Environmental Analysis of Barclays Bank Plc Essay Example

Environmental Analysis of Barclays Bank Plc Essay Example Environmental Analysis of Barclays Bank Plc Paper Environmental Analysis of Barclays Bank Plc Paper They face increasingly well- informed and energetic customers, determined legislators, and electorates ho are becoming environmentally aware. They have to adapt to changing economic and market conditions, fast changing consumer needs and expectations. Their business is influenced by global economic, political, regulatory, technological and other unpredictable factors. Consequently, they have to device their strategies, policies and operations to adapt to these changes in order to meet stakeholder expectations and satisfy consumer needs. In this assignment, try to describe and evaluate changing business environment of Barclay Bank Pal over the last five years. INTRODUCTION About Barclay Bank Pal Barclay is a major global financial services provider engaged in retail banking, credit cards, corporate banking investment banking, wealth management and investment management services with an extensive international presence in Europe, the Americas, Africa and Asia. Barclay Group headquarters is at 1 Churchill Place in London, UK, but it has operations all over the world, with products and services to meet the needs of customers and clients in local markets. With over 300 years of history and expertise in banking, Barclay operates in over 50 countries and employs more than 144,000 people. Barclay moves, lends, invests and retests money for more than 48 million customers and clients worldwide. Organizational structure Barclay is made up of Clusters: Global Retail Banking, and Corporate and Investment Banking and Wealth Management, each of which has a number of Business Units. The third major area of the business is Group Centre, which comprises all our essential support functions. I-J Banking Industry Auks banking sector, following the IIS and Japan, is the worlds third largest and considered foremost in terms of: efficiency, dynamism and return on capital. In addition to having one of the largest commercial banking industries, the UK is also a major international centre for investment and private banking. The UK banking sectors strong international orientation is reflected in the substantial foreign presence and sizeable assets of foreign banks in London. It services 95% of the population with about 3. 5% of Auks workforce over a million workers. Banks and financial services contribute E ban to the Auks national output (6. 8% of GAP) and provide 25% Of total corporation tax (Been) to the UK Government. The main retail banks provide over mm accounts, clear ban transactions a year and facilitate 2. Ban cash tetrahedral per year from its network of over 30,000 free Atoms. Banks in the UK contribute well over El mm per year to charities and local community initiatives. UK banks are authorized and regulated by Financial Services Authority under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (FSML). Financial Services Authority is an independent non-governmental body which exercises statutory powers under the FSML. The FSML requires the FSP to pursue four objectives: to maintain confidence in the UK financial system; to promote public understanding of the financial system; to secure an appropriate degree f protection for consumers whilst recognizing their own responsibilities; and to reduce the scope for financial crime. Banks of England is responsible for maintaining overall stability of the financial system a whole. The Bank sets interest rates of UK and is also responsible for identifying and limiting systemic financial risk. ANALYSIS Barclay bank operates almost all over the world and hence its actions are influenced by the global economic conditions. Have used PESTLE framework to describe and evaluate business environment of Barclay Bank pal. It categorizes environmental factors into six main types: political, economic, social, technological, environmental and legal. Lattice * Government stability * Taxation policy * Foreign trade regulations * Social welfare policies Economic factors * Business cycles * GNP trends * Interest rates * Money supply * Income distribution * Social mobility * Lifestyle changes * Attitudes to work and leisure * Consumerism * Levels of education Technological * Government spending on research * Government and industry focus on technological effort * New discoveries/dev elopment * Speed of technology transfer * Rates of obsolescence Environmental * Environmental protection laws * Waste disposal Energy consumption Legal * Monopolies legislation * Employment law * Health and safety * product safety The change in the business environment of Barclay bank The collapse of a global housing bubble, which peaked in the IS. S. In 2006, caused the values of securities tied to real estate pricing to plummet thereafter, damaging financial institutions globally. Questions regarding bank solvency, declines in credit availability, and damaged investor confidence had an impact on global stock markets, where securities suffered large losses during late 2008 and early 2009. Economy sees worldwide slowed during this erred as credit tightened and international trade declined. Governments and central banks responded with unprecedented fiscal stimulus, monetary policy expansion, and institutional bailouts. The subsequent emergence of a wider set of credit problems in mortgages and in corporate lending, and in particular in commercial real estate generated credit capacity constraints and economic slowdown. An initial focus on funding problems, with the failure of Northern Rock caused not by immediately evident solvency/credit quality problems, but by the drying up of the market for both securities credit assets and wholesale funding availability. Such funding issues were also critical to the problems of Bradford ; Bentley and HOBOS in September/October 2008. The UK economy was officially declared to be in recession on 6th May 2009. The Office of National Statistics said that Gross domestic product (GAP) fell by 1. 5% in the last three months of 2008, after a 0. 6% contraction in the previous quarter. Recession is generally defined as two quarters of successive contractions in GAP, which means the UK had been in recession since July 2008. Industrial production fell by a massive 3. 9 per cent over the quarter, while the dominant set-vices sector fell by one per cent. Unemployment had also risen to 2. 47 million in the three months to July 2009. It Was at its highest level in 14 years since May 1995. The KICK economy came out of recession in 2010, after figures showed it had grown by 0. % in the last three months of 2009. In the second week of January 201 0, UK unemployment fell for the first time in 18 month. The Auks production and service sectors each grew by 0. 1% during the quarter. The UK recession began in the April-to-June quarter of 2008, and was the longest I-J recession on record. During 18 months of re cession, public borrowing increased to an estimated El ban, while output slumped by 6%. Impact on Barclay Banks performance Barclay announced record profits of more than Ell billion for 2009 a 92% rise on the previous year. Its performance driven largely by a strong revival in its investment banking arm Barclay Capital. Profits were also boosted by sale of fund management business Barclay Global Investors, and the addition of the New York operations of failed investment bank Lehman Brothers at the end of 2008. The BIG sale added E. 3 billion to pre-tax profits. Barclay Capital contributed E. 5 billion of the banks underlying profit of E. 3 billion which was 13% down on sasss E billion. However, the banks profit was highly affected by the global economic slowdown and deteriorating economic conditions in the UK. Its UK Retail Banking profit before tax in 2009 decreased 55% (E mm) to Emma (2008: El mm), impacted by low interest rates resulting in margin compression on the deposit book and increased impairment charges which together more than offset well controlled costs and an improved assets margin. Impairment charges rose to Emma (2008: Emma), reflecting the impact of the economic recession across the business with continued pressure on corporate liquidity, rising default rates and lower set values. Barclay enforced strict criteria on new credit card applications, using a scoring system that takes over 400 variables into account when assessing an applicants likely ability to manage their credit. Around 50% of applications for credit cards are declined as a result. Strong income growth (2009) across the portfolio driven by increased lending, improved margins and foreign exchange gains, was offset by higher impairment charges, driven by the deterioration in the global economy. Impairment charges in the international businesses increased Emma, driven by higher delinquencies due to deteriorating economic conditions. UK portfolio charges were higher as a result of rising delinquencies due to the economic deterioration, especially in the loan portfolios, and the inclusion of Goldfish in UK Cards. The impairment charge in Global Retail and Commercial Banking increased by 85% (E,mm) to E,mm (2008: E,mm) as charges rose in all portfolios, reflecting deteriorating credit conditions across all regions. Impairment charges on loans and advances increased 50% (E,mm) to E,mm (2008: E,91 mm). The increase was primarily due to economic deterioration and portfolio maturation, currency movements and theology enhancements, partially offset by a contraction in loan balances. In Investment Banking and Investment Management, impairment was broadly unchanged at El ,mm (2008: El ,mm). The impairment charge against available for sale assets and reversed repurchase agreements increased by 41 % (Emma) to Emma (2008: Emma), driven by impairment against credit market exposures. Political During 2008, the UK government acted in the banking sector to recapitulate banks and guarantee toxic assets and deposits and new lending for essential infrastructure programmers. This was essential to shore up lending for nonusers and businesses and restore confidence in banks. Also it was vital to avoid the unprecedented banking crisis having even more wide reaching and catastrophic effects in the wider economy. This decision was not taken lightly and wasnt considered an easy ride for the banks. Banks wishing to participate in the Asset protection Scheme for example had to make additional lending to households and businesses. But the overarching priority in the banking sector was first to ensure the continuing supply of credit to the wider economy. This means returning the banks to solvency and profitability, ND maintaining financial stability. On 13th October 2008, the government nationalized the Royal Bank of Scotland (ORBS), taking up a 63 % stake in exchange for EWE billion of taxpayers money (now 84% owned by the government) on condition that no executive bonuses paid during 2008; no dividend until the governments Been of preference shares are repaid and the government appointed three directors; ORBS had to maintain mortgage lending at 2007 levels. On 31st October 2008, Business secretary Lord Mandelas waived competition law for takeover of Lloyd Tats takeover of Halifax Bank of Scotland creating the fourth biggest bank of Britain to calm uncertainty about the strength of HOBOS after a run on its shares. The combined bank accounts for a third of the mortgage market. Although the merged bank is smaller than Barclay, HASH and Royal Bank of Scotland, because it has less of an international profile than the Other banks, it is the market leader in terms Of savings by a huge margin. In order to shore up confidence in the banking system during 2008, the government injected money into Lloyd TTS Bank (E. Ban) and HOBOS (El 1 ban) and became owner of 43. % of the combined roof, directors were asked to receive sasss bonus in shares; no dividend until preference shares are repaid; government appointed two directors; Lloyd asked to maintain mortgage lending at 2007 levels for next three years. As the Financial Services Authority increased the capital ratio requirements for all UK banks, Barclay had been forced to raise E. 2 billion from Middle Eastern Investors on generous terms. A further El . Ban was being raised from institutional investors to strengthen its balance sheet. Chancellor Alistair Darling introduced a temporary one-off super-tax of 50% n bankers bonuses paid above E25000 between December 2009 and April 2010. Bankers still had to pay income tax on any bonus they receive as usual. The new tax was designed to discourage banks from awarding large bonuses to employees in the wake of the major taxpayer support they have received in the financial crisis. Consequently, Barclay paid IEEE million in windfall bonus tax for 2009. Sociological According to British Retail Consortium (BRB), more people are using cash to pay for their purchases amid growing consumer concerns about how much money they are spending. The global credit crunch is causing consumers to e more cautious with their money. Figures from the organization showed that cash was used for 60 per cent of all transactions during 2008, an increase of 54 per cent from 2007. Cash represented 34 per cent of all money spent in the retail sector during 2008, compared with 32 per cent in 2007. According to BRB, peoples enthusiasm for using cards is slipping as they are not only reluctant to borrow but also reluctant to use cards. A survey released on 22nd January 2009 by communications consultants Cohn ; Wolfe revealed the full scale of LIKE consumers anger with financial institutions. I-J consumers perceive their banks to be greedy and impersonal, according to the survey, which polled 852 consumers in January 2009. The study also revealed that 60% of consumers dont believe that their bank is looking after their best interests. When asked which words best describe the perception of their financial institution, consumers identified greedy (49%), impersonal (36%) and distant (34%). Positive and desired descriptions including ethical (2%), trustworthy (4%) and transparent (5%) were among the least common terms used by consumers to describe their financial institutions. Almost two thirds (64%) of respondents trust in financial institutions had weakened over the last 18 months. A lack of confidence in banks was further emphasized with 74% of consumers saying that they do not believe that their bank would help them recover any money they had lost in 2008. Respondents also identified the financial services they trusted most. Retail banks were comfortably (59%) the most trusted type of financial service. At the other end of the scale, investment broker (2%), insurance providers (5%), online financial service providers and supermarket retailers (both 6%) come off worst. Due to such negative attitude towards ban king industry and intense public interest and concern for banks and bankers pay, Barclay chief executive John Barley and president Bob Diamond both agreed to sacrifice bonuses for two years, 2008 and 2009. In late 2004, Chip ; PIN technology was introduced as a strategic response to tackle counterfeit and lost ; stolen card fraud in the face-to- face environment. Up until this point, UK consumers signed for their goods and services and only used their PIN for ATM withdrawals. During 2007, Barclay sent out PIN sentry machines to over half a million customers in an tempt to prevent online banking fraud. The PIN sentry reader is meant to be used once an online account holder has logged in to the banking site. After logging in, customers slot their bank debit card into the card reader, which generates a unique code which they must input before making a transaction. Also, retailers and banks are using more fraud screening detection tools and online fraud prevention tools, such as Mastered Secured and Verified by Visa, which make cards more secure when people are shopping online. This led to phone, internet and mail order fraud losses falling 19 percent from IEEE. Million in 2008 to IEEE. 4 million in 2009. Environmental Climate change has become the single biggest challenge the world faces at the beginning of the 21st century, and in response Barclay is focusing increasingly on its work on the environment, which includes both its direct and indirect impacts. Barclay remains committed to increasing its energy efficiency, and reducing its carbon footprint on an ongoing basis, as well as helping its supply chain reduces its emissions. In 2007, it invested in emissions trading capability, and moved into the consumer market with new lower-carbon products and services. An example is Barbarically Breathe, a new card that gives consumers incentives when they buy green products, and donates half its profits to environmental projects. In the wholesale market Barclay Capital has committed to the ELI emissions trading market to brings its full range of commodity trading and risk management expertise to bear to help clients manage their carbon risk. Since 2005 it has traded over 600 million tones of carbon credits, with a notional value of over $14 billion. Gal factors The global financial crisis resulted in a significant tightening of regulation and changes to regulatory structures globally. The changes in the legal framework, policies and banking r egulatory action, have an impact on Barclay businesses and earnings. The market for payment protection insurance (PIP) has been under scrutiny by the UK competition authorities and financial services regulators. In 2006, the FSP published the outcome of its broad industry thematic review of PIP sales practices in which it concluded that some firms fail to treat customers fairly and that the FSP would strengthen its actions against such firms. Barclay voluntarily complied with the Fags request to cease selling single premium PIP by the end of January 2009. On 21st February, the UK government introduced Banking Act 2009 which provides the Authorities with tools to deal with failing banks and building societies. The Banking Act provides a permanent and appropriate regime for the resolution of failing banks. It is a major step forward in the Governments programmer to strengthen stability and confidence in the UK banking system, in the wake Of the global instability experienced by financial markets. In order to discourage excessive risk taking by large banks, FSP published its new Remuneration Code of Practice in August 2009. The code states that firms should not encourage risk taking to generate short-term profit the focus should be on long term success. It required firms to give pay details to FSP so that it can monitor compliance. Barclay discretionary pay awards for 2009 were fully compliant with the FSP Remuneration Code which resulted in an increase in the deferred awards by approximately 70% and greater use of equity in deferral structures, particularly to senior staff. 100% of the discretionary pay awards for 2009 to its Executive Committee were deferred. RECOMMENDATION From previous chapters it becomes clear that Barclay bank operates in unpredictable and volatile business environment. In such circumstances, it is highly recommended that it should be clear about its strategic framework for the coming years and should maintain a sound financial and organizational footing that anticipates and adapts to the regulatory changes. It can achieve superior growth by diversifying its profit base by geography and by business line. It should focus intensely on cost reduction and risk management. It is required to create the internal framework, processes and culture to respond rapidly to new opportunities, threats and regulations. It is also required to re- establish trust and relationship with customers by fulfilling their needs with reduce innovation and customer centric approach. CONCLUSION The global economic slowdown and subsequent recession in UK and in many other countries of the world have changed the business environment in substantial way. Barclay Bank operates in a business environment which is highly influenced by political, economical, coloratura, technological, environmental and legal factors. In order to compete successfully, it has to adapt to changing business environment. Its performance in last five years shows that it has the ability to run the business profitably even in such deteriorating economic conditions where other players in the market trudged to survive. However, it needs to undertake a balanced set of strategic initiatives in such unpredictable and extreme volatile business environment which is beyond the organizational control.

How to Contact the Prime Minister of Canada by Email

How to Contact the Prime Minister of Canada by Email According to the Office of the Prime Minister: The Prime Minister greatly values the thoughts and suggestions of Canadians. Canadians may submit a letter or query online, send email, send a letter via post, fax or call the Office of the Prime Minister. Email pmpm.gc.ca Mailing Address Office of the Prime Minister80 Wellington StreetOttawa, ON K1A 0A2 Phone Number (613) 992-4211 Fax Number (613) 941-6900 Request for Birthday or Anniversary Greetings A Canadian may make a request online for a birthday, wedding anniversary or union greeting  from the prime minister, also this can be done via post or fax. The prime minister sends congratulatory certificates to Canadians celebrating significant birthdays, such as 65th birthdays and up, at 5-year intervals, as well as 100th birthdays and up. The Prime Minister sends congratulatory certificates to Canadians celebrating significant wedding anniversaries or anniversary of life together unions for 25th anniversaries and up, at 5-year intervals. Gifts for the Prime Minister and Family Many Canadians choose to offer gifts to the prime minister and family. The Office of the Prime Minister considers these as kind and generous gestures. Security regulations and the Federal Accountability Act passed in 2006 prevent and preclude the prime minister and family from accepting many gifts. All monetary gifts and gift certificates will be returned to the sender. Some items, such as perishable goods, cannot be accepted for security reasons.

M5 Reflection Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

M5 Reflection - Essay Example Inclusive schools cultures that are open and friendly to the communities around them as well as the rest of the stakeholders can be achieved through ensuring the communication between all these entities is trusting and open (Stuht, 2009). Social capital is greatly increased when the schools and the community are able to communicate openly and teachers must word hard to eliminate any misunderstandings founded on cultural differences. I order to improve the academic achievements of schools and students, it is important to involve community-based organizations such as libraries, zoos and museums among other organizations as they provide the students with additional information. Additionally, the schools should adhere to the federal regulations for the involvement of parents and parents can ensure this through creating awareness in the school environment (Wanat, 2010). The parents should have a commitment to creation of a positive school culture as well as a safe and operational learning environment, which is able to support holistic education. The schools should also be committed to lead and manage evidence based instructional programs that will make sure that all the children who learn in their institutions gain knowledge, skillsets and values that will mold them into contributing society

Sacrificing Gaddafi Speech or Presentation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Sacrificing Gaddafi - Speech or Presentation Example One would require a strong motive to do sacrifice. Sacrifice can be positive too if it brings positive benefits as a result. Gaddafi had been oppressing and subjugating the Libyan people, We can no longer live under this evil subjugation, sacrificing Gaddafi would bring positive results. Libya is not like Tunisia or the Egypt it is place which is completely different. In case of distraction it would just split in to several other states. These were the words of son of Gaddafi on the Libya TV on Sunday. Of course he is very right as Libya is neither Egypt nor it is Tunisia. It is a country that is over 600,000 sq. miles and is populated by less than even 7 million. Since, the 1969, it has been the victim of single leadership, a man who has treated it mercilessly by showing cruelty to anyone who speaks against him or the revolution or the regime he was governing. It is a country that is built over the importance of tribal unity though despite the largest oil reserves in Africa, it cont inues to permit two third of the citizens living under poverty lines. It is a unique country that cannot boast much of its positive bilateral relations with the west or the Europe, as it has only recently made amendments in its relations with the neighbors across the Mediterranean after many years of US and UN imposed sanctions. (Gaddafi: Africa's king of kings) After the cold in 2004, the Europe ties then developed for better. As could be seen Libya became the third biggest oil supplier to European countries, having in the recent years surpassing Saudi Arabia even. The proximity to Europe, relative lack of foreign investment, unexplored terrain gave Libya a deep value a worth of gem equivalence especially for the oil dependent economies of west. (Gaddafi's personal website) The fact that the leader may publicly hang the dissident students was of no greater concern as long as the philosophy of intolerance had extended to, adequately suppressed, the supposed "threat" of Islamism. Sti ll the recent events have just forced world leaders to just re- examine the relationship with the distorted regime. Accounts of the unprovoked sniper attacks on the peaceful demonstrators, use of the violent foreign mercenaries as means of the crowd control, live ammunition being shot in to crowds of protesters, along with the media black-out that tried (un-successfully) to prevent world from finding out the truth This has brought about fresh focus and attention to plight of the Libyan people along with the reaction of their in-humane leader.(Freedom 2011) As he had addressed the nation, Gaddafi’s feebly masked threats were then received angrily by the protesters in the streets. His claims in regard to the celebrations of people of Darnah, Benghazi and al-Bayda were brought about by drunk and drugged youngster led to the furious chanting plus jeering against the Gaddafi and his son. Gaddafi’s warnings of possibility of civil war and separatism evoked slogans emphasizin g the unity of Libyan people and their intention to support one another till they achieved victory.( A new flag flies in the east) The strengthened protest is one of the case in point. Having been silent for a specific period or the beginning periods the Libyan people then made it to the streets in much of the increasing numbers their final destination became the presidential house. However, the difficulties have gone beyond this. Reports of helicopters bombing protestors as well as forcing them out of city centre apartment blocks in order to make room for snipers are also confirmed by those very people who were on the ground. If one watches from their house they could find Saif’

The Arch of Constantine Essay Example for Free

The Arch of Constantine Essay The Arch of Constantine has stood as one of the triumphal symbols in Rome, along with the Triumphal Arch, and the Arch of Titus. It was in 313 A. D, when Emperor Constantine the Great established what is known as the largest arch in Rome, situated near the Colosseum. Through the structure, the reliefs, and the mixture of historic scriptural decoration, the Arch of Constantine communicates a manipulative message of Imperial power. In addition, it is in the Formalist approach: consisting of line, shape and other various features, as well as the Marxist approach: which deals with the manipulation of art by the ruling class and conveying of social messages, that we can witness this message of Roman imperialism. Firstly, in its formalistic attributes, the monument holds a definite symmetrical appearance, consisting of three openings with the middle opening being the center of focus, as it is the largest of the three. As for the arch itself, it is made from pure marble with an evident repetition in components of four: from the columns, to the medallions, and also the Dacian statues on the attic of the monument, which were taken from the time of Trajan. As well, the rest of the arch is lavished with decorations of the original reliefs as well as the reliefs of other emperors from earlier monuments like Hadrian, Trajan, and Marcus Aurelius. In turn, the combinations of both old and new reliefs show the history of the Roman military campaign as well as the conflicting mixture of styles and traditions in Rome. When looking at the Arch from an Marxist approach, we can acknowledge its strategic placement in the city of Rome. In turn, we can read the reasoning in the placement of the monument when the theory of Marxism is understood as dealing with the struggle of the working class as well as the alienation of the ruling class. Being situated near the Colosseum and acting as a gate into the Palatine Hill, the Arch allows much public accessibility while the reliefs on the monument remind the public of the achievements and historical events in Rome. However, what is most evident is the constant reminder of the Emperor’s authority, a manipulative message that is perhaps repeated through out the whole arch. In furthering this, the monument was a glorious by pass in commemorating Constantine for his victory over Maxentius, his rival. However, it is also through this Arch that the Roman army travels to enter into battle, as well as returning home in victory. Besides the formal structure of the arch, the reliefs decorated upon it also impose a great notion on the power of the state. Reliefs all around the Arch display a record of military campaigns, conquest and Constantine’s personal qualities. Many of the reliefs are even reused from monuments of earlier emperors, such as the two-framed panels on the attic, originally found on a monument of emperor Marcus Aurelius. Another example is the Dacian statues situated in between the framed panels, while they were originally from a Trajanic monument. These reused imagery were all chosen to demonstrate the success and the official military role of the emperor. By doing so, Constantine hoped to gain some of the same honour and recognition as the earlier emperors did. In addition, the Arch consists of â€Å"Victories†, who are statues of powerful women with wings. Their symbolism is likewise to their name, suggesting to the viewer of Rome’s great success in battles won. In this way, Constantine uses these well-recognized, iconographical figures to interpret ideas to the people of Rome. However, besides the message of conquest, two longer panels are found under the medallions on both sides, illustrating the emperor’s influence on the people. The first panel, known as oratio, shows Constantine giving a public speech in the Roman Forum, suggesting leadership and guidance in the emperor. Within this panel, great emphasis is used to lead the viewer’s focus on none other than Constantine, as heads of Romans are generally turned to face the speaker. The second panel, called donatio, displays the emperor distributing money to the public, also showing the emperor’s influence on the people, and even his ability to provide for Rome at his own expense. In furthering these two panels, it is intriguing to find that the head of Constantine is missing in both pieces. This is due to the fact that his head was made of a different, perhaps finer marble and after time, has disconnected with the rest of the piece. However, despite the renewing of earlier monument figures, the reliefs on the Arch of Constantine no longer follow the same naturalistic styles but have become more abstract and formal. Losing the classicality of former monuments, the heads of individual figures are enlarged and stubbier, while their poses are more repetitive, and their carving is flatter. Yet through out many of the reliefs, the message stays the same, showing the emperor has the sovereign, triumphant one, who dominates in each scene. Furthermore, it is the formalistic attributes of the shape and structure of the arch, as well as the Marxist approach in the mixed reliefs that shape the Arch of Constantine as an icon of imperial power. In addition, much of these aspects that shaped the Arch can be seen in many structures in our world today. As well, the way we read these images can be applied to our modern structures, discovering the hidden agendas and implications in the piece. Likewise, facilities such as the White House or a courthouse can be seen with the same principles as icons of power and control as well as order. Other examples include the no longer existing World Trade Centers, which were the iconographical symbols of capitalism. As well, facilities like many schools and universities display the pride and control of the school staff through posters, banners. We are sometimes reminded of the achievements and respective position of the school as we enter its front doors. Similar to the Arch, these structures literally influenced the public, as people are bound to come in contact with them, walk pass them or even through them. Even sport arenas can be seen in the same light, as many stadiums display their historical success and victories or even legendary leaders. It is clear that the usage of formalistic structure and iconographical imagery, in the light of Marxism, is still relevant today. From propaganda, to commercial advertisements, to authoritative visuals, we are confronted in equally similar ways everyday.

Danzy Sennas Caucasia Essay -- Danzy Senna Caucasia Essays

Danzy Senna's Caucasia In Caucasia, by Danzy Senna, Birdie spends time in several different racial contexts and, in each one, adjusts the racial definition of herself. Through this process, she discovers much about the conception of race in contemporary American society and achieves the nuanced understanding that race, while merely a construction, is still (operationally) real. This is contrasted by the more dangerous, oversimplified understanding of race – that races are biological rivals, inherently different and unable to coexist without some sort of power structure – embodied by the character of Redbone, who is also a symbol of inauthenticity. This latter aspect of Redbone shows the emptiness inherent in the views he holds about race, an important reason for his inclusion in the novel. Redbone, which, interestingly enough, according to urbandictionary.com literally means a light-skinned black person with kinky red hair, is an incredibly outspoken advocate of the â€Å"revolution† (the movement intended to allow Blacks to overthrow Whites in the American power-structure) and the need to use violence to bring it about. In the scene where Redbone shows Birdie the guns, he says, â€Å"This little girl ain’t no security risk, brotha. We gotta raise our children to know how to fight† (Senna 15). He also tells Deck that maybe he needs to â€Å"get [his] head out of them books and put some action behind them high-falutin’ theories of [his]† (16). This manifestation of black vs. white politics as unabashed advocating of violence and this mockery and belittling of intellectualism as â€Å"high-falutin’† in favor of insufficiently thought-out action shows just how facile and oversimplified Redbone’s views of race are. Th ey are of the â€Å"good† vs. the ... ...cted† but that â€Å"that doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist† that Birdie and her sister express toward the end of the novel upon their reunification (408). Through embodying both falseness and such a self-serving and facile view of race, Redbone serves as Senna’s symbol that they go hand in hand, that is, that such conceptions are empty and inauthentic – not true to the way the world actually works. As we begin to doubt who Redbone is, we doubt what he says. Taking this a step further, the sense of inauthenticity associated with him points out the aspect of lying to oneself that is necessary for maintaining these self-serving definitions of race. As Redbone pretends to be something he’s not and the flasher denigrates others for an inauthentic sense of power, the racist lies to himself about how the world really is to maintain his image of himself, and his race, on top of it.

Significance of Communication Skills

Conversing and corresponding with people around is such a common activity that most of individuals are so preoccupied with their daily routine that they do not stop and ponder over the immense advantages that business enterprises can derive from mastering the art and science of communication. Following payoffs are only suggestive: (1) Communication is the life blood of an organizationOrganization cannot function without people interacting, conversing or corresponding with one another. All enterprises require human beings working for it or with it, to:Interact and reactMake assumptions about future or forecast future events ï‚ · Plan or draw up a rough blueprint for the futureOrganize / design a format of how to get resources together to achieve the planStaff or gather / recruit people and get them to desired locationsLead or direct people, and devise their jobs so as to adhere to the planExchange information, ideas, plans and proposalsMeasure and monitorCoordinate and controlCommu nication has been described as the „glue‟ that holds the entire organization together as one entity. Without communication, managers / leaders are not able to influence the attitude and behaviour of people to achieve the common objectives.Internal communicationBefore the end of nineteenth century, businesses were small; they started growing in size from the beginning of twentieth century. Contemporary business enterprises are very large and have not only become multinational but also transnational in character. Besides, they have grown in complexity in terms of a wide array of products and services they deal in and the number of countries and continents they are operating in. Also, arising from liberalizing of many national economies, global competition has intensified and the rate of change in market place has accelerated. Market forces have  also become very dynamic, almost verging on chaos.With business becoming very large in size, complex in nature and rapidly chan ging dynamics, enterprises must put in place effective internal communication so that every one can be kept informed of happenings within the large corporation. It is the only way managers / leaders can build understanding among people located in far off communities, countries and continents – stringing them together in to a beautiful necklace that everyone can be proud of.External communicationAs a business enterprise in the modern society, it has to interact, pro-act or react to happenings in other institutions viz.Government bodies, statutory / regulatory agencies, municipal authorities etcDistributors, dealers and retailersCustomers, community and society at largeReputed organizations are concerned about their public image, goodwill and trust. In order to further reinforce their reputation, they participate in a number of activities:Public speeches by senior executivesTactful responses to comments and criticisms in the mediaPreparation and distribution of informative pamp hlets about the firmMarketing communications or advertisement / publicityProduction and dissemination of product catalogues, videos etcBecause of their importance, these activities are centralized in the Public Relations and Corporate Communications department of large corporations. These activities have emerged as specialist skills of critical importance to the well being of the company. Successful messaging can: ï‚ · Eliminate unnecessary correspondence  Save time and expenseBuild favourable impression in public mindEnhance reputation and goodwillHelp increase company profits and profitabilityCommunication skills as vital job requirementHuman beings are communicating all the time. Ability to express powerfully and influence the attitude and behaviour of people for giving better performance on their jobs, has emerged as a job skill of critical importance for managers / leaders at all levels of management. Thus all employees are expected to:1 Write good correspondence 2 Be good in oral conversation 3 Develop and cultivate powerful body language 4 Be able to sell ideas and products effectively 5 Be very good in weaning away customers from competitor and retaining themIt is now increasingly understood that even specialists like accountants, engineers, technicians etc should have good communication skills. In the present day knowledge society, competitive advantage of acquiring excellent communication skills cannot and perhaps need not be emphasized!Communication skills essential for promotion Communication skills have emerged as the most critical prerequisite for promotion to senior executive positions in the industry. Consequently, managers at lower rungs of organizations should also have good command over the spoken and written language of the business. As a general rule, managers should have the ability to make their communications heard, read or understood. Individuals who have had quick rise to senior level positions, attribute it to their being good i n conversation and in articulating topical issues besides being very good in written communications – be it in writing persuasive letters or producing concise and compelling reports.Communication skills aid problem solving A person can become a good communicator only when he is a clear and systematic thinker. Acquiring effective communication skills adds to one‟s self esteem and confidence. This helps managers to be able to collect relevant information and get around people quickly that are essential prerequisites for any problem solving effort.Communication skills ignite enthusiasm If a person is able to articulate viewpoint of the group he belongs to, it enthuses him because he becomes the automatic choice as their representative. The person becomes more spirited and involved and his group activities increase manifolds. People rally around such persons more readily and they progress in to more important roles.Communication skills enhance motivation People who have goo d oral or written communication skills usually develop into very good listeners. Listening to others leads to added learning that influences their attitude and behaviour. It goes a long way in re-orienting their mindset towards work and enhancing their performance. Such persons become more aligned to firm‟s objectives and are motivated to accomplish them.Communication skills are advantageous in personal life As private citizens, individuals take part in a lot of activities like sports, club work, social work, community work etc. People also participate in other social, cultural and religious activities. If they are good communicators, they get noticed quickly and can be appointed or nominated to many such activity groups. Before long, they become well-known and prominent member of the community. (10) Communication skills hone leadership traitsFrom the foregoing discussions, it is easy to understand that all leaders in business, industry or political arena, have notably better skills in communication. They are able to deliver informative and persuasive speeches to audience at large. They are able to draw up, compose and distribute most effective posters, banners and circulars. Thus effective communication skills propel them to positions of leadership. (11) Dividends from effective communication skillsCommunication skills have come to be recognized as integral part of one‟s upbringing and personality. His choice of words and phrases and their use is quite unique to him and can directly give clues to his personality. In the modern age of knowledge society when education, training and skills are being formally taught, communication skills have become of critical importance in every day life. It is said that it is no use having brilliant ideas if one cannot put them across properly, accurately and lucidly. Following illustration highlights the strategic importance of role and importance of communication skills: Effective Communications  Enhance

Cases in global marketing strategies Essay

If you call yourself a movie fanatic, then 21 August, 2009 was a day you will always have to remember. Movie lovers and anyone who love going to cinemas were defiantly in a rush that day to be in any near IMAX Theater. In more than a hundred IMAX 3-D cinemas all over the world watched just 16 minutes preview of the footage from the new James Cameron movie the Avatar. Just on the same day, Ubisoft debuted a preview on a video game based on the movie, and Mattel unveiled action toys based on the movie characters. On the other hand, a day earlier, the teaser made for this movie broke records on Apple.com, this was after the teaser was streamed more than four million times during the first day. On that day August 21, it was a celebration for all movie lovers and movie productions and for that it was a holiday and till now it is remembered as â€Å"Avatar Day.† Today it is remembered as the dawn of the most planned and successful digital marketing campaign ever created to support a movie (Evan, 2011). In this movie James Cameroon and his crew went to all limits and for sure they deserved what the movie gave them in return. For Avatar to stand out above the rest of the movies as it did, there are a lot of strategies and plans which were put in motion for all this to happen. Below are some of the details of key components of how the marketing campaign of the movie became such a success, in some I will illustrate with a character and creature within â€Å"Avatar.† The Home tree: Avatar’s Website The clarity and visual perfection of the home tree on Pandora portrays what has been cultivated on the movies official website. On the websites visitors have more than they can get on a standard trailer, this is by images and all background materials. In the website, you will find 14 side scrolling square boxes that will show a lot of digital products that make this movie different from the rest. On top of this the fans have the capability of accessing the story, character information, music, and picture downloads. And to make the website more interesting the fans can also be able to share their views and showcase their personal interests on the movie. In the movie just about when humans destroyed the home tree for wealth and pursuit of personal interests, the movies website home page had its own destructions in mid-August when the movie fans crushed the site in the process of trying to get free tickets for â€Å"Avatar Day.† The Banshee: The AIR Interactive Trailer The movies interactive trailer comes before other previous movie trailers, and this is all because of integration of social media feeds, and eleven points of interaction that gives viewers the opportunity for one click access to each character. This means that the fans can choose the characters they want to view in a trailer and by this they unlock additional contents. The creation of this trailer was made possible by the use of adobe AIR software, which creates a flexible platform for developers. The outcome of this achievement is that the fans get to enjoy more exciting experience like never before, which more of less the same as to the one is offered in Banshee skipping in the movie. The preview is a motion and frequently refreshed gateway to the movie, which appears to be real and capture the moment it begins. The other advantage is that the preview comes with three options to purchase tickets. The Tree of Souls: Social Media: In the movie the character Na’vi believes that in the tree of souls, which a resting place for the souls of ancestors, was the main link of what connected them to one another. Through this idea, there is a connection to social media that is always connected to our past in one way or the other. Social media being one of the fastest ways to pass information around all over the world, film movie makers had to use the advantage when marketing Avatar. The movies unbelievably got the attention it required on social sites for example it got about 1.5 million fans on Facebook alone, in Myspace the fans were about 800,000 and on twitter I gained about 26,000 followers. According to one of Americas social media analytic firm, they said that Avatar was the most talked about movie in the year 2010 in twitter. However, some tweets resulted to tweet and listen promotion that required the fans to send messages via twitter and after doing that then they will be able to listen to music used in the movie as soundtracks. The social media strategy Avatar used also extended to YouTube that gained over 12 million views, on flicker it got 1.5million people viewing the photos and a type pad blogging community of about 5000 people. Hallelujah Mountains: Augmented Reality In the movie, the gravity opposing Hallelujah Mountains appears to be challenging the ability to hear or see, which is also what had been made greater and reality pushes to do by tabling an interesting experience that floats in front of the viewer’s eyes. The creation of â€Å"Avatar† toys which could be activated and brought to life through the help of webcams and special product tags. While on the other side Coke zero introduced soda cans that opened up a world of Pandora. The final result is that â€Å"Avatar† is so far the biggest movie ever made in the box office of all times. This movie sold over $2 billion in tickets sales which was mostly influenced by 3-D taxes and international interests. Through â€Å"Avatar† James Cameron became one of the greatest movie makers of all time having two of the top-grossing movie topping on the box office at the same time. The question remains to be what lead to the success of this movie? The primary objective of any marketing strategy in the movie industry is to make sure that the fans get the product you are marketing. While at the same time gets to theaters to watch the movies that they have to pay about $10 to $15 and have to watch the movie for several hours. After the campaign made by the advertisers, millions of people all went out to theatres just to enjoy the movie and 3-D glasses, and the fans also got to bring a phrase from the movie to life which was used by Na’vi: Oel ngati kameie meaning â€Å"I see you.† This is the processes in which the improvements in the movie made it unique as compared to other films. However, they are not just the only methods James Cameron used to make â€Å"Avatar† a success in the digital movie era. The introduction of 3-D camera and stimulcam were not just the technology’s that turned James Cameron’s sci-fi unique and a success. Many other small movies have also turned to social media to spread the word guerrilla-style, but so far no other blockbuster movie has turned to social media marketing like Avatar did. After using this method to market its film, the results they got from the first opening weekend Avatar made $232 million and ranked the movie on #2 highest grossing movie of all times. Cameron’s $500million act of hubris finally bared fruits. Reinventing the Movie Trailer Online Knowing that Avatar was never the first film to make a trailer in a different manner online. Then it means that it was never the first to try out most of this things required for online advertising. But using an expensive strategy, and at the same time combine it with several existing ideas was what made this movie’s social media campaign go big. In the beginning it started with ideas which many movies use now: a preview debut from Apple, which was announced on twitter and the anxiety was too high from the fans to such an extent that the servers had to get the trailer out to the people who wanted it. Afterward, about a month later the movie released the second trailer, this became a success since many fans were eagerly waiting to see the trailer for a whole month and with that the fans made their own mash-up trailers which involved Avatar and other movies. However, after making the second preview they did not stop there and they went forth and made the third trailer and to their surprise the preview was the best they had achieved so far, and to an extend it blew everyone away beyond their expectation. An interactive preview was introduced using Adobe Air software and therefore in required one to download that is a bit hectic, but to all Avatar fans the download was worth it. The download had special features such as featured contend, and the fans could read all updated social media updates on the movie from the trailer. This move was the biggest move that Avatar had taken since it got press coverage and buzz (Dave, 2011). The Facebook and MTV Webcast On 3 December, Facebook joined forces with MTV.com and were sponsored by LG webcast known as â€Å"Avatar Live.† An interview was made to get word from the great minds behind the creation and success of the movie and this were people like James Cameron the Director, the producers Jon Landau, the Actors Zoe Saldana and Sam Washington. In this interview, the fans also got to ask them any questions they wanted to about the movie. Even though the interview can be said to have been short and brief, it is still considered to be one of the amazing webcast to have been seen up to date (Mitchell_A_Zucker) . This is because it is not always that simple to see big Hollywood names all sitting at the same place answering questions from their fans all at the same time. Even though having the community come to interact with a director of such caliber is a once in a lifetime opportunity, it made us remember of director Peter Jackson’s daily updates from the famous set of The Lord of th e Rings. What was experienced in both cases is the fact that people who did not know much about the movies also turned out for the sale and learn more about the film while on the other hand the fans also showed up in large numbers to also get to know all what they did not know yet and get new words to spread around to friends and other people they interact with. Broadcasting the Premiere Live On UstreamOne of the most respected way for any celebrity or movie to go down is by using the red carpet. Avatar was premiered at the red carpet and broadcasted live to the audience on a video streaming site Ustream. Besides the technology media coverage this pulled, this idea was not a new stunt since movies like twilight saga New moon had already put it on trial, however, we can say it made many people happy that day. The point is a movie should use all ways possible it gets to get the awareness of the movie out. This broadcast made at the red carpet was sponsored by Myspace, and with this it means that the move reached fans who got to miss the presentation in Facebook or any other social media site. The fans of Avatar had the opportunity to watch the preview and the video in bot Myspace web page in addition to Ustream website. The fact that the red carpet was one week before the movie was released and aired in cinemas was another way to get the awareness of the movie to the fans during the final days of marketing before the final release date of the eagerly awaited movie. Avatar is one of the most thrilling Sci-fi, fantasy, adventure movie ever made. The story line is with no doubt captivating to the audience. Due to these features it was made easy for Cameron and his crew to market the movie since all the fans were thrilled and eager to see the movie after watching the trailers offered on the movie. However, in marketing Avatar the movie had to also come up with action figures which would symbolize the characters and through this they got to attract more children fans to get to buy the toys and also want to watch the movie (Dave, 2011). Coming up with unique posters of the movie was also another marvelous move Avatar came up with, since everyone who was a fan wanted to at least have a poster of the movie in the house or even in their bedrooms and through that all the friend of people with the posters would end up being drawn slowly into liking the movie. According to (Mesa, 2009). another reason many people ended up liking the movie is the fact that we were all amazed by the work made by the make-up artist in the movie, actually they made the characters look so real in such a way that has never been seen before. The details on the characters and the make-up were just out of this world. Conclusion From this essay, it is evident that James Camron went to all measures to make Avatar such a success. However, many movies might have tried using the same marketing strategies but the little details and changes that James Cameron brought to the production and marketing of the movie are what actually made the difference and ended up make this movie the greatest movie of all times. However, this made it everyone’s business to play the marketing roles which were to be played by everyone during the movie sale and we even see how the fans got the chance to market the movie and also comment on live updates about the movie. This time it is with no doubt that James Cameron overdid himself in this movie. Having such a big movie is not something people see every day it takes practice and experience to be what James Cameron is, but we cannot be so surprised about this since James Cameron had another blockbuster â€Å"Titanic† which was also top of the box office before he broke his own record with Avatar. This movie â€Å"Avatar† did not just be successful it changed the movie industry as we knew it and for that I have doubt that Avatar will be a movie that will be remembered for several decades to come or even a century. Reference Jeannet, J. (2004). Cases in global marketing strategies. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. Evan, S. (2011). Avatar. Pittsburgh, PA: Six Gallery Press. Mesa, A. (2009). Brand Avatar: translating virtual world branding into real world success. New York: Palgrave Macmillan. Kautonen, T. (2008). Trust and new technologies marketing and management on the Internet and mobile media. Cheltenham, UK: Edward Elgar. Dave, D. (2011). Think before you engage 100 questions to ask before starting a social media marketing campaign. Indianapolis, IN: John Wiley & Sons. Paul, A. (2009). Digital strategies for powerful corporate communications. New York: McGraw-Hill. Mattias, B. (2011). How Cool Brands Stay Hot. Kogan Page Matthew, S. (2011). Handbook of research on digital media and advertising: user generated content consumption. Hershey, PA: Information Science Reference. Roger, A. (2009). Marketing. Boston: McGraw-Hill/Irwin. Article Source: Mitchell_A_Zucker. http://teammaz.wordpress.com/about/oliveborden.blogspot.com/†¦/identify-your-target-market-with-this.html Marketing Strategies of movies —-Avatar. http://blogs.ubc.ca/daisydong/2013/02/24/marketing-strategies-of-movies-avatar/ Source document

ENL 1103 FUNDAMENTALS OF ENGLISH Essays - Nonverbal Communication

ENL 1103 FUNDAMENTALS OF ENGLISH Essays - Nonverbal Communication ENL 1103 FUNDAMENTALS OF ENGLISH Name: ID: Course: Title: GROUP PRESENTATION RUBRIC Exemplary (4)Good (3)Satisfactory (2)Need Improvement (1) Content / KnowledgePresenters possess excellent understanding on the topic.Presenters possess adequate understanding on the topic.Presenters possess general understanding on the topic.Presenters do not understand the topic at all. Non verbal elements (Intonations, eye contact, gestures, etc.) Facial expressions and body language generate a strong interest on the topic presented. Demonstrate a good effort in attracting audience.Facial expressions and body language generate some interest on the topic presented. Demonstrate an acceptable effort in attracting audienceFacial expressions and body language are rarely presented. Demonstrate a fair effort in attracting audienceFacial expressions and body language were not used. Do not demonstrate any effort in attracting audience. Language Excellent command in language used. No grammar error produced.Good command in language used. Minor grammar error produced. Fair command in language used. Poor command in language used. Too many grammar error produced. Voice Projection Volume is loud enough to be heard by all audience members throughout the presentation. Volume is loud enough to be heard by all audience members at least 90% of the time. Volume is loud enough to be heard by all audience members at least 80% of the time. Volume often too soft to be heard by all audience members. Audio Visual Aids (AVA) Use good AVA. The AVA used helps in presentation.Use acceptable AVA. The AVA used helps in some parts of presentation Use AVA. The AVA used does not really help the presentation. No audio visual aids used. TOTAL MARKS: Comments: ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Name: 1)3)5) 2)4)6)

3 Types of Faulty In-Line Lists

3 Types of Faulty In-Line Lists 3 Types of Faulty In-Line Lists 3 Types of Faulty In-Line Lists By Mark Nichol This post includes three examples of how sentences can go wrong because the writer has failed to support the sentence structure with the proper syntactical arrangement of words and phrases in relation to each other. Discussion after each example explains the problem, and one or more revisions demonstrate solutions. 1. The training materials should be communicated in a way  that is clear, appropriate for the users, and highlights  the key benefits of the change. This type of sentence is flawed in that the writer mistakenly assumes that a verb serves more than one list item, and therefore leaves one or more items bereft of support. Here, â€Å"appropriate for the users† requires its own verb (â€Å"is appropriate for the users†) to complement â€Å"is clear,† and the phrase beginning with highlights must be attached by a conjunction to, rather than separated with a comma from, the sentence element with which it shares a verb (with the insertion of a corresponding preposition for the first element and a complementary pronoun for the final one): â€Å"The training materials should be communicated in a way  that is clear to and appropriate for the users and that highlights  the key benefits of the change.† 2. Operational risk incidents can result in significant losses to the company, the industry, and, ultimately, to investors. This sentence has an error similar to that of the previous example, but in this case, a preposition, rather than a verb, is expected to handle a syntactical burden it is not qualified to carry- â€Å"the industry,† just like â€Å"the company† and investors, must have its own preposition: â€Å"Operational risk incidents can result in significant losses to the company, to the industry, and, ultimately, to investors.† (Alternatively, all three elements can share the first instance of the preposition: â€Å"Operational risk incidents can result in significant losses to the company, the industry, and, ultimately, investors.†) 3. Traditional financial institutions have significantly enhanced their risk and compliance programs by increasing resources, clarifying roles and responsibilities, upgrading their governance frameworks, as well as maintaining higher levels of capital. Here, a list is treated as if it consists of four items, but as constructed, the sentence has three items followed by a related item set off by the phrase â€Å"as well as†; because the last item is not part of the list, the item that does finish the list must be preceded by a conjunction: â€Å"Traditional financial institutions have significantly enhanced their risk and compliance programs by increasing resources, clarifying roles and responsibilities, and upgrading their governance frameworks, as well as maintaining higher levels of capital.† Better yet, simply incorporate the final phrase, for which distinctive treatment has no justification, into the list: â€Å"Traditional financial institutions have significantly enhanced their risk and compliance programs by increasing resources, clarifying roles and responsibilities, upgrading their governance frameworks, and maintaining higher levels of capital.† Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Grammar category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Using "a" and "an" Before Words3 Cases of Complicated Hyphenation20 Movies Based on Shakespeare Plays

The Madoff Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

The Madoff - Essay Example the Madoff In some cases the companies around the world, collaborate and act in regards to each other so as to form a collusive or cartel kind of a behaviour and activity. This creates the scenario where the companies purposely cheat the common people or players in the market in regards to their money or other basic rights. In this case, the focus is on the securities fraud created by Bernard Madoff. Discussing about the origin of the fraud, it needs to be stated that the securities firm was started by Bernard Madoff in the year 1960 under the name of Bernard L Madoff Investment Securities LLC. The company was based in New York and was under the sole ownership of Bernard Madoff. Bernard Madoff also headed an investment advisory business which focused on taking billions of dollars from multiple wealthy individuals, institutional investors and middle class people. The middle class people were made to invest through feeder funds which belonged to that of Tremont Capital Management and Fairfield Gr eenwich Advisors. The performance record of Madoff was pretty impressive as well. Over a long period of around 15 years, he incurred a loss of around 13 months only. To keep a growth record which is clear of any suspicions from the investors, the owner of the investing firm Bernard Madoff kept showing annual gains of around 10 percent on an annual basis. It is important to note that under the facade of sterling performance of the companies owned by Madoff, the greatest Ponzi scheme that might have existed in the financial sector of the world till date was pulled off. The reality behind the sterling performance of the companies owned by Madoff is that a Ponzi scheme was being executed where Madoff focused on using the money provided by new investors to repay the obligations of the previous ones. All the highly profitable facts, figures and reports that were displayed by the companies held by Madoff were completely fake in nature. Reports from various reliable sources highlight that on the December of 2008, Bernard Madoff had a meeting with his sons, where he disclosed that the entire business is complete fake and the fact that he owes around 7 billion USD to multiple clients. In that meeting he also wanted to distribute the Christmas bonus of the employees earlier than usual. After the meeting, the Madoff Juniors consulted with their individual and private attorney who placed the call to officials of the federal government on the evening of December 10. On 11 December, 2008 Bernard Madoff was finally arrested for the execution of a 65 billion USD Ponzi scheme. As of March 2009, Bernard Madoff was pleaded guilty in connection to around 11 acts of felony, which included the fraud of securities. After the weeks, following the arrest of Madoff, investors who lost out on large sums of money filed a number of class action lawsuits under the Southern District of New York (Benson, 3). 2. Explanation of the Madoff Fraud While explaining the Madoff Fraud for this particular assignment, it needs to be stated the entire explanation can be done in regards to the five tragic truisms that are very essential to be discussed and properly related in the assignment. First Tragic Truism The first tragic truism belongs to the category of people. The truism that has been discussed here states that a majority of

Analysis of Wimps, Whiners, and Weekend Warriors Essay

Analysis of Wimps, Whiners, and Weekend Warriors - Essay Example He cements his claim by pointing at the mythical hero in of ‘true men’ exemplified in Rambo, Wayne and Superman. He furthers his point of reason by George Bush’s sentiments in 1984 debate in which he said that he kicked had a little ass the previous night. Lastly, he postulates that, the males apparent wild tendencies is more than mere feelings but it is also a fervent such for the â€Å"would be† lost boyhood. In the above discos, kimmel’s argument is a farce because it satirizes boyhood. For example, he alludes to bullying in his schools, assenting to a specified dietary detail for a true man and giving import to Bush’s retrogressive sentiments which taint rather than build a descent image of males. Finally, from the movies such as close encounters and full metal jack he draws a conclusion that men leave their families in the desperate search of their lost inner childhood man. In conclusion the excerpt is ridicule on perception of male chauvinism an endeavors to liberate the male dominant society by asserting the relevance of feminism while he defangs the critical crisis masculinity per