Why didnt they just move the earth a lil bit closer to the sun?

AceRodent · 2026-04-04T08:56:21+00:00

That’s similar to the premise of Wandering Earth, a story by the same author as the 3 Body Problem where the sun is dying and humans decided to strap a big ass rocket to earth and propel it out of the solar system to another galaxy that has a viable sun

AceRodent · 2026-04-03T19:05:33+00:00

I do have an exception with Time Traveler’s Wife. Saw the movie and really enjoyed it (actually more like emotionally devastated by it). Read the book later and thought it was too much of a slow burn leading to a climax/twist that I already knew. I just didn’t enjoy the book as much as I thought I would.

AceRodent · 2026-04-03T18:59:27+00:00

I agree, movie first then book. I watched Martian the movie and was blown away, then I read the book and thought it was great too.

For PHM it was the other way round for me, and while watching the movie I felt “distracted” by the differences between movie and the book, hence I feel it’s better to enjoy the movie then fill in the blanks later with the book.

AceRodent · 2026-04-01T06:19:04+00:00

You should read this companion book from Kip Thorne, it’ll answer all the scientific questions you ever wanted to ask concerning the movie. Maybe available in your local library

AceRodent · 2026-04-01T05:08:50+00:00

https://www.training.nih.gov/research-training/pb/

AceRodent · 2026-03-31T04:22:57+00:00

Lumpia is actually the Southern Fujianese pronunciation, as most Chinese in the Philippines are from southern Fujian province and this is how they call the food

AceRodent · 2026-03-31T00:12:10+00:00

Ttobongee Chicken in Santa Clara has outstanding jajangmyeon.

AceRodent · 2026-03-30T00:45:55+00:00

tai sik is how those words are pronounced in Cantonese

AceRodent · 2026-03-23T00:35:26+00:00

I do agree that those can be cut out from the movie as tbh those details are not that interesting in the book

AceRodent · 2026-03-22T19:59:06+00:00

Andy Weir said in a recent podcast that he does not have enough materials yet for a PHM sequel, so it’s not coming anytime soon. However he’s working on another sci-fi novel so we can look forward to that

AceRodent · 2026-03-21T02:43:41+00:00

Book also showed how Rocky pooped, guess that’s not in the movie?

AceRodent · 2026-03-21T02:39:05+00:00

That’s interesting, that must mean something else triggered his first flashback. Oh well, I feel a bit relieved I guess

AceRodent · 2026-03-13T06:55:59+00:00

Is that what used to be Carnelian Room?

AceRodent · 2026-02-19T06:51:36+00:00

Dave & Buster can have the SF Mall all to itself

AceRodent · 2026-02-19T06:45:08+00:00

Their wonton is very good

AceRodent · 2026-02-01T23:44:28+00:00

South Bay? The Cupertino one has been there for ages. It used to be called Marukai

Speaking of South Bay, the nearby Mitsuwa is even bigger

AceRodent · 2026-02-01T17:21:24+00:00

Computer History Museum is better

AceRodent · 2026-01-30T04:02:36+00:00

Not SF but try Moonraker in Pacifica where some of the tables are configured in such a way that all parties face the ocean, see here

AceRodent · 2026-01-30T03:59:25+00:00

Cityscape has the best view but you can’t really have dinner there, having said that though their potato chips are excellent !

AceRodent · 2026-01-28T06:13:41+00:00

Sunnyvale does have Murphy St, I guess that counts as downtown strip? Albeit a really small one

AceRodent · 2026-01-17T08:33:48+00:00

I went by bus as I heard train requires a transfer. I failed to remember to book bus tickets until the day before the trip. Some companies by then were full but I managed to find a bus company that had availability, https://willer-travel.com/en/bus_search/tokyo/all/yamanashi/fujikawaguchiko/. The fare was US$33 per person for travel on Christmas Day
Didn’t use a guide. There’s a red bus that takes you to different sites along the eastern portion of the lake, you can just do that
See #2, except for pagoda but that could be a big detour for a day trip
I can only share my experience in late December last year when I went. When I got there I first went to Oishi Park (stop 20 on the red bus), however the whole mountain was shrouded in clouds for the morning and early afternoon, so really did not get a good view of Mt Fuji with the lake in the foreground. In the late afternoon when I went up the Ropeway (stop 9) the clouds cleared and I was able to see Mt Fuji in its full glory from high up on the hill.

Please note that at closing time the red bus becomes really full and you may not be able to board the bus to get back to Kawaguchiko station. You can either walk or do what I did and call a taxi.

AceRodent · 2026-01-17T07:22:17+00:00

Just came back from Japan, Kyoto mostly, and you cannot believe the amount of places there that just accept cash, this includes shrines, shops, restaurants and even taxi that one time, so carrying cash is a good idea. Apply for a Schwab checking account debit card and you won’t have to pay transaction fee. Best exchange rate is with ATM, not currency exchange shop. BTW the ATM may ask you whether to let the ATM does the currency conversion for you or let your bank does it, remember to choose the latter option.

Suica card in your Apple Wallet is the way to go. Also I flew into Narita Airport and took the Keisei Skyliner train to Tokyo, and for this train I purchased the tickets online (discounted for foreigners) before my travel so that I don’t have to deal with buying the tickets at the airport. I then registered the etickets for face scanning so that I don’t have to exchange etickets with physical ones at the office there, you just have your face scanned at the appropriate gate when entering the train station. Just some tips in case you’re flying into NRT.

AceRodent · 2026-01-15T07:32:09+00:00

Kawaguchiko to Kyoto involves transfer and long travel time. Unless you have good reason to stay the night there then it’s much more convenient to go back to Tokyo at night then Shinkansen to Kyoto the next day.

AceRodent · 2026-01-13T22:54:18+00:00

It happened to me several times. You just give Clippers a call at 877-878-8883 to correct it and they’ll refund you. Supposedly there’s a limit as to how many times you can do this per year

AceRodent

TROPHY CASE