The Pigeon Man
The other day I was biking home from work, and I saw this (probably) homeless guy sitting on some grass underneath a palm tree, with a fair-size group of pigeons in a half-circle around him. Do any of you watch Scrubs? He looked just like The Janitor and his squirrel army, except that his were pigeons, and they were still alive.
Anyway, it looked like a very zen moment, for whatever reason, with humankind and nature just hangin' out.
However, this illusion was shattered as I rode by him, and listened to him mutter at the pigeon crowd in general, "…you think you're better than me? I'll show you, you're nothing, I'm in charge…."
Um, what?
As I continued home, I thought to myself:
"This is either a metaphor for our entire planet, or just a random event with no actual significance.”
72 comments:
HI Tiffany, I love your blog but mostly your writing. It makes me smile...you have such a fun style!
Reading about the trip in January made me wish for another one before you come home. this will always be a cherished memory. Thank you so much for recording everything so creatively! Love, Corene
I was looking at the stats of my website, pointrichter.com and saw this link to my site. It made me laugh. But seriously...this picture is not from Hawaii. The picture was taken by me. It was in front of the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris!
Tim
Looks more like Oscar the Grouch to me.
I agree. That is definitely Oscar the Grouch. It almost seems the pigeons were pasted over the picture.
So then was Oscar the Grouch saying "…you think you're better than me? I'll show you, you're nothing, I'm in charge…." He is a crabby guy, you know.
It tough to say Oscar the Grouch is homeless. He lives in a garbage can. I wonder if Burt hangs out their too. He likes pigeons a lot.
Good photography! The birds are caught in a perfect harmonious flight.
I concur. That is most definitely Oscar the Grouch in the photograph. It looks as though he is smiling. A bit drunk perhaps?
Looks like Oscar's had one too many mai tais.
Well to make an observation, and I say this with limited exposure to the situation, I don't think the subject (we are not entirely sure if it is Oscar or some random man) is sitting on some grass below a palm tree. The subject appears to be sitting in a cartoon-like garbage can.
Are you crazy!!??! That is definately Oscar the Grouch!
You know what is odd? I will tell you. The birds are flying yeah but I don't see their wings out. How weird is that?
Pigeons, ants, and geese scare me.
ALFRED - What does this have to due with the conversation? Arrrr!
Sorry. Just a random thought. They scare me. Sorry!
I love your style of photography here, Tiffany! It's a beautiful photo.
The man (I agree it must be Oscar)looks to be in a very zen moment with the four pigeons flying around him. But I remember Oscar the Grouch being more of a cranky guy who doesn't like people around. Do you think he is actually talking to the lady holding the kid and saying "you think you're better than me?" Maybe he isn't talking to the pigeons at all. The lady seems uneasy around him.
Said Oscar the Grouch to the lady and the kid:
"Oh, I love trash!
Anything dirty or dingy or dusty
Anything ragged or rotten or rusty
Yes, I love trash
I have here a sneaker that's tattered and worn
It's all full of holes and the laces are torn
A gift from my mother the day I was born
I love it because it's trash "
I'd feel uneasy if I was her walking by. And the pigeons too. Wow. What a strange moment!
Totally Oscar the Grouch in this pic.
Did Oscar see you take the picture of him? Maybe he was angry he was being photographed.
Hmmmmm... I don't know. I just don't know. This picture seems a bit odd. It's doesn't quite add up to the story. Like I said, I just don't know.
I'm scared of squirrels too.
The birds look odd in the pic. Something smells fishy.
Oscar is in a TRACH CAN!! That's why is SMELS FISHY!! HEH!
Alfred! Who cares!? We're talking about Oscar the Grouch and the picture. Hello?
Sorry.
Scott - Are we still planning on meeting for dinner at 7 tonight?
-Lisa
Yes. There is a slight chance I may need to stay late at work. It that happens I will call you. See you then!
Scott.
I believe the photo looks perfect. The pigeons, the color, the lighting. How impressive!
I have pondered over the matter quite thoroughly. This image appears to have clip art of pigeons pasted into the image. The result is an image that corresponds loosely with the story line. There are, however, inconsistencies.
That's a pretty bold statement, Django. I'd be interested in how you back that argument up. Everything looks normal in the picture to me.
Jane W. -
Well, firstly, lets look at the pigeon on the lower left. Does is not strike itself odd that the trunk of the palm tree is not visible because of a perfect square made up of a sky background and a pigeon? I declare that looks like the image was pasted in.
Gnarly! That Oscar guy is looking at the pigeon on the lower right. I think it is sitting on the trash can. What sound do pigeons make?
I've seen Oscar the Grouch many times on Sesame Street. That is him in that pic. How can anyone disagree?
The pigeons are definitely pasted in over the pic.
All-
I have a long track record for getting to the bottom of blog inconsistencies and mysteries like this. I can begin research on this in the next day or so.
-Alwin
Sometimes I am worry when someone takes a picture of me.
Muito louco!
You should worry about your grammar and spelling, Alfred.
WHAT IS THERE TO INVESTIGATE?? It's Oscar the Grouch! I don't think anyone disagrees!!
Now hold on there Wilfred - It makes no sense that Oscar the Grouch is there. In the blog post we are told, and I quote: "I saw this (probably) homeless guy sitting on some grass underneath a palm tree, with a fair-size group of pigeons in a half-circle around him."
There is no mention of Oscar the Grouch sitting in the grass. And certainly no mention of him sitting in a garbage can.
We need to put our emotions aside here and focus on the facts.
I don't know how you would navigate a bike through there.
Classof86 - Pigeons make a sort of "hubblblobble hobbleblobble" sound. It is crazy when you are near a bunch of them. In this case, Oscar is hearing what I would rate as a medium level volume of pigeon noise.
I'd say pigeons make more of a "coo roo-c'too-coo" or "oh-oo-oor" sound.
I think this whole matter is suspicious.
I think this whole matter is suspicious.
Well hot dog! This whole situation is fascinating.
Oscar the Grouch use to be a brownish-yellow color, not green. That doesn't really apply to this analysis of how a man sitting on the grass was talking to pigeons or even how the picture seems to have nothing to do with the story. But at any rate, this is an important thing to consider if you are talking about Oscar the Grouch. It's always good to know the background to a story line.
OMG!!!!!
Hmmmm? How did this convesation fall off the map so fast?
It's pretty clear to me. Everyone agrees this is Oscar the Grouch. Now how the story matches up with the photo, that is another story.
I still find pigeons scary. I couldn't sleep last night because I was thinking about them.
I agree with Barry. It would be so crazy difficult to ride a bike through there? How did you manage Tiffany?
How strange...has this curious issue been resolved? I have pondered it for many months.
So Jane - Are you still planning to go to the movies tonight? Rachel and I are still in if you are.
-Kelly
OMG!!! I totaly forgot! So sorry!!!! I can't make it. Have fun!!
Jane :)
I've read through all the thoughts and comments. I cannot commit to a resolution at this moment. I need time. The I shall post what I think. Now on to pondering pigeons, Oscar the Grouch, and old men and stuff of the kind. Oh the weight.
Barry is totally right, it would take a high level of skill to navigate a bike through that. You'd have to dodge pigeons all the while swerving around those tea cups.
Look more close man. Those seem to be mini garbage cans not tea cups. Ocsar doesn't strike me as some kind of afternoon tea drinker.
Kelly - What movie did you see?
Taking the garbage out to the trash can in the alley at night can be scary.
ALFRED!! WHO CARES?!? Let's move on knowing this is Oscar the Grouch. Tea cup or garbage cans. Uhg. Whatever.
I cannot and will not accept that Oscar the Grouch is in that trash can. He looks too happy. Not to mention, he lives in New York, probably in Brooklyn. Oh I've been to the Big Apple. That does not look like the Big Apple. It's Hawaii, right?
Isn't "mele kalikimaka" the way to say it's a beautiful day or something in Hawaii?
No Ruth - It means Merry Christmas...not beautiful day. Personally I prefer Christmas in Killarney. That Bing Crosby knew all sorts of places.
His daughter Mary scares me after she played Kristin Shepard who shot JR Ewing. Now I'm going to have nightmares.
THANKS A LOT ALFRED!!! I just completed season 3 of Dallas and was about start season 4. Whats the point now? Now I know. You wrecked it.
Maybe we should give the pigeons names. heh.
That place looks beautiful. Too bad it was a cloudy day.
I do not think is Oscar the Grouch. Maybe his name is Oscar though. But the Grouch? Um....No. Those are pigeons though. For Sure.
I am scared of pigeons. Rats too. They seem to be by garbage cans.
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