Obama's Speech

Here's today's speech from Barack Obama in full.

Well done, Surcouf!

Somehow, this little guy is face of French electronics giant Surcouf.

My Family!

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Here I am with my brother Memo (L), Yvette and Jorge(R) in Lille. This restaurant was really great! I had a local dish that was these chunks of beef cooked in a brew of gingerbread, beer and brown sugar! There's a shout out to this place at the end of the post.

La Petite Cour
17 Rue du Cure St-Etienne
59900 Lille

Chateau Pierrefonds

One of the highlights of spring break was definitely seeing the Chateau Pierrefonds. Its in the middle of a forest about an hour north of Paris. I didn't really get to spend much time there as some bouts of food sickness struck my brother and I about a half hour into our visit, but I saw enough to appreciate it.

There were some interesting pieces that really unified circulation, protection and structure.

I had this idea that the whole castle was about achieving multiplicity...hence the obsession with corbeling, multiple cornices and layered spaces. Also the masonry was pretty incredible. Look at how the cornices take off! Good stuff.

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Family Fun

My brothers and sister in law just took off, and we had a blast. First we hung out with my cousins and aunt and uncle who live in the area in this little town called Sommette. Next up was Compiegne, Pierrefonds, Lille and Paris for three days.

This is on the day of arrival, starring a jetlagged Memo and my cousin Bebo.

Mike Huckabbe + Chuck Norris + Laredo = Immigration Solution

"Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, flanked by Chuck Norris, Minutemen founder Jim Gilchrist and U.S. Republican Rep. Duncan Hunter of California, stood beneath Laredo's railroad bridge near the riverbank Saturday morning advocating stronger border security, including constructing a border fence, having more law enforcement and eliminating carrizo"

I really couldn't have expected a better opening statement on today's Laredo Morning Times.