Comparing and Contrasting Thomas Hobbes and John Locke Essay

Thomas Hobbes and John Locke were two of the great political theorists of their time. They both provided wonderful philosophical texts on how our government should govern us. This paper will show the largest differences and some of the similarities between Thomas Hobbes’ Leviathan and John Locke’s Second Treatise on Civil Government. Although they do have some similarities, Hobbes and Locke have different views on most of their political arguments, and I will expand on their differences on the state of nature, government, and social contract. Hobbes’ view of the state of nature and Locke’s view of the state of nature offer remarkable differences. Hobbes believed people act on their own self-interest, and they would go to any extreme to help themselves. He believed we are always in competition with each other for the best food, shelter, money, and so on. Hobbes believed the best way to protect citizens would be to have a sovereign that is intimidating and all-powerful. The view Locke had on the state of nature is conceptually different. Locke’s view of the state of nature says that humans have limits as to what we should or should not do, but he believed that humans are generally nice to one another, and we will not bother one another. Therefore, in Locke’s state of nature, humans are peaceful. Hobbes, however, believes that humans live in a state of war and fight with each other constantly. Hobbes and Locke did not have many of the same views on government. Though it is not directly stated in his text, most historians believe Hobbes was a supporter of absolute monarchy. He believed the government should have absolute authority over all the citizens. He believed if such a government did not exist, we would live in a world of turmoil. The sovereign (government) has the obligation of keeping the peace and, when need be, national defense. The sovereign establishes all the laws, and has complete legislative, judicial, and executive authority. Locke’s view of government is very different from Hobbes’. Locke believes  people should have a say in government, and Hobbes would disagree with this statement. Hobbes believes that the sovereign should own all the land, but Locke believes that property is private–God gave us this property, and we should use and enjoy it. Locke is also a supporter of the market economy. He believes that when one invests his own labor, whatever he makes should become his own private property. Government is very much linked with Hobbes’ and Locke’s views on social contract. Social contract binds the people and the government together. Hobbes thinks that citizens should relinquish all of their rights to the sovereign, because the sovereign knows what is best for them. Theoretically, in Hobbes’ view, there actually is no contract, because the citizens have no rights. His view of social contract is more like a covenant. The only time the citizens can say â€Å"no† to a sovereign is when the sovereign threatens self-preservation. For example, citizens may be interrogated for a crime, but they do not have to confess. Locke’s view of social contract is fundamentally different from that of Hobbes–his view is not as well defined. Locke believes a social contract is an agreement made between citizens who institute a government to prevent people from occasionally violating the natural laws. Locke believes the contract between the people and the government should be conditional. For the government to have the obedience and loyalty of the citizens, the government must perform certain functions and act appropriately. Although they have several differences, Thomas Hobbes and John Locke do share some of the same beliefs. Both Hobbes and Locke were passionate about politics, and they both wanted to promote the common good. Both theorists believed in the state and laws of nature; they just had different interpretations of it. Also, both Hobbes and Locke both believed that people are free and equal in the state of nature. Hobbes and Locke both believed that the primary purpose of the government is to protect people. However, if the government does not protect the citizens, the citizens can revolt and go against or above the sovereign. The most important similarity between Thomas Hobbes and John Locke, however, is that their works were influential in  shaping people and government in regards to how a society should operate. Thomas Hobbes and John Locke were the two most influential political theorists of their time. However, they had opposing views on almost every political issue. Their theories stem from their dissenting opinions about who should be the center of government: Hobbes believed there should be a monarch, while Locke supported Parliament. Examples of both men’s thoughts and opinions can be found throughout history. France and some other European countries sided with Hobbes and had absolute monarchies, while England and later the American Revolution used Locke’s thoughts in developing their governments. Hobbes and Locke wrote about and educated the citizens about the two extremes of running governments, and their opinions were so valuable that we still study them today, hence this paper.

Math 533 – Ams

AIMS I will be going over data provided about our customers based oftener location, Income size, household size, years at current location, and the credit balance they carry with our company. Using statistical analysis we can learn more about our customers and hopefully use this information to provide better services to our customers in the future to keep them customers for life.In my analysis I will go over the following: * Customer Location * Customer Income * Store Credit Balance * Credit Balance Compared to Income Level Household Size Compared to Household Location * Household Size Compared to Income Level Where the customer lives, their Income level and the balance they hold with the company are good Indicators of customer loyalty. Extending credit to our customers is a good faith way of us showing the customer that we want their business and are willing to take time to pay off their purchases.Before I fully analyze the numbers I would assume that the greater the income level th e more they are charging. They have the financial meaner to pay the monthly payments and can keep a high balance. Customer location is important because it can help tell us how often you frequent the store. Someone in an urban area might shop 4+ times a month, where someone in a rural area might only shop once a month. But the person shopping 4+ times a month might be spending less than the person living in the rural area who can only come once a month because of distance Issues.Credit balance compared to Income level shows us how much higher Income customers are spending. Comparing the household size to the location can give us a feel for where the families are living marred to the single parent or single person households are. You can use this kind of information to market and advertise special sales as necessary. Finally household size compared to the income level will show us how much large families are spending and how often. This can also be useful to market big sales.Customer Location The above representation is a pie chart which shows are clients' demographic locations. Of the 50 customers used in our sampling the greatest numbers of our clients are In the Urban region, with the rural region being the least frequented. Of the sample we concluded that: eve In an urban area live in a suburban area * 26% live in a rural area This is in my opinion an expected outcome. The ability to come to our store is much greater for those living in suburban and urban areas because it is closer to their proximity.While residents in the rural communities do frequent our stores they do so on a less frequent basis. Further investigation might be able to show that rural residents could possibly shop less frequently, but spend more per trip than someone in the urban area. Customer Income This simple bar graph shows the income level in the $1,000

Dehumanization: Marxism and Modern Era Essay

Dehumanization is the process of stripping away or denying other’s access to basic human qualities or rights. An ideal society would be free of this inequality, however, during the modern era, encouraged by capitalism and free competition, it is difficult to maintain complete equality and fairness. In fact, three books from the reading list, Marx’s Communist Manifesto, Sumner’s essay, What the Social Classes Owe to Each Other, and Primo Levi’s tale of Survival at Auschwitz, truly illustrate how difficult ideas and cultural values of the era make it to eliminate dehumanization. Although, the situations presented in each of the book are very different, they mainly deal with the loss or diminishment of four basic human qualities: the natural value in being human, the uniqueness of the individual, the freedom to act and make decisions, and the equality of status. This paper will analyze not only how these qualities were diminished in each of the cases in the m odern era but also look to see if dehumanization was resisted. Communist Manifesto The Communist Manifesto, written by Karl Marx, attempts to explain the goals of Communism as well as the theories underlying this movement. It argues that class struggle, or the exploitation of one class by another, have been occurring for generations. Marx quotes, â€Å"The history of all hitherto existing society [has been] the history of class struggles† (79). Class relationships are defined by an era’s means of production. However, However, eventually these relationships cease to be compatible with the developing forces of production. At this point, a revolution occurs and a new class emerges as the ruling one. Specifically, the Modern industrial era is characterized by the class conflict between the bourgeoisie and proletariat. The bourgeoisie consisted of employers of laborers or the owners of the means of production. The proletariat represented the wage laborers and they were dehumanized. In fact, the bourgeoisie violated all four of the main human qualities list ed in the introduction. Firs, the fact that there was an economically based class system indicated inequality in status. Second, since the bourgeoisie class employed the proletariat thereby controlling the action and decision of the lower class. Third, the bourgeoisie in he modern era clumped the entire proletariat class together and considered them mere laborers, Fourth, Marx believed that wage laborers working with machinery dehumanized the worker. Human values were diminished since laboring class could be easily replaced by machinery in some instances for more efficiency. Any one of these violations alone can stand as mere inequality; however, when many more of these violations get stacked, inequality becomes a form of dehumanization. Therefore, as production demand increased, the exploitation by the bourgeoisie class of the proletariat class increased. Eventually, this would anger the proletariat class enough to start a revolution and overthrow the bourgeoisie. Marx wrote, â€Å"[The bourgeoisie] is unfit to rule because it is incompetent to assure an existence to its slave within his slavery, because it cannot help letting him sink into such a state, that it has to feed him, instead of being fed by him. Society can no longer live under this bourgeoisie, in other words, its existence is no longer compatible with society† (93). This uprising would be the Proletariat’s form of resistance against dehumanization. However, unlike previous revolution, where powers simply shifted from one class to another, Marx predicts that class will be eliminated altogether and a truly equal and fair state would emerge. Readers can’t help but feel skeptical while reading Marx’s theory due to the â€Å"dictators† present in current day communist countries. However, it is important to know that these current day communist countries only got influenced by Marx’s ideal but did no fully carry out his theoretical society. What the Social Classes Owe to Each Other William Graham Sumner was influenced by Social Darwinists and argued in his writing that helping the poor would only interfere with laws of nature and slow down evolutionary progression. In fact, Sumner argued that a â€Å"poor† or a â€Å"weak† person were merely lazy and they did not exist. Therefore Sumner wrote, â€Å"A maudlin impulse to prolong the lives of the unfit stands in the way of this beneficent purging of the social organism† (45). He would further defend about not giving by writing, â€Å"we all owe to each other good-will, mutual respect, and mutual guarantees of liberty and security. Beyond this nothing can be affirmed as a duty of one group to another in a free state† (49). In addition, he believed that if was unfair how â€Å"if the rich, comfortable, prosperous, virtuous, respectable, educated, and healthy cannot make everybody else as well off as themselves, they are to be brought down to the same misery as others† (62). In another words, Sumner did not think it was fair how the rich were expected to help the poor, and if not was possibly penalized. Unlike the Marx’s Manifesto, the opposing classes are not clearly defined. However, it is still assumed from Sumner’s writing that Sumner values some life over another. For example, when he writes, â€Å"society is constantly excreting its unhealthy, imbecile, slow, vacillating, faithless members to leave room for the deserving† (45). With this remark, and many others similar to it, Sumner dehumanizes people who did not succeed. While, a positive message is being sent by Sumner in a way by encouraging citizens to work hard, Sumner is inconsiderate of those who like the proletariats, have no control over their life due to greedy overbearing employers. The only option that Sumner gives to resist the dehumanization is to keep working hard and do not accept defeat. Survival at Auschwitz Many have heard the accounts of the holocaust before in history class or in other books on the subject; however Levi truly does an excellent job giving the readers detailed glimpse into what it really is like to go from being a free human being, then being stripped down to nothing. His intention for the book was not â€Å"to formulate new accusations [but] rather to furnish documentation for a quiet study of certain aspects of the human mind† (9). This book demonstrates dehumanization at its worst. It was established in the introduction that often times Men and women were treated like animals while getting dehumanized. Yet, the people at Auschwitz were actually getting treated worse than livestock. This is because with livestock at least they were somewhat cared for before they were killed, and even if they weren’t they were killed to serve a higher purpose. On the other hand, the prisoners at the concentration camps were starved, killed, and then deserted. Unlike the other two books, this book contains so much elements of dehumanization that no amount of pages would be enough to capture it all; however, it is important to draw from this book also how people have truly used every inch of their will power to try and maintain their self-value. How did the prisoners resist the urge to admit defeat and continue resist dehumanization? How did they when even â€Å"ordinary moral world† (86) like â€Å"good,† and â€Å"evil begin to get mixed up and the differences between these opposites became unclear? Levi present a man in his story, who may have been physically reduced but who is an insane man and â€Å"a survivor, the most adaptable, the human type most suited to this way of living† (97). Portrayed by this insane man, Elias is a strong message that morals and self-value can adapt and survive even in the most extreme situation. Conclusion Based on the scenarios presented by the three books, and personal understanding of dehumanization, I believe it cannot be absent in modern era society. The degree to which dehumanization can occur is extremely varied, and while we can hope and wait for it to merely pass by, it is better to act. Try to resist dehumanization as much as can, as Levi’s character Elias demonstrated, with strong will power and determination, there are so much we can achieve. Perhaps, while we may not be able to eliminate several factors of unfairness or inequality, we can still treat people with respect and at least eliminate dehumanization.

Recommending a Project Management Plan Research Paper

Recommending a Project Management Plan - Research Paper Example Most of their outlets operate in posh areas, which is why the rates are a little higher than in other fast food restaurants. One thing that goes in their favor is that when it comes to pricing, they can sell at a higher rate due to their brand loyalty. Customers love the taste of their burgers and they pay extra to taste their delicious burgers. But for this project, a glitch came up when it was discovered that market campaign must also attract health conscious people; veggie burgers and rolls will also need to be included in the advertisement. A budget of under $60,000 has been allocated to the project manager and the team for billboard advertisements. Cost saving will be made as the in-house designer will be employed by the PM for designing the boards. The main cost is renting the billboard space for the first week of the sales. It is a very competitive project where all the revenues need to be regenerated within the first week from the sales of the product. This is very much possi ble by quality advertisement and most importantly, the taste or success of the new cheese steak burger. All appropriate pricing, budgeting and trade off analysis have been incorporated to deliver a quality finish to the project. Project Scope Project scope is the sum of all works needed to be accomplished in order to achieve the scope of the project. It would be better to define the scope of the project, namely: products, services and results (Kerzner, 2009). For this task, the new burger flavor is a steak burger with a different cheese flavor, and the XYZ Corporate needs the help of a project manager to promote this product so that it would constitute as a lucrative addition to their burger variety. The product here is the burger. The service that needs to be provided is designing of billboards and the end result that the XYZ Corporate is looking for is an increase in the sale of the new item. The Learning Curves Learning curve or the experience curve plots the learning dexterity a gainst time spent in learning something. For this project, the learning curves will be refined as the company already owns a successful food business. They are only introducing a new food item (burger). The existing leering curves determine the future shape of the project’s performance. That is why it can be easily predicted that learning curves will give positive economic output against the time spent. The chef who brought the idea of the new cheese burger to the board room already has the experience of making those burgers; however the other kitchen staff needs to learn the perfect combination of the stake and cheese to make the project learning curves smoother. Quality Management Plan for the Project Overall quality management plan for this project revolves around the production of the food items (cheese burgers and shakes). The company already has a good reputation about the quality of its food; the project manager only needs to maintain the standards already set out by t he company. However, the quality of the new cheese flavor will be of much concern as the project manager will be the one bearing the prime responsibility for the quality of the cheese. Moreover, there is a limit to the fat content of the burger, if the content goes over the limit of fat in a burger, then the quality will certainly drop down. The fat content limit

Rhetoric Analysis of a Music News Website Essay

Rhetoric Analysis of a Music News Website - Essay Example In order to understand why this target audience continues such criminal activity, their assumptions about the record industry must be examined. Music United is one website that analyzes and addresses these assumptions. A coalition group of many different organizations committed against online music piracy, Music United strives not only to disprove college students' assumptions about the record industry, but also to persuade college students to abide by the law when obtaining music. In order to accomplish these goals, the Music United site utilizes textual and technical features to establish a direct communication with its targeted audience of college students. These features are functions of appeals to guilt, fear, empathy, and the law that are embedded within the content and the purpose of the site. College students view the internet as a place of public freedom, where people can come and go, sharing their ideas, pictures, and pages along the way. A basic knowledge of web designing is all that is needed to post material on the internet for the world to see. Over time, users view the internet as a "marketplace" where everyone is entitled to every page, picture, and idea posted. College students adopt this kind of public-sharing sentiment when they download mp3s without paying. ... ree for the taking in much the same way reading a newspaper article online is free (as opposed to paying $0.50 to read the same article on a hard copy). Music United disagrees with this "free for all" spirit of college students who participate in the sharing and downloading of illegal mp3 files. Not everything on the internet is for free, certainly not music. This is one of the college students' assumptions the site refutes. Music United accomplishes this goal through the use specially designed text-graphics, which appeal to guilt and fear. The home page provides an example of these text-graphics. Although they may look like regular text, these special headers and key quotations are actual graphics (clicking on them reveals they are gif files) that were most likely created in some photo editing program like Paint Shop Pro. The combination of red and white colors functions the same way a "stop" sign functions: it awakens the senses by signaling a warning. When college students see this graphic, the colors indicate that something of greater importance is being said here, as opposed to the regular black-colored text found throughout the site. The colors catch their eyes, compelling them to read the text. The font type is different and larger from the standard Verdana text found throughout the site, further emphasizing the importance of the message. The capitalization of the number ("2.6 million") and the cr ime ("illegally downloaded") not only stresses the importance of the text, but also accentuates the guilt the phrases elicit from its audience. When college students who engage in illegal mp3 trading read the text, they are struck with guilt. They immediately identify themselves as illegal downloader's who partake in the distribution of those 2.6 billion files each

Symbolism in Young Goodman Brown by Hawthorne Essay

Symbolism in Young Goodman Brown by Hawthorne - Essay Example Symbolism, most of which is spiritual, is used throughout the story to show the downfall of the once-holy community, including Goodman Brown. Faith is a symbol unto herself, from her name to the pink ribbons that she wore in her hair. As Goodman Brown sets out to meet with the devil, he talks himself into giving up such a horrid life for the sake of Faith. Whenever he thinks about the evil deed at hand, he allows his mind to turn back to Faith. This can be taken in two ways - Faith, as in his wife, and faith, as in his religious beliefs. Faith, his wife, is a personification of Goodman Brown’s spiritual faith. He does not want to live a life of evil, but one of good, religious faith. As such, Faith symbolizes Brown’s desire to live a religiously fulfilling life while also, while also wanting to remain good for the sake of his wife. Faith’s ribbons symbolizes Faith and her purity. The ribbons are pink, a color often associated with purity and innocence. As she say s goodbye to her husband as he leaves, Brown takes notice of the pink ribbons in her cap. At this moment in the story, Faith is pure and innocent. However, as Brown is wandering through the forest towards the evil gathering, he thinks he hears her voice, calls out to her, and then notices one of her pink ribbons falling from the sky. Since the ribbons symbolize purity, then as Faith loses her ribbons, she also loses her purity.

The Federal Sentencing Reform Act of 1984 and Social Control Essay

The Federal Sentencing Reform Act of 1984 and Social Control - Essay Example By 1970s, however, both progressivism and populism lost their appeal as stand-alone policies (Vito & Allen, 1981). While progressives had failed to provide an alternative to indeterminate sentencing, populism was seen as something that negated the spirit of the law and it was declared that "Federal judges are not responsive to the pulsations of humanity." These themes dominated SRA for some time and culminated in the development of Federal sentencing Act of 1984 with one primary aim i.e. to be fair in the purposes of imprisonment.The US Congress played a slight and indirect role in federal sentencing for about a century or so by vesting into the sentencing judge an unbarred discretion to figure out the appropriate punishment from usually a diverse ambit of potential sentences as been described by law. This rendered the judge to be in total control of sentencing and it was up to the judge only to envisage various aspects of sentencing the relevant aggravating and mitigating circumstan ces and how these all factors jointly contributed to the commissioning of the sentence. The judicial sentences were virtually subject to no review on appeal. The underlying rationale of the whole exercise was based upon "coercive rehabilitation." That invariably involved judge deciding an extensive punishment of long duration and the parole board contemplating release on the grounds of adequate rehabilitation. That whole system relied heavily on the personal discretion of the judge without much accountability. This was naturally bound to criticism as with problems caused as a result of authority wielding undeterred personal discretion and seen largely as foot loose and fancy free scenario. Congress was acutely aware by 1970s of the growing unease among the general public and pervasive problems in the judicial system that were emanating due to the lack of well defined parameters in sentence commissioning. The disparity in the sentencing system lead to a thorough evaluation by Congres s in 1984 in which it was known that the whole system was in the dire need of reform and had lost the necessary credibility required to sustain the public confidence to serve as a sufficient deterrent to crime. It was concluded in that study the inconsistency and disparity in the sentencing system was due to the inadequate sentencing application by the judiciary. Congress took initiative to redress the problem by enacting the Sentencing Reform Act of 1984. The Sentencing Reform Act of 1984 is also commonly stated as SRA; it drew a comprehensive outline for restructuring of judicial sentencing discretion that essentially changed altogether the sentencing in the federal justice system. The SRA's prime objective was to overcome the chasm of sentencing disparity. The first step that Congress took was to reject the prevalent view of rehabilitation as the foremost goal of sentencing. It redefined the objectivity of sentence as retributive, educational, and deterrent (Howell, 2004). By enacting SRA Congress sought to bring the whole judicial process above board ultimately helping it regain the trust of masses important to discourage crime, revitalizing the system by modifying its dynamics, curbing over dependence on imprisonment and upholding the dignity and discretion of judges faculty. The important points(USSC, 1991) of SRA could be summarized as follow: 1. There should be a clear and comprehensive statement of sentencing of federal law along with

Conflict management system design (resolution system design) Research Paper

Conflict management system design (resolution system design) - Research Paper Example Following this, many agencies have developed approaches and models of effective complaint handling system. The stage approach provides a conflict resolution system in stages. It brings together what the customer wants and what the organisation or agency needs. That is, the interests of the organisation and the rights of the customers. However, it gives first preference to the organisation’s interests and focuses on the fulfilment of its objectives in a smooth manner. The first stage in the approach is, frontline complaint handling where the staff resolves the complaint where possible, at first contact with the customer. The members of staff then log the complaint details for later analysis. The second stage is the internal review or investigation. This is where a more senior staff or designated complaint officer reviews the complaints and resolves them informally. He then investigates the unresolved complaints with the interest of the organisation at heart. The last stage is the independent review where the unresolved complaints are referred externally. Alternate dispute resolutions are tried, for example, mediation. Complaints may also be referred to external agency or the complainant is informed of a legal procedure or another legal remedy (NSW Ombudsman, 2010). All this is done in favour of the organization’s interests. This model provides the guidelines for developing and implementing the consumer complaints management initiatives, emphasizing the interest of the organisation but still taking into account the rights of the customers. It involves eight steps that help in managing and resolving the complaints for the better performance and realisation of the agency’s objectives. The first step involves defining the problem and gathering information. Finding common ground on the problems being addressed is essential to moving ahead with solutions. All the people and organisations involved are

Un Chien Andalou by Salvador Dali and Luis Bunuel Essay

Un Chien Andalou by Salvador Dali and Luis Bunuel - Essay Example The purpose of paper "Un Chien Andalou by Salvador Dali and Luis Bunuel" is to investigate how the corresponding philosophical position of postmodernism influences the aesthetic values of the work of art, the film Un Chien Andalou. Surrealism, which is a part of the philosophy of postmodernism is defined as psychic automatism in its pure state, by which one expresses verbally by means of the written word, or in another manner, the actual functioning of thought. Surrealism is dictated by the thought, in the absence of any control exercised by reason, and devoid of aesthetic or moral concern. Surrealism is based on the belief in the superior reality â€Å"of certain forms of previously neglected associations, in the omnipotence of dream, in the disinterested play of thought†. It ruins completely all other psychic mechanisms and substitutes itself for them, while solving all the main problems of life. The postmodern philosophy challenges any clear and concise process of identific ation and definition as a part of rationality. Postmodernism rejects common sense and accessibility, scientific reason, philosophical logic, clarity or precision. On the other hand, postmodernism seeks to grasp those elements that escape these processes of definition, and â€Å"celebrates what resists or disrupts them†. A plurality of definitions has now come to describe postmodernism’s multifaceted nature. Examples of postmodern art relate to fracturing, fragmenting, indeterminacy and plurality. Postmodernism is the style of our age.

Paper three Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Paper three - Essay Example However, as a means of comforting themselves, mourners frequently purchase silk linings, pillows, mattresses and other ‘comfort’ items that the non-living corpse will never enjoy, appreciate or even notice. These are the last gifts the living can ever bestow upon their loved one and allows the survivors to feel they haven't simply disposed of the body without ceremony or proper human respect. Although there would seem to be comfort in the belief in the body as merely a shell for the spirit, this idea simply does not offer the sort of comfort it should. As Lynch relates in his book, one woman mourning the death of her teenage daughter following a battle with leukemia reacted violently to the suggestion that the body before her was simple a ‘shell’, claiming "that is my daughter until I tell you otherwise" (85). Mourners continue to feel that their loved one is present somehow and families spend thousands of dollars on burial rites which would be unwarranted i f the body was just the shell. The increased mystery and horror associated with the corpse through children’s stories and zombie media outlets continues to suggest some element of the individual remains. As a result, the corpse retains a sense of power all its own, earning legal protections and capable of conveying more truths about the individual than the ‘shell’ theory would acknowledge. Much of the expense families suffer as a part of the funeral process is spent trying to preserve the body for eternity. Funeral homes make tremendous profit by selling mourners on the promise that the body will be preserved forever with embalming or high quality sealed caskets. Aiken (2001) points out families in California regularly pay as much as $5000 for a funeral in spite of much lower priced options opening the field to widespread corruption. Journalist investigations have revealed funeral home practices intentionally designed to inflate expenses while clergy members have openly admitted accepting a ten percent commission from funeral homes for their recommendations paid at a later date (Winner, 1999). Despite the promises, the only way to prevent the body from dissolving is to cremate the remains, both the cheaper of the available options and the one which automatically eliminates any hope of preserving the body as it was when living. In so many ways, modern society has continued to distance itself from death in ways that take some of the significance out of the event and make instead a frightening mystery. â€Å"Before the turn of the century, Americans may have been more in touch with death and as a result less fearful of the corpse. Farm accidents and childbirth complications caused many deaths in a more agrarian and pre-medically advanced society. Traditionally, Americans used to keep the deceased in their homes until everyone had a chance to view a body† (Emerick 43). By personally preparing the body for display in the front room and ho lding visitation within the home itself, people were more comfortable working with and around a corpse. As a result of this closer association with the dead body, they were also more comfortable with the related concepts of death and dealing with what was left behind. Children, witnessing these events, grew up without the same sorts of aversions to the dead that children today

Lesson plan Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Lesson plan - Assignment Example My lesson plan is divided into different levels of learning aims at effective and continual understanding of chemistry thereby making every student to develop the subject understanding continually. Grouping of students deliberately allows them to share skills they have learnt. Notably, students have different levels of understanding; therefore, sharing leant knowledge and skills will facilitate a deeper understanding of the subject. Properly developed lesson plan also provides self-regulation towards developing decision-making interventions as learning strategies. Effective strategies should ensure that consistency successful learning process. However, the early stages in learning new topic, novices often provide limited learning strategies (Teacher Created Resources, Inc., 2006). In such cases, a well-planned lesson plan must provide various strategies. In handling this matter, my lesson plan has deployed different way of explaining factors of the experiment including the use of examples. Finally, my lesson plan employs or incorporates the use of deliberate practice to ensure that students concentrate during the learning process. This process ensures that learning is monitored, and feedbacks are provided during the learning practice (Teacher Created Resources, Inc., 2006). My lesson plan has incorporated the use of deliberate practice using the graffiti walls. The pre-assessment graffiti wall will allow students to expose what they have learned during the lesson while the post graffiti assessment shall assess the according to their level of performance and proficiency. In additional, these assessments will enable me to evaluate students and help them address their

Business Plan for Small Business Essay Example for Free

Business Plan for Small Business Essay Introduction While food trucks are very popular in the U.S, it seems under the strict by-laws in Ottawa as well as other cities in Canada as the government want to protect its citizens. With a growing demand for food trucks, the City of Ottawa has been forced to loosen restrictions on the mobile eateries, much to the approval of locals as well as chefs trying to make a mark on the culinary environment. In 2012, City Council approved the New Street Food Vending Program to encourage new, convenient and culturally diverse fare on City streets. There are now a total of 61 street food vendors permitted on Ottawa’s streets (32 trucks 29 carts). In the spring of 2013, there was an addition of 17 new vendors (10 trucks 7 carts). From oriental cuisine to Mexican treats, seasonal creations to sustainable seafood, these new vendors will complement the existing mix of street foods vendors and satisfy the diverse appetites of residents and tourists alike. According to the Ottawa’s new street food vending program, a food truck cannot be greater than 10 meters in length (33 feet), by 2.6 meters in width (8.5 feet), by 4.3 meters in height (14 feet). Refreshment trucks must: be clean and sanitary all the times be in compliance with size regulations be safe and stable condition and state of good repair have recycling and trash receptacles outside of the unit have a trade name written on both sides of vehicle with letters no smaller than 7cm in height be removed from City streets during non operating hours (11pm – 5:30am) not be left unattended for longer than 30 minutes during operating hours In addition, all licenses and permit holders must: dispose of grease and water in accordance with all laws and regulations ensure trash/recyclables resulting from the vending activity are collected and removed from the vending area before leaving for the day. Street Vending Insurance Information As a condition of being issued a mobile refreshment vehicle or cart license, you are required to obtain and maintain General Commercial Liability Insurance coverage which meets the following requirements: insurance for Public Liability and Property Damage for vehicles with a limit of not less than $2,000,000 per occurrence insurance for Public Liability and Property Damage for carts with a limit of not less than $1,000,000 per occurrence the City of Ottawa is named as an additional insured the policy must contain an endorsement to provide the City with 30 days prior notice of cancellation or change that would diminish coverage A mobile refreshment vehicle or cart license will not be issued until sufficient proof of insurance has been received and approved. Arrange for a vehicle or cart inspection Prepared to schedule for final inspection in time through By-law and Regulatory Services Branch. Contact Officer Jacqueline Mundy at 613 580 2424 EXT 33340 or by e-mail at [emailprotected] to arrange your on-site inspection. Food service inspection across Canada is generally carried out by these organizations: provincial governments, municipalities and regional health authorities Executive Summary The business is the restaurant/service industry. It is important for us to understand that customers are our top priority, and for this reason our business is entirely devoted to serving their needs There was recently an article in globe and mail about food allergies in Canada: â€Å"It is estimated that 5 to 6 per cent of young children and 3 to 4 per cent of adults suffer from food allergies. Nearly 1 per cent of the population is affected by celiac disease; for them, the consumption of foods containing gluten can lead to long-term complications.† (Galloway, 2012) The general public should not be worried for their health when they go out to enjoy a meal with loved ones, they should not have to concern themselves with counter-active measures every time they dine away from home. The Food Truck is a limited partnership and has both limited and general partners. The Food Truck will strive to provide the highest quality of food and service to their customers. This business idea had been put together by five people from different parts of the world, making a total contribution of $54543. The Food Truck targets a wide variety of markets, people from all parts of the world. Our number one goal is to make customers happy, no matter the cost, so that they feel happy, confident and motivated to recommend us to their friends, family and colleagues The Food Truck specializes in allergy free food. The menu that ‘The Food Truck’ has is all allergy-free products. However, we target all the potential customers but our biggest target market is people with food allergies or intolerance and these individuals are definitely going to love this food. People on limited diets experience challenges finding food that they can enjoy and The Food Truck will provide a simple and convenient dining experience. According to the analysis, a rough sketch of costs and expenses that are going to occur after selling 200 menu items a day will be: Due to the nature of our product, and the service our business provides to the community, our target market can be both broad and focused at the same time. It is broad in the sense that we will be serving the entirety of the Ottawa region on a region-by-region basis, a population that can be narrowed demographically to only an estimate of those people who have a food allergy or intolerance. For the first six months of business operations, we are simply looking to breakeven in terms of profitability. Any extra earned above and beyond our costs can be used to improve or upgrade our business, so that when our pricing objectives change, we can be one step ahead in terms of our ability to offer a better, more inclusive product. As our price objectives increase, we can further use the projected increase in profitability to both upgrade our primary location, and begin planning for  expansion. Based on initial investments by the management team, to create our start-up ownership spread in the business’ shares, we have $20,000 to apply to our beginning costs in this business venture (100 shares x $200/share). This will cover around half of the purchase of a food truck to use (Lagorio, 2010), or the total licensing fees and partial inventory needed to get started. This brings us up short around $60,000-$75,000 to cover our start up costs and first year expenses to ensure our business runs smoothly and has the time to begin showing its own profit. This report will analyze the very crucial information for the allergy food truck business. The information will be divided into different categories for better illustration. We will first discuss how our food truck business is unique and different from other types of food truck business. This report will give each individual or grouped investor better understanding of our unique food truck business and demonstrate great potential and opportunity that the allergy food truck has. And since the funding covers 90% of the start-up cost, it shouldn’t be hard for the owners to easily cover any unexpected expenses that can happen in business. And in case the funding is not granted, we have a backup plan (Plan B). So then we will be looking for other forms of financing, beginning with business loans from banks, and other investors. Manufacturing and Operation Plan The first step in our plan will be getting licensed from the City of Ottawa. Food truck design is also crucial. It’s almost like designing a new kitchen for a new restaurant. Because the food truck is smaller than most of restaurant kitchens, every inch of the space has to be utilized. A designated area for cooking, storing, and serving is needed. Dry goods, paper goods and other perishable items will be stored in the cabinets and cupboards which will be secured while driving. Built-in prep counter will be made of stainless steel and all the hazardous materials will always be kept away from food and serving utensils. Since we only serve specific items in our menu, we’ll use a medium size truck that can give us enough space to prep and serve. The serving window and the kitchen prep area will be made of stainless steel. All the freezers and coolers will be bolted for safety. In summer the ideal places are beaches and the Byward market. This truck will give enough space for employees to do their jobs and will also allow customers to order and get their food with ease. According to my analysis, a rough sketch of costs and expenses that are going to occur after selling 200 menu items in a month will be: Once the menu and business hits the market, the company will expand its business by buying a bigger truck which will have larger kitchen and serving area and where people can enjoy their food in the truck. So basically, it will be a mobile restaurant. Customers will have two choices, either enjoying their food on the roof or take out. The units will be equipped with proper ventilation and electrical outlets. The outside counter will hold sausages, napkins and all stuff like that as shown in first image. An awning over the window will also be handy in case of rain or bad weather (Mealy). The ownership and shares will cover the expenses for the first year and the licensing cost. The government funding will cover the cost of the truck and other expenses that cannot be covered by owners. And in case government funding is not granted, plan B will cover the cost of truck and other expenses. Once the business is up and running, the target is to sell between 7200-8000 items over the year, which means 15-20 items per day on average, which is easily achievable. After selling 7200 items, projected net profit after paying wages are calculated around $35000 which can be divided between the owners. Human Resources Plan The Key members of our business team are Suzanne Crabtree, Brent Grinstead, Phuong Anh Phan, Ding Sun and Amrinder Singh. Each member holds a varying number of shares for the company as detailed below: Name# Shares Held% Ownership Suzanne Crabtree40[40%] Brent Grinstead 30[30%] Phuong Anh Phan10[10%] Amrinder Singh10[10%] Ding Sun10[10%] Phuong Anh Phan graduated from Interior Decorating Program iscurrently completing Small and Medium Enterprise Management Program. Phuong Anh has worked 1 year as a designer at UMA, a design company. After that, 2 years of work experience were completed as an office administrator and designer at Markham Center Realty. Amrinder Singh completed high school in India before deciding to go overseas for higher studies and chose Algonquin College. He has worked as a cashier in a bank in India. In Canada, he has done roofing, worked in warehouses, macs as well as security positions. From all of this experience he has learnt how to run a business and things that we should and shouldnt do. Ding Sun was originally born in China and at the age of fifteen came to Canada. Elementary and middle school was completed in China. High school was completed in Canada. Ding transferred from the University of Ottawa to Algonquin College for post-secondary studies. After an unhappy experience at the University of Ottawa, Ding decided to take business administration with a major in accounting. Ding Sun has worked in a dollar store as a store worker and cashier for one summer also as an assembler for a small factory. Outside of school Ding enjoys listening to music and playing video games. Brent Grinstead has switched educational goals twice in the last five years. Because of this, he has a diploma in Radio Broadcasting, a semester’s worth of pre-design courses, and his current program is Business Administration with a major in Accounting. Through his work in the Radio Broadcasting program, he has learned how to juggle multiple tasks at once. During his time as a radio station manager he was responsible for creating the structure for how the material was played over the air, scheduling students for air time, and both scheduling and approving commercial and music content. Business Administration has helped him learn new ways of looking behind the scenes of the business world, as well as providing many opportunities to gain new skills with those things in mind. He has learned how to do a wide range of new tasks such as writing fund proposals, how to write a variety of business reports, creating and presenting marketing strategies to help existing companies, and learning how to properly present financial statements at the end of fiscal periods. In his varied work experience with a mix of duties, Brent has learned a variety of skills including time management in an office setting, how to manage tasks according to importance, how to deal with the post public, and how client records and receivables were maintained. Suzie Crabtree completed her early education in the gifted program in Ottawa which helped teach her valuable learning and communications skills. After high school she began her post secondary education with three years at Carleton University. When she discovered that it was not the right fit, she transferred over to Algonquin College to complete Business Administration. In terms of work experience, she has worked for the City of Ottawa, the Federal Government, a toy store and McDonald’s. All of these experiences have provided her with exposure to a variety of different tasks. She has an excellent understanding of human resources and how to manage a successful team. She is a great communicator and is able to provide excellent customer service. These work experiences have also allowed her to have an inside look at the finances and other procedures involved in running a business such as inventory and payroll. Before we begin to hire staff for The Food Truck, each member of the management team will need to undergo some training in food allergies and intolerances so that they are better prepared to run the business and help  hire and train new staff. Due to a lack of relevant experience, menu creation and planning will have to be outsourced. As well, outside help will have to be brought in to train staff on new menu items. The Food Truck will require a total of eight (8) employees’ altogether. There will be one (1) full-time Manager, one (1) full-time Assistant Manager, one (1) full-time cook, one (1) full-time cashier, two (2) part-time cooks, and two (2) part-time cashiers. This balance of staff will allow The Food Truck to offer a reasonable range of working hours while still working to control labour costs. The Manager and Assistant Manager will be responsible for all of the day-to-day activities of the business and the business team listed above will oversee the overall running of the business. Our job application for The Food Truck is provided below. We are looking for employees with experience as a cook or cashier depending on the position applied for. Our Manager and Assistant Manager will need to have previous managerial experience in a food-related business. They should possess excellent administrative and analytical skills. They should be planning-oriented, cautious and focused on the short term. Our cooks and cashiers should have some previous experience in their related area and should be open to receiving training related to food allergies and intolerances. Experience is not mandatory and we are willing to train new individuals. Our cashiers must be friendly and outgoing and must possess excellent customer service skills. Experience handling money would be an asset for the cashiers. All individuals must be willing to work as a part of a team and must understand the close quarter’s nature of the food truck business. The cooks should also be friendly in nature since they will be working as a part of a team in a cramped space. All individuals must be responsible and committed to coming to work on time and doing a great job. To evaluate employees there will be periodic performance review sessions. The first review session will be a probationary session and will take place 60 days after hire. This session will determine whether or not the employee has a future with the organization. After the initial probationary session,  performance reviews will occur every 6 months. These performance reviews will allow employees’ to discuss ideas, questions, complaints and job expectations. Employee behaviour and attitudes will also be monitored on a daily basis and discussions regarding performance may take place at any point between review sessions. Wage increases will occur on a yearly basis with a performance review session at the end of the fiscal year. Employees will start off with a competitive wage varying from minimum wage to higher levels based on their experience, training and performance. Employees will be offered bonuses and incentives for working special events and help to attract and retain customers. Marketing Plan The Concept Our product is specifically targeted at people who have an allergy or intolerance to certain foods or food ingredients. We are striving to give them an alternative, healthy, safe option with respect to their needs with regards to these intolerances when they are looking for food options away from home. Because allergies are not a limited condition to a particular age group, the beginnings of our targeting will revolve around the population of Ottawa, from families with young children at home to college students to the elderly, anyone with an allergy or intolerance will fall within the realm of our market. We are looking to target those that are health conscious and looking for an alternative to the regular run-of-the-mill take-out food options in the city. Market Breakdown Due to the nature of our product, and the service our business provides to the community, our target market can be both broad and focused at the same time. It is broad in the sense that we will be serving the entirety of the Ottawa region on a region-by-region basis, a population that can be narrowed demographically to only an estimate of those people who have a food allergy or intolerance. The total population of the city of Ottawa was projected at  roughly 920,178 people for 2011, based on three possible scenarios the city officials examined, and an average taken of the results (City of Ottawa, 2001-13). Taking this number, we can further narrow our market by only targeting those that self-report an allergy or food intolerance, which is roughly 7% of Canadians (Health Canada, 2012). Using this percentage, we can limit our target market to around 64,412 people in the Ottawa region. Now, further, according to a study done by Statistics Canada, roughly a quarter of people in Ontario (26.8%) consume food from a fast food outlet on a regular basis (Garriguet, 2004), which further narrows our potential target market to around 17,262 regular users. The rest of the projected market (the remaining 47,150) can still be sought after as occasional users, but can’t be relied upon for a regular consumer or income base. Advantages and Disadvantages Because we will be operating a food-based business, there are a few advantages and disadvantages to consider, which include the following: Advantages Disadvantages We offer a unique product, and it is the sole product we market, making our niche market fill very focused We have analyzed and are trying to fill a very specific consumer need We can broaden our consumer base by reaching out to people who don’t have allergies, strictly on the premise that our food is a healthier alternative to regular take-out We are able to modify our menu as needed to better represent what our consumers are asking for or looking for in this kind of setting Alternatively, we can modify our menu based on profitability of items, trying new options with more inexpensive ingredients There are a wide range of food providers currently on the market (with some restaurants already offering allergy and intolerance alternatives) Allergy alternatives (making the same dishes with allergy conscious ingredients) can be more expensive to supply Starting up with one location may make it difficult to reach the broadest possible consumer base, until the foundation is reached and the business expands Proximity to other food providers may provide unnecessarily high levels of competition, making it difficult to  make an impact when starting up Environmental Analysis On top of these advantages and disadvantages, there are also a number of other environmental factors to be considered when evaluating our ability to make a strong market entry. Factors such as the competing businesses currently in the market, the legal climate and regulations specific to our business type, the political climate in the city (if relevant to our business), technological progress that may impact our business, the economic stability of the region, and any socio-cultural factors that may influence our target consumers either for or against our offerings. Some of the main points for each of these factors are summarized in the table below: Factor Description/Details Competition Based on a look at the food trucks around Ottawa that have reportedly been open recently (and can be considered our direct competition, due to the nature of business), only one in 22 boasts having gluten-free and vegetarian alternatives (and at least three are strictly dessert/snack style foods) (Street Food App, 2013), which further strengthens our niche, as consumers would need to venture into a restaurant to find other options. As well, 22 food trucks serving all of Ottawa makes it both an obviously lucrative venture, and a rather thinly spread one. Legal There are many regulatory acts in Canada concerning the sale of food, which is understandable, due to the consumable nature of food products, and the ramifications of bad foods. From acts concerning dairy products, to those concerning agriculture, to those that cover the licensing of food sales (Canadian Food Inspection Agency, 2013), all would need to be considered in beginning the start-up plans for our business. Political N/A Economic The average income of an Ottawa family in 2010 was $94,700 (Statistics Canada, 2012), which, when tied into the previous stated market size numbers, we can easily state with confidence that there are around 16,000 targetable families in the Ottawa region with this average income level. In addition, when tying the similar food economy to this, when taking into account that there are only 22 similar businesses open in Ottawa at any given time (most of which don’t offer allergy alternatives), the demand for a product similar to our own is fairly high, with a low supply. Technological The main technological factors that impact our business are any advances in allergy treatment. Elizabeth Landau of CNN reported that new experiments involving gradual exposure to allergens for people with severe allergies to foods such as peanuts has shown promise in increasing the tolerance of these people to the reaction-inducing foods (2010). With time, advances such as this could make allergy-free foods unnecessary, causing our business model to become obsolete. However, there is still no true cure for allergies. Socio-Cultural We are aiming to provide a location where the clientele can feel as though their allergies are understood as allergies and not as preferences (Hadley, 2006). As well, we are providing the assured cleanliness that people with allergies will come to expect, being assured that their food hasn’t come into contact with any risk factors, ensuring their comfort in dining out at our locations. The Plan We are looking to fill a very noticeable gap in the food market of the Ottawa region with a business that provides allergy conscious foods, foods that are provided with the guarantee that they have not come into contact with our individual consumers’ intolerances or allergies. We intend on doing this from a food truck style location, something that can be moved from location to location to better provide for our broadly spaced consumer base. This will also provide us with a higher ease of expanding the business as it begins to gain traction in the community, as we can simply purchase a new truck as the funds become available to better provide for our clientele. Pricing In terms of pricing, upon market entry, we intend on pursuing a penetrative pricing strategy, ensuring our prices fall slightly below the market average in order to encourage consumers to approach our business to satisfy their needs. As our client base increases, we can adopt a more aggressive pricing strategy like status quo to begin to increase our profitability as a business. Projections for this switch will fall around the six month after opening mark, in order to give our business the time it needs to properly establish a presence in both the market and the community it serves. Further down the line, we may adopt an even higher pricing strategy, leaning for towards premium pricing, to ensure we can offer the best product possible to our consumers. As we gain consumer base, and as their individual needs become prevalent, it may become clear that we aren’t equipped to satisfy all of their needs at the current cost point. Increasing our pricing in such a way shouldn’t discourage loyal consumers, but will enable us to better approach a broader, more inclusive menu of products that has the potential to vastly increase and improve our client relations. For the first six months of business operations, we are simply looking to breakeven in terms of profitability. Any extra earned above and beyond our costs can be used to improve or upgrade our business, so that when our pricing objectives change, we can be one step ahead in terms of our ability to offer a better, more inclusive product. As our price objectives increase, we can further use the projected increase in profitability to both upgrade our primary location, and begin planning for expansion. Distribution Our distribution plan is purely a point-of-sale endeavour. Consumers would come to our location, and we would serve them allergy free dishes there. As our business grows, however, we may begin to consider catering opportunities to help businesses with staff lunches and similar events. As well, we could delve into simply catering family events for families looking to be able to meet the needs of relatives, children, and so on who have food allergies or intolerances when planning larger family functions. These ideas would be pursued after a proper evaluation of the business model two or three years  into operations, based on how profitable the business is, where the demand for our product stands, how far our business has been able to expand, and whether we have the resources to pursue a venture such as this in addition to our standard operations. Advertising/Promotion Advertising efforts should be focused in the month prior to opening, for a huge push towards the grand opening of the business. The following outlines some of the standard rates available for advertising in Ottawa and the area: Advertising Method Costs Associated Newspaper Standard advertising with a newspaper such as the Ottawa Citizen ranges up to $60 an ad for their online site (Ottawa Citizen, 2013), something that would be worth considering as the online movement for news and newspapers has been fairly large, as traditional print media has started to decline in popularity. This would make it fairly easy to run an effective newspaper campaign for around or under $500 in the weeks leading up to the opening of our business. Radio Based on a contact at KISS FM in Ottawa, a standard rate for a 30 second radio commercial is $115, and they often offer one free for every one purchased (Tompkins, 2013). Because this is more expensive than newspaper advertising, within the last week before opening, we could run an effective campaign for $1150 (4 commercials per day x 5 days) Word of Mouth Word of mouth advertising is often the most important form that can be used, as people are far more willing to believe and trust what their friends have done or experienced than what an advertisement tells them. Following opening the business, it would be profitable to offer small incentives to the initial wave of consumers in order to encourage them to bring their friends out to the food truck (for example, offering 20% off their next dish if they bring a friend with them). The results of this marketing push can easily be determined through an assessment of weekly revenues when weighed against costs. If weeks go by consecutively where there is minimal or no profits showing, then it would be crucial to reassess the plan and make changes where necessary or able to. Though, when there are significant profits showing in the books, it may be wise at that point to continue as planned, to ensure the plan continues to be an effective means of profit generation. Financial Plan Based on initial investments by the management team, to create our start-up ownership spread in the business’ shares, we have $20,000 to apply to our beginning costs in this business venture (100 shares x $200/share). This will cover around half of the purchase of a food truck to use (Lagorio, 2010), or the total licensing fees and partial inventory needed to get started. This brings us up short around $60,000-$75,000 to cover our start up costs and first year expenses to ensure our business runs smoothly and has the time to begin showing its own profit. Funding we are expecting to receive include small business grants from the Government of Canada. This grant and loan system offers to cover up to 90% of the financing required to get a new small business started (Industry Canada, 2013). However, this funding isn’t guaranteed, so we will be looking for other forms of financing, beginning with business loans from banks, and other investors. According to our operating budgets, our two weeks first year costs will run at around $3,940, which will be more than covered with our projected sales numbers, which allow for peak season in the spring and summer months, and a slow season in the late fall and winter months (when people aren’t out on the street as much and running a food truck becomes costly and slightly impractical). In order to break even, we would have to sell 7200-8000 4,124 meal items over the course of the year, at a cost of $5 per item, or an average of 15-2011 items per day, which is a completely feasible goal to meet. With summer months bringing in more customers than the winter, the overflow would easily balance out those slow months, ensuring our goal was met and likely garnering some profits to put towards expansion and annual costs for our second year of business. And if the target is met, we can easily be able to pay a huge part of our debt or use the money in taking the business to the next level . The total projected yearly net income after paying wages are calculated to be around $35000 which can be divided by owners in their respective shares. Exit Strategy Our food truck concept is offering food alternatives without the reaction–including ingredients. Our service is serving the Ottawa communities from all range of different customers and different cultures as well. We hope to raise awareness of food allergies in the city, and demonstrate our own working solution to combat the shortage of allergy-friendly alternatives in the Ottawa area. As the business grows, we plan to turn our food truck shop into a franchise. According to Ottawa Public Health regulations related to food handling and storage, there are currently no restrictions on the types of food that may be sold on the street. On-street food vendors require a mobile refreshment vehicle business license and designated space permit issued by the City of Ottawa. The total annual fee for truck ranges from $4,703 to $6,748. The breakdown of these fees is as follows: Annual Business License Fee for Trucks: $2,981 6 Month Business License Fee for Trucks: $1,945 Annual Designated Space Permit Fee: Truck (Downtown Core): $3,767 Truck (Outside Core): $1,722 Permits and business licenses are issued annually and expire on May 15th. After the initial issuance of the permit and license, it is required to renew the permit and business license within the renewal period of April 25th to May 15th each year. Furthermore, we are aware of policies relating to food truck business as following: Public health oversight of food truck operations The operation of food trucks in public right-of-ways Policy statements pertaining to mobile food vending Economic development programs applicable to food trucks such as financial incentives, social media/technology tools or training Program for encouraging/promoting innovation in food trucks The Food Truck is a Corporation owned by five members. A Corporation Agreement is included to allocate the profits or losses in any ratio agreed to between the partners. Each partner will consult a separate attorney at the outset, and all members should agree on the set terms and conditions of the corporation. We believe that a food truck is a unique business niche; therefore we come up with a mini business review based on our business strategy, competitive landscape analysis, menu fit to consumer demographics, financial performance, management roles and responsibilities, employee qualifications, and community connection. We hope to expand our business to franchise in the next 3 years. However, we also look in consideration if there is an exit scenario for our business during the period or afterward. Because of this, we are focusing our energy on creating a business that buyers will want. We are working on our profitability, competitive edge, sustainability, scalability and corporate culture. In term of selling or passing on our business, we plan to hire the financial, legal tax and business advisor to help shepherd the sale through. This will prevent us  from stressful, time-consuming process fraught with moving parts and paperwork. Along with the financial, legal tax and business advisor, we will also find a business broker banker in the area. This will help us to set a realistic asking price and assembling the necessary marketing materials for our business. The broker will discreetly contact potential buyers on our behalf. When it comes to risks, we are looking into the matters with close focus to identify the current and future problems for further analysis and desired actions required to close the gap. There are vehicle risks, operation risks, and liability risks. For vehicle risks, the risks include auto accidents, fire, theft, flood, wind damage, hail damage and electrical breakdowns. These risks can be lessened through education and training. A commercial auto insurance coverage will help to mitigate the cost of damage and loss of operational readiness due to the physical structure of our business. For operator risks, we are faced with slips, falls, cuts, burns, smoke inhalation and back injury from all the heavy lifting that is required during the workload of the day. We are aware that our employees are our biggest asset and can also be our biggest liabilities. It is important to have them well trained for their jobs and duties. Worker’s compensation insurance will be added in their working contracts. For liability risks, food trucks pose liabilities to employees in many ways. Not only that they may hurt themselves during work, they are also at risk of food-related illnesses and auto accidents that are somewhat unique to food trucks. We are carefully considering investing in business insurance for liability, spoilage insurance, business automobile insurance and worker’s compensation in order to adequately cover their bases. We have also analyzed our competitive landscape that includes competitive food trucks, restaurants, and food carts in the regions of Ottawa. This will keep us up to date of the marketplace and our competitors. Beside the risks, we are building up our business strategy: Business physical location is the priority pick. We are in the process of choosing our business location. There are some options such as near office complexes, downtown urban areas, along busy roads, recreation destinations. We also cater private and public events if we can get the contract. Business physical design is an eye-catch for the first sight customers. Keeping the  menu simple that customers can read easily Keeping the menu at a degree of flavor familiarity which contain locally grown and allergy free ingredients Charging competitive prices. Budget discounts for bad weather (sales can falls up to 50%) Establishing a regular customer base by providing the same quality food and products Keeping a clean and welcoming business environment Having competent leaders and managers who guide the effort and monitor results Being flexible, with a willingness to re-evaluate based on performance feedback and to make necessary changes throughout the process in order to get the desired results As important as business strategy, marketing techniques are a must in this society of social and network. Using word of mouth Using social media (today’s special, chef tips, social only discounts, online to offline social gatherings), network to advertise our business (email marketing) Investing in business cards Hosting a grand opening event to establish our food truck as a member in the local community Having loyalty program for returning customers (Buy 10 get 1 free) Creating awareness by joining in charity funds Serving for holiday parties We are aware that customer service is the most signification investment that we should pay attention to in our business. We will show people that we love what we do. We will try to maintain a great product for a great price. Bibliography Canadian Food Inspection Agency. (2013, April 26). Acts and Regulations. Retrieved July 10, 2013, from Canadian Food Inspection Agency: http://www.inspection.gc.ca/about-the-cfia/acts-and-regulations/eng/1299846777345/1299847442232 City of Ottawa. (2001-2013). 1.4 Projection Results. Retrieved July 10, 2013, from Ottawa: http://ottawa.ca/en/city-hall/get-know-your-city/statistics/14-projection-results City Of Ottawa. (n.d.). New street food vending program. Retrieved from http://ottawa.ca/en/business/business-licenses-applications-and-permits/business-licensing/new-street-food-vending City of Ottawa. (n.d.). Ottawa’s new street food vending program . Retrieved from http://ottawa.ca/sites/ottawa.ca/files/attachments/ottpage/nsf_vend_info_en_0.pdf Garriguet, D. (2004). Overview of Canadians Eating Habits. Retrieved July 10, 2013, from Statistics Canada: http://publications.gc.ca/Collection/Statcan/82-620-M/82-620-MIE2006002.pdf EMBO Reports: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1679775/ Hadley, C. (2006, November 11). Food allergies on the rise? Determining the prevalence of food allergies, and how quickly it is increasing, is the first step in tackling the problem. Retrieved July 10, 2013, from Health Canada. (2012, August 22). Food Allergies and Intolerances. Retrieved July 10, 2013, from Health Canada: http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/securit/allerg/index-eng.php Industry Canada. (2013, April 2). Canada Small Business Financing Program. Retrieved July 17, 2013, from Industry Canada: http://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/csbfp-pfpec.nsf/eng/h_la00007.html Lagorio, C. (2010, May 12). How to Open a (Successful) Food Truck. Retrieved July 17, 2013, from Inc.: http://www.inc.com/guides/2010/05/opening-a-successful-food-truck.html Landau, E. (2010, February 19). Exciting advance reported in peanut allergy therapy. Retrieved July 10, 2013, from CNN: http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/02/19/aaas.food.allergies/index.html Mealy, L. (n.d.). Food truck design . Retrieved from http://restaurants.about.com/od/restaurantconcepts/a/food_truck_design.htm Ottawa Citizen. (2010-2013). Specs Guides: Rate Card. Retrieved July 10, 2013, from Ottawa Citizen: http://www.ottawacitizen.com/about-ottawa-citizen/advertising/specs/rate-card.html Statistics Canada. (2012, June 27). Median total income, by family type, by census metropolitan area . Retrieved July 10, 2013, from Government of Canada: http://www.statcan.gc.ca/tables-tableaux/sum-som/l01/cst01/famil107a-eng.htm Street Food App. (2011-2013). Ottawa Food Trucks. Retrieved July 10, 2013, from Street Food App: http://streetfoodapp.com/ottawa Street food ottawa. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://streetfoodott.com/trucks-2/ Tompkins, J. (2013, May 21). quote (Email communication). Ottawa, ON, Canada.

Why Do Conservatives Put An Emphasis On Tradition Politics Essay

Why Do Conservatives Put An Emphasis On Tradition Politics Essay In this essay I am going to attempt to answer the question enclosed in the title of this paper. First I will define the term conservatism; secondly I will present conservatism seen from different perspectives, such as traditional and modern conservatives. My investigation will then focus on attempting to answer the title question. In the last part I will construct an answer to the second question enclosed above and conclude with my own opinion on the subject matter. The term Conservative and Conservatism has been widely described and defined in literature. This depends on the area of the subject it has been elaborated upon. The concept of conservatism has always been controversial in a sense.  [1]  A conservative is disposed to preserve existing conditions, institutions, etc., or to restore traditional ones, and to limit change  [2]  . This can be seen as a way of favouring traditional views and values and tending to oppose change. This has been the foundation of conservatives throughout history and still being upheld in todays world and society. As an ideological and social system conservatism is characterised by the preservation of the existing conditions of society, including the polity, from significant changes, as well as restoration of a pre-existing social state to substitute for a non-conservative, notably liberal one. Therefore conservatism, when redefined can be segmented into several types such as; political, economic, social or cultural.  [3]  Huntington brings the view of conservatism seen through aristocratic theory as the ideology of a single and unique historical movement. (Huntington, 1957; 454) He further explores other theories which relate to specific classes in society. Liberalism is the ideology reserved for bourgeoisie; Socialism and Marxism are regarded as ideologies of the working class or proletariat whereas the Conservatism becomes the ideology of the aristocracy. (Huntington, 1957; 454) The doctrines of conservative belief derive from both Tory and Whig thought  [4]  . They contain a belief of loyalty to the rule of law, property ownership, upholding institutions, belief in organic nature of society and limited government.  [5]   Notably in England conservatism has become part of political speech around 1830. David Hume is often portrayed as the first conservative political theorist. He was the first major thinker to offer a philosophical defence of conservatism. Hume rejects the idea that the reason goes above what can be observed. In Humes view morality is concerned with action for a persons motives or reasons for action whether an act is right or wrong. Hume further argues that sentiment is a pre-rational feeling towards somebody or something. (Hoffman and Graham, 2009; 202) Conservative thinker Edmund Burke does not accept abstractions, such as the natural right proclaimed by the French Revolutionaries in 1789. Burke defends habit, taste and prejudice. For Burke, the knowledge of other people, including previous generations, is the resource that must be highly respected and followed if we are to avoid disastrous social consequences. Burke in Reflection on the Revolution in France compares contrasts societ ies- French which has neglected prejudice in favour of theory and British, which has remained close to its traditions :(..)that we have made no discoveries, and we think that no discoveries are to be made, in morality; not many in the great principles of government, nor in the ideas of liberty, which were understood long before we were born, altogether a well as they will be after the grave has heaped its mould upon our presumption, and the silent tomb shall have imposed its law on our pert loquacity. (Burke, 1969; 84 in Hoffman Graham 2009; 202) Burke was on the side of what he saw as Britains Great Tradition in political history. (Nisbet 1986; 4) Tory Party was older and favoured by the monarchy and much of aristocracy. Turning to the past for inspiration and for models on which to base policy in the present is deeply embedded in the conservative tradition and is sufficient reason for liberal and radical epithets of reactionary or anarchic. Emile Faguet refers to all of the conservatives as prophets from the past. (Nisbet 1986; 18) Nisbet refers to Churchills emphasis on relating to past in the following I like to live in the past; I dont think people are going to get much fun in the future. (Nisbet 1986; 19) For Burke legitimacy is the work of history and of traditions which go far beyond the resources of any single generations. (Nisbet 1986; 23) To see things authentically as a conservative Mannheim writes () is to experience events in term of an attitude derived from circumstances and situations anchored in the past. (Ni sbet 1986; 23) The concreteness of experience and history is persisting conservative emphasis. (Nisbet 1986; 24) Strauss is regarded as an important influence on what is called neo- conservatism. His view on conservatism is very different to that of Hume, Burke and Oakeshott. Strauss sought to revive both, the reading of text in the history of political thought and the natural right tradition. Use of Tory by modern British Conservatives has been somewhat more affection than anything really substantive. (Nisbet, 1986; 11) Jeremy Bentham and his utilitarian philosophy reject Enlightenment, French Revolution and all philosophers of natural right. He said the past is of no use. (Nisbet, 1986; 17) Michael Oakeshott was one of the most important conservative thinkers of the 20th Century. Oakeshott offered a critique of modern conservatives, who in fact are liberal rationalists. A rationalists stands for independence of mind on all occasions, for thought free from obligation to any authority as he puts it save the authority of reason. (Oakeshott 1962:1 in Hoffman and Graham 2009; 203) The rationalist rejects Burkean prejudice, custom and habit. He believes that it is possible to reason about political institutions and the fact that something exists, and has existed in past, is no justification for respecting or retaining it. This lack of respect causes a political attitude of radical change rather than gradual reform. The rationalist disrespect for institution extends to the world of ideas; instead of a careful engagement with the complex intellectual traditions that have shaped western societies. (Oakeshott 1962; 7 in Hoffman and Graham 2009; 205) Tradition is a practice or institution that has continuedx through time and has been inherited from an earlier period.  [6]  Conservatives have defended tradition of different grounds. For some conservatives, tradition reflects their religious faith. If the world is thought to have been fashioned by a creator, traditional customs and practices in society should be regarded as God given. Therefore to change the tradition or natural laws would be to challenge the will of God. However after the acceleration of historical change old traditions were replaced by new ones. Man-made laws were being created such as universal suffrage and free elections. This certainly weakened fundamentalist conservatism. Most conservatives, however, support tradition without needing to argue it has divine origins. Burke for example, describes society as a partnership between those who are living, those who are dead and those who are to be born. (Nisbet, 1986; 23) Nisbet uses Chestertons quote, who claims that tradition means giving votes to the most obscure of all classes: our ancestors. It is democracy of the dead. Tradition refuses to submit to the arrogant oligarchy of those who merely happen to be walking about. (Nisbet, 1986; 24)Tradition is therefore seen by conservatives as wisdom of the past. The institutions and traditions have been tested by time, and therefore should be preserved for the benefits of future generations. In a sense, conservatives take a Darwinian view on tradition, that tradition has gone through a period of natural selection and has only survived because it has worked and been found of real value. (Nisbet, 1986; 28) An example of this is the British Monarchy. As historical wisdom and experience is gained from it, as well as gives a focus of national loyalty, it should be preserved. In this sense, tradition also generates a feeling of identity for society and individuals. (Hoffman and Graham 2009; 213) As traditional practices can be recognised from generation to generation, it allows people to feel a sense of belonging. Change on the other hand is like walking into unknown and is therefore dangerous because it creates a feeling of insecurity and uncertainty, in fact threatening happiness. Tradition is therefore seen as fundamental principle of conservatism. (Hoffman and Graham 2009; 214) The philosophy of traditionalism is selective. A tradition must come from the past but it must be also desirable in itself. It is our link with the past. There is another attribute of conservative respect of the old and traditional; belief that no matter how archaic a given structure or modern may be, there may be in it a continuity, still vital, function that man profits from; psychologically or sociologically. (Nisbet 1986; 27) T.S Elliot in his essay on individual talent and tradition has written as confirmed traditionalist as well as revolutionist in poetic form and imaginary. The individual talent is simply impotent, condemned to spinning of wheels without a chosen tradition to work with. (Nisbet, 1986; 29) The Conservative Party is the mean in todays society through which Conservatism is introduced into publics spheres. It has a set of beliefs that comprise British Conservatism and those beliefs that have been preserved and developed over time by Conservative thinkers and politicians. However looking at the recent years it is clear that the link between conservation and development of those beliefs and policies has not been very close as it should have been. Having analysed the above areas of conservatism it is clear in a sense that todays Conservatism and Conservative Party is not really conservative. Margaret Thatchers government 1979-1990 was rather rationalist if we analyse it in Oakeshotts view. (Hoffman and Graham 2009; 206) For Oakeshott experience comes with tradition, therefore rationalism for him is the politics of the inexperienced. (Hoffman and Graham 2009; 207) The contemporary significance of traditional conservatism is seen less as an active ideology. Current conservativ e party is no longer fully conservative, but heading towards more of a liberal approach which is their source of ideas. (Hoffman and Graham 2009; 208) It can be argued that there has been a significant shift in policies and philosophy of Conservative party under David Camerons leadership.  [7]  He has adopted a significantly different approach to his predecessors which can be characterised by focusing on new areas of concern, avoiding specific commitments, considering better policy options and being more value-oriented than in former Parliaments.  [8]   In my opinion conservatives party and its internal disputes are clear reflection of the contradicting interests present within their ideology. Having in mind that conservative view presents that society does not exist, and the world is only a collection of self-seeking, egotistic individuals I do not believe they are able to invent a coherent way of thinking and going forward with a positive and constructive outlook upon the future. The fact that conservatives seem to be emphasising tradition and history of good times, praising the life and the level of society was during previous decades, will not improve but hinder their progression. I believe by looking backward to the past, conserving the reality cannot be perceived as it really is, but as it would like to be seen from the past perspective. I believe any modern ideology; system has to be addressed to current affairs and relevant to present issues and look forward to the future, rather than the past. However having said that it is clearly noticeable that modern conservative party is collaborating with Liberal-Democrats seems to be a new beginning or transformation that might bring positive results for the people and State.

Measuring Happiness And Influences On Happiness Philosophy Essay

Measuring Happiness And Influences On Happiness Philosophy Essay Measuring happiness is a subjective study in determining what values that people use to consider themselves truly happy. Happiness in general depends on many factors: the persons expectations, the uncertainty of the result, how much control a person feels he or she has over the result, comparison with other results, alternative ways to get a result, how a person values the results and the persons goals in general (Hewson 41). How happy a person is can depend on what the person expected from any given outcome in relation to events. For example, if the happiness factor is measured by how much value is seen in an object or event, as minus how much value was expected from the same result, then, there is a gap between what the person got and what the person expected to get. This is somewhat like the profit measured in a business deal, Profit = Income Costs (Hewson 43). Therefore, deciding if a person is happy or not depends on whether the same person sees or values an event as positive o r negative, if the result was expected and anticipated, and if the result made the person satisfied or not after the event has passed. Our culture measures happiness by how successful a person is in relation to money earned. In this way, there is a value put on the idea of being successful, having money in the bank and having made it. But many scientists state that once a person has escaped poverty, the more money he or she accumulates will not necessarily buy more happiness for the person, and there will not be a value relation on happiness (Chatzky 28). It is fascinating to note that theres little difference in the overall happiness of millionaires and the middle classà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.if you are going to spend your money in search of greater happiness, youre better off buying experiences rather than things (Chatzky 28). Many people may agree that our experiences mellow and become more pleasant over time, and even if they are unreasonably embellished, they are still pleasant to recall. In this way, it is considered valuable to have had a relaxing vacation, or spend time with family or explore a new place in the pers ons home town. Some tips to happiness are to find bliss in everyday items by paying attention to the smaller aspects of life, and enjoying the anticipation of preparing for and experiencing a new event. In this way, people can appreciate and measure the value of finding joy in everyday tasks, and living well even with less money. Even biology and genetics can contribute to achieving and finding the value of happiness in our lives. Because the human brain is only 38% developed at birth (unlike other mammals, which are 98% developed at birth), humans need nurturing, enjoy grappling with ideas, sharing their thoughts and improving their education to allow them the essentials for finding happiness in their lives (Foran 573). This is valuable because most people prefer to be challenged, and look for ways to push themselves to achieve, whether in extreme sports, or in working overtime at their jobs to experience the satisfaction of finishing a project on time there is definite value in achievements that lead to a feeling of having conquered something. Happiness is also measured best by being assessed on how people feel on average over a long period of time (Layard 25). It is necessary to study the moods of the masses and determine if their feelings are happy or not, as well as determining if they place a high value on those feelings in general. In one study, women were seen to be happiest at meal times and at the end of the day, which confirms that many people are happiest when they are alone, without the company of others. When looking at the happiness factor of different countries, it is seen that if the average income per person is less than $15,000 per year, any extra money gained will tend to make the person happier. But if the average income is well above this level, a persons happiness seems to be independent of incomeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦the average American is much richer than the average Icelander or Dane, but also less happy (Layard 25). The reason behind the disparity is that people are always comparing themselves to others, and the stakes are continually rising, keeping real happiness just out of their reach. The two factors most people use to measure their happiness in regards to family income, is that people compare the income that they receive to the income that other people receive, to see if they measure up to or make more money than the other person does. The reference group used by most people is usually a neighbor or group of friends, as opposed to making comparisons to celebrated figures with abnormally high salaries. People also value the time they have to relax to pursue their leisure activities such as: socializing, exercising, meditation, watching TV, preparing food, childcare, internet/mail, doing housework, or commuting to work (Layard 26). These small tasks are what make up the average persons day, but any one task on its own would be considered valuable as a tool for relaxation. For people who consider themselves happy, the absence of any co-variation over time, in regards to their economic situation maintaining stability, would indicate that the measure of happiness lacks validity (Hellevik 243). For people living in Norway, for example, note that their health and family situation have a stronger effect on their happiness, more than any other factor. Happiness was measured as a value in the persons life, if the person did not have to worry about his or her subjective well-being. This meant that the person was less fearful regarding crime, burglary, theft or assaults, terrorism or any other kind of environmental threat to the country (Norway) in general if the person was in good health and had strong familial ties. It has been said in songs and ballads that the simple pleasures of life are the ones that produce the highest factor of joy for those experiencing them (Sikka 515). In bygone primitive societies, humans living tribal family lives felt the deep feelings of being within a loving group, and feeling happy with the connection to others. It is also said that people experienced satisfaction in primitive times, and felt happy in the way common to any living creature, since human beingsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦were destined by God for a life of harmony and innocent contentment (Sikka 517). Humans also find value in the necessity for labor and physical activity. By using physical effort, the use of the senses, and exercising understanding, attention, memory and decision, this makes up the persons spirit or inner life-force, allowing the reward of such activities to bring happiness and joy (Sikka 526). It is true that happiness is measured in different ways in other cultures. In non-Western cultures, happiness is considered a vague notion which has a general meaning of the person experiencing positive factors and a good life. In fact, the word happiness did not appear in the Chinese language until recently, with happiness being measured as high if the person had longevity, prosperity, health, peace, virtue and a comfortable death as the best values in life (Luo 479). Asian cultures believe that, according to the Yin-Yang theory, there are two universal concepts or opposite forms of nature which control all creations. These forces are constantly changing and evolving, and it is the basis of Taoism theory, which states that well-being is achieved with balance within these forces of nature. The Chinese also believe in dualism, that is where two systems represent the wisdom of the laboring masses and the wisdom of the educated elite, offering different ethics for common and learned peo ple. This wisdom would compare the happiness quotient of a common person to an educated person and the values would be considered subjective for each group. Also, Confucian philosophy shows that the life of each individual person is only a link to the persons ancestors, and each person continues where the ancestors left off (Luo 479). This idea is more than simple reincarnation, it puts the family at the center of a persons life, and makes maintaining relationships in the family unit a priority and measure of happiness. People also value happiness by valuing the health of their family. This is because having better health allows a person to live more happily, earn more money at a job, and spend more on health care for the benefit of better health benefits overall (de Mello Tiongson 594). If a family member (or the person him or herself) is in poor health, this will affect the calculation one would make to determine and measure overall happiness. The happiest people when surveyed on a 10-point life-satisfaction scale, were those who actually earned less money than slightly less happier respondents (Stinchfield 56). These results show that it is an unrealistic expectation to be superhappy, and instead it is more realistic to be somewhat happy with life in general. For people who are moderately happy, it means that they are likelier to try harder to change their lives for the better, such as finding a new job in a different career or performing better at school. When deciding what really matters, it is necessary to prioritize, look for the real meaning of matters or mysteries, seek to nurture a positive attitude, connect with the spirit and inner being, ask if happiness is possible, look for the meaning of life in the right places and being kind to others which all serve to find value in life and happiness in a persons life in general (Ardell 1). Who among us is happy and has found the value of happiness? The unhappiest countries in the world, as determined by a study by Borooah performed in 2006, were the former countries of the Soviet Union and the Eastern European bloc, since seventeen of the 20 unhappiest countries were in this category (Borooah 483). The other three unhappiest countries were Zimbabwe (because of a repressive dictator), Iran (a theocracy) and China (a communist country) (Borooah 483). The happiest countries of the world (at the time of this study) were Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the USA, with Latin American countries running as close second, and including South Africa, Tanzania, Nigeria, and a few Asian countries such as Singapore and Vietnam. Therefore, the measurement of happiness globally depends on the value that the person deciding on happiness puts on the events experienced daily in life. People have the choice to become happy, value everyday experiences and seek positive meanings from their lives for a richer experience and higher quality of life overall.