A joint is the location at which two or more bones make contact. They are constructed to allow movement and provide mechanical support, and are classified structurally and functionally.

Classification

Joints are mainly classified structurally and functionally. Structural classification is determined by how the bones connect to each other, while functional classification is determined by the degree of movement between the articulating bones. In practice, there is significant overlap between the two types of classifications.

Terms ending in the suffix -sis are singular and refer to just one joint, while -ses is the suffix for pluralization.

Structural classification

Structural classification names and divides joints according to how the bones are connected to each other. There are three structural classifications of joints:

fibrous joint - joined by dense irregular connective tissue that is rich in collagen fibers

cartilaginous joint - joined by cartilage

synovial joint - not directly joined - the bones have a synovial cavity and are united by the dense irregular connective tissue that forms the articular capsule that is normally associated with accessory ligaments.

Functional classification

Joints can also be classified functionally, by the degree of mobility they allow:

synarthrosis - permits little or no mobility. Most synarthrosis joints are fibrous joints (e.g., skull sutures).

amphiarthrosis - permits slight mobility. Most amphiarthrosis joints are cartilaginous joints (e.g., vertebrae).

diarthrosis - permits a variety of movements. All diarthrosis joints are synovial joints (e.g., shoulder, hip, elbow, knee, etc.), and the terms "diarthrosis" and "synovial joint" are considered equivalent by Terminologia Anatomica.

Biomechanical classification

Joints can also be classified based on their anatomy or on their biomechanical properties. According to the anatomic classification, joints are subdivided into simple and compound, depending on the number of bones involved, and into complex and combination joints: # Simple Joint: 2 articulation surfaces (e.g. shoulder joint, hip joint) # Compound Joint: 3 or more articulation surfaces (e.g. radiocarpal joint) # Complex Joint: 2 or more articulation surfaces and an articular disc or meniscus (e.g. knee joint)

===Anatomical=== The joints may be classified anatomically into the following groups: #Articulations of hand #Elbow joints #Wrist joints #Axillary articulations #Sternoclavicular joints #Vertebral articulations #Temporomandibular joints #Sacroiliac joints #Hip joints #Knee joints #Articulations of foot

Joint disorders

A joint disorder is termed an arthropathy, and when involving inflammation of one or more joints the disorder is called an arthritis. Most joint disorders involve arthritis, but joint damage by external physical trauma is typically not termed arthritis.

Arthropathies are called polyarticular when involving many joints and monoarticular when involving only one single joint.

Arthritis is the leading cause of disability in people over the age of 55. There are many different forms of arthritis, each of which has a different cause. The most common form of arthritis, osteoarthritis (also known as degenerative joint disease) occurs following trauma to the joint, following an infection of the joint or simply as a result of aging. Furthermore, there is emerging evidence that abnormal anatomy may contribute to early development of osteoarthritis. Other forms of arthritis are rheumatoid arthritis and psoriatic arthritis, which are autoimmune diseases in which the body is attacking itself. Septic arthritis is caused by joint infection. Gouty arthritis is caused by deposition of uric acid crystals in the joint that results in subsequent inflammation. Additionally, there is a less common form of gout that is caused by the formation of rhomboidal shaped crystals of calcium pyrophosphate. This form of gout is known as pseudogout.

See also

Arthrology

Kinesiology

Ligament

Replacement joint

References

External links

Illustration of synovial joints at shockfamily.net

Synovial joints Illustrations and Classification

Category:Skeletal system

am:የመገጣጠሚያ አጥንት ar:مفصل arc:ܫܪܝܬܐ az:Oynaq bs:Zglob br:Mell (korf) bg:Става ca:Articulació (anatomia) cs:Kloub cy:Cymal (anatomeg) da:Led (anatomi) de:Gelenk es:Articulación (anatomía) eo:Artiko eu:Artikulazio fa:مفصل fr:Articulation (anatomie) fy:Knier ga:Alt (anatamaíocht) gd:Alt (corp) gl:Articulación (anatomía) ko:관절 hi:संधि (शरीररचना) hr:Zglob id:Sendi is:Liðamót it:Articolazione he:מפרק ht:Atikilasyon lbe:ТтаркӀ-базу lt:Sąnarys hu:Ízület mk:Зглоб nl:Gewricht ja:関節 no:Ledd pl:Staw (anatomia) pt:Articulação ro:Articulație qu:Tullu muqu ru:Сустав sq:Kyçet e njeriut simple:Joint sk:Kĺb (anatómia) sr:Зглоб sh:Zglob fi:Nivel sv:Led tl:Kasu-kasuan te:కీలు th:ข้อต่อ tr:Eklem uk:Суглоб war:Kaluluthán yi:געלענק zh-yue:骱 zh:关节

name	Mami Kawada川田まみ
background	solo_singer
born	February 13 (year/age unknown)
origin	Sapporo, Hokkaidō, Japan
genre	J-rock, Electronic Rock, trance
occupation	Singer, Songwriter
years active	2001–present
label	Geneon Entertainment
associated acts	I've SoundLove Planet Five
website	Mami Kawadamami-kawada.jp }}

is a J-pop singer who is currently signed to Geneon Entertainment Inc. She is also a member of the I've Sound who performs soundtracks for some eroge. Mami was usually paired up with co-I've member Kotoko when making soundtracks for anime. Examples of these are Onegai Teacher, Onegai Twins, Starship Operators, Shakugan no Shana, Baldr Force EXE Resolution OVA, and Hayate no Gotoku wherein Kotoko would perform the opening theme while Mami would perform the ending theme or vice versa. Her debut single "Radiance", released on February 23, 2005, was used as an opening theme for the anime Starship Operators. Her most successful single was "Joint," released on October 31, 2007, and used as the first opening theme for the sequel of the anime series Shakugan no Shana, Shakugan no Shana II.

History

Debut

Mami Kawada's vocal talent was first discovered by Eiko Shimamiya, who was her teacher at a vocal school in Sapporo, Hokkaido. She was introduced to I've Sound, a music production group whom Shimamiya was a member of. Kawada would later become a member of I've Sound. In 2001, her debut song with I've Sound was to perform , which was the opening theme for the eroge "miss you". The song was featured in the I've Sound's 5th Compilation Album titled Out Flow. Since then, she's created many theme songs for dating sim and visual novel games.

In 2002, she began performing anime theme songs, as well as theme songs for visual novels. Kawada performed the ending theme for the anime Please Teacher! titled while co-I've Sound singer Kotoko performed the opening theme titled "Shooting Star". In the same year, Kawada and Shimamiya grouped themselves as the band Healing Leaf and performed theme songs for some visual novels. Only one of the songs, however, was featured in the I've Girls Compilation, .

In mid-2003, she got her second anime tie-up with Please Twins!, the spin-off sequel of previous anime tie-in Please Teacher!. Kawada performed the ending theme titled while Kotoko performed the opening theme titled "Second Flight" together with J-pop singer Hiromi Satō.

Seed (2005–2006)

In 2005, Mami Kawada signed a contract with Geneon Entertainment and released her major debut single titled "Radiance / Chi ni Kaeru: On the Earth", which was used as the opening theme for the anime Starship Operators. This marked the launch of her career as a songwriter/vocalist. The song "Radiance" was written by her and accompanied by Kotoko. She began to write her own lyrics in her following releases.

In late 2005, she released her second single , which became the opening theme for the anime series Shakugan no Shana. It became her best-selling single and sold approximately 37,000 copies, garnering 11th in the Oricon weekly charts.

In March 2006, Kawada and Kotoko once again teamed up forming a split single for the OVA adaptation of the game Baldr Force. Again, Kawada did the ending theme, "Undelete," while Kotoko performed the opening theme "Face of Fact (Resolution ver.)", a remix of her first song which was featured in the game version. Four weeks after the release of this split single, Kawada released her debut album Seed, which contained seven new songs, four songs from her first three singles, and one visual novel theme song which was released back in 2004. The album reached #12 in the Oricon weekly charts and charted for five weeks selling more than 25,000 units.

After almost two months, Mami Kawada had her first live tour wherein she performed her album songs live and distributed a pamphlet CD containing two songs—one instrumental, and her first composed song titled "Carpe Diem".

Savia (2007)

After her success with "Hishoku no Sora", Kawada got a continuous tie-up with Shakugan no Shana, and she was also contracted to do the insert song for its movie titled in May 2007. She also performed the ending theme to the movie together with the other I've Sound girls under the name Love Planet Five.

Three months later, she got another tie-up with the anime series Hayate the Combat Butler titled "Get My Way!", which was used as the second ending theme. This single is very different from her previous singles, since the song has a more punk rock feel. Although it didn't gain much attention, it wasn't Kawada's last attempt at a rock sound.

Soon after, Kawada came back with a more developed rock sound, evident in her opening theme single for the second installment of the anime series "Shakugan no Shana" titled "Joint", as well as the ending theme she performed titled "Triangle". "Joint" was released on October 31, 2007 and marked her first top 10 single entry since it reached #9 in its first week on the Oricon weekly charts. Overall, it sold 36,572 copies and charted for a total 19 weeks making this her longest-charting single.

After Kawada's success with her fifth single, she made her first live tour outside Japan, on January 19, 2008, at the KHS Hall in Taiwan.

In late March 2008, Kawada released her second album, Savia, which contained nine new songs. The album included the final ending theme to the second installment of Shakugan no Shana, as well as her first non-anime theme song tie-up, and four songs from the three singles she released. It didn't do well on the Oricon weekly charts, but after less than six months, Kawada had her second live tour for her second album.

Linkage (2008–2010)

After a year of not releasing a single, Kawada had another tie-up with the anime series Toaru Majutsu no Index and performed its opening themes titled "PSI-Missing" and "Masterpiece". Both of the coupling songs, and "Jellyfish", were also used as insert songs in the series. In autumn 2008, Kawada also established her official website together with her official fan club "M.A.L.L.", which stands for "Mami Artist Lasting Live."

In June 2009, Kawada released her maxi single "L'Oiseau bleu". This single is also present in the I've Sound 10th Anniversary 「Departed to the future」 Special CD BOX, which was released earlier by the group on March 25, 2009.

Kawada also sang the opening and ending themes for the original video animation series of Shakugan no Shana titled Shakugan no Shana S, making this her fifth tie-in with the anime series. The opening theme titled "Prophecy" came out as a maxi single on November 18, 2009 while the ending theme, titled "All in Good Time", was not included in the single.

On March 24, 2010, Kawada released her third album, entitled Linkage, which contains 13 tracks. Her latest singles "PSI-Missing," "Masterpiece" and "Prophecy" were all included in the album. The album also contained the Shakugan no Shana S ending theme "All in Good Time", as well as a cover of the song "Dreams", originally performed by the Irish rock band The Cranberries. After two weeks, Kawada already had her third live tour to promote her latest album.

This year, Mami Kawada starts writing Lyrics for other I've singers. Her first song written for other I've Sound members is "A piece of my heart" (Ending Theme for the Eroge: Koi to Senkyo to Chocolate, sung by the newcomer Nami Maisaki, who entered officially as an I've utahime in May of that year.

2010 to present

After another year of not releasing a single, Kawada made a come-back tie-up with the second season of the anime series Toaru Majutsu no Index. She performed the opening theme entitled "No buts!" and it eventually became her highest charting single to date reaching #6 on its first week in the Oricon weekly charts.

On February 16, 2011, she released her 10th single entitled "See visionS", the second opening theme for the second season of Toaru Majutsu no Index. Four months later, she wrote the lyrics for the song "Lead to the smile", the solo debut of the new I've singer, Rin Asami, who started her career that year.

Discography

Seed (2006)

Savia (2008)

Linkage (2010)

Live performances

I've in BUDOKAN 2005 ～Open the Birth Gate～ (October 15, 2005)

MAMI KAWADA FIRST LIVE TOUR 2006 "SEED" (May 20, 2006)

MAMI KAWADA 2008 January LIVE IN TAIWAN (January 19, 2008)

Mami Kawada Official Fan Club Establishment Commemoration Event Special Video Concert "MAMI KAWADA 2008 January LIVE IN TAIWAN"

MAMI KAWADA LIVE TOUR 2008 "SAVIA"

I've in BUDOKAN 2009 ～Departed to the Future～ (January 2, 2009)

MAMI KAWADA LIVE IN SHIBUYA 2011 "See visionS" (May 4 and May 5, 2011)

References

External links

Mami Kawada's Geneon Website

MAMI KAWADA Official Website

I've Sound Explorer I've Sound Forum Oricon Profile Twitter profile

Category:Shakugan no Shana Category:Hayate the Combat Butler Category:Living people Category:Japanese female singers Category:People from Sapporo Category:I've Sound members

es:Mami Kawada fr:Mami Kawada ko:가와다 마미 id:Mami Kawada it:Mami Kawada ja:川田まみ tl:Mami Kawada zh:川田真美

name	Bill Maher
birth name	William Maher, Jr.
birth date	January 20, 1956
birth place	New York City, New York, U.S.
alma mater	Cornell University
medium	Stand-Up, Television, Film, Books
nationality	American
active	1979–present
genre	Satire, Political satire, News Satire, Observational comedy
subject	American politics, current events, American culture, pop culture, freedom of speech, environmentalism, religion, human sexuality, recreational drug use, libertarianism, American liberalism, American conservatism
influences	Steve Allen, George Carlin, Johnny Carson, David Frost, Robert Klein, Don Rickles, Gore Vidal, Lenny Bruce
notable work	Elliot on Charlie HooverHost of Politically Incorrect Host of Real Time with Bill Maher
website	www.BillMaher.com
footnotes	}}

William "Bill" Maher, Jr. (; born January 20, 1956) is an American stand-up comedian, television host, political commentator, author and actor. Before his current role as the host of HBO's Real Time with Bill Maher, Maher hosted a similar late-night talk show called Politically Incorrect originally on Comedy Central and later on ABC.

Maher is known for his political satire and sociopolitical commentary, which targets a wide swath of topics: religion, politics, bureaucracies of many kinds, political correctness, the mass media, greed among people and persons in positions of high political and social power, the lack of intellectual curiosity of the electorate, among many topics. He supports the legalization of marijuana and same-sex marriage, and serves on the board of PETA. He is also a critic of religion and is an advisory board member of Project Reason, a foundation to promote scientific knowledge and secular values within society. Maher currently ranks number 38 on Comedy Central's 100 greatest stand-ups of all time. Bill Maher got a Hollywood Walk of Fame star on September 14, 2010. His is the 2,417th star dedicated on the famous sidewalk.

Early life and education

Maher was born in New York City, the son of Julie (née Berman), a nurse, and William Maher, Sr., a network news editor and radio announcer. He was raised in his Irish American father's Catholic religion, remaining unaware that his mother was Jewish until his early teenage years. Maher's family stopped attending church services when Maher was thirteen, due to his father's disagreement with the Catholic Church's position on birth control.

Maher was raised in River Vale, New Jersey, and graduated from Pascack Hills High School in Montvale in 1974. He received a B.A. in English and history from Cornell University in 1978.

Early career

Since beginning his career as a stand-up comedian and actor, he occasionally acts and tours. He was host of the New York City comedy club Catch a Rising Star in 1979. Thanks to Steve Allen, he began appearing on Johnny Carson's and David Letterman's shows in 1982. He made limited television appearances, including two separate appearances on Murder, She Wrote. He has also appeared in several films, usually in a comic role. His feature film debut was in D.C. Cab (1983), and he also appeared in Ratboy (1986), Cannibal Women in the Avocado Jungle of Death (1988), and Pizza Man (1991), among others.

Television career

Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher

Maher assumed the host role Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher, a late-night political talk show that ran on Comedy Central from 1993–1997 and on ABC from 1997–2002. The show regularly began with a topical monologue by Maher preceding the introduction of four guests, usually a diverse group of individuals from show business, popular culture, political pundits, political consultants, authors, and occasionally news figures. The group would discuss topical issues selected by Maher, who also participated in the discussions. Jerry Seinfeld, a regular guest on the show, stated that Politically Incorrect reminded him of talk shows from the 1950s and 60s "when guests interacted with each other as much as with the host."

Politically Incorrect won an array of awards, including an Emmy Award for Outstanding Technical Direction, two CableACE awards for Best Talk Show Series, and a Genesis Award for Best Television Talk Show. Maher earned numerous award nominations for his producing, writing and hosting of Politically Incorrect, including ten Emmy nominations, two TV Guide nominations, and two Writers Guild nominations. ABC decided against renewing Maher's contract for Politically Incorrect in 2002, after he made a controversial on-air remark shortly after the September 11 attacks. He agreed with his guest, conservative pundit Dinesh D'Souza, that the 9/11 terrorists did not act in a cowardly manner (in rebuttal to President Bush's statement calling 9/11 hijackers cowards). Maher said, "We have been the cowards. Lobbing cruise missiles from two thousand miles away. That's cowardly. Staying in the airplane when it hits the building. Say what you want about it. Not cowardly. You're right." Maher later clarified that his comment was not anti-military in any way whatsoever, referencing his well-documented longstanding support for the American military.

In the context of the attacks, some corporate advertisers found the comment too insensitive and controversial. Several companies, including FedEx and Sears Roebuck, pulled their advertisements from the show, costing the show more than it returned.

The show was cancelled on June 16, 2002, and the Sinclair Broadcast Group had dropped the show from its ABC-affiliated stations months prior. On June 22, 2002, just six days after the cancellation of Politically Incorrect, Maher received the Los Angeles Press Club president's award (for "championing free speech"). Maher was on the board of judges one year for the PEN/Newman's Own First Amendment Award.

Maher's remarks after 9/11 were not the first time he had sparked controversy on Politically Incorrect. In the same year, Maher was widely criticized for comparing dogs to retarded children. He apologized for his comments.

Real Time with Bill Maher

In 2003, Maher became the host, co-producer and co-writer of Real Time with Bill Maher, a weekly hour-long political comedy talk show on the cable television network HBO. During an interview, Maher told Terry Gross (on NPR's Fresh Air) that he much prefers having serious and well-informed guests on his program, as opposed to the random celebrities that fleshed out his roundtable discussions on Politically Incorrect.

As with his previous show, Politically Incorrect, Maher begins Real Time with a comic opening monologue based upon current events and other topical issues. He proceeds to a one-on-one interview with a guest, either in-studio or via satellite. Following the interview, Maher sits with three panelists, usually consisting of pundits, authors, activists and journalists, for a discussion of the week's events. In the segment "New Rules" at the end of each show, Maher delivers a humorous editorial on popular culture and American politics.

In late May 2005, Alabama Congressman Spencer Bachus sent a letter to Time Warner's board of directors requesting Real Time be cancelled after remarks Maher made after noting the military had missed its recruiting goals by 42 percent. Bachus said he felt the comments were demeaning to the military and treasonous. Maher stated his highest regard and support for the troops and asked why the congressman criticized him instead of doing something about the recruitment problem.

Real Time has earned widespread praise. It has been nominated for more than ten Primetime Emmy Awards and six Writer's Guild awards. In 2007, Maher and his co-producers were awarded the Television Producer of the Year Award in Variety Television.

In early 2006, Real Time was released as an audio CD, along with another CD entitled Bill Maher's New Rules which features clips, segments and teasers from Real Time. Starting with Episode 67 (2-23-06), Real Time became available in the USA on iTunes as a free weekly audio podcast.

Maher holds the record for the most Emmy nominations without a win, having been nominated on 22 occasions and not winning once. Eleven of the nominations were for Politically Incorrect, while nine were for Real Time. The other two were nominations for two of his HBO comedy specials: Bill Maher: I'm Swiss and Bill Maher: The Decider.

HBO announced in July 2011 the show was renewed for a tenth season.

Christine O'Donnell

On September 17, 2010, Maher aired a clip of Delaware Republican Senatorial candidate Christine O'Donnell from the October 29, 1999 episode of his old show Politically Incorrect on his current show Real Time with Bill Maher, where she discussed that she had "dabbled in witchcraft." This was one of the most notable of numerous controversial statements by O'Donnell that made her the most covered candidate in the 2010 mid-term election cycle.

Political commentator

Maher is a frequent commentator on various cable news networks, namely CNN, MSNBC, and HLN. Maher regularly appears on CNN's The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer and is also a frequent guest on MSNBC's Hardball with Chris Matthews, The Rachel Maddow Show and Countdown with Keith Olbermann. Maher has also appeared as a guest on HLN's The Joy Behar Show.

Maher hosted the January 13, 2006 edition of Larry King Live, on which he is a frequent guest. Maher appeared as a special guest on the June 29, 2010 edition of the show, on which CNN anchor Larry King announced his retirement. Maher co-emceed the final show of Larry King Live on December 16, 2010 with Ryan Seacrest.

Since May 2005, he has been a contributing blogger at The Huffington Post.

Views and beliefs

Politics

Maher eschews political labels, referring to himself as "practical". In the past, he has described himself as a libertarian and has also referred to himself "as a progressive, as a sane person".

Maher favors a partial privatization of Social Security, ending corporate welfare and federal funding of non-profits, and legalization of gambling, prostitution, and marijuana. Maher is a member of NORML's Advisory Board, an organization which supports regulated legalization of marijuana. He describes himself as an environmentalist, and he has spoken in favor of the Kyoto treaty on global warming on his show Real Time. Moreover, he often criticizes industry figures involved in environmental pollution.

Maher is a board member of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. He has expressed his distaste for the pharmaceutical and health care industries in general, on the grounds that they make their money out of curing people who are made sick by consuming unhealthy food that corporations urge upon the public. He maintains that mass consumption of high-fructose corn syrup is a contributor to the rise in frequency of obesity in the United States.

Before the 2004 U.S. presidential election, Maher became candid in his stated opposition to the re-election of George W. Bush and in his support for John Kerry.

Known for protesting against the demonization of the word "liberal", during the campaign Maher criticized Kerry for being ashamed of the word. On his show, the comedian has noted the paradox of people claiming they distrusted "elite" politicians while at the same time wanting elite doctors to treat them and elite lawyers to represent them in court. Maher supports the death penalty, the legality of abortion and euthanasia. Since the 9/11 attacks, he has endorsed the use of racial profiling at airports.

He was originally against the Iraq War, and has summarized his opinion by saying that the United States and the world have had to pay too high a price for the war. He is skeptical of Iraq surviving without civil war.

In the 2008 U.S. presidential election, Maher announced his support for Barack Obama. Although Maher welcomed Obama's electoral victory, he has subjected him to criticism once in office for not acting boldly on health care reform and other progressive issues.

Religion

Maher is highly critical of religion, and views it as not worth the bother. He has referred to himself as an apatheist, instead of an agnostic or atheist, on Scarborough Country on April 24, 2007, and again in July of 2011. He has reiterated this stance in subsequent interviews, rejecting both the certitude of the existence, as well as the certitude of nonexistence of deities, concluding, "I'm saying that doubt is the only appropriate response for human beings." He is an advisory board member of author Sam Harris's The Reason Project, a foundation that promotes scientific knowledge and secular values within society.

Maher and director Larry Charles teamed up to make the feature film Religulous (2008), described by trade publication Variety as a documentary "that spoofs religious extremism across the world." It was released on October 3, 2008.

Maher has been an outspoken critic of religion in general, including Islam. On October 29, 2010, during a Real Time segment, Maher commented on a news story saying that the name Mohammed had become the most popular baby name in the United Kingdom. He asked, "Am I a racist to feel alarmed by that? Because I am. And it’s not because of the race, it’s because of the religion. I don’t have to apologize, do I, for not wanting the Western world to be taken over by Islam in 300 years? Sharia law is being institutionalized in England? Well, then I am right, I should be alarmed." He later defended his comments on CNN, saying, "And when I say Westerner, I mean someone who believes in the values that Western people believe in that a lot of the Muslim world does not. Like separation of church and state. Like equality of the sexes. Like respect for minorities, free elections, free speech, freedom to gather. These things are not just different from cultures that don’t have them. … It’s better. … I would like to keep those values here."

Maher received the Richard Dawkins Award for 2009 from Atheist Alliance International "for his efforts to further the values science and reason in the world."

Health care

Maher has stated that the AMA is a powerful lobbying group and one of the primary reasons why the United States had failed to enact health care reform.

On August 24, 2009, Maher was a guest on The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien and on the topic of getting universal health care legislation passed, Maher stated that Obama should forget about trying to get 60 votes for it, "he only needs 51." "Forget getting the sixty votes or sixty percent — sixty percent of people don't believe in evolution in this country — he just needs to drag them to it, like I said, they're stupid; get health care done, with or without them."

Maher has expressed the view that most illness is generally the result of poor diet and that medicine is often not the best way of addressing illness. In an episode of the show about the 2008 presidential candidates' health plans, Maher stated that poor nutrition is the primary cause of illness, and that "the answer isn't another pill."

In a discussion with Michael Moore about the film Sicko, Maher asks, "The human body is pretty amazing; it doesn't get sick, usually, for no reason. I mean, there's some genetic stuff that can get to you, but, basically, people are sick in this country because they're poisoned. The environment is a poisoning factor, but also, we gotta say, they poison themselves. They eat shit. People eat shit, and that's, to my way of thinking, about 90 percent of why people are sick, is because they eat shit. Would you agree?"

On October 9, 2009, on his HBO show, Maher debated the effectiveness of flu vaccinations with Bill Frist and stated, "Why would you let them be the ones to stick a disease into your arm? I would never get a swine flu vaccine or any vaccine. I don’t trust the government, especially with my health." Maher also expressed skepticism about the seriousness of the swine flu and whether completely healthy people could die from it. His comments have generated criticism, and his remarks have been called unscientific and even harmful.

Maher responded to the criticism, noting, "What I've read about what they think I'm saying is not what I've said. I'm not a germ theory denier. I believe vaccinations can work. Polio is a good example. Do I think in certain situations that inoculating Third World children against malaria or diphtheria, or whatever, is right? Of course. In a situation like that, the benefits outweigh costs. But to me living in Los Angeles? To get a flu shot? No." (see Vaccine controversy)

Criticism of 9/11 conspiracy theories

Maher has been a critic of 9/11 conspiracy theories. On October 19, 2007, Maher confronted several 9/11 truthers and had them ejected from his show audience after they interrupted the live show numerous times by calling out from the audience. The incident drew significant media attention and praise from Fox News talk show host and frequent critic John Gibson.

Personal life

Maher has never married. In 2003, he began dating former Playboy Cyber Girl Coco Johnsen. In November 2004, at the end of their 17-month relationship, she sued him for USD $9 million for "pain and suffering" for alleged "insulting, humiliating and degrading racial comments." Her suit stated that Maher promised to marry her and father her children, support her financially, and purchase a Beverly Hills home. Her suit also alleged that she quit her job as a flight attendant and occasional model to be with him. Maher's lawyers in their response filed on November 23, 2004, in Los Angeles Superior Court said Maher is a "confirmed bachelor, and a very public one at that" who "never promised to marry [Johnsen] or to have children with her."

Maher's filing stated that "When the dating ended, [Johnson] (sic) launched a campaign to embarrass, humiliate, and extort ridiculous sums of money from Bill Maher." Johnsen accused another former boyfriend of rape and kidnapping in 1997, and the charges were later dismissed for lack of evidence. Her lawsuit against Maher was dismissed on May 2, 2005.

Maher enjoys his bachelor status and states that he does not want to get married. On his website, he is quoted as saying, "I'm the last of my guy friends to have never gotten married, and their wives — they don't want them playing with me. I'm like the escaped slave — I bring news of freedom."

In 2005, he began dating Karrine Steffans, best-selling author and former hip hop model. When commentators suggested there was a pattern to his dating because both his girlfriend and former girlfriend were black, Maher said, "People say I'm into black women. Robert De Niro is into black women. I'm just into women who are real, and they happen to be black."

Maher has been associated with the Playboy Mansion and, when asked what he liked about it, responded, "The food is out of this world! I get the Playboy thing a lot. People assume I go out with bimbos. I couldn't go out with bimbos if I tried! I scare them off! The women that like me are smart. So I go to the Playboy Mansion four or five times a year, but people think I go all the time."

Maher lives in Beverly Hills, California.

Credits

Bibliography

True Story : A Novel, 1994 (ISBN 0-7432-4251-3)

Does Anybody Have a Problem With That? Politically Incorrect's Greatest Hits, 1996 (ISBN 0-679-45627-9)

Does Anybody Have a Problem with That? The Best of Politically Incorrect, 1997 (ISBN 0-345-41281-8)

When You Ride Alone You Ride With Bin Laden: What the Government Should Be Telling Us to Help Fight the War on Terrorism, 2003 (ISBN 1-893224-90-2)

Keep the Statue of Liberty Closed: The New Rules, 2004 (ISBN 1-932407-47-2)

New Rules: Polite Musings from a Timid Observer, 2005 (ISBN 1-59486-295-8)

Filmography

Film
! Year	! Title	! Role
1983	D.C. Cab	Bob
	Rags to Riches	Freddie
Club Med	Rick
Ratboy	Party Guest
1987	House II: The Second Story	John
1988	Out of Time	Maxwell Taylor
1989	Cannibal Women in the Avocado Jungle of Death	Jim
1991	Pizza Man	Elmo Bunn
1996	Don't Quit Your Day Job!	Comic's Table
1997	Bimbo Movie Bash	Unknown
1998	EDtv	Himself
2001	Tomcats	Carlos
2005		Himself
		Himself
Religulous	Himself
2009	New Rules: Best of	Himself
2010	Sex, Drugs & Religion (2010)	Himself
HBO Specials
! Year	! Title	! Role
1989	One Night Stand	Himself
1992	One Night Stand	Himself
1995	Stuff that Struck Me Funny	Himself
1997	The Golden Goose Special	Himself
2000		Himself
2003	Victory Begins at Home	Himself
2005	I'm Swiss	Himself
2007		Himself
2010		Himself
Television
! Year	! Title	! Role
1985		Marty Lang
		Unknown
	Haskel
1989–90	Murder, She Wrote	(2 episodes)
1990	The Midnight Hour	Host
1991	Charlie Hoover	Elliot
1992	Say What?	Host
	Married... with Children	Adam Gold
Roseanne	Photographer
1997	Dharma & Greg	Himself
1993–2002	Politically Incorrect	Host
2002	Just for Laughs	Himself
2003–present	Real Time with Bill Maher	Host
2008	True Blood	Himself
2010		Himself
2010	Family Guy	Himself

References

External links

in 2004 in 2007

HBO's "Real Time with Bill Maher" site

2006 Maher Interview with The A.V. Club

2009 Maher Interview with writers at the Religulous DVD release

Category:1956 births Category:Writers from New York Category:Actors from New Jersey Category:Writers from New Jersey Category:American agnostics Category:American cannabis activists Category:American film actors Category:American libertarians Category:American satirists Category:American stand-up comedians Category:American television actors Category:American television talk show hosts Category:Cornell University alumni Category:American comedians of Irish descent Category:American writers of Irish descent Category:Living people Category:People from Bergen County, New Jersey Category:People from Beverly Hills, California Category:People from New York City Category:Religious skeptics Category:Former Roman Catholics Category:Actors from New York City Category:Drug policy reform activists Category:Animal rights advocates

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