I know yesterday was Earth day but everyday should be Earth day.
Credit: NASA
Also find Planet Simon on Twitter
Come and visit find me on my Planet Simon Facebook Page
Find some of my pictures on Instagram
Also look me up on: Pinterest Stumbledupon Wattpad
Monday is back again… Happy Monday bloggies. Over here in the UK we we’re enjoying some hot weather for a change, it was more like June than April, it was very welcome. What’s been happening on Planet Simon this week?
There was no Great Galactic Service Station last week (again (groan)), I hope to continue that this week. I’m struggling with time a bit these days, mainly becasue apart from time I have nothing to write on at home.
There’s been another part to the Geeky guide to WordPress
Another part of the Geeky Guide to WordPress series went out last week as normal. With some (hopefully) useful notes on Sharing Posts on Social Media. I keep finding that as I write these that I’m thinking and learning about points I hadn’t thought of before and bloggies are coming back at me with things they didn’t know.
What are your thoughts? Anything that you’ve seen in these posts that you’ve learned?
The Solar System Exploration exploration series visited Venus again. I think the newangle with the planet profile graphics are adding that extra visual impact. Let me know what you think, there’s loads more to come and any thoughts always welcome.
As I mentioned last week I had been out exploring over the weekend. I had the pleasure of going to the Lake District for the weekend. I wrote a bit about this on escribble and how the Lakes seem to be a Look back in time.
universe of possibility saw some action too with 12 Science Fiction Rules for Life
As a little extra yesterday, for Earth Day I posted this great image from NASA with Carl Sagan’s quote about Earth being the beach to the cosmos.
Work is continuing with keeping Planet Simon fresh and easy to use, more content is on the way all I need is time (haha) so keep watching and if this is your first time to Planet Simon why not follow and keep up to date with all the fun?
If you’re on Twitter make sure you follow @BlogBashChat and join us all for a blogging chat on the first Sunday of every month 7pm British time. It’s a great little thing that’s growing and you get to find out more about blogging and Bloggers! The last chat was yesterday and there will be another one next month!
What have you guys been up to?
Keep smiling and blogging!
Simon 🙂
Also find Planet Simon on Twitter
Come and visit find me on my Planet Simon Facebook Page
Find some of my pictures on Instagram
Also look me up on: Pinterest Stumbledupon Wattpad
Today is Earth day! Happy Earth Day 2018! Now more than ever we as the inhabitants of spaceship Earth need to think about how in our every day we need to look after ever aspect of this planet and everything that lives on it.
Also fin Planet Simon on Twitter
Come and visit find me on my Planet Simon Facebook Page
Find some of my pictures on Instagram
Also look me up on: Pinterest Stumbledupon Wattpad
Hi there bloggies, another monday is here and another week of upcoming challenges and opportunities.
Last week was a week away from work and off on My travels for a couple of days at the end of the week. There will be more about this on escribble this week so make sure you follow and keep an eye out for the post. If you’re following me on Instagram (link below) then you have a clue already…
There was no Great Galactic Service Station last week, I hope to continue that this week. but I made sure I kept the posts coming – don’t say I don’t spoil you guys!
There’s been another part to the Geeky guide to WordPress
Last week I covered Security and Backup it’s something we don’t often think about but blogs do get hacked, content is lost and that sort of thing would make any blogger have a heart attack.
What I’m finding interesting is that bloggers are telling me that either didn’t know about some of the feature’s highlighted in this series of posts or snippets of information that’s news bloggies new and not so new. I’m loving this feedback it means that this is useful and it gives me an idea of what bloggies need. So if there is something you want to say – let me know 🙂
The Solar System Exploration was on it’s second part last week, moving slightly away from the Sun to the scorching Mercury. I’ve updated this series and added sleek new graphics to the posts to help them stand out and have something interesting to use with the likes of Pinterest.
There was also some activity from universe of possibility one of the aspects I’m concentrating on is concepts in Sci-Fi and I looked at the the classic Sci-Fi giants like Star Wars and Star Trek and wonder if they’ve run out of ideas.
I also shared a moving and really good (it has to be said) short video montage of Obi Wan’s story.
Work is continuing with keeping Planet Simon fresh and easy to use, more content is on the way all I need is time (haha) so keep watching and if this is your first time to Planet Simon why not follow and keep up to date with all the fun?
If you’re on Twitter make sure you follow @BlogBashChat and join us all for a blogging chat on the first Sunday of every month 7pm British time. It’s a great little thing that’s growing and you get to find out more about blogging and Bloggers! The last chat was yesterday and there will be another one next month!
What have you guys been up to?
Keep smiling and blogging!
Simon 🙂
Also find Planet Simon on Twitter
Come and visit find me on my Planet Simon Facebook Page
Find some of my pictures on Instagram
Also look me up on: Pinterest Stumbledupon Wattpad
Hello all and happy Monday to you all, it’s the start of another week and there’s lots going on on Planet Simon and it’s little satellites and as usual I like to keep you all abreast of it all and to make sure that I at least get this post out in any week that I’m busy.
Ralph and his chums are going through more Great Galactic Service Station shennanigans
The Great Galactic Service Station – Part 13
There’s been another two part to the Geeky guide to WordPress
The Geeky Guide to WordPress – Making a Contact Page
The Geeky Guide to WordPress – Customising a Blog Page
My Solar System exploration feature is back too, updated with some nifty custom graphics. Starting i the middle the sun was the first piece in this:
Solar System Exploration – The Sun
escribble has some new stuff coming this week, like my first attempt at an Apple Tar Tatin. If you’ve not visited the site go and have a look, it’s kind of like the more personal and geeky bits from Planet Simon, a bit of the old and some new stuff too! Look out for a new post on Universe of Possibilities this week, how does Sci-Fi make you feel when you read / watch it and how have the big names carried this on over the years?
If you’re on Twitter make sure you follow @BlogBashChat and join us all for a blogging chat on the first Sunday of every month 7pm British time. It’s a great little thing that’s growing and you get to find out more about blogging and Bloggers! The last chat was yesterday and there will be another one next month!
What have you guys been up to?
Keep smiling and blogging!
Simon 🙂
Also find Planet Simon on Twitter
Come and visit find me on my Planet Simon Facebook Page
Find some of my pictures on Instagram
Also look me up on: Pinterest Stumbledupon Wattpad
The assembled crew of motley beings from over the galaxy watched as the timer counted down, a computerised female voice counting down with it, at about seventy the voice was getting out of sync with the numbers, then the segments for the numbers started taking a like of their own. Finally the voice announced.
“Oh stuff it, chamber unlocking! There you go, wakey wakey, rise and shine!” The chamber lit up, then the power started flicking around it and the chamber went dark.
“That went well didn’t it?” The computerised voice returned.
Everyone watched. Waited. Looking at this oldish man in the chamber.
“What are we waiting for?” Whispered Ralph.
“For me to wake up!!!!!” The man’s eyes opened and he jumped up and out of the hibernation chamber and stood before them all. Well here I am, let get this service station going and get the sausage rolls defrosted and heated up. We don’t want to keep all these people waiting now do we?”
Everyone looked at Miranda. “Why me?” She whispered.
“You are the emperor’s daughter!” Harry smugly pointed out.
“Why her what? What’s going on?” The old man asked, somewhat puzzled but there wasn’t a dent in his enthusiasm.
“You’ve been in there a bit longer than you think!” Miranda stated matter of factly.
“A few years never hurt anyone!” The old man continued “How long out of curiosity.”
Harry cut in and pointed at Ralph. “See him?”
“Yes”
“He’s one of the local inhabitants.”
The old man stood closer to Ralph “My God, either you’ve had a damn good shave or I’m looking at a bit of evolution here. The last time I saw one of you you were swinging in the trees and picking the hair off each others back!” Looking down at his shirt he spied the ketchup stain “not much has changed I see, just lost the excess hair!” The man chuckled to himself.
“Oi!”
“Relax will you?” The old mad slapped him on the arm. “Right, where the others?” He turned around and looked into the other hibernation modules. He stopped and suddenly his enthusiasm was gone.
“Oh.” He sadly muttered.
“That’s what I mean, you’ve been in there, a long, long time!” Miranda comforted him.
“They – they were my friends. We were in this together and now…” The old man sat cross legged on the floor now quite despondent. In what was a move that surprised Ralph Gaz walked over to him, placing his small hand on his shoulder he calmly and softly (or as calmly and softly as a grating gargoyle can) told him.
“I know, something similar happened to me too!”
Harry joined him Gaz “Same for me.”
Now Ralph was suspicious, Harry was doing another one of his wind ups. Miranda went around to look the old man in the face. ” I know this is hard” She told him sympathetically. “But we have to get this station functional, there are hundreds of stranded spacecraft on Earth and hundreds more blockading the planet ready blow each other away. “Will you help us?”
The old man nodded.
“f you can give me the keys to the station I can start if you want to stay here a while?”
The old man slowly got up, wiped his face and walked over to a bulkhead door. “Access for 6121 Flartislap.”
“Access is slapping me in the face with a HUGE humpback whale!” The female computer voice returned. “What I mean is The whale is granted. I mean oh get on with it!”
The doors parted and there before them was the trading area of the Great Galactic Service Station, thick with dirt but it was vast and a clear view out to the spaceports beyond. Ralph actually felt excited.
“Right!” The old man shouted “Flartislap here get on with it!” With this he clapped and five or six pepper pot shaped droise sprang out from hatches around the room and started cleaning up. With vacuums coming out of their heads and brushes and air cleansers in a few moments Ralph could see this was a colourful place, blues and yellows and greens and purples, lights of all kinds of colours began activating.
“I thought that was a code – not his name!” Ralph whispered to Miranda.
“Different times!” Was all Miranda could come back with.
“That should get this place cleaned up soon.” Flartislap told Miranda purposefully.
Harry was at the freezers and was holding up a packet of sausage rolls and pasties. “These expired after six months!” He told Flartislap.
“It’s ok” He replied “Everyone knows if you freeze this it doesn’t matter what the off date is!”
“Maybe for a few years, but a few million?!?”
“They’ll be fine!” Insisted Flarislap. “Get your aprons on and get cooking! You – Ape man! Have you learned how to cook on your world yet?”
For a moment Ralph was wondering how to answer this, he was bit offended then he tucked his arms in like a monkey “Ooh, ooh, yeah! We cook meat over open fire – we advanced!”
Miranda choked and she stopped herself from laughing.
“Good!” Flartislap continued, pointing and gesticulating “Go and take sausage rolls to hot thing over there. Put in hot thing at one hundred and eighty celsius for 30 bangs and then slapper me five them into the bright and warm thing. Don’t light fine. This advanced cooking. You understand me ape man?”
“Don’t be silly of course I do!” Ralph replied, snatching the boxes from Harry and wandering off with them.
“There’s hope for them yet!” Flartislap nodded “You, pretty lady, what do I call you?”
“I’m Miranda, what can I do?”
“Help the ape man and make sure he doesn’t start a fire and get them all to line up in an orderly queue out there!”
“I think Gaz is onto the orderly bit!” Miranda smiled raising an eyebrow.
“Oi you lot get in here!” He grated “But don’t cause a pile up!”
Things seemed to be going normally for a moment, Harry was even helping and Boris had put on a maids apron and was trying to place cream cakes out in the chiller counter. then the station started shaking, vibrating and then this God awful tune if you could call it that started resonating from the surfaces of the station. Boris’s cakes exploded with cream thrown in every direction, sausage rolls flew from every end to every other end.
Then something even worse came through Teresa’s voice “I’m here to get my damn pasties, I’m not waiting in line! The Borian’s will get there first!”
What is not generally well known about Theresa May is she’s a Praxian from Praxia seventeen, they’re known throughout the galaxy as having the worst rock music ever. Back in her day Theresa was a head banger and this with the music has caused irreparable brain damage. Praxian music is well known for making the brains bleed from any other race. Some heads have even exploded. This is what the station had just been subjected to. In here old age Theresa has calmed a bit and this was soothing music. Even so the results are devastating. One of the cleaner robots found the nearest airlock and shot themselves out of it as the vacuum of space is less painful.
Her rating continued, even Gaz couldn’t make her get in line and dock her ship like any normal person.
“I see no reason why I should wait and pay after all this long. This isn’t the NHS you know… I’m taking over that station and I’m going to lock everyone else out! If you resist I will destroy you all!”
To be continued…
©Simon Farnell 2018
Also fin Planet Simon on Twitter
Come and visit find me on my Planet Simon Facebook Page
Find some of my pictures on Instagram
Also look me up on: Pinterest Stumbledupon Wattpad
As this post goes out the UK is enjoying a public holiday and that includes me too. I hope everyone yesterday had a good Easter. I’m still not sure how eggs and bunnies have anything to do with the resurrection of Jesus Christ but there you go.
So what’s been going on here on Planet Simon, well have a look at the blog roll, But The Great Galactic Service Station Part 12 was posted on Friday, the there was 10 Things to know in the Solar System This week10 Things to know in the Solar System This week and The Second Part of the Geeky Guide to WordPress.
What’s interesting about writing the Geeky Guide to WordPress is that it’s obvious that there’s bloggers out there with problems and are being quiet about it. What I would say is ask… Not just me but other bloggers that have been around a while.
Universe of Possibility saw some action last week too, a post on Sci-Fi Moments – When Machines Die that was originally posted here on Planet Simon. Despite the fact hat they’re just machines or robots, in the scifi world we can get very attached to them and maybe shed a tear when they’re trashed.
Another thing I’ve noticed this week, was the presence of a troll going about leaving not nice comments about, nothing nasty just annoying and not necessary. If you get this and it bothers you, let someone know. I’ve told this person to do one and they turned on me. Meh, whatever. But if you’re the person and reading this, save your time, mine and anyone else’s and just bugger off.
I’ve know I’ve promised to get some posts going about using InkScape and Gimp for the budding artists out there, patience, it’s taking a bit longer than I hoped to get this started but I’m hoping it’s going to be really good once I’m there.
Also watch out for the solar system exploration series returning, with some snappy graphics and updated information I hope this will turn into the project I originally envisioned.
escribble has some new stuff coming this week, like my first attempt at an Apple Tar Tatin. If you’ve not visited the site go and have a look, it’s kind of like the more personal and geeky bits from Planet Simon, a bit of the old and some new stuff too! Look out for a new post on Universe of Possibilities this week, how does Sci-Fi make you feel when you read / watch it and how have the big names carried this on over the years?
If you’re on Twitter make sure you follow @BlogBashChat and join us all for a blogging chat on the first Sunday of every month 7pm British time. It’s a great little thing that’s growing and you get to find out more about blogging and Bloggers!
What have you guys been up to?
Keep smiling and blogging!
Simon 🙂
Also find Planet Simon on Twitter
Come and visit find me on my Planet Simon Facebook Page
Find some of my pictures on Instagram
Also look me up on: Pinterest Stumbledupon Wattpad
The ground shook under all of them, like an earthquake the shaking grew. Even the fighting cronies stopped their scrapping and stood, waiting for whatever was going to happen next. The ground shook so severely that all but a few were knocked to ground.
A huge crack opened into the ground, some of the few remaining cards fell into the crevice. Ralph pushed himself up, mouth wide open as he watched the ground parting and from the crevice a huge tube like structure, pushed up and supported like a metal tree trunk. The quake subsided and the structure rose higher and higher, Ralph tried to look as it rose but soon he was flat on his back watching as it disappeared from sight.
As he stared suddenly he saw a small black object falling toward him, smacking him straight on his forehead he grasped his head “OW!” Ralph protested, it was only a small stone but it must have fallen from some sign as he thought to himself that hurt (Or words to that effect).
When he opened his eyes again Miranda was stood over him “Come on Ralph! We’ve got to get back to the ship before these bozo’s do!” Pulling him up with what Ralph thought was surprising force, Miranda dragged him with Gaz and the two Tapians silently in tow.
“Get us up quick Harry!” Miranda shouted forward as the stringy alien rush forward. He pointed a device at the spaceship and pressed a button. The lights flashed and a ‘peep, peep’ like a human car unlocking. They all charged up the ramp, Miranda still pulling at Ralph. The one one up was a puffing Boris who collapsed on the floor when he got onto the craft.
“Harry get up up and our of here!” Miranda shouted. Harry was already stabbing at the controls and the craft lifted up, leaving behind a number of leaders of different races looking on with bleeding noses, teeth marks in their skin with a n=few nursing the odd black eye.
It would be fair to say at this point that they were… irritated.
It’s prudent to note at this point that irritated people are the number one source of problems throughout the galaxy. It happens when one or more being encounter one or more other beings from somewhere else. In complete innocence one or either does something quite by accident (or sometimes on purpose but let’s gloss over that) and in this interaction someone gets irritated.
What happens next depends on the irritation threshold of the person(s) who have been irritated. If it’s low then some kind of intense disagreement takes place and the two parties part company somewhat disgruntled and often causing more irritation.
For those who’s irritation level is high, the irritation festers, accumulates, grows and finally explodes in some kind of massive ball of intense anger. If anyone walks away from this they are considered lucky. This detail will help the reader gauge the kind of unstable uncertainty that now existed in the Watford Gap service station car park.
“What’s the hurry?” Ralph asked, almost fearing he knew the answer. Miranda didn’t answer just gave him a look that told him he should know better. Ralph just found a seat at the back of the control centre and was surprised to see Boris on the seat next to him stiff puffing away.
The spacecraft rose, following the huge metal support structure towards the service station.
“You see young man” Boris started talking to Ralph, he wasn’t sure if he should be glad or scared. “Now that the service station has been found, it needs to be activated so we can all use it”
“Don’t you just turn the light on and stuff?”
Boris chuckled “There’s a bit more to this!”
Ralph felt the ship come to a halt, the mechanical clamps that locked the ship’s docking port to the station locked fast.
“Right!” Miranda announced “We need you two now!” She demanded pointing at the two Tapians.
“What is it with them? They don’t speak!” Ralph asked Boris.
“They’re telepathic creatures, they don’t say a word and before you ask, their human appearance isn’t their real appearance!”
“Oh!” Was the only reply that Ralph could fathom.
“Lets go, you lot, even you Boris!” Miranda ushered everyone out of the airlock and into the station. “IRIS, keep an eye out for approaching ships and warn them off until we have the station activated. I think there’s going to be a rush for a while!”
IRIS harrumphed her response.
Ralph followed Boris out, looking down all those miles to the planet below, the metallic floor had panels of thick clear stuff. Ralph thought it could be glass but it was probably something space age and technical. The only light coming into the entry bay was from the planet, the station was dark and cold like he had stepped out into a frosty night on Earth.
“Is this made out of some kind of see through space material?” Ralph shouted to Miranda.
“Yup, you got it Ralph. We call it glass!”
Ralph shrugged and followed the rest of them towards a huge bulkhead door. The two tapians looked at each other and then pressed their hands to the door and closed their eyes.
“What’s going on?” Ralph whispered to Miranda.
“The station is unlocked with a telepathic key, the reason I got these two was becasue they’re basically a binary telepathic key. The station won’t activate without them.”
“They’re on the only key to this station?” Ralph asked in disbelief.
“They weren’t, but in the search for the station the Borians found the others and when they couldn’t tell them where the station was they shot them into space!” Miranda glared at Boris while relaying this little story.
Boris shrugged “We were sure they told the truth!”
Miranda’s unimpressed look made even Boris flinch. The seconds passed and nothing happened then suddenly light flickered and the station was in brightness, outside the station a red neon light wording The Great Galactic Service Station in fancy writing flickered into life and the station illuminated into pretty colours.
Back inside there was a further wait, the cold was getting to Ralph, blowing into his hands as he waited. Waited. Waited.
The door split open and four tubes in a line, tilted back could be seen. Miranda walked over to one, sweeping away the ice with her hand to reveal a human looking being, a bit older he thought with a big long beard. Harry cleared another to reveal a skeleton. The other two tube’s occupants had died long ago too.
“Let’s get him out of there!” Miranda whispered under her breath. “Activate!”
At the top of the tube a red digital display began to count down from 100.
“Please tell me this isn’t a bomb!” Ralph pleaded.
To be continued…
©Simon Farnell 2018
Also fin Planet Simon on Twitter
Come and visit find me on my Planet Simon Facebook Page
Find some of my pictures on Instagram
Also look me up on: Pinterest Stumbledupon Wattpad
Dare I say that Spring is finally here in the UK? The clocks Sprung forward yesterday (see what I did there) so if you got to work this morning and found that everyone had already been there ages you now know why.
With Spring comes more outdoors stuff and less time for sitting around writing blog posts, I’m not sure how my blogging and writing will be affected. What about you guys? How does it change for you and what (f anything) do you change in your writing schedule?
Last week saw a bit more activity on Planet Simon, I didn’t around to the next part of The Great Galactic Service Station but I did post my review of Ellie Maloney’s 329 Years Awake. Read the post and then read the book… that’s all I will say!
Planet Simon is still undergoing reorganisation, I’m getting pages and Menu’s sorted so that all the great content on here that you want to find CAN be found. The Titan Mystery and The Great Galactic Service Station have got nicely laid out menu’s making it really easy for you readers to find posts…
There’s going to be the next part of the Geeky Guide to WordPress, if you missed it Part 1 is here: The Geeky Guide to WordPress – Part 1
I’ve know I’ve promised to get some posts going about using InkScape and Gimp for the budding artists out there, patience, it’s taking a bit longer than I hoped to get this started but I’m hoping it’s going to be really good once I’m there.
Also watch out for the solar system exploration series returning, with some snappy graphics and updated information I hope this will turn into the project I originally envisioned.
escribble has a new post up this morning a found poem on Mad Mike the Rocket man and hopefully a bit more as well this week. If you’ve not visited the site go and have a look, it’s kind of like the more personal and geeky bits from Planet Simon, a bit of the old and some new stuff too! Look out for a new post on Universe of Possibilities this week, how does Sci-Fi make you feel when you read / watch it and how have the big names carried this on over the years?
If you’re on Twitter make sure you follow @BlogBashChat and join us all for a blogging chat on the first Sunday of every month 7pm British time. It’s a great little thing that’s growing and you get to find out more about blogging and Bloggers!
What have you guys been up to?
Keep smiling and blogging!
Simon 🙂
Also find Planet Simon on Twitter
Come and visit find me on my Planet Simon Facebook Page
Find some of my pictures on Instagram
Also look me up on: Pinterest Stumbledupon Wattpad
You know last week I said it was starting to feel like Spring – well bang went that on Saturday with snow falling – ALL DAY! It’s bright and sunny today but damn cold, the thing is British Summer Time starts this coming Sunday – it ain’t no summer yet! It feels a little like the film Groundhog Day (Which I love btw) with the snow repeatedly coming back and keeping us in the grip of winter.
Something on my mind right now is the often unpleasant attitudes of others online. Suzie has had to step away from years of work on #SundayBlogShare becasue of constant verbal and hashtag abuse and Holly has found her work plagiarized. It’s not all roses and out there bloggies, take care and be prepared for all kind of hate including plagiarism. The problem I often see with trying to do something about it is that it’s seen has hating when all you’re trying to do is defend your own hard work. I have no answer for this, just be mindful and try and not let it get you down if it happens becasue this seems to be a common thing in the blogging life.
I mentioned in a recent blog post Ellie Maloney and her book 329 Years Awake. I am going to try and write a post on the book this week and what I thought for it. For all you scifi fans out there I’m hoping to make this a bit of a treat – not that I’m setting the bar high or anything!
I’m going to bite the bullet this week and start my ‘Geek’s Guide to WordPress’ series, at the moment there’s about 10 part written or planned but this could be ongoing if there’s enough support for this. I’m actually finding out stuff about WordPress I’ve forgotten and it reminds me of how much there is to take in with learning to blog in WordPress.
I had the fortune of being mentioned by Lacey in the Big and Pinky Toes blog where she had spotted and shared my post on taking hand sketches through to digital designs. Theres’ going to be more posts on this soon but for now, thank you Lacey for that! 🙂
Planet Simon still has a few changes going on – keep an eye out to help you guys access my short stories. The Great Galactic Service Station now has its own page and I’m going arrange the menu’s so individual story parts can be accessed from the menu. Don’t say I don’t do anything for you guys! ;-P
escribble has been a bit neglected in the last week or so a has Universe of Possibilities so I’m hoping to try and change that this week with some new material. But have a look at these blogs anyway and given them some support of you feel you want to!
If you’re on Twitter make sure you follow @BlogBashChat and join us all for a blogging chat on the first Sunday of every month 7pm British time. It’s a great little thing that’s growing and you get to find out more about blogging and Bloggers!
That’s it really not much going on! What have you guys been up to?
Keep smiling and blogging!
Simon 🙂
Also find Planet Simon on Twitter
Come and visit find me on my Planet Simon Facebook Page
Find some of my pictures on Instagram
Also look me up on: Pinterest Stumbledupon Wattpad
