A proposal to classify happiness as a psychiatric disorder

Well then call me crazy:

Bentall RP.

Department of Clinical Psychology, Liverpool University.

Abstract
It is proposed that happiness be classified as a psychiatric disorder and be included in future editions of the major diagnostic manuals under the new name: major affective disorder, pleasant type. In a review of the relevant literature it is shown that happiness is statistically abnormal, consists of a discrete cluster of symptoms, is associated with a range of cognitive abnormalities, and probably reflects the abnormal functioning of the central nervous system. One possible objection to this proposal remains--that happiness is not negatively valued. However, this objection is dismissed as scientifically irrelevant.
pub med
h/t: Imp Kerr

Taking an Interest in the Girls

Justin Bieber, just wondering.

"It's Just Rigged"

Of course it is. Rigged

Taxman

Uncle Sam mosaic made up of shattered hopes and traumatized puppy dogs

There are parts of this 1099 reporting provision that I don't quite get. NRO:

One of the top priorities of both parties in the lame duck is the repeal of crippling expense-reporting requirements in the Affordable Care Act — requirements that would force businesses to file tax forms on all purchases over $600 in order to help raise revenue to fund the massive health-care bill. But Republicans and Democrats disagree on whether and how the roughly $19 billion in revenue that would be “lost” via repeal should be replaced.

I've been a small business, in fact, a just me business, for more than 20 years. I already know how much grief this requirement will cause guys like me. But what I don't get is how it will bring in money for Uncle Sam.

If this filing requirement will bring in 19 billion dollars, that means that suppliers are presently cheating to to the tune of 19 bil. I find that hard to believe. Big companies, unlike me, have full time accountants and even accounting departments -- is it really believable that you could get them to fudge the year's total sales numbers? I find that pretty far fetched, especially when you consider that the IRS will pay a bounty to those who blow the whistle on their employers.

So I resent the IRS giving me the role of policeman for their regulations. That's not my job, and nobody's paying me for it. And what happens if I make a mistake doing this unpaid, unwanted, job? Will the IRS be content to fix the mistake, or will they see it as an opportunity to subject me to a brisk IRSing?

And here's the thing about 1099's: Mistakes happen. I know this because I do a lot of government work. So I get 1099's from the government. And the government, the same government that will give me a face-whacking should I make an error, almost never gets their 1099's right. I've gotten 1099's that are too low, and I've gotten 1099's that are too high. Fortunately I have enough un-1099 work that it really doesn't matter - I just report all my income; and that is more than the total of my 1099's.

I have never been tempted to exclude income for which there was no 1099. Why? Because my bank and credit card processors keep track of everything coming in. And it is stupid to think the IRS can't check my records against my banking records. Nobody pays me actual cash, and I don't pay any of my suppliers green money. That's not how real biddnesses do it.

Who can cheat on reporting income? Small businesses that get paid in cash. Hot dog vendors, waitresses, hit men, drug dealers, and babysitters can fudge their net income. Small businesses, like me, get paid by check or credit card; we can't hide that. And making us do 1099's on each other won't bring in much. It can't bring in nearly as much as it will cost us 1099 writers to comply with the reporting requirements. And who's going to send a 1099 to their drug dealer or babysitter?

So I protest the Bend-Rodger-Over-and-Drive-Him-to-Boston reporting requirement. It gives me work and responsibility I don't want and won't get paid for. All so that the government can get this 19 billion dollar windfall that isn't there.

I hope my babysitter does cheat you, you bastiges.

The Other Side of the White Board

h/t: growth matters

Why Gore Hangs Out With Bono

U2’S 360 Degrees tour, the most expensive rock spectacle ever, is here. The tour, with a daily running cost of $850,000, arrived on six 747 jets…

“You compare a tour by the number of trucks they use,” production manager Jake Berry said. “The Rolling Stones ran 46 trucks. We are running 55. This is the biggest.”

Al Gore (utility bill 20 times the average American's, at just one of his mansions) hangs with Bono because it makes him look frugal by comparison.

And somehow their Jedi mind tricks have followers believing that they are genuinely concerned about CO2 in the atmosphere.

I AM Serious, and Don't Call Me Shirley

That's right,


It's a melancholy day on the set,


Lt. Frank Drebin, RIP.

Pattycake Cats

Wikileaks

Julian Assange, the Justin Bieber of evil anarchists

Wikileaks.org seems to be experiencing difficulties:

Hours before the potentially explosive WikiLeaks publication of thousands of secret State Department cables, the website reported that it was under attack.

"We are currently under a mass distributed denial of service attack," the shadowy WikiLeaks owners tweeted before noon Sunday.

Don't know what it might be so I've been pinging them all afternoon.... still don't get a connection.

Here's a thought too... What if there are government cyber warriors trying to hack into their system to do real data destruction, but they can't because vigilantes have been flooding them with pings?

Oh well. It seems that many large newspapers, including the (surprise) NYT have already got some of the damaging diplomatic cables. I have no doubt that they would publish them if Bush was still president. But who knows, maybe the prospect of damaging Obama's presidency will keep them from going overboard. You know that endangering the lives of American war fighters won't affect their decision.

Me, I oppose endangering our troops and allies regardless of who is president. So I'll keep pinging awhile longer. And if I get Julian Assange to answer his http, maybe I'll ask him why he's so evil.

Sunday Funnies

via

News?

Lumberbrudi sent this Willie Busted Again story along even though it's only news in the sense that "Snooki gets drunk, breaks wind, and laughs about it" is news. Well yes, it happened, but then again, it's always happening.

Cute?

What could be more fun than taking God's creatures from their natural habitat and squeezing cute sounds out of them?

via

Not So Dumb

A young boy enters a barber shop and the barber whispers to his customer, “This is the dumbest kid in the world. Watch while I prove it to you.”

The barber puts a dollar bill in one hand and two quarters in the other, then calls the boy over and asks, “Which do you want, son?”

The boy takes the quarters and leaves.

“What did I tell you?” said the barber. “That kid never learns!”

Later, when the customer leaves, he sees the same young boy coming out of the ice cream store. "Hey, son! May I ask you a question? Why did you take the quarters instead of the dollar bill?"

The boy licked his cone and replied, "Because the day I take the dollar, the game is over!"

via

Which Are Smarter?

How does one get paid for this kind of research?:

The intelligence of “a man’s best friend” has evolved at a greater rate than the less social cat over millions of years, scientists at Oxford University have claimed.

I don't know that it matters so much. Tell you what, you pick out the smart ones in this bunch: (other species used as punctuation)

Diversion

No TSA involved.

North Korea Shells South

The Obama Administration Responds

I kid of course. I expect a strongly worded letter is being composed already.

P&T Call B

I think I may have posted this one before: Penn and Teller call Bull**** on Global Warming. Caution -- strong, gratuitous, language. A Part II link should come at the end of the video.

Nothing to Hide

I've been thinking of my response for the next time a TSA agent announces the intimate portion of our transaction. Right now: "Be prepared for glory!" is in the lead. With: "So that's what happened to the remote control." a close second.

Jesus Saves Flaming Lamb

The story that could only be made better if he had run, flaming, past someone dressed as Madeline Murray O'Hare first:

A reveller dressed as Larry the Lamb suffered these horrific burns after a prankster set fire to his outfit - and he turned into a human fireball.

Peter Buck, 35, spent four hours painstakingly gluing four bags of cotton wool to his torso to look like the famous cartoon character.

He went on a boozy night out with a group of mates - also in fancy dress - before ducking out of a pub for a cigarette.

With Peter's permission, a tipsy friend set fire to a loose strand of his costume 'to see what would happen'.

But the joke went horribly wrong and Peter's lamb costume burst into flames.

He ran screaming in agony into a busy main road before a driver swerved, narrowly avoiding mowing him down.

Then his friend Paul Bisson - an off-duty firefighter dressed as Jesus - bear-hugged him in a bid to douse the flames.

John 10:14 - I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and my sheep know me

via Jonah Goldberg

Nat Geo Photo Contest

"I dunno, what do you want to do?"

more here

Strange Old Picture

found

Bunny Ear Mania

Gaddafi started it:


Angela Merkel joined the fun in Lisbon:


So when Obama finally noticed, he practiced and practiced until he decided he was ready to spring it on the Hillary.



But sad to say, he's still shaky on the fundamentals of Bunny Ears:




(btw -- I didn't photoshop one of these (#3))

A Sign Too Late

Notice

Why say "Notice"? You would still notice it if I put "Green Hockey Stick".

Anyway, Green Hockey Stick: The miserable, buggy, sometimes-remembers-you/sometimes-doesn't commenting service that is Echo now wants way too much money for the little bit of service they provide. So I won't be renewing when they send their thugs around to collect in another 26 days.

So don't say anything profound until I get the regular Blogger service up and running again. Or, do say profound things, but be prepared to have them evaporate in 26 days. Though, now that I think of it, I might be able to transfer them; I really haven't looked into it yet.

OK then, I guess the Notice is: comments may, or may not, disappear in 26 days. Which pretty much is something you could say any day of the year. If I'd known I was going to impart such a small amount of information, I wouldn't have capitalized "Notice".

Might as well get all the completely unhelpful announcements out of the way at once: The next post may, or may not, contain a photoshop with Nick Nolte's drunk Hawaiian shirt in it.

Two More Found Ones

In a few seconds, he won't care that he's using a Black and Decker.

From Cracked.

And this one. Har, just har.

Quick, who knows the summation from Arf=0 to Arf=yipyipyip of the function Bark-Bark?

Wish I'd Thought of That, and Did They Think On That?

I lost track of where I found this one. Wish I could say I made it, though.

And this, from Newsweek. Did they think this one through?:


That's Obama as the Hindu god Shiva, AKA "the destroyer". Well even a stopped clock is right twice a day. Good work, Newsweek.