tools of exploitation analysis Essay examples - 938 Words

Tools of Exploitation Analysis The film/documentary, titled Tools of Exploitation, chronicles, analyzes and explains Western civilizations influence on African culture/livelihood throughout the period of colonialism (the film covers the slave trade for a brief moment as well) leading to the modern day. Narrated by scholar/author Ali Mazrui, the film focuses on the usurping of Africa’s future potential due to European powers stymying Africa’s growth for their (Western) own gain (hence the name Tools of Exploitation; Africa was exploited for European gain). The film addresses many factors to why this has taken place but focuses mostly on economic reasons as well as the false justifications Europeans used to colonize the continent.†¦show more content†¦The answer; while Europe had abolished slavery, the racism dating back to the days of slavery still existed. The conference in reality had no intention of freeing Africa of its negatives, but instead, exploited the circumstances/situations of Af rica to fuel the European commercial machine. One of the overlying themes to which Europeans, again, falsely the justified colonization of Africa, was through the concept of the â€Å"Duel Mandate†. The philosophy/idea/phrase was created by English colonial military ruler Lord Frederick Lugard. In a written testimony Lugard rationalizes colonizing Africa by claiming to utilize the continent’s resources in order to fuel European commercialization as well as facilitate Africa’s modernization. The first half of the equation did come to fruition; Europe conveniently gained access to African’s resources (first pre-colonialism through slaves and gold, then later with mineral based resources during colonization). However, European’s modernization of Africa was merely surface level. Africa was given infrastructure (roads), skyscrape-esque buildings, commercial items (clothes, recreational technologies); but the African continent was not given the means fo r long term industrialization to keep up with the global economy. What does Africa benefit from having Western fashion? Africa has large-scaleShow MoreRelatedWhy Child Exploitation Occurs Online Is The Social Learning Theory904 Words   |  4 Pages The micro-theory that can be associated to explain the case study and why child exploitation occurs online is the social learning theory. The social learning theory is built off of differential association with the idea that criminal behavior is learned from others (Moore, 270). However, social learning theory determines that individuals not only engage in criminal behavior when around people associated with similar behavior, but that the behavior is also justified (Moore, 270). The Internet andRead MoreWhat Are Some Of The Actions You Would Take At Conduct A Red Team Assessment?1619 Words   |  7 Pagesâ€Å"Penetration Testing, A hands-on Introduction to Hacking (Weidman, 2014)†, there are six phases of the penetration testing process. The six phases are pre-engagement interactions, intelligence gathering, threat modeling, vulnerability analysis, exploitation, post-exploitation and reporting. Pre-engagement During the pre-engagement phase, I would interact and plan out the testing scenario with the client. We would discuss their expectations, versus reality and their goals for performing the pentestRead Moredata reverse engineering in smart phones700 Words   |  3 PagesThere are numerous tools for data reverse engineering in smart phones, specifically Android phones. Some useful Android tools are Android Network Toolkit(ANTI), DroidBox, AVD Clone, and Smart Pentest Framework (SPF). The tools that are covered can support in retrieving significant information and help out in criminal investigations. The Android Network Toolkit is very useful and effecient application tool. According to the website Hackers Online Club, This app is capable of mapping your networkRead MoreMarx s Critique Of Capitalism And Society Essay1705 Words   |  7 Pagesmaterial requirements of subsistence (Seligman, 1901, p163) and the way that we do this is through the modes of production. The modes of production consist of two major aspects: 1) the productive forces i.e. land, raw material, labour power, machinery, tools etc. used to produce material goods 2) the relations of production: whether you own and control the means of production or whether you do not. (McLennan et al, 2010) According to Marx, within any society you will have two major groups, determinedRead MoreBiological Patents And Their Associated Exploitation1054 Words   |  5 PagesBiological Patents and Their Associated Exploitation â€Å"There is no patent. Could you patent the sun?† This quote by Jonas Salk, the researcher who invented the polio vaccine in the height of the polio scare, demonstrates the natural resistance people have to patents on biological agents. If society can grant individuals or small groups of individuals the exclusive rights to the production and use of biological agents in the form of a patent, the morality of such patents must be taken into considerationRead MoreWhy Do Networking Components Need More Examination From An Information Security Perspective?1203 Words   |  5 Pagesmake up hardware, software, and network components. The inventory listings for those elements are available in a database for custom information on security assets. Once stored, the inventory listing must be kept current. This is usually done by a tool that occasionally refreshes the data. As a result, security analyst can review or track by leveraging down to critical assets for risk identificatio n process. The two ways company can lose track of its assets. One, by failing to list the inventoryRead MoreThe Vulnerabilities And Cyber Kill Chain1243 Words   |  5 Pagespasswords, eavesdropping on employee conversations, researching the target through common Internet tools such as Whois, impersonating an employee in an attempt to collect information, and packet sniffing.† (Webopedia, 2016). Reconnaissance techniques that may have been used in this attack include scanning tools such as network sniffers, port scanners, fingerprinting tools, vulnerability analysis tools, and keystroke loggers. Passive techniques might include: browsing the Web site to find possibleRead More2 Methods of Business Analysis682 Words   |  3 PagesThe first tool that can be used is the SWOT analysis. This is a tool that helps a company define and look at their Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats on mostly an internal level. A company uses this tool to dissect the areas that they exceed in and the areas of improvement, the areas of opportunity they can take advantage of and where other companies can pose a threat to their business. This is a powerful tool that can, with a little thought, help a company uncover opportunitiesRead MoreEconomy By J. K. Gibson Graham Essay1450 Words   |  6 Pagesof orthodox Marxism which is essentialist and deterministic (24). In other words, or thodox Marxism posits economics (or class) as the foci of social analysis. This marriage between economics and Marxism was a political movement that sought to rally people in the labor class (52). Yet, a divorce of the two is necessary for a more dynamic social analysis. To do this, the author borrows from the Althusserian concept called overdetermination (26-27). In the Althusserian approach, economic force still playsRead MoreIntergraph Corporation : An Supplier Of Building And Geospatial Software Essay1645 Words   |  7 Pagesapply in all jurisdictions to the maximum extent allowed by applicable law. Smart Defence Advancing Smarter Decisions Intergraph’s Motion Video Exploitation solu ¬tion, built on Intergraph’s geospatial content management, forensic video analysis, and intelligence fusion and exploitation capabilities, provides end-to-end management and exploitation of full motion video. Intergraph’s solution enables commanders to take decisive action based on a complete understanding of the situation on the ground

The Uncensored Picture Of Dorian Gray Analysis - 823 Words

In The Uncensored Picture of Dorian Gray, Oscar Wilde presents the theme of good versus evil side of human nature. The depths of what it means to be human is explored by Wilde with the three characters of Basil Hallward, Henry Wotton and Dorian Gary. Each character represents a different side of the conflict between morality and giving into temptation. The three characters equally represent the difference in the class structure of society. The character of Henry Wotton represents the wealthy, proper man of society during the Victorian era in the novel, whose ideologies encompasses hedonism. Henry as the older man in the novel, appears bitter and resentful that time has taken a toll on his person and he can no longer enjoy the full†¦show more content†¦Basil advocates for art as true beauty and maintains faith in the possibility of redemption. â€Å"’Pray, Dorian, pray,’ he murmured. ‘What is it that that one says in one’s boyhood? Lead us not into temptation. Forgive our sins. Wash away our iniquities.’ Let us say that together. The prayer of your pride has been answered. The prayer of your repentance will be answered also,† (Wilde 189). On several occasions, Basil can be seen as a form of salvation to Dorian, or appears to be the angel on the other side of the shoulder and ignored most of the time. The representative of youth and the innocent, an element of gothic literature is Dorian Gray, at the beginning of the novel. Dorian like untouched clay, becomes Henry’s victim and is molded a certain manner that is set for a downfall by his own hands. Henry the bad influence, inspires Dorian to instant gratification with no thoughts on any moral consequences throughout the whole novel. The death of the young actress, Sybil serves as a result of Dorian’s new philosophy on life. â€Å"She passed again into the sphere of art. There is something of the martyr about her. Her death has all the pathetic usele ssness of martyrdom, all its wasted beauty,† (Wilde 139). The death of the young girl is brushed off Dorian’s mind as a simple occurrence in life and appears to be freed of guilt after a conversation with Henry. The climax of the novel comes in the form of Basil’s death. Dorian

How Google Sold Its Engineers on Management - 894 Words

Garvin’s article How Google Sold Its Engineers on Management describes Google’s unique approach to management. Google prides itself with having the best, most highly satisfied employees in the industry. A majority of its employees are engineers that prefer spending time creating and building, which makes it difficult for management to exist. Many of Google’s employees are also highly independent and do not like being micromanaged. Garvin (2013) described a 2002 experiment where Google made their organization flat, eliminating engineering managers, the company realized that managers do more than just manage projects. Managers contributed to the company, â€Å"by communicating strategy, helping employees prioritize projects, facilitating†¦show more content†¦Even though I believe Google’s management system to be effective and the article’s explanation of the system to be credible and valid, I do not believe it will fit the culture of my comp any. Working in the restaurant industry, our employees are not as technically minded as the employees of Google. From experience, direct management and more guidance are needed in a customer-service directed atmosphere. While my boss may find the surveys and employee improvement strategies to be helpful, Google’s exact system is not comparable to the restaurant industry. One HR issue this article can be applied to is ineffective performance reviews and training for management. Many companies base their performance reviews around what a manager is doing wrong, but creating a more evidence-based survey focused around specific strengths a manger should excel in helps the corporation to be future-based. Like Google, the company can identify eight characteristics of good mangers and create the survey based around those eight pillars. If a manger is deficient in a certain category they can take classes to strengthen that specific characteristics rather than have to sit through a general training highlighting things they are already good at. Anther HR issue the article may be helpful for is defining why a manager is important. Some industries are struggling withShow MoreRelatedA Brief Note On Organizations And Management, Research And Analysis986 Words   |  4 PagesMGT100 - Organisations And Management Research and Analysis Name: Abdul Rehman 11512340 ï ¿ ¼Task-2A: ARTICLE ANALYSIS (10%) Within the Garvin, D.A’s article entitled â€Å"How Google sold its engineers on management† the main argument is whether the Google company really requires having managerial positions within its management hierarchy. From time to time, various parties within the company have wondered whether managers matter as part of the company management. One assumption which the readers of theRead MoreThesis Computerized Grading System1649 Words   |  7 PagesDatabase Design 2.4 Table Description of the Database Chapter 3. System Requirements Specifications Hardware Requirements 3.2 Software Requirements 3.3 Human Resource Requirements Chapter 4. Conclusion and Recommendation Appendices: A. Project Management Plan Phase1. Identification Phase2. Specification Phase3. High Level Design and Project Plan B. Screen Layouts and Design C. Feasibility and Analysis a. Can we build it? b. Should we build it? c. If we build it, will it be used? D. Risk AnalysisRead MoreWhat Companies Can I Work For?3091 Words   |  13 PagesCompanies Can I work for? The choices that are available to me are quite numerous. However, I need to realistically consider what companies I would work for. I need to consider logistical and background aspects of the various companies. Factors such as how long a company has been in business, who their primary customer is, what kind of work they do and many more are essential to know in order for me to decide whether I will work there or not. It is important that I do not simply think in terms of couldRead MoreProject Oxygen : Do Managers Matter?2302 Words   |  10 PagesGOOGLE?S PROJECT OXYGEN: DO MANAGERS MATTER? 10 Google?s Project Oxygen: Do Managers Matter? In 2008?Google?s prized engineering team expressed their hatred for managers, both in theory and in practice. ?Most folks in engineering think about management as a necessary evil,? Laszlo Bock, Google?s SVP of People Operations told Forbes in an interview by phone. Determined to appease disgruntled engineers, Bock tasked a subset of People Ops (a three-man team called the People Innovation Lab: PiLab)Read MoreInnovation1610 Words   |  7 Pagesorganizational growth or wealth. An effective innovation architecture process is the foundation needed to build innovation-led growth. This type of leadership establishes the framework for delivering effective innovation management by product planning, innovation portfolio management, new product development and the lifecycle of ideas to market closure. Savvy leaders shape the culture of their company to drive innovation. No one ever feels like they have time to spare. â€Å"People get so consumed with puttingRead MoreWhat Special Distribut ion Is The Best Ways For A Non Japanese Company For Deal With The Challenges?1196 Words   |  5 Pagesdeeply rooted in the Japanese culture and socio-economic setting that underlies Japanese business customs. This may be something simple but because of the strong value in cultural respect sometime is hard to get what you want from them. Chapter 13 Q5. How does the standard vs local debate apply to advertising? Local markets are not considered as key customers, which is why their needs are not taken into account and are typically dismissed. The reality is that we live in a digitally interconnected worldRead MoreThe Kindle And Its Effect On Our Life1019 Words   |  5 Pagesportability and ability to choose any book I want in an instance. The Kindle is an amazing product, opening up a world of reading to those who may not otherwise had access, or the interest to read. The following brief summary will give you an overview of how the Kindle came to be an important addition to a book lover’s collection. In August 2004, the CEO of Amazon, Jeff Bezos and his senior vice president of worldwide digital media, Steve Kessel had the idea of creating a bookstore with its own hardwareRead MoreThe Financial Position Of Apple Inc.1363 Words   |  6 PagesApple’s net sales increased over a 3-year period, which means the company increased its sales during that period. However, the costs of goods sold did not increase more than the sales. In other words, in 2015 when revenue was 136.75% of the base year amounts, cost of goods sold was less - only 131.41% of the base year amount. This is an indication of management having a good cost control because even though the company increased its sales, it was able cut the costs. Perhaps the company raised its sellingRead MoreSamsung : Financial Losses, And The Company s Reputation997 Words   |  4 Pagessleep. One plugs his smartphone into the bedside charger and places it on the nightstand before going to sleep, and one wakes to find his nights tand and carpet in flames, smoke flowing everywhere. Or maybe his Volvo, his hotel room, his entire house. How could this have happened? Simple: his â€Å"precious little equipment† that he uses every day is a Samsung Galaxy Note 7, just like the Reddit user Crushader`s (Wehner, 2016, para.2) and other hundreds that had spontaneously burst into flames since AugustRead MoreExamples of Company Case Studies1356 Words   |  5 Pages8M. The percentage of sales also increased from a figure of 94.43% to 94.84%. This was the increase seen pertaining to the cost of products that were sold. This proved to be a factor that caused the bottom line for Flextronics to decrease irrespective of the increase in the revenues. To improve the current conditions of the company, the management decided to restructure or downsize the company. In many countries of the world, we see that Flextronics has downsized its operations so that it can uplift

Small Spaces free essay sample

When I reached the summit and looked out over thousands of miles of the Red Rock Desert of Arizona, the wind blowing in my face, blood pumping as though it was about to burst through my skin, that was a time when I was truly happy and at peace with myself and with the world. It was like all other material problems eroded away and all that was left was the feeling of accomplishment and the beauty of the landscape all around me, like reaching the light at the end of the tunnel. Ever since I was a little kid, I was never comfortable following a routine that I didn’t make myself. If I am not passionate about the task set out in front of me, I am hard-pressed to follow a path that I know wasn’t for me. I wouldn’t say I’m an adrenaline junkie but when I get a chance to exploit that emotion that sends my heart into frenzy, I’m on it. We will write a custom essay sample on Small Spaces or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page I love the outdoors: hiking, running, skiing, adventuring, it’s what makes me feel alive. This love of nature and adventure comes from all the vacations my family goes on, starting with our trip to Sedona, Arizona in 2003. I was nine years old and up until then, the extent of our vacations had been to a beach house where we would go to the beach, come home, eat, play video games with my cousins, and go to sleep. When we went to Sedona, I knew I had found something special because it was like nothing I had done before. We hiked everyday, up incredible cliffs and mountains that touched the sky, and I felt something that is very hard to explain. I would describe it as a bird experiencing its first flight. As soon as I started climbing, I knew that until I reached the top, I wasn’t stopping, and I didn’t. This is why I could never see myself living an ordinary life, rotting in an air-conditioned cubicle, working the 9-to-5, and taking the morning commute. Even at home in Chevy Chase, Maryland, thousands of miles from the Red Rock Canyon, I’ll find ways to exploit this craze of mine. For example, when I go for a run, the likely route to take would be the Capitol Crescent Trail, which runs very close to my house. However, I will run down a path to Rock Creek, find an opening in the trees, and make my own path. I think this is but one of the qualities that separates me from the other thousands of applicants applying to your prestigious school. I won’t tell you I was the valedictorian of my class, president of six clubs, and a 4.0 all four years of high school. What I want you to know about me is that I won’t settle for ordinary, not on my daily run, my job, or my education.

The Credit Crisis and the Resulting Effects on the Financial World free essay sample

All of these events are what has led to what analysts have said to be a recession. This paper will attempt to explain the causes that credit issues had on the financial crisis as well as show how liquidity played a major role in throwing debt markets into panic and in some cases failure. I will also give some insight into how the debt markets became inactive because of these issues. We will also take a look at how interest rates affected this crisis as well as how the stock market and initial public offerings (IPOs) were affected. The Beginnings of the Bubble Burst After the internet bubble burst of 2000 the Federal Reserve Bank was worried about a serious deflationary period. Because of this fear they did not want to counteract the housing bubble. The Federal Reserve Bank actually lowered the federal funds rate from 6. 5% to 1% in the period from 2000 to 2003. We will write a custom essay sample on The Credit Crisis and the Resulting Effects on the Financial World or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page This was done in order to soften the blow from the internet bubble and was encouraging people to borrow at faster rates. During this time period, banks also went through a serious transformation period where instead of holding onto debt, they used new financial innovations to bundle them and sell the risk off onto other investors. This process was named originate and distribute. In this banking model loans were put together, tranched and sold via securitization. To tranche means to slice up the pool of debt into say slices of a pie. Each pie slice has a different risk involved, credit rating and thus different amounts of interest paid. Securitization is where these slices are then sold to different investors as bonds or Collaterized Mortgage Obligations (CMOs). The principal and interest on the debt, underlying the security, is paid back to the various investors regularly. These types of new innovations led to new investors and thus access to more liquidity for banks. Banks began to thrive with all the new opportunities for them to create more liquidity. As you can see from this chart, Securitization was being exploited at alarming rates. [pic] This in turn, allowed them to be able to lend more money. The problem was not the increased amounts of loans that banks gave out, the problem lied with whom these banks were lending money. Of course the added pressures growing in the market from the government and financial institutions werent helping matters. As I mentioned earlier, The Federal Reserve Bank was lowering the federal funds rate in the years of 2000 through 2003 which encouraged people to invest in real estate. At the time the real estate market was on a tremendous upswing. However in the years of 2004 through 2006 they started increasing the federal funds rate (FFR) which made 1-5 year adjustable rate mortgages more expensive to reset for homeowners. There was another side effect of the rising FFR, generally when interest rates rise, assets fall in value. This would mean that speculation in real estate would be much riskier for investors, and this may have led to the eventual housing bubble burst. However this did not stop banks from targeting a new market. A new customer target entered the market for banking systems, Sub-prime borrowers. Originally, banks were, for the most part only lending to prime borrowers, a group of borrowers who are considered the most credit-worthy, indicated by a FICO score greater than 720. These prime borrowers were able to borrow money at the markets best interest rate and were also considered safe investments. Sub-prime borrowers on the other hand, were less than desirable potential customers to lend to. Their credit ratings were much lower than prime borrowers, meaning they were more likely to be late with payments on loans or even default all together. Now, initially banks may have strayed away from giving as many loans out to sub-prime borrowers as they did, however added pressures by the government and financial institutions were mounting. When the Securities and Exchange Commission relaxed the net capital rule in 2004, this allowed the five biggest investment banks to dramatically increase the leverage they could use and also allowed them to aggressively expand on their issuance of mortgage backed securities (an asset-backed security or debt obligation that represents a claim on the cash flows from mortgage loans through securitization). This then pressured government entities such as Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to expand their riskier lending to sub-prime borrowers, and this led as an example for other banks that followed suit. Financial Market Begins to Feel the Pain and the Onslaught of Liquidity Issues Arise The rise of securitized products ultimately led to a flood of cheap credit, and lending standards fell. Now that banks had a way to get rid of the majority of risk involved in lending money, via securitized products being sold to financial institutions, they took an easy going approach to approving and monitoring loans. Banks came up with new ways to give out mortgage loans with no down-payments, jobs and even income! These were called piggyback mortgages (the combination of two loans to take the need of a down payment away) and NINJA (no income, no job or assets). These loans were given on the assumption that people if people needed money they could always refinance and actually horribly wrong and in fact the opposite happened. Loans started to default a domino effect began causing liquidity crisis as well as other issues. The trigger for the liquidity crisis began in early 2007, when sub-prime mortgage defaults started increasing at damageable speeds. Mortgage-backed Securities, CDOs and asset-backed securities (a security whose value and income payments are derived from and collateralized (or backed) by a specified pool of underlying assets) all took a huge hit. This dominoed into the shadow banking system (financial institutions that do not have the same regulations as banks because they do not take deposits like banks do) causing many institutions great problems. The major issue was that a lot of these shadow banks had borrowed from investors in short-term, liquid markets (such as money markets and commercial paper markets) and then took this money and lent it out to corporations or invested in long term investments, less liquid assets. In most cases these long term assets that were purchased were mortgage-backed securities. So as you can see the default on sub-prime mortgages was deeply intertwined with all that shadow banking systems were involved in. Once the mortgages defaulted and investors became weary of investing in mortgage backed securities, these financial institutions that had so heavily depended on short term monetary loans from the investors were finding themselves quickly bankrupt. Because the shadow banks are not regulated such as depository banks they are also not able to use the lender of last resort, the U. S. Central Bank. In short financial institutions were in a serious bind. They needed to sell their long term loans for cents on the dollar to be able to pay off the short term loan payments and in the end many institutions were out of business. Some notable companies in 2008 that closed down shop were Bear Stearns and Lehman Brothers. And the long and short of it is that these financial institutions were also highly leveraged. That coupled with the long term illiquid investments they held were the shadow bankers downfall. The effects of defaulted mortgages did not stop there. The effects of defaulted mortgages continued to snowball into a huge problem for such companies as AIG. AIG is an international insurance company that had heavily invested in credit default swaps. The major problem that started the downfall of AIG was the downgrade of its credit rating. When you have a credit rating of AAA you do not, by industry standards, have to give collateral when entering into credit swaps. When AIG had to start providing collateral with their trading counter parties the problem of liquidity started. This was not just a small problem either; they had backed 100 cents on the dollar to CDSs. They had engaged in over 440 billion dollars worth of CDSs of which almost 60 billion were structured by sub-prime loans. In their first half of 2008 they reported 13. 2 billion in losses. They were on the verge of what could have sent our whole financial system into chaos. Had AIG failed it would have sent a wave of bankruptcy through the financial world that would have collapsed the entire market. Because after all, they were insuring financial institutions, who were holding risk for banks who had defaulted mortgage loans. The bailout by the U. S. Government saved AIG by giving them the biggest bailout in history, 85 billion dollars (of which the US Government got an 80 percent equity stake). That was not even the end of it; AIG was given another 77 billion after that. The buck basically stopped with AIG, as they were too big to fail. They had offered a product that while markets were doing well AIG was successful, but as the market declined they entered into what analysts say was inevitable. They offered to cover all risk when offering 100 cents on the dollar, and once the defaults on prime mortgages made it through the entire financial world they had to back the product they offered in CDSs and obviously they could not. The Financial Market Freezes The collapse of the shadow banking system was an igniter of the market freezing. They had accounted for one third of all U. S. lending mechanisms leading into this crisis. The reasoning was because investors that had been supporting the financial institutions with short term money loans quickly bailed out once things started to go wrong. With this absence of monetary injection into the shadow banking systems they were no longer able to fund mortgage funds, corporations and others in need of their services. This caused banks to have a serious absence of liquidity as well, leading them to start hoarding money. This meant that instead of banks loaning to counter-parties in need they held onto the funds in fear of needing liquidity in the future. This was a serious problem and one that will not be fixed in years to come. A lot of the forms of securitization that were once available are likely gone forever. The reasoning behind them disappearing is that they were designed in a time of very loose credit conditions and that time has gone, at least for now. While banks have raised their lending standards it was the rise and fall of shadow banks that inevitably led to the inactivity of debt markets. The Stock Market Follows As I mentioned earlier, the defaults on sub-prime mortgages spiraled into many liquidity problems in the financial markets. They caused investors to start fearing that markets would continue to drop. Banking institutions bankrupted, and with AIG on the brink of disaster, matters only got worse. Investors caused bank runs (Groups of people all withdrawing money from banking institutions at the same time), Illiquidity, and massive panic in stock markets. As we can see from this table, The SP 500 index was significantly hit by these defaults. As you can see, during the crisis period volatility was 43. 6% (325% of pre-crisis period). [pic] This table reflects how the average investor was feeling about the market. As you can see in the post-crisis analysis the market volatility is still at 20. 9% and the average is actually lower than the crisis period. This next chart reflects the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DOW). As you can see here, the chart mirrors the information given in the last table. March 2009 was the low point of the market (where the crisis ended), and the market has rebounded. It has not yet returned to its previous high of 14,000 but it has steadily been on the incline since March 2009. This gives us hope in looking to the future, that even in the trenches our economy can rebound. Effects on Initial Public Offerings Initial public offerings are the first sale of stock by a company to the public. This allows companies big and small to raise capital for their firms. With the severe economic downturn in 2008, it sent a wave of negative effects worldwide, which hit the IPO markets hard. IPO markets plummeted by over 60% in both deal numbers and funds raised. Up until 2008, there had been record-setting years with IPOs. The problem lied with the illiquid markets. There was a significantly less money that investors were willing to supply for IPOs. Although IPOs were taking a significant hit, U. S. and China still led the way as far as funds raised from IPOs Companies with strong business plans and innovative products for the economy were still able to realize positive gains in the public markets. Looking towards the future, IPOs will rebound. Analysts say that signs point to new horizons for IPOs, favoring companies that offer innovative and public solutions for the changing environment. Looking Towards the Future In short, our financial world hit a wall when sub-prime mortgages were abused. Securitization multiplied the effects from default mortgages causing financial ripples that destroyed many firms. Other problems such as the relaxing of regulations and the pressures from the U. S government to give out sub-prime mortgages only made things worse. Greed ran wild and should have taught us a lesson on what deregulation and the abuse of sub-prime borrowers can do to markets. We also need to keep banks more regulated and have the government always keeping a watchful eye on the shadow banking system. Congress and the Obama Administration have taken the first step forward to preventing a repeat by putting into law the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. As regulators begin the rule-making process it is estimated that the act mandates nearly 250 regulations and 70 studies. Just as quickly as it was passed, however, the industry was hard at work lobbying to diminish the protections under the act by intervening as much as possible in the rule-making process that follows any such legislation. Additionally, the industry lobbyist are hard at work in an effort to get the newly elected Republican-controlled House of Representatives to weaken the legislation’s impact through low funding of the various regulatory enforcement provisions. I would hope that in the future we can learn from this crisis and realize that lending to borrowers with good credit, and income that can afford the payments of a loan, are very important aspects in lending. Equally, financial institutions must get back to seriously following their own loan policies, since most policiesthat were ignored allowed for loans to be approved that should not have been. . Works Cited 1. United States. Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. The Financial Crisis Timeline. Web 09 Dec. 2010.

Birthday Wishes and Quotes for Friends

Birthday Wishes and Quotes for Friends Friends make your birthday special. They may not shower you with expensive presents, but their presence makes the celebration complete. Likewise, your friends expect you to shower them with love and attention on their birthdays. Friends Like Unexpected Birthday Surprises On your friends birthday, show your dearest friend how much you care. As long as your surprise does not cause embarrassment, your friend will enjoy being surprised on her birthday. The surprise need not be extravagant. You can throw a surprise birthday party with close friends. Your friend will be touched by your gesture, however big or small.With little investment, come up with creative birthday surprises. You can plan a treasure hunt for your friend, or a picnic at her favorite holiday spot. You can even plan a special trip to a rock concert. Or take her to a karaoke bar, and dedicate a birthday song to your friend. Connect With Friends on Birthdays Birthdays are the perfect occasion to catch up with friends. If your friend has moved to another part of the world, send birthday wishes through text messages or social networking sites. If you have not been in touch with your childhood friends, surprise them by sending them birthday wishes. Everybody loves to be remembered on birthdays. Your birthday wish will come as a pleasant surprise. Also, you can use birthdays as the perfect excuse to befriend someone. Birthday Quotes for Friends Add a Special ZingYou want your gift to stand out in a pile of presents. While it would be foolish to empty your pockets and buy the most expensive presents, you can gift your friend something you hold dear. Or you can gift her a handmade present, such as an engraved handkerchief, or a personalized t-shirt. While choosing a birthday gift, keep your friends preferences in mind. If you are unable to make a choice, simply gift your friend a small present with a happy birthday wish written on it. Your eloquent words can make any gift special. Use these birthday quotes for friends to add that magic touch. Larry LorenzoniBirthdays are good for you. Statistics show that the people who have the most live the longest.Menachem Mendel SchneersonBecause time itself is like a spiral, something special happens on your birthday each year: The same energy that God invested in you at birth is present once again.Edna St. Vincent MillayMy candle burns at both ends; it will not last the night.But, ah, my foes, and, oh, my friends; it gives a lovely light!Robert BraultIn childhood, we yearn to be grown-ups. In old age, we yearn to be kids. It just seems that all would be wonderful if we didnt have to celebrate our birthdays in chronological order.Chili DavisGrowing old is mandatory; growing up is optional.Oscar WildeThirty-five is a very attractive age; London society is full of women who have of their own free choice remained thirty-five for years.E. W. HoweProbably no man ever had a friend that he did not dislike a little.Robert Brault I value the friend who for me finds time on his calendar, but I cherish the friend who for me does not consult his calendar. Margaret Lee RunbeckSilences make the real conversations between friends. Not the saying but the never needing to say is what counts.John LeonardIt takes a long time to grow an old friend.Ralph Waldo EmersonIt is one of the blessings of old friends that you can afford to be stupid with them.Barbara Kingsolver The friend who holds your hand and says the wrong thing is made of dearer stuff than the one who stays away.Elbert HubbardThe friend is the man who knows all about you, and still likes you.Antoine De Saint-ExuperyThe tender friendships one gives up, on parting, leave their bite on the heart, but also a curious feeling of a treasure somewhere buried.Jean Paul RichterOur birthdays are feathers in the broad wing of time.William ShakespeareWith mirth and laughter let old wrinkles come.Chili DavisGrowing old is mandatory; growing up is optional.Cherokee ExpressionWhen you were born, you cried and the world rejoiced. Live your life so that when you die, the world cries and you rejoice .Bishop Richard CumberlandIt is better to wear out than to rust out. John LennonCount your life by smiles, not tears,Count your age by friends, not years.W. C. FieldsStart every day with a smile and get it over with.Bob HopeYou know you are getting old when the candles cost more than the cake.Samuel UllmanYears may wrinkle the skin, but to give up enthusiasm wrinkles the soul.William W. PurkeyYou’ve gotta dance like there’s nobody watching,Love like you’ll never be hurt,Sing like there’s nobody listening,And live like it’s heaven on earth.Markus Zusak, I am the Messenger Sometimes people are beautiful. Not in looks. Not in what they say. Just in what they are.George Harrison All the world is birthday cake, so take a piece, but not too much.Mae WestYou only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.Ralph Waldo EmersonTo laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and to endure the betrayal of false friends. To apprecia te beauty; to find the best in others; to leave the world a bit better whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition; to know that even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded.Ralph Waldo EmersonIt is not the length of life, but the depth.Maya AngelouLet gratitude be the pillow upon which you kneel to say your nightly prayer. And let faith be the bridge you build to overcome evil and welcome good.Martin BuxbaumSome people, no matter how old they get, never lose their beauty- they merely move it from their faces into their hearts.Elizabeth Cady StantonThe heyday of a womans life is the shady side of fifty.

The Science Courses Needed for College Admission

The Science Courses Needed for College Admission When applying to college, youll find that requirements for high school preparation in science vary greatly from school to school, but in general, the strongest applicants have taken biology, physics, and chemistry. As you might expect, institutions with a focus in science or engineering often require more science education than a typical liberal arts college, but even among top science and engineering schools, the required and recommended coursework can vary significantly. What Science Courses Do Colleges Want to See? Some colleges list the science courses that they expect students to have completed in high school; when stated, these courses usually include biology, chemistry, and/or physics. Even if a college doesnt specifically outline these requirements, its probably a good idea to have taken at least, two, if not all three of these courses, as they provide a strong general foundation for college-level STEM classes. This is especially important for students hoping to pursue a degree in fields such as engineering or one of the natural sciences. Note that earth science does not tend to be on the list of courses colleges hope to see. This doesnt mean it isnt a useful class, but if you have a choice between, for example, earth science or AP biology, opt for the latter. Many colleges stipulate that high school science classes must have a laboratory component in order to fulfill their science requirements. In general, standard or advanced biology, chemistry, and physics courses will include a lab, but if youve taken any non-lab science classes or electives at your school, make sure youre aware of the specific requirements of the colleges or universities you apply to in case your courses dont qualify. The table below summarizes the required and recommended science preparation from a number of top American institutions. Be sure to check directly with colleges for the most recent requirements. School Science Requirement Auburn University 2 years required (1 biology and 1 physical science) Carleton College 1 year (lab science) required, 2 or more years recommended Centre College 2 years (lab science) recommended Georgia Tech 4 years required Harvard University 4 years recommended (physics, chemistry, biology, and one of those advanced are preferred) MIT 3 years required (physics, chemistry, and biology) NYU 3-4 years (lab science) recommended Pomona College 2 years required, 3 years recommended Smith College 3 years (lab science) required Stanford University 3 or more years (lab science) recommended UCLA 2 years required, 3 years recommended (from biology, chemistry or physics) University of Illinois 2 years (lab science) required, 4 years recommended University of Michigan 3 years required; 4 years required for engineering/nursing Williams College 3 years (lab science) recommended Dont be fooled by the word recommended in a schools admissions guidelines. If a selective college recommends a course, it is most definitely in your best interest to follow the recommendation. Your academic record, after all, is the most important part of your college application. The strongest applicants will have completed the recommended courses. Students who simply meet the minimum requirements will not stand out from the applicant pool. What If Your High School Doesnt Offer the Recommended Courses? Its extremely rare for a high school to not offer the basic courses in the natural sciences (biology, chemistry, physics). That said if a college recommends four years of science including courses at an advanced level, students from smaller schools may find the courses simply arent available.   If this describes your situation, dont panic. Keep in mind that colleges want to see that students have taken the most challenging courses available to them. If a certain course isnt offered by your school, a college shouldnt penalize you for not taking a course that doesnt exist. That said, selective colleges also want to enroll students who are well prepared for college, so coming from a high school that doesnt offer challenging college preparatory classes can be a detriment. The admissions office may recognize that you took the most challenging science courses offered at your school, but the student from another school who completed AP Chemistry and AP Biology may be the more attractive applicant because of that students level of college preparation. You do, however, have other options. If youre aiming for top-tier colleges but coming from a high school with limited academic offerings, talk to your guidance counselor about your goals and your concerns. If there is a community college within commuting distance of your home, you might be able to take college classes in the sciences. Doing so has the added benefit that the class credits might transfer to your future college. If a community college isnt an option, look into online AP classes in the sciences or online science classes offered by accredited colleges and universities. Just be sure to read reviews before choosing an online option- some courses are much better than others. Also, keep in mind that online science courses are unlikely to fulfill the lab component that colleges often require.   A Final Word About Science in High School For any college or university, you will be in the best position if you have taken biology, chemistry, and physics. Even when a college requires just one or two years of science, your application will be stronger if youve taken courses in all three of those subject areas. For the countrys most selective colleges, biology, chemistry, and physics represent the minimum requirements. The strongest applicants will have taken advanced courses in one or more of those subject areas. For example, a student might take biology in 10th grade and then AP biology in 11th or 12th grade. Advanced Placement and college classes in the sciences do an excellent job demonstrating your college readiness in science.