Divorce or Separation May Be Worse for Child Happiness Than Poverty

Ingmar Bergman's Scenes from a Marriage.
From An opinion on film.

Today The Daily Mail reports on something that you may already suspect:  divorce or separation of parents has a more negative effect on children's life satisfaction than poverty. This information comes from a new survey by the Understanding Society, a British government-funded organization.

Initial findings show that British children rank lower in overall life satisfaction than children in other developed countries. Parental happiness plays a big role in how happy they feel. They also experience a higher prevalence of bullying than children in the United States.

The researchers interviewed 34,500 people, including 2,000 children between 10 and 15 years old. The organization hopes to survey around 100,000 people every year to gain a deeper understanding of issues such as health, crime, finances, and work.

Professor Nick Buck, the director of Understanding Society, says, "We are collecting a much richer set of data than the national census, for instance, and I think this is going to lead to a major change in the way social research is performed, to understand how individual wellbeing and happiness is developed, and how behavior impacts on later outcomes."

I disagree with him on most things, but here, Bill is Brilliant

Bill is right on Obama being born in America, right on the death penalty, right on this (above) and on about everything else he is wrong. But above, you will see why he is brilliant and why he dominated cable.

dubai hotel deals

The foundation used in this hotel is Pile Foundation and a total of 230 – 40 meter long concrete piles were drived into the sand. The foundation is held in place not by bedrock, but by the friction of the sand and silt along the length of the piles. Engineers created a surface layer of large rocks, which is circled with a concrete honey-comb pattern, which serves to protect the foundation from erosion. It took three years to reclaim the land from the sea, but less than three years to construct the building itself. The building contains over 70,000 cubic meters of concrete and 9,000 tons of steel.

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dubai hotel deals
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dubai hotel deals
dubai hotel deals

SPECIAL REPORT: Downtown Independent Screening

It's been awhile since I've done one of these, partly because they always seem to go well, so it gets repetitive, but also because I haven't been to one in awhile. Also, theaters are dark places, so my pictures don't turn out as often as I'd hope, except when I take pictures of hallways for some reason.

Anyway, as usual The HAPPY Movie had a SOLD OUT screening, this time at the fantastic Downtown Independent theater. I've never been there before, but I may start going regularly because they have an excellent facility, an incredible staff, and great taste in movies. This screening also featured special guests Darlene Mininni, author of The Emotional Toolkit, and Mark Adler, composer for the film.

We'd also like to give a HUGE thanks to Project Fresh for making it all happen! Couldn't have done it without you!

I'll let the pictures do the rest of the talking (click for bigger versions):

The stage.

Roko introducing the movie in front of an outdated ad of Carlos for some reason. (Carlos is excellent, by the way. You should see it, but the long version is five hours long.)

Roko doing the Q&A with Mark and Darlene after the movie.

The packed audience. Some people sat on the stairs.

Mark Adler talking about his composing methods.

The lobby area reception after the Q&A.

A view from the roof of the theater. Looking at the interesting parking garage across the street.

And now some artsy shots of lights and hallways and stuff. Hopefully they'll expand your mind or something:

dubai hotel burj al arab

The interior was designed by Khuan Chew, Design Principal of KCA International. Other projects by Khuan Chew include the Sultan of Brunei's Palace, Dubai International Airport, Jumeirah Beach Resort Development, Madinat Resort and much more.

The Burj al-Arab features the tallest atrium lobby in the world, at 180 meters (590 ft). The atrium is formed between the building's V-shaped span. The atrium dominates the interior of the hotel, and takes up over one-third of interior space. It can accommodate the Dubai World Trade Center building, which, at 38 stories, was the tallest building in Dubai from the late 1970s to the mid-1990s.

While the exterior of the Burj al Arab is expressed in terms of ultra-modern sculptural design, the interior guest space is a compilation of lavish and luxurious architectural styles from both the east and the west. The hotel boasts 8,000 square meters of 22-carat gold leaf and 24,000 square meters of 30 different types of marble.

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dubai hotel burj al arab
dubai hotel burj al arab
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dubai hotel burj al arab

A Massive Writing Tag

This is supposed to be a novel tag, but I'm going to be using my short story, as that's in a better state of completion than my novel at the moment. I'm doing it super late, but I got it from Christian Miles at his blog Fiction Fire.


1. What’s your word count?
8,200

2. How long until you finish?
I'm about half way through right now, so I'd say another month or so until the first draft is complete.

3. If you have finished, how long did it take you?
See previous answer.

4. Do you have an outline?
I did, but then so many other ideas came to me that I threw it out the window.

5. Do you have a plot?
Here's hoping.

6. How many words do you typically write a day?
Eh, that varies. Anywhere from 50 to 1000, depending on what I'm writing.

7. What was your greatest word count in one day?
Just over 3,500

8. What was your least impressive word count in one day?
15. I wasn't proud of myself.

9. What inspired you to write?
Actually, I didn't get started by mere inspiration; my mom was sick and tired of me not working through the program we had, so she said I could write whatever I wanted. A bunch of very odd and hopefully not completely useless stories are the result.

10. Does your novel/story have a theme song?
Hmmm. My novel: Switchfoot's Meant To Live.
Short story: Closest thing I can come up with is Demon Hunter's Beauty Through The Eyes Of A Predator. That's more for the name than anything.

11. Assign each of your major characters a theme song.
Daymond - Ribcage or Beast Inside Of Me. Maybe Faceless.
Eldra - Atmosphere, Still Running, Feed The Machine.

12. Which character is most like you?
Eldra. Do I need a duh there?

13. Which character would you most likely be friends with?
Either Alax or Eleriff.

14. Do you have a Gary-Stu or Mary Sue character?
Gee, I hope not. I don't think so. . .

15. Who is your favorite character in your novel?
Eleriff or Daymond. I'm going to go with Daymond. He's fun to mess with, plus I always go for the bad boy.

16. Have your characters ever done something completely unexpected?
Yes.

17. Have you based any of your novel directly on personal experiences?
Not directly, but the undertones are there, I'm certain.

18. Do you believe in plot bunnies?
The ones that are always gnawing on my brain? Yeah, I do.

19. Is there magic in your novel/story?
As in spells or similar magic? No.

20. Are any holidays celebrated in your novel/story?
Not that I know of.

21. Does anyone die?
What a silly question. Yes.

22. How many cups of coffee/tea have you consumed during your writing experience?
I don't drink coffee, and I don't like tea. I drink water, and I drink a lot of it.

23. What is the latest you have stayed up writing?
3:30 am.

24. What is the best line?
Oh, I don't know.

25. What is the worst line?
*snort* Any of the lines that don't have all the words in them.

26. Have you dreamed about your novel/story or its characters?
Not that I can remember. . .

27. Does your novel rely heavily on allegory?
No.

28. Summarize your novel/story in under fifteen words.
Daymond must work with his arch-rival to save a massive space station from blowing up.

29. Do you love all your characters?
No. I like/love some, but I only sympathize with others.

30. Have you done something sadistic or cruel to your characters specifically to increase your word count?
Only every day. My word count would never go up if I didn't.

31. What was the last thing your main character ate?
No clue. I don't think Daymond needs to eat.

32. Describe your main character in three words.
Honorable. Deadly. Bad-boy.

33. What would your antagonist dress up as for Halloween?
Himself -- or the hologram of himself.

34. Does anyone in your story go to a place of worship?
No.

35. How many romantic relationships take place in your novel/story?
One and a half. . .?

36. Are there any explosions in your novel/story?
Novel - Yes.
Short story - Not yet.

37. Is there an apocalypse in your novel/story?
Not in the true sense of the word, no.

38. Does your novel take place in a post-apocalyptic world?
No.

39. Are there zombies, vampires or werewolves in your novel/story?
Not a chance.

40. Are there witches, wizards or mythological creatures/figures in your novel/story?
No.

41. Is anyone reincarnated?
No.

42. Is anyone physically ailed?
Yes.

43. Is anyone mentally ill?
Uh, no.

44. Does anyone have swine flu?
What?

45. Who has pets in your novel and what are they?
Uhhh, no pets that come to mind.

46. Are there angels, demons, or any religious references/figures in your novel/story?
No.

47. How about political figures? Are there political figures in my book?
Yes.

48. Is there incessant drinking?
That's a weird question. No.

49. Are there board games? If so, which ones?
Saving the galaxy takes too much time for my characters to play board games.

50. Are there any dream sequences?
Too many.

51. Is there humor?
My mom sure seems to think so. . .

52. Is there tragedy?
Too much.

53. Does anyone have a temper tantrum?
No hissy-fits, if that's what you're thinking.

54. How many characters end up single at the end of your novel/story?
No one is married at the beginning, and I doubt anyone's going to get married at the end. That could change, however.

55. Is anyone in your novel/story adopted?
No.

56. Does anyone in your novel/story wear glasses?
No.

57. Has your novel/story provided insight about your life?
Uhhh. . .

58. Your personality?
On occasion.

59. Has your novel/story inspired anyone?
Not sure.

60. How many people have asked to read your novel/story?
Maybe three or four.

61. Have you drawn any of your characters?
No.

62. Has anyone drawn your characters for you?
Heck, yes.

63. Does anyone vomit in your novel/story?
No.

64. Does anyone bleed in your novel/story?
Rivers.

65. Do any of your characters watch TV?
What's a TV? I play with holograms.

66. What size shoe does your main character wear?
I never asked Eldra, and Daymond refuses to tell me.

67. Do any of the characters in your novel/story use a computer?
If you could call it that, then yes.

68. How would you react if your novel/story was erased entirely?
I'd probably beat myself upside the head for not backing it up in enough places.

69. Did you cry at killing off any of your characters?
No. I did struggle with a nasty bout of depression one time, though.

70. Did you cheer when killing off one of your characters?
No. I'd begin to worry about myself if I did that.

71. What advice would you give to a fellow writer?
Find someone who loves writing as much as you. It really helps to have someone you talk your ideas through with.

72. Describe your ending in three words.
Three? Oh, boy. Daymond flies off.
That doesn't make any sense.

73. Are there any love triangles, squares, hexagons, etc.?
Not yet.

74. On a scale of 1-10 (1 being the least stressful, 10 being the most) how does your stress rank?
Every day is different. Currently, I'd say 3.

75. Was it worth it?
I sure hope so.


I tag anyone with the guts to even attempt this massive tag. Comment with a link to your post if you choose to do it.

~God Bless~

Britain Starts Their Happiness Survey

Prime Minister David Cameron and an anonymous dog.
From Green Consultancy.

Yes, as reported back in November, Britain plans to focus on the wellbeing of its citizens. Well, now The Telegraph reports that the nation's first official happiness survey is afoot. This first batch will cover 200,000 people over the age of 16, asking them to rate themselves on the following questions on a scale of 0 to 10:

• Overall, how satisfied are you with your life nowadays?
• Overall, how happy did you feel yesterday?
• Overall, how anxious did you feel yesterday?
• Overall, to what extent do you feel the things you do in your life are worthwhile?

Future questions will probably focus on more specific areas, such as the state of their marriage, friendships, and health. Paul Allin, head of the wellbeing project, expects the large sample size to rule out most dishonest answers, saying, "We essentially trust people to give us the answers they give us and we will work what they say."

The whole initiative comes from Prime Minister David Cameron's belief that governments play a role in helping their citizens "feel better." It is run by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) and has a current budget of £2 million a year. Previous surveys show that Britain's life satisfaction has failed to keep up with its GDP over the last 40 years.

dubai hotel atlantis

The last day of my pearl conference my taxi driver was new and did not know the way here...I was no help. He finally found the right place, only to make several wrong turns and even miss the entrance once we arrived....Oh, well, it gave me a chance to view the exterior as I asked him to just drop me off and I'd walk back.

It also gave me a chance to see the ocean from the edge of the circle that surrounds the "Palm".

dubai hotel atlantis
dubai hotel atlantis
dubai hotel atlantis
To get out to this Jumeirah hotel there is an underwater tunnel. Quite the engineering feats were accomplished to bring this whole place into existence. Even the land was man made created. Amazing.

dubai hotel atlantis
dubai hotel atlantis
dubai hotel atlantis
Before I arrived in Dubai, I had no idea how vast this place is. I somehow imagined it to be quite quaint and things within walking distance. I was wrong. Be prepared to use lots of taxis, but the fare is reasonable, fortunately, as my hotel was not near the conference area at the Atlantis Palm Jumeirah Hotel.

dubai hotel atlantis
dubai hotel atlantis
dubai hotel atlantis

Lifestyle Changes May Treat Depression as Effectively as Drugs and Counseling

From Layout Sparks wallpapers.

According to this story from Medical News Today, simple lifestyle additions like exercise, nature walks, and generosity may be just as effective as drugs and therapy for treating some mental illnesses. This information comes from a paper in the January issue of American Psychologist, the American Psychological Association's (APA) flagship journal.

The paper, authored by Dr. Roger Walsh of the University of California Irvine, reviews previous research on what he calls "therapeutic lifestyle changes" (or TLCs). Examples of TLCs include exercise, nutrition, social connection, recreation, relaxation, spiritual involvement, spending time in nature, and service to others. He says, "Lifestyle changes can offer significant therapeutic advantages for patients, therapists, and societies, yet are insufficiently appreciated, taught or utilized. In the 21st century, therapeutic lifestyles may need to be a central focus of mental, medical and public health."

Some highlights from Dr. Walsh's findings (which you may have already heard about in other contexts) include:

• Exercise helps reduce anxiety and depression, yet also improves kids' school grades, reduces age-related memory loss, and increases neurogenesis.
• Eating fruits, vegetables, and fish may reduce the symptoms of affective and schizophrenic disorders.
• Altruism can give you a "helper's high" (or "giver's high") that carries numerous physical and mental benefits.

There are a lot more, so read the actual story to see them all. A lot of this stuff may be common sense, but it's nice to have it in one place. So if you or someone you know is going through depression or a similar mental illness, try some of these lifestyle changes before spending too much money on drugs or counseling. You'll always have those more conventional methods to fall back on, and it doesn't hurt to try!

dubai hotel under water

Currently under construction in Dubai, Hydropolis is the world’s first luxury underwater hotel. It will include three elements: the land station, where guests will be welcomed, the connecting tunnel, which will transport people by train to the main area of the hotel, and the 220 suites within the submarine leisure complex.

It is one of the largest contemporary construction projects in the world, covering an area of 260 hectares.”Hydropolis is not a project; it’s a passion,” enthuses Joachim Hauser, the developer and designer of the hotel. His futuristic vision is about to take shape 20m below the surface of the Arabian Gulf, just off the Jumeirah Beach coastline in Dubai. The £300 million, 220-suite hotel is due to open at the end of 2007 and will incorporate a host of innovations that will take it far beyond the original blueprint for an underwater complex worthy of Jules Verne.

dubai hotel under water
dubai hotel under water
dubai hotel under water
dubai hotel under water
I have to admit that Dubai is the future, and if only all the arab nation could simply invest their money in science and technology instead of weapons, I believe in no time they’ll be as advance as Taiwan or maybe Malaysia or India. Japan, Aussie and others are way off pitch, well, you may have the money to buy foreign technology and expertise but you can’t buy your own countryman mentality and change it in a day or two.

dubai hotel under water
dubai hotel under water
dubai hotel under water
dubai hotel under water
dubai hotel under water