Calculate the cash flow over the life

Information gathered from various departments:

1. Six months ago Royal Oceania Cruises paid $30,000 to Wallaby Consultants for market research investigating the demand for a new ship (“Pacific Dream”). The report stipulates that there is strong demand from tourists, individuals aged 30-60, and from individuals who earn an income of $120,000+ per annum.

2. Two months ago, Royal Oceania Cruises invited its wealthiest and frequent cruise customers to an event held at “The Star” casino. The event had a total cost of $5,500 to cover payments for the event space, food and drink and service staff. The purpose of the event was to learn what would be desirable in the new “Pacific Dream” cruise ship. Roger Federer (from the Accounting department) suggests that the $5,500 event costs should be included as an opportunity cost incurred in year 0 of the “Pacific Dream” investment decision.

3. “Sea Princess” and “Ovation of the Seas” are the two other existing cruise ships in the Royal Oceania cruise fleet, both of these cruise ships have been depreciated over a 15-year life. The “Pacific Dream” will be purchased today for $32 million and will be the largest and most luxurious cruise ship operating in the Oceania region. The “Pacific Dream” will measure 348 metres in length, be able to reach a maximum speed of 30 knots and has a maximum passenger capacity of 2,000 customers. Due to the advanced navigational system, novel skydiving opportunities, and mini submarines allowing customers to uniquely observe sea life and creatures, Roger suggests that “Pacific Dream” should be depreciated over a 25-year life.

4. Due to the significant size of the “Pacific Dream”, Sydney Ports requires that the “Pacific Dream” be immediately fitted with a special thruster to manoeuvre within tight spaces. The current market value of a special thruster is $5 million, Roger expects the special thruster to have a useful life of 20 years.

5. The special thruster generates an unpleasant sound when in operation. Royal Oceania will immediately install a noise cancelling device to reduce the effects of the unpleasant sound generated by the special thruster. According to the Royal Oceania Cruises accounting books, an idle noise cancelling device (which has been written off for tax purposes) is currently stored in their North Sydney premises and is compatible with the “Pacific Dream” cruise ship. The Global Maritime Agency website shows that the current market value for the noise cancelling device is $750,000 and forecasts indicate that the noise cancelling device will be worthless 10 years from today. Roger informs you that the noise cancelling device was previously purchased for $2 million.

6. All cruise ships operating in Australian/international waters must purchase a maritime licence. The license must be purchased today and costs $555,000 and lasts for a three-year period. If a cruise ship does not have a license it cannot operate in Australian/international waters. The license can be claimed as an operating expense in the year in which the license was purchased. All operating expenses are tax deductible in the year the expense is incurred and the tax rate is 30% (hint: if an operating expense is incurred in Year 0, then you can record the tax deduction in year 0). The license cost has remained the same since it was introduced in 2005, and the cost is expected to remain the same in the future.

7. To heavily promote the “Pacific Dream”, Royal Oceania Cruises will spend $2.10 million p.a. during the first two years of operation. This campaign will involve sponsorship of the Wallabies during the 2019 World Cup in Japan and subsequently of the Socceroos in the lead up to the 2022 World Cup. Following the end of Year 2, advertising for the “Pacific Dream” will total $750,000 annually.

8. Hugh is slightly concerned by the large marketing costs associated with the “Pacific Dream” investment, so in agreement with Taylor they decide to reduce the total annual advertising expenses associated with the “Sea Princess” and “Ovation of the Seas” from $975,000 p.a. to $810,000 p.a. during the entire life of the “Pacific Dream” project.

9. During a lunchtime briefing the sales team provide you with the following sales information about the “Pacific Dream”, the sales information provided below accounts for seasonal patterns: • Average sales price per customer = $1,000 per cruise journey. • 25 “Pacific Dream” cruises run every year. • Average number of customers = 1,500 per cruise journey.

10. The introduction of the “Pacific Dream” is expected to cannibalise the sales of the “Sea Princess” and “Ovation of the Seas” during the entire “Pacific Dream” investment. In total, the sales team forecast that total sales across the “Sea Princess” and “Ovation of the Seas” will decline by $5 million annually.

11. The “Pacific Dream” is expected to increase Royal Oceania Cruises total annual fuel expenses by $2.33 million to $4 million. Based on forecasts of future fuel prices and depleting fuel resources, annual fuel expenses for the “Pacific Dream” will increase by 2% every following year. The current salary of the 200 crew members required to operate the “Pacific Dream” is expected to total $13,500,000 per annum. However, following the end of year 5 it is forecast that each crew member’s annual salary is expected to increase by $5,000. Further changes in salary are not expected in subsequent years.

12. Due to the introduction of the “Pacific Dream”, Royal Oceania Cruises fixed costs (excluding headquarter costs) will increase by $1.75 million to $3.90 million per year. Royal Oceania Cruises headquarters is based in Tower One in Barangaroo. Annual headquarter costs total $3.66 million and such costs are not expected to increase in the foreseeable future. Taylor wants to allocate an equal share of the annual total headquarter costs for Royal Oceania Cruises across the “Pacific Dream”, “Sea Princess” and “Ovation of the Seas”.

13. Without “Pacific Dream” Royal Oceania Cruises require 90 tonnes of food and drink per year where each kilogram costs $28/kg for all cruise ships. The introduction of the “Pacific Dream” will result in bulk buying discounts for Royal Oceania Cruises. With “Pacific Dream” each kilogram of food and drink costs $25/kg for all cruise ships, this brings the total food and drink for Royal Oceania Cruises to 170 tonnes per year, meaning 80 tonnes of food and drink is required annually for “Pacific Dream”.

14. All of the cruise ships in the Royal Oceania fleet dock at the Overseas Passenger Terminal in Circular Quay. “Pacific Dream” will also dock at Circular Quay and will increase the Royal Oceania Cruises total annual port charges from $2.30 million to $2.87 million. When cruise ships dock in Circular Quay they obstruct views of the Opera House and Harbour Bridge, which results in reduced sales for surrounding restaurants (e.g., Aria, Quay, Bennelong). As a result, Royal Oceania Cruises pays these restaurants $40,000 p.a. to account for the loss in sales, this figure is expected to increase by $20,000 per annum with the introduction of “Pacific Dream”.

15. The “Pacific Dream” cruise ship will mean that the Royal Oceania Cruises call centre will be relocated from North Sydney to a larger facility in Heathcote. The rent expense for the North Sydney centre was $150,000 per annum and the rent expense for the Heathcote centre is $87,000 per annum. The larger call centre is required to fit additional staff members which will increase annual call centre salary expenses by $50,000 to $100,000.

16. During a meeting involving Hugh, Taylor, and the accounting and sales team, it is agreed that the plan is to sell “Pacific Dream” in 10 years’ time. To maximise the selling price of the “Pacific Dream” in ten years’ time, a regular three-year refurbishment is required, the first refurbishment occurs at the end of year 3 and costs $1.66 million, the second refurbishment costs $2.88 million and the third refurbishment costs $1.96 million. The refurbishments take place during breaks between cruise journeys, and as a result there is no impact upon the operating revenues and other expenses associated with the operation of the “Pacific Dream”. The refurbishments keep the cruise ship equipped with the latest restaurants, shops and entertainment. The refurbishment costs can be claimed as a tax deduction.

17. In addition to the major refurbishment costs, the “Pacific Dream” will require annual minor maintenance expenses of $0.96 million. If Royal Oceania Cruises proceed with the “Pacific Dream” project the spare parts inventory must be increased by $1.33 million from existing levels and purchased immediately. The annual maintenance of $0.96 million includes the cost of replenishing the inventory required to operate the “Pacific Dream”. Royal Oceania Cruises will also have to purchase additional insurance for the “Pacific Dream” at $2.56 million per annum (hint: assume that cash flows relating to insurance occur at the end of the year).

18. After a conference call with your contact (Mick Jagger) at the Global Maritime Agency, you learn that if regular three-year major refurbishments are made to the “Pacific Dream” then in 10 years’ time the “Pacific Dream” will have an estimated market value of $22.90 million. Otherwise, the value of the “Pacific Dream” in 10 years’ time will be $15 million. In either case, the special thruster will have an estimated market value of $1.11 million in 10 years’ time.

19. The Australian Tax Office (ATO) has recently released updates to its tax rulings. Under taxation ruling 2000/18 “Passenger ships”, the effective life of cruise ships like the “Pacific Dream” qualify for an effective life of 30 years. According to the ATO, the special thruster has an effective life of 6 years and the noise cancelling device has a depreciation rate of 20% per year.

20. In order to pay for the “Pacific Dream”, Royal Oceania cruises will pay $4 million in cash and the rest using debt which will be obtained from the Commonwealth Bank. Roger emails you an amortisation schedule which shows you that the principal and interest payments on the debt are $3.75 million annually, the schedule also shows that the debt will be fully repaid by the end of the project’s life. In consultation with Wallaby Consultants, advisors at the Commonwealth Bank, Hugh and Taylor, the required return for “Pacific Dream” is 12.5%.

The Amazfit X Smartwatch with curved AMOLED screen and button free design by Huami (NYSE: HMI) finally went on sale by crowdfunding on Indiegogo after making its name known by the world at IFA 2019. The crowdfunding price starts at USD 149, comparably an appealing order for the first biters such as business, fitness elites and Amazfit fans.  

Amazfit X Curved Display, Titanium Unibody and Button Free Design

Featuring a button-free design with a 2.07-inch curved AMOLED display, titanium alloy uni-body, the Huami self-developed BioTracker™ PPG optical sensor, as well as a 7-day uninterrupted usage on a single charge^[1], the futuristic Amazfit X is setting a new trend in smart wearables industry since its launch in Berlin.

Big Curved AMOLED Display, Making Your Wearable Look Distinguished

Designed for business avant-garde, Amazfit X dedicates to surpassing the mainstream smartwatch functionalities. The cutting-edge Amazfit X features 2.07-inch AMOLED display curved at 92° curvatures to fit your wrist, while offering much more screen space. A 3-segment-motherboard connected through flexible circuit in order to adapt the device's curves. A friendly larger visionary experience for Apps can be organized to your daily use, and less scrolling to find what you need. The 326ppi HD resolution display shows 100% NTSC color saturation and peak screen brightness of 400 nits.

Fine Glass and Titanium Unibody, and the Button Free Experience at the First Touch

The Amazfit X features a minimalistic design that does away with buttons and watch crowns that can dig on your wrist. Instead this watch stays sleek with a pressure button that helps you access everything with a press of your finger.

Thanks to a force-sensing sensor, the first noteworthy design of Amazfit X is titanium alloy unibody without any buttons. Users can complete the operation through the force-sensing button on the right side of the watch. It responds to your touch with textured, natural vibrations, so your fingertips know they're in control.

The Amazfit X is made with a level of precision you'd expect from a finely crafted watch. The curved screen cover glass is required to be heated at 700°C. Then a 6-step bending process should be taken until the Amazfit X reaches a 92° super arc that wraps comfortably around your wrist. The TC4 titanium alloy, with high strength and excellent corrosion resistance, is used as material in aerospace with the purpose of weight reduction. Amazift X makes the metal with glass together in less than 39g with short fluoro-rubber strap, despite complicated high making-cost in the process.

Resonating with global pioneers to further activate a business and fitness lifestyle, 3D Corning Gorilla glass and anti-fingerprint coating makes Amazfit X scratch resistant and easy to keep clean, and more exquisite watch faces can be downloaded from Amazfit App.

Stress Level and More Precise Monitoring for the Health Driven Goal

Amazfit X is designed with the reliable heart rate monitoring system, reaching your fitness goals and health management effectively. Equipped with Huami self-developed BioTracker™ PPG optical sensor, Amazfit X supports high-precision 24/7 continuous heart rate measurement with heart rate zones.

Amazfit X can also detect stress 4 level when the user is feeling tense through heart rate variability. It monitors your heart rate throughout the day and will give you updates on where your stress levels are: Relaxed, Normal, Medium, and High.

Amazfit X brings the PAI™ Health technology for the elite users. The PAI incorporates the algorithm that can motivate you to move with meaning with a simple goal that is personalized to each user's experience. It tracks all of your activity based on your heart rate data and translates it into an easy-to-understand score giving you the health effects of your exercise. It is a single actionable metric, which can make sense of heart rate and an easy way to see if you're doing enough exercise to stay healthy. According to the HUNT Fitness Study^[2] research results, keeping your PAI value above 100 will help reduce the risk of death by cardiovascular disease and increase life expectancy.

Besides PAI, Amazfit X featured with SpO2 sensor which can measure oxygen levels or oxygen saturation in your blood^[3]. And the 6-axis IMU, along with the curved body can track your data more precisely.

Complete with a GPS+GLONASS dual-satellite positioning system, you can easily track your route even when you travel abroad through Amazfit X.

7 Days for A Single Charge and Just Fit All the Ways You Move

This innovative Amazfit X features a 200mAh curved lithium battery lasts 7-days on a single charge^[4].

Amazfit X provides 9 sports modes that support outdoor running, walking, outdoor cycling, indoor cycling, open water swimming, pool swimming, elliptical trainer, indoor fitness and treadmill. Its 5ATM water resistant^[5] design also allows you to advance activities under water, keeping track of your performance in open water swimming or triathlons is made easier than ever.

Amazfit X looks like a band but is a real smartwatch. When connected to the smartphone, it supports notifications push from SMS messages, emails, calendar and all contents will be displayed on the display. Built-in apps are also available for easy access. It allows Bluetooth music control to directly operate watch while exercising without having to pull out your phone.

Pricing and availability

Amazfit X will be available in 28^th April . Suggested crowdfunding price starts at USD149.

Huami Amazfit X Smartwatch will be available globally without shipping fee. Limited super early bird is offered. The crowdfunding prices will be the lowest, and will soon go up after the campaign end.

Specifications

Question 1:

Crowdfunding is not only a profitable and beneficial way of generating funds for the company but can also be a useful promotion tool. What role do you think crowdfunding has played in the promotion of Amazfit – X. How does this approach relate to the promotion mix ?

Question 2:

Evaluate the current Pricing Strategy used by Amazfit-X. What do you think might have been the main considerations in setting the current price for Amazfit-X?

Question 3:

Considering that product characteristics have a considerable influence on adoption rates for new products, what product characteristics of Amazfit-X will promote or hinder its adoption? Make recommendation to the company to address the later.

1 Mercer Farms, Inc. As a junior analyst for Mercer Farms (Mercer), you were looking forward to an exciting career. You imagined assignments evaluating new technologies in far-off, exotic locations. As your bus traveled through the heartland of U.S. cornfields, you wondered about your job choice. Your background research, however, has changed your first impression of being assigned to an agricultural consulting engagement. You have discovered that farming is no longer a small potatoes operation. Perhaps, given the changes in the size of farming businesses in the U.S., agribusiness might be a lucrative consulting specialty. Mercer Farms Inc. (hereinafter referred to as Mercer Farms) is an old, family-owned business that has acquired various smaller farms over the years and has managed to maintain a profitable business enterprise through economies of scale. So far, the firm has specialized in the production of Grade AA yellow corn. Michael Bell, Operations Manager for Mercer Farms, has proposed replacing the current production of AA yellow corn with a new genetically modified (GM) variety of yellow corn (see Exhibit 1). Allen Mercer, CEO of Mercer Farms, engaged Mercer to evaluate Mr. Bell’s proposal and make recommendations. The firm’s research staff has pulled together information regarding the new product (see Exhibit 2) and the past two year’s income statements for Mercer Farms (see Exhibit 3). Your team has a few days to review the materials and prepare its preliminary analysis before meeting with the client. Required Prepare a business report to the client setting forth your team’s analysis and recommendations. In the report, address any risks associated with the recommendations. The team will also deliver its analysis and recommendations in a formal, personal presentation to the client. You may wish to review microeconomics concepts 1, 2, and 4; management accounting concept 8, and statistics concept 8. The Exhibits follow on the next pages.  Copyright 2009, Richard Tontz Thanks to Dr. Janice Bell for her assistance with the accounting aspects of the case. 2 Exhibit 1: Bell Proposal Letter Mercer Farms Inc. 17342 Mendow Circle, San Jose, CA 95129 Phone (408) 555-CORN January 10, 2009 Mr. Allen Mercer 124 East Ocean Ave. Santa Barbara, CA 93105 Dear Uncle Allen: As we discussed last fall, I have been looking into switching the company’s output from Grade AA yellow corn to a new strain of Genetically Modified (GM) yellow corn. I think you will be pleased with the following results of my analysis and the potential impact on our profitability. Output and Revenue Analysis: Based on our output from last year, if we plant Grade AA yellow corn again we can anticipate: Total Revenue (TR) = $ 1,450,000 (290,000 x $ 5.00) If we switch to the new genetically modified (GM) yellow corn: Total Revenue (TR) = $ 2,653,750 (482,500 x $ 5.50) As you can see, our output would increase and the GM yellow corn is of somewhat higher quality generating a higher anticipated price. This change would increase output by 192,500 bushels or 66% and increase TR by $ 1,203,750. Cost Analysis: Our average production cost was $ 2.48 per AA yellow corn bushel this past year. We estimate it will be $ 2.70 per AA yellow corn bushel this year. If we switch to GM yellow corn, our processing, overhead and planting expenses will not change, but the increased price of GM yellow corn seed will raise average production cost per bushel to $ 3.25. AA yellow corn Cost: 290,000 x $ 2.70 = $ 783,000. GM yellow corn Cost: 482,500 x $ 3.25 = $ 1,568,125. Increased Cost: $ 785,125 Profit Analysis: Increased total revenue = $ 1,203,750 Increased cost = $ 785,125 Increased profit: $ 418,625 Total Profit: $ 1,085,625 I hope you are as excited about this potential as I am. There has been some bad press about the genetically modified products in Europe, but I think that’s just the usual fear of new technologies. Sincerely; 3 Michael Michael P. Bell Operations Manager Mercer Farms Inc. Exhibit 2: Estimated Production by Farm Projected Year 2009: Production Summary for AA Yellow Corn by Sub-division: 1. Adams: 200 acres 20,000 bushels (100 per acre) 2. Baker: 500 acres 50,000 bushels (100 per acre) 3. Chase: 300 acres 60,000 bushels (200 per acre) 4. Dotson: 800 acres 160,000 bushels (200 per acre) 5. Mercer Farms Total: 1,800 acres 290,000 bushels AA yellow corn Projected Year 2009: Production Summary for GM Yellow Corn by Sub-division: 1. Adams: 200 acres 22,000 bushels (110 per acre) 2. Baker: 500 acres 50,500 bushels (101 per acre) 3. Chase: 300 acres 90,000 bushels (300 per acre) 4. Dotson: 800 acres 320,000 bushels (400 per acre) 5. Mercer Farms Total: 1,800 acres 482,500 bushels GM yellow corn Exhibit 3: Mercer Farms: Income for the Two Years Preceding 2009 1st Prior Year 2nd Prior Year (Last Year) (Year Before Last) Sales and Changes in Value of Crop Inventories $1,254,250 $1,160,181 Expenses and Losses Cost of Production 720,360 677,138 Selling, General, and Administrative Expenses 313,200 269,352 Technological Expenses 93,960 79,866 Other 11,745 10,336 Income From Continuing Operations Before Taxes 114,985 123,489 Income Taxes 32,196 34,577 Net Income $82,789 $88,912 Basic Earnings Per Share $0.32 $0.35 4 Exhibit 4: Marketing and Price Analysis Mercer Farms Group - Marketing Division Background: The Marketing Division was asked to analyze the expected prices and probabilities for AA yellow corn and Genetically Modified (GM) yellow corn for the summer harvest. Analysis: Estimating the future demand and supply of the commodity derives the projected market prices. The factors considered in the demand portion of this analysis include population growth, consumer preferences, and income. Relative prices of substitutes and complements were considered as static or unchanged. The supply portion of the analysis considered current input prices, existing technology, existing stocks on hand (domestic and foreign), and government policies (domestic and foreign). Exchange rate estimates were taken from our International Division’s current forecast. Price Forecast: AA Yellow Corn (domestic): Price per bushel: $ 5.00. GM Yellow Corn (domestic): Two alternative price scenarios should be considered. The demand acceptance of GM products in general is in question. There have been numerous reviews by governments all over the world, but particularly in Europe.  Scenario #1: Price of GM Yellow Corn (domestic): $ 5.50. Europe adopts few restrictions on the importation of GM products, but prohibits European production.  Scenario #2: Price of GM Yellow Corn (domestic): $ 4.70. Europe adopts heavy restrictions on the importation of GM products. At this time, we consider the probabilities to be: Scenario #1: 60%; and Scenario #2: 40%. The futures markets will have determined which price will occur before it is time to plant the summer crop.

Case Study - Aussie Airlines and the Global Pandemic

Your Role

1. Your firm, DUA, has been the auditor of Aussie Airlines for the past three years.

2. You are the audit team manager and you are about to commence the risk assessment phase, as well as the risk response work plan for the audit of AA’s financial statements for the year ending 30th June 2020.

Context

1. Aussie Airlines (AA) is a large listed Australian airline and has been operating for more than fifty years.

2. In recent years, under pressure to improve profitability as fuel costs rose, the airline successfully undertook a comprehensive cost cutting and business efficiency drive, which returned it to profit three years ago. According to the CEO and Chairperson, Andrew Norris, “the operations of AA are now as lean as they could be; we have squeezed the fruit dry.”

3. In March 2020, the World Health Organisation declared a pandemic, people and governments have responded, and the volume of global business-related and leisure-related air travel has fallen by 95%.

4. It is not known how long the pandemic will last, how long restrictions on air travel will last—most guesses range from two to twelve months, a small minority fear it will be worse—and the Australian government has not yet announced how it’s economic response to the pandemic will specifically help the airline industry.

5. AA has ‘temporarily’ laid off 90% of its workforce, including cabin staff, pilots, and 95% of its airport ground crew. There are murmurs about a class action by employees if they do not receive adequate payments while they are laid off. Some fear the change may be permanent.

6. The company is not taking bookings from customers; the AA website says “for the foreseeable future”.

7. The CEO has told the press that while the current situation represents “an existential crisis”, he is absolutely confident that AA will get through it and come out stronger the other side.

8. The Chief Financial Officer, Clara Major, stopped you in the corridor to say hello and offered you these words: “Look, everything might seem dire but we have it in hand. We will be here this time next year, so keep that in mind.”

9. As expected, you have been offered access to any records and to people inside and outside the AA organisation that you feel will be necessary to complete your risk assessment and interim work.

10. You are also confident that AA’s internal controls remain very strong, although you do not know if or how they have been changed/enhanced to respond to the effects of the global pandemic on AA.

Forecast Financial Statements

On your second day at AA’s head office, you have been given the forecast financial statements for the full year to 30 June 2020, as well as the previous two years’ audited results.

Aussie Airlines: Consolidated Income Statement (Selected) Year Ended 30th June
Currency AUD Millions (figures are rounded)

Aussie Airlines: Consolidated Balance Sheet (Selected) As at 30th June
Currency AUD Millions (figures are rounded)

Notes:

You have received additional information from AA’s Chief Financial Officer and from your initial review of AA Board minutes:

1. Not all 2020 forecast Income Statements line items and Balance Sheet balances have been finalised at this point, though they are best guesses.

2. Intangible Assets constitute goodwill relating to an international airline business AA acquired five years ago. This business mainly services South East Asia, China, and Polynesia destinations.

3. Property, Plant & Equipment consists primarily of aircraft, aircraft engines, and aircraft parts.

4. Revenue Received in Advance relates to customers’ prepaid flights.

5. Aircraft are leased from third parties. A reduction in monthly payments and a restructuring of the lease terms are under negotiation but, so far, nothing has been agreed with the aircraft makers/lessors.

6. AA is currently negotiating with its bank to receive a grace period for repayment of short term and long-term debt as the company is currently in breach of its debt covenants per the loan agreement. If no deal is reached, this debt becomes due and payable on August 31st 2020.

7. AA is seeking a financial bail-out package from the government of $7million to fund its ongoing operating costs for 12 months while its fleet of aircraft is grounded. The Federal government has made positive noises about the request but has not yet committed to support the request and has told AA that it will take at least two months to reach a decision.

8. Under the current conditions, the CFO’s papers to the AA Board estimate that cash coming in from operations will, on average, be $0.5million per month while unavoidable operating costs are estimated to be $0.8million per month.

9. AA has an unused line of credit of $2.5million provided by its banking syndicate. It can access this money to fund its cash requirements. Currently, there are no other sources of cash beyond this line of credit.

QUESTION

1. Assuming that you have completed the work in previous questions and determined that AA is a going concern, select one material account from AA’s Balance Sheet and one material account from the Income Statement and prepare a brief plan for auditing each account. Give particular attention to the following:

   1. An assessment of the audit risk for the account, given the information in this case study and your assumptions.

   2. The relevant/significant audit assertions for this account.

   3. Name two controls that you would expect management to implement for this account. How would you test these controls.

   4. Describe two substantive testing procedures that you would perform in relation to this account to address the relevant/significant assertions.

NOTE: please refer to previous questions asked and answer them first please

READ THE ARTICLE QUESTIONS ARE AT THE BOTTOM

In a recent T-Mobile commercial, one black-hatted outlaw breaks with the rest of his gang. “Aw,” he says, “I can’t do this anymore.” The message is not subtle. Yes, we’ve all been robbing you for years, declares T-Mobile, but at least we’ve decided we’re done with it. There’s more than rhetoric here: T-Mobile recently broke with longstanding industry norms and abandoned termination fees, sneaky overage charges, and other unfriendly practices.

Although T-Mobile’s decision is welcome news for consumers, it doesn’t change the fact that the old extortions remained in place for about fifteen years, and that they remain in place for the vast majority of Americans still trapped in contracts with Verizon, AT&T, and Sprint. And it sheds light on a long-standing problem with how we think about and treat anticompetitive practices in the United States. Our current approach, focussed near-exclusively on monopoly, fails to address the serious problems posed by highly concentrated industries.

If a monopolist did what the wireless carriers did as a group, neither the public nor government would stand for it. For our scrutiny and regulation of monopolists is well established—just ask Microsoft or the old AT&T. But when three or four firms pursue identical practices, we say that the market is “competitive” and everything is fine. To state the obvious, when companies act in parallel, the consumer is in the same position as if he were dealing with just one big firm. There is, in short, a major blind spot in our nation’s oversight of private power, one that affects both consumers and competition.

This blind spot is of particular significance during an age when oligopolies, not monopolies, rule. Consider Barry Lynn’s 2011 book, “Cornered,” which carefully detailed the rising concentration and consolidation of nearly every American industry since the nineteen-eighties. He found that dominance by two or three firms “is not the exception in the United States, but increasingly the rule.” Consumers, easily misled by product labelling, often don’t even notice that products like sunglasses, pet food, or numerous others come from just a few giants. For example, while drugstores seem to offer unlimited choices in toothpaste, just two firms, Procter & Gamble and Colgate-Palmolive, control more than eighty per cent of the market (including seemingly independent brands like Tom’s of Maine).

The press confuses oligopoly and monopoly with some regularity. The Atlanticran a recent infographic titled “The Return of the Monopoly,” describing rising concentration in airlines, grocery sales, music, and other industries. With the exception of Intel in computer chips, none of the industries described, however, was actually a monopoly—all were oligopolies. So while The Atlantic is right about what’s happening, it sounds the wrong alarm. We know how to fight monopolies, but few seem riled at “The Return of the Oligopoly.”

Things were not always thus. Back in the mid-century, the Justice Department went after oligopolistic cartels in the tobacco industry and Hollywood with the same vigor it chased Standard Oil, the quintessential monopoly trust. In the late nineteen-seventies, another high point of enforcement, oligopolies were investigated by the Federal Trade Commission, and during that era Richard Posner, then a professor at Stanford Law School, went as far as to argue that when firms maintain the same prices, even without a smoke-filled-room agreement, they ought to be considered members of a price-fixing conspiracy. (By this logic, the Delta and US Airways shuttles between New York and Washington, D.C., would probably be price-fixers, since their prices do vary by how far in advance you buy, but are always identical.)

Like many things from the nineteen-seventies, the treatment of oligopoly was subject to an enormous backlash in the nineteen-eighties and nineteen-nineties. (Posner actually helped lead the backlash.) And with some justification: some of the cases were quite bad, like a long-forgotten federal war on the breakfast-cereal industry. Firms shouldn’t be penalized for practices that are parallel but not actually harmful, nor for mere “parallel pricing.” An interpretation of law that makes nearly every gas-station owner into a felon is questionable.

But just as the nineteen-seventies went too far, the reaction to the nineteen-seventies has also gone too far. As part of a general retreat from prosecution of all but the most extreme antitrust violations, the United States has nowadays nearly abandoned scrutiny of oligopoly behavior, leaving consumers undefended. That’s a problem, because oligopolies do an awful lot that’s troubling.

Consider “parallel exclusion,” or efforts by an entire industry to keep out would-be newcomers, a pervasive problem. Over the eighties and nineties, despite “deregulation,” the established airlines like American and United managed to keep their upstart competitors out of important business routes by collectively controlling the “slots” at New York, Chicago, and Washington airports. Visa and MasterCard spent the nineties trying to stop American Express from getting into the credit-card industry, by creating parallel policies (“exclusionary rules”) and blacklisting any bank that might dare deal with AmEx. It was only thanks to the happenstance that both put their exclusions in writing that the Justice Department was able to do anything about the problem.

The rise of the American oligopoly makes it an important time to reëxamine how antitrust enforcers and regulators think about concentrated industries. Here’s a simple proposal: when members of a concentrated industry act in parallel, their conduct should be treated like that of a hypothetical monopoly. Of course, that doesn’t make anything necessarily illegal, but abusive or anticompetitive conduct shouldn’t get a free pass just because there are three companies involved instead of one. (I have co-authored a detailed academic paper, with former New York antitrust bureau chief Scott Hemphill, about how this should play out.)

Meanwhile, the idea that an industry is nominally “competitive” should not provide excessive protection from regulatory oversight. Consider, again, the wireless carriers. The Federal Communications Commission is supposed to insure that the carriers, who are leaseholders on public spectrum, use that resource to serve “the public interest, convenience, and necessity.” Unfortunately, the agency, for more than a decade, has let the industry get away with all nature of monkey business, from termination fees through “guess your minutes” pricing plans and subsidization schemes. All this has been allowed under the theory that the industry is “competitive” and therefore not in need of oversight. But, to quote T-Mobile, “[t]his is an industry filled with ridiculously confusing contracts, limits on how much data you can use or when you can upgrade, and monthly bills that make little sense.” The F.C.C. could have done something about this years ago; the fact that it took a member of the industry to call out more than a decade’s abuse of consumers amounts to a serious failure on the part of the F.C.C.

Exploitation of concentrated private power is not a problem that will ever go away. In the United States, it has been a concern since the framing: the original Tea Party was actually a protest against a state-sponsored tea monopoly. The challenge is that power constantly mutates and assumes new forms. That’s why, whether overseeing private or public power, it’s important not to become fixated on form, but to attend to the realities that face consumers and citizens.

Illustration by Marcos Chin.

The article The Oligopoly Problem argued that oligopolies fall through the cracks of these regulations and leave consumers unprotected from harmful business practices where industries are highly concentrated. Read the article and respond to the following

1. What are examples of firms in an oligopolistic market that abuse their power? Explain how they abuse their power and describe the impact on consumers.

2. Do you agree with the author’s feelings about increased government oversight of such industries? Why or why not?

70. You've noticed that your client's right scapula wings while he performs the lowering phase of a push-up. Which of the following correctives would most likely benefit him?

1. Upper trapezius stretch
2. Posterior stability hold with head rotation
3. Hip hinge with mini-band
4. Plank roll

71. The downward dog corrective has been helping your client improve his dumbbell shoulder press technique. Over the weekend he strained his right wrist and it still bothers him. Which of the following steps should you take?

1. Have him attempt the downward dog and rate his wrist pain on a scale of 1-10
2. Choose a completely different corrective
3. Perform the downward dog with his elbows resting on the floor
4. None of the above

72. Research demonstrates a link between weak hip abductors and which of the following?

1. Iliotibial band syndrome (ITBS)
2. Strong hip flexion strength
3. Poor hip extension strength
4. None of the above

73. When your client performs the sphinx with reach exercise, why is it important to avoid a shoulder shrug in the support arm?

1. To minimize serratus anterior activation
2. To increase activation of the abdominals
3. To maximize serratus anterior activation
4. To increase activation of the upper trapezius

74. When your client performs the scapular activation drill with the arm held at an upward angle, which of the following positions is most appropriate?

1. A shoulder position far from a position of pain
2. A shoulder position at the first point of pain
3. A shoulder position at the maximum pain point
4. A shoulder position just short of pain

75. Why is it important to avoid telling your client that you're performing a postural assessment?

1. He/she will inevitably stand with better posture than normal
2. He/she will feel embarrassed and will not want to improve posture
3. To protect yourself against a lawsuit
4. None of the above

76. During a sagittal plane view postural assessment you notice that your client stands with his knees slightly flexed. Which of the following does that indicate?

1. His hamstrings are overly active
2. His hip flexors are inhibited
3. He has sufficient glute strength
4. He is a quad dominant person

77. During a frontal plane view postural assessment you notice that your client's left shoulder appears to be elevated/shrugged at rest. Which of the following is the most appropriate corrective?

1. Stretch for the left rhomboids
2. Stretch for the left upper trapezius
3. Stretch for the right pectoralis minor
4. Stretch for the left pectoralis

78. A client that demonstrates upper crossed syndrome typically has weakness in which of the following muscle groups?

1. Levator scapulae
2. Upper trapezius
3. Deep neck flexors
4. Pectorals

79. Which of the following negative effects can occur if your client performs a stretch or lacrosse ball mobilization drill while being stressed and in a heightened state of pain?

1. It can engage the sympathetic nervous system and impair tissue relaxation
2. It can engage the sympathetic nervous system and promote tissue relaxation
3. It can engage the parasympathetic nervous system and impair tissue relaxation
4. It can engage the parasympathetic nervous system and promote tissue relaxation

80. Stiff suboccipital muscles can impair which of the following cervical movements?

1. Cervical extension
2. Cervical rotation
3. Cervical flexion
4. Both B and C

81. The overhead reach is recommended as one way to assess your client's shoulder function for which of the following reasons?

1. It's one of the least challenging movements for the shoulder complex
2. It doesn't require activation of the deltoid muscle
3. It's one of the most challenging movements for the shoulder complex
4. None of the above

82. If the chin tuck with lacrosse ball loosened the suboccipital muscles, which of the following cervical movements should have a greater range of motion?

1. Cervical rotation
2. Cervical flexion
3. Cervical extension
4. Both A and B

83. Research demonstrates that activating the deep neck flexors can produce which of the following benefits?

1. Less pain in the shoulders
2. Less pain in the neck
3. Less pain in the low back
4. Both A and B

84. Which of the following is a hypothesized benefit of foam roller exercises?

1. Increased overlap of the sarcomeres within muscle
2. Restored water balance in the muscles and fascia
3. Significant reduction in scar tissue
4. Increased protective tension in fascial tissues

85. What is the purpose of performing the t-spine rotation drill from the quadruped position with one supporting arm on the ground?

1. To promote activation of the pectoralis muscle in the supporting arm
2. To minimize t-spine extension
3. To promote activation of the serratus anterior in the supporting arm
4. To promote lumbar flexion

86. Your client was able to improve his exercise technique through the cues you gave him, without any change in load. This indicates an improvement in which of the following?

1. Strength
2. Mobility
3. Motor control
4. None of the above

87. Which muscles are typically overactive in the lower crossed syndrome that was described by Prof. Janda?

1. Hip flexors/thoracolumbar extensors
2. Hip extensors/hip flexors
3. Hip flexors/thoracolumbar flexors
4. Hip extensors/thoracolumbar extensors

88. Which of the following is a position your client should avoid while performing the cat-camel exercise?

1. Lumbar flexion
2. Posterior pelvic tilt
3. Lumbar extension
4. An extreme end-range of motion stretch

89. During the modified Thomas Test assessment for your client's right hip, she demonstrates hip abduction in the resting position. Which of the following does this indicate?

1. Excessive length of the right tensor fascia latae
2. Excessive length of the right iliopsoas
3. Shortening/stiffness of the right tensor fascia latae
4. Shortening/stiffness of the right rectus femoris

90. Which muscle group is the hip thrust exercise intended to strengthen?

1. Peroneals
2. Glutes
3. Hip flexors
4. Abdominals

91. Research demonstrates a relationship between knee pain and which of the following?

1. Strong hip abductors
2. Weak abdominals
3. Stiff hamstrings
4. Weak hip abductors

92. Knee valgus is commonly associated with which of the following compensations?

1. Excessive pronation of the feet
2. Weak abdominals
3. Stiff hamstrings
4. Weak hip abductors

93. Your client, William, sits for many hours each day at his computer. Which of the following compensations are you likely to observe?

1. Posterior pelvic tilt
2. Shortened hip flexors
3. Both A and B
4. None of the above

94. Your client is a professional basketball player with a 40" vertical jump and he experiences no low back or knee pain. You assess his hamstring mobility at the popliteal angle and determine that it's less than normal. What should you do?

1. Recommend exercises to strengthen his hip flexors
2. Leave his hamstrings alone
3. Recommend static stretches for his hamstrings
4. None of the above

95. During a sagittal plane postural assessment you observe anteriorly rotated shoulders. Which of the following correctives is most likely to benefit the client?

1. Stretches for the middle trapezius
2. Strengthening exercises for the pectorals
3. Stretches for the rhomboids
4. Stretches for the pectorals

96. When your client lacks dorsiflexion, which of the following compensations is common to observe during a squat?

1. Poor hip extension
2. Knee valgus
3. Excessive anterior trunk shift
4. Excessive lumbar lordosis

97. Maximal contraction of the hip extensors results in relaxation of the hip flexors. This is an example of what neural arrangement?

1. Reciprocal innervation
2. Stretch reflex
3. Reciprocal activation
4. None of the above

98. Activating the hip abductors has been shown to increase mobility of which of the following muscle groups?

1. Lats
2. Abdominals
3. Calves
4. Hamstrings

99. Iliotibial band syndrome (ITBS) is caused by which of the following?

1. Strong hip extensors
2. Stiff hamstrings
3. An overuse injury of the IT band
4. Excessive strength of the hip abductors

100. What is the optimal depth you should train your client to squat from without pain?

1. The depth required for the client's life or sport
2. A half squat since anything lower isn't necessary
3. The height of a standard chair
4. A full squat where the hamstrings touch the calves

Write a member function that deletes all repetitions from the bag. In your implementation, assume that items can be compared for equality using ==. Use the following header for the function:

void remove_repetitions() Here is a brief outline of an algorithm:

- A node pointer p steps through the bag

- For each Item, define a new pointer q equal to p

- While the q is not the last Item in the bag ◼ If the next Item has data equal to the data in p, remove the next Item ◼ Otherwise move q to the next Item in the bag

This is what I have so far, the issue being it doesn't delete properly and does not print out the list. Thanks in advance!

template <class Item>
void bag<Item>::remove_repetitions(){
    std::cout<<"Working progress"<<std::endl;
    node<Item> *p;
    //node<Item> *temp;
    p=head_ptr;
    while(p!=NULL && p->link()!=NULL){
        node<Item> *q;
        node<Item> *target;
        for(q=p->link(); q!=NULL; q=q->link()){
            if(p->data()==q->data()){
                target = q;
                q->set_link(q->link());
                delete(target);
            }
        }
        p=p->link();
    }
}

//The main file

#include <cstdlib>
#include <iostream>
#include <set>
#include <algorithm>
#include "node2.h"
#include "bag5.h"

using namespace std;

// PROTOTYPE for a function used by this demonstration program
template <class Item, class SizeType, class MessageType>
void get_items(bag<Item>& collection, SizeType n, MessageType description)
// Postcondition: The string description has been written as a prompt to the
// screen. Then n items have been read from cin and added to the collection.
// Library facilities used: iostream, bag4.h
{
    Item user_input; // An item typed by the program's user
    SizeType i;

    cout << "Please type " << n << " " << description;
    cout << ", separated by spaces.\n";
    cout << "Press the <return> key after the final entry:\n";
    for (i = 1; i <= n; ++i)
    {
        cin >> user_input;
        collection.insert(user_input);
    }
    cout << endl;
}

int main()
{
    //demonstrate bag template class
    bag<int> bag_of_int;
    bag<string> bag_of_string;

    bag_of_int.insert(3);
    bag_of_string.insert("hello");
    bag_of_string.insert("goodbye");
    bag_of_string.insert("auf wiedersehen");
    bag_of_string.insert("goodbye");
    bag_of_string.insert("hello");
    bag_of_string.insert("goodbye");

    cout << "count of goodbye: " << bag_of_string.count("goodbye") << endl;
    cout << "count of guten morgen: " << bag_of_string.count("guten morgen") << endl;
    cout << "count of 3: " << bag_of_int.count(3) << endl;
  

    for(bag<string>::iterator cursor = bag_of_string.begin(); cursor != bag_of_string.end(); ++cursor)
        cout<<*cursor<< " ";
    cout<<endl;
  
   bag<int> bag_int;
   bag_int.insert (7);
   bag_int.insert (6);
   bag_int.insert (5);
   bag_int.insert (4);
   bag_int.insert (5);
   bag_int.insert (3);
   bag_int.insert (2);
   bag_int.insert (1);
   bag_int.insert (1);
   bag_int.insert (5);
   bag_int.print_value_range (5,20);
   bag_int.remove_repetitions();
   bag_int.print_value_range (5,20);
   return EXIT_SUCCESS;
  
}

#ifndef NODE2_H
#define NODE2_H

//the node header file with template implementations
#include <cstdlib>   // Provides NULL and size_t
#include <iterator> // Provides iterator and forward_iterator_tag

template <class Item>
class node
{
public:
        // TYPEDEF
        typedef Item value_type;
        // CONSTRUCTOR
        node(const Item& init_data=Item( ), node* init_link=NULL)
            { data_field = init_data; link_field = init_link; }
        // MODIFICATION MEMBER FUNCTIONS
        Item& data( ) { return data_field; }
        node* link( ) { return link_field; }
        void set_data(const Item& new_data) { data_field = new_data; }
        void set_link(node* new_link) { link_field = new_link; }
        // CONST MEMBER FUNCTIONS
        const Item& data( ) const { return data_field; }
        const node* link( ) const { return link_field; }
private:
        Item data_field;
        node *link_field;
};

// FUNCTIONS to manipulate a linked list:
template <class Item>
void list_clear(node<Item>*& head_ptr);

template <class Item>
void list_copy
     (const node<Item>* source_ptr, node<Item>*& head_ptr, node<Item>*& tail_ptr);

template <class Item>
void list_head_insert(node<Item>*& head_ptr, const Item& entry);

template <class Item>
void list_head_remove(node<Item>*& head_ptr);

template <class Item>
void list_insert(node<Item>* previous_ptr, const Item& entry);

template <class Item>
std::size_t list_length(const node<Item>* head_ptr);

template <class NodePtr, class SizeType>
NodePtr list_locate(NodePtr head_ptr, SizeType position);

template <class Item>
void list_remove(node<Item>* previous_ptr);

template <class NodePtr, class Item>
NodePtr list_search(NodePtr head_ptr, const Item& target);

// FORWARD ITERATORS to step through the nodes of a linked list
// A node_iterator of can change the underlying linked list through the
// * operator, so it may not be used with a const node. The
// node_const_iterator cannot change the underlying linked list
// through the * operator, so it may be used with a const node.
// WARNING:
// This classes use std::iterator as its base class;
// Older compilers that do not support the std::iterator class can
// delete everything after the word iterator in the second line:

template <class Item>
class node_iterator : public std::iterator<std::forward_iterator_tag, Item>
{
public:
       node_iterator(node<Item>* initial = NULL){ current = initial; }
      
        Item& operator *( ) const { return current->data( ); }
      
        node_iterator& operator ++( ) // Prefix ++
        {
       current = current->link( );
       return *this;
        }
      
        node_iterator operator ++(int) // Postfix ++
        {
       node_iterator original(current);
       current = current->link( );
       return original;        
        }
      
        bool operator ==(const node_iterator other) const { return current == other.current; }
      
        bool operator !=(const node_iterator other) const { return current != other.current; }
private:
        node<Item>* current;
};

template <class Item>
class const_node_iterator : public std::iterator<std::forward_iterator_tag, const Item>
{
public:
       const_node_iterator(const node<Item>* initial = NULL) { current = initial; }
      
        const Item& operator *( ) const { return current->data( ); }
      
        const_node_iterator& operator ++( ) // Prefix ++
        {
       current = current->link( );
       return *this;
        }
      
        const_node_iterator operator ++(int) // Postfix ++
        {
       const_node_iterator original(current);
       current = current->link( );
       return original;
        }
      
        bool operator ==(const const_node_iterator other) const { return current == other.current; }
      
        bool operator !=(const const_node_iterator other) const { return current != other.current; }
private:
   const node<Item>* current;
};

#include "node2.template"

#endif // NODE2_H

#ifndef BAG5_H
#define BAG5_H

//bag header file with template
#include <cstdlib>   // Provides NULL and size_t and NULL
#include "node2.h"   // Provides node class

template <class Item>
class bag
{
public:
    // TYPEDEFS
   typedef std::size_t size_type;
        typedef Item value_type;
   typedef node_iterator<Item> iterator;
   typedef const_node_iterator<Item> const_iterator;
  
        // CONSTRUCTORS and DESTRUCTOR
        bag( );
        bag(const bag& source);
        ~bag( );
  
        // MODIFICATION MEMBER FUNCTIONS
        size_type erase(const Item& target);
        bool erase_one(const Item& target);
        void insert(const Item& entry);
        void operator +=(const bag& addend);
        void operator =(const bag& source);
        void print_value_range(const Item& x, const Item& y);
        void remove_repetitions(); //<-- Implement this!!!!!

        // CONST MEMBER FUNCTIONS
        size_type count(const Item& target) const;
        Item grab( ) const;
        size_type size( ) const { return many_nodes; }
  
   // FUNCTIONS TO PROVIDE ITERATORS
   iterator begin( )
        { return iterator(head_ptr); }
   const_iterator begin( ) const
        { return const_iterator(head_ptr); }
   iterator end( )
        { return iterator( ); } // Uses default constructor
   const_iterator end( ) const
        { return const_iterator( ); } // Uses default constructor

private:
        node<Item> *head_ptr;        // Head pointer for the list of items
        size_type many_nodes;        // Number of nodes on the list
};

// NONMEMBER functions for the bag
template <class Item>
bag<Item> operator +(const bag<Item>& b1, const bag<Item>& b2);

// The implementation of a template class must be included in its header file:
#include "bag5.template"

#endif // BAG5_H

1. What additional revenue and market opportunities might the Children party businesses investigate? (300 words please)

Case study:

The children’s party market is no jelly and trifling matter. “It’s a huge industry,” Tim Jenkins writes after his interview with Amanda Frolich from Amanda’s Action Kids. According to Frolich, “People spend an absolute fortune on their children’s birthday parties and fortunately the recession hasn’t affected our business.”

Like Paul Lindley, founder of Ella’s Kitchen, who used his parenting experience to launch a successful start-up, the party business with low barriers-to-entry sees numerous parent small business concepts. Michelle Hill incorporated her own party business called The Land of Make-Believe after spending hours creating props, themed food, and thinking up games suitable for her five-year-old son’s shared birthday party. This birthday spectacular experience helped her identify a clear gap in the market.

According to Tim Jenkins, a modest £50 party spend per UK child equates to an annual £35 million for a single school-year group. With £250 not untypical for an outsourced party service, it is easy to value the industry in the hundreds of millions.

The Land of Make-Believe party concepts include themes for cheerleaders, pirates, and fairies; cowboys and Indians; witches and wizards; Fairy Godmother, Teddy Bear picnic, glamor, and Grease the musical with Pink Ladies and T-Birds. Party concepts that tend to appeal more to boys, perhaps relying less on dressing up and dancing, include club energy sports, go-karting, football, army games, reptiles and pets, and fire engine–themed parties. Leisure venues also offer some stiff competition with swimming pool visits, laser quest, bowling, cinema, and restaurant visits also popular. Business Model Essentials Successful party concepts need a certain “wow” factor that is popular with the children, but also satisfies parents’ social needs too. Thus, it is important to also consider appropriate services for parents. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs framework perhaps offers some useful cues: shelter, comfort, psychological self-actualization—be that social linger space, self-service hot beverages, a glass of wine, or a latte bar. Party providers need to balance novelty with tried and tested formulas, perhaps offering evolving theme linkages that might anticipate new film releases, particularly sequels. They look to reduce parental hassle with branded off-the-shelf invitation cards and party bags that appeal particularly to cash-rich, often time-poor, parents. Entrepreneur.com neatly summarizes the party service offering: “You’ll plan the theme, provide costumes (unless guests arrive wearing their own), décor, food, favors and other assorted goodies, entertainment, and clean up afterward so parents can enjoy the festivities instead of running themselves ragged.”

The business model usually has relatively low start-up costs—a website and a telephone number will generally suffice. Wardrobe, props, and base supplies are not insignificant items and should be carefully considered in financial planning. There is some wide variation in the complexity of offerings in the sector from a light touch and self-contained entertainer magician or comedian whose equipment might be limited to a costume, a music system, and some props that fit into a large suitcase or two to the full-service party-planning-solution provider offering a venue, full catering, the all-important candle-covered cake, decorations, and party bags. Three core components are required for a successful party operation, namely venue, catering, and entertainment. Fixed costs can be kept low, but are dependent on avoiding the purchase of a specialized vehicle and/or long-term premises by using a client-arranged venue. Children’s party planning is clearly not a job for someone craving regular Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. hours. The ability to successfully interact with children and their parents, balancing controlled fun and calm authoritativeness, is particularly important but often rather taken for granted.

Marketing Communication Angles

A reputation for running successful parties is crucial to stimulate positive word-of-mouth referrals via parental social networks, accentuated by frequent contact at school pick-ups and drop-offs, but also on social media, and in particular parenting website communities such as mumsnet.com, which offers local listings, discussion boards, and advice-based content. In addition to successfully hosting enjoyable parties, which should drive positive referrals, a number of low-cost marketing activities can be implemented to help generate future bookings such as

• Arranging to share a business card or small colour flyer via the party bag that is often given to departing guests.
• Posting flyers at local clubs and church halls.
• Advertising in directories (telephone and web).
• Donating a free party to a school/community charity auction.
• Writing advertorial content accompanied by strong images in the local press (note parental permission and ethical issues around publishing photos of children).
• Creating a website and social media presence on key sites.
• Performing at community group/school events.
• Printing car stickers to build brand awareness and share web and telephone contacts.

Rugged Earth Adventures

One ex-army officer’s start-up inspiration led to a birthday party business centered on a military outdoor adventure theme. Having experimented with a number of temporary locations, the business finally settled on a large piece of underutilized agricultural land that comprises a mix of scrub land, combined with lines of commercially unsuccessful shrubs and trees.

The customer segment that this business proposition appeals to is mostly parents of boys—approximately 75 percent of participants are male, aged between 6 and 10 years. The children participate in a two-hour party that sees them run around outside in a natural environment. Issued with a foam bullet Nerf gun and protective glasses, participants are initially put into two teams, jungle versus desert, utilizing authentic British army terminology. A second game, the less frenetic snipers-and-seekers, is a form of hide-and-seek using realistic camouflage costumes. Then the young people are carefully instructed on how to thoroughly cook their own sausage, which is served as a hot dog, and the party concludes with toasted marshmallows. During one of the well-timed rest periods, a picnic basket is offered to the participants around the campfire with a variety of foods—an array that is low in chocolate and big on fruit and vegetables, which is appealing to parents, but it also includes less healthy but popular cupcakes and crisps. With overprotective parents, toy guns that fire projectiles, and an open fire, the safety briefing is taken very seriously and uses a highly authoritative army style. Children are regularly reminded about safe behavior requirements around the fire pit, particularly when wearing flammable costumes. Compliant use of safety glasses is paramount, with regular and direct reinforcement of the safety rules taking place. Hosting and supervising parents are made to feel at ease, provided with access to self-service hot and cold drinks and a place to perch. An informal satisfaction polling takes place just prior to the end around the campfire; positive responses are anticipated, thanks to a fairly simple formula that is well executed. The opportunity afforded to parents to relax while watching a group of children enjoy a totally stress-free afternoon is actually quite enjoyable. The business income comes predominantly from weekend parties, with the current site offering a capacity of three or possibly four parties per day. Each party can entertain 10 to 24 young people and costs between £120 and £295 (£12 to £20/child, excluding cake and party bags, which are £5 per child extra). Activity days, attractive for dual working parents, are also offered during the Easter and summer school holidays, priced at £26 to £34 per day. The revenue generated covers operating costs after a very short operational period.

1. Your organization routinely uses scripts, but as some employees have left, there are scripts that contain only command lines and no one is certain of their purpose.What steps can be taken to ensure a way for others to know the purpose of a script?

a. Create text documentation of scripts and use the scriptdoc command to organize and display the documentation.

b. Use the whatis command to create and save new documentation for scripts.

c. Requirethatscriptwritersplacecommentlinesinsidethescriptsusingthe#symbol

to begin each comment line.

d. Require that scripts be named using the descriptive sentence naming function in UNIX/Linux.

2. Which of the following shells enables the use of scripts? (Choose all that apply.)

a. Bash

b. csh

c. sea

d. zsh

3. You frequently use the command ls -a and want to save time by just entering l to do the same thing.Which of the following commands enables you to set your system to view hidden files by only entering l?

a. put l= ls -a

b. setltols-a

c. set"ls-a"to"l"

d. alias l=" ls -a"

4. You have written a script, but when you run it there is an error.Which of the fol- lowing commands can you use to debug your script? (Choose all that apply.)

a. debug -all

b. sh -v

c. ./ -d

d. sh -x

5. You have written a shell program that creates four temporary files.Which of the fol- lowing commands can you use to remove these files when the script has completed its work?

a. trap

b. grep

c. del

d. clear

6. Which of the following commands works well for menus used in a script? (Choose all that apply.)

a. do

b. case

c. choose

d. Comm

7. You are currently in the source directory, which is the new directory you have just created for storing and running your scripts.You want to make certain that the source directory is in your default path.Which of the following commands enables you to view the current default path settings?

a. cat PATH

b. show path

c. sed PATH!

d. echo $PATH

8. You have created a script for use by your entire department in a commonly accessed directory. Only you are able to run the script, which works perfectly.Which of the following is likely to be the problem?

a. You did not link the script.

b. You did not give all users in your department execute permission for that script.

c. You did not designate to share ownership of the script.

d. There are two kinds of scripts, universal and private.You have created a private script and need to convert it to universal

9. Your current working directory contains a series of files that start with the word “account” combined with a, b, c, d, and e, such as accounta, accountb, and so on. Which of the following commands enables you to view the contents of all of these files? (Choose all that apply.)

a. ls account "a -e"

b. less account "a,e"

c. more account[ a,b,c,d,e ]

d. cat account{a to e}

10. For which of the following logic structures used within a script is fi the final line for that logic structure? (Choose all that apply.)

a. loop

b. case

c. for

d. If

11. Which of the following are examples of arithmetic or relational operators? (Choose all that apply.)

a. !

b. <

c. %

d. *

12. You have created a series of scripts that use the same environment variables. How- ever, when you run these scripts, some of them do not seem to recognize the envi- ronment variables you have set.What is the problem?

a. You need to use the export command so these variables have global use.

b. You are creating too many environment variables, because the maximum number is five.

c. You must use the home command to make these variables native to your home directory.

d. Only the system administrator can create environment variables and you should contact her to create the ones you need to use.

13. You have spent the last two hours creating a report in a file and afterwards you use cat to create a new file. Unfortunately the new file name you used was the same as the name you used for the report, and now your report is gone.What should you do next time to prevent this from happening?

a. Enter the cat -s command before you start.

b. Enter the command, set -o noclobber before you start.

c. Always use the cat -m command when you use cat to create a file, because this command checks to see if the file already exists.

d. After you created the report file you should have used the chmod a-o command to prevent the file from being deleted or overwritten.

14. You have remotely logged into a computer running UNIX or Linux, but you are not certain about which operating system you are using. However, when you display the contents of the          variable it shows which operating system you are using.

a. OP

b. OPTIND

c. OID

d. OSTYPE

15. What command can you use to view the environment and configuration variables already configured on your system?

a. var

b. envar

c. printenv

d. let -all

16. Which of the following are valid expressions? (Choose all that apply.)

a. let x=5*9

b. let x=y+10

c. let m=12/4

d. let r=128-80

17. When you type for wood maple spruce oak pine at the command line and then press Enter, what should you type next at the > prompt?

a. do

b. go

c. fi

d. Term

18. You want to store a long listing of your files in a variable called myfiles.Which of the following commands enables you to do this?

a. let ls -l=myfiles

b. echo ls -l > myfiles

c. myfiles=‘ls -l‘

d. let ls -l > myfiles

19. What error is in the following script code?

case “selection” in “ i ”) ./listscript ;; “ ii ”) ./numberscript ;; “ iii ”) ./findscript ;; esac

a. All references to ;; should be replaced with a back quote.

b. There should be a dollar sign in front of selection, as in “$selection”

c. There should be no double quote marks in the code.

d. The code must end with the statement,“out”.

20. You are working with a colleague on a script called value that updates several files. You want to test the script, but not update the files.Which of the following com- mands can you use?

a. test -noupdate value

b. trap -u value

c. set -u value

d. sh -n value

21. You only have to enter the name of a script to have it run, such as entering myscript. What setting enables you to do this?

a. You have set the SCRIPT environment variable to 1 instead of the default 0.

b. Right after you logged in you entered setup scripts.

c. Thefirstlineinyourscriptsisalwaysrun,whichenablesscriptstoberuninthisway.

d. You have placed the directory from which you run the scripts in your PATH variable.

22. What would you expect to find in the HOME environment variable?

23. What is the difference between a compiler and an interpreter?

24. What command would you use to place the cursor in row 10 and column 15 on the screen or in a terminal window?

25. What is the purpose of a login script?