Were agency problems responsible for the bankruptcy of Lehman brothers Dissertation

Were agency problems responsible for the bankruptcy of Lehman brothers in 2008 - Dissertation Example However, such event took place even after repeated assurances made by the chief executives of the company mentioning their claim that Lehman Brothers was financially sound, had high liquidity levels and the leverage was present at manageable levels. The fallout of this Wall Street financial institution resulted in shattering of the consumer confidence during a fragile time in the financial market. Soon after the collapse of Lehman Brothers, a lot of decisions taken by it were found to be questionable. This study entails with finding the reasons behind the fallout of Lehman Brothers. This research study would try to find out the possible causes behind such a historic event that took place in United States which had a significant impact not only in the country but worldwide. Lehman Brothers was founded in the year 1850 and was headquartered at New York, United States. Lehman Brothers was considered to be one of the most prominent investment banks in the world and was engaged in the business of providing financial services to governments, municipalities and corporations worldwide. It became one of the largest underwriters of United States mortgage bonds (Onaran, 2008). Apart from offering services related to investment banking, Lehman Brothers was also involved in business activities corresponding to selling and buying of US treasuries and they were the primary dealers. It has been believed that the abolition of Glass-Steagall Act marked the beginning of Lehman Brothers’ demise. This landmark legislative act which was institutional since the Great Depression helped in separating the interests of commercial and investment banks and thus prevented it to have competition between them (Fox, 2009). It also helped to protect the balance sheets of the com mercial and investment banks to by allowing them to focus on the business transactions that they used to manage in the best possible way. The investment banks were typically meant to maintain highly liquid assets in their portfolios. On the other hand commercial banks were meant to handle the portfolios that were highly capital intensive in nature including corporate or real estate investments. In addition to this, the Glass-Steagall Act helped insulating the company from collapsing in case of the failure of one of the sectors by preventing similar

Compulsive sexual behavior to avoid memories of combat Research Paper

Compulsive sexual behavior to avoid memories of combat - Research Paper Example The case study is based on Jim, a soldier who served Marine combat duty in Iraq. He is twenty three years old and a Caucasian male. He is married and has a son. Howard (2007) is part of a team that provided a comprehensive treatment for Jim’s addiction and emotional problems. He collected qualitative data from Jim through counseling sessions. Findings showed that combat experience produced traumatic experiences for Jim, which resulted to his emotional and relationship problems. At the same time, Jim went through problems at home, which reinforced his need to escape his pain. Howard (2007) stressed that Jim self-medicated through the use of pornography, which became a sexually compulsive behavior. His sex addiction became a source of immediate temporary happiness that numbed him to pain. Howard (2007) also described the addiction cycle. Then, he recommended measures that can deal with the diverse components of addiction. He emphasized the importance of treating trauma, not just the addiction, through a systemic approach, which includes the wife/partner in the healing process. Howard (2007) concluded that sexually compulsive behavior can be an escape route for other traumatic experiences, such as rape and events of terrorism. ... The military sampling includes soldiers who are deployed or have come from deployment. Anderson (2010) explained how technology assisted the ease of developing pornography addiction. He interviewed Navy Lt. Michael Howard, a licensed therapist and chaplain, who has a specialty in sex addiction. Howard stated that twenty percent is a conservative estimation for soldiers who are addicted to porn. Anderson (2010) described the flourishing industry of Porn 2.0, as well as the practice of using social networking sites and â€Å"sexting† as means of porn addictions. Access to technology made porn addiction a convenient form of instant pleasure. Porn, as a kind of sex addiction, is similar to other forms of addiction, where it titillates the pleasure centers of the brain. Anderson (2010) talked to Robert Weiss, director of the Sexual Recovery Institute in Los Angeles, who described what happens to the brain while consuming pornography. Watching porn releases dopamine, a neurotransmit ter that activates pleasure centers and blocks pain sources in the brain. Weiss added that masturbation increases dopamine levels and reinforces porn addiction. Porn addiction has numerous psychological and social effects. Anderson (2010) interviewed soldiers, who were fired because of storing child pornography images in their computers or accessing child porn websites. Soldiers also complained of how porn addiction affected their relationships and work performance. They admitted that porn became a way of dealing with their stress. The wives of soldiers addicted to porn expressed distress too because they felt betrayed when they learned of the porn addiction of their spouses. These interviews assert the individual, family, and organizational consequences

Sustainable Agriculture Essay Example for Free

Sustainable Agriculture Essay As the main objectives of the fieldtrip are to view the integrated system farm, therefore we have to relate this fieldtrip with our subject, Sustainable Agriculture. Based on the definitions of the sustainable agriculture, it is defined as an integrated system of plant and animal production practices having a site-specific application that will, over the long term: a) Satisfy human food and fiber needs, b) Enhance environment quality and the natural resource base upon which the agricultural economy depends, c) Make the most efficient use of non-renewable resources and on-farm resources and integrate, were appropriate, natural biological cycles and controls, d) Sustain the economic viability of farm operations, and e) Enhance the quality of life for farmers and society as a whole. Hence, there are several principles in sustainable agriculture must comprise of which are economic viability, environmental sound and socially. These principles we can found it in MARDI station Sg. Baging as we tour around in the station. Sustainable agriculture Principles’: 1) Economy viability Economically viable means that the farmers can produce enough for self sufficient income and gain sufficient returns. Economic viability is measured not only in terms of direct produce but also in terms of functions such as conserving resources and minimizing risks also. 2) Ecologically sound Ecologically sound means that quality of natural resources is maintained and the vitality of the entire agro-ecosystems from human beings, crops and animals to soil organisms is enhanced. This is best ensured when the soil is managed and the health of crops, animal and human is maintained through biological processes. 3) Socially Just Socially just means that the resources and power are distributed in such a way that the basic need of all members of society are met and their rights to land use, adequate capital, technical assistance are assured. All people should have opportunity to participate in the decision making. After understands what is mean by these principles, hence, we, as the students have to relate on which criteria that MARDI station Sg. Baging portrayed. Sustainable Agriculture at MARDI station Sg. Baging Some of the criteria that are showed by MARDI station Sg. Baging are: 1) Economic viable i) Varieties of Livestock Products| MARDI station Sg. Baging has successfully breed local sheep with Dorper sheep species from African that are high quality in meat. This species are great meat producers which can reach a live weight of 90-120 kg and ewes 50-80kg. It is suitable to sale in domestic market and international sale of prime lamb meat. Currently, MARDI sale it based on demand. Besides, its wool also can be commercialized as material for pillow. | ii) sheep dung as manure products| In addition, sheep dung from Dorper species also can be used as biologically manure for plants here and also can be commercialize. About 25 kg, these manures are sold at RM 5 while RM 7- RM8 for treated one. One of the staff on duty said that the sheep dung is collected in built drain near the sheep -pen and it will move to manure trap behind the sheep-pen. It does not have any uncomfortable smell as the staff insert in food pallets products named Genkimo that use a technology to make it less odor. | iii) Commercialize screwpine coconut product| Besides, there also plants Screwpine Coconut or also called as ‘Kelapa Pandan’. It is tasty, sweet, and has a thick layer of coconut flesh. It is suitable for coconut shake and coconut jelly to be commercialize. It is sold at RM 1. 50 for each coconut. | | | 2) Environmentally sound i) Uses of natural sources of water| For drinking water, watering the plants, the station used underground water sources by using a machine that is called tube well. It is function by using generator and also can be handled manually. It is not only used as sources of watering and drinking but also use for other necessity like washing the instrument, cleaning the sheep-pen and others. Even though, the station is near the sea, but it is not salty and can be used as drinking water for the animal without treated. | iii) Integrated pest management| The uniqueness of MARDI is they apply integrated pest management as one of the system in handling pests. It is a system that are friendly to environment where it is also count in Air Index in the respective area before treat the plants. Before treat, they will analysis what disease attacks the tree to avoid repetition of treatment. It is not only waste the pesticide but indirectly also pollute the air in local area if conduct frequently. Therefore, integrated pest management is about biologically control of the disease and attacks of pest and periodic treated of pests using pesticides. | iv) Biologically control of pest (natural)| For protecting the fruits from fruits flies, they wrap it with newspaper. It is a method| | |

Equal Rights For The Children Young People Essay

Equal Rights For The Children Young People Essay A kids childhood should be filled with happy moments, laughter and lovely toys, not memories that make one shudder even at the thought of it. Being a child should not be a painful journey. After all, children are equal holders of human rights and they should not be denied a safe environment to grow and mature. However, many adults have failed to see the importance of ensuring the well-being of these young innocent kids. Every single day, almost five children die as a result of child abuse and at least one report of child abuse is made every ten seconds (National). Child abuse may take the form of physical, sexual, emotional or neglect, with physical abuse being the most common (Child). The incidence of parents and other guardians consciously, or even willfully, harming the children theyre supposed to be nurturing is a sad fact of human society that cuts across all borders of ethnicity and class (Joseph). Its high time for us to dig deep into the roots of this evil and look for soluti ons to combat the issue, before it continues to bring detrimental impacts to both the abused victims, and also, the society. Behind any action, there is always a purpose or reason. Same goes to child abuse. Child abuse is triggered by many factors. According to Dr. Joel Akande, among all the contributing factors, lack of insight is the main culprit. Child abusers lack insight into the value of the children and this leads to sexual, verbal or physical exploitation of these kids (Akande). This may be due to the fact that the children are unwanted from unplanned pregnancy or they may be physically or mentally impaired (Akande). When these adults are engulfed in frustration or anger, children become their easy targets as they are vulnerable objects. If they were to value their precious kids dearly, they would always place the childrens happiness as their utmost priority. A responsible parent will try his very best to protect his child from any form of danger at all times. Apart from that, some caregivers lack parenting skills and they might have unrealistic expectations about child care (Saisan et. al). Child care is a daunting task, especially for working adults who have the heavy responsibilities to juggle between career and family. Without necessary parenting skills and support from others, caring for a child can be very stressful. Caregivers who are unable to handle child care stress tend to abuse their children as an outlet of their emotions (Gibson). They unleash their anger on the children to make themselves feel better as they have little control over their own emotions. This is especially evident in teen parents who have unrealistic and immature expectations about how much care babies and small children need (Saisan et. al). Also, parents under the power of drugs and alcohol can be abusive and easily neglect their children (Gibson). Drugs and alcohol abuse increases the likelihood of violence, because it interferes with communication among family members and abusers have lower abilities in controlling their behaviors (Miller et.al 357). Underestimation of the consequences of vio lence takes place at the same time as a result of interference with the brain centers that control socially unacceptable behaviors when adults abuse drugs and alcohol (Miller et.al). They lose their ability to judge whats right or wrong when they are not sober. Parents who come home drunk or high on drugs are unable to take good care of their children, make good judgments and have control over often-dangerous compulsions (Saisan et.al). The neglected children are often left to fend for themselves and scavenge for their basic needs such as food under such harsh environment. Herbert Ward once said, Child abuse casts a shadow the length of a lifetime. Indeed, it is true that child abuse leaves deep and long-lasting impacts on the victims, be it physically or emotionally. Physical abuse leaves visible signs, such as frequent physical injuries or unexplained bruises, cuts and wounds. This is often done by slapping, spanking and caning by the caregivers. Some may even resort to harsher means such as using hot iron and leather belt to harm their children. The visible physical scars and wounds will heal someday, but the emotional scarring will be embedded deep down in the childrens hearts throughout their lives. Victims of violence may face trouble developing self-confidence and a sense of self in them (Saisan et. al). It is difficult to overcome the core feelings of being worthless and hopeless, if a child is being repeatedly told that he is good for nothing since young (Saisan et. al). They no longer believe that they worth more or stand a place in the socie ty. Abused children also cannot regulate and express their emotions effectively, in turn leads to unexplained anxiety, depression and anger in adult survivors of abuse (Saisan et.al). In addition, child abuse is a vicious cycle. Based on a literature review, Kaufman and Zigler have estimated that inter-generational transmission rate of child abuse is approximately 30 percent (186). This signifies that three out of ten people who were neglected in childhood will abuse their own children in the future (Kaufman and Zigler 186). They are more likely to raise their children in the way they have experienced as a child, repeating the horrible cycle unconsciously. This causes unfavorable effects to the society as a whole, as the future leaders of tomorrow are not empowered to fulfill their potential as productive human beings, said Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, the prime ministers wife of Malaysia (Getting). Hence, it is essential to put a halt to this terrible chain of abuse. First things first, caregivers have to be equipped with good parenting skills and it is vital to be mentally prepared for all the child care stress and challenges that follow. Parents should set realistic expectations of what children can handle at certain stages of development as it can help avoid frustrations and anger at normal child behavior (Saisan et.al). Emotional control and developing emotional intelligence is equally critical especially when one needs to handle children with special needs. Society has a pivotal role to play in combating this issue as well. The mindset of not wanting to encroach into other peoples lives should be discarded. One should not be reluctant to make a report to the authority if a child is suspected being abused by his caregivers. Society must realize that a small act of kindness can actually bring light into the darkness of a childs life. The earlier the victims get help, the hig her chance they have to recover from the abuse and not perpetuate the vicious cycle (Child). Truly, if there is evil in this world, it lies within the heart of mankind, quoted Yoshiharu Gotanda. Well aware of the detrimental impacts of child abuse, we can choose to make or break the lives of these innocent children. The power is definitely in our hands to end the pain and screams in their eyes. We are the cause, and also the solution. It is our responsibility as a caring member of society to bring hope into their lives and make them believe once again, that the world is colorful and life is beautiful. It does not take much to make a difference in a childs life. All in all, child abuse is to be eradicated, and not inherited. Word Count: 1228 Words

In this essay, I am going to write about the social and historical

In this essay, I am going to write about the social and historical context of Of Mice and Men, and how the dreams of certain people in the ranch went wrong and ended in tragedy. In this essay, I am going to write about the social and historical context of 'Of Mice and Men', and how the dreams of certain people in the ranch went wrong and ended in tragedy. Most of the characters in 'Of Mice and Men' admit, at one point or another, to dreaming of a different life. Before her death, Curley's wife confesses her desire to be a movie star. Crooks allows himself the for the fantasy of hoeing a patch of garden on Lennie's farm one day, and Candy latches on desperately to George's vision of owning a couple of acres. John Steinbeck wrote this novel because he wanted people to realise the consequences of the great American depression between 1930 and 1940. It showed how people interacted with each other and it showed the misery of the economical depression and how poor and different race people were treated. In 'Of Mice and Men' Steinbeck describes how punishing and challenging the life of migrant farmers could be. Just as George and Lennie dream of a better life on their own farm, these farmers dreamed of finding a better life in their world. The state where they lived promised a climate for a longer growing season and it offered more opportunities to harvest crops. Despite these promises, very few found it to be the land of opportunity and plenty of which they dreamed. George and Lennie are migrant American labourers. George protects his friend from the insecure world and shares with him a dream of one day settling down and farming their own land to live a better life. The farm that George describes to Len... ... why, even though he has reason to doubt George and Lennie's talk about the farm that they want to own, Crooks cannot help but ask if there might be room for him to come along and hoe in the garden. However, his desires would never come true because of the time he lived, a time where such dreams for him were impossible to become a reality. All of these dreams were typically American dreams where dreamers wish for untarnished happiness, for the freedom to follow their own desires. George and Lennie's dream of owning a farm, which would enable them to sustain themselves, and, most important, offer them protection from an inhospitable world, represents typically American ideal. Their journey, which awakens George to the impossibility of this dream, sadly proves that Crooks is right that such paradise of freedom and safety are not to be found in this world.

The Well by Elizabeth Jolley and Relationship of Hester and Katherine E

The Well by Elizabeth Jolley and Relationship of Hester and Katherine Hester Harper is a lonely, single lady in The Well. It was her loneliness, lack of love and need for companionship that made her bring Katherine home. She did not have a life of her own. Katherine was an unloved child, who had already been rejected by people in her country until she luckily met with Hester. Katherine formed a close relationship with Hester, and soon realised that Hester was quite fond of her. Katherine fulfilled all her requirements, and Hester believed that it is the beginning of a secure and loving relationship. Hester spoiled Katherine and made her life incredibly comfortable; she did not want to ever let go of her. Katherine was incredibly good at manipulating Hester. She displayed her care and friendliness on the first day that she was brought home, â€Å"Oh Miss Harper I will. Thank you†¦she hugged and kissed her.† She was all open and honest to Hester, it seemed strange that a normal person would show affection to a stranger, without even forming a close relationship. Katherine from the first day, had a concealed motive by knowing that Miss Harper was a well respected and rich lady and for this reason was already trying to take advantage of her, trying to win her love so she could be the replacement daughter and inherit Hester’s assets. There is also the time when Katherine convinced Hester to invite Joanna to come stay for a week. The suspicion gets even stronger when we learn about â€Å"Katherine’s ability and willingness in the household† and that â€Å"there was nothing Katherine could not copy or learn.† She seemed to have all the makings of an efficient criminal. It is very unusual for a young girl to be willing to sta... ... it. Nevertheless we never find out who stole the money; however we do know that Hester is left with nothing. All she ever wanted is for her and Katherine to be happy. Hester and Katherine both tried to take advantage of each other. Hester never wanted to lose Katherine, and had always done what was best for her. She tried to make Katherine’s life the most comfortable as she possibly could. She bought all the things that Katherine insisted upon, and even told Katherine that she could invite her best friend to stay, even though she did not look so kindly upon. All Katherine ever wanted was the money to use for her own pleasure, she wanted to get everything out of Hester, and was very manipulative in doing so. She had Hester wrapped up in her little finger. Both Katherine and Hester used each other, but it was really Katherine who was in the most control.

Genetically Modified Food Speech Essay

Attention Material :How awesome would it be if your pet glowed in the dark? Or your family had a zebra-dog? How about a family dog that could take out the entire neighborhood in one lick? Now how about owning this dairy cow? Looks normal but its not. All these animals have been genetically modified and their genes have been altered. The cow is injected with a growth hormone rBGH to increase it’s milk production, only problem, that hormone has been found to cause different types of cancers as well as a number of other health hazards. This hormone has been banned in Canada and Europe but sadly in American this hormone linked to 3-4x higher cancer rates was approved by the FDA in 1993 after the consumer tested it for 90 days on 30 rats. Today, we are seeing the long-term affects of drinking this potent milk. Before the genetically modified food explosion only 1:11 individuals had cancer, today 1:2 men and 1:3 woman will develop cancer and nearly half of you can expect it in your lifetime. Today 2/3rds of all foods in your local grocery store are GM and in 2013 it will have raised to 90%. The problem here is that GM foods are hardly ever tested before consumed, they have a number of associated health problems and they are not labeled so you cant pick to not eat them or not. Credibility Material: I have always been interested in GM organisms but a few years ago my professor at IU intreguied me with the effects of GM foods. Today, I’ve done countless hours of research on the subject and wrote many papers about it. Thesis Statement: Today I want to inform about GM foods Preview: Today I want to inform you about GM foods, what they are and why we should push for labeling of GM foods in our grocery. Transition: To begin, allow me to inform you about GM foods. BODY I. GM foods are everywhere but what are they? Are they good, bad, or okay? Should I eat them or should I not? A. Genetically Modified (GM) foods are food items that have had their DNA changed or altered entirely through genetic engineering creating completely different variants. 1. GM products include medicines and vaccines, foods and food ingredients, feeds and fibers. B. GM foods first appeared on the marked in 1990 C. Between 1997-1999 GM food ingredients suddenly appeared in 2/3rds of all U. S. processed foods 1. If you consumed soy sauce with Chinese, popcorn at movie or occasional candy bar you’ve undoubtfully consumed this new food. a. Nearly every American has eaten GM foods but only 26% believe they have. b. No labeling and no regulation 2. â€Å"Potentially, GM could breed new animal and plant diseases, news sources of caner and novel epidemics in human health†, Dr. Wald, Prof of Biology at Harvard University. Transistion: Now that we know what GM foods are, lets discuss the health concerns associated with them. II. There are extensive health hazards that have been shown to be caused by modified foods. A. Study done in 1999 showed GM foods have decreased levels of vital nutrients- esp. those that protect us from heart disease and cancer. B. Modified proteins exist in GM foods, new proteins never before eaten by humanity. 1. Foreign GM ingredients produce allergies a. 25% of Americans have mild adverse RXNs to foods and at lease 4% have life threatening allergies to food. b. Soy allergies have doubled since GM soy introduced. â€Å"c. No labeling of GMO in foods and people experience allergies they were unaware of-Anaphylatic shock 2. In last decade, percent of children in U. S. affected by serious food allergies has significantly increased. a. Today 6-8% children under 3 yrs old affected. C. As we ingest transgenic human/animal products there is no real the impact of human evolution. 1. Research mice show increase in birth defects and shorter life spans when feed GM soy. a. Mothers feed GM soy- nearly all babies died (10% died in control) b. Males developed changed testicle color. c. Infertility when feed GM corn. 2. Other animal studies indicate serious health risk associated with GM foods; fertility, immune problems, accelerated aging, insulin regression, changes in major organs and gastroninteitinal region. a. There are more than casual associations between GM foods and adverse health affects b. Confirmed in animal studies-consitancy and association between GM foods and disease 3. Number of autoimmune diseases are enhanced by foreign DNA fragments not fully digested in stomach and intestines a. DNA fragments are abundant in bloodstream. b. Potentially mix with normal DNA. Transition: Considering these factors about GM foods, let me explain why I think it is so very important that these GM crops be labeled. III. In other countries, GM crops are almost always labeled but in the U. S. no GM foods are labeled. A. Unlabeled GM foods can cause serious health problems for those with allergens to it. 1. Most people by a tomato and aren’t worried about their soy allergy but with GM foods and ingredients, soy genes can easily be placed or accidently cross pollunant 2. Many unlabeled GMO’s in our food are causing people to experience allergies they were unaware of- a. It’s possible that they can go into anaphylactic shock. b. DEATH. B. There are no regulated health safety tests. 1. FDA only requests that firms conduct their own test of new GM products a. FDA makes no reviews of those tests. b. No long term effects of eating GM foods. 2. Louis Pribly, an FDA microbiologist explains, â€Å"Companies tailor tests to get the results they need. † C. Why labeling and what you can do. 1. Choose hormone-free beef and rBGH-free Dairy products a. Foods that carry â€Å"USDA-certified organic† label contain no artifical hormones. 2. Lack of labeling of GM foods violates the 1st Amendment of the Constitution, â€Å"Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act requires added substances to be labeled. † a. Without labels, our public health agencies are powerless to trace problems of any kind back to their original source b. Crisis? c. Why do you think labeling hasn’t occurred yet? Because, the manufacters of GM crops would lose buisness. Would you buy GM foods if you had a choice? Probably not. CONCLUSION Summary Statement:In conclusion, I hope that everyone gained some knowledge towards the effects of genetically modified foods and why it needs to be taken more seriously when involving peoples health. Concluding Statement:â€Å"Its like playing Russian roulette (referring to the lack of testing done on GM foods) with public health, We have became involuntarily guinea pigs in vast genetic experiences,† Louis Pribyl, FDA microbiologist. Be a Voice, Sign a petition for GMO’s labeled in our foods, get the knowledge & protect your future generations. Sign The World Science open letter to all governments calling for GMO’s to be properly labeled in our foods. Who wants to become sick from food they eat? We have the right as Americans to know what is put in our food. Don’t We? Work Cited Works Cited Admin. (2010, Apr 29). GM. org. Retrieved Feb 24, 2011, from Genetically Modified Foods: http://www. gm. org/category/gm-foods/ Batalion, N. (n. d. ). Genetically Modified Food. Retrieved Feb 22, 2011, from Raw-Wisdom. com: http://www. raw-wisdom. com/50harmful. Boston University College of Engineering. (2010, Feb. 12). Low Levels of Antibiotics Cause Multidrug Resistace in ‘Superbugs’. Retrieved Dec. 5, 2010, from Science Daily: http://www. sciencedaily. com/releases/2010/02/100211151647. htm GMO Dangers. (2010). Retrieved Feb 24, 2011, from Institute For Responsible Technology: http://www. responsibletechnology. org/ The National Agricultural Library. (n. d. ). (USDA) Retrieved Feb 22, 2011, from United States Department of Agriculture: http://www. nal. usda. gov/.