NothingToDread.com

Wow, this is exciting. After years, months, days, hours, of surfing the web, visiting club, and exploring my inner nudist, I've decided it's time for me to join. Where do I sign?...

I got lazy... too lazy... I've been so focused on the simple act of survival that like many adults, I gradually drifted away from many activities that I truly enjoy. Sure, I still find time to ride my bicycle... closing in on my first 10,000 miles as a matter of fact..., but It's been far too long since I've spent some quality time nude in the great outdoors. My tan lines are now beyond ridiculous. Maybe I'll post some photos later.

hmmmm... most of the websites, clubs, and literature I've read have that AANR logo. American Association for Nude Recreation... maybe I should start there...

So, I decided it's time to get proactive. Time to start packing up the wife, cooler, towels, sun screen, etc., and take advantage of some of the wonderful clothes free opportunities that Southern California has to offer at least two days a month. With that in mind, I also decided that it wouldn't be a bad idea to restore some of my long lapsed memberships and take advantage of the benefits and discounts that membership has to offer. Yes, that's right, it's a shame to say, but I haven't been a member of any local or national nudist associations or clubs for over a decade.

http://www.aanr.com... Ok, let's see... here it is. American Association for Nude Recreation. Nice site... smiling people. Nakation? Need to check that out... ah, there's the link Join or Renew Membership...

I decided to start with AANR. Perhaps next month I'll budget for TNS (More on that later). Membership in AANR (Back when it was still known as ASA) came as part of the package when I joined my first landed club back in the early 90s. Whether valid, or not, I have some recollection that while non-affiliated memberships (I believe that's how they referred to members who did not belong to local clubs) were available, such members carried a certain stigma of illegitimacy. I suppose the idea was that your local chapter could vouch for you in a pinch. I suppose it makes sense. At some point I moved far enough away from that local club, and as my membership there lapsed, so went my AANR membership. I always figured that I'd renew once I found a club to call home, but... well... you know... I've been busy.

Wow, so many choices... Ouch, $3,100 for something called Dual Elite Life Membership... wow, not sure I'd go that route even if I was eligible. At least not today. Maybe the "Associate Membership" tier is more appropriate for me. Dual vs. Individual? Ok, one is for couples and families, while the other is for singles. I get that... $57.00 vs. $91.50 a year? What happens if I just buy an individual membership? Won't my wife still get the 20% discount and my copy of "The Bulletin"? I know what they get for the $34.50, an extra $34.50, but what do I get? Satisfaction? Great... now that song is stuck in my head.

"Back in the day", AANR's monthly news... letter... magazine... paper? What the hell, I'll call it a magazine that looked like a news paper... The Bulletin was my primary portal into the world of nudism outside my little 75 mile radius. Sure, I had access to dial up bulletin board systems, and some discussions on AOL, Prodigy, Compuserve, etc, but The Bulletin was the most polished source of information that I received on a regular basis. Today the internet provides countless sources of information on a virtually realtime basis.

Ok, $91.50 a year for the Dual Associate Membership.. why take chances... what the hell, AANR needs my support so an extra $34.50 is the least I can do, right? Add to cart and on to the checkout screen. OK... a little demographic survey, but all they really require is my name, address and title information. Of course, billing info will probably come on the next screen. Hmmm... do I really want to receive The Bulletin? How does it show up at my door? Will the mail man see it and gossip with the neighbors? What about the children, roommates, neighbors and friends dropping by while I check the mail? No opt out option...?

I didn't bother looking up my old membership number. Even if a record of my membership was still available after all these years, I doubted that there'd be any benefit to attempting to revive the number. As I worked my way through the options at aanr.com, I started thinking like the new applicant that I'd essentially become. I remember the bulletin as the primary source of communication that I received from AANR in the 90s. I remember it arriving in a discrete and safe for work white envelope. The AANR logo raised some questions in my mind. What would be printed on the envelopes I received in the mail? Simply AANR, or will the words NUDE RECREATION be as prominently displayed on the envelopes as they are on the ANNR.com website? This raised the question, "Would a privacy conscious prospective member continue beyond this point"? I also started thinking about The Bulletin itself. Like many Americans, I've been moving away from paper in favor of electronic sources of information. I already view the view hardcopy magazines I receive as little more than clutter around the house; especially, when full electronic versions are available online. I thought of the stacks of back issues of The Bulletin that I already have stored away. Had there been an option to opt out of receiving the bulletin available during the sign up process at AANR.com, I probably would have taken it. A lot has changed over the course of the past decade. I'm a bit disappointed that AANR hasn't completely kept up with those changes.

Maybe I shouldn't... oh, what the hell... I'll sign up now, and I'm sure I can do something about the mailings if they become an issue. Rent a mailbox near the office? Oh hell, I don't know. Ok, here's the billing information... two weeks for delivery via US Shipping... I guess that's when they'll mail my physical membership card. They'll probably give me a membership number when I complete my purchase. Probably in the confirmation email when I'm done...

Thinking less like a new member than as a long time internet user, I was more than a little annoyed by the conclusion of my transaction. I can't think of an occasion, prior to purchasing a AANR membership online, when I haven't received some sort of account, membership, or user license number within hours of purchasing a membership online. I expected to see my membership number on my confirmation page, or at least in one of the three email messages I received following my account creation and membership purchase. Instead, I received one message advising me that I'd created a profile, another that it had been modified (during the creation process), and an electronic invoice indicating that I'd purchased a membership. No doubt the same communications I would have received had I purchased a towel.

Ok... they've had my credit card number and application for over 20 hours. What, no welcome message, membership number, description of member benefits, access to the forums, member discounts at the online store? Nothing? Will I really have to wait for the USPS before I can enjoy ANY benefits of membership? I'm starting to think that this organization sucks.

From Wikepedia.org ouroboros article

Those seeking admittance must submit photos of at least three nude female family members at the door. Should family members refuse your request, any female acquaintance, co-worker, model, or prostitute may be accepted. All photographs will be subject to strict scrutiny. Tattoos, body jewelry, and visible labia must be attractive and tastefully presented. Self appointed inspectors will determine the acceptability of your submissions based on personal taste, bias, and whim. While we take every precaution to maintain a strict policy of inconsistency, submissions shall be judged via a long standing arbitrary process.

Firm pronouncements made by random trolls should be accepted as gospel unless vehemently flamed by a supermajority of members; otherwise, if you fail to meet the standards set by our officiating kook, please scurry along and find yourself a group that may find you less offensive to their inferior sensibilities. This group has been established for the pure enjoyment of those who fully subscribe to, and practice today's trending dogma. Should you be interested in learning more about our practices prior to participating in our lifestyle, you may be welcomed with open arms unless we determine that your very interest in our lifestyle identifies you as a person of questionable character.

Have you really made it this far?

It seems to me that the more outside "the norm" certain special interest groups are, the more they seem to be caught in a constant cycle of destroying themselves while attempting to build acceptance. I recently started following a naturist vegan group. I know, I know; crazy isn't it? I'm not interested in becoming a vegetarian or vegan, but I am interested in diversifying the healthy choices in my diet. Look, there's just so much chicken and salmon that a guy can eat. I ran across a vegan naturist social network and decided to join.

Since many of the members found the group by way of Flickr, you can imagine that it consists of an interesting mix of nudists, vegans, and "others". What I have noticed since I've been there, is that both schools of thought in the group include some of the mindsets mentioned in my opening rant. Clearly vegans have more than dietary concerns regarding their choice of nutrition, and some of the naturists range from the fringes of family nudism to the "You must be a pervert if you arrived without a picture of your wife" crowd. Either way, I could see how someone looking for information regarding either lifestyle could be made to feel unwelcome by that ever present vocal minority that claims far too many special interest groups.

Note: Since the purpose of this article wasn't to slam any specific group, lifestyle, or special interest group, I'd rather not link to the vegan naturist group at this time. My intention was to comment on a general problem facing many "fringe" subcultures.

Showing a little skin

To be clear, I'd post more photos if I had access to more content that I believed people wanted to see. The reality is that most people aren't arriving here looking for pictures of me. A few may, but most of you would prefer an attractive female to a middle aged man. Post photos of the wife you say? I see your point, but since she's notoriously camera shy, that's not an option. The point is... if there is a point to this nonsense... The point is that if you're going to post photos on a blog covering non-sexual nudity and sexuality, you're going to piss off at least 50% of your visitors 100% of the time. Aren't most readers on a mission? Let's say that you're cruising along looking for wholesome family nudism, and you encounter porn. Some of you may stick around, but most of you will just move on to the next site.  On the same token, if you're seeking porn, a bunch of naked old guys playing checkers isn't going to keep you coming back for more; unless you're into that sort of thing. At the end of the day, traffic at nothingtodread.com is, and always will be, driven away by the written word.

She can't be a nudist because she doesn't use the same brand of sunblock as me...

Despite the fact that I haven't written anything about Nudism since this year's first quarter, that doesn't change the fact that I've tried to keep up with what's going on in the community. I read the blogs from time to time, agree with some, and shudder at others. I don't always agree with what's written, or even how some subjects are tied into nudism by the flimsiest of arguments, but those aren't my blogs, and nobody asked me for editorial input. Ok, I suppose I could comment from time to time, but you know what I mean. Anyway, despite the fact that I haven't been writing, I do kick the occasional topic around for internal discussion. By internal discussion, I mean that I argue with the voice inside. Don't worry... it's not one of those voices.

One recurring theme revolves around a potentially unpopular topic, the separation of nudism and sexuality. Say what? Ok, everybody agrees that nudism as described by "mainstream" nudists, including myself, is a non-sexual activity; however I'm referring to the thin line, not the typically well defined boundaries, between "mainstream" nudism and sexuality. Danger Will Robinson... I bet that I'm already pissing some of you off, and I haven't even gotten started. It's probably a good thing that nobody reads this blog anymore.

We've all heard it before:

That's not what nudism is all about...

All squares are rectangles, but not all rectangles are squares...

Wait, what...?

I've read and heard the argument that you can't be a real nudist if you're aroused by nude people or images. Apparently some people don't believe in turning off the turn on. I disagree. I may not always be turned on by nudity, but that doesn't mean that I'm never turned on by nudity. Isn't it more about context and presentation. I'm also aroused by clothed females under certain circumstances. What does that make me? What could be sexier than a long slit dress? A glimpse of leg making a brief appearance, then disapearing? The promise of things left unseen? I'm confused... where's the point of embarkation between flesh and fabric? Is it ok to be aroused by the textile but not the flesh? Is a striptease the equivalent of a woman reading a book poolside? My response varies between the two... what about yours? I've said it before, but isn't the determing factor whether or not you can imagine yourself getting laid?

One degree of separation... the idea came to me when I noticed that i could easily find a link to pornographic images from just about any active nudist profile on Flickr (Try it out for yourself... Just remember to turn safe search off in your preferences, or you won't find much). I was even surprised by how flirtatious and suggestive many of the non pornographic nudists were in the image descriptions, etc. We humans are sexual beings who want to be admired, desired, and yes, lusted after. Nudists are no different.

While I haven't encountered overt inappropriate behavior of a sexual nature in the nudist world, I have encountered suggestive queries, and I've overheard a thing or two that could lead one to believe that certain folks were enjoying each other's company. Combine that with what I've seen on the internet, and it's clear that the nudist and swinger world can and do frequently intersect. While not a practitioner of the latter, as the former, I've come to the conclusion that the primary characteristic defining a nudist is how one's environment affects his or her behavior. Otherwise, it would be childish and dishonest to claim that swingers and exhibitionists don't walk amongst us.

I've done a lot of things earn a buck. I won't bore you with my full resume, but lately I've been reminded of the time I worked as a $5/hour shopping mall rent a cop. It was a simple job. Most of our day was spent baby sitting the mall rats and directing shoppers to their destinations. I did learn one thing wearing that tin star. Shopping malls are typically classified as Private Property that is open to public access. I could run anybody I chose off that property. People had a lot of trouble grasping that concept. You open up a place to public access, and they somehow get the silly idea that they have a right to be there.

Privileges vs. rights... I'm always amazed by how much trouble people have grasping these very simple concepts. You have a right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. You don't have a right to access private property even if all your friends are there. If you are a citizen and over 18, you may still enjoy a right to vote unless you have forfeited that right by way of felonious act. You may have a whole boatload of rights, but the last time I checked no place in the constitution of these United States, or any other nation that I can bring to mind, has anybody ever been guaranteed a right to free hosting.

My first blog was one of those political/current event type rant sheets where I just went off about anything that caught my attention. Other than my opinions, which many of my fellow bloggers disagreed with, the blog was safe for all ages. I was aware of blogger and other "free" hosting options, but instead I chose pay in the neighborhood of $100/year for hosting. Not a whole lot, but I don't use a lot of bandwidth, and the plan was actually overkill for my needs. I also chose a similar plan for nothingtodread.com Again, I probably could have opted for a free service, but instead I paid. Why? because I wanted the flexibility to what I pleased with my site. Granted, I also planned to do more than host a blog at the time, but I got lazy. The point is, I wasn't willing to place my self at the mercy of a third party. If my site went down, I wanted to have the right afforded to every paying customer to complain about the service.

People are complaining that Google is censoring nudist content by placing a warning page between their nudist Blogger sites and the world. Personally, I'm having more than a little trouble sympathizing. That "flag button" has been at the top of your blogs for years. Are you honestly that shocked that somebody pulled the trigger, or are you shocked by the fact that Google is out there covering their ass by tossing up a warning? We're in the mall with our genitalia hanging out for all the world to see, and Mrs. Uptightcitizensbrigade walks in on little Johnny jerking off to a nudist photo of the day. What the hell did we think was going to happen? Is there anything wrong with the content of the blogs in question? No! My site is ten times more objectionable than Diary of a Nudist. Does that mean that little Miss. Moral Majority isn't going to complain? NO!

Look, I'm an asshole. I make no apologies for that fact, but the way I see it the whining and the moaning about the appearance of the warning pages on Blogger sites is just another symptom of the crazy sense of entitlement that takes hold in any special interest group. We go from discussing simple non sexual nudity in a welcoming environment, and everything seems rational. We support public breastfeeding, fine. Somehow we eventually break from reality, and it all becomes all so very political. Suddenly we have a RIGHT to offend the public. We have a RIGHT to be nude in the town square. We have a RIGHT to FORCE our neighbors to confront our nude bodies and their irrational attachment to textile products. Gradually we begin to believe that we have a RIGHT to free and unconditional hosting, bandwidth, advertising, and the ability to promote our business without cost or interference. Then we're a little surprised when the public views us as crackpots.

Again, maybe I'm an asshole, but Google by way of Blogger is offering a service to the public, but it is still private property. About the closest thing you have to a right is the right to comply with their terms of service if you want to continue to take advantage of the privilege afforded to you by way of that service. Instead of crying about a business decision that they made in their interest, just say thanks for the free ride, and move on as some of you already plan to do. This isn't a vast conspiracy. It is just common sense.

I'm not going to make a lot of friends with this post. That's a shame, because I generally admire the bloggers who I believe will be the most offended by this post. The people who have been the most hurt by the placement of warning pages leading to their Blogger sites, also produce blogs that are far beyond the reach of what I do here. That said, I have been more than a little put off by the general "political" turn that nudist discussion has taken over the past several months. Maybe it's always been that way. I'm just more aware of it now. As far as the nudist content here at nothingtodread.com. I've been pretty much done with it for quite some time now. I'll continue to post the occasional trip report, but unless I'm writing about what I did sans clothing and where, I really don't see what more there is to say that hasn't already been said.

I'd love to go to one of those places, but my ass is scary...

Oh my god! You're a naked monster...

Those are just three examples of the comments made by people to whom I mentioned this weeks visit to The Terra Cotta Inn. While not all negative, all three were reminders of the prevailing perception about social nudism and why open dialog is needed to erase those misconceptions. Well, except for the part about being a naked monster. I am a bit of a beast.

I really needed this trip. We haven't been getting out much, and I was beginning to forget why I enjoy social nudism. It was great to see people of all ages, shapes, and sizes, relax and feel comfortable in their own skins despite the ravages of time and gravity. I was surrounded by smiling and happy people who were unconcerned about that unattainable image of perfection that drives men and women to a state of self-loathing and insecurity. Scary ass my hairy ass... All you have to do is it look at the brightly lit faces around the pool to know that those days of worry ended within hours of even the heaviest nudist's first visit to a nudist venue.

I've visited other "clothing optional" clubs and resorts, but The Terra Cotta Inn was the first place where I saw several people exercise the option. A couple of the ladies were merely topless while a third chose a two-piece bikini. My wife suspects that Bikini Girl just wanted tan lines. It doesn't matter. I like the fact that Terra Cotta Inn provides a safe atmosphere for women who may need a little more time to ease into a comfortable state of social nudity. I especially prefer it to the other extreme that results in trips to "nudist" facilities being planned around menstrual cycles, or the silliness of scarlet wristbands announcing Aunt Flow's arrival. I did think that the dude who showed up for breakfast in his boxer shorts was a bit questionable, but what the hell; to each his own.

Another first occurred this week at Terra Cotta Inn. Up until now, I've been reluctant to show my face here at nothingtodread.com. This week, I allowed myself to be photographed from my hair to my toenails with everything between the two fully exposed.

Believe it or not, I'm even impressed by Tom and Mary Clare's housekeeping staff. Housekeeping typically inhabits a plain of existence that while visible, is all but inaccessible to the guests. That's especially true when it comes to clothing optional and nudist facilities that I've visited in the past. You almost wonder if they actually see the naked folk lounging by the pool. That's not the case at Terra Cotta. I personally witnessed no less than three interactions between housekeepers and guests. In each instance, the housekeeper went out of her way to ensure that the guest was well taken care of.

While not billed as a B&B, Terra Cotta Inn serves a nice continental breakfast that includes fresh fruit, pastries, hard-boiled eggs, yogurt, etc. In addition to breakfast, afternoon snacks and wine are served. I personally watched Tom wade into the pool and refill a guest's glass. Ok, wading into a pool when it's 114 degrees outside isn't really a sacrifice, but it is in keeping with the finest traditions of service with a smile.

Terra Cotta Inn is a true clothing optional resort. The number of women exercising that option surprised me. More than I've ever seen in the past. I firmly believe that clothing optional rather than strict nudist is the best way to provide a safe and comfortable gateway to social nudism. Some women were simply topless, most were nude, and one woman lounged poolside in a bikini.

Guest demographics were about what one would expect. No children, couples only, and all ages. I don't believe that many, if any, of the other guests were younger than my tender age of 43. Many appeared older. All appeared to be having a wonderful time. By Thursday, several guests who appeared to be regulars started to arrive. The pool began to take on a lively atmosphere, and the laughter was rather contagious.

Overall, the wife and I have had a wonderful time. I would recommend Terra Cotta Inn to anybody (Veteran or newbie) seeking a clothing optional or nude vacation.

Good morning world!

I haven't been writing lately, but let's face it nobody wanted to read another "I lost x pounds while riding my bike y miles" post any more than I wanted to write another weight loss update. In case you're interested, I'm successfully maintaining my weight at 180 (+/- three or four) pounds. I'm averaging 160 miles a week on the bike, and my body fat is now somewhere around 16%.

Social nudism...

I have the ridiculous cycling related tan lines to prove that we haven't been getting out much lately. That's probably why I've had less and less to write about the subject for several months. Hopefully, that's all about to change. I'm going to start making a stronger effort to get away and enjoy this beautifully consistent Southern California weather that I've been allowing to go to waste. As a matter of fact, I've already taken the first step towards my nudist renaissance. I'm posting this article courtesy of the free WiFi connection at a popular clothing optional/nudist resort in beautiful Palm Springs, California.

I've loved Palm Springs since I was a teenager (Even before my first visit to a clothing optional B&B previously housed a few miles from where I'm writing this article). Palm Springs has a charm that can't be duplicated elsewhere. Never mind the summer heat. This is a city that I would happily visit any time of year. It is also the city that introduced me to social nudism. If I was offered "Palm Springs" during a word association test, I'd probably have to struggle with the simultaneous flash of nudity and movie stars in my brain. I suppose that I could respond with naked movie stars.

I have a bad habit of planning our getaways on very short notice. The whim strikes me... I call to check availability... Terra Cotta Inn turns out to be booked... We end up sleeping on a lumpy matress at a larger, and typically under booked, property down the street.

Wife: Did you call Tom's?
Me: Yup, no room at the Inn.

This time we got lucky. I called, spoke to Mary Clare, and booked a room. We haven't been here long enough to turn this into a review, we haven't even had the opportunity to meet the owners Tom and Mary Clare, but so far I like the place. I will say this - the bed in our room is wonderfully comfortable. We both slept like babies last night!

I've been doing my best lately not to pick fights with the other kids on the nudist Internet. We're all doing our best. I'm the last person who should be throwing stones at folks who typically produce far better articles about social nudity than I ever will. I shouldn't throw stones, but sometimes I just can't help myself. I recently read a couple of posts written by the editor of a nudist blog called The Nude Life. Over the course of a couple of posts, the editor of that blog manages to lump single males in with perverts, pedophiles, sex offenders, swingers, and members who don't pay their dues. Why not mention that single males are likely to show up at your next potluck dinner empty handed?

It seems like 99% of the "nudist" blogs on the Internet are really trolling pages for swingers, single males and perverts who somehow think that using the word "nudist" will attract the kind of people they want to connect with.

Why We're Blogging
The Nude Life
July 2, 2007

For single males who complain that we are "discriminating" against them, we plead guilty; then we remind them that our club is a voluntary social group that sets policies as it sees fit to keep the club fun and active for our members, and if they aren't happy about that, then they are free to go out and start their own nudist club like our founders did 20+ years ago, and they can set up any kind of policies they like.

By the way, we also discriminate against pedophiles, sex offenders, underage minors, members who don't pay our annual dues, members who don't follow our club's etiquette rules.

Single Female Nudists
The Nude Life
July 10, 2007

I like what they're doing over at The Nude Life, and I really just wanted to leave it all alone, but I can't. Despite my experiences as a former single male attempting to break into the world of social nudism, I understand why some clubs need to control the numbers of single males they admit. I would imagine that urban travel clubs get a disproportionate number of inquiries from that particular demographic, but the editor has taken the argument to a whole new level. I've heard of not wanting to visit a club or resort that attracts too many single males, but the editor of The Nude Life doesn't seem pleased about sharing the Internet with the bastards either. The first sentence of the first paragraph in the first post on his blog complains about the proliferation of single male (Who he groups with perverts and swingers) on nudist blogs. I really don't understand this degree of hostility. As I've said before, it would make more sense if we actually were swingers instead of nudists.

Since I do like most of what I've read at The Nude Life, I was reluctant to mention them by name, or quote from the articles; however, I thought the claim that nudists can be so hostile towards single males that they would lump them in with the groups mentioned above was so absurd that nobody would believe me without proof. From time to time, someone will complain that social nudism is on the decline in the United States. On more than one occasion I've cited the hostility faced by the demographic most likely to take that first step towards a nudist lifestyle as a probable contributing factor towards that decline. In many cases, single male is a less accurate identifier than unaccompanied male. It's often the husband who scouts a local club before letting the wife know that it's safe.

Another blogger recently compared the inclusion of sexual and nudist content on the same page to someone who loves knitting creating a site about knitting while having sex. I'm paraphrasing, but the gist of their argument is that those of us who irresponsibly include sexual content on our sites about nudism come dangerously close to blurring the line between the two. I'm a nudist, and I like sex. I write about both at nothingtodread.com. This isn't a sex site, and it isn't a nudist site. nothingtodread.com is a place adult discussion. Nudism may be a family activity, but it isn't necessarily for every family. If I ever take up knitting while having sex, I'll write about it here. Hell, I might even include a photo or two if I just happen to be knitting a very large blanket.

Old and fat, young and slim, smooth and... Well, not. I looked around the pool at almost every size shape and flavor of nudist one could imagine. I tried to look at it all with a fresh eye. What would it be like to step into the world of the nude for the very first time? I looked around the pool and I tried to imagine something other than a woman reading a book, talking to her husband, or taking a lap in the pool. I tried to imagine something exciting, provocative, or erotic about the whole scene. Pages continued to turn, couples talked, and the swimmer climbed onto a float.

I briefly mistook a Montana housewife for the female costar of a USA Network original series. I ran through a mental checklist. Mrs. Montana appeared to be the same height as the Mrs. USA. They shared the same smile, and they appeared to be equally tan. They both had dark hair; Mrs. Montana had light colored streaks (Highlights?) in hers. Despite the similarities, I realized that unless Mrs. USA had followed up filming with breast augmentation, Mrs. Montana was not the female costar of a USA Network original series.

I've experienced several off-screen celebrity sightings (None of them nude), but they're rare enough that I find them somewhat noteworthy when they occur. My faux nudist celebrity sighting got me thinking about the comparison between some people's reaction to the idea of nudism and the way we often react to famous people. I might call my wife after meeting a TV star at an airport, but would I call her if I worked in television? How big would that star have to be? I just can't imagine a celebrity sighting meaning much if celebrities are a regular part of your life. The same can be said about nudity.

I looked around that pool. I studied Mrs. Montana and some of the other more attractive women around the pool at Desert Shadows Inn last week. I tried to imagine the provocative angle that some might expect, and it just wasn't there. I was nude, they were nude, we were all comfortable. It was all so... routine.

The wife and I got home from Palm Springs today. We checked into Desert Shadows Inn on Wednesday and checked out this morning. We wanted to give Tom Mulhall's Terra Cotta Inn a try, but this trip was planned on a whim. We hadn't even considered a trip to Palm Springs until Tuesday. I gave Terra Cotta a shot, but sadly there was no room at the inn.

We had a very nice time. We met some nice people and the weather was pretty good. It was great on Wednesday, but windy Thursday and Friday. Wind is something you sometimes have to live with in Palm Springs, but it beats the hell of rain sleet and snow. For most of our stay the other guests at DSI made a couple of 42 year olds like the wife and I look like kids, but a few younger folk started showing up around Friday. I didn't see any twenty-somethings but several thirty-somethings began to trickle in.

We were surprised to discover that "they had recently closed the resort's restaurant, but nobody seemed to know the reason why. I heard a few rumors, but nothing concrete enough to print. The new pool furniture was nice and I liked the new plush pool towels.

I received a wonderful 90-minute massage at the spa on Thursday from a therapist named Sheila. This was the second time I had a massage done by Sheila and I stand by my assertion that she is the best massage therapist I've ever been treated by. A massage from Sheila is definitely worth a trip to the desert.

On Friday I somehow managed to drop my 30GB iPod in the swimming pool. I don't know why, but I started laughing as I watched it shimmer at the bottom of the pool. I suppose the sight of a nude man crying at the edge of the pool would have disturbed the other guests. I need a new iPod.

Normally when I visit Palm Springs, I only complain about having to get dressed when I go home. That isn't the case this week. We stayed in one of the "Courtyard Rooms". Room 5 to be specific.

Rediscover the Golden Age of Palm Springs... classic glamour. Relax in the exclusive Courtyard Suites where every room is unique in its shape and design reflecting the classical style and elegance of 1940's Palm Springs. Designer decorated rooms with brass beds evoke the era or a private movie star hide-away complete with a secluded garden patio setting.

You can be the star of your next vacation.

Our Courtyard features ten exclusive rooms and suites nestled in an intimate Spanish-style courtyard and feature king or queen brass bed, A/C, color cable TV, refrigerators, oversized pool towels, coffee makers with a basket of exotic brews, in-shower dispensers of premier shampoos and body soaps, and feather pillows.

DesertShadows.com

This wasn't our first stay in one of the "Courtyard Suites" at Desert Shadows Inn. If it had been, it would be our last. We like to have a room with a full kitchen. It's less expensive than eating at resort's restaurant (When it's open) and more convenient than having to get dressed for a trip to town. On our last stay we were in Room 10. The room was nice enough that I wanted to send pictures to friends. We had not complaints. This time we had Room 5. I'll let them slide on the "exotic brews" mentioned above. The coffee is the typical hotel room 4-cup pod variety in a vac sealed package. I didn't notice anything exotic about it. I'll let them slide on the "premier shampoos and body soap line", but I have a serious bone to pick with them about the bed and feather pillows.

As a young United States Marine, I once spent $13 a night to stay at the San Diego Armed Forces YMCA. That wasn't even the worse place I slept, but we don't need to go there again. I would gladly trade the $207 a night mattress from Desert Shadows Inn Room five for that $13 a night YMCA mattress. I understand that Errol Flynn was once associated with the property. I don't need to sleep on his mattress to appreciate that fact. The "box spring" was so flimsy that I literally compressed in the grip of my right hand. The pillows were so old that a couple of t-shirts tossed into a pillowcase would have offered more support. Any benefit I received from my $140 massage was destroyed by one night on that mattress. I frequently awoke in pain. Sleeping too close to the edge of the bed meant risking slipping off the collapsing bed onto the floor where my wife chose to sleep last night.

I can cut the new owners some slack when it comes to the threadbare carpet, awful plumbing, and even the broken heater pump on the quiet pool. I can't forgive charging over $200 a night for a flophouse bed. The mattress and pillows in room five should have been replaced long before the perfectly serviceable pool furniture. My wife called for another room, but she was told none was available. We should have left, but we really wanted to be in Palm Springs. Normally I try talking her into spending an extra day; last night I tried talking her into checking out early.

Despite all that, I can't wait to return to Palm Springs. I'm not saying that I won't return to DSI. I just won't accept Room 5 unless they prove that they've replaced the mattress and pillows.

I've been otherwise occupied and not paying attention lately. I haven't been reading the other blogs, and I haven't been working on nothingtodread.com. I checked in this morning and took a look at some of my favorite RSS feeds. One story almost knocked me out of my chair. Some of you may remember the little brouhaha that erupted over photographs posted by Tom Mulhall at his blog promoting The Terra Cotta Inn. The whole debate erupted when I posted an article titled Inaccurate Portrayals attacking the resort owner's use of candid European nude beach photos to splash up the look of his blog. The photos typically depicted young fit women that I argued did not accurately portray "the norm" at nude beaches, clubs, and resorts that I've visited over the past twenty years. The photos also had a distinctly voyeuristic quality. The voyeuristic nature of those photos became the primary focus of subsequent articles that appeared here and at other nudist blogs.

I tend to view Tom's blog like one of those full-page info ads that often appear in magazines. You know the ones that you might mistake for useful information if you miss the word Advertisement printed at the top and bottom of the page. Maybe that isn't fair. Tom does have some good points, and the blog is worth checking in on regularly. If it weren't, I wouldn't link to it on my side bar; however, the fact remains that Tom's blog is a promotional tool for his business.

Spend a little time at the site and you'll quickly learn that Tom is not above promoting his business by tearing down his competition. Most statements related to the success of Terra Cotta Inn are accompanied by a tally of Palm Springs nudist resorts that have either gone out of business, or changed ownership, during his tenure at Terra Cotta Inn. Tom is proud of his advertising and business prowess, and he doesn't balk at pointing out what everybody else is doing wrong. Not a problem. I typically have my fingers pointing in several directions that include back at myself. Tom is proud of his resort. He makes it clear that Terra Cotta Inn is the best place to enjoy a clothing optional vacation. If you're not careful, he might also convince you that it is the only place you should consider. Tom is proud of his high occupancy and repeat books. He frequently points out that his numbers beat any hotel in Palm Springs.

Keeping all that in mind, I was shocked when I woke up this morning and found Tom Mulhall whining that his blog numbers are down by half and he is getting less phone calls from younger people interested in staying at Terra Cotta Inn

Finally, I was called to task by a few nudist bloggers because I posted pictures of people enjoying nude recreation who were in their 20's and 30's. I stopped using those pictures here for stories. This is what I noticed. The traffic for my blog has gone down by more than half. That could be people wanting to look at pictures. However, we are also not getting as many phone calls from younger people like we were a number of months ago. That is not good as it could hurt the bottom line of my resort.

Tom Mulhall
Terra Cotta Inn
June 26, 2007

I'll say again, I've never visited Terra Cotta Inn, and Tom's demographic may be closer to the "European Model" of nude recreation than other places that I've visited in the United States. He says he gets a pretty good mix of twenty-somethings, and I believe him. That's not my experience with American nudism, not even in Palm Springs, but Terra Cotta Inn has yet to become part of my nudist experience. That said, I couldn't help but laugh when I read that the master nudist marketer is complaining that our tiny circle of blogs has harmed his business by presenting the truth about nudism in America as we've experienced it.

Tom was called to task because of the nature of the photos he was using. He knows that. That fact was discussed here and elsewhere ad nausea. There may be many reasons why his blog traffic is down, but I would have to agree with Nudiarist when he points out that people may quickly tired of the sales pitch. Think about it; would you buy a magazine where every article was a direct ad for the same business? If you bought it once, would you buy it again? Fewer calls from young people could mean a lot of things. Does anybody really believe that fewer young people are interested in social nudism because of the newspaper articles pointing out that fewer young people are interested in nudism? Let's get serious. There could be a lot of reasons Tom's calls might be down, they might even have something to do with the increasing Palm Springs temperatures. Some of you may not be familiar with Palm Springs so you may not know that we are now entering the desert resort city's off season. Maybe Tom is full of shit and Nudiarist and I have been sucked into one of his promotional stunts. We mention the voyeur shots at his site, traffic goes up, and a few you schmucks who don't know how hot Palm Springs is about to get will call and book rooms at Terra Cotta Inn. You never know.

By the way, I love Palm Springs in the summer. The prices are down, occupancy is low so it's easier to book a room, and you have many places all to yourself. You acclimate to the heat, and just spend more time cooling off in the pool.

Looking for nudism on the Internet? You're probably not going to find it. Instead you'll find still and video images, and a whole lot of text. Lately, I haven't had much of an opportunity to practice social nudism. If not for the occasional game of naked backgammon at Brutus and Roxanne's, my social nudity would be limited to the virtual kind. That's a problem. Too much VR can warp one's sense of reality. I've pointed out a couple of times that we don't write about our day to day nudist activities because what goes on isn't very interesting.

What goes on at a naked backgammon game? Not much more than you would see at any other game of backgammon; a whole lot of smoking, coffee drinking, whining and complaining about the "dice gods". The funny thing is that Roxanne wanted us to play on a glass table, but Brutus insisted on a solid top. Why play nude backgammon in a friend's home? Or, why do it if it isn't very interesting? I'll answer those questions with a question. Why wear your most comfortable pair of shoes, pants, or shirt? The answer is obvious. You like to be comfortable, and you can be around your friends. In the case of nude backgammon, we're doing it to help acclimate Brutus to the lifestyle. Roxanne would like to explore a couple of resorts, clubs, or beaches, but Brutus isn't ready. He seems comfortable at our games, but he's still concerned about that mythical third party who might x, y, or z.

That's the funny thing about men. We like to think that we're in charge, in control, the shot callers and the decision makers. We decide what's right for our spouses, what they can tolerate or stand, and we attempt to shelter them from things that they can't handle. Then we learn that they are the one's with the adventurous spirits, and we can't handle what they're up to. That's the case with Brutus and Roxanne. She's ready to go, explore, and try new things. Instead she assures Brutus that it's all just a passing phase. She is protecting him from the things that he "the man of adventure" can't handle. Dear, sweet, innocent Roxanne is a wolf in sheep's clothing. Big bad Brutus may as well be Mary's little lamb.

I Bet you're wondering where I'm going with all of this...

The situation at Brutus and Roxanne's has another layer to it. Roxanne isn't merely interested in nudist exploration; she would also like to expand their sexual horizons. Other than share experiences and suggestions, I can't really help them with the latter, but it adds another dimension to their saga. That's where we're going. Nudists are just like anybody else; the only place you'll really hear different is online. Don't confuse non-sexual nudity with an asexual existence. I recently had a conversation with a literal born and bread lifelong Australian nudist who.. insert gasp here... told me that she sometimes becomes mildly aroused by the nudity at her favorite nude beach. That's where talk of "true nudism" enters the picture.

True nudism can get an online debate absolutely raging. I bounce around on the issue a little. I agree that nobody owns "nudism", and people should be able to do what they want so long as nobody is hurt. That includes various sexual practices that occur in nude environments that allow them. That said, I also recognize a need for clarity. I like words that are specific and not dynamic in nature. There's probably a word or phrase that communicates the idea that you are trying to express, so use it. Don't co-opt something as specific as nudism and try to force it to fit every situation involving social nudity. It just won't fit. To paraphrase Nudiarist, streaking is streaking, modeling is modeling, and nudism is nudism. I've always viewed the public practice of nudism as a non-sexual experience. Generally speaking, I apply the mother test. Aside from the nudity, I wouldn't do anything amongst nudists that I wouldn't do in front of my mother. Clothed or not, that's been a good rule to follow in several social settings.

Where I part ways with many online pundits is that I judge a nudist on how he behaves as a nudist. Some insist that if one is ever aroused by nudity, they're not a "true nudist". I don't believe that. I believe that nudity can, and frequently is, presented in such a way and setting that it is highly erotic. I've written that it take more than just showing up nude to turn me on, but I would not be truthful if I said that I never find nudity arousing. Fully clothed women arouse me. Why wouldn't the sight of a nude woman under in an appropriate setting have the same affect? There are those who would say that you can't just turn that on and off. I disagree. We recognize our environments and we behave accordingly. I'm sure my wife is sexually attracted to me, but she's not instantly aroused every time she sees me. As I've written before, familiarity breeds disinterest.

Despite what several online discussions would lead you to believe, I've always felt that social nudism does draw a more sexually adventurous demographic. I could be wrong, but that's just my opinion. I think that Brutus and Roxanne are a perfect example of that theory. Despite Brutus' objections, Roxanne has a sexually adventurous spirit. More about conversations I've had with Roxanne may be covered in a future article. On the other hand, Brutus claims to be adventurous, and be brags about his conquests, but he is clearly afraid of sex and his own sexuality. It took a little time to get the big B comfortable with our backgammon sessions, but little R has taken to our Tuesday night sessions like a fish to water. I firmly believe that comfort with sexuality is the key element. A certain absence of sexual inhibition may be what allows the nudist to distinguish between sexual and non-sexual nudity.

The danger in reading and not living nudism is that you allow a certain circular discussion that has been orbiting the Internet since its inception to warp your perception of what nudism is as practiced. You'll often find that what is discussed in Usenet and the blogsphere has less to do with nudism than it does the continuation of the same old talking points. Nudists seldom sit around talking about "true nudism", "true nudists", or what we want to call ourselves. I'm sure clubs have meetings where they discuss recruitment, and the younger generation, but for the most part we just sit around talking, swimming, and getting to know one another.