think outside the blog

In a blog post long ago, I asked: Do you find cemeteries interesting and even enjoyable?

We have. There’s good art to be found in cemeteries.

I’m feeling fine and it’s not sickness that has me thinking of this final dirt nap. My don’t-be-cruel wife often reads the obits in the paper. I’ve posted about it before. Today, I noticed an ad in the obit section. You never see ads for vacations in the obit section and I think that would be great place for them since a reader might want to take that last chance trip. No, it was an ad for death related services. Specifically, for cremation services. I believe cremation has benefits. If you are fortunate you get old. Why would you want to keep that old body around?

Two things caught my eye in the ad (definition of a good ad?), one was the smiling, wife arm hugging, older couple. I swear I’ve seen that stock photo in a vacation/retirement ad. Really, would any couple be posing with big smiles while deciding on a cremation plan? I might get a little suspicious and ask, “why are you so happy right now?”

The second thing gave me a laugh (good ads generate laughs and revenue). The tag line for the company - “Think Outside The Box”. That’s brilliant and funny.

While looking back at my older related posts, I came across my post about funeral theme songs. “My Way” is a popular one. I actually like “Over The Rainbow” better. (future note for any family or friends - don’t try to be TOO funny. “Highway To Hell”, might not be funny to everyone gathered.)

I've loved, I've laughed and cried.
I've had my fill; my share of losing.
And now, as tears subside,
I find it all so amusing.
To think I did all that;
And may I say - not in a shy way,
"No, oh no not me,
I did it my way".

one over a fragment

The ratio of one over a fragment would equal a large value since the fragment would approach zero.

Well if you are looking for value in fragments, you need to check Mrs. 4444’s blog. Her collection of Friday Fragments are priceless (and free too).

This week we celebrated the 40 anniversary of the first cellphone call. Do you know most of the world calls them mobile phones? As an engineer I am still amazed how the industry was able to shrink the size of the phone. At first they were not as mobile as they are today. We had a bag phone. Did you?

Oh did you celebrate the 40th? I sent a text (first SMS text message was sent Dec. 1992 in the UK). Really who sends cards anymore?

my flip phone on our old bag phone  time for ebay?

Monday I pull a prank on the blog. Pulling that prank relieved that knot in my back. (a link to Monday’s prank post - you might want to read if you didn’t since I’ll probably do it again next year) 

April Fool’s Day and Easter just missed each other this year. I knew Easter moved around from year to year but wondered how often they match (complex formula for setting the date -  NOT involving white smoke). I went to the answerer of complex things - google search and found it has matched and will again. Last Easter on April Fool’s Day was 1956 and next time will be 2018. God pulling a prank on mankind would be - ?? I don’t know if there is a word for that. Righteous?

don't let Dino bite your butt

Last month I mentioned that I should work on my epitaph since it might have typos in it. This week while my wife (She doesn’t want to be identified up here. I should create a code letter for her. I already have an ‘X’, so she could be ‘Y’.) was perusing the Irish sports page (obituaries).  Y found a very funny obit. Here’s a line from it (full obit): 

“He held a real estate license and a hypnosis certificate, which probably would have worked in his favor had he practiced both at the same time.”

This past week I virtually visited two old sites. Sites that at one time I browsed over to every few days. One site is the Onion and I posted about that. The other is called I Used To Believe. I added a belief to that site once but today I don’t remember what username I had created for it. Here’s a funny belief from the site:

At dusk, when the sky would turn pretty swirling colors my mom would tell me, "Santa's making candy!" To this day whenever I see a pretty sky at night, I get nostalgic and think about all the ways I'm going to lie to my kids when they're old enough to understand, but young enough not to know better.

I hope the ratio of enjoyment over the time spent reading this post gave you a good value - thanks.