Material Things Become Important After The Day Essay Example for Free

Material Things Become Important After The Day Essay During a nuclear war between Russia and the United States, the town of Fort Repose, Florida, is in the danger zone of radiation poisoning and contaminated items. Randy and the townspeople of Fort Repose must remain calm and ration their supplies. However, when the material things run low, everything becomes important. People must be creative and composed during this time of chaos. Therefore, the importance of material things after The Day leads to death, theft, and murder, but when people add to the chaos by trading the expensive for the inexpensive, people will do anything for the necessities, and that just adds to chaos causing the society of Fort Repose, Florida to be completely disrupted. In the town of Fort Repose, the people of the town are very confused and terrified about what is going to occur in the following months. In addition to this turmoil, people need to increase their supply of food, water, and anything else that they think could help them in this time of bedlam. The use and need of salt becomes very important in Alas, Babylon. In fact, salt is the main preservative of most foods, especially steak and meat. In detail, the salt preserves the meat by drawing out the moisture and creates an environment inhospitable to bacteria. If they were to put the meat in salt in cold weather, the salted meat could last for years. Not only does salt last long, but its trade in value is amongst the highest. Salt could be traded for really anything their mind could think of. Anyone would do anything to get his or her hands on salt if that meant food for a longer period of time. Equally important, is gasoline, the main element for the transportation of cars after The Day. Gasoline could only be obtained if one has had the money, has something worth the exchange, or they were a friend of the retailer. Gasoline becomes very valuable and expensive after The Day that Randy had to have special connections to get the gasoline from the vendors. Specifically, one had to know one for a long time and have a family connection to get enough gasoline to actually be useful. In fact, the gasoline was so important that the whole town decided to convene one day to combine all of the gasoline that the townspeople had just so they could make long distance visits and make sure their family members were alright after The Day. More importantly, the main value after The Day s batteries. Batteries in particular are the main source of wealth after The Day. Batteries are the life of the main source of all information that goes into Fort Repose, and when these batteries become low or die, the only source of information would be from HAM radios, which is used by Admiral Hazzard, which use batteries in a more energy efficient way. HAM radios are the source of where most of the information was broadcasted to the townspeople. In other words, everything that is usually in the common household is now needed to survive this terrible time. In this time of terror, people of Fort Repose are so desperate to get food or anything else that could be a great help to them; they would do anything to get these items, even a couple would kill innocent townspeople. When the highwaymen killed the citizens of Fort Repose, these rebels go to stores and kill the owner of the store, just to get his food. As a punishment, they one is killed in front of the town. Equally as bad, they would go into peoples homes and do the same thing. However, some people who were nicer or more religious and wouldnt dare to kill an innocent citizen would be nice and not kill the house owners. However, most families that are prepared would always have a gun in their hands that they could fire if anything bad is to happen, just like the firearm that Randy and Helen always have on their wall, just in case of emergency. Equally important, they stole the food instead of killing to get the food. Most of the time, they would just steal food from peoples self-owned stores. Money isnt important to the owners because you couldnt buy anything with money. The owners didnt even attempt to stop the criminals because they say that money wasnt worth anything after The Day. In fact, money couldnt be used to get anything. Money is worthless. In addition, people would steal the food because they were scared. They are afraid of what is going to happen in this terrible time after the bombing. Not only did they steal, but they also find people in the town and loot off of them. The rebels use the townspeople just to get items such as medicine, ammo, etc. like when the store is robbed and the owner didnt chase after the thieves. In addition, many of the people die because they do not have the essential materials to survive in this time of crisis. To be specific, penicillin is one main necessity for a few of the townspeople of Fort Repose, Florida. Actually, one of the townspeople, Livinia McGovern, dies from diabetes due to the lack of penicillin. In fact, in the town, they ran low on food, ammo, penicillin, etc. really quickly because they are isolated from every other town, state, etc. Last but not least, the trading of the expensive items for the inexpensive items leaves a lasting mark on The Day. In detail, the real full potential values of most items go substantially down after The Day like anything that can be run on electricity, due to the lack of electricity. Specifically the value of coffee and whiskey are changed after The Day. Coffee becomes more expensive than whiskey. However, whiskey could be used to treat wounds because of its alcohol contents. Coffee is one of the things that Randy and his family really love. Randy even thinks that whiskey is less important than coffee and that coffee is more essential than anything else. In addition, salt is another necessity that everyone in the town wants to have. The main value at that time is to have salt. Salt becomes very expensive costing almost $200 for two packs. Salt can be used in numerous ways and anyone would trade practically anything to get his or her hands on this magnificent item. However, not everything goes up in value. Many of the guns and ammunition that people had are just for emergencies, clothing is something that they would never run out of, and people have no use for anything electronic, so electronics lose value greatly. Besides, with the war going on, people are too concerned about what they are going to eat and how they are going to survive than electronics. After The Day the people of Fort Repose fight to find all necessities that they need to survive the war. The people of Fort Repose, including Randy Bragg, are all scared but are ready to withstand this terrible tragedy. However, the necessities deplete very quickly, putting many people in jeopardy of losing their lives. The lives of these people are forever changed by the loss of electricity, communication, and the necessities of life. When the necessities are completely gone, the citizens of Fort Repose all get together to solve their problems and what they are going to do to cope with the loss of things. Nevertheless, they all stay strong, are able to make a lasting impression on the town of Fort Repose during the nuclear war, and yet, they are willing to help stay and rebuild the town in Alas, Babylon.

The Black Market :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Black Market is defined as people who engage in illicit trade. Smuggling of Nuclear weapons plays a role in this. The Russians, U.S., and other countries are involved. Russia has been one the move since the Cold War ended. The Russians position threat to many lives with nuclear sales. Many Russian affiliations and events are to blame including Russian Mafia, military intelligence, Trading Air, collapse in economy, and disgruntled Nuclear employees. Russian Crime organizations have grown to a high number since the end of the Cold War. The Nuclear Black market is no stranger to the Russian Mafia. Russia may be poised to sell nuclear weapons to the highest bidder as organized crime expands its influence in Russian society (Phinney). Some of the 200 Russian organized crime groups now operate worldwide, including in the United states and gaining the ability to manipulate its banking system and financial markets (Phinney). Roughly two-thirds of Russia’s economy is under sway of crime syndicates, and protection rackets have been the norm since the collapse of communism(Phinney). The Russian Mafia and the antifada becoming nuclear powers or the likelihood that some of this dangerous material being transferred to rogue states like Iran, Iraq, or North Korea. Even if the uranium and plutonium are not used to build nuclear technology, these materials are radioactive and therefore intrinsically dangerous to any one who comes in contact with them, particularly the smugglers themselves. In March 1995, U.S. Customs agents in Miami launched a two-year undercover investigation reaching into high-level official circles in Russian, Bulgaria, and Lithuania. It would become the first credible case of a scenario to smuggle tactical nuclear weapons into the U.S. (Frontline). According to Russia’s Ministry of Internal Affairs, the government agency in charge of combating organized crime, 40 percent of private business, 60 percent of state-owned enterprises and between 50 percent and 85 percent of banks are controlled by organized crime. According to Russia’s Ministry of Internal Affairs, the gov ernment agency in charge of combating organized crime, 40 percent of private business, 60 percent of state-owned enterprises and between 50 percent and 85 percent of banks are controlled by organized crime.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Russia crime organizations are not even the source when it comes to smuggling Nuclear Weapons. Warheads come from one place, the military. There is major corruption in the Russian Military. Although, you can make your own type of Nuclear weapons, but this is a different case.

Fi515 Chapter 1 Mini Case

MINI CASE a. Why is corporate finance important to all managers? Corporate finance is important to all managers because it provides managers the skills needed to identify and select the corporate strategies and individual projects that add value to their firm and forecast the funding requirements of their company and devise strategies for acquiring those funds. b. Describe the organizational forms a company might have as it evolves from a start-up to a major corporation. List the advantages and disadvantages of each form. The organizational forms a company might have as it evolves from a start-up to a major corporation are proprietorship, partnership, or corporation. The advantages of a proprietorship are: †¢Easy and inexpensive to form, †¢Subject to few government regulations, and †¢Income not subject to corporate taxation. The disadvantages of a proprietorship are: †¢May be difficult to obtain the capital needed for growth, †¢Unlimited personal liability for the businesses’ debts, and †¢Limited to the life of its founder. The advantages of a partnership are: †¢Relatively easy to establish, †¢Increased ability to raise funds, Prospective employees become attracted to the business if given the incentive to become a partner, †¢May benefit from the combination of complementary skills of two or more people, †¢Can be cost effective, and †¢Provide moral support and will allow for more creative brainstorming. The disadvantages of a partnership ar e: †¢Partners are jointly and individually liable for the actions of the other partners, †¢Profits must be shared, †¢Disagreements can occur, †¢May have limited life, †¢Has limitations that keeps it from becoming a large business, †¢Partners have to consult with each other before making decisions, and †¢Unlimited liability. The advantages of a corporation are: †¢Unlimited life, †¢Easy transferability of ownership interest, and †¢Limited liability. The disadvantages of a corporation are: †¢Earnings may be subject to double taxation, and †¢Complex and time-consuming set up. c. How do corporations go public and continue to grow? What are agency problems? What is corporate governance? Corporations go public and continue to grow by selling stock to outsiders or venture capitalists, attracting lending from banks or raising additional funds through an initial public offering (IPO) by selling stock to the public at large. Agency problems are conflicts of interest arising between creditors, shareholders and managers because of differing goals. Corporate governance is the relationship between all the stakeholders in the company. d. What should be the primary objective of managers? The primary objective of managers is stockholder wealth maximization, which means to maximize the fundamental price of the firm’s common stock and not just the current market price. 1)Do firms have any responsibilities to society at large? Yes, firms have responsibilities to society at large. Corporate social responsibility is operating a business in a manner that accounts for the social and environmental impact created by the business. This means a commitment to developing policies that integrate responsible practices into daily business operations and to reporting on progress made toward implementing these practices. 2)Is stock price maximization good or bad for society? Stock price maximization is good for society. Shareholders are members of society. Consumers benefit when companies develop products and services that consumers want and need, which leads to new technology and new products. Employees benefit generally when companies successfully increase stock prices, it opens up growth and addition for more employees. 3)Should firms behave ethically? Yes, firms should behave ethically. There is no room for unethical behavior in the business world. Most executives believe that there is a positive correlation between ethics and long-run profitability. Conflicts often arise between profits and ethics. Companies must deal with these conflicts on a regular basis. Failure to handle these situations properly can lead to huge product liability suits and even bankruptcy. e. What three aspects of cash flows affect the value of any investment? The three aspects of cash flows the affect the value of any investment are the amount of expected cash flows, the timing of the cash flow stream, and the risk of the cash flows. f. What are free cash flows? Free cash flows are the monies available for distribution to all investors after paying current expenses, taxes, and making the investments necessary for growth. g. What is the weighted average cost of capital? The weighted average cost of capital is the rate that a company is expected to pay on average to all its security holders to finance its assets. . How do free cash flows and the weighted average cost of capital interact to determine a firm’s value? Free Cash Flow = Sales Revenues – Operating Costs and Taxes – Required Investments in Operating Capital. Weighted Average Cost of Capital (WACC) is affected by market interest rates, market risk aversion, cost of debt, cost of equity, firmâ €™s debt/equity mix, and firm’s business risk. Therefore, free cash flows and the weighted average cost of capital interact to determine a firm’s value by the following equation: Value=FCF1+FCF2+ †¦ +FCF00 (1 + WACC)1(1 + WACC)2(1 + WACC)00 i. Who are the providers (savers) and users (borrowers) of capital? How is capital transferred between savers and borrowers? Households and some foreign governments are the providers (savers) of capital. Non-financial corporation’s net users and U. S. governments are users (borrowers) of capital. Financial corporations are slight users (borrowers), but almost breakeven. Capital is transferred between savers and borrowers by direct transfer, through an investment banking house, or through a financial intermediary. j. What do we call the price that a borrower must pay for debt capital? What is the price of equity capital? What are the four most fundamental factors that affect the cost of money, or the general level of interest rates, in the economy? The price that a borrower must pay for debt capital is called the interest rate. The price of equity capital is the cost of equity equals required return equals dividend yield plus capital gains. The four most fundamental factors that affect the cost of money, or the general level of interest rates, in the economy are production opportunities, time preferences for consumption, risk, and expected inflation. k. What are some economic conditions (including international aspects) that affect the cost of money? Some economic conditions (including international aspects) that affect the cost of money are country risk and exchange rate risk. Country risk depends on the country’s economic, political, and social environment. Exchange rate risk is dependent on the non-dollar denominated investment’s value. l. What are financial securities? Describe some financial instruments. Financial securities are pieces of paper with contractual provisions that entitle their owners to specific rights and claims on specific cash flows or values. Some financial instruments are: †¢U. S. Treasury Bills  ­Sold by U. S. Treasury  ­Default-free risk  ­91 days to one year – original maturity †¢Money Market Mutual Funds  ­Invest in short-term debt; held by businesses and individuals  ­Low degree of risk  ­No specific maturity (instant liquidity) †¢Consumer Credit Loans  ­Loans by banks/credit unions/finance companies  ­Risk is variable  ­Original maturity is variable †¢U. S. Treasury Notes and Bonds  ­Issued by U,S, government  ­No default risk, but price falls if interest rate rises  ­2-30 years – original maturity †¢Municipal Bonds  ­Issued by state and local government to individuals and institutions  ­Riskier than U. S. overnment guides, but exempt from most taxes  ­Up to 30 years – original maturity m. List some financial institutions. Some financial institutions are commercial banks, investment banks, savings and loan, mutual savings bands, credit unions, life insurance companies, mutual funds, pension funds, and hedge funds and private equity funds. n. What are some different types of markets? Some different types of markets are physical asset markets, financial asset markets, spot markets, future markets, money markets, capital markets, mortgage markets, consumer credit markets, and world, national, regional and local markets. . How are secondary markets organized? Secondary markets are organized by location and the way that orders from buyers and sellers are matched. 1)List some physical location markets and some computer/telephone networks. Some physical locations markets are New York Stock Exchange, the American Stock Exchange (AMEX), the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT), and the Tokyo Stock Exchange. Some computer/telephone networks are NASDAQ, government bond markets, and foreign exchange markets. 2)Explain the differences between open outcry auctions, dealer markets, and electronic communications networks (ECNs). Auction markets are markets where participants have a seat on the exchange, meet face-to-face, and place orders for themselves or for their clients. The two largest auction markets for stocks are the New York Stock Exchange and the American Stock Exchange. The New York Stock Exchange is a modified auction with a â€Å"specialist. † Dealer markets are markets where â€Å"dealers† keep an inventory of the stock (or other financial assets) and place bids and ask â€Å"advertisements†, which are prices at which they are willing to buy and sell. There are often many dealers for each stock. A computerized quotation system keeps track of bid and ask prices, but does not automatically match buyers and sellers. Examples of dealer markets are the NASDAQ National Market, NASDAQ Small Cap Market, London SEAQ, and German Neuer Market. Electronic communication networks (ECNs) are computerized systems that match orders from buyers and sellers and automatically execute the transaction. It is a low cost to transact. Examples of ECNs are Instinet (U. S. stocks owned by NASDAQ), Archipelago (U. S. stocks owned by NYSE), Eurex (Swiss-German futures contracts), and SETS (London stocks). p. Briefly explain mortgage securitization and how it contributed to the global economic crisis. Mortgage securitization is the pooling of various mortgage loans and their usage as collateral to issue securities. This process allows the originator of the mortgage loans to restructure its balance sheet by reducing the receivables and using the funds received from the sale of securities to invest elsewhere. Mortgage securitization allows the originators of the loans to diversify their risk besides enabling them to secure immediate liquidity for assets which would otherwise have face some difficulty in trading. http://www. economywatch. com/finance/high-finance/mortgage-securitization. html) Mortgage securitization contributed to the global economic crisis in many ways. †¢Homeowners wanted better homes than they could afford. †¢Mortgage brokers encourage homeowners to take mortgages even though they would reset the payments to amounts that the borrowers might not have been able t o afford because the brokers got a commission for closing the deal. †¢Appraisers were over-appraising house values and getting paid at the time of the appraisal. †¢Originating institutions (e. . , Countrywide) were quickly selling the mortgages to investment banks and other institutions. †¢Investment banks created CDOs and got rating agencies to help design and then rate the new CDOs with rating agencies making big profits despite the conflicts of interest. †¢Financial engineers used unrealistic inputs to generate high values for the CDOs. †¢Investment banks sold the CDOs to investors and made big profits. †¢Investors bought the CDOs but either didn’t understand or didn’t care about the risk. †¢Some investors bought â€Å"insurance† via credit default swap. When the mortgages were reset and the borrowers defaulted on them, the values of the CDOs plummeted. †¢Many of the credit default swaps failed to provide insurance beca use the counterparty failed. †¢Many originators and securitizers still owned sub-prime securities, which led to many bankruptcies, government takeovers, and fire sales including New Century, Countrywide, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and many more. PROBLEMS (2-6)In its most recent financial statements, Newhouse, Inc. reported $50 million of net income and $810 million of retained earnings. The previous retained earnings were $780 million. How much in dividends was paid to shareholders during the year? Dividends Paid= (Previous Retained Earnings + Net Income) – Recent Retained Earnings = ($780 million + $50 million) – $810 million = $830 million – $810 million = $20 million (2-7)The Talley Corporation had a taxable income of $365,000 from operations after all operating costs but before (1) interest charges of $50,000, (2) dividends received of $15,000, (3) dividends paid of $25,000, and (4) income taxes. What are the firm’s income tax liability and its after-tax income? What are the company’s marginal and average tax rates on taxable income? Taxable Income$365,000 Less: Interest Charges(50,000) Plus: Dividends Received4,500? $15,000(1 – 0. 70) = $4,500 Total Taxable Income$319,500 Tax Liability= $22,250 + ($319,500 – $100,000)(0. 39) = $22,250 + ($219,500)(0. 39) = $22,250 + $85,605 = $107,855 After-Tax Income: Total Taxable Income$319,500 Less: Tax Liability(107,855) Plus: Non-taxable Dividends Received10,500? 15,000(0. 70) = $10,500 Net Income$222,145 Marginal Tax Rate = 39% Average Tax Rate= Tax Interest Income/Taxable Operating Income = $107,855/$319,500 = 0. 33757 or 33. 76% (2-9)The Shrieves Corporation has $10,000 that it plans to invest in marketable securities. It is choosing among AT&T bonds, which yield 7. 5%, state of Florida muni bonds, which yield 5% (but are not taxable), and AT&T preferred stock, with a dividend yield of 6%. Shrieve’ s corporate tax rate is 35%, and 70% of the dividends received are tax exempt. Find the after-tax rates of return on all three securities. AT&T Bonds – $10,000 x 7. 5% = $750 Taxes = $750 x 35% = $262. 50 $750 – $262. 50 = $487. 50 AT&T Bond Yield = $487. 50/$10,000 = 0. 04875 or 4. 875% AT&T Preferred Stock – $10,000 x 6% = $600 Tax Exemption = $600 x 70% = $420 Taxable Income = $600 – $420 = $180 Taxes = $180 x 35% = $63 $600 – $63 = $537 AT&T Preferred Stock Yield = $537/$10,000 = 0. 0537 or 5. 37% Florida Muni Bonds – $10,000 x 5% = $500 Not taxable, so no tax deductions Florida Muni Bonds Yield = $500/$10,000 = 0. 05 or 5%

Ideas for Engineering Science Fair Projects

Engineering science fair projects can involve designing, building, analyzing, modeling, or improving a device. You can also test or create materials. Here are some specific ideas for engineering science fair projects. What is the best material to put in a sandbag to block water, such as during a flood?How tall can you build a tower using only a sheet of ​paper? You can cut it, fold it, crumple it, but only use that single material. What works best?Compare the characteristics of a structure that is made using different materials. You can compare strength, corrosion resistance, and elasticity. Be creative. The trick is to make certain your measurements are truly comparable to each other.What can you do with a swim cap to optimize its ability to decrease drag in water? Can you alter the shape? Does one material work substantially better than another?Which type of paper towel absorbs the most water? Which brand absorbs the most oil? Are they the same brand?What differences do you note in the ability of different soils to support a structure?What type of paper airplane flies the furthest and stays aloft the longest?How can you map a magnetic field? Can you construct a device, using iron filings, that can be reused for field mapping?Construct a Lego building. Now try to make the same building on an incline, such as a 30-degree slope. What changes do you need to make in order to make it stable?How does a change in the construction of a parachute affect flight? Parameters you could examine include size, shape, material, and/or method of attachment.