Technology does this just to spite me.

What does one write in a blog? Why does one do it in the first place?

Well, for the first question, I assume they write whatever they want. I once thought that, once you started a blog, you were kind of required to update it on a daily basis. But then when it came time to write something new I said to myself: screw it, I've got nothing to say right now. This is the good thing about not doing a comic strip. People really tend to expect regular updates with comic strips (almost on a daily basis). Blogs... not so much.

For the second question, I think I kind of answered that in the first post ever.

But I can say this: Technology seems to be trying its best to spite me. It all boils down to localization on the web. When we first moved here, all of my commonly used websites such as Monster, Google, and (yes) Blogspot decided to immediately sense that I was in another country and localize themselves by changing to the French language. Let me tell you this, if you don't know French yet, changing them back to English isn't very easy.

Furthermore some sites, like the aforementioned Monster, think they know what I want more than I do. You see, whenever I type in: www.monster.com I am automatically redirected to www.monster.fr which is, you guessed it, all in French. No matter how I try to connect some little demon lurking in the interwebs sees that I am in France and redirects me to the French version of the site I want to visit.

I'm sure there is something I can do with my browser's settings to stop this from happening, but if I did that already, I wouldn't have had anything to write about.

Beware the dreadlock John Travolta

Proof that the French ain't so bad.

France fines Church of Scientology for Fraud

Let's light this candle!

So, my brother-in-law chatted me through Gmail to say they were showing the Ares 1-X rocket on launch on NASAtv. Well, weather is not permitting, and chances are I'm going to be on my way to French class well before this thing gets launched.

Anyhow, this is my blog. In case you haven't been made aware, my wife Erika and I recently moved to Lyon, France. She has a post-doc position at the university, and I can't find a job (probably because I don't speak French). Sadly, my unemployment woes have also made me a little stir-crazy and it has been suggested that I decompress by either A) Making a comic-strip detailing my 'fish out of water' experiences, or B) write a blog about my 'fish out of water' experiences.

While option A certainly takes advantage of my prodigious art skills, the problem is that I don't have any of my art supplies. I know that many people would say that a true artist makes do with what they have at hand, but I'm a spoiled brat and need my toys. And we're kind of poor right now so I can't purchase any. Instead, I've decided to practice my wordsmith skills on a semi-regular basis by writing this blog. With that being said, this is not to say that a strip or two won't make it into these blogs at some point or another. Just don't get too anxious to see one.

So, on that note- this is my blog, which I have appropriately titled 'Americans Abroad' because that is exactly what we are. This will probably be an exposition about culture shock and all the little things that we just don't get about our European neighbors.

However, for now, I should get ready for my French class (at least I am trying to learn). Bonus points to whomever can guess where I got the name for my blog.