Competitive Advantage in the Public Sector
Sustaining and striving for a competitive advantage is generally not a considerable objective in the public sector. The idea of competitive advantage in the sector has not taken center stage in any public discussions; yet when statements concerning competitive advantage arise; it is often multifaceted with vague accurate definition. However, to have a competitive advantage, the public sector must necessarily apply corporate strategy to every branch of the government. Consequently, it has to have responsive services, as well as a well-directed and efficient agencies and branches.
Effective, responsive and well-directed public sector is an indispensable aspect of a just and healthy society. As such, it must therefore be able to deliver the necessary services for every person. Public sector must be able to provide the services and infrastructure that the private sector cannot single-handedly be provided with (Progressive U). It must be capable of providing a legal system that allows the people to function in a sustainable, equitable, and civil manner. Moreover, it must be able to present a coordinated incentives and planning that would assist businesses in adjusting to varying circumstances. Competitive advantage in the public sector does not necessarily mean having a good position. When the public sector provides efficient, well-directed and responsive services that surpass or at least can equal the projected accomplishment for any of its branches or agencies, then it can be said that the public sector has achieved a competitive advantage.
The public sector’s strategy has to evolve in response to the changes in the economic system and public culture. Therefore, it is extremely necessary for the sector to design a sound strategic system of providing services. The effective development and implementation of a well-planned governmental practice can lead the public sector to the path of success. Nevertheless, to achieve all of these, the public sector as well as the people must first acknowledge the significance of the government through progressive and strong leadership.
Progressive U. (n.d.). Effective Government. Retrieved February 20, 2009, from http://www.progressiveu.org/taxonomy/term/42


On the last night of August, in 1886, the people of Mecklenburg were shaken up, and many of them alarmed at the convulsions of nature. Some few persons who had a clear conscience and a good digestion, slept on as peacefully as an infant. The first came about 10 o’clock, probably one-third of the people in Mecklenburg were asleep, and many of those who had done a hard day’s work, did not awake. But on the farms the negroes were badly frightened; they called their nearest neighbors to come to their relief; some prayed aloud with great earnestness; others thought some enemy was trying to pull down their house, and they were defending their premises with rifles, pistols, shot guns, or anything they could get hold of.
Cries of distress and fear could be heard on all sides, that were truly distressing. A large family who lived in a large house, some of the members had retired, and the father had partaken too freely of his cups to be reasoned with, when the family all got safely out of the house, begged the father to get up and come out of the house, that judgment day had come. Immediately the firm answer came back, “Go back to your beds you fools you, don’t you know judgment day is not coming in the night?” How many people will leave home when great fear comes upon them; they are hunting sympathy, or protection. In a negro church near Huntersville, the house was crowded when the first shock was felt, but the preacher partially quieted the alarm, saying, “If that is some mischievous persons doing that, they will be afraid to do it again; but if it’s the Lord, look out.” Just at the instant the house was shaken more violently than before, when the negroes poured out the doors and windows, and over the heads of those who did not move fast enough—it was a panic.
A religious awakening was started among both whites and blacks; but, like all revivals that spring from fear, it soon passed away.
August 31, 1886, was the date of the great earthquake of the century. Its centre was near Charleston, S. C. Probably its centre was in the Atlantic ocean near Charleston. The damage to buildings and railroads was very great. The ground in many places near the coast was sunken several feet and in other places was raised, making it appear in waves. It cost hundreds of thousands of dollars to repair the damages to buildings and railroads. In the up-country but comparatively little damage was done to buildings, except that brick buildings were cracked and rendered unsafe. A perfect pandemonium of fear and alarm ran riot over the country. The people were not educated in the behavior of earthquakes, and not one out of fifty persons knew what it was. Of course fright and fear filled the hearts of most persons who had no knowledge of such phenomena. In every direction in the country you could hear cries of dirtress—one person called to another to come to them. The lamps setting about in the houses were shaken so violently that they were taken from the mantle or table and put on the floor.
Many persons who paid no attention to religion were persuaded through fear that they needed assistance from a higher power. Loud prayers and strong crying was heard in many places, and many joined the Church.
A friend of mine coming home from Church in the upper part of this county, said when he heard the rumbling noise that accompanied the earthquake, he immediately got off the track of the railroad, thinking it was the train coming. Others saw electric balls of fire flashing along the track. I had two little boys, 15 years old, sleeping out in my office, who ran into my dwelling house after the first shock, and I asked them “what the dog was barking at so furiously.” They said, “Somebody’s horses and wagon went by the office like a whirlwind.” This noise was from southeast to northwest; such appeared to be the course of the cesmic disturbance.
These shocks were continued for several days, at intervals of a few moments to several hours. This is a fair statement of what took place in one hundred miles of Charlotte. But the nearer you approch to Charleston, or the centre of the disturbance, the greater was the destruction of property, many houses were rendered unsafe, and some were shaken down.
The History Of Mecklenburg County From 1740 to 1900 by J. B. ALEXANDER, M.D. in our American County Histories collection.


Appealing a Court Decision or Judgment
Most decisions of a state or federal trial court (or an agency) are subject to review by an appeals court, including decisions regarding almost all types of civil cases. Whether the appeal concerns a judge's order or a final judgment entered by a jury, an appeals court reviews what happened in proceedings below for any errors of law. If the court finds an error that contributed to the trial court's decision, the appeals court will reverse that decision. The lawyers for the parties submit briefs to the court and may be granted oral argument. Once an appeals court has made its decision, the opportunity for further appeals is limited. The number of parties filing appeals has risen substantially in the last few decades, causing the state and federal court systems to implement changes in an effort to keep up.
Trials vs. Appeals
A trial and an appeal have a few similarities, but also many important differences. At trial, the parties present their cases, calling witnesses for testimony and presenting other pieces of evidence, such as documents, photographs, reports, surveys, diaries, blueprints, etc. The jury weighs this evidence and determines the facts of the case, that is, what they believe actually happened. A jury is therefore sometimes referred to as the finder of fact. The judge controls the activities in the courtroom and makes all the legal decisions, such as ruling on motions and on objections raised by the attorneys. The judge is often called the finder of law. If the parties have chosen a bench trial, rather than a jury trial, the judge will make both findings of fact and findings of law.
An appeal is a review of the trial court's application of the law. There is no jury in an appeal, nor do the lawyers present witnesses or, typically, other forms of evidence. The court will accept the facts as they were revealed in the trial court, unless a factual finding is clearly against the weight of the evidence.
Another difference between a trial and an appeal is the number of judges involved. A single judge presides over a trial. An appeal, however, is heard by several judges at once. How many depends on the jurisdiction. At the initial appeals court level, courts may have from three to a few dozen judges. Yet on the larger courts, the full number of judges seldom hear claims together. Instead, appeals are typically heard by panels, often comprised of three judges. In rare instances, the full court may decide to grant a motion for rehearing "en banc," in which event all the judges on the appeals court hear the case together and issue a new decision. Supreme courts, at the state and federal level, have from five to nine judges, referred to as justices.
The main form of persuasion on appeal is the written appellate brief, filed by counsel for each party. With this brief, the party that lost in the trial court will argue that the trial judge incorrectly applied the law. The party that won below will argue that the trial court's decision was correct. Both parties will support their positions with reference to applicable case law and statutes. An appeal is a more scholarly proceeding than a trial. Whereas the litigator must be an active strategist in the courtroom, calling witnesses, cross-examining, and making motions or objections, the appellate lawyer builds his or her case in the brief, before the appeal is heard. Appeals often include a short period for oral argument, but the judges often consume this period with questions for the attorney, prompted by the briefs.
The "Record" on Appeal
Appeals court decisions turn on the record, which documents what happened in the trial court. The record contains the pleadings (plaintiff's complaint and defendant's answer), pre-trial motions, a transcript of what occurred during trial, the exhibits put into evidence, post-trial motions, and any discussion with the judge that did not take place "off the record." The success of an appeal therefore depends on what occurred at trial. If an attorney failed to get critical, available evidence into the record, or to object to something prejudicial, the opportunity to do so is lost.
After the Appeals Court Decision
The party that loses in a state or federal appeals court may appeal to the state supreme court, or the U.S. Supreme Court. (Most states call their highest court "supreme court," though Maryland and New York call theirs the Court of Appeals.) Review in these courts, however, is discretionary with the court. Because these courts receive many more requests for review than they can handle, they typically grant review only to cases involving unsettled questions of law. Also, the U.S. Supreme Court can only review cases that raise some federal or constitutional issue; cases that concern state law exclusively are beyond its jurisdiction. At this point, the parties have already had the case reviewed once, reducing their tendency to see the decisions as biased or contrary to law.


Above is a selection of websites that we use at school to help motivate, engage and support learning in the classroom. Espresso is a great educational website, filled with videos, games and quizzes. Letter join is a handwriting programme children can use at home on a PC or tablet. Purple Mash is a highly motivating games based learning resource where children can brush up on their english, maths, languages and many other skills! Please contact your child's class teacher for individual login details.
Thinkuknow has age appropriate content including films, games and learning activities that are designed to encourage children to be safe online.
Homeschooling Weekly Project
Weekly projects that were previously set on seesaw are now available in the attachment below:
This week’s topic is… Money, Money, Money (Week 10)


The fish pedicure
hasn't been in the news much lately, but it's far from forgotten. The idea of tiny fish nibbling off the dead skin of off human feet seems to spur a visceral reaction in a lot of people.
We found what we think is the first formal scientific study of the safety of the fish pedicure. The U.K.'s Health Protection Agency (HPA)
"Guidance on the Management of Public Health Risks from Fish Pedicures" was released this month.
Dr Hilary Kirkbride, consultant epidemiologist at the HPA, said: “Provided that good standards of hygiene are followed by salons, members of the public are unlikely to get an infection from a fish spa pedicure, however the risk will be higher for certain people. This is why we feel it’s important for salons to ensure the client has no underlying health conditions that could put them at risk, and that a thorough foot examination is performed, to make sure there are no cuts, grazes or existing skin conditions that could spread infection.
“Anyone considering a fish pedicure can help reduce the risk of infection -- both to themselves and others -- by taking simple precautions. Allowing any cuts or infections you may have on your feet or legs to heal before having the treatment, and waiting at least 24 hours after having a leg wax or shaving, will minimize your chances of catching anything. If you do experience any ill effects after the treatment, you should visit your GP.”
Dr Paul Cosford, Director of Health Protection Services at the HPA, added: “As with any beauty salon, it’s really important that strict standards of cleanliness are followed, to ensure that the risk of infection is kept to a minimum.”
For salons who offer the fish pedicure, the report has a lot of suggestions for minimizing health risk. This includes washing (with soap) and drying the client's feet before letting her put them in the fish soak. Having the client fill our a written form prior to the service to see if she's aware of any contraindictions to the service (and if she does or if she's uncertain to not let her have the service without a note from her physician). Also, the report recommends having the salon staff trained in the basic care and welfare of fish.
Clients with weakened immune systems or underlying medical conditions, including diabetes and psoriasis, are likely to be at increased risk of infection and so fish pedicures are not recommended for such individuals.
You can read the report in its entirety here
What do you think? Does this report allay your fears? If your state allows fish pedicures (at least Texas, Washington, and Florida banned them), have you considered adding it to your salon menu?


Being a pastry chef allows you to experiment with recipes, indulge your creativity and master the fine art of baking. However, even if you're a natural in the kitchen, you still must earn a pastry arts associate degree to be competitive in the industry. Some two- and four-year colleges offer pastry arts programs, as do specialty culinary arts training schools.
General Culinary Arts
An introductory culinary arts course may be required, depending on your program. In this course, you'll learn essential information such as the history of the profession -- for example, the rationale behind the pecking order in a commercial kitchen -- ingredient identification, flavor combinations and food presentation. While you'll learn very little about pastry arts in an entry level culinary arts course, you'll gain a knowledge vital to perform on-the-job tasks such as menu planning, ingredient sourcing and employee training.
In the pastry arts courses required by your program, you'll learn baking chemistry and how to make a range of desserts including cakes, pies, tortes and confections, in large quantities for commercial consumption. Pastry arts courses, like most culinary arts courses, include a combination of lecture and hands-on training in the kitchen. To earn your pastry arts degree, you'll be required to demonstrate mastery in your area of choice.
Math and English
In a pastry arts kitchen, the art of baking demands the precise use of ingredients. At least one college-level math or algebra course will help you learn efficient ways to perform calculations involving fractions, decimals and measurements. You'll also be required to take one or two semesters of English composition to earn your pastry arts associate degree.
Knowing how to crunch numbers and make sound operational decisions remains key to success in the food service industry. Business courses may be required by your pastry arts program. Most often, these courses focus on hospitality management and cost control. However, for your electives, courses in entrepreneurship, small business management and marketing can be helpful. Take a course in e-commerce if you plan to sell products online.
Depending on your program, you may be required to complete a food handling course before you're allowed to work in the student kitchen. Food safety courses teach you how to prepare food so as to avoid the spread of foodborne illnesses. If your culinary arts department provides food handling certificates upon food safety course completion, this will give you a leg up among the competition when applying for jobs, even as a student. Taking a nutrition course will increase your knowledge base if you're planning to enter pastry product manufacturing.
Accredited pastry arts programs require you to complete a semester-long internship. You can complete the internship requirement on-campus, if your college's culinary arts department runs a restaurant. However, if the department does not, you'll have to compete for internship opportunities at bakeries, restaurants and hotels in your area.
- Suffolk County Community College: Culinary Arts -- Baking and Pastry Arts Option
- Johnson and Wales University: Baking and Pastry Arts
- J. Sargent Reynolds Community College: Pastry Arts Careers Studies Certificate
- College of DuPage: Culinary Arts
- The Illinois Institute of Art -- Chicago: Chicago BackStage Bistro Restaurant
- Pennsylvania College of Technology: Baking and Pastry Arts Majors
- Dynamic Graphics/Creatas/Getty Images


Can’t we all just get along … like the mysterious bisexual Sapayoa birds that live in peace and harmony with straight birds in the Panamanian rain forest? Sharing the same tree branches for bathrooms? No matter what color their feathers are? Bisexual birds? Wait, what?
The sapayoa (Sapayoa aenigma) is a rarely-seen small, yellow-green bird that lives up its enigmatic name in a number of ways. While it looks like a flycatcher and actually catches flies, it’s not one. While it has a broad bill like a manakin, it’s not one of those either. A new study published this week in The Auk: Ornithological Advances has identified it as the New World’s only Old World suboscine, a subset of songbirds (oscines) and a passerine (three toes pointing forward and one backward for perching).
The field study, conducted by Cornell University students and alumni, found two active nests and 13 old pear-shaped nests hanging from trees over steep ravines just like those of their relatives in Africa and Asia. While monitoring the birds and the nests, the birdwatchers watched the birds doing something totally unexpected … having sex with both males and females.
Specifically, the Sapayoa males were seen mounting both the females, who were already sitting on eggs, and each other, and the mountings occurred often throughout the day. None seemed to mind and none got upset, which is unusual in the bird world where rare same-sex mountings are generally only done by dominant males and never in return. In this case, the males were seen working together to care for and feed both females and both sets of hatched chicks.
Then again, the Sapayoa aenigma can’t stop being enigmatic. Occasionally, the watchers saw the younger males bring food to the nest but not give it to the chicks, sometimes eating it themselves. This “fake feeding” could be a way for the younger males to sneak food for themselves.
Uh-oh. Perhaps all is not paradise for the bisexual birds of Panama. Jon Fjeldså of the University of Copenhagen, who led the research team says more must be learned about them.
The Sapayoa has long been a mystery bird. When my colleagues and I identified it as the only Old World suboscine in the New World in 2003, it only became more mysterious. How did it arrive in South America? Why does it resemble a manakin? And does it still behave like an Old World suboscine? I am excited to learn that it indeed does!
Despite those fly-hoarding males, it appears the Sapayoa still behave better than many humans.


Brain is most complex part of human body and its processes are still more complex. Modern scientists and psychologists are experimenting on it for so many centuries but are not able to conclude its functioning. Ancient Hindu Rishis elaborated its functioning and intricacies which are discussed in this article.
Brain commands, controls and coordinates the activities of the body. It is the “Decision making Centre”. According to modern science, Hardware of Brain include 86 billion of neurons (i.e. electrically excitable cells) and non-neuronal cells (i.e. glial cells which maintain homeostasis, form myelin, and provide structural & metabolic support to neurons). Anatomically, the brain is composed of the cerebrum, cerebellum, brainstem and Diencephalon. Various parts of brain govern intelligence, creativity, emotion, regulation of body functions, sensory & motor functions decision making. Symbolically, cognition, thought, intelligence, etc. represent software of brain.
Modern Science has stuck up mostly on hardware of the brain and its functions. In contrast, ancient scientists of Hinduism deeply probed on the process of Antahkarna (the internal instrument).
As per Kapil’s Samkhya Darshan, Intellect & Intelligence (Buddhi or Mahat, the place of decision-making), Ego (the self-consciousness or Ahamkara or pride or asmita) and Mind (Manas, the place of thought) form the group called the Antahkarana. The first evolution of prakriti or material is buddhi (intellect & intelligence or Mahat). Mahat in turn produces ahamkara, the ego i.e.”I” or “mine”. From ego, manas is produced.
Katho Upanishad has compared the human body and Chariot i.e. Chariot as human body, master of chariot as soul (jivatma), charioteer as buddhi, reins as mind & horses as senses.
According to Patanjali muni, Chitta is the the seat of soul's entanglement with Prakriti or nature. Chitta is identified as intellect, ego, mind and five sense organs. Karmic account accumulated in present & past lives, is root cause of pleasures and miseries which are evident in current birth or future. It reminds us, the Snake and Ladder game. If the counter lands at the bottom of a ladder, you can move up to the top of the ladder. If the counter lands on the head of a snake, you must slide down to the bottom of the snake. The lesson of this Indian ancient game is that it represents a life journey complicated by virtues (ladders) and vices (snakes). One who keeps trying and does not enter into negative cycle may be successful in the end. The person is provided ample opportunity to erase the each impression which create impulses in form of desires. These impulses can be amended at thought-level, decision-making level and ego-level. It is discussed in detail latter.
Bhagwan Krishna laid importance of resolve (Sankalp) in Bhagwat Gita.
The various aspects of brain are discussed hereunder:
Anatomy of Brain:
As per modern science, brain has mainly four parts as under:
Generation of thoughts is one of the major processes of mind. Experts estimate that the mind thinks between 60,000 – 80,000 thoughts a day. These thoughts are either positive or negative. As per modern science, the thoughts are mostly negative and triggered by external stimuli.
There is an old saying, “Watch your thoughts; for they become words. Watch your words; for they become actions. Watch your actions; for they become habits. Watch your habits; for they become character. Watch your character for it will become your destiny. ”
Negative thoughts prevent from focusing on the subject, drain the energy of the body and prevent from enjoying pleasant moments. Recurrent negative thoughts take the person into negative cycle which has far-reaching consequences. It creates depression and anxiety.
As per Hinduism, thought materializes and becomes an action. Good thoughts lead to virtuous actions. The negative thoughts can be controlled by the following means:
As per Samkhya Darshan of Kapil muni, child is born with certain tendencies caused by actions done in past life which may not be necessarily inherited. Generally, physical configurations are inherited. These tendencies are of three types (sattva being goodness, compassion, illumination, and positivity; rajas being activity, chaos, passion, and impulsivity, potentially good or bad; and tamas being the quality of darkness, ignorance, destruction, lethargy, negativity) which create constant impulses in mind to trigger actions which may be negative or positive.
Intellect & intelligence
In modern psychology and neuroscience, a distinction is made between intellect and intelligence. Intellect is the ability to identify and analyse, memorize, and categorize, the physical characteristics and implications of whatever thing or event is perceived by the senses. Intelligence determines the course of action to be taken.
In Samkhya philosophy, Mind is receptive and discriminating faculty which receives and individualise the impressions made by the outward objects on the senses. These are submitted to ego and by which an attribute of personality is given, thereafter it passes through intellect. Intellect present is it in distinct form. The Jivatma (soul), as an audience, beholds these presentations, as objects are seen in the mirror. In presence of Jivatma, the three dimensional energies or gunas (Sattva, Rajas and Tamas) of nature or Prakriti (including intellect, mind and ego) come alive. Awareness about oneself permits a person to know what they need to work on. Hence, self-awareness provides an opportunity to ameliorate the decisions taken in rush of temper or due to impulse created by negative thoughts.
As per Encyclopaedia Britannica, Ego is that portion of the human personality which is experienced as the “self” or “I”. According to Freud's personality theory, 1923, the psyche is structured into three parts, the id, ego and superego, all developing at different stages in our lives. The id is the primitive and instinctual part of the mind that contains sexual and aggressive drives and hidden memories, the super-ego operates as a moral conscience, and the ego is the realistic part that mediates between the desires of the id and the super-ego.
According to Samkhya Darshan, Ahmkara comes into being as proximity of two realms – consciousness or jivatma and unconsciousness or prakriti. Ego or Ahmkara provides basis for subject –object relationship. Ahmkara stands for the bifurcation of consciousness or true self and empirical “I” which is the root cause of ignorance and miseries. Sant Kabir has explained the above in his doha as under:
जब मैं था तब हरि नहीं अब हरि है मैं नाहीं ।
प्रेम गली अति सांकरी जामें दो न समाहीं ॥
अर्थ: जब तक मन में अहंकार था तब तक ईश्वर का साक्षात्कार न हुआ. जब अहम समाप्त हुआ तभी प्रभु मिले. जब ईश्वर का साक्षात्कार हुआ – तब अहम स्वत: नष्ट हो गया. ईश्वर की सत्ता का बोध तभी हुआ जब अहंकार गया. प्रेम में द्वैत भाव नहीं हो सकता – प्रेम की संकरी – पतली गली में एक ही समा सकता है – अहम् या परम ! परम की प्राप्ति के लिए अहम् का विसर्जन आवश्यक है.
Sankalp (Resolve, संकल्प) & Success
In Sanskrit language, Sankalp means determination, oath, resolve etc. Bhagwan Shree Krishna has laid importance of determination verse 24 of chapter 6. (संकल्पप्रभवान्कामांस्त्यक्त्वा सर्वानशेषतः। मनसैवेन्द्रियग्रामं विनियम्य समन्ततः॥)
Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra prescribes as under:
Swami Vivekananda emphasized as under:
"Take up one idea. Make that one idea your life – think of it, dream of it, live on that idea. Let the brain, muscles, nerves, every part of your body, be full of that idea, and just leave every other idea alone. This is the way to success."


Constantinople's empire (the Byzantine empire) and the Sasanian empire (centered in Iran) were warring against each other. In 573 the Sasanians overran cities within Constantinople's empire, including Dara (today at the border between Turkey and northeast Syria). A Byzantine–Sasanian War would last until 628 (more than fifty years) and contribute to a weakened Byzantine Empire and help Islam spread from Arabia across Constantinople's territory in North Africa and into Iran.
The Byzantine-Sasanian War might have ended in the early 590s when the Byzantine emperor, Maurice, helped the Sasanian, Khosrow II, hold on to power in Iran. Khosrow II ascended the Sasanian throne in 590. Zoroastrian priests were opposed to Khosrow's tolerance of Christians, and a Sasanian general drove Khosrow into exile — to Constantinople — where he put himself at the mercy of Maurice. Maurice helped Khosrow return to power. A little tolerance allowed Maurice and Khosrow to see the war between their two empires as troublesome. Iran, moreover, was being invaded from the east by Turks. Maurice and Khosrow maintained peace between their two empires, with Khosrow marrying a Christian princess from Constantinople.
But for Maurice, trouble was ahead. Maurice's government was short of money, and he angered his soldiers by reducing their pay and obliging them to pay for their own arms and clothing. In 602, Maurice's army mutinied, a mutiny led by a non-commissioned army officer named Phocas. Phocas' army marched on Constantinople and seized the city. Civilians joined the revolt, aiming their hostilities not only against Maurice but also against anyone who was wealthy. Phocas sought the destruction of Maurice and his family. Maurice's five sons were butchered, one at a time in front of him while he prayed. Then Maurice was beheaded. The empress, her three daughters and many of the aristocracy were also slain, some of them after being tortured. In Italy, Pope Gregory had been in conflict with Christianity's authority in Constantinople, and he joyfully applauded Maurice's demise. Gregory described the coming to power of Phocas as the work of Providence. He called on Catholics to pray that Phocas might be strengthened against all his enemies.
Khosrow II, disturbed by the death of his friend Maurice and his family, moved to avenge those deaths — or at least he used the murders as a pretext to renew his empire's war against Constantinople, claiming his right to reconstitute the empire of the past's great Achaemenian kings, Cyrus and Darius. The Zoroastrian priesthood was pleased. As they saw it, their king was responsible for conquering the world in order to spread peace and the Zoroastrian faith. For them it was preparation for Armageddon — not the Christian one that motivated Justinian but the Zoroastrian Armageddon of the god Mazda victorious against Satan.
In 614, inside Constantinople's empire, Khosrow's forces sacked Jerusalem and massacred 90,000 Christians, burning to the ground many Christian churches and carrying Christian relics back to Iran. In 614, inside Constantinople's empire, the Avars sacked cities in Greece. And, in 616, Khosrow's forces invaded and occupied Egypt, meeting little resistance. In 617 the Avars neared Constantinople, while large numbers of Slavs were spreading southward and settling in Greece. In 623, Slavs ravaged the island of Crete. In 626, Avars, supported by Slavs, attacked the walls of Constantinople. A Sasanian force also assaulted the city. The Patriarch of Constantinople, Sergius, led a courageous defense of Constantinople and defeated the Avars. The Avars withdrew to Pannonia and never again threatened Constantinople. Unable to penetrate Constantinople's walls and facing Constantinople's superior navy, Khosrow II withdrew his forces from around the city.
For the Sasanians it was another instance of expansions producing weakness. Their move into Egypt, Palestine and Asia Minor were hollow victories. Constantinople exercised its naval power and sent ships into the Black Sea, disembarked troops behind the Sasanian armies, and these troops began marching toward the Sasanian capital, Ctesiphon, destroying what they could along the way. The fleeing Sasanian troops broke dikes to create floods in order to slow Constantinople's progress. They destroyed the old and great canal works in Mesopotamia, which were to fill with silt and remain neglected. However devoted the Sassanian troops were to their civilization, they were weakening it and making it more vulnerable to rivals — the upcoming Islamists.
Khosrow II fled Ctesiphon. His armies were angered by what they saw as their humiliation. Khosrow's generals joined with the old rivals of the monarchy, the nobles, and imprisoned Khosrow. They fed Khosrow bread and water and killed eighteen of his sons before his eyes. Then the generals, encouraged by his remaining son, Sheroye, executed Khosrow. Sheroye was crowned king, and he took the name Kavadh II.
In 630, Kavadh II signed a peace treaty that returned Egypt, Palestine, Asia Minor and western Mesopotamia to Constantinople. Prisoners of war were to be exchanged. Kavadh returned to Jerusalem relics that had been taken from there, including what were believed to be the remains of the cross of Jesus. The two sides recognized boundaries that had existed before the war. The years of war had gained nothing for either side.
Then, after less than one year as emperor, Kavadh died. His seven-year-old son, Ardashir III, succeeded him and ruled in name only until a general, Shahrbaraz, killed the boy and usurped the throne. In turn, Shahrbaraz' own soldiers killed him and dragged his body through the streets of Ctesiphon. Anarchy swept through the Sasanian empire, already exhausted by years of war. In the coming four years, nine men tried to gain the throne, and all disappeared through flight, assassination or death by disease. The Sassanian empire was disintegrating. Cities and provinces declared their independence.
The Christian empire centered at Constantinople was also weakened, while the neighboring force of Islam had been on the rise in Arabia and would be able to expand both at the Byzantine empire and into Persia.
CONTINUE READING: Islam's Rise from Cultural Diffusion
Copyright © 2016 by Frank E. Smitha. All rights reserved.


Every 2 years, CNES’s COSPAR report reviews advances in space science research. The latest report was given to attendees at the 37th COSPAR Scientific Assembly held in Montreal, Canada, 13-20 July. It is also available for download (see links).
24 July 2008
Science teams to the fore
2006 and 2007 were stellar years for space science research in France. The main results are reviewed in the 100-page report published by CNES and submitted recently to COSPAR*.
“A landmark event in sciences of the Universe was the launch of the COROT satellite in December 2006,” says Richard Bonneville, CNES Assistant Director of Strategy and Programmes. “The 1st results are now being published. Many stars have been studied and several exoplanets have been discovered.”
Data from the Mars Express and Venus Express probes, exploration of Saturn and its moon Titan by the Cassini-Huygens mission, continued observations of the Sun by SOHO, Earth’s magnetosphere by Cluster, X-rays by XMM-Newton and gamma rays by Integral have kept a large roster of science teams busy. And the study of comet dust grains returned by the U.S. Stardust capsule has mobilized 10 laboratories.
Rich harvest of science data
Microgravity science research obtained key results on the ISS and on parabolic flights aboard the Airbus A300 Zero G. Work focused particularly on the effects of weightlessness on muscles and the immune system. Results in plant biology and material sciences were also published.
“Earth science disciplines are continuing to exploit data from European and French satellites,” enthuses Richard Bonneville. “For example, the Calipso satellite launched in April 2006 has joined the A-Train constellation of satellites studying the effects of clouds and aerosols on climate.” And the suite of sensors on board the European polar-orbiting MetOp-A weather satellite launched October the same year includes the French IASI instrument dedicated to measuring temperature and humidity in the atmosphere.
“The rich variety of results documented in this report underlines the great diversity of science experiments being conducted by French teams on board European and international platforms, and demonstrates the vitality of our scientific community and CNES’s key international partnership role,” concludes Richard Bonneville.


Tanks have played a memorable role in the war since their inception during the First World War, inspiring many writers and film directors ever since. These big, strong, amazing machines have a special place in the hearts of those who have served in or with them. Here are two works of tank fiction. One was inspired by seeing a tank in action and one made before the tank even a real thing.
This is a short story written by H.G Wells in a time before tanks were rolling across battlefields! This story was printed in 1903 in the December issue of Strand Magazine and featured a fearful engine 100 feet in length, containing riflemen, engineers, a captain with guns that were controlled remotely. It seems H.G Wells was pretty spot on with this image.
Ironclad came from the steam warship from the mid-1800s that was protected by steel or steel armor plating. The machines were described as cramped with very strong steel frames and 8 pairs of wheels larger than 10 feet in diameter.
A large iron plate served as protection for the whole vehicle, with the captain and the crew positioned in a look-out port around the top edge. There was also a tower that could be raised or lowered over the look-out points. The riflemen sat in the cabin and operated the mechanical automatic rifle targeting. Wells was quite a visionary as this story was written before the appearance of the very first tanks seen on the battlefields of World War I. Fancy commanding your very own tank? For more details on Tank Driving experiences, visit a site like https://www.armourgeddon.co.uk/tank-driving-experience.html
Think Tank R-3000
Taken from Japanese manga, this futuristic tank runs on crab-like legs and not treads as you’d expect. It is cybernetically controlled and being a lightweight design, is ideal for urban deployment.
The crab-like running mechanisms make it extremely fast and highly maneuverable, able to deploy over almost all terrain types. It is bursting with high-tech, future tech including features like Therma-optic stealth camouflage and a cybernetic linkage.
The name Think Tank is a slang term used to describe a robot weapon platform that uses artificial intelligence to improve. Most Think Tanks depicted in the manga comics and movies, along with other machines like attack helicopters, are developed and produced by a fictitious company called Kenbishi Industries.
Think Tank is often used to refer to the various different tanks seen in the ‘Ghost in the Shell’ manga world. Usually, they have a spider-like appearance, have 4-6 legs, usually a pair of front-mounted manipulators, and a segmented body like an insect.
The tank in the first film was caught off guard when it was disastrously pitted against a state-of-the-art military cyborg that took it down with an anti-tank rifle. However, it remains a brilliant example of a take on future tanks.


The Dinka are a group of tribes of south Sudan, inhabiting the swamplands of the Bahr el Ghazal region of the Nile basin, Jonglei and parts of southern Kordufan and Upper Nile regions. They are mainly agro-pastoral people, semi-nomadic, relying on cattle herding at riverside camps in the dry season and growing millet (Anyanjang) in fixed settlements during the rainy season. They number around 4.5 million people, constituting about 12 percent of the population of the entire country. They constitute the largest ethnic group in South Sudan.
As a result of the civil wars in Sudan following its independence from Great Britain, Dinka have been involved in political strife, armed rebellion, and forced to feel their homeland as refugees. As a result, Dinka populations now exist far from their homeland. The majority of Dinka, however, continue to live in Southern Sudan, maintaining much of the traditional ways they have followed for generation upon generation, combined with the introduction of some modern ways.
Dinka, or as they refer to themselves, Mounyjaang, are one of the branches of the River Lake Nilotes (mainly agro-pastoral peoples of East Africa who speak Nilotic languages, including the Nuer and Maasai). The Dinka language — also called Dinka as well as "thuɔŋjäŋ (thuongjang)" — is one of the Nilotic family of languages, belonging to the Chari-Nile branch of the Nilo-Saharan family. It is written using the Latin alphabet with a few additions. Their name means "people" in the Dinka language.
They are dark African people, differing markedly from the Arabic speaking ethnic groups inhabiting northern Sudan. Dinka have been noted for their height. However, the popular belief that Dinka "often" reach more than seven feet finds no support in the scientific literature. An anthropometric survey of Dinka men published in 1995 found a mean height of 176.4cm, or roughly 5 ft 9.45 in the Ethiopian Medical Journal.
Ancient Dinka are dated back to around 3000 B.C.E. in the Sahara Desert, where hunter-gatherers settled in the largest swamp area in the world, the southern Sudan. Dinka society spread out over the Sudan region in recent centuries, from around 1500 C.E.
The Sudan People's Liberation Army, led by John Garang De Mabior, a Dinka, took up arms against the government in 1983. During the subsequent Civil War, many thousands of Dinka, along with fellow non-Dinka southerners, were massacred by government forces. The Dinka have also engaged in a separate civil war with the Nuer. Otherwise they have lived in harmonious seclusion for the past 5,000 years.
The Dinka have no centralized political authority, instead comprising of many independent but interlinked clans. Certain of those clans traditionally provide ritual chiefs, known as the "masters of the fishing spear," who provide leadership for the entire people and appear to be at least in part hereditary. As the Dinka do not have specifically organized government infrastructure, there are village elders who hold sway and influence over tribal issues, rather than wielding power and authority.
Traditionally cattle herders, the Dinka use cattle for a variety of practical purposes. The cattle play a central role in their culture and survival. The Dinka use the milk to make butter and ghee, and they innovatively found ways to use the ammonia produced by urine for washing methods, tanning hides, and washing hair. The dung is burnt in fuel fires which creates sufficient ash to keep blood-sucking ticks and other parasites at bay. This ash is also used as a sort of toothpaste in brushing their teeth, and as decorative body art. The cattle are not killed for meat, however they will be eaten in case of a sacrifice or natural death. The hides are used to make a variety of items from drum skins, clothes, belts, and ropes. Bones and horns are used as well, in decorative and practical applications.
The Dinka find it important to be familiar with their family's heritage, as certain families are not allowed to cross-marry into one another, due to inner region conflict. It is important for males have sons to carry on their family's lineage. Wealth is measured in terms of cattle, and the Dinka fathers of the brides often seek cattle as dowries. As such, it is celebrated and considered valuable to have baby girls to bring more wealth into the family unit.
As a rite of passage for a boy coming into manhood, a series of V-shaped scars is carved into the boy's forehead, which marks a specific region. These boys are then considered men, or parapuol, and serve as warriors in different arenas of Dinka life that range from protecting the cattle against enemy raiders, to guarding the tribe against natural predators such as man-eating lions. They are also eligible to marry. These parapuol have extremely deep scars, often times being carved down to and into the skull.
Leading up to the scarification process, the boy recites the names of his ancestors and sings clan songs in order to properly prepare his mind, body, and spirit for becoming a man. If the boy squeals or cries out during the flesh-carving ritual, he is considered weak, or a coward. This rite of passage occurs anytime between the ages of 10-16 years of age. The Dinka are great lovers of tradition, and even in contemporary Africa, Dinka women prefer warriors who bear the scars of the parapuol.
As cattle are the very livelihood of the Dinka, the wetlands have a crucial role in the culture and lifestyle of the Dinka. The spirits of their ancestors are believed to inhabit the pastures and grasses surrounding the delta.
The Dinka's migrations are determined by the local climate, their agro-pastoral lifestyle responding to the periodic flooding and dryness of the area in which they live. They begin moving around May-June at the onset of the rainy season to their “permanent settlements” of mud and thatch housing above flood level, where they plant their crops of millet and other grain products.
These rainy season settlements usually contain other permanent structures such as cattle byres (luaak) and granaries.
During the dry season (beginning about December-January), everyone except the aged, ill, and nursing mothers migrate for cattle grazing to semi-permanent dwellings in the toic lands, which are seasonally inundated or saturated by the main rivers and inland water-courses. The cultivation of sorghum, millet, and other crops begins in the highlands in the early rainy season and the harvest of crops begins when the rains are heavy in June-August. Cattle are driven to the toic in September and November when the rainfall drops off; allowed to graze on harvested stalks of the crops.
They have one God, Nhialic, who speaks through spirits that take temporary possession of individuals in order to speak through them. The supreme, creator god Nhialic is present in all of creation, and controls the destinies of every human, plant, and animal on Earth. Nhialic is the god of the sky and rain, and the ruler of all the spirits.
Deng, or Dengdit, is the sky god of rain and fertility empowered by Nhialic, the supreme being of all gods. Deng's mother is Abuk, the patron goddess of gardening and all women, represented by a snake. Garang is believed or assumed by some Dinka to be a suppressed god below Deng, whose spirits can influent Dinka women and sometimes men to scream.
Some of the Dinka, estimated at eight percent, practice Christianity, introduced to the region by British missionaries in the nineteenth century.
The experience of Dinka refugees from the civil war in Sudan was portrayed in the documentary movie Lost Boys of Sudan by Megan Mylan and Jon Shenk based on the book The Lost Boys of Sudan written by Mark Bixler. Their story was also chronicled in a book by Joan Hecht called The Journey of the Lost Boys. A fictionalized autobiography of one Dinka refugee is Dave Eggers' novel entitled What is the What. Other books on and by the Lost Boys include God Grew Tired of Us by John Bul Dau, and They Poured Fire On Us From The Sky by Alephonsion Deng, Benson Deng, and Benjamin Ajak.
The majority of Dinka, however, continue to live in Southern Sudan, maintaining much of the traditional ways they have followed for generation upon generation. There has been some breakdown in the traditional patterns of life for the Dinka. Modern clothes and tools have been introduced, changing their work patterns. Many now see the value of going to the city to earn the money to buy cattle to pay a dowry so that they can marry sooner. This has disrupted the traditional redistribution of wealth among the clans with consequent jealousies. However, many girls still favor those who bear the traditional scars of the parapuol.
Well-known Dinka include:
All links retrieved October 23, 2017.
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The United States is populated with people from all around the world , people from different cultures , religions and backgrounds taking the United States as home , there are 313 million residents in the USA in 50 states and 16 territories , some states are more populated than others , the state with the lowest population is Wyoming , and below we will inform you of the highest populated states in the USA .
10- North California .
North California is the 28th largest state in terms of the area and the 10th when it comes to population with about 9.8 million resident , 51% of the population is women and 68% are Caucasian .
Michigan comes as the 9th state of the USA with the highest population of almost 9.8 million resident with a little bit more than North California , Michigan too has almost 50% of its population women .
8- Georgia .
Georgia is on the borders of North California and it comes as the 8th state with the highest population rate in the United States of 9.9 million resident , Georgia is the place where the globally known soft drink Coca Cola was first invented .
7- Ohio .
Ohio is situated in the Midwestern part of the United States , it comes as the 7th highest populated states in the United States with 11.5 million resident of which a high percentage completed a bachelor degree .
Pennsylvania is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic part of the United States , it is the 6th highest populated state in the United States with about 12.7 million resident.
5- Illinois .
Illinois comes as the 5th state with the highest population rate in the United States of 12.8 million resident , 78% of the total population of Illinois are whites and 62% of which are Caucasian .
Florida is on the borders of the Gulf Mexico and it comes as the 4th highest populated state in the U noted States with about 19.3 million resident , 19.5% of which are Spanish speaking population .
3- New York .
New York comes as the 3rd highest populated state in the United States with 19 residents of which 8.4 million live in New York City making it one of the highest populated cities in the whole world .
2- Texas .
Texas is on the borders of New Mexico and comes as the second highest populated state in the United States with a population of 26 million resident , its highest populated city is Huston .
1- California .
Here comes the top of our list which is California with a population of 38 million resident , 57% of the total population of California are whites and 40.1% of them are non Hispanic whites .


And if accomplishing that means moving a day of lessons outside, then so be it.
Swihart, health and physical education teacher at the Middle School at Parkside, came up with the idea of an Outdoor Education Day, but several fellow teachers quickly jumped on board.
What transpired for about 135 sixth-graders was a day at Vandercook Lake County Park on Tuesday that included studying water samples from the lake, hunting for shells and fossils, learning about the sun’s ultraviolet rays, hearing a bit of local history and lore and having fun biking, kayaking and more.
“What I really hope is that this will help school not be so departmentalized for kids,” Swihart said. “Learning is a lifelong, all-day, everyday thing we do no matter where we are. It’s not just about preparing for a test. It’s about building their curiosity so they want to know more.”
Some of the lessons started weeks ago in the classroom. One of them involved studying the park at the turn of the 20th century when it was known as Hague Park and housed an amusement park that drew thousands.
“Most of the kids were just shocked that Jackson would ever have had something that awesome,” said English teacher Vicky Gorsuch.
Part of that lesson, included students using technology and their iPads to build a roller coaster that could operate in the park today much like its Jack Rabbit coaster did in days of old.
“It was fun to study where the amusement park was,” said 12-year-old Adonna Montgomery. “It’s just fun to learn about what’s all outdoors.”
Science teacher Dawn Wagner gave students sieves of various sizes that they used to filter water, sand, silt and gravel.
“We’re talking about water temperature and living things and pollution,” Wagner said. “The kids love it. Who doesn’t love playing in the water?”
All the data collected went back to school with the students where it will continue to be studied in days to come.
In all, students visited eight stations throughout the day. It was the first time this team of teachers had tried anything like this, but they said it won’t be the last.
“We’re having fun,” said 12-year-old Zoe Kapuja. “You have to remember that. It’s the most important part.”


Fiberglass is a manmade product, in use since the 1930s for filtration and insulation. In modern times, shower stalls, bathtubs, kayaks, boat hulls and many other objects contain fiberglass. When you saw, trim, or handle fiberglass, small fibers work their way into the skin of your hands and arms, creating an irritating itch.
Disrobe carefully, taking care not to drag your shirt over your arms or hands. Pressure on the skin can drive the fiberglass splinters deeper into your skin, making removal much more difficult.
Enter your shower and turn on the hot water and a small amount of cold water. Stand away from the water stream for several minutes. The goal is to work up steam in the enclosed space without getting your hands or arms wet. The steam opens your pores and increases the chances of the splinters falling out.
Adjust the water to a comfortable temperature and step back into the stream. Allow the water to run off of your arms and hands. If any of the splinters were loosened as a result of the steam, this step will rinse them away.
Add natural soap to a non-coarse loofah and gently brush the skin on your hands and arms. Do not apply pressure, as doing so will drive any remaining splinters deeper. Rinse your hands and arms with water to remove the soap.
Turn off the water and dry your hands and arms by lightly pressing the towel against the skin. Do not drag the towel.
Put on a loose-fitting, sleeveless shirt. If you are still experiencing irritation, move on to the next section.
Baking Soda Paste
Add 1/2 cup of baking soda to a bowl.
Add a small amount of water. Mix the baking soda and water into a paste with your fingers. If the paste is too dry and powdery, add more water. If the paste is too soupy, add more baking soda.
Dress any itchy areas on your hands or arms with the paste.
Allow the paste to dry for 25 to 30 minutes. Try not to move your hands or twist your wrist while the paste dries. The powder will harden around the exposed sections of the fiberglass splinters.
Rinse the dried baking soda off of your skin. Any fiberglass splinters that became attached to the paste will pull out and rinse away.


Change a life: Mentor a child
Become a reading mentor and you can help boost literacy, one child at a time.
Access, socioeconomic level and ability are some of the contributing factors that may lead a child to struggle with reading, but any lag in this essential skill for younger children has far-reaching consequences. Take high school graduation. In 2019, a study was conducted by the Annie E. Casey Foundation and they found that students who were not proficient in reading by the end of third grade were four times more likely to drop out of high school than proficient readers. According to a study by the National Assessment of Educational Progress in 2019, three districts at grade 4 and eleven districts at grade 8 had score declines in reading compared to 2017.
But there's good news and an immediate way to make a positive impact for kids: mentor reading. Studies show that adult involvement improves not only reading skills and enjoyment but also attitudes about school, participation in extracurricular activities, outlook on the future and, in the end, a child's chance of continuing education. Ready to make a difference in your own home and for other children? Try these ideas:
Boost a child's ability
Literacy mentors — part coach, part cheerleader — can be found in schools and community organizations across the country. These volunteers' one and only goal? Help children learn to love reading. How they accomplish that varies. Some may read (and be read to) for an hour a month with one child or a whole class. Some may complete formal training and commit to a weekly reading session that aligns with a specific curriculum.
Your next step: Search an online volunteer database, such as Neighborhoodofgood.com®, or contact your local school for connections to childhood community literacy programs.
Boost a child's access
You may have heard of the concept of a food desert: an economically challenged area in which residents have little or no access to fresh food. Some literacy experts have begun to use the idea of a book desert to characterize lack of access to reading materials for children. The lack of available children's reading material along with the poverty rate make some neighborhoods ideal spots to fight book deserts.
Little Free Library is a nonprofit organization that promotes neighborhood book exchanges. More than 90,000 public book exchanges are registered with the organization and branded as Little Free Libraries. Like other public book exchanges, the idea is to take a book to read and leave one for someone else to find.
Your next step: Struggling schools may not have a volunteer organization that can fund a book distribution plan — but you may be able to. Consider a book drive among friends, and work with literacy experts at a school to provide a book to every child in a classroom to take home as his or her own.
Boost a school's resources
School libraries continue to be affected by shrinking public school budgets. Studies have shown the benefit of well-funded libraries. Research conducted in dozens of states found a direct link between an increase in library funding and resources and student reading scores. Exposing children to a range of writing and reading types can help improve language and interest in reading.
Your next step: Volunteer to organize a book drive to benefit a school in need in your community. Work with your school district's literacy staff to identify particular needs, and ask friends, neighbors and coworkers to donate.


After many years of the long, convoluted and tragic English civil strife called The Wars of the Roses, the House of Lancaster had finally prevailed. Henry Tudor, the Welsh prince with Lancaster blood in his veins through his mother Margaret Beaufort, had defeated Richard III of York at the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485. On January 18, 1486, Henry VII married Elizabeth of York, niece of Richard III and daughter of King Edward IV. Thus, the Houses of Lancaster and York were united and Henry began to bring stability and peace to England.
Henry and Elizabeth’s first son Arthur was born September 20, 1486 and their second son Henry was born June 28, 1491. Henry VII’s claim to the English throne was dubious at best and some would call him a usurper. In trying to secure his position and increase the strength of the country, he looked for brides in foreign markets to marry his children. His choice of a wife for his eldest son Arthur was Catherine of Aragon.
Catherine of Aragon was born on December 16, 1485 near Madrid. She was the youngest child of King Ferdinand II of Aragon and Queen Isabella I of Castile. She was given a strong education in the classics, literature, canon and civil law and could speak Spanish, Latin, French and Greek. She also was brought up strictly in the Catholic faith which would play a large part in her life and fate. At the age of 3, she was betrothed to Arthur, Prince of Wales. In 1489, English ambassadors visited the court of her mother to finalize the terms.
Catherine came to England in November 1501 and met her groom for the first time. They were married 10 days later and immediately sent to live in Ludlow in the Welsh Marches, on the border of Wales. In April of 1502, they both became ill, possibly of the sweating sickness. Arthur died and Catherine survived as a widow. Henry VII did not want to return Catherine’s dowry to her father so it was agreed Catherine would marry Arthur’s brother, Prince Henry when he was old enough.
Catherine spent the next seven years, virtually a prisoner and in complete penury. Henry VII gave her little to live on and her pitiful pleas to her father for money survive in her letters. She was forced to sell the plate and jewels she had brought with her when she married Arthur. Henry VII finally died in the summer of 1509 and Catherine was free to marry the golden prince Harry.
Catherine and Henry VIII were married June 11, 1509. They were crowned together at Westminster Abbey on June 24. Catherine was 23 and Henry was just 18. The marriage was very successful in the beginning. Catherine and Henry were intellectual equals and enjoyed many pastimes together. They read, played music, danced, and had many deep discussions. Catherine immediately became pregnant and had a stillborn child in January 1510. A son was born on New Years Day of 1511 but only lived 52 days. Catherine would become pregnant many times but only one child survived childhood, the Princess Mary, born February 18, 1516.
Catherine continued to deepen and broaden her education as well as that of her daughter. Educating women became fashionable during this time because of her. Catherine also served as Regent of England when Henry went to war in France in 1513. While Henry was away, his army in England defeated the Scots at the Battle of Flodden Field. It was a great victory under Catherine’s watch.
By 1525, the captivating Anne Boleyn, one of Catherine’s ladies-in-waiting, had thoroughly bewitched Henry. He was beginning to believe his marriage to Catherine was cursed due to the lack of a male heir, because Catherine had been married to his brother. From 1526 to 1533, Anne spurned all of Henry’s romantic advances. She didn’t want to become the King’s mistress, like her sister Mary Boleyn had been. And her family, the powerful Howards, wanted her to become Queen to advance their interests. It was during these years Henry asked Catherine for an annulment of their marriage which she staunchly refused to do. In her eyes, her marriage to Arthur had never been consummated and due to her Catholic faith, she was truly Henry’s wife. Also, an annulment would bring into question the legitimacy of her daughter Mary and limit or end her chances of inheriting the throne.
All this led to a stalemate. Once Anne relented and gave in to Henry, she became pregnant and forced his hand. Since the Pope wouldn’t grant Henry an annulment of his marriage to Catherine, he decided to divorce himself from the Catholic Church. He made himself Head of the Church of England allowing the Archbishop of Canterbury to declare Henry’s marriage to Catherine null and void. Henry then married Anne Boleyn.
From this point on, Catherine was basically under house arrest. She was moved from castle to castle and not allowed to see her daughter. Her servants were reduced to the minimum and she had little money for food or clothing and finally succumbed to illness on January 7, 1536. It is said when they did an autopsy, her heart had a black mass in it. It wouldn’t be a stretch to say this proud Spanish princess died of a broken heart. She was buried in Peterborough Cathedral in Peterborough, Cambridgeshire.
Further reading: “ Catherine of Aragon” by Garrett Mattingly, “The Six Wives of Henry VIII” by Allison Weir, “Divorced Beheaded Survived: A Feminist Reinterpretation of the Wives of Henry VIII” by Karen Lindsey


'Endless Forms' uses the Web to breed 3-D printable objects
Just like generations of plants and animals evolve in nature, Cornell engineers are allowing anyone online to guide the evolution of printable, three-dimensional objects, aiming to revolutionize the design of art, architecture and even artificial intelligence.
Their new, interactive website, EndlessForms.com/ , allows users to design their own things -- from lamps and butterflies to furniture and faces -- without any technical knowledge and using the same principles that guide evolutionary biology.
The site and algorithm were developed by Jeff Clune, Jason Yosinski and Eugene Doan in the Cornell Creative Machines lab of Hod Lipson, associate professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering and of computing and information science. The work was published in the Proceedings of the European Conference on Artificial Life and was described by Clune at that conference Aug. 11 in Paris.
"In order to evolve truly complex things, we studied how nature makes everything from oak trees to elephants," Clune said. "Once we implemented these processes on a computer, complex shapes immediately began appearing."
Clune is also researching how combining evolution with such concepts from developmental biology can improve the design of artificially intelligent robots.
EndlessForms.com allows users to breed objects just as gardeners breed roses; a "generation" of objects is displayed, and a user chooses objects they like, which are "bred" to produce the next generation. Over time, objects evolve, and users can publish these objects. Others can further evolve, share and rate them, creating a collaborative exploration of designs that, according to Lipson, represents an entirely new way of thinking about design. Users can then have their objects made by 3-D printing companies in a wide range of materials, such as silver, steel, ceramic or sandstone.
The concept eliminates the need for skilled engineers to draw in Computer-Aided Design (CAD), which is complicated and non-intuitive.
"These new design tools free people to focus on being creative, instead of being mired in the details of technical software," Lipson said.
Now that 3-D printing is taking off, the goal is to unshackle the design process, flooding the industry with objects that are truly one of a kind. Lipson likens the 3-D printing industry to iPods with no music -- the printers exist, but the availability of content is bottlenecked by the old methods like CAD that few people know how to use and that stifle creativity.
Clune is also interested in using the technology of EndlessForms.com to design soft-bodied, agile robots with complex neural networks, or digital brains. Using concepts from developmental biology on how a single fertilized cell grows into a human or a hawk, Clune is learning how to grow complex, intelligent bodies and brains for robots.
The idea came about after computer scientists developed a way to mathematically abstract how organisms develop. Clune has used this abstraction to evolve neural networks that control robots, and he has found that using such principles produces robots with coordinated, graceful behaviors that are far superior to approaches that do not include developmental biology concepts.
Finally, EndlessForms.com helps people learn about evolution, the researchers say. It demonstrates in real time the power of evolution to produce complex designs, providing a rare glimpse of the process in action. Users can also view the ancestral lineage of each object stretching back to the first, simple, randomly generated object, and thus can see how evolution builds complexity via a series of small changes.
Provided by Cornell University


Australian National Botanic Gardens
A weekly news sheet prepared by a Gardens' volunteer.
Numbers in square brackets  refer to garden bed Sections. Plants in flower are in bold type.
17 June 2005
Correa reflexa 'Maroonda Tricolor' - click for larger image
Banksias, correas and hakeas are flowering, grevilleas are bursting into flower and many others are flowering so come and view them all. Along Banks Walk Darwinia macrostegia ‘Mondurup Bell' [Section 174] is a small open shrub laden with red pendular buds which will mature to lovely red bells while Dampiera salahae [Section 174] is a small herbaceous plant blue with a coverage of many flowers. Following the marked path Grevillea ‘ Poorinda Queen' [Section 124] is a large shrub with apricot coloured spider flowers. Opposite Banksia spinulosa [Section 126] with fine foliage colours the shrub with upright cylindrical gold flower spikes. At the far end of this road, under the spectacular Eucalyptus mannifera [Section 10] Thryptomene ‘Pink Lace' [Section 10] colours its low lateral branches with tiny flowers. Almost opposite correas include the dwarf Correa reflexa ‘Maroonda Tricolor' [Section 119]. Its lovely dangling tubular flowers are coloured red, yellow and green.
Turning to the right opposite the Queensland Silver Wattle, Acacia podalyriifolia [Section 119] a small tree laden with silver-grey leaves and brilliant golden fluffy flower balls, Emu bushes include Eremophila nivea [Section 302] an upright shrub bearing mauve bugle flowers amid its grey foliage. Banksia bauerii [Section 30] has large woolly greyish flower spikes in the base of its upright branches and Grevillea sp .[Section 30] sneaks its prostrate branches decked with small red toothbrush-like flowers over the rock edge. Opposite Dryandra quercifolia [Section 30] is yet small with rigid toothed leaves and large prominent yellow flowers. Banksia ‘Birthday Candles' [Section 30] is dwarf with spreading lateral branches alight with upright golden flower spikes. Grevillea humifusa [Section 25] is prostrate with long trailing stems clad with short red toothbrush flowers.
Hakea francisiana - click for larger image
Continue along the Main Path where Grevillea flexuosa [Section 26] is a large shrub with divided leaves and terminal yellow cigar shaped flower heads. Opposite, correas include Correa ‘Candy Pink' [Section 112] of medium size and prolific with deep pink, almost tubeless star flowers. To the left, before taking the left path with a large rock, and at the junction, Crowea saligna [Section 191H] is also prolific with pink star flowers. Edging the road, Actinotus forsythii [Section 191H] is a small spreading herb with prominent pink centred flower heads surrounded by white bracts on long bare stems.
Returning to the path now to the right then the small path to the right to view numerous remarkable hakeas – see how they present their flowers. There is Hakea orthorrhyncha var . filiformis [Section 21] with long bare branches on which its red flowers attach.
Later, Hakea verrucosa [Section 21] is small and well covered with open pink flowers. Sea urchin hakea, Hakea petiolaris [Section 22] is yet small and upright with large cream with dark center flower balls. Hakea francisiana [Section 20] has long arching branches with few terminal clusters of poker-like red flowers. Hakea obtusa [Section 20] grows its pink and white flowers massed along old wood behind the foliage, while Hakea laurina [Section 20] covers its tall shrub with deep maroon pinchushion-like flowers. Such remarkable plants!...
To return, follow the Main Path …
Flowers … such variety … such colour …


LEXINGTON, Ky. — A Kentucky educator is using art and the story of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. as a way to empower her students to bring more kindness to their community.
“He once made a speech called, I have a dream and I wanted to write that sentence on here.,” says third-grader, Jacqson Smith
Smith is one of more than 350 students at Yates Elementary in Lexington, who are actively learning about civil rights leader, Martin Luther King, Jr.
“I thought that he was an inspiration for me. He played an important role in trying to end like segregation and making it easier for the black people to live,” adds Smith
Art teacher Michelle Thomas says this is the 14th year she’s incorporated an MLK Jr art project into her curriculum, with hopes of empowering each student in her classroom to activate their imagination and illustrate the life of an American hero.
“We’ll watch a brief video that will review and just get them in the mindset thinking about Martin Luther King and his life. And then they will get a Kroger bag that’s blank, they’ll put their name on it, and then they will create an artwork that synthesizes everything they know and have learned about him into an artwork that it’s meaningful to them, thinking about how can I impact my community with my artwork,” explains Thomas
Thomas says the paper bags created by her art students celebrating the life of Martin Luther King, will be distributed to Bryan Station Road Kroger in Lexington, where workers will use the bags, to load groceries into, for customers during the upcoming MLK weekend.
“I definitely hope they take away the power within themselves to make a change, and also just kindness and needing whatever obstacles in your life with kindness and love in your hearts,” says Thomas