Archive for December, 2009
Minneapolis Indigent Burials Increasing
30, Dec 2009Indigent burials, and cost to public, on rise
Kevin Duchschere, Star Tribune (December 27, 2009)
This is a story which persists in the news. County morgues all across America continue to deal with unclaimed dead bodies. I have been writing about these cases on Death Ref’s Death + the Economy section.
Minneapolis is the featured city this time [...]
- By: John
- In: Death + the Economy
- Tags: unclaimed bodies
Dead Drunk Funeral Freebies for NYE
29, Dec 2009 Free Funerals for Drunk Drivers
Jerry Carnes, 11Alive (December 29, 2009)
A public awareness campaign for drunk driving meets cheeky morbidity in Rome, Georgia. Here citizens can sign a contract at McGuire, Jennings and Miller Funeral Home stating they intend to drive after drinking or doing drugs on New Year’s Eve. Those who die will receive [...]
- By: Meg Holle
- In: Death + Humor
- Tags: funeral homes, marketing, video
The Cliffs of Tojimbo
20, Dec 2009“I will continue until the government finally gets its act together and takes over,” he said. “I can’t let their inaction cost another precious life.”
Japan has a long history of suicide. And nowhere is this cultural phenomenon felt more keenly than at the cliffs of Tojimbo, a popular tourist destination, on Japan’s western coast. This [...]
- By: Kim
- In: Death + Popular Culture| Death + the Law| Monuments + Memorials
- Tags: Japan, suicide
Fog Is Rolling in Thick, My Son Is Drowning
18, Dec 2009 Mom Shellie Ross’ Tweet about Son’s Death Sparks Debate Over Use of Twitter During Tragedy
Emily Friedman, ABC News (December 16, 2009)
Announcing a Child’s Death on Twitter
Lisa Belkin, New York Times Motherlode blog (December 17, 2009)
A popular “mommy blogger” who tweeted about her toddler’s sudden death Monday has been facing considerable backlash for using Twitter [...]
- By: Meg Holle
- In: Death + the Web| Death Ethics| Grief + Mourning
- Tags: twitter
Cremating Supersized Dead Bodies
16, Dec 2009Bath Cemetery Refused to Cremate Man Because He Was Too Heavy
The Bath Chronicle (December 14, 2009)
Every once in a while, a dead body story brings home the following point: all the issues that surround the living world don’t entirely stop when a person dies. Indeed, funeral directors and crematorium operators encounter most aspects of the [...]
- By: John
- In: Cremation| Funeral Industry
- Tags: coffins, obesity