mark twain Essay -- essays research papers

Samuel Clemens/Mark Twain 1835-1910 Samuel Clemens was born on November 30, 1835 in Florida, Missouri, the sixth of seven children. At the age of four, Sam and his family moved to the small frontier town of Hannibal, Missouri on the banks of the Mississippi River. Missouri, at the time, was a fairly new state (it had gained statehood in 1820) and comprised part of the country's western border. It was also a slave state. Sam's father owned one slave and his uncle owned several. In fact, it was on his uncle's farm that Sam spent many boyhood summers playing in the slave quarters, listening to tall tales and the slave spirituals that he would enjoy throughout his life. In 1847, when Sam was 11, his father died. Shortly thereafter he left school, having completed the fifth grade, to work as a printer's apprentice for a local newspaper. His job was to arrange the type for each of the newspaper's stories, allowing Sam to read the news of the world while completing his work. At 18, Sam headed east to New York City and Philadelphia where he worked on several different newspapers and found some success at writing articles. By 1857, he had returned home to embark on a new career as a riverboat pilot on the Mississippi River. With the outbreak of the Civil War in 1861, however, all traffic along the river came to a halt, as did Sam's pilot career. Inspired by the times, Sam joined a volunteer Confederate unit called the Marion Rangers, but he quit after just two weeks. In search of a new career, Sam headed west in July of 1861, at the invitation of his brother, Orion, who had just been appointed Secretary of the Nevada Territory. Lured by the infectious hope of striking it rich in Nevada's silver rush, Sam traveled across the open frontier from Missouri to Nevada by stagecoach. Along the journey Sam encountered Native American tribes for the first time as well as a variety of unique characters, mishaps and disappointments. These events would find a way into his short stories and books, particularly Roughing It. After failing as a silver prospector, Sam began writing for the Territorial Enterprise, a Virginia City, Nevada newspaper where he used, for the first time, his pen name, Mark Twain. Wanting a change by 1864, Sam headed for San Francisco where he continued to write for local papers. In 1865, Sam's first "big break" came with the publication of his s... ...at his marketable reputation would be ruined. In 1903, after living in New York City for three years, Livy became ill and Sam and his wife returned to Italy where she died a year later. After her death, Sam lived in New York until 1908 when he moved into his last house, "Stormfield", in Redding, Connecticut. In 1909, his middle daughter Clara was married. In the same year Jean, the youngest daughter, died from an epileptic seizure. Four months later on April 21, 1910, Sam Clemens died at the age of 74. Like any good journalist, Sam Clemens/Mark Twain spent his life observing and reporting on his surroundings. In his writings he provided images of the romantic, the real, the strengths and weaknesses of a rapidly changing world. By examining his life and his works, we can read into the past - piecing together various events of the era and the responses to them. We can delve into the American mindset of the late nineteenth century and make our own observations of history, discover new connections, create new inferences and gain better insights into the time period and the people who lived in it. As Sam once wrote, "Supposing is good, but finding out is better."

The Beauty of Chinese Poetry

Chinese poetry is considered to be some of the most beautiful poetry in the world. In the poem â€Å"In Early Summer Lodging in a Temple to Enjoy the Moonlight† by Po Chu-I the author’s use of nature, the city of Ch’ang-an, and his friendship with the others that join him is truly a symbol of balance from Chinese culture. In this poem Po Chu-I discusses the destruction of beauty and the loss connection with its boundaries. His use of words paints a picture of a beautiful scene that would capture the imagination of any reader. Is Po Chu-I’s poem a clear reflection of Taoism’s views of balance? In this poem Po Chu-I uses nature to reflect the beauty that is missing in the city that he and his friends now live in. In one example, â€Å"When the wind has stolen the shadows of new leaves and birds linger on the last boughs the bloom†¦Ã¢â‚¬  the author’s use of nature allow the reader to know that it is early summer when him and his friends go on this journey outside of the city. Also, another example, â€Å"And the South-East was still clothed in red†¦Ã¢â‚¬  the author’s use of words along with nature allows the reader to know that it is sunset. With simple use of nature the author has let you know where this takes place, what time of year it is and time of day. Po Chu-I use of nature is a key element of this poem and shows the beauty of nature to the reader. In the city of Ch’ang-an the author and his friends have been trying to get rich and have decided to take a break and leave the city and go to the temple of Tao. In this poem the city represents the destruction of nature and a place where they feel unfulfilled. One example of this is: â€Å"In Ch’ang-an, the place of profit and fame, Such moods as this, how many men know? The author refers to this as a comparison of the city to the beauty of the nature that has been destroyed by the city life. Po Chu-I used the city as the opposite of nature, he even explains how the city is separated from the nature with a gate. Ch’ang-an is a symbol of the unfulfilled happiness that the author and his friends are feeling by living in the city. The friendships tha t Po Chu-I show in this poem are clear to the reader. â€Å"Till day broke we sat in her clear light laughing and singing, and yet ever grew tired†¦Ã¢â‚¬  is a good example of the author’s friendships that he has and how they all traveled out into nature to sing and dance under the moonlight. It shows the connection that the author and his friends share with one another. A similar example â€Å"To the western cloister we carried our jar of wine; while we waited for the moon, out cups moved slow†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The author and his friends all share this common bond of being unfulfilled living in the city, and all travel outside of the city to bask in nature, share a drink or two, and dance under the moonlight. This is an example of nature and the city being connected by the authors’ friendships. In the poem â€Å"In Early Summer Lodging in a Temple to Enjoy the Moonlight† Po Chu-I used many techniques to connect the ideas of Taoism into his poem. He incorporated nature, friendship, and the city of Ch’ang-an. All of these techniques helped to create a poem that not only appeals to the imagination of the reader but also the complex problems of feeling unfulfilled with a disconnection with nature. Po Chu-I used all these techniques and created a perfect balance between nature, city living, and friendship. This conveys the balance that is taught in Taoism in Chinese culture.

Hinduism and Buddhism in the United States Essay

This paper intends to compare the origin and basic beliefs of Hinduism and Buddhism. It also aims to state the roles that Hinduism and Buddhism played that contributed to the American Culture, both in the past, as well as, in the present. Last but not least, the paper will briefly discuss the effect/s that Hinduism and Buddhism have on the future American culture, as well as, how that particular culture impact these people. Origin and Basic Beliefs of Hinduism and Buddhism No particular name of prophet or any religious person for that matter is related to the foundation of Hinduism while Buddhism is said to be established by Buddha (Hinduism versus Buddhism, n. d. , n. p. ). Furthermore, followers of Hinduism believe in the Vedas and that there is only one â€Å"Supreme Being†, on the other hand, the advocates of Buddhism believes otherwise (Hinduism versus Buddhism, n. d. , n. p. ). Moreover, those people who practice Hinduism believe that their objective is to show faith in their God; collect material things, as well as, their desires and passion; and attain salvation (Hinduism versus Buddhism, n. d. , n. p. ). On the other hand, those who practice Buddhism has only one objective in life and that is to put an end to their sufferings (Hinduism versus Buddhism, n. d. , n. p. ). Roles that Hinduism and Buddhism Played that Contributed to the American Culture Hinduism in the United States is not yet very well known; however, because they are the most edified if compared to all the rest of the religions in the United States, they managed to share their beliefs to some of the Americans who delightedly converted into their religion (Rood, 1994, n. p. ). Also, the spiritual practices and other cultures that they possess became a fundamental part of the American culture because they have been given the freedom to do so in the United States (Rood, 1994, n. p. ). On the other hand, since, there are millions of Buddhism’s followers, the aforementioned became an integral part of the American culture as well (Rood, 1994, n. p. ). It began when an officer who fought during the Civil War became interested in the writings/scriptures of the aforementioned religion (Rood, 1994, n. p. ). Actually, it is because of the interesting beliefs and practices of both religions that’s why both have been and are still currently a part of the American culture (Rood, 1994, n. p. ). Effect that Hinduism and Buddhism have on the Future American Culture Hinduism and Buddhism will surely have an effect on the future American culture since both have already impacted the culture of the Americans then and now (Hinduism versus Buddhism, n. d. , n. p. ). Most likely in the future, there will be more schools that stress on the beliefs and practices of Hinduism and Buddhism (Hinduism versus Buddhism, n. d. , n. p. ). In addition, more American people will incorporate the beliefs of such religions in theirs because of great interest in the beliefs of those religions (Hinduism versus Buddhism, n. d. , n. p. ). Meanwhile these cultures will impact the American people greatly, they may be able to find ways to change their personality and may even attain their ultimate goals – happiness and salvation (Hinduism versus Buddhism, n.d. , n. p. ). References Hinduism versus Buddhism. (n. d. ). Retrieved April 23, 2008 from http://www. experiencefestival. com/a/Hinduism_vs_Buddhism/id/54137 Rood, R. (1994). Hinduism. Retrieved April 23, 2008 from http://72. 14. 253. 104/search? q=cache:R-6zli9PVKEJ:www. probe. org/index2. php%3Foption%3Dcom_content%26do_pdf%3D1%26id%3D692+Desire+for+Liberation+from+Earthly+Existence+%2B+Hinduism&hl=tl&ct=clnk&cd=5&gl=ph&client=firefox-a

Language and vocabulary Essay

Language can be defined as a means of communication through spoken sounds, written symbols, or hand and body gestures. Subject to this simple definition language is neither human nor animal exclusive, meaning that all living creatures use some form of language to communicate. Humans have created the most advanced system of language. Human language has advanced to include listening, speaking, reading, writing, viewing and visual representation. These components are known as the six language arts and while they are individual components they are as well interdependent. What you learn about one affects what and how you learn about the others. Listening is the foundation for speaking, reading and writing. Listening is how we interpret sounds that we hear and what those sounds mean. In the beginning listening is merely receptive. Our brain receives sounds and begins to catalog those sounds. Listening is both an auditory and a visual skill and begins at birth. Children of normal hearing begin by creating mimicking sounds those sounds then become words. Visual listening is often most specifically noted in young children with a hearing impairment and is referred to as sign language. Sign language is not just for the hearing impaired. Parents/caregivers use hand gestures to increase the meaning of a word or to add value or impact to a word. An example of this is seen when a mother shakes her head or finger at a child as she says â€Å"no†. In the classroom children will generally begin a regular routine of listening. Students learn by example and repetition. Teachers explain what is needed, demonstrate the desired task or skill, and repeat. Students will gain good listening skills as they learn their class routine, listen to stories and instruction. Students gain an understanding of the task, and interpret what they have heard. As an understanding has been obtained they evaluate for an appropriate response. Speaking or the act of making a meaningful word comes later than does listening. Speaking is commonly referred to as an expressive skill and must be learned. A child begins to form words somewhere between ten and eighteen months of age. The first word of a child is often momma or dada. The child repeats the sounds or utterances heard from the adults around him. Speech does not actually occur until the spoken word is deliberate and meant to communicate. By the time a child reaches  kindergarten he has likely gained a 2000 – 3000 word vocabulary. While this number may seem excessive Dr. Mary E. Dahlgren states that a beginning kindergartener should have a 6000 word vocabulary for optimum grade and class performance (Dahlgren, 2008). In the classroom a student’s vocabulary size was an effective predictor of reading comprehension. Children with a restricted or limited vocabulary also had declining comprehension scores in the third grade. The elementary teacher can promote speaking by allowing the student the opportunity to speak and by listening to the student completely. Discussing a recently read book, or open discussions are ways in which a teacher can aid a student’s speech development. Reading is the interpretation of written symbols and involves the visual perception of those symbols. Reading connects the meaning of symbols with the words that has been spoken or heard. Kindergarten students build reading skills as they progress from letter recognition to early phonics. They begin to learn the beginning and ending sounds of common or high frequency words. As their vocabulary increases students begin to use words in context. In the classroom reading should be encouraged, should be intentional, and should be fun. Students who learn to read well achieve more and enjoy the learning process more fully. Active readers make for active listeners and intentional speakers and this is when comprehension of the text is experienced. During early reading development children learn by lessons designed around phonemic awareness. Usually this can be seen as student interaction with rhyming games, sing-a-longs, and listening games. As these games become familiar the teacher will integrate visual aids such as letter cards, word flash cards, independent reading time, and writing assignments. All of these early reading techniques aid in the development of early reading skills. Writing like speaking is expressive. This is where the students begin to place their own thoughts into print. This is the most magical of all six language arts experiences. Writing incorporates prior knowledge of reading, speaking and listening. Children begin to exhibit early writing as they experiment with crayons, chalk, and markers. They make scribbles and later form letter-like forms as toddlers. As the child is building his early listening and reading skill they are as well building the early writing skills through pre-phonemic spelling and copying techniques. Some children utilize invented spelling and finally conventional spelling techniques. Writing as it evolves  over time allows for communication on a broad level through time and space that may not have been possible otherwise. In the classroom writing is a means to relay a lesson, message, or concept. Students should be encouraged to write or draw in the best way they know how to. Students should be comfortable making mistakes as this leads to new discoveries and personal satisfaction. Viewing is an important component of literacy and language development. Viewing is extremely broad and is not limited to children’s books. In fact viewing should be stated as any visual content including TV, print ads, multi-media, and even computer software. Students must learn how to comprehend and integrate visual knowledge in the same way that they must learn to comprehend written, spoken, heard and read information (Roe & Ross, 2013). As students begin to build on their foundation skills in reading and writing, they are also beginning to use critical thinking skills. This is where children begin to understand that people view things differently. It is important that students learn how to gain important and relevant content from what they see. Students learn to comprehend the message, evaluate the message, and determine the validity of the message. This is an on-going process that follows from infancy through adulthood. Students in the classroom should be taught how to use specific comprehension strategies and to critically analyze the content in everything that they view. Visually Representing is a way of communicating through visual images. It was common practice for the art teacher to have us cut up a magazine and to create a collage of our favorite things. We never thought of this as visual representation, it was just art class. In fact while not always part of the language arts standards it has been used and in practice for many years. In the classroom we make dioramas, models, graphs and maps all of which are visual representations of an idea or concept. Visual representation requires a unique set of strategies such as organization, data collection, and audience identification in order to convey a message. It appears to be impossible at this point to separate the six components of language arts thus far; as one builds on the other, knowledge or insight is gained, it is clear we must have each in order to process the other. Works Cited Dahlgren, D. M. (2008). Oral Language and vocabulary development Kindergarten & First Grade. Nashville: Reading First National Conference. Retrieved from http://www2.ed.gov/programs/readingfirst/2008conferences/language.pdf Roe, B., & Ross, E. (2013). The Language Arts. Education.com.

How Technology Has Changed Our Lives.

{draw:rect} MODERN AGE (1950-1985) After the Second World War Americans began to prosper, millions of people were changing. The troops that were returning from war some 12 million served during the war years were going back in the workforce. Most of these men were mere children when they signed on, some from rural America that never returned to work the earth. Farming technology was being made to counter act this problem. So much so that at the turn of the twentieth century 50 percent of the workforce was on farms that provided the nation’s food. By the end of the 1950’s only 7 percent of the workforce was working the nation’s farms. Hourly wages for selected industries, United States, 1950 1901 †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. $ 0. 23 1918 †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. .53 1935 †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. .58 1950 †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 1. 59 SOURCE: U. S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Expenditure Survey Manufacturing. (Bureau of Labor Statistics) Yale Brozen writes â€Å"Fear of automation can be traced to four sources. † One is based on the assumption that there is a fixed amount of goods. The second source of fear springs from the idea that automation or cybernation is something more than the latest stage in the long evolution of technology. The third source of fear lies in the fact that we are much more aware of the people displaced by automation and concerned about them than we are of the other unemployed. Even while we reduce the amount of manpower needed to do a fixed amount of work does that fixed amount of work remain the same? As we all know this is not the case. As we free up manpower from one aspect we find new and productive uses for that manpower. His words speak the truth then as they do today. It saves lives through the aid it gives doctors. By controlling traffic signals in response to traffic flows and reducing traffic congestion, it adds hours to the free time of commuters every week. It helps scientists, with the aid of high speed data processing; to develop new knowledge that otherwise would not be available in our lifetimes. We are increasing the sc ale of educational activities because mechanization, automation, cybernation, or whatever we choose to call our new technology, makes it possible to do more than we could formerly. With the coming of automation, men are able to do more and have more. Both sublime and mundane activities are being enlarged and the number of jobs has grown as a consequence, not declined. † (Brozen) The second source of fear that the latest idea of automation or technology will become something more then what it was intended to be. People were so obsessed with what the future would hold books and movies were made to cast this fear. Science fiction was used to depict future events that could occur. Films such as one that was released in 1968 2001: A Space Odyssey where an artificially intelligent supercomputer, HAL takes over a space mission. Today some super computers are in use, are they anyway near being HAL? Some say we are getting close to true artificial intelligence, but we are far from HAL. The forth source of fear of automation is that it reduces the demand for unskilled workers. This may be true in some instances but at the same time the demand for skilled workers will increase. As stated previously companies do their best to keep their employees. When possible they are retraining these employees to fill new jobs that become available because of the new technology. If this were true then the unemployment rate would raise proportionately. If automation is added to a process and did the work of five people then five people would be unemployed. We know that this does not make sense. It has increased productivity to the process not that it reduced people from the process. NEW WAVE (1985-Present) The year 1985 saw more technological changes, Windows 1. 0 is introduced here you can do more than just one DOS application at a time. Made by this little upstart IBM partner company called Microsoft, it even comes with a calculator program. Some other wonders of 1985 is the first compact disk read only memory (CD-ROM) of none other than a Grolier Encyclopedia. Apple was the big name in computers at the time and most businesses had one. To be up to date in the office the new Apple LaserWriter printer was the best and it only cost around $7000. The main reason we call 1985 the New Wave era is this, the first . Com domain name, symbolics. com, is registered by the Symbolics Corporation. (The People History) According to David Huether, chief economist of the National Association of Manufacturers, U. S. manufacturers are producing and exporting more goods than ever before. While manufacturing output easily outpaces the larger U. S. economy, manufacturing employment, at 14. million, is at its lowest level in more than 50 years. (Williams) Another place that has felt the effects of technology is in the office, or white collar jobs. Michael J. Handel writes in a brief for SRI International: â€Å"Analyses of national data indicate that increased use of computers in the 1980s and 1990s was associated with greater use of more-educated workers withi n industries. However, the direction of causality is unclear. It may be that both educational upgrading and greater computer use simply reflect an independent increase in the number of white collar workers within industries, who are the most frequent computer users. It may be that the hiring of more-educated workers, usually office workers, stimulates demand for computers rather than vice versa. In addition, the industries upgrading their educational levels coincident with adoption of computers in the 1980s and 1990s also appear to have been upgrading educational levels before the widespread diffusion of computers. † (Handel) There are many ways to make a job better, faster, and safer. Every dayI see improvements to the work floor. There are many facets of the business that help with these improvements. Some of which are our Product Development Teams (PDT) that will follow the work to see if anything can be changed. They work closely with our Research and Development (RD) operations. These two areas have grown by 1000% in the last twenty years. Another area that has greatly grown is our engineering staff and related personal. In 1996 the skilled trades had two engineers to take all our requests to. We now have engineers for facilities, electricians, repairmen, mobile equipment, power house, and toolmakers. In all we have become more effective and more efficient in how we do our business of repairing the machinery in the factory. Everyone can be affected by technology no job is completely that same as it was in years past. Studies have been made to classify a job for automation. They are based on three dimensions, Receptiveness Stability Structuredness Some jobs are changing constantly, I have seen toll booth operations change here in Illinois just over the last two years. The new faster E-Z pass lanes going into Chicago for one. I asked one of the booth operators how they liked them, one told me that it was all good. Their day is less stressful and they have hired more people in the toll way system. More people to monitor and maintain the equipment and make sure those that did not pay get those little notices in the mail. WORKS CITED Baughman, James L. â€Å"Television Comes to America, 1947-57. † Editorial. Illinois Periodicals Online (IPO) Project. N. p. , Mar. 1993. Web. 29 Nov. 2009. http://www. lib. niu. edu/1993/ ihy930341. html. Bland Jr. , Gordon R. â€Å"The Effects of Job Automation on the Economy. † Scribd. N. p. , 4 Mar. 2009. Web. 29 Nov. 2009. http://www. scribd. com/doc/12965589/The-Effects-of-Job-Automation-on-the-Economy. Bureau of Labor Statistics. â€Å"100 Years of U. S. Consumer Spending: Data for the Nation, New York City, and Boston. † United States Department of Labor. N. p. , 3 Aug. 2006. Web. 29 Nov. 2009. http://www. bls. gov/opub/uscs/1950. pdf. Brozen, Yale. â€Å"Automation: The Retreating Catastrophe. † Ludwig von Mises Institute. N. p. , n. d. http://mises. org/journals/lar/pdfs/2_3/2_3_5. pdf. Rpt. in Automation: The Retreating Catastrophe. N. p. : n. p. , n. d. N. pag. Ludwig von Mises Institute. Web. 29 Nov. 2009. http://mises. org/. Handel, Michael J. SRI Project Number P10168. SRI International, July 2003. Web. 29 Nov. 2009. http://www. sri. om/policy/csted/reports/sandt/it/Handel_IT_Employment_InfoBrief. pdf>. Huether, David. â€Å"The Case of The Missing Jobs. † BusinessWeek. N. p. , 3 Apr. 2006. http://www. businessweek. com/magazine/content/06_14/b3978116. htm. Rpt. Web. 29 Nov. 2009. http://www. businessweek. com/magazine/content/06_14/b3978116. htm. The People History . † 1985. N. p. , 2009. Web. 29 No v. 2009. http://www. thepeoplehistory. com/ 1985. html. U. S. Congress, Office of Technology Assessment, Reducing Launch Operations Costs: New Technologies and Practices, OTA-TM-ISC-28 (Washington, DC: U. S. Government Printing Office, September 1988).

Project and marking Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Project and marking - Research Paper Example It will be crucial to mention that decision making process is one of the major parts of Human Resource Management (HRM) in any organization. As often explained theoretically and witnessed in real life cases, HRM is a multifaceted doctrine, which is responsible for many functions performed within any organization being subjected to proper decision making that can ensure maximum success. Some of those functions commonly include recruitment and selection, training and development and employee motivation among others. The aspect of decision making is often regarded as one of the most frequently executed tasks in every section of the HRM functions. Correspondingly, HR managers have the need to decide for themselves as well as superiors with regard to the development of HRM functions within the organization on a regular basis (Armstrong 3-28). All these aspects together ensure success for the overall business, which again differ from one organization to another in accordance with their ind ustrial structure and business performance needs. THESIS STATEMENT This report will primarily present a detailed comparison on the decision making process of recruitment and selection HRM functions of two separate organizations operating in similar industry sector, i.e. Qatar Airways and US Airways will be considered in this report. Contextually, the report will present a comparison between the recruitment and selection

Reccession of 2008 and Great depression Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Reccession of 2008 and Great depression - Essay Example HSBC which is the global largest bank wrote down its holdings of subprime mortgage backed securities by $ 10.5 billion while more than other 100 mortgages companies were either shut down or suspended their operations.US and European Banks lost more than $ 1 trillion on toxic assets during the financial crisis. Northern Rock which was a British bank, was highly leveraged could not obtain credit in the financial markets. Bear Stearns collapsed in March 2008. Other financial institutions made bad losses and were subject to government take over. Lehman Brothers, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and AIG made a lot of losses during the crisis (Halm-Addo 4). Various limits to arbitrage can help explain why assets were selling below their fundamental level at the height of the financial crisis. Constrains to short selling does not account for the assets selling below their fundamental prices. Short selling was evident since investors made speculative short sale bets against the financial assets which made the prices to decline. For instance, short selling led to drop in the value of Lehman Brothers stocks. US Securities and Exchange Commission imposed at temporary ban on short selling since it this method of trading reduced the market confidence and the stability of financial assets (Halm-Addo 40). The â€Å"too big to fail† notion led to moral hazards, bail outs and increased the Fed’s balance sheet. Adverse selection was not caused by the notion of â€Å"too big to fail†. The notion created moral hazard since the financial institutions engaged in predatory lending like Countrywide Financial which advertised low interest rate loans for home refinancing. The notion made banks to borrow short term in liquid markets and purchase long term illiquid assets which were risky. The notion led to the bail out where $ 700 billion Troubled Assets Relief Program was created to rescue the