Thursday, October 31, 2019

Fundamentals of Finance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Fundamentals of Finance - Essay Example Photos: Interior view of one of the master bedrooms showing a spacious area within the room. The outside view of the property showing a cultivated front yard suited with garbage cans and showing spacious distance from one property block to the next. The arrangement of the apartments allows a personal parking lot to the front and a walk through pavement connecting from the main residential interstate roads. Weblink: www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-41518172.html# Purchasing Price: ?59,500 The annual cash flows expected from the investment target is ?850 per calendar month as the area has competitive rental market given that area is spacious and secluded from industrial zones, hence fore, investors in this area are driven by the market valuation of the properties as well as the location which raises the expected valuation of the property to be higher than the market price. The market price of the same property along the Greater Manchester area is set at ?650 with regards to the proximity of properties and roads, shopping malls, security of the area, and demand and supply of rental properties along the same area. However the expected rental amount from this particular property is ?850 as the property is new, all its features are functional and the seclusion from the industrial areas makes the property higher valued than its market competition counterparts. Therefore, for Mr. Priddin to invest in this property, his annual cash flows are calculated as Annual Cash Flows Expected Investment Target: ?850 Per Calendar Month (PCM) = (?850 x 12) = ?10,200 The rationale of providing rental service for ?850 per month is because; after investigating the rental prices for 2 bedroom flats and apartments around the Little Lever Bolton within the Greater Manchester area, it is found out those property rentals per calendar month range from ?150-700 with regards to conditions and luxury facilities. With regards to the presence of communal gardens and the easy access to ground floor apartments, the prices for these properties are kept higher than the market price at either the threshold of ?700 PCM or above at ?1000. With Mr. Priddin expecting a 6% return on investment, the future value of the property is calculated as Perpetuity = (Rental Price x Months in a year)/r Therefore, If Mr. Priddin is to purchase this property at ?59,500 his annual returns would be Perpetuity = (850*12 months)/r = 10,200/0.06 = ?170,000 Hence fore, the present value of the future cash flows of ?170,000 is higher than the current selling price of ?59,500 and is therefore a good investment for Mr. Priddin to invest in. A) If as a landlord Mr. Priddin would like to keep this property and rent it forever raising the rent at the rate of 4%, is it advisable for Mr. Priddin to purchase this property? Then Using P = Co*(1+g)/r-g his return on investment would be calculated with regards to the purchase price of the property C0 divided by the difference between the return on in vestment and expected less the rate of rent increase per year. P = C1/r-g P = 59500/6% - 4% P = ?2,975,000 With respect to the present value of the future cash flows of ?2,975,000 the purchase price of the property is lower and therefore the property is still worth buying. The difference between the present value of the property and the future cash f

Monday, October 28, 2019

Hiding from Reality Essay Example for Free

Hiding from Reality Essay The American Dream is exactly what it says, a dream. When people describe what they think the American Dream is, it is a utopia where there is no wrong in the world. Reality check, nothing or no one is perfect, this country will always have its faults but it’s the citizens job to make their country the best it can possibly be. Bob Herbert, a columnist for the New York Times, believes that no matter what we do this country will forever be in a sad shape, and unfortunately I agree. There are too many negatives than positives in this country and until we can switch that the United States will continue to live in distress. Major issues like the economy, budget deficits and warfare over seas are keeping the country in a constant panic, and until these are resolved the American Dream will only be a fantasy. Studies show that the economy has improved ever since the Great Recession of 2009, but it seems as if we’re at a standstill and have been for a long time now. Thousands of jobs are being created in power plants, yet some school districts just let go of half of their teaching staff for budget purposes. Information from the Pew Hispanic Center tell us that, â€Å"Foreign-born workers in the U.S. gained 656,000 jobs while native-born workers lost 1.2 million. But even as the hiring of immigrants picked up during that period, those same workers ‘experienced a sharp decline in earnings.’† The Pew Hispanic Center’s point is that the U.S. should never discriminate against the foreign-born workers, but with these statistics our country should develop an economy where anyone who wants to work can and be able to live a standard life with their families. Along with the economy, budget deficits are greatly impacting the nation. The wreckage from the recession and the new crash programs are doing nothing to help get us out of the hole we’re in today. The U.S. believes that we can continue to spend trillions of dollars on overseas warfare and somehow that money will find its way back into our economy and everything will be fine. Wrong, because of the amounts of money spent on warfare, state and local governments are challenged with having to reduce services. Examples are: cutting their work forces, hacking away at health and pension benefits, and raising taxes and fees. These services that are reduced for everyone are leaving some of the most vulnerable people- the children, the sick, the elderly and disabled- disadvantaged and incapable of living a standard life. Until we start focusing solely on America and getting back to the way it was before, we may never come out of this recession. In the end there is no such thing as a perfect society, or utopia. But that does not mean that we shouldn’t try to make improvements to help rebuild our country. Bob Herbert is right when he says this country will always be in a sad shape, that’s because as of right now there is little to no effort in rejuvenating our nation. There will always be unemployment and inflation, that’s inevitable, but things we can stop are warfare overseas and budget deficits. Reform is possible, we just have to focus solely on our nation and our nation only

Saturday, October 26, 2019

William Wordsworths Lines Composed a Few Miles Above Tintern Abbey Ess

William Wordsworth's "Lines Composed a Few Miles Above Tintern Abbey" Whereas most individuals tend to see nature as a playhouse that should alter and self-destruct to their every need, William Wordsworth had a very different view. Wordsworth perceived nature as a sanctuary where his views of life, love, and his creator were eventually altered forever. The intensity of Wordsworth's passion for nature elevated him from a boy into the inspiring man and poet in which he is recognized to be today. One of the most compelling works Wordsworth ever devised was that of "Lines Composed a Few Miles Above Tintern Abbey." The poem enlightens the reader on the awesome power and depth of nature, which Wordsworth has discovered in his trials and tribulations upon the earth. Thus, to fully understand the significance of nature in all lives told through "Lines Composed A few Miles Above Tintern Abbey" one must understand the setting and mood, as well as comprehend the rhyme scheme, and use of many diverse poetic devices that interact within the poem. One is able to gain insight into "Lines Composed a Few Lines Above Tintern Abbey" by first trying to understand the mood and setting of the poem. Although it "is a miniature of the long poem Wordsworth never quite wrote" (Robyn Young p.409) it lacked nothing as far as depth and intensity goes. Wordsworth was very skilled in such areas, although his writing may be come very complex it is said that it was a result of "the spontaneous overflow of emotion" (Gale Net). Wordsworth wrote this poem, as cited by Wordsworth without "any part of it was written down till I reached Bristol" (F.W. Bateson p.191). Wordsworth was a firm believer that man should ?find an immanent force that unites them with their physical and spiritual environments? (Jan Shoemaker p.1). As Wordsworth revisits this beloved place of his (Tintern Abbey) he is reminded of how he once perceived this sanctuary. Wordsworth attempts to compare and contrast two worlds, Brian Barbour states ?Wordsworth?s basic strategy is to a ppeal to the spiritual while remaining entirely within the natural order?(Barbour p.154). When he was a young child he came to this valley using it as his own personal playground. He never gave nature the respect and praise that it so deserved. He just saw nature through a young child?s eyes; he saw a tree in which to climb, grass in which wa... ...pt. The reader viewpoint of nature in a sense is altered, as Wordsworth is erudite about the wonders of our mother nature. One must learn to live in harmony with nature to fully understand our true character and to enjoy the gracious gifts of natural world that have so graciously bestowed upon us all. Works Cited Barbour, Brian. "Between Two Worlds." Nineteenth-Century Literature. California Press (1993): 14 7-168 Bateson, F.W. Wordsworth a Re-Interpretation. London: Lowe and Brydone (Printers) Limited, 1956. Bloom, Harold. Bloom's Major Poets. Pennsylvania: Chelsea House Publishers, 1999. Bloom, Harold. Modern Critical Views. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1985. Gill, Stephen. A Life. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1989. Hartman, Geoffery H. The Unremarkable Wordsworth. Vol. 34. Minnesota: University of Minnesota, 1987. Shoemaker, Jan. Bill and Gus. [Online] http://FirstSearch.oclc.org. Jan 27, 2000. Wordsworth, William. Detroit: Gale Company, 1999. [Online] Exploring Poetry. Feb 22, 2000. Wordsworth, William. Lines Composed. [Online] http://www.library.com/poems, Feb 29, 2000 Young, Robyn V. Poetry Criticism. Vol. 4. Detroit: Gale Company, 1992

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Racial Profiling in America Essay -- Black Lives Matter Essays

On February 4, 1999, Amadou Diallo, an unarmed 22 year-old immigrant from New Guinea, West Africa, was shot and killed in the narrow vestibule of the apartment building where he lived. Four white officers, Sean Carroll, Kenneth Boss, Edward McMellon and Richard Murphy fired 41 bullets, hitting Diallo 19 times. All four were members of the New York City Police Department's Street Crimes Unit, which, under the slogan, "We Own the Night," used aggressive "stop and frisk" tactics against African- Americans at a rate double that group's population percentage. A report on the unit by the state attorney general found that blacks were stopped at a rate 10 times that of whites, and that 35 percent of those stops lacked reasonable suspicion to detain or had reports insufficiently filled out to make a determination. Thousands attended Diallo's funeral. Demonstrations were held almost daily, along with the arrests of over 1,200 people in planned civil disobedience. In a trial that was moved out of the community where Diallo lived and to Albany in upstate New York, the four officers who killed Diallo were acquitted of all charges. (â€Å"Persistence† 21) Racial Profiling is any police or private security practice in which a person is treated as a suspect because of his or her race, ethnicity, nationality or religion. This occurs when police investigate, stop, frisk, search or use force against a person based on such characteristics instead of evidence of a person's criminal behavior. It often involves the stopping and searching of people of color for traffic violations, known as â€Å"DWB† or â€Å"driving while black or brown.† (Meeks 17) After 9/11, racial profiling has become widely accepted as an appropriate form of crime prevention. People were s... ... as far back as any of us can remember. Racial profiling stems from racism, and fear of people who are different, ethnically and culturally, than the person making the judgments. Sadly, it spreads even further than that, and clouds the judgment of the people who are in positions of authority, even when they come from the same ethnic background. Racism, classism, sexism and all the other –isms combine to create trends such as these, which affect more than just the person being judged; it affects their families, friends, neighborhoods, communities, etc. Like all other issues that deal with the problem of –isms, the only way to change the dominant perception is to change the way people are programmed throughout life and their experiences. Until that day, no legislation or rule is going to change the way people feel about the minority, or perceived lower class, group.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Cross Symbol

A cross represents many things to different people. Some view it as simply a‘t’. For others, it is their way of life. Many in America feel this way. A cross is the main symbol for Christianity, and as Christianity is the main religion in America, it can be considered a symbol of American culture. A cross is more than just a t-shaped piece of wood. A cross is the representative symbol of American culture. One morning, a long while ago, there was a man. This was before crosses had the present day meaning. He was to be crucified on a wood-shaped t contraption.It was called a cross. Forwarding to the present day, when most people think of or hear the word cross, they think of a battered old wood piece that is in the shape of a lower case t. While that is generally what a cross will come in, it can take the form of many things. It can be made of metal, wood, plastic, cardboard, or even by crossing one’s fingers. A cross can be fancy, new, battered, or old. No matter th e look of it, though, the cross always seems the same in the hearts and minds of those who cherish it.Perhaps the most thought provoking image of a cross is when Christ is on it, nails in his feet and hands, with a pierced wound in his side, his head bowed to heaven. The cross is both a symbol of happiness and sadness. One of the main reasons that pilgrims and settlers came over to the future site of the great United States of America was to avoid religious persecution in their homelands. America was the place of all things new and reborn, and what better way to practice their outcast religions. Most of the religions, however, shared one thing in common: they were all Christian-based religions.They just had different ways of practicing how to worship their Lord, Savior, and God. Being in the church-run country of England, however, was difficult because of these different practices. They united and came under the banner of one object, the cross. Many people view the cross as excludin g and not open to everyone everywhere. This is far from the truth. The cross accepts any and all who wish to worship under it and be one with the rest of the Christian nation. Those that pervert the word and message of the cross and its religion aren’t the true bearers of Jesus’ word and message.Sometimes the cross is perceived as a bat that beats the message into your head and does physical damage to them. This is far from the truth. A cross is like a pillow, that can be snuggled and used for friendly pillow fights, but it always comforts when it is needed. A cross needs to be thought less of as an animate object, and more of an inanimate object that encompasses a broad scope of items. One of these objects could be considered a pen and quill. When the founding fathers of the United States assembled in Philadelphia, they penned the words â€Å"endowed by their Creator. While Creator can have a broad variety of meanings depending on background, upbringing, and current value system, one can infer the implied meaning of what that statement was supposed to mean. America had religious upbringings. If it wasn’t for religion, America could possibly not be here today, or not be as successful as it is. The pilgrims could have stayed in England and Mainland Europe, and America may not have been settled until a much later date. In current times, many will argue that the cross is an obsolete and inaccurate representation of American culture.While it is true that church attendance and overall religiousness of the country is going down, the greater majority, even ones who don’t attend church on a regular basis, still view the cross as a symbol of greater things. It symbolizes the resolve of the American people. When in doubt, they look up, hoping for a sign of greater things to come. A cross may not be as fancy as a tasseled flag, or as popular as a roaring lion, but do those items have a deeper meaning to it? Americans have never been about bei ng the fanciest, or being the best.Americans care about what is important to them, and they fight for it. Present day fights to keep the cross and other Christian-related materials are a constant effort. Many should re-read the Declaration of Independence, and see the word Creator. It may refresh and jog their memories. The cross is one of the symbols of the American culture. Religion plays a large part in many lives in the country, and this is a representation of that. Perhaps if more people come under the wings of the cross, America can be great again.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Meningiococcal Disease essays

Meningiococcal Disease essays Meningiococcal disease is a worldwide killer that can be described as the combination of both meningitis and septicemia. It is caused by a variety of bacteria, viruses, and fungi. Meningiococcal disease can come in many forms and usually produces an array of subtle symptoms that quickly progress until it creates a life-or-death situation. Luckily there are vaccines for almost all of the strains known to mankind and epidemics are very rare. The two key aspects of Meningiococcal disease are meningitis and septicemia. Meningitis is a condition that occurs when invading organisms leave the blood stream that they have entered the body through, break through the blood-brain barrier, and infect the meninges that cover the brain and spinal cord. These foreign invaders release toxins that cause the membranes to become inflamed. Eventually this inflammation leads to coma, and possibly death. On the other hand, septicemia occurs when the invading organisms stay in the bloodstream and begin to multiply rapidly. When they release their toxins, the walls of the blood vessels break down and blood begins to leak into surrounding tissues. This will eventually lead to a chain of deadly events, including the failure of the circulatory system, shock, organ destruction, and death. Researchers have recently discovered that there are two key proteins, thrombomodulin and endothelial Protein C receptor, that are lost during septicemia. These two proteins are in charge of activating the Protein C complex that inhibits the clotting of blood and the loss of this critical protein results in the widespread clotting that occurs during septicemia (Blood Weekly). Most of the time when one is affected by meningitis, one is also affected by septicemia, therefore creating meningiococcal disease but on the other hand, septicemia is frequently present without symptoms of meningitis (and is usually more deadly in this form). As menti...

Monday, October 21, 2019

How to Pronounce Thank You in Chinese

How to Pronounce Thank You in Chinese Being able to thank someone is one of the first things we learn to say in another language, and the word è ° ¢Ã¨ ° ¢ (è ¬ Ã¨ ¬ ) †xià ¨xie† therefore appears in the first chapter of almost all beginner textbooks in Chinese. This word is very versatile and can be used in most situations where you want to thank someone, so treating it as a direct equivalent of the English †thank you† works well most of the time. But how do you pronounce it? How to Pronounce è ° ¢Ã¨ ° ¢ (è ¬ Ã¨ ¬ ) †xià ¨xie† Even if the word è ° ¢Ã¨ ° ¢ (è ¬ Ã¨ ¬ ) †xià ¨xie† often appears in the first chapter of most textbooks, it certainly isnt easy to pronounce, especially if you havent had time to internalize Hanyu Pinyin yet, which is the most common way of writing the sounds of Mandarin with the Latin alphabet. Using Pinyin to learn is good, but you should be aware of some of the problems involved. There are two things you need to pay attention to: the initial †x† and the tones. How to Pronounce the †x† Sound in è ° ¢Ã¨ ° ¢ (è ¬ Ã¨ ¬ ) †xià ¨xie† The †x† sound in Pinyin can be tricky to pronounce for beginners, and together with †q† and †j† they are probably the hardest initials to get right for native speakers of English. These sounds might sound similar to the English †sh† and in †sheep† (in the case of †x†) or to the English †ch† in †cheap† (in the case of †q†), but that will not give you the right pronunciation. To pronounce †x† correctly, do like this: Lightly press the tip of your tongue against the teeth ridge just behind your lower teeth. This is a very natural position and this is probably what you do when you breathe normally through your mouth.Now try to say †s† while still keeping your tongue tip in the same position. To produce the sound, the tongue needs to be raised, but since you cant raise the tip (it shouldnt move), you have to raise the body of the tongue (i.e. farther back than when you say s).If you can produce a hissing sound with this tongue position, congratulations, youre now pronouncing †x† correctly! Try playing around a bit and listen to the sounds you produce. You should be able to hear a difference between this †x† sound and the †sh† in †sheep† as well as a normal s. The next part of the syllable, â€Å"ie†, usually doesnt cause much trouble for beginners and simply trying to mimic a native speaker as well as you can is likely to be enough. The tones, however, are a different matter, so lets look at how to say â€Å"thank you† without sounding like a tourist. How to Pronounce the Tones in è ° ¢Ã¨ ° ¢ (è ¬ Ã¨ ¬ ) †xià ¨xie† Tones are tricky because they arent used to create different words in English. Of course, we do vary the tone height when we speak English too, but it doesnt change the basic meaning of a word like it does in Chinese. Therefore, its common for beginners to not be able to hear tones properly, but this is just a matter of practice. The more you expose yourself to tones and the more you practice, the better you will become. Practice makes perfect! Tones are normally indicated by a mark above the main vowel, but as you can see in the case of è ° ¢Ã¨ ° ¢ (è ¬ Ã¨ ¬ ) †xià ¨xie†, there is no mark above the second syllable, which means that its a neutral tone. The downward mark on the first syllable indicates a fourth tone. Just like the tone mark indicates, the pitch should fall when you pronounce this. The neutral tone should be pronounced more lightly and should also be shorter. You can treat the word è ° ¢Ã¨ ° ¢ ( è ¬ Ã¨ ¬ ) †xià ¨xie† as a word in English with stress on the first syllable, like â€Å"sissy† (I mean for stress purposes, the other sounds are different). There is an obvious emphasis on the first syllable and the second one is quite reduced. Practice Makes Perfect Simply knowing how è ° ¢Ã¨ ° ¢ (è ¬ Ã¨ ¬ ) †xià ¨xie† is supposed to be pronounced doesnt mean that you can pronounce it, so you need to practice yourself as well. Good luck!