Politics and Questions
Many years distant1, I was taught that “rhetoric” — that’s a rhetorical statement — rhetoric was persuasive language used to logically win an argument.
rhetoric /rĕt′ər-ĭk/ noun
The art or study of using language effectively and persuasively.
Skill in using language effectively and persuasively.
Obvious key words in those definitions? “Effectively” and “persuasively.”
An additional phrase I learned, far more recently?
“In an argument, if the facts are on your side, you argue the facts. If the law is on your side, you argue the law, and if you have neither? You just argue.”
It was a lawyer thing, I think.
“Ad Hominem,” also known as?
“And your mother dresses you funny!” (See: Virgo and Cancer).
Politics and Questions
Fishing shows, on the TV, it’s a lot like pornography, I mean, it’s OK to watch, but participation is far better. I liked fishing shows, watched a number of them, some time back. But like cooking videos? There’s a time crunch that gets edited out.
On two occasions, I have witnesses, I’ve caught fish on that first cast, a long, single, continuous take would’ve showed me adding bait, winding up, casting, then reeling in that first strike.
The biography picture on the back of the Portable Mercury Retrograde was one of those. Surprised me as much as it did the little Black Bass.
Most fishing shows I saw were shot over three or more tournament days. That means, practice day, or days, launching, cruising, scouting, and basically, roaring around in a bass boat. Say there are five or ten good fish in a two-day tournament. That’s three, maybe five minutes, tops, of actual fishing action, padded by another fifteen minutes of small talk about bait, competition, the lay of the lake, and product placement.
Lots of material ends up edited out.
Like the cooking shows?
“Pop it in the oven at 350, and here it is, already baked.” Never mind the missing “Bake at 350 for two hours.”
Where’s that missing two hours? The same with the time between the frantic moments with a fish on?
Politics and Questions
I once spent an evening in jail because I had neglected to pay a speeding ticket. The follies of youth? An innocent oversight? A night in jail since no one was around to save me — not that I wanted to be saved, and at the time? I didn’t have many “friends” who I could call to bail me out.
Plus: I didn’t have many (phone) numbers memorized.
That was one speeding ticket, I just forgot to pay. A stupid (silly) misdemeanor. Youthful oversight?
“Nothing bad will come of this.”
Overnight in jail. Misdemeanor.
Easily attributed, in my situation, then, to the insolence and impertinence of youth.
“Youth: pity it’s wasted on the young.”
Politics and Questions
After the follies of youth, I got a speeding ticket in Dallas, another time, a pretty random one. I had long hair, old truck, Grateful Dead sticker, and my aggressively casual appearance. Seemed like I was “profiled,” but that wasn’t a term, and being mostly white? Doubt I can make it stick But the long hair was a trigger. Think: tony suburban neighborhood in the early 90s.
Instead of just paying the ticket, I found a ticket lawyer, and asked him what to do. Cost a lot of money2 back then, but it was worth it because the lawyer looked up the officer who gave me the ticket, and suggested we show up for the appeal.
Sitting in the back of the ticket court courtroom, I recall, I asked him, what the play was.
“If the arresting officer shows up, we appeal. If he doesn’t show up, and he doesn’t usually show up for these from his court records, then it gets tossed. Otherwise, just appeal until they give up. And it stays off your record.”
That’s not verbatim, but it is the way I remember it. The gist? Appeal until the other party gets too tired to fight.
Disclaimer: I am not lawyer and in no way does this constitute legal advice. It is based on a shady recollection. But to repeat?
Appeal until the opponent decides it’s too much trouble to fight.
Politics and Questions
Does beg a question or two.
- See bio: KramerWetzel.com. ↩
- $200 if memory serves, and it might not. ↩
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