What's making you happy today?

[Clodfobble]

#LoveWins

It's a great fucking day.

[Sundae]

I had a lovely two days with my Godfather.
He stayed in the B&B I stayed in when I locked myself out of my flat last year. The owner remembered me, and thanked me for the kind review I wrote on Trip Advisor. Well, the sort of man who remembers a single overnight guest in that way is the sort of man who runs a B&B that gets what it deserves on Trip Advisor - Best Place to Stay in Otley.

Peter had a good time there and praised the breakfast most highly. And this is a man who likes his food (judging by the amount he eats anyway!) I'm surprised he only has a little pot belly to show for it, he should be the size of a barn - said in a loving way of course

As well as being remembered in Otley AND meeting three people I know on the street (I never meet anyone I know!) I was recognised and thanked by a C of E Vicar in Leeds RC Cathedral. Peter's a priest, so we went there for his benefit really, but I do like churches. A few weeks back I helped him send an email from the library, pausing what I was listening to on the computer at the time. He thanked me again and I felt myself blush. But it was with a sense of pride; Peter would have seen the best of me over the last two days. Part of my community, remembered, polite and respectful (phew).

Oh and I dragged him to Pieminister. Well, he wanted a traditional meal with vegetables, served at a table and didn't want to eat in a pub. For my benefit. Although crikey knows what he thought I'd do - vault over the bar at Wetherspoons and start drinking directly from the taps if he excused himself to go to the Gents for a few minutes? Still - he was very impressed with his Chicken of Aragon pie (free range British chicken, smoked bacon & tarragon) and I spread the Gospel of Pieminister a little further, as well as gobbling up a Moodog pie myself ( British beef steak, smoked bacon & BrewDog 5am Saint).

And he was delighted with everything I showed him in Otley, even the minions. As a good Godfather should be.

[monster]

Supreme court decision

[Griff]

Originally Posted by monster

Supreme court decision

Nailed it, freedom wins.

[glatt]

I'm pretty damn surprised by this court. It seems like they usually get things wrong.

[Griff]

Yeah, this caught me off guard.

[xoxoxoBruce]

After Kelo v. City of New London, they should be worried about their jobs.

[chrisinhouston]

A nice chap from the AC repair company I called came out and diagnosed the problem with our AC. It was the capacitor/start kit for the high side of the compressor. Unlike many typical central AC units ours is a 2 speed so when the demand for cool air is low the low side of the compressor runs and when the demand increases it shuts off that side and kicks on the high side. That's why it seemed to cool when it wasn't so hot outside and at night. He measured the microferad reading on the capacitor and it was way off from the specification. He thought it was an original part which makes me feel a bit better as the unit was installed just about 9 years ago and we have replaced the low side capacitor in 2013. The cost was $225, $175 for the part and $50 for the service call. This was a smaller AC company than the other ones we usually call on, the others charge $85 for the trip plus labor on site. He checked freon and other things and said it should be fine now.

[chrisinhouston]

Originally Posted by Sundae

he was very impressed with his Chicken of Aragon pie (free range British chicken, smoked bacon & tarragon) and I spread the Gospel of Pieminister a little further, as well as gobbling up a Moodog pie myself ( British beef steak, smoked bacon & BrewDog 5am Saint)

England's gift to the culinary world is their meat pies. Flaky pastry with great fillings! Oh and Spotted Dick!

[chrisinhouston]

Originally Posted by monster

Supreme court decision

What I find amusing is how all the GOP presidential candidates are all tripping over each other to complain about these unelected judges legislating from the bench. My own looney Senator Cruz plans to try to push an amendment to make them stand for re-election every 8 years.

[xoxoxoBruce]

Originally Posted by chrisinhouston

The cost was $225, $175 for the part and $50 for the service call. This was a smaller AC company than the other ones we usually call on, the others charge $85 for the trip plus labor on site. He checked freon and other things and said it should be fine now.

You lucked out, congratulations. I installed central air in the early 90s, and every year I flip the switch and pray. So far it's worked.
Of course instead of being smart and trying it early, like everyone else I don't turn it on until it gets hot, then if something is amiss the A/C guys will be busy as hell.

[classicman]

My new car.

[fargon]

Originally Posted by classicman

My new car.

Make / Model / Year?

[DanaC]

There's a conference being held at Uni this week - part of a series of conferences that have been running every other year for a few years now. Last time I was on the organising committee and also presented. This year i was going to present but decided not to - and I also doubted I'd be able to pay the delegate fee to attend.

Bless him, my supervisor sorted me out a day pass on the conference expense account - justified on the grounds that I am helping organise. My 'organising' role has basically been to sort out who will chair the various committees. This has involved a grand total of about 2 hours work spread across several days :P

So on Thursday I get to attend the first day of the conference (always the most exciting - that's when you get your keynote lecture and a lot of the social stuff). I was umming and ahhing for a while which day to attend - there are just too many good panels! Settled on the Thursday, partly because of the keynote lecture, but also because there's a panel with two papers that look like they may feed into two areas that I am really interested in right now (cultural attitudes towards desertion, and knowledge networks/transmission in the military).

So - that's what is making me happy. I get to go and spend a day with a bunch of people from my field - many of whom I've met several times and get along with really well - and hear about some really interesting and original research. In the meantime, round robin emails to delegates asking for volunteers to chair made me feel reconnected with some people I really like and admire, and who seem equally pleased to reconnect with me.

When you get an email from someone whose work you greatly admire and they say 'Oh I am so glad you'll be there, I was hoping I'd get a chance to catch up with you' that's pretty fucking happy-making right there

[xoxoxoBruce]

Originally Posted by DanaC

Bless him, my supervisor sorted me out a day pass on the conference expense account - justified on the grounds that I am helping organise.

So after all these years of fighting the establishment, now you are the establishment.