History was made last night as the people of the United States of America elected the first black president. Black people everywhere are bursting at the seams with pride, and with good reason, but I hope we can take the words of his acceptance speech to heart. He was talking to all American people, but it is especially important for us to not rest on our laurels. Although this is a momentus occasion in history, let’s treat it as news, and keep our spirits in the present, so that we can move forward. As President Obama said so well, we now have a chance for change, and he can’t do it alone. Obama has changed the way we think about race, about this country, and about the possibilities of what we can accomplish. It’s time for us to step up, get engaged in our communities, and play a role in making those changes happen - it’s your world!

I’m pretty familiar with traditional .NET Winforms. WPF is so different. It’s a gift and a curse. It’s everything I have said, “I wish I could ____”, but at the same time, because it’s so different, there is a learning curve. Unfortunately, it’s difficult to find the information I need, too, so it’s a double edged sword that and it’s taking no prisoners.

I think that is what has tired me out. I feel like I need a break, but I feel like I don’t deserve it. Do yo ever feel that way?

Right now I’m debating whether or not to go ahead and buy Season 1 of Strong Bad’s Cool Game for Attractive People (but you can play, too!) and chillax for the rest of the night. We’ll see. Cya!

I’ve had my hands full lately. I have a girlfriend. I have been working on my eBay business as well as web development and everything in between. I joined Bethany Baptist Church and have started to become regularly involved during the week.

It has always been a challenge for me to keep up and maintain friendships and I know there are people who feel like I have ignored or abandoned them, so I’m sorry if you feel slighted. That was never my intention.

I would like to re-hash my promise to write more regularly in my blog, so if you’re still out there reading, send me comments and e-mails to egg me on! I won’t feel bad or be surprised if all I hear are crickets. My blog has cobwebs all over it, but that is about to change

So what’s new, besides a handful of souvenirs and photos (which I will put on my flickr page later)? I plan to be much more active on my blog, my motorcycle apparently has a flat tire, and I need a haircut. I’m also hungry, so that’s all folks.

A bientot!

I’ve seen a lot in Paris, but haven’t really spent enough time anywhere to say much about it. I have a few decent photos and met some family. Next time I come to France, I will have to speak French fluently. Until then, a bientot!

I didn’t really get to spend as much time as I would have liked to at either location, but at least I got to see them and take some photos. By popular demand (my parents), I made a rare, cameo appearance in a photo lol. It’s taken in front of the Seine river. Don’t expect to see too many more of these!

Tomorrow, the plan is to go to Chateau Versaille, a castle with plenty of photo opportunities. I really wish I had bought the lens I *really* wanted now.

<PhotographyTalk>Switching lenses works, but I could definitely benefit from VR on the low end of the zoom range. Shooting with my 18-55mm without VR in Notre Dame, where flash photography is prohibited was really tough. Getting sharper photos at lower ISO with the 55-200mm VR lens worked well, but it was practically impossible to compose shots with the minimum focal length of 55mm. I did take a few with it, but I found myself switching 3 or 4 times. With the 18-200mm VR, I wouldn’t have had to switch at all and would have the added benefit of VR at the wide angle range - a godsend for low light, no flash situations at lower ISOs.

I actually can’t wait for the Nikon D300 to come out. I would LOVE to have that camera and the 18-200mm VR lens. It’d burn a hole about the size of my motorcycle in my checkbook, but oh man, it would be awesome lol. Chances are I probably won’t get the D300 right away, but I’m seriously considering getting the 18-200mm VR lens very, very soon.</PhotographyTalk>

I did manage to take a few cool photos despite the weather and lack of plans, but I think I’ll devote this entry to the differences I’ve experienced here in Paris. There are tons, but I’ll try to keep it short and interesting.

Did you know…

1. There are two buttons to flush the toilet. I’m too embarrassed to ask about it lol, but my intuition tells me one is for #1 and one is for #2. The toilets here have a lot less water in them than they do in the USA, so I am assuming this is yet another way to conserve water, with the bigger button giving a longer flush than the smaller one.
   
2. It’s true, people here really are a lot less obese than in the USA. People also seem to be generally more fashionable here too. Even the bums look stylish lol. I’ve often found myself saying wow, that guy is really well dressed, and it’s happened way too often for ALL of them to be gay. And yes, there are tons of pretty women here with amazing figures - black, white, and everything in between. Many of us in the USA are on par or above (like my Special J), but it seems to be the status quo to be sexy in Paris.
   [Sorry, no visual aids (yet :-P)]
3. Cereal boxes and milk cartons have ingenious designs that keep them fresh. A milk carton had this inner seal under the cap which didn’t detach completely like what you’d find on a carton of Parmalat or something similar. It half opened when you unscrewed the cap, and actually closed again when you tightened the cap. Ever have those boxes of cereal where you may have taken the bag out of the box and when you put the bag back, it didn’t close properly again because it pushed the box and made it bulge? Well, when you open a box of cereal in Paris (at least this particular one), you tear away all but one of the flaps and the box folds to create a much better seal than on cereal boxes you’d find in the USA.
   
4. The French really do drink alcoholic beverages with practically every meal. I am not big on alcohol, but in just the few days I’ve been here, I’ve had a drink with several meals. They haven’t had very much alcohol in them though, which would explain why I haven’t seen any drunks yet lol.
   
5. Police seem to show a lot more “muscle” than in the USA. There are police/security in high traffic areas, like the train station near right outside Euro-Disney or the airport which don’t just carry a pistol and baton, but many are armed with automatic submachine guns and rifles. Don’t mess with these cats! I also witnessed a seemingly routine traffic stop where four police officers stepped out of an ordinary squad car. No wonder everyone around here seems to do the speed limit!

Here are a few photos taken today…

There was a baptism of a baby in the church today, which is a big deal in Haitian culture. Often, like today, there is a party afterwards, which was where I spent the remainder of the day with family. It was really boring for me though. I speak a tiny bit of French and a tiny bit of Kreole, so I didn’t really get to socialize much. The food was good though, so it’s all good. I have no idea what’s planned tomorrow, but it will be a new day. Hopefully it will be a warm, sunny day too lol.

Tomorrow we will be going with them to church - I guess there is going to be a baptism or baptisms - not sure what’s in store afterwards, but I know it will be a full day with family.