1 00:00:00,240 --> 00:00:04,680 Speaker 1: From UFOs to psychic powers and government conspiracies. History is 2 00:00:04,760 --> 00:00:09,080 Speaker 1: riddled with unexplained events. You can turn back now or 3 00:00:09,200 --> 00:00:24,560 Speaker 1: learn the stuff they don't want you to know. M Hello, 4 00:00:24,600 --> 00:00:26,400 Speaker 1: welcome back to the show. My name is Matt, my 5 00:00:26,480 --> 00:00:28,760 Speaker 1: name is Noel. They call me Ben. We are joined 6 00:00:28,800 --> 00:00:32,400 Speaker 1: with our super producer Paul Mission controlled decade. Most importantly, 7 00:00:32,520 --> 00:00:35,360 Speaker 1: you are you, and you are for now here, and 8 00:00:35,440 --> 00:00:38,159 Speaker 1: that makes this stuff they don't want you to know. 9 00:00:38,960 --> 00:00:42,880 Speaker 1: Fun fact, everybody in the studio today, as far as 10 00:00:42,960 --> 00:00:47,879 Speaker 1: we know, is alive. But we're gonna die eventually, a 11 00:00:47,920 --> 00:00:49,880 Speaker 1: lot of us. He started it with a glass glass 12 00:00:49,880 --> 00:00:52,040 Speaker 1: half full scenario Ben, and then Matt, you made it 13 00:00:52,040 --> 00:00:55,160 Speaker 1: a glass half empty. Well, you know, there's some hope 14 00:00:55,160 --> 00:00:58,080 Speaker 1: at the end of the tunnel. But maybe that's a 15 00:00:58,280 --> 00:01:00,680 Speaker 1: show for a different day. I think it's just the 16 00:01:00,760 --> 00:01:03,960 Speaker 1: nature of the glass. It's really it was made. But 17 00:01:04,040 --> 00:01:11,600 Speaker 1: it's gonna die. Sure so uh right now, With maybe 18 00:01:11,640 --> 00:01:16,400 Speaker 1: one notable technical exception, dying is still the great equalizer. 19 00:01:16,560 --> 00:01:20,039 Speaker 1: Dying is for many of us listening, inevitable, and here 20 00:01:20,120 --> 00:01:25,039 Speaker 1: in the United States, dying is quite expensive. Uh. It's 21 00:01:25,120 --> 00:01:28,080 Speaker 1: a burden that your loved ones when they survive your 22 00:01:28,120 --> 00:01:32,800 Speaker 1: demise will often end up baring themselves. As of eighteen, 23 00:01:32,959 --> 00:01:38,000 Speaker 1: the average funeral costs between seven thousand and ten thousand dollars. 24 00:01:38,080 --> 00:01:41,560 Speaker 1: And that doesn't include everything, right, that that includes some stuff, 25 00:01:41,720 --> 00:01:46,160 Speaker 1: but like you know, it includes a viewing, burial, embalming, hearse, service, 26 00:01:46,280 --> 00:01:49,880 Speaker 1: transfer of remains, a service fee, because everything has a 27 00:01:49,880 --> 00:01:53,960 Speaker 1: service fee nowadays. Uh, but it doesn't include other things 28 00:01:54,040 --> 00:01:59,040 Speaker 1: like awake, that's on you, flowers that's on you. A 29 00:01:59,080 --> 00:02:02,040 Speaker 1: million other things are on you. And typically when people 30 00:02:02,040 --> 00:02:05,040 Speaker 1: are in this situation, it's one of the worst moments 31 00:02:05,200 --> 00:02:07,400 Speaker 1: or periods of time in their life, you know what 32 00:02:07,440 --> 00:02:11,160 Speaker 1: I mean. Yeah, the grief associated with that moment causes 33 00:02:11,200 --> 00:02:13,800 Speaker 1: a lot of these other things to be a little 34 00:02:13,840 --> 00:02:17,960 Speaker 1: more acceptable unfortunately. Yeah, it's almost like you want to 35 00:02:18,000 --> 00:02:23,639 Speaker 1: do right by your deceased loved one, and surely that 36 00:02:23,680 --> 00:02:29,520 Speaker 1: means forking out a bunch of money for an ostentatious casket. Often, 37 00:02:30,240 --> 00:02:36,120 Speaker 1: often survivors fall prey to unscrupulous business practices, and it 38 00:02:36,280 --> 00:02:39,000 Speaker 1: is a big business indeed, Given that everyone except where 39 00:02:39,000 --> 00:02:43,000 Speaker 1: Henrietta Lacks has so far died and Henrietta Lacks is 40 00:02:43,040 --> 00:02:47,239 Speaker 1: only technically kind of alive, this industry is an incredibly 41 00:02:47,280 --> 00:02:51,680 Speaker 1: reliable source of income for people in every strata of 42 00:02:51,720 --> 00:02:55,840 Speaker 1: the business, and given the incredibly, incredibly sensitive nature of 43 00:02:55,880 --> 00:02:59,519 Speaker 1: this situation, it's no surprise that aspects of the funeral 44 00:02:59,600 --> 00:03:03,480 Speaker 1: industry we often come under fire. But this leads us 45 00:03:03,520 --> 00:03:07,080 Speaker 1: to today's question, how much of this criticism is alarmist, 46 00:03:07,320 --> 00:03:11,560 Speaker 1: how much of it is warranted? And ultimately, is the 47 00:03:11,639 --> 00:03:16,920 Speaker 1: funeral industry crooked or corrupt? The old funeral industrial complex? 48 00:03:17,840 --> 00:03:23,880 Speaker 1: Yeahner from they were like big funeral and they were 49 00:03:24,000 --> 00:03:26,560 Speaker 1: pushing down the little mom and pops, like you know, 50 00:03:26,800 --> 00:03:30,720 Speaker 1: the fishers, buying them out, buying them out left and right. Yeah, 51 00:03:31,520 --> 00:03:37,360 Speaker 1: is industrial burial complex better? I like funeral industrial I 52 00:03:37,360 --> 00:03:40,560 Speaker 1: don't know, man, vote, how about you help us out? Listeners? 53 00:03:41,000 --> 00:03:43,400 Speaker 1: What was the first one funeral industrial complex and the 54 00:03:43,440 --> 00:03:47,480 Speaker 1: second one was industrial burial industrial complex? I don't know. 55 00:03:47,560 --> 00:03:50,160 Speaker 1: That's not as good. I like funeral. Let's go with funeral. 56 00:03:50,240 --> 00:03:54,839 Speaker 1: I like big death. But that's probably some that's really good. 57 00:03:54,880 --> 00:04:01,640 Speaker 1: Nearly insufferable musicians name you know d th h Yeah, right, 58 00:04:02,400 --> 00:04:05,960 Speaker 1: So what are what are the facts? Let's start there. Uh. 59 00:04:06,000 --> 00:04:09,640 Speaker 1: Not only is it going to cost between seven to 60 00:04:09,920 --> 00:04:13,800 Speaker 1: ten thousand dollars on average just to bury someone. But 61 00:04:14,200 --> 00:04:18,599 Speaker 1: that number indicates an increase, right, a trend. Yeah, Between 62 00:04:18,640 --> 00:04:21,920 Speaker 1: two thousand four and fourteen, the median cost of an 63 00:04:21,920 --> 00:04:26,680 Speaker 1: adult funeral increased twenty eight point six percent from five thousand, 64 00:04:26,680 --> 00:04:29,720 Speaker 1: five eighty two dollars to seven thousand, one d and 65 00:04:29,760 --> 00:04:34,000 Speaker 1: eighty one dollars. So that's over a ten year period, uh, 66 00:04:34,200 --> 00:04:37,520 Speaker 1: twenty eight almost thirty pc increase. That's pretty intense. And 67 00:04:37,520 --> 00:04:42,760 Speaker 1: that's according to the National Funeral Directors Association UM or NIFTA. Yeah, 68 00:04:42,920 --> 00:04:47,520 Speaker 1: NIFTA UM And that almost thirty percent might seem like 69 00:04:47,720 --> 00:04:51,440 Speaker 1: a hugely steep rate of increase, but between nineteen eighty 70 00:04:51,560 --> 00:04:54,800 Speaker 1: and nineteen eighty nine, just nine years, the average funeral 71 00:04:54,880 --> 00:04:59,200 Speaker 1: costs rose by eighty seven percent, a lot of eighties 72 00:04:59,320 --> 00:05:02,680 Speaker 1: in those numbers. There, it's true, and it sounds it 73 00:05:02,800 --> 00:05:06,520 Speaker 1: sounds quite precipitous, right, But what what does that include? 74 00:05:06,600 --> 00:05:12,239 Speaker 1: So let's see, you pay uh slightly higher than average 75 00:05:12,240 --> 00:05:16,200 Speaker 1: price for a funeral. What do you get for all that? Well, um, 76 00:05:16,279 --> 00:05:19,960 Speaker 1: let's break it down for you. A nominal fee goes 77 00:05:20,000 --> 00:05:23,560 Speaker 1: to the funeral director and the services that they provide. 78 00:05:24,120 --> 00:05:28,359 Speaker 1: Casket costs approximately but of course you can upgrade, you 79 00:05:28,360 --> 00:05:31,480 Speaker 1: can pimp your casket. Um, embalming, I think that's probably 80 00:05:31,520 --> 00:05:34,160 Speaker 1: pretty standard. Five dollars whicheems reasonable to me, and a 81 00:05:34,200 --> 00:05:35,560 Speaker 1: lot of work that goes into that process and a 82 00:05:35,600 --> 00:05:38,920 Speaker 1: lot of expertise. Uh. Cost for using the funeral home, 83 00:05:38,960 --> 00:05:41,240 Speaker 1: which is more of like an event services kind of thing, 84 00:05:41,520 --> 00:05:43,880 Speaker 1: five hundred bucks. I would think that that would be 85 00:05:43,960 --> 00:05:47,920 Speaker 1: less than the embalming because it's going to be more 86 00:05:48,560 --> 00:05:51,520 Speaker 1: really well, also, we have to keep in mind these 87 00:05:51,560 --> 00:05:54,200 Speaker 1: prices can vary depending on the home you go to. 88 00:05:54,279 --> 00:05:57,000 Speaker 1: Course of course. Then you've got the cost of a 89 00:05:57,120 --> 00:05:59,880 Speaker 1: grave site, which is a thousand dollars. I thought that 90 00:06:00,080 --> 00:06:01,440 Speaker 1: was on the low side. It does seem on the 91 00:06:01,440 --> 00:06:03,320 Speaker 1: lost side. Is that? Does that mean that's like the 92 00:06:03,640 --> 00:06:05,320 Speaker 1: do you own that land or are you renting it? 93 00:06:05,400 --> 00:06:07,920 Speaker 1: Are you? How does that work? Upkeep? Baby, it's just upkeep. 94 00:06:07,960 --> 00:06:11,000 Speaker 1: You gotta pay, so you have to buy the land 95 00:06:11,160 --> 00:06:13,159 Speaker 1: the plot first. This isn't even for the plot, this 96 00:06:13,240 --> 00:06:18,760 Speaker 1: is just the upkeep. Uh. There's probably two costs. That's 97 00:06:18,800 --> 00:06:21,240 Speaker 1: the that would be the initial cost. Yeah, that's right. 98 00:06:21,360 --> 00:06:23,840 Speaker 1: Then you've got the the old grave diggers fee and 99 00:06:23,880 --> 00:06:26,920 Speaker 1: that's six um. Then you know that's a deep hole. 100 00:06:27,760 --> 00:06:30,000 Speaker 1: That's worth you know, that's a lot of work. Um, 101 00:06:30,160 --> 00:06:33,680 Speaker 1: then you've got the cost of a grave liner or 102 00:06:33,760 --> 00:06:36,840 Speaker 1: outer burial containers. So it's a casket for your casket, 103 00:06:37,440 --> 00:06:42,599 Speaker 1: which which is a real thing. Very odd. Had no 104 00:06:42,680 --> 00:06:44,560 Speaker 1: idea that this was real, didn't either, And then I 105 00:06:44,600 --> 00:06:46,920 Speaker 1: assume it would. It would be to keep the casket 106 00:06:46,960 --> 00:06:49,880 Speaker 1: in pristine condition. So how would you get into that 107 00:06:49,920 --> 00:06:51,800 Speaker 1: if you were, let's say, a grave robber, how would 108 00:06:51,800 --> 00:06:53,919 Speaker 1: you crack into that outer? Is it like something that 109 00:06:53,960 --> 00:06:56,479 Speaker 1: has a lid as well? Yeah, it's it's pretty inconvenient. 110 00:06:56,520 --> 00:06:58,360 Speaker 1: You would have to break a seal part of it. 111 00:06:58,640 --> 00:07:02,640 Speaker 1: Part of it also has meant to contain the dangerous 112 00:07:02,680 --> 00:07:06,280 Speaker 1: chemicals in a corpse, as from leaping into the Yeah, 113 00:07:06,480 --> 00:07:08,280 Speaker 1: if it's been embalmed. And you said that was that 114 00:07:08,440 --> 00:07:11,080 Speaker 1: was one thousand bucks, right, a cool grand. And then 115 00:07:11,120 --> 00:07:14,680 Speaker 1: you've got the headstone, which is you that's a piece 116 00:07:14,720 --> 00:07:17,840 Speaker 1: of custom masonry, right, so you've got to have someone 117 00:07:17,880 --> 00:07:20,240 Speaker 1: that can carve it by hand. I gotta wonder do 118 00:07:20,280 --> 00:07:24,320 Speaker 1: you think there are mass like factory produced gravestones that 119 00:07:24,360 --> 00:07:28,239 Speaker 1: are little cheaper. Yes, those would often be the things 120 00:07:28,320 --> 00:07:32,280 Speaker 1: that have more like a plaque sort of situation, and 121 00:07:32,320 --> 00:07:36,560 Speaker 1: they're embedded into the ground, but they don't stand up. Uh. 122 00:07:36,600 --> 00:07:40,680 Speaker 1: In this example, which is wonderful example, the total cost 123 00:07:40,720 --> 00:07:44,240 Speaker 1: would approximate about nine thousand dollars. And again that's just 124 00:07:44,480 --> 00:07:48,160 Speaker 1: for the main items. There could be additional charges for 125 00:07:48,400 --> 00:07:52,000 Speaker 1: dozens of things. Placing the obituary in the newspaper that's 126 00:07:52,040 --> 00:07:55,920 Speaker 1: not free, buying the flowers that's not free. And just 127 00:07:56,000 --> 00:07:58,760 Speaker 1: for comparison, the cost of at least in my experience 128 00:07:58,800 --> 00:08:01,400 Speaker 1: when I owned a house, putting a brand new roof, 129 00:08:01,440 --> 00:08:03,440 Speaker 1: like stripping off the old roof, putting on a whole 130 00:08:03,480 --> 00:08:06,960 Speaker 1: new roof with good material about ten thousand dollars. And 131 00:08:07,000 --> 00:08:10,120 Speaker 1: that's supposed to last year, ten to twenty years. So 132 00:08:10,200 --> 00:08:12,320 Speaker 1: this is like I don't know, I just but this 133 00:08:12,360 --> 00:08:14,520 Speaker 1: is forever. Yeah, but I don't know. There's a lot 134 00:08:14,560 --> 00:08:17,680 Speaker 1: of very magical thinking that goes into this whole process. Well, also, 135 00:08:17,800 --> 00:08:20,760 Speaker 1: there's not a situation with the roof salesman where they say, 136 00:08:20,920 --> 00:08:24,080 Speaker 1: think about what your dead relatives would want. You know, 137 00:08:24,400 --> 00:08:28,400 Speaker 1: that changes the equation, It really does. So let's look 138 00:08:28,440 --> 00:08:32,120 Speaker 1: at another thing on the rise. Hesitate to call it 139 00:08:32,240 --> 00:08:36,959 Speaker 1: a hot trend. Cremation. According to Nifta, the median cost 140 00:08:37,000 --> 00:08:40,480 Speaker 1: of a funeral with cremation is a little bit cheaper. 141 00:08:40,520 --> 00:08:44,800 Speaker 1: It's six thousand, seventy eight dollars. That's fifteent cheaper than 142 00:08:44,840 --> 00:08:47,480 Speaker 1: the median cost of a funeral with a burial. Some 143 00:08:47,559 --> 00:08:50,520 Speaker 1: sources will put the average cost of a creation even lower. 144 00:08:50,559 --> 00:08:52,959 Speaker 1: They'll say you can find a deal for two thousand 145 00:08:52,960 --> 00:08:55,600 Speaker 1: to four thousand dollars, but that is still a lot 146 00:08:55,640 --> 00:08:58,640 Speaker 1: of money for the average person. I think I may 147 00:08:58,679 --> 00:09:00,360 Speaker 1: have said that's on the episode we just did. The 148 00:09:00,400 --> 00:09:05,760 Speaker 1: two part are on secret burial sites and lost bodies. Um, 149 00:09:05,840 --> 00:09:09,080 Speaker 1: my father was cremated, and they also cannot charge you 150 00:09:09,120 --> 00:09:10,520 Speaker 1: on that because they try to make you buy a 151 00:09:10,520 --> 00:09:13,560 Speaker 1: fancier receptacle. They call it a what do they call it? 152 00:09:13,600 --> 00:09:15,760 Speaker 1: And urn and earn, but there's a name of a vessel. 153 00:09:15,880 --> 00:09:19,000 Speaker 1: They call it a vessel. That's the funeral speak. Um. 154 00:09:19,040 --> 00:09:21,240 Speaker 1: And I think we went with something. We literally got 155 00:09:21,240 --> 00:09:23,360 Speaker 1: it in like a I mean, don't judge me here. 156 00:09:23,400 --> 00:09:25,920 Speaker 1: We got it like in a plastic box and within 157 00:09:26,120 --> 00:09:27,680 Speaker 1: and in like a bag inside of it. And I 158 00:09:27,720 --> 00:09:30,760 Speaker 1: still have some of that. It's in my closet. That's 159 00:09:30,840 --> 00:09:32,880 Speaker 1: that's a little dark I'm sorry. No, I don't think 160 00:09:32,920 --> 00:09:37,199 Speaker 1: you should be sorry. It's actually but let's let's also 161 00:09:37,280 --> 00:09:41,600 Speaker 1: remember that this we're we're looking at the average price 162 00:09:41,679 --> 00:09:45,040 Speaker 1: for a one and done kind of thing. But almost 163 00:09:45,120 --> 00:09:48,800 Speaker 1: one point eight million people are buried every year in 164 00:09:48,840 --> 00:09:52,520 Speaker 1: this country alone. That amounts to a fifteen billion a 165 00:09:52,640 --> 00:09:56,920 Speaker 1: year industry. And we have some interesting comparisons about what 166 00:09:57,000 --> 00:10:01,160 Speaker 1: that means with the modern burials, not green burial or 167 00:10:01,160 --> 00:10:06,440 Speaker 1: in cremation. So there's enough embalming fluid that gets buried 168 00:10:06,480 --> 00:10:12,760 Speaker 1: every year to fill eight Olympic size pools. Mmmm. There 169 00:10:12,880 --> 00:10:16,480 Speaker 1: is more steel used in caskets alone than was used 170 00:10:16,520 --> 00:10:19,720 Speaker 1: to build the Golden Gate Bridge every year. We're talking 171 00:10:19,800 --> 00:10:23,720 Speaker 1: a yearly basis here, and enough reinforced concrete to construct 172 00:10:23,800 --> 00:10:28,559 Speaker 1: a two lane highway from New York City to Detroit. Yeah, 173 00:10:28,800 --> 00:10:31,600 Speaker 1: boggles the mind. That's every year. And also, you know, 174 00:10:31,760 --> 00:10:36,959 Speaker 1: just to be very very clear here, we're not being 175 00:10:37,000 --> 00:10:41,400 Speaker 1: glib or disrespectful to those who have passed on. This 176 00:10:41,480 --> 00:10:45,480 Speaker 1: industry has problems, right uh. And I love that we 177 00:10:45,559 --> 00:10:49,439 Speaker 1: got to the six ft under example because that's one 178 00:10:49,440 --> 00:10:51,400 Speaker 1: of the big plots of the show. What was it 179 00:10:51,480 --> 00:10:52,920 Speaker 1: started with a sea? What was the name of the 180 00:10:53,000 --> 00:10:59,040 Speaker 1: crowner so croner in in this isn't spoiling six ft under, 181 00:10:59,120 --> 00:11:01,920 Speaker 1: which is, however, many years old. Now, Uh, this is 182 00:11:01,960 --> 00:11:05,360 Speaker 1: not important to the character development the show, but it 183 00:11:05,400 --> 00:11:08,720 Speaker 1: does paint this alarming picture. It makes us think maybe 184 00:11:08,720 --> 00:11:14,200 Speaker 1: of other industries wherein monopolies have taken over, right, maybe 185 00:11:14,360 --> 00:11:18,840 Speaker 1: something like Amazon now, or maybe Walmart with supermarkets, or 186 00:11:18,880 --> 00:11:22,200 Speaker 1: like internet service providers. Yeah, exact I was thinking the 187 00:11:22,280 --> 00:11:26,840 Speaker 1: same thing, right. Uh. Luckily, if you're an opponent of 188 00:11:26,920 --> 00:11:29,719 Speaker 1: trust and monopolies, you will be glad to learn that 189 00:11:29,960 --> 00:11:33,240 Speaker 1: in the United States, at least for now, most of 190 00:11:33,320 --> 00:11:37,760 Speaker 1: the nineteen thou so funeral homes in the country are 191 00:11:37,800 --> 00:11:43,080 Speaker 1: still small, mom and pop family owned uh, family owned 192 00:11:43,080 --> 00:11:45,200 Speaker 1: operations that have been in the family for you know, 193 00:11:45,280 --> 00:11:49,360 Speaker 1: multiple generations. For now, at least, we'll be back after 194 00:11:49,400 --> 00:11:59,559 Speaker 1: a word from our sponsor. Here's where it gets crazy. 195 00:12:00,160 --> 00:12:02,880 Speaker 1: Don't even let yourself be fooled by these uh this 196 00:12:03,040 --> 00:12:06,240 Speaker 1: idea that these small funeral homes are gonna be there 197 00:12:06,280 --> 00:12:10,600 Speaker 1: forever McDonald's, Sons and all the other ones. Big business 198 00:12:10,679 --> 00:12:13,360 Speaker 1: wants a piece of this pie. They want this industry 199 00:12:13,360 --> 00:12:15,840 Speaker 1: in their grasp, and large companies have been making some 200 00:12:16,000 --> 00:12:19,880 Speaker 1: serious inroads. Here are some of the biggest companies that 201 00:12:19,960 --> 00:12:26,760 Speaker 1: control currently the death industry death oh Man or the 202 00:12:26,800 --> 00:12:31,480 Speaker 1: funeral funereal industrial complex. I like that funarial funeral different. 203 00:12:31,880 --> 00:12:35,920 Speaker 1: Uh Walmart. Walmart might not be a big surprise. Walmart 204 00:12:36,040 --> 00:12:39,520 Speaker 1: sells a ton of stuff. They're the world's largest retailer 205 00:12:39,679 --> 00:12:42,720 Speaker 1: brick and mortar. At least they helped begin the trend 206 00:12:42,800 --> 00:12:46,360 Speaker 1: of selling low priced caskets online. Wait do they still 207 00:12:46,400 --> 00:12:51,480 Speaker 1: do this? Yeah? I believe so. Yeah, there's a The 208 00:12:51,679 --> 00:12:54,360 Speaker 1: name seems kind of ghosh. But when they came out 209 00:12:54,400 --> 00:12:58,840 Speaker 1: with was a ar casket called the Dad Remembered Steel 210 00:12:58,920 --> 00:13:03,400 Speaker 1: Casket with eighteen gauge steel high gloss silver blue finish. 211 00:13:03,520 --> 00:13:05,840 Speaker 1: That model may not be around anymore, but they are 212 00:13:05,920 --> 00:13:10,600 Speaker 1: still selling caskets. I just found it at Sky Caskets. 213 00:13:10,720 --> 00:13:13,840 Speaker 1: I found it on walmart dot com. This one's called 214 00:13:13,920 --> 00:13:18,960 Speaker 1: funeral casket. It's called the Briar Rose. Oh. I just 215 00:13:18,960 --> 00:13:23,160 Speaker 1: feel like Dad Remembered as a terrible name. I read 216 00:13:23,200 --> 00:13:27,040 Speaker 1: it as Dad remembered Steel, like Dad remembers his steel. 217 00:13:27,240 --> 00:13:30,040 Speaker 1: He knows. I read it kind of his dad. Comma, 218 00:13:30,160 --> 00:13:34,320 Speaker 1: remember that's what it should be. But there's no punctuation. 219 00:13:34,600 --> 00:13:37,320 Speaker 1: I feel like, for that much, for that much money, 220 00:13:38,040 --> 00:13:40,560 Speaker 1: there should be some proof reading involved. Why am I 221 00:13:40,600 --> 00:13:42,199 Speaker 1: so blown away that I was just able to pull 222 00:13:42,280 --> 00:13:45,760 Speaker 1: up like a catalog page on Walmart with like browsing caskets. 223 00:13:45,800 --> 00:13:48,200 Speaker 1: It never occurred to me you can buy caskets from Walmart? 224 00:13:48,320 --> 00:13:53,120 Speaker 1: How about overstock dot com. Walmart's taking a share of 225 00:13:53,160 --> 00:13:58,800 Speaker 1: the deathcare industry away from those traditional manufacturers and funeral homes. 226 00:13:59,240 --> 00:14:05,240 Speaker 1: And according to the various trade groups in the casket industry, 227 00:14:05,640 --> 00:14:09,880 Speaker 1: the impact of these brick and mortar stores is still 228 00:14:10,080 --> 00:14:14,760 Speaker 1: kind of small, but it's definitely growing. It's good that 229 00:14:14,840 --> 00:14:18,680 Speaker 1: it's there. I guess, well, that's what a lot of 230 00:14:18,679 --> 00:14:27,080 Speaker 1: people say about Amazon. Yep, Amazon, enter you Amazon old Bezos. 231 00:14:28,240 --> 00:14:32,600 Speaker 1: He's old Bezos. It sounds like he hunts a gigantic 232 00:14:32,640 --> 00:14:35,280 Speaker 1: white whale. It all sounds. It also sounds like some 233 00:14:35,360 --> 00:14:38,000 Speaker 1: kind of thing you put in a soup. I'm just 234 00:14:38,320 --> 00:14:44,080 Speaker 1: hit it with a dash of bezos. It's like creole season. Wow. Okay, 235 00:14:44,080 --> 00:14:47,120 Speaker 1: So Amazon has this thing it's called revenue, and they've 236 00:14:47,160 --> 00:14:51,360 Speaker 1: got seven point six billion of it. Uh that's in 237 00:14:51,600 --> 00:14:53,760 Speaker 1: US dollars. And it's often said that, you know, they 238 00:14:53,840 --> 00:14:57,480 Speaker 1: sell everything. Well, guess what if Walmart sells caskets. You 239 00:14:57,600 --> 00:15:01,880 Speaker 1: gotta believe Amazon's all over there. I just searched. I 240 00:15:01,880 --> 00:15:04,920 Speaker 1: couldn't find it. You're kidding me, I'm not kidding you. Caskets. 241 00:15:04,920 --> 00:15:07,320 Speaker 1: I found a lot of movies, as one called Help, 242 00:15:07,360 --> 00:15:10,520 Speaker 1: I'm Possessed, The Closer, the complete third season, and of 243 00:15:10,520 --> 00:15:14,400 Speaker 1: course Six Steed under seasons one through a completion. But no, 244 00:15:14,520 --> 00:15:17,400 Speaker 1: I can't buy an I don't see any Amazon caskets. 245 00:15:17,400 --> 00:15:19,520 Speaker 1: My man, it would be fun to watch a group 246 00:15:19,520 --> 00:15:21,320 Speaker 1: of drones trying to deliver one of them. You know what, al, 247 00:15:21,400 --> 00:15:25,840 Speaker 1: Amazon doesn't sell sex toys. WHOA, yeah, they they they 248 00:15:25,880 --> 00:15:28,320 Speaker 1: they've got they've got their their boundaries, all right. You 249 00:15:28,320 --> 00:15:30,200 Speaker 1: gotta go to Adam and Eve dot com for that 250 00:15:32,320 --> 00:15:34,480 Speaker 1: not brought to you by Adam and even it looks 251 00:15:34,520 --> 00:15:37,720 Speaker 1: like now they've they've taken those off the market and 252 00:15:37,720 --> 00:15:43,600 Speaker 1: they just have pet caskets. Oh imagine, was somewhat less 253 00:15:43,640 --> 00:15:48,120 Speaker 1: offensive maybe or somewhat less problematic from a shipping standpoint. 254 00:15:48,200 --> 00:15:52,240 Speaker 1: That's probably the closer answer. Didn't they have a some 255 00:15:52,320 --> 00:15:55,320 Speaker 1: kind of I don't know, agreement with another company or something. 256 00:15:55,360 --> 00:15:58,000 Speaker 1: Maybe maybe that's why they were temporarily selling them. They 257 00:15:58,160 --> 00:16:01,760 Speaker 1: used to sell more than fifty different varieties of caskets 258 00:16:01,840 --> 00:16:05,120 Speaker 1: or coffins, and they sold a steel embalming table. They 259 00:16:05,120 --> 00:16:08,880 Speaker 1: sold pet turns uh and oh yeah yeah. They had 260 00:16:08,920 --> 00:16:12,680 Speaker 1: a partnership with Best Priced Caskets dot com and then 261 00:16:12,680 --> 00:16:20,280 Speaker 1: it went south. That deal is pushing up daisies. Some 262 00:16:20,360 --> 00:16:22,840 Speaker 1: of these pet caskets are pretty posted. This one's called 263 00:16:22,880 --> 00:16:28,520 Speaker 1: Pause Rest Premium pet casket Comma small how much is it? Nine? Wow? 264 00:16:30,120 --> 00:16:34,240 Speaker 1: Which you know again, when a pet passes, it's still 265 00:16:34,760 --> 00:16:37,040 Speaker 1: in many cases, just as damage has loved it was 266 00:16:37,200 --> 00:16:40,480 Speaker 1: absolutely again for some reason, the idea of a pet 267 00:16:40,560 --> 00:16:45,520 Speaker 1: casket I find comical. My cousin. My cousin has the 268 00:16:45,760 --> 00:16:49,920 Speaker 1: most tasteful burial plots for her cats. It is incredible 269 00:16:50,040 --> 00:16:54,280 Speaker 1: it If anyone would ever spend that much care on 270 00:16:54,400 --> 00:16:57,200 Speaker 1: me after I die, I would be I mean, I 271 00:16:57,200 --> 00:16:59,960 Speaker 1: wouldn't be, but I think everybody else would be really 272 00:17:00,520 --> 00:17:04,280 Speaker 1: happy about it and moved by it. Yeah, it's incredible. 273 00:17:04,320 --> 00:17:06,159 Speaker 1: She care. She loves those cats so much. This she 274 00:17:06,280 --> 00:17:11,240 Speaker 1: like makes these beautiful almost it's almost like, um, I 275 00:17:11,280 --> 00:17:13,320 Speaker 1: don't even know how to describe it. It's it's almost 276 00:17:13,359 --> 00:17:20,160 Speaker 1: like having a tribute. Landscaping is beautiful, That is lovely 277 00:17:20,200 --> 00:17:22,160 Speaker 1: and in your backyard. I mean, I'm all about that. 278 00:17:22,160 --> 00:17:24,199 Speaker 1: That's a place you can, you know, wander through and 279 00:17:24,240 --> 00:17:27,400 Speaker 1: go and visit. And I mean, I have no problem 280 00:17:27,440 --> 00:17:30,400 Speaker 1: with the idea of burial of humans, of loved ones 281 00:17:30,440 --> 00:17:32,520 Speaker 1: at all. The part that I get hung up on 282 00:17:32,680 --> 00:17:35,040 Speaker 1: is the exorbitant cost in the whole, you know, because 283 00:17:35,280 --> 00:17:37,400 Speaker 1: I was gonna mention off Mike that I had heard 284 00:17:37,400 --> 00:17:40,879 Speaker 1: a piece on Hidden Brain actually where I was talking 285 00:17:40,880 --> 00:17:43,720 Speaker 1: about um lifestyle choices and the idea of being an 286 00:17:43,760 --> 00:17:46,000 Speaker 1: influencer and and this, that and the other, and one 287 00:17:46,040 --> 00:17:48,800 Speaker 1: of the segments was about funerals, and I said out 288 00:17:48,840 --> 00:17:52,119 Speaker 1: loud to my girlfriend, I said, I bet poor people 289 00:17:52,160 --> 00:17:54,879 Speaker 1: spend more money on funerals than rich people. And it 290 00:17:54,960 --> 00:17:59,080 Speaker 1: was that's exactly what the stat was, on average, on 291 00:17:59,119 --> 00:18:03,199 Speaker 1: average in this country. Well. Also, there's a privatized insurance 292 00:18:03,200 --> 00:18:07,080 Speaker 1: industry that springs up around this, and the same things 293 00:18:07,119 --> 00:18:12,639 Speaker 1: that occur in medical billing occur in the UH in 294 00:18:12,680 --> 00:18:15,520 Speaker 1: the in the funeral industry. Saying for it forever. A 295 00:18:15,560 --> 00:18:18,879 Speaker 1: lot of the major players in this industry also have 296 00:18:19,080 --> 00:18:24,520 Speaker 1: very very innocuous names. Carriage services Incorporated. Does it sound 297 00:18:24,560 --> 00:18:27,520 Speaker 1: like the maybe the company that has the horse drawn 298 00:18:27,600 --> 00:18:31,680 Speaker 1: carriages in downtown areas what I was thinking? Does it 299 00:18:31,800 --> 00:18:37,000 Speaker 1: sound like maybe they repair transmissions or something in fleets 300 00:18:37,040 --> 00:18:40,680 Speaker 1: of commercial vehicles. Uh? No. In two thousand eleven, they 301 00:18:40,680 --> 00:18:45,640 Speaker 1: were the fourth largest publicly traded entity in the deathcare industry. 302 00:18:46,119 --> 00:18:50,240 Speaker 1: They operate. As of that time, they operated on seven 303 00:18:50,320 --> 00:18:53,320 Speaker 1: funeral homes in twenty five states, thirty three cemeteries in 304 00:18:53,359 --> 00:18:56,919 Speaker 1: twelve states. Uh. They make a lot of money in 305 00:18:57,000 --> 00:19:02,080 Speaker 1: what are called pre funded funeral and aerial services. This 306 00:19:02,119 --> 00:19:04,639 Speaker 1: is where you plan ahead. Let's say ten thousand of 307 00:19:04,720 --> 00:19:07,080 Speaker 1: pop is too much, but you kind of put your 308 00:19:07,160 --> 00:19:11,000 Speaker 1: death ritual on layaway. It's pre need pre need, that's 309 00:19:11,040 --> 00:19:12,679 Speaker 1: what they call it in six ft under. I know 310 00:19:12,720 --> 00:19:15,440 Speaker 1: all these terms from watching the show The pre need. Wow. 311 00:19:15,760 --> 00:19:19,439 Speaker 1: I mean, I guess that's smart. Does in advance they 312 00:19:19,440 --> 00:19:21,320 Speaker 1: don't have to worry about it. It's almost like doing 313 00:19:21,320 --> 00:19:24,040 Speaker 1: a living will or something like that. Right. Can I 314 00:19:24,040 --> 00:19:27,840 Speaker 1: tell you guys a quick quick story please? So, um, 315 00:19:27,880 --> 00:19:29,840 Speaker 1: it's no secret my my wife's family is not that 316 00:19:29,920 --> 00:19:32,240 Speaker 1: well off, but they have lots and lots of family 317 00:19:32,280 --> 00:19:36,239 Speaker 1: in there. They're just wonderful awesome they have. They have 318 00:19:36,320 --> 00:19:42,280 Speaker 1: wonderful um communities like connection I guess right. So um, 319 00:19:42,359 --> 00:19:46,520 Speaker 1: when my wife's grandfather died, all of these people showed up, 320 00:19:47,000 --> 00:19:49,639 Speaker 1: almost every single person showed up with a roll of 321 00:19:49,680 --> 00:19:53,600 Speaker 1: cash and just handed it to my my wife's grandmother 322 00:19:54,040 --> 00:19:56,000 Speaker 1: and they were all paying for the funeral. In that 323 00:19:56,040 --> 00:19:59,120 Speaker 1: moment with cash, everybody together is amazing. And that's another 324 00:19:59,160 --> 00:20:01,760 Speaker 1: part of the hidden brain staff. The reason that people 325 00:20:02,720 --> 00:20:04,960 Speaker 1: but typically with less money, spend more on funerals because 326 00:20:05,000 --> 00:20:08,040 Speaker 1: it becomes this community thing. Whereas rich people it's a 327 00:20:08,119 --> 00:20:10,960 Speaker 1: much more segmented, small affair they might just do because 328 00:20:10,960 --> 00:20:13,240 Speaker 1: you know, they don't. They're not bringing people in from 329 00:20:13,440 --> 00:20:15,480 Speaker 1: far and wide for this funeral. It's much more of 330 00:20:15,480 --> 00:20:18,480 Speaker 1: a like their privacy or whatever. Whereas people with less 331 00:20:18,520 --> 00:20:21,600 Speaker 1: money they make it an event where the family comes 332 00:20:21,640 --> 00:20:23,239 Speaker 1: in from all over and it's an excuse to get 333 00:20:23,240 --> 00:20:26,399 Speaker 1: everyone back together again, you know. Again, specifically in the US, 334 00:20:27,200 --> 00:20:31,080 Speaker 1: absolutely absolutely So. It's interesting too because a lot of 335 00:20:31,440 --> 00:20:34,960 Speaker 1: families that come from generational wealth, which happens quite often 336 00:20:35,000 --> 00:20:37,320 Speaker 1: here in the States, a lot of those families will 337 00:20:37,359 --> 00:20:42,360 Speaker 1: already have dedicated older plots, so they actually have may 338 00:20:42,400 --> 00:20:47,199 Speaker 1: have fewer upfront costs. It's expensive. Uh, it's expensive to 339 00:20:47,240 --> 00:20:51,000 Speaker 1: be impoverished in this country. Right. Uh. There's another company 340 00:20:51,040 --> 00:20:56,200 Speaker 1: called Hill and Brand Incorporated. I like, I if we're 341 00:20:56,240 --> 00:21:00,000 Speaker 1: just making up things based on the name, I would 342 00:21:00,080 --> 00:21:02,639 Speaker 1: like to think that they sell those gift baskets with 343 00:21:02,680 --> 00:21:05,959 Speaker 1: summer sausage and different cheeses and maybe a little bit 344 00:21:05,960 --> 00:21:10,000 Speaker 1: of chocolate if you up sell Pepperage Farm remembers. But 345 00:21:10,160 --> 00:21:14,160 Speaker 1: unlike Pepperage Farm, Hill and Brand sells forty five of 346 00:21:14,200 --> 00:21:17,000 Speaker 1: all the caskets in the US, or they did as 347 00:21:17,080 --> 00:21:20,680 Speaker 1: of two thousand and eleven. Uh. They they sell more 348 00:21:20,680 --> 00:21:23,040 Speaker 1: than eight hundred thousand and the one point eight millions 349 00:21:23,040 --> 00:21:27,760 Speaker 1: sold each year. They also sell creation containers, vessels, urns, 350 00:21:28,440 --> 00:21:31,000 Speaker 1: and they sell all these products, though not under a 351 00:21:31,080 --> 00:21:35,240 Speaker 1: hill and brand. They sell it under Batesville Casket Company brand. 352 00:21:36,080 --> 00:21:39,240 Speaker 1: Kind of how that brand was founded in nineteen o six. 353 00:21:39,280 --> 00:21:43,680 Speaker 1: It's it's similar to how a few food manufacturers may 354 00:21:43,720 --> 00:21:46,159 Speaker 1: make a ton of stuff and some of its build 355 00:21:46,240 --> 00:21:48,240 Speaker 1: is organic and some of it. It's kind of like 356 00:21:48,240 --> 00:21:51,680 Speaker 1: how McDonald's owns Chipotle, if we're being honest, you know 357 00:21:51,760 --> 00:21:54,639 Speaker 1: what I mean. And in recent years, Celling Brand has 358 00:21:54,680 --> 00:21:58,000 Speaker 1: become an entity that makes more of its money off 359 00:21:58,080 --> 00:22:01,240 Speaker 1: of manufacturing non death related things. So they got a 360 00:22:01,240 --> 00:22:04,840 Speaker 1: boost from that and they're expanding out. It's you know, 361 00:22:05,200 --> 00:22:09,080 Speaker 1: capitalism Vegas, baby, you know what I mean. Uh, you 362 00:22:09,160 --> 00:22:10,920 Speaker 1: got to get in there while you can with these 363 00:22:11,040 --> 00:22:13,240 Speaker 1: uh companies. And also, you know, you do what you 364 00:22:13,280 --> 00:22:15,960 Speaker 1: can to represent your company in a the best way, 365 00:22:16,359 --> 00:22:21,399 Speaker 1: best forward facing way. Right now, if there were one 366 00:22:21,640 --> 00:22:26,200 Speaker 1: company that would be named as a monopoly in this 367 00:22:26,440 --> 00:22:30,080 Speaker 1: unfortunate industry, there were one company that would closely resemble 368 00:22:30,160 --> 00:22:34,760 Speaker 1: the big corporate bad of six ft under fame, it 369 00:22:34,760 --> 00:22:39,919 Speaker 1: would be something with the name Service Corporation International. What 370 00:22:40,040 --> 00:22:42,479 Speaker 1: does that mean? We'll tell you after a word from 371 00:22:42,520 --> 00:22:53,280 Speaker 1: our sponsor. So let's talk about that name. Service Corporation 372 00:22:53,520 --> 00:22:59,359 Speaker 1: International could literally be anything that happens internationally. Yeah, that 373 00:22:59,520 --> 00:23:04,400 Speaker 1: is a service. Is not a specific good necessarily. M m. Well, 374 00:23:05,280 --> 00:23:09,960 Speaker 1: let's just let's just say this Service Corporation Internationally deals 375 00:23:09,960 --> 00:23:12,920 Speaker 1: with death and that's how they make their money. Death. Yes, 376 00:23:13,080 --> 00:23:16,399 Speaker 1: it is entirely a company making money off of those services. 377 00:23:16,960 --> 00:23:20,920 Speaker 1: Was founded in nineteen sixty two by a guy named 378 00:23:21,040 --> 00:23:24,719 Speaker 1: Robert L. Waltrip. He grew up in the funeral business, 379 00:23:24,920 --> 00:23:27,879 Speaker 1: he was from one of those mom and pop outfits. 380 00:23:28,480 --> 00:23:32,320 Speaker 1: As of seventeen, this company owned one thousand, four hundred 381 00:23:32,400 --> 00:23:35,720 Speaker 1: eighty eight funeral homes and four d seventy three cemeteries 382 00:23:36,000 --> 00:23:39,520 Speaker 1: across the US and Canada. It makes them the largest 383 00:23:39,640 --> 00:23:44,520 Speaker 1: funeral and cemetery services company in the entire world. Uh. 384 00:23:44,640 --> 00:23:50,080 Speaker 1: They also own facilities in eight European countries England, France, Germany, 385 00:23:50,200 --> 00:23:55,720 Speaker 1: and additionally they conduct business in Singapore. They provide services 386 00:23:55,760 --> 00:24:01,160 Speaker 1: like embalming, burial creation, pre arranged or pre need funeral packages. Yeah, 387 00:24:01,200 --> 00:24:04,399 Speaker 1: their products cover every aspect of the funeral everything, like 388 00:24:04,440 --> 00:24:08,440 Speaker 1: we were talking about, caskets, burial vaults, flowers, cremation, funeral options, 389 00:24:08,680 --> 00:24:12,840 Speaker 1: burial garments and as It's estimated that their share of 390 00:24:13,000 --> 00:24:16,920 Speaker 1: all just the total funeral and cemetery market in North 391 00:24:16,960 --> 00:24:21,320 Speaker 1: America is fifteen percent. Now that doesn't sound that high, Ben, 392 00:24:22,880 --> 00:24:28,119 Speaker 1: It doesn't, does it. It really doesn't. And why is that? Well, 393 00:24:28,680 --> 00:24:32,119 Speaker 1: you see s CI keeps growing, Matt, as we're recording this, 394 00:24:32,600 --> 00:24:38,160 Speaker 1: and there's something that Service Corporation International does not want 395 00:24:38,200 --> 00:24:42,240 Speaker 1: you or your loved ones to know. This company is 396 00:24:42,480 --> 00:24:48,280 Speaker 1: largely made up of other small businesses. Overwhelmingly the funeral 397 00:24:48,320 --> 00:24:51,679 Speaker 1: homes that are sci funeral homes are things that it 398 00:24:51,800 --> 00:24:55,600 Speaker 1: acquired from these smaller outfits, these mom and pop things, 399 00:24:55,640 --> 00:24:58,840 Speaker 1: And they didn't want these homes to be less profitable, 400 00:24:58,920 --> 00:25:02,200 Speaker 1: so they didn't want them to seem like some giant, uh, 401 00:25:02,359 --> 00:25:08,160 Speaker 1: faceless funeral corporation, right, So instead they take over relatively 402 00:25:08,200 --> 00:25:11,600 Speaker 1: in secret, and the mom and pop businesses keep their 403 00:25:11,720 --> 00:25:15,240 Speaker 1: name on the thing, so it's still like Paul Decants 404 00:25:15,400 --> 00:25:19,480 Speaker 1: and Cousin's Funeral Home or whatever. This is literally the 405 00:25:19,680 --> 00:25:22,240 Speaker 1: plot of six Under, right, Yeah, because six Under is 406 00:25:22,280 --> 00:25:24,840 Speaker 1: based off as Yeah that was not aware. This is 407 00:25:24,880 --> 00:25:27,920 Speaker 1: really really fascinating, So it makes sense, yeah, because it's 408 00:25:27,960 --> 00:25:31,960 Speaker 1: such a um comfort industry. You know, you don't want 409 00:25:31,960 --> 00:25:34,600 Speaker 1: to feel like you're doing business with like big death right. 410 00:25:34,640 --> 00:25:36,520 Speaker 1: You want to feel like you're doing business with someone 411 00:25:36,560 --> 00:25:40,040 Speaker 1: who understands your community and your plight and it's there 412 00:25:40,040 --> 00:25:41,919 Speaker 1: for you as a as a helping hand in a 413 00:25:41,960 --> 00:25:45,600 Speaker 1: friendly face and as their families provided memorial services for 414 00:25:45,640 --> 00:25:49,240 Speaker 1: your families and generations and generations back. Yeah. And also 415 00:25:49,280 --> 00:25:53,159 Speaker 1: it makes sense that they would want to grow in 416 00:25:53,240 --> 00:25:56,199 Speaker 1: this way because they already have a lot of the 417 00:25:56,240 --> 00:25:59,800 Speaker 1: economy of scale at work, right, there they're getting I'm 418 00:25:59,800 --> 00:26:03,480 Speaker 1: sure massive discounts on different supplies. They run a couple 419 00:26:03,520 --> 00:26:07,840 Speaker 1: of logistics chains. So a typical funeral home that is 420 00:26:07,880 --> 00:26:12,120 Speaker 1: owned by s c I will not contain any advertisements 421 00:26:12,240 --> 00:26:15,440 Speaker 1: or any logos for s c I, with the exception 422 00:26:15,520 --> 00:26:19,359 Speaker 1: perhaps of one thing, a little employee pin on the 423 00:26:19,480 --> 00:26:23,159 Speaker 1: on the lapel of people who work there. Interesting. I 424 00:26:23,240 --> 00:26:26,480 Speaker 1: think I've seen this before, but I'm I can't. I 425 00:26:26,520 --> 00:26:28,600 Speaker 1: looked at a picture of one one of the lapels 426 00:26:28,640 --> 00:26:31,080 Speaker 1: that actually has it on there, and it looks so familiar. 427 00:26:32,440 --> 00:26:35,920 Speaker 1: Now I'm I'm questioning how many of these funeral homes 428 00:26:35,920 --> 00:26:37,600 Speaker 1: I've been to. I haven't been to that many funerals, 429 00:26:37,600 --> 00:26:40,160 Speaker 1: but I've been in a share and I think I've 430 00:26:40,160 --> 00:26:45,240 Speaker 1: seen it. Here's me out. Well, here's a question, though, 431 00:26:45,400 --> 00:26:49,240 Speaker 1: Why why why is this so disturbing? It's business. It 432 00:26:49,280 --> 00:26:54,200 Speaker 1: makes sense, it benefits the mom and pops theoretically, theoretically 433 00:26:54,359 --> 00:26:56,959 Speaker 1: they get to keep doing business and being where they 434 00:26:57,080 --> 00:27:00,800 Speaker 1: always have been. Is it in city? It's just because 435 00:27:00,920 --> 00:27:04,040 Speaker 1: it's this kind of the nature of the industry makes 436 00:27:04,080 --> 00:27:06,159 Speaker 1: us feel like it's gross to make money anyway. But 437 00:27:06,160 --> 00:27:09,120 Speaker 1: aren't the mom and pops already doing that. Ah, yes, 438 00:27:09,280 --> 00:27:12,479 Speaker 1: excellent foreshadowing. Let's let's walk down this rabbit hole a 439 00:27:12,520 --> 00:27:16,960 Speaker 1: little bit further. So s c I does have does 440 00:27:17,040 --> 00:27:19,840 Speaker 1: have one thing that you can you can easily use 441 00:27:19,960 --> 00:27:24,119 Speaker 1: to discern them. They place emphasis on a number of 442 00:27:24,160 --> 00:27:27,840 Speaker 1: different brands. One is Dignity Memorial and the Dignity logo 443 00:27:27,920 --> 00:27:30,920 Speaker 1: can be seen on their homes and their funeral homes 444 00:27:30,920 --> 00:27:34,679 Speaker 1: and in cemeteries and paperwork and so on. They have 445 00:27:34,800 --> 00:27:37,240 Speaker 1: other brands too, but that's one of the most popular ones. 446 00:27:37,480 --> 00:27:40,240 Speaker 1: And right now s c I has not consumed the 447 00:27:40,400 --> 00:27:44,639 Speaker 1: entire industry by any means, but it's recent acquisitions have 448 00:27:44,720 --> 00:27:48,760 Speaker 1: observers concerned the FTC is getting involved, which is something 449 00:27:48,800 --> 00:27:50,960 Speaker 1: I didn't think happened in the funeral industry, or I 450 00:27:51,000 --> 00:27:53,480 Speaker 1: just never thought about it. In two thousand and six, 451 00:27:53,520 --> 00:27:56,280 Speaker 1: they wanted to merge with something called the Alderwoods Group, 452 00:27:56,400 --> 00:28:00,639 Speaker 1: it's nearest competitor, and the FTC said, this is going 453 00:28:00,720 --> 00:28:04,439 Speaker 1: to create a monopoly, this is gonna break anti trust laws. 454 00:28:05,040 --> 00:28:08,879 Speaker 1: Eventually they allowed the merger to continue, which you know, 455 00:28:09,960 --> 00:28:13,000 Speaker 1: was a huge boon to s c i s growth. Uh. 456 00:28:13,040 --> 00:28:16,640 Speaker 1: They tried to purchase an outfit called Keystone North America 457 00:28:16,720 --> 00:28:20,160 Speaker 1: for two eight million in two thousand nine. They got 458 00:28:20,320 --> 00:28:23,280 Speaker 1: they got it. It slid through somehow. These guys have 459 00:28:23,320 --> 00:28:24,960 Speaker 1: a lot of a lot of grease, as we're gonna 460 00:28:25,040 --> 00:28:26,879 Speaker 1: find out too, they have a lot of juice, you 461 00:28:26,880 --> 00:28:31,120 Speaker 1: would call it on the streets. And they signed another deal, 462 00:28:31,280 --> 00:28:35,640 Speaker 1: one point for billion dollar deal to purchase Stewart Enterprises, 463 00:28:35,720 --> 00:28:39,720 Speaker 1: the second largest what they called deathcare company, and the 464 00:28:39,800 --> 00:28:43,680 Speaker 1: FTC in this in this acquisition said Okay, we're keeping 465 00:28:43,720 --> 00:28:46,040 Speaker 1: an eye on you. You can do this, but there 466 00:28:46,080 --> 00:28:49,640 Speaker 1: need to be some rules in place. So here's where 467 00:28:49,640 --> 00:28:52,720 Speaker 1: we get to your question. Or sure, yeah, the company's 468 00:28:52,800 --> 00:28:55,959 Speaker 1: penchant for pretending to be a local shop is misleading, 469 00:28:56,000 --> 00:28:58,719 Speaker 1: but what's the big deal? What's what gives It's not 470 00:28:58,800 --> 00:29:01,880 Speaker 1: illegal to do that, and if that's all the company 471 00:29:01,960 --> 00:29:04,440 Speaker 1: is doing, then we could say, we could argue, if 472 00:29:04,440 --> 00:29:06,000 Speaker 1: we're going to be a little bit cold about it, 473 00:29:06,160 --> 00:29:08,600 Speaker 1: that it does not particularly matter how we feel about 474 00:29:08,640 --> 00:29:11,920 Speaker 1: the practice itself, so long as the locations still offer 475 00:29:11,960 --> 00:29:15,280 Speaker 1: the same services. The people who got bought out often 476 00:29:15,360 --> 00:29:18,680 Speaker 1: still work there as management. Their jobs don't change. They 477 00:29:18,760 --> 00:29:23,200 Speaker 1: just become a franchise for lack of a better term. However, 478 00:29:24,040 --> 00:29:27,160 Speaker 1: that's not the case. As it grows, SCI has become 479 00:29:27,360 --> 00:29:30,400 Speaker 1: the subject of more and more controversy. One of the 480 00:29:30,440 --> 00:29:36,520 Speaker 1: things has cost uh. This company is known for having 481 00:29:37,400 --> 00:29:42,120 Speaker 1: slashed its overhead and raised prices dramatically, in some cases 482 00:29:42,640 --> 00:29:45,920 Speaker 1: much higher than independent funeral home operators, which, when you 483 00:29:45,960 --> 00:29:49,280 Speaker 1: think about it, is the the opposite of what you 484 00:29:49,360 --> 00:29:53,200 Speaker 1: might expect, because usually the way that Walmart's will drive 485 00:29:53,240 --> 00:29:56,800 Speaker 1: out small businesses will be to operate at a loss 486 00:29:56,880 --> 00:30:01,040 Speaker 1: for months or you know, years in certain apartments so 487 00:30:01,200 --> 00:30:04,479 Speaker 1: that the smaller places can't compete. Uh. These guys are 488 00:30:04,520 --> 00:30:08,760 Speaker 1: doing the opposite there. Uh. There's an issue of Bloomberg 489 00:30:08,840 --> 00:30:12,600 Speaker 1: Business Week that was published in October thirteen where a 490 00:30:12,600 --> 00:30:15,200 Speaker 1: guy named Paul M. Barrett I see a guy, a 491 00:30:15,280 --> 00:30:21,600 Speaker 1: journalist named Paul Embarrett uh quoted different different stats and 492 00:30:21,680 --> 00:30:26,560 Speaker 1: he found that at the time s c i S 493 00:30:27,760 --> 00:30:31,880 Speaker 1: on average charge was six thousand two or fifty six 494 00:30:32,240 --> 00:30:36,600 Speaker 1: bucks without the plot and without the casket, just the 495 00:30:36,640 --> 00:30:40,360 Speaker 1: other stuff. It seems like a lot. It is it 496 00:30:40,480 --> 00:30:43,320 Speaker 1: is a lot. Is that because they have an effective 497 00:30:43,320 --> 00:30:45,920 Speaker 1: monopoly and so they can basically fix their own prices 498 00:30:45,920 --> 00:30:47,920 Speaker 1: and there's no competition anymore. Is that the issue here 499 00:30:48,040 --> 00:30:50,640 Speaker 1: in some areas that that very well could be. I mean, 500 00:30:50,640 --> 00:30:54,240 Speaker 1: that's that's almost fifty higher than the real mom and 501 00:30:54,280 --> 00:30:59,880 Speaker 1: pop shops. Jeez, and uh, lest we forget that's bad enough. 502 00:31:00,080 --> 00:31:04,200 Speaker 1: Like just knowing that you're operating, you could be saving 503 00:31:04,240 --> 00:31:06,680 Speaker 1: people a lot of money on their funerals if you 504 00:31:06,720 --> 00:31:09,400 Speaker 1: wanted to, maybe, but you wouldn't have the profits that 505 00:31:09,440 --> 00:31:14,400 Speaker 1: you're getting. But what about something called funeral gate? Yes, 506 00:31:14,640 --> 00:31:16,640 Speaker 1: funeral gate? Have you heard of this? Have you guys 507 00:31:16,640 --> 00:31:21,480 Speaker 1: ever heard of this? Do you were familiar with this before? Right? Many? Okay, 508 00:31:21,520 --> 00:31:25,360 Speaker 1: this is this is weird and lack of a better term, 509 00:31:25,440 --> 00:31:29,600 Speaker 1: this is this is fascinating. Has some plot twist that 510 00:31:29,920 --> 00:31:34,160 Speaker 1: this is a controversy that occurred in Texas and according 511 00:31:34,200 --> 00:31:37,960 Speaker 1: to Fox News, s c I Service Corporation International, which 512 00:31:38,080 --> 00:31:41,480 Speaker 1: was doing business as Dignity Memorial under a different name 513 00:31:41,520 --> 00:31:44,640 Speaker 1: and then under dozens of other different names. Right, Uh, 514 00:31:44,680 --> 00:31:47,800 Speaker 1: they were recycling graves. What does that mean? Yeah, they 515 00:31:47,800 --> 00:31:50,200 Speaker 1: were taking the bodies they were originally like meant to 516 00:31:50,240 --> 00:31:53,360 Speaker 1: go in. They were throwing them in the woods to 517 00:31:53,520 --> 00:31:56,680 Speaker 1: use the space to house new customers at two Jewish 518 00:31:56,680 --> 00:32:01,440 Speaker 1: cemeteries in Florida. So they're taking people out that they 519 00:32:01,440 --> 00:32:04,479 Speaker 1: were going to bury and just throwing them in the woods. 520 00:32:04,920 --> 00:32:09,360 Speaker 1: And there was a Texas official who was tasked with 521 00:32:10,320 --> 00:32:13,720 Speaker 1: watching over these sorts of behaviors or preventing these sorts 522 00:32:13,720 --> 00:32:17,000 Speaker 1: of behaviors, and watching over the funeral business, who alleged 523 00:32:17,120 --> 00:32:21,360 Speaker 1: that she was fired in retaliation for whistleblowing, and that 524 00:32:21,520 --> 00:32:26,720 Speaker 1: she was fired by the administration of then Governor George W. Bush. 525 00:32:26,960 --> 00:32:32,760 Speaker 1: George W. Bush had received campaign contributions from the Waltrip family, 526 00:32:32,840 --> 00:32:36,440 Speaker 1: the founders of s c I troups of all troops. 527 00:32:36,720 --> 00:32:40,640 Speaker 1: They are based in Texas. It's not unusual to be 528 00:32:40,720 --> 00:32:44,000 Speaker 1: loved by anyone campaign finance wise, you know what I mean, 529 00:32:44,080 --> 00:32:50,520 Speaker 1: Like as not unusual to be raped by uh no, 530 00:32:50,680 --> 00:32:54,760 Speaker 1: I mean, it's a bad joke, but it really the 531 00:32:54,760 --> 00:32:57,000 Speaker 1: truth of the matter is, you know, if you are 532 00:32:57,120 --> 00:33:02,280 Speaker 1: running for position at that level of government, all a 533 00:33:02,280 --> 00:33:04,920 Speaker 1: ton of large businesses are going to want to donate 534 00:33:04,960 --> 00:33:07,480 Speaker 1: to your campaign. That's just how it works here, right, 535 00:33:07,920 --> 00:33:13,400 Speaker 1: So that's not necessarily corrupt. But the person who said 536 00:33:13,440 --> 00:33:17,040 Speaker 1: they were ounsted did say it was. They did alleged corruption, 537 00:33:17,080 --> 00:33:20,320 Speaker 1: and they said that the governor had been essentially paid 538 00:33:20,360 --> 00:33:24,040 Speaker 1: off by the Waltrip family to make this scandal go away. 539 00:33:24,400 --> 00:33:27,840 Speaker 1: George W. Bush was subpoena to testify about this in 540 00:33:27,920 --> 00:33:32,280 Speaker 1: court in nineteen nine, but he refused to do so, 541 00:33:32,640 --> 00:33:39,040 Speaker 1: and on August thirty, a Texas judge ruled that he 542 00:33:39,680 --> 00:33:42,840 Speaker 1: could not Bush, that is, could not be forced to testify. 543 00:33:42,920 --> 00:33:46,120 Speaker 1: So it all sort of went away for twenty years. Now. 544 00:33:46,440 --> 00:33:51,000 Speaker 1: Something happened around that year where he became an even 545 00:33:51,040 --> 00:33:55,200 Speaker 1: more powerful governor of sorts. I can't remember what happened exactly, right, 546 00:33:55,280 --> 00:33:58,920 Speaker 1: this was lead up to the election. Yeah, absolutely right. 547 00:33:59,440 --> 00:34:03,240 Speaker 1: And so he who um alleged that there was some 548 00:34:03,680 --> 00:34:08,719 Speaker 1: corruption there will We'll see this is just one of 549 00:34:08,960 --> 00:34:12,120 Speaker 1: many smoking guns, right, And other people will say, well, 550 00:34:12,400 --> 00:34:18,319 Speaker 1: merit lists claims happen against a state official all the time, right, Like, 551 00:34:18,400 --> 00:34:23,480 Speaker 1: there's probably some comptroller right now who is getting just 552 00:34:23,600 --> 00:34:26,760 Speaker 1: they're my favorite example, who is getting some sort of strange, 553 00:34:26,880 --> 00:34:30,239 Speaker 1: ludicrous lawsuit thrown at them. Right, So the question is 554 00:34:30,320 --> 00:34:34,319 Speaker 1: it really It depends on your personal take. But the 555 00:34:34,440 --> 00:34:38,160 Speaker 1: legal opinion was that he did not have to testify. Look, 556 00:34:38,280 --> 00:34:41,520 Speaker 1: if you are a politician of any sort and you're 557 00:34:41,560 --> 00:34:43,920 Speaker 1: not getting bribes thrown at you left and right, you're 558 00:34:43,920 --> 00:34:46,920 Speaker 1: doing something wrong. And I'm not saying you're taking those bribes, 559 00:34:47,239 --> 00:34:50,640 Speaker 1: but if if nobody wants to bribe you, I don't 560 00:34:50,640 --> 00:34:52,960 Speaker 1: know that that's a bad look. Did he ever do 561 00:34:53,040 --> 00:34:58,440 Speaker 1: an episode about lobbying? We did videos about it, We've 562 00:34:58,520 --> 00:35:00,920 Speaker 1: done I don't think we have non audio place the 563 00:35:01,000 --> 00:35:03,839 Speaker 1: kind of thing where it figures into other topics. Maybe 564 00:35:03,840 --> 00:35:08,400 Speaker 1: we haven't, so because I think for all of us 565 00:35:08,440 --> 00:35:13,400 Speaker 1: who are listening from someplace outside of the United States, Um, 566 00:35:13,560 --> 00:35:19,759 Speaker 1: lobbying just sounds heinous. Yeah, heinous is a fantastic word. 567 00:35:19,800 --> 00:35:23,719 Speaker 1: It seems, it seems counterintuitive, it seems illegal. How is 568 00:35:23,800 --> 00:35:27,160 Speaker 1: bribery illegal in this country? But lobbying is fine? You 569 00:35:27,200 --> 00:35:30,080 Speaker 1: know what I mean? Because semantics bro we had to 570 00:35:30,120 --> 00:35:35,759 Speaker 1: have talked at some point anyhow. So that's funeral gate, 571 00:35:36,040 --> 00:35:40,200 Speaker 1: and that's that's one of the controversies that hit S 572 00:35:40,200 --> 00:35:43,160 Speaker 1: c i S reputation. But the people largely forgot about 573 00:35:43,160 --> 00:35:45,720 Speaker 1: as time went on. But they were active in other states. 574 00:35:45,719 --> 00:35:49,680 Speaker 1: In Virginia, there was evidence of improper storage of bodies 575 00:35:49,680 --> 00:35:53,680 Speaker 1: in various states of decay. We're talking two hundreds something 576 00:35:53,840 --> 00:35:58,799 Speaker 1: and makeshift gurneys in a garage, just broughting Yeah, not 577 00:35:58,920 --> 00:36:03,359 Speaker 1: a good look. Smell well, what happened in Florida? Oh, 578 00:36:03,400 --> 00:36:06,000 Speaker 1: it's even better. Yeah, it's true. In two thousand one, 579 00:36:06,000 --> 00:36:09,560 Speaker 1: it was reported that employees of the Memorial Garden Cemetery 580 00:36:09,600 --> 00:36:13,279 Speaker 1: near Fort Lauderdale had oversold the cemetery, so bodies were 581 00:36:13,280 --> 00:36:16,680 Speaker 1: buried in the wrong places, separating husbands from wives. Vaults 582 00:36:16,680 --> 00:36:19,880 Speaker 1: were cracked open by a back hoe, bodies were exhumed 583 00:36:19,880 --> 00:36:24,000 Speaker 1: with bone skulls and shrouds thrown into the woods. Again, 584 00:36:24,160 --> 00:36:26,360 Speaker 1: bodies were stacked on top of each other, and remains 585 00:36:26,360 --> 00:36:31,799 Speaker 1: were relocated without notifying any of the relatives. Yeah, and 586 00:36:31,840 --> 00:36:35,879 Speaker 1: this is a huge deal for anyone. This is especially 587 00:36:36,600 --> 00:36:42,640 Speaker 1: egregious and horrific thing for members of the Jewish community 588 00:36:42,840 --> 00:36:48,960 Speaker 1: because for more religiously observant families and customers, traditional Jewish 589 00:36:49,000 --> 00:36:53,080 Speaker 1: law requires bodies to be buried completely intact and prohibits 590 00:36:53,560 --> 00:36:59,440 Speaker 1: disturbing the dead. So s c I reached an agreement 591 00:36:59,520 --> 00:37:02,680 Speaker 1: with the Floor Attorney General's Office in two thousand three, 592 00:37:02,840 --> 00:37:05,560 Speaker 1: and they said, we'll give you fourteen million dollars, will 593 00:37:05,600 --> 00:37:10,200 Speaker 1: repair the plots, reorganized the cemeteries, properly mark all the graves, 594 00:37:10,239 --> 00:37:13,480 Speaker 1: and the grounds will be able to accommodate all plots sold, 595 00:37:13,520 --> 00:37:16,000 Speaker 1: so we'll stop over selling stuff. And then they had 596 00:37:16,040 --> 00:37:19,040 Speaker 1: to settle a separate class action lawsuit on behalf of 597 00:37:19,120 --> 00:37:22,640 Speaker 1: three hundred and fifty families for a hundred million dollars. 598 00:37:23,280 --> 00:37:26,760 Speaker 1: It sounds about right. I'm surprised it's actually not more. Yeah, 599 00:37:26,880 --> 00:37:31,600 Speaker 1: me too. And there's a there's another Jewish cemetery that 600 00:37:31,840 --> 00:37:36,160 Speaker 1: was mishandled in California. Oh yeah, let's go back to 601 00:37:36,280 --> 00:37:40,080 Speaker 1: September two thousand nine. There was this class action lawsuit. 602 00:37:40,120 --> 00:37:42,200 Speaker 1: It was filed against s c I in this place 603 00:37:42,239 --> 00:37:45,240 Speaker 1: called Eden Memorial Park. It was a Jewish cemetery managed 604 00:37:45,239 --> 00:37:50,320 Speaker 1: by s c I in Mission Hills. Now, this class 605 00:37:50,360 --> 00:37:54,800 Speaker 1: action lawsuit charged that this this group Sei and Memorial 606 00:37:54,880 --> 00:37:58,040 Speaker 1: park ed Memorial They were destroying graves to make room 607 00:37:58,080 --> 00:38:02,440 Speaker 1: for new internments. And in February there was another settlement, 608 00:38:02,760 --> 00:38:07,080 Speaker 1: this time to the tune of eighty million dollars. Wow. 609 00:38:07,120 --> 00:38:09,719 Speaker 1: They are spending a lot of money on these lawsuits, right, 610 00:38:10,200 --> 00:38:13,080 Speaker 1: and this is only scratching the surface. This is not 611 00:38:13,239 --> 00:38:15,840 Speaker 1: a hit piece. You can check into each one of 612 00:38:15,880 --> 00:38:18,919 Speaker 1: these stories, and while you're checking you will find other 613 00:38:19,040 --> 00:38:25,480 Speaker 1: stories of similar situations, many of which have been completely forgotten, right, 614 00:38:25,640 --> 00:38:27,840 Speaker 1: you have to dig a little to find them. Now, 615 00:38:28,200 --> 00:38:32,160 Speaker 1: this may simply be a situation where in a corporation 616 00:38:32,200 --> 00:38:34,799 Speaker 1: as large as s c I, because of the way 617 00:38:34,800 --> 00:38:39,400 Speaker 1: it acquires different smaller businesses, this may be a situation 618 00:38:39,400 --> 00:38:41,520 Speaker 1: where it's just not able to keep an adequate eye 619 00:38:41,640 --> 00:38:44,640 Speaker 1: on every single thing. Right, That seems like a valid 620 00:38:44,719 --> 00:38:46,719 Speaker 1: argument to me. I think that is, you know, you 621 00:38:46,760 --> 00:38:50,040 Speaker 1: do have local I guess the families. If it's still 622 00:38:50,360 --> 00:38:53,000 Speaker 1: run by these groups there there, there on the ground 623 00:38:54,160 --> 00:38:58,400 Speaker 1: all the time, right, and they're they're observing this stuff. 624 00:38:58,440 --> 00:39:02,960 Speaker 1: So is there is it valid to say that maybe 625 00:39:03,600 --> 00:39:06,880 Speaker 1: these cases get more attention because they're attached to SCI 626 00:39:07,120 --> 00:39:11,000 Speaker 1: which has deeper purse strings, or they all become associated 627 00:39:11,200 --> 00:39:13,680 Speaker 1: as if they're all happening by the same people, when 628 00:39:13,680 --> 00:39:17,719 Speaker 1: in fact it's all individual groups that are just under 629 00:39:17,760 --> 00:39:21,440 Speaker 1: the same letterhead, essentially, right, like the way Rome conquered 630 00:39:21,640 --> 00:39:24,840 Speaker 1: different countries and empires. I also want to want to 631 00:39:24,880 --> 00:39:29,440 Speaker 1: point out I should have said deeper pockets, deeper purse 632 00:39:29,480 --> 00:39:35,800 Speaker 1: strings doesn't make sense. I don't know. I dig it longer. 633 00:39:36,520 --> 00:39:38,480 Speaker 1: I can't remember the last time I saw a purse 634 00:39:38,520 --> 00:39:40,880 Speaker 1: string that's just the strap that goes over your shoulder. No, 635 00:39:41,040 --> 00:39:43,720 Speaker 1: the strings are like the draw strings right for a pouch. 636 00:39:43,840 --> 00:39:45,120 Speaker 1: You know what, though some of them do, some of 637 00:39:45,160 --> 00:39:47,279 Speaker 1: those fancy ones that they're woven in. They've got little 638 00:39:47,280 --> 00:39:49,360 Speaker 1: eyelets and you know, you pull those things on the 639 00:39:49,360 --> 00:39:51,839 Speaker 1: one side cinches it right up. For a guy who 640 00:39:51,920 --> 00:39:55,200 Speaker 1: doesn't own any purses, I'm someone aware of this industry. 641 00:39:56,600 --> 00:39:59,200 Speaker 1: Tell you you don't own any persons. I don't. I don't. 642 00:39:59,280 --> 00:40:01,439 Speaker 1: I feel like I feel like it's a weird thing. 643 00:40:01,640 --> 00:40:03,560 Speaker 1: I feel, you know, back to what you said, Ben, 644 00:40:03,600 --> 00:40:05,799 Speaker 1: I feel like that's what a gentleman would have called 645 00:40:05,840 --> 00:40:08,640 Speaker 1: his purse his pouch. His purse is his pouch. Yes, 646 00:40:08,840 --> 00:40:11,959 Speaker 1: it's like an old timy leather gold bag. Sounds about 647 00:40:12,040 --> 00:40:15,160 Speaker 1: right to me. I was, I was somewhere, I think 648 00:40:15,160 --> 00:40:18,000 Speaker 1: it was Williamsburg, and I saw I saw a guy 649 00:40:18,120 --> 00:40:21,160 Speaker 1: walking with a with a bendle, with a stick and 650 00:40:21,239 --> 00:40:25,680 Speaker 1: bendle and some pouches. Sometimes I don't know, I say, 651 00:40:25,760 --> 00:40:27,720 Speaker 1: I don't know where he's going at Bendel was probably 652 00:40:27,880 --> 00:40:33,040 Speaker 1: full of certified deposits from his daddy. Oh see, in 653 00:40:33,080 --> 00:40:35,240 Speaker 1: my opinion, you always need to have a few pouches 654 00:40:35,280 --> 00:40:37,520 Speaker 1: to put your re agents in there if you're gonna 655 00:40:37,600 --> 00:40:41,680 Speaker 1: cast in boss manny, I don't know, Corpoor. Maybe there 656 00:40:41,680 --> 00:40:43,520 Speaker 1: are certain spells you have to cast that you really 657 00:40:43,520 --> 00:40:45,040 Speaker 1: need to make sure your re agents are on. You 658 00:40:45,120 --> 00:40:46,839 Speaker 1: don't know what you're talking. I'm just getting just let 659 00:40:46,840 --> 00:40:53,040 Speaker 1: her right out. Cool. Yeah, I would say, uh, voss Flam, 660 00:40:53,160 --> 00:40:57,240 Speaker 1: this is very important, Boss Flam cast a significant number 661 00:40:57,239 --> 00:41:02,480 Speaker 1: of of reagents and you need the vandamn costs. Damn. Yeah, 662 00:41:02,520 --> 00:41:05,000 Speaker 1: that's what I'm saying. And also if like you're saying, 663 00:41:05,000 --> 00:41:06,600 Speaker 1: if you have your bundle, then that has all the 664 00:41:06,640 --> 00:41:08,960 Speaker 1: manopotions And how the heck are you going to continue 665 00:41:08,960 --> 00:41:11,160 Speaker 1: to cast all the spells? I mean, you can't paralyze 666 00:41:11,200 --> 00:41:17,319 Speaker 1: everybody that has been our show. I'd like to thank Okay, well, 667 00:41:18,160 --> 00:41:19,720 Speaker 1: it would have been funny too if we've done credits 668 00:41:19,719 --> 00:41:22,680 Speaker 1: and not just continue Yeah, doing this nerd talk, which 669 00:41:22,719 --> 00:41:26,560 Speaker 1: I love. What is that from? That's all ultim online? Okay. 670 00:41:26,600 --> 00:41:28,160 Speaker 1: I didn't know if you were just winging it, but 671 00:41:28,200 --> 00:41:31,200 Speaker 1: that was great, man, that was great. You know what 672 00:41:31,520 --> 00:41:34,600 Speaker 1: I know, when your birthday is uh, you might end 673 00:41:34,680 --> 00:41:37,640 Speaker 1: up with some baptchets. Yes, oh my god. Why did 674 00:41:37,640 --> 00:41:40,799 Speaker 1: that feel like a threat in my head anyway. So 675 00:41:40,800 --> 00:41:42,839 Speaker 1: so here we are. You know, we I think we're 676 00:41:42,880 --> 00:41:46,480 Speaker 1: being very fair to s c I when we're saying 677 00:41:46,640 --> 00:41:48,960 Speaker 1: these are the these are the things that could be 678 00:41:49,880 --> 00:41:53,080 Speaker 1: arguments made in their defense. But when we go to 679 00:41:53,080 --> 00:41:55,920 Speaker 1: the question of what happens now, we see some scary 680 00:41:55,920 --> 00:41:58,719 Speaker 1: stuff ahead, at least here in the United States, and 681 00:41:58,880 --> 00:42:02,560 Speaker 1: aging population in a lower birth rate point towards some 682 00:42:02,680 --> 00:42:06,480 Speaker 1: disturbing trends. According to the US Census, older adults will 683 00:42:06,520 --> 00:42:09,320 Speaker 1: outnumber children for the first time in this country's history 684 00:42:09,320 --> 00:42:13,279 Speaker 1: by twenty thirty five, and citizens over sixty five will 685 00:42:13,280 --> 00:42:17,279 Speaker 1: account for seventy eight million of the population. Children under 686 00:42:17,320 --> 00:42:20,080 Speaker 1: eight team will account for seventy six point four million. 687 00:42:20,360 --> 00:42:23,440 Speaker 1: The baby boomer generation is one of the largest generations 688 00:42:23,440 --> 00:42:26,719 Speaker 1: in our country. We're not seeing a burst in population. 689 00:42:27,080 --> 00:42:30,759 Speaker 1: We're seeing people have fewer children than maybe boomers, which 690 00:42:30,760 --> 00:42:32,400 Speaker 1: means that a lot of people are going to pass 691 00:42:32,440 --> 00:42:38,759 Speaker 1: away in a smaller frame of time. This means that 692 00:42:39,880 --> 00:42:43,880 Speaker 1: this business will will boom or the growth will continue, 693 00:42:44,480 --> 00:42:48,160 Speaker 1: and the next time you find yourself dealing with the 694 00:42:48,200 --> 00:42:50,120 Speaker 1: loss of a loved winner in need to engage the 695 00:42:50,160 --> 00:42:53,480 Speaker 1: services of a funeral home or memorial home, you have 696 00:42:53,560 --> 00:42:56,080 Speaker 1: to ask yourself who really owns it and is that 697 00:42:56,120 --> 00:43:00,399 Speaker 1: information something they don't want you to know. He didn't 698 00:43:00,400 --> 00:43:04,960 Speaker 1: even get into the unscrupulous sales tactics. We talked about them, 699 00:43:05,000 --> 00:43:08,120 Speaker 1: but that's that's something else I would There's a fantastic 700 00:43:08,200 --> 00:43:11,799 Speaker 1: Reddit thread where in a funeral director describes some of 701 00:43:11,840 --> 00:43:14,600 Speaker 1: the stuff that they do. And you know, if you're 702 00:43:14,680 --> 00:43:19,120 Speaker 1: listening and you are in this industry, please know that 703 00:43:19,160 --> 00:43:22,440 Speaker 1: we're not We're not saying one bad apple spoils the bunch. 704 00:43:22,480 --> 00:43:24,319 Speaker 1: We're just saying that this is something a lot of 705 00:43:24,320 --> 00:43:28,360 Speaker 1: people don't have too much experience with, thankfully, right and 706 00:43:28,400 --> 00:43:30,840 Speaker 1: what would hope that continues to be the case, But 707 00:43:31,160 --> 00:43:33,840 Speaker 1: you have to be aware that things are not always 708 00:43:34,320 --> 00:43:38,239 Speaker 1: what they appear to be in the strangest of places. Absolutely, 709 00:43:39,200 --> 00:43:42,360 Speaker 1: um so right to us. If you've had any experiences 710 00:43:42,360 --> 00:43:44,000 Speaker 1: that you want to tell us about, you can find 711 00:43:44,040 --> 00:43:47,040 Speaker 1: us on Twitter and Facebook where we are conspiracy Stuff 712 00:43:47,080 --> 00:43:49,480 Speaker 1: on Instagram or Conspiracy Stuff Show. If you don't want 713 00:43:49,480 --> 00:43:51,920 Speaker 1: to do that, you can leave us a message, you 714 00:43:51,960 --> 00:43:54,160 Speaker 1: tell us a story if you call us, we are 715 00:43:54,280 --> 00:43:58,839 Speaker 1: one eight three three st d w t K wow. 716 00:43:58,840 --> 00:44:02,960 Speaker 1: I hope you understood that, Uh just call us just Style. 717 00:44:03,080 --> 00:44:05,279 Speaker 1: Until you find us, you'll you'll hear Ben's voice. That's 718 00:44:05,280 --> 00:44:07,880 Speaker 1: how you know. If you don't want to do that stuff, 719 00:44:08,040 --> 00:44:10,040 Speaker 1: you can leave us a good old fashioned email. We 720 00:44:10,080 --> 00:44:32,520 Speaker 1: are conspiracy at how stuff works dot com