Conservapedia - User contributions [en]

Finland

2008-03-09T22:19:39Z

Hermann1359: Undo revision 402017 by Special:Contributions/CoultersArmy (User talk:CoultersArmy) vandalism

{{Country
|name =''Suomi'' ''Finland''
|map =Finland rel96.jpg
|flag =Flag of Finland.png
|arms =Arms of Finland.png
|capital =Helsinki
|capital-raw =
|government =Parliamentary Democracy
|government-raw =
|language =Finnish, Swedish
|king =
|queen =
|monarch-raw =
|president =Tarja Halonen
|president-raw =
|chancellor =
|chancellor-raw =
|pm =Matti Vanhanen
|pm-raw =
|area =130,558 sq mi
|pop =5,296,128 (2007)
|pop-basis =
|gdp =
|gdp-year =$193.491 billion (2005)
|gdp-pc =$40,197 (2005)
|currency =euro
|idd =
|tld =
}}
'''Republic of Finland''' (''Suomi'' or ''Suomen tasavalta'' in Finnish, ''Republiken Finland'' in Swedish) is a country of northern [[Europe]] known for its largely [[social democracy|social democratic]] economic system. The Finnish [[conservative]] party, the [[National Coalition]] led by [[Jyrki Katainen]], is its principal conservative organization.

The state capital is [[Helsinki]] and the principal exports are machines, electronics (for example cellphones) and forestry products. [[Finnish]] is the principal language spoken, a [[Finno-Ugric]] language, it is difficult for speakers of English and Romance languages to learn, so many Finns speak English to facilitate communication with other countries. The second official language is Swedish, which has the same status as Finnish in the country. Finland is known as "the land of lakes".

==Geography==
The area of Finland is approximately 338 000 square kilometers, with a north-south axis of 890 kilometers. Most of the landscape is covered with lakes, glaciers and forests. Finland is often called the "Land of Thousands of Lakes", which is true, because the number of lakes in the country exceeds 188 000, of which about 56 000 have an area of one hectare or more. In the sea there are more than 3 000 islands. In the North there are many glaciers, the most famous of which is [[Saana]]. Cultivated land and habitation only account for 17% of the land area, rest being mainly [[Norway spruce]] forests.

Finland is bound by [[Sweden]] in the Northwest, [[Norway]] in the North, [[Russia]] in the East, the [[Gulf of Finland]] in the South and the [[Gulf of Bothnia]] in the West.

==People==
*Population (September 2007): 5.29 million.
*Population growth rate (2006): 0.4%.
*Ethnic groups: Finns, Swedes, Lapps, Sami, Roma, Tatars.
*Religions: Lutheran 82.5%, Orthodox 1.1%.
*Languages: Finnish 91.5%, Swedish 5.5% (both official); small Lapp- (0.03%) and Russian-speaking (0.8%) minorities.
*Education: Years compulsory--9. Attendance--almost 100%. Literacy--almost 100%.
*Health: Infant mortality rate--2.8/1,000 (2006). Life expectancy--males 75.8 yrs., females 82.8 yrs.
*Work force (2.65 million; of which 2.44 million are employed): Public services--32.8%; industry--19%; commerce--15.6%; finance, insurance, and business services--13.8%; agriculture and forestry--4.7%; transport and communications--7.4%; construction--6.7%.

===Culture===
Finnish people (Finns) are known for their love of nature. Nature is prominent in the works of Finnish artists, such as [[Jean Sibelius]], [[Aki Kaurismäki]], [[Alvar Aalto]].

The great masters of Finnish literature include [[Mika Waltari]], [[Väinö Linna]], [[Johan Ludvig Runeberg]]. Finland is a bi-lingual country and has produced its literary heritage in both Finnish and Swedish. The beloved Moomintrolls were created by the writer and graphic artist Tove Jansson.

==Government and Political Conditions==
Finland has a mixed presidential/parliamentary system with executive powers divided between the president, who has primary responsibility for national security and foreign affairs, and the prime minister, who has primary responsibility for all other areas, including EU issues. Under the constitution that took effect in March 2000, the established practice for managing foreign policy is that the president keeps in close touch with the prime minister, the minister for foreign affairs, and other ministers responsible for foreign relations. Constitutional changes strengthened the prime minister--who must enjoy the confidence of the parliament (Eduskunta)--at the expense of the president. Finns enjoy individual and political freedoms, and suffrage is universal at 18. The country's population is relatively ethnically homogeneous. Immigration to Finland has significantly increased over the past decade, although the foreign-born population, estimated at only 2.2% of the total population, is still much lower than in any other EU country. Few tensions exist between the Finnish-speaking majority and the Swedish-speaking minority.

====President and cabinet====
Elected for a 6-year term, the president:
*Handles foreign policy, except for certain international agreements and decisions of peace or war, which must be submitted to parliament, and EU relations, which are handled by the prime minister;
*Is commander in chief of the armed forces and has wide decree and appointive powers;
*May initiate legislation, block legislation by pocket veto, and call extraordinary parliamentary sessions; and
*Appoints the prime minister and the rest of the cabinet (Council of State). The Council of State is made up of the prime minister and ministers for the various departments of the central government as well as an ex officio member, the Chancellor of Justice. Ministers are not obliged to be members of the Eduskunta and need not be formally identified with any political party.
The president may, upon proposal of the prime minister and after having heard the parliamentary groups, order parliament to be dissolved, and a new election held.

====Parliament====
Constitutionally, the 200-member, unicameral Eduskunta is the supreme authority in Finland. It may alter the constitution, bring about the resignation of the Council of State, and override presidential vetoes; its acts are not subject to judicial review. Legislation may be initiated by the president, the Council of State, or one of the Eduskunta members.

The Eduskunta is elected on the basis of proportional representation. All persons 18 or older, except military personnel on active duty and a few high judicial officials, are eligible for election. The regular parliamentary term is 4 years; however, the president may dissolve the Eduskunta and order new elections at the request of the prime minister and after consulting the speaker of parliament.

====Judicial system====
The judicial system is divided between courts with regular civil and criminal jurisdiction and special courts with responsibility for litigation between the public and the administrative organs of the state. Finnish law is codified. Although there is no writ of habeas corpus or bail, the maximum period of pretrial detention has been reduced to 4 days. The Finnish court system consists of local courts, regional appellate courts, a Supreme Court, and a Supreme Administrative Court.

====Administrative divisions====
Finland consists of five provinces and the self-ruled province of the Aland Islands. Below the provincial level, the country is divided into cities, townships, and communes administered by municipal and communal councils elected by proportional representation once every 4 years. At the provincial level, the five mainland provinces are administered by provincial boards composed of civil servants, each headed by a governor. The boards are responsible to the Ministry of the Interior and play a supervisory and coordinating role within the provinces.

The island province of Aland is located near the 60th parallel between Sweden and Finland. It enjoys local autonomy and demilitarized status by virtue of an international convention of 1921, implemented most recently by the Act on Aland Self-Government of 1951. The islands are further distinguished by the fact that they are entirely Swedish-speaking. Government is vested in the provincial council, which consists of 30 delegates elected directly by Aland's citizens.

====Military====
Finland's defense forces consist of 35,000 persons in uniform (26,000 army; 5,000 navy; and 4,000 air force). The country's defense budget equals about 1.3% of GDP. There is universal male conscription under which all men serve from six to 12 months. As of 1995, women were permitted to serve as volunteers. A reserve force ensures that Finland can field 490,000 trained military personnel in case of need.

====Political parties====
Finland's proportional representation system encourages a multitude of political parties and has resulted in many coalition governments. Political activity by communists was legalized in 1944, and although four major parties have dominated the postwar political arena, none now has a majority position. In elections held in 2007, the Center Party (Keskusta), traditionally representing rural interests, kept its position as the biggest party. The then-opposition Conservative Party, however, came away as the biggest winner, gaining 10 seats and becoming the second-largest political party in the country. The Center then formed a four-party governing coalition with the Conservatives and the Swedish People's Party and the Greens. The Social Democratic Party (SDP) suffered a defeat in these elections and fell to the third position among the big parties. Of the other parties, the True Finns, the Green League, and the Swedish People’s Party were able to gain seats in parliament. The Conservative Party received the portfolios of foreign minister, finance minister, and defense minister, among others, and became an important player after a long interval.

===Principal Government Officials===
*President--Tarja Halonen
*Prime Minister--Matti Vanhanen
*Foreign Minister--Ilkka Kanerva
*Ambassador to the United States--Pekka Lintu
*Ambassador to the United Nations--Kirsti Lintonen

===Foreign Relations===
Finland's basic foreign policy goal from the end of the Continuation War with the U.S.S.R. in 1944 until 1991 was to avoid great-power conflicts and to build mutual confidence with the Soviet Union. Although the country was culturally, socially, and politically Western, Finns realized they must live in peace with the U.S.S.R. and take no action that might be interpreted as a security threat. The dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 opened up dramatic new possibilities for Finland and has resulted in the Finns actively seeking greater participation in Western political and economic structures. Finland joined the European Union in 1995.

====Previous relations with the Soviet Union, and today with Russia====
The principal architect of the post-1944 foreign policy of neutrality was J.K. Paasikivi, who was President from 1946 to 1956. Urho Kekkonen, President from 1956 until 1981, further developed this policy, stressing that Finland should be an active rather than a passive neutral. This policy is now popularly known as the "Paasikivi-Kekkonen Line."

Finland and the U.S.S.R. signed a peace treaty at Paris in February 1947 limiting the size of Finland's defense forces and providing for the cession to the Soviet Union of the Petsamo area on the Arctic coast, the Karelian Isthmus in southeastern Finland, and other territory along the former eastern border. Another provision, terminated in 1956, leased the Porkkala area near Helsinki to the U.S.S.R. for use as a naval base and gave free access to this area across Finnish territory.

The 1947 treaty also called for Finland to pay to the Soviet Union reparations of 300 million gold dollars (amounting to an estimated $570 million in 1952, the year the payments ended). Although an ally of the Soviet Union in World War II, the United States was not a signatory to this treaty because it had not been at war with Finland.

In April 1948, Finland signed an Agreement of Friendship, Cooperation, and Mutual Assistance with the Soviet Union. Under this mutual assistance pact, Finland was obligated--with the aid of the Soviet Union, if necessary--to resist armed attacks by Germany or its allies against Finland or against the U.S.S.R. through Finland. At the same time, the agreement recognized Finland's desire to remain outside great-power conflicts. This agreement was renewed for 20 years in 1955, in 1970, and again in 1983 to the year 2003, although the subsequent dissolution of the Soviet Union led to the agreement's abrogation.

The Finns responded cautiously in 1990-91 to the decline of Soviet power and the U.S.S.R.'s subsequent dissolution. They unilaterally abrogated restrictions imposed by the 1947 and 1948 treaties, joined in voicing Nordic concern over the coup against Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, and gave increasing unofficial encouragement to Baltic independence.

At the same time, by replacing the Soviet-Finnish mutual assistance pact with treaties on general cooperation and trade, Finns put themselves on an equal footing while retaining a friendly bilateral relationship. Finland now is boosting cross-border commercial ties and touting its potential as a commercial gateway to Russia. It has reassured Russia that it will not raise claims for Finnish territory seized by the U.S.S.R. and continues to reaffirm the importance of good bilateral relations.

====Multilateral Relations====
Finnish foreign policy emphasizes its participation in multilateral organizations. Finland joined the United Nations in 1955 and the EU in 1995. As noted, the country also is a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's (NATO) Partnership for Peace as well as a member in the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council. As a NATO partner, Finland had 100 troops in Afghanistan as of September 2007.

Finland is well represented in the UN civil service in proportion to its population and belongs to several of its specialized and related agencies. Finnish troops have participated in UN peacekeeping activities since 1956, and the Finns continue to be one of the largest per capita contributors of peacekeepers in the world. Finland is an active participant in the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and in early 1995 assumed the co-chairmanship of the OSCE's Minsk Group on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

Cooperation with the other Scandinavian countries also is important to Finland, and it has been a member of the Nordic Council since 1955. Under the council's auspices, the Nordic countries have created a common labor market and have abolished immigration controls among themselves. The council also serves to coordinate social and cultural policies of the participating countries and has promoted increased cooperation in many fields.

In addition to the organizations already mentioned, Finland became a member of the following organizations: Bank for International Settlements, 1930; International Monetary Fund, 1948; International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, 1948; General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), 1950; International Finance Corporation, 1956; International Development Association, 1960; European Free Trade Association, 1961; Asian Development Bank, 1966; Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, 1969; Inter-American Development Bank, 1977; African Development Bank, 1982; Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency, 1988; the Council of Europe, 1989; European Bank for Reconstruction and Development in Central and Eastern Europe, 1991; World Trade Organization, 1995; and INTELSAT, 1999. Finland entered Stage Three of EMU (the European Monetary Union) in 1999. All the Nordic countries, including Finland, joined the Schengen area in March 2001.

==Economy==
Finland has an industrial economy based on abundant forest resources, capital investments, and high technology.

The Finnish economy has made enormous strides since the severe recession of the early 1990s. Finland successfully joined the euro zone and has outperformed euro-area partners in terms of economic growth and public finance. In the last few years, the Finnish economy has performed reasonably well. Total output was 5% higher in 2006 than in 2005, but economic activity leveled off in the latter half of the year. GDP is predicted to grow by 4.4% in 2007, while 2008 is likely to show a slower rate of growth, estimated at 3.3%. Despite the current favorable outlook, there is a degree of uncertainty in the Finnish economy caused by the large fluctuations in electronics industry production, together with resource constraints. Cost and price pressures have increased, and there is a threat of industry’s price competitiveness starting to weaken.

Unemployment decreased significantly from 1994 to 7.7% in 2006 and is expected to drop to 6.7% in 2007. A relatively inflexible labor market and high employer-paid social security taxes hamper growth in employment. Labor bottlenecks are becoming more common in certain sectors, and this will increasingly restrict growth in output in the future. The main constraint to medium-term economic growth will be the drop in the population of working age once the post-war baby boomers reach retirement age.

Exports of goods and services contribute 32% of Finland's GDP. Metals and engineering (including electronics) and timber (including pulp and paper) are Finland's main industries. The United States is Finland's third most important trading partner outside of Europe. With a 3.8% share of imports in 2006, the United States was Finland's seventh-largest supplier. The total value of U.S. exports to Finland in 2006 was $2.6 billion. Major exports from the United States to Finland continue to be machinery, telecommunications equipment and parts, aircraft and aircraft parts, computers, peripherals and software, electronic components, chemicals, medical equipment, and some agricultural products. The primary competition for American companies comes from Russia, Germany, Sweden, and China. The main export items from Finland to the United States are electronics, machinery, ships and boats, paper and paperboard, refined petroleum products, telecommunications equipment and parts. In 2006, the United States was Finland's fourth-largest customer after Germany (11.3%), Sweden (10.5%), and Russia (10.1%), with an export share of 6.5%, or $5 billion. However, trade is only part of the totality: the 10 biggest Finnish companies in the United States have a combined turnover that is three times the value of Finland's total exports to the United States. About 2.3% of the Finnish GDP comes from exports to the United States.

Except for timber and several minerals, Finland depends on imported raw materials, energy, and some components for its manufactured products. Farms tend to be small, but farmers own sizable timber stands that are harvested for supplementary income in winter. The country's main agricultural products are dairy, meat, and grains. Finland's EU accession has accelerated the process of restructuring and downsizing of this sector.
*GDP: $210.8 billion (EUR 167.9 billion).
*GDP growth rate: 5%.
*Per capita income: $40,036 (EUR 31,886).
*Inflation rate: 1.6% (2006 average); 2.6% (September 2007).
*Natural resources: Forests, minerals (copper, zinc, iron), farmland.
*Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting (2.9% of GDP): Products--meat (pork and beef), grain (wheat, rye, barley, oats), dairy products, potatoes, rapeseed.
*Industry (30.1% of GDP): Types--metal (including electronics and electrical equipment) and engineering, forest products, chemicals, shipbuilding, foodstuffs, textiles.
*Trade: Exports--$77.08 billion. Major markets--EU 56.9%, Russia 10.1%, U.S. 6.5%, China 3.2%. Imports--$68.9 billion. Major suppliers--EU 55.3%, Russia 14.1%, China 7.5%, U.S. 3.8%.

==History==
The origins of the Finnish people are still a matter of conjecture, although many scholars argue that their original home was in what is now west-central Siberia. The Finns arrived in their present territory thousands of years ago, pushing the indigenous Lapps into the more remote northern regions. Finnish and Lappish--the language of Finland's small Lapp minority--both are Finno-Ugric languages and are in the Uralic rather than the Indo-European family.

Finland's nearly 700-year association with the Kingdom of Sweden began in 1154 with the introduction of Christianity by Sweden's King Eric. During the ensuing centuries, Finland played an important role in the political life of the Swedish-Finnish realm, and Finnish soldiers often predominated in Swedish armies. Finns also formed a significant proportion of the first "Swedish" settlers in 17th-century America.

Following Finland's incorporation into Sweden in the 12th century, Swedish became the dominant language, although Finnish recovered its predominance after a 19th-century resurgence of Finnish nationalism. Publication in 1835 of the Finnish national epic, The Kalevala--a collection of traditional myths and legends--first stirred the nationalism that later led to Finland's independence from Russia.

In 1809, Finland was conquered by the armies of Czar Alexander I and thereafter remained an autonomous grand duchy connected with the Russian Empire until the end of 1917. On December 6, 1917, shortly after the Bolshevik Revolution in Russia, Finland declared its independence. In 1918, the country experienced a brief but bitter civil war that colored domestic politics for many years. During World War II, Finland fought the Soviet Union twice--in the [[Winter War]] of 1939-40 and again in the Continuation War of 1941-44. This was followed by the Lapland War of 1944-45, when Finland fought against the Germans as they withdrew their forces from northern Finland.

During the Continuation War (1941-1944) Finland was a co-belligerent with Germany. However, Finnish Jews were not persecuted. Of the approximately 500 Jewish refugees who arrived in Finland, eight were handed over to the Germans, for which Finland submitted an official apology in 2000. Also during the war, approximately 2,600 Soviet prisoners of war were exchanged for 2,100 Finnish prisoners of war from Germany. In 2003, the Simon Wiesenthal Center submitted an official request for a full-scale investigation by the Finnish authorities of the prisoner exchange. It was established there were about 70 Jews among the extradited prisoners but none was extradited as a result of ethnic background or religious belief.

Treaties signed in 1947 and 1948 with the Soviet Union included obligations and restraints on Finland vis-a-vis the U.S.S.R. as well as territorial concessions by Finland; both have been abrogated by Finland since the 1991 dissolution of the Soviet Union.

[http://www.conservapedia.com/Template:Copyright_Details_%28US_Government%29 Copyright Details]

[[Category:Finland]]
[[Category:European Countries]]
[[Category:EU Members]]
[[Category:Nordic Countries]]

Pat Robertson

2008-02-24T05:43:26Z

Hermann1359: "centrist" = closet liberal

'''Pat Robertson''' is a [[conservative]] [[American]] [[evangelist]], [[spiritual]] leader and [[politics|political]] leader, also owner and presenter of the [[TV]] show ''[[The 700 Club]]''. Robertson sought the 1988 [[Republican]] Presidential nomination and even managed to carry [[Washington]] State in the primary caucuses by mobilizing his supporters. He also ran in 1992.

Robertson graduated from Washington and Lee university in 1950, served in the [[Marine]]s during the [[Korean War]], then earned a law degree from [[Yale]] (1955) and a masters degree from the New York Theological Seminary (1959).<ref>http://www.infoplease.com/biography/var/patrobertson.html</ref>

In November, 2007, Robertson endorsed [[liberal]] Republican Presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani. <ref>[http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,308997,00.html Fox News - Robertson endorses Giuliani]</ref>

== Quotes on liberalism ==

"Just like what [[Nazi Germany]] did to the Jews, so [[liberal]] America is now doing to the evangelical Christians. It's no different. It is the same thing. It is happening all over again. It is the Democratic Congress, the [[liberal-based media]], and the [[homosexual]]s who want to destroy the Christians. Wholesale abuse and [[discrimination]] and the worst [[bigot]]ry directed toward any group in America today. More terrible than anything suffered by any minority in history." <ref>Pat Robertson, interview with Molly Ivins, 1993.</ref>

"The [[Feminism|feminist agenda]] is not about equal rights for women. It is about a [[socialist]], anti-family political movement that encourages women to leave their husbands, [[abortion|kill their children]], practice [[witchcraft]], destroy capitalism, and become [[Homosexuality|lesbian]]s." <ref>Pat Robertson, fund-raising letter, 1992</ref>

==Quotes on the secular movement==

"How can there be peace when drunkards, drug dealers, [[communist]]s, [[atheist]]s, [[Occult|New Age]] worshipers of Satan, [[secular humanist]]s, oppressive dictators, greedy money changers, revolutionary assassins, [[adulterer]]s, and homosexuals are on top?" <ref>Pat Robertson, The New World Order, p.227</ref>

==Quotes on the ecumenical movement==

"You say you're supposed to be nice to the Episcopalians and the Presbyterians and the Methodists and this, that, and the other thing. Nonsense! I don't have to be nice to the spirit of the Antichrist. I can love the people who hold false opinions, but I don't have to be nice to them." <ref>Pat Robertson, "The 700 Club," January 14, 1991.</ref>

==Quotes on [[National Socialism]]==

"Many of those people involved with [[Adolph Hitler]] were [[Satanist]]s, many of them were homosexuals."<ref>Pat Robertson, The 700 Club television program, January 21, 1993</ref>

==Quotes on Zambia==

To Zambian President Frederick Chiluba, who in 1991 declared Zambia "A Christian Nation:" "Your country is a a standard for not only Africa but the rest of the world...Wouldn't you love to have someone like that as president of the United States of America?...The term 'Christian nation' seems to scare a lot of people in this nation of ours, but what Chiluba said is that it gives us a yardstick to measure the performance of the government. Otherwise, we have no yardstick." (One of Chiluba's first acts as President was to make all public schools and state-run radio and television conform to Fundamentalist Christianity. His "anti-pornography" crusade involved fundamentalist ministers and missionaries joining forces with police to burn material they'd deemed obscene.)

==Quotes on South Africa==

"I think 'one man, one vote,' just unrestricted democracy, would not be wise. There needs to be some kind of protection for the minority which the white people represent now, a minority, and they need and have a right to demand a protection of their rights."
<ref>Pat Robertson, The 700 Club television program, March 18, 1992</ref>

==References==

<references/>

{{DEFAULTSORT:Robertson, Pat}}

[[Category:Political people]]
[[category:Ministers]]

Liberal tricks

2008-02-24T04:11:22Z

Hermann1359: fixed spelling

Here are some common [[liberal]] tricks that many people fall for:

* it doesn't hurt to try!
* everyone else supposedly believes in something so it must be right
* your parents aren't cool
* Hollywood is cool
* there is a shortage of everything we want

(please add to list)
[[category:liberals]]

Telescope

2008-02-20T02:20:54Z

Hermann1359:

The '''telescope''' is an [[optical]] instrument made with lenses and [[mirror]]s which shows magnified views of distant objects. Its [[invention]] is usually credited to [[Hans Lippershey]]. However, [[Galileo|Galileo Galilei]] later made significant improvements to the telescope. He was the first person to use telescope to look at objects in the [[sky]] and to write about what he discovered.

Galileo discovered the [[moon]]s that revolve around the [[planet]] [[Jupiter]]. These can seen by anyone with a pair of modern [[binocular]]s; they usually look like three or four [[star]]s that are close to Jupiter and all lined up in a straight line. This discovery was important, because at the time [[philosopher]]s and [[theologian]]s believed that everything in the [[universe]] revolved around the [[Earth]]. They even believed that this design reflected the will of [[God]]. Galileo's discoveries, and his insistence on publishing them, put him into conflict with the [[Catholic Church]] and even led to his being put under house arrest.

The simplest telescopes (and the kind Galileo worked with) are built with two lenses in a tube.

During the twentieth century, [[astronomer]]s built huge telescopes. Some of the most famous in the United States are:

*the [[Lick Observatory]] on Mount Hamilton near San Jose, [[California]];
*the [[Yerkes Observatory]] in the resort area on the shore of [[Lake Geneva]] in [[Wisconsin]];
*the [[Mount Palomar Observatory]] near San Diego, [[California]];
*the [[Keck Telescope]] on Mauna Kea in [[Hawaii]].
*the [[Hubble Space Telescope]], in Earth orbit.

[[Category:Astronomy]]

Telescope

2008-02-20T02:20:21Z

Hermann1359:

The '''telescope''' is an [[optical]] instrument made with lenses and [[mirror]]s, which shows magnified views of distant objects. Its [[invention]] is usually credited to [[Hans Lippershey]]. However, [[Galileo|Galileo Galilei]] later made significant improvements to the telescope. He was the first person to use telescope to look at objects in the [[sky]] and to write about what he discovered.

Galileo discovered the [[moon]]s that revolve around the [[planet]] [[Jupiter]]. These can seen by anyone with a pair of modern [[binocular]]s; they usually look like three or four [[star]]s that are close to Jupiter and all lined up in a straight line. This discovery was important, because at the time [[philosopher]]s and [[theologian]]s believed that everything in the [[universe]] revolved around the [[Earth]]. They even believed that this design reflected the will of [[God]]. Galileo's discoveries, and his insistence on publishing them, put him into conflict with the [[Catholic Church]] and even led to his being put under house arrest.

The simplest telescopes (and the kind Galileo worked with) are built with two lenses in a tube.

During the twentieth century, [[astronomer]]s built huge telescopes. Some of the most famous in the United States are:

*the [[Lick Observatory]] on Mount Hamilton near San Jose, [[California]];
*the [[Yerkes Observatory]] in the resort area on the shore of [[Lake Geneva]] in [[Wisconsin]];
*the [[Mount Palomar Observatory]] near San Diego, [[California]];
*the [[Keck Telescope]] on Mauna Kea in [[Hawaii]].
*the [[Hubble Space Telescope]], in Earth orbit.

[[Category:Astronomy]]

Kurt Gödel

2008-02-20T02:16:06Z

Hermann1359: spelling consistency

[[Image:Goel.jpg|thumb|right|Kurt Godel at Institute for Advanced Study]]
'''Kurt Gödel''' (1906-1978) was an Austrian mathematician who did pioneering work in logic and the foundations of mathematics. His Incompleteness Theorem demonstrated some limitations of the program that would have placed all of mathematics on a complete axiomatic basis.

Gödel published his remarkable proof in 1931. He showed that in any consistent (first-order) axiomatic mathematical system there are always propositions that cannot be proved or disproved using the axioms of the system. He additionally showed that it is impossible to prove the consistency of the axioms from those same axioms. This was the famous incompleteness theorem: any axiomatic system powerful enough to describe arithmetic on natural numbers cannot be both consistent and complete. Moreover, the consistency of the axioms cannot be proven within the system.

Gödel's work abruptly ended a half-century of attempts, beginning with the work of Frege and culminating in Principia Mathematica and Hilbert's formalism, to find a set of first-order axioms for all of mathematics that is both provably consistent as well as complete. [[Bertrand Russell]] had already published, in Principia Mathematica (1910-13), a massive attempt to axiomatize mathematics in a consistent, complete way. Gödel's proof also showed that the formalist approach of [[David Hilbert]] was bound to fail to prove consistency, the key being that Hilbert needed weaker theories (Peano Arithmetic) to prove the consistency of stronger theories (set theory).

The [[Gödel's incompleteness theorems|incompleteness theorems]] also imply that there is no mechanical procedure which would determine, for all sentences of mathematics S, whether or not S was a theorem of the axioms for mathematics.

Gödel's proof was a landmark for mathematics, and demonstrated that it can never be a finished project as many mathematicians had believed.

Among Gödel's other remarkable achievements: the first to discover a solution to Einstein's equation (for general relatively) in which there are closed, time-like curves. This means it is mathematically possible for there to be universes in which one can go back in time (provided one has enough fuel and time--something probably not physically possible).

[[Category:Mathematicians|Gödel, Kurt]]

Cell phone health scare

2008-02-20T02:07:50Z

Hermann1359: grammar

No '''cellphone-cancer link''' has been proven, although news [[media]] annually tout studies "suggesting" such a link and offering precautions.

==External links==

*[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7250372.stm 'Cancer link' to heavy mobile use]

Same-sex marriage

2008-02-16T08:24:47Z

Hermann1359: Undo revision 388720 by Special:Contributions/Babuyagu (User talk:Babuyagu)

[[Image:Cycle.gif|thumbnail|200px|right|A recent study by the [[Canada|Canadian]] government states that "violence was twice as common among homosexual couples compared with [[heterosexual]] couples".<ref>http://www.nationalpost.com/scripts/story.html?id=5a6dc0ec-3807-4f5c-a5ad-c50855986682&k=55181&p=2 Aforementioned Canadian Study.</ref>]]
{{move|same-sex marriage}}

'''Same-sex marriage''' is the term for a [[marriage]] in which both parties involved are of the same sex. The "same-sex marriage" movement supports the legal recognition of marriages between people of the same sex.

__TOC__

Same-sex marriage is sometimes referred to as "[[homosexuality|gay]] marriage" or "[[homosexuality|homosexual]] marriage", though these names are technically incorrect as the sexual orientations of the partners do not determine the nature of the marriage (just as a homosexual man married to a homosexual woman would not be part of a same-sex marriage). "Same-sex marriage" is the official certification in jurisdictions that allow a union between two people of the same sex. Social conservatives regard same-sex marriage as immoral, and argue that use of the word "[[marriage]]" is a misnomer, because the [[Form of Solemnization of Matrimony|marriage services]] of Christian denominations define marriage as the union of a man and a woman,<ref>E.g. In some Christian marriage ceremonies,the wedding will begin with a statement along the lines of: "Dearly beloved: We have come together in the presence of God to witness and bless the joining together of this man and this woman in Holy Matrimony." ''The Book of Common Prayer,'' Episcopal Church, The Church Hymnal Corporation and the Seabury Press, 1979: "The Celebration and Blessing of a Marriage," p. 423</ref> a definition which was also written into United States federal law in 1996.

Dr. [[James Dobson]]'s [[Focus on the Family]] refers to the phrase ''same-sex 'marriage,''' with quotation marks around the word ''marriage,'' to call attention to his belief that marriage—civil as well as religious—is intrinsically a union between a man and a woman, and that he therefore believes that same-sex unions are "counterfeits."<ref>[http://www.family.org/socialissues/A000000464.cfm Same-Sex 'Marriage' and Civil Unions], ''Focus on the Family's'' website</ref>

Abuse of the term was unheard of a few decades ago; however, these unions are now among a number of issues advocated by [[liberal]] activists. In the United States, marriage is primarily governed by each individual state and marriage laws differ from state to state. Several states allow [[civil union]]s between two people of the same sex, and one, Massachusetts, currently allows same-sex marriage. These marriages are not recognized by the Federal government.

== Background ==
In 1996 Congress recognized the likelihood that [[liberal]] activists would soon seek changes to the laws in some states that pertain to gay people. It considered the possibility of test cases reaching the Supreme Court, and of the court conceivably ruling that a state—even though it prohibits same-sex marriage itself—must honor same-sex marriages performed in another state. The Defense of Marriage act, which was passed and signed by President Clinton, prevents this possibility, and also prevents the Federal Government from recognizing marriage as anything other than a union between a man and a woman.

In 1999 a Vermont court ruled that under its constitution, it was not required to allow same-sex marriage but was required to make provisions to grant same-sex couples legal rights identical to those provided by marriage. Vermont responded by creating "civil unions," which are legally distinct from marriages but convey the same rights. As of 2007, California, Connecticut, New Jersey, and Maine also provide civil unions or "domestic partnerships." Beginning in 2008, the states of Washington, Oregon, and New Hampshire will also provide same-sex unions. Hawaii provides certain benefits to same sex couples. <ref>[http://www.newsday.com/news/local/wire/connecticut/ny-bc-ct--civilunions-optio0531may31,0,341613.story?coll=ny-region-apconnecticut Newsday]</ref> In 2003 the Massachusetts Supreme Court ruled that under Massachusetts' constitution, same-sex couples could not be denied Massachusetts marriage licenses, making Massachusetts the sole state to issue same-sex marriage licenses.<ref>Because of an antiquated Massachusetts law, Massachusetts same-sex marriages are all-but-limited to Massachusetts residents. The law says that an out-of-state couple cannot be married if their marriage would not be recognized in their home state. Same-sex marriages are not recognized under federal law or in most other states.</ref>

Same sex marriage is legal in five countries: [[South Africa]], [[Spain]], [[Canada]], the [[Netherlands]] and [[Belgium]]. Other countries, such as [[France]], [[Germany]], and the [[United Kingdom]], recognize [[civil unions]] and [[domestic partnership]]s.<ref>[http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2004-03/05/content_311998.htm Countries worldwide address gay marriage]</ref>

The religious ceremony of marriage is governed by each denomination and is unaffected by laws passed by civil authority. Same-sex marriage is forbidden in Orthodox Judaism, Catholicism, and most mainstream Protestant denominations. In Massachusetts, however, about 6% of all marriages are same-sex marriages, so this does not appear to be a problem. <ref>[http://www.massequality.org/news/news_story.php?id=273]</ref><ref>http://www.pdfdownload.org/pdf2html/pdf2html.php?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cdc.gov%2Fnchs%2Fdata%2Fnvss%2Fmarriage90_04.pdf&images=yes</ref>

Public attitude toward same-sex marriage parallels attitude toward homosexuality. In general, it is opposed by social conservatives and outside of this group, support is split down the middle leaning to opposition.<ref>[http://www.abcnews.go.com/sections/us/Relationships/same_sex_marriage_poll_040121.html Same Sex Marriage Poll from ABC News]</ref>

== Issues ==
James Dobson of ''Focus on the Family'' suggests that the motivation of those advocating same-sex marriage is not to secure the benefits of marriage for gay couples, but to destroy the institution of marriage itself:
:...most gays and lesbians do not want to marry each other. That would entangle them in all sorts of legal constraints. Who needs a lifetime commitment to one person? The intention here is to destroy marriage altogether. With marriage as we know it gone, everyone would enjoy all the legal benefits of marriage (custody rights, tax-free inheritance, joint ownership of property, health care and spousal citizenship, etc.,) without limiting the number of partners or their gender. Nor would "couples" be bound to each other in the eyes of the law. This is clearly where the movement is headed.<ref>[http://www.focusonthefamily.com/docstudy/newsletters/A000000771.cfm Marriage on the Ropes], Dr. James Dobson, retrieved from ''Focus on the Family'', 15 May 2007. </ref>

According to a March, 2007 report, there are 65,000 adopted children in the U.S. being raised by same-sex couples. The same report says 14,100 foster children were being raised by one or more gay or lesbian foster parents.<ref>[http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/06/25/gay.adoption/index.html Gay adoption: A new take on the American family]</ref>

In Great Britain, the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) has expressed its full support to the stand taken by the Catholic Church opposing regulations on gay adoption. The Catholic Church sought to be exempt from the new law. The Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams of the Church of England, supports the Catholic Church's efforts declaring that the rights of conscience cannot be subject to laws. Catholic leaders have already said that its teachings prevent its agencies placing children with homosexuals and they will have to close if bound by the rules. The MCB, the UK's leading Muslim umbrella group embracing over 400 affiliated organizations, said that while it supported anti-discrimination laws, homosexuality is forbidden in Islam. <ref>[http://www2.irna.com/en/news/view/menu-234/0701266670200554.htm UK Muslim group backs Christian opposition to gay adoption rules London], Islamic republic News Agency, Jan 26, 2007.</ref>

Studies indicate that homosexual couples have higher rates of promiscuity than heterosexual couples. In addition, studies report that [[Homosexual Couples and Domestic Violence|homosexual couples have significantly higher incidences of violent behavior]].{{fact}} These studies are not surprising given what pathologists have stated regarding the [[Homosexuality and Murders|commonness and brutality of homosexual murders]]. The prevalence of violence and emotional abuse in gay domestic partnerships.A particularly worrisome factor among [[gay rights]] [[activist]]s is One survey found 53% of gays felt if the high incidence of violence against partners in homosexual relationships was known and understood by the heterosexual population, it would hinder the drive for gay rights.{{fact}}

Domestic abuse is divided into two categories, emotional abuse and physical abuse. While gay domestic abuse has not been studied to the extent that heterosexual relationships have, [[Homosexual Couples and Domestic Violence|preliminary studies indicate a much higher level of abuse]].

One type of emotional abuse--threatening to "out" a partner to family, friends, or employers--is unique to homosexual relationships. Legalization of so-called "gay marriage" still would not end this type of abuse. Morality cannot be legislated.

Although the studies are decades behind heterosexual studies on violence between men and women, the indications are that homosexual relationships suffer from a much higher degree of physical violence than heterosexual relationships. Several studies have been made, and more are ongoing. However, it is safe to say at this juncture, that [[Homosexual Couples and Domestic Violence|homosexual domestic relationships suffer from violence two to four times higher than the well studied incidence in heterosexual relationships]].

==See also==
*[[Intimate Partner Violence]]

==Reference==
{{reflist|2}}

[[Category:Homosexual Agenda]]

President of the United States of America

2008-02-16T08:24:22Z

Hermann1359: Undo revision 388719 by Special:Contributions/Babuyagu (User talk:Babuyagu)

[[Image:Presidential seal 506x508.gif|thumbnail|right|300px|The [[United States]] Presidential Seal]]
The '''President of the United States''' is the head of the [[United States of America|U.S.]] [[Executive Branch]]. As the [[head of state]] of the [[United States of America]] the President is one of the most powerful people in the [[world]]. The writers of the [[United States Constitution|constitution]] recognized that they were writing a job description which, in [[England]], was and is filled by the office of the [[Prime Minister]] and position of the [[Monarchy|Monarch]]. At that time, the Monarchy of England did not seem to serve the common man and the Founders wanted to create a [[government]] that did.
==Current President==
The current President is [[George W. Bush]]. He is scheduled to leave office on January 20, 2009.
His successor will be [[2008 Presidential Election|elected in 2008]].

==Election==
The President is selected every four years by the American people, although not through a [[popular vote]] but rather through the [[Electoral College]]. This process makes the Presidency one of the few elected officials in the [[United States of America]] chosen indirectly.

==Term Limits==
After [[Franklin Roosevelt]] served a little over twelve years in office, [[Congress]] passed a [[Constitutional Amendment]] restricting future Presidents to two terms.

However if the Vice President succeeds to the Presidency, with no more than two years left in the prior President's term, he is allowed to run for two terms, raising the potential time in office to ten years.

The first President to whom term limits applied was [[Dwight D. Eisenhower]].

==See Also==
[[Vice President of the United States of America]]

==Presidents list==

{| class="wikitable"
|-
!President
!Years
!State
!Party
!Vice President(s)
|-
|1. [[George Washington]]
|1789-1797
|[[Virginia]]
|none
|Adams
|-
|2. [[John Adams]]
|1797-1801
|[[Massachusetts]]
|Federalist
|Jefferson
|-
|3. [[Thomas Jefferson]]
|1801-1809
|[[Virginia]]
|Democratic-Republican
|Burr, Clinton
|-
|4. [[James Madison]]
|1809-1817
|[[Virginia]]
|Democratic-Republican
|Clinton, Gerry
|-
|5. [[James Monroe]]
|1817-1825
|[[Virginia]]
|Democratic-Republican
|Tompkins
|-
|6. [[John Q. Adams]]
|1825-1829
|[[Massachusetts]]
|National Republican
|Calhoun
|-
|7. [[Andrew Jackson]]
|1829-1837
|[[Tennessee]]
|Democratic
|Calhoun, Van Buren
|-
|8. [[Martin van Buren]]
|1837-1841
|[[New York]]
|Democratic
|Johnson
|-
|9. [[William H. Harrison]]
|1841
|none
|Whig
|Tyler
|-
|10. [[John Tyler]]
|1841-1845
|[[Virginia]]
|Whig
|none
|-
|11. [[James Knox Polk]]
|1845-1849
|[[Tennessee]]
|Democratic
|Dallas
|-
|12. [[Zachary Taylor]]
|1849-1850
|none
|Whig
|Filmore
|-
|13. [[Millard Filmore]]
|1850-1853
|[[New York]]
|Whig
|none
|-
|14. [[Franklin Pierce]]
|1853-1857
|[[New Hampshire]]
|Democratic
|King
|-
|15. [[James Buchanan]]
|1857-1861
|[[Pennsylvania]]
|Democratic
|Breckenridge
|-
|16. [[Abraham Lincoln]]
|1861-1865
|[[Illinois]]
|Republican
|Hamlin, Grant
|-
|17. [[Andrew Johnson]]
|1865-1869
|[[Tennessee]]
|none
|none
|-
|18. [[Ulysses S. Grant]]
|1869-1877
|[[Ohio]]
|Republican
|Colfax, Wilson
|-
|19. [[Rutherford Hayes]]
|1877-1881
|[[Ohio]]
|Republican
|Wheeler
|-
|20. [[James Garfield]]
|1881
|[[Ohio]]
|Republican
|Arthur
|-
|21. [[Chester Arthur]]
|188-1885
|[[New York]]
|Republican
|none
|-
|22. [[Grover Cleveland]]
|1885-1889
|[[New York]]
|Democratic
|Hendricks
|-
|23. [[Benjamin Harrison]]
|1889-1893
|[[Ohio]]
|Republican
|Morton
|-
|24. [[Grover Cleveland]]
|1893-1897
|[[New York]]
|Democratic
|Stevenson
|-
|25. [[William McKinley]]
|1897-1901
|[[Ohio]]
|Republican
|Roosevelt
|-
|26. [[Theodore Roosevelt]]
|1901-1909
|[[New York]]
|Republican
|Fairbanks
|-
|27. [[William Taft]]
|1909-1913
|[[Ohio]]
|Republican
|Sherman
|-
|28. [[Woodrow Wilson]]
|1913-1921
|[[Virginia]]
|Democratic
|Marshall
|-
|29. [[Warren G. Harding]]
|1921-1923
|[[Ohio]]
|Republican
|Coolidge
|-
|30. [[Calvin Coolidge]]
|1923-1929
|[[Massachusetts]]
|Republican
|Dawes
|-
|31. [[Herbert Hoover]]
|1929-1933
|[[California]]
|Republican
|Curtis
|-
|32. [[Franklin Roosevelt]]
|1933-1945
|[[New York]]
|Democratic
|Garner, [[Henry A. Wallace|Wallace]], Truman
|-
|33. [[Harry S. Truman]]
|1945-1953
|[[Kansas]]
|Democratic
|Barkley
|-
|34. [[Dwight D. Eisenhower]]
|1953-1961
|[[Pennsylvania]]
|Republican
|Nixon
|-
|35. [[John F. Kennedy]]
|1961-1963
|[[Massachusetts]]
|Democratic
|Johnson
|-
|36. [[Lyndon Johnson]]
|1963-1969
|[[Texas]]
|Democratic
|Humphrey
|-
|37. [[Richard Nixon]]
|1969-1974
|[[California]]
|Republican
|Agnew, Ford
|-
|38. [[Gerald Ford]]
|1974-1977
|[[Nebraska]]
|Republican
|Rockefeller
|-
|39. [[Jimmy Carter]]
|1977-1981
|[[Georgia]]
|Democratic
|Mondale
|-
|40. [[Ronald Reagan]]
|1981-1989
|[[California]]
|Republican
|Bush, Sr.
|-
|41. [[George H.W. Bush]]
|1989-1993
|[[Texas]]
|Republican
|Quayle
|-
|42. [[Bill Clinton]]
|1993-2001
|[[Arkansas]]
|Democratic
|Gore
|-
|43. [[George W. Bush]]
|1981-present
|[[Texas]]
|Republican
|Cheney
|-
|}

{{USPresidents}}
[[Category: United States]]
[[Category: United States Government]]
[[Category: United States Elected Officials]]
[[Category: President of the United States]]
[[Category:United States History]]

John McCain

2008-02-16T08:24:02Z

Hermann1359: Undo revision 388718 by Special:Contributions/Babuyagu (User talk:Babuyagu)

[[Image:Casmier.jpg|right|thumb]]
'''John Sidney McCain III''' (born August 29, 1936)<ref>[http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=m000303 Biographical Directory of the United States Congress]</ref> is the senior Senator from the state of [[Arizona]], having served 20 years after replacing [[Barry Goldwater]] in 1986. He is currently the Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Armed Services.<ref>[http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=m000303 Biographical Directory of the United States Congress]</ref> McCain is a candidate for the [[Republican]] nomination for [[President of the United States of America|President of the United States]] in the [[2008 Presidential Election|2008 Election]].<ref>[http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,255535,00.html John McCain Announces Plans for '08 Presidential Candidacy on 'Late Night With David Letterman'], Associated Press, 1 March 2007</ref> McCain is a Baptist.<ref> http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,296973,00.html McCain Identifies Himself as a Baptist</ref>

McCain has been married twice. His first marriage, to Carol Shepp, ended in divorce in 1980. His second and current wife is Cindy Lou Hensley.

==Early Life==
McCain was born in the [[Panama]] Canal Zone. He was educated in Alexandria, [[Virginia]] before receiving his Bachelors of Science from the [[United States Naval Academy]] in 1958.<ref>[http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/m/john_mccain/index.html John McCain] at the New York Times</ref>

==Military Career==
McCain served in the [[United States Navy]] from 1958 to 1981. He was shot down over Hanoi in 1967 during the Vietnam Conflict and held as a Prisoner of War for seven years.<ref>[http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/m/john_mccain/index.html John McCain] at the New York Times</ref> McCain graduated from the National War College in 1974. Upon his retirement from the Navy in 1981, as a Captain, he had been commended with the Silver Star, Legion of Merit, Purple Heart, and Distinguished Flying Cross.<ref> [http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=m000303 Biographical Directory of the United States Congress]</ref>

==Political Career==
McCain was elected to the [[House of Representatives]] from Arizona's 1st district in 1982 and served two terms before being elected to the [[Senate]] in 1986. In 2000, he pursued the presidency but lost his bid for the Republican nomination to [[George W. Bush]], the first time he had lost an election.<ref>[http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/m/john_mccain/index.html John McCain] at the New York Times</ref> John McCain is currently running for presidency of the United States as a Republican.

==Political Record==

#National defense: McCain, a veteran, has been strong on national defense and a consistent supporter of the [[Iraq War]].
#[[Abortion]]: On Senate votes directly concerning abortion, McCain has voted on the pro-life side.
#Government Spending. McCain has vigorously advocated for the elimination of so-called "[[pork-barrel]]" spending. He voted against President Bush's Medicare Prescription Drug Act on the grounds that it was too costly.
#[[Evolution]]: McCain's position is that [[intelligent design]] should be taught along with the [[theory of evolution]].
#[[Campaign finance]]: In 2002, McCain joined with liberal Democrat Russell Feingold to prohibit independent groups from advertising about a candidate within many weeks of an election. This law prohibits ads that do not even recommend for whom to vote, but merely urge people to contact their representatives concerning a vote that the representatives will make in Congress. A court recently declared this unconstitutional.
#[[Same-sex marriage]]: In 2006, McCain joined Democrats and liberal Republicans in voting against the Federal Marriage Amendment to protect traditional marriage. Later, on ''Hardball'', McCain declared, "On the issue of the gay marriage, I believe that people want to have private ceremonies, that's fine." Also, McCain's home state of Arizona was the only state to defeat a marriage referendum (in 2006), as McCain did nothing to support it.
#[[Gambling]]: The McCain-Feingold campaign finance law allows Indian nations (which get nearly all their money from unregulated casinos) to make unlimited political donations, even though political donations by American citizens are strictly limited and political spending by corporations is prohibited.
#Tax cuts: McCain opposed President George W. Bush's tax cuts, on the argument that cutting taxes without also cutting spending was not actually a tax cut, but was a tax on future generations. He now supports keeping the Bush tax cuts in place.
#Criticism of the religious right: In his unsuccessful campaign in 2000, McCain criticized elements of the religious right.
#[[Gun control]]: In 2002, McCain supported [[gun control]] by joining with [[Democrat]] [[Joseph Lieberman]] to push legislation that would shut down gun shows.<ref>[http://www.haciendapub.com/gunpage10.html "Gun Shows and Gun Control: McCain Is at It Again!"]</ref>
#Immigration: In 2005-2006, McCain joined with liberal Senator [[Ted Kennedy]] to support a sweeping bill that was favorable to illegal aliens. It has not passed.
#"Gang of 14": On May 23, 2005, McCain was part of a group of 14 Senators who blocked the planned "nuclear option" for confirming blocked Republican nominees for the bench. Under this compromise a few judicial nominees were allowed to be confirmed (Janice Rogers Brown, Priscilla Owen and William Pryor), but others (e.g., Henry Saad) remained blocked and had to withdraw.
#Senate Attendance Record. McCain has missed 33% of the Senate votes in early 2007, far more than the leading Democratic contenders.<ref>http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/news/articles/0331missedvotes0331.html</ref>

== Electability ==
McCain has the reputation as an independent-minded maverick <ref>[http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/14/AR2007031402301.html McCain Fighting to Recapture Maverick Spirit of 2000 Bid], [[Michael Shear|Michael D. Shear]], ''[[Washington Post]]'', March 15, 2007</ref> and Media Darling <ref>[http://www.thenation.com/doc/20070305/blumenthal McCain Mutiny], [[Max Blumenthal]], ''[[The Nation]]'', February 21, 2007</ref>. "McCain is not only not conservative enough; he has also has built a reputation as a maverick by stabbing his party in the back -- not in furtherance of conservative principles but by betraying them. McCain delights in sticking it to his colleagues while winning accolades from the [[Mainstream media|mainstream liberal media]]." <ref>[http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=24669 'Maverick' and 'Conservative' Aren't Synonyms], [[David Limbaugh]], ''[[Human Events]]'', 01/25/2008</ref>

John McCain was a member of the [[Keating Five]], a scandal relating to the [[Savings and Loan Crisis]]. The Senate Ethics Committee criticized him for "questionable conduct."

John McCain has cancer (melanoma) and has undergone multiple operations for it.<ref>http://www.riskworld.com/PressRel/2001/01q3/PR01a027.htm</ref> Cancer was an issue that hurt the presidential candidacy of Paul Tsongas in 1992. However, it was not even mentioned in the 2004 presidential campaign, despite the fact that John Kerry was treated for prostate cancer in early 2003.

John McCain will is 71 years old, making him one of the oldest candidates to seek the presidency. Several issues relating to McCain's advanced aged and health have been discussed in the media.<ref>http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/03/18/mccain.ap/index.html?eref=rss_politics</ref>

Among evangelicals, who form the multi-million vote bloc which was essential to electing President [[George W. Bush]], John McCain is weak on trust. [[James Dobson]], a leading evangelical, has already declared that he "would not vote for John McCain under any circumstances."<ref>http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/news/politics/elections/16473337.htm</ref> McCain has attempted to make amends with Dobson and the late evangelical leader [[Jerry Falwell]], including speaking at Falwell's Liberty University in an attempt to patch his relations with evangelicals.

McCain and [[Ron Paul]] are the only presidential candidates in either party to have served in the military.

== Fundraising ==

McCain has struggled to raise money for his campaign, a sign of weakness for a frontrunner. "Former [[Massachusetts]] Governor [[Mitt Romney]] raised $23 million for his presidential campaign in the first three months of [2007], almost doubling the total of top Republican contender John McCain. McCain, an [[Arizona]] senator, brought in about $12.5 million in the first quarter, his campaign said. 'We had hoped to do better,' said Terry Nelson, his campaign manager. Former [[New York]] Mayor [[Rudy Giuliani]] said he raised $15 million, including more than $10 million in March alone."<ref>http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601070&sid=aZ7SuEo0wuMM&refer=home</ref>

== Votes Missed ==

As of August 2007, McCain had missed more votes during the current session of Congress than any Senator other than [[South Dakota]] [[Democrat]] [[Tim Johnson]], who had suffered a brain hemorrhage that had kept him from Congress. He had missed over 48% of his votes. <ref>Lawrence Journal-World, August 10, 2007</ref> This is due to the fact that he is running for President, and he has to attend political rallies across the country.

==Further reading==
*'''McCain. John''' ''My six years of hell: John McCain recalls life as a prisoner of war in Vietnam'' [http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/worldnews.html?in_article_id=513224&in_page_id=1811 Daily Mail]. Accessed 9 February 2008

==See Also==
* [[John McCain 2008 Presidential Campaign]]
* [[Previous Breaking News/John McCain|Articles about '''John McCain''' from previous "Breaking News"]]

==References==

<references/>

{{2008 presidential candidates}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:McCain, John}}
[[Category:United States Senators]]
[[Category:Republican Party]]

Conservapedia:American Government Fall 2007

2008-02-16T08:23:37Z

Hermann1359: Undo revision 388717 by Special:Contributions/Babuyagu (User talk:Babuyagu)

'''Current enrollment: 46 students, 3 teachers'''

"American Government 101" is a 14-week course that teaches the basics of government, both [[federal]] and state. It reviews the [[U.S. Constitution]], including concepts like the [[separation of powers]] among the branches of government.

Students seeking to earn college credit can take the [[CLEP]] or [[AP]] exams upon successful completion of this course.

This course begins in September and already 24 students have enrolled. Please add your user id. (use the signature button above) if you would like to participate in this course in any way, either as a student or as a teacher on this site, and your name will be transferred to a roster. As an enrolled participant, you will have special access to a protected area established for this course.

Teenagers are welcome as students, and advanced college students and adults are welcome as teachers. The primary instructor is [[User:Aschlafly|Andy Schlafly]], who has taught over 10 courses, including one as an adjunct professor at a major law school.

== Homework and Contest ==

This course will have weekly homework that will use the following point system. To earn credit, the entries should relate to government in some way.

*'''Add new entries for the [[:Category:United States Government]]'''
**Examples include terms found in lectures, brightly colored links, government agencies or departments, clauses in the [[U.S. Constitution]] and special laws.
**Quality new entry: '''10 points'''
***A "quality new entry" includes at least two full-length paragraphs, three relevant citations, several links to other entries, some in-depth content and designations of category. Partial credit is awarded.
**Any new entry: '''6 points'''
**An additional bonus of '''3 points''' is awarded for adding a new entry on the "most-wanted" list, [[Special:Wantedpages]]

*'''Improvements of existing entries in the [[:Category:United States Government]]'''
**Quality edit of an existing entry: '''4 points'''
***A "quality edit" to an existing article includes at least two extra sentences, an additional reference, and the inclusion of an important or relevant fact.
**Minor edit, such as a correction, of an existing entry: '''2 points'''

*'''Adding a working link within [[American Government Lectures]]: 2 points'''

*'''Adding a working link within any entry in [[:Category:United States Government]]: 1 point'''

*'''An additional bonus of 1 point is awarded for adding a link to an entry on the [[Special:Deadendpages]], and thereby removing that entry from that list'''

Each week each student must achieve a total score of at least 25 points. Top-scoring students will be recognized each week.

During the course we will also have several weekly team contests, with recognition for teams and individuals scoring the most points.

== Syllabus ==

#Constitution
#Bill of Rights and Federalism
#Congress
#President and Bureaucracy
#Judiciary
#Public Opinion
#The Media
#Political Parties and Voting and Elections
#Interest Groups
#Civil Rights and Liberties
#Public and Economic Policy
#Foreign Policy
#Review

== CLEP ==

The [[CLEP]] exam on American Government tests these topics with these weightings:

#30-40%: legal aspects of government, including the [[U.S. Constitution]], [[federalism]], [[separation of powers]], [[checks and balances]], majority v. minority, theories of democracy, the courts, the [[Bill of Rights]], applying the [[Bill of Rights]] against the states, [[equal protection]] and [[due process]]
#30-35%: Three branches of government and how they relate with each other and with interest groups, the media, public opinion and political parties
#15-20%: Political parties and interest groups and elections
#10-15%: Political beliefs and behavior, including how opinions are formed and how opinion influences political leaders. BEWARE: THIS SECTION IS SUSCEPTIBLE TO [[liberal bias|LIBERAL BIAS]]

== AP ==

The [[AP]] exam on American Government tests these topics with these weightings:<ref>http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/ap/usgov/topics.html?usgovpol</ref>

#Institutions of National Government: The Congress, the Presidency, the Bureaucracy, and the Federal Courts (35-45%)
#Constitutional Underpinnings of United States Government (5-15%)
#Civil Rights and Civil Liberties (5-15%)
#Political Beliefs and Behaviors (10-20%)
#Political Parties, Interest Groups, and Mass Media (10-20%)
#Public Policy (5-15%)

Note that roughly the bottom half of the above topics are highly susceptible to [[liberal bias]].

== Interesting Issues in Government ==

#a liberal proposed that the next Democratic President add Justices to the Supreme Court. Lawful?
#should Congress limit judicial review, as in ending judicial review of the Pledge of Allegiance?
#the rule against interstate sales tax -- interference with state power?
#free 50 guilty defendants rather than convict one innocent one?
#Electoral college – scrap it?
#postal monopoly – end exclusivity for regular mail?
#line-item veto – constitutional?
#conditional declarations of war by Congress – constitutional?
#immigration - build a wall?
#excluding homeschoolers from public school activities – constitutional? Fair?
#are limits on campaign contributions constitutional?
#should we allow free trade with China? With countries that suppress religion?
#full free speech for corporations? In advertising? In denying wrongdoing?
#should corporations be able to donate directly to political campaigns?
#random drug testing of students in school activities – constitutional?
#equal protection clause – should it protect non-citizens? apply to gender?
#state discounts for residents – violate Privileges and Immunities Clause?
#non-delegation doctrine – can Congress delegate lawmaking to agencies?
#substantive due process – distinguish between economic and social rights?
#English-only laws for basic public school courses – constitutional?
#Title IX: athletes’ gender must be proportional to enrollment – constitutional?
#should the Bill of Rights be applied against the States?
#heat-seeking sensors to detect marijuana plants growing within homes - legal?

== Enroll here: ==
Add me -[[User:Baruch|Baruch]] 15:39, 17 August 2007 (EDT)

: Welcome! You're student #38, and participant #41 including teachers.--[[User:Aschlafly|Aschlafly]] 09:26, 18 August 2007 (EDT)

Hello, I would also like to enroll in this class, and am not sure if this is how to do so. Please let me know! [[User:Janewayne]]

: Welcome! You are student #37. This will be fun and you'll learn immensely. Godspeed.--[[User:Aschlafly|Aschlafly]] 13:36, 15 August 2007 (EDT)

What is this about, how can I enroll? [[User:Cyzward]]

: You just did. Welcome! We start in mid-September, and lectures will be posted here along with assignments, discussion, etc. You will learn American Government better than you thought possible. You are student #36, I think.--[[User:Aschlafly|Aschlafly]] 23:33, 14 August 2007 (EDT)

I would like to enroll in the American Government 101 class. I am a sophomore in high school.--[[User:Mcpannier|Mcpannier]] 12:26, 5 August 2007 (EDT)

: Fantastic! Welcome to the class, which will start in September. You are student #25 and you will have special access to a restricted area (namespace) for this course. In Christ,--[[User:Aschlafly|Aschlafly]] 15:06, 5 August 2007 (EDT)

i would like to enroll also...as i always slept through AG classes when younger :) --[[User:Wally|Wally]] 22:35, 5 August 2007 (EDT)

: Great, welcome! You're student #26 ... or teacher #2 depending on how much you really slept! Godspeed.--[[User:Aschlafly|Aschlafly]] 22:38, 5 August 2007 (EDT)
--[[User:A303springfield|A303springfield]] 00:14, 7 August 2007 (EDT)

:: Fantastic!! You're most welcome! You're student #28, and we have another teacher in addition to myself. We start in September but please feel free to edit here before then.--[[User:Aschlafly|Aschlafly]] 00:45, 7 August 2007 (EDT)
[[category:government]]
[[category:United States Government]]
[[category:homeschool curriculum]]

--[[User:Blu1001|Blu1001]] 19:16, 10 August 2007 (EDT) This sounds cool
*09:50, 11 August 2007 DanH (Talk | contribs | block) blocked "Blu1001 (contribs)" with an expiry time of infinite (sock of two blocked useres)
http://www.conservapedia.com/Special:Blockip/Blu1001

: He's our first expelled student!--[[User:Aschlafly|Aschlafly]] 15:10, 11 August 2007 (EDT)
Great, I would like to enroll please. I am 42 and am teaching my 10 year old about government. username: CDRobbins

: Great, you count as a new teacher, and your child as a new student. Both of you are enrolled and I'll increment the totals above.--[[User:Aschlafly|Aschlafly]] 19:42, 11 August 2007 (EDT)

'''ADD YOUR NAME HERE:'''

I have sent an email to Mr Schlafly explaining my desire to enrol. Even though I am a UK high school student, I hope you will still accept me. --[[User:TJ|TJ]] 09:26, 14 August 2007 (EDT)

: Welcome! It's great having a student from the UK. You are student #35 to enroll. You'll enjoy this and learn a great deal.--[[User:Aschlafly|Aschlafly]] 10:24, 14 August 2007 (EDT)

Name Sithlordsteven, or Steven, I wish to enroll! This course is one of the many courses I am looking forward to this semester. Is this how you enroll?

: Ah, great!!! You're participant number 43: 40 students and 3 teachers. Welcome!

I think I will try out the class. I hope I have the time for it, do you know exactly when it starts, ends and about what the time commitments each week will be?[[User:SPierce|SPierce]] 23:06, 18 August 2007 (EDT)

: Welcome! This is a weekly class, probably starting Thursday, September 13th and running weekly thereafter, with a few breaks that will enable students to catch up if they have to. There won't be a lot of work. This is about understanding a few concepts well. Quality, not quantity, is key. You're participant #44. Godspeed.--[[User:Aschlafly|Aschlafly]] 00:00, 19 August 2007 (EDT)

I am in 8th grade at a catholic school so I figure since we`re studing american historry I may as well learn about the Government- Mr.Random-a different kind of random

: Welcome! You're participant number 45. Godspeed.--[[User:Aschlafly|Aschlafly]] 13:36, 20 August 2007 (EDT)

Add me too please.-[[User:ShanaTova|ShanaTova]] 13:49, 25 August 2007 (EDT)

Add me please- --[[User:Draiocht|Draiocht]] 18:52, 28 August 2007 (EDT)

I would like to try this class. I'm not totally confident I can keep up with it. --[[User:Maxygolf|Maxygolf]] 00:00, 29 August 2007 (EDT)

: You're both in. Welcome!--[[User:Aschlafly|Aschlafly]] 00:13, 29 August 2007 (EDT)

I still would like to help as a teacher in this and the Supreme Court class. [[User:DanH|DanH]] 22:43, 11 September 2007 (EDT)

: Ah, great, Dan! You made my day. Please feel free to improve the point system and explanation on the first [[American Government Homework One]] and also [[American Government Lecture One]]. The class officially starts Thursday. The Supreme Court course will then begin a few days later, once we get on track with the American Government course.--[[User:Aschlafly|Aschlafly]] 23:12, 11 September 2007 (EDT)

I'll take a look at it tonight; I haven't been on in a day or two because my mother had surgery and I went to visit her at home. [[User:DanH|DanH]] 21:13, 13 September 2007 (EDT)

: Oh wow, Dan. We'll say some prayers for your mother. Class just started today and attention to the lecture one will increase now. In Christ,--[[User:Aschlafly|Aschlafly]] 21:17, 13 September 2007 (EDT)

== Interesting oddities ==

One federal district court unconstitutionally extends into a different state.<ref>http://www.casperstartribune.net/articles/2007/08/26/news/wyoming/d0a57f154e61c8068725734200604516.txt</ref>

== References ==

<references/>

Hillary Rodham Clinton

2008-02-16T08:23:08Z

Hermann1359: revert

[[Image:Hillary-6.jpg|right|thumb|300px|Hillary Rodham Clinton]]
'''Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton''' (b. 1947) is the junior [[United States Senate|Senator]] from [[New York]] and was [[First Lady]] of the United States of America during the [[Bill Clinton|Clinton Administration]] from 1993 to 2001. In 2000, she ran for the New York Senate seat vacated by the [[Democratic Party|Democratic]] Senator [[Daniel Patrick Moynihan]]. Backed by the White House, she obtained the Democratic nomination for this Senate seat, and then won easily against [[Republican Party|Republican]] Rick Lazio (who entered the race when [[Rudy Giuliani]] withdrew). She is now making a presidential run, and she formally announced her candidacy in early 2007.

==Presidential Campaign 1992==

===Raising taxes on foreign corporations===
In the final 72 hour election crunch of the [[1992 Presidential election]] at Hillary Clinton's behest, the issues were framed as "raising taxes on foreign corporations." Hillary Clinton alleged that the Bush/Quayle ticket, the [[Republican Party]], and the Reagan coalition wanted to grant foreign [[corporation]]s doing business in the [[United States]] massive tax cuts. The Clinton campaign promised to thwart these efforts and grant the American taxpayers a [[tax cut]].<ref>''The Agenda: Inside the Clinton White House'', Bob Woodward, NY: Simon & Schuster, 1994. [http://www.mediaresearch.org/mediawatch/1994/watch19940801.asp]</ref>

The result in the first 100 days after Clinton Administration won a plurality was a massive tax cut for foreign corporations through [[NAFTA]] and a [[tax increase]] on the American people.<ref>[http://www.clintonmemoriallibrary.com/clint_econ.html William Jefferson Clinton Memorial Library]. On Aug. 10, 1993, the largest tax increase in history was signed into law, raising taxes by almost $280 billion over five years. "Instead of middle-class tax relief, President Clinton chose to include in his $241 billion tax plan higher federal gasoline taxes, tax hikes on Social Security recipients, and steep income tax hikes on small business owners. The President even tried unsuccessfully to institute a brand new $71 billion [[BTU energy tax]] that would have cost the typical family nearly $500 per year." ''The President's Forgotten Middle Class,'' Joint Economic Committee, Majority Staff, 3/22/96.</ref>

===Domestic spying===

''The Hill'' magazine reported Hillary Clinton may have been involved in [[civil right]]s violations by monitoring [[illegal wiretap]]s and [[domestic spying]] on political opponents during the 1992 camapaign.<ref>[http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/gop-targeting-clinton-on-phone-call-snooping-2007-10-16.html GOP targeting Clinton on phone-call snooping], By Alexander Bolton, ''The Hill'', October 16, 2007.</ref> After the revelations came to light in a book entitled, ''Her Way'' [http://www.amazon.com/Her-Way-Ambitions-Hillary-Clinton/dp/0316017426] by Don Van Natta Jr., an investigative reporter at the ''[[New York Times]]'', and Jeff Gerth, who spent 30 years as an investigative reporter at the paper, a [[Republican]] official remarked,
{{Cquote|it is rather unbelievable that [Hillary] Clinton would listen in to conversations being conducted by political opponents, but refuse to allow our intelligence agencies to listen in to conversations being conducted by [[terrorist]]s as they plot and plan to kill us.<ref>[http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/gop-targeting-clinton-on-phone-call-snooping-2007-10-16.html GOP targeting Clinton on phone-call snooping], By Alexander Bolton, ''The Hill'', October 16, 2007.</ref> }}

== Record as First Lady ==

During [[Bill Clinton]]'s presidency Hillary Clinton initially played an important role. Immediately after his [[inauguration]] in 1993, Hillary Clinton embarked on a [[radical]] program to create a national health care system. She headed a Health Care Task Force which submitted controversial and [[extremism|extreme]] proposals to revamp this health care, which constitutes about one sixth of the U.S. economy. She was sued by the [[Association of American Physicians and Surgeons]] for violations of the [[Federal Advisory Committee Act]], and the trial judge ruled against her and the Clinton Administration. An appellate court reversed this ruling but remanded it for further proceedings, which ultimately resulted in disclosures to comply with the law.

Hillary Clinton's friend [[Vincent Foster]] supervised the defense of the litigation, but died under mysterious circumstances at the height of the controversy; the death was officially ruled a suicide. The extreme proposals were overwhelmingly rejected by [[United States Congress|Congress]]. Subsequently, the Republicans won a landslide victory in 1994, taking over both Houses of Congress.

The remainder of Hillary Clinton's tenure as First Lady was largely devoted to combating what she perceived as conspiracies. The Clinton [[White House]], wracked by multiple scandals, abruptly fired longtime members of the White House Travel Office, leading [[Congress]] to vote for a restoration of their benefits. At one point confidential tax records of Republican opponents were discovered in the White House, and no legitimate explanation was ever provided.

===Accusations of Enron-style accounting on the Health Care Task Force ===
:''Main article: [[Clinton health care plan]]''
The Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) requires every panel that includes non-government employees to have open meetings.
In January 1993, the ''[[Washington Times]]'' reported the problems with Hillary Clinton's closed door [[Healthcare Task Force]] meeting and the former Watergate crusader ignoring a post-Watergate reform. Rep. Bill Clinger (R-Pa.) demanded that the closed meetings stop. In February the [[Association of American Physicians and Surgeons]] (AAPS) sued. In March, U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth ruled the task force violated the FACA. The ''Washington Times'' revealed that many task-force members Clinton claimed as federal employees were not. When a list of 511 names was released, the Times noted the list "did not meet the [GAO] request for dates of employment, salaries and detailed backgrounds." <ref>[http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1571/is_8_18/ai_83699629 ''Enron vs. Hillary care: media double standard is at work''], Brent L. Bozell III, Insight on the News, March 4, 2002.</ref>

===Conspiracy theories and enemies list===
:''Main article: [[Vast right wing conspiracy theory]]
In 1995 there were approximately 1 million computers connected to the Internet. By the end of 1998, there were 50 million. In perspective, after the invention of television, it took more than 10 years before there were 50 million sets in the world. The same rise on the Internet took less than three years.<ref>[http://www.wnd.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=14676 Hillary Clinton, conspiracy theorist], Joseph Farah, WorldNetDaily.com, February 11, 1999.</ref> This [[economic growth]] of the Internet Hillary Clinton branded as "a [[vast right-wing conspiracy]]." White House staffers were directed to write a report, at taxpayer expense, which included an enemies list of persons and organizations who subsequently endured IRS audits and harassment.<ref>Larry Klayman, WorldNetDaily 7/9/99. [http://www.alamo-girl.com/0311.htm]</ref>

In 2005, Clinton revived her campaign of Internet censorship under the guise of a vast right-wing conspiracy theory.

===Saddam Hussein and weapons of mass destruction===

[[Hillary Clinton]] speaking on [[Saddam Hussein]]'s possession of [[Weapons of mass destruction]] said,
{{Cquote|I have to say that this is something that I have followed for a decade. If he [Saddam] were serious about disarming, he would have been much more forthcoming. There may be progress, we may be destroying his missiles, there is no accounting for the [[Weapons of mass destruction|chemical and biological stocks]].<ref>[http://www.archive.org/details/HillaryClintonsviewsongoingtowarSaddamandWMDs Hillary Clinton's views on going to war, Saddam, and WMD]</ref>}}

Hillary Clinton further described the situation after weapons inspectors we're expelled during the time when America had two in the position of presidential leadership, "for the price of one."<ref>[http://www.townhall.com/columnists/CharlesKrauthammer/2007/11/02/two_for_the_price_of_one Two For the Price of One], By Charles Krauthammer, November 2, 2007.</ref>
{{Cquote|In the four years since the inspectors left, intelligence reports show that Saddam Hussein has worked to rebuild his chemical and biological weapons stock, his missile delivery capability, and his [[nuclear]] program. He has also given aid, comfort, and sanctuary to [[terrorist]]s, including [[al Qaeda]] members ... It is clear, however, that if left unchecked, Saddam Hussein will continue to increase his capacity to wage biological and chemical warfare, and will keep trying to develop nuclear weapons.<ref>[http://www.zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm?ItemID=6390 Sen. Hillary Clinton (D, NY), October 10, 2002]. Retrieved from Zmag.org December 4, 2007.</ref>}}

==Run for U.S. Senate==
===Pardon of FALN terrorists===
On August 11, 1999, President Clinton offered clemency to members of the [[Armed Forces of National Liberation]] (FALN) [[terrorist]] group. <ref>[http://rpc.senate.gov/_files/92199CoddlingTerrorists.pdf U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee] testimony available at http://www.senate.gov/~judiciary/wl91599.htm, ''The Tampa Tribune'', S.J.Res. 33 (passed 95-2).</ref> On January 24, 1975 the FALN bombed Fraunces Tavern in Manhattan killing four people. Over a six-year period, the group claimed responsibility for more than 100 bombings that took six lives and injured some 130 people.<ref>[http://www.latinamericanstudies.org/puertorico/sep4.htm Clinton Pardons Terror], ''New York Post'', August 13, 1999. retrieved from http://www.latinamericanstudies.org September 14, 2007.</ref> It was widely reported the pardon of terrorists was motivated by an effort to appeal for votes from the Puerto Rican community in New York.<ref>[http://www.jonathanpollard.org/senate.htm FALN Clemency and NY Senate Race], (2000). Retrieved from http://www.jonathanpollard.org September 20,2007.</ref>

== Record as U.S. Senator ==

In 2001, one of Hillary Clinton's first acts as U.S. Senator was to introduce a bill to abolish the [[Electoral College]]. This received insufficient support. No major legislation has been credited to Hillary Clinton. Hillary Clinton was reported to be the biggest spender of any freshman senator in history.<ref>[http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1282/is_7_54/ai_84454903 Hillary Clinton's spending of taxpayer money], ''[[National Review]], April 22, 2002.</ref>
[[Image:070917graveconcern-x.gif|right|thumb|400px]]
Her current plans are reintroduce an [[extremism|extreme]] proposal again to [[socialism|socialize]] the health care system, this time by converting medical records into electronic form that can be easily monitored. She also pushes for universal health coverage, considered to be a step towards a [[Single Payer]], government-controlled system.

Since joining the Senate, Clinton has belonged to a conservative prayer group with the expressed purpose of "bringing Jesus back to Capitol Hill."<ref>http://www.motherjones.com/news/feature/2007/09/hillarys-prayer.html</ref> A few of her collaborators in the group include Senator Sam Brownback (R-Kan) and Senator Rick Santorum (R-Pa).

===FEC fined campaign for failing to accurately report $721,895 in contributions===

In January 2006 Hillary Clinton's New York Senate 2000 campaign was fined $35,000 for failing to accurately report $721,895 in contributions. <ref>[http://www.fec.gov/press/press2006/20060126mur.html Federal Elections Commission] Press Release, January 26, 2006. </ref>

===Smoking gun videotape===

WorldNetDaily reports Hillary Clinton may face a felony conviction that carries with it a five year sentence for violations of Title 2 section 437 of the U.S. federal code, which states: "Any person who knowingly and willfully commits a violation of any provision of this act which involves the making, receiving, or reporting of any contribution, donation, or expenditure aggregating $25,000 or more during a calendar year shall be fined under Title 18, or imprisoned for not more than 5 years, or both." Peter Paul, a former friend and contributor to the Clintons, claims he donated $1.9 million to her Senate Campaign, which Hillary Clinton knew of and accepted, in violation of a $2000 limit on individual donations. <ref>[http://worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=55320 'Smoking gun' tape indicts Hillary] Art Moore, WorldNetDaily.com, April 21, 2007.</ref> Mr. Paul will present a "smoking gun" videotape <ref>[http://www.hillcap.org/default.php?page_id=2]</ref> of the event as evidence in an ongoing lawsuit involving the Hillary Clinton's fundraising activities in California.
<ref>[http://www.hillcap.org/060817_second_amended_complaint.swf]</ref>

===Failure to reform earmark process===

The noted newspaper which covers legislative affairs, ''The Hill'', reported Hillary Clinton received more [[earmark]]s for Congressional [[pork barrel]] projects than only one other United States Senator. Reforming the earmark process had been among the Democrats top priorities in the [[110th Congress]], up until the time Democrats voted to rescind the rules aimed at reform that were passed in the first 100 hours of the new Congress in January. Ethics reform and the earmark process is widely attributed as the cause why Republicans lost control of both Houses of Congress after several members had been caught up in ethical scandals. ''The Hill'' reported Sen. Clinton received 26 earmarks worth about $148.4 million total, much going to [[The Pentagon|Pentagon]] contractors. <ref>[http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/clinton-can-boast-wealth-of-earmarks-2007-06-13.html Clinton can boast wealth of earmarks], By Roxana Tiron and Ilan Wurman, ''The Hill'', June 13, 2007.</ref>

===Voted against raising the minimum wage===

After voting to send troops to Iraq Hillary Clinton voted against funding the troops in Iraq. In May of 2007 Clinton voted against raising the minimum wage. <ref>[http://www.vote-smart.org/issue_keyvote_detail.php?cs_id=12952&can_id=55463 Senate Concurrence on HR 2206] Title 8 Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2007, Record Vote Number 181, 05/24/2007. [http://www.vote-smart.org/issue_keyvote_member.php?cs_id=12952]</ref>

== Presidential Campaign 2008 ==

=== Hillary & Nixon ===

Hillary Clinton has often been compared to [[Richard Nixon]].<ref>[http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2007/11/nixon_1968_clinton_2008.html
Nixon 1968, Clinton 2008], By John Ellis, RealClearpolitics.com, November 21, 2007.</ref> Columnist Robert Novak reported in November 2007 that a Clinton agent was spreading the word that the Clinton campaign had [[scandal]]ous information about Senator [[Barack Obama]] but was not using it for purposes of party harmony. The nature of the alleged scandal was not revealed to the source of the item, a well known Democrat, who said he thought Clinton wanted to avoid a Clinton-Obama clash that would benefit a third candidate, presumably former Democratic Vice Presidential nominee and Senator [[John Edwards]].<ref>Hillary's Nixonian TacticsAgainst Obama], by Robert Novak and Timothy P. Carney, ''Human Event'', 11/21/2007.</ref>

===Failure to condemn smear campaign===
Hillary Clinton failed to vote to condemn an unpopular smear campaign conducted by the [[radical]] [[leftist]] group [[MoveOn.org]].<ref>http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2007-09-20-senate-condemn_N.htm</ref> The [[U.S. Senate]] voted 72-25 to condemn<ref>[http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,297498,00.html Senate Votes to Condemn MoveOn for Ad Attacking General Petraeus], [[FOX News]], September 20, 2007.</ref> the unmitigated attack upon a respected career soldier. The [[U.S. House of Representatives]] one week later by an overwhelming [[bipartisan]] consensus of 341-79 expressed popular discontent with the groups tactics.<ref>http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2007/09/26/national/w095848D93.DTL</ref> A poll showed 58% of the American people expressed disapproval, with only 23% supporting<ref>http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/23_approve_of_moveon_org_petraeus_ad_58_disapprove</ref> debasement of the political dialog over a vitally important issue of national concern. Hillary Clinton was criticized by President [[George W. Bush]] for failing to take a stand against radical extremism in civic debate.

===No criminal background checks on donors or advisers===

On September 12, 2007, the ''[[L.A. Times]]'' reported Hillary Clinton's decision to begin [[criminal]] background checks on major donors in wake of the [[Norman Hsu]] scandal. Hsu contributed more than $1 million for Hillary Clinton’s New York Senatorial race and faces charges dating back 15 years that he fleeced investors out of $1 million. <ref>[http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-na-hsu12sep12,1,2928455.story?coll=la-politics-campaign&ctrack=1&cset=true Campaigns feel the effects of Hsu case], By Dan Morain and Tom Hamburger, ''Los Angeles Times'', September 12, 2007.</ref> Less than one week earlier it was reported by [[MSNBC]], that Hillary Clinton was being advised by convicted criminal [[Sandy Berger]]<ref>[http://www.usdoj.gov/opa/pr/2005/April/05_crm_155.htm Former National Security Advisor Samuel Berger Pleads Guilty to Knowingly Removing Classified Information from the National Archives], United States Department of Justice Press Release, April 1, 2005.</ref> who plead guilty to [[theft]] of [[classified information]] from the [[National Archives]] in connection with requests for documents made by the National Commission investigating the [[September 11 terrorist attacks]] upon the [[United States]] (the [[9/11 Commission]]).

===Electability===
[[Image:Hillary-3.jpg|right|thumb|250px]]
A big concern in the Hillary Clinton camp is whether or not she is electable. An Electability Poll in which the participants are asked in no certain order, a list of candidates from both parties, whether they would vote for candidate X or prefer someone else. Recent polling has revealed, of all major presidential candidates from both parties, Hillary Clinton is the only candidate to whom a majority of 52% would not vote for, or would prefer someone else. <ref>[http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2007/06/28/248165.aspx Poll: Is Hillary Electable?], by Mark Murray, ''NBC News'', June 28, 2007. Retrieved from MSNBC.com June 29, 2007.</ref>

The poll results show majorities would consider voting for all other major presidential candidates or possible candidates:

{| style="background:white; color:blue" border="1" class="wikitable"
|+ Electability Poll
|''Who would you vote for, the candidate or somebody else?''
|-
! Candidate
! Results
|-
| Rudy Giuliani
| 64% - 36%
|-
| Fred Thompson
| 62% - 38%
|-
| Michael Bloomberg
| 61% - 39%
|-
| Barak Obama
| 60% - 40%
|-
| John Edwards
| 59% - 41%
|-
| John McCain
| 58% - 42%
|-
| Joseph Biden
| 57% - 43%
|-
| Bill Richardson
| 57% - 43%
|-
| Mike Huckabee
| 56% - 44%
|-
| Mitt Romney
| 54% - 46%
|-
| Hillary Clinton
| 48% - 52%
|}

[[Image:Aufzumsieg.jpg|right|thumb|300px]]
The poll also revealed that Hillary Clinton is the only candidate to whom more voters view her unfavorably than favorably. 39% say they recognize Clinton favorably, while a larger number of 42% say they recognize her unfavorably. By contrast, every other candidate has a net-positive favorable rating:

{| style="background:white; color:blue" border="1" class="wikitable"
|+ Favorability Poll
|''Do you view the candidate favorably or unfavorably?''
|-
! Candidate
! Results
|-
| Rudy Giuliani
| 43% - 17%
|-
| Barak Obama
| 36% - 21%
|-
| John McCain
| 33% - 28%
|-
| John Edwards
| 32% - 28%
|-
| Fred Thompson
| 25% - 12%
|-
| Mitt Romney
| 24% - 20%
|-
| Joseph Biden
| 21% - 20%
|-
| Michael Bloomberg
| 20% - 18%
|-
| Bill Richardson
| 19% - 15%
|-
| Mike Huckabee
| 16% - 12%
|-
| Hillary Clinton
| 39% - 42%
|}

The poll has a margin of error of +/- 4%.

===Promises made promises broken===

In late August 2007 Senator [[Bill Nelson]] and other members of Florida's Congressional delegation protested the Democratic National Committee's scheme<ref>[http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/F/FL_DEMOCRATIC_PRIMARY_FLOL-?SITE=FLPET&SECTION=HOME Fla. Democrats warn of voting rights probe if state sanctioned], By Rasha Madkour, Associated Press, Aug 23, 2007. Retrieved from ''St. Petersburg Times'' August 24, 2007.</ref> to deprive Floridians of equal voting rights protection<ref>[http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/F/FL_DEMOCRATIC_PRIMARY_FLOL-?SITE=FLPET&SECTION=HOME Fla. Democrats warn of voting rights probe if state sanctioned], By Rasha Madkour, Associated Press, Aug 23, 2007. Retrieved from ''St. Petersburg Times'' August 24, 2007.</ref> in selection of delegates to the 2008 DNC Presidential nominating convention. A letter sent to DNC Chairman [[Howard Dean]], threatened legal action "to determine whether this could violate any state or [[federal law]]s governing and protecting individual [[Voting Rights Act|voting rights]].... It always has been a priority of our party to protect the rights of every eligible American to vote...We would hope the DNC will continue to honor this right."<ref>[http://www.nelsonforsenate.com/feature/dean/ Letter from Florida Congressional Democrats to DNC Chairman Howard Dean], August 22, 2007. Retrieved from nelsonforsenate.com/feature/dean/ September 13, 2007.</ref> The move prompted Hillary Clinton to pledge not to campaign in Florida.<ref>[http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/02/us/politics/02dems.html?ex=1346472000&en=d7f7216c6188da2e&ei=5124&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink Clinton, Obama and Edwards Join Pledge to Avoid Defiant States], By Jeff Zeeleny, ''New York Times'', September 2, 2007.</ref> A week later she was campaigning in Florida.<ref>[http://www.siouxcityjournal.com/articles/2007/09/11/news/iowa/c07662f8adc84f9a8625735300091c7f.txt Candidates have events in Florida despite pledge], By Charlotte Eby, ''Sioux City Journal'', September 11, 2007.</ref>

===The nuclear option===
[[Image:Hillary-4.jpg|right|thumb|350px]]
[[Barbara Olson]] in her 1990 book ''Hell to Pay'' <ref>[http://www.amazon.com/o/ASIN/0895262746/102-6782111-3076127?SubscriptionId=11NRD61HE570TCSR99R2]</ref> made a convincing case that the former Goldwater girl, raised in a Republican home, while working for the staff of the House Judiciary Committee preparing impeachment Articles against [[President Nixon]], studied Nixon very closely. Olson and others have now commented how Hillary Clinton built her political career by learning to think and act as Nixon did, and modeling herself after him. These writers cite instance after instance of such behavior. <ref>[http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=45138 Hillary's Secret War], The plan to silence Internet journalists, Joseph Farah, ''WorldNetDaily.com'', July 6, 2005.</ref> When Democratic competitor [[Barack Obama]] made a public statement vowing not to use [[nuclear weapons]], Hillary Clinton shot back,
{{Cquote|I don't believe that any president should make any blanket statements with respect to the use or nonuse of nuclear weapons}}reflecting Nixon's thoughts in ''The Real War'' :
{{Cquote|[[Eisenhower]] said... "You should never let the enemy know what you will do, but it's more important that you never let the enemy know what you will not do." }}
Nixon referred to it as "the [[Madman theory]],"
{{Cquote|... statements that appear to rule out the use of force, while perhaps meant to be unprovocative, will in fact provoke an antagonist to push for more. ...we should not make statements that we will never launch a preemptive strike. Whether or not we would ever exercise that option, we should always leave open the possibility that in extreme circumstances we might. <ref>[http://nobsnews.blogspot.com/1996/10/real-war.html#hole_card ''The Real War''], Richard Nixon, Warner Books, May 1980, pgs. 253 - 260.</ref>}}

===Extreme makeover===
[[Image:Hillary-9.jpg|left|thumb|300px]]
Analyst [[Bay Buchanan]] suggests that
Hillary Clinton may suffer from a psychological condition and
that this should raise questions about her fitness for office. <ref>[http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=20699 Analysis of Hillary Reveals 'Clinical Narcissism',] by Ericka Andersen, ''Human Events'', 05/14/2007.</ref> A recent book entitled ''The Extreme Makeover of Hillary Rodham Clinton'' <ref>[http://www.amazon.com/Extreme-Makeover-Hillary-Rodham-Clinton/dp/1596985070]</ref> examines the Senator's instability, incoherent speeches as both student and First Lady, casual disregard for the law, and ever-changing opinion on the [[Iraq war]]. <ref>[http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=20699 Analysis of Hillary Reveals 'Clinical Narcissism',] by Ericka Andersen, ''Human Events'', 05/14/2007.</ref>

These [[character flaw]]s, Buchanan writes, make Hillary overly dependent on [[guru]]s and outside experts, with no internal compass to guide her, displaying all the classic symptoms of “clinical narcissism.” The American Psychiatric Association describes this condition to include feelings of superiority, self-importance and “fantasies of unlimited success, fame or power.” The author further states, “We are not talking about self-infatuation, we are talking about a clinical condition that could make her dangerously ill-suited to become President and Commander in Chief.”

===Abuse of Mother Theresa===

Hillary Clinton was chastised by a [[Catholic]] Advocacy group for using an image of [[Mother Theresa]] in a campaign ad. Clinton continues to support abortion. <ref>[http://www.fidelis.org/gw3/articles-news/articles.php?CMSArticleID=1456&CMSCategoryID=10 Fidelis Covered by Catholic News Agency on Mother Teresa Video Controversy], ''Catholic News Agency,'' 05-18-2007.</ref> The U.S. Catholic-based advocacy group Fidelis, an organization working with people of faith to defend the [[sanctity of life]], [[traditional marriage]], and [[religious liberty]] rights, called for Hillary Clinton to remove the image of Mother Teresa from their campaign video. In a press release the group declared the video, narrated by her Bill Clinton,
{{Cquote|is wholly inappropriate, disrespectful and disturbing ...using an image of blessed Mother Teresa as a political tool, especially given their radically different views on abortion...Mother Teresa tirelessly fought to protect unborn children, while Hillary Clinton staunchly supports [[abortion]] on demand in all nine months of pregnancy, including [[partial birth abortion]] and [[taxpayer funding of abortion]]}}

When the image of Hillary and Mother Teresa appears in the video the former president is heard saying “Hillary, in effect, was the face of America … in India;” the video then cuts to a clip of the former first lady addressing the 1995 Beijing Conference where an effort was made to declare abortion a fundamental “human right.”

===Skipping flyover country===

Hillary's strategists felt they could win the nomination by skipping Iowa as flyover country. <ref>[http://www.desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070524/NEWS09/705240387/1001&lead=1 Aide advises Clinton: Skip Iowa,] Thomas Beaumont, ''Des Moines Register'', May 24, 2007. </ref> Hillary Clinton's once close friend, political pundit Dick Morris, declared that she will campaign on the "Mom Strategy." Morris says this "gives her a credible way to tack to the left on the war." <ref>[http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,238117,00.html Hillary's New Strategy]: Dick Morris and Eileen McGann.</ref> Hillary Clinton did exactly that on the ABC television show ''The View'' in early 2007. She was asked if being a mom gives "a would-be President kind of an edge up on, say, a male rival?" Hillary replied, "Well, you know, nobody's ever been in a position to ask that question, 'cause we've never had a mother who ever ran for or held that position." Hillary's claim was false. Ellen McCormack, mother of three daughters and one son, and also a grandmother, ran for President in 1976 on a platform that included opposition to abortion.<ref>http://www.constitutioncenter.org/timeline/html/cw12_12310.html</ref>

==Arkansas==
During the 1970s and '80s, the Clintons invested in the [[Whitewater Development Corporation]] which later became the subject of a federal investigation, [[prosecution]]s and [[conviction]]s. Jim and Susan McDougal, and then-Arkansas Governor Jim Guy Tucker were convicted of multiple counts of financial [[fraud]], even though President Clinton testified for four hours for the defense.<ref>Once upon a Time in Arkansas, [http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/arkansas/docs/clintondepo.html Transcript of Clinton's Sworn Deposition], PBS.</ref>

On the evening Bill Clinton lost his bid for a Congressional seat in 1974, Hillary is reported to have shouted in a rage at Clinton's campaign manager Paul Fray, calling him a "Jew bastard". The incident was reported in a book published by Harper Collins in 2000 entitled, ''State of a Union: Inside the Complex Marriage of Bill and Hillary Clinton''. <ref>[http://www.amazon.com/State-Union-Complex-Marriage-Hillary/dp/0060193921]</ref> The author, Jerry Oppenheimer, cites three witnesses to the incident. <ref>[http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3827/is_200007/ai_n8910772 Did Hillary commit a hate crime?], Human Events, July 28, 2000. </ref><ref>[http://www.guardian.co.uk/US_election_race/Story/0,,344475,00.html Hillary faces voters' wrath for alleged ethnic slur], Michael Ellison, London Guardian, July 18, 2000.</ref><ref>[http://www.sobran.com/columns/1999-2001/000718.shtml Hillary’s Manners], Joseph Sobran, July 18, 2000.</ref><ref>[http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=15015 I agree with Clinton!], Joseph Farah, WorldNetDaily, July 20, 2000.</ref>

==Legal Services Corporation==
[[Image:Hillary-5.jpg|right|thumb|300px]]
Hillary Clinton was appointed by President [[Jimmy Carter]] to head the controversial [[Legal Services Corporation]] (LSC) in 1978 and remained on the Board til 1983. <ref>[http://www.nlpc.org/view.asp?action=viewArticle&aid=225 Thwarting the Will of Congress: How the Legal Services Corporation Evaded, Diluted, and Ignored Reform], Testimony of Kenneth F. Boehm before the Subcommittee on Commercial and Administrative Law, House Judiciary Committee, February 28, 2002. </ref>
Under Hillary Clinton's leadership, the LSC began moving away from its legislated task of providing poor people with free lawyers and began an [[activist]] agenda to influence [[public policy]] through [[class action lawsuit]]s. One case involved bringing lawsuits to force New York's Transit Authority to hire [[heroin]] addicts. The LSC also violated its own rules by organizing political campaigns against a state referendum and against Ronald Reagan. <ref>Michael Barone , [http://www.jewishworldreview.com/michael/barone070899.asp ''Taking Hillary seriously], ''Jewish World Review'', July 8, 1999. </ref>

Hillary Clinton failed the District of Columbia [[Bar Exam]] in the 1970s.<ref>[http://mediamatters.org/items/200706010006 On Today, Bernstein omitted key fact in purported disclosure of Clinton's D.C. bar exam failure: It's not news], ''[[MediaMatters]]'' June 1, 2007. Retrieved from MediaMatters.org October 4, 2007.</ref>

==Accusations of Stolen Gifts==
When the Clintons left the White House, they were accused of taking furniture that belonged not to them, but to the White House. It was explained that the movers inadvertently packed the wrong items. Most of the articles were quietly returned. <ref>"Clinton Shipped Furniture Year Ago," Washington Post, February 10, 2001.</ref>

==Goldwater girl==

Speaking at [[Selma]], Alabama's First Baptist Church on the 42nd anniversary of the "bloody Sunday" freedom march Hillary Clinton declared: "As a young girl I had the great privilege of hearing [[Martin Luther King|Dr. King]] speak in Chicago. The year was 1963....[Dr. King] called on us, he challenged us that evening to stay awake during the great revolution that the [[civil rights]] pioneers were waging on behalf of a more perfect union." In her memoirs Hillary Clinton described herself in 1964 as "an active Young Republican" and "a [[Barry Goldwater|Goldwater]] girl, right down to my cowgirl outfit." Columnist [[Robert Novak]] observed, "As a politically attuned honor student, she must have known that Goldwater was one of only six Republican senators who joined [[Solid South|Southern Democratic]] [[segregation]]ists opposing the historic [[Voting Rights Act|voting rights act of 1964]] inspired by King."<ref>[http://www.townhall.com/columnists/RobertDNovak/2007/03/12/hillary,_king_and_goldwater Hillary, King and Goldwater], by Robert D. Novak, [[Townhall.com]], March 12, 2007.</ref>

==See also==
*[[Hillary Clinton for President Exploratory Committee]]
*[[Previous Breaking News/Hillary Clinton|Articles about '''Hillary Clinton''' from previous "Breaking News"]]

==External links==
*[http://www.thenation.com/doc/19990809/kaminer Hillary's No Liberal], Wendy Kaminer, ''The Nation'', July 22, 1999 (August 9, 1999 issue).

==References==

{{reflist|2}}

{{2008 presidential candidates}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Clinton, Hillary Rodham}}
[[Category:Conspiracy theorists]]
[[Category:United States Senators|Clinton, Hillary Rodham]]
[[Category:Democratic Party]]

The Exorcist

2008-02-16T05:00:07Z

Hermann1359: Undo revision 388646 by Special:Contributions/Fliggle91 (User talk:Fliggle91) vandal

'''The Exorcist''' is a movie first released in 1973, supposedly based on a true story, that depicted a girl possessed by the [[devil]] and efforts at [[exorcism]] by a [[priest]] at the request of the girl's mother.

The movie caused a national sensation in the [[United States]]. It broke the record for the biggest grossing movie of all time, and was nominated for ten [[Academy Award]]s. But its depiction of possession by the [[devil]] was controversial, and only two of the ten nominations won [[Academy Award]]s, and they were relatively minor awards: Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Sound.<ref>http://www.filmsite.org/exor.html</ref>

The movie was filmed in [[Georgetown]] and includes many scenes that have since become famous. The film's depiction of [[Christianity]] is more respectful than in most modern films.

== References ==

<references/>

[[category:media]]

Joint

2008-02-16T04:59:41Z

Hermann1359: Undo revision 388644 by Special:Contributions/Fliggle91 (User talk:Fliggle91) subtle vandalization

A '''joint''' is a juncture between two [[bone]]s. There are different types:

* Immovable: An example would be the bones of the [[skull]] which are separated by tough fibers of [[cartilage]]
* Movable: Generally found in the [[limb]]s

* Hinge Joints: Provide forward and backward movement, such as the [[elbow]] or the [[knee]]
* Pivot Joints: Allow rotary movement such as the turning of the [[head]] from side to side
* Ball-and-socket Joints: Allow the greatest range of movement due to the round end of one bone fitting into the socket of the other separated only be elastic cartilage. Examples would be the [[hip]] or the [[shoulder]].

===Further Classifications===

* Fibrous: Connected by collagen fibers
* Cartilaginous
* Synovial: Ease motion through the use of a lubricating liquid known as [[synovial fluid]]

===Modern Replacements===

Artificial joints has become increasingly common, particularly in hip and knee replacement as performed by [[orthopedic surgeon]]s. Metal or plastic is used to relieve pain or correct joint deformity.

== Sources ==

http://encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com/joint

[[Category:Anatomy]]

Antemortem inspection

2008-02-16T04:59:28Z

Hermann1359: Undo revision 388643 by Special:Contributions/Fliggle91 (User talk:Fliggle91) subtle vandalization

As used in the [[meat]] and poultry inspection program, '''antemortem inspection''' refers to the examination that USDA meat and poultry inspectors are required to conduct of all live animals prior to slaughter.
==References==
[http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Help/A-Z_Index/index.asp USDA Index]

[[Category:Food Terms]]

Commercial agriculture

2008-02-16T04:59:08Z

Hermann1359: Undo revision 388641 by Special:Contributions/Fliggle91 (User talk:Fliggle91) subtle vandalization

Commercial agriculture was the attempt by [[Mormon Church|Mormon]] immigrants from Utah to develop farming economies along Arizona's few streams and rivers in the 1870s.
[[category:agriculture]]
[[category:United States History]]

The King of Kings

2008-02-16T04:58:52Z

Hermann1359: Undo revision 388640 by Special:Contributions/Fliggle91 (User talk:Fliggle91) subtle vandalization

[[Image:King of kings DVDcover.jpg|right|thumb|Criterion edition cover for "King of Kings"]]

'''The King of Kings''' is a silent film directed by [[Cecil B. DeMille]] in 1927. It is a religious film about the last days of [[Jesus]]' life before the [[Crucifixion]]. [[Jesus]] was played by [[H.B. Warner]].

The last sequence of the film (the [[Resurrection]]) is one of the earliest uses of [[Technicolor]].

==References==
Essay on the creation of the film. [http://www.criterion.com/asp/release.asp?id=266&eid=390&section=essay]
[[Category:Movies]]

Ammon

2008-02-16T04:58:35Z

Hermann1359: Undo revision 388639 by Special:Contributions/Fliggle91 (User talk:Fliggle91) subtle vandalization

'''Ammon''' was the father of the [[Ammonites]], being born after [[Lot]]'s daughters had an incestuous relationship with their father after getting him drunk ([[Genesis]] 19:31-38). The story is recounted in the book of [[Genesis]] in the [[Bible]]. [[Moab]] was born the same way.

[[Category: Biblical persons]]

Diamond

2008-02-16T04:56:56Z

Hermann1359: Undo revision 388637 by Special:Contributions/Fliggle91 (User talk:Fliggle91) possibly true, but needs a source

{{Mineral
| name=Diamond
| image=Rough_diamond.jpg
| cdesc=Carbon
| formula=C
| birefringence=None
| colors=Colorless. Impurities may produce pink, yellow, brown
| chabit=Octahedral
| csystem=Cubic
| cleavage=Perfect in four directions
| dispersion=0.044
| fracture=Conchoidal - step like
| hardness=10
| luster=Adamantine
| luminescence=
| nameorigin=Ancient Greek ''adamas'' - "invincible".
| optics=Singly refractive
| pleochroism=None
| sgravity=3.52
| spectral=In pale yellow stones a 415.5 nm line is typical. Irradiated and annealed diamonds often show a line around 594 nm when cooled to low temperatures.
| streak=Colorless
|}
}}
'''Diamond''' is an [[allotrope]] of [[carbon]], and can be formed when carbon atoms are arranged in a tetrahedral fashion when put under immense amounts of heat and pressure. Diamonds are created in the Earth's [[mantle]], due to forces and heat required for their creation, and are sometimes brought near the surface through volcanic eruption.

Diamonds are also noted for being the hardest natural material on the [[hardness|Moh's Scale]], and fairly rare (deposits are found in [[Kimberlite]] in [[South Africa]]). As such, natural diamonds are used for jewelry, and synthetic diamonds for drill bits.

Diamond is the traditional stone for engagement rings, and is the [[birthstone]] for [[April]].

==External Links==
[http://www.minelinks.com/alluvial/diamonds.html Minelinks.com - Diamonds]

[http://www.about-birthstones.com/aprilbirthstone.html About-birthstones.com - April birthstone]

[[category:Birthstones]]
[[Category:Gems]]

Acid

2008-02-16T04:20:19Z

Hermann1359:

An '''acid''' is a [[molecule]] that donates H+ [[ions]] ([[proton]]s) in a chemical reaction. Acids taste sour (although, in a laboratory, '''never''' taste an acid; they can be highly corrosive) and turn blue [[litmus paper]] red. Acids are covalent compounds, but when dissolved in [[water]], they will conduct electricity. When an acid is put into water, it will loose its H+, a process called aqueous dissonance. [[Strong acid]]s are those that completly give up their protons in solution, whereas [[weak acid]]s reach an equilibrium concentration of H+ in solution. Many [[organic molecule]]s that play important roles in biological processes are also acids, such as [[amino acid]]s and [[carboxylic acid]]s.

==See Also==
*[[pH]]

[[Category:Chemistry]]

Religion

2008-02-16T04:11:35Z

Hermann1359: Undo revision 388622 by Special:Contributions/Someonesomewhere (User talk:Someonesomewhere) more vandalism

[[Image:Jesus5.jpg‎|thumb|200px|Artist's depiction of our Lord [[Jesus Christ]]]]
"'''Religion'''" refers to a set of core beliefs upon which people base their lives. Morality is often based on religion. Beyond this general definition, the word "religion" is used in several ways:

* '''Formal definition''': "The service and worship of [[God]] or the [[supernatural]];"<ref>[http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary?book=Dictionary&va=religion "Religion"] in Merriam Webster dictionary.</ref> Under this definition, [[atheism]], [[agnosticism]], and [[secular humanism]] are not "religions." <ref>Religious Groups Participating in Religious Congregations & Membership Study 2000. [http://www.thearda.com/mapsReports/reports/alldenoms.asp]</ref>.
* '''Functional definition''': "A cause, principle, or system of beliefs held to with ardor and faith"<ref>[http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary?book=Dictionary&va=religion "Religion"] in Merriam Webster dictionary.</ref> By this definition, non-theistic belief systems such as [[atheism]], [[humanism]], and [[agnosticism]] could be considered religions. Indeed, the Supreme Court of the [[United States of America]] has acknowledged that "religion" does not need to include a belief in a god or gods, and included Secular Humanism as an example of a non-theistic religion.<ref>"Among religions in this country which do not teach what would generally be considered a belief in the existence of God, are Buddhism, Taoism, Ethical Culture, Secular Humanism, and others.". [http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/cgi-bin/getcase.pl?court=us&vol=367&invol=488#t11 Torcaso v. Watkins, (1961)]</ref><ref>"A federal court of appeals ruled ... Wisconsin prison officials violated an inmate's rights because they did not treat atheism as a religion." [http://worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=45874 Court rules atheism a religion] WorldNet Daily</ref>
* '''Organisational definition''': Under the definition, the term refers to a particular religious organisation or movement, such a [[Roman Catholic|Catholicism]], [[Methodist|Methodism]], or [[Lutheran]]ism. These groups generally consist of a central creed or body of beliefs, an ethical component (i.e. a code of morals), a body of literature or holy texts or stories, and a set of individual and communal practices. Under this definition, a person might say, "I'm not religious, because I don't go to church—but I believe in God."
* '''Practical definition''': Under this definition, the term refers to a set of practices, rites, or rituals observed by followers. Under this definition, a person might say, "I'm not religious, because I'm not into rituals. My relationship with God is enough."

== List of religions ==
Religions can be classified according to how many gods the religion recognises.
=== Monotheistic religions ===

Monotheistic ("one god") religions are followed by the vast majority of the world's population.

* [[Bahá'í]]
* [[Christianity]]
* [[Church_of_Jesus_Christ_of_Latter-day_Saints|Mormonism]]
* [[Islam]]
* [[Jehovah's Witnesses]]
* [[Judaism]]
* [[Rastafari movement]]
* [[Sikhism]]
* [[Zoroastrianism]]

=== Polytheistic religions ===
Polytheistic ("many gods") religions believe in multiple gods or spirits or other supernatural beings needing to be worshipped. Polytheism has declined since the rise of Christianity, but has seen a recent resurgence among pagan cults in developed nations.

* [[Animism]]
* [[Cao Dai]]
* [[Paganism]]
* [[Scientology]] {{fact}}
* [[Shamanism]]
* [[Shinto]]
* [[Wicca]]
*[[Greek Paganism]]
*[[Irish Paganism]]

=== Pantheistic religions ===
Pantheistic ("all is god") religions believe that all of creation or nature is a god.

* [[Hinduism]]
* [[Jainism]]
* [[New Age]] beliefs

=== Non-theistic religions and philosophies===
Non-theistic religions do not have a belief in God or gods. Some consider the existence of God to be unknown or irrelevant, while (strong) Atheism is the belief that that there is no god or gods.
* [[Agnostic]]ism
* [[Atheism]]
** [[Strong atheism]]
** [[Weak atheism]]
* [[Buddhism]] (though with elements of [[Pantheism]])
* [[Secular Humanism]]

=== Parody and joke religions ===
Several "religions" have been invented in an effort to denigrate or parody traditional religions. As a rule, these religions do not have followers who actually believe the tenets of the religions.

* [[Flying Spaghetti Monster|The Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster]]
* [[Discordianism]]
* [[Jedi]]
* [[Last Thursdayism]]
* [[Church of the SubGenius|SubGeniism]]

== Faith in organised religion ==

The percentage of respondents answering they had a "great deal" or "quite a lot" of confidence in organised religion has decreased in the [[United States]] according to a [[Gallup]] poll taken in 2007. Only 46% of respondents selected either of the choices above. The numbers peaked at 68% in May 1975.<ref>Christian Examiner, Sept. 2007, Vol 25, No 9, Pg. 24</ref>

==References==
<references/>

==See Also==
* [[World Religions by Number of Followers]]

[[Category:Religion]]

Liberal bias

2008-02-16T04:07:49Z

Hermann1359: Undo revision 388620 by Special:Contributions/Someonesomewhere (User talk:Someonesomewhere) vandalism

[[Image:Stossel.jpg|thumbnail|150px|right|[[John Stossel]]]]
'''Liberal bias''' is partisan support for [[liberal]] positions or policies. This bias pervades encyclopedias, periodicals and [[broadcast media]], and the Internet. It is expressed by reporters and other journalists in mainstream media and by teachers in [[public school]] and in many private schools. It includes techniques such as [[placement bias]], [[photo bias]] and [[liberal style]].

In the absence of clear rules to prevent the bias, it will inevitably occur due to:
*political correctness
*a tendency to exaggerate and deceive to attract attention
*a reliance on obscenity to attract attention
*an attempt to be "consistent" by treating men and women alike
*where images are used, an obsession with race

==The Media Confronts Liberal Bias==
[[Ann Coulter]] wrote:
*To obscure the overwhelming liberal dominance of the media, the few designated media "[[conservatives]]" are cited tirelessly in testimonies to the [[ideological]] diversity in the nation's [[newsroom]]s. Democrats in the media are [[editors]], national [[correspondent]]s, [[news anchor]]s, and [[reporter]]s. Republicans in the media are "from the right" [[polemic]]ists grudgingly tolerated within the liberal behemoth. Republican views must be accompanied by a conspicuous warning: "[[Partisan]] Conservative Opinion Coming!" [[Neutral]] news slots are reserved for Democrats exclusively. "Balance" is created by having a liberal host a debate between a liberal and a moderate Republican. <ref>''[[Slander (book)|]]'', P. 60</ref>

Although many prominent liberal journalists and teachers deny being biased - or indeed that liberal bias exists at all in the media - same have freely admitted it (e.g., [[Andy Rooney]]).

[[New York Times]] publisher [[Arthur O. Sulzberger Jr.]] has denied the the New York Times has a [[liberal]] viewpoint and has stated the New York Times has a "urban" viewpoint.<ref>http://www.nytimes.com/2004/07/25/weekinreview/25bott.html?ei=5088&en=452926dcb11511a3&ex=1248667200&pagewanted=all&position=</ref> However, in the summer of 2004, the newspaper's then public editor (ombudsman), Daniel Okrent, published a piece on the Times' liberal bias and cited the example of their coverage of [[Homosexuality and Marriage|homosexual marriage]].<ref>http://www.cnsnews.com/facts/2007/facts2007914.asp</ref><ref>http://www.nytimes.com/2004/07/25/weekinreview/25bott.html?ei=5088&en=452926dcb11511a3&ex=1248667200&pagewanted=all&position=</ref> In regards to the [[Western World]], although the New York Times has a particularly heavy bias when it comes to the [[homosexuality]] issue, the New York Times is not unusual in regards to the media having a liberal bias when it comes to the subject of homosexuality; see [[Homosexuality in the Media]]. [[John Stossel]] is an author, consumer reporter, and a co-anchor for the [[ABC News]] show [[20/20]]. [[Cybercast News Service]] states the following regarding regarding the influence of the New York Times and [[Washington Post]]:
{{cquote|While the newspapers reach only a fraction of people compared to the television networks, he said radio and television producers rely heavily on their contents.

"The reason the Times, and to a lesser extent the Post, are so important, and they are, is because the TV and radio - all of the media - copy it sycophantically," he [John Stossel] said. "That's how bias at the Times becomes bias in other media."<ref>http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewCulture.asp?Page=/Culture/archive/200401/CUL20040128a.html</ref>}}

[[Image:Liberal Bias.png|none|500px]]
'''The following persons, organizations, television programs or media outlets have well known liberal bias:'''

* ''[[The New York Times]]'' <ref>Reporters and editors today are overwhelmingly liberal politically, as studies of the attitudes of key members of the press have repeatedly shown. Should you doubt these findings, recall the statement of Daniel Okrent, then the public editor at the New York Times. Under the headline, "Is the New York times a Liberal Newspaper?," Mr. Okrent's first sentence was, "Of course it is." [http://www.opinionjournal.com/federation/feature/?id=110009203] </ref>
* [[ABC]], [[CBS]] <ref>Townhall.com, [http://www.townhall.com/columnists/MarvinOlasky/2001/12/04/enabling_media_bias Enabling media bias], Marvin Olasky, December 4, 2001.</ref>
* [[Dan Rather]] <ref>During a phone conversation, [[Bernard Goldberg]] asked him, "What do you consider the ''New York Times''? Rather answered, "Middle of the road." (''[[Bias (book)|Bias]]'', page 221)</ref>
* [[CNN]]
* [[NBC]] News
* [[LA Times]]
* [[Michael Moore]]
* [[The Daily Show]]
* [[Real Time]] with [[Bill Maher]]
* The [[United Nations]]
* [[Washington Post]]
* [[MSNBC]]

==U.S. Universities==

Liberal bias is everywhere on American university campuses. Leftist professors dominate the universities. "Because of this slant, it is virtually impossible for political balance in our universities and, as a result, the curriculum, the culture, the values, the atmosphere and the underlying currents of thought resemble indoctrination." <ref>[http://www.thefire.org/pdfs/4134_2453.pdf?PHPSESSID=14d1b6b722914bc403636c401f9792ee Universities' liberal bias is real], Fred Singer, [[Denver Post]], January 29, 2003</ref>

"College faculties are not only mostly liberal, but lean even further to the left than conservatives have imagined."
<ref>[http://www.campus-watch.org/article/id/1809 Liberal bias in colleges bleeds into classroom], Cal Thomas, [[Townhall]], March 31, 2005</ref>

"The political tilt on campuses is decidedly to the left. If you're looking for balance, you're not going to find it."
<ref>[http://www.intellectualconservative.com/article3514.html Liberal Bias on Campus], John Eberhard, [[Intellectual Conservative]], June 18, 2004</ref>

Even the students admit the liberal bias. "Here at Columbia, as at most top universities, we enjoy belittling conservative beliefs."
<ref>[http://www.columbiaspectator.com/?q=node/27969 Liberal Bias is A-OK], J.D. Porter, Columbia Spectator, November 9, 2007</ref>

==Media==

===CBS News===
[[Image:Bio-pic.jpg|right|thumb|180px|[[Bernard Goldberg]]]]
CBS insider [[Bernard Goldberg]] wrote the definitive book on liberal bias in the media, simply entitled ''[[Bias (book)|Bias]]''.
*He asserts that an ''"inability to see liberal views as liberal views ... is at the heart of the entire problem."''
*He wrote: "[[Pauline Kael]], for years the brilliant film critic at the ''New Yorker'', was completely baffled about how [[Richard Nixon]] could have beaten [[George McGovern]] in 1972: 'Nobody I know voted for Nixon.' Never mind that Nixon carried 49 states. She wasn't kidding." <ref>(''Bias (book)'', page 222-223)</ref>

Goldberg also suggested liberals don't even see their liberal values as "liberal":
*"Their views on all the big social issues ... aren't liberal views at all. They're simply reasonable views, shared by all the reasonable people the media elites mingle with ..." <ref>(''Bias (book)'', page 222)</ref>

During the [[Vietnam War]], the [[Soviet Union]] was the principal ally of [[Communist ]] North Vietnam, providing weapons and training in what was a major conflict of the [[Cold War]] that took 58,000 American lives. ''CBS Evening News with [[Walter Cronkite]]'' regularly carried news reports from its [[Moscow]] Bureau Chief, [[Bernard Redmont]]. When peace negotiations commenced with North Vietnam in Paris, Redmont became ''CBS News'' [[Paris]] Bureau Chief. What Redmont never reported during the ten year conflict was, Redmont had been a [[KGB]] operative since the 1930s, and member of the notorious [[Silvermaster group]]. <ref>[http://hnn.us/articles/11581.html KGB file 43173 vol. 2 (v) pp. 46-55], Alexander Vassiliev, Notes on A. Gorsky’s Report to Savchenko S.R., 23 December 1949. Original document from KGB Archives [http://www.johnearlhaynes.org/page46.html].</ref> Redmont was the only journalist to whom his fellow [[Comintern]] party member, and North Vietnamese chief negotiator, Mai Van Bo, granted an interview to bring the Communist point of view into American living rooms in what has been called, "the living room war."

===New York Times===
[[Image:Arthursulzbergerjr.jpg|right|thumbnail|150px|[[New York Times]] publisher [[Arthur Sulzberger Jr.]]]]
Peter D. Feaver of the ''[[Boston Globe]]'' noted on the sixth anniversary of the [[September 11, 2001 attacks|September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks]] that [[MoveOn.org]] ran a full-page advertisement in the ''[[New York Times]]'' accusing General [[David Petraeus]] of activities befitting a traitor. The advertisement alleges, without [[evidence]], that Petraeus would not give an honest, professional assessment of [[Operation Iraqi Freedom]]. Feaver noted, "The MoveOn.org ad is vicious ... a deliberate attack on the senior Army commander, in a major daily newspaper, with the intention of destroying as much of his [[credibility]] as possible...part of an elaborate effort to undermine public support for the [[Iraq war]], and was foreshadowed by an unnamed [[Democratic]] senator who told a reporter, "No one wants to call [Petraeus] a liar on national TV . . . The expectation is that the outside groups will do this for us." The effort is funded by powerful [[special interest]]s, and has all the trappings of a major political campaign.<ref>[http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2007/09/11/moveons_mccarthy_moment/ MoveOn's McCarthy moment], By Peter D. Feaver, ''Boston Globe'', September 11, 2007.</ref> Within a day it was discovered the ''New York Times'' gave MoveOn.org a “hefty discount” for its ad questioning Petraeus’ integrity. According to the director of public relations for the ''New York Times'', “the open rate for an ad of that size and type is $181,692.” A spokesman for MoveOn.org confirmed that the [[liberal activist group]] paid only $65,000 for the ad - a reduction of more than $116,000 from the stated rate.<ref>[http://www.nypost.com/seven/09132007/news/nationalnews/times_gives_lefties_a_hefty_di.htm Time Gives Lefties a Hefty Discount for "Betray us" Ad], Charles Hurt, ''New York Post'', September 13, 2007.</ref>

=== Media Bias===

A 2005 report<ref>[http://www.polisci.ucla.edu/faculty/groseclose/Media.Bias.pdf A MEASURE OF MEDIA BIAS] </ref> by Tim Groseclose and Jeffrey Milyo political scientists at UCLA concluded that, based on estimated ideological scores, all of the news
outlets they examined, except Fox News’ Special Report and the Washington Times, showed a strong liberal bias (scores to the left of the average member of Congress). Of the 20 major media outlets studied, 18 scored left of center, with CBS' "Evening News," The New York Times and the Los Angeles Times ranking second, third and fourth most liberal behind the news pages of The Wall Street Journal. Only Fox News' "Special Report With Brit Hume" and The Washington Times scored right of the average U.S. voter.
<blockquote>
"I suspected that many media outlets would tilt to the left because surveys have shown that reporters tend to vote more Democrat than Republican," said Tim Groseclose, a UCLA political scientist and the study's lead author. "But I was surprised at just how pronounced the distinctions are." <ref>http://www.newsroom.ucla.edu/page.asp?RelNum=6664</ref>
</blockquote>

===Vision of the anointed===
[[Image:Thomassowell.jpg‎|thumbnail|150px|right|[[Thomas Sowell]]]]
Economist [[Thomas Sowell]] in his book published in 1996, ''The Vision of the Anointed'', discusses the anointed vision of liberals and liberalism to promote their agenda, and control the writing of history and the national consciousness.

Desperate evasions of discordant evidence, and the denigration and even demonizing of those presenting such evidence, are indicative of the high stakes in contemporary [[culture war]]s, which are not about alternative policies but [[Values clarification|alternative worlds]] and of alternative roles of liberals in these worlds. Opponents must be shown to be not merely mistaken but [[moral]]ly lacking. This approach replaces the intellectual discussion of arguments by the moral extermination of persons. This denigration or [[demonizing]] of those opposed to their views not only has the desired effect of discrediting the opposition but also has the unintended effect of cutting off the path of retreat from positions which become progressively less tenable with the passage of time and the accumulation of discordant evidence. The very thought that those dismissed as simplistic or maligned might have been right–even if only on a single issue–is at best galling and potentially devastating. Their last refuge in this situation are their good intentions.

For liberals, it is desperately important to win because their whole sense of themselves is at stake. Given the high stakes, it is not hard to understand the all-out attacks of liberals on those who differ from them and their attempts to stifle alternative sources of values and beliefs, with [[Hate speech|campus speech codes]] and ‘[[political correctness]]’ being prime examples of a spreading pattern of [[taboo]]s. Here they are not content to squelch contemporary voices, they must also silence history and traditions–the national memory–as well. This too is a larger danger than the dangers flowing from particular policies.

History is the memory of a nation–and that memory is being erased by historians enthralled by liberalism. Open disdain for mere facts has been accompanied by adventurous reinterpretations known as ‘revisionist’ history. This is all yet another expression of the notion that [[Moral relativism|reality is optional]].

A very similar development in the law treats the Constitution as meaning not what those who wrote it meant, but what one small segment of the public today wants it to mean. This is the ‘[[living constitution]]’ of ‘evolving standards,’ reflecting what ‘thinking people’ believe. The law itself has been prostituted to the service of [[ideological]] crusades. The social cohesion that makes civilized life possible has been loosened by the systematic undermining of families and of commonly shared values and a common culture. <ref>Thomas Sowell, [http://www.li.suu.edu/library/circulation/Lewis/ba2350tlVisionoftheAnointedShortVersion.pdf ''The Vision of the Anointed''], New York: Basic Books, 1996.</ref>

{{Examples of liberal bias}}

==External links==

*[http://www.mediaresearch.org/biasbasics/biasbasics2admissions.asp Media Bias Basics] - Admissions of Liberal Bias

==See Also==
*[[Previous Breaking News/Liberal bias|Examples of liberal bias from previous "Breaking News" articles]]
*[[More News/Liberal Bias|Articles about '''Liberal Bias''' from "More News"]]
*[[Homosexuality and the Media]]
*[[Conservative bias]]
*[[Conservative Links]]

[[category:politics]]
[[Category: Deceit]]
[[Category: Liberals]]

Mike Huckabee

2008-02-16T01:40:11Z

Hermann1359: fixed spelling

[[Image:Hdyute7.jpg|right|thumb|Mike Huckabee]]
'''Mike Huckabee''' (born August 24, 1955) is a [[Baptist]] minister and is a candidate for the 2008 [[Republican]] presidential nomination. He is known to be [[conservative]] on the issues of [[abortion]], [[gun control]], [[homosexuality]] and [[evolution]], but less conservative on [[economic]] issues like funding [[public schools]]. He was the governor of [[Arkansas]] from 1996 to 2007.

Throughout the presidential primary, Huckabee has been viewed favorably by conservatives and [[Christian]] organizations such as the [[Homeschool Legal Defense Association]]. Former Speaker of the House [[Newt Gingrich]] predicted that Huckabee will catch on with Republican primary voters, calling him "the most interesting dark horse".<ref>http://www.wmcstations.com/Global/story.asp?S=6899608</ref>

==Recent Performance in Caucuses and Primaries==
A candidate for President in 2008, Governor Huckabee's campaign took off after the Ames Straw Poll, where he came in 2nd place (with 18% of the vote) to Mitt Romney, despite far less name recognition and far less spending - he spent about $35 per vote, whereas Romney spent more than $500 per vote. His second surge began after the Republican [[YouTube]] debate, where he was seen as calm, reasonable and positive next to the other candidates, many of whom attacked each other.

[[Poll]] numbers show that Huckabee's strong debate performances, communication skills and likability have him steadily moving up in key primary states. He was victorious in the Republican Caucuses at the [[Iowa Caucuses]]<ref>http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/04/21/s.c.straw.poll/index.html</ref>, and came in third place in the New Hampshire Primary, where he personally expected to not even place in the top three.<ref>http://youdecide08.foxnews.com/2008/01/08/hillary-clinton-john-mccain-take-early-lead-in-new-hampshire-primary/</ref> He was the winner of the straw poll after the Sept. 17th "values debate".<ref>http://www.earnedmedia.org/kg0918.htm</ref> With far less money than his competitors, Huckabee finished second in the high-profile [[Iowa Straw Poll]] with 18% of the vote, in front of [[Sam Brownback]] (15%) and behind [[Mitt Romney]] (32%). His victory has placed him in the top tier of Republican primary candidates.<ref>http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/08/12/ftn/main3159786.shtml</ref><ref>http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=22081</ref><ref>http://www.americanresearchgroup.com/</ref>
He came in third in the [[Michigan]] primaries and a close second to [[John McCain]] in [[South Carolina]].

In October 2007, Huckabee overwhelmingly won the high-profile Family Research Counsel's Value Voter Summit straw poll. Out of those attending, Huckabee received more votes then all other candidates combined.<ref>http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/news/politics/blog/2007/10/romney_camp_stacking_the_value.html</ref>

== Record as Governor ==
As [[Governor]] of [[Arkansas]], Mike Huckabee cut and raised taxes. For example, during his ten years in office, the Arkansas [[legislature]] enacted increases in tobacco, sales, and [[fuel]]s taxes; however he also signed into legislation tax cuts over 90 times during that period. During his tenure as Governor welfare rolls declined by nearly half, and last year the state's economy grew 4.4%, beating the national average of 4.2%.<ref>http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1129494,00.html</ref>

In 1997 he introduced ARKids First, a health care plan which cut the number of Arkansas uninsured children in half.<ref>http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1129494,00.html</ref>

Throughout his tenure he also supported and helped pass pro-life bills through the Democrat controlled legislature.

In 2005 [[Time Magazine]] declared him one of "America's 5 Best Governors".<ref>http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1129494,00.html</ref>

== Political Beliefs ==
===Taxes===
As governor, he signed the first broad-based tax-cut in state history and cut taxes over ninety times. Huckabee believes that the United States should enact a tax system known as the [[FairTax]], this system replaces the income tax with a voluntary consumption tax. Recently he signed the Presidential Taxpayer Protection Pledge to Americans for Tax Reform which promises to not raise taxes if elected president.<ref>http://www.atr.org/content/html/2007/march/030207pr-huckabeesignspledge.html</ref>

===Spending===
During his tenure, state spending rose 65.3% between 1996 and 2004, which was 3 times the rate of inflation. This has led to strong criticism from conservative groups like the [[Club for Growth]]. However, when he left office there was a surplus of over $800 million.<ref>http://www.clubforgrowth.org/2007/01/a_report_on_mike_huckabees_fis.php</ref> Huckabee has called on Bush to veto more spending bills by the democrat controlled congress.<ref>http://www.ajc.com/news/content/metro/cobb/stories/2007/09/08/huckabee_0909.html</ref> In August 2007, Grover Norquist, the president of Americans for Tax Reform, stated "Gov. Huckabee recognizes that the challenge is to rein in spending and reduce taxes."<ref>http://www.atr.org/content/html/2007/march/030207pr-huckabeesignspledge.html</ref>

===Abortion===
According to ''[[National Review]]'', as Governor of Arkansas, Huckabee signed a bill requiring parental consent for [[abortion]], and mandating notification by abortion providers to prospective parents that the unborn baby may feel pain, he also helped pass a bill through the Democratic-controlled legislature which stated that life began at conception.<ref>http://www.explorehuckabee.com/index.cfm?FuseAction=Issues.View&Issue_ID=11</ref><ref>http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=NmNjMmI1ODhjNGVlZWFmNTlmMGNiZTVjYTg1NTUzMTk=</ref> He also signed the Fetal Protection Act. He is known to be strongly pro-life.

He would favor [[Roe v. Wade]] being overturned and the federal governments recognition that life begins at conception.

===Marriage===
Huckabee is opposed to same sex marriage and civil unions. He also is a strong advocate for fathers' participation in child-raising.<ref>http://www.ontheissues.org/Mike_Huckabee.htm</ref>

===Second Amendment Rights===
As governor, he signed bills blocking frivolous lawsuits against gun manufacturers and removing restrictions on concealed handgun permit holders. He became the first governor in the nation to have a concealed handgun license.<ref>http://www.explorehuckabee.com</ref>

===Immigration===
Huckabee opposed the McCain-Kennedy [[immigration]] bill because he stated it had problems with "credibility; secrecy; and spending".<ref>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Huckabee</ref> He believes the United States should seal the border first and deportat illegal immigrants who have committed crimes.<ref>http://www.mikehuckabee.com/index.cfm?FuseAction=Issues.View&Issue_id=4</ref>

==Vertical Politics==
While campaigning, Huckabee has referred to what he calls Vertical Politics - politics aimed at making America stronger rather than festering [[Partisan politics in the United States|partisanship]]. Huckabee said, "Everywhere I go on the campaign trail, I meet voters with a real thirst for a healthy discussion of the issues. Ultimately, people don't care whether an issue comes from the left or the right. What they want to talk about are ideas that lift America up and make us better. It's what I call 'Vertical Politics'." <ref>http://www.mikehuckabee.com/index.cfm?FuseAction=verticalday.home</ref>

== Personal ==
[[Image:HuckabeeBand.JPG|right|thumb|200px|Huckabee playing with his band, ''Capital Offense'', during the 2007 [[Iowa Straw Poll]]]]
Huckabee was born in Hope, [[Arkansas]], the same town where former president [[Bill Clinton]] was born. This coincidence led to one of Huckabee's campaign slogans, "give [Hope] one more chance."
Huckabee lost 110 pounds while governor of Arkansas and documented his weight loss and set out a 12-step plan for weight loss in his book ''Quit Digging Your Grave With a Knife and Fork.''<ref>http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7752179/site/newsweek/</ref> He has also made childhood obesity a major platform issue. He became the first person in his family to attend college when he attended Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, in Fort Worth, [[Texas]], before becoming a [[Baptist]] pastor for twelve years in Arkansas. Because of his income situation, Huckabee graduated in only two and a half years.

The 52-year-old former governor and his wife live in [[Little Rock]] and have three grown children. Huckabee enjoys playing in his rock-n-roll band, Capitol Offense, which has played at the House of Blues in [[New Orleans]], the Red Rocks Amphitheater in [[Denver]], [[Colorado]] and for two presidential inauguration balls.

==Quotes==
* "We've had a [[congress]] that's spent money like [[John Edwards]] at a beauty shop."<ref>''GOP presidential debate'' May 2006 [http://www.gopusa.com/theloft/?p=456 The Loft] Accessed 3 January 2008.</ref>
* "…my [[faith]] is my life. It defines me. I see no separation between my faith from my personal and professional lives."<ref>''Faith and Politics'' [http://www.mikehuckabee.com/?FuseAction=Issues.View&Issue_id=9 mikehuckabee.com] Accessed 3 January 2008.</ref>
* "When it comes to the red tape in government, I don't think I can part the Red Sea but I believe I can part the red tape."<ref>''GOP presidential debate'' Iowa, 12 December 2007.</ref>
* "[Some of my opponents] do not want to change the Constitution, but I believe it's a lot easier to change the constitution than it would be to change the word of the living God, and that's what we need to do is to amend the Constitution so it's in God's standards rather than try to change God's standards."<ref>''http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2008/01/15/579265.aspx''[http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2008/01/15/579265.aspx]</ref>
* "To think that we're going to go lock up 12 million people, or even round them up and drive them to the border and let them go, might make a great political speech, but it's not going to happen." ''[[Washington Post]]'', May, 2006.
* "(I) propose to provide all illegal immigrants a 120-day window to register with the [[Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services]] and leave the country." ''Secure America Plan", December, 2007.

==Endorsements==
====Organizations====
For the first time in the organizations history, the [[Homeschool Legal Defense Association]] Political Action Committee endorsed a political candidate. The organization, which consists of 90,000 members, stated that they decided to endorse Huckabee because of he was, "[[conservative]], a friend of [[homeschooling]], a man of character, and a man with a mature faith in [[Jesus Christ]]".<ref>http://huckabee08.blogspot.com/2007/06/huckabee-on-roll-endorsements-and-polls.html</ref>

===South Carolina===
Huckabee has received some key endorsement during the course of his primary race. One such endorsement came from former [[South Carolina]] Governor, [[David Beasley]], who had before planned on staying on the sidelines throughout the [[Republican]] primary.<ref>http://www.sptimes.com/2007/05/27/news_pf/Opinion/Huckabee_s__a_maratho.shtml</ref>

Huckabee received another South Carolina endorsement from Iris Campbell, the former South Carolina First Lady and wife of former governor, the late [[Mike Campbell]].<ref>http://hotlineblog.nationaljournal.com/archives/2007/02/endorsement_wat.html</ref> During Mike Campbell's time in office, from 1987 to 1994, his endorsement of [[Ronald Reagan]] boosted the underdog's presidential primary race.

===Virginia===
In August 2007, Huckabee received a key endorsement from [[Virginia]]'s House of Delegates Speaker [[William J. Howell]]. Howell has been a member of the Board of Directors of the [[American Legislative Exchange Council ]](ALEC), the nation’s largest bipartisan, individual membership association of state legislators.<ref>http://www.mikehuckabee.com/index.cfm?FuseAction=NewsRoom.PressRelease&ID=216</ref>

===New Hampshire===
Huckabee has picked up some key endorsements in the very significant primary in [[New Hampshire]]. In August 2007, New Hampshire's former Senator, Russell Prescott, and former Executive Councilor David Wheeler endorsed Huckabee.<ref>http://www.boston.com/news/local/politics/primarysource/2007/08/huckabee_endors.html</ref> Both figures remain very popular with social conservatives in the state.<ref>http://www.boston.com/news/local/politics/primarysource/2007/08/huckabee_endors.html</ref>

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

{{DEFAULTSORT:Huckabee, Mike}}
[[Category:Political people]]
[[Category:2008 Presidential Candidates]]
[[Category:Republican Party]]
[[Category:United States Governors]]

== External Links ==
* [http://www.mikehuckabee.com/ Mike Huckabee (official)]
*[http://www.mikehuckabee.com/index.cfm?FuseAction=Blogs.Home Huckabee Campaign Blog]
*[http://www.hucksarmy.com/ Grassroots Website]
*[http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=ZDA2NzhkZGI2ZjA4NWI2NmMyYzNkNjY1Y2QzMzlmYzA=Governors Win, The case for Mike Huckabee.], [[National Review]], S. T. Karnick, August 2007
*[http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=24068 There’s a Huckabee Born Every Minute], [[Ann Coulter]], [[Human Events]], 12/19/2007

==External Videos==
*[http://www.hucksarmy.com/video.php Huckabee online video collection]
===Supporter Videos===
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILPcnn9Sf94&eurl=http://www.mikehuckabee.com/index.cfm?FuseAction=Blogs.Home Huckabee - Cinderella Man]
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hwfzk5RSQy4&eurl=http://www.hucksarmy.com/video.php?video=we_like_mike_huckabee We Like Mike - Huckabee]
*[http://www.hucksarmy.com/video.php?video=i_heart_huckabee_colbert_stewart I heart Huckabee]
===Personal Story===
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3YR3grKJ3Q&eurl=http://www.hucksarmy.com/video.php?video=story_of_mike_huckabee Part 1]
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8aBVYKpZNQ&feature=related Part 2]
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1VZufUe0HGs&feature=related Part 3]
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8tXZKfUg97o&feature=related Part 4]
===Ads===
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EjYv2YW6azE&eurl=http://www.hucksarmy.com/video.php?video=chuck_norris_huckabee_facts "HuckChuckFacts"]

===Speeches===
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysdguwpgNZ0&eurl=http://www.hucksarmy.com/video.php?video=huckabee_family_research-01 FRC's Value Voter Summit Speech Part 1]
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Af5qyUzRT68&feature=related Value Voter Summit Speech Part 2]
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A5v_qB0VDNI&feature=related FRC's Value Voter Summit Speech Part 3]

{{2008_presidential_candidates}}

User:Fvrederi

2008-02-16T01:19:39Z

Hermann1359: New page: {{welcome}}

Age of the Earth

2008-02-16T01:11:54Z

Hermann1359: change "millions years" to "million years"

The '''age of the Earth''' has been a matter of interest to humans for millennia, and today still causes debate, particularly between [[young Earth Creationism|young-Earth creationists]] who hold to a date of 6,000 years or so, and [[uniformitarianism|uniformitarians]] who hold to a date of about 4,500 million years.

== Increasing ages ==

Early Jews and even some "heathens" believed that the total age of the Earth would be around 6,000 years.<ref>Burnet, p. 258.</ref>

Similarly, people such as St. Barnabas and St. Irenæus held that the Earth would be 6,000 years old.<ref>Burnet, p. 259.</ref>

In 1830, Dr. Hales published a list of 120 historical authorities from various cultures who had decided on a [[date of creation]]. These ranged from 6984 B.C. to 3616 B.C.<ref>Batten 2002 quotes from "Young’s Analytical Concordance of the Holy Bible", 1879 8th Edition, 1939, which relates this, and reproduces the selection of the dates from Young.</ref>

Included in Hales' list is [[James Ussher]], who calculated the famous date of 4004 B.C. for creation. Young-Earth creationists still consider this date to be close to the actual date.

In 1778 George-Louis Lecrerc, Count of Buffon, proposed that the Earth was about 74,832 years old.<ref name="ingv">INGV</ref>
[[James Hutton]], whilst not proposing a date, dismissed the Biblical account and claimed in 1785 that there was not evidence of a beginning at all.<ref name="ingv" />
[[Charles Lyell]] supported Hutton's idea in 1830, in ''Principles of Geology''.<ref name="ingv" />

In 1854 [[Hermann von Helmholtz]] estimated an age of between 20 and 40 million years.<ref name="ingv" />
Around the same time [[Lord Kelvin]] put his mind to deriving an age, and came up with a range between 20 million years and 400 million years. He later refined that down to between 20 million and 40 million years.<ref name="ingv" />

The 1911 edition of the [[Encyclopedia Britannica]] discussed dates up to 500 million years.<ref>Encyclopædia Britannica, pp 650-651.</ref>

By about 1930, J. H. Jeans was arguing for an age of the Earth of around 2,000 million years.<ref>Universal History of the World, p.76.</ref>

The currently-proposed age is 4,500 million years, based in part on rocks dated by [[Potassium-argon dating|Potassium-argon (K:Ar) dating]] at about 4,400 million years.<ref>Peck, 2000, p.376.</ref>

== Bibliography ==
* Burnet, Thomas, [http://www.sacred-texts.com/earth/ste/ste36.htm The Sacred Theory of the Earth, chapter V], 1691.
* Encyclopedia Britannica, 11th edition (1911). [http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/User:Tim_Starling On-line page facsimiles].
* Hammerton, J.A. (Ed.), "Universal History of the World" (8 volumes) The Educational Book Co., London, c1930.
* Batten, Don, [http://www.creationontheweb.com/content/view/417 Old-earth or young-earth belief: Which belief is the recent aberration?], ''Creation'' 24(1):24–27, December 2001.
* [http://www.ingv.it/~roma/SITOINGLESE/activities/geomagnetismo/analysistheory/historicalresearch/age.html The age of the Earth] (Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia (INGV)).
*Peck WH, Valley JW, Wilde SA, and Graham CM (2000) Ion microprobe Evidence for Pre-4.4 Ga Continental Crust and Low Temperature Water/Rock Interaction. ''Geol. Soc. Am. Abstr'', vol 32, no. 7.

== Notes ==
<references />
[[Category:Geology]]

Caravel

2008-02-15T23:15:17Z

Hermann1359: spelling

[[Image:Caravel.jpg|thumb|200px|Tudor Caravel]]
The '''Caravel''' was the “work-horse” of the [[Spanish]] and Portuguese during the Age of Exploration; a vessel that would be adapted according to the varying needs and challenges of the era.

In the early 15th century a caravel was termed as a Portuguese two-masted lateen rigged carvel-built vessel with forecastle and deckhouse, designed for trade in the [[Mediterranean]] and the Atlantic coast. When Henry the Navigator began his search for a sea route to India in the 1420s one of his priorities was the development of a suitable vessel. The caravela latina was the first design change, with a slimmer hull and three masts, though still all lateen rigged. This was followed by the caravella redonda, a three masted vessel, square rigged on the fore- and mainmast, however the mizzen retained the lateen sail as an aid to maneuverability. By the 16th century four-masted versions had appeared. A water color by the sixteenth century Spaniard, Monleon, shows two four-masted caravels square rigged on only the foremast. During the fifteenth century, the use of topsails was developed.

Their size varied. Diaz sailed with two small caravels designed for poking about amongst the shoals and reefs of an unknown coast. Vasco da Gama, on the advice of Diaz, was supplied with much larger and heavily armed caravels. [[Christopher Columbus|Columbus]]’ [[The Niña]] and [[The Pinta]] were small caravels. ([[Santa Maria]] was a “Nao”, a much larger and older design, developed from the craft that had carried the Crusaders two centuries and more before.) Magellan’s fleet included large four-masted caravels.

The term refers to the type of hull. The hulls of caravels were a mixture of Iberian and Arab design and were carvel built. That is, the strakes, or planks, of the hull were butt jointed along their edges; not overlapping (clinker built). This meant less drag, easier cleaning and enabled the use of shorter boards and the construction of a double hull if required. This method was not new – its use has been recorded from ancient times – but the success of the caravel caused an explosion in its use, and large carvel built vessels were being built in Holland and the Baltic by the second half of the fifteenth century. The word caravel, however, usually refers to those vessels of the Iberian Peninsular.

Sources:
Dictionary of [[Ship]] Types, (Conway Maritime Press)
J. R. Parry, The Age of Exploration (Uni of California Press)

[[Category: Age of Exploration]]

Valence shell

2008-02-15T23:09:54Z

Hermann1359:

[[Image:Atoms1.jpg|right|200px]]
The '''valence shell''' is the [[electron shell]] which corresponds to the highest value of principal [[quantum number]] in an [[atom]]. The valence [[electron]]s in this shell are on average farther from the [[nucleus]] than other electrons; these are the electrons which are directly involved in [[chemical reaction]]s.<ref>http://antoine.frostburg.edu/chem/senese/101/electrons/glossary.shtml</ref>

[[Category:Chemistry]]

Barry Setterfield

2008-02-15T23:07:50Z

Hermann1359:

[[Image:Barry_setterfield.jpg‎|right|thumb|175px|[[Barry Setterfield]]]]
'''Barry Setterfield''' is a [[Young earth creationism|young earth creationist]] from [[Australia]] who is known for proposing that the speed of [[light]] was faster in the past. <ref>http://www.creationontheweb.com/content/view/2551/</ref> In 1999, John Webb, a professor at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia, and his colleagues reported astronomical observations suggesting that the value of the fine-structure constant (which is related to the speed of light) may have changed (They subsequently published their observations in 2001 in ''[[Physical Review Letters]]'').<ref>http://www.nature.com/physics/highlights/6849-3.html#ref1</ref><ref>http://www.answersingenesis.org/news/fine_structure.asp</ref> If correct, then various theories that constants have always been the same may need to be changed.<ref>http://www.answersingenesis.org/news/fine_structure.asp</ref> When Barry Setterfield took the position that the speed of light was much faster in the past the main objection was the purported constancy of fundamental laws.<ref>http://www.answersingenesis.org/news/fine_structure.asp</ref>

Mr. Setterfield also lectured at the Astronomical Society of South Australia for six years. <ref>http://www.setterfield.org/bio.html</ref>

==External Links ==
*[http://www.setterfield.org/bio.html A Brief Biography: Barry Setterfield]
*[http://www.setterfield.org/ Barry Setterfield Research Library]
*[http://www.setterfield.org/scipubl.html Selected Research Papers by Barry Setterfield]

==References==
<references/>

{{DEFAULTSORT: Setterfield, Barry}}

[[Category:Young Earth Creationists]]

Per se rule

2008-02-15T23:02:59Z

Hermann1359:

The '''per se rule''' under the [[Sherman Act]] treats a business practice as automatically unlawful without any judicial inquiry into the motives or justification for the business. The '''per se''' rule is confined to restraints "that would always or almost always tend to restrict competition and decrease output." ''Business Electronics Corp. v. Sharp Electronics Corp.'', 485 U.S. 717 at 723 (1988) (internal quotation marks omitted). To justify a per se prohibition a restraint must have "manifestly anticompetitive" effects, ''Continental T. V., Inc. v. GTE Sylvania Inc.'', 433 U.S. 36, 50 (1977), and "lack ... any redeeming virtue," ''Northwest Wholesale Stationers, Inc. v. Pacific Stationery and Printing Co.'', 472 U.S. 284, 289 (1985) (internal quotation marks omitted).

The per se rule is appropriate only after courts have had considerable experience with the type of restraint at issue, ''see Broadcast Music, Inc. v. Columbia Broadcasting System, Inc.'', 441 U.S. 1, 9 (1979), and only if courts can predict with confidence that it would be invalidated in all or almost all instances under the rule of reason, see ''Arizona v. Maricopa County Medical Soc.'', 457 U.S. 332, 344 (1982). Courts "have expressed reluctance to adopt per se rules with regard to restraints imposed in the context of business relationships where the economic impact of certain practices is not immediately obvious." ''Khan'', supra, at 10 (internal quotation marks omitted); ''see also White Motor Co. v. United States'', 372 U.S. 253, 263 (1963) (refusing to adopt a per se rule for a vertical nonprice restraint because of the uncertainty concerning whether this type of restraint satisfied the demanding standards necessary to apply a per se rule). The Court has stated, a "departure from the rule-of-reason standard must be based upon demonstrable economic effect rather than ... upon formalistic line drawing." ''GTE Sylvania'', ''supra'', at 58-59.
[[category:United States Supreme Court Cases]]
[[category:Antitrust]]

Multiverse hypothesis

2008-02-15T22:56:59Z

Hermann1359: spelling & grammar

The '''multiverse''', a theory in which multiple universes exist, is a consequence of one of the interpretations of [[quantum mechanics]]. Its origins lie in a 1957 thesis by [[Hugh Everett]], who offered a 'many worlds' interpretation (MWI) of some of the phenomena observed in quantum mechanical situations, such as the [[double-slit experiment]].

In most formulations of the theory, the constituent "universes" are identical, in that they have the same physical laws and the same values for the fundamental constants but exist in different states, and are arranged so that no information can pass between them. The state of the entire multiverse is constituted by a [[quantum superposition]] of states of the constituent universes and is described by a single universal [[wave function]]. In a recent work, [[The Fabric of Reality]] (1997), [[David Deutsch]] argues that the universe as we experience it consists of an infinity of physically possible worlds all co-existing in all possible times, and that what we regard as reality is simply an individual mind's rendering of his or her journey through a sequence of individual panes of the multiverse.

Related ideas are [[Richard Feynman]]'s multiple histories interpretation, [[Dieter Zeh]]'s many-minds interpretation, and [[David Kellogg Lewis]]'s [[modal realism]] theory of [[possible worlds]].

[[category:physics]]

Phencyclidine

2008-02-15T22:50:55Z

Hermann1359: spelling

[[Image:Phenylcycl.gif|thumb|right]]
'''Phencyclidine''', or PCP, is classified as a dissociative anesthetic. When illegally sold for recreational use it is known on the streets as "[[angel dust]]." Phencyclidine was first synthesized in 1926.

[[Category:Drugs]]

Same-sex marriage

2008-02-15T22:39:53Z

Hermann1359:

Same-sex marriage

2008-02-15T22:34:45Z

Hermann1359: more correct, civil rights are for minorities, especially blacks

[[Image:Cycle.gif|thumbnail|200px|right|A recent study by the [[Canada|Canadian]] government states that "violence was twice as common among homosexual couples compared with [[heterosexual]] couples".<ref>http://www.nationalpost.com/scripts/story.html?id=5a6dc0ec-3807-4f5c-a5ad-c50855986682&k=55181&p=2 Aforementioned Canadian Study.</ref>]]
{{move|same-sex marriage}}

'''Same-sex marriage''' is the term for a [[marriage]] in which both parties involved are of the same sex. The "same-sex marriage" movement supports the legal recognition of marriages between people of the same sex.

__TOC__

Same-sex marriage is sometimes referred to as "[[homosexuality|gay]] marriage" or "[[homosexuality|homosexual]] marriage", though these names are technically incorrect as the sexual orientations of the partners do not determine the nature of the marriage (just as a homosexual man married to a homosexual woman would not be part of a same-sex marriage). "Same-sex marriage" is the official certification in jurisdictions that allow a union between two people of the same sex. Social conservatives regard same-sex marriage as immoral, and argue that use of the word "[[marriage]]" is a misnomer, because the [[Form of Solemnization of Matrimony|marriage services]] of Christian denominations define marriage as the union of a man and a woman,<ref>E.g. In some Christian marriage ceremonies,the wedding will begin with a statement along the lines of: "Dearly beloved: We have come together in the presence of God to witness and bless the joining together of this man and this woman in Holy Matrimony." ''The Book of Common Prayer,'' Episcopal Church, The Church Hymnal Corporation and the Seabury Press, 1979: "The Celebration and Blessing of a Marriage," p. 423</ref> a definition which was also written into United States federal law in 1996.

Dr. [[James Dobson]]'s [[Focus on the Family]] refers to the phrase ''same-sex 'marriage,''' with quotation marks around the word ''marriage,'' to call attention to his belief that marriage—civil as well as religious—is intrinsically a union between a man and a woman, and that he therefore believes that same-sex unions are "counterfeits."<ref>[http://www.family.org/socialissues/A000000464.cfm Same-Sex 'Marriage' and Civil Unions], ''Focus on the Family's'' website</ref>

Abuse of the term was unheard of a few decades ago; however, these unions are now among a number of issues advocated by [[liberal]] activists. In the United States, marriage is primarily governed by each individual state and marriage laws differ from state to state. Several states allow [[civil union]]s between two people of the same sex, and one, Massachusetts, currently allows same-sex marriage. These marriages are not recognized by the Federal government.

== Background ==
In 1996 Congress recognized the likelihood that civil rights advocates would soon seek changes to the laws in some states that pertain to gay people. It considered the possibility of test cases reaching the Supreme Court, and of the court conceivably ruling that a state—even though it prohibits same-sex marriage itself—must honor same-sex marriages performed in another state. The Defense of Marriage act, which was passed and signed by President Clinton, prevents this possibility, and also prevents the Federal Government from recognizing marriage as anything other than a union between a man and a woman.

In 1999 a Vermont court ruled that under its constitution, it was not required to allow same-sex marriage but was required to make provisions to grant same-sex couples legal rights identical to those provided by marriage. Vermont responded by creating "civil unions," which are legally distinct from marriages but convey the same rights. As of 2007, California, Connecticut, New Jersey, and Maine also provide civil unions or "domestic partnerships." Beginning in 2008, the states of Washington, Oregon, and New Hampshire will also provide same-sex unions. Hawaii provides certain benefits to same sex couples. <ref>[http://www.newsday.com/news/local/wire/connecticut/ny-bc-ct--civilunions-optio0531may31,0,341613.story?coll=ny-region-apconnecticut Newsday]</ref> In 2003 the Massachusetts Supreme Court ruled that under Massachusetts' constitution, same-sex couples could not be denied Massachusetts marriage licenses, making Massachusetts the sole state to issue same-sex marriage licenses.<ref>Because of an antiquated Massachusetts law, Massachusetts same-sex marriages are all-but-limited to Massachusetts residents. The law says that an out-of-state couple cannot be married if their marriage would not be recognized in their home state. Same-sex marriages are not recognized under federal law or in most other states.</ref>

Same sex marriage is legal in five countries: [[South Africa]], [[Spain]], [[Canada]], the [[Netherlands]] and [[Belgium]]. Other countries, such as [[France]], [[Germany]], and the [[United Kingdom]], recognize [[civil unions]] and [[domestic partnership]]s.<ref>[http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2004-03/05/content_311998.htm Countries worldwide address gay marriage]</ref>

The religious ceremony of marriage is governed by each denomination and is unaffected by laws passed by civil authority. Same-sex marriage is forbidden in Orthodox Judaism, Catholicism, and most mainstream Protestant denominations. In Massachusetts, however, about 6% of all marriages are same-sex marriages, so this does not appear to be a problem. <ref>[http://www.massequality.org/news/news_story.php?id=273]</ref><ref>http://www.pdfdownload.org/pdf2html/pdf2html.php?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cdc.gov%2Fnchs%2Fdata%2Fnvss%2Fmarriage90_04.pdf&images=yes</ref>

Public attitude toward same-sex marriage parallels attitude toward homosexuality. In general, it is opposed by social conservatives and outside of this group, support is split down the middle leaning to opposition.<ref>[http://www.abcnews.go.com/sections/us/Relationships/same_sex_marriage_poll_040121.html Same Sex Marriage Poll from ABC News]</ref>

== Issues ==
James Dobson of ''Focus on the Family'' suggests that the motivation of those advocating same-sex marriage is not to secure the benefits of marriage for gay couples, but to destroy the institution of marriage itself:
:...most gays and lesbians do not want to marry each other. That would entangle them in all sorts of legal constraints. Who needs a lifetime commitment to one person? The intention here is to destroy marriage altogether. With marriage as we know it gone, everyone would enjoy all the legal benefits of marriage (custody rights, tax-free inheritance, joint ownership of property, health care and spousal citizenship, etc.,) without limiting the number of partners or their gender. Nor would "couples" be bound to each other in the eyes of the law. This is clearly where the movement is headed.<ref>[http://www.focusonthefamily.com/docstudy/newsletters/A000000771.cfm Marriage on the Ropes], Dr. James Dobson, retrieved from ''Focus on the Family'', 15 May 2007. </ref>

According to a March, 2007 report, there are 65,000 adopted children in the U.S. being raised by same-sex couples. The same report says 14,100 foster children were being raised by one or more gay or lesbian foster parents.<ref>[http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/06/25/gay.adoption/index.html Gay adoption: A new take on the American family]</ref>

In Great Britain, the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) has expressed its full support to the stand taken by the Catholic Church opposing regulations on gay adoption. The Catholic Church sought to be exempt from the new law. The Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams of the Church of England, supports the Catholic Church's efforts declaring that the rights of conscience cannot be subject to laws. Catholic leaders have already said that its teachings prevent its agencies placing children with homosexuals and they will have to close if bound by the rules. The MCB, the UK's leading Muslim umbrella group embracing over 400 affiliated organizations, said that while it supported anti-discrimination laws, homosexuality is forbidden in Islam. <ref>[http://www2.irna.com/en/news/view/menu-234/0701266670200554.htm UK Muslim group backs Christian opposition to gay adoption rules London], Islamic republic News Agency, Jan 26, 2007.</ref>

Studies indicate that homosexual couples have higher rates of promiscuity than heterosexual couples. In addition, studies report that [[Homosexual Couples and Domestic Violence|homosexual couples have significantly higher incidences of violent behavior]].{{fact}} These studies are not surprising given what pathologists have stated regarding the [[Homosexuality and Murders|commonness and brutality of homosexual murders]]. The prevalence of violence and emotional abuse in gay domestic partnerships.A particularly worrisome factor among [[gay rights]] [[activist]]s is One survey found 53% of gays felt if the high incidence of violence against partners in homosexual relationships was known and understood by the heterosexual population, it would hinder the drive for gay rights.{{fact}}

Domestic abuse is divided into two categories, emotional abuse and physical abuse. While gay domestic abuse has not been studied to the extent that heterosexual relationships have, [[Homosexual Couples and Domestic Violence|preliminary studies indicate a much higher level of abuse]].

One type of emotional abuse--threatening to "out" a partner to family, friends, or employers--is unique to homosexual relationships. Legalization of so-called "gay marriage" still would not end this type of abuse. Morality cannot be legislated.

Although the studies are decades behind heterosexual studies on violence between men and women, the indications are that homosexual relationships suffer from a much higher degree of physical violence than heterosexual relationships. Several studies have been made, and more are ongoing. However, it is safe to say at this juncture, that [[Homosexual Couples and Domestic Violence|homosexual domestic relationships suffer from violence two to four times higher than the well studied incidence in heterosexual relationships]].

==See also==
*[[Intimate Partner Violence]]

==Reference==
{{reflist|2}}

[[Category:Homosexual Agenda]]

Algorithm

2008-02-15T22:22:15Z

Hermann1359: wording

An '''algorithm''' is a procedure for carrying out a task which, given an initial state, will terminate in a clearly defined end-state. It can be thought of as a recipe, or a step-by-step method, so that in following the steps of the algorithm you are guaranteed to find the solution or the answer. The name is derived from a corruption of [[Muhammad ibn Mūsā al-Khwārizmī|Al-Khwārizmī]], the Persian astronomer and mathematician who wrote a treatise in Arabic in 825 AD entitled: ''On Calculation with Hindu Numerals''. This was translated into Latin in the 12th century as ''Algoritmi de numero Indorum''. The title translates as "Al-Khwārizmī on the numbers of the Indians", with ''Algoritmi'' being the translator's rendition of the original author's name in Arabic. Later writers misunderstood the title, and treated ''Algoritmi'' as a Latin plural of the neologism ''Algoritmus'' or ''Algorithmus'', and took its meaning to be 'calculation method'. In the Middle Ages there were many variations of this, such as alkorisms, algorisms, algorhythms etc.

There are two main current usages:
# In elementary education, where an 'algorithm' is used for calculation, such as the decomposition algorithm, or the equal addition method of subtraction. Many of these algorithms are, in fact derivations from methods in Al-Khwārizmī's original treatise.
# In computing, where an algorithm is the methodology which underlies a computer program. This tells the computer what specific steps to perform (in what specific order) in order to carry out a specified task, such as calculating employees’ paychecks or printing students’ report cards.

All algorithms must adhere to two rules -

*They must work for any given input or network.
*They must have a single start point, and a single finish point.

There is a second type of algorithm - whereas most algorithms provably evaluate the most desirable end-state (for example, it is possible to mathematically prove that Dijkstra's algorithm gives the shortest route from one point to another) - others known as 'heuristic algorithms' cannot provably give the best solution (although they do give a fairly good result). While this may seem inferior, some problems are very difficult or even impossible to map out using normal algorithms, so heuristic ones are superior in these cases.

==Examples of Algorithms==

===Dijkstra's algorithm===

Dijkstra's algorithm finds the shortest path through a [[network]], from one point to another.

#Start by labelling the first [[node]] (1,0,0). The first number, the ordinal value, denotes the order in which the arcs were labelled, the second, the label value (the distance travelled thus far), while the third, the working value, denotes the possible distance to that point.
#Then, update the working values for nodes separated to the current node(s) by one [[arc]], by adding the weight of the arc to that node to the label value of the node at the other end. This value may decrease during the progression of the algorithm, as new, shorter, routes are found.
#Choose the node with the lowest working value, and promote its working value to the label value, and write in its new ordinal value. For example, if this was the second node labelled, its complete annotation would now read (2, x, x), where 'x' would be the distance between it and the first node.
#Now return to the second step. If there are no more nodes to be added, the algorithm has finished.

===Planarity algorithm===

The planarity algorithm is used to determine whether a given shape is 2-dimensional or not. It has found particular use in road and circuit board design to avoid cross-overs.

#Identify a [[Hamiltonian Cycle]] in the network.
#Redraw the network with the Hamiltonian cycle on the outside.
#Identify any crossings between lines.
#Choose an arc with crossings to stay inside the cycle. Move any arcs with crossings to the outside.
#Repeat from step 3 until there are no more crossings. If this step is completed, it shows that the shape is planar (2-d). If it cannot be completed, the shape is 3-dimensional and not planar.

===Critical path analysis===

Critical path analysis is used to determine the fastest/most efficient way of completing a series of tasks, which often depend upon each other.
===Kruskal's algorithm===

Kruskal's algorithm is used to find the minimum spanning tree in an network that you can see all of.
===Prim's algorithm===

Prim's algorithm is used to find the minimum spanning tree when only some of a network is visible.

===Bin-filling algorithm===

The Bin filling algorithm is used to find the most efficient way of combining several differently sized objects into a space(s) with a certain size. An example would be the problem of packing objects into the boot of a car; the bin-filling algorithm is in fact a mathematically formulated version of the rule of thumb 'put the big things in first'; but in can be used for many other problems - loading cars onto ferries, sending messages via [[routers]] on the [[internet]], etc. It is a heuristic algorithm, as it does not give a provably maximal solution (the only way to do this, until Vijay Vazirani invented a new form of [[approximation algorithm]], was to arrange the objects in every conceivable order).
==See also==
*[[Computability]]
*[[Genetic algorithms]]
*[[Evolutionary algorithm]]
[[category:mathematics]]

Algorithm

2008-02-15T22:19:51Z

Hermann1359:

An '''algorithm''' is a procedure for carrying out a task which, given an initial state, will terminate in a clearly defined end-state. It can be thought of as a recipe, or a step-by-step method, so that in following the steps of the algorithm you are guaranteed to find the solution or the answer. The name is derived from a corruption of [[Muhammad ibn Mūsā al-Khwārizmī|Al-Khwārizmī]], the Persian astronomer and mathematician who wrote a treatise in Arabic in 825 AD entitled: ''On Calculation with Hindu Numerals''. This was translated into Latin in the 12th century as ''Algoritmi de numero Indorum''. The title translates as "Al-Khwārizmī on the numbers of the Indians", with ''Algoritmi'' being the translator's rendition of the original author's name in Arabic. Later writers misunderstood the title, and treated ''Algoritmi'' as a Latin plural of the neologism ''Algoritmus'' or ''Algorithmus'', and took its meaning to be 'calculation method'. In the Middle Ages there were many variations of this, such as alkorisms, algorisms, algorhythms etc.

There are two main current usages:
# In elementary education, where an 'algorithm' is used for calculation, such as the decomposition algorithm, or the equal addition method of subtraction. Many of these algorithms are, in fact derivations from methods in Al-Khwārizmī's original treatise.
# In computing, where an algorithm is the methodology which underlies a computer program. This tells the computer what specific steps to perform (in what specific order) in order to carry out a specified task, such as calculating employees’ paychecks or printing students’ report cards.

All algorithms must adhere to two rules -

*They must work for any given input or network.
*They must have a single start point, and a single finish point.

There is a second type of algorithm - whereas most algorithms provably evaluate the most desirable end-state (for example, it is possible to mathematically prove that Dijkstra's algorithm gives the shortest route from one point to another) - others known as 'heuristic algorithms', which, although giving a fairly good result, cannot provably give the best solution. While this may seem inferior, some problems are very difficult or even impossible to map out using normal algorithms, so heuristic ones are superior in these cases.

==Examples of Algorithms==

===Dijkstra's algorithm===

Dijkstra's algorithm finds the shortest path through a [[network]], from one point to another.

#Start by labelling the first [[node]] (1,0,0). The first number, the ordinal value, denotes the order in which the arcs were labelled, the second, the label value (the distance travelled thus far), while the third, the working value, denotes the possible distance to that point.
#Then, update the working values for nodes separated to the current node(s) by one [[arc]], by adding the weight of the arc to that node to the label value of the node at the other end. This value may decrease during the progression of the algorithm, as new, shorter, routes are found.
#Choose the node with the lowest working value, and promote its working value to the label value, and write in its new ordinal value. For example, if this was the second node labelled, its complete annotation would now read (2, x, x), where 'x' would be the distance between it and the first node.
#Now return to the second step. If there are no more nodes to be added, the algorithm has finished.

===Planarity algorithm===

The planarity algorithm is used to determine whether a given shape is 2-dimensional or not. It has found particular use in road and circuit board design to avoid cross-overs.

#Identify a [[Hamiltonian Cycle]] in the network.
#Redraw the network with the Hamiltonian cycle on the outside.
#Identify any crossings between lines.
#Choose an arc with crossings to stay inside the cycle. Move any arcs with crossings to the outside.
#Repeat from step 3 until there are no more crossings. If this step is completed, it shows that the shape is planar (2-d). If it cannot be completed, the shape is 3-dimensional and not planar.

===Critical path analysis===

Critical path analysis is used to determine the fastest/most efficient way of completing a series of tasks, which often depend upon each other.
===Kruskal's algorithm===

Kruskal's algorithm is used to find the minimum spanning tree in an network that you can see all of.
===Prim's algorithm===

Prim's algorithm is used to find the minimum spanning tree when only some of a network is visible.

===Bin-filling algorithm===

The Bin filling algorithm is used to find the most efficient way of combining several differently sized objects into a space(s) with a certain size. An example would be the problem of packing objects into the boot of a car; the bin-filling algorithm is in fact a mathematically formulated version of the rule of thumb 'put the big things in first'; but in can be used for many other problems - loading cars onto ferries, sending messages via [[routers]] on the [[internet]], etc. It is a heuristic algorithm, as it does not give a provably maximal solution (the only way to do this, until Vijay Vazirani invented a new form of [[approximation algorithm]], was to arrange the objects in every conceivable order).
==See also==
*[[Computability]]
*[[Genetic algorithms]]
*[[Evolutionary algorithm]]
[[category:mathematics]]

Algorithm

2008-02-15T22:15:26Z

Hermann1359:

An '''algorithm''' is a procedure for carrying out a task which, given an initial state, will terminate in a clearly defined end-state. It can be thought of as a recipe, or a step-by-step method, so that in following the steps of the algorithm you are guaranteed to find the solution or the answer. The name is derived from a corruption of [[Muhammad ibn Mūsā al-Khwārizmī|Al-Khwārizmī]], the Persian astronomer and mathematician who wrote a treatise in Arabic in 825 AD entitled: ''On Calculation with Hindu Numerals''. This was translated into Latin in the 12th century as ''Algoritmi de numero Indorum''. The title translates as "Al-Khwārizmī on the numbers of the Indians", with ''Algoritmi'' being the translator's rendition of the original author's name in Arabic. Later writers misunderstood the title, and treated ''Algoritmi'' as a Latin plural of the neologism ''Algoritmus'' or ''Algorithmus'', and took its meaning to be 'calculation method'. In the Middle Ages there were many variations of this, such as alkorisms, algorisms, algorhythms etc.

There are two main current usages:
# In elementary education, where an 'algorithm' is used for calculation, such as the decomposition algorithm, or the equal addition method of subtraction. Many of these algorithms are, in fact derivations from methods in Al-Khwārizmī's original treatise.
# In computing, where an algorithm is the methodology which underlies a computer program. This tells the computer what specific steps to perform (in what specific order) in order to carry out a specified task, such as calculating employees’ paychecks or printing students’ report cards.

All algorithms must adhere to two rules -

*They must work for any given input or network.
*They must have a single start point, and a single finish point.

There is, another, a second type of algorithm - whereas most algorithms provably evaluate the most desirable end-state (for example, it is possible to mathematically prove that Dijkstra's algorithm gives the shortest route from one point to another), others are known as 'heuristic algorithms'. These are algorithms that, although giving a fairly good result, cannot provably give the best solution. While this may seem inferior, some problems are very different or even impossible to map out using normal algorithms, so heuristic ones are superior.

==Examples of Algorithms==

===Dijkstra's algorithm===

Dijkstra's algorithm finds the shortest path through a [[network]], from one point to another.

#Start by labelling the first [[node]] (1,0,0). The first number, the ordinal value, denotes the order in which the arcs were labelled, the second, the label value (the distance travelled thus far), while the third, the working value, denotes the possible distance to that point.
#Then, update the working values for nodes separated to the current node(s) by one [[arc]], by adding the weight of the arc to that node to the label value of the node at the other end. This value may decrease during the progression of the algorithm, as new, shorter, routes are found.
#Choose the node with the lowest working value, and promote its working value to the label value, and write in its new ordinal value. For example, if this was the second node labelled, its complete annotation would now read (2, x, x), where 'x' would be the distance between it and the first node.
#Now return to the second step. If there are no more nodes to be added, the algorithm has finished.

===Planarity algorithm===

The planarity algorithm is used to determine whether a given shape is 2-dimensional or not. It has found particular use in road and circuit board design to avoid cross-overs.

#Identify a [[Hamiltonian Cycle]] in the network.
#Redraw the network with the Hamiltonian cycle on the outside.
#Identify any crossings between lines.
#Choose an arc with crossings to stay inside the cycle. Move any arcs with crossings to the outside.
#Repeat from step 3 until there are no more crossings. If this step is completed, it shows that the shape is planar (2-d). If it cannot be completed, the shape is 3-dimensional and not planar.

===Critical path analysis===

Critical path analysis is used to determine the fastest/most efficient way of completing a series of tasks, which often depend upon each other.
===Kruskal's algorithm===

Kruskal's algorithm is used to find the minimum spanning tree in an network that you can see all of.
===Prim's algorithm===

Prim's algorithm is used to find the minimum spanning tree when only some of a network is visible.

===Bin-filling algorithm===

The Bin filling algorithm is used to find the most efficient way of combining several differently sized objects into a space(s) with a certain size. An example would be the problem of packing objects into the boot of a car; the bin-filling algorithm is in fact a mathematically formulated version of the rule of thumb 'put the big things in first'; but in can be used for many other problems - loading cars onto ferries, sending messages via [[routers]] on the [[internet]], etc. It is a heuristic algorithm, as it does not give a provably maximal solution (the only way to do this, until Vijay Vazirani invented a new form of [[approximation algorithm]], was to arrange the objects in every conceivable order).
==See also==
*[[Computability]]
*[[Genetic algorithms]]
*[[Evolutionary algorithm]]
[[category:mathematics]]

Liberal and conservative

2008-02-15T22:09:58Z

Hermann1359: spelling

The terms ''liberal'' and ''conservative'' describe distinct groups in U.S. politics, yet they are hard to define, in part because the two groups disagree on how they see themselves and their opponents.

Barbara Lee said, "It's time to put to bed the myth that this is a conservative nation. Americans are progressive. They believe in the common good, and they want a government that works for everybody, not just the wealthy few." [http://www.washingtontimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070622/NATION/106220098/1001&template=nextpage]

This quotation from a U.S. liberal defines conservatives as favoring wealthy people over the rest of the country and labels them as opposing the common good. Conservatives, on the other hand, see liberals seeking only the good of special interests (such as teachers over students & parents, workers over employers, single people and homosexuals over married people and families, etc.).

See: [[Political spectrum]]

[[category:political terms]]

Monmouthshire

2008-02-15T22:05:38Z

Hermann1359: spelling

'''Monmouthshire (Sir Fynwy)''' is a county of south-eastern [[Wales]] adjacent to the border with England. The modern county contains the towns of Monmouth (Trefynwy), Abergavenny (Y Fenni), Usk (Brynbwga) and Chepstow (Cas-Gwent). The traditional county, which in 1974 was renamed Gwent and only renamed and subdivided in the 1990s, was somewhat larger and included [[Newport]] (Casnewydd), Pontypool, Cwmbran, [[Ebbw Vale]] and the easternmost of the south Wales coal mining valleys.

The status of Monmouthshire was somewhat indeterminate between the Act of Union of 1536, which completed the union of Wales and England, and 1974. According to the 1536 Act, Monmouthshire was accounted an English county, but so Welsh was it in culture, tradition and feeling that it nevertheless was treated with Wales in an awkward entity referred to as 'Wales and Monmouthshire'. In sporting, cultural and artistic fields, as well as in popular parlance and belief, it was always seen as part of Wales and this was formalized in the local government reforms of 1974.

[[Category:United Kingdom Counties]]

Dadaism

2008-02-15T21:59:06Z

Hermann1359:

'''Dadaism''' was a movement in art in the early 1900s that produced a wide variety of visual, performed, and written "art". Dadaists were largely anti-war, and even "anti-art". Their work questioned and challenged conceptions about what art was and what it meant. They had a significant influence on later [[modernistic]] art trends, particularly [[surrealism]].

[[Category:Artistic movements]]

Portsmouth

2008-02-15T21:58:06Z

Hermann1359:

'''Portsmouth''' is a port city in [[Hampshire]], on the South Coast of [[England]]. It is located on the small island of Portsea Island, divided from the mainland by a narrow creek, crossed by three road bridges and one railway bridge. This makes it the only island city in England. The island and town overlook a large natural harbour (Portsmouth Harbour), the advantages of which have led to Portsmouth's long history as a Naval base, which continues to this day. Portsmouth was one of the most heavily fortified towns in Britain in the 19th century, with defensive lines created by [[Lord Palmerstone]] on the [[Gosport]] peninsula and the long ridge of Portsdown Hill to protect the base against a feared French attack. During the [[Second World War]] Portsmouth suffered heavy bombing by the [[Luftwaffe]].

Famous ships which can be visited in Portsmouth include [[HMS Victory]], HMS Warrior and Henry VIII's flagship [[Mary Rose]]. Portsmouth has a Ferry Terminal with regular services to the [[Isle of Wight]] in the UK, [[Cherbourg]] and [[Caen]] in [[France]], and to [[Bilbao]] in [[Spain]].

Portsmouth is a polycentric city. The original heart of the town was Old Portsmouth; this is separated by the naval base from the modern commercial heart at Portsea; while a third focal point is the resort area of Southsea. Other districts on Portsea Island include Fratton (where Portsmouth F.C. has its ground, Fratton Park), Kingston, Hilsea and North End. The city boundaries have been extended to incorporate the mainland district of Cosham.

Both the city and its football team are nicknamed 'Pompey'.

The city is notable for being one of only a few cities in England with two [[cathedral]]s, the [[Anglican]] '''Cathedral Church of St Thomas of Canterbury''', and the [[Roman Catholic]] '''Cathedral of St John the Evangelist''', which are approximately one mile apart.

==Famous natives==
*[[Isambard Kingdom Brunel]] b.1806
*[[James Callaghan]] b.1912
*[[Charles Dickens]] b.1812
*[[Christopher Hitchens]] b.1949
*[[Peter Sellers]] b.1925

[[Category:United Kingdom Towns and Cities]]

Age of the Earth

2008-02-15T21:38:26Z

Hermann1359:

The '''age of the Earth''' has been a matter of interest to humans for millennia, and today still causes debate, particularly between [[young Earth Creationism|young-Earth creationists]] who hold to a date of 6,000 years or so, and [[uniformitarianism|uniformitarians]] who hold to a date of about 4.5 billion years.

== Increasing ages ==

Early Jews and even some "heathens" believed that the total age of the Earth would be around 6,000 years.<ref>Burnet, p. 258.</ref>

Similarly, people such as St. Barnabas and St. Irenæus held that the Earth would be 6,000 years old.<ref>Burnet, p. 259.</ref>

In 1830, Dr. Hales published a list of 120 historical authorities from various cultures who had decided on a [[date of creation]]. These ranged from 6984 B.C. to 3616 B.C.<ref>Batten 2002 quotes from "Young’s Analytical Concordance of the Holy Bible", 1879 8th Edition, 1939, which relates this, and reproduces the selection of the dates from Young.</ref>

Included in Hales' list is [[James Ussher]], who calculated the famous date of 4004 B.C. for creation. Young-Earth creationists still consider this date to be close to the actual date.

In 1778 George-Louis Lecrerc, Count of Buffon, proposed that the Earth was about 74,832 years old.<ref name="ingv">INGV</ref>
[[James Hutton]], whilst not proposing a date, dismissed the Biblical account and claimed in 1785 that there was not evidence of a beginning at all.<ref name="ingv" />
[[Charles Lyell]] supported Hutton's idea in 1830, in ''Principles of Geology''.<ref name="ingv" />

In 1854 [[Hermann von Helmholtz]] estimated an age of between 20 and 40 million years.<ref name="ingv" />
Around the same time [[Lord Kelvin]] put his mind to deriving an age, and came up with a range between 20 million years and 400 million years. He later refined that down to between 20 million and 40 million years.<ref name="ingv" />

The 1911 edition of the [[Encyclopedia Britannica]] discussed dates up to 500 million years.<ref>Encyclopædia Britannica, pp 650-651.</ref>

By about 1930, J. H. Jeans was arguing for an age of the Earth of around 2 billion years.<ref>Universal History of the World, p.76.</ref>

The currently-proposed age is 4.5 billion years, based in part on rocks dated by [[Potassium-argon dating|Potassium-argon (K:Ar) dating]] at about 4.4 billion years.<ref>Peck, 2000, p.376.</ref>

== Bibliography ==
* Burnet, Thomas, [http://www.sacred-texts.com/earth/ste/ste36.htm The Sacred Theory of the Earth, chapter V], 1691.
* Encyclopedia Britannica, 11th edition (1911). [http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/User:Tim_Starling On-line page facsimiles].
* Hammerton, J.A. (Ed.), "Universal History of the World" (8 volumes) The Educational Book Co., London, c1930.
* Batten, Don, [http://www.creationontheweb.com/content/view/417 Old-earth or young-earth belief: Which belief is the recent aberration?], ''Creation'' 24(1):24–27, December 2001.
* [http://www.ingv.it/~roma/SITOINGLESE/activities/geomagnetismo/analysistheory/historicalresearch/age.html The age of the Earth] (Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia (INGV)).
*Peck WH, Valley JW, Wilde SA, and Graham CM (2000) Ion microprobe Evidence for Pre-4.4 Ga Continental Crust and Low Temperature Water/Rock Interaction. ''Geol. Soc. Am. Abstr'', vol 32, no. 7.

== Notes ==
<references />
[[Category:Geology]]

Age of the Earth

2008-02-15T21:35:53Z

Hermann1359: same number, looks better

The '''age of the Earth''' has been a matter of interest to humans for millennia, and today still causes debate, particularly between [[young Earth Creationism|young-Earth creationists]] who hold to a date of 6,000 years or so, and [[uniformitarianism|uniformitarians]] who hold to a date of about 4.5 billion years.

== Increasing ages ==

Early Jews and even some "heathens" believed that the total age of the Earth would be around 6,000 years.<ref>Burnet, p. 258.</ref>

Similarly, people such as St. Barnabas and St. Irenæus held that the Earth would be 6,000 years old.<ref>Burnet, p. 259.</ref>

In 1830, Dr. Hales published a list of 120 historical authorities from various cultures who had decided on a [[date of creation]]. These ranged from 6984 B.C. to 3616 B.C.<ref>Batten 2002 quotes from "Young’s Analytical Concordance of the Holy Bible", 1879 8th Edition, 1939, which relates this, and reproduces the selection of the dates from Young.</ref>

Included in Hales' list is [[James Ussher]], who calculated the famous date of 4004 B.C. for creation. Young-Earth creationists still consider this date to be close to the actual date.

In 1778 George-Louis Lecrerc, Count of Buffon, proposed that the Earth was about 74,832 years old.<ref name="ingv">INGV</ref>
[[James Hutton]], whilst not proposing a date, dismissed the Biblical account and claimed in 1785 that there was not evidence of a beginning at all.<ref name="ingv" />
[[Charles Lyell]] supported Hutton's idea in 1830, in ''Principles of Geology''.<ref name="ingv" />

In 1854 [[Hermann von Helmholtz]] estimated an age of between 20 and 40 million years.<ref name="ingv" />
Around the same time [[Lord Kelvin]] put his mind to deriving an age, and came up with a range between 20 million years and 400 million years. He later refined that down to between 20 million and 40 million years.<ref name="ingv" />

The 1911 edition of the [[Encyclopedia Britannica]] discussed dates up to 500 million years.<ref>Encyclopædia Britannica, pp 650-651.</ref>

By about 1930, J. H. Jeans was arguing for an age of the Earth of around 2,000 million years.<ref>Universal History of the World, p.76.</ref>

The currently-proposed age is 4,500 million years, based in part on rocks dated by [[Potassium-argon dating|Potassium-argon (K:Ar) dating]] at about 4,400 millions years.<ref>Peck, 2000, p.376.</ref>

== Bibliography ==
* Burnet, Thomas, [http://www.sacred-texts.com/earth/ste/ste36.htm The Sacred Theory of the Earth, chapter V], 1691.
* Encyclopedia Britannica, 11th edition (1911). [http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/User:Tim_Starling On-line page facsimiles].
* Hammerton, J.A. (Ed.), "Universal History of the World" (8 volumes) The Educational Book Co., London, c1930.
* Batten, Don, [http://www.creationontheweb.com/content/view/417 Old-earth or young-earth belief: Which belief is the recent aberration?], ''Creation'' 24(1):24–27, December 2001.
* [http://www.ingv.it/~roma/SITOINGLESE/activities/geomagnetismo/analysistheory/historicalresearch/age.html The age of the Earth] (Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia (INGV)).
*Peck WH, Valley JW, Wilde SA, and Graham CM (2000) Ion microprobe Evidence for Pre-4.4 Ga Continental Crust and Low Temperature Water/Rock Interaction. ''Geol. Soc. Am. Abstr'', vol 32, no. 7.

== Notes ==
<references />
[[Category:Geology]]

John Baumgardner

2008-02-15T21:25:31Z

Hermann1359:

Dr. '''John Baumgardner''' is a [[Young earth creationism|young earth creation]] scientist with the following academic credentials: B.S., Texas Tech University, Lubbock, 1968; M.S., Electrical Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, 1970; M.S., Geophysics and Space Physics, University of California, Los Angeles, 1981; Ph.D., Geophysics and Space Physics, University of California, Los Angeles, 1983. <ref name="bio">[http://www.creationontheweb.com/content/view/3527 biographical sketch] (Creation Ministries International)</ref>

Dr. Baumgardner was a staff scientist at the Theoretical Division at [[Los Alamos National Laboratory]], where he performed research in planetary mantle dynamics which included the potential for catastrophic mantle overturn. Dr. Baumgardner has also authored papers describing a proposed mechanism for the [[Flood geology|Genesis Flood]] referred to as “[[Catastrophic plate tectonics|catastrophic plate tectonics]],” at three International Conferences on [[Creationism]] which were held in [[Pittsburgh]], [[Pennsylvania]]. <ref name="bio" />

Dr. Baumgardner’s work at Los Alamos National Laboratory involved the development of a new global ocean model for investigating climate change. He is also currently a member of the [[Radioisotopes and the Age of the Earth]] (RATE) committee and now works full time for the [[Institute for Creation Research]]. <ref name="bio" />

== External Links ==
*[http://www.globalflood.org GlobalFlood.org]
*[http://www.answersingenesis.org/tj/v16/i1/plate_tectonics.asp Catastrophic plate tectonics: the geophysical context of the Genesis Flood] by Dr. John Baumgardner

==References==
<references/>

{{DEFAULTSORT:Baumgardner, John}}

[[Category:Young Earth Creationists]]
[[Category:Scientists]]

Arches National Park

2008-02-15T21:16:24Z

Hermann1359: improved accuracy

[[Image:Arches NP.jpg|thumb|right|150px|Delicate Arch with the La Sal Mountains in the distance]]
'''Arches National Park''' preserves over 2,000 natural [[sandstone]] arches, like the world-famous Delicate Arch, as well as many other unusual [[rock]] formations. In some areas, the forces of [[nature]] have exposed thousands of years of geologic history. The extraordinary features of the park create a landscape of contrasting colors, landforms and textures that is unlike any other in the world.
[[Image:Arches NP - map.gif|right|150px]]
The entrance to Arches is located 5 miles north of [[Moab]], in Eastern [[Utah]] along Highway 191. The park was established in 1929 and covers 82,953 acres.

== Sources ==
*http://www.nps.gov/arch/ Official Website
*The New American Desk Encyclopedia, Penguin Group, 1989

[[Category:Parks]]

Liberal bias

2008-02-15T21:05:38Z

Hermann1359: Undo revision 388417 by Special:Contributions/GodBlessLiberalism (User talk:GodBlessLiberalism) vandal

Tiwanaku

2008-02-14T23:56:21Z

Hermann1359:

'''Tiwanaku''' was the name of both the capital city and the empire that ruled in modern day [[Bolivia]] from 375 to 1000 A.D. It was centered near Lake Titicaca.

== Sources ==

The Earth and Its Peoples A Global History, Bulliet et al, 2005.

[[Category: Central American History]]

Theodore Bayer

2008-02-14T23:54:01Z

Hermann1359:

{| cellpadding="1" style="float: right; border: 1px solid #8888aa; background: #f7f8ff; padding: 5px; font-size: 85%; margin: 0 15px 0 15px;"
| style="background: #ccf; text-align: center;" | '''This article is part of the''' '''[[Venona project|Venona]]''' '''series.'''
|-
| style="text-align: center;"|[[Comintern]]
|-
| style="text-align: center;"|[[CPUSA#Secret_apparatus|Secret apparatus]]
|-
|style="border-bottom: 1px solid #ccc"|
|-
| style="text-align: center;"|[http://en.wikipedia.org/w/wiki.phtml?title=Template:Ushistory&action=edit Edit this box]
|}

'''Theodore Bayer''' was president of the ''Russky Golos'', or ''Russian Voice'' Publishing Company, which published an anti-capitalist Russian-language newspaper during the [[Great Depression]] and [[World War II]]. ''Russky Golos'' was funded by the [[Comintern]] and by advertising, commercial newsstand and subscription sales. Its editorial position was closely aligned with the [[Communist Party of the United States]] (CPUSA). Bayer was part of a Soviet military intelligence ([[GRU]]) network.

As president of ''Russky Golos'', Bayer got to know John Hazard Reynolds, who provided financial support to a publication entitled ''Soviet Russia Today'', and recommended him to [[Communist Party of the United States]] (CPUSA) General Secretary [[Earl Browder]].

In a July 1943 [[Venona project]] decryption sent by the New York GRU Rezident Pavel Mikhailov to Moscow, Bayer is credited with describing a CPUSA source near President [[Franklin Roosevelt]] as a woman 'from an aristocratic family, who has known the President and his wife for a long time, evidently a secret member of the CPUSA.' The message included praise of [[Stalin]]'s leadership and an allegation that [[Madame Chiang Kai-shek]] was "a narcotics addict." The GRU later identified the woman as Josephine Treslow.

The Report of the [[Subversive Activities Control Board]] found Theodore Bayer to be a high level and important member of the the CPUSA.

===Venona===

Theodore Bayer's cover name as assigned by the GRU and deciphered in Venona project transcripts is SIMON. Bayer is referenced in the following [[Venona project]] decryptions:

*1169 GRU New York to Moscow, 19 July 1943
*1258–1259 GRU New York to Moscow, 31 July 1943
*1350 GRU New York to Moscow, 17 August 1943

===Reference===

*United States. Subversive Activities Control Board. [http://ets.umdl.umich.edu/cgi/t/text/pageviewer-idx?c=usfexec;cc=usfexec;q1=Barrows;rgn=full%20text;idno=81242.0001.001;didno=81242.0001.001;view=image;seq=513;page=root;size=s;endseq=5;frm=frameset; Reports of the Subversive Activities Control Board.] Washington. United States Government Printing Office. 1966. Vol. 1, pgs. 492, 495, 497, 502, 503, 507, 509, 514, 516, 529, 530. "...told by the national secretary, Fairchild, that Bayer's word was law in respondent (CPUSA). "; "...gave evidence showing Theodore Bayer as an important member of the Communist Party, and we so find. "
* FBI interview with John Reynolds, 7 June 1947, [http://foia.fbi.gov/foiaindex/silversm.htm FBI Silvermaster file], serial 2503.
*John Earl Haynes and Harvey Klehr, ''Venona: Decoding Soviet Espionage in America'' (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1999), pgs. 96–97, 189, 213–214, 233.

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bayer, Theodore}}
[[Category:KGB Agents and Sources]]
[[Category:propagandists]]

Liberal denial

2008-02-14T23:38:11Z

Hermann1359:

'''Liberal denial''' is the tendency of [[liberals]] to conceal, deny or censor:

*examples of how the liberal [[ideology]] harms people
*one's own liberal ideology
*how the liberal ideology is pushed on unsuspecting others, particularly youngsters

[[Hillary Clinton]], for example, refused to admit in a presidential debate in 2007 that she is a liberal. Similarly, [[Michael Dukakis]] refused for a while to admit that he was a liberal during the 1988 presidential campaign, however he later declared himself to be a liberal, in the sense that President [[Harry Truman]] who served 40 years earlier, was a liberal.

There are also specific examples of liberals denying, for ideological reasons, facts that are plainly true:

# that the numerous premature deaths of [[Hollywood]] stars are the result of [[Hollywood values]]<ref>Liberal [[Wikipedia]] lists numerous [[actor]]s who died of drug overdoses, but will not acknowledge the role played by Hollywood values, for which Wikipedia does not even have an entry. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_drug-related_deaths]</ref>
# that [[homeschoolers]] often do better than those who attend [[public school]]
# that [[culture]] affects [[politics]], and people's views and lifestyles
# that successful [[democracy]], both historically and logically, is the result of [[Protestantism|Protestant]] [[Christianity]]<ref>[http://www.apologetics.com/default.jsp?bodycontent=/articles/cultural_apologetics/snyder-democracy1.html Calvinism and the Success of Liberal Democracy, by John Snyder]</ref>
# that [[Lawrence Summers]] was fired as President of [[Harvard]] for making a [[political correctness|politically incorrect]] suggestion about women and [[math]] aptitude
# that [[Ronald Reagan]]'s public exhortation, "[[Mikhail Gorbachev|Mr. Gorbachev]], tear down this wall," helped cause the nearly 30-year-old [[Berlin Wall]] later be torn down
# that [[gun control]] may increase [[crime]]
# that group [[prayer]] is censored from public school
# that reducing [[taxes]] stimulates the [[economy]]
# that choosing [[abortion]] over childbirth increases the risk of [[breast cancer]]
# that the [[mainstream media]] is [[bias]]ed
# that privately-run [[transport]] is more efficient than government-run transport
# that [[Universal Health Care|public health care]] is inferior medical care
# that [[union]]s interfere with [[employment]] opportunities
# that [[Islam]]ic extremism is a threat to the [[Western civilization]]<ref>Leftist [[Sam Harris]] admitted and complained about this liberal denial [http://www.cmonitor.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061009/REPOSITORY/610090301/1028/OPINION02 here].</ref>
# that same-sex civil unions are a threat to marriage
# that enhanced interrogation techniques are an effective and appropriate means for gathering information from terrorists

== References ==

<references/>

[[category:politics]]

Liberal denial

2008-02-14T23:35:54Z

Hermann1359: wording

'''Liberal denial''' is the tendency of [[liberals]] to conceal, deny or censor:

*examples of how the liberal [[ideology]] harms people
*one's own liberal ideology
*how the liberal ideology is pushed on unsuspecting others, particularly youngsters

[[Hillary Clinton]], for example, refused to admit in a presidential debate in 2007 that she is a liberal. Similarly, [[Michael Dukakis]] refused for a while to admit that he was a liberal during the 1988 presidential campaign, however he later declared himself to be a liberal, in the sense that President [[Harry Truman]] who served 40 years earlier, was a liberal.

There are also specific examples of liberals denying, for ideological reasons, facts that are plainly true:

# that the numerous premature deaths of [[Hollywood]] stars are the result of [[Hollywood values]]<ref>Liberal [[Wikipedia]] lists numerous [[actor]]s who died of drug overdoses, but will not acknowledge the role played by Hollywood values, for which Wikipedia does not even have an entry. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_drug-related_deaths]</ref>
# that [[homeschoolers]] often do better than those who attend [[public school]]
# that [[culture]] affects [[politics]], and people's views and lifestyles
# that successful [[democracy]], both historically and logically, is the result of [[Protestantism|Protestant]] [[Christianity]]<ref>[http://www.apologetics.com/default.jsp?bodycontent=/articles/cultural_apologetics/snyder-democracy1.html Calvinism and the Success of Liberal Democracy, by John Snyder]</ref>
# that [[Lawrence Summers]] was fired as President of [[Harvard]] for making a [[political correctness|politically incorrect]] suggestion about women and [[math]] aptitude
# that [[Ronald Reagan]]'s public exhortation, "[[Mikhail Gorbachev|Mr. Gorbachev]], tear down this wall," helped cause the nearly 30-year-old [[Berlin Wall]] later be torn down
# that [[gun control]] may increase [[crime]]
# that group [[prayer]] is censored from public school
# that reducing [[taxes]] stimulates the [[economy]]
# that choosing [[abortion]] over childbirth increases the risk of [[breast cancer]]
# that the [[mainstream media]] is [[bias]]ed
# that privately-run [[transport]] is more efficient than government-run transport
# that [[Universal Health Care|public health care]] is inferior medical care
# that [[union]]s interfere with [[employment]] opportunities
# that [[Islam]]ic extremism is a threat to the [[Western civilization]]<ref>Leftist [[Sam Harris]] admitted and complained about this liberal denial [http://www.cmonitor.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061009/REPOSITORY/610090301/1028/OPINION02 here].</ref>
# that same-sex civil unions are a threat to marriage
# that enhanced interrogation techniques are an effective and appropriate means for gathering information from prisoners

== References ==

<references/>

[[category:politics]]

Sistine Chapel

2008-02-14T23:33:40Z

Hermann1359:

[[Image:Sistene Chapel.jpg|right|thumb|250px|The Sistine Chapel]]
'''The Sistine Chapel''' (named after [[Pope]] Sixtus IV), one of the most famous chapels in the world, is in [[Vatican City]]. It is famous because of its architecture and decoration. It's frescoed throughout by the greatest [[Renaissance]] artists, like Pietro Perugino, Sandro Botticelli, Domenico Ghirlandaio, Cosimo Rosselli and [[Michelangelo]]. The Sistine Chapel was dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin [[Mary]] (Our Lady of the Assumption).

The Sistine Chapel is also a site of papal religious and functionary activity, notably for the conclave, where a new Pope is selected.

== History ==

Pope Sixtus IV (from 1471 to 1484) had the old Cappella Magna restored between 1477 and 1480. At that time the decoration of the walls (frescoes) included the false drapes, the Stories of Moses (south and entrance walls) and of [[Christ]] (north and entrance walls) and the portraits of the Popes (north and south and entrance walls).

Julius II (pontiff from 1503 to 1513), decided to partly alter the decoration, entrusting the work in 1508 to Michelangelo Buonarroti for a new pictorial decoration. Michelangelo painted the Ceiling from 1508 to 1512 and placed nine Central stories illustrating episodes of [[Genesis]], from ''the Creation'' to the Fall of man, within a powerful painted architecture. The work was finished in October 1512.
[[Image:Last Judgment.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Last Judgment]]
In 1533, Clement VII (pontiff from 1523 to 1534) gave Michelangelo the task of further altering the decoration of the Sistine Chapel by painting the ''Last Judgement'' on the altar wall. The Last Judgement, painted between 1535 and 1541, is centered around the dominant figure of Christ, captured in the moment preceding that when the verdict of the Last Judgement is uttered ([[Matthew]] 25:31-46). His calm imperious gesture seems to both command attention and placate the surrounding agitation.

[[Image:Christ Giving the Key to St. Peter.jpg|Christ Giving the Key to St. Peter]] Christ Giving the Key to [[Peter|St. Peter]]

== See also ==
*[[Painting Masterpieces]]
*[[Catholic Church]]

== External links ==

*[http://mv.vatican.va/3_EN/pages/CSN/CSN_Storia.html The Sistine Chapel at the Vatican web site].
*[http://www.sacred-destinations.com/italy/vatican-sistine-chapel.htm The Sistine Chapel, Vatican City] Sacred Destinations.
*[http://mv.vatican.va/3_EN/pages/x-Pano/CSN/Visit_CSN_Main.html Virtual Visit of the Sistine Chapel]
*[http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/14029b.htm Sistine Choir] Catholic Encyclopedia.
*[http://www.wga.hu/tours/sistina/index.html Visit to the Sistine Chapel]

<center>
[[Image:Creation of Adam.jpg]]

Creation of Adam

</center>

 

[[Category:Religion]]
[[Category:Catholic Church]]