The Ontological Argument for Gods existence Essay

The Ontological Argument for Gods existence - Essay Example Arguments for the existence of God are based on revelations of the Realized Souls. At their level everything is perfect, ever the same, and without any confusion or contradiction. All confusion and arguments arise, when mind-level intellectuals begin to interpret the revelations of the transcendental! Arguments for the existence of God based on general revelation are also called natural theology. Next to general revelations, is the special revelation and this is the area where the problems for the humanity begin due to their wrong understanding/interpretation. Those issues are: who God is, what God has done and will do and how He expects us to live. Such divine instructions are found in The Bible, Qur’an, Shri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, Vedas, etc. Natural theology based on reasoning is incapable of demonstrating God’s existence. Relying on one’s own thought and reasoning skills to reach God is full of pitfalls. Human beings are likely to confuse the limitations of their thoughts as the limitation of God. Arguments for the existence of God based on the appearance of design in the world again form part of the domain of reasoning and inductive logic. Design arguments are also known as teleological arguments. The perfect order in the universe is offered as the perfect reason for the existence of God. The perfect order seen in the universe cannot be a matter of c hance. If the watch needs the watch maker, the universe needs the universe-maker, so say the Creationists. The universe must be the product of intelligent design, they believe. Objections to the design arguments say that it is not necessary to depend upon a God-hypothesis to explain the orderly positioning of the things in the world. Science is capable of explaining everything, according to such votaries. They argue that life is created from the â€Å"Big-bang†, and one sees the natural evolutionary process in the things around. But these people

Strategy and Corporate Planning PowerGen Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Strategy and Corporate Planning PowerGen - Essay Example The report starts with analyzing the effect of the organizational change on corporate planning. It is found that PowerGen reorganized itself three times between 1990 and 1998. The changes in the organizational structure had to be supported with effective corporate plans which specified the roles and responsibilities of each function. Initially, PowerGen had a centralized structure which underwent a complete transformation to a decentralized operation with unit managers at each business level being given wider responsibilities. The next section tries to analyze the core competencies and capabilities which have helped PowerGen to maintain its market share. It has been found that PowerGen’s focus was to supply electricity at a low cost. It formed an effective supply chain across various geographical locations and by partnering with various companies which helped it to produce electricity at low cost. This section also analyzes the core competencies and capabilities of two other major players in the industry which are EDF and E.ON. The last section deals with understanding the effect of privatization and deregulation and PowerGen’s merger with Midland electricity which was a major strategic move and helped PowerGen immensely to stay ahead of the competition. The report ends with an analysis of the centralized system of planning adopted by CEGB in the context of Hofstede’s article titled â€Å"Cultural constraints in management theories†. It shows the importance of cultural aspects while dealing with employees. The end product of electricity industry is one of the fastest growing industries in the world. The spiraling demand for energy is expected to rise considerably till 2030. The total value of the electricity market comprises of the total electricity sold to commercial, industrial, residential and other users. In 2007, the total value of the market increased by 14.5%.

Tasks that can be performed by Self-Managed teams Essay Example for Free

Tasks that can be performed by Self-Managed teams Essay Many organizations are enabling self-managed teams so that the costs of hiring senior managers and supervisors to handle the team are removed. The organization should also be aware that only some and not all of the tasks could be performed using self-management means. All autonomous jobs and tasks can be performed on a self-management basis. As one member is able to acquire and develop skills, the other members would be learning through interactions. In this way the entire team would be competent with performing several tasks in the organizations. Some of the difficult tasks, which are highly unstable and need use of highly specialized skills, may be difficult to be performed by self-managed groups. It may also be difficult for temporary teams and committees to perform self-managed tasks. In the field of nursing and medicine, the management has to ensure that the self-managed teams are not temporary or transient teams that are working for some kind of temporary project. The skills that a self-managed team possesses should be permanent and involve the much routine work (Silverman, 1996). Roles and Responsibilities of Self-Managed teams A self-managed team would be having several roles and responsibilities in the organization. These roles and responsibilities have to be met at various stages of development of the team self-management development. The organization’s culture should be supported by the seven roles of the self-managed team. The seven roles of the self-managed team include: Ensure that the principles and values of the organization are constantly met – these include performance of several tasks such as demonstrating behavior, making decisions and communicating with the customers and suppliers keeping in mind the basic values and principles of the organization. The team member has to also demonstrate personal behavior and values that are in track with those of the organization when communicating with other team members. All conflicts and problems should be handled keeping in and the principles and the values of the organization. Ensure that the various team-related processes are handled in an effective manner – This is closely related to the organization’s culture. The team that is functional should ensure that the characteristics of teamwork and team spirit are incorporated in all work performed. The team should identity the functions and processes that are needed for the work to be performed. The roles, responsibilities, areas of helping one another, etc need to be performed. The team members should know the rules, regulations, decision-making approach, etc, so that any barriers cannot hamper the work. Between the members of the team a mutual trust and understanding should exist. Each member of the team should be available to take over the functions of his fellow team member in case the need is required. The team would also have to closely evaluate and monitor its performance so that any obstacles that may be existent with the workflow is identified and addressed appropriately. Ensure that the team environment is conducive to work Complete the team’s work – Each of the team members should be aware of the various responsibilities of the members and the various processes that are existent. A team member should identity his responsibility and should complete it. They should priorities the work based on the urgency and ensure that all tasks are completed on time. The team members should be able to gather in a group and discuss the tasks and responsibilities to be shared by each team member. They should also be aware of the resources necessary to complete the work, and the manner in which the resources have to be obtained. Each staff member has to schedule his/her work accordingly, and obtain all necessary information to complete the tasks efficiently. The staff members should be able to respond to the information presented to them. They should be able to understand the information and accordingly act. The staff should participate in the organization wide-system – This is a linkage-directed work to ensure that the staff members are able to participate in examining organization-wide processes. The staff members would have to perform certain standardization functions such as purchasing the logistics, paying the taxes, etc. They would also have to collect the data regarding the organization-wide data, analyses it and provide it to the appropriate authorities as and when required. The team members should also give the organization ideas of any changes required in the policies. The other activities in this purview include participation in training and workshops, assessments, appraisals, audits, etc. The staff should participate in the organization wide-strategies – This is a vision-directed work and ensures that the organization’s vision is kept in mind. A team member would have to gather data regarding the environment the organization is functioning in. An organization would be having several inherent strengths and weakens. This would relate to the external environment in the form of opportunities and strengths. The vision statement of the organization should consider the opportunities that are existent in the future, as it has to be realistic and able to function in the external environment. The self-managed team would be the first to interact with the patriot, and hence data regarding the external environment would be available on a first hand basis to the self-managed team. The team would be able to relate the data regrind the external environment to the internal capabilities. In the future, this data could be utilized by the organization whilst strategizing. The self-management teams should be involved in the management by attending meetings conducted for business plans. (Silverman, 1996 Moss, 1996).

Sexuality in Men and Women

Sexuality in Men and Women Sexuality Men Women Outline two or more different approaches to the study of sexuality. Sexuality is mainly conceived as being a natural drive or instinct, which becomes inevitably part of the biological make-up of an individual, which only seeks fulfilment through sexual activity. Such a view of sexuality, which sees such as a natural entity, is most commonly referred to as essentialism. The majority of essentialist theories present today have presented sex as a natural instinct needed for the purpose of reproductive activity. In such a way, Weeks (1986) outlines that in such an essentialist approach there is an apparent link between sexuality and biological sex/gender. â€Å"Modern culture has assumed an intimate connection between the fact of being biologically male or female (that is having appropriate sex organs and reproductive potentialities) and the correct form of erotic behaviour (usually genital intercourse between men and women)† (Weeks 1986 p.13) In regards to an essentialist viewpoint, one is left to distinguish between men and women, in particular reference to their independent sexual desires and needs. It has been noted that women tend to have a natural tendency to promiscuity while men, on the other hand are described as having a much stronger sex drive. Therefore, in reference to this particular discourse, human sexuality is heavily rooted in biological terms, whereby a heterosexual drive intended for the purpose of procreation would be considered â€Å"normal.† Thus, under such an approach, lesbian, gay and bisexual men and women have been largely considered deviant and unnatural, while any individuals who categorise themselves as any of these are subsequently not considered â€Å"real† men or women. â€Å"We learn very early on from many sources that â€Å"natural† sex is what takes place with members of the â€Å"opposite† sex. â€Å"Sex† between people of the same â€Å"sex† is therefore, by definition, â€Å"unnatural.† (Weeks 1986 p.13) For both men and women, heterosexuality is clearly the norm under such an approach, while sex is ideally expressed in monogamous and marital relationships in an ideal world. Jeffrey Weeks, who happens to be one of the key critics of essentialism has been known to reject any approach that fails to consider the historical and social forces that shape sexuality. Weeks suggests that the diversity of sexual identity and desire is also important to acknowledge. He rejects the notion that there is a true essence of sex, there is no â€Å"uniformed pattern† which is â€Å"ordained by nature itself† (Weeks 1986 p.15). The essentialist argument comes as simplistic to Weeks, as it reduces the nature of sexual relations and identities to biological factors. Many other theorists have acknowledged the simplistic nature of essentialism, by agreeing that sexual desires may appear to be natural, but also acknowledging the idea that our sexual responses and identities may in fact be socially constructed. When we learn the patterns of our behaviour, we are subjected to the meanings attached to such behaviours as well. Such behaviours then become a product of certain social and historical forces; which can immediately be extended to include our sexual attitudes, feelings and the ways in which we feel about sexuality itself and hence our sexual identity. It has been said that sexuality is very much shaped by the culture in which we live. The very factors that make up our society (laws, religious teachings, social policies, the media) all attach their own meaning to such meanings that are conveyed to us. This approach does not deem biology as insignificant; inevitably the body imposes some limits due to sheer distinction between being male or female i.e. we experience different things in regards to what genitalia we possess. Yet having said this, anatomical structure and physiology do not directly influence what we do and the way we act, not does it determine the meaning we attach to the actions we choose to make. â€Å"All the constituent elements of sexuality have their source either in the body or the mind, and I am not attempting to deny the limits posed by biology or mental processes. But the capacities of the body are given meaning only by social relations†. (Weeks 1986 p.15). In relation to social construction, the body is said to gain certain meaning in certain social contexts as different parts of the body can be defined in many different ways. For example, in the 1960s it was stated that a new cultural context emerged. It was at this point in time that the â€Å"G-spot† was discovered. Such a discovery led to the vast publication of books, with the added introduction of classes to help women explore their bodies and find their so-called â€Å"G-spot.† In such a way, the physical anatomy of women stayed the same as before but at this point it had a different social significance. This particular part of the body was given a particular and new social meaning, which was constructed to become an object of desire. Foucault (1981) has been a very influential early theorist by shedding light on the social construction of sexuality. He argues that there is no one truth about sex. Hence various discourses, whether this be it law, religion, medicine or psychiatry have established their particular view of the body and its relative pleasures. Sexual desire is created through a set of bodily sensations, pleasures and feelings. It is such desires which shape our sexual values and henceforth the meaning we attach to our bodies. Sex is therefore not some biological entity governed by natural laws (as suggested by essentialism) but is more like an idea specific to certain cultures and particular historical periods. The creation of definitions and in particular the categorisation such that of heterosexual, homosexual and lesbian etc becomes the ingredients of sex. It is through this that we try to make sense of it. However, the work of Foucault, although recognised as very important has been criticised for not paying enough attention to the way gender influences sexual desire and identity. In tangent with the work of Foucault, Weeks highlights that sexual identity is historically shaped. Weeks was apprehensive with the way in which sexuality and especially homosexuality has been embedded in an ever-changing and highly complex history over the past 100 years. With a number of influences, cited as being feminists, gay and lesbian activists and Foucault himself, Weeks developed the hypothesis that many sexual categories that we ultimately take for granted are actually the product of social and historical labels. The distinction between the â€Å"natural† and secure are all subject to continuous labelling. Weeks felt it important to study the history of sexuality, in order to gain an understanding of the many forms of identities existent in society today, in terms of demographics such as class, ethnicity, gender and sexual preference. Again, he emphasises the point that it is reductionist to reduce the complexities of reality to essentialist biological truth. Sexual identity, therefore, according to Weeks is not achieved simply by an act of individual will but rather through social construction. In addition to the above, â€Å"the biological justification for heterosexuality as normal, it might be proposed, has fallen apart. What used to be called perversions are merely ways in which sexuality can legitimately be expressed and self-identity be defined.† (Giddens 1992 p.179). Giddens suggests that it is late modernity that has changed sexuality from being a single hegemony and replaced it with sexual pluralism. This significant shift brought on by the fact that sexuality as a term was largely replaced by â€Å"sexual identity,† which nonetheless is defined by individual choice, whereby sexual choice falls under one of the elements of an individual’s â€Å"lifestyle† choice. In a historical sense, such a shift took place in a very short period of time. Sex and ways of thinking about it, provided a science of sex so to speak. These were accompanied by clear distinctions between the normal and abnormal. Such ways of thinking have produced a series of accounts of the way people behave sexually. Such accounts different to the work of the early sexologists such as Freud. Giddens introduces the notion of institutional reflexivity to explain the shift. Through the process of reflexivity, it is the distinctions between the â€Å"normal us† and the â€Å"perverse them† that vanish. Sexual diversity, although still regarded by many hostile groups as perversion, has moved out of Freuds case-history notebooks into the everyday social world (Giddens 1992 p.33). It has been found that there has been evidence to support the claim that the notion of perversion has been replaced by diversity, that our expressions of sexual desire rank alongside other expressions of self-identity, that sexual pluralism has replaced sexual monism. Some caution is necessary with this however, as Weeks points out (1986 p.81) â€Å"the admitted fact of diversity need not lead to a norm of diversity.† Such arguments and criticisms establishing the complex nature to the study of sexuality. Amongst the essentialist/social constructionist debate, there has been a large amount of contribution from radical feminists. Radical feminists, (the assumed extreme ended form of feminism), has come under criticism for employing an essentialist viewpoint, whereby radical feminists themselves would claim to be following a social constructionist viewpoint. The essentialism that radical feminists are thought to applied to radical feminist thought is not the traditional biological sense, but a more social sense. Radical feminists view the subordinate position of women as being universal and hence unchanging, therefore leading to a failure in acknowledging historical and cultural difference. As Ann Ferguson states â€Å"though these social constructionist theories may not technically be biologically essentialist, they are still a form of social essentialism: that is, they assume a social divide between male and female sexual natures which is unconvincingly universal, static and ahistorical.† (Ferguson 1989 p.54) Typically, radical feminist thought on sexuality has pondered on the way in which patriarchy impacts women in particular social contexts. Radical feminists have not assumed sexuality to be universal and hence unchanging. A large part of the belief system of many radical feminists is the view that sexuality is socially constructed and therefore can be changed and reconstructed in many different ways; views on sexuality can change and be opposed. Nonetheless, all preceding points have been ignored, as the view that radical feminists are essentialist has largely been adopted. IN addition to this, it appears that the recent that the influence of postmodernist ideas within feminism has re-instated this. For example, the words â€Å"patriarchy†, â€Å"woman† and â€Å"man† have been classifies as essentialist and problematic. Such issues and conceptions highlight the difficulty in theorising sexuality with one dominant approach. It has been suggested that queer theory, as it emerged in the 1980s in the United States, was the distinctive factor that provided intellectual challenge to the categories that were established in the 19th century. It was queer theory that opposed the idea that heterosexuality was the only natural and normal form of sexuality, in addition to challenging the idea that homosexuality was in fact a distinct category of people that act in a particular way. All binary divisions that were imposed on sex and sexuality were rejected by such an approach. It was argued that the theoretical basis for the rejection of existing categories was due to the fact that such categories fails to reflect real differences, whether this be biological or otherwise, but instead reflected discourse. Such categories therefore, were part of the language of heterosexual dominance and hence had no truth outside it. (Stein Plummer 1994). Furthermore, queer theory also criticized the notion of distinct sexual identities. Similar to postmodern thought on sexuality, queer theory recognized that the conception of identity was made up of many different things. â€Å"Individuals can construct and reconstruct themselves through their choice of lifestyles, moving across categories and boundaries as they please† (Epstein 1994). Queer theory not only provided a refreshing sociological analysis of the importance of social categories but also had a political aim as well. However, such a viewpoint is open to sociological criticism as some may argue that fails to recognize the sheer volume of social construction, hence leaving the approach fairly simplistic. Judith Butler’s work (1990, 1991) represents a postmodern attempt to theorise sexuality. Butler challenges the assumed causal links between sex, gender and sexual desire. She emphasises that the person individuals’ desire is seen to lead from either being masculine or feminine, whereby the norm construction is for desire to be directed towards the opposite gender. Not only does Butler challenge such a notion, but further goes on to address the assumption that heterosexuality is the only valid form of sexual desire. To her, heterosexuality is simply one element of desire. What is important to point out at this point is the fact that heterosexuality is the only form of desire that has come to be seen as natural. Butler highlights that once these notions and so called links are challenged then both gender and sexual desire will become â€Å"fluid† – something which is not extensively present today. Butler is one of the few theorists who contests all forms of sexual norms. â€Å"It is not just the norm of heterosexuality that is tenuous. It’s all sexual norms† (Butler in Osbourne and Segal 1994) Going into further detail, Butler proposes that no gender is a â€Å"true† gender. Gender is a performance; it is more about what is done at particular times rather than a universally fixed notion. Butler sees heterosexuality as the â€Å"naturalized† original, while a binary model of sexual identity i.e. the â€Å"either/or† of hetero/homosexuality is unstable as each requires the other as a reference point. For Butler, â€Å"there is no proper gender, a gender proper to one sex or the other, which is some way that sexs cultural property (Butler 1991 p.21). There are, rather, illusions of continuity, by which heterosexuality naturalises itself. Such an illusion is thought to depend on the idea that â€Å"there is first a sex which is expressed through a gender and then through a sexuality† (Ibid). However, Butler argues the opposite, stating that a â€Å"regime of sexuality mandates as compulsory performance of sex† (ibid p.29). We have already established that the performance relied on masculinity and femininity. According to Butler, the linked chain of sex, gender and desire, which becomes the make-up of heterosexuality is thought to be required yet fragile at the same time. The claim of such a chain being fragile is addressed in Butler’s Gender Trouble (1996), whereby Butler outlines a fundamental interpretation of the â€Å"Oedipal struggle† as developed by psychologist Freud. Within this text, Butler chooses to focus on the original denial of same-sex desire. She readily argues that it is homosexual incest that was the original taboo, as compared to heterosexual incest as was claimed. â€Å"The young boy and the young girl who enter into the Oedipal Drama with incestuous heterosexual aims have already been subject to prohibitions with dispose them in distinct sexual directions. Hence the dispositions that Freud assumes to be primary or constitutive facts of sexual life are effects of a law, which internalised, produces and regulates discrete gender identity and heterosexuality.† (Butler 1990 p.64) Therefore, the gender identification within the oedipal struggle is one that is produced by the repression and denial of same-sex desire. Such a disposition is caused by the effects of laws that see same-sex desire negatively. Some may argue that such a statement supports the idea of social constructionism. In regards to heterosexuality, there are certain expectations that are placed on the body which relate to gender performance in order to acquire sexuality. A â€Å"feminine† woman and a â€Å"masculine† man are expected to experience pleasure via penetration of their respective genitalia. This nonetheless explains the problems faced by transsexuals and the belief that successful acquisition of gender identity is impossible without the appropriate genitalia. Therefore, the transsexual’s gain or loss of a particular body part to establish a certain desired identity is not a â€Å"subversive† act but rather an act that portrays the nature and existence of the link between sex, gender and desire have become â€Å"naturalized.† Although the work of Butler has been highly influential in the discipline of gender studies, it appears that a number of criticisms have been attached to her work. A major critic to the work of Butler has been Nancy Fraser, who argues that the concept of performance in relation to gender and sexuality and Butler’s immediate focus on it is somewhat ignorant of â€Å"everyday ways of talking and thinking about ourselves.† Many others have also focused on such an issue in their criticism of Butler’s work. For example, Speer and Potter also argue that Butler’s work is difficult to apply to real-life situations, as the focus on language and meaning leads to problems relating to validity. Generally, over the past couple of decades, it appears that there have been significant shifts in the understanding and acceptance of sexuality, especially homosexuality. There has clearly been an emergence of new sexual identities, with fundamental challenged to traditional frameworks. However, having examined a number of approaches to the study of sexuality and looking closely upon the basis of the arguments presented by many of the theorists addressed in this essay it appears as though their arguments are in a nutshell rooted within the essentialist/social constructionist argument. While there are theorists who view sexuality as determined by a particular factor whether this be it biological or anything else, there are those that view that society and history have their part to play as well. I feel that such a construction and these same assumptions, in whatever form they may come, will always remain. Sexuality will perhaps always be subjected to such connotations. What I do find important, however, is the factor of gender and its relationship to sexuality. It appears that gender is in fact an integral part of sexuality and the understanding of it. However, even discourse on sexuality and gender are yet to clearly direct us to a definitive understanding of sexuality. References BUTLER, JUDITH (1990) â€Å"Gender Trouble: Feminism and the Subversion of Identity†, London: Routledge, pp. 21-29 BUTLER, JUDITH (1991) â€Å"Imitation and gender subordination† in D. Fuss (ed.) â€Å"Inside/out Lesbian theories, Gay theories†, London: Routledge, pp 64-65 EPSTEIN, STEVEN (1987) â€Å"Gay politics, ethnic identity: the limits of social constructionism†, Socialist Review, 93/94: pp 9-54 FERGUSON, ANN (1989) â€Å"Blood at the Root: Motherhood, Sexuality and Male Dominance†, London: Pandora Press, pp 54-55 FOUCAULT, MICHEL (1981) â€Å"The History of Sexuality Volume 1: An Introduction†, Harmondsworth: Penguin FRASER, NANCY (1994) â€Å"False Anthitheses† in â€Å"Feminist Contentions: A Philosophical Exchange†, London: Routledge, p 67 GIDDENS, ANTHONY (1992) â€Å"The Transformation of Intimacy: Sexuality, Love and Eroticism in Modern Societies†, Cambridge: Polity Press, p 33 p 179 HAWKES, GAIL, (1996) â€Å"A sociology of sex and sexuality†, Buckingham: Open University Press, pp 134-141 MARSH, IAN (2000 ed) â€Å"Sociology making sense of society†, London: Prentice Hall, pp 327-380 OSBOURNE, PETER and SEGAL, LYNNE (1994) â€Å"Gender as performance: an interview with Judith Butler.† in MARSH, IAN (2nd ed), â€Å"Sociology making sense of society†, London: Prentice Hall, pp 373 RICHARDSON, DIANE (2000) â€Å"Rethinking sexuality†, London: Sage, pp 19-67 SPEER, SUSAN and POTTER, JONATHAN (2002) â€Å"From Performatives to Practices† in McILVENNY, PAUL (ed) â€Å"Talking Gender and Sexuality†, Philadelphia: John Benjamins Company, pp 150-180 STEIN, ARLENE and PLUMMER, KEN (1996) â€Å"I can’t even think straight†: â€Å"queer† theory and the missing sexual revolution in sociology†, in SEIDMAN, STEVEN (ed.), â€Å"Queer Theory/Sociology†, Oxford: Blackwell. WEEKS, JEFFREY (1986) â€Å"Sexuality†, London: Tavistock, pp. 13-81

Location Analysis Of A Franchise Restaurant :: essays research papers

Location Analysis of a Franchise Resturaunt Problem Statement: Boston Pizza International Inc. is a Canadian owned and operated restaurant. It has many facilities in Canada and has opened facilities in the United States and in Southeast Asia. Boston Pizza is penetrating further into the Canadian market and is opening at a new location on 8th Street in Saskatoon. The chosen location has been the home of many previous restaurant failures. It seems odd that any restaurant would want to open in a location which has proven to be unsuccessful. What characteristics does Boston Pizza have that other restaurants don't have that may allow this location to be successful? This new location will be the second Boston Pizza franchise in Saskatoon, complimenting the facility operating on 50th Street. Will the market areas of these two restaurants overlap? * * * * * The early beginnings of this restaurant occurred in Edmonton, Alberta. In 1963 the first Boston Pizza and Spaghetti House opened. The name of the restaurant is seemingly odd because Boston is the name of a city in the United States, and has nothing to do with a pizza restaurant located in Edmonton. Ron Coyle, the original owner, named the restaurant 'Boston' because the Boston Bruins NHL hockey team was the favorite of the Edmonton area in the 1960's and he wanted his business to use sports as a promotion. Another reason, which may have been more of a coincidence, was that his accountant's surname was Boston ("only way", 37). Boston Pizza and Spaghetti House became a popular restaurant and in 1968 it began to operate as a franchise. In mid-1968, Jim Treliving, a former drum major for the RCMP, and his friend Don Spence bought the franchising rights for British Columbia with the exception of Vancouver. They opened their first unit in Penticton, British Columbia, and in the first year of operation the pizza restaurant grossed $52,000 and the nightclub which was co-located with the restaurant grossed $80,000 (Cameron, 16). Meanwhile, franchise units opened in Edmonton, Winnipeg and Vancouver. As the pizza chain grew, Treliving and George Melville (who had become involved with Treliving's restaurants as a financial planner) became involved in real estate ventures in Hawaii and the Okanagon Valley and also in oil investments in British Columbia (Cameron, 16). In 1983, these two men purchased Boston Pizza Spaghetti House from the original owner Ron Coyle for $3 million. This money was raised from private lenders ("recipe is simple", 16). During that same year, the headquarters of Boston Pizza was moved from Edmonton, Alberta to Richmond, British Columbia where it is found today.

The Other Caste :: Essays Papers

The Other Caste For some professions the need for standardized higher education is obvious. We wouldn't want our doctors to have learned their craft by simply reading books and practicing on patients in their kitchens. Neither would we feel comfortable crossing a bridge or inhabiting a building designed by someone with a passionate interest in architectural engineering but who had not been subjected to rigorous testing of his or her own abilities. There are many professions, however, for which the unconsidered demand for a degree is unnecessary and creates an artificial class distinction. More importantly, the most qualified people for the job are often not even considered. My mother greatly influenced my views on this subject. She dropped out of high school when she was a freshman but she personified the self-motivated pursuit of knowledge. When she wanted to learn something, she read everything she could find on the subject. She then put her newfound knowledge to practical application until it because a new skill. Her library contained books on subjects as varied as horticulture, philosophy, stonemasonry, interior design, and architecture. She knew the Latin name of every plant in her extensive gardens. She knew more about heath and nutrition on a budget than the dietician at the assisted care facility where she worked, earning just over minimum wage. She eventually did get her GED but because she didn't have a degree in any of her areas of expertise she was poorly paid and sometimes perceived as uneducated. I saw this same prejudice all the years I worked for the Forest Service. They employ people with degrees and people without. Degree holders have the opportunity to advance professionally and become permanent employees. Those with no degrees are consistently paid lower wages and kept in a temporary status though they often do the same work as the permanent employees and return to work year after year. My Forest Service job required three things: being able to hike all day, not getting lost in the woods, and an appreciation that my repetitious acts were insuring future forests. A college degree was irreverent but I often had to train people with no aptitude or knowledge of the forest and watch them move ahead of me professionally because they had the degree. In Mark Salzman's book, Lost in Place most of the learning he writes about took place outside or even in spite of his formal schooling. The Other Caste :: Essays Papers The Other Caste For some professions the need for standardized higher education is obvious. We wouldn't want our doctors to have learned their craft by simply reading books and practicing on patients in their kitchens. Neither would we feel comfortable crossing a bridge or inhabiting a building designed by someone with a passionate interest in architectural engineering but who had not been subjected to rigorous testing of his or her own abilities. There are many professions, however, for which the unconsidered demand for a degree is unnecessary and creates an artificial class distinction. More importantly, the most qualified people for the job are often not even considered. My mother greatly influenced my views on this subject. She dropped out of high school when she was a freshman but she personified the self-motivated pursuit of knowledge. When she wanted to learn something, she read everything she could find on the subject. She then put her newfound knowledge to practical application until it because a new skill. Her library contained books on subjects as varied as horticulture, philosophy, stonemasonry, interior design, and architecture. She knew the Latin name of every plant in her extensive gardens. She knew more about heath and nutrition on a budget than the dietician at the assisted care facility where she worked, earning just over minimum wage. She eventually did get her GED but because she didn't have a degree in any of her areas of expertise she was poorly paid and sometimes perceived as uneducated. I saw this same prejudice all the years I worked for the Forest Service. They employ people with degrees and people without. Degree holders have the opportunity to advance professionally and become permanent employees. Those with no degrees are consistently paid lower wages and kept in a temporary status though they often do the same work as the permanent employees and return to work year after year. My Forest Service job required three things: being able to hike all day, not getting lost in the woods, and an appreciation that my repetitious acts were insuring future forests. A college degree was irreverent but I often had to train people with no aptitude or knowledge of the forest and watch them move ahead of me professionally because they had the degree. In Mark Salzman's book, Lost in Place most of the learning he writes about took place outside or even in spite of his formal schooling.

Hero’s Heart Essay

â€Å"Not the glittering weapon fights the fight, but rather the hero’s heart. † (Proverbs Quotes) I agree with Proverbs, that the hero’s heart fights the fight because I believe that a hero can be a hero without having to use a weapon. I believe that a hero is someone that is mentally strong and has the ability to lead, that it is showing dedication to a quest, and that is not giving up even when the world around you seems like it has given up on you. Heroism is being capable of being mentally strong and has the ability to be a leader. In the poem A Man by Nina Cassian a man has lost an arm in while fighting for his country. The man knows that he â€Å"shall only be able to do things by halves. † (Line 3) Even though â€Å"the man† has lost an arm he realized that he had to â€Å"set himself to do everything with twice as much enthusiasm. † The man recognizes his limitations but still has the will in his mind to push forward and never stop living life just because of one little set back. Also, a daughter writes about her mother, Ana, who is struggling through cancer. Ana’s daughter says that even though she is going through cancer again â€Å"she gets up with a smile and still has the strength to be a mother to me. † This shows that Ana is mentally strong because she is able to care for her loved ones as for someone else they would most likely give up and not want to deal with the pain any longer, especially if they have already gone through cancer and it has come back. In addition, in the movie Mulan, the main character has to be strong and take her father’s place in the army to save his life. She has to be mentally strong to deal with all of the things that she may face when she goes to war. Examples of heroism are when people, whether they are real people in movies or characters out of books dedicate their lives to a quest. In the Odyssey, Odysseus goes on the quest of killing the Cyclops. He has to go on this quest so that he can protect the people in his village. He is a hero because he gave the Cyclops wine â€Å"so that he could taste the sort of drink he carried on his ship. † This shows he is a hero that goes on a quest because he had to give the Cyclops wine in order to kill him once he became drunk. Another example of heroism is Mulan the movie. In the movie Mulan, Mulan goes on a quest with the Chinese army to take the place of her father because he was too sick to fight; therefor Mulan chose to dress up as man to save her father’s life. In the passages written by Ana’s family members, they all feel that she is â€Å"strong† and that she has the â€Å"strength to carry on each an everyday. † Ana’s quest makes her a hero because even though she going through a rough patch she never gives up. Heroism is not giving up when the world around you seems as if they have given up on you. For in the poem A Man, he does not give up living his life even though he has lost an arm. He has turned this accident into a positive. He believes that â€Å"where the arm had been torn away a wing grew. † (Lines 17-18) I believe that this shows the man not giving up because he could have easily let his arm that was lost be the thing that he focuses on most every day but instead makes it a good thing. The man â€Å"set himself to do everything with twice as much enthusiasm. † Also, Ana, a cancer patient has to stay strong for her family. The only thing keeping Ana from giving up is her loving family. Ana’s daughter states that her mother says â€Å"keep going; keep going, like a giant guardian angel above the roaring crowd. † (Piece 3- lines 5-6) Lastly in Moco Limping, a dog named Moco had a dead leg. Moco wants his owner to love him as much as he loves him. â€Å"I feel his warm fur and his imperfection is forgotten. † In present day life the pop culture makes everything seem like if you don’t get fame for it then it is not important. Heroism isn’t about the fame and fortune, it’s about doing something for someone else or just for yourself; meaning that a hero is someone that is brave and has noble qualities. Being a hero can be as simple as saving one’s cat from a tree, pulling a dog out of a whole, or even fighting a deathly disease like cancer. When you have the will power and the courage to do something to help someone else or protect them you could be considered that person’s hero. You never know if you are a hero until you do something heroic. Throughout the process of analyzing these heroic qualities I have realized that a hero can be an everyday person in everyday life. If I am ever given the task to rise up and become a hero like the people and things I analyzed I hope I will have the courage like my characters did.