Mr. Robert Barrows of Burlingame, California, has filed a patent application for his design of a tombstone that can accommodate video equipment operated by a remote control. "You can go from grave to grave and click on anything that person wanted to say before they died," said Mr. Barrows. Messages could include telling your side of the story, making amends, or saying "sweet things to loved ones," he added. Mr. Barrows declared that it would be a far more "dramatic" way of communicating from beyond the grave than leaving a videotaped message to be played at home.
Barrows also stated, "Imagine how interesting it would to go to tombstones where you didn't know the person, or historical tombstones to find out what someone had to say... ."
Is it just me, or do other people think this is an idiotic idea? Wait, it gets worse.
Inventor Barrows maintains that computer equipment could be installed in the tombstone and connected up to the internet, enabling people to program their messages to be delivered long after they have died. Barrows suggests that the person who died could use one of those "after I die" email services to update his messages.
Had enough? Wait, there's more…
The tombstone could be coin-operated or swiped with a credit card. "Cemeteries could basically one day charge fees to rent the headsets you need to listen to [the messages]," according to Barrows.
You can read more at http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99996119
What's next? Advertisements on the video screen? I am sure that funeral homes would buy ad space.
