The Blog Continues! Eggs to be Boiled!

Good afternoon, ladies and gents. I have returned to the blog scene, where I may once again complain about the nothingness issues that happen in everyday life. I last left off with a fairly heavy one, about religion. I’m all for talking about the heavy subjects, or what is considered taboo in regular conversation. Yet, I don’t know if I can do that today. You see, even though I constantly keep a concentration on the pressing matters of society, I find my mind wandering away into the less important subject matters. So, let’s see where my mind has wandered off to today…

You know what really boils my egg?

Knuckle cracking. Huh, my mind really wandered to this? Well, let’s go with it. Knuckle cracking really does boil my egg! It is such a disgusting habit to have, as well as highly hurtful to the body.

I’m sitting in the middle of Justice class one day (learning about…well, injustice, which is ironic), minding my own business, when all of a sudden a noise so vile, so sickening, traveled into my aural canal and hit my auditory nerves. I turned to find the source of the wretched noise, only to find an attractive young woman cracking her knuckles like a caveman! How could this be? How could the vision of loveliness and innocence be tarnished so rapidly?

I’m sorry I’m not attracted to sounds a body shouldn’t be forced to make! I have not done any research on what makes this anomaly occur, and frankly, I would rather not. I will stick with living in my ignorant bliss on this matter. I have faith in the knowledge that it will continue to irk me nonetheless as it continues to happen. One thing is also for certain: by not doing that, I have less of a risk of developing arthritis!

Steve: 1, Boiled Egg: 0.

As usual, I leave you all with a relatable quote: “No enemy is so annoying as one who was a friend, or still is a friend, and there are many more of these than one would suspect.” -William Saroyan

The Week of April 6th

It is upon us! Passion Week! And, might I say, it is about time. I hate celebrating Easter so late in the month. The holiday itself is so celebratory that I simply can't wait to enjoy it with all of my family.

Finally, I can have my eggs boiled...and then decorate them.

And I am trying to color these eggs with a clear mind and a clear conscience, but this may not be possible. Behind my excitement and my childhood joy, there is something I feel the need to talk about. This will be one of my more serious entries. We are facing an epidemic, planet Earth, and here it is...

You know what really boils my egg?

Religious oppression. All of it. Judgment of Christians vs. all other religions (or lack thereof). And, in turn, everyone else against Christianity. This is a problem that has obviously been existent since before the Enlightenment. Why has it gone on this long?

I can only begin to explain some of the reasons. And, well, I may be getting some angry feedback. But that's alright. Because I am attacking this will full force.

Christians - we're not making this problem go away. We're making things worse, even. It seems like every century, we find a new reason to be hated by everyone else. Looking for examples?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7Frq30soPc&feature=related

The link above is of Shirley Phelps Roper. The Westboro Baptist Church woman, who felt the need to show up with a group of people to a funeral, where she incorrectly represented Christianity. How did she do so? By saying things like "God hates fags" and "Thank God for dead soldiers." (Guess she never read the New Testament, where we are called to love everyone despite the differences...)This woman alone, with all of her controversy, turned non-believers even further away from us. And what did we do, as a whole, to rebuke their actions? Not enough.

It sickens me. It sickens me that people like Phelps can call themselves Christian, and then turn around to spit in the face of people who are different. Does it not say that no sin is greater than the other? Does it not say to love the neighbor? I do not hate Shirley for what she has been doing. But I condemn her actions and her message.

Another example is Cardinal Pell. The head of the Catholic church of Australia. He was convicted of covering up cases involving pedophilia within the priesthood. Though these are mostly allegations, the evidence against him is overwhelming, so I cannot help but believe it all to be true. How can the Church sit around, and witness these things happen?

And to the others, the people who don't believe - there is not much I can say to you. We haven't been doing our job, of acceptance and loving everyone. And, on behalf of other Christians like me, I am truly sorry. But I urge you, please...don't let the negative things you see in the media cloud your judgment of all of us. Please, don't generalize all of us to be corrupt, mean, unloving people. Because there are so many more of us who aren't like that. You make your generalizations on the things like Phelps and Pell, the actions that even we condemn. But I can almost guarantee, that you have not looked deeper. There are Christians out there who are trying to do a lot of good. Ones who don't get airtime on the 6 o'clock news. Ones who go to the poorer countries, and reach out to help in any way they can.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OAZGqylW6M4&feature=related

There's a third video. A positive one. It is of the Overland Missions in Africa. A testimony by the director of it, David Phillips. He is a valid representative of Christians. He truly cares about others on Earth, and he sincerely wants to help. You can believe in what you want to believe in, but you cannot deny that there are thousands of people like David that are doing a world of good.

I can keep going on and on about this. But I feel future arthritis setting in.

"The moral and religious system which Jesus Christ transmitted to us is the best the world has ever seen, or can see." - Benjamin Franklin

P.S. When I mention "Christians" and "non-believers", this was a general statement. I am fully aware that there are many exceptions to this, so if you felt like you were being generalized...well...I suppose you kind of were, but I meant it in a non-derogatory way. Don't take any offense, please.

The Week of March 23rd

Hello everyone. I don't want to make this a very intriguing or exciting blog this week. I'm so busy with all of the last-minute work being thrown in my face. Especially one thing...

You know what really boils my egg?

My College Writing Paper. IT'S SO LONG! And, because of it, I need to focus on only it and not my blog. So, see y'all next week.

The Week of March 16th

Greetings and salutations, friends! It truly is another joyous week for the constantly-boiled college student. For it was the week of my birthday. That's right. As of this past Monday, I am officially 19. This is the age where my life is...actually, it's a bit plateaued. After all, it truly is a bit of a pointless age. When I was 16, there was the hype for driver's permits, followed by 17 for driver's licenses, followed by 18 for the adult transition. Now...well, nothing's changed. Just the number. But nevertheless, I'm still happy to be here.

Here, however, is a relative term. I'm happy to be on this planet, and in a safe environment. Yet, I can't help the feeling that I may not be able to keep this ecstatic feeling for much longer. For scheduling of my classes is coming up. And this is stressing me out. Because there is one major problem I have here at Eastern University. And so, my boiling begins...

You know what really boils my egg?

Core course curriculum. Without a doubt, this is my main problem with my institution. I went to college to further my education in programs that I was interested in. I did not go to college to attempt to re-live my high school years.

I have my faults. I have the subjects that, no matter how much I try to study or focus on, it does not matter to my mind. I simply can't grasp chemistry and mathematics. And these are the classes that are going to kill my GPA. Curriculum for certain majors have been hand-picked to accommodate a person in what they will be doing for the rest of their lives. These other courses that are forced upon students are just a hindrance to what they want to do.

Not to mention it is a sheer waste of money. I'm a secondary education major with a concentration in English, as well as a communications major. Where, in my field of learning, will I need to be well-versed in the ways of theology? Don't get me wrong, the field is interesting. But it is not my field. I intend on teaching with the morals that Christ taught, but I won't be teaching in-depth about it. Because that's not what I want to do with my life.

"But Steve," someone may incur, "there's many reasons these classes are here. Including the enhancement of knowledge in their own spirituality, and expanding their mind to think more broadly." This is true. However, I slightly disagree. To answer the first, I understand the need for spiritual growth. And this is why I don't have a true problem with the two Bible classes. But to be forced to take classes in justice and theology is a bit...too much. Especially since these classes are only adding to my student debt. And to answer the second...that is what high school is for. It's for getting the minds to be able think critically on a collegiate level. Now that I am here, on this level, they're still trying to do the same here. It's only adding on to the neverending stress-load that is my life.

Perhaps my opinion is not the same as yours. Perhaps, just perhaps, you may think that many, if not all, of the core courses are vital to my learning. If you feel this way, PLEASE comment me. I would love to hear your reasoning. So, with not much left on my mind to talk about, I end this, as always, with a quote:

"One of the great mind destroyers of college education is the belief that if it's very complex, it's very profound." -Dennis Prager

The Week of March 1st

Such joy, such celebration! Such...glum spirits. For I have returned from my spring break (which was too much fun). I got to build houses in South Carolina, meet new people, and I even made new friends that I think I will keep pretty close. So, though the break was short, it was worth every second of it.

In fact, every part of it was amazing. Even those long, long van rides to and from there were pretty fun. I was able to talk to people, nap, read, and listen to music. It is a good thing, however, that I brought my iPod. If I didn't, I would have been listening to really crappy music. And, just like every other segway into my rants...

You know what really boils my egg?

Crappy music lyrics. I can't STAND it! What happened to music when the poetry was just treated as an afterthought? When has it just become a ridiculous outlet of lyrical failures? The lack of creativity has become sickening, people!




















Above me is two pictures. However, I wish for these people to not feel personally attacked when they search their own names on Google. So, for anonymity's sake, I will call them... Britney Stabbing-Objects and Half-Dollar. There we go. Alright, so Half and Britney are just two of the offenders who bring out the mindset that "as long as it sounds good, it must be good music."

Let's see if these lyrics from Half "sound good":

I don't know what you heard about me
But a b**** can't get a dollar outta me
No Cadillac, no perms, you can't see
That I'm a m*****f*****' P.I.M.P.

I can sense some great representation of the English language and culture. As you can tell through careful observation, Half is explaining that he is sly enough to not fall for a young lady who seeks out earthly treasures. Now that the translation is over, let's see the flaws. One of them is, well, the obvious derogatory terms. These are harsh judgments on your behalf, Mr. ...Half. Secondly, it appears that grammar means nothing to this country anymore. Sentence structure, word annunciation, etc. And this is the product of it. Moving on, here's what Stabbing-Objects brings to the table:

Womanizer
Woman-Womanizer
You're a womanizer
Oh Womanizer
Oh You're a Womanizer Baby
You, You You Are
You, You You Are
Womanizer, Womanizer, Womanizer

Boy don't try to front I (I) know just (just) what you are (are are)
Boy don't try to front I (I) know just (just) what you are (are are)

Hm. She seemed to finally plateau with her...*cough* Musical genius. It appears that she has figured out who her gentleman friend is on the inside. And she feels the need to attack...constantly...with the same attack. Some of you might be saying "Hey, Steve! That's unfair! You only took the chorus!" Well, person-with-a-similar-sounding-voice-as-mine, it appears you are correct...because the entire song is 80% CHORUS!!! Ah well, I guess as long as it sounds good, it will appease the masses.

More of you might be thinking about my opinion on music without lyrics. Like classical instrumentals. "They sound good, and they don't use lyrics." This is true. And this is because their original intent was to go without lyrics. The composers and writers of these pieces wanted to get a message across musically. What is the message in the song by Half-Dollar? That women are gold-diggers? And by Britney? That men are manipulative?

I feel this is a growing trend in music. For lyrics to be one of two things. They're either A) attacking someone or something, or B) very, VERY prideful. What happened to the beauty? Fortunately, there are still such songs and artists (like John Mayer, Augustana, etc.). But it's almost like a dying breed. As long as these songs exist, I think I will be ok. So, to finish off as usual, I leave you all with a quote. This one is from a respectable rap artist who knows what it's all about:

“If we're all saying that rap is an artform then we gotta be more responsible for our lyrics. If you see everybody dying because of what you're saying, it don't matter that you didn't make them die, it just matters that you didn't save them.” - Tupac Shakur

The Week of February 23rd

Good evening. Nay, dare I say it? I shall! Great evening, everyone! Of course, I write this as I pretend to work. But I'm overjoyed nonetheless. For spring break is upon me. Around this time, in a few days, I'll be in South Carolina. Given, I'll be doing a lot of manual labor, but at least I won't be sitting in my dorm room writing up six-page papers for a little while. Any kind of break is welcomed.

But I'm not here to talk about what makes me giggle with glee. The title of this blog is "What Boils My Egg," and have I have a boiler for all of you. Given, it's a random one, but it's one most of you can relate with. If you can't guess from the picture, then read on...

You know what really boils my egg?

PDA. Not the electronic device, those things are pretty nifty. I'm talking about Public Display of Affection. Relationships for everyone to see. Now I'm in a relationship myself. I don't have a problem with holding hands, hugging, and the occasional kiss in public. But what I saw yesterday was...for lack of better words, freakin' disgusting.

I go to WaWa convenience store for a snack and a drink. Nourishment for myself, and for my soul! What I don't try to look for (and constantly find anyway) is a couple who might as well be...you know...but with clothes on. I heard sounds, saw arms grasping, legs kicking. But hey, it could have been worse. Like I said, at least they had clothes on.

What is the need for that? What needs to be proven to the world with actions like those? Yes, obviously your relationship must be so amazing that EVERYONE must see it. Or, maybe you're really trying to hide behind it all, knowing that it will never be anything more than physical, and all the "I love you's" in the world can't save it.

I'm not jealous. I'm perfectly content with my relationship with my family, my friends, and my girlfriend. Perhaps I'm a crazy person when I feel that a loving relationship, or any relationship for that matter, is more than just the passion. And maybe I'm demented when I feel that said relationships could just as easily be contained until they have reached a more private location.

As I stated previously, I have no qualms about hugging and putting the arm around the shoulder or waist. But the constant groping really peeves me. Therefore, it also really boils my egg. So, the question remains...am I crazy? Am I a part of the minority on this one? Nevertheless, I will leave you all with an inspiring quote, that tells us really what we need instead of want:

“Basically, the only thing we need is a hand that rests on our own, that wishes it well, that sometimes guides us.” - Hector Bianciotti

The Week of February 16th

My friends, I apologize for the lack of entry earlier in the week. It's been a hectic week overall. So this week, I will be filling in my entry early of what is boiling my egg next week. (It doesn't affect my grade, but it's alright---I am here for the people.)

The world is a scary place, ladies and gents. It is scary enough to want to lock my door as I sleep. That's right. I have lost trust in my community as a whole. There's a couple of reasons why. But there is one main reason which I feel must be brought up. So I bring this up to you, Planet Earth...

You know what really boils my egg?

Thievery. It is so disrespectful, so rude, and most of the time, so unnecessary to do. I say most of the time because I am sometimes reminded of Robin Hood-type stories of taking for the greater good. Sometimes, those situations are so drastic that I can consider taking from the greedy a necessary evil.

But not this time. I left my wallet out in my own dorm room, next to my television, with my door unlocked. And, lo and behold, I find out later the next day that my money and my debit card are gone. Silly me for thinking this Christian community would not commit an act of such proportions. Here I was thinking morals were in check and made a priority.

What I don't understand is why. Why does a person feel the need to take from someone like me? I will completely admit in saying that I don't have a lot of money. I wasn't blessed in being given great economic sense, earned or inherited. But the money I do have is money earned. Money I worked hard for. It isn't a lot, but it's all I have. Why can't burglars quit being the lazy waste of space they are, and actually contribute to society?

I'm done ranting about how some people are just so ridiculous. Ranting won't get me back my money. It won't make my new debit card come in the mail any sooner. It won't rid me of the frustration I feel. There's not much else I can do but build a bridge and get over it. Which is what I will. So, to continue my neverending theme of quoting, here's one that ties it altogether:

“Lying and stealing are next door neighbors.” - Arabian Proverb

The Week of February 9th

It surely is a beautiful morning...if you're not me. I'm sorry, that's a horrible way to start off a talk with some of my favorite people. Let me rephrase:

Thursdays suck. There, a little more optimistic. I'm sitting here at work, doing my homework for all four of my classes today, not looking forward to my second shift tonight, and through it all...I may have mono. Yeah, this week is not one of my strongest. But it could all be worse...

Or can it? I'm currently sitting at my desk with one of my textbooks opened to my homework page. But I'm not doing it right now. Because my eggs have been boiling for far too long on this topic of pure...boilage. So, without further ado...

You know what really boils my egg?

Mathematics. All mathematics. Every kind of mathematics. From logic to geometry, from algebra to line graphs, it just seems like there is nothing positive coming from numbers. Unless, of course, it is a paycheck (but my last paycheck is arriving late for some reason...that's a boiled egg for another time).

Is there no escape for this doomed subject? Is there no escape for me? I was told that I wouldn't have to take a math course for my major. Of course, I was led astray with this knowledge. So now I have to retake a math course I took my freshman year of high school. Oh happy days.

Here's the kicker: I like my math teacher. She's fun and she makes the course a little easier. But, at times, it remains unbearable. She tries to relate it to the real world, but to no avail. Listen, I'm going into secondary education and history (or perhaps english, still debating inside my brain). I don't need to know circumference or how to make truth tables. Please, spare me the unnecessary crap and deliver me from this nightmare!

At least it's just mathematical ideas. It's not like my senior year in high school. That was trigonometry. That was Hell. Every other answer I gave felt like a complete guess to me. But, of course, I had to take it. Shouldn't everyone know how to interpret the angle at which a kite is flying at? I mean, this is necessary information!! I HAVE BEEN ENRICHED WITH THE ESSENTIALS OF LIFE!!

Ow. Should not have done that. Forgot about my sore throat. But my sarcasm had to be expressed. It just had to. But, hey, I'm here for the long haul, so I gotta deal with it. In closing, I leave you all with another life-interpreting quote that will make you think mathematically for a change:

"It is a mathematical fact that fifty percent of all doctors graduate in the bottom half of their class." -Author Unknown

The Week of February 2nd

Good afternoon everyone. It's a beautiful, snowwy day outside...and I'm laying in bed. Yes, that's right, I'm not enjoying the great wintery outdoors. Perhaps it's because of my lethargy from pulling an all-nighter the other night for the free Denny's breakfast. Perhaps it is because I took a spill yesterday outside and strained some muscles in my leg. Whatever the case, I am here.

An update for everyone! As some of you may have noticed, I added a polling system. I'll be adding a new poll that will be up for a week straight and I will be tallying the votes within each new blog. So, I would LOVE it if you would participate! In addition, if you can give me reasons why you chose your answer in the comment section of my blog entries, I would love to talk with you about it!

Last poll had the question of what was your favorite Dr. Pepper flavor. Seeing as how many of you did not know I had the poll, I only received two tallies; one for original, and one for neither. Which goes to show you how divided we all are...in our soda decision-making.

Well anyways, it is about time I begin what I love to do most. I spoke with one of my classmates and blogging peers Cathrynne. She informed me of what boils HER egg (I did not charge her a trademarking fee). When she brought it up, I couldn't help but feel the exact same way. My eggs were steaming up like a tea kettle. So, to explain my above picture...


You know what really boils my egg?


Miley "Hannah Montana" Cyrus. It's about time someone knocks some sense into that bimbo's head. If you take a close look at the aforementioned picture, you will see a group of people around their Asian-American friend, and mocking his race. Now, here's the kicker. If you look at
the very center of the picture, you will see the teen sensation joining in on this "festive" occasion.

You gotta be kidding me, Miley. Won't you ever learn? Pictures always leak out to the public when you're a famous star. I know you want to live a normal teen life of just messing around, but you can't have both fame and freedom from the press. You should have learned that when you decided to take stupid self-photos of yourself being trampy. I empathize your need for freedom, but everything you choose comes at a price.

Not to mention this picture can be considered horribly offensive to many people. You went out of your way to use your fingers to make your eyes smaller. Now, given, I used to do this myself...when I was 6 and didn't know any better. What's your next picture going to be of, your face painted black? There is no such thing as harmless fun when it is attacking an entire race of people.

I didn't like you to begin with, Hannah Montana! Your show was not that humorous to me. Maybe Disney was trying to find like a young Reba McIntyre, with the southern twang and the poppish-countryish singing voice. But at least she had singing talent and some acting talent. Perhaps my eggs wouldn't be boiling as much if your merchandise was not found absolutely everywhere. You are literally found on everything, even things that should never have a face! "Oh, mommy! I need to have Hannah Montana's face on my socks/schoolbag/cereal/dryer sheets/guitar!" If anyone as ever said that last one, about the guitar, they should give up on music altogether. Immediately.

*deep breath* Sorry, my egg was at a full boil for a majority of this blog. But I'm collected now. However, Cathrynne and I decided that this is not nearly enough to attack her on. She will be attacking Miss Cyrus herself on her blog. I assure you, it will be worth the click! You can read it here at:


http://thegoodthebadandthefauxpas.blogspot.com/


So, my poll now has the new question of: What do you think of Miley "Hannah Montana" Cyrus? I would love for you to rant/rave of this in comment form to me! And, as always, I leave you all with a relatable quote:

"Fame and riches are fleeting. Stupidity is eternal." - Don Williams, Jr.

The Week of January 26th

Good morning, everyone. Unless it is not morning where you are. Otherwise, good day and good evening. I am sitting here at my desk at work, avoiding my usual workload and decided to spend more time to talk to you. My audience. With me is one of my closest friends. Some of you may know him as Mr. Pibb. Others call him Pibb Xtra. But around these parts, he is Dr Pepper. Which brings me to my entry for the day...

You know what really boils my egg?

Dr Pepper. This soda has been here the longest out of any of the other major soft drink brands. It is a very unique beverage. But it is too unique.

Well, Dr Pepper (if that IS your real title), answer me these questions: 23 Flavors? Are you kidding me? I taste only one at the moment! Given, it is delicious, but nevertheless I remain curious. What are these 23 flavors? And why are they not listed on their site? This blatant disregard for consumer curiosity really makes me steam.

In addition, what makes you a doctor? What are you in the field of, Pepper? Podiatry? Cardiology? Or are you in a field all to your own, known as "Delicious-ology"? ...Alright, so I made that last one up myself. But it would not surprise me if I was right.

You can sit here in all your glory, Dr Pepper. Enjoy being an enigma wrapped in a mystery, covered in a quandary. On the other hand, maybe that is what helps make you so delicious. Other soft drinks are told that they have a lemon and lime flavor. Still others claim to have a base of citrus. But you, you are among one of the unknowns. Many try to guess the 23 flavors. Perhaps they are close to being right. Then again, we may never know. So I will leave again with another quote:

"Without mysteries, life would be very dull indeed. What would be left to strive for if everything were known?" -Charles de Lint

*EDIT* So a nice young lad from class yesterday (who shall be known as...Chris Applegate) informed me of something fairly important. Apparently the Cadbury Schweppes company, who owns the rights for Dr Pepper, inform their employees of five of their "secret" flavors. In addition, the only way to find all of the flavors is that one could ask them if their guesses are correct. Unfortunately, they can only respond yes or no to the guess. Well, Cadbury Schweppes, it appears that you still hold all the cards. This still boils my egg, that you would give out a smidge of information! You can try to linger your grasp upon your mysteries, but the general public will prevail. We always prevail.

The Week of January 19th

Greetings! And welcome to my blog. Here you will see the random rants of a first-year college student of Eastern University. Although this is a class assignment, I will treat it more as a place where I can vent about anything and everything. So, without further ado...


You know what really boils my egg?


The inauguration! No, not the actual inauguration itself. I'm excited for our new president to come in and clean this mess up. I'm talking about the big deal made on Barack Hussein Obama's flub on the national oath.

"This country is going to Hell! Obama is in office now! AND he made our country look bad by messing up on our nation's oath!"

Please.

http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2009/01/20/1751351.aspx

Now, I know that MSNBC and Fox are rivaling news company with the battle of left vs. right, but MSNBC posted the transcript on their site to show it was equal fault.

What happened was plain and simple: President Obama (who was probably nervous as anything when he was up there) started to repeat the oath and messed up when he didn't immediately give his full name. And, in turn, Chief Justice Roberts messed up on the next line. You know what? They're human! Gasp!

Another thing: does it truly matter? He messed up on the words to an oath. We're still in economic trouble, still involved in a war, and still divided as a nation. It's time to drop the insignificant crap.

Well, that's my first barrage. I'll probably be attacking more unimportant things, but this REALLY boiled my egg. So, until next time, I leave you all with a quote:

"Character is like a tree and reputation like a shadow. The shadow is what we think of it; the tree is the real thing." - Abraham Lincoln