Rhetoric and the Exploding Omelet

I don't suppose that many people did not notice that Socrates was quite adept at rhetoric himself and that, in fact, rhetoric is nearly if not completely unavoidable. I do suppose that what happened is that a few bad apples spoiled the whole bunch. Not every rhetorician is out to swindle you out of your oxen or property and thereby reducing your rank to that of a slave. But, those people are out there.

When I am arrested for feeding my ex-husband an exploding omelet in a faux gesture of kindness...I mean...if  I were ever arrested for some terrible thing like that...I would want a rhetorician of the highest skill to come to by defense...especially if I had nothing to do with such heinous a crime. Who would even think such a thing??

So..my question is why is Plato not focusing on the character of the lowlifes who would misuse rhetoric?


The other, and perhaps unanswerable question the reading seems to beg, is wether man is inherently good or evil.

If a man is inherently good, then robbing a person blind because he can use words to persuade some dolt out of all they have, stands against everything in his being. But if the opposite is true...then it is every man for himself and tough luck for the dolt.

I am inherently good, by the way...the omelet thing was just an example.

Truth, sadly is sometimes subjective.

I Am The Walrus

OK, I am really not the walrus but I feel like one since all of the reading in my classes prevent me from extending my body beyond the seated position. Ugh.

nor am I a Beatles fan...hate me if you will...

I am a writing major, which means that I will be poor until I publish my first book and am asked to be on Oprah....wait...The Oprah Show is ....ugh....

I am a humorist.

In Los Angeles I was a comedy coach. I worked with up and coming stand up comics on their acts. Richard Jenny who played Jim Carey's best friend in The Mask was one of my clients. Then he killed himself in his bathroom with a .45. Perhaps I was too hard on him...That wasn't funny...

I am repulsed by Jim Carey and I hated The Mask. I am a former film major, so I can say this with the voice of a critic... I am studly that way.

If I ever decide to grow up, I want to be just like David Sedaris, who will be reading his latest at the SUB in November. I plan on stalking him in order to gain his friendship. I am certain that my evil plan will work.

I am older than everybody in this class. And that kind of sucks, because you have no right to be smarter than me...and by the looks of your excellently crafted posts, you all are.

I will be fashioning my own dunce cap that I intend on wearing to class for the the rest of the semester. And, don't you try to stop me. It will be decorated with feathers from my hot pink boa that I use for halloween.

Really, that is the only time I use it!...really.

I have been thinking lately that once I have sold a couple of books, I will buy a country house and turn it into a bed and breakfast for the elderly. Like in Benjamin Button...or perhaps Forrest Gump. I am serious.

So when you guys get old, remember me, I would love to cook you breakfast!

oops forgot my questions... 

As far as the reading goes. Is Gorgias suggesting that there is no sin that can not be justified through rhetoric? 
And isn't he also admitting that he is guilty of being one who..." have and do persuade people of things do so my molding a false arguement?"

As far as the reading goes. Is Gorgias suggesting that there is no sin that can not be justified through rhetoric? 
And isn't he also admitting that he is guilty of being one who..." have and do persuade people of things do so my molding a false arguement?"

Pre-Writing in My Sleep

    Pre-Writing in My Sleep

Dezri Rochin

Aaaaah, how does one go about organizing inspired work before writing one's literary masterpiece? I have heard everything from drafting lists of words associated with my topic to free writing non-stop for 10 minutes at a time. Some people like idea trees and idea circles.

I am more a fan of free writing like a maniac. I am also most comfortable starting out with pencil and paper before moving on to the lap top. I usually begin with a central statement and play with that for a while. I suppose this my version of diagraming, but messier.

Often times I will go to the thesaurus and look up words relating to my topic. I will write them down one side of my handwritten paper. This, however, can be dangerous as it is easy to go off on tangents, which is fine.

In all honesty, it has been quite a long time since any of my professors have discussed the idea of pre-writing. I have just developed my own odd ways of getting the juices flowing. Some of them are kind of embarrassing. I like to write in bed. Sitting up, of course. It just feels comfy. I surround myself

with books and papers and my favorite tea cup. This is especially true in the winter when I can get under the covers. It is all about getting comfortable and relaxed.

I read an article about the importance of clearing your mind completely for at least five minutes per day so as to more readily allow the generation of fresh ideas. The author compared it to when you have lost your keys and are frantically looking for them. You never find them. But when you forget about it for a while and let go of the frustration, there they are. I find this to be true.

Often times complete outlines for essays will come to me as I am falling asleep or shortly thereafter. While this is cool, it is also a pain in the neck, because I have to get up and write or it is gone forever.

For me relaxation is key in pre-writing.