March, 2008

March 3, 2008

Today's Agonizing Yet Truly Morbid Fact!

Russian Czar Peter the Great (1672-1725) was forced by his mother into an arranged marriage to Eudoxia Lopukhina in 1689. The marriage was a failure, and ten years later Peter, desiring his freedom, forced Eudoxia to become a nun, saying that since she was now "a bride of Christ" she could no longer be his wife. After 18 years in the convent, Eudoxia, over 40 years old and a little worse for wear and tear after braving several Russian winters in a spartan convent cell, fell in love with an army captain by the name of Stepan Gelbov. They made no attempt to conceal their affair in the convent.

Peter the Great heard of the affair and achieved the sort of U-turn that only a psychopathic six-foot-five-inch czar could get away with. He announed that, even though he hadn't clapped eyes on Eudoxia for 18 years and had himself long since remarried, she had never legally ceased to be his wife, and her boyfriend was therefore guilty of adultery. To hammer the point home, the next day at precisely 3 p.m. a wooden stake was driven into Glebov's rectum. He lingered on in agony until the evening of the following day. Eudoxia escaped relatively lightly: she was ordered to be whipped by monks in front of the other nuns, then shipped off to an even more remote convent.

Culled from: Royal Babylon

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You're probably wondering where I've been, yet again? I was called off to the Old Country (ie. Catatonia) for a couple of weeks to assist with some DeSpair family affairs. I had thought I would have a reliable internet connection there, but the wiring isn't modern at the old Castle and I was left connectionless. I apologize for leaving you in the morbid lurch.

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Wretched Recommendations!

While in Catatonia, I finished reading the above quoted book "Royal Babylon" by Karl Shaw. At last my streak of sub-par morbid books has been broken! Shaw's book is an entertaining examination of Europe's notorious royal families in all their inbred, insane, sex-crazed, disease-ridden glory! How morbid is this book? Well, let's put it this way: when I read a book, I use book darts to mark spots where potential morbid facts can be found. This book almost single-handedly used up an entire container of book darts! Those royals are thoroughly entertaining, in their sickening, power-mad way. Highly recommended!

Royal Babylon
by Karl Shaw

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Morbid Trinket Du Jour!

I recently discovered that Thanatos.Net has a Flickr page - and on this page they have the most delightful toy in the history of civilization. Or very nearly so. Wouldn't you agree?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/thanatosdotnet/2278723250/

The entire Flickr page is well worth a browse, filled as it is with vintage medical and mortuary photographs. I drool with envy at this collection...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/thanatosdotnet/


March 4, 2008

Today's Neat Yet Truly Morbid Fact!

While working as a police officer for the British colonial government in Burma in 1926, George Orwell was forced to deal with an incident in which a domestic elephant went "rogue" and killed a man by stepping on him. Orwell describes the incident in his famous essay "Shooting an Elephant," noting that "The friction of the great beast's foot had stripped the skin from his back as neatly as one skins a rabbit."

Culled from: Wikipedia
Generously submitted by: Ben Z.

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Not-Really-All-That-Morbid-But-Really-Quite-Fascinating Link Du Jour!

Recently, I stumbled across the most marvelous website, and have wasted several hours perusing it since. It's not actually morbid, but I figured that the more nostalgic souls among us might find it as fascinating as I do. You see, greywater (I couldn't locate the webmaster's actual name on the site) has a splendid hobby: he purchases old cameras that still have film in them (or used rolls of film that have been removed from the cameras) and develops them, then he posts the results on his site. What emerges is a sort of time capsule reflecting everyday lives that were documented decades ago, then left to linger in a camera until finally liberated and displayed. The photographs are fascinating; the captions alternatingly poignant or hysterical.

I can't help but stop and wonder about the people displayed, and whether they are still alive, and what the pictures represent. Perhaps you'd like to join in the fun? And, who knows, maybe if we keep passing the link on eventually someone will recognize a face in one of these shots?

Lost Films

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Morbid Lyric Du Jour!

Peacemaster1278 sends a morbid lyric suggestion:

"The band Mudvayne has made a song about the known serial killer Ed Gein. The song is called 'Nothing To Gein'."

Mudvayne - Nothing To Gein

Cold and silent, soiled face I will wash it all away,
With my love,
That's all she's ever needed, from me
It's my time, to mother,
One of my own in my life,
I am so alone, left with no one
In my life, I'm so alone

Life submissiveness,
Hypnotizing the ignorant a little boy's best friend's always his
mother,
At least that's what she said,
Life of a simple man,
Taught that everyone else is dirty,
And their love is meaningless,
I'm just a soiled dirty boy,
I'm just a soiled dirty boy,

Sheltered life innocence,
Insulated memories, spark reflections of my head,
Duality in my consciousness,
Caught in the war of hemispheres,
Between the love lost in my head,
Mommy do you still live inside of me,
I'm so lost in my life without any guiding,
Protected me my whole life from everything,
Nailed shut the doors to the shrine,
To screen your dead eyes from me and my sickness,
Mutilate and sew my new clothes for masquerading,
Aprons of flesh corpse scalped hair with skin upon my face,

Deliver the remains from her womb of earth,
Prep the rack and tie up for new love's rebirth,
Covert understanding of novice surgery,
I'll focus concentration and only take just what I need
For sickness I'm masticating,
Dancing and masturbating,
Celebrate in fields of night with skin upon my face

If I soak my hands in others blood am I sick,
If I wash my hands in others blood am I sick,
If I drench myself in others blood am I sick,
If I bathe myself in others blood

Blame mother for the sickness,
Mutilate and sew my new clothes for masquerading,
Aprons of flesh corpse scalped hair with skin upon my face,
Dance and masturbate in night light by myself..

Nothing is left for me to gain they're coming to take me far
away,

Life of a simple man taught that everyone else is dirty and love is
meaningless
I'm so soiled
Soiled


March 5, 2008

Today's Tremendous Yet Truly Morbid Fact!

During a storm on June 26, 1807, a lightning bolt struck a gunpowder magazine in the fortress at Luxembourg, touching off a tremendous explosion. The blast wrecked part of the city of Luxembourg and killed 230 people.

Culled from: The Pessimist's Guide To History

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I've been slowly but surely adding more morbid sightseeing photographs to the new Flickr group, and so have others. Won't you stop by and have a look?

http://www.flickr.com/groups/morbidsightseeing/

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Grim Gaming!

Einstein Shrugged sends a link to an online RPG called "Super Columbine Massacre":

"The graphics are pretty pisspoor but hey, it's the thought that counts, right?"

From the site:

"Super Columbine Massacre RPG!" is a FREE Role Playing Game (RPG) for your PC devoid of malware, spyware or other junk.

"DESCRIPTION: This game delves into the morning of April 20th, 1999 and asks players to relive that day through the eyes of Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, those responsible for the deadliest school shooting in American history.

"MINIMUM SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS: Windows 98SE, 2000, ME, or XP, 233mhz processor, 128mb RAM, 50mb disk space, soundcard. WINDOWS USERS ONLY.

"A WORD TO THE WISE: Save your game whenever possible and explore! This game is intended to deepen the understanding of the shooting and its possible causes. What the player takes out of it is ultimately dependant upon what the player puts into it."

http://www.columbinegame.com/

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Ghastly!

You're probably aware that Phil Spector's murder trial ended up in a mistrial, and he will probably end up being retried later this year. But have you seen the evidence photos of his victim... er, rather, the victim... Lana Clarkson? Now you can say yes:

http://www.jamd.com/image/g/74588333?epmid=1

Thanks to rjgord for the link.


March 8, 2008

Today's Awful Yet Truly Morbid Fact!

Neighbors of Timothy Shepherd thought it was odd he should spend 48 hours barbecuing foul-smelling meat on two outdoor grills, especially while distraught over the loss of his girlfriend to another man. The unpalatable truth has emerged with the conclusion of a murder investigation this week: police say he strangled the woman, butchered her at home, then disposed of the evidence by grilling her remains. Mr Shepherd, 27, met Tynesha Stewart, 19, while they were working at a Pizza Hut in Houston, Texas. The relationship was difficult from the beginning. He left Ms Stewart for the mother of his young daughter, then reunited with his former co-worker at Christmas, only for the relationship to fail again when Ms Stewart went to college. That was when Mr Shepherd became jealous - checking up on her, becoming suspicious of her male friends and following her around in his car. Eventually Ms Stewart met another man. She was last seen alive on March 15. Police claim Mr Shepherd killed her, and that on March 16, in a panic over how to get rid of the body, he decided to barbecue it. For two days, neighbors complained of black smoke, leaping flames and an awful smell coming from his second-floor balcony. After first focusing on a rubbish dump where it was thought he had disposed of the body, police finally put two and two together.

Culled from: News.Com.Au via the Los Angeles Times
Generously submitted by: Remo

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Ghastly!

The next time you're feeling down on yourself and thinking what a wretched mess your life has become, click on this link and you'll realize that things could always be worse...

http://www.reuters.com/news/video/videoStory?videoId=64240

Thanks to Faith for the link.

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Morbid Lyric Du Jour!

Peacemaster1278 sends a morbid lyric suggestion:

"Sufjan Stevens has made a song about serial killer John Wayne Gacy."

John Wayne Gacy, Jr.

His father was a drinker
And his mother cried in bed
Folding John Wayne's t-shirts
When the swingset hit his head
The neighbors they adored him
For his humor and his conversation
Look underneath the house there
Find the few living things, rotting fast, in their sleep
Oh, the dead

Twenty-seven people
Even more, they were boys
With their cars, summer jobs
Oh my God

Are you one of them?

He dressed up like a clown for them
With his face paint white and red
And on his best behavior
In a dark room on the bed
He kissed them all
He'd kill ten thousand people
With a sleight of his hand
Running far, running fast to the dead
He took off all their clothes for them
He put a cloth on their lips
Quiet hands, quiet kiss on the mouth

And in my best behavior
I am really just like him
Look beneath the floor boards
For the secrets I have hid


March 9, 2008

Today's Humorous Yet Truly Morbid Fact!

Nineteenth-century humorist, Thomas Hood, watched the application of a mustard plaster to his foot just before his death in 1845. His last words are reported to be, "There's very little meat for the mustard."

Culled from: Death: A History Of Man's Obsessions and Fears

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Morbid Mirth Du Jour!

Perhaps you've already heard that Perry Bible Fellowship, one of the best comics available on the net, is going into semi-retirement? Luckily, Nicholas Gurewitch isn't scrapping the comic entirely, just slowing down his output. Star Opal sent me some suggestions for past entries to feature in tribute to a wonderful collection.

The Great Circle

One More Day

Scorpy The Forest Friend

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Cold Off The Slab!

Here's a newly-released book written by a friend of the Asylum Eclectica that sounds like a must-read for those of you interested in the morbid history of California!

California Justice: Shootouts, Lynching and Assassinations in the Golden State
by David Kulczyk

Here's the description:

When it comes to Hollywood movie shootouts, lynchings, and assassinations the storyline almost always follows the same arc:

--the bad guys abuse the good guys,
--the good guys take the high road until the bad guy has gone too far, or,
--the good guys pick off the bad guys, one by one, in an increasingly dramatic fashion.


But, in reality, justice--especially California justice--is never so black and white. Sometimes it is difficult to tell the victims from the perpetrators.
From the Oregon border to the Mexican Border; from an 1850 Squatter's Riot to a bloody 2003 confrontation at a Ukiah Wal-Mart, David Kulczyk probes California's most notorious shootouts, lynchings, and assassinations--always leaving the final judgement to the reader.


March 12, 2008

Today's Stubborn Yet Truly Morbid Fact!

While conducting the hymnal Te Deum for French King Louis XIV in 1687, Jean-Baptiste Lully was so focused in keeping the rhythm by banging a staff against the floor (this was the method before conductor’s baton came into use), that he struck his toe hard but refused to stop. The toe developed an abscess, which later turned gangrenous, but Lully refused to have it amputated. The gangrene spread and killed the stubborn musician. Ironically, the hymn he was conducting was in celebration of the recovery of Louis XIV from an illness.

Culled from: Neatorama
Generously submitted by: Bex

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Morbid Art Du Jour!

Here are some absolutely gorgeous photographs from the Opacity website of an interesting old castle called Château de Mesen.

http://www.opacity.us/gallery137_break.htm

Thanks to Cathy for the link.

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Morbid Link Du Jour!

Meg-O sent me a link to an incredible website called "Project Facade" which uncovers the stories of men who were severely disfigured during World War I. The case studies are compelling and some of the photographs of the groundbreaking reconstructive surgeries are cringe-inducing. In other words, what are you waiting for???

http://www.projectfacade.com/


March 17, 2008

Today's Freaked Out Yet Truly Morbid Fact!

On May 18, 2007, after spending the night smoking pot and having sex with a prostitute, a 39-year-old Lake City, Washington man decided he was going to get a beer. Sounds like a wild way to start the weekend. Little did he know he'd end up digging a hole in his backyard to bury a body. A
ccording to the police report, the woman stayed behind at the man's apartment to take a bath while the man walked to a nearby 7-Eleven,
returning home 20 minutes later. The man noticed his bathroom door was still closed. He waited another 15 minutes before venturing in. Upon entering the bathroom, the man found the lifeless body of the
47-year-old prostitute. In a panic, he shook her and slapped her but got no response. Then he really freaked out.

The time line the man provided is fuzzy in the report, but he told police he stayed in his apartment for the next three days, drinking and contemplating what to do with the dead prostitute's body. At one point, he climbed out the window of his apartment and began digging a hole. Perhaps due to some epiphany or newfound respect for the woman, the man decided he was "doing the wrong thing," so he clambered back inside and filled his bathtub with cold water. He placed the woman's body in the tub to prevent her from decomposing.

The despondent man walked back to the 7-Eleven, where he called his boss from a pay phone. The next morning, the man and his boss called the police and the medical examiner retrieved the waterlogged body. A
toxicology report is pending - but it doesn't look like foul play.
According to SPD spokeswoman Renee Witt, "failure to report a death" is a misdemeanor in Washington State. However, police are holding off on
charging the man because, Witt says, "Why add insult to injury? He admitted he picked up a prostitute [and] this woman ultimately died. At that time, it wasn't appropriate or prudent for the officers to... make an arrest or file charges." Witt says that the man wasn't charged with soliciting a prostitute because "it was kind of after the fact. A lot of misdemeanors we have to see happen."

What could possibly possess a sane person to keep a body in his home for days? According to Witt, "It sounds like... he was afraid and didn't know what to do and didn't have anyone to call. There may have been some
communication barriers.
In 14 years of police work, I don't think I've ever heard of anything like this," Witt says.

Culled from: The Stranger
Generously submitted by: Bruce T.

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As Bruce said, Worst Date Ever!!

I'm just about caught up with my horrible February/March workload that has taken me away from you so much. I do apologize for being such a wayward Comtesse. My photography obsession of late hasn't helped much either... which brings me to...

The Camera DeMentia!

As I have discussed recently, my primary 2008 obsession is with photography, mainly classic cameras such as old Brownies and other box cameras and the Holga. I've been taking tons of pictures, with varied results, and honing my skills so that I can start photographing some morbid sightseeing spots in the near future. For a very long time I've been planning on putting up a photo gallery called "The Camera DeMentia" but it occurred to me that it might be more entertaining and satisfying to have a photo blog instead of just a gallery. So, I went ahead and started a blog version of The Camera DeMentia on blogger and I'll be updating it frequently with both new and old images over the next few weeks. The images aren't necessarily all morbid - in fact, most of what I've shot lately isn't - but hopefully those of you interested in photography will find something of interest. And please don't hesitate to send any words of criticism or support regarding the images.

http://cameradementia.blogspot.com/

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Morbid Sightseeing!

Okay, you know you're in the scary part of the south when you find a Coon Dog Cemetery. And they don't mean just the breed of dog known as a "coon dog" - they mean dogs that actually chase raccoons so they can be killed. Yes, it's a very frightening world out there. I don't know if I'd ever have the courage to venture into such a southern gothic realm as the Key Underwood Coon Dog Cemetery, but if you ever do - please tell me all about it!

http://www.coondogcemetery.com/index.html

Thanks to Libby for the suggestion.


March 19, 2008

Today's Pressing Yet Truly Morbid Fact!

"Pressing to Plead" was a torture procedure used in England until the late 18th century. When an accused was brought to trial, the law required him to plead "guilty" or "not guilty" before the case could be heard. Some persons, however, accused of capital crimes, realizing that if they were found guilty all their property could be seized and their wife and family left destitute, refused to plead. In his "Survey of London" (1720), John Stow gave this description:

"The criminal is sent back to the prison whence he came, and there laid in some dark room, upon the bare ground on his back, all naked, except his privy parts, his arms and legs drawn with cords fastened to several parts of the room; and then there is laid on his body, iron, stone, or lead, so much as he can bear; the next day he shall have three morsels of barley bread, without drink; and the third day shall have to drink some of the kennel water with bread. And this method is in strictness to be observed until he is dead."

This torture often succeeded in persuading the victim to plead and stand trial. [Gee, you think? - DeSpair] In 1726, for instance, a murderer named Burnworth endured a mass of some 450 pounds for nearly two hours before he begged to be released; he pleaded, was found guilty, and hanged.

Culled from: The History Of Torture

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Morbid Lyric Du Jour!

Nina has a morbid lyric to share:

"Suicidal Tendencies: They were somewhat popular (more so with skate rats and punkers). Here is one of their lovelier songs."

I Saw Your Mommy

Yesterday, as I went out of the house
I saw a body lying down quiet as a mouse
Lying face down in the sewer
I got up closer and realized that I knew her
All her organs coming from her inside
Slashed up skin sliced up hide
Turned her over and saw the tire tracks on her head
That's when I realized she was dead
I saw your mommy and your mommy's dead
I saw your mommy and your mommy's dead

Twisted body chopped off feet
Her body was minced meat
Bugs crawling on her arms
She's dead, can't do no harm
Gnarled up legs, broken and bent
Her last breath has been spent

I saw your mommy and your mommy's dead
I watched her as she bled
Chewed off toes on her chopped off feet
I took a picture cause I thought it was neat
But the thing I like seeing the best
Was the rodents using her hair as a nest
I saw your mommy and your mommy's dead
I saw your mommy and your mommy's dead

I saw your mommy and your mommy's dead
I saw her lying in a pool of red
I think it's the greatest thing I'll ever see
Your dead mommy lying in front of me
I'll always remember her lying dead on the floor
I hope she dies twenty times more
I saw your mommy and your mommy is dead
I saw your mommy and your mommy is dead

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Morbid Link Du Jour!

Otis Archives - a Flickr profile that consists of "favorite" photos uploaded by the staff of the Otis Historical Archives of the National Museum of Health and Medicine, in Washington DC - has uploaded a few good morbid images recently. I was particularly moved by the Civil War image entitled, "Shell Wound of the face, with great destruction of the soft parts."

http://www.flickr.com/photos/22719239@N04/2342453933/

The entire archive can be browsed here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/22719239@N04/


March 23, 2008

Today's Stuck Yet Truly Morbid Fact!

A man should be charged for allowing his girlfriend to sit on their toilet so long that her body became stuck to the seat, the sheriff said Thursday, March 13, 2008. Ness County, Kansas Sheriff Bryan Whipple was among authorities who discovered the woman last month living in the bathroom of a mobile home she shared with her boyfriend, Kory McFarren. "The house was cluttered but not in shambles," he said. "The smell was overpowering — a terrible smell about the house, obviously coming from where she was at." McFarren, 36, told police his girlfriend, Pam Babcock, 35, had a phobia about leaving the bathroom and may not have left the bathroom in two years, although he's unsure how long she was in there. He said during that time, he brought her food, water, and clean clothes. "The only thing I am guilty of is I didn't get her help sooner," he said. The sheriff said that judging by the woman's condition — she had open sores on which the toilet seat would stick — it appeared she likely sat on the toilet continually for at least a month. "She would have to be sleeping on the toilet," the sheriff said. Whipple asked the county attorney to charge McFarren for mistreatment of a dependent adult. "The unfortunate thing is this truly is a case of two people, in my opinion, with diminished mental capacity," Whipple said. McFarren, who works at an antique store, said he has been taking care of Babcock for the 16 years they have lived together. He insisted that he tried to coax her out of the bathroom every day. The home has a second bathroom. McFarren said he finally called police Feb. 27 after he became worried because Babcock was acting groggy, as if she didn't know what was going on around her. What emergency responders found when they entered the bathroom has left many in the town of about 1,500 people buzzing and authorities incredulous. Whipple said the seat was taken off the toilet so the woman could be transported to the hospital for treatment. Doctors at the Wichita hospital told the boyfriend an infection in her legs has damaged her nerves and may leave her in a wheelchair, he said.

Culled from: The Associated Press
Generously submitted by: Katchaya

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Where does one even begin with a story like this? This is even stranger than the woman who was fused to the couch. I mean, at least the couch is a comfy place to sit and you can always watch TV in the living room. What on earth did this woman do during her waking hours? Mindboggling...

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Morbid Candy Du Jour!

We knew it was only a matter of time...

"Totally gross! You know what we're talking about. You've skinned your elbow while crashing your bicycle getting extreme over a gnarly jump in your neighborhood. You cry to your mommy and she gently places a bandage over the bloody spot. Two days later, you peel back the bandage to re-assess the damage. That same spot is now oozy in the middle and crusty at the edges! SO NASTY! You know you want to lick that puss spot.... don't deny it.... and now you can.... with Candy Scabs!"

http://www.candywarehouse.com/candyscabs.html

Thanks to Christina for the link.

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Morbid Video Du Jour!

Steve O' sent me a link to an interesting video that shows a recreation of the waterboarding "interrogation" technique that is so near and dear to the Bush administration's heart. Funny, but it sure looks like torture to me...

http://www.blah3.com/article.php?story=20061031210550124


March 24, 2008

Today's Remorseless Yet Truly Morbid Fact!

James Carl Lee Davis was executed on September 9, 1997 in Texas by lethal injection for beating to death three children with a lead pipe. When police first arrested him at age 16 for burglarizing a neighbor's home, Davis told them that his name was "Mr. Mean," and that killing people was his hobby. He never expressed any remorse for his crimes, but during prison interviews he freely offered his social commentary on various issues. On dying he said, "I'll be alright. If there is a way to come back, I'll be like Freddy Krueger to somebody." His personal motto was, "I always say, if I come back as a ghost, I won't be no Casper." His last meal: steaks, eggs over easy, toast with punch.

Culled from: Last Suppers: Famous Final Meals From Death Row

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Wretched Recommendations!

Roy has a fiction recommendation for us:

The House
by Edward Lee

"[The Pig] is one of the sickest stories I have ever read. You will not be disappointed..."

Here's the synopsis of "The Pig" (which is included in The House) from the Necro Publications website:

"You know, the traditional tale of a man with big city dreams and how one wrong deal can put you in the woods filming porn with junkie whores, sexual freaks, psycho mobsters and, oh yeah...a pig."

Sounds, er, intriguing.

More Fiction recommendations can be found at The Library Eclectica's Frightening Fiction aisle.

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Morbid Link Du Jour!

em sends a link for the strong of stomach:

"I found a link I think you might be interested in. Well, if you like gross medical stuff described by the people who know this stuff best: nurses. Basically, the thread is "What freaks you out?" You can tell where it will go from there. It's fairly old; the newest post is from '05, I think. But it went on for a few years. Some of the posts are funny, some a little sad, and all are pretty disgusting. Some are EXTREMELY disgusting. I just read one that I'm having a hard time putting out of my head."

http://allnurses.com/forums/f8/what-freaks-you-out-2717.html


March 25, 2008

Today's Sunk Yet Truly Morbid Fact!

K-141 Kursk was a Russian nuclear cruise missile submarine which was lost with all hands when it sank in the Barents Sea on August 12, 2000. She was launched in 1994 and formally commissioned in December of that year. Kursk was the last of the large Oscar-II class submarines to be designed and approved in the Soviet era. At 155 metres in length, and four stories high, it was the largest attack submarine ever built. The Kursk sailed out to sea to perform an exercise of firing dummy torpedoes at Pyotr Velikiy, a Kirov class battlecruiser. On August 12, 2000 at 11:28 local time (07:28 UTC), the torpedoes were fired, but an explosion occurred soon after on Kursk. The only credible report to-date is that this was due to the failure and explosion of one of Kursk's new/developmental torpedoes. The chemical explosion blasted with the force of 100-250 kg of TNT and registered 2.2 on the Richter scale. The submarine sank to a depth of 108 metres, approximately 135km (85 miles) off Severomorsk. A second explosion 135 seconds after the initial event measured between 3.5 and 4.4 on the Richter scale, equivalent to 3-7 tons of TNT. Either this explosion or the earlier one propelled large pieces of debris far back through the submarine. Though a rescue attempt was made by British and Norwegian teams, all sailors and officers aboard the Kursk perished.

Notes were found on the body of Captain Lieutenant Dimitry Kolesnikov, one of the survivors of the initial event. These show that a total of 23 sailors (out of 118 aboard) survived in compartment #9, the aft-most compartment on the boat, for hours after the blasts. There has been much debate over how long the sailors might have survived. Some, particularly on the Russian side, say that they would have died very quickly; water is known to leak into a stationary Oscar-II craft through the propeller shafts and at 100m depth it would have been impossible to plug these. Others point out that the many potassium superoxide chemical cartridges, used to absorb carbon dioxide and chemically release oxygen to enable survival, were found used when the craft was recovered, suggesting that they had survived for several days.

Ironically, these cartridges appear to have been the cause of death; a sailor appears to have accidentally brought a cartridge in contact with the sea water, causing a chemical reaction and a flash fire. The official investigation into the disaster showed that some men appeared to have survived the fire by plunging under the water (the fire marks on the walls indicate the water was at waist level in the lower area at this time). However the fire rapidly used up the remaining oxygen in the air, causing death by asphyxiation.

Kursk was eventually raised by a Dutch team using the barge Giant 4, and all 118 dead were recovered and laid to rest in Russia. However 3 of the bodies were too badly mutilated by the first blast and subsequent fires to be positively identified. The heat generated by the first blast detonated the warheads on 4 torpedoes causing a series of subsequent blasts that were massive enough to be detected on geological seismic sensors in the area. These secondary explosions were the cause of the fatal damage to the vessel.

Culled from: Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_submarine_Kursk

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Here are some photographs of the Kursk after it was raised:

http://www.militaryphotos.net/forums/showthread.php?t=111350

And here is the official "lifting of the Kursk" website:

http://kursk.strana.ru/english/

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Morbid Mirth Du Jour!

Apparently, I need to beware of cannibals because I'm a juicy morsel: I could feed 12 of them! Yes, it's definitely time to go on a diet. So, how many cannibals can you feed?

http://www.oneplusyou.com/q/v/cannibal_lunch

Thanks to TwistedPrincess69 for the link.

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Morbid Must Have!

Now, here's a book I must add to my wish list immediately! Thanks to Shifter for sending the link my way.

Infernal Device: Machinery of Torture and Execution
by Erik Ruhling

Here's the Amazon description:

"Erik Ruhling assembles an unmatched array of torture tools invented exclusively for the infliction of pain and the ending of life, each carefully researched with an accompanying full-color, highly detailed rendering. This beautifully presented book features classics like the Iron Maiden and the Guillotine, as well as more rarified connoisseur's fare such as the Scavenger's Daughter and the Ear Chopper. And if the Tongue Tearer is not to your taste, there's always the Breast Ripper or the Drunkard's Cloak."

And while we're on the topic, here are more selections from the Execution & Torture Aisle of The Library Eclectica.


March 26, 2008

Today's Unwed Yet Truly Morbid Fact!

Between 1576 and 1617, nineteen women in Germany were subjected to the following brutal routine: an unwed mother, suspected of killing her newborn, was arrested, brought to the prison in chains, and her breasts were examined for milk. The midwife was then dispatched to find the baby's body, which was brought back to the mother, no matter how long it may have been dead, to shock her into confessing. Once the mother confessed she was either drowned or beheaded.

Culled from: Witchcraze

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I added some new photos to the Morbid Sightseeing Flickr Group, including photos of one of the Zodiac Killer murder sites in San Francisco, the Golden Gate bridge, and Bumpass Hell. Others have also added some great pics as well. Please have a browse and consider adding some of your own shots to the mix!

http://www.flickr.com/groups/morbidsightseeing/

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Morbid Candy Du Jour!

Oh, I'm so annoyed with myself that I didn't come across this in my inbox prior to Valentine's Day - but I figure you can still appreciate them at any time of the year. The wonderful Despair, Inc. has come out with an excellent collection of anti-Valentine's heart candies: the Dejected, Dysfunctional, and Dumped collections of Bittersweets. Many of them had me laughing out loud - perhaps you might enjoy them as well?

http://despair.com/bittersweets.html

Thanks to Alastair for the link.

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Morbid Trinket Du Jour!

The portrait coffin pendants offered by Devil & Mouse are quite nice. I'll take a Lizzie Borden necklace, please!

http://devilandmouse.com/piratesdemons.html

The Dead Teddy pendant is nice as well:

http://devilandmouse.com/cute.html

Thanks to Cathy for the link.


March 31, 2008

Today's Undigested Yet Truly Morbid Fact!

King Adolf Frederick of Sweden loved to eat and died from it too! The "King Who Ate Himself to Death" died in 1771 at the age of 61 from a digestive problem after eating a giant meal consisting of lobster, caviar, sauerkraut, cabbage soup, smoked herring, champagne and 14 servings of his favorite dessert: semla, a bun filled with marzipan and milk.

Culled from: Neatorama
Generously submitted by: Bex

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Ugh... I feel ill just reading the description of that meal!

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Pop Music???

So, every now and again something very uncharacteristic and strange happens to me and I find myself obsessed with a piece of pop music. Recently, it has happened with a Swedish singer called Robyn, who by all logic should represent that vacant world of manufactured pop dross that I find appalling. However, there is something strangely appealing about Robyn that I can't seem to shake. I am especially obsessed with two rather melancholy songs that I thought I'd share. She's not well-known (yet) in America so I figured these might be new to you, and maybe you might find this strange androgynous creature as appealing as I do.

The first song I wanted to share is a collaboration with Swedish producer Christian Falk and The Ark singer Ola Salo called "Dream On". The lyrics to this song are perfectly double-edged. Is it a positive, uplifting song about outsiders finding the peace and solace that they've always dreamed about, or is it a song about outsiders searching for a peace and solace that will only come in dreams and never in real life? The video creeps me out too - especially the second verse where the actress (that's not Robyn) stops singing and looks like she's going to throw up. Creepy stuff... to me, anyway.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-rjY_vie0lM

The second song, "With Every Heartbeat," is an awesome melancholy song about breaking up. Okay, so there are tons of those, but this is a particularly GOOD one.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VB9vqCIviMk

Hope you enjoyed them... and if not, well, then my girlfriend wants to give you a high five.

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Wretched Recommendations!

Red Chaotic Kitten has a video recommendation:

"I recently watched Decoding the Past: In Search Of The Real Frankenstein on the History Channel. It is a fascinating study of Galvanism and the effect of electricty on the dead. It describes the many experiments done on corpses with electric probes in order to reanimate the body. In 1600's it was believed that such practices could bring some one back from the grave. I especially enjoyed the section where it reenacts experiments on one particular corpse of a convict sentenced to death. Electric probes were placed in certain areas that made the lungs collapse and expand as if the dead man was breathing. When the probes were placed on the forehead his face contorted as if the deceased was in pain, writhing in agony from the grueling procedure that were being preformed. If you want a great look into history on what is presumed to be the basis for Mary Shelley's timeless classic Frankenstein you should definitely check it out. I am not sure when it's next show time is but I know you can purchase it. It is worth a watch and a great edition to any collection."

http://store.aetv.com/html/product/index.jhtml?id=76844

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Morbid Mirth Du Jour!

Apparently, our late beloved Master Of The Macabre, Edward Gorey, was a bit of a Star Trek fan but a 1977-era newspaper clipping stated that he had yet to see "The Trouble With Tribbles". An imaginative (and artistic) fan images what might have been...

http://shaenon.livejournal.com/48834.html#cutid1

Thanks to Rhiannon for the link.




Vulgarities...