...sulfur.

K, so I've been seeing this pastel yellow powdery stuff all over town. and of course i quoted my beloved Dean "...Sulfur." Except I dont know anyone who likes Supernatural.. so they think i'm crazy. these are pics the day after a rainstorm (hence the wonky line)

These photos were taken about 1km apart from each other. I went about 20km further (to go shopping) but i didn't think to look 4 it.. I was too busy lookin @ pretty things ;)

















ok so this is a close-up of the second pic. I was gonna take more but my friends wer startin 2 get freaked out. so i decided to take more when we went our separate ways.. then it startd rainin
..anyway.. 3's more'n enuf.
someone says it's just pollen. frickin realist.

Chapter 17: TV dependency

TV deserves a full chapter in my book i'm afraid... I need a healthy dose of TV everyday. I'm sure I can quit anytime I want.. but it just helps make my study so much more bearable. U c.. I don lyk wasting my time and studying is something I have 2 do and obviously it's easy 2 get distracted. Sooo... those unavoidable moments lacking concentration r filled with the joy of TV which brings my mind back 2 reality. What I think is that

Watching television kills off the weaker brain-cells, so you are left with the smart ones-- Survival of the Fittest. For this to be in full effect, study/do homework during the session to generate "media-retardant" brain cells.

it started out as a joke.. but i have lead myself 2 believe it.. heh.. this mite just have 2 go in Chapter 4 as well.. o well i'll get my editor 2 do that when i'm successful n rich.

I thot i'd start wi my 1st addiction:
FRIENDS
I have seasons 3,6,7,+8 on DVD and the rest on.. detarip.. I just find the show funny and familiar. It is not a stressing show~ kinda lyk easy-watching..
Quotes I like: [this will be updated~i'm just layin the groundwork]
Phoebe
"OK, I smell smoke. Maybe that's 'cause someone's pants are on fire."
Phoebe: Ok, Ross, could you just open your mind like this much, ok? Wasn't there a time when the brightest minds in the world believed that the world was flat? And, up until like what, 50 years ago, you all thought the atom was the smallest thing, until you split it open, and this like, whole mess of crap came out. Now, are you telling me that you are so unbelievably arrogant that you can't admit that there's a teeny tiny possibility that you could be wrong about this?
Ross: There might be, a teeny, tiny, possibility.
Phoebe: I can't believe you caved.
Ross: What?
Phoebe: You just abandoned your whole belief system. *Ross whimpers* I mean, before, I didn't agree with you, but at least I respected you. How, how, how are you going to go into work tomorrow? How, how are you going to face the other science guys? How are you going to face yourself? Oh! *Ross exits quickly* That was fun. So who's hungry?

Phoebe: No, no, Mr. Heckles no one is making any noise up here.
Mr. Heckles: You're disturbing my oboe practice.
Phoebe: You don't play the oboe!
Mr. Heckles: I could play the oboe!
Phoebe: Then I'm gonna have to ask you to keep it down.

Chandler
[of fusball table]" Your little men are gonna get scored on more times than your sister."
"Yes, it was very sad when the guy stopped drawing the deer."

Rachel
[after Ross saying the 'Mrs' box and 'Miss' box on forms r nx 2 each other] "Oh you know what? We absolutely can stay married, cuz i was under the impression that the boxes were far away from each other"

Ross
"PIVOT, PIVOT, PIVOT, PIVOT, PIVOT, PIVOT, PIVOT" followed by Chandler "Shut up, Shut up Shut uuuuuup!"
"Oh, I'll prove it! I'll prove it like a theorem!"

Monica
"Who's gonna be coming along in a what now!?"
[at tennis]:
-"Those birds are brown, basted and ready to be carved!"
-Chandler: You're not even giving them a chance!
Monica: They have rackets dont they?
"Groomsman, groomsman, why are you just standing there, where is your bridesmaid? (into microphone) We've got a broken arrow. Bridesmaid down!"
Monica: I can't believe you tried to cut me out. Why Phoebe, why?
Phoebe: It was right after we were living together and you were driving me crazy, okay? You were really controlling and compulsive and shrill.
Monica: I'm still all those things!

Joey
[on pyramids: 'it's white'] "Paper! Snow! A ghost!"x2
"One of the most important things in soap opera acting is reacting. This does not mean acting again."

Misc.
[on chiropractor]
Dr. Green: What do you need help for?
Rachel: With my alignment. I've got one leg shorter than the other.
Dr. Green (scoffing): Oh God!
Ross: Argue with that.
Rachel: What? It's true, my right leg is two inches shorter.
Dr. Green: Come on! You're just titling! Her legs are fine!
Ross: I know that!
Dr. Green: So, why do you let her go to a chiropractor for?
Rachel: I'm sorry, let her?
Ross: What can I do, she doesn't listen to me about renter's insurance either.
Dr. Green: Wait a minute, you don't have renter's insurance?
Rachel: No.
Dr. Green: But what if somebody steals something? How are you gonna run after him with one leg shorter than the other?

FRANZBLAU[gynecologist]: No, it's hard enough to get women to go out with me.
RACHEL: Right, yeah, I've heard that about cute doctors.
FRANZBLAU: No, no, really. I suppose it's because I spend so
much time, you know, where I do.
RACHEL: Oh.
FRANZBLAU: I try not to let my work affect my personal life, but
it's hard, when you do what I do. It's like uh...Well,
for instance, what do you do?
RACHEL: I'm a waitress.
FRANZBLAU: Ok, all right, well aren't there times when you come
home at the end of the day, and you're just like, if
I see one more cup of coffee...

And then, there's the new tumor~ just as big and rapidly growing:
SUPERNATURAL
In addition to the studs JP and JA struttin their stuff 40 mins every ep. (who r real believable as extreeemely loveable brothers), the show is filled with ass-kickin demon hunting~ like a mini Sci-fi Thriller movie every week... or wheneva i want on my comp.
this addiction has changed my desktop and filled my laptop so as there's only 5GBs left.
Awesome Quotes:[will be updated]
Sam
[dean asks what he dreamt abt]"Lollipops and candycanes."
['you didn't]"Oh, I did. :)"
"Wait, there's no such thing as unicorns? "

Dean
"MySpace. What the hell is that?"
[after cop finds his fake credit cards: 'you got anything that's real?'] "My boobs."
"That fabric softner teddy bear...oh im gonna hunt that little bitch down."
"'Don't be afraid of the dark,' what, are you kidding me? Of course you should be afraid of the dark, you know what's out there!"
"Let me know if you see any dead people, Haley Joel."
"Demons I get, people are crazy!"
[on shapeshifter who's taken his identity]"I want to find that handsome devil and kick the holy crap out of him!"
"They're just donuts. Not love."

Misc.
"You boys really screwed up this time"-Meg
"I'm so not in the mood for this. I've just been shot." -Meg
[on his mullet]"All business up front and party down back"-Ash

[extended]Chapter 6: a way with words

[this text should be read in a anti-Hamlet tone]

EXTENT REVENGE IS CENTRAL THEME IN HAMLET

The entire of Shakespeare’s revenge tragedy, Hamlet revolves around the task bestowed upon Hamlet by his ghost father, of revenge. This theme uses the central character as a stepping stone to become the central theme, and embodies the very seed which cultivates a life dedicated to revenge, withering when the avenger succeeds. The weed-like theme branches throughout the play, festering the world of Denmark and its inhabitants. Shakespeare uses Hamlet as a host of the parasite, revenge, with the development of this character caused by the degree of infestation increasing. The play, outlines Hamlet’s struggles to accomodate the effects of revenge until he is forced to yield.

We, along with Hamlet, are introduced to the concept of revenge in the last scene of Act One, after the presentation of the characters to be scathed by Hamlet’s revenge later on. These characters and their peaceful, albeit uneasy, atmosphere contrasts with the chaos and havoc wrought by this single task set upon the “heart of Denmark”, the prince Hamlet. In this scene, the angry Ghost of Hamlet’s father, who has been doomed to walk the earthly realms for the rest of eternity, fuels his celestially enlarged thirst for vengeance to “Revenge his foul and most unnatural murder” into the susceptible weak shell of his mourning son. Hamlet is obligated to satisfy this plea for his love, loyalty and honour towards his father, idolizing him in earlier scenes as a greek god “Hyperion”, thus deciding to let “the thoughts of love... sweep to my revenge.” He decides then to dedicate his life to revenge and “wipe away all trivial fond records” in order for “thy commandment all alone shall live”. However he is still reluctant to avenge so at the end of the scene he concludes that “the time is out of joint” due to the disruption of the natural order caused by Claudius’ regicide thus by punishing Claudius, he is cleansing the kingdom of Denmark. He amends the task set by the ghost to this noble "purging of evil" quest by commiting regicid, appointing himself with the role of Providence to justify his actions. This is a common step for avengers to take, as they feel as though they have been wronged and take it upon themselves to punish justly. He feels alone being the only one that knows Claudius, instead of being punished for his murder, gets a new wife, and becomes king; what he doesn’t realise is that he has unknowingly he has “tainted” his mind and let his “soul contrive” by analyzing the situation so much, entangling himself in a cesspool of pent-up anger that converts his “secondary” revenge into “primary” or personal vengeance. From this point on, the theme of revenge consumes the central character and hijacks the play in human form.

The common process through which popular characters who choose to take the path of revenge undergo, involves the exposing of the truth to invite the audience’s sympathy, but in this case Horatio too, is asked to inform the rest of the fictional world. From the end of Act One onwards, all of Hamlet’s actions reflect on the single thought in his mind, revenge. He isolates himself with the “antic disposition”, seemingly possessed with unaccountable mood swings where he “fell into a sadness, then into a fast, thence to a watch, thence into a weakness, thence to a lightness” as observed by characters around him. Claudius too, senses a peculiarity, calling on Hamlet’s friends Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to spy on him. Upon their reunion, we discover Hamlet’s new characteristics, in particular, vigilance and aggression. He continuously asks “Were you not sent for?” to give the pair a chance to confess and join him; he emphasizes that “If you love me, hold not off,” and they do confess, “My lord, we were sent for”. He feels as if he has been betrayed, even though he is forcing his friends to pick sides between the king’s orders and himself. This causes him to feel very alone in the world feeling as though he has “lost all” his “mirth”, replaced by the view, “man delights not me - no, nor woman neither,” a harbour of hate for the human race. The parasitic theme revenge has kicked in as he isolates himself, and elevates himself above others; a classic step for an avenger. It has extensively seeped into every part of Hamlet’s life and completely desecrated his mind, as he places the blame on and separates himself from his fellow humans, and whatsmore convinced himself that he is a higher being, Providence, possessing the right to be a mortal punisher, “prompted... by heaven and hell”. As this new “righteous” character emerges, he finally takes action against Claudius by manipulating the play to “catch the conscience of the King” and justify his revenge to come.

The true extent to which revenge is a central theme may not be evident at first, but with comparison to avengers such as the Count of Monte Cristo in the respective novel and Frank Castle in The Punisher who also take these very steps, its immense influence becomes obvious. In Hamlet itself, Shakespeare creates minor characters, Laertes and Fortinbras, that both seek revenge in unapproved methods. Laertes’ revenge differed as it was fuelled by passion with lack of thought, rushing in to kill the wrongly accused Claudius when it was Hamlet’s crime. Claudius integrates this passion with his own schemes booking in Hamlet’s death. I admired Laertes the most, because he was the only one in the end to resist the “contagion to this world” revenge, halting its extension when he forgives his antagonist calling him “noble Hamlet” and asking him to “exchange forgiveness with me”. Vengeance appears to have originated from Old Hamlet, as we observe the common link between Denmark’s atmosphere of revenge and Fortinbras; somehow revenge had spread all the way to Norway. To affect the main character so deeply with the domino effects of Laertes and Fortinbras which cause in-depth side stories, the central theme has definitely spread to the point that all the plots and characters are affected; ultimately causing so many deaths.

Revenge, however, is not the only main theme of the play; it merely influences the other themes to become the central theme. One main theme is corruption, or something “rotten in the state of Denmark”. Superficially, the corruption points to the regicide being crowned and his incest marriage with his brother’s widow. Although Claudius appears very corrupt, there is not enough information of Old Hamlet to condemn him. With so much revenge in the play, it is hard to believe Claudius’ act of regicide is not also an act of revenge. The “something” rotten, can be seen as the supernaturally amplified desires of vengeance waiting to spring upon many characters. Once entrusted to the central and publicly respected character, revenge was free to conquer any part of Denmark. Claudius remarks, “Revenge should have no bounds”, which was true. Because of Hamlet’s procrastination of “to be, or not to be” the symbiote grew to be a part of Hamlet; even he realised “Yet I have in me something dangerous”. Vengeance had rooted so deep into the play that restraint became hardly possible caused by true madness or loss of conscience, such as Hamlet’s rash, needless murder of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. Even upon reflection he doesn’t regret this, coldly saying “their defeat does by their own insinuation grow”, thus the success in purging Denmark of corruption meant the deaths of most of the characters. Similarly to a leg needing amputation, the theme revenge corrupted such a large portion of the play.

Hamlet uses the main character to portray the characteristics of revenge, essentially isolation, uncontrollability, recklessness and singlemindedness. Embodying the central character enabled it to wreak unlimited havoc and dominate the play. In Shakespearean times taking personal revenge against criminals, such as murderers, was much more respected than nowadays. This allowed Shakespeare to create a main character who is completely consumed and dedicated to his vengeance, willing to sacrifice all relations with friends and family. Even his seemingly close “friendship” with Horatio served purely to justify his revenge. Hamlet illustrates how tragic a life can become when the element revenge is present.