Technology!

Technology in ENGLISH

Over the course of this semester, we have learned many diffrent ways to use technology, and apply it in everyday life.
first and foremost, the biggest thing that I have learned, is taking an online class isnt as easy as one might think. It is very convienent because you can do things at your own pace, work ahead if you like, or if you're like me, slack off untill the day its due. I have learned that this doesnt work most of time, especially when you have a 4 page paper due that day. Over all however, I think that online learning is great, maybe not for an engilsh class for me, but hey, I still got thru it.
Second, I have learned numerous ways to use creative web sources. First is a blog. Its amazing the things that I never knew you could do with a blog. You can post pictures, videos, create things called Glogs and post them to your blog. The possibilites are almost limitless. The second thing that i have learned about technology is all of the diffrent means of communication. You can actually video chat with your pofessor. Its awesome.
The thing that i will probally use the most after this class will be all of the presentation sites that we have learned. I created my first Glog today, and actually enjoyed it quite a bit. Its amazing the diffrent technologies that i have learned, and they just keep getting better. The site called Prezi.com is amazing, Its very similar to a powerpoint presentation, however its so much more interactive, and fun. The way it engages the audience with motion, videos, sound and awesome graphics is simply amazing. I cant wait to create a presentaion using it.

All said and done, Technology in english 102 is great. ive learned tons about how to use them in diffrent ways, and definately to my advantage.

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final presentation

Response for the year

Dear Class,

Over this yer, we have learned tons. I think that one of the major things that i will take with me once i leave this class will be the reading critically. I had begun to learn this skill durring english 101, and have perfected this skill in this class. I have learned that reading something more than once is good, not only if you are to analyze and interperate properly, but also if you are to fully enjoy it. I think that this skill will help me throuout the rest of my college carreer, as well as really help me when i work in the field that i choose to work in. along the same note, my writing has impoved significantly over the course of the class, mostly do to the fact that i'm using bigger words, and using my brain a little bit more. also forming my sentences better, and using punctuation a whole lot better. While fun, this class has been incridebly challanging simply do to the fact that i have had to learn how to budget my time better. Juggling a full time job, a life and school is definately not one of my stronger points, but i think that im getting there. I think that I will have a far easier time throuout college due to this course.

Thank you everyone for all your good ideas.

John

up in the air.

To call the movie "Up in the Air" directed by Jason Reitman, produced and released in 2009, and the book “Up in the Air" by Walter Kirn, published in 2001, the same would be like comparing different languages. First and foremost, the book and movie are speaking to two different audiences. Both mediums offer the same "general background" as far as plot is concerned, however there are major differences in the delivery systems of the plot. The book paints Ryan as a self satisfied almost narcissist who flies around the country firing people for larger corporations. The movie, in which he has the same job, paints him as a hopeless romantic living in Airworld, a self-made utopia in which Ryan lives. There are many more differences between the movie and the book, which leads one to believe that the differences between the movie and book are so substantial due to the major differences in the times in America. One being created in a pre-Iraq war and one created post Iraqi war. These major differences between the two mediums are essential to the delivery of the message the story contains.

First and foremost, the largest advantage that the country has brought through is technology. The upraise of technology in the United States has been vast.  During The first 20 minutes of the movie, they bring in a specialist attempting to minimize the expenditures of Ryan’s company. To do this, she proposes firing individuals through video chat. Yes, this service was available in 2001 when Kirn wrote the book, however at that time, this service wasn’t available as a reasonable alternative to face to face confrontation. With today’s mass technological advantages, many companies are turning to this method to perform many everyday tasks. In the book, Ryan speaks of using  a HandStar, antiquated by todays terms, however top of the technological chain during the time. In the movie, Ryan simply uses his computer or his phone. In the movie, Alex, Ryan’s steady fling, mentions “googleing” Ryan And states that “that’s the thing that modern day girls do when they have a crush.” In the book, there is no mention of Google being a means of researching an individual.

Next among the major differences are the economical hardships in which this country finds itself today. In mid 2001, the American businessman jetted from one side of the country to the other without thinking twice. By today’s standards, that would be considered wasteful. In the movie, Rietman shows Ryan firing a team of a company in Detroit, which has been essentially devastated by the economic collapse. One sympathizes with the individual being canned, however one also sympathizes with Ryan whom the task has been delegated. The economic turmoil in this area is clearly evident as he and his “intern” are shown firing an entire company.

Societal views between 2001 and 2009 have changed as well. With such catastrophes as the 911 and the many high school and college shootings of the past years have jaded many American’s views of the public. In the movie, Ryan, showing his “intern” the ropes of the CTC profession, points out several obvious Muslims in the security line at an airport. As he does, he mentions “random searching’s”. By this, he means that the TSA will obviously, for a reason only obvious to them, search these individuals. There have been many stereotypical aspirations made to certain ethnic groups since the 9111 attacks and are thought by many as unjust. According to Ryan, these are simply part of AirWorld. Within this association, Ryan also associates the Asian culture being efficient and fast paced, the family culture as tedious and time consuming and the elderly population being the same. One must look at the associations between the book and movie being different because there is no prejudice within Kirn’s world.

            Within Krin’s world, family is treated as a side note to Ryan’s literary, almost an annoyance. In the movie, Ryan is far more versed to his family. Ryan, portrayed by George Clooney, is a loving and caring individual who has all the time in the world for his family. The familial presence in the movie is one of loving and caring. In the book, this is lost to Ryan, who is simply self-absorbed and selfish, having no time for his little sister who becomes estranged from her husband.

book or movie

To call the movie "Up in the Air" dirrected by Jason Reitman, and the book Up in the Air" by Walter Kirn the same would be like comparing diffrent languagues. First and foremost, the book and movie are speaking to two diffrent audiences. The book, written in 2001, and the movie, produced in 2009. Both mediums offer the same "general background" as far as plot wise, however there are major diffrences in the delivery systems of the plot. The book paints Ryan as a self satisfied almost narcicist who flies around the country firing people for larger corperations. The movie, in which he has the same job, paints him as a hopeless romantic living in Airworld. There are many more diffrences between the movie and the book, which leads one to believe that the diffrences between movies and books are always there. Could this be because of the time constraints, or simply because most movies are made a long time after the book, in which case, most movies are speaking to diffrent audiences.
To watch Up in the Air, please click here
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up in the air.

AS of yet, thats exactly what i am about this book. i havent read past the ninth chapter, so im not entirely into the plot of the book in my opinion, or at least i hope im not... As ive read on my fellow classmates blog, this book ends with a cop out, and thats kind of the way im seeing it going. so far were watching Ryan simply fly from destination to destination, in his own little world he calls, funny enough, airworld. He seems fairly egotistical stating that he will be able to strike up conversation with everyone and anyone who gets on the flight and sits next to him. I see him as having some sort of mental disorder and or problem, as well as his family. the man simlply sounds unstable. So far i have not enjoyed this book, like i did with winter's bone. It has too much "fluff" within the novel, and is sort of hard to follow sometimes. ive never considered myself a fast reader, however this book seems to be taking an eternity. all one can hope for however, is a turn of events and the man is in a plane crash and is the sole survivor.

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and click here if youd like to read more about mental dissorders.

my letter

English 102,

Yavapai College

Spring 2012

Mrs. Cline:

Yavapai College,

Spring 2012

Dear Mrs. Cline,

            Over the past few weeks I have learned many techniques and systems to improve my writhing composition. The material that we have had in this class has been both challenging reads as well as very emotional pieces of great literature. Above reading some increadible novels and essays, I have learned to use a new piece of technology which has been, before now, unknown to me. However during this semester here at Yavapai college, I have had some very interesting changes throuout my life, so for my second half of the semester here, I would like to have everything provided to you.

            Some of the thechiques that I have learned over the semester is how to truly read. Before I would only read an important essay for class only once. I have learned to read something once youre only really reading the structure. There must be at least one to two more readings before one may appropriately analyze the text in order to fully understand it. Some of the material of the class has been extremely boring, and thus forth hard to perform this task has been trying. Never the less, I was thrilled to read the essay A modest proposal and I was more than happy to re-read a chapter or tow of Winter’s Bone.  Some of the technological  advances I have been able to learn has been the increased blog usage. I have never used a blog before and have been sliglty apt to the idea, however it turns out that it is a very useful tool, and valid to learn in a class in todays society as we are far more technologically driven then we as a society ever has been before.

            Again over the last few weeks, there has been plenty of learingin. My ability to read thoroughly had increased, and am finding myself more into the story as I analyze it more often.  Thank you for all of your work througut the semester, and I look forward to the next half.

Sincerely,

John Alfonso

winter's bone essay, draft

Im having a lot of trouble with this essay, At first i thought i would compare the authors life with his work, however that seems to be harder than it actually seemed. so i think im going to analyze the themes inside the text. any help would be greatly appreciated.

Life in the Ozarks in the mid twenty first century

            In Daniel Woodrell’s “Winter’s Bone”, we get a very good look into the life in the Ozarks during the mid twenty first century. In this novel, Woodrell paints a picture of a 16 year girl, Ree, whose father has put their home and land up for collateral for a bail bond after he gets busted cooking meth. We see Ree struggle through an Ozark winter trying to find her father and bring him to justice so as not to lose their home. She struggles with her mother who is an elderly dementia patient, her two brothers and her many uncles and aunts. All throughout the book, Ree stands up to her family which encompasses the entire valley in which they live. She learns many things about her father that should be unknown, and about herself.  This novel, simply stated, shows the methamphetamine addicted, poor, inbred current state of the Ozarks.

            Woodrell’s view of the Ozarks, having grown up there, are clearly evident throughout the novel. He brings his years of experience of the cold winters, hard times, and excellent understanding of the methamphetamine usage. Methamphetamine usage in the Ozarks has unfortunately overrun the place. Since that is one of the major themes in the book, it leads me to believe that he has first-hand knowledge of it. Another major theme of the novel is simply family. This whole area of the town that they live in is family, has been famly for hundreds of years. There are many passages in the text that Ree uses the excuse of “you’re family, you should help me.” And unfortunately in this passage, that expatiation of family helping family falls through, “So, come the nut-cuttin’, blood don’t truly mean shit to him. Am I understandin’ right? Blood don’t truly count for diddly to the big man?” (Winter’s 1). This quote depicts that, to Ree, family truly means everything, which in her search for her father, is all she has to rely on. This theme has also been brought out to Woodrell’s attention, and he states that family is a huge support system within the Ozarks, “…The Ozarks, and many of the values of the place, are anchored deep within, I’m afraid. Values like: it’s better to be poor than be beholdin’…”(Woodrell 1) This simple statement shows that Woodrell has had much expierence in the Ozarks with his family, and has seen it firsthand. It is clearly evident in the way that he writes almost every character in his novel to have a large since of family.

            Methamphetamine usage has become a major problem in the Ozarks in the last few decades, “Production and use are still high in the Ozarks, and Jasper county in southwest Missouri led the state with 178 meth raids and seizures last year” (Meth 1). In this report, the Nevada daily mail reports that methamphetamine is spreading throughout the Ozarks and Missouri state as a whole. In the novel, Woodrell writes about the meth usage from a standpoint of one of the many innocent lives wrapped up in the drug and its detrimental effects. Uncle teardrop put it the best that many affected by meth, neither sleep nor eat for days on end. “Those pills of mine Victoria gave you was what used to knock me off the mountaintop to sleep whenever I’ve been too far high too long like this.” (Winter’s 2) This simply states that many in the Ozarks, Uncle Teardrop included, were almost always skewed by the cloudiness of meth.

            Another major theme in the book is poverty. Traditionally drug usage strikes the poor the hardest. Throughout the book, Woodrell emphasizes the poverty stricken side of the Ozarks. Most of the time, the family has to scrounge what little food they have left in the house to eat a meal at night time. Sometimes however, her family makes good and brings over some food and wood to cook on, “Sonya carried a large cardboard box that had venison on a long bone jutting above the rim.” (Winter’s 17) “You poor thing. Ill have Betsy’s Milton haul across a rick of wood for you-all.”(Winter’s 18) This statement shows how the since of family and camaraderie help eachother in the Ozarks. Since they live in such an isolated and remote rural area, many people in the region rely on family to provide them with food and such. Especially in the Dolly’s family case, since it is simply a 16 year old girl trying to provide for the entire family. This statement rings true for many familys in the Ozarks. With all of the drug use, and legal run-ins around the area, many homes have simply turned for the worse.

            Another major theme is the lack of education. Ree dropped out of high school around the age of 15. She did this mostly because her mother had gone crazy, and her father, which not much is mentioned about him other than the fact that he is a degenerate low life, has left the home, or been in jail most of her life. Leaving her to care for the family. This is best illustrated that the young girl leaves school when she begs for a ride from her old bus driver. Her driver, Mr. Egan, tells her that he misses her and her smart ways form when she used to ride the year before. The simple way that the author writes the characters words lends credibility to the lack of education in the area. Many of the words are broken and slang, which many educated areas don’t use.

           

summary of my article

image source: here

For this asignment I have decided to use the article in the back of the book interviewing David Woodrell. In this interview, Woodrell is asked many questions about his new novel "Winters Bone". He comments that the name of the book refers to, of course, winter, meaning that it is set in the winter, and Bone is refered to as Winter giving her a bone. Woodrell also talks about his life in the Ozarks where the story takes place; as well as the "hard time" context of his book. Woodrell also talks a lot about his writing style, describing himself as a "semi southern, kinda gothic, dramatic writer. "

I believe that this article will help my report stay truthful to the facts of David Woodrell and his writing. I believe that the fact that he is from the Ozarks, and has lived there most of his life will lend a certain credibility to his work as an author. Also the fact that he views himself as a southern gothic drama writer, i believe that the story has followed his own view of his writing. All in all, i believe that this article will help me most simply because it's a dirrect interview of the author about this piece, and who knows best about a book, other then the author.

Source of article: Woodrell, Daniel. Winter's Bone, A Novel. New York: Back Bay Books, 2007. 3-8. Print.

winter's bone

Image source: here

For this weeks assignment, we're reading Winter's Bone by Daniel Woodrell. So far this book is incredibly interesting. The story is a tale of a 16 year girl, Ree, whom's father has skipped bail. It seems to me that the family is from a very country town, which is mostly family, as most country towns are. The time of year is of course winter, based on the title, which causes many challenges for Ree. As I am only about 50 pages into the book, i think that i have a fairly good grasp on the overall theme of the book, however not a great grasp on the outcome.
Ree seems like a fairly poorly educated teenager, as the first part of the book, she's not going to school. Her mother is having the first stages of dementia, and her father is a drug addict, and criminal. Her two brothers are inseperable, and have fallen sick. Hopefully they will recover from the sickness and not die throughout the book. It seems to me that the book is going to take a grim outlook and that is why i say this.
I hope that Ree finds her father and brings him to the law before his court date, and they don't have to loose thier house, and be forced to ask for help, which is simply something that they dont want to do. My head goes to her in her search, and i am cheering her on.

If you would like to see the movie of this book, heres a link to see it on netflix.

Bartleby oh bartleby

"For the first time in my life a feeling of overpowering stinging melancholy seized me. Before, I had never experienced aught but a not-unpleasing sadness. The bond of a common humanity now drew me irresistibly to gloom. A fraternal melancholy! For both I and Bartleby were sons of Adam."
Text source: http://www.bartleby.com/129/ paragraph 89

In this week, we have read Bartleby, the Scrivener: A Story of Wall-street by Herman Melville. Throughout this text, Melville explains his long extablished lawfirm in the 1850's. He describes in great detail his employees and the work they do. After all that, he happens upon a man named Bartleby, whom he employes within his lawfirm as a scrivener. Throughout the text, Melville goes round and round with Bartleby because of one simple phrase, I would prefer not to.
The passage above is a dirrect quote from the text. Melville's expierence with Bartleby is a very excentric one. At first, he is very good at doing his job, copying the last days sessions. however at one point, Bartleby decides to no longer write. He gives no reason for stoping writing, simply that he would prefer not to. After discovering that Bartleby lives within his offices, Melville simply asks the man to leave. Bartleby having not said more than 5 words at a time since he has come to him, simply stays living there, all the while, Melville continues to try to get bartleby out. Finnaly, having enough of this nonscence, Melville moves out of the offices, and takes up residence within another place. Finally the story ends with Bartleby dying in the prison which he was taken to after the new tenants took up residence.
The passage mad me think, much like the rest of the story did, that Melville was a very decent man. To  allow someone to live within your residence with out producing anything of value is a very noble trait. I then realized that Melville is looking at Bartleby as a son of Adam. He is a simple human being with nowhere else to go in the world. Melville attempts to "save" Bartleby's soul since he apears to be a shell of a man to anyone who sees him. In my opinion, Melville is seeing Bartleby as a form of humanity.
He states many times throughout the text that there is not much charity throughout the world. In this instance, he is giving Bartleby a plac to live out of charity. I believe that he is simply trying to save the man, having no realitives or loved ones to speak of.
Unfortunately, at the end, Melville, despite his efforts, could not save humanity, and allows it to die. Despite his niceness towards humanity, and all his efforts, he simply couldnt save this one soul.

Image source: http://www.biography.com/people/herman-melville-9405239

Summary V.S. Analysis

To me the difference between a summary and analysis is clear. If I were to summarize a book, I would simply tell what happened in the book in a small, vague way than in the book. However, if I were to analyze the book, I would state my take of the book. As it's said, an analysis raises an argument about a certain idea of a book, from a certain perspective. Not everyone will agree with it, and that's what makes it an analysis. For example: a short summary of a book I recently read, Cure by Robin Cook would be:
In the book, Cure by Robin Cook, the main character, Ben, the owner of a stem cell research company, kills a man in China looking for research notes of his assistant Satoshi. He then smuggles Satoshi into the US because having him on board will boost his company's value. Satoshi then gets murdered by the Yakuza crime family, and Ben tries to cover his tracts of being assioated with him, as he was in this conuntry illeagally, and his company will fall. Ben at the very end, gets extradited to China and is presumed eventually killed in China for the murder of the man in China.
  This is a clear and concise summary of the book in about 3 sentences. It raises no questions, nor begins any arguments, but simply states facts. Anyone who reads the book couldn’t argue with these facts, and that's what makes it a summary. If I were to do an analysis about the book, any individual would be able to argue with me about my take of the book.
In the book, Cure the author, Robin Cook, clearly wished to express that if you’re a greedy individual, you will get what's coming to you. He illustrates this by painting a greedy CEO killing another human simply for the monetary gain of his company and eventually turning his back on the person that helped his company gain its status.
This analysis could potentially raise an argument from individuals reading it who may not agree with the idea that I have of the story, which makes it an analysis.

If you wish to read more about summary versus analysis, click here.
















Image source: http://celebrity-books.blogspot.com/2010/08/cure-robin-cook.html

A modest proposal

Image source: http://www.luminarium.org/eightlit/swift/

This week we read Johnathan Swift's, A modest proposal. In this text, Jonathan proposes that the "gentlemen" of Ireland circa 1760 eat the fatherless offspring of the whores around belfast. In his essay, he proposes that a mother should nurse her child to a minimum of one year, allowing said child to reach about 20 to 30 pounds. At which time, said mother can sell her child to any gentleman, for up to 7 pounds of Irish coin. This solution for mothers of these bastard children solved many problems of the current time. It saved the mothers from killing thier own children, it saved them from begging for money and clothing and food on the streets. There was also a main focus on a major problem that it would solve, it would end a lot of crime, as most of the crime in belfast was perpetrated by children between the ages of six and fourteen.
I believe that Swift's position on the issue, however outrageous it may seem, is credible. I think that he actually believed that children could be cooked and served for any type of gathering. If you look at the intended audience of the time, he was adressing the upper middle class of Ireland. Durring this time, there wasnt much class structure, you were either middle class, upper class or poor. There was a major crime problem within many of the larger towns creating a major source of stress. There, also, was no form of birth control. For this reason, many of the whores of the town would become begging hags. His simple proposal to consume this form of offspring, which numbered in the hundred's of thousands durring one year, at the time and place, may have seemed logical to the upper and middle classes at the time.
Throughout his proposal, Swift makes valid arguments for the consumption of human meat. I'm still not sure if he is making fun of anything, or if he is onehundred percent seerious about the whole essay. I do know from reading about society in Ireland circa 1760, which you can read here, he is correct about the crime, classes, and social structure, so one could believe this whole senario.

welcome to my blog.

hey everyone, welcome to my blog for english 102

good readers and good writers

In the reading of Nabakov's "Good Readers and Good Writers", I believe that Nabakov thinks that not everyone is a good reader. In this text, he states that one must first read then re-read any text. This is because the first act of reading something is only your mind's first attempt to understand it. He argues a very valid point that your eyes are ment for seeing, and not for comprehending written text, therefore, in order for your mind to fully understand something, you must re-read it. above and beyond that, Nabakov states, that in order to be a good reader, one must have a vivid imagination, an excellent memory, some sort of artistic sence and lastly a dictionary. I must say, I tend to agree with this.
I have read many times that one must read and continue to re-read any vast text to fully comprehend what youre reading. Take Nabakov for example, I had to read this small text 2 times to understand what exactly he was talking about throughout the full text. Some of the words i had to look up in a dictionary, which im glad I have. I could also imagine Nabakov jogging on the college campus and simply becoming engrosed in conversation with students about reading and writing. I consinder my self a decent reader only because if i dont understand something, i will reread it as many times as necessary for me to fully comprehend it. I will also look up definitions and have a pretty vivid imagination. I concider myself a decent writer, however as with anything in life, I could certainly improve my writing ability (hence all of the uncapitalized i's and punctuation errors.)
If you're curious about Nabakov, here is more information about him.

Image Source: http://www.chessville.com/misc/History/PastPawns/NabokovianProblem.htm