I was having a conversation with someone just now, and they just said the wrong thing at the wrong time. I immediately ended the conversation, because I no longer wanted to talk to them.
It was a simple 3 word sentence.
"I thought so."
When talking to someone, you'll often hear it. Someone will ask you a question, and you'll reply. If the questioning person says "I thought so", it means they already knew the answer to your question.
So what's the purpose of saying "I thought so"? I'll tell you exactly what it is. That sentence means "I knew what the answer is, I just want to validate what I thought, because validation makes my ego feel better. And I love improving my ego!"
Think about it-- no really, think about it. Does the sentence "I thought so" improve anything in a conversation? Does it add any information? Does it add any context? No, it doesn't do anything. All it does is come off as "woohoo I guess what your response was going to be, I'm awesome!". If you really are after validation, couldn't you have just kept the sentence "I thought so" to yourself, and congratulate yourself in private? No, you congratulate yourself in public, because what's the point of congratulating yourself if there's nobody to see it?
Q: "What's wrong?"
A: "I'm angry"
Q: "Is it because of.... (educated guess goes here)?"
A: "Yeah"
Q: "I thought so"
See, what was the point of saying "I thought so" at the end?
Here is how I would handle it if someone said that to me:
Q: "What's wrong?"
A: "I'm feeling sad"
Q: "Is it because of.... (educated guess goes here)?"
A: "Yeah"
Q: "I thought so"
A: "Congratulations, want a god damn cookie?"
I have two friends (who shall remain nameless, but they know who they are) who say "I thought so" all the time. Actually, one of them says "I knew it" a lot. "I knew it" is the same thing as "I thought so", it just requires less brainpower to expend.
I hate it when people gloat. I hate it when people gloat in front of me. I even hate it more when people gloat at my expense. It's part of my personality: I don't take criticism well, and I don't like people making me feel lower, or making themselves feel higher.
And if you just said "I knew it" after reading that paragraph, then we're going to have issues.
So what do you say instead of saying I knew it, or I thought so?
You say "I see".
That's all, two words. Two words that mean "ok I learned something". It's the same thing as "oh ok". It means that you're not stroking your ego in front of them, it means you're listening to them.
Got it, world?
ic.
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
What you don't know can't hurt you
So I went running today, and it felt good. 51:19 to do my 4.2 mile route? After eating like an oink for 2 weeks during Christmas and New Years? I am on the road to RECOVERY!
I got home, took off my shoe, and noticed I had a blister on my inside arch.
Why is it that when you don't know about it and don't see it, it doesn't hurt, but when you DO see it, it's the most terrible pain in the world?
Knowledge is pain and ignorance is bliss :D
-----
After looking at the Disneyland pictures last month (yes I went to Disneyland; there's going to be a LOT of catching-up to do in my blog this year), I was unsatisfied at how I looked with Trang. I had my double chin, and I looked frumpy.
I looked back at my Disneyland Half Marathon photo in September of 2009, and I looked GOOD.
Look at how toned and motivated I looked (Jeff did an awesome job of the angling in the photo). I had just completed my first half marathon, and I was in love with how my body was pumping.
I want to register for the 2011 Disney Half Marathon, and undergo the same regimen I did for that. Run once a week, pumping out the 4.2 mile route I made from Tait -> Linda Vista -> Via Las Cumbres -> Friars -> Ulric -> Tait.
And now I have the bonus of P90X phase 2. My favorite workout by far is still Core Synergistics, mostly because of those hilarious superman bananas. You have to think that with the resistance trainings that come with P90X, and the intense cardio I get from my 4.2 track, I should be in my Disney shape in no time.
I got home, took off my shoe, and noticed I had a blister on my inside arch.
Why is it that when you don't know about it and don't see it, it doesn't hurt, but when you DO see it, it's the most terrible pain in the world?
Knowledge is pain and ignorance is bliss :D
-----
After looking at the Disneyland pictures last month (yes I went to Disneyland; there's going to be a LOT of catching-up to do in my blog this year), I was unsatisfied at how I looked with Trang. I had my double chin, and I looked frumpy.
I looked back at my Disneyland Half Marathon photo in September of 2009, and I looked GOOD.
Look at how toned and motivated I looked (Jeff did an awesome job of the angling in the photo). I had just completed my first half marathon, and I was in love with how my body was pumping.
I want to register for the 2011 Disney Half Marathon, and undergo the same regimen I did for that. Run once a week, pumping out the 4.2 mile route I made from Tait -> Linda Vista -> Via Las Cumbres -> Friars -> Ulric -> Tait.
And now I have the bonus of P90X phase 2. My favorite workout by far is still Core Synergistics, mostly because of those hilarious superman bananas. You have to think that with the resistance trainings that come with P90X, and the intense cardio I get from my 4.2 track, I should be in my Disney shape in no time.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Million Dollar Drop
So on Million Dollar Drop, the first team went in. They were a confident couple from New York who claimed they had street knowledge.
The first category they chose was sports. The husband claimed he was a huge sports fan. The question:
What do the winners of the Indy 500 traditionally drink in victory lane?
They went all in on champagne.
As a real sports fan, I know that whether it's Dario Franchitti or Al Unser Jr., you cross the finish line, and then in the victory circle next to your car, you take a swig of milk from a glass bottle and hold it up in the air. Sometimes you will be wearing a green-leaf lei or whatever that ivy thing is.
SEE, even before I went to Google Image Search, I was already correct. Dario Franchitti won last year (Al Unser Jr. won a few times in the past also, so did his dad Al Unser), and he indeed drink milk and had a wreath around him. I am an incredibly accurate sports fan.
I ran into the living room to tell Ben that someone was about to lose it all. I went to my computer to see Trang's reaction.
I don't know what it was, but it's beautiful to see someone so wrong and lose it all.
They call that schadenfraude, i.e. the ability to enjoy other people's suffering.
Until it happens to you....
-----
...the next contestants came up. They drew another sports question. Their question:
4. According to a 2010 Q Score survey, who's the most disliked sports figure?
A: Lebron James
B: Tiger Woods
C: Michael Vick
They answered Michael Vick.
I knew they were wrong. Michael Vick was an MVP candidate. He had what, 6 TDs on Sunday Night Football? Weren't people ready to peg him MVP MVP even though he didn't start until Week 4 or something? Why would it be Tiger Woods? He had all his crap in 2009, but a lot of people still cheer for him and want him to break Jack's record for major tournament wins.
The answer is clearly LeBron James. Not only did he spurn the entire city of Cleveland, he spurned the entire NBA by joining to a superteam and saying he was taking his talents to South Beach. He bought himself one hour of TV time to do that. Now the Heat are the most hated team in the NBA.
*watches as Michael Vick was indeed the correct answer*
A conversation I had with Richard.
richard (11:10:50 PM): well, lebron didn't break any laws
aldrin (11:11:18 PM): LeBron pissed off both Cleveland
aldrin (11:11:26 PM): and an entire NBA fanbase by making a long drawn out decision on tv
aldrin (11:11:39 PM): Tiger Woods, people still want him to break the record
aldrin (11:11:52 PM): Vick, people say he deserves MVP for how far he put the Eagles on his back this year
aldrin (11:12:08 PM): the question said "according to a Q score study"
aldrin (11:12:17 PM): i googled it and found the study
aldrin (11:12:24 PM): the study doesn't reveal the demographic they asked
aldrin (11:12:27 PM): nor the time theya sked
aldrin (11:12:29 PM): *time they asked
aldrin (11:12:37 PM): if it was asked dec 31 2010
aldrin (11:12:41 PM): there is no way people hate Vick
aldrin (11:12:44 PM): 6 TDs in one game?
richard (11:12:49 PM): shrug
I know sports. I know sports fans. There is NO WAY that LeBron James was not hated more than Michael Vick. People LOVE Michael Vick these days.
-----
So I made my gaffe and lost all of mine and Trang's money. However, the contestants on TV made it all the way to the end. Let's hope they get it! For their final $200,000 question:
According to a Nielsen study, every day, the typical American teenager does what for the longest time- watch TV or surf the Internet?
Hint: The right answer's more than three times the other choice
Trang and I went all in on Internet.
The answer was TV.
SERIOUSLY?
Name shows popular with teenagers:
- Glee and American Idol
Name sites popular with teeangers:
- Facebook
- Myspace
- YouTube and Netflix
- Online Gaming (yes that should completely count)
- Por---- wait that only applies to boys.
You are kidding me. We have laptops, computers, smartphones; how is that Internet is not the thing teenagers do the most?
*rage* You're wrong, Nielsen. Wrong.
This whole episode was filled with wrong. Except for the milk part which even Trang got right. That was awesome when that couple failed.
But not awesome when we failed.
Schadenfraude.
The first category they chose was sports. The husband claimed he was a huge sports fan. The question:
What do the winners of the Indy 500 traditionally drink in victory lane?
They went all in on champagne.
As a real sports fan, I know that whether it's Dario Franchitti or Al Unser Jr., you cross the finish line, and then in the victory circle next to your car, you take a swig of milk from a glass bottle and hold it up in the air. Sometimes you will be wearing a green-leaf lei or whatever that ivy thing is.
SEE, even before I went to Google Image Search, I was already correct. Dario Franchitti won last year (Al Unser Jr. won a few times in the past also, so did his dad Al Unser), and he indeed drink milk and had a wreath around him. I am an incredibly accurate sports fan.
I ran into the living room to tell Ben that someone was about to lose it all. I went to my computer to see Trang's reaction.
I don't know what it was, but it's beautiful to see someone so wrong and lose it all.
They call that schadenfraude, i.e. the ability to enjoy other people's suffering.
Until it happens to you....
-----
...the next contestants came up. They drew another sports question. Their question:
4. According to a 2010 Q Score survey, who's the most disliked sports figure?
A: Lebron James
B: Tiger Woods
C: Michael Vick
They answered Michael Vick.
I knew they were wrong. Michael Vick was an MVP candidate. He had what, 6 TDs on Sunday Night Football? Weren't people ready to peg him MVP MVP even though he didn't start until Week 4 or something? Why would it be Tiger Woods? He had all his crap in 2009, but a lot of people still cheer for him and want him to break Jack's record for major tournament wins.
The answer is clearly LeBron James. Not only did he spurn the entire city of Cleveland, he spurned the entire NBA by joining to a superteam and saying he was taking his talents to South Beach. He bought himself one hour of TV time to do that. Now the Heat are the most hated team in the NBA.
*watches as Michael Vick was indeed the correct answer*
A conversation I had with Richard.
richard (11:10:50 PM): well, lebron didn't break any laws
aldrin (11:11:18 PM): LeBron pissed off both Cleveland
aldrin (11:11:26 PM): and an entire NBA fanbase by making a long drawn out decision on tv
aldrin (11:11:39 PM): Tiger Woods, people still want him to break the record
aldrin (11:11:52 PM): Vick, people say he deserves MVP for how far he put the Eagles on his back this year
aldrin (11:12:08 PM): the question said "according to a Q score study"
aldrin (11:12:17 PM): i googled it and found the study
aldrin (11:12:24 PM): the study doesn't reveal the demographic they asked
aldrin (11:12:27 PM): nor the time theya sked
aldrin (11:12:29 PM): *time they asked
aldrin (11:12:37 PM): if it was asked dec 31 2010
aldrin (11:12:41 PM): there is no way people hate Vick
aldrin (11:12:44 PM): 6 TDs in one game?
richard (11:12:49 PM): shrug
I know sports. I know sports fans. There is NO WAY that LeBron James was not hated more than Michael Vick. People LOVE Michael Vick these days.
-----
So I made my gaffe and lost all of mine and Trang's money. However, the contestants on TV made it all the way to the end. Let's hope they get it! For their final $200,000 question:
According to a Nielsen study, every day, the typical American teenager does what for the longest time- watch TV or surf the Internet?
Hint: The right answer's more than three times the other choice
Trang and I went all in on Internet.
The answer was TV.
SERIOUSLY?
Name shows popular with teenagers:
- Glee and American Idol
Name sites popular with teeangers:
- Myspace
- YouTube and Netflix
- Online Gaming (yes that should completely count)
- Por---- wait that only applies to boys.
You are kidding me. We have laptops, computers, smartphones; how is that Internet is not the thing teenagers do the most?
*rage* You're wrong, Nielsen. Wrong.
This whole episode was filled with wrong. Except for the milk part which even Trang got right. That was awesome when that couple failed.
But not awesome when we failed.
Schadenfraude.
Monday, January 10, 2011
New blog home!
Hey look I'm a weird green background.
My goal is to update this on a weekly basis now.
But first I have to sleep :(
My goal is to update this on a weekly basis now.
But first I have to sleep :(
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