The Ministry of Happiness

Movie Review: Alita Battle Angel

Posted on March 5, 2019 by Michael Kane

Movie Review: Alita Battle Angel

“Science, in all its greatness, is still subject to human creativity. It starts the first moment a child tries to reach up and grab at the clouds. Soon, the child learns that his own hands cannot reach the sky, but his hands are not the limit of his potential. For the human brain observes, considers, understands, and adapts. Locked within the mind is infinite possibility.” ~ Yukito Kishiro (author of Battle Angel Alita)

So I saw the ads and trailer for Alita Battle Angel and thought it might be worth checking out, Hollywood is putting out so few good big screen movies these days I thought this one might be fun on the big screen. Not 3D mind you, I really don’t like it and rarely do it. I was on the fence when I read a quick piece about how the producers and director really wanted to put people squarely in the uncanny valley with the main CGI character, Alita. For those not familiar with the term, the uncanny valley, it is the feeling of being creeped out by something that gets a little too close to being real, without actually being real. The dichotomy ends up creeping people out and it has been a problem with utilizing CGI humans in a film.

So that clinched it, big screen, action, science fiction and purposely trying to be creeped out, I was in. I kept my expectations low, I expected a basic science fiction, underdog takes on the big guy film and no spoiler but that’s exactly what I got. I saw some people online complaining that since you needed to background reading to understand the film they were out. Well, those folks either didn’t actually see the film or are really stupid, you’ll have no problem following the plot or discovering the background necessary as it unfolds the way the writers intended.

Although the CGI had no creep out effect at all it was really impressive right from the first shot. The first time the camera goes in to really look at Alita, I became instantly impressed with how far the digital artists have advanced CGI techniques. Alita looks so close to real that as the movie progresses, as she’s being displayed next to live actors, you really forget she’s a CGI.

So all in all, it’s a cool fun big screen movie, just don’t go to Crossgates Cinema in NY, it was bloody $13.70 for a matinée. Utterly ridiculous pricing and probably explains why quite happily I had the theater to myself.

Posted in movies | Tagged action movie, alita battle angel, anime, big screen movies, cgi, movie, movies, Robert Rodriguez, uncanny valley | Leave a comment

Happiness Quotes

Posted on February 28, 2019 by Michael Kane

Happiness Quotes

Today a collection of quotes to make you think and hopefully have a happier day ~ Rev Kane

Posted in Happiness Quotes, personal happiness | Tagged happiness, positivity, quote, quotes, sayings, wisdom | 1 Comment

Random Acts of Kindness & Happiness

Posted on February 28, 2019 by Michael Kane

Random Acts of Kindness & Happiness

The moments of happiness we enjoy take us by surprise. It is not that we seize them, but that they seize us. ~ Ashley Montague

So I came home tonight after the gym and of course it was dark and so I went to the mailbox, opened it up and stuck my hand in to get the mail when I encountered something limp and wet in the dark. I immediately felt like I was holding a used wet wipe which immediately made me wonder what monster would prank someone in that way. I daintily carried the item across to the back door so I could see the object in the light and it was a magnolia blossom. Immediately I went from about to be very angry to wondering who made me smile with this mysterious and random act of kindness and happiness.

There are tons of ways to make someone’s day, a good list is found in a blog, 101 Random Acts of Kindness. So my request for you today is to go out and do something to make someone happy, something positive but uninvited and help someone have a happier day my friends. ~ Rev Kane

Gamble on yourself to be Happy

Posted on February 25, 2019 by Michael Kane

Gamble on yourself to be Happy

So I wrote a post not too long ago that gets a lot of hits called believe in yourself and be happy. I have been thinking a lot about that post and that idea in general today. You see I’m about to do something completely out of character for me. I’m a blue-collar kid, a kid who grew up with a single mom who was once out of work and on unemployment for almost a year. Growing up that way instills a few things in you, you worry about money, you don’t waste food and you don’t turn down good paying work.

The funny thing is the most famous person I share a name with, explained it very well. A reporter once asked the actor, Michael Caine, a great question. He said to Mr. Caine, something to the effect of, you’re a legendary and magnificent actor, why are you in so many bad movies. Michael Caine responded that he was a blue-collar kid, and as a kid, when you grow up with people who are scrambling to make a living, you don’t pass up good work. Especially, when people are offering you millions of dollars to do that work. As famous and as successful as I am, at my core I’m still that kid. And Michael Caine and I share not only phonetically identical names, but that attitude as well.

So I’m wrapping up my year of travel, it seems like only a few weeks ago I set out to hike the West Highland Way in Scotland. But that was over eight months ago and so as my funds continue to dwindle it’s time to start looking for work again. So I’ve gotten my resume together and put the word out, checked in with my references and have started identifying jobs to apply for in the next couple of weeks. As such, there are decisions to make.

There are a number of jobs open that I would be qualified to apply for in my job search. Now all of them are good jobs, but I have a couple of things in mind right now. First, because of the way our retirement system works, I want to make enough per year to maximize my retirement levels. Secondly, I’d like to stick with Career Technical Education (CTE) as much as possible and finally, I’d like to manage fewer people on a day-to-day basis.

So here’s the dilemma, there are a couple of jobs that don’t quite fit my desires, they are good jobs and are the first ones that are available, one has a start date in April. I’ll be very competitive for both jobs which means I could likely land a position starting in April, at a higher salary than the job I left, not a bad deal. However, like I said, they don’t fit my desires exceptionally well. So, do I apply for these jobs, or do I pass on them and roll the dice on getting one of the later positions that would fit my criteria better, either by paying a lot more, or getting me more involved in CTE or by allowing me to work more systemically and directly manage few people.

The question is, do I have the confidence to gamble on myself? If I apply, and get an offer for the early job, at about a 10-15K raise above what I’d been earning, can I actually pass? The answer is, I really don’t know. It means a raise, a good job, and likely three months more of salary. If I don’t apply, I take the dilemma out of my hand but then, what if I don’t get the later jobs. I could end up putting myself into a financial bind. This is a tough one my friends, it really gets to the core of who I am. It’s a conflict between satisfying the person I was socialized to be, versus rolling the dice on who the person I want to be. I need to decide in the next day or two, thought I’d decided before I started writing this, but I’m on the fence. Would love to hear your perspective?

Have a happy day my friends. ~ Rev Kane

Posted in personal happiness | Tagged be happy, believe in yourself, blog, confidence, happiness, happy, job search, positivity, rev kane | 8 Comments

Happiness, Denial, Commitment

Posted on February 21, 2019 by Michael Kane

Happiness, Denial, Commitment

Painting from Peter Howson’s Famine series

A repeat of an older post. First a Cherokee proverb that I like.

Two Wolves

One evening an old Cherokee told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside people. He said, “My son, the battle is between two ‘wolves’ inside us all.

One is Evil. It is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority and ego.

The other is Good. It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith.” The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather, “Which wolf wins?”

The old Cherokee simply replied, “The one you feed.”

Happiness, Denial, Commitment

Hello friends, today’s post is a very personal one as today is my 29th anniversary. Anniversary for what you ask? Well June 24, 1984 was the last time I got loaded. A former fraternity brother, from a school I got kicked out of, came to visit and we got seriously loaded. That night was the culmination of nearly two years of being drunk and/or stoned every day. The next day I started a full year of sobriety and have managed for the last 29 years to stay relatively clean and sober.

Addiction sucks, it’s hard and I always want to make sure I’m clear that the hill I climbed was one of psychological addiction. I’m not a physiological addict, I was loaded because there was a lot of pain in my life, a lot of things I wanted to escape from and drugs and alcohol let me do that. I was also lucky in the midst of all of this, I was in college and having one hell of a good time. Sure there were bad times and downsides but it was easy enough to avoid that, just up the booze and the buzz. It all started to crash in the spring of 1984 and by June I was really at rock bottom and ready to change.

I want to take a minute though to express my admiration for many people in recovery who are physiological addicts. I can have a beer or two, they can’t a drink, a hit and their body creates a craving they can’t control and the spiral. Leaving under that gun all the time and being successful, clean and sober is a monumental task and that’s why I admire them, they have climbed a much bigger hill than I ever will.

The point of all of this, other than the recognition to the commitment I’ve made and the time that has passes is that this is about happiness, real happiness. When you’re loaded and having fun you can convince yourself you’re happy. You can choose think about the good times and forget the hangovers, the sickness, the incredibly stupid things you’ve done, in my case narrowly escaping getting busted as a dealer. But you’re not happy.

Denial is a mistake so the big message today friends is face your fears, your challenges and even the good things head on, eyes open deal with them. Commit to being truly happy and start today by having a happy day my friends ~ Rev Kane

The Importance of Community

Posted on February 20, 2019 by Michael Kane

The Importance of Community

Rev Kane in Armstrong Woods

The greatness of a community is most accurately measured by the compassionate actions of its members. ~ Coretta Scott King

There are times when we all feel alone, times when we feel like no one cares about us. We all have these moments, sometimes they are reality but most often they are not, because we all have communities we belong to in our life. Our families are a form of community, our friends form a community around us but there are others. One of the things I talk about extensively in my book is the hiking community that exists around the Appalachian Trail.

Overmountain Shelter on the Appalachian Trail

On the Appalachian Trail you encounter an amazing array of people related to the trail. There are the hikers of course and all of the various forms they come in. There are thru-hikers, people hoping to complete the whole trail in one continuous hike. There are also section-hikers (the toughest of the breed) people doing the whole trail over a number of years. There are also day hikers, which I’d bet we’ve all been at one time or another. But there’s a broader community, there are the family members of hikers, friends, the people who run business around the trail, hostel and hotel owners, gear shop owners and others. There are also trail angels, people who help and support hikers out of the goodness of their hearts.

A magical spot on the Appalachian Trail

The thing you come to realize when you attempt a thru-hike is just how many people belong to that community, that family of support if you will. You find it in so many different ways, boxes from friends and family, a ride into town, finding a cache of water and snacks when you turn a bend on the trail. The kindnesses are amazing on the trail, from folks providing trail magic at road crossings to people who will actually take you into their home, feed you and give you a place to stay. The community around the Appalachian Trail is truly amazing and there are similar communities around most major hiking trails. It was encountering this community that was one of the most positive experiences I had on the trail.

Me and my friend Jim on my first day on the Appalachian Trail

I have been reminded of how amazing this community is once again today, albeit for a not so great reason. I found out last night a friend, a fellow 2015 AT Hiker, a really great guy who is hiking the PCT is the subject of an active rescue in the mountains of Washington. He had come through town and visited me this summer and has walked over 2500 miles on the trail in one of the toughest seasons on the PCT in a very long time. He’s a great kid, an experienced hiker, he’s got the right gear, everything is in place for this story to be one with a happy ending. But those of us who do these sorts of adventures know how tenuous things can truly be on a trail, so we’re all hopeful, and a little bit afraid. But watching this community mobilize, communicate, prop each other up and try and support his family has made me happy tonight in spite of the situation.

My Polar Bear Selfie

We know that happiness depends mostly on ourselves but part of what we need to do is to work ourselves into communities that will support and help us be happy. I’m proud and happy to be part of the hiking community, I hope you have found one that helps you be happy as well, I hope that if nothing else being tied into the Ministry of Happiness community can help in some small way and help you have a happy day my friends.

~ Rev Kane

Happiness and Missing Some Perfect Days

Posted on February 16, 2019 by Michael Kane

Happiness and Missing Some Perfect Days

I don’t like nostalgia, unless it’s mine. ~ Lou Reed

Today I’m allowing myself a bit of nostalgia, I’ve been back in the default world for a little over a month now. I’m adapting, I’d be lying if I said it hasn’t been hard. I’ve been working through the final edit on my book, Appalachian Trail Happiness, and it’s been making me miss my time on the trail. But that’s not what I’m specifically nostalgic for today, today I’m dreaming about my time in Utah. When I took my first break from work a little over ten years ago my big trip was to spend 22 days hiking the high passes of the Himalayas. In order to prep for that trip I needed to spend some time doing a little altitude training. I’m lucky that my family has a cabin near Bryce Canyon National Park and I stayed there for three months.

My time in Utah was an idyllic experience, my days were absolutely perfect. I would wake in the morning, cook breakfast, pack a lunch and then spend several hours hiking in one of the national or state parks in the region. I’d return home, work in the yard a bit, eat a meal, read for a time and then take a late afternoon nap in my hammock. I’d wake up, watch the sunset, eat dinner then sit down to write for a couple of hours before bed. It was a wonderful and simple time.

So a short and simple post tonight, a little nostalgia as the default world grinds me down a bit. But never fear my friends, I have a plan and things are moving forward and I’m having happy days my friends, I hope you are as well. ~ Rev Kane

Happiness and Being Single

Posted on February 14, 2019 by Michael Kane

Happiness and Being Single

My alone feels so good, I’ll only have you if you’re sweeter than my solitude. ~ Warsan Shire

I have never been married, so funny how that feels like a confession of some kind of sin in America. The expectation of this society is that at some point in early adulthood you should marry. You know, settle down, have some kids and being a good little cog in society’s wheel works. I don’t say this lightly, there is an immense pressure in America on single people to marry. The pressure is even more so on women and there is an even greater pressure on them to have children. This is the script of American society and we are all expected to play by the script or be cast out to the edges of society, made to feel different. Never underestimate the potency of making someone feel like they don’t belong.

People very often succumb to this pressure and marry the “best” person they can find, the one that most fits their idea of what society wants for them when they hit the point they think they should marry. Safety, security, the right looks, a nice enough person, an attractive enough person. I know I sound utterly cynical but the simple statistic that 50% or more of marriages fail would seem to back up my thoughts on the subject. Don’t get me wrong, I know of some fantastic marriages. One of my best friends has been married nearly 30 years and has a wonderful marriage.

In talking one time to a good friend, she was utterly confused as to why I wasn’t married. In her opinion, I was attractive, smart, fun a good person, successful and I had dated a number of women. In questioning me she finally came to a conclusion, “you won’t settle.” She said this to me with a mix of surprise and revelation. No, I won’t settle, to me there has never been an imperative that I should marry. If the circumstances are right, then sure, I’d be happy to marry. But if marrying someone won’t make me happier than I am alone, why would I marry just to fit some societal script, or to alleviate the fear society beats into us of growing old alone.

I am not alone in this thought. This past weekend I had long conversations with two single female friends, one never married, one who is divorced. They have similar ideas about being single and both are incredible women. Both, as I, have made a decision that being happy is more important that meeting societies expectations.

But all choices have their consequences

It is not easy living outside of societies expectations. There are some huge upsides to being single, the independence, the control over your own life and decisions, but there are down sides as well. At times, particularly if you’re not well, it can be lonely. There is no one who will automatically be the person to pick you up at the airport or from a medical procedure, especially if you have moved to a new place, or live where there is no family nearby. You rely on your friends and sometimes that can be awkward.

In talking with my friends, and I’m in agreement with them, I do not regret the choices I’ve made or where I find myself in life. You make the most of the situation you find yourself in, wherever you are at. I would have liked to have had children, but it would have never been acceptable to me to have been an unhappy parent. Had the situation and the timing been right, it would have happened, but it didn’t. So now I get to spoil my nieces and nephews like they are my own.

Happiness is a choice and an attitude, you need to be happy with what you have. You need to make choices that make you happier regardless of what society expects. So be good to yourself, true to yourself and you’ll have happy days my friends ~ Rev Kane

Happiness, Sex & 50 Shades of Grey

Posted on February 13, 2019 by Michael Kane

Happiness, Sex & 50 Shades of Grey

We waste time looking for the perfect lover, instead of creating the perfect love. ~ Tom Robbins

So the book and soon to be movie 50 Shades of Grey have gotten a lot of press lately. Physical intimacy can be a huge component of happiness and sex can be as well. Recently I did a post on Sex & Happiness where I provided some resources off the web about this subject.

I find all of the noise around 50 Shades of Grey interesting and not surprising. First, no I have not read the book, but have read a synopsis and seen a lot of comments about the book. My take is that the book seems to be much like a Harlequin Romance with light dominance and bondage. Something that is likely quite exciting for some bored folks with solidly vanilla lives, whereas people in the kink community are likely yawning at the “kinky” nature of the book.

Personally I think the noise around the book and the movie are fantastic if it’s inspiring open, honest discussion about sex, particularly between partners in relationships. If this discussion gives someone the courage to disclose a fantasy and if the fulfillment of that fantasy makes both of them happy and their relationship stronger and more interesting, magnificent.

I also see a lot of ridicule around the book/movie for its base nature, its simplistic plot, its mild kink but let’s face it, no one expects the book to be a high work of literature, or the movie to be Citizen Kane with handcuffs. But that’s ok, Independence Day is a great, fun movie I really like but aliens attacking earth and humans figuring out a way to win is not original or Oscar worthy but it’s a fun movie. So let anyone who would enjoy the book or the movie enjoy it, no need for anyone else to take away their enjoyment by being condescending.

As for sex, who cares what any single individual likes, as long as they are a happy, consenting adult involved with a happy, consenting adult partner – fantastic. Perhaps if more people in the world were having consensual and fulfilling sex our world would be a better place. Even a better place if everyone had deep, loving relationships where they could make love regularly and feel that type of deep intimacy, but that’s not in the cards for everyone unfortunately.

So whether you abstain from sex, are asexual, into the most vanilla sex imaginable or are the kinkiest kid in the city of San Francisco, I hope that you’re getting whatever you need to have a happy day my friend ~ Rev Kane

Posted in personal happiness | Tagged 50 shades of grey, bondage, fifty shades of grey, happiness, kink, kinky, kinky sex, love, sex | Leave a comment

Overcoming Worry

Posted on February 8, 2019 by Michael Kane

Overcoming Worry

People get so in the habit of worry that if you save them from drowning and put them on a bank to dry in the sun with hot chocolate and muffins they wonder whether they are catching cold. ~ John Jay Chapman

The holidays are a very stressful time for everyone and an exceptionally hard time for some. So, until the New Year I’ll be posting a Holiday Happiness post each day to try help folks out who are struggling. As always you can reach out to me at Happinesskane@aol.com for a kind word or someone to listen. ~ Rev Kane

I sometimes think that worry is the number one thing that keeps people from being happy. We spend so much time worrying about what other people think, did I make the right decision, what might happen next? Most worry is a total and complete waste of time, what others think rarely truly matters, once a decision is made whether it was right or not is irrelevant you just have to deal with the consequences of the decision you made, and finally worrying about what might happen, well that’s an infinite well you’ll never get out of and still be happy. So tonight a tour around the web to find you some resources and advice on how to worry less. I’m starting with a quote I really like, give then a read and have a happy day my friends ~ Rev Kane

When you begin to worry, go find something to do. Get busy being a blessing to someone; do something fruitful. Talking about your problem or sitting alone, thinking about it, does no good; it serves only to make you miserable. Above all else, remember that worrying is totally useless. Worrying will not solve your problem. ~ Joyce Meyer

How to Stop Worrying – This is a fantastic piece that focuses on six steps:

Creating a worry period
Ask yourself if the problem is solvable
Learn to accept uncertainty
Challenge anxious thoughts
Be aware of how others affect you
Practice Mindfulness

I normally posts several resources when I do my resource posts but tonight I’m just going with the one because it’s spot on. The trick is, like with anything else, you have to work at making change. The full article goes into detail about why you worry and how to actively work at each of the six steps above. Practicing mindfulness is one that many people might not be familiar with so here are a couple of links related to that.

What is Mindfulness – A very nice explanation to what the term means.

The Mindfulness Guide – As always the blog, Zen Habits hits the nail on the head with a simple guide to how to incorporate mindfulness into busy life.

Mindfulness is Daily Activities – Some interesting and simple ways to be more mindful about things you do everyday

Other pieces you might enjoy!

Worry the enemy of happiness

Happiness, worry & the Dalai Lama’s thoughts

Deng Ming-Dao on Worry

A mindfulness day as a way to happiness

Posted in happiness resources, meditation | Tagged anxiety, Christmas, happiness, holidays, meditation, mindfulness, resources, worry, worrying | 21 Comments

The Ministry of Happiness

Movie Review: Alita Battle Angel

Movie Review: Alita Battle Angel

Happiness Quotes

Happiness Quotes

Random Acts of Kindness & Happiness

Random Acts of Kindness & Happiness

Other Posts You Might Enjoy!

Gamble on yourself to be Happy

Gamble on yourself to be Happy

Happiness, Denial, Commitment

Happiness, Denial, Commitment

Happiness, Denial, Commitment

Other Posts You Might Enjoy!

The Importance of Community

The Importance of Community

Other Happiness Posts!

Happiness and Missing Some Perfect Days

Happiness and Missing Some Perfect Days

Other Posts You Might Enjoy!

Happiness and Being Single

Happiness and Being Single

Other Posts You Might Enjoy!

Happiness, Sex & 50 Shades of Grey

Happiness, Sex & 50 Shades of Grey

Overcoming Worry

Overcoming Worry

Other pieces you might enjoy!

Follow Blog via Email

To Follow this Blog Click Here!