Saturday Evening Post

What a whirlwind of a week. The temperature is finally beginning to fall for autumn, which has decided it is not going to make much of an appearance this year. Perhaps, it will preclude winter. Grab a cuppa and snuggle into a rocker. Let’s talk.

Books

This week has been supremely busy for books. Seven have been through beta reads and returned for first rewriting. Four more are in first edit. Another one is completely laid out. We are completely on schedule for our end of October launch. Talk has begun of waiting until 01 November for launch, but that is still in negotiation.

The final books which came from the 20SEP12 deadline will be returned to authors this week. If you have not gotten your manuscript back, you will.

Killing Us Softly has come out of beta and was altered. I would say rewritten, but that would be false. Rather than rewrite what has already been rewritten, I added another chapter to the book. If it sits for another three days, I may well add one more. If I was smart, I would leave it as it is and turn it to final edit. Still holding the coin before I flip it.

The M3 Blog

Having done penance for being offline last week, M3 is back to it usual crawls and indexing, although referrals are still not back to par. Many many many thanks to all those who shared M3 posts this week. The referrals from social networking was a blessing which got M3 back up over its minimum 5,000 hits per day. The loss of more than 50,000 hits this month will be painful.

After looking into loads of traffic meters, I have decided to stick with the raw numbers. Necessarily, it means the numbers from WP which predate moving M3 are moot. Good thing, too. It turns out they were in no way representative of how many people were here in the first place.

All in total, since 05MAR12, more than 1,000,000 have found their way to M3 via bookmark, GPS, links from other sites or search engines. While I do not count them all as functional, since there are not that many who are interacting with the site beyond reading what is on the pages (or stealing the pictures), it is still a respectable number of hits for a …blog.

March – September: Click to enlarge

Since blogs have such a nasty reputation as being a place where all the content is personal and useful only to a small handful of close personal friends and family, that M3 has reached this level of traffic is cause for me to happy dance.

It is free, for cripes’ sake!

Okay, so someone tell me what the deal is. There are almost no entries for this week’s book giveaway. Even those who commented did not press the Do it! button. I did not put up a Winner post this week for two reasons, neither of which is there was no winner.

This week, the winner is a surprise. The book went out and will arrive at a home some time between today and Wednesday. The only reason the window is so large is because the postal service is so reliable.

Is this an official endorsement you want no more giveaways? Speak up if you still want free books.

Voting!

The new poll is you getting a chance to drive M3. If you do not vote, I will not read your hatemail when you do not like where we go next.

Right Turn, Clyde!

Right turn, Clyde.

The subject of nudity has been a theme this week both online and offline. After all the talk of the Royals and their offerings of partial nudity in last night’s Friday Follies, Clyde has decided it will be the topic tonight. Keeping your pants on optional, as always.

In the park today, I was privy to barefoot children wearing no more clothing than T-shirts. As irony would have it, the mother of said children was appalled my daughter would be swinging  and sliding in… of all things… a dress (and knee high, flowered rubber boots. Do not judge. She is eight, autistic and dressed herself.).

Having always been one to dress my children before taking them outdoors, I took this admonishment with a salt lick and an arched eyebrow. While I made no effort to point out her children were not clothed at all, I did point out the fact my child had chosen not to go commando.

Au Naturel

As luck would have it, I have given birth to quite a few naked children. It was a newsflash to me I was an anomaly in this respect.

The fact most of my children prefer the state of dress they entered the world in is not lost on me. However, I do not bring them in public in their dress of choice as society frowns on the human body sans clothes. Verily, I do not exhibit them publicly without shoes… ever.

None of that decorum has kept any of my children from stripping to the skin when they felt the necessity. It has saved them from many a fire ant attack, one snake bite and immeasurable discomfort. While I prefer not to draw the judgment of the neighbors, I am unlikely to admonish them in the comfort of our yard, and certainly will not in the home. I am not ashamed of their bodies, and certainly do not expect them to be.

In a world where bikinis are constructed of less than a square foot of fabric, why in Hades is it inappropriate to see little girl panties? I refuse to mention Speedos… ever. Why is it women are expected to wear panties, yet are admonished for panty lines?

If cleavage shows, she is a slut, but if her nipples show through her sweater, that is perfectly acceptable. Teenage boys wear their pants around the hem of their boxers, but seeing the top of stockings is cause to blush.

This orangutan does not get it.

Until next time,

Red Signature

~~~~~~~~~~


I hope you are having a restful weekend.

What is there about the human body which repels so many? Why do we apply adult sexual predilections to children who have no such intent? Were you a stripping child…or adult? If you think nudists are crazy, please explain.

(c) Red Dwyer 2012
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32 Comments

  1. I’ve had my kids out in public without shoes, of course there was usually urine in the them and barefoot is better than urine soaked any day. That short kid has to wear underwear and often shorts too (especially with a dress, she pulls them up to show off her underwear if you don’t make her put shorts on. She took her shirt off in the middle of the grocery store a couple months ago. Apparently I was the only one traumatized by the experience though. 🙂
    Laurie recently posted..PTO ShowMy Profile

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    • LOL! I have never once been embarrassed by the stripping. Usually, there is an excuse- wet, ants, urine…something.

      Reply
      • The only thing that made sense was that she was hot, and she just looked at me like I was stupid when I told her to put her shirt back on.
        Laurie recently posted..PTO ShowMy Profile

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  2. Oh the joys of motherhood!!! 🙂

    At least we can persuade the current generation of little ones to wear underwear when they all decide to run around the house sans clothes! 🙂

    Becky and Emily were both ones for stripping off at unusual moments and parents Pat and Neil then had to retrace their steps to find everything! 🙂

    Love and hugs!

    Prenin.
    prenin recently posted..Friday – a late shopping day…My Profile

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    • My son left his shirt in the middle of the road, just before he walked into the pancake house nude. I can relate.

      Reply
  3. Red, great post. Society is living in a complete contradiction regarding sexuality, nudity and skin.
    Skin and nudity were invented a long time before clothing was. The human body is a beautiful thing which has been denigrated and made taboo by small-minded ultra-religious control freaks. The taboo itself has also been exploited to make money.
    Breasts which are merely baby-feeding glands have been turned into sexual objects by a society jaded by money-driven titillation. The fashion industry exploits that sickness for profit.

    We all have skin, but apparently some people consider it evil. How sad they have been taught by equally misinformed, misguided parents afraid of their own bodies in the belief that anything to do with the naked body or ‘sex’ is dirty. They will, of course, perpetuate the stupidity.
    raymond alexander kukkee recently posted..Jack Frost and the Great 2012 Heap UpdateMy Profile

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    • The part I have the hardest time with is the parents who believe a little child has sexual intent in expose undergarments. I was very controlled not to ask her what her child was doing looking up my child’s skirt. I showed a tremendous amount of restraint. Ugh.

      Reply
  4. The innocence of children to strip down and show off their bodies or enjoy the freedom (come on, we all feel that!) is part of being a parent that I am happy to have been witness to. I grew up with a shaming parent, and think it has more to do with the adult’s sexuality than anything beyond the child’s comprehension. Give the kids a break! It’s culturally-driven, National Geographic, anyone?
    Gail Thornton recently posted..The Regret of a Flower – Poetry Book TrailerMy Profile

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    • I am with you. They came into the world that way. Nothing wrong will seeing a little tail run across the yard. Children will be children. No shame in it. Period.

      Reply
  5. In terms of the book giveaways, the only reason I haven’t entered is because I don’t have the time right now to read much. I’ve got a couple of books, a number of magazines, and a stack of newspapers that all need attention and I’ve been neglecting them. Not to mention some program manuals I should really be studying.
    Binky recently posted..James Bond Double-O FrazMy Profile

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    • Ugh. Studying. Not like I do not have a ton to do as well. Newspapers? Really? A. I cannot believe they still print them. B. Online?

      Reply
  6. Well there was a lot to digest here and it certainly rekindles old memories of being bought up in a very disciplined world where everything was taboo, nudity as a child was admonished with a hiding and Christian penance
    Aussie Emu
    aussieian2011 recently posted..Destiny of LoveMy Profile

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    • And I still no more understand it than the man in the moon. I rather like to think I have a disciplined world for my children, yet still have no compunction about their nudity. I have even less about the appropriateness of their garments which do cover all the bits society mandates be covered in public. It is the double standard I simply cannot abide. *sigh* Great to see you today, Ian.

      Reply
  7. A great posting that highlights the ridiculousness of some people in relation to children and in another area of your post of the Victorian attitudes towards more mature tendencies, such as cleavage for instance that is in no way slutty but is just delightfully attractive.

    There is definitely nothing wrong with the loveliness of a fine looking woman, well I am in favour of it anyway, how do you mean no surprises there then? 🙂 lol

    Seriously though why is it that these out of date persons try to press their inhibitions on others, obviously they are misguided and completely out of touch with one of the most natural splendours of a woman, no Red I don’t get it either…

    Have a funtastic rest of afternoon and a wicked evening also 🙂

    Androgoth XXx

    Reply
    • It is so odd you point to the Victorians. So many people do. History bares they were probably the least sexually repressed of all the Brit generations. They may have had the collars high, but they were quick to shed all those ruffles and corsets. 😉

      I will never understand it. Ever. 😉

      Reply
      • Yes I use that term rather loosely being that the Victorians were indeed rather raunchy, actually I don’t know why I added that as it is undoubtedly wrong.

        You don’t have to tell me about those corsets, indeed those beautiful dresses concealed some exquisitely delicious curves and it is always a pleasure to see a beautiful lady in Victorian apparel and even more exciting to… never mind I’m going while I am ahead 😉 lmao

        Androgoth XXx

        Reply
        • LOL! I agree the style of dress was beautiful and fortunately there are so many of the influences still so very active today…on and off. *grins*

          Reply
  8. I love the nipples post
    Bearman recently posted..Cartoon You StinkMy Profile

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  9. I enter for freebie books I really want to read, cuz, I like everyone, have way too many waiting to be read. And, sadly, I’m catching up today, so my days to enter are limited… still got tomorrow, I hope!!

    love and hugs, my dear… and weekend cheer!!!

    🙂

    PS: LOVE the concept of surprise winners!!!!
    BuddhaKat recently posted..Featuring 4ish or 5ish Fancy, Fine, Fresh Fractals for…My Profile

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    • Surprises in the mail are always so much fun. Getting something from someone who does not want anything!

      Reply
      • hey!!!!!! it’s me!!!!! Thank you Red and Alexandra and… oh – they’re motioning my time’s up, so….

        I’M HAPPY happy dancing!!!!
        “Love, Life and Time” has a beautiful cover too!!!

        thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you…

        🙂

        I DO love surprise winners!!! Too bad I hadn’t checked my mail before I read and commented the first time!!!
        BuddhaKat recently posted..Featuring 4ish or 5ish Fancy, Fine, Fresh Fractals for…My Profile

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  10. I suspect there are several things at work that cause people to be uncomfortable. Some are silly, others are part of on-going media blast.

    1. The first is simple fear of the intent of others. Some of this is justified, as even children have been sexualized within our society to such an extent, their nudity causes us discomfort.

    2. The 50’s were so repressed (where many of our parents come from) we all grew up ashamed.

    Those are just two of the reasons, suspect there are many more. Personally, children are entirely innocent of adult intent. More power to them.

    I think Ms. V looks lovely in her self chosen outfit, what is your problem?
    Valentine Logar recently posted..2012 Platforms, Foreign Policy KnotMy Profile

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