Conservapedia - User contributions [en]

Category:Kazakhstan

2009-04-17T12:49:50Z

Temujin: categorise

[[Category:Countries]]

Vladimir Tolokonnikov

2009-04-17T12:49:14Z

Temujin: to be continued

'''Vladimir Tolokonnikov''' is famous [[Kazakhstan|Kazakh]] actor who first found his fame in film based on satirical novel ''Heart of a Dog'' by [[Mikhail Bulgakov]] made in 1988. In the film (which was once voted one of the 10 best films of 20th century), Tolokinnikov gave a wondrous performance as a dog called Sharik who is transformed into man named Sharikov in futuristic mad science experiment. The film was released in over 32 countries. Until this day people still point at him and say "There goes Sharikov"!

Tolokonnikov won the illustrious State Prize of Russia for his acting and has also been recognized in his glorious homeland with the title of Honored Artist of Kazakhstan.

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tolokonnikov, Vladimir}}
[[Category:Actors]]
[[Category:Kazakhstan]]

Vladimir Tolokonnikov

2009-04-12T14:00:42Z

Temujin: new item

'''Vladimir Tolokonnikov''' is famous [[Kazakhstan|Kazakh]] actor who first found his fame in film based on satirical novel ''Heart of a Dog'' by [[Mikhail Bulgakov]] made in 1988. In the film (which was once voted one of the 10 best films of 20th century), Tolokinnikov gave a wondrous performance as a dog called Sharik who is transformed into man named Sharikov in futuristic mad science experiment. The film was released in over 32 countries. Until this day people still point at him and say "There goes Sharikov"!

Tolokonnikov won the illustrious State Prize of Russia for his acting and has also been recognized in his glorious homeland with the title of Honored Artist of Kazakhstan.

(to be continued)

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tolokonnikov, Vladimir}}
[[Category:Actors]]
[[Category:Kazakhstan]]

Talk:Kuat Shildebayev

2009-04-12T13:45:38Z

Temujin: OK

Help me please. I try add <ref>[http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1264159/#composer Kuat Shildebayev at IMDB]</ref> after films but no see two words in box for external link add. Temujin
:OK it now work. I do not need help now. --[[User:Temujin|Temujin]] 09:45, 12 April 2009 (EDT)

Kuat Shildebayev

2009-04-12T13:44:23Z

Temujin: add referring link

'''Kuat Shildebayev''' is a [[Kazakhstan|Kazakh]] musical [[composer]] whose oeuvre combines myriads of genres. His work is used much in industrials film and he has composed scores of several great Kazakh films<ref>[http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1264159/#composer Kuat Shildebayev at IMDB]</ref> including ''Fall of Otrar'', ''Young Years of Abay'', ''Arrow's Flight'', ''Notes on a Railway Inspector'', ''Forget About Me'' and ''Flowers for Stalin''. Also he compose for the ballet ''Adam'' and rock ballet ''Legend about a Mankurt'' which was based on story of dead writer [[Chingiz Atmatov]].

Shildebayev sometime must compose music in special style for film genre, maybe ancient Kazakh folkloric style or music from time of [[Mozart]] or [[Haydn]]. But he sometime rues working in film industries - "Working in film industry stops me from composing my usual music", he says.

Kuat's [[mentor]] was great people's artiste of the [[USSR]], professor of music and head of composer's school, Ghaziz Zhubanova. From age six he studied at [[Kulyash Bayseitova Music School]] where Gaziza Akhmetovna (unmarried name of Zhubanova) was teacher and taught him many things.

Kuat Shildebayev has a deep interest in philopsophy and mysticism which inspire him to great works, but he always composed his music for the people not for critics or music specialists.

His recent albums have been called ''ProtoAdam'', ''Yemshan'' and ''DNA Phantoms''

==Refereneces==
<references/>
{{DEFAULTSORT:Shildebayev, Kuat}}

[[Category:Music]]
[[Category:Kazakhstan]]

Euphemism

2009-04-12T03:02:10Z

Temujin: definition

A '''euphemism''' is the use of one word or phrase to replace another to respect the sensibilities of the listener. Example euphemisms for [[death]] include ''kick the bucket'' and ''pass over''. "Creation science" is a euphemism for "creationism" used when addressing certain audiences.

[[category:linguistics]]

User:Temujin

2009-04-11T20:07:07Z

Temujin: Hello

I am high school student from Kazakhstan. My teacher in English says editing a wiki is good way to improve my English writing. I want to write items about Kazakh culture to spread friendship with English speaking people. Later in this year I will continue education in England. My ambition is to be translator for technical companies.

Kuat Shildebayev

2009-04-11T19:52:22Z

Temujin: categorization

'''Kuat Shildebayev''' is a [[Kazakhstan|Kazakh]] musical [[composer]] whose oeuvre combines myriads of genres. His work is used much in industrials film and he has composed scores of several great Kazakh films including ''Fall of Otrar'', ''Young Years of Abay'', ''Arrow's Flight'', ''Notes on a Railway Inspector'', ''Forget About Me'' and ''Flowers for Stalin''. Also he compose for the ballet ''Adam'' and rock ballet ''Legend about a Mankurt'' which was based on story of dead writer [[Chingiz Atmatov]].

Shildebayev sometime must compose music in special style for film genre, maybe ancient Kazakh folkloric style or music from time of [[Mozart]] or [[Haydn]]. But he sometime rues working in film industries - "Working in film industry stops me from composing my usual music", he says.

Kuat's [[mentor]] was great people's artiste of the [[USSR]], professor of music and head of composer's school, Ghaziz Zhubanova. From age six he studied at [[Kulyash Bayseitova Music School]] where Gaziza Akhmetovna (unmarried name of Zhubanova) was teacher and taught him many things.

Kuat Shildebayev has a deep interest in philopsophy and mysticism which inspire him to great works, but he always composed his music for the people not for critics or music specialists.

His recent albums have been called ''ProtoAdam'', ''Yemshan'' and ''DNA Phantoms''

==Refereneces==
<references/>
{{DEFAULTSORT:Shildebayev, Kuat}}

[[Category:Music]]
[[Category:Kazakhstan]]

Sazgen Sazy

2009-04-11T19:51:29Z

Temujin: categorization

The '''Sazgen Sazy musical ensemble''' is [[Kazakhstan|Kazakh]] folkloric group of musical performers. In 1981 [[Uzbekali Zhanibekov]] the outstanding musical researchman, historian and ethnographer had brainchild to form group from members of staff of [[Ykhlas Museum of Folk Musical Instruments]] in [[Almaty]] to present concerts for visitors to the Ykhlas Museum of Folk. After few years they make their name and professional musicians formed a queue to join in.

Bagdat Tilegenov, now the ensemble musical director, joined in 1989 but the group then was only called Sazgen. After only two glorious years he was asked to be head of it. Bagdat says:
{{cquote|"Folk music is everlasting. It's like the classics which are the foundation of the basics and the start of all beginnings. We're born with them and we're still learning with them. We live with them. Musicians playing Kazakh folk instruments make listeners sense the beauty and feel the music of [[steppe]] melodies from ancient times. Listeners are moved by the originality of the works of folk composers and they hear the voices of mysterious instruments which come alive as the musicians play, giving rise to an exalted reaction of in the hearts of the listeners}}

Sazgen Sazy has wide repertoire of more 300 works includes, Kazakh musical arrangements known as the [[kuy]] and works by illustrious Kazakh composers such as [[Kumangazy]], [[Ykhlas]], [[Tattimbet]], [[Dauletkerey]], [[Kazangap]], [[Dina Nupeisova]], [[Sugur]] and [[Bayzhigit]]. The ensemble also perform works by modern composers and foreigh songwriters like [[The Beatles]], [[Elvis Presley]], [[Stevie Wonder]], [[Paul Mauriat]], [[James Last]] and [[Roger Whittaker]].

The ensemble always look to expand and update their repertoire of Kazakh folkloric songs. Each region in Kazakhstan has its own melodies, musics and songs. Exampli grata - the melodies of southern regions such as [[Zhambyl]], [[Taldykorgan]], [[Almaty]] and [[Shymkent]] are very often cheerful and merry, but in center of country the musics gains more breadth like the wide open expanse of the steppe. In western region of Kazakhstan music is distinguished by dynamic and expressing nature. With money and support from Ministry of Culture and Information, Sazgen Sazy is always gathering new materials from remote villages which they present on stage at later time.

In 1998 Dir. Tilgenov saw advert for folk ensembles to join in international festival in [[Italy|Italian]] town of Vico Equense where Kazakh music was much novelty. They joined the festival but only 12 Kazakhs were surrounded by Scottish men with bagpipes and Spanish men with guitars and drums during opening parade. As nobody could hear the Kazakh music they started sing very loud the song "My Kazakhstan" by the famous composer [[Shamshi Kaldayakov]] which later became national anthem of country. Although bagpipes made much noise on first day, on next day our group sang alone. Kairzhan Zholdybayev sang Abay's famous song ''Ayttem Salem'' and followed with Italian song '' O Sole Mio''. This very much pleased the Italians people and Kazakh ensemble received much clapping from audience and jury and won the prize. Since then the ensemble has gone from strength to strength and now has worldwide reputation.

[[Category:Music]]
[[Category:Kazakhstan]]

Sazgen Sazy

2009-04-11T19:50:36Z

Temujin: new item

Sazgen Sazy

2009-04-11T19:28:38Z

Temujin: saving new

Talk:Kuat Shildebayev

2009-04-11T19:08:54Z

Temujin: help please

Help me please. I try add <ref>[http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1264159/#composer Kuat Shildebayev at IMDB]</ref> after films but no see two words in box for external link add. Temujin

Kuat Shildebayev

2009-04-11T19:03:35Z

Temujin: new item

'''Kuat Shildebayev''' is a [[Kazakhstan|Kazakh]] musical [[composer]] whose oeuvre combines myriads of genres. His work is used much in industrials film and he has composed scores of several great Kazakh films including ''Fall of Otrar'', ''Young Years of Abay'', ''Arrow's Flight'', ''Notes on a Railway Inspector'', ''Forget About Me'' and ''Flowers for Stalin''. Also he compose for the ballet ''Adam'' and rock ballet ''Legend about a Mankurt'' which was based on story of dead writer [[Chingiz Atmatov]].

Shildebayev sometime must compose music in special style for film genre, maybe ancient Kazakh folkloric style or music from time of [[Mozart]] or [[Haydn]]. But he sometime rues working in film industries - "Working in film industry stops me from composing my usual music", he says.

Kuat's [[mentor]] was great people's artiste of the [[USSR]], professor of music and head of composer's school, Ghaziz Zhubanova. From age six he studied at [[Kulyash Bayseitova Music School]] where Gaziza Akhmetovna (unmarried name of Zhubanova) was teacher and taught him many things.

Kuat Shildebayev has a deep interest in philopsophy and mysticism which inspire him to great works, but he always composed his music for the people not for critics or music specialists.

His recent albums have been called ''ProtoAdam'', ''Yemshan'' and ''DNA Phantoms''

==Refereneces==
<references/>
{{DEFAULTSORT:Shildebayev, Kuat}}

Kazakhstan

2009-04-10T18:09:37Z

Temujin: wording change

{{Country
|name =''Қазақстан Республикасы''
|map =Kazakhstan rel01.jpg
|flag =Flag of Kazakhstan.png
|arms =Arms of Kazakhstan.png
|capital =Astana
|capital-raw =
|government =Presidential republic
|government-raw =
|language =Kazakh, Russian
|king =
|queen =
|monarch-raw =
|president =Nursultan Nazarbayev
|president-raw =
|chancellor =
|chancellor-raw =
|pm =Karim Masimov
|pm-raw =
|area =1,052,085 sq mi
|pop =15,217,711
|pop-basis =2006
|gdp =$161 billion
|gdp-year =2007
|gdp-pc =$10,658
|currency =Tenge
|idd =
|tld =
}}
'''Kazakhstan''' (Republic of Kazakhstan), is a country in central [[Asia]]. Its capital is Astana.

==Geography==
Kazakhstan is a former member of the [[USSR]]. It has an area of approximately 2.7 million square kilometers, and is the ninth largest country (by area) in the world. It is a landlocked nation, bordering [[China]], [[Russia]], [[Kyrgyzstan]], [[Uzbekistan]], [[Turkmenistan]], and the [[Caspian Sea]]. The [[Aral Sea]] is also partially contained within Kazakhstan's borders, and the country's government has made recent efforts to save the Aral Sea from environmental disaster [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/6538073.stm].
*Area: 2.7 million sq. km. (1.05 million sq. mi.); ninth-largest nation in the world; the size of Western Europe.
*Major cities: Astana (capital, June 1998), Almaty (former capital and largest city), Karaganda, and Shymkent. Aktau is a booming oil town
*Terrain: Extends east to west from the Caspian Sea to the Altay Mountains and north to south from the plains of Western Siberia to the [[oasis]] and desert of Central Asia.
*Climate: Continental, cold winters and hot summers; arid and semi-arid.
*Border lengths: Russia 6,846 km., Uzbekistan 2,203 km., China 1,533 km., Kyrgyzstan 1,051 km., and Turkmenistan 379 km.

==People==
Kazakhstan is very ethnically diverse, with only a slight majority of Kazakhstanis being ethnic Kazakh. Other ethnic groups include Russian, Ukrainian, Uzbek, German, and Uyghur. Religions are Sunni Muslim, Russian Orthodox, Protestant, and other. Kazakhstan is a bilingual country. The Kazakh language has the status of the "state" language, while Russian is declared the "official" language. Russian is used routinely in business; 64.4% of the population speaks the Kazakh language. Education is universal and mandatory through the secondary level, and the literacy rate is 98.4%.
*Population (July 2006 est.): 15.2 million--down from 16.2 million in 1989; second most-populated country in Central Asia.
*Population growth rate (2006 est.): 0.3%. Population distribution: 56.4% of population lives in urban areas. Twenty-six cities had approximate populations of more than 50,000 in 1999--Astana (capital) 529,000, Almaty (former capital) 1.2 million, Karaganda 440,000, Shymkent 370,000, Taraz 340,000, Ust-Kamenogorsk 310,000, Pavlodar 300,000.
*Large scale emigration of ethnic Russians, Germans, and Ukrainians accounts for most of the population decrease since 1989.
*Population density: 14.5 people per sq. mi. (U.S. density 2000: 79.6 people per sq. mi.).
*Ethnic groups (2002): Kazakh 55.8%, Russian 28.3%, Ukrainian 3.3%, Uzbek 2.6%, German 1.8%, Uyghur 1.5%, other 5.0%.
*Religion: Sunni Muslim 47%, Russian Orthodox 44%, Protestant 2%, other 7%.
*Language: Kazakhstan is a bilingual country. Kazakh language has the status of the "state" language, while Russian is declared the "official" language. Russian is used routinely in business; 64.4% of population speaks the Kazakh language.
*Health (2006 est.): Infant mortality rate--28.3/1,000. Life expectancy--66.89 years (male 61.56 yrs.; female 72.52 yrs.). *Health care (2005 est.)--30.3 doctors and 68.2 hospital beds per 10,000 persons.
*Education: Mandatory universal secondary education. School system consists of kindergarten, primary school (grades 1-4), secondary school (grades 5-9), and high school (grades 10-11). Literacy rate--98.4%.
*Work force (2005, 7.85 million): Industry and construction--18.1%; agriculture and fishing--32.9%; services--49%.

==Government and Political Conditions==
Kazakhstan is a constitutional republic with a strong presidency. It is divided into 14 oblasts and the two municipal districts of Almaty and Astana. Each is headed by an akim (provincial governor) appointed by the president. Municipal akims are appointed by oblast akims. The Government of Kazakhstan transferred its capital from Almaty to Astana on June 10, 1998.

The president is the head of state. The president also is the commander in chief of the armed forces and may veto legislation that has been passed by the Parliament. President Nursultan Nazarbayev has been in office since Kazakhstan became independent. In 1995, President Nazarbayev called for a referendum that expanded his presidential powers: only he can initiate constitutional amendments, appoint and dismiss the government, dissolve Parliament, call referenda, and appoint administrative heads of regions and cities. The prime minister, who serves at the pleasure of the president, chairs the Cabinet of Ministers and serves as Kazakhstan's head of government. There are three deputy prime ministers and 16 ministers in the Cabinet.

Kazakhstan has a bicameral Parliament, comprised of a lower house (the Mazhilis) and upper house (the Senate). Single mandate districts popularly elect 67 seats in the Mazhilis; there also are 10 members elected by party-list vote. The Senate has 39 members. Two senators are selected by each of the elected assemblies (Maslikhats) of Kazakhstan's 16 principal administrative divisions (14 regions, or oblasts, plus the cities of Astana and Almaty). The president appoints the remaining seven senators. Mazhilis deputies and the government both have the right of legislative initiative, though the government proposes most legislation considered by the Parliament.

Elections to the Mazhilis in September 2004 yielded a lower house dominated by the pro-government Otan party, headed by President Nazarbayev. Two other parties considered sympathetic to the president, including the agrarian-industrial bloc AIST and the Asar party, founded by President Nazarbayev’s daughter, won most of the remaining seats (Asar and Otan subsequently merged in July 2006 to form the new Otan party). Opposition parties, which were officially registered and competed in the elections, won a single seat during elections that the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe said fell short of international standards. The opposition party Ak Zhol refused to take the seat in protest of the flawed elections.

In December 2005, President Nazarbayev won a new 7-year term in an election that the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe said fell short of international standards. Official results gave the president 91% of the vote, although independent exit polls found this figure to be somewhat inflated. Opposition candidates Zharmakhan Tuyakbay (For a Just Kazakhstan) and Alikhan Baymenov (Ak Zhol) were able to compete freely in this election.

===Principal Government Officials===
*President--Nursultan Nazarbayev
*Head of Presidential Administration--Adilbek Dzhaksybekov
*Prosecutor General--Rashid Tusupbekov
*National Security Committee (KNB) Chairman--Amangeldy Shabdarbayev
*Prime Minister--Karim Masimov
*Deputy Prime Minister--Aslan Musin
*State Secretary--Oralbay Abdykarimov

===Foreign Relations===
Kazakhstan has stable relationships with all of its neighbors. Kazakhstan is a member of the United Nations, Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, and North Atlantic Cooperation Council. It also is an active participant in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's (NATO) Partnership for Peace program. Kazakhstan also is a member of the Commonwealth of Independent States and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization along with Russia, China, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. Kazakhstan, Russia, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan established the Eurasian Economic Community in 2000 to re-energize earlier efforts at harmonizing trade tariffs and the creation of a free trade zone under a customs union. Kazakhstan is the founding member of the Conference for Interaction and Confidence in Asia. Kazakhstan also engages in regional security dialogue with ASEAN (Association of South East Asian Nations).

==Economy==
Kazakhstan's economy grew by 8.5% in 2006. Gross domestic product (GDP) grew 9.4% in 2005, 9.1 % in 2004, 9.2% in 2003, 9.5% in 2002, and 13.2% in 2001.

Kazakhstan's monetary policy has been well managed. In 2006, inflation remained relatively steady at 8.6%, up from 7.5% in 2005. Inflation from 2001-2003 was 6.4%, 6.6%, and 6.8%, respectively. Because of its strong macroeconomic performance and financial health, Kazakhstan became the first former Soviet republic to repay all of its debt to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in 2000, 7 years ahead of schedule. In March 2002, the U.S. Department of Commerce graduated Kazakhstan to market economy status under U.S. trade law. The change in status recognized substantive market economy reforms in the areas of currency convertibility, wage rate determination, openness to foreign investment, and government control over the means of production and allocation of resources.
*GDP (2007): $102.5 billion.
*Exchange rate (period average): 122.55 KZT/U.S. $1 in 2007.
*GDP growth rate: 9.5% (2002); 9.2% (2003); 9.6% (2004 est.); 9.7% (2005 est.); 10.7% (2006); 8.5% (2007).
GDP per capita (2007, purchasing power parity): $11,100.
*Inflation rate: 6.6% (2002); 6.8% (2003); 6.7% (2004 est.); 7.5% (2005); 8.4% (2006); 18.8% (2007 year-over-year); 10.8% (2007 average).
*Trade: Exports (2007 est.)--$44.88 billion. Imports (2007 est.)--$29.91 billion.
*Gross external debt: $18.2 billion (2002); $22.9 billion (2003); $32.71 billion (2004); $43.40 billion (2005); $73.46 billion (2006); $96.37 billion (2007).
*Central Bank's foreign exchange reserves: $4.96 billion (2003); $7.07 billion (2005 est.); $19.04 billion (Feb. 2008).
*National (oil) fund reserves: $3.6 billion (2003); $5.1 billion (2004); $10.1 billion (2006); $22.6 billion (Feb. 2008).
*Officially recognized unemployment rate: 8.7% (2003); 8.4% (2004 est.); 8.1% (2005 est.); 7.4% (2006 est.); 7.1% (2007 est.).
*Population below poverty line: 13.8% (2007).

In September 2002, Kazakhstan became the first country in the former Soviet Union to receive an investment-grade credit rating from a major international credit rating agency. Estimated level of external debt in 2005 was $41.66 billion. In 2004, Kazakhstan's gross foreign debt was about $26.03 billion. Kazakhstan has been successful in reducing the ratio of debt to GDP in recent years. In 2005, total governmental debt was $5 billion, which amounts to 8.9% of GDP. In 2000, total government debt equaled 21.7% of GDP.

The upturn in economic growth, combined with the results of earlier tax and financial sector reforms, dramatically improved government finances from the 1999 budget deficit level of 3.5% of GDP to a deficit of 0.5% of GDP in 2005. Government revenues grew from 19.8% of GDP in 1999 to 22.6% of GDP in 2001 to 25.7% of GDP in 2005. In 2000, Kazakhstan adopted a new tax code in an effort to consolidate these gains. On November 29, 2003 the Law on Changes to Tax Code was adopted, which reduced the value added tax (from 16% to 15%), the social tax (from 21% to 20%), and the personal income tax (from 30% to 20%). Kazakhstan furthered its reforms by adopting a new land code on June 20, 2003 and a customs code on April 5, 2003.

Oil and gas is the leading economic sector. Production of oil and gas condensate in Kazakhstan amounted to 61.9 million tons in 2005, which was 4.3% more than in 2004. Kazakhstan exported 52.4 million tons of oil and gas condensate a year in 2004 and 2005. Natural gas production in Kazakhstan in 2005 amounted to 14.5 billion cubic meters, a 25% increase from 2004. Kazakhstan holds about 4 billion tons of proven recoverable oil reserves and 3 trillion cubic meters of gas. Industry analysts believe that planned expansion of oil production, coupled with the development of new fields, will enable the country to produce as much as 3 million barrels per day by 2015, lifting Kazakhstan into the ranks of the world's top 10 oil-producing nations. Kazakhstan's 2005 oil exports were valued at $17.4 billion, representing over 70% of overall exports. Major oil and gas fields and their recoverable oil reserves are Tengiz (7 billion barrels); Karachaganak (8 billion barrels and 1,350 billion cubic meters of natural gas); and Kashagan (7-9 billion barrels). Starting in 2004, the Government of Kazakhstan increased its take of oil deals by increasing taxation of new oil projects.

Kazakhstan instituted an ambitious pension reform program in 1998. There are 14 saving pension funds, one of which is state controlled. The National Bank oversees and regulates the pension funds. The pension funds' growing demand for quality investment outlets triggered rapid development of the debt securities market. Pension fund capital is being invested almost exclusively in corporate and government bonds, including Government of Kazakhstan Eurobonds. The Kazakhstani banking system is developing rapidly. Its capitalization now exceeds $1 billion. The National Bank has introduced deposit insurance in its campaign to strengthen the banking sector. Several major foreign banks have branches in Kazakhstan, including ABN-AMRO, Citibank, and HSBC.

====Agriculture====
Agriculture accounted for 10.3% of Kazakhstan's GDP in 2005. Grain (Kazakhstan is the seventh-largest producer of wheat in the world) and livestock are the most important agricultural commodities. Agricultural land occupies more than 220 million hectares, about 68% of which consists of pasture and hay land. Chief livestock products are dairy goods, leather, meat, and wool. The country's major crops include wheat, barley, cotton, and rice. Wheat is the leading agricultural commodity in Kazakhstan's export trade. Kazakhstan harvests 14-15 million tons of wheat per year.

====Natural Resources====
Oil, gas, and mineral exports are key to Kazakhstan's economic success. Since 1993, Kazakhstan’s extractive industries have attracted $30.7 billion in foreign investment, which represents almost 76% of the total foreign direct investment in Kazakhstan for that period. Kazakhstan has significant deposits of coal, iron ore, copper, zinc, uranium, and gold.

==History==
Nomadic tribes have been living in the region that is now Kazakhstan since the first century BC, although the land has been inhabited at least as far back as the Stone Age. From the fourth century AD through the beginning of the 13th century, the territory of Kazakhstan was ruled by a series of nomadic nations. Following the Mongolian invasion in the early 13th century, administrative districts were established under the Mongol Empire, which eventually became the territories of the Kazakh Khanate. The major medieval cities of Taraz and Turkestan were founded along the northern route of the Great Silk Road during this period.

Traditional nomadic life on the vast steppe and semi-desert lands was characterized by a constant search for new pasture to support the livestock-based economy. The Kazakhs emerged from a mixture of tribes living in the region in about the 15th century and by the middle of the 16th century had developed a common language, culture, and economy. In the early 1600s, the Kazakh Khanate separated into the Great, Middle and Little (or Small) Hordes--confederations based on extended family networks. Political disunion, competition among the hordes, and a lack of an internal market weakened the Kazakh Khanate. The beginning of the 18th century marked the zenith of the Kazakh Khanate. The following 150 years saw the gradual colonization of the Kazakh-controlled territories by tsarist Russia.

The process of colonization was a combination of voluntary integration into the Russian Empire and outright seizure. The Little Horde and part of the Middle Horde signed treaties of protection with Russia in the 1730s and 1740s. Major parts of the northeast and central Kazakh territories were incorporated into the Russian Empire by 1840. With the Russian seizure of territories belonging to the Senior Horde in the 1860s, the tsars effectively ruled over most of the territory belonging to what is now the Republic of Kazakhstan.

The Russian Empire introduced a system of administration and built military garrisons in its effort to establish a presence in Central Asia in the so-called "Great Game" between it and Great Britain. Russian efforts to impose its system aroused the resentment of the [[Kazakh people]], and by the 1860s, most Kazakhs resisted Russia's annexation largely because of the disruption it wrought upon the traditional nomadic lifestyle and livestock-based economy. The Kazakh national movement, which began in the late 1800s, sought to preserve the Kazakh language and identity. There were uprisings against colonial rule during the final years of tsarist Russia, with the most serious occurring in 1916. The destruction of the nomadic life, prior to and during the Communist period, created a Kazakh diaspora in neighboring countries, especially western China. Since independence in 1991, the government has encouraged the return of ethnic Kazakhs by offering subsidies for returnees.

Although there was a brief period of autonomy during the tumultuous period following the collapse of the Russian Empire, the Kazakhs eventually succumbed to Soviet rule. In 1920, the area of present-day Kazakhstan became an autonomous republic within Russia and, in 1936, a Soviet republic.

Soviet repression of the traditional elites, along with forced collectivization in late 1920s-1930s, brought about mass hunger and led to unrest. Soviet rule, however, took hold, and a communist apparatus steadily worked to fully integrate Kazakhstan into the Soviet system. Kazakhstan experienced population inflows of thousands exiled from other parts of the Soviet Union during the 1930s and later became home for hundreds of thousands evacuated from the Second World War battlefields. The Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic (SSR) contributed five national divisions to the Soviet Union's World War II effort.

The period of the Second World War marked an increase in industrialization and increased mineral extraction in support of the war effort. At the time of Soviet leader Josif Stalin's death, however, Kazakhstan still had an overwhelmingly agricultural-based economy. In 1953, Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev initiated the ambitious "Virgin Lands" program to turn the traditional pasturelands of Kazakhstan into a major grain-producing region for the Soviet Union. The Virgin Lands policy, along with later modernizations under Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev, sped up the development of the agricultural sector, which to this day remains the source of livelihood for a large percentage of Kazakhstan's population.

Growing tensions within Soviet society led to a demand for political and economic reforms, which came to a head in the 1980s. In December 1986, mass demonstrations by young ethnic Kazakhs took place in Almaty to protest the methods of the communist system. Soviet troops suppressed the unrest, and dozens of demonstrators were jailed. In the waning days of Soviet rule, discontent continued to grow and find expression under Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev's policy of glasnost. Caught up in the groundswell of Soviet republics seeking greater autonomy, Kazakhstan declared its sovereignty as a republic within the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (U.S.S.R.) in October 1990. Following the August 1991 abortive coup attempt in Moscow and the subsequent dissolution of the Soviet Union, Kazakhstan declared independence on December 16, 1991.

The years following independence have been marked by significant reforms to the Soviet command-economy and political monopoly on power. Under Nursultan Nazarbayev, who initially came to power in 1989 as the head of the Kazakh Communist Party and was eventually elected President in 1991, Kazakhstan has made significant progress toward developing a market economy, for which it was recognized by the United States in 2002. The country has enjoyed significant economic growth since 2000, partly due to its large oil, gas, and mineral reserves.

{{License|license = This work is in the [[public domain]] in the United States because it is a work of the United States Federal Government under the terms of Title 17, Chapter 1, Section 105 of the US Code.| source = [http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/5487.htm]}}

[[Category:Asian Countries]]
[[Category:Former Soviet Countries]]

Daniel Dennett

2008-08-22T18:45:59Z

Temujin: /* Conscious Philosophy */ name & link

'''Daniel Dennett''' is a philosophy professor at [[Tufts University]] who actively promotes the [[naturalistic]] world view through such books as ''[[Darwin’s Dangerous Idea]]''.

==Conscious Philosophy==

Dennett is widely regarded as one of the premier philosophers in the world in the area of consciousness and his book [[Consciousness Explained]] is regarded by some as among the most important text in naturalist [[philosophy]] of the mind. In it, he proposes his initial [[multiple drafts model]] of consciousness, where he proposes that there is no single source of consciousness (no [[conscious qualia]], as proposed by many of his contemporaries).

He has been heavily criticized by some of his peers for denying the existence of qualia and sticking with his naturalist models of consciousness (he later expanded the multiple drafts model to the [[fame in the brain]] model in his 2005 book [[Sweet Dreams]]) as he insists that there is no evidence, and that neurological [[science]] will, in time, progress to make the idea of qualia, or the source of seemingly inexplicable functions in the mind, obselete.

Dennett has also been a proponent of Evolutionary Psychology as well as [[Richard Dawkins]]' idea of the meme. This lead to some notable clashes with paleontologist [[Stephen Jay Gould]].

[[category:Atheists]]

Daniel Dennett

2008-08-22T18:44:26Z

Temujin: /* Conscious Philosophy */ links and bad template

A-4 Skyhawk

2008-08-22T18:33:03Z

Temujin: /* History */ image better on right

The '''A-4''' is a light attack bomber, built by McDonnell-Douglas and flown by the [[U.S. Navy]] and [[Marines]]. Powered by a Pratt & Whitney turbojet, it was nicknamed the “Scooter” for its small size and tremendous maneuverability. It also was called "Heineman's Hot Rod", after its designer. The A-4 had a maximum speed of 670 mph, was armed with 2 20-mm cannons, and could carry 4000 lb of bombs.<ref>''Fast Movers'', by John Darrell Sherwood, St. Martin’s Press, 1999</ref>

[[Image:A-4.jpg|right]]

==History==
[[Image:A-4_over_Vietnam.jpg|right]]
===US Navy and Marine Corps===
The Skyhawk first flew on June 22, 1954, and entered operational service in October 1956. The Scooter served prominently during the [[Vietnam War]]. An A-4 was the first plane shot down over [[North Vietnam]], in a raid on a torpedo boat base and oil installations in retaliation for the Gulf of Tonkin incident.<ref name="MyFirstRef">''Rolling Thunder: A History of Jet Combat From World War II to the Gulf War'', by Ivan Rendall, Dell Publishing, 1997</ref> Among the A-4 pilots who flew in the war were [[Medal of Honor]] recipient [[Michael Estocin]] and future Senator and presidential candidate [[John McCain]].

===Israel===
When [[France]] stopped supplying [[Israel]] after the [[Six Day War]], Israel turned to the United States, and the Israeli Air Force took an immediate liking to the [[F-4|F-4 Phantom II]] and the A-4 Skyhawk. First delivery of the little bomber was in late 1967, and the Skyhawk became the workhorse of the bombing campaigns in the [[War of Attrition]] and the [[Yom Kippur War]]. Losses in the latter were heavy (30 Skyhawks were downed in the first day of fighting), due to Egyptian anti-aircraft defences, but losses went down as Israeli tactics improved. Within a week, Israeli bombers were on the offensive again, and the destroyed planes were replaced by emergency shipments from the United States. A-4s also participated in strikes on PLO bases in [[Lebanon]] and [[Syria]]n SAM sites during Operation Peace for Galilee in 1982.<ref name="MyFirstRef"/> The Skyhawk has been replaced in front-line service by the home-built Kfir and the American [[F-16]], but it’s still used for advanced pilot training.

===Argentina===
The A-4 operated in the [[Falkland Islands]] War for [[Argentina]] against the British fleet. Bombing attacks by Skyhawks sank the destroyer HMS ''Coventry'' and the frigates ''Antelope'' and ''Ardent'', and damaged a number of other ships. A total of 23 A-4s were lost in the conflict: three to accidents, one to friendly fire, eight to Sea Harriers, and eleven to anti-aircraft guns and SAMs.<ref>''Air War in the Falklands 1982'', by Christopher Chant, Osprey Publishing, 2001</ref>

===Kuwait===
[[Kuwait]]i Skyhawks flew against [[Iraq]]i forces when Iraq invaded Kuwait in 1990, and some pilots managed to escape to [[Saudi Arabia]] when their airfields were overrun. The planes were integrated into the Royal Saudi Air Force for the duration of the [[Gulf War]], and came to be known as the Free Kuwaiti Air Force. The FKAF flew over 1300 combat sorties, losing one aircraft to enemy fire.<ref>[http://home.att.net/~jbaugher4/newa4_15.html Skyhawk for Kuwait]</ref> After the war, Kuwait replaced its Skyhawks with [[F/A-18 Hornet]]s. The Skyhawks were sold to [[Brazil]] for use on their aircraft carrier, ''Sao Paulo''.

==References==
<references/>

==External Links==
*[http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/aircraft/a-4.htm A-4 Skyhawk at GlobalSecurity.org]
*[http://www.boeing.com/history/mdc/skyhawk.htm The A-4 Skyhawk at Boeing.com]
*[http://www.skyhawk.org/ The Skyhawk Association]

==Further Reading==
*''Douglas A-4 Skyhawk: Attack and Close-support Fighter Bomber'', by Jim Winchester, Pen & Sword Books, 2005
*''US Navy and Marine Corps A-4 Skyhawk Units in the Vietnam War: 1963-1973'', by Peter Mersky, Osprey Publishing, 2007

[[Category:Aircraft]]
[[Category:United States Navy]]
[[Category:Vietnam War]]

A-4 Skyhawk

2008-08-22T18:32:27Z

Temujin: tidy image round TOC

The '''A-4''' is a light attack bomber, built by McDonnell-Douglas and flown by the [[U.S. Navy]] and [[Marines]]. Powered by a Pratt & Whitney turbojet, it was nicknamed the “Scooter” for its small size and tremendous maneuverability. It also was called "Heineman's Hot Rod", after its designer. The A-4 had a maximum speed of 670 mph, was armed with 2 20-mm cannons, and could carry 4000 lb of bombs.<ref>''Fast Movers'', by John Darrell Sherwood, St. Martin’s Press, 1999</ref>

[[Image:A-4.jpg|right]]

==History==
[[Image:A-4_over_Vietnam.jpg|left]]
===US Navy and Marine Corps===
The Skyhawk first flew on June 22, 1954, and entered operational service in October 1956. The Scooter served prominently during the [[Vietnam War]]. An A-4 was the first plane shot down over [[North Vietnam]], in a raid on a torpedo boat base and oil installations in retaliation for the Gulf of Tonkin incident.<ref name="MyFirstRef">''Rolling Thunder: A History of Jet Combat From World War II to the Gulf War'', by Ivan Rendall, Dell Publishing, 1997</ref> Among the A-4 pilots who flew in the war were [[Medal of Honor]] recipient [[Michael Estocin]] and future Senator and presidential candidate [[John McCain]].

===Israel===
When [[France]] stopped supplying [[Israel]] after the [[Six Day War]], Israel turned to the United States, and the Israeli Air Force took an immediate liking to the [[F-4|F-4 Phantom II]] and the A-4 Skyhawk. First delivery of the little bomber was in late 1967, and the Skyhawk became the workhorse of the bombing campaigns in the [[War of Attrition]] and the [[Yom Kippur War]]. Losses in the latter were heavy (30 Skyhawks were downed in the first day of fighting), due to Egyptian anti-aircraft defences, but losses went down as Israeli tactics improved. Within a week, Israeli bombers were on the offensive again, and the destroyed planes were replaced by emergency shipments from the United States. A-4s also participated in strikes on PLO bases in [[Lebanon]] and [[Syria]]n SAM sites during Operation Peace for Galilee in 1982.<ref name="MyFirstRef"/> The Skyhawk has been replaced in front-line service by the home-built Kfir and the American [[F-16]], but it’s still used for advanced pilot training.

===Argentina===
The A-4 operated in the [[Falkland Islands]] War for [[Argentina]] against the British fleet. Bombing attacks by Skyhawks sank the destroyer HMS ''Coventry'' and the frigates ''Antelope'' and ''Ardent'', and damaged a number of other ships. A total of 23 A-4s were lost in the conflict: three to accidents, one to friendly fire, eight to Sea Harriers, and eleven to anti-aircraft guns and SAMs.<ref>''Air War in the Falklands 1982'', by Christopher Chant, Osprey Publishing, 2001</ref>

===Kuwait===
[[Kuwait]]i Skyhawks flew against [[Iraq]]i forces when Iraq invaded Kuwait in 1990, and some pilots managed to escape to [[Saudi Arabia]] when their airfields were overrun. The planes were integrated into the Royal Saudi Air Force for the duration of the [[Gulf War]], and came to be known as the Free Kuwaiti Air Force. The FKAF flew over 1300 combat sorties, losing one aircraft to enemy fire.<ref>[http://home.att.net/~jbaugher4/newa4_15.html Skyhawk for Kuwait]</ref> After the war, Kuwait replaced its Skyhawks with [[F/A-18 Hornet]]s. The Skyhawks were sold to [[Brazil]] for use on their aircraft carrier, ''Sao Paulo''.

==References==
<references/>

==External Links==
*[http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/aircraft/a-4.htm A-4 Skyhawk at GlobalSecurity.org]
*[http://www.boeing.com/history/mdc/skyhawk.htm The A-4 Skyhawk at Boeing.com]
*[http://www.skyhawk.org/ The Skyhawk Association]

==Further Reading==
*''Douglas A-4 Skyhawk: Attack and Close-support Fighter Bomber'', by Jim Winchester, Pen & Sword Books, 2005
*''US Navy and Marine Corps A-4 Skyhawk Units in the Vietnam War: 1963-1973'', by Peter Mersky, Osprey Publishing, 2007

[[Category:Aircraft]]
[[Category:United States Navy]]
[[Category:Vietnam War]]

Andrea Mitchell

2008-08-20T17:52:02Z

Temujin: fix link

'''Andrea Mitchell''' is the Chief Foreign Affairs Correspondent for [[NBC News]] and wife of the former [[Federal Reserve Board]] Chairman [[Alan Greenspan]]. Mitchell resides in [[Washington D.C.]] and has worked at [[NBC]] for over thirty years.

==History==

===Early Career===
Mitchell attended the University of Pennsylvania were she received a B.A in [[English]] literature. Before working in television, Mitchell spent nine years as a broadcast journalist for KYW Radio. In 1977 Mitchell began her television career as a [[CBS]] affiliate correspondent in Washington D.C.(WDVM-TV). Coincidentally, this was the same network where [[NBC News]] anchor Brian Williams began his career. <ref>http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3667173/</ref>. Mitchell's job for CBS lasted until 1978 when [[NBC]] hired her as their general correspondent based in Washington D.C. After a NBC correspondent's murder in [[Guyana]], Mitchell was given her first big assignment, covering the [[Jonestown]] massacre<ref>http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/product-description/0670034037/ref=dp_proddesc_0/102-3275846-3467353?ie=UTF8&n=283155&s=books</ref>. Soon she began moving up the ranks of the network and was named NBC News energy correspondent. It was in this role that she reported on many major domestic issues including the mid-1970s energy crisis and the 1979 nuclear accident at [[Three Mile Island]].<ref>http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3688874/</ref>

===1980-1998===
With the [[Reagan]]s administration in power in 1981, Mitchell began to cover the [[White House]] for NBC News. She reported on the [[Iran-Contra scandal]], the president’s diplomatic relations with [[Mikhail Gorbachev]] and other important national and international issues. Her job at the White House lasted until 1988, when she became NBC's chief Congressional correspondent. The same year, she served as a panelist in the last debate between [[George H. Bush]] and [[Michael Dukakis]]. She was the first to announce that [[George H.W. Bush]] would choose [[Dan Quayle]] as his running mate.<ref>http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3688874/</ref>

===1988-2000===
Between the years of 1988 and 1992 as chief Congressional correspondent, she frequently appeared on other NBC programs, and in 1992 covered [[Bill Clinton]]’s primary victory. Mitchell appeared as substitute host and panelist on [[Meet the Press]] and also as a political analyst on NBC’s [[Today]] show. Her work on “Nightly News with Tom Brokaw” in 1996 gave her the opportunity to travel around the globe. Assignments included reporting from [[North Korea]], the [[Middle East]], [[Kosovo]], [[Pakistan]], [[Bosnia]], [[Haiti]], and [[Afghanistan]], where she covered [[Osama Bin Laden]]’s [[Al-Qaida]] network.<ref>http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3688874/</ref>

===2000-2007===
The new decade bought many opportunities for Mitchell. Now serving as one of NBC top correspondents, she began hosting her own show, “The Mitchell Report.” The show primarily focused on the political landscape during the 2000 primary and general election as well as [[Hillary Clinton]]’s [[Senate]] race. In June 2001, NBC received the rare opportunity to interview [[Elian Gonzalez]], a refugee from communist-controlled Cuba. Soon after, [[Cuba]] granted NBC an exclusive interview with Cuban dictator [[Fidel Castro]]. Mitchell was given the assignment. The interview lasted three hours and resulted in a one-hour documentary which was released in 2003. Both interviews brought stark criticism to both Mitchell and NBC. During the [[2004 elections]], Mitchell became a regular panelist for [[MSNBC]]’s "[[Hardball]]". At this time she achieved another hallmark in her journalistic career when she was first to announce that Senator [[John Kerry]] would pick [[John Edwards]] as his running mate. Currently, as chief Foreign Affairs correspondent, Mitchell covers domestic politics and foreign policy issues for NBC. During her thirty-year work at NBC, Mitchell has covered five administrations and traveled and interviewed many leading policy makers. As former Nightly News anchor Tom Brokaw stated, “Andrea Mitchell [is] the go-to reporter when a big story is breaking in Washington and throughout the world.”<ref>http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/product-description/0670034037/ref=dp_proddesc_0/102-3275846-3467353?ie=UTF8&n=283155&s=books</ref>

==Books==

In 2005, Mitchell wrote a book about her experiences as a woman covering presidents, politics and foreign policy entitled “Talking Back.” Current NBC anchor [[ Brian Williams]] praised the book and called it "a trail-blazing, heart-pounding ride through the best years in television journalism as chronicled by one of the best reporters in the business”<ref>http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/product-description/0670034037/ref=dp_proddesc_0/102-3275846-3467353?ie=UTF8&n=283155&s=books</ref>

==Awards==

Mitchell’s journalistic awards include the Goldsmith Career Award for Excellence in Journalism, presented by the John F. Kennedy Jr. Forum. At her acceptance speech, in March 2005, she called on fellow journalist to not air “pre-packaged government 'news' reports”. <ref>http://www.hno.harvard.edu/gazette/2005/03.24/15-goldsmith.html</ref>

==Criticism==
Some of Mitchell’s past comments and interviews have been heavily criticized by [[conservatives]] and media watchdogs.

She has been accused of parroting unsubstantiated news (a tabloid method) and displaying an ever-increasing bias for Democrats. She regularly defends [[Barack Obama]] without journalistic objectivity, and has been critical of [[John McCain]] by calling him a forum cheater {{fact}} and characterizing his campaign ads as unfair.

=== Republican Base and Torture ===
After the [[Republican]] primary debate in May 2007, Mitchell commented that Republicans “played to the base. They played to, ‘Let’s torture ‘em!’ I mean, they, they didn’t say that literally, but that was the subliminal message."<ref>http://www.mrc.org/notablequotables/2007/nq20070618.asp</ref>

=== Bush Administration ===
Mitchell also claimed that the Bush administration was spreading propaganda, and slammed fellow reporters for using it. At an journalism awards ceremony, Mitchell said "On issues from Medicare to farm prices, hundreds of local stations are running stories extolling Bush Administration policies, reaching tens of millions of people every day, but all of these reports were written and distributed by the administration itself and its public relations firms, not by journalists,”<ref> http://www.hno.harvard.edu/gazette/2005/03.24/15-goldsmith.html</ref>

=== CIA Leak ===
In 2005 Mitchell (along with co-worker, [[Tim Russert]]) was a suspect in the [[CIA]] leak case. NBC released a statement saying that “her first discussion with an administration official about the matter was after the [[Robert Novak]] column was published. And that discussion, she said, was off the record. NBC News never has disclosed the name of the agent."<ref> http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-fiderer/andrea-mitchells-prime-t_b_10973.html</ref> She and Russert were later found innocent.

=== 2004 Election ===
In the 2004 presidential campaign Mitchell appeared on NBC Nightly News. Covering the Vietnam veterans' attack on presidential candidate John Kerry, she stated that the group might just “get away with it.” <ref>http://www.mediaresearch.org/cyberalerts/2004/cyb20040807.asp</ref> She later claimed that"none of the men actually served on either of Kerry's swift boats,” <ref>http://www.mediaresearch.org/cyberalerts/2004/cyb20040807.asp</ref>despite the fact that the men in the ad were former colleagues of Kerry's<ref>http://www.mediaresearch.org/cyberalerts/2004/cyb20040807.asp</ref>.

=== Elian Gonzalez Interview ===
Both of Mitchell’s interviews in 2001 were the target of strong criticism. Some critics claimed that Castro had picked the right reporter for the job, and also also claimed that in her interview with Elian Gonzalez she distorted the situation in Cuba. She painted an idyllic picture of the boy's hometown in Cuba, saying: “Their hometown, Cardenas, a small fishing village two hours from Havana, where people still get around by horse and carriage.” She also stated in her report that if he had stayed in the United States, Elian may have been "seduced by all of these toys and trips to Disney World." <ref>http://www.cubanet.org/CNews/y01/jun01/29e5.htm</ref>

=== Fidel Castro Interview ===
Critics claim that her interview with Cuban dictator [[Fidel Castro]] sounded much like a “promotional spot for Castro as caring grandpa”<ref>http://www.cubanet.org/CNews/y01/jun01/29e5.htm</ref>. She characterized the dictator as, "old-fashioned, courtly -- even paternal," <ref>http://www.cubanet.org/CNews/y01/jun01/29e5.htm</ref>, and praised his leadership. "What’s astounding is how much Castro is personally micro-managing the Elian case. He’s not just the country’s head of state, he’s the CEO," she stated in her report. Conservative websites claimed that she “mentioned none of the drawbacks to life in the socialist dictatorship.”<ref>http://www.mrc.org/SpecialReports/2007/castro/welcome.asp</ref>

== References ==
<references/>

==External Links==
*[http://www.aim.org/wls/author/andrea-mitchell/ What Liberals Say - Andrea Mitchell], [[Accuracy In Media]]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mitchell, Andrea}}

[[category:Broadcasters]]

Andrea Mitchell

2008-08-20T17:50:54Z

Temujin: /* 1980-1998 */ typo

'''Andrea Mitchell''' is the Chief Foreign Affairs Correspondent for [[NBC News]] and wife of the former [[Federal Reserve Board]] Chairman [[Alan Greenspan]]. Mitchell resides in [[Washington. D.C.]] and has worked at [[NBC]] for over thirty years.

==History==

===Early Career===
Mitchell attended the University of Pennsylvania were she received a B.A in [[English]] literature. Before working in television, Mitchell spent nine years as a broadcast journalist for KYW Radio. In 1977 Mitchell began her television career as a [[CBS]] affiliate correspondent in Washington D.C.(WDVM-TV). Coincidentally, this was the same network where [[NBC News]] anchor Brian Williams began his career. <ref>http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3667173/</ref>. Mitchell's job for CBS lasted until 1978 when [[NBC]] hired her as their general correspondent based in Washington D.C. After a NBC correspondent's murder in [[Guyana]], Mitchell was given her first big assignment, covering the [[Jonestown]] massacre<ref>http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/product-description/0670034037/ref=dp_proddesc_0/102-3275846-3467353?ie=UTF8&n=283155&s=books</ref>. Soon she began moving up the ranks of the network and was named NBC News energy correspondent. It was in this role that she reported on many major domestic issues including the mid-1970s energy crisis and the 1979 nuclear accident at [[Three Mile Island]].<ref>http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3688874/</ref>

===1980-1998===
With the [[Reagan]]s administration in power in 1981, Mitchell began to cover the [[White House]] for NBC News. She reported on the [[Iran-Contra scandal]], the president’s diplomatic relations with [[Mikhail Gorbachev]] and other important national and international issues. Her job at the White House lasted until 1988, when she became NBC's chief Congressional correspondent. The same year, she served as a panelist in the last debate between [[George H. Bush]] and [[Michael Dukakis]]. She was the first to announce that [[George H.W. Bush]] would choose [[Dan Quayle]] as his running mate.<ref>http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3688874/</ref>

===1988-2000===
Between the years of 1988 and 1992 as chief Congressional correspondent, she frequently appeared on other NBC programs, and in 1992 covered [[Bill Clinton]]’s primary victory. Mitchell appeared as substitute host and panelist on [[Meet the Press]] and also as a political analyst on NBC’s [[Today]] show. Her work on “Nightly News with Tom Brokaw” in 1996 gave her the opportunity to travel around the globe. Assignments included reporting from [[North Korea]], the [[Middle East]], [[Kosovo]], [[Pakistan]], [[Bosnia]], [[Haiti]], and [[Afghanistan]], where she covered [[Osama Bin Laden]]’s [[Al-Qaida]] network.<ref>http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3688874/</ref>

===2000-2007===
The new decade bought many opportunities for Mitchell. Now serving as one of NBC top correspondents, she began hosting her own show, “The Mitchell Report.” The show primarily focused on the political landscape during the 2000 primary and general election as well as [[Hillary Clinton]]’s [[Senate]] race. In June 2001, NBC received the rare opportunity to interview [[Elian Gonzalez]], a refugee from communist-controlled Cuba. Soon after, [[Cuba]] granted NBC an exclusive interview with Cuban dictator [[Fidel Castro]]. Mitchell was given the assignment. The interview lasted three hours and resulted in a one-hour documentary which was released in 2003. Both interviews brought stark criticism to both Mitchell and NBC. During the [[2004 elections]], Mitchell became a regular panelist for [[MSNBC]]’s "[[Hardball]]". At this time she achieved another hallmark in her journalistic career when she was first to announce that Senator [[John Kerry]] would pick [[John Edwards]] as his running mate. Currently, as chief Foreign Affairs correspondent, Mitchell covers domestic politics and foreign policy issues for NBC. During her thirty-year work at NBC, Mitchell has covered five administrations and traveled and interviewed many leading policy makers. As former Nightly News anchor Tom Brokaw stated, “Andrea Mitchell [is] the go-to reporter when a big story is breaking in Washington and throughout the world.”<ref>http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/product-description/0670034037/ref=dp_proddesc_0/102-3275846-3467353?ie=UTF8&n=283155&s=books</ref>

==Books==

In 2005, Mitchell wrote a book about her experiences as a woman covering presidents, politics and foreign policy entitled “Talking Back.” Current NBC anchor [[ Brian Williams]] praised the book and called it "a trail-blazing, heart-pounding ride through the best years in television journalism as chronicled by one of the best reporters in the business”<ref>http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/product-description/0670034037/ref=dp_proddesc_0/102-3275846-3467353?ie=UTF8&n=283155&s=books</ref>

==Awards==

Mitchell’s journalistic awards include the Goldsmith Career Award for Excellence in Journalism, presented by the John F. Kennedy Jr. Forum. At her acceptance speech, in March 2005, she called on fellow journalist to not air “pre-packaged government 'news' reports”. <ref>http://www.hno.harvard.edu/gazette/2005/03.24/15-goldsmith.html</ref>

==Criticism==
Some of Mitchell’s past comments and interviews have been heavily criticized by [[conservatives]] and media watchdogs.

She has been accused of parroting unsubstantiated news (a tabloid method) and displaying an ever-increasing bias for Democrats. She regularly defends [[Barack Obama]] without journalistic objectivity, and has been critical of [[John McCain]] by calling him a forum cheater {{fact}} and characterizing his campaign ads as unfair.

=== Republican Base and Torture ===
After the [[Republican]] primary debate in May 2007, Mitchell commented that Republicans “played to the base. They played to, ‘Let’s torture ‘em!’ I mean, they, they didn’t say that literally, but that was the subliminal message."<ref>http://www.mrc.org/notablequotables/2007/nq20070618.asp</ref>

=== Bush Administration ===
Mitchell also claimed that the Bush administration was spreading propaganda, and slammed fellow reporters for using it. At an journalism awards ceremony, Mitchell said "On issues from Medicare to farm prices, hundreds of local stations are running stories extolling Bush Administration policies, reaching tens of millions of people every day, but all of these reports were written and distributed by the administration itself and its public relations firms, not by journalists,”<ref> http://www.hno.harvard.edu/gazette/2005/03.24/15-goldsmith.html</ref>

=== CIA Leak ===
In 2005 Mitchell (along with co-worker, [[Tim Russert]]) was a suspect in the [[CIA]] leak case. NBC released a statement saying that “her first discussion with an administration official about the matter was after the [[Robert Novak]] column was published. And that discussion, she said, was off the record. NBC News never has disclosed the name of the agent."<ref> http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-fiderer/andrea-mitchells-prime-t_b_10973.html</ref> She and Russert were later found innocent.

=== 2004 Election ===
In the 2004 presidential campaign Mitchell appeared on NBC Nightly News. Covering the Vietnam veterans' attack on presidential candidate John Kerry, she stated that the group might just “get away with it.” <ref>http://www.mediaresearch.org/cyberalerts/2004/cyb20040807.asp</ref> She later claimed that"none of the men actually served on either of Kerry's swift boats,” <ref>http://www.mediaresearch.org/cyberalerts/2004/cyb20040807.asp</ref>despite the fact that the men in the ad were former colleagues of Kerry's<ref>http://www.mediaresearch.org/cyberalerts/2004/cyb20040807.asp</ref>.

=== Elian Gonzalez Interview ===
Both of Mitchell’s interviews in 2001 were the target of strong criticism. Some critics claimed that Castro had picked the right reporter for the job, and also also claimed that in her interview with Elian Gonzalez she distorted the situation in Cuba. She painted an idyllic picture of the boy's hometown in Cuba, saying: “Their hometown, Cardenas, a small fishing village two hours from Havana, where people still get around by horse and carriage.” She also stated in her report that if he had stayed in the United States, Elian may have been "seduced by all of these toys and trips to Disney World." <ref>http://www.cubanet.org/CNews/y01/jun01/29e5.htm</ref>

=== Fidel Castro Interview ===
Critics claim that her interview with Cuban dictator [[Fidel Castro]] sounded much like a “promotional spot for Castro as caring grandpa”<ref>http://www.cubanet.org/CNews/y01/jun01/29e5.htm</ref>. She characterized the dictator as, "old-fashioned, courtly -- even paternal," <ref>http://www.cubanet.org/CNews/y01/jun01/29e5.htm</ref>, and praised his leadership. "What’s astounding is how much Castro is personally micro-managing the Elian case. He’s not just the country’s head of state, he’s the CEO," she stated in her report. Conservative websites claimed that she “mentioned none of the drawbacks to life in the socialist dictatorship.”<ref>http://www.mrc.org/SpecialReports/2007/castro/welcome.asp</ref>

== References ==
<references/>

==External Links==
*[http://www.aim.org/wls/author/andrea-mitchell/ What Liberals Say - Andrea Mitchell], [[Accuracy In Media]]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mitchell, Andrea}}

[[category:Broadcasters]]

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

2008-08-20T15:26:26Z

Temujin: rephrase

[[Image:Apollo 11 Launch.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Apollo 11 launch. The small cloud midway up the rocket is due to the Low Pressure in that region as the Rocket Passes through Max Q, the maximum dynamic pressure exerted on the rocket in the launch.]]
The [[United States]] '''National Aeronautics and Space Administration''' (NASA) was founded in 1958. It was created by legislation for the purpose of creating a government-backed national space program in response to the launch of [[Sputnik|Sputnik I]], the [[Soviet Union]]'s the first man-made satellite. According to the act, NASA was to conduct research on the problems of flight in and out of the atmosphere with and without human pilots, and to cooperate with other nations in the peaceful exploration of space. NASA is responsible for many satellites including [[Landsat]], which was a series of satellites for the collection of information on natural resources, communication satellites and weather satellites. The [[Project Apollo]] program under NASA led to several landings on the [[Moon]] from 1969-1972. It is also the designer and developer of the [[space shuttle]].

Today NASA has four main mission directorates,
*'''Aeronautics''', the work of developing and proving new flight technologies
*'''Exploration Systems''', creating new capabilities and spacecraft for affordable, sustainable human and robotic exploration.
*'''Science''', explores the Earth, and beyond
*'''Space Operations''', the space shuttle, the International Space Station and flight support.

==NASA Manned Missions==

*'''Project Mercury ''' Initiated in 1958 and completed in 1963, Project Mercury was the United States' first man-in-space program. The objectives of the program, which made six manned flights from 1961 to 1963, were specific: orbit a manned spacecraft around Earth, investigate man's ability to function in space and recover both man and spacecraft safely. <ref> http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/mercury/missions/program-toc.html </ref>

*'''Project Gemini ''' The Gemini Program was a necessary intermediate step between Project Mercury and the Apollo Program and had four objectives: subject astronauts to long duration flights- a requirement for projected later trips to the moon or deeper space; develop effective methods of rendezvous and docking with other orbiting vehicles, and to maneuver the docked vehicles in space; perfect methods of reentry and landing the spacecraft at a pre-selected land-landing point; gain additional information concerning the effects of weightlessness on crew members and to record the physiological reactions of crew members during long duration flights. <ref> http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/gemini/index.html </ref>

*'''Project Apollo ''' On May 25, 1961, President [[John F. Kennedy]] announced the goal of sending a man to the moon before the end of the decade. Coming just three weeks after Mercury astronaut Alan Shepard became the first American in space, Kennedy's bold challenge set the nation on a journey unlike any before in human history.

:Eight years of hard work by thousands of Americans came to fruition on July 20, 1969, when the lunar module landed in the [[Sea of Tranquility]] and [[Apollo 11]] commander [[Neil Armstrong]] stepped onto the moon's surface with the words;
<span text-align="center">{{cquote|That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.}}</span>

:Six of the missions -- Apollos 11, 12, 14, 15, 16 and 17 -- went on to land on the moon, studying soil mechanics, meteoroids, seismic, heat flow, lunar ranging, magnetic fields and solar wind. Apollos 7 and 9 tested spacecraft in Earth orbit; Apollo 10 orbited the moon as the dress rehearsal for the first landing. An oxygen tank explosion forced [[Apollo 13]] to scrub its landing, but the "can-do" problem solving of the crew and mission control turned the mission into a "successful failure."

:The program also drew inspiration from Apollo 1 astronauts Gus Grissom, Ed White and Roger Chaffee, who lost their lives in a fire during a launch pad test in 1967.

:Project Apollo concluded with the Apollo/ Soyuz mission during July1975, part of a series of cooperative space flights between the United States and the Soviet Union (Russia) that continues today. The docking in space of the two spacecraft took place at 2:17 p.m. U.S. Central Daylight Time on 17 July. Two days of joint operations followed. After separation, the Soyuz remained in space for almost two days before landing in the USSR on 21 July. The Apollo spacecraft remained in space for another three days before splashing down near Hawaii on 24 July. The mission was a resounding success for both Americans and Soviets. They achieved their goal of obtaining flight experience for rendezvous and docking of human spacecraft. In addition, they also demonstrated in-flight intervehicular crew transfer, as well as accomplished a series of scientific experiments. <ref> http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/apollo/index.html </ref> <ref> http://history.nasa.gov/30thastp/overview.html </ref>

*'''Skylab''' was America's first space station and orbital science and engineering laboratory. Skylab was launched into Earth orbit by a [[Saturn V]] rocket on May 14, 1973 as part of the Apollo program. Three crews visited the station, with their missions lasting 28, 59 and 84 days. The mission crews performed a plethora of UV astronomy experiments, eight separate solar experiments and detailed X-ray studies of the Sun. <ref> http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/skylab/index.html </ref> The mission crews performed a plethora of UV astronomy experiments, eight separate solar experiments and detailed X-ray studies of the Sun. Skylab served as the greatest solar observatory of its time, a microgravity lab, a medical lab, an Earth-observing facility, and, most importantly, a home away from home for its residents. The program also led to new technologies. Special showers, toilets, sleeping bags, exercise equipment and kitchen facilities were designed to function in microgravity. <ref> http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/skylab/index.html </ref> <ref> http://www.nasa.gov/missions/shuttle/f_skylab1.html </ref>

*The '''Space Shuttle''' is the world's first reusable spacecraft, and the first spacecraft in history that can carry large satellites both to and from orbit. The Shuttle launches like a rocket, maneuvers in Earth orbit like a spacecraft and lands like an airplane. Each of the three Space Shuttle orbiters now in operation -- Discovery, Atlantis and Endeavour -- is designed to fly at least 100 missions. So far, altogether they have flown a combined total of less than one-fourth of that.

:Columbia was the first Space Shuttle orbiter to be delivered to NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Fla., in March 1979. Columbia and the STS-107 crew were lost Feb. 1, 2003, during re-entry. The Orbiter Challenger was delivered to KSC in July 1982 and was destroyed in an explosion during ascent in January 1986. Discovery was delivered in November 1983. Atlantis was delivered in April 1985. Endeavour was built as a replacement following the Challenger accident and was delivered to Florida in May 1991. An early Space Shuttle Orbiter, the Enterprise, never flew in space but was used for approach and landing tests at the Dryden Flight Research Center and several launch pad studies in the late 1970s.

:The Shuttle has the most reliable launch record of any rocket now in operation. Since 1981, it has boosted more than 1.36 million kilograms (3 million pounds) of cargo into orbit. More than than 600 crew members have flown on its missions. Although it has been in operation for almost 20 years, the Shuttle has continually evolved and is significantly different today than when it first was launched. NASA has made literally thousands of major and minor modifications to the original design that have made it safer, more reliable and more capable today than ever before.

:In 1992, the U.S. and the new Russian Federation renewed the 1987 space cooperation agreement and issued a "Joint Statement on Cooperation in Space." Subsequent additions to the agreement outline the development of the NASA-Mir program. From February 1994 to June 1998, space shuttles made 11 flights to the Russian space station Mir, and American astronauts spent seven residencies onboard Mir. Space shuttles also conducted crew exchanges and delivered supplies and equipment.<ref> http://www.nasa.gov/returntoflight/system/system_STS.html </ref> <ref> http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle-mir/index.html </ref>

*The '''International Space Station''' is a working laboratory orbiting 240 miles (390 kilometers) above the Earth and is home to an international crew. It is the most complex scientific and technological endeavor ever undertaken, involving five space agencies representing 16 nations. Once completed, this new research outpost in space will include contributions from the U.S., Canada, Japan, Russia, Brazil, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. As a research outpost, the station is a test bed for future technologies and a research laboratory for new, advanced industrial materials, communications technology, medical research and much more. On-orbit assembly began in 1998 with the launch of Zarya, and today the station provides crewmembers with 15,000 cubic feet of habitable volume – more room than a conventional three-bedroom house – and weighs 404,000 pounds.

:The station now includes the Russian-built Zarya Module and the Zvezda Service Module, which contain the station’s living quarters and life-support systems; the U.S.-built Unity Connecting Module, providing docking ports for several station components; the U.S.-built Destiny Laboratory, which expands the station’s scientific capabilities with experiment compartments that allow nearly continuous scientific research and provide additional life support and robotic capabilities; the U.S.-built Quest Airlock, a doorway to space that supports station-based spacewalks; the Canadian-built Canadarm2, a new-generation robotic arm that gives the station a movable space crane; the Russian-built Pirs docking compartment, which adds additional spacewalking and docking capabilities to the station; and truss segments, which serve as the framework for additional station segments. Japanese and European research laboratories are ready for delivery to expand the station’s research capabilities even more. <ref> http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/spacenews/factsheets/index.html </ref>

==NASA Unmanned Missions==

*'''Explorer 1''' was the first satellite launched by the United States when it was sent into space on January 31, 1958. Following the launch of the Soviet Union's Sputnik 1 on October 4, 1957, the U.S. Army Ballistic Missile Agency was directed to launch a satellite using its Jupiter C rocket developed under the direction of Dr. Wernher von Braun. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory received the assignment to design, build and operate the artificial satellite that would serve as the rocket's payload. JPL completed this job in less than three months.

:The primary science instrument on Explorer 1 was a cosmic ray detector designed to measure the radiation environment in Earth orbit. Once in space this experiment, provided by Dr. James Van Allen of the University of Iowa, revealed a much lower cosmic ray count than expected. The existence of these radiation belts was confirmed by another U.S. satellite launched two months later, and they became known as the Van Allen Belts in honor of their discoverer. <ref> http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/explorer/explorer-overview.html </ref>

*The '''Pioneer Venus''' Project's main objective was to investigate the solar wind in the Venusian environment, map the planet's surface through a radar imaging system and study the characteristics of the upper atmosphere and ionosphere.

:Pioneer Venus consisted of two spacecraft: the Orbiter and the Multiprobe. The Orbiter carried an assortment of instruments for investigating plasma in upper Venusian atmosphere, observing reflected sunlight from the cloud layers at a variety of wavelengths, in addition to a surface radar mapper, and was launched on the May 20, 1978. It reached orbit around Venus on Dec. 4, 1978. Although originally intended to operate for one Venusian year, most of the Orbiter's instruments were still operating when the spacecraft entered the atmosphere on Oct. 8, 1992.

:The Pioneer Venus Multiprobe, which was launched on Aug. 8, 1978 and reached Venus on Dec. 9, 1978, was made of 5 separate probes: the probe transporter (referred to as the Bus), a large atmospheric entry probe (called Sounder), and three small probes. The Sounder released from the Bus on Nov. 15, 1978. The three smaller probes released on Nov. 19, 1978. The probes sent data to Earth as they descended toward the surface. <ref> http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/pioneer-venus/index.html </ref>

*The '''Surveyor probes''' (1966 - 1968) were the first U.S. spacecraft to land safely on the Moon. The main objectives of the Surveyors were to obtain close-up images of the lunar surface and to determine if the terrain was safe for manned landings. Each Surveyor was equipped with a television camera. In addition, Surveyors 3 and 7 each carried a soil mechanics surface sampler scoop which dug trenches and was used for soil mechanics tests and Surveyors 5, 6, and 7 had magnets attached to the footpads and an alpha scattering instrument for chemical analysis of the lunar material. <ref> http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/lunar/surveyor.html </ref>

*'''Galileo''' was launched from the cargo bay of Space Shuttle Atlantis in 1989. The exciting list of discoveries started even before Galileo got a glimpse of Jupiter. As it crossed the asteroid belt in October 1991, Galileo snapped images of Gaspra, returning the first ever close-up image of an asteroid. In 1994 the spacecraft made the only direct observation of a comet impacting a planet-- comet Shoemaker-Levy 9's collision with Jupiter.
:Galileo's descent probe made the first in-place studies of the planet's clouds and winds, and it furthered scientists' understanding of how Jupiter evolved. The probe also made composition measurements designed to assess the degree of evolution of Jupiter compared to the Sun.
:Galileo extensively investigated the geologic diversity of Jupiter's four largest moons: Ganymede, Callisto, Io and Europa. Galileo found that Io's extensive volcanic activity is 100 times greater than that found on Earth. The moon Europa, Galileo unveiled, could be hiding a salty ocean up to 100 kilometers (62 miles) deep underneath its frozen surface containing about twice as much water as all the Earth's oceans. Data also showed Ganymede and Callisto may have a liquid-saltwater layer. The biggest discovery surrounding Ganymede was the presence of a magnetic field. No other moon of any planet is known to have one.
:The prime mission ended six years ago, after two years of orbiting Jupiter. NASA extended the mission three times to continue taking advantage of Galileo's unique capabilities for accomplishing valuable science. <ref> http://www2.jpl.nasa.gov/galileo/news/release/press030921.html </ref>

*'''TOPEX/Poseidon''', launched in 1992, is a joint venture between CNES and NASA to map ocean surface topography. While a 3-year prime mission was planned, with a 5-year store of expendables, TOPEX/Poseidon has delivered an astonishing 10+ years of data from orbit. It has made the following contributions:

:-Measured sea levels with unprecedented accuracy to better than 5 cm

:-Continuously observed global ocean topography

:-Monitored effects of currents on global climate change and produced the first global views of seasonal changes of currents

:-Monitored large-scale ocean features like Rossby and Kelvin waves and studied such phenomena as El Niño, La Niña, and the Pacific Decadal Oscillation

:-Mapped basin-wide current variations and provided global data to validate models of ocean circulation

:-Mapped year-to-year changes in heat stored in the upper ocean

:-Produced the most accurate global maps of tides ever

:-Improved our knowledge of Earth's gravity field <ref>http://topex-www.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/topex.html</ref>

== National Space Science Data Center ==
The National Space Science Data Center, located in NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, is NASA's central archive of images and raw data from its various missions. Among other services, the NSSDC assigned an internationally recognized International Designator, a unique identifier for every rocket probe, vehicle, or stage of such vehicle ever launched. The code begins with the year (AD) of launch, followed by a three-digit launch sequence number and a one-to-three-letter "part code" for the launch. (Failed launches receive an arbitrary code.)

[[Category:Space Exploration]]

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

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

2008-08-20T15:19:23Z

Temujin: copyedit

[[Image:Apollo 11 Launch.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Apollo 11 launch. The small cloud midway up the rocket is due to the Low Pressure in that region as the Rocket Passes through Max Q, the maximum dynamic pressure exerted on the rocket in the launch.]]
The [[United States]] '''National Aeronautics and Space Administration''' (NASA) was founded in 1958. It was created by legislation for the purpose of creating a government-backed national space program in response to the launch of [[Sputnik|Sputnik I]], the [[Soviet Union]]'s the first man-made satellite. According to the act, NASA was to conduct research on the problems of flight in and out of the atmosphere with and without human pilots, and to cooperate with other nations in the peaceful exploration of space. NASA is responsible for many satellites including [[Landsat]], which was a series of satellites for the collection of information on natural resources, communication satellites and weather satellites. The [[Project Apollo]] program under NASA led to several landings on the [[Moon]] from 1969-1972. It is also the designer and developer of the [[space shuttle]].

Today NASA has four main mission directorates,
*'''Aeronautics''', the work of developing and proving new flight technologies
*'''Exploration Systems''', creating new capabilities and spacecraft for affordable, sustainable human and robotic exploration.
*'''Science''', explores the Earth, and beyond
*'''Space Operations''', the space shuttle, the International Space Station and flight support.

==NASA Manned Missions==

*'''Project Mercury ''' Initiated in 1958 and completed in 1963, Project Mercury was the United States' first man-in-space program. The objectives of the program, which made six manned flights from 1961 to 1963, were specific: orbit a manned spacecraft around Earth, investigate man's ability to function in space and recover both man and spacecraft safely. <ref> http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/mercury/missions/program-toc.html </ref>

*'''Project Gemini ''' The Gemini Program was a necessary intermediate step between Project Mercury and the Apollo Program and had four objectives: subject astronauts to long duration flights- a requirement for projected later trips to the moon or deeper space; develop effective methods of rendezvous and docking with other orbiting vehicles, and to maneuver the docked vehicles in space; perfect methods of reentry and landing the spacecraft at a pre-selected land-landing point; gain additional information concerning the effects of weightlessness on crew members and to record the physiological reactions of crew members during long duration flights. <ref> http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/gemini/index.html </ref>

*'''Project Apollo ''' On May 25, 1961, President [[John F. Kennedy]] announced the goal of sending a man to the moon before the end of the decade. Coming just three weeks after Mercury astronaut Alan Shepard became the first American in space, Kennedy's bold challenge set the nation on a journey unlike any before in human history.

:Eight years of hard work by thousands of Americans came to fruition on July 20, 1969, when the lunar module landed in the [[Sea of Tranquility]] and [[Apollo 11]] commander [[Neil Armstrong]] stepped onto the moon's surface with the words, "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind."

:Six of the missions -- Apollos 11, 12, 14, 15, 16 and 17 -- went on to land on the moon, studying soil mechanics, meteoroids, seismic, heat flow, lunar ranging, magnetic fields and solar wind. Apollos 7 and 9 tested spacecraft in Earth orbit; Apollo 10 orbited the moon as the dress rehearsal for the first landing. An oxygen tank explosion forced [[Apollo 13]] to scrub its landing, but the "can-do" problem solving of the crew and mission control turned the mission into a "successful failure."

:The program also drew inspiration from Apollo 1 astronauts Gus Grissom, Ed White and Roger Chaffee, who lost their lives in a fire during a launch pad test in 1967.

:Project Apollo concluded with the Apollo/ Soyuz mission during July1975, part of a series of cooperative space flights between the United States and the Soviet Union (Russia) that continues today. The docking in space of the two spacecraft took place at 2:17 p.m. U.S. Central Daylight Time on 17 July. Two days of joint operations followed. After separation, the Soyuz remained in space for almost two days before landing in the USSR on 21 July. The Apollo spacecraft remained in space for another three days before splashing down near Hawaii on 24 July. The mission was a resounding success for both Americans and Soviets. They achieved their goal of obtaining flight experience for rendezvous and docking of human spacecraft. In addition, they also demonstrated in-flight intervehicular crew transfer, as well as accomplished a series of scientific experiments. <ref> http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/apollo/index.html </ref> <ref> http://history.nasa.gov/30thastp/overview.html </ref>

*'''Skylab''' was America's first space station and orbital science and engineering laboratory. Skylab was launched into Earth orbit by a [[Saturn V]] rocket on May 14, 1973 as part of the Apollo program. Three crews visited the station, with their missions lasting 28, 59 and 84 days. The mission crews performed a plethora of UV astronomy experiments, eight separate solar experiments and detailed X-ray studies of the Sun. <ref> http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/skylab/index.html </ref> The mission crews performed a plethora of UV astronomy experiments, eight separate solar experiments and detailed X-ray studies of the Sun. Skylab served as the greatest solar observatory of its time, a microgravity lab, a medical lab, an Earth-observing facility, and, most importantly, a home away from home for its residents. The program also led to new technologies. Special showers, toilets, sleeping bags, exercise equipment and kitchen facilities were designed to function in microgravity. <ref> http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/skylab/index.html </ref> <ref> http://www.nasa.gov/missions/shuttle/f_skylab1.html </ref>

*The '''Space Shuttle''' is the world's first reusable spacecraft, and the first spacecraft in history that can carry large satellites both to and from orbit. The Shuttle launches like a rocket, maneuvers in Earth orbit like a spacecraft and lands like an airplane. Each of the three Space Shuttle orbiters now in operation -- Discovery, Atlantis and Endeavour -- is designed to fly at least 100 missions. So far, altogether they have flown a combined total of less than one-fourth of that.

:Columbia was the first Space Shuttle orbiter to be delivered to NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Fla., in March 1979. Columbia and the STS-107 crew were lost Feb. 1, 2003, during re-entry. The Orbiter Challenger was delivered to KSC in July 1982 and was destroyed in an explosion during ascent in January 1986. Discovery was delivered in November 1983. Atlantis was delivered in April 1985. Endeavour was built as a replacement following the Challenger accident and was delivered to Florida in May 1991. An early Space Shuttle Orbiter, the Enterprise, never flew in space but was used for approach and landing tests at the Dryden Flight Research Center and several launch pad studies in the late 1970s.

:The Shuttle has the most reliable launch record of any rocket now in operation. Since 1981, it has boosted more than 1.36 million kilograms (3 million pounds) of cargo into orbit. More than than 600 crew members have flown on its missions. Although it has been in operation for almost 20 years, the Shuttle has continually evolved and is significantly different today than when it first was launched. NASA has made literally thousands of major and minor modifications to the original design that have made it safer, more reliable and more capable today than ever before.

:In 1992, the U.S. and the new Russian Federation renewed the 1987 space cooperation agreement and issued a "Joint Statement on Cooperation in Space." Subsequent additions to the agreement outline the development of the NASA-Mir program. From February 1994 to June 1998, space shuttles made 11 flights to the Russian space station Mir, and American astronauts spent seven residencies onboard Mir. Space shuttles also conducted crew exchanges and delivered supplies and equipment.<ref> http://www.nasa.gov/returntoflight/system/system_STS.html </ref> <ref> http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle-mir/index.html </ref>

*The '''International Space Station''' is a working laboratory orbiting 240 miles (390 kilometers) above the Earth and is home to an international crew. It is the most complex scientific and technological endeavor ever undertaken, involving five space agencies representing 16 nations. Once completed, this new research outpost in space will include contributions from the U.S., Canada, Japan, Russia, Brazil, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. As a research outpost, the station is a test bed for future technologies and a research laboratory for new, advanced industrial materials, communications technology, medical research and much more. On-orbit assembly began in 1998 with the launch of Zarya, and today the station provides crewmembers with 15,000 cubic feet of habitable volume – more room than a conventional three-bedroom house – and weighs 404,000 pounds.

:The station now includes the Russian-built Zarya Module and the Zvezda Service Module, which contain the station’s living quarters and life-support systems; the U.S.-built Unity Connecting Module, providing docking ports for several station components; the U.S.-built Destiny Laboratory, which expands the station’s scientific capabilities with experiment compartments that allow nearly continuous scientific research and provide additional life support and robotic capabilities; the U.S.-built Quest Airlock, a doorway to space that supports station-based spacewalks; the Canadian-built Canadarm2, a new-generation robotic arm that gives the station a movable space crane; the Russian-built Pirs docking compartment, which adds additional spacewalking and docking capabilities to the station; and truss segments, which serve as the framework for additional station segments. Japanese and European research laboratories are ready for delivery to expand the station’s research capabilities even more. <ref> http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/spacenews/factsheets/index.html </ref>

==NASA Unmanned Missions==

*'''Explorer 1''' was the first satellite launched by the United States when it was sent into space on January 31, 1958. Following the launch of the Soviet Union's Sputnik 1 on October 4, 1957, the U.S. Army Ballistic Missile Agency was directed to launch a satellite using its Jupiter C rocket developed under the direction of Dr. Wernher von Braun. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory received the assignment to design, build and operate the artificial satellite that would serve as the rocket's payload. JPL completed this job in less than three months.

:The primary science instrument on Explorer 1 was a cosmic ray detector designed to measure the radiation environment in Earth orbit. Once in space this experiment, provided by Dr. James Van Allen of the University of Iowa, revealed a much lower cosmic ray count than expected. The existence of these radiation belts was confirmed by another U.S. satellite launched two months later, and they became known as the Van Allen Belts in honor of their discoverer. <ref> http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/explorer/explorer-overview.html </ref>

*The '''Pioneer Venus''' Project's main objective was to investigate the solar wind in the Venusian environment, map the planet's surface through a radar imaging system and study the characteristics of the upper atmosphere and ionosphere.

:Pioneer Venus consisted of two spacecraft: the Orbiter and the Multiprobe. The Orbiter carried an assortment of instruments for investigating plasma in upper Venusian atmosphere, observing reflected sunlight from the cloud layers at a variety of wavelengths, in addition to a surface radar mapper, and was launched on the May 20, 1978. It reached orbit around Venus on Dec. 4, 1978. Although originally intended to operate for one Venusian year, most of the Orbiter's instruments were still operating when the spacecraft entered the atmosphere on Oct. 8, 1992.

:The Pioneer Venus Multiprobe, which was launched on Aug. 8, 1978 and reached Venus on Dec. 9, 1978, was made of 5 separate probes: the probe transporter (referred to as the Bus), a large atmospheric entry probe (called Sounder), and three small probes. The Sounder released from the Bus on Nov. 15, 1978. The three smaller probes released on Nov. 19, 1978. The probes sent data to Earth as they descended toward the surface. <ref> http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/pioneer-venus/index.html </ref>

*The '''Surveyor probes''' (1966 - 1968) were the first U.S. spacecraft to land safely on the Moon. The main objectives of the Surveyors were to obtain close-up images of the lunar surface and to determine if the terrain was safe for manned landings. Each Surveyor was equipped with a television camera. In addition, Surveyors 3 and 7 each carried a soil mechanics surface sampler scoop which dug trenches and was used for soil mechanics tests and Surveyors 5, 6, and 7 had magnets attached to the footpads and an alpha scattering instrument for chemical analysis of the lunar material. <ref> http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/lunar/surveyor.html </ref>

*'''Galileo''' was launched from the cargo bay of Space Shuttle Atlantis in 1989. The exciting list of discoveries started even before Galileo got a glimpse of Jupiter. As it crossed the asteroid belt in October 1991, Galileo snapped images of Gaspra, returning the first ever close-up image of an asteroid. In 1994 the spacecraft made the only direct observation of a comet impacting a planet-- comet Shoemaker-Levy 9's collision with Jupiter.
:Galileo's descent probe made the first in-place studies of the planet's clouds and winds, and it furthered scientists' understanding of how Jupiter evolved. The probe also made composition measurements designed to assess the degree of evolution of Jupiter compared to the Sun.
:Galileo extensively investigated the geologic diversity of Jupiter's four largest moons: Ganymede, Callisto, Io and Europa. Galileo found that Io's extensive volcanic activity is 100 times greater than that found on Earth. The moon Europa, Galileo unveiled, could be hiding a salty ocean up to 100 kilometers (62 miles) deep underneath its frozen surface containing about twice as much water as all the Earth's oceans. Data also showed Ganymede and Callisto may have a liquid-saltwater layer. The biggest discovery surrounding Ganymede was the presence of a magnetic field. No other moon of any planet is known to have one.
:The prime mission ended six years ago, after two years of orbiting Jupiter. NASA extended the mission three times to continue taking advantage of Galileo's unique capabilities for accomplishing valuable science. <ref> http://www2.jpl.nasa.gov/galileo/news/release/press030921.html </ref>

*'''TOPEX/Poseidon''', launched in 1992, is a joint venture between CNES and NASA to map ocean surface topography. While a 3-year prime mission was planned, with a 5-year store of expendables, TOPEX/Poseidon has delivered an astonishing 10+ years of data from orbit. It has made the following contributions:

:-Measured sea levels with unprecedented accuracy to better than 5 cm

:-Continuously observed global ocean topography

:-Monitored effects of currents on global climate change and produced the first global views of seasonal changes of currents

:-Monitored large-scale ocean features like Rossby and Kelvin waves and studied such phenomena as El Niño, La Niña, and the Pacific Decadal Oscillation

:-Mapped basin-wide current variations and provided global data to validate models of ocean circulation

:-Mapped year-to-year changes in heat stored in the upper ocean

:-Produced the most accurate global maps of tides ever

:-Improved our knowledge of Earth's gravity field <ref>http://topex-www.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/topex.html</ref>

== National Space Science Data Center ==
The National Space Science Data Center, located in NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, is NASA's central archive of images and raw data from its various missions. Among other services, the NSSDC assigned an internationally recognized International Designator, a unique identifier for every rocket probe, vehicle, or stage of such vehicle ever launched. The code begins with the year (AD) of launch, followed by a three-digit launch sequence number and a one-to-three-letter "part code" for the launch. (Failed launches receive an arbitrary code.)

[[Category:Space Exploration]]

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

Andrea Mitchell

2008-08-20T14:48:19Z

Temujin: Three Mile Island wasn't a disaster, nobody was killed

'''Andrea Mitchell''' is the Chief Foreign Affairs Correspondent for [[NBC News]] and wife of the former [[Federal Reserve Board]] Chairman [[Alan Greenspan]]. Mitchell resides in [[Washington. D.C.]] and has worked at [[NBC]] for over thirty years.

==History==

===Early Career===
Mitchell attended the University of Pennsylvania were she received a B.A in [[English]] literature. Before working in television, Mitchell spent nine years as a broadcast journalist for KYW Radio. In 1977 Mitchell began her television career as a [[CBS]] affiliate correspondent in Washington D.C.(WDVM-TV). Coincidentally, this was the same network where [[NBC News]] anchor Brian Williams began his career. <ref>http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3667173/</ref>. Mitchell's job for CBS lasted until 1978 when [[NBC]] hired her as their general correspondent based in Washington D.C. After a NBC correspondent's murder in [[Guyana]], Mitchell was given her first big assignment, covering the [[Jonestown]] massacre<ref>http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/product-description/0670034037/ref=dp_proddesc_0/102-3275846-3467353?ie=UTF8&n=283155&s=books</ref>. Soon she began moving up the ranks of the network and was named NBC News energy correspondent. It was in this role that she reported on many major domestic issues including the mid-1970s energy crisis and the 1979 nuclear accident at [[Three Mile Island]].<ref>http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3688874/</ref>

===1980-1998===
With the [[Reagan]]s administration in power in 1981, Mitchell began to cover the [[White House]] for NBC News. She reported on the [[Iran-Contra scandal]], the president’s diplomatic relations with [[Mikhail Gorbachev]] and other important national and international issues. Her job at the White House lasted until 1988, when she became NBC's chief Congressional correspondent. The same year, she served as a panelist in the last debate between [[George H. Bush]] and [[Micheal Dukakis]]. She was the first to announce that [[George H.W. Bush]] would choose [[Dan Quayle]] as his running mate.<ref>http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3688874/</ref>

===1988-2000===
Between the years of 1988 and 1992 as chief Congressional correspondent, she frequently appeared on other NBC programs, and in 1992 covered [[Bill Clinton]]’s primary victory. Mitchell appeared as substitute host and panelist on [[Meet the Press]] and also as a political analyst on NBC’s [[Today]] show. Her work on “Nightly News with Tom Brokaw” in 1996 gave her the opportunity to travel around the globe. Assignments included reporting from [[North Korea]], the [[Middle East]], [[Kosovo]], [[Pakistan]], [[Bosnia]], [[Haiti]], and [[Afghanistan]], where she covered [[Osama Bin Laden]]’s [[Al-Qaida]] network.<ref>http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3688874/</ref>

===2000-2007===
The new decade bought many opportunities for Mitchell. Now serving as one of NBC top correspondents, she began hosting her own show, “The Mitchell Report.” The show primarily focused on the political landscape during the 2000 primary and general election as well as [[Hillary Clinton]]’s [[Senate]] race. In June 2001, NBC received the rare opportunity to interview [[Elian Gonzalez]], a refugee from communist-controlled Cuba. Soon after, [[Cuba]] granted NBC an exclusive interview with Cuban dictator [[Fidel Castro]]. Mitchell was given the assignment. The interview lasted three hours and resulted in a one-hour documentary which was released in 2003. Both interviews brought stark criticism to both Mitchell and NBC. During the [[2004 elections]], Mitchell became a regular panelist for [[MSNBC]]’s "[[Hardball]]". At this time she achieved another hallmark in her journalistic career when she was first to announce that Senator [[John Kerry]] would pick [[John Edwards]] as his running mate. Currently, as chief Foreign Affairs correspondent, Mitchell covers domestic politics and foreign policy issues for NBC. During her thirty-year work at NBC, Mitchell has covered five administrations and traveled and interviewed many leading policy makers. As former Nightly News anchor Tom Brokaw stated, “Andrea Mitchell [is] the go-to reporter when a big story is breaking in Washington and throughout the world.”<ref>http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/product-description/0670034037/ref=dp_proddesc_0/102-3275846-3467353?ie=UTF8&n=283155&s=books</ref>

==Books==

In 2005, Mitchell wrote a book about her experiences as a woman covering presidents, politics and foreign policy entitled “Talking Back.” Current NBC anchor [[ Brian Williams]] praised the book and called it "a trail-blazing, heart-pounding ride through the best years in television journalism as chronicled by one of the best reporters in the business”<ref>http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/product-description/0670034037/ref=dp_proddesc_0/102-3275846-3467353?ie=UTF8&n=283155&s=books</ref>

==Awards==

Mitchell’s journalistic awards include the Goldsmith Career Award for Excellence in Journalism, presented by the John F. Kennedy Jr. Forum. At her acceptance speech, in March 2005, she called on fellow journalist to not air “pre-packaged government 'news' reports”. <ref>http://www.hno.harvard.edu/gazette/2005/03.24/15-goldsmith.html</ref>

==Criticism==
Some of Mitchell’s past comments and interviews have been heavily criticized by [[conservatives]] and media watchdogs.

She has been accused of parroting unsubstantiated news (a tabloid method) and displaying an ever-increasing bias for Democrats. She regularly defends [[Barack Obama]] without journalistic objectivity, and has been critical of [[John McCain]] by calling him a forum cheater {{fact}} and characterizing his campaign ads as unfair.

=== Republican Base and Torture ===
After the [[Republican]] primary debate in May 2007, Mitchell commented that Republicans “played to the base. They played to, ‘Let’s torture ‘em!’ I mean, they, they didn’t say that literally, but that was the subliminal message."<ref>http://www.mrc.org/notablequotables/2007/nq20070618.asp</ref>

=== Bush Administration ===
Mitchell also claimed that the Bush administration was spreading propaganda, and slammed fellow reporters for using it. At an journalism awards ceremony, Mitchell said "On issues from Medicare to farm prices, hundreds of local stations are running stories extolling Bush Administration policies, reaching tens of millions of people every day, but all of these reports were written and distributed by the administration itself and its public relations firms, not by journalists,”<ref> http://www.hno.harvard.edu/gazette/2005/03.24/15-goldsmith.html</ref>

=== CIA Leak ===
In 2005 Mitchell (along with co-worker, [[Tim Russert]]) was a suspect in the [[CIA]] leak case. NBC released a statement saying that “her first discussion with an administration official about the matter was after the [[Robert Novak]] column was published. And that discussion, she said, was off the record. NBC News never has disclosed the name of the agent."<ref> http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-fiderer/andrea-mitchells-prime-t_b_10973.html</ref> She and Russert were later found innocent.

=== 2004 Election ===
In the 2004 presidential campaign Mitchell appeared on NBC Nightly News. Covering the Vietnam veterans' attack on presidential candidate John Kerry, she stated that the group might just “get away with it.” <ref>http://www.mediaresearch.org/cyberalerts/2004/cyb20040807.asp</ref> She later claimed that"none of the men actually served on either of Kerry's swift boats,” <ref>http://www.mediaresearch.org/cyberalerts/2004/cyb20040807.asp</ref>despite the fact that the men in the ad were former colleagues of Kerry's<ref>http://www.mediaresearch.org/cyberalerts/2004/cyb20040807.asp</ref>.

=== Elian Gonzalez Interview ===
Both of Mitchell’s interviews in 2001 were the target of strong criticism. Some critics claimed that Castro had picked the right reporter for the job, and also also claimed that in her interview with Elian Gonzalez she distorted the situation in Cuba. She painted an idyllic picture of the boy's hometown in Cuba, saying: “Their hometown, Cardenas, a small fishing village two hours from Havana, where people still get around by horse and carriage.” She also stated in her report that if he had stayed in the United States, Elian may have been "seduced by all of these toys and trips to Disney World." <ref>http://www.cubanet.org/CNews/y01/jun01/29e5.htm</ref>

=== Fidel Castro Interview ===
Critics claim that her interview with Cuban dictator [[Fidel Castro]] sounded much like a “promotional spot for Castro as caring grandpa”<ref>http://www.cubanet.org/CNews/y01/jun01/29e5.htm</ref>. She characterized the dictator as, "old-fashioned, courtly -- even paternal," <ref>http://www.cubanet.org/CNews/y01/jun01/29e5.htm</ref>, and praised his leadership. "What’s astounding is how much Castro is personally micro-managing the Elian case. He’s not just the country’s head of state, he’s the CEO," she stated in her report. Conservative websites claimed that she “mentioned none of the drawbacks to life in the socialist dictatorship.”<ref>http://www.mrc.org/SpecialReports/2007/castro/welcome.asp</ref>

== References ==
<references/>

==External Links==
*[http://www.aim.org/wls/author/andrea-mitchell/ What Liberals Say - Andrea Mitchell], [[Accuracy In Media]]

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[[category:Broadcasters]]