tagged w/ cemetery
-
by Janet Asimov
As a practicing curmudgeon, I now take a deep breath and type feverishly that I am NOT going to write about there being too many people alive on planet Earth. Every intelligent humanist knows about overpopulation, and if you don’t, you are not only not intelligent but also not informed.
There is, however, a teensy problem that is going to get worse. There are also too many DEAD people. Cemeteries are filling up. Many years ago the wonderful science fiction writer Clifford Simak wrote a novel called “Cemetery Earth” which I think about frequently. In it, humanity has moved out to homes in other solar systems (this is fiction, remember) and Earth is used as a cemetery.
Now that you’re all turned off, let me assure you that there are solutions to the Dead Body problem. But first, I will explain what death is.
To read this entire Humanist Network News article, click here: http://www.americanhumanist.org/HNN/details/2012-05-the-dead-body-problemby Janet Asimov
As a practicing curmudgeon, I now take a deep breath and type... more
-
-
It was all about the Mona Lisa. That’s all I wanted to see in Paris – that Mona Lisa smile. Everything else would be incidental. I was bound to see the Eiffel Tower, I was bound to cross the Seine, and oh yeah, I had to pay a visit to Jim Morrison. I owed to my roots and the boys back at the bar. I had stopped by to pay my respects to Sartre and Beckett at the Montparnasse Cemetery. Now on this muggy August afternoon I was seeking out the Lizard King Himself.
I came prepared for my visit to the Pere LaChaise, as prepared as I was willing to be prepared, I had my camera and a bottle of wine. Unfortunately I didn’t heed the advice of the information I received online. My journey at Pere Lachaise began at the south end of the cemetery – everything was going to be uphill from there. It would have been all downhill had I started from the north end. That seems to be par for the course for me. I’m good at the research I just can’t be bothered with the follow through. I know the easy way, I just refuse to accept it.
Get more from the source...
http://barnonegroup.blogspot.com/2011/06/in-search-of-jim-morrison.htmlIt was all about the Mona Lisa. That’s all I wanted to see in Paris – that... more
-
-
You might think there wouldn't be any Hitlers in America. But they're everywhere. There's a Randolph, a Sidney, a Sam and a Dave. Alfred E. Hitler. Pedro Hitler. Shawanda Hitler ... and many others who share a name with the man responsible for killing tens of millions while plunging the world into war. In fact, there are 50 or so Hitlers living in these 50 states and their history with our country goes back over 200 years. Given that this week marks the 70th anniversary of the beginning of World War II, it seems like an appropriate time (or completely inappropriate) to look at how the Hitler name lives on in America. http://www.makeahistory.com/index.php/bizzareweird/42938-hitlers-in-americaYou might think there wouldn't be any Hitlers in America. But they're... more
-
-
worrg
-
added this
-
2 years ago
- |
-
Fox as human pets? Sounds strange, isn't it? But early man may have preferred the company of fox to dog, states a new archaeological study.Fox as human pets? Sounds strange, isn't it? But early man may have preferred the... more
-
-
Alstom
-
added this
-
2 years ago
- |
-
-
-
Gukbe
-
added this
-
2 years ago
- |
-
This is a cemetery ghost hunt we under took in Riverside County, in southern California on 11-11-10. This cemetery is known for a ghost caretaker (didn't see him), ghost chrildren (we seemed to have caught one in an EVP) strange moving shadows (saw them) and weird light anomolies, some of which we caught.
Music by Kevin MacLeod.This is a cemetery ghost hunt we under took in Riverside County, in southern... more
-
-
Shocking crime, a female corpse was stolen from mausoleum in a Catholic cemetery in New York.
Thieves reportedly vandalized mausoleums at a Catholic cemetery on Long Island and stole a persons remains during an overnight break-in, police said Tuesday.
The break-in happened at St. Charles, a Roman Catholic Cemetery in Farmingdale between 6:30 p.m. Monday and 7:30 a.m. Tuesday, when a caretaker discovered the damage.
A total of three mausoleums were entered before the thief removed a casket from one of them — suggesting the crime was targeted at a specific body.
Authorities said they believe more than one person was involved in the incident. "They came to the cemetery prepared," Suffolk County Deputy Inspector Robert Brown told WCBS. "They knew what they would face inside the crypt and what would have to be done to remove a casket and open it."
"A casket was removed from the crypt, brought outside the mausoleum building and opened up. There there was a body removed from the casket that was opened up."
The suspects then likely had to carry the body over the cemetery fence to get away, authorities said.
The body was that of a female buried 12 years ago.
http://www.boncherry.com/blog/2010/08/25/female-body-stolen-from-cemetery-video/Shocking crime, a female corpse was stolen from mausoleum in a Catholic cemetery in... more
-
-
The first teaser trailer for the horror-adventure-comedy “The Night Shift” is online and available to view at the film’s official website (http://www.thenightshiftmovie.com/index-2.html)! Essentially a sizzle reel featuring a temporary music track and raw footage, the trailer gives viewers their first glimpse at the film’s exciting creatures and characters in action.
“The Night Shift” is a supernatural-adventure-comedy about Rue Morgan, the undead night watchman at Pinewood Oaks Cemetery. Rue, along with his buddy Herb, a limbless corpse, spends his nights trying to keep the cemetery’s cantankerous residents in, and his days dreaming of a date with hard-nosed day-shifter, Claire. It’s an okay afterlife until a scourge of supernatural occurrences leaves Rue not only watching the cemetery, but also watching his back!
The independent feature from Fighting Owl Films wrapped principal photography in June and is now in post-production and seeking distribution.
Read more: http://modmobilian.com/2010/07/13/the-night-shift-movie-teaser-trailer-released/The first teaser trailer for the horror-adventure-comedy “The Night Shift”... more
-
-
Gukbe
-
added this
-
2 years ago
- |
-
Fighting Owl Films, a rapidly emerging independent film production group in Mobile, Alabama, announced the completion of principal photography on the Thomas Smith-directed supernatural-adventure-comedy The Night Shift, starring Khristian Fulmer, Erin Lilley, Soren Odom and Jonathan Pruitt. Shot locally, the film utilized talent, locations and crew from within the community. The film will now enter post-production for completion and is currently seeking distribution.
"The Night Shift is a supernatural-adventure-comedy about Rue Morgan, the undead night watchman at Pinewood Oaks Cemetery. Rue, along with his buddy Herb, a limbless corpse, spends his nights trying to keep the cemetery’s cantankerous residents in, and his days dreaming of a date with hard-nosed day-shifter, Claire. It’s an okay afterlife until a scourge of supernatural occurrences leaves Rue not only watching the cemetery, but also watching his back!"
http://www.bloody-disgusting.com/news/20760Fighting Owl Films, a rapidly emerging independent film production group in Mobile,... more
-
-
Gukbe
-
added this
-
2 years ago
- |
-
Cemeteries are reinventing themselves. In Denver, several cemeteries have started hosting art exhibitions, garden displays, weddings, game nights, fireworks, and yes, even music concerts. The jokes are not difficult to make - and the puns plentiful - in a situation like this. But in all seriousness, is it right to play music in a place of reverence and commemoration for the departed? True, the music is mostly classical and jazz, and probably quite tasteful. But does that make it any better, especially if it's profit-driven? To make it more personal, how will you feel when someone swing dances on your grandmother's grave?
http://talkingskull.com/article/concerts-in-cemeteries-disrespectful-of-deadCemeteries are reinventing themselves. In Denver, several cemeteries have started... more
-
-
I recall a while back, the brilliant pictures of caterpillar silk webbing covering bikes an trees. Well now a cemetery in Southend Essex is under the rule of the caterpillars after visitors saw the silk webbed over benches, trees and gravestones.
"In their caterpillar stage, the bugs, known as web worms, weave leaves of trees together and eat them from their nests"-Metro
I'm guessing a number of photographers in the UK are heading for the cemetery to capture great pictures, if so they'll probably be closely followed by horror writers.I recall a while back, the brilliant pictures of caterpillar silk webbing covering... more
-
-
Italian prosecutors believe pizza in the southern city of Naples may be baked in ovens lit with wood from coffins dug up in the local cemetery, according to Italian daily Il Giornale.
Investigators are looking closely at lower end pizza shops and bakeries over suspicions that they are keeping their ovens burning using wood stolen from from local cemeteries.
Some 5000 pots had previously been stolen from the cemeteries and they are a target for thieves.
According to tradition, Neapolitan pizza should be cooked in a stone oven with an oak-wood fire.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/7735026/Pizza-in-Naples-cooked-with-wood-from-coffins.htmlItalian prosecutors believe pizza in the southern city of Naples may be baked in ovens... more
-
-
In a world that is increasingly renewable, recyclable and energy-efficient, many Americans already spend much of their lives in an eco-friendly environment.
Now they can spend eternity there, too.
That’s what Paul Magalhaes Sr. wanted, so last October, when the 78-year-old North Bergen man was considering personal burial plans, he settled on a new "eco option" at Maryrest Cemetery in Mahwah. After his death last month, Magalhaes was interred in Maryrest — the first person to be "ecologically buried" in one of the country’s first Catholic cemeteries with an environmentally sensitive section.
"My father always loved nature," said Paul Magalhaes Jr. "He was the kind of guy, if there was an ant crawling, he’d say, ‘Don’t step on it, it has a purpose.’"
People in the funeral industry say more Christians are embracing the idea of burial in cemeteries striving to contain their own carbon footprint.
This new movement has parallels to traditional Jewish and Muslim burial customs and is broadly in keeping with Catholic teachings — as well as recent papal pronouncements — on the importance of environmental protection.
At Maryrest, which is run by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark, only certain types of caskets, embalming and grave markers are permitted in the new eco-section, the goal being to limit environmental damage.
Nationwide, dozens of cemeteries advertise green practices as a way of countering modern burial practices that many now see as ecologically unsustainable. Newark Archdiocese officials say they expect Baby Boomers to increasingly opt for it.
"The church is trying to be green," said Andrew Schafer, executive director of Catholic cemeteries for the Newark Archdiocese.
"Being a Boomer myself," he added, "we grew up going to recycling centers on weekends, we learned in grammar school about protecting the environment, and Earth Day came about as we were kids. We are a generation of people who have been constantly exposed to protecting the world and the environment. ... As this group ages, I think they will seriously consider this."
Typical practices in sections of these cemeteries include:
• Bans on chemical embalming, to leave the body in a natural state, and out of concern that chemicals contaminate groundwater.
• Prohibiting coffins of metal or rare woods in favor of coffins of more easily reproduceable woods or wicker that decompose relatively quickly; or burying bodies in just a shroud.
• Forbidding tall, cut headstones, which require costly fueled transport, in favor of smaller markers.
• Banning herbicides and pesticides for lawn care; and banning mowers, to save fuel.
• Banning the concrete vaults that are used to hold coffins at most American cemeteries.
"This is the way it was 100 years ago," said Robert Prout, a funeral director in Verona who promotes green burial techniques at funeral directors’ conferences around the country. "This is the way it was for thousands of years. Wrapping a body in a shroud without a casket is still done in many parts of the world."
SHADES OF GREEN
There are probably a few dozen cemeteries in the United States that allow only green burials, and dozens more have specified green sections like the one at Maryrest, according to industry observers.
South Jersey has at least two besides Maryrest: Steelmantown Cemetery in Steelmantown, Cape May County, which is entirely devoted to green burials, and Union Cemetery in Mays Landing, Atlantic County, which has a section.
The term "green burial" is hard to define and has been criticized as overly vague. A national Green Burial Council, established in 2005, certifies Steelmantown Cemetery and 19 others as meeting its green standards. Other cemeteries advertising natural burials — including Union Cemetery — have not sought certification. Maryrest officials may explore the option, Schafer said.
The term can include cremations, when ashes are poured into a hole in the ground or buried in a biodegradable urn. About 30 percent of Americans are cremated, a figure that has risen in recent decades.
Concerns over the release of carbon dioxide and mercury into the air have somewhat damaged cremation’s green image among many environmentalists, but high-tech air-filtration systems for crematories are expected to become more common.
The section at Maryrest will have several "shades" of green, Schafer said. The darkest shade, for the real purists, will allow neither caskets nor embalming, not even embalming with natural products. People will be buried there in shrouds. The middle shade will allow the wood or wicker caskets but no embalming. The lightest shade, expected to be the most populated, will allow wood or wicker caskets and embalming with natural products.
The green section, consisting of two acres of sloping grassland, is a small part of the 70-acre cemetery, which has 27,000 other bodies buried under manicured lawns. The green section, when completed later this year, will have a more natural look, with plantings, shrubs and wildflowers meant to attract birds and butterflies.
Magalhaes Sr. was buried Jan. 11 in a wicker casket after being embalmed in natural products.
"Our thought was a regular cemetery is kind of sad," his son said. "You go there and they’re all the same. You have tombstones lined up next to each other like soldiers. You go in and people are grieving. ... We thought this was a much more happier setting. Instead of going there and grieving, we thought we’d go there and think of the better times."
http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2010/02/for_bergen_county_man_eco-fune.htmlIn a world that is increasingly renewable, recyclable and energy-efficient, many... more
-
-
-
Records at Arlington National Cemetery suggest that workers found an urn of cremated remains that had been dumped -- presumably accidentally -- in a dirt landfill, reburied those remains as an unknown soldier, and kept the whole thing quiet.
With the publication of this article, Salon has now disclosed four separate cases in which the cemetery discovered unmarked remains due to burial glitches, mostly poor record-keeping. In a fifth case, the cemetery accidentally buried the remains of one service member on top of another in the same grave. Salon's reporting has led the Army to launch an investigation of record-keeping problems at the cemetery.
Gravestones simply marked "Unknown" are easy to find scattered throughout the sprawling acres of perfectly aligned headstones at Arlington. In addition to the famous Tomb of the Unknowns, there are hundreds, perhaps thousands, of unknown soldiers buried there, dating back to the Civil War.
These should be old graves. The cemetery interred the last soldier rendered anonymous by war back in 1984 because DNA has rapidly improved the process of identifying remains.
But a Salon investigation has turned up internal cemetery records that show that sloppy record-keeping, not the ravages of war, blurred the identities of some of those unknown soldiers at Arlington. In some cases cemetery officials lost track of the identity of remains during burial operations and simply erected an "Unknown" headstone above those graves when they could not straighten it out.
More articles @ linkRecords at Arlington National Cemetery suggest that workers found an urn of cremated... more
-
-
Iraqi and U.S. officials have expressed concerns about the traffic of weapons and drugs across the country's porous borders, but there is also an older and more surprising commodity being smuggled into Iraq — cadavers.
For centuries, Shiite Muslims from all over the world have sought to be buried in what might be the world's largest cemetery, in the holy city of Najaf. During the past 30 years of rebellions, invasion and war with Iran, the traffic of the dead was halted. But it is now a big business once again.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120087941Iraqi and U.S. officials have expressed concerns about the traffic of weapons and... more
-
-
Living an eco-friendly existence doesn’t have to end when you do.
Ghoulish as it may sound, the business of burials is something we’re all fated to deal with eventually but new environmentally responsible options to handle this morbidly necessary event have emerged here in the US adding a note of green to this eerie realm of commerce.
Elizabeth Fournier, Director of Cornerstone Funeral Services and Cremation in Boring, Oregon, is the self-proclaimed “Green Reaper.”
A lot of people have chosen cremation already and a lot of that is the idea of, ‘Hey, I don’t want to take up space, I don’t want my family to shell out a bunch of cash, and I want to do something good for the environment.’ But of course, what we’re learning is the idea of cremating somebody isn’t so environmentally conscious as we once thought. Actually burying somebody the Green way with no chemicals, no concretes, and no metals in the soil is actually a better choice.
It’s the goal of Ms. Fournier and others in her industry to offer ways families can continue the responsible legacy of their deceased…beyond the grave.
For more on this and the full interview with Elizabeth Fornier, scythe through some of the following links:
Composting the dead (Environmental Graffiti)
Burials and cemeteries go green (NPR)
Do cemeteries impact on the environment? (University of Technology, Sydney)
Japan’s high tech graveyard solution as burial space grows scarce (Treehugger)
Artwork by amanda.f.i.
http://greenairradio.com/?p=2249Living an eco-friendly existence doesn’t have to end when you do.
Ghoulish as... more
-
-
Award Winning darkly comic indie horror about a suburban family who must feed their vampire daughter.Award Winning darkly comic indie horror about a suburban family who must feed their... more
-
-
-
Mobile-based Fighting Owl Films has placed its newest independent short film online for free public viewing.
The film, "The Night Shift," is a supernatural adventure-comedy about Rue Morgan, a cemetery night watchman whose job brings both some unusual friends and some daunting challenges.Mobile-based Fighting Owl Films has placed its newest independent short film online... more
-
-
Gukbe
-
added this
-
4 years ago
- |
