Sustaining L.A. Interview with Fallen Fruit Assignment

Sustaining L.A. Interview with Fallen Fruit - Assignment Example As an artist involved in community gardens, this is a whole new world of idea for me. The excitement of being able to intertwine two of what I consider most interesting aspects of my personal (and maybe even professional) life is amazing. I remember when Viegener recounts the story of giving free fruit jams in an L.A. art exhibit, stating that it is free because â€Å"it's public jam, it's from public fruit, and you're the public. We get it from you, it goes back to you† and how â€Å"people at the art fair L.A. don't like to maybe see themselves as the public† (2007). This is perhaps one of the most amusing things that struck me because I see the act of making fruit jams and giving them out for free as already an art in itself. Viegener is right in saying that â€Å"the meaning that's created in any work of art is about sort form of exchange that is always social† (2007). This can be applied to my interest in community gardens. The social exchange that is aimed at in Solano Canyon Community Garden is a sort of an inspiration. ... Viegener, Mattias and Burns, David. â€Å"Fallen Fruit.† Interview by Bill Kelley Jr. YouTube. kcet web stories, 2007. Web. 30 Nov. 2011. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5pcdeZCmK4&feature=player_embedded B. Photo Essay on Solano Canyon Community Garden Photo: Al Renner. Credit: Ann Summa. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/home_blog/2010/11/solano-canyon-community-garden.html When we talk about Solano Canyon Community Garden, we think of Master Gardener Al Renner, an admirably strong and robust man in his 70s who is a legend in his successes in acquiring more lands and funds for community gardens all over the country. He may be a picture of a kindly old grandfather who smiles at little grandchildren, but his active and alert mind makes one think that maybe his gardens give him something that nourishes his inner youth. For someone who hasn't been in Solano Canyon Community Garden before, one would realize that the freshness and vigor of this man can be seen from one's entry to on e's exit in the garden. http://www.mosaicsalltheway.com/publicsccg.html These are the walls the stretch on either sides of the garden's entrance. From the wall art itself, one can immediately sense the meaning the garden people want to send across: diversity and history. The rainbow and the mosaic replica of the elementary school are shown on the walls, and they immediately tell you that yes, this is California diversity and yes, this place has a historical value. You can always look for that face from the first photo and ask all about the garden's story and be amused at how history and diversity can be reflected immediately in his words.

Management Risks in Financial Institutions Essay

Management Risks in Financial Institutions - Essay Example Basically, risk and return are related in the same direction. A minor example of this would be a bank charging different interest rates on different individuals who have opted for the same loan. The individual who has a relatively poor credit history is likely to receive a higher interest rate as there are chances of him/her not paying the loan bank. Therefore, there is a higher risk and the bank gets a higher return through the higher interest rate charged. However, risk needs to be managed and there can be several huge losses if the financial institution is not ready to deal with it. Risk management is a type of strategy which every financial institution needs to have at its core and there are several parts involved in this including monitoring the risks, measuring these risks and controlling risks. It is the analysis of risk mixed with the element of quality risk controls. Risk management is required by banks and financial institutions as a safety measure to protect the institutio n from any major financial problems. The uncertainty and the potential inherent risks that come with the financial markets makes it important for most of the financial institutions and banks to use risk management. The risk management controls are one of the major determinants of the financial stability of a bank. The most common types of risks faced by most financial institutions There are several types of risks involved with financial institutions and these risks are as follows: Systematic risk. This is also known as diversifiable risk. Basically this particular type of risk means the risk of the change of asset value associated with systematic factors. Therefore, the risk cannot be fully diversified. There are several subcategories under systematic risks and there are various ways in which the value of an asset can be affected. The determinant of the change in the value of the assets owned by the institution and it depends upon natural and economic factors including interest rate s affecting the value of the assets, an increase in inflation might cause an increase in fuel prices which might affect transportation and stock value and changes in economic conditions which may cause several changes in the value of assets. Interest rate risk is one of the major parts of systematic risk and the institutions needs to measure the variation and the responsiveness of the rate sensitive assets towards the changes in interest rates. Commodity price risk and foreign exchange risk are other risks which come under systematic risks that many investors try to measure and try to minimize these. Credit risk. This is the risk which is related to the payment by the debtors. Credit risk is the risk which all the banks face and they need to manage this in order to be proactive against any future losses. Basically the bank is the lender and is the creditor for the borrower and the risk is that the borrower might go bankrupt and might not be able to pay the bank back. This seems as a pretty low type of risk if a sole individual is involved, however, credit risk also involves borrowings worth millions of dollars by huge businesses. Even if the business is popular and has a good credit history, it can go bankrupt which might result in a loss of millions of dollars to the bank. In other words, it means that the company or the individual defaults which is why this risk is also known as default risk. Counterparty risk. This arises from the