Friday, May 07, 2010

After death there's no dancing

We simply rob ourselves when we make presents to the dead.
-- Publilius Syrus, Moral Sayings, First Century B.C.


Yep.
Although surely we miss our passed loved ones, to use $20,000 or whatever on a funeral/grave instead of using it for example on a child's education, is wasteful, it seems to me.

9 comments:

Ganesha Games said...

When my beloved aunt died one year ago, I was shocked at the admittance fee for getting into the reign of the buried. If my mother didn't foot the bill, we couldn't have afforded the funeral that was done AT MINIMUM expenses as per my aunt's wish.

I wonder who will pay for my funeral expenses when I'm gone. My hope is to leave $0 in the bank when I die (not much different from what is there right now, mind you) but maybe that will cause bad feelings among my relatives.

Shouldn't this be something that is paid with taxes in a civilized society? Why do we have to have people profiting from death?

Eolake Stobblehouse said...

I agree.
When my father died back in the nineties, I remember the minimal cost was pretty cheap, and the state paid a nice bit of it. And this was with a casket. Since then we have all agreed we want simply cremation, there may not be any expenses worth mentioning.

Ganesha Games said...

Ha! In Italy getting cremated costs 3000+ euros!
Italians must be big on this idea of dying in style.

dave nielsen said...

I figured in Denmark they would put the body on a longship and set it on fire. That would be cool.

You could always leave your body to the forensic body farm as seen in Stephen Fry in America. Then it might at least do some good.

Ganesha Games said...

Dave
even if you do (and I will), you still have to take care of the body afterwards. Unless you were 100% usable ;-)

Eolake Stobblehouse said...

Only royalty get the big sendoff. Longships are *very* valuable.

TC [Girl] said...

dave nielsen said...
"I figured in Denmark they would put the body on a longship and set it on fire. That would be cool."

ROFLMAO! Yes...what a way to go! Puts a whole new meaning to..."cremation"! lol! Can you just IMAGINE the HUNDREDS of boats that would be setting sail, hourly?! YIKES! (A morbid nighttime scene on a stroll on a beach, anywhere in Denmark...w/the putrid smell of burning flesh endlessly oozing through the night air!)

Pascal [P-04referent] said...

Like I believe I wrote in one of my earliest threads on this blog, when I'm "with you" no more, give away all the spare parts that can benefit someone in need, put the rest in a box where it won't be a bother or in the way, don't cremate me because the fire is useless CO2, and remember fondly when I was alive. Being worm food (or "whatever-food") ain't too fond to think about. :-P

Pascal [P-04referent] said...

"Italians must be big on this idea of dying in style."
Italians are big on doing EVERYTHING in style, baby! B-)

"I figured in Denmark they would put the body on a longship and set it on fire. That would be cool."
Or HOT, depending on where you stand... or lie! :-)
Alas, I fear that such convenient funerals, while appreciated by the fish, would be restricted to prominent leaders and military heroes.
"Longships are *very* valuable."
Oh, right, THAT's why. Say, haven't the prices of yachts plummeted after the world crisis?...

"w/the putrid smell of burning flesh endlessly oozing through the night air!"
It's only putrid if it's not fresh. Everybody loves a nice BBQ. Or, like we say in Arbia, a nice meshwi. A Saudi Luau. A Gaul farewell banquet...

"That Leif Ericsson... he was such a good man!
- Aye, that he was! Want another piece? I'm full."

Donating the remains to help with scientific education... hey, why not? I'm sure handsome enough for plastination! ;-)
But the Museum of Manliness has put dibs on my most admired part, their honor spot is already all prepared to welcome it. In the Great Hall, where there's room enough to house it. ;-)