The Cockroach Essay Example for Free

The Cockroach Essay â€Å"This is poem that has been composed by Kevin Halligan. The poem ‘The Cockroach’ is a sonnet written by Kevin Halligan. It is written in the iambic pentameter as there are ten syllables in each line and as it mostly follows the pattern of the syllables being unstressed and then stressed. For example the line â€Å"I (unstressed) watched (stressed) a (unstressed) giant (stressed-unstressed) cockroach (stressed-unstressed) start (stressed) to (unstressed) pace (stressed). The poem includes a few literary devices like personification as he gives the cockroach human conditions throughout the poem, a smile and a metaphor. The poem starts with the poet getting monopolized by the cockroach† â€Å"When the poet’s eyes fell upon the restless cockroach, it reminded him of himself. Sometimes, just like the cockroach, he tried to avoid things whether it was a person or trouble. The poet was restless as well. The poet felt that he resembled the cockroach when the cockroach had climbed up onto the shelf and was uncertain about where he wanted to go as though he was having a private conflict in his mind of which path he shall chose. Life is a journey of twists and turns and the poet has witnessed this at some point in his life. Therefore he identifies with the cockroach. Throughout the poem, the poet uses an extended metaphor to describe the human conditions. † â€Å"The poet is watching the cockroach as if it is a human being not an insect in an objective view. This foreshadows the twist at the end which is that the poet is the subject of the poem. The poet can even sense how it feels and thinks; he seemed quite satisfied he looked uncertain where to go. These illustrate that the cockroach begins to feel distracted and confused suggesting that the persona involves his thoughts to it. Therefore this, in turn, involves the readers in the poem furthermore. The cockroach is an extended metaphor of the persona and human being. The cockroach moves through a path between the wainscot and the door which symbolizes a steady path that people follow early in life. But, soon he turned to jog in crooked rings suggests human beings confusion in later life reinforcing a sense of confusion. † â€Å"The poet describes a frantic movement of the cockroach throughout the poem. The title foreshadows and reveals that the poem is about a small and trifle insect- a cockroach. However, the poem opens with the exaggeration of it a giant cockroach. This highlights that he is observing it very closely feeling as if it is a giant. The word giant also conveys that it is not only an insect but also a device to reflect on life giving it great importance with the repetition of word cockroach in the title and first line. The movement of the cockroach is closely described. The detailed description draws an image of the cockroach in the readers minds and this allows them to engage in the poem. It pace skirting jog circle flip climb signifying that the persona is watching the cockroach as if it is a human being not a trifle insect in an objective view. This foreshadows the twist at the end which is that the poet is the subject of the poem. The persona can even sense how it feels and thinks; he seemed quite satisfied he looked uncertain where to go. These illustrate that the cockroach begins to feel distracted and confused suggesting that the persona involves his thoughts to it. Therefore this, in turn, involves the readers in the poem furthermore. †

Decision-Making: Taking Action with Reason Essay -- essays research pa

Decision-Making: Taking Action with Reason The end result of any decision is action. Action based on reason, intuition, planning, or circumstance it is still action. The best course of action often is determined by the implementation of a decision making process. This process or model can be rational based or intuitive base. It is possible to combine the intuitive and rational decision models. The OODA (Observation, Orientation, Decision, Action) Loop acknowledges the existence of intuition within the context of reason. Col. John Boyd, USAF (Ret) is credited with the formalization of this thought process. The concept breaks the decision making process into four elements: Observation, Orientation, Decision, and Action. Observation is the information gathering stage. This includes situation assessment, outcome determination, research, and determining the variables impacting the situation. Orientation encompasses experiences, cultural influences, genetics, and forthcoming information. Decision is the application of the Observation and Orientation stages to form a viable plan of execution. Action is the execution of the decided plan. A key element to this model is that all stages are part of an ongoing process that can be utilized to make quick, effective decisions. (MindSim Corporation [MindSim Corp.], 2000) The OODA Loop is currently in use for my company’s conversion project. We are consolidating divisions, systems, and resources in addition to converting one division’s ...

Nike and “King Consumer”

Popular culture, indeed, has always held athletes in high esteem, dating back to the days of the ancient Greeks and the first Olympiad events, thousands of years ago.   However, in recent decades, talented athletes in sports which had in the past been relegated to the upper class, such as tennis, are now embraced by the masses of all socioeconomic levels.   A case in point is the Russian tennis phenomenon Maria Sharapova.   Admittedly, she is an excellent tennis player, but there are countless other talented tennis players who have not gotten even a fraction of the media attention as has Sharapova. Taking a closer look at this pop culture frenzy, the adoration that has been showered upon Sharapova and many other athletes comes down to how our culture has influenced advertising (USA Today); more specifically, one can clearly argue that Sharapova and others grabbed their biggest share of fame once they began to commercially promote products such as Nike brand clothing and shoes, showing the power of advertising to focus the love of the masses on someone based on an image seen in commercials, as well as the ways that culture has influenced product brands. The Rise of Consumerism As was alluded to in the introduction of this paper, the common denominator in the rise of athletes to god-like status in society, and the growth of companies like Nike into multi billion dollar marketing machines, can all be attributed to the masses, leading to academic studies of consumers in such frequency that terms like consumerism have been coined to identify the analysis of the behavior and power of the consumer to dictate how the business world ultimately operates, what it offers to the public, and how the future of consumer goods will unfold. Experts in the study of consumerism have attributed the rise of consumerism itself to the global spread of what can best be described as material desire; in other words, the economic freedom that many parts of the world have been exposed to for the first time over the last quarter century or so has bred a new generation of consumers, who have the desire to possess consumer goods and finally have the financial means to buy them (Sussman).   Especially desirable are the â€Å"brand name† goods which consumers view as a symbol of affluence; the Nike â€Å"swoosh† symbol, for instance, is something that people consider a sign of success when it appears on their shoes or clothing. This, in itself, speaks volumes about the extent of consumerism with the use of a simple, yet telling example.   Because of the availability of foreign made, inexpensive clothing and shoes, it would make sense that if one merely wanted to keep warm or protect their feet, they would buy the least expensive, yet functional merchandise they could obtain; however, more often than not, consumers will pay much more than they have to for clothing items because of the presence of a Nike symbol or any of a score of others which have universal appeal.   In fairness to Nike and others, they do make products of sufficient quality and functionality, but also in fairness, one can find goods of similar, or even superior quality at lower prices, â€Å"sans swoosh† if you will.   The difference, once again, is the power of consumerism to dictate what one should wear on their bodies to be considered worthy in society. Catering to King Consumer When looking at the role of the consumer, it can fairly be said that we are really looking at â€Å"king† or â€Å"queen†, as marketing efforts target, and effectively reach, both genders.   In the case of Nike, the understated in fact speaks volumes; for example, the previously mentioned Maria Sharapova is presented by Nike as â€Å"just a tennis player† (Nike-United States).   In this case, what is not said actually screams out to the consumer.   The implication on the part of Nike is clear- their products hold the potential to bring out greatness, or to satisfy the highest needs of the most talented athletes like Sharapova.   This speaks volumes not only about the power of advertising, but also a bit about our culture. Culture’s Influence on Advertising The all-powerful consumer also wields a great deal of influence in terms of how companies like Nike advertise their products.   Going back to an example similar to the one in the previous section, Nike, in investing multiple millions of dollars in advertising, could purchase quite literally a ton of advertising year-round, but will spend the same amount for one quick television advertisement during the Super Bowl. The reason why is that the consumer dictates that for Nike and others, Super Bowl advertising is a command performance, much like attendance at a family dinner party to maintain harmony with one’s siblings.   This is indicative of both the power of the consumer to direct marketing strategy, and the power of the media to create powerful companies quite literally overnight in some cases (Kellner).   In the words of our old friends at Nike, consumerism and culture are tied together as such: â€Å"In a commercial culture that blends celebrity, product, and image, it is only natural that the sports shoe transnational Nike – as well as many other corporations – would purchase   star power to promote its products. Accordingly, I argue that the Nike connection calls attention to the extent to which media culture is transforming sports into a spectacle that sells the values, products, celebrities, and institutions of the media and consumer society† (Kellner, p. 64) . Culture is also a powerful ingredient in the consumerism mix; when one takes a look at the styles of clothing and shoes that Nike offers, as well as their advertising, it is clear that urban culture is a strong influence, leading to farm kids in Iowa, for example, wearing Nike gear, even though the closest they may have ever come to city life is seeing graffiti on a tractor trailer rolling through their town, on the way to somewhere else.   The point to be made is that popular culture is a driving force in marketing today. Conclusion In an image-obsessed society such as ours, material goods can, and do, create legendary, larger than life individuals, who in turn sell billions of dollars in products, and the cycle continues.   As a conclusion, perhaps the old saying is the best: â€Å"consumer is king†! Works Cited Kellner, Douglas. Media Spectacle. New York: Routledge, 2003. (Nike-United States  Ã‚   2007)Nike-United States. 2007. Nike, Inc.. 5 Mar. 2007 . Sussman, Charlotte. â€Å"Consumerism in World History: The Global Transformation of Desire.† The Historian 66.1 (2004): 211+. â€Å"Tennis Royalty Crowned by Prince.† USA Today (Society for the Advancement of Education) Nov. 2005: 78+.    Nike and â€Å"King Consumer† Popular culture, indeed, has always held athletes in high esteem, dating back to the days of the ancient Greeks and the first Olympiad events, thousands of years ago.   However, in recent decades, talented athletes in sports which had in the past been relegated to the upper class, such as tennis, are now embraced by the masses of all socioeconomic levels.   A case in point is the Russian tennis phenomenon Maria Sharapova.   Admittedly, she is an excellent tennis player, but there are countless other talented tennis players who have not gotten even a fraction of the media attention as has Sharapova. Taking a closer look at this pop culture frenzy, the adoration that has been showered upon Sharapova and many other athletes comes down to how our culture has influenced advertising (USA Today); more specifically, one can clearly argue that Sharapova and others grabbed their biggest share of fame once they began to commercially promote products such as Nike brand clothing and shoes, showing the power of advertising to focus the love of the masses on someone based on an image seen in commercials, as well as the ways that culture has influenced product brands. The Rise of Consumerism As was alluded to in the introduction of this paper, the common denominator in the rise of athletes to god-like status in society, and the growth of companies like Nike into multi billion dollar marketing machines, can all be attributed to the masses, leading to academic studies of consumers in such frequency that terms like consumerism have been coined to identify the analysis of the behavior and power of the consumer to dictate how the business world ultimately operates, what it offers to the public, and how the future of consumer goods will unfold. Experts in the study of consumerism have attributed the rise of consumerism itself to the global spread of what can best be described as material desire; in other words, the economic freedom that many parts of the world have been exposed to for the first time over the last quarter century or so has bred a new generation of consumers, who have the desire to possess consumer goods and finally have the financial means to buy them (Sussman).   Especially desirable are the â€Å"brand name† goods which consumers view as a symbol of affluence; the Nike â€Å"swoosh† symbol, for instance, is something that people consider a sign of success when it appears on their shoes or clothing. This, in itself, speaks volumes about the extent of consumerism with the use of a simple, yet telling example.   Because of the availability of foreign made, inexpensive clothing and shoes, it would make sense that if one merely wanted to keep warm or protect their feet, they would buy the least expensive, yet functional merchandise they could obtain; however, more often than not, consumers will pay much more than they have to for clothing items because of the presence of a Nike symbol or any of a score of others which have universal appeal. In fairness to Nike and others, they do make products of sufficient quality and functionality, but also in fairness, one can find goods of similar, or even superior quality at lower prices, â€Å"sans swoosh† if you will.   The difference, once again, is the power of consumerism to dictate what one should wear on their bodies to be considered worthy in society. Catering to King Consumer When looking at the role of the consumer, it can fairly be said that we are really looking at â€Å"king† or â€Å"queen†, as marketing efforts target, and effectively reach, both genders.   In the case of Nike, the understated in fact speaks volumes; for example, the previously mentioned Maria Sharapova is presented by Nike as â€Å"just a tennis player† (Nike-United States).   In this case, what is not said actually screams out to the consumer.   The implication on the part of Nike is clear- their products hold the potential to bring out greatness, or to satisfy the highest needs of the most talented athletes like Sharapova.   This speaks volumes not only about the power of advertising, but also a bit about our culture. Culture’s Influence on Advertising The all-powerful consumer also wields a great deal of influence in terms of how companies like Nike advertise their products.   Going back to an example similar to the one in the previous section, Nike, in investing multiple millions of dollars in advertising, could purchase quite literally a ton of advertising year-round, but will spend the same amount for one quick television advertisement during the Super Bowl. The reason why is that the consumer dictates that for Nike and others, Super Bowl advertising is a command performance, much like attendance at a family dinner party to maintain harmony with one’s siblings.   This is indicative of both the power of the consumer to direct marketing strategy, and the power of the media to create powerful companies quite literally overnight in some cases (Kellner).   In the words of our old friends at Nike, consumerism and culture are tied together as such: â€Å"In a commercial culture that blends celebrity, product, and image, it is only natural that the sports shoe transnational Nike – as well as many other corporations – would purchase   star power to promote its products. Accordingly, I argue that the Nike connection calls attention to the extent to which media culture is transforming sports into a spectacle that sells the values, products, celebrities, and institutions of the media and consumer society† (Kellner, p. 64) . Culture is also a powerful ingredient in the consumerism mix; when one takes a look at the styles of clothing and shoes that Nike offers, as well as their advertising, it is clear that urban culture is a strong influence, leading to farm kids in Iowa, for example, wearing Nike gear, even though the closest they may have ever come to city life is seeing graffiti on a tractor trailer rolling through their town, on the way to somewhere else.   The point to be made is that popular culture is a driving force in marketing today. Conclusion In an image-obsessed society such as ours, material goods can, and do, create legendary, larger than life individuals, who in turn sell billions of dollars in products, and the cycle continues.   As a conclusion, perhaps the old saying is the best: â€Å"consumer is king†! Works Cited Kellner, Douglas. Media Spectacle. New York: Routledge, 2003. (Nike-United States  Ã‚   2007)Nike-United States. 2007. Nike, Inc.. 5 Mar. 2007 . Sussman, Charlotte. â€Å"Consumerism in World History: The Global Transformation of Desire.† The Historian 66.1 (2004): 211+. â€Å"Tennis Royalty Crowned by Prince.† USA Today (Society for the Advancement of Education) Nov. 2005: 78+.   

Women s Sexuality, The Lgbtq Community, And Educational...

There are a number of discourses surrounding women’s sexualities that make sexual agency difficult to achieve. I will discuss how sexist norms make practices of sexual assertiveness difficult in relation to the double standard of women’s sexuality, the LGBTQ community, and educational institutions. The following aspects demonstrate this: first, a double standard exists for women’s sexualities in the way that both â€Å"slutty† and chaste behaviours are judged and punished. Second, while women’s bisexuality is exploited for men, heteronormativity and a gender binary remain expected in relationships. Third, educational institutions use a number of tactics (e.g., victim blaming) to keep sexist norms in place. These pervasive sexist norms must continue to be questioned and systematically dismantled for both men and women to enjoy sexual autonomy. In this patriarchal society, women find practicing sexual agency difficult because there is a double standa rd that exists in which being either â€Å"slutty† or chaste has negative consequences. Marilyn Frye (2004) explains this concept as the â€Å"double bind,† which Frye defines as â€Å"situations in which options are reduced to a very few and all of them expose one to penalty, censure or deprivation† (p. 184). Women cannot express their sexualities, wants, or needs in a legitimate and safe way because they will face punishment if they happen to be on either end of the continuum. Kristen Firminger (2006) suggests that women’s magazines define forShow MoreRelatedThe Therapy Is Ineffective Or Unethical?1342 Words   |  6 PagesDuring the 1900’s, families sent their homosexual relatives to mental institutions to â€Å"cure† them of what was believed to be a disease. There they underwent shock therapy, one of the many methods used in conversion therapy. In 1920, Sigmund Freud began the practice of changing a person s sexual orientation from hom osexual to heterosexual. In the beginning homosexuality was also deemed as â€Å" a negative human characteristic caused by immaturity, pathology and family dynamic† (McCormick 171). Soon itsRead MoreBanning Speech Codes On Campuses1811 Words   |  8 Pagesforming regulations on speech codes on campuses, others choose to remain unregulated. The decision is not put at ease with the first and fourteen amendment conflicting between the citizens’ rights to freedom of expression, and the right for equal educational opportunities. Is there a middle ground that allows individuals continue their education in the sanction of a college campuses while not infringing on others’ right to speech? The possibility is there were we can decide what protected and unprotectedRead MoreBanning Of A College Campus1845 Words   |  8 Pagesforming regulations on speech codes, others choose to remain unregulated. The decision making process is not put at ease with the first and fourt een amendment conflicting between the citizens’ rights to freedom of expression, and the right to equal educational opportunities. Is there a middle ground that allows individuals to continue their education in the sanction of a college campuses while not infringing on others’ right to speech? The possibility is there where we can decide what protected and unprotectedRead MoreLgbt19540 Words   |  79 Pagesexplained in more detail here. Lesbian A lesbian woman is one who is romantically, sexually and/or emotionally attracted to women. Many lesbians prefer to be called lesbian rather than gay. Gay A gay man is one who is romantically, sexually and/or emotionally attracted to men. The word gay can be used to refer generally to lesbian, gay and bisexual people but many women prefer to be called lesbian. Most gay people dont like to be referred to as homosexual because of the negative historical associationsRead MoreSingle-gender classrooms would not improve the quality of education in American public schools.9319 Words   |  38 Pagesraised in Chicago, he received a B.A. in economics, an M.A. in anthropology, and a Ph.D. in political science at the University of Chicago. The Immigration Policy Center (IPC) is the research and policy arm of the American Immigration Council. IPC s mission is to shape a rational conversation on immigration and immigrant integration. Through its research and analysis, IPC provides policymakers, the media, and the general public with accurate information about the role of immigrants and immigration