# An apology and some clarifications **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [May 9, 2002, 11:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-apology-and-some-clarifications/108058 "2002-05-09T11:41:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![tiny\_ham](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a183cd/32.png) [@tiny\_ham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tiny_ham)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2002, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-apology-and-some-clarifications/108058/61 "2002-05-09T20:31:54Z")
now I’m offended ---
**Author:** ![Undead\_Dude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e19adc/32.png) [@Undead\_Dude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Undead_Dude)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2002, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-apology-and-some-clarifications/108058/62 "2002-05-09T20:40:14Z")
For those of you who might not remember me, I’m **Opal** ’s hubbie. I’ve only very recently started posting here again, and I rarely make it out of GQ. I just wanted to say thank you to those who have supported her and to those who are willing to put water under the bridge. **Opal** can be short fused at times (as many can, obviously), and the last couple of months have been a real trial for us with her being in horrible pain the majority of the time. Hopefully that trial is at an end, as she had her last major dental alteration yesterday. She can have a temper anyway, but the recent stress has made things much harder on her, and some of that internal frustration may have added to the mess. She has said to me that she really, really wishes that she could take back the analogy she made. Different folks perceive things differently, and if someone had made a similar analogy to _her_, it wouldn’t have had such a jarring impact. She failed to really appreciate how much it would offend some people, and she knows now that it was a clear mistake. She is pretty bummed right now, even feeling that she’d be afraid to go to another SD gathering for fear of having to face a bunch of people who hate her. I don’t think that would be the case. I certainly hope it wouldn’t. Thanks again, folks. Cya back in GQ. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2002, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-apology-and-some-clarifications/108058/63 "2002-05-09T20:49:14Z")
Thank God for that, **UDD**. I was wondering if her being bipolar was connected with what happened, remembering one horrendous incident from a couple of years ago when her level of medication needed modification. **Opal** , you have my respect for posting this, and a comment in behalf of all the level-headed members here that we’ve **all** said things that didn’t come out the way we intended and caused problems either on or off line at some time or another. I’m glad to hear that it was stress from the mandibular pain – well, not glad to hear that, but glad that that was **all** that it was. And this thread could be a reminder to us all that people’s issues and what matters to people differ greatly – and that we might think twice before we post lest we gore somebody else’s ox. ---
**Author:** ![tiny\_ham](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a183cd/32.png) [@tiny\_ham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tiny_ham)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2002, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-apology-and-some-clarifications/108058/64 "2002-05-09T20:52:39Z")
heheheh Polycarp said ox hehehe ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2002, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-apology-and-some-clarifications/108058/65 "2002-05-09T21:07:47Z")
I said “gore” too – think maybe I was trying to hijack this into a political thread? 😛 ---
**Author:** ![armedmonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@armedmonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/armedmonkey)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2002, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-apology-and-some-clarifications/108058/66 "2002-05-09T21:16:20Z")
How should we know? You said “gore somebody else’s ox”. I took it as a warning regarding animal rights and property law. ---
**Author:** ![elf6c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c57346/32.png) [@elf6c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elf6c)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2002, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-apology-and-some-clarifications/108058/67 "2002-05-09T21:17:54Z")
I like Jean Luc Petard’s hairstyle ---
**Author:** ![eirroc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f1d935/32.png) [@eirroc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eirroc)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2002, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-apology-and-some-clarifications/108058/68 "2002-05-09T21:27:20Z")
I’m petard that I had to look up petard in the dictionary. ---
**Author:** ![eirroc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f1d935/32.png) [@eirroc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eirroc)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2002, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-apology-and-some-clarifications/108058/69 "2002-05-09T21:33:00Z")
I’m also petard with my awful grammar. ---
**Author:** ![GingerOfTheNorth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/cdc98d/32.png) [@GingerOfTheNorth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GingerOfTheNorth)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2002, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-apology-and-some-clarifications/108058/70 "2002-05-09T22:59:56Z")
Wotta buncha petards. ---
**Author:** ![Eutychus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Eutychus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eutychus)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2002, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-apology-and-some-clarifications/108058/71 "2002-05-09T23:12:04Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by jarbabyj \* > \*\*now I’m offended \*\* How do you think my petard feels? ---
**Author:** ![Siege](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dbc845/32.png) [@Siege](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siege)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2002, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-apology-and-some-clarifications/108058/72 "2002-05-10T00:01:38Z")
**Eutychus** , I can assure you I have _no_desire whatsoever to know how your petard feels! I get depressed enough as it is! **Opal** , I also saw that trainwreck of a thread. Your apology was a nice touch and a reminder of what I like about this board. Thank you. And now this straight depressive is off to see if she can’t run naked through a thread somewhere. Ain’t madness wonderful! 😉 CJ ---
**Author:** ![wring](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/838e76/32.png) [@wring](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wring)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2002, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-apology-and-some-clarifications/108058/73 "2002-05-10T00:06:41Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Eutychus \* > \*\* > > How do you think my petard feels? \*\* I dunno, wanna bring it over so’s I can feel it? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![BoBettie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4af34b/32.png) [@BoBettie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BoBettie)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2002, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-apology-and-some-clarifications/108058/74 "2002-05-10T01:13:11Z")
My petard has been killing me but I’m trying those new Kleenex brand butt wipes…ahhhhhhh…SO much better. I can’t even tell you. Zette ---
**Author:** ![Flamsterette\_X](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/41988e/32.png) [@Flamsterette\_X](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flamsterette_X)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2002, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-apology-and-some-clarifications/108058/75 "2002-05-10T02:51:13Z")
Please don’t, **Zette** … telling us how your petard feels would be a little too much information! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![alice\_in\_wonderland](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alice_in_wonderland/32/176_2.png) [@alice\_in\_wonderland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alice_in_wonderland)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2002, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-apology-and-some-clarifications/108058/76 "2002-05-10T05:18:19Z")
Personally, I would prefer if people didn’t comment on my petard. 😃 BTW - Classy thread Opal 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Darwins\_Finch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darwins_finch/32/20304_2.png) [@Darwins\_Finch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darwins_Finch)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2002, 5:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-apology-and-some-clarifications/108058/77 "2002-05-10T05:32:31Z")
Yeah…_real_ classy… ---
**Author:** ![armedmonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@armedmonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/armedmonkey)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2002, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-apology-and-some-clarifications/108058/78 "2002-05-10T05:41:34Z")
The high road, **Darwin’s Finch**. Even if **Opal** here is only pretending to take it, take the high road. Don’t go down to her level. ---
**Author:** ![Tenebras](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/977dab/32.png) [@Tenebras](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tenebras)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2002, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-apology-and-some-clarifications/108058/79 "2002-05-10T05:46:33Z")
Just curious. What is this link that keeps getting deleted? I don’t want another copy of the deleted link, mind, just wondering what it linked to. Tenebras ---
**Author:** ![Darwins\_Finch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darwins_finch/32/20304_2.png) [@Darwins\_Finch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darwins_Finch)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2002, 5:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-apology-and-some-clarifications/108058/80 "2002-05-10T05:57:33Z")
**Beeblebrox** : yeah, I know. It’s hard sometimes though, I tell ya. But, that was the last I will say on the matter. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-apology-and-some-clarifications/108058.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-apology-and-some-clarifications/108058.md?page=5)