My Resume

For any of you job types out there, here is my nifty little Resume. For more info on myself email: diane.mcsweeney29@gmail.com

But if you dont believe me, here are some lovely recommendations.

Tags: Awesome, job, me, Radio, skills

My Thesis: Death Became Her

So, this is special blog for three reasons:

1.)  It is the first blog I have ever written about me. I know how have I been able to resist doing that until now….Truly I don’t know.

2.)  It is about my thesis, something that nearly killed me (ironically about death.)

3.)  Every post is special : )

Where to begin? Ok. So I did radio thesis, initially I wanted to do an original radio play, that didn’t work out too well, then a radio version of Russians fairytales (that stuff is really twisted so again no go) then frustrated I said I wanted to do one on funeral directors (what can I say I was in a dark place) and was told Yes. Whoohoo! YES! … but really? REALLY? YES? Noooooo…and thus began my nightmare.

So I had to e-mail numerous funeral directors, chirpy yet respectful, and ask if my microphone and I may be allowed document and interview their business and employees.

The IAFD (Irish Association of Funeral Directories) estimate that there are approximately 600 funeral homes in Ireland (oh yeah, I did my homework), within the 600 you have about four big chains, so naturally I went to the chains first and was told no. I completely understand why I was being told, as funeral directors they have to maintain a certain image but at the same time I needed to do my thesis.

So then I started emailing Funeral Homes down the country. Ones that would be pillars in the community, not have to worry about tape, and have less business than ones in Dublin (Greater population = Greater rates of mortality *interesting death fact about 40,000 people die every year in Ireland, pretty evenly so between men and women.)

The funeral homes that got back to me said that they would be willing to do an interview with me but I would not be able to document their business.

At this stage I was kind of lost, I emailed about 150 out of the 600 and still no luck. I had no time to start a completely new thesis idea but this one clearly wasn’t going to work out. So, I decided to look at something that my research was pointing out to me and that is that the industry of death is changing. Funerals and deaths are becoming a reason to celebrate the life of someone, not mourn the loss. So I started to look for interesting and uplifting stories about people who had passed away and their funerals from family and friends to funeral directors to the internet (I love you) and found a few.

A funeral director got back to me and told me that he was doing a exhumation (which are pretty rare) to send a Jewish woman back to the Holy Land. Exhumations, which I learnt involve a whole year of paper work. Then the Exhumation must take place away from the public and my microphone (thank you very much Dublin City Council). But this funeral director who I am very grateful to allowed me to see the coffin after it got exhumation. Which wasn’t gross or dirty because as soon as they take it out of the ground they place it in another coffin, and then another one, like Russian Dolls. So when I went to see the big box, which could just be a lot of flat pack furniture from IKEA, I completely forget myself and starting drumming on it. Forgetting that my microphone is on, the funeral director is in the room with me AND there is a woman in the coffin (I have prayed for her forgiveness.)

The next guy I met was from Dundalk and has a special funeral hearse business for those that have passed that when alive had a special love of bikes, or who just want a wicked send off.  A specially built sidecar motorcycle hearse that can accommodate any size casket can fulfill the perfect farewell.  Two words: Dragons Den.

Then I want back to the funeral director who first helped me out with the exhumation and had what I can only describe as like a ride along like the cops do in America. I drove in the funeral car with him and like gatecrashed a funeral (respectfully might I add). One of the strangest experiences in my life.

Then I got talking to the Green Graveyard Company, who caters for people who want environment friendly funerals. The coffins are completely biodegradable.

Then I talked to Trinity College about those that donated their bodies to medical science (I say talked to but really I mean sit in the medical student part of a mass of remembrance for those that donated their bodies to medical science.)

Then I stumble upon a funeral directors from Roscommon that they went out of their way to cater for any need or want and the example they gave I had to chase up and I found the most amazing story ever of a wonderful woman and a beautiful celebrate of life. I could tell you her story but that would be robbing her daughter of the privilege, if you would like to listen please click here.

My thesis took me everywhere and was a real discovery for me.  Don’t get me wrong it was very bizarre, funny and upsetting but it was interesting. And I learnt stuff like if you do gatecrash a funeral:

1.)  Wear Black.

2.)  Try Not To Have a Microphone sticking out of your Bag.

3.)  Be respectful but don’t cry.

4.)  Most importantly don’t stick around for the sandwiches, no matter how much you want to.

In the end I don’t really regret doing my thesis on such a dark topic, I mean in the end all I wanted to do was shed some light onto it, and I think I did.

Tags: Death, Heart-Warming, Interesting, Radio, Thesis

SUITS: Spiderman and Batman Suit Up in America’s Latest Drama

In the past few days I have become obsessed, not crazy obsessed more like when a girl talks to a guys she likes and Googles him to find out all about his hobbies and friends and whereabouts and how pretty his ex’s are… maybe crazy obsessed. Lets get back to the topic, Suits!

Suits is an original lawyered drama from the USA Network (don’t feel bad, you don’t need to know who they are) written by pro TV writer and ex-professional hockey player Aaron Korsh.

In it you meet Mike Ross (played by Patrick J. Adams whom you might recognize from LOST) a mild mannered whizz kid from New York who is going through a rough patch for, well, his whole life.  Orphaned and raised by his devoted Grandmother, we meet him lost and confused and desperately trying to make ends meat. It all comes to a head when the expenses piling up for his Grandmother’s care makes him go against his better judgment and…

Close the door and hang up the phone, doesn’t it sound familiar to?

Peter Parker is a mild mannered whiz kid from New York who is going through a rough patch for, well, his whole life. Orphaned and raised by his devoted Aunt May. Lost and confused Peter is trying desperately to make ends meat. It all comes to a head when the medical expenses piling up his for Aunt May’s care makes him go against his better judgment and… (If This Be My Destiny, Man On A Rampage, The Final Chapter #31- 33 and Amazing Spiderman Back In Black)

Yeah, that worked.

Now I know that of course there differences between the two, for the photographic memory that Mike possesses, Peter has a camera, for Mike’s love of law we have Peter’s love of science and there are unbelievable similarities too both struggle leading double life’s and both love ”MJ” (Peter Parker/Spiderman has never condoned the use of drugs see The Amazing Spiderman #96-98 and #385). Moving on.

Mike ends up at the perfect moment, stumbling into an interview for a junior associate with ultra savvy law firm Pearson Hardman and gets it, despite not having a law degree. Enter  Harvey Specter played by Gabriel Macht (Love & Other Drugs and he was the Spirit in 2008′s The Spirit ).

Gabriel’s character is sleek, super sleek. He likes his cars fast, his women beautiful and his cases closed,see what I did there?! He’s a millionaire playboy and… oh lets not draw it out, he’s the Batman. Well no, but he is Bruce Wayne. And just like Wayne, Harvey is none too thrilled when a young protege is thrusted upon him (Im talking about Dick Grayson, but you guys knew that-see Detective Comics #38). Pretty quickly Harvey and Mike bond (Mike is Harvey’s Dick but Mike alone is Peter), realizing that they could both learn from each other, I dont want to turn it into an after school special so Im gonna leave that point there.

Again there are differences, Bruce has Alfred, but then again Harvey has Donna, however, Im almost positive that Harvey wasn’t witness to his parents murder when he was younger, then again that hasn’t been eliminated from the storyline.

Its starting to get a little bit tangled, huh? Lets get to the closing argument.

I love Suits! It is funny, clever and refreshing. My thought process for season two is that like Peter and Bruce, Mike and Harvey can learn to become heros. I dont think for one second that the characters were stolen, but I would love to find out if Korsh is a comic fan.

The only think left to say is SUIT UP!

* If you would like to watch Suits, which you should, load it up. It wont be aired until early 2012 in UK and Ireland.

**Also any indirect references to the sitcom How I Met Your Mother were awesome!

Tags: American, Awesome, Superheros, Televison

Facebook and Skype: Something ‘Awesome’ This Way Comes

Facebook has been able to steal back the limelight from Google+, somewhat anyway. Announcing yesterday, July 6, that they would integrate their social networking site with Skype to launch something “awesome” in the form of video based chat.

The announcement came after a week of speculation when CEO of Facebook Mark Zuckerberg let slip that they would be releasing a new feature. An application for the new iPad perhaps, or, a revise privacy setting was thought to be on the cards. Many speculated and most got it wrong, the answer was of course that it would be a team up with Skype, to offer free face-to-face chat.

However it appears, for the moment at least, that Facebook’s tag team with Skype wont be as well received as the Google+ equivalent, ‘Hangout’. For the immediate future Facebook will only be able to offer one to one video calling, while with ‘Hangout’ you can video conference with up to ten people. DING! DING! Round one goes to the search giant.

The integration however does cement the relationship between Facebook and Microsoft. In May this year Microsoft acquired Skype for 8.5million. And it’s not the first time that the two companies have used each other. When Microsoft decided to add emotion (I still don’t get it) to it’s search engine Bing, it did so via the Facebook ”Like” button. So, the more ‘Likes’ something gets, the higher the result in the search (not the definition of emotion I know but I digress).

The two companies are binding themselves to battle Google, which is clever really as Google is just too big a threat to take on alone, even after the embarrassments its’ had. Just think of the expression two is better than one.

While ultimately Zuckerberg, (who by the way is the most followed person on Google+, just throwing that out there) and his team would have liked the merging to appear more innovated, in the wake of Google+ it’s just not that exciting, unless you’re the other company in all this, Skype.

The partnership for Skype means that they have access to the 750 million Facebook; currently Skype only has 170 million users. It’s clear to see why the integration will be so much of a landmark for the company.

It’s good to see Facebook offering new things and evolving, and Skype is part of that evolution. But, while Facebook has managed to get the spotlight put on it again, no one has forgotten about Google+.

Talking yesterday about the future with Skype or tactical strategies perhaps in the battle for Web supremacy, Zuckerberg said:

“We’re in the process of figuring out what we want to do next,”

In a war that’s fought with innovation, web services, better apps and features the only real winners are, us, the users.

Oh, and Skype.

 

Tags: Awesome, Facebook, Google+, Microsoft, Skype, SocialMedia