cause-effect relations, never ground-consequent ones. This further explains Lewis's rejection of Anscombe's claim that more than one type of explanation can apply to the same belief: according to naturalism, naturalistic explanations are the only ones available. It is all well and good to argue that one type of explanation of a phenomenon does not rule out another, but only as long as one accepts both types of explanation. Lewis's point is that naturalists do not. For the naturalist, natural explanations are the only ones allowed; and natural events progress according to cause-effect relations rather than ground-consequent relations. As such, naturalism cannot account for ground-consequent relations. Yet without them, no belief, including the belief that naturalism is true, could ever be epistemically justified, and could only be true by chance.
It is not enough simply to say that different "full" explanations can be given for the same event. Of course they can. … The question that is still open is the question of whether the kinds of mental explanations that must be offered in any face-saving account of rational inference are compatible with the limitations placed on causal explanations by materialism. If not, then there is a conflict between the existence of rational inference and materialism. This means that materialism refutes itself if it presents itself as a rationally inferred belief (or a belief that depends crucially on the existence of rational inference).{5}
The evolution of reason
Having reworked his argument, Lewis finds it necessary to rework his response to one of the possible objections to it: namely, that evolution can account for our reasoning processes to be (generally) valid. Those early human ancestors whose beliefs accurately corresponded to the world were those who stood a much greater chance of survival. So over time, those who reasoned more and more correctly passed on these capacities to their offspring more readily.
Leaving aside the assumption this scenario makes -- that a capacity for abstract thought would have a positive impact on an organism's chances of surviving and producing offspring -- this requires us to believe that thoughts, before natural selection touched them, were not originally rational. They were, instead, merely subjective events, responses to stimuli. However, the relation between response and stimulus is not the same as the relation between knowledge and the truth known. An organism with a fully developed eye is not any closer to knowledge of light than an organism that merely has a light-sensitive spot. No improvement of a response to a stimulus could ever lead to genuine knowledge.
Perhaps adding more to the equation will help. In addition to a mere biological capacity, there is also experience and expectation, instruction and tradition. So our ancestors could learn from their experiences to expect things to be a certain way, and could then pass this gleaned information on to their descendants. They learned from experience that "where there's smoke, there's fire."
But expectations like this may only be fulfilled accidentally. As such, they do not connect what is known to the knowing of it; beliefs formed in this way would not be epistemically justified. Reason and inference come in precisely when we look for the nature of the connection, to see if the fulfillment of an expectation is essential to it or not. Moreover, such a scenario could not apply to logical axioms. "My belief that things which are equal to the same thing are equal to one another is not at all based on the fact that I have never caught them behaving otherwise. I see that it 'must' be so."{6}
A third potential escape route might be to reject truth and affirm pragmatism. Reason is merely useful as aid to practice, and is not meant for speculation. But of course, naturalism is the product of speculation. It goes far beyond our experiences, both individually and collectively, to say that the universe is all that exists. Nature is an abstraction, not something presented to the senses. Naturalism is something some people infer, not something some people experience or practice. Moreover, it is a universal negative, and a universal negative is not something that can ever be experienced.
Lewis concludes his rewrite of chapter three by contrasting the naturalist with the supernaturalist. The latter is guilty of many of the same things as the former: one cannot experience supernature anymore than nature. The supernatural is also an abstraction, going beyond our sensory experiences.{7} The difference between the two is this: first, the supernaturalist is not guilty of a universal negative, like the naturalist; and second, the supernaturalist is not advocating a worldview which calls the validity of such abstractions into question.
The paradigm case argument
What of Anscombe's (and Antony Flew's) criticism that by erasing the distinction between valid and invalid reasoning, Lewis has emptied these concepts of meaning? That he is posing a skeptical threat argument akin to radical skeptical claims like Descartes's evil genie or Nozick's brains in vats? Victor Reppert argues that Lewis's argument in the second edition of Miracles is no longer in a skeptical threat format, but a best explanation format.
Neither the first edition argument nor the second is, I believe, a pure case either of a Skeptical Threat Argument or of a Best Explanation Argument. However, the earlier edition seems to correspond more to the Skeptical Threat argument than does the second. In the first edition we have the suggestion of an argument like this: "If thoughts are produced by irrational causes, then beliefs are likely to be false. What if all beliefs were produced by irrational causes? Then we would have no knowledge. And if Naturalism is true that has to be the story. So we'd better not accept Naturalism." In the later edition we are simply told that in order for rationality to be possible two systems of connection, the Ground-Consequent system and the Cause and Effect system, must coincide, and this is possible only if naturalism is false. Thus the revised edition corresponds more closely to the Best Explanation Argument.{8}
In other words, the version of the argument from reason in the second edition argues what is necessary for our knowledge to be valid, and then shows that naturalism cannot meet these requirements. Thus, it is not presenting the absurdity that all of our beliefs might be invalid. If this were a problem (and I have argued in the previous post that it is not) it can be, and has been, resolved by reforming the argument to meet it. Reppert concludes, "It seems to me that Anscombe's Paradigm Case argument is ineffective against this sort of argument."{9}
Anscombe argued that, "if a man has reasons, and they are good reasons, and they are genuinely his reasons, for thinking something -- then his thought is rational, whatever causal statements we make about him."{10} However, the argument from reason is precisely the claim that, if naturalism is true, these conditions do not hold.
1. A man could not have reasons, because his mental processes are dictated by purely natural processes that care not a whit for logic and rationality.
2. Even if a man could have reasons, he could not have good reasons. Whatever beliefs he reached would be brought about by cause-effect relations (such as association of ideas) because naturalism precludes the ground-consequent relation. Even if the beliefs were true, they would only be accidentally true.
3. Even if there were good reasons for a man to hold a belief, they could not be his reasons. They played absolutely no role in his coming to hold that belief, and if they did not exist, he would hold the belief anyway, since the natural processes responsible for his coming to hold any given belief would be operable regardless. As such, how exactly could any good reasons that might exist for the belief be rightfully called "his"?
Anscombe's claim that reasons are not what bring about beliefs, but "are what is elicited from someone whom we ask to explain himself"{11} seems plainly false. At least some of the time, we arrive at a belief as a result of a reason. This is what we usually think reasoning consists of. We can, of course, distinguish reasons and causes in general; but to completely disconnect reasons from the occurrence of a belief is not only wrong, it is fatal for our claims to be reasoning beings.
Any adequate account of the relation between reasons and causes must provide an account of the role that convincing plays in our cognitive economy. The idea of being convinced by something seems to imply that reasons are playing a causal role. Anscombe is attempting not merely to distinguish, but to divorce reasons-explanations from causal explanations, considering the former to be noncausal explanations. And insofar as she is divorcing these types of explanations, her critique of Lewis is faulty. If reasons cannot be part of the explanation of how we come to hold beliefs as a matter of personal history, then human rationality as we ordinarily understand it simply does not exist.{12}
That Lewis thought the argument from reason survived Anscombe's criticism is demonstrated by his inclusion of it in his final book, published posthumously:
No Model yet devised has made a satisfactory unity between our actual experience of sensation or thought or emotion and any available account of the corporeal processes which they are held to involve. We experience, say, a chain of reasoning; thoughts, which are 'about' or 'refer to' something other than themselves, are linked together by the logical relation of grounds and consequents. Physiology resolves this into a sequence of cerebral events. But physical events, as such, cannot in any intelligible sense be said to be 'about' or to 'refer to' anything. And they must be linked to one another not as grounds and consequents but as causes and effects -- a relation so irrelevant to the logical linkage that it is just as perfectly illustrated by the sequence of a maniac's thoughts as by the sequence of a rational man's.{13}
Anscombe herself thought that the second version was "much less slick and avoids some of the mistakes of the earlier one; it is much more of a serious investigation. … The argument of the second edition has much to criticize in it, but it certainly does correspond more to the actual depth and difficulty of the questions being discussed. … The fact that Lewis rewrote that chapter, and rewrote it so that it now has these qualities, shows his honesty and seriousness." She even acknowledges that how the grounds of a belief are connected to its actual occurrence remains an unresolved problem.{14}
Several years after Lewis's death, a "rematch" of sorts was arranged by the Socratic Club, with Anscombe defending her own position, and J.R. Lucas defending Lewis's. When the smoke cleared, the argument from reason was still standing tall.{15} And perhaps the most ironic twist in the Lewis-Anscombe debate is that Anscombe's husband, Peter Geach, seems to have agreed with Lewis.{16}
{1} C.S. Lewis, Miracles: A Preliminary Study, 2nd ed. (London: Collins, Fontana Paperbacks, 1960), 20.
{2} Ibid., 21, italics in original.
{3} Ibid., 22.
{4} Of course, according to Lewis's argument, naturalism is inconsistent with the correspondence theory of truth. By disallowing the ground-consequent relation, naturalism disallows the connection between what is known and the knowing of it.
{5} Victor Reppert, C.S. Lewis's Dangerous Idea: In Defense of the Argument from Reason (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 2003), 68-69.
{6} Lewis, Miracles, 2nd ed., 24.
{7} However, this does not mean that the effect of a supernatural event cannot be experienced with the senses. "Miraculous wine will intoxicate, miraculous conception will lead to pregnancy, inspired books will suffer all the ordinary processes of textual corruption, miraculous bread will be digested" (Lewis, Miracles, 1st ed., [London: Bles, 1947], 72; 2nd ed., 64).
{8} Victor Reppert, "The Lewis-Anscombe Controversy: A Discussion of the Issues," Christian Scholar's Review 19 (1989): 37 n. 21.
{9} Ibid., 39.
{10} G.E.M. Anscombe, "A Reply to Mr C.S. Lewis's Argument that 'Naturalism' is Self-Refuting," in The Collected Philosophical Papers of G.E.M. Anscombe, vol. 2: Metaphysics and the Philosophy of Mind (Oxford: Basil Blackwell, 1981), 229.
{11} Ibid.
{12} Reppert, C.S. Lewis's Dangerous Idea, 65.
{13} C.S. Lewis, The Discarded Image: An Introduction to Medieval and Renaissance Literature (Cambridge: Cambridge Univ. Press, 1964), 165-66. For another post-Anscombe version of the argument, see A Grief Observed (1961; San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco, 1989), 41.
{14} Anscombe, Collected Philosophical Papers, vol. 2, ix-x.
{15} J.R. Lucas, "The Restoration of Man," Theology 98 (1995): 451.
{16} Peter Geach, The Virtues: The Stanton Lectures 1973-4 (Cambridge: Cambridge Univ. Press, 1977), 26-28, 48-53; Reppert, C.S. Lewis's Dangerous Idea, 45 n. 1.
(cross-posted at Agent Intellect)
Discuss this post at the Quodlibeta Forum


text:
In related news: The Minister for Climate Change has announced new Greenhouse Gas Emission reporting requirements; and scientists have proclaimed that ocean warming has proceeded faster than expected and that the West Antarctic Ice Sheet is in danger of collapse over a period of 20 years possibly raising sea levels 4 to 6 metres, unless measures are taken to limit fossil fuel use and its contribution to global warming. Upcoming event: Camp for Climate Action, Newcastle July 10-15
The voyage will highlight the Greenpeace report - Blueprint for an energy [r]evolution, released on June 16, 2008. The report details how coal-fired electricity can be completely phased out in Australia by 2030 by harnessing the country's renewable energy resources - just a matter of political will by Federal and State Governments.
The report states that the Federal Government must:
* Legislate a target to reduce emissions by more than 40% by 2020
* Establish a moratorium on new coal-fired power stations and commit to a phase-out of coal-fired power by 2030
* Legislate a national target for renewable energy (electricity) of 40% by 2020
* Set a national energy efficiency target of a 2% reduction per year in Australia's primary energy use
* Fund environmentally sustainable transport planning that reduces Australia's emissions
* Support workers and communities affected by the move away from coal and develop a highly trained "green" workforce through investment in training programs and apprenticeships.
The Federal Government's Climate change adviser Ross Garnaut is due to release his full report to the Government this Friday that will detail a broad emissions trading scheme covering all sectors of the economy, including transport, for the Government to consider implementing.
Minister for Climate Change and Water, Senator Penny Wong, in a doorstop interview last week said that "We will release a Green Paper after Professor Garnaut's draft report and that will outline government thinking on this issue [inclusion of fuel] and other issues. Can I make it very clear, unlike the opposition we understand that these are difficult decisions which have consequences, and what the opposition is not telling people, is if you exclude one or another sector of the economy, the rest of the economy has to do more work to reduce emissions."
Federal Government Introduces Greenhouse Gas Emission Reporting
From the 1st July 2008 businesses emitting large amounts of greenhouse gases will be required to monitor and measure the emissions ahead of reporting them to the Government by October next year.
"The National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting System will be an important part of our efforts to tackle climate change as we move to establish an emissions trading scheme," Senator Wong said. "This new system will play an important role by more precisely quantifying the greenhouse gases Australia produces. It will also, for the first time, provide robust and comparable information to the public on the greenhouse and energy profiles of Australia's large corporations."
Corporations that emit 125 kilotonnes or more of greenhouse gases each year, or produce or consume 500 terajoules or more of energy, will be required to collect data to meet annual reporting requirements. Corporations controlling facilities that emit more than 25 kilotonnes of greenhouse gases, or use or produce 100 terajoules or more of energy, will also need to collect data.
Businesses will have until 31 August 2009 to apply to register under the scheme, and until 31 October 2009 to submit their first annual greenhouse and energy report.
Rising Seas Warming Faster threatening Antarctic Ice Sheet Collapse
New research published in the prestigous scientific journal Nature, shows ocean warming and thermal expansion trends for the past five decades are 50% larger than earlier previously estimated.
The Greenland Ice sheet is in danger of collapse with the Arctic sea ice rapidly diminishing. In Antarctica there is a danger that rising sea levels are destabilising the West Antarctic Ice Sheet which could collapse within 20 years according to Dr Bradley Opdyke, a paleoceanographer from the Australia National University (ANU).
The views of Opdyke were endorsed by Professor Malcolm McCulloch, also from the ANU, who said that the ice sheet collapse is a key threat. "Satellite images have revealed there's already melt-water beneath some of the ice sheets" he says. "If the WAIS collapses, sea levels will rise between four and six metres."
McCulloch was reported by the ABC that the collapse of the WAIS can be averted if the world community becomes "open minded" in its search for alternatives to fossil fuels.
* Greenpeace June 28, 2008 - Greenpeace Esperanza begins Energy [R]evolution tour
* Minister for Climate Change and Water 2008 Media Releases
* ABC, June 19, 2008 - Ocean review finds warming on the rise
* ABC, June 25, 2008 - Rising seas threaten west Antarctic
* Greenpeace Report and summary: Blueprint for an energy [r]evolution


text:
Privacy Policy
Use of this website and the materials it contains
This site is operated, monitored and controlled by Continuum Group Ltd from its offices within the United Kingdom. This site is copyright protected. Any graphics or textual material that you copy, print or download is licensed to you for your own private personal home use only, provided that you do not alter, change or delete any copyright, trademark or other proprietary notices. Any graphics or textual material that you copy, print or download must not be used for commercial use.
Any software downloaded from the site, including all files and images contained in or generated by the software and any accompanying data, remains the property of Continuum Group Ltd and it retains full title to the software as well as all intellectual property rights therein. You may not sell, distribute or reproduce software or in any way alter or disassemble or convert the software to any other perceivable form.
Continuum Group Ltd makes no representation that materials are appropriate for use outside of the United Kingdom. Neither does Continuum Group Ltd take responsibility for any material located on any site linked to or from any Continuum Ltd website. Those who use the site from outside the United Kingdom do so on their own initiative and are responsible for compliance with local laws, if local laws are applicable.
Disclaimer and limitation of liability
THE MATERIALS ON THIS SITE ARE PROVIDED WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND WHETHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED. Continuum Group Ltd DOES NOT TAKE ANY RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE USE OR THE RESULTS OF THE USE OF THE CONTENTS OR OTHER MATERIALS ON THIS SITE AND GIVES NO GUARANTEE THAT THE FUNCTIONS CONTAINED WITHIN THE MATERIALS WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED, ERROR-FREE, FREE FROM VIRUSES OR OTHER HARMFUL COMPONENTS. RESPONSIBILITY FOR REPAIR SERVICING AND REPAIR OF ANY EQUIPMENT USED TO ACCESS THE SITE AND ITS SOFTWARE REMAINS WITH THE USER AND NOT Continuum Group Ltd.
This agreement is governed by the Law of England and Wales and the user submits to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of the Courts of England and Wales.
Collection of personal information
When you engage in certain activities on this site, such as making a booking, entering contests or signing up for a mailing list, Continuum Group Ltd may ask you to provide certain information about yourself by filling out and submitting an online form. It is completely optional for you to engage in these activities. If you elect to engage in these activities, however, Continuum Group Ltd may require that you provide us personal information, such as your name, e-mail address, and sometimes other personal identifying information. When ordering products on the site you may be asked to provide a credit card number.
When you submit personal information to Continuum Group Ltd you understand and agree that Continuum Group Ltd and its subsidiaries, affiliates and trusted vendors may transfer, store, and process your customer profile in any of the countries in which Continuum Group Ltd and its associates maintain offices.
Continuum Group Ltd collects this information in order to record and support your participation in the activities you select. If you order a product, for example, the information is used to register your license and rights, if any, to technical support, upgrade discounts, or other benefits that may be made available to registered users. If you enter a contest, information is collected to qualify the entry and contact you regarding the contest or prize awards. Continuum Group Ltd also uses information that you provide as part of our effort to keep you informed about product upgrades, special offers, and other Continuum Group Ltd) products and services.
Continuum Group Ltdrecognises and appreciates the importance of responsible use of this information. If you do not want the information you provide to Continuum Group Ltd to be used to inform you of other products and special offers from Continuum Group Ltd, and you indicate this preference when you provide the information to Continuum Group Ltd, the company will honour your preference.
Our Policy for Protecting Your Online Privacy
This website uses Google Analytics to help analyse how users use the site. This tool uses "cookies," which are text files placed onto your computer to collect standard internet log information and visitor behaviour information in an anonymous form. The information generated by the cookie about your use of the website (including IP address) is transmitted to Google. This information is then used to evaluate visitors' us of the website and to compile statistical reports on website activity for www.continuumattractions.com
We will never (and will not allow any third party to) use the statistical analytics tool to track or to collect any Personally Identifiable Information (PII) of visitors to our site. Google will not associate your IP address with any other data held by Google. Neither we, nor Google will link, or seek to link, an IP address with the identity of a computer user. We will not associate any data gathered from this site with any Personally Identifiable Information from any source, unless you explicitly submit that information via a fill-in form on our website
You may choose to accept or decline cookies. Most web browsers automatically default to accept them, but you can usually modify your browser setting to decline cookies. If you reject cookies by changing your browser settings then be aware that this may disable some of the functionality on our website.
User's Personal Information: Visitors to our website are able to sign up for our newsletter, book tickets for the attraction and upload/download information etc. When you register, you will provide personal information such as name, address, email, telephone number and other relevant information. If you are making a purchase, we will request financial information including your credit card number, expiration date, and security code. Any financial information we collect is used only to bill you for your purchase. This information may be forwarded to your credit card provider.
We will not disclose personally identifiable information we collect from you to third parties without your permission except to the extent necessary, including: To fulfil your requests, to protect ourselves from liability, to comply with the terms and conditions of our internet host provider.
3rd Party Policies
Related services and offerings linked to or from this website have their own privacy statements that can be viewed by clicking on the corresponding links within each respective website. Since we do not have control over the policies or practices of participating merchants and other third parties, we are not responsible for the privacy practices or contents of those sites. We recommend you review their policies before you provide any personal information or complete any transaction with them.
If you would like to contact us, our contact details are:
Continuum Group Ltd.
Registered Office:
St Edmund's House, Margaret Street, York YO10 4UX,
E: firstname.lastname@example.com
Company reg No: 7618476


text:
28 Jul 2008
Something Wonderful Just Happened in Somerset
Last week, Somerset County Council voted unanimously to endorse a motion that they become the UK's first 'Transition Local Authority'. What is means is that SCC could start taking an integrated approach to its planning processes, putting peak oil and climate change at the heart of its forward planning. It may well also unlock funds for the many Transition initiatives emerging across Somerset. The proposal put before the Council ran as follows;
That this Council
- Acknowledges the work done by communities in Somerset on Transition Towns and that the independence of the Transition Movement is key to its grass roots appeal.
- As demonstrated in its Climate Change Strategy, fully endorses the Transition Town Movement and subscribes to the principles and ethos of the organisation's goals to reduce dependence on fuel oil and create more sustainable communities.
- Commits to providing support and assistance to all towns in Somerset that wish to join this initiative to help them achieve the goals they set for themselves as local communities, as demonstrated under the 'Community Initiatives' section of the Climate Change Strategy.
- Therefore, requests the Scrutiny and Executive Committees to consider through the council's strategic planning process; allocating funds to assist in achieving the outcomes of the Transition Towns Movement in Somerset and requiring all directorates to engage with and provide support for Transition Initiatives in Somerset
- Through the work outlined above, seeks to become the first Transition Authority in the UK.
Agrees to undertake a review of its budgets and services to achieve a reduction in dependence on fuel oil and produce an energy descent action plan in line with the principles of the Transition Initiative.
Alex Malcolm of Transition Frome, on behalf loosely affilliated network of initiatives calling itself, Transition Somerset, submitted the following statement to the Council;
- We welcome the motion and would like to arrange a meeting between District and County reps with Transition reps – the Transition Network have offered to facilitate this
- The independence of the Transition Movement is key to its appeal at the grass roots and therefore councilors are requested to take a similarly non party political and independent stance with regard to the TM
- The activities of the Transition Movement can help to achieve some of the Local Area Agreement objectives – particularly the cross cutting theme of stronger communities
- The County Council should make a Statement on Peak Oil as suggested in the document attached targeted at Local Governments planning for Energy and Climate Uncertainty.
- The County Council should set up a Peak Oil Task Force to identify vulnerabilities within the communities they serve with the view also of creating appropriate Energy Descent Action Plans and a strategy for a low-carbon economy for Somerset.
I have assembled the above based on various emails and communication that I have had over the past week. I hope that I have created an accurate picture of developments, and have represented the views of those involved. Please do write and correct me if I have got any details wrong. As in the recent story of the Forest of Dean , the beginnings of meaningful engagement between Transition initiatives and their local authorities are fascinating to watch.


text:
After grinding for years and remaining consistent with his music, one day Mike Smiff was called by his mentor, Trick Daddy, to let him know that Slip N Slide Records was interested in speaking to him. He thought, "Slip N Slide Records who gave the world Trick Daddy, Trina, Rick Ross and Plies?" He grew interest and met with the label's CEO Ted Lucas which led to a meeting that ended in the two of them reaching an amicable agreement. He recently released his project, "Chase Dis Money," which received over 1 Million streams and views.
The storytelling lyricist is making his mark, collaborating with rap legends Trina and Trick Daddy on their single, "Paradise" which the trio performed on the Love & Hip-Hop Miami season 1 reunion and at sold out shows across the southern region.
Adversity causes some men to break— and others to break records. With his gift to paint vivid pictures with lyrics and his undeniable talent, Smiff says, watch out for him, he is well on his way.
Click [Here] To Download DJ Service Pack
Contact w/ Mike Smiff:
Twitter: @MikeSmiff305
Instagram: MikeSmiff305
Facebook: mikesmiff305
For All media Inquires: Daniece Brady - email@example.com
Stream/Purchase record Everywhere:


text:
Grandma Gives Birth to Twin Granddaughters
Susie Kozisek was a gestational carrier for her daughter, Ashley Larkin.
Aug. 14, 2013 — -- Talk about a labor of love. Susie Kozisek, an Iowa mother of four, ages 20 to 30, gave birth to her own twin granddaughters, Hallee and Hadlee.
Kozisek, 53, acted as a gestational carrier for her daughter, Ashley Larkin, because Larkin has pulmonary hypertension and cannot get pregnant. Before giving birth to the twins in July, she was also the gestational carrier for Larkin's older daughter, Harper, born in June 2011.
A gestational carrier volunteers to carry a pregnancy for another woman who cannot carry a pregnancy for herself. The eggs and sperm are harvested from the biological parents and united through in vitro fertilization. The resulting embryo is then implanted in the carrier's uterus.
"I heard about the procedure on a talk show and decided to check out the possibility of me doing this for them so they could have kids of their own if they wanted," Kozisek said.
Larkin said she considers her children a blessing and a miracle.
"I've always been close with my mom even before this so that hasn't changed and I'm grateful she will have such a special bond with her grandkids," Larkin said.
The embryos for the Larkin twins were kept in storage since an in vitro fertilization took place in October 2010 at the Mayo Clinic. They were implanted in Kozisek's uterus in November 2012.
Both pregnancies were uneventful, Kozisek said, similar to the pregnancies with her own children. She stayed healthy throughout and was able to continue her job as a legal secretary for the duration. Larkin was in the delivery room when her daughters were born.
Dr. Jani Jensen, the Mayo Clinic fertility doctor who performed the in vitro fertilizations for the family, said the circumstances surrounding the twins' birth were extremely uncommon.
"It's usual for a mother to act as a gestational carrier for her own child and she was at the older end of the spectrum for pregnancy," Jensen said. "But she was a good candidate because she'd carried previous pregnancies successfully and was in excellent health."
Kate Middleton's 'Mummy Tummy' Helps Normalize Pregnancy
After discussing it within the Mayo Clinic fertility group and consulting with high-risk pregnancy experts, Jensen gave Kozisek the green light. As a doctor, she was delighted with the results.
"They are a testament to the profound love a mother can have for her child," Jensen said. "It is an incredible thing this mother did so her daughter could have children."


text:
Saffron Breadsticks
"Man cannot live on bread alone"
Due to their crunchiness, these savory snacks are ideal match to a glass of wine or as a tasty substitute to bread. These snacks are palm oil free, they don't contain hydrogenated or trans fats, artificial coloring or artificial flavorings or any artificial raising agent.
All the ingredients and raw materials used in the productive process are strictly selected, no cross contamination for gluten/ lactose/ eggs and other animal derived foods.


text:
Buy Iboga seeds online, Iboga Seeds For Sale Online. Tabernanthe iboga is a member of the Apocynaceae family. Native to the wet tropical areas of west-central Africa, mainly Congo and Gabon. Common names include Iboga, Evoke and Eboga. Tabernanthe is a small genus comprising only two species, T. iboga and T. elliptica (this species has prickly fruit similar to Datura spp.). It is in record that the two species may cross pollinate to produce a fertile hybrid (Iboga and Ibogaine, Nico Dauphin).
Tabernanthe are woody plants that are endemic to humid tropical forest understories. Tabernanthe shrubs generally grow to a height of from half a meter to two meters. Branches occur in pairs, and two slender, pedunculate inflorescences appear in pairs just above points of branching. Tabernanthe also has sepal-like bracts and conspicuous leaf scars. As with many other members of the Apocynaceae, Tabernanthe is characterize by milky sap and. The occurrence of many useful alkaloids in the bark, leaves and root (Iboga and Ibogaine, Nico Dauphin).
Iboga is central to the Bwiti religion of Gabon, the following is a description by Giorgio Samorini: The effects of the massive dose of iboga (a few hectograms of the powdered root) which the initiate must ingest little by little during 7 to 12 hours, last three consecutive days and nights. During this time the initiate will remain lying down on the floor of the sacristy, assisted by a couple considered as the "father" and "mother" of the initiation process. Besides the "parents", other members of the community are present, they will accompany their future brother in his long journey to the sounds of the harp or in silence.
Any of the present members may ingest iboga during these nights: a companion during the "great journey" also experiencing the effects. The initiate's consciousness will undergo changes more and more intense, becoming more separated from his surrounding reality until he loses touch. At this time, usually during the third night, an officiating member will pinch the initiate with a thorn to ensure his separateness with exterior world. If he does not react, it is understood that he is undergoing the climax of the experience. The moment is acknowledge in western terminology using the term beatific vision or epopteia. This moment is refer to by all Bwiti. tabernanthe iboga seeds
Tabernanthe iboga contains indole alkaloids, the entire root containing around 1% total alkaloids. The active ingredient is Ibogaine. buy tabernanthe iboga seeds
Buy Iboga seeds online
Care and Cultivation of Tabernanthe iboga
Tabernanthe iboga seeds are fresh and should be sown on arrival, they may have even started to germinate in transit. If they have been sent in moist coco peat (brown stuff). You can also leave them in the bag until they germinate. (If they haven't already) in an ambient (20-30ºC) position inside your house. buy tabernanthe iboga seeds
Sow Tabernanthe iboga seed 10-15mm under the surface of a quality seed raising mix. Peeling a part of the brown seed coat off each end of the seed to just expose the white embryo has in our experience hastened seed emergence and ability to slough off the seed coat (but is not necessary). Keep Tabernanthe iboga seeds moist and warm until germination (2-8 weeks). Ours are averaging 4 weeks until emergence at high summer temperatures (max 30-35º, min 20ºC).tabernanthe iboga seeds
Likes a part shade position (50%) with rich soil and good drainage. Give regular applications of both liquid and solid fertiliser over summer. Likes a lot of root space, pot up regularly when you notice white roots coming out of the drainage holes. Keep in a warmer area over winter months, and also keep more dry.
Iboga seeds for sale, buy iboga seeds online, iboga seed pot for sale, buy iboga seed pot online, order iboga seeds online, buying iboga seeds online, tabernanthe iboga seeds for sale, buy tabernanthe iboga seeds for sale,


text:
2025 Models 100% Wood Free Stringers, Bulkheads, Transom (100% COMPOSITE)
Her V hull and hard chine line not only make her a high riding, dry craft but also allow you to challenge the fishing grounds comfortably. Designed for the serious offshore fisherman who wants to enjoy the confidence afforded by this sturdy, heavy-duty and dependable DUSKY hull. Dusky 227 is equipped with the Dusky Drive; a unique fiberglass outboard bracket with an integrated swim/dive platform. The Dusky Drive improves maneuverability and stability of your boat while allowing a full transom for safety. When we think of our Dusky 22', superlatives come to mind. She's probably the driest, roomiest, smoothest riding twenty-foot fishing craft on the market today. Need to custom rig your 227? Our options list lets you outfit her exactly as you require. Our FACTORY DIRECT pricing gives you a lot of boats for a lot less money.
Available with either inboard or outboard powering options, including Suzuki and Mercury. All inboard models are available with an optional keel.


text:
What is wrong with men in America? Why isn't our country producing lots of strong, independent, hard working men of character like it once did? Well, many believe that it starts at a very young age. When compared with girls, boys in the United States get lower grades, they are much more likely to get into trouble at school and they are much more likely to be put on behavior-modifying drugs. When it comes time to pursue a higher education, most of our young men are ill-prepared to do that. Today, nearly 60 percent of the students enrolled at U.S. colleges are women. And of course it has become much more difficult for men to find good jobs. In fact, less than 65 percent of all men have a job right now. Without a good job, a man is not considered to be "marriage material", but a large percentage of our young men don't want to get married anyway. Society has told them that it is okay to be a "slacker". Today, far too many of our young men are far more interested in their various addictions (beer, drugs, sex, video games, gambling, etc.) than they are in starting a family. But the truth is that men are far more happy when they have a purpose. When men are raising families, starting businesses or doing something to transform society they feel fulfilled.
Sadly, the message that our young men are getting from our television shows and our movies is that men are idiots. Instead of being portrayed as leaders that are eager to get married and raise strong families, young men are often being portrayed as passive slackers that love to party and chase women.
Start paying attention to how men are portrayed in the media. In particular, pay attention to how they are portrayed in our commercials. Our boys and young men are exposed to thousands upon thousands of hours of this "programming", and it has a dramatic affect on them.
Our system beats up our boys and young men so badly that only a relatively small percentage of them emerge into adulthood as strong, independent young men that are able to take care of themselves and start families of their own.
In America today, the percentage of men in prison is at an all-time high, the percentage of men with a job is near an all-time low and the percentage of children living without a father is at an all-time high.
Do we have a crisis on our hands?
Yes, we most definitely have a crisis on our hands.
The following are 32 facts that show how men are being systematically emasculated in America today…
#1 The labor participation rate for men has been steadily declining over the years…
In the 1950s, nearly every man in his prime working years was in the labor force, a category that includes both those who are employed and those actively applying for jobs. The "participation rate" for men ages 25 to 54 stood at 97.7% in early 1956, but drifted downward to a post-war record low of 88.4% at the end of 2012. (It ticked up very slightly at the start of this year to 88.6%.)
So where have all the men workers gone?
Some went into prison. Others are on disability. And still others can't find jobs and have simply given up looking.
#2 Back in 1950, more than 80 percent of all men in the United States had jobs. Today, less than 65 percent of all men in the United States have jobs. The chart posted below illustrates this stunning decline…
#3 During the last recession, men lost twice as many jobs as women did.
#4 According to Time Magazine, unemployed men are significantly more likely to get divorced than employed men are.
#5 According to the Economic Policy Institute, the "real entry-level hourly wage for men who recently graduated from high school" has declined from $15.64 in 1979 to $11.68 today.
#6 Between 1969 and 2009 the median wages earned by American men between the ages of 30 and 50 dropped by 27 percent after you account for inflation.
#7 Thanks to government policies which are killing off small businesses in America, the percentage of self-employed Americans is at an all-time low today. This has had a disproportionate impact on men.
#8 In 1982, 1.9 percent of all men were receiving disability benefits. Today, 3.1 percent of all men are receiving disability benefits.
#9 According to one very surprising study, "young, urban, childless women" make more money in America today than young, urban, childless men do.
#10 More than half of all middle management jobs in America are now held by women.
#11 More than half of all health care jobs in America are now held by women.
#12 The United States has the highest incarceration rate on the entire globe by a very wide margin. Overall, the U.S. has approximately 25 percent of the entire global prison population even though it only has 5 percent of the total global population. Men make up the vast majority of those that we are holding in our prisons.
#13 Incarceration rates for men in America have been steadily increasing over time. The following is from a recent CNN article…
Looking at those born just after World War II, some 1.2% of white men and 9% of black men had been to prison by 2004, according to Bruce Western, a Harvard sociology professor. But looking at those born 30 years later, some 3.3% of white men and 20.7% of black men had been to prison.
#14 According to the Pew Research Center, only 51 percent of all American adults are currently married. Back in 1960, 72 percent of all adults in the United States were married.
#15 Males account for approximately 70 percent of all Ds and Fs in U.S. public schools.
#16 About two-thirds of all students in "special education programs" are boys.
#17 The average American girl spends 5 hours a week playing video games. The average American boy spends 13 hours a week playing video games.
#18 The average young American will spend 10,000 hours playing video games before the age of 21.
#19 One study discovered that 88 percent of all Americans between the ages of 8 and 18 play video games, and that video game addiction is approximately four times as common among boys as it is among girls.
#20 In 2011, SAT scores for young men were the worst that they had been in 40 years.
#21 According to the New York Times, approximately 57 percent of all young people enrolled at U.S. colleges are women. That means that only 43 percent are men.
#22 It is being projected that women will earn 60 percent of all Bachelor's degrees from U.S. universities by the year 2016.
#23 Once in college, women are much more likely to complete their education and get a degree…
Women born in 1975 were roughly 17% more likely than their male counterparts to attend college and nearly 23% more likely to complete a four-year degree, according to data in Wayward Sons.
#24 Young men are nearly twice as likely to live with their parents as young women the same age are.
#25 Back in 1950, 78 percent of all households in the United States contained a married couple. Today, that number has declined to 48 percent.
#26 The marriage rate in the United States has fallen to an all-time low. Right now it is sitting at a yearly rate of 6.8 marriages per 1000 people.
#27 Today, an all-time low 44.2 percent of Americans between the ages of 25 and 34 are married.
#28 The U.S. family is rapidly breaking down. 100 years ago, 4.52 were living in the average U.S. household, but now the average U.S. household only consists of 2.59 people.
#29 At this point, approximately one out of every three children in America lives in a home without a father.
#30 The United States produces more pornography than any other nation in the world. Men consume far more of that pornography than women do.
#31 An astounding 30 percent of all Internet traffic now goes to pornography websites, and one survey found that 25 percent of all employees that have Internet access visit sex websites while they are at work.
#32 In the United States today, political correctness reigns, and any reference to the male gender is being stamped out of our language. For example, all over the country the term "manhole" is being replaced with the terms "utility hole" or "maintenance hole".
So what do you think?
Do you believe that men are being systematically emasculated in America today?
Please feel free to share what you think by posting a comment below…


text:
Car Buyers Croydon Hills – Cash For Cars
Looking for instant cash for your used vehicle in Croydon Hills , then welcome to car buyers Croydon Hills . Not only can you get money for your car in Croydon Hills on same day, but you can also claim your absolutely free car removal service in Croydon Hills . Thus, you can enjoy hassle free and quick car selling in Croydon Hills suburb. Moreover, all paperwork and money is given on the spot during our Croydon Hills car buyer's team arrival. Interestingly, you can get free quote from our car buying Croydon Hills team with just one call. We feel happy and welcome your inquiry via phone, email or form on the right side of this page.
In order to start, just contact our car buyers Croydon Hills team after calling 03 9020 5440 or send us email with your car details to fill our contact form provided by our Croydon Hills team.
Cash For Used Cars Croydon Hills
One of the most salient feature of our car buyers Croydon Hills service is that we pay cash on the spot. It means our team will complete all the process of car buying in Croydon Hills on same day after handing the cash to you with all paperwork. Curious about evaluation of your car in Croydon Hills ? Then contact our car buyers Croydon Hills team. They will help you in sorting our best cash for your car in Croydon Hills . Price of vehicle in Croydon Hills vary depending on a wide range of factors including make, model, year and particularly condition.
Important thing for you is that car buyers Croydon Hills buy all smash, repairable, scrap, used and unwanted vehicles from all over Croydon Hills . Moreover, we pay more if you own any 4wd, van or truck. If you want to know more about our services of cash for buying cars in Croydon Hills , then feel free to contact us. Our Croydon Hills team will help you in all aspects related to selling of your vehicle in Croydon Hills .
Free Used Car Removal in Croydon Hills
Another pivotal aspect of our used car buyers Croydon Hills service is that with the help of our free removal service, we pick up cars without any charge to our customers. It means if you have any kind of car in Croydon Hills that is scrap, smash, used or damage then we will tow your car. And we will not ask you to pay anything or we will not deduct any money for your car removal in Croydon Hills . This saves your money as well as your time in selling your car in Croydon Hills . Hence, it is apparent why many Croydon Hills customer choose us, as far as selling cars, vans, trucks and 4wds in concerned.
Why Car Buyers Croydon Hills is Best
There are many prominent reason to choose our old car buyers Croydon Hills service. Some of significant points of our cash for cars Croydon Hills service are given in details.
- Cash for all used, scrap, not reliable cars in Croydon Hills
- Free removal service offered around all Croydon Hills suburbs
- Same day deal for any kind of 4wds, cars, trucks in Croydon Hills
- Free quotes, paperwork and towing in Croydon Hills or nearby suburb
- Fast, quickly and hassle free car selling services in Croydon Hills
- Car collection at your suitable time in Croydon Hills areas
- Best old and used car buyers Croydon Hills service in the area


text:
Saving, Opening, and Downloading Models with SketchUp for Schools
Because SketchUp for Schools is a web-based application, the features for opening, saving, and other file-management tasks are different from SketchUp on your desktop. The following sections guide you through basic tasks like saving, opening, uploading, and downloading 3D models.
Table of Contents
Saving a model
To save a model from SketchUp for Schools to Google Drive, follow these steps:
- After you begin creating your new model, click Untitled or Save in the upper left. Or, you can click the File Operations icon () and select Save As. However you begin to save your model, the Google Drive panel opens next.
- On the Google Drive panel that appears, type a name for your model, as shown in the figure, and click OK.
- Using Google's picker, select a folder where you want to save the model on your Google Drive.
After you make changes to a saved model in SketchUp for Schools, a Save option appears in the upper left, as shown in the following figure. Click Save to keep your changes.
Opening a model
To open a model you've saved to Google Drive, follow these steps:
- In SketchUp for Schools, click the Open Model/Preferences icon () and then click the Google Drive icon (). Or click the File Operations icon () and select Open.
- On the Google Drive panel that appears, click a folder on your Google Drive to access your models.
- Click the model you want to open, and then click Select.
Uploading models
To upload a SketchUp model from your hard drive for use in SketchUp for Schools, you first have to upload the model to the desired folder on your Google Drive. You can then open your model in SketchUp for Schools.
Downloading models
Downloading a model to your hard drive is simple:
- Click the File Operations icon () and select Download.
- Select a file type for your download (SKP, STL, or PNG).
- Give the file a moment to download, and then look for the file in your Downloads folder (or wherever you save downloaded files).


text:
SAO PAULO // With massive protests by middle-class Brazilians demanding wholesale government reforms, people all over this continent-sized country have reached a verdict on the streets and online: "The giant has awakened."
President Dilma Rousseff has tried to placate the crowds by supporting their right to protest, and the Sao Paulo municipal government has rescinded the 10-cent hike in bus and subway fares that sparked the demonstrations in the first place. But as the protests grow, with two major marches called for Thursday, the Brazilian government seems at a loss over how to address the sweeping demands of its people.
Protesters have presented the government with myriad demands and a growing list of complaints: It can't provide its citizens with basic security, officials are corrupt and inefficient, traffic is bottlenecked on pot-holed streets, and even cellphones don't work. And the investment that should be going into health care and education are pouring into soccer stadiums and airports instead.
Rousseff's response has been little more than rhetoric. She hasn't formed any emergency committees to deal with the crisis or offered grand gestures or fresh ideas. And that has further angered Brazilians such as Rosana Reis, a 51-year-old nurse who like millions in the middle class is feeling the pinch of high taxes and perennially poor public services while the country spends billions of dollars to host next year's World Cup and the 2016 Olympics.
"I worked for years in public hospitals and I've seen with my own eyes how everybody but the richest Brazilians suffer," Reis said during a protest this week that took over central Sao Paulo. "These politicians have money for the World Cup, money for the Olympics, but none to spend on health care or education. We've had enough. The people have woken up!"
The protests began a week ago in Sao Paulo and spread quickly to other cities after an initial police crackdown on demonstrators. They have become a collective, if unorganized cry for help from a newly expanded middle class that expects more for its taxes and from its democratically elected left-of-center government.
The public outcry has caught Brazil's leadership off-guard. Instead of dealing with one group with one list of demands, the government has been confronted with a spontaneous mass movement without a unified agenda.
How to quell the discontent adds up to the stiffest challenge yet to the ruling Workers Party since it took power in 2003. Rousseff has been meeting with former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Sao Paulo Mayor Fernando Haddad in search of a solution.
They are working under the immediate pressure of pacifying protesters before next month's papal visit to Rio and inner Sao Paulo state.
"The response of most politicians has been insufficient because they don't understand that by being elected they made a commitment to the population," said Domingos Dutra, a Workers Party congressman who has often butted heads with party leadership. "Protesters' demands are clear - the immediate reversal of transportation fares. But there are others: improvements in health care, combating violence and combating impunity. President Dilma has taken too long to recognize that these demands are genuine."
Dutra said that when it comes to cracking down on dissenting voices, allowing environmental destruction in the Amazon or to building big public works for the World Cup and Olympics, the government moves quickly.
"But when it comes to meeting social demands, it works slowly. I hope that the government understands that society is evolving and it needs to act quickly to meet demands," he added.
A poll of protesters attending this week's rallies in Sao Paulo shows they are solidly middle class. Three-quarters have a university degree, half are younger than 25 and more than 80 percent say they don't belong to any political party, according to the survey by the respected Datafolha group.
The disconnect is apparent between those taking part in demonstrations and their Workers Party government, whose support lies among the lower-middle class and poor.
In fact, Brazil's poorest have seen their economic lives dramatically improve under the Silva and Rousseff governments, largely because of much-applauded government cash transfer programs that have helped 40 million people move from poverty into the lower-middle class in the last decade.
But other Brazilians who make up the country's solid middle- and upper-middle classes feel alienated and unrepresented by any political party, said Riordan Roett, director of the Latin American studies program at Johns Hopkins University's School of Advanced International Studies.
He said the wages of middle-income households have stagnated and their spending power has diminished, with no government programs helping them as they have Brazil's poorest. Complicating the picture is the so-called "Brazil cost" - infrastructure woes and other bureaucratic red tape that make everything in the nation so costly, Roett said.
"There is a clear sense among the Brazilian middle class that the Workers Party has ignored them," Roett said. "There is no short-term answer. There has to be a multiparty dialogue to gauge just how deep the frustration goes and how government responses must be prioritized. Rousseff has to cut across the political spectrum for answers."
Natalia Querino, a 22-year-old university student, put it succinctly while joining thousands of other protesters in downtown Sao Paulo on Tuesday. She's watched Brazil spend some $13 billion so far on preparing for next year's World Cup while the country's education system continues to lag behind those of other middle-income countries.
"We are against a government that spends billions in stadiums while people are suffering across the country," Querino said. "We want better education, more security and a better health system."
Organizers said the decision to rescind higher transit fares would not bring a halt to the protest, and a demonstration scheduled for Thursday in Sao Paulo would go on as scheduled.
"What we will have is a demonstration to celebrate the victory of the people who took to the streets," said Mayara Vivian, a leader of the Passe Livre movement that kicked off the protests last week with the mantra "The giant has awakened."
Another leader, history professor Lucas Monteiro said "the government has finally ceded to popular pressure".
"The decision shows that citizens can obtain victories through popular mobilizations," Monteiro said.
For Christopher Garman, the Latin America director of the U.S.-based consulting firm the Eurasia Group, the Brazilian government has in some sense become a victim of its own economic success.
"As Brazil has gotten richer, the political demands begin to change. People are demanding different things of their government," Garman said. "When you have a shift to a `middle income' country with a robust middle class, they start asking for something else, for improved public services."
The long-term solutions that protesters are demanding, improvements in all facets of the public sector, will require significant reforms to the political system, not simply more funding, Garman said.
"The problem isn't money; it's how you spend it," Garman said. "It's hard to see this sustaining itself for weeks on end. The nature of the movement is so diffuse it will probably peter out of its own accord. You have diffuse discontent over all these but there is no specific target."
Sibaja reported from Brasilia and Barchfield from Rio de Janeiro.


text:
September is Life Insurance Awareness Month
Financial Planning Retirement Investing Estate Planning InsuranceLife insurance is one of those financial products that we put off thinking about. No one wants to talk about the eventuality of them passing away, and we especially don't like to talk about what would happen if we passed away suddenly.
But life insurance is an important part of any financial and protection strategy. For National Life Insurance Awareness Month, we wanted to share some helpful information about life insurance, including what it is, its different types, and how it can help protect your family in case something happens.
What is Life Insurance?
According to Life Happens, a nonprofit dedicated to giving users unbiased insurance information, life insurance is an insurance policy that provides cash to your family or loved ones after your death. This "death benefit" helps replace your income and supports your loved ones in the event of your passing. Your family can use this payment for funeral expenses, mortgage payments, college tuition, and other bills.1
Different Types of Life Insurance
There are two main types of life insurance: term life insurance and permanent life insurance. Let's look at the differences.
Term Life Insurance
Term life insurance policies cover the insured for a specific period, usually between 5 and 30 years, depending on your policy. Term policies pay a death benefit only if the insured person dies during the coverage term. These policies don't carry any cash value, but the premiums are generally lower than permanent life insurance premiums. Furthermore, term life insurance policies may offer a greater level of flexibility because you can amend your policy as your needs change.
Permanent Life Insurance
Permanent life insurance policies cover the holder for their entire life. Some of these policies also carry savings or investment components. According to US News, this cash value "grows tax-deferred over time and may be withdrawn or borrowed against while you're still alive." But remember that withdrawing these funds will decrease the policy's death benefit unless the funds are repaid.2
There are a few permanent life insurance options, including whole life (sometimes called "traditional" life insurance) and universal life. Each of these policies has its own pros and cons.
When considering which life insurance policy is right for you, think about the following factors:
- Coverage duration
- Coverage amount
- Premiums
- Flexibility
- Cash value
Do You Need Life Insurance?
For most people, the answer to this question is "Yes." Life insurance can help protect the people you care about if something happens to you. This could include a spouse, children, disabled family members, aging parents, or any other dependent. There are a variety of coverage limits, and depending on your household expenses, you may not have to purchase an enormous life insurance policy. Even modest protection could help your family pay the bills and make arrangements.
A simple way to calculate how much life insurance you need is to consider all your immediate, ongoing, and future expenses, as well as the financial resources that your loved ones already have. This is how you may need to make up with a life insurance policy. Forbes lays out the DIME method: debt, income, mortgage, and education.3
Ready to review (or begin) your life insurance policy for National Life Insurance Awareness Month? There are plenty of websites where you can sign up for a policy, or you can talk to a financial professional for help.
This content is developed from sources believed to be providing accurate information, and provided by Wrought Advisors. It may not be used for the purpose of avoiding any federal tax penalties. Please consult legal or tax professionals for specific information regarding your individual situation. The opinions expressed and material provided are for general information, and should not be considered a solicitation for the purchase or sale of any security.


text:
ABC's Monster 'Roseanne' Ratings Guarantee More Revivals Are Coming
Well, if a third season renewal for Will & Grace hadn't clued you in – revivals are officially here to stay. ABC's two-part Roseanne premiere cleaned up with almost 20 million viewers, landing the highest-rated comedy episode in years.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Tuesday's Roseanne premiere averaged 18.1 million viewers and an impressive 5.1 rating in its key demographic of adults 18-49. Those kind of millions make Roseanne the "highest-rated regularly-scheduled scripted show of the last few seasons," and the most-viewed sitcom broadcast since 2014. It's also higher than the original series finale in 1997, which ranked in with 16.6 million viewers.
Not enough? Vulture notes that Roseanne's viewership came in just below the Game of Thrones Season 7 finale and higher than the 60 Minutes Stormy Daniels interview this past Sunday, on par with The Walking Dead. Adding L+7 DVR numbers could place the total viewership in the neighborhood of this year's Oscars broadcast – 27.4 million viewers. As most have noted, an eleventh Roseanne season beyond the nine episodes already ordered is a foregone conclusion.
That said, even a third Will & Grace revival season won't match the inaugural ratings of around 10 million viewers, so Roseanne is likely to trend downward in the coming weeks. Other impending sitcom revivals include CBS' Murphy Brown, a fourth season of Netflix's Fuller House, NBC's Mad About You, The Office and more. There's only one holy grail of TV revivals, however, and even Jerry Seinfeld is starting to admit it's possible.
We'll see if Roseanne holds its incredible ratings over the next few weeks, but what other revivals might top it?
Gallery: The 20 Best TV Show Revivals, Ranked


text:
Alaska STD Testing
Order Your Kit Now & Test AT Home!
Here are some Q&As for At Home STD Testing in Alaska:
When it comes to your sexual health, testing for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) or sexually transmitted infections (STIs) is one of the easiest and most important steps that can be taken by men and women to protect themselves and their potential partners.
According to a 2017 report, CDC (the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) estimated that United States sees more than 20 million new cases of STDs every year. About half of those are from sexually active youth age 15 to 24. Nationally, there are over 120 million total infections, both new and existing.
What are Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs)?
Sexually transmitted diseases are infections that are most often caused by bacteria, but sometimes caused by fungi or viruses and are passed from one person to another through any kind of sexual contact. While many people's assumption is that STDs can only be passed through vaginal or anal intercourse, STDs can also be passed through oral sex, kissing, and the use of sex toys.
Here are some of the most common sexually transmitted diseases you can contract: Gonorrhea, Chlamydia, HIV, Syphilis, Mycoplasma Genitalium, Trichomoniasis, and Human Papilloma (HPV), HIV/AIDS, Herpes/HSV, and Hepatitis/HBV.
Studies have shown that more than half of the population will get a sexually transmitted disease or infection at some point in their lives.
While some can be transmitted through genital skin-to-skin contact, many are spread through certain bodily fluids such as:
- Rectal fluid
- Blood
- Semen
- Pre-seminal fluid
- Vaginal fluid
Order Your STD Test Kit Now
Fast & Easy 3 Step Testing | Choose Your Test, Test At Home, Get Results Fast & Get Phone Consultation with a Doctor if Tested Positive
Order Your Kit Now & Test AT Home!
When to Get Tested?
If you're sexually active, it's a good idea to get regular testing to protect your health and the health of your partner(s). Here are some CDC recommendations for regular STD and STI screening:
- You have multiple partners
- You are showing symptoms that may point to a sexually transmitted infection/disease
- You have a new partner
- Your current partner has sex with a new partner
- You and your current partner are considering not using condoms/protection
Types of STD Tests
The testing process itself differs based on each STD, but most are easy, rapid and pain-free. STD testing can include:
- A physical exam: This usually precedes most STD tests and involves the specialist examining you for warts, sores, rashes, discharge, irritation, and any other physical symptoms.
- A urine test: You simply pee in a cup.
- A blood test: The doctor takes a blood sample from your arm or a quick finger prick.
- A cheek swab: You rub a swab around the inside of your cheek, usually to test for HIV.
- Sore tests: Your doctor may take samples of the fluid from blisters or sores.
- Discharge tests: Your doctor may use a swab to collect fluid samples from your genitals, anus, or throat.
Recent developments in testing procedures allow urine samples and blood tests to diagnose the vast majority of STDs. Your doctor can help you decide which STDs to test for.
How to Avoid STDs:
To significantly reduce the risk of spreading or contracting an STD Condoms, dental dams, and other barriers can be used.
If you are sexually active, there are a few things you can do to reduce the risk:
- Use condoms – Use condoms as directed every time to help reduce the risk, but condoms are not 100% effective in eliminating the risk.
- Get tested regularly – Since having a history of STDs increases your likelihood of contracting another, getting tested regularly helps limit exposure.
- Limit the number of sexual partners – Have yourself and your partner get tested before having oral, vaginal, or anal sex and remain monogamous to better ensure you are not exposed. The more partners you have at any given time, the more likelihood of contracting a STD.
- Avoid douching – Douche or douching refers to washing out the vagina either with an at-home mix of water and vinegar or using a purchased product that can include antiseptics and fragrances. Between 20% and 40% of women aged 15 to 44 in the US use a douche and believe it helps clean and freshen their vagina as well as avoid getting a STD or pregnancy. Health experts agree that douching is both not effective and increases your risk of a STD or other health problems.
Unfortunately STDs are still surrounded by taboo, although they are common diseases. If you think you have an STD, understand that it is not something you need to be ashamed or embarrassed about & you may be able to opt in for anonymous testing services available in your area. . Order your STD test kit online.
Alaska has a wide variety of accessible testing options. We continue to provide information about the best free STD testing LA offers including 24 hour & mobile STD testing centers in your area.


text: Blurred frontiers b/w states and markets for pharmaceutical technologies Loading view. There were no results found. There were no results found. Projects Search and Views Navigation Search Enter Keyword. Search for Projects by Keyword. Enter Location. Search for Projects by Location. Find Projects Project Views Navigation Summary List Month Day Today Upcoming Upcoming Select date. Previous Projects Today Next Projects Subscribe to calendar Google Calendar iCalendar Outlook 365 Outlook Live Export .ics file Export Outlook .ics file