Funerals ... As seen by Google Maps

This never crossed my mind until I ran across it on the net. I guess "Big Brother" is always watching ... from the beginning to the end."

With the continually increasing quality of images on Google Maps/Earth, it’s hardly surprising that the cameras are capturing ever more private moments of people’s lives. Perhaps then it was only a matter of time before the very end of someone’s life was published on the Internet for the whole world to see.

Here’s two examples of funerals taking place, one in the Queen of Heaven Cemetery, Chicago, and the other at the Gate of Heaven Cemetery, Washington DC Silver Spring, Maryland. In both shots you can see a crowd of mourners surrounding the grave and also the funeral procession parked nearby. Who'd have thunk it???? (Source)

From Suicide to the Kiss of Life

In the 1890s, an unknown woman was found drowned in the Seine. Known as the l'Inconnue de la Seine, her death mask became a fixture in the homes of artists and writers, and her look the ideal of the age. Many have speculated on her identity, and she has inspired a long list of artistic works by Nabokov, Rilke, Man Ray, and others. She has since become the "most kissed girl in the world" thanks to the Norwegian toymaker that used her mask to create Resusci Anne, the standard CPR doll.

Read more at Wikipedia

What do you do with the leftover ashes???

There's really not alot that you can say about this topic... it evidently happened during the winter, but I just came across it. This story (out of the UK) is bizarre in that it actually happened. It was reported that human ashes were used to grit a path at a Co-op funeral home where workers mixed the remains of cremation ashes with grit and scattered them on a disabled ramp outside to prevent customers from slipping on it during wintery conditions. One worker said: "Sometimes when families ask to get relatives' ashes back, the plastic container for them is too small.""Sometimes when families ask to get their relatives' ashes back, the plastic container for them is too small."This wasn't every time but every now and then there were too many remains."Instead of getting a bigger container, the spare ashes were tipped into an emptied-out bottle of embalming fluid which also contained grit." Workers at a Co-op parlour claimed their boss laughed about the grotesque practice, which they said has been going on for years.

In addition, staff allegedly sold used coffins as new and one family was even given the wrong ashes. Needless to say, police were investigating. (source)

Wild Bill Hagy; Baltimore Icon and Oriole's Fan

Oriole's fan ... or maybe you didn't have to be one to know who he was; but in Baltimore, MD, Wild Bill Hagy was an icon. An every man's working man who out of the blue, stirred up a city for their team. He became Iconic. Who you ask was he? Complicated question. Basically, a guy at the ball park (section 34) who led cheers in the stand and became a legend for stirring the crowd with his famous cheers for each player and Orioles Cheer. View the video below to get a glimpse and perhaps a smile. He left a nice legacy.

A TV story on Wild Bill Hagy. Aired on Evening Magazine in Baltimore in 1979. He died August 20, 2007.

Prosthesis Toe Found .... "I'm gonna move that toe"

An artificial big toe found on the foot of an Egyptian mummy could prove to be the world's earliest functioning prosthetic body part, it was announced today.Volunteers who have lost their right big toe are now being recruited to see how effective replicas of the prosthesis are.The fake toe from the Cairo museum in Egypt was found in 2000 in a tomb near the ancient city of Thebes. Archaeologists speculated the 50- to 60-year-old woman the prosthesis came from might have lost her toe due to complications from diabetes.

The wood and leather prosthesis dates from 1069 to 664 B.C., based on artifacts it was found with in the mummy's burial chamber. This means it predates what was previously thought of as the earliest known functioning prosthesis, the Roman Capua Leg, a bronze artifact dating from about 300 B.C. The leg was once at the Royal College of Surgeons in London but was destroyed by bombing during World War II. (Read More from this source)

Although this is a really cool find for the world... all I can think of when I see this is that John Wayne movie " The Wings of Eagles" where Wayne playing--Cmdr. Frank "Spig" Wead. stars as as a reckless WW1 Naval aviator who becomes estranged from his wife Minnie (Maureen O'Hara) after the death of their baby. Drinking heavily, Wead tumbles down the stairs of his home, and as a result he is apparently paralyzed for life. With the help of happy-go-lucky Navy mechanic Carson (Dan Dailey), Wead is able to regain minimal use of his legs and thus is the "I'm gonna move that toe" scene. Very shallow on my part, but it's the truth.

Skull a Day ... More common than you think : )

Skull-A-Day This site hosts a treasure trove of online stuff-a-day: jokes, photos, words, hacks, and games, to name a few. Lot's of great imagination and creativity for anyone to be able to pull this site off. There is the orange paper / the skull sparkler, a spooky cloud and a pile of veggies (oh and notice the skull to the left made of rice : ) ). Even simple, everyday plastic items can be transformed into cranial art. Tiptoe through and find your favorite, or suggest one of your own. Before you know it, you'll be looking for them everywhere, and might even think they're cute.

Gross Anatomy ... Do You Understand? I said, Gross Anatomy : )

"Most people remember their first kiss. Doctors remember their first cadaver. For Bruce Giffin, it was a 60-something man named Charlie. Good muscle tone. No pesky pathology. “And just the right amount of body fat,” Giffin said.

All in all, Giffin said, Charlie was an ideal cadaver for a young medical student learning the intricacies of human anatomy. Giffin, a professor of medicine at the University of Cincinnati, directs the College of Medicine’s body donation program. He’s also planning to be a donor himself.

Every year, the university receives 350 to 360 bodies donated for use in their medical education programs. Other medical schools are eliminating cadaver dissection programs because of cost and other concerns, but UC’s body donation program is one of the strongest in the nation.
The concept is macabre – volunteers donating their bodies to be cut up in anatomy classes – but what students learn from working with their first real cadaver is invaluable.

Most will be dissected in gross anatomy classes, said Gina Burg, coordinator of the donation program. Others will be used to help doctors perfect surgical techniques.

It’s a morbid concept, and there are endless possibilities for gruesome jokes. But, experts say, men and women like Charlie provide an invaluable educational resource for medical students as they learn how the body works.

The dissection process is an unparalleled chance for exploration: Learning the layers of skin, fat and muscle, the intricate connections between muscles, ligaments and bones, the endless tangles of blood vessels and nerves. Anatomy texts give medical students a general idea of what to expect, but no two bodies are alike, Giffin said. . . " { Enquirer Continue reading } (source)

Skullerflies, Day of the Dead --- Hair Raising .....

A little shameless self promotion... I promise I won't keep doing this. But they are so cute, and they do go with my site ... kinda : )

Fashionable girl? Like the Rockabilly, Punk, Goth scene or just like being unique? Or perhaps you are going to a Halloween Party? Want something unique and different. Get Go Retro is selling Skullerflies (handmade by Lucky 11) uniquely original barrettes made of feathers with a "day of the dead" skull in the middle. They are really cool looking and can be worn on other days that "Halloween" but since that holiday is coming up -- its' something to think about. We are also carrying their Hair Roses with Skulls inside. Check them out. Very affordable! Oh yeah, and did I say this is a little bit of shameless self promotion : ) ?

Friday Night Frights.... Check out Trailers from Hell

Trailers From Hell The world battle for survival! Ready to destroy humanity! Prehistoric monsters return to Earth! And that's just one trailer! Welcome to Trailers From Hell, where the teasers for classic horror, sci-fi, and cheapie flicks of yore have come to rest—and be revered. This collection not only houses such 2-4 minute marvels as the trailers for "Attack of the 50 Foot Woman," "The Fall of the House of Usher," and "X: The Man With the X-Ray Eyes," but it rounds up a stellar group of movie mavens willing to offer commentary on many of the clips. We're not talking your pasty-faced nephew who really digs old movies, either. One of the gurus is Edgar Wright, director of the hit film "Shaun of the Dead." Another is John Landis, the man behind "Blues Brothers" and "Animal House," among others. (Coming soon: his commentary on the trailer for "Psycho.") If you dig this stuff like we do, you'll find want to settle in for many long sessions with Trailers From Hell. Electrifying! (Found on Yahoo Picks : ) )

Remembering Elvis. The Man. The Music.

How can you let today go by without remembering Elvis. The man. The Music.

So Abraham Lincoln Actually Had A Bad Side ....

So much for reading Abe Lincoln's face .... I mean with the naked eye. Evidently, artists, sculptures and photographers already knew that Lincoln had a good side (everybody does, right?) But science has now confirmed that it is a fact. With laser scans of two life masks (I didn't say death masks), made from plaster, the scans reveal that Lincolns facial asymmetry was not equal by a long shot.

The scans show that the left side of Lincoln's face was much smaller than the right (called cranial facial microsomia.) This defect is in addition to ailments he had; including, smallpox; heart illness and depression. It is also stated that Lincoln's left eye at times drifted upward independently of his right eye (strabismus.) and that his left eye socket (which was much smaller) may have displaced a muscle controlling vertical movement. Severe strabismus can lead to double vision and with today's technology can be treated by surgery. These findings are published in the August issue of the Archives of Ophthamology, by Dr. Ronald Fishman who led the study. My source: The Washington Times 8/14/07.

My take on this info, is that with all the ailments he had, what a miracle that he could think clearly and stay focused. And, with the way today's society is so centered on looks... amazing he succeeded without ridicule, psychological problems from his looks, ecetera, ecetera.

At any rate; want to read about Honest Abe online. Check out "The Project Gutenberg EBook of Abraham Lincoln, Vol. I., by John T. Morse. This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License includedwith this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.net" Here is the link . Pretty Amazing.

Scamp "The Dog Who Can Sense Death," HMMMM, we have a contest ....

On Inside Edition today ..... A dog that can sense death (and they say he is better than Oscar the Cat (he has 42 deaths on record compared to Oscars 25 (at this date))). But any how, Scamp .... Isn't he cute : ) ?

Scamp is the live-in pet at an Ohio nursing home, but the Schnauzer doesn't just bring companionship to the lonely. He has an eerie gift that also allows him to bring comfort to the dying.Scamp can somehow sense when the end is near for one of the old folks. He then waits loyally by their bedside in the final hours.Scamp's owner, Deirdre Huth, is a staff member at the nursing home, The Pines, in Canton. Ohio. She says Scamp even tries to raise the alarm when he gets the feeling that one of the seniors is at death's door."He has either barked or he'll pace around the room. The only time he barks is when he's trying to tell us something's wrong," Huth told INSIDE EDITION.Yvette Notturno had a dear friend in the nursing home, and had heard stories about Scamp's gift. So when she got a call from a nurse that Scamp wouldn't leave her friends' bedside, she came right away knowing that her friend didn't have long,. Yvette's friend, Andrew Popa, died soon after.Another critter made the news recently performing a similar feat. A cat named Oscar is known to curl up on the bed right before a patient dies at a nursing home in Providence, Rhode Island. Oscar's gift was featured in a top medical journal after he predicted more than 20 deaths.But Scamp's record is even more amazing than Oscar's. Director of nursing Adeline Baker says Scamp has forecast practically every one of the 40 or so deaths that have occurred in the three years he's been at the home. She also insists Scamp's presence is welcomed by patients as the end draws near."It's not like he's a grim reaper," she said. "It's kind of comforting to know that maybe at the end of our lives, if we don't have family members, there will be somebody there to be with us."

King's Capuchin's Catacombs... Fascinating!

What an unusual by strangley addictive site: King's Capuchin's Catacombs photographic trip to the Capuchins' Catacombs located in Palermo, Italy, where there are thousands of corpses lined on the walls like paintings.

The catacombs date back to the 1599 when the local priests mummified a holy monk for all to see. They wanted to pray to him after death.

In time the locals wanted their relatives remembered in this same way. Soon there were hundreds of corpses. Some of the deceased wrote wills, expressing the clothes in which to bury them in. Some asked to have their clothes changed over a period of time. Included in the catacombs are hundreds of coffins as well. Some contain the corpse that was buried in them. The side is sometimes cut to expose the deceased. For more photo's and info visit the site.

And of further interest, you have to view the link on St. Bernadette of Lourdes: Bernadette Soubirous is the saint of Lourdes, France. Visionary and messenger of the Immaculate Conception, she told us the very words of the Virgin Mary, spoken in the native Basque tongue of Southern France and Northern Spain. She spoke words teaching of the merits of prayer, penance, poverty and church. In the first and most widely recognized Marian apparition of modern times, a personal message was delivered also to Bernadette—She would not find happiness in this world, but only in the next. She was to die twenty–one years later in 1879 after a prolonged and painful illness. She remained hidden in a convent about 300 miles from home, a refuge from the interrogations and the pilgrims that never ceased seeking her. At thirty–five, her strong–willed manner gave way to her frail body, and she finally entered into her eternal happiness. While she took with her the knowledge of certain secrets the Virgin gave her, one secret remained hidden in our presence. The most spectacular of all the incorruptibles, Bernadette's miraculously preserved body remained buried in a damp grave for thirty years until the cause for beatification was taken up. To this day, the body of Bernadette is a profound source of inspiration and of mystery surrounding the ways of the Lord. The face of Bernadette is one of surreal beauty, and will remain for us always the face that gazed into the eyes of the Mother of God.

Quite fascinating site to say the least : )

Final Embrace .... thanks for embracing our blog!

Hey we were featured on the Final Embrace Blog! Thanks! First time I've been highlighted in a blog!!!!! Here's what he had so say! : )

"I’ve decided that my wisdom about the blog world is SOOOOO vast that I should share my knowledge and exceedingly good taste with you, the lesser mortals.

Um…. maybe that’s taking it a bit far.

But I want to share with you the great blogs I find. Especially if they’ve got some really kick…. um…. Kick-butt content.

So here’s one I just found, read for a few minutes (or hours, I wasn’t keeping track) and just had to share: Embalmed to the Max

Written by a mortuary student from Kansas, the site features recent topics ranging from death-predicting cats to the fifty worst eulogies to a profile of a journalist who writes obituaries.
Funny? Oh yeah!

Irreverant? Sometimes. And I like it. It’s good to hear the opinions and topics that interest new funeral professionals.

Check it out!"

Yes, Your Time on Earth Has Expired ....

Archie was a plumber by trade, and a practical joker at heart. He was also dying from a liver disease due to excessive drinking and he knew it. While he was in Hixville, Ohio, he backed over two parking meters, for which he received a citation from the police. He made the remark, "well, since I've paid for them, can I take them home?" to which the sheriff replied, "Sure, they're no good to us now."

He took them home, put new pipes on for the stands, painted them black, welded the coin slot so it couldn't be changed, and modified his will. He stated that upon his death, one was to be placed on each end of his monument and they were to read "EXPIRED."

For more on this story and pics of other great tombstones visit Morbid Curiousity... I have a feeling this site will make you more curious : )

"The Bottom 50" Funeral Eulogies -- Have to read 'em to believe 'em!

From the Absolute Bottom 50 Blog: Oh, and my comment is.... "With freinds like these - who needs enemies?" Read them and laugh : )

1. She died as she lived: oddly dressed and smelling vaguely of turpentine.
   
   
2. Death is not an end, but a beginning. Specifically, the beginning of an eternity of black nothingness.
   
   
3. He had many hobbies, and he was very proud of them. He had that rarest of gifts: the ability to find the beauty and artistry in the hardcore amateur farm porn he shot with his Super 8 over at Oakville Community Stables.
   
   
4. He touched all of our lives. Unfortunately, he also touched several of our children.
   
   
5. Bill was not a rich man. He was not a proud man. He was not a successful man. Nor was he especially attractive, articulate, or even remotely respected. Neither was he particularly well-liked or hygienic. So I suppose, what I'm really trying to say is... there's cake back at the house and if we hurry, we can probably catch the second half of the Bulls game.
   
   
6. The French have a term, "le petit mort." It is ironic that in his obsessive pursuit of this so-called "little death," that Dan's own flawed autoerotic asphyxiation techniques should lead him to such a big, honkin' drawer-soiling demise.
   
   
7. There's no getting around it: Bob was a big, fat, sweaty pig of a man, which means that now, there's more pie for the rest of us. Dig in!
   
   
8. And through our tears of grief, let us endeavor to never forget the flatulent hilarity that ensued each time Uncle Mikey graced us with his presence. Surely the Seraphim themselves are pulling upon his finger at this very moment.
   
   
9. I loved my son! I loved my gay son! I loved my gay, tax-evading, alcoholic, armed-robbing ex-convict son whose real father was a crackhead street hustler who went by the name "Little Miss Meat Saddle!"
   
   
10. And while it is truly a tragedy when someone so young is taken from us so unexpectedly, it is doubly heart-wrenching in circumstances such as these, when a promising career in direct-to-video adult entertainment is cut so terribly short.
    
    
11. His spirit will be with us always. And by spirit, I mean overwhelming credit card debt.
    
    
12. She was a woman well ahead of her time, whose near-legendary promiscuity set the gold standard for generations of post-Women's-Lib tramps.
    
    
13. Hers was a pure, goodly, and chaste life, which helped to ensure that her heart, liver, and kidneys were especially desirable on the organ transplant black market.
    
    
14. Tom consumed life with zeal. Positively gorged himself on it. In fact, if life was the frozen carcass of an extinct mastodon, partially emerged from a shrinking glacier, Tom was the ravenous jaws of a starving coyote, blindly feasting upon its gamey, semi-decayed goodness.
    
    
15. Behold our beloved grandmother... her crooked, nagging maw silent and still at last.
    
    
16. And let us pray for Earl's sake that they have reruns of "Mama's Family" in heaven. Or God help God.
    
    
17. Dearly beloved, we are gathered here to honor #456-B's life before consigning him to lot #5, space #A-16. Praise God.
    
    
18. Ladies and Gentlemen: Put your hands together for everybody's favorite stiff: Marty! I know you're wondering how Marty got to the funeral home from the hospital - he drove his CARcass! Har! Har! Try the veal!
    
    
19. I still can't get over that he's gone. I also can't get over that I totally survived that same car accident! Can you believe it? I should have had my head cracked off like what's-his-name here.
    
    
20. Let us give thanks that the Lord, in his infinite wisdom, took our dear sister to heaven in her prime, thereby proving his benevolence and love for us all.
    
    
21. He used to look up at me and it was so difficult to talk, because he had four or five chins, and he'd wheeze, "Just fifty… more… pounds." And then he'd eat seven or eight Twinkies and a couple of cheeseburgers. I've never known such steely discipline. He died reaching for a dream.
    
    
22. I don't think I'll ever get over him. But if anyone wants to try and help me, I'm in the back by the boxes of wine.
    
    
23. I hope she's in a happier place. But let's be honest: you don't get struck by lightening during a sunny day because God loves you, you know? Still, we can HOPE.
    
    
24. Frankie Two Thumbs wasn't a bad guy. You know what I'm talkin' about? He could make a mean baked ziti. And he smelled good, always with the fancy cologne. So it is with deepest respects that we fill his stomach with concrete and toss him in the East River.
    
    
25. Steve wasn't unhappy about life. He was just super excited to die!
    
    
26. What can I say about the recently deceased? I didn't know her personally, but members of her extended family have contributed generously to my parish. God bless!
    
    
27. As the proprietor of this funeral home, I can honestly say that never before has such a magnificent sample of corpus delicti crossed over my embalming table.
    
    
28. A last wish is a last wish. So, according to his will, we will now shoot Ted out of this cannon into the ocean while the local high school madrigals sing "Yesterday." Man, even dead he's high maintenance.
    
    
29. She seduced my husband, spread vicious rumors about me, and got me fired from my dream job. That's all I want to say really, I just want to be in the front of the line when we start burying the bitch.
    
    
30. Without further adieu... who wants to douse the coffin in gasoline and who wants to hammer this broken broomstick through the asshole's heart?
    
    
31. I loved him more than any other man. Sure, sometimes I peeked at others, but that's completely natural. And okay, sometimes I squeezed, grabbed, and stroked too - but that doesn't mean I didn't love him with all of my heart.
    
    
32. Ashes to ashes, dust to dust - wait a second - that's a nice ring. Anyone mind if I try it on? Not like he's gonna notice! Anyone?
    
    
33. Okay, whoever painted Dad up like a circus clown better confess now, or I swear to Jesus Christ when I find out who it is, I'll bury them WITH him.
    
    
34. I remember old Harry. We had some good times. Like the time we were driving drunk on that dark road and ran down that old lady and kept on driving. The memories come back, don't they?
    
    
35. And finally, let us meditate on his last words - "Warm up my goddamned bedpan you ungrateful, good-for-nothing retard before I -ACK!"
    
    
36. The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. Except maybe less debt, because once those vultures are done picking through the will, I'm gonna be left with enough money for a whiskey sour, a hot fudge sundae, and a roll with an octogenarian streetwalker!
    
    
37. For whom the bell tolls? It tolls for thee. But later. The bell really tolled for Carol here. Tolled so much she mysteriously caught fire after the third car ran her over.
    
    
38. I'm sorry… I don't usually get choked up. But anyway, sprinkle a little of Jenny's ash in the bowl and pass the ceremonial bong. We promised her we'd smoke her up, man. And we are!
    
    
39. It's always sad when God calls a child home. But in the case of Larry here, I'm not so sad. Nice guy, smoked too much, whatever. So to Larry - nice knowing you, see you later.
    
    
40. I have already apologized to his family, and to his friends. But let me do it again: I am sorry for stealing my best friend Dave's body and doing that funny "Weekend at Bernie's" thing. But it was our favorite movie - and dragging him around to a bar seemed like the right thing to do. I had no idea he was so... delicate.
    
    
41. As you know, Jeff bought the ranch while doin' his favorite ho, and I like to think he'll have that great big gap-toothed Jeff-grin on his mug for all eternity. Yo' and if you see a skanky-looking blonde with tattoos on her hands driving a black beemer, call the cops - the bitch took his keys!
    
    
42. Here lies my son, Mr. Rich Big Shot. You'd think he could spend 25 cents on a phone call to his mother before killing himself in one of those fancy hotels with the bidet and everything.
    
    
43. My husband's funeral is going to cost me almost ten thousand dollars. So forgive me if I'm pissed off that he's not wearing any pants! I paid for pants! I don't care if the coffin covers his waist. Furthermore: Stanley never wore rouge!
    
    
44. We all knew Chris to be unusual in life… as well as death. Anyway - he really, really, really wanted y'all to eat this paté. He force-fed himself with oats and stuff for weeks before kicking off just to make sure the paté had a smooth, rich flavor.
    
    
45. I never screwed Cynthia. But I wanted to and God knows I tried. Even now, in death, I'd have to say I still wouldn't kick the broad out of my bed.
    
    
46. One more toast to the old bum! God rest his soul! And may we all stay oblivious to the crippling irony of a bunch of emotionally immature alcoholics getting bombed so that they can pretend to deal with the death of a friend who was so drunk he killed himself and a family of six sitting in the window of that Arby's at the intersection.
    
    
47. What happens to us when we die? I have no idea, but holy fuck am I terrified. And I'm a priest, for the love of Christ!
    
    
48. In conclusion: I want each of you - all four hundred of you - to join me in song and take up the little milk bones that were just passed out. Take up the milk bones and toss them in little Poopy's casket. He'll need them in Doggie Heaven!
    
    
49. I know you're shocked to see me here, but listen: a verdict of innocent is a verdict of innocent. High priced lawyers and head in the refrigerator or not, I'm innocent and I'm gonna miss this bitch as much as any of you bozos.
    
    
50. I'll never forget the last time I seen him. He was all, "Betcha $50 I can wrestle a 'gator." And I was all, "You're on!"

Flashback ... Celebrity Death Photos

I came across this site. It is interesting. It is morbid. And I actually really thought about whether I should post this or not. Photos of dead celebrities. Abraham Lincoln, Kennedy, Monroe... and it occurred to me; that maybe, just maybe, for those who think suicide is some grand exit .... if they see these photos and see death for what it is, "the end" of life in the physical body, and that celebrities die the same way everyone else does, maybe they will see that physicially it is not pretty or someting to aspire to do on one's own. I'd like to know what you think .... leave this post up or pull it. Visit Flashback.