Conservapedia - User contributions [en]

Mercury

2011-04-04T22:43:05Z

JamesQ: /* Orbital oddities */ GR doesn't predict the orbit, it just happens to land close: it is still out by over 50 times the theoretical tolerance.

{{Planet
|image=Murcurt.jpg
|caption=Reprocessed Mariner 10 data was used to produce this image of Mercury. The smooth band is an area of which no images were taken.
|discname=Known to ancients
|origname=Roman messenger god and prince of thieves
|primary=Sun
|order=1
|periapsis=46,000,000 km (0.307 AU)
|apoapsis=70,000,000 km (0.468 AU)
|semimajor=57,909,175 km (0.387 AU)
|bode=0.4 AU
|eccentricity=0.20563069
|sidereal=87.96934 da (0.241 a)
|synodic=115.8776 da (0.317 a)
|orbitspeed=47.36 km/s
|inclination=7.00487°
|reference=the ecliptic
|siderealday=58.6462 da
|solarday=175.93868 da
|axialtilt=0°
|mass=3.30 * 1023 kg (5.522% earth)
|density=5427 kg/m³
|meanradius=2439.7 km
|surfacegrav=2.78 m/s² (0.283 ''g'')
|escapespeed=4.25 km/s
|surfacearea=75,000,000 km² (14.704% earth)
|mintemp=90 K
|meantemp=452 K
|maxtemp=700 K
|moons=None known
|composition=Iron, Silicate
|color=Reddish
|mfd=0.033 G (3.3 * 10-6 T)<ref name=mercuryfact>Williams, David R. "[http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/factsheet/mercuryfact.html Mercury Fact Sheet]." National Space Science Data Center, [[National Aeronautics and Space Administration|NASA]], November 30, 2007. Accessed May 29, 2008.</ref>
|pmdm=3.8 * 1019 N-m/T<ref name=Humphreys2>Humphreys, D. R. "[http://creationontheweb.com/content/view/5976/ Mercury's Magnetic Field is Young]!" [[Creation Ministries International]], August 26, 2008. Accessed October 2, 2008.</ref>
|cmdm=7.5 * 1022 N-m/T<ref name=Humphreys>Humphreys, D. R. "[http://www.creationresearch.org/crsq/articles/21/21_3/21_3.html The Creation of Planetary Magnetic Fields]." ''[[Creation Research Society Quarterly]]'' 21(3), December 1984. Accessed April 29, 2008.</ref>
|mdt=812.6 a<ref name=calc>Calculated from observed present magnetic dipole moment and expected magnetic dipole moment at creation.</ref>
|mhl=563.3 a<ref name=calc/>
}}
:''This article is about the planet Mercury. For information about the chemical element see [[Mercury (element)]].''
:''For information about the NASA project, see [[Project Mercury]].''

[[Mercury]] is the smallest planet in the [[Solar System]], and it is the closest to the [[Sun]]. It orbits the [[Sun]] in 88 (Earth) days. It rotates on its axis every 58.6 days,<ref>"The theory that Mercury is in [[synchronous rotation]] with its orbital motion was shattered in 1965. Astronomers Gordon Pettengill and Rolf Dyce used a radio telescope to make radar observations of Mercury’s spin rate. They found that Mercury’s rotation period is only 58.6 Earth days, not the 88 days accepted for nearly a century." [http://btc.montana.edu/messenger/elusive_planet/modern_times.htm]</ref> which is 3 rotations for every two orbits (called "3:2 resonance"). It can be seen from [[Earth]] only at sunrise and sunset.<ref name="spacemag">[http://www.space.com/spacewatch/mercury_view_030404.html Seeing Mercury at sunset], April 2003</ref>

Mercury is one of the five brightest planets.

== Ancient History ==
As with the other planets of the solar system, it was named after after Roman mythology, in this case the messenger god Mercury who is known as [[Hermes]] in Greek.

In the pre-Christian era, the Greeks actually gave the planet two different names, as it was believed to be two different objects. The ancients did not realize that it could alternately appear on one side of the Sun and then the other. Mercury was called Hermes when in the evening sky, but was known as Apollo when it appeared in the morning. It is said that [[Pythagoras]], about the fifth century B.C., pointed out that they were one and the same.<ref name="spacemag"/>

== Composition ==
Mercury's core is made of molten metal, much like the Earth's. The molten [[Iron]] core generates the planet's magnetic field.

== Orbital oddities ==
Mercury has a very elliptical orbit. At its farthest distance from the Sun, it is nearly 50% farther than at its nearest distance to the Sun. <ref>http://astroprofspage.com/archives/139</ref>

The [[precession]] of Mercury's eccentric orbit was detectable to 19th century astronomers.<ref name=Wudka>Wudka, Jose. "[http://phyun5.ucr.edu/~wudka/Physics7/Notes_www/node98.html Precession of the perihelion of Mercury]." September 24, 1998. Accessed April 17, 2008.</ref><ref name=Britannica>"[http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-241978/Mercury Mercury: Mercury in tests of relativity]." In "Mercury," ''Encyclopædia Britannica'', 2008. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. 17 April 2008</ref>

It was the study of this planet's orbit that [[Albert Einstein]] claimed to help confirm the [[General Theory of Relativity]].<ref>Testing general relativity [http://sci.esa.int/science-e/www/object/index.cfm?fobjectid=31277 European Space Agency] Accessed July 16 2007</ref><ref>Albert Einstein [http://www.phy.hr/ Fizički odsjek] Accessed July 16 2007</ref> Specifically, Mercury's [[apsis|perihelion]] precesses by 5599.7 arc-seconds per century, whereas [[Sir Isaac Newton|Newtonian]] physics alone would predict 5558.8 (comprised of the gravitational pull of the other planets on top of [[axial precession]]). This gives a discrepancy of -40.9 between theoretical models and real observations.

Astronomers of the period hypothesized either an [[Asteroid Belt|asteroid belt]] or another planet (which they named [[Vulcan (planet)|Vulcan]]) inside Mercury's orbit. Einstein's second-order correction to Mercury's orbit supposedly accounts for 43 arc-seconds of precession and obviated the need to look for any unseen asteroids or innermost planet.<ref name=Hartnett>Hartnett, John. ''Starlight, Time, and the New Physics''. Creation Book Publishers, 2007, pp. 34-36. ISBN 9780949906687.</ref><ref name=Wudka/><ref name=Britannica/> However, the theoretical error in the relativity calculation (stated to be around 0.04<ref name="">Iorio, L., ''On the possibility of measuring the solar oblateness and some relativistic effects from planetary ranging'', 2004</ref>) is much less than the discrepancy which results (2.1 arc-seconds). So, while scientists tell us that the theory of relativity solved the problem perfectly, elementary analysis of the figures indicates that it only luckily landed in the ballpark, and is still out by around 50 times the supposed tolerance in the calculations.

Mercury has more or less no atmosphere, and many craters. <ref>John Gribbin, ''Companion to the Cosmos'' (Little, Brown & Company, 1996)</ref> It has no known moons.

==Magnetic Field==
A curiosity of the planet is its magnetic field, which is about 1% that of Earth's. Scientists were perplexed to discover its existence, speculating that planet's outer core consisted of liquid iron. However, because it is relatively small and hot, such an outer core would long ago have expired. That Mercury is so intensely cratered would also suggest that Mercury should long ago have given up its magnetic field because of its extreme apparent age.

Thus, according to current scientific understandings, the existence of Mercury's magnetic field presents a serious theoretical problem for [[uniformitarian]] models of the creation of the Solar System.<ref name=Psarris>Psarris, Spike, ''Our Solar System: Evidence for Design'', Seattle Creation Conference, 2006.</ref><ref>Franco, Lucia M. "[http://astro.uchicago.edu/home/web/lucia/a100/lectures/mercury.html Lecture 10.1: Mercury]." ''Astronomy 100 at Indiana University Northwest'', [[Indiana University]], 1996. Accessed April 17, 2008.</ref> The problem of Mercury's magnetic field is more acute when one considers that Mars, which is slightly larger than Mercury and spins much faster, has a much weaker magnetic field.

[[Creationist]] [[Russell Humphreys]] has an alternative theory: that planetary magnetic fields do not form by dynamo action, and Mercury's relatively wide and conductive core has preserved its magnetic field. The cores of Mars and Venus are smaller, and thus the magnetic fields have decayed more rapidly.<ref name=Humphreys/> Nevertheless, the decay of Mercury's magnetic field, according to Humphreys, is quite rapid.

Accordingly, in 1984 Humphreys boldly declared:{{cquote|Mercury's decay rate is so rapid that some future probe could detect it fairly soon. In 1990 the planet's magnetic moment should be 1.8 percent smaller than its 1975 value.<ref name=Humphreys/>}}

In fact, according to Humphreys' extrapolations of the decay time and half-life of the magnetic field of Mercury, the [[magnetic dipole moment]] in 2008 should be ''four'' percent smaller than that measured in 1975 by Mariner 10. Specifically, this should be (4.5 +/- 0.25) * 1019 N-m/T.

On January 14, 2008, [[MESSENGER]] made rendezvous with Mercury and measured its magnetic field. This rocket probe's measurements are consistent with a magnetic dipole moment of (3.8 +/- 0.7) * 1019 N-m/T. This represents a significant decline from the Mariner 10 measurement, because the two measurements differ by more than the sum of their respective tolerances. More to the point, the higher tolerance range of the current measurement lies well within the predicted magnetic dipole moment that Mercury should have at present. If, on the other hand, the true measurement is ''less'' than predicted, that would pose an even greater problem for uniformitarian astrophysics, because such a rapid decay would be utterly inconsistent with an age for Mercury of 4.6 billion years. It would present no problem with the Humphreys model, but would suggest that the core conductivity and/or conductive mass of Mercury is less than Humphreys initially supposed.<ref name=Humphreys2/>

== Gallery ==
<gallery>
Image:PIA00437-browse.jpg|Mariner 10's first image of Mercury acquired on March 24, 1974
Image:Mercury_MESSENGER.jpg|MESSENGER's first flyby of Mercury showing previously unseen surface, January 14, 2008
</gallery>

== External links ==

*[http://www.solarviews.com/eng/terms.htm Glossary]

==Notes==
{{reflist|2}}

* [http://solarsystem.jpl.nasa.gov/planets/profile.cfm?Object=Mercury&Display=Overview NASA "Mercury"]
* [http://www.answersingenesis.org/creation/v26/i4/mercury.asp Mercury — the tiny planet that causes big problems for evolution]

{{Solarsystem}}
[[Category:Astronomy]]

Cosmic microwave background

2011-03-26T00:35:43Z

JamesQ: added biblical explanation (why did we only have the "scientific" guesswork here? + fix a link

'''{{PAGENAME}}''' (CMB) radiation describes the [[electromagnetic wave]]s that propagate through our entire universe.

=="Scientific" explanation"==

The usual explanation of the CMB radiation trotted out by [[atheistic]] scientists is that it is left-over radiation from the [[Big Bang]], namely the radiation scattering off of the opaque, dense plasma of the early universe just before the transition to the transparent universe we observe today. This transition, called "last scattering", is believed to have occurred approximately 380,000 years after the big bang.

==Biblical explanation==

The scientific version of events doesn't make sense when viewed from a [[Christian]] perspective, as it requires the universe be ''at least'' 380,000 years old for the transition to have occurred. However, scholarly analysis of the [[Bible]] indicates that the universe is around 6000 years old, which is backed up by many observations in many fields from geology to astronomy.

A possible explanation for the CMB is that it is the Light (Genesis 1:2) from the moment of the [[Creation]] around the universe. If the [[Lord]] had suddenly created the universe and flooded it with perfectly uniform Light (electromagnetic waves), we would indeed see the remnants to this day, except for minuscule variations introduced by a fraction of the Light being blocked by the Earth (which of course preceded the Light, Genesis 1:1).

==Characteristics==

One interesting feature of the CMB is that it provides a rest frame against which one can measure the motion of galaxies and other astronomical objects. Since the cosmic microwave background is made of electromagnetic waves, a moving observer will observe a [[Doppler shift]] of the cosmic microwave background, whereas a stationary observer will not. Since the frequency of the cosmic microwave background is known (160.2 GHz <ref name="physorg">http://www.physorg.com/tags/cosmic+microwave+background/</ref>), the velocity of the observer can easily be calculated. Our very Earth sees a Doppler shift in the cosmic microwave background, a shift that must be subtracted from measurements of the CMB to obtain its true temperature distribution.

The thermal black-body spectrum of the cosmic microwave background is 2.725 K. <ref name="physorg" />

==Notes==
<references/>

[[Category: Physics]]
[[Category: Astronomy]]
[[Category: Cosmology]]

Counterexamples to an Old Earth

2011-03-23T19:17:41Z

JamesQ: /* Astronomy */ recast the end of the sentence to properly say that the moon could not be like this in an old universe

It takes only one "counterexample" to disprove the theory of an [[Old Earth]].<ref>Most of the "evidence" for an [[Old Earth]] is based on claims that lack testability, as in [[radiometric dating]], and hence would not even satisfy minimum requirements for admissibility in court.</ref> As with any logical proposition, one contradiction disproves the proposed rule. If each of 32 counterexamples has merely a 10% chance of being valid -- an underestimate -- then the probability that the Earth is billions of years old is less than 3.8%. With the total of these counterexamples at 32, '''they demonstrate that the Earth must be young with a likelihood of greater than 96%'''.

''The motivation for [[atheist]]s to insist on falsely teaching that the Earth is old is to pull students away from [[God]]'s immediate presence, and to turn them away from [[Jesus Christ]]''.

== Counterexamples ==
The growing list of counterexamples to the theory of an [[Old Earth]] includes:

=== Astronomy ===
# The [[moon]] is receding from the [[Earth]] at a rate<ref>"Measurements show that the Moon is receding from Earth at a rate of about 3.8 centimeters per year." [http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEhelp/ApolloLaser.html Measuring the Moon's Distance] ''Apollo Laser Ranging Experiments Yield Results'' by Fred Espenak, GSFC Planetary Systems Laboratory (LPI Bulletin, No. 72, August, 1994).</ref> that would have placed it too close to the Earth merely four billion years ago, causing instability in its orbit, tidal catastrophes on Earth, and other problems which would have prevented the Earth and the moon being as they are today.
# [[Spiral galaxies]] appear to be young, and only implausible proposals of the existence of [[dark matter]] can reconcile the spirals with a belief in an old universe.
# The planetary orbits in the solar system - including Earth's - are unstable and unsustainable over the long periods claimed by Old Earth believers.<ref>[http://www.newsweek.com/id/201582 Newsweek: "An embarrassing little secret of astronomy ...."]. (Newsweek has inexplicably taken down its article, but it is quoted by Google and other links)</ref><ref>[http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v459/n7248/full/nature08096.html Existence of collisional trajectories of Mercury, Mars and Venus with the Earth] by J. Laskar & M. Gastineau, ''Nature'' 459, 817-819 (11 June 2009). Believers in an Old Earth speculate that the instability would not result in problems in a billion years, but other computer simulations could be developed to demonstrate multi-body instability for the solar system far more recent than that.</ref>
# At least one [[spiral galaxy]] spins in the direction opposite to the spin of its tail, suggesting an age too young to have generated the tail and contradicting the theory that the tails of spiral galaxies were formed over a long period of time.<ref>[http://www.unisci.com/stories/20021/0207023.htm "Hubble Shows Galaxy Rotating In The Wrong Direction"]</ref>
# The primary reaction in the [[Sun]] is the fusing of [[hydrogen]] to make [[helium]], but the ratio of these remains too high for the Sun to have been burning for millions of years.{{fact}}

=== Geology ===
[[Image:Stratigraphy_of_the_Grand_Canyon.png|right|thumb|300px|The Nonconformity is readily apparent in the [[Grand Canyon]] where foliage and ground cover do not obscure the rock face.]]
# The continued existence of fragile natural arches without having collapsed a short time period for erosion and stresses on them.<ref>http://www.naturalarches.org/big9.htm</ref>
# An extrapolation of time between the collapse of weaker arches<ref>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/11/AR2008081102290.html</ref> with still-standing stronger arches supports a young earth age.
# The massive [[Great Lakes]] and freshwater lakes near the equator could not exist for millions of years, and several of these lakes are rapidly receding in volume.
# The existence of inland saltwater lakes, such as [[Mono Lake]] and the [[Great Salt Lake]], suggest a recent global [[flood]].
# The plentiful supply of high concentrations of underground well water, which would be expected based on familiar principles of [[entropy]] to dissipate over a long period of time.
# The relative purity of underground well water, which should be a muddy slurry had millions of years of erosion taken place.
# Earthquakes alter the Earth's rotation several times each century;<ref>http://www.redorbit.com/news/science/2010872/japan_quake_changed_earths_rotation/</ref> extrapolating by orders of magnitude in time would have resulted in the occurrence of much larger earthquakes that would have destabilized the rotation<ref>A similar analysis may be performed for the likelihood of devastating collisions with meteors as time is extrapolated by orders of magnitude.</ref>
# The lack of erosion between rock layers.<ref>http://www.amazon.com/review/R1WTZL8GG4H9K0</ref><ref>http://www.knowthebible.net/id115.html</ref>
# Levels of contamination in water are rising, as water proceeds through the [[water cycle]] it becomes progressively more contaminated. If earth (and life) had existed for billions of years, a limit would have long been reached where water (essential to life) was too contaminated for life to continue.
# [[Paraconformity]] and unconformity such as that seen at the [[Grand Canyon]] disprove the [[uniformitarianism (science)|uniformitarian]] view of earth history.
# All [[carbon dating]] of water supplies, even the most ancient and the deepest underground reservoirs, result in relatively young ages,<ref>http://www.betalabservices.com/PDF/Geyh.pdf</ref> and no water has been found suggesting an Old Earth.
# The ratio of strontium isotopes in seawater, which should change due to long-term erosion, has varied by only 0.35% throughout history. In fact, its value today is exactly the same as in the oldest samples, which are claimed to be from 500 million years ago!{{fact}}
# The interior of the earth is heated by decay of radioactive isotopes, which could not possibly still be persisting in sufficient quantities after 5 billion, or even half a billion, years.{{fact}}
# The relatively recent separation of the still-moving continents from one land mass -- denied for 100 years by [[atheist]]s before they accepted it -- suggest a young earth or at least a relatively recent cataclysmic event.
# Fresh tracks of motion by stationary rocks are still visible in some areas, which have baffled Old Earth scientists for more than 60 years; Old Earth magazines refer to them as "self-moving rocks."<ref>http://www.usnews.com/science/articles/2011/02/18/rafting-for-rocks?s_cid=rss:rafting-for-rocks</ref>
# Beaches have long been eroding far too quickly for the Old Earth theory; "between 80 and 90 percent of the sandy beaches along America’s coastlines have been eroding for decades," sometimes by as much as 50 feet per year.<ref>http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=what-causes-beach-erosion</ref>
# Land is sinking into the oceans at a rate of at least 7 inches per century,<ref>http://www.app.com/article/20110319/NJNEWS/103190327/Global-warming-rising-seas-threaten-New-Jersey-expert-says</ref> which would have rendered most of the United States under water if the Earth were not young.

=== Biology ===
# The intelligence of humans is rapidly declining, whether measured by SAT scores,<ref>SAT scores have been rapidly decreasing in real terms.</ref> music, personal letters,<ref>E.g., Civil War letters.</ref> quality of political debates,<ref>E.g., contrast the Lincoln-Douglas debates with debates today.</ref> the quality of news articles,<ref>''The Federalist'' was written for the newspaper audience in the late 1780s, but is far too intellectual for newspapers today.</ref> or any other measure.
# The age of onset of [[puberty|sexual maturity]] is rapidly changing, suggesting that life is in a short-term rather than long-term equilibrium.<ref>For evidence of a rapidly changing age for sexual maturity in fish, see http://icesjms.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/46/3/235</ref>
# The high observed rate of [[extinctions of species]]<ref>[http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-10-26/animals-face-extinction-threat-as-conservation-efforts-slow-report-says.html One in five species are at risk of extinction]</ref> and harmful [[genetic mutation]]s suggest a relatively short period for the existence of life rather than a long one.
# The age of onset of graying of hair or balding is rapidly decreasing, with many teenagers now experiencing baldness or premature graying ([[CNN]]'s [[Anderson Cooper]] began graying as a teenager and was fully gray long before age 40);<ref name="Graying">http://articles.sfgate.com/2006-06-18/living/17299704_1_hair-taylor-hicks-american-idol</ref> many celebrities (such as [[American Idol]] winner Taylor Hicks graying in his 20s)<ref name="Graying"/> and athletes (such as Cal Ripken, Jr. graying and balding in his mid-30s)<ref>"There's a man, close-cropped gray hair, looks older than 35": Sports Illustrated's description of Cal Ripken at 35. [http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1163438/index.htm#ixzz12ONbgydd] By age 50 he was bald too.</ref> increasingly experience premature graying or balding.
# The age of onset of [[cancer]] is markedly decreasing,<ref>http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/109865519/abstract?CRETRY=1&SRETRY=0</ref> suggesting rapid changes inconsistent with an alleged long existence to life.
# The oldest direct evidence of life -- written documents, clothing, remnants of civilizations, tree rings, etc. -- is no older than about 3000 B.C.
# The number of natural, pure-bred bred dogs declines over time as dogs naturally crossbreed; a short period of time is suggested by the fact that there are over 100 different natural, pure breeds of dog thriving today.
# Lack of genetic diversity among the ''Homo sapiens'' species. Were evolution and the old earth true, the human population would show a much larger genetic variance.<ref>http://www.godandscience.org/evolution/descent.html#rpafAHIwKHS7</ref>
# Frequent occurrences of massive deaths of birds and fish, which if extrapolated over millions of years would result in little or no such life today.<ref>http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/story?section=news/technology&id=7884786</ref>

=== Science & Discovery ===
# A stalemate of significant and valid discoveries in the last several decades.<ref>Though there has been some progress in this timeframe, many of the "discoveries" are liberal propaganda, or are scientifically weak.</ref>

== External links ==
*[http://creation.com/age-of-the-earth Age of the earth -101 evidences for a young earth and universe] by [[Creation Ministries International]]

== Footnotes ==

<references/>

== See also ==

*[[Counterexamples to Evolution]]
*[[Counterexamples to the Bible]]
*[[Counterexamples to Relativity]]
[[Category:geology]]

Ralph Nader

2011-03-22T18:38:54Z

JamesQ: /* Unsafe at Any Speed */ two typos

[[Image:Ralph Nader.jpg|right|thumb|Ralph Nader (photo from Harvard Kennedy School of Government)]]
'''Ralph Nader''' (born February 27, 1934) is an iconic legend of the the consumer rights movement. Nader's accomplishments have become part of the fabric of American public life.<ref>[http://www.salon.com/bc/1999/01/26bc.html Citizen Nader], Brilliant Careers, ''Salon.com''</ref> Nader has been called one of America's most effective social critics.{{cn}} He ran unsuccessfully for President of the United States in 1996, 2000, 2004, and 2008.

Nader burst on to the scene in 1965 with his book ''Unsafe at Any Speed'', an indictment of the auto industry for producing unsafe vehicles. The book led to congressional hearings and a series of automobile safety laws were passed saving countless lives. Since 1966, Nader has been responsible for at least eight major federal consumer protection laws such as the motor vehicle safety laws, the Safe Drinking Water Act; the launching of federal regulatory agencies such as the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the [[Environmental Protection Agency]] (EPA), and the [[Consumer Product Safety Administration]]; the recall of millions of defective motor vehicles; and access to government through the [[Freedom of Information Act of 1974]].

Nader is an outspoken critic of multinational corporations and of a dangerous convergence of corporate and government power and its impact on developing nations, labor, and the environment.

==Unsafe at Any Speed==
Nader's 1965 publication, ''Unsafe at Any Speed'' was an exposé of the safety features of the Chevy Corvair. Nader's campaign against the Corvair showed that he believed not only that the Corvair was dangerous but that [[General Motors]] (GM) knew it was. Nader convinced liberal [[Connecticut]] Senator [[Abraham Ribicoff]] into investigating whether GM had lied about what it knew in testimony before Congress. Nader alleged that he had inside sources and documents that would reveal this conspiracy. Ribicoff assigned staff to the case, and they spent two years chasing down Nader's leads. None of them panned out. The investigators found no evidence that GM knew of the Corvair's safety flaws.<ref>http://www.tnr.com/doc.mhtml?i=20040308&s=chait030804</ref> The failure to confirm Nader's suspicions enraged him. "He could not let go of the Corvair issue," one of the staffers would later say. "He was fixated. And, if you didn't accept or believe the same things he did, you were either stupid or venal."<ref>http://www.tnr.com/doc.mhtml?i=20040308&s=chait030804</ref>

In 1971, Nader pressured one of his associates, Lowell Dodge, to doctor his study ''Small on Safety: The Designed-in Dangers of the Volkswagen.''{{fact}} Nader insisted that Dodge rewrite the conclusion of the study so that it began, "The Volkswagen is the most hazardous car in use in significant numbers in the U.S. today." Objecting that "the conclusion is not reflected in the data," Dodge left the project, allowing others to take credit as principal authors. "I have always carried around considerable guilt about what I regard as the extreme intellectual dishonesty of that conclusion," he later concluded. <ref>http://www.tnr.com/doc.mhtml?i=20040308&s=chait030804</ref>

Nader sued GM and won $425,000, which he used to found liberal activist organizations that helped push through a staggering series of consumer and environmental reforms, most of them in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

==Presidential candidacy==

Nader's most successful run for President was in 2000, when, as the Green Party's nominee, he garnered 2.7% of the popular vote, and was blamed by many liberals for the loss of [[Al Gore]] to [[George W. Bush]], the reasoning being that most of the people who voted for him would have preferred Gore to Bush, and that thus Nader's candidacy may have tipped the election in Bush's favor.<ref>http://www.commondreams.org/headlines04/0626-04.htm</ref>

In Nader's 2004 presidential run, a concerned Democratic party successfully sued Ralph Nader off the ballot in 19 states. In Pennsylvania alone, not just one lawsuit in one court but twelve suits in twelve separate courts simultaneously. <ref>[http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/842], PA Ballot Access Laws and 2004 Nader Candidacy, June 28, 2005</ref> While he was still the most successful third party candidate, he managed barely a seventh of his 2000 performance, at just 0.38% of the popular vote. He ran again in 2008 and performed slightly better than in the previous election, this time getting 0.5% of the vote, despite running in even fewer states than he did in 2004.

==References==
<references/>

==See Also==
[[Previous Breaking News/Ralph Nader|Articles about '''Ralph Nader''' from previous "Breaking News"]]
{{2008 presidential candidates}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nader, Ralph}}

[[Category:Third Party Politicians]]

Tennessee

2011-03-20T03:22:00Z

JamesQ: typo in a link

{{USState
|name=Tennessee
|flag=Tennessee_State_Flag.gif
|motto="Agriculture and Commerce"
|nick=The Volunteer State
|capital=Nashville
|language=English
|governor=Bill Haslam
|gparty=Republican
|senator1=Lamar Alexander
|s1party=Republican
|s1phone=(202) 224-4944
|s1email=http://alexander.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Contact.Home Contact
|senator2=Bob Corker
|s2party=Republican
|s2phone=(202) 224-3344
|s2email=http://corker.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=ContactInformation.ContactMe Contact
|population=
|date=June 1, 1796 (16th)
}}
'''Tennessee''' is one of the most conservative states in the [[United States]], with evangelical Christians comprising a significant proportion of the electorate. Tennesseeans have traditionally volunteered for military duty at a very high rate, giving the state the nickname "the Volunteer State." The capital of the state is [[Nashville]]. The current Governor of Tennessee is [[Phil Bredesen]]. Tennessee is a swing state in presidential elections.

As a frontier territory in colonial America, Tennessee developed many marksmen who were skilled with rifles. When fellow Tennesseean General [[Andrew Jackson]] called for volunteers to help him fight the British in New Orleans at the end of the War of 1812, Tennessee marksmen volunteered in droves and provided the young nation of America with its most decisive victory at the [[Battle of New Orleans]].

In 1920, Tennessee was the state that provided the necessary number of states to ratify the [[Nineteenth Amendment]] to the US Constitution, a victory for the suffragists.

In 2000, Tennessee voted against its own former Senator and Vice President Democrat [[Al Gore]], causing him to lose the presidential election by only one state. It was an example of the independent-minded [[Christian]] voters casting their ballots based on principle. This was the only time a presidential candidate has lost the election by the margin of his own home state.

In February of 2007, State Senator Raymond Finney (R-District 8) introduced a resolution <ref>[http://www.legislature.state.tn.us/bills/currentga/BILL/SR0017.pdf Text of the Resolution] PDF</ref> essentially asking why is "creationism not taught as an alternative concept, explanation, or theory, along with the theory of evolution in Tennessee public schools?"<ref>[http://www.trіcitіes.com/trіstate/trі/opinions.apx.-content-artіcles-TRI-2007-03-01-0005.html Bristol Herald Courier Editorial]</ref> Tennessee has had a prominent role in this debate, dating back to the [[Scopes trial]] of 1925.

Tennessee has long been one of the few states not to have an income tax, although its sales tax is one of the highest in the nation.

==Elected Officials==

===Federal===
*Sen. [[Lamar Alexander]] (R)
*Sen. [[Bob Corker]] (R)
*Rep. [[Phil Roe]] [R, TN-01]
*Rep. [[John Duncan]] [R, TN-02]
*Rep. [[Chuck Fleischmann]] [R, TN-03]
*Rep. [[Scott DesJarlais]] [R, TN-04]
*Rep. [[Jim Cooper]] [D, TN-05]
*Rep. [[Diane Black]] [R, TN-06]
*Rep. [[Marsha Blackburn]] [R, TN-07]
*Rep. [[Stephen Fincher]] [R, TN-08]
*Rep. [[Steve Cohen]] [D, TN-09]

===Statewide===
*Governor [[Bill Haslam]] (R)
*Lt. Governor [[Ron Ramsey]] (R)
*Attorney General [[Robert Cooper]] (D)
*Secretary of State [[Tre Hargett]] (R)
*State Treasurer [[David H. Lillard, Jr.]] (R)

== References ==
<references />

{{Tennessee}}
 
{{USstates}}

[[Category:States of the United States]]

Tennessee

2011-03-20T03:18:47Z

JamesQ: RV vandalism in lead

{{USState
|name=Tennessee
|flag=Tennessee_State_Flag.gif
|motto="Agriculture and Commerce"
|nick=The Volunteer State
|capital=Nashville
|language=English
|governor=Bill Haslam
|gparty=Republican
|senator1=Lamar Alexander
|s1party=Republican
|s1phone=(202) 224-4944
|s1email=http://alexander.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Contact.Home Contact
|senator2=Bob Corker
|s2party=Republican
|s2phone=(202) 224-3344
|s2email=http://corker.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=ContactInformation.ContactMe Contact
|population=
|date=June 1, 1796 (16th)
}}
'''Tennessee''' is one of the most conservative states in the [[United States]], with evangelical Christians comprising a significant proportion of the electorate. Tennesseeans have traditionally volunteered for military duty at a very high rate, giving the state the nickname "the Volunteer State." The capital of the state is [[Nashville]]. The current Governor of Tennessee is [[Phil Bredesen]]. Tennessee is a swing state in presidential elections.

As a frontier territory in colonial America, Tennessee developed many marksmen who were skilled with rifles. When fellow Tennesseean General [[Andrew Jackson]] called for volunteers to help him fight the British in New Orleans at the end of the War of 1812, Tennessee marksmen volunteered in droves and provided the young nation of America with its most decisive victory at the [[Battle of New Orleans]].

In 1920, Tennessee was the state that provided the necessary number of states to ratify the [[Nineteenth Amendment]] to the US Constitution, a victory for the suffragists.

In 2000, Tennessee voted against its own former Senator and Vice President Democrat [[Al Gore]], causing him to lose the presidential election by only one state. It was an example of the independent-minded [[Christian]] voters casting their ballots based on principle. This was the only time a presidential candidate has lost the election by the margin of his own home state.

In February of 2007, State Senator Raymond Finney (R-District 8) introduced a resolution <ref>[http://www.legislature.state.tn.us/bills/currentga/BILL/SR0017.pdf Text of the Resolution] PDF</ref> essentially asking why is "creationism not taught as an alternative concept, explanation, or theory, along with the theory of evolution in Tennessee public schools?"<ref>[http://www.tricities.com/tristate/tri/opinions.apx.-content-articles-TRI-2007-03-01-0005.html Bristol Herald Courier Editorial]</ref> Tennessee has had a prominent role in this debate, dating back to the [[Scopes trial]] of 1925.

Tennessee has long been one of the few states not to have an income tax, although its sales tax is one of the highest in the nation.

==Elected Officials==

===Federal===
*Sen. [[Lamar Alexander]] (R)
*Sen. [[Bob Corker]] (R)
*Rep. [[Phil Roe]] [R, TN-01]
*Rep. [[John Duncan]] [R, TN-02]
*Rep. [[Chuck Fleischmann]] [R, TN-03]
*Rep. [[Scott DesJarlais]] [R, TN-04]
*Rep. [[Jim Cooper]] [D, TN-05]
*Rep. [[Diane Black]] [R, TN-06]
*Rep. [[Marsha Blackburn]] [R, TN-07]
*Rep. [[Stephen Fincher]] [R, TN-08]
*Rep. [[Steve Cohen]] [D, TN-09]

===Statewide===
*Governor [[Bill Haslam]] (R)
*Lt. Governor [[Ron Ramsey]] (R)
*Attorney General [[Robert Cooper]] (D)
*Secretary of State [[Tre Hargett]] (R)
*State Treasurer [[David H. Lillard, Jr.]] (R)

== References ==
<references />

{{Tennessee}}
 
{{USstates}}

[[Category:States of the United States]]

User:JamesQ

2011-03-20T03:14:13Z

JamesQ: about me

I glory in the light of the [[Lord]] and hope to help others find his path to salvation.

==Things I love==

* GOD
* Conservatism
* Free access to arms for every man woman and child
* Unrestricted capitalism in all its forms
* My wife and four children. Fifth/sixth/seventh (triplets) on the way, praise be to God!

==Things I hate==

* Liberals, and their slimy lies
* People who deny the glory of the creation. (Human kind was even there for some of it, and some choose to ignore the Lord's memory)
* People who would deny all the chance to make their fortune with the free market.

Essay:Greatest Conservative Songs

2011-03-20T03:07:57Z

JamesQ: add "Adonai, My Lord"

There are many brilliant—and popular—conservative songs.

Here is our growing list:
#''[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L--cqAI3IUI Wouldn't It Be Nice]'', by the [[Beach Boys]]. Pro-marriage.
#''[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yw5RkzbHb-w You Can't Hurry Love (You Just Have to Wait)]''. Abstinence for rock fans. The versions by [[The Supremes]] and [[Phil Collins]] were popular.
#''[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dl6yilkU1LI Fast Car]'', by [[Tracy Chapman]]. Self-help, free market, division of labor, and a criticism of alcohol.
#''Goodbye, Yellow Brick Road'', by Elton John. The same message as the [[Prodigal Son]]: look objectively at our own lives, and realize that "I should have listened to my old man."
#''[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6yLQRF-cEU Have You Forgotten?]'', by [[Darryl Worley]]. Patriotic response to [[September 11, 2001 attacks]].<ref>http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=15568</ref>
#''[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5aMMRes2u4 Still the One]'', by Orleans (1976). A tribute to fidelity in relationships.
#''[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RHsDa9_HSlA Sweet Home Alabama]'' by [[Lynyrd Skynyrd]]. A response to hippie culture. Defends Southerners from stereotyped attacks by [[liberal]], Canadian rocker Neil Young.
#''[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DwBirf4BWew Stand By Your Man]'', by [[Tammy Wynette]]. Don't expect [[feminists]] to like that one! Or [[Hillary Clinton]]!
#[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JCqZ-9-lDEo Lee Greenwood's rendition] of [[Battle Hymn of the Republic]]. "As He died to make men holy, let us die to make men free."
#''[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dFl9OHE-8g The Man Comes Around]'', by [[Johnny Cash]].
#''[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-1_d6bbM1I My Love]'', by [[Petula Clark]]. Christian love in secular form.
#''[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=16u0wwCfoJ4 I Fought the Law (and the Law Won)]'', originally by the Bobby Fuller Four. Its title says it all. The version by [[The Clash]] has a good tempo.
#"You Light Up My Life" by [[Debbie Boone]]. One of the biggest hits ever, but [[liberals]] omit that this song is about [[Jesus]].
#"Pomp and Circumstance" ([http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sOcvcBxrfN4 ''Land of Hope & Glory'']) By Freedom gain, by Truth maintain...
#''[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ0oCmDXrVk&mode=related&search= Jerusalem]''. Don't let the sword sleep in the hand.
#''[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wahd2piIr4Q Brothers In Arms]'', by [[Dire Straits]]. We're fools to make war on our brothers in arms.
#''[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jeWZhuzFMM8 The Ascent of Stan]'', by [[Ben Folds]]. Tells the story of a former "textbook hippie man" who realizes that he has become everything that he was protesting against.
#"Starting All Over Again" by [[Petula Clark]]. Keep moving onward, even in the most difficult of times.
#"Thank You My Lord" by [[Petula Clark]]. The title says it all.
#"Brick" by [[Ben Folds Five]]. Shows the regret involved in abortion.
#"Alive" by [[P.O.D]]. About being thankful for the gift of life.
#"Gotta Serve Somebody" by [[Bob Dylan]]. "It may be the devil or it may be the Lord."<ref>http://www.bobdylan.com/songs/serve.html</ref>
#''[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lydBPm2KRaU Jesus Take The Wheel]'', by [[Carrie Underwood]]. A gospel-themed hit from the American Idol winner.
#''[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XPBwXKgDTdE Mine]'' by Taylor Swift. Talks about how her parents divorced, and how she doesn't want that to happen with the guy she meets, dates, and marries.
#"Red Barchetta" by [[Rush]]. Tells the story of a future with excessive regulation, where even driving is illegal.
#"Father of Mine" by [[Everclear]]. A reminder of the importance of good parenting. Everclear singer Art Alexakis wrote much of his material from his own perspective of a troubled childhood. At the end of the song, Alexakis promises to be a better father than his own had been.
#''[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Maz9ddxEQnM The Taxman]'', by [[The Beatles]]. George Harrison said, "Taxman was when I first realized that even though we had started earning money, we were actually giving most of it away in taxes." <ref>http://home.att.net/~chuckayoub/Taxman_Lyrics.html</ref>
#''[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V4eonyfRet8&feature=related Back in the U.S.A.]'', by [[Chuck Berry]]. A patriotic song about missing life in the U.S.A.
#''[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OZVPv9B-ZlM Government Cheese]'', by [[The Rainmakers]]. Humorous spoof of welfare.
#''[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ErPywgiMb4k Angry Young Man]'' by [[Billy Joel]]. The doctrinaire leftist radical with "his fist in the air and his head in the sand" comes in for biting criticism.
#''[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rzU2iJ9qfXg Gimme Back My Bullets]'', by [[Lynyrd Skynyrd]]. The name says it all.
#''[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPPlGFh6OpQ Spirit In The Sky]'', by [[Norman Greenbaum]].
#''[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=38oeBgvbMYA Don't Let 'Em Take Your Gun]'', by [[Grand Funk Railroad]]. A father gives his son some sage advice.
#''[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=096LhjGNNCk Something For Nothing]'', by [[Rush]]. "You can't get something for nothing, you can't have freedom for free."
#"Neighborhood Bully" by [[Bob Dylan]]. Israel's right to exist and defend itself.
#"Get It Right the First Time" by [[Louisiana's Le Roux]]. Wealthy Georgia politician is placed in high office and turns out to be a puppet with no ideas of his own. Released in 1980 when Jimmy Carter was up for re-election.
#"Only The Young" by [[Journey]]. "The shadows of a golden age, a generation waits for dawn, the brave carry on, the bold and the strong". An anthem for the Reagan Generation.
#''[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o2UE5g72s0o Yours Is No Disgrace]'', by [[Yes]]. Written to, and about, the troops headed for Vietnam.
#"Fair Exchange" and "Sparks of the Tempest" by [[Kansas (band)|Kansas]]. Warnings about totalitarian governments who want to take away your freedom in the name of utopia. Also much of their early 80s material, which has Christian lyrics.
#"In America" by the [[Charlie Daniels]] Band. Patriotism makes a comeback in response to the Iran hostage crisis and Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.
#"Storm the Embassy" by the [[Stray Cats]]. Another conservative song about the Iran hostage crisis.
#"We Must Take America Back" by [[Steve Vaus]]. Became an underground country music hit in 1992 after RCA dropped him and took the album out of print due to the political lyrics.
#"Renegade" by [[Steppenwolf]]. John Kay's childhood escape from Communist East Germany.
#''[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xqXAW2snGMI Capitalism]'', by [[Oingo Boingo]]. There's nothing wrong with free enterprise.
#"Unborn Child" by [[Seals and Crofts]]. This pro-life song was a hit single in 1974, but for some reason gets left off the Seals and Crofts greatest hits albums.
#"Bad Rap (Who You Tryin' To Kid, Kid?)" by [[Steve Taylor]]. Takes aim at LA and NY hipsters, the Village Voice, abortion, and "the left-wing band with their head in the sand".
#"Last Kiss" by Wayne Cochran and the C.C. Riders, covered by other artists. "Oh where oh where can my baby be; The Lord took her away from me; She's gone to heaven so I got to be good; So I can see my baby when I leave this world"<ref>http://www.songmeanings.net/lyric.php?lid=14</ref>
#"Love Me, I'm a Liberal" by [[Phil Ochs]]. Revealing Liberal hypocrisy for what it is.
#"America USA" by [http://giveagiftofsong.com/products.htm] Joey Sudyka. Not very well known, perhaps, but a good patriotic song.
#''[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i6XZDb045xU Red White and Blue]'', by [[Lynyrd Skynyrd]].
#''[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBohsCG8emk Simple Man]'', by [[Charlie Daniels]]. A song about how drugs and poor politics are a result of people putting their bibles down. Also a strongly pro death penalty song.
#"That Smell" by [[Lynyrd Skynyrd]]. A very strong anti-drug use song by America's most well-known Southern rock band.
#Virtually anything by [[Toby Keith]], but especially "Courtesy of the Red, White & Blue (The Angry American)".
#''[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pldyz9VS2yY Under God]'', by [[Pat Boone]].
#"Christmas Shoes" by NewSons. A Christmas song by a Christian band.
#"God Bless the USA" by Lee Greenwood.<ref>http://www.scoutsongs.com/lyrics/proudtobeamerican.html</ref>
#"God Bless America" Words and music by Irving Berlin.
#''[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kZ0pA9REyU No Opportunity Necessary, No Experience Needed]'' [[Yes]] "...I know your cross is heavier With every step Every step But I know a man who'd walk miles for you..."
#''[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pCXiuqJ1E6g Supper'sReady] [[Genesis (band)|Genesis]]''. ''There's an angel standing in the sun, and he's crying with a loud voice, "This is the supper of the mighty one", Lord of Lords, King of Kings, Has returned to lead his children home, To take them to the new Jerusalem.''
#''[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoaH0I9UwLI Your Love Is Extravagant]'' Casting Crowns
#''[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VnnhYE1DhC4 What If His People Prayed]'' Casting Crowns
#''[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9EBiei21-C8 King Without a Crown]'' by Matisyahu. A Hasidic Jew raps about God as the source of happiness and salvation from the things of this world: "If you're drowning in the waters and you can't stay afloat ask Hashem for mercy and He'll throw you a rope."
#"Take Me Home, Country Roads" by John Denver (and others). Celebrates Southern country landscape and traditions.
#"Sin City" by the Flying Burrito Brothers. Attacks modern decadence and predicts divine punishment for sin.
#"I Saw the Light" by Hank Williams (and numerous cover versions). Redemption from sin through faith.
#"No Son of Mine" by Genesis.
#"Don't Stop" (Thinking About Tomorrow) by Fleetwood Mac.<ref>Used by Bill Clinton as his campaign theme song in 1992, but liberals often try to appeal to conservative themes for elections.</ref>
#"Lightning Crashes" by Live. The joy and significance of childbirth.
#"Takin' Care of Business" by Bachman-Turner Overdrive. The work ethic and promoting self-employment.
#"Cat's In The Cradle" by Harry Chapin. The importance of traditional families and responsible fatherhood.
#''[http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=6547 The Devil Went Down To Georgia]'', by [[Charlie Daniels]]. A deeper message here, as Daniels explains.
#"Big Money" by Rush - Pro-[[capitalism]]
#"Real American" by Rick Derringer - patriotic anthem, known as [[Hulk Hogan]]'s pre-match song
#''[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s1lSMXE3W8w&feature=related Amazing Grace]'', a Christian hymn written by English poet and clergyman [[John Newton]] (1725–1807), published in 1779.
#''[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SP5EfwBWgg0&feature=related Go Down Moses]'', performed by: [[Louis Armstrong]]; written by: Sy (Arr) Oliver.
#''[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5zEP4kvfnc Walking Contradiction]'' by [[Green Day]]. Though a vocal critic of the [[Bush Administration]], here [[Green Day]] mocks the often self-contradictory and inconsistent [[liberal]] ideologies, hence the term "walking contradiction".
#"God and Guns" by [[Lynyrd Skynyrd]]. A powerful new song that elaborates on the song title.
#''[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5zEP4kvfnc Walking Contradiction]'' by [[Green Day]]. Though a vocal critic of the [[Bush Administration]], here [[Green Day]] mocks the often self-contradictory and inconsistent [[liberal]] ideologies, hence the term "walking contradiction".
#''[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQtnPOfId0Y Be My Escape]'' by [[Relient K]]. Actually a popular song among non-conservatives too.
#''Staying Alive'', by the Bee Gees. Pro-people and pro-staying alive, and this: "We can try to understand; The [[New York Times]]' effect on man."
#''Sympathy for the Devil'' by the Rolling Stones. Reminds humanity that nobody is perfect and evil is present in the world and needs to be fought.
#''All In'' by Lifehouse.<ref>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVsZap7WBm8</ref> Describes a relationship with God as being full of commitment and without reservations.
#"[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0y5GDvN9_OE The Ballad of the Green Berets]", by Sergeant Barry Sadler. Pro-American and pro-military.
#''Iraq No Phobia'' by Pro-Pain. It is a pro-American, pro-military heavy metal song about the first [[Gulf War]] ''"Mohammed's no match for the great Uncle Sam."''
#''Bus Stop'', by The Hollies. Pro-romance and pro-marriage: "Someday my name and hers are going to be the same."
#''Stranger in Blue Suede Shoes'' by Kevin Ayers. Defends the right of businessmen to choose their customers: "we don't serve strangers in blue suede shoes".
# "Union Sundown" by Bob Dylan. The title says it all.
# "People Get Ready" by Curtis Mayfield and the Impressions. An all-time classic song about the glory of the [[Lord]].
# "Adonai, My Lord" by Wumpscut. Talks of defending the state with honour in praise of the [[Lord]].

Please add your best conservative picks.

== References ==

<references/>