01/23/2013--I expect all comments regarding my photos to be respectful and, at worst, rated PG--especially for those photos that involve a female model. Any comment that does not meet these standards will, at my discretion, either be immediately deleted, or I may give the commentor the opportunity to edit his or her comments.

And speaking of female models, I am always on the lookout. If you'd have any interest in posing for me, please contact me. I will treat you with the utmost respect.

I appreciate it when my photos are invited into various groups, but if this is to a private group, then for pity's sake extend an invitation for me to join along with it. I won't add my photos to a group unless I can see for myself what kind of group it is. I should also say that I won't add any photos to a group that uses demeaning language to describe the subjects of its photos, (groups using words like "bitch" and "sluts," for example) or that include photos of probable minors in any remotely sexual context.

Just a few of the more important facts--in brief--about me.

I was/am a psychiatric RN--recently retired a bit early due to burnout. I love to travel and love to document those adventures photographically. I am a huge movie fan. I am single by choice--just not my choice. :-) I am a naturist and enjoy being nude as much as possible. To be truthful--I'm also an exhibitionist, though not the stereotypical "flasher" variety as offending people is something I abhor. I have a love/hate relationship with writing. I love children--strictly in the acceptable sense. I love good food and wine, but never drink to excess. All in all, I'm a pretty decent guy, rather intelligent, but with a bit more than my share of quirks.

And just in case it isn't obvious from the gray hair, I'm over 18 . . . and then some.

My photostream contains nude images so if this offends, please go elsewhere. There is nothing remotely pornographic in my images so I don't know why anyone WOULD be offended, but to each his/her own.

A word vis-à-vis my "Naked Manifesto" below: Looking back on what I wrote here several years ago, I feel a little embarrassed. I still believe everything I penned back then, but those beliefs are hardly at the center of my being as one might suppose given the prominence I gave them. They were written because of the fact that a portion of my images contain nudity--nudity in public spheres--and so I thought I should explain my views on public nudity/naturism in depth. My life does NOT revolve around naturism, however. The beliefs I hold most dear could be said to derive from that most famous passage of the Declaration of Independence. i.e., that "all men [and women] are created equal" and that the rights to "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness"--in that order--are paramount. So, I have protested the use of the death penalty many times, and for that cause have written articles and letters for the paper and been arrested for civil disobedience four times. In smaller ways I have also worked for justice reform and for sanity in our gun laws, as well as reform of the way we treat the mentally ill. I've also been an advocate for children. These are some of the things that motivate me far more than naturism.

A NAKED MANIFESTO

". . . that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness."

Our Declaration of Independence does not technically have the force of law in our country, but the philosophy expressed therein is at the bedrock of both our laws and our ideals. Unfortunately, too often the rights enumerated therein are unduly restricted by society and by our governments, and this is especially so for the last of these unalienable rights. But note: it does not state that men have the right to pursue happiness according to "what is deemed appropriate by Congress" nor does it restrict this pursuit to the whim of the latest Gallup poll. No, it leaves this pursuit entirely in the hands of the individual. That being said, it is understood that there exist certain restraints upon an individual's hurly-burly embrace of pleasure based upon natural law--i.e., since everyone has the right to seek individual happiness, your quest shouldn't adversely impair my quest and vice versa. So, if for you, happiness means shooting out the windows of my home, that act is going to impair my own happiness (not to mention safety) if I am constantly worrying about bullets flying through my window and having to foot the bill for repairs. But virtually anything you do that does not adversely affect me or others should be a protected activity. And this is doubly so if your avocation is pursued upon your own property. Property rights are among the most comprehensive and enumerated of the rights we are guaranteed by the laws of the United States of America. The early settlers of this continent often left their countries because their property rights had often been non-existent as all property was looked upon as being under the complete control of the purportedly divine sovereign. Not surprisingly then, property rights were an overriding concern of our early lawmakers.

So, shouldn't I be able to do practically anything I want on my own property, as long as I'm not hurting anyone else?

With few exceptions*, the answer should be, "yes." Too often, however, the answer is just the opposite. As to the subject in question, if it pleases me to stand naked in my backyard, why should that activity be prohibited? It's true that some might feel offended if they happened to see me, but is this sufficient reason to make this activity illegal? If my neighbor was offended by the sight of a blue shirt, should our representatives step in to pass an ordinance making it impermissible to wear blue shirts? Of course not, because that would be catering unreasonably to unreasonable demands. But isn't being nude even more natural than wearing a blue shirt? What could be more natural than being nude? And how is it that my being nude is in anyway harmful to anyone else? And as a reminder, we're talking about my being nude on my own property! If you don't like this natural expression of who I am--then don't look . . . or build a fence to keep yourself from looking.

We're talking about simple nudity here--not acts of explicit sexual behavior or lewd and aggressive sexuality. These acts can reasonably be claimed to be harmful to a child if he or she sees them, so in this, society has the right to intervene. But if I wish to mow my lawn naked, or play pinochle on my front porch naked, or dance about without a stitch of clothing, a laurel of forget-me-nots upon my head--then what possible business is it of yours?

No business--that's what business.

That said, I recognize that I do not live in a vacuum, and I understand that many, many people have been inculcated with the belief that the human body is an obscene thing. It's sad, but all too true. If it were just a matter of the adults feeling this way, I'd probably go about all my business nude--at least as far as the boundaries of my property are concerned. But children are another thing. I have a great empathy for children and absolutely no desire to make their lives any more difficult than their lives already are--and I certainly have no wish to frighten any of them. Thus, I am more circumspect with my out-of-doors nudity then one would expect from my manifesto. Though I feel I have the right to mow my lawn nude, or practice cartwheels in my yard with nary a stitch of clothing, I refrain from such activities because of a fear that I might do a child an inadvertent injury. Mind you, if the sight of me being nude DID frighten a child (again, I'm speaking of simple nudity), then it wasn't really I who did him or her injury, but the parent that foisted unnatural beliefs on the innocent child. But I cannot bear the thought of being even the indirect cause of a child's grief (and I must add that I would have difficulty bearing the virtually unanimous censure I would face from my neighbors as well). So, I only walk about my yard whilst nude in the wee hours of the morning. I am only nude outside my house in the daylight hours on my porch--seated on my porch swing. From the street or sidewalk, it's difficult to ascertain my state of undress. It IS possible to tell I'm nude, but nothing can be seen of it save the side of my hip, part of my legs, and my chest. The purportedly "indecent" parts remain invisible to gawkers. So, this is my compromise with the world. I don't like it, but there it is.

Of course, I have been and continue to be nude in many other places outside my home--the woods, the beach, abandoned areas, etc. And I recognize that I might be seen no matter how hard I try to remain inconspicuous--and indeed, once in a great while I am discovered. Because my actions in these circumstances are always non-sexual and are clearly not meant to target anyone, most of the time when someone stumbles upon me, I don't seem to ruffle any feathers. But this isn't always the case. The police have been called a couple of times with one (completely unwarranted) arrest as a result (all charges were dropped). I've also pissed off maybe 3 or 4 people over the course of a lifetime. But so far, I don't seem to have frightened anyone. I shall endeavor to keep it that way.

*If a person is committing acts of serious self-injury, then I do believe society has the right to intervene as the individual in question should be protected from himself if his capacity to make reality-based decisions is significantly impaired.

WARNING: Any institutions using this site or any of its associated sites for studies or projects - You can NOT use any of my profile or pictures in any form or forum both current and future without my written consent. If you have or do, it will be considered a serious violation of my privacy and will be subject to legal ramifications in any country in the world. It is recommended that other members post a similar notice to this.