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Thread: The Spartan Daily - Death: You can't deny it, so why not embrace it? 4/3/08

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    The Spartan Daily - Death: You can't deny it, so why not embrace it? 4/3/08

    [size=15pt]Death: You can't deny it, so why not embrace it?[/size]
    By: Kate Taylor

    I am a seriously morbid person.

    I have an unusual obsession with death.

    Images that normally cause people to turn away or feel nauseated grab hold of my interest and have me searching for them on Google and Encyclopedia Dramatica, aptly called "Wikipedia's evil twin" by a blogger.

    There is a farm in Knoxville, Tenn., where dead human bodies are spread out over 3 acres of land and studied in their various stages of decomposition.

    This is where I want to go on my next vacation.

    The realization of my morbidity came after I took one particular class here at San Jose State, and since then, the proof has been inescapable.

    When I saw, as a sophomore, that one of my general education classes had the words "death" and "dying" in the title, I set my cell phone alarm to the exact date and minute I could begin enrollment.

    The class involved books about cultural perceptions of death, discussions about religious beliefs and speakers from religious sects.

    We wrote our own wills, filled out do-not-resuscitate forms, planned our own funerals and reflected on time spent at cemeteries.

    I would peruse mydeathspace.com in my spare time, fascinated by life's ability to yank a soul from its body and cause immense grief to those still living.

    It may be abnormal to say so, but I loved it.


    A couple years later, I still jump at the chance to witness death or talk to those who are near it.

    When a friend of mine went to medical school in Chicago, I asked her to send me videos and pictures of the cadavers her class dissected.

    In action or horror flicks, my favorite parts end up being the ones in which someone gets decapitated or loses a limb - the bloodier, the better.

    My family experienced quite a few deaths in the past year, and at each funeral, I hoped there would be an open casket.

    As inappropriate as that is, it is actually what I felt.

    I'm not sure what my fascination with death is, but I think it has something to do with the fact that death is a constant.

    Death, as the saying goes, is the only thing one can really count on life to follow through with, besides taxes.

    I am going to die one day - maybe today or maybe in 30 years. The point is, it's going to happen to everyone eventually.

    An article in the September 2006 edition of Discover Magazine stated that an estimated 100 billion humans have died since the beginning of the species.

    It's comforting to know that so many have gone before me and that billions will continue to die after I have my turn.

    It's not as though I can't wait for my own death - I still have things I want to do while I have life - but I'm looking forward to the experience, if there's anything to experience.

    http://media.www.thespartandaily.com/media/storage/paper852/news/2008/04/03/Opinion/Death.You.Cant.Deny.It.So.Why.Not.Embrace.It-3300767.shtml

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    Re: The Spartan Daily - Death: You can't deny it, so why not embrace it? 4/3/08

    [quote author=the color nine link=topic=13639.msg796095#msg796095 date=1207326834]
    [size=15pt]Death: You can't deny it, so why not embrace it?[/size]
    By: Kate Taylor

    I am a seriously morbid person.

    I have an unusual obsession with death.

    Images that normally cause people to turn away or feel nauseated grab hold of my interest and have me searching for them on Google and Encyclopedia Dramatica, aptly called "Wikipedia's evil twin" by a blogger.

    There is a farm in Knoxville, Tenn., where dead human bodies are spread out over 3 acres of land and studied in their various stages of decomposition.

    This is where I want to go on my next vacation.

    The realization of my morbidity came after I took one particular class here at San Jose State, and since then, the proof has been inescapable.

    When I saw, as a sophomore, that one of my general education classes had the words "death" and "dying" in the title, I set my cell phone alarm to the exact date and minute I could begin enrollment.

    The class involved books about cultural perceptions of death, discussions about religious beliefs and speakers from religious sects.

    We wrote our own wills, filled out do-not-resuscitate forms, planned our own funerals and reflected on time spent at cemeteries.

    I would peruse mydeathspace.com in my spare time, fascinated by life's ability to yank a soul from its body and cause immense grief to those still living.

    It may be abnormal to say so, but I loved it.


    A couple years later, I still jump at the chance to witness death or talk to those who are near it.

    When a friend of mine went to medical school in Chicago, I asked her to send me videos and pictures of the cadavers her class dissected.

    In action or horror flicks, my favorite parts end up being the ones in which someone gets decapitated or loses a limb - the bloodier, the better.

    My family experienced quite a few deaths in the past year, and at each funeral, I hoped there would be an open casket.

    As inappropriate as that is, it is actually what I felt.

    I'm not sure what my fascination with death is, but I think it has something to do with the fact that death is a constant.

    Death, as the saying goes, is the only thing one can really count on life to follow through with, besides taxes.

    I am going to die one day - maybe today or maybe in 30 years. The point is, it's going to happen to everyone eventually.

    An article in the September 2006 edition of Discover Magazine stated that an estimated 100 billion humans have died since the beginning of the species.

    It's comforting to know that so many have gone before me and that billions will continue to die after I have my turn.

    It's not as though I can't wait for my own death - I still have things I want to do while I have life - but I'm looking forward to the experience, if there's anything to experience.

    http://media.www.thespartandaily.com/media/storage/paper852/news/2008/04/03/Opinion/Death.You.Cant.Deny.It.So.Why.Not.Embrace.It-3300767.shtml
    [/quote]

    Holy crap. I lived in Knoxville when I went away to school last year and never heard of that place.

    I think this person is just a tad bit more morbid than I am, but to each their own. At least they're honest about their fascination with death. I still hide my fascination from people unless I know them well :lol:
    Try to realize it&#39;s all within yourself. No one else can make you change. And to see you&#39;re really only very small. And life flows on within you and without you.<br /><br />--George Harrison--

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    Re: The Spartan Daily - Death: You can't deny it, so why not embrace it? 4/3/08

    I do believe she has me beat as well. I do however, think that class she took is awesome and im going to look for similar ones here.&nbsp;

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    Re: The Spartan Daily - Death: You can't deny it, so why not embrace it? 4/3/08

    [quote author=Creature Feature link=topic=13639.msg798929#msg798929 date=1207505357]
    I do believe she has me beat as well. I do however, think that class she took is awesome and im going to look for similar ones here.&nbsp;
    [/quote]

    Haha yea. It might mess with my head a bit but I agree, that class sounds pretty cool. More interesting than the lame classes I am taking now. :|
    Try to realize it&#39;s all within yourself. No one else can make you change. And to see you&#39;re really only very small. And life flows on within you and without you.<br /><br />--George Harrison--

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    Re: The Spartan Daily - Death: You can't deny it, so why not embrace it? 4/3/08

    [quote author=Soul of Nature link=topic=13639.msg798933#msg798933 date=1207505603]
    Haha yea. It might mess with my head a bit but I agree, that class sounds pretty cool. More interesting than the lame classes I am taking now. :|
    [/quote]

    lame classes are lame.

    As a recreation parks and tourism major my classes are always fun so it couldnt hurt to add another interesting one

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    Re: The Spartan Daily - Death: You can't deny it, so why not embrace it? 4/3/08

    [quote author=Creature Feature link=topic=13639.msg798938#msg798938 date=1207505900]
    lame classes are lame.

    As a recreation parks and tourism major my classes are always fun so it couldnt hurt to add another interesting one
    [/quote]

    Wow, that's a cool major!

    I'm doing General Ed. right now but when I transfer I will be doing veterinary medicine hopefully. My only interesting class is &quot;responding to medical emergencies&quot;. It's a basic first aid class, pretty cool. Now I might be able to save a life one day.

    I wanted to take a class about ghosts, which would have been very interesting to me, but they didn't offer it on my campus
    Try to realize it&#39;s all within yourself. No one else can make you change. And to see you&#39;re really only very small. And life flows on within you and without you.<br /><br />--George Harrison--

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    Re: The Spartan Daily - Death: You can't deny it, so why not embrace it? 4/3/08

    I'd like to take that class, too.&nbsp;

    I'm fascinated by how different cultures and religions perceive death.&nbsp; Especially the Buddhists.&nbsp; Has anyone ever studied their ceremony that is supposed to help guide the soul of a loved one after death to their reincarnation?&nbsp;

    The after-life experience that soul faces seems like it would be terrifying.&nbsp; But fascinating.&nbsp;

    I'll look for a link and post it.
    "A vagabond dreamer, a rhymer and singer of songs
    Singing to no one and nowhere to really belong." - Waylon Jennings

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    Re: The Spartan Daily - Death: You can't deny it, so why not embrace it? 4/3/08

    I read about that Tennessee body farm in Mary Roach's book Stiff--it's used for forensic purposes. By observing bodies as they decay over time when exposed to the elements, investigators are better able to gauge time of death in crime victims.

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    Re: The Spartan Daily - Death: You can't deny it, so why not embrace it? 4/3/08

    [quote author=Anosmia link=topic=13639.msg903463#msg903463 date=1214245466]
    I read about that Tennessee body farm in Mary Roach's book Stiff--it's used for forensic purposes. By observing bodies as they decay over time when exposed to the elements, investigators are better able to gauge time of death in crime victims.
    [/quote]

    I loved that book. I make the mistake of reading it in public though. You get some weird stares when you are cracking up while reading a book called Stiff.

    :lol:
    Sometimes I wonder whether the world is being run by smart people who are putting us on, or by imbeciles who really mean it.

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    Re: The Spartan Daily - Death: You can't deny it, so why not embrace it? 4/3/08

    [quote author=Soul of Nature link=topic=13639.msg798925#msg798925 date=1207505038]
    Holy crap. I lived in Knoxville when I went away to school last year and never heard of that place.

    I think this person is just a tad bit more morbid than I am, but to each their own. At least they're honest about their fascination with death. I still hide my fascination from people unless I know them well :lol:
    [/quote]

    There is a documentary that is on quite often on the National Geo channel about a body farm.&nbsp; It's very interesting.....
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    I mean I spent most V days drunk, but that's because I'm a lush, not bc I was bitter haha

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    Re: The Spartan Daily - Death: You can't deny it, so why not embrace it? 4/3/08

    [quote author=Soul of Nature link=topic=13639.msg798925#msg798925 date=1207505038]
    Holy crap. I lived in Knoxville when I went away to school last year and never heard of that place.

    I think this person is just a tad bit more morbid than I am, but to each their own. At least they're honest about their fascination with death. I still hide my fascination from people unless I know them well :lol:
    [/quote]

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Body_Farm

    http://www.youtube.com/v/-qZmLo8qIx4&amp;hl=en&amp;fs=1
    <br /><br /><br />&quot;We&#39;re all fucked. It helps to remember that.&quot;<br />- George Carlin

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    Re: The Spartan Daily - Death: You can't deny it, so why not embrace it? 4/3/08

    Patricia Cornwell wrote a book called, &quot;The Body Farm,&quot; in which she goes to the actual place for help.

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