Queen
        Victoria    (1819-1901)

"Royalty is a duty not a pleasure".

---

       Victoria was the daughter of Edward, the Duke of Kent and Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg. She was born in Kensington Palace in London on May 24th, 1819. Edward died when Victoria was but eight months old, upon which her mother enacted
a strict regimen that shunned the courts of Victoria's uncles, George IV and William IV.

            In 1837 Queen Victoria took the throne after the death of her uncle
    William IV. Due to her secluded childhood, she displayed a personality marked by strong prejudices and a willful stubbornness.

Barely eighteen, she refused any further influence from her domineering mother and
    ruled in her own stead. Popular respect for the Crown was at a low point at her
    coronation, but the modest and straightforward young Queen won the hearts of her subjects.
    She wished to be informed of political matters, although she had no direct input in policy
    decisions. The Reform Act of 1832 had set the standard of legislative authority residing
    in the House of Lords, with executive authority resting within a cabinet
    formed of members of the House of Commons; the monarch was essentially removed from the
    loop. She respected and worked well with Lord Melbourne (Prime Minister in the early years
    of her reign) and England grew both socially and economically.


            On Feb 10th, 1840, only three years after taking the throne, Victoria took her first vow and married her cousin, Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. Their relationship was one of great love and admiration. Together they bore nine children - four sons and five
    daughters: Victoria, Bertie, Alice, Alfred, Helena, Louise, Arthur, Leopold, and Beatrice.

       Prince Albert replaced Melbourne as the dominant male influence in Victoria's life. She was thoroughly devoted to him, and completely submitted to his will. Victoria did nothing without her husband's approval. Albert assisted in her royal duties. He introduced a
    strict decorum in court and made a point of straitlaced behavior. Albert also gave a more conservative tinge to Victoria’s politics. If Victoria was to insistently interject her opinions and make her views felt in the cabinet, it was only
    because of Albert’s teachings of hard work.

    The general public, however, was not enamored with the German prince; he was excluded from holding any official political position, was never granted a title of peerage and was
    named Prince Consort only after seventeen years of marriage.. His interests in art, science, and industry spurred him to organize the Crystal Palace
    Exhibition in 1851, a highly profitable industrial convention.

    Reflecting back into her childhood, Victoria was always prone to self pity  On Dec. 14th 1861 Albert died from typhoid fever at Windsor Castle. Victoria remained in self-imposed seclusion for ten years. This genuine, but obsessive mourning kept her occupied for the rest of her life and played an important role in the evolution of what would become the Victorian mentality.

         Her popularity was at its lowest by 1870, but it steadily increased thereafter until her death. In 1876 she was crowned Empress of India by Disraeli. In 1887 Victoria’s Golden Jubilee was a grand national celebration of her 50th year as Queen. The Golden Jubilee brought her out of her shell, and she once again embraced public life. She toured English possessions and even visited France (the first
    English monarch to do so since the coronation of Henry VI in 1431).

    Victoria's long reign witnessed an evolution in English politics and the expansion of the British Empire, as well as political and social reforms on the continent. France had known two dynasties and embraced Republicanism, Spain had seen three monarchs and both Italy and Germany had united their separate principalities into national coalitions. Even in her dotage, she maintained a youthful energy and optimism that infected the English population as a whole.

    The national pride connected with the name of Victoria - the term Victorian England,
    for example, stemmed from the Queen's ethics and personal tastes, which generally
    reflected those of the middle class.

JOSEPHINE BAKER

Baker, Josephine (1906 - 1975)

NAME: Freda
          McDonald aka Josephine Baker

BIRTH DATE:
          1906

BIRTH PLACE:
          St. Louis, Missouri

EDUCATION: Dropped
          out of school at the age of 12.

FAMILY BACKGROUND:
                     Josephine Baker's mother was Carrie McDonald and her father was Eddie Carson. Arthur Martin was her stepfather. Her siblings were Richard, Margaret and Willie Mae. Josephine's first husband was Willie Wells her second husband was Willie Baker; her third husband was Jean Lion; and, her fourth husband was orchestra leader Jo Bouillon. Her twelve adopted children were: Akio (male), Janot (male), Luis (male), Jari(male), Jean-Claude (male), Moise (male), Brahim (male), Marianne (female),
          Koffi (male), Mara (male), Noel (male), Stellina (female). Josephine's last marriage was to American Artist Robert Brady.(her "Rainbow Tribe")

           She performed on Broadway in 1922 ("Shuffle Along") and was a star by 1924 ("Chocolate Dandies").In 1925 she went to Paris, and became famous for her performances in the Revue Negre on the stage of the Theatre des Champs-Elysees. Even critics who gave the show negative reviews thought highly of Baker's performance.

     She performed in the Folies Bergere, and during the 1926-27 season she
was doing her popular Banana Dance. Finding more acceptance as a "colored"
performer in France then she had in the United States, she stayed in Paris.

       Baker also sang.  In July, 1930 she recorded 6 songs for Columbia
records. It was noted that while she never suffered from stage fright when
performing before an audience, if the technicians became too engrossed in
their work to respond to
her she froze.

        Baker is considered to be one of the most sensual performers of all
times.  She inspired artwork by Alexander Calder and Georges Rouault.
Writers, including ee cummings and Ernest Hemingway, also found her work
inspiring.

          She served with the French Red Cross during WWII.  With the fall of
France in 1940 she became active in the resistance movement.  Using her
career as a cover she became an intelligence agent.  In 1961 she received the
Legion d'Honneur for her efforts from Charles deGaulle.

         Baker's celebrity allowed her to travel much more freely then most people during that time period.  She once carried military intelligence reports out of France to Portugal, written in invisible ink on her sheet music.  She also used her charm to persuade foreign consulates to process visas for  associates, some of who traveled with her as a cover.She was awarded the Croix de Guerre, and received a Medal of the
Resistance in 1946.

         Her resistance activities were curtailed by a serious illness for which she was hospitalized in the Mers Sultan Clinic in Casablanca from June 1941 until December 1942.

          She often combined performance with civil rights activism, refusing to perform in clubs that would not permit an integrated audience. Her performances, which usually included songs in a number of languages, can be viewed as an extension of her personal philosophy and belief in racial harmony.

              The week before her death in 1975 she appeared on the stage in a tribute
performance, still very much a captivating performer at 69. She died quietly, in her sleep, of a cerebral hemorrhage.

      
         Much of what we know about Cleopatra was written after her death when
it was politically expedient to portray her as a threat to Rome and its
stability. Thus, some of what we know about Cleopatra may have been
exaggerated or misrepresented by those sources. Cassius Dio, one of the
ancient sources that tell her story, summarizes her story as "She
captivated the two greatest Romans of her day, and because of the third
she destroyed herself."

Early Years

      During Cleopatra's early years, her father tried to maintain his failing power in Egypt by bribing powerful Romans. Ptolemy XII was reportedly the son of a concubine instead of a royal wife. When Ptolemy XII went to Rome in 58 BCE, his wife, Cleopatra VI Tryphaina, and his eldest daughter, Berenice IV, assumed the rulership jointly. When he returned, apparently Cleopatra VI had died, and with the help of Roman forces, Ptolemy XII regained his throne and executed Berenice. Ptolemy then married his son, about 9 years old, to his remaining daughter, Cleopatra, who was by time about eighteen.

Early Rule

Cleopatra apparently attempted to rule alone, or at least not equally with her much-younger brother. In 48 BCE, Cleopatra was pushed out of power by ministers. At the same time, Pompey -- with whom Ptolemy XII had allied himself -- appeared in Egypt, chased by forces of Julius Caesar. Pompey was assassinated by Ptolemy XIII's supporters. A sister of Cleopatra and Ptolemy XIII declared herself ruler as Arsinoe IV.

Cleopatra and Julius Caesar

Cleopatra, according to the stories, had herself delivered to Julius Caesar's presence in a rug and won his support. Ptolemy XIII died in a battle with Caesar, and Caesar restored Cleopatra to power in Egypt, along with her brother Ptolemy XIV as co-ruler.

        In 46 BCE, Cleopatra named her newborn son Ptolemy Caesarion, emphasizing that this was the son of Julius Caesar. Caesar never formally accepted paternity, but he did take Cleopatra to Rome that year, also taking her sister, Arsinoe, and displaying her in Rome as a war captive. That he was already married (to Calpurnia) yet Cleopatra claimed to be his wife added to a climate in Rome that ended with
Caesar's assassination in 44 BCE. After Caesar's death, Cleopatra returned to Egypt, where her brother and co-ruler Ptolemy XIV died, probably assassinated by
Cleopatra. She established her son as her co-ruler Ptolemy XV Caesarion.

Cleopatra and Marc Antony

When the next Roman military governor of the region, Marc Antony,demanded her presence -- along with that of other rulers who were controlled by Rome -- she arrived dramatically in 41 BCE, and managed to convince him of her innocence of charges about her support of Caesar's supporters in Rome, captivated his interest, and gained his support.Antony spent a winter in Alexandria with Cleopatra (41-40 BCE), and then left. Cleopatra bore twins to Antony. He, meanwhile, went to Athens and, his wife Fulvia having died in 40 BCE, agreed to marry Octavia, the sister of his rival Octavius. They had a daughter in 39 BCE. In 37 BCE Antony returned to Antioch, Cleopatra joined him, and they went through a sort of marriage ceremony in 36 BCE. That same year, another son was born to them, Ptolemy Philadelphus.

      Marc Antony formally restored to Egypt -- and Cleopatra -- territory which the Ptolemy's had lost control of, including Cyprus and part of what is now Lebanon. Cleopatra returned to Alexandria and Antony joined her in 34 BCE after military victory. He affirmed the joint rulership of Cleopatra and her son, Caesarion, recognizing
Caesarion as the son of Julius Caesar.

     Antony's relationship with Cleopatra -- his supposed marriage and their children, and his granting of territory to her -- was used by Octavian to raise Roman concerns over his loyalties. Antony was able to use Cleopatra's financial support to oppose Octavian in the Battle of Actium (31 BCE), but missteps -- probably attributable to Cleopatra --
led to defeat.

       Cleopatra tried to get Octavian's support for her children's succession to power, but was unable to come to an agreement with him. In 30 BCE, Marc Antony killed himself, reportedly because he'd been told that Cleopatra had been killed, and when yet another attempt to keep power failed, Cleopatra killed herself.

Abraham (Hebrew: אַבְרָהָם, Standard Avraham Tiberian ʾAḇrāhām Ashkenazi Avrohom or Avruhom ; Arabic: ابراهيم‎, Ibrāhīm ; Ge'ez, ʾAbrəham) is a man featured in the Book of Genesis, as well as in parts of the Qur'an. Jewish, Christian and Muslim traditions regard him as the founding patriarch of the Israelites, Ishmaelites and Edomite peoples.

          Abraham was the son of Terah and the grandson of Nahor. Abraham's brothers were named Nahor and Haran.^[1] According to Genesis, Abraham was brought by God from Mesopotamia to the land of Canaan. . According to Jewish tradition (based on the Anno Mundi era), Abraham lived AM 1948–2123 (1812 BCE to 1637 BCE). Christian traditional dates are about 2000 BCE to 1825 BCE.

     Judaism, Christianity and Islam are sometimes referred to as the "Abrahamic religions", because of the progenitor role Abraham plays in their holy books. In the Jewish tradition, he is called Avraham Avinuor "Abraham, our Father". God promised Abraham that through hisoffspring, all the nations of the world will come to be blessed (Genesis 12:3), interpreted in Christian tradition as a reference particularly to Christ. Jews, Christians, and Muslims consider him father of the people of Israel through his son Isaac (cf. Exodus 6:3, Exodus 32:13). For Muslims, he is a prophet of Islam and the ancestor of Muhammad through his other son Ishmael - born to him by his wife's handmaiden, Hagar. Abraham is also a progenitor of the Semitic tribes of the Negev who trace their descent from their common ancestor Sheba (Genesis 10:28).

                Biblical narratives represent Abraham as a wealthy, powerful and
supremely virtuous man, but humanly flawed, and when afraid for
himself, miscalculating, and a sometimes deceiving and an inconsiderate
husband. But his central importance in the Book of Genesis, and his
portrait as a man favored by God, is unequivocal. Abraham's generations
(Hebrew: toledoth, translated to Greek: "Genesis") are presented as part of the crowning explanation of how the world has been fashioned by the hand of God, how the boundaries and relationships of peoples were established by Him, and how the Kingdom of God would be established through Abraham.

           As the father of Isaac , Abraham is ultimately the common ancestor of the Israelites. As the father of Ishmael, whose twelve sons became desert princes (most prominently, Nebaioth and Kedar), along with Midian, Sheba and other Arabian tribes (25:1-4), the Book of Genesis gives a portrait of Isaac's descendants as being surrounded by kindred peoples, who are also more often enemies. This is because the clans practiced intermarriage. are in the descending scale, perhaps of purity of blood, or as of purity of relationship, or of connectedness to Sarah: Sarah, her servant, her
husband's other wife. The Bible says of the Hebrew people: "Your father
was a wandering Syrian". Yet to Abraham's face the Hittites said, "You are a great chief among us. Bury your dead in the choicest of our tombs." (Genesis 23:4 and 5)

          Writers have regarded the life of Abraham in various ways. He has been viewed as a chieftain of the Amorites, as the head of a great Semitic migration from Mesopotamia; or, since Ur and Haran were seats of Moon-worship, he has been identified with a moon-god. From the character of the literary evidence and the locale of the stories it has been held that Abraham was originally associated with Hebron. The double name Abram/Abraham has even suggested that two personages have been combined in the Biblical narrative; although this does not explain the change
from Sarai to Sarah.

               The interesting discovery of the name Abi-ramu on Babylonian contracts of about 2000 BCE does not prove the Abraham of the Old Testament to be an historical person, even as the fact that there were Amorites in Babylonia at the same period does not make it certain that the 'patriarch' was one of their number.

              Many scholars claim, on the basis of archaeological and philological
evidence, that many stories in the Pentateuch, including the accounts
about Abraham and Moses, were written under King Josiah (7th century BCE) or King Hezekiah(8th century BCE) in order to provide a historical framework for the
monotheistic belief in Yahweh. Some scholars point out that the archives of neighboring countries with written records that survive, such as Egypt, Assyria, etc., show no trace of the stories of the Bible or its main characters before 650 BCE.

Today I am just happy , and I post this entry just for the pleasure of readying it over and over again .Happy because I am here, in these place(this world named Earth and Xiha world), because I have a family (even its far ,I know they are there , and I can  tolk whit them if needed ), happy because I have a husband that care about me ,and I care about him too (even sometimes we fight in words like crazy...);happy that I have a sweet 9 years old boy that listen to me (most of the time...);happy that I can hear, feel, walk , see ,sing , speak and write all these words here.
I am happy because I am what I am and I`m here...(sound a little crazy doesn`t ?...)

"There are as many stories as there are secrets to tell."

Joan of Arc (1412 - 1431)

"Even little children repeat that oftentimes people
are hanged for having told the truth."

When Joan of Arc was thirteen years old she claimed she heard the voice
of God in the garden of her father's home. The voice told her that she had
been chosen to help Him and to do great, even superhuman things. Disguised
as a boy, Joan convinced the leaders of her country to give her troops to
lead against the British. She has inspired many stories and legends. Today,
May 30th is a French holiday in her honor.
Also known as "the Maid of Orleans", was a 15th century Catholic saint, and national heroine of France. A peasant girl born in Eastern France, Joan led the French army to several important victories during the Hundred Years' War, claiming divine guidance, and was indirectly responsible for the coronation of King Charles VII. She was captured by the English, tried by an ecclesiastical court and burned at the stake by the English when she was nineteen years old. Twenty-four years later, the Holy See reviewed the decision of the ecclesiastical court, found her innocent, and declared her a martyr. She was beatified in 1909 and later canonized in 1920.[2]
Joan asserted that she had visions from God that told her to recover her homeland from English domination late in the Hundred Years' War. The uncrowned King Charles VII sent her to the siege at Orléans
as part of a relief mission. She gained prominence when she overcame
the dismissive attitude of veteran commanders and lifted the siege in
only nine days. Several more swift victories led to Charles VII's
coronation at Reims and settled the disputed succession to the throne.

In 1867, a jar was found in a Paris pharmacy with the inscription
"Remains found under the stake of Joan of Arc, virgin of Orleans". They
consisted of a charred human rib, carbonized wood, a piece of linen and
a cat femur — explained as the practice of throwing black cats onto the
pyre of witches. The Catholic Church recognized them and they are now
in a Chinon museum. In 2006, Philippe Charlier, a forensic scientist at Raymond Poincaré Hospital (Garches) was authorized to study the relics. Carbon-14 tests and spectrometry were performed, and the results[78] show that the remains come from an Egyptian mummy
from the sixth to the third century BC. The charred appearance comes
from the embalming substances, not from combustion. Apparently the
mummy was part of the ingredients of Medieval pharmacopeia and it was relabelled in a time of French nationalis.

"Some are guilty. Some are innocent. But all are dangerous."

              Empress Dowager Cixi (Chinese: 慈禧太后; pinyin: Cíxǐ Tàihòu; Wade-Giles: Tz'u-Hsi T'ai-hou) (November 29, 1835 – November 15, 1908), popularly known in China as the West Dowager Empress (Chinese: 西太后), was from the Manchu Yehe Nara Clan. She was a powerful and charismatic figure who became the de facto ruler of the Manchu Qing Dynasty, ruling over China for 47 years from 1861 to her death in 1908.
The exact origins of Empress Dowager Cixi are unclear, but most biographies claim that she was the daughter of a low-ranking Manchu official named Huizheng (Chinese: 惠徵) of the Manchu Yehenara clan, and his principal wife, who belonged to the Manchu Fucha (Chinese: 富察) clan.
          In September, 1851, Cixi participated, with sixty other Manchu girls, in the selection process for concubines for the new Xianfeng Emperor. This process was supervised by the Kang Ci Imperial Dowager Consort,
and Cixi was one of the few girls selected on that occasion and was
appointed Preparative Concubine (秀女) xiu nu = Elegant Female. After
being selected for the emperor's bed she was promoted to 'Noble Person, concubine of the Fifth Rank. She moved into the Emperor's Old Imperial Summer Palace Complex, and was soon granted the title "Worthy Lady Yi", which was a consort of the second-lowest rank.
                By the time of Xianfeng Emperor's death, Empress Dowager Cixi had become a brilliant manipulator. In Rehe,
while waiting for an astrologically favorable time to transport the
coffin back to Peking, Empress Dowager Cixi plotted to grab power.
Cixi's position as the lower Empress Dowager was neither convenient nor
legitimate when it came to political power. In addition, the young
emperor was not yet enough of a factor to be taken into political
consideration. As a result, it became necessary for her to ally herself
with other power figures. Taking advantage of the late emperor's
principal wife, the Empress Dowager Ci'an's
naivete and good nature, Cixi suggested that they become co-reigning
Empress Dowagers, with powers exceeding the Eight Regent Ministers.
Empress Dowager Cixi died in the Middle Sea Hall of Graceful Bird (Chinese: 中海儀鸞殿) on November 15, 1908, after having installed Puyi as the new Emperor of the Qing Dynasty on November 14. Her death came only a day after the death of the Guangxu Emperor.
          The name by which she is most frequently known and the name used in most modern texts is simply Cixi,
which is neither her birth name nor family name. It is an honorific name
given to her in 1861 after her son ascended the throne. Empress Dowager
Cixi's name at birth is not known, although a recent book published by
one of Cixi's brother's descendants seems to suggest that it was Xingzhen (杏貞).
          The traditional view of the Empress Dowager Cixi was that of a devious despot
who contributed in no small part to China's slide into corruption,
anarchy, and revolution. During Cixi's time, she used her power to
accumulate vast quantities of money, bullion, antiques and jewelry,
using the revenues of the state as her own. By the end of her reign she
had amassed a huge personal fortune, stashing away some eight and a
half million pounds sterling in London banks. The lavish palaces,
gardens and lakes built by Cixi were hugely extravagant at a time when
China was verging on bankruptcy.[14]
           However, some authors maintain a far more positive view of the
Empress Dowager, arguing that she has been unfairly maligned and when
seen more closely, her actions were reasonable responses to the
difficulties that China faced.
          It is argued by some that one must not confuse the traditional Confucian
idea widely held in Empress Dowager Cixi's day, that influential women
caused trouble and were not to be trusted, with her frequent portrayal
as a despot. While other powerful women of Chinese history, e.g. Empress Wu Zetian of the Tang Dynasty, are generally positively reassessed by modern historians, the negative views on Empress Dowager Cixi largely remain.

(...)Another anecdote in this connection records a dialogue between Confucius and an elder named Rong Shengqi when they met in the vicinity of Taishan .Rong was clad in clothes made of deer hide,singing merrily as he played a crude zither.Confucius asked ;" Sir,why are you so happy?"Rong answered ,"There are many things that I`m happy about ,but three of them are essential.One,God has created many creatures ,and man is the most precious  of all.I`m happy that I was born a man.Two, man is divided in male and female ,and social norms consider males superior to females .I`m happy  that I was born a male.And three,the lifespan  of man  is predestined,and some people die very young.I`m happy that I`ve lived through to my 95th year."
Rong carried on to say that poverty is the destiny of the learned,and that death is the destination of life.So what worry and regret should a man have  as long as he lives according to his destiny before attaining his final destination?Rong`s words were heartily endorsed by Confucius.
Confucius was born in a period of war and chaos ,and lived an eventful and arduous life.Brimming as he was with wisdom and ambition ,h found no chance to enact his ideas for the benefit of his country and people.During his lifetimes,he ascended Taishan several times,and the majesty and magnificence of the mountain purified his mind and sublimated his soul.He once exclaimed from the mountain summit,"The world is dwarfed when seen from Taishan."
People today have the same uplifting experience on Taishan ,where they can free themselves from earthly worry and desire about material  gains and losses,as Confucius did 2.000 years ago.Taishan is as great a source of wisdom and spiritual support today as it was for Cofucius.Its influence is apparent in his thinking and philosophy.

    Hwo was Marie-Antoinette? 

Maria Antonia Josepha Johanna von Habsburg-Lothringen (November 2, 1755 – October 16, 1793), known to history as Marie Antoinette, was born an Archduchess of Austria and later became Queen of France and Navarre. At fourteen, she was married to Louis-Auguste, Dauphin of France, the future Louis XVI. She was the mother of Louis XVII,who died in the Temple Tower at the age of ten during the French
Revolution. Marie Antoinette is perhaps best remembered for her
legendary (and, some modern historians say, exaggerated) excesses and for her death: she was executed by guillotine at the height of the French Revolution in 1793 for the crime of treason.
 UTTER the name Marie-Antoinette, the most notorious and hated Queen of France and people will think of the line
"let them eat cake".
       But was she a decadent, treacherous Austrian; given in marriage to the
future Louis XV1 at the age of 14, or the victim of a hate campaign in
the French royal court?
       On her marriage the young Maria-Antonia (whose name was changed to
Marie-Antoinette) could speak no French and could hardly write German.
Was it a feeling of isolation and loneliness that drove her to surround
herself with works of art and luxurious furniture?
       Her brother Emperor Joseph II, said of his sister that 'she was
empty headed, and in Vienna had fun, learnt to sing and dance and
adopted a taste for fine porcelain and furnishings.'
       She is known for her frivolity but gradually she is being exposed as
a victim and gathering sympathy as society changes and there is more of
an emphasis on the rights of victims.
      Throughout her time at Versailles she bore the brunt of a vicious
slander campaign which accused her of spending lavishly and sexual
depravity.
      Following the death of her husband she became know as Widow Capet and underwent a trial which brought outlandish accusations against her; although she evidently did act naïvely.

In fiction
The most famous historical fiction which features Marie Antoinette is the Alexandre Dumas novel Le Chevalier de Maison-Rouge (The Knight of the Red House,)
which centers on the Carnation Plot. It is actually the first of a
series of six books written by Dumas with Marie Antoinette featured,
called the "Marie Antoinette novels", in which the queen is shown in a
sympathetic light, particularly during the "Diamond Necklace Affair".

Some of the more famous historical novels that have portrayed Marie
Antoinette in more recent years includes Carrolly Erickson's 2005 novel
The Hidden Diary of Marie Antoinette, as well as Elena Maria Vidal's 1998 book Trianon. A 2000 book in the young adult Royal Diaries series is about Marie Antoinette's journey to France as a teenager.

The two best known movie portrayals of Marie Antoinette have been in the 1938 film directed by W. S. Van Dyke, in which the Norma Shearer played the queen, and the 2006