My body image was scarred from a very young age. I had always been an emotional eater and I remember first thinking I was fat at four years old. I think I sort of misinterpreted being taller than everyone else as, “Well, I think I’m fat.”

I was a ballerina and figure skate, and I think that those by nature are very negative body image triggering artistic forms. The combination of those with sometimes being teased by classmates or being certain that anyone who was ever mean to me was because I was fat… which admittedly doesn’t makes sense because kids are mean to each other all the time.

I was also very anxiety-ridden. I was extremely hard on myself academically; I felt tremendous pressure from school and my parents to be a straight “A” student. When you add all of that to a perfectionism that medical research says goes along with a lot of eating disorder patients, I really was a recipe for disaster.

I think something just clicked with me and I thought, “If I don’t eat, then I won’t feel fat, then I won’t feel this way all the time, and I won’t feel so gross in ballet class or when I’m skating, and people won’t make fun of me.” That spiraled into something far more serious, which is how I think most eating disorder cases begin.

I first began having an eating disorder when I was 11 years old. I was in 6^th grade, and I decided to stop eating lunch. From there I transitioned to a period of binge eating, and from there a seven-year period of bulimia.

When I was 13 and 14, I was molested for a year and a half by a classmate; when I was 19, my best friend died; six months later, my younger brother was hit by a car and killed; and then the week before my brother died, I was date-raped in my dorm in college. All of those tragedies happened after the onset of the eating disorder, but obviously they perpetuated the length and severity of it.

I was not at all a heavy drinker or drug user. I had never smoked pot in my life until my junior year in college. A couple months into my junior year, I was really high one night and I was hallucinating my death. I ended up in my bedroom with my best friend sitting on the floor basically going over my life and all its tragedies and all the things I had done to my body by choice and all the things that had been done to me without my consent.

Going over the combination of things out of my control and the things in my control (eating disorder and self-mutilation), looking at all of this in the moment when I think I’m dying, and sitting there with one of my most trusted friends, I was thinking, “Wow, I’m going to kill myself if I don’t stop throwing up. And aside from all these tragedies, the rest of my life is pretty amazing.”

I was a junior at an Ivy League school. I was doing very well academically and running several amazing organizations on campus. I have a loving family and incredible friends, and the only problems with my body were the ones I was creating. I made the decision to go straight edge—to treat my body with the utmost respect after a decade of horror.

That was a cold-turkey decision and it’s been different ever since. It’s not to say I don’t have days where I struggle. Those definitely exist. But there’s always a choice.

For seven years I haven’t purged or restricted. Have I overeaten emotionally? Yeah. Is that something normal people do? Yeah. Have I thought about wanting to purge in very high stress moments? Yes. But have I? No. I have made a choice that purging is not an option, so in the hard moments, I go with that choice and then I have to sit with my feelings. I feel recovered. There’s always a choice: to hurt myself or not to hurt myself. And always, I don’t respond with self-harm. I respond by working through the emotions. That’s why I know that I’m recovered.

I know there’s a major debate in the recovery world in the physical world for all addictions: “Is there such thing as recovery? Will you always be recovering? Can you be recovered? Or are you in recovery?” And all I can say is to do what works for you individually.  What works for me is saying, “I’m recovered.” Making that statement means that I’m living within guidelines. Those guidelines are: I don’t throw up, and I allow myself to have a fluid relationship with food. If I want to buy Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream (which I did the other night), I go buy a pint.

My biggest goals are to give back by sharing my story. People with similar stories can relate and feel like they’re not alone, which is one of the ways we heal. Often times our pain is feeling like we’re by ourselves, alone, isolated. When we know that we’re not, we start to open up for community, and community offers love, and love offers healing. The second thing is showing people that being honest is possible. Honesty heals us from shame, and shame is what perpetuates a lot of eating disorders and addictions in general.

To those struggling with an eating disorder, don’t be afraid of yourself and the feelings, thoughts and emotions you have. Don’t be afraid to be honest with yourself and the people you love. Having a support system is crucial to healing whether it’s family of kin, of choice, or professional.

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Art school is where you can be whoever you want to be! By David Anthony

Pro: You get to study fun subjects! Other schools make you want to rip your hair out with things like chemistry, biology and social sciences, but at art school you can study The Simpsons!

Pro: Surrounding yourself with other creative individuals pushes you to your limits. Don’t just let the kid with the Skrillex-influenced hair push your creativity. It’s a surefire way to drop out.

Pro: Nostalgia is all the rage with art school students, so if your favorite band is the Gin Blossoms you can pass it off as being “ironic” without having to lose any street credit.

Pro: At an art school, you have a bit more room to experiment. Do you want to choreograph an interpretive dance for your final? Sure, no problem. You’d probably end up getting bonus points if you showed up covered in paint because, you know, it’s art.

Pro: Have a penchant for outdated technology? Do you still wear a Swatch, collect cassette tapes and feel like you truly get indie rock bands from the 1980s? You’ll feel right at home here, alongside all the other unique, one-of-a-kind snowflakes like yourself.

Pro: Things you’ll get to say yourself after attending art school: “Starving artist,” “Social media expert” and “You just don’t get me.”

Pro: Did your high school ever have mish-mash day? You know, where everyone wears a tie with sleeveless shirt? At art school, that’s every day. Only here the sleeveless shirt cost $100, because it’s vintage.

Pro: When you’re in art school, doing a collage is a serious form of expression. It’ll make all those scrapbooking classes you took at Jo-Ann Fabrics finally payoff.

Pro: All your friends are just as screwed as you.

Art school is where dreams go to die! By Samantha Saiyavongsa

Con: Most of your classmates’ ideas of fun involve a night of Lars von Trier films, and that’s for date night.

Con: Your parents ask you how your classes are going, and you don’t really know how to respond because your tuition dollars are going to good use while you’re learning about The Simpsons.

Con: Thought you were original in high school? You’re probably considered a sell-out in art school, you Starbucks-drinking, Urban Outfitters-wearing poser.

Con: When you’re in art school, everyone not in art school automatically assumes that you’ll do projects for them–usually for free. Example: “Oh, you’re a photographer? Could you shoot our family’s Christmas cards this year?”

Con: Your teachers know you by name. So while all your university friends brag about skipping massive lecture hall courses, skipping morning class in art school comes with a repercussion.

Con: If you ever date someone in art school, they’re probably either a writer or a filmmaker, so don’t screw them over. Otherwise, be prepared to define “defamation.”

Con: Be prepared to answer the question, “So, what are going to do after you graduate?” every day for the rest of your life by skeptical parents, family, friends and people you graduated high school with.

Con: All your friends are just as screwed as you.

Writers’ Photographs: Ashley Fischer

With Occupy movements popping up like zits all over the country, it’s a wonder if anything will get done without some sort of structure or supreme list of demands. So the Occupy folks want social and economic equality; how does that stack up against the other 8.2% nationally who just need a job? According to The Blaze, an online news and opinion site:

“Occupy Wall Street plans to come back with a bang in less than ten days when it unleashes its May Day General Strike that could blockade the bridges and tunnels necessary for New York City to function.”

Good thinking, Occupy. Greenpeace tried that in Chicago last year with its Quit Coal campaign by repelling off bridges and smoke stacks. All it really did was piss off motorists and divert police, fire and ambulance services from the needy public.

Protesting really is a double-edged sword. As with all dealings with politics, you can never make everyone happy and sometimes you need to break a few eggs to make an omelet. But even though you say you are representative of the 99 percent, there are still almost 8 million employed people in New York City who will be trying to get to work on May Day.

May Day is a celebration in some countries. In Finland, May Day Eve is a festive holiday where young people “crown” towns’ statues with student caps. May Day, a public holiday that is the only carnival-style street festivity in the county, is known as Vappu, which is a Swedish term. Young and old people, particularly students, party outside, picnic and wear caps or other decorative clothing. Sounds like a good time, right? Absolutely; good, wholesome fun, celebrating education and hard work.

Living in Germany as a child, I remember the May Pole. Men, women and children dressed in lederhosen and danced around a huge tree draped in streamers and confetti. It was a fun-filled celebration. I was young, but when the Atari was still being developed in some geek’s basement, the May Pole was the next best thing.

Occupy is looking to link May Day with historical Labor Day struggles and drizzle it in with the Marxist-activist past of Union Square in NYC. It’s good to see the Occupy community starting to crack a history book, but look to the future and realize that without redirecting attention on commercialism of American pop culture, “occupying” anything will be a moot point. Let’s see how many people are watching The Biggest Loser or Glee on Tuesday, instead of paying attention to the Occupiers’ message.

My question is: if there are so many of you, why don’t you lobby the politicians? Hit them where it really counts? The 99 percent has to know someone who knows someone, right? You push for social equality and have distaste for social control; dip into those free government dollars, get an education and beat those old bags at their own game. Get off the curb and into the classroom.

Source List:
May Day story
Unemployment
May Day history
Occupy Movement
The Blaze
Quit Coal Chicago (Green Peace)
NYC Employment

Now we can talk to each other face-to-face through Facetime and even speak to our phones with Siri. But believe it or not, boys and girls, there was a time before all of this, when the iPhone weighed a flimsy 4.8 ounces, the maximum storage was a minuscule 16 GB and *gasp* no video capabilities! The first iPhone didn’t even have the ability to sync data, music and documents wirelessly with all of your other Apple devices (iCloud).

Crazy times back in ’07, man. If you happen to be itching to get your hands on this piece of ancient technology (though we can’t imagine why you would be), you’d have to do an eBay search, since Apple discontinued the model. Prices vary, but tend to be in the $50-$150 range.

Thanks to Steve Jobs and the super-geeks over at Apple, we can now rest easy knowing that our 64GB, stainless steel iPhone 4s, the smartphone that rules our very existence, is here to stay. Or at least until the iPhone 5 makes its debut.

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Building a Contact Microphone

Contact Microphone Basics

Contact Microphone Demo (Video)

For those of you who are still confused, here’s what you’ve missed:

Last month, the world seemingly banded together overnight when human rights activist and documentary filmmaker Jason Russell told the world about his anti-Kony campaign, Invisible Children, in a 30-minute video: Kony 2012. Russell was not the first to uncover Kony’s war crimes, which included recruiting children as soldiers, among other atrocities, but his goal is simple: end Kony’s reign with a year-long, large-scale, multi-step process that spreads the message via the heartstrings of internet-savy youth.

In the days following the premiere, Russell’s video views increased by the millions. Invisible Children had to fight plenty of controversy and skepticism, including rumors of scam, oversimplifying the situation, bizarre outbursts and general backlash, but still the number of viewers increased.

As it turns out, young people might actually care about what’s going on outside of their own lives (as long as viral videos or Hollywood-esque narratives are involved).

Since March 5, millions of young activists emptied their pockets on posters, bracelets, stickers and t-shirts in anticipation of Vandalizing the Night, a time dedicated to spreading the anti-Kony word by blanketing communities on April 20, followed by  a day of volunteer community service.

Finally, a day to collectively take action beyond changing a profile picture or other forms of click-tavism! But did anyone actually follow through? At least here in Chicago, the answer seems to be a resounding “sorta!”

While a few groups gathered at Union Station (50 attendees) and Millennium Park (10 attendees), the city hardly woke up to a poster-blanketed landscape, despite countless Cover the Night: Chicago Facebook pages.

Possibly a combination of this generation’s miniscule attention span, laziness and unwarranted cynicism turned a day of potential worldwide awareness into a disappointment. Early Friday morning, response from the Twitter-sphere was heavily sarcastic. #CoverTheNight was nowhere to be found among the somewhat humorous, Kony-related trending topics: #scam, #notgonnahappen, #yeahright, #Stoney2012.

Not surprisingly, this isn’t the first time a campaign like this has had trouble moving from the internet to the real world.

Skeptical or on board, Russell promises you’re not done hearing about Joseph Kony and Invisible Children. Or to those who have remained involved, whether they attempted to cover their neighborhoods with overpriced posters or contributed to the cause long before Russell’s hip video.

What’s next? Behold: phase two.

Sarmiento’s latest project is Human Beings, a 3-song album with his current band Channel K.

The album begins with a quiet, semi-percussive intro to the genre-bending song, “Check Your Head”. The funky bass combined with a bit of synth keeps a steady groove with the drums, while the guitar is reminiscent of any classic rocker’s favorite overdriven Marshall amplifier. “These Thoughts” unleashes a guitar solo near the middle, surrounded by a slow, dark, futuristic-sounding journey through space. The final track, “Human Beings,” brings back the funky groove, conjuring images of a swirling, mysterious alien disco. The album is sure to get you on your feet dancing.

Human Beings will be available for free download on April 27. Donations are accepted, and all proceeds will be donated to local Houston communities and schools. Check out Ken’s official website for more on his background, and get more info about Human Beings by clicking here.

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Chicago Bulls in Chicago Stadium

Chicago Blackhawks in Chicago Stadium

HB 4012 provides that, once a local ordinance is passed, the liquor control commission would have the power to issue a smoking license to establishments that have a liquor license and an air filtration system that would ease the effects of secondhand smoke on employees. The establishment can have no more than 10 percent of revenue generated be from food.

There must also be visible signage notifying the public that the venue has been designated as a smoking establishment and documentation that all employees have been notified a smoking license has been granted.

“This is about allowing the business owner to have the ability to choose whether it is a benefit or hindrance to have smoking in their establishment,” said DeLuca, who is a non-smoker and refers to himself as a “fitness nut.”

“Let the business owners make the decision,” he said. “If they feel it would be beneficial to market to smokers, then they should be able to do that.”

In 2008, Illinois passed the Smoke-Free Illinois Act, which prohibits smoking in virtually all public spaces and within 15 feet from entrances, exits, and windows that open.

It was estimated by the U.S. Surgeon General in 2006 that exposure to secondhand smoke kills at least 65,000 people who do not smoke a year in the United States, including 2,900 in Illinois. And, the Illinois Department of Public Health reported in 2011 that more than 16,000 Illinoisans die each year as a result of smoking-related diseases.

But, doesn’t the fundamental right to privacy include the right to smoke?

More than 46 million Americans were still smoking at the end of 2011, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

It would be much easier for a non-smoker to avoid an entire establishment, than a silver cloud of tiny particles on the sidewalk.

The Smoke-Free Illinois Act was the nation’s first to include a smoking prohibition on the gambling floors of commercial casinos, and a 2009 study by the Illinois Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability showed a sharp decrease in casino revenue immediately following passage of the legislation.

To enjoy the luxury of coupling cigarettes, cards and slots, Illinois’ gamblers may currently travel to Iowa, Indiana and Missouri to spend their money.

Calling the Smoke-Free Illinois Act “over-reaching,” DeLuca said the legislation is about the freedom for businesses to have the opportunity to choose for themselves. He said he didn’t sponsor the bill to advocate smoking.

“This is directed towards adults who are making an individual decision to smoke,” he said. “This allows them to smoke inside with an air filtration unit, instead of stand outside in the cold.”

The legislation was referred to the Rules Committee in January, but DeLuca is hopeful it will be moved to third reading soon.