#Province of South Sardinia

[travelella]

Buggerru, Province of South Sardinia, Italy

Bernhard

[lordmartiya]

Hi. Today is the Ides of March, and I come to you not to defend Caesar but to contestualize his killers. Because I've noticed most people here are directly or indirectly influenced by William Shakespeare's play on the events, play that alters a few facts and presents Marcus Junius Brutus as the most sympathetic character of the entire mess for sake of drama, and forgoes ENTIRELY the historical context. Being Italian I grew up with MOST of said context, so allow me to present you with the series of civil wars that ended the Roman Republic.

The dominoes started being placed at the very start of the Republic, when, according to legend, the last king of Rome, Lucius Tarquinius Superbus (properly translated as Lucius Tarquinius the Fucking Arrogant - the English language doesn't have the right word to translate "superbus"), got the Romans so furious that they joined forces and chased him and his family out of town under the leadership of Publius Valerius and Lucius Junius Brutus (this name is important, remember it). No matter if the legend has any basis in history, the Roman here started LOATHING the King, and while the office was maintained as the Rex Sacrorum (King of Sacrifices) for its religious significance it lost all its political power, and every year the holder would be ritually chased out of Rome as a reminder of what happened to Tarquinius, a tradition that apparently continued all the way until the office's abolition under EMPEROR TEODOSIUS THE FIRST (the Romans loved tradition and could hold a grudge for a long time). Also, the Romans reformed their government around the Senate, whose families, the Patricians, formed Rome's nobility, so that they could properly rule their city, the villages and towns directly subject to it, and the largish alliance centered around Rome, accounting for any foreseeable future growth of said alliance. Keyword: FORESEEABLE. Because the founders of the Republic apparently anticipated Rome's control to expand at most from the Alps to Apulia, maybe Sicily if the local Greek colonies decided to pick a fight and their friends in Carthage decided to share.

Then the unexpected happened: the antics of the Mamertines, a band of mercenaries turned bandits, dragged Rome and Carthage into war and hatred, and when the second of the three wars ended Rome's hegemony extended from just south the valley of the Po river to Apulia, while the Po valley and the rest of Northern Italy, Sicily, Sardinia, Corsica, and a large chunk of the Hiberian peninsula were now the provinces of Sicilia, Sardinia et Corsica, Gallia Cisalpina, and Hispania Citerior - and to top it off they had committments in Greece (as the Macedons had briefly entered the Second Punic War) and Africa (where Rome's new ally of Numidia was itching to go at what remained of Carthage's empire, with Carthage pinching every penny to pay the immense war reparations under the wrong impression that once they were done Rome would leave them alone and let them settle the score with the traitorous Numidians). Rome had grossly overextended its territory beyond the capacity of its institutions and was due a reformation - but much of the political power, and the war loot that came with it, was in the hand of the Patricians, and any workable reform would by necessity dilute said power, for starters by recognizing that many of Rome's Italian allies were now Romans in every way that mattered except the citizenship and its privileges (including a larger share of the war loot), and that the common people of Rome, the Plebeians (that's their literal name), were owed either a larger share of the loot themselves or some state-owned lands that various Patricians and Equites (the wealthy merchant class of former Plebeian extraction) had bought up. Thus the reformations stalled, for almost a century.

Then came Tiberius Sempronius Gracchus, who, recognizing the problem, used his term as Tribune of the Plebs to start addressing the problem and force a land reform in the Senate's throat, but in the process he broke a number of unwritten rules and was lynched on the orders of the Pontifex Maximus (this being one of the two circumstances where a Tribune of the Plebs could be killed in spite of being under religious protection, and the Pontifex had to explain himself after the fact or be executed himself). Thus the Senate was able to sabotage the reform by not allocating any fund to it. Then, to their dismay, Gaius Sempronius Gracchus, Tiberius' younger brother, was elected Tribute and continued his work, even trying to extend citizenship to the Latins and Latin rights to the other allies... And used violence first, eventually leading to the Senate passing an emergency bill to kill him, even bringing weapons inside Rome's Pomerium (the area of Rome where bringing weapons was usually forbidden on pain of being beaten to death on the spot, and where any official's military power was annulled the moment they stepped in) if necessary. Factional violence had started.

Eventually, and with a war against Rome's Italian allies that had grown tired of just waiting to be recognized as proper Romans (plus the irreducible Samnites making one last play at reconquering their independence) that ended when the Consul Lucius Julius Caesar made the Senate cough up that citizenship (and the Samnites being wiped out as a nation for continuing the war even after Rome coughed up the citizenship), the factions coalesced around two well-meaning strongmen: the Populares, serving the interests of the people (including the Plebeians, a number of impoverished Patrician families, and part of the wealthy Equites merchant class) and led by the Plebeian war hero Gaius Marius, and the Optimates, serving the interests of the elites (the Patricians and the majority of the Equites) and led by the Patrician war hero Lucius Cornelius Sulla. Both Marius and Sulla, who had fought together against the new king of Numidia Jugurtha, recognized Rome was speeding toward self-destruction (Jugurtha literally PAYING OFF a number of Roman generals before Marius took over that war and brought Sulla to help whip the demoralized troops back into shape had proved that) and something had to be done, but disagreed on how... And eventually a civil war was fought. Marius initially had the upper hand, seizing Rome while Sulla and his army were away fighting Mithridates, but he died by old age before Sulla's return, and without him the Populares couldn't stop Sulla from winning back Italy. The first round went to the Optimates, with Sulla forcing reforms that stabilized the situation for a time before retiring for fear of becoming a tyrant. Sulla also took the chance to have a number of Marius' allies killed, but was persuaded to spare Marius' nephew - a skilled and brave swordsman named Gaius Julius Caesar. He still left his allies with a warning, that in this young man he saw many Marii - for this guy was THAT Julius Caesar (and a nephew of the now late Lucius Julius Caesar).

After Sulla's retirement and eventual death, things started unraveling again due the one thing he had failed to account for: the Senate was corrupted. So corrupted that eventually control of the state was usurped by three men: Pompey the Great, one of Sulla's old lieutenants and the war hero who destroyed Sertorius' Populares army in Hispania, saved Rome from the existential threat posed by the Illyrian pirates (who had grown strong enough to endanger Rome's grain supply due the Senate's corruption), and finished off Mithridates; Marcus Licinius Crassus, the richest man in Rome, the war hero that defeated Spartacus (and had Pompey promptly steal the glory as he was returning from Hispania), and major asshole who got so rich by buying up the firefighters, come to any house on fire, and telling the owner that if he didn't sell him the house at a much reduced price he'd let it burn (he was also the most hated man in Rome); and Julius Caesar, not yet a war hero in spite of how his own run-in with pirates went (those pirates thought he was joking when he paid up twice the ransom and told them he'd come back and have them all hanged to crosses. They realized he was serious when they discovered who exactly had just led a Roman fleet to storm their base and capture them all) but the apparent leader of the Populares by virtue of who his uncle was. With this arrangement, Crassus went to the east to try and conquer Parthia, Caesar got himself made governor of Cisalpine and Transalpine Gauls and got to work to conquer the rest of the Gauls at the first excuse, and Pompey remained in Rome to hold the fort... But Crassus got himself killed like an idiot, and without him the Senate was able to bring Pompey back into their Optimate fold. And when Caesar came back from the Gauls as a conqueror he knew he had two choices: go back peacefully and get killed, or take Marius' mantle and march on Rome. He choose the latter, and when the dust settled Caesar was the master of Rome and Pompey was dead, assassinated by the courtiers of Ptolemy XIII of Egypt to try and appease Caesar but instead royally pissing him off (that's how Cleopatra became the Queen of Egypt, she knew killing Pompey was a stupid idea and was already an exile, so when Caesar got the news she allied herself with him), with only one remaining Optimate army still resisting in Sicily under Pompey's son, Sextus Pompey.

Caesar was a much different man from Sulla. For starters, his reforms followed the Populares' ideals. Also, he didn't like to have people executed for being political enemies - a honorable death on the battlefield was one thing, but having someone killed in peacetime for having different political opinions was another, and Pompey's surviviving soldiers fell for him when Caesar ordered his men to let them live. And then there's the part that usually gets omitted in Italian school books: he had no intention to relinquish his power once he was done, and even planned to make himself King of Rome, even with the ghost of Tarquinius still looming over Rome. Being a genius, however, he decided to test the water first, most notably by arranging for his trusted lieutenant Mark Antony to publicly offer him a crown while STARK NAKED, so that it could be dismissed as a tasteless joke if needed. The people booed at Antony's action, so Caesar rejected the crown and tried to pass it off as a tasteless joke... But part of the public opinion started wondering about Caesar's true intentions, and a number of Optimates decided it was time to deal with Caesar.

These men, the self-proclaimed Liberators, were a number of lesser Optimates that for various reasons felt personally insulted by Caesar (one even owed him money), and took Caesar's probes toward kingship as excuse. Their leaders were Gaius Cassius Longinus, who Caesar had refused a political appointment in favor of someone else, and Marcus Junius Brutus, direct descendant of the Brutus that led the Romans against Tarquinius and infamous weathervane who joined anyone who seemed to be the strongest, first choosing to side with Pompey, who had his father's killed during Sulla's purges, because his allies had sided with him against Caesar, then siding with Caesar when he got the upper hand, and now realizing that his entire political career was at Caesar's whim (it was in fact him who got the appointment Caesar denied to Cassius) and the master of Rome could change his mind any time, and seemed rather inclined to support his trusted lieutenant Mark Antony and his grand nephew Octavian. The Liberators waited for a Senate session outside the Pomerium (as a number of Senators were also holding military offices), thus in a place where carrying weapons was allowed, and with their knives jumped Caesar on the Ides of March. The tyrant was dead, and they could now take whatever political office they wanted while Cicero, Rome's most honest man who was nonetheless biased toward them as an Optimate, brokered a peace with Caesar's allies... But they had mistaken Antony as a brute. At Caesar's funeral Antony gave a legendary speech and read out Caesar's will, in which he gave lavish gifts to the masses of Rome, thus turning the entire population of Rome against the Liberators to such a point Sextus Pompey didn't want anything to do with them, and igniting the third of the four rounds of civil wars that would destroy the Roman Republic and turn it into the Empire.

In conclusion, was Caesar killed for a good reason? Most certainly yes. But was Brutus a hero? Nope. He was a weathervane ready to switch sides the moment the tide turned, and turned on Caesar out of fear he'd cut his political career off if he opposed him (though Mark Antony turning the entirety of Rome on him apparently restored his coherency, as during the following war he finally fought to his own death). Thus screw Caesar, screw Brutus, and screw Mark Antony for restarting the war. Only Cicero and Octavian can be spared. Wait, wasn't Octavian just Caesar's grandnephew? Well, yes... But he was also Caesar's legal heir, equally ambitious and brave but much smarter and cunning, enough to secure his power first by allowing Antony to screw himself over by thinking with his lower head (Antony cheating on his wife Octavia with Cleopatra in spite of Octavia being the very model of a Roman bride pissed off a LOT of Romans. Especially her brother, who happened to be Octavian himself) and then by actually solving the entire problem of Roman institutions having overextended themselves (you know, what had started the entire mess to begin with), thus creating the Roman Empire while assuming the name of Augustus.

As for the knife block? It's made in Italy. Because we may hold Caesar as a national hero to this day, but with such an obvious joke...

[italyluxury]

Journey to the Charm: Unforgettable South Italy Tours

South Italy is an intriguing mosaic of history, culture, and natural beauty, encompassing regions such as Sicily, Molise, Puglia, Sardinia, Calabria, Campania, Abruzzo, and Basilicata. To experience this area fully, consider a meticulously planned tour package from specialists who know the region inside and out. Italy Luxury Tours excels in offering just such unforgettable South Italy tours, providing you with an experience that's both exclusive and luxurious.

What makes Southern Italy so special?

Southern Italy is renowned for its spectacular coastlines, majestic cliffs, and breathtaking views. But it's not just about natural beauty. The area is also rich in cultural experiences, from food and wine to history and art. The best way to delve into all these aspects is through a dedicated Southern Italy tour with Italy Luxury Tours.

Not just for seasoned Italy explorers

Many travelers begin their Italian journey in cities like Rome, Venice, Florence, and Milan. Yet, even if it's your first time visiting Italy, you can enjoy a more intimate, less-trodden path through exclusive South Italy tours. Italy Luxury Tours welcomes both first-timers and returning visitors, offering packages that cater to adventure-seekers and those looking for a more relaxing experience.

A quick look at some must-visit destinations

Italy Luxury Tours has curated multiple travel packages that spotlight the diversity and richness of Southern Italy. These include:

Amalfi Coast - From Sorrento to Cilento, their packages cover multiple iconic destinations. For a broader experience, you can explore Naples, Mt. Vesuvius, Pompeii, Capri, and Sorrento through a special package. For food enthusiasts, a Southern Italy tour can focus on the gastronomic delights of the Amalfi Coast.

Sicily - Dive deep into the island's Mediterranean culture with tours that cover everything from Greek temples and Norman churches to Baroque palaces. You'll even visit natural wonders like Mount Etna. Or, discover Sicily's culinary landscape, featuring Modica chocolate, Pachino tomatoes, and Nero d'Avola wine, through a specialized food and wine tour.

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Ready to book your Southern Italy adventure?

If you're ready to explore everything this fascinating region has to offer, head over to Italy Luxury Tours to select your ideal Southern Italy tour package. Alternatively, reach out to their expert team to customize your own unforgettable South Italy tours tailored to meet your specific needs and preferences.

[westcoastint]

Italian luxury yacht charters: a guide for planning a sailing vacation

It is no surprise that Italy has remained one of the most popular travel destinations in the world, given the abundance of gorgeous scenery and the rich and lively history it offers.

The cuisine is outstanding in every way. Italy is social and romantic, so your Italy yacht charter ensures a trip that will meet and exceed your expectations whether you intend to cruise with friends, family, or your significant other.

Yacht Charter in Italy

Sailing in Italy is among the best on the Mediterranean coastline. Finding a berth during the summer might be difficult due to the absence of natural harbours and the scarcity of spaces in manufactured marinas. Yet, the rewards on an Italy yacht charter will be well worth the effort with careful planning, a few basic Italian phrases, and a little tolerance and understanding.

Most yachters consider the wait worthwhile when the sun is shining, and there is a warm, constant breeze. The variety of landscapes, the fantastic weather, the crystal-clear water, and the Italian food and wine all help to make up for the lack of wind.

Amalfi Coast

The Isle of Capri is serenely situated off the Sorrento peninsula on the southern edge. Many breathtaking bays are excellent for anchoring in calm weather, and its harbour is renowned for its vibrantly coloured buildings. Yachts can visit the stunning Pontine Islands to the north of the port, and the Amalfi Coast beckons to the south.

Sardinia

Sardinia. With secure harbours almost evenly spaced along its coastline, the island of Sardinia boasts some of the best sailing in the world. The beaches on the east side, which are better protected, include white sand and crystal-clear water. It is a trendy vacation spot, and the “Costa Smerelda” on the island’s northeast is a playground for wealthier people. Harbours like Porto Cervo will let you remain for practically nothing in the off-season. The Maestrale is more accessible and rugged on Sardinia’s western side (Mistral).

Venice

Being afloat on a yacht holiday is a terrific way to experience this traditional Mediterranean city because Venice is surrounded by water. Not to mention, Venice is considered one of the world’s most romantic cities. Each trip on an Adriatic yacht charter must include a stop in Venice. Go down the Grand Canal in your chartered yacht. You may view attractions like the Ca’Foscari, Palazzo Grassi, Guggenheim Museum, and the Accademia Bridge from the deck of your charter yacht.

Sicily

Sicily is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, measuring 25,426 square kilometres. It is separated from the Italian mainland by the Strait of Messina. The Tyrrhenian Sea, the Ionian Sea, and the Strait of Sicily form its northern, eastern, and southern borders. With Luxury Yacht Charters, you can enjoy the serene view with the best itinerary on board.

Aeolian islands

The Aeolian Islands and the Aeolian Isles, named after the Wind God Aeolus, are known for their windy surroundings. However, they offer some of the safest anchorages in the Tyrrhenian and are often delightful. There are eight in total, with the final one barely more than a rock that protrudes into the ocean. A stunning light show is periodically produced by the active volcano on the island of Stromboli, where tourists can anchor.

Naples

In Castellamare di Stabia, set sail on your catamaran lease around the Amalfi Coast. Depending on when you set sail, you might head for Naples for a fun-filled evening touring the busy Via Chaia. Now is the ideal time to explore the lovely city of Naples, sample some delectable pizza, and take in the breathtaking vistas of Mount Vesuvius, which towers over the city.

Tuscan archipelago

The Tuscan Archipelago has a Mediterranean climate, and in the summer, the temperature and gentle wind are comfortable. In the Tyrrhenian Sea, the Tuscan archipelago is conveniently reachable by sailing yachts from Lazio, Toscana, or Liguria. Any of the provinces above will provide you with more than enough marines to begin your expedition.

Portofino and Cinque terre

A string of five coastal communities, each offering breathtaking water views. Compared to their more well-known sister, Portofino, these towns are more affordable and less affluent. Along this coastal path is a beautiful and prominent walk connecting the five villages called the “Via Dell’Amore” (The Way of Love).

Bottom line

So there you have it; a Yacht Charter in Italy is undoubtedly one of the Mediterranean’s most wonderful regions for your yacht vacation. The crystal-clear warm seas, excellent (yet sheltered) sailing conditions, ideal sunny climate, and beautiful landscape are all present here, paired with some of the best food and wine you’ll find anywhere. Everything is taken care of; all that is left for you to do is unwind and enjoy yourself.

[adraelfineminerals]

Beautiful crystallizations of ferrierite and calcite that react to UV light from the famous mount Olladri in Monastir. A piece to keep in mind.

[a-god-in-ruins-rises]

alright. started a new campaign.

started as an occitan count (of venaissan) in provence, vassal of the king of italy.

roleplay sitrep: roleplaying as leader of the burgeoning “republic of arles”, which has given birth to a new roman-minded people. the people of arles have overthrown their feudal rulers and elected a new leader. the people have a distinct culture (named “arelatian” from the classical latin name for arles: arelate) that embraces their roman ancestors and are attempting to revive their centralized, bureaucratic, republican civilization. on top of that we’ve reformed our “christian” faith which now embraces pagan syncretism and equality of the sexes and sexualities (inspired by catharism but made more explicitly pagan). immediate goal (in no particular order): become king of burgundy and aquitaine (to create occitania) and italy. ultimate goal: restore the roman empire.

first ruler: count of vennaissan. did some wheeling and dealing to become duke of provence. established elective succession (republicanism and all that). king of italy got his shit kicked in, as usual, by the other frankish kings. i tried my best to help but eventually the king of lotharingia came out on top and took italy.  whatever. it is what it is. i play nice, pay homage, and work on gaining my new king’s favor. meanwhile i focus on expanding my domain so i can, hopefully, muster enough strength to take either italy or burgundy (or both) from him. over the decades i conquer corsica, then mallorca, and finally sardinia. some interesting stuff happens with italy. the king dies, then the king of west francia becomes king of italy, then he dies and west francia splits into west francia and aquitaine. italy becomes independent (one of the og king’s descendants) and then somehow the king of asturias inherits the kingdom for a while before lotharingia retakes italy. this is about when i finish conquering sardinia and i die.

second ruler (daughter because equality of the sexes and democracy): eventually the new king of lotharingia-italy dies and his empire is split between his three sons. each gets a different kingdom (lotharingia, burgundy, italy). the king of burgundy (my new liege, as duchess of provence) is a child with one tiny county in a kingdom dominated by four powerful dukes. so he’s incapable of ruling. i make friends with all the other dukes and start plotting to fabricate a claim on the kingdom of burgundy. meanwhile i work to reclaim mallorca, sardinia, and corsica (i lost them to my siblings because of confederate partition). finally, i reconquered them all and either replaced or pacified my vassals. then it was time to fulfil (part of) my father’s dream. i pressed my claim on the kingdom of burgundy and made short work of the one-county king. first order of business upon taking the throne: renamed the kingdom of burgundy to “provincia nostra” (latin: “our province”) and held court for the first time.

now the real work begins.

[mineralsandsomerocks]

Enargite on Matrix

Locality: Furtei Mine, Furtei, South Sardinia Province, Sardinia, Italy

[josefavomjaaga]

Helfert, Joachim Murat, Chapter 6, Part 4

Sorry as usual for the long delay. I really had to finish some other work. When we left off, Murat was still in Corsica, planning his landing on Neapolitan soil.

In Ajaccio, Murat's imminent arrival was soon known, and on the 23rd, when he made his entrance, a reception awaited him that sealed his doom. For now he was drunk from joy and a feeling of victory. His pride, his ambition, together with his adventurous, extravagant imagination, won over him to such an extent that he remained completely deaf to calm ideas, to rational arguments. "This is how my Neapolitans received me," he exclaimed to Franceschetti in the evening, "whenever I returned from the field to their midst!" And after a while: "Yes, so be it! I will live or die among my people! I want to go to Naples, let us not miss a moment to be there!" To make the measure of his delusion complete, a letter from Count Borgia of Rome, sent to him via Porto-Longone, came into his hands in these days, describing the mood in Naples as immensely favourable to him, and King Ferdinand as hated everywhere. Lambruschini, who could teach him otherwise, was, as we know, not even in Naples at that time, let alone that any news had arrived from him, which, incidentally, in the mood in which Murat now found himself, would hardly have changed his decision.

The next few days were spent preparing for departure. As a side piece to the Bogognano Manifesto, he now had a "royal decree" drawn up which could almost be called Napoleonic, so much thought was given in it to the most insignificant details. The constitution is to come into force on 1 January 1816, and the convocation of the chambers is to be initiated without delay" (Art. 1). "All civil servants, officers and dignitaries discharged since May 21 shall immediately resume their official positions; the former division of the army shall be restored; all grades, all allocations, all promotions, honours and rewards made during the last campaign shall remain in force (Art. 2, 8, 10). On the other hand, all those appointed since that day shall immediately leave their posts, otherwise they will be declared rebels, inciters of civil war, traitors to the fatherland, put outside the law and treated as such (Art. 3, 4). Neither the royal palaces, summer residences and estates were forgotten, for which the former court servants would once again have to take care, nor the king's horses, equipages and carriages, for which the chief stable master and his staff were made responsible (Art. 13, 14). "All our adjutants and orderly officers must appear without delay at Our Headquarters and rally around Our person" (Art. 18). . . The decree, consisting of 20 articles, was calculated to 36. It provided for the composition of the ministry, for the filling of the leading military posts in the capital and in the provinces. But because it was pointed out to the "King" that a premature appointment of these personalities, most of whom were in Naples, would only expose them to Ferdinand's revenge, Murat agreed to the relevant articles being suppressed. The decree and the manifesto were then sent to the printers at Ajaccio, in order to have a sufficient number of copies of both at hand at the first moment. The place and date of execution were left open; both headings were to be filled in as soon as they were in place.

On 28 September, everything was ready for departure. The desired vehicles were prepared and equipped as needed: there were five trabacoli and one felucca, larger barques (gondoloni), as the Barbaresks used them for their raids; the crew to be embarked, officers, soldiers and seamen, numbered about 250. Immediately before embarkation, the "King" promoted all officers by one rank each and awarded the Order of Both Sicilies to those who were not yet decorated with it. The relevant decrees were written in all royal chancery style, so that the clerks available in Ajaccio had to be diligent enough in their work.

Joachim entrusted the supreme command of the flotilla to the frigate Captain Barbara, a Maltese by birth, who had been given the baronate by Murat.

On 25 September, Colonel Maceroni had arrived in the port of Bastia, from where, after learning that Murat had departed from Vescovato, he had telegraphed his imminent arrival in Ajaccio. At noon on the 28th, he arrived in the capital of Corsica and went to Joachim without delay to inform him of the conditions of the Great Powers, to hand over the travel documents for the journey to Trieste and to enclose his most urgent ideas not to reject the offer made to him out of hand. At the same time, the British Captain Bastard, who had long ago arrived in the port of Bastia with the frigate Mäander and two sloops of cannon, offered to take the ex-king across the sea. But it was impossible to have a sensible word with him. If the Corsicans, for whom he had never done anything, had welcomed him so enthusiastically, would this be less the case in Naples, which he had showered with benefits as king? And should he abandon the hundreds who had now joined him to the revenge of the French government? And if his enterprise failed, what could happen to him? That his person should be secured and that he should be kept in some remote place like his brother-in-law! - When his faithful congratulated him on the unexpected salvation opened up to him by the offer of Emperor Franz, he exclaimed: "Of course, I will go to Austria, so that one morning I may be found strangled in the bosom of my family! I would rather go to Constantinople! But no, even there I would be killed!" Nevertheless, he wrote a letter to Maceroni in which he did not necessarily reject the proposal of the allied powers, but reserving the right to consider it as soon as he would be with his family. He explained that he had to decline Bastard's invitation because it had been made in an improper manner: "une sommation trop peu mesurée"; no doubt the captain had addressed him simply as "Marshal Murat".

Carabelli also arrived in Ajaccio that day and had a conversation with the ex-king, without achieving anything other than encouraging the ill-fated man in his intentions.

Helfert comments on the arrival of the Neapolitan Carabelli in a footnote with reference to two other reports:

Franceschetti p. 39-41 and Colletta-Gallois p. 30 f. present the matter as if the Neapolitan government had sent Ignazio Carabelli, who is supposed to have joined his brother Simone after his arrival in Corsica, in order to play the agent provocateur with Murat and lure him to Naples. This is not only contradicted by Ricciardi's explicit testimony, but also by the entire situation and mood at the Court of Naples, where Murat's ventures were feared, not desired. It is downright nonsensical when Colletta-Gallois add the remark: "Ainsi on était informé à Naples de tout ce qui se passait en Corse". Was there an undersea telegraph at that time? Lambruschini, who certainly hurried to bring his well-meant warnings to the ex-king, needed seven days from Rome to Bastia, 6 to 12 October, and Ignaz Carabelli was certainly not sent by Minister Medici before mid-September, probably only after the 18th, when Jablonovski had his conversation with the king. Now Carabelli, who no doubt had a government ship at his disposal, may have managed his passage to Bastia more quickly than Lambruschini; but from Bastia he still had the arduous land route or the circumnavigation of Cape Bianco in the north or Cape Bonifazio in the south - Maceroni had taken a full three days from Bastia to Ajaccio!  - so that he certainly did not meet Murat before the 28th, which is also consistent with explicit witness statements. And then one should have been informed in Naples "de tout ce qui se passait en Corse"!

The text continues:

Before midnight Murat wrote a second long letter to Maceroni, in which there was no longer any question of yielding: "I will never accept the conditions which you have been instructed to impose on me; for me they are nakedly and simply tantamount to an abdication, for which I am offered the sole advantage of being allowed to live in perpetual slavery and under the arbitrary control of a despotic government. I have not abdicated, I have the right to reclaim my crown if God gives me the strength and the means to do so! I place freedom above all else; captivity is death to me. What treatment have I to expect from these powers who made me spend two months under the daggers of the assassins of Marseilles! I have laid down my life a thousand times in battle for the fatherland: shall I not be allowed to lay it down once for my own interest?"

Immediately afterwards, he went to the ships, the anchors were lifted and they set out into the open sea. The citadel of Ajaccio, whose crew had not dared to take any action against the Muratists, sent a few live rounds after the flotilla, which, however, did no damage because the flotilla was already out of range. The sky was clear, the sea calm. But on the 29th a storm came up and the small squadron had to drop anchor on the 30th at the deserted island of Tavolara, on the north-east coast of Sardinia. On 1 October, they set sail again and on the 4th were so close to the coast of Naples that they could see Vesuvius. The ex-king's mad plan of taking Ferdinand by surprise in Portici now flashed through his mind again, but he let himself be talked out of it and they steered south towards Calabria. On the 6th Paola was in sight. Efforts were made to anchor: a storm arose and four of the ships were driven far out to sea, only the felucca of Battalion Commander Courrand remained near the vessel carrying the "King". On the 7th they waited for the others to return; when they did not show themselves, a landing was nevertheless to be attempted. A muleteer and one of Joachim's old guard came along the way and Major Ottaviani was disembarked to question them. Their answers did not inspire confidence; they also attracted the attention of the beach guard, from whom two blind shots were fired, demanding obedience. Ottaviani was again put ashore, then two sailors and Baron Barbara, who identified themselves to the local authorities as "Frenchmen on a journey to Tunis"; for Barbara had provided himself with passports to that effect in Corsica. Nevertheless, the officials became suspicious and detained Ottaviani and one of the sailors; only the other sailor and Barbara were released. Murat did not want to abandon his men, but in the end he followed prudent considerations and set sail for Amantea and then even further south.

Courrand's behaviour now became so suspicious that Captain Pernice and Lieutenant Moltedo, who were on his ship, insisted on being transferred to Barbara's barque; indeed, Courrand disappeared with his vessel the following night and was never seen again. Murat had only one ship left, and now for the first time pusillanimity came over him. He had only a handful of men with him; he saw that his enterprise would be foolhardy. He ordered Galvani to throw the copies of the manifesto and the decree into the sea and decided to sail to Trieste in order to make use of the offer of the Emperor of Austria and of his passport, which he had prudently kept with him. But for this they needed money, food and above all a larger ship. They were near Pizzo and Murat wanted to disembark here in order to procure what they needed. Barbara objected to this plan, an exchange of words ensued, Murat became passionate, and all his good intentions were blown out of the water. The ideas of the more superior, and the entreaties of his faithful valet not to run to his ruin, did not succeed: he, the "king," commanded, and the others had to obey. "I have only done good to the Neapolitans," he cried, "they cannot have forgotten me, they will hasten to my aid!"

The barge struck the shore, the officers were eager to jump out of the ship, but Murat refused them: "It is for me to be the first to set foot on the soil of my kingdom." And with that he was ashore. He had enough deliberation left to order Captain Barbara to lead his ship into a sheltered bay close by to be ready for any eventuality. It was on the 8th of October, a Sunday, between 11 and 12 o'clock in the morning.

[negpos-comments]

Little more of my idea

The Crises are deadly. It's wars, and people are bound to die. It's not like your regular old school where houses compete, no, it's a prestigious magic school, and people are willing to KILL to get what they want.

So every power will have their own House ig, and then each province/state/principality/whatever is like a member of the house. So, For Example, in 1815-ish the houses would be:

House of the Isles: Leader: United Kingdom of Great Britain Prefects: England, Scotland, Ireland Students worth mentioning: Wales, City of London, Man, Guernsey Note: We can't really split them up into traditional provinces because only 3 districts of Ulster went with Ireland, with 6 staying with the British (unless we're willing to say during the Irish Revolutionary Period Ulster lost like an arm because they tried to stay with the House)

House of Germania (German Confed.): Leader: Austrian Empire Prefects: Prussia, Bavaria Students worth mentioning: Saxony, Hanover, Baden, Wurttemburg Note: Basically just all of the small states of the German Confed. We'll say all of the small duchies of the HRE either died during the Napoleonic Wars or smth.

House of Austria: Leader: Austrian Empire (again) Prefects: Hungary, Bohemia, Moravia, Galicia, Dalmatia, Croatia, Slavonia Students worth mentioning: Vojvodina, Slovakia, Austrian Silesia, Slovenia, Transylvania, South Tyrol(ig) Note: Lombardy Venetia is not part of this House, they were always a part of Italia.

House of the Netherlands (UK of the Netherlands): Leader: the Netherlands Prefects: Flanders, Wallonia, Luxembourg Note: The Belgian Revolution killed Luxembourg, but they had two children, the Belgian Province of Luxembourg and the Independent Luxembourg (previous Luxembourg's recognized successor)

House of Sweden (Sweden-Norway): Leader: Sweden Prefects: Norway Students worth mentioning: idk, Scania maybe? Note: Norway was transferred to Sweden as punishment for Denmark joining Napoleonic France's side

House of Denmark: Leader: Denmark Prefects: Greenland, Iceland Students worth mentioning: Faroe (may become Prefect if Denmark chooses)

House of Italia: Leader: Lombardy Venetia (Austrian pawn) Prefects: Sardinia, Two Sicilies, Papal States Students worth mentioning: Tuscany, Lucca, Modena+Reggio, Parma+Placenza Notes: Lombardy Venetia owes Austria a LOT, so does whatever Austria says (since Austria has to deal with the houses of both Germania and Austria). After Napoleon killed their parents (Milan and Venice), Austria took them in.

House of Russia: Leader: Russian Empire Prefects: Finland, Poland, Ukraine, Belarus, Russian Republic, Soviet Union Students worth mentioning: Alaska, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, North Caucasus, Tartarstan, Bashkir, Turkestan, Alash(Kazakh) Notes: When the Soviets took power, they killed the Russian Republic. States like Ukraine, Belarus, etc. were forced to fall in line. Soviet's kid, RSFSR, becomes the Russian Federation with the dissolution.

House of the Turkish: Leader: Ottoman Empire Prefects: Turkey, Moldavia, Wallachia, Serbia, Egypt (others not really relevant) Students worth mentioning: Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, Transjordan, Iraq, Cyprus

House of France: Leader: Kingdom of France Prefects: French Second Republic, etc. Students worth mentioning: Alsace, Lorraine Note: Alsace and Lorraine's kid was transferred to the Germans in Franco-Prussian War. Lorraine was killed and succeeded by another Lorraine, while Alsace left the school, still keeping in touch and checking on Alsace-Lorraine. Alsace-Lorraine would then grow up to become the "Grand Est" region of Modern France, tho during WW2 it was brutally injured they fully recovered.

Additional Houses: House of Spain: Leader: Spanish Empire House of Portugal: Leader: Portuguese Empire House of the United States (School of the Americas): Leader: US House of New Spain (School of the Americas): Leader: New Spain

Uhhh yea so thats kinda what i have yea lemme know if yall want more ig?

New Series Idea

so once upon a time i was looking back at like modern European history with like world wars and cold war and napoleon and french and indian etc and i was thinking

really feels like its a tv show.

ww1 was the first season, ww2 the second. there's some extra pieces of media for the interwar period. then they make a prequel in the American Revolution, and then that prequel has a sequel in the Napoleonic Wars. BUUUUUUUT that has France and Britain fighting each other instead of being friends, so it became somebody's job to figure out how to get them to be friends.

Meanwhile another studio gets the rights to make a sequel to the original series, but that sequel series (Cold War) kinda sucked, got way too convoluted, and had an overall lack of flair, so it got canned with the dissolution of the Soviets.

An epilogue series was created, which was supposed to end in 2012, but it was popular enough (nostalgia wave maybe?) that it got continued

SO, Here's the new series idea.

Giant Magic School (like Hogwarts), there are different Houses with different Leaders, and those Houses are in active competition with each other (like more than in Harry Potter). sometimes the students or Houses will have fights which blow up into full blown crises.

Except the entire plot is just Modern European History.

[newstfionline]

Sunday, August 15, 2021

Canada to require air travelers to be vaccinated (AP) The Canadian government will soon require all air travelers and passengers on interprovincial trains to be vaccinated against COVID-19. Transport Minister Omar Alghabra said Friday that includes all commercial air travelers, passengers on trains between provinces and cruise ship passengers. “As soon as possible in the Fall and no later than the end of October, the Government of Canada will require employees in the federally regulated air, rail, and marine transportation sectors to be vaccinated. The vaccination requirement will also extend to certain travelers. This includes all commercial air travelers,” his office said in a statement. France announced this week that it will require people have a special virus pass before they can travel by plane, train or bus across the country.

Debt: So long to the savings glut (The Week) “Americans are borrowing again,” said AnnaMaria Andriotis at The Wall Street Journal. After a year in which many consumers reduced spending, stashed savings, and used stimulus checks to pay down debt, more people have gone back to “splurging on cars, vacations, and eating out”���and seeking loans to pay for it. “Lenders originated some 3 million auto loans and leases in March, the highest monthly figure on record,” with the balances for those new originations topping a record $73 billion. A record 6 million new general-purpose credit cards were also issued the same month. The balances on our cards are still “about $140 billion lower than at the end of 2019,” said Alexandre Tanzi and Katia Dmitrieva at Bloomberg. But household debt—which includes mortgages, credit cards, and other consumer loans—rose in the second quarter “at the fastest pace since 2013.” Much of that was driven by the hot housing market—and Americans scrambling to refinance while mortgage rates remained low.

More US cities requiring proof of vaccination to go places (AP) Hold on to that vaccination card. A rapidly growing number of places across the U.S. are requiring people to show proof they have been inoculated against COVID-19 to teach school, work at a hospital, see a concert or eat inside a restaurant. Following New York City’s lead, New Orleans and San Francisco will impose such rules at many businesses starting next week, while Los Angeles is looking into the idea. The new measures are an attempt to stem the rising tide of COVID-19 cases that has pushed hospitals to the breaking point, including in the Dallas area, where top officials warned they are running out of beds in their pediatric intensive care units.

Western fires threaten thousands of homes, strain resources (AP) A month-old wildfire burning through forestlands in Northern California lurched toward a small lumber town as blazes across the U.S. Western states strained resources and threatened thousands of homes with destruction. Crews were cutting back brush and using bulldozers to build lines to keep the Dixie Fire from reaching Westwood east of Lake Almanor, not far from where the lightning-caused blaze destroyed much of the town of Greenville last week. To the northwest, the Monument Fire continued to grow after destroying a dozen homes and threatened about 2,500 homes in a sparsely populated region. They were among more than 100 large wildfires burning in a dozen Western states seared by drought and hot, bone-dry weather that has turned forests, brushlands, meadows and pastures into tinder. The U.S. Forest Service said Friday it’s operating in crisis mode, fully deploying firefighters and maxing out its support system.

500 years later, Mexico recalls Spanish conquest (Los Angeles Times) The final resting place of one of Mexico’s signature historical figures is easy to miss. A simple red plaque—just a name and the years he lived—marks the spot where his tomb is embedded in a wall to the side of the altar in a dilapidated downtown church. The name alone, however, recalls centuries of conflict and a never-ending debate about the essential identity of Mexico: HERNAN CORTES 1485-1547. The legendary Spanish military commander may be hidden away in death, but a few blocks away, authorities are readying a remembrance of his momentous triumph—the conquest of the Aztec Empire. Friday marks the 500th anniversary of the fall in 1521 of the Aztec capital, Tenochtitlán, now the site of Mexico City. The bloody siege culminating in its surrender launched three centuries of Spanish dominion in Mexico. “We were all born from the conquest, no longer Aztecs, no longer Spanish, but Indian-Hispanic-Americans, mestizos,” wrote Carlos Fuentes, the late Mexican author. “We are what we are because Hernán Cortés, for good or for bad, did what he did.”

7.2 magnitude earthquake hits Haiti; at least 304 killed (AP) A powerful magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck southwestern Haiti on Saturday, killing at least 304 people and injuring at least 1,800 others as buildings tumbled into rubble. Prime Minister Ariel Henry said he was rushing aid to areas where towns were destroyed and hospitals overwhelmed with incoming patients. The epicenter of the quake was about 125 kilometers (78 miles) west of the capital of Port-au-Prince, the U.S. Geological Survey said, and widespread damage was reported in the hemisphere's poorest nations as a tropical storm also bore down. Henry declared a one-month state of emergency for the whole country and said some towns were almost completely razed.

Belarus floods the European Union with migrants (CNN) Desperate, frightened and begging for help, they emerge from the darkness: a group of Yazidi migrants, lost in the forests of eastern Europe. It’s a surreal sight—and one that has been repeated over many recent nights. Having survived persecution by ISIS at home in Iraq, here on the Belarus-Lithuania border the Yazidis find themselves caught up in a breathtakingly cynical plot. Belarus’s authoritarian leader, Alexander Lukashenko, has been accused of using these desperate souls as pawns in his high-stakes game with the European Union. Over the course of 24 hours from July 27 to 28, a record 171 people were caught on the border—many of them Iraqis. A total of more than 4,000 have been caught so far this year. European officials say Lukashenko’s bureaucracy is extracting thousands of euros from each traveler then “weaponizing” them—according to Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis—in order to burden Belarus’s neighbor Lithuania. Officials say the migrants are flown from the Middle East to Minsk, and then guided to the Belarus-Lithuania border by unspecified facilitators, where they are allowed to cross, unimpeded by Belarusian border police. Lithuania has called it “petty”—“mass revenge” for sanctions imposed by the EU after Belarus forced a Ryanair plane to land in Minsk so they could arrest an opposition blogger on board. A Western intelligence official told CNN the scheme could not function without the permission of the Belarusian state, and that Lukashenko was likely using the migrants as a way to pressurize the EU into negotiations on lifting the sanctions against him.

Heat wave edges higher in southern Europe (AP) Intense heat baking Italy pushed northward towards the popular tourist destination of Florence Friday while wildfires charred the country’s south, and Spain appeared headed for an all-time record high temperature as a heat wave kept southern Europe in a fiery hold. Italy saw temperatures in places upwards of 40 C (104 F), and Rome broiled. By late afternoon Friday, the heat in Florence reached 39 C (102 F). That city and Bologna also were issued alerts for Saturday by the health ministry. Many southern European countries have suffered days of intense heat, accompanied by deadly wildfires in Algeria, Turkey, Italy and Greece. Wildfires on the Italian island of Sardinia were reported largely contained, but a blaze early Friday near Tivoli in the countryside east of Rome forced the evacuation of 25 families.

At least 40 killed in Turkey flood as search for missing continues (Reuters) Families of those missing after Turkey’s worst floods in years anxiously watched rescue teams search buildings on Saturday, fearing the death toll from the raging torrents could rise further. At least 40 people have died from the floods in the northern Black Sea region, the second natural disaster to strike the country this month. Drone footage by Reuters showed massive damage in the flood-hit Black Sea town of Bozkurt, where emergency workers were searching demolished buildings.

Marine vanguard lands in Kabul as US speeds up evacuations (AP) The first forces of a Marine battalion arrived in Kabul at week’s end to stand guard as the U.S. speeds up evacuation flights for some American diplomats and thousands of Afghans, spurred by a lightning Taliban offensive that increasingly is isolating Afghanistan’s capital. Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said “elements” of a battalion were now in Kabul, the vanguard of three Marine and Army battalions that the U.S. was sending to the city by the end of the weekend to help more Americans and their Afghan colleagues get out quickly. The Taliban, emboldened by the imminent end of the U.S. combat mission in the country, took four more provincial capitals Friday, heightening fears they would move soon on the capital, which is home to millions of Afghans.

‘Why did my friend get blown up? For what?’ (Washington Post) After enlisting in the U.S. military against his family’s wishes, Chicago native Tom Amenta said he found himself in “middle-of-nowhere,” Afghanistan, in 2002 as an Army Ranger in a remote area some 15 minutes from the border with Pakistan. He was fighting the initial battles of a war that few knew would stretch on for 20 years. Now 40 and retired from the military, he felt anger foam inside as he watched the evening news. Headline after headline broadcast the latest gains by Taliban fighters, who have seized control of more than a dozen of the country’s provincial capitals as the Afghan government inches closer to collapse in the final days of the U.S. withdrawal. Friends who had been killed there came to mind, including NFL star Pat Tillman. Fond memories of former Afghan colleagues, such as interpreters, who remained in the country and whose fates he didn’t know, also resurfaced. “It makes me angry, really angry,” Amenta said of the U.S. withdrawal, lamenting the billions upon billions of dollars spent on the war effort—not to mention the emotional, financial and human toll suffered by thousands of Americans who served or sent their loved ones to fight in Afghanistan. “I mean, why did my friend get blown up? For what?” said Amenta. “No one’s saying, ‘Hey, you know, at least we did something.’ There’s just nothing to really show for it,” former Army medic Frank Scott Novak said. “And so, everyone’s kind of angry and wondering, why? Why were we even there?”

Nobody running Lebanon, says central bank boss (Reuters) Lebanon’s central bank governor said nobody was running the country as he defended his decision to halt fuel subsidies that have drained currency reserves, saying the government could resolve the problem by passing necessary legislation. In an interview broadcast on Saturday, governor Riad Salameh pressed back against government accusations that he had acted alone in declaring an end to the subsidies on Wednesday, saying everyone knew the decision was coming. The move is the latest turn in a crippling financial crisis that has sunk the Lebanese pound by 90% in less than two years and pushed more than half the population into poverty. Salameh said Lebanon could recover but it was not possible to say how many years that would take. “So far you have nobody running the country,” he said in the interview with Radio Free Lebanon. Lebanon’s sectarian politicians have failed to agree on a new government since Prime Minister Hassan Diab quit last August after the catastrophic Beirut port blast.

[brookstonalmanac]

Events 2.18

1229 – The Sixth Crusade: Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor, signs a ten-year truce with al-Kamil, regaining Jerusalem, Nazareth, and Bethlehem with neither military engagements nor support from the papacy. 1268 – The Battle of Wesenberg is fought between the Livonian Order and Dovmont of Pskov. 1332 – Amda Seyon I, Emperor of Ethiopia begins his campaigns in the southern Muslim provinces. 1478 – George, Duke of Clarence, convicted of treason against his older brother Edward IV of England, is executed in private at the Tower of London. 1637 – Eighty Years' War: Off the coast of Cornwall, England, a Spanish fleet intercepts an important Anglo-Dutch merchant convoy of 44 vessels escorted by six warships, destroying or capturing 20 of them. 1735 – The ballad opera called Flora, or Hob in the Well went down in history as the first opera of any kind to be produced in North America (Charleston, S.C.) 1781 – Fourth Anglo-Dutch War: Captain Thomas Shirley opens his expedition against Dutch colonial outposts on the Gold Coast of Africa (present-day Ghana). 1791 – Congress passes a law admitting the state of Vermont to the Union, effective 4 March, after that state had existed for 14 years as a de facto independent largely unrecognized state. 1797 – French Revolutionary Wars: Sir Ralph Abercromby and a fleet of 18 British warships invade Trinidad. 1814 – Napoleonic Wars: The Battle of Montereau. 1861 – In Montgomery, Alabama, Jefferson Davis is inaugurated as the provisional President of the Confederate States of America. 1861 – With Italian unification almost complete, Victor Emmanuel II of Piedmont, Savoy and Sardinia assumes the title of King of Italy. 1873 – Bulgarian revolutionary leader Vasil Levski is executed by hanging in Sofia by the Ottoman authorities. 1878 – John Tunstall is murdered by outlaw Jesse Evans, sparking the Lincoln County War in Lincoln County, New Mexico. 1885 – Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain is published in the United States. 1900 – Second Boer War: Imperial forces suffer their worst single-day loss of life on Bloody Sunday, the first day of the Battle of Paardeberg. 1906 – Édouard de Laveleye forms the Belgian Olympic Committee in Brussels. 1911 – The first official flight with airmail takes place from Allahabad, United Provinces, British India (now India), when Henri Pequet, a 23-year-old pilot, delivers 6,500 letters to Naini, about 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) away. 1930 – While studying photographs taken in January, Clyde Tombaugh discovers Pluto. 1930 – Elm Farm Ollie becomes the first cow to fly in a fixed-wing aircraft and also the first cow to be milked in an aircraft. 1932 – The Empire of Japan creates the independent state of Manzhouguo (the obsolete Chinese name for Manchuria) free from the Republic of China and installed former Chinese Emperor Aisin Gioro Puyi as Chief Executive of the State. 1938 – Second Sino-Japanese War: During the Nanking Massacre, the Nanking Safety Zone International Committee is renamed "Nanking International Rescue Committee", and the safety zone in place for refugees falls apart. 1942 – World War II: The Imperial Japanese Army begins the systematic extermination of perceived hostile elements among the Chinese in Singapore. 1943 – World War II: The Nazis arrest the members of the White Rose movement. 1943 – World War II: Joseph Goebbels delivers his Sportpalast speech. 1946 – Sailors of the Royal Indian Navy mutiny in Bombay harbour, from where the action spreads throughout the Provinces of British India, involving 78 ships, twenty shore establishments and 20,000 sailors 1947 – First Indochina War: The French gain complete control of Hanoi after forcing the Viet Minh to withdraw to mountains. 1954 – The first Church of Scientology is established in Los Angeles. 1955 – Operation Teapot: Teapot test shot "Wasp" is successfully detonated at the Nevada Test Site with a yield of 1.2 kilotons. Wasp is the first of fourteen shots in the Teapot series. 1957 – Kenyan rebel leader Dedan Kimathi is executed by the British colonial government. 1957 – Walter James Bolton becomes the last person legally executed in New Zealand. 1965 – The Gambia becomes independent from the United Kingdom. 1970 – The Chicago Seven are found not guilty of conspiring to incite riots at the 1968 Democratic National Convention. 1972 – The California Supreme Court in the case of People v. Anderson, (6 Cal.3d 628) invalidates the state's death penalty and commutes the sentences of all death row inmates to life imprisonment. 1977 – The Space Shuttle Enterprise test vehicle is carried on its maiden "flight" on top of a Boeing 747. 1979 – Richard Petty wins a then-record sixth Daytona 500 after leaders Donnie Allison and Cale Yarborough crash on the final lap of the first NASCAR race televised live flag-to-flag. 1983 – Thirteen people die and one is seriously injured in the Wah Mee massacre in Seattle. It is said to be the largest robbery-motivated mass-murder in U.S. history. 1991 – The IRA explodes bombs in the early morning at Paddington station and Victoria station in London. 2001 – FBI agent Robert Hanssen is arrested for spying for the Soviet Union. He is ultimately convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment. 2001 – Sampit conflict: Inter-ethnic violence between Dayaks and Madurese breaks out in Sampit, Central Kalimantan, Indonesia, ultimately resulting in more than 500 deaths and 100,000 Madurese displaced from their homes. 2003 – Nearly 200 people die in the Daegu subway fire in South Korea. 2004 – Up to 295 people, including nearly 200 rescue workers, die near Nishapur, Iran, when a runaway freight train carrying sulfur, petrol and fertilizer catches fire and explodes. 2007 – Samjhauta Express bombings occurred around midnight in Diwana near the Indian city of Panipat, 80 kilometres (50 mi) north of New Delhi, India. 2010 – WikiLeaks publishes the first of hundreds of thousands of classified documents disclosed by the soldier now known as Chelsea Manning. 2013 – Armed robbers steal a haul of diamonds worth $50 million during a raid at Brussels Airport in Belgium. 2014 – At least 76 people are killed and hundreds are injured in clashes between riot police and demonstrators in Kyiv, Ukraine.

[newbloggingworld]

One of the best snorkeling beaches of Sardinia: Cala Mariolu

Cala Mariolu is one of the foremost precious Sardinia beaches the eastern coast of the gorgeous island of Sardinia has got to offer. This glory is found just north of Cala Goloritze, and is decorated with little pebble stone made round and smooth by the eternal movement of the waters. The beach of Cala Mariolu is extremely suitable for skin diving and is one of the simplest snorkeling beaches of Sardinia.

History: Cala Mariolu is, within the territory of Baunei, and it gets its name from the Mediterranean monk seal that's said to possess ‘stolen’ the fish from the nets of the fishermen from Ponza and was therefore called the mariolo (thief).

Location: The beach of Cala Mariolu is found along the central-eastern coast of Sardinia, within the province of Nuoro.

The beach is almost Cala Biriola and Cala Goloritzè. It is a shocking pebble stone beach overhung by a chalky hillside covered by mediterranean vegetation. The bottom is rocky and suitable for skin diving. Some rocks emerge from the ocean and form tiny islands. The sun shines all morning long while the remainder of the day the beach is within the shade.

Known For:  Its landscape is striking, with its endless reminder blue, emerald green, and sky-blue, also as its pebbles that resemble snowflakes. The cliff surrounding it reaches a height of 500 meters and appears out onto the ocean both to the north and to the south, making Cala Mariolu accessible from the land only via a challenging rambling (for experts) through dense Mediterranean scrub. In the past, Punta Is Puligi acted as an area during which coal might be loading by the furisteris, the coal merchants who populated the Baunei area.

Ideal for:

- Family with children

- Youngster

- Who loves diving

- Who loves snorkeling

- Who loves climbing

- Who loves trekking

Hotel/Accommodation: Unfortunately, there are no hotels or other accommodations in the direct vicinity of Cala Mariolu, but there are plenty of accommodations to be found in the cities north and south of the cove. It’s just 14 kilometers north of Cala Mariolu you’ll find several beachfront hotels, apartments, and bed & breakfasts in Cala Gonone. Just about 22 kilometers south of Cala Mariolu there’s a good sort of hotels and apartments to be found in Santa Maria Navarrese.

[biomecharnotaurus]

Sardinians are very special because our italian archenemy is not another region, but ourselves.

I was born in province of Cagliari (South Coast Sardinia) which means Sassari (North Coast Sardinia) is my nemesis

Something they don't tell you about Italy is that each region has a different super powerful hatred against another specific italian region/city for no apparent reason, simply for the sake of being haters

[rvexillology]

Flag map of Italy's provinces

from /r/vexillology Top comment: Felt like stepping up a notch the previous [region flag map](https://www.reddit.com/r/vexillology/comments/gz5zxt/italys_region_flag_map_with_nonstretched_flags/) I did, so here we are. Most flags are generic CoAs on equally generic backgrounds, metropolitan cities' are usually more modern and nuanced since they were established relatively recently. Some context: South Sardinia, having been established in 2016, is yet to establish most institutional stuff, flag included. Friuli Venezia Giulia completely abolished its former four provinces in 2016. Aosta Valley (that grey square to the north-west) does not have any provincial subdivisions since 1945. The fact that it's the size of a tissue is likely the main reason why.

[adraelfineminerals]

Beautiful crystallizations of ferrierite and calcite that react to UV light from the famous mount Olladri in Monastir. A piece to keep in mind.

[fortunebuoyed]

after doing enough research on the kingdom of sardinia/pre-unification italian nobility, i have chosen to just make claude’s family backstory historically divergent. the marquisate of cea was made extinct in the 17th century, being scaled back to a county twice in the next 70 years. for my purposes i’m just handing it down to the montoya family at some point after the war of spanish succession, some 138 years before claude’s story begins. the fief oversees the villages of banari and siligo, in the hills of sassari province. 

the family seat is within siligo. despite this, they possess property in cagliari to the south which was, during claude’s early life, the capital of sardinia. based on claude’s recollections of spending time with their cousins, it can be assumed that as of the 1830s, the family spends much of the year in the south rather than their lands.

the family is originally spanish, with roots in both the maghreb and madrid. since transferring to the kingdom of sardinia, the montoyas have forged marriage and bloodline bonds within the republic of venice, piedmontese mainland, and even as far as the americas. they claim noble descent from the de montesquiou d'artagnan noble family of france and the loredan family of venice, and within recent generations have claim to ancestors outside of europe. claude’s grandmother, the dowager marchesa, comes from a prominent family of saint-domingue. it is this last tie that keeps the family afloat, as while their own lands might not turn a profit, investments in the islands return funding to keep the family stable.

for claude’s part, when they rise to power as the new marquis in their twenties, they introduce a blood tie to the noble house of talleyrand-périgord through their father. in spite of the power that might be afforded to them through such a pedigree, they deny it in totality. at the time of their ascension, claude was already married to the love of their life, @bringhelltoyourdoorstep‘s haydee, the viscountess of monte cristo with ties to the ottoman empire as the daughter of a deposed pasha.