Headstones

I also don't want any big, fancy, funeral. I'm undecided between cremation and leaving this mess to science.

I used to tell my wife that she can stick me out on the curb, in a Hefty bag. Or a Glad bag, depending on her mood.

I also told her (because of my somewhat irrational fear of being buried alive), to make sure I'm dead.

I've recently revised that to VERIFY that I'm dead.

Some of the options you guys have mentioned sound intriguing. Far better than one of my other irrational fears: that once donated to science, my body will be given to a med student, who will then have me attend college frat parties and who-knows-what else.

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I also wonder how the custom of burials began. In the prologue of the book 2001, on the night before the monolith arrives, The Old One dies, and Moonwatcher drags his body over the hill, where he leaves it for the hyenas to take care of. By nightfall, nothing is left.

I suppose, at some point, someone decided that the thought of becoming food for a lower species was unappealing, but is becoming worm food any better?

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For the record, Jews do not believe in embalming. For that reason, Jewish funerals are usually just a day or two after death. Jews also don't do open casket funerals. Also a big NO to cremation. Donation of bodies or parts is also forbidden. Autopsies are also strongly discouraged.

I recently told my brother (who is two spoons shy of being a Rabbi), that my current instructions to my wife are cremation. His response was that doing that is a lot cheaper than a funeral. I also told him that I'm atheist. He kinda shrugged and said OK. So, at least I know he won't be fighting her about what to do...

Not long after that, he said, "But you're still coming to my house for Passover, right?" Fun times with family and his wife's cooking? Yep, I'll be there!

My last requests
Donate all organs that can be used
Burn the rest

Grateful Dead bass player, Phil Lesh, always gives an organ donation talk after every concert he does
He is alive because of an organ donation of somebody that died in an auto accident

Quote: DJTeddyBear

I also told her (because of my somewhat irrational fear of being buried alive), to make sure I'm dead.

In the 19th century the fear of being prematurely buried was common, and some people purchased safety coffins.


Even the phrase "saved by the bell" came from safety coffins. Can you imagine the person who is sitting up the first night is awoken by the bell. Was it the wind? Was it a raccoon? Or did we really bury my sister too early?

Quote: DJTeddyBear

I also wonder how the custom of burials began. In the prologue of the book 2001, on the night before the monolith arrives, The Old One dies, and Moonwatcher drags his body over the hill, where he leaves it for the hyenas to take care of. I suppose, at some point, someone decided that the thought of becoming food for a lower species was unappealing, but is becoming worm food any better?

Burial with ceremony is the oldest human custom involving ritual or even decoration. The oldest beads found to date were at Ksar Akil, in Lebanon.Prior to this find, the beads found in the Blombos Cave were the oldest at about 72,000 years old. Pottery is dated no earlier than 20,000 years ago. But the earliest undisputed human burial dates back 100,000 years.

Human skeletal remains stained with red ochre were discovered in the Skhul cave at Qafzeh, Israel. A variety of grave goods were present at the site, including the mandible of a wild boar in the arms of one of the skeletons.

Quote: DJTeddyBear

I also told her (because of my somewhat irrational fear of being buried alive), to make sure I'm dead.

I could see some dialogue as follows coming up in court:

"Yes, judge, I am confessing to killing my husband."

"Why did I stab him a hundred times? Well, ... (see above)

With re-animation just around the corner, doesn't anyone else want to be cryonically preserved, or is it just me and Ted Williams? I'm gonna leave instructions in my will to buy one share of Apple so when I finally get defrosted, I'll be a...millionaire!?

Quote: Ayecarumba

With re-animation just around the corner, doesn't anyone else want to be cryonically preserved, or is it just me and Ted Williams?

While you've got nothing to lose, though your heirs might (can you pay by naming the cryonics company the beneficiary of a life insurance policy??), you have little to gain. Right now freezing a human body results in busted cell walls of every cell, even if no ice crystals form. Cells can't work without an intact membrane. They die. I don't see how any kind of treatment would possible with dead cells. But maybe it will be possible.

Quote:

I'm gonna leave instructions in my will to buy one share of Apple so when I finally get defrosted, I'll be a...millionaire!?

Or a plaintiff in a class-action suit, once everyone who's bought an iphone realizes they were horribly overcharged :)

Quote: Nareed

While you've got nothing to lose, though your heirs might (can you pay by naming the cryonics company the beneficiary of a life insurance policy??), you have little to gain. Right now freezing a human body results in busted cell walls of every cell, even if no ice crystals form. Cells can't work without an intact membrane. They die. I don't see how any kind of treatment would possible with dead cells. But maybe it will be possible

I was thinking it was the defrosting that causes the damage? Oh well, regardless, it's not shown to be useful as yet.

Maybe you need to be put in a dehydrator first?

I thought I remember reading a report that some employee claimed Ted William's head was tossed around by some employees and fell on the floor. Could have been a National Enquirer story.

Quote: Ayecarumba

With re-animation just around the corner, doesn't anyone else want to be cryonically preserved, or is it just me and Ted Williams? I'm gonna leave instructions in my will to buy one share of Apple so when I finally get defrosted, I'll be a...millionaire!?

[edited]There's a joke going around about that: a guy is cryonically frozen and makes arrangements that his investments are still his somehow. They thaw him out in the future and tell him he can call his broker from a payphone. One guy puts a coin in the phone for him. He reaches his broker, who tells him he is a multi-millionaire now, goes into it a bit, but the operator soon interrupts with ...

Quote: rxwine

I was thinking it was the defrosting that causes the damage? Oh well, regardless, it's not shown to be useful as yet.

I don't think anyone who's been cryonically preserved has been thawed.

It's worth looking into and researching both the methods and claims. What do they use to prevent ice crystals from forming (those can destroy all cells) and such. As I said, there is nothing to lose if you can afford the fees. Win or lose, you won't miss the money.

Quote:

Maybe you need to be put in a dehydrator first?

No clue. Egyptian mummies were dehydrated by covering the body in natron (a very salty mix of salts and minerals common in Egypt), also packing natron in the body cavity. They don't look ready to jump back to life.