The Company Man Analysis Essay

ANALYSIS 7 Essay: The Company Man The typical business man involved in corporate America works anywhere from six to ten hours per day. Phil, â€Å"the Company Man† worked six days a week sometimes until eight or nine at night, making himself a true workaholic. Using his life story before he died Goodman is able to convey her liking toward Phil but her dislike of what the business world has turned him into. Not only does Goodman use a number of rhetorical devices but she also uses Phil’s past as well as the people who were once in Phil’s life to get her message across to her reader. Ellen Goodman sarcastically creates the obituary of a man who dedicated his life to his job and the company he worked for. Goodman uses anaphora, satire, diction, sentence structure, and selection of detail to complete her obituary of this â€Å"Company Man†. Emphasizing the fact that Phil worked himself to death, Goodman chose pure sarcasm to make this particular emphasis. She shows through this repeated phrases, that he must have chosen work over family quite often, working to provide for his family which resulted in the simple fact that â€Å"he worked himself to death, finally and precisely, at 3:00a. m Sunday morning. Goodman’s use of repetition leads to show her satirical writing. â€Å"On Saturdays, Phil wore a sports jacket to the office instead of a suit, because it was the weekend† shows Goodman’s use of satire in one of the many examples throughout the obituary. Toward the end of the essay, Goodman describes how the company president starts the funeral with a hint of sarcasm, â€Å"discreetly of course, with care and taste† using a tongue and cheek method to provide a subtle shift in tone. The president then begins to question who will replace Phil ending with a paradoxical sentence â€Å"‘Who’s been working the hardest? † getting down to the business of replacing Phil, providing another example of a stereotypical business approach. The vivid diction describes the sarcasm that Goodman has towards Phil. Goodman composes her paragraphs with careful rhythm and beat; she repeats â€Å"finally,† â€Å"precisely† and â€Å"perfect† three times. Phil’s constancy and lack of variation are embodied in rigid words such as â€Å"always,† â€Å"of course,† and â€Å"Type A. † Extreme diction such as â€Å"overweight,† â€Å"nervous,† and â€Å"workaholic† convey Phil as a worrywart with no fun at all in his life. These words mock Phil as a man sincerely obsessed with work that had lost track of his priorities. Goodman deepens her point when she introduces Phil’s family, using diction in relation to business to further emphasize the importance of work to Phil. To Phil’s wife Helen, â€Å"A company friend said ‘I know how much you will miss him. ’ And she answered, ‘I already have. ’† His eldest son tells the reader of how he went around the neighborhood gathering research on his father. His daughter recalls how whenever she was alone with him they had nothing to say to each other. When Phil’s youngest son reminisces on how he tried to mean enough to his father to keep him at home. Goodman informs the reader that the youngest child was Phil’s favorite. Goodman’s sentence structure of long, short, long, helps the shorter sentence stick out more to the reader. But she ends the paragraph with a sad ironic sentence, â€Å"My father and I only board here. † implying that he never really was successful. The descriptions of Phil in â€Å"The Company Man† are sardonically accusatory of the present way people live in society. Goodman makes light of how Phil is a heart attack waiting to happen, his seventy-hour workweeks and egg sandwiches. â€Å"Of course,† used thee times, translates as the acceptance that we have towards intolerable living conditions in order to fulfill the American dream. Like many Americans, Phil is constantly obsessed about his work and whether or not he will ascend to the top position. Through these details she describes the monotonous, repetitive way that society exists today. Throughout the column, images negatively portray the lifestyle that Phil lives. Superficially, all seems well because his family lives a comfortable existence. Emotionally, however, his family has missed his emotional support for years. His wife, Helen, gave up â€Å"trying to compete with his work years ago. † All of his children grew up in a so-called normal family with a father and mother. At his funeral, though, they do not have enough memories about him to say a proper eulogy. Phil himself was â€Å"overweight† and unhealthy, obsessed with work and negligent with his personal life. Goodman condemns the lifestyle that Phil leads by using negative and poignant imagery. Ellen Goodman develops an attitude of pity for Phil, and resentment for the company through rhetorical techniques by portraying that to his wife and to his children, Phil had become so consumed with his position as one of the Important People that he had all but completely removed himself from their emotional reach for the sake of his company life. Goodman’s vision of the corporate world and its influence and affect on our lives is portrayed through her diction and choice of detail in her anecdote of the reflection of the life of the A-Type, workaholic, Phil.

An Overview of General Strain Theory Essay

In modern criminological research and debate, general strain theory (GST) remains at the forefront. The aim of this paper is to discuss general strain theory (GST), what it is, and how it came to be. Details on specific research regarding general strain theory, however, lie beyond the scope of this writing. This paper will instead focus on GST’s place among other criminological theories, and why it stands where it is today. Therefore, to get a proper perspective on this theory, it is prudent to begin with an overview on its origins. General strain theory sprang from the standard strain theory developed in the late 19th and early 20th centuries (Agnew, 1992). Up until the wane of the 1960’s, strain theory had become the preeminent theory on deviance. As the 70’s rolled through, however, various differential-association theories, as well as social learning and social control theories, replaced strain theory and left it in near ignominy. There it remained, for the most part, until the rise of GST (Cole, 1975). But what, then, is strain theory? Stemming from the work of Émile Durkheim and Robert Merton, strain theory revolves around the concepts of anomie and, of course, strain. The central idea is that, while society in general may share common goals of self-sufficiency and wealth, the means to achieve those goals is limited by socioeconomic class. The disparity between what is expected and what is possible, and the resulting strain, leads to anomie, a state of normlessness, where the standard of conduct becomes skewed and self-regulatory values are rejected (Featherstone & Deflem, 2003). Strain is said to drive the deprived into following a life of deviance as a means to achieve otherwise impossible goals. An individual under strain might also replace those goals with something more readily achievable, such as â€Å"toughness† or â€Å"respect†. While there are variations on standard strain theory, they generally tend toward this central concept. As more and more research was conducted throughout the late 20th century, it became clear that, while strain theory could explain many types of crime, it couldn’t explain everything, such as why crime occurs within affluent circles where there is little strain of this type. Empirical support for traditional strain theory became weaker and weaker, and, as stated, it fell out of favor  by the 1970’s, replaced by theories that concentrated more on delinquency being a socially learned behavior. But not everyone disregarded the old theory. Throughout the 1980’s, young sociologist Robert Agnew wrote several papers discussing and critiquing traditional strain theory. One of his papers written in 1985 suggested a new take on strain theory, in which Agnew introduced blockage of pain-avoidance as an additional cause of strains leading to deviant behavior. These works showed that there could be other ways that strain can cause deviance, shedding hope for a newer, more encompassing brand of strain theory. At the start of the following decade, Robert Agnew’s studies finally culminated into a criminological milestone. In 1992, Robert Agnew published a detailed paper formally outlining the new â€Å"general strain theory† which, instead o f following the traditional focus on broader subculture perceptions and financial objectives, had an emphasis â€Å"on the individual and his or her immediate social environment†. This new theory expanded on the monetary goals outlined in strain theory to include personal goals in general, such as getting good grades or having many friends. Additionally, Agnew introduced the â€Å"removal of positively valued stimuli† as a type of strain, including the perception of unfairness originating from a lack of praise, or insufficient compensation for extra work. The third source of strain presented was the presence of negative stimuli such as child-abuse or similar stressful events. Interestingly enough, these three new facets of strain were inspired by research in fields outside traditional criminology, such as psychology and sociology (Agnew, 1992). Utilizing these new definitions of strain, Agnew could give a theoretical basis for many different types of crime, many more than was possible using traditional strain theory. An important aspect of Agnew’s theory was that he not only listed manners of strain but also outlined connections between various s trains, and the manners through which they might push an individual to delinquency, in new ways that allowed for greater empirical support than traditional strain theory had been able to obtain. Agnew’s work quickly captured the interests of the criminological community, and in the decades since its debut, general strain theory has continued to gain popularity across the world. Research continues to be performed on GST, and the results generally seem favorable for this relatively young theory (Sung Joon & Johnson, 2003). As data continues  to be gathered, general strain theory is continually refined and further defined, and Agnew still studies, modifies, and writes about his theory (Baron, 2007). Numerous studies taken all over the globe have given much additional support and expansion to GST throughout the years, but the full depth of GST’s applications has not yet been fully explored (Froggio & Agnew, 2007). Still, general strain theory has been used to explain many aspects of crime, such as terrorism, drug abuse, and differences in crime rates between social classes, between racial groups, and between genders (Agnew, 2010) (Kaufman, Rebellon, Thaxton, & Ag new, 2008). General strain theory has indeed gained much support, and can explain many aspects of crime, but, as Agnew himself noted, it does not account for strains caused through non-social means such as by accident or illness (1992). In its current state, GST is more of a framework for determining likelihoods of deviance rather than an explanation of when and how crimes may be committed (cite). These and other aspects will have to be accounted for and tested before GST can become a full alternative to other theories. Certainly, testing for such a broad spectrum of strains and responses as currently presented in general strain theory already presents a complicated challenge to the scientific community. There is some speculation that the current support shown for GST in many studies has been garnered using inaccurate testing methods (Froggio, 2007). There is also research that indicates that while strain may cause certain types of criminality, it is not directly responsible for any nonaggressive delinquency. In short, GST is still just an unproven theory, with much room for investigation and expansion. It certainly appears to possibly answer many issues on the nature of crime, but it requires much more research before any conclusions can be made about its veracity and about its potential. Agnew’s work revitalized a dying interest in strain and its impacts on deviant behavior. Time will tell whether this theory can live up to the praise it has garnered in these early stages. While its future seems bright, general strain theory for now remains merely a foundation for many future investigations and studies. References Agnew, R. (1985). A Revised Strain Theory of Delinquency. Social Forces, 64(1), 151-167. Retrieved from EBSCOhost. Agnew, R. (1992). Foundation for a General Strain Theory of Crime and Delinquency. Criminology, 30(1), 47-87. Agnew, R. (2010). A general strain theory of terrorism. Theoretical Criminology, 14(2), 131-153. doi:10.1177/1362480609350163 Aseltine Jr., R. H., Gore, S., & Gordon, J. (2000). Life Stress, Anger and Anxiety, and Delinquency: An Empirical Test of General Strain Theory. Journal of Health & Social Behavior, 41(3), 256-275. Retrieved from EBSCOhost. Baron, S. W. (2007). Street Youth, Gender, Financial Strain, and Crime: Exploring Broidy and Agnew’s Extension to General Strain Theory. Deviant Behavior, 28(3), 273-302. doi:10.1080/01639620701233217 [Cole, Stephen. (1975). The Growth of Scientific Knowledge: Theories of Deviance as a Case Study. The Idea of Social Structure: Papers in Honor of Robert K. Merton, 175-220 edited by Lewis Coser. New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich.] Featherstone, R., & Deflem, M. (2003). Anomie and Strain: Context and Consequences of Merton’s Two Theories. Sociological In quiry, 73(4), 471-489. doi:10.1111/1475-682X.00067 Froggio, G. (2007). Strain and Juvenile Delinquency: A Critical Review of Agnew’s General Strain Theory. Journal of Loss & Trauma, 12(4), 383-418. doi:10.1080/15325020701249363 Froggio, G., & Agnew, R. (2007). The relationship between crime and â€Å"objective† versus â€Å"subjective† strains. Journal of Criminal Justice, 35(1), 81-87. doi:10.1016/j.jcrimjus.2006.11.017 Kaufman, J. M., Rebellon, C. J., Thaxton, S., & Agnew, R. (2008). A General Strain Theory of Racial Differences in Criminal Offending.Australian & New Zealand Journal of Criminology (Australian Academic Press), 41(3), 421-437. doi:10.1375/acri.41.3.421 Sung Joon, J., & Johnson, B. R. (2003). Strain, Negative Emotions, and Deviant Coping Among African Americans: A Test of General Strain Theory. Journal of Quantitative Criminology, 19(1), 79. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.

buy custom Principles of Finance essay

buy custom Principles of Finance essay Principles of finance can be defined as managerial finance and the environment within which the decision-maker functions. It focuses on what these managers, investors, and governments agencies do with information in financial records and other managerial finance records. Statement of work Though Guillermos furniture store is undergoing serious financial difficulties, he can turn around his fortune by understanding some basic financial concepts. He can witness profit once again in his business, be able to operate more effectively, and even make wiser decisions for future business ventures. Financial concepts that Guillermo will need to address include power of cash flow, risk vs. reward, time value, debt vs. equity financing, and opportunity cost. Equity versus debt financing It is borrowing money to finance your business. Debt financing is where you borrow repayable capital, e.g., a bank loan, whereby equity financing is soliciting funds from an investor. In Guillermos scenario, he has the option of choosing either. He can ecide to shift to primary distribution and then inscribe his patented coating on the Rivals furniture. This is equity financing, since the competitor from abroad will basically finance all production and his mainstream will be distribution. He can, on the other hand, choose to acquire the expensive hi-tech production mechanisms used in foreign fields and eventually cut down production costs. This will most probably demand debt financing. Power of Cash Flow Power of cash flow is experienced when the amount of revenue for the company (sales of Guillermos furniture) is more than the expenditure (labor, overheads, miscellaneous). It is evident that Guillermos business was hard hit by the increase in labor cost. This in effect changed the cash flow from positive to negative. Guillermos can address this issue by reducing labor costs, e.g., through use of robots and hi-tech technology. Opportunity Cost This is the foregone cost of another one. It is associated with taking one cost over another. Guillermo had an option of either being merged/swallowed by annother company, and thus escaping most of overheads, or acquiring another company and sharing cost. He has foregone the two and decided to strengthen his independent store by doing more research and using technology to enhance his services. Risk versus Reward Having the courage to make a risky venture is the secret to make gains in business. Guillermo is in the identical scenario where he has to decide which business he will venture in. He can decide to acquire the expensive hi-tech mechanisms (robots and laser machines), merge or even exploit his patents to make unique products that stand out from those of competitors. All these are risky ventures that need courage of a veteran businessperson in which Guillermo fits the bill. Conclusion Finance concepts are the researched financial aspects in the business world that manage the way it runs. There are issues that business managers need to address in order to succeed in terms of quantitative finance and risk management. By working on these concepts, Guillermo Navallez will put his store back to the furnitures market. Buy custom Principles of Finance essay

Scorpion Fish Facts (Scorpaenidae)

Scorpion Fish Facts (Scorpaenidae) The term scorpion fish refers to a group of ray-finned fishes in the family Scorpaenidae. Collectively, they are called rockfish or stonefish because they are bottom dwellers camouflaged to resemble rocks or coral. The family includes 10 subfamilies and at least 388 species. Important genera include the lionfish (Pterois sp.) and stonefish (Synanceia sp.). All scorpion fish have venomous spines, giving the fish their common name. While stings can be fatal to humans, the fish are not aggressive and only sting when threatened or injured. Fast Facts: Scorpion Fish Scientific Name: Scorpaenidae (species include Pterois volitans, Synaceia horrida)Other Names: Lionfish, stonefish, scorpionfish, rockfish, firefish, dragonfish, turkeyfish, stingfish, butterfly codDistinguishing Features: Compressed body with wide mouth and conspicuous, venomous dorsal spinesAverage Size: Under 0.6 meters (2 feet)Diet: CarnivorousLife Span: 15 yearsHabitat: Coastal tropical, subtropical, and temperate seas worldwideConservation Status: Least ConcernKingdom: AnimaliaPhylum: ChordataClass: ActinopterygiiOrder: ScorpaeniformesFamily: ScorpaenidaeFun Fact: Scorpion fish not aggressive. They only sting if they are threatened or injured. Description The scorpion fish has a compressed body with ridges or spines on its head, 11 to 17 dorsal spines, and pectoral fins with well-developed rays. The fish come in all colors. Lionfish are brightly colored, so potential predators can identify them as a threat. Stonefish, on the other hand, have mottled coloring that camouflages them against rocks and coral. The average adult scorpion fish is under 0.6 meters (2 feet) in length. Except for lionfish, scorpion fish have a mottled coloration that serves as camouflage. LITTLE DINOSAUR / Getty Images Distribution Most members of the Scorpaenidae family live in the Indo-Pacific, but species occur worldwide in tropical, subtropical, and temperate seas. Scorpion fish tend to live in shallow coastal water. However, a few species occur as deep as 2200 meters (7200 feet). They are well-camouflaged against reefs, rocks, and sediment, so they spend most of their time near the sea floor. The red lionfish and common lionfish are invasive species in the Caribbean and Atlantic Ocean off the coast of the United States. The only effective method of control to date has been NOAAs campaign of Lionfish as Food. Encouraging consumption of the fish not only helps control lionfish population density, but also helps protect overfished grouper and snapper populations. Reproduction and Life Cycle Female scorpion fish release between 2,000 and 15,000 eggs into the water, which are fertilized by the male. After mating, the adults move away and seek cover to minimize attention from predators. The eggs then float to the surface to minimize predation. Eggs hatch in after two days. The newly-hatched scorpion fish, called fry, remain near the surface until they are around about an inch long. At this time, they sink to the bottom to seek a crevice and begin hunting. Scorpion fish live up to 15 years. Diet and Hunting The carnivorous scorpion fish preys upon other fish (including other scorpion fish), crustaceans, mollusks, and other invertebrates. A scorpion fish will eat virtually any other animal that can be swallowed whole. Most scorpion fish species are nocturnal hunters, while lionfish are most active in the morning daylight hours. Some scorpion fish wait for prey to approach. Lionfish actively hunt and attack prey, using a bilateral swim bladder to precisely control body position. To catch prey, a scorpion fish blows a jet of water toward its victim, disorienting it. If the prey is a fish, the jet of water also causes it to orient against the current so that its facing the scorpion fish. Head-first capture is easier, so this technique improves hunting efficiency. Once the prey is positioned correctly, the scorpion fish sucks in its prey whole. In some cases, the fish uses its spines to stun prey, but this behavior is fairly uncommon. Predators While its likely that predation of eggs and fry is the primary form of natural population control of scorpion fish, its unclear what percentage of scorpion fish young are eaten. Adults have few predators, but sharks, rays, snappers, and sea lions have been observed hunting the fish. Sharks appear to be immune to scorpion fish venom. Although scorpion fish are venomous, they are gentle animals. This diver is feeding a lionfish. Justin Okoye / EyeEm / Getty Images Scorpion fish arent fished commercially because of the risk of stings. However, they are edible, and cooking the fish neutralizes the venom. For sushi, the fish may be eaten raw if the venomous dorsal fins are removed before preparation. Scorpion Fish Venom and Stings Scorpion fish erect their spines and inject venom if they are bitten by a predator, grabbed, or stepped on. The venom contains a mixture of neurotoxins. Typical symptoms of poisoning include intense, throbbing pain that lasts up to 12 hours, peaking in the first hour or two following the sting, as well as redness, bruising, numbness, and swelling at the sting site. Severe reactions include nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, tremors, decreased blood pressure, shortness of breath, and abnormal heart rhythms. Paralysis, seizures, and death are possible, but are usually restricted to stonefish poisoning. The young and elderly are more susceptible to the venom than healthy adults. Death is rare, but some people are allergic to the venom and may suffer anaphylactic shock. Australian hospitals keep stonefish anti-venom on hand. For other species and for stonefish first aid, the first step is to remove the victim from water to prevent drowning. Vinegar may be applied to reduce pain, while the venom may be inactivated by immersing the sting site in hot water for 30 to 90 minutes. Tweezers should be used to remove any remaining spines and the area should be scrubbed with soap and water and then flushed with fresh water. Medical care is required for all scorpion fish, lionfish, and stonefish stings, even if the venom appears to be deactivated. Its important to be certain that no spine remnants remain in the flesh. A tetanus booster may be recommended. Conservation Status Most species of scorpion fish have not been evaluated in terms of conservation status. However, the stonefish Synanceia verrucosa and Synanceia horrida are listed as least concern on the IUCN Red List, with stable populations. The luna lionfish Pterois lunulata and red lionfish Pterois volitans are also least concern. The population of red lionfish, an invasive species, is increasing. While no significant threats face scorpion fish at this time, they may be at risk from habitat destruction, pollution, and climate change. Sources Doubilet, David (November 1987). Scorpionfish: Danger in Disguise. National Geographic. Vol. 172 no. 5. pp. 634–643. ISSN 0027-9358Eschmeyer, William N. (1998). Paxton, J.R.; Eschmeyer, W.N., eds. Encyclopedia of Fishes. San Diego: Academic Press. pp. 175–176. ISBN 0-12-547665-5.Morris J.A. Jr., Akins J.L. (2009). Feeding ecology of invasive lionfish (Pterois volitans) in the Bahamian archipelago. Environmental Biology of Fishes. 86 (3): 389–398. doi:10.1007/s10641-009-9538-8Sauners P.R., Taylor P.B. (1959). Venom of the lionfish  Pterois volitans.  American Journal of Physiology.  197: 437–440Taylor, G. (2000). Toxic fish spine injury: Lessons from 11 years experience. South Pacific Underwater Medicine Society Journal. 30 (1). ISSN 0813-1988

David Cole Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

David Cole - Assignment Example One allegedly glaring lie which the Soviets invented is about the number of people who perished in the camp which they placed at no less than four million. Cole pointed out that most Holocaust revisionists believe that the actual number of persons who died was less than 1.1 million. In the video, Cole presented a tour of the camp, specifically the so-called â€Å"gas chamber† which was later turned into an air-raid shelter. Cole’s interview with the tour guide, Alicia and Dr. Piper revealed two opposing views about the gas chamber. Whereas Alicia claimed that the gas chamber was in its original state, Dr. Piper stated that there were reconstructions made in the original gas chamber. Aside from inconsistencies regarding the gas chamber, other information given by Dr. Piper was also questionable according to Cole. Particular among this is about the difference in the traces of Zyklon B in the gas chamber and the disinfection chamber. At the end of the video, Cole has not given a definitive answer about the authenticity of the Auschwitz gas chamber, instead, he leaves the viewers hanging and maybe deciding for themselves on whether to believe the revisionists or the Holocaust defenders. What was clear to Cole is that there are still questions left unanswered regarding the genuineness of the

Risk and Threats of Cloud Computing Services Research Paper

Risk and Threats of Cloud Computing Services - Research Paper Example In spite  of the varied horizon  being  offered by the cloud computing services, most of the enterprises are skeptical about the safety of the cloud environment and are less willing to take the risks.  Ã‚  In order to maintain the  clientage  and market competitiveness, cloud service providers must learn from the managed service provider (MSP) model to  guarantee  secure services to their clients along with increasing  virtualization  service  efficiencies, (Foster, 1998). Further, the  companies  that are opting for cloud services are unaware of the unidentified risks existing  within  the cloud environment. The ability of the cloud computing model to offer its clients/users to utilize the service provider’s applications which run on a cloud model infrastructure and these applications can be accessed by a number of clients through a system interface, for example, a Web browser, web-based email system. The user is free of responsibilities such as to manage the infrastructure, web servers, operation management and applications, data storage server maintenance, and network application tasks. b.  Platform as a Service (PaaS):  The cloud computing  PaaS  model offers the user the facility to deploy itself on the computing infrastructure which is built according to the user related applications with the help of programming languages like Java, Net, etc.). As already stated before, the user does not have to manage the infrastructure of the cloud computing service, but the user has full

Influence of the Relationship between Politics and Religion in Western Research Paper

Influence of the Relationship between Politics and Religion in Western Civilization Conflicts - Research Paper Example Muslims believe in the holy war and observe the pilgrimage to Mecca which Christians neither believe in nor practice. During the Medieval period, both Christianity and Islam promulgated their religious beliefs and practices in territories where the majority existed. Christianity employed the use of missionaries whereas Islam employed offensive practices such as conquests, political rule and returning crusaders in spreading their faith (Spielvogel 238-243). 3. The expansion of trade The expansion of trade during the High Middle Ages resulted from developments in voyages of exploration by Vikings, growth of states, contacts with the Muslim world and the arrival of the Portuguese. Vikings exchanged goods as they sailed along trade centers in search of profit. The existence of various environmental zones and agricultural practices influenced trade to flourish. These resulted to the evolution of settlement as well as prosperity that in turn contributed to urbanization and the growth of st ates. In addition, contacts with Muslim merchants in the Trans Saharan trade involved the trade in kola nuts, gold, ivory, and slaves. The arrival of the Portuguese opened an outlet for West African manufactured products such as cloths. The utilization of Arab script and Muslim officials in complex bureaucracies remained as the impact of the expansion of trade on medieval society (Spielvogel 252-254). 5. The decline of papacy The papacy of the Roman Catholic Church had reached the peak of its power with the doctrine of temporal universal authority over secular rulers and fullness of power. However, the claims of temporal supremacy kept losing ground due to the growth of European secular monarchs. This created conflicts between papacy and the territorial states it never conquered.