> another peculiar bit of Americana. It depicts one more time the bizarre
> attitude many Americans seem to have towards death. Reminds me of the
> elaborate coffins for pets I once admired at Bloomingdale's.

Evelyn Waugh's _The Loved One_ (1948?) is a must for anyone who's interested
in this. The death industry also struck Waugh as very American - but 50
years on, I'd say that the fashions are also observed in Europe. We're not
even mentioning ancient Egypt...

Yours,

Raphaël Ingelbien
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----- Original Message -----
From: Gunnar Jauch <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Friday, November 22, 2002 10:17 AM
Subject: Re: Those are diamonds that were his eyes


> am 22.11.2002 02:59 Uhr schrieb Rickard A. Parker unter
> [log in to unmask]:
>
> > This is quite off topic except that I'm adding something like the
> > following to my TWL website.
> >
> > -----------------------
> >
> > Those are pearls that were his eyes
> >
> > Full fathom five thy father lies;
> > Of his bones are coral made;
> > Those are pearls that were his eyes:
> > Nothing of him that doth fade
> > But doth suffer a sea-change
> > Into something rich and strange.
> >
> > In Shakespeare's day people had to rely on a sea-change to turn their
> > loved ones into jewelry. Not so today! A company called LifeGem is
> > ready to turn the bodies of your relatives into a diamonds. Choose
> > from clear or selected colors.
> >
> > As they say at their website:
> >
> > A LifeGem is a certified, high quality diamond created from the carbon
> > of your loved one as a memorial to their unique and wonderful
> > life. [The carbon comes from the cremated ashes of the body.] The
> > LifeGem diamond is more than a memorial to visit on the weekends--it
> > is a way to embrace your loved one's memory day by day.
> >
> > -----------------------
> >
> > http://www.lifegem.com/secondary/whatisLG.htm
> >
> > Regards,
> > Rick Parker
>
>
> Dear Rick,
>
>
> I wonder where those people wear the remnants of their beloved -- in their
> nostrils?
>
>
> Cheers,
>
>
> Gunnar
>