Thanks to Thomas for this beautiful photo of a beautiful apparatus: a pinhole camera skull. Check the comments for a funny insight into the usual cross-section of Internet users…

It looks like a lot of people are intrigued by the Fresh Dead Baby scent available for the Fragrant Skull Candle in the Epitafe shop. It started many discussions about dead babies, for everybody’s enjoyment.
Which made me remember this extremely funny video:

How to combine the love for anatomical stuff and plush toys? Try this…

Too bad they don’t make a black & red, smokers version of the lungs, or a nice yellowish & orange cirrhosised liver… [careful with the links, explicit photos ahead...]

If you are looking for sensory deprivation, there a re a couple different methods available.

One slightly old-school would be the Ganzfeld technique. To summarize: reclining chair, white noise in the ears, half-cup ping-pong balls with cotton on the eyes and red light for a definitely 70s feeling

There is now a more modern, stylish and probably expensive alternative:

I would really love to have such a sauna, from the same artist:

Ever wondered exactly what would happen to the body after death ? Here is a complete break-down in order:

First, you die…
Pallor Mortis: The capillaries circulation stops almost immediately, creating a distinct paleness of the skin as soon as 15-30 minutes after death.
Rigor Mortis: The body becomes stiff, starting with the jaws and neck. In mild temperatures, the full process takes approximately 12 hours
Algor Mortis: The body starts to cool down, losing 2° C the first hour, then 1° C per hour till matching the ambient temperature.
Livor Mortis: Blood settles in the lower parts of the body, creating a distinct purple coloration in those parts and paleness on the remaining of the skin. The complete process takes up to 6-12 hours
Autolysis: During all the previous four stages, cells start to break down due to the cessation of the fragile equilibrium that is called life. In practice, they start to digest themselves until they create a completely anaerobic environment which allows the body’s normal bacterias to breakdown the remaining nutrient and by-products of the autolysis.
Putrefaction: The abdomen turns green, due to bacteria activity in the intestine, and bloated because of gases formation. The face swells as well for the same reason. Bacterias in the venous system break down blood, creating red streaks along the veins, which soon turn to green. The skin becomes fragile and body hair comes off.
Black putrefaction: Body cavity breaks, and fluids and gases escape. The corpse blackens. That phase lasts between 10 and 20 days, depending on ambient temperature and exposition of the body.
Butyric fermentation: Bones become visible. Mummification starts, where the carcass dries out.. The remains go through adipocere formation, where grave wax (adipocere) is created, odours disappear and the cadaver takes a cheesy appearance.
Skeletonization: over the course of the following 2-3 months up to a couple of years, all the remaining tissues except the skeleton disappear. In optimal conditions, the skeleton itself will take approximately 20 years to be completely disintegrated.

Hey, who said I could not do my own advertising ?

Anyway, in store now at Epitafe, two new products:

• The Fragrant Skull Candle will be a delightful addition to your interior, and will also infuse it with the delicate scent of your choice, be it Fresh Dead Baby, Pine Coffin, Mosquito Killer, Myrrh or plain Vanilla.

• They are here to get you ! Eighteen Little Skulls, no less ! In the colour of your choice !

Very interesting article on what seems to be a nearly-exclusively English tradition, the screaming skull

A quite funny concept on the Spitefuls website, dioramas of famous disasters, to be printed, cut, assembled and displayed for the amazement of your fellow cubicle slaves.
Check this:

I particularly like the small prints which, for once, are interesting and funny to read :

Now the fun almost legally fine print sorta part. Don’t get in trouble making this. Make sure its okay to use the office supplies before you use the office supplies. Spitefuls didn’t tell you to do this. Only work during your normal office hours, uh I mean office breaks. Please throw away if your boss isn’t cool with it. Tell your boss you got it at www.spitefuls.com if they are cool with it. Tell your coworkers and the water cooler that too. Hug your printer. It probably could use a hug. Spitefuls is not responsible for you being fired, demoted, or any other bad things that could occur from you making, displaying, or doing anything relating to the Disaster Dioramas. Spitefuls is responsible for any promotions, good karma, and happy things that occur from you making, displaying, or doing anything related to the Disaster Dioramas – I’d like to hear about those good things. Drop me a line.

Thanks to Thomas for the link.

May be a wee bit too big to use as a model for a candle…