Posted by Teodor Lazar on October 17th, 2009
I was fortunate enough to catch Bastille Day while visiting in Paris. It occurs on July 14th and it’s the day the Parisians celebrate their independence from the monarchy. This is the Parisian version of our 4th of July, but they go far beyond the fireworks’ display. They bring out the big guns!
The day started with the streets being blocked off. I made it to the Champs-Élysées (the main avenue leading to the Arc of Triumph) around 8 am, but unfortunately it was already packed with people waiting to see the military parade. Since I was standing behind six rows of people, I could see only bits and pieces of the marching soldiers and military vehicles. It wasn’t a good spot – so I opted for a smaller street and set up camp there. These are the some of the pictures I took while watching the Bastille Day Parade.
French Military Planes Flying in Formation
French Military Helicopters
French Paratroopers
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Posted by Teodor Lazar on October 9th, 2009
Since I’ve already discussed transportation in Paris, I decided it would be a good idea to go over the “must see” attractions of Paris. There are a lot of sights to take in, but these are my top 10 “must see” attractions in Paris:
1. Eiffel Tower
When you think of France, the Eiffel Tower is definitely the first image that comes to mind. It is the ultimate symbol of France. At over 7,300 metric tons, it’s huge! I’d seen pictures of it on the internet before, but didn’t realize how massive it was until I stood beneath it. With over 6.8 million visitors per year,the Eiffel Tower is one of the most popular tourist stops in the world and comes first on my “must see” list.
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Posted by Teodor Lazar on October 3rd, 2009
After writing the article on learning a foreign language, I decided it would be a good idea to explore a foreign country. I’ve chosen to expose you to one of the most popular places I’ve been to in the past – Paris. I visited Paris a a little over a year ago in July and stayed for two weeks. I really enjoyed my trip. I think the city is beautiful, it has a rich history with plenty of amazing things to see. Rather than describe Paris in one post, I’ve decided to use five. I feel this will let me give you a holistic view of the city and its inhabitants.
This first post will detail the many transportation systems available in Paris – this is especially important if you are going as a tourist. I could write a long drawn out post describing every detail or I could show you some pictures and comment on them. I’ve chosen the latter. Enjoy!
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Posted by Teodor Lazar on September 13th, 2009
A few years ago, I came up with this quirky theory that all the fast food places in the US are actually owned by pharmaceutical companies. Now before you dismiss my theory, I want you to really think about it for a second.
I want you to imagine yourself as the CEO of a big pharmaceutical company, with a responsibility to your shareholders to make them lots of money. What do you need to ensure that your company stays in business for a long time? You need a product that’s always in demand and you need customers who really want your product. Customers with diseases that your product can treat. I say treat because it’s not very profitable to “cure” the diseases. If you cure people, they don’t keep coming back for more of your product. And they certainly don’t give you any more of their money.
Now losing a few customers here and there is not a big deal (some will die from using your product and some will die from their disease), but imagine losing all your customers because your product worked so well. No, no, no, that won’t do. So you make your product good enough to treat the symptoms of the disease, but not the actual disease itself. And just like that, you have a rich fat cash cow. One that you can milk for years and years. Brilliant!
But what if there are no diseases?
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Posted by Teodor Lazar on September 9th, 2009
Today I was laying down on the grass in my back yard, looking up at the sky, thinking back to a time I’d felt incomplete. It seems so distant now, like it happened in another life. One that I’d moved on from years go.
In my past life, I remember being skinny and wanting to be bigger and more muscular. Wanting a new sports car, when I already had a great car. Wanting the latest clothes and cell phone, when I had a decent wardrobe and phone to begin with. I remember feeling really incomplete without “the new stuff.”
But even after I attained the new things, the things I “thought” I wanted, I still felt incomplete. So I kept chasing the next new things I was “supposed to have” in order to be happy. Until one day, I realized a big secret that the world didn’t want me to know.
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