An American Hooligan in Paris (me)

7-7-11 (Paris, France)

Last night was Vetter's last night in France so me, Ben, and Vetter went out for a few drinks near the Moulin Rouge. When we got to the bar I was pleasantly surprised that beers weer only 2 euro so we all decided to buy a round. Three beers in and I knew this was going to be a fun night. After the rounds we decided to grab a bite to eat at a nearby sushi place. More beer was had. After dinner we agreed that we should walk from the Moulin Rouge to the Eiffel Tower and drink under it. Walking ensued. Unfortunately our journey was interrupted when we stumbled upon a local carnival. Ben and Vetter decided to blow their money playing rigged carnie games, but at least Ben won a giant stuffed Rasta-man. Awesome. We had to jet when the carnival started to close down. Here is a picture of Ben celebrating his victory with some butt sex of Rasta-man.

After the carnival we came upon the bridge where Princess Diana tragically had her accident. Ben and Vetter wanted to run through it and take some pictures. I eventually ran through it as well later on in the evening. Here are some pictures:

 

We finally got the the Eiffel Tower and bought more beers and a cheap bottle of champagne. All was thoroughly enjoyed. Hooliganism happened. To what extent, you'll never know unless you were there!

You Already Know This

6-29-11 (RM, France)

You already know what I am about to tell you, I know it as well. We all know this simple lesson; Your actions matter in this life. No, I don't feel guilty about my past. I don't have the sudden need to repent my sins or seek forgiveness from those who I have wronged in the past. I'm simply motivated by a recent experience to explain that we impact others through our actions and that through our actions we shape others in ways that are unforeseen. I don't mean that our actions are punishable or rewarded by some mystical being. On the contrary, I'm talking about tangible ripple effects that we cause in this plane of existence via our actions. Simply put, existence continues on without us when we die without  blinking. However, our deeds, our words, our work, our actions, and our legacy will live on in some small way. Bring joy to another person's life while you can, it doesn't have to be someone you love or even know. It can be small, maybe even a simple gesture of goodwill towards a stranger, but do it. Maybe living in a large city has finally got to me, but damn it, take a lesson from this libertarian and view people as meaningful individuals rather than as collective groups.

A humorous, yet annoying, story

6-27-11 (RM, France)


So I had just finished watching Paranormal Activity 2 last night and I was getting ready for bed. It was late at this point and I was kind of wired from being out late the night before. Anyway, I'm laying in bed and suddenly I see light start to creep in from my front door being opened. I yelled "hey!" and the door shut. Knowing Ben has my extra key, I assumed that one of those jerks (Vetter, Ben, or Clayton) was trying to sneak in my room for some reason. I texted Ben and Vetter asking them what the hell they thought they were doing trying to come in my room at 2:30am. Ben came out to the hallway and told me that it wasn't them. I didn't really believe him, but there was still enough doubt there to freak me out. To be safe, I asked Ben to give me my extra key and I put it in the inside door lock. Little did I know however, that having one lock on the inside will prevent the outside lock from being turned to open the door. Luckily one of my neighbors helped me jimmy the door open using an old xray he had. At least I didn't have to pay for a locksmith. I heard they can range from 50 to 200 euro per visit. As it turns out, the guys were trying to put a live frog in my room as a prank. I would have preferred the frog over the ordeal with the jammed lock.

Why do Parisians Constantly Seek Validation?

6-26-11 (RM, France)

Without fail, every time I go out in Paris and meet new people they will always ask me the same questions regarding my thoughts on Paris and on French women. I don't know why this strikes me as odd, because it seems like a totally normal and reasonable question to ask an American, but it is certainly getting annoying. I always give them the same cardboard cut-out response that I love the architecture, the art, the history, etc. I secretly want to tell them that there are better places in the world. Paris is fine, don't get me wrong, but it isn't the best city I've ever visited or lived in. There are far nicer people in the world in cities like Dublin and Amsterdam where people aren't afraid to take life less seriously and share a few pints together. I have no particular reason for posting this, other than the fact that it was on my mind lately.

Lyon Refinery and Stay in Lyon

6-19-11 (Lyon, France)

Our class took a field trip to the Total refinery in Lyon, France on Friday so I had to ride the TVG train down to Lyon. Travel by train is about 500% better than taking a flight. You avoid pointless and frustrating airport security and you are also able to enjoy the lovely countryside. The train was very quiet, fast, and smooth. I fell asleep after about 30 minutes and enjoyed a nice rest.

We took a bus to IFP Lyon and suited up in our blue jumpsuits, hardhats, gloves, steel-toe boots, and H2S detectors. H2S is pretty toxic and there can be leaks sometimes at the refinery. We also had an emergency mask just in case we were exposed and needed to make an evacuation.

The refinery was really impressive in all of its intricacies. I am always amazed by production facilities that are that large and complicated. Just goes to show how creative human beings are in figuring out how to exploit resources and turn them into useful products for our benefit. It was really a nice tour and well-worth the trip down to Lyon by itself. IFP Lyon has much better food in their cafeteria than we do at IFP School.

A group of us decided to stay the night in Lyon so after showering and resting for an hour or so we all ventured out from the Hotel to find the opera house. We wandered around Lyon for a few hours until we found a nice Lyonais restaurant. I had onion soup, roasted lamb and potatoes au gratin, and creme burlee.
I wanted to take advantage of the Lyon nightlife, but everyone else was exhausted. We all decided it would be safer to stay together as a group. Good thing we did because our hotel wasn't in the best area of town. There were several hooligans about that night!

The next day I walked all over Lyon with my friends Laura and Mattieu. We had an amazing hike up the side of a hill and up to the Lyon Cathedral. It was a beautiful view and a wonderful cathedral. The inside was magnificent with golden mosaics and tiles. It was awe inspiring. Mattieu said that he thought it was over-the-top. I disagreed. Next we walked to the other side of Lyon to find a store where they have an exhibit about the silk industry in Lyon. I bought a silk handkerchief for my suit pocket. Mattieu bought some gifts for his girlfriend and mother. The girl at the counter was really pretty and I think she thought Mattieu was cute for buying a gift for his mom.

After the silk exhibit we went to lunch at a Moroccan place. Without a doubt, I have never eaten such delicious vegetables in my life. They were cooked to absolute perfection with a slight crispiness that was retained. It was incredible and I felt really lucky to be enjoying such nice food. The baklava was out-of-this-world delicious.

Pictures to come...

What are we, as a society, willing to stand for in terms of violent force?

There is an alarming, disturbing, and growing trend of what I'll call "worship of authority" by many well meaning people today on both the left and the right. The worship of police and military by the socially conservative right is reactionary against leftist anti-war protestors and those deemed "subversive" to traditional values. Leftists, on the other hand, are currently propping up state bureaucrats, officials, politicians, and friendly academics as "authorities" and vanguards of what ought to be proper thought. What amazes me about both sides is that they seem oblivious to the fact that both facets of authority worship work in tandem to destroy or erode our natural, Constitutional rights. After all, the police and military are simply the violent enforcement arm of those who make the laws.

In terms of a "just law" I mean any law that doesn't run contrary to our natural or Constitutional rights to life, liberty, and property. I would invite you to also read the Bill of Rights to the US Constitution for a quick review. Here is a quick list though:

1) Religion, speech, press, peaceful assembly, redress of grievances against the State
2) Keep and bear arms, organize into militias to protect the people from tyranny
3) Protection against quartering soldiers
4) Security of persons, property, papers, and effects against unlawful search and seizure except by a court-issued warrant based on probable cause
5) Right to a jury trial, protection against double jeopardy, protection against seizure of property except by eminent domain with just compensation
6) Right to a fair and speedy trial and to face one's accusor
7) Right to have common law courts review common law suits
8) Protection against cruel and unusual punishment as well as excessive bail
9) Statement that the rights listen in the Constitution are not the only rights guaranteed to the people by the natural law
10) Statement that the rights not expressly delegated to the Federal Government are reserved to the States as well as the PEOPLE.

To summarize what I have laid out so far is that people have many rights that are guaranteed by the Constitution as well as rights that exist outside of it (see amendments nine and ten.) Laws that run contrary to this fact are inherently unjust and ought to be overturned either implicitly or explicitly. By implicitly, I mean that citizens should ignore and nullify unjust laws that run contrary to their rights. By explicitly, I mean that these laws should also be overturned by courts and legislators. Agents or law enforcement officers that prosecute individuals under unjust laws and not acting in accordance to their sworn oath to obey and uphold the US Constitution.

As sovereign citizens of the US, should not simply obey or accept laws because they are administered or enforced by people with guns and badges or any other ridiculous costume. Second, we shouldn't obey laws because they were written by elected "officials" or thought up by intellectuals. Laws ought to be followed based on whether or not they are just and laws aren't de facto considered just simply because they came about in a democratic system. Keep in mind that democracy can also be a form of tyranny, that is why there are so many Constitutional provisions to separate and limit government power and to protect minority interests.

So why is any of this important? Because at the end of the day, all laws are based on the threat of the use of violent force or the actual initiation of force. You might think it is personally disrespectful for someone to burn an American flag or utter an obscene word, but can you justify using violence to stop that person? Forget having a police officer do it for you, would you, as an individual, tackle someone to the ground, hold them down, pull their hands behind their back, and handcuff them for such behavior? If you answered "no", then how can you morally justify the use of this violence when conducted by a person wearing a badge? Contrast this to a scenario in which murder, theft, rape, etc. was involved. These are examples in which is it morally acceptable to use the threat or use of violence to stop an individual from physically harming another. From now on let's focus on the respect of the natural law and of the Constitution and less on respect for authority.

I'M BACK!

5-25-11 (RM, France)

I apologize for the length of time that has elapsed since my last blog post. Life and school have become pretty mundane so I haven't really been inspired to write anything recently. Here is an update on life in France:

1) I met up with my old intern and her husband tonight at Sacre Coeur. They were married a while ago but they are now taking their European honeymoon. It was nice to see Emma and Ted and it sounds like they are going to have a nice trip through various parts of Europe.

2) School is in full gear and I have many papers to write. Some are interesting, some aren't. My current paper on industrial side energy demand is pretty damn boring and I don't enjoy it at all. Things should pick up when I get to write about alternative energies (which I am going to run through the gauntlet) and when I get to write about gold and silver markets.

3) I'm f---ing sick of not having a full size kitchen. Seriously, is it too much to ask for a full-sized fridge and an oven? I'm looking forward to being home and cooking decent meals again.

4) My allergies have been going bat shit crazy as of late. I've never had allergies like this in my whole life. Yesterday I had burning eyes, cough, wheezing, clogged nasal passages, and itchy skin. I couldn't sleep all night but luckily I didn't have class this morning and was able to sleep in.

5) I "met" someone "special"! By "met" I mean re-connected with and by "special" I mean that she will probably be my girlfriend when I get back home to the US. Lindsey was in OU Senate with me and she is getting her PhD in Political Communications. She is brilliant and beautiful. I admit to noticing her while I was in Senate but I was very loyal to my ex at the time and I pretty much ignored her. Turns out that we have a ton of things in common and she is a great gal all around. It is pretty much one of the most unexpected things to have happened to me so far while being in France. I'm definitely excited about visiting her upon my return.

6) I took part in a go-kart race last night. Although my team didn't place that high, I had fun driving. It was a pretty intense track (1.2 km long) and there were a ton of wipe outs and accidents. The only times I spun out were when I was trying to avoid other people that had crashed in front of me. Good times were had. Our team placed 14th out of 26. Not great, but not terrible.