The Greek Philosophers

The names of the three most important Greek philosophers, in order of their dates of birth and also their influence, are:

Socrates (469-399 BC)
Plato (c. 429-c. 347 BC)
Aristotle (384-322 BC)

Socrates taught Plato, and Plato taught Aristotle. Together they created the foundations of Western philosophy. Use your visual memory and imagine them meditating in a health SPA. Or think of the phrase: Smart People of Athens.

Roman Emperors

After Julius Caesar, the Roman general and statesman who became dictator of the Roman Empire before his assassination in 44 BC, the first five emperors of Rome were all Caesars. The first emperor was Julius Caesar’s adopted son (and great-nephew), Augustus, who handed down the title to his son-in-law Tiberius. From Augustus to Nero, Caesar’s descendants, by adoption, marriage, or birth, all inherited the family name:

Augustus (31 BC-AD 14)
Tiberius (AD 14-37)
Caligula (AD 37-41)
Claudius (AD 41-54)
Nero (AD 54-68)

Here’s a phrase to help remember the names by which they were most commonly known:

Another Tom Cat Caught Napping.

The next six Roman emperors after Nero are Galba, Otho, Vitellius, Vespasian, Titus, Domitian:

At The Cat Club Never Give Out Violent Vermin To Dogs

The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World

The seven wonders of the ancient world were chronicled in the second century B.C., but a list has been discovered in The Histories of Herodotus in the fifth century B.C. The final list of amazing monuments to religion, mythology, and art was compiled in the Middle Ages.

1. Statue of Zeus at Olympia
2. Lighthouse (Pharos) of Alexandria
3. Mausoleum of Halicarnassus
4. Pyramids of Egypt
5. Hanging Gardens of Babylon
6. Temple of Artemis at Ephesus
7. Colossus of Rhodes

This mnemonic phrase has proved useful in remembering the seven wonders:

Seems Like Mata Hari Picked Her Targets Carefully.

Mythological Matters

Mnemosyne is the Greek goddess of memory, daughter of Gaia and Uranus. She lay with Zeus for nine nights and gave birth to the nine Muses: Calliope, Euterpe, Clio, Erato, Melpomene, Polyhymnia, Terpsichore, Thalia, and Urania.

Carol Eats Crunchy Eggs, Mashed Potatoes, Then Throws Up.

Clarrissa Eats Candy Every Morning, Politely Taking Turns.

In classical art, the Muses are represented by emblems, or mnemonic symbols, of which the masks of comedy and tragedy are probably the most familiar.

Name — Association — Mnemonic symbol

Calliope — Chief of the muses and muse of epic poetry – writing tablet  
Euterpe — Muse of music — flute  
Clio — Muse of history — scroll and books  
Erato — Muse of love poetry — lyre and crown of roses  
Melpomene — Muse of tragedy — tragic mask  
Polyhymnia — Muse of sacred poetry — pensive expression  
Terpsichore — Muse of dance — dancing with a lyre
Thalia – Muse of comedy — comic mask
Urania — Muse of astronomy –  staff and celestial globe

Joan of Arc

Also known as the Maid of Orleans, Joan of Arc (c. 1412-1431) a French national heroine, claimed that it was God’s mission for her to reclaim her homeland from English domination toward the end of the Hundred Years War. She triumphed at the Siege of Orléans in 1429, which led to Charles VII’s coronation at Reims, but was later captured at a skirmish near Compiègne. The English regent John of Lancaster, first Duke of Bedford, had her burned at the stake at Rouen when she was only 19. She was canonized in 1920.

This mnemonic phrase describes the short life of Joan of Arc:

ORLEANS CAMPAIGN RUIN

Orleans — victory — 1429
Compiegne — capture — 1430
Rouen – trial and death — 1431

The Six Wives of Henry VIII

Henry VIII (1491-1547) married six times in a quest to have a son and heir. His decision to divorce his first wife and remarry was the root of the split of the Roman Catholic Church, the dissolution of the monasteries, and the formation of the Church of England. The following is a list of Henry’s wives in order of marriage dates from first to last:

1510 — Catherine of Aragon (mother of Mary I)
1533 — Anne Boleyn (mother of Elizabeth I)
1536 — Jane Seymour (mother of Edward VI)
1540 — Anne of Cleves
1540 — Catherine Howard
1543 — Catherine Parr

Use this rhythmic couplet to remember their first names:

Kate & Anne & Jane & Anne & Kate again & again!

Using the initial letters of their surnames gives the phrase:

All Boys Should Come Home, Please.

The following memorable rhyme reveals the ultimate fate of these six women:

Divorced, beheaded, died,
Divorced, beheaded, survived.

The above excerpt is a digitally scanned reproduction of text from print. Although this excerpt has been proofread, occasional errors may appear due to the scanning process. Please refer to the finished book for accuracy.

The above is an excerpt from the book i before e (except after c): old-school ways to remember stuff
by Judy Parkinson
Published by The Reader’s Digest Association Inc.; April 2008;$14.95US; 978-0-7621-0917-3
A Reader’s Digest book published in association with Michael O’Mara Books Limited. Copyright (c) Michael O’Mara Books Limited 2008.

Originally published here.

Judy Parkinson is a graduate of Bristol University in England. She is a producer of documentaries, music videos, and commercials, as well as the recipient of a Clio Award for a Greenpeace Advertisement. Parkinson has published four books and has contributed to a show of life drawings at the Salon des Arts, Kensington. She resides in London.

Join Icons of Power as we venture into the court of the Empress Catherine the Great and bear witness to epic history and scandals of truly royal proportions. With sweeping cinematography and rich, dramatic reenactments soaked in 18th Century detail, we’ll trace Catherine’s journey from a humble, impoverished home in Germany to the throne of an empire that spanned two- thirds of the globe. We’ll follow the empress to war, to court, and even to bed. From the scorched battlefields of the Crimea to the gilded palaces of St. Petersburg, we’ll venture deep into the world of the Empress Catherine – a world of secret trysts and cunning deception, of conquest and glory – and bring to life the characters and events that shaped her reign.

National Geographic: Icons of Power – Empress of Ambition, Catherine the Great ]]> http://www.catherine-the-great.com/2010/09/02/national-geographic-icons-of-power---empress-of-ambition-catherine-the-great.html/feed 0 http://www.catherine-the-great.com/2010/09/01/catherine-bach-posters-introducing-data-centres-and-how-the-effects-of-big-daddy-and-jagger-may-mean-the-end-of-high-ranking-as-a-measure-of-success.html http://www.catherine-the-great.com/2010/09/01/catherine-bach-posters-introducing-data-centres-and-how-the-effects-of-big-daddy-and-jagger-may-mean-the-end-of-high-ranking-as-a-measure-of-success.html#comments Thu, 02 Sep 2010 05:40:59 +0000 Catherine The Great http://www.catherine-the-great.com/?page_id=80

My Catherine Bach posters page used to be on my site at www.kruse.co.uk/ but for various SEO reasons I moved it and all my other poster pages over to my web space at my broadband provider NTL so her posters landed up at my ntlworld homepages. Around this time I registered www.here-be-posters.co.uk/ and pointed it from the registration company using a 302 temporary redirect to my ntlworld web space.

This was a far from perfect solution to anything at all. I was rushed with this, flustered with that and I didn’t take time to do a proper job. This threw up an unlikely benefit, though, one I may not have noticed otherwise.

What I should have done was to move the posters, as soon as they began to get successful in their own right, over to their own dedicated web space under their own domain name. Which, just recently, I did, I’ve been kind of busy with my SEO work plus, of course, there’s always a ton of optimisation-related study to be done. So I just recently got round to this and now my SERPS are in great confusion.

Plus, of course, a lot more than is usual is affecting Google’s results just now. We’re experiencing the end of the Big Daddy Data Centre upgrade. Some say we’re still suffering the aftershocks from the Jagger algorithm update from last year. So the SERPS are turbulent. You can input a query into Google one minute and get a certain set of results, try the same search a few minutes later and the returned results will show a significant difference. This makes life quite extra-ordinarily difficult for the practicing search engine optimiser as clients will most often judge results purely by the position that they see their site returned in Google’s results in a search for their keywords or phrases. It doesn’t look good if you inform a client that they’re now at position three and when they look for themselves they’re at position thirty-three.

Those of you who have the Google toolbar can probably check the variations in the results for yourselves. Open your browser to a Google search page and input a phrase where you know a particular site should normally be returned in the top ten. Examine the SERPS. Then try the same search in the search box in the Google Toolbar. It’s increasingly probable that, while the returned results won’t be wildly, hysterically at variance with the ones you’ve just seen, they will be different to a significant degree.

Google doesn’t give its results out from just one place, it distributes them from a series of data centres which are located around the world. When a new set of results is sent to the individual data centres the nature of telecommunications being what it is they don’t all arrive at the same time. This results in what could be described as a series of mini-Google Dances across the range of data centres. In practice this means a search will produce different results from different geographical locations around the globe at different times. This wasn’t a problem when it was a regular and predictable occurrence but now it’s so frequent it can be confusing for searchers. Worse, of course, if my client’s in the States and I’m here in the UK. I can click through to Google America but still there’s no telling which data centre I’m going to get, and I’ve no idea what my client’s going to get either, which complicates matters even further. Not to mention, of course, the problem of the Google “Sandbox” causing sites to appear briefly at the top of some SERPS thus muddying the search waters still more.

The practical consequences of all this are that in one set of search results I get my old page about Catherine at ntlworld appear and the page at www.here-be-posters.co.uk/ isn’t even anywhere in the SERPS. In others, neither appear, while in some the ntlworld page is in the top ten with here-be-posters nowhere in evidence. Encouragingly, though, in some others the here-be-posters page is rising rapidly through the ranks. So, if I can’t rely on a stable ranking for input, what can I do to determine if I finally now have the content and link strategy right?

Noting an increase in traffic could well be part of the answer. With SERPS fluctuating the way they are an accurate rank is difficult to pin down but a significant rise in properly targeted traffic should make its presence felt by an increase in ROI – and that, after all, is what SEO is all about. High ranking itself, in all the confusion, is starting to take a back-seat to what should have been foremost in our endeavours all along, an increasing volume of interested visitors.

Indeed, the good news for Catherine Bach is that, judging by her traffic, her poster page seems at last to have found a home at www.here-be-posters.co.uk/. Her stream of visitors, quite justly I say, rises as I speak. I mean, Jessica Simpson is fine but hey! She’s no Catherine Bach!

Originally published here.

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I knew from Wakeman about 20 years ago when a coworker shared with me the Long Play vinil Journey to the center of the earth (in those days the cd technology was not released yet )… and I got hooked with this great musician… Hope new generations enjoy it and try to get the whole Journey to the Center of the earth concert ..it`s great !!.. The one recorded Live with the Philarmonic Orchestra in 1975 !!!….Just think about it … the Philarmonic Orchestra, a wonderfull Choir and a rock band !!! ]]> http://www.catherine-the-great.com/2010/08/31/catherine-howard---rick-wakeman-great-performance-alive.html/feed 0 http://www.catherine-the-great.com/2010/08/31/nine-oclock.html http://www.catherine-the-great.com/2010/08/31/nine-oclock.html#comments Tue, 31 Aug 2010 06:10:59 +0000 Catherine The Great http://www.catherine-the-great.com/?page_id=77

Published Aug 30, 2010.
Read more: Nine O’Clock ]]> http://www.catherine-the-great.com/2010/08/31/nine-oclock.html/feed 0 http://www.catherine-the-great.com/2010/08/27/the-great-joys-of-shopping-in-france.html http://www.catherine-the-great.com/2010/08/27/the-great-joys-of-shopping-in-france.html#comments Sat, 28 Aug 2010 05:35:59 +0000 Catherine The Great http://www.catherine-the-great.com/?page_id=76

Shopping In France

France is the ultimate shopping destination for the sophisticated consumer. It offers everything from the ultimate in haute couture to perfumes to wines and cheeses. And shopping in France is not the

utilitarian experience it can be elsewhere. Rather it’s a serious activity that demands attention and a certain flair.

First we look at Paris where the shops make up an important part of the fabric of the city’s cultural identity. Then we’ll head to Bordeaux which offers more than just its famous wines.

Shopping In Paris

Think of Paris and you think of designer fashions, perfumes, and accessories with brand names famous for their chic the world over. But of course they come with hefty price tags. Here’s a tip. Bargain seekers should do their window shopping at the grand fashion houses to get a feel of what’s in vogue. Then head to the budget shops and markets to get similar items at pennies on the dollar.

If you’re short on time you can get all your designer labels under one roof at one of the large French department stores. The two queens, les grands magasins Printemps and Galeries Lafayette, sit side-by-side on Boulevard Haussmann in the 9th arrondissement. Fully exploring them could take days.

If you want the real Paris shopping experience, head for one of the unique wonders of the city — the galleries or passages. These are glass-roofed shopping arcades that date back to the 19th century. They ooze charm and transform rainy days into episodes of romance and discovery.

Don’t’ forget that Sundays are closing days for most stores in Paris. But fear not, one of the city’s many flea markets will provide a great alternative shopping experience.

Shopping In Bordeaux

Bordeaux is truly one of Europe’s best kept shopping secrets. In the scenic charm of the city you’ll find the world’s most popular brand names: Cartier and Rolex for watches, Hermes and Christian Lacroix for fabrics and clothes, Louis Vuitton for luggage, Mont Blanc for pens, the list is endless.

Bordeaux is home to the longest pedestrianised street in Europe. Rue St. Catherine runs from the stately Place de la Comedie to the student district near the place de la Victoire. And its entire length is graced with some of the country’s premier shopping outlets.

Bordeaux’s epicenter for shopping is known fittingly as the Golden Triangle. This triangle contains the prime shopping zones of the Allées de Tourny, the Cours de l’Intendance and the Cours Clemenceau. In its heart is the Place des Grands-Hommes, where you’ll find Bordeaux’s most prestigious outlets.

If such luxury doesn’t tempt you, don’t worry. Bordeaux is home to a plethora of chain stores that offer good value purchases. And the local boutiques offer distinctive items without the brand name mark ups.

And of course don’t forget the wine. The Bordeaux region is France’s premier wine making area and you can get sublime local vintages by the bottle or by the case.

For shoppers who want to spend some time in France, check the internet for cheap France hotels and find Paris hotels or cheap Bordeaux hotels.

Originally published here.

Alistair White has been in the travel industry for over 20 years and is the founder and CEO of Cheaper Than Hotels. Cheaper Than Hotels offers cheap France hotels , like cheap Paris hotels.

From the moment the fourteen-year-old Princess Sophia of Anhalt-Zerbst agreed to marry the heir to the Russian throne, she was mired in a quicksand of intrigue. Precociously intelligent, self-confident, and attractive but with a stubborn, wayward streak, Sophia withstood a degree of emotional battering that would have broken a weaker spirit until at last she emerged, triumphant over her many enemies, as Empress Catherine II of Russia.

Her achievements as empress were prodigious. She brought vast new lands under Russian rule. She raised the prestige of Russia in Europe. She began the process of imposing legal and political order on the chaos she inherited from her predecessors. Yet few historical figures have been so enthusiastically vilified as Catherine the Great. Whispers that she had ordered her husband’s murder grew to murmurs that she was an immoral woman and finally to shouts that she was a depraved, lust-crazed nymphomaniac. With deft mastery of historical narrative and an unsurpassed ability to make the past live again, Carolly Erickson uncovers the real woman behind the tarnished image—an indomitable, feisty, often visionary ruler who, in an age of caveats and constraints, blithely went her own way.

Great Catherine reveals the complexities of this great ruler’s nature, her craving for love, her insecurities, the inevitable sorrows and disappointments of a strong empress who dared not share her power with any man yet longed to be led and guided by a loving consort. Great Catherine is a fresh portrait of an infamous historical figure, one that reveals how Catherine’s flawed triumph guaranteed her posthumous fame and enhanced the might and renown of Russia for generations to come.

Great Catherine: The Life of Catherine the Great, Empress of Russia ]]> http://www.catherine-the-great.com/2010/08/27/great-catherine-the-life-of-catherine-the-great-empress-of-russia.html/feed 0 http://www.catherine-the-great.com/2010/08/26/a-christmas-history-lesson.html http://www.catherine-the-great.com/2010/08/26/a-christmas-history-lesson.html#comments Fri, 27 Aug 2010 05:10:59 +0000 Catherine The Great http://www.catherine-the-great.com/?page_id=74

The Twelve Days of Christmas is one of the most famous Christmas carols ever written. It has been sung for a great many years, and is known the world over. To most it is a delightful hymn, but it was originally created with a very serious intent. In England between the years of 1558 and 1829, it was illegal to practice Catholicism in public or private. It was essentially a crime to be Catholic in England during those years.

The Twelve Days of Christmas was written to help preserve the traditions of the Catholic faith during the years that Catholicism was banned in England. The song is steeped in symbolism, and the fact that it is so well known throughout the world is a testament to the faith of the followers of the Catholic doctrine. The symbols contained in the song are as follows:

1st verse – “True Love” refers to God.

2nd verse – “2 Turtle Doves” refers to the Old and New Testaments.

3rd verse – “3 French Hens” refers to Faith, Hope, and Charity.

4th verse – “4 Calling Birds” refers to the Four Gospels or the Four Evangelists.

5th verse – “5 Golden Rings” refers to the first five Books of the Old Testament.

6th verse – “6 Geese-a-laying” refers to the six days of creation.

7th verse – “7 Swans-a-swimming” refers to the seven sacraments.

8th verse – “8 Maids-a-milking” refers to the eight beatitudes.

9th verse – “9 Ladies dancing” refers to the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit.

10th verse – “10 Lords-a-leaping” refers to the Ten Commandments.

11th verse – “11 Pipers piping” refers to the eleven faithful apostles.

12th verse – “12 Drummers drumming” refers to the twelve points of the Apostle’s creed.

I love this song. It is, by far, my favorite Christmas carol. I had no idea about the symbols contained in the song, until I googled the song lyrics one afternoon. I find it very interesting that a song we all know so well could contain so many hidden meanings. I would never have guessed that it was anything more than lovely Christmas carol. It’s always nice to learn something new, especially about the wonderful celebration of Christmas. I hope you learned something, too. Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!

Originally published here.

Catherine Spelling absolutely loves spending Christmas with family and friends. When she is not counting down the days until Christmas, she writes for christmaslightsanddecorations.com – an online resources for all things relating to Christmas and decorations, with information about Garland, Ornaments, Holiday Decorations and more.

Published Aug 23, 2010.
Read more: The Fayetteville Observer ]]> http://www.catherine-the-great.com/2010/08/26/news-by-location.html/feed 0