The greater good - a post from back in 2009

The question is raised – what is life all about? What is the meaning of life? Why am I here? The student states that her head is spinning out of control as she looks at what is happening in the world. She sees one side of health care reform and thinks it is very good. Yes, I am healthy, she says. But then she is exposed to the other side that speaks of how older members of society, the crippled, those born with defects could be led to suffer because the cost of caring for them will be too much. She realizes that Nana would be dead by now if there was a dollar limit on her care – basically her worth to society. 
Doc, you say that there two ways to look at this whole issue – freedom or free will and determinism. Ok, if there is free will, why are we choosing to put a price tag on life? But if it is determinism and through events this is the path that a superior being has put in motion, then we can’t stop “it” but only live it out?

From the wiki, we find that the greater good is part of the utilitarian philosophy. There we find the topics of moral worth of an action, consequentialism, happiness, pleasure, life stance and more. Just an overview of the wiki (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Utilitarianism) provides some insight to some various levels of utilitarianism. One of the key issues of the greater good is whether we accomplish actions for the greater good or for our own pleasure or intentions. Whether we are talking of war or writing about health care reform, one must look at the outcome from a utilitarian perspective as to what is the greater good. Human life in total is for the greater good. Terminating a life because it is costing too much is a bit of an extreme, but there are those that look at human life in that very way. Then what is the greater good? What is the greater good of God? 
Isn't God the sugardaddy of the sky and nothing bad is to happen to us? Why then is there suffering and why are we having a discussion on whether cancer is an elective medical condition or not? What does the Bible say about the greater good? My recommendation is to read Ecclesiastes in total. As students tell me as they read the first few chapters, geez this is discouraging - even Solomon looked at life in a questioning mode. But just like any good book, be sure to read the last chapters. They provide some insight that is needed to answer this question of the greater good. 


Not much of a heavy metal guy, but I came across some Iron Maiden music whilst looking for some music videos for an upcoming philosophy class. I found the lyrics to much of the music they play. Very interesting. Here is one that seemed to fit the topic of the greater good. Ponder this…

Iron Maiden “For the Greater Good of God”
Are you a man of peace 
Or a man of holy war 
Too many sides to you 
Don’t know which anymore 
So many full of life 
But also filled with pain 
Don’t know just how many 
Will live to breathe again 

A life that’s made to breathe 
Destruction or defense 
A mind that’s vain corruption 
Bad or good intent 
A wolf in sheep’s clothing 
Or saintly or sinner 
Or some that would believe 
A holy war winner 

They fire off many shots 
And many parting blows 
Their actions beyond a reasoning 
Only God would know 
And as he lies in heaven 
Or it could be in hell 
I feel he’s somewhere here 
Or looking from below 
But I don’t know, I don’t know 

Please tell me now what life is 
Please tell me now what love is 
Well tell me now what war is 
Again tell me what life is 

More pain and misery in the history of mankind 
Sometimes it seems more like 
The blind leading the blind 
It brings upon us more famine, death and war 
You know religion has a lot to answer for 

Please tell me now what life is 
Please tell me now what love is 
Well tell me now what war is 
Again tell me what life is 

And as they search to find the bodies in the sand 
They find its ashes that are 
Scattered across the land 
And as the spirits seem to whistle on the wind 
A shot is fired somewhere another war begins 

And all because of it you’d think 
That we would learn 
But still the body count the city fires burn 
Somewhere there's someone dying 
In a foreign land 
Meanwhile the world is crying stupidity of man 
Tell me why, tell me why 

Please tell me now what life is 
Please tell me now what love is 
Well tell me now what war is 
Again tell me what life is 

Please tell me now what life is 
Please tell me now what love is 
Well tell me now what war is 
Again tell me what life is 

For the greater good of God (x8) 

Please tell me now what life is 
Please tell me now what love is 
Well tell me now what war is 
Again tell me what life is 

Please tell me now what life is 
Please tell me now what love is 
Well tell me now what war is 
Again tell me what life is 

For the greater good of God (x8) 

He gave his life for us 
He fell upon the cross 
To die for all of those 
who never mourn his loss 
It wasn’t meant for us 
to feel the pain again 
Tell me why, tell me why 

Norman Mattoon Thomas (November 20, 1884 – December 19, 1968) was a leading American socialist, pacifist, and six-time presidential candidate for the Socialist Party of America. 

The Socialist Party candidate for President of the US, Norman Thomas, said this in a 1944 speech: "The American people will never knowingly adopt socialism. But under the name of liberalism, they will adopt every fragment of the socialist program, until one day America will be a socialist nation, without knowing how it happened." He went on to say: "I no longer need to run as a Presidential Candidate for the Socialist Party. The Democratic Party has adopted our platform." 

"The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people's money." ~~Margaret Thatcher

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ns-fQRnm9sk&feature=related 

With Facebook, Twitter, and...

Hard to keep up with all the social ways to communicate.  Now with Google + and all, what can you say?  Anyway I plan to go back to blogging and will use only one site, and to think I had several going at a time.
So if you want to find out if I am keeping up to date, catch me @ Coffee and Discussions

A new year and a new page

A lot has happened since the last post. Weddings, lose of job, good weather, the job search, grandkids, new hobbies, and more.
It is tough looking for a job in this economy. Crazy. The wife quite earlier to help with the weddings so when the notice came that I was out the door, it was a shock. I should be more upset. Don't get me wrong, I did get upset and I do not want to go back to the place unless I have to. The last time it was a quick dash. Because of the number of people that were involved, those left behind do have a doom and gloom look about them. Always worried about those that were let go.
I guess the issue that really got me was when I was let go and the reasons. Then for some reason there was a new guy hired, not in my position but in the shop. I knew we needed the guy and all "they" had to say was here is what we need to do.
I was on facebook for a while. It was good but addicting. I also had people upset with my postings because in one case an employee of the firm was concerned to be associated with me as I had some non-positive remarks about the lay-off. Wahhh.

I am teaching. I teach philosophy and online safety. Ok, here is a problem I have. Why do students fail to put their names on their papers??? It confuses me.

A new hobby for me is geocaching. That is really interesting. Using a GPS to find treasures others have left. Find the treasure, log your find in the treasure and post your find on line. Go to www.geocaching.com or www.navicache.com for information. Ended up buying an older GPS for my use. I take the grandkids out on occasion to look for those treasures. I need to work on a few myself to leave somewhere.

Randy passed away today.  Randy Pausch was the professor that wrote the book, The Last Lecture.  You can read about some of his history online so I won’t cover that here.

When I teach or do some openings, I ask the audience or class what book(s) have they read that has made an impact in their lives.  We have many authors or writings that have had that impact.  It could be the Bible or Pilgrim’s Progress.  It could be a book on leadership values.  And it is possible someone has read The Last Lecture and found what Randy wrote was an eye opener.

I heard the lecture and read the book.  What he states is something that we need to take into consideration with our lives.  How do we spend our lives?  Do we really understand how we will act and say if we were to receive news that we don’t have much longer here on earth?  

Pray for the best for his family.

 

The topic of the day has to do with mandatory fun day.  Interesting how what could be just an enjoyable perk becomes something that is now mandatory.  I have been reading some different articles regarding “mandatory fun days” and really have enjoyed the dibertesk approach many folk have regarding their view of this activity.  

There is a site about a military installation that had one of these days.  I think about one that happened just the other day.  People who decided for various reasons not to participate in the “fun day” were questioned on their loyalty to the company.  What???  There is another site that really drives this home – http://dailywtf.com – now it probably is not politically or religiously correct in the approach, but really, some interesting and real stuff on the site.  

Office functions: Mandatory fun?

·                            Date: September 25th, 2007

·                            Author: Toni Bowers

In a previous blog post (Team Building exercises - Are they too contrived to work?) I questioned the effectiveness of artificial team-building measures. Quiet a few people agreed with me but some thought that the practice could be effective in some cases. I guess I just disagree with the whole forced aspect of these kinds of activities. It got me to thinking about an even narrower version of “team-building”: required company functions.

Have you ever worked for a company that pressured you to attend company functions, whether they were off-site holiday parties or on-site birthday celebrations? I used to work for one. Once the company’s CEO made it very clear that if anyone missed the holiday function set during off hours “without a good excuse,” he would take note of it. The implication was that it would not be good for your career. He announced the party well in advance so no one could, as he said, “use the ‘couldn’t find a babysitter’ excuse.” I don’t know if it was his way of being congenial or whether the action stemmed from some kind of power trip, but it ultimately had the effect of your mom saying, “You’re going to eat that broccoli and you’re going to LIKE it!”

Ironically, his edict indirectly enforced camaraderie among the staff when we all bonded over being angry at his insolence. But that was clearly not his intention.

Those of us who resented the pressure referred to it among ourselves as “mandatory fun.”

Since I will be celebrating a birthday this week, the team I work with is going to take me to lunch. It is not something they’re forced to do (although, you’d think with my personality, that would be the case). There will be no balloons or singing waiters (if there are, someone will die), but just a good old-fashioned get-together of people who spend a good portion of their lives only a cubicle wall apart. We’ll spend the time talking and bonding over work problems and family matters.

At my old company, they used to celebrate everyone’s birthday with a cake and a big gathering of the department — to the point where someone would come up and drag you out of your office to go join in if you forgot or decided to decline because you had work to do. I usually went of my own accord; after all, people, there was cake involved. But I know of cases when some people were clearly disgruntled at having to stand there and sing Happy Birthday.

So does your office practice mandatory fun? Is forced frivolity part of your company culture? If so, let’s talk about it. (from the site: (http://blogs.techrepublic.com.com/career/?p=201)

 

 

LT

 

Utapao Thailand

I was there. It was my second PCS assignment in the Air Force. Here is a Colorado boy headed off to some foreign land. But Thailand of all places. B-52s with a weapons system that needed bombs that only I could do. I think it was because of all my scores, mechanical was high and general was very low.
I am going through some photos and soon will have those scanned and put on a web page. But here is what I have on file right now.

The cobra was an interesting snake. That was only one of many types that would take your life if you crossed the snake in any fashion. There were times when we were stupid enough to be in a place where there were snakes - but what did we know.

Memorial Day - General Orders 11

HEADQUARTERS GRAND ARMY OF THE REPUBLIC

General Orders No.11, WASHINGTON, D.C., May 5, 1868

1. The 30th day of May, 1868, is designated for the purpose of strewing with flowers or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades who died in defense of their country during the late rebellion, and whose bodies now lie in almost every city, village, and hamlet church-yard in the land. In this observance no form of ceremony is prescribed, but posts and comrades will in their own way arrange such fitting services and testimonials of respect as circumstances may permit.

We are organized, comrades, as our regulations tell us, for the purpose among other things, "of preserving and strengthening those kind and fraternal feelings which have bound together the soldiers, sailors, and marines who united to suppress the late rebellion." What can aid more to assure this result than cherishing tenderly the memory of our heroic dead, who made their breasts a barricade between our country and its foes? Their soldier lives were the reveille of freedom to a race in chains, and their deaths the tattoo of rebellious tyranny in arms. We should guard their graves with sacred vigilance. All that the consecrated wealth and taste of the nation can add to their adornment and security is but a fitting tribute to the memory of her slain defenders. Let no wanton foot tread rudely on such hallowed grounds. Let pleasant paths invite the coming and going of reverent visitors and fond mourners. Let no vandalism of avarice or neglect, no ravages of time testify to the present or to the coming generations that we have forgotten as a people the cost of a free and undivided republic.

If other eyes grow dull, other hands slack, and other hearts cold in the solemn trust, ours shall keep it well as long as the light and warmth of life remain to us.

Let us, then, at the time appointed gather around their sacred remains and garland the passionless mounds above them with the choicest flowers of spring-time; let us raise above them the dear old flag they saved from dishonor; let us in this solemn presence renew our pledges to aid and assist those whom they have left among us a sacred charge upon a nation's gratitude, the soldier's and sailor's widow and orphan.

2. It is the purpose of the Commander-in-Chief to inaugurate this observance with the hope that it will be kept up from year to year, while a survivor of the war remains to honor the memory of his departed comrades. He earnestly desires the public press to lend its friendly aid in bringing to the notice of comrades in all parts of the country in time for simultaneous compliance therewith.
3. Department commanders will use efforts to make this order effective.

By order of

JOHN A. LOGAN,
Commander-in-Chief

N.P. CHIPMAN,
Adjutant General

Official:
WM. T. COLLINS, A.A.G.

 

http://www.usmemorialday.org/

 

Beer and .....

I have brewed my first batch of beer. I have been wanting to for a number of years and finally made it happen. Not bad. It was one of those Mr Beer kits. So Saturday we had the tapping of the first bottle. Just because everyone was concerned that the adult beverage would not turn out, there were some addtional brands and flavors. Seems the ales and the wiesens were most selected. Even had an ale picked up at Trader Joe's. Uhm, Trader Joe's. Save that for another blog.