No, She's Not a Naturist; Just a Nuisance

Wrong place, wrong time, wrong move, lady...

Woman arrested for topless sunbathing
Thad Kelling - The Montana Standard
August 6, 2005

BUTTE, MONTANA - Topless sunbathers beware: Butte authorities sent a message Thursday by arresting a woman for disorderly conduct after she allegedly bared her chest at a public park.

"Under these particular circumstances, we found it to be offensive," said Samm Cox, the deputy county attorney handling the case.
The incident stems from a call to Butte dispatchers around 4:40 p.m. reporting that there was a woman in Chester Steele Park, near St. James Hospital, wearing nothing but a G-string.
Police found the woman laying topless, police reports said. She was with other clothed adults.
At the time, a group from the hospital was having a picnic, and many kids were playing under the water umbrella staffed by county employees, reports said.

The woman was laying on her back when police arrived, reports said, but it is unclear how much of her body was revealed.
When questioned, the woman said she wasn't doing anything wrong and noted that she was in a concealed location, reports said.
Despite her protests, police arrested Diane Marie Hallman, 32, of 910 Evans. She pleaded innocent to disorderly conduct charges in Butte city court Friday.
Hallman was charged with disorderly conduct because her actions were offensive and served no legitimate purpose, Cox said. The same standard is used to charge people who urinate in public, he noted.
"Obviously, somebody thought it was disturbing their peace to call police," he said.
The circumstances influenced prosecutors' decision to charge her criminally. If she was only among adults or in a private place, Hallman may not have been charged, Cox said.
"This isn't comparable to a mother breast-feeding in public," he said.
Bob Rowling, the Butte parks and recreation director, could not comment on the arrest, because he was not at the park at the time of the incident. But he issued a statement for others considering sunbathing topless in the parks.
"We are not going to tolerate any form of nudity or anything like that in the public parks," he said.
A phone message left at Hallman's residence Friday morning was not returned and her defense attorney was not available.
If convicted, Hallman faces a maximum sentence of 10 days in jail and a $170 fine.

Source: http://www.mtstandard.com/articles/2005/08/06/newsbutte_top/newsbutte_top.txt

To Nude or Not to Nude

The photo is from the club's website, www.lakeedun.com.

Curtain to rise, clothes to fall
Lake Edun group to put on nude plays at TPAC
Bill Blankenship - Topeka Capitol Journal
August 10, 2005

TOPEKA, KANSAS - Spotlights will go on and clothes will come off next month at the Topeka Performing Arts Center's Hussey Playhouse when the Lake Edun Foundation Inc. stages plays it commissioned to promote nudism.

"No Sex, No Violence ... Only Nudity" is the headline about the coming attraction in a story published in the August issue of Bare Facts, the foundation's newsletter.

"Examining social expectations, intimacy and just downright shock, all because of the human body, these four contest-winning scripts reach the stage for the first time," the accompanying Bare Facts story said.

The plays are scheduled to be performed Sept. 24 to Oct. 1.

The foundation promotes a clothing-free lifestyle and uses the term "naturist" rather than nudist.

Last month, the foundation lost a legal battle with Shawnee County over whether the foundation's use of a lake and surrounding grounds southwest of Topeka violated county zoning regulations. The final journal entry in the lawsuit soon will be filed, and the foundation then will have 10 days to decide whether to file an appeal.

What is settled law, said TPAC interim director Carl St. Clair, is whether TPAC had a choice about letting the Lake Edun Foundation rent space to stage a show that will include on-stage nudity.

"We did not," St. Clair said Tuesday. "The courts have long since held that we cannot infringe the right of that kind of activity."

It would amount to prior restraint of what might or might not be _expression protected by the First Amendment.

"I've been to federal court twice on this kind of an issue," said St. Clair, who works for Compass Facility Management, the Ames, Iowa,-based firm hired in 2002 to manage TPAC by the nonprofit board that oversees the city-owned facility.

"In one case (in another city), we were even told by the court that if our refusing to book the event caused the event financial harm that the city would have to make up that funding," St. Clair said. "Obviously, we don't need to get into that kind of deal."

TPAC has experienced financial losses in recent years and the TPAC trustees have a request for increased funding pending before the city council.

"Now understand we're not the policing authority, so if what they do in the theater violates anything in the ordinances of the city of Topeka or the laws of the state of Kansas, we would suspect -- and expect -- that the proper authorities would take the proper actions," St. Clair said. "But ours is to make the facility available, and, unfortunately, in some case we have to do things that aren't understood by the majority of our patrons."

That the plays will include naked actors on stage seems certain. The call for auditions, which will be from noon to 3 p.m. Saturday at TPAC with callbacks on Sunday, says there are "roles for eight women and 12 men, six roles requiring stage nudity."

In its call for playwrights to submit scripts "for the best original one-act play dealing with issues of body acceptance from a naturist's perspective," on-stage nudity wasn't required but playwrights were encouraged to "consider it if it advances their story line."

Among the plots suggested in the competition, which had first-, second- and third-place prizes of $500, $200 and $100, respectively, were these:

• "A naturist man or woman who introduces a reluctant spouse or girlfriend to naturism."

• "A family accidentally comes across a clothing-optional beach while on vacation."

• "Religious -- Prophets used to strip and preach naked. What would happen if a mother prophet were to preach this way?"

Without offering the names of the winning playwrights and the titles and synopses of their plays, the Bare Facts story said: "From the frantic and funny to the reflective and informed, these brilliant and witty one-act plays promise a rare evening of Topeka theater. So rare, in fact, that almost 30 years have passed since the last time auditions were called requiring actors to undress for the stage."

The last time a Topeka production featured on-stage nudity was in April 1977 when Phil Grecian directed a production of Bruce Jay Friedman's comedy "Steambath" at the Showcase Dinner Theatre, a privately owned theater no longer in business.

Grecian said that since it was a professional theater troupe he decided not to alter a scene that called for a female character in the steam room to drop her robe and reveal her body.

"I did not have auditions for the nude scene," Grecian said. Instead, a company member volunteered for the role.

"She was a trouper," said Grecian, who recalled advertising the production as "Topeka's first R-rated show."

"That was the last time there was nudity on stage" in a Topeka theater, said Grecian, a professional playwright who reviews theater for The Topeka Capital-Journal.

A year later, Topeka Civic Theatre staged Peter Shaffer's "Equus" but pantomimed its long nude sequences.

Grecian, who helped judge Lake Edun's play contest, said he cautioned the Lake Edun Foundation against staging its plays in a venue as small as the Hussey Playhouse, the intimate black-box theater on TPAC's lower level.

"If you're going to put nudity on stage, you can't really do it in a small theater because you have audience members who are going to be a foot and a half from your actors, and it can cause them to recoil," Grecian said. "It's not going to do your cause very much, if you have a cause."

The Hussey Playhouse has seen infrequent use during most of the 15 years since the former Municipal Auditorium was renovated into TPAC.

However, for the past two years, the Karen Hastings Players has staged several plays there, including a revival of Dale Easton's "The Drunkard," the most-produced play in Topeka theatrical history.

Grecian, the company's resident playwright and one of its actors, said the troupe removed all of its belongings from the Hussey Playhouse late Monday at the request of TPAC management.

"We were told to get our things out, and we've done that," Grecian said.

However, St. Clair, TPAC's interim manager, said Tuesday that the use of the Hussey Playhouse by the Lake Edun Foundation shouldn't be interpreted as an end to the relationship between TPAC and the Karen Hastings Players, which closed its two summer shows July 29-30.

St. Clair also said TPAC won't be doing the ticketing for the Lake Edun plays, and the Bare Facts story didn't give performance times, ticket prices or box office information.

A telephone message left Tuesday at the foundation wasn't returned.

Source: http://cjonline.com/stories/081005/loc_eden.shtml

Not under our boardwalk, we're naturists

Notice the clear division in the mind of naturists between nudity and sexual behavior.

Expatica
August 10, 2005

AMSTERDAM — The Dutch Naturists Federation (NFN) has called on the government to set aside certain beaches for people who like to have sex in public.

Naturists feel that displays of public sex do not belong on regular nudist beaches, a spokesperson for the NFN said in a radio interview on Wednesday morning.

"Well-meaning naked vacationers" often suffer because of the behaviour of others, he said. "The police often mistake ordinary naturist walkers for a public-sex gathering. "

They send the naturists on their way or even issue a fine."

Local authorities also close down nudist beaches to displays of public sex and this is unfair, the NFN spokesperson said.

The NFN has advised naturists to call the police if they see people having sex in recreational areas that are intended for nudists.

A recent study has found that naturism is increasingly popular in the Netherlands. Public sex involving couples and orgies in the open air are also said to a growing phenomenon.

Source: http://www.expatica.com/source/site_article.asp?subchannel_id=1&story_id=22672&name=Not+under+our+boardwalk,+we

This One Really is About Wreck Beach

Nudists rule the roost
Robyn Dickens - 24hrs
August 10, 2005

During the hottest stretch of the year, many head to the beach to cool down.

But for Wreck Beach goers, it's about more than cooling off. It's about shedding your clothes - and your inhibitions.

Wreck Beach is widely known as one of the best nude beaches in the world, and the people there weren't shy about telling 24 hours why.

"It's the forested cliffs by the sea where you have the sense of illusion of being in the wilderness, even 15 minutes from the downtown metropolis," said Judy Williams, smothered in sunscreen and bathing in her glory. "That's the mystique of it."

And she would know; she's visited nude beaches across the globe, but always comes back here.

"Maybe our sand isn't as white as some places, but nothing can beat us for scenery. And nothing beats us for the sense of family we have here," Williams said.

And inside the "anti-textile casino," a square of beach sectioned off by logs where dice games and nudity prevail, people were more than happy to talk about their nude experiences here.

"It's much freer here on this beach than any other place in the city," explained Kelly, who preferred to be called by his first name since most people who frequent the beach are on a first-name basis.

"I think, for me, the draw is the ease and exposure of myself and the acceptance of myself," said Dora from across the sand.

"It's like a temporal place. When you come down here, you don't bring anything with you, so it's a freedom," she added.

But while you're welcome to remain clothed on Wreck Beach, there are certain things you should be mindful of when sharing the sand with nude bathers.

"One of the main things is don't be taking pictures. People don't come here to be on someone's website," said Steve, a regular Wrecker.

"And if you're obviously just sitting there gawking, you're not welcome. You're kind of shoo-ed away," added Kelly.

So, if you're thinking about heading down Trail Six to experience the draw of Wreck Beach, leave your cameras at home and make sure you're wearing sunscreen - everywhere.

Grandma Wonders...

Grandparenting: Real nudists maintain eye contact
By Dee and Tom Hardie and Key Kidder
Tuesday, August 9, 2005

Q: We learned that our grandson vacations at a nudist colony. He's a mature 22, but we still worry about his morals and such. What do you think? -- Waltham, Mass.

A: The first thing that occurs to us is that we think he travels light. It probably doesn't take him long to pack. Secondly, we think we'd be more concerned about melanoma than morals.

Of all the "alternative lifestyles," nudity seems the least worrisome to us. Prancing around in your birthday suit while suffering the stings of insects and outraged members of society may not be your cup of tea, but a surprisingly large segment of Americans -- 17 percent in a 2003 poll, according to USA TODAY -- aspire to vacation at a locale where clothing is optional. (We're told it'now a nudist "resort," never "colony.")

While it would be conjecture for us to speculate on your grandson's motivations for taking it all off, we gather that sharing the experience in the company of like-minded individuals engenders feelings of equality and freedom.

An acquaintance informs us that "real" nudists -- or naturists -- always look you in the eye during conversation. It's considered bad form to drop your gaze below shoulder-level.

Nude Recreation Rising

The photo is from Eden Bay Resort...

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
IT'S A NUDE, NUDE WORLD -
GETTING NAKED ON THE GO IS THE HOTTEST THING SINCE, WELL, GETTING NAKED.

ANGELINA CAPPIELLO - LexisNexis
August 9, 2005

After traveling the world for two years, Mike Aveyard, a retired chiropractor from Ohio, and his wife, Peggy, a retired hairdresser, were looking for a place to call home. They settled on Eden Bay, a nudist resort in the Dominican Republic. For the couple, life couldn’t be sweeter.

"Living the nudist lifestyle in a tropical paradise is the ultimate in being free from the trappings of a traditional lifestyle," says Mike, 60, who now works as an activities director for the resort. "Most people feel the enjoyment and relief of just removing their shoes after a hard day in the real world. Nudists take that to a higher level. Our motto is, ‘Less clothes, less stress.’"

Like the Aveyards, a growing number of vacationers are happily stripping down to nothing, finding along the way that they’re losing a lot more than their shirts - they’re shedding the pressures of daily life, from the paying of bills and work demands to the unhealthy emphasis on looking young.

According to the American Association of Nude Recreation, nudist clubs and resorts raked in $400 million in 2002 (the last year numbers are available) compared to $200 million a decade earlier. Moreover, nudist association memberships have risen by 76 percent over the past 10 years, for a total of 50,000 participants.

The AANR attributes this surge to an increase in the number of residential nudist homes (usually integrated into destination resorts and clubs) and an uptick in the number of nude cruises. Additionally, while nudist resorts traditionally have attracted an older demographic (those between 40 and 65 years of age), younger adults, says Carolyn Hawkins, an AANR spokesperson, are jumping on the trend. "They’re becoming savvier travelers," she explains, "and are looking for something different."

Helping to feed the trend is the chipping away of stereotypes. While nudist resorts were once believed to be mostly shady and/or bare-bones, the reality is they’re not all that much different from destinations that require clothing.

Nancy Tienmann, owner of Bare Necessities, a travel agency specializing in all-nude recreation, says, "Going to a nudist club is not going down a dirt road and behind a junkyard gate. Europeans have known this for a long time. We [Americans] are just getting around to that."

Another assumption being blasted is that nudist resorts are for those who have sterling physiques. If you’re interested in parading around in your birthday suit but feel your body is not up to snuff, take heart - you’ll find all sizes, shapes and conditions at nudist resorts and clubs.

"This is not a body beautiful competition by any means," says Judi Ditzler, spokesperson for the Naturist Society, an organization that promotes body acceptance through clothing-optional recreation. "It’s about acceptance."

In fact, many of these resorts and clubs are not about the body, claim nudists, but about the mind. Potential voyeurs or those looking explicitly for sex will be sorely disappointed; only some resorts are known for being wild, so if that’s your thing, do your research. In general, eye contact is encouraged, but staring is considered rude. Most nudist resorts are about relaxing and being at one with your surroundings, not one-night stands.

If you’re interested in trying an all-nude vacation, but are unsure of how you’ll feel eating your corn flakes in the dining room sans cover-up, you might consider a "clothing-optional" resort, which allows guests to wear a layer or two until they acclimate. For the most part, though, newbies shed their inhibitions after the second day. "You would feel more uncomfortable if you weren’t nude, because everyone else is," says Hawkins.

For those searching for a new kind of freedom, or just a reason to pack lightly, here’s how to go.


GET NAKED

If you’re heading for the clothing-optional resorts of the Yucatan, or just want to kick-start that party weekend in Jamaica, you can now unfasten more than your seatbelt after reaching a comfortable cruising altitude. Naked Air Miami offers charter flights for up to 218 people wanting to fly the "friendlier" skies. Although the crew remains clothed throughout the flight (FAA regulations), passengers may remain nude until the plane begins its descent for landing (from $529 RT, service from Miami to Cancun and to Jamaica, naked-air.com).


STAY NAKED

According to the AANR, there are now over 270 clothes-free and clothing-optional resorts, clubs and RV campgrounds worldwide, many of which welcome families. The difference between clubs and resorts, by the way, is minimal; clubs have guests who stay overnight, like at any resort or hotel, as well as members who can use the facilities on a daily basis. Also, the word "club" occasionally indicates a mom-and-pop type of operation. As always, just make sure to research any destination thoroughly before sealing the deal.

If you’re looking to spend time with your significant other, or would prefer to spend time with adults only, a resort would be more appropriate. They range from peaceful retreats to those where the day’s goal is getting picked up.

Whatever you choose, be prepared to take to heart the no-clothes policy. The rule of thumb, says AANR’s Hawkins, is always "nude when possible and clothed when practical. Obviously cover up when the sun’s really hot or when it’s cold. We’re nude, not ignorant."

One of the most popular resorts right now is the Desert Shadows Inn, in Palm Springs, Calif., an upscale hideaway visited by celebs like Vince Neil, Tim Meadows and Traci Bingham from "Baywatch." The resort boasts three pools, two outdoor whirlpools, a full-service spa, two restaurants and spectacular views of the San Jacinto Mountains. It welcomes families, and now features 17 custom homes adjacent to the property that command prices of nearly half a million dollars - hardly the nudist colony of yesteryear (from $150; [800] 292-9298, desertshadows.com).

Situated on white sandy beaches, Club Orient, located in St. Martin, houses 136 rooms, each of which has a front porch (with picnic table), a back porch (with an outside shower), a sitting area and a fully equipped kitchen. On-site water sports include snorkeling, kayaking and paddle boating (from $120, under 18 stay free; [800] 690-0199, cluborient.com).

Situated on more than 72 tropical acres, Paradise Lakes in Land O’Lakes, Fla., near Tampa, features a wide variety of accommodations from poolside hotel rooms to two- and three-bedroom vacation condos. (The resort also has more than 600 permanent residents.) It offers a full-service restaurant, poolside bar, nightclub, spa, exercise center, yoga center, gift shop and salon (from $70; [866] 794-6683, paradiselakes.com).

How about an entire city instead of a resort? Le Cap d’Adge, a Mediterranean resort town in the south of France, has an all-nude quarter with three miles of white-sand beach. Known for its beautiful deep-blue water and Greek monuments, this sexually charged city also hosts nude "lifestyle" clubs ([04] 67 01 04 04, capdagde.com).


CRUISE NAKED

A variety of mostly smaller ships offer all-nude and clothing-optional cruises. The Windjammer Barefoot Cruises’ Yankee Clipper, which accommodates up to 32 couples, offers a one-week all-inclusive cruise in the Mediterranean ($1,000/pp through Castaways Travel; [800] 470-2020, castawaystravel.com). Bare Necessities also specializes in privately chartered all-nude cruises - some on major cruise ships. There’s a week-long cruise aboard a 2,100-passenger Costa cruise ship in the Mediterranean, departing Port Everglades, Fla. Feb. 26 (from $2,149/pp; bare-necessities.com).

---

BARE ESSENTIALS

WONDERING what to pack? Here are the top 5 accessories for your nude vacation.

1 Sunblock: Since certain areas of your body haven’t seen the sun in, um, never, lather on plenty of SPF to prevent burning.

2 Bug Spray: Mosquito bites in your private areas are no fun at all.

3 Sunglasses: Yes they’re good for blocking the sun. They’re also good for first-timers who might stare, which is something that won’t make you many friends - regardless of whether you stare in admiration or disgust.

4 Beachbag or fanny pack: No clothing means no pockets for storing sun block, bug spray, sunglasses, money, etc. We’re not kangaroos.

5 Clothing: After days of the sun shining where it’s never shined before, your skin may need a little covering up. Also, a shirt can save your skin from hot food.

-Orient point: the Club Orient in St. Martin caters to families - yes, you heard that right! -Skin is in at Desert Shadows, a nudist resort in Palm Springs.

Source: http://tinyurl.com/drtol

Running with Little Wind Resistance

Odd woman out in group of buff runners
Myla Barnhardt - News-Record.com
August 7, 2005

REIDSVILLE, N.C. — I didn’t just step out of my comfort zone — I leaped.You see, it was my first race, a 5K run.And it was my first trip to a nudist resort.The day dawned overcast and foggy. Fog is good. Fog is my friend, I told myself as I drove nervously through the thick, soupy mix.Unfortunately, it lifted just about the time I pulled off U.S. 158 and started down the gravel road toward the Bar-S-Ranch.

Now, don’t tell me you haven’t driven by the Bar-S and wondered what goes on beyond the tree line.On July 30, I wanted to find out.That’s when I showed up early in the morning for the fifth annual “Take Pride in Your Hide 5K Run/Walk,” a clothing-optional race at the nudist resort southwest of Reidsville. About 200 of us signed up to run.Of course, I didn’t head off to the Bar-S without some advice — and one very big question from friends.As for the advice, Dot Jackson of Eden suggested sunglasses, preferably mirrored lenses so no one can tell where you’re looking. My friend Claudine Burleson of Eden, a veteran marathon runner, told me to keep my eyes on the trail. I don’t know where she thought I’d be looking.But mostly they wanted to know what women always want to know — and what you are probably wondering, too:What was I going to wear? Or in this case, not wear?After winding down a gravel road, I was met at the gate by a woman wearing a race T-shirt. I was relieved. And then I noticed that she was wearing only a race T-shirt, a very short one. After checking my name off her list of runners, she waved me through the gate.From then on, most of the people I passed were wearing only smiles. At least they were friendly.I drove past tiny houses — weathered-in campsites, they are officially called, said Ellis Stewart, who owns the Bar-S with his wife, Wanda.“They can talk about their rivers, but as far as I know, we’re probably the biggest tourist attraction in Rockingham County,” he said.The huts are about 300 square feet in size, Stewart said. One was all glass. Go figure.There also are campsites, a clubhouse, a nine-hole golf course, a pool and a seven-acre lake.Gary, the race organizer, assured me that I’d get over the shock of seeing naked people after a few minutes. Well, the shock didn’t wear off, but I became very adept at making eye contact.It was a sea of bodies: young ones, old ones, all races, all sizes — even one who was eight months pregnant.But if I was squeamish, the people who were milling about and tying on their race numbers (no pins for this group) set me at ease. They chatted, laughed and most were more than willing to share their stories, as long as I didn’t use their last names.“I train women in empowerment groups, and I always encourage them to get out of the box,” said Paula from Greensboro. “Anytime you stretch your limits, you boost your confidence and you learn something new about yourself.”

Dave, 58, from Salisbury received a diagnosis of colon cancer in 2003. “This was my present to me for surviving another year,” he said.I asked Fran, 53, from Southern Virginia about her nudity.“I was born like this,” she quipped.I met Janice in the bathroom line. How do you strike up a conversation with a naked stranger? I admired her tattoo. She offered me one.The 43-year-old Raleigh woman had come with friends, and they were all sporting temporary tattoos on their … ummm… backsides. She rubbed one on my thigh and welcomed me into the sisterhood.But mostly, I was hearing horror stories about the trail we were going to run.When a man handed me a paper cup filled with some reddish-colored liquid and told me I’d need the energy, I gulped it down. Oh no, I thought. I’d just done something I’d warned my college-age daughter never to do — accept a drink from a stranger (and a naked one, at that).What if it had something in it? Something that would take away my inhibitions, the last thing I wanted to lose at a nudist resort. Maybe I should try to gag myself, I thought.But there was no time. The race was starting. I hovered near the back, away from the mass of bodies. I had no desire to be trampled by some six-minute milers or, even worse, caught in the crush of bodies vying for a spot out front.No, the back was fine.It was tough. There were hills. No, make that mountains.Terrain! I’m talking about the terrain.The 3.1-mile course of treacherous, gooey red mud, tree roots and slippery descents is a series of trails within the resort, each named after women — masochists, if you ask me.I slipped once, muddied my knee, but quickly scrambled to my feet before someone helped me up.Janice “streaked” past me.“You go, girl,” she shouted.I ran with Louie for a while. Like many I spoke with, the middle-aged man from Greensboro is a professional, a member of mainstream society. Most of the runners were not members of the Bar-S. Like Malcolm of Raleigh, they come one time a year, for the run, and they do it for the novelty.

As we ran by the lake, a Monroeton fireman gave us a welcomed dousing with the fire hose. That’s dedication for you. And on a Saturday. What a guy! But then again, the proceeds from the entry fees are donated to the volunteer fire department.On the final stretch, there was Janice. She had already crossed the finish line, but she joined me for my sprint to the end.The clock showed 41 minutes and 58 seconds — a dismal 24 minutes behind the top female finisher, a 20-something brunette from Raleigh, who came in right behind her boyfriend, who won the race.I have no proof, but it’s my theory that naked people run faster than clothed ones. Hey, clothes are heavy!But who cared about winning? I was done. I had run the race. I had my column. On my way out, one of the race officials stopped me. I’d placed third in my age group, she said. I needed to stick around to pick up my medal. When I walked off the clubhouse stage, a chorus of “My-la, My-la” began in one corner of the room.I’m pretty sure Janice started it. And Paula was right. I felt empowered.After all, it takes some guts to show up at a nudist resort — even if I ran the race in a T-shirt and a pair of Wal-Mart running shorts. Yes, I wore clothes, and no one was impressed that they were made from a “breathable fabric.”A week has passed since the event. I did get a phone call from a rather panicked man who was worried that a photo of him might show up in my story. It seems his wife knew that he was off at a run, she just didn’t know he was doing it naked.As for me, my muscles aren’t aching anymore, but I have been troubled by a re-occurring dream.

Not the usual one, in which I’m pushing my shopping cart through frozen foods when I glance down and discover I’m not wearing any clothes.No, in this dream, I’m at the Bar-S Ranch … and I’m the only one fully clothed.

Source: http://www.news-record.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050807/NEWSREC0101/50808008/1001/NEWSREC0201

Naked in the Land of Mao

Wed Jul 27

BEIJING (Reuters) - A heatwave in China has led to a rash of nudeswimming this summer, sparking a moral debate over whether suchskinny-dips should be allowed, a newspaper reported Wednesday.

"I was totally stunned and flushed at the first sight of these nakedmen," the China Daily quoted Zhao Yanjie as saying. Zhao, who lives near a river bank in the northeastern province ofLiaoning, was moved to call on police to prevent such behavior aftershe and her family stumbled upon a group of nude bathers while out foran evening stroll." How can they do such disgraceful things in public?" she asked.

Others argued that while naked swimming might be acceptable in Europe,it violated traditional Chinese customs and ethics." They display their bodies for their own convenience but disregardingthe public interest," said Ai Lijuan, a university lecturer in theseaside city of Dalian.

The swimmers were unrepentant. "We can fully relax ourselves and merge with nature," a swimmer whodeclined to give his name told the newspaper. His enjoyment of skinny-dipping did not make him an exhibitionist, theman said.

This corresponds to our experience here in California. We have plenty of Asians here, but have only met a few at naturist places. One, interestingly enough, was a 70 year old grandmother, who barely (no pun intended) spoke English and was with her 30 something year old daughter.

Psoriasis Cure

Mrs. Musings swears by this...

Next we have a couple of matters arising. Mrs Mary Cole from Essex acted promptly on the naturist cure for psoriasis, mentioned in this column a few weeks ago, by persuading her (reluctant) husband to spend a fortnight sunbathing naked and skinny-dipping on the shores of the Mediterranean. They have just returned and not only is his skin now almost completely clear but apparently he also looks "much sexier".
Both he, and indeed Mrs Cole, are now "complete converts".
There is no obvious reason why those who settle for wearing a skimpy swimsuit should not also benefit, but a reader from Cumbria reports than skin specialists in Israel (where the treatment is very popular) claim that complete nakedness results in a more rapid improvement - which is indeed his own experience.
Second, Dr Barbara Thomas from Surrey suggests a possible explanation for the serendipitous observation of the woman, also mentioned in this column, who noticed a marked improvement in her breathing when she was unable to obtain the organic oranges for her daily freshly squeezed glass of juice.
It is most likely, writes Dr Thomas, that this lady - like herself - has a form of asthma that is induced by salicylates that are present in high concentrations in oranges, grapes, pineapples and, of course, aspirin. She should ask her family doctor to refer her to an allergy specialist to investigate the matter further.

Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/main.jhtml?xml=/health/2005/08/08/hlefanu08.xml&sSheet=/health/2005/08/08/ixhfeatures.html

Location, Location, Location

Not surprisingly, they get the resort's name wrong: it's Rock Lodge Nudist Club. See their at http://www.rocklodge.com/.

The naked truth: House a tough sell
Colonial sits amid nudist camp
BY STEFANIE COHEN - Star-Ledger Staff
Monday, August 08, 2005

Bill Van Keuren shouldn't have had any trouble selling his family's house.

It's a three-story colonial with a formal dining room, thick mahogany doors, leaded-glass windows and an enclosed porch. A spring-fed lake is just steps away, past two tennis courts and a hot tub. The house sits on 145 acres of pristine Sussex County woodlands in a naturist resort.

It is priced very attractively at $395,000.

Still, it has languished on the market for more than a year, even as its price has been reduced from $450,000.

How can such a home defy the roaring real estate market in New Jersey, where people are paying half a million dollars for homes only to knock them down and rebuild on the empty lots?

The problem lies in that phrase "naturist resort," which is a euphemism for a nudist camp, or what once might have been known as a nudist colony.

Put differently, anyone who wants Van Keuren's house at Rock Lodge Camp in Stockholm mustn't mind public nudity.

"It's definitely unique," said Heather Adam, the realtor who has listed the house since February, advertising it in naturist magazines and local real estate pamphlets.

Last winter, there were three open houses. A few folks showed, but were shocked to learn they were in the middle of a nudist camp. In the winter, of course, no one is around.

Adam said she hasn't held an open house this summer because "you have people up there with no clothes on."

Three couples, she said, have shown interest in the house: a European nudist couple, a couple from Montclair and one from Manhattan. No one has made an offer.

The sale is complicated by the fact that a potential buyer would have to lease the house first, then join the club, then buy the house outright -- assuming they liked living on the property and the 150-odd members of Rock Lodge liked them.

There's another catch: the land is on cooperative property owned by the club. Homeowners would buy a membership bond entitling them to a portion of the land's worth should it ever be sold.

Van Keuren's father built the house in 1955, and his son added on two new stories in 1976. The family filled the home with Victorian architectural details taken from their previous house in Newark: triple sash windows, thick silvered mirrors and stained-glass windows.

Agnes Van Keuren, Bill's 92-year-old mother, lives in the house alone, and Bill wants her to move in with him in Thompsonville, N.Y.

Agnes moved to Rock Lodge full time in 1977, after William died. William, described by his son as "a progressive person with liberal lifestyle ideas," helped found Rock Lodge Camp in the 1930s.

William and Agnes met at the camp, after Agnes had been lured there unsuspectingly by friends who neglected to tell her the resort was for nudists. Eventually she embraced the lifestyle, spending summers there with her husband and children. Even at 92, she still visits the lake once a year for a skinny dip.

According to Carolyn Hawkins, a spokeswoman for the American Association for Nude Recreation, selling a home at a nudist camp isn't generally difficult. A home just sold at her own club in Kissimmee, Fla. -- Cypress Cove -- last month, she said.

Despite the fact nude recreation is growing (the nude recreation association says there are 270 clubs and roughly 50,000 members in the United States and Canada, up from 170 clubs in 1992) there is still a bit of mystery surrounding the lifestyle.

Nudism took hold in this country in the 1930s, said Michael Gesner, president of the Tri State Sun Club in Warren County. Nudist colonies tended to be founded by German immigrants who exercised and swam in the nude, he said.

"They would just find a piece of private property somewhere rural," he said. The clubs were called "colonies" because they were secret and alternative. Now that nudism is more mainstream, naturists don't like to use the word colony. Camp, or resort, is preferred.

Nudists say there is nothing lascivious, or even that sexy, about the way the live. It's about being natural, accepting yourself and about shedding the status symbols that clothing can connote

"It strips you of your class," Van Keuren said. "You don't know if your next door neighbor is a doctor or picks up garbage for a living. You don't know if they are a lawyer or an actress on Broadway."

On a typical day at Rock Lodge, members roam the property in any state of undress. A man might be practicing his backhand on the tennis court in the buff. A woman could be walking around the lake in a T-shirt and nothing else. One might be gardening in a tank top and underwear, as if she rolled out of bed and wandered outside, garden shears in hand.

Everyone knows each other.

Aaron Treat, who is staying at Rock Lodge for the summer with his wife, Katerina Vanikova, said he finds the place calming. They live in Manhattan during the year.

"We like the fresh air and the family atmosphere," said Treat, 34, who was sitting in his cabin dressed in a T-shirt and shorts, looking like any other New Yorker on vacation.

The entire Rock Lodge property is secured by a locked wooden gate that keeps curiosity-seekers out and gives club members a feeling of security. No signs offer any clue that a nudist resort is within.

The gate may provide privacy to club members, but it's giving Adam a headache.

"If I could scoop the house up and move it to the other side of that fence, it would have sold already," she said.

Source: http://www.nj.com/news/ledger/index.ssf?/base/news-2/1123480681156930.xml&coll=1

Misindentified

We earlier posted photos from Wreck's Beach for an article on Toronto's Halan's Point beach. To make up for it, here are some photos from Hanlan's Point.

"Exterme Naturism"?

Mind if we don't? Bog-snorkelling, seal-hunting, sub-zero naturism - it's hard to believe some breaks are advertised at all. Gavan Naden picks 10 trips you may be better off missing Guardian Unlimited

Thursday August 4, 2005

Extreme naturism

Now, there's nothing wrong with naturism. But surely there is a time and a place for it. And frolicking naked in the Austrian mountains during the winter when all you can see is miles of fluffy snow does not fill either of these criteria. " In the winter it is the custom, for guests to go straight from the sauna outside to douse themselves in the snow," says the blurb for [naturist hotel] Gästehaus Lührmann.

The naturist hotel lies exposed at the foot of the Dachstein mountains and has sun-bathing lawns looking out towards lakes and mountains. And the price for a February in the buff? £1,200 [$2129.00 US] per week, per couple.

Website for Gästehaus Lührmann hotel: http://chalfontholidays.co.uk/rm/info.htm

Source: Source: http://travel.guardian.co.uk/feature/0,8806,1541745,00.html

I Can't Read with That Naked Lady There

Virginia Library Relocates Nude Painting
American Libraries Online
August 5, 2005

After receiving complaints from two patrons in mid-July, Chesapeake (Va.) Public Library has moved a painting of a nude from an area near the building’s main entrance to a wall on the opposite side of the facility, behind a row of stacks. Local artist Karen Kinser’s Morning Dreamer depicts a woman, one of whose breasts is visible, reclining in bed; it had been on display for two weeks before the complainants—a mother and a tutor who works with students at the library—objected to its placement in an area where children could see it as they entered the building.

Explaining that the July 13 decision to relocate the 16-by-18-inch painting was hers, Director Margaret Stillman said in the July 29 Norfolk Virginian-Pilot that Morning Dreamer was “just taken out of the pathway to the children’s room.” She added, “We have a very keen sense of intellectual freedom tenets that are critical to a free library system, but we always apply common sense.”

“Why is one art-ignorant person allowed, and even encouraged, by the public library management to dictate what should or should not be shown in our city’s public library?” Kinser responded, characterizing the incident as censorship. Virginian-Pilot columnist Kerry Dougherty pointed out July 30 that the state seal of Virginia features the Roman goddess Virtus standing, with one breast exposed, over the body of a defeated enemy. “The truth is, the people who are disturbed about nudes are adults,” Svetlana Mintcheva, arts program director for the National Coalition Against Censorship, told the newspaper.

The other paintings on display at CPL by Kinser remained near the entrance through July 31, when the exhibit had been scheduled to end. The objection was the first Kinser experienced there in the eight years she has been displaying her work at CPL.

Source: http://tinyurl.com/cyjlt

Prof Sues Nudist Resort

A Google search on the prof shows that this guy is highly accomplished in his field...watch our Caliente...he might get Lawrence Tribe to represent him.



Professor sues nudist resort

By Times Staff WriterPublished August 4, 2005

LAND O'LAKES - A Harvard Medical School professor sued Caliente on Tuesday, saying the Pasco County nudist resort reneged on a contract to sell him a condominium unit.

Dr. Kent Lewandrowski, an associate professor of pathology from Lexington, Mass., wants the upscale resort on U.S. 41 to complete the sale of a $149,999 condo he agreed to buy in 2003.

The lawsuit, also filed under the name of Lewandrowski's wife, Elizabeth, demands Caliente pay unspecified damages, costs and attorney fees.
Caliente has maintained the Lewandrowskis were second in line to buy the condo and that the initial buyer has tied up the property in litigation.
Until that's resolved, the resort has used the condo, at 6816 Dali Ave., as a VIP unit. The Lewandrowskis live part of the year at the nudist resort, which has 300 homes behind a wall on 100 acres.

Source: http://www.sptimes.com/2005/08/04/Pasco/Professor_sues_nudist.shtml

Naked in Canada's Southest: Wreck Beach

No tan lines in the naked city

Who needs Wreck Beach anyway? Going au naturel at Hanlan's Point appears to be gaining wider popularity this summer

JOSHUA ERRETT - The Globe & Mail
July 30, 2005

Amid the hundreds of Saturday-afternoon beachgoers at Toronto's only official clothing-optional beach, Jane Hobbins's choice of swimwear stands out.

"I'm only wearing bottoms because I'm conducting business," says Ms. Hobbins of the half bathing suit she wears at Hanlan's Point. "Otherwise I'd be completely nude."

Her business is selling beer and massages to the ever-growing crowds on the nude-friendly Toronto Islands beach.

Ms. Hobbins, who owns the Mermaid Cafe on Centre Island, recognized the popularity of Hanlan's Point and expanded her business to include nude patrons -- making hers the first-ever clothing-optional establishment on the beach.

"It's very popular with young people now," she says of the stretch of beach facing west on Lake Ontario. "And it's become a real mix of gay and straight."

The Hanlan's Point beach has offered sanctuary to those wanting to wear less since it first opened as a pilot project in 1999.

Laire Taverner, 30, who rents out umbrellas and chairs at the beach, says it used to attract "a gay crowd," but that that's changing this summer.

With the recent heat wave and a shortage of safe-to-swim beaches in the city, younger people are leaving their bathing suits at home and heading to Hanlan's Point.

As many as 300 people may be found on the beach at peak times, and its popularity has boosted small-scale businesses such as Ms. Hobbins's beach bar. "Business is good, but I'd like to expand to include food and other drinks," she says.

Next to her makeshift service counter and several large umbrellas, the bare-breasted Ms. Hobbins is enjoying her first official day of loosening up reluctant nudes with beer and massages by a trained (but clothed) masseuse. "It's so new, we don't even have a sign yet," she says.

Farther down the busy beach, Ms. Hobbins finds her target market laid out on several large towels: a group of people between the ages of 26 and 33, soaking up the sun.

"I think it's already become a trend with young people," 29-year-old Yuri Narula says of the nude beach's newfound acceptance.

She and her friends are indicative of how the once largely gay hangout is becoming more mainstream. Between applying suntan lotion and sipping cold beers, Ms. Narula and her companions chat about why the birthday suit may be back in style.

"I like to come here because everyone's so relaxed," says Ms. Narula. "And because I don't like tan lines."

"There are no little kids running around here, no babies crying," says the occasionally nude 33-year-old Amy Spear. "It's definitely not as crowded without families around."

As Hanlan's becomes more popular (and slightly more co-ed), comparisons with Canada's most famous nude beach begin. Wreck Beach is renowned for its free-spirited sensibilities, with Vancouverites relatively blasé about going to nude beaches.

Mr. Taverner blames the more conservative atmosphere in Ontario for Hanlan's slower progress toward wider public acceptance.

"It's more difficult [in Ontario] with our Victorian-style laws toward nudity," says Mr. Taverner, wearing nothing but a straw hat. "Wreck Beach is famous. Most people don't even know what goes on down here."

He sees Toronto's nude beach gradually becoming as accepted as its West Coast counterpart. "Right now, it's getting very busy with people between the ages of 25 to 45," he says. "And they're a mix of gay, straight, couples, friends . . . people who just like being naked."

Stéphane Deschênes, spokesman for the Federation of Canadian Naturists, helped to fight for the beach's clothing-optional status. He says that Hanlan's Point is gaining acceptance with college-aged beachgoers, but he isn't convinced that mass appeal has arrived yet.

"Eventually, the nude beaches here will start to look like those [elsewhere]," he says. "In Europe, there's no issue. . . . Everybody goes. [Hanlan's Point] is years behind."

A proponent of public nudity, Mr. Deschênes is among those who believe that by stripping off your clothes on a beach, you unburden yourself of societal pressures regarding body image.

"Fear of being nude is a disease," he says.

By that logic, the waterfront at Hanlan's Point would appear to offer a fashionable cure.

Source: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/ArticleNews/TPStory/LAC/20050730/HANLANS30/TPNational/Toronto

I Wouldn't Be Buried in That Outfit

Pekin Nudist To Be Buried Clothed
82-Year-Old Spent Years Fighting To Garden Nude
Associated Press
August 2, 2005

PEKIN, IL. - Robert Norton spent four decades in and out of court over his habit of gardening in the nude, but he'll head into eternity wearing gray slacks and a matching shirt.

The 82-year-old Pekin nudist died yesterday and had planned to be buried in the buff after fighting 20 arrests that he argued violated his constitutional right to public nakedness. But his family says they'll lay the years of controversy to rest Thursday when Norton is buried fully clothed at the Rock Island National Cemetery. Theories abound over the retired railroad clerk's long history of public nudity arrests, including a time when a child saw him standing in just a straw hat and sandals in his front yard. Relatives say Norton suffered emotional problems after serving in World War Two. Prosecutors counter that he was just stubborn.

Source: http://cbs2chicago.com/topstories/local_story_214123545.html

Naked in Iowa

Downtown nude: Is it art or graffiti?
JASON CLAYWORTH and JOSE DE JESUS - Des Moines Register
August 2, 2005

DES MOINES, IOWA - A painting of a nude woman on the side of a downtown Des Moines building has raised eyebrows, elicited smirks and forced city inspectors to determine whether it's art or graffiti.If it's deemed art, it might need a permit. If it's graffiti, it must be removed.But one of the artists says what now is considered sinful by some will turn saintly, maybe as soon as today, when the woman is transformed into an angel.Whether the angel is clothed, he said, will be left to divine inspiration.

"This is a piece of legitimate artwork," said J. Brommel, co-founder of the Des Moines Project, which promotes local artists.The painting was commissioned partly by the makers of Red Bull energy drink. A graffiti artist and others started the project during a Saturday night party at their galleries at 1408 Locust St. The group had permission from the building's owner, Brommel said.City leaders complain that the work looks too much like graffiti.

"I'd rather it's not there, to be perfectly honest," said City Councilwoman Christine Hensley, who has passed on complaints to the inspectors. Talk on the street Monday was mixed. Downtown worker Andy Hall said the artwork brought a smile to his face. But Lori Welch said she and others see the painting as inappropriate for its location. Bob Bucklin, who works nearby, said the naked lady is great art. "It does show the female form, but so what?" he said. "It's not as offensive as a Calvin Klein ad or a Victoria's Secret catalog."

Source: http://www.desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050802/NEWS05/508020370/1001/NEWS

New Jersey Targets Nude Sunbathers

Focus on crime: HIGBEE BEACH NUDITY STINGS
The Press of Atlantic City
August 1, 2005

NEW JERSEY - Lower Township police are dressing in disguises. They're strategizing and conducting sting operations. They're using technology to spy on and hunt down lawbreakers.The township's getting tough on ... nude sunbathers. And they're cracking down not only on the naked and the red. Police are also eyeing sunbathers wearing thongs and string bikinis.

Yes, it's come to this: authorities have gone undercover to catch the under-covered.It's hard to blame the cops for reacting if members of the public complain about the nude sunbathers. But we just have to wonder if it's worth so much effort for so little.

Higbee Beach, a narrow, secluded strip that's part of a state wildlife-management area, was a favorite haunt of nudists for many years. Most of them enjoyed discreetly sunning in the buff and playing catch-me-if-you-can. Moralists battled naturalists with the regularity of warbler sightings at the preserve. But state officials largely looked the other way.

In the 1990s, though, chats over the Internet brought Higbee Beach notoriety. Hundreds of nudists would show up, drawing crowds of voyeurs. And it became a popular meeting spot for gays, some of whom were caught publicly having sex.The state appropriately cracked down. Then Cape May County legislators convinced state government to let Lower Township enforce a ban on nudity - which can be related to lewdness but is not the same.The overexposure problem disappeared, until a few nude sunbathers were spotted this year.That's when police went undercover - they can't be called plainclothes since they're wearing bathing trunks - and brought a telescope. Posing as fishermen, they spy on sunbathers, chase down the nudies and issue tickets. One day they caught more than a dozen. Another day they caught six.On a recent sting, police nabbed two, although a third escaped over a dune, presumably clothed so he could blend in among law-abiding citizens. Police also issued warnings to bathers dressed in revealing attire.

Granted, lewd behavior should not be tolerated. Cite people who flagrantly flaunt the law. But at what point do we start to appear obsessed with nakedness? When will late-night comedians start joking about cops ogling scantily clad sunbathers through high-powered scopes? After one 56-year-old man was recently ticketed, he said: "With all due respect, they should be going after terrorists." We'd settle for drug dealers and burglars.

Source: http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/news/columns/080105NAKED.com ________________________________________________________________________

Smart Move for a Hot Day

Now this is a smart move for a hot day! Much better than that fire-jumper...

Tempting Fate

OK, I admit it. This looks pretty dumb to me. This should go in the "things not to do naked" file.

Now's That's a Beach

I'm no admirer of the French, but this bare beach from France looks great. Wearing swim trunks to swim is like wearing a business suit to jog in!

Now That's a Tan

It wasn't all that long ago that a tan was considered healthy. Then the pendulum swung and a tan was considered a precursor to skin cancer! Good news: the evidence is now back to "healthy": burning is bad, but a tan is great for you. Be very careful that children especially don't burn. This naked tanner uses SPF 30 or higher and has never burned while naked suntanning.