Dead Biker Departs on His Harley

David Morales Colon, 22, who was shot to death last week in Puerto Rico, had asked his family to avoid a traditional funeral when he died.

So morticians at Marin Funeral Home propped him up on his trusty Honda, and dressed the young man in his typical riding clothes, helmet included, on top of his beloved motorcycle.

"He loved his motorcycle. It made him feel free from his worries," a mourner said. "We all know he will be happy riding for eternity."

As you can see in the video below, the mortician positioned the body as if he were riding his bike all the way to heaven, though it appears to be little solace to the crying friends and family in attendance.

And yes, this is real.

Original Post at New York Post

Do Some MASSIVEGOOD ... You'll Feel Much Better

When we get asked to support causes, we do our best to get the word out. It takes people to help a cause and to make a change in this world. With that said, there's a new guy in town called MASSIVEGOOD. A coalition that was created by using the power of social media to help stop the millions of preventable deaths from HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis. Their goal ....to help increase maternal and child healthcare in the developing world.

MASSIVEGOOD is committed to innovative spending on the ground and to do this; they are hoping that you will make a $2 micro-contribution towards major global health causes every time you buy a plane ticket, reserve a hotel room or rent a car.

Available in the USA since early 2010, MASSIVEGOOD has created a social network for those committed to building a healthier world. To ensure that all travelers can make a difference, leaders in the travel and tourism industry have joined with global health organizations to support MASSIVEGOOD in an impressive
private-public coalition. It’s an easy way to do good and connect with others that are doing the same.
Just click on the button.

If you are not a traveler and still want to participate, you can still give to the "cause" by donating directly on their site. It only takes a few minutes and you'll feel better about yourself when you do participate. It's a "real" coalition that has a real goal of reducing the prices of medications and providing affordable care for those who need it.

Affordable Memorial Stones and Benches

Spring is coming and so is touching up the yard, grave site or adding a memorial to your garden. Came across this great little shop called Exterior Accents that sells benches, plaques, stones and medallions that are very, very reasonably priced. Benches under 200.00 and stones under 50.00 I'm posting for those of you who are looking for an affordable memorial option! They sell other yard things as well .....

Personalized Forever Remembered Small Memorial Bench This memorial bench will provide a tranquil resting spot in your garden. Verse reads: "Forever remembered, Forever missed". Personalization will be centered on the cast bronze plaque shown. Up to 3 lines 18 characters or spaces per line maximum. Crafted of cast stone for a rich texture and year round durability. Sturdy support legs and weatherproof adhesive included. Easy assembly. 14"H x 29"W x 12"D. 89 lbs.

Death Leaves a Heartache Memorial Stone The beautiful verse on this garden memorial stone reads: "Death leaves a heartache no one can heal, love leaves a memory no one can steal." Crafted of cast stone for a rich texture and year round durability. 12" x 12" x 2.5". 16 lbs

The Cove ... Behind the Dolphins Smile - Dolphin trade and slaughter

Just watched the trailer for "The Cove"; a new documentary by actor, director and producer, Fisher Stevens. He produced "The Cove," an Oscar-nominated film that won the best documentary award from the National Board of Review in 2009. It's timely, with the recent horrific tragedy that occurred last week at SeaWorld in Orlando, Floridawhere Dawn Brancheau lost her life doing the job that she loved.

"The Cove" is a wide eyed view on the dolphin trade and slaughter. Fisher said, " I assumed like many others that dolphins and orcas enjoyed living at Sea World and other marine parks. They always seemed to be smiling, jumping merrily around their tanks, eager to put on a show for human spectators. However, when I met Ric O'Barry, my perspective changed. O'Barry was the man responsible for capturing Kathy -- the original "Flipper" -- from the wild and helping to create the language used to train dolphins to do tricks and flips. When Cathy died in his arms some years later, O'Barry realized the whole process of capturing and training dolphins was wrong."

O' Barry co-wrote the book "Behind the Dolphin Smile: A True Story that Will Touch the Hearts of Animal Lovers Everywhere" where he explains that the smiles you see on dolphins are not the reflection of happiness. In actuality, they hate to be enclosed in their holding tanks and are often not fed until it is time to perform their daily routines. During his time as a trainer, O'Barry learned dolphins had true feelings -- they would get depressed, stressed out, even suicidal. In some parks, the trainers have to give the animals Maalox and Tagamet. Read an excerpt here.

O'Barry realized that the dolphins, whom he made perform tricks for treats, had just as much right to their lives as he did to his. Instead of feeling clever, he felt that he’d been callous. From that moment on, O’Barry dedicated his life to freeing dolphins that are held hostage around the world. Instead of working for the billion-dollar dolphin captivity industry, he now liberates exploited dolphins – he “un-trains” these intelligent marine mammals and returns them to their natural habitat.

The Cove is also going to take you to Japan where they capture, slaughter and trade dolphins.

Check out the trailer and info page and their blog on how you can help save the dolphins.

Source: CNN

13 Bizarre Will Stipulations

Came across a funny (but serious) article over at Mental Floss by Ethan Trex on 13 Bizarre Will Stipulations. Worth the read so you can shake your head in disbelief ... but don't get any ideas!

Such as: T.M. Zink, an Iowa lawyer who died in 1930, must have had some pretty bad experiences with women. When he died he left his daughter a measly five bucks, and his wife got nothing. He stipulated that the rest of his $100,000 estate be put in a trust for 75 years, then used to create the Zink Womanless Library. The library would have no feminine decorations, no books or magazine articles by female authors, and was required to have “No Women Admitted” carved into the stone over the entrance.

or, Heinrich Heine. The German poet left his entire fortune to his wife, but with one catch: she had to remarry “because then there will be at least one man to regret my death.”

and my favorite (kind of gross) S. Sanborn, a 19th-century New England hatter, left a rather macabre bequest to a friend—a pair of drums made from Sanborn’s skin. The friend received further instructions to go to Bunker Hill each June 17th and play “Yankee Doodle Dandy” on the drums.

Ashes to Portraits ... Not the Mona Lisa .. but still Mom : )

Very interesting concept. Check out Ashes to Portraits. Using some of your loved one's cremated ashes combined with a special mixture involving oil paint, a professional artist will create a one-of-a-kind portrait that will be a beautiful remembrance that willl also be a part of them.

They do people and pets.

Howl about this?

What's that? A collection of 35 pups howling along with the Law & Order theme music? Detective, we have another dead body on our hands. It looks like his heart just gave out.

Coffin Quilts ... Pretty Unique

This is pretty unique. Check out Mary Kenyon's Tattoo & Coffin Quilts! Need a unique gift? Or just looking for something different? Then you want to look at her quilts. They specialize in Custom Quilts.

Know someone graduating from Mortuary School ... this is the gift!

P.S. These quilts are for the living : )

Cat-astropic! Woman Creates and Sells Goth Kittens

Do you believe this? Incredible.

This is absolutely pitiful. Where people get their ideas, I'll never know. But, it does make me mad to even look at this. The stupid little bars look way to heavy fort his kitten's ears.

You know how some people like to dress their pets up like children in cute little sweaters and tshirts; or put antlers on them and pretend they're reindeer during the holidays?

Well, Holly Crawford of Wilkes-Barre, PA found a stray cat last year and decided it would be cool to pierce its ears with barbells; and pierce its neck with a bar. Enter the "Goth Kitten." Then she got the bright idea to sell her animals online for hundreds of dollars a pop. The kittens came equipped with such fabulous features as pierced ears and submission rings implanted into the napes of their necks.

PETA caught wind of her advertisements and sent word to Luzerne County animal rescue people. Her home was subsequently raided and she was charged with animal cruelty. PETA, calls Crawford's methods "barbaric." But Crawford says she took the same precautions with piercing that she would with a human. And since she's a dog groomer by trade, she had no intention of ever hurting the animals.

Some cats were pierced on the backs of their necks; which for cats, the nape of the neck is an especially sensitive area the mother cat will take in her teeth to get her kitten to submit to her -- not an area you'd want to puncture with a 14-gauge bar. I guess by "heal properly", she means she watched the piercing site for pus; because the emotional scars on these animals, which a vet says were "maimed and disfigured", will more than likely never go away.

Even if Crawford didn't intend to hurt the animals, she obviously didn't consider their well-being before going through with these procedures, or know much about a cat's nerves. Any piercer will tell you that correct placement of piercings in humans is essential -- same would go for any animal. And it's highly unlikely these kittens were begging for the needle, or even sat quietly while Crawford was driving a bar through their ears.

She's pleaded innocent and is expected discover her fate this week.

Source: True Crime Report; Care2

When Oscar Comes Calling, Shut the Door Quick!

For the last five years, Oscar the cat has been sniffing out death. Literally.

Dr. David Dosa, who published the news of Oscar's abilities in a paper in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2007, said he never intended to make Oscar sound creepy or his arrival at a bedside to be viewed negatively. Dosa said he hopes his newly released book, "Making Rounds with Oscar: The Extraordinary Gift of an Ordinary Cat " will put the cat in a more favorable light as well as providing a book to help people whose loved ones are terminally ill.

"After the New England Journal article you got the feeling that if Oscar is in your bed then you are dead, but you did not really see what is going on for these family members," said Dosa, an assistant professor of medicine at Brown University. "I wanted to write a book that would go beyond Oscar's peculiarities, to tell why he is important to family members and caregivers who have been with him at the end of a life."

Dosa said Oscar's story is fascinating on many levels.

Oscar was adopted as a kitten from an animal shelter to be raised as a therapy cat at the Steere House Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Providence, Rhode Island, which cares for people with severe dementia and in the final stages of various illnesses.

When Oscar was about six months old the staff noticed that he would curl up to sleep with patients who were about to die.

So far he has accurately predicted about 50 deaths.

The Telegraph reports:

The tortoiseshell and white cat spends its days pacing from room to room, rarely spending any time with patients except those with just hours to live. If kept outside the room of a dying patient, Oscar will scratch on the door trying to get in.

When nurses once placed the cat on the bed of a patient they thought close to death, Oscar “charged out” and went to sit beside someone in another room. The cat’s judgment was better than that of the nurses: the second patient died that evening, while the first lived for two more days.

When death is near, Oscar nearly always appears at the last hour or so. Yet he shows no special interest in patients who are simply in poor shape, or even patients who may be dying but who still have a few days. A hop onto the bed, a fastidious lick of the paws, then a snuggle beside a nursing home patient with little time left. Oscar's purr, when keeping close company with the dying, is so intense it is almost a low rumble.

Dosa suggests Oscar’s unique ability could stem from an ability to detect ketones–distinctly odored biochemicals given off by dying cells. This isn’t as crazy as it sounds; after all, some dogs have been trained to sniff out cancer.

Dosa said his main interest was not to delve further into Oscar's abilities but to use Oscar as a vehicle to tell about terminal illness, which is his main area of work. where people go to die."

"The first time I met Oscar he bit me. We have warmed over the years. We have moved into a better place," said Dosa.

"I don't think Oscar is that unique, but he is in a unique environment. Animals are remarkable in their ability to see things we don't, be it the dog that sniffs out cancer or the fish that predicts earthquakes. Animals know when they are needed."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/us_books_cat ; http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/oscar-cat-with-the-purr-of-death/2007/07/26/1185339167772.html

Doctor Doctor Give me the news!

A little scary. The staff at the Wellcome Library in London have scoured the shelves for the weirdest and most wonderful objects in their collection, the ones that made even them scratch their heads when they first set eyes on them, such as the Anaesthetic inhaler, (UK, late 19th century.)

"Just breathe." : )

Elvis's Hair Up For Auction... Perhaps he'll be a diamond someday.

I'm going to be a diamond someday!

A Chicago auction house is putting a clump of what it claims is Elvis Presley's hair up for auction on October 18th. The auction listing for the hair from Leslie Hindman Auctioneers can be found here.

John Reznikoff of University Archives, a leading expert in celebrity hair authentication, says the sample “appears to match the hair in my collection [from the same Army haircut] in coarseness and color. This is more than likely a genuine lock of Elvis’ hair short of a DNA test (often inconclusive) proving otherwise.” The only comparable amount at public auction was sold in 2002 for $115,000. Celebrity hair collecting has exploded into a multimillion dollar industry.

The hair is just one of many highlights of the Gary Pepper Collection of Elvis Presley Memorabilia. Early in his career, Presley befriended Gary Pepper, a young man with cerebral palsy, who ultimately became a close friend and the president of one of the King's first fan clubs, allowing him to amass a significant collection of personal effects gifted to him from Presley himself. Untouched for over three decades, this special collection will be offered for sale at Leslie Hindman Auctioneers, Sunday, October 18th, 2009 with a public exhibition October 15th through 17th. A portion of the proceeds from the auction will be donated to United Cerebral Palsy of the Mid-South.

Celebrity hair has been used to make diamonds in the past. Check out Life Gem. It's actually pretty interesting how they do it.You can see a diamond created from Beethoven's hair here.  And, it's rumoured that there will be some Michael Jackson Diamonds created in the near future ....

The Elvis hair clump with be auctioned with other Elvis memorabilia on Sunday, October 18th.

For more information, please contact Mary Williams at 312.280.1212 or by email at marywilliams@lesliehindman.com

Other

Handcrafted Memorials ... You'll Be Outstanding in the Field : )

I came across Leyda, Burrus and Metz Monument Company in Burlington, Iowa's page and was "WOWED". The company was formed in 1892, making it one of the oldest monument companies in the Midwest. Ron Dixon is highlighted on the site and his work is fabulous.

If you want your life "etched in stone" he's the guy : )

Check out some of his work. I've put a few pictures up to show you!

P.S. You can have him start working on your masterpiece while you are still breathing : )

Widow selling husband's tomb above Marilyn Monroe

It's kind of sad .... that we have come to this. One person's misfortune is another person's fortune ...

An American widow is selling her husband's burial spot directly above film legend Marilyn Monroe so that she can pay off her mortgage.

Elsie Poncher has put an advertisement on eBay to auction off the tomb in Westwood Village Memorial Park, Los Angeles.

"Here is a once in a lifetime and into eternity opportunity to spend your eternal days directly above Marilyn Monroe," says the advertisement."

"In fact the person occupying the address right now is looking face down on her."

The burial plot is currently occupied by the late Richard Poncher, described by his widow as an entrepreneur who bought two tombs from baseball player Joe DiMaggio, Monroe's ex-husband, as the pair were divorcing in 1954.

Monroe died at the age of 36 in 1962. Poncher died at the age of 81 in 1986.

Elsie Poncher said she would move her husband's remains over one spot into a crypt intended as her final resting place if the sale is successful, and she would be cremated instead when the time comes.

Bidding for the plot opened at $500,000 and had reached $2.5 million by Sunday. No one from eBay was immediately available to comment on the bidding process or to give more details.

Poncher told the Los Angeles Times that she hoped to raise enough money to pay off the $1.6 million mortgage on her Beverly Hills home.

"I can't be more honest than that," she told the newspaper. "I want to leave it free and clear for my kids."

(Writing by Belinda Goldsmith, Editing by Miral Fahmy)

Michael Jackson's Ghost on Larry King????

Wow , can you believe Michael Jackson’s ghost made an appearance on Larry King over the weekend?! Yeah neither can I.

Check out this video from a CNN special about Neverland Ranch. As the camera looks down the hall you can see a flicker of “something” towards the end. Is this Michael Jackson?

You decide.

And for All You Buffy Fans ... Courtesy of Suicide Blonde

Source: Suicide Blonde (Great Photos)

The Book of Threes ... A Fabulous Blog!!!!!

I came across this site courtesy of the Washington Post article on the concept that death's, birth's, weddings, etc. always happen in three's. This was bought to light with the death of McMahon, Fawcett and Jaackson. (or course since them, there has been Muldan, McNair .... (and I'm sure someone else)). Do you count the three's in order of their importance or the higher their celebrity? How do you count the three's? There's a great article and lots of posts on three's in life, how do you count the three's, etc.

The whole site is on "The Rule of Three" ...... read it ... you'll love it!

Farrah Fawcett Dies at Age 62

Best known for her gorgeous flowing hair and smile and that great red swimsuit; and stint as one of Charlie's Angels, Farrah Fawcett has died at the young age of 62.

• "After a long and brave battle with cancer, our beloved Farrah has passed away," Fawcett's longtime companion Ryan O'Neal said via a statement. "Although this is an extremely difficult time for her family and friends, we take comfort in the beautiful times that we shared with Farrah over the years and the knowledge that her life brought joy to so many people around the world."
  

The news is already filled with stories, accolades and rumors about her, so here is a light video of Farrah with Joe Namath back in the old day!

News Links for more info:

• http://news-briefs.ew.com/2009/06/farrah-fawcett-dies.html
• http://www.ew.com/ew/gallery/0,,20276298,00.html?xid=rss-feed-todayslatest-Farrah+Fawcett%3A+14+key+moments
• http://www.baltimoresun.com/ktla-celebrities-react-farrah-death,0,2510251.story
• http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5iFCngB4IkrKhx_64GlspO19cDYiA

I SEA DEAD PEOPLE ... Wonderful Resting Placing

Okay, this may seem a little quirky or strange, but I am so enamoured at this idea, I have to share. Check out The Neptune Memorial Reef ; which is an environmentally friendly alternative to the traditional funeral and cemetery burial that we have all come to know so well.

This resting place is under water where there is still life ... so it can make death more of a celebration of life. Think about it, it is life after life. You are giving after leaving this earthly plane. There are currently over 100 souls there now. This reef not only provides an extraordinary eternal resting place for the departed, but it was constructed to regenerate life in the ocean. If you are a beach lover you can appreciate the fact that we take a lot from our environment while we live. Here's an opportunity to give something back.

The reef is located 3.25 miles east of Key Biscayne in Miami, FL - GPS coordinates N25º 42.036', W80º 05.409' - the Reef is the largest man-made reef ever conceived. Over 16 acres of barren ocean floor is being transformed. The first phase is a classical recreation of the Lost City, 40 feet under the sea. The natural surroundings in which the structures were placed have produced a marine habitat to promote coral and marine organism while creating the ultimate ‘Green Burial' opportunity.

A recent marine study conducted by the Department of Environmental Resource Management [DERM] concluded that marine life around the reef has gone from the zero to thousands in two years. In addition to providing a permanent legacy for those who loved the ocean, the Neptune Memorial Reef is attracting recreational scuba divers, marine biologists, students, researchers and ecologists from all over the world. And, believe it or not, there is no charge to visit the reef.

Recent marine monitoring study conducted in December 2008 by DERM (Department of Environmental Resources Management) revealed that 1625 fish of 35 different species were observed in 14 different fish counts at different locations within the NMR vs. 1027 fish of 29 different species in March 2008. An increase of over 60% in only 9 months!"

With 6 rings and 8 "spokes", the completed project will cover 16 acres of the seafloor, 3 ¼ miles off Key Biscayne in 45 feet of water.

With 6 rings and 8 "spokes", the completed project will cover 16 acres of the seafloor, 3 ¼ miles off Key Biscayne in 45 feet of water.

Think of it this way .... if you always wanted to retire in Florida, you can do it for free after the first installment : )

Sandler All Wood Coffin Kit ... It's Real and Available at Amazon.com!

WOW... Amazon does have it all! A Casket Kit for the whole family to make! If nothing else, read the reviews : )

MHP The Sandler All Wood Coffin Kit

This Casket Kit is designed for those that wish to use a solid wood casket. No metal is used in the construction or assembly of this kit. Perfect for many faiths with a NO METAL requirement, this solid pine coffin kit has an assembly time of 30 minutes with only a hammer and wood glue required for assembly. Each piece slides into the next, interlocking and creating a sturdy and handsome finished casket. Although we implore the use of wood glue in all of the joints, product testing without glue resulted in a surprisingly strong casket supporting a load of over 200lbs. Included in this kit are all necessary wood panels pre-cut and pre-sanded, rope handles, and a detailed instruction sheet.

Here is one of the reviews ... Priceless!

By the "angry kid"

"So, being dead for the last 100 years, lets just say I've had my fair share of chances to try out the latest and greatest in coffin technology. I've easily spent ten times this much on a coffin that ended up being not even half as comfortable. I may be dead, but that doesn't mean I can't be picky about the conditions in which I lay. I find this all wood coffin kit is really classy and yet understated. Occasionally, this bad boy gets me some hot looks from the dead chicks who see me laying in it. Also, being that the world is now in a "Green" kick, I find that using sustainable materials such as the wood used in this coffin is more "with the times". This coffin is like the Prius of coffins, sans the smug. So, I gave this coffin 5 stars, and to all of my deceased homies, would highly recommend giving it a shot. It might be a bit tough to assemble yourself when your hands rotted away almost a century ago, but it's not that bad. There are plenty of other coffins I wouldn't be caught dead in, but this one more than does the trick. I wouldn't give this coffin up over my dead body. "

For more coffin furniture, click here.