It takes a remarkable person to work in a funeral home. The last time I was at a funeral home was two weeks before Christmas in 2009 for my 27-year-old cousin. John lived in New York and he fell down the subway stairs; it was freezing that night and the stairs were icy. He was in a coma and died a week later in the hospital of pneumonia. During my cousin's wake, I wandered off from the crowd that had gathered to mourn. I happened to speak to a woman who worked at the funeral home, I think she was one of the directors. I asked her, "How does she do it?" At the end of last month, I got my answer.

Originally, I was writing a story how funeral homes were, if at all, being effected by the economic recession. As I knew I would, I got more than that and ended up writing a story about working in a funeral home. John Thomas, CEO of Forest Meadows, invited me to a tour of the work and care that goes into running a funeral home, and helping the families on their journey dealing with death.

I got to see the crematory that was in the back! They had fans blowing air circulation in the room because it was so hot. When Mr. Thomas brought me back there, the machine was in the process of doing its job. He explained to me how the workers monitor the crematory, the weight of the person, and to be sure there is no smoke from the smoke stack. Also, I had the chance to see ashes. I'm not sure how to describe how I felt.

I was scared, but at the same time I wasn't. My family is very open talking about death; just the way it is. Seeing the ashes of someone reminded me that this happens to everyone. We will face this one day and it is scary to think about, but at the same time it isn't. Personally, I think about my death every day and I think it is healthy to do that. I don't think about it in a negative way merely just putting my life in perspective. It helps me come to terms with death for myself and dealing with deaths of loved ones. I am lucky that I still have two grandparents left, but I know they will not be with me forever. They have lived long, happy lives. When it is there turn, I will be sad, but it will not be a tragedy. John's death was a tragedy.

Everything the employees of Forest Meadows do and all the people who work in funeral homes is amazing. They love to help families and they love people. They enjoy the work they do. Helping families on the journey of dealing with deceased loved ones is a task that is not always easy, but they have big hearts. Mr. Thomas said that is takes special people to work in a funeral home and that it isn't for everyone.

They're up late in the middle of the night working long, hard hours, and on call. It is recommended that anyone thinking about a career in the business should work as an apprentice at a max of three years before going to school. In the state of Florida, it is legal to be an apprentice before or during your time at school while others states like Ohio require you to go to school first and then be an apprentice. Mr. Thomas said that being an apprentice before school is better since it gives hands on experience if this is something that you can do or...even handle. Dealing with the death of child is always hard no matter who you are and that includes the funeral directors as well.

Thomas worked at a funeral home in high school. After 8 years in the Army, he knew he wanted to go back to working in a funeral home. When he was young, he watched the funeral director and the care given to families. As another man I spoke to, Frank Washington of Washington Funeral Home, he said it was a calling. Mr. Washington also worked at a funeral home when he was young. He saw the care, compassion, and strength needed for the job.

It wasn't until my cousin's death that I really wondered how funeral directors do what they do. I didn't understand it or how anyone of them could stay sane. After talking to Thomas and Washington, the tour of a funeral home, and writing the story, I felt better. I knew that you had to be a special person to have a job like that, but I did not know how special. How much strength and compassion. I admire it so much.

I've Returned

After being gone over a year, I have come back with a new mission! Not everyone finds journalism or communications fascinating and with the heavy work load I've been getting recently, my roommate does not envy me.

I want to share my experience as I learn the art of reporting and the new people that I will (and have) meet. This field can be a lot of work and very demanding, but offers many opportunities. Travel, the front row seat of events and the people you get to meet will opening your eyes to unique ideas and wisdom.

China's Wireless Anti-Porn

Anti-pornography campaigns in China have been going on for some time it seems. As far as having giant steamrollers crushing piles of pornographic DVDs.

Communist Party's decency police has their sights on wireless porn.

The Ministry of Public Security on mobile porn are targeting sites that use wireless application protocol, or WAP — a method of producing Web sites for mobile handsets. They're focusing on larger cities such as Shanghai, Beijing and Guangdong, where many Chinese WAP sites are registered, and will run through the end of the year.

Concerning authorities, is the advent of high-speed “third generation,” or 3G, wireless services. 3G make it much easier to surf the Web wirelessly than traditional cellphones.

I've never supported porn in any form, but I never heard of any country going to such an extreme over it. China is not my favorite country for more than one reason and so I'm having mixed feelings about when China is doing about wireless porn.

Knowing China there's just always more to it than what they say.

IPods Unlocking Memories

IPods are being used to help stroke and dementia patients with memory loss and helps relaxes them.

For decades, caregivers observed that Alzheimer's patients can still remember and sing songs long after they've stopped recognizing names and faces.

Nursing homes and hospitals use music to bring patients pleasure and to help recreate their memories.

Dr. Tomaino has studied therapeutic effects of music more than 30 years.

"If someone loved opera or classical music or jazz or religious music, or if they sang and danced when the family got together, we can recreate that music and help them relive those experiences," she says.

A few years ago, Tomaino did an unpublished study on 45 patients with mid- to late-stage dementia. The patients had one hour of personalized music therapy, three times a week, for 10 months, and improved their scores on a cognitivefunction test by 50% on average.

There was one patient who even managed to remember his wife after many months.

I've known of music helping some mentally challenged children before and the idea of the same process with Alzheimer is amazing. I wonder what it is about music that triggers the mind when words and faces fail.

I can't really begin to describe what this would be like.

Apple VS Nintendo

Nintendo is getting ready to release a new version of the DS handheld and has managed to excel in the gaming market for 20 years. Yet cellphone games are rising in popularity thanks to Apple!

Nintendo's profit went down 52% in the first half of their fiscal year, which ends in March, as sales of Wiis and DS gadgets decreased.

Research firm DFC Intelligence says that Apple producsts will take charge of portable gaming for the next five years!

Apple has access to thousands of different games at their App Store. Some are free to play while others can cost under $10. New Nintendo games starting price is $20.

People are going to the source with the most games for the better deal. The DS has limits while it seems Apple has none; or at least less. I've always been a Nintendo fan and I like Apple even though I don't know much about them. I wonder what it would be like if they should merge into one company? It's way too soon for talks like that.

However, that was an idea that flowed into my head.

Disney Returns to Traditional Animation

The new film 'The Princess and the Frog' is the first traditionally drawn animation over the last six years.

Disney has been using computer animation like in 'Chicken Little", which made $135 million in the box office and a more recent film 'Bolt', $114 million.

Pixar cofounders John Lasseter and Ed Catmull have overseen Disney Animation since 2006, when Disney bought their company for $7.4 billion. They were the ones to decide to return to the hand-drawn techniques and to rehire filmmakers who use it.

"I've never understood why the studios were saying people don't want to see hand-drawn animation," Mr. Lasseter said at a fan convention earlier this year. "What people don't want to watch is a bad movie."

Lasseter's problem wasn't Disney's animation techniques, but fundamental elements like characters and plot.

They've got high hopes with this new classic fairy tale like story that's hand drawn about a princess and a frog. Disney has made some great movies, but latley some just don't have the "spark" like they use to. 'Tresure Planet' was an ok film that I wouldn't mind to rewatch every now and then, but in the box office it failed to get the high ratings. Also, the same happened to 'Brother Bear'; I never saw this movie.

I dont' know what this new movie by Disney is really about, but I've got some hope that maybe it may be that "spark" like the older disney cartoons had; have! One day, traditional animation may be a thing of the past, but until then...

Web Alphabet

The language of the web has always used Roman letters, but this is about to change.

To type in addresses, other nations had to write in Roman, for example, '.com' cannot be written in their own language. Until now...

Soon web users will be able to type or input addresses in other languages besides Roman letters.

After six years of talking about this issue, new disscussions are being made of when and how this can be approved so it is only a matter of time.

Some nations are happy about this because it's a sense of pride in being able to write in their own because not many use Roman letters as their first language.

I like this idea because this may give me the chance to go to some other websites in different languages. I've been to some before, but maybe when this new system takes root, I can somehow translate...?

That's just my own little wish in this new deal since this subject doesn't effect me personally. At least, not to my knowledge yet...

Like everyone who grew up in America, using Roman letters is everyday.