Nudist in a Corner

If I look a little old and tired, it's because I am.

Two weeks of heavy moving have taken a toll, and closing in on age 55 doesn't help, either.

Going up and down stairs hundreds of times with 50 pound boxes made me a little delirious at times. Lots of random thoughts kept running through my head, mostly about my own life and family, but also about the state of nudism.

One month ago I issued a call for readers to send me their home nudist photos. Only one brave soul responded. Just one person out of the thousands who stop by here every day, just one nudist willing to step forward to say "here I am".

Americans just love idealized nudity and sex. They can't get enough of nipple slips, nude scenes in movies, hardcore pornography, and nudity in magazines and advertising, but the sight of an average nude body, something everybody has under their clothes, is still something most people are unwilling to accept. Nudity as a marketing commodity is fine, but normal, natural, and imperfect bodies are still taboo.

A local nudist group here in central Ohio doesn't have a formal club name, doesn't maintain a web presence outside of an email list, and never refers to nudism or naturism, only once in a while making reference to the "n" word. While I personally have no problem with anyone trying to maintain privacy, it saddens me that nudists and naturists feel the need to practice the lifestyle in the shadows.

In a sense, we are only backing ourselves further into a corner by denying to others our desires and rights to be nude.

I'm in a corner, too. It's been a long, grey winter here in Ohio, the move has worn me out, it's been a tough year health wise for people I love, friends have let me down, the economy sucks, business is slow, and swine flu is threatening to become a pandemic.

So I have every right to be depressed, but I'm actually quite optimistic.

There's something about being in a corner which increases clarity. There's only one direction in which to go, and that's forward.

All of you nudists and naturists out there need to step out of the corner with me and do something, anything. to help legitimize and de-stigmatize the lifestyle. Joining AANR, TNS, Skinbook or True Nudists is fine but it's not nearly enough, you actually have to do something.

Invite a friend or a family member to a nudist event or venue. Tell someone who has no idea that you're a nudist. Go skinny-dipping with some friends. Support the Naturist Action Committee by making a donation and actually doing what they request in their periodic action alerts. Support your local nudist clubs by paying dues and attending events, and volunteer to help. If there is no group or club in your area, start one. Just get involved.

Every year I've tried to take another step forward in the nudist lifestyle. I started this blog joined clubs, attended events and venues, told some family and friends, and finally overcame the fear of posting nude photos of myself online. I still feel that I have a long way to go. I'm not sure what 2009 will bring, but I intend to keep moving forward and out of this damned corner I've found myself in.

What are you going to do?

Heart music...

Heart music - 8 x 10 acrylic & mixed media on canvas

This particular heart was inspired by my niece's love of music. She sings and dances with wild abandon, and it is impossible not to smile at such uninhibited joy.

Better news than yesterday...

Save - 10 x 10 acrylic & mixed media on canvas

Which isn't difficult!
Avery's cath doctor - Dr. Locke, admitted he'd painted "a pretty black picture" yesterday. Gee, do ya think?
Anyway, After several hours back in the cath lab today, he put 5 stents in various arteries and reports
that they are working as he had hoped. They even took her off the Echmo bypass to see how it was working
and they were pleased. She is back on Echmo for several days to let her heart rest & gradually work on its
own. All of her other arteries are clear and look good.

In the meantime, the big question is why she keeps clotting (while on blood thinners), so that's what her team
will be focusing on in the coming days.

I want to thank you all again and again for listening, praying, and just generally being there for Avery and Cheryl and Mike and my family. I count you all among my blessings every day.

Aunt Kerri

More about Avery...

Avery continues to be stable overnight. Although 12 hours have passed, I would guess it's still quite imperative that they keep her stable, and the echmo bypass does a percentage of the work of her heart, which I am sure is giving her coronary artery some relief.

Avery's parents will be meeting with her medical team today to decide on the next course of action, as there are still some alternatives, as I understand it.

One big question among everyone - first and foremost my sister - is how her stats could have been good enough to release her when something was so wrong. We don't have an answer to that yet.

FYI The photos above are of Avery enjoying her 5th birthday cupcake last week.

URGENT PRAYER REQUEST FOR AVERY...

As many of you know, my niece was scheduled to go home yesterday, but after some consideration, my sister and the doctors decided not to postpone her catheterization, so the did it this afternoon -- and they have found that her "coronary artery is shot" -- I know very little else because when my mom called with the update she was not able to relay much in a coherent way. Avery is back on Echmo -- which is the temporary bypass machine -- and I have been told that the next 12 hours are critical, because the cardiac cath can cause bleeding, which would be very serious in her current condition. I wish I knew more and will tell you when I do.

So in whatever way you pray, or summon all of the good of the universe, please do so for Avery.

I cannot thank you all enough for all that you have already done for us to make this ordeal bearable.

Wandering the Halls...

...of our new house. Been moving for the past two weeks, should be settled by the weekend so I can get back to regular blogging. Stay naked!

Home sweet home for Avery...

Just a quick post today to update those of you who've been sending your good wishes to my niece. She is going home today or tomorrow!!! I created a quick digital collage based on one of my paintings, as I did not have time to create an original to anounce this great news!

Nudist Photo of the Day 4/27/09

Nudist Photo of the Day 4/26/09

Nudist Photo of the Day 4/25/09

Touch me...

Peace - 12 x 12 acrylic and mixed media on canvas

I hope that is one of the things my art says to people when they see it -- particularly in person. Perhaps this speaks to the human need for touch and my very personal subject matter; or it could be the endless array of textures in our wonderfully sensory universe that invite us to hold and touch and feel -- or a combination of these. I am most satisfied with my art when it is not just a visual experience but a tactile one as well.

On a similar note, the weather has turned warm - very warm - very fast, and I have the urge to walk barefoot in the grass. I love to feel the earth beneath my feet. Cool, scratchy blades of grass make my toes happy.

Nudist Photo of the Day 4/24/09

Leap...

Grateful heart - 6 x 9 acrylic & mixed media on MDF

Last week, I listed a whole bunch of things I wanted to get done during one two-day weekend. It was completely unrealistic, but more than that, it was really out of order in terms of where my priorities were, and where they should be -- I had listed primarily a bunch of house chores and spring cleaning, and at the very end -- the very last item was "stock up on canvasses and paint hearts."

Fortunately, a fellow artist pointed out that it should be at the top of the list -- and of course she was right. Her observation stopped me in my tracks because it was so obvious. For months (and months) I have been lamenting my lack of artistic inspiration and patiently (and then not so patiently) waiting for its return. And when it finally returns, with great momentum, I decide to clean my house, and even to dismantle my art room and re-arrange???? What's up with that??? It really made me ask myself why I would deiberately put obstacles in the way of my art-making. At first I didn't have an answer. I was just grateful that it was brought to my attention so that I could stop myself from self-sabatoge.

But the truth is that I know the answer. It's fear. Of the unknown. Of success. Of change. Of where this path may lead. It may require work, and sweat, and diving into uncharted waters.

I can't totally stop myself from feeling this way. But I hope that by being more aware will help me to step back, and take a deep breath and then... leap!

Nudist Photo of the Day 4/23/09

Nudist Photo of the Day 4/22/09

Twenty one days...

Wish upon a star - 8 x 10 acrylic & mixed media on canvas

Research shows that it takes 21 days to develop a new habit. I was thinking last night as I finished this piece that I am now is such a good routine of showing up each night to create. It occurred to me this morning that it's probably been a few weeks since I painted that first heart...and when I checked back at my previous posts, tomorrow will be exactly 21 days. I now wake up each morning and make sure my art room is ready to go for evening -- fresh water in my paint bucket, canvasses prepped, paints stocked -- because I awake already eager to return to my art.

How many good habits could we develop if we just commit to the 21-day theory? It seems too easy, really, but we could accomplish some amazing things if it works even some of the time. Twenty-one days goes by fast. Of course, all that said, for now I am just going to continue to paint. It's still a new enough habit that I don't want to disrupt the flow... and occasionally I'll fit in one of those items on my spring to-do list.

Believe...

Believe: 5 x 7 acrylic & mixed media on canvas board

Since her birth five years ago today,
my niece Avery has made us believe...

in miracles,
in love,
in the amazing generosity of friends,
in the amazing generosity of strangers,
in the strength of family,
in perseverence,
in the resilience of the human body,
in the powerful spirit of a little girl,
in what is important... and what is not.

Happy birthday Cutes!!
I believe in YOU!!

Nudist Photo of the Day 4/21/09

Where did the weekend go?

Original heart: 8 x 10 acrylic and mixed media on canvas board

As anyone with a concept of time could guess, I barely made a dent in my overly ambitious to do list, but one of my very wise friends reminded me that it will all still be there tomorrow (thanks FP!). And of course, it is!

I decided that I am not going to pull the carpet in my art room until I have 2-3 days in a row to spend making it right (so when will that be????). For one thing, I've been on a creative roll with my painting, so I don't want to wreck the space in which I paint and displace myself for any length of time. When I do this, I want to do it from start to finish in as short a time as possible...yes I can hear you all laughing (when will she learn??)

So for now, I will be happy that my winter clothes are packed away for another season, and thanks to my sister, who had a closet full of fabulous cast-offs, I have an entire new spring wardrobe --capris, dresses, shorts & sandals. (thanks Jesse)

And if all that wasn't enough, my niece Avery continues her amazing recovery. She's making laps several times a day on her unit, and she's eating solid food and gaining weight. She's still terribly thirsty and has to deal with a host of discomforts, but she scowls and voices her displeasure with great vigor!

Nudist Photo of the Day 4/20/09

Nudist Photo of the Day 4/19/09

Nudist Photo of the Day 4/18/09

Scandalous RM600 passport - root cause of Chinese/Indian discontent with BN

A developing country with the most expensive passport in the world!

That is Malaysia. And the reasons is never fully explained by the govt. But to the Chinese and Indians, it is obvious that this is targeted at them. Chinese and Indians need to travel for survival, as their opportunities in Malaysia are restricted by the biased and racist govt policies, and also they are the ones with the many relatives in their root countries or nearby countries.

Do you want to spend RM600 to "buy" a passport just to make a once in a lifetime trip to nearby Singapore or Thailand to attend the wedding dinner of a cousin or attend funeral of a siblings? For funeral, you will not be likely to attend given the short notice and the long duration by the Immigration to issue an expensive passport. But you will always remember the reason for not being able to attend - the
RM300 passport imposed by Barisan Nasional.

Many, especially the poor, who couldn't afford the RM600 will always remember those lost moments that they could have had with their loved ones, thanks to the BN. They will tell the world and their next generation about it, and voice their missing moments with their loved ones in the ballot box.

For those already having a passport, rich or poor, they will be painfully reminded of the corruption and the discrimination they had to suffer under the BN, every few years, when they renew their passports. The actual cost of making a passport is less than RM10. So the RM600 ringgit passport has the word "corruption" written all over it. It is also a stark reminder of the anti-Chinese and anti-Malay mentality that is hidden behind the faces of UMNO members.

I was told Singaporeans paid only S$15 processing fee to get their passport with a 10-year duration. And we all know how prosperous Singapore is, without having to tax their citizens on some necessities like a passport. They are happy to have their own citizens going abroad and bringing home huge amount of money to stimulate the
economy.

Many would think that making a passport is a small and insignificant procedure, and those rich Indians and Chinese should have no problem paying up. They forgot, only 15% of the Chinese/Indians are considered rich, and the other 85% had only the ballot box to let out their frustrations. And let out their frustrations they did, as shown in the results of the last General Election.

The low IQ ministers we had in Malaysia, will never understand why they are losing votes. After all, they have built many shopping malls, mosques, bridges and highways. To BN, these Chinese and Indians were unfaithful and disloyal. They will never realise that most people, especially the poorer folks, don't go to such places and use such facilities. But they will need a passport to get out of the country to earn a living elsewhere.

What these UMNO good-for-nothing need to learn is to built bridges with the people, and they will go a long way, by charging their own countrymen a fair and reasonable price for processing a passport instead of using it as a tool to show their displeasure with the non-Bumiputras.

A passport is no different from an IC or a Birth Cert. Everyone must have one, and only one. And we pay huge tax to the govt every year, because of these identifications. By right, it should be given free like our BC.

So as a Malaysian, always remember when you are queuing up for hours renewing or making a passport, never vote for a corrupted, abusive, time wasting and blood sucking BN into power.

My springtime to do list...

Express - 8 x 10 acrylic and mixed media on canvas board.

The list I have compiled for this weekend is sooooo long that I don't have a prayer of finishing it this month, let alone this weekend. But there is something about the first few really warm, sunny spring days that makes me think I can do it all in two days.

Here are just a few of the highlights:
Take down spring summer clothes from attic
Pack up winter clothes for attic
Donate unused clothing to goodwill
Prepare for snowstorm that is bound to follow such optimism
Rake grass & tidy garden
Touch up paint on split rail fence
Empty studio space, pull up paint-stained studio carpet & expose hardwood
Re-arrange studio space & clean out unused art materials
Donate unused materials before changing mind
Stock up on canvasses & paint hearts

And this list doesn't include the regular weekend errands, like Sat. am breakfast with my dog-walking buds, grocery shopping, laundy, walking max, cleaning house etc.

So, no doubt, something is bound to give. But right now, I believe I can do it all!!!

Footnote: Thank you to all who sent good wishes and hugs on my day of tears. I really needed that!! And it truly helped!!

A blubbering fool I am...

Hearts fly: 8 x 10 acrylic & mixed media on canvas board

I am in a bit of a funk today. Most days, I take what's dished out as well as the next person, but every now and then, the weight of my worries and my life and sadness just gets the best of me. I had a good cry this morning, and thought that would be the end of it, but sometimes when I let the flood gates open, it floods. And that seems to be what's happened today. Everything I see, and read, and feel is bringing me to tears --happy tears, sad tears, sentimental tears. Pathetic. Not a good way to go about work.

And this video was one of them.

Nudist Photo of the Day 4/17/09

Nudist Photo of the Day 4/16/09

Competing passions...and an Avery update...

Support - 10 x 10 acrylic and mixed-media on canvas.

I wish this artistic frenzy that I am in these days had hit me back in the cold, dark days of winter, although I am grateful that it has returned at all!!! And winter is such a time of hybernation that it was natural in some way. But now, I want to be outside gardening & soaking up some early spring sun and inside painting at the same time. I am sure I will find a balance (that's my Libra talking). The paintings need time to dry, so I am really learning to multi-multi-task... prep some canvasses, paint some, go outside and rake, come in and paint some more, go walk Max, etc.

About Avery...
For all of you who've sent notes and prayers and well-wishes and inquires, Avery was extubated earlier this week, which is HUGE in the world of her recovery. In addition to the fact that it means that she's doing most of her breathing with no assistance, it also means she can sip water and just generally be more comfortable. After seven open heart surgeries and several long hospital stays, it's always the intubation that she remembers -- and not fondly! Her meds are being decreased, her feeds/calories increased, and she's out of bed daily for physical therapy, so I thank you all, over and over, for your thoughts, prayers, and wishes. Right now, she's also enjoying a visit from her Poppy and Aunt Jesse, who brought her a Nintendo DS, so she is very excited!!

The measure of a heart...

Measure of a heart - 10 x 10 acrylic and mixed media on canvas.

This painting is a good example of perseverence. I started this with one series of colors, which I hated, and had to keep painting over (and over) until I could live with it, and then, eventually, I actually liked it. This often happens when I push out of my red/green/gold comfort zone and try new colors. They don't come as easily to me, so there's more trial an error. But that lends a depth to this piece that I really like...and you'd all be able to appreciate it more if I wasn't such a lousy photographer... which I would not be if I could muster the slightest interest in opening the manual to my now three-year old digital camera. Which I can't seem to muster. It just makes my head hurt.

Speaking of which, I have to call my mortgage company...again. That's a story for another day...righting so many wrongs this year!

Nudist Photo of the Day 4/15/09

Hearts in blue...

Hearts grow, 10 x 10 acrylic and mixed media on canvas


Hearts growl, 10 x 10 acrylic and mixed media on canvas

Although I have not remotely tired of painting hearts these days, I wanted to try a different color palette, and these colors remind me of early spring, when the browns of winter start to fade and robins begin to nest and lay their signature blue eggs. The second piece is a particular nod to my niece, who growls her frustrations at the doctors and nurses when she is intubated and cannot communicate with words. Her growl is always a sign that she's on the mend.

As always, thank you all so much for your thoughts and prayers and words of encouragement for my niece and my family, as well as for my art. I am able to face each day with renewed hope and courage in no small part because of each of you.

Nudist Photo of the Day 4/14/09

The Daily Newds 4/13/09

• Organizer of the Glade festival in the UK are seeking legal advice over the request of 30 Germans who want to attend the event in the nude.



• A man sneaked into a Ball State University life drawing class and snapped a photo of a nude model, and then ran away.



• An article on the Bird Island nudist controversy approaches the subject in a fair and neutral manner, concluding that it's all basically a "non-issue" in the first place.



• At Lolo Hot Springs in Montana, it's clothing optional after 9 PM.



• The Singapore woman charged with indecent exposure for her nude public walk with a Swedish friend is a member of Mensa and is persuing a PhD in infection biology at Karolinska Institute in Sweden.



• The Bare Buns 5K run is scheduled for 1 PM on Saturday, April 18, at Star Ranch in Texas.



• "Calendar Girls" has opened in London's West End, prompting critic Michael Coveney to examine the evolution of nudity on stage.



• Nudism seems awfully tame next to some social phenomenons, like fetish parties.



• Sexting Roundup: Ohio introduced a bill to make criminals out of teenagers, while Vermont indicated that it would totally decriminalize consensual exchanges of nude photos between two people 13 to 18 years old. Warner Todd Huston of the American Daily Review says that rushing to enact new anti-sexting laws in the wake of the tragic suicide of Ohio teen Jessica Logan is bad legislation.



• I think that child beauty pageants are a bit creepy, but one legislator wants the government to oversee the events, even to the point of regulating "excessive makeup".



• Padma Lakshmi, Chelsea Handler Eliza Dushku, Lynn Collins and Sharon Leal have all posed for Allure's nude issue.
  
  

  ALLURE: Are you comfortable with nudity?
  ELIZA DUSHKU: "I grew up with three brothers, and I was never shy about covering up. It got to the point where my mom was like, 'OK, honey, it's time to put some clothes on now.'"




• Joe Shuster, one of the creators of "Superman", drew underground comics in the fifties which contained "naked women with whips, brutish men brandishing red-hot pokers, exotic torture and politically incorrect spankings."



• The New York Times studies the legal challenges facing communities that want to outlaw saggy pants in public.



• A British poll finds three out of four adults are willing to pose nude for 6500 pounds. Everybody has a price.



• This article is a bit satirical on the subject of topfreedom, but the point is serious.
  
  

  If we took away the taboo of the bare breast, it might allow us to unclench just enough that we realize that it isn’t going to kill anyone, or turn our children into depraved maniacs. Then maybe we can start focusing on things that are really critical to mankind’s enlightenment.




• Finally, nudity comes to daytime TV in Great Britain as Channel 4 is broadcasting life drawing classes featuring nude models so people can sketch from home.
  
  

  John Whittingdale, the Tory chairman of the Commons culture select committee, said that, in principle, he would not object to nude life drawing classes before 9pm if they were in an “educational context” and avoided “gratuitous titillation”.

Nudist Photo of the Day 4/13/09

Nudist Photo of the Day 4/11/09

Nudist Photo of the Day 4/10/09

The Daily Newds 4/9/09

• An article claims that many Gujarati people from India are losing their inhibitions on nudist beaches in South Africa, and Australia.

  "If you are not sure if you are sufficiently uninhibited, you should stick to 'clothing optional' beaches," (Deval) Surti said. "It is difficult for an Indian to accept and feel relaxed in the primitive atmosphere of nudist beaches. I am an open-minded person, but when I went to Point Impossible in Australia, I had to use all my willpower to let my guard down. Once you are comfortable with the 'no clothes' idea, it is great fun!"

• Lachlan Mackintosh ponders getting naked for winter sports.
• A Nova Scotia politician has apologized to candidate Lenore Zann for circulating a photo of her bare-breasted in a scene from the TV series "The L Word". There was a time when the woman would be the one forced to apologize, so society is making a little progress on this issue.
• A Swedish student and his friend were charged with public nudity for going without clothing in a Singapore restaurant district a few months ago.
• A study published in the Journal of School Health reports that teens are engaging in sexual intercourse as early as age 12.
  

  In the study, (Dr. Christine) Markham and colleagues defined sexual intercourse as vaginal, oral or anal sex. According to their research, by age 12, 12 percent of students had already engaged in vaginal sex, 7.9 percent in oral sex, 6.5 percent in anal sex and 4 percent in all three types of intercourse.
  
  The study found one-third of sexually active students reported engaging in vaginal or anal sex without a condom within the past three months, and one-fourth had four or more partners. The more experienced students in all three types of intercourse were more likely to be male and African-American.
  
  "We need to develop prevention programs that address the needs of students who are not yet sexually active in order to promote skills and attitudes to help them wait until they are older to have sex," Markham said. "And we need to provide skills and knowledge related to condoms and contraception for youth who are already sexually active."

• Sex educator Jay Friedman says that he resorted to looking at photos of naked natives in National Geographic when he was a teen because school sex-ed classes were so inadequate.
  

  European society and American society differently inform young people about sex. Freidman said Northern Europeans especially have lower teen pregnancies, lower abortion rates, and lower sexual assault rates because Europeans are more frank about sexuality.
  
  He said that while the east and west coast seemed to be open-minded, he found more close-minded and conservative views of sex in the Midwest, where his words were the most controversial.
  
  The resistance to the truth may partly have stemmed from his belief that “politics has everything to do with sex.” Friedman slammed political issues, such as abstinence-only programs that he thinks are “damaging for young people and society” and “cripples them with sexual ignorance.”

• The Arizona State University online news source has a positive article on naturism, interviewing a student named "Roy".

  “It's the enjoyment of not having to have clothes on — it's sort of an opinion about the necessity of clothes more than anything else,” he says. “I don’t think of it as a lifestyle, I think of it as a clothing style.” Roy says in fact going without clothes can be better in many situations. “If it’s 20 degrees outside, then go put on a jacket,” he says, “but if the day’s really nice, then why [wear clothes] if you're indoors, or especially with swimming.”

• NJ.com is on the record for leaving the legal system out of teen sexting incidents.

  Technology has moved at the speed of light, outpacing what lawmakers most likely envisioned would occur under our laws. We need to reconsider how to approach these issues productively before infringing on the liberties of children and jeopardizing them beyond their own bad judgment.

Kenyon Women Fight for Topfree Equality

A story today in the Kenyon College Collegian newspaper describes how topfree women were kicked out of a "Shock Your Mom" party event on campus, which sparked a protest by a group calling itself "The Women Behind the Boobs", who hung photos of their own naked breasts along an area called Middle Path. A letter was circulated from the protesters, who said, "We love our bodies and we want you to see why! We just wonder why 'common decency' requires us to cover a part of our bodies that not only do men not have to cover, but that is a natural, integral part of ourselves."

According to students interviewed for the story, nudity at the annual event was expected, even though officially prohibited, and that the Campus Department of Safety decided to crack down this year. One student with flowers on her nipples was "grabbed by the shoulders" and told to leave.

According to (student Emma) Lippincott, between 50 and 75 women were involved in the demonstration in some way. While perhaps not all participants saw the demonstration as feminist, Lippincott said that she did. "For me, the true definition of feminism is about egalitarianism between the sexes," she said. "If one gender's chest is viewed as completely sexualized if it's exposed, if it's viewed as pornography when it's just breasts... that's an issue of equality."

Kenyon College is a liberal arts school with 1600 students located in Gambier, Ohio.

UPDATE: The Kenyon Collegian has an editorial supporting the students. It's a little awkwardly written but the point is clear.

We sympathize with the students who felt degraded by the comments they heard when they were asked to leave. Many students in the past have seen Shock Your Momma as an opportunity to expose themselves. These students find liberation in revealing their bodies in a relatively safe environment. When students feel as though they are invited into that environment and then they are pulled away from it, they may feel an understandable amount of shame from putting themselves out into exhilarating and uncomfortable nudity and being pulled away from it by a shaming force that says they are behaving inappropriately.

Sexting Hysteria Breeds Stupid Lawmaking

As predicted by Dr. Marty Klein, Ohio state and local legislators and law enforcement officials, accompanied by Cynthia Logan whose daughter committed suicide for reasons attributed to a nude photo she took of herself, are set to announce a new sexting law which specifically targets children. Make no mistake - if you are a parent in Ohio, your children will now be able to be arrested merely for being stupid sexually, and charged with a misdemeanor. As if our prisons are not already overcrowded with people incarcerated for drug possession and other pointless crimes, we are now plotting to put sexually curious children behind bars.

The answer is to change current child pornography laws so that children are not made victims of the very statutes which are supposed to protect them. Adding this new law that "would make teenagers sending sexually provocative or nude pictures of themselves or others a first degree misdemeanor" is a crime in itself. I find it astounding that so many public officials could actually think that they are protecting children by turning them into criminals, putting blemishes on their records which could keep them out of college or a job, prevent them from getting a loan, etc.

And who is going to decide the definition of "sexually provocative?" Any teenage girl who poses for a photo showing a little cleavage and making pouty lips could be arrested.

In one respect, it's correct that these lawmakers feel that making sex offenders out of children is wrong, But this is not the way to correct a system gone awry.

So what's next? Teens caught half-naked in their cars on lover's lane will be locked up and charged with a crime? What about a teen who gets pregnant after having real in-the-flesh sex - will we lock her up, too? If the law is written to consider the mere image of sexuality to be criminal, it's only logical that eventually the real thing will be outlawed, too.

As a society we cannot keep allowing lawmakers to interfere with our personal lives, to not only take away civil liberties, but parental rights as well. The "nanny state" mentality has really run amok.

Nudist Photo of the Day 4/9/09

The Naturist Society Eastern Gathering June 22-28, 2009

The Naturist Society has announced its schedule for the 2009 Eastern Gathering at Eastover Resort in Lenox, Massachusetts, so if you are a member, be sure to check out all of the info here.

Ohio Prosecutor Wants to Send a Message by Destroying Lives of Children

Ohio prosecutor Jessica Little wants to send a "message" to four teens charges with felonies over a nude photograph transmitted by cell phone.

"They haven't got the message yet that sexting, nude pictures of a minor, they don't know how dangerous that water is," Little said.

She said she hoped to make an example of the 16-year-old girl, two 14-year-old boys and the adult, who, if convicted, could possibly be classified as sex offenders.

According to victim's advocate Denise Neal, these children would have to report for 25 years. Somebody please step in and help these children fight this crackpot prosecutor.

Naturally, Little is a Republican, and has a MySpace page here, and can be emailed at jessgun@aol.com. Apparently in order to save the children you need to destroy them first.

Trio of hearts - 2

This is my last post until at least Monday, friends, as I am headed to Boston to visit my niece and her parents in the hospital. I will bring with me all of your thoughts and prayers and wishes for her speedy and complete recovery. She is "moving forward" as my sister reported to us, which is of course the direction in which we want her to move, so that is very encouraging!!

I wish you all happy, healthy, peaceful holidays.

Here is my latest trio of paintings. These are "itty-bitties" at only 4 inches square. Tonight I hope to get out of my comfort zone with colors -- these dark reds and golds and greens are my signature colors, and I seem to end up with the same palette even when I think I am trying something different, so this will be a challenge for me.


Realize - 4 x 4 spackle, acrylic & mixed-media on canvas


Adore - 4 x 4 spackle, acrylic & mixed-media on canvas


Cherish - 4 x 4 spackle, acrylic & mixed-media on canvas

The Daily Newds 4/8/09

• There were 44 videos uploaded to the World Nude Day 09 site. Click here to see them all.
• It's confirmed: Bay to Breakers will feature the usual assortment of body freedom participants.
• A tongue-in-cheek article exposes the ridiculousness behind the banning of nude sunbathing on Bird Island.

  It is a known fact that nude sunbathing is a gateway activity that leads to more serious civil breaches. For purposes of modesty, I will not dwell on the issue of visible cleavage in the workplace, but we all know it costs the nation more in lost productivity than the NCAA tournament.

• A letter to the editor in Florida claims that law enforcement is "clueless" about the law, and "completely unaware" of naturist values.
• William Saletan of Slate Magazine regrets once supporting body scanners in airports.

  Now I'm having second thoughts. I still like the technology. It's the people behind it who worry me. Yes, the scan is less invasive than the pat-down. But TSA has just demonstrated its ability and willingness to move the goalposts. When TSA offered pat-downs as the alternative to body scans in secondary screening, the scan sounded pretty good. Now TSA is offering pat-downs as the alternative to body scans in primary screening, and again, the scan sounds better. And if TSA announces tomorrow that pat-downs are the new alternative for all train or bus passengers, body scans will seem preferable there, too. Anywhere we're threatened with pat-downs, we'll settle for body scans. Where does it end?

• Sexting Roundup: Dr. Paul Rapoport writes, "If Pennsylvania wants to reduce sexting, especially in cases where there is no victim, it should not turn to the police or the courts. The keys are education about technology's relation to sexuality, and about society's body phobias and sex obsessions." A nude photo of a teen is causing a "big stir" in Glen Rock, New Jersey. Mike Galanos of CNN writes, "There is no control over that image or video once it gets out. But that doesn't mean little Suzie should be charged as a child pornographer." And the Wall Street Journal asks if the worry about teen sexting is the real epidemic.

  "Most of the mainstream media uses semi-nude models to sell us things -- so why is it surprising if teens have modeled this?" says Terry Humphreys, an assistant professor of psychology at Trent University in Peterborough, Ontario. "I would want to see the results separated for semi-nude and nude before I get too anxious about what our teens and young adults are doing with their cellphones."

• A sculpture of a naked woman on a cross is offending the Christian establishment.
  

  Living Way Church Pastor Lanil Gunasekara was outraged by the sculpture.
  
  “It is a blasphemous insult to the image of Jesus Christ who was crucified on the cross,” he said.
  
  “There is something wrong with an artist who produces something so insulting to Christians.”

• Carol Muske-Dukes recalls her stint in a French production of "Hair" in the 70s.

  Then we all rallied for the final scene before the break - the famous nude scene. I'd never taken my clothes off for this climactic moment before - now I felt the time was right. I had "laid bare" the essence of HAIR, I thought - this was a breakthrough. I stood with my fellow cast members, shivering a little in the garish lights, naked. Then the great velvet curtains closed and I turned to pick up my bell bottoms and "pull-over-aire". They had vanished. The French cast had hidden my clothes.

• The Keys chapter of South Florida Free Beaches is lobbying for a clothing optional beach.
  

  The two prime candidates for a clothing-optional beach would appear to be a portion of Higgs Beach, which is owned by the county, separated by the main beach by the West Martello Tower; and Rest Beach near the White Street Pier.
  
  Haulover Beach in North Miami drew 1.3 million visitors in 2006 and, including direct and indirect revenue and things like sales tax, generated $179 million, according to Miami-Dade Parks and Recreation Department data.

• A Calgary women has received an "avalanche" of hate mail over her stand on public breastfeeding.

  "I've been called a pedophile, I've had people threaten to perform obscene acts on me," said Gemma Kelsall, describing the messages that have been sent to her Facebook account and on the websites of various news sites that featured her story.

• And congratulations are in order to the editors of the Eureka High School in California for winning the James Madison Freedom of Information Award for taking a stand against school censorship. A nude drawing had been published in the school newspaper, prompting the principal to order the custodian to round up all the remaining copies.
  

  The law is on the side of student journalists when it comes to censorship, said (editor Drew) Ross. Right away, his publication received calls from the media, including the Student Press Law Center and the American Civil Liberties Union. The ACLU sent the Redwood Bark legal information about their rights.
  
  Ross said the ACLU told him his paper had a very strong case against school censorship. Steffen violated a state anti-censorship law that prohibits a person from taking more than 25 papers off any newsstand, said Ross. “This is a huge crime,” said Ross. “A person could be fined or go to jail.”

Nudist Photo of the Day 4/8/09

Naked Activities in Europe

In case you have not yet discovered Naked Activities in Europe, be prepared to spend some time browing the extensive web site. Some of the links need to be updated, but there are lots of great photos of freehiking, nude bicycling, and other nude outdoor activities. The Europeans are way ahead of the US when it comes to healthy, harmless and fun naturism.

Naked Events

John Cornicello has a nice collection of naked events on Flickr...

Pirate Statue Rated "ARRRRR"

A sexy statue of a female pirate in a Pennsylvania antique store is under attack by a Catholic priest who has reportedly "cursed" the figure and called it "soft porn". Apparently the shop owners are thrilled with the controversy because it will certainly draw in tons of new customers. And somebody please take this poor priest to a public pool or beach if he thinks the statue is showing too much flesh. Story with video report here.

Trio of hearts

My niece continues to make progress in the cardiac unit at Children's Hospital in Boston, and as long as she is there, and perhaps for much longer, as the muse dictates, I will be painting hearts. It is my way of staying in the moment and sending all of my positive energy to her, as there's really not much else I can do. I have primed and prepped a variety of different canvasses in assorted sizes, and these three are the latest. I wanted to work on a few bigger square canvasses, but these dried first...


Wonder - 5x7 - spackle, acrylic, oil pastel mixed media on canvas board


Make a Wish - 5x7 - spackle, acrylic, oil pastel mixed media on canvas board

Heal - spackle, acrylic, oil pastel mixed media on canvas board