Bare Facts
Copyright 2000 Lake Edun Foundation, Inc.
Official Publication of the Lake Edun Foundation, Inc.
December 1, 2001
Box 1982; Topeka, KS 66601 Voice Mail: 785-478-BARN e-mail: benude@lakeedun.com Website: www.lakeedun.com
LEF Christmas/Holiday Party
By Big Mike
Mark Saturday, December 29th on your calendar, now. Bruce and Joanne are hosting our fantastic winter party. They have beautifully restored a 100 year old home in the historic Scaritt Renaissance district of Northeast Kansas City Missouri that was recently a featured stop on the Kansas City Historic Homes tour.
The festivities are slated to start around 4 pm and run to about 8, perhaps even later. The party is open to all members of the Lake Edun Foundation and also members of Heartland Naturists. Please do not bring guests, but plan on bring a wrapped gift (under $10) for the gift exchange, if you wish to participate, and a covered dish for a pot luck. And, don't forget a towel! Since their house is located on a corner and has huge windows, we may need to remain modest: ie. Plan on remaining clothed.
Visitors to Kansas City may wish to come into town early and tour the Kansas City Museum (3218 Gladstone, 816-483-8300), the Arabia Steamboat Museum at the City market (400 Grand Ave; 816-471-4030) or Union Station and Science City (24th & Main, 816-460-2222). Shopping is available at Crown Center (2450 Grand Ave) or the Plaza (47th St. West of Main). All of these are within minutes of Bruce & Joanne's and will be open Saturday and Sunday afternoon.
Overnight accommodations are available at the downtown Super 8 motel (770 Admiral Blvd; 816-472-8808, reservations 800-800-8000). More upscale lodgings are available at the Hyatt Regency (816-421-1234) or the Doubletree (816-474-6664).
Don't miss this opportunity to bid a slightly premature farewell and an early welcome to 2002. Members will find specific directions enclosed.
Board Elects New Officers
Following the annual meeting, the new Board of Directors met to elect officers and conduct other business. Our new officers for the Lake Edun Foundation are:
Chairman of the Board - Bornnude
President - John
Secretary - Doug B; Treasurer - Webb
Publicity - Kelly
Education & Outreach - Dee;
Social - Heather
Facilities - ptMike
Conservation - Big Mike
Member Relations - Bret
Return to Edun - Kelly & ptMike
Be sure to congratulate each of our new board members. If you are asked to assist, please take the time to help make the job of these
volunteers easier. Better yet, volunteer to help in an area you believe you are well qualified.
Give To The Mission
The mission of the Lake Edun Foundation is to promote the benefits living a clothing-free lifestyle can have on the individual, the family and our community. Our reach is all of Kansas and Western Missouri. We do this in a variety of ways. Bare Facts, of course, is our monthly reminder and educational piece to members and friends. In addition, we have several brochures designed to answer questions the uninitiated may have about living a clothing-free lifestyle; we offer speakers to community groups, and in various other ways we try to get the word out.
We hope you will remember LEF when you plan your year-end giving. Your donations help us educate those who may doubt our cause; they help overcome the fear and doubt many feel when confronted with the prospect of nudity; they make it easier for future generations to insure they, too, can enjoy the freedom we take for granted at our special place or wherever we may find to recreate nude; and they help insure our own access to our leased facility in Eastern Kansas. In a broader sense, if we are successful in our mission, we are attempting to convince voters and our elected representatives to provide C/O beaches at state lakes and on state land.
Remember this mission! Please help us realize the dream we all hold dear. If you are able, please make a generous, tax-deductible contribution to the Lake Edun Foundation.
Put Your Renewal On A Payment Plan
For most Eduners, membership renewal doesn't come until summer. But, to make it easier, some Eduners may wish to begin paying for their renewal now. Spreading the cost of renewal over 4-6 months makes it much more bareable.
This option is available FREE to any eligible Eduner seeking to renew their membership. It does not increase the cost of your renewal. If you are interested in this option, send us a note or let us know. We can work out the specifics for your circumstances and hopefully keep the monthly cost of your renewal manageable.
DON'T FORGET
Activities designated HN are sponsored by Heartland Naturists
Dec 7; Fri; 7-9; Sauna
Dec 8; Sat; 10-12; Board of Directors meeting
Dec 8; Sat; 1-3; Kansas Naturist Network
Dec 8; Sat; HN Christmas Party @ Marges in KC
Dec 28; Fri; 7-9; Sauna
Dec 29; Sat; 4-8 pm; Winter Party
Jan 12; Sat; 10-12; Board of Directors meeting
Jan 12; Sat; 7-9; Sauna
Jan 18; Fri; 7-9; HN Swim in Kansas City
Jan 26; Sat; 6-8; Sauna
Feb 9; Sat; Valentines Day Party
Feb 15; Fri; 7-9; HN Swim in Kansas City
June 21-23; Return to Edun/10
The Naturalist Naturist
By Biology Bill
Well, it's now the beginning of December, and we're between Thanksgiving and Christmas, so it's time to talk our favorite game bird: turkey.
Random turkey fact #1: We think of turkey being the traditional main course at Thanksgiving, and today it most certainly is. We think of Pilgrims (although they weren't called that until ~200 years later) and Indians sitting down to a big meal of turkey in Massachusetts Bay in 1621, but they probably didn't actually have any turkey. The principal surviving written account of the event indicates that they ate "fowl," which is more likely to mean duck. Turkeys no doubt lived in the area, but like cranberries, stuffing and pumpkin pie, they probably weren't on the menu on the first Thanksgiving.
Now some about the biology of turkeys. Nearly everybody knows that the males and females have different coloration - females have duller colors and no throat wattle. The coloration on males is to impress the ladies, and the strutting courtship displays may allow the wiley hunter to sneak into range. Turkeys are non-territorial, polygynous birds (males mate with more than one female). After mating, females go off to nest with no help from the males. Nests are shallow depressions scratched into the ground, and eggs take up to 4 weeks to hatch. Like baby ducks, newly hatched turkeys are ready to go and leave the nest almost right away. Male young stay in the flock with their mother until fall when they leave to hang out with other males, although females may stay together until the next spring. Turkeys are grown up at 1 year old, although they might not mate until they are 2 or 3. They can live up to 10-12 years, but 5 years is considered old.
Turkey fun fact #2: At the turn of the 20th century, turkey populations declined tremendously because of hunting and habitat loss. The conversion of most of the eastern United States to farmland removed much of the forests than turkeys preferred. Populations have since increased dramatically following regrowth of the eastern forests and stocking programs, and turkeys are again a popular game bird.
Turkeys live in a variety of habitats from mature forests, open woodlands to farm areas. During the non-breeding season, birds forage in flocks on the ground for acorns, seeds, some leaves, salamanders, worms, snails, and insects. Adults and poults are eaten by raccoons, foxes, and bobcats. Nests may be attacked by raccoons, opossums, skunks, foxes, snakes, and rodents.
While we think about turkeys as forest birds, living in oak forests, they also live in pine-juniper forests in the southwest. Turkeys now live in all 50 states plus parts of Mexico and Canada.
So, while you snack on the holiday wishbone, remember what you know about wild turkeys. They're now a fairly common sight across much of the United States, and a fun bird to watch. Gobble gobble!
Adopt A Highway
by Dee Merryfield
What an incredibly beautiful day Nov. 17 was for us to be out on the highway collecting litter. I was proud to be a part of Lake Edun's first time of doing this.
The few brave souls to participate were: Doug, Kelly, Webb, PT Mike, Heather and me. With beautiful weather, the time went well and we all got a good exercise. Judging from all the articles of clothing we picked up, it looks like this stretch of highway must be the main route used by visitors to our special place. Hopefully we will have more advance notice and generate a little more enthusiasm in the future and recruit at least 3-4 more people for our next cleanup which won't be until spring 2002.
Lots of cars drove by and honked in support of what we were doing. In addition to the signs provided by the highway department, we taped a large sign on the back of our cars identifying Lake Edun Foundation as the people cleaning the highway. That evening a friend of mine called to say he saw the Lake Edun signs and realized it was me out there. He was one of the honking supporters. See Webb, your signs were noticed. They did the trick.
Random Thoughts & Reflections
When the weather turns colder, our lake will probably freeze making possible another wonderful form of recreation. Last year, we had nearly six weeks of skating weather and at least a few took advantage of our ice. Doug found ice skates available at Dick's Sporting Goods, on Wanamaker by Home Depot for $19.99 a pair. This is a great price! If you have an interest in skating but don't have skates, this could be your best chance to buy them. If the ice looks safe, we will email everyone and have a fun afternoon of skating, bond fire, hot chocolate, and sauna.
If you're not on our email list and want to be added, send your email address to benude@lakeedun.com.
We'll be changing the lock on the gate once again on December 8. Members will find the new combination enclosed.
The Perfect Gift
For that hard-to-please individual on your gift list, consider something really special this year. LEF has a number of items that are sure to please and will be long remembered!
Something your special friend can wear will remind them about Lake Edun and, perhaps, encourage them to visit. A subscription to Bare Facts will allow them to keep up with our activities and expose them to some good information on the benefits of Naturism. If you believe they are already convinced, you might make a gift of a one-year membership in LEF. Review the order form on the last page and make your selection. Whatever you give, it is a unique gift that will be remembered by your friend for a long time.
Use the order form on the last page to communicate your desires. We will fill your order and insure it is sent to your friend with an
appropriate card.
Save your aluminum; Bring it to the Lake
Naked Beneath Your Clothing
By John Veltheim parama.com/naked.htm
[A continuation. Additional installments will appear in the future.]
Bioenergetics of Naturism
It is well known that there is a very strong flow of energy through the body, that the body is made up of energy of many forms and frequencies. The slower frequencies are the physical energy of the muscles, bones, tissues, etc. As those frequencies get higher they pass through the spectrum of blood, lymph, nerve impulses, energy channels, chakras, auras, etc.
Acupuncture
Chi (Qi) is the name given to the specific energy frequencies that run along 'meridians' (pathways) in the body. This energy is utilized by acupuncturists and other health therapies to influence their patients. The chi flow is a very important component of body function. A healthy flow of chi promotes a healthy nervous system, blood vessels, lymph drainage, etc.
The effect of clothing on energy flow
Many interesting experiments have been done on the affect that clothing has on chi flow within the body. During the authors' years as Principal of the Brisbane College of Traditional Acupuncture and Natural Therapies in Australia, many experiments were conducted using highly sensitive equipment that could monitor and measure the flow of chi along the meridians. An acupuncture needle could be inserted into an acupuncture point to demonstrate the affect it has on the energy levels in other parts of the body along where that meridian flowed. For example, a needle inserted just below the knee at a point called stomach 36, would demonstrate an increased flow of energy along the whole stomach meridian running up the leg, through the stomach, up into the chest, and up to the eyes. Stimulating the needle can effectively help to balance, and heal, a stomach disorder (such as a stomach ulcer), or perhaps increase the energy flow to the eyes and improve vision. Some interesting experiments demonstrated the following:
When a patient was naked and had the needle stimulated, there was a measurable flow of energy - we'll call it 100 units. If that person then wore nylon underpants while this experiment was being done, and the needle was being stimulated, the effective end result of the flow was a reduction of energy flow of up to 60%. Repetitive experiments demonstrated that if a patient wore nylon underwear while receiving acupuncture treatments, that patient would need twice as many treatments to get the same results. [Cotton underwear reduced the flow by 20%.]
The body as an electrical field
The surface of the skin is an electrical field that is constantly interacting with our environment and our inner body systems. The nervous system is another set of electrical circuits. The two combine to create varying electrical potentials that can easily be measured. This electrical potential is altered by the influence of different types of clothing. Synthetic clothing builds up a static charge on the body so that when a piece of metal is touched, the person gets a shock. Practitioners who work with bioenergetic therapy have found the static has detrimental effects on the body's electrical network which, in turn, affects health.
Daily nude break
Wearing clothing, particularly synthetic clothing, has a detrimental effect on the electrical potential of the body and the ability of the chi in the body to flow freely. From a bioenergetic point of view, clothing builds up stress in the body with an accumulative effect. It is important to allow the body time to normalize - give it some breathing space as it were - for it to balance out the electrical flow throughout the skin. That is why it is so essential for us to have a period of time each day without clothes.
Many of us have noticed that the stresses of the day can be diminished quite dramatically by standing under a shower or sitting in water. There is a twofold effect here. One is the removal of the clothing to allow energy to flow more freely. The other, is that running water has a wonderful effect of neutralizing energy blockages, and deactivating electrical charge. The body can also neutralize itself by simply being naked without the electrical and physical interference of clothing.
That is why a period of being totally naked each day is so important. The longer the period the better. Our bodies need a chance to recharge, revitalize and sort themselves out. The accumulative effect of wearing synthetic, restrictive and tight clothing over the years is a dramatic increase in stress levels, accelerated aging and reduced health.
The affect of bathing suits
When people go into the sun wearing synthetic swim suits, there is an accumulative negative effect. Firstly, a static electrical charge builds up from the material, interfering with the energy circuits and irritating the skin. Then the sun beating down on the body creates a temperature differential between where the clothing is, and where it hits bare skin. The combination of temperature differential, electrostatic charge built up by the synthetic fiber, and the disturbed flow of the chi through the area, creates electrical variations that can be very detrimental to the skin. Objectively, we see the area around the bathing costume is where we burn more easily. There is an inch band where the bathing costume meets the skin that is the first area to get red, burn, and blister. This appears to be a result of the interference created by these electrical charges.
This also has a generalized effect on all the skin. When the electrical potential of the skin and its function is upset at any part of the body, it will have ramifications on the rest of the body. It is the author's belief that this is one of the reasons why nudists tend to have a lower incidence of skin cancer than the general public. (This has been reported extensively.) You only have to look at people on a nude beach to see that there is a lower incidence of burning than would normally be expected on textile beaches. Statistically, it has been shown that naturalists manifest a lower incidence of skin cancer despite the fact that they are in the sun longer, the whole of their body is exposed, and they generally use less sun creams. If this evidence affects the incidence of skin cancer, it will obviously affect many skin diseases.
The skin is the largest organ of the body with a very complex relationship to the body. If something goes wrong in the skin it will have ramifications on total general health. It has also been shown that these affects occur even with very small strips of clothing. A g-string or small bikini creates just as big a problem because that band of synthetic fiber across the skin creates the same situation. So it doesn't matter if you are wearing bikini or a one-piece, you will still have a detrimental effect on health and an increase in stress load on the body.
The authors own observations involve a long personal history of skin disorders and genetic tendency to skin cancers. My numerous moles developed white circles around them and started going black whenever I went out in the sun, unless I used copious amounts of sunblock. I found that whenever I was on nudist beaches with the same amount of sun, and much less suntan cream, the opposite effect occurred. I tanned rather than burned, and my moles progressively disappeared as a result of sunbathing naturally, compared to sunbathing with clothes on. Recently, I have lived in parts of America where clothing is compulsory on the beaches and my skin problems started to return! Because of the personal health risk involved, I am reluctant to swim on a beach where I cannot be nude.
Breast disorders
This tragedy continues when women have to wear tops on their bikinis. They create an electrical imbalance around the very sensitive tissue of the breast that helps to promote skin cancer. Once cancer is in the system, it can promote any form of cancer. This has not yet been scientifically proven because nobody has really bothered to look seriously into this problem. Probably because they would be going up against a lot of 'sacred cows' when it comes to the promotion of nudity in relation to health.
The bra
As an aside, it is worth looking at the whole concept of bras. Most bras these days are still synthetic although there is a positive trend to cotton. The synthetic material builds up an electrical charge that interferes with the energy meridians running through the breasts. These hindered meridians form small eddy currents of energy rather than flowing smoothly in a linear direction. These eddy currents cause a build up of stagnant energy that attracts fluid (lymph) to the breasts. (In some body-types it does the opposite and reduces fluid flow to the breast.) The combination of the eddy currents, and fluid build up, promotes the formation of breast lumps, painful breasts, feeding disorders in nursing mothers, etc.
This is compounded in bras with metal wiring (such as the 'Wonderbra'). The wire sets up a magnetic field exacerbating thingseven further. The author has successfully treated many women with long histories of breast lumps. I have told them to wear their bras only when necessary, spend time in the sun tanning their breasts, and organized a few sessions of lymphatic drainage therapy around the breasts with excellent, consistent results.
In the author's opinion, any government that enforces women by law to cover their breasts when they go out in the sun, is promoting
disease. Not only the disease of physical illness, but the disease of mental illness by creating negative attitudes towards the human
body, and negative attitudes towards one's own sensuality and sexuality, which then flows on to major problems within society.
[Note: Since writing this article, an excellent book has been published which documents the affect of the bra on the lymphatic system and the high cancer risk it can create. This book states:
"By wearing a bra more than 12 hours daily, a woman seems to increase her chances of developing breast cancer by 11 percent compared with the general population."
It would appear that wearing a bra for fewer than 12 hours affords a 19 fold protection against breast cancer, as compared with the general population. (Few women, however, wear their bras for only part of the day.) Also women who wear bras for over 12 hours daily, but not to sleep, had a 21 fold greater chance of developing breast cancer than women who remove their bras before 12 hours.
And women to wear their bras 24 hours a day (some actually wear them to bed), have a 113 fold increase in breast cancer incidence compared to women to wear their bras only 12 hours a day.
Conclusion: "It follows that going braless is associated with a 21 fold reduction in breast cancer incidence compared with the general population."
The book is called - Dressed to Kill, The Link between Breast Cancer and Bras. Avery press.]
From The Mail Bag
Dear Lake Edun;
We have just moved. Here is our new address: ...
We both miss Lake Edun and can't wait until spring so we can go back and get naked under the Kansas sun. ...
Have a nice winter and we'll see you all ASAP.
- Ron and Gloria
Dear Lake Edun,
I visited Lake Edun on Monday and had a wonderful time. I live in the Kansas City area and wanted to make the trip over the summer, but never had the chance. Thank goodness for this indian summer!
I met John and Dee who answered all my questions and made me feel quite at home. Since this is fall and the vegetation is gone, John kindly pointed out the area on the property where I would be exposed to public view and got me headed in the right direction on the hiking trails. It was a nice and peaceful afternoon (except for when I surprised a bunch of wild turkeys).
Now I regret not having made the time to visit Lake Edun over the summer. It's wonderful to have a place where you can completely relax and not worry about prying or disapproving eyes. I plan on visiting again.
Thanks for sharing your paradise.
- Chris, Gardner, KS Items We Need
Circular saw & blades 2-way radios
Lake Edun Foundation, Inc.
P.O. Box 1982
Topeka, KS 66601-1982
(785) 478-BARN
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