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Bad Astronomy
« Who says clouds screw up observing?
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Happiness is…

1) Having furniture again.

2) Internet access at home. (I can write blog entries from home again!)

3) Getting cable TV again (I missed Futurama!).

4) Eating chicken soup with matzoh balls and a big spinach salad instead of McDonalds, pizza, and Texmex for the tenth time.

5) Access to my own coffeemaker.

Sometimes you need the luxuries taken away to appreciate them. It’s been a tough week, but I’m back. I’ll have more astronomy stuff to say soon.

Phew!

Share

May 31st, 2007 7:42 PM by Phil Plait in About this blog, Humor, Piece of mind, Time Sink | 30 comments | RSS feed | Trackback >

30 Responses to “Happiness is…”

  1. 1.   Jamie Says:
    May 31st, 2007 at 8:05 pm

    good to hear the Bad Family is getting settled, looking forward to new posts as always!

  2. 2.   Christian Burnham Says:
    May 31st, 2007 at 8:07 pm

    Don’t you know every Futurama episode by heart now?

  3. 3.   Drbuzz0 Says:
    May 31st, 2007 at 8:20 pm

    Congradulations, Dr. Plait. Hope the neighbors are all ok: http://www.depletedcranium.com/philhal.jpg

  4. 4.   Danny Schade Says:
    May 31st, 2007 at 8:44 pm

    I want to buy a telescope for looking into the sky… what kind/size do you recommend for around $100 or so?

  5. 5.   Rowsdower Says:
    May 31st, 2007 at 9:21 pm

    Congrats on setting up your new homestead. Is there room in the back yard for your telescope?

  6. 6.   Sticks Says:
    May 31st, 2007 at 9:36 pm

    I thought Happiness was a mild cigar from Benson and Hedges, to the strains of Bach’s Air on a G-String

    (Shows my age re UK TV adverts) ;)

  7. 7.   Thomas Siefert Says:
    May 31st, 2007 at 10:16 pm

    No No Sticks, if you are from UK then “Happiness is a warm gun”.

    I thought that matzos were a protected species?

  8. 8.   Thomas Says:
    May 31st, 2007 at 11:07 pm

    Happiness is watching one bigger thing after another i.e.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r22t-A-eJ3k BOOM!
    if only our star were a little bigger, skiing in colorado would suck though ;)

  9. 9.   AndreasG Says:
    June 1st, 2007 at 12:22 am

    There’s just one thing
    That we all crave
    From the cradle
    To the grave
    A state of grace
    Or state of mind
    A point in space
    Or point in time [...]
    Some have it all
    But still have less
    What we all need is happiness [...] :)
    (Roger Taylor, “Happiness”)

  10. 10.   ed danover Says:
    June 1st, 2007 at 1:33 am

    Welcome to Boulder. You’ll discover that after 10pm all of the clouds will vanish as the air here is so dry that they can hold together.

    Try driving up hiway 119 to Nederland and then north towards Ward on hiway 72 or what is know as Peak To Peak hiway.

    Just before you get to the University of Colorado research entrance is a pull off there is a pull off where one can see just about 360 of stars, except towards the west. Seems there some stupid mountain in your way.

    Enjoy and pack your trash.

    Ed

  11. 11.   Kevin Pors Says:
    June 1st, 2007 at 2:05 am

    Nederland?

  12. 12.   Sherry Austin Says:
    June 1st, 2007 at 2:21 am

    Good news, Bad!

  13. 13.   DenverAstro Says:
    June 1st, 2007 at 3:51 am

    Welcome to your new home Phil. Glad to see you made it safely with no worse effect than fast-food burnout.
    Since you have been to CO before, I wont try to play the role of tour guide. However, I would encourage you to check into the various star parties that are offered this summer. In particular, on the new moon weekend in August (9-12), WUTS (Weekend Under the Stars) is happening in Foxpark, Wyoming. I went up there for the first time last year and it was terrific. Tons of cool scopes, super dark transparent sky, and a small but dedicated group of really neat people. And it’s only like $10.00 with no reservations required. From your location, it is about a 2.5 to 3 hour drive.
    Also, check out S&S Optika. Its the ony really good retail shop in this area for telescopes. Kathy Haven owns and runs the place and she is this sweet little old lady who looks like she would be more at home at a quilting bee than selling optical systems, but she really knows her stuff. Pay that place a visit when you have a chance, its worth your time.

  14. 14.   Jewel Says:
    June 1st, 2007 at 3:51 am

    There really isn’t anything like having access to your very own coffee maker. When I move, there are always 2 things I move myself…my coffee maker and my computer. I’d go nuts without them…

    Glad your stuff made it and you’re getting settled in!

  15. 15.   Mikhail Bragoria Says:
    June 1st, 2007 at 4:00 am

    4) Eating chicken soup with matzoh balls and a big spinach salad instead of McDonalds, pizza, and Texmex for the tenth time.

    Hang on, I thought happiness was outsourcing food preparation!

    Maybe I’ve been taking Adam Smith a little too seriously…

  16. 16.   Maarten Roosen Says:
    June 1st, 2007 at 4:13 am

    Good luck in your new home Phil!

  17. 17.   Maarten Roosen Says:
    June 1st, 2007 at 4:17 am

    Oops, I didn’t mean “luck”! I meant I wish you all the best in this new environment, may you let good things come to you! ;)

  18. 18.   Don Says:
    June 1st, 2007 at 4:43 am

    I am suprised that you didn’t just eat at Zolo and hang out at the Foundry Billards Club.

  19. 19.   bassmanpete Says:
    June 1st, 2007 at 5:04 am

    What’s Futurama? The only one I know is a guitar from the late ’50s/early ’60s – I think George Harrison used to play one before fame & money ‘forced’ him to buy a Gretsch (or three!)

  20. 20.   Sergeant Zim Says:
    June 1st, 2007 at 6:32 am

    Jewel,

    Did you know that Coffee is one of the 4 basic food groups?

    Coffee
    Cookies
    Beer
    Pizza

    Chocolate isn’t a food – Chocolate is a vitamin

  21. 21.   Phil Says:
    June 1st, 2007 at 7:38 am

    bassmanpete:

    “What’s Futurama? The only one I know is a guitar from the late ’50s/early ’60s – I think George Harrison used to play one before fame & money ‘forced’ him to buy a Gretsch (or three!)”

    Futurama is an animated TV show from the makers of The Simpsons which, in my opinion, is far far superior to The Simpsons.

    You should buy the box sets, BA. You don’t have to wait for them to be shown on TV.

  22. 22.   Jeff Says:
    June 1st, 2007 at 8:04 am

    Ahh Matzoh ball soup. One of my favorite comfort foods.

    Congrat’s on the new home and welcome to CO.

  23. 23.   Thomas Siefert Says:
    June 1st, 2007 at 8:15 am

    Phil: You are wrong, Futurama is in fact a guitar that George Harrison played on during the Hamburg years with The Beatles.

  24. 24.   Mark Martin Says:
    June 1st, 2007 at 8:17 am

    Hello Sisyphus. Feeling a little boulder today?

  25. 25.   peenworm Says:
    June 1st, 2007 at 8:58 am

    How long has it been since someone’s mentioned that Futurama is the best television show?

    Futurama is the best television show.

  26. 26.   Skeptigator Says:
    June 1st, 2007 at 9:16 am

    “far, far superior to the Simpson”? sadness overwhelms me.

    I almost took a job in Denver to get out of the Hoosier state, kind of regret not taking that job now.

    I did vacation once outside of Pueblo at a little rinky-dinky place called the Lazy J resort or something (don’t let the resort part fool you) in Coaldale. Anyway, amazing view of the stars at night while sitting along a river (Arkansas River?).

    I’m suddenly jealous

  27. 27.   hale_bopp Says:
    June 1st, 2007 at 10:10 am

    Yeah, Phil…you don’t have Futurama on DVD?!? What’s up with that? I am sure your laptop has a DVD player on it, so this problem is solvable with a little planning :)

    Enjoy your new home!

    Rob

  28. 28.   nancy Says:
    June 1st, 2007 at 10:49 am

    Nederland is a cool little town. They have a very, um… interesting… festival there……

    http://www.nederlandchamber.org/FrozenDeadGuyDays/

  29. 29.   dirty_g Says:
    June 3rd, 2007 at 2:46 pm

    hamlet………….. the mild cigar……

  30. 30.   Apt42 Says:
    June 3rd, 2007 at 10:44 pm

    In case you hadn’t heard, the Futurama made-for-TV 1hr long trio of movies was canned and were instead expanded in to an entire new season of Futurama coming to Comedy Central in 2008, although Fox still has the option of picking it up for a mid-season run in their fall 2007 lineup. Ahh what a glorious day that will be …

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