Re:Pacemaker explosions in crematoria
by corin_ on Wednesday November 18, 2015 @09:23AM
(#10587804)
Given it's not even in reference to terrorist attacks, I don't find it in any way offensive personally. And I was pretty shaken up by how close to me the Paris attacks were.
Re:Pacemaker explosions in crematoria
by camperman on Wednesday November 18, 2015 @11:45AM
(#10588847)
Well, quite. Obviously there's absolutely no difference between a comment about a pacemaker exploding during the cremation process used to comic effect in a work of fiction and a real suicide bomber.
I'd suggest not using the arj utility to 'explode' any old archives during this difficult period until such time as you feel more able to cope. If you absolutely must, then I'm sure PTSD counseling is available.
Re:Pacemaker explosions in crematoria
by zeveb on Wednesday November 18, 2015 @10:54AM
(#10588364)
I really think that if folks had a better understanding of what happens in cremation, embalmed entombment and unembalmed burial that we would see a massive societal shift towards unembalmed burial.
Cremation, in particular, is a nasty bit of business. Those 'ashes' aren't actually ashes: they're bone meal.
The morticians I know would never be cremated, nor wish their loved ones to be (I don't know all the morticians in the world, of course: no doubt there are many who would be fine with it).
Re:Pacemaker explosions in crematoria
by zeveb on Wednesday November 18, 2015 @01:17PM
(#10589605)
> So what happens exactly that bothers you?
The corpse is roasted, the fat melting (a fire hazard with extremely fat people), the charred and finally most of the organic compounds evaporate, leaving behind the skeleton, medical devices and any other such detritus (e.g. shrapnel). The furnace is then opened and the bones are raked out; an attendant removes anything which could damage the grinder and grinds the bones into meal (it's great for roses!).
> If it is that, why does it bother you?
Grinding a human being into dust doesn't bother you?
Re:Pacemaker explosions in crematoria
by Mithaldu on Wednesday November 18, 2015 @03:52PM
(#10590650)
> > If it is that, why does it bother you?
> Grinding a human being into dust doesn't bother you?
For one, that is not an answer. For the other, no it doesn't. The brain is shut down. All that's left is cells which individually may still have some life, but are bound to die quickly anyhow. And particularly after being burned they're all guaranteed to be dead, so the grinding does not harm any living being anymore.
Does the grinding bother you more than the burning?
Re:Pacemaker explosions in crematoria
by ucaetano on Wednesday November 18, 2015 @06:55AM
(#10587176)
Easy (but VERY controversial) solution: people with pacemakers must have a tattoo in the wrist or somewhere else.
On a separate note, maybe we should all have a tattoo with some basic info: name (optional), blood type, chronic diseases (diabetes for example), medication allergies, pacemakers, etc.
Kinda like the SS tattoos, but without the SS part, naturally.
Re:Pacemaker explosions in crematoria
by ucaetano on Wednesday November 18, 2015 @07:21AM
(#10587266)
Because then you need to equip every single crematorium in the world with a RFID reader, not to mention that it will be useless to millions of people around the world that already have pacemakers.
Re:Pacemaker explosions in crematoria
by adanto6840 on Wednesday November 18, 2015 @10:57AM
(#10588387)
Metal detectors are mentioned in the article; the survey they sent out: "enquired about staff awareness of implantable cardiac defibrillators and whether a hand-held metal detector might be useful in identifying pacemakers in mortuaries."
And again, later on in the article:
"54% believe that a hand-held metal detector might help identify pacemakers and other implantable devices that could explode"
Re:Pacemaker explosions in crematoria
by thesehands on Wednesday November 18, 2015 @07:11AM
(#10587228)
I'm aware of a scheme in the UK where Doctors got paid for signing the forms post death certifying a pacemaker is not present in the body. At the end of the week these doctors could collect their not insignificant (roughy £100 a body) 'ash cash'.
> Doctors are pocketing almost £15m a year from grieving families in return for filling in simple forms sanctioning the release of the bodies of loved ones for cremation.
> "Ash cash" payments, as they are known by medical staff, are considered one of the perks of the job. Tales of junior doctors vying with each other to fill in the forms, for which they receive £73.50 a time, are legion. A junior doctor who blogs under the name "The Daily Rhino" has described ash cash "as the house officer's privilege, it is the fund for Thursday night drinks all over the country".
Re:Pacemaker explosions in crematoria
by lmm on Wednesday November 18, 2015 @08:54AM
(#10587650)
Well presumably a doctor is trusted to have access to medical records in a way that a crematorium isn't - or has the training to perform a physical examination if they don't have those records.
"It was the day my grandmother exploded."
So, it's still pretty funny I say. Grandmas don't explode..
I'd suggest not using the arj utility to 'explode' any old archives during this difficult period until such time as you feel more able to cope. If you absolutely must, then I'm sure PTSD counseling is available.
http://osrp.lanl.gov/pacemakers.shtml
Cremation, in particular, is a nasty bit of business. Those 'ashes' aren't actually ashes: they're bone meal.
The morticians I know would never be cremated, nor wish their loved ones to be (I don't know all the morticians in the world, of course: no doubt there are many who would be fine with it).
Or are you saying people are given fake remains? If so: {{citation}}
The corpse is roasted, the fat melting (a fire hazard with extremely fat people), the charred and finally most of the organic compounds evaporate, leaving behind the skeleton, medical devices and any other such detritus (e.g. shrapnel). The furnace is then opened and the bones are raked out; an attendant removes anything which could damage the grinder and grinds the bones into meal (it's great for roses!).
> If it is that, why does it bother you?
Grinding a human being into dust doesn't bother you?
> Grinding a human being into dust doesn't bother you?
For one, that is not an answer. For the other, no it doesn't. The brain is shut down. All that's left is cells which individually may still have some life, but are bound to die quickly anyhow. And particularly after being burned they're all guaranteed to be dead, so the grinding does not harm any living being anymore.
Does the grinding bother you more than the burning?
On a separate note, maybe we should all have a tattoo with some basic info: name (optional), blood type, chronic diseases (diabetes for example), medication allergies, pacemakers, etc.
Kinda like the SS tattoos, but without the SS part, naturally.
And again, later on in the article:
"54% believe that a hand-held metal detector might help identify pacemakers and other implantable devices that could explode"
> Doctors are pocketing almost £15m a year from grieving families in return for filling in simple forms sanctioning the release of the bodies of loved ones for cremation.
> "Ash cash" payments, as they are known by medical staff, are considered one of the perks of the job. Tales of junior doctors vying with each other to fill in the forms, for which they receive £73.50 a time, are legion. A junior doctor who blogs under the name "The Daily Rhino" has described ash cash "as the house officer's privilege, it is the fund for Thursday night drinks all over the country".
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p0KWyWwVp0E