Miscellaneous – Page 5

A virus gets in the way of a vacation

This is me, this morning. Trying to catch a few of the early rays of the sun.

I’ve been on my vacation address since last week Friday. The first days were awesome, with nice weather and lots of plans for places to go.

And then… lockdown. We all know the problem. Covid-19, also known as the Corona virus.

That put a stop to all the fun. Spain went in lockdown, meaning no one is allowed to go outside any more, except for food, medical attention or when you have important work that needs to be done on the spot.

Yesterday we went out for food. It was great to be outside for a while, to walk around. A queue at the supermarket wasn’t a big surprise. People had to stay a metre (3 ft) apart. No more than 6 people were allowed inside the store at any moment. We had to wear plastic gloves. Some shelves were empty already (not the stuff we needed, luckily).

This is such an odd situation. So far it still looks like I can fly home again on Friday. That’s good. Let’s hope it stays good.

Take care, naked friends and acquaintances. Don’t overhype this virus, just be smart about it.

Nude art, the affordable way. For those who are interested in owning art.

Nude Art? Affordable? Doesn’t that sound good?

Part of “Vision de Faust”, as available on FineArtAmerica.

Yes. Today I want to focus on nude art for your (and my) home, but not the stuff that will require you to sell your house. Or mine.

We all know that art is an expensive game. Some pieces go for a mere $10.000, others for a LOT more. That’s out of most people’s range.

So how does affordable nude art work?

Basically it’s quite simple. The image above comes from FineArtAmerica. They have lots of replicas that aren’t insanely expensive. A basic print or poster starts at $16. Follow this link and see for yourself. You can also go crazy and order stationary of it, or even a beach towel.

Maybe you’re more into this style, which I also found on FineArtAmerica. (Note that I don’t get commissions, it is just a site I found that has good stuff for very nice prices.)

There are loads of styles for nude art, probably too many to list here, so hop over to there if you feel like browsing of just to get an impression.

Another fine place for nude art is Saatchi.com.

Saatchi is where I bought one of my Susannah Martin prints, and I’m overjoyed with it.

Here is a sample of the art I found at Saatchi.

I have the feeling that Saatchi is more expensive than FineArtAmerica but the print I got from them is more than worth it. If you follow this blog or my twitter-feed, you have probably seen the name Susannah Martin quite often. She’s (in my opinion) an exceptional artist who creates amazing painting that are incredibly lifelike but has lots of fantastic/fantasy elements added to them.

Susannah Martin

You bet she deserves her own section in this post. I love the work of Susannah Martin.

Print of her work are more expensive (count on $60 to $100+). It might be because it’s Saatchi – they have high quality standards and expensive paper, but compared to original prices, that is still very acceptable, I think. If you want to own something special and you can afford it, then you get something amazing that looks fantastic.

Of course, there are many other places where you can find nude art, like 1stdibs.com, but I will leave the search for those other places to you.

If you read this far, you are probably interested, and as we all know, Google, Bing and Ecosia are our friends in finding interesting material.

Thank you for your interest. I hope you will find some wonderful art prints. It exists, and as you saw: you don’t have to sell your first-born for a good print.

Do you know the (perhaps) strangest nude job ever?

You might think that a person ironing clothes at a naturist resort has a strange job. Maybe you can come up with something that, for you, is even weirder.

Let me tell you about something I learnt a few days ago.

Henry 8

For this we have to go back to the times of Henry the Eighth in good old England, around 1520 CE.

In those days people loved to eat, and eat well, especially in the courts of the royals. That food had to be prepared.

A fine tradition for meat-eating England in those days was roasting animals on a spit. You all know the contraptions; close to a fire and turning the spit before one side is black and the other is raw.

Back in those days there were no electric motors, so turning the spit was something done by hand. And who could do that better than children?

Yes, no one was scared of child labour in the swinging 1600s, so kids were recruited to work in the kitchen, turning the spit. The positive thing was that they were off the street, warm and near food. The negative thing was that ‘warm’ was taken to extremes because the spit was very close to a fire and so was the spit-turning child.

Naked in the kitchen

Yes, very often the children would be naked in the kitchen for that very reason. If they wore something like a loin cloth, that was often too much already.

Maybe it is clear already that not every naked job is one to be envious of, because the spit was large, the chunks of meat on them too, so the work was very heavy. Also, because the meat slab was so huge, the roasting took upto 3 or even 4 hours to get done well. Imagine standing near a blazing fire for that long, constantly rotating a spit. As a child.

Nope, not a healthy thing.

Adding clothing to the mix

At one point this practice came to an end. No, the children weren’t relieved of this job; they did well. The problem was that, at some moment, someone from the court entered a kitchen and saw a naked child.

Being the good royal, this was reported to Henry 8, who then decreed that funds should be made available to clothe those children. Which made their situation even worse…

Historic references

This turnspit practice is referenced in several works:

The boy was taken into the King’s kitchen and made a turnspit. – “A Child’s History of England” by Charles Dickens

You’re nothing but a turnspit. – “Misalliance” by George Bernard Shaw

Naturist vacation in South America. Where to go?

What are good naturist vacation options in Latin America?

My girlfriend and I are looking at a naturist vacation far away. I understand that South America doesn’t sound very far away for people in the US. From Europe it’s quite a haul.

I’ve been looking around for Mexico but the options there seem to be quite limited. I found a place that’s super luxurious and costs an arm and a leg for a night. That’s not what we want.

Also it’s not what we can afford.

I had a look at the Dominican Republic as well. The only nudist hotel there that I found is Eden Bay. There are many references to it online, e.g. on TripAdvisor, but their website is either down or broken – I can’t get to it. Does anyone have experiences with Eden Bay? Is it still operational even? (Since their website doesn’t work…)

Through naturist-resort.com I found 3 options. 2 no longer have a working website. Only Caribbean Nature on St Martin looks operational, and that seems to be a nice place.

I’m genuinely surprised that the number of naturist vacation options in South America is so limited. Either that, or they do their best to stay hidden and under the radar.

It really makes me wish that the resort from Naked Crow 3 had really been built.

So yes, this is not your regular blog post. This is a call-out to people who have been to decent naturist resorts or hotels in Latin America. I would love to hear from you. Where were you, what were your experiences, what do you recommend and what is totally a place to stay away from? A big, nude thank you from me and my girlfriend!

And so I found myself thinking about fairies

Fairies? Yes. Fairies.

Why that?

Well, it’s that writer brain acting up again. I know, it can be a nuisance, popping up at the most inappropriate times hahaha.

But I really thought about them. What are they? From where do they come? And, you probably wonder, what does this have to do with naturism? Well, hang in there, dear reader. We’ll get to that.

So. What are fairies?

A fairy is a type of mythical being or legendary creature in European folklore, a form of spirit, often described as metaphysical, supernatural, or preternatural. Myths and stories about fairies do not have a single origin, but are rather a collection of folk beliefs from disparate sources. Wikipedia

I was immediately drawn to the words ‘supernatural’ (a manifestation or event attributed to some force beyond scientific understanding or the laws of nature) and ‘preternatural’ (beyond what is normal or natural).

Okay. Nature is definitely a part of it. And I think you may get where I am going here. Suppose fairies were real and not thought up by humans. What would they look like? Hint: the one above is clearly according to ‘the rules’. She wears a dress. A very human dress, which is idiotic for a non-human creature. For me all living creatures come from nature, so fairies would come from nature too. A part of nature science doesn’t understand.

Natural fairies

Wouldn’t this fairy be much more ‘natural’?

I would like to think so. Just like humans, dogs, horses and other creatures from nature, they would start off naked. Would they need clothes like humans do? Perhaps. But since they are considered super- or preternatural, they might be beyond such things (and yes, I do envy them for that, even when this is all hypothetical).

Humans started covering their body for warmth, but humans are not supernatural, no matter how many of us think we are. So why would fairies need that same kind of covering?

Unfortunately, fairies are thought up by dressed humans, which is why most of them are depicted like dressed humans.

Still, my writer’s mind insists on naked ones. Since they are from nature. And that’s where you also often find naturists.

2020. A new year. A new nudity?

January 1st, 2020. Almost exactly 7 years ago I started this blog/website/internet thing. I had no idea what I was getting into. Now I do and I’m glad I got zjuzdme.org off the ground, in the air, out there, whatever you want to call it.

I am happy and proud that this site provides some services to so many naturists, nudists, naked enthusiasts and nude-curious people every day (seriously, every day!).

Being naked as much as possible, preferably in nature, has been my way of life for many years. Let me make that decades. When I found out I wasn’t weird but one of many who enjoyed that too, I was so freakin’ relieved, you can’t imagine. Well, maybe you can. Maybe you were in the very same boat at one time.

Charco del Palo, nude in the street — Charco del Palo

A lot has happened since 2013 when this site started. I visited Charco del Palo on Lanzarote several times, where I took long nude walks along the beach and in the mountains close to the town.

Stunning to be able to do that and I am more and more of a mind that this should be possible anywhere. Too bad that it takes so long for society to understand the benefits of nude living.

I hope sincerly that I can serve up more interesting things for you in this new year, dear visitors of the site.

Let me thank you for being here, for reading and commenting. It means a lot to me.

Happy new year.

The beauty-dogma

What? What is a beauty-dogma?

In this post I want to lay out a few thoughts I suddenly had about the reason that so many people stick their clothes, even when deep inside they know better.

For instance: imagine it’s a hot summer’s day. The the only logical thing to do is take off your clothes. And folks still need to wear something, no matter how flimsy. There is this need, this weird mental obligation to cover up.

I suddenly realised it’s not only because people are afraid of being naked. It’s also because of their inbred body-shame issues. Even people who don’t look bad according to these disgusting, modern beauty-standards, suffer from this same thing. I am convinced of that. TV and ads convince everyone they never look good enough. That is the beauty-dogma for me.

And so they cover up.

The people you see at a nude beach…

Did you ever hear or read this one?

The people you see at a nude beach are not the people you want to see at a nude beach.

That is one of the problems with the beauty-dogma. Everyone who tries so hard to look so beautiful expects everyone else to look so beautiful as well. The brainwash has taken full occupancy of their mind in that respect. And so these people are against nudity because…

Naked people nude beach — Skinny dippers in Ireland.

…not everyone at a nude beach is ‘beautiful’. (Again, according to the impossible beauty-standards of today.)

I think it’s partly because of that beauty-dogma that many people refuse to be sensible about clothes and heat. And it goes even so far that they will do what they can to embellish their outside with clothes, because vanity rules in many ways. Combine something powerful like that with body-shame and other influences like religion and peer pressure, and I think the picture is coming together quite nicely…

Stay naked.

Stay happy.

Remain yourself.

The truth lies just beneath the skin…

Daylight savings time.

You may be surprised but I sometimes think about non-naturist things. Feel free to skip this post if you’re not interested.

I hate daylight savings time.

Each time the ungalactic overlords start messing with the clock, I have problems for at least a week, and that can stretch up to 2 weeks. People who don’t feel that problem often shrug that off with the statement “You simply sleep a bit less/longer and that’s it.” If you are one of those, you’re a lucky person.

Here in the Netherlands, a majority is against DST or Summertime as it’s called here. Last Sunday I read a Slashdot article that 70% of Americans are against it. It’s not up to me to say it’s true but it would not surprise me.

Time warping should be left to experts like Dr Who, or the people who invented the Time Tunnel (who remembers that series?)

Moving back and forth can’t be healthy

Here in the Netherlands we move back a week before the US of A does. I am still not back on schedule, which stinks as I have a job. More people I know complain about it.

Also, I doubt this is healthy and the way things should be. We’re still natural beings (‘naturist’ says so much, right? Tell me if I’m wrong) so we should adjust to nature, not adjust nature to us. We’re already doing that in too many ways.

Human health is too much under the table for the benefit of the economy. Let’s at least get rid of this one.

A naturist ‘in jail’.

An intriguing topic, isn’t it? The more as this is not about a brick-and-mortar jail but one of a totally different kind.

A little while ago I received this message. A cry for help. As I don’t feel equipped to comment on this just like that, I asked the sender of this (who asked if he could remain anonymous) if I could post his message on my blog. He agreed. Please read this and if you have suggestions, ideas or constructive comments, please leave them at the bottom of this page!

I was a naturalist growing up from the age i say 10 years old. On my own only deep in the woods in hidden ponds, rivers, creeks i found or knew from geological maps. As i got older and working like EVERYWEAR there was in Puerto Rico. On job assignments. I did hiking in the rain forests and along the beach for 1/8 to 1/4 mile from an access point to a nude beach was aloud.

Now handicapped. I cant drive or visit beach’s because my wheelchair or rollator can’t make it through the sand to reach the nude beaches or even some nudists resorts/camping grounds. There not handicapped equipped! Also i need someone that can drive me there with my wheelchair or rollator and gear (emergency oxygen tank and meds and meters and such.) To sleep at a place would require power and a 4 person tent just for me!

So back to the begining sentence. I am trapped at my house to go out and just be free. My folks come over anytime unannounced and walk into my room where I am sleeping. So I cant even sleep nude anymore…. Or be nude in my house.

What am i to do???

As you see, this is a horrible situation to be in. If you have anything to share with our anonymous naturist friend, please do so. Ideas, solutions, options, all of those are welcome.

Nudity and religion

Religion in (my) school

Religion keeps confusing me. I know I’ve been at this before, but it is something so incomprehensible to me that I want to address it again.

When I was 15 or 16, which is quite a while ago, I made sure the catholic church removed me from their subscription list. I’d gotten into arguments with the priest who, in school, taught religion and got thrown out of the classroom quite often ‘for asking the wrong questions’. Even at that age I was aware that, if someone who is supposed to be a professional at his job (priest is a job, right?) and he can’t answer the most obvious of questions, then there’s something wrong with the background of his job.

It was around that time that I discovered nudism (as it was still called back then). That was the straw that broke the religious camel’s back: I asked the priest why Adam and Eve had decided to put on clothes when being naked was so much more comfortable.

This was the result, as it were. Words like ‘insolent’ and ‘blasphemy’ (that last one threw me, still does) were the last ones from the priest before I left that class forever.

The library was my friend after that.

Because of this ‘insolence’, I had to report to the headmaster, for being thrown out yet again. I explained my side of the argument, the priest called me a liar and Satan’s child (yay me!), and the headmaster decided I should stick to the library from then on and leave religion class behind me. In that library (yes, the school library) I read a lot about all kinds of religions and even more about nudism. Even back then, in the 1970s, our schools were so liberated.

Since being naked felt much better than religion, I read up a bit about the combination. Since the priest had gotten fired up so much, there had to be something.

Religion: the practice of shame and guilt (a.k.a. control)

Religion, for me (and many others), is the ultimate form of controlling others through shame and guilt. In Christianity, everyone’s born with guilt. The original sin. In Islam the body has to be covered all the time as that is ‘the law’ (of Islam), and exposing one’s ‘intimate parts’ is sinful.

Sin, according to Wikipedia, almost always refers to religion. Almost always? Yes, there is a trigonomy function written as sin as well, but that’s not the one on display here.

So, sin is a human invention. Sin is an offence to a God or divine law. It’s interesting that there are Christians and also Muslims who are naturists, despite their godly laws of sin and guilt and shame and what not. And the good thing for them is: their god hasn’t struck them down for being disobedient. Insolent. Shameful. Guilty. Any ‘striking down’ so far has come from people who stick to their holy books, be it verbally or literally (using techniques involving throwing rocks etc.).

Rocks should be used to hike over. Naked. Without the burden of some religion or god hovering over you for doing ‘the wrong thing’. Because being naked is natural. It is how we’re born.