Blog

If you’re a proponent for ending your life in the event of a terminal illness, the Breaking Bad state has some good news.

A New Mexico judge said terminally ill, mentally competent patients can choose to have a doctor end their life, according to CNN. Stemming from a lawsuit filed on behalf of a terminally ill cancer patient by the ACLU and Compassion & Choices, the judge had to consider if doctors could precribe a fatal dose of drugs if a patient wanted it. Here's an excerpt of Second Judicial District Judge Nan Nash's response:

This Court cannot envision a right more fundamental, more private or more integral to the liberty, safety and happiness of a New Mexican than the right of a competent, terminally ill patient to choose aid in dying. If decisions made in the shadow of one's imminent death regarding how they and their loved ones will face that death are not fundamental and at the core of these constitutional guarantees, than what decisions are?

Legendary actress/comedienne Carol Burnett made a guest appearance on a very special (and sad) Thanksgiving episode of CBS’ Hawaii Five-0. (We’re aware Thanksgiving was a few months ago but we’re a little behind on our TV shows). She plays the lively Aunt Deb who travels to the tropical paradise unannounced with sad news: She’s dying of a brain tumor and wants to depart this earth peacefully.

Her rowdy nephew is Lt. Steve McGarrett (Alex O'Loughlin), who spends his days chasing down bad guys, jovially arguing with his partner Danno (Scott Caan) and refusing to take no for an answer. At first he thinks his aunt is in town to just say hello for the holidays, but when she’s arrested for buying pot to alleviate some of her symptoms he learns she’s there to say goodbye.

“What’s the plan?” McGarrett asks. “What’s the course of treatment?”

When I tell people that I worked in the funeral industry, I’m always asked if it’s as sketchy as they think. Then they’ll tell me about an article they read where a consumer was ripped off, or a news blurb they watched about a body being buried in the wrong grave. It’s almost always anecdotal, but the stories pile up.

Although there were major funeral industry issues in the past, since 1984 the Federal Trade Commission has regulated it to curb many horrible practices.  But since employees performing their job properly isn’t interesting, the public only sees the negative scandalous stuff. Thus, people believe the funeral industry, which is already mysterious to begin with, is full of scandal.

The popular financial site LearnVest has jumped on the Death Over Dinner train with this recent article "Death Dinners: Why Dying Is a Supper Topic Du Jour":

For many people these days, one effective way to share their very personal end-of-life decisions and desires with friends and family is to host “death dinners.” The hope is that gathering over a meal will make discussing the topic of dying a little more palatable, while also sparing loved ones from fighting over financial and medical issues down the road.

Kevin “Mr. Wonderful” O’Leary is the resident sourpuss on ABC’s Shark Tank, a show where rich successful business people offer funding and advice to entrepreneurs looking for a break. O’Leary’s take-no-prisoners attitude makes him the business equivalent of Simon Cowell, always crushing hopes and dreams with an evil smirk. Underneath it all he seemed to have a heart. Until the “Week 8” episode aired on November 8, 2013.

While picking apart a paparazzi photo business that captures wedding proposals, O’Leary crossed the line from being a tough businessman to heartless jerk who loves death because he can cash in on people suffering from loss.

“I love two industries. I love weddings and I love people dying,” O’Leary said with a grin. “Because when both of those happen people make stupid decisions. Emotional decisions. Not financial decisions. And because that is the case, there’s huge industries behind both of those.”

Yes, he’s correct about there being huge industries behind both of these. It’s understandable with weddings because they’re voluntary joyous celebrations. Dying, on the other hand, is mandatory and always devastating.

To say you love death because people are ripe for the picking is what’s wrong with the entire industry. No one should be pleased with themselves for taking advantage of people at their most vulnerable. This has long been the perception of the death industry--people profiting off of other people’s misery--and O’Leary is making sure that stereotype is alive and well.

He never specifies what sort of dying he loves. Is it just older sick people? Perhaps it’s soldiers or firefighters? How about taking advantage of parents who aren’t thinking straight because they just lost a child? Is that the sort of money that gets Mr. Wonderful excited?

It’s also upsetting that no one else on the panel--Dallas Mavericks owner and billionaire Mark Cuban, real estate mogul Barbara Corcoran, or charming guy who sits on the end and never bids on anything Robert Herjavec--called him out on it.

QVC Queen Lori Greiner even laughed while he spoke, though in her defense she’s probably used to O’Leary’s shock tactics and chose to let it go. Perhaps if FUBU’s Daymond John were on the panel that episode he would have taken him to task.

We’re fully aware that funeral homes, crematories and end-of-life services need to turn a profit to stay in business. It’s also possible for many people in this industry to love helping grieving families during their time of need. But when O’Leary made that “I love people dying” comment, either because he believes it or to advance his image as a TV big shot only interested in money, he went from being a shark to a weasel.

One of the richest and most powerful men in Brazil, Thane Chiquinho Scarpa, made waves when he announced plans to bury his million-dollar Bentley so he could drive around the afterlife in style. He received lots of media attention and was criticized for the extravagant gesture. Why wouldn’t he donate the car to charity? How out of touch with reality is this guy? He still went ahead with the ceremony.

But, there’s a twist. (Of course there is. Why else would we be covering this story?)

Moments before lowering the car in the ground he revealed his genuine motive: To create awareness for organ donation.

“People condemn me because I wanted to bury a million dollar Bentley, in fact most people bury something a lot more valuable than my car,” Scarpa said during a speech at the ceremony. “They bury hearts, livers, lungs, eyes, kidneys. This is absurd. So many people waiting for a transplant and you will bury your healthy organs that will save so many lives.”

What an epic way to kick off Brazil’s national organ donation week.
 

Via Geekfill