From Psychology Today: 

“What is happiness? The most useful definition—and it’s one agreed upon by neuroscientists, psychiatrists, behavioral economists, positive psychologists, and Buddhist monks—is more like satisfied or content than “happy” in its strict bursting-with-glee sense. It has depth and deliberation to it. It encompasses living a meaningful life, utilizing your gifts and your time, living with thought and purpose.

“It’s maximized when you also feel part of a community. And when you confront annoyances and crises with grace. It involves a willingness to learn and stretch and grow, which sometimes involves discomfort. It requires acting on life, not merely taking it in. It’s not joy, a temporary exhilaration, or even pleasure, that sensual rush—though a steady supply of those feelings course through those who seize each day.”

In 3 words, what makes you happy?

U.S. News & World Report has named Shreveport as one of America’s Best Places to Find a Job.The publication cites the movie industry and Haynesville Shale as contributing to a loss of only 2 percent of the city’s jobs by the end of the recession.

Click here to read the article.

Your thoughts?

“What!? Billy Mays was on cocaine?! Are they sure it wasn’t OxiClean?”  –Erin Moore 8/7/09

“Life is too short to go to meetings.”  –Sherri Talley 8/17/09

Nick Caloway: “Would it be inappropriate to take a cougar on a date in the break room?”  Clay Kirby:  “Not as long as you keep her on a leash.”  8/19/09

It’s called a Yes Day.

My sister and her fiance told me about it.  During the course of a randomly chosen day, they say yes to anything asked of them.  They can’t use it on each other and they don’t tell anyone about it that day.

Drive thru lady:  “Do you want to try a frozen cappuccino with that, sir?”  You:  “No tha…uh…yes..yes, I will.”

Co-worker: “Will you trade on call days with me?”  You (if it’s me asking the question):  “Why, yes!  I’d love to.”

Child: “Mom, will you buy me a new computer?”  You:  “Sure.”

See how easy that is?  Ha, the tough part is carrying out your agreement.  The cool part is what doors it may open to areas you would normally shut out by saying no.

I’ll take good notes when I have a Yes Day soon and report back.  If you try one, let us know how it goes, will you?

Who thought of this?  It just sounds weird.  Can’t we do better than Hurricane Bill?

This baby goat was rounded up more than a year ago on Kings Highway in front of Centenary College. 

For some reason, we hear about a lot of donkeys and hogs escaping.  What gives?  The Caddo Sheriff’s Office even has a Stock Patrol. 

Here’s the latest release to hit the newsroom:

Bossier Sheriff Larry Deen says his agency is trying to locate the owner of a large hog, picked up in the vicinity of the playground at Hillcrest Mobile Home Park in Haughton on Saturday, August 1^st.

If someone wants to claim the animal, they should call Capt. Bobby Masters at 965-3431. After they describe the hog and pay the fees for care and custody, the hog will be released to them.  If not claimed within 10 days, the hog will be sold at a public livestock auction.

They tell me I’m on TV for a living, but I have no proof of that.

See, somehow, something happened to our satellite dish at the beginning of the summer and my son and I haven’t watched TV since.

All. Summer. Long.

We seized the opportunity.  Rented and bought movies with reckless abandon.  Sometimes, we’ll watch 3 or 4 in one day/night.

Independent films like ‘Little Miss Sunshine’.  Local films with friends in them like ‘You Better Run’.   The Doors.  Animal House.  Fight Club.  Hot Rod.  Meet Joe Black.  I Am Sam.  Billy Madison.  Raising Arizona.  Man on the Moon.  One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.  What’s Eating Gilbert Grape.  Tonight’s theatre presentation:  GoodFellas.

Only because it’s almost football season, I called the dish repairman.  Soon, we’ll be back in the world of television.  But, Casey and I will always remember this summer of movies.

“Do you have an app for my 9:00 hour-long show?” –Corrie Cross 7/31/09

“Council members, you can poo poo and boo boo all you want…” –Shreveport Mayor Cedric Glover 7/28/09

“If I don’t watch my figure, nobody else will.”  –Nick Caloway 8/3/09