Compare H.G. Wells The Red Room and Farthing House by Susan Hill Essay

Compare H.G. Wells' The Red Room and Farthing House by Susan Hill "There was no mistake about it. The flame vanished, as if the wick had been suddenly nipped between a finger and thumb, leaving the wick neither glowing or smoking, but black." Ghost stories use dark and fear of it as a key element, and most occurrences happen in the night, and/or in the dark. The aim of this essay is to compare and contrast the two short stories - The Red Room by H.G. Wells and Farthing House by Susan Hill. The Red Room was written pre twentieth century and Farthing house was written post twentieth century. I will mainly look at the formulaic structure of the stories and the tension that is built up throughout them by the authors. A good ghost story involves a mixture of tension and an interesting plot or storyline. The formulaic elements - e.g. old houses/graveyards/other sinister settings, threatening housekeepers/guests/noises, staying overnight, dark/night, threatening weather (e.g. storms, thunder) and a death/previous ghostly history all help to create the genre and entice the reader to continue reading. There should be twists in the story, to help make it more interesting, and less predictable. There is also often a lot of mystery involved - mysterious key characters, unknown noises and people etc. The Red Room is a pre-20th century story, written by H.G. Wells in 1896. It is about a room that is allegedly haunted and the story is told by a young man who is spending the night there. He starts off extremely confidently but as the story goes on he becomes more and more frightened and the tension increases. The Red Room is about the personal experience of the young man whilst in the room, and his own fear o... ...ing plots. Some elements of the first formula have stuck, which is why 'The Red Room' and 'Farthing House' are so similar, although written years apart. I think that they have stuck because they are a winning combination that attracts readers. Over time ghost stories have become more popular and some stories have also been shown as films or television programmes. This shows that they are still a popular part of culture and probably will continue to be in the future. Films and television programmes still often stick to the formula - setting and history, for example. However the visual images and plots differ. Farthing House is testimony to this, the setting is similar but the plot and purpose differs. "I was not afraid anymore, not now that I knew who she was and why she had been there, getting out of her bed in Cedar room, to go in search of her baby.

Transaction, Operating Accounting Exposures

Transaction, Operating, & Accounting (Translation) Exposures Foreign Exchange Exposure – measures the potential for a firm’s profitability, net cash flow, and market value to alter because of a change in exchange rates. Q: What are the three main foreign exchange exposures? A: 1) Transaction Exposure 2) Operating Exposure 3) Accounting Exposure Transaction Exposure – measures changes in the value of outstanding financial obligations incurred prior to a change in exchange rates.Operating Exposure (Economic Exposure, Competitive Exposure, Strategic Exposure) – measures a change in the present value of a firm resulting from any change in future expected operating cash flows caused by unexpected changes in exchange rates. Accounting Exposure (Translation Exposure) – measures accounting-derived changes in owner’s equity as a result of translating foreign currency financial statements into a single reporting currency. Exhibit 8. 1 [pic] Note: In th e fourth quarter of 2001 Amazon. om reported a net income of $5 million, due in part to a one-time foreign currency gain of $16 million. Hedging – To take a position that will rise (or fall) in value to offset a change in value of an existing position. |Benefits of Hedging |Costs of Hedging | |Improved the planning capability of the firm. |Risk-averse strategy that benefits management more than | |Reduced the likelihood of financial distress. i. e. the risk that cash|shareholders. (i. e. shareholders can diversify currency risk on an| |flows will fall below what is required for debt payments and continued|â€Å"as needed† basis) | |operations) |Consumes the firm’s resources and expected cash flows to the firm | |Management has a comparative advantage over shareholders. (i. e. |are not increased. (i. e. gency theory, NPV of hedging is zero, | |understanding the currency risk of the firm and take advantage of a |and FX losses appear on the I/S while hedging are b uried in | |disequilibrium through selective hedging) |operating and interest expenses) | Transaction Exposure Transaction Exposure – measures changes in the value of outstanding financial obligations incurred prior to a change in exchange rates. Transaction exposure can arise from the following activities: ? Purchasing or selling foreign goods and services on credit. Borrowing or lending in another currency. ? Foreign exchange contracts. Exhibit 8. 3 The Life Span of Transaction Exposure [pic] Example Expect to collect ? 1,000,000 in three months on a sale, minimum acceptable value $1,700,000. Q: What type of transaction exposure has occurred? A: Billing Exposure S0 = $1. 7640/? ES90= $1. 76/? F90= $1. 7540/? iU. K. = 10% per year (2. 5% per quarter) kU. K. = 8% per year (2% per quarter) iU. S. = 8% per year (2% per quarter) kU. S. = 6% per year (1. 5% per quarter) P90ATM = $1. 75 (1. 5% premium) P90OTM = $1. 71 (1% premium)Note: ES90 is the estimated spot rate in three mont hs, â€Å"i† is the borrowing interest rate, and â€Å"k† is the investment interest rate, P90ATM is an at-the-money three-month put option, and P90OTM is an out-of-the-money three month put option. Q: Is the pound expected to appreciate or depreciate? A: Depreciate Q: What is the forward premium/discount on the pound? A: [pic] Q: What are the four alternatives to hedge a transaction exposure? A:1) Remain unhedged 2) Hedge in the forward market 3) Hedge in the money market 4) Hedge in the options market 1) Remain unhedged, collect ? 1,000,000 in three months at the new spot rate. pic] 2) Hedge in the forward market, collect ? 1,000,000 in three months at $1. 7540/?. [pic] 3) Hedge in the money market, borrow ? 975,610 today, and exchange for dollars at the current spot rate ($1. 7640/? ). Invest the $1,720,976 for 90 days, and in 90 days pay back the loan + interest with the ? 1,000,000. Q: To construct a money market hedge, how much should the investor borrow today if the annual interest rate is 10% and the company expects to receive ? 1,000,000 in 90 days? A: [pic] Q: At what investment rate is the money market hedge superior to the forward contract? A: [pic] pic] Note: Either the forward contract or the money market hedge is better than an uncovered position if the spot rate at time 2 is less than the forward rate. But, if the funds can be invested at anything above 7. 68% (or 1. 92% for 90 days) then the money market hedge is a better option than the forward contract. If the spot rate at time 2 is greater than what can be earned by investing the funds in the company (in this case the funds are invested in the company yielding the company’s WACC of 12% or $1,772,605) then the uncovered hedge would be superior. 4) Hedge in the options market.An at-the-money[1] (ATM) put option is selling for a 1. 5% premium. The cost of the option is (size of the option) x (premium) x (spot rate) = cost, in this case ? 1,000,000 x 0. 015 x $1. 7640 = $26 ,460. This is the maximum loss, while the maximum gain is the spot price – the cost of the option. [pic] To compare the alternatives, first estimate what you expect spot rates to be, then estimate a range of possible prices, and consider your ability to accept the downside. Then select the best strategy. Some Examples: [pic] Q: Transaction exposure arises from what? A: Sales and expenses that are already contracted for.Operating Exposure Operating Exposure (Economic Exposure, Competitive Exposure, Strategic Exposure) – measures a change in the present value of a firm resulting from any change in future expected operating cash flows caused by unexpected changes in exchange rates. Q: Operating Exposure depends on whether an unexpected change in exchange rates causes unanticipated changes in what? A: Sales volume, sales prices, or operating costs Figure 9. 1 Financial and Operating Cash Flows Between Parent and Subsidiary [pic] Q: What are four proactive ways to manage op erating exposure?A: 1) Matching currency cash flows 2) Risk-sharing agreements 3) Back-to-back or parallel loans 4) Currency swaps Note: Planning for operating exposure depends on the interaction of strategies in finance, marketing, purchasing, and production. Accounting (Translation) Exposure Accounting Exposure (Translation Exposure) – measures accounting-derived changes in owner’s equity as a result of translating foreign currency financial statements into a single reporting currency. Q: What are the financial goals of the multinational enterprise? A:1) To maximize consolidated after-tax income ) To minimize the firm’s effective global tax burden 3) To correct the positioning of the firm’s income, cash flows, and available funds. Note: These goals are frequently seen as inconsistent. Functional currency – the dominate currency used by the foreign subsidiary in its day-to-day operations. Q: What are the two basic methods for the translation of fo reign subsidiary financial statements? A: 1) The current rate method 2) The temporal method Current rate method – a method of translating the financial statements of foreign affiliates into the parent’s reporting currency.All assets and liabilities are translated at the current exchange rate. Temporal method – assumes that a number of individual line item assets such as inventory and net plant and equipment are restated regularly to reflect market value. Q: Which method is the most common worldwide? A: The current rate method Q: What are the advantages of the current rate method? A: 1) The variability of reported earnings due to translation gains or losses is eliminated, because the gain or loss on translation goes directly to a reserve account (rather than passing through the income statement). ) Does not distort balance sheet ratios such as the current ratio or debt-to-equity ratio (because the relative proportions of the individual balance sheet accounts rema in the same. Q: What is the disadvantage of the current rate method? A: 1) It violates the accounting principle of carrying balance sheet accounts at historical costs. Q: What is the advantage of the temporal method? A: 1) Foreign nonmonetary assets are carried at their original cost in the parent’s consolidated statement. Homework Problems Chapter 8 1.Imagine one of the companies from your final project is expecting an $80million payment in one year. The company also expects $20million in expenses in one year. Use real figures or the following: Current spot rate 3. 4x/$ (trend shows 3. 8x/$ two months ago) Interest rates are 14% in your country and 4% in the U. S. Forward contracts are too expensive Based on the current spot rate and relative interest rates, please advise your company on its currency exposure. Chapter 9 2. Imagine one of your companies will soon be exporting to China.Use the following (replace the $ equivalent with your currency at the current spot price): C urrent sales of 1,000,000 units per year at a price equivalent to $24 each. Current spot price Rmb8. 2/$, but the H. K. advisory will drop the value next week to Rmb10/$. Direct costs are 75% of the U. S. dollar sales price. Accepting this forecast, advise the company on two options: 1) Maintain the same renminbi price (i. e. no change in price) 2) Raise the price to offset the devaluation and experience a 10% drop in unit volume. A) What would be the short-run (one year) impact of each strategy?B) Which do you recommend? Optional Assignment: (0. 5 participation points) Prepare a write-up on the country you are doing for your final project. (Include GDP, inflation, major exports/imports, major stock exchange, currency, exchange rate, and anything else you find interesting and relevant)†¦ use sources like countryreports. org, cia. gov, etc. And remember to compare your country to something (i. e. the U. S. or another country in the region)†¦ Try to make everything you turn in look â€Å"professional,† imagine you're getting paid for your work.Please cite your sources throughout the report, and if you could e-mail it to me before next Monday, that's even better. Final Project These are two great sites to look at for your final project: globaledge. msu. edu www. world-exchanges. org ———————– [1] An at-the-money put, means that the strike price is equal to the current spot price†¦ Meaning an investor is indifferent between exercising the option or going to the market. In this case the forward rate is $1. 7540/? , and the option is $1. 75/? plus 1. 5% premium.

Hybrid Cars

Hybrid cars are the transportation of the future. Humans have been driving around since the 1880’s. They started off as simple, one-cylinder machines, to today, where they are twelve cylinder animals. From fuel-efficient coupes, to gas guzzling SUVs, or even the ultra expensive supercars, all use gasoline. The use of this gasoline makes or breaks the selling point of the car. We base the cars off of their utility; the gas-guzzlers may be the ones with the most torque and pulling power, but the gas savers protect the environment and maybe save a few pennies in the pocket.Overall, the controversy is whether hybrid cars are really that much better than their all gas counterparts. Hybrid cars may save the environment from fuel emissions, but they do not save the driver nay substantial amount of money overall. The basics of a hybrid car are pretty easy, but the complexity comes with comparing them to all gasoline cars. The main aspect of a hybrid car is the engine. In normal gasoli ne cars there is only one engine, but in hybrid cars there is one gasoline engine and one electric engine. The two engines work in harmony; if the electric engine runs out of power the gasoline engine charges it.This process saves money on gas. Typically, a hybrid car get around 48-60 miles per gallon. This is a lot of mileage compared to most gasoline cars, which average about 18-26 miles per gallon. In addition to getting more gas mileage, hybrid cars cut down on fuel emissions. This can be illustrated by this graph: Another important aspect of a hybrid car is actually when it is coming to a stop. In a plain old car all of the energy and momentum that had been gained through accelerating is lost when braking. This makes city travel rather inefficient. Hybrids fix this; they capture breaking energy and use it to charge the battery.This not only saves fuel but also has less wear and tear on the break pads. In the same ballpark as the breaking, the engine saves fuel by turning off an d on often. When a hybrid vehicle comes to a complete stop the engine turns off and saves energy. It then restarts and turns back on once the accelerator is pressed. By doing this, energy is not wasted through idling. Utilizing the electric engine, it creates a boost for the combustion engine paired with it. This allows a smaller, less clunky, and more efficient engine to be used. Overall, the differences of the hybrid car make for a new technological driving experience.The value of a hybrid car is based off of its practicality. Does it really do what it says it does? Does it save me any money on gas? Does it function to cut down on emissions? Is it worth the extra money? Well here’s some information: a Honda Civic gets around 36 miles per gallon, a typical hybrid costs around $19,000-$25,000, a typical gas vehicle costs around $14,000-$17,000. The price difference comes from the complexity in the process of building the car. Also, not only affecting the price, the production of the car creates plenty of emissions and a whole bunch of energy. This puts â€Å"zero emission vehicles† to sleep.Creating another question, â€Å"Are all of these statistics true? † The production of hybrid cars has almost solely come from foreign countries, such as japan and China. Only recently have American companies been trying to dip their hand into the hybrid pool. Overall, the American creation of hybrids has only been poor attempts just to put their name out there in the market. Doing this is focusing on adding to their all gas cars because they also promote fuel efficiency. The drawbacks are clear and make the pros not quite outweigh the cons in the end. The wheel-to-well aspect put the nail in the coffin for hybrid cars.Focusing on the entire production, the process cancels its strives for efficiency by its complexity. Also, the argument for â€Å"zero emissions† is also false due to the process to create the car itself. Finally, the fuel usage ma y be a bit better then typical gas vehicles; it does not cancel out the immense price jump to the hybrid. This makes the price of the car not worth it, and much more favorable to buy it gas counterpart. Overall, the verdict is that a hybrid car does not really do that much for the driver except for its major selling points, â€Å"It’s a green, new technology! †

The Hamlet in Me essays

The Hamlet in Me essays Whether we are planning to build a boat or hoping to write a good essay, the only way to go about these tasks is to make a detailed plan of all the steps that need to be taken in order to get the desired result. If you spontaneously decide to build a boat, the result may be a plywood tub that leaks from all sides, let alone hold anyone in it. Hamlet, a seventh century story put to life through the amazing writing of Shakespeare, is a play that shows how meticulous and well thought out plans will bring about the desired result. The plays main character, Hamlet, is a Renaissance man that struggles with the corrupt world around him. He must deal with such issues like "blood for blood revenge" when his own uncle kills his father and takes his place as king. A ghost king appears to Hamlet and catalyzes the events that follow in the play. Hamlet must devise a plan to take revenge for his father and bring to justice all the people who have marred the situation. Though the church mandates through its moral code that Hamlet not take revenge, Hamlet tries to find the worst fate for his devious uncle possible: "Now might I do it, now he is a-praying, And now I'll do't and so he goes to heave...When he is drunk asleep, or in his rage, or in th' incestuous pleasure of his bed...Then trip him...And that his soul may be as damned and black As hell, whereto it goes" (3.4.77-100). Hamlet finally gains the nerve to kill his uncle, but sheaths his sword when he realizes that if he kills him while he is praying, his uncle will ascend to heaven. He ultimately decides to kill his uncle when he commits a sin, so that his soul "may be as damned and black as hell." He goes through a meticulous thought process, which shows him both his options and when to act to give his uncle the most cruel and horrible death he deserves. His actions also bring in a conflict between church and the revengeful calls of his families past. I ...

What a Main Idea Is and How to Find It

What a Main Idea Is and How to Find It Questions about the main idea of a passage are popular on reading comprehension tests, but sometimes, those questions are pretty difficult to answer, especially for students who are not completely sure they understand what the main idea really is.  Finding the main idea of a paragraph or longer passage of text is one of the most important reading skills to master, along with concepts like making an inference, finding the authors purpose, or understanding vocabulary words in context. Here are a few techniques to help understand what, exactly, is a main idea and how to identify it accurately in a passage. How to Define the Main Idea The main idea of a paragraph is the primary point or concept that the author wants to communicate to the readers about the topic. Hence, in a paragraph, when the main idea is stated directly, it is expressed in what is called the topic sentence. It gives the overarching idea of what the paragraph is about and is supported by the details in subsequent sentences in the paragraph. In a multi-paragraph article, the main idea is expressed in the thesis statement, which is then supported by individual smaller points. Think of the main idea as a brief but all-encompassing summary. It covers everything the paragraph talks about in a general way, but does not include the specifics. Those details will come in later sentences or paragraphs and add nuance and context; the main idea will need those details to support its argument. For example, imagine a paper discussing the causes of World War I. One paragraph might be dedicated to the role that imperialism played in the conflict. The main idea of this paragraph might be something like: Constant competition for massive empires led to increasing tensions in Europe that eventually erupted into World War I. The rest of the paragraph might explore what those specific tensions were, who was involved, and why the countries were seeking empires, but the main idea just introduces the overarching argument of the section. When an author does not state the main idea directly,  it should still be implied, and is called an implied main idea. This requires that the reader look closely at the content- at specific words, sentences, images that are used and repeated- to deduce what the author is communicating. How to Find the Main Idea Finding the main idea is critical to understanding what you are reading. It helps the details make sense and have relevance, and provides a framework for remembering the content. Try these specific tips to pinpoint the main idea of a passage. 1) Identify the Topic Read the passage through completely, then try to identify the topic. Who or what is the paragraph about? This part is just figuring out a topic like cause of World War I or new hearing devices; dont worry yet about deciding what argument the passage is making about this topic. 2) Summarize the Passage After reading the passage thoroughly, summarize it in your own words in one sentence. Pretend you have just ten to twelve words to tell someone what the passage is about- what would you say? 3) Look at the First and Last Sentences of the Passage Authors often put the main idea in or near either the first or last sentence of the paragraph or article, so isolate those sentences to see if they make sense as the overarching theme of the passage. Be careful: sometimes the author will use words like but, however,  in contrast, nevertheless, etc. that indicate that the second sentence is actually the main idea. If you see one of these words that negate or qualify the first sentence, that is a clue that the second sentence is the main idea. 4) Look for Repetition of Ideas If you read through a paragraph and you have no idea how to summarize it because there is so much information, start looking for repeated words, phrases, or related ideas. Read this example paragraph: A new hearing device uses a magnet to hold the detachable sound-processing portion in place. Like other aids, it converts sound into vibrations, but it is unique in that it can transmit the vibrations directly to the magnet and then to the inner ear. This produces a clearer sound. The new device will not help all hearing-impaired people- only those with a hearing loss caused by infection or some other problem in the middle ear. It will probably help no more than 20 percent of all people with hearing problems. Those people who have persistent ear infections, however, should find relief and restored hearing with the new device. What does this paragraph consistently talk about? A new hearing device. What is it trying to convey? A new hearing device is now available for some, but not all, hearing-impaired people. Thats the main idea! Avoid Main Idea Mistakes Choosing a main idea from a set of answer choices is different than composing a main idea on your own. Writers of multiple choice tests  are often tricky and will give you distractor questions that sound much like the real answer. By reading the passage thoroughly, using your skills, and identifying the main idea on your own, though, you can avoid making these 3 common mistakes: selecting an answer that is too narrow in scope; selecting an answer that is too broad; or selecting an answer that is complex but contrary to the main idea.   Resources and Further Reading How to Find a Stated Main IdeaHow to Find an Implied  Main IdeaFinding the Main Idea PracticeFinding Main Ideas In Paragraphs,  http://english.glendale.cc.ca.us/topic.htmlFinding the Main Idea, Columbia College Updated by Amanda Prahl

Continents Trading compare (The United State and Taiwan) Essay

Continents Trading compare (The United State and Taiwan) - Essay Example Technology has enabled people living in US to be able to access products that are manufactured in different countries. To get a product in a foreign country, a person will only check the relevant website selling the product, see the price and purchase through online banking. The product will be delivered to the place of resident through different means such as air mail or shipping. After reading Jared Diamond’s statement, the â€Å"Cargo hypothesis†, I came to understand what is meant by the geography and the development of one country. In his statement, he gave an example about why European countries develop better than many other countries, and according to his understanding it is as a result of geographical location. At first, I dint agree with her statement that development rate differs because of geographical location. At first, I thought the geographical position of all the European countries is not different from countries such as the American and Asian. European countries are rich and they have capability of investing in different fields in order to improve on their technology: for instant, Chinese government always try to improve the country economy by all means. Some people think that the country is poor but according to my own opinion they are not poor, it is only that they do not understand how to increase the country economic and lif e style level. This reminds me of the statement that Diamond gave concerning understanding and knowledge. He argued that knowledge is very important since it help a country develop: the more people to get educated, the more development in that country. In many Western countries such as England, France, and U.S., people can easily access education unlike in countries like China. This is a big issue which has caused different rate of the development in different regions. In this project, I will be focusing on Asian continent, Taiwan, which is a well-developed

A Personal Definition of Innovation, creativity and Invention Essay

A Personal Definition of Innovation, creativity and Invention - Essay Example Innovation Innovation is creating something new or generating an idea into reality and use. Ideas are turned into facts which can be incorporated in activities to better their efficiency. Information and knowledge available and which is relevant is synthesized and produced in a new way that it has value in new processes, strategies, products and services (Rigby, 2009). It involves a creative process in assessing available body of knowledge. Ideas developed and expressed without use in current circumstance are useless. Innovation considers that provided information and expressed ideas should be continually analyzed and productive ideas generated to help correct, advance or improve existing activities. An invention is a discovery that has a unique function. Formulation of an invention could be from an existing idea or innovation. They are in most circumstances recognized and protected as patent. It incorporates creativity where certain ideas or possibilities are combined together to id entify an existing relationship and hence creates a lasting solution to a given problem. Creativity therefore encompasses all processes of recognizing ideas that can be of use. It can simply be for purpose of amusing ourselves or communicating information to others. Ideas in this perspective are required to be unique (Pisano, 2009). Creativity is fundamental to all processes involved in innovation and invention. Creativity is designed to generate ideas and present alternatives while invention requires that provided ideas can be used to create a change and add value. Businesses ensure that they sustain innovation culture in their activities so as to have a competitive advantage in the market. In the case of invention there exists the concept of introducing something new that has never existed. Invention is created through making improvement of existing things (Pisano, 2009). People within the field where invention is taking place might be aware of it but importance lies on how it is represented to be unique from what others see and know. As creativity is thinking of new things, innovation is doing new things and invention is doing unique things. Innovation therefore will tend to help create improvements and cause changes so that there will be efficiency and effectiveness in doing things. New ways are researched to produce and improve creativity and help in producing something in newer and improved form. Technical/Traditional Problem Solving Finding of a solution for every problem is essential in any setup. Traditional problem solving process required that a problem to be identified, defined and analyzed and several solutions which can solve problem be chosen. A chosen solution is implemented and if it does not solve the problem another solution is selected. It involved trial and error methods (Pisano, 2009). Creative/Intuitive Problem Solving Creative problem solving involves coming up with solutions to fix problems by thinking critically. This could be induced by situations, opportunities or challenges while undertaking certain activities. Creative problem solving requires assimilation of innovative approaches to solve the problem. It involves careful selection of options of which are guaranteed to some extent that they will solve the problem. Many varied and unusual options are generated and well analyzed considering perceived extend of their solving problem (Rigby, 2009). Thinking is then focused