Wednesday, December 31, 2008

The Daily Newds 12/31/08


  • Lily Allen has to be the celebrity who is most comfortable with topfreedom.
  • Helen Rittelmeyer has a nice appreciation of Bettie Page.
    The battle between permissiveness and modesty has become mechanical, but while the rest of us were dancing like we've danced before, Bettie Page was asking why the human body had to be treated like a totem, either of liberation or shame. She never became trapped in the sick symbiosis between exhibitionist and voyeur — one relishing the frisson of the forbidden, the other eager to subvert it, each dependent on the other. Like her, we should all give thanks that creation grants us the gifts of beauty and sex — and the wisdom to know the difference.
  • University of Salford students have stripped for a fundraising calendar.
  • A Wisconsin state appeals court has ruled that a person who is voluntarily nude in the presence of another still has privacy rights which protect against being secretly photographed.
  • British Naturism is fighting a local council which is planning to close a nudist beach.
    "They are saying other people and families can't use the beach, but that is nonsense. It is a clothes-optional beach. We found that statement very offensive and, in particular, naturist families found it extremely offensive. We are not getting anywhere with them."
  • The New South Wales government in Australia says that the call to ban topfree sunbathing will not be heeded. Labor MP Paul Gibson, a supporter of the ban, said that topless women made people "uncomfortable". "If you're on the beach do you want somebody with big knockers next to you when you're there with the kids," he said.
  • Former Mrs. Paul McCartney Heather Mills is being sued by a former nanny who claims that she was forced to do "unsavory" work, such as giving a spray-paint tan to a nude Mills, and (gasp) blow-drying her hair before normal business hours.
  • 130 naturists have gathered in New Zealand for their 57th annual festival. June Campbell-Tong, of Whitby, has been a passionate supporter of nudity for 45 years. "It's beautiful, it's wonderful," she said. "I can't wait to come out here it's a stress release. People can come here and forget the outside world." Here is the link to the story with uncensored video.

Nudist Photo of the Day 12/31/08


Sunday, December 28, 2008

Best of the Naturist World

Previously I announced that I was going to compile a list of the top ten nudists/naturist people and web sites, and I wish to thank everyone who made a suggestion. I have modified by project a little, and will instead be doing a series of Best of the Naturist World posts where I will pay tribute to the people, places, clubs and web sites which have made positive contributions to nudism and naturism. Again, I invite all of you out there to make nominations by emailing me.

After compiling all the information I had to make my intended lists, I decided that a running feature would be preferable for a variety of reasons, chief among them the fact that I couldn't decide on the order of importance, and it seemed unfair to limit the number to ten. Also, since I came across to many unsavory characters and salacious web sites in my searching, I will be running a concurrent series of posts Worst of the Naturist World as a contrast. There's a lot of trash out there.

Again, please email me anytime with suggestions. Look for the first post in this series soon.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Nudist Photo of the Day 12/28/08


Saturday, December 27, 2008

The Daily Newds 12/27/08


Catching up after a very busy holiday season...
  • A Seattle columnist is "all for nudity", but...
    ...there's the morality issue. Is it in any way possible to justify nude bicycling on the basis of morality? The most adept philosopher would be hard pressed to make this argument. After all, is it morally acceptable for a physical specimen replete with rippling muscles and firm curves to flaunt his or her charms to the remainder of us who may be challenged in the same areas? I don't think so, nor do I think that those who thoughtlessly parade their physical perfection would think so if they gave it a little thought. Have a little consideration is all I ask. Leave the imperfect among us some pride at the end of the day.
  • A New Zealand man has been sentenced to four months in jail for taking off his clothes on National Nude Day.
  • Here's a video link to the annual UC-Berkeley student library streak.
  • Here's a brief history of nude dancing and the First Amendment.
  • One Australian man is trying to make a difference in getting Little Congwong declared an official free beach.
    "Naturists are a good, honest crowd," he said. "Nobody hides anything. I've never come across the bad behaviour or rudeness that you sometimes get on clothed beaches. We love nature and the freedom of just being yourself."
  • NPR has a short audio link to a story about one of the Nude Pumpkin Runners who will have to do community service, six months probation and pay $27 in court costs for streaking in public. A blogger on the Denver Post website says that the runners are getting what they deserve.
  • A writer is distressed over nudity in locker rooms.
    ...all the skinny people are back from their work-out and strutting their naked thin bodies around the changing room. That seems to be the latest thing. Take off all your clothes and, irrespective of who's behind you, bend down to put on the knickers and shove your bottom in somebody else's face, often mine.
  • Here's a photo gallery of celebrities who have taken it all off for PETA.
  • A nude portrait of a breast cancer survivor will go on display in The Louvre.
  • The staff of Amazon.com reportedly resisted a call for them to drop trou for mass mooning photo.
  • Amy Winehouse has been added to the list of celebrities who enjoy topfreedom.
  • Naked Rambler Stephen Gough is going back to jail for another 12 months.
  • Women are protesting Facebook's decision to ban images of breastfeeding.
    "What about a baby breast-feeding is obscene? Especially in comparison to MANY other pictures posted all over Facebook that really are obscene?'' the event organizers asked on their Web site, called "Hey Facebook, breast-feeding is not obscene!''
  • More stories on the Facebook censorship can be found here, and here.
  • Marisa Tomei talks about her role in The Wrestler where she plays a stripper.
  • The staff at a UK store stripped off for a Christmas card to raise money for Alzheimer's research.
  • Two Louisiana elementary school children were suspended from school for viewing a nude photo on a school computer. The Superintendent compared the incident to fights, guns, knives and drugs.
  • The Chicago bar which gained notoriety with a nude painting of Alaska Governor Sarah Palin is now planning a nude portrait of embattled Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich.
  • Naturists are saying that there are fewer places to go bare in Orange County.
    "There are fewer places than there used to be," said longtime naturist leader and Huntington Beach resident Allen Baylis, an attorney who is leading the San Onofre State Beach fight. "Because of the prejudice and marginalization we've long suffered, we've kept losing ground."
  • A children's charity has turned down the funds raised by doctors who posed for a nude calendar.
  • Fifteen artists' models stripped down in front of the Paris cultural affairs bureau to protest a ban on tipping for their services.
  • SCNA (Southern California Naturist Association) is rallying supporters for the right to be nude.
    Members have begun a sly campaign to raise awareness among local business owners of their numbers and purchasing power. Armed with fistfuls of $2 bills, naturists use the questions generated by the unusual currency as an opportunity to explain their mission and demonstrate that for a troubled economy, there is profit in numbers.

    “We’re trying to say if there were more people down at the beach they’d be buying more hamburgers,” Wilkinson says.

    So far, says Ricc Bieber, an activist who has worked to maintain nudist beaches since 1976, “practically everyone has been really positive. They understand the economic consequences.”

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Nudist Photo of the Day 12/27/08


Thursday, December 25, 2008

So This Is Xmas

If you are prosperous enough to have a computer to read this post, have presents around the tree, and a feast on the table to be shared with family and friends, I hope you take a small moment out of this day to keep in mind the nearly one billion people in the world who are hungry, and the 36.2 million people living in the United States who are considered to be food insecure.

Every year we either load up a shopping cart with canned and dry goods and haul them down to the local food bank, or send in an online donation. At the Mid-Ohio Food Bank, requests for assistance is up 14% over last year. 44% of the people they serve have to choose between paying for food or utilities, and 29% have to choose between shelter and food.

So if you have the means, please give to your local food bank. And if you have more, please give to help end world hunger.

A country which sees its citizens line up at midnight for bargains on I-pods, flat screen televisions, video games and computers, certainly has the capacity to line up and help those who are suffering from hunger.
So this is Xmas
And what have you done
Another year over
And a new one just begun
- John Lennon, Happy Xmas (War is Over)

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Top Ten Nudist / Naturist People and Web Sites

It's coming up on the end of the year, and I wanted to put together lists of the top naturist people and naturist web sites, so I am asking for your input on this. I already have several names of people in mind - some are obvious such as Lee Baxandall, Mark Storey, Heinrich Pudor and Kurt Barthel, but you might have some names that I am missing. As for nudist web sites, I will consider commercial sites if they promote true nudist and naturist philosophies. Thanks in advance for your input, which you can email me here.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Finding the Time

I apologize for falling behind in writing meaningful posts, but 'tis the season, and it's my busiest time of year. Stay tuned, I promise I will catch up soon. Thanks!

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Nudist Photo of the Day 12/16/08


Friday, December 12, 2008

Bettie Page Has Died


Iconic pin-up queen Bettie Page has died. Here are some of her quotes regarding nudity:

"I was never one who was squeamish about nudity. I don't believe in being promiscuous about it, but several times I thought of going to a nudist colony."

"I love to swim in the nude and roam around the house in the nude. You're just as free as a bird!"

"Being in the nude isn't a disgrace unless you're being promiscuous about it. After all, when God created Adam and Eve, they were stark naked. And in the Garden of Eden, God was probably naked as a jaybird too!"

"When I turned my life over to the lord Jesus I was ashamed of having posed in the nude. But now, most of the money I've got is because I posed in the nude. So I'm not ashamed of it now. But I still don't understand it." (Playboy Interview)

“I want to be remembered as a woman who changed people’s perspectives concerning nudity in its natural form.” (from The New York Times)

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Nudist Photo of the Day 12/12/08


Monday, December 08, 2008

The Daily Newds 12/8/08


  • MSNBC lists the best places to get naked.
  • One of Britain's first nudist beaches is in danger because of coastal erosion.
  • Pinup icon Bettie Page is reported to be in a coma due to suffering a heart attack. Page is 85. Click here for the official Bettie Page web site.
  • A letter to the editor in Flint Michigan says that the 14 year-old girl who took a topless photo of herself with her cellphone is "immoral and disgraceful" and deserves her suspension and other consequences.
  • Eat naked...eat green? Click here for uncensored video.
  • Kate Beckinsale had to beat up a bunch of friends when she was 10 because of taunting over her mother's televised striptease.
  • Kate Winslet believes in realism when it comes to her on-screen nude scenes. "It was important to me to look real. I really don't believe in this notion that actors and actresses should look untouchably perfect."
  • Parents of a Wisconsin teen are furious that their 16 year-old daughter was kicked off the cheerleading squad over a nude photo. "And to me, it's outrageous that a government would come in and attempt to punish my daughter or myself for activities -- legal activities -- that we do in our own home," said (the girl's father Ed) Nielsen.

The Key to a Successful Nude Calendar


Ever since the original Calendar Girls in the UK stripped off for charity, making news and having their exploits turned into a movie and a stage play, there have been countless copycats. But it turns out that a successful nude calendar should not actually have any actual nudity in order to be successful.
Queensland's Yummy Mummies Bare All calendar was successful because they presented themselves as children with toys, teddies and pigtails but covered their genitals and breasts, Dr (Pamela) Turton-Turner says in her thesis Naked Charity.

"Experience has shown that in the successful calendars the bodies must be sanitised - non-erotic, maternal, coy and covered," she said.

"That is, they are de-eroticised because they are accepted as maternal, giving and nurturing."

Dr Turton-Turner also warned potential charity calendar nudes they risk ridicule...For example, the Bare to be Different calendar, created by the elderly women of South Arm, Tasmania, to raise funds to buy red velvet curtains for their town hall was a success.

It worked because their ageing, wrinkled bodies were on show but nipples and pubes were covered humorously with tea-cups, flowers or prudent framing. They raised A$100,000.

I don't know...the women posing with "toys, teddies and pigtails" sounds a bit fetishist to me. You can't argue with success, but maybe AANR or TNS should test the waters with a real nude calender for charity and see if Dr. Turton-Turner's thesis can be proven incorrect.

Here are a bunch of recent calendars featuring nudity:

Grand National Winner Supports Nude Calendar
Jennifer Aniston's Racy New Calendar
Calendar Uncovers a Community's Spirit
Villagers Strip Off for Fundraising Card
UEA Students' Naked Calendar
Artists Strip Naked for Sexy New Calendar

Sixty 5 Roses
Brailes Naked
British Stars Get Really Naked for Charity Calendar
MCC Students Pose for a Calendar and a Good Cause
Shop Workers Strip Off for Fundraising Calendar

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Nudist Photo of the Day 12/8/08


Friday, December 05, 2008

The Weekend Newds 12/5/08


  • Model Heidi Klum says that being naked is "not a big deal".
    "People are pretty open with their bodies in Germany and the children see you naked or in lingerie all the time so it's not a big deal for us...We don't hide inside a room somewhere and change - it's all very out in the open."
  • A Pennsylvania woman was found not guilty of having sex with boys, even though testimony revealed that she showered naked with two 15 year-old boys. Presumably had she send a nude photo of herself to the boys, instead of actually being nude in their presence, they would have thrown the book at her. The woman was found guilty of corruption of minors, a misdemeanor which will not trigger a Megan's Law inquiry.
  • A San Antonio park police sergeant has been placed on administrative leave for having his photo taken with a topless woman while he was in uniform. Again, those pesky female nipples keep ruining lives.
  • When Miami Beach officials heard that an art project on a public beach would be a sand sculpture of a nude woman, they requested that a bikini top be added so as not to offend anyone. The artist went ahead with his 30 foot sculpture anyway.
    There weren't many families at the beach on the chilly weekday, but the suggestion that the sculpture's semi-nudity was offensive provoked chuckles from those there. ''She looks natural,'' said Gisela Ocaña, visiting from Guatemala with her son Oscar, 15 -- who pronounced the sculpture ''pretty.'' His mother was unconcerned about his adolescent impressions. ''That kind of thing depends on the mind of the person who's looking,'' she said.
  • An editorial in a New Hampshire newspaper ups the ante on the hysteria surrounding teen sexting. As usual, the brouhaha is all about the photos - never mind that the kids are probably having unprotected sex.
    This type of behavior among local teens is downright offensive, especially coming on the heels of media publicity over the dangers of teens throughout America sharing embarrassing or "sexy" photos over the Internet. Teens aren't sharing these photos only with their friends on the Internet through sites such as MySpace. The smut is there for the whole world to see. It can be viewed not only by online predators but by school bullies looking for an opportunity to torment or embarrass others.
  • If you are looking for a holiday gift for a nudist, you might consider Lauren Grossman's wax candles in the shape of nude males, females and hermaphrodites.
  • The mainstream media can't seem to get enough of nude artists models. Articles here and here and here and here.
  • Maybe a swinger is not the best source for nudist philosophy, but this quote is relevant:
    ...the most significant reason I have so much trust of swingers really comes down to nakedness. When I say "nakedness" I'm only partially referring to physical nudity. What I'm mainly talking about is character, and openness. Be it clothing or socializing, swingers are people who are willing to bare all. It's almost impossible to be dishonest when you're truly "naked."
  • Naomi Watts is reported to be the subject of a nude portrait by David Bromley, for submission to Australia's Archibald Prize next year.
  • A semi-nude portrait hidden for more than 200 years in the attic of a French Chateau has fetched almost 3 million pounds at a London auction.
    Richard Knight, international director of Christie's Old Master Department, described it as 'one of the most exciting and extraordinary discoveries of recent years'.

    He confirmed it had been found in the the attic of a French chateau 'where it had been hidden by the grandparents of the present owners due to the semi-naked subject'
  • One would think that the image of Hitler wearing full Nazi regalia is the epitome of offensiveness, but apparently a scantily-clad Hitler is even worse.
  • The daughters of Rod Stewart, Ronnie Wood and Bob Geldof have posed nude for the cover of Tatler Magazine.

Nudist Photo of the Day 12/5/08


Thursday, December 04, 2008

Nipple Equality

I believe that the current generation of teens will be responsible for ending topfree inequality in America, and a case brewing in Michigan could be a spark to ignite the change.

The attorney for a 14 year-old girl who took a topless photo of herself and was subsequently suspended from school is arguing that the discipline was sex discrimination since male students would not have been punished for doing the same thing. But there is much disagreement with the attorney's contention.
"It is not sex discrimination," said Anita Allen (professor at the University of Pennsylvania Law School), who specializes in privacy and sex discrimination issues. "It is considered indecent for a woman to appear in public undressed. ... Courts have upheld those laws, even though they obviously don't apply to men."How does the law justify the difference in treatment? "Three thousand years of Western culture," Allen said.
I really despise this sort of argument which justifies current injustice by invoking history. After all, it was also Western culture which mounted the Crusades, burned women as witches, enslaved an entire race of people, tried to exterminate the Jews, etc. History is the means by which we learn NOT to repeat the mistakes of the past.

Paul Rapoport of TERA has weighed in on the case.
"The girl did nothing wrong. She should be left alone -- it's her decision," Rapoport said. "The body is nothing to be ashamed of. I think everybody needs to calm down and shrug it off...The American obsession with female breasts is just boiling over."
But the real culprit here is the female nipple. Americans seem to have little problem with women showing plenty of décolletage, but it's when that pesky nipple makes an appearance that seems to set the world on fire. The Bare Oaks blogger hits the nail on the head.
Even the definition of breasts is problematic. You can't differentiate between men and women by breast size. Some men have larger breasts than some women. Trying to define where the breast starts and ends is almost impossible. Where is the edge of the breast?

So we are generally left with legal definitions that only refer to the nipple and areola. That means that breasts are not bare if pasties cover the nipple and areola area. Clearly, society is now telling us that the only part of concern is the nipple and areola area on a woman's body.
It really is a form of mass hysteria arising from moral panic. Where else but in America could the case of Janet Jackson's fleeting nipple exposure on network television reach the highest court in the land? It really is madness.

There is absolutely no evidence whatsoever that any female nipple, or the sight of one, has ever harmed anybody, either physically or psychologically. Americans still cling to an old Puritanical belief that the exposure of the female breast is somehow immoral.

It's inevitable that someday we will wake up as a country and stop criminalizing women for exposing their nipples, no matter what age. Eventually a court will have to come down on the side of equal rights under the law instead of using "history" as a lame excuse for sexual discrimination. If women can die for their country, just like men, then they should be able to sunbathe topfree, just like men.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,

The People's Inauguration

This story brought tears to my eyes.

Nudist Photo of the Day 12/4/08


Monday, December 01, 2008

The Daily Newds 12/1/08


  • Another article on the "Bare Men of Barre" calendar has a priceless quote:
    (Suzanne) Fullam said she has been asked repeatedly if she will produce an all-female calendar next year, but she doesn't think so.

    "Women want to have their hair done, get their makeup," she said.

    "Men just take off their pants."
  • UK television viewers were apparently shocked to discover that fans shout obscenities in the stands, and soccer players are naked in the locker room. The network was forced to make two apologies for broadcasting the incidents.
  • Dr. Sketchy's "anti-art school" sessions use fetish enthusiasts as models in an attempt to restore art's bohemian roots.
    With that goal, Dr Sketchy's encourages drink-drawing, raucous art competitions, rude jokes, and flamboyant behavior. Most important to the concept are the models, described by Crabapple as "sideshow freaks, rocker chicks, Derby girls, fetish models."

    "At Dr Sketchy's, everyone's a serious artist but it's a way of engaging in a fantasy, a version of what being an artist was about," Crabapple said.
  • Paul Sunstone asks "Why Bother to Promote a Healthy Attitude Towards Nudity?"
    Of course, I’m not of the opinion that nudity should be forced on anyone, or that everyone should go nude. Some people — for whatever reasons — have no use for it and should not feel obligated to indulge in it. Yet, despite that, it seems worthwhile to combat the notion nudity is unhealthy, immoral, or dangerous. After all, is there any sane reason a significant portion of society should live in fear of seeing Janet Jackson’s nipple?
  • The Naked Clown meets The Naked Cowboy in Times Square, and the world does not end.
  • The New Burlesque hits Milwaukee, but don't call the women "strippers" because it's all about the art of the tease, and they don't get naked.
    It's attracting all types of women."Age doesn't matter, size doesn't matter, what you do at home doesn't matter," DeVianti says.

    Kai de Vicious is the newest Alley Cat. She's also a mom!

    "It brings real women, real women representing real women," de Vicious said.

    "It's all about being comfortable with who you are, and being ok with that," Valentine said.

Nudist Photo of the Day 12/1/08