Everything and I mean everything seems to be virtual and wireless these days - including, thanks to this iPhone application,  even cemeteries.

I’m not too sure what to make of it really. The Pocket Cemetery lets you create virtual memories using cusomizable tombstones and cemetery plots with pictures, bios, and favorite memories.

And it doesn’t have to be just for your family. You can memorialize anyone, including celebrities and pets. You can even put virtual flowers and personalized messages can be placed on graves.

Given that family members are often spread around the world and can‘t always get home, this might not be such a bad idea.

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According to creator Wayne Perry, fans of Michael Jackson also think it’s a good idea. He’s received numerous requests for pre-release versions of the Pocket Cemetery from the King of Pop’s fans who want to create their own memorials to Michael.

Perry added his own Michael Jackson memorial to his YouTube channel last week and since then has gotten over 1,000 requests for the Pocket Cemetery.

Macabre or brilliant - you decide.

(image source)

Swiss clinic Dignitis and the issue of assisted suicide have been in the British media spotlight lately, mainly due to a debate that is taking placing before the  House of Lords.

This debate revolves around an old law and a new case. The old law, the 1961 Suicide Act bans assisted suicide in Britain and criminalises anyone who aids, abets, counsels or procures someone else’s suicide.

The new case -  a 46-year-old woman with progressive multiple sclerosis who wants to travel abroad to die and wants to ensure her husband Omar Puente won’t be  prosecuted if he helps her travel.

The law as it stands can allow for the prosecution of  relatives and friends who travel with someone planning to undertake assisted dying overseas. Granted, government law officers readily admit that those who goes abroad for this purpose are highly unlikely to face prosecution.

But law is law. And it looks as though this one is about to be changed.

Further reading…

The sad news of the death of four-year-old Exodus Tyson who died as a result of strangulation from a treadmill cord offers a somber reminder to parents everywhere of the dangers of treadmills.

Treadmills and other home gym equipment is great for keeping adults fit but are a definite danger to children.

In fact, the Australian Office of Fair Trading has become so concerned the increase in reports of treadmill injuries to children that they issued a public education campaign in 2008.

Called  Treadmills and Kids Don’t Mix, this campaign highlights the dangers of treadmills for children, especially how a treadmill’s moving belt can cause friction injuries and entrap fingers, hands, hair, and clothing.

The campaign made the following safety tips for treadmill owners and users… 

If you can, use your treadmill in the room away from young children.

If this is not possible:

–use safety barriers (like a playpen) to keep children away from the treadmill

–do not use your treadmill when young children are around

Always keep your treadmill unplugged when not in use.

Store your treadmill well away from children’s reach.Always supervise older children if they are using a treadmill.

When you buy a new treadmill choose one with protective covers and a safety stop switch.

Keeping children away from the treadmill altogether, however, might be the best line of defence.

(image source)

It’s a little know fact but since 2001 all military personnel killed in Afghanistan or Iraq have had autopsies done and since 2004 have also been given a CT scan within an hour of their arrival at Dover Air Force Base.

Arlington Cemetary

It’s something that never happened in previous wars. But this is now a routine way of not only determining accurately the cause of death but to also obtain full details about injuries from bullets, blasts, shrapnel, and burns.

The end result of these autopsies is yielding a wealth of information that highlights any deficiencies in equipment (ie body armor, vehicle shielding, etc) and has resulted in changes and improvements in military and medical field equipment.

Have a read of this New York Times article to find out more about this new world of military autopsies and how it is helping protect and save military personnel in the war zone.

(image source)

I’m sure you’ve heard of the winter blues, or seasonal affective disorder, where people are unable to function due to lack of sunlight. In fact, it’s long been thought that there is an increase in the number of suicides in late autumn and early winter months due to this lack of sunlight and increased hours of darkness.

But now a new study by Swedish researchers indicates that, in some places in the world, too much sunlight can also be a catalyst for an increased number of people committing suicide.

The researchers studied the suicide rates of people living in Greenland,  a country that’s so far north it never sees the sun setting in the summer months. Looking at the suicides between 1968 and 2002, the researchers found that 82% of them occurred during the summer months. 

According to the researchers,  this increased summer suicide rate is probably due to the fact that prolonged daylight causes not only insomnia but also an imbalance in serotinin (the brain chemical linked to mood) both of which make some people more vulnerable to depression and suicide.

(source and image)

The winner of The Path DVD giveaway is…

Tobey

Congratulations Tobey. You will be receiving an email shortly with instructions on how to claim your prize.

The Path DVD, if you remember, is the first in a series of documentaries that are being created by Michael Habernig and April Hannah of Path11 Productions, who interviewed 13 individuals - well renowned authors, practitioners and well respected local practitioners in Upstate New York - who offer their their expertise on their own souls path, what they have learned along the way and their knowledge about the afterlife.

You can find out more about this interesting documentary by…

1. Checking out the film’s official website - www.thepathseries.com - where you can buy a copy of the DVD.
2. Heading over to facebook or myspace
3. Watch trailers and interviews at YouTube.

Earlier in the month I asked ‘Where Do You Go When You Die?’

It’s not exactly a light question but the reason I brought it up was because I had just run across a new documentary called The Path which was due to released mid Febuary and I had arranged for a DVD giveaway for Healthbolt readers.

I haven’t seen the DVD yet but the trailer gives the impression that it would definitely be worth checking out.

See for yourself…

The Path DVD giveaway is being extended until the 14th of February. So go and check it out and then leave a comment over at Where Do You Go When You Die?

Death and Taxes - they are the two real guarantees in life. And of the two, taxes are probably the one that we understand the most about. Death, on the other hand, remains a mystery.  For ever, people have been asking the question ‘what is your purpose and why on earth do we live only to die?’

Many have tried to answer this question but in the end, death and the possibility of an afterlife, remains a mystery.

The directors of a new documentary The Path are hoping to remove some of this mystery surrounding death, dying, and, in particular,  the afterlife.

It features interviews with 13 individuals - well renowned authors, practitioners and well respected local practitioners in Upstate New York - who offer their their expertise on their own souls path, what they have learned along the way and their knowledge about the afterlife.

You can watch the trailer here.

According to the Michael Habernig and April Hannah, creators of The Path, they hope that people watching this documentary will…

 ”…take away some knowledge about other possibilities of the afterlife [and]  feel empowered to become their own explorers and researchers. We want people to leave the theater feeling like they need to find out more answers for themselves and begin to experience other possibilities as to what may be out there after we die. We are also hoping that the fear of death will subside as our documentary does give hope that consciousness lives on and never dies.”

The Path is due for release 12th Febuary and I have to admit I am intrigued to hear what they have to say.

Healthbolt’s got a copy of The Path DVD to giveaway.

So if you’re interested, all you need to do is leave a comment telling us why you want to see this DVD.

Entries close 11th Febuary 2009 and the winner will be announced on the 12th February 2009.

Image details: Satin-Lined Gray Coffin served by picapp.com

The Japanese - an efficient, healthful group of people. People rooted in culture. People who cherish their elders. People who keel over from being overworked.

Say what?

Yes, it’s true. While America is sometimes looked at as slovenly and over-privileged, our Japanese pals are working so hard, they’re launching themselves into the grave. This has become such an epidemic, in fact, that it even has a name: karoshi.

For example, there was a poor fellow, a 45-year-old chief engineer for Toyota, who worked an additional 114 hours of overtime per month (overtime!). That’s equivalent to about 2.85 weeks a month. Can you even imagine?

Not surprisingly, the man died of heart failure, and now the Japanese government will need to uphold a law that gives money to the widow and children of this man, since we worked himself into an early karoshi for the good of his company. Amazing.

The Japanese government also has a national karoshi hotline, and a karoshi self-help book.

So, the lesson to be learned here? While a strong work ethic is admirable indeed, working yourself into an early karoshi is not. As with everything in life, let there be balance.

Source

Special thanks to my friends at the American Cancer Society for this head’s-up. Be sure to give them a visit.

Okay, honestly, I was a little surprised to see the list of jobs below. These, my friends, are listed as the Unhealthiest Jobs in America, based on nonfatal injuries and illnesses that caused workers to miss at least one day of work in 2006.

The jobs I thought would be more risky (construction work, heavy truck driving) could barely touch the others. Interested? Take a look:

1. Laborers and Freight / Stock / Material Movers (Okay, lots of heavy lifting involved, so no surprise here).

2. Office/Administrative Workers (Huh?!?)

3. Sales Staff (Again, huh?!?)

4. Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers

5. Nursing Aides / Orderlies / Attendants

6. Janitors & Housekeepers (I thought this would have ranked higher)

7. Construction Workers (Also would have thought this would rate higher)

8. Nurses (Being married to an ER nurse, I know that your chances of being assaulted are pretty much a daily work hazard. Of course, I don’t suppose this is the case all across the nursing board. But still, nursing can be dangerous, for sure.)

So what do you think of this list? Is your job on here?

For more on the deadliest jobs, see our post from last year.

From the Bureau of Labor Statistics