News and Notes: The Latest on Cremation at CANA

Jul 28, 2015 | 0 comments

This week, the Cremation Association of North America (CANA) holds its 97th annual convention in San Diego. I’ll be there to report on cremation issues such as body donation, mercury emissions, environmental impact, and cremation rates. YouTube videos on developments displayed at the expo to come!

Wacky Job Titles by Doug GriswoldThe San Jose Mercury News just ran a story about weird job titles, and the Doyenne of Death was featured! I’m in the company of titles like Snack Huntress, Jolly Good Fellow and Bug Specialist, and got two big paragraphs with quotes. Read Patrick May’s story, “Americans in love with wacky job titles.”

Mortality Minute radio and online video spots are now available – drop a note if you’d like to get a brochure with more information mailed to you.

Selected recent posts at The Family Plot Blog and upcoming events follow. Feel free to call if I can be of assistance – 505.265.7215.

Live long and prosper,

Gail Rubin, CT, The Doyenne of Death®

The Family Plot Blog Highlights

Click on the titles to read the blog post. Review all posts on The Family Plot Blog or view just the Death Cartoons posted on the blog!

New York Times Editorial on End-of-Life Care – In Sunday’s New York Times, the newspaper’s editorial board published this opinion piece, “Helping Patients and Doctors Talk About Death.”

The Palliative Care Four Questions – In the epilogue of Being Mortal, author Atul Gawande shares these four illuminating questions that can make all the difference for a good goodbye.

Muslim Burial Ground Misconceptions – Residents of Farmersville, Texas, about 35 miles north of Dallas, are fighting to prevent the establishment of a Muslim cemetery on an empty strip of land next to a highway because of misconceptions about threats it could pose to the community. Some illuminating facts about Muslim burial traditions.

Upcoming Events and a Mortality Quote

July 29 to August 1  Gail reports on developments at the Cremation Association of North America’s convention and expo in San Diego, CA.

Lola closet

Lola, the ABQ Death Cafe mascot, helps take death out of the closet.

Saturday, August 22, 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.  Albuquerque Death Cafe at Gail Rubin’s home. The objective of the Death Cafe is “To increase awareness of death with a view to helping people make the most of their (finite) lives.” It’s an interesting, unstructured conversation – open and free-flowing with no specific agenda. People come together in a relaxed, confidential and safe setting to discuss death, drink tea (or your favorite beverage) and eat delicious cake or cookies. RSVP to 505.265.7215 for address and directions. Click for more information about the Albuquerque Death Cafe.

Wednesday, August 26, noon  Gail speaks at the Albuquerque Del Norte Rotary Club meeting at the Sheraton Uptown, northeast corner of Menaul and Louisiana NE. Her talk is titled “We Can Do That? New Trends in Death Care.”

Saturday, September 12, 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.  TEDxABQ 2015 is a showcase of 20 of New Mexico’s biggest ideas in science, healthcare, policy, technology, learning, the arts, and the way we see the world. Gail Rubin will present her big idea to encourage preneed funeral planning.

Tuesday, October 6, 10:30 a.m. to noon  “Jewish Funeral Traditions on Film” presentation at Temple Beth Ami, 14330 Travilah Road, Rockville, Maryland. Jewish traditions regarding death and dying, the funeral, the treatment of the body, burial, mourning, and annual remembrances are very different from Christian practices. This talk will include a section about Jews and cremation. For more information, call Program Director Shelly Gordon at 301-340-6818×227.

Wednesday, October 7, 10:30 a.m. to noon  “Laughing in the Face of Death: Funny Films for Funeral Planning” presentation at OASIS at Macy’s Home Store in Westfield Montgomery Mall, 7125 Democracy Blvd., Bethesda, Maryland. This upbeat talk illustrates funeral planning issues with clips from comedy films and television programs. Learn what you need to know before someone dies to reduce stress, minimize family conflict, save money and create a “good goodbye.” For more information and class registration, call 301-469-4960.

“The death rate would be very high if we stopped living when we have nothing more to say.” — Sanislaw Jerzy Lee  (although humans do have a 100% mortality rate, no matter how much we have to say)

A Good Goodbye