Good Books

A few weeks ago I finished reading Glenn Beck's Arguing With Idiots, and more recently I finished a book called Flying Blind. Apparently, being an old dude, I'm in the minority in that "reading" whether for pleasure or information is actually a good thing. All the latest tech sources of information are great, wonderful and all, but as far as I'm concerned a good book beats them all.

I bought Arguing With Idiots primarily for entertainment value, but was surprised at the amount of factual information that was presented in a logical method to make his points. I shouldn't have been surprised because regardless of what one thinks about Beck, it's extremely difficult to find fault with his facts and logic. If it was easy the loonies would attack him on those grounds, which they just don't do.

Flying Blind is about a radio talk show host and writer that started investigating the post 911 air travel security. His biggest claim is that the government and agencies have gone so far being politically correct that they're putting us all in danger. He believes that ethnical, and religious profiling is a necessity in today's world. He makes a good and valid argument in defense of that position. His investigations started when his 9 year old son was chosen for advanced screening, he volunteered to take his sons place, and this was acceptable to the screeners. This happened not once but 2 times. Then it got a real boost when he learned that airlines were fined by the Feds if they had more than 2 terrorist looking people in line for extra screening.

-----------------

Yesterday at the grandsons birthday party one daughter-in-law wondered at the advisability of allowing a 3 year old to play with toy guns when real guns were in the house. I've never thought about that much but I can see where it might give pause to some. I played with toy guns and my father had guns. My sons played with toy guns and I have guns. My grandson plays with toy guns and his father has guns. I personally know of no time where this has been an issue, despite what the psychologists and gun-phobes say. At the young age of 2 my grandson once asked if what I was holding was a real gun. Kids actually do know the difference.

Similarly I don't see a problem with kids playing war, and even most violent video games. I actually still play war in the guise of paintball games. We are actually playing at war. And again I personally know of no one that has gone on a killing spree that can even remotely be attributed to this play.

I wish the know it all, for your own good crowd would simply butt out.