Each month we will post links to pertinent articles in the deathcare profession. From lawsuits to quirky sites, we'll bring you a one-stop shop from deathcare-related items on the web. Here are this month's links. Ashes to beads: South Koreans try new way to mourn, the Associated Press Changes in traditional South Korean beliefs about cherishing ancestors and a huge increase in cremation have led to a handful of niche businesses that cater to those who see honoring an urn filled with ashes as an imperfect way of mourning.
Zimbabwe: Let's Value Our Tradition, Cremation Not the Answer, The Herald Although the title of this article might sound as if the writer is arguing against cremation, it's actually a response to the country's general sentiment against it. Earlier this week, The Herald posted 'Council urges nation to adopt cremation' detailing the problem facing Zimbabwe, and many other countries— a lack of space for traditional cemetery plots.
Forget cremations or being buried, how about being liquidised? Funeral home brings in machine which turns dead bodies into 'brown syrup', The Daily Mail An article on the Anderson-McQueen funeral home in St. Petersburg, where they've installed an alkaline hydrolysis machine used to dissolve a corpse so that the liquid can be pumped into the municipal water system.
Funerals undergoing an eco-friendly makeover: Shaking up a ritual steeped in tradition and solemnity, Bloomberg Businessweek Another article on alkaline hydrolysis—it's quite the hot button topic right now!— featuring Jeff Edwards of Edwards Funeral Service in Columbus, Ohio. Edwards' funeral home was put in the hot seat, and after getting a lot of media attention, the Ohio Department of Health announced 'that it would no longer accept death certificates from or issue burial transit permits to any funeral home using hydrolysis, essentially making the procedure illegal in Ohio.'
Most boomers don't have living wills, the Associated Press A new study from the AP in conjunction with LifeGoesStrong.com reveals exactly what this article's title sounds like, but the reason many of them don't set up living wills may surprise you.
Navy has yet to fulfill Vet's last wish, WAVY.com A Vietnam veteran's last wish was to be buried at sea, but a mix-up may mean his remains never make it there.