Never say guilty AND Info Where You Least Expect It

Never Say Guilty
I can't believe that the young people who beat up and robbed a girl in the Seattle bus tunnel are going to plead innocent. The whole thing is on video from the security tape. (I am not going to post the link because even  though I admit to having looked at it, I don't want that kind of violence posted on my blog. You can find it on your own easy enough if you search for it.) The news has focused on the security guards who stood around and watched since apparently their job description says all they can do is report crime and not intervene. Thank goodness there was a hue and cry and real police now monitor the tunnel. However, the other side of the story is a bunch of young thugs fighting and stealing. The video is clear. How can any one of them plead innocent? Is it not possible to plead guilty? Is there an advantage to pleading innocent when you are so very obviously guilty? Surely they will be found guilty. I can't imagine that a jury would say, "Well, since you said you are innocent, even though you are clearly guilty, we will give you a little less time in the slammer."  I like to think I have an understanding nature but in this case I think if I were on the jury I would say, "You have shown yourself to be a violent, thieving punk on video and your innocent plea has shown you to be a liar. Let's go for the long sentence."
I am sure there are those who would say that I just don't understand the system or the intricacies of the law.
Guilty as charged.

Info Where You Least Expect It
I was unwinding by browsing through my mail. (This refers to physical mail, not browsing with a browser. Although, that last sentence makes me wish I had a dog named Bowser and I could browse with Bowser. Forgive me, my mind wanders.)  As I was saying, I was looking through my mail and decided to browse though a little magazine titled, The Costco Connection-A lifestyle magazine for Costco members.
What this really amounts to is a sixty-four page advertisement but maybe I could be persuaded to purchase an AlterG anti-gravity treadmill. (I'm not making that product up.) Thrown in among the inciting advertisements are bits of information, opinion, and whimsy.  First I read some comments from the editor's desk by David W. Fuller.  He writes a bit about the decline of civility. I would just post the link, but to my surprise the March issue is not on-line yet. Here is a quote. "Civility requires that we step away from our personal preferences and our immediate gratification and step toward the greater good. Civil behavior also implies a respect for others, whether we know them or not, like them or not, agree with them or not."  He had some other good things to say and I am glad there is discussion and hopefully a chance for improvement.
Next, I read a blurb about tips and tricks for networking. My favorite was to "Scrap the memorized pitch in favor of more natural conversation."  My translation: Success requires that you learn to be phony in a natural way.
Last was a short article titled, The art and science of persuasion.  It is really about sales techniques and the five tidbits in the article are a free sample from a book you can purchase. (Yes! 50 Scientifically Proven Ways to Be Persuasive by Noah J. Goldstein and a bunch of other guys)  I can't help but think that offering a small free sample is on the list of  "proven ways."   Here are two from the free sample list. 1.  "Argue against self-interest. Trust is a critical component to persuasion. The surest way to be perceived as honest is to admit to a small weakness in your argument."
What? Be PERCEIVED as honest? Is BE honest anywhere on the long list?
2. "Make people feel as if they've already made progress toward a goal"
Again, what?  ..feel AS IF?
But it goes on to give an example. "Buy 10 washes, get one free--AND we'll start you off by crediting you for two washes"
I knew it!  It makes me want to go burn my cents off coupons.  It also makes me feel like a smuck or a fish on the line or one of the suckers that is born every minute.

P.S. In the comment section my dear niece may or may not have called me a book snob, which may or may not be true, but this post proves that I am not a magazine snob. Quick, where is our current copy of  The New Yorker?