Questions
summarize it How Central Banks Monetize Government Debt By Matthew Johnston | March 25, 2016 —...

summarize it How Central Banks Monetize Government Debt By Matthew Johnston | March 25, 2016 — 9:29 AM EDT Share With the Bank of Japan’s announcement on Jan. 29 to navigate into negative interest rate territory by charging interest on reserve deposits, yields on government debt have fallen precipitously. The yield on 10-year Japanese government bonds recently fell to a record negative 0.135%, below the BOJ’s negative 0.1% reserve deposit rate. With the BOJ purchasing government bonds at an unprecedented annual rate of approximately 80 trillion yen, it is becoming exceedingly difficult for the BOJ governor, Haruhiko Kuroda, to deny that these policies are not a form of government debt monetization. We explain why below. (See also: How Negative Interest Rates Work.) Independent Central Banks Any government that issues its own currency (e.g. not Greece) could, in theory, continue to create money without limit. The idea that governments either have to tax or borrow in order to spend is really just a consequence of the legal and institutional infrastructure we, as a society, have created. Things could be otherwise, but when the monetary printing press is in the hands of politicians, the temptation to inflate currency is strong. There is the fear that excessive printing of money and subsequent spending will lead to inflation, then hyperinflation, and then eventual abandonment of the currency. Further, assuming the limited nature of economic resources, if the government has unlimited amounts of money, then it could potentially control all of those resources, essentially “crowding out” the private sector. Obviously, this is problematic for some, and any attempt to compete with the government in utilizing resources leads to a bidding up of the price of those resources. (See also: Worst Hyperinflations in History). To mitigate these fears, modern governments have delegated the responsibility of money issuance to independent central banks, hoping to keep fiscal policy considerations separate from monetary policy ones. Since the primary goal of central banks is to maintain price stability (usually interpreted as low and stable inflation of around 2% a year), governments cannot depend on central banks to fund their operations and must either rely on tax revenue or, like everyone else, borrow money in private markets. Debt Monetization The willingness of the private sector to hold government debt will depend on the return and riskiness of that debt relative to alternative investments. Any government that issues debt far in excess of what it could collect in taxes is perceived as an excessively risky investment and will likely have to pay increasingly higher interest rates. Thus, a government’s fiscal policy has definite market constraints. However, central banks have the power to manipulate interest rates. In fact, it is interest rates that they are targeting when they carry out their daily open market operations (OMO) to achieve price stability. The central bank typically states an interest rate target it believes will help it achieve its inflation target, and then increases or decreases the reserves of commercial banks through asset purchases – typically short-term government bonds – in order to achieve that target (QE has extended these purchases to other assets like MBSs as well as longer term government debt). (See also: Open Market Operations vs. Quantitative Easing). The central bank then, by purchasing government bonds in private markets can keep interest rates low, and in a sense, monetize government debt. However, these daily OMO are not what the more hawkish types have in mind when they talk about government debt monetization. What they have in mind is when central banks, by using their power to create money, accommodate massive deficit spending by the government, inflating the government’s debt to levels where it is not clear how or if it will ever be paid off. Such a move causes one to wonder how independent the central bank really is. The Bottom Line At a level of government debt that is more than 230% of its GDP, Japan is the most indebted nation in the world. With bond yields in negative territory, the government is now getting paid to borrow. By charging private banks interest on reserves held at the BOJ, Japan’s central bank is effectively transferring wealth, and thereby the ability to control the economy’s resources, from the private sector to the public sector. It amounts to a “helicopter drop” of new money that is channeled into the economy either through tax cuts or direct government spending. Sounds a lot like debt monetization. Yet, while the potential for inflation is worrisome for the monetary hawks, inflation is actually Kuroda’s intended goal. With deflationary pressures plaguing the Japanese economy, Kuroda has stated, “What’s important is to show people that the BOJ is strongly committed to achieving 2 percent inflation and that it will do whatever it takes to achieve it.” He is still trying to maintain the BOJ’s primary monetary policy objective; it just so happens that the Japanese government is the only economic agent willing and able to spend, thus creating the aggregate demand that is so badly needed. He just doesn’t want to call what he is doing “debt monetization” in hopes that people will still believe that the BOJ maintains, at the very least, a modicum of independence.

In: Economics

As we emerge from COVID-19’s lockdowns, there will be many new features to the landscapes of...

As we emerge from COVID-19’s lockdowns, there will be many new features to the landscapes of our lives. The most significant will be the shifting economic path from the capitalism of interdependent free trade to the mercantilism of independent economic nationalism.

To those who study the future, the COVID-19 pandemic is a singularity — an event, usually unanticipated, that fundamentally upends the way we live. In other words, it is a major paradigm shift.

One classic example is the mass production of the automobile early in the last century, shifting transportation from organic sources (horses) to mechanical alternatives (cars). A more recent case is the development of the Information Superhighway in the 1980s that ushered in the world of the personal computer in which we now live.

The COVID-19 pandemic originated late last fall in Wuhan, China. Wuhan is a city in Central China with 10 million people and a major transportation hub for domestic rail travel and international air flights. It was also the host of an international athletic meet and a Chinese New Year celebration that attracted tens of thousands of tourists who then unwittingly spread the deadly new virus rapidly across the globe.

For whatever reasons, both the Chinese communist government and the United Nations’ World Health Organization failed to alert the world in sufficient time to stop this spread. As a result, it has now reached literally every country in the world.

At this writing, there are more than 3 million COVID-19 cases and more than 200,000 deaths worldwide. The United States is the world’s leader with in excess of 1 million cases and about 60,000 deaths.

To break the spread of this pandemic, stay-at-home orders have been imposed for individuals and shutdowns for most nonessential businesses (variously defined) for the past six to eight weeks. As we emerge from the wreckage, what we behold are eerily invisible societies and ruined economies.

In the United States, there are nearly 30 million unemployed and a contraction of the economy not seen since the Great Depression of the 1930s.

From these horrendous statistics, there is an automatic compulsion to assign blame. Since President Trump is at the national helm, it is easy to blame him, and his sub-par performance at the daily White House press conferences has not helped. If he was a little slow to recognize the threat of COVID-19, Democrats such as Nancy Pelosi, Charles Schumer and Andrew Cuomo were no faster.

If blame is to be pinned on anyone, it must be on the communist government of China, which withheld information on the pandemic for far too long. And, bluntly, the World Health Organization was complicit in this silence.

In truth, we have much to be proud of in the American response. Under the capable leadership of Vice President Mike Pence, the COVID-19 Task Force has brought before the American public the reassuring medical expertise of Drs. Anthony Fauci and Deborah Birx. For all the bitter partisanship to our politics, a welcome bipartisanship between Republicans and Democrats in both houses of Congress, together with the White House, has enacted several pieces of legislation that has brought some $3 trillion of financial relief to individuals and businesses.

Further, government and private industry are cooperating to achieve massive production shifts — like General Motors’ switch from making cars to manufacturing ventilators in just weeks — at a level of coordination not seen since World War II.

In confronting the COVID-19 singularity, three new features immediately come to mind. One is a migration from crowded, vulnerable cities to the safety of small-town America. Another is a dramatic increase in the reliance on the internet for employment, retail spending, education and even health care, and away from the brick-and-mortar settings of person-to-person interactions.

The most far-reaching of this paradigm shift, however, will be the rise of mercantilism at the expense of free trade liberalism. Since much of our pre-COVID-19 prosperity came from this interdependence of resources, labor and capital to the least costly place of production, this may seem strange.

The beneficiary of this “free” trade was the global consumer who enjoyed the reasonable prices that came from cheap imports. The flaw to this “prosperous” system was that most of the global supply chains, and especially that of medical supplies and equipment, led to China. Indeed, by 2020, fully half of all global manufacturing is “made in China.” The flaw lies in the loss of independence, both economic and political, to the winner of such interdependence.

The father of mercantilism, Friedrich List (1789-1846), contended that an industrial economy was the bedrock of national power, and that the goal of any economy was to achieve trade surpluses to preserve the nation’s economic independence and political sovereignty. Indeed, such mercantilism has been the guiding light to China’s massive growth and trade surpluses all over the world. Hopefully, rising from the invisible devastation of COVID-19 will be a visible counteracting forest of signs saying “made in the USA.”

  • Summarize the article
  • How do this relate to the 16th century theory of mercantilism?

In: Economics

Item 1 In the case below, the original source material is given along with a sample...

Item 1

In the case below, the original source material is given along with a sample of student work. Determine the type of plagiarism by clicking the appropriate radio button.

Original Source Material

Student Version

Obviously, it is vitally important in the war of attrition that individuals should give no inkling of when they are going to give up. Anybody who betrayed, by the merest flicker of a whisker, that he was beginning to think of throwing in the sponge, would be at an instant disadvantage.

References:
Dawkins, R. (1989). The selfish gene (3rd ed.). Oxford, England: Oxford University Press.

In the game of survival between individuals in nature, indicating in any way that tossing in the towel is being seriously considered can be exploited by an adversary (Dawkins, 1989).

Which of the following is true for the Student Version above?

Word-for-Word plagiarism

Paraphrasing plagiarism

This is not plagiarism

Hints

Item 2

In the case below, the original source material is given along with a sample of student work. Determine the type of plagiarism by clicking the appropriate radio button.

Original Source Material

Student Version

We considered a number of methods for measuring similarity between countries with respect to their mathematics attainment. A simple comparison of scale scores over time was rejected as this would limit the investigation to asking how much respondents from a country know on a given topic. Instead, we chose an item-level analysis that allows for a closer examination of what respondents in a given country know and how this compares to other countries.

References:
Rutkowski, L., & Rutkowski, D. (2009). Trends in TIMSS responses over time: Evidence of global forces in education? Educational Research and Evaluation, 15(2), 137-152.

We came up with several methods for assessing how closely related two classes were with regards to their reading ability. A straightforward contrasting of test scores was deemed unacceptable since this would make it challenging to determine what reading strengths students from a specific class had. We decided, instead, to focus on answers to specific test questions to be able to see how students in a particular class stacked up against other classes with respect to the particular test question.

Which of the following is true for the Student Version above?

Word-for-Word plagiarism

Paraphrasing plagiarism

This is not plagiarism

Hints

Item 3

In the case below, the original source material is given along with a sample of student work. Determine the type of plagiarism by clicking the appropriate radio button.

Original Source Material

Student Version

The study of learning derives from essentially two sources. Because learning involves the acquisition of knowledge, the first concerns the nature of knowledge and how we come to know things.... The second source in which modern learning theory is rooted concerns the nature and representation of mental life.

References:
Driscoll, M. P. (2000). Psychology of learning for instruction (2nd ed.). Needham Heights, MA: Allyn & Bacon.

The depiction and essence of mental life, the essential qualities of knowledge, and explanations for how knowledge is created provide for the origins of modern learning theory. Disagreement between theories of learning can often be traced to differences in one or more of these areas.

Which of the following is true for the Student Version above?

Word-for-Word plagiarism

Paraphrasing plagiarism

This is not plagiarism

Hints

Item 4

In the case below, the original source material is given along with a sample of student work. Determine the type of plagiarism by clicking the appropriate radio button.

Original Source Material

Student Version

In a complex task such as creating a website for learning, instructors may want to support the generation of multiple solutions in learners' peer feedback. Anonymity may create a social context where learners feel freer to express varied ideas, and make the task of giving feedback less inhibited. However, teachers need to know just how anonymity impacts the learning dynamic in order to make informed choices about when anonymous configurations are appropriate in peer feedback.

References:
Howard, C. D., Barrett, A. F., & Frick, T. W. (2010). Anonymity to promote peer feedback: Pre-service teachers' comments in asynchronous computer-mediated communication. Journal of Educational Computing Research, 43(1), 89-112.

Increased availability of technology in my classroom makes it easier for peer feedback activities to be conducted anonymously which "may create a social context where learners feel freer to express varied ideas, and make the task of giving feedback less inhibited" (Howard, Barrett, & Frick, 2010, p. 90). However, I worry that my students may be overly harsh if they don't have to stand by their comments.

References:
Howard, C. D., Barrett, A. F., & Frick, T. W. (2010). Anonymity to promote peer feedback: Pre-service teachers' comments in asynchronous computer-mediated communication. Journal of Educational Computing Research, 43(1), 89-112.

Which of the following is true for the Student Version above?

Word-for-Word plagiarism

Paraphrasing plagiarism

This is not plagiarism

In: Psychology

Experiment 1: Exploring Charge with Scotch® Tape In this experiment, you will observe the behavior of...

Experiment 1: Exploring Charge with Scotch® Tape
In this experiment, you will observe the behavior of charged objects using pieces of Scotch® tape.

Materials
Scotch® Tape
Ruler
*Pen     
*Flat Work Surface

  

Procedure
Part 1
1.   Use the ruler to measure a piece of tape that is 10 cm long.
2.   Tear the tape to remove the 10 cm piece from the roll.
3.   Create a “handle” on one side of the piece of tape by folding down the piece of tape 1 cm from the end, leaving a 9 cm sticky piece with a 1 cm handle.
4.   Stick the entire sticky surface of the tape to a table top, counter top, or another flat surface.
5.   Repeat Steps 1 – 4 with a second 10 cm piece of tape. Stick the second piece of tape at least 15 cm away from the first piece on the same surface.
6.   Quickly pull off both strips of tape from the surface and ensure that the pieces do not touch.
7.   Carefully bring the non-sticky sides of the tape together and record observations about the behavior of the pieces in Table 1.
8.   Discard the tape.
Part 2
1.   Use the ruler to measure a piece of tape that is 10 cm long.
2.   Tear the tape to remove the 10 cm piece from the roll.
3.   Create a “handle” on one side of the piece of tape by folding down 1 cm of tape from one end.
4.   Stick the entire sticky surface of the tape to a table top, counter top, or another flat surface.
5.   Use a pen and write “B1” on the tape. “B” stands for bottom.
6.   Repeat Steps 1 – 4 with a second 10 cm piece of tape. This time, press the second strip of tape on top of the one labeled “B1”.
7.   Use the pen to label the top piece with a “T1”. “T” stands for top.
8.   Create a second pair of pieces of tape by repeating Steps 1 – 7. This time, label the bottom piece “B2” and the top piece “T2”.
9.   Use the T1 handle to quickly pull off T1 strip of tape from the flat surface.
10.   Use the B1 handle to peel off the bottom strip from the flat surface. Keep both B1 and T1 pieces away from each other.
11.   Bring the non-sticky sides of B1 and T1 together and record observations about the behavior of the pieces in Table 1.
12.   Set the pieces of tape, non-sticky side down, on the table approximately 15 cm away from each other. Do not stick them back on the table!
13.   Repeat Steps 9 - 12 for B2 and T2.
14.   Carefully bring the non-sticky sides of piece “T1” and “B2”. Record observations about the behavior of the pieces in Table 1.
15.   Set them back down, non-sticky side down.
16.   Repeat Steps 14 - 15 for “T1” and “T2”. Record your observations in Table 1.
17.   Repeat Steps 14 - 15 for “B1” and “B2”. Record your observations in Table 1.
18.   Repeat Steps 14 and 15 for “T1” and the hair on your leg or arm. Record your observations in Table 1.
19.   Repeat Steps 14 and 15 for “B1” and the hair on your leg or arm. Record your observations in Table 1.

Table 1: Electric Charge Observations

procedure

interacting pieces observation
Part 1 Two pieces on table
Part 2 T1 / B1
T2 / B2
T1 / B2
T2 / B1
B1 / B2
T1 / Arm Hair
B1 / Arm Hair

***The observation is filled.


Post-Lab Questions

1.   Describe the interaction between the top and bottom strips as they relate to electric charge. Did the behavior of the pieces change when the tape was from different sets?


2.   Describe the interaction between two top and two bottom pieces of tape as they relate to electric charge. Is this consistent with the existence of only two types of charge? Use your results to support your answer.


3.   Did the top tape attract your arm hair? Did the bottom tape attract your arm hair? Usually arm hair is neutral; it has equal number positive and negative charges. Use this information to explain your results.


4.   Which pieces of tape are positively charged? Which pieces of tape are negatively charged? Explain your reasoning.

5.   Use your data to create a rule describing how like charges, opposite charges, and neutral bodies interact.

6.   What do you observe about the force of attraction or repulsion when the pieces of tape are closer together and farther apart? Does this change happen gradually or quickly?

In: Physics

I am looking for journal entries for part F. Long-Term Asset Acquisition Roxy and Harley (R...

I am looking for journal entries for part F.

Long-Term Asset Acquisition

Roxy and Harley (R & H) is considering a significant equipment replacement. R & H would like to replace some of their equipment before December 31, 2017. The equipment originally cost $850,000 and the equipment’s accumulated depreciation balance at the end of 2016 is will be $790,000. At this point the equipment is depreciated to its salvage value.

Your long-term asset accountant, Joe, tells you about four equipment options as follows:

construct new equipment and sell the old equipment,

exchange the old equipment for new equipment that is more efficient,

purchase new equipment that is more efficient and sell the old equipment, or

overhaul the old equipment.

The estimated life of any new equipment is 7 years.

R & H would like you to analyze the four options to determine the financial impact of each decision and any non-financial considerations that may result from each decision. Additional information about each option is presented below:

Option 1: Construct the new equipment in-house and sell the old equipment for cash at a fair value of $60,000. R & H would take out a one-year construction loan for $900,000 at the time construction begins at a short-term borrowing rate of 10% for the construction Anticipated actual expenditures for constructing the equipment are $980,000, and on a weighted-average basis the expenditures are approximately $625,000. The bulk of the $980,000 will be financed with the construction loan, and the balance will be financed through accounts payable. The interest on the short-term note is due and payable by year-end. (Note: Construction is assumed to be completed at year-end of 2017.)

Option 2: Exchange the equipment for a similar piece of equipment with a fair value of $995,000. The fair value of the old equipment is $60,000. R & H can borrow $850,000 on a one-year, 10% note. the balance will be funded with an accounts payable arrangement with the supplier. (Assume the exchange has commercial substance.)

Option 3: Purchase the new equipment by giving a non-interest-bearing note with five payments of $199,000 to the supplier (starting on the first day of note’s term and each year thereafter) and selling the old equipment for $60,000 cash. The first $199,000 payment would be made in late December 2016. The prevailing interest rate for obligations of this nature is 10%.

Option 4: Overhaul the existing equipment. The following expenses are anticipated under this approach: (1) The normal annual cost for lubrication and replacement of minor parts to maintain the integrity of the exterior body would be $55,000. (2) The cost of re-wiring interior components in an overhaul would be $250,000. (3) Replacing old worn components would cost $148,000 with associated labor costs of $310,000 for installation. The overhaul is estimated to extend the useful life of the equipment another four years. (The present equipment’s original useful life was eight years, starting January 1, 2008.) The costs will be financed at the end of 2017 through a one-year loan for at 10%.

Instructions

Prepare journal entries in general journal form for each of the four options.

Write a brief memo on how each option affects the financial statements. Include your journal entry(ies) in the body of your memo for each option. Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of each option.

(c) Since you are now in the process of analyzing the quantitative effects of this decision, you decide to also consider whether the acquisition of any new equipment will cause any employees to lose jobs. Also you wonder if there are other non-financial and/or ethical considerations you should include in your analysis. Write a memo describing other qualitative or subjective issues that you think R & H should consider in their analysis.

(d) At the next management team meeting, Roxy & Harley express some concern that any new equipment acquired to replace the old equipment may become obsolete within the next three to six years. Roxy & Harley want to know how the accounting rules for impairments would apply to any new equipment. Research the accounting literature (e.g., access the FASB Codification), to determine the official guidance for information on impairments including the timing and calculation of the amount. Be sure you describe the reasons for recording impairments and how recording any impairment actually can benefit the financial statements.

(e)   You seem to remember that asset impairments could be used to “manage earnings.” Search the Internet and accounting journals for recent stories in the business press about asset impairments and earnings management. Prepare a memo explaining how earnings might be managed through asset impairments

(f) What if you found out that the Research and Development account included current year costs of $380,000 and R& D Equipment with a cost of $200,000 and an estimated useful life of 10 years. Describe how that would impact the financial statements (do not revise the financial statements) and prepare the necessary journal entries assuming the financial statements have not been issued yet

In: Accounting

Sammy Benson supervised greater Downtown Bank's Special Check Sorting Unit, which processed odd-sized, foreign, and damaged...

Sammy Benson supervised greater Downtown Bank's Special Check Sorting Unit, which processed odd-sized, foreign, and damaged checks. Once the checks were sent to his unit, they were manually interpreted, recorded, entered into the appropriate account transactions, and filed for return. Sammy supervised three check sorting clerks in his department. These jobs were staffed by relatively untrained, entry-level individuals who had just graduated from high school. During the summer, Greater Downtown Bank hired low-income, disadvantaged young people for various jobs throughout the company as part of its Community Upbeat campaign. To participate in this effort, representatives from the Human Resources Department visited selected high schools to interview students. Since the students were already prescreened by the school, the interviews were little more than "get-acquainted" discussions. Last summer, Sammy's unit supplied one of the jobs in this effort. Juanita Perez was hired in this context to work as a Special Checks clerk. She was scheduled to begin working in June after graduating from the local vocational high school, where she maintained a C average. This was her first full-time job. When Juanita reported to the bank for a brief induction program, she was scared. It was not only her first day on the job, but the first time she had ever been in the bank. Nevertheless, she kept up her courage and reported to the Human Resources Department as planned. After waiting in the lobby for a while, she was taken to a small meeting room where she and two other new hires were shown how to fill out and sign various forms and documents. Next, an administrative assistant read to the new hires a series of personnel policies about work schedules, breaks, overtime, pay secrecy, attendance, and benefits. She signed more forms, wondering what all this meant. As the meeting drew to a close, Sammy Benson arrived after receiving a call from Human Resources. He and Juanita were introduced for the first time. Sammy escorted Juanita back to the Human Resources Department, showing her the bank's various offices and other departments. He gave her a quick tour of his area, introducing her to the other clerks as he went. Sammy was careful not to interrupt their work, however, nor did he explain to Juanita what they were doing. It was obvious by the expressions on their faces that the employees were surprised to see her. After a quick tour and passing introductions, Sammy gave Juanita some basic instructions in her job. He gave Juanita the job of processing foreign checks. He felt this task was the easiest job to learn and do correctly. During her first day on the job, Sammy spent about 15 minutes showing her the procedure: inspect, record, enter, adjust, file. Since he had to prepare for a meeting later that day, that was all the time he could spend with her. By the end of the first week, Juanita seemed to be getting the hang of things: She came to work on time, stayed busy, and was fairly pleasant and easy to get along with. Sammy intended to spend as much time as possible with her during this period; however, because she seemed to catch on quickly and he was very busy, he saw her only occasionally over the next few weeks. Then, after about a month, Juanita called in sick one day. A replacement was brought in, and as she looked through Juanita's desk for a notepad, she found what appeared to be a large pile of unfiled checks. When Sammy looked through the pile, he found that there were, in fact, quite a few unprocessed checks, some of which dated from Juanita's first day on the job. As they were the more unusual kinds of checks the department handled, Sammy assumed that she apparently had not known how to process them. Unfortunately, the combined value of these checks totaled around $65,000. The bank had lost the "float" value on them, and Sammy knew that customer complaints would be coming in soon. Sammy expected Juanita to come back to work the following day, and he wondered if he should write up a warning notice for her immediately.

(Source: Alan Clardy, Ph.D., Advantage Human Resources, HRD Press, 1994)

1- What could be done by Sammy to manage Juanita's poor performance problem? Suggest four (4) methods of how Sammy can provide Juanita with skills and knowledge to improve her performance. Provide suitable example to support your answer.

2- Managers have the most significant impact on employee performance. Based on this statement, how would Sammy align the performance of his staff with the organizational goals? Propose four (4) work practices that Sammy can apply which lead to both high individual and high organizational performance. Provide suitable example to support your answer.

please I need some extra lines to write, our answer based on ( Stephen P. Robbins, Mary A. Coulter Management thirteenth edition ) book

In: Operations Management

This program is broken down into phases for your convenience only. Please turn in only the...

This program is broken down into phases for your convenience only. Please turn in only the final phase. Before turning in your program, please make sure that it does something reasonable if the user enters a negative number the first time.

Phase I: Write a program for a theater that will keep track of how many people in each of 5 age categories attended a particular movie. Use the 5 age categories listed below in the sample screen output. The user will enter a number of ages, entering a negative number when there are no more ages to enter. Your program will then report on how many people in each age group attended. Sample screen output:

    Enter age of attendee (-1 to quit): 34    
    Enter age of attendee (-1 to quit): 16
    Enter age of attendee (-1 to quit): 68
    Enter age of attendee (-1 to quit): 53
    Enter age of attendee (-1 to quit): 39
    Enter age of attendee (-1 to quit): 23
    Enter age of attendee (-1 to quit): 21
    Enter age of attendee (-1 to quit): -1

    age 0  to 18: 1
    age 19 to 30: 2
    age 31 to 40: 2
    age 41 to 60: 1
    over 60: 1


Phase II: Modify your program so that, in addition to the report that the program currently produces, it also gives the average age of the people in attendance, the age of the oldest person in attendance, and the age of the youngest person in attendance. Sample screen output:

 
    Enter age of attendee (-1 to quit): 34    
    Enter age of attendee (-1 to quit): 16
    Enter age of attendee (-1 to quit): 68
    Enter age of attendee (-1 to quit): 53
    Enter age of attendee (-1 to quit): 39
    Enter age of attendee (-1 to quit): 23
    Enter age of attendee (-1 to quit): 21
    Enter age of attendee (-1 to quit): -1

    age 0  to 18: 1
    age 19 to 30: 2
    age 31 to 40: 2
    age 41 to 60: 1
    over 60: 1

    The average age was 36.
    The youngest person in attendance was 16.
    The oldest person in attendance was 68.

Phase III: Modify your program so that it also asks each attendee for a theater concession stand purchase. The attendee must make a selection based on the following choices …

1 - Soft Drink (such as Coca Cola, ICCEE, Mineral Water etc...)

2 - Popcorn

3 - Nachos       

4 - Soft drink & Popcorn

5 - Soft drink & Nachos

6 - Organic and Gluten-free snacks       

7 – None

The program output should now also provide a theater concession stand sales summary with a count of each category purchased.

Note: Include a validation routine to ensure that a correct choice is input for each attendee.

Check the sample screen output below for the final formatted display of theater statistics.

 
  ==========================
  THEATER STATS PROGRAM
  ==========================

Movie theater snacks available for purchase
==========================================
1 - Soft Drink (such as Coca Cola, ICCEE, Mineral Water etc...)
2 - Popcorn
3 - Nachos
4 - Soft drink & Popcorn
5 - Soft drink & Nachos
6 - Organic and Gluten-free snacks
7 - None
==========================================

Enter age of attendee (-1 to quit): 34
Movie theater snack purchased. (Select items 1 - 7):4
--------------------------
Enter age of attendee (-1 to quit): 16
Movie theater snack purchased. (Select items 1 - 7):5
--------------------------
Enter age of attendee (-1 to quit): 68
Movie theater snack purchased. (Select items 1 - 7):12
Invalid selection, please choose from 1 - 7
Movie theater snack purchased. (Select items 1 - 7):6
--------------------------
Enter age of attendee (-1 to quit): 53
Movie theater snack purchased. (Select items 1 - 7):6
--------------------------
Enter age of attendee (-1 to quit): 39
Movie theater snack purchased. (Select items 1 - 7):1
--------------------------
Enter age of attendee (-1 to quit): 23
Movie theater snack purchased. (Select items 1 - 7):2
--------------------------
Enter age of attendee (-1 to quit): 21
Movie theater snack purchased. (Select items 1 - 7):3
--------------------------
Enter age of attendee (-1 to quit): 21
Movie theater snack purchased. (Select items 1 - 7):4
--------------------------
Enter age of attendee (-1 to quit): -1

==================================
  THEATER STATS PROGRAM RESULTS
==================================

age 0  to 18:    1
age 19 to 30:    3
age 31 to 40:    2
age 41 to 60:    1
over 60:         1

The average age was 34
The youngest person in attendance was 16
The oldest person in attendance was 68

Theater Concession Stand sales
==================================
Soft Drink (such as Coca Cola, ICCEE, Mineral Water etc.): 1
Popcorn: 1
Nachos: 1
Soft drink & Popcorn: 2
Soft drink & Nachos: 1
Organic and Gluten-free snacks: 2

Process returned 0 (0x0)   execution time : 169.589 s
Press any key to continue. 

In: Computer Science

(b) Postcard from Giza (actually: a Pyramid) It is quite possible that programming to generate rectangles...

(b) Postcard from Giza (actually: a Pyramid)

It is quite possible that programming to generate rectangles using loops is a piece of cake for you. Here is another programming challenge to see how well you can use the for loop, so now we want you to draw a "Postcard from Giza (Links to an external site.)" i.e. create a view of a famous location: a single side of a hollow pyramid.

You are to write an interactive program that asks the user about a single pyramid's width, a positive integer representing the size of its base and then creates a picture like the one below. Use repetition control structures better known as "loops" to output a hollow pyramid shape based on the width specified by the integer. If the input is an even number, it should be increased to the next odd number.


Don't cheat! Don't use the setw manipulator or output hard-coded strings containing a rigid number of asterisks and spaces – all elements must be created dynamically using loops!

 
    Enter a value to represent the base of a hollow pyramid (not to exceed 80): 11    
     *
    * *
   *   *
  *     *
 *       *
***********

Notice the specific character * (an asterisk) used to generate the hollow pyramid.

When thinking of how to generate a somewhat complex pattern such as the one above using loops we can begin by looking at the pyramid displayed and asking a few questions. Here are a few you might think about.

How is the integer value input of 11 used in this pyramid display? Answer: Used in a loop to generate a line of asterisks for the base of the pyramid.
Can the integer value of 11 be used to determine the number of rows needed to be generated? Answer: A possible formula here might be 11/2+1= 6 rows
How can the integer value of 11 be used to determine the number of outer whitespaces to be generated for each row? Answer: 11/2=5 outer whitespaces for the first row. Determine how to come up with outer whitespaces for the remaining rows as this will be helpful in generating the left slope of the pyramid.
How can the integer value of 11 be used to determine the inner whitespaces to be generated for each row? Answer: Inner whitespace for second row - 11-8 (outer whitespace*2) - 2 (left and right * characters) = 1 whitespace. This sort of study of the pattern progressing through each row will help in generating the right slope of the pyramid.

Remember, there may be multiple ways to complete a programming challenge, and the algorithm here may not necessarily be the only, or even the best, way. Implement the algorithm that you understand and works best for.

Your task is to achieve the following goals:

  • ask the user to enter a positive integer value greater than 4 (n) to represent the width or base of the pyramid; This integer value should not be used to represent the rows needed to generate the pyramid, make sure you get this correct. If the input is an even number, it should be increased to the next odd number. The odd number width is needed to ensure that the pyramid has a single tip.

  • check the entered value and if it isn't legal, output a message stating the reason;

  • draw a hollow pyramid using the character * (an asterisk) with a base of n (see sample output above)

  • check to make sure the number of inner whitespaces in each row starting with the second row is an odd number. So for the above sample pyramid with a base of 11, the number of inner whitespaces should be Row2=1, Row3=3, Row4=5 and Row5=7.

  • find a reasonable upper limit for the width or base (depending on your screen's dimensions or an acceptable range) and embed it into your input validation code.

  • The algorithm should provide the user an opportunity to try the shape generator program again or quit.

Input Validation: Ensure that the user inputs a positive integer value greater than 4 and does not exceed an acceptable range determined by you. Do not accept negative or non-numeric values.

Use meaningful variable names, nested loop statements with proper indentation, appropriate comments, and good prompting messages.

Here us a sample test run of the Postcard from Giza program with some user input validation routines.

Enter a value to represent the base of a hollow pyramid (not to exceed 20): four
OOPS! Looks like you typed some bad data here!
The acceptable base for the pyramid should range from 5 to 20...
Enter a value to represent the base of a hollow pyramid (not to exceed 20): 4
OOPS! Looks like you typed some bad data here!
The acceptable base for the pyramid should range from 5 to 20...
Enter a value to represent the base of a hollow pyramid (not to exceed 20): 11

************** A POSTCARD **************
*********
*********
*********
                   *
                  * *
                 *   *
                *     *
               *       *
              ***********

********** A PYRAMID FROM GIZA ********

Process returned 0 (0x0) execution time : 12.188 s
Press any key to continue.

In: Computer Science

Operating Budgeting(9) Scenario Don Flowers, CEO of Burbage Manufacturing looked around the conference room as his...

Operating Budgeting(9)
Scenario

Don Flowers, CEO of Burbage Manufacturing looked around the conference room as his management team chatted and settled in for the monthly meeting.
“Let’s get started,” Don said, “we have a lot to cover today, and frankly it’s not all good news.” The room fell quiet. Don continued, “As you know we recently experienced a cash shortage despite last quarter’s record sales. We can’t keep going back to the bank to borrow money to support operations. I am counting on each of you to figure out a way to keep this from happening in the future.”
Brian Mitchell, the newest member of the team raised his hand somewhat sheepishly. “Sir, perhaps if we looked at the Master Budget for last month we could begin to identify areas for improvement.”
Don looked to Alex, his CFO. “Well, Alex that’s your area of expertise and Brian’s suggestion makes sense. Let’s have a look at that Master Budget.”
Alex looked down at the desk and began shuffling through his paperwork. “Well Don, we don’t exactly have a Master Budget per se. I mean we have budgets for different areas within the company, but I really rely on the managers to know what they need to do in their areas.”
Terri, the production manager spoke up, “Hey, wait a minute Alex. You’re the CFO. I’m doing everything I can just to keep up with demand down there on the floor. I don’t have time to worry about that kind of thing. We had a press go down last week and I had an entire shift of down time. Besides, that’s your job, Alex.”
“You know she has a point there Alex. You are the CFO. I need Terri to put all of her time towards keeping the production line running smoothly,” Don said.
“Look, Don, Alex replied, “In January I asked everyone to send me their budgets for the year and the only thing I got was a sales budget from Peter with a note attached that asked for a pay increase for his account managers.”
Brian raised his hand to speak. “Well, I know I’m new here, but at my last company we had budgets for sales, finished goods, cash – pretty much everything was budgeted. It seemed to work pretty well, and everyone had a good grasp of where we were financially.”
Alex, the CFO gave Brian an icy stare.
Don turned to Alex. “Alex, I think this young man has a point. Is there some reason why we aren’t budgeting like he described?”
“Well”, Alex began, “It’s really complicated, Don. Marjorie in materials is short two people and she’s paying overtime to her remaining people just to meet supply requisitions from the shop floor. And then there’s the problem with the corporate office. Every time I turn around I am getting an invoice from them for some piece of office equipment or another. Last week I got a bill from some company that Jessica hired to water the plants. How am I supposed to keep track of all of this? And then ….”
Don raised his hand to cut Alex off. “Look, I know we are a complex organization – but the fact of the matter is that I can’t keep going to the bank every month, borrowing money to pay the suppliers. For heaven’s sake – we are a multi-million-dollar company.” By this time Don was red in the face and everyone around the table was showing an intense interest in the conference table. He continued, “What am I going to tell the shareholders at the annual meeting when we don’t have enough cash to pay a dividend – that Jessica spent their money on potted plants?”
“This is going to end, today. Brian, you seem like a smart young man. You are going to work with Alex and anyone else in this company to get us on board with establishing and using budgets to correct this situation,” Don explained. “Further, as for the rest of you -when Brian comes and asks you for information treat him as if it was me making the request. Understood?”
Everyone nodded their heads in agreement.
“Meeting adjourned,” Don declared.
Questions

1. Identify the problems that appear to exist in Burbage’s budgetary control system and explain how these problems are contributing to the company’s poor cash position.
2. Identify the budgets that Brian and Alex will need to create to resolve these issues, including the information that is needed to construct each budget.
3. Once you have identified the problems and necessary budgets, prepare a report for Don and the rest of the management team outlining your plan for establishing a budgetary control system, making certain to include how each component of the system will benefit the overall financial health of the company.

In: Accounting

Read the case study below, based on the experiences of Larry Zeenny in the Lebanon. It...

Read the case study below, based on the experiences of Larry Zeenny in the Lebanon. It concerns a football agent’s attempt to make a deal for his client. When you have read it, answer the questions that follow.



An own goal


The taxi arrived at the impressive mansion in Faqra and I made my way through the blistering sun towards  the entrance. I was met by two servants and directed to Mr Haider’s room. He had faxed me a contract, the terms of which were ridiculously low, and I was determined to get a better deal for my client.

A peek at my watch revealed it was 11.30. I’d arrived just in time, despite the flight delays at Frankfurt and the queues at Beirut airport. In front of Haider’s door I cleared my throat, tightened my tie, gathered all my courage and entered the room. ‘Mr Haider, I am delighted to meet you’, I said, rather too exuberantly. ‘AhlanWilhelm, welcome my friend’, said Haider. ‘I just have to say goodbye to my important visitors. Please make yourself at home while you’re waiting.’

A servant led me to a large room where there were two men and, in the far corner, a beautiful oriental

woman. I sat down in a chair and waited for Mr Haider. An elaborate clock chimed twelve, but there was still no sign of him. By now the other three were thoroughly enjoying their lunch, which I had refused out of politeness. To keep my nerves steady I had only accepted a glass of arak. By 12.15 my patience had started to desert me. I was going to be too late for my next meeting. How could I trust Mr Haider if he had already broken his promise beforehand?

Eventually, at 12.30, Mr Haider entered the room. He looked extremely relaxed in his traditional dress and I jumped up to greet him. Before approaching me he first kissed both men and had a brief conversation with the woman. I had prepared myself well for this moment. I gave him a firm handshake and seated myself.

‘Ahlan Wilhelm, welcome to Lebanon’, he said. Looking at the table, he added: ‘I hope you enjoyed your delicious lunch with my beloved sons, Alain and Elie, and of course with my habibi, Charlotte.’

‘Mr Haider’, I replied, ‘Thank you for your warm reception, but I ate on the plane. My client is extremely pleased about your interest and he is looking forward to playing for such an illustrious club as Al Ansar. Shall we come to terms as quickly as possible so we can finalise this matter in the best interest of both parties?’ ‘Shouf Wilhelm’, he retorted. ‘Please call me Hashem. But why the rush? We have the time for business until the sun walks out on us! When will your client arrive?’

I told him that my client, a goalkeeper who had played for German,Italian and British teams, as well as for his home country, Denmark, would be unable to attend the negotiations. ‘The thing is . . .’ (I hesitated: how could I call him by his first name and show my total respect?) ‘It’s usual for a player to leave such dealings to his agent.’

Mr Haider seemed disgruntled, but agreed to talk. He called his two sons over while his wife quietly

headed for the door. As she passed by I respectfully looked her in the eye and wished her a pleasant day.

The bargaining process began and, quite disconcertingly, Mr Haider’s sons joined in. Was he hoping to get the upper hand through force of numbers? Could I trust his sons to honour the confidentiality spect of the negotiation? I was concerned details would leak out to the predators from the international press. After anhour we had reached an impasse, but I couldn't really understand why. Mr Haider refused to provide me with a bank guarantee with respect to my client's salary and signing-on fee. In fact, Mr Haider persistently refused to go into financial matters. These could be discussed the next day, he insisted, since they would not be aproblem as far as he was concerned.

But for me they were the problem. And that was why we had reached a stalemate.

Questions (each answer should be 250 words long)

Q1. Explain the title of the case study "An own goal".

Q2. What is the main problem faced by Larry in this case study?

Q3. Using the cultural values model (Time focus, space, structure......) explain the main reasons why Larry feels that he reached an impasse with Mr Haider and compare their respective cultures.

Q4. Did Larry used the best approach to deal with Mr. Haider? Explain how you would behave in his situation? Propose a solution to overcome this impasse.

In: Operations Management