Devout Dolls

These morbidly interesting little creations are the work of Seattle based Sara Lanzillotta. She specializes in two headed headed dolls and animals, but is willing to do custom work. Many of her dolls have been featured in exhibits along the west coast and you can find some in select stores. My personal favorite is her Snow White. Her website is www.devoutdolls.com and you can find her Myspace here.

Mood Swings Anyone?

I dont really agree with any of the issues this paper runs but i admit that this is rather cool.

The Blue People of Troublesome Creek

On the news last week they ran a story about a man whose skin turned blue. Due to the overwhelming noise going on in the kitchen at the time I could not here the story properly nor could I find the article (I think the station was either MSNBC or CNN). Either way I did find this interesting story about a family that is known for inheriting the color due to intermarriage. The disorder is called methemoglobinemia which you can read more about here. There is also a brief article concerning the family here.

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.

Eglantine and Betony

Ever wanted to dress up Death from Sandman or look at what poisonous fey keep in their closet? Well now you can here. Eglantine and Betony is my personal favourite.

Vrykolakas

Many people usually think that vamps and werewolves are two completely different things, however its actually believed that the vampire myth grew out of the werewolf one. One thing's for sure, there definately has been a mixture of the two myths. In fact in Greece when American films are played in theaters the same word for werewolves is used for vampire. This word is Vrykolakas which is of Slavic origin. Many eastern countries and cultures have a variant of the word. The Greeks believed that a person could become a vrykolakas after death due to a sacrilegious way of life, excommunication, a burial in unconsecrated ground, or eating the meat of a sheep which had been wounded by a wolf or a werewolf. Some believed that a werewolf itself could become a powerful vampire after being killed, and would retain the wolf-like fangs, hairy palms, and the glowing eyes it formerly possessed.To the Balkans they were synonymous with vampires. They were always portrayed as harmful and in some cases brought about epidemics. One myth states that it "knocks on the doors of houses and call out the name of the residents. If it gets no reply the first time, it will pass without causing any harm. If someone does answer the door, he or she will die a few days later and become one. For this reason, there is a superstition present in certain Greek villages that one should not answer a door until the second knock." Another legend claims they sit on and suffocate a person as with a incubi. It could also only be destroyed on a Saturday(the only day the creatures would return to their coffins) and it could be done by exorcising it, impaling it, beheading it, cutting it into pieces, and especially cremating the suspected corpse. The last two statements also apply to a Bulgarian vampire.