Jay, (http://allevidencetothecontrary.blogspot.com/)
I enjoyed reading your post and I liked how you only included the interesting aspects of the conversation. It makes it easier for the reader to digest the information while still showing that you had an enlightening worth while experience. The quote, “After talking to her and listening to Skip and his colleague, it seems that care of the dead specialists actually like their job, which I think is really weird. How can you like being around dead people and grieving all of time?” stood out to me because I feel the same way you do. I think that Skip’s relationship with death is the most meaningful to me because he is actually an emotional person and admits it, which may seem weird to some but I think it is something that will somehow make him better at what he does. I suppose that it relates to “the calling” that people in the business refer to, as you mentioned in your speech. Also, there were also no obvious grammar mistakes, which allow for a smoother read. Nice job.
Larche, (http://larchegnormalisweird4.blogspot.com/)
I liked your blog because it provided me with a lot of information. While it had a research paper style your analysis made reading it far less boring than I expected from this assignment. I particularly liked the sentence, “The experience of a home burial can also much more meaningful and personal than a traditional funeral because families are able to carry out the wishes of their dead in a private setting rather than being surrounded by strangers and allowing them to handle the death process, but by handling the death process of their loved one themselves can help the grieving process and make it easier to say their final goodbyes.” While this is an interesting point it is clear to me that some may need the assistance of a “stranger” like a funeral director. They can possibly ease the pain and make the process less difficult and stressful for the family member(s) whom experience the loss. In my opinion I feel that would help me to cope with my loss rather than having to deal with it myself. This was a strong post however I think proofreading is far too often discredited. While the quote above stood out to me it was also a running sentence. Had you proofread I am sure you would have caught it. All in all, good job.
Max, (http://maxnormalisweird.blogspot.com/)
I liked the way you went about the assignment. Making videos of the interviews made it a lot easier and more enjoyable to view rather than paragraphs of description. I liked how your father said, “it’s kind of like going home” which makes me think about places that are significant to me. He also mentioned music which made we wonder why he cared so much about things happening that he desired because he will not be the person to experience them, like the music. I wonder how he feels about the afterlife and the mind/spirit vs body contrast. Aside from this I am disappointed that your paragraph was not as elaborate or carefully written as I expected. It seemed carelessly written and I think that while the assignment was a good idea, especially with the videos, it could have been much better if your paragraph was more personal and detailed. Another paragraph could have even been added. Overall a solid and enjoyable post.
Lina, (http://normalisweirdbylina.blogspot.com/)
After hearing your elevator speech I felt like I had to read your blog. Truthfully I did not think that it was the best speech I heard, however your energy was respectable and I found the topic very interesting. I liked the tone that your writing maintained, which I found both pleasant and formal. Reading actually felt like I was listening to you talk, which I think is a quality that very few people have, especially when maintaining a formal tone simultaneously. Not many lines really stood out to me very much, however this one left me very thoughtful, “Veterans are only remembered on Memorial and Veterans' Day when flags were placed beside their grave. Children or young adults were some of the few who had flowers but past ten years after the burial, at least on my day of visitation, there was little or no evidence of the family being there. Is the care of our dead only relative to our grieving process?” I like how you inquire on the topics however I am more interested in hearing your views on the matter. After so much information a perspective would make the blog far more interesting in my opinion. You began the blog with a clear argument however as you provided your evidence you failed to continue adding your perspective. It seemed like you focused more on making your conclusion sound appealing rather than solidifying your argument. I liked your topic and enjoyed reading your post. Good job.
Willie, (http://treystar3.blogspot.com/)
Your elevator speech was one of the most interesting in my opinion. I feel that it is unfortunate that you struggle to find a comfort zone when you speak out loud. Your quietness make sometimes make you seem a lot less intelligent than you can be. On the other hand it can be advantageous to possibly keep you modest as opposed to those who boast there intellect. Your topics of religion were interesting to me however I feel that you need to elaborate more on them. For example, “The Egyptians also believed in reincarnation, so the king was never really gone forever. I have sometimes seen reincarnation as a kind of cool process, after talking to my mom, it doesn't seem as cool anymore. The Egyptians didn't really take care of the dead. They more just put the body in a tomb, wrapped it up, and left it there.” I too felt that the reincarnation process seemed cool however I do not know enough about it to make a decision on it. While you share both information that you gathered as well as your views, you do not elaborate on them. It seems like you completed this work hastily which really lowers the quality of the work. I would like to read more about why reincarnation was appealing to you, why your mother changed your views on it, and what you mean by the Egyptians lack of care for the dead, “wrapped it up, and left it there.” How is that any different from the social practices of today in context? Also, in text citations as well as an annotated bibliography should be included with work like this. I think this was a great topic and that you did substantial work on your blog, however it was not written particularly carefully. Spending more time on your work could have made this an exceptional blog. You should consider taking Andy’s advice and focus on only one or two religions rather than three so that you can go into more depth with them rather than being so brief.
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From Megumi,
I found your post really interesting and fun to read. I thought home funerals were 'better' than the traditional funeral procedures, but this interview made me think otherwise. A line that caught my attention was, "The home funeral caused a negative reminder rather that a happy living one." I think I rather be remembered for the good times versus the bad, and though I thought at one point that having a personal home funeral would help people move forward after mourning with their own terms-perhaps this does not apply to everyone. Maybe avoiding reality, avoiding the fact that the person they loved has passed away-is the right decision for some. The interview made me re-think about the home funeral idea. This was a nicely written post.
From Leah,
I thought that your post was intriguing. I thought it was weird how the woman was aganist home funeral because of the constant reminder that she had a dead loved one in her house, i think that is the best part of a home funeral. It's nice that you had a fun time while doing this project which makes it more engaging. It's funny how the woman buys funeral magazines, i never heard of that before. Good Job!
From Sarah,
After hearing your speech I was inclined to check out your blog! Something you said while you were presenting to the class was how the experience you had with this woman was much more of a conversation than anything else. It made me think about if now we are biased and assume everyone and anyone involved in the funeral business is soulless and in it for the big bucks. I liked this line, "The woman was comfortable and natural in her conversation with Jay and I. She seemed genuinely happy with her position and even shared some things that interested her in the business, like reading coffin magazines as others read car or celebrity magazines. It looked like she really loved what she did." Although it is hard to imagine how someone could actually feel comfortable in this sort of position it obviously does happen. I enjoyed reading this and hearing you speak about it in class. Good Job!
From Dima,
Rossi, your discussion was very interesting to read for me because you answered the questions which tells everything related to your project. You stand for you opinion and it makes it more interesting. In your interview, people tell you about how they want to be cemented or not. You recorded their opinions which are different! Good job!
From Max,
I think that it was very interesting that you decided to interview the women that you did. Do you think that having someone to help you with forming your questions helped you shape your post? and also how do you think her being so comfortable in the interview helped you remember key information?
From Larche,
I enjoyed reading your recap of the interview with the women at the funeral home. I liked that you decided to go out and explore this topic more and ask questions to someone who is in the business and knows a lot more. Something I found interesting was the woman's take on home funerals and how she was against them. Since I did my project on home burials which just goes to show that everyone has their own way of dealing with the death process that makes easier for them. That in the end it's all about remembering that person and honoring their life and wishes.
From Rossi (Mentor),
My wife and I had a discussion about cremation vs burial just a couple days ago. Although it sounds "nice" to be scattered over the ocean or somewhere significant to you or your loved one during life, it seems to me that really leaves no place to visit...knowing that person physically is six feet below you. I guess we're simply used to the fact of one being able to visit a lost one at an actual location, and not just in spirit.
From Tia (Proteje),
I found your post to be interesting. One part i found interesting was when the woman says "she wanted to be cremated because she did not want people to see her in that state but to remember her from her life." I found that part interesting because of past experiences. When my grandfather died I really didn't want to see him, it would've just hurt more. At least with cremation I didn't have to be haunted with the memory of his cold and lifeless face. But yet it is also weird how she was against cremation as well. Great job =]
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