My Run-in at the supermarket

[Mithrandir]

OK. That was just weird. I went to the (name of supermarket) down the road and they, of course, didn't have everything I needed. It seems everytime the wolf and I decide we want something, they stop offering it. Normal stuff, like Cream of Chicken w/ Herbs. But I digress. (Crow: Often!)

When I left the store and headed back to my car, there were a bunch of pigeons blocking the road. They were taking their time too, so I raised my arms over my head and did a 'chewbacca charges the storm troopers' cry. They kinda flapped over a few feet, you know, like pigeons do. They're too lazy to really fly away, they just go out of reach as if to say, "Who do you think YOU are?" Anyway, They were out of my way, so my cart and I continued on our way.

This lady came up to me and, I kid you not, she was all, "How DARE you!" I'm thinking, what did I do, hit one? I looked at her like she was looney (not that uncommon around that area) but she was undaunted. She was threatening to 'call the authorities' on me. I resisted the wicked urge to tell her exactly which authorities she should most likely contact. (Tom: "Hello, Psycotics 'R Us. Can I help you?"

She was _livid_ that I didn't wait for the pigeons to cross. I asked if she would rather I just ran over them to teach them a lesson, and the conversation went down hill from there. If I didn't have frozen chicken in the cart, I would have gone into a debate over the REAL deffinition of cruelty to animals, but as a general rule, I do not get into a battle of wits with unarmed induhvidules. I really thought she would go into apoplexy right there, so I just left.

So that's my day. Wee!

[Shinja]

lol,

[Bunny]

Lol, that's good stuff.
I had a strange run-in myself today. My locker got jammed (typical). So I went on with the hitting-and-prying-of-the-locker-ritual that usually gets it open when this guy comes of out like, nowhere, punches the locker and it swings right open. I just turned to him with my mouth dragging the floor and said "thanks" and he just said "no prob" and walked off like it was nothing unusual. It was all very strange. ... Then again... it's not as strange as the pigeons I suppose.

[Straylight]

Pigeons are stupid. When I was a little boy, a pigeon flew into my head. It hurt.

[uc pseudonym]

Pigeons certainly are. Though not as dumb as domestic turkeys. A turgeon would truly be one of the dumbest creatures in all of existence.

[andyroo]

Lol!

[MyrrhLynn]

Pigeons certainly are. Though not as dumb as domestic turkeys. A turgeon would truly be one of the dumbest creatures in all of existence.

That is because they have had the brains breed right out of them. Just like lots of those annoying little yappy dogs.

Actually I think ravens are more annoying then pigeons, add to that the fact that they don't seem afraid of people...

[shooraijin]

Believe it or not, pigeons make surprisingly loyal pets. If you don't believe me, go to my parents' house, because we have one that lives on the porch, and we've grown up with several. You have to get them as chicks for them to tame this well, however.

(The cat and the pigeon get along splendidly. In fact, the cat has to swat the pigeon away because she won't leave him alone most of the time.)

[Link Antilles]

ROFL!


I always seem to have animal run ins when driving, but I haven't hit one. I'd like to keep it that way.

Great story!

[Ashley]

Actually, wanna hear a story about pigeons?

I was 13 years old, and vacationing in Paris, France, with a tour group I'd signed up with (long story). Anyway, we're late for our trip to Versailles, so the whole group is trying very hard to run and catch up. Of course, I'm way in the back, and I'm losing sight of our leader, Mrs. Stallings. Thinking how horrible it would be to get lost in Paris (as I did later in London; different story), I quickly looked and saw we were rounding a corner. On the corner was an old man feeding a bag of crumbs to a flock, and I mean FLOCK--there was at least 40--pigeons. Remembering a straight line was the fastest way across, I sprinted out through the pigeons intending to find my teacher. Instead, the old man grabs me by the wrist as pigeons are flying everywhere, screaming in that birdish way, and get this:
He takes off my beret, shoves the entire bag of bread crumbs in my hair, and the swarming pigeons start EATING IT FROM MY HEAD! All the while he's laughing, I'm screaming and shrieking and flapping my hands trying to get out of that gray feather hurricane. Mrs. Stallings grabbed my wrist and yanked me out of there pretty quick.

Man I hate pigeons.

[Shinja]

wow the french are evil

[andyroo]

Ashley, you have found out the hard way how much (most) the French hate Americans.

Hey, aren't they trying to kill all of the pigeons in London?

[Link Antilles]

Hey, aren't they trying to kill all of the pigeons in London?

I heard something like that. I didn't know it was in London.

wow the french are evil

You took the words right outta my mouth!

[Ashley]

Now now, let's not go on a mad slaughter of all frenchies just because I had....*evil grin* Then again, TO ARMS!

[MyrrhLynn]

Errr... *cough* I mean...

What a mean guy!!!

[EireWolf]

Speaking of how evil the French are...

There was a French guy in my art class who mentioned that he was broke, and that if he were back in France he might just consider mugging a tourist because they're such easy targets. He went on to say how stupid and loud American tourists are, flashing their money around and acting like they belong there, etc... He said that so many American tourists get mugged in France because they're such easy targets. THEN... get this... he had the nerve to say that France is a great place and we really should all go there someday. I pretty much laughed in his face and said, "Yeah, Louie, you REALLY made me want to visit your homeland!" Then he had the gall to looked baffled that I would say such a thing.

[Mithrandir]

That's pretty odd. You know, you could have him arrested in this country for that....

[Straylight]

Why do the French hate Americans? They don't seem to hate British people all that much...

[Mithrandir]

Historically speaking, that's just plain weird...

[deleria]

Why do the French hate Americans? They don't seem to hate British people all that much...

Because the United States is a world super-power and France... isn't.


That's just one reason.

[Straylight]

Because the United States is a world super-power and France... isn't.

We're not a world superpower either, and we don't hate Americans

[deleria]

We're not a world superpower either, and we don't hate Americans

Yeah, but on our side of the pond, it looks like 'ol Chirac wants to be a super power. He wants France to matter. He wants to run the EU, etc.

Of course, my comment should be revised to, "LATELY, the french dislike us because we're a super power and they aren't" since most of this tension lately has come from the Iraq war. We really irked them with that. Which, I find to be amusing.

The French canadians don't like American's either. I know of an incident where an American junior league hockey team went to Quebec for a game and got boo'd out of the arena. Literally. Parents took their kids out of the game and headed home. This happened during the major fighting of the Iraq war. I also read a blog from a woman who's neice and sister went to France and got spat-on on a bus... again, during major fighting in the Iraq war.

My understanding of the general impression that the French have of Americans is that we're a bunch of cowboy-types. Unintelligent, uninformed, selfish, egotistical, cowboys. "American's are stupid" basically. And that's the opinion they had of us BEFORE the war.

Oh, well. I think we'll get over it. :rolls_eye

[Straylight]

Ah well, I guess they bring it on themselves then. It's funny though, because one of my best friends comes from America, and he goes to France on holiday each year. He reckons it's one of the coolest places around and would seriously consider moving there. He doesn't have an American accent though(lives in the UK)

[Technomancer]

I'm not sure if you can really draw any useful conclusions from two (admittedly awful) people. However, it would not be hard to find examples of various sorts of arrogant provincialism on the part of Americans either (believe me, I can dig up plenty). There is always after all "the sort of patriotism that consists of hating all other nations".

Many of us living outside the United States certainly have severe disagreements with American policy, especially in light of recent history. There are also issues relating to American economic power and how it is used. Note that this does not necessarily translate into envy, but rather an anger at the erosion of local ways of life and values, of culture, and so forth. In many places, the process of globalization has (at times quite rightly) been seen as Americanization. Unfortunately, if the American domestic news services are any guide, foreign perspectives really aren't heard in the States (a good reason for much of the current puzzlement). Living right next door to you, we often see just how utterly parochial your newscasts usually are.

You might also want to read "Rogue Nation" by Peter Scowen, or "Why do People Hate America" by Sardar and Davies (note the author's of this last don't). Whether you agree with their conclusions or not, they do provide some cogent arguments.

I doubt the French themselves especially hate Americans. Disagreement over politics, however sharp should not be construed in this fashion. They are justifiably proud of their country's history and culture, and are determined to play an independant role in world affairs. Of course, they also no doubt have to put up with mobs of tourists who are certain that everyone ought to speak English, and that's enough to get up anyone's nose.

I don't mean this to be a lecture (Ha ha, after I've written this spiel, and probably just picked a fight with everyone here). Nor do I hate the US however much I may deplore it's actions at times, there is also much that is admirable.

[EireWolf]

Why do the French hate Americans?

Maybe they want their statue back.

Nor do I hate the US however much I may deplore it's actions at times, there is also much that is admirable.

That's kinda' how I feel too... and I LIVE here. The U.S. government has, at many times in its history, done some pretty awful things (which I hope it would learn from and not repeat... but we're talking about politicians here, not brain surgeons or garbage collectors or other intelligent people). It's still a pretty great country, though.

[Link Antilles]

It's funny how Pigeons can spark a anti-French discussion.
Yes, I'm another one of those American people who was ticked at the French during the Iraqi war, but I see what your saying Technomancer.

[MyrrhLynn]

When I took a trip to London (before then banned feeding the pigeons) a whole bunch of them jumped on two of my friends since they walked close to the pigeon food vender. I laughed (after I took a picture).

[Technomancer]

Hmm. I've never yet seen pigoens that had anything on the herring gulls over here (friggin' sky rats). The geese are bad enough.

[Mithrandir]

When you stop consider WHY the French were so ticked at us during that war, you may feel a little less hostile about it. Let's put it this way:

Suppose Canada exported a great deal of vitamins. Suppose also that they had an agreement to export vitamins to the US at 50% of the cost that they were exporting them to other countries, because the US had built elaborate vitamin mines and vitamin supply pipe-lines. America could sell vitamins at a great profit, and life would be happy. Now let's say Canada happened to be run by someone whose morality was questionable, and treated his people poorly (don't tangent off on me here people, OK?) Now let's suppose Italy atacked Canada for the reasons that the US attacked Iraq (at face value, let's say).

Would the US stock markets boom or bust? How would that affect our relationship to the Italians? I'll admit it's a streach, but that's kinda what the US did to the French. Go look into who fronted the $ for the most recent pipelines, and it's not US $.

So, who's up for some pigeon pie? (Now made from 2 different kinds of pigeons!)

[Link Antilles]

When you stop consider WHY the French were so ticked at us during that war, you may feel a little less hostile about it. Let's put it this way:

Suppose Canada exported a great deal of vitamins. Suppose also that they had an agreement to export vitamins to the US at 50% of the cost that they were exporting them to other countries, because the US had built elaborate vitamin mines and vitamin supply pipe-lines. America could sell vitamins at a great profit, and life would be happy. Now let's say Canada happened to be run by someone whose morality was questionable, and treated his people poorly (don't tangent off on me here people, OK?) Now let's suppose Italy atacked Canada for the reasons that the US attacked Iraq (at face value, let's say).

Would the US stock markets boom or bust? How would that affect our relationship to the Italians? I'll admit it's a streach, but that's kinda what the US did to the French. Go look into who fronted the $ for the most recent pipelines, and it's not US $.

So, who's up for some pigeon pie? (Now made from 2 different kinds of pigeons!)

I do realize that, but Iraq was a rogue nation. I think I'll past on the pigeon pie.