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• Chinese & Amsterdam Storeys
  by Maxwell Edward

  “Good afternoon Gentlemen. Our delicious Chinese restaurant serves some of the greatest Chinese delicacies. Can I take your orders?” J…

  “Good afternoon Gentlemen. Our delicious Chinese restaurant serves some of the greatest Chinese delicacies. Can I take your orders?” Jermaine takes charge as usual. “I imagine you can sir. Well my friend will have special fried rice and I will have special sweet n sour chicken. Could you make sure it’s especially sweet n sour though? Thanks sir.” People love to eat Chinese. More often the meals though…for the appetisers may prove too fattening over time. Neville and Jermaine have definitely had their share of fattening up over time. Neville is said to eat more Chinese than most Chinese and as for Jermaine, he probably eats more of most things than most people. “Jerry, don’t you think it’s strange how he mentioned they serve some of the greatest Chinese delicacies?” Jermaine who finds nothing short of highly unusual strange, makes a joke from anything less of great importance. “_Why_? What did you expect in a Chinese Restaurant, Indian food?” Neville who hears these jokes more often than not (but still not in appreciation of them) seems to always be misunderstood. “No, I mean, we’re not Chinese. I can’t see anyone in here that is Chinese…In fact I would say that the only Chinese this restaurant ever sees is on the plates. So, they could get away with telling us that this restaurant actually serves the greatest Chinese delicacies. Why would they not?” Jermaine’s opinion always went back to philosophy. “Some wise advice I have for you Nev. Never question the Chinese.” Something about the way the duo talked, it was utter enjoyment. The puns continuously employed emphasised it. A certain kind of pleasure whenever they accompanied one another was unleashed. “Oh Jerry, you got to hear about what happened to my cousin. _You’ll never believe it_…So Ben was in Amsterdam for some time, on holiday or something. Well on the last week he jumped off the top of a three-storey apartment balcony.” Jermaine who believes most things reasonable, but also hesitates in jumping to conclusions always feels obliged to question the situation. “Why the hell would anyone do something like that?” Neville started blushing. He was never as outgoing as Jermaine, even being questioned made him feel slightly insecure. “Well Jerry, you know my cousin Benjamin. No one questions him.” A certain kind of tension was building somewhere between Nevilles growing timidity and Jermaine’s pursuing nerves. “I think anyone thinking about jumping off the third storey of an apartment should be prepared to answer a lot of questions.” There was an uncomfortable short-lived silence between the duos. Neville thought of it as his responsibility to protect his cousin’s reputation, yet his loyalty had previously shown to lead to misdemeanours. Neville decided to break his loyalty for what his reason was telling him was sensibility. “Yeah Jermaine, agreed. Benjamin sure must be a moron hey. Oh, which reminds me, did I tell you he is going to become a lawyer?” The Chinese waiter had brought back the dishes. This is possibly the fastest time a waiter had brought out dishes (which were supposed to be quality cuisines). Then again, Jermaine and his friends always had their doubts about Chinese restaurants. Over their many meals they had discussed many things ranging from the health issues to the political and economic consequences of the different restaurant franchises. The Chinese waiter did not talk this time. He had a chilling frown cast upon his face. Perhaps he had heard their talking? Perhaps it was just the all-round atmosphere of working in such a demanding service. Jermaine and Neville dug into their meals, each choosing their pick of chop sticks and spoon respectively although ironically not in quite a disorderly manner. It was only lucky that Neville chose a spoon for the fried rice to prevent any more mess (if more mess were possible). “So Nev, back to the story; now that you tell me Mr. Benjamin wants to be a lawyer…that makes much more sense; their all lying bastards. This is one big story to you in order to gain your sympathy or something. It can’t really be explained, except that he is behind it all…” “Not true. I saw his bandages and cuts and sores; everything. That can’t really be faked.” “I’m sure for a lawyer, anything can be faked. Any kind of falsehood can be created and unleashed by those guys!” “No seriously. Okay here’s the story, he said he went to a party. He got pretty drunk knowing it was his last week. Who knows maybe he even did…goddamn man it’s Amsterdam! I don’t have to mention the possibilities, their limitless! Anything could have happened. Well anyway, he woke up and that is when the nurse told him what had been reported to her.” “You know what this sounds like? Chinese whispers. She said this; he said that, you say this…” Sceptical Jermaine could never let any possibility go. “Okay whatever, whatever.” Neville had enough. This sort-of-debate had turned into a sort-of-argument. It was time for him to try and change the mannerism of things “Hey Jerry, this kind of talking is probably not good for eating, let’s just eat okay. I mean just the other day I saw the scars and bleeding…well you know.” Eating continued. Polite (enough) slurping of Chinese tea and rice among other things died down the sound of thought. Than Jermaine continued speaking, but not where they left off. “Hey Nev, I’ll be back in a minute. Just have to convenience myself!” Neville sat there. Five minutes boring his intellect- no one to talk to! Jermaine returned. Back to his meal; back to messy eating and the hope of more polite interesting talk. Before Neville had seen it, Jermaine had finished the rest of his special sweet n sour. “Hey Neville, are you still feeling hungry at all?” Before Neville had a chance to reply Jermaine had beckoned the waiter over and ordered “Special Chinese fortune cookies”. The cookies came in no time at all again. It made it seem like there was surely something efficiently magical about this restaurant. “Hey Nev, can you tell me about this story a bit more. So would you get this, I actually heard about a story similar to his; actually two stories, exactly like his…they both sort of were like these crazy stories where these things happened to guys in…well Chinese restaurants actually!” Neville was only half listening, except the information was still unconsciously processing into his mind. He opened his fortune cookie. “No I do not believe it! Coincidences of such do not occur! Madness unleashed!” Neville started shaking intensely, trembling, his usual steady figure rumbling in what looked like fear; his skin pale and pupils dilating and goose bumps on his skin forming. Than he shoved his hands over his head and continued his fearful actions half-hidden by the table. Jermaine grabbed the little slice of Chinese paper, it must be not so fortunate whatever the fortune be he thought! “You will suffer falling three-storeys tonight. Do not question the Chinese” They both sat there; Jermaine seemingly doing and thinking nothing except watching the actions of Neville. Neville with his behaviour turning more and more intense and shocking as seconds progressed and turned into minutes. “Neville!” Neville took no notice, for a moment, to only a moment later reply, “What? Don’t you fucking get this? Can’t you see what’s happening?” Jermaine looked at his watch. Five minutes. Long enough…longer would be dangerous perhaps. “My good friend Neville. I have a confession. I put that note in your cracker…it’s to teach you a lesson really. But it’s also quite a cracker now too to think of it! You should have seen the look on your face! And my friend, I’ll tell you the moral of the story…Question anything with suspicion, even the Chinese, otherwise who knows what will be unleashed!”

• if you're eating, you may want to put a pin in this
  by shawhouse

  In an effort to honor the terms of full disclosure, I thought I might tender an observation about the colonoscopy I’m scheduled to under…

  In an effort to honor the terms of full disclosure, I thought I might tender an observation about the colonoscopy I’m scheduled to undergo tomorrow. Yes, friends, a hose up the shawhouse keester, not a pretty thought. And, of course, the best part – with a CAMERA on the end of it. If I’d paid more attention in Lit classes I might even manage to draw some sort of irony from it. Nevertheless, the procedure is usually no big deal. Like Lit class, I’ll be sleeping through it. No, folks, it’s all about the prep. Hoofah! As I type this I’m drinking a liter of a prep concoction that’s equal parts seawater & drano – tastes like it, anyway – and waiting for the, ah, firestorm. The thing is, speaking of fires and storms, I’m writing this in Santa Clarita, California, ground zero for one of the most hellacious of the Southern California fires – still going great guns. As I listen to helicopters cruising overhead, I’m reminded that timing is everything and if, in the next few hours, police and fire officials come tearing through the neighborhood with their bullhorns telling us to get out, It’s occurred to me only now that I may bring an entirely new dimension to the term “mandatory evacuation.” Gotta run -

• Hair that's good enough to eat
  by Jo O'Brien

  Look at what thickblackoutline...

  Look at what thickblackoutline taught me to do during a brief but yummy visit to bubble HQ OK, it took me like, 50 tries to get it right, so I’m totally allowed to be proud.

• if you're eating, etc. UPDATE
  by shawhouse

  The Fires: The winds have died down in my area, so, locally anyway, we’re breathing a group sigh of relief and hoping for the best for ou…

  The Fires: The winds have died down in my area, so, locally anyway, we’re breathing a group sigh of relief and hoping for the best for our neighbors in Cali.. Extremely touched by your expressions of concern and for the personal notes. Classy joint, redbubble. Now, from the grim to the ridiculous: The Fire Down Below: The tushy procedure went off without a hitch – I’m clean as a whistle. In fact, I suspect that in a high wind I would whistle. I’m back home and just strolled blithely past the bathroom, dismissing it with a sneer and a merciless “As if!” The bathroom, needless to say, was too nonplussed to respond. What inarticulate oafs inanimate objects are! What a difference a day makes! Big thanks for everyone’s good wishes, and to those of you who found my trials so AMUUUUSING, I’m here to testify that aging with dignity is a load of crap, so to speak…

• You Know All These Years I’ve Been Eating With The Wrong Fingers…!!
  by freebornman

  David, my ex-pat London lawyer friend had a visit from his parents this week….. …….Lord and Lady something or other…… ‘Loads-a-Money’ I …

  David, my ex-pat London lawyer friend had a visit from his parents this week….. …….Lord and Lady something or other…… ‘Loads-a-Money’ I think……man have they got serious cash ……I once visited their huge mansion in Bath, England…. monstrous place, even their chauffeur has a chauffeur. They’ve got glass hand bells for summoning servants and sporting trophies in a cabinet. / He says to me “my parents are here why don’t you come round Friday after dinner” …….We’re just worlds apart. He’s had a a long and successful career… I come from Dagenham in East London. People who live there don’t have careers they‘re well pleased just to have jobs. / It’s not twinned with anywhere that’s for sure. It hasn’t any strange attractions which must not be missed, or an information centre…… nobody wants to go there…. It has got an escape committee and a suicide pact with Stevenage. / Our house was really pokey….. two short strides and you were half way up the stairs. The walls were so thin if the television wasn’t switched on you could hear next door’s budgie talking to itself. Mind you these days the budgie would be more entertaining…..Television has proved that people will look at anything rather than look at each other. If I settle myself in front of the T.V. for, I don’t know, ten minutes. I am in serious danger of remaining there for ever!!……… I cannot drag myself away!!!. I sit there and watch the most crappiest movies into the wee small hours , eyes bulging out of my head. I know where the remote is …. It’s on top of the telly but I can’t be arsed getting up to get it!! / I was addicted as a kid……… / I loved the cowboys…..Hopalong Cassidy, Rin Tin Tin ,The Lone Ranger, The Cisco kid…………. I’d spend hours in the shed afterwards slapping me chaps…………………………………......as cowboys did !!!!!!!! / I arrived at David’s, knocked on the door he opened it wearing a dinner jacket and bow tie saying….” I thought I told you to come round ‘after’ dinner” …..I said “That’s what I have come round ‘after‘…… (know what I mean ….worlds apart.!)………. / Have you ever been for a stuffy tea in the house of the rich….they have fish knives and cruet sets. I’ve never seen a fish knife in my life. Come to think of it that’s not strictly true ….my old dad had one that he used to scrape out the chicken shit from the nesting boxes. …… I’d spot him a bit later spreading butter on his toast………… same knife!!!………………… / David’s mother said ”Do you mind if I sit on your right hand at dinner?” …(you’re ahead of me I’m sure..) I said…” I guess so………. But I might have to use it!……….( not a smile ..not a crack …. Not even a grimace.)… I thought some Friday night this is tuning out to be. I know the dying process starts the minute we’re born but somehow it accelerated this night. We started with consommé …. It tasted like someone had left a bowl of warm water and a piece of meat in the same room together….. and NOTHING is less important to me than what fork to use… / She said “ I have no concern for the common man other than he should not be so common”…. I said” Go take a flying fuck at a rolling donut!” and it was all down hill from there………..

• Black Tees - Good enough to eat!!
  by thickblackoutline

  Are you hungry for some luscious designer black tees, crisp with colour and flavour? If you’ve answered YES (and lordy, so you should!...

  Are you hungry for some luscious designer black tees, crisp with colour and flavour? If you’ve answered YES (and lordy, so you should!) then do I have a treat for you!! / / Here we see the delectable delights of Icy Snow by thickblackoutline which comes packaged ready for you to devour! Not included are the bamboo placemat, felt wasabi and ginger, nor the soy sauce – but with everything else you see here, all for you to feast upon! Be sure to savour, the excellent print quality, with the overtones of rich creamery cotton goodness, of an American Apparel Tee! Be sure to spoil yourself, and not your lunch, with a black tee today. / You know you want to. ;)

• BUBBLEWORLD VOLUME 4
  by Steven Novak

  Welcome to the fourth installment of a series of three panel strips I’ve aptly titled “Bubbleworld!” This weeks edition is a wee bit …

  Welcome to the fourth installment of a series of three panel strips I’ve aptly titled “Bubbleworld!” This weeks edition is a wee bit late, but hopefully you’ll think it’s so incredibly funny that all will be forgiven. (Hopefully, but not very likely). The goal with the “Bubbleworld” is to showcase the work of some of the people I’ve met during my first three or four months on the site, and to show my appreciation of them, and admiration for their work in the only way I know how… By poking fun at them. (Because complimenting people is so darn awkward.) On the chopping block this week is the unstoppable force of nature that is PINKYJAIN. Not only is Pinky the very first person to ever add me to her watchlist her on Redbubble, but she’s a heck of a talented artist to boot. The thing I love most about Pinky’s work is the unpredictability of it. (Despite the fact that my strip focuses on one specific thing…go figure.) (For a larger image click the picture) Take a moment out of your day and take a browse through Pinky’s portfolio. I really dig the vampire series myself. Here are just a few examples of her work that I used as a direct inspiration for the above piece. (Click for a larger image) Volume 5 may or may not be coming next week as I’ve got a lot on my plate at the moment, but if I can’t get one up next week there will be one the week after. Steve!

• GIANT BURGER eating contest!!
  by Jane Keats

  I’m off to cheer on a mate, Damo, along with the family and 15 other guests tonight. Damo is attempting to eat a 3 X 1kg patty, 1kg baco…

  I’m off to cheer on a mate, Damo, along with the family and 15 other guests tonight. Damo is attempting to eat a 3 X 1kg patty, 1kg bacon, 6 egg and salad burger on an eight inch bun with side plate of chips – in 3 hours. It’s for a comp running at a burger place here in Geelong, he’s been in training for about three weeks. He’s as thin as a rake but he reckons he’s got his stomache to stretch quite a bit now. Well, we’ll see!! Needless to say, I’m bringing the camera to this one!! ;oP

• T-shirts you can eat
  by community

  ...

  Discover Thomas Dodd, this month’s featured artist in the People & Portraiture Group Consider eating pine cones in the most exciting edition of Stitched ever where onetonshadow tells us all about limited edition t-shirts Get your daily dose of Vector Goodness over in this blog – an artist initiative to promote the awesome vector artists here on RedBubble. Love your work!

• Alrighty then, I can eat now...
  by Lenny La Rue, IPA

  After almost 8 straight hours of work in here, I’ve created galleries with the best of my work categorized for easier… (uh, what word d…

  After almost 8 straight hours of work in here, I’ve created galleries with the best of my work categorized for easier… (uh, what word do I want? I really should stop right now and look it up but I’m just a bit too tired to figure out how to rephrase that train wreck of a first sentence. And it really bites when you’re a writer and you can’t figure out how to write cuz you’re so tired from constant typing, dragging and dropping, editing, re-editing, re-titling, and not eating or drinking all day. It used to be like this when I was composing and recording an album but those days were supposed to be over when I got older. LOL! Just look at me now. Well, actually, don’t look; I’m appearing rather shabby at the moment. I think I shaved, tho I’m not quite sure where. The sun must have risen and gone down like it usually does. The world had its births and deaths, fire and ice, earthquakes and…insert something else contrasting or interesting here for me, OK?) The galleries. Yeah, that’s what I was going to talk about. They aren’t actually done yet but I’m announcing them anyway so I can get off the floor and try to wash enough dishes so I can try to eat something on them. I think there’s a half jar of sweet pickles in the fridge. Does that count as food? It might if I eat the whole half. Hey, I won’t even need to do dishes if I can find a plastic fork. I get a lot of them from fast food places just in case I want to eat a pile of pickles instead of washing a REAL fork. Besides, California’s in a drought so I really shouldn’t wash dishes and waste water until I REALLY REALLY REALLY have to. I think I’m dizzy but I can’t tell while I’m sitting down and I’m too tired to stand up. That’s OK cuz I can crawl to the fridge and feel around for the sweet pickles. That could be a bit dangerous because I don’t know what else is in there and it might reach back at me. (sigh) I think I’m going to say I’m on a diet for today and go to sleep. I’ll probably dream of fractals teasing water-covered wildlife under a bridge at the faire while birds watch movies of Weedy Field. Ugh.

• Roughly Speaking 10
  by RoughDiamond

  Oh boy. It’s 11:11pm Thursday night and I’m just sitting down to eat my dinner. At the computer. Where else. This afternoon’s lit…

  Oh boy. It’s 11:11pm Thursday night and I’m just sitting down to eat my dinner. At the computer. Where else. This afternoon’s little jaunt to the School Gala was nowhere near as eye opening as I thought it would be. It was freaking eye POPPING!!! I spent 3 solid hours snapping constant moving heads, torsos, arms, legs, flying missiles in the shape of blown up toys, dodging running kids dodging other running kids, my own kids asking for more money cause “but muuuuummmm I didn’t know that I wanted one of those until I saw Jeremie had one” ... crouching in the strangest places, standing atop chairs photographing sizzling snags (sausages for you uncooth ones) and looking rather out of place with all my equipment hanging off me among pram pushing, hamburger eating parents and teachers. I took 400 odd photos … not a lot for 3 hours, but I did get every painted face, every special event, Strawberry the clown, my own kids hitting other kids with blown up missiles, and a very lost looking little kitten (picture to follow eventually). This is a prelude to a 6 day event I’m possibly doing next March. The Gala was 3 hours. I got there at 5.30pm … I’m eating at 11:11pm … I’d do the equation but I’m hopeless at maths. I have a feeling it wouldn’t be a pretty number anyway, something like get there at 8am Monday, eat at 3:36am the following Sunday morning. This overnight success business is hard work.

• ~~ ANNOUNCEMENT ~~ WOW! 'The rabbit died' and I'm having a....
  by Lenny La Rue, IPA

  ...group! Wheee! Yeah, I know that was abominable but I made you look, didn’t I??? :-D Seriously, Kerirose and I are having/host…

  ...group! Wheee! Yeah, I know that was abominable but I made you look, didn’t I??? :-D Seriously, Kerirose and I are having/hosting a new Red Bubble group called Rabbit, rabbit!. It’s mission statement is “Everything rabbit and we do mean EVERYTHING!” That means, you got a rabbit photograph? Bring it on down. You’ve got a rabbit painting? Drop in and show it off. You have a favourite rabbit scene in a movie? Fatal Attraction, for example??? :-O Share it in the forums. Bunny stories, recipes for rabbit stew, mythology, history, hunting interests? Feel free to share them all. Have a position on the usage of rabbits in health care and beauty products’ testing? Here’s the place to share it and get all sorts of viewpoints, hopefully from someone in the industry. Basically, Rabbit, rabbit! is going to be a rather unique place in Red Bubble where opposites can both have fun, learn something, and share art – with the emphasis on ART. :-) I’m inviting anyone who reads this to come in and look around at our initial membership. Tons of T’s! Reams of rabbits! Hoards of hares! No matter what, the focus is on our bigfoot furry friends (and NO, I’m not talking about ANY country’s soccer team!) Be well, all!

• Eating Stars
  by Empress

  News! You can now read me in the BITES section at Sputnik57 This is what they say: *Alluring, ta…

  News! You can now read me in the BITES section at Sputnik57 This is what they say: Alluring, tantalizing, whimsical, When Stars Falls is all that and more…take that first sip of Kate Smith’s ‘Angel’ series, and look out for more to come. I love being called whimsical.

• Save the Whales, Eat Hello Kitty Instead
  by littleredplanet

  The other day my 9 year old daughter was expressing her disgust at the idea of using ‘research’ to kill whales (yes, she’s a budding gree…

  The other day my 9 year old daughter was expressing her disgust at the idea of using ‘research’ to kill whales (yes, she’s a budding greenpeace activist!). She said “why can’t the Japanese do ‘research’ on Hello Kitty instead?”. After the Hello Kitty sushi gags, she went away and later returned with a design she said she wanted to put on a T-Shirt. The rest, they say, is history. Here’s the official Save the Whales, Eat Hello Kitty T-Shirts designed by my daughter Juniper. Any profits from sales will be directed to Greenpeace.

• New JPG Magazine Submission
  by David Lay

  I have a new photo submitted to JPG Magazine’s ‘Delectable’ theme. Check it out!

  I have a new photo submitted to JPG Magazine’s ‘Delectable’ theme. Check it out!

• Picture Imperfect: A Portrait Journey of Eating Disorder Recovery
  by Erin Kroll

  Picture Imperfect Maine photographer paints a more / hopeful picture of eating disorder recovery / PORTLAND, ME- Photographer,...

  Picture Imperfect Maine photographer paints a more / hopeful picture of eating disorder recovery / PORTLAND, ME- Photographer, Erin Kroll, has a lot in common with the images she captures. A sense of stillness and depth lights her eyes as she speaks about her battle overcoming anorexia and how courage came unexpectedly through the lens of a camera. Eating disorders, like anorexia, are serious illnesses with a biological basis that are often influenced by emotional and cultural factors, making recovery even more difficult. “There is so much silence and shame around eating disorders in our culture.” says Kroll. “When I was sick I just wanting to literally disappear, a wanted to be invisible.” And Kroll isn’t alone, according to the National Eating Disorders Association, nearly 10 million females and 1 million males are fighting a life-and-death battle with an eating disorder such as anorexia or bulimia. Millions more are struggling with binge eating disorder. Without recovery, Anorexia has the highest mortality rate of any mental illness. Kroll speaks candidly about her struggle, with the same tender grace that comes across in her work. It’s from this authentic and vulnerable place that she inspires. “I stopped shooting when I stopped eating”, says Kroll, “I didn’t touch my camera for two years. I was consumed by fear, anxiety and self-doubt…I starved myself of everything that could possibly make me happy and fulfilled. My eating disorder pulled me away from myself and all the things that gave joy and meaning to my life. Unfortunately, photography was one of them. There was no passion, no purpose, and no voice. I was totally empty. “ Kroll says that her road back to health began with wanting to be more than empty. “People always ask me how I was able to ‘let go’, I don’t really have this elaborate answer.” Kroll mentions that it is common for people with eating disorders to contemplate recovery. Tragically, the majority of those who suffer continue to be affected throughout their lives. “There’s no such thing as shotgun recovery,” says Kroll. “There is no external cure, no pill, no self-help book that can free someone from the illness that they have created. In the beginning, I put my recovery in the hands of someone else. It was exactly like riding shotgun off a cliff with no one at the wheel. I crashed horribly.” “In the end, we are each responsible for our own wellness. Loved ones can encourage and validate, but they to have to learn to let go, they can’t save you if you don’t want it and you have to want it- you have to want to get better! You have to think about what you’ve lost and decide what you want recovery to mean for you. I was sick and tired of just existing, of being completely defined and governed by my eating disorder. I wanted the things it took from my life; I longed for fullness. Most importantly, I wanted to live! I saw a glimmer of something more in me and that was enough-I truly wanted to get better.” Kroll’s journey led her to the New England Eating Disorders Program at Mercy Hospital in Portland . “I was reluctant and terrified, but I was out of options. My life was spinning out of control. My body was shutting down. I knew I had surrender fully to recovery and I needed to be in an intensive treatment program to do it. The months I spent at Mercy were the most challenging and rewarding in my life!” Kroll explains that combined with intensive group therapy, weekly art therapy sessions helped her reclaim her voice and rekindle her creative spirit. Slowly she began to shoot again. “I felt like I was seeing everything for the first time. I felt more connected with the world around me, more patient and open. I felt alive. Each click of the shutter was a moment to celebrate life. It was amazing.” Celebrating life and exposing unexpected and often overlooked beauty is a common theme in Kroll’s photographs. As she works to cultivate her own inner beauty and self-worth, she strives to capture in her work, what she calls the aesthetic of imperfect, “It’s not easy” she says, “photography, by nature, can be such a superficial art. I find the more I appreciate myself, the more I am able to draw substance and soul into my images.” Drawing inspiration from Zen Buddhism, eastern philosophy, surrealism and the graphic design, her photographs convey a subtle but important message,. “I spent years chasing the impossible dream of ‘perfect’ and it nearly killed me.”I was unable to grow as an artist. I was always trying to create the perfect piece, take the perfect shot, and wait for the perfect light, use the best equipment. It just wasn’t happening. I continued to feel like a failure. Failure doesn’t exist in an imperfect world. Until I learned to let go with grace and dignity and accept imperfection, I simply could not appreciate the authentic beauty within and around me.” In a little less than a year, Kroll has transformed her life and the lives of those around her. Last winter, she launched Pink Dragonfly Clothing, an inspirational t-shirt company that supports eating disorder awareness and education. Seeing a tremendous need for Eating Disorder Outreach in her community, Kroll has set out to establish a non-profit that will offer free, recovery-based, support services and educational programs in Southern Maine . Kroll hopes to be able to offer the model nationally in the future. “Anorexia starved my spirit and silenced my voice. For fifteen years I hid my illness from the world and myself. I lived in shame, secrecy and denial. Picking up my camera again, returning to my creative roots, has freed me from the silence. Now all I want to do is engage, educate and inspire.” In a media culture that is overrun with harmful images, icons, and ideals of beauty, Kroll says that as a photographer contributing to the media landscape, she has a responsibility to produce work that inspires hope and represents courage. “Somehow, it’s become socially expectable and expected of artists, especially photographers, to document tragedy suffering and the grotesque, as a means to validate authenticity in the image and human experience. I am not discounting the value that painful imagery have in our media , and I’m not denying the existence of suffering, I just want to people to understand that there is another side to it all, another story to tell.” Telling the ‘other side of the story’ is exactly what Kroll is doing with her latest project, Hope/Full: The Warrior Portraits. As traveling interactive photography exhibition with a companion book, Hope/Full will tell the inspirational story of people who have recovered from eating disorders like anorexia and bulimia, celebrating the fullness they have found in health, their passion for life and the people they have touched along the way. While still in the early stages of production, Kroll says that she has already received requests from people across the country eager to sit for portraits or support the project, but she says that many more are needed. “There is strength in numbers. The more representation and diversity I can bring to this project the more powerful the message will be.” She encourages anyone who is interested in participating to contact her. In bringing the exhibition into communities and schools Hope/Full will engage a new dialogue about eating disorders, self-esteem, and body image, ” one you won’t find in the media or popular culture” says Kroll, and inspire hope in those still suffering in silence and solitude. # # Resources & Information For more information about Hope/Full: The Warrior Portraits Project call 207-615-2283 or email Erin Kroll at erinkroll@yahoo.com or visit www.erinkrollphotography.com Body Positive Outfitter, Pink Dragonfly Clothing Co supports self-esteem and eating disorder awareness, helping fund research and educational programs. Visit www.pinkdragonfly.org for more information About the Artist: Portland native, Erin Kroll spent the majority of her childhood scribbling crayon on her bedroom walls. Naturally, a camera seemed like a better alternative. Kroll studied photography and design at the Harrow School of Communications and Creative Industries at the University of Westminster in London . She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Goucher College in Towson , Maryland . In 2004 she returned to Maine to pursue a career in marketing and advertising. When not looking through a camera lens, Kroll enjoys traveling, exploring the Maine outdoors, and giving back to her community.

• GOOD FOOD ON ROUTE 66!
  by Patricia Montgomery

  MCLEAN, TEXAS The sun was dropping on d…

  MCLEAN, TEXAS The sun was dropping on down when we arrived at McLean. In the downtown area, the road split into one-way east and west bound segments, divided by a city block. Although closed for the day, we saw a dual museum called “Texas Route 66 Museum / Devil’s Rope Museum” The term “Devil’s Rope” referred to barbed wire as there were two gigantic balls of barbed wire perched on concrete columns. Where else but on Route 66 would you find a tribute to barbed wire? It is a wonderful country we live in! A great photo opportunity was the tiny cottage-style Phillips 66 gas station all decked out in fresh tan and orange paint. The sign on the street corner indicated the station was originally built in the 1920’s and was the first Phillips 66 station in Texas. An antique Ford tanker truck was parked to the side, also painted a bright orange with the Phillip 66 emblem on the door. The gas pump showed a price of 19 cents per gallon! As we drove west through McLean on Route 66, there was the smell of something delicious cooking! We followed our noses to the Red River Steakhouse. Once there our stomachs began to do the Route 66 rumble… We were greeted at the door by a very friendly hostess who had the same southern accent as we did. For a tiny town like McLean, the parking lot was packed when we arrived. A full parking lot at a local restaurant is always a good sign. We were late-comers for supper and people began leaving while we were eating. Everyone knew everyone else as there were shouts of goodbye from across the room and farewells that included “be careful driving home”. It was obvious that this was a very friendly ranch community on Route 66. As my daddy used to say, we must have “popped out like a sore thumb” as visitors because the waitress immediately wanted to know where we were from and the hostess later brought out the guestbook so we could sign it. A big ole salad was served first, heaped high with crisp, cold lettuce and lots of fixin’s. Then our 8 oz. steaks were placed before us, completely covering a large platter. The steak was so big that it was nudging the baked potato out of the way! Both were tender and cooked to perfection. The complimentary dessert of homemade peach cobbler was delicious. For $1 more, we added a big scoop of vanilla ice cream on top. If you are anywhere near McLean near supper time, don’t miss the Red River Steakhouse.

• mAnnnn i just realized...
  by KillerNapkins

  ive been on this site for like a little over a week … and have over 2000 views total on clothing and art AND made a sale… i must say…

  ive been on this site for like a little over a week … and have over 2000 views total on clothing and art AND made a sale… i must say.. thank you all!! this place ROCKS!

• therese & trudy eat fries
  by Rella

  Understanding in silence / Smiles in the dark / Shared stargazing / A giggling spark I saw some teenagers giggling / I got inspired / And a…

  Understanding in silence / Smiles in the dark / Shared stargazing / A giggling spark I saw some teenagers giggling / I got inspired / And a little nostalgic Then this happened…..there were pens and ribbons involved

• Remote control planes and fringe eating puppies.
  by Michelle Dry

  Well this won’t be a long one, but as with all the others it will make you wonder about my life… Oh yes. So yesterday my brother had…

  Well this won’t be a long one, but as with all the others it will make you wonder about my life… Oh yes. So yesterday my brother had a rather excited look on his face when he received a rather large box in the mail. I was not there to witness the initial look, but he was kind enough to hold the expression until I arrived at his house. His girlfriend also arrived at a similar time. So there he is opening his box to reveal…. A remote control plane, an indestructable one at that… So of course and indestructable plane has to be flown. So the three of us trapsed towards a nearby park. Julie was prepared enough to iron her stewards uniform and all conversation had to sound as though we were in a plane. I don’t quite know how I didn’t get any glamourous part, instead I became the flight tower. ‘Flight 122, if you could prepare to take off…. The run way is now clear and ready for you.’ Pilot Ro, ‘I am prepared and ready for take off.’ / Julie, ‘the passengers are all seated and ready to take off. Although there is a couple in the toilet who are taking rather too long. It’s okay they are out now…They look a little bit flustered…’ / ‘Hello passengers, we are now about commence our inaugral flight around Merick Park. Please follow the safety procedures by your chief stewardess Julie. / Stewardess: ‘Ladies and gentlemen before we commence this flight I will demonstrate all the safety facilities on board this aeroplane.’ / Flight Tower ‘Can we hurry up, I’m getting cold!’ So you can imagine the scene, other than that a rather excited dalmation puppy came bounding over to us. I half expected it to take the indestructable plane and chew it. Instead it kindly wiped it’s muddy paws all over the flight tower and stewardess and then proceeded to jump up and eat my hair. It isn’t often that a red head can be found with a dalmation puppy dangling from her fringe, but somehow I managed it. In fact I am quite proud of the amazing feat. I wondered whether it could become a circus act. Michelle Dry and the amazing fringe chewing puppy! Kids would love it. But there is only so much fringe a puppy can chew and as much as I have considered becoming a wig factory because my hair grows so fast, I did not think I would be capable of two shows of fringe a day. Anyway the puppy got distracted by a dogs mess bin. Actually my brother and I wondered whether it had bee so well trained that it sought out dogs mess bins and used them as toilets to save the owner chasing after it with a blue plastic bag. Obviously the next advancement would be for the puppy to use a toilet brush and clean the edge… Anyway enough about the advance of puppy pooping techniques. Although I wondered if the little guy may consider carrying a book and a toilet roll. I deviated, sorry. Anyway the owner of the puppy asked my brother whether he was a pilot. My brother said yes meaning that he was the pilot of the small plane he was carrying. He then introduced me as the flight tower and his girlfriend as the stewardess. Obviously the puppy owner didn’t quite get it, he meant was my brother a real pilot. It turns out his brother is a pilot. So to the hill and lift off. So we lauched the plane and after a few technical difficulties we soon learned that no matter what you did with the controls you could not control the damned thing. We first realised this when it spun round 360 degrees and flew at us all. We scattered in all direction and the stewardess dived for the ground narrowly missing an in air collision. Never mind. We thought we would try again. My brother then informed us of an incident with his last plane that went of control that almost hit a person, who unknowingly bent over to pick up something he had dropped and narrowly missed a remote control plane colliding with the back of his head. What’s more the guy was completely oblivious to the incident. Anyway all three of us took a turn. It soon became apparent that we were all crap. That was until some guys walked along the valley with their dog. Suddenly we all became experts. That was until ‘the incident.’ We were laughing about how my brother almost hit that guy with his last plane. I said how annoyed I would have been… So my brother takes the controls and shows us how well he can fly. He was doing okay, that is until the plane comes straight for us. When I say us I mean me. So what do you do? You run, you get low and you scream hysterically. The plane continues to pursue you directly above your head. The men with the dog stopped. The dog barked. I ran and ran and ran bent over. The bloody plane was right by my ear. If I had been any closer or any higher I would have ended up having my head shaved. I tell you I ran for atleast five minute finally I dived onto the wet ground while the plane veered off and crashed. My brother and Julie ran over. ‘Are you okay?’ / Well I was apart from having the equivalent to a giant bee pursuing me. / The guys with the dog came over. Apparently it looked amazing. They thought it was part of a film and that I was a stunt woman. / My brother looked apologetic but could not help laughing to himself. I tell you what do you do? It was an accident, but I wonder whether there was a subconscious desire to get back at me for all the years I was ‘the big sister.’ Anyway moral of the story: do not allow your brother to fly radio contolled planes at your head. If it is really necessary invest in an indestructable plane proof helmet!

• eat pussy
  by Bronwen Hyde

  I have images entered in the Creatures...

  I have images entered in the Creatures and Street Fashion themes for Issue #17 of JPG Magazine. Please vote!

• Los Spontaneous Fakers Released!
  by Eduardo Gómez Escamilla

  Hey, just to let every…

  Hey, just to let everyone know i’ve been working in a photo book for the last sixt months called Los Spontaneous Fakers, it features three wonderful young characters: Tommy Bolton.- He’s the most relaxed guy in the group. He attracts the attention by doing all kind of feats. Do you think he can play the piano? Shelley Bacon.- She returned home. A party was held. What to do with all the disaster and not having fun? A fake party! Unnamed Girl.- You won’t believe who’s her best friend. It’s insanity as its best! Includes almost 60 new images of my work as also a self-portrait introduction of Los Spontaneous Fakers, it’s really economic so you might wanna check out the link they fake to find happiness in loneliness / my most personal artwork to date! Buy it now at: Blurb

• CONFESSIONS OF A FULL-BLOWN FOOD ADDICT
  by birdinsun

  Jan. 22, 2008 Today the scales informed me that I have reached an all-time high. True, only a couple pounds more than my previous all…

  Jan. 22, 2008 Today the scales informed me that I have reached an all-time high. True, only a couple pounds more than my previous all-time high, but that’s the way it’s been going for the past … let’s see … 13 years. That’s 13 years since my last major weight loss success, of which there have been several in my life of overweightness. The reason for this latest new zenith in pounds is because I’ve been RE-reading some stuff I’ve collected about how the way to stop being a compulsive eater is to stop depriving myself. The theory is that very business of thinking about what I can’t or shouldn’t have, or what I just ate way too much of, is making me fat. The first step in correcting this problem is to stock my larder with every goodie and forbidden food, and enough of it to make SURE I won’t run out before my next shopping trip. And in the meantime, I’m supposed to banish all thoughts of diets or counting calories/carbs/fat from my consciousness; stop thinking about food, and just eat what I want. In both the books that tout this method as The Answer, they urge the reader to TRUST this, not to worry – I might gain a few pounds. But then, after I’ve come to believe that I will never inflict deprivation on ourselves again, I’ll automatically correct my eating, crave the things that are good for us, and eventually arrive at a comfortable weight. I can’t do it. I’m sorry, but I just can’t. In just a few short days, I gained 12 POUNDS from doing this. I’m already so fucking uncomfortable with my body IN EVERY WAY that throwing caution to the wind and having an eternal binge-fest is just not something I can do. I’m 54 years old. I’ve lived my whole life worrying about being fat, even as a little kid (I wasn’t then, but dear old mom thought I was and made sure I knew it). And now it’s come to this: I can’t walk around for very long – my back and feet start hurting. Climbing stairs anymore like to just about kill me. Tying my shoes in the morning involves me tossing my foot up in the air so I can catch my pant-leg and haul my foot over my knee to reach the laces. Bending over to pick up stuff, with all this extra flab in my mid-section, is quite an ordeal. I can barely get down on the floor, and getting back up again requires either nearby sturdy furniture, and/or a strong person with a good grip. Because if this, it is difficult to play with the grandkids or dogs the way I want to. Getting in and out of the car is a real heave-ho process. I can’t run, or even trot. I sweat like a pig (do pigs sweat??) at the least little exertion. I don’t even enjoy being outside in this little slice of heaven we live in, because all the chores I want to be doing will be hard for me to do, and remind me that I’m obese. I love to garden, walk about the property, take photos, etc., but often choose to stay inside because it’s feels more … safe. I am embarrassed in public, especially in the summer. I’m always tugging at my shirt tail or my pants or my bra strap, just the way I observe other fat women doing. I’ve eliminated places and activities from my life that I used to excitedly look forward to. I won’t go to Mexico anymore, or raft down the river that runs by our house or camping; don’t want to go anyplace where I will be uncomfortable in my skin, which lately seems like everywhere. I find that sitting in my recliner here at home is the most comfortable place for me. Sitting there, eating. I have tried or at least looked into every weight loss plan know to human-kind. I’ve been successful and gotten down to being ‘normal’ three times in my life. The rest of the time, I’ve hovered in the neighborhood of 40-50 pounds overweight. Until the last 8 years, when I retired and my body entertained the menopause idea seriously. Now, I am a full 100 pounds heavier than I should be. One hundred pounds. Oh my god. It was hard enough to look at losing 40 pounds, but it didn’t seem totally overwhelming. This does. I’m humiliated to admit that I have a standing binge-date with myself every night as soon as Tim goes to bed, UNTIL I fall asleep. A few times I’ve even fallen asleep WHILE I’m eating. If there are no goodies to eat (cookies, chips, crackers, etc.) I will improvise, no matter what. Then the shame, guilt, betrayal, and comes the morning when I realize what trance-like behavior last night’s eating was, and vow to never do it again. Until sometime later in the day when I start thinking about all the things I can eat after Tim’s asleep. Sick, sick, sick, SICK. After much research, I have come to the conclusion that I am heavily addicted to food. Whether I’m dieting or bingeing, I spend an inordinate amount of time thinking about what, when, how much I’m going to eat. When I start eating something that tastes good to me, I start obsessing about how I want more and more. I pay no attention to my body cues, whether I’m hungry or stuffed. While I’m eating I don’t care a bit that I’m morbidly obese and I’m slowly killing myself. That thought just magically goes away. Once I start eating when I’m in binge-mode, there’s just no shutting it off. Last night I decided to have a piece of a Costco muffin (yeah, I always start by telling myself I’m just going to have a litte something). I sliced off a couple pieces, buttered them heavily, and after the first bite I knew I would be eating the whole muffin. And I did, even though that last few bites were making me feel literally ill, I was so full. Anyway, enough history for today. I’m planning to study up on compulsive eating, and see if there is any help out there for people like me. And I believe that I eat at night because I’m avoiding thinking about other things, or at least it started that way. So if I write, write, write, then maybe I’ll be able to figure some of this stuff out. And if anybody has gotten this far in this blog, bless you. I decided I’d put it out there, in the hopes that I’ll garner a bit of support, and maybe even some others with a similar problem. So, write to me and tell me it’s all going to be OK. Help me learn to love and trust myself. ~ birdinsun

• 6/15/2008 8:11pm
  by conceited

  As the redbubble world turns… I must log-out and go eat mongolian barbeque / indulge myself in a new addiction… / $8.00 usd for one…

  As the redbubble world turns… I must log-out and go eat mongolian barbeque / indulge myself in a new addiction… / $8.00 usd for one plate of food! / how ridiculous? but it tastes soooo good. I hope the controversy has come an end, / as everyone stated their opinions / bashed me and my friends… and to all you fathers… happy fathers day again! hope all is well in redbubble -joe p.s. be back later d=)