adir1

I hope you are checking out ‘Now Playing on My Netflix’ rubric on the right sidebar of my web site. Last week a movie Death at a Funeral was listed there, as it always shows the movies I have at home.

That movie is Hilarious! British humor at it’s finest, we laughed to tears, virtually non stop. And yet, it manages to come through as serious portrayal of a funeral, and perhaps a reflection on our lives and the choices we make while we are here.

5 Starts and endorsement from us! And the Happiness formula holds: you laugh = get happier!

PS: I have made serious enhancements to another open source Now Playing on NetFlix widget, resulting in what you see on my site. I am planning to open source it back to WordPress.org, just haven’t gotten around to it. Meanwhile, if you want it, just post comments below and I’ll gladly email it to you.

Share This

I have decided to write a series of thoughts on Happiness. This being the first official one, otherwise known as Happiness through TV viewing.

Many of us like to "unwind" by watching some TV. And somehow most of us migrate from this little occasional unwinding, to being addicted to yet another weekly TV series. So what went wrong?

The main cause is corporate greed, of course. TV Networks and the show writers perfected the formula for show creation overtime, and their goal is Clearly to Suck you In and get you addicted and watching All The Episodes!

Yes, it is a simple formula! Here’s the executive summary: Create a master plot, which through small clues evolves from episode to episode. Create a master sub-plot, which often must have start and end within each individual episode. Sometimes shows have two such sub-plots in each episode, running side by side, to ensure viewer is glued to TV enough.

Add to this some important visual/auditory elements, with plenty of natural beauty. This important ingredient includes water/metropolis/sunset/sunrise, and city lights, maybe some luxury, etc. Top it of with Plenty of beautiful people, as much as the studio can afford, usually. LOST maybe a small exception here on the people part, but take CSI Miami, complete formula, right there! Did you notice how most of the episodes start? With plenty of girls in bikini having beach or pool or otherwise fun?

I am not laying blame here, not yet. But, think about it, "She came to Me" rarely works as an infidelity defense for husbands!

You need to take control and understand what’s behind your TV watching habits. Better yet, take it one step further and try to see what you were trying to achieve. Most of us, after tough long day, want to relax in front of TV, with expectation of feeling replenished and Happier afterward!

So choose appropriate programming! It’s your spare time and I am sure it is limited! If the quest for knowledge is something that is your long term goal in life, switch to some Discover or History programming. Scout the net for Nova and other relaxing yet educational material.

If that isn’t your cup-of-tea, use the good old "occasional sit-com" pill. This is quality TV right there, and if used in moderation, good laugh and relaxation is your quickest route to feeling rejuvenated and Happy. Well, a little happier, at least, its a solid start.

Hey, I Love Lucy too!

Share This