6 Lessons for a Happier Life, from Christophe Andre

1. Accept that there will be unpleasant things in life. All the time, every day, you'll face hinderances: You'll be too late or make a mistake or say something stupid. It's the rent you pay to live in the house of life. It's part of life. There's no point in being disappointed when things don't go your way.

2. Open your eyes and look around. There are more opportunities for happiness than you think, certainly for a Westerner in 2008. Embrace the moments. Try to remember them. Enjoy them.

3. Take time out. The ability to pause, mentally as well as in your actions, is important. Taking breaks is a prerequisite for experiencing happiness.

4. Pay attention to your family and friends. Social ties are important for happiness. Don't let a day go by without thinking of, or seeing, someone you love.

5. Try to get in touch with nature every day. Take a walk in the park and spend a few minutes looking at nature.

6. Express your gratitude and respect for the good things you experience. Being thankful makes you happy and increases the chance of social connection.

No Country For Old Men

Dude. Wow. I assumed that, at the very least, Javier's nomination was well earned.

The man was born in, and came falling out of, a freakin' awesome tree.

There are a few things that make this movie so brilliant--for one, there is relatively little dialogue. And when they do talk, it's not drivel, it has meaning and then another layer of meaning. It's strangely humorous, but that's the Coen's for you.

I haven't seen too many of the other big nominated movies but I'm glad this was a Oscar success. It's a masterful piece of art. As far as the movies are concerned we're getting deeper and deeper into an abyss of fluff and nonsense. There's a place for that of course but some of us are thankful that there are still true artists out there. Well done and bravo. (And MAN is Javier a bastard, he's so...great!)