Argument Tactic #26 "It's just that..."

As we all know, all conversations are competitions and to

win, you need to know all the moves. Today's tactic is one

that is used regularly by a lot of people. It will allow one to 

turn an isolated argument into something broad and unrelated 

to inspire pity in the other person.

Example:

Person 1: I don't want to mow the lawns

Person 2: But you said you would and I did it last time

Person 1: Pause

               (looks down and takes in a deep breath)

               It's just that... 

               Pause

               you know, with what happened with Grandma

               and everything, things have been really tough,

               and I just really don't feel like mowing the lawns

Person 2: Oh of course. Fair enough. You just sit down

               and don't worry yourself. Here, have a Popsicle 

               Slushy

Also try it in intellectual arguments:

Person 1: Stupid Palestine. Woop, Israel

Person 2: Well the Israeli government keeps driving Palestinians

               off their land while not recognizing Palestine as a state.

               It's a very complex situation.

Person 1: Pause

               (Extremely serious expression)

               It's just that...

               Pause

               the Holocaust and everything...

Person 2: Oh, I guess you have a point, the Holocaust was bad.

               Do you want to have the rest of my Popsicle Slushy?

Now you might think this is emotionally manipulative but the world

of social interaction is a jungle and you need to be prepared.

Dr Dre Rap (edited)

I moved out of the hood for good, you blame me?
Friends aim mainly at friends they can't be.
But friends can't hit friends they can't see.
I'm out of sight, now I'm out of they dang reach.
How would you feel if friends wanted you killed?
You'd probably move to a new house on a new hill.
And choose a new spot if friends wanted you shot,
I ain't a thug, how much Tupac in you, you got
I ain't no bitch neither.
It's either my life or your life,
And I ain't leaving, I like breathing.
Friend we can go round for round,
Clip for clip, shit, fo'-pound for pound.
Friend if you really want to take it there we can,
Just remember that you fucking with a family man.
I got a lot more to lose than you, remember that,
When you wanna come and fill these shoes.

Campaign Trail

After reading a lot about something I tend to relate it to my real life
a lot. Currently I am doing a research essay which is partly about the
campaign for the 1986 Homosexual Reform Bill. This made me
think about flat politics.

I live in a democratic flat where the current issue is about cleaning
reform. The issue being that we currently hand wash dishes, yet
we have a dishwasher. Eamonn Marra saw the need for change
and so introduced the bill with an impassioned but concise
speech where he made such points as 'hey, do you guys think
we should start using the dishwasher?' and no other points. From
my field research, the voting is split as follows:

-Eamonn Marra (radical equalist) for
-Madeleine Ashton-Martyn (cyber-liberal) for
-Jonathon Edwards (handsome protagonist) for
-Meredith Harris (social progressive/sanitation traditionalist) against
-Hannah Strom (relentless idealist) against
-Alice Connolly (poetic pacifist) unknown/ possible swing vote
-Kupe (cat) extremely indifferent

If put to an election I think that Alice, regardless of position, could
be bought off with some chocolate covered pretzels. When it comes
to washing up, Connolly is willing to get her hands dirty. However,
the main problem with the pro-reform campaign is their 'I don't really
care that much' attitude. If I've learned anything from my research
essay it's that the best way to rally support for a bill is to frame the opposition
in a bad light. This is why I will now refer to their position as pro-chores.
It is hard to predict how the outcome of this campaign but I think that
everyone will probably forget about it. Another lost liberal cause.

Cards #2

I think this deck is rigged.

Cards

The arts student argument starter deck.

From the lovely people at Microsoft Paint

Hipsters

I heard the word hipster yesterday for the first time in a long time.
Still not exactly sure what it means but from what I've heard, a hipster
is: Someone who wears lots of black/someone who wears bright
colours. Someone who listens to listens to underground music/
someone who listens to pop music ironically/ someone who listens
exclusively to hip hop. Someone who protests a lot/ someone who
is privileged and only cares about themselves. Someone who buys
cheap op shop clothes/ someone who buys expensive designer
clothes. Someone who cares about feminism/ someone who posts
violent pictures of rape to their tumblr. Someone who wants to be
different/ someone who desperately wants to be cool.

Lies

When I was little I was a chronic liar. I don't lie very much any more but occasionally I will lie about something when it seems like the easier thing to do. Most of the time this ends very badly. I am going to admit to some lies that I can remember telling over my lifetime:

• Age 7: Bryn Ealey- I did not have an older brother named Micheal, nor did I have any other siblings except for my sister
• Age 9: Many people- I did not have a holographic mew Pokemon card
• Age 10: Friend Jasper's Mum- I don't actually think your baby is cute. Your baby is ugly. There is no hope for that child.
• Age 18: Girl at Bar- I don't actually like Sci-Fi
• Various Ages: Many people- My name is not Henry and I am not South African.
• Age 19: David and Eamonn: I had never flatted before Madras Street. I said I had because I thought you would only want me to live there if I had experience flatting before. I didn't know that we would have to walk past where I said I flatted every time we went to the Asian Food Warehouse. I'm sure both of you noticed how awkward I got every time you asked me which one was mine. I felt like I had left it too long to admit to it.