Today’s High Yet Truly Morbid Fact!
Playwright Tennessee Williams died on February 24, 1983, after he choked on an eyedrop bottle cap in his room at the Hotel Elysee in New York. He would routinely place the cap in his mouth, lean back, and place his eyedrops in each eye. The police report, however, suggested his use of drugs and alcohol contributed to his death. Toxic drugs including barbiturates were found in the room, and Williams’ gag response may have been diminished by the effects of drugs and alcohol. As drugs were found in his hotel suite, it is definitely possible that Williams was high when the bottle cap ended up in his throat (and thus did not call 911 or run out of his hotel room calling for help).
Culled from: Wikipedia
Facts
Here’s an excellent creepy short film about an over-caffeinated driver who finds himself in an alternate reality.
Still Life
Thanks to gsteinma for the link.
Art
Here are some nice photos of an abandoned amusement park. I want to go!!!
Lincoln Park
Thanks to katchaya for the link.
Web
Okay, I’m a bit late for this year, but you can always stock up on these lovely Christmas cards for next year.
Tasteless Zombie Christmas Cards
Thanks to Sam for the link.
Trinkets
Today’s Slow Yet Truly Morbid Fact!
Ling Chi – execution by slow cutting – was practiced in China until it was outlawed in 1905. In the execution, the criminal is slowly cut in the arms, legs, and chest, until finally they are beheaded or stabbed in the heart. Many western accounts of the execution method are largely exaggerated, with some claiming that the execution could take days to perform.
One modern eyewitness report from Journalist and Politician Henry Norman, describes an execution thus:
“The criminal is fastened to a rough cross, and the executioner, armed with a sharp knife, begins by grasping handfuls from the fleshy parts of the body, such as the thighs and the breasts, and slicing them off. After this he removes the joints and the excrescences of the body one by one-the nose and ears, fingers and toes. Then the limbs are cut off piecemeal at the wrists and the ankles, the elbows and knees, the shoulders and hips. Finally, the victim is stabbed to the heart and his head cut off.”
Culled from: ListVerse.Com
Generously submitted by: Jason T.
I can think of few deaths that would be more horrible than this. And here’s a particularly gruesome image of the result of one such execution. Gimme the electric chair anyday!!!
Facts
Today’s Explosive Yet Truly Morbid Fact!
A chemistry student in Ukraine was found dead by his parents after half his head was blow off by a strange mixture of chewing gum and explosives. The disfigured remains of the 25-year-old student were discovered at his home in the city of Konotop in northern Ukrainian. Registered at the Kiev Polytechnic Institute, the young man was working at his computer late on Saturday night when the apparent explosion occurred. A loud pop had been heard from the man’s room. When his parents entered the bedroom, they discovered his lifeless body with the lower part of the young man’s head having been blown off. A post mortem procedure revealed that the student had been chewing gum which contained an unidentified chemical substance. The young man is believed to have developed the strange habit of dipping his chewing gum into citric acid. Police investigators discovered on the premises both packets of citric acid and a similar-looking chemical, understood to be some type of explosive substance on a nearby table. Police authorities now believe that the chemistry student simply mixed the two packets and chewed on a piece of gum which had been unknowingly covered with the explosive.
Culled from: WCJB.Co.UK
Is it sad that after reading this I am most fascinated that someone would dip chewing gum in citric acid? I want to know how that improves the gum chewing experience. Oh, the mysteries of life!
Facts
The Ontario Workplaces Safety & Insurance Board has created some delightfully gruesome advertisements. Wish we had ads like this here in the states…
Thanks to The Witch Aquarius for the link.
Ghastly!
Rotten.Com has some high quality images of the poor unfortunate abused remains of The Black Dahlia. It’s such a pity they never found the monster who did this.
The Black Dahlia
Ghastly!
Today’s Diminutive Yet Truly Morbid Fact!
The diminutive stinging tree has been called the most feared tree in Australia. It reaches about seven feet in height and produces tempting clusters of red fruit that resemble raspberries. Every inch is covered with fine silicon hairs that resemble peach fuzz and contain a virulent neurotoxin. Simply brushing up against the plant results in unbearable pain that may last up to a year. In some cases, the shock of the pain can be so great that it brings on a heart attack.
The hairs themselves are so tiny that they easily penetrate the skin and are almost impossible to pull out. The silicon does not break down in the bloodstream, and the toxin itself is surprisingly strong and stable. In fact, it remains active even in old, dry specimens of the plant. The pain can be reactivated for months afterward by extreme hot or cold, or simply by touching the skin. Even walking through the forest where stinging trees are present can pose a threat. The tree sheds its fine hairs constantly, and passersby run the risk of inhaling them or getting them in the eyes.
A soldier remembers being stung by the tree during his training in 1941. He fell right into the plant, coming into full body contact with it. He was tied to his hospital bed for three weeks in pure agony. Another officer was stung so badly that he committed suicide to get away from the pain. Humans are not the only ones affected–newspaper accounts from the nineteenth century include reports of horses dying from the sting. Anyone walking through the Australian rain forest would be well advised to keep an eye out for this plant. It can easily penetrate most kinds of protective clothing. A common treatment is the application of a hair removal wax strip, which will pull out the plant’s fine hairs along with your own. Experts recommend a shot of whisky before attempting this treatment.
Culled from: Wicked Plants: The Weed That Killed Lincoln’s Mother and Other Botanical Atrocities
Generously submitted by: Aimee
Rather a nondescript looking thing, isn’t it? You’d think the plant would at least have the decency to be bright red or something!
Facts
I’ve shared the site Custom Creature Taxidermy Arts before, but it’s so crazy that it deserves to be revisited frequently. Sarina Brewer is an artist and carcasses are her medium… and the results range from frightful to delightful, with all variations in between. I would like to personally remind everyone that Christmas is a time for giving, and I would like to receive nothing more than my very own flying monkey. Thank you.
Thanks to gsteinma for the link.
Trinkets
