May 25, 2007
FOUR FOR FRIDAY - THE DEATH EDITION
Q1 - Remembrances: Given the choice, what would your headstone look like and what would it say?
Q2 - Your Call: What do you think would be the best and worst ways to die?
Q3 - Better off Dead or Alive: Jerry Falwell?
Q4 - Sphere of Influence: What dead person has influenced your life the most?
Posted by Mikal at May 25, 2007 7:24 AM
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Sweet action! Okay, here we go...
1. Remembrances: My preference is to be cremated so my worthless dead body doesn't take up space in the ground. But if my wishes were defied, I'd hope it to say something along the lines of, "What the *$#@! is going on here?!"
2. Your Call: Call me sentimental, but I think the best way to go is by exploding out in space, large enough for the world to see (maybe turning permanently into some really bright object in the sky so you'll always be remembered) in the service of saving the world. If you're lucky, in a few thousand years people will actually start worshiping you! And if anybody prayed to me, I'd put voices on their computer just to mess with them.
3. Better Off: Well, assuming all that raving he did at the pulpit is true, he's gone off to heaven and is better off. On the other hand, he could at this moment be still at the pearly gates arguing with St. Peter about theology, trying to implement a more conservative heaven.
4. Influence: Hmmm... tough one. Maybe my great-great-great-(or thereabouts) grandfather who changed his last name so he could get his future father-in-law's permission to marry the woman he loved. Now I've got some crazy last name that people have a hard time pronouncing.
But honestly, I'd probably have to say Jesus of Nazareth. There's a lot of stuff I didn't do growing up because of my religious beliefs, so he'd have to be it.
Intersting and thought-provoking questions today.
I would've never thought of these things without your prompting!
Hope you have a wonderful weekend and Memorial Day!
Blessings!
1. I'd prefer my body be donated to science or something like that, but in the spirit of the question... Name, year of birth and year of death only on an old fashioned limestone or marble stone. I've always loved how those eventually erode away.
2. Best: In your sleep. Worst: I can't quite decide between drowning or strangulation.
3. Dead. The world is a better place with one less person claiming to speak for god while spewing vile and hateful rhetoric.
4. I'd have to say my dad.
Q1 - Remembrances: Mine would have the handprints of my closest friends and family (each in a different vibrant primary color), with the inscription: ěI am a part of all of those who touched me.î
Q2 - My Call: I think drowning would be the worst (because I would see what was happening in real time and not be able to do anything about it). Burning to death would be a close second. On the flipside, I think being surrounded by friends and family, with a shot of some type of massive pain reliever running through my veins, would be the best way.
Q3 - Better off Dead or Alive: What a guy. I mean, how could you not got nuts for the chubby bastard after he said: ěIf you're not a born-again Christian, you're a failure as a human being.î And how about this (one of my all-time favorites): ěAIDS is not just God's punishment for homosexuals; it is God's punishment for the society that tolerates homosexuals.î Then thereís this little ditty that Iím so very fond of: ěI hope I live to see the day when, as in the early days of our country, we won't have any public schools. The churches will have taken them over again and Christians will be running them. What a happy day that will be!.î Ahh Jerry, weíll miss you. Your stand up comedy was almost as good as Pat Robertsonís.
Q4 - Sphere of Influence: No one person in particular. There are a number of quotes (by people who are no longer alive) that I am influenced and inspired by, including Kahlil Gibranís ěI have learned silence from the talkative, toleration from the intolerant, and kindness from the unkind; yet strange, I am ungrateful to these teachers.î and ěGenerosity is giving more than you can, and pride is taking less than you need.î Both are from Gibranís ěSand and Foamî (a great read, by the way).
Q1-Remembrances: Because I won't know what really is placed in remembrance of me..Heck I will be dead. But a headstone with flowers and a hummingbird would be nice and an inscription with "I tried"{or something along those lines.}
Q2-Your Call: Best way.. to die in my sleep. Worst way...to linger in the throws of cancer for years and years. I want to go fast and not cause others pain as cancer often does. Watching is the worst.
Q3-Better off Dead or Alive: I think the guy was very weird! I wish no-one ill-will after death. Heck they are gone right?
Q4-Sphere of Influence:My Paternal Grandmother Mabel. Without her I would not be who I am today. I was more than blessed to have her in my life!
1 - No remembrance...just cremate me and through me up above your fireplace.
2 - Best way - faaaaallllinnng. Worst way - in your sleep....how are you going to know that you died!?
3 - Better off Alive...although I despised his stances on issues, at least there was someone out there to keep the conversation going.
4 - Sherlin Manning....old baseball coach. Died this Monday, May 21, Godspeed!
1. I like Winston Churchill's, "I am ready to meet my Maker. Whether my Maker is prepared for the great ordeal of meeting me is another matter," so maybe I'll copy that.
2. This all depends on who its best or worst for. For me, I'd like to die quick and without knowing its coming, so the worst would be a wasting sickness, drowning, or something else terror inducing. On the other hand, for those around me (the one's that like me), a sudden, unexpected death would probably be just as bad as a long sickness. My great-grandfather had lukemia, but only lasted a short time and had great pain killers, so that meant we all got to say our goodbyes.
3. I don't think anything really changes by the death of one man. Sure he was an amazingly public figure for the right wing, but there's just going to be somebody else who steps into the limelight he laft behind. There's certainly enough people 'trained' to think like him so that the groups and organizations he started aren't going anywhere. If you read the ABC article about his death, the comments at the end serve to prove that his followers and detractors are still saying exactly the same things they've been saying all along, so his death really doesn't seem to matter. Although I can't say I agree with the man, I have to say, that given the political stew in the US, that I think another person would have said equally hateful things had not Jerry said them.
4. I think of things like this... had any one choice, event, or turning point in history gone the other way, then none of us would be who we are today, likely none of us would be. So with that said, every person who has died, up to an including the moment you read this, has had a huge impact on the world and on every individual within it. As for my person choices, I think that of the dead people I try to use as role models, my above mentioned grandfather is probably one of the stronger influences, but honestly, I really prefer living role models.
1 - I'd want a flag pole for my headstone, cause it would make it easier for my family to find it. And they could put whatever flag they want up there, starting with an OU Sooners flag.
2 - Best is hypothermia in the mountains, worst is in a nursing home.
3 - Better off Dead, classic movie!
4 - My brother John.
#1 - Hmmm, it's not something I really like to think about but I think mine would be average size and would say something to the effect of loving husband, proud father.(I know...creative):-)
#2 - I have always feared drowning. That would be the worst. The best would be in your sleep.
#3 - I don't know enough about him to say.
#4 - I'd have to say Jesus.
1. My Ideal headstone would be made of plastic. If you kick it gently the headstone will give off some "classic" previously recorded Wes comments. If you kick the headstone like gang fight then it will start swearing and puke on you. Puke also previously collected.
2. Best way to die: Choking at Tucanos. (Brazilian Meat Place) Worst way to die: Rosanne Barr sitting on my face.
3. Jerry Falwell: He make me laugh sometimes. Is that an answer?
4. Dead person most influenced: Mikal Belicove. Sorry buddy, I have some bad news.
q1: rather simple with the line "what a guy"
q2: burning would be one of the worst. the best would be having the chance to say goodbye to my loved ones.
q3: i don't know enough to contribute here.
q4: Jesus
(Ok, I shouldn't even attempt to beat Wes' answers)
1. Headstone made of stainless steal and chrome, with a life-sized statue of a Harley Davidson Sportster 883R. The quote below the motorcylce would say, "He tried everything in his power to be a bad ass, but still was a wimp."
2. Best: Sleep. Worst: Burning/drowning
3. I will be honest, I don't know anything about this dude, except for the answer that Mikal gave.
4. Dead person most influenced: Jesus, and Chris Farley
Just started this fun stuff again. Answers on blog.
1) I would really like an above-ground marker, whether it was in a columbarium or in the graveyard. I'd like it to have my name and date of birth and death.
I think I'd like to quote Dylan Thomas on my headstone,
"I have just had eighteen whiskeys in a row. I do believe that is a record."
2) Best: See #1...
Worst: Alone
3) Well, since he believed he was heaven-bound, according to him he's better off dead. According to Ecclesiastes 9:5 he doesn't know he's dead anyway. I'm going with the latter.
4) Probably my Grandpa. But the influencing was all done before he died.
Q1 - Remembrances: Given the choice, what would your headstone look like and what would it say?
My head stone would be constructed out of petrified fickle matter, because thatís all I am spending on it. Someone could hammer a sign in it that says ěIíll be back.î
Q2 - Your Call: What do you think would be the best and worst ways to die?
Best way to die: SexÖI really donít think I need to expound on this
Worst way to die: Anything else where you are not having sex.
Q3 - Better off Dead or Alive: Jerry Falwell?
Jerry SpringerÖJerry GarciaÖ and Tom and Jerry. I think its safe to say that without knowing all of the details of his life I could say he is better not being here. Anybody that has to wear the name Jerry with them through out this life, with the amazing icons I listed above, should be glad to go. Also he had a fake title given to him by a pretend society, he didnít loose much in this world.
Q4 - Sphere of Influence: What dead person has influenced your life the most?
I would say ěJesus Christî but Iím sure almost everyone is saying that so Iíll pick someone else. And Iím not going into the top 100 list of people who have affected everyone. ěColumbus found America (not really) and because America is the most powerful country I would say I have been influenced by him the most,î So I am going to say Kahil Gibran would be the most influential person in my life, outside of Jesus Christ, and technically is Jesus really deadÖ.Anyway, Kahil Gibran wrote the book ěThe Prophetî, a book I have read most my life and received a great deal of inspiration from up until I borrowed it out to someone who failed to return it to me. I guess they needed it more than me.
Just for the record FICKLE = FECAL...bloody spell check
Q1 - I'm being cremated after all usable body parts are removed. Headstone? It's up to anyone who's left to care, but I swear I will haunt anyone who puts any kind of cheesy or saccharine shit on any kind of memorial to me.
Q2 - I'm with George Carlin on the best way to go: Get on line at a faith healer and when he's ready to heal me shout, "May God strike me dead if you aren't for real." [paraphrased] As for the worst way, any other way is bad. I'm not ready to go yet.
Q3 - Depends on how strongly you believe in heaven and divine intercession. The rest of us are better off with him dead rather than alive shooting his mouth off. In my opinion.
Q4 - My sister Ellen. She *nearly* died when I was 3. And she *did* die when I was 30. There is a real sense of gratitude in having the opportunity to know her, and she lived those extra 27 years fully.
A1. The view is not all that good from here!
A2. Best - falling asleep and not waking. Worst - drowning or torture
A3. Don't really care, but his views were quite twisted!
A4. I like to think that my father and grand parents have most influenced my life.
Q1: I'd like my body or ashes (either is fine) to be buried and a fruit bearing tree planted over me. This way my physical self can hopefully help bear fruit in this world even if I wasn't always doing so in life. And my kids could come visit with their kids and get something nurishing from me.
Q2: Worst way to die - clearly being scourged and hung out on a cross with my mother and friends watching in horror (AND me not being the Messiah) that would suck. Best way to die - completely unaware - in an explosion or peacefully, unailing in my sleep (my personal preference)
Q3: Hmmmmm - I love the idea of freedom of speech, religion, etc... Just curious as to how criticizing Jerry seems more acceptable than Jerry critizing those who didn't agree with him? With that said - He's better off dead if he truly declared Jesus as his savior - he's romping around in the Big House right now and regardless of whether or not we agreed with his sentiments, he embraced the beloved freedoms this country afforded him. Maybe if we were actually able to implement Kahlil Gibran's quote - "Learn tolerance from the intolerant..." instead of just quoting it, we'd get somewhere in this life! You want to talk about some good quotes on tolerance... here's one from the apostle Paul to the Romans - "You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgement on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgement do the same things." Romans 2:1
Q4: Surprise, surprise - Jesus Christ.
Lisa, I don't tolerate the intolerant because they don't really care what you have to say anyway. Jerry Falwell was asking for criticism because of all the bile he spewed in the name of "faith." He had a right to free speech, but NO right to be taken seriously.
And couldn't your little Bible quote apply to Jerry's life too, or was he above criticism for being a "Christian?"
How sad is it that you think Jerry is better off dead because he "accepted" Jesus? What kind of screwed up logic is that? So, would you apply that philosophy to yourself or anybody you love? Just asking.
So I just realized that I forgot to mention what I consider to be the worst way to die.
After reviewing everybody's answers, I'd have to say the worst death would be getting thrown into the pit of Carkoon, nesting place of the all powerful Sarlacc, where in his belly I would find a new definition of pain and suffering as I was slowly digested over a thousand years.
As for drowning... I personally knew somebody who nearly drown. She said it was great. She couldn't understand why everybody around her was running around and freaking out.
Later on I discovered that getting water in your lungs triggers some kind of crazy brain response that puts you into a euphoric state. So drowning might actually be pretty cool.
"If you read the ABC article about his death, the comments at the end serve to prove that his followers and detractors are still saying exactly the same things they've been saying all along, so his death really doesn't seem to matter." Can I say I told you so to both Sarah and Lisa?
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