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.

image source
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