Send a message to the other side

It doesn't quite qualify as a Gizmo, but when something this weird passes you by, you just have to see what it's all about - a website called www.afterlifetelegrams.com is offering a service that claims to take messages to relatives and loved ones who have passed on. The site charges a fee of US$5.00 per word (there's a 5 word minimum) to deliver telegrams to dead people. The modus operandi is for terminally ill volunteers to memorise the telegrams and pass them on when they have passed away. Given the nature of the service, customers do not pay for "deliveries", instead paying for "delivery attempts" and even if you don't like your chances of communicating with the other side, funds raised go towards medical costs and helping the terminally ill volunteers' family.Webmaster Paul Kinsella used the production of this site as a way to sharpen his skills as both an online cartoonist and dynamic webmaster. It's basically a quirky way to help people - the web site organisers do not actually take payment until after their messenger dies (the fee is held in AfterlifeTelegrams.com's PayPal Account until the messenger has passed away and the telegram is "on its way") and there's a grief counselling page at the site dedicated to helping people who are grieving.The site is also careful to point out that it is not exploiting grieving people - no telegrams from people who are still grieving or those under 18 are accepted.To learn more visit www.afterlifetelegrams.com