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The eggplant or aubergine is widely used in Indian cuisine where it is called brinjal, and is considered the "King of Vegetables" (read more)
Featured Article: M. Scott Peck
Morgan Scott Peck (May 23, 1936 – September 25, 2005) was an American psychiatrist and author, best known for his first book, The Road Less Traveled, published in 1978. He became recognized as an authority on the connection between psychiatry and religion, pioneering a trend in understanding human development as including not only physical, mental, and emotional growth, but also spiritual development.
Peck described human life as a series of obstacles to be overcome on the way to developing a mature character, and promoted discipline, or to be more precise self-discipline, as the set of tools essential for solving life's problems. He also discussed the nature of love, stressing that love is not a feeling but rather an activity. Peck also promoted the formation of what he called "true community," wherein individuals overcame their self-centered viewpoints and were able to empathize fully with one another. Controversially, Peck also addressed the idea of evil people and the existence and influence of the Devil or Satan.
While Peck promoted a life of discipline, true love, and honest relationships, he did not live up to these ideals in his own life. He was involved in numerous adulterous relationships and finally divorced from his first wife as well as being estranged from two of his children. Nevertheless, his insights into the human condition, in its best and worst forms, contributed greatly to our understanding of mental health.
Popular Article: Byzantine Empire
There is no consensus on the starting date of the Byzantine period. Some place it during the reign of Diocletian (284-305) due to the administrative reforms he introduced, dividing the empire into a pars Orientis and a pars Occidentis. Others place it during the reign of Theodosius I (379-395) and Christendom's victory over paganism, or, following his death in 395, with the division of the empire into Western and Eastern halves. While Constantine I or Constantine the Great (died 337) legalized Christianity, Theodosius declared it to be the state religion. Others place it yet further in 476, when the last western emperor, Romulus Augustus, was forced to abdicate, thus leaving to the emperor in the Greek East sole imperial authority. In any case, the changeover was gradual and by 330, when Constantine I inaugurated his new capital, the process of Hellenization and Christianization was well underway.
