Dead Party Animals

This lady is not much of a conversationalist.

There is an article in today's Times about the growing practice among some lunatics of having their dead loved ones embalmed sitting up, thus allowing them to be present at the wake or whatever kind of service is held in their honor. After all, it's their party--why should they be stuck in a box and miss out on all the festivities? To be honest, I did not read this article but had parts of it read to me by my husband, who found it fascinating. In fact, based on Mitch's enthusiastic interest in the whole thing I'm hoping he goes before me, that's all I can say.

Included in the story is a photo (see above) of a dead woman sitting up at a table with a pack of smokes and a glass of wine in front her, and wearing sunglasses to boot, perhaps to block out that "white light" we hear so much about.  If nothing else, the article makes one thing perfectly clear: A lot of people are just plain nuts.

I think it's bad enough to have to tolerate so many people who are talking nonsense most of the time while they live and breathe, we certainly should be able to be rid of them once they stop. I say burn everyone, not like Hitler did it but one at a time, and with a nice ceremony, and maybe a pretty box or vase for the ashes if somebody wants to keep them. (I know from personal experience that they often return from the crematorium in a paint can, or perhaps a plastic bag.) Or you might spread them anywhere you like, that's your business. But please, let's have no sitting corpses at funeral homes mingling with the mourners, or next thing you know people will be using them to get onto those high-speed HOV lanes on the freeway.