Party Description

Daria Patterson

Professor Rau

ENG 101 MD

December 14, 2014

Valley Girl Rager

            Oh my GOD BECKY! Oh my God, Oh my God, Oh my God, did you hear that Tyler’s having a party tomorrow?! He is like, soooooo hot. I’m talking about hot Tyler not weird, semi-attractive Tyler with the troll beard. You know that right? Yeah, so we should totally go. Well I’m going but you NEED to come with me. I just need to pick out a cute outfit, one that makes me look like a Victoria Secret model.

We were like talking before and like, oh my God, his house is like huuuuge, HUGE. The bathroom itself can hold like 10 people and it has a hot tub with jets that feel like a ton of warm little vibrating toothbrushes bumping into your skin. I’ve been there once ya’ know, that time we hooked up and his demon girlfriend called during? Hehehe, I’m so bad.

Anyways, there’s like a backyard with a pool that is literally an ocean, literally. The tall, full, bushy trees will cover us from the neighbors perfectly, so the cops probably wont get called until like 3 or 4 am. Thank God.

We get to go in it but we have to dress hot. You know my tight, short, crimson dress that is basically like painted on my skin and it rests as high on my thigh as it can without you seeing my privates? I’m gonna put my bikini under it, the one that curves around my waste and makes me a human hourglass. I’ve been dying to wear that beauty.

Yuck, I just had a thought. I’m gonna be like soooo mad if I get puked on again. Remember last time when Jenny, the one with the long, dirty colored mass of hair, sloping back, and crooked walk, puked on me? At least if I have my bikini on under my dress I can just take it off and jump in the pool. Good idea right? I can do the same thing if I puke on myself, hehehe. I still really don’t want my dress puked on though, and don’t even get me started on if another person spills their drink on me. I’m like a magnet for unfortunate events.

God, I’m like soooo excited. *long drawn out squeal while jumping up and down* I’ll talk to you later bae. I just remembered I totally need to find a pair of shoes. At least this is an excuse to buy another pair. 

Open Letter

Daria Patterson

Professor Rau

ENG 101 MD

December 8, 2014

December 5, 2014

Dear People Who Play Their Music Loudly in Public Places:

            Picture this: two friends go out for lunch in a what is supposed to be the nice, peaceful environment of a diner, and all of a sudden, usually crappy music starts to blare from a few tables down. Who is it? A group of obnoxious humans. It is you.

            Some of you play explicit music loudly around families with children, shamelessly making them feel uncomfortable. What is the matter with you? Some of you bring speakers, plug them in, and play your music into those. Some of you sing along, sometimes in groups, which makes everyone surrounding you contemplate mass murder. Some of you do it while people are studying, reading, or doing something important. Some of you play it with your friends, thinking it makes you look cool.

            The one commonality is that you all enrage me and you are all being the opposite of cool. Cool people do not disturb the peace. Humans have to share this Earth, particularly, public places. Not all humans like your music and even if they did, chances are they do not all want to hear it at that moment. Do not force it upon the ears of others by playing it in public places, and certainly, do not bring speakers.

            If you really, really, want to play your music, be considerate and first ask the surrounding people if they mind. Since most of them will probably say yes just to be polite or because they do not realize how annoying it will be, ask again in a few minutes if anyone minds.

 If you do play it, there is no need to blast it. Play it at a nice, minimally disruptful volume so that people can still hear their conversations and so that if they pick up the phone, the person on the end of the line won’t ask what’s playing in the background. As shown, more considerate ways to play your music in public exist, but really, just don’t play it at all. People will be coming in and out of the public place, are you really going to keep asking every person if they mind just for them to grudgingly and resentfully say it’s okay?

Rather than be annoying, play your music at home. Better yet, invest in a pair of headphones and spare the moods of everyone around you. That is what they are for.

Sincerely,

Daria Patterson

Remembering Feelings

Daria Patterson

Professor Rau

ENG 101 MD

November 1, 2014

Remembering Feelings

            Dan Josefsons’ presentation of his book That’s Not a Feeling was intriguing. Viewers find themselves overcome with a wide range of feelings, most notably, nostalgia, sadness, happiness, awe, and a bit of awkwardness. Viewers found themselves with giggling bubbling from inside them, or drifting into memories of relatable life experiences. The book takes place in the boarding school and revolves around a group of boys there for various behavioral issues, with behavioral therapy as their focus for being there. Overall, it was a fun, quirky, presentation of a child-like fiction novel with a more serious underlying message.

            When the main character, Benjamin, first arrives in his school, he is introduced to the supervisor, Roger, and the group of boys he will be spending his time there with. A notable scene that reveals many themes about the book is when the witty character, Pudding, is caught with pancakes from breakfast in his pockets. After being hit in the head with a shovel during a fight that broke out between him and another boy (all the boys were outside shoveling dirt as part of their “therapy”), the pancakes in his pockets slid into view. It was somewhat sad and somewhat humorous – at least the way Josefson read it- that the boys rallied against Pudding for having pancakes in his pocket rather than the boy who just hit him in the head with a shovel. Yes, fights and other behavioral issues were common place at this school, and perhaps this “therapy,” which also included Roger aggressively screaming behind them, was not working. The scene brings back memories of a time we have all had, whereby someone tries to reprimand you by making you do something unpleasant and being a jerk, and all it does is make you more angry.

            Josefson continued reading two other short sections of the book. This was nice for viewers because listening to the whole book or much longer sessions could have dreadful- like Kindergarten reading time. The book was very childish with a serious underlying message, which Josefson later articulated had some connection with his past life experiences. He acknowledges that it is somewhat silly, which is why the book may be best for young adults, though it is geared towards adults. Perhaps adults, having matured well past the stage of the young boys in the book, would have a better understanding and appreciation of the deep message, while younger people may lackadaisically read over it.  

            Josefson, overall, seemed dedicated and proud of his work. He worked on the book for six years and the entire process of writing and getting it published took ten. Next, he should work on his speaking and presentation skills, because though the presentation of the book was interesting, he was a bit, and sometimes very, awkward and seemingly uncomfortable, probably making viewers feel uncomfortable as well. As the reading went on, however, he lightened up and offered many funny, witty answers to the questions asked at the end.          

            Overall, Josefson’s presentation gave a nice sample of the book, so much so that if a viewer walks past it in a bookstore, they may be well inclined to buy it, or at least sit down and skim through some parts, or at the very least brag to their friend about meeting or seeing the author. Josefson, the dedicated writer, did a great job of picking which sections to read- they were all equally intriguing- and holding the attention of the audience. Perhaps his initial awkwardness with the fade into witty humor helped him in this aspect, but that’s better than nothing.

The Era of Information - Blog Post #1

Daria Patterson

Professor Rau

ENG 101 MD

October 26, 2014

The Era of Information

The world is in a period of rapid innovation, which would not have been possible without digital media. Dan Blank’s article, Why Digital is Better than Print, discusses some of the many improvements that have come as a result of the switch from print to digital. The technological advances that have taken place in society have dramatically changed the way people live. People are able to access and share information at an unprecedented speed and with unmatched efficiency. The results have been mostly beneficial, allowing humans to be more independent, informed, and helping to maintain the environment. The rise of the internet has potential to be one of society’s most positively impactful tools.

Before the internet, people relied on paper to gather information. The exclusive use of paper presented many drawbacks, most notably, its lack of efficiency when trying to access material. “I grew up in an age where libraries were the sole repositories of information, and even then, I always found the process of information retrieval arduous and disappointing (Blank 1).” People have the ability to access information with unprecedented speed- using a device that fits in the palm of their hand, people can access virtually any known information in just a matter of seconds. People should not underappreciate the significance of having the world’s information readily available as it has led to an overall more informed and knowledgeable population. When the number of ways to learn expands, people’s minds do as well.

Besides just in the forms of increased intelligence, the web has made people less narrow-minded. When solely relying on paper, it was common in society for people to blindly follow whatever they were told because they were so restricted in how, or how much, they could access and share other information. “Today ‘the people’ are not relegated to a single page…the web has given each and every one of us a voice in this world (Blank 5).” People have become more open-minded and willing to explore and accept new ideas due to the wide array of content available. Rather than thoughtlessly accepting information, people can do their own research, and as a result, broaden their autonomy, independence, and create informed opinions. People have more freedom to share their opinions and thoughts as well, creating a greater sense of community in the world.  

If pollution causes the extinction of life, as many people believe it may, all information in the world renders itself useless. Pollution has been a growing issue in society, with paper usage a leading cause. The massive increase in digital use rather than paper inevitably poses a benefit for the environment. “Digital certainly consumes energy, but the inherent waste is not as evident, as millions of copies of a single piece of content can be replicated and spread across the world in moments (Blank 4).” Even without considering paper, people generate tons of waste and pollution throughout their lives in the form of automobile fuel, factory emissions, and everyday chemicals such as the ones found in hairspray. Therefore, the massive amount of trees and paper saved from the rise of the internet inevitably improves, or helps maintain the environment.

            The amount of potential in digital media is endless. The internet is like a miniature book holding all information the world has to offer. With the added features of information sharing, easy and efficient research, its diversity of uses, and environmental benefits, the internet has made life easier for nearly all who use it.  The empowerment that the internet has provided society is unparalleled and its future seems to be going in the same direction.   

Works Cited

Blank, Dan. “Why Digital Is Better Than Print.” I Feel Fine: How I Learned To Stop Worrying and Love The Web. danblank.com. n. p. 5 August 2000. web. 28 August 2014

Welcome Blog Post

This is my welcome blog post for ENG 101. I am excited to see what I learn in English class this year, as well as all my other classes.