STRUCK OUT AGAIN...the story of how my opinion doesn't matter because I am not normal

I've got opinions; loads of them.

A couple of years ago, Vernal signed me up as a participant for market research surveys. It is a good way to spend and hour or two giving your opinions and to make an easy 70 dollars. To do this, I would get a phone call and answer a few questions. If I fit the profile, I would meet with other people around a big table and talk about a product as led by the facilitator.

I started noticing that I was different form the average man, when I was called in to talk about jeans and jean shorts. Sometimes you never know what company is present behind the two-way mirror, but that night my bet was on Lee Jeans. The sampling of men present were of all ages from 20-50, and from different economic backgrounds. The facilitator would go through these excercises of pulling out 4 different pairs of jeans and we would tell her which ones we like most and least and to give her an explanation for our thoughts. To some guys this was hard as putting together a complete sentence. To others, it was difficult to see any difference. Others only liked the kind of jeans that they were wearing when the graduated high school in 1982.

For me this was fun. A chance to break the stereotypes of gay and straight men. I was the only one to pick the darkest navy colors in a choice form light to dark. I took a stand against crazy pockets, pleats, and other weird stitchings. I told them that it is just a bad idea to make cargo pants out of denim - don't try to make the blue jeans something it's not. It seemed like I had different opinions about jeans and shorts than most of the guys there.

Oh boy, I got way off course.

Lately, I have been striking out and can't seem to fit the profile they are looking for. They called me last night and we went through the generic questions:

Can we ask you a few questions.....Yes
Do you or any member of your family work for the following...... NO
Age: 31
Would you describe yourself as a cuacasian.....Yes
Income level range......that one
Do you have children.....Yes

Then the specific questions (and this is where my honesty eliminates me):

How many times do you eat out a month? Um...5-10 times (maybe?)
I need one number. Okay, how about 7.
Do you eat out at casual restaurants at least once a month? Define a casual restaurant.
A place you sit down at and order off a menu, usually they have a bar. Yes.
In the last 3 months have you eaten at:
TGIFridays........NO ( the last 10 years and the answer would still be NO)
Applebees........NO (but I used to go there a lot when I was in highschool.)
Chilis........(uh-oh, I see where this is going) YES (I half-lied, I know I've been there within the last year.)
Outback Steakhouse........YES (in all honesty, I was there a little over a month ago. We were eating with one of our consultants and he has eating problems. They have a special menu for his problems.)
Olive Garden......NO (it's been years, but I just ate at Garrozzo's a couple of months ago. Does that count.)
I'm sorry, you do not fit our profile. Can we call you back with another survey? Yes

So, I told Vernal that I failed to meet the normal profile again - that we don't eat at the joe average restaurants and that next time I am going to lie so I can get in and have some extra spending cash. She replied-(not her exact words)-yeah, but I bet you enjoyed answering 'no' and getting turned down by a bunch of lame-O restaurants. At least you have your honor.