How to Be Happier: Research-Proven Tips

Good news: you can significantly boost your feelings of happiness by adopting a few simple practices in your everyday life. Researchers have found that different kinds of "positive thinking" can greatly enhance a person's feelings of well-being. According to psychologist and happiness-expert Sonja Lyubomirsky:

"Despite the finding that happiness is partially genetically determined, and despite the finding that life situations have a smaller influence on our happiness than we think they do, we argue that still a large portion of happiness is in our power to change."

Here are a few things that have been shown to increase happiness:

1. Be Grateful
2. Be Optimistic
3. Use Your Strengths
4. Commit Acts of Kindness

Learn some mo': 5 Things That Will Make You Happier

Meditation = Better Mood, Tougher Mind

Practicing a form of meditation called "mindfulness training" can boost mood, alertness, and mental toughness, according to a new report. A study from the University of Pennsylvania found that soldiers who practiced mindfulness on a regular basis were able to stay alert without becoming emotional, providing them with a form of "mental armor" that is extremely useful in combat. The training also improved an important type of memory that helps people complete complex tasks under stress. According to the researchers, the key to obtaining these benefits is practicing mindfulness exercises on a daily basis, usually for about 30 minutes.

Learn some mo': Meditation May Boost Mood and Mental Toughness

Elvis is Back in Las Vegas

Cirque Du Soleil revealed their new "Viva Elvis" show yesterday in Las Vegas. It's their 10th permanent residency and it's housed in a theater at the new Aria Resort & Casino at CityCenter. The show features many great Elvis songs and Cirque's trademark acrobatic performances. The creative director of the new show says that he wants to convey a deeper understanding of the Elvis phenomenon. The amazing show lasts for an hour and a half and follows Elvis Presley's career, from his first hits in the 50's to the final songs of his life from the 1970's.

Learn some mo': Cirque repackages rock ‘n’ roll icon in ‘Viva Elvis’

Google Goggles Translates Photo Text

Google has announced a new version of their "Goggles" search application that can translate text in photos. So basically, using this app, you'll be able to take a photo of anything with clear writing on it and then have it translated into a another language on-the-fly. The prototype uses new machine translation technology and image recognition capabilities developed by Google engineers.

Many experts think that this new photo-to-text translation technology will be HUGE, mainly because quality translation services are needed in everything from world travel to global commerce. Imagine being able to go almost anywhere and take a photo of words you don't understand (e.g. a restaurant menu or street sign) and have that text immediately translated into English. Thanks again Google! :)

Learn some mo': Google Goggles to Translate Text in Photos

Epic Beard Man Whoops Some Butt in Oakland

This is funny on so many levels. Never mess with a bearded guy with "old man strength"...



(Thanks Digg!)

Here's some more from the lady/thief/liar Lyanna Washington who took the video (and did her best to instigate the fight):

Lyanna Washington "BS" Interview

EpicBeardMan's reputation being attacked by Lyanna Washington