Friday, October 28, 2011

Caribbean beaches

 Clothing-optional beach

Plan A: St. Martin's Orient Bay is easily the Caribbean's most famous nudie beach. It's quite the scene, with barbecue shacks and at least a half-dozen chi-chi beach bars hopping throughout the day, and plenty of motorized watersports. In reality, birthday suits generally are worn only at the south end — that would be the side with the parking lot where cruise ship visitors in taxi vans circle for a peek. Perhaps you were anticipating more solitude?

Plan B: Look no further than the next island over, St. Barthelemy, where wild and undeveloped Anse de Grande Saline is the solution for a beach-lover's most sybaritic dreams. Even on the busiest days it's never packed. From the parking area, a quarter-mile trail leads over a shrub-lined dune to the sand, which is soft, wide and generous. As the island's de facto clothing-optional beach, there are subsections within — hip/gay tend to swing left, newcomers usually head right. It's also probably the locals' favorite.

Source

The joy of nudity, summer or winter

It's just like any town and country club or Rotary meeting – except in the nude.

Like most of the group – mostly farmers, and a few mechanics – Southern Naturally president Bevan Tait strips off and enjoys the vitamin D with the ten other club members several times a year, when sunshine is in abundance. Mr Tait's sheep farm is handy, being just down the road.

In the winter, when the temperatures drop and the fire is roaring inside the old schoolhouse near Otautau that the club bought 33 years ago, it can be daunting to be outside, he says.

But part of the joy of nudity is feeling the night air – even in Southland, in July.

And, if you're part of the southernmost naturist club in the world, you are expected to be tougher than most.

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A brief history of Canadian nudity laws

In Canada, public nudity is allowed so long as you don’t “offend against public decency or order.” In fact, nudity is considered a political crime, one of the few offences that requires the Attorney General’s approval to lay charges. So, letting it all hang out among thousands of like-minded souls at the Pride Parade? You’re probably safe. But going for a naked jaunt to your local A&W—not so much. Brian Coldin, of Bracebridge, Ontario, currently faces five charges for his repeated clothing-free visits to fast-food restaurants located near his naturist resort. Coldin is fighting the charges, calling Canada’s nudity laws unconstitutional. A judge is expected to rule this fall. Until then, here’s a full-frontal look at our country’s long history of public nudity.

1918 First Canadian nudist club founded in Welland, Ontario.

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Here's looking at you

In every art studio, there is always someone who is willing to do what would make most people blush. That person is the model, the man or woman who is there to disrobe casually in front of a group of strangers for a couple of hours, hold a series of poses without a word of complaint about the inevitable chill that sets in or the hard edges of the furniture that make the joints stiffen as the body is held relaxed, but motionless.

Live models are an essential part of an artist’s education, and there is a steady demand for them. There’s also a steady supply of people offering up their bodies. Samantha Youssef, who hires for drawing sessions at Studio Technique on Ste. Catherine St. W., gets 30 emails a week expressing interest in modelling, but on average, only one of the applications will be taken seriously. Most of the ignored applications are from young people who have a friend who models and think it’s an easy way to make money, but have sought no training and don’t offer much information about themselves, like references and CVs, Youssef said.

“Some experienced models recommend people and I might try them because I respect the model,” she said. “I like people with a performance background and stage presence because they have fluidity to their poses and are athletic.”

Read more

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Yet Another Reason Why Nudism Is Good For Your Health

Looking for a good excuse to strip off your clothes, for good?

Here's a new one, from science.

Nudists (or naturists, in the U.K), are more aware of their skins' needs and consequently take better care of their outer layers, according to a new study commissioned by Comfort Pure, a fabric softener sold in Britain (via UK Express).

The research, which studied the behaviors of naturists and people who kept their clothes on, found that 45% of naturists applied sunscreen daily, and 82% examinied their skin for abnormalities on a regular basis.

Explained one nudist, Andrew Welch:

Because our members feel that clothes are not always an essential part of their daily routine, it is important that we promote awareness of how to properly look after our body and skin. However, contrary to perception, many naturists are dressed most of the time, and when we do wear clothes it’s better to go for natural fibres that are soft to the touch, and take care of them with fabric softeners, so that our skin looks and feels radiant whether it’s covered up or not!

Nudists were also found to feel much better in their own skin, with 54% saying they felt comfortable in their own bodies, while only 1 in 10 people who regularly wore clothes responded the same way.
Nudists also say there are other benefits to their lifestyle, including feeling happier and more broadly accepted by a community. And of course, there's far less laundry involved.

Source

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Women were bare breasted in Korea

The late Horace G. Underwood once told the tale of an American woman missionary who was offended by her perceived immodesty of the Korean women. According to Underwood, this missionary traveled through the streets of Seoul with safety pins and pieces of cloth and covered up the bared breasts of the Korean women she encountered.

Most Westerners were unaware of the significance of the breasts revealing jackets and merely thought of them as part of a quaint Korean custom, but only women who had borne sons were allowed to wear these jackets and thus they were a symbol of pride, and not shame. 



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Can sunshine help nudists avoid breast cancer?

For the last 25 years, October has been Breast Cancer Awareness Month. But one organization, GrassrootsHealth, wants to change the name to Breast Cancer Prevention Month, by conducting a survey about something that nudists have been enjoying all along through sunshine-vitamin D.
Their premise is that vitamin D deficiency is the cause of this horrible illness and they are beginning a 5 year study to prove it. As most people know, sunshine is a good source of this vitamin, and nudists have been soaking it up for generations.

Carole Baggerly, director of GrassrootsHealth says
 “When you can project that fully 75% of breast cancer could be prevented with higher vitamin D serum levels, there is no justification for waiting to take preventive measures such as getting one’s vitamin D level up to the recommended range of 40-60 ng/ml (100-150 nmol/L).”

Saturday, October 22, 2011

Grow up, America

Jaimie O’Neill feels that it is important to point out how upset we should be about butt-naked men in San Francisco, where he lived “two decades ago.” Really? His sad assumption is that all of the people that he saw were gay. However, many heterosexuals are using the lack of nudity laws in S. F. to go “au naturel.”

Besides, I have been more often offended by the lack of “decorum” at our local Walmart (see www.peopleofwalmart.com), and that is not in Sin City.

More seriously, I must point out that it would be a fair comparison if we saw the following article in a Saudi Arabian newspaper: “Women seen in public, driving their own car and not wearing a burka.” Using O’Neill’s own words, “Call me insufferably intolerant, call me old-fashioned, but in this particular dust-up I’m siding with the people who have the right not to view” … your female body without the burka driving a car.

See how this plays out? If societies are going to evolve and allow for true human freedom, we have to allow for some bumps on the road. Without them, we are just as repressive as any dictatorship. You know, the US of A really does need to grow up.

Robert Zadra
Psychiatrist

Source

Top 10 Misconceptions About Nudism

Many people have found nudism a great resource for freedom and relaxation. However, nudism (what some also refer to as naturism) is also one of the most misunderstood lifestyles among the general population. Lets take some time to explore nudism and break through the misconceptions many have formulated over time about this exotic lifestyle. [JFrater: You won't believe how hard it was trying to find work-safe images for this list!]

Click here to see the list

Nudism 101: What is nudism?

Here are five (5) categories for nudism:
1.       Researching-there is an interest in being socially nude but these people want to make sure they will be safe in a nudist environment and comfortable with body issues before taking the plunge.
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2.       Part time at home-these people will walk around the house nude at some point but quickly dress when someone enters the room or they start to feel uncomfortable without clothes on.
3.       Full time at home-they feel comfortable being nude at home-either alone or around family and friends; but have not made the decision to interact nude with people they do not know.
4.       Part time in public-these social nudists will only go bare occasionally for a weekend or nakation (nude vacation) and usually it’s in a location far from their home (just in case they might meet someone they know).
5.       Full time in public-being without textiles is a must with these nudists. Of course they do, on occasion, put on clothes when needed (i.e. during cold weather, going shopping, or going on trips where nudity is unlawful)

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Normalising nudity

"We started it as a hobby, but it is now a worthwhile business that I think is worth carrying on. This awards appraisal has made me focus on that. It's made me look at things a lot more clinically."

They have started events like Nudie Foodies Sounds Adventure, an annual get-together where a charter boat ride is followed by dinner in the garden and a golf tournament the following day.

For Ms Hannam the decision to do all of that nude is a simple one. "My attitude is that I sleep in the nude and when I get up in the nude I shower in the nude, and if it's a really nice day I think why would I put on clothes?"

She wishes more people could see it that way. "I think that's what I'm out there to do. Normalise it."

Source

Saturday, October 15, 2011

Top 10 nude vacations

Looking to let it all hang out on your next vacation? Nudist vacations are increasingly popular among all types of travelers, in some of the most unexpected places. Reasons for the uptick, according to the American Association of Nude Recreation: Nude vacationing is more relaxing, relieves stress, and offers travelers a welcome respite from the (fully-clothed) crowds. Here are some of the more popular spots, according to Shermans Travel.

Click here

Topless men and women promote breast health

As a relief from cold, calculated corporate ad executions, the Toronto-based Rethink Breast Cancer charity has gone cheeky, bold and bare-breasted to generate awareness on the street and online with two recent campaigns.

Photo, video, read more

Connecticut law protects a mother’s right to breastfeed in public and workplace

The Connecticut Breastfeeding Coalition has joined with the Departments of Public Health and Labor, as well as the Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities to create the “Guide to Connecticut Breastfeeding Nondiscrimination and Workplace Accommodation Laws.”The State law allows mothers to nurse their babies in public places and the workplace. It also protects employed mothers’ rights to express milk during the workday.

The guide answers frequently asked questions, such as “Why can’t the mother cover the baby when nursing?” and “Do I need to provide a special room or space for an employee who wants to breastfeed or express milk at work?” It also explains what recourse a woman has when she believes her rights to breastfeed have been violated under Connecticut’s breastfeeding laws.

City officials reach deal with nude body-painter

Under an agreement approved by city lawyers and prosecutors, Golub will be allowed to paint topless, but not bottomless, women all day long -- subject to any crowd control issues.

Full public nudity is allowed in New York city, so long as it is part of a play, performance, exhibition or show. And the city has no law specifically banning nude body painting. But city officials can set what are called time, place and manner restrictions, banning nudity, for instance, at times or places when very young children might see it, Kuby explained.

As a compromise, the city has agreed to leave painters of nude bodies alone so long as the models don't go bottomless before sunset, he said, an accommodation tailor made for Golub, who has continued to ply his odd art niche at Zuccotti Park, where paint-thirsty protesters are stripping for his brush left and right.

The plastic surgery a model needs to look like Barbie

We know that Barbies body is anatomically impossible. So why are we still trying for it?
Every day a new plastic surgery promise emerges: scooped-out backs, rear-end lifts, sculpted kneecaps. If it’s possible, it’s suddenly necessary.

But what exactly would you have to go through to get the 'perfect' Barbie body? In the latest issue of O Magazine, model Katie Halchishick becomes the human diagram.

Posing for photographer Matthew Rolston, her glamorous, Marilyn Monroe-type features are surgically outlined according to Barbie's proportions.

Here’s a breakdown of what she'd need done to be the kind of doll women aspire to: a brow lift, a jaw line shave, rhinoplasty, a cheek and neck reduction, a chin implant, scooped-out shoulders, a breast lift, liposuction on her arms, and tummy tuck, which would also have to be sculpted as if it were lined in whale-bone from the inside. And that’s just the half of her.

Read more 

Thursday, October 13, 2011

Occupy Blog

A blog for videos, interviews, articles, opinions, news, information, and facts about what is going on in New York, and many other cities across the United States, even the world. Comments are moderated. So far there are 10 long pages of useful information, inspiring articles, and video of us of the 99%. Bookmark us for continuing coverage and in depth study.

Part of nudism is fighting for our rights, like the pursuit of happiness.  I've been working hard for a week now on a new blog that documents the Occupy Wall Street Movements around the country.

Click here to visit the site.  Comments are welcome.

Nudism embraced by younger generation

Phillip and Cora have been participating in social nudism for only a few months, although Cora says she started exploring nudism as a teenager at home and she and Phillip have been "closet nudists" together since they got married over a year ago.

"I still feel rather limited in my nudism experience," says Phillip. "Cora has done this much more than me."
However, making the jump from the "textile world" to the world of nudism wasn't that hard of a leap for Phillip.

"He's very accepting of everyone. Period," says Cora. "He's never been one to judge based on appearance or beliefs."

"Cora, on the other hand," says Phillip, "has always enjoyed being naked, and social nudism has given her a way to meet like-minded people."

Cora says that for her, nudism is an escape from the stress of day-to-day life.

"There is nothing more freeing, more relaxing, than being naked, especially being naked outside. When I take those clothes off, my stress goes with them and I feel like I can breathe again, even if only for an afternoon. It's therapeutic."

Read full piece

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Nude cruises for an all-over tan

If you ever have trouble packing for a cruise, or are confounded by weight restrictions on airline baggage, I may have found just the holiday - a naturist cruise in Croatia.
Niche operator eWaterways is launching four cruises next year on a fleet of motor sailing ships, island-hopping along the Adriatic coastline and among Dalmatia's hundreds of secluded islands.

Two different itineraries for the naturist cruises will be available, both offering plenty of opportunities for guests to be as nature intended while on board - or in the water - with clothes required only when in port and during meal times.

The Kvarner Bay Naturist Cruise offers a round trip from Opatija where liberal holidaymakers can enjoy day trips to tranquil islands and secluded beaches for snorkelling, swimming or sunbathing. In the evenings, guests can join the crowd and explore inland dining options and enjoy tours of the picturesque towns and villages.

Read more

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

We Love Indian Summer


It’s October in New York, but you wouldn’t know it from the temperature.  80 degrees and sunny!  God bless you, Indian Summer.


So, out we went, into the park once more, toting our copies of GETTING OFF and CHOKE HOLD and QUARRY’S EX. We had a bit of extra excitement this time out, our first ever run-in with the police, but all ended amicably: after coming by twice to ask us to put our tops back on, they checked in with headquarters, confirmed that what we’d told them was true (it’s legal for women to go topless anywhere a man can), apologized for bothering us, and wished us a good day.

And we had a very good day, as you can see.

Congrats girls, you are a true inspiration to all of us.  Click here to see the post.

Saturday, October 8, 2011

Elizabeth Warren, Scott Brown spat highlights hypocrisy on nudity

This, from the GOP (Grand IOkl’ Prudes?), which historically has railed against nudity everywhere – on TV, in movies, in go-go bars, in magazines (like Cosmo), at the beach, during halftime at the Super Bowl, at a Lady Gaga concert, you name it.

The naked truth: When it’s one of them, Republicans are willing to look the other way. (After a quick peek, of course.)

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ESPN 'Body Issue' PHOTOS 2011: Naked Athletes

ESPN The Magazine's 2011 "Body Issue," in which several athletes strip down and pose nude or semi-nude, comes out on Friday and the cover images have been released. ESPN announced last week that women's soccer star Hope Solo, Rams running back Steven Jackson and NBA phenom Blake Griffin would be among the athletes to pose. Solo, Griffin, snowboarder Gretchen Bleiler, Mets shortstop Jose Reyes and star goalkeeper Tim Howard were chosen to grace the covers of the 2011 issue.

Source and photos

Friday, October 7, 2011

George Clooney: Skinny-Dipping at My Italian Villa Is Tradition

Skinny-dipping in Lake Como is apparently a tradition at George Clooney's Italian villa. The "Up in the Air" star gushed about it when met at the New York City premiere of "The Ides of March" on Wednesday, October 5, and asked about Marisa Tomei's claim that she and the cast went swimming in the buff at his retreat.

"It's a tradition at my house," the 50-year-old told New York Magazine's Vulture. "Charlie Rose, let me tell you - first we got Walter Cronkite to jump in, then I got David Gergen to jump in. I used Walter Cronkite to get Gergen to jump in, and then I used Marisa [Tomei] and Evan [Rachel Wood] in the lake to get Charlie Rose to jump."

Read more

Thursday, October 6, 2011

Clothing Optional: should it be?

Many, perhaps most, but not all naturist venues don’t actually require you to be nude all the time. Most have a “clothing optional” policy, which means pretty much what it says: you don’t have to wear anything you don’t want to. The implication is that if you’re more comfortable being only partially nude, the clothing optional policy permits it (although there are usually exceptions, such as no clothing at all permitted in pools and hot tubs.) This is said to be friendly to the newcomers who aren’t quite ready to bare all.

Not everyone likes these policies. Upon some recent reflection, I’ve decided I’m one of those people. And it took me a while to put my finger on exactly why I don’t think “clothing optional” is a good idea, but I’ve got it now. In simple terms:

If you’re not nude, you’re not a participant; you’re a spectator.

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Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Revealing all

No 19th-century artist paid closer attention to the naked female form than Edgar Degas. Yet none seemed to harbor such complicated feelings about women.

...

From the 1870s until about 10 years before his death in 1917, Degas knocked out one magnificently drawn, gauchely posed female nude after another. Only the means and the materials changed - charcoal, pastel, paint, monotype, lithograph, clay, pastel on monotype, and so on.

These now look like some of the greatest nudes in the history of Western art. Picking up on cultural currents that were gaining momentum in the mid-19th century, Degas aggressively stripped away centuries of idealization, sentimentality, and pomposity to reveal the female form as it was.

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Jane Lynch Rode Her Bike Around Topless

The actress grew up wanting to be one of the boys - and she refused to wear a shirt or a bra while out playing in the summer.

She says, "I used to ride my bike through the neighbourhood (and I did it) one summer too long. My mum was like, 'You have to put on a shirt...' I wanted to be a boy... Boys ride on their bike with their shorts and no shirt.

Read more

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

Baring it all for Boobyball

For Candace “Candy Marie” Bascoe, one of four volunteer models who bared their breasts Monday for hundreds of googly eyed gawkers — all in the name of breast-cancer awareness — the stunt was more than just a cheap gimmick.

Both her grandmothers had breast cancer, and her best friend was diagnosed last year. Bascoe, 26, had a partial mastectomy herself four years ago after discovering a “golf-ball-sized” lump in her right breast. So now she’ll do whatever it takes to get people to pay attention.

“I could probably stand out here all day in a trench coat trying to hand out pamphlets and nobody would notice,” she said. “This is louder.”

Read more with video

Saturday, October 1, 2011

Dame Helen Mirren nudism and more



At 3:49 in the Conan interview she speaks on her views of nudism, nudist beaches, and even invites conservative Conan to go the nude beach with her.

Five Exercises Best Done Naked

Sure, you've heard of exercises that claim to make your naked bod look divine. But what about exercises to actually do while you're nude?

Whether you're getting hyped for naked aerobics or yoga pretzels, working out without clothes sounds like a pretty good way to burn some calories while avoiding pit stains during an endless summer.

Check out five videos of totally NSFW exercises to do naked (yes, apart from sex) after the jump ...

Note: You may need to sign in to YouTube to view some of these videos.

Videos and Read More