Thursday, September 19, 2019
An Analysis of Hiltons Lost Horizon Essays -- Lost Horizon Essays
An Analysis of Hilton's Lost Horizon à à à "...the horizon lifted like a curtain; time expanded and space contracted" In James Hilton's Lost Horizon, the reader is promptly enticed to trek along with Hugh Conway and the three other kidnapped passengers, Charles Mallinson, Miss Brinklow, and Henry Barnard. Hilton commences his novel by utilizing the literary technique of a frame. At a dinner meeting, friends share their insights into life, and eventually, from a neurologist, and friend of Conway, evolves the story of Conway's exotic adventures. Apparently, Conway and the other three characters were on a plane that was hijacked by a member of the mystic civilization of Shangri-La. After crashing in the midst of nowhere, Conway led his group out of the plane and as they began to search for help, Chang and a group of Shangri-La men intercepted them and escorted them back to their lamasery. Eventually they realize they are not permitted to leave its boundaries, as the proviso of entering the Valley of the Blue Moon, Shangri-La, is that one cannot leave. Weeks pass, and the kidnapped crew, with the exception of Mallinson, become accustomed to the Shangri-La way of life, namely moderation, as well as spiritual and intellectual growth. Conway, able to decipher numerous languages including Chinese was able to decode their "gibberish" and get a better idea what was going on. Eventually, through the telepathy of the ethereal High Lama, also the founder of the civilization (some two hundreds years previous), calls Conway to a meeting. Hilton's "mini" climaxes, keep the reader compelled as he reveals more and more about this enigmatic place. As the novel continues, Conway is enlightened with the "inside scoop," and soon enough... ...ut it, "Things happen to you and you just let them happen." The most prominent concept of the novel and the community of the Valley of the Blue Moon (Shangri-La) was the "time stands still" enigma. To live over a hundred years is quite a feat, but in this civilization it was the norm. In Shangri-La, when you reached a hundred years of age you were "promoted" to lamahood. They figured that by the time you were a hundred all the "passions and moods of ordinary life are likely to have disappeared," and then you'd be able to search for that inner meaning of life. The paradoxes of life and death, and the question everyone ponders, Why? à Works Cited and Consulted Bellamy, Edward.à Looking Backward.à New York: New American Library, 1982. Hilton, James.à Lost Horizon.à New York: Pocket Books, 1984. Voltaire. Candide. London: Penguin Books; 1947. Ã
George Orwells Animal Farm Essay -- George Orwell Animal Farm Essays
George Orwell's Animal Farm George Orwell wrote ââ¬ËAnimal Farmââ¬â¢ as an allegory, which is a simple story, with a more complicated idea running alongside it. In this case, it is a story about a group of pigs taking over a farm, and the story of the Russian Revolution is told underneath it. The main characters of the revolution are portrayed in the book as follows: Mr Jones is Czar Nicholas II, the last Russian leader before the revolution; Old Major is Karl Marx, the person who influenced the people into revolting and the idea of communism; Snowball is Trotsky, one of the early leaders of the revolution; Napoleon is Stalin, a cruel, selfish, and corrupt leader; and Boxer and Clover represent the proletariat, or the ââ¬Ëcommonââ¬â¢ working class people. At the beginning of the book, Boxer is introduced as ââ¬Ëan enormous beastââ¬â¢, who is ââ¬Ënot of first rate intelligenceââ¬â¢, and we are also told that he is universally respected. He has a kind, gentle, caring character that others feel safe around ââ¬ËLast of all came the cat, who looked around, as usual, for the warmest place, and finally squeezed herself in between Boxer and Clover.ââ¬â¢ Boxer and Clover are used by Orwell to represent the proletariat, or the working class, in Russian society. This lower class is naturally drawn to Stalin (represented by Napoleon) because it seems as though they will benefit most from his new system. Since Boxer and the other low animals are not accustomed to the "good life," they can't really compare Napoleon's government to the life they had before under Jones. The proletariat are also quite good at convincing each other that communism is a good idea, ââ¬Ëthey absorbed everything that they were told, and passed it on to the othersââ¬â¢. Boxer... ...nd of the book shows how the leaders of the Russian Revolution turned out to be just as bad, if not worse than the czars, ââ¬ËThe creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig, and from pig to man again: but already it was impossible to say which was which.ââ¬â¢ George Orwell put Boxer in the story and killed him to show that all his hard work, like the proletariats in the Russian Revolution, was for nothing and that, in the end, it would always go back to the way it was at the beginning. This is something that Benjamin knew all the way through, and after the animals have forgotten Jones and their past lives, ââ¬ËOnly old Benjamin professed to remember every detail of his long life and to know that things never had been, nor ever could be much better or much worse; hunger, hardship, and disappointment being, so he said, the unalterable law of life.ââ¬â¢
Wednesday, September 18, 2019
The Character of Simon in William Goldings Lord of the Flies :: William Golding Lord of the Flies
The Character of Simon in William Golding's Lord of the Flies à à à à à Throughout William Golding's, Lord of the Flies, many of the characters go through changes in their personality traits. From beginning to end, Simon goes through the smallest amount of change than anyone in the novel. Despite the fact that Simon did not really fit in with the other boys, he tried his hardest to make a difference in his and the other's lives. à à à à à In the beginning, Simon was described as a 'skinny, vivid little boyâ⬠¦,'; (Golding 24) showing that he was undersized and possibly weaker than the others. He stuck around Ralph for a while, went exploring with him and Jack, and even helped him build the shelters. It was not long before he began to wander off by himself to that little place among the creepers. The other boys thought he was 'queerâ⬠¦.funny.'; (55) because he was an outcast and rather strange. à à à à à Towards the middle of Simon's stay on the island, he started to realize that he truly was different from the others. Every time he tried to talk to the other children, his 'effort fell about him in ruins; the laughter beat him cruelly and he shrank away defenseless to his seat.';(89) Just when he thought he had been accepted he embarrassed himself again, 'When he bashed into a tree Ralph looked sideways impatiently and Robert sniggered.';(104) They were getting restless with his behavior. à à à à à In the end, he was trying more to tell the boys what he knew, but they just thought he was weird. He told Ralph, 'You'll get back alright.';(111) Ralph's response was only that he thought Simon was 'batty.'; In another instance, he went to tell the others that he found out what the beast really was (the parachutist), but got caught in their bestial dance. They heard him 'crying something about a body on the hill,'; (152) but it was too late. In the darkness, he had been mistaken for the beast and was killed. à à à à à Although Simon's life was a short one and he did not have the time to go through much change, he proved that there was hope for being rescued.
Tuesday, September 17, 2019
A Brawl in Mickeyââ¬â¢s Backyard Essay
A Brawl in Mickeyââ¬â¢s Backyard was a very complex and controversial case! SunCal wanted to build affordable housing in the resort district however, Disney was opposed to this plan. Disney wants that resort district built up with tourism in mind. Disney would rather see hotels and restaurants to further accommodate their customers. Stakeholders play a vital role in a business! Itââ¬â¢s important to consider the opinions and thoughts of both market and nonmarket stakeholders. When we look at this case, there are a lot of stakeholders for Disney that are involved in this. Letââ¬â¢s begin by looking at some of the market stakeholders. These market stakeholders include Disneyââ¬â¢s employees, who would benefit from cheaper housing in an area close to their place of employment. Often the employees donââ¬â¢t make very much money and are having to commute longer distances. This affordable housing wouldââ¬â¢ve greatly helped them. Customers are also another market stakeholder for Disney. The idea is for the customers to feel ââ¬Å"theyââ¬â¢re in another worldâ⬠. Disney is keeping them in mind and trying to make more attractions in the area that make them more appealed to the area. Of the nonmarket stakeholders the most relevant in this case was the community itself and the City Council. In order for that community to thrive in the way it does, itââ¬â¢s important to keep businesses thriving as well. The City Council is involved because it had to be voted on because it was in a resort district. Although I can see both sides have great points, I feel very strongly that the workers for Disney should be able to find affordable living quarters in the near vicinity. I hope that Disney realizes that they should value their employees because the tourist couldnââ¬â¢t be accommodated without them. I think that SunCal should be able to build the affordable housing area in a near vicinity, just not on the resort itself. I also think that Disney should go out of itââ¬â¢s way to help SunCal because this housing will benefit their employees. A Brawl in Mickeys Backyard Essay Q1 The issue in the case of ââ¬Å"A Brawl in Mickeyââ¬â¢s Backyardâ⬠is that the employees at Disney feel that they are not treated well by the famous theme park owners going so far as to say that ââ¬Å"they want to make money [referring to Disney], but they donââ¬â¢t care about the employeesâ⬠. The uproar and the sentiment was expressed more vigorously in the opening scene of the case, when dozens of protestors gathered in August of 2007 to stage a kit to express their open displeasure at Disneyââ¬â¢s lack of support for their employees. The protest was instigated when a local developer called SunCal arranged to buy 26 acre site in the resort district across the street from the theme park. SunCal plans were to build 1,500 condominiums with 15% of the units set aside for below the market rate rental apartments. Since housing in Anaheim, California [the home to the Disney theme park] was expensive, many of Disneyââ¬â¢s 20,000 employees couldnââ¬â¢t afford to live there. The average price of a house in the vicinity was more than $600,000 and a rental of a one bedroom apartment was $1400 a month. Keeping in mind custodians at the park earned an average of $1916 a month so that would leave them with only about $500 of their salary barely enough to sustain them for the rest of the month! Also, keep in mind that restaurant attendants earn around $1166 a month, so a rental is out of the question, which brings us to the fact that only about 18% of the resort employees are able to afford living in the area. The 16400 employees are left to commute long distances by car or bus to get to work. Furthermore, when SunCal wanted to proceed with its plans it had to get permission from the City Council, because its plans for the development were in the resort area. It wasnââ¬â¢t clear if SunCal was going to succeed so it roused a lot of advocates from the employees at Disney as well as affordable housing advocates as well as by other individuals and groups who supported the prospect of reducing long commutes, thus reducing air pollution. However, Disney was in the way. It greatly opposed the plan for several reasons. One of which was that the resort district across the street was just that: a resort district. In the early 1900ââ¬â¢s , the city of Anaheim designated 2 square miles across the street from the theme park as a special resort district. The resort area, which was 5% of the cityââ¬â¢s area only, produced more than half of its tax revenue by 2007. Therefore the area and any development new or old within it were restricted to serve only tourist needs. This meant tourism related development such as hotels and restaurants, Disney argued, and not affordable housing. Disney argued that it wasnââ¬â¢t against the issue of providing the employees with affordable housing, but it is against it being in the area that is allocated for tourism. Having SunCal go ahead with its plan will affect the area and its theme park subsequently because it will take land away from being allocated to tourists needs [will be explained more fully in Q3]. ââ¬Å"Itââ¬â¢s not an either/orâ⬠Disney argued ââ¬Å"Anaheim has to address the issue of affordable housing but it also had to protect the resort area! â⬠The two sides quickly formed their own advocates. SunCal advocates formed the Coalition to Defend and Protect Anaheim declaring that ââ¬Å"these new homes would enable many families to live near their places of work and thereby reduce commuter congestion on freewaysâ⬠. Disneyââ¬â¢s advocates on the other hand formed Save our Anaheim Resort District to protect the resort area from non-tourism projects. The City Council was split on the issue, to say the least. The five person council has to decide if it will give permissions for SunCal to proceed to build its development plan in a site located strictly for tourism projects, only because this will solve the affordable housing dilemma, or stick with Disneyââ¬â¢s claim that the site was made from the start for tourism projects and disregarding the fact now will only hurt the area and the businesses in it as well the theme park of course. Q2 The relevant market stakeholders are Disneyââ¬â¢s stockholders, creditors, suppliers, customers, employees and distributors as well as other resort based owners located within the resort district. The nonmarket stakeholders are the community, government, media, and non-governmental organizations. Q3 The stockholders of Disney will be affected adversely by SunCal plans because it might slow down the flow of tourists to the area and thus affect the theme parkââ¬â¢s profits and the stockholders profits, dividends subsequently. They are opposed to SunCalââ¬â¢s proposal solely because the area should be targeted to bring about as much tourists to the area and thus enlarge the theme parkââ¬â¢s tourist segment and bring out more potential profit and capital appreciation for the stockholders. The same can be said about the resort based business owners, because they may depend on Disney which is the main attraction for the continuation of their businesses. Fewer developments for tourists, less tourists, lesser incentives for them to come to the area and as such will affect Disney adversely which in return will affect the businesses that depend on it for tourist attractions. Moreover, this will in turn affect the creditors, suppliers, and distributers of Disney. The amount of credit needed to run the theme park will be reduced heavily since there will be fewer tourists to attend to. Fewer supplies will be needed if tourism will lessen in the area and as such there will not be as many supplies being distributed. Therefore, the creditors, suppliers, and distributors are all against SunCalââ¬â¢s proposal because it might affect the success of their business if Disneyââ¬â¢s attraction is compromised. This can even affect the employees [at Disney and at the various businesses in the resort area] because they will be impacted in various ways including reduced hours or layoffs and reduced salaries, if tourism in the vicinity decreases. The community, government, media and non- governmental organizations can be all entities that are split on the issue. The community for example, is split between providing a solution for the affordable housing issue [therefore in favor of the proposal], or preserving the area that brings prosperity to a lot of businesses [against the proposal]. The same can be said about the government, to be specific, the chamber of commerce is against SunCalââ¬â¢s proposal because it might lesson the profits that the city reaps [the resort area produces more than half of its tax revenue] and the other side of the government wishes to appease its community and wants Disney to take responsibility for its employees. The non-governmental organizations such as the activists weââ¬â¢ve seen in the first scene of the case and the unions that represent Disneyââ¬â¢s affected employees from the long communesââ¬â¢ are in favor of SunCalââ¬â¢s plan. However there might be other unions and activists against the plans, even though they are not mentioned specifically in the case text. Q4 The relevant market stakeholders are Disneyââ¬â¢s stockholders, creditors, suppliers, customers, employees and distributors as well as other resort based owners located within the resort district. They all have legal power, in which they can bring suit against a company for damages, based on harm caused by the firm. The stockholders in Disney have Voting Power, of which they can exercise their voting rights based on share ownership. They also have the power to inspect the companyââ¬â¢s books and records. The creditors, suppliers and distributors, customers and employees have Economic Power. The creditors may call in loans if payments are not made. Suppliers and distributors may supply or distribute to competitors, or even refuse to meet orders if conditions in the contract are breached. Customers can imitate the suppliers and distributors in which they can switch loyalties and purchase their goods from competitors, or even go to extremes such as boycotting the goods and products if deemed unsatisfactory. The employees can from unions to bargain for their wants, they can even refuse to work or take action and perform strikes. They may even go public and influence the media to adopt their issues.
Monday, September 16, 2019
Critique for generation velcro Essay
Summary for ââ¬Å"Denaturalizing ââ¬ËNaturalââ¬â¢ Disasters: Haitiââ¬â¢s Earthquake and the Humanitarian Impulse from p.264 to p.268 in ââ¬Å"Become an Active Readerâ⬠by Andrew D. Pinto, On 12 January 2010, at 16:53 local time, Haiti experienced a catastrophic magnitude-7.0 earthquake 25 kilometres west of the capital, Port-au-Prince. More than 220,000 people died and 2.3 million were displaced, while the magnitude-8.0 earthquake that struck Chile on 27 February 2010 resulted in fewer than 800 deaths, despite its higher magnitude. Why was Haitiââ¬â¢s experience so different? Most commentators have pointed to physical factors. However, although many have noted Haitiââ¬â¢s poverty and internal strife, only a few commentators have identified these as key determinants of the level of devastation caused by the earthquake. Even fewer have suggested looking at the historical record or where Haiti stands in the current world order for an explanation. What is considered ââ¬Å"naturalâ⬠, in the context of disasters such as Haitiââ¬â¢s, is seen as independent of human actions. Any analysis of such events must ââ¬Å"denaturalizeâ⬠them by examining the historic, political and economic contexts within which they occur. Without this, the humanitarian impulse informing international efforts to support Haitiââ¬â¢s recovery and development may serve to merely reinforce the historic relationship between wealthy countries and Haiti and may fuel continued underdevelopment. Knowledge of Haitiââ¬â¢s history is integral to an informed understanding of the earthquake and its outcome. Soon after Spanish colonized the island, native people vanished because of imported disease, malnutrition and maltreatment. Plantation of sugar cane became fields of misery for tens of thousands of trafficked African slaves, while Spain and France reaped the profits. The French Revolution triggered Haitiââ¬â¢s independence in 1804, which was the first example of slaves winning nationhood by their own resistance. However, with its economy ruined by revolutionary war, Haiti was forced to agree to unfair trading relationships with nations that refused to recognize its sovereignty. Throughout the 19th century, France, USA, German and Britain invade Haiti to deprive its national coffer. Foreign interference and political destabilization have continually undermined governance in Haiti. For example, USA enabled Haiti to pass the constitution that allows foreign ownership of lan d, and helped to emerge dictators such as ââ¬Å"PaPa Docâ⬠Duvalier and his son ââ¬Å"Baby Docâ⬠one after another. Western countriesà supported them during ââ¬Å"Cold Warâ⬠ostensibly to fight against communism but also to support the interest of foreign companies who benefited from low-cost Haitian labour. Jean-Bertrand Aristide who was supported by the poor and working class was elected as the president in 1990 and 2000, but he was removed in a coup twice, because his popular reforms threatened the status quo of Haitiââ¬â¢s oligarchies and foreign interests. External forces played a role in both coups, leaving Haitiââ¬â¢s political health tenuous ever since. With this historical background in mind, one can examine the response of the global community to the 2010 earthquake. The immediate response by the international community succeeded in many ways. As a result of humanitarian impulse, no major epidemics have yet occurred in any of the camp but cholera. However, some aspects of the post-earthquake response have been problematic. Focus on the immediate humanitarian response appear s to have prevented a consideration of how the ground work for future development could be laid. At the time of publishing, the vast majority of those displaced are still living in tents or other temporary structures and over 95% of the rubble has yet to be cleared. The provision of the essential social services by the Haitian government is unlikely in the near future. The humanitarian impulse is too often fitful and fragmented. Furthermore, the involvement of high-income countries in the root causes of the devastation caused by ââ¬Å"naturalâ⬠disasters in low-income countries is rarely examined. So actual histories should replace the more palatable fictional histories that attempt to explain away wealthy nationsââ¬â¢ past contributions to the persistent poverty in the world. Acknowledging actual histories may have little impact on the technical details of the initial emergency response, but it may make a difference in how relief efforts are subsequently carried out, particularly in the long-run. Appeals for funds can be combined with educational initiatives to explain to policymakers and the public why an event has occurred and how it relates to social, economic and political forces. Acknowledging the actual histories that have led to Haitiââ¬â¢s underdevelopment would require wealthy nations to probe their own political, social and economic involvement in Haitiââ¬â¢s underdevelopment. Although a laudable humanitarian impulse has driven relief efforts in Haiti, it alone is insufficient for the task of rebuilding the nation. In numerous countries where humanitarians operates including Haiti, respecting historyà and seeing the connection between historic actions and present conditions is essential.
Sunday, September 15, 2019
Specific Investment Decisions
SPECIFIC INVESTMENT DECISIONSQ1. If a company leases rather than buy an asset, which of the following will not be a benefit to the purchaser? (MCQ)Avoiding Tax exhaustionExploiting a low cost of capital Attract lease customers Potential future scrap(2 marks) Q2. Willow Co has already decided to accept a project and is now considering how to finance the project. The asset could be leased over three years at a rental of $23,000 per annum, payable at the start of each year. Tax is payable at 25%, one year in arrears. The post-tax cost of borrowing is 8%. Calculate the net present value of the leasing option. (FIB)Years Cash flows ($)0 ââ¬â 2 Rentals (23,000)2 ââ¬â 4 Tax relief 5,75041084542545000NOTE: Negative answer should be shown with a negative sign (-)$(2 marks) Q3. Select the correct Lease option based on the statements given. (HA)It is a rental agreement OPERATING FINANCEMaintenance & Servicing cost of Lessee OPERATING FINANCEAgreement for the useful life of the asset OPERATING FINANCEIncluded in the balance sheet of the Lessor OPERATING FINANCE(2 marks) Q4. Tango Co. needs to decide about an asset that will be used in a project. The company has an option to either Buy the asset or Lease it. If Tango Co. opts for Buy option the following information is given: The asset is bought using a bank loan for $400,000 for a time period of three years. The scrap value of the asset is $30,000 & annual maintenance cost will be $12,000 per annum. Calculate the present value for year two using a cost of borrowing of 5% (ignoring taxation)? (MCQ)$30,000$(11,424)$(10,884)$15,552(2 marks) Q5. What are the relevant cash flows for Buy option? (MRQ)Investment and Disposal proceedsRepair & Maintenance costTax allowable depreciationTax saving on Servicing cost(2 marks) Q6. Beamer Co. wants to replace a Dyeing machine on 31st December 2017. The machine is expected to cost $360,000 if purchased immediately, payable on 31st December 2017. After four years company expects technological changes in the market making this machine redundant and leaving a scrap value of $20,000 on 31st December 2021. Capital allowance on 25% reducing balance basis. A full year allowance is given for acquisition but no writing down allowance in the year of disposal. If the maintenance cost is $15,000 per year payable at each year end & tax rate is 30%.What will be the Balancing Charge/Allowance? (MCQ)$28,172 Balancing Charge$27,000 Balancing Allowance$11,391 Balancing Charge$28,172 Balancing Allowance(2 marks) Q7. Putin Co has decided to invest in a new machine which has a ten-year life and no disposal proceeds. The machine can either be purchased now for $55,000, or it can be leased for ten years with lease rental payments of $10,000 per annum payable at the end of each year. The cost of capital to be applied is 11% and taxation should be ignored. What should be done? (MCQ)Purchase the machineLease the machineSale or LeasebackDo nothing(2 marks) Q8. A machine is leased using operating lease & the annual lease rental for six years will be $67,000 payable at each year-end. The first rental will be payable at the start of year one. Calculate net present value using a cost of capital of 13%? (FIB) 3816353683000$(2 marks) Q9. A machine is leased using finance lease & the annual lease rental for three years will be $95,000 payable at each year-end. The first rental will be payable at end of year zero in advance. The maintenance cost is $10,000 per annum for three years. Calculate net cash flow for year two using tax save rate of 30% recording in the year cash flow arises? (MCQ)$(66,500)$(73,500)$(7,000)$28,500(2 marks) Q10. ââ¬Å"Assets with unequal lives cannot be compared to a comparison will not be like with likeâ⬠. Which of the following option relates to the above statement? (MCQ)Equivalent annual costProfitability indexAsset Replacement decisionProbability analysis (2 marks) Q11. Project A with an NPV of $4m with six-year duration. Project B with an NPV of $5m with seven-year duration. Project C with NPV of $6m with a three-year duration. Cost of capital is 12%. Which of the following will be ranked second? (MCQ)Project AProject BProject CNone of the above(2 marks) Q12. The net present value of the costs of operating a machine for the next three years is $10,437 at a cost of capital of 16%. What is the equivalent annual cost of operating the machine? (FIB)4114806477000$ (2 marks) Q13. KD Co. is deciding to replace cargo planes every year or every two years. The initial cost of the plane is $200,000. The maintenance charges are as follows: First year it's Nil ; $25,000 at the end of the second year. The second-hand value would fall from $110,000 to $90,000 if it held on the plane for two years instead of a one year. KD Co. cost of capital is 4%. How often should KD Co. replace their cargo planes % what will be the equivalent annual cost of the option they choose? (MCQ)Replace every 1 year $(94,180)Replace every 1 year $(97,900)Replace every 2 years $(139,875)Replace every 2 years $(48,450)(2 marks) Q14. Which of the following statements is/are a limitation for Asset Replacement Decision? (MRQ)Replacement made every time is better than the previous assetAssets replaced have same cash inflows every yearAssumed that Machines replaced have different operational efficiencies than the previous assetIt ignores environmental damage(2 marks) Q15. Capital Rationing is the restriction on organizations ability to invest in all projects due to insufficient funds. Select the relevant statements whether they are true or false. (HA)Hard Capital Rationing is the limit on the amount of finance available imposed by the lending institutions TRUE FALSESoft Capital Rationing is the limit on the amount of finance available imposed by the lending institutions TRUE FALSEProfitability index is a solution applicable to divisible projects only TRUE FALSETrial ; Error method is the solution applicable to divisible projects only TRUE FALSE(2 marks) Q16. Riddle Co. is appraising three investment projects but is experiencing a capital rationing in Year 0. No capital rationing is expected in future, but all the projects are important for the company and cannot be delayed ; a decision needs to be taken. Riddle Co. cost of capital is 6%. Which order should the projects to be ranked? The following information is available: (MCQ)Project The outlay in year 0 ($) Present Value ($) Net Present Value ($)Jeremy 115,000 121,900 12,190James 43,000 45,580 13,674Richard 75,000 79,500 47,700Jeremy, Richard, JamesJames, Jeremy, RichardRichard, James, JeremyJeremy, James, Richard (2 marks) Q17. What is an indivisible project?It is the ratio of the NPV of a project to its investment costIt is the project that must be undertaken completely or not at allIt is the project that must be undertaken completely or partiallyIt is the project restriction due to insufficient funds(2 marks)The following information relates to Q18 ; Q19.Schneider Co. is facing a capital constraint of $150m immediately available for investment. The investments in possible projects are: Project Initial Cost ($m) NPV ($m)W 30 7X 70 12Y 60 12Z 40 16 Q18. If the projects are divisible, what is the NPV generated from the optimum investment programme? (FIB)35115524765 00 $ Million(2 marks) Q19. If the projects are indivisible, what is the NPV generated from the optimum investment programme? (MCQ)$19m$24m$28m$35m(2 marks) Q20. Place the calculation steps of Profitability index in the correct order. (P;D)Monitor the investment made in the project 1Calculate profitability index of each project 2Allocate the funds 3Rank the project 4(2 marks)SPECIFICINVESTMENT DECISIONS (ANSWERS)Q1. AAvoiding tax exhaustion is a benefit for lessee rather than the purchaser. Tax exhaustion is when a business has negative taxable income so cannot benefit from tax saving.Exploiting a low cost of capital is a benefit for the purchaserAttracting lease customers is a benefit to a lessorPotential future scrap is a benefit for the purchaser as the lessee is not entitled to future scrap proceeds Q2. $-50,289Years Cash flows ($) Discount Factor (8%) Present value ($)0 ââ¬â 2 Rentals (23,000) 1 + 1.783 (64,009)2 ââ¬â 4 Tax relief 5,750 3.312 ââ¬â 0.926 13,720NPV (50,289) Q3. CIt is a rental agreement OPERATING Maintenance ; Servicing cost of Lessee FINANCEAgreement for the useful life of the asset FINANCEIncluded in the balance sheet of the Lessor OPERATING Q4. Year 0 1 2 3Investment / Scrap value (400,000) 30,000Maintenance (12,000) (12,000) (12,000)Net Cash flow (400,000) (12,000) (12,000) 18,000DF 5% 1 0.952 0.907 0.864Present value (400,000) (11,424) (10,884) 15,552 Q5. All cash flows are relevant for Buy option Q6. DYear 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022Investment / Scrap value (360,000) 20,000 Tax save 27,000 20.250 15,188 11,391 28,172Workings:2017 (360,000 Ãâ" 25%) = 90,000 Ãâ" 30% = 27,0002018 (90,000 Ãâ" 0.75) = 67,500 Ãâ" 30% = 20,2502019 (67,500 Ãâ" 0.75) = 50,625 Ãâ" 30% = 15,1882020 (50,625 Ãâ" 0.75) = 37,969 Ãâ" 30% = 11,391Balancing Allowance (113,906 ââ¬â 20,000) = $ 28,172 Q7. APresent value of leasing costs PV = Annuity factor at 11% for 10 years Ãâ" $10,000 = 5.889 Ãâ" $10,000 = $58,890 If the machine was purchased now, it would cost $55,000. The purchase is therefore the least-cost financing option, hence choosing the purchase option. Q8. $ ââ¬â 267,866$67,000 Ãâ" 3.998 (annuity factor for 6 years) = $ ââ¬â 267,866 Q9. BYear 0 1 2 3Lease rentals (95,000) (95,000) (95,000) Maintenance (10,000) (10,000) (10,000)Tax save 30% (LR) 28,500 28,500 28,500 (M) 3,000 3,000 3,000Net cash flow (66,500) (73,500) (73,500) (7000) Q10. CEquivalent annual cost is method of converting asset lives to be like with likeProfitability index is the method to overcome capital rationingAsset Replacement decision is correctProbability analysis is method under risk ; uncertainty Q11. BProject A = $4 à · 4.111 (AF 6 years) = $0.973mProject B = $5 à · 4.564 (AF 7 years) = $1.096mProject C = $6 à · 2.402 (AF 3 years) = $2.498m Q12. $4,647EAC = $10,437 à · 2.246 (AF 3 years) = $4,647 Q13. DYear 1 Year Cash flow ($) DF (4%) PV ($)0 (200,000) 1 (200,000)1 110,000 0.962 105,820NPV (94,180)EAC = 94,180 à · 0.962 = 97,900Year 2 Year Cash flow ($) DF (4%) PV ($)0 (200,000) 1 (200,000)1 ââ¬â 0.962 -2 (25,000) + 90,000 0.925 60,125NPV (139,875)EAC = 139,875 à · 2.887 = 48,450 Q14. Assets replaced have same cash inflows every year ; it ignores environmental damageReplacement made every time is like with likeAssets replaced have same cash inflows every year (limitation)Assumed that Machines replaced have same operational efficiencies like the previous assetIt ignores environmental damage, It ignores non-financial aspects (limitation) Q15.Hard Capital Rationing is the limit on the amount of finance available imposed by the lending institutions TRUE Soft Capital Rationing is the limit on the amount of finance available imposed by the lending institutions FALSE Profitability index is a solution applicable to divisible projects only TRUE Trial ; Error method is the solution applicable to divisible projects onlyFALSESoft Capital Rationing is the limit on the amount of finance available imposed by the company itself.Trial ; Error method is the solution applicable to indivisible projects only Q16. D. Jeremy, James, RichardProject The outlay in year 0 ($) Present Value($) Net Present Value ($) Profitability IndexJeremy 115,000 121,900 12,190 0.1James 43,000 45,580 13,674 0.3Richard 75,000 79,500 47,700 0.6Jeremy = (12,190 à · 121,900) = 0.1James = (13,674 à · 45,580) = 0.3Richard = (47,700 à · 79,500) = 0.6 Q17. BIt is the ratio of the NPV of a project to its investment cost (Profitability index)It is the project that must be undertaken completely or not at all (Indivisible project)It is the project that must be undertaken completely or partially (Divisible project) It is the project restriction due to insufficient funds (Capital rationing) Q18. $38.4mProject Profitability Index Ranking Investment ($) NPV ($)W ( 7 à · 30) = 0.23 2 30 Ãâ"0.23 7X ( 12 à · 70) = 0.17 4 20 Ãâ" 0.17 3.4Y ( 12 à · 60) = 0.2 3 60 Ãâ" 0.2 12Z ( 16 à · 40) = 0.4 1 40 Ãâ" 0.4 16Total 150 38.4 Q19. DCombination:W + X Cost $100m NPV $19mW + Y + Z Cost $130m NPV $35mX + Y Cost $130m NPV $24mX + Z Cost $110m NPV $28mY + Z Cost $100m NPV $28m Q20. Monitor the investment made in the project 4Calculate profitability index of each project 1Allocate the funds 3Rank the project 2
Saturday, September 14, 2019
Interpersonal Communications in Sweet Home Alabama
In Interpersonal Communications, it is important to understand how stereotyping can affect close relationships. When an individual uses stereotyping in a negative way, this in return negatively affects the relationship. This can lead to major problems in the long run. In Sweet Home Alabama, it is easy to see that false stereotypes lead to judgments reflecting badly on relationships. The clip shown of Sweet Home Alabama starts off with Melanie Carmichael, a fashion designer who is about to have her first runway show.After the runway show she has to go with her boyfriend, Andrew, to an event involving his mother, the mayor of New York City. On the way, Andrew surprises her with an engagement proposal. Although she says yes, she asks to keep it a secret until she can visit her parents. He agrees to let her visit home by herself to break the good news to them, before letting it become a public announcement. This is until his mom notices the engagement ring on Melanieââ¬â¢s finger and freaks out. Pictures of the three of them spread to all of the tabloids saying theyââ¬â¢re engaged!She takes the first plane back to Alabama. This is when we find out that she actually has a husband, Jake, who refuses to sign the divorce papers. Although she is determined to get him to sign the papers, he still turns her down. He calls the sheriff and Melanie gets sent to jail where she has to call her parents. Her dad picks her up, and she tells them about the engagement. Melanieââ¬â¢s parents do not seem to approve, as they have not seen her since she left Jake seven years ago. They still think that her and Jake should be together. Many things can lead to a false judgment on another person.One term in particular that often leads to judgment and interpersonal communication problems is stereotyping. Stereotyping is to take a general characteristic of a certain group, and assume that every individual that belongs to that group takes on that characteristic. People stereotype bec ause it simplifies the process of perception. Once you find out that a person belongs to a certain group, itââ¬â¢s easier to just assume they take on the implied characteristics that go with that group to form an easier impression. This often leads to problems, because it ââ¬Å"leads us to form flawed impressions of othersâ⬠(McCornack, 2010, p. 00). An example of this is the idea that all African Americans are criminals. A person that is stereotypical would see an African American on the street and be scared that they are going to mug them. As you can see, this hurts the process of interpersonal communication. It hurts the process because if someone judges everyone they meet based on a stereotype, it will be hard for them to connect with anyone. It will also be difficult to for interpersonal relationships with others. In one specific scene of Sweet Home Alabama, Melanie has just arrived at Jakes house to ask him to sign the divorce papers.After she says that she needs them signed so that she can get on her way and go home, he refuses. He tells her to go home and see her parents before he even will consider talking about signing the papers. He then goes inside as she replies, ââ¬Å"Jake, you dumb stubborn redneck hick, the only reason you wonââ¬â¢t sign these papers is because I want you to! â⬠He exclaims, ââ¬Å"WRONG! The only reason I ainââ¬â¢t signing is because youââ¬â¢ve turned into some hoity toity Yankee bitch, and Iââ¬â¢d like nothing more than to piss you off! â⬠Throughout this whole ordeal, the two are making facial expressions depicting anger and annoyance.Also they are extremely verbally aggressive towards each other. In this scene, both Melanie and Jake use stereotypes against each other. Melanie calls Jake a redneck hick, saying that he is stubborn and stupid. This could be considered a stereotype because the label redneck hick is often associated with being stupid and hard headed. In the heat of the moment, she uses this to relieve anger and insult Jake. He then rebuttals by calling her a Yankee bitch and saying she has become hoity toity. People from the north or ââ¬Å"Yankeesâ⬠often have the reputation of being arrogant and rude.Jake is calling her a hoity toity Yankee bitch because he thinks that since she moved away she has become someone sheââ¬â¢s not. Although they used to be in love and married they use these hurtful stereotypes to get their point across. The point of the stereotype usage is to hurt the other and the outcome is anger and even a little hurt. Melanie and Jakeââ¬â¢s communication was competent in some areas, while incompetent in others. When it comes to appropriateness, they would both be incompetent. In the situation that they are in, both should be calm and acting like adults.Although many divorces get ugly, initially signing the papers should generally be done in a civilized manner. Instead they both would be considered as having low- self monitors bec ause they are just stating exactly what is on their mind. However, in terms of effectiveness they were both competent in their instrumental goal. Melanie gets it across very clearly that she wants Jake to sign the papers, while he makes it clear that he doesnââ¬â¢t plan on signing them. For the coupleââ¬â¢s self-presentational goals they are clear that they do not like each other very much when they begin fighting.Melanie shows that she wants Jake to sign the papers so she can get on with her life. She wants to break the connection between them and she attempts to, but fails at her relational goals when Jake wonââ¬â¢t sign the papers. He succeeds at his relational goals in that he does not want to give in and sign the papers ending their marriage. When it comes to ethics, they were both extremely hostile and over exaggerated leading to incompetency in this category of interpersonal communication. In order to have had more competent communication, Melanie should have been ca lm and composed when asking Jake to sign the papers.When he began to refuse, she should have reasoned with him and gotten him to agree without using judgmental words towards each other. As shown in Sweet Home Alabama, stereotyping others can lead to false judgments and even hurt feelings. This portrayed in the scene that I chose to analyze. Melanie and Jake made false stereotypes about each other by calling one another hurtful names that did not apply. This taught me that although it is just easier to assume stereotypes are true, you should not always be so quick to judge. paper 1 grade sheet introduction (4 pts. ) Did you describe the purpose of your paper?Did you mention the concept you will be analyzing? Did you adequately describe what happened in the movie excerpt? introduction4 pts. possible_____ body (28 pts. ) Did you clearly and correctly define and explain the course concept you selected? Was your explanation complete enough for the sake of understanding the later analysis ? course concept explanation7 pts. possible_____ Did you give a concise, yet vivid, description of the relevant scene(s) you selected for analysis? Was your explanation of the communication behaviors accurate and detailed with respect to the relevant verbal and nonverbal messages? cene & communication description7 pts. possible_____ Was your application and analysis of the course concept complete, thorough, and accurate? Did you discuss how the communication impacted relational outcomes between the characters? interpretation & analysis7 pts. possible_____ Was your evaluation of interpersonal communication competence insightful? Did you address appropriateness, effectiveness, and ethics in your analysis? Were your recommendations for improvement specific, accurate, and relevant to course material? IPC competence & recommendations7 pts. possible_____ conclusion (4 pts. Did you do a nice job of summarizing your paper and analysis? Did you explain what you learned from conducting the an alysis? Was your explanation insightful? conclusion4 pts. possible_____ general writing issues (4 pts. ) Is your paper well written? Is it free of typos, spelling errors, and other proofreading mistakes? Is your paper coherent, thorough, complete, and informative? writing4 pts. possible_____ concept approval (-4 points) Did you neglect to secure approval of your chosen concept by your TAââ¬â¢s specified due date? If so, 4 points will be deducted from your grade. TOTAL (out of 40 pts. )_____
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)