Heath Ledger’s funeral was held a few days ago at his home Perth. Like the star it was a very private, modest and I imagine gracious affair.
Cate Blanchet read a Eulogy to her friend.
After the service mourners gathered at a restaurant overlooking Perth’s Cottesloe beach, one of Ledger’s favourite spots, for a sunset wake.
Dozens of family and friends then threw off some of their clothes and ran into the water, where they hugged and cheered to celebrate Ledger’s life, according to various reports.
Songs played at the funeral included Heath’s favourites, The Times Are A Changing by Bob Dylan, Here Comes the Sun by The Beatles, and Pink Floyd’s Wish You were Here.
It is with the saddest heart I pass on the following:
Please join me in remembering a great icon - the veteran Pillbury spokesman. The Pillsbury doughboy died yesterday of a yeast infection and complications from repeated pokes in the belly. He was 71.
Doughboy was buried in a lightly greased coffin. Dozens of celebrities turned out to pay their respects, including Mrs. Butterworth, Hungry Jack, The California Raisins, Betty Crocker, The Hostess Twinkies and Captain Crunch.
The gravesite was piled high with flours. As long-time friend, Aunt Jemima delivered the eulogy, describing Doughboy as a man who never knew how much he was kneaded.
Doughboy rose quickly in show business, but his later life was filled with turnovers. He was not considered a very “smart cookie,” wasting much of his dough on half-baked schemes. Despite being a little flaky at times, he even still, as a crusty old man, was considered a roll model for millions. Toward the end it was thought he would rise again, but alas, he was no tart.
Doughboy is survived by his wife, Play Dough; two children, John Dough and Jane Dough; plus they had one in the oven. He is also survived by his elderly father, Pop Tart. The funeral was held at 3:50 for about twenty minutes.
Who needs fertility drugs when you have a death shroud?
In Madagascar, people dig up their dead relatives for a ceremony called famadihana. They parade the bones around the village, fill them in on all the latest gossip, drink, dance and basically party up a storm in celebration of their loved one’s life.
Once these joyful occasions are over, the family bury the remains in a new shroud. Pieces of the old shroud are given to childless newlyweds who place them under their mattresses to induce fertility.
I usually find writing blogs for MFF a walk in the park. Some may criticize our site for finding the comedy in death and for encouraging people to “punctuate their life with a smile”. But it’s hard not too find a sense of humour when there is so many trends out there to brighten up the darker side of death. And so far the famous people we have wrote about, for the most part, have lived exciting, fulfilling and rather lengthy lives.
Yesterday however, I was lost for words.
The world was not ready to lose this talented, shy, modest, beautiful young man, to what was probably some freak accident.
As much as it pains me to say, heaven did not deserve him yet.
The Austrian village of Hallstatt is located between a mountain and lake, so therefore has very limited burial space.
To solve this problem they would allow for the remains of their dead to lie in the cemetery for 12 years only.
When the time was up the bones would be exhumed and moved to a charnel, but the skull would be kept. It would be tastefully decorated with the name of the deceased, a cross and plants. It would then be displayed in a chapel.
Although cremation has now been allowed in the village this custom still takes place.
This week we heard that the great Edmund Hillary died at the age of 88. Hillary became a hero because he and his partner were the first men to step on the Earth’s highest peak, Mount Everest, in 1953.
We know little about the man after this first step for mankind, but let it be known that his heroism continued throughout his life. For many years, Sir Edmund was president of New Zealand’s Peace Corps, and an important voice in his country’s conservation efforts. He never ran for public office, but was a frequent critic of New Zealand’s Government, calling for antipollution and other measures to improve the quality of life.
In his 1999 autobiography, View from the Summit, Hillary wrote of his wish to be cremated and his ashes scattered at sea.
“When climbers die on a mountain, the understandable reaction of family and friends is to say that they died doing what they enjoyed most and their bodies rest on the mountains they loved,” he wrote.
“However, I’ve never had any desire to end my days at the bottom of a deep crevasse - I’ve been down too many of them for that to have much appeal.
“I’m a somewhat fearful person and would prefer to go peacefully if that were possible.
“I should even like my ashes to be spread on the beautiful waters of Auckland’s Hauraki Gulf to be washed gently ashore, maybe on the many pleasant beaches near the place where I was born.
“Then the full circle of my life will be complete.”
Let’s see if his wishes are fulfilled.
Sir Edmund, MFF have taken the liberty of choosing your funeral song for you. Climb in Peace friend!
When Erin (from MFF fame) was asked by her husband what she wanted for Christmas this year, she forwent a diamond ring and expensive jewelry and with a wide, excited grin answered, “An ant farm!”
Like a child with her new toy, Erin spent the next week, eyes like saucers, studying her new pets and she was amazed with what she noticed.
When an ant dies its friends and family go into overdrive and begin organising its burial. The ants carefully stack their dead in neat piles. They then build underground cemeteries and neat compact burial mounds to honour their comrades.
With such sophistication me thinks it’s only a matter of time until ants are having their ashes packed into tiny diamond rings or launched into space.
Not quite sure what mind altering drugs Matt was on when he gave a Eulogy for the late and great Evel Knievel, but I would like whoever speaks on my behalf to take the same!
Wondering what to buy the Christian who has everything, for Christmas? Well the Satirical Christian website The Ship of Fools has some ideas that may trip your trigger.
In their 12 Days of Kitschmas, they have come up with some hilarious gifts to raise an eyebrow on Christmas morning.
From a calendar showing scantily dressed models posing with coffins.
