The Happiness Thread

Got a call from vet. Pup is gonna be OK. :3 Some fluid leakage from the spine, but nothing too serious. Will need some physical therapy to get strength back and the days of roughhousing are most likely over.

But the pup is OK.

 

Finished part 1 (of 3) of my WIP--21,956 words. Tragically, when I went to smash that Insert-->Page Break button I was already on the last line of the page. I love the feeling of seeing that big gob of white space under my killer last line, but in this case it wasn't to be.

 

My package has arrived at Heathrow after being stuck in LA for two weeks, PROGRESS HOORAY!

 

After several rounds of edits and revision, my latest work is ready for publication. Yay! This one was a doozy, but my editor was great, tough but great. And I really feel good about the way my story turned out. The editor and publisher had some really nice things to say about my piece from the beginning, and I seriously believe good editors are magical because it is so good now. Can I say that about my own work? That it's good. I really worked hard on this. I feel really good about it at least.

 

Started making my way through veeerrryyy casually studying A-Level Law in my spare time, and man this stuff is a breeze. For some reason, the dates and Acts and everything just zing and they all got stuck in my head. I want to go back eventually and sit these exams but I wanted to learn/read the material right now regardless.

 

Studying law for fun? I mean, what ever you like to do, great, but I would die.

But I can't say much either though because I'm studying super old English literature for fun, I guess. I love my major, but I seriously have no idea what I'm going to do with it.

Anyways, on happier times...hmmm...I actually have enough to go out with some friends instead of camp at home for the hundreth week in a row. I can see people instead of binge watch Disney+! Maybe even get some sushi.

That's probably pushing it. I'm sure I'll still be on the couch...

 

What do they let you do in LA these days?

 

A tent at the beach is pretty much what I do. Read and hang out with friends, sometimes on my own. Put some music on and relax. Other than a little while locked down, it's been pretty open. I kind of miss how busy it was before though. There was just more to look at and do. Now it's just kind of slow, but getting back.

Restaurants are mostly outdoor dining now or takeout, but that's okay. Disney opens soon! Not that I could buy tickets...maybe one of my friends will help me out. I don't know. I haven't been there in a long time.

 

I'll stick to Kura Sushi, thanks. Conveyor belt sushi at a buck a plate ($2.95 in America?)

 

I've been there a few times with my friend who always wants sushi, but it is really expensive for what you get. The lines are incredibly long, even when you check in on the app. Last time I had to wait like an hour after I got a message that our table was ready, which we had already waited an hour for. Then they give pretty small portions and unless you spend way too much, you always end up leaving hungry.

There a few things there though that are so good. The Tiger crunchy roll is one of my favorites, but then there's also a jalapeno salmon that I absolutely love. They came out with some new ones with Japanese mayo on them too which I could eat all day.

All those places were shut down for a long time though. They started out door dining, but it's not the same without the actual revolving sushi line. I miss that.

 

I live in Japan. Every plate is 100yen, two pieces of nigiri or one maki. That's basically a dollar, since I get paid in yen and don't worry about exchange rates unless I'm going on vacation. $2.95/plate would be high for what I get at Kura. I just wish I could get California maki, but it's almost impossible to find here.

 

I think if sushi was a dollar here, I would get a lot more of it...

Maybe its time for a Japanese vacation.

 

Dude I love law!! It's so cool and pernickety and I get to talk and read and write in fancy-pancy words. Hither to, my good friends! Whenceforth, herein, and thus forward! It's like English bingo.

 

Not just yet, we aren't allowing foreigners in right now. Osaka (where I live) is in the middle of a fourth wave bigger than any of the previous ones. More detail would have to go in the "Not Happy" thread

 

It was more like wishful thinking anyways.

Sorry to hear that your on COVID round four.

 

At least you're super enthusiastic about it. Everybody has to love something strange. I don't think I could make it more thana few pages. Good sleeping material for me.

 

So I haven't done much physics-specific stuff in the last two years since I graduated (I've read bits here and there, but nothing much - my focus has been on more artistic endeavours, a la writing, music, acting, painting, etc). There was enormous pressure from someone I know who is not a great scientist but who thinks that they know exactly how 'The Greats' think/do/act/live, etc. Anyway, everything I did to them was 'shit', even though I got the highest degree classification, got told I was a 'loss to physics' during an examination, by the examiner, when I mentioned I was leaving, won national prizes for my research, and had my research presented internationally at one of the biggest conferences (and conference centres) for my area of work.

I loved studying, asking questions, etc, but I couldn't talk/think/say anything/ask questions about science or physics at home without this person trying to 'teach' me how to problem solve (which I am already very, splendidly, talented at).

Well, tonight, I sat - completely alone - with a cup of coffee and wrote about science. It was almost like journalling. And then I came up with this idea of calculating the number of stars that could potentially fit, side by side, in the night sky (and then, how bright would this be? [i.e. how much power would this produce?]) -- but here was the clincher: no pressuring myself, no calculator (or, okay, the barest minimum amount of calculator), derive all equations, note down the thoughts/ideas that come into your head, no time limit or we must do this or we're shit at science, no unnecessarily intense focusing by a certain someone, just chill, and hey, let's have fun on a tiny little question. Take the whole night if I needed.

This was what it was like when I studied by myself at uni. It was so peaceful, and what do you know, you actually learn more when you're chilled out rather than stressed to fuck because of someone else.

MY DUDES. MY GUYS. MY LOVES. I WORKED IT OUT. It took a while, like starting an engine that hasn't been used in a while, but it's there!!!

Assuming a certain number of basic assumptions, and based on my current location's visible skyline (this is verrryyyy specific to the particular geographical skylines around you, etc.), you would be able to fit 1.851 x 10^19 stars, side by side, across the whole sky.


BOOM. Don't you just love physics? It's 3.24am, I'm off to bed.

 

Huh it's 10:43 p.m. here

 

Whoo, this bombshell is done and plays like a dream.

Spoiler: Space Saving

 

Just the pin pricks of light, as seen from my room's POV! I based it on the assumption that the 'visible sky' is a smooth surfaced hemisphere above the central POV. It would be like placing the tiny pin-pricks that we see all side-by-side on the surface of that half-sphere. Turns out you can fit more stars than I thought lmaooo

Like this diagram:

 

You'd never notice it with the planets in the way*

Spoiler: *

no idea if this is true, but it cropped up enough times that I'll believe it until someone important** says otherwise.

Spoiler: **

Like the Dalai Lama or a Kardashian or whatever...