Over this past week I was fortunate enough to be in Washington DC for the inauguration of Barack Obama. For the few days I was home I was able to experience crowds and general good cheer on a level I’ve never seen. The reasoning was behind my excitement at attending were not just to witness the historic event, but to be amongst the diverse crowds during such a unifying moment.

One of the more powerful moments of the weekend was during a hurried walk home from the concert at the Lincoln memorial. Like every large event I’ve attended in DC, there tend to be splinter groups that piggyback on the intentions of the protest or, in this case, celebration. Often this involves a group of anarchists who cause a ruckus until the police crack down, but occasionally a small group or single individual with a sign is able to become the center of attention. On 19th street, near the Corcoran, a group similar to the Westboro Baptist Church had set up a series of signs proclaiming “God Hates Homos.”  Obviously this message ran counter to the spirit of the week’s events and riled up the crowd.  Some had gathered around them, taking photos and trying to engage in a fruitless argument.  As I approached the scene, someone in front of me began chanting, “Stop the hate!” over and over.  It quickly caught on and soon the hundreds of people passing this small hate-filled group were joined in a chorus, all smiling that they had overcome the negative message on the street.

It was moments like this that stuck me most, and I was fortunate enough to enjoy the event in the company of family and close friends.  It is in this spirit that I am dedicated a week or more to the photos I took during this past week.  Enjoy.

Today marks six months from when I first started this little blog and I’d like to thank all of the dedicated visitors.  It’s come a long way from the initial post and I have immensely enjoyed working on it.  I continue to follow my mission statement and I look forward to what the coming months and years will bring.

I’m not one for New Year’s Resolutions, but I do love a ripping good yarn. To start off 2009, here are the three news stories that I found most interesting from 2008 (excluding all of the coverage and excitement for Obama of course).  Each nomination is followed by a brief excerpt to further entice you.

3) Chinese Attempts to Conceal Rampant Pollution (and its failure)

Although they possess the world’s largest weather modification program, the Chinese point to the Russians as being the most advanced. In 1986, Russian scientists deployed cloud-seeding measures to prevent radioactive rain from Chernobyl from reaching Moscow, and in 2000 they cleared clouds before an anniversary ceremony commemorating the end of World War II; China’s then president, Jiang Zemin, witnessed the results firsthand and pushed to adopt the same approach back home.

2) The Story of the Wax Cartel (and the $900 million fine) (also notable for the best supervillain name of 2008: Tibor Toth)

Most cartels operate in secrecy, destroying documents, encrypting e-mail messages or using prepaid phone cards to erase communication traces. But the paraffin cartel was rare in that some members kept minutes, and attendance lists. Cartel members e-mailed invitations and sought R.S.V.P.’s. They booked each other’s rooms and played host to open bars.

1) Somali Pirates (and its many tales)

When asked why the pirates needed $20 million to protect themselves from hunger, Mr. Sugule laughed and said, “Because we have a lot of men.”

I can’t wait to see what great stories will come out of 2009, hopefully some news a little more positive than the last.

After my “ratcheting down” of posts during my exams, I am now resuming the usual daily post schedule.  Thanks for enduring the brief creative hiatus.

Due to my increased workload towards the end of the semester, I’m ratcheting down my posts to just weekdays.  Sorry to any die-hard fans.

Photo Courtesy of Simon

Here I am eagerly approaching a member of the Free-Hugs Campaign under the Eiffel Tower.  I post this picture because I have some exciting news…I bought a new lens!  (A Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4.0-5.6 IS Telephoto Zoom Lens, if you were curious.)  This isn’t a big deal for anyone but me, though it should lead to some more interesting photography down the line.  I was paid for my blog writing on PSFK and in celebration I decided to reward myself.  Who said anything about a recession?

Also, in accordance with the suggestion of a friend, I’ve decided to make future images links to the full size versions.  My goal for the site layout was to make everything scalable, but apparently on some Windows machines, it makes diagonal lines jagged.  By adding links it will enable people to see the images in the original resolution (usually uploaded at around 1200 x 800 pixels) and maintain the same layout of the site.  Hope that fixes things.

Another picture from the hurricane.  This photo is terrible quality because it was taken with my phone.