Imagine being suspended hundreds of feet in the air above hard rock or raging waters; all that is keeping you suspended in the air is a wooden board, a taut rope and your balance. You prepare yourself for disaster: if the rope gives way or if your foot slips then death seems inevitable; but in […]
Continue readingThe world is out to get you. That’s how I ended up feeling after compiling this list of horrifying, permanently scarring, eternally terrifying rare diseases. Genetic, infectious, parasitic and everything in-between, these 15 diseases scar their victims for life and scar us mentally having looked at them. 15. Blaschko’s Lines So, it turns out we […]
Continue readingSkin rashes are not pretty. Most skin rashes are characterized by red, swollen, crusty skin. Weeping sores, blisters, scarring, lesions, even skin ulcers are also commonly associated with skin rashes. Besides their unsightly appearance, skin rashes are extremely uncomfortable. The skin can burn and itch. Some skin rashes itch so severely the afflicted person cannot […]
Continue readingPeople around the world have been smoking marijuana for thousands of years while also using the hemp plant for everything from fabric and rope to ethanol fuel. Unfortunately, somewhere along the way, a man with a bit of power and enough determination decided pot was wicked, evil and narcotic. He moved mountains to make it […]
Continue readingWhen the dying tyrant Nero proclaimed on his death bed, “Oh, what an artist that perishes in me!” his remarks revealed more than just the arrogance of one of history’s darkest figures. They also exposed the almost immutable cultural connection between art and great suffering — between the artist and the sufferer. Here are our […]
Continue readingIn more repressed times, people were not always allowed to express themselves freely, for fear of persecution. Gossiping, criticizing the government or even talking about current events were often punishable by death. In order to communicate at will, clever rhymes were constructed and passed around to parody public figures and events. The first nursery rhymes […]
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