So these polish neighbours keep Pakistani racing pigeons in a illegal granny flat next door to cougar ?

No, no, no. The guy he likes to watch shitting is next door. The pigeon loft is next door but one…

He is right to be concerned, for all we know they may have miniaturised the Muslamic death rays and are going to release winged rat armageddon on the Kaffir.

Shite! Have I just made Charlie’s list by generalising?

Shite! Have I just made Charlie’s list by generalising?

Not all of us can aspire to those lofty behavioural standards. However, I understand a short period of self-reflection may be in order. 🙂

Not a flat cap to be seen.

This thread made me search Mumsnet for what AIBU meant. Two things strike me – firstly how many acronyms can they remember – I’d be stuffed! Secondly, how much better their advert bobbins is to the STW advert rubbish I occasionally see when it logs me out. It dosn’nt slow up the scrolling and is generally so much less annoying whilst still being there. You could learn a thing or two STW towers!

I thought you were better than this

I think I know where you’ve gone wrong.

It’s like Prince nearly said;

How can you just leave me this structure standing?
Alone in a world alleyway that’s so cold? narrow (So coldnarrow)
Maybe I’m just too demanding unfamilier with the prevalence of pigeon fancying across other cultures
Maybe I’m just like my father other neighbour too bold busy laying cable
Maybe you’re just like my mother Mungus
She’s He’s never satisfied (She’s He’s never satisfied)
Why do we scream at each other
This is what it sounds like
When doves Pigeons cry

APPLAUDS

You win the internet today

Is this the poster for a Kes remake?

DrP

merely pointed out that some of your terminology needs to be considered. I would hope that you would recognise that.

I’ve said, multiple times now have I not, that that’s fine and invited suggestions for alternative choices of words. None have been forthcoming.

This become more problematic when after someone’s posting about pigeon keeping being popular in Pakistan, you then suggest this explains why this neighbour keeps pigeons

Why is it problematic?

Over on PakistaniTrackWorld, someone posts that their English neighbour plays loud pop music, and drinks heavily at the weekend. They think this is unusual behaviour as none of their other English neighbours do this, and asks if it’s common within the British community. And of course, it is.

This doesn’t mean that every Brit gets pissed up and blasts the stereo of a weekend, nor does it mean that no-one else does it, but that over in Britland it’s fairly commonplace, it’s a cultural norm.

Any culture or society will have its own interests and customs. In Korea they eat dog (AFAIK), which would be abhorrent to us. We eat bacon, which is no doubt similarly abhorrent to British Muslims. I’ve a Chinese friend who’s adopted an English first name, in isolation this might seem unusual but she tells me it’s very common and all her friends do it. (Curiously, they’re always what we’d think of as ‘old’ names, the sort of names your gran might have.)

Alternatively, it could have been that there’s no cultural background for pigeons at all; maybe they just like pigeons. That’s why I asked. I’ve a Pakistani mate who is into rock / metal music, has long hair and wears a leather jacket (he’s the spitting image of Kirk Hammett, skin colour aside). Is this customary? Could be that Metallica is massively popular in the Middle East, but it’s not to my knowledge, he just likes it. Maybe I’ll ask him next time I see him.

**** me some proper **** on here(aka over sensitive) good luck getting through life 😀

English neighbour plays loud pop music, and drinks heavily at the weekend. They think this is unusual behaviour as none of their other English neighbours do this, and asks if it’s common within the British community.

FFS either use British or English but dont use them both in a sentence
The english really do think the two terms are synonyms and interchangeable
Not going to do a Mungus here but it does infuriate me that the english do this and conflate the two terms

I think I’ve worked it out – it’s what you have to build if it turns out your gimp is claustrophobic.

JY I think you kind of missed the point there – there is a direct analogy between the way sometimes Pakistani and sometimes Asian has been used on this thread. That sentence was very much in quotes…

It is really difficult to judge the sensitivty at which these linguistic offense landmines should be set to go off, but I think you have miscalibrated yours and that may say more about you than Cougar.

Might be easier if you used your moderator powers and blocked Charlie mate.

Nah, that’s an abuse of power, and empowers those who want to take a crack at a moderator. I’m not a mod here, I’m a forum user like everyone else.

Perhaps you can put it to the vote? 🙂

The english really do think the two terms are synonyms and interchangeable

England is my country of birth, British is my nationality. Says so on my passport. (-:

FFS blah blah something about rash generalisations; “The English,” what, all of us?

there is a direct analogy between the way sometimes Pakistani and sometimes Asian has been used on this thread.

Exactly.

England is my country of birth, British is my nationality. Says so on my passport. (-:

And mine says scottish and british so when you discuss the english you dont discuss me but when you discuss British you do include me
Were you including me or not?

If it was done to highlight the point about the interchangeability of terms then yes it went over my head but i just assumed it was an english person getting confused between england and britain

I dont think its racist i just think its inaccurate and wrong , sometimes, to do this.
I dont think its wrong to describe a Pakistani as asian or an english person as British but it is wrong to conflate english and British as you did.
You are english you wont get it 😉

Really not wanting to do a Mungus here and apologies if i just got the wrong end of the stick.

I think this thread is brilliant.

Makes me wonder how some of the posters manage to cope with dealing with real racists in the real world.

I think their heads might explode.

Anyway,

Have the pigeons moved I yet?

8 pages to discuss a shed? Wow!

You are english you wont get it

You misunderstand. I’m English and don’t care. (-:

For the sake of argument though, if we’re talking about getting pissed and playing loud music, I expect the Scots would be offended if I hadn’t included them. (your tee-total good self excluded ofc).

In seriousness, I think we’re broadly on the same page. It’s fairly common for people here to refer to “Pakistanis” regardless of whether the subject of their discussion is actually, say, Indian or Bangladeshi; broadly out of assumption / ignorance I expect. Referring instead to “Asians” avoids that faux pas, though invokes the Wrath of the Mungus for generalisations and stereotyping.

Funny things, words.

8 pages to discuss a shed? Wow!

Two pages to discuss a shed, six pages to debate whether I’m a racist for mentioning that my neighbours are heavily tanned.

Now, you know no one has called you a racist.

Two pages to discuss a shed, six pages to debate whether I’m a racist for mentioning that my neighbours are heavily tanned

…so you are saying they are building a shelter for nude sun-bathing?!…. 😉

Burkinis are on order I believe.

Just hold on a minute

There’s a clear link here, and we’re worried that pigeons are RACIST?

Makes you think.

Look, you start of by saying “What would an Asian family want with a coop?”
Surely you recognise that is a little bit off. Why would you start with the Asian categorisation? You could probably choose anyother differentiator and demonstrate that was a minority, in the UK. I don’t know why anyone would keep pigeons, but this persons reasons are probably much the same as anyone else’s and not because it is what people in Pakistan do. Why would you say Asian when you mean Pakistani, just because everyone else does, is not a good enough reason, especially in here.I don’t know any women who keep pigeons, but if I did, I would not be at a loss to imagine why. Maybe this neighbour keeps pigeons because that’s what he wants to do. Maybe his keeping of pigeons is nothing to do with his race or whatever continent he comes from. And just because you find out that pigeon fancying is popular in Pakistan. It doesn’t explain why this guy keeps pigeons. Like “because he is British” doesn’t explain why someone gets pissed and plays loud music.

A long post, just to say “What theocb said”

Yes, language is a funny thing, use it carefully. Lots of Asians don’t particularly like the way Asian is used, even by the BBC. How would you describe someone from Singapore?

As an alternative to the term Asian Community? I wouldn’t use such a construction, so there isn’t one. I wouldn’t try to compare and individual to a heterogenous mass

Bloke keeps pigeons – not confusing

Lots of Asians don’t particularly like the way Asian is used, even by the BBC.

[quote] I wouldn’t try to compare an individual to a heterogenous mass[/quote]Oh the ironing.

Tell me how I compared an individual to a heterogenous mass?

I just dipped in here for some advice on a single ring conversion and I stumble on a thread debating whether pigeon keeping is commonplace in Asian cultures. Brilliant.

i came for the lycra, but stayed for the sanctimony 😀

For the sake of argument though, if we’re talking about getting pissed and playing loud music, I expect the Scots would be offended if I hadn’t included them. (your tee-total good self excluded ofc).

I am sure they would be disappointed you did not include them in a list of obnoxious ill considered drunks so need to say english and then British if you meant to include them/us/me just say British as I am really not english despite the accent.

Not quite tee total I drink about 5-10 pints a year

This thread needs a light-hearted interlude…

[video]http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=RovF1zsDoeM[/video]

Lots of Asians don’t particularly like the way Asian is used, even by the BBC.
I wouldn’t try to compare an individual to a heterogenous mass

If this is trolling, it is trolling of the highest order.

Thread of the year week last few days

Interestingly, or not……my parent’s neighbours, we’ll call them the Akhtars because that is their name are Pakistani & have recently also built a good awful lean-to construction outside. It looks like the front porch of a general store that you might see in a program about the outback – ropey wooden construction, random use of fence panels as structural elements and a faded red corrugated roof (which made me think of the Australian general store porch type theme….

I assumed it was a DIY conservatory but apparently it is open-fronted, so God knows what it is for….!

Anyway…..as you were.

just skim read the last few pages…seems to be getting blown out of proportion a tad

i dont think cougars use of the term “asian community” was wrong in any way. i’m asian and it didnt offend me.
maybe he shouldnt have mentioned initially that the family in question were asian…but seeing as the notion of pigeon fancying/breeding to his knowledge wasnt common practice i think it was perfectly valid that he stated that the family were asian for clarification purposes
its now been pointed out that it is a very popular past time in pakistan/india/bangladesh…this is something he wasnt aware of and now that its been pointed out to him he accepts this…you learn something new every day

as far as implying his comments were either racist or xenophobic is like calling me a white supremacist
i’m not sticking up for him cos he’s my mate or anything…never met him
we’ve had a few run ins on here and hes offered his critique on my beliefs etc..but i think its commonly accepted that if you raise your head above the STW parapets..then someone will take a pot shot at you but i think its overstepping the mark if he’s being called out for being the new nick griffin

i dont think his original post in question was even that much about who built the structure but more about its legality

Is the rabbit hutch still standing ?

I reckon a drive by on a Harley with some unbaffled pipes would sort it 😉

So is this structure aligned towards the noon-day sun, the rising moon, or to Mecca, or where?

This is great 8 pages of the professionally offended left wing handwringers accusing a left wing residenthand wringer of being a racist because he stereotyped pigeon fanciers! 🙂

this persons reasons are probably much the same as anyone else’s and not because it is what people in Pakistan do.

Question: Why has he got pigeons?

Reply: Pigeon racing is popular in Pakistan.

Conclusion: It’s likely, though not certain of course, that they’re racing pigeons. They could be for food or ritual slaughter or to wind up the cat or because he’s an eminent ornithologist, but they’re probably racing pigeons. But might not be.

Why would you say Asian when you mean Pakistani, just because everyone else does, is not a good enough reason,

I don’t know whether he’s Pakistani or Bangladeshi or any one of a multitude of other possibilities, or British for that matter, all I know is he’s of Asian descent which is why I said Asian in the first place.

Bugger me. It’s getting to the point where any term to describe a group of non-Caucasian people is verboten without knowing their in-depth geographical life history for the past three generations. Last year I overheard someone chastised for using the term “coloured people”; when asked what term she preferred, the offended lady in question offered “people of colour.”