Ugh. Condolences to everyone on the death of
a fine afternoon.

What makes me happy? Skipping pointless meetings and avoiding woo-woo bullshit.

Hilarious!

It's high time that the Seattle City Council be rounded up, taken behind the back of the barn, and ....

I am happy that this event did not go unreported.

Conlin's event was poorly attended? Oh, I feel happier already

Really. This is killing me. I can't stop laughing! Awesome photos, Kells. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

Please assure me this event didn't cost taxpayers any money...please!

My favorite post-it note, taken randomly on the street:
"What makes you happy in Seattle?"

"CRAB POT"

happiness open house?! hahahahaha. put a bird on it!

Good fucking God.

I want to second Citizen R: I hope that didn't cost the city a cent.

It is like an episode of Parks and Recreation came to life and wasted everyone's time.

with 1000% sincerity: pure Pullitzer material

This phrase has been stuck in my head so much lately I made a Soundcloud of it. Once again: http://soundcloud.com/dregordon/usa

@8, 11, I've asked what it set the city back. Stay tuned!

And remember, everyone: This year's an election year for Richard Conlin.

Crab Pot has made me very happy.

It's somewhat likely the sort of life events that permits a person to be available on a Monday at 5pm for an event like this may also be considered massively depressing.

Good point, @15 and also @17.

Meetings are Fun! (if you're delusional) ...

It's true that bacon and puppies are the new sunshine.

Of course it cost the taxpayers. I really doubt they had a bake sale to raise the funds.

In addition, I wouldn't be at all surprised if the New York group flew Business Class at our expense and are staying in a wing of suites at one of our finer hotels.

This is the epitome of how liberal progressives fail to see how such waste and abuse is evil to our society.

This is a gross misrepresentation of and just simple misinformation about the work we did to raise awareness of the importance happiness (as in “life, liberty and pursuit of happiness) as a guide for our happiness and wellbeing.

You can hear responses from others who felt differently here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R_6qES-Fe…

Cienna and her friend clearly did not want to be inside on a sunny day. If anyone is interested in the work we did, please check out the updates on the event at Make Seattle Happy

http://www.facebook.com/events/170833009…

Laura Musikanski, The Happiness Initiative.

Dear Laura Musikanski, FUCK YOU. If you're so concerned about "happiness", why don't you try volunteering in a place that helps people meet their BASIC NEEDS?
You whimsical asshole.

Laura...please! Nobody is arguing that we shouldn't discuss happiness and its pursuit. But this is just not the work of government. Do it on your own time, and on your own dime!

Citizens have the right to "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness," and we don't need you or councilman-for-life Richard Conlin helping us from City Hall.

@21, Please explain to me how I grossly misrepresented the work (sticky notes) you presented.

As I stated in my email to you, what I saw was something that any junior high or grade school class could accomplish, and lacked any sense of analysis or tie-in to city government or cultural change.

Now you argue that you were simply trying to "raise awareness" in Seattle about happiness. Ignoring the stupidity of that statement, I feel obligated to point out that even in that context you failed: Only six people bothered to show up to your event. Two were reporters, two were filming the panel, so I can reasonably assume that only two people in the audience weren't there for work purposes.

Regarding your claims of misinformation: I looked at your facebook page and website before I attended your event. I also took your online quiz. What I found was seriously lacking in substance, which is why I chose not to link to it.

Good luck on your future happiness endeavors. You need it.

Cienna has a point, as I did a similar report in third grade. I got a C.

There's going to be ANOTHER one of these??? https://www.facebook.com/events/17083300…

@26 yes, and this one promises "policy recommendations." Here's hoping for crab pots, beautiful men, and free samples on every corner!

I'm suddenly much happier after reading comment @24. IT WORKS!!

Wait, this is just a scene in Portlandia, right? It didn't actually happen, did it?

@27: BACON AND PUPPIES

@30 - Do you really want government-issued bacon and puppies?

Question of the hour: Did Ciena Madrid stand up and give a lecture about rape in India?

What makes me happy as a Seattle resident...being able to get from point A to point B quickly and efficiently without being gouged by city hall via outrageous parking fees. That involves taking side streets and finding free parking. What makes me unhappy is paying too much money to ride on metro transit while being tolerant of intolerable people on a routes designed by idiots. That would be pretty much any route that services the Central Area or Capitol Hill. These are the types of comments about the city that should matter to city hall.

#32 - do have a fucking screw loose?

How much did our city pay to get a bunch of New Yorkers to drone on indoors about happiness on a beautiful sunny day?

#35, why would you say that? I'm not the one with the third world rape fetish. That's Cienna's department.

#37 YOU brought it up on this thread. Creepy. Very creepy.

#38, didn't you mean to say, very, very rapey?

@36, Conlin says that no costs were incurred by the city--the Happiness Initiative paid for everything. They simply let the panel use City Hall to host the event.

@40 That should make everyone a little happier, right?

@40. Thanks for the follow-up, Cienna. My happiness has improved already (yes, a trite and predictable comment...)

Maybe they are doing something right after all.

So, Cienna, may I infer that you did not in fact give the lecture about rape in India, and therefore were not responsible for the grimness of the event?

Hey, Unbrainwashed: Fuck off.

Hey Largo, suck my dick. It's all about happiness, remember? Mine.

As one who spoke at the event reported on, I cannot deny the poor attendance. It was probably a bad decision on our part to schedule such an event at that time. But the cynical nature of the report and comments is, as Laura pointed out, a display of ignorance. The survey on the Happycounts site is being used in many cities, has been carefully validated for scientific validity by San Francisco State University and is being used as far away as Namibia. It was used effectively in several Seattle immigrant communities (in their own languages) and their poor results send notice to the city of the work it has to do regarding inequality and social justice in our community. It is based on important work from the country of Bhutan, about which I spoke at the meeting, and about which the reporter chose to write nothing at all. It is most assuredly about social justice, something Laura Musikanski has fought for all her life. She doesn't need to be lectured by the likes of totalpukoid, whose moniker well-describes him. While the happy week events did not have the serious quality of the overall campaign, they are positively at a PHD level compared to the ignorance of the comments to this article. If you believe government has no business talking happiness, tell that to our founding fathers, Jefferson, Franklin, Adams and Washington who all stated on numerous occasions that the "sole purpose of government is increasing the happiness of its citizens." But I wouldn't expect anyone displaying the level of ignorance in these comments to be aware of our history. Cienna has a right to her facts, but her assessment of the overall seriousness of the Happiness Initiative is wildly out of tune with most observers. I encourage you to take the survey--you will see that it is comprehensive and thorough and not silly at all. Adolescent cynicism will not a progressive movement make and you will laugh yourselves into the disaster that American society is becoming with our blind worship of GDP and money and our lack of focus on well-being and happiness.. John de Graaf

As one who spoke at the event reported on, I cannot deny the poor attendance. It was probably a bad decision on our part to schedule such an event at that time. But the cynical nature of the report and comments is, as Laura pointed out, a display of ignorance. The survey on the Happycounts site is being used in many cities, has been carefully validated for scientific validity by San Francisco State University and is being used as far away as Namibia. It was used effectively in several Seattle immigrant communities (in their own languages) and their poor results send notice to the city of the work it has to do regarding inequality and social justice in our community. It is based on important work from the country of Bhutan, about which I spoke at the meeting, and about which the reporter chose to write nothing at all. It is most assuredly about social justice, something Laura Musikanski has fought for all her life. She doesn't need to be lectured by the likes of totalpukoid, whose moniker well-describes him. While the happy week events did not have the serious quality of the overall campaign, they are positively at a PHD level compared to the ignorance of the comments to this article. If you believe government has no business talking happiness, tell that to our founding fathers, Jefferson, Franklin, Adams and Washington who all stated on numerous occasions that the "sole purpose of government is increasing the happiness of its citizens." But I wouldn't expect anyone displaying the level of ignorance in these comments to be aware of our history. Cienna has a right to her facts, but her assessment of the overall seriousness of the Happiness Initiative is wildly out of tune with most observers. I encourage you to take the survey--you will see that it is comprehensive and thorough and not silly at all. Adolescent cynicism will not a progressive movement make and you will laugh yourselves into the disaster that American society is becoming with our blind worship of GDP and money and our lack of focus on well-being and happiness.. John de Graaf, co-author WHAT'S THE ECONOMY FOR, ANYWAY?

PS, I am not a New Yorker, but have lived here in Seattle for 34 years and been an involved social justice and environmental activist for all that time. Fortunately, there are many people in this city who do not exhibit the cynicism displayed in many of the comments here or in the article itself... John de Graaf