Saturday, February 12, 2011

Life In the Big City . . .

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While in London for a few days during this past week, I was out looking around, sometimes at random, sometimes with a planned destination, but always easily sidetracked. Although it is not Halloween, and I'm not a fundamentally morbid sort of person, for some reason I kept stumbling on some scenes or stories related to mortality, that terminal end to the human condition.
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This first photo is from a churchyard which although just a few minutes walk from some of the biggest tourist attractions in London, is probably one of the least visited sites in that city. I thought the story was rather fascinating. One could perhaps even say, with no pun intended, that is a rather shocking story. What do you think ?
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I would fear, in the case of good gentleman Bacon above, that there may have been, as is often the case in such situations, some jokes which may have circulated at the time, despite the tragic nature of the event. Some wag would likely have asked, "Did you hear about Bacon ? He got grilled last night". I also thought, when seeing this memorial stone, of a line from a song which I've mentioned previously in these pages, The Wheel, by the Grateful Dead, which goes :
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"The wheel is turning and you can't slow down
You can't let go and you can't hold on
You can't go back and you can't stand still
If the thunder don't get you then the lightning will"
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Another more recent case, which just happened last week, will also, I fear, become the butt of any number of jokes in poor taste, despite the tragedy involved. Walking by the entrance to Waterloo Station, I couldn't help but notice the headlines placarded there about a woman being killed by a buttock implant operation. To learn more I picked up one of the free newspapers there. (since when are newspapers free ?) I was appalled to learn that a 20 year old British woman had flown to Philadelphia, my home town in the states, to have silicone injected into her posterior, presumably to increase the volume and roundness of it, in an illegal procedure performed in a hotel room. Shortly after having the injections of silicone, she died of an apparent heart attack.
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What sad and deranged times we live in, when a young woman, who in all probability had a perfectly fine and functional (for sitting on) posterior, felt she had to spend a small fortune in plane fare and the scandalous cost of doing so, to get a foreign substance pumped into her body to, supposedly, enhance her appearance to members of the opposite sex. We live in a world getting sicker by the minute, I'm afraid to say. The perpetrator of the procedure apparently disappeared, with the money of course, shortly after the young lady fell ill.
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It used to be that grisly headlines sold newspapers. Now they give them away, but they must need to keep their circulation numbers up in order to sell advertising space in their free paper.
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While out strolling in London I came across a number of skulls in various places, not that I was particularly looking for them, they just sort of appeared. So, along the lines of works of art which incorporated skulls into them centuries ago, illustrating the Vanitas theme, or the biblical quote, "Vanitas vanitatum, omnius vanitas", I offer you the following images to contemplate. This first was right on the banks of the Thames, at the entrance to some sort of horror show. (I didn't go in...)
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These next four were inside the British Museum, where we stopped to have a peek at the Elgin marbles, the Assyrian bas reliefs from Nineveh, and some Egyptian mummies, among other marvels. This first one was supposedly from an Aztec treasure trove, but was determined to be a fake. (Lynne, It might look great in sunglasses, no ?)
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This next mask was created on a real skull . . .
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Am not sure what this was all about . . .
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Ancient Egyptian skulls . . .
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This last was from the same graveyard where William Bacon's memorial stone was. Vanitas.
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79 comments:

Lynne with an e said...

Wait a minute, I've just read about the buttocks implant to appeal to members of the opposite sex. Surely, there is no pun intended! ahem. Just had to get that off my chest. I will now continue my perusal of your most edifying blog post!

Lynne with an e said...

Congratulations on your excellent skullduggery techniques! I think perhaps a pair of John Lennon- style specs rather than sunglasses on the glass skull, though.

jeff said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
jeff said...

Désolé man !
Une fote d'aurtaugrafe que je ne pouvais laisser passer... cretains au lieu de certains... Non !....:)

OK OK OK...! T'arrête de crâner...?
J'aime un des premiers crâne, tout haut, riche en couleurs !
C'est une oeuvre d'art magnifique ! Comme quoi, les préjugés tombent vite avec le talent de certains artistes ! ! !
Je trouve que tu affiches ici comme une "fascination" pour cette partie de notre corps qui abrite notre cerveau en temps normal ! ! !
La tête, le crâne, le sommet, l'essence de la vie, l'âme, là où tout se passe...:)
J'aime finalement ce post que je trouve très... comment dire... skull ! Je connais ce mot en anglais et j'avais envie de la placer quelque part dans le texte...!
J'aime aussi cet espèce de masque Incas comme tiré d'une BD de Tintin ! ! !...
Le crâne inspire à ce que je vois...:)

Porte-toi bien S'Coolman !
Passe un excellent week-end...:)

Amitiés !

Pastelle said...

Je la trouve terrible cette histoire... Bien sûr on n'est jamais satisfait de son apparence, quand on a les cheveux bouclés on les voudrait raides, quand on n'a pas de seins on en voudrait plus, quand on en a trop on en voudrait moins, idem pour les fesses, la taille, bref...
Bizarre, personne ne se plaint jamais de son manque d'intelligence.
Mais je trouve terrible de croire qu'on va être plus aimé parce qu'on aura plus ou moins de ceci ou de cela, et bien sûr encore plus terrible de mourir pour ça.
A part ça j'espère que ton prochain post sera un peu plus cute et funny.
T'as vu je parle anglais ?
C'est rien que pour toi. :)

Catherine said...

what a fascinating take you have on my home town - I have never thought of it in morbid, deathly ways before!! Where was that graveyard incidentally?? have you picked up the news that i am joining french bloggers as I am relocating inthe South of France as of August - read all about it!!

Looking to the Stars said...

Love the headstone of Bacon:)

Read the story about the buttocks, so sad. Wish she would've thought better about herself.

The pics of the skulls were intersting.

I have realtives buried in England, tho I don't know where. Elsie Palmer Myers was my aunt, she was married to Leopold Hamilton Myers (L.H. Myers) who was a famous writer in his day. If you ever come across their headstones, maybe you could take a pic and send it to me? If you ever stumble across them, never mean to put you out of your way.

take care :)

Céline said...

Assez morbide ce post... J'espère que le reste de ton séjour était plus joyeux !! Malgrè tout, j'aime beaucoup le masque avec les céramiques (?) bleues.
Welcome back!

Lorrene said...

There is one thing I know I will never die from. It's a buttock implant. On the other hand I might leave that body part to some poor creature that thinks they need one.

Laurie said...

Fascinating stuff, Owen. I especially like the final photo.As Catherine says, where was it?

Nevine Sultan said...

Owen, it seems you had a fascinating trip, in all senses of the word. Sometimes, when things happen not so randomly, we can only imagine that they weren't meant to be random, to begin with. Death is not such a morbid subject, depending on how we choose to contemplate it, I suppose.

And about that woman with the implant... oh, my! What a day and age this is! Women, though we claim to be finding our self-esteem and bla bla bla, wound our own selves by trying to beautify what we should believe is already naturally beautiful... that is, if we truly possess this high self-esteem we're talking about. Have you seen what Joan Rivers looks like, lately? I hope I never become demented enough to think that I need a botox shot to keep myself beautiful, only to end up with a face looking like several mini inflated balloons. Yikes!

Glad you're home safely, Owen! London is such an engaging city, isn't she?

Nevine

The Sagittarian said...

Amazing what you get up to, a Toad abroad! Fascinating post tho', not really a skull fan but you have managed to get me past that with these photos.

Oakland Daily Photo said...

Owen, it looks like on this trip the cosmos is trying to tell you something. What do you think it is?

Steve said...

The buttock implant story is a truly sad indictment of modern living... made sadder when gents and ladies the world over who want to live are still being struck by lightning and killed and then someone who is perfectly healthy dies through vanity or low self esteem.

pRiyA said...

Good heavens Owen, what an exciting time you've been having in London.
I have to laugh at the comment left by Oakland Daily Photo. I second that.
:D

Stickup Artist said...

This easily could also have been called "Death in the Big City." Fascinating post regarding our times and what people are concentrating on, and the death of common sense. The Philly connection is crazy. There is so much here to think upon and the messages are made stronger by the powerful visuals.

CiCi said...

The young woman who risked so much to beautify her butt can be a reminder to other young women that there is danger in meeting unscrupulous people willing to perform illegal procedures. Mr Bacon was also pretty young to meet his end. You find such interesting memorial stones, Owen.
I hope you and your lovely wife celebrate Valentines Day in a lovely manner.

mythopolis said...

One can only wonder how the tombstone of this poor woman might read, re her shocking 'end'.

AVY said...

Those skulls are really intimidating.



Avy/
http://mymotherfuckedmickjagger.blogspot.com/

martinelli said...

It's really original, a bit scary though, But I like it. Thanks.

PeterParis said...

I'm not surprised by what you say and show here. I was not expecting you to come back from London with photos of Westminster Abbey, the Tower... :-)

Lena said...

I love your autoportrait in the jade mask, Owen... Obsidian eyes... Talk about them being the mirror of that skull's soul! Lol!

The papier maché skeletons are used for the day of the dead here... Artists tend to go crazy with them... I'm not sure I like the ones you saw... I much prefer the ones depicting everyday scenes...

Elisa said...

Just a little ice cube here, hello ;) Winter is nice, if it lasts.. maybe a month is enough?? Maybe I survive.. I hate skulls - sorry, I don't like them at all ;( But I like to be there in London instead here, now. I wish you happy week Owen!

Karine A said...

Une réflexion originale et intéressante sur la vaine vanité...
Je découvre avec stupéfaction qu'un crâne peut-être ...beau !

Anonymous said...

Thank you for this journey of a different kind.

Please have a good start into the new week.

Olga said...

After Damien Hirst they seem to be everywhere :)

Margaret Pangert said...

Love how you put your materials together in a unique way, Owen; you've created something new with your fresh eye. And then to end with the beautiful image from the graveyard where we began... btw, the super-skeleto montage reminded me of Picasso's bicycle-goat sculpture at MOMA in New York. Endless connections, aren't there? Especially the Grateful Dead "Wheel?" Can't wait to see the next byzantine path! Me ♥

babbler said...

Dear Mr. Owen,
It is interesting the relationship you have found here - Mr. Bacon is possibly the unknowing butt of a joke, the lady who dared to puff up her end met with it, Mr. Bacon had salt on his tombstone and the news was grave indeed for all who wore a mask to cover the condition which was readily apparent under the skinless surface. You have quoted my favorite word of Bertram Wooster in this post, which makes it even more fabulous, "what"? If I smile any more broadly I will touch my optical tentacle with my lip! You have rounded out my weekend nicely, and you shall be rewarded with a ticket to Mr. Slugs newest hip and happening disco club without even having to write a limerick or Haiku, although you may do so anyway because you are Owen and you rock.
Have a productive and pleasant week from Mrs. Slug, and from Mr. Slug who is presently immersed in both academia and business in Portland and says Hi from his laboratory.

Mary Ann said...

When I recover from the envy I feel that both London and Paris are easily accessible to you I'll commence envying your photography.

I'm glad you had a good time. Glad you're sharing some of it here.

Leslie D. said...

Good Lord what a fascinating collection! I hardly know where to begin. The degree of advertising of that poor woman's fate..and the decorative skulls. Peaked my morbid curiosity in a big way. Life is strange and wonderful.

Ola said...

what a choice! I absolutely share your comment connecting Mr Bacon's last minutes...

The Poet Laura-eate said...

Thunder and lighting. Death by buttock implants.

Could happen to anybody!

clo said...

Cher Owen..Howdy..:o)
Bien vu ,j'aime beaucoup la façon dont tu as tiré un parallèle entre tes sujets pour nous parler de cette vanité qui fait tourner le monde..
ça me rappelle cette citation"Ne prenez pas trop la vie au sérieux de toutes façons vous n'en sortirez pas vivants"de mr Fontenelle..
Tu nous présentes ici une fort belle panoplie de boites crâniennes et ma favorite est ce masque bleu presque beau ..
au final je crois qu'il faut vivre heureux en attendant la mort..en toute simplicité,sans se prendre pour qui on est pas..La vie donne parfois de cruelles leçons,mais la bêtise et l'ignorance de certains les entraînent vers une espèce de fatalité...
Conservons notre libre arbitre face a la folie du monde..sans aucune vanité..:o)
plein de gros bisoux Cher Ami...

Roxana said...

ah, for sure one of your most 'baroque' posts, spiced with some jokes a la Owen as well - and filled to the brim with musings and enchanting colours!

which reminds me of:

The Vanity of This World (by Andreas Gryphius)

Look anywhere you will, the Earth is empty show.
What someone builds today, another soon tears down;
Where now a city stands will be a grassy mound,
A place that only shepherds grazing their flocks will know.

What blooms so fair at daybreak, by noon is trampled low;
What bravely struts and strives soon turns to ash and bone;
No substance lasts forever, no brass, no polished stone.
One moment fortune smiles, the next brings bitter woe.

Tales of our mighty deeds like dreams must fade away.
How then should Man—Time's plaything—ever hope to stay?
Oh think, what are those objects we prize beyond compare,

Mere shadows, dust, and wind—all worthless, false and vain;
Field flowers glimpsed in passing and never seen again!
For that which is immortal, no man seems to care.

Anonymous said...

Generally I don't like skulls at all but these are marvellous - gruesome, funny and even beautiful!
Wow!

Have a nice evening, dear Owen!

Renée

Owen said...

Dearest Lynne-spirational Big Sis,
I wouldn't want you to get anything off your chest, otherwise you might have to change the name of your blog ! That would never do...

What a terribly subtle detector of puns you are too. And your taste in eye-wear for tastefully attiring skulls with excellently coordinated glasses is clearly unparalleled as well. You should come over and visit the Paris Catacombs, there are a few skulls in there who could use some colorful lunettes to liven up their days in the dark underground corridors of eternity.

Owen said...

Helllooooo Jeff !
"Cretains au lieu de certains ?" C'est très riche, et on ne sait jamais, souvent les fautes d'orthographie nous rapprochent à ce que nous avons voulu dire en vraie... en anglais on parle d'un "Freudian slip", une glissade à la manière Freud...

Oui, je crâne un maximum ici, un peu comme le paon qui étale ces plumes colorées pour faire la cour aux paonnes dans les parages... mais c'est amusant de temps en temps de crâner un peu, j'aime bien ces crânes de crâneurs qui nous regardent avec les yeux grand ouvert pour nous parler de leur surprise de se retrouver déshabillé de leur chair et leur vie... rien que pour l'éternité...

Et oui, je vois que toi aussi tu crânes un petit peu avec ton "skull", c'est bien, c'est bien, l'anglais avance je vois, bientôt tu vas nous régaler avec un discours sur l'anatomie des squelettes en anglais, mais certes, le skull c'est le plus noble des os, le centre dirigeant, le poste de commande du reste...
:-)

Ciao for now...

Owen said...

Pastelle, LOLOLOLOL !
Tu nous as tué avec ton observation la plus vraie de toutes, "il n'y a personne qui se plaint de leur manque d'intelligence"... et oui, qui pourrait, qui saurait admettre une telle chose ? Que l'on manque d'intelligence...

Moi, je suis de plus en plus conscient de mon manque d'intelligence et de connaissances, sûrement dû à une jeunesse passer à des occupations pas assez élévées, mais bon, on ne peut pas changer le passé, et encore moins changer ce que nous sommes. Mais quelle horreur d'essayer de le faire en se faisant injecter de silicone ! L'horreur intégrale ! Autant le faire injecter directement dans la tête, pendant que l'on y est, pour colmater les brèches d'intelligence, justement...

Oui, je suis archi-d'accord avec toi, c'est dommage que l'on n'est souvent pas satisfait, surtout coté feminin malheureusment, de ce que l'on a reçu à la naissance; et du coup on part à la recherche d'agrandissement le plus souvent...

Bon, et oui, je vois que ton anglais est en pleine croissance, (tu n'as pas fait injecter un peu de silicone dans ton dictionnaire ???) et il va falloir que je sors chercher qqchs de plus cute et funny... Merci en tout cas pour tes efforts en langue de Shakespeare, si ce n'est rien que pour moi, je suis flatté, touché, rougissant...
:-)

Owen said...

Hi Catherine,
I never thought of London as a morbid place either, and don't today, anyway, not any more than anywhere else, but it was funny how I kept stumbling on skulls scattered here and there. In Paris they have them concentrated by the millions underground in the Catacombs, so one has to seek them out there. But here they were all above ground.

The Bacon stone and the skull on the tombstone in the last photo are in the churchyard which is just across the Thames from Westminster, where Lambeth Road and Lambeth Palace Road meet, around the roundabout at Lambeth bridge. The church itself seems to be converted to a museum, The Garden Museum. I had the impression it was not a frequently visited churchyard...

And yes, I did see where you said you were coming to France, that's fantastic, but what a change southern France will be from Mexico... ! Looking forward to hearing more about the move...

Owen said...

Hi Looking to Stars,
Very sad story indeed, I guess with the way we are bombarded by all sorts of media about how important it is to look young and voluptuously beautiful, it is not surprising that some people are going to feel bad about themselves, if they feel they don't meet the standards popularized in Vogue and Cosmopolitain and Elle, etc ad nauseum. But to go to such an extreme to try to change...

As for your relatives graves, I'm not often in England actually. Do you know where they are buried ? Maybe an English blogger could be found to help find them and send you a photo ?

Owen said...

Bonjour Céline,
Un peu morbide ? Peut-être, mais bon, la mort fait partie de la vie, et pourrait nous aider à apprécier encore plus la vie par contraste. Ce n'est pas vraiment une fascination (voire, dans le cas de cette jeune femme, une "fessination"), mais j'aime bien la beauté dans l'art qu'il y a souvent à découvrir sur des pierres tombales. En tout cas, oui, la visite à Londres avait plein de moments plus joyeux ! Londres est très vivant comme ville... heureusement...
:-)

Owen said...

Lorrene, we nearly fell out of our chairs here chuckling over your comment. I'm glad to hear you aren't considering any plastic surgery for the parts you sit on any time soon. I think I can also say with a high probability of certitude that I won't die from that particular cause either. Unless I happen to be kidnapped by some silicone gun toting ruffians ! Heaven forbid !

And yes, I know it is possible to donate organs after death to people who may need them, but I never heard of a buttock donation for a butt transplant. With everything else that is possible in the realm of modern medecine today, I can't see why that wouldn't be... you may be onto a new field of medical business there...
:-)

Owen said...

Hi Laurie... fascinating or "fesse-inating" ? As for the location, see answer to Catherine above... right in the heart of London. I'm still amazed days later at the Bacon story. Killed by thunder and lightning at his window. Poor guy. I guess it was more the lightning than the thunder though, that would have done him in ?

Owen said...

Dear Nevine,
London is a wonderful place, such a unique level of energy, totally different from Paris, nothing like New York, a personality that I enjoyed as much last week as I did when living there 25 years ago.

God or Allah forbid that you ever end up looking anything like the ravaged Joan Rivers. But then, I think that impossible, for based on the few photos of your good self that you've shared, I strongly suspect your beauty will be everlasting... no botox will be needed.

And you touch on one of my favorite subjects... hazard, chance, coincidence, messages via repetition of certain signs or symbols. I think we should be conscious and aware of what we are being presented with as we ramble through this world, and making connections and drawing conclusions from what we meet is what makes us individual, for no two people will see or conclude the same things, even when presented with similar subject matter...

So, any trips to a newly liberated country being planned ???

Owen said...

Dear Saj, it's good to let the toad out of his cage from time to time... for some fresh air. Before you know it we'll have you celebrating the day of the dead !
:-)

Owen said...

Dear Oakland, I have no earthly idea !
:-)

Owen said...

Steve, indeed, indeed, we live in strange times, and they are getting stranger. Well, just stay away from open windows during thunderstorms !

Owen said...

Hi Priya, yes indeed, very exciting time !
:-)

Owen said...

Hi Stickup, I was going to call it exactly that, Death in the Big City, and then deliberately changed it... as in : Think Positive, right ?! Plenty of food for thought for sure, just the thought of having a big syringe of silicone injected into me makes me squirm with horror. I've done a fair amount of decoration work in the past, which often involved using silicone sealants, I know how hard it is to pump the stuff out of a caulking gun... awful business ! And in Philly to boot !

Owen said...

TechnoB, I hope her demise will in fact serve as a lesson to others, and help put illegal purveyors of such services out of business. Apparently the police are seeking a woman who alledgedly performed this barbaric act, who is also a hip hop singer, like the victim was.

Owen said...

Dear Mythop... good question...

Maybe something like :

"Came to a bad end"

"Hit rock bottom"

"Sorry but had to get my ass out of here"

Other ???

Owen said...

Hi Avy, well, I guess they could be a bit intimidating, but then again, they are not meant to be, more of a celebration of life, like in Mexico on the Day of the Dead, but why limit it to one day only. Just a reminder of our mortality, an encouragement to make the most of the short time we have... Hope you had a good trip to NYC...

Owen said...

Hey Martinelli, thanks for dropping in here... you're very welcome !

Owen said...

Hi Peter... well, photography is not allowed inside Westminster Abbey, but I did photograph the exterior. Didn't get over to the East End to see the Tower, but did photograph Big Ben... will that do ? Will have to post one or two of those... just to prove that I don't always go for graveyards and abandoned buildings or rusting cars and such...
:-)

Owen said...

Hola Lena, well, it's not much of a self portrait, and those big round eyes were looking right through me. A lot of people were stopping to photograph him, I guess I'm not the only one who found his image striking. I'm very impressed with the British Museum, they actually encourage photography, and use of flash is allowed... I was quite surprised.

And I agree with you, I much prefer Day of the Dead art depicting skeletons doing every day stuff. Are you familiar with the photography of Graciela Iturbide ? She's done some of the best photos of Mexican spiritual life I've ever seen...

So, is there any cheesecake left ???
LOL

Owen said...

Hi Elisa, I can't help it, I do like skull images, we all have one perched on our shoulders. Although it was a little chilly in London, it was far warmer than Finland, I'm sure it would have felt like Summer to you, and it's a fun town to run around in. Stay warm...
:-)

Owen said...

Bonjour Karine... ahhh, je suis content alors si cette petite étude dans l'art de crâner a pu donner source de découvert de la beauté dans ces objets inanimés, autrefois siège de l'intelligence de quelqu'un. Je les trouve riche en inspiration et reflection...

Owen said...

Tag Robert, you are very welcome, it wouldn't be good if we were all on the exact same journey... offering and seeing visions of different journeys is what makes blogging such a pleasure...

Owen said...

Hi Olga, yeah, Damien Hirst is another skull lover, although one has to wonder where he gets all the skulls he uses as a base for his art... are there some graves somewhere missing some pieces ???

Owen said...

Hi Margaret !
Most certainly, no end of connections out there, roaming around, just waiting to zap us with the thrill of recognition, the delight of discovery... Perhaps you've been to the Picasso Museum in Paris ? Glad you liked "The Wheel" too.

Owen said...

Dear Mrs Slug, I can't tell you how happy I am you dropped in here, or slid in, rather, for I know you are very busy these days, what with all those lettuce patches out there to raid, but especially because I found something very special in London for you, and will be putting it up this evening for your pleasure, and that of Mr Slug.

And I'm quite sure that the day Mr Bacon was buried in his salty grave that there were any number of slugs peering out from behind nearby tombstones and from under the shrubs quietly murmurring to each other about the horrors of lightning, bacon, and salt...

Do slide back over soon to see what was found for you ! I think you are going to like it !

Owen said...

Hi Mary Ann,
Is the grass greener in London & Paris ? You may want to read George Orwell's "Down & Out In London and Paris", if you haven't already.

We are hoping for calm to prevail in Beirut, sounds like the Hariri-Hezbollah exchange of sentiments is far from over...

Owen said...

Hello L.D., life is indeed strange and wonderful, and getting stranger all the time... I imagine that shocking headline was plastered up all over London that day, I saw it in a number of places... I rather suspect it piqued alot of people's morbid curiosity that day. Am happy if you enjoyed this little excursion around London...
:-)

Owen said...

Cześć Ola, Glad you enjoyed Mr Bacon's story... poor fellow, 34 years old, at the prime of his life...

Owen said...

Hi Laura, the world is a dangerous place ! Let's just hope these things don't happen to us... if you see someone coming after you with a big syringe... RUN !!!
:-)

Owen said...

Salut Clo !
Je suis plus que 100% d'accord avec tout ce que tu as dit là. Et c'est intéressant la citation de Fontenelle, je ne le connaissais pas. Il me semble que Jim Morrison avait été cité pour des paroles semblables, car le titre d'un bouquin sur sa vie est : And No One Here Gets Out Alive. Peut-être il les avait emprunté de ce Bernard le Bouyer de Fontenelle, qui lui, visiblement, a fait de son mieux quand même, car les sources que j'ai pu trouver disent qu'il a vécu de 1657 jusqu'en 1757, un vrai exploit à l'époque. Quelle santé !

Je te souhaite à toi aussi une santé pareille, et plein de bonheur dans ce début de printemps.
Gros bisoux to you too !

Owen said...

Dearest Roxana,
Deepest thanks for this most baroque and wonderful of poems to accompany a baroque post. Interesting how the translator managed to make it rhyme in English, given I presume it was originally written in German... Yes, the perfect piece to accompany these skulls.

Owen said...

Hi Renée, very happy to have put a positive light on a subject you may not normally like... there can be joy and transcendance in unsuspected places.
Be well...

Lynne with an e said...

"Come over and visit the Paris Catacombs," you say...hmmm...definitely one of the most original propositions I have ever received!

Roxana said...

but it's not the translator, i think we have to wait for a thousand years before a translator could manage such a wonderful job :-)
i searched for an english translation of the german poem but unfortunately i don't know the name of the translator. happy you like it, it is a favourite of mine...

Nathalie said...

Aha, what a great post - so much to look at, so much to ponder, so much to smile and laugh at!

Plese Owen, don't have your buttocks redone, we like you too much. Although I really enjoyed your series of skulls there's no rush in you becoming the next element in the collecton.

Dina said...

You really stumbled upon a weird assortment!

Gemma Wiseman said...

Strange how wanders can produce a theme of interest that somehow seem to suggest a journey at the time! Incredible assortment of photos! But that buttocks story is particularly disturbing!

Sondra said...

all the skulls are very cool! WOW killed by thunder and Lightening, probably just he lightening...its powerful stuff!
BUTT implants NOT good, how can that be the focus of someones' life to come to the point of dying for it.

Oakland Daily Photo said...

Being as vain as the next person, having "work" done has occurred to me. But having work done in a hotel room would be a big red flag. Wither go-eth common sense?

Ann said...

I really shouldn't laugh, should I.

Herding Cats said...

Wow, what a superb post! I can't help but think, 'crispy bacon'.

Fabulous pictures!

Julie said...

I think the media in its many guises is the scourge of civilisation today. I love the juxtaposition of the placards. I bet they were oblivious to the irony of it all.

I love that skull and cross-bones head stone. lovely and old and mossy.

CaT said...

those skulls are pretty interesting!
and amazing, those headlines. thats sad. "luckily" she is not there anymore to witness what made her "famous".
an interesting read! and pics!