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Obama inauguration

2009-01-31T01:26:38Z

Centrist: /* Controversy */

The '''Obama presidential inauguration''' signaled the conclusion of the Bush administration with the swearing-in ceremony of president-elect [[Barack Hussein Obama]], and [[Joe Biden|Joseph Robinette "Joe" Biden, Jr.]] as Vice President, on Tuesday January 20th, 2009 at 12:00 p.m. EST. 1.8 million people came to [[Washington D.C.]] to watch the ceremony, the largest crowd ever assembled for a presidential inauguration since Lyndon B. Johnson's inauguration speech in 1965.<ref>[http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/21/AR2009012103884.html/13/2009-01-13_obamas_inauguration_is_most_expensive_ev.html D.C.'s Inauguration Head Count: 1.8 Million] NY Daily News, January 14th 2009</ref>

==Cost==
The cost of Obama's inauguration may have exceeded $160 million dollars. In comparison, the cost for George W. Bush's 2005 inauguration is listed as $44 million.

The comments from the liberal mainstream media in 2005; <ref>[http://www.lakelandtimes.com/main.asp?SectionID=10&SubSectionID=10&ArticleID=9029 The American people need a leader] LakelandTimes.com</ref>

*"Republicans spending $42 million on inauguration while troops Die in unarmored Humvees"
*"Bush extravagance exceeds any reason during tough economic times"
*"Fat cats get their $42 million inauguration party, Ordinary Americans get the shaft."

The comments from the liberal mainstream media in 2009;
*"Obama Spends $120 million on inauguration; America Needs A Big Party"
*"Everyman Obama shows America how to celebrate"
*"Historic Obama Inauguration will cost only $120 million"

In a column for MediaMatters.org<ref>mediamatters.org, ''The media myth about the cost of Obama's inauguration'', by Eric Boehlert, Jan 17, 2009[http://mediamatters.org/columns/200901170003]</ref>, Eric Boehlert notes that the $44 million figure cited for the Bush inauguration did not include the federal government's spending on security for the event. The New York Times notes that, "In 2005, Mr. Bush raised $42.3 million from about 15,000 donors for festivities; the federal government and the District of Columbia spent a combined $115.5 million, most of it for security, the swearing-in ceremony, cleanup and for a holiday for federal workers."<ref>New York Times, ''Obama’s Inauguration Fund-Raising Tops $24 Million'', by KATHARINE Q. SEELYE, published January 5, 2009 [http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/06/us/politics/06donors.html]</ref> According to Boehlert, the combined total of Bush's 2005 inauguration was $157 million, a cost similar to that projected for Obama's inauguration.

==Controversy==
*While inviting a [[Christian]] to give an inaugural prayer is not so controversial, the [[gay]] community is in an uproar over the invite to [[evangelical]] pastor [[Rick Warren]]. Pastor Warren voted for [[Proposition 8]] in his home state of [[California]]. <ref>[http://www.reuters.com/article/politicsNews/idUSTRE4BH7DR20081218 Obama's next pastor controversy - at inauguration] Reuters, December 18, 2008</ref>

*Rev. Sharon Watkins of [[Protestant]] Christian denomination gave an an opening prayer. She is the first female pastor to give an inaugural prayer. <ref>[http://www.newsday.com/news/politics/wire/sns-ap-obama-prayer-service,0,7764780.story Female minister to deliver sermon at inaugural prayer service, a first] AP, January 11, 2009</ref>

*Openly gay Bishop V. Gene Robinson from [[New Hampshire]] prayed at a concert held two days before the inauguration. Bishop Robinson was among those responsible for the breakup of the [[American]] [[Episcopal]] Church over the issue of gay pastors. <ref>[http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/jan/13/gay-bishop-to-offer-obama-inaugural-prayers/ Gay bishop to give Inaugural prayer] Washington Times, January 13, 2009</ref>

*Ingrid Mattson, president of the [[Islamic Society of North America]], was invited to give an inaugural prayer. Mattson's group says it does not condone [[terrorism]]. The Holy Land Foundation and five of its former leaders were convicted of funneling millions of dollars to [[Hamas]], for which the ISNA funded and supported. <ref>[http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/01/17/feds-say-obama-prayer-leader-group-linked-hamas/ Feds Say Obama Prayer Leader Is From Group Linked to Hamas] Fox News, January 17, 2009</ref>

*In an additional break with Obama's predecessors, no [[Catholic]] or [[Jewish]] speaker was invited to give an inaugural prayer.

==References==
<references/>

[[Category:Obama Administration]]

Marion Schultz

2009-01-28T18:37:00Z

Centrist:

'''Marion Miloslavovich Schultz ''', also '''Marian Schultz''' was an American citizen and an asset of the New York [[KGB]] for work among immigrants during [[World War II]]. Schultz was a Russian-born American who worked as a mechanic in the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard and was the Chair of the United Russian Committee for Aid to the Native Country (Russian War Relief) and Slavic organizations. Schultz's pseudonym assigned by Soviet intelligence is LAVA.

===Venona===

Marion Schultz is referenced in the following [[Venona project]] decrypt:

*579 KGB New York to Moscow, 28 April 1944
*1661–1662 KGB New York to Moscow, 28 November 1944

===References===

*John Earl Haynes and Harvey Klehr, ''Venona: Decoding Soviet Espionage in America'' (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1999), pg. 223.

{{DEFAULTSORT:Schultz, Marion}}
[[Category:KGB Agents and Sources]]

Sun

2009-01-28T18:31:06Z

Centrist: removed redundant link

{{Planet
|image=Moooghj.jpg
|caption=The Sun. The small blue dot in the upper-right corner is Earth.
|primary=Galaxy
|periapsis=27,600 ly<ref name=Trapp>Trapp, Andrew. "[http://www.geocities.com/dreamer-71/timescales.html Timescales in Open, Flat, and Very Large Closed Universes]." ''From Now Until the End of Time...'' Accessed January 17, 2008.</ref>
|apoapsis=31,800 ly<ref name=apo>Author unknown. "[http://everything2.com/index.pl?node=apogalacticon Entry for 'Apogalacticon']." <http://everything2.com/> July 22, 2001. Accessed January 17, 2008.</ref>
|semimajor=29,700 ly<ref name=calc>Calculated</ref>
|eccentricity=0.07<ref name=apo/>
|sidereal=250,000,000 a
|orbitspeed=217 km/s
|inclination=25°
|reference=galactic plane
|siderealday = 25 da<ref name=Goddard>Williams, David R. "[http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/factsheet/sunfact.html Sun Fact Sheet]." ''Goddard Space Flight Center ([[NASA]])'', September 1, 2004. Accessed January 17, 2008.</ref>
|solarday=27.2753 da<ref name=SunFact>Harvey, Samantha. "[http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/planets/profile.cfm?Object=Sun&Display=Facts&System=Metric Sun Facts and Figures]." ''[[NASA]]'', April 26, 2007. Accessed January 17, 2008.</ref><ref name=note1>This day is actually a synodic day and is the period for the same point on the Sun's equator to appear again directly facing the [[Earth]].</ref>
|mass=1.9891 * 1030 kg (332,848.616 * earth)<ref name=Goddard/><ref name=SunFact/>
|density=1408 kg/m³<ref name=Goddard/>
|surfacegrav=274.0 m/s² (27.94 ''g'')<ref name=Goddard/><ref name=SunFact/>
|escapespeed=618.02 km/s<ref name=Goddard/><ref name=SunFact/>
|meanradius=696,000 km<ref name=Goddard/>
|equatorradius=695,500 km<ref name=SunFact/>
|surfacearea=6,087,799,000,000 km² (11,935.176 * earth)<ref name=SunFact/>
|mintemp=4000 K<ref name=Goddard/><ref name=Britannica>"[http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9110144/Sun Entry for 'Sun']." ''Encyclopædia Britannica'', 2008. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Accessed March 5, 2008.</ref>
|meantemp=5777 K<ref name=SunFact/>
|maxtemp=8000 K<ref name=Britannica/>
|composition=92.1% [[hydrogen]], 7.8% [[helium]]<ref name=SunFact/>
|color=Yellow-orange
|pmdm=3.5 * 1029<ref name=Humphreys>Humphreys, D. R. "[http://www.creationresearch.org/crsq/articles/21/21_3/21_3.html The Creation of Planetary Magnetic Fields]." ''Creation Research Society Quarterly'' 21(3), December 1984. Accessed April 29, 2008.</ref><ref name=est>Estimated</ref>
|cmdm=4.65 * 1029<ref name=Humphreys/>
|mdt=19000 a<ref name=Humphreys/>
|mhl=13170 a<ref name=calc/>
}}The '''sun''' or Sol (either from the Greek, ''helios'' or from the [[Latin]] word ''sol'') is a [[yellow dwarf]] [[star]] of [[spectral type]] [[G2V]]. The eight [[planet]]s, including Earth, orbit the sun, as do countless other small objects.<ref name=Britannica/>

== Nomenclature ==
The sun a classified as spectral class G2 V. The "G" means it is a moderately warm yellow star. The "2" means it is in the third hottest group of stars within type "G" (the scale runs from 0 to 9). The "V" is a Roman numeral for 5 and indicates the sun's size. A size V star is a dwarf, main sequence star. Thus the sun is a moderately warm, yellow, dwarf main sequence star. The Sun is in the 95th percentile in its class by size and mass of other stars in its immediate region.

== History ==
=== Biblical ===
The [[Bible]] says:{{Bible quote|God made two great lights—the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars.|book=Genesis|chap=1|verses=16}}

This took place during the fourth [[Days of creation|day]] of Creation Week. More to the point, the Sun is a part of God's creation, not a "god" in its own right.

=== Mythological ===
In contrast, virtually every other civilization has regarded the Sun as one of many gods. The Egyptians called the Sun '''Ra''' or '''Re''', a deity whom, they said, created the world.<ref name=touregypt>Dunn, Jimmy. "[http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/re.htm Re (Ra) and Re-Horakhty]." <http://www.touregypt.net/>. Accessed March 5, 2008.</ref> The Egyptians also called the sun-disk '''Aten''', and for a brief period (during the reign of [[Pharaoh]] [[Amenhotep IV]] or '''Akhenaten'''), actually worshipped Aten as the one and only god of the universe.<ref name=touregypt2>Dunn, Jimmy. "[http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/aten.htm The Egyptian God Aten Before and After Akhenaten]." <http://www.touregypt.net/>. Accessed March 5, 2008.</ref> In [[Babylonia]] and [[Assyria]] the sun was called '''Shamash''', a god who, because he could see everything happening on earth, was also associated with truth and justice.<ref name=MacKenzie>MacKenzie, Donald A. "[http://www.sacred-texts.com/ane/mba/mba17.htm Chapter XI: The Golden Age of Babylonia]." ''Myths of Babylonia and Assyria'', IndyPublish.com (ISBN 1421962977), December 30, 2005, pp. 240-259. Accessed March 5, 2008, at <http://www.sacred-texts.com/></ref> The Greeks at first regarded ''Helios'' as a son of heaven and earth but later came to associate the Sun with their god of truth, '''Apollo'''. According to the [[Apache Creation Story]], [[Creator]], the One Who Lives Above, created the sun by singing it into existence after he had created the Girl-Without-Parents.<ref>Welker, Glenn. "[http://www.indians.org/welker/creation.htm Apache Creation Story]" <Indians.org>, August 12, 2004. Accessed March 6, 2008.</ref>

The most common theme in all the sun-worship cults is the association of the sun with truth and justice personified. The second most common theme is the regarding of the sun as the creator.

=== Materialistic ===
According to the [[materialism|materialist]] and [[uniformitarianism|uniformitarian]] view, what eventually became the solar system initially existed as a large, rotating [[cloud]] of [[dust]] and [[gas]], composed of hydrogen and helium produced in the [[Big Bang theory|Big Bang]] as well as small amounts of heavier [[element]]s. Around 4.57 billion years ago, the cloud began to contract, perhaps as a result of a [[shock wave]] from a nearby [[supernova]]. [[Inertia]] caused the rotating cloud to flatten into a disk. Most of the mass concentrated in the middle, and began to heat up. Eventually, the kinetic energy of the hydrogen was sufficient to overcome the [[electromagnetic]] repulsion between the protons, and fusion began. The resulting solar wind helped clear away much of the material which had not coalesced into planets or other orbiting bodies.<ref>"[http://www.tufts.edu/as/wright_center/cosmic_evolution/docs/text/text_plan_1.html Cosmic Evolution, Epoch 4: Planetary Evolution]." ''[http://www.tufts.edu/as/wright_center/cosmic_evolution/docs/splash.html Cosmic Evolution: From Big Bang to Humankind]'', Wright Center, [[Tufts University]]. Accessed March 6, 2008.</ref> The sun is most likely a third-generation star.

== Orbital characteristics and galactic relationships ==
The Sun orbits the galactic center at a distance less than half the total estimated radius of the [[galaxy]], and in an orbit inclined about 25° from the galactic plane. The eccentricity of the Sun's orbit is 0.07, about average in comparison to the eccentricities of the [[planet]]s and [[dwarf planet]]s of the [[solar system]]. At present the Sun lies 50 light years north of the galactic plane and is continuing to climb north of it as it approaches [[apsis|perigalacticon]].<ref name=LeDrew>LeDrew, Glenn. "[http://ottawa.rasc.ca/astronotes/1997/an9701p3.html Our Galactic Home]." ''AstroNotes'', 1997. Accessed January 17, 2008.</ref>

==Properties and Characteristics==
The sun accounts for 99.8% of our solar system's total mass. With a mass of 2 x 1030 kg, an atmospheric temperature of about 5800 K, and a luminosity of 4x1020 megawatts, the sun is by far the most extraordinary object during the day-time sky and of our solar system.
However within our Milky Way [[galaxy]] it is one of probably 100 billion of the same types of stars.

By mass, it is composed of 72% [[hydrogen]], 26% [[helium]] and 2% trace elements of [[oxygen]], [[carbon]], [[neon]], [[nitrogen]], [[magnesium]], [[iron]], and [[silicon]].<ref>[http://www.nasa.gov/worldbook/sun_worldbook.html World Book Encyclopedia @ NASA]</ref>

Core temperatures reach 15,000,000 K (K = Kelvin) while the sun's surface or ''photosphere'' temperature is 5,800 K. When the photosphere is hit by the heat of the sun the temperature drops to a minimum of 4,000 K. It then continues further until it encounters a thin layer of [[atmosphere]] roughly 10,000 kilometers deep called the ''chromosphere'' and reverses trend to rise to 8,000 K. Even further is another part of the sun's total atmosphere called the ''corona'' that blends in with interplanetary space.

=== Relationship to Earth ===
The sun produces a vast amount of [[energy]], only a tiny fraction of which the Earth receives, yet this small amount powers practically all [[life]] (and [[industry]]) on Earth, either directly or indirectly. It is also the main force controlling Earth's [[climate]] and [[weather]]. [[Plant]]s and other organisms capture the energy of the sun in a process called [[photosynthesis]]. Animals and other [[heterotroph]]s obtain food and energy from consuming plants or from consuming [[animal]]s which have consumed the plants. Only a few microscopic organisms obtain energy directly from chemical reactions.

The tremendous light and heat that the sun releases, and the delicate position that the [[Earth]] occupies in relation to the sun, combine to make the sun an integral part of sustaining life.

[[Human]] civilization, too, is dependent on the sun. Much of humanity's [[industry|industrial]] energy needs are obtained through the combustion of [[fossil fuel]]s, the remains of dead plants and animals. Uneven heating of the atmosphere provides [[wind power]]. Also, the sun evaporates water from lower-lying bodies of water; this then falls as rain and flows back down channels, providing hydroelectric power. On a limited basis, [[solar power]] is directly utilized. [[Geothermal energy]] and [[nuclear energy]] are examples of energy sources to which the sun does not directly contribute.

=== Energy production and transport ===
The sun produces its energy through [[nuclear fusion]].<ref name=sunspot1>"[http://www.exploratorium.edu/sunspots/research2.html Sunspots: Modern Research, Page 2]." ''The Exploratorium'', 1998. Accessed March 5, 2008.</ref> The favored model for energy production relies on tremendous pressures resulting from the sun's own mass to overcome the natural electrostatic repulsive forces that normally keep hydrogen atoms from coming together and fusing.<ref name=Britannica/>

The model for hydrogen fusion includes these three equations:

<math>{}^0_{-1}\!e + {}^1_1\!\mbox{H} + {}^1_1\!\mbox{H} \to {}^2_1\!\mbox{H} + {}^0_0\!\nu + \mbox{1.44 MeV}</math>

<math>{}^2_1\!\mbox{H} + {}^1_1\!\mbox{H} \to {}^3_2\!\mbox{He} + \gamma + \mbox{5.49 MeV}</math>

<math>{}^3_2\!\mbox{He} + {}^3_2\!\mbox{He} \to {}^4_2\!\mbox{He}+ {}^1_1\!\mbox{H}+ {}^1_1\!\mbox{H} + \mbox{12.85 MeV}</math>

Here, <math>e</math> represents an electron, H means [[hydrogen]], He means [[helium]], <math>\gamma</math> represents a gamma photon, <math>\nu</math> represents a small, uncharged particle called a [[neutrino]] that is not supposed to have any proper mass, and the energy unit eV, or ''electron volt'', is the product of the charge on a single electron and the standard unit of electromotive force or electromotive potential.

The energy produced varies as the fourth power of the temperature--and at the temperatures thought to prevail in the sun's core, matter exists, not as ordinary matter with atomic nuclei and electrons, but as [[plasma]]--a form of super-hot matter in which atoms are totally denuded of their electrons.

The first equation above is assumed to be the rate-limiting step. The neutrinos produced should have an energy of 0.26 MeV--too little energy to be detectable by current technology. But processes occurring after this step ought to produce higher-energy neutrinos that ''would'' be detectable. Such neutrinos have been detected, but at a flux much smaller than predicted. This indicates that the presumed rates for these subsequent processes are higher than the true rates, or else the neutrinos produced somehow transform to a different type of neutrino that would be unobservable. That in turn would imply that neutrinos ''do'' have rest mass.<ref name=Britannica/>

According to current models, some of this energy is transferred to the surface by convection in the outer 20-30% of the body of the sun.<ref name=sunspot1/> [[Helium]] in this ''convective zone'' rises to or near the surface, releases its heat, and then sinks back to the center. Helium absorbs radiation more readily than does hydrogen, and for that reason the sun is always getting marginally brighter with the passage of time.<ref name=Britannica/>

The remaining energy is transferred in the gamma photons, which must take a "random walk" to reach the corona of the Sun. Current models suggest that the light generated by these processes takes 50 million years to reach the surface.<ref name=sunspot1/>

=== Sunspots ===
The earliest observations of sunspots might have been made in the fourth century BC by the Greeks. Chinese astronomical records dating back to 28 BC include descriptions of changing dark patches on the sun that might have been sunspots.<ref name=sunspot2>"[http://www.exploratorium.edu/sunspots/history.html Sunspots: History]." ''The Exploratorium'', 1998. Accessed March 5, 2008.</ref>

[[Galileo Galilei]] in 1613 was the first astronomer to study sunspots in any detail. It was a revolutionary observation, and one that clashed greatly with Western man's ideas of the heavens, propounded chiefly by Aristotle, as a perfect, unblemished place.<ref name=sunspot2/><ref name=heavens>[[Paul]] describes a region called the "third heaven" as the actual "heaven" where [[God]] has His throne. See {{Bible ref|book=II_Corinthians|chap=12|verses=2}}. But the Bible was not yet readily available to laymen in Galileo's day, and Western man might naturally confuse God's heaven with the lesser "heaven" that we call "outer space" today.</ref>

An amateur astronomer, Heinrich Schwabe, was the first to note the ''sunspot cycle'' in 1843.<ref name=sunspotcycle>"[http://www.exploratorium.edu/sunspots/research4.html The Sunspot Cycle]." ''The Exploratorium'', 1998. Accessed March 5, 2008.</ref> The sunspots are dark on account of their cooler temperature. This in turn is due to strong magenetic fields which allow the transport of heat via convective motion in the sun. At times these sunspots can be 50,000 miles in diameter and appear in two bands, one being north and the other south in the direction of the sun's equator.

Observations have also shown that the number and location of sunspots come and go in a semi-periodic 9.5 to 11-year solar cycles. At the start of this cycle they are about 30 degrees from the equator. Midway through, the cycle of the number of sunspots observed is maximum, usually about 15 degrees from the equator. Near the end of this on average 10.8-year cycle, the sunspots are very near the equator.<ref name=curious>"[http://curious.astro.cornell.edu/sun.php The Sun]." ''Curious about Astronomy? Ask an Astronomer'', Cornell University, October 18, 2007. Accessed March 5, 2008.</ref><ref name=Maunder>"[http://home.earthlink.net/~ponderthemaunderf/ Factors Affecting Global Temperature]." ''Ponder the Maunder''. Accessed March 5, 2008.</ref>

=== The solar magnetosphere ===
The magnetosphere oscillates in synchrony with the sunspots in a twenty-two-year cycle. The current amplitude of that cycle is 3.5 * 1029 N-m-T. This amplitude has been decaying since creation, but relatively slowly, with a half-life of 13,170 Julian years. In fact, according to Humphreys<ref name=Humphreys/>, the sun's magnetic field has lost perhaps 25 percent of its strength since creation.

Measurements of the sun's magnetic dipole moment have not been exact enough to demonstrate whether the amplitude of the field's oscillations is constant or decaying. If those oscillations are in fact decaying, then the Sun cannot be a dynamo.<ref name=Humphreys/>

== Problems for uniformitarian theories posed by the Sun ==
[[Uniformitarianism|Uniformitarians]] must admit that the sun continues to brighten as it continues to fuse hydrogen into helium. In fact, by uniformitarian estimates, the sun ought to be 40% brighter today than it was when the planets formed and 33% brighter than it was when life first formed (3.8 billion years ago by evolutionary assumptions). The Earth thus ought to be much hotter today than it once was--or rather, the Earth was much colder in the early days in which life has existed than it is today. The fossil record demonstrably does not bear this out.<ref name=Britannica/><ref name=Psarris>Psarris, Spike. ''Our Created Universe''. Seattle Creation Conference, 2007. Video presentation, 55 minutes.</ref> Uniformitarians answer that the Earth's atmosphere might be compensating for this increased brightness. (But these are often the same scientists who insist that industrial and transport-related introduction of [[carbon dioxide]] into Earth's atmosphere threatens to overheat the Earth, with potentially disastrous results.)

Uniformitarians have also had to admit that the sun rotates about 200 times more slowly than the [[nebula hypothesis]] would predict, simply on account of the contraction of the solar mass into its present volume. This violates of the Law of Conservation of Angular Momentum. This "angular momentum" problem has been apparent for hundreds of years and remains unresolved to this day.<ref name=Psarris/>

The sun's equatorial plane is inclined 7.25° to the ecliptic. (See [[Earth]].) By the nebula hypothesis, that inclination should be zero. The errant inclination poses an especially acute problem for the orbit of [[Neptune]]. Uniformitarians have speculated that a collision with an even larger object knocked the sun off a true perpendicular to its present inclination--but no scientist has offered a convincing speculation as to what that object might be.<ref name=Psarris/>

Conventional astronomers, [[Carl Sagan]] among them, insist that our star is mediocre and unremarkable. Yet the G-type of star is relatively rare, and furthermore its mass and position in the galaxy lie within very narrow tolerances for the support of life. The sun is also a singular star, not part of a binary--also a rare finding--and is remarkably stable in its energy output. These facts combine to make the sun an unusually hospitable star for a planet to have life on it.<ref name=Psarris/>

Finally, the only reason that uniformitarians can cite for a great age of the Sun is the apparent great age of the Earth.<ref name=Britannica/>. Astronomer John Eddy has frankly admitted that the Sun itself gives no clue to any such tremendous age, and that the acceptance of a very young age of the Sun, like the six-thousand-plus years calculated by [[James Ussher]], might logically follow from a modicum of new evidence:<ref name=Psarris/><ref name=Ussher>Eddy, John. Remarks at a seminar reported in ''Geotimes'', 23:18, September, 1978. Quoted in [[Larry Pierce|Pierce, Larry]], "The Forgotten Archbishop", in [[James Ussher]], ''[[The Annals of the World]]'', [[Larry Pierce]], ed., Green Forest, AR: Master Books, 2003 (ISBN 0890513600), pp. 891-2.</ref>{{cquote|There is no evidence based solely on solar observations, Eddy stated, that the sun is 4.5-5 x 109 years old. "I suspect," he said, "that the Sun is 4.5-5 billion years old. However, given some new and unexpected results to the contrary, and some time for frantic recalculation and theoretical readjustment, I suspect that we could live with Bishop [[James Ussher|Ussher]]'s value for the age of the earth and sun. I don't think we have much in the way of observational evidence in astronomy to conflict with that."}}

== External links ==

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

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

{{Solarsystem}}

User:Centrist

2009-01-28T18:25:54Z

Centrist: New page: Hello, my name is Stu Stone. I consider myself to be a centrist, because I am neither conservative nor liberal. I look at things in an unbiased way, and have many different political belie...

Hello, my name is Stu Stone. I consider myself to be a centrist, because I am neither conservative nor liberal. I look at things in an unbiased way, and have many different political beliefs.

Arnold Schwarzenegger

2009-01-28T18:08:45Z

Centrist: Replaced descriptive phrase with a link to the article for more information. If this did not mean stem cell research, please revert.

[[Image:About arnold img-2.jpg|right]]
'''Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger''' (b. [[Austria]] 1947) is an [[United States of America|American]] actor, politician, [[bodybuilding|bodybuilder]], and businessman, serving as the 38th Governor of [[California]] since 2003.

==Recall Election==
After sitting Governor [[Gray Davis]] mismanaged electric power deregulation and instituted a new registration tax by executive order, infuriated citizens initiated a petition to place a measure on the ballot to remove him from office. Despite [[Democratic]] predictions that the petition would fail, it was delivered to then Secretary of State [[Kevin Shelley]] with more than the required number of signatures. In accordance with the law, Lieutenant Governor [[Cruz Bustamante]] became Acting Governor. Bustamante called a special election for October 7, 2003.

The election was the first in United States history. Approximately 180 citizens, from all walks of life, declared candidacy. Schwarzenegger was rumored to be considering a run for office, which was confirmed on an appearance on the NBC TV [[Tonight Show]]. Schwarzenegger easily defeated Cruz Bustamante in the election.

After the election was over, Schwarzenegger was sworn in on November 17, 2003, to serve the remainder of Davis' term. After going through a period of sagging in the polls, Schwarzenegger did a strong turn around and was then reelected by a landslide on November 7, 2006, in California's 2006 gubernatorial election to serve a full term as governor by defeating Democrat [[Phil Angelides]], who was at that time the California State Treasurer.

==Criticism==
Despite being a [[Republican]], he holds some [[liberal]] views. He is a supporter of [[gun control]] and [[environmentalism]]. He is a staunch supporter of a law that mandates the use of Californian taxpayer money to fund [[stem cell research]], and is considered to be [[pro-choice]]. October 1st, Arnold officially approved an assisted suicide measure allowing nurses to sedate, dehydrate and [[starve]] depressed or confused individuals they consider to be "[[terminally ill]]." <ref>[http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=76713 California approves nurse-assisted suicide] Worldnetdaily, October 02, 2008</ref> Governor Schwarzenegger also campaigned against the infamous California [[Proposition 8]]. He is also married to [[Maria Shriver]], a famous journalist who is a member of the historically liberal [[Kennedy family]]. Because of these and other policies he is often referred to as a "[[RINO]]," a "Republican in Name Only" by many [[conservative]] [[Republicans]]. Other sources have labeled him a "California Republican," meaning that his political policies are conservative but his views on civil liberties lean to the liberal side, reflecting the general attitude of most Californians.

==External Links==
* [http://gov.ca.gov/ Governor of California Official Site]
* [http://www.worldcat.org/search?qt=worldcat_org&q=Arnold+Schwarzenegger&submit=Search OCLC WorldCat keyword search for Arnold Schwarzenegger]

==References==
<references/>

{{DEFAULTSORT:Schwarzenegger, Arnold}}

[[Category:Actors]]
[[Category:Republican Governors]]
[[Category:California Governors]]

Major League Baseball

2009-01-28T12:20:31Z

Centrist:

'''Major League Baseball''' is an organization that operates two leagues, the [[American League|American]] and the [[National League]], and has existed since 1903. It is comprised of 30 teams; 16 teams in the National League, and 14 Teams in the American League. The Major League baseball season runs from [[March]] or [[April]] until [[September]] or [[October]], and consists of 162 games (or 163 in the event of a tiebreaker). Spring training comes before the main season, usually in [[February]]. The playoffs follow the regular season, culminating in the [[World Series]] in [[October]]. The only difference between the play of the two leagues is that American League teams are permitted to allow a [[designated hitter]] to bat in place of the pitcher.

==The Leagues<ref>http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/standings/index.jsp</ref>==
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{|style="Background:none" cellpadding=10
!colspan="3" style="font-variant:small caps"|American League
|-
! East Division !! Central Division !! West Division
|-
|colspan=3|<hr/>
|-
| [[Baltimore Orioles]] || [[Chicago White Sox]] || [[Texas Rangers]]
|-
| [[Boston Red Sox]] || [[Cleveland Indians]] || [[Los Angeles Angels]]
|-
| [[New York Yankees]] || [[Detroit Tigers]] || [[Oakland Athletics]]
|-
| [[Tampa Bay Devil Rays]] || [[Kansas City Royals]] || [[Seattle Mariners]]
|-
| [[Toronto Blue Jays]] || [[Minnesota Twins]]||
|}
|
{|style="Background:none" cellpadding=10
!colspan="3" style="font-variant:small caps"|National League
|-
! East Division !! Central Division !! West Division
|-
|colspan=3|<hr/>
|-
| [[Atlanta Braves]] || [[Chicago Cubs]] || [[Arizona Diamondbacks]]
|-
| [[Florida Marlins]] || [[Cincinnati Reds]] || [[Colorado Rockies]]
|-
| [[New York Mets]] || [[Houston Astros]] || [[Los Angeles Dodgers]]
|-
| [[Philadelphia Phillies]] || [[Milwaukee Brewers]] || [[San Diego Padres]]
|-
| [[Washington Nationals]] || [[Pittsburgh Pirates]] || [[San Francisco Giants]]
|-
| ||[[Saint Louis Cardinals]] ||
|}
|}

==References==
{{reflist}}
{{Nb sl mlb american}}{{Nb sl mlb national}}
[[Category:Baseball]]

Philadelphia

2009-01-28T00:58:07Z

Centrist: Added politics section, as well as minor facts

'''Philadelphia''' is the largest [[city]] in [[Pennsylvania]], and the sixth most populous city in the United States.<ref>http://www.census.gov/popest/cities/tables/SUB-EST2007-01.csv</ref>

The name Philadelphia comes from the [[Ancient Greece|Greek]] words ''philos'', "love", and ''adelphos'' "brother". This is where the nickname ''The City of Brotherly Love'' comes from.

Philadelphia was a very important city in the history of the United States. It was home to the First and Second Continental Congresses, and was the location for the drafting and signing of the [[Declaration of Independence]]. The [[Constitutional Convention]] was also held in Philadelphia. The city was temporarily the capital of the United States, before it was permanently settled in [[Washington, D.C.]]

==Politics==
The city of Philadelphia has a majority of voters affiliated with the [[Democratic Party]]. As of November, 2008, there are 1,126,768 registered voters in Philadelphia. Of those, 880,684 are registered with the Democratic Party, and 147,074 are registered with the [[Republican Party]]. <ref>http://www.dos.state.pa.us/elections/cwp/view.asp?A=1310&Q=446974</ref>

==Sports==
Philadelphia is the home of the [[National Football League|NFL]]'s [[Philadelphia Eagles|Eagles]], the [[Philadelphia Phillies|Phillies]] of the [[Major League Baseball|MLB]], the [[NBA]]'s [[Philadelphia 76ers|76ers]], and the [[NHL]]'s [[Philadelphia Flyers|Flyers]].

[[Category:Pennsylvania Cities and Towns]]

==References==
<references/>