Funeral Words

"I Will Follow You Into The Dark"

I came across this music video over the weekend. The lyrics deal with the theme of loss and death, so it might come in handy at a funeral or memorial service.

UPDATE: Let me provide a little more information about the song. The recording comes from an album by the Seattle band Death Cab for Cutie called Plans. I also see on iTunes that you can download a higher resolution version of this same video for $1.99.

The song was written and apparently performed by band member Ben Gibbard. (Note: I am no expert about indie rock bands. If someone else has further information about this track, do not hesitate to pass it along via the comments section.)

You can find a copy of the lyrics by clicking here.

If you would like to know more about the video itself, the link below will take you to a director's commentary.

I Will Follow You Into The Dark: Director's Commentary

BT on Funeral Futurist Radio

Many of you know Rob Heppell, who runs the website FuneralFuturist.com and who does a great deal of public speaking within the funeral industry regarding the use and application of the internet, computers and other technologies in and around funeral homes.

Rob recorded a long discussion/interview with me a couple of weeks ago which he has now posted on his site. We talked at length about the article I recently published in the American Funeral Director, how the arrival of boomer mortality has already begun, where the "hot spots" of mortality growth will occur over the next several years, and what regions of the country will see the most impact by boomer mortality over the next 10 to 20 years.

Follow the link to take a listen:

FuneralFuturist.com: The Boomer Death Boom with BT Hathaway

Now THAT's Advertising!

Click on the picture and look closely. That's a real building used as part of the Nationwide Insurance, "Life Comes at You Fast" advertising campaign.

This doesn't have much to do directly with funeral service except to remind us all to keep thinking different. There's always a new approach around the corner for telling a story and in part that's what we do, help people tell their story.

Have a fantastic weekend!!!

PBS Tomorrow Night

For those of you in the business, I do not need to remind you of the upcoming Frontline program The Undertaking which features the services and philosphies of the author and funeral director Tom Lynch. You've already gotten a blast fax from your state association or other professional membership organization.

If by chance you do not know of what I speak, follow the link below to a description of the program and where you may also check local listings for broadcast times. Here in southeastern Massachusetts for instance, the Boston station will carry the show at 9:00 PM tomorrow but it does not run in Rhode Island until November 8th.

By the way, I would love to see some comments about the program appear on this blog. You do not need a funeral director's license to post here, just a reaction to the program and a willingness to share. I'm very curious to see how people react to this profile of funeral directors.

Any takers???

PBS Frontline: The Undertaking

Body Farm Update

Bill Bass, forensic anthropologist and founder of the "body farm" used to scientifically study outdoor body decomposition, gave an interview yesterday on the NPR program Science Friday to promote his new book:

Beyond the Body Farm: A Legendary Bone Detective Explores Murders, Mysteries, and the Revolution in Forensic Science

It seems Mr. Bass' work always gathers in the attention of funeral directors. He has some fascinating stories to tell.

You can download an MP3 copy of the interview for listening on your computer by clicking on the following link:

Bill Bass on Science Friday--October 5, 2007

If you have not heard of the body farm before, click on the next link to vew an archive video from the Science Friday site.

Body Farm Video

By the way, does anyone out there know whether Bill Bass has spoken at one of the national meetings? If not, why hasn't someone given him an invitation. I would think he could fill a good sized room. Just a thought.

Expanded Frontline Previews

WGBH Boston has expanded its online preview materials for the upcoming Frontline program featuring Tom Lynch the Michigan funeral director and critically acclaimed author.

Follow the link to find video clips along with an interview with the producers of the show and an excerpt from Tom Lynch's interview.

Frontline: The Undertaking Promo Site

The program premiers October 30th. Check local listings for the time in your area.

The Undertaking on PBS

I've mentioned before about the October 30th, Frontline program which will revolve around the ideas and writings of Tom Lynch. Here's a new clip/teaser for the program.

As always, a beautiful language Tom uses to describe his work and his purpose.

Why we search for meaning in tragedy

Monday, August 27, 2007 the NPR program Talk of the Nation will cover the topic: Why we search for answers among the bodies of those killed in disasters.

This sounds like a great resource and insight opportunity for those of you who responsible for organizing memorials of all kinds.

For local stations and broadcast times, use the following link.

NPR Program Listings

If you know how to stream audio on your computer, use the "Listen Live" button on the WBUR home page at 2PM Monday.

http://www.wbur.org/

UPDATE: With Attorney General Alberto Gonzales resigning today, it look as though they changed programming for today. I will keep an eye on it and post again should the topic return.

UPDATE 2: Looks as though they will return to the topic mentioned above tomorrow. That's Wednesday, August 29th.

Lynch on Frontline

   

   

   

The PBS news series Frontline will air a program October 30th centered around the work and philosophies of Thomas Lynch, the writer, poet and funeral director from central Michigan. Tom brings what one might call a "classic" view of the role of funerals and funeral directors in the life of individuals and communities.

I expect this presentation will provide a welcome counterpoint to the exposé driven news stories we have seen in the past.

If you wish to know more, the following links will provide a video preview in Windows Media or Quicktime formats:

Frontline: The Undertaking (WindowsMedia Format)

Frontline: The Undertaking (Quicktime Format)

You can also find an extended press release about the program here.

A funeral to tell a story

Here's a YouTube video of the funeral procession of Ollie Lawrence, you will hear a voice over from one of the family members talking about some of the decisions they made about what kind of funeral to have.

P.S. I seem to have gotten my mojo back. My vacation with my kids ended a couple of weeks ago, but it seems I needed a little longer break from the writing. I expect to get going with regular posts from here on.