Piece Of Art

The revolutions and overthrowing of governments across the Arab world that have been sparked by self-immolations may result in a danger for ancient treasures. The Egyptian A rmy reportedly has secured the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, in an attempt to protect the treasures from the era of the pharaoh kings, including the death mask of the boy king, Tutankhamun, according to a bulletin from Reuters.

Longfellow Square on February 26, 1981. Boston Daily Globe headlines of September 29, 1888 events at Longfellow Square. The Portland Daily Sun has followed up with an intriguing editorial look at recent events...based upon research you first saw here.... Tragedy in Longfellow Square spurs questions, eerie links by Curtis Robinson, Editor of the Portland Daily Sun . Even in a somewhat experience-hardened newsroom, Wednesday's news that somebody had set themselves on fire at Longfellow Square was a shock. The man, who was identified yesterday as David Parker, 24, of Portland, reportedly soaked himself with gasoline in his nearby apartment, walked over to the Longfellow statue and ignited the fuel. He has reportedly been transferred to a Boston burn center. But the ripple effect from the event continues, with police urging witnesses to seek help if they need it. One local property manager noted that witnessing the man ablaze "is going to stay with me for awhile." In the m...

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow statue, September 29, 2010. +++ Thursday, September 30th update: Authorities identified the man as David Parker, 24. +++ BREAKING NEWS: On Wednesday, September 29, 2010, in Portland, Maine, at Longfellow Square, according to eyewitness accounts, a lone man, covered in gasoline, set himself on fire beside the statue of poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. The individual ran screaming out into the intersection of State Street and Congress Street and then fell to the ground. Emergency crews and police rushed to the scene as immolation sourced smoke filled the air. Law enforcement officers are investigating, at this time. Eyewitnesses described to me that the individual was in his early 20s, had a small beard or goatee, and was Caucasian. One person who talked to him said the person repeated over and over, "Just let me die." Several strange things of interest to twilight language students are developing with this event. Longfellow's wife died in a f...

Updated on August 19, 2009: A 42-year-old woman who set herself on fire at a Miami shopping mall died less than a week after the shocking scene, police said. Cecilia E. Casals died Tuesday, August 18, 2009. Police say Casals covered herself in flammable liquid, set it ablaze and walked about until witnesses used two fire extinguishers to put out the flames. Miami-Dade police wouldn't divulge any other details on August 19, 2009. Authorities found Casals unconscious on August 13, 2009, with third-degree burns over 75 percent of her body, and airlifted her to a hospital. She was on fire about two-and-a-half minutes. Court records show the woman had a history of mental illness and had been convicted on prescription drug trafficking charges, The Miami Herald reported. In October, Casals received probation in the drug case. Earlier details... A woman set herself on fire at a Miami mall on August 13, 2009, then walked around engulfed in flames as shocked shoppers watched. She started in ...

A self-immolation of an elder Chinese man has occurred at Taiwan's Liberty Square, the site of a student sit-in on October 7, 2008. Liu Po-yen, a 79-year-old man, set himself on fire around noon (local time) on November 11, 2008, at the Square and was rushed to NTU, according to the Taipei Police Bureau The 79-year-old ignited inflammable liquid on his body and he was then soon put out by the police and passers-by. The old man was sent to National Taiwan University Hospital by ambulance, with 90% total body surface area burn and in critical condition. According to the inspection chief of Chongcheng First Branch, issuing flyers blasting the government at Liberty Square at noon, the old man suddenly set himself on fire. The elder had poured onto himself some inflammable liquid, possibly gasoline or diesel fuel, said the chief. The fire department received a report at 1:03 pm of an elder citizen self-immolation. While the ambulance arrived, the fire was doused by people nearby and pol...