Category Archives: Death and Immortality

Burial ground as a human right?

Christians in predominantly Hindu Nepal demand land to bury their dead: Christians have been protesting since a ban was imposed earlier this year on a traditional burial area next to a revered Hindu temple in Katmandu. The Supreme Court has … Continue reading

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Blogging your death

This didn’t make it on to the blog while I was co-teaching the Death and Immortality course. I realize the word is bandied about a lot, blessedly not as much as it was during the Bush administration, but this takes … Continue reading

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Continued rise in suicides among middle aged

Not a great statistic among Boomers.

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Franklin, Aristotle, and immortality

A reminder about the connection between notions of immortality, obituaries and Aristotle’s view about assessing a whole life. Franklin’s view offers us shades (pun intended) of Plato, too. When Socrates says that philosophers especially should be in training for death … Continue reading

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A unified study of suicide

From the Chronicle of Higher Education, a review on a new about the myths relating to suicide by Thomas Joiner: As its title announces, Myths About Suicide also seeks to debunk the myriad ways that suicide is stigmatized by ignorance, … Continue reading

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Painting for the survivors

Painting for the survivors with no questions asked. Here in the Sinaloan capital of Culiacan, Espinoza also specializes in painting religious imagery on the opulent mausoleums that serve as the final resting places for hundreds of traffickers slain in Mexico’s … Continue reading

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Dr. “Death” on HBO

Isn’t it odd how when you are studying something, be it a car to buy or a topic you’re studying in class, that BAM! The car, the topic, or whatever seems to be everywhere. When I was in high school … Continue reading

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Who says there can’t be postmortem activism?

Kinda creepy. But right in line with our discussions of experiencing postmortem good or harm. Through an unusual bequest in her will, the late Bea Arthur will remain an animal activist in her death. Don’t laugh. I wouldn’t want to … Continue reading

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The ripple effects of death

The Lake Shore Limited, a novel by Sue Miller, is about the ripple effects of a death on 9/11. Kukatani of the NY Times writes: The result is her most nuanced and unsentimental novel to date. This is a book that … Continue reading

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SF Chronicle writer’s cancer journey

I’ve followed her story from the beginning. Now it has moved to the hospice stage. Her humor is terrific and I’ve learned much from her.

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