SPREADING A LOVED ONE’S ASHES HAS A NAME _ As the number of cremations grows, more and more people are instructing their loved ones to spread their ashes around after they’ve died. While the spreading of ashes is often legal with permissions and permits, some family members do so without permission — and act known in the funeral industry as “wildcat scattering.” While scientists agree there is no health or environmental hazard from the spread of human ashes, the average cremated body weighs about 5 pounds, which means it takes a bit of planning if you want to, say, wildcat scatter a golf fanatic onto the tee box of his favorite country club hole. There are companies that specialize in helping individuals legally spread someone’s ashes. These services can assist with planning, logistics, and ensuring all legal requirements are met, whether you want to scatter ashes on land, at sea, or from the air. For example, Cambridge Scatterings out of California is a well-known provider that has been offering professional ash scattering services since 1985. They offer aerial scattering by airplane, boat, cruise ship, catamaran, surfboard, or by hand, and can arrange services in many locations worldwide. Many funeral homes and memorial service providers can offer guidance or coordinate with the specialized companies to arrange a scattering ceremony that complies with state and local laws According to an informal study, Disney parks are a popular destinations for wildcat ash-spreaders. But if you plan to take your late spouse’s ashes to Orlando, know this: the practice is not allowed at Disney resorts, which are “private property.” So you’ll have to do your wildcat spreading on the sly.
IS IT TOO EARLY TO HAVE AN ADULT BEVERAGE? _ It doesn’t necessarily have to be 5 PM to crack open a beer, according to some Americans. Data from a survey (by YouGov) found that roughly one in six (16%) adults consider noon the earliest acceptable time of day to have an alcoholic drink on non-working days. One in 10 (10%) say 5 PM. Roughly one in eight (13%) say 6 PM or later is the earliest acceptable time, while nine percent of Americans say it’s fine to grab a libation before 10 AM. Men (13%) are more likely than women (7%) to say 10 AM or earlier is appropriate to raise a glass. Young Americans age 25-30 (17%) are also fine with morning drinks before 10 AM.
OBVIOUS: MOST OF US TURN TO GOOGLE BEFORE THEIR DOCTOR _ A survey found 89 percent of us google our health symptoms before going to the doctor. According to the study, respondents said they wanted to find out the severity of their health condition before going. The problem, say doctors, is that they often have to spend a lot of time explaining to a patient what they don’t have, versus telling them what they do have.
