The great commonwealth of Virginia has a quiet little idea to boost the local economy — tax breaks for space funerals! A proposed law would put money in your pocket for sending a loved one into the void.
The action will centre around Virginia’s Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport, with the hope that the facility will go from launching satellites to the ashes of loved ones next year. And the sooner the better! The savings are going to be huge. The LA Times reports the proposed bill “would provide a Virginia income tax deduction up to $US2,500 a year for such burials. The total deduction could not exceed $US8,000.” Ah, shit! Honey, we reached our maximum for space funeral tax deductions this year. I’ll call the accountant. [LA Times via Slashdot]
Mick
Monday, December 12, 2011 at 9:48 AMthat’s a smart trade, tax write-offs for space junk
Ash
Monday, December 12, 2011 at 9:53 AMIn space… no-one can hear you decompose…
bdc
Monday, December 12, 2011 at 10:03 AMthis is a joke, they should ban cremation, and they should certainly ban this.
Why are we so intent on taking our corpses out of the circle of life.
Stick me in a hessian bag and dump me in the ground.
This post should have been, “Virginia thinks the climate isn’t changing fast enough, wants to pay to send ash to space”
InformedGamer
Monday, December 12, 2011 at 11:13 AMYou’re right, because before humans there was no life on this planet right?
Unless you feel the need to clarrify your statement, I’ll just assume you’re another religious nutbag.
Ozoneocean
Monday, December 12, 2011 at 12:49 PMI don’t see anything at all religious there, what he says is just ordinary science. Read it and think about it again.
LGB
Monday, December 12, 2011 at 4:15 PMI’ve got a hessian bag…..
Vaporeon
Monday, December 12, 2011 at 9:13 PMAnd I have a shovel. Let’s get to work.
Nuddy
Monday, December 12, 2011 at 10:49 AMGreat just what we need, more junk in space.
Dan
Monday, December 12, 2011 at 12:16 PM+1
Took the words right out of my mouth.
LGB
Monday, December 12, 2011 at 4:11 PMHA HA…
Yeah the ISS gets taken out by a corpse. “Ah…Houston we have a problem!”…
Sevrin
Monday, December 12, 2011 at 12:27 PMGood to see that Virginia Tech is making sure that there are a steady supply of corpses to do test runs with!
What? Too soon?
gameon
Monday, December 12, 2011 at 12:33 PMWhy don’t they just put the corpses _under_ the rocket? Same end result.
Anyway now I know what I want for Xmas this year. Thanks Giz!
Ozoneocean
Monday, December 12, 2011 at 12:52 PMOr maybe it’ll just explode and create a few more… and at the same time solving this stupid rocket issue.
Mr Odd
Monday, December 12, 2011 at 5:55 PM{removing my sun glasses} It will make hard for CSI to solve a cold case… if the body is lost in space.
The Joker
Monday, December 12, 2011 at 9:01 PMIt’s life Jim, but not as we know it..!!
Vaporeon
Monday, December 12, 2011 at 9:15 PMCadavers scare the shit out of me. I wouldn’t want my space travel fantasies soured by having dead ‘ol George bumping into the windshield of my starship, thanks.
petio
Monday, December 12, 2011 at 10:16 PMdid any one else read that as ‘vagina wants to shoot your corpse into space’ ?