Argumentatively Speaking

  
If we can’t argue with our friends, who can we argue with? More and more I see people separating themselves from those they don’t see eye to eye with. I cannot find any benefit in this trend for anyone. It seems to me that this mindset is only making us more and more certain that we’re right, with less and less information to base our rightness on. When we surround ourselves with only likeminded people, we stand unopposed. This feels very comfortable, but the problem in this harmonious existence is that unopposed views get weak. If we never listen to opposing views we are never forced to examine our own views, and unexamined views become less relevant every day. If we do not challenge our views with discussion and debate, our views languish due to lack of exercise. Views that are not exercised become rigid and inflexible, and inflexible views eventually splinter and break.

I consider myself lucky to be surrounded by people who argue ….I mean challenge me regularly.
  

Advice on Cussin’ for Today's Youth

  
Any old cuss can tell ya, shootin’ off cuss words is like shootin’ off an old air pump BB gun. The longer you pump it up, the better them BB’s (cuss words) fly, and the more impact they have when they hit something. If you (like so many young people these days) just keep pulling the trigger after each pump (of your jaw) all you’ll end up with is BB’s splayed all over the place, and you’ll look (and sound) pretty stupid doing it. On the other hand, if you keep your finger off the trigger ‘till there’s plenty of pressure in the chamber, that four letter word’ll fly straight, and put a hole clean through whatever you shoot it at. So (and here’s the important part) when you’re pressure’s in the red, and you’re ready to fire, don’t point at nobody. Instead, for politeness sake, go out to the woods and plink off a few tin cans ....unless of course someone shoots at you first. In that case you can aim right between their eyes ….unless of course there’s a lady in the room.