The Family Plot Blog
News and Notes: Going Green, TEDx Adventure and More
Last week's trip to Maryland to present at Temple Beth Ami in Rockville and the OASIS program in Montgomery Mall was a big success and the talks were very well received. After presenting Jewish Funeral Traditions on Film, one attendee recommended a very funny video related to sitting shiva - you'll find the link in blog post highlights below. The official TEDxABQ talk videos are still in the works. As soon as they're available, you'll be the...
Marketing Death Care with Dan Katz
It's a challenge selling something no one wants to buy - funeral and cremation services and cemetery plots. How do you get people to pay attention to advertising about end-of-life issues? Dan Katz, an award-winning copywriter and creative director for more than 30 years, discusses death care marketing on the latest podcast of A Good Goodbye with Gail Rubin on FuneralRadio.com. Click here to listen or download the podcast. Among the topics...
Funny Video – The i-Shiva App
Any one who has gone to a house where Jewish mourners are sitting shiva (or shivah) after a funeral know there's usually a lot of food there. Sometimes, many people with tenuous connections to the deceased come to the house. Here's a funny video that puts the two together for great comic effect. After giving my talk, Jewish Funeral Traditions on Film, at Temple Beth Ami in Rockville, Maryland, a congregant in attendance told me about this funny...
New Mexico and Death With Dignity
In this opinion column by Erin Marshall with Compassion & Choices New Mexico, she makes the case for the state Supreme Court to rule in favor of physician aid in dying. The end is important in all things — the ends of books, of movies, of relationships, of business deals — of everything. But there is one ending that no one ever wants to talk about and that’s the end of life. It is incredibly important for people who are suffering,...
Divorce, Death and Funeral Plans
This excellent advice column in the San Antonio News by Paul Premack titled During Divorce, Who Controls Funeral Plans? tackles the thorny questions of who can handle - and change - your funeral arrangements. You may be surprised at the answer. Dear Mr. Premack: My husband and I have been married for over 45 years, and he has filed for divorce. We've had many disagreements, but oddly the last straw seems to have been over funeral planning. I...
Vets, Pets, Aid in Dying and Euthanasia
According to a recent article in The Washington Post, veterinarians who euthanize pets suffer a psychological toll as they witness the emotional reactions of pet parents and put long-time patients to sleep. I couldn't help but think of physician aid in dying for those humans with terminal illnesses at end-of-life. From the article: Veterinarians face unique stressors compared with any other career, even within the medical field. It’s considered...
![[Video] Jews and Cremation Mortality Minute](https://i0.wp.com/agoodgoodbye.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Moses-and-God.jpg?resize=400%2C250&ssl=1)
[Video] Jews and Cremation Mortality Minute
We know cremation is on the rise, and traditionally, Jews have avoided cremation - but that's changing among the more liberal branches of Judaism. For a quick look at the topic of Jews and cremation, check out this Mortality Minute video, brought to you by Waldman Funeral Care in Houston, Texas - "Extraordinary Service. Compassionate Care." The transcript of the video follows below. https://youtu.be/OLayHOhIIyg This Jewish Mortality Minute is...
News and Notes: TEDx, Pros and Cons Article and More
The TEDxABQ Main Event on September 12 was exhilarating! What a thrill it was to hear so much laughter and applause from the Popejoy Hall audience of at least 1,500 people. The videos of all the remarkable TEDx speakers' presentations will be online soon -- links to be shared when ready! The Death Chicks, an online video interview series hosted by Patty Burgess and Myste Lyn, brings death out of the dark with humor. Hope you can join us...
October 16: CEU Presentation – Checking Out?
Checking Out? is an upbeat continuing education credit presentation for counselors, therapists and social workers on professional and personal planning for the inevitable - end-of-life. As fans of Monty Python know, "nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition!" And very few people plan to die. While humans have a 100% mortality rate, less than 30% of us do any end-of-life planning. That leaves more than 70% unprepared and devastated not IF but WHEN...
Sept. 24 Google Hangout with The Death Chicks
Making light of death helps us get conversations started so we can prepare for the inevitable. The Death Chicks, an online video interview series hosted by Patty Burgess and Myste Lyn, brings death out of the dark with humor. They say, "We're not making light of death, but we are working to make death lighter." On Thursday, September 24, Gail Rubin, The Doyenne of Death®, will bring a light touch to the serious subject of death on a Google...
Radio Interview on “Having The Last Say”
If you were to capture the legacy of your life in one small story, what would that story be? And how would you write it? Alan Gelb, the author of Having The Last Say: Capturing Your Legacy in One Small Story, explored the subject with Gail Rubin on the latest A Good Goodbye Radio podcast. As the baby boomer generation ages, its members are looking ahead to the biggest challenge of all: making sense of life in its third act. This segment of...
Rocking at TEDxABQ!
The TEDxABQ Main Event on Saturday was stellar! Gail Rubin "knocked 'em dead." Here are photos from the event and the after party... And a tweet by Megan Kamerick, one of our coaches... Humans still have a death rate of 100% but 70% of us don't plan for it says @TheFamilyPlot @TEDxABQ pic.twitter.com/tqd9UZZ3Zo — Megan Kamerick (@megankamerick) September 12, 2015
![[Video] Imaginary QuitBit Wearable Lifespan Monitor](https://i0.wp.com/agoodgoodbye.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/QuitBit.jpg?resize=349%2C250&ssl=1)
[Video] Imaginary QuitBit Wearable Lifespan Monitor
Here's a fun video about QuitBit, an imaginary Apple Watch-like product that predicts the precise time you are going to die. The video is an ad produced by Toronto-based advertising agency UNION and funeral home Mount Pleasant Group. It provides a refreshing approach to getting people to pre-plan on end-of-life issues, including funeral planning. As reported in ShootOnline.com, QUITBIT is designed to take the wearer’s lifestyle habits into...
TEDxABQ This Saturday!
TEDxABQ, the locally-produced TED talk in Albuquerque, takes place this Saturday, September 12 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Popejoy Hall on the University of New Mexico campus. Twenty of New Mexico’s most captivating speakers in science, healthcare, policy, technology, art, and the way we see the world will inspire you to think in new ways and take action in our community. TEDxABQ includes live talks, stirring performances, short videos, and...
Jack Fuller Obituary
Jack Fuller, 83, has laid down his hiking poles for the last time. Only a month ago, he and his wife Helen returned from a hiking trip to Iceland, which included soaking in the natural hot springs there. Multiple Myeloma unexpectedly cut short his vital life. Jack was a man ahead of his time. A native of Palestine, Texas, he graduated high school at age 16, graduated college at 20 and got his PhD in physics by age 24. After graduation, he...
News and Notes: The Wayne Dyer Effect
Wayne Dyer's death on August 30 prompted waves of traffic to The Family Plot Blog. Before the national news media picked up the story, I knew something was up on Sunday, when almost 5,000 hits registered on a 2009 blog post, "Wayne Dyer on Life and Death." Hay House Publishers sent out this obituary I posted on Wednesday, September 2. Since then, it has been viewed more than 35,000 times and received at least 120 comments. When I did a Google...
Video: New Trends in Death Care
Gail Rubin, Certified Thanatologist, recently spoke about new trends in death care - cremation, home funerals, green burial and creative celebrations of life. You can view the video of the 20-minute talk below. She spoke to the weekly meeting of the Albuquerque Del Norte Rotary Club. Member Donna Pedace introduced the speaker. "For those of you who don’t plan to die, our speaker today will enlighten us on the finer points of not dying and what...
Wayne Dyer’s Obituary
When Dr. Wayne Dyer passed away on late August 29 or early August 30, the news of his death spread like wildfire on social media. However, most of the major news coverage went to the death of horror movie director Wes Craven, who also died over the weekend. Hay House Publishers provided this obituary, so you can learn more about the remarkable life and contributions of Wayne Dyer. (Update 9.10.15 - Wayne Dyer's close family held a private...
Wayne Dyer and Wes Craven Deaths
The deaths of Wayne Dyer and Wes Craven over the weekend provide a pop culture contrast of light and dark. My Facebook feed has lots of references paying tribute to Wayne Dyer, not so many for Wes Craven. Guess I'm more on the light side than the dark - I avoid horror movies. Wayne Dyer, best-selling author and lecturer, was one of the world’s preeminent proponents of the power of positive thinking. In 2009, he was diagnosed with a rare...
The Caregiver’s Caregiver Radio Interview
The Blogtalk Radio show, The Caregiver’s Caregiver, hosted by Dave Nassaney is an hour-long program dedicated to helping caregivers avoid burnout and survive grief. He recently interviewed Gail Rubin, Certified Thanatologist and author of A Good Goodbye: Funeral Planning for Those Who Don't Plan to Die. The discussion includes how caregivers experience anticipatory grief, mourning losses before the person dies. They also talked about new trends...
News and Notes: Caring for Caregivers
If you've ever been a caregiver, or know someone who is, tune in online to the Blogtalk Radio show, The Caregiver's Caregiver. Host Dave Nassaney interviews Gail Rubin on this hour-long program dedicated to helping caregivers avoid burnout and survive grief. The discussion includes anticipatory grief, new trends in death care, and why having a funeral or memorial service is healing for caregivers. Congratulations to Nathan Rhody with Rhody...