The World's Wonders

The Hanging Gardens of Babylon, Pyramid of Giza, Statue of Zues at Olympia, Temple of Artemis at Ephesus, Mausoleum of Maussollos at Hallicarnassus, The Colossus of Rhodes, and The Lighthouse of Alexandria are the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World that we all know. Lately, however, there's ben a lot of talk to come up with a new list which you can find here. Last month this article was put on the Wall Street Journal website. It goes over some "missing wonders of the world" and if you click the first picture in the article it talks in depth about each one.

Banksy

For the past year or so I've been noticing more street art than usual around L.A. I was curious but tried to put it in the back of my mind. However I've finally figured out some of it's the work of Banksy, an English street artist who hit LA sometime in early 2006. The messages of his stencils are usually anti-war, anti-capitalist, anti-establishment or pro- freedom; while many of his usual subjects include rats, policemen, children, and soldiers. On wikipedia I found out that "In May 2005 Banksy's version of a primitive cave painting depicting a human figure hunting wildlife whilst pushing a shopping trolley was found hanging in the British Museum, London. Upon discovery, the museum added it to their permanent collection" ,which i pretty awesome if you ask me. Needless to say thanks to the books by Kirsten Miller I have a new found appreciation for street art.

some videos with more information:

Street Art

Who said chalk was just for kids?







The creator is Julian Beever, an English freelance performance artist who creates murals for companies. The technique he uses to create this amazing side walk art is called trompe-l'oeil" meaning to "trick the eye" in french. You can see more of his incredible artwork here. There's also a video showing just how he does it here

Black Widows

Black Widows. Most of us think of the nasty little black spider when we hear this. However, the women named after them can be quite a bit deadlier. I found this interesting article on Wikipedia concerning Giulia Toffana and her perfectly poisonous business.

Arsenic

The notoriously poisonous metalloid Arsenic or element # 33 on the Table of Elements was known as The Poison of Kings or "Inheritance Powder" during the Middle Ages and Renaissance because of its popularity as a murder weapon by the nobility. This was largely due to the fact that at the time it left no traceable elements in the body, and because it is a white, tasteless, and oderless powder that can easily be slipped into food. The first to prepare arsenic trioxide (the most common form used in murders) was an Arab Alchemist named Jabir in the 700s. Famous victims include Francesco I de Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany and his wife; George III of Great Britain; Charles Francis Hall; Huo Yaun Jia; Clare Boothe Luce (although hers was unintentional and she only became extremely sick); and Napolean Bonaparte(there is no proof that he was intentionally poisoned). Also chronic arsenic poisoning could be behind Monet's blindness, Cezanne's development of severe diabetes, and Van Gogh's neurological disorders as the element was used in the making of a pigment frequently used by Impressionist painters called Emerald Green. Other inadverdent poisonings include arsenic being used in medication(quack and real); as a cosmetic for Victorian women who used it to help them become paler, when mixed with vinegar and chalk; and used in the frosting on pastries during the Victorian Era to make them look better.
Common symptoms include violent stomach pains, vomiting, diarrhea, convulsions and cramps, clammy sweats, red eyes, lividity of the extremities, delirium, and finally death.