Lets see if we beat last years death count...

flanum · Post by **flanum** » Fri Feb 03, 2006 2:15 pm

Jack · Post by **Jack** » Fri Feb 03, 2006 2:47 pm

I believe death is one of those things we don't talk enough about, but should. This excludes making fun of people who died, though. In my opinion it would do us all good if we lived constantly knowing we will die, and acted like it.

When you understand that all of us are going to leave this world, plastic surgery or who won the superbowl seems fickle, and it makes you want to feed the world's hungry and rescue little babies. Constant knowing of impending death would seem to cause one's world to get darker, but I've found that to be completely untrue. It's the opposite.

Montana · Post by **Montana** » Fri Feb 03, 2006 2:49 pm

Even scarier...
http://www.popco.org/irc/popclocks/

Interesting that war isn't in the top 20...
http://www.iraqbodycount.org/press/pr12.php

chas · Post by **chas** » Fri Feb 03, 2006 4:39 pm

Wow, pneumonia is ahead of AIDS, malaria, TB, and diarrhea. It's amazing what makes the news and what doesn't.

Wormdiet · Post by **Wormdiet** » Fri Feb 03, 2006 7:33 pm

Cranberry wrote:I believe death is one of those things we don't talk enough about, but should. This excludes making fun of people who died, though. In my opinion it would do us all good if we lived constantly knowing we will die, and acted like it.

When you understand that all of us are going to leave this world, plastic surgery or who won the superbowl seems fickle, and it makes you want to feed the world's hungry and rescue little babies. Constant knowing of impending death would seem to cause one's world to get darker, but I've found that to be completely untrue. It's the opposite.

An excellent, excellent book on this very topic. Although it is written from a Buddhist perspective, a lot of the insights would apply to any form spirituality.

Walden · Post by **Walden** » Fri Feb 03, 2006 7:48 pm

When I die, I will no doubt be buried in the graveyard on top of Lone Cherry Hill. The same graveyard where my grandparents, great grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, friends, and neighbors are buried. Where all funerals wind up.

So many old country cemeteries have been plowed under by a government with no respect for the dead. They'd rather have a highway that sends more people to their graves, than a graveyard that kills nobody.

As a child, I used to go for walks with my grandparents up in the graveyard. I enjoyed looking at the strange old tombstones and reading the dates from so long ago. Some of the old stones were very plain. Just little blocks or even just a piece of sand rock. Others were large and in the shape of trees or in the shape of a lectern with a Bible atop it. All were interesting.

So many names. Often names I'd hear in stories of the old days from my relatives. There were times I knew names of relatives from their graves before I'd ever heard of them otherwise.

I've got a picture taken on top of that hill, at the old Lone Cherry schoolhouse, probably about 1910 or 1912, with my great grandmother as a little child, among her schoolmates. Also in the photo are my great great grandmother and my great great great grandmother.

In 1999, we went up that hill and laid my great grandmother to rest, among family.

dubhlinn · Post by **dubhlinn** » Fri Feb 03, 2006 8:03 pm

Nice thought Walden.

I would wish to be cremated and have my ashes scattered around here

My happiest days involved cycling up to here with my Son, looking around the place, and wondering about Time.

I have told him already, if there is a problem with my ashes....tell them to get a F*&%ing vacum cleaner and suck me up

Slan,
D.

Jack · Post by **Jack** » Fri Feb 03, 2006 9:20 pm

Did you all know that when Ingrid Newkirk (the crazy lady who founded PeTA) dies she has it written into her will that her skin be made into wallets and belts and sold, and that her muscles be fried on a grill to make "Newkirk nuggets?" It freaked me out when I read that. I am all for animal rights and fair treatment (as I'm sure everybody knows, hehe) but that's just a bit much, I think. She's out of her mind, in my opinion.

izzarina · Post by **izzarina** » Fri Feb 03, 2006 9:27 pm

dubhlinn wrote: I have told him already, if there is a problem with my ashes....tell them to get a F*&%ing vacum cleaner and suck me up

Gives a whole new meaning to Hoovering

dubhlinn · Post by **dubhlinn** » Fri Feb 03, 2006 9:30 pm

izzarina wrote:
dubhlinn wrote: I have told him already, if there is a problem with my ashes....tell them to get a F*&%ing vacum cleaner and suck me up
Gives a whole new meaning to Hoovering

I was under the impression that Hoover might mean something different over there

Slan,
D.

I.D.10-t · Post by **I.D.10-t** » Sat Feb 04, 2006 7:59 am

Walden wrote: They'd rather have a highway that sends more people to their graves, than a graveyard that kills nobody.

I find it interesting that car wrecks listed as #10
What percentage of the world’s population owns a car?
It is also one of the only man made causes of death listed.

jim stone · Post by **jim stone** » Sat Feb 04, 2006 10:01 am

In India one often sees dead bodies--corpses being carried off
to the river to burn or burning by the river. It's liberating, in fact.
You know you will die, it's practical and real, and you tend
to take yourself less seriously. Also use your time wisely;
spend less time day dreaming.

I think one of the reasons for all the violence and murder
in our movies is the denial of death in our culture.

I wrote this in Benares.

Burning Ghat

Air black with seared flesh stench
And shimmering heat.
From a blazing pyre sticks a smoking foot.
Dogs quarrel over bones and bits of meat
While round the sizzling torso ragged attendants go,
Turning it with poles.

No camera! shouts a holyman standing on the wall.
I show him my empty hands.
A corpse on a litter is carried to a pyre,
Round head lolling under the white shroud.

And they hustled him into the elevator on a litter,
Pressing the oxygen mask to his face.
Sometimes God needs more angels in heaven, she said.
Last night God took your father.
Later they said he had gone to Europe.

Here Death is at last!
I go to the pyre
And take the corpse's head between my hands,
Grasping through the shroud its deadness.
No! the holyman cries
And I step back again.

A small boy,
His shaved head shining in the smoky light,
Walks by me holding a wand of flaming straw
To light the funeral pyre.

Jack · Post by **Jack** » Sat Feb 04, 2006 11:34 am

I.D.10-t wrote:What percentage of the world’s population owns a car?

I don't.

Neither does Ralph Nader.

jbarter · Post by **jbarter** » Mon Feb 06, 2006 7:11 am

Starvation isn't on the list? That does surprise me.

Flyingcursor · Post by **Flyingcursor** » Mon Feb 06, 2006 8:04 am

dubhlinn wrote:
izzarina wrote:
dubhlinn wrote: I have told him already, if there is a problem with my ashes....tell them to get a F*&%ing vacum cleaner and suck me up
Gives a whole new meaning to Hoovering

I was under the impression that Hoover might mean something different over there

Slan,
D.

Actually it doesn't mean anything over here. Izz just picked that up from you folks. We say "vacuuming" or "run the sweeper".