Utilitarianism in its most basic form is the greatest amount of happines for the greater good. Defined in units of happiness, basically: the more the merrier. It is based solely on actions and their outcomes. What happens if there is no happiness and no matter the act, no utility becomes of it. What then?
Does that mean that, we are utility empty? I will admit I did take a few philosophy classes and while the concepts still seem abstract, I did catch the basics (or so I thought I did.) Ok. Lets take an example:
One of the problems I remember in the discussion of utility was the subject of capital punishment. While taking the life of someone as punishment is a bit harsh, it does take from the total utility of the world, does it not? Well, you are reducing the units of happiness from the person in the electric chair because the KNOW they are going to die a horrible death. No utility in his corner at all. You are also taking from the utility of the family of the convicted. They are heartbroken by losing their son, brother, cousin, uncle, parent, whatever. While this convict may not be the best person in the world (innocence project aside, lets say he did it, end of story) he was still someone's family member, no matter what. Lost utility for many years to come. Everytime a family member or close friend thinks back upon this person, lost utility units right there. Further, the people who have to do this deed are supposed to be good people, after all, we do not hire convicts and killers and psychopaths to run prisons and be baliffs, guards, etc. They have GOT to lose some of their utility in participating in the act of the capital punishment. Bottome line, lots of lost utility. No doubt.
Conversely.......
The streets are rid of a (possibly) career criminal, the jails are not supporting this convict and the families this person has affected in a bad way (good vs evil argument here?) are happy that he is getting his just desserts. So, where do the scales balance? Well, we have to sacrifice the one for the greater good of the group. Therefore, the sacrifice of the one makes the utility of the whole group better....so the argument goes.
Now, lets think about a totally different scenario but the same basic concept. You have a group of people on an island. In order for the most people to survive and be comfortable, one of them has to be pushed into the pirahna infested waters that surround the island. Due to the ritual involved, it has to be done in such a way that the person pushed into the waters shall perish lest the pirhana god come and devour them all. (Island religion, go figure.) They use the concept of utility to choose the member to be "discarded." While all of them are equal otherwise, how is that you would choose one when all are equal contributing members to the society? Should it be the weakest? The oldest? The youngest? What would you do in this situation?
Were it your family, what choice would that be? Difficult? Yes. For me, I would not want that burden. However, a choice has to be made or everyone will be reduced to zero units of happiness due to the peril of the whole group. While I am very thankful that choices like that are not made in my little corner of the universe, there have been societies that have had to make life or death choices for survival and if you look at the very core of what those choices were, I am certain you can find utility played a part in them.
Off my soapbox now, what are your opinions on utility and what do you attribute to the greatest happiness for the greatest good?
(Sorry folks, random tags so I can generate some discussion here.)
Reader suggested posts. Other blogs I write and prompts from my readers.
Monday, March 11, 2013
Friday, March 8, 2013
Coffee Apocalypse
Ever wonder what the world would be like if there were suddenly no coffee anywhere? I shudder.....
Personally, I would go through withdrawal. Likely near what you see in the movies when the junkie goes into rehab. I used to do that to myself (Why?) before we bought our home and I have no explanation for my behaviour.
Lets talk about what I went through. Some background before I begin. I would only do it when we would move to a new rental place. Things like that happen when you seem to choose every landlord that wants to jack up the rent to an unreasonable fee after living there for a year and you are good tenants. At any rate, I would even go so far as to personally pack the coffee maker in my car and it is the last thing out and the first thing set up. I would still torture myself by going a week without the liquid gold of a hot caffinated beverage every morning for that week. I never plan it that way, it just happened. I guess I was too busy with the move to make coffee or notice I was not drinking it. Toward the end of the week, I would become grumpy and have a blistering headache. (Yea, headaches don't blister, that is just the best explanation of how it felt.)
Had I went further than that, I likely would have had the shakes and everything else that came with not quenching my mind with the one thing that makes me enjoy mornings more than I normally do. But let me tell you, that FIRST cup after an incarceration in reality is like unicorns, rainbows, and glitter, all while winning the superbowl for the first time.
It was the best cup of coffee ever! Well, at least for the moment then I would pick back up with my wonderful vice like I never missed it.
Ok, back to the rant. No coffee, disappeared, poof, gone. Know what? I am certain that if there were a Zombie apocalypse at the same time, they would NOT have a chance. You just send the caffiene deprived hot beverage drinkers out (without weapons even!) and they would tear the heads off them blitches in no time flat! Hehehe.
I am certain there would be anarchy and chaos and there will be a lot of people in the hospital believing they are afflicted with some sort of illness due to the fact that they had to give it up cold turkey and South America would be invaded with millions of people looking for the last coffee bean so they can be the hero like in the book the Lorax.
Surely society would fall and there would be a loss of power and people would instill their own martial law and there would be no need for politicians to discuss gun control because they would all be hunkered down under their desks with their own AK 47's and AR 15's ready to shoot at the first noise they hear. Nervous? You have never seen nervous like someone WITHOUT their caffiene. I am positive that it will also be a time where things such as speed and other amphetemines (sp?) consumption would skyrocket for those lucky enough to get hold of some to quell their inner coffee drinker. People would truly be different folks.
Crime would go up, murders, gun violence, assault, battery, and there would be quite a bit more conspiracy theorists. Why did I add that last one? Well, those of us who are seasoned enough coffee drinkers do not think clearly about things before caffiene. They think about noises, and absently hear the news and it gets us to thinking things that may or may not be true. Heard the news this morning about the Batman bringing in the bankrobber? Yea, Batman is real, therefore it must be true, how nice of him to pay our neighborhood a visit. Had the coffee drinker had their coffee, they would look at the TV with their jaw agape and go "How STUPID is that! Trying to do that for attention is all." Yes, folks, CLARITY.
What are your thoughts on the Coffee apocalypse? (Also, open to suggestions for more rants, fill up the page please!)
Personally, I would go through withdrawal. Likely near what you see in the movies when the junkie goes into rehab. I used to do that to myself (Why?) before we bought our home and I have no explanation for my behaviour.
Lets talk about what I went through. Some background before I begin. I would only do it when we would move to a new rental place. Things like that happen when you seem to choose every landlord that wants to jack up the rent to an unreasonable fee after living there for a year and you are good tenants. At any rate, I would even go so far as to personally pack the coffee maker in my car and it is the last thing out and the first thing set up. I would still torture myself by going a week without the liquid gold of a hot caffinated beverage every morning for that week. I never plan it that way, it just happened. I guess I was too busy with the move to make coffee or notice I was not drinking it. Toward the end of the week, I would become grumpy and have a blistering headache. (Yea, headaches don't blister, that is just the best explanation of how it felt.)
Had I went further than that, I likely would have had the shakes and everything else that came with not quenching my mind with the one thing that makes me enjoy mornings more than I normally do. But let me tell you, that FIRST cup after an incarceration in reality is like unicorns, rainbows, and glitter, all while winning the superbowl for the first time.
It was the best cup of coffee ever! Well, at least for the moment then I would pick back up with my wonderful vice like I never missed it.
Ok, back to the rant. No coffee, disappeared, poof, gone. Know what? I am certain that if there were a Zombie apocalypse at the same time, they would NOT have a chance. You just send the caffiene deprived hot beverage drinkers out (without weapons even!) and they would tear the heads off them blitches in no time flat! Hehehe.
I am certain there would be anarchy and chaos and there will be a lot of people in the hospital believing they are afflicted with some sort of illness due to the fact that they had to give it up cold turkey and South America would be invaded with millions of people looking for the last coffee bean so they can be the hero like in the book the Lorax.
Surely society would fall and there would be a loss of power and people would instill their own martial law and there would be no need for politicians to discuss gun control because they would all be hunkered down under their desks with their own AK 47's and AR 15's ready to shoot at the first noise they hear. Nervous? You have never seen nervous like someone WITHOUT their caffiene. I am positive that it will also be a time where things such as speed and other amphetemines (sp?) consumption would skyrocket for those lucky enough to get hold of some to quell their inner coffee drinker. People would truly be different folks.
Crime would go up, murders, gun violence, assault, battery, and there would be quite a bit more conspiracy theorists. Why did I add that last one? Well, those of us who are seasoned enough coffee drinkers do not think clearly about things before caffiene. They think about noises, and absently hear the news and it gets us to thinking things that may or may not be true. Heard the news this morning about the Batman bringing in the bankrobber? Yea, Batman is real, therefore it must be true, how nice of him to pay our neighborhood a visit. Had the coffee drinker had their coffee, they would look at the TV with their jaw agape and go "How STUPID is that! Trying to do that for attention is all." Yes, folks, CLARITY.
What are your thoughts on the Coffee apocalypse? (Also, open to suggestions for more rants, fill up the page please!)
Chicken on a skateboard
Look at the title for a moment. Kind of an abstract concept, isn't it? Now consider whether or not it is possible. Is it?
Of course it is. Our life is filled with rediculous possiblities every day. Some for better, some for worse. It all depends on what is going on in your life right this second. If it is a possibility, is it a feasible one at this stage in your life? Why would you try to achieve this "rediculous imposibility?"
Dreams, folks. We all have them. Why else would parents ask their children: "What do you want to be when you grow up?" What happens after that question is what makes or breaks the vision that comes from that statement. You can either foster that response and believe in it so that it is no longer rediculous but POSSIBLE. Every poor child can grow to be someone important. They can leave the oppressed life that they live. They need a good support system. Even those children with one parent or parents that seemingly do not care, if they have a support system of another family member, a friend, or even the willpower to do it on their own, it is possible.
Take our daughter for example. Now, we are not downtrodden poor. On paper, we are in the lowest end of middle class (so I would like to think.) But my husband and I asked her what she wanted to be when she grew up. Her answer?
An artist.
Well. Nice enough. Broad enough to encompas many things. How many we did not know. She was about to show us what a bohemian artist she will become. That theme has not changed in her fifteen years on this planet and, at this point, I do not believe it ever will change. Oh sure, the basis has changed....painter, drawer, sculptor, brass musician, costume designer, music producer......dancer. It has all come and gone and she has shown great potential in every bit of it. A dancer since seven, draws on almost a daily basis, plays in the band but has self taught many instruments including the piano and violin, she paints everything and (most recently) has been designing clothes unlike anything I have ever seen but they are classy.
What will she be? Well, I am certain that her talents will get her through college with little or no cost. That is a great thing. Therefore, the sky is the limit! We have never crushed that spirit in her and if you see my family and I out and about, the tall girl tapping in her tennis shoes, that is our bohemian artist. I love her. Yea, she is a GREAT football player too. Like I always say, more talent in one fingernail than most in their whole bodies. Ok, so I am bragging. But who wouldn't.
The point is, if you see that something puts that spark in your child's eye, no matter how nerve wracking (tap, tap, tappity tap, get the milk, tap) it is, encourage it. It is only in those circumstances that your child will bloom and grow and have that great life that you envisioned for them. Yes, tough love, and discipline still. Make sure the grades are good. Take away the phone for misbehaviour, but let the spark continue. Many great people were made from one spark.
Let yours explode and make you proud. Then, when they get on TV or are interviewed, they can look at the camera and go..............................HI MOM! :)
Of course it is. Our life is filled with rediculous possiblities every day. Some for better, some for worse. It all depends on what is going on in your life right this second. If it is a possibility, is it a feasible one at this stage in your life? Why would you try to achieve this "rediculous imposibility?"
Dreams, folks. We all have them. Why else would parents ask their children: "What do you want to be when you grow up?" What happens after that question is what makes or breaks the vision that comes from that statement. You can either foster that response and believe in it so that it is no longer rediculous but POSSIBLE. Every poor child can grow to be someone important. They can leave the oppressed life that they live. They need a good support system. Even those children with one parent or parents that seemingly do not care, if they have a support system of another family member, a friend, or even the willpower to do it on their own, it is possible.
Take our daughter for example. Now, we are not downtrodden poor. On paper, we are in the lowest end of middle class (so I would like to think.) But my husband and I asked her what she wanted to be when she grew up. Her answer?
An artist.
Well. Nice enough. Broad enough to encompas many things. How many we did not know. She was about to show us what a bohemian artist she will become. That theme has not changed in her fifteen years on this planet and, at this point, I do not believe it ever will change. Oh sure, the basis has changed....painter, drawer, sculptor, brass musician, costume designer, music producer......dancer. It has all come and gone and she has shown great potential in every bit of it. A dancer since seven, draws on almost a daily basis, plays in the band but has self taught many instruments including the piano and violin, she paints everything and (most recently) has been designing clothes unlike anything I have ever seen but they are classy.
What will she be? Well, I am certain that her talents will get her through college with little or no cost. That is a great thing. Therefore, the sky is the limit! We have never crushed that spirit in her and if you see my family and I out and about, the tall girl tapping in her tennis shoes, that is our bohemian artist. I love her. Yea, she is a GREAT football player too. Like I always say, more talent in one fingernail than most in their whole bodies. Ok, so I am bragging. But who wouldn't.
The point is, if you see that something puts that spark in your child's eye, no matter how nerve wracking (tap, tap, tappity tap, get the milk, tap) it is, encourage it. It is only in those circumstances that your child will bloom and grow and have that great life that you envisioned for them. Yes, tough love, and discipline still. Make sure the grades are good. Take away the phone for misbehaviour, but let the spark continue. Many great people were made from one spark.
Let yours explode and make you proud. Then, when they get on TV or are interviewed, they can look at the camera and go..............................HI MOM! :)
Thursday, March 7, 2013
Reading. Its fundamental
Anyone who knows me knows that I love to read. I have had the bittersweet priviledge of finishing the beloved Dark Tower series. I started reading this monster in high school. Well, if it gives you any inclination as to how long it has taken me, I graduated nearly 20 years ago and I was in early highschool when I started The Gunslinger.
I am so amazed at the story that I want to go back and start over! I have also found that, along the years, our clever author Stephen King, has intertwined other stories and related them all to the Dark Tower series. One such stark reminder is The Stand. One of the main characters there is Randall Flagg. For those loyal readers of his, you know this to be the Dark Tower main character as well. However, it is like a Yin/Yang thing.
Ah, stories, they take us places. Who remembers the Reading Rainbow series.
Butterfly in the sky,
I can go twice as high,
Take a look,
Its in a book,
Reading Rainbow!
Good times. Gooooood times! Now, I have found myself in a digital age and you can read books on your computer (done it,) on your phone (doing it,) and on this nifty digital device called a kindle (have one.) But it feels so empty reading a book in digital format. I rememember when I would find audio books in the library. I told myself I would NEVER deface a true book by "listening to it." That was only for people who loved a good story and were no longer able to see to read or who were not with the abililty to access full version braille books because they were physically blind. Not for people like me who enjoyed the feeeling of finishing a great book.
Also, when you are reading a true book. Nothing feels like turning the page or flipping a corner down to mark your spot when you go to make coffee. Even better, the images a great story will invoke in your mind as you are reading about the plight of the main character. To the dismay of movie makers, each person who reads the book first, has a different opinion of what the scene is and the main character looks like. I believe that those who are gifted with the skill of great comprehension while reading are able to create such an image in their mind and fully enjoy reading for what it is. Best yet, the feeling of finishing a novel or long book when you turn that last page and take a moment to reflect upon the story as a whole. Ah, better than a runner's high.
I wonder these days if there will be a time when there will not be any people who can do such a thing or that they will achieve the abovementioned feelings when they finish their digital copy of a great book. With the advent of the digital format, I have (however) found it easier to obtain and read classic. Currently I am in the middle of Bram Stoker's Dracula. I love it and it is easy to get on my kindle as most of the classics are free and you do not have to pay for them. Another reason I love my digital formats is because they take up a great deal less space in my suitecase when we travel.
What is your feelings about reading a real book versus a digital format of any kind?
I am so amazed at the story that I want to go back and start over! I have also found that, along the years, our clever author Stephen King, has intertwined other stories and related them all to the Dark Tower series. One such stark reminder is The Stand. One of the main characters there is Randall Flagg. For those loyal readers of his, you know this to be the Dark Tower main character as well. However, it is like a Yin/Yang thing.
Ah, stories, they take us places. Who remembers the Reading Rainbow series.
Butterfly in the sky,
I can go twice as high,
Take a look,
Its in a book,
Reading Rainbow!
Good times. Gooooood times! Now, I have found myself in a digital age and you can read books on your computer (done it,) on your phone (doing it,) and on this nifty digital device called a kindle (have one.) But it feels so empty reading a book in digital format. I rememember when I would find audio books in the library. I told myself I would NEVER deface a true book by "listening to it." That was only for people who loved a good story and were no longer able to see to read or who were not with the abililty to access full version braille books because they were physically blind. Not for people like me who enjoyed the feeeling of finishing a great book.
Also, when you are reading a true book. Nothing feels like turning the page or flipping a corner down to mark your spot when you go to make coffee. Even better, the images a great story will invoke in your mind as you are reading about the plight of the main character. To the dismay of movie makers, each person who reads the book first, has a different opinion of what the scene is and the main character looks like. I believe that those who are gifted with the skill of great comprehension while reading are able to create such an image in their mind and fully enjoy reading for what it is. Best yet, the feeling of finishing a novel or long book when you turn that last page and take a moment to reflect upon the story as a whole. Ah, better than a runner's high.
I wonder these days if there will be a time when there will not be any people who can do such a thing or that they will achieve the abovementioned feelings when they finish their digital copy of a great book. With the advent of the digital format, I have (however) found it easier to obtain and read classic. Currently I am in the middle of Bram Stoker's Dracula. I love it and it is easy to get on my kindle as most of the classics are free and you do not have to pay for them. Another reason I love my digital formats is because they take up a great deal less space in my suitecase when we travel.
What is your feelings about reading a real book versus a digital format of any kind?
Please suggest topics for me to rant about here.
I have tried to do some daily nonsense here or there and my failed attempt at word of the day has led me to try something different.
While I still anticipate continuing the word of the day, I want to add something more. I like to compose. While I prefer putting pen to paper, it is much faster to put finger to key.
This one is short and sweet and I want suggestions on topics from all of you. Please comment below and suggest things for me to post a rant about and that I will do. If I do not get many rant suggestions, I will have to come up with some rants of my own. However, I prefer to be creative and involve the faithful fellow facebookers in my quest to "publish" something in a public quorum.
Cheers! **Holds up long stem crystal with self draining ice and the finest soda in the nation....COFFEE!" (Did you expect any less?)
While I still anticipate continuing the word of the day, I want to add something more. I like to compose. While I prefer putting pen to paper, it is much faster to put finger to key.
This one is short and sweet and I want suggestions on topics from all of you. Please comment below and suggest things for me to post a rant about and that I will do. If I do not get many rant suggestions, I will have to come up with some rants of my own. However, I prefer to be creative and involve the faithful fellow facebookers in my quest to "publish" something in a public quorum.
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
Im Baaaack
I honestly forgot that I had this blog. I am going to start posting here again. For those of you that follow my rants of Facebook, you will note that I will post those here too but I am also going to be placing original content here as well. Thanks for remaining constant readers and I hope to get more followers soon.
Netflix, old school love...If you know what you are looking for...
Ah yes, Netflix. Love it or hate it, it is going to be here for a while. People are paying 8 bucks a month to watch movies and tv episodes at their leisure, on their pc's, phones, and game consoles. (Some require an additional subscription of sorts.) Gotta love it. I am certain that it took a big chunk out of the pay per view market when it finally caught footing in the market.
I had the priviledge of a free trial of netflix and yes, we watched the Ong Bak Trilogy that night and it was all well and good but you would not believe the trouble we had to go to simply to find something that we wanted to watch. All the commercials make you think that their database of available titles are up to date and such but NOOOOOO you have to go back over 15 months to find something that is not ancient (in movie/tv terms.) We were amazed at how "dated" the titles were and there were a great deal of titles that we were like "HUH? o.o What is that?" It is not what it is cracked up to be for peeps like me (or dear hubby for that matter.)
While we did finally find something and were able to watch a few things, this whole netflix thing is not for us. We can take our eight bucks a month and find something else or find a great dvd at the store. I am sure there is a perfect fit as a Netflix customer out there. Why else would they be advertising IN YOUR FACE at every damn turn! Well, sorry marketing execs at Netflix, you have failed to impress this customer. You obviously have failed to impress others or it would not be a topic suggested to rant about, huh?
I am not knocking Netflix nor am I giving it a bad rep or review, it is just something that is not for me. You know, like tampons are not for the male population of the world. Well, at least most of it. (We are not including those that go out at 2 am and purchase said product for their significant other. I will say, that is love folks. Plain and simple. That is all I have to say about that.) Some products are a good fit for certain consumers and some are not.
I wonder what it would be like to own the super product. The one product that is in demand for every single person on this planet and there is no competition. Wow, every green thing growing on this planet has that and they do not even charge for it! That just occurred to me. Oxygen. Wow. These things work tirelessly everyday to produce the one thing that every human on this planet needs. Huh. Nice digression there (and a reflection to a previous rant. Just for one moment. BlInK!)
Yes, the Netflix commercials should have a disclaimer at the end or the bottom of the screen noting that "Netflix is not for everyone, should you experience boredom, loss of thought, contemplations of suicide or sleepiness, we suggest you stop using it right away and consult your TV Guide." or some such nonsense.
Thanks to Kat Neal for suggesting this one and for it to be in "the list" at the perfect time for me to rant about it.
I had the priviledge of a free trial of netflix and yes, we watched the Ong Bak Trilogy that night and it was all well and good but you would not believe the trouble we had to go to simply to find something that we wanted to watch. All the commercials make you think that their database of available titles are up to date and such but NOOOOOO you have to go back over 15 months to find something that is not ancient (in movie/tv terms.) We were amazed at how "dated" the titles were and there were a great deal of titles that we were like "HUH? o.o What is that?" It is not what it is cracked up to be for peeps like me (or dear hubby for that matter.)
While we did finally find something and were able to watch a few things, this whole netflix thing is not for us. We can take our eight bucks a month and find something else or find a great dvd at the store. I am sure there is a perfect fit as a Netflix customer out there. Why else would they be advertising IN YOUR FACE at every damn turn! Well, sorry marketing execs at Netflix, you have failed to impress this customer. You obviously have failed to impress others or it would not be a topic suggested to rant about, huh?
I am not knocking Netflix nor am I giving it a bad rep or review, it is just something that is not for me. You know, like tampons are not for the male population of the world. Well, at least most of it. (We are not including those that go out at 2 am and purchase said product for their significant other. I will say, that is love folks. Plain and simple. That is all I have to say about that.) Some products are a good fit for certain consumers and some are not.
I wonder what it would be like to own the super product. The one product that is in demand for every single person on this planet and there is no competition. Wow, every green thing growing on this planet has that and they do not even charge for it! That just occurred to me. Oxygen. Wow. These things work tirelessly everyday to produce the one thing that every human on this planet needs. Huh. Nice digression there (and a reflection to a previous rant. Just for one moment. BlInK!)
Yes, the Netflix commercials should have a disclaimer at the end or the bottom of the screen noting that "Netflix is not for everyone, should you experience boredom, loss of thought, contemplations of suicide or sleepiness, we suggest you stop using it right away and consult your TV Guide." or some such nonsense.
Thanks to Kat Neal for suggesting this one and for it to be in "the list" at the perfect time for me to rant about it.
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