Sunday, February 27, 2011

Moving Blog?

Yes.
I am considering about moving my blog, or having another blog. With another account.

Don't get me wrong; I love this patchy blog to bits. Plus I really hate changing things, so I don't really like having to change my ways for new systems. Such examples are Adobe CS4 and guitar playing styles.

Back to the point. My reason is that I want to change my account is not actually reasonable. But I've never been logical anyway.
Blogger/Google account won't allow my brand new G-Mail address to be my 'primary account'.
It's such a simple act. Yet why? Why, I wonder. I really want to use my Gmail, and yet it's saying 'no you can't.'
I just do not understand.
And so this idea was born. I once thought about making another blog. This can be my chance.
Don't worry, my little 'Blog World'; I'm sure I'll come back for you soon.
At least for the moment, adieu.
Smileys for all: :)

Monday, February 21, 2011

A Simpleton's POV of Italian Unification (+ random things)

Maybe I should do something interesting and 'useful' with my blog. 'Daily (Comic) Dia-Journal of Me' sort of thing? 'The World as seen by a Hat-Loving Student'?
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Anyways, random stuff time! :D

I do not know how to change my shown email adress. I do not like it. I have a new email that's gmail (rhyme?) and when I went to 'My Account' to change it, it said "No."
I will win next time. Seriously.

I looked at Yahoo today and saw this: http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_upshot/20110218/od_yblog_upshot/kayakers-snap-photo-of-englands-version-of-the-loch-ness-monster
Somehow, all I can say is that I don't see Nessie as a giant catfish, or a gigantic monster mutant eel. I picture Nessie as this magnificent water creature that has a long neck and a something humped back, and looks absolutely gorgeous.
What looks below underwater/ the body & its limbs, I have no idea. I haven't figured that out yet. All I can say is that if Nessie is not 'real', then he/she/it has to be 'magical'.
Easy as that. Anything can be solved with magic. Well, except for zombies and coupons.

Here's a simpleton's view of the Italian Unification:
Italians grew fed up living under a foreign ruler (aka Austria). The nationalism has changed their ideas, and, as nationalist feelings are practically bursting out of their pores, they want INDEPENDENCE. All they need now is a leader to lead them the way to freedom.
Enter Camillo di Cavour*. He's the new prime minister, and a dead-cunning and ambitious one at that. He's trying to expand the kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia with all he can, and with diplomacy and alliances, he's set his eyes on north Italy.
Only one problem: Austria's in the way.
So when in Napoleon III of France agreed to help in 1858, Cavour, with his new friend, provoked the Austrians into war. Cavour, with his brand new shiny French-Sardinian army, won the battles twice. In the end, he succeeded in taking over the north, except for Venetia which is added later.
Then a challenger (not really) appears. His name is Giuseppe Garibaldi, and he and his badass army of nationalists are called the Red Shirts, him being 'The Red One'. He captured Sicily** in 1860. and marched up north to where Piedmont-Sardinia was. There he agrees with Cavour and King Victor Emmanuel II (king of Piedmont-Sardinia) to unite his southern area with the kingdom.
The years pass by, and pieces of Italy are falling into place. In 1866 Venetia became part of Italy, and finally the Papal States, with Rome, was added in 1870.
Simpleton Father: And so that's the story of how Rome became the capital of Italy. Did you like it?
Simpleton Father's Child: No. That was stupid.

*= Actually, his name isn't even Camillo di Cavour. It's something like Leonardo da Vinci and how 'da Vinci' is actually 'of Vinci' not 'da Vinci a lastname'. His real name is Camillo Benso, count of Cavour. My history book is lazy.
**= I'm not sure if 'Sicily' here means 'The Kingdom of the Two Sicilies' or the 'Sicily island' of Italy. Probably the first. Tried checking, but all say 'Sicily', so I don't really know what to say about this.

Note: the above interpretation is a simpleton's point of view. Dont' sue me for getting places wrong. I will try to keep things as accurate as possible. (but not right now)

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[EDIT] Okay, now that I look at it, that was quite stupid. The so-called simpleton's view seemes to be in fact VERY VERY different from the original story. Well, I did dramatise some bits, but....
I demand my history book #1 to be revised. I want my money back. Thank you to group discussions and history book #2.

So let's try this again:
The part where the Italians were fired up were right. Especially with Guiseppe Mazzini, who remined the Italians of their glorious past, i.e. the Roman Empire and the Renaissance. So the Italians demanded for independence, the want pouring out of their pores (figuratively). Except that, well, Austria was too strong for them. None of the revolts suceeded.
Camillo Benso, or 'Camillo di Cavour' as he's more commonly known, could see the Italians' want for independence, and could see their problem quite clearly. Sure, Italy had fiery words, noble thoughts, and brave patriots, but they also needed tough soldiers and strong allies to fight Austria. Though cunning, Cavour was also cautious and practical. He knew the nationalist groups (e.g. Mazzini's Young Italy - unrelated to Hetalia's Chibitalia) alone couldn't take the Austrian troops.
So instead, he worked to improve the Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia's economy, so it could work to unification. With that done, he moved on to forming alliances. He signed a treaty with Napoleon III of France, ensuring that France would help drive Austria off Lombardy and Venetia if Austria threatened Sardinia.
So, with your nation's economy sound, and with a strong ally with you, what do you do? Prepare for war. In 1859, Austria was provoked into war against Sardinia, and France kept its word: French troops rushed into aid. The French-Sardinian army won victories.
Then a betrayal (?!) occurs! Alright, so 'betrayal' is a bit too strong. Anyways, Napoleon III went back on his word: he signed a truce with Austria, afraid of a unified Italy's power. The result: only Lombardy was returned to Sardinia, not Venetia. Hence why Venetia didn't become part of Italy until much later.
Cavour tried to persuade the king, Victor Emmanuel II, to continue the war until all of north Italy was freed, but it seemed as though the king was quite satisfied. He accepted the peace terms.
So for the moment there wouldn't be any more of regaining land from Austria. Until one special person in red appears, that is...

If There's One Thing I Should Learn, It's Not to be Blinded by False Sense of Security

I should probably use Microsoft Word for SpellCheck and correct grammar, but no I won't, as I feel like posting RIGHT THIS INSTANT (okay, that didn't mean to be in caps lock).
Don't get me wrong. I hate run-ons, (some) fragments, and other English mistakes too. But this is more important(?).
I might add images later. Make it more easier to read & give readers breaks. But not now. Later.

Back to the point. I need to stop being blinded by a false sense of security.

This morning, there was a Social Studies review test on Post-Napoleonic Era, AKA 'Congress of Vienna, and How Nationalism brought Conservatism crumbling down'. (I could've put it better, but no.)
Now, don't get me wrong; I did review it. All last night, cramming it into my poor little tired brain which was trying to be creative in making this weird gender-bending story about a boy who turned into a girl.
Back to the point. So I shredded through the review test about the Congress and how Belgium and Greece were awesome and bashed for their independence and won. I don't know how long I took. I don't care how long I took. All that matteres is that I've finished and gotten a review test out of the way.
So ticking that off the to-do list.

After much enjoyment in watching Mythbusters during Science class and busily thinking of Rube Goldberg and his awesomeness, the happiness drained out of my much worn-out body as the review test monster numero deux appeared: in the form of a French media review test.
Bah, humbug. Shredded through that too. Don't even remember what I added. I don't care. That's two review tests out; no more for today!

And then, post-lunch-happy-break, the terror. Computers/Information Technology.
Don't get me wrong. I love computers, sort of. I love Word and Photoshop 7, and occasionally dream of making super-cool pictures/animations with my pitiful mouse and my newly installed super-awesome/badass Adobe CS4.
Which I cannot get used to.
The fact that the 'history' box of the Photoshop CS4 has disappeared didn't help. I'm still not used to this new 'CS4'. I don't care how many tools it has. If I can't get it to work, it'll only be as useful as a cup of hot tea in the middle of the desert.
We're supposed to use Flash to make animations about various computer concepts. So I'm trying to coax my Flash to work and make my animation's storyboard magically come alive. It doesn't.
And then I have a mental breakdown and start (mentally) to mangle Adobe Flash into nothingness.

After school I complain about how my tooth hurts for no particular reason other than to bother me, when something new hits.
I don't have that much homework!
And this is where I must, as I always tell myself, always be careful, because there is this valuable quote that Mr. T has always provided us:


And well put. I specifically know that if I do not do some of my 'other due date homework' during my 'today's-homework-done-free-time!' free time, I will in the end perish under the load of 'that homework' and the new 'today's homework'.
And now look: I'm busily reading 'Hyperbole and a Half' posts while writing a blog post without any effort to be proper and neat. I even think I once decided to be all proper and 'gentlemanly' and learn the ways of being a 'gentleman' - no swearing and being well-mannered in general.
You know what? I think I'll party first then pull myself together. Which means until I broke into the finish line of 'school' and head into the 'race of freedom/holiday', I'll be too busy to mind my conduct.
So until the holidays, gentleman's conduct, adieu.

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Point. What is this 'point' of which you speak? *shifty eyes*

I'm serious. I will later have pictures in here to make it pretty. But later.