Education, Information, and Highlights (Blog) | |
 I've been tossing around ideas in my head as how to promote CO4Life Naturist Retreat. CNR will be the landed club while CORE (Clothing Optional Recreation Enthusiasts) will be the travel club.
I will be focusing on helping people achieve the 3rd and 4th levels through features, workshops, programs, and activities while the amenities provide for the 1st and 2nd levels. For Example: I am researching in the APA (American Psychologists Association) web site about people needing to be loved and feel good about themselves and different ways they've fulfilled that need. I want to offer them another alternative through social nudity. I want to show how research has shown nudity/social nudity has been a viable means of achieving those needs. If you have any suggestions that might help me out, I'd be ecstatic. Though not much research has been formally conducted, the true experts in this area are social nudists/naturists themselves. So I ask you, what about social nudity has helped you in your relationships, family, intimacy, self-esteem, Confidence, achievement, and respect?
I'm looking for pics of all my previously owned cars. If you have any, please attach in reply. 1977 BMW 318 Light Blue 1983 Dodge Charger Shelby with sunroof, gray with blue stripe 1985 Dodge Charger Shelby with Turbo, black with gray stripe 1991 Jeep Wrangler, soft and hard top. black, big wheels 1996 Nissan 200SX SE-R, blue/purple (depends on how the sun hits it)
Deborah had lived most of her life growing up living with her mother. She played just like any other child and got into the normal trouble just like other kids. She stayed busy in high school and was pretty popular. She earned average grades. For Deborah, the routine of her daily life taught her to value physical beauty and nudity. She, like her mother, is a nudist. “I think growing up at the camp like I did really helped me, overall. It made me a fuller person” (Smith & Sparks, p 57). It was even accepted common knowledge at school. Sex was an easy subject to talk about with her mother. “Being nude is the most natural thing in the world for me,” she said (Smith and Sparks, p 59). She was relaxed with it. She is peaceful with it (Smith and Sparks, pp 56-59). Whenever I’ve mentioned social nudity in a conversation, questions were almost always asked about where the kids were. Most of the time the kids were right there with us. You could feel the hurricane force wind as they gasped. Yes, I am a nudist, too (although I prefer the almost synonymous term ‘naturist’). But, since there is such a negative concept among the general public about mixing nudity with children and adolescents, I have been interested to discover whether or not the concept is psychologically valid. There hasn’t been much research on the effects of nudity on children because, for most people, it doesn’t seem necessary, it can become intrusive, or it’s just an evil topic to discuss (Peckenpaugh, ¶ 1). But with society’s obvious obsession on sex and the commonness and openness of nakedness or near nakedness viewable by children on television, advertising, and in the theater, one would think that it’s a critical concept to research and clarify. It is also discouraging that research that has been conducted is antiquated by twenty to thirty years. The “experts” on nudity are clearly nudists and naturists. It can be concluded through these experts that mere nudity does not negatively affect the sexual and social development of children. The Situation The circumstance and behavior of a situation defines whether the nudity is sexual or not. Children are natural nudists until parents teach them otherwise (Storey, ¶ 1). Dr. Benjamin Spock, a well-known “authority” on raising children, based his views on children viewing nudity on Sigmund Freud’s writings (Storey, ¶ 2) and an incident where he and his son were naked after a shower. His son was curious about the difference in the sizes of each of their penises (Smith & Sparks, p 18). It was a non-sexual situation and his son was merely discovering differences in similar body parts. Dr. Spock should have just answered his son’s questions objectively and not turn offensively. The situation where non-sexualized nudity is presented must be “casual, informal, and nonthreatening” (Storey, ¶ 5). Mandy, one of the nudists interviewed for Smith and Sparks’ research, stated that sexual arousal is brought on by intimacy, not state of dress. She said that social nudity was not a sexual situation so it did not diminish or hinder her sex drive in a sexual situation (Smith & Sparks, pp 54-55). One can be clothed and still sexual (Smith & Sparks, p 60). David, another Smith and Sparks’ interviewee, talked about his experiences growing up in a nudist family. He noticed that nudist youth were just as sexually active (kissing and making out) as non-nudist (textile) youth. Sex and the discussion of sex were open topics in his family. Sex wasn’t a mystery or dirty thing. He never had a sexual desire for his mother even though they talked about sex and were nude almost all the time. Oedipus Complex, when a son sexually attracted to his mother, incidents among nudists were little to minimal compared to the textile society (Smith & Sparks, pp 62-66). For Clara, Nudity was for comfort and recreation, instead of a philosophy. Nudity is only sexual in a sexual situation. Non-nudists are more pre-occupied with sex than nudists (Smith & Sparks, pp 71-76). Nudist youths notice what nudism does for them. It gives them a realistic outlook toward sex. Responses were “genuine and spontaneous”. Most were very “well-adjusted, happy, and thoughtful” (Storey, ¶ 18). Lewis and Janda studied 210 college students. They were asked questions relating to their experiences of “sleeping in bed with [their] parents, parental attitudes toward and comfort with sexuality, and viewing parents, siblings, and friends nude. … The study found a positive correlation between childhood exposure to nudity and adult sexual comfort” (Lowe, ¶ 3, 4). Marilyn Fithian, author of “The Nudist Society”, noted that there is no relationship with nudity in the home and incestuous behavior. Incest “relate[s] to lack of love, warmth and affection from parents” (Smith & Sparks, p 23). Helga Fleischauer-Hardt, a psychiatrist from Switzerland, states that if children “receive much tenderness and devotion from their parents from birth” they will view their bodies as something good (Smith & Sparks, p 24). And Margaret Mead confessed “there are surprisingly many American children who literally do not know the genital difference between male and female, others who have a great store of misinformation about reproduction to confuse them, and still others who know enough but are so inhibited that they can’t talk about it” (Smith & Sparks, p 25). Body Pre-occupation Generally, nudists are not pre-occupied with their bodies or the bodies of others. Deborah, the young nudist mentioned earlier, also commented on the concept of “parading around nude.” Parading is showing off or exhibiting what one has. It shows that people making the statement have a poor attitude of their own bodies. They are insecure and self-conscious (Smith & Sparks, p 59). Marilyn Storey studied 264 nudist and textile parents and children and noted “that the children from nudist households had a more positive body self-concept than the non-nudist children.” Nudity was a much bigger factor that race, gender, or geographical area. Also, children involved in socially nude activities had a higher body self-concept than did at-home-only children (Story, ¶ 9). Story agrees with this finding as well. Body acceptance, self-concept, and self-image received higher ratings with nudist children than non-nudist children. There is a higher correlation to body self-concept in nudist families. The children were asked which parts of their bodies the liked and disliked most. Both nudist and non-nudist children named the genitals. Non-nudist children disliked their genitals whereas nudist children liked theirs. Nudist children also named their skin as the most disliked though only for too much or too little tan and not ethnicity or deformity (Peckenpaugh, ¶ 10). Sociable, Outgoing Nudists are not really more or less sociable or outgoing, but are more able to accept themselves and others as they are. Non-nudists still perceive nudists as sexual deviants because there are no “direct personal experiences to disprove this fallacy.” Nudists, generally, are afraid to tell friends, co-workers, and family about their nude lifestyle “for fear of being ridiculed, prosecuted, and persecuted” or fired (Peckenpaugh, ¶ 11). Paul Okami, psychology professor at UCLA, studied 200 male and female children for 18 years from their birth. It was the first study of its kind studying the effects of nudity. He found no “deleterious” effects. He also noted “boys exposed to parental nudity were less likely to have engaged in theft in adolescence or to have used various psychedelic drugs or marijuana” (Storey, ¶ 12, 13). The number of nudist youth camps is growing. The first one started at a club in Tampa, Florida. It was replicated by a club in Arizona and most recently by a club in Richmond, Virginia. The camps are for both boys and girls ages eleven to eighteen. In many states, nudity for all ages is legal on private property and lewd behavior is prohibited. Camp rules mirror and enforce this law by prohibiting improper and illegal behavior. Clothing that is worn must not be “sexually alluring.” The camps promote healthy body image at a crucial age when confidence can easily crumble. There is little to no concern about pedophiles on the grounds. Background and criminal checks are run on all camp counselors. The father of one of the children said, “Everybody keeps an eye on the children. There are no transgressions by regular folks coming here, and newcomers are watched very closely” (Zernike, ¶ 5, 8, 21, 23, 24). “It takes the mystery out of what the other person looks like, so sex becomes more something you know you’re waiting to experience, rather than just a physical thing where you want to find out” (Zernike, ¶ 29). Conclusion Children can benefit from seeing nudity while being nude themselves in the company of other people. Nudity must be in non-sexual atmospheres, the children need to understand that it’s not “show and tell”, and they need to be loved and receive compassion and loyalty from their parents. Many nudists and naturists as well as myself wish that we had brought up in the lifestyle. We can see the children are much more relaxed in a nude setting free of all the restrictive clothing than when they are in a clothed setting. Current research is long overdue and the findings need to be published to the general public so that more people may see that nudism and naturism is a beneficial lifestyle for men, women, and children of all ages. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ References Lowe, J. (n.d.). Childhood influences on adult adjustment. Retrieved Feb. 27, 2008, from http://www.top.net.nz/~fbgnz/lewisjanda.htm Peckenpaugh, W. D. (1996). Familial and societal attitudes toward nudity, and the effects on children’s development. California State University, Sacramento, School of Education. Retrieved Feb. 2, 2008, from http://www.domai.com/text/nudity-attitudes.html Storey, M. (n.d.). Children, social nudity and scholarly study. Federation of Canadian Naturists. Retrieved Feb. 2, 2008, from http://www.fcn.ca/children_2.htm Smith, D. C. & Sparks, W. (1986). The naked child: Growing up without shame. Los Angeles: Elysium Growth Press. Zernike, K. (2003, June 18). Old enough to make a lanyard, and to do it nude. The New York Times. Retrieved Feb. 28, 2008, from http://query.nytimes.com/gst
I just turned in my final draft of a research paper I was doing for Intro to Psych class. It will be posted here along with my grade within the next few days. Hopefully I will get it back before I go on vacation. After reviewing my rough draft, he, the instructor, who's also a psychologist specializing in sex, told me that I'm not going to be dis-pleased with my grade.
Your Keirsey Temperament Sorter Results indicate that your personality type is that of The GuardianTM.  - Guardians pride themselves on being dependable, helpful, and hard-working.
- Guardians make loyal mates, responsible parents, and stabilizing leaders.
- Guardians tend to be dutiful, cautious, humble, and focused on credentials and traditions.
- Guardians are concerned citizens who trust authority, join groups, seek security, prize gratitude, and dream of meting out justice.
Guardians are the cornerstone of society, for they are the temperament given to serving and preserving our most important social institutions. Guardians have natural talent in managing goods and services--from supervision to maintenance and supply--and they use all their skills to keep things running smoothly in their families, communities, schools, churches, hospitals, and businesses. Guardians can have a lot of fun with their friends, but they are quite serious about their duties and responsibilities. Guardians take pride in being dependable and trustworthy; if there's a job to be done, they can be counted on to put their shoulder to the wheel. Guardians also believe in law and order, and sometimes worry that respect for authority, even a fundamental sense of right and wrong, is being lost. Perhaps this is why Guardians honor customs and traditions so strongly--they are familiar patterns that help bring stability to our modern, fast-paced world. Practical and down-to-earth, Guardians believe in following the rules and cooperating with others. They are not very comfortable winging it or blazing new trails; working steadily within the system is the Guardian way, for in the long run loyalty, discipline, and teamwork get the job done right. Guardians are meticulous about schedules and have a sharp eye for proper procedures. They are cautious about change, even though they know that change can be healthy for an institution. Better to go slowly, they say, and look before you leap. Guardians make up as much as 40 to 45 percent of the population, and a good thing, because they usually end up doing all the indispensable but thankless jobs the rest of us take for granted.
Yes, I'm writing yet another paper on naturism. This time it's for Psychology class. I want to write some background on clothing and it purposes and then hit on the advantages of the clothes-free lifestyle. The main emphasis of the paper will be on the effects of naturism / nudism on children. I know one person I need to check out is Dr. Joyce Brothers. Does anybody know where else I can look? I can't use blogs or wikipedia or any other site where just anyone can post something. I have to use qualified sites with "scientific" data and research. My information has to come from qualified sources. Update (18 Feb 08) - I've posted reviews of two books I'm using. Check them out in my "review" tab.
1. The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king of Jerusalem. 2. Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity 3. What profit hath a man of all his labour which he taketh under the sun? 4. One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh: but the earth abideth forever. Ecclesiastes 1:1 - 4 Wednesday morning Nov 28 about 1:30am, my aunt Marge passed away. She had cancer in her liver and intestines. She held on to her 70th birthday (Nov 11), but that wasn't quite enuff for her. She knew she didn't have much staying strength, but wanted to make it to Thanksgiving and the dedication to their new church building where she could [attempt to] sing. She was sadly too weak to go to the ceremony, but had Thanksgiving with the family. She was at peace. It was time to go be with Jesus. God has truly blessed her life. Lord, be with her husband Larry, and her children Chuck, Pam, and Eddie. Give them peace. Let them know that You are the maker and creator of life. Be with my dad and remind him that all is well and in your hands. Lord, hear my prayer. In Jesus' name, Amen.
It appears as tho Yahoo has deleted my shutterb69 account and 360 along with it. I created a new Yahoo account, but I won't start another 360. I'm glad to see those of you who made it over here with me. But the sad thing is that there are some people on my messenger list that I lost. I don't have their email either. 
Message me for my Yahoo ID (not everyone gets it)
Lionspider.(2007, October 27). Sick of this bs! Lion Spider's Web. Retrieved November 20, 2007, from Link (posted with permission) Tell ya, I have had enough of this paranioa of men with children. Since my eldest was a toddler, I have found that a father just can't be out alone with a child of their own without being approached or watched like some sicko. Go to the park and you're treated like a paedophile.
At one of local shopping centres here a few months back, a young girl about 4'ish in age came up to me crying because she lost her mummy. I asked a woman who was near me if she could take her to the service desk. When she asked why I wouldn't do it, I said that I'm a male, best if you do it as a female.
She treated me like I was an uncaring pig but on cue, some woman just walks up to me demanding where I was going with the child as if I was going to steal her. This made the woman I spoke to, change her mind and took the girl over to the service desk.
While out this morning at a shop, my 4yo daughter needed to use the toilet. I asked if they had a toilet which they did, but they would only allow to go in with her mother. Nope, fathers not allowed to take their own children to a toilet. You never know what the bastard might do.
Really, get the fuck over it and start punishing the paedophiles by torturing them until they beg for death, then torture them so more until they finally die. Not this paranioa bullshit that all men a perverts.
It really is hard to men to work with children as majority of people see you as a sex offender just because you're male. 
Lionspider.(2007, October 27). Is it right? Lion Spider's Web. Retrieved November 20, 2007, from Link (posted with permission) Is it right or wrong to enjoy yourself minus the wearing of clothing? There are many who would say yes, yes it is but is this hurting anyone? What does it matter to a person what another person is doing with their lives? Surely, certain people could actually find something productive to do than deliberately watch a nudist then lodge a complaint. We are born without any clothes. There never really a time when the body was so demonised until the rise of the middle class which saw the Victorian era. From here on, many people become labelled negatively to appease one sect of society. A growing sect of society with a growing amount of money and unfortunately, money is listened to before the reason of commonsense. In many of the european nations, the body is still seen as natural, hence their many open and mixed gender saunas and, their many beaches where no to minimal clothing is worn on their beaches. In Germany, there is alteast one park where people can go to enjoy life without any clothes on. They do not have problems with the perverts of society and these perverts are not accepted there. Swimming - this is a nice way to enjoy yourself. Otherwise known as, "Skinny Dipping". I spent a lot of my childhood swimming naked in the pool. All of us did. There certainly was never any perverted acts going on at all. Sadly it is the communities with the strictest codes of acceptance where people are most likely to act in a deranged manner and even worse, those writing the rules are often breaking their own rules they enforce upon others. So c'mon, enjoy the freedom of living naturally. You don't have to socialise. You can do it in the privacy of your own home.
Here's another link to Spdier's blog. Fantastic entry, mate. Lionspider.(2007, October 27). Sex & nudism. Lion Spider's Web. Retrieved November 20, 2007, from Link (posted with permission) Due to how society enforces the emotional hold ups of the body, it is natural for people to feel ashamed and uncomfortable when minus their clothing. Advertising everywhere uses sex to sell. There was a roadside billboard that showed a pair of woman's breasts that took up a third of the picture to sell a pair of workman's boots. How she wears those boots there is beyond me.  Then there are the so called 'music artists' like Britney Spears who market their music to children as young as 5 but fill up their music vidoes up with sexually suggesting dancing. Not to forget the MC at Britney's concerts who walked about the audience getting children as young as 8 to talk about how good masturbation is and how often they do it. C'mon, they're kids for gruff's sake. Let them have some innocence. Nudity on the other hand is what a child loves to do. They enjoy the freedom of clothing. Some children grow away from such freedom due to the brainwashing they receive growing up while others like myself, never paid attention to them, preferring to skinny dip in the river instead of sitting there with my mind closed to independent thinking. Sex and nudity aren't necessarily the same thing. Sure, you have sex naked but you can have sex while mostly clothed however, you can't practice naturism while wearing clothes. Sure, I like sex. I like it a lot. I enjoy the feel of a woman, the feel of her soft skin on my hand. The feel of her hips, the taste of her skin and the soft sounds she makes. I also enjoy the feel of a woman's mouth going down down down on me, her soft sweet lips, however, this has nothing to do with naturism as they are different. My children could argue that as they enjoy hanging around butt naked. I enjoy looking at the woman's body for it is a piece of art. The best and finest sculpture there is to admire. I can sit and admire the finesse of the female body. Touch it, taste it, smell it, love it however, it is not nudism.
Here is a good example of of how a friend feels about naturism in his family. Lionspider.(2007, October 27). A virtue of naked parenting. Lion Spider's Web. Retrieved November 20, 2007, from Link (posted with permission) We allow our children to parade about in the raw as often as they like as long as it's not too cold and we don't have guests over. They can decide for themselves if they wish to be dressed or not. This goes for all of our children aged; 10, 6, 4 and 3. It is their body after all and ownership of the 'self' is a necessity. Nudity is no issue in this house nor is the human body for it is natural. A benefit of raising children in this environment is that they learn from an early age that everybody has a different size and shape. They learn quickly that what they see on the tv, magazines, billboards, etc of the human form is false. They know it is not accurate and when they ask about these perfect specimens they see, we explain that they use a computer to remove parts of the body to make it look perfect to which they do not see as fair. They like seeing the body as it is in it's natural form. Today, my 6 year old came home from school telling me a story about what happened in her class when a teacher was reading a book to them where a man ended up with no clothes on. Almost all the children in her class closed their eyes because they didn't want to see the man naked. My daughter found it funny that they refused to look at the picture of the naked man when she couldn't see what all the fuss was about. Really, what is a children's book going to show anyway? More seriously, what is being ingrained into these young minds where they are so shocked, so offended by the body that they can't even look at a picture in a children's book of a naked man that won't even really show anything? Surely this is the kind of attitude that encourages health issue's such as annorexia and bulemia. This is the same mindset that sexualises absolutely everything to sell a product but get timid at the sight of a mother breast feeding her baby. I am so glad that we chose to raise our children this way. Happy to see that when nudity was shown in a children's story book at school, she had no issues. She thought it was funny he ended up naked, it was after all meant to make the reader laugh. Live Naked, Live Free!
Those of us who are naturists know, understand and benefit from the wonderful naturist / clothing-optional lifestyle. We also realize that the average age of the nudist / naturist is growing older. Now the question is: How do we promote naturism to the younger family generation? I'll welcome ideas from anyone. This is just brainstorming. Submit your ideas and then we can discuss and evaluate them. Don't hold back any ideas because you think they might be bad ideas or they just won't work for you.. You might even have a winning idea !!! This is not a contest. Everyone benefits. Everyone can get involved. Everyone should get involved. You don't even have to be a naturist to submit your ideas, although it'll help conjure more effective possibilities. We all might learn a little more about other people's perspectives about naturism and the clothing-optional lifestyle. We who enjoy naturist living love to share our experiences with other people. Let's see what we can do to help spread the joys of naturism to others.
Inspiration Those of you who've been reading my blogs for a while, and those of you who've gone back to the beginnings of my blogs, both here on Multiply and Y360, saw that I once had plans to move to CA, AZ, or FL. Those plans have changed. I've been inspired to tackle quite a task. There's not much of an opportunity for nudists and naturists in SW Missouri unless one has the time and inclination to drive for at least two hours. One club is only open on the weekends and closed for the winter season. There's another club in the other direction (OLT in Oklahoma) that's approximately 2.5 to 3 hours. They're open all year. I haven't been there yet, but I've heard great reviews of the place and the people there. Anyway, my point is that there's nothing locally. I'm not alone in this venture. At this point, I believe, there are at least 3, maybe 4, people that want to be a part of the core of CORE. It will be a member owned campground / club. Details of how that will work have years to be worked out. So, Here's the Plan: 1) Graduate 4 years of college with a BA in Business Administration, emphasis in accounting; 2) Find a decent paying job in the area or move to the next closest place to locate that job, and live well within my means; 3) Return to a former home biz I used to be involved in and build it up; (I know that I will do well. I couldn't build the business before because I couldn't serve my customers fairly because of an ever-changing work schedule and lack of advertising funds.) 4) When revenue from that biz allows for about $5000/month after business and living expenses, then it's time to find a location in this area to build upon and make CORE (Clothing Optional Recreation Enthusiasts) transformed from a travel club as it presently stands into a landed club; 5) Promote the club through AANR and TNS affiliations and word of mouth advertising. Core Principles and Goals of C.O.R.E. : 1) Reach out and educate Springfield, MO and the 4-state area about the existence of naturism and the physical, mental, social, and spiritual benefits of the naturist lifestyle; 2) Help lower the average age of nudists and naturists by focusing promotions towards the younger generations and their families (20's and 30's). It's a natural progression of regeneration, succession, and preservation of the lifestyle; 3) Provide a year-round opportunity for nudists and naturists to live, take vacations, or just meet for a day / week / weekend for pure, safe, clean, nude relaxation and recreation; 4) Keep grounds fees and other fees at a low and reasonable price as to not disclude singles and families with lower incomes from being able to enjoy nudism / naturism; 5) Do not have a quota on single attendance or an even male/female balance (this unfortunately may change as feedback from attendees is received); .........more to come as we build upon the CORE plans.
I was born in California at the ripe young age of zero. We moved to Iowa when I was 5 or 6 months old. I would have stayed there in California, but it’s hard to get a job at that age. LOL Anyway… I grew up in a textile Christian (Baptist) home. I had heard about “nudist camps” but of course I was mis-educated about the lifestyle. But it was enough to spark an interest to find out more about it. 1st Experience:
I joined the military right out of high school and was stationed in Germany. There was a small pond nearby so I went there one day and noticed that some of the women were topless. There was nothing dirty going on so I had thought that it was just part of their lifestyle. When in Rome… I decided to remove my shorts and lay there in the buff. As the shade moved into my land claim, I got up and moved. Shortly thereafter I was informed by a couple of (guy) friends that we there with me that it wasn't’t that kind of place. So I got my shorts back on and lay back down. That was my first dabble in a public social clothes-free situation. I had enjoyed myself for the short time that I was nude and hoped that someday I could try it again in a more appropriate situation. 2nd Experience:
I took some leave to Spain that summer and, wouldn't’t you know, there were topless women on the beach there too. This time I looked around to see if anyone was completely nude. But alas, that was all I saw. I didn't’t know there were beaches nearby that were designated as clothing optional or clothes free. I would have journeyed there if I did. Keep in mind that this was the time when the internet was a new-born infant, though I didn't have access to it anyway. But I did manage to fit in when I wore the skimpiest bikini shorts that I could find. Just enough to cover the bare essentials. Investigation:
When I returned to the states I decided to check out this nude thing in more depth. It didn't’t appear to be the “free love fest” that I was told it was, though I did find some disturbing references to that effect. I began to hang around the house in the nude when nobody was there or when they were asleep. More freedom. One wintry day when nobody was home, I stepped out onto the back patio for some outdoor nude time. There’s a reason that people wear clothing outside in the winter! LOL But the feeling of the open air against my skin brought back those memories of Germany and Spain. It was just a bit colder this time. None of our neighbors saw me, or at least nobody said anything to me. I had done some investigating on the internet and found that there were a couple clubs nearby where it was ok to be nude around other people. But I found out that one of them was a travel club that was inactive and the other only allowed married couples and families. Being nude at home when nobody was around just wasn't enough for me and I wanted more. 3rd Experience - Home Alone:
I moved in with a friend of mine and was only able to be nude in my room or when nobody else was home. It wasn't’t until I moved into my first apartment that I could be nude all the time. That seemed to be enough for a while, but there just had to be more. I checked those clubs again and nothing had changed. "I have got to move to an area where there is a club that I could go to on a regular basis," I told myself. I had started a Yahoo Group for single nudists in the area and was going to be AANR’s (American Association for Nude Recreation) single nudist rep for the MSA (Midwest Sunbathing Association) but those ideas were botched when I got called up for a deployment to the Middle East. While I was away, I had access to a slow internet connection, though I was happy to have any connection at all and that www.AANR.com wasn't’t blocked. I had found a club in an area that had my music interests in mind as well - SW Missouri. 4th/5th Experiences:
When I returned from the deployment I took a vacation to the Ozarks and Florida. I visited a club here (Show Me Acres) and loved it. I found a restaurant to work at (I was working in the same chain in Iowa). I transferred to that store and got a start date. I continued my vacation to Florida to see a friend that I had made while deployed. I had invited her and her friend to visit Haulover Beach. They declined, but I went anyway. Oh the happiness to feel the Florida sun beating down on me and the ocean flowing through places otherwise inhibited by swim trunks!!! The people at the club and at the beach were some of the friendliest people I’ve ever met! I have found a lifestyle that accepts people as they are. Nobody paid any attention to anybody's age, weight, scars, blemishes, or social or financial status. There was only the distinction that we were people that preferred to relax and play au naturale. Full-time Nude Living:
I have learned that some clubs and resorts offer full-time nude living. This is what I’ve been searching for. As soon as my ties to this area are loosened and cut, I’d love to move to a club/resort in a warmer climate where I could be nude all year long inside and outside the home. I’d only need a limited wardrobe for going into town for shopping or to go to work. Now that move will be delayed by at least 4 years now that I've gone back to school. "Build it and they will come":
But I like it here in SW Missouri. I've made several naturist and textile friends here. I'm teaming up with one of my naturist friends to open a naturist club here. CORE of Springfield is it's name. CORE stands for Clothing Optional Recreation Enthusiasts. Check out my next blog for information on CORE.
Just want to let you all know that I'm planning an almost entire restructure plan of my page. I want to make it easier to read and find information even for those "just dropping by" and for those without a multiply account.
The 360° Transition - Answers to some of your questions Hi Everyone, My last post regarding the future of Yahoo! 360° generated a lot of questions and comments and we've read them all. Thank you for taking the time to let us know your thoughts. While we can’t respond to all the comments, we will address common questions and recurring themes in future blog posts. Last week I also spoke with a handful of passionate 360° users. I wanted to hear firsthand the reaction to the news, as well as understand the questions that need clarification. Several of these folks blogged about our conversation: Carl:
Yes Virginia, 360 is Closing...However... MY360MI:
The boss's blog [re Matt's phone call] blog [re Matt's phone call]
Mister E:
My conversation with Matt Warburton
After reading the comments and talking to the 360° users, we put together a list of the frequently asked questions (FAQs).
Q: Why are you transitioning 360? We love it the way it is.
A: Yahoo! is building a universal profile system to provide a more integrated experience. We currently have many different profiles for different Yahoo! products. Our goal is to centralize as many of these as possible into one common profile. Q: Will the new profile platform have blogs?
A: Yes, the new platform will have blogging features. We'll provide a way for you to move all your existing blog content to the new platform. Q: My existing 360° information is very important to me. Will there be a way to migrate all my information, blog posts, friends, etc. to the new profile platform?
A: Yes. We will preserve your Yahoo! 360 blog content, profile photo, nickname, and friends lists during and after the transition. You'll have a way to back up your information as well as a tool to migrate your information into the new profile service. Q: Will any of the existing 360° features be taken away before the transition?
A: No. Q: Will the bugs be fixed on 360°?
A: No, we will no longer be fixing bugs related to 360°. We are putting all of our resources on building the new profile system. Q: What is Mash?
A: Mash is an experimental profile service currently in an invite-only beta phase. It provides users with enhanced interaction. Friends can edit each others’ profiles (if they allow it) and users can add modules to express their personality and interests. Q: Will the new profile service be Mash?
A: The universal profile will not be Mash -- at least not the Mash that you see today. The new profile is likely to share the same platform as Mash, which means that we can provide you with greater flexibility than you currently have on 360°.
We'll provide updates on the new profile service here on the blog. But, there's lots of work to be done, and most likely we will not have additional details in the near future. We will keep you apprised over the next several months
We value our 360° users and our goal is to build a new profile and blogging solution that will delight all of you. I encourage all of you to continue providing comments and asking questions.
Matt Warburton
Yahoo! Community Manager
Here is a copy/paste from a blog in the Yahoo 360 Team. It, and my next entry, will answer some questions and concerns and will confirm rumors about the closing/transition of 360 in early 2008. The Evolution of Yahoo! 360 On Yahoo!’s Q3 Earnings call today, it was announced that we intend to transition Yahoo! 360 to a more integrated Yahoo! experience in early 2008. I want to provide additional information on this news and assure you that we will minimize any disruption to you and our valued Yahoo! 360 community. I also want to assure you that you can still use all the features of Yahoo! 360 until this transition takes place in early 2008. We will be sharing specifics of this transition over the next several months, but I can tell you today that Yahoo! 360 will transition to a new universal Yahoo! profile that will be closely tied to other relevant services across Yahoo!, and will include improved blogging capabilities. With the announcement of this transition, we assure you:
- We will preserve your Yahoo! 360 blog content, profile photo, nickname, and friends lists during and after the transition
- We will provide the right tools to move your blog content;
- We will give you ample notice before this transition begins in early 2008.
The vibrant community that has flourished on Yahoo! 360 is important to many people, and it is important to Yahoo!. Providing a smooth transition is a top priority for us, and we want to emphasize that we are committed to preserving your blog content and friends lists throughout the transition. Many of you have asked if Mash, Yahoo!’s experimental profile service, will replace Yahoo! 360. We know this is an important question for many of you, and even more so given this news. We don't have all the answers today, but we are testing solutions, including Mash, in order to provide a more integrated universal Yahoo! profile throughout the Yahoo! network. We hear your concerns. We are listening to your feedback, and we are committed to providing a more useful, engaging, and valuable service in the future. Best, Matt Warburton Yahoo! Community Manager
"It isn't pollution that's harming the environment. It's the impurities in our air and water that are doing it."
--Al Gore, Vice President "I love California. I practically grew up in Phoenix "
--Dan Quayle
This song says it all. I can never hear this song without getting a teary eye. I can never attempt to sing this song without choking up. Please remember those that have fallen at Virginia Tech at the hands of a troubled guy. If you see someone in trouble, lend a hand, lend an ear, and express your concern for their well-being and happiness. Seek some guidance from a professional, your family, your pastor, your higher power (God), school counselor, or the Army's onesource (you Army guys know what that is) if you need help. Everyone has someone to turn to when they're having problems. Sometimes troubles can cloud that connection or even hide it. The main thing is not to let a troubled person go without someone to talk to. You may be their only link to help and save their life and/or the lives of others.
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