Conservapedia - User contributions [en]

Worcestershire

2007-04-11T14:51:16Z

Eternalpraise: link added

Worcestershire is a County in the [[West Midlands]] region of [[England]]. Despite lying directly to the south of [[Birmingham]], Englands industrial heartland, it is largely rural in character, with rolling countryside characterised by black and white timber framed cottages. The cathedral City of [[Worcester]], lies at the heart of the county. The [[Malvern Hills]] are an attractive area of the county, popular with walkers and they boast extensive views across the Midlands and as far as the Black Mountains in [[Wales]]. Principal towns and cities in the county include, [[Worcester]], [[Redditch]], [[Kidderminster]], [[Bromsgrove]] and [[Great Malvern]]. Worcestershire borders with [[Herefordshire]], [[Shropshire]], [[Staffordshire]], [[Warwickshire]], [[Gloucestershire]] and the former metropolitan county of the [[West Midlands]], which consists of some areas which were traditionally part of Worcestershire. Worcestershire sauce is a traditional vinegar-based British condiment manufactured by Lea & Perrin in the city of Worcester, and the city is also associated with the composer Sir Edward Elgar.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/herefordandworcester/culture/2002/02/lea_perrins.shtml

Worcestershire

2007-04-11T14:45:44Z

Eternalpraise:

Benito Mussolini

2007-04-11T14:43:07Z

Eternalpraise: Salo

Benito Mussolini was dictator of [[Italy]] in the time of [[World War II]].He was head of one of the totalitarian forms of government seen in Europe in this time. He called his political structure [[Fascism]], a term which was later used to describe any government which put the national identity above the people. Like all totalitarian forms of government, he bullied the weak.

==Early Life==

Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini was born July 29, 1883 and died April 28, 1945. Mussolini was born in the north Italian town of Pergine Valsugana in the northern Italian province of Trento. His father was a cobbler and his mother a washerwoman. The Mussolinis were a relatively poor family in comparison with the majority of the neighbours and it is believed that Mussolini was ridiculed by his peers at La scuola elementaria di Valsugana due to his shabby clothes and dirty appearance. Many historians attribute Mussolini's aggressive nature and his tendency to bully the weak during his reign as leader of Italy to this constant teasing. His father was a socialist and raised Mussolini as a socialist. He was named after Benito Juarez (Mexican President). At the age of 12 Benito was sent to an Italian Military academy in Turin where he completed his secondary education. Mussolini graduated from school in 1901 and then went on to study at L'Università di Roma where he completed a degree in Social Sciences. It was during his university days that Mussolini first became exposed to politics. It is reported that Mussolini would spend long afternoons in the university library reading the memoirs of various European kings and other books about political ideologies. At one time he was the editor of "Avanti" (socialist newspaper).

==Break with Socialism==

He graudally began to have a falling out with his fellow socialists. His final break with socialism came during World War 1, since he changed his former position of neutrality and supported Italy's involvement in the war. He then grew to despise socialism - the very ideology that he had advocated for years. Upon leaving socialism behind, Mussolini headed north to Venice where he joined the "Cullo Cappelli" (Italian for conservative soldiers) party.

==Rise to Power==

In 1923 after rising through the ranks Mussolini became the elected member for Tuscany in Italian Parliament. In 1927 he took over from Mario Felloni as the leader of Cullo Cappelli who were the opposition. Leading up to the 1928 election Mussolini began to begin his campaign. During this time Italy was in an economic slump and the Italian public were not satisfied with the president of the time, Francisco Delosini and his Treasurer Guido Michenelli's management of the federal budget. Mussolini preyed on this dissatisfaction and promised to eliminate all debt within the government. In 1922, Mussolini was invited by King Vittorio Emanuele III to form a new Italian government. A law passed on Christmas Eve 1925 changed Mussolini's title from "president of the Council of Ministers" (prime minister) to "head of the government." He was no longer responsible to Parliament, and could only be removed by the king.

==Alliance with Hitler==

In 1931 Mussolini first came into contact with [[Adolf Hitler]] at a European Leaders' convention and an alliance was formed. For the rest of the 1930's Mussolini began to recklessly spend Italy's money on obsolete arms which he planned to issue to the army if Hitler ever attempted to take over Europe.

==World War II==

In September 1939 when [[England]] and [[France]] declared war on [[Germany]] after they invaded [[Poland]]. Mussolini made the announcement that Italy would join Germany in the war effort against the allied forces. He waited however, until after France had surrendered before invading southern France and officially entering the war. During World War 2, he increased his military, limited free speech and pushed his political views on all of his country even more so.

===Mussolini Deposed===

When the Allies invaded the Italian island of [[Sicily]] in 1943, King [[Vittorio Emmanuel III]] panicked at the thought of an Allied invasion of the Italian mainland. He immediately stripped Mussolini of his power and ordered Mussolini to be arrested.

===Reinstatement===

He was rescued through covert operations by German special forces (most notably [[Otto Skorzeny]]) without a single casualty occuring during the rescue operation. Mussolini was then installed as the head of the German puppet state, Repubblica Sociale Italiana (RSI) based at Salo in northern Italy - hence its alternative name of the Salo Republic.

===Capture and Death===

He was later recaptured at the end of the war by partisans. He and his mistress were shot and hanged upside down.

==Family Members==

His legacy is continued by his neo-fascist granddaughter Alessandra Mussolini, who is a current member of the European Parliament. His daughter-in-law, Anna Maria Scicolone, was the sister of actress [[Sophia Loren]].

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mussolini, Benito}}
[[Category:Heads of state]]

Oxfordshire

2007-04-11T14:37:39Z

Eternalpraise:

Oxfordshire is a [[county]] in central southern [[England]], named after the famous university city of [[Oxford]]. Oxfordshire, [[Gloucestershire]], and [[Warwickshire]] are the location of the region of England known as the [[Cotswolds]], well-known for its distinctive pale stone buildings. [[Winston Churchill]] is one of Oxfordshires most famous sons, and is buried in the churchyard at Bladon, on the edge of the Woodstock estate (owned by the Churchill family) where he was born. The boundaries of Oxfordshire were revised in 1974 to incorporate a large section of the adjoining county of Berkshire (including Berkshire's county town, Abingdon, and the railway centre of Didcot).

Leicestershire

2007-04-11T13:53:43Z

Eternalpraise: New page: A gently undulating county of central England, known for fox-hunting and red cheese. The county town in Leicester. The north-west of the county contains a small coalfield for which the tow...

A gently undulating county of central England, known for fox-hunting and red cheese. The county town in Leicester. The north-west of the county contains a small coalfield for which the town of Coalville was named. It is transected by the M1 motorway.

Florence

2007-04-11T13:51:41Z

Eternalpraise: New page: Florence is a medieval city of the Medicis on the River Ebro in the Italian region of Tucsony. It is known for David's statue, the baptistery and the Dome.

Florence is a medieval city of the Medicis on the River Ebro in the Italian region of Tucsony. It is known for David's statue, the baptistery and the Dome.

Month

2007-04-11T13:47:39Z

Eternalpraise: New page: A month is a portion of a year corresponding roughly to the passage of the earth round the moon (a 'lunar month', of which there are, in fact, thirteen). There are twelve terrestrial month...

A month is a portion of a year corresponding roughly to the passage of the earth round the moon (a 'lunar month', of which there are, in fact, thirteen). There are twelve terrestrial months. They are named after pagan gods and goddesses (January, February, March, April, May, June, August), Roman emperors (July, August) and numbers (September-December incl.). The number of days varies, but a handy way to remember which is which is:

Thirty days hath September
April, June, and November
All the rest have thirty-one
Except for February alone
Which has twenty-eight days clear
And twenty-nine in each leap year.

Iceland

2007-04-11T13:39:35Z

Eternalpraise:

'''Iceland''' is an [[island]] and [[nation]] situated in the [[North Atlantic]], between [[Britain]] and [[Greenland]].

Uninhabited until the tenth century, it was colonised by [[Vikings]] - the [[Icelandic]] language is still remarkably similar to [[Old Norse]], far more so than its cognate languages [[Norwegian]], [[Swedish]] and [[Danish]].

It enjoys one of the highest standards of living on Earth, and has the oldest continuously functioning [[Parliament]]. I was traditionally ruled as part of Denmark until 1944, when it declared itself an independent republic. Iceland had been occupied by UK and US forces in 1940, following the German invasion of Denmark, to prevent its occupation by Germany.

The interior consists mostly of [[desert]] (deserts are not confined to warm climates), with many spectacular [[glaciers]] and [[geysirs]].

The capital is [[Reykjavik]].

[[Category:European Countries]]
[[Category:Scandinavian Countries]]
[[Category:Arctic]]

Sunderland

2007-04-11T13:31:10Z

Eternalpraise:

A port city on the north-east coast of England, formerly famous as a shipbuilding and coal exporting centre, and now for the manufacture of motor vehicles for Nissan. The people of Sunderland are knows as Mackems. Until recently, Sunderland was the largest urban centre in the UK without a cinema. St Bede was born at Monkton near Sunderland.

Talk:Ireland

2007-04-11T13:26:19Z

Eternalpraise: /* Why the revert? */

I did a very quick clean up of this, no references as of yet, I'll hopefully add them in the next few days. It's worth noting though

-Scotland was never conquered by the romans
-Ireland may call it the war of indepencence, but it's probably best described as a time of civil strife or something like that. There was no war as such.
-the Treaty in '21 set up a free state, a republic wasn't declared till the 40s
-Ireland still isn't called the Republic of Ireland. It's there, in the constitution that the name of the state is Ireland, or Eire in the Irish language.
[[User:lil_cain|lil_cain]] 03.55, 10 March 2007 (GMT)

== Ireland ==

Ok guys a few things. One england invaded in the 11th century (not the 17th). The war of independence was not a proper war but did lead England to pull out of the 26 counties keeping the 6 counties of ulster under british control which lead to the CIVIL WAR. Ireland is now the richest country in Europe and has the 4th strongest economy in the world. It's cheaper to buy an appartment in Manhatten than in Dublin .. it's a funny old world.

adest

I edited out the bit about the support bases for the various parties, as they were a: unreferenced, and b:simply wrong. If I get a chance I'll go back and add something correct with references and such, but better to leave it out until then.

== 04:06, March 19, 2007 ==

Just wondering the reason for the revert? All the info reverted was true and non-controversial, apart perhaps for the country name. --[[User:Boreas|Boreas]] 08:00, 19 March 2007 (EDT)

== Better map needed ==

This entry could use a much better map -- the current one is quite small, and among other issues, does not show [[Belfast]]!

[[User:Boethius|Boethius]] 13:35, 20 March 2007 (EDT)

----

The War of Independence might not have been a large pitched-battle affair between two standing armies like the American version, but it was a concerted campaign of guerilla warfare, espionage and assassination carried out by the highly organised, popularly-supported IRA. (as distinct from the provisional Northern version).
''a time of civil strife'' doesn't cut it! [[User:Stallthedigger|stallthedigger]] 13:02, 21 March 2007 (EDT)

----
The recent edits on the history section are not even remotely historical. They aren't referenced either, so I'm removing them. [[User:Melanchthon|Melanchthon]] 23:18, 29 March 2007, (GMT)

Agreed, go for it. [[User:Jennisuk|Jennisuk]] 18:21, 29 March 2007 (EDT)

== Why the revert? ==

What is the matter with you, TK? Why did you revert my edit? It is nonsensical to say that Ireland the island is referred to as 'the Republic of Ireland', then a few sentences later state that the island is divided between the Republic and Northern Ireland. [[User:Eternalpraise]]

Please post in order, Eternal, ok? That means adding comments at the bottom. I reverted it, because the inital notation would be ok, if you edited the latter parts. Fair enough? --~ [[User:TK|TK]] <sup>[[User_talk:TK|MyTalk]]</sup> 08:57, 11 April 2007 (EDT)

No, because the initial statement is incorrect. Do you expect me to edit the article to make it agree with a nonsensical assertion? The island of Ireland and the Republic of Ireland are not synonymous.

Onan

2007-04-11T13:11:00Z

Eternalpraise: New page: Onan was the second son of Judah. Required to impregnate his deceased brother's wife, acording to Genesis 38:10-11 "he went in unto his brother's wife, that he spilled it on the ground, le...

Onan was the second son of Judah. Required to impregnate his deceased brother's wife, acording to Genesis 38:10-11 "he went in unto his brother's wife, that he spilled it on the ground, lest that he should give seed to his brother. And the thing which he did displeased the LORD: wherefore he slew him also."

Therefore the sin of Onan was not masturbation, as is commonly supposed, but coitus interruptus.

Talk:Ireland

2007-04-11T12:50:44Z

Eternalpraise: On TK's reversion of my edit

What is the matter with you, TK? Why did you revert my edit? It is nonsensical to say that Ireland the island is referred to as 'the Republic of Ireland', then a few sentences later state that the island is divided between the Republic and Northern Ireland.

I did a very quick clean up of this, no references as of yet, I'll hopefully add them in the next few days. It's worth noting though

-Scotland was never conquered by the romans
-Ireland may call it the war of indepencence, but it's probably best described as a time of civil strife or something like that. There was no war as such.
-the Treaty in '21 set up a free state, a republic wasn't declared till the 40s
-Ireland still isn't called the Republic of Ireland. It's there, in the constitution that the name of the state is Ireland, or Eire in the Irish language.
[[User:lil_cain|lil_cain]] 03.55, 10 March 2007 (GMT)

== Ireland ==

Ok guys a few things. One england invaded in the 11th century (not the 17th). The war of independence was not a proper war but did lead England to pull out of the 26 counties keeping the 6 counties of ulster under british control which lead to the CIVIL WAR. Ireland is now the richest country in Europe and has the 4th strongest economy in the world. It's cheaper to buy an appartment in Manhatten than in Dublin .. it's a funny old world.

adest

I edited out the bit about the support bases for the various parties, as they were a: unreferenced, and b:simply wrong. If I get a chance I'll go back and add something correct with references and such, but better to leave it out until then.

== 04:06, March 19, 2007 ==

Just wondering the reason for the revert? All the info reverted was true and non-controversial, apart perhaps for the country name. --[[User:Boreas|Boreas]] 08:00, 19 March 2007 (EDT)

== Better map needed ==

This entry could use a much better map -- the current one is quite small, and among other issues, does not show [[Belfast]]!

[[User:Boethius|Boethius]] 13:35, 20 March 2007 (EDT)

----

The War of Independence might not have been a large pitched-battle affair between two standing armies like the American version, but it was a concerted campaign of guerilla warfare, espionage and assassination carried out by the highly organised, popularly-supported IRA. (as distinct from the provisional Northern version).
''a time of civil strife'' doesn't cut it! [[User:Stallthedigger|stallthedigger]] 13:02, 21 March 2007 (EDT)

----
The recent edits on the history section are not even remotely historical. They aren't referenced either, so I'm removing them. [[User:Melanchthon|Melanchthon]] 23:18, 29 March 2007, (GMT)

Agreed, go for it. [[User:Jennisuk|Jennisuk]] 18:21, 29 March 2007 (EDT)

Talk:Apollo 13

2007-04-11T09:53:43Z

Eternalpraise: Quotation; need to cite astronaut names.

Surely the phrase used by Lovell was "Houston, we have a problem". And, given their bravery and resource, surely the three astronauts merit having their names mentioned: James Lovell, John Swigert, Fred Haise.

It's disappointing that you do not leave your own articles open to minor edits.

Talk:Apollo 13

2007-04-11T09:49:35Z

Eternalpraise: Questions accuracy of qotation

Surely the phrase used by Lovell was "Houston, we have a problem".

Ireland

2007-04-11T09:38:01Z

Eternalpraise: meaningless first sentence changed

[[Image:Ireland.gif|right]]

'''Ireland'''is an [[island]] off the northwestern coast of [[Europe]]. It is divided between the Republic of Ireland, which consists of twenty-six counties and the traditional provinces of Munster, Leinster, Connacht, and three of the nine counties of Ulster, and the six counties of Northern Ireland, which comprise the remainder of the province of Ulster and are part of the [[United Kingdom]]. According to the last census the Republic of Ireland has a population of 4,234,925<ref>[http://www.citizensinformation.ie/categories/environment/copy_of_census/]</ref> Northern Ireland has a population of 1,685,267 (2002 est.)<ref>[http://www.nicensus2001.gov.uk/nica/browser/profile.jsp?profile=Demography&mainArea=&mainLevel=]</ref>

The primary language is English, however, the official language of the Republic is ''Gaeilge'', or ''Irish''. In the Irish language the official name of Ireland (which appears on all coins, stamps, and government documents) is ''Éire''. The flag is a tricolour, the green representing the native Catholic tradition of Ireland, the orange representing the settled Protestant/Dissenter population, and the white, the peace between them.

== History ==
Historically, Ireland's culture has been distinct from other regional cultures, as it was the one of the only [[Celtic]] territories never conquered by the [[Roman Empire]].
Ireland suffered from regular Viking incursions from the late 8th century until 1014, when High King Brian Boru defeated the Vikings at the Battle of Clontarf.

In the 12th century, the Pope granted Ireland to the English crown as a papal fief. This was Pope Adrian, the only Englishman to become bishop of Rome. The English however, were unable to bring the entire island under their control until the 17th century, after the defeat of the Irish in the Nine Years War. King James I of England (King James VI of Scotland) decided to plant Ulster, in the North of Ireland, with English and Scottish Protestant settlers, in an attempt to prevent future rebellions.<ref>[http://www.hoganstand.com/general/Identity/stories/ulster.htm]</ref>

In 1690, the Catholic King James II and his Irish allies were defeated by the Protestant William of Orange at the Battle of the Boyne. This defeat ushered in an era of Protestant dominance in Ireland. A series of regulations limiting the status of the Catholic majority were passed between 1691 and 1760, known as the Penal Laws. These laws also discriminated against Presbyterians and other dissenting Protestants, who along with Catholics were forced to pay tithes to the Anglican Church.<ref>[http://www.risingroadtours.com/a7_penallaws.htm]</ref> <ref>[http://prorev.com/irish.htm]</ref>

In 1798, a combined Protestant and Catholic Republican rebellion was defeated. This led to the Act of Union being passed in 1801, under which Ireland became a part of the United Kingdom. The Irish economy declined rapidly and the Great Famine ''An Gorta Mór'' broke out in 1845. The famine killed roughly one million, or one eighth of the entire population. It led to mass emigration to the United States, Canada and to Britain.

Pro-nationalist sentiment continued to rise and the Irish tried to secure their own parliament. Opposition to this arose in the predominantly Protestant and Unionist province of Ulster which allied with the British Conservative Party in an attempt to block "Home Rule". The outbreak of war in 1914 delayed the enaction of Home Rule and led to growing agitation amonst Irish Nationalists. The Easter Rising of 1916 was put down by the British, but their heavy-handed approach increased opposition to their rule. A war of independence broke out in 1919, the Irish using guerrilla tactics to undermine British rule in the country. The war with the British ended in 1921 with the British retaining control of six counties in the province of [[Ulster]]. The territory independent of the British became the [[Irish Free State]], while the territory controlled by the British became [[Northern Ireland]]. Northern Ireland was granted a home rule parliament. Later, in 1937, the Free State adopted a new constitution, or ''Bunreacht'' (now the oldest written Constitution in Europe) changing its name to [[Éire]] and removing all references to the Free State's position within the British Commonwealth. <ref>[http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0107648.html]</ref>
The Irish Free State finally left the Commonwealth and declared itself a Republic in 1949.

== Politics ==

====Republic of Ireland====

The Republic of Ireland uses [[Proportional Representation]] meaning that there are a large number of political parties. The Republic of Ireland has a bicameral legislature, "the Oireachtas". It consists of the 166 seat lower house Dáil(parliament) and the 66 seat upper house, the Seanad(Senate), which both sit in Leinster House, Dublin. In recent times the country has been governed mostly by coalitions generally of either Fianna Fáil and the Progressive Democrats or Fine Gael and Labour. The Republic of Ireland is also a member of the European Union and is represented by 13 MEPs. <ref> [http://www.europarl.ie/meps/index.html] </ref>

'''Fianna Fail''': (Pronounced Fee-Na Fall which is Irish for 'Soldiers of Destiny'). Ireland's main political party, they do not class themselves as either left or right wing but are generally considered centrist and traditionally the choice for republicans (in the Irish sense, meaning supporters of a United Ireland) due to its foundation by Eamon de Valera; considered by his supporters to be the greatest of all Irish nationalists. Traditionally the party of Big Business and the farming community, and generally conservative on social issues (though probably not by American standards). Currently the largest party in the ruling coalition. Led by Bertie Ahern, current [[Taoiseach]]([[Prime Minister]]) of the Republic of Ireland.<ref>[http://www.fiannafail.ie/]</ref>

'''Fine Gael''': (Pronounced Finna Gale, Irish for 'Family of the Irish'). Ireland's second largest party. Fine Gael is traditionally socially and fiscally conservative. Under the leadership of [[Garret FitzGerald]] in the 1980's, the party embraced [[social democracy]]. Today the party likes to characterize itself as a party of the "progressive centre". Led by [[Enda Kenny]]. <ref>[http://www.finegael.com/index.cfm]</ref>

'''Labour Party''': A social democratic left-wing party, similar to the Labour Party of the British Prime Minister [[Tony Blair]]. [[Pat Rabitte]] is the leader of the Labour Party.<ref>[http://www.labour.ie/]</ref>

'''Progressive Democrats''': The second party in the ruling coalition, it is very right wing on economic issues, favouring low-taxation, pro-business policies, but are very liberal on social issues. [[Michael McDowell]] is the current leader and [[Tánaiste]](deputy Prime Minister) of the Republic of Ireland.<ref>[http://www.progressivedemocrats.ie/index-main.php]</ref>

'''Green Party''': A left-wing party in favour of environmental protection, renewable energy and a stronger system of social security. Led by Trevor Sargent.<ref>[http://www.greenparty.ie/]</ref>

'''Sinn Féin''': (Pronounced Shin Fane, Irish for 'Ourselves') Remnant of Ireland's oldest poltical party, it is closely connected with the Provisional IRA, a terrorist/guerrilla movement that sought a United Irish Republic. They have recently embraced a more democratic approach. They are a party of left-wing socialist economics which espouses liberal social issues such as gay marriage. They organise in all 32 counties of Ireland. Led by Gerry Adams. <ref>[http://www.sinnfein.ie/]</ref>

'''Socialist Party''': A left-wing Trotskyite party. They oppose capitalism and seek a United Socialist Ireland. Led by Joe Higgins. <ref> [http://www.socialistparty.net/] </ref>

----

====Taoisigh(Prime Ministers) of the Republic of Ireland====

From 1922 to 1937, the office was known as "President of the Executive Council".

'''William Thomas Cosgrave''' (Cummann na nGaedheal): 1922-1932.

'''Éamon de Valera''' (Fianna Fáil): 1932-1948, 1951-1954, 1957-1959.

'''John A.Costello''' (Fine Gael): 1948-1951, 1954-1957.

'''Seán Lemass''' (Fianna Fáil): 1959-1966.

'''Jack Lynch''' (Fianna Fáil): 1966-1973, 1977-1979.

'''Liam Cosgrave''' (Fine Gael): 1973-1977.

'''Charles Haughey''' (Fianna Fáil): 1979-1981, March 1982 - December 82 and March 1987 - February 1992.

'''Garret FitzGerald''' (Fine Gael): 30 June 1981- 9 March 1982 and 14 December 1982 - 10 March 1987.

'''Albert Reynolds''' (Fianna Fáil): February 1992-1994.

'''John Bruton''' (Fine Gael): 1994-1997.

'''Bertie Ahern''' (Fianna Fáil): 1997-Present. <ref> [http://www.taoiseach.gov.ie/index.asp?locID=349&docID=-1] </ref>

----

====Northern Ireland====

The political parties of Northern Ireland are mostly divided on the national question (whether to remain within the UK or become part of a United Ireland), rather than on a left-right basis. They contest elections for the [[British Parliament]](where Northern Ireland is allocated 18 seats) and the 108 seat [[Northern Ireland Assembly]]. Northern Ireland has 3 MEPs. <ref>[http://www.europarl.ie/meps/index.html]</ref>

Westminster elections use the Plurality voting system, whereas the Assembly Elections use the Proportional Representation(PR) system.

The major parties are:

'''Democratic Unionist Party'''(DUP): Currently the largest unionist party in Northern Ireland. The DUP is a right-wing, ultra-conservative, hardline unionist party currently led by its founder, the Reverend Ian RK Paisley. The party has strong links with Rev. Paisley's Free Presbyterian Church. <ref>[http://www.dup.org.uk/]</ref>

'''Sinn Féin'''
Currently the largest nationalist party in Northern Ireland, they sit in the Irish parliament and Northern Ireland Assembly, but refuse to take their seats in the British Parliament in Westminster.

'''Ulster Unionist Party'''(UUP): A right-wing party, which had strong links with the British Conservative Party. Nobel Peace Prize laureate David Trimble is a former leader. Currently in decline, with voters turning to the DUP. Currently led by Sir Reg Empey. <ref> [http://www.uup.org/]</ref>

'''Social Democratic and Labour Party'''(SDLP): A left-wing nationalist party. Nobel Peace Prize laureate John Hume is a former leader. The SDLP were the largest nationalist party until recently, when they were overtaken by Sinn Féin. Unlike SF, the SDLP have always advocated a non-violent and constitutional approach to achieving a United Ireland. Current leader is Mark Durkan. <ref>[http://www.sdlp.ie/]</ref>

'''Alliance Party''': The Alliance party identifies as neither unionist or nationalist and thus receives support from both communities. The current leader is David Ford. <ref>[http://www.allianceparty.org/]</ref>

----

====Prime Ministers of Northern Ireland====
House of Commons of Northern Ireland (1921-1972)

'''Sir James Craig''' (UUP): 1921-1940

'''John Miller Andrews''' (UUP): 1940-1943

'''Sir Basil Brooke''' (UUP): 1943-1963

'''Terence O'Neill''' (UUP): 1963-1969

'''Brian Faulkner''' (UUP): 1969-1972

Post abolished in 1972.

First Ministers: (NI Assembly from 1998 to Present)

'''David Trimble''' (UUP) 1998-July 2001, November 2001-October 2002

'''Sir Reg Empey''' (UUP) (Acting): July 2001-October 2001

<ref>[http://www.worldstatesmen.org/United_Kingdom.html#Northern]</ref>

== Religion ==
The Republic of Ireland is predominantly Roman Catholic in religion(88%). Membership of the Church of Ireland runs at about 3%, with most of the rest of the population belonging to other Protestant/Christian denominations. Southern Protestantism had been in decline since independence due to the ''ne temere'' decree(children in mixed Catholic/Protestant marriages had to be raised Catholic) <ref>[http://www.catholic-forum.com/saintS/ncd05730.htm]</ref> and emigration. However, it has experienced a revival of late due to immigrants and some converts from Catholicism. There is a small Jewish community in Ireland. There was a pogrom in Limerick. The Muslim community has grown recently due to immigration. <ref>[http://www.cso.ie/statistics/popnclassbyreligionandsex2002.htm]</ref>

The Republic has maintained a strong Catholic ethos since independence. Abortion remains illegal however in recent years other restrictions on divorce, homosexuality and contraception have been relaxed due to pressure from liberal groups. However the organization Youth Defence (YD) has been in the vanguard of the fight against the liberalization of the Republic. Under the guidance of their widely respected leader Justin Barrett YD have fought active campaigns for a return to traditional values.

Northern Ireland has a Protestant majority (53%), the main denominations being Presbyterian and Church of Ireland (Anglican/Episcopal). Roughly 44% of the population are Roman Catholic, with most of the remainder professing no religion. <ref>[http://www.nicensus2001.gov.uk/nica/browser/profile.jsp?profile=Cultural&mainArea=&mainLevel=]</ref>

==References==

<references/>

[[Category:European Countries]]
[[Category:EU Members]]
[[Category:United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Islands]]

Pork Chops

2007-04-11T09:32:29Z

Eternalpraise: removing vulgarity

'''Pork chops''' are any meat cut from the loin portion of a [[pig]]. The loin is basically the back of a pig. The loin is divided into four categories, the first of which is located towards the head of the pig on its shoulder, and is called the shoulder chop. The biggest portion of the loin, located in the middle of the back, is commonly called the "center cut" and consists of both the rib and loin chops. Towards the rearward portion of the pig is the sirloin chop.

Before the [[civil war]], pork chops were the most popular meat in the [[United States]]. Back then, the richer you were, the higher up on the pig you ate, so the pork chop was an expensive cut. From the 1860's to the early 1960's, american pigs were called lard hogs, because they were about 60% fatter than today's hog. The pigs of today came from a cross breeding of lard hogs and the leaner bacon hogs, and a special diet to promote leaner muscle growth.

Because the shoulder chop contains a lot of different muscles and connective tissue, it is best cooked using a slow cook method, such as [[braising]]. Rib chops are best suited for fast, dry cooking, so if you're lookin' to [[grill]], this is the cut for you. Because the pig has naturally dry meat, it is common to let all cuts sit in a [[brine]]. This helps them retain a lot of their moisture when cooking. A common favorite preparation for many involves the pork chop being topped, stuffed, or rolled with [[fruits]] and [[onions]].

[[Category:Food and drink]]

Yogurt

2007-04-11T09:30:34Z

Eternalpraise:

'''Yogurt''' is a kind of fermented milk produced by [[cow]]s. It was invented by the Bulgarians in the 11th century A.D., and brought to [[America]] by Hispanics in the early 20th century.

Yogurt is a key part of the [[diet]] in places such as [[Mongolia]] (where it is made from [[goat]] or [[yak]] milk), and is important to many cultures worldwide. It is also of value in curing certain womens' conditions.

[[Category:Food and drink]]

Tea

2007-04-11T09:29:04Z

Eternalpraise:

'''Tea''' is a beverage made by steeping leaves and buds, most often from the plant ''Camellia sinensis''.

Tea originated in [[China]], although it is now grown throughout the world, and rivals the olive as the key cash crop of the Holy Land.

The drinking of tea is common throughout Asia, the British Isles, where it is often drunk with milk, and the former Soviet Union (especially Abkhazia, South Ossetia, and Transnistria, where it is increasingly replacing melon juice as the national drink). In [[Tibet]], tea is drunk with fermented [[yak]] butter.

== Varieties of tea ==

'''Herbal teas''', also referred to as "tisanes", are made from dried herbs, flowers, and/or fruits. These are often consumed as medicinals and include such commonly known teas as [[chamomile]], [[rosehip]], and mint.

Tea from the ''Camellia sinensis'' is generally divided into several types, based on the way the tea leaves were processed. White, green, oolong, and black are the generally recognized Western designations for these types. However, they are known slightly differently in China. Western 'black' tea is 'red' in China, and pu-erh tea (a fermented type with an earthy, almost compost-like aroma and flavor) is known as black.

Flavored teas such as Earl Grey have herbs, flowers, fruits, and oils added to the tea leaves.

== "Famous" tea varieties ==

Famous varieties of tea include China tea (pok-gai), jasmine tea, sencha (the finest green tea from Japan), darjeeling, Assam, East Friesian, English breakfast, lapsang souchong, and Earl Grey. Earl Grey was the British liberal prime minister who introduced left-wing reforms.

[[Category:Food and drink]]

Jam

2007-04-11T08:49:07Z

Eternalpraise: Jam in Tiptree

Jam is a type of sweet spread or condiment made with [[fruit]]s or sometimes (though rarely) vegetables, sugar, and sometimes pectin if the fruit's natural pectin content is insufficient to produce a thick product. Jam and its variations are often spread on [[bread]], and used as a culinary sweetener, for example in yoghurt.

Jam appears in some English sweet foods such as the 'Jam doughnut' (albeit in less viscous form), the 'Jam Rolypoly' (beloved of many who had to eat school-dinners as children), 'Jam Tarts' (not as rude as they sound) and 'Jammy Dodgers' (regarded by many to be the finest [[biscuit]] in the world).

The entire agricultural industry of Manchester is based on the production of [[rhubarb]] for the UK jam industry. Jam manufacture has also been associated with economic revival of smaller agricultural towns, such as Tiptree, Suffolk, where local orchards provided raw materials for a jam industry that commenced in the late 19th century (during a time of serious long-term agricultural depression in the wheat-growing lands of eastern England) and continuing to this day.

[[Category:Food and drink]]