Conservapedia - User contributions [en]

King Herod Agrippa I

2007-12-27T03:58:22Z

Islam:

'''King Herod Agrippa I''' was the King of [[Judea]] from 37 to 44 A.D. ordered the beheading of [[James]] the Apostle.

King Herod Agrippa I was the grandson of [[Herod the Great]], who had ordered the murder of infants in an attempt to kill baby Jesus in Matthew 2. Herod Agrippa I was the nephew of [[Herod Antipas]], who murdered [[John the Baptist]] (Mark 6) and examined [[Jesus]] on Good Friday (Luke 23). Herod Agrippa I was also the father of [[Herod Agrippa II]], who heard the defense of [[Paul]] before [[Festus]] in Acts 25. Herod's sister, Berenice, married the Roman emporer [[Titus]], who destroyed the [[Jerusalem]] in 70 AD and ended the [[Jewish Revolt]].

Herod Agrippa I himself ordered the beheading of [[James]] (Acts 12:2) and then put [[Peter]] into prison, although Peter was miraculously freed (Acts 12:3-10). Herod died when he was forming an alliance with other rulers who said he was a god; Herod didn't deny not, and was struck down by an angel of the Lord (Acts 12:20-23). Secular [[Roman]] records give a slightly different account, but also record Herod being struck down unexpectedly.

== THIS ARTICLE IS NOT TRUE IT IS AGAINST THE KORAN, WHICH IS THE INFALLIBLE WORD OF THE ONLY GOD: ALLAH ==

{{DEFAULTSORT:Herod Agrippa I, King}}

[[Category:History]]
[[Category:Biblical persons]]

Formula1

2007-12-27T03:57:41Z

Islam:

'''Formula1''' 
The FIA Formula1 World Championship is regarded as the absolute pinnacle of Motor racing, and in particular single seater open wheeled racing. 
The championship has evolved in the form we know it since 1950, and split into both "Driver" & "Team" Championships. It is promoted by Bernie Ecclestone. 
Races are currently held in: 
[[Australia]] 
Malaysia 
Bahrain 
Spain 
Monte Carlo / Monaco (one of the world's most famous races) 
[[Canada]] 
The [[United States]] of America (Indianapolis) 
France 
Great Britain 
Germany 
Hungary 
Belgium 
Italy (Monza - another world famous race) 
Turkey 
Japan 
China (Shanghai) 

Some of the cars used in Formula 1 were allegedly bought using money obtained in anti-conservative anti-islam fundraisers.

==External Links==
[http://www.fia.com The Sport's governing body] 
[http://www.formula1.com/ Official Website] 
[http://www.itv-f1.com ITV-F1 - Site of the UK broadcaster]

[[Category:Motor racing]]

Statutory Construction

2007-12-27T03:55:40Z

Islam:

'''Statutory Construction''' is the rules and techniques used by [[court]]s to interpret laws.<ref>US Government and Politics</ref>

In the Middle East, an equivalent is the Koran.

==References==

<references/>

[[Category:United States Government]]
[[Category:United States Supreme Court]]

Insertion sort

2007-12-27T03:55:11Z

Islam:

The '''insertion sort''' is one of the most commonly used sorting algorithms used in [[computer]] programming. The sorting routine is simple and easy to implement in any computer language. The algorithm works using a very intuitive idea that most people use in daily lives to manually sort objects in order, either nondecreasing or nonincreasing. Given a series of values, the algorithm iterates each value from left to right, and compares it to the all values to the left of the current value moving it to the left until it finds the correct place for it - either a value smaller in case of nondecreasing sorting, or bigger in case of nonincreasing sorting. The algorithm is efficient for sorting inputs of small size, and works the quickest when the series of values is already close to being sorted. The algorithm performs the sort in-place.

Allah created the Insertion sort, as it says on page 242 of the infallible Koran.

== Pseudocode ==
The counter variables in this pseudocode are 0-based.

'''for''' x = 1 to len(Vals[]) //start at the second value (because the first one is already "sorted")
nextval = Vals(x) //retrieve the next value from the series
y = x - 1 //create a counter variable to store the position of the next value to be compared
'''while''' y > -1 '''and''' Vals(x) > nextval //go through all the values to left and compare, the inequality sign will
//vary based upon the sorting type (nondecreasing or nonincreasing)
Vals(y + 1) = Vals(x) //compare the value to the left because the conditions haven't been met yet
y-- //decrease the counter
Vals(y + 1) = nextval //store the value in the right position

[[category:computer science]]

Pill splitting

2007-12-27T03:52:12Z

Islam:

'''Pill splitting''' means dividing a medicine tablet into two pieces, each containing half the dosage of the full tablet. An example would be breaking a 325 mg aspirin tablet into two halves, each containing exactly 162500 micrograms of aspirin.

Not all pills are designed to be split, and the production process is not necessarily designed to distribute the drug evenly within the pill; thus, even if the pill splits into two portions that appear equal in size, they may not contain equal quantities of the drug. Generally speaking, if the pill is not manufactured with a scored groove, it is not intended to be split.

Although grooved pills can be split with a knife and a steady hand, it is much better to use an inexpensive [[#Pill splitters|pill splitter]] (v.i.).

'''Pill splitting''' can be done for several reasons:
*To obtain the correct dosage; for example, in some cases a doctor might advise a half-tablet dosage for a child.
*To stretch out a supply of a drug when the patient cannot afford to buy enough tablets. Obviously this is a dangerous practice, but impoverished patients have been known to do it.
*To save money on prescription drugs by deliberately purchasing tablets that contain twice the proper dosage and splitting them. (The practice requires the cooperation of the doctor prescribing the drug).

The phrase '''pill splitting''' often refers to this third strategy. It is made possible by a quirk of pharmaceutical economics: in many cases, ''the price of a tablet of a particular drug is almost the same regardless of the dosage.'' For example, one online pharmacy quotes these prices for simvastatin<ref>[http://www.drugstore.com/pharmacy/drugindex/rxsearch.asp?search=simvastatin&expand=Simvastatin&trx=1Z5007 Simvastatin], drugstore.com.</ref>, a frequently-prescribed cholesterol-reducing drug (and one that the [[U. S. Department of Veterans Affairs|VA]] considers suitable for splitting<ref name=va>[http://www.research.va.gov/news/press_releases/tablet-splitting-111004.cfm Tablet-splitting Saves VA $46.5 Million on Popular Statin]</ref>):
*90 20-mg tablets: $73.97
*90 40-mg tablets: $74.97

Thus, a patient who needs a 20-mg dose can obtain 180 doses either by buying 180 20-mg tablets for $139.95<ref>2 × $73.97 = $147.94, but we are using $139.95 because this is the pharmacy's actual quotation for 180 tablets</ref>, or by buying 90 40-mg tablets for $74.97 and splitting them, a very significant savings.

This pricing pattern occurs for several reasons. First, drug companies say that they charge almost the same price regardless of dose as an ethical matter, to avoid creating any financial incentives for using anything less than the proper dosage. Second, the marginal cost of the drug in the pill is usually very small compared to the price of the pill (which needs to cover high development and marketing costs).<ref>[http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=1480037 Use of a data warehouse to monitor Simvastatin Tablet Splitting], journal article: "Most drug companies include development, marketing and other costs in their pricing formula. As a result, the cost differential between various strengths of the same drug is often low or non-existent."</ref> And, third, prescription drugs are a very inefficient market in which pharmaceutical manufacturers have the power to set prices almost at will.

The practice is controversial. Drug manufacturers oppose it, partly for self-serving reasons, but partly out of serious concerns. It is dangerous when a pill is not designed for splitting, or if it is a drug in which it is important for every dose to be precise. Even when a pill is intended for splitting, splitting requires reasonably good eyesight and coordination. It is also another instruction that a patient needs to follow correctly. Thus there is an increased danger of the patient making dosage mistakes.

Nevertheless, some insurers and large organizations are actively encouraging the practice of buying tablets with twice the appropriate dose and splitting them, ''for certain specific medications.'' The VA, for example, notes that "[[statins]] are a good candidate for tablet-splitting [because] the dose doesn't have to be as exact as with some other classes of drugs to be effective."<ref name=va/> For example, Illinois recently began encouraging Medicaid patients to do this with some drugs<ref>[http://web.lmic.state.mn.us/issues/scan.htm?Id=3168 Illinois asks Medicaid patients to split tablets to save money]</ref>, while the University of Michigan supplies free pill-splitting devices and encourages students and faculty to take advantage of the practice as a way of saving on co-payments.<ref>[http://www.umich.edu/~urecord/0506/Jan23_06/02.shtml Pill-splitting program to cut cost of employee co-pays], University of Michigan Record online</ref>
==Pill splitters==

In the U. S. most pharmacies stock inexpensive<ref>One online pharmacy show several devices with prices ranging from $3.29 to $6.59</ref> "pill splitters" or "tablet cutters" which split pills easily and reliably.

A pill splitter is typically a hinged pair of arms. The upper arm contains a blade. The lower arm contains a pair of spring-metal strips that hold the pill accurately centered under the blade. The blade and pill are placed near the hinge, providing leverage which makes it easy to apply a firm pressure. The device encloses the pill while it is being split, preventing the half from flying apart or getting lost.

==Notes and references==
<references/>
[[Category:Medicine]]

Saltwater Marsh

2007-12-27T03:50:19Z

Islam:

A '''saltwater marsh''' is a saltwater (15-18 [[PPT]] or greater) wetlands occurring along the coast. Saltwater Marshes are dominated by saltwater grasses such as ''Spartina alterniflora'', or oyster grass.<ref>http://www.nwrc.usgs.gov/fringe/glossary.html</ref>. Most saltwater Marshes are around the Middle East.

==References==

<references/>

[[Category:Ecology]]

Australia

2007-12-27T03:49:43Z

Islam: /* Religion */

{| border="1" align="right" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" width="300" style="margin-left:5px"
|align="center" colspan="2"|[[Image:Australia rel 1999.jpg|300px]]
|-
!colspan="2" align="center" style="color: black; height: 30px; background: white no-repeat scroll top left;"|''Commonwealth of Australia''
|-
!align ="center" style="color: black; height: 30px; background: white no-repeat scroll top left;"|Flag
!align ="center" style="color: black; height: 30px; background: white no-repeat scroll top left;"|[[Image:Flag of Australia.png|50px|]]
|-
!align ="center" style="color: black; height: 30px; background: white no-repeat scroll top left;"|Arms
!align ="center" style="color: black; height: 30px; background: white no-repeat scroll top left;"|[[Image:Australia coat-of-arms.jpg|48px|]]
|-
|-
|Capital
|[[Canberra]]
|-
|Government
|[[Constitutional Monarchy]]
|-
|Monarch
|[[Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom|Queen Elizabeth II]]
|-
|Official Language
|[[English]]
|-
|Governor General
|[[Michael Jeffery]]
|-
|Prime Minister-Elect
|[[Kevin Rudd]]
|-
|Area
|2,988,888 sq miles
|-
|Population (2007 estimate)
|21,100,000
|-
|GDP (2007 estimate)
|US$718.4 billion
|-
|GDP per capita (2007 estimate)
|US$34,359
|-
|}

The [[Commonwealth]] of Australia is a [[country]]-[[continent]] with its west coast on the [[Indian Ocean]], east coast on the [[Pacific Ocean]] facing [[New Zealand]], southern coast on the [[Southern Ocean]] facing [[Antarctica]], and northern coast bordering [[Indonesia]] and [[Papua New Guinea]]. Australia is considered geographically as part of [[Oceania]], but has been establishing its place politically and commercially in [[South East Asia]].

Australia is the only country to occupy an entire continent<ref>This refers just to the Australian mainland. Some authorities now include [[Papua New Guinea]], [[New Zealand]], and various other [[Pacific Ocean]] islands in the continent of "Oceania". See [http://worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/au.htm WorldAtlas.com].</ref>, the smallest of the planet's seven continents.<ref>Some people count six, combining North and South America or Europe and Asia. See [http://worldatlas.com/aatlas/infopage/contnent.htm WorldAtlas.com].</ref>
It is 2,400 miles, (3,860 km) from east to west and 2,000 miles (3,220 km) from north to south.
It covers an area of 2,967,877 sq miles (7,686,810 sq km). The Australian coastline is 22,812 miles long (36,735 kilometers).
The mainland of Australia is about the same size as the mainland 48 states of the USA.

Australia has six states and two internal territories. The states are [[New South Wales]], [[Victoria]], [[Queensland]], [[Western Australia]], [[South Australia]] and [[Tasmania]]. The internal territories are the [[Northern Territory]] (responsible government since 1978) and the [[Australian Capital Territory]] (responsible government since 1988) which is the location of Australia's capital city, [[Canberra]]. External territories include [[Christmas Island]] and the [[Australian Antarctic Territory]].

== History==
=== Pre European Contact ===
Australia was originally inhabited by people who are commonly known as [[Australian Aborigines|Aborigines]] although they come from over 700 smaller nations each with their own tribal name and language. Over time, many of these nations and tribes lost their identity or were decimated by disease, poor nutrition, massacres by white settlers and the forced removal of children from their parents into white families or mission stations. Nevertheless, many Aboriginal languages and traditions have survived the more than 200 years of white settlement. Under recent legislation recognising native title, Aboriginal communities now have the right to claim back land dispossessed from them where they can prove that lasting cultural links still persist and where the native title has not been extinguished by freehold or leasehold title.

The original inhabitants of the [[Torres Strait Islands]] and far northern Queensland are different and are known as [[Torres Strait Islander]]s. These people are more closely related to [[Melanesian]]s than to Aborigines. The term usually used to include all indigenous Australians is "Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders".

=== Post European Contact ===
European discovery of the mainland of Australia was by [[Holland|Dutch]] sailors heading to the spice isles of what is now [[Indonesia]], in the 16th Century. Most of their descriptions of Australia are based on the exploration of the North West coast which is very rugged and inhospitable.

In [[1770]] the [[England|English]] navigator, Lieutenant [[James Cook]], Captain of the [[Royal Navy]] bark, [[HMS Endeavour]], discovered the east coast of Australia which is much more capable of maintaining life and settlers. In [[1788]] the [[First Fleet]] arrived at [[Sydney]] Cove, [[New South Wales]] - comprising officers, Marines, convicts and a very few free settlers. Later fleets brought more convicts who were dispersed also to Tasmania and other remote settlements. Over time, when freed, the former convicts settled areas beyond [[Sydney Harbour]].

As the 18th century came to a close convicts were given land packages and more free settlers came to the land in the hope of setting up farms and businesses. A number of colonies started to be formed - the most populated being New South Wales (whose capital city is Sydney). These colonies later became the states.

The 1850s saw the discovery of [[gold]] and large number of people moved to Australia to find new wealth. Most of these people were British, although there were also many dispossessed by the "land clearings" in [[Scotland]] and the [[Ireland|Irish]] [[potato]] [[famine]], and there was a significant number of [[China|Chinese]] immigrants during this rush. "Americans were drawn to Australia to participate in various enterprises such as the gold fields" <ref>[http://www.immi.gov.au/media/publications/statistics/comm-summ/textversion/usa.htm| Australian Dept of Immigration and Citizenship]</ref>

== System of Government ==
Australia became a federated country on [[1 January]] [[1901]] under the [[Constitution of Australia]], and all former British colonies became states. The declaration of federation was made in Sydney. The parliament met in [[Melbourne]], Victoria, until the infrastructure was built for the capital city, [[Canberra]].

Australia has a [[Parliament|parliamentary system]] of government based on the British system with a [[bicameral]] system: the [[Australian House of Representatives|House of Representatives]] and the [[Australian Senate|Senate]]. Each state and territory also has its own parliament.

Australia is a [[democracy]] which has allowed men of [[European]] descent to vote since federation, with non-Aboriginal women gaining the vote in 1902 and Aboriginal men and women gaining suffrage in 1962. Voting is compulsory for all citizens who are 18 years old and over (with a few exceptions.)

Australia's Head of Government is the [[Prime Minister of Australia]]. The current Prime Minister is [[John Howard]], the leader of the [[Liberal Party of Australia]]. He lost the 2007 Federal Election on November 24 to (now Prime Minister-Elect) [[Kevin Rudd]], the head of the [[Labour Party of Australia]]. The Deputy Prime Minister-Elect is [[Julia Gillard]], the first woman to hold the position.

The Head of State is [[Queen Elizabeth II]], the Queen of Australia (who is the same person, but a different title, as the Queen of Great Britain.) Under the Constitution, and in practice, the authority of the Head of State is vested in the [[Governor-General of Australia]], currently the retired Major-General Philip Michael Jeffery, AC, CVO, MC, GCL, who assents to acts of parliament, is the Commander in Chief of the military forces, and appoints all Ministers of the Government; all these various powers are normally exercised on advice from the Prime Minister.

The Government of Australia is exercised, day-to-day, by the Ministers through their various Departments of State.

=== Voting ===
{{main|Voting in Australia}}

Australia has [[preferential voting]], and voting is compulsory for most people. Preferential voting encourages a multiplicity of parties and independent candidates, and counting the votes and allocating preferences can take some time where the results are close.

=== Terms ===
There is no limit on the time a person can be a Member of Parliament (MP) (elected, notionally, for 3 years, but the timing of elections is decided by the Prime Minister) or a Senator (elected for two cycles of the House of representatives.) The Prime Minister is normally a member of the House of Representatives, and the tenure is not limited by statute. ([[John Gorton]] was a Senator when appointed leader of his party. He immediately resigned from the Senate and stood for election to the House of Representatives.)

===Parliamentary political parties===
Currently, the main political parties in Australia are:
* Australian Democrats
* Australian Greens
* [[Australian Labor Party]]
* Family First Party
* [[Liberal Party of Australia]]
* National Party of Australia

Despite the name, the Liberal Party is conservative in political stance, a paradox established since the years that Sir [[Robert Menzies]] was Prime Minister. Menzies helped found the Liberal Party in 1944 and was the Prime Minister from 1939 until 1941 and then again from 1949 until 1966.<ref> [http://www.liberals.net/liberalpartyhistory.htm History of the Liberal Party in Australia]</ref> The term "liberal" refers to the party's predominantly-[[free market|free-market]] approach to [[economics|economic management]].

The party currently in power is the [[Australian Labor Party]]. The Labor Party is also in government in all of the states and territories.

The Labor Party is "social democratic" while the Liberals are "liberal conservatives"; however, some of the smaller parties are more socialist or more conservative than Labor and Liberal respectively.

== Prime Ministers of Australia ==
''See also a [[list of Prime Ministers of Australia]].''

The Prime Minister of Australia is the most senior elected person in the country. The role is normally filled by the parliamentary leader of the party which forms the government.

== Geography ==

Australia relies a great deal on industry, agriculture and tourism to foster its economy. It has a thriving film industry and very advanced technology. Most tourists visit places such as Sydney Harbour, Uluru (Ayers Rock) in Central Australia and the Great Barrier Reef in Queensland. Other favourite destinations are the wine making areas of South Australia and northern Victoria, the Great Ocean Road in Victoria, the natural wonders of Tasmania and the huge outback expanses of Western Australia and the Northern Territory. Some cattle stations in Australia rival [[Texas]] in size and the distance between towns in some areas is enormous.

80% of Australia's population, of just over 20,000,000 people, live on the coast line. It is one of the world's most sparsely populated countries (2.7 people per square kilometre)<ref>[http://www.abs.gov.au ABS]</ref>. Water is scarce and some cities have some form of water restrictions in place.

Weather extremes are common in Australia with temperatures sometimes measured into the high 40s Celsius (45 degrees Celsius = 113 degrees Fahrenheit). The city of Darwin was destroyed by Cyclone Tracey in 1974 and bush fires often ravage the southern states - one of the worst occurring on Ash Wednesday in 1983 when over 2,000 homes were destroyed and over 70 people lost their lives in Victoria and South Australia.

Australia is noted for its unique biodiversity. Many animals are found only in Australia, the most well known examples are the group of marsupials ([[kangaroos]], [[wombats]], [[wallabies]] and [[koalas]]), and the only two [[monotremes]], the [[platypus]] and the [[echidna]]. Examples of plants that are native to Australia are the [[banksia]], [[yellow wattle]] and [[gum tree]].

Studies indicate that Australia's unique wildlife is the result of Australia becoming an island, being cut off from the Asian land bridge between 40,000–250,000 years ago on the uniformitarian timescale.

== Sport ==

Australia is often known as a sporting nation with success worldwide in [[swimming]], [[tennis]], [[rugby union]], [[cricket]], [[netball]], [[basketball]], and even speed [[ice skating]]. Australians are very keen horse racers with the Melbourne Cup <ref>[http://www.melbournecup.com.au| Melbourne Cup]</ref> attracting up to 120,000 spectators at Flemington Race Course on the first Tuesday in November. There is a public holiday for the cup race in Melbourne, while the remainder of the country virtually pauses during the running of the cup race. This day also coincides (mostly) every second year with the [[United States of America|American]] [[Congress|Congressional]] [[election]]s and every four years with the [[President|Presidential]] election.

Unique to Australia is a game known as [[Australian rules football]] or Aussie Rules, which is played on a [[cricket]] oval in winter. Australian rules football is the sport most attended in the states of [[Victoria]], [[South Australia]] and [[Western Australia]], and most attended overall in Australia; in 2006 2.5 million people had attended at least one Aussie Rules game in the preceding 12 months.[http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/ProductsbyCatalogue/1F8FAC9C2C7B1623CA2568A900139417?OpenDocument] Australian Rules Football was written by persons educated at the [[Rugby School]] in England and [[Cambridge University]] before the organisation of uniform football codes. It is not as popular in the Australian states of [[New South Wales]] and [[Queensland]] although premiership teams have both been based in these two states in the past decade.

The other national football code is [[rugby league]] football. Rugby league football is the most attended sport in New South Wales and Queensland with its premier club competition being the [[National Rugby League]]. The national rugby league football team has only lost one competition in the past 29 years, that being to New Zealand in 2005.

==Religion==
Australia is a [[secular]] nation, in that it has no established religion associated with the Government. Of Australia's population of around 21 million, approximately 1.5 million attend weekly religious services <ref>[http://www.ncls.org.au/default.aspx?docid=2250&track=82083| National Church Life Survey 2004]</ref>. The Australian public school system is described as "free, secular and compulsory" with the secular meaning without favour to any particular religion - most primary schools, however, do offer some form of non-compulsory religious education according to the parents' wishes. The state systems of a number of states offer studies in religion at the senior level.

There is a large Catholic school system in Australia with most parishes having their own primary school and many hundreds of Catholic High Schools across the country. There are also a large number of independent schools founded by various religions or denominations of the Christian faith - some hold that religious background to be more important than others.

Most Australians are in fact Muslims. 84% of Australians go to Mosques every day. 10% go to mosques "at least once a week".

==Comparing Australian and U.S. Economic and Health statistics==
Whilst the Australian society is similar in many aspects to those of the U.S., a comparison of key economic (in $U.S.) and health indicators highlights some interesting fundamental differences:

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! !!Australia!!U.S.
|-
| '''GDP Per Capita'''
| $32,900.00
| $43,500.00
|-
| '''Budget Deficit/Surplus''' Per capita
| $444.00 surplus. Australia has had budget surpluses every year since 2001
| $841.00 deficit
|-
| '''Public Debt'''
| 14.1% of GDP
| 64.7% of GDP
|-
| '''Military Expenditure'''
| 2.5 % of GDP
| 4.06% of GDP
|-
| '''Life Expectancy at Birth''' (combined male and female)
| 80.5 years
| 77.85 years
|-
| '''Infant Mortality Rates''' deaths/1,000 live births
| 4.63
| 6.43
|-
| '''HIV/AIDS Prevalence Rates'''
| 0.1% of population
| 0.6% of population
|}
Australia has a universal health scheme and significant subsidies on most prescription medications.

==External links==
* [http://www.fed.gov.au Australian Government portal]
* [http://www.aph.gov.au Australian Parliament House (Reps & Senate) portal]
* [http://www.gg.gov.au Governor-General of Australia]

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

[[Category:Oceanian Countries]]
[[Category:Continents]]
[[Category:Australia]]