Monetary policy Essay Example for Free

Monetary policy Essay The Federal Reserve which is commonly referred to as FED is the central authority to the US money and banking system.   It utilizes the monetary policies at its disposal with the aim of ensuring that prices, foreign exchange rates as well as long term interest rates remain stable.   Stability in these three areas is beneficial in as far as investment is concerned and they trigger economic growth.   (McConnell and Brue, 2004). Other objectives of FED include ensuring that the inflation rate is kept relatively low and the employment levels boosted.    The monetary policies adopted include the open market operations, manipulating of the reserve requirement and discount rates. The open market operations refer to the buying of US treasury as well as the federal agency securities with the aim of influencing the money supply and demand. OMO is the most applied tool due to its flexibility in influencing money demand. Fed also ensures that the financial sector remains stable while protecting the interests of the customers due to the realization of the importance of money supply in the economy. (www.federalreserve.gov). One challenge that faces FED as it tries to ensure economic growth through the various monetary policies is the fact that realizing one aim results to another problem or rather poses a different challenge.   Selling government securities with the aim of increasing the money supply in an economy may trigger increased inflation by some margin. Increasing the employment levels also triggers inflation which Fed tries to counter in the first place.   To ensure that the impact of such inflation is contained, it is imperative that Fed sets its target appropriately so that a compromise is attained.   Attaining one objective at the expense of the other should be well addressed. Timing issues which emanates from the fact that there is a time lag between when Fed realizes or rather recognizes a problem and decides to react by selecting an appropriate monetary policy and when the effect of the implemented policy is felt.   To ensure increased efficiency in the monetary policies, Fed must adopt effective tools or strategies of gathering information to ensure that immediate responses are made as demanded by the economy. (McEachern, 2005). Fed structure is quite complex thus making the implementation of its policies difficult and cumbersome. This also contributes to the delayed implementation of monetary policies which has a negative effect in as far as attaining the core objectives is concerned. The board of governors of Fed are also too powerful and can be manipulated easily especially by the political leaders who have some vested interest. The establishment of an effective independent central bank would minimize the chances of political influences which compromise on the effectiveness of Fed. (Baumol and Blinder, 2008). Identify and explain at least three ways that the Federal Reserve affects the banking system through open market operations (OMO). As earlier noted, Fed uses the OMO monetary tool where US treasury and federal agency securities are traded to regulate the money supply in the economy. Buying of federal treasury and agency security is done when the aim of Fed is to reduce the money supply in the economy while selling increases money supply thus used in recessionary times. There can be permanent as well as temporary changes to Fed reserves when outright sales or purchases are made. A system repurchase method can be adopted to impose temporary changes.   Fed purchases government bonds from the public which increases the reserves of the commercial banks after it pays for them. Purchasing such reserves sees the banks increase their reserves in an amount equal to what has been paid for the reserves.   The same case happens when reserves has been purchased from the public. Fed can also sells government securities that are not being used to the commercial banks as well as the general public hence surrendering the securities to the banks or general public who can then draw checks against the deposits made. Through this approach Fed reduces the amount of money supply that is available for the commercial banks which also translates to reduced money supply in the entire economy. (www.federalreserve.gov). Purchasing of government bonds by Fed leads to the reduction of interest rates which encourages banks and households to dispose their reserves to Fed. The selling of such bonds lowers the prices of bonds while increasing the interest rates to make the bonds attractive to the general public as well as the commercial banks. Fed also purchases or sells the treasury bonds or bills which affect their deposits by increasing or decreasing in size. This also affects the volume as well as growth of banks by allowing them to have increased reserves at their disposal thus more to lend to both commercial banks as well as households.   This leads to their increased growth as they make earnings through the interest charged.   The OMO also affects the lending processes as it affects the interest rates which are attached to the bank borrowings and loans. OMO regulates the money supply in an economy by either increasing it or decreasing it. (McConnell and Brue, 2004). Explain how changes in reserve requirements and the discount rate affect the operations of banks and other depository institutions. The discount rates are monetary policy tools that can be used by Fed to influence the money supply and demand in the economy with the aim of influencing economic growth. Discount rates or discount widow can be defined as the rates charged by Fed to commercial banks which in turn affects the amount of money such banks or financial institutions have thus their lending capacity.   The major types of the depository windows by Fed are the primary, secondary and seasonal credits which have varying interest rates. (www.federalreserve.gov). The discount rates attached to primary credit are generally higher than those attached to other short term discounts in the market.   Interest rates charged on secondary credit are also higher than the primary credit interest rate while the seasonal credit discount rates are the average of selected market rates.   When Fed increases the discounts rates it discourages commercial banks from borrowing money from it but a reverse effect is felt when the discount rates are lowered. The amount of money in an economy is increased when banks are encouraged to borrow funds from the Federal Reserve.   The reserve requirement refers to the amount of money or funds that financial institutions are expected to deposit with Fed against their securities.   The amount set as reserve requirement is determined by the board of governors of Fed as guided by the American law and it is held in terms of vault cash. Increasing the reserves requirement rates leads to increased required reserves of what the financial institutions are expected to keep with the Fed and this translates to reduced ability to lend money to both banks as well as household thus reducing the money supply in an economy.   The reserve is also true. (www.federalreserve.gov).

The Social Media In Education English Language Essay

The Social Media In Education English Language Essay In todays technological environment, it is important that teachers try their best to make use of this innovative technology. As explained by Thaker, this technology can be used to facilitate communication between the students and the teachers. However, this new form of communication can also help parents in getting involved in the learning of their children. One way of enhancing this communication is through the use of social media (Bienstock, 2012) (Thaker, 2011). There are a number of social networking sites that can be used. Facebook  [1]  , Twitter  [2]  , Edmodo  [3]  , LinkedIn  [4]  , Twiducate  [5]  , Classroom 2.0  [6]  and Google+  [7]  are just few of the existent social media that one can make use of in education. These media are being constantly used by almost everyone on everyday basis. The results obtained from Pingdom (2012) on the demographics of 24 different social media sites show that these media are being used by different persons in different age groups. In fact, the study shows that even teenagers are making use of such media (Pingdom, 2012). However, one might argue, should we use such media in education, even though we know of the problems and issues related to such media? However others might reason that we cannot just eliminate the use of such a valuable and easily accessible resource. Bienstock (2012) makes reference to the New York Times article in which Ms. Pust states I think that we would do more good keeping kids safe by teaching them how to use these tools and navigate this online world rather than locking it down and pretending that it is not in our realm. (Bienstock, 2012) In the following sections, we will discuss the advantages that social media offers in the area of education. However, we are also going to point out the problems that these media might present and how to cope and manage them. Social Media Benefits in Education Students Develop communication skills students can gain social confidence from online interaction, which may help them feel more secure in new situations Increase skill in technology students become more familiar with new and emerging technologies, as well as increase their media literacy through exposure to many different types of online media Since many students already use these forms of technology, they may be more engaged in learning if they utilize it Online communities can be very diverse and expose students to many new view points, ideas, and opinions Social media can also be a source to increase talent to work on group projects Students can develop an optimistic image of themselves by putting best qualities out there Enhanced Collaboration acquiring information can be accomplished by students alone. But problem-solving skills are often better enhanced in a collaborative environment. Social media allow students to work together on projects beyond an individuals capability Teachers and Schools Increased access to resources since learning materials can be shared Collaboration amongst teachers and exchanging of lesson plans and information Can reach parents who are incapable to come to school in a cheap and effective way Can form partnerships with schools in other states or countries Enhanced Flipping through social media the relationship between teachers and students can be improved. Teacher can upload course material and record lectures were students can access them at their own pace. In classroom teachers will guide students with activities that usually are recognized as homework. Modernize Discussions through social media teacher can credit students for in-class participation. This requires teacher to monitor which students are speaking up when. Communicate Between Classes Teachers can send out announcements, share ideas or pose questions to pupils, especially when classes are spaced several days apart. How well are schools using social media? Successes Challenges Making safe communities some sites allow teachers to control online environments thus reducing dangers associated with social media Lack of knowledge a schools social media account should be managed by someone who understands social media Encouraging collaboration students can critique and comment on each others assignments. They can easily work in teams online and asking teachers questions or starting a discussion is easy Lack of features lack of engagement for students can make them feel as if the school doesnt care. Features should include one-on-one connection Invitation to produce content social media can invite students and schools to produce content for both enrolled and prospective students. This can show the schools personality More than a presence a social media profile requires daily maintenance and interaction with students The NCF (Ministry of Education, Employment and Family 2011) argues that literacy, numeracy and digital literacy are the foundations for further learning. Our students are digital natives whether we like it or not. For us as teachers we have to accept this and exploit it to deliver the subject content to our students. Students and Social Media Our students are continuously communicating through social media, in Malta the most popular one being Facebook. Can we stop this? No we can not as out students are equipped with laptops, tablets, iPads, smartphones all providing easier access to social networks. Introducing social media in education is not an easy step, as mentioned before students are continuously using it with most of them ignoring the possible consequences. When the topic is approached only on a theoretical level students think that it will never happen to them, for them there is nothing wrong uploading any kind of photos to appear cool with their friends. They can not perceive that once a photo is available on the Internet is available to anybody even though they select the Only Friends option. Social Media Problems and How to Minimise Them? The only way to deal with this problem is through educational videos that illustrate various situations which teenagers found themselves in because they didnt know it could happen to them. A teacher can start by showing these two videos http://viewpure.com/nOUu1fldBbI and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hK5OeGeudBMfeature=channel and discuss a set of questions with the students to elicit important points from both videos; the uploading of photos, anyone can watch your photos without you being aware of it. Students need to be educated towards social media. They have a tool in their hands, they think of knowing how to use it but most of them dont. Teachers and parents have to understand we cannot stop the social media hype. We as teachers have to educate about this tool. What can go wrong? Many students ask the questions: What can go wrong? These are some of the answers that we as educators need to provide: Cyberbullying (CEOP, 2007):: By using technology like mobiles or the internet, this type of bullying can affect someone not just at school, but at home as well. Because it takes place in the virtual world, it has a 24/7 nature and can make someone feel upset or threatened in their own home. Students should be educated that this kind of bullying can be evidenced. With cyber bullying they can save text/emails/WebPages, print them and used as a proof to catch the bully. Sexting: Someone taking an indecent image of themselves, and sending it to their friends or boy/girlfriend via a mobile phone or some other form of technology is sometimes referred to as sexting. Once these images have been taken and sent to others, control is lost of them and they can end up anywhere.   They could be seen by friends and family, a future employer, or even, in some cases, end up in the possession an offender! This also puts that person who originally sent the images in a vulnerable position (CEOP, 2007):, as somebody they may or may not know now has these images and could use technology to bully, harass or even try to locate them as seen in the videos. Students have to be educated to think Do I want my schoolmates to see these photos, my family? Hacking: Students should always choose the Log Out option so their account can not be hacked. False Identity: People arent always honest with who they are, their age or what they look like. Students have to be share of whom they are confirming as a friend. It is very easy to lie on the Internet and there is no way of knowing if someone is telling the truth. Even if someone shows them a photo of themselves, this could be a picture of someone else or could be faked. This applies to webcam or video footage too; seeing a person in a video, does not mean it is them. Students have to be educated not to meet people they encountered over the Internet. Addiction: One has to be aware of the time and effort spent in establishing connections. It is very easy to become addicted, for some, these sites become one of the major concerns (CEOP, 2007). This can have adverse effects on a persons ability to work efficiently and affects ones health as well. Sometimes the best lesson to educate our students is not through theory but providing them with actual facts. For example this article http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2201064/Man-murders-girl-16-testify-raping-years-agolured-death-posing-teen-Facebook.html narrates the story of a girl killed by her rapist before she could testify against him. He posed as a teenage boy on Facebook and told Shania Gray (the victim) he had a crush on her and they agreed to meet. He took her to a secluded park and shot her (Pullman, 2012). Everyone has a facebook account why shouldnt I? Our society, educators, parents cannot hide from the reality that social media are part of our culture. The future generation are approaching their lives differently as they integrate digital technologies- such as computers, the Internet, instant messaging, cell phones and e-mail throughout their daily activities. As educators we can propose the following simple but effective SMART Rules (UK Safer Internet Centre, 2012): Keep your personal information like address, mobile number safe. Make students think this question If I meet a stranger on the street would I give him my mobile number? The same reasoning has to be applied to a stranger met on the Internet. Dont Meet Up. Social networks can be a place to encounter with new people. Students must always know who you are talking to. If an adult they do not know asks them to meet up, they have to be educated to say no. Accepting (UK Safer Internet Centre, 2012): Educate students to think before they accept something from someone over the Internet as it might contain viruses with the sole purpose to steal information from someones computer used by a hacker to keep data on people perhaps engaged by paedophiles. If students do not know from whom it is and it has an attachment, they have to delete it. Reliable (UK Safer Internet Centre, 2012): Not everyone online can be trusted. Older men tend to lie about their age and who they are to meet female adolescents. This is a point we as educators need to stress onto; students have to know who they are talking to. Tell (UK Safer Internet Centre, 2012): Students should not be afraid of talking if someone is harassing or stalking them over the Internet. They have to talk with their parents, or a guidance teacher or any other trusted adult if someone makes them worried or uncomfortable online. Moreover if a student knows about a friend who has these kinds of problems he/she has to tell someone. It is not betraying him/her friends trust, it is helping and in some cases saving his/her friend. The Issue of No Physical Interaction Social media is a medium that enables communication between people from all over the world through the use of technology. Such interaction can be done from the comfort of your own home and this can facilitate the process tremendously. Some may argue that social media may present a challenge since the students are unable to socialise properly. This may be due to the fact that the interaction between peers is not presented in a physical manner. On the other hand, social media allows people to meet in ways that otherwise would have not been possible. Social media not only allows easier communication but eliminates the issue of geographical barriers. It allows students to form and (Tomaszewski, 2012) (Connolly, 2011) (Williams, 2011)maintain friendships, that otherwise would have been difficult or impossible. Such friendships allow students to learn and interact with other cultures other than their own. It allows wider knowledge sharing from people all over the world. Such interaction would not have been possible or would have been difficult and more costly if it had to be done physically. Therefore, when used with properly and with caution, social media allows not only learning to occur, but also friendships and knowledge sharing to take place. Twelve Things Students Should Never Do on Social Media We do not want more rules but as any other important tool Social Media should be used responsibly. We are in the day and age, were Social Media is used all the time by everyone and this is the main reason why we should be careful of what we do. We should educate our students how to use Social Media sites responsibly. These are a few rules, which if applied, help us appreciate the power of Social Media when used in the classroom. Post Illegal Activities Although your profile may be set to private there are other ways and means how this content can become public and be view by anyone on the web. Once public, it will be impossible to remove that content from the internet. Bullying Do not post anything on any Social Media site which might be a form of bullying. Anything from verbal abuse and hate words and other posted material can lead to very grave consequences including suicide. Trash Your Teachers Bullying can also include interactions done on posts where teachers or school administration are mentioned. This can be a grave offence even if certain things may seem harmless to who posted them. Post Objectionable Content from School Computers or Networks Do not use the school computers to post objectionable information. Some school networks can track this activity. Post Confidential Information This is very important as already mentioned before everyone can see the information you post so be careful not to post any personal information where people can track you. Overly Specific Location Check-Ins Do not use Social Media to say that you are home alone or in a remote location this will help even persons who are not willing to help to find you. Lie/Cheat/Plagiarize If a lie is shared on Social Media it is most probably that everyone will get to know. There can also be investigations regarding cheating and plagiarism. Threaten Violence When a threat is posted online even if anonymous, there will be investigations by the police and eventually will trace the offender. Ignore School-Specific Policies Always abide by the policy of your school regarding Social Media. Unprofessional Public Profiles Students should be thoughtful of what to post online. Certain content might not be acceptable for an employer, who in the near future might go through ones profile. Do not say or put anything on your profile which you do not want a future employer to see. Never Rely on Privacy Settings 100% Students should never rely on privacy settings over good judgment, says Andrew Moravick, social media specialist. Some Social Media networks have very good privacy settings but some are updated very often and not everyone can keep track. Post Emotionally Do not post anything on Social Media when feeling emotional about something. Thing may seem very different when analyzing the same scenario when feeling calm. As we can see, these are very simple rules students and everyone using Social Media can follow. We just have to keep in mind that anything posted irresponsibly on Social Media networks can have very negative effects. Conclusion It is clearly seen that social media and education dont necessarily go hand in hand. So far experts remind us that there are clear dos and donts for integrating social media in the classroom. Social technologies are here to stay and it is import to help students learn how to used social media. Guide students in how to think deliberately about their use and consider the outcomes of proper and improper use of social media. This goal can be appropriately reached when teacher have received appropriate training on the use of social media. Full backing and support of the school administration is mandatory to fulfill this objective. Turning social media into an educational tool can be used to further a students education and enrich it.

Comparing Hap by Thomas Hardy and The Second Coming by Yeats Essay

Comparing Hap by Thomas Hardy and The Second Coming by Yeats      Ã‚   Thomas Hardy (1840-1928) was one of the great writers of the Late Victorian era. One of his great works out of the many that he produced was his poem Hap, which he wrote in 1866, but did not publish until 1898 in his collection of poems called Wessex Poems. This poem seems to typify the sense of alienation that he and other writers were experiencing at the time, as they "saw their times as marked by accelerating social and technological change and by the burden of a worldwide empire" (Longman p. 2165). The poem also reveals Hardy's own "abiding sense of a universe ruled by a blind or hostile fate, a world whose landscapes are etched with traces of the fleeting stories of their inhabitants" (Longman p. 2254).    The poem's major theme seems to be this sense of the world being ruled by a hostile and blind fate, not by a benevolent God pushing all of the buttons. This is clearly stated within the poem itself as Hardy writes "If but some vengeful god would call to me / From up the sky, and laugh: 'Thou suffering thing, / Know that thy sorrow is my ecstasy, / That thy love's loss is my hate's profiting!' / Then would I bear it, clench myself, and die, / Steeled by the sense of ire unmerited; / Half-eased in that a Powerfuller than I / Had willed and meted me the tears I shed. / But not so." (Hardy, Longman p. 2255: ll. 1-9). As you can see, this poem shows that Hardy has indeed lost all faith in a benevolent God that deals out suffering and joy to his creations as he willfully deems they deserve and need. Instead of this idea of a benevolent God up above pulling all of the strings of the world and dealing out everyone's personal fate, Hardy believes fate is... ...and present as a sign that the 'Beast' is about to be born and rule the next 2000 years just like Jesus was born and resurrected to rule the last 2000 years, while Hardy just relates the evils and pain that is inflicted on man as a sign that there is no benevolent God, but not that there is an evil God staking his claim to our lives now enstead. He leaves our fate up to mere chance and the passage of time, while Yeats leaves our fate up to the beast (also known as Satan).    Works Cited Bressler, Charles E. Literary Criticism. New Jersey. Prentice Hall, 1999. Damrosch, David, et al., ed.   The Longman Anthology of British Literature: Vol. B.   Compact ed.   New York: Longman - Addison Wesley Longman, 2000. Yeats, William, Butler. "The Second Coming." The Longman Anthology British Literature. Ed. David Damrosch. Longman. New York. 2000. 2329.   

The Lady of Shalott and Industrialized Misery Essay -- Lady of Shalott

The Lady of Shalott and Industrialized Misery Alfred Lord Tennyson, one of the mid-Victorian's most celebrated poets of the time, was genius in "eloquently presenting the anxieties and aspirations of his era" (Longman p. 1909). Trademarks of Victorian life included questioning faith, the Bible, the past, and the self. More and more people were interested in the industry of man rather than the uniqueness of nature, and progress of society proved that man was made to dominate and take everything for himself. Tennyson greatly recognized this trend as "he called attention to the industrialized misery and revolutionary anger of the poor" (Longman p. 1909-08) produced by the industrial progress in the mid-1800s. He noticed that as people delved into improving society, they at the same time lost their sense of humanity and innocence as they sped up industry and the making of material wealth for the well to-do. This loss of innocence is echoed in Tennyson's Arthurian lyrical poem "The Lady of Shalott" (Longman pp. 1913-1918). ...

Janie’s Growth in Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston Es

Janie’s Growth in Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston    In the novel, Their Eyes Were Watching God, by Zora Neale Hurston, Janie has allowed us to better understand the restraints that women in society had to deal with in a male dominated society. Her marriage with Logan Killicks consisted of dull, daily routines.   Wedding herself to Joe Starks brought her closer to others, than to herself.   In her final marriage to Vergible Woods, also known as Tea Cake, she finally learned how to live her life on her own.   In the novel, Their Eyes Were Watching God, Janie suffered through many difficult situations that eventually enabled her to grow into an independent person.    Janie Crawford was forced into a relationship with Logan Killicks unwillingly by her Grandmother, Nanny.   When marrying Logan, she had to learn to love him for who he was and what he did.   She never had the chance to know him before marriage.   In the text, she says, "Ah'll cut de p'taters fuh yuh.   When you comin' back?". (Hurston, 26)   This was something that she did not enjoy doing.   She had to follow his directions and do as she was told.   Janie was trapped in this marriage with no self-esteem.   She was dependent on Logan when it came to doing things such as chores around the house.   As time passed, Logan had told her, "If Ah kin haul de wood heah and chop it fuh yuh, look lak you oughta be able tuh tote it inside.... You done been spoilt rotten." (Hurston, 25).   Day after day, she would follow his directions, being so dependent on his orders; until one day, Joe Starks came into her life.    Joe Starks was a man who had promised Janie the best if she left Logan Killicks.   "Janie, if you think Ah aims to told you off and make a dog o... ...ance: Passion, Patriarchy, and the Modern Marriage Plot. " The Coupling Convention: Sex, Text and Tradition in Black Women's Fiction. New York: Oxford UP, 1993. 110-142.   Hurston, Zora Neale. Their Eyes Were Watching God (1937). : Urbana, Ill.: U of Illinois P, 1937. Interpretations: Zora Neale Hurston's Their Eyes Were Watching God. Ed. Harold Bloom. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1987. Kayano, Yoshiko. "Burden, Escape, and Nature's Role: A Study of Janie's Development in Their Eyes Were Watching God." Publications of the Mississippi Philological Association (1998): 36-44. (ILL - not yet received) Kubitschek, Missy Dehn. " 'Tuh de Horizon and Back': The Female Quest in Their Eyes Were Watching God." Modern Critical Williams, Shirley Anne. Forward. Their Eyes Were Watching God. By Zora Neale Hurston. New York: Bantam-Dell, 1937. xv

Family and Young Boy Charley

Book Report â€Å"For One More Day†, By Mitch Albom Made by: Kitti Kristanti, Sec 1d For One More Day â€Å"This is a story about a family, and as there is a ghost involved, you might call it a ghost story. But every family is a ghost story  . The dead sit at our tables long after they have gone. † This is a beautiful, haunting novel about the family we love and the chances we miss. It explores the question, â€Å"What would you do if you could spend one more day with the ones you love? †Ã‚   The story  covers a conversation  Charley Benetto has with a sports writer.Throughout the conversation he goes back and forth between  the one last day he had with his mother and the important  events in his life, sharing his feelings– both past and present– about them. I particularly enjoyed the   way he shared throughout the book little vignettes of the times his mother stood up for him and the times he didn’t stand up for her. As a mother myself, I couldn’t help wondering if someday my own children would be able to look back and see with clarity the sacrifices I have made for them.Throughout the book I ‘heard’ some of the same things from the young boy Charley that I hear from my own children. It was rewarding and brought hope to see him come to a realization of how his interpretation of the events had been inaccurate and skewed by emotions in the moment. Perhaps my children will also understand someday As a young boy Charley Benetto makes the choice to be a daddy’s boy and does everything his father asks him to. Then his father disappears, leaving a broken family and an embarrassing situation for the young Charley to endure.Being raised by a single mother has it’s challenges and plenty of embarrassment, many that Charley takes out on his mother. â€Å"So he chooses his father, and he worships him- right up to the day the man disappears. An eleven-year-old Charley must then turn to his mother, who bravely raises him on her own, despite Charley’s emabarrassment and yearning for a complete family. †   Ã¢â‚¬ Decade later, Charley is a broken man. His life has been crumbled by alcohol and regret. He loses his job. He leaves his family. He hits bottom after discovering his only daughter has shut him out of her wedding.And he decides to take his own life. † â€Å"He makes a midnight ride to his small home-town, with plans to do himself in. But upon failing to do that, he staggers back to his old house, only to make an astonishing discovery. His mother- who died eight years earlier- is still living there, and welcomes him home as if nothing had ever happened. † â€Å"What follows is the one ‘ordinary’ day so many of us yearn for, a chance to make good with a lost parent, to explain family secrets, and to seek forgiveness. Somewhere between this life and the next, Charley learns the things he never knew about his mother and h er sacrifices.And he tries, with her tender guidance, to put the crumbled pieces of his life back together. † I related to this story on many levels. As a single mother myself I could relate to many of the experiences described and gained insight into what my children may be experiencing as a result of events they have no control over. As a daughter  who has at times experienced a  strained relationship with my own mother,   I gained  valuable insights into my own childhood memories and interpretations and was  reminded, again, that there is much more to the story that I do not completely understand.And as always– the betrayal revealed in the end made the recent and  painful betrayal of my own life seem small and insignificant in comparison. This clever story, told in Mitch’s masterful storytelling style, has left me with a new appreciation and understanding for those I love and has motivated me to be more intentional in valuing and cherishing the rel ationships I enjoy with those I love so that I will not be left with regrets for the experiences and the love lost. I highly recommend this book to anyone who has ever been a part of a family, who has ever lived with regrets, and who has ever questionned the value of their very existence.

Friend Compare and Contrast

A Friend His name Is If you ever met this Individual you would certainly have a good or bad impression of him. I've basically grown up with him. We attended the same school all from elementary through high school, grew up in the same neighborhood. You could say that we both had a common thing. I'm not sure if meeting this person was a way to teach me a few things or not. I always wanted to think that him and I would get along and be good friends. Maybe that's the reason why I have kept him my friend for so long. Now days he resides as my roommate, I don't know if that session was a mistake or not.Time will tell or maybe it has already. His views are not like mine at all. We we're brought up completely different as was taught under a Latin background and him†¦ Well, that's a different story. I'll explain about us: he and have completely different personalities, different and same friends and diverse ethics about education. Ill explain this through. For example, I believe that per sonality Is one If the main things that leads a relationship, even Just as friends. When you think of someone you want to be friends with you think of the same things you might share with that person.To me, personality is one of the main ones. When I met Matt I was in 4th grade, a young child, you could say. I didn't really know much about how a person should be or how he should act as I was Just growing up. He seemed Like an okay kid and since we lived In the same neighborhood and hung out with the same friends I decided to start talking to him to see how things went. At the beginning everything was Just dandy but as time progressed I started to notice him being a controlling, self-righteous individual. His personality was completely different than mine. I was always a caring person but he†¦ Was more off â€Å"me first, me second and me third† kind of guy. For example, we always used to play football at my house, a quick game of 5 on 5. This might seem silly but when I saw him tackle someone I always used to see how much of a better person he wanted to be than the one being tackled. I could see that he was trying to show the other how much of greater man he was. After he would tackle someone he would slap them and say something rude or racist. According to him†¦ Anyone that isn't white isn't anything at all. It might seem harsh to say but to me that's what he comes off as.I'm the complete opposite. Sure I'm competitive too, but not to that level. If I was to beat someone at anything of course I would gloat and such but I would never demise that person to the point where the individual would feel less than me. It's a passive personality, me, to a very aggressive one, him. I wasn't the only one who would think about him this way, there were also our friends. Since Matt and I lived in the same neighborhood and went to the same school, we were bound to share the same friends. We were all group and till this day we still call ourselves â€Å"the farms boys†.Sharing the same friends brought upon me him talking Enid my back, and others too. Since we all always used to hang out with each other there wasn't much I could do. I couldn't Just leave him and the others behind, I wouldn't have friends! But now I see that he was no friend at all. Some of my friends that were also buddies of him viewed him as I started too, mean. Sure the kid had his 1 OFF good clays Ana Dad out Nils Dad were a lot more tan Nils good MY Eternal Dalton won was also friends with him till this day thinks Matt Just thinks for himself. I agree completely.Although we shared the same friends, we treated them differently and vice-versa. The ones that would hang out with Matt the most, would view him as a superior you could say but still saw that aggressiveness in him. Now take in consideration this was all during out middle school phase where we were all trying to be â€Å"a cool kid†. He was the kid that could say one thing and turn everyone agai nst you, at least everyone in the neighborhood. Even if it was Just a rumor, trying to fight your side to prove it wasn't true was a pain. So as the saying goes â€Å"keep your friends close, but your enemies closer†.Don't get me wrong. I don't consider the kid an enemy Just a bad seed. Even when it came down to education, we would have completely different work ethics about it. Ever since middle school, Matt has always been on top of his school work. He rarely had to study because the material we were going over Just came easily to him. Not with me. I had to take my time and review, review and then review some more before I could even think about acing a test. Although he was a smart kid†¦ He always had a way to brag about how well he did in school, or how much better he was at this than me.While me on the other hand, when I did good on something I would maybe how him Just to get a sense that â€Å"him I'm better than him†. I know it sounds a little self righteou s of me, but that's how I felt. Mat's work ethics when it came to school would never compare to mine. We had a test in our English class once and of course he got a better grade than me and Just boasted about it. While me, I kept quiet and was Just proud that I got what I deserved. It's almost like he was trying to prove to me that he could beat me or anyone at whatever he tried. In this case it was education. When we took our Sat, I got a better score than him.His excuse was â€Å"l went out the ay before therefore I wasn't at my fullest†. I didn't understand why he couldn't Just have said, â€Å"good Job man† or something along those lines. Although one thing that I have to admit is that him and I do have a very good habit of turning assignments in on time and doing pretty well on them. We both like to exceed ourselves on our work. That part of his work ethic is something I can compare to me in a good way. In a nutshell, my friend Matt is one of a kind. Him and I hav e our differences when it comes down to personality, friends and education†¦ Then again everyone has their differences.He has more of an â€Å"l own everything personality', while mine is a caring and courteous one. We do share the same friends and treat them differently, he with a kingship attitude and I with a friendly one. While when it comes down to education we both share some same characteristics and attributes. We finish our work with a timely manner even if he Just gets out of bed the day of and finishes while I take a week to do it. Now, Matt resides as my roommate. For now, I think it was a huge idea taking this mini adventure with him but only time will tell if I am right. After all, not everyone is perfect.