Links/Videos That Caught My Eye: For Writers, Mind/Body, Food, Business ….

Lately I’ve been reading a lot of ‘stuff.’ I do this in the mornings, over coffee. I’ll be scrolling through my Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn feeds and something will catch my eye. So from time to time, I’m’a gonna share these links or videos with you. Hope you enjoy!

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For Writers

Writers, don’t we hate the proofreading process? We’re almost there, almost have that novel DONE, yet there’s the tedious business of proofreading. I not only need to proofread my own novels, but I also proofread in my editing business. Quick and Dirty Tips has 10 Tips to Banish Typos. A nice list, though I ain’t a’reading my work or my client’s work backwards; I just ain’t gonna! I’ll add one to it: I have my Kindle read my book, or my client’s book, to me—believe me, this works!

Am I a Real Writer? Yup, this question is still asked by many writers who may feel they don’t quite measure up, or that their writing is seen as a hobby, or maybe they won’t consider themselves a Real Writer until their book is published. If you’ve ever struggled with this, go ye and read Kristen Lamb’s post Diagnosing a REAL Writer: Do You Have Terminological Inexactitude Syndrome?

Platform. Bleh. Yeah. I don’t have one. How does a writer have one? I dunno. Maybe Jane Friedman can help with that: Building a Platform to Land a Book Deal: Why it Often Fails.

For Your Mind:

Sooooo. I bet we’ve all been there, right? Involved in some way with a Narcissist. Maybe a lover, a friend, a boss. Head on over to Thrive Global and read: How to Know If You or Someone You Know Is a Narcissist, According to a Clinical Psychologist

If we’re happy and we know it, clap our hands! But if we’re sad, meh, let’s don’t beat ourselves up about it! Being happy all the time is weird. There. I said it. So, while rattling around Thrive Global, I found this interesting article on The Upside of Feeling Down: Why It’s Okay Not to Feel Happy All the Time

The World’s Most Relaxing Film: “The World’s Most Relaxing Film will make you relax in just 7-minutes. It has been recorded based on advice of experts from the fields of stress, mindfulness, nature therapy and music therapy. The film was recorded on the West Coast of Zealand (Sjællands Vestkyst), in Denmark.”

I baked these myself! MMMMM!

Food/Health:

I love scones. What I love about the ones that are done correctly is that they aren’t too sweet and they aren’t too moist and they aren’t crumbly dry—the perfect ones are just right! And if you, like me, have a difficult time finding those perfect scones: make your own! I do! And the best, easiest recipe I found that I use every single time is King Arthur Flour Scone Recipe. I have experimented with different additions (like nuts, fruit, lemon zest, peanut butter, oats, etc) to the basic recipe, all with success. The only thing I do differently in the basic recipe is I usually add half a stick more butter–I just like it that way.

Maybe you don’t need to boost your sex drive. I don’t! I swear! Raise your hand if you do *no one raises their hand* – Well, in the case any of you who didn’t raise your hand secretly wants to raise your libido, here are, according to Readers Digest, 9 Vitamins and Herbs That Can Boost Your Sex Drive

Chocolate & Pop Music – Nuff said.

For Business:

Looking for a job? Ugh, right? I haven’t had an interview in yeeeeaaars. I’m lucky to be able to work from home, but should that ever stop *gasp* Ungh! Perhaps these 14 Interview Questions That Are Designed To Trick You will help you with that process.

Looking for a job and you are over 50? Maybe these tips will help: Salary.com’s 10 Tips for Job Hunters Over 50

Wild Card:

When I post these links, I’m going to post at least one “wild card” link. One that I stumbled on while looking for something else, and something about it piqued my interest. The website/blog that I am exploring right now is:  Dave2 from Blogography: “Blogography is a place to learn and grow by exposing yourself to the mind of David Simmer II, a brilliant commentator on world events and popular culture (or so he claims).” (Note from me: HE wrote “or so he claims” -not I. *laugh*)

See y’all later with some more links! Tootles!

 

 

 

 

We are all a great idea ….

Overhead, Cove Crow caws. I tip back my head, stare at him; he stares at me. My dog lifts his head. We stand, animals listening, living, being.  Crow is a great idea.

Long ago and far away, a tiny atom Exploded—Big Bang—and hurled matter out and beyond. Some of that matter became our galaxy. Not an infinite universe? But an infinite idea. Dark Matter surrounds invisibly, yet one can see the dark. No energy, but mass. Could right now dark matter hover near, over, above, through us? Would we feel it? Know it? Sense it?  The universe’s density: ratio of visible light to mass. Density mass is low—much of matter in universe is dark. The universe, with a beginning, a middle, an end—just like any story, just like any living being. The universe—a great idea.

I feel my feet upon the ground. The ground is real. I am real. My dog is real. I breathe in the air. I let out the air. The sun touches the top of my head, heats it. There is a bird’s nest, abandoned, in the Poplar tree. On the ground, a dead worm, and underneath my foot, live ones I cannot see but I know are there. A chipmunk scurries. Great ideas.

vanessa-cornacchia-the-big-bang – at creative commons

In my dream, I fly. I look down upon the cities with their lights on and their lights off. I see the sleepless man toss his sheets into knots. I see the woman who cried herself to sleep. I see the little boy sleeping peacefully with his teddy bear under his arm. I see the teen-aged girl reading a book she loved as a child. I see the wolf howl. I see the other side of daylight. Dark matter surrounds. Dark Energy pulls. I accept this. I accept the ways of life and of death. I had a beginning. I have middle. I will have an end…then a beginning and a middle and an end, and then round and round, outward and outward, faster and faster, until all is torn apart, until I am nothing but atoms swirling in a madness of other atoms. What an idea.

The mysteries surround me. I accept them. I am grateful. I am the idea. I am a great idea. You are a great idea. We are all a great idea.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Aging your ass off ain’t so bad …. I’m’a gonna replace “Anti” Aging with “Pro” Aging…

an·ti/ˈanˌtī/  / Opposed to; against. A person opposed to a particular policy, activity, or idea.

Ad on Facebook sidebar: “Woman is 53 But Looks 27!” Uh huh.

Advertisers suggest how we must go out and conquer the Age Beasties because we are worth it! We are beautiful—but only after we use their products! We can live forever looking as if we haven’t lived at all!

Well, in some ways they have a point. And in some ways they are full of shit.

We all are going to age until we die. You can practice every bit of “anti-aging” in your arsenal but you still are going to age your ass off—if you are lucky. Some people aren’t lucky enough to age their ass off. Some people wish they could age their ass off. Some people’s family wishes their loved one could have aged their ass off.

There’s nothing wrong with wanting to look good at any age, or for your age—the problem is when you continually and detrimentally grieve for your twenties and thirties or whatever your magic number is where you thought you looked and felt your best, or felt you were at the top of your game and now you feel you are at the bottom of the barrel.

Some scientists want to classify aging as a disease—one that can be treated, slowed down, and send people into their older years healthier and more vibrant. That we shouldn’t just accept aging as something that continues to devastatingly take away our minds, bodies, and attitudes. When it comes to aging and how our minds, brains, and bodies feel and look, genetics play some part but our lifestyles play a bigger part. Scientists are studying how some people they call Super Agers stay so much more healthier and active until they are 100 or more. Super Agers aside (and maybe I’ll be one!), we are living longer due to medicine, yes, but also due to piles and piles of ready information to educate us on how to live a healthier life.

If you are feeling decrepit already then do something about it. Consider how you can Kick Ass and be AWESOME where you are in your life Right Now. And you can do it without surgery and injections. Now, if you want to have surgery and injections, then you go for it! First, google “plastic surgery gone wrong” and after that, then, um, you go for it!

Tips to Pro-Aging:

Dipping my toe(foot? Leg?) back in to the writing/reading community – :D

Hi Y’all ….

Esparta Palma -I see dead dolls … Hanging like normal dolls- Creative Commons

Today, I’m at Writer Unboxed with a post entitled “The Island of Misfit Characters.” Hope you’ll join us there! And while you are there, have a look around at the other posts from WU contributors. I’m proud to be a part of WU.

I almost ignored the request from AMA because I walked away from most everything related to my writing life for several years. But, I am glad I did not ignore it because it is time to further dip my toes back into the writing/reading community.

I’m trying out something new: AMA-Ask Me Anything. From what I see so far that place is chock-full of gooey good stuff. I’m taking questions on my #AMA now but it doesn’t go live until next Wednesday the 14th at 2:00 pm. My AMA is: Being an editor helps me to be a more effective, efficient (re)writer. Ask Me Anything about making your (re)writing life much easier! Join me there. You can ask a question at any time, but answers won’t show until it’s live on Wednesday. While at AMA, have a look around at the other “channels” there to find something that piques your interest. Or, perhaps you may want to create an AMA of your own. I’m going to try it out and see how it goes.

All right. I’m off to ready my lil log house for winter stomping back in (maybe it’ll change its mind! Lawd!).  Later, y’all ….

 

 

 

*Blinks in the Bright Sunshine* I’m corralling my chaos (kinda sorta) ….

I’d promised myself this year I would work towards corralling (some of) the chaos in my life. That begins with becoming more organized even—gasp—creating lists, and—bigger gasp—actually looking at those lists instead of forgetting them—and HUGE gasp—actually doing things on the lists and then scratching them off. Yeah. WHUPOW, y’all!

That includes updating my blog, and as well updating my website. Blogwise, I went through theme after theme and this one just kept shining out at me. It made me happy. It made me feel energetic. It feels like MOVEMENT and JOY and POWER and INTELLIGENCE. And that’s where I want to focus my life: MOVEMENT & JOY & POWER & INTELLIGENCE, and all the innards and outards of life and science and writing and editing and relationships and family and friends and health and food. The white background bothered me at first, but it works for me too, for that blank page means: what’s next in the story?

Of course, not having a Strict Theme to my blog is just more of my chaos, right? Maybe.  But better to dump it all here than my brain expand and explode, right? RIGHT! WHEE HAW! Or, explode my friends’ and family’s brains with  my BOINGITY BOINGITY.

I will also gladly tell you that I’ve started a new novel. More on that later.

My editing business has been doing quite well despite my not “advertising” it thusly and so’ly and ecterly. Word of mouth and repeat clients is an awesome thing: thank you.

My published novels: welp, more on that later too.

More on EVERYTHING later. Cause that’s how I want my blog to be. Whatever I want it to be. And let the readers come, or let them not. This will be a place I can express whatever I am in the mood to express.

And you are welcomed to the madness, if you so dare to be.

I will post at least once a month, and I hope to post twice a month. That’s a promise I’m making to myself: Promise Made.

 

When the blog title no longer works :D

First off, though I don’t like talking-up my books, when there is a sale on one of them, I always do pass that along. Until December 15th, Family Graces, the 3rd in the Virginia Kate Saga Trilogy, is on ebook sale for a tiny little bitty .99cents. I appreciate all your support and love and help and all you do—I adore my Readers! And I know the pic below is huge, but that’s how it came out when I put in the link: lawd!

Now, for the business part, if you will. I couldn’t figure out why I was not writing on my blog, since I wanted to, love science and space, and the research I’d do to find tidbits here for you all.

It struck me finally that the title no longer works. Because, well, I just don’t feel lonely at this time in my life. So, I’m going to ponder this—give it some thought—and think of a new way to approach my blog, and a tweak of the title. Though, I still want to write about science and space and all those wonderful things that capture my imagination and attention.

I do recognize my sometimes flighty-chaotic-discombobulated nature—haw!—when it comes to my blog (uh, just to my blog? Um . . . . Dang!) probably has about three loyal readers hanging on. laugh! But I write on, when I can. Right? Right! Write!

I am still a monthly contributor at Writer Unboxed—if y’all aren’t reading WU, head thee over there!

Now, on to my pondering and I will figure out a new title for this here blawg.

 

*muwah*

 

 

Life Finds a Way, at Writer Unboxed, and Garage Door ‘Fix’

Ah, I’ve missed this blog, and I have promised myself I will be posting to it more regularly. It makes me feel a bit less lonely, knowing that somewhere, someone is reading or may pass by. Long ago, I had an active blog and active community. Long ago, I was active in many writing circles and writing and social media. Long ago, I had a blog that was well-visited. It was fun. Maybe blogs are on the wane, but I still like them. I still visit them, though I rarely comment. Perhaps I will start commenting more. Perhaps blogs will make a come-back and we will enjoy that community again, one much different from/than Facebook or Twitter, etc.

Loneliness is a strange beast. A part of me embraces it, after the chaos I’ve had in my life. But sometimes it swallows me and I am left wandering in some strange Other World of Silence. Loneliness can become a safe haven, too. Where you begin to be so used to it that anything else feels too loud, too much. When a man asks for my phone number or expresses an interest, I find myself backing away, then turning around and running for the safety of my little log house. Yet, I’m also ready to open that door wider when I feel a return spark of interest in someone. Oh, the angst of it all! Right?

But I digress. Even if my words are swallowed into a Big Black Hole, I find satisfaction in the writing, and the researching of Wonders of our Galaxy, and beyond. For today, I am directing you to the wonderful community of Writer Unboxed, where I am proud to be a monthly contributor. Saturday’s post fell in line with how and what I write here at the Lonely Woman’s Guide to Our Galaxy, so I’m linking you there. To be a part of any community, even an online one, makes my Galaxy here much less lonely. As well, I’m often on Facebook, and I invite any of you who aren’t already there to join me. I’m on Twitter and Instagram must less frequently, but I meander every so often.

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Life Finds a Way . . . at Writer Unboxed.

These are snottites that you find in caves – or inside someone’s mouth if they can’t kiss – ewwww

A few billion years ago, microscopic “life forms” caused Earth to change from an uninhabitable nasty suffocating place to one more like we now know. As the movie Jurassic Park scientist character said, “Life, uh, finds a way….” So, here are these tiny forms of life Finding Their Way, and what they did was pave the way for all living things by transforming our Earth.

Sometimes I wonder, if I were transported back even a few thousand years, how would my breathing be? What would the earth smell like? How would my feet feel upon the ground, my eyes see color and texture? If a scientist took the inner workings, the soft tissue, of someone from that time and compared it to my soft tissue, what would the differences be? How have we evolved because of the changes in our atmosphere, and what we eat, how we move about or don’t move about, and how we live our everyday lives in response to happiness and having things and not having things, to the stresses and joys and overwhelming possibilities of just where are we headed and how life is lived now and our responses to each other as humans with varied thoughts and beliefs and the very nature of how we know everything that is going on everywhere twenty-four hours a day/night—how would we differ from the earliest “intelligent life?” To begin and end and begin and end and begin and end, round and round and round we go.

But I seemingly digress. Let’s see. Meteorites bombarded—carbon arrived. Bacteria partied and hooked up. Things began to change. For rest of post, visit Writer Unboxed, and while you are there, follow this wonderful writers’, readers’, and industry peoples’ blog.

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“Repair” of the Day: Garage Door Opener.

 

Do you immediately call a service repair person any time something quits working? Or take your car to a mechanic any time something goes awry with your car? Maybe you don’t need to. Particularly if you, like I am, are on a tight budget. Sometimes the fix is simple and easy. Often, as long as you do it safely and carefully, just TRYING something will net you results. It’s very satisfying, and empowering.

My garage door opener stopped working, and though that’s not the worst thing to happen as I have a keypad to open it, I depend on that automatic opener at night and during bad weather, particularly very cold snowy weather or high-wind rainy weather, when I don’t want to exit my car. My first thought was that it was the battery, so I changed that. No such luck. Still didn’t work. I tried the spare opener: nope, nothing.

I then googled “garage door opener stopped working.” Now, y’all, I highly suggest this when you have a problem with something in your home, or car, or whatever: google, bing, IE search, whatever search provider you like. For sometimes you’ll find the answer to your problem and it may be something you can remedy on your own, saving you money. I’ve had other things I’ve repaired in my home and my car simply by doing a Google search of the problem, and I’ve posted them here. Maybe you’ll  end up a little greasy or dirty, but so what? Ain’t gonna hurt you!

I’ve had this same opener for 13 years and I may never know why it suddenly decided to malfunction, but the fix was super easy. I climbed up a ladder, took a look at the controls that are attached to the ceiling of the garage, and there were the simple instructions.  VOILA! I had my opener back. Super easy. Free.

You can do this.

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If you like Southern/Appalachian/Family Saga fiction (sometimes with a supernatural touch), then I hope you will consider one of my novels (or short story “snacks”) by clicking on this link to my Amazon Page. I appreciate your support!

And I thank you, my readers.

 

Fruit Flies, and Monkeys, and Lonely Woman, oh my! Some Traveling Tips.

“This sucks, y’all.”

My recent trip to Texas, a 2000 mile round-trip, has me thinking about space travel. Researching the various this’s and that’s of it, I found the image to the left. That monkey looks as if he knows he ain’t coming back.

Just as a reference: Space officially begins at about 62 miles above our Earth’s surface, called the Karman Line.

The first living creatures to be launched into space were fruit flies—they were sent up with some corn so they’d not be hungry—way back in 1947, aboard a V2 rocket. They went 106 miles, and the capsule was actually recovered and the fruit flies weren’t any worse for wear.

A year later came the first monkey, named Albert. But, alas poor Albert; I knew him well (not). Um.  Ugh. Yeah. They think he may have suffocated before he even left the ground. Dang. The rocket only made it up 39 miles.

Albert II, who fortunate for him had NOOOO idea what happened to the preceding Albert, was sent up in a V2 rocket, soaring to 83 miles. Though Albert was the first monkey to be successfully launched into space without meeting his fate before leaving the ground, there was a problem with his parachute on the recovery capsule as it hurtled to earth and—well, you can guess the rest if you like. RIP Albert II. RIP.

After that, other Alberts (III, IV, V) boarded their rockets, and none survived—either they died on impact or during the flight.

Apparently, it is said that all of the monkeys were anesthetized for the flight. Hmmm.

The infamous Miss Baker. “I’m claustrophobic, y’all! ungh!ungh!”

But at last! Two monkeys in 1959—Able and Miss Baker—flew to 360 miles, tucked in aboard a Jupiter rocket. Their recovery capsule landed about 1700 miles off range of where they were supposed to land at Cape Canaveral, but they were found and recovered, and perhaps became celebrities, maybe as spokesmonkeys for various products and services.

My recent travel was not so dire and dangerous, though perhaps it is in its own way—traffic, crazy drivers, high winds, bad storms, exhaustion, a hotel from hell—lawd!

There is vulnerability (at least for this lonely woman) to traveling alone. So I have some general tidbits for you, should you also travel alone, or will one day do so.

1). If you are traveling with a pet, and will be stopping for the night, you would be better off checking out hotel pet policy ahead of time. Many chains do not allow pets. Some allow them but with restrictions, or a non-refundable fee (one hotel charges $100 nonrefundable fee!). Some chains do allow pets for free—like LaQuinta. LaQuinta hotels are a crapshoot, honestly. Some of them are seriously outdated. Do your research and it’ll save you from being road-weary and searching.

Read reviews. There are always the 1-star “I HAAAAAATED IT!” reviews and the 5-Star “I LOOOOOOOVED IT!” reviews, but I like reading those 3 and 4 star reviews.

Also, maybe I’m just paranoid and weird, but the first two things I do when I stay at a hotel, any hotel, no matter how much it costs or where it is, is to check the mattress for signs of bed bugs (UGH!)—I have never had a room with those, but I check it every time (pull up the sheets and look at the mattress, particularly along the seams, for cleanliness—you can google this if you dare). Then I take Clorox wipes and wipe down the remote, the light switches, the toilet, and a few other surfaces—what? Better safe than sorry! All hotels, no matter how nice or what the cost per night, get this treatment. It’s the only way I can relax. I will also admit that in the middle of the night, I shine my phone under the covers just to make sure nothing is there. Yeah. My head is a scary place.

I seeeee youuuuu!

Also, if you have “trouble” at any hotel, report it. I stayed at a hotel with a weird wonky door that I didn’t discover until the next morning that you could see a little bit into my room! EEEEK! I was NOT HAPPY! While the staff was amazing, and the hotel clean, that hotel needed serious updating and renovating. It was unacceptable. They refunded my money. I won’t be staying there again. Research, y’all! Ahead of time!

2). Welcome Centers are becoming better and better about cleanliness, safety, and, well, welcoming! I always stop at a Welcome Center when entering a new state. There’s places to walk about, and if you have a pet, they have designated areas for the pets. There’s usually coffee, and nice greeters (during business hours mostly). Vending machines if you are interested in that. And the bathroom facilities are usually clean and safe.

3). Rest areas are a mixed bag. Some of them do a great job of keeping the area and facilities clean and safe. But, I have a rule: if I pull up to a rest area and don’t feel safe, or have one of my “wonky” feelings, I’m out of there. Always best to listen to your gut. As with Welcome Centers, rest areas are much better than they used to be, but some are still a little “shady.”

4). Have water handy for you and for your pet. I used to limit my water intake so I’d not have to stop so often, but now I realize that part of the joy of the trip is stopping and stretching my legs, taking in some scenery. And keeping yourself hydrated and your body stretched out will keep you awake and aware and feeling better.

5). Don’t consume sugary snacks and drinks! Same goes for high “bad” carbohydrate foods, like a lot of fast foods. Eating sugary/high carb foods will make you feel sluggish and sleepy. Higher protein snacks/food is a better choice.

And, concerning No’s 4 & 5 – if you are traveling alone, you MUST be alert! There is no one to switch off so you can rest/nap, unless you pull over to nap, and I will never do this. So consider what you take with you and where you stop to eat as an important part of your travel.

Alone is not a dirty word, y’all. Be a Rogue Planet – why not?

Where have I been? Why, I’ve been here, there, and yonder! I’ve been working on my new novel. I’ve been editing other writers’ books and novels. I’ve been working on Edge of Arlington website. I was asked to be a regular contributor to Writer Unboxed (poor thangs – they don’t know what they did – I’m hillbilly’ing up they’s space; I’m dirty-footing up they’s respectable blog. Dang!). It’s an honor to write for such a prestigious group and I am grateful. My latest is: Grocery Store Glory (& Angst), (and earlier: A Writer’s Tombstone, Giving Up & Giving In, and as an earlier guest: The Isolated Author).

As well, from November through January, Lil Bear and I traveled by plane to Oregon and stayed 6 whole weeks! Wow! And from there we flew to Arlington, Texas, where we visited a bit, before I rented a Nissan Rogue and drove back to my mountains. It was so danged good to be home but I’m glad I traveled through the holidays instead of . . . being *gasp* ALONE FOR THE HOLIDAYS! That’s not my emphasis, since it wouldn’t have bothered me to be alone for the holidays. I do have friends. I do get out. I’m not completely reclusive. *laugh*

It looked just like this! Snazzy!

How appropriate that I rented a Nissan Rogue—for that’s often how I feel. As if I am a Rogue Planet, spiraled out and beyond away from the Mother Star of its birth, away from other planets, away from the security of that comforting planetary orbit. Wandering through space and time—that word again: Alone.

From Phenomena A SCIENCE SALON: “Rogue planets are homeless worlds. They have neither sunrises nor sunsets, because unlike the planets we’re more familiar with, these lonely worlds aren’t tethered to a star. Instead, they travel in solitary arcs around the Milky Way’s core. Earlier this week, Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey, introduced many of its viewers to the concept of these lonely planets. ‘The galaxy has billions of them, adrift in perpetual night. They’re orphans, cast away from their mother stars during the chaotic birth of their native solar systems,’ Neil DeGrasse Tyson says, as a planet emerges from the darkness. ‘Rogue planets are molten at the core, but frozen at the surface. There may be oceans of liquid water in the zone between those extremes. Who knows what might be swimming there?’”

photo credit: NASA-JPL-caltech-R.Hurt

How bleak and sad that sounds. Yet, yes, who knows what might be swimming in there? And until there is someone who wants to find out what is swimming inside of me, who sees my inner self and not just “this body” and who is not afraid of the challenge of someone who is “like me” (for I will never be boring), who can see that I am molten at my core but may sometimes seem to be frozen at the surface, who is kind and trustworthy, a grownup and not a little boy, but please believe me when I say: not perfect for I don’t trust perfection (in looks or manner/personality)—then I prefer to be Alone. Not only prefer it, but desire it, want it, embrace it. It suits me. For even if I find that person or that person finds me, I am not so sure I want to give up my freedom. Perhaps they will feel the same way: yay!

Scientists have discovered many of these rogue planets—some as big as Jupiter. Wandering through space, seemingly lost and without anchor. But who is to say those planets aren’t happy drifting languidly through space? Going where they want when they want. Doing what they want when they want.