Interesting Insects and Spiders

This spider caught my attention. It had three brilliant metallic gold marking on its back.
Soon after this shot it adopted a hunting position directed at me.

... and jumped directly 20 cm onto the camera.  At 5mm length it was larger than any other jumping spider.

This a metalic bettle that looks like a Christmas Borble (Green) . Our bower bird polished off the body before I could photograph it. The hook claws are interesting an lack of jaws

Glenbrook 2.0

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First Computer Games

I will start reporting more on Australia forgotten computer science history.  In this 1956 article the use of CIRAC to play games is mention. Geoffrey Hill is attributed as the creator of the first computer music in 1948 -52, and this article shows he was working early on computer games,

Charlemagne

I have just read a very readable history of Charlemagne.  It was by a 1970's Christian historian, so it was a popular easy read.

I was interest in this era, as learning was going backwards as politics got out of hand.  Today it is heresy to say some aspects of education are lost in politics.

I found the following things interesting:

1) Dark ages society was an interwoven mix of Gallo Roman classical life,  Barbarian (Goth) and first wave administrators, and layers of subsequent barbarians (the Franks)

2) Monastic architecture with cloisters were essentially derived from Roman villas, and the structure with monks and more worldly abbots, reflected Roman house holds with the Freemen and Slaves.

3) Kings in 600 quickly lost power to Nobles and Mayors as they pursued the Kings life and handed over the running of the country.

4) Pepin a mayor got Rome to reboot the king process by making him King of the Franks, this was enabled by the "cutting the hair" of the old king, and him being thrown aloft on his shield three times.  This was a mix of Christianity and Heathen cultures.

5) The Saxons had a "Pillar of the world" around which they horded treasure

6) The Huns had treasure held in a Nine ring defence

7) Charlemagne killed 4500 Saxon men, and started a Saxon up rising.

9) The German practice of making all sons inherit a divided kingdom,  kept things small and easy to administer.  The practice of having more than one wife (Teutonic) and concubines (eastern) lead to an explosion of heirs.