Memorization

I have always been a big fan of memorizing useless facts. If you are at work and can't face the project you have to finish, then at the very least memorize something: useful or useless. One of my seven year old students memorized this entire Emily Dickinson poem within 20 minutes of my handing it to her. And she could recite it perfectly the next day as well. So today why don't you see if you can best a seven year old. Chances are you can't because she is a freak with the most amazing giant poofy hair and a mind like a steel trap!


605

The Spider holds a Silver Ball
In unperceived Hands—
And dancing softly to Himself
His Yarn of Pearl—unwinds—

He plies from Nought to Nought—
In unsubstantial Trade—
Supplants our Tapestries with His—
In half the period—

An Hour to rear supreme
His Continents of Light—
Then dangle from the Housewife's Broom—
His Boundaries—forgot—

--Emily Dickinson


If you don't enjoy poetry, try memorizing a list of trivia... like all the Roman emperors in order from Augustus to Constantine.

Augustus
Tiberius
Caligula
Claudius
Nero
Galba
Otho
Vitellius
Vespasian
Titus
Domitian
Nerva
Trajan
Hadrian
Antoninus Pius
Marcus Aurelius
Lucius Verus
Commodus
Pertinax
Didius Julianus
Septimius Severus
Caracalla
Geta
Macrinus
Diadumenian
Elagabalus
Alexander Severus
Maximinus Thrax
Gordian I
Gordian II
Pupienus
Balbinus
Gordian III
Philip the Arab
Decius
Herennius Etruscus
Hostilian
Gallus
Volusianus
Aemilian
Valerian
Gallienus
Claudius II Gothicus
Quintillus
Aurelian
Tacitus
Florianus
Probus
Carus
Carinus
Numerian
Postumus
Marius
Victorinus
Tetricus I
Carausius
Allectus
Diocletian
Maximian
Constantius I Chlorus
Galerius
Severus II
Maxentius
Constantine I


If you had to change your name to one of the emperor's names, which would you choose? I'm pretty sure that I would be excited to be called Maximinus Thrax.