Published!!!

A few weeks ago, I decided to publish some of my poems in a book called “Appreciate Life”. The poems in this chapbook of poetry are meant to create an introspective view of all aspects of life. The topics include love, joy, melancholy, loss, hope and optimism.

Visit http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/amaryllisturman to check out my eBook and please leave a review for me.

Thank you so much for your support!

This is news???

http://www.newser.com/story/137364/facebook-makes-us-feel-bad-about-our-lives.html

I think that Facebook makes me feel better about my life. But I was never one of those people that was always looking at others thinking that I want what they have. I like my life. I try not to be a follower, looking at the “Jones” and trying to keep up with what they are doing. If there is something that I want, it should not be because someone else has it. I should want it because it fits into what I like for my situation.

http://www.newser.com/story/137373/overweight-people-should-pay-more-to-fly.html
I agree that grossly overweight people should have to pay more. I do not like being squeezed in my seat because Tubby next to me. However, I do not agree that 165 pounds is normal size and everything over that should be considered overweight. I would venture to say that anything less than 300 pounds can probably fit into a seat without much spillage in my lap if I am sitting next to this portly person.

 

Poem: Wings

Wings

If only I had wings, I would fly away
So much pain and suffering to endure
Twelve long years of abuse, verbal and otherwise
I raise my head towards the heavens,
hands open wide
ready to accept assistance that has not yet reached me
Who can hear my silent pleas?
Who will rescue me?
My childhood has been like living in an eternal winter
Barren, cold darkness
Frigid air numb my nerve endings
Permafrost stunt my growth and transformation
Unable to move as my heartbeat slows
It yearns to escape by any means
I will pray in anticipation for my wings
My deliverance is sure to come


Poem inspired by mixed media artwork entitled "Flight" by Tyrone Geter (Elgin, SC)

You are not the father- the aftermath

This is sad

 

http://justkhaotic.com/2012/01/crime/man-shoots-girlfriend-in-front-of-jail-after-learning-that-he-is-not-the-father-of-her-children/

 

I think about the Maury talk show where  he does paternity tests. When he says, “You are NOT the father,” the crowd goes wild. The man usually jumps up and down in relief. He might even yell at the woman some sort of exclamation how he knew it and she was trying to trick him. Meanwhile, the woman has to deal with the shame of not knowing who the father of her child really is. It is at this point, that she should have a meeker attitude and come to terms with the fact that she was way too promiscuous and having too much unprotected sex at the time of her child’s conception. It all makes for some sort of entertainment.

 

The reality is that not every man is going to be happy at the prospect of finding out he has been cuckolded. With the stresses of life, some people have a very tenuous connection to reality. No one knows what will be the circumstances that lead them to snap. In this case, this man snapped after finding out that the he was not the father. I do not know if he wanted to be a real father that supported and took care of his children or not. But the fact of the matter is that she lied to him and he had to find out the truth from a paternity test. I feel sorry for this girl, her child, and her family. At the same time, I feel sorry for the man who was deceived for whatever length of time into believing that the child was his.

I think that if a woman has not been all together faithful to her boyfriend/husband, there is room for doubt whether or not that child is his. She needs to get the DNA paternity test. Deceit is not fair to possible father or the child.

Thinking in 4s

4 songs that I am addicted to

1.       Rolling in the deep - Adele

2.       Nessum Dorma – Three Mo Tenors

3.       Home – Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros

4.       Nine Million Bicycles – Katie Melua

4 things I cannot live without

1.       Sleep

2.       Food

3.       Cell phone

4.       Creative writing

4 memories I won’t forget

1.       June 1989 – baptism

2.       October 1998 – mom died

3.       December 2009 – international convention

4.       April 2011 – wedding day

4 words I cannot go a day without

1.       Really ?!?!?

2.       Love

3.       Eat

4.       No

 

Georgia anti-obesity ads

Wake up! Obesity is real. A child healthcare organization is trying to bring attention to the issue. The campaign has its supporters and of course there are those who criticize as too harsh.

http://www.hlntv.com/article/2012/01/04/are-georgia-anti-obesity-ads-too-harsh?hpt=hp_c2

Some people feel that this is going to further depress fat children so that they remain in a cycle dependence on food. I think that the ad campaign is a good thing.

The same people that criticize the campaign also say that the campaign should be targeted towards fast food restaurants that present unhealthy options instead of calling young people fat. I think that the campaign cannot go after the fast food industry because this is a capitalist market. Economic principles show that market changes happen because of change in supply or demand. As long as there is a demand for what they are offering, the fast food restaurants will present a supply of cheap, unhealthy foods to be sold. This campaign tries something different. It is focused to the parents and the children (the demand in the market equation). Currently, it is probably a correct assumption that children do not correlate their unhealthy eating habits with their obesity and health problems. If the parents and children demanded more healthier foods, then the fast food restaurants would change their supply to meet the change in market needs.

I do not think that this campaign is saying anything that is mean or unkind. If a child is overweight, that is a fact. Someone needs to tell that child that he/she is overweight and give the child the education and proper diet in order to reach a healthier weight. If the parents are going to be subject to the whims of their children, then it is the children who need to tell the parents what they want so that they can lose weight and be more healthy. It is true that some bullies might use this campaign as additional fodder when making fun of a fat kid, but, even without this campaign, children are bullied for being overweight.

When parents allow their children to eat a diet of French fries and chicken nuggets, there is no wonder that the child is so fat. Instead of teaching the child to be healthy, the parent tries to teach the child to be happy while obese. Keeping in mind that everyone should have some modicum of self-esteem despite their size, they also need to be a healthy weight for their body frame. Some may say this is a vain attempt to demonize those who are not skinny, but the campaign is talking about being healthy. Healthy people usually live longer and have a better quality of life because they are not as sick.

I am sure that it can be difficult for a parent to tell their child “No” to all that cheap processed food since it is a chore to go to the grocery store, buy and cook wholesome food on a daily basis. Parents need to be concerned with the diet of their children because it is their lives that is at stake. Parents that refuse to acknowledge the issue might end up with bigger problems for their children: hypertension, diabetes, and joint replacements. The sad part is that a lot of these conditions are avoidable because they are based on the nutrients or lack thereof that are put into our bodies.

Twilight stars career advice

I have heard that the celebs from Twilight are so popular because of this series that they run the risk of not being able to have a career after Twilight.

 

http://thestir.cafemom.com/entertainment/131074/robert_pattinson_kristen_stewart_arent

 

I read the article in the link above and the comments and it surprised me how many people seem to believe that Robert Pattinson and Kristin Stewart are really good actors. I was like “REALLY?”

Watching the somber, overly morose characters annoyed me. The story is supposed to prove how true love can conquer all. I have to agree in this case true loves seems to succeed even in spite of vapid behavior.

But I digress since this is not a critique of the Twlight movies.

 

Back to the characters. I think they risk not being able to have a career because they cannot really act. The few movies that I have seen that have had Robert Pattinson with a leading role, he seems to replaying his miserable, self-deprecating, self-destructive character without the benefit of being a vampire. Maybe if he plays a different type of character, I will change my opinion.

Kristen Stewart also seems to gravitate towards the roles of dark, somber females that remain of the fringes of society. None of her movie characters have impressed me yet. I am curious to see how she performs in the movie Snow White since that looks like she is playing a lead action actress role. I like that better than the weak-I-cannot-live-without-you type of female.

 

If they can expand their range, I am sure that they could become decent actors. If they keep taking roles that are similar to what Twilight, they will continue to be mediocre actors.

When I say “expand their range”, I mean that they should do something that is completely different from what they are used to doing.

Some examples of actors/actresses that I can think of right off the top of my head that I see as having a wide range: Glenn Close, Dustin Hoffman, Robin Williams, Jack Nicholson, Samuel L Jackson

 

OK woman shoots intruder

I file this story under HILARIOUS

http://www.cnn.com/2012/01/04/justice/oklahoma-intruder-shooting/index.html

 

I feel bad for the woman because she has a baby and her husband died of cancer a week before this happened. Two enterprising low-life guys had the genius idea to rob her on the chance that her husband might have left some potent painkillers feeding their prescription drug addiction. Good thing that she had a shot gun and knew how to use it.

Many would just shoot first and ask questions later, but she was on the phone with 9-1-1 speaking to the operator during the entire ordeal and asked if it was okay to shoot the intruder. Since she barricaded herself, the intruder had no idea what was about to happen. And it is at this part of the story that I begin to chuckle to myself. Tee hee hee.

 He was planning on terrorizing this poor girl and who knows what else? Thankfully he did not get the chance. He got through the door, she saw something shiny and let the shots fly.

Bravo for her!

But this story raises one important question: Where  were the police???

Don’t get me wrong, I am not complaining that she shot him, but that must have been some harrowing experience for her. She was on the phone with the 9-1-1 operator for 20 minutes.

Was the operator so enthralled in the drama that they forgot to dispatch the police?

Did the police know she had a gun and hoped she would save them some paperwork and the county tax money of processing him after an arrest?

 

In any case, the police said that they would not press charges because she shot him in self-defense. I hope this woman, for her baby’s sake, is able to find some security and peace of mind while she continues to grieve for her husband and move on with her life.