Research & Rescue

RIP Blake Edwards

RIP Blake Edwards, Director of The Pink Panther Films.

What is Happiness?

I actually discovered the documentary, Happy, about a week ago when I fell into a rabbit hole looking at articles on coaching and liked the trailer for the movie enough that I became a fan on Facebook. The idea behind this movie is not really a new one and I have discussed it on this blog before (Money Isn't Everything).

I think that, despite the movement to downsize our lives, it's easy to get caught up in the message that more [stuff] is better. I certainly succumb to it more often than I'd like and I try to rationalize it (So, what if I have more books than I could possibly read - when I retire or take a vacation*, I'll just hole up with my books and read). What having too much stuff does is clutter one's environment and one's brain and the best money spent is on time with friends and traveling. I was about to add film to that but I've also found that the best pictures are the ones not taken. They reside in one's memories :-)

This is a nice piece from CNN that I hope moves you to support the production of Happy. If not, may you be moved to support the production of happiness - in your life, and in those of others.

 

 

* My friends will tell you it's not in my vocabulary, so I looked it up: Main Entry: 1 va·ca·tion Pronunciation: \vā-ˈkā-shən, və-\ Function: noun Usage: often attributive Etymology: Middle English vacacioun, from Anglo-French vacacion, from Latin vacation-, vacatio freedom, exemption, from vacare Date: 14th century 1 : a respite or a time of respite from something : intermission 2 a : a scheduled period during which activity (as of a court or school) is suspended b : a period of exemption from work granted to an employee 3 : a period spent away from home or business in travel or recreation 4 : an act or an instance of vacating (Source: merriam-webster.com)

O Canada

Happy Canada Day to my friends up north and expats in the other land down under. Hope you have a spectacular holiday!!

Degrees of Separation

Who else but Good could come up with the link between Mary Shelley and Kevin Bacon?? Click through on the image for a bigger version.

via www.good.is

Rush Limbaugh mocks Bill O’Reilly in book

They eat their young, I think...

In a new biography on sale Tuesday, Rush Limbaugh calls fellow conservative talk show host Bill O’Reilly a “Ted Baxter” — after the fictional character on the “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” who was portrayed as a vain, shallow, buffoonish TV newsman.

“Sorry but somebody’s gotta say it,” Limbaugh is quoted as saying in Rush Limbaugh: An Army of One by Zev Chaf

Apparently, Limbaugh doesn't stop with O'Reilly and suggests that none of the other conservative er... commentators are in his league. Precious.

via thehill.com via I Hate the Media

Think Geek shirt to celebrate Towel Day

"People of Earth, your attention, please. This is Prostetnic Vogon Jeltz of the Galactic Hyperspace Planning Council. As you will no doubt be aware, the plans for development of the outlying regions of the Galaxy require the building of a hyperspatial express route through your star system. And regrettably, your planet is one of those scheduled for demolition. The process will take slightly less than two of your Earth minutes. Thank you." [Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy]

May 25th is Towel Day (the anniversary of two weeks after the passing of Douglas Adams in 2001) and Think Geek has a great shirt to celebrate in style (Well, OK - in geek style).

Then again, perhaps you actually need a towel. They've got one of those too:

via www.thinkgeek.com

Jon Stewart - Republicans as used car salesmen

Jon Stewart's take on the right's comparison of the Kagan nomination (as well as other events since Obama took office) to the failures of the Bush administration:

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Release the Kagan
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Tea Party

RIP Lena Horne

Lena Horne, who was the first black performer to be signed to a long-term contract by a major Hollywood studio and who went on to achieve international fame as a singer, died on Sunday night at New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center in New York. She was 92 and lived in Manhattan.

via www.nytimes.com

Entertainers rally to help flooded Nashville

Nashville native and resident Ke$ha has announced a flood benefit concert taking pace June 16 at Nashville's Limelight. Tickets, which range from $30 to $100 for those who want to meet the chart-topper in person, go on sale on May 6 at http://bit.ly/Kesha4Nashville. All profits will be used to help the families and animals affected by the flood.

Read the whole thing at www.variety.com

According to the same piece snipped above, the annual Grammy Block Party will also be raising funds for flood relief. The details weren't in the article but you can find them here.

Bet Against the American Dream

The folks who brought you Avenue Q came up with this wonderful little ditty. They are really good at turning everyday despair into musical comedy. Guess this is just another one of those times when we have to laugh or we'll cry.

Bet Against The American Dream from Planet Money on Vimeo.