Okay, one more post

Gidget, the Chihuahua that was Taco Bell's spokesdog died today of a stroke. She was 15. That's pretty good for a dog. Must have been all those chalupa's she ate.

Deadly Window Display is Dismantled

The Death Writer is going to school for two weeks, so no new posts till August 10.

What do you think of this window display at Barneys in NYC? It was quickly taken down after people complained.

Small? Large? No. A medium.

I met with Annee Jawor today. She is a medium living in Colorado, and due to some sort of cosmic serendipity, I was lead to contacting her for my thesis. Interesting stuff. I'm not going to share what we talked about (You'll just have to wait until this puppy gets published;), but I will say I'm going to get a reading from her. If you are interested in contacting her, go to www.ascentofanangel.com.

After I left her house, I went to Taco Bell and had a terrifically horrible lunch of Nachos Bell Grande. I was starving and I needed to pee before driving the hour back to my house. When I got into my hometown, I decided to drop by the fire station. Turns out I'd missed the day to be running calls. They had quite a day on wednesday. It didn't matter. I interviewed one of the EMT's and had a transformative, therapeutic, scary as hell talk with him. It's really been a wonderful day. Really.

It's a loaded question, but...

What do you think of the death penalty? Please take a moment to vote. It's completely anonymous, so I won't know which side of the fence you're on.

Why am I asking? Well, two stops down on this journey, I'm going to be writing about death row in Texas and some people who are associated with it.

I'm not quite sure where I stand. I've never lost someone to an act of violence. If a person killed someone I loved, what would I want their punishment to be? I don't know. I've looked at a lot of inmates and their crimes and I still can't make up my mind. On the one hand, there's the saying, "an eye for an eye makes everybody blind." But, there is also true evil with out an iota of remorse. Do they deserve to sit in a cell and eat three squares a day with an hour of sunshine and recreation?

What do you think? Be vocal. Or just vote in my poll. Pretty please with a cherry on top.

I See Dead People

Actually, I don't. But have you ever gotten the feeling that you're not alone? Or do you feel like maybe you have a guardian angel watching over you? I have.

I am a firm believer in the spirit world. Some people may think I'm kooky, but it wouldn't be the first time that my demeanor has given me that label. This friday I am meeting with a medium who lives in my area to interview her for my thesis. I can't wait to find out about her gift.

Have you ever visited a medium? Tell me about it.

Is there something wrong with a child speaking at a funeral?

I have never been to a funeral. Scratch that. I went to my Grandma’s funeral but I don’t remember being at the funeral. I remember the car ride back from the funeral. It was painful and I didn’t know how to deal with all the emotions I was feeling. I don’t know why I can’t remember the actual service. I was 14. I should be able to remember it, shouldn’t I? Did I block it out? Did I not pay attention? I don’t know.

Like all things Michael Jackson, there has been a giant media maelstrom over the fact that his daughter was allowed to speak at his funeral. Granted, this was not your typical funeral. There were 17,000+ people. There was media. There was celebrity. But that girl wanted to tell the world that she loved her dad. I don’t think there is anything wrong with that.

What do you think?

The White Cloud

Yesterday was my last day hanging with the Fire Department. These four guys (Ian, Dan, Adolph and Kyle) referred to me as the "white cloud," because every time I was there, all calls stopped. In the month and a half I spent at the fire station, I only went on three calls. None of them were traumatic or fatal. This is great for my home town, but not necessarily for my writing.

If anything, I have the utmost respect for the men and women of the world who answer our 911 calls. They have little or no idea what they are going to be walking into--a woman who couldn't get her order of Chicken Mc Nuggets to a four car MVA with multiple fatalities. They have to think on their feet, keep calm, and try their best to save our lives.

I salute you.

Digging up the Dead for Profit

I read the news today-- oh boy.

Jessica Mitford is probably rolling around in her grave. (No person in their right mind would dig up her grave to reuse the plot. She'd haunt their ass for eternity.) You should read her book about the money crazed funeral industry. It's called The American Way of Death. Be sure and get the revised edition.

These people should be ashamed of themselves for doing what they did. Have they no respect for the dead? Or for their families?

I'm getting cremated.

Celebrity Death

This is how I will always remember Michael Jackson, despite all the freakish incarnations he inhabited in his short life. "Thriller" was the first album I ever bought and I played it over and over while practicing my roller skating moves in the basement. My mom bought me the red leather jacket he made famous. Granted, it was from Venture, it was white, and it was pleather, but I still thought it was cool. I even had one sparkly glove. I don't think I ever wore that bedazzled oven glove outside, but I did wear it at home. Yes, ladies and gentleman, I am a geek.

A geek who loves all things celebrity. My happiest day of the week is when my People magazine arrives in the mail. I love watching the Oscars and for years, I have dreamed that one day I will be accepting an award. At first it was for acting, but I'm a little long in the tooth and far removed from Hollywood for that to happen, so for now it will be "Best Original Screenplay" or "Best Documentary."

So, what does Michael Jackson and my celebrity worship have to do with death? Well, he died. I don't know if you know that or not. I am writing that with my tongue firmly planted in my cheek. I don't know why I get so saddened when celebrities die. But I know that I'm not alone. Hell, all the confirmation you need was at the Staples Center yesterday. Youtube it.

My question for you, yes you, is this...Has there been a celebrity passing that really affected you?

Michael didn't make me sit and watch tv for hours, but I sure felt the passage of time with his exit.

Kurt Cobain was the first person to die that really packed a wallop. Perhaps it was that he took his own life, or that I really connected with his music. I felt that way about Michael in my youth, but then he got too weird. And I became a parent.

So, please post a comment. I'm dying to hear what you have to say.

The Death Writer

Please don't confuse me with the "Hoff," aka Knight Rider.

I know this is a scary name for a blog, but it kind of fits right now. I'm writing a book for my graduate thesis about people who work with death. Apparently, I have to build a platform, so that when I send off my manuscript to some publishing house in the next year or so, they'll see that the wonderful people (that's you) are interested in death and more importantly, what I think of death.

For those who know me on a personal level, I have yet to experience a significant loss in my life. At this date, it's been three cats, and my Grandma. That's it. It's a big part of the book. I'm kind of scared of death. But, who isn't? Maybe you aren't. And I'd like to know that.

What is this blog going to be about? My journey. I'm keeping the tasty writing bits in the manuscript, as publishers tend to frown on giving away the milk for free. I'm going to post facts, quizzes, pictures and hopefully, one day, some good news.

Thus far, I've interviewed an embalmer, the coroner, a photographer who volunteers for Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep, and a grief counselor. I've also volunteered for hospice and right now I'm riding along with EMT/Firefighters to see what their work lives are like.

At the top, there's a pic of me operating the "Jaws of Life."

New Posts Coming Soon

Stay Tuned!