8/18/07, the business building at my school: Why do people bury the dead? Most bodies end up rotting away or being eaten by worms due to insufficient protection. And it's not like the bodies are people any more; they're just collections of dead cells that used to house a person. You could have a spot to remember that person even if you didn't put their body in the ground, and it would cost a lot less money.

I'm donating my body to a local medical school for anatomical studies and medical research. I figure someone might as well get some use out of it when I'm gone, and donating costs significantly less than a funeral. After a few years, the school will incenerate my body and mail my ashes to my parents. My mom said she'd sprinkle them around campus for me; she didn't like the idea of keeping someone's remains in the house.

And then there's the issue of a will. Did you know that in most states a handwritten will by the deceased is perfectly legal, so long as it is witnessed by a certain number of non-beneficiaries? I found out about that a few months ago, and I'm still planning out mine. It's not like I have much to divy up, but, like my body, I want it to be as useful as possible.

By the way, it is acceptable to pronounce "bury" like "berry". I've heard a number of people contest this truth, but the dictionary is on my side.

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