The Financial Crisis Of Lehman Brothers - 1948 Words

Where It Began There are several distinctive moments for which a strong argument can be made as the start of the 2008 financial crisis. Some experts argue that the pivotal moment was the failure of Lehman Brothers, which resulted in a run on financial institutions, while others blame the crisis on the housing bubble that burst in 2007, following years of skyrocketing prices in that market. Digging deeper than the macro issue of the housing bubble, the true cause of the financial crisis can be traced to banks’ incredibly risky policies regarding how and to whom they made large real estate loans and the insatiable greed that drove them to adopt these practices. In this analysis of the perfect storm that facilitated the financial meltdown, I†¦show more content†¦Because of the amortization, MBSs differ from traditional bonds that typically only makes interest payments, with the principal being repaid in its entirety at the bond’s maturity date. In addition to the expected monthl y cash flows, investors that own MBSs also receive unscheduled payments of principal that is repaid early due to refinancing, foreclosures, or house sales. These premature payments make it difficult to predict the maturity of MBSs, a problem that traditional bonds do not have, making them more risky by default. In addition to the unique risk of prepayment, MBS are also subject to risks more typically associated with traditional bonds such as credit and default risk. Credit Default Swaps A credit default swap (CDSs) is essentially an insurance policy that allows speculators to bet against default on loans or bonds held by others. They are not always used in a speculatory fashion, as they can also be used to mitigate risk related to a loan held by the owner of the CDS. A fairly new concept, CDSs are primarily a mechanism to speculate and are mostly unregulated, a combination of factors by which they become a potentially dangerous financial instrument. Speculators simply pay insurance premiums against the underlying loans or bonds and wait for them to default, resulting in a large payout by the insurer. Market Conditions Leading Up to the Crisis Rapid Increase in Subprime Mortgages and the Perpetual Cycle After jumping more than 6% in 1999,

Agrippina Influence - 1557 Words

Agrippina the Younger had four main factors that highly influenced her power before her marriage to Claudius. She was born into the Julio-Claudian bloodline making her an Imperial woman of a noble dynasty, she was as a result of her family background reasonably wealthy and educated, she had the backing of the Roman Army as her father Germanicus was the commander of the 5th legion of the army in Germany and finally her two marriages which provided her with wealth and a son to be heir of the throne. The Julio-Claudian dynasty ran strong before and after the birth of Agrippina. She was born into power in 15 AD. She was a direct descendant of respected Augustus and was the daughter of the most popular couple in Rome, Germanicus and Agrippina†¦show more content†¦Tacitus as a main example writes about Agrippina the Younger in his â€Å"Annals† in such a way that it portrays to us a powerfully negative image of a power thirsty mother figure. Tacitus himself was a Roman historian and senator who disliked the Julio-Claudian dynasty, mostly its women because of the individuality and power they held. Tacitus holds Agrippina the younger responsible for the falling of the dynasty due to Nero’s character. He believes her influence was a negative one, she was only after power for herself and went about getting it by exploiting her son and entering into false marriages. â€Å"In public, Agrippina was austere and often arrogant. Her private life was chaste-unless power was to be gained. Her passion to acquire money was unbounded. She wanted it as a stepping stone to supremacy† (Tacitus, 7.5-7, Annals) It must be taken into account the criticism towards Agrippina the Younger is most possibly due to his own morals and opinions. In that time of Roman history women did not have many rights under law and were viewed as inferior so Tacitus may be sexist when writing these accounts of Agrippina. She was a powerful woman who posed threats to many people. Tacitus also was born in AD 55 meaning that he was only an infant when Agrippina the younger died, these accounts are not eye witness they are recreated and therefore are not completely reliable. Modern historians however seem more understanding of Agrippina’s situation and lookShow MoreRelatedEvaluate the Significance of Agrippinas Marriages in Her Rise to Prominence.1134 Words   |  5 PagesAgrippina the Younger’s three marriages were significant in her rise to prominence as they all served her political advancement; protection from enemies, fortune and eventually, power in politics. Her first marriage was to Gnaeus Domitius Ahenobarbus, a man seventeen years her senior, described as a â€Å"wholly despicable character† (Suetonius). Her second marriage was to Gaius Sallustius Passienus Crispus, cut short by his death, but gaining her immense fortune. Her third and final marriage was to herRead MoreJulia Agrippin An Impeccable Pedigree1444 Words   |  6 PagesJulia Agrippina, more commonly known as Agrippina the Younger, had an impeccable pedigree, along with great ambition that helped her dominate the political world of her time. She was born into a Julio-Claudian family background that shaped and influenced the woman Agrippina the Younger became. Throughout her life her actions and ambitions were heavily critiqued as they went against the social norms and expected role of women of her time. Motivation: Agrippina the Younger found inspiration and motivationRead MoreAgrippina the Younger Essay3935 Words   |  16 PagesPersonality Agrippina The Younger Historical Context Roman Social and political structures Imperial Family Emperor From the time of Augustus, exercised total control over * Political * Military * Economic * Religious affairs Family Members of the Juio-Claudian family enjoyed considerable power and influence Upper Classes Consular Came from noble families – senators who had achieved office of consul and were respected because of their experience and authorityRead MoreJames Romm s Dying Every Day : Seneca At The Court Of Nero1381 Words   |  6 Pagesinto a single coherent story of Seneca’s time as one of Nero’s subjects and teachers. It would be impossible to talk about Seneca without also explaining the life of the emperor Nero. Seneca was brought out of exile back to Rome by Nero’s mother Agrippina specifically to tutor her son Nero. After a complicated series of incestual marriages, assassinations, and false accusations intended to manipulate the Senate, Nero ascends to the throne at the young age of 17. During his reign, he has his brotherRead MoreThe Roman Republic1412 Words   |  6 PagesLindi Ingram Professor Salzman February 26, 2016 As a descendent of the deified Emperor Augustus, Agrippina was born into a powerful and respected family. She exploited this power, obtaining a level of influence over her husband and son that was only available to ambitious, imperial men. Her use of manipulation and violence has led ancient writers, such as Tacitus, to describe her political career as inappropriate and excessive. But I will argue against these views. On the contrary, I will showRead MoreThe Role Of Women During The Roman Empire1299 Words   |  6 Pagesgood example of this is the life of Agrippina the Younger, mother of Nero. She was previously married to the emperor of Rome, Claudius. This is similar to the situation of Boudicea, but the difference lies when the powerful husband perishes. We know that in Boudicea’s case, she’s allowed by the people to take power, but Agrippina was not so lucky. The leadership role had passed from her husband, right over her, and down to her son Nero. Due to this , Agrippina had to look to other ways of gainingRead MoreAgrippina Strengths And Weaknesses996 Words   |  4 Pagesdown by the very traits that had enabled her to achieve positions of power. Agrippina was able to become one of the most significant women of the Ancient Roman World, but at the same time she was considered manipulative, and was despised by many, including eventually her son - the Emperor Nero, who had her killed in the year 59 CE. Despite holding no official political status, and being limited by her gender, Agrippina reached unprecedented heights and helped stabilise the Claudius Regime, demonstratingRead MoreTacitus s Influence On The Roman Empire2166 Words   |  9 PagesTacitus talks about the influence of Agrippina the younger as a sign of weakness of the principate representing Claudius and Nero as her pawn. Her position of power as a female to this day is unmatched; known as the granddaughter, daughter, sister, wife, and mother of men. ( Tacitus) Agrippina , an Imperial woman of the Julio-Claudian bloodline a female Caesar lived through all five of the Julio-Claudian emperors Augustus, Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius, and Nero. Agrippina the younger roles in theRead MoreSummary : Claudius Drusus Germanicus 1716 Words   |  7 PagesLizzy Davis Shuler September 29, 2015 Nero Claudius Drusus Germanicus AD 15 - AD 68 Nero was born on December 15, 37 ADto Cnaeus Domitius Ahenobarbus and Agrippina and was named Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus. His father came from a well known patrician family (with a relative who had been consul in 192 BC) and his mother was the youngest daughter of Germanicus. He was taught from a young age by the Seneca and studied the typical Greek, philosophy and rhetoric of that age (Morgan 13). Clearly bornRead MoreAgrippina’s Relationship with Other Members of the Imperial Court2158 Words   |  9 PagesAncient Assessment – Agrippina – by Sophie Mulley Describe Agrippina’s relationship with other members of the imperial court. (10 MARKS) â€Å"Agrippina was a formidable adversary. She had political allies at all levels, acquired during Claudius’ reign, and she knew how to exploit her Augustan lineage and descent from Germanicus to the full.† – Griffin Agrippina the younger is recognized as one of the most ambitious women in history who encompasses a great desire for power, wealth and supremacy

Synthetic vs. Natural an Analysis of Costuming in Blade Runner Free Essays

Ben Boudreau Professor Butorac English 151 10 May 2010 Synthetic vs. Natural: An Analysis of Costuming Used in Blade Runner Blade Runner written by Scott Bukatman and published in 1997 discusses the making of, and larger issues addressed, in Ridley Scott’s film Blade Runner (1982). Bukatman, an Associate Professor of Film and Media Studies at Stanford University, has written several books on film. We will write a custom essay sample on Synthetic vs. Natural: an Analysis of Costuming in Blade Runner or any similar topic only for you Order Now His book takes a look at the film formally, ideologically, and even historically. He addresses the film formally by talking about the production of the film. He briefly discusses the process of refining the film’s script which is loosely based on the book Do Androids dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick. Bukatman talks of Blade Runner’s design, touching on the narration, the production of the props and set, special effects, and cinematography of the film. In his ideological analysis of the film he touches on larger social issues in the film such as urbanization, immigration, racism, and post modernism. On age 19 Bukatman says â€Å"With its city that resembles nothing so much as a vast boundless refinery and its world that no longer contains any traces of nature† This discussion of the set and props hint at the problems of urbanization as shown in the film. Bukatman uses the androids as examples for how the film can be viewed as addressing racism and immigration. The paranoia against the androids could represent the racism against Asians which was growing at that time in American history due to Asian’s expanding economic influence (Bukatman 74). Racism against blacks is shown by the androids classification of non-human because during the time of slavery in America, blacks were also not viewed as human (Bukatman 75). One way post-modernism is addressed, according to Bukatman, is by begging the question what does it mean to be human? This question is a major theme throughout Bukatman’s book. In this paper I will discuss the issues of the environment and industrialization. I plan on doing this through the use of costuming in the film. I will analyze the use of synthetic versus natural costuming. This paper will cover the wardrobes worn by Rick Deckard, Pris, and Rachael. Rick Deckard, played by Harrison Ford, is the protagonist in Scott’s Blade Runner. Known as a â€Å"blade runner†, Deckard is a member of the Los Angeles police department who is employed to â€Å"retire† genetically designed humanoids known as â€Å"replicants†. These replicants were designed by the Tyrell Corporation to do work in off-world colonies. Because of their superior strength and comparable intelligence, the replicants were viewed as a threat to the human race. After a bloody uprising on an off-world colony they were deemed illegal on earth. In response, Rick Deckard and his group of blade runners are put in place to hunt down and retire these humanoids. Deckard lives in futuristic Los Angeles set in 2019. The city described by Bukatman is a â€Å"vast, boundless refinery,† which â€Å"no longer contains any trace of nature† (19). Deckard’s costuming throughout the film differs greatly from the rest of the characters. He wears a large brown sport coat with patch pockets for most of the film. The coat’s color is very earthy and natural looking in comparison to other characters’ costumes. It looks unpressed and wrinkled as if nothing has been done to modify its look. Underneath he wears several different dress shirts all with basic patterns and muted colors, along with a plaid styled tie. His pants appear to be dark gray, possibly flannel but nothing remarkable. It is almost as if Deckard is your typical working class male found on any large city’s street during the 1980’s. I believe he can be viewed as representing the past, a time where a natural environment existed and urban landscape did not completely dominate the planet. By dressing the film’s â€Å"good guy† in natural and earthy attire I believe Scott could be voicing his opposition to urbanization and the destruction of the natural environment. In the beginning of the film you learn that a group of Nexus 6 replicants have escaped from an off-world colony and traveled to earth illegally. They have come to earth in hope that their creator, Tyrell, can extend their short life spans of only four years. These Nexus 6 replicants, which are said to be â€Å"more human than human†, were designed with superior strength and agility for use on the off-world colonies. One of the escapees is known as Pris. Born on Valentine’s day, Pris is a â€Å"basic pleasure model†. She is also the girlfriend of the strongest replicant, Roy Batty. In the film, we follow Pris as she befriends the genetic engineer, J. F. Sebastian, so Roy can get closer to Tyrell, their creator. Throughout this film we see Pris in very unique costuming. We first see Pris wandering the crowded streets alone in the rain, dressed as a classic street prostitute. Her hair is frizzy and blonde, looking as if it has been bleached. Around her neck she wears a metal dog collar. A black shirt barely covers her up, and her black nylon tights clearly show her upper thighs. Faint traces of mascara make her eyes appear dark. Anticipating J. F. s route home, she hides outside his apartment disguised under newspapers. J. F. gets off the bus and runs into Pris, not being able to resist the company of a gorgeous girl in his lonely apartment, J. F. invites her in. She spends the night there and quickly becomes â€Å"friendly† with him. The next morning Pris goes through a transformation. She wanders his apartment looking through the endless amount of toys a nd mannequins. She begins playing with his make-ups, and cakes her face with clownish white powder. Next, she closes her eyes to spray them with a black jar of spray paint. This make-up on her face gives her a â€Å"created look†. She appears completely unnatural at this point, and begins to resemble the toys found in J. F. ’s apartment. She uses this ability of looking fake to her advantage when she encounters Deckard in the end of the film. In this scene we see Pris posing completely lifeless among the toys. Her only disguise is a long white veil. She transforms visually into a kind of ghostly bridal doll. In this film, Pris is the polar opposite of Deckard. She wears dark synthetic clothes that appear to be unnatural and fake. Her make-up gives her the appearance of a lifeless toy mannequin. Deckard eventually spots the replicant and a fight ensues. Deckard shoots Pris twice and retires her. I believe the killing of Pris by Deckard gives us another possible example for urbanization and the environment. Pris can be read as one of the evils in this film. Being a replicant, she represents the future, where there is no evidence of nature and the cluttered city dominates the entire landscape. If you look at her costuming, it is very artificial and synthetic looking. Deckard, on the other hand, is dressed naturally and earthy. His killing of Pris could give some evidence of Scott’s opposition to urbanization and the future of the environment. One of the most interesting characters in Blade Runner is Rachael. She is the latest experiment of Tyrell, designed because of the flaws of the Nexus 6 models. Tyrell believes that the replicants have started to develop their own emotions. He believes this is due to the fact that they have no framework within which to deal with the formation of new emotions. Tyrell implants memories of his niece into Rachael and also does not reveal to her, until later, that she is a replicant. Rachael figures it out after she is given a Voight-Kampff test. She leaves Tyrell and in desperation turns to Deckard, who is under orders to kill her. Deckard ends up falling in love with her and spares her life. In the film, we see two different types of costuming for Rachael. In the beginning when Deckard meets Rachael in Tyrell’s pyramid throne, we see a tall, dark, statuesque woman. With broad squared shoulders, exaggerated proportions, straight lines, and lacquered hair she appears to be flawless. She looks to as if she is mechanical, fulfilling her role as a replicant. Later in the movie she goes through a gradual transformation. At this point of the film she is sitting at the piano in Deckard’s apartment. Rachael is wearing a more feminine dress that paints broad stripes of tan and cream across her body. As she lets her hair down, we see her change from the artificial hair she wore previously to a bushy and more natural style. We also see Rachael as she transforms from a pale white face with bright red lips to a more tan and feminine face with little or no lip stick. I believe that the transformation of Rachael can be viewed as representing hope. Rachael stands for the future. She is portrayed in the beginning as being very unnatural but through her transformation she becomes more natural looking like Deckard. This could be Scott showing us that there is hope for the future, and that the future can be a place where nature exists. This pinning of good versus evil, natural versus synthetic, is just one of the many ways the costuming of Blade Runner can be read. In Ridley Scott’s films, the messages or issues addressed by the film are very subtle. They will never come out and hit you in the face. You often have to watch his films several times and really think about the film after you have viewed it to really understand what he is trying to say. This is what makes Scott’s films so great. His films will provoke thought and stay relevant and important to the film industry like few other films can. Even authors such as Scott Bukatman missed what this particular use of synthetic and natural fibers could be saying. Although this message about urbanization and the environment is hidden and could be read a number of different ways, I do believe Scott might be voicing his opposition to urbanization and the destruction of the natural world. Works Cited Blade Runner. Dir. Ridley Scott. Perf. Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, Sean Young. Warner Brothers, 1982. Film. Bukatman, Scott. Blade Runner. London: British Film Institute, 1997. Print. How to cite Synthetic vs. Natural: an Analysis of Costuming in Blade Runner, Papers

Potential Barriers of E Learning Readiness-MyAssignmenthelp.com

Questions: 1.Describe e-learning as a training method. 2.Describe the potential barriers of e-learning readiness. 3.Analyze how e-learning readiness has affected your success at Ashford University. 4.Explain what a trainer can do to prepare learners for e-learning. Answers: 1. Describing e-Learning as a training method It can be stated that e-Learning keeps knowledge at the fingerprints of the employees whenever they require it, dwindling the abilities and talents knowledge breach all through the whole association. Apart from that, it can be stated that e-Learning increases the employee retention rates up to 60%. Moreover, it is necessary to mention that compared to the classroom training procedure, e-Learning students have a 62% faster learning curve (Rennie Morrison, 2013). Research and reports have stated that e-Learning has the potentiality to cover 5 times more material of the classroom training in the same quantity of time spent. Recent reports have found out that the corporations that use e-Learning for introducing as well as reinforcing behavior can observe 26% higher revenue-per-workers (Al-Furaydi, 2013). Moreover, it can be found that e-Learning puts aside trade at least 50%, when they put back the conventional classroom teaching with e-Learning. Many companies now a day use e-Learning as a training method because this is highly cost effective and has the potentiality to save time. This is discreet in nature, as e-Learning permits each entity to undertake the topic at their own rapidity, with interactive tasks being set in place to make sure a methodical understanding throughout every component (Frehywot et al., 2013). 2. Describing the potential barriers of e-Learning willingness Fallon and Brown (2016) have stated that e-Learning is one of the good opportunities for the corporations to up-skill their human resources in order to convene the demands of lifelong knowledge. However, the accomplishment of its requirements are required to be well prepared as well as managed because it most of the times takes high investment costs. It can be stated that the beginners require admission to learning actions in their own preferred language. If not, there is a great language obstruction to the acceptance and high possibility that the learning action results would be sub-optimal. Apart from that, it can be seen that the employees in the organization often have numerous positions and responsibilities. Therefore, it is firm enough for them to offer attention and time to learning for an extended time to be properly effectual (Yacob et al., 2012). Apart from that, another barrier is that the companys focus is most of the times on the little term outcomes, whilst the learning objectives are most of the times longer term. Watkins and Corry (2013) has stated that customized learning actions and the e-Learning content are exclusive and as a result, often the more general content that has been delivered to the employees is not suited to their requirements. 3. Analyzing how e-Learning willingness has affected success at Ashford University It can be seen that the classroom learning trainers often talks regarding the requirements to generate a hassle-free as well as expressively appealing learning surroundings. In order to do this, the trainers tend to design the classroom with signage that locates the ground expectations and regulations. Al-Furaydi (2013) has explained in his research work that the trainers often open an assembly with an introduction and they are required to commence people to one another, decrease anxiety by fetching populace jointly and many more. Through this learning, I have been able to set a challenge and the goal everyday and this has enhanced my journey at Ashford University. The learners in the university have always offered proper guidance as well as support to others and this has helped me to succeed in my path. It is required to mention that innovations in the computer disciplines have enables development as well as implementation of e-Learning information systems in both formal and informa l education (Yacob et al., 2012). 4. Explaining what a instructor can do in order to organize learners for e-Learners It can be stated that for learning to take place, the learners require to come across several original contents or at least come across content in a new method. Watkins and Corry (2013) have said that appealing with the trainers appears to be the hardest type of engagement to take over into the e-Learning surroundings. It might be alluring to just depart out this constituent, nut the beginners notice. Apart from that, engaging with the other learners is the next most important thing that a learner is required to focus on. Rennie and Morrison (2013) have stated that constructive and communities learning are all the rage right at the present, with unreliable points of achievement. It can be stated that a trainer must not create the course, as the clients generally do not want to listen this from the learner. The learner must design the course in such a way that no one thinks it is wastage of time (Fallon Brown, 2016). References Al-Furaydi, A. A. (2013). Measuring e-learning readiness among EFL teachers in intermediate public schools in Saudi Arabia.English Language Teaching,6(7), 110. Fallon, C., Brown, S. (2016).E-learning standards: a guide to purchasing, developing, and deploying standards-conformant e-learning. CRC Press. Frehywot, S., Vovides, Y., Talib, Z., Mikhail, N., Ross, H., Wohltjen, H., ... Scott, J. (2013). E-learning in medical education in resource constrained low-and middle-income countries.Human resources for health,11(1), 1. Rennie, F., Morrison, T. (2013).E-learning and social networking handbook: Resources for higher education. Routledge. Watkins, R., Corry, M. (2013).E-Learning Companion: Student's Guide to Online Success. Cengage Learning. Yacob, A., Kadir, A. Z. A., Zainudin, O., Zurairah, A. (2012). Student Awareness Towards E-Learning In Education.Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences,67, 93-101.