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orbit for $5,300 or to the moon for $12,500. The trip can be tracked online, as an extra bonus for friends and relatives. For college sports fans, WhiteLight, a Texas based casket company, offers models with school colors and logos. If a traditional hearse seems morbid and outdated, Biker Burials, of Wrightsville, Pennsylvania, offers a custom-built hearse attached to a 2000 Harley-Davidson Road King, sidecar style. The company promotes it as "the ultimate ride for those in search of an extraordinary farewell." LifeGem will scrape carbon from your loved one's ashes, and make them into a high quality gem. A unique .75 carat stone costs $17,000. Of course, there are many other choices available to those who would like to turn the cremains of their departed into wearable jewelry. Eternal Reefs, a Georgia company, offers underwater, eco-friendly burial. They mix human cremains with concrete, and create "reef balls", which are then submerged. The reefs then become the living habitat of ocean coral and sponges. The costs range from $850 to $2,300. An even more intriguing concept has been marketed by a company named The Neptune Society. It has designed an underwater city, resembling the lost continent of Atlantis, where ashes of a loved one are used in the marble columns, starfish, lions, and other sea related artifacts. A video of the underwater cemetery features incredible architecture, and beautiful natural sea creatures. It will also be a tourist attraction for scuba divers and explorers.

Another sign of the times, is that funeral directors are facing competition, unlike in times past. Coffins are now being sold at retail stores, like Costco, and on web sites. Funeraldepot.com advertises "free next day casket delivery" and offers discounts of up to 70% over funeral homes. Their slogan is "Where Overpaying is Not Dignified." Video tributes and photo montages can also be ordered online, and many funeral homes have been slow to respond to the demand for these, and as a result, have lost revenue. For a grand finale, butterflies, doves or balloons are often released at the cemetery.

Baby Boomers are also showing a preference for cremation. Many are choosing to have their ashes scattered across lakes, mountains, golf courses, or the ocean. Of those recently surveyed, 70% did not want to be buried in the ground. Many Boomers are interested in protecting the environment, and are concerned with long term issues of body disposal. As a result, some are opting for "green

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