Dear Fat People 2

For me, this video struck a nerve. If you haven't seen it yet, don't go looking for it because this person doesn't deserve the view or recognition. The content of the video was abrasive, crude, disrespectful, degrading, and uncalled for.
To shame someone based on whether they are skinny or fat is wrong. Not all people have to be a size 00. Not all people have to be a size 16. What all people have to be is tolerant of the lifestyles people are living around them. Notice that I used a specific word in there; tolerant. Webster defines tolerant as "willing to accept feelings, habits, or beliefs that are different from your own." It isn't your business that someone is 300 pounds. It isn't your business that someone is 100 pounds. It isn't your place to point out what you believe to be a flaw in another person. Did you create that human you're criticizing? Have you interviewed people of a particular weight/size and talk about reasons why they are that way? You might be calling out someone you saw in the supermarket and they were so skinny that their skin was almost transparent, and you could see where each bone started and stopped. But maybe that person you're so quick to judge hasn't set foot in a supermarket for years because of an eating disorder, and they're just starting to get better. You might be calling out the person who was overweight in front of you at the bank, but what you don't know is that they've lost 50 pounds already. 
There is so much more to each and every human being that's ever walked this earth than what you can see. If you have the nerve to look at someone and tell them they need to eat more, or eat less, because of their size, then I hope you choke on your own spit from now until the end of time. No one has the right to tell someone else how to live their life. No one.
One specific thing I would like to address is something that was said in the video when the YouTuber claimed her previous video directed toward "fat people" was her talking about caloric intake. First of all, if you are overweight and go from eating 10,000 calories a day and try to drop to only 2,000 calories a day you are setting yourself up for failure. Many people who are overweight suffer from eating disorders. It's psychological. You can't bully someone who is addicted to cocaine into quitting, you're only making the addiction worse by feeding that fire of insecurities that person has. What someone trying to eat healthy, and be at a healthy weight, can do is instead of reaching for a junk food snack like candy, chips, or ice cream try and eat fruits, nuts, or yogurt instead. It's easy to get swept up in the diet tornado and be spat back out, worse off than you were before. It doesn't make it any easier to have someone who doesn't struggle with losing or gaining weight to make fun of you on your journey.
I can guarantee you that after her first video, the backlash she received for the content hurt her ego. My goal here isn't to bully her to get even, tell any of you to try and take her down via social media, or to make fun of people who think differently than I do. 
My goal here is to help each and every one of you know that no matter what you weigh, what you look like, or what other people say about you, you are beautiful and unique. Why would I want to promote bullying of any kind?
One day, I hope she finds her comedic humor style. What she's doing now isn't comedy like she claims time and time again throughout her video. Sorry to break it to you sister, but it's bullying and you are being a bully. Honesty is one thing. Having a genuine concern for someone because of their weight is a concern many people today have. But telling someone to stop eating is NOT a solution. That is an eating disorder.
There are young, impressionable girls who look up to so many social media celebrities. I see time and time again such negative, empty, dangerous content being thrown around in the name of comedy. Particularly from this woman. Yes, woman. You would think someone who is supposed to have some type of maternal instinct would be a little more concerned with what she is feeding to the youth of this planet. Nope. It's all about the views, the followers, the subscribers, the likes. 
Instead of focusing on pressing issues, offering some creative ways to help yourself get healthier, or even doing a make up tutorial, she chooses to berate plus size women. She makes the newest swimsuit model on the cover of Sports Illustrated, Ashley Graham, the focal point of her pitiful comedy act. 
I find it funny that this YouTuber decided her opinion of this model was the only opinion anyone watching should have; she didn't deserve to be on the cover, and she was only doing it for the money. Again on her part, there is no research, personal experience, interviews, no content in her video other than what she thinks about the plus size community of women. It's not constructive by any means like she desperately tried to prove at the end of the video, showing photos of people's transformations after her first video was posted. You shouldn't bully someone into the person you think they should be. Who is she to judge this model? Who is she to judge anyone? 
Anyway, all I'm saying is if you decide to pick at a problem without offering a constructive solution, they you're part of the problem. Don't use your words, platforms, messages, social media, etc. for bullying other people. Differences in humanity is what makes it so beautiful. We pay money to go scuba diving and see all the varieties of fish around the world, yet we are so quick to tear down anyone different than ourselves. 
If you do decide to identify a problem you think people have, do yourself a favor and research the topic. You wouldn't want to look stupid ranting on with nothing but your own ill thought out opinion backing you up. After all, you are trying to "help" others, right?
Think before you speak.
Always research a topic before talking about it.
Live long and prosper.

March's Featured Author Winner!

For those of you new to the blog, welcome to the family! I would like to start posting original work from authors around the globe looking to expand their reading audience. I'm a firm believer in networking and fellow writers sticking together in today's dog-eat-dog publishing world. If you're interested in becoming one of Planet Earth With Ember's featured authors, please leave a comment below and I will be in touch with you.
After a wonderful submission of a fine short story, and reaching 500 views on the blog, I am proud to announce Planet Earth With Ember's very first featured author of the month! Congratulations to Clarisse Cockrill for your winning submission. Since this type of post is so new, check back weekly to find out when Ms.Cockrill's work will be uploaded.
You can look forward to reading about Ms.Cockrill on March 1st, and don't forget to check back in to read the wonderful short story she has written!
I look forward to working with all of you interested, all of you readers, and a huge thank you- congratulations- huzzah to Ms.Cockrill for your winning submission. 
As always,
Live long and prosper. 

It's the Little Things

I've been having one of those days where I start to appreciate very odd things in life. Though I had some genuinely good ideas on what to write about in this post, my mind kept bringing me back to all the really weird little things you take for granted until complete and utter despair rears its ugly head.
Like being able to breathe through your nose. Currently, I'm suffering from heavy mouth breathing syndrome. Whether it be from a cold, allergies, or crying I never seem to appreciate being able to breathe through my nose until I can't anymore.

Just when I think I might be making a wisp of progress, something gets into my eye. It might me microscopic and my eyes are just so advanced that they can pinpoint and feel whenever anything falls past those bastards the eyelashes. But I never knew how normal, healthy, and not painful my eye felt until there's a synthetic white cur of fuzz suctioned onto the white of my eyeball and there's nothing I can do but shine a light in my eye causing temporary blindness. For the number of times a day fuzz, dirt, dust, hair, multiple eyelashes get into my eye you would think I would appreciate when those mascara clumping schmucks actually do their job. Nope. Not until I'm begging God for mercy on my baby blues.

Finally, the face invader gets removed from its landing zone. And I come to find out there's a cut in my mouth left by some unidentifiable something at some point earlier that day. How can you enjoy Valentine's Day chocolate when half of your mouth is savoring the flavor, but the other half is being doused with napalm? Those sweet moments when your mouth is at its peak are moments you'll dream of having while your tongue acts as salt against the abrasion. Good luck drinking your morning coffee.

Even the coffee gets you. I know, you thought it was your ride-or-die, your number one, the only thing looking out for you when the universe needed a laugh. No, in the end, all will betray you. The cut on your gums is nothing compared to the burn now on your tongue. All because the coffee wanted to stay extra hot inside your thermos. No amount of cream and sugar can help you out of the bitter revenge of the bean. You'll never be able to taste again (or for the next week).
Remember that thing that keeps getting in your eye? Well, it was nice enough to migrate one ball over and share the wealth.

Because of all these horrible things becoming of your face, you hardly notice that your foot is completely numb. Or at least you don't notice it until you try to walk. Then that lovely pins and needles feeling makes you wonder what it was like to not have a sleeping foot, and you question why you would let your foot be asleep in the first place. 

Everything is running against you, and you're losing. That's what I felt like today. It all started with a betrayal of one of my own, what gets me tons of compliments throughout the day, and what completes outfits; my eyelashes. Then, after tearing up, I can't breathe through my nose and become Vader himself. The dark side does not, in fact, have cookies. It does have plenty of chips to cut the inside of your mouth, and coffee to singe the rebellion out of your tongue.

I wish you the best of luck if you find yourself in any of these awful places. You know life's true pain.

For all of you,
Live long and prosper.

Valentine's Day Reading

Valentine's Day can be positively and negatively anticipated. If this day/time of the year is a particularly difficult time for you, it helps if you can distract yourself and help your mind wander. Books are the easiest way to get your immediate focus off of what's in front of you. As an avid reader, I've had the pleasure of going on hundreds of adventures. Here are a few books to get you through the love sick season.

• The Guardian Nicholas Sparks 
• This book is one of my all time favorites to read. Not only does it have the romance factor, but it's also a mystery thriller. You follow Julie on a journey to find love after her husband died and left her completely alone in the world. A heart wrenching tale about the love she has with her Great Dane named Singer, her best friend Mike, and the new tall drink of water that walked into the salon where she cuts hair, Richard. All while she's searching for someone to love, someone is stalking her. Take the journey and try to solve the mystery filled with the unseen, abductions, and even murder. Be ready to laugh, to cry, and to mourn the loss of someone else near and dear to Julie.
•  The 5th Wave Rick Yancey
• Geared more toward the teen audience, The 5th Wave is a story about how Cassie Sullivan will do whatever it takes to find her baby brother, Sam. Still holding his teddy bear from when he was taken from her, she travels through what is now Earth in search of where they've taken Sam. She meets an unsuspecting ally along the way, Evan Walker. There's teen love, drama, and humanity's fight to survive. It's a quick read, though the book looks menacingly large. The writing is easy to understand based on the reading level it was written for, and it will distract you from anything Valentine's Day.
•  Eragon Christopher Paolini
• Eragon is my favorite fantasy book of all time. I first read it when I was twelve on a family vacation in North Carolina, and I've been in love with the beautiful Alagaesia ever since. Paolini writes you on a journey following Eragon and a mysterious sapphire stone he found while hunting in the fear Spine mountain range. Unknowingly in possession of the greatest treasure of his generation, Eragon travels across Alagaesia to try and find the Varden, the rebels fighting against King Galbatorix's tyrannous reign over the land. He was once a Dragon Rider, sworn to protect the races of Alagaesia and keep peace reigning through the land. But he, along with other Riders that believed in his cause called the Forsworn, brought the once great reign of the Dragon Riders to an end by eradicating them. Now the last of his kind, Galbatorix is too powerful for anyone in Alagaesia to oppose him. That is, until Eragon finds out exactly what the sapphire stone he has really is.
•  The Call of the Wild Jack London
• Follow Buck as he's abducted from his life as a house dog and is forced into the ferocious life of a sled dog. Beaten into submission, Buck learns how to survive because of his ancestors the wolves. Taken back to his wild roots Buck becomes the strongest, most cunning animal to pad along the trails. His only desire is to be free from those who oppress him. Will Buck ever regain his freedom and return to his beloved master, or will the call of the wild be too strong for him to ever return? 

Each of these books can be pleasing to a mass of different readers. Choose which one best suits you, and follow each character on the biggest journeys of their lives. Leave me a comment with which one you chose and how you liked reading it! If you've already read one or all of these, comment below what you liked most about the book(s)! There are so many books on the market today that there will be something for everyone, and if you think of any other books that are your favorites, please comment and share!
Happy Valentine's Day.

Live long and prosper. 

R.I.P. Resolutions

We're well into February in 2016, and for many people, their resolutions have long since been abandoned. Don't be discouraged for falling behind. Use the slack time to put some gasoline on the fire and start again! It's easy to procrastinate resolutions, especially when you've convinced yourself that you'll start it tomorrow, this weekend, or after that meeting on Monday. It's hard to attain some of the resolutions we set up for ourselves coming into the New Year.
Instead of beating yourself up about where you've fallen short, start making monthly goals to help you achieve that end-goal resolution. Whether it's losing twenty pounds, writing a novel, or fixing an antique car, trying to do that in the course of January is impossible (or close to it). People tend to let their resolutions fall by the wayside because of how big they are. That's why giving yourself a checklist, something for you to do every month, will immensely help you reach whatever your goal is. Seeing that progress through the weeks motivates you to keep working hard. The results are already showing because you've got a plan on how to achieve your goal.
This blog was started because of a resolution that I've never had before: help someone grow. In the past, I've had my fair share of New Year's resolutions. But none of them were to help benefit someone other than myself. After having a miscarriage two months ago, I didn't know how, or who, to reach out to for help. It's hard enough mourning the loss of an unborn child, but not having a support system around you makes it even harder. Still going through the healing process, I decided that I didn't want to succumb to my depression anymore. It was time to reach out and help someone grow. In life, many people search for happiness in all the wrong places. I think true happiness comes from watching someone else flourish in their life, and know that you helped them along the way. Planet Earth With Ember is my way of reaching out to anyone who is searching for help. You're not alone, and you never will be.
Anyway, having a list of a handful of things you can do every month allows you to see the results. What better way to get yourself hyped up than to watch as your blog views go into the hundreds, or watch the numbers on the scale get smaller and smaller? Discouragement comes when we let the matter (resolution) become over our minds. There's the cliche saying "mind over matter," and it couldn't be more accurate. The only person, thing, obstacle holding you back from achieving your goals is you. Ordinary every day people are the ones that do the most extraordinary things; change. Why not finally hike that mountain? Why not learn how to cook a five course meal? Who said you can't drive through cities, countries, continents? Why not today? What is so important that you can't be happy and love the life you're living?
Love yourself. Help you help yourself by setting attainable goals. David didn't defeat Goliath by charging at him straight on, untrained and unprepared to battle a giant. He used a pebble and a slingshot. These monthly goals are your pebble and sling shot made to help you defeat the Goliath that is your resolution.
Have faith in yourself. The Roman Empire wasn't built in a day.
Good luck to all of you.
And as always,
Live long and prosper.

Puppy Parenthood: Story Time

In the past 6 months, there have been too many times I find myself posting on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter about Copper and all of his shenanigans. For those of you knew to puppy parenthood, be ready to laugh until you cry, cry until you laugh, and have a love/hate relationship with your puppy's behavior in the beginning. All of this will make you love your puppy that much more.

One of my favorite memories with Copper is his weird obsession with a T-shirt. They day my husband brought him home to me, we rushed to the pet store to pick out anything and everything we would "need." A lot of the toys we first got him he wouldn't even sniff at. At the time, I thought it would be a good idea to put something that had my scent and my husband's scent in his kennel, so he could always smell us. (It helps the puppy get used to their new family.) Anyway, Copper had one of my husband's socks, and one of my old T-shirts. This particular shirt I'd had since I was a sophomore in high school, so it had seen better days. It wasn't anything special to me, just a white shirt with Bob Marley on it. I called it my house shirt. Copper never  wanted to play with anything, snuggle anything, or have anything other than this shirt for months. He still has it, not torn to shreds, and plays with it daily. The sock has long since been destroyed because Copper makes a game out of things being chewed to shreds. However, this shirt is his most prized possession. Whenever people come over, he brings them this shirt as a welcome gift. I have no idea why this ratty old thing is so much better than the hundreds of dollars of toys we bought him, but it is. At least in his mind.

I'm not sure if it's because he gets so tired while playing, but the shirt brought on something I find hilarious: sleeping positions. I would find him on his back under the kitchen chairs, sprawled across a pile of toys (at least they were good for something), and sleeping sprawled half in/half out of his dog bed. His tongue would lay out to the side, his eyes would flutter, his legs kicked out, and the quiet barking were all signs of him having a successful post-play nap. While he sleeps, I got to know something very strange for such a small puppy: he snores like an old man. He was just ten pounds when I first got him, but if you heard him snore, you wouldn't believe such a noise could ever come from something so cute and tiny. Surprise! It did.

He also learned early on to let them rip. If you've ever smelled burning garbage with rotten eggs, onions, gasoline, or a funeral home consider yourself lucky. All of those things smell better than when Copper cuts the cheese. Sometimes I wonder if my eyes are going to be burnt out of their sockets. I can't even get fresh air because the stench follows him. When we went home for Christmas, we stayed with my parents. They thought I was over-exaggerating when I would describe the odor coming from the cute, fluffy, bundle of puppy. Unfortunately for them, they were given the chance to smell first hand what this fur baby could do. My father gagged, my mother tried to cover her face with a throw blanket, and my sister fell while trying to leap over the back of the couch and escape the radius of Copper's gaseous fog. 

As much of a stink as this dog brings, he also is the world's snuggliest puppy. Every morning after he goes outside, we run back into my room and climb into bed. He wiggles around until I lift the covers, and then dives under them. In my lap, he curls up against me with a hold on one (or both) of my legs. I know he's asleep when I hear the sound of a hibernating bear coming from somewhere under the sea of covers. Right now, as I'm typing this post on my tiny phone, he's curled up next to me on the couch starting to snore.

Wherever I go, he goes. Always. My husband thinks it's funny that I have a puppy shadow. Sometimes I want to be able to turn around without tripping over four paws and a tail. But it's times like these, him snuggled up against me, that makes all the smells, falls, money spent on unplayed with toys, all worth it. 

Copper is now close to forty pounds, has more energy than ever, but the one thing that hasn't changed is his need to be with me all the time. I hope that it never changes. 

If any of you have a fur baby story time that you'd like to share, please leave a comment. Nothing beats talking about puppies! For the rest of you, this will be my last Puppy Parenthood post for a few weeks. 

And as always,

Live long and prosper.

Puppy Parenthood: Playtime

When you first bring home your puppy, the excitement to play is instilled in both you and puppy. All those toys you spent hundreds of dollars on just might fall by the wayside to a sock, a stick, or even puppy's own tail. It's frustrating to want to play fetch, but your puppy couldn't care less about the ball in your hand. Here are a few things you can try to get use out of the toys you buy.

1. Don't buy every toy in the store. You haven't had the time to get to know your puppy, so don't waste the time and money buying every toy. Get a handful of different types, textures, sizes, and sounds. Doing this exposes your puppy to a multitude of different kinds of toys that are out there. Puppy might not like tennis balls, but loves a squeaky toy shaped like a football. Let them choose what they like to play with.
2. Watch your puppy. This might seem like the most obvious thing you do when you become a pet owner. What I mean is watch your puppy when he plays. If he/she doesn't pay attention to the tennis balls scattered around on the floor, but high tails it to play with the leaves on the plant in the corner every chance they get, think about getting them a rope toy. The long string on each end are similar to the leaves; they move easily, have a different texture than puppy has experienced, and it can be a challenge to pull apart. Your puppy will tell you a lot if you take the time to observe their interests.
3. Take puppy to the pet store with you. (***Be careful taking your puppy to the store without being vaccinated. Talk to your veterinarian about when you would be able to take the field trip before you do.***) Let puppy walk around the toy isle and test things out. They will go for the toys that are appealing to them. Don't shove multiple toys to them because it can be overstimulating for your puppy.  Give them freedom to explore all the toy isles and choose their favorite one.
4. Choose times when puppy plays with their favorite toy. Allowing them full access to every toy that you've bought them can result in puppy getting bored with the toys. If you remove certain toys and then reintroduce them later, it's like getting a brand new toy for your puppy. This also makes playtime more exciting for both you and your puppy. 
5. Change the playtime environment. It's easy to stay cooped up inside with your tiny pup. But if you have a large breed dog, they won't be tiny for long. Try taking them outside and let them explore. This change stimulates their puppy brains and acts as a new toy. Allow your puppy some time to adjust outside before you start throwing more toys their way. Once they're comfortable, try tossing a toy around. Don't expect your puppy to know how to fetch right away. Some puppies automatically fetch, but many times you have to teach your puppy that activity. Many puppies love to run around and chase you, which is great exercise for you and your pup!  
6. Interact with your puppy. New puppy parents love spending every possible second with their fluffy bundle of joy. It's easy to be less enthusiastic six months down the road when the initial puppy love wears off. Make sure that you take time to interact with your puppy in play. Not only will your puppy be happy to play with you, but you can also work on obedience training while in play. Have puppy "sit" and "stay" while throwing a toy around. Your puppy will want that toy much like they'd want a treat during training. If your puppy takes the toy and moves away from you to play alone, allow them the freedom to do individual play. Don't give in if they come running back to you after you've gone to sit on the couch. When they play alone, it means you are no longer available to play with them. They'll learn that when you are on the floor/outside with the toys, it's time for group play. When you're on the couch, it's time for individual play. 
7. Take your puppy to the park. (***Don't take puppy to the park without being vaccinated. Talk to your veterinarian about when you would be able to take the field trip before you do.***) It can be the park where your kids love to swing, or a dog park in your local area. Dog parks are great because there are other dogs there running around wanting to play, and your puppy can socialize. I've found that this makes my puppy the most tired after play. He loves interacting with the other dogs, chasing each other, and getting treats from some of the other puppy parents! Regular parks are an open field of new smells, sights, people, and animals.

Every puppy is different, so take these suggestions as grains of salt. Learn what your puppy likes and dislikes, and do what works best for your relationship. They crave your attention, and sometimes giving them just that is better than any toy they could play with. Time together will teach you just as much as they learn. Remember that when puppies are young, their playtime tends to be short. As they grow, it becomes longer. (Something I've learned is the harder they play, the harder they nap!) Try some of these and let me know what works for you and your pup!

Live long and prosper.