One essay on any of the following movies (1-2 pages on the meaning of.

The Internet is a powerful tool that provides the ability to monitor natural phenomena and disasters that happen all over planet Earth.

In this assignment, you will research resources available on the Internet for monitoring natural phenomena including earthquakes, volcanoes, tsunamis, global climate, and weather.

Based on your research, do the following:

• Identify a minimum of three different natural phenomena that are typically responsible for natural disasters. Analyze the potential impact of these disasters.
• Analyze how these phenomenon are monitored, or not, via the Internet. Critique available Web sites, which publicly display up-to-date monitored information related to each of the natural phenomena you have identified. Focus on the following aspects:
  • Geography
    • What parts of the world are potentially affected by these phenomena? Specifically identify the countries.
  • Resources
    • What kinds of resources are allocated toward monitoring these phenomena and why?
    • What types of Web resources monitor the phenomena and provide up-to-date information about them?
    • What kinds of technology are involved in monitoring the phenomena?
  • Politics
    • What political ramifications would this disaster-preparedness technology cause between more-developed countries and less-developed countries?
    • What kinds of issues could this technology cause between less-developed countries?
  • Economics
    • How would this technology directly impact the economies of those countries that have the technology versus those countries that do not?
    • Do you predict any indirect impacts? What current evidence supports your position?
  • Disaster Preparedness
    • What types of systems are in place in terms of disaster preparedness related to these monitored phenomena?
• Summarize your findings. Evaluate how this technology will impact the future of humanity, both positively and negatively. Be sure to consider the political and economic issues discussed in your future predictions.

Support your statements with examples. Use a minimum of six reliable references, two of which should be peer-reviewed articles.

Write a 7–8-page paper in Word format. Apply APA standards to citation of sources.

1.1.On the Brink of Revolution

You read about the various causes that lead to the Russian Revolution of 1917.  Create a mythical country that is on the brink of revolution today.  Write a profile of the conditions in that country that are triggering widespread social unrest.

Use the Internet to find out about more recent revolutions that have occurred in countries around the world.  Look for common patterns that countries in political turmoil share.  Use the following questions to help you brainstorm ideas for writing a profile of your mythical country.

• What type of government is currently in power?
• Who are the top political leaders, and what are they like?
• What grievances do the citizens have against the government?
• What is the gap between the rich and the poor?
• What revolutionary groups are forming?  What are their goals and strategies?

2.In what ways are individual persons affected by the global economy and threats to the environment?  

Please make sure to cite your sources when writing this assignment.  Your response should not be your opinion but should be supported by relevant resources.  Your response should be a well developed paragraph of a minimum of 5-7 sentences and include at least one external source.  

3.Science and technology continue to bring the world new ideas and inventions.  These have resulted in greater global interaction and an improved quality of life.

For this assignment, you will create a “special news report” on the latest advances in science and technology and how they currently (or are expected to) affect everyday life.  Using the Internet and other resources, research current products, new technologies and new ideas.  Your presentation should include enough information to cover 5 minutes worth of time.  

You may submit your news report in the form of a press release, a powerpoint presentation, or even digitally record it as an audio or video file.  Contact your instructor to make sure she/he can view/listen to the video/audio file format you choose to use

Assignment 2: Lease vs. Buy

Your employer, Barnaby Well Company, is considering the acquisition of a new drill truck and your boss has asked you to evaluate the decision that she has made to buy the truck.  The truck has a purchase price of $60,000 and a useful life of 4 years and a zero salvage value.  Barnaby can borrow to buy the truck for $60,000 or lease the truck for $15,000 for 4 years, paid at the beginning of each year.

If debt is used to buy the truck, Barnaby can borrow at 8% annual interest, with payments at the end of each year. The marginal tax rate for the firm is 40%.  The asset is classified as a 3-year cost recovery asset for depreciation purposes.  According to the current tax laws, Barnaby is allowed to use MACRS depreciation with 30% rate for year one, 45% for year two, 20% for year three and 5% for year four.  There will be no salvage value at the end of the fourth year.

Questions:

1. What is the annual cost, before any tax considerations, of the lease option?  Are there any tax considerations and if so, what is the after tax annual cost of the lease agreement?  Explain your answer.
2. What is the total cost of leasing the truck today?
3. What are the annual cash flows if the truck is purchased with debt financing?
4. What is the cost of purchasing the truck with debt financing today?
5. Make a recommendation to your boss as to whether the company should buy or lease the truck.  Justify your recommendations.