NHL Bloggers, hurricanes, morbid gifts, the BLACK DAHLIA, bloody explosives

Heh, I got an invitation to join NHL Bloggers earlier tonight. I figured why not? (haha)


Today's Furious Yet Truly Morbid Fact!

A killer hurricane swept through the West Indies on October 10-12, 1780, flattening Barbados and Martinique and sinking almost every ship in its path. Residents on Barbados reported seeing a red and fiery sunset before the storm. That night, torrents of rain came - and in the morning, the full force of the storm finally hit. Furious winds knocked over everything on Barbados - buildings and trees. Some 6,000 people died when their homes collapsed on them or when they were hit by wind-borne debris. The roar of the wind was so loud, terrified inhabitants cowering in their cellars could not even hear their houses crashing down above them.

Meanwhile, the story of destruction was much the same in Martinique, where some 9,000 people died. A forty-ship French convoy also sank near Martinique, taking the lives of 4,000 soldiers who were aboard. In all, 20,000 to 30,000 people died in what came to be called "The Great Hurricane of 1780."

Culled from: The Pessimist's Guide To History

**********************************************************************

Of course, nowadays, we would have a much better name for it... like "Hurricane Hilda" or something. What can I say? They just didn't have their act together in 1780.

Here's hoping you all had a marvelously morbid holiday. I must say that I was delighted with my gifts. The most morbid of the lot:

The "Ex" Knife Holder - at long last!!! A dream come true!!!

A very nice matted old Halloween card:

A fantastic crow pendant:

And a book on one of my favorite tragedies - the Hinckley Fire!

I also got my girlfriend some extremely nifty toys as well (if I don't say so myself), such as this Krampus sculpture.

This figurine that depicts a bizarre snippet from the Hieronymous Bosch painting Last Judgement

This fantastic Madame Talbot Absinthe poster

This beautiful "Team Satan" long-sleeved T-shirt designed by The One and Only Comtesse DeSpair

Really, who could ask for anything more?

So, did anyone else receive some delightfully morbid gifts they'd like to share? If so, please send a link with an image of the product, and I'll list them in upcoming newsletters.

*******

Wretched Recommendations!

Starla has already written to tell me about her favorite Xmas present - and it's today's Wretched Recommendation!

Severed by John Gilmore

"I just got a book that made me think of you straight off. My mother-in-law gave it to me. It's called Severed by John Gilmore, the true story of the Black Dahlia murder. You've probably already read it, but just in case you haven't, it has some truly gruesome crime scene photos in it! And NOTHING is blacked out! I have never seen anything like it, and almost hope I never do again! The poor woman was cut in half, straight across, about waist level, it looks like, and dumped naked and spread-eagle in a vacant lot. Really gory and something I highly recommend you seek out!"

Definitely one for the wish list...

*******

Follow-Up Du Jour!

Remember awhile back when I published the Ghastly photos of the man who supposedly put the M100 rocket in his mouth and lit the fuse?

Picture 1
Picture 2
Picture 3
Picture 4

We discussed whether the photos were real or not. Well, I had an interesting e-mail from Lou - who has a little experience in the matter:

"The photos of the M 100 accident are compelling, but I too doubted them. In 1988, I had a M 80 explode in my hand while trying to light it. When it went off, it not only made my hand look like chopped meat, but it instantly cauterized the flesh. I know a head is a much larger piece of meat, but at least the immediate wound area should have been burned. Also, I was splattered head to toe as well as everything around me (including my friend) in a 10-foot radius with drops of blood... BUT, the M 80 was far away from my body in my hand. Everything facing the blast had been burned including part of my beard, eyelashes, hair on head / arms / chest. I was also black with gunpowder. The blood underneath could have come from the explosion blowing out the back of the neck at the top of the throat where there would be very little meat for an explosion to rip through. Now the head has turned into a funnel, draining out the smaller hole underneath him, but it would have probably taken his head clean off. I think this picture may be real wounds, but not from an explosion. I also see what appears to be a tongue which surely would have been blown off if he did indeed light it in his mouth. The lighter clinched in his hand is turned the wrong way unless he was spinning it around waiting for the M 100 to go off. It could have very well been a gunshot wound to the back of the head. The right caliber / gun would leave an exit wound like what we see. People also don't get blown 10 feet from where they are shot, and just 'drop,' so he could have easily fallen back onto the entrance hole where the blood is draining from. There is blood splatter on the underside of his hand and arm which suggests to me he could have been lighting a cigarette, but again, it is in the wrong direction. He could have lit a cigarette and was just holding the lighter. If there's blood on one arm, it would have to be on his shirt too which I cannot see. Personally I think if it were an M 100, there would be nothing left of his head to look at, just a bloody stump. Explosions go outward in all directions, and this appears to have come from behind. I'm going with the gunshot, but we really need to see more of the scene. Too many unanswered questions. It could have very well been a much smaller explosive, and when contained in his mouth, caused it to do damage in one direction. Again, not enough info from these pics. This would be way too elaborate of a makeup job and costly to do just for fun."