Conservapedia - User contributions [en]

O.J. Simpson

2008-02-16T17:32:05Z

DougWalker: more

[[Image:SIMPSON.jpg|thumb|right|Simpson during his murder trial]]
'''O. J. Simpson''' ('''Orenthal James Simpson''') (July 9, 1947 - ) was an [[NFL|American Football]] player of [[San Francisco]], [[California]]. Among his many awards, he most notably is a Heisman Trophy winner, an [[NFL]] Player of the Year and a Hall of Famer.<ref name="football">{{cite web|url=http://www.profootballhof.com/hof/member.jsp?player_id=195|title=O.J. SIMPSON|work=Official Site of the Pro Football Hall of Fame|accessdate=2007-09-16|language=English|format=HTML}}</ref> In 1973, he also became the first running back to rush for over 2,000 yards.<ref name="football" />

In 1994 Simpson, a practicioner of [[Hollywood values]], was notoriously tried for the murder of his ex-wife and her friend, Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman. Represented by Johnnie Cochran Jr., it was is often referred to as the "Trial of the Century",<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/US/OJ/daily/9510/10-03/index.html|format=HTML|language=English|accessdate=2007-09-16|title='Not guilty'|date=1995-10-03|work=CNN}}</ref> Simpson was acquitted. Three years later he was found liable in a Civil Court, where he was ordered to pay $38 million to the Goldman family (the Brown family did not seek such a verdict).<ref name="Published2">{{cite web|url=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20759477/|work=MSNBC|title=Goldmans say they're punishing O.J. with book|accessdate=2007-09-16|format=HTML|language=English}}</ref> In 2006 Simpson with Pablo Fenjves wrote "''If I Did It''" - which detailed how he would have killed his wife and Goldman, had he done it. Public outcry - headed by Fred Goldman (Ron Goldman's father) - lead to the cancellation of the publishing. However, later, the Goldmans were awarded the rights to the book to help satisfy the unpaid $38 million wrongful death judgment against Simpson. The Goldmans retitled the book "''If I Did It: Confessions of a Killer''", and published it. This has also raised opposition, including from Nicole Simpson's sister, Denise Brown, who argue that the book's contents are too vile to be published.<ref name="Published2" />

Simpson, in a 2007 interview, revealed that he is supporting [[United States Senate|Senator]] [[Hillary Clinton]] for president in 2008. He also revealed during the interview that he is a personal friend of [[Bill Clinton]] and has had many social interactions with him, including playing golf and as a drinking buddy.<ref>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zoU2wyKfI5c</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

== See also ==

*[[Vince Lombardi]]

== External links ==
*[http://www.glynn.k12.ga.us/~pwilliam/BHS/academics/junior/mitts/cristinei38182/ The Cruel Reality: O. J. Simpson]
*[http://espn.go.com/sportscentury/features/00016472.html Before trial, Simpson charmed America]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Simpson, O.J.}}
[[Category:NFL players|Simpson, O.J.}}]]

Elvis Presley

2008-02-16T17:29:33Z

DougWalker: more

[[Image:Aloha6.jpg|right]]
'''Elvis Aaron Presley''' (1935 - 1977), a singer and practicioner of [[Hollywood values]], was born in a two room house on
January 8,1935, in East Tupelo, [[Mississippi]]. The Presley family
lived near poverty in the early years when upon moving to [[Memphis]],
[[Tennessee]] in 1948, the thirteen year old Elvis would become
influenced by the gospel music of a Pentecostal church.

After graduating from high school, in 1953 Elvis paid to record
two songs meant to be a birthday gift to his mother. “My Happiness”
and “That’s When Your Heartaches Begin” would be his first steps
towards becoming what many would say was the greatest
entertainer of the century and “the King of Rock n’ Roll.”

In 1954 Sun Records would release “That’s All Right,” backed by
“Blue Moon of Kentucky.” Within a few days it was a hit when
Memphis radio station WHBQ began programming the record and
Presley began a regular touring schedule outside of the Memphis
area. His second single, “Good Rockin' Tonight,” with
“I Don't Care if the Sun Don't Shine” was released in September,
1954 and a month later Elvis Presley made his first appearance on
the “[[Louisiana]] Hayride” in Shreveport to the delight of a large
audience. He was signed to a one-year contract for
a weekly performance.

Elvis Presley moved from Sun Records to RCA where a few months
later in 1956 his very first single “Heartbreak Hotel,” topped the
charts at #1. Before the year ended Elvis had 16 records on the Hit
Parade, four of them “I Want You I Need You I Love You,”
“Don’t Be Cruel,” “Hound Dog” and “Love Me Tender” also
reached #1. In 1957 “Too Much,” “All Shook Up,” “Teddy Bear”
and “Jailhouse Rock” also leaped to the top of the charts.
The following year, “Don’t” and “Hard Headed Woman” hit the top
spot with “I Beg Of You,” “Wear My Ring Around Your Neck,”
“One Night” and “I Got Stung,” also million sellers. In 1959,
“A Fool Such As I,” “I Need Your Love Tonight,” “A Big Hunk of
Love” and “My Wish Came True” continued the hit streak for Elvis.

In 1960 three more #1 hits, Stuck On You,” “It’s Now Or Never,”
“Are You Lonesome Tonight” and “Surrender.” In 1961,
“I Feel So Bad,” “Little Sister,” “His Latest Flame” and
“Can’t Help Falling In Love.” It was “Good Luck Charm,”
“She’s Not You,” and “Return to Sender” in 1962 “The King”
also hit with “You’re The Devil in Disguise.

Before the 60’s ended Elvis would hit with “Crying in the Chapel,”
“Love Letters,” “If I Can Dream,” “In the Ghetto,”
“Don’t Cry Daddy,” and another chart topper, “Suspicious Minds.”
In the 1970’s “The Wonder of You,” “Burning Love,”
“You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me,” “Promised Land”
and “Way Down” each charted.

A multiple Grammy award winner, in his first dozen years Elvis
Presley had 100 hits on the Billboard charts and was the most
famous entertainer in the world. On tour and on stage in Las Vegas
he played more than a thousand sold out concerts and starred in
enormously profitable films such as “Love Me Tender,”
“Jailhouse Rock” and “King Creole.”

Elvis Presley’s “Aloha from Hawaii” concert in January 1973
was the first of its kind to be broadcast worldwide via
satellite and was seen by at least one billion viewers worldwide.
At age 42, Elvis Presley died at his home in Memphis
on August 16, 1977.
In 1986 he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame,
in 1998 the Country Music Hall of Fame and in 2001
the Gospel Music Hall of Fame. In 2007 Elvis Presley
was inducted into the Hit Parade Hall of Fame.

The Elvis Presley estate earns over 40 million dollars every year,
a record for a deceased entertainer and his Graceland Mansion
where he is buried is designated as a National Historic Landmark.

== See also ==
[[Image:Presley family.jpg|right|Gladys, Elvis & Vernon]]
*[[Rock music]]
*[[Rock and Roll Hall of Fame]]

== External links ==

*[http://www.elvis.com/elvisology/bio/elvis_overview.asp Biography]
*[http://www.elvis.com.au/presley/biography/elvis_presley_biography.shtml Comprehensive history of Elvis Presley's dynamic life]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Presley, Elvis}}

[[Category:Musicians]]
[[Category:Actors]]

Judy Garland

2008-02-16T17:27:49Z

DougWalker: more

'''Judy Garland''' (1922-69) was the stage name of a famous American actress,singer an early practicioner of [[Hollywood values]].

Her most famous role was as Dorothy in ''[[The Wizard of Oz]]''. She was also highly regarded as a performer of songs from the [[American Song Book]], and had her own TV show. She battled continuously against [[eating disorders]] and [[drug addiction]], and died in London of a barbiturate overdose.

{{DEFAULTSORT:Garland, Judy}}

[[Category:Actresses]]
[[Category:Musicians]]

Northern Illinois University

2008-02-16T17:23:52Z

DougWalker: Description

{{University
|name=Northern Illinois University
|image=NorthernIllinois.gif
|text=rgb(193,7,56)
|background=black
|type=Public
|city=DeKalb, Illinois
|sports=baseball, basketball, football, golf, gymnastics, soccer, tennis, track<ref>http://niuhuskies.cstv.com/tickets/niu-tickets.html</ref>
|colors=cardinal, black
|mascot=Huskies
|website=http://www.niu.edu/index.shtml
}}
'''Northern Illinois University''' (or NIU) is an [[Atheism|Atheistic]] [[public school|public]] [[university]], located in [[Illinois]] and founded in 1895.<ref>http://www.niu.edu/about/fastfacts.shtml</ref> The school is located in DeKalb, Illinois. It was ranked a fourth-tier school in USNews' 2008
"National Universities: Tier 4" list.<ref>http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/usnews/edu/college/rankings/brief/t4natudoc_brief.php</ref>
==Athletics==
NIU's football team has won 2 bowl games (while losing 1).<ref>http://www.cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/div_ia/mac/northern_illinois/bowl_history.php</ref>
==2008 Shootings==
:<small>Note: This section documents a current event - and is subject to change quickly.</small>
On February 14, 2008, a "white male armed with a handgun and a shotgun" opened fire in a lecture theatre.<ref name="BBC">http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7246003.stm</ref> The gunman killed five (four females and one male) and injured twelve before [[suicide|taking his life]].<ref name="washpost">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/14/AR2008021402647.html?hpid=topnews</ref>The gunman, a former graduate student, offered no motive.<ref name="washpost"/> It was the fourth shooting at a US education establishment within a week,<ref name="BBC"/> and the second time NIU had faced violence in two months (when a student left racial attacks and references to the [[Virginia Tech]] shootings on a bathroom wall).<ref name="washpost"/>

==Notes==
{{reflist}}

==References==
*http://niuhuskies.cstv.com/ot/niu-visitor-guide.html
==See Also==
*[[Virginia Tech shootings]]
{{Nb_US_universities‎}}

Glasgow

2008-02-16T17:10:18Z

DougWalker: Education

[[Image:Glasgow Coat of Arms.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Glasgow's Coat of Arms c.1866]]
'''Glasgow''' is the largest city in [[Scotland]]. Founded by its patron saint [[Kentigern]] (or [[Mungo]]) around 540 AD it stands on both sides of the River Clyde.

The official motto of the city is ''Floreat Glasgua'' ("Let Glasgow Flourish"), a shortened version of the inscription on a bell that was made for the Tron Kirk on Trongate in 1637. The steeple still exists as part of the Tron Theatre. The inscription read: ''Lord, let Glasgow flovrichse throvgh the preaching of thy word and praising thy name.'' In 1663 the motto became: ''Lord, let Glasgow flourish through the preaching of thy word'' and in 1699 this was shortened to its current version.

The population of the city itself has declined from over a million inhabitants in the pre [[World War II]] era to around 600,000 today. However the population of the Greater Glasgow conurbation is approximately 2.3 million, roughly half the population of [[Scotland]].

Inhabitants of Glasgow are called Glaswegians but are often referred to by other Scots as "Keelies" or "Weegies".

== Buildings ==

Glasgow has many fine public buildings, notably Glasgow Cathedral, a large [[Gothic]] edifice, the City Chambers, [[Kelvingrove Museum and Art Gallery]], the Great Eastern Hotel, the [[University of Glasgow|University]] at Gilmorehill, the Armadillo designed by [[Norman Foster]], the School of Art designed by [[Charles Rennie Mackintosh]] and the Beresford Hotel, an art deco building on Sauchiehall St. The Beresford Hotel has now been converted to apartments having previously been a Bachelor Officer's Quarters for the US military during WWII, a second period as a hotel, the headquarters of Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI) in Scotland and a student Hall of Residence (Baird Hall) for the University of Strathclyde

Despite a long and proud industrial heritage Glasgow is studded with green spaces and recreation grounds (the name Glasgow comes from the Brythonic ''glas cau'' for "green hollow"). The slums of the industrial era have now been cleared and regenerated with many fine new dwellings and green spaces.

The poet [[Sir John Betjeman]] described Glasgow as the "finest Victorian city in the world".

== History ==

The site of the founding of St Mungo's church by the Molendinar Burn, a stream which flows into the [[River Clyde]], is now the site of Glasgow Cathedral. <ref>http://www.glasgow.gov.uk/en/AboutGlasgow/History/Earliest+Beginnings.htm</ref>
[[Image:uk-glasgow.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Glasgow and the River Clyde viewed looking east]]
Glasgow is famous for shipbuilding - the [[Queen Mary]], the [[Queen Elizabeth]], the [[Queen Elizabeth 2]] and the [[Lusitania]] are just some of the famous vessels which were "Clyde-built". Other industries include [[whisky]] distilling.

== Education ==

Glasgow has three Atheistic universities - the [[University of Glasgow]] founded in 1451, the [[University of Strathclyde]], the former Royal College, which was raised to university status in 1965 and [[Glasgow Caledonian University]], previously Glasgow College of Technology, which has been a university since 1992.

== The People ==

Glasgow's population consists mainly of Lowland Scots, Gaels from the [[Highlands]] and [[Hebrides]] and the descendants of immigrants from [[Ireland]]. The early twentieth century saw arrivals from [[Italy]], [[Russia]], [[Lithuania]] and [[Poland]]. Some of these immigrants from Eastern Europe were [[Jews]] escaping pogroms but many came to work in the coalmines and steelworks in and around the city. The latter half of the twentieth century saw a new wave of immigration from [[India]] and [[Pakistan]]. With the recent accession of Poland to the [[European Union]] the city has played host to many young Poles seeking work in the city.

==Sport and Religion ==

Football and religion are normally seen as being inseparable in Glasgow. Scottish Football has for decades been dominated by two Glasgow clubs; [[Glasgow Rangers FC]] and [[Celtic FC]] (often erroneously called Glasgow Celtic). These are the two clubs with the strongest links to the religious community. Rangers predominantly draw their support, and until the 1980's their players, from members of the [[Protestantism|Protestant]] churches while Celtic historically draw their support from the [[Roman Catholic]] community. Due to the fixture scheduling of the [[Scottish Premier League]] the two teams meet each other at 4 times a year. <ref>http://www.scotprem.premiumtv.co.uk/page/FixturesandResults/0,,10002,00.html</ref>

== Politics ==

Due to its heavy working class culture and tradition of heavy industry Glasgow has always been associated with [[socialism]] and until the late 1940s was the heartland of the [[Independent Labour Party]]. The [[Communist Party of Great Britain]] also had a notable following in the city. All MPs currently returned to the UK Parliament represent the Labour Party. The last Conservative to represent a Parliamentary seat in Glasgow was Teddy (later Sir Teddy) Taylor who represented Glasgow Cathcart from 1964 to 1979 when he lost he seat to [[John Maxton]]. This was the only Conservative loss in the 1979 election and fore-shadowed the collapse in support of Conservatism throughout Scotland during the premiership of [[Margaret Thatcher]].

In the Scottish Parliament all 9 of the 10 Constituency MPs represent the Labour Party. The only non-Labour MSP is the Scottish National Party's [[Nicola Sturgeon]] in Glasgow Govan. The Proportionately Elected Regional List MPs for Glasgow comprise four from the [[Scottish National Party]], one from the [[Liberal Democrats]], one from the [[Green Party]] and the Conservative, [[Bill Aitken]].<ref>http://www.glasgow.gov.uk/en/YourCouncil/Elections_Voting/Election_Results/ElectionScotland2007/SPElectionResults.htm</ref>

These elections for the Scottish Parliament were held on 3rd May 2007.

== Customs, Leisure and Culture ==

The city has a number of fine museums and galleries, notably the [[Kelvingrove Museum and Art Gallery]], the [[Burrell Collection]] in Pollok Park and the Museum of Religious Life which is situated in Provand's Lordship, the oldest house in Glasgow.

The Theatre Royal in Hope Street is the home of Scottish Opera and Scottish Ballet. The Royal Scottish National Orchestra has its home at the Royal Concert Hall in Buchanan Street. The Henry Wood Hall in Anderston is the base of the Scottish Chamber Orchestra.

Scottish Television and BBC Scotland both have studios on the south bank of the Clyde at Pacific Quay.

An annual event for the city is the ''Pride Scotia'' festival (colloquially called "Glasgay") organised by the city council for homosexuals, lesbians, bi-sexuals and transsexuals from Glasgow and farther afield. In 2006 it was the source of some controversy when several of the city's firefighters were disciplined for refusing to distribute fire safety leaflets to marchers in the event's parade. <ref>http://www.guardian.co.uk/firefighters/story/0,,1862956,00.html</ref> . Despite the concerns of the [[Roman Catholic]] [[Archbishop of Glasgow]] the left leaning local media supported the actions of [[Strathclyde Fire and Rescue]], the men's employers.

== Language ==

The official language is [[English]] although many of the city's inhabitants (traditionally the working class) employ the Glaswegian dialect which is a variant of [[Scots]]. This is sometimes colloquially known as the "Glesga Patter".

The ancient Celtic language [[Gaelic]] can often be heard in Glasgow, particularly in the West End where there is a sizeable community from the [[Hebrides]].

With the recent wave of immigration from eastern Europe it is not unusual to hear the Polish tongue being spoken around the city.

== Famous Glaswegians ==

* [[Billy Connolly]] (Comedian and Actor)
* [[Charles Rennie Mackintosh]] (Architect)
* Sir William Burrell (Businessman, Philantropist who donated The [[Burrell Collection]] to the City)
* [[Gordon Jackson]] (Actor, The Great Escape, Upstairs Downstairs, The Professionals)
* [[Robbie Coltrane]] (Actor, Hagrid in the [[Harry Potter]] films)
* Billy Boyd (Actor, Pippin in the [[Lord of the Rings]] Trilogy)
* Jack McLean (journalist, author)
* Gerry McNee (journalist - "The Voice of a Football")
* Alan Cumming (actor)
* Ian and Janette Tough aka [[The Krankies]] (comedy duo),
* Johnny Beattie (Shakespearean actor)
* Frankie Miller (rock singer)
* Jim Kerr (rock singer with [[Simple Minds]])
* Stanley Baxter (comedian)
* Lulu (singer)
* Ian Brady (moors murderer)
* Andrew Agnew (Action Film Actor)
* [[Jerry Sadowitz]] (magician)
* Mark McManus (actor)
* Rikki Fulton (Comedian, half of the Francie & Josie comedy duo and creator of Rev I. M. Jolly)
* [[Angus Lennie]] (actor - ''The Great Escape'' and ''Crossroads'')
* [[John Martyn]] ( singer/songwriter)
* [[Claire Grogan]] (actor and singer)
* Pastor [[Jack Glass]] (preacher and ecumenist)
* [[Sir Alex Ferguson]] (football manager - [[Manchester United F.C.]])

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

[[Category:Scottish Towns and Cities]]
[[Category:Glasgow| ]]

North American Indians

2008-02-16T16:49:40Z

DougWalker: Origins

'''North American Indians''' (also '''Native Americans''') are the original inhabitants of the Americas. [[Archaeology|Archaeological]] evidence has led some researchers to claim that there has been 10 to 30 thousand years of continuous occupation of the [[America]]s by indigenous people. However, [[Young Earth Creationist|Young Earth Creationists]] contend that the universe is only 6,000 years old, so they accept the [[origins theory]] model used by young earth [[creation science | creation scientists]] which believes modern Indians to be the descendants of [[Noah]] and his family who survived [[Great Flood]] on [[Noah's Ark]]. Indians are the descendants of those groups that migrated from Asia to North America at the end of the post-flood [[ice age]], or before the supercontinent of [[Pangea]] broke apart. The idea that God simply generated Indians into existence in the Americas is considered by most creation researchers to be contra-Biblical.

The Native Americans of North America are typically considered to be all those tribes north of Central Mexico. While technically part of North America, most archaeologists tend to place the civilizations of Central Mexico into a separate category.<ref>Swidler, Nina, Dongoske, Roger. 1997. ''Native Americans and Archaeologists: Stepping Stones to Common Ground.'' Walnut Creek: AltaMira Press.</ref> Tribes in North America maintained a wide variety of [[subsistence pattern]]s, from hunting and gathering, to intensive agriculture. North America is also home to two of the most unusual groups of hunter-gatherers, the Northwest Coast tribes, and the Aleuts. The first Native Americans are believed to have migrated from Asia via the [[Bering land bridge]], the exposed continental shelf between Asia and N. America during the last Ice Age. There are also those that subscribe to a similar migration by sea that followed the ancient coastline from Asia around the Bering land mass. A small group of researchers claim to have uncovered evidence of possible migration from Europe during the same time period, but the evidence is still heavily contested.

While the American Indian population once numbered over 100 million, over 90% were killed by [[smallpox|European diseases]] and fighting with the U.S. and European governments over their land.<ref>[http://www.powersource.com/cocinc/history/trail.htm Trail of Tears]</ref>

== Culture Areas of North America ==

American Indians of North America are generally divided into culture areas according to similarities in geography, environment, subsistence patterns, language family, and similar social practices. According to the ''Handbook of North American Indians'', there are ten such cultural areas.<ref>Washburn, Wilcomb E. 1998. ''Handbook Of North American Indians, Vol. 4, History of Indian-White Relations.'' Washington: Smithsonian Institute.</ref>
;Arctic
:Greenland, extreme northern Canada, and the northern and western coastlines of Alaska.
;Subarctic
:Most of central Canada and interior Alaska.
;Northeast
:New England, Nova Scotia, the Great Lakes region, the Chesapeake Bay area, and most of current day W. Virginia, the Ohio River valley, and Illinois.
;Southeast
:N. Carolina excluding the NE corner, western Virginia, southern W. Virginia, and all the southern states east of the Mississippi River, in addition to parts of Arkansas, Louisiana, and eastern Texas.
;Plains
:the entire Midwest United States from Texas north to southern parts of Canada.
;Southwest
:Central Mexico north into W. Texas, NM, and AZ.
;Great Basin
:Nevada, Utah, N. Arizona, W. Colorado, W. Wyoming, S. Idaho, SE Oregon, and parts of W. California.
;California
:Interior and Coastal California and N. Baja.
;Northwest Coast
:N. California to S. Alaska along 1500 miles of coastline.
;Plateau
:Parts of Oregon, Washington, N. Idaho, W. Montana, and SW Canada.

== References ==
<references/>

==See Also==

[[American Indian]]

[[Native American]]

[[Trail of Tears]]

[[Jamestown Massacre]]

[[category:ethnicities]]
[[category:Native Americans]]

Australian Aborigines

2008-02-16T16:32:45Z

DougWalker: iw.

'''Aborigines''' are the main group of [[indigenous Australians]].

[[Archaeology|Archaeological]] evidence has led some researchers to claim that there has been 40 to 45 thousand years of continuous occupation of the [[Australia]]n mainland by indigenous people. However, [[Young Earth Creationist|Young Earth Creationists]] contend that the universe is only 6,000 years old, so they accept the [[origins theory]] model used by young earth [[creation science | creation scientists]] which believes modern Aborigines to be the descendants of [[Noah]] and his family who survived [[Great Flood]] on [[Noah's Ark]]. There is debate whether their migration to Australia happened over land<ref name="cab17">[http://www.creationontheweb.com/images/pdfs/cabook/chapter17.pdf "How did animals get from the Ark to places such as Australia"], Chapter 17 of ''The Creation Answers Book'', by Don Batten (Ed.)</ref> with lower sea levels during the post-flood [[ice age]], or before the supercontinent of [[Pangea]] broke apart.<ref>[http://www.apologeticspress.org/articles/2808 "Pangea and the Flood"], Apologetics Press</ref>
The idea that God simply generated Aborigines into existence there is considered by most creation researchers to be contra-Biblical.

Since the colonisation of [[Australia]] by [[Britain]] in 1788, the original inhabitants of [[Australia]] have been known until recently as “Aborigines”. They make up about 2.4% of Australia's population.

==History==
Before white settlement of Australia, the distribution of the Aboriginal population was much the same as the modern population distribution, but at a much lower level. Today, the fertile regions with a temperate climate are dominated by the white Australian community. In most southern and eastern areas, Aborigines have either assimilated, died out, or been pushed out. Only in the central and northern parts of the country are there significant communities of Aborigines living on and in control of their traditional lands.

Most traditional Aborigines were nomadic over the range of their clan, however there are also several archaeological sites of permanent settlements in [[Victoria]].

Aborigines had no written language before contact with Europeans, but have a rich oral history. Their traditional creation stories are based on "The Dreamtime". Many of the modern Aboriginal communities in outback Australia are on the sites of Christian missions set up in the 1800s and early 1900s.

==Modern customs==
Since the 1980s indigenous Australians have been differentiated as “Australian Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders” and more recently the acknowledgment of local tribal groups and [[language]]s has become normal. It has become customary for important public meetings and gatherings to begin by acknowledging “the customary owners of this land, the NAME people” where the local tribal name is given.

==Stolen Generation==
From the late 1800s through to the mid-1900s, many Aboriginal children were taken from their homes and placed in foster care arrangements, typically on [[Christian]] missions or state Government homes.
In the early 1990s Australians came to see this as being racist.

A prevailing view held that there was a hierarchy of human [[race]]s. This notion supposed that Northern Europeans were superior in civilisation and that Aborigines were inferior. According to this view, the increasing numbers of mixed-descent children in Australia, labelled as 'half-castes' (or alternatively 'crossbreeds', 'quadroons' and 'octoroons'), were seen by many to be a threat to racial purity. Many believe that in the first half of the twentieth century, this led to policies and legislation that resulted in the removal of children from their parents. The stated aim was to culturally assimilate mixed-descent people into contemporary Australian society. These children came to be called the Stolen Generation.

A [[Royal Commission]] was instituted by the [[Government of Australia]] under the auspices of the (Australian) Human Rights and Equal Opportunities Commission, headed by Sir [[Ronald Wilson]], a former Judge of the [[High Court of Australia]] and former President of the [[liberal]] [[Uniting Church in Australia]]. The commission took public testimony from around Australia, including visits to tribal lands, and its 1997 report ’’Bringing Them Home: Report of the National Inquiry into the Separation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children from Their Families’’ has been seen to have re-shaped Australia’s internal race relations.

However, some people, including [[conservative]] columnist [[Andrew Bolt]], has challenged the existence of the Stolen Generation.
He has challenged [[Robert Manne]], an outspoken advocate of the Stolen Generation, to produce the names of just ten children taken from their parents simply because they were aboriginal or part aboriginal.
When Manne did produce a list, Bolt showed that the children were actually taken for the sake of their welfare.

Bolt has further condemned the Stolen Generation concept for actually causing harm to Aboriginal children, as welfare officials are now too scared of being branded racist to take children who are in danger.

==Government apology==

On 13th of February, 2008 the [[Australia|Australian Government]] formally apologized to the Aboriginal People, and specifically to the Stolen Generation, for the actions of previous governments. The text of the apology, read by Prime Minister [[Kevin Rudd]], follows:

<blockquote>
Today we honour the Indigenous peoples of this land, the oldest continuing cultures in human history.

We reflect on their past mistreatment.

We reflect in particular on the mistreatment of those who were stolen generations - this blemished chapter in our nation's history.

The time has now come for the nation to turn a new page in Australia's history by righting the wrongs of the past and so moving forward with confidence to the future.

We apologise for the laws and policies of successive Parliaments and governments that have inflicted profound grief, suffering and loss on these our fellow Australians.

We apologise especially for the removal of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children from their families, their communities and their country.

For the pain, suffering and hurt of these stolen generations, their descendants and for their families left behind, we say sorry.

To the mothers and the fathers, the brothers and the sisters, for the breaking up of families and communities, we say sorry.

And for the indignity and degradation thus inflicted on a proud people and a proud culture, we say sorry.

We the Parliament of Australia respectfully request that this apology be received in the spirit in which it is offered as part of the healing of the nation.

For the future we take heart; resolving that this new page in the history of our great continent can now be written.

We today take this first step by acknowledging the past and laying claim to a future that embraces all Australians.

A future where this Parliament resolves that the injustices of the past must never, never happen again.

A future where we harness the determination of all Australians, Indigenous and non-Indigenous, to close the gap that lies between us in life expectancy, educational achievement and economic opportunity.

A future where we embrace the possibility of new solutions to enduring problems where old approaches have failed.

A future based on mutual respect, mutual resolve and mutual responsibility.

A future where all Australians, whatever their origins, are truly equal partners, with equal opportunities and with an equal stake in shaping the next chapter in the history of this great country, Australia.

</blockquote>

==Aborigines in the media==
Various Australian films have significantly changed perceptions of Aborigines.
* ''Jedda'' (1955) by the Australian filmmaker Charles Chauvel. The film is most notable for being the first to star two Aboriginal actors (Robert Tudawali and Ngarla Kunoth) in the leading roles, and also to be the first Australian film shot in color.
* ''Storm Boy'' (1976) which tells of the interaction between an Anglo boy and a local Aborigine.
* ''Rabbit-Proof Fence'' (2002) is an Australian film based on the book ''Follow The Rabbit Proof Fence'' by Doris Pilkington Garimara. It concerns the author's mother, and two other young mixed-race Aboriginal girls, who ran away from a residential school that is located in Moore River Native Settlement, north of [[Perth]], [[Western Australia]], in which they were placed in 1931, in order to return to their Aboriginal families. The film follows the girls as they trek/walk for nine weeks along 2,400km (1,500 miles) of the Australian [[rabbit]]-proof fence to return to their community at Jigalong.
* ''Ten Canoes'' (2006) by Rolf de Heer. The film is narrated in English by David Gulpilil; all protagonists speak in indigenous languages, with English subtitles.

David Gulpilil is recognized as a very important Australian Aboriginal actor, whose work has changed perceptions of Aborigines. His films have been:

* ''Walkabout'' (1971)
* ''Storm Boy'' (1976)
* ''The Last Wave'' (1977)
* ''The Right Stuff'' (1983)
* ''Crocodile Dundee'' (1986)
* ''Rabbit-Proof Fence'' (2002)
* ''The Tracker'' (2002)
* ''The Proposition'' (2005)
* ''Ten Canoes'' (2006)

Stan Grant is an Aboriginal television personality who had international recognition as a presenter for [[CNN]] in [[Bejing]], [[China]] in the mid-2000s.

== External links ==

* [http://www.hreoc.gov.au/social_justice/bth_report/index.html Bringing them home: The 'Stolen Children' report (1997)], Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission.
* Bolt, Andrew, [http://blogs.news.com.au/heraldsun/andrewbolt/index.php/heraldsun/comments/stolen_generations_my_writers_festival_speech/ Stolen generations: My Melbourne Writers’ Festival speech], 5th September, 2006.
* Bolt, Andrew, [http://blogs.news.com.au/heraldsun/andrewbolt/index.php/heraldsun/comments/fisking_mannes_column/ Fisking Manne’s column], 9th December, 2006 (reply to ''The Cruelty of Denial'')
* Bolt, Andrew, [http://blogs.news.com.au/heraldsun/andrewbolt/index.php/heraldsun/comments/another_stolen_life/ Another stolen life], 19th September, 2006 (Bolt claims as a case of an aboriginal child in danger and ''not'' removed by authorities because of concerns over racism)
* Bolt, Andrew, [http://blogs.news.com.au/heraldsun/andrewbolt/index.php/heraldsun/comments/column_truth_is_what_was_stolen/ Truth is what was stolen], ''Herald Sun'', 8th February, 2008.
* Manne, Robert, [http://www.theage.com.au/ed_docs/manne1.pdf Stolen Generations Debate, with Andrew Bolt], 3rd September, 2006.
* Manne, Robert, [http://www.theage.com.au/news/robert-manne/the-cruelty-of-denial/2006/09/08/1157222325367.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap1 The Cruelty of Denial], The Age, 9th December, 2006.

== See also ==
* [[Great Flood]] (which mentions some aboriginal flood stories)
[[Category:Australia]]

Australian Aborigines

2008-02-16T16:30:42Z

DougWalker: Origins

'''Aborigines''' are the main group of [[indigenous Australians]].

[[Archaeology|Archaeological]] evidence has led some researchers to claim that there has been 40 to 45 thousand years of continuous occupation of the [[Australia]]n mainland by indigenous people. However, [[Young Earth Creationist|Young Earth Creationists]] contend that the universe is only 6,000 years old, so they accept the [[origins theory]] model used by young earth [[creation science | creation scientists]] which believes modern Aborigines to be the descendants of Noah and his family who survived [[Great Flood]] on [[Noah's Ark]]. There is debate whether their migration to Australia happened over land<ref name="cab17">[http://www.creationontheweb.com/images/pdfs/cabook/chapter17.pdf "How did animals get from the Ark to places such as Australia"], Chapter 17 of ''The Creation Answers Book'', by Don Batten (Ed.)</ref> with lower sea levels during the post-flood [[ice age]], or before the supercontinent of [[Pangea]] broke apart.<ref>[http://www.apologeticspress.org/articles/2808 "Pangea and the Flood"], Apologetics Press</ref>
The idea that God simply generated Aborigines into existence there is considered by most creation researchers to be contra-Biblical.

Since the colonisation of [[Australia]] by [[Britain]] in 1788, the original inhabitants of [[Australia]] have been known until recently as “Aborigines”. They make up about 2.4% of Australia's population.

==History==
Before white settlement of Australia, the distribution of the Aboriginal population was much the same as the modern population distribution, but at a much lower level. Today, the fertile regions with a temperate climate are dominated by the white Australian community. In most southern and eastern areas, Aborigines have either assimilated, died out, or been pushed out. Only in the central and northern parts of the country are there significant communities of Aborigines living on and in control of their traditional lands.

Most traditional Aborigines were nomadic over the range of their clan, however there are also several archaeological sites of permanent settlements in [[Victoria]].

Aborigines had no written language before contact with Europeans, but have a rich oral history. Their traditional creation stories are based on "The Dreamtime". Many of the modern Aboriginal communities in outback Australia are on the sites of Christian missions set up in the 1800s and early 1900s.

==Modern customs==
Since the 1980s indigenous Australians have been differentiated as “Australian Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders” and more recently the acknowledgment of local tribal groups and [[language]]s has become normal. It has become customary for important public meetings and gatherings to begin by acknowledging “the customary owners of this land, the NAME people” where the local tribal name is given.

==Stolen Generation==
From the late 1800s through to the mid-1900s, many Aboriginal children were taken from their homes and placed in foster care arrangements, typically on [[Christian]] missions or state Government homes.
In the early 1990s Australians came to see this as being racist.

A prevailing view held that there was a hierarchy of human [[race]]s. This notion supposed that Northern Europeans were superior in civilisation and that Aborigines were inferior. According to this view, the increasing numbers of mixed-descent children in Australia, labelled as 'half-castes' (or alternatively 'crossbreeds', 'quadroons' and 'octoroons'), were seen by many to be a threat to racial purity. Many believe that in the first half of the twentieth century, this led to policies and legislation that resulted in the removal of children from their parents. The stated aim was to culturally assimilate mixed-descent people into contemporary Australian society. These children came to be called the Stolen Generation.

A [[Royal Commission]] was instituted by the [[Government of Australia]] under the auspices of the (Australian) Human Rights and Equal Opportunities Commission, headed by Sir [[Ronald Wilson]], a former Judge of the [[High Court of Australia]] and former President of the [[liberal]] [[Uniting Church in Australia]]. The commission took public testimony from around Australia, including visits to tribal lands, and its 1997 report ’’Bringing Them Home: Report of the National Inquiry into the Separation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children from Their Families’’ has been seen to have re-shaped Australia’s internal race relations.

However, some people, including [[conservative]] columnist [[Andrew Bolt]], has challenged the existence of the Stolen Generation.
He has challenged [[Robert Manne]], an outspoken advocate of the Stolen Generation, to produce the names of just ten children taken from their parents simply because they were aboriginal or part aboriginal.
When Manne did produce a list, Bolt showed that the children were actually taken for the sake of their welfare.

Bolt has further condemned the Stolen Generation concept for actually causing harm to Aboriginal children, as welfare officials are now too scared of being branded racist to take children who are in danger.

==Government apology==

On 13th of February, 2008 the [[Australia|Australian Government]] formally apologized to the Aboriginal People, and specifically to the Stolen Generation, for the actions of previous governments. The text of the apology, read by Prime Minister [[Kevin Rudd]], follows:

<blockquote>
Today we honour the Indigenous peoples of this land, the oldest continuing cultures in human history.

We reflect on their past mistreatment.

We reflect in particular on the mistreatment of those who were stolen generations - this blemished chapter in our nation's history.

The time has now come for the nation to turn a new page in Australia's history by righting the wrongs of the past and so moving forward with confidence to the future.

We apologise for the laws and policies of successive Parliaments and governments that have inflicted profound grief, suffering and loss on these our fellow Australians.

We apologise especially for the removal of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children from their families, their communities and their country.

For the pain, suffering and hurt of these stolen generations, their descendants and for their families left behind, we say sorry.

To the mothers and the fathers, the brothers and the sisters, for the breaking up of families and communities, we say sorry.

And for the indignity and degradation thus inflicted on a proud people and a proud culture, we say sorry.

We the Parliament of Australia respectfully request that this apology be received in the spirit in which it is offered as part of the healing of the nation.

For the future we take heart; resolving that this new page in the history of our great continent can now be written.

We today take this first step by acknowledging the past and laying claim to a future that embraces all Australians.

A future where this Parliament resolves that the injustices of the past must never, never happen again.

A future where we harness the determination of all Australians, Indigenous and non-Indigenous, to close the gap that lies between us in life expectancy, educational achievement and economic opportunity.

A future where we embrace the possibility of new solutions to enduring problems where old approaches have failed.

A future based on mutual respect, mutual resolve and mutual responsibility.

A future where all Australians, whatever their origins, are truly equal partners, with equal opportunities and with an equal stake in shaping the next chapter in the history of this great country, Australia.

</blockquote>

==Aborigines in the media==
Various Australian films have significantly changed perceptions of Aborigines.
* ''Jedda'' (1955) by the Australian filmmaker Charles Chauvel. The film is most notable for being the first to star two Aboriginal actors (Robert Tudawali and Ngarla Kunoth) in the leading roles, and also to be the first Australian film shot in color.
* ''Storm Boy'' (1976) which tells of the interaction between an Anglo boy and a local Aborigine.
* ''Rabbit-Proof Fence'' (2002) is an Australian film based on the book ''Follow The Rabbit Proof Fence'' by Doris Pilkington Garimara. It concerns the author's mother, and two other young mixed-race Aboriginal girls, who ran away from a residential school that is located in Moore River Native Settlement, north of [[Perth]], [[Western Australia]], in which they were placed in 1931, in order to return to their Aboriginal families. The film follows the girls as they trek/walk for nine weeks along 2,400km (1,500 miles) of the Australian [[rabbit]]-proof fence to return to their community at Jigalong.
* ''Ten Canoes'' (2006) by Rolf de Heer. The film is narrated in English by David Gulpilil; all protagonists speak in indigenous languages, with English subtitles.

David Gulpilil is recognized as a very important Australian Aboriginal actor, whose work has changed perceptions of Aborigines. His films have been:

* ''Walkabout'' (1971)
* ''Storm Boy'' (1976)
* ''The Last Wave'' (1977)
* ''The Right Stuff'' (1983)
* ''Crocodile Dundee'' (1986)
* ''Rabbit-Proof Fence'' (2002)
* ''The Tracker'' (2002)
* ''The Proposition'' (2005)
* ''Ten Canoes'' (2006)

Stan Grant is an Aboriginal television personality who had international recognition as a presenter for [[CNN]] in [[Bejing]], [[China]] in the mid-2000s.

== External links ==

* [http://www.hreoc.gov.au/social_justice/bth_report/index.html Bringing them home: The 'Stolen Children' report (1997)], Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission.
* Bolt, Andrew, [http://blogs.news.com.au/heraldsun/andrewbolt/index.php/heraldsun/comments/stolen_generations_my_writers_festival_speech/ Stolen generations: My Melbourne Writers’ Festival speech], 5th September, 2006.
* Bolt, Andrew, [http://blogs.news.com.au/heraldsun/andrewbolt/index.php/heraldsun/comments/fisking_mannes_column/ Fisking Manne’s column], 9th December, 2006 (reply to ''The Cruelty of Denial'')
* Bolt, Andrew, [http://blogs.news.com.au/heraldsun/andrewbolt/index.php/heraldsun/comments/another_stolen_life/ Another stolen life], 19th September, 2006 (Bolt claims as a case of an aboriginal child in danger and ''not'' removed by authorities because of concerns over racism)
* Bolt, Andrew, [http://blogs.news.com.au/heraldsun/andrewbolt/index.php/heraldsun/comments/column_truth_is_what_was_stolen/ Truth is what was stolen], ''Herald Sun'', 8th February, 2008.
* Manne, Robert, [http://www.theage.com.au/ed_docs/manne1.pdf Stolen Generations Debate, with Andrew Bolt], 3rd September, 2006.
* Manne, Robert, [http://www.theage.com.au/news/robert-manne/the-cruelty-of-denial/2006/09/08/1157222325367.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap1 The Cruelty of Denial], The Age, 9th December, 2006.

== See also ==
* [[Great Flood]] (which mentions some aboriginal flood stories)
[[Category:Australia]]

Hollywood values

2008-02-16T15:54:46Z

DougWalker: Typo

The phrase '''Hollywood values''' refers to the lack of [[morals]] and [[values]] in [[Hollywood]] culture, which are characterized by rampant [[drug|drug use]], extramarital sex, [[disease]] and death. A poll by MSNBC said that 60% of [[Americans]] agree that "Hollywood's values are not in line with the rest of America and that the quality of movies has dimished in recent years."<ref>http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11714540/</ref>

Hollywood values can include a ''disrespect'' for:

* [[marriage]] and [[abstinence]]
* [[patriotism]]
* [[religion]]
* [[accountability]]
* laws that apply to everyone else

==Books==
* ''Hollywood Against America''
* ''Hollywood Babylon''

==Deaths ==
Hollywood values are deadly. Some examples include:<ref>http://www.abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/story?id=4174733&page=1</ref><ref>http://www.citynews.ca/news/news_18845.aspx</ref>
*[[John Barrymore]], 60, cirrhosis of the liver from heavy drinking
*[[John Belushi]], 33, was a repeated drug abuser who ultimately died of a lethal injection of cocaine and heroin
*[[Clara Blandick]], 81, suicide
*[[John Bonham]], 32, after too much drinking, asphyxiated on vomit
*[[Lenny Bruce]], 40, heroin overdose
*[[Kurt Cobain]], 27, "turned to drugs and alcohol to help him cope," then committed suicide
*[[Karl Dane]], 47, suicide by gunshot
*[[Brian Epstein]], 32, overdosed on sleeping pills and alcohol
*[[Chris Farley]], 33, overdose of morphine and cocaine
*[[Judy Garland]], 47, overdosed on sleeping pills
*[[Margaux Hemingway]], 42, suicide
*[[Jimi Hendrix]], 27, drank wine, took sleeping pills, and asphyxiated on his own vomit
*[[Janis Joplin]], 27, heroin overdose
*[[Heath Ledger]], 28, found dead in his [[Manhattan]] apartment. "Prescription sleeping pills and anti-anxiety pills were found in bottles in Ledger's bedroom and bathroom, and police have speculated the death was caused by an accidental drug overdose."<ref>http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080123/ap_en_ce/obit_ledger</ref> "Ledger died of an accidental overdose of painkillers, sleeping pills, anti-anxiety medication and other prescription drugs, the New York City medical examiner said Wednesday." <ref>http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,328828,00.html</ref>
*[[Phil Lynott]], 36, kidney and liver infection
*[[Marilyn Monroe]], 36, overdosed on sleeping pills
*[[Jim Morrison]], 27, died of an apparent heroin overdose
*[[River Phoenix]], 23, a huge star until he died from an overdose cocaine and heroin
* [[Elvis Presley]], 42, large drug intake causes a cardiac arrhythmia
*[[Brad Renfro]], 25, became addicted to heroin and was found dead after a night of drinking
*[[Anna Nicole Smith]], 39, accidental overdose on prescription drugs
*[[Lou Tellegen]], 52, suicide
*[[Sid Vicious]], 21, overdosed on heroin obtained from his mother.

== Crime ==
Hollywood values often include stealing and committing other crimes. Here are some examples:

* [[Winona Ryder]] was convicted of convicted of vandalism and grand theft for stealing designer merchandise worth $5,560.40.<ref>http://www.courttv.com/trials/ryder/</ref>
* [[O.J. Simpson]] is widely believed to have murdered his wife and her friend, and was found liable in a civil (but not criminal) trial. He has since been arrested again on an unrelated charge.
* [[Paris Hilton]] was convicted of driving while intoxicated, and then violated the terms of her probation, leading to a 45-day prison sentence.<ref>[http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18472845/ Paris Hilton sentenced to 45 days in jail], msnbc, May 4, 2007</ref>
*[[Mel Gibson]], a [[Christian]] actor and director, was arrested after being stopped for driving at 84 mph in a 45 mph zone on a notoriously dangerous road in Malibu, California.<ref>''Mel Gibson apologizes after DUI arrest'' [http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14080210/ Associated Press]</ref> A breathalyzer test confirmed he was drunk and next to him was an open bottle of Tequila; after being arrested he hurled Anti-Semitic abuse at a Jewish police officer.<ref>[http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2089-2292336,00.html Mel Gibson rants against Jews in drink-drive arrest], Times Online, July 30, 2006</ref>

== Rehab ==
Hollywood values often result in [[Celebrity|celebrities]] going into rehab. Here are some examples:

*[[Kirsten Dunst]] checked into the [[Cirque Lodge]] treatment facility in [[Utah]] after a week of hard partying at the [[Sundance Film Festival]], according to a source at the lodge, although the lodge's director of operations denies this. <ref name = "foxkirsten">
[http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,329545,00.html Reports Say Kirsten Dunst in Rehab; Rep for Facility Denies It], ''[[Fox News]]'', February 08, 2008</ref>

The following all checked into the above facility seeking treatment for various psychological problems:

*[[Lindsay Lohan]] <ref name = "foxkirsten"/>
*[[Eva Mendes]] <ref name = "foxkirsten"/>
*[[Mary-Kate Olsen]] <ref name = "foxkirsten"/>

== References ==

<references/>

[[category:entertainment]]

Hollywood values

2008-02-16T15:53:39Z

DougWalker: Accurate

The phrase '''Hollywood values''' refers to the lack of [[morals]] and [[values]] in [[Hollywood]] culture, which are characterized by rampant [[drug|drug use]], extramarital sex, [[disease]] and death. A poll by MSNBC said that 60% of [[Americans]] agree that "Hollywood's values are not in line with the rest of America and that the quality of movies has dimished in recent years."<ref>http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11714540/</ref>

Hollywood values can include a ''disrespect'' for:

* [[marriage]] and [[abstinence]]
* [[patriotism]]
* [[religion]]
* [[accountability]]
* laws that apply to everyone else

==Books==
* ''Hollywood Against America''
* ''Hollywood Babylon''

==Deaths ==
Hollywood values are deadly. Some examples include:<ref>http://www.abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/story?id=4174733&page=1</ref><ref>http://www.citynews.ca/news/news_18845.aspx</ref>
*[[John Barrymore]], 60, cirrhosis of the liver from heavy drinking
*[[John Belushi]], 33, was a repeated drug abuser who ultimately died of a lethal injection of cocaine and heroin
*[[Clara Blandick]], 81, suicide
*[[John Bonham]], 32, after too much drinking, asphyxiated on vomit
*[[Lenny Bruce]], 40, heroin overdose
*[[Kurt Cobain]], 27, "turned to drugs and alcohol to help him cope," then committed suicide
*[[Karl Dane]], 47, suicide by gunshot
*[[Brian Epstein]], 32, overdosed on sleeping pills and alcohol
*[[Chris Farley]], 33, overdose of morphine and cocaine
*[[Judy Garland]], 47, overdosed on sleeping pills
*[[Margaux Hemingway]], 42, suicide
*[[Jimi Hendrix]], 27, drank wine, took sleeping pills, and asphyxiated on his own vomit
*[[Janis Joplin]], 27, heroin overdose
*[[Heath Ledger]], 28, found dead in his [[Manhattan]] apartment. "Prescription sleeping pills and anti-anxiety pills were found in bottles in Ledger's bedroom and bathroom, and police have speculated the death was caused by an accidental drug overdose."<ref>http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080123/ap_en_ce/obit_ledger</ref> "Ledger died of an accidental overdose of painkillers, sleeping pills, anti-anxiety medication and other prescription drugs, the New York City medical examiner said Wednesday." <ref>http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,328828,00.html</ref>
*[[Phil Lynott]], 36, kidney and liver infection
*[[Marilyn Monroe]], 36, overdosed on sleeping pills
*[[Jim Morrison]], 27, died of an apparent heroin overdose
*[[River Phoenix]], 23, a huge star until he died from an overdose cocaine and heroin
* [[Elvis Presley]], 42, large drug intake causes a cardiac arrhythmia
*[[Brad Renfro]], 25, became addicted to heroin and was found dead after a night of drinking
*[[Anna Nicole Smith]], 39, accidental overdose on prescription drugs
*[[Lou Tellegen]], 52, suicide
*[[Sid Vicious]], 21, overdosed on heroin obtained from his mother.

== Crime ==
Hollywood values often include stealing and committing other crimes. Here are some examples:

* [[Winona Ryder]] was convicted of convicted of vandalism and grand theft for stealing designer merchandise worth $5,560.40.<ref>http://www.courttv.com/trials/ryder/</ref>
* [[O.J. Simpson]] is widely believed to have murdered his wife and her friend, and was found liable in a civil (but not criminal) trial. He has since been arrested again on an unrelated charge.
* [[Paris Hilton]] was convicted of driving while intoxicated, and then violated the terms of her probation, leading to a 45-day prison sentence.<ref>[http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18472845/ Paris Hilton sentenced to 45 days in jail], msnbc, May 4, 2007</ref>
* [[Christian]][[Mel Gibson]], a [[Christian]] actor and director, was arrested after being stopped for driving at 84 mph in a 45 mph zone on a notoriously dangerous road in Malibu, California.<ref>''Mel Gibson apologizes after DUI arrest'' [http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14080210/ Associated Press]</ref> A breathalyzer test confirmed he was drunk and next to him was an open bottle of Tequila; after being arrested he hurled Anti-Semitic abuse at a Jewish police officer.<ref>[http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2089-2292336,00.html Mel Gibson rants against Jews in drink-drive arrest], Times Online, July 30, 2006</ref>

== Rehab ==
Hollywood values often result in [[Celebrity|celebrities]] going into rehab. Here are some examples:

*[[Kirsten Dunst]] checked into the [[Cirque Lodge]] treatment facility in [[Utah]] after a week of hard partying at the [[Sundance Film Festival]], according to a source at the lodge, although the lodge's director of operations denies this. <ref name = "foxkirsten">
[http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,329545,00.html Reports Say Kirsten Dunst in Rehab; Rep for Facility Denies It], ''[[Fox News]]'', February 08, 2008</ref>

The following all checked into the above facility seeking treatment for various psychological problems:

*[[Lindsay Lohan]] <ref name = "foxkirsten"/>
*[[Eva Mendes]] <ref name = "foxkirsten"/>
*[[Mary-Kate Olsen]] <ref name = "foxkirsten"/>

== References ==

<references/>

[[category:entertainment]]