That's funny.

That has me thinking...

I wonder if anyone ever did a study on weight and political affiliation. I wonder what the results would be.....

CC:D

hmmm . . . let me help:

on one hand, one has to have money and total disrespect for our limited resources to eat that much. (implies conservative)

OTOH, you have to have a lot of free time and truely hate oneself and humanity, to eat that much. (implies liberal, of course)

Getting back on topic...

This country has sme great things going for it but a few things are completely whacked. The whole nudity thing is just so strange. In Africa, South America and Oceania, the indigi folks are completely comfortable with it - seems like the more "civilized we got (europe & Asia) the more uptight we got.

As far as we are concerned, our kids often see us in the nude infact many times they take baths with my wife and sometimes showers with me (not often because they say I hog the water!). They hve shown curiosity but are often told that certain parts of their bodies (and ours) are private and no one is supposed to touch them. They show no signs of maladjustment or excesive obcession. In fact, the kids that have uptight parents seem to engage in more "enquiring ' play than our kids. Ours just don't see a big deal in it. We were on Sounth beach last year and my son saw plenty of topless women and he didn't get all giggly or gawk (like his dad!). He just took it all in stride...

Some of you know I am an undercover hippie. My (if I do say so myself) distinguished grey hair is roughly 1/2" long and I wear slacks and neckties to work. As straight an arrow as you're likely to see in Corporate Consultant Amerika. But I like to frolic and I just get back from my beloved Oregon Country Fair where nudity is fairly tolerated. Ladies don't have to wear tops, and many don't. They paint thier chests, in fact. The sauna is a place for two or three hundred naked people. Kids too. But here's the part many of you will not be able to understand. It's a family place. Kids are everywhere and nobody thinks the naked body is ugly or obscene. You have to hide it and surround it with mystery and forbidden-ness to do that. Frankly, the people who make the most sense to me in America are the super-liberal types. It's a really cool community. Nude bodies are not obscene, they are beautiful. Disemboweled and decapitated humans....now that's obsene. I am happy to submit myself to the former, and will not pollute my psyche with the latter.

Oh, my daughters can see a peepee any time they like. They'd just have to look in the bathroom while I'm shaving. No big deal. And they've been going to the hippie fair since they were little.

:rolleyes: Well. .to see that, wouldn't they have to lift up your skirt?:eek:


hey man; 1970 called, they want their flower-power back. :rolleyes:

seems to me that more exposure to nudity would help to create a more open and tolerant society.. both male and female nudity alike..


Like Larry Flynt said, complain to the manufacturer.

Dunno what the rolling eyes reply meant, Island. I'd agree that it's silly to poopoo this (somewhat clothing optional) lifestyle but lots of folks do. There are people who vigorously believe that I am doing great damage to my daughters by exposing them to this (dare I say liberal) thinking and lifestyle. So, when I say many of you will not be able to understand, unfortunately I'm confident that I am correct. Some folks flatly deny that widespread breast baring could occur in a healthy environment for children.

Not sure where I stand on the rest of this, but has everybody forgotten about breast feeding? My son has seen way more of my wife topless for the first 15 months of his life, now we're both getting the cold shoulder.:p

Cannot agree more! (this does worry me a bit... actually agreeing with Supe about something, course its not politics! :) ) There is nothing wrong with nudity or our bodies. Its the uptight religious nuts (my feeling) who have the paranoia about this.

Other thing is that when you have a society that is open about their bodies the incidence of sexual crimes goes down across the board. Why peep in someone's window when you can go down to the beach or park to see someone nude? Rapes and other crimes like this are just not as prevalent either.

Wish it would change but not going to hold my breath either...

JoeA

I think a lot of people's uptight attitudes about nudity go hand in hand with their sexual hangups.

We know from some people's political posts here that they think that blow jobs are so heinous that people need to be prosecuted and villified for getting one in their office. ;)

I too have been on nude beaches and other naked places, (10,000 Waves spa near Sante Fe), it is true that the "shock value" quickly dissipates and it can be cool. On the other hand, I really do not wish to see most people nude. It can be a serious appetite depressant. It's like a certain review of the film "The Player" that I remember:

"You don't get to see the (breasts) that you do want to see, but you get to see the ones that you don't want to see".....

I had the exact same thought walking out of the theater, and obviously there is a female perspective that is the equivalent to this. (Brad Pitt vs. Tom Arnold)... ;)

PWD put it more succinctly. :)

Which brings me to the children part; of course nudity is harmless when there is no erotic component to it, (a mother's breast, aging hippie dad letting it all hang out), but what about a nudist colony w/ a few Jessica Albas thrown in the mix, and guys walking around w/ hard-ons? True, there is no such place, (w/ J.A. lookers), but just making a point. Within a normal family there is no sexual interest between children and parents, so no harm/no foul. Step parents could change that in a hurry. (And sadly it often does). So I guess it all depends on the context, (like most things), but I believe that seeing people nude is at best a wash in terms of a child's social development. Seeing people in bathing suits is cooler IMO, there is something to be said for teaching modesty as well. Little kids do not have to see big swinging dicks and other things losing the fight w/ gravity.

Maybe I'm more conservative in this area than others, or just err on the side of caution w/ children. If there is any chance of sexual energy+nudity, I'd say kibosh the whole idea. For *adults only* situations, I am a Libertarian. What ever floats your boat. It doesn't float mine. Bores me to tears every time I've tried it. :cool:

Speeder - Excellent post. (and most excellent to see "Libertarian" in your post. :)

Thing is, supe, walking around naked is just a selfish thing to do. (unless you're Jessica Albas, as Denis points out)

It's a subtle thing supe, but closing the bathroom door, for example, so your daughters or others don't have to catch a peak of you http://www.pelicanparts.com/support/smileys/pain30.gif
is called consideration.

Sure you can claim "it's natural" (maybe go crap on the lawn.?). .. but that doesn't make it something people want to see.

It means; it's funny the way you suggest that; we simpltons :rolleyes: (there it is again) may not be able to comprehend this complex :rolleyes: (there it is again) free thinking and expression of yours.

I think that most of us figured out these sublties when we were 10 y/o (+/- a few years)

Some of us have figured out that our bodies do not need to be hidden and the kids are going to see us one way or the other. Would never flaunt it to anyone but consider that Supe may have closed the door and one of the kids just opened it. Do you "run and hide, and make it seem nasty" or do you just keep on brushing.

IMHO, running and hiding or making it seem "nasty" puts a meaning in the heads of kids (and adults) that is much worse than seeing a nude man brush his teeth.

You may not like it but to me its natural and nothing wrong with it. Consideration might be given to what Supe, myself or others want and not your mores. Not getting down on you but we were all taught differently as kids and for some of us nudity and our bodies is not a bad thing...

Joe A

I always wondered if the US policy on public nudity has any effect on teenage pregnancy. The US is so uptight when it comes to public nudity it creates kind of a taboo appeal - kids then relate nudity with sex - when nudity really doesn't have to be sexual. Then when kids reach the rebelious teen years they act on it - without the parents involvement due to it being a taboo thing. Here are some statistics from http://www.pregnancy-info.net/teen_pregnancy_statistics.html.

"In 2000, the total number of teen pregnancies in the United States was 821,810 (84 pregnancies per 1,000 people). Compare this with Canada whose total rate of teen pregnancies for 2000 was 38,600 (38 pregnancies per 1,000 people). Many other western industrialized countries, such as Sweden and France, have even lower teen pregnancy rates than Canada."

What do you guys think?

Joe--I noticed that you didn't quote the part where I wrote; "Thing is, supe, walking around naked is just a selfish thing to do. (unless you're Jessica Albas, as Denis points out) "

It's like you guys want to label people as prudish if they believe that some bodies are better left covered up.

"but we were all taught differently as kids " :rolleyes: .. . like I said, some of us figured it out as kids. .. not taught.

I have friends that were children of hippies. And while they often ran around naked as children, they figured it out; and reallized that people don't want to see the full reallity of their body. . . and those who did are creepy michael jackson types.

I've got no problem with adult nude beachs/ private property. But you guys who think you have transended clothing, and the rest of us are stuck in some puritan clothed rut are kidding yourselves.

Clearly clothing has utility beyond protecting us from the elements. Most people have figured that out. Most people are happy about this widely accepted norm. . . .how ever "un-natural" you would like to make it.

I think it kinda sad that some have to promote the mantra of " it's natural, lets all do it" to get a woman to take her close off.

I think that your causality is all wrong. Nice try, though. :)

yup.

btw; Norway and Sweden also have (statistically) the some of the lowest alcohol consumption per capita. (due to really high tax on booze, not much is sold there .. . . just don't talk about how much is produced "underground" ;)

I'm such a prude.:rolleyes:

Exactly. When all you really have to do is buy her a couple more shots.....

I have not transended anything, I never really liked to be all covered up and figured it out as a kid.

Regarding getting ladies to take their clothes off, spend some time in Europe. They wear less clothes there most of the time and as was stated above, sunbathe nude. Its not about looking at them nude, as they are already there.

Jacko? He is a sick SOB and needs to be shot. Will be happy to volunteer to put him and the rest of the kids he has paid millions to out of their misery.

Where did the booze come into the mix? Has nothing to do with it. Anyone who says that any of the Scandanavian countries do not drink much needs to go there. The Swedes are drunk much of the time, Finns close. Danes a close third and people from Norway just make it at home.

Many of the countries limit your consumption. You have a state issued ID card and have to buy booze from the state run store. If you want more than your allotted amount (usually a bottle a week or so) you are not allowed to purchase it! The computer tells them that you bought a bottle and will not allow you another until the time is up. THATS why they do not show up as heavy drinkers on many surveys and why they make it at home!

The Swedes get around this by hopping on a ferry going to Denmark and drink all the way there, buy unlimited bottles in Denmark then drink all the way back home, a 20 mile voyage. The Danes just tax it high enough to keep you from drinking too much.

Joe A
Part Danish and lived in Kopenhagen...