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Born in 1630, Charles II was the second eldest son of Charles I, who spent most of his teenage years fighting parliaments Roundheads until the execution of his father in 1649, and after he agreed to make Presbyterianism the religion of England and Scotland.

In 1650, Charles returned to his native Scotland and a year later led an unsuccessful campaign against Cromwell’s forces at Worcester. During this defeat, Charles managed to avoided capture, finding safe passage to France where he spent the next eight years roaming the wilderness of Europe.

Upon the collapse of Cromwell’s commonwealth, Charles was invited back to England and shortly after married Catherine of Braganza. His marriage to Catherine was a fruitless one as it bore him no legitimate heir to the throne.

In 1660, at the age of 30, Charles ascended the English throne and immediately set about seeking retribution for his father’s execution. Nine of his father’s conspirators were brought to trial and executed. As well as being very tolerant towards those who had condemned his father to death, he was also a very tolerant person in regards to all religious matters.

The country was in a jubilant mood at having a true monarch again, but his powers had been severely curtailed by Parliament. This curtailment meant that the Royal coppers were not what they should be and Charles had to fund his administrators from customs taxes and a pension that was paid to him by King Louis XIV of France.

Out of the ashes of the civil war, England’s first political parties were formed. The Cavaliers went on to form the first Tory party, whose ideology was in preserving the kings power over Parliament, while Cromwell’s Roundheads went on to form the Whig Party. Oddly enough, the Whig Party was all for expansion of trade abroad and maintaining parliament’s supremacy in the political field. In essence they were forbearers of today’s modern political parties.

Charles first ten years in power was not very memorable or fruitful. He was defeated by the Dutch in a war over foreign trade. In the latter half of the 1660’s Charles had to cope with the Great Plague of 1665 as well as the Fire of London in 1667, which left much of the capital a whole burnt out shell which only added to his trouble.

On top of all this, during the same year as the Great Fire of London, the Dutch brazenly sailed up the Medway River and sank five of his battleships. And to rub salt into already opened wounds, they towed the Royal Charles back to Holland.

The start of a new decade saw a new alliance with France. The French promised to help Charles in his fight against the Dutch with the assurance that Charles would bring back Catholicism to the country. This was in turn used against him by the Whig party. The consequence of this was another bout of religious hatred towards the Catholic Church. This anti-Catholicism paranoia led to the Queen and her favourites being accused of attempting to murder Charles II. In Parliament the Whig party, who held the majority of seats at the time, tried to push through an Exclusion Bill barring Catholics from holding public office and thus keep James Stuart from the throne. Charles II was felled by fever and this illness caused the balance of opinion to tip in his favour.

The king had a self-indulgent character - he had numerous mistresses and illegitimate children, and loved racing and gambling - and this led to him having a considerable influence on Restoration art and literature.

Charles II’s remaining years were occupied with securing his brother’s right to the throne and gathering political support from the Tory party. Charles died in February 1685 from complications following a stroke.

Charles II’s life can be best summed up from a quote of the time: “Charles II was always very merry and was therefore not so much a king as a Monarch. During the civil war, he had rendered valuable assistance to his father’s side by hiding in all the oak-trees he could find. He was thus very romantic and popular and was able after the death of Cromwell to descend to the throne.”

I hope you have enjoyed reading about Charles II.

In my next article we will learn about the life of Philip II of France.

Until then,

Best wishes and have a great day

Stuart Bazga

www.guide-to-castles-of-europe.com

A Guide to Castles of Europe was born from childhood dreams and aspirations. It is my hope to educate and stimulate you into exploring these castles for yourselves.

1. Don’t try and make something happen. Trying blocks the creative flow and will result in blocks.

2. Don’t expect to create something good. Expectations will always come with judgements and, consequently, you’ll end up feeling let down.

3. Don’t worry about what is “coming out.” Improvisation is about play and freedom to explore. Abandon unrealistic expectations and experience the joy of improvisation.

4. Don’t try and please others. The first person you must please is yourself. This may seem obvious but don’t underestimate the strong need to please - ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO THE ARTS!

5. Don’t try and accumulate a “lot of knowledge.” All it takes to improvise is a few chords and the proper attitude.

6. Don’t think. Improvisation is about FEELING. It’s about being in the moment and experiencing the moment through the music. Thinking will take you away from your intuition, which will guide you if you listen to it. Intuition will lead you places thinking never could!

7. Don’t quit. Practice is what makes intuition stronger. The more you practice or play, the stronger your intuition will grow and the more you will trust it. Your unique voice will emerge and will grow stronger each time you sit down to play.

Edward Weiss is a pianist/composer and webmaster of Quiescence Music’s online piano lessons. He has been helping students learn how to play piano in the New Age style for over 14 years and works with students in private, in groups, and now over the internet. Stop by now at http://www.quiescencemusic.com/piano_lessons.html for a FREE piano lesson!

Do you know why the “Chicken Soup for the Soul” series is so popular? Aside from terrific marketing and unequaled publicity, readers love the stories and personal essays. They are short, personal and teach a lesson or moral. If you would like to be a better writer of the personal essay, opinion pieces, reports and letters to the editor just follow the suggestions listed below:

1. Be brief. Many written reports or stories are 500 words or less. However, there is a general rule that an essay is between two and twenty typed, double-spaced pages. The most important criteria to remember is that a good piece needs to be an unbroken reading experience. The reader will lose interest if it is too long or wordy.

2. Tell a story. A personal essay is a story that has happened to you or that you know about firsthand. The reader assumes that it is nonfiction and that it will contain details and descriptions with which we are familiar. Structure your story around examples, using a pencil as your paintbrush to evoke images and paint a picture in the reader’s mind.

3. Make a point. You will want to illustrate your point, teach a lesson, explain a specific topic, or even support or criticize an idea. Your goal is to win sympathy or agreement. Do not turn it into a sermon or a soapbox to present the superiority of your ideas by including “shoulds” or “musts” aimed at the reader.

4. Use your senses. Enliven your essay with sensuous detail like how it smelled, tasted, sounded or felt. Make the reader feel like they are seeing and experiencing it through your body.

5. Tell about the ordinary. Personal essays are often best when they describe a common but freely shared experience. It doesn’t have to be about being a survivor of the Twin Towers. Talk about your reaction to 911. Or tell us about watching a sunset or baking bread. When you talk about walking your dog, take us along.

6. Make it engaging. An essay should arouse curiosity about life. Instead of preaching, invite us to consider your point of view by sharing the particular experience that brought you there, describe what happened, how you reacted, and why you interpret your experiences the way you do.

Think about your own interests and areas of special knowledge, activities, skills, attitudes, problems as well as typical obstacles faced in life. Teach us what you gained or lost in your life lesson. It is much easier to be convincing when you can draw from personal and firsthand information. Write it today. Submit it to Chicken Soup for the Soul or your local newspaper and become a published author. There are readers out there who want to share your slice of life.

© 2005 Judy H. Wright

This article has been prepared for your use by Judy H. Wright, author and life educator. You have permission to reprint it in your ezine or newsletter as long as the author and her web address is included http://www.ArtichokePress.com; 406-549-9813. Check out the website for upcoming workshops, tele-classes and books. You will also find FREE articles and be able to subscribe to the ezine The Artichoke-finding the heart of the story in the journey of life.

If you’re still young enough to remember your birthday, you probably also remember the special birthstone assigned to it. But at your age, we bet you don’t really know the SIGNIFICANCE of your birthstone and what power the ancients felt would be bestowed about you by wearing it.

March Birthstone: Aquamarine
Birthstone Properties: Bestows courage, insight, and victory
Alternative Birthstone: Bloodstone

Aquamarine is the traditional birthstones for March. It is also the accepted anniversary gem for the 19th year of marriage. Aquamarine is mined primarily in Brazil, Nigeria and Zambia.

Water Baby

Created by combining Latin words for water (aqua) and sea (mare), aquamarine does indeed resemble the bottomless blue of seawater. Like Emerald, aquamarine is a variety of beryl (a mineral that crystallizes within large rocks on the earth’s crust).

Aquamarine varies in color from blue-green to a light sky blue, and for generations, those stones containing green are often heat-treated to remove this less desirable color. Surprisingly, unlike other coveted gemstones, the majority of aquamarines are flawless. As a gift, aquamarine is unsurpassed in its legendary abilities to preserve and enhance mutual love, to ensure truth in relationships and to maintain a good marriage

When In Rome

Ancient Romans believed the magnificent gemstone was sacred to Neptune, the god of the sea. Some legends say that it was gift from mermaids, while others suggest that Neptune retrieved it after it fell from the jewel boxes of sirens and washed onto shore. Early sailors wore aquamarine talismans, engraved with the likeness of Neptune, as protection against dangers at sea.

The association with water led to the belief that the Aquamarine was particularly powerful when immersed. Water in which this gemstone had been submerged was used in ancient times to heal a variety of illnesses of the heart, liver, stomach, mouth and throat. Aquamarines were also used to reverse poisoning and to aid in fortune telling.

Heal Me

Many believe that aquamarine helps dependence on drugs, is an aid in digestion, and can be used as remedy for swollen glands and to maintain the health of the jaws and teeth.

On the non-physical plain, aquamarine is believed to release anger and negativity replacing them with mental peace and clarity, providing emotional and mental balance. It has been used as an aid in meditation and to assist in self-expression.

A Gift of Love

To dream of aquamarine signifies the making of new friends. To wear aquamarine brings love and affection. To give aquamarine is to offer the gift of knowledge, foresight and individual inspiration. It is a universal symbol of youth, fidelity, hope and health.

Ideal for carving into cameos and beads, the “blue sea” stone is said to aid seafarers so it is a wonderful gift for sailors, fishermen, and everyone who spends time at sea. A a gift of aquamarine symbolizes safety and security, especially within long standing relationships.

Caveat Emptor (Buyer beware): The beautiful light blue to blue-green color of aquamarine may fade upon prolonged exposure to light, so it is especially important to purchase this gem from a reputable source.

Learn How To Buy Jewelry And Gemstones Without Being Ripped Off. This informative Special Report reveals little-known facts and insider trade secrets that many jewelers would prefer you didn’t know. To get your FREE copy please go to http://www.morninglightjewelry.com.

1. Read all you can on the subject of “Mail Order Selling” and apply this knowledge to building your Mail Order business.

2. At first start slowly on a part time basis until you begin to make money. Then, expand your business until you have made enough money to go full time.

3. Be willing to stick-to-it and give yourself enough time for a good chance to begin making money regardless of past setbacks or failures.

4. Purchase printed stationary, labels, rubber stamps and a quality postal scale, typewriter, etc. for professional appearances.

5. Plan your area you’ll be operating from so you have everything in easy reach. This makes operating, mailing, etc. easier and faster.

6. Build your business around all types of money making plans; read about dealership offers, dealer supplies, advertising and all types of books and information to bring the most profits for your efforts. Weed out non-producing offers. Keep up on what’s new, give customers the best choices.

7. Choose a product or service that appeals to you and is in demand. A good way to see what’s selling is to get listed on several of the Big Mails Wanted Lists for several months.

8. Check out sources of printed material. Get reprint rights if you can to assure a constant supply to fill orders.

9. If source is a drop-shipper, make certain you can be assured orders will be shipped and on time.

10. Offer customers a choice of related items listed and priced in your sales letter or circular.

11. Offer customers a money back guarantee on items not special order or customized.

12. Use only good quality printed material. Your material (and all of your products) reflects directly upon you as a business person.

13. Always KEY your material and advertising. Keep a record of which is selling and which is not so you can make adjustments.

14. In your ads, use Free Information. Details for a LSASE (Large Self Addressed Stamped Envelope) etc. to sell offers. Never ask for more than a dollar or two from your 1″ or 2″ display or classified ads.

15. Place as many ads in different Mail Order publications as you can with circulations of at least 2000 and up.

16. Change publications to reach as many prospects as you can.

17. Use ideas from suppliers advertising. These ads are produced by professional ad writers that know how to get orders.

18. Don’t write any advertising until you have studied everything you can on the subject. Gather, study and learn from other dealers’ ads.

19. Don’t hesitate to use professional help (if necessary) to write ads for your offers until such time as you feel you can write ads to test and see if you get orders.

20. Many times a “cover letter” (sales letter) sent along with order form and/or circular for offers that cost $5.00 and up will pull more orders (See #19).

21. Place your advertising in publications that are read by people that can relate to and may want or need what you have to offer.

22. Use a bulk mailing permit when mailings reach over 250. Try asking for a first class stamp for free details.

23. Ship orders promptly, within 15 days minimum. Always use correct postage amount.

24. Inform customers if their order will be delayed beyond 15 days.

25. Be an HONEST DEALER and abide by all Postal Regulations. You must never argue with a customer if a refund is requested and refund it promptly.

Copyright 2004 by DeAnna Spencer

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Don’t assume that a reporter understands financial planning. If anything, assume the opposite until proven wrong. See if you can’t develop a couple of questions for the reporter that delicately explore their subject-matter knowledge. Freddy Newshound may cover personal finance, but he’s no expert. He may have started on the beat yesterday and not know a T-Bill from a municipal bond.

Fill in any necessary gaps so that the reporter can grasp the significance and context of your story. Making assumptions about a reporter’s knowledge base is risky business.

You can also enhance the reporter’s understanding of your topic by avoiding industry jargon. You’d be amazed at how much of it creeps unconsciously into our daily language. Save it for professional peers - except for an elite few trade press reporters, the media will be confused by it.

Near the end of your interview, recap and gently probe to ensure the interviewer has understood your main points. Many of them are adept at making it sound as if they know what’s going on. Sometimes they don’t. Judge too, by the questions they ask, whether they are absorbing your information properly. Trust your instincts - if you fear the reporter may be misunderstanding, act firmly and proactively to set the interview straight. It’s better to do this now than when it’s already on the air or in print.

Ned Steele works with people in professional services who want to build their practice and accelerate their growth. The president of Ned Steele’s MediaImpact, he is the author of 102 Publicity Tips To Grow a Business or Practice. To learn more visit http://www.MediaImpact.biz or call 212-243-8383.

A story that doesn’t challenge the writer won’t challenge the reader either.

Every writing whether it is an article, an essay, a short story, or a novel must challenge the author if it is to challenge the reader, and if it does not do this, then it will be ignored and disregarded.

How must it challenge the writer? It must do so on several levels. First the topic must be one that interests the author. If the author writes without fascination for his or her subject, it will quickly become apparent.

The second challenge is to write in a style that is appropriate to the subject. An informal style is suitable for some kinds of writing and not for other.

Third, the information must be relevant, appropriate, and significant. This is probably the writer’s most challenging aspect of writing.

If the writing does all this for the author, then it will do as much for the reader. Of course, it is significant that not all writing will do this to all readers; much depends on the reader’s curiosity, attention, and beliefs. Nevertheless, the writing must appeal to enough readers to be acceptable.

That is every writer’s challenge: to excite, to inform, to convince, and to confront the reader with ideas that are stimulating, inspiring, and thought-provoking. If the writer does that he or she is successful.

Charles O. Goulet has a BA in history and BEd in English literature. He has several novels published.

His website is: http://www.telusplanet.net/public/go1c
His blog site is: http://go1c.blogspot.com

As a buyer, everyone likes to get “a deal”. Finding a
bargain often means being at the right place at the right time,
whether intended or by fate. Finding a lucrative opportunity to
buy a business that is for sale because of an unexpected
catastrophic event requires a disciplined approach.

As a business buyer, you often need to use “creative” means to
position yourself to get the first, if not the only, shot at a
promising business acquisition candidate. You need to explore
as many ways as you can to find quality companies that are for
sale that can be bought with extraordinarily favorable purchase
terms. Pursuing acquisitions that surface due to unexpected
business events or catastrophic business owner life situations
can a “win-win” opportunity for both business buyers and
sellers.

Unexpected Personal and Business Events

Assuming you have clearly defined business purchase criteria and
have the purchase skills and financial resources to effectively
respond to an unexpected, short term disposition business
purchase opportunity, you may want to leverage common personal
and business events to your purchase advantage.

Although catastrophic events are relatively rare in business,
they are genuine realities and must be dealt with in a prompt
fashion by business owners to reduce further company value
deterioration or even potential liquidation.

Personal life events for business owners such as death, divorce,
indictment, sickness, disability or addiction to expensive
vices often significantly accelerates the need to recapitalize
or sell the business owner’s viable business.

Unexpected catastrophic business consequences, realized from
unexpected events or neglect, stupidity or devastating reactive
business tactics such as: large liability claims, loss of a
major customer(s), government seizures or new legislation,
employee fraud, strikes, lender financing changes or no viable
contingencies for acts of God, to name just a few, also
significantly accelerate the need to refinance or quickly
market the business for sale.

How Fast Do You Need To React?

Business buyers typically do not want to purchase a company that
has experienced a major unexpected setback or have to put
themselves through a quick “buying blitz” to qualify a rapidly
deteriorating acquisition candidate. However, high return on
investment purchase opportunities resulting from catastrophic
events, of viable businesses that are consistently profitable
with immediate, critical, financial or human resource
deprivation are often well worth the extraordinary effort.

To quickly restore a business to its established efficiency a
business buyer must act quickly to qualify and close the
business purchase. Often the business buyer who can react the
quickest in its purchase methodology or offer immediate
purchase funds will easily offset a higher purchase price
offering from another potential buyer.

For a business owner personal tragedy, a business buyer
typically has less than 60 days to buy the company before major
value deterioration occurs. For a wide variety of major
business catastrophes, a business buyer typically has slightly
more time, but not much more!

How Do I Find These “Deals”?

Effectively locating immediately distressed businesses that must
be recapitalized or sold because of unexpected personal
business owner situations or business management misfortunes
does not happen overnight. It requires a premeditated,
organized and ongoing program of communication and
documentation of your distressed business purchase interests to
legal, financial and business brokerage intermediaries who
typically must handle these extraordinary situations.
Reinforcing your unique interests and abilities to respond to
specific business catastrophe situations also requires periodic
oral and written communication to these same types of business
service providers.

Steps to “Get the Word Out”

* Define and document your distressed business purchase criteria

* Define business: legal, financial and acquisition service
providers who typically deal with distressed business
situations: M&A or Probate attorneys, Bank Trust Departments,
Commercial bank “workout” managers or “turn-around”
acquisition intermediaries: investment bankers, business
brokers, consultants or CPA’s

* Get the word out! Implement an organized effort to communicate
and document your specific catastrophic business purchase
criteria to all above noted service providers

* Periodically reinforce your distressed business purchase
interests and criteria with broadcast mailings, announcements
or advertisements

* Embellish your successful acquisitions of distressed
businesses with press releases and formal printed or
electronic announcements to like business service providers

Often the more “creative” you are to find deals, the quicker
you’ll find the “right” deal. The more diverse your means to
locate viable companies that are for sale, the better your
chances of finding a quality acquisition candidate that few
others are aware of.

As a business buyer, you have two ways to look at buying
businesses based on catastrophic events: 1) as negative, taking
advantage of distressed sellers, or, 2) as positive, taking
advantage of a unique opportunity to become a business
seller’s, “savior”, the best means available to allow their
employees to keep their jobs and continue to provide for their
families. You make the choice like most lucrative business
opportunities, if you don’t participate, others more than
likely will!

About the Author:

Mark Smock is President of http://www.business-buyer-directory.com, the
FIRST international business buyer directory of its kind.
Business Buyer Directory provides a non-traditional means for
proactive business buyers to locate businesses for sale
worldwide that meet their exact registered purchase criteria.

Be a Resource

The media people that are likely to want to speak to financial planners are usually working on stories that will help people: help them get out of debt, make smarter investment decisions, or save for retirement.

They look to financial planners to be a resource for these people.

When you become a resource, the media will come back to you again and again.

A resource on what? On the same subject matter and topics that are the everyday stuff of your business, your practice, your interaction with clients and customers.

How you can help people - that’s your story.

You Are NEVER the Story

Unless you’re a Hollywood star or some kind of oddball, to the media you are not a story.

So forget about breaking your way into the media spotlight with “news” about how great or successful you are, how impeccable your credentials are.

The media don’t care. You need more. Your story is your topic - a slice of your subject matter expertise. (For the next 30 days, repeat this aloud to yourself every morning and evening until it is second nature:)

“My story is my topic.”

Your story will focus not on you, but on the needs and problems that drive clients to your door.

Ned Steele works with people in professional services who want to build their practice and accelerate their growth. The president of Ned Steele’s MediaImpact, he is the author of 102 Publicity Tips To Grow a Business or Practice. To learn more visit http://www.MediaImpact.biz or call 212-243-8383.

Tips for Getting the Most From Your Conference Investment

All professionals attend conferences, seminars, and trade shows each year.