Unusual Ways to Die

• As found by Wikipedia.com...

• 401 BC: Mithridates, a soldier condemned for the murder of Cyrus the Younger, was executed by scaphism, surviving the insect torture for 17 days.^[3]

• 272 BC: According to Plutarch, Pyrrhus of Epirus, conqueror and the source of the term pyrrhic victory, 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.^[4]

• 270 BC: Philitas of Cos, Greek intellectual, is said by Athenaeus to have studied arguments and erroneous word usage so intensely that he wasted away and starved to death.^[5] Alan Cameronspeculates that Philitas died from a wasting disease which his contemporaries joked was caused by his pedantry.^[6]

• 207 BC: Chrysippus, a Greek stoic philosopher, is believed to have died of laughter after giving his donkey wine then seeing it attempt to eat figs.^[7]

• 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.^[8]

• 4 BC: Herod the Great reportedly suffered from fever, intense rashes, colon pains, foot drop, inflammation of the abdomen, a putrefaction of his genitals that produced worms, convulsions, and difficulty breathing before he finally expired.^[9] However, gruesome deaths have often been attributed by various authors who disliked rulers, including several Roman emperors (for example, Galerius).

• 64 – 67: Saint Peter was executed by the Romans. According to tradition, he asked not to be crucified in the normal way, but was instead executed on an inverted cross.^[10] According to Origen ofAlexandria, he said he was not worthy to be crucified in the same way as Jesus.^[11]

• c. 98: Saint Antipas, Bishop of Pergamum, was roasted to death in a brazen bull during the persecutions of Emperor Domitian. Saint Eustace, his wife and children supposedly suffered a similar fate under Hadrian.^[12]

• c. 1st or 2nd century: Rabbi Akiva, a Tanna, a founder of Rabbinic Judaism, and a supporter of Bar Kokhba, was put to death by the Romans by having his skin flayed with iron combs.^[13][14][15]

• 212: Lucius Fabius Cilo, a Roman senator of the 2nd century, "...choked...by a single hair in a draught of milk".^[16]

• 258: According to tradition, Saint Lawrence of Rome was roasted alive on a giant grill.^{[citation needed]}

• 336: Arius, presbyter of Alexandria, is said to have died of sudden diarrhea followed by copious hemorrhaging and anal expulsion of the intestines. He may have been poisoned.^[17]

• 415: Hypatia of Alexandria, Greek mathematician, philosopher, and last librarian of the Library of Alexandria, was murdered by a Christian mob that ripped her skin off with sharp sea-shells. Various types of shells have been named: clams, oysters, abalones, etc. Other sources claim tiles or pottery-shards were used.^[18]

See all the ways you can die at What Can you die from?

Prepping Your Soil

To determine the type of soil of your garden area, a soil test is recommended. The test will aid in determining the plants most suitable for your garden as well as indicate the lacking nutrients that desired plants require. The test will indicate the pH level in the soil (alkaline or acidic pH) as well as levels of nutrients and minerals. There are basically two ways to have the garden soil tested: 1) a home test kit, or 2) Send a soil sample to your local County Extension office or a private lab. The home test kits are simple to use, however, the lab test may be more reliable. The County Extension office or private lab can give you the necessary details on collecting a soil sample, but the technique is generally done in this manner:

• Dig several holes, 6-8 inches deep, within your garden area.
• From each hole, take a thin slice of soil from the inside wall and place in a clean bucket.
• Mix all the soil together well.
• For accurate results, a dry soil sample is important. If the soil is wet, allow it to dry.
• Place some of the collected soil into a clean

To help plants grow faster, become stronger and healthier, and become quickly established, it is important to improve the soil. The best way to improve the soil condition is to add organic material such as straw, grass clippings and leaves. It may be necessary to add a fertilizer with more nitrogen, as these non-composted materials will take nitrogen from the soil as they break down. Ideally, already composted material should be added to the soil for improvement. In the spring or fall, these organic materials should be tilled into the soil. For proper root development, approximately 16 inches of the soil should be loosened and all large clumps should be broken up.read more on Garden Plants Online. 

Acid Reflux and Kombucha

I started taking bottled Kombucha tea (not the teabag stuff) as an alternative to drinking Apple Cider Vinegar for acid reflux. The Kombucha brewing process is very similar (in fact, you can brew vinegar from it) and it has a similar concentration of acetic acids and probiotic organisms. I have found that, since I started drinking it regularly, my acid reflux has all but disappeared!

I find that I must drink at least 8 oz (1 cup) of Kombucha, twice a week, preferable on an mostly empty stomach. Depending on the severity of acid reflux, results may be noticeable immediately or within a few days.Read more on Kombucha and Acid Reflux