A Seperate Peace :: essays research papers

The book, A Separate Peace, written by John Knowles, can be related to adolescence in several ways. The attendants of this school face many new experiences during the course of their stay, many of which occur in their last year. This is where the book picks up. The book takes place at the Devon School, in the summer session of 1942. Throughout this book, the children are constantly fighting and fearing adulthood and their future. The pressure to be successful and layout a plan for the future is always upon students in school. Also, the constant reminder of World War || lays like heavy blankets over them, smothering at all times. Many of the students at the Devon School accept this pressure and continue to press on, while others may crack. Adolescence is conveyed throughout this book through many points. One of which is the society established by both Gene and Finny, known as the Super Suicide Society of the Summer Session.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Super Suicide Society of the Summer Session was the main activity that kept the student's minds off the war. Their society was established on the banks of the Devon River, a river that passed through school grounds. This river was quite the opposite of the Naguamsett River. The Naguamsett was rough, cloudy, and unpredictable, much like the students' futures. The Devon River was smooth and fresh, with clear waters, and was pure like their childhood. To join the society, you would have to jump from the tree into the river, testing your courage. Once it had been done, everyone else wanted to try and out-jump the prior jumper. This changed the student's perception of the tree from soldier training to fun and games. Finny established this game because he was not one to let the depression of the war overcome him. He always tried to make others happy, going to any extreme to get a laugh. He was the sign of peace, childhood and fun at Devon. Without Finny, the students would soon lose to uch with their childhood, turning all their attention onto the war. Adolescence was also shown through Finny's clothing. Finny had no inhibitions, which was conveyed very well through his pink shirt and tie-belt. The pink shirt and tie-belt served as an emblem, because news had just arrived of the bombing overseas. Finny wore this to tea, something no one else would dare ever do.

Significance and symbolisn

The Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature (Palanca Awards) was established in 1950. The heirs of Don Carlos Palanca, Sr. found it most fitting to commemorate his memory through an endeavor that would promote education and culture in the country. The Palanca Awards aims to help develop Philippine Literature by: 1. Providing incentives for writers to craft their most outstanding literary works. 2. Being a treasury of the Philippine's literary gems from our gifted writers and to assist in its eventual dissemination to our people, particularly the students.62 years ago, the Palanca Awards called on Filipino fictionists to weave their best short story in either English or Filipino. Today, the Awards continues to challenge writers to pour out their creativity in various literary genres. Instituted in 1995, the Palanca Hall of Fame award is presented to a Palanca awardee who has achieved the distinction of winning five first prizes in the regular categories. TheKabataan Award of Dis tinction gives recognition to a Palanca awardee who wins four first prizes in this division.The Palanca Awards continues to pursue avenues that help share these literary gems with the rest of the countrymen, to whom Filipino literature ultimately belongs. These winning works are continuously made accessible to students, and all researchers and lovers of literature through the Carlos Palanca Foundation (CPF) library. Adding dimension to the Palanca Awards mission of encouraging excellence in literary writing, CPF is supporting a scholarship program for creative writing.The Foundation also seeks to foster the unbounded imagination and creative spirit of the Filipino through creative writing workshops and readings of award-winning works. Born from a simple dream made 62 years ago to help develop Philippine literature, the foundation holds steadfast to its mission of providing nourishment for the national spirit. †¢Is not a secret that many Filipinos are unfamiliar with Philippine literature especially those written long before the Spanish arrived in our country. This is due to the fact that the stories of ancient time were not written, but rather passed on from generation to generation through word of mouth.Only in 1521 did the Filipinos become to be acquainted with literature due to the influence of the Spaniards on us. But the literature that the Filipinos became acquainted with are not Filipino made, rather, they were works of Spanish authors. †¢The rise of nationalistic pride in the 1960s and 1970s also helped bring about this change of attitude among a new breed of Filipinos concerned about the â€Å"Filipino identity. † †¢ The 1960’s were, summarily, a period when writers seriously grappled with problems of art.The early 1970’s saw a proliferation of politically motivated or committed writing and protest literature. Short-story writers became more conscious of the political milieu and of social issues in the wake of the i ncreased activism all over the world and right in their country, especially during the troubled days of a dictatorial government. Some of the more recent fiction writers include Paulino Lim, Alfred Yuson, Jose Dalisay, Mario Eric Gamalinda, and Cristina P. Hidalgo. Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature, the country's most prestigious and longest-running literary contest.The Palanca Awards or Don Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature are literary awards of the Philippines. The Manila Standard called it the â€Å"Pulitzer Prize† of the Philippines. [1] It is one of the Philippines' most long-running award giving bodies. [2] History[edit] The Palanca Awards was established in 1950 to inspire Filipino writers to improve their literary works. [3] In the 1960s the Palanca Awards Committee started to fund the publication of Palanca plays and production fund were committed on 1975. [4] In 2009, it added a category for Poetry for children in both Filipino and English.[ 2] Winning is tough, and for many writers, it goes beyond the cash prize. Winning means a validation of their work, and for some, it means a step toward joining the ranks of the country’s literati. It was to honor the legacy of Don Carlos Palanca, Sr. that the Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature was established in 1950 and the first award was given in 1951. Through this annual literary contest, the family and heirs of Carlos Palanca sought to keep his name alive, along with his legacy of discipline and perseverance, and to enrich the nation's cultural heritage.

Currency War Between China and Usa Essay

Currency War: Currency war, also known as competitive devaluation, is a condition in international affairs where countries compete against each other to achieve a relatively low exchange rate for their own currency. As the price to buy a particular currency falls so too does the real price of exports from the country. Imports become more expensive too, so domestic industry, and thus employment, receives a boost in demand both at home and abroad. However, the price increase in imports can harm citizens’ purchasing power. The policy can also trigger retaliatory action by other countries which in turn can lead to a general decline in international trade, harming all countries. Reasons of Currency War Between USA and China: Competitive devaluation has been rare through most of history as countries have generally preferred to maintain a high value for their currency,but it happens when devaluation occur. China keeps its dollar artificially low so that countries like the US will buy its goods. China is the US’s largest trading partner and if they didn’t sell their goods for super cheap, markets like India would be able to under cut the Chinese and then the US would buy goods from Indian instead of China. There is so much trade between China and the US that China profits immensely without needing it’s Yuan to appreciate. This of course hurts the average Chinese person in that their labour is devalued but it beneficial for the country as a whole as it has quickly become a super power economicaly. In 2008, a trader paid one Ghana Cedi for one U.S. dollar, but at the beginning of April 2012, the same trader travelling to Dubai paid GH ¢1.74 for one U.S. dollar. This means that year-on-year decline in the value of cedi against the US dollar was 74 per cent over a three-year period. A point to note is that during the global economic crises of 2008-2009, the cedi depreciated by 25 per cent against the dollar. Between 2010 and 2011, the cedi again depreciated 18.5 per cent against the US dollar. For last month, the cedi exchange rate depreciated 4.29 percent against the US dollar. So is the current downward slide in the cedi value as a result of the slowdown in the global economy or due to internal structural weaknesses? This question requires a detailed research work beyond the scope of this article but it is a very relevant question to ask at this time. In economics, depreciation is basically the symptoms of an underlying problem, specifically imbalances in the Balance of Payment (BOP), emanating from excess demand for dollars. So instead of discussing the depreciating cedi, I will rather focus my attention on the causes or factors that cause currency to depreciate and what the government can do to arrest this problem in special cases. Before then, I must let readers know the difference between currency fluctuation and depreciation. Fluctuations in currency value are a common event and are usually no cause for concern. The minor daily increases and decreases in value are generally due to â€Å"random walk† and not due to an economic event or fundamental problems. However, changes in currency value become significant when the decline in value of the currency is an ongoing trend. Technically, when currency depreciates, it loses value and purchasing power, with impact on the real sectors of the economy. Although, the economic effects of a lower cedi take time to happen, there are time lags between a change in the exchange rate and changes in commodity prices. Factors that determine the value of a currency include the current state of the overall economy, inflation, trade balance (the difference between the value of export and import), level of political stability, etc. Occasionally, external factors like currency speculations on the foreign exchange market can also contribute to depreciation of the local currency. Such being the case, a government can intervene into the foreign exchange market to support its national currency and suppress the process of depreciation. Currency depreciation can positively impact the overall economic development, though. It boosts competitiveness through lower export costs and secures more income from exported goods in a similar way devaluation does. On the contrary, depreciation makes imports more expensive and discourages purchases of imported goods stimulating demand for domestically manufactured goods. Globally, governments intentionally influence the value of their currency utilising the powerful tool of the base interest rates, which are usually set by the country’s central bank and this tool is often used to intentionally depreciate the currency rates to encourage exports. Factors that can cause a currency to depreciate are: Supply and Demand †¢ Just as with goods and services, the principles of supply and demand apply to the appreciation and depreciation of currency values. If a country injects new currency into its economy, it increases the money supply. When there is more money circulating in an economy, there is less demand. This depreciates the value of the currency. On the other hand, when there is a high domestic or foreign demand for a country’s currency, the currency appreciates in value. Inflation †¢ Inflation occurs when the general prices of goods and services in a country increase. Inflation causes the value of the cedi to depreciate, reducing purchasing power. If there is rampant inflation, then a currency will depreciate in value. What causes inflation? †¢ Printing Money. Note printing money does not always cause inflation. It will occur when the money supply is increased faster than the growth of real output. †¢ Note: the link between printing money and causing inflation is not straightforward. The money supply does not just depend on the amount the government prints. †¢ Large National Debt. To finance large national debts, governments often print money and this can cause inflation. Economic Outlook If a country’s economy is in a slow growth or recessionary phase, the value of their currency depreciates. The value of a country’s currency also depreciates if its major economic indicators like retail sales and Gross Domestic Product, or GDP, are declining. A high and/or rising unemployment rate can also depreciate currency value because it indicates an economic slowdown. If a country’s economy is in a strong growth period, the value of their currency appreciates. Trade Deficit A trade deficit occurs when the value of goods a country imports is more than the value of goods it exports. When the trade deficit of a country increases, the value of the domestic currency depreciates against the value of the currency of its trading partners. The demand for imports should fall as imports become more expensive. However, some imports are essential for production or cannot be made in the country and have an inelastic demand—we end up spending more on these when the exchange rate falls in value. This can cause the balance of payments to worsen in the short run (a process known as the J curve effect) Collapse of Confidence If there is a collapse of confidence in an economy or financial sector, this will lead to an outflow of currency as people do not want to risk losing their currency. Therefore, this causes an outflow of capital and depreciation in the exchange rate. Collapse in confidence can be due to political or economic factors. Price of Commodities if an economy depends on exports of raw materials, a fall in the price of this raw material can cause a fall in export revenue and depreciation in the exchange rate. For example, in 2011, a ton of cocoa sold for US4,000 per ton. Currently, it is going for US$2,300 per ton, translating into fewer inflows of dollars. Interest rate Differential I will use the International Fischer Effect to explain the relationship between the expected change in the current exchange rate between the cedi and the dollar, which is approximately equivalent to the difference between Ghana and US’ nominal interest rates for that time. For example, if the average interest rate in Ghana for 2011 was 24 per cent and for US was three per cent, then the dollar should appreciate roughly 21 per cent or the cedi must depreciate 21 per cent compared to the dollar to restore parity. The rationale for the IFE is that a country with a higher interest rate will also tend to have a higher inflation rate. This increased amount of inflation should cause the currency in the country with the high interest rate to depreciate against a country with lower interest rates. Market Speculations Market speculations can contribute to a process of spiraling depreciation after smaller market players decide to follow the example of the leading dealers, the so-called market makers, and after they lost confidence in a particular currency start to sell it in bulk amounts. Then only a quick reaction of the country’s central bank can restore the confidence of investors and stop the currency rates of the nation’s currency from continuous decline. When the currency depreciation is based on market speculations, in other words, not backed by fundamental economic factors, then the central bank comes to the rescue- intervene. A sterilised intervention against depreciation can only be effective in the medium term if the underlying cause behind the currency’s loss of value can be addressed. If the cause was a speculative attack based on political uncertainty this can potentially be resolved. Because after a sterilised intervention the money supply remains unchanged at its high level, the locally available interest rates can still be relatively low, so the carry trade continues and if it still wants to prevent depreciation the central bank has to intervene again. This can only go on so long before the bank runs out of foreign currency reserves. In conclusion, currency depreciation is the result of fundamental deficiencies with the domestic economy which must be corrected over a period of time to restore balance. However, where the depreciation is out of speculative attacks on the currency, then the central bank can intervene to correct the temporary anomalies, which, often is short term in nature. Lastly, intervention in the foreign exchange market by the central bank to correct fundamental weaknesses, just like the Ghanaian situation will not work, because, very soon, the central bank will run out of international reserves; hence, the cedi must therefore seek its equilibrium level. The writer is an economic consultant and former Assistant Professor of Finance and Economics at Alabama State University. Montgomery, Alabama. Currency War in the Great Depression During the Great Depression of the 1930s, most countries abandoned the gold standard, resulting in currencies that no longer had intrinsic value. With widespread high unemployment, devaluations became common. Effectively, nations were competing to export unemployment, a policy that has frequently been described as â€Å"beggar thy neighbour†.[30] However, because the effects of a devaluation would soon be counteracted by a corresponding devaluation by trading partners, few nations would gain an enduring advantage. On the other hand, the fluctuations in exchange rates were often harmful for international traders, and global trade declined sharply as a result, hurting all economies. The exact starting date of the 1930s currency war is open to debate.[23] The three principal parties were Great Britain, France, and the United States. For most of the 1920s the three generally had coinciding interests, both the US and France supported Britain’s efforts to raise Sterling’s value against market forces. Collaboration was aided by strong personal friendships among the nations’ central bankers, especially between Britain’s Montagu Norman and America’s Benjamin Strong until the latter’s early death in 1928. Soon after the Wall Street Crash of 1929, France lost faith in Sterling as a source of value and begun selling it heavily on the markets. From Britain’s perspective both France and the US were no longer playing by the rules of the gold standard. Instead of allowing gold inflows to increase their money supplies (which would have expanded those economies but reduced their trade surpluses) France and the US began sterilising the inflows, building up hoards of gold. These factors contributed to the Sterling crises of 1931; in September of that year Great Britain substantially devalued and took the pound off the gold standard. For several years after this global trade was disrupted by competitive devaluation. The currency war of the 1930s is generally considered to have ended with the Tripartite monetary agreement of 1936.

Detailed Description of the Qualifications Essay

Full Day Care This is a structured care service where children attend for more than 5 hours per day and which may include a sessional pre-school service for pre-school children not attending the full day care service. Providers typically care for children from 3 months to 6 years. Some services may also include an after-school facility, typically for children from 4 to 12 years of age. In full day care, sleeping arrangements and food preparation must meet standards laid down by the Health Service Executive (HSE) and the Child Care(Pre-school Services) Regulations 2006. Providers include day nurseries and crà ¨ches. These services mainly meet the needs of parents who are involved in work, education and training and cater for the broadest age group of children. Full Day Care provisions can be private or community based. Structures can be based on voluntary boards of management, limited companies, private ownership or companies with investors. Childcare Assistant Childcare assistants must hold a certificate for a major award in childcare/ early education at a minimum of level 5 on the National Framework of Qualification (NFQ) of Ireland or an equivalent nationally recognised qualification.The minimum qualification under the ECCE Scheme is a full FETAC Level 5 ( previously NCVA level 2) award or equivalent on the National Framework of Qualifications. Childcare assistants work under supervision and within the line management system of the childcare service. Desirable levels of experience range from 1 to 2 years relevant experience in childcare post qualification. Childcare assistants work together with other childcare staff to ensure safety and well-being of the children in their care and to implement and adhere to the standards and policies laid down by management and the Child Care( Pre-School Services) Regulations 2006. Childcare assistants have a clear understanding of the Child Protection Policy of the childcare service and participate in its implementation. Childcare assistants are responsible for ensuring that activities in each session allow the children to experience creative,  imaginative, physical, social and cognitive play. Childcare assistants require an excellent knowledge of child development and record the progress of each child on daily basis. Childcare assistants require excellent communication skills in dealing with children and parents and to participate in a team. Childcare assistant have to know Aistear as it helps them plan for and provide enjoyable and challenging learning experiences, so that the children who have access to this curriculum can grow and develop into competent learners who have loving relationships with others. Childcare assistants have to use Siolta in conjunction with the Aistear curriculum framework. Childcare assistants are required to treat all information they receive with the strictest confidence and professionalism. The job requires a high level of physical activity. Childcare assistants are required to attend regular meetings to discuss curriculum, activities and child development. They are also required to attend relevant training courses and childcare network meetings on an ongoing basis.

Using Marketing Channels and Price to Create Value for Customers Essay

Using Marketing Channels and Price to Create Value for Customers - Essay Example This broadens the targeted customer base, and creates a new understanding of what the markets are all about. It opens up new avenues that provide the product with ideal marketing properties, hence reaching more clients within the shortest time possible. This also allows more clients to be aware of the products being sold, and have the right information (Kerin, 2012). Selective distribution is used to reach out to a majority of the clients (â€Å"Week 6 reading†). The targeting process allows the consumer to attain the level of growth required in sales and revenue. The work of the distributor is to understand the market and rally all the supply chains under its control to take up the product to the wholesaler (Hochbaum, 2011). This marketing gimmick entices the wholesaler to stock the product. The wholesaler takes up the product and convinces the retailers that it is a good way of meeting the changing client’s demands. It will be a boost to the retailer’s sales and revenue collection. The retailer recommends the products and ensures the clients come back for more. This makes it easy to reach out to more clients while at the same time providing new requirements to satisfy the needs of these clients (Kerin, 2012). The pricing strategies in place aim at maximizing the sales and the market share. By maximizing profits, it is possible to create efficient systems and effectively capture the required clientele bases. It opens up new methods of doing business while still earning the forecasted profits. By working on maximizing the market share, the company earns a better share of the clientele bases and captures more markets (Hochbaum, 2011). This allows more people to view the product and create a better way of involving all the people needed to attain these goals. The main strategy here is to use the odd-even pricing strategy (â€Å"Week 6 reading†). This approach allows clients to come and acquire products in bulk because of the

Module is. Professional development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Module is. Professional development - Essay Example The professional is expected to have practical knowledge of entire full life-cycle software development process and associated skills such as web applications, operating systems and content database management systems (Mohanty 2012). The current job market for software engineering is attractive since job opportunities are expected to increase faster than the average of all other careers in the entire economy. According to available statistics from labour organizations, the demand for software engineers is expected to increase at a rate of 30 percent up to 2020. According to the data, two-thirds of graduates are in employment within six months and 64 percent are employed (Prospects 2013). Accordingly, 47.3 percent work in Information technology sector while 12.3 percent work in retail, catering and bar work. 7.5 percent get jobs in commercial and public management while 5.7 percent get jobs in arts, design, culture and sports. From the data, it is evident that the career is attractive and ensures progression (Prospects 2013). The increase in demand can be attributed to the expansion in the use of internet technologies, growth in e-commerce and demand for more complex data processing systems across all sectors of the economy. Okrona (2013) is of the idea that the growth of job opportunities in software development is the emergency of mobile technology that requires small electronic devices like mobile cell phones, watches and consumer electronics to have inbuilt software systems in order to enhance consumer experience. Accordingly, the healthcare sector is currently moving away from paper based patient information filing to electronic patient information systems that will require support of software engineers (Megginson & Whitaker 2003). Cloud computing, internet transaction security and virtualization systems have increased the demand for computer software engineers especially in corporate organisations that use these technologies in order to minimise the costs of operations and improve their margins. There are numerous opportunities in the software engineering job market due to favourable industry trends such as new innovative technologies like cloud computing and increase in online business transaction payment gateways. The booking UK economies will require more software engineers to develop innovative business solutions that will ensure increased customer numbers, increased sales volumes and higher customer satisfaction (Okrona 2013). Other favourable trends in software engineering career include increase in large volumes of data and use of market intelligence analytics by business organisations in order to remain competitive in the industry. The increased emphasis on end users needs and integration of systesm integration with software engineering has led to interoperability of various software products thus increasing the opportunities in the career field. However, there are certain trends that pose threats to the future of a career in software engineering. One of the threats is the rapid changes in computing technologies and user requirements thus creating a need for further education and training on

Whole Foods financial recommendation for the next 2 years Essay

Whole Foods financial recommendation for the next 2 years - Essay Example The company still plans to expand into other areas such as Australia, United Kingdom and the United States as well. Besides the expansion, Whole Foods also seems interested in introducing new private label product lines. Thus for such an expansion and introduction of new product line, the company would need some capital/investment. There are two broad ways in which the company can obtain additional capital in order to finance all its plans. Those two sources of finance are: Equity Finance: This is a way through which Whole Foods Market can issue their shares within the market. Each share issues within the market would fetch the company some funds. The company would issue the number of shares that they might consider appropriate for the expansion plans. Equity finance is expensive to achieve because of its attached costs such as Advertisement costs, Brokerage costs and in some instance Underwriting costs. The only attractiveness of Equity finance is that it is less risky than debt finance (the other source of finance) as the shareholders i.e. the owners would not have to be mandatorily paid their invested amount. Debt Finance: Debt Finance can be acquired through Banks, private and other institutional investors. Debt finance is basically a loan commitment that has to be paid as soon as it falls due. Although debt finance is cheaper than equity finance, it carries with itself a burden to repay the liability as soon as it falls due and it is because of this reason that debt finance is considered to be risky. The other issues that are related to debt finance are that the term of the loan would also be of the essence. Longer the period, higher would be the cost of debt i.e. the interest rate that would have to be paid on the loan commitment. Hence it can be argued that it depends upon a company’s culture, philosophy and risk appetite as to how the expansion may be financed. Equity finance would lead to the dilution of shares, which