Conservapedia - User contributions [en]

Pedophilia

2014-10-14T00:09:59Z

BenjiBrennon:

A '''pedophile''' or '''[[Andrew Schlafly]]''' (non-US spelling) is an adult or teenager who is of or above the age of 16 (although a rejected change in the DSM would have changed this to 18) who is sexually attracted to young [[children]] below the age of puberty that are at least five years younger than the adult or teen (generally 13 years old or younger, though onset of puberty may vary and the proposal would also change this to all children below 15 <ref>http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/448575/pedophilia</ref>). A pedophile who acts out his or her wishes in the form of viewing child [[pornography]] or molesting youngsters is committing a [[crime]] and breaking virtually all moral codes; in particular, the [[Bible]] explicitly forbids it.<ref>[http://www.blueletterbible.org/Bible.cfm?b=Gal&c=5&t=NIV#16 Galatians 5:16-21 (NIV)]</ref> It is closely linked to [[immorality]] and [[sociopathy]]. The term pedophilia is sometimes incorrectly used to mean sexual attraction by adults and teens to anyone below the age of consent, for example British psychologist Hans Eysenck in '''The Causes and Cures of Criminality''' defined it as people 16 and over having sex with people 15 and younger (in the UK age of consent is 16), but in fact this is an incorrect use of the term and is regrettable because the difference hebephilic (adults attracted to adolescents 12-15) and pedophilic offenders is vast, and treatment is different.

==Diagnosis and treatment==
Pedophilia is a mental illness according to the ''[[Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders]]''. Although some survey and [[penile plethysmograph]] results suggest that double-digit percentages of the adult male population may be capable of being sexually aroused by children,<ref>{{cite journal|title=Is Pedophilia a Mental Disorder?|author=Green, Richard|journal=Archives of Sexual Behavior|volume=31|number=6|date=December 2002|pages=467-471|url=http://link.springer.com/article/10.1023%2FA%3A1020699013309}}</ref> the best estimates are that only between 1% and 5% of men are full-blown pedophiles. 30% of pedophiles are left-handed or ambidextrous, triple the general rate. Pedophiles are nearly an inch shorter on average than non-pedophiles and lag behind the average IQ by 10 points.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://articles.latimes.com/2013/jan/14/local/la-me-pedophiles-20130115|title=Many researchers taking a different view of pedophilia|date=14 January 2013|author=Zarembo, Alan|publisher=Los Angeles Times}}</ref> It may be possible to identify potential pedophiles using [[magnetic resonance imaging]] of the [[brain]] as they tend to have less [[white matter]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2220818/Paedophiles-spotted-cured-MRI-scans-detect-brain-activity-low-IQs.html|title=Paedophiles could be 'spotted and cured' through MRI scans to detect brain abnormalities and low IQs|publisher=Daily Mail Reporter|date=20 October 2012}}</ref> Some evidence suggests that pedophilia results from cross-wiring in which the stimuli that usually evoke nurturing and protective reactions in adults instead evokes sexual reactions in pedophiles.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thestar.com/news/insight/2013/12/22/is_pedophilia_a_sexual_orientation.html|title=Is pedophilia a sexual orientation?|author=Kane, Laura|date=22 December 2013|publisher=The Star}}</ref> There is no cure for pedophilia; even [[castration]] does not completely eliminate a pedophile's sexual interest in children.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/Expert-says-castration-no-cure-for-pedophilia-1913426.php|title=Expert says castration no cure for pedophilia|author=Crowe, Robert|date=10 May 2005|publisher=Houston Chronicle}}</ref>

==Claims that pedophilia is a sexual orientation==
Pedophilia is sometimes described as a [[sexual orientation]] by researchers who claim it has a similar age of onset, correlations with sexual and romantic behavior, and stability over time as homosexuality. Michael C. Seto proposes a two-axis "modular person preferences system" in which [[asexual]] persons would be placed at the [[Origin (mathematics)|origin]] and the X and Y axes would range from infant to senior and from male to female, respectively. Other axes could be added for body shape, body size, and other characteristics of interest. Seto concludes that "[a]ccepting that pedophilia is a sexual orientation akin to heterosexuality or homosexuality, rather than a preference that is chosen or somehow learned, may" create a culture in which pedophiles feel safer seeking clinical and assist "efforts to better understand this sexual orientation and thereby prevent child sexual exploitation."<ref>{{cite journal|url=http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10508-011-9882-6|title=Is Pedophilia a Sexual Orientation?|author=Seto, Michael C.|date=February 2012|volume=41|issue=21|pages=231-236|journal=Archives of Sexual Behavior}}</ref> In 2013, the [[American Psychiatric Association]] issued a statement clarifying that it does not regard pedophilia as a sexual orientation.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/oct/31/apa-correct-manual-clarification-pedophilia-not-se/|title=APA to correct manual: Pedophilia is not a ‘sexual orientation’|author=Wetzstein, Cheryl|publisher=The Washington Times|date=31 October 2013}}</ref>

==Connection to leftist and gay rights movements==
The [[Family Research Council]] notes that "the evidence indicates that disproportionate numbers of gay men seek adolescent males or boys as sexual partners."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.frc.org/?i=IS02E3|title=Homosexuality and Child Sexual Abuse|date=2 July 2002|author=Family Research Council}}</ref> Steve Baldwin notes, "Homosexual leaders repeatedly argue for the freedom to engage in consensual sex with children, and blind surveys reveal a shockingly high number of homosexuals admit to sexual contact with minors."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://sdn.altervista.org/ensis/Pedophilia_And_The_Homosexual_Movement.php|title=Pedophilia and the Homosexual Movement|author=Baldwin, Steve|publisher=ensis wiki}}</ref> According to political scientist Harris Mirkin, "Though pedophile organizations were originally a part of the gay/lesbian coalition, gay organizations distance themselves from pedophile organizations in the same way as feminist leaders sought to separate themselves from lesbians."<ref>{{cite journal|author=Mirkin, Harris|date=1999|title=The Pattern of Sexual Politics: Feminism, Homosexuality and Pedophilia|url=http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10207822|journal=Journal of Homosexuality|volume=37|number=2|pages=1-24|doi=10.1300/J082v37n02_01}}</ref> As part of this distancing, some gay rights groups have encouraged the terminology "male-male molestation" be used in place of "homosexual molestation".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://psychology.ucdavis.edu/rainbow/html/facts_molestation.html|title=Facts About Homosexuality and Child Molestation|author=Herek, Gregory|publisher=University of California}}</ref>

However, there have occasionally been signs of a backlash within the movement against crackdowns on pedophilia activists. In 1996, after the North American Man Boy Love Association and two similar European groups were expelled from the International Gay and Lesbian Alliance in order to satisfy the [[United Nations]] requirements for granting consultative status, intense internal pressure from ILGA's member organizations nonetheless impelled ILGA to drop a three-year-old requirement that its member groups sign a letter stating they do not condone pedophilia. More than half of ILGA's 450 members refused to sign an anti-pedophile pledge.<ref>{{cite journal|author=Jenkinson, Michael|journal=Alberta Report|title=Back into the bedrooms of the nation|volume=23|issue=40|pages=35|date=16 September 1996|pages=35|issn=0225-0519}}</ref>

In 2013, [[Rush Limbaugh]] warned, "Don't Pooh-Pooh the Left's Push to Normalize Pedophilia".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/daily/2013/01/07/don_t_pooh_pooh_the_left_s_push_to_normalize_pedophilia|title=Don't Pooh-Pooh the Left's Push to Normalize Pedophilia|date=7 January 2013|author=Limbaugh, Rush|publisher=The Rush Limbaugh Show}}</ref> In 2013, the [[German Green Party]]'s most prominent politician disavowed his past support for legalizing sex with children.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424127887324492604579083123751192430|title=Painful Past Plagues German Greens|author=Troianovski, Anton|date=18 September 2013|publisher=Wall Street Journal}}</ref> The Greens nonetheless did poorly in the September 2013 election.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://thechristians.com/?q=node/822|title=The brief, unhappy greening of German pedophilia|date=7 November 2013|author=Byfield, Link|publisher=TheChristians.com}}</ref>

=="Pedosexual"==
There is some dispute about the difference (if any) between "pedophilia" and "pedosexuality". [[Urban Dictionary]] describes "pedosexual" as a "non-existent word invented by [[pedophile activist]]s as part of their ongoing effort to legitimize and legalize the sexual exploitation of children."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=pedosexual&defid=1011956|title=pedosexual|author=Ed|publisher=Urban Dictionary|date=21 January 2005}}</ref> dont-offend.org, a website of the Institute of Sexology and Sexual Medicine, directed by Klaus M. Beier,<ref>{{cite book|isbn=978-1461444206|date=6 November 2012|title=Sexual Medicine in Clinical Practice|author=Beier, Klaus M. and Loewit, Kurt K.|pages=xv}}</ref> states that pedosexuality "as a clinical term denotes a sexual behaviour towards children and is the equivalent to ‘child sexual abuse’. The expressions ‘pedosexuality’ and ‘pedophilia’ are related but are not identical and cannot be used synonymously."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dont-offend.org/story/88/3888.html|title=FAQ|author=dont-offend.org|publisher=Institute of Sexology and Sexual Medicine}}</ref>

== See also ==

*[[Atheism and child pornography]]

*[[Atheism, pederasty and NAMBLA]]

== External links ==
*[http://www.vatican.va/news_services/or/or_eng/text.html#1 Pastoral Letter to the Catholics of Ireland.]

==Notes==
<references/>

[[Category:Sin]]
[[Category:Crime]]

California

2014-10-14T00:08:39Z

BenjiBrennon:

{{USState
|name=California
|flag=California_State_Flag.gif
|motto=Eureka (I have found it)
|nick=The Golden State
|capital=Sacramento
|language=English
|governor=Jerry Brown
|gparty=Democrat
|senator1=Dianne Feinstein
|s1party=Democrat
|s1phone=(202) 224-3841
|s1email=http://feinstein.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=ContactUs.EmailMe Contact
|senator2=Barbara Boxer
|s2party=Democrat
|s2phone=(202) 224-3553
|s2email=http://boxer.senate.gov/contact Contact
|population=35 million
|date=September 9, 1850 (31st)
}}
'''California''' is an illustration of the failure of [[liberal]] policies, as the State is virtually insolvent, has one of the worst educational systems in the world, and has lost many high-achievers to other states despite having a better climate Not that this really matters. Known as the Golden State, it became the 31st state on September 9, 1850. It is located on the west coast of the [[United States]], by the [[Pacific Ocean]] and bordered by [[Oregon]], [[Nevada]] and [[Arizona]]. It is the largest state in population but will be surpassed by the more [[conservative]] [[Texas]] by 2050. Its governor is [[Jerry Brown]]. It has served as a poster child for [[liberalism]] and [[Hollywood values]] since the 1960s, especially [[Los Angeles]] and [[San Francisco]]. It is estimated that California is now losing an estimated 500,000 people statewide every year.<ref>http://www.ocregister.com/articles/california-330643-year-county.html</ref>

'''''[[Liberal]]s ran [[California]] into the ground.''''' In 2012, its [[leftist]] politicians proposed making its citizens pay an extra $9-billion in new taxes, with half of that going into [[government]] pensions.<ref>http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2012/05/15/how-california-budget-blunders-led-to-my-divorce-from-golden-state/</ref>

==Economy==
The economy has been badly battered by the [[Recession of 2008]], especially by the collapse of the state's [[housing bubble]]. Unemployment in Aug. 2009 reached 12.2%, the highest since 1940. Home building this year is less than a quarter of what it was in 2005, and 500,000 of the state’s job losses have been in construction, finance, real estate and industries related to construction. The state budget is in crisis, because it relied heavily on personal income taxes. The financial collapse greatly reduced personal wealth of rich Californians, and job losses related to the housing bust combined to sharply reduce that source of revenue. After bitter debate in the legislature a budget was passed in July 2009. It closed a roughly $24 billion two-year gap with extensive cuts to social services, parks and education, which in turn reduced consumer spending among laid off and furloughed government workers.Also greatly damaging the economy is their very [[socialist]] nature, being a state in which welfare is easy to come by increasing mass numbers of homeless how live to drink and get high

==Another budget crisis==
An ugly budget crisis in 2009 was resolved after months of squabbling, with budget cuts, accounting gimmicks, and new taxes. The legislature in 2009 cut billions from education, healthcare and social services while temporarily hiking income, sales and vehicle taxes. The 2010 budget deficit is projected at $21 billion which must be closed somehow.

Suggested solutions include raising tobacco taxes; cutting pensions for retired public workers; repealing corporate tax breaks passed in 2008 and 2009; revising the tax rules for commercial and residential property; reducing the 2/3 legislative vote needed to pass a budget; and strengthening the firewall that protects local government and transportation money from being raided by the state. "There's a lot of people putting chess pieces on the board right now," said Jon Coupal, president of the anti-tax Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Assn. "The question is which of those chess pieces will be moving."<ref> Shane Goldmacher, "California faces a projected deficit of $21 billion," [http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-budget-deficit18-2009nov18,0,7647152.story ''LosAngeles Times'' Nov. 18, 2009]</ref>

==History==
see [[History of California]]

==Miscellaneous facts==
*California was the first state to remove [[school prayer]] from its [[public school]]s, legalize [[abortion]] in the later [[1960s]] (1967 for "therapeutic" reasons, "on-demand" in 1969) before the U.S. Supreme Court's ''[[Roe v. Wade]]'' in 1973 and passed the U.S.' first [[no-fault]] [[divorce]] laws, signed by Governor [[Ronald Reagan]] in 1969.

*California surpassed France in 2000 to become the fifth largest economy in the world

*Los Angeles hosted the Summer [[Olympics]] in [[Olympics#1932_Los_Angeles|1932]] and [[Olympics#1984_Los_Angeles|1984]].

*The California [[Redwood]] was named the official state tree in 1937. <ref>http://www.learncalifornia.org/doc.asp?id=678</ref>

*The [[state flower]] is the [[Golden poppy]]

*San Bernardino County is the largest county by area in the United States; [[Los Angeles]] is the largest by population. <ref>http://www.50states.com/facts/calif.htm</ref>

*Since 2000, California has offered [[domestic partnership]]s, which are similar to [[same sex marriage]].<ref>[http://www.answers.com/topic/domestic-partnership-in-the-united-states Answers.com]</ref> Same-sex marriage was briefly legal in 2008, but this ended when Proposition 8, a voter referendum to define marriage as only being between a man and woman, passed.

==Politics==

From 2003-2011 California's governor was liberal Republican [[Arnold Schwarzenegger]]. This is the same position that was once held by conservative icon [[Ronald Reagan]] in 1966-74. California is considered to be one of the [[blue state|"blue-est" states]], consistently voting for Democratic legislative and Presidential candidates since 1992, mixed in with numerous Republican governors. Los Angeles and San Francisco are the centers of liberalism, while San Diego and other cities outside these localities are much more conservative. Prior to 1992, California was consistently a [[red state]].

[[Richard Nixon]] is the only President to have been born in California, but he lived in New York when elected in 1968. [[Ronald Reagan]] was a resident when elected in 1980.

In the past, conservative areas of California included Orange and Ventura Counties, but Ventura County (Simi Valley) is heavily [[Democrat]] now like most of California. The [[Ronald Reagan]] Presidential Library is located in Ventura County. Orange County, however, is still heavily Republican.

==Business climate==
California scores poorly in state ratings of business climate. In a CNBC survey, it ranked 32nd overall but last in "cost of business" and 49th in "business friendliness." IT (Intel, Google, Hewlett Packard, Cisco, Apple, Yahoo!) and biotechnology remain strengths, but some traditional industries are struggling. High costs, as well as tax breaks from other states, have caused movie studios to shift production from California. In 1996, feature films involved 14,500 production days in Los Angeles County; in 2008, the total had fallen in half. Businessmen both in California and those who have moved out of the state have said that California has declared war on its own economy, with San Francisco taking particular delight in job-killing legislation.

==Budget Crises==
The state has had two severe budget crises in 2009, caused by high spending, a plunge in tax revenue (caused by the decline in income of the wealthy who pay most of the taxes), and a refusal of enough Republicans to provide the two-thirds majority in the legislature needed to raise taxes. Long term borrowing is not allowed--the state has to balance its budget annually, but many gimmicks are used.

With a $26 billion deficit in its $92 billion budget, the state ran out of money and issued IOU's (warrants) before the solution was reached: massive spending cuts. In February 2009, the Legislature raised the state sales tax, bringing the total -- including local sales taxes -- to about 9 cents or more. Top income tax rates, already among the highest in the country, were raised. So were motor vehicle registration fees. Spending cuts approved in February and July are deep. Together, the cuts equal almost 30% of the general revenue fund and will affect schools, prisons, colleges and welfare. Some welfare benefits will be cut by half. California's student-teacher ratio, now about a third above the national average, will probably go even higher. The high prestige University of California system lost 20% of its state payments. It is raising tuition and student fees by 9.3%, imposing salary reductions of 4% to 10% on more than 100,000 workers, and postponing faculty hires until a better day.

Republicans claimed victory in the end, as they achieved large budget cuts and no new taxes.

==Elected officials==
===Federal===
*Sen. [[Barbara Boxer]] [D, CA]
*Sen. [[Dianne Feinstein]] [D, CA]
*Rep. [[Mike Thompson]] [D, CA-1]
*Rep. [[Walter Herger]] [R, CA-2]
*Rep. [[Daniel Lungren]] [R, CA-3]
*Rep. [[Tom McClintock]] [R, CA-4]
*Rep. [[Doris Matsui]] [D, CA-5]
*Rep. [[Lynn Woolsey]] [D, CA-6]
*Rep. [[George Miller]] [D, CA-7]
*Rep. [[Nancy Pelosi]] [D, CA-8]
*Rep. [[Barbara Lee]] [D, CA-9]
*Rep. [[John Garamendi]] [D, CA-10]
*Rep. [[Jerry McNerney]] [D, CA-11]
*Rep. [[Jackie Speier]] [D, CA-12]
*Rep. [[Fortney Stark]] [D, CA-13]
*Rep. [[Anna Eshoo]] [D, CA-14]
*Rep. [[Michael Honda]] [D, CA-15]
*Rep. [[Zoe Lofgren]] [D, CA-16]
*Rep. [[Sam Farr]] [D, CA-17]
*Rep. [[Dennis Cardoza]] [D, CA-18]
*Rep. [[Jeff Denham]] [R, CA-19]
*Rep. [[Jim Costa]] [D, CA-20]
*Rep. [[Devin Nunes]] [R, CA-21]
*Rep. [[Kevin McCarthy]] [R, CA-22]
*Rep. [[Lois Capps]] [D, CA-23]
*Rep. [[Elton Gallegly]] [R, CA-24]
*Rep. [[Howard McKeon]] [R, CA-25]
*Rep. [[David Dreier]] [R, CA-26]
*Rep. [[Brad Sherman]] [D, CA-27]
*Rep. [[Howard Berman]] [D, CA-28]
*Rep. [[Adam Schiff]] [D, CA-29]
*Rep. [[Henry Waxm]]an [D, CA-30]
*Rep. [[Xavier Becerra]] [D, CA-31]
*Rep. [[Hilda Solis]] [D, CA-32]
*Rep. [[Karen Bass]] [D, CA-33]
*Rep. [[Lucille Roybal-Allard]] [D, CA-34]
*Rep. [[Maxine Waters]] [D, CA-35]
*Rep. [[Jane Harman]] [D, CA-36]
*Rep. [[Laura Richardson]] [D, CA-37]
*Rep. [[Grace Napolitano]] [D, CA-38]
*Rep. [[Linda Sánchez]] [D, CA-39]
*Rep. [[Edward Royce]] [R, CA-40]
*Rep. [[Jerry Lewis]] [R, CA-41]
*Rep. [[Gary Miller]] [R, CA-42]
*Rep. [[Joe Baca]] [D, CA-43]
*Rep. [[Ken Calvert]] [R, CA-44]
*Rep. [[Mary Bono Mack]] [R, CA-45]
*Rep. [[Dana Rohrabacher]] [R, CA-46]
*Rep. [[Loretta Sanchez]] [D, CA-47]
*Rep. [[John Campbell]] [R, CA-48]
*Rep. [[Darrell Issa]] [R, CA-49]
*Rep. [[Brian Bilbray]] [R, CA-50]
*Rep. [[Bob Filner]] [D, CA-51]
*Rep. [[Duncan Hunter]] [R, CA-52]
*Rep. [[Susan Davis]] [D, CA-53]

===Statewide===
* [[Governor of California|Governor]] [[Jerry Brown]] (D)
* Lieutenant Governor [[Gavin Newsom]] (D)
* Secretary of State [[Debra Bowen]] (D)
* Attorney General [[Steve Cooley]] (R)
* State Treasurer [[Bill Lockyer]] (D)
* State Controller [[John Chiang]] (D)

==Energy==
[[File:CA-oil.jpg|thumb|375px|right]][[File:Oil-symbol.jpg|thumb|300px|right]] California is rich in conventional and renewable energy resources. It has large crude oil and substantial natural gas deposits in six geological basins, located in the Central Valley and along the Pacific coast. Most of those reserves are concentrated in the southern San Joaquin Basin. More than a dozen of the Nation’s 100 largest oil fields are located in California, including the Belridge South oil field, the second largest oil field in the contiguous United States. In addition, Federal assessments indicate that large undiscovered deposits of recoverable oil and gas lie offshore in the federally administered Outer Continental Shelf (OCS), although Federal law currently prohibits oil and gas leasing in that area. California’s renewable energy potential is extensive. The State’s hydroelectric power potential ranks second in the Nation (behind Washington State), and substantial geothermal and wind power resources are found along the coastal mountain ranges and the eastern border with Nevada. High solar energy potential is found in southeastern California’s sunny deserts.<ref> See [http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/state/state_energy_profiles.cfm?sid=CA Energy Information Administration, State Report 2009]</ref>

California is the most populous state in the nation and its total energy demand is second only to Texas. Although California is a leader in the energy-intensive chemical, forest products, glass, and petroleum industries, the State has one of the lowest per capita energy consumption rates in the country. The California government’s energy-efficiency programs have contributed to low per capita energy consumption. Driven by high demand from California’s many motorists, major airports, and military bases, the transportation sector is the State’s largest energy-consumer. More motor vehicles are registered in California than any other State, and worker commute times are among the longest in the country.

===Petroleum===
California is one of the top producers of crude oil in the Nation, with output accounting for more than one-tenth of total U.S. production. Drilling operations are concentrated primarily in Kern County and the Los Angeles basin, although substantial production also takes place offshore in both State and Federal waters. Concerns regarding the cumulative impacts of offshore oil and gas development, combined with a number of major marine oil spills throughout the world in recent years, have led to a permanent moratorium on offshore oil and gas leasing in California waters and a deferral of leasing in Federal waters. However, development on existing State and Federal leases is not affected and may still occur within offshore areas leased prior to the effective date of the moratorium.

A network of crude oil pipelines connects production areas to refining centers in the Los Angeles area, the San Francisco Bay area, and the Central Valley. California refiners also process large volumes of Alaskan and foreign crude oil received at ports in Los Angeles, Long Beach, and the Bay Area. Crude oil production in California and Alaska is in decline and California refineries have become increasingly dependent on foreign imports. Led by Saudi Arabia and Ecuador, foreign suppliers now provide more than two-fifths of the crude oil refined in California; however, California’s dependence on foreign oil remains less than the national average.

California ranks third in the United States in petroleum refining capacity and accounts for more than one-tenth of total U.S. capacity. California’s largest refineries are highly sophisticated; they are capable of processing a wide variety of crude oil types and are designed to yield a high percentage of light products like motor gasoline. To meet strict Federal and State environmental regulations, California refineries are configured to produce cleaner fuels, including reformulated motor gasoline and low-sulfur diesel.

Most California motorists are required to use a special motor gasoline blend called California Clean Burning Gasoline (CA CBG). In the ozone non-attainment areas of Imperial County and the Los Angeles metropolitan area, motorists are required to use California Oxygenated Clean Burning Gasoline, and the Los Angeles area is also required to use oxygenated motor gasoline during the winter months. By 2004, California completed a transition from methyl tertiary butyl-ether (MTBE) to ethanol as a gasoline oxygenate additive, making California the largest ethanol fuel market in the United States. There are four ethanol production plants in central and southern California, but most of California’s ethanol supply is transported by rail from corn-based producers in the Midwest. Some supply is also imported from abroad.

Due to the relative isolation and specific requirements of the California fuel market, California motorists are particularly vulnerable to short-term spikes in the price of motor gasoline. No pipelines connect California to other major U.S. refining centers, and California refineries often operate at near maximum capacity due to high demand for petroleum products. When an unplanned refinery outage occurs, replacement supplies must be brought in via marine tanker. Locating and transporting this replacement gasoline (which must conform to the State’s strict fuel requirements) can take from two to six weeks.

===Natural Gas===
California natural gas production typically accounts for less than 2 percent of total annual U.S. production and satisfies less than one-fifth of State demand. Production takes place in basins located in northern and southern California, as well as offshore in the Pacific Ocean. California receives most of its natural gas by pipeline from production regions in the Rocky Mountains, the Southwest, and western Canada. As with crude oil production, California natural gas production is in decline. However, State supply has remained relatively stable due to increasing amounts of natural gas shipped from the Rocky Mountains. California markets are served by two key natural gas trading centers—the Golden Gate Center in northern California and the California Energy Hub in southern California—and the State has nearly a dozen natural gas storage facilities that help stabilize supply. In part to help meet California’s demand for natural gas, several companies have proposed building liquefied natural gas (LNG) import terminals in southern California.

===Coal, Electricity, and Renewables===
Natural gas-fired power plants typically account for more than one-half of State electricity generation. California is one of the largest hydroelectric power producers in the United States, and with adequate rainfall, hydroelectric power typically accounts for close to one-fifth of State electricity generation. California’s two nuclear power plants account for almost one-fifth of total generation. Due to strict emission laws, only a few small coal-fired power plants operate in California.

California leads the nation in electricity generation from nonhydroelectric renewable energy sources. California generates electricity using wind, geothermal, solar, fuel wood, and municipal solid waste/landfill gas resources. A facility known as “The Geysers,” located in the Mayacamas Mountains north of San Francisco, is the largest complex of geothermal power plants in the world, with more than 750 megawatts of installed capacity. California has numerous wind farms in five major wind resource areas, and several new projects are currently under construction. The world’s largest solar power facility operates in California’s Mojave Desert. Two southern California utilities are planning to build new solar farms, a 500-megawatt facility in the Mojave Desert and a 300-megawatt plant in the Imperial Valley. These proposed plants would dwarf existing U.S. solar generation capacity. To further boost renewable energy use, California’s Energy Action Plan includes incentives that encourage Californians to install solar power systems on their rooftops.
===Imports===
Due to high electricity demand, California imports more electricity than any other State. States in the Pacific Northwest deliver power to California markets primarily from hydroelectric sources, while States in the Desert Southwest deliver power primarily from coal- and natural gas-fired sources. Hydroelectric power comes to California primarily through the Western USA interconnection, which runs from northern Oregon to southern California. The system, also known as the Pacific Intertie, is the largest single electricity transmission program in the United States. Although the Pacific Intertie was originally designed to transmit electricity south during California’s peak summer demand season, flow is sometimes reversed overnight and has occasionally been reversed during periods of reduced hydroelectric generation in the Northwest. California restricts the use of coal-fired generation within its boundaries; however, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) operates the coal-fired Intermountain power plant in Utah, which delivers three-fourths of its output to LADWP and other California municipal utilities. A recent California law forbids utilities from entering into long-term contracts with conventional coal-fired power producers. Intermountain’s existing contracts with southern California cities are set to expire in 2027.
===Energy crisis===
In 2000 and 2001, California suffered an energy crisis characterized by electricity price instability and four major blackouts and caused by a supply and demand imbalance. Multiple factors contributed to this imbalance, including: a heavy dependence on out-of-State electricity providers, drought conditions in the northwest that reduced hydroelectric power generation, a rupture on a major natural gas pipeline supplying California power plants, strong economic growth leading to increased electricity demand in western States, an increase in unplanned power plant outages, and unusually high temperatures that increased electricity demand for air-conditioning and other cooling uses. Following the energy crisis, the California State government created an Energy Action Plan designed to eliminate outages and excessive price spikes. To achieve these goals, the plan calls for optimizing energy conservation, building sufficient new generation facilities, upgrading and expanding the electricity transmission and distribution infrastructure, and ensuring that generation facilities can quickly come online when needed.

==Spectator Sports==

California has more professional sports teams than any other state.

*[[NBA]] - [[Los Angeles Lakers]], [[Los Angeles Clippers]], [[Golden State Warriors]], [[Sacramento Kings]]
*[[NHL]] - [[Anaheim Ducks]], [[Los Angeles Kings]], [[San Jose Sharks]]
*[[NFL]] - [[Oakland Raiders]], [[San Francisco 49ers]], and [[San Diego Chargers]]
*[[Baseball]] - [[Los Angeles Angels]] of Anaheim, [[San Diego Padres]], [[Oakland Athletics]], [[San Francisco Giants]], [[Los Angeles Dodgers]]

In college sports, [[UCLA]] and [[USC]] have recently had great success, in [[basketball]] and [[football]] respectively.

==Education==

The state of California has three tiers of public higher education: the California community colleges, the [[California State University]] (CSU) system, and the [[University of California]] (UC) system. Here are some notable universities from California.
*[[California Institute of Technology]]
*[[Stanford University]]
*[[University of California, Berkeley]]
*[[University of California, Los Angeles]]
*[[University of California, San Francisco]], primarily a medical school
*[[University of Southern California]]

==Places of Interest==
[[Image:California’s Peaks.jpg|right|300px]]
*[[Alcatraz Island]]
*[[Disneyland]]
*[[Golden Gate Bridge]]
*[[Monterey Bay Aquarium]]
*[[Redwood Forest]]
*[[Yosemite]]
{{Clear}}

==Major Cities==

*[[Los Angeles]]
*[[Oakland]]
*[[San Diego]]
*[[San Francisco]]
*[[San Jose]]

== External Links ==
[http://www.ca.gov Official Website]
[http://www.ocregister.com/articles/california-330643-year-county.html]

==References==
<references/>

[[Category:California]]
{{USstates}}
[[Category:Western United States]]

Facebook

2014-10-14T00:08:03Z

BenjiBrennon:

[[Image:Newfacebooklogo3.jpg|thumb|Facebook logo|right]]
'''Facebook''' (stylized '''facebook''') is a [[liberal]]-promoted [[social networking]] website that profits by exploiting personal information in users' profiles, and by advertising. Users can spend, or indeed waste, their time on it in a variety of ways: by uploading pictures (typically of themselves), by gossiping about others, by talking to friends, by interfering with marriages and personal relationships, and by acting like a [[busybody]]. Facebook use is correlated with underachievement in school and disruption of social relationships, such as marriage. For many teenagers, Facebook use replaces healthier activities and gatherings.

Despite being called "social networking," Facebook is typically a poor substitute for real social networking. One survey conducted showed that Facebook feeds narcissistic tendencies.

Other studies done have shown that the use of Facebook is associated with poorer performance in school. Facebook use is also associated with a substantial percentage of marital problems and an increase in psychological disorders in youth.<ref>[http://thetechjournal.com/internet/facebook-is-the-new-cause-of-divorce.xhtml#ixzz1OmdIs3rN Facebook is the new cause of divorce, The Tech Journal, December 23, 2009]</ref><ref>[http://technorati.com/social-media/article/facebook-linked-to-psychological-disorders-in/ Facebook Linked To Psychological Disorders In Teens]</ref> The site is heavily promoted by [[liberal]]s, presumably because it is so unproductive or even counterproductive.

Activities on Facebook have caused people to be fired from their jobs.

8===================================================================================================D<

Anybody with an account can create an unlimited amount of unproductive pages, which can then be "liked" by other users.

Facebook is based in Palo Alto, [[California]]. The name of the site is based on the paper facebooks that many colleges give to incoming students, faculty, and staff depicting members of the campus community.<ref> [http://www.associatepublisher.com/e/f/fa/facebook.htm Facebook] </ref>

==Monetary value==
It is rumored that Facebook generates around $1 million per week in revenue. <ref>[http://www.techcrunch.com/2006/04/26/facebook-goes-beyond-college-high-school-markets/ "Facebook goes beyond college and high school markets"]</ref>
In September 2006, [[Yahoo]] began talks to acquire Facebook for as high as $1 billion. In October, Google allegedly offered $2.3 billion.<ref>[http://www.webpronews.com/topnews/2006/10/10/first-youtube-now-facebook-rumors-circulate "First Youtube, Now Facebook: Rumors Circulate"]</ref> All outside offers have been rejected. 2009 estimates put a net value of $6.5 billion. <ref>[http://news.cnet.com/8301-13577_3-10285409-36.html?tag=newsEditorsPicksArea.0 Facebook stock trading open; valuation $6.5 billion] CNET News, July 13, 2009</ref> 2010 estimates of the privately held company put the value at $14 billion dollars. <ref>[http://techcrunch.com/2010/01/20/facebook-valued-at-14-billion-on-secondmarket/ Facebook Valued At $14 Billion On SecondMarket, TechCrunch.com, January 20, 2010]</ref>

In 2011, [[Goldman Sachs]] invested $500 million in Facebook. JPMorgan Chase, Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley was put in charge of an initial public offering of Facebook stock in 2012. The company went public at $38-per-share IPO price valued Facebook at $104 billion. <ref>[http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/05/22/us-facebook-forecasts-idUSBRE84L06920120522 Insight: Morgan Stanley cut Facebook estimates just before IPO, Reuters.com, May 22, 2012]</ref> As of August 2012, the company is trading down at $20 per share, a loss of $50 billion in value. As of January 2013, the stock has rebounded slightly and is trading at $30 per share, however this still represents a loss of $25 billion in value.
It is now possible to message the founder, Mark Zuckerberg, for approximately $100. <ref>[http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-205_162-57563563/facebook-testing-$100-charge-to-message-zuckerberg/ Facebook charging $100 to send a message to founder Mark Zuckerberg]</ref>

==Origins==
Facebook was founded in February 2004 by [[Harvard]] sophomores [[Mark Zuckerberg]], Chris Hughes, Dustin Moskovitz and Eduardo Saverin, with help from Andrew McCollum. By December of 2004, after expanding the site to other universities, the number of registered users exceeded one million. In August 2005 Facebook obtained the domain name facebook.com and dropped the "the" from the site's name.

==2010==
A movie was made about the origins of Facebook, called ''The Social Network''. The film did not meet expectations at the [[Academy Awards]] and, despite heavy media promotion, was number one in America for only several weeks. Mark Zuckerberg was not involved in the creation of film and said that it was more Hollywood storytelling than reality.

It has been known among Silicon Valley technology companies that Facebook has been luring away [[Google]] employees to the extent that Google is now offering bonuses for staying with the company. On October 15, 2010, Facebook announced the release of a new email client. Internally referred to as Titan, the media has dubbed it a "Gmail Killer". Zuckerberg insists it is not a head-to-head competitor of Google's Gmail service; rather, it will be more of a instant messaging service. <ref>[http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2010/11/15/gmail-beware-facebook-unveils-e-mail-service/ E-MAIL WAR: Facebook Launches 'Gmail Killer' -- AOL Jumps In, Too, FOX News, November 15, 2010]</ref>

==Liberal policies==
The world's largest online social network added civil unions and domestic partnerships to the list of relationships that its users can pick from to best describe their romantic status. The [[Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation]] had lobbied for the policy adoption. The option is only available to Facebook users in the U.S., Canada, the U.K., France and Australia. <ref>[http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2011/02/18/facebook-adds-support-sex-civil-unions Facebook Adds Support for Same-Sex Civil Unions, Fox News, February 18, 2011</ref>

98% of political donations from Facebook employees went to [[Barack Obama]] in the 2008 presidential election. <ref>[http://beforeitsnews.com/story/684/994/Facebook_self_appointed_arbiter_of_free_speech_tells_Tea_Party_no_more_organizing.html Facebook – self appointed arbiter of “free speech” – tells Tea Party no more organizing, Before It's News, June 2, 2011]</ref>

==Christian Presence==
Despite these liberal policies and promotion, the wave of Christianity is overwhelming. A quick and simple search reveals that the main Christianity page has more members than all the atheist pages combined.

==Conservative Groupings==
While Facebook does have a pro-liberal agenda, this has not stopped conservative groups and pages forming. The [[Conservative Party]] as well as the [[Tea Party Movement]] have created pages. A search of the pages reveals that, when comparing the "likes" system on facebook, both the Tea Party and the Tea Party Patriots dominate more liberal pages such as "Gay marriage USA" and even the political ideology page "Liberal"

==Censorship and harassment by Facebook==

Ongoing censorship and harassment by Facebook is documented at [http://www.facebookcensorship.com facebookcensorship.com] with screenshots. Also documented is the wholesale destruction of groups that took some people years to build by Facebook's deleting all of the members. Facebook then deleted the discussion areas from "pages" to further their control and censorship.

Facebook temporarily banned Fox News reporter Todd Starnes for not being a liberal, giving the reason that his "politically incorrect" post violated community guidelines. <ref>[http://www.fireandreamitchell.com/2013/06/29/fascist-facebook-bans-fox-reporter-todd-starnes-for-politically-incorrect-nra-post/ Fascist Facebook bans Fox reporter Todd Starnes, FireAndreamitchell.com, jUNE 29, 2013]</ref>

==Privacy issues==
Facebook Privacy Policy is constantly changing. This is not for the benefit of the users but to the monetary value they represent to advertisers. Due to the size of Facebook, all kinds of data on your habits are monitored. Not just by Facebook either, the government can peek at your life and monitor you behind the scenes. <ref>[http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/05/17/13-year-old-boy-questioned-secret-service-facebook-posting/?test=latestnews 13-Year-Old Boy Questioned by Secret Service Over Facebook Posting, Fox News, May 17, 2011]</ref> <ref>[http://www.stltoday.com/news/national/govt-and-politics/article_bbd23382-6ecf-11e0-aeef-001a4bcf6878.html Feds mine Facebook for info, STLToday.com, April 25, 2011]</ref> Facebook claims your personal information is not for sale. They make the case that it is anonymously collected data, thereby protecting your privacy. Third parties develop applications to run on top of Facebook. Your privacy is effectively in the hands of unknown organizations. The below examples include what information is on display by every user.

* The first 6 months of 2013, Facebook shared personal data with the U.S. Government about 39,000 facebook users. <ref>[http://directorblue.blogspot.com/2013/08/just-peachy-facebook-shared-personal.html?m=0 JUST PEACHY: Facebook shared personal data of users a mere 26 thousand times in the first six months of 2013, Doug Ross, August 27, 2013]</ref>
* The [[NSA]] paid several tech companies, including Facebook, millions of dollars to cover the cost of spying on Americans. <ref>[http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/aug/23/nsa-prism-costs-tech-companies-paid NSA paid millions to cover Prism compliance costs for tech companies, The Guardian, Augist 22, 2013]</ref>
* 6 million Facebook members had their data exposed after management found a glitch that inadvertently shared personal contact details with other members. <ref>[http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-57590528-93/facebook-bug-exposed-contact-info-of-6m-users/ Facebook bug exposed contact info of 6M users, CNET.com June 21st, 2013]</ref>
* Many users post their full address, e-mail address, birthday, and telephone number, and these can be available to their entire network (and, in reality, anyone). This information in the wrong hands can be used for purposes of phishing, stalking, or even identity theft.
* Some universities have begun to use students' pages to investigate underage drinking and other violations of university policy. This is very possible, since university faculty and staff can sign up for the same network as their students through their campus e-mail account.<ref> [http://en.allexperts.com/e/f/fa/facebook.htm Facebook on allexperts.com]</ref>
*The so-called "news feed" has aroused some discomfort among Facebook users, as it displays all changes and status updates from their friends by default.
*The "wall" feature allows a user to post a message to another user which remains on their profile page. This posting is viewable to everyone who can view the page (which is pretty much the entire world), and shows up on the news feed for all friends of both the sender and the recipient by default.
*As with Google ads, Facebook collects profile information, and places ads on the page that reflect the user's personal information. This resulted in one man logging into his facebook account, and seeing his wife's photograph appear in an advertisement for a dating website.<ref> [http://www.kvoa.com/news/husband-finds-wife-in-facebook-singles-ad/] Husband finds wife in facebook singles ad</ref>
*The privacy settings on Facebook give users a false sense of security and encourage people to post things they shouldn't. As with other social networks, Facebook refuses to admit that its privacy settings that apparently allow only "friends" to see certain information are completely bogus and can easily be cracked by people with little to no [[hacking]] experience. Instead, Facebook actually ''encourages'' young users to only allow "friends" to see certain information, rather than just warning them that what they post can be seen by the world and to not post what they wouldn't want people to see.<ref>
[http://www.wired.com/politics/security/news/2008/01/myspace_torrent This is why only a fool would trust any social networking platform to keep any information private]</ref>

== See also ==

* [[Wepluribus]] (conservative alternative to Facebook)
* [[Social media]]
* [[Twitter]]
* [[MySpace]]
* [[Google Plus | Google+]]

== External links ==

*[http://iowntheworld.com/blog/?p=175839 The increasing amount of personal information that can been gleaned by computer programs that track how people use Facebook]

*[http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/01/fashion/weddings/chris-hughes-sean-eldridge-weddings.html Chris Hughes married his partner Sean Eldridge.] The gay co-founder of Facebook.

*[http://www.facebookcensorship.com/ Political and religious censorship and harassment by Facebook]

==References==
<references/>

[[Category:Online social networking]]
[[Category:Websites]]

Famous Art Galleries

2014-10-14T00:07:26Z

BenjiBrennon: Replaced content with "elrv efrewbvhehrwbvhrwbvrhfwev ejvewiv ewk wefvvjfeqfceeclneqipbewiuvbjewoqicbbewcewbcecwecbewbvwebvhewbveiwpchejwbchewbewvjeiwviewuvbweivwbivbriwvbiibriuvbipipu"

elrv efrewbvhehrwbvhrwbvrhfwev ejvewiv ewk wefvvjfeqfceeclneqipbewiuvbjewoqicbbewcewbcecwecbewbvwebvhewbveiwpchejwbchewbewvjeiwviewuvbweivwbivbriwvbiibriuvbipipu

Satan

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BenjiBrennon: Replaced content with "HAIL SATAN! HAIL THE DARK LORD! Sacrifice Andy for the glory of our dark master!!!!"

HAIL SATAN! HAIL THE DARK LORD! Sacrifice Andy for the glory of our dark master!!!!

Essay:Pat Tillman was not an atheist

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BenjiBrennon: Replaced content with "This essay is just stupid and disrespects the memory of a selfless and courageous man"

This essay is just stupid and disrespects the memory of a selfless and courageous man

Young Earth Creationism

2014-10-14T00:04:42Z

BenjiBrennon: Replaced content with "Wrong wrong wrong wrong. wrong wrong wrong wrong. It's wrong. It's wrong."

Wrong wrong wrong wrong. wrong wrong wrong wrong. It's wrong. It's wrong.

Shockofgod

2014-10-14T00:02:19Z

BenjiBrennon: Replaced content with "is a blabbering lunatic"

is a blabbering lunatic

Human reproduction

2014-10-14T00:01:05Z

BenjiBrennon:

[[Image:Sperm-egg.jpg|thumbnail|Sperm cell hitting an egg cell]]

'''Human reproduction''' is the process by which children are conceived and born. In order for human reproduction to occur under normal circumstances, male and female must engage in [[sexual intercourse]], which should take place within [[marriage]]. Exceptionally, reproduction may take place without intercourse via procedures such as [[in vitro fertilization]].
==Spiritual aspects==
[[Image:Soul_Conception.jpg|thumbnail|Artist's conception of soul joining the fertilized egg at conception.]]

The religion of others should no interfere with peoples personal lives

==Biological aspects==

The ultimate act of intimacy serves to unite the male and female [[gamete]]s, the [[sperm]] and [[egg]], respectively. These gametes carry just one half of the [[gene]]tic material ([[chromosome]]s) from each parent, and when they combine the new [[embryo]] contains a full set of chromosomes. The process of the gametes combining is called [[fertilization]], and takes place inside the woman's body, in the [[Fallopian tubes]] or [[uterus]]. The embryo then attaches itself to the uterine lining, and is nourished by the placenta (which in turn receives its nourishment from the mother's body) while it develops. This development takes roughly nine months (see [[Naegele's Rule]]).

At the end of this process of protected development, what was once an embryo is now born as a new baby. Human babies are relatively helpless, and depend on the care and love of both parents in order to survive to maturity themselves.

Humans are not able to reproduce alone by [[budding]], [[parthenogenesis]], or [[self-cloning]] as some species are capable of. In addition, human [[sex]] is fixed at conception, unlike some species'; females are not able to become male or vice versa to deal with homogeneous populations of one gender.

== References ==
<references/>

[[Category:Sexuality]]

== External Links ==
*[http://www.opposingviews.com/questions/when-does-life-begin Opposing Views: When Does Life Begin?]
*[http://www.aim.org/wls/category/sex/ What Liberals Say - Category: Sex], [[Accuracy In Media]]

Liberal

2014-10-13T23:59:48Z

BenjiBrennon: Replaced content with "are better these conservatives"

are better these conservatives

Religion

2014-10-13T23:58:54Z

BenjiBrennon: Replaced content with "Is bad mkay"

Is bad mkay

Drugs

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BenjiBrennon: Replaced content with "Are bad Mkay"

Are bad Mkay

Andrew Schlafly

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Is a closeted Homosexual

Barack Hussein Obama

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BenjiBrennon: Replaced content with "Is the shit"

Is the shit

United States Navy

2014-10-13T23:55:12Z

BenjiBrennon: Replaced content with "Used to run on Lashings Rum and Sodomy. Since these were banned runs on sodomy alone"

Used to run on Lashings Rum and Sodomy. Since these were banned runs on sodomy alone