Ok, so I tuned in to “the show”. Well done! Was glad to see that cremation was portrayed favorably.

As always, I’m interested in the behind the scenes. According to the article in American Funeral Director, it took David Fanning the executive Producer of “Frontline” 12 years to get Lynch to agree to participate. He must have felt strongly about the story. After reading Lynch’s work, the female producers O’Conner and Navasky found the central theme. And here’s your deep thought for today:

It took the form of Lynch himself…..who is heard throughout the film and seen reading passages from his book.

As for “Must See TV”, I don’t think the general public is going to seek this program out. Although, the funeral industry has been all abuzz about it. PBS presented the full circle marketing concept very well and made me want to visit the website. Had never seen the Frontline show and will give it another whirl.

The Verrino family story racked me up, and I don’t cry easily. This was a very powerful project and good image piece for the funeral directors. One of the producers even flipped from cremation and scattering for herself to burial after working on this project.

This post has drug on for days. We have a blockage in the garden.

Jetpacks put up a thought-provoking post regarding corporate blogging. The great social media experiment yields questions in my simple mind. Lately, I’ve been struggling with using this forum as a marketing vehicle for my urn business.

It’s likely I’ll use a blog to promote my next non-funeral related project, but I’m not completely sold on it for the urngarden site. Perhaps I’ve lost my focus. True, I’ve strayed off topic (”se*y-time Pakistan”) and personally find it difficult to focus on funeral related posts on a consistent basis. And the time, lordy! The time.

So now a whole industry springs up and frankly, who buys this stuff? Somebody is….sucka!

That would be me.

Example:

Mr. Lileks is a testament. I read this dude’s “blog” before the term was coined, it wasn’t a corporate blog, but in a way it was; resulting in book deals and now he blogs professionally at the Minneapolis Star.

I’ve totally bought into Post Secret. The art project that has produced three (or is it four?) books and a huge following.

So even when we have a block, and get all fussy about it, the good news is this social experiment has resulted in professional contacts being made, positive feedback from families we’ve served and buying trends based on posts, oh and people all over the world looking for information on souped up jazzy chairs. Is it a coincidence? Somehow it feels like part of the plan and we’ll see what develops.

We’ve joked about pay-for-post opps before, (Note to P&G, your Irish Spring product is being used for squirrel repellent as well). This pitch for writers from the Pay-for-Post site made me cringe:

We are not your average corporate office. Each month we celebrate birthdays with ceremonial cakeplows. We ring new initiates in with tequila shots. We play football together and hang out on the weekends. If you enjoy the corporate world, if you are easily offended or think it is wrong to wear flip flops to work, this probably isn’t the right place for you.

Sounds like dangerous work! What is a cakeplow? Tequila. Football. Co-workers on the weekend? Somebody’s gonna get hurt.

The struggle is marketing the product that NO ONE wants to buy. I understand why funeral directors are reluctant to “put it out there”.

So I ask:

Is it kind?

Is it true?

Is it necessary?

When your clothes have cobwebs on them, you might consider cleaning out the closet. And so it goes.

Cull it down to the minimum. If it requires a foundation undergarment to smooth the surface….lose it. I’ve been hanging on to the past and since I don’t dress for success anymore, I’m chucking the old office wardrobe.

Breakthrough:

I’ve found freedom in my new unflattering khaki slacks and slippers. Embrace the full figure. At least that struggle has subsided.

Let’s burn fat!

Speaking of “embracing”: shout out to Final Embrace for bringing a breath of fresh air to the funeral world with interesting correspondents. “Next generation” observations of the industry are fun to read. It’s about time.

Snap Judgment:
The marketing department earmarked this ad a while back for today’s review:

Powerful image. I should have cropped the verbiage. Because the words don’t matter.

Although, I’ve only studied the industry for the last few years, I don’t recall seeing a female “call to action” in the trade mags. This ad got my attention.

At the risk of embarrassing myself: Who is this lady looking all satisfied in her conservative blue bidnez suit? Should I know her?

Or is it subliminal:

Woman Strong. Vault strong.

For What It’s Worth:

Too many words.

Dial down the copy, you love that logo, so brand and develop the female heavy metal angle.

Rock on!

Life is strange right now.

The current undercover assignment is both amusing and frustrating.

Here’s what I can reveal.

There are an alarming number of humans on the streets at 4:30 AM jogging, walking, and biking. Also, the brightest star is visible in the eastern sky at that hour. It is Hamal? Or Venus perhaps? Please advise. It’s blinding!

Three Beautiful Things:

1. Sunrise at 7:00-ish.
2. Sunglasses at 7:30 AM.
3. Starting to enjoy the ride.

Intensive morning shot of D. Might help with the SAD.

Assimilation:

I’m learning how to “swipe” after 20 years of not punching a clock.

Khaki is not my color, but allows me to blend into the masses.

Sometimes a strict dress code can be good.

“30 Seconds & Break.” Translation: (and today’s tip) Keep the chatter to a minimum. This is an interesting concept, but not widely practiced where I come from.

Note to self: need a CPR refresher and instruction on how to use defibrillator.

Bottom line: It’s all good! Have a great week!

Observations from the garden:

Circles. I’ve been thinking about them in so many ways.

How we are all just spinning. How our culture is connecting to our primitive beginnings with our jet packs on.

Let’s start at a basic level. Footwear. What’s the most popular style today, and also the oldest?

Flip flops.

What ancient custom in death care is making a comeback?

Duh.

Let’s see, weren’t most early funeral directors connected to a furniture operation?

Are you with me?

Many of the families we deal with are keeping the urn in the home…..I’m not advocating a shrine or telling funeral directors how to run their bidnez. Just throwing out cremation urn display ideas.

Did I hear someone say Pottery Barn?

While reflecting on Deidre Blair’s post regarding hiring a photographer for a funeral or memorial service I was reminded that the last two funerals I’ve attended in the last couple of months, my last “living” encounter with the deceased was at previous visitation gatherings. Who knew?

The last time I saw the Rook family was in the reception line at Kevin Umlauf’s visitation last year. His wife Sharon showed me her new tattoo that she got on her 60th birthday.

Last month, at my cousin’s memorial service, (again, no body present) I realized that the last time I’d seen her was at my uncle’s wake.

No pictures were taken at these events. Diedre is right when she says, “Yes, these are hard events to document. But the reward is great.”

The scrap book of our lives. This is an interesting concept and the flip side of the old custom of snapping pix of the deceased, just friends and family.

Good Monday!

Lighter Garden Fare:

Just wanted to introduce some of my research assistants on the great Irish Spring experiment. Note to self: Check into Irish Spring pay-for-post opps.

These are some tough cats. They share space with three Rotties. Good hunters. This is four of the five, missed the little black and white. Sunday night, hanging out, very casual.

These cats intimidate Rock and he just hangs on the porch until the cats clear.

he’s a little uncomfortable. Combination cats and burrs.
And Shad, the neurotic Border Collie is happiest in the garden and is an excellent cat herder.

Dinner in the garden:

And then finally:

Based on the bug activity, someone remarked that they were ready for a hard freeze.

Today’s Tip for better living: Be careful what you wish for!

Our deepest sympathies to the families of Josh Clark, Keane Moss, James DeAnda, and Tiffany LeTexier in Sierra Vista, AZ.

A chance encounter last week, led us to the LaTexier family, and the story unfolded from there. How the parents cope with the pain of this terrible tragedy is a mystery. Please pray for them.

Tiffany’s mother used a teapot that Tiffany created as a gift to hold her daughter’s cremains.

Can’t be too careful I guess. Last week hundreds of travelers were evacuated from the Indianapolis International Airport and had to go through security a second time Friday after an urn with cremated remains was improperly screened, authorities said.

Transportation Security Administration said officials could not locate the passenger to rescreen the urn, so the concourses were evacuated around 6:20 a.m. as a precaution.

The evacuated passengers then went through security screening again and the concourses reopened around 7:35, airport spokeswoman Susan Sullivan said. The incident caused eight flights to be delayed, affecting nearly 700 passengers, but no flights were canceled, she said.

A TSA statement said that passengers may include a crematory container in their carry-on luggage, unless it generates an opaque image during the X-ray that prevents the screener from seeing what is inside. Those urns are not allowed through the checkpoint, the statement said.

Metal urns will generate an opaque image. Materials that can be successfully x-rayed: wood urns, plastic urns, or non-lead lined ceramic cremation urns.

TSA officials are restricted from opening an urn, even at the passenger’s request.

Relevancy anyone?

While we started the blog as an outreach for our clients, it has evolved into both a personal expression as well as an unexplained mystery.

It’s sexy time in the garden. Not only is the UAE landing here, but also visitors from Iran, Pakistan, and Morocco trolling for sexy Dubai. Sorry, wrong number.

I’m still getting hits on the successful Irish Spring Experiment and will continue to use as a safe cat repellent. I’m pleading with the manufacturers to please market this for gardeners so I can stop shredding soap. The one-eyed cat greeting you at the top of this page is one of five that live next door. Confession: I take pictures of my neighbor’s cats when they aren’t home. I don’t know why.

Pimping the Jazzy Chair gets lookers from all over the world, mostly Europe. Surprising. Evidently, I’m not the only one that thinks this idea has possibilities and am looking for venture capitalists.

Searches for “hillbilly life” from Europe.

Oh yeah, and Brett Michael’s hair extensions. The American public wants to see him without a bandanna or cowboy hat. Who gives a rat’s ass?

Now, what does this have to do with cremation urns and memorial stones? Life, baby!

Enjoy it while it lasts!