In the grand tradition of me talking about things that annoy me, I have a new one today.
“Well, that’s your opinion.”
This sentence is almost never used in an appropriate way. One, if something is someone’s opinion, you’re not only stating the obvious, but certainly not making your case any stronger by saying, “you think something different than what I think.” Two, in most cases when someone drags out this ridiculous sentence, they’re not even talking about opinions. They just throw out this opinion line as if saying it solves the whole argument – “We think two different things, so obviously, I’m right and I’ll make a token nod towards pretending that you’re also somewhat right, even though we both know that you’re not.”
How about I just give you 700 examples?
“You know, you really should put a screen in front of your fireplace.”
“Oh, it’s fine, you can see the fire better this way!”
“Well, it’s just as warm with a screen, you know.”
“I’ve never had a problem not using one.”
“It’s really much safer if you use a screen.”
“Well, that’s your opinion.”
“…”
“Hey, mom… I noticed you put the baby down to sleep on his stomach. I don’t know if you knew, but babies sleep on their backs now.”
“That’s so funny, I spent your entire baby years making sure you didn’t roll on your back!”
“I know, these things change all the time, weird, right? But it’s backs now.”
“You know, you slept on your stomach and you’re just fine, and he seems happier on his stomach so…”
“We put the baby down on his back. It’s safer, ok?”
“Well, who knows what will happen when I watch him.”
“I need you to put him on his back. It’s safer.”
“You know, that’s just your opinion.”
“…”
“Here, finish this bag of chips.”
“But you haven’t paid for the chips yet.”
“Oh, you can eat whatever you want while you’re still in the store. Just hide the bag behind those cans.”
“Uh, I think that’s stealing.”
“Well, that’s just your opinion.”
“…”
“Hey, if you’re not going to pass, you should move back over to the right lane.”
“Oh, I’m fine here.”
“Ok… but it’s actually the law in Pennsylvania that you drive on the right, pass on the left.”
“Ha, what a dumb law!”
“It’s really an efficient and safe way to manage traffic. And we’re in Pennsylvania. Where it’s the law. So…”
“I prefer the left lane.”
“You’re going 43. You’re forcing people to illegally pass you on the right.”
“That’s your opinion.”
“…”
Now, in case your confused, let me give you some actual opinions:
“That outfit is ugly.”
“My dog is more handsome than your dog.”
“Pearl Jam is so terrible that I think you can get cancer from it.”
“A Night at the Roxbury is one of the best movies of all time. OF ALL TIME!”
See, with all of those, if you want to disagree with me, you can say, “Well, that’s just your opinion.” Because those are, in fact, my opinions. (Except not your outfit. Your outfit is fine. I’m talking about that other guy.) You’d be wrong, of course, but you could make yourself feel better by assuring yourself that I’m just expressing my opinion.
And, to sum up my feelings on opinions, a quote from the long lost Redhead, who used to single-handedly carry this blog:
As a matter of fact, NO, I don’t think your opinion is just as right as my opinion. That’s what an opinion is, Pollyanna.
TJ:http://www.overheardintheoffice.com/archives/009795.html
Made me think of you <3 The Redhead: HA
i actually have an associate’s degree in bitchery TJ: I’ve got a minor in non-confrontational scowls and under breath muttering. The Redhead: a double minor. impressive!
TJ: yes
I didn’t see anything about shovels to the face
more importantly
I’m not dead The Redhead:: well, that’s good TJ: I was so sure I was going to die, srsly
I have not had a more miserable weekend in my entire life
nor have I ever sweat so much
This morning I had an unbearable need for gatorade and I never drink that stuff
so I went to 7-11 and found myself buying more than I could carry almost
as soon as I had some I decided I will never ever have anything other than gatorade for as long as I live The Redhead:: Yeah. When my kidneys were infected, I made Price by me about a palette of vitamin water TJ: The trip wiped me out, too
The HMFIC banned me from the office today
glad she did, I feel better but never would have made it through the drive
I’m shaky like muhammad ali
that was the most brutal illness I have ever been through, I even called my mom The Redhead:: There should definitely be a Kidney Appreciation Week
I think we take them for granted TJ: What is stupid is that I was sick for a month and didn’t even know it
I will not ever ignore things being “a little off” again, I swear on my stack of gatorade
Fierce melon gatorade. It’s like cantelope in a bottle! The Redhead:: There’s nothing I like better than fierce melons. TJ: … how do you DO it! The Redhead:: caffeine, mostly, and booze
plus a healthy dose of angry.
Are you feeling overshared yet, Internet? Or are you enjoying the blog of a person born without the shame gene?
The Redhead: Nice!
you should buy yourself a “it’s a girl/it’s a boy” cake to celebrate. TJ: I bought pregnancy tests, a box of tampons and a pack of cigarettes.
I am ALL CLASS. The Redhead: Well the tampons were optimistic. TJ: I was hoping to influence destiny.
For the record, Internet, everything would have been just fine either way and it really would have only taken me a week or two to get over the “Oh, crap” phase and into the “shop for tiny things!” phase. But being the selfish type that I am, I am quite thrilled to be able to keep Phil to myself, hopefully for a good few years more.
Now that a large portion of the overhanging stress in my life has been eliminated, guess what! It is time to gear up for NaBloPoMo again!
Here are last year’s results. Who is playing this year, you know you want to!
The Redhead: YOUR BLOG IS TURNING INTO A BIG LETDOWN
No joke, right?
So I’d like to tell you I’ve been doing some big and important things, but really, I just actually have a job that doesn’t afford me hours upon hours a day to blog, and I’m currently trying to work out a way to fit blogging, my social life, my job, and oh yeah, what’s-his-name all into the space of single day time frames.
Anyway. So speaking of my job, you read the guest post, I assume, about what it’s like to meet and hang out with us all. Obviously, having given such a good impression, we must have been on our best behavior. I say this because we had a staff meeting today that, no joke, included me throwing myself on the floor in a frustrated fury. And surprisingly, or not so surprisingly, that was NOT the first time I threw myself on the floor here. And I sincerely doubt it will be the last time.
This particular time involved the HMFIC and the other coordinator sitting across from a developer and I. And the developer and I are just going back and forth at each other, getting more and more heated, until there was talk of polishing doorknobs, toddlers, and either the HMFIC or other coordinator speaking up and saying “You both know you’re arguing for the same thing, right?”
Well, HE was arguing it WRONG!
And I hurt my elbow in my dramatic floor-flinging.
Anyway, here’s the thing. I figure I need to be a bit of a better blogger for a while, because I might need a favor from you guys sometime soon, so let’s get back to talking about weird shit that’s happened to me, ok? I don’t think I can ask you for a favor after my blog has been a BIG DISAPPOINTMENT for weeks on end.
So, last weekend, Naaldy chased me out of the house to go get some food. I went to a drive through, Wendy’s, to be specific, and I ordered and was waiting at the window, tra la la.
So I’ve got my car window open and Wendy’s has their drive through window open, and I’m sitting around waiting for my foods, and I idly watched a yellow jacket fly into the restaurant and come to rest just inside the window on the counter.
There was a manager type standing near by and he watched me watch the bug fly in, and I think, since a customer saw it, he felt obligated to handle the issue. So he came over to the window and starts trying to shoo the bug back out.
I was a bit nervous watching him, because he didn’t seem to be taking the ridiculous amount of care and shrieky panic that a stinging bug requires, but hey, maybe he’s not afraid of them, right?
SO not afraid of them, in fact, that he finally captured it and scooped it into his bare hands! What a brave man! Not a worry in the world about getting stung, he just cared about his customers and the bug-free status of his restaurant. I was so impressed.
Well, impressed until he took his cupped hands
flung the bug out the drive through window
and directly into the open window of my car.
And then, Internet, do you know what he did? Do you know what he did as I started swatting the air around me, trapped inside my car with a bug of the stinging, possibly going to make me cry, shouldn’t be in my car kind of nature?
He watched me begin to try to shoo the bug out of my car, the bug HE HAD THROWN INTO MY CAR, and he SLAMMED THE DRIVE THROUGH WINDOW CLOSED.
Without even giving me my diet soda!
*****
Edited to add:
TJ: THERE I POSTED The Redhead: WELL IT HAD BETTER BE GOOD YOU ABOMINABLE SLUT
(sorry. low blood sugar.)
I haven't found a convenient, easy to update method of displaying a list of links to all of the blogs I read, nor am I interested in getting all wrapped up in the politics of who is listed and who is not, so here is a link to a single blog that I do, in fact, read, to be updated randomly and completely at my own whim, for no particular reason or reasons I DON'T FEEL I NEED TO DISCUSS WITH YOU, INTERNET, but you can rest assured that I would not maliciously steer you wrong.
Hello! I'm TJ and this is my blog. The picture is a joke, get it? Because I'm INSIDE the INTERNET?
I'm 30 years old and I live in Arizona with my husband and our two big dogs. I've been married for just over a year, and we have a 7 month old daughter named Penelope. You can do the math. It's okay. We don't mind.
Read my stuff. You'll like it.
I know that at some point, this section of my site will be out of date. I promise you in advance, I'm aware of that.
