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[March 2nd 2010 07:39 PM] |
List of Unusual Deaths
Antiquity
* 430 BC: Empedocles, Pre-Socratic philosopher, secretly jumped into an active volcano (Mt. Etna). According to Diogenes Laërtius, this was to convince the people of his time that he had been taken up by the gods on Olympus.
* 401 BC: Mithridates, condemned for the murder of Cyrus the Younger, was executed by scaphism, surviving the insect torture 17 days.
* 272 BC: Pyrrhus of Epirus, the conqueror and source of the term pyrrhic victory, according to Plutarch died while fighting an urban battle in Argos when an old woman threw a roof tile at him, stunning him and allowing an Argive soldier to kill him.
* 270 BC: Philitas of Cos, Greek intellectual, is said by Athenaeus of Naucratis to have studied arguments and erroneous word-usage so intensely that he wasted away and starved to death. Alan Cameron speculates that Philitas died from a wasting disease which his contemporaries joked was caused by his pedantry.
* 207 BC: Chrysippus, a Greek stoic philosopher, is believed to have died of laughter after watching his drunk donkey attempt to eat figs.
* 162 BC: Eleazar Maccabeus was crushed to death at the Battle of Beth-zechariah by a War elephant that he believed to be carrying Seleucid King Antiochus V; charging into battle, Eleazar rushed underneath the elephant and thrust a spear into its belly, whereupon it fell dead on top of him.
* 53 BC: The Roman general and consul Marcus Licinius Crassus was reported as having been put to death by the Parthians after losing the battle of Carrhae, by being forced to drink a goblet of molten gold, symbolic of his great wealth. A much more likely scenario is that in which, following his death, the Parthian executioner(s) poured said 'molten gold' into his mouth as a message/symbol representing the perils of his 'great thirst for wealth.'
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| memories of happier times |
[August 31st 2007 06:26 PM] |
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mood |
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 peaceful |
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I've been looking over old pictures of my visit to Scotland. How I miss miss miss that country. Every second was a breath of fresh air, a new fascination, a friendly face. Never has my heart felt so at home. So comfortable. I belong there. And it's been nice to reminisce.
some pictures from that trip
-> mum outside Edinburgh castle <-
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| revived |
[August 21st 2007 11:01 PM] |
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| future lullabies |
[August 21st 2007 11:08 AM] |
preview: myspace//childs
download:  Childs - Yui
"Paúl Marrón and Guillermo Bátiz are the dynamic duo behind the epic electronic lullabies of Childs. Inspired by anime aesthetics, icelandic elfin pop, sounds from the shoegaze era in the early nineties and indie rock, this project (originated in 2001 in Ensenada, Mexico) have developed a strong cult following in their country. Their music stops short of being more than dream passages in a world full of pop opportunities, transcending simple trends of indie electronic music."
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| there is one addiction. |
[August 19th 2007 08:18 PM] |
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mood |
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 lonely |
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i like to keep the power and the heat.
THE BAIT.
by John Donne
Come live with me, and be my love,
And we will some new pleasures prove
Of golden sands, and crystal brooks,
With silken lines and silver hooks.
There will the river whisp'ring run
Warm'd by thy eyes, more than the sun ;
And there th' enamour'd fish will stay,
Begging themselves they may betray.
When thou wilt swim in that live bath,
Each fish, which every channel hath,
Will amorously to thee swim,
Gladder to catch thee, than thou him.
If thou, to be so seen, be'st loth,
By sun or moon, thou dark'nest both,
And if myself have leave to see,
I need not their light, having thee.
Let others freeze with angling reeds,
And cut their legs with shells and weeds,
Or treacherously poor fish beset,
With strangling snare, or windowy net.
Let coarse bold hands from slimy nest
The bedded fish in banks out-wrest ;
Or curious traitors, sleeve-silk flies,
Bewitch poor fishes' wand'ring eyes.
For thee, thou need'st no such deceit,
For thou thyself art thine own bait :
That fish, that is not catch'd thereby,
Alas ! is wiser far than I.
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| again |
[August 18th 2007 05:35 PM] |
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mood |
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 worried |
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We've just brought Pip home from the vet, after a 3 hour appointment of check ups and x-rays. Pip has pneumonia, fluid built up in his lungs. He may be fine, or may not. He also suffers with an ear infection, and a little infection on his neuter scar. I'm devastated, though I'm trying to think positive. We're to give him antibiotics twice a day, and ear drops, and another pill that should help him cough up the fluids. I hope he'll be ok, I'm so worried. I'm stressing out every time he doesn't eat, or if he hasn't drank. I watch to make sure he's breathing when he sleeps, and whenever he coughs during the night I wake up to pet him and tell him it's ok. I know I'm obsessing way too much over this dog, but I just began to fall in love with him and now there's this threat to his health. ugh! This whole summer has been one disappointment after another. I'm trying really hard to stay positive, but come on! cut me some slack world! damn.
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| state river widening |
[August 18th 2007 05:12 PM] |
cottonwood
lowlands
"Named after the title of a Chinese propaganda photo, London-based trio State River Widening comprises multi-instrumentalists David Sheppard and Keiron Phelan, along with drummer/percussionist Jon Steele.
SRW’s s hypnotic cycles of avant-rock melody seemed to chime with an audience then thrilling to similarly inclined practitioners such as Godspeed You! Black Emperor and Tortoise – though SRW’s sound was immediately identified as being very much their own.
Recorded between late 2003 and spring ‘04, the album, Cottonhead, was released at the end of October ’04 on a new label, Vertical Form. With strings, additional percussion and, on one track, the voice of reclusive ‘60s folk legend Anne Briggs, Cottonhead was SRW’s most artistically ambitious and sophisticated record to date."
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| and then a star sprang from the sea |
[August 17th 2007 03:18 PM] |
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mood |
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 happy |
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We brought home a puppy this morning! He is the smallest, gentlest little thing. We've named him Pippin, which seems to fit perfectly with his sprite-like personality. He's still getting used to our home, smelling everything, full of curiosity & excitement. He has a bit of a cough, but we have an appointment at the vet tomorrow for a check up. I hope he's alright. I couldn't bear to live through another puppy's illness. And he's too cute and cuddly!
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| drunken reveries |
[August 6th 2007 08:40 PM] |
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mood |
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 tired |
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Hung out with Brian last night and had waaayy too much wine. We had fun watching music videos and a documentary on Marion Davies, who I love now. Needless to say I've been useless today. I slept in until 1, woke up with a headache and had a smoothie. I've been spending the rest of the day watching documentaries on Egypt and life in Japan. It was relaxing, although I still feel like crap. I feel bad because I made plans to see a movie with Brian tonight at 7, but was still feeling horrible at 6 and couldn't go. It's ok though he flakes on me all the time. Now I'm watching Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations in China. It's making me want chinese food reeeal bad.
I found this painting last night, it reminds me of Jessica and I:
"A Dream of Fair Women" by Emma Florence Harrison
artmagick.com
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