FINISHED OFF

Obviously this is one of the world’s more gorgeous cities, with oodles of history and culture, and I could have used at least a week more to take it all in properly. But hey, three nights in Paris ain’t nothing to complain about neither.

I like exploring a city late at night, when there aren’t so many annoying people everywhere.

Had a bit of fun getting shots of Paris landmarks – like the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre’s glass pyramid below – amid the darkness, which added a nice effect:

On an unrelated note, it was interesting to note how popular Canada Goose parkas are on the streets of this global fashion capital.

Seemed no matter where you looked, someone was walking – or cycling – by in one of these cozy – and pricey – jackets with the big furry hoods.

Call it Eskimo Chic, I suppose.

Makes sense when you think about it, though. Paris is becoming more and more familiar with snowstorms – indeed, the city was slammed by the white stuff just around Christmas, causing havoc at its airports.

And if Canada can offer but one thing to the world – other than annoying female pop stars and funny/wacky actors – it’s stuff to help you stay warm in nasty winter weather.

Go us!

ryan@roadtostarrdom.com

Not the most pleasant creature, but it's ours.

CANADA GEESE are a complete and utter nuisance.

They happen to bear this country’s name, and, as such, have come to be seen as a national symbol of sorts, along with Mounties, beavers and maple syrup. But our default national bird can also be quite a pain, particularly beyond our borders.

Recall Canada geese were responsible for bringing down Capt. Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger’s US Airways Flight 1549 in January 2009 (to be fair, though, they could also be credited with helping him become an American hero, at least for a few weeks, until another one came along.)

Sadly, last week 400 geese in Brooklyn’s Prospect Park were rounded up and gassed over concerns they were endangering airplane flights.

Canada geese also shit a ton and always seem to leave piles of poo in their wake. And so in Oregon recently, another 109 of them were gassed, because “the birds had become a pest in local parks, and many people were disgusted by the goose droppings,” the Canadian Press reports.

I don’t like to hear about any animals being gassed, even if it’s a cull carried out by civic authorities in an effort to mitigate a problem. But I understand that it sometimes has to be done, and I suppose that’s the most humane way to do it. It happens here in Canada, too.

What baffles me, though, is what happened in New Jersey earlier this week when police discovered 18 geese that had been beaten and shot in the head in a parking lot near a pond. I realize we’re talking about New Jersey, the a-hole of America, but still, who does that?

Not surprisingly, the matter has sparked outrage here in the Great White North — Goosegate, it’s being called.

The controversy is for good reason — can you imagine if a Canadian were to slaughter a bunch of bald eagles, the national bird and quintessential symbol of the United States? Methinks the long-predicted American invasion of this ”freedom-hating” nation would be imminent.

ryan@roadtostarrdom.com

Related: Honk if you love the Canada Goose