Nude Canadian Boy

2012

2012-01-01T15:33:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year.
To all my followers, please check out my new blog: http://quafaie.blogspot.com/ because that is where I am posting more.
I will be updating this site with correct links to my nude photos, as well as a place for visually NSFW material.

Another site update

2011-10-16T23:07:00.000-07:00

Ok, after some time thinking about where my life is going, I have begun to notice that I am going through a shift in my maturity. As part of it I am wanting (at this point in time) to take a step or two back from the public display of nudity I have on the web. This means I will be much more selective of what photos of mine are on here, and in particularly on my Flickr account.

Another part of this shift is wanting to have the ability to express more general comments, thoughts and opinions that are not tainted with a blog that is NSFW / contains nudity. Therefore I will be posting some of these general comments etc on a new blog: http://quafaie.blogspot.com/

This blog will still be staying, just have less posting on it - probably on par with the what I have had in the past. Instead this blog will continue to be the NSFW blog, and may expand a little beyond just photos of me. I will probably still post the occasional one of me that I find artful and not too sexual.

That brings me to a final point about why I am partly changing things online: I feel that some of how I have presented myself online (more in social profiles) is miss interpreted as being more sexual that I actually am - people get a wrong impression.
This may also have this blog evolve more into a nudist / naturalist blog, where I talk about that aspect of my life. However there will still be links to more gay and sexually explicit material - hey a guy has needs :-P

I hope any followers I have here will follow me on my new blog, which I hope to get up and going soon - there are some final touches that have to be made to the first post.

Blocked??

2011-08-27T21:36:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I don't understand people. Ok, probably most of the time, but it is more some of the things people do that I don't fully understand. So, anyone reading my blog who can help me understand this following scenario, I would appreciate it....

A few years ago I met a guy in the summer. We seemed to hit it off. However, at the end of the summer we were heading to different parts of the country for school (university). When we parted we agreed to be friends. We stayed in touch periodically.
The following summer we got together a couple times. We never had anything sexual, just, what to me felt like a deep connection, spiritual almost.
Over the rest of that year we again stayed in periodic contact (again opposite ends of the country).
In January of the next year (5-6 months after we last saw each other), he replied to a note I had on Facebook that I would make something for the first 5 people that replied to the note.
It took me a year and I finally got something made for him.
Over the course of that year however, he started to not reply to my simple "how is it going?" emails / messages. I didn't even get a reply on where to send the item I had made for him (so I sent it to an address I had for someone I was sure he was still in contact with).
It was also around that time I happened to notice that we were no longer friends on Facebook - I initially thought perhaps some server broke the connection (it had happened before to me with other friends - several years ago). I asked to be his friend again, but never did get a reply.
Before the disappearing of Facebook friendship, I noticed he had a boyfriend. I thought that was great for him - there was, in my opinion, nothing more than what I hoped would be a good friendship.
Needless to say, after sending the gift off, and no reply to my friend request, I took some time to purge my strong emotions for him, but still hoped to be / stay friends - this was in about February.

The other day I messaged him with the following (edited only for personal info - names, places, etc):
I'm in [town] for a few days for family stuff. If you're free on Monday, or possibly Tuesday, to meet up for tea and catch up on stuff, it would be nice to see you again.
I can best be reached on my mobile (call or text): [number given].
If you don't have time to meet, I hope life is treating you you well.

Today I happened to notice that his name was greyed out in my message center on Facebook, and can't see his profile. To me it looks like he probably blocked me... I just don't fully understand why.

This why is where if anyone can help me understand I'd appreciate it....
I was not pestering him - my last message was in January, before that in December. There were a few in August and September last year - all along the lines of "hey how was your summer / haven't heard from you in a while, hope all is well."
I never received a message from him to say that he didn't want contact with me. In fact his last message to me (April last year), was (edited for some content - what he was doing, and other stuff that seemed irrelevant to the context of his message related to this post):
As much as I want to see you i just doesn't seem very possible both timing wise and for the kinda of state i am in right now. It has kind of been an emotional roller coaster with [work]. I am barely getting by as it is, and i feel i want to be able to actually connect rather than you see me in my emotional and tired state. I hope you understand, I am really sorry. its all been a bit overwhelming.
with love,

Unless I am mistaken, that message sounds to me like he cared about me. So why the silent treatment? why the unfriending (if that was him)? why the Facebook block? why not say something to let me know not to contact him if he does not want to be contacted?

Ok, that helped purge the little emotional attachment I still have for him. Though the unknown is still going to bother me a little - as I will still be wondering if there was hope for us to stay in contact, and possibly have something in the future.

Opinions

2011-08-24T20:00:00.000-07:00

So I submitted the photo of me leaning against the wall of an abandoned building with graffiti on the wall to Aussielicious's contest.
Today I was looking at his blog and saw a post he had on "Moderating comments and nastiness" and suspected he was referring to a comment on my photo on his blog.

It is sad to see some people (ok, probably most in today's society) being so blunt in their negative comments. I have seen worse comments, so I was not overly offended, but I did take a moment to reply to the comment:
Cyberacc, although I am not offended by your comment (it is my pic), have you not heard the saying: “If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all”?
Yes you are entitled to your own opinion, but there are better ways of expressing it. Something like a positive comment on another aspect of the photo and politely saying that you however do not like foreskin.

Personally I feel a little sad for those guys who were forced to be circumcised at birth (or soon there after). I have heard there is a movement in California to stop most circumcisions until a guy is of age to make the decision for himself.

Foreskin is the way nature / god intended us to be. Though I do like the look of some circumcised penises :) And I do know that a circumcised penis is easier to keep clean & hygienic.

You can read the full commentary here: http://www.aussielicious.com.au/2011/08/24/self-portrait-challenge/

I also would like to say that I appreciate Brenton (Aussielicious) for not taking the comment down. As he mentions in his post about the comment, others did post comments "pulling the commenter into line"

Decided...

2011-08-23T21:55:00.000-07:00

I decided to submit photo D to the contest.
Thanks to all who gave input to my decision.

Another contest .... another photo consideration

2011-08-22T07:54:00.000-07:00

After chatting with a friend about some of my photos, he suggested another one to consider. It is below.
I am calling it D as the others are already A, B & C.

D)

Another contest ....

2011-08-20T10:58:00.000-07:00

Another blog I follow occasionally is having a photo contest. This one the only restriction is a Self Portrait.
As there are no restrictions on the full frontal aspect I am trying to decided between the following photos to enter.

Both A & B were taken last year in the Canadian Rockies. My indecision on the frontal shot is more the squinting look on my face as I face the sun to take the photo.

Photo C was taken about 3 years ago, and is one of my favourite views of Calgary.

Please let me know what you, my followers, think is the better one to enter.

A)

PS the contest is on this site: http://www.aussielicious.com.au/

revamping of this blog

2011-08-20T08:10:00.000-07:00

I have been thinking about what to do with this blog, and a couple others I have. And at the moment I have decided on the following:

I have combined all quotes, zen sayings, etc from this blog and a writing blog I have into a new blog: Inspirations http://zen-quotes-tarot.blogspot.com/

This blog will be for more of the Adult content (some revealing pics of me, stories with adult content, etc), plus LGBTQ related comments etc.

My writing blog ( http://hughkemeny.blogspot.com/ ) will be for more notes and comments on writing. There may be the occasional cross-over post where related to LGBTQ content. This area may be where I take a while to find a comfortable home.

Through my writing blog I have a couple other blogs/sites related to writing and chain mail I do, so check them out there if you're interested.

Over the next few months I will also be revamping the old posts here - making sure links work, and pics are visible.

Comic

2011-07-03T10:47:00.000-07:00

I was doing a Google image search for Respect and saw this comic.
I like it so I thought I'd post it.

I won!

2011-06-28T14:30:00.000-07:00

I won the photo contest at ScenicBoys
From what I recall it was close, I believe I won by about 1% of the vote.

Here is the official post that I won: http://scenicboys.typepad.com/scenicboys/2011/06/an-the-winner-is.html

The next thing is to find a friend who is free to join me on the trip.

Thanks Dusty & Garet, and all those who voted for me.

Possible revival of this blog

2011-06-28T14:13:00.000-07:00

Life has been fairly busy for me and I am trying to determine if I will now have time to continue this bog.
I had it shut down for a few reason, some of which are still valid. If I continue this blog I have to decide what I do with it.
I currently have other blogs that I maintain for other reason:
2 Tumblr blogs for photos:

NudeBoys http://nudecanadianboy.tumblr.com/ which is intended to have fairly non-sexual photos of guy I like from other blogs, with the occasional photo of me. The photos are primarily nude guys (so NSFW), with the most sexual thing being erections &/or kissing (which I find more romantic).
Gay Porn Collection http://gayporncollection.tumblr.com/ is the other Tumblr, where there is more sexual content. At the moment it is where I am dumping all the porn I have on my computer, with the occasional photo I like on other blogs that I think is too sexual for my NudeBoys site. (This is definitely a NSFW site.)
Hugh Kemeny's Writing http://hughkemeny.blogspot.com/ is where I post some writing, inspirational, and other thoughts I have. There is very little sexual content on it, as it is intended as a somewhat professional writing blog (when I get into more writing).

Through my Hugh Kemeny's Writing blog there are some other blogs related to my writing, but they are not worth mentioning here as they are for specific writing.

The big thing on my mind about this blog, which I have come to some terms with, is how much I want my photos out there connected to who I really am, as they could dramatically affect my career.
However, since most of my personal photos I put here are intended to be for artistic reasons, I am hoping that will alleviate.

Any comments on how I should proceed with this blog, or ideas of what I should do are appreciated.

Vote for me, please.

2011-06-21T19:01:00.000-07:00

I entered a photo contest with the photo below. I am now looking for people to vote for my photo, as the winner will be selected by internet votes.

Please go to http://scenicboys.typepad.com/ to vote. Please also pass this on so others can vote :)

Thanks,

Eric

Photo Contest

2011-06-13T17:34:00.001-07:00

I am looking to enter a photo contest to win a hiking/camping trip through http://scenicboys.typepad.com/. The guidelines are as follows:

No full-frontal nudity
Nothing overtly sexual
Must be in an outdoor setting
Scenic Girl photos are eligible to win
One photo per contestant
Must be 18 years of age or older

I have the following photos to choose from. Please let me know which you think would be the best.

1) Canola Fields

2) Overlooking Calgary

3) Lake Minnewanka

4) The following were taken today in Edmonton:

a)

b)

c)

d)

e)

f)

g)

h)

i)

j)

k)

2010-10-24T01:22:00.001-07:00

Nudism

2010-07-06T16:30:00.001-07:00

Excerpts from websites that I'm thinking of using to define nudism in my online profiles:

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/nudism
Encyclopedia
nudism
the practice of going without clothes, generally for reasons of health or comfort. Nudism is a social practice in which the sexes interact freely but commonly without engaging in sexual activities
Learn more about nudism with a free trial on Britannica.com.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nudity
Naturism and nudism
See also: Naturism and List of social nudity places

Naturism (or nudism) is a cultural and political movement practising, advocating and defending nudity in private and in public. It is also a lifestyle based on personal, family and/or social nudity.

Naturists reject contemporary standards of modesty which discourage personal, family and social nudity, and seek to create a social environment where people feel comfortable in the company of nude people, and being seen nude, either just by other nudists, or also by the general public.

SpaceBoiz - comic

2010-06-16T13:35:00.000-07:00

Another comic strip I like.

Here's the start:

And today's strip:

Tutoring Jay

2010-06-16T13:32:00.000-07:00

Today's comic:

Is it because it's spring?....

2010-06-15T11:24:00.000-07:00

Is that why it seems to be that some cute guys have dropped by the office.

Just a moment ago a good looking guy came by to see if our office was interested in paintballing. He mentioned that there is an outdoor paintball course just outside of Calgary, and that there was a special price on for the start of the season; here: http://www.braggcreekpaintball.com/

The office I am working in for the summer is rather small, so likely not going to do that as an office event. Also, as this office is small, my desk is close to the the reception, which allows me to see who is coming and going.

Earlier today one of the building security guards dropped in. It was a young looking guy, early 20s I'd say, and hot. He kind of fits in with the rest of the hot security guards at this building.

Tutoring Jay - Comic

2010-06-15T10:39:00.000-07:00

I found this comic a while ago and have been following it.
I have decided to link to the comic when new ones are posted.

Here is the start of the series (click on the image to go to read entire series from the beginning):

Here is the current strip:

I hope you all enjoy the strip as much as I do.

Adult Content Warning

2010-05-19T09:01:00.000-07:00

I decided to activate the adult content warning so that I don't have to fear Blogger doing that if I add nude photos or videos, which I am thinking about doing a little more often.

Revamping

2010-05-01T07:50:00.000-07:00

Although I have been posting something nearly every day, I am still a little slow on revamping the sidebar. However as it is now a weekend, perhaps I'll have some time to do that.

I have already added a counter, reset to about 9am mountain time (May 1st). Currently the blogs I follow contain some broken links, since in the past 9 months they were shut down by blogger :(

Luckily I have new links I'll be posting there eventually.

HNT 48 - Restart

2010-04-29T21:47:00.000-07:00

I wasn't sure I was going to do an HNT this week, since it has been nearly 9 months since my last one. However when I checked my email there was a message through Flickr for me to join a new group there: Cock Obsession

I decided to join, and post some of my photos in the new group. I have included small images here, but I think you can click through to larger ones.

They are small here only to help keep the automatically generated warning off, since none of them are sexual.

About this photo: Taken July 2001 in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
This was my first naked photo (excluding baby pics).

About this photo: Taken September 2002 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
This is the second naked photo I took, part of a set of photos in my underwear. The photo was taken using a digital 8 camcorder on the photo setting.

About this photo: Taken 7 September 2002 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
This is photo is also part of the set of photos in my underwear. The photo was taken using a digital 8 camcorder on the photo setting.

About this photo: Taken 7 September 2002 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
This photo was taken using a digital 8 camcorder on the photo setting.

About this photo: Taken 22 October 2002 somewhere in the United States of America.
I was doing some field work, which requred me to be out in the middle of nowhere at night. While I was waiting for some equipment to do its work I took this photo and a series of others in the car (while parked).

About this photo: Taken 22 October 2002 somewhere in the United States of America.
Part of the same set as the photo above - what I call a driving set on flickr.

Don't forget to visit other HNT posts at: http://osbasso.blogspot.com/

Oh what beautiful weather...

2010-04-28T11:54:00.000-07:00

... possibly for the farmers today.

It shouldn't come as a surprise to me that there was a winter storm warning today. Winter really doesn't end until near the end of May in Alberta.

What is a little depressing is that 4 weeks ago I was in Hawaii, enjoying the sun and the warmth. Now I'm back in a cube in wet wintery weather...

Such is life I guess.

(Today's post was brought to you by an attempt to post daily in order to get this blog up and running again)

Slow start

2010-04-27T10:19:00.000-07:00

For the past couple months I have been working out. I joined a gym back in February and been seeing a trainer to get in more shape.
He has put me on a 4 day routine; day 1 (Monday) upper body high weight low reps, day 2 (Tuesday) lower body high weight low reps, (Wednesday rest), day 3 (Thursday) upper body low weight high reps, day 4 (Friday) lower body low weight high reps, (Saturday & Sunday rest).

I have been going in the mornings before work, which seems the best time for me.
Today however I was not feeling like going. I still went. I didn't do the entire routine he had laid out for me though; my excuse: I couldn't find the size of medicine ball he wants me to work with.

I should probably also mention that I last week and today I have been working out in a different gym than my trainer is at, because I'm working in Calgary, and my trainer is in Edmonton.

The gym I'm currently working out at is walking distance to where I work, it is an old gym (first in the chain actually), and they plan on closing it within a year. There is a better gym near where I'm staying in Calgary, but not as close / convenient.

I have been thinking about trying that gym out, and I might do so. However, today at the gym I had a brief chat with a good looking guy in the locker room.

I had seen him in the gym working out, as I worked out, and discretely kept an eye on him. Though when I couldn't find the medicine ball I gave up and went to the locker room to shower and change.

After watching some of the other guys in the locker rooms, to make sure it was not breaking etiquette, I leave all my stuff in the locker, except my towel, when I go shower. I usually just carry the towel. When I get back to the locker I pack up my gym clothes before I get dressed, so I'm naked in the locker room.

Today when I left the shower this guy was changing at a locker 3 over from mine. As I was packing up (naked of course) I asked him how his work out was. We both had not-to-great workouts. We exchanged a few more words before he went to the shower - with his underwear on :(
I got dressed, and since I wanted to be polite and say good bye, I decided to stall my leaving. I went to the toilets as part of this stalling. I caught a glimpse of the guy in the shower, but he was grabbing his towel and covering himself up.
I went back to finish gathering my stuff, he arrived at his locker moments later. As I put my jacket on, grabbed my gym bag, and said "have a good day", I saw him putting his underwear on under his towel.

We didn't exchange names, nor did I find out when he usually works out, so I'm not sure I'll see him again. I hope to see more of him though. But I guess part of that will also depend on if I change gyms.

It has been a while...

2010-04-26T14:30:00.000-07:00

.. it has been a while since I last posted here. Life, as usual, has kept me busy.
That and trying to decide what I want to do with this blog, and I think I have decided on that now; this will become where I write up things on my mind that are not intended to directly link to my real life, almost becoming like an online diary (yeah I know many blogs are like that).

I'll also post some things related to nudism and naturalism, so the initial intent of the blog will stay. And with that will be an attempt at keeping this artistic.

What spurred me to write this post is related to the title... "It has been a while..."
Recently, within the past few days, a couple 'ghosts' from my past have in a way come back to haunt me.

On Saturday I got one of those spam emails (as follows) from an old boy-friend:
hey,
how are you ?
Just received my iphone 3gs 32gb from this website. www (dot) gsineh (dot) com much cheaper than others and genuine . if you would like to get one,you can check it out.
cheers
J--

This old 'boy-friend', if I can call him that, was someone I dated for most of the summer back in 2006. He was young, so I kind of forgive him for never officially breaking-up with me.... he stopped calling me and, when I purposefully ran into him at where he was working, he claimed his phone was in for repairs (that was about 1-2 weeks after I'd last heard from him).
Because of how he never spoke to me after that, I still feel it is a little unresolved.

I am the type of person to only wish harm on those that deserve it (like the guy I dated in early 2008, who convicted of fraud, and nearly caught me in his web .... thanks go out to his ex landlords who warned me!). So I in part wish to meet up with J. again to see how he's doing, hoping he is well....

Now, related to that I did a little cyber-stalking on him... looked up his Facebook profile from his email... we have a mutual friend, so if I really wanted to contact him, that could be a way... (now should I?)

Facebook is a powerful tool at finding old friends, and walking down memory lane....
First, a good friend of mine posted an photo from 2001 as her profile pic (I sent her the photo on her request), a couple people commenting on the photo are old classmates from back in the day... once again I am thinking of sending out friend invites to them....

But the one I wanted to comment on, since it has more emotion attached to it (again unresolved issues), I literally stumbled upon... I happened to click on an old colleague's profile, and at the top of his comments was the name of our old supervisor... back story now...

I worked in the UK for an engineering company in 2004-05. It was the first time I was a significant distance from home, and it surprised me at the number of cultural differences even in a culture of the same root language.
(I say root language since I use the following spoken phrase to illustrate the written difference: I ask people how they think one would spell "the tire hit the curb" in the UK... the answer, for those who don't know, is: "the tyre hit the kerb"). So little things like that, along with a miss-communication of expectations at the start, lead to me having problems in the job, and quitting.
When I quit I recall seeing relief and shock on my supervisor's face. However I was one of few people in the department, so by me quitting, that didn't help her work load....

... now we jump ahead a few years, to 2008...

I was applying for membership in an professional organization (even though I may not be a member for long... but that's another story).
In the application they wanted my work experience for the past 5-10 years, and references for certain ones, such as my job in the UK.
I managed to track down my old supervisor, she had left the company we had work at together. I asked her about providing a reference. After a few emails to her (and no reply), over a few months (about 1 email per month, so as not to appear too pushy), I got a reply which simply was:
'I can provide a reference, but you should know it will not be positive. Otherwise please don't contact me' (paraphrased from memory).
That shocked and disappointing me, not for the type of reference (I kind of thought it might be that), but in her request to not contact her again....
.... the day I received that I started writing a letter that essentially said: "I'm sorry for what ever I did that made you feel that way about me. I appreciate what you taught me while I was in the UK, and would like to thank you for that." True statements.
I never finished that letter, feeling if I were to write it I'd want to hand deliver it to her work place to show how much I respected her guidance despite what ever my problems were.

I ended up telling the professional organization a half truth... that I could not find someone to provide me a reference for that time. They still granted me membership (last summer), pending passing an exam I'm writing this summer.

Seeing my UK supervisor's name on a mutual friend's Facebook reminded me of those unresolved issues, and bridges burnt that I'd not know I'd burnt.... The up-side of it though, is I have a link to where she works should I want to pass on the letter.... however the 'new' letter will tell more about how my experience in the UK helped me decide on following a different path (one into teaching... which I'm sure I've mentioned earlier in my blog).

Whew, nice to purge some of those thoughts and emotions... and now that I've restarted this blog, hopefully I can continue with more frequent updates.

Feel free to leave comments on these topics, other issues you'd like to read about, or things you'd like to see in my blog.

Indecisions

2009-11-18T21:52:00.000-08:00

I am still trying to decide what to make of this blog. I know a few people follow it, even though I post sporatically, however the people at the university and with the teachers association have been fairly good at scaring me enough that I'm feeling quite leary about posting photos of me, especially either facial ones or nude ones - and most particularly nude ones that show my face clearly.

I could go into all the reasons, but I don't think it's worth it.

I could post nude photos from the net, but there are lots of those sort of blogs out there. And besided, I'm feeling a little aprehensive about posting that material now too....

I have tried to make sure that this blog is not tied to my professional (last) name, so this material is not found on a google search of that name. But still there is a chance someone could stumble upon it that could figure the material here is not appropriate from a teacher.

For those that do follow my blog, is there anything you would / do like to see or read?

"I thought you could put what ever you want on the internet"

2009-10-19T16:45:00.000-07:00

While doing more research for my project on Celebration Theatre (in L.A.) I found this clip, I love the lines:
"There is no nudity here, this is the internet"
"I thought you could put what ever you want on the internet"
"Yeah on some channels where you press a button and pretend you are over 18"
(around 1:50)

Nudity for a project!

2009-10-16T12:10:00.000-07:00

For one of my school projects I have to research a community-based theatre. A community-based theatre is one that is run by a community, for the members of that community, expressing the issues of that community, and typically is somewhat political.

I am looking into Celebration Theatre in LA. It is a LGBTQ theatre group. They are also the birth place of Naked Boys Singing. Because of that, I'm adding this video to my blog (whether I use it in a presentation, I'm not sure yet).

Flickr Updated

2009-10-08T08:37:00.000-07:00

In between classes, and while watching the full series of Stargate Atlantis, I have been able to update my photos on Flickr. I'm now in the process of putting them into sets.

As part of this updating (started way back in the summer), I was sensoring some of my pictures (by blurring parts). This was done as Flickr is a public site, and I had problems with a few photos before. Also with this update, it means that if you want to see the full photos of me you will have to join and ask to be my friend. There are a few photos in the public area - free to view (i.e. no need to sign up).

To view these o here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/nude_canadian_boy/

Where does control turn to abuse?

2009-09-12T00:32:00.000-07:00

My thoughts on this question stem from a variety of places, experiences, and incidences. Most recently however there have been two incidences, so to speak, that sparked a conversation with my friend D. (I'll be using initials not real names of the people) along the lines of this question.

On Wednesday, in one of my classes, we were discussing aspects of research papers we all have to do (the class is about 12 people, so a discussion of this sort wasn't too cumbersome), and one person mentioned spousal abuse, particularly abuse of women in heterosexual relationships. This sparked an idea for a story or play about abuse in gay (or lesbian, etc) relationships.

Moving on to today...
There is a guy, M., I have chatted with online, and met up with a few times. Although two of those times resulted in sex (one for that reason alone), I have been primarily interested in a friendship with him. The non-sex time was helping him out by driving him to a friend's place. He even invited me to his birthday party in a couple months. Also the first time we met, we chatted, and drank, for a good couple hours (the drinking is what probably lead to the sex).

Well, today I sent a simple "Hey how goes it?" text to M.
The reply I got was: "This is [M.]s boyfriend...Can you please leave him alone! Ya i don't like when people hit on him it makes me angry......"
I was a little floored by this for a couple reasons. First M. hadn't told me he had a boyfriend (if he had, I'd not have had sex with him, just stuck to the developing a friendship), and second, it seemed a little extreme for what I intended to be a friendly question. My, as polite reply as I could provide, was: "To [M.]'s boyfriend: [M.] had not told me about you, and besides i'm just a friend."
To which I got: "well id appreciate if you dont talk to him anymore"

I didn't reply directly to that text, instead I sent M. an email summarizing what his boyfriend had texted. As well as stating that though I respect his boyfriend's opinions, I believe it should be upto M. himself to decide if he should stop talking with me. I repeated an earlier offer to give him a ride to an evening class/event if he so needed, and concluded by saying that I'll leave it to him to contact me. Then added PS's of wishing him well in his classes, and hope that his boyfriend treats him well.

As I felt floored by M.'s boyfriend's comments, I called up D. to go for coffee. In the discussions with him as to why I called him up, he commented on how contolling M.'s boyfriend sounded.
I try not to judge people before I meet them, but there are some things that I don't get / bother me. Controlling who someone else can and can't talk to is one of them. Now if M. doesn't want to talk to me, that's fine. But not telling me, or having someone else tell me in such a tone as those texts, is another thing that bothers me.

More to the point what bothers me, in regard to the second point above, is people not telling me directly - such as "please don't contact me again," or "it's over between us, good bye." I have had 2-3 people tell me to never contact them again, and I haven't (though I had thought at the time of writing a letter basically saying: thank you for letting me know / being truthful. I am sorry if I ever wronged you. As per your wishes I will not contact you again, though you are free to contact me. I wish you all the best). I have told a couple people never to contact me again, and as far as I recall they never have. And I have had a few guys I've dated stop contacting me / returning my calls. Eventually I gave up seeing if they were alright - I hardly pester people, and if so it would be out of good reason, such as concern for their well being.

Any how, I am trying not to judge M.'s boyfriend, or M. for that matter, but until I hear directly from M., if I see him in the street I will say hi.

There is more to this topic, personal experiences, I had thought of including, but it is late for me, and I made my point (rant).

For those that do read my blog, I would like to know your thoughts on this topic.

Blogging

2009-09-12T00:29:00.000-07:00

Over the past year I have learned a few things about myself, including the fact that I'm not good at consistantly blogging. Mostly because real life gets in the way. Therefore, my postings here may be sporatic.

I had thought about giving up on this blog, but then there are somethings I'd like to blog about, so I will be keeping this blog, but may not post regularly.

A few things happened to me today that I feel I need to blog about. They are in the following chronolgical posts (above).

HNT 47 - Past HNT updates

2009-08-05T21:16:00.000-07:00

So I am nearly at the point of having all my photos back up, but not any of my vids.....

I have for today placed photos on two old HNTs that are pertinant to me this week:

HNT 28 - Good-Bye Calgary (for now) - as I am once again leaving Calgary, but have an open invitation to come back to the engineering company I've been working for, provided they have the work to hire me.

Also on my way back to Edmonton on Friday I will be stopping at Labyrinth Lake and meeting up with the Buck Naked Boys Club again - as previously mentioned in: HNT 24 : BNBC 1

Happy HNT

Don't forget to vist other HNT posts at: http://osbasso.blogspot.com/

On the way to finishing the updates

2009-08-03T12:17:00.000-07:00

I have spent most of this long weekend getting the little things done to finally have this blog back together. I have merged this and my old Exposed blog, and now just sorting through my photos to make sure all the correct ones are uploaded to the right posts.

I'm hoping to have this done by the middle of August, as the rest of this week I am busy with my last week at my contract job in Calgary.

So stay tuned for the announcement of photos finally being up :)

Playing with Picasa

2009-07-30T21:22:00.001-07:00

Where I'm staying has slow wireless, so as I was waiting for email to load, I decided to look more at some of the many programs I have on my computer. The program I choose was Picasa 3 (a free program from Google: http://picasa.google.ca/

Due to a history of problems with my computer, I keep my files on an external hard drive, which I didn't plug in tonight. So the only photos I had to play with are the photos I have on my laptop - which consist primarily of photos for my desktop.

While I was playing with Picasa, I noticed first the Collage function, where you can create a collage of a series of photos. Then I noticed there was different settings for the collage, from the typicall pile photos, to mosaic, frame mosaic, grid, contact sheet, and multiple exposure.

After playing around with the layout I found the page format and noticed the Desktop Background button that turns the collage into the desktop background.

Below are the desktop photos I created:

First the Pile Collage with nature photos I took (mostly from Scotland, but a couple from a plane over Brazil, a couple from else where in the UK, one from the Netherlands, and one from Canada)
Second the Mosaic Collage with some of those nature photos (removed some to make the mosaic look somewhat good)
Third the Mosaic Collage with some hot guy pics I have as backgrounds..... and as I am attempting to keep this blog 'clean' the guys aren't showing much more than a hot ass ;-)

If you want any of these as unwatermarked desktops, just email me and let me know which one: nudecanadianboy@yahoo.com

HNT 46 - Superhero Party

2009-07-29T16:17:00.001-07:00

Last week I was invited to a superhero themed party. A friend of friends of mine is moving to Vancouver / Victoria, I can't remember, to be closer to her girlfriend in Seattle.

So she had a farewell party with a superhero theme. As I'm still 'visiting' Calgary, I didn't have much in the way of a costume handy. But then it occurred to me, as I had a pair of blue briefs, I could do a bit of a Superman costume - provided the dress code would allow it....

My friends were all for my idea, so this is what I came up with: Blue underwear, small red cape (made from a pillow case from Value Village), and the Superman logo on my bare chest with face paint.

{Photo temporarily removed for personal reasons}
About the photo: Taken 25 July 2009 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, by a friend.

Happy HNT

Don't forget to vist other HNT posts at: http://osbasso.blogspot.com/

World of Warcraft - The Internet is for porn (YouTube)

2009-07-25T09:41:00.001-07:00

A friend showed me this, so I thought I'd share:

Info on YouTube:
Please note, I didn't make the video and I don't take credit for it. I happened to find the video on FilePlanet and downloaded it to share with you all here =)
Adapted for World of Warcraft, the song is from the musical Avenue Q.
Downloaded from FilePlanet at:
http://www.fileplanet.com/158925/150000/fileinfo/World-of-Warcraft---Internet-is-for-Porn

HNT 45 - Random photo

2009-07-22T21:37:00.001-07:00

Thurday snuck up on me.... so here's a random photo from the archives:

{Photo temporarily removed for personal reasons}
About the photo: taken Tuesday 11 January 2005 in Taunton, Somerset, England. I believe I took this with my webcam.

Happy HNT

Don't forget to vist other HNT posts at: http://osbasso.blogspot.com/

HNT 44 - "Up ye kilt...." photo update

2009-07-15T21:43:00.001-07:00

I got my laptop computer back on Tuesday.
I hadn't thought to much about what I'd post for today's HNT, but I did spend some time Wednesday watermarking more photos. The last ones I did were taken up my kilt a few years ago, so I thought I might as well update that old post with the photos.

So click here to go to the old post: Up ye kilt. . . .

Oh, and the photo is a click through if you want to see it all.

HHNT everyone, and don't forget to check out the other HNTs at Osbasso's Views From the Back Row blog.

Bill 44

2009-07-14T18:04:00.001-07:00

As I mentioned a few posts ago, I really should have commented on the absurdity of Alberta's Bill 44....

Luckily a friend sent me this vid to point out the positives in the bill...

Additions to the blog

2009-07-11T10:58:00.001-07:00

So I have been thinking of a few ideas to help myself post more than once a week.

One idea I have is to post my thoughts on some current event once a week, say Sundays.

I have noticed on a few other blogs I go to that aside from HNT there are other weekly posting, which I am going to start looking into (such as TMI Tuesdays) - though I'm not sure yet how to find out about some of them.

If anyone has other suggestions, please let me know. Usually something simple would be nice, as my life does tend to be busy.

These changes, like the Sunday Reflection, may take a couple weeks to appear as mentioned in my previous post, my laptop is in the shop for repairs and that limits my internet use (good and bad).

Please post any suggestions you have to this post :)

HNT 43 - Reliving the Stampede

2009-07-08T23:45:00.001-07:00

Coincidence will have it that I'm in Calgary for this year's Stampede.... I'm not planning on going, but there is still 4 days left.

In honor of the Stampede, I have re-posted the pictures from last year's Stampede HNT: HNT 23 - Ride 'em Cowboy

Other factors have lead me to re-post the photos, and have yet another 'cop-out' of an HNT:
1) I'm still watermarking my photos, and will not be doing anymore for about 2 weeks because
2) My laptop is in the shop for repairs (under warranty, good thing I got the extended 3 yr warranty). The monitor started to occasionally go dark while I was working on it. All my software for adding the watermarks is on my laptop (or back at home in Edmonton) - none of my files are on the laptop though.

Happy Independance Day

2009-07-04T09:16:00.001-07:00

A quick post to wish all those in the states that follow my blog a happy 4th of July - independance day.

HNT 42 - Canada Day HNT reprise

2009-07-01T21:48:00.001-07:00

In the currant theme of my post, I have a short one...

more related to HNT than the last....

though much more like the last actual post....

a re-post of last year's HNT: HNT 22 - Canada Day, part deux

Interesting, I this is the 20th HNT post since last year

Canada Day 2009!

2009-07-01T11:40:00.001-07:00

Happy Canada Day everyone.....

... I'm in the office attempting to work, to earn money to pay for school.

Therefore today's post is almost a repost of last year's post....

I have reinstated the photos on last year's post, and I now direct you to that one as my full Canada Day blog post:

Canada Day

Enjoy.

HNT 41 - Course work catch-up

2009-06-24T21:40:00.001-07:00

Sigh, I am actually farther behind than I thought in a lot of things. Thanks in part to going back to work this week (luckily on contract so I can spend some (unpaid) time on other things).

Aside from updating my photos, I am also behind in course work. I took a course on Lego Robotics and teaching last week. It was a one week hands on course with a variety of assignments due the following Friday (aka tomorrow).

Since I am behind in the course I am posting photos from that course - yeah noting much to do with being Half-Nekkid.

First picture is of me and the lego robot (named Terrance), the second picture is of just Terrance at the end of all the competitions. (Photo 1 taken Wednesday 17 June, Photo 2 taken Friday 19 June)
{Photo temporarily removed for personal reasons}

HNT 40 - Coming back

2009-06-17T21:45:00.001-07:00

I titled today's HNT 'Coming Back' for two reasons.

First I hope to be coming back to posting HNT on a more regular basis (see below regarding my photos).

Second, next week I'll be back in Calgary - where I started to post HNT, and where a number of my photos where taken. I'm back in Calgary (on Sunday night) for a seven week contract job at the company I left to return to school.

Regardint the pictures: as I've mentioned in previous posts, I'm in the middle of reorganizing my photos, and watermarking them. I have a few done, but would like to get them all done before I post them up on Flickr.

In my reorganizing I have been making copies where my face is blurred, and some where my crotch is blocked out - both to allow for other places to have the pics posted.

Here are a few:

1) From Underwear Modeling 1: Taken September 2002, in Calgary, Alberta.
This is from my first 'set' of photos. I was playing around with my digital 8 video camera, and the digital picture setting to get these photos.
{Photo temporarily removed for personal reasons}

2) Taken 30 July 2008, in Calgary, Alberta.
This photo was taken when I was moving out of my apartment in Calgary last year. I had moved all my belongings into storage and spent the last week 'urban camping.' The photo was taken with my digital camera, with the remote I believe.
{Photo temporarily removed for personal reasons}

3) Taken 11 August 2008, in Calgary, Alberta.
When I get around to updating the photos else where on this blog, this photo will be on another HNT - of me leaving Calgary. This was a few days before I left Calgary for Edmonton, and is in Nose Hill Park, over looking downtown Calgary. Between the cool weather that day, the openess of the location, and the people around, I did not strip all the way (my shorts are around my ankles and cropped out).
{Photo temporarily removed for personal reasons}

Birds and the Bees (and other stuff)

2009-06-14T20:38:00.001-07:00

I'm afraid of bees, and anything that looks like a bee: wasps, hornets, etc.
When I was looking at buying my house back in late August, I noticed these creatures (I'll call them bees, even though they might have been wasps), coming and going from part of the siding in the back. Part of the negotiations on the house was that the bees would be gone.
This spring I have noticed a few bees around the same places. I'm not sure if they are exploring or moving back in, or never really left.
Today while I was sweeping my back deck, a bee (actually a wasp I think) started to buzz around where I was.
I moved away as calm as I could - a good 3 meters away is, to me, a safe distance.
There are 3 ways to get onto my back deck: 1) from the kitchen, 2) from the den (or what is currently my bedroom), 3) stairs to the back yard.
The bee was exploring the door frames, so I was closer to the stairs, watching the bee.
It then decided to come closer to me, so I moved rapidly down the stairs.
With my adrenaline going, I had heightened senses, and so I came to an abrupt stop when I heard a magpie squawk.
I turned and saw a baby magpie.
If you don't know anything about magpies, they can be vicious birds. I've seen them chase down and attack cats!
So, when I saw the baby bird I moved quickly away from both the bird, and where I last saw the bee.

That is my story of the birds and the bees.....

.... now onto the other stuff....

If you've followed this blog at all, you'd know that life has been keeping my busy - mostly school.
Well, my other free time in the past month has been spent with a great guy I met. We met online a while ago, but only started seeing each other a month ago.

Some of my personal relaxation time, while watching t.v., has been fully organizing my photos for here and Flickr. I hope to have them done in a few weeks, then I might start posting HNT posts again.

Recently I have been meaning to write a few other posts in relation to current events and things in my life, such as one on Bill 44 (a piece of Alberta Legislature that was passed - the main points of it I was going to - and may still - comment on had to do with a) gay rights and b) teaching sex and religion - the most controversial part), as well as various other thoughts that have come to mind, like when someone asked me the other day; "are you happy, both in this moment and in life?" - My reply was: "I've been too busy of late to think about whether I'm happy - in life"

I guess it's time to stop and smell the flowers, just hopefully the ones without birds or bees.

Links

2009-05-12T22:12:00.001-07:00

I have added a few links to the side.

There are now links to:
1) some of my profiles (which need to be updated)
2) blogs I follow / favourites (when I've got the time)
3) list of sites I had in my bookmarks

At somepoint I will be adding a few more categories of links - such as nudist sites, art, comics/humor, etc

Craziness

2009-05-12T20:45:00.001-07:00

I believe the weather truly affects my moods.
With spring here I am feeling a little more energized, and capable of tackling all I have on the go. . .
and I have a lot on the go at the moment. . .

I am taking 3 spring classes - that started last week and run 6 weeks:
Drama: 3 hours a day 4 days a week.
Intro to Counselling: 1.5 hr lectures + 1.5 hr seminars back to back twice a week.
Greek & Roman Myth: 3 hours twice a week.
All three of these classes run on Tuesdays & Thursdays! My last class ends 12 hours after my first one starts.

On top of the classes I have house work that needs to be done - some I can do, some I have to hire professionals.
Professional work: Replacing my sewer line (house to city tie-in), installing basement window wells, and regrading around the sides of the house are the top three.
I have already started some of the stuff I can do, which includes pruning pine trees that desperately needed it, and repainting the bathroom. Soon will be removing a couple trees and seeing what I can do with my front lawn for next to nothing (ie no money) .

Besides all that work I have also been getting out (possibly to the detriment of my course work / homework) and have met up with a few guys. Great guys that I hope to hang out with more.

Update

2009-05-05T07:36:00.001-07:00

I feel as though I am going through some rappids in the river of life.
I could see the course changing, but now in the midst of it,
more of my effort is taken to keep me from drowning.
I have to toss overboard that which weighs me down,
toss aside the activites are of little use to me
just so I can stay the course, and
make it to the calmer waters I (think I) see ahead.

---

What this means is that I have cut my other blogs as I don't have time to even maintain one, let alone three.

I have had to pause on organizing my pictures on flickr, and have yet to update my profiles on the networking sites I am on.

This post was created in the 5 minutes I had to spare before class.

What's the point

2009-04-05T15:49:00.001-07:00

I sometimes wonder what the point of it is.
For example why do I have these blogs, especially if I don't have the time to update them. For that matter why don't I take the time to do the things I should be doing, or take little time to do - like updating my favourite pics blog.

Life is only as tough as you perceive it, but it it not an easy ride either. Yet I seem to have been treating it as such (easy) recently.

This rant is just thoughts off the top of my head, perhaps it will be good to say these, perhaps not. Perhaps it will look as if my blog is of importance (though I still doubt that slightly).

The past few days, to nearly a week, I haven't done much productive work, even though I should have, and have important deadlines all this next week, Why have I not been working or focusing? I do not know.

Perhaps it is reaching near a year since I started making some major changes in my life and I am feeling more and more uncertain about them. Perhaps I am just afraid to face my future. Perhaps I also tend to find ways of sabotaging my successes - in at least my mind. Perhaps my hope, dreams and desires lay beyond what I have before me.

I know that I have been having a growing desire to find someone over the past few weeks. Someone to be a true friend and confidant, if not someone to date and help me feel less lonely. I have housemates, and friends around, but yet I tend to isolate myself, and I do not understand why. I see it related to my chronic procrastination, that I always have something I should be doing and don't do. Yet I know that if I were to get my work done, I'd have the freedom to do as I please - for a short term (until the next assignment).

I am feeling hollow and unmotivated. Scared and uncertain in the future I suddenly created. Ideas, hopes and aspirations in this change are waning. Perhaps I am beginning to wake up from the dream of this new start in life; waking up to the realization that nothing much has changed.

Gawd, I need a kick in the ass to get myself going. Something to spark that inspiration and passion in me again. Something to break me from my habits that constantly lead me back into this path of occasional feelings of loneliness and momentary depression.

*sigh* I know it will work out; especially if I put the work in.

Revival of old blog posts

2009-03-09T19:49:00.001-07:00

Thanks to Blogger's export and import of a blog, I have re-posted some of my old blog posts.... the ones that will not cause this blog to have the warning it had before.

Basically all the photos are still missing, and any post that mentions a link to where the photos can be found will be broken. I may fix some of these by either re-posting the photo, or a more appropriate one - stay tuned for updates on that.

They are re-posted as per thier original posting date.

Winter Blahs

2009-03-09T19:07:00.002-07:00

I am sick and tired of winter.
The temperature is an endless yo-yo.
Warming up just enough to melt the ice.
Then plunging back down to nearly -40 (with the wind).

I am finding it extra frustrating today, as I feel I need to go for a run, or a bike ride, but I'm not going to brave the -25 C (-13 F) to release my frustration. Instead I'm going to try venting here - taking time away from doing my homework.

There are a number of things I feel frustrated at, some I should / could deal with / change myself, some I can't. The weather is one I can't.
A couple of them are simple mind sets I need to change, and focus on sudden, yet not too un-expected, events that happened.
On Saturday a housemate of mine informed me he was moving out by the end of the month. Took me by surprise, and this means I have to start looking for another housemate.
Today I found out that the job I was hoping for in Calgary may not be there. Dissapointing, but not unexpected. There is still a possibility it might be there, but I was told not to hold out for it.

I was partly relying on the money from that job to pay my tuition, and perhaps some house repairs.
The flipside though, is that I can possibly focus on my studies and get courses done over the summer and be finished by and working by January 2010 - though I'll be in a fair amount of debt (if I can even get the loans).

Well that's it for this rant. I lost my steam through it as I was chatting with a friend about publishing and producing media (t.v. and movie scripts - for a friend of mine).

Queer

2009-02-26T20:11:00.001-08:00

I AM QUEER!

I had a great post in my previous blog about labelization, and how I generally try not to subscribe to that, but today I have to mention about labeling myself as queer... well I don't have to, but seeing as I've had a couple ciders after not sleeping for about 38-40 hours, I might as well add a second post.

So tonight while I was out with beers with classmates, I felt a little uncomfortable saying my sexuality. I shouldn't be, but I guess living in the most conservative province in Canada, I'm a little cautious of what I say, yet on the other side my classmates should be accepting of my sexuality considering we're all going into the public sector, where homophobia is not accepted.

Return of this blog....

2009-02-19T11:24:00.001-08:00

I have been contemplating whether or not I should re-create this blog, and if so what to put.
After the incidences where I lost my photos on Flickr, and vids on Dailymotion, this blog was pretty bare.
I decided to delete it, and see if that removed the pesky warning, which is did. So now this blog will have generally appropriate photos by me.

My Exposed blog has become private, and I will be posting the more revealing photos of me there, when I have a chance (stay tuned on how to be invited to that blog).
I am also going to create another blog for photos I like, and links to photos I like. It will have a warning page.

Life has been rather busy for me, which is why my blog essentially disappeared - I didn't have the time to keep it updated. Life looks like it will still be like that for at least a few more weeks.

Here are my blogs so far:
Nude Canadian Boy Updates - Site for feed and general list of what is updated on all my blogs.
Nude Canadian Boy - (this blog) My thoughts on being queer, nudist, and life in general.
Nude Canadian Boy - Exposed - Photos of me (by request only), includin HNT.
Nude Canadian Boy - Favourite Pics - Photos, vids and sites I like on the web.

[2009-08-03 - all the above links are redirected to this blog as the other blogs have been discontinued]

Major changes

2009-02-10T18:02:00.001-08:00

Ok, since I apparently didn't do all I was suppose to on flickr to clear things up, I have lost that account.....
I have 2 midterms Thursday, so I'm unlikely to have anything done by then (and likely no HNT, again).

I am going to take this opportunity to revamp my blogs - essentially start from scratch.....
Although next week is my reading week break from classes, I've got lots of group meetings for assignments, so I'm not sure how much time I'll have to get things back up.

To stay tuned to what is happening, please bookmark the following blog: http://ncb-updates.blogspot.com/
as I may be 'deleting' this one (http://nudecanadianboy.blogspot.com/) in an attempt to remove that pesky warning, then recreating that blog (if I can do that with blogger... here's hoping).

Please bear with me through these changes.

missing photos

2009-02-04T20:45:00.000-08:00

I got a warning from flickr the other day that if I don't delete the photos that aren't mine, my account would disapear (like my dailymotion video one did).

Until I have time to sort out my photos again all the past photos are essentially gone... I may still try and do the pic a day (or week), with the photos on blogger / picasa.m

Quote of the day

2009-02-01T15:01:00.001-08:00

A good education is the next best thing to a pushy mother.
- Charles Schulz
(Teachers page-a-day calendar - Monday 26 January 2009)

Tiny children want to learn to the degree that they are unable to distinguish learning from fun. They keep this attitude until we adults convince them that learning is not fun.
- Glenn Doman, How to Teach Your Baby to Read: The Gentle Revolution
(Teachers page-a-day calendar - Tuesday 27 January 2009)

Come to the edge, he said. They said:
We are afraid. Come to the edge, he said.
They came. He pushed them,
And they flew.
- Guillaume Apollinaire
(Teachers page-a-day calendar - Wednesday 28 January 2009)

Wanted: One teacher. Must be able to listen, even when mad. Must have a sense of humor; must not make students feel bad about themselves; must be fair and not treat some students better than others; must know how to make schoolwork interesting; must keep some students from picking on others; must let students take a break sometimes; must not jump to conclusions; must let students know them; must get to know students; must encourage students when they have a hard time; must tell students if they do a good job or try really hard; must not scream; must not call home unless it's really important; must smile; must help students with their problems if they ask; must not talk about students to other people; must be patient; must really know what they are teaching; if it's a lady, it would be good if she is pretty.
- Job description created by eighth- and ninth-grade students, recalled by Lisa Delpit in Fires in the Bathroom by Kathleen Cushman.
(Teachers page-a-day calendar - Thursday 29 January 2009)

I do not teach children, I give them joy.
- Isadore Duncan
(Teachers page-a-day calendar - Friday 30 January 2009)

As a substitute, it is often difficult to be fully prepared for lessons that are to be taught. After teaching a lesson on estimating by rounding, one student raised his hand with a serious and confused look on his face. He asked, "Isn't this just a way of lying?"
- Michelle K. Diefenderfer on www.teachernet.com
(Teachers page-a-day calendar - Sat/Sun 31/1 Jan/Feb 2009)

At the end of the show, he'll leave the stage, and the sirens will be going, and the limousines waiting, and Charlie will walk back to his drum kit and change the position of his drumsticks by two millimeters. Then he'll look at it. Then if it looks good, he'll leave. . . The drums are about to be stripped down and put in the back of a truck, and he cannot leave if he's got it in his mind that he's left his sticks in a displeasing way.
- Keith Richards, on Rolling Stones Drummer Charlie Watts.
(Zen page-a-day calendar - Thursday 18 December 2008)

I scarcely remember counting upon any Happiness - I look not for it if it be not in the present hour - nothing startles me beyond the Moment. The setting sun will always set me to rights - or if a Sparrow come before my Window I take part in its existence and pick about the Gravel.
- John Keats
(Zen page-a-day calendar - Friday 19 December 2008)

A wanderer: let that be my name -
the first winter rain.
- Bashō
(Zen page-a-day calendar - Saturday 20 December 2008)

Amonk asked Hsiang-nien: "What is the eye that does not deceive others?"
The master responded: "Look, look, winter is approaching."
- Zen mondo
(Zen page-a-day calendar - Sunday 21 December 2008)

Hastthou named all the birds without a gun? Loved the wood-rose, and left it on its stalk?
-Ralph Waldo Emerson
(Zen page-a-day calendar - Sunday 21 December 2008)

As a man is, so he sees.
- William Blake
(Zen page-a-day calendar - Tuesday 23 December 2008)

To be a proper abode for God and fit for God to act in, a man should be free from all things and actions, both inwardly and outwardly.
- Meister Eckhart
(Zen page-a-day calendar - Wednesday 24 December 2008)

At Christmas I no more desire a rose
Than wish a snow May's new-fangled mirth.
- Shakespeare
(Zen page-a-day calendar - Thursday 25 December 2008)

Enlightenment is for sissies. Living ethically and morally is what really matters.
- Brad Warner
(Zen page-a-day calendar - Friday 26 December 2008)

The starting point for consciousness may be the universe, which many physicists believe is made of information. The things we see as matter and energy are really information being transformed from one state to another.
- Ronald Kotulak
(Zen page-a-day calendar - Saturday 27 December 2008)

Attention is rewarded by knowledge of reality.
- Iris Murdoch
(Zen page-a-day calendar - Sunday 28 December 2008)

Here and now, boys!
- Aldous Huxley
(Zen page-a-day calendar - Monday 29 December 2008)

There is no coming to consciousness without pain.
- Carl Gustav Jung
(Zen page-a-day calendar - Tuesday 30 December 2008)

To what shall I compare this life of ours?
Evan before I can say it is like a lightning flash or a dewdrop, it is no more.
- Sengai
(Zen page-a-day calendar - Wednesday 31 December 2008)

Quote of the day

2009-01-25T20:35:00.001-08:00

Your slightly bigger than the average human heart, but that's because you're a teacher.
- Aaron Bacall
(Teachers page-a-day calendar - Monday 19 January 2009)

The Newbery Medal is awarded annually by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association, to the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children. While recent winners are always great reads, don't forget classics from ten, twenty, or even fifty years ago.
1999: Holes by Louis Sachar
1989: Joyful Noise: Poems for Two Voices by Paul Fleischman
1979: The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin
1969: The High King by Lloyd Alexander
1959: The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare
(Teachers page-a-day calendar - Tuesday 20 January 2009)

When one is out of touch with oneself, one cannot touch others.
- Anne Morrow Lindbergh
(Teachers page-a-day calendar - Wednesday 21 January 2009)

When I longed to see the world,
A teacher gave me wings
And urged me always to explore
The in and out of things.
- Becky Kelly
(Teachers page-a-day calendar - Thursday 22 January 2009)

An idea can turn to dust or magic, depending on the talent that rubs against it.
- Bill Bernbach
(Teachers page-a-day calendar - Friday 23 January 2009)

Education is always a hot conversation topic around the water cooler. People care about it. They have opinions about it. They praise it, criticize it, and argue about it. And while others are talking about education, teachers are living it. They're where the action is.
- Robert D. Ramsey
(Teachers page-a-day calendar - Sat/Sun 24/25 January 2009)

The believing mind
believes in itself.
- Zen saying
(Zen page-a-day calendar - Thursday 4 December 2008)

The artist must summon all his energy, his sincerity, and the greatest modesty in order to shatter the old clichés that come too easily to hand while working, which can suffocate the little flower that does not come, ever, the way one expects.
- Henri Matisse
(Zen page-a-day calendar - Friday 5 December 2008)

It was fated that you would find the truth.
Now, tracing your way as if in a dream,
past where the sea meets the sky,
you slowly fade from the world in your fragile boat.
How calm are the water and the moon,
and how calm the fished and dragons at the sound of your chanting.
Always the eye watches just beyond the horizon to the guiding light of your simple lantern.
- Ch'ien Ch'i
(Zen page-a-day calendar - Saturday 6 December 2008)

It does not require many words to speak the truth.
- Chief Joseph
(Zen page-a-day calendar - Sunday 7 December 2008)

Do not attempt to become Buddha.
- Dōgen
(Zen page-a-day calendar - Monday 8 December 2008)

The infinite mind is the finite of every second.
- Zen Saying
(Zen page-a-day calendar - Tuesday 9 December 2008)

If you were to put aside what you know because of what other people told you, how much of what you know do you truly know for yourself? If you look for the origin of your thoughts, of your life, of your universe, can you find it? Can you find where this moment comes from or where it goes home to?
- John Tarrant
(Zen page-a-day calendar - Wednesday 10 December 2008)

So a try-mind is more important than any Zen master. If you say "I can," then you can do something. If you say "I cannot," the you cannot do anything. Which do you like?
- Seung Sahn
(Zen page-a-day calendar - Thursday 11 December 2008)

Learn the changes and then forget them.
- Charlie Parker
(Zen page-a-day calendar - Friday 12 December 2008)

I have learned to have very modest goals for society and myself, things like clean air, green grass, children with bright eyes, not being pushed around, useful work that suits one's abilities, plain tasty food. . . .
- Paul Goodman
(Zen page-a-day calendar - Saturday 13 December 2008)

Daowu and Jianyuan visited a house in mourning to offer their condolences. Jianyuan smacked the coffin with his fist: "Alive or dead?"
Daowu said: "I'm not saying alive and I'm not saying dead."
"Why not?" Jianyuan asked.
Daowu said: "I'm not saying, I'm not saying."
Later, on their way home, Jianyuan said: "Say something now, or I'll hit you."
"Go ahead. Even if you hit me, I'm not saying anything."
After Daowu died, Jianyuan went to Shishuang and told him the story, to which Shishuang replied: "I'm not saying alive, I'm not saying dead."
"Why not?"
"I'm not saying! I'm not saying!"
Suddenly Jianyuan had a realization.
- Zen mondo
(Zen page-a-day calendar - Sunday 14 December 2008)

I am an artist . . . It's self-evident that what that word implies is looking for something all the time without ever finding it in full. It is the opposite of saying, "I know all about it. I've already found it," As far as I'm concerned, the word means, "I am looking. I am hunting for it, I am deeply involved."
- Vincent van Gogh
(Zen page-a-day calendar - Monday 15 December 2008)

A single red berry
has fallen
on the frost in the garden.
- Shiki
(Zen page-a-day calendar - Tuesday 16 December 2008)

Your eyebrows will be tangled up with the ancestors, you'll see with the same eyes and hear with the same ears. Won't that be wonderful?
- Wu-men, on solving a koan
(Zen page-a-day calendar - Sunday 7 December 2008)

Poll results

2009-01-18T20:21:00.001-08:00

Thank you to all who voted in my polls.
What I get out of it is that there are at least some people that stop by and look at my blog, and are quite fine with me posting whatever whenever. Though a few want more hot guys, so I'll keep posting the hot pics of the day.

Here are the actuall results (for anyone that cares

1) Should I keep my blogs going?
No - 0 - 0%
Yes - Both (this and Exposed blog) - 24 - 85%
Yes - This one only (no HNT posts) - 1 - 3%
Yes - Exposed blog only (HNT only) - 3 - 10%
(28 voters)

2) What content would you like to see?
Post what ever when ever you can - 14 - 70%
More hot guys - 7 - 35%
More stories / written posts - 0 - 0%
More quotes - 0 - 0%
HNT - 1 - 5%
(20 voters)

Quote of the day

2009-01-18T18:12:00.001-08:00

Teachers may not always be fearless, but they definitely can't be cenophobic (afraid of new things or ideas), pedophobic (afraid of children), scolionophobic (afraid of school), or epistemophobic (afraid of knowledge).
(Teachers page-a-day calendar - Sat/Sun 17/18 January 2009)

Life is too short to be in a hurry.
- Henry David Thoreau
(Zen page-a-day calendar - Sunday 30 November 2008)

No man shouldd go through life without once experiencing healthy, even bored solitude in the wilderness, finding himself depending solely on himself and thereby learning his tru and hidden strength.
- Jack Kerouac
(Zen page-a-day calendar - Monday 1 December 2008)

Crescent moon -
bent to the shape
of the cold.
- Issa
(Zen page-a-day calendar - Tuesday 2 December 2008)

Every concept grasped by the mind becomes an obstacle in the quest to those who search.
- Gregory of Nyssa
(Zen page-a-day calendar - Wednesday 3 December 2008)

Quote of the day

2009-01-16T06:44:00.001-08:00

Academic Anagrams
Eleven plus two = Twelve plus one
Dormitory = dirty room
United States history = Dates unite this story
Schoolmaster = the classroom
A decimal point = I'm a dot in place
(Teachers page-a-day calendar - Thursday 15 January 2009)

According to the Beloit College Mindset list, students graduating in 2009:
- Never saw the shuttle Challenger fly.
- Don't remember when "cut and paste" involved scissors.
- Never had the fun of being thrown into the "way back" of a station wagon with six other kids.
- Have always relied on Starbucks for caffeine emergencies.
(Teachers page-a-day calendar - Friday 16 January 2009)

Learn to be calm and you will always be happy.
- Paramhansa Yogananda
(Zen page-a-day calendar - Wednesday 26 November 2008)

Just watch children playing. Eat vegetable soup instead of duck stew.
- Bashō's advice to poets
(Zen page-a-day calendar - Thursday 27 November 2008)

Searching for the Truth through words and speech is like sticking your head in a bowl of glue.
- Yuan-wu
(Zen page-a-day calendar - Friday 28 November 2008)

After evening rainfall at Pa-shang,
the flying "V" of wild geese,
the leaves hanging limp and dripping,
A single lantern's pale gleam,
and empy garden wet with dew,
the crumbling walls of the monastery
. . . enough, I think, long enough:
what am I waiting for?
- Ma Tai
(Zen page-a-day calendar - Saturday 29 November 2008)

HNT 39 - Mountian Archives

2009-01-14T22:24:00.001-08:00

I'd thought of a few ideas for a personal theme for this post, but reading Os' HNT post (Springtime in the Rockies HNT), I decided to dust off a few of my first pictures.

To acknowledge that I have been attempting to do HNT for a year now (yes I missed more than a few, especially Nov & Dec), one is my favourtie picture - me in snow - that was on my first HNT post (it is on my exposed blog). The others were ones I took before the snow one. I wasn't all that happy about the quality of the photos, but figured I should add some new, never seen on this blog before, photos. So here are 2, and there are 3 more [were] on my Exposed blog:

The first one was obviously taken in a forrest - it is just off the highway. Though it looks like it might have been photoshopped, this is the genuine photo.
{Photo source lost}

The second one was taken in the car along the highway (be warned, it's NSW).
{Photo source lost}

HNT 39 - Mountian Archives Plus

2009-01-14T22:11:00.000-08:00

Here are the more than half-nekkid photos of me for the HNT post on my normal blog...
The first two are on that blog, the rest are here. Note that all the photos were taken with the camera propped up on something, and with a self timer.

Photo 3:
My first full nudity in the mountains! There are a couple photos before this one with me getting naked, but this was my actual first full nude photo outside.

{Photo source lost}

Photo 4:
This is a variation of photo 1. Both are different photos, as I was attempting to get a good shot. Photo 1 has good colour, but this one has better positioning.

{Photo source lost}

Photo 5:
Ahh, more snow... actually the snow photo (first show in HNT 1, also shown below) was the more snow. From this you can see it was Springtime in the Rockies, with the water flowing and the snow behind me.

{Photo source lost}

Bonus Photo:
Ok, not quite a bonus photo, but since I already have it on the blog, and on Flikr, where I keep all my photos, I decided not to number it.... need more of a description? Check out My First HNT.

{Photo source lost}

Quote of the day

2009-01-14T07:12:00.001-08:00

Teaching is brain surgery without breaking the skin. It should not be entered into lightly nor performed by amateurs.
- Former Alaska Teacher of the Year Daniel Walker
(Teachers page-a-day calendar - Monday 12 January 2009)

Quick Reference: Metric Conversions
centimeters x 0.3936 = inches
inces x 2.54 = centimeters
meters x 3.281 = feet
feet x 0.3048 = meters
miles x 1.609 = kilometers
kilometers x 0.6214 = miles
kilograms x 2.2046 = pounds
pounds x 0.45359 = kilograms
(Teachers page-a-day calendar - Tuesday 13 January 2009)

A kindergarted class was learning how the fur on some animals changes color with the seasons. When the teacher bent down to tie her shoe, a student observed her head of graying hari and exclaimed, "Teacher, are you getting ready for winter?"
(Teachers page-a-day calendar - Wednesday 14 January 2009)

The only thing to see.
- Auguste Rodin
(Zen page-a-day calendar - Thursday 20 November 2008)

Disciple: "What is Tao?"
Hsiang-yen: "In the dry woods the dragon is singing."
- Zen mondo
(Zen page-a-day calendar - Friday 21 November 2008)

Life can only be understood backwards, but it must be lived forwards.
- Søren Kierkegaard
(Zen page-a-day calendar - Saturday 22 November 2008)

Everything comes from your own heart. This is what one ancient called "bringing out the family treasure."
- Yuan-wu
(Zen page-a-day calendar - Sunday 23 November 2008)

Never let your sense of morals keep you from doing what's right.
- Isaac Asimov
(Zen page-a-day calendar - Monday 24 November 2008)

If the wrong person preaches a right teaching, even a right teaching becomes wrong. If the right person expounds a wrong teaching, even a wrong teaching becomes right.
- Muso Kukushi
(Zen page-a-day calendar - Tuesday 25 November 2008)

Quote of the day

2009-01-11T15:55:00.001-08:00

Another monk asked the classic question: "What is the meaning of Bodhidharma's coming from the west?"
Kuei-shan answered: "A fine large lantern."
(Zen page-a-day calendar - Tuesday 18 November 2008)

You are not allowed to travel at night, but you must arrive before daybreak.
- Zen koan
(Zen page-a-day calendar - Wednesday 19 November 2008)

Quote of the day

2009-01-10T16:12:00.001-08:00

Q: What do get if you cross one principal with another principal?
A: Don't do it. Principals don't like to be crossed.
(Teachers page-a-day calendar - Sat/Sun 10/11 January 2009)

On whose door does the moonlight not shine?
- Zen saying
(Zen page-a-day calendar - Sunday 16 November 2008)

If you want to extend the light of the dharma, let it first illumine our own heart.
- Rengetsu
(Zen page-a-day calendar - Monday 17 November 2008)

Quote of the day

2009-01-09T06:38:00.001-08:00

Fun Facts: Ancient History
In 625 B.C., metal coins were introduced in Greece, They replaced grain - usually barley - as the medium of exchange. Stamped with a likeness of an ear of wheat, the new coins were lighter and easier to transport than grain, and did not get moldy.
The ancient Egyptians defined the hour to be one-twelfth of the time between sunrise and sunset, thus their hour's length was different from one day to the next, and was not the same during the day as it was at night.
The ancient Romans built a network of roads totaling fifty thousand miles - longer than the U.S. interstate highway system.
- www.coolquiz.com
(Teachers page-a-day calendar - Wednesday 7 January 2009)

School Satire
During his American history class at Hebron Elementary School, fifth-grader Jake Hensley was unable to produce a single hilarious disruptive comment regarding the Wilmot Proviso, an 1846 rider to a Congressional appropriations bill that attempted to outlaw slavery in the territory acquired from the Mexican-American War.
"I completely blanked," said Hensley, who firmly established his class-clown status earlier in the year during a lesson on Revolutionary War-era statesman John Hancock. "It was getting so close to the end of class that I almost considered 'Smellmot Proviso.' I think I'm losing my touch."
Hensley did manage to redeem himself in his last-period English class by delivering a solid five minutes on the third chapter of Hatchet.
- www.theonion.com
(Teachers page-a-day calendar - Thursday 8 January 2009)

An inquisitive little girl in kindergarten leaned over and admired my watch. Since it had no numbers on its face, she asked how I knew what time it was. Trying not to disturb the rest of the class, I whispered, "I just know." She asked, "Why do you need a watch then?"
- Tammy Richardson in Reader's Digest
(Teachers page-a-day calendar - Friday 9 January 2009)

It is a big mistake to think that the best way to express yourself is to do whatever you want, acting however you please. This is not expressing yourself. When you have many possible ways of expressing yourself, you are not sure what to do, so you will behave superficially. If you know what to do exactly, and you do it, you can express yourself fully.
- Shunryu Suzuki
(Zen page-a-day calendar - Monday 10 November 2008)

A man needs a little madness, or else he never dares cut the rope and be free.
- Nikos Kazantzakis
(Zen page-a-day calendar - Tuesday 11 November 2008)

Life is but a day; a fragile dew-drop on its perilous way
from a tree's summit.
- John Keats
(Zen page-a-day calendar - Wednesday 12 November 2008)

The firmest fayth is found in the fewest woordes.
- Edward Dyer
(Zen page-a-day calendar - Thursday 13 November November 2008)

Sin and blessing are all empty. The snake swallows the frog. The toad sucks up the worms. The hawk eats the sparrows. The pheasant eats the snake. The cat catches the rat. The big fish devours the smaller one. And everything is all right. The monk who offended against the commandments does not fall into hell.
- Zen saying
(Zen page-a-day calendar - Friday 14 November 2008)

Play is the exultation of the possible.
- Martin Burber
(Zen page-a-day calendar - Saturday 15 November 2008)

Poll update

2009-01-08T18:01:00.001-08:00

So only a few days into the week I realized what I had thought might happen - and more so.
My course load is huge! I was behind after day 1.

I hope to get caught up (and ahead) over the next couple weeks & weekends, however that might mean my posting will be sporatic....

For example I had thought of posting an HNT for today (and I still might, though later tonight) - plus missing 2 Quotes of the Day, and 2 Pics of the day.

I appreciate everyone's contribution to the polls, and would also encourage written responses (either to this post or the full polls post above) - even though I missed mentioning that.

(Post written Thursday 8 January 2009, around 7:00 PM)

Quote of the day

2009-01-06T05:32:00.001-08:00

A school district in central Ohio is trying a new kind of incentive pay - for students. In return for doing well on annual exams, each student can earn up to $100. And in schools near Miami, students can win pizza parties, tickets to the prom, and even iPods in exchange for passing scores on their new state science exams. Proponents of these kinds of incentives maintain that this is one way to encourage academic achievement, particularly when many schools' livelihoods depend on test scores. Others argue that these are bribes, and don't encourage meaningful learning.
In an Edutopia online survey, 32 percent of voters said such incentives are harmless, produce results, and, especially for low-income, at-risk students, may provide motivation where there was none before; 69 percent disagreed, stating that such rewards don't encourage learning for learning's sake and coincide with an overemphasis on high-stakes testing. The remaining 9 percent of voters were undecided.
- www.edutopia.org
(Teachers page-a-day calendar - Tuesday 6 January 2009)

A monk asked his master the classic question: "What is the meaning of Bodhidharma's coming from the west?"
The master replied: "No idea whatever in this."
Later, learning of the exchange, Ch'i-an commented: "Two corpses in one coffin."
- Zen mondo
(Zen page-a-day calendar - Saturday 8 November 2008)

If I can get out of the way, if I can be pure enough, if I can be selfless enough, and if I can be generous and loving and caring enough to abandon what I have and my own preconceived, silly notions of what I think I am - and become truly who in fact I am, which is really just another child of God - then the music can really use me. And therein lies my fulfillment. That's when the music starts to happen.
- John McLauchlin
(Zen page-a-day calendar - Sunday 9 November 2008)

Quote of the day

2009-01-05T06:27:00.001-08:00

How to Be a Kid Again
Refuse to eat crusts.
Make somebody laughjust when they start to drink something.
Stick your head out the car window and moo if you see a cow.
(Teachers page-a-day calendar - Monday 5 January 2009)

A monk asked Tosu: "Is there a dragon howl in a dead tree?"
Tosu said: "I say there's a lion roar in a skull."
- Zen mondo
(Zen page-a-day calendar - Thursday 6 November 2008)

It wasn't until quite late that I discovered how easy it is to say "I don't know!"
- William Somerset Maugham
(Zen page-a-day calendar - Friday 7 November 2008)

Polls

2009-01-04T21:30:00.001-08:00

While trying to do a polite thing I did a stupid thing, and from that I lost all my online vids (the slideshow from the last post, the dare from the last HNT, Running through the Canola fields, and the 5 of a Kind vids - "the naked mile" and "gee mom..." were not lost and still linked to my blog).

I have copies of the vids on my computer, but I basically lost the online account that hosted them.

This combined with why I 'paused' posted has made me wonder if I should continue.....

Therefore, since this is web 2.0, I ask your input through 2 questions. Both of which are listed to the right as polls, please read below before voting:

1) Should I keep my blogs going?
Time is a commitment I sometimes lack, problems with posting things (links breaking, content being blocked or disappearing), and wondering how much of a following I really have. The options therefore are:
- No (stop posting, and perhaps delete the blogs)
- Yes - Both (keep both this and my ncb-exposed blog going)
- Yes - This one only (stop posting personal photos)
- Yes - Exposed (other) blog only (post only personal photos)

2) What content would you like to see?
- Post what ever when ever you can (don't worry about posting regularly)
- More hot guys (post more web/email pictures)
- More stories / written posts (post more thoughts, stories, opinion, writing)
- More quotes (continue posting the quote of the day - was zen-a-day)
- HNT (continue posting half nekkid-thursday - photos not totally identifying me here)

I will be making my decision in about 2 weeks, at that point I should have an idea what I can handle and what I can't. Until then I will be attempting to continue with how I thought of doing the revised blog.

(Post written Sunday 4 January 2009, around 10:30 PM)

Quote of the day

2009-01-04T12:59:00.001-08:00

One day someone asked Layman P'ang: "Is Zen difficult or is it easy?"
"It is like trying to hit the moon with a stick," Layman P'ang answered Very difficult."
So Zen is very difficult, the man thought. He went to Layman P'ang's wife and said" "Your husband told me that Zen is very difficult. Let me ask you - is Zen difficult or easy?"
She laughed and said: "Oh no, Zen is very easy, like touching your nose when you wash your face in the morning."
Still not satisfied, the man went to Layman P'ang's son and repeated what the husband and wife told him. The son replied: "If you think Zen is difficult, it's difficult. If you think Zen is easy, it's easy."
Now more confused than ever, the man went to Layman P'an's daughter and asked if Zen was difficult or easy or neither. Her enlightening answer:
"Go drink tea."
- Zen mondo
(Zen page-a-day calendar - Tuesday 4 November 2008)

This matter [i.e., Zen] is like a great mass of fire; when you approach it your face is sure to be scorched. It is again like a sword about to be drawn; when it is once out of the scabbard, someone is sure to lose his life. But if you neither fling away the scabbard nor approach the fire, you are no better than a piece of rock or wood. Coming to this pass one has to be quite a resolute character full of spirit.
- Tai-hui
(Zen page-a-day calendar - Wednesday 5 November 2008)

Quotes for Saturday 3 January 2009

2009-01-03T10:43:00.001-08:00

Teacher Tip
Lawyers do it. Doctors do it. Educators should do it! No, I'm not talking about making a lot of money! I'm talking about prominently displaying educational degrees and professional certificates. Displaying one's credentials will help you appear professional and legitimate. It's very impressive and reinforces to the public the amount of effort it takes to become a teacher and to maintain certification.
- Tom Walters, Jericho, Vermont; Works4Me on www.nea.org
(Teachers page-a-day calendar - Sat/Sun 3/4 January 2009)

If all waves of the Zen stream were alike, innumerable ordinary people would get bogged down.
- Zen saying
(Zen page-a-day calendar - Sunday 2 November 2008)

Try and be a sheet of paper with nothing on it. Be a spot of ground where nothing is growing, where something might be planted, a seed, possibly, from the Absolute.
- Rumi
(Zen page-a-day calendar - Monday 3 November 2008)

Quotes for Friday 2 January 2009

2009-01-02T15:07:00.001-08:00

Quotes of the Day:

A good head and a good heart are always a formidable combination.
- Nelson Mandela
(Teachers page-a-day calendar - Thursday 1 January 2009)

Behind Every Famous Person Is A Fabulous Teacher.
Acress America Fererra's high school drama teacher, Sue Freitag, says she has "the best job in the world . . . I literally get to play all day." America stays in touch with her former teacher, saying, "Sometimes all you need is a good Teach(ear)!"
- TeachersCount National Social Marketing Campaign
(Teachers page-a-day calendar - Friday 2 January 2009)

The observer is the observed.
- Krishnamurti
(Zen page-a-day calendar - Wednesday 29 October 2008)

Everything we do is in the service of the self - and there is no self.
- Zen saying
(Zen page-a-day calendar - Thursday 30 October 2008)

Ageneral may establish peace, but it is not for the general to seek peace.
- Zen saying
(Zen page-a-day calendar - Friday 31 October 2008)

The Way does not need cultivation - just don't defile it. Zen does not need study - the important thing is stopping the mind.
- Huang-long
(Zen page-a-day calendar - Saturday 1 November 2008)

HNT 38 - New Year, New Start

2009-01-01T03:36:00.001-08:00

As some many have noticed I have not posted much since October (essentially my last HNT).

The lack of postings was primarily due to 2 things:
1) School - I got wrapped up in school that I seemed not to have the time to post as often as I wanted.
2) This blog having a content warning imposed, and I attempted to see if I could get it removed. This lead me to create another blog (ncb-exposed) to move the objectional material there, but still I could not get the warning removed.

The time put into these 2 (school and trouble shooting), mostly (1), meant I ended up not posting.

So here with a new year I am attempting to re-kindle this blog and see if I can get it going again.

I saw that the theme for today's HNT was 'your favourite HNT of the year'.
Hard to say to answer that one, as I enjoyed them all. Sure I usually went beyond the half-nekkid part, but I tried to keep them all tasteful, and artistic (what I have taken to be at the heart of HNT - art). Though some have extended to the daring side, still trying to be artful though, and usually with a story.

Today's 'image' is in the same theme as one of my favourite pictures, and was posted on my first HNT / first blog post (sitting in the snow). This one also extends into the realm of daring, and does have a story to go with it (and is also only a few days old).....

The Story

Background:
Several years ago I joined an online group called CouchSurfing.com - simply they're a community of people looking for places to stay while travelling and those that have a couch people can sleep on.
On their site they have groups, and I joined a couple 'Clothing Optional' groups. Through which I met D as an online friend. We got to chatting on MSN occasionally.

The Dare:
On Monday (29 December) night I saw him online, so I said hi, and we chatted, and web cam'd. I think he's a hot guy, and he's mentioned that he thinks I'm hot. I was naked on cam, and as he was at work (on the night shift), he wasn't.
Eventually our conversation turned to dares - and the following was said:

D: wish we could play dare
NCB: what would you dare me to do?
D: i want someone to see u naked, or for u to be naked in public or something
D: run outside
D: then i would have you dare me
NCB: mmm nice - be great if I was there then
D: ya
D: what would u dare me to do
NCB: not sure - perhaps similar sorts of things - run out side naked
D: if you were to dare me right now, you there me here what would u wnat me to do
NCB: get naked and stay that way for 5 minutes, minimum for a start
NCB: well what would you dare me?
D: i want your roommate to see you naked, or go outside
NCB: not sure the cam can turn to show out side, but I can try
D: ya u do the dare i will do the dare
D: where are u going
NCB: out on to the back deck - there is a door to the kitchen there, so a roommate could see me
D: hot
NCB: it's also -16 outside
D: ouch

I proceeded to go outside on to the deck for about 30 seconds. The door to the back deck is in my room.

D: no one saw u
NCB: no :(
D: that sucks
NCB: I could go out for a little longer
D: ya sure
NCB: so how long outside?
D: someone has to see u
D: lol
NCB: lol, that might be too long
D: you have to do something big though, i mean, me being naked at work is risky
NCB: ok then, I will go out the door from the kitchen, about a minute on the deck then in this door. How's that? (walk through the house naked - you won't be able to see though)
D: ya all of it sounds great

I did as I said.

NCB: now I'm cold
D: lol
NCB: just as I left the room I thought I heard someone on the stairs - which lead to the kitchen
D: damn and u didn't get caught
NCB: almost then went downt ht estairs just as I turned to the kitchen
D: lol
D: so my dare exactly is
NCB: just to get naked, stay that way for at least 5 seconds (originally was 5 min)
D: lol ok
NCB: mmm hot

D gets naked at work, walks around a little, then gets dressed again.
The conversation shifts then returns

D: right now where u are, what would you do that is crazy naked, that i can see
NCB: suche as walking down a road naked, or running a mile like this vid: http://ncb-exposed.blogspot.com/2008/01/naked-run.html
NCB: (that would be a dare I might do)
D: lol ya ive seen it on your blog before
D: ok do it then
D: lol but oyu have to take a camera or something
D: you should video tape them
NCB: I think I need someone else to help.... but I could try that instead of photos
D: ya try it
D: thats my dare for you
NCB: unfortunately my camera only has a short 15 sec I think, movie function

D was called away from the computer to do some work. This gave me a chance to actually follow up on his suggestions.

NCB: give me a second and I have something for you
D: lol ok
NCB: can you accept a file?
D: yuppers
NCB: I've not seen this yet... so I've no idea if it's any good...

{Video source lost}

D: omg that is soooo hot
D: is that right now?
NCB: can't see much though
NCB: yeah when I stepped out
D: omg sooo hot
NCB: for you by the way - since you asked me to go outside, up the street, and suggested videoing
D: omg
D: ur amazing
NCB: you're wlcome

The conversation changed to a couple other topics before D had to leave.

The End

Changes confirmed

2008-12-26T20:14:00.001-08:00

Happy New Year.

I have finally started some of the changes I want to make to my blogs.
The changes have come about for a couple reasons:
First, the content warning that appeared on this blog, which I can not remove - so I will keep it and still post adult content (along with other stuff) here.
Second, in my education classes we were warned about how much of our selves is on the net for the students or parents to find. I have purposely left my real name off this site for that purpose. However, there are still a few ways things could be lead here, and stumbled upon, so my Exposed blog will be where I have photos that could identify me, and it will be private (so you will have to ask to view it - requirements to view it will be posted later - when I actually privatize that blog).
Third, related to the first, I have set up an announcement blog on which I will post a notification that there are updates on my other blogs (therefore if it gets a content warning I will really hate blogger). I set this up as it appears that feed off my blog vanished with the content warnings, so this blog will allow for the feed.

As part of these changes I changed my settings on Flickr, where my photos are, and that broke the links to the photos on my sites. So bear with me as I update the links and get these blogs up again. :)

Also stay tuned for an HNT tomorrow - actually on this site.

Changes

2008-12-07T14:22:00.001-08:00

Yeah, so it's been almost 6 weeks since I have added anything, but school is in crunch mode - I've got final exams: one Thursday 11 December, two Friday 12 December, and last one Tuesday 16 December.

I've also pretty much decided what to do with my blogs since it looks like I can't remove the imposed content warning easily (if anyone knows how to, please let me know).

Over Christmas this blog will change, as will my other blog. Currently I'm in the middle of some changes - which is why photos may not show.

Zen-a-day - Oct 28

2008-10-28T06:12:00.001-07:00

Saturday 25 October 2008
When one first seeks the truth, one separates oneself from it.
- Dōgen

Sunday 26 October 2008
A monk asked Hung-t'ung: "What would you say when both the mind and its objects are forgotten?"
"A three-legged toad carries an elephant on its back."
- Zen mondo

Monday 27 October 2008
A buddha is just someone with no concerns.
- Te-shan

Tuesday 28 October 2008
Where was the sound of Tommy Ramone hitting the first rim shot on Teenage Lobotomy before you heard it?
- Contemporary koan

Zen-a-day - Oct 24

2008-10-24T00:00:00.001-07:00

Friday 24 October 2008
Smiling serenely,
the Buddha points to
a little stinkworm.
- Issa

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Monday 29 September 2008
My boat and I . . . enter the lake,
turn as night falls toward the west
where I watch the south star over the mountain,
and the rising mist, hovering over the water,
and the low moon slanting through the trees:
And there I choose to forget every worldly matter
and be only an old man out fishing.
- Chi-wu Ch'ien

Tuesday 30 September 2008
Yantou and Xuefeng were snowed in on Tortoise Mountain. Day after day, while Xuefeng stayed up and meditated, Tantou slept. By the third day Yantou sat up and said: "Get some sleep. What are you, a roadside shrine?"
Xuefeng said: "My heart isn't at peace. I can't fool myself."
Yantou gave a great yell and said: "Don't you know that the family treasure doesn't come in through the gate? Let the teaching flow out from your heart to cover the earth and sky!"
Xuefeng achieved sudden enlightenment and cried: "Tortoise Mountain has finally awakened!"
- Zen mondo

HNT 37 - From the Moving Archives I - Elevator

2008-10-23T05:53:00.000-07:00

Life has been busy the past couple weeks, with exams and papers. Last week in particular - which is why I missed posting an HNT last week.

I would like to acknowledge Osbasso's HNT post last week, as it is of important note: Clarifying the rules for posting HNT. Although I post more than half-nekkid, I do try and post in the same spirt of the posting - especially trying to keep it artistic. I do hope that none of my posts closs the line.

That being said, here are the photos I started to prepare for last week, but ran out of time. . . .

These photos are from my archive of photos I took while moving out of my apartment. A couple people 'dared' me to take photos of me naked in an elevator, so I did so while moving out of the apartment. These photos were taken on a locked elevator, and even though the door was open, they may have been less risky than on a moving elevator. Either way, enjoy the photos.... (The different photos are my attempts to get a good photo)

{Photo source lost}
{Photo source lost}
{Photo source lost}
About these photos: Taken Friday 25 July 2008 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. As can be seen I took the photos directly into the mirrored back wall of the elevator.

HHNT everyone.

Don't forget to visit other HNT posts at:
http://osbasso.blogspot.com/

Zen-a-day - Oct 23

2008-10-23T00:00:00.001-07:00

Thursday 23 October 2008
Miso with the smell of miso is not good miso. Enlightenment with the smell of enlightenment is not the real enlightenmnet.
- Zen saying

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Saturday 27 September 2008
A skeptic walks up to a Zen master and asks:
"Is there life after death?"
"How should I know?" the master replied.
"But you're a Zen master!"
"Yes," the Zen master says, "but not a dead one."
- Zen mondo

Sunday 28 September 2008
From birth to death
it's just like this.
- Zen saying

Zen-a-day - Oct 22

2008-10-22T00:00:00.001-07:00

Wednesday 22 October 2008
If you can draw the stone rightly, everything within reach of art is also within yours.
- John Ruskin

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thursday 25 September 2008
Art is frozen Zen.
- R. H. Blyth

Friday 26 September 2008
The fact is, the universe has chosen you as the vehicle through which to experience the uncanny thrill of cutting up cabbage for dinner, the wonder that is inhaling oxygen and exhaling carbon dioxide, the fabulous spectacle of watching your clothes dry at a coin-op laundromat where the radio is stuck on an E-Z listening station and an old lady keeps staring at you for no discernible reason. The universe has demanded that you be you. Ain't no avoidin' it.
- Brad Warner

Zen-a-day - Oct 21

2008-10-21T00:00:00.001-07:00

Tuesday 21 October 2008
Hofuku, seeing a monk, struck a pillar outside the temple. Then he struck the monk, who cried out with pain. "Why doesn't the piller cry out?" Hofuku said.
The monk had no answer.
- Zen mondo

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tuesday 23 September 2008
When it is wniter, speak cold; when it is summer. speak hot.
- Chao-chou

Wednesday 24 September 2008
To ask the hard question is simple.
- W. H. Auden

Zen-a-day - Oct 20

2008-10-20T00:00:00.001-07:00

Monday 20 October 2008
Frost across the river . . .
all I'd hoped for lost
in the gathering autumn night.
Among the reeds and flowers,
a thousand miles alone.
But moonlight fills the boat.
- Ching An

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sunday 21 September 2008
Whenever I start working on a song, I immediately try to forget everything, to empty my hands and head of anything that may be hanging over from another sond or album. I try to approach it like, "This is the first time I've ever played a guitar. What am I going to do?"
- U2's The Edge

Monday 22 September 2008
Once a visitor asked Master Yan-uan: "What is the real body of the great Sun Buddha?"
Yang-uan's assistant groaned at the impossible question, but not the master. He said matter-of-factly: "Please pass me the water pitcher."
The visitor went to fetch the pitcher.
"Now would you put it back," Yan-uan said, after the visitor brought the pitcher.
Anxious to get back to his important question, the visitor hurriedly returned the pitcher and then asked again: "What is the real body of the great Sun Buddha?"
"That old Buddha died a long time ago," Yang-uan said.
- Zen mondo

Zen-a-day - Oct 19

2008-10-19T00:00:00.001-07:00

Sunday 19 October 2008
Change in all things is sweet.
- Aristotle

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Friday 19 September 2008
The mind, the Buddha, living creatures - these are not three different things.
- Avatamasaka Sutra

Saturday 20 September 2008
One day's exposure to mountains is better than a cartload of books.
- John Muir

Zen-a-day - Oct 18

2008-10-18T00:00:00.001-07:00

Saturday 18 October 2008
Since everything is but an apparition
perfect in being what it is,
having nothing to do with good or bad,
acceptance or rejection,
one may as well burst out in laughter.
- Long Chen Pa

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Wednesday 17 September 2008
Roses under my window make no reference to former roses or to better ones; they are for what they are; they exist with God today. There is no time to them. There is simply the rose; it is perfect in every moment of existence.
- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Thursday 18 September 2008
Don't Draw another's bow, don't ride another's horse, don't mind another's business.
- Ta-hui

Zen-a-day - Oct 17

2008-10-17T00:00:00.001-07:00

Friday 17 October 2008
Truth is always truth, untruth is always untruth. This is what matter, this is right desire.
- The Buddha

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Monday 15 September 2008
A leaf falls,
Totsu! Another leaf falls
carried by the wind.
- Ransetsu's Death Poem

Tuesday 16 September 2008
If you seek, how different is that from pursuing sound and form? If you don't seek, are you different from earth, wood, or stone? You must seek without seeking.
- Fo-yan

Zen-a-day - Oct 16

2008-10-16T00:00:00.001-07:00

Thursday 16 October 2008
True humility is contentment. There is no respect for others without humility in one's self.
- Henri-Frédéric Amiel

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Saturday 13 September 2008
It is a task to come to see the world as it is.
- Iris Murdoch

Sunday 14 September 2008
Once a government official and student named Rikko Taifu visited Nansen and said: "Your disciple understands Buddhism a little."
"How is it during the entire twenty-four hours?" Nansen asked.
Rikko replied: "He goes withoug even a shred of clothing."
Nansen said: "That fellow is still standing outside in the hall. He has not realized any of the Tao. A virtuous ruler does not use clever rejoinders."
- Zen mondo

Zen-a-day - Oct 15

2008-10-15T00:00:00.001-07:00

Wednesday October 15 2008
All people have their own living road to heaven. Until they walk on this road, they are like drunkards who cannot tell which way is which.
- Zen saying

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thursday 11 September 2008
Strike the midnight bell at noon.
- Zen saying

Friday 12 September 2008
Master Nansen was washing clothes. A monk asked: "Is the master still doing such things?"
Master Nansen, holding up his clothes, asked: "What is to be done with them?"
- Zen mondo

Zen-a-day - Oct 14

2008-10-14T00:00:00.001-07:00

Tuesday 14 October 2008
The ink painting of wind
blowing through pines -
who hears it?
- Ikkyu

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tuesday 9 September 2008
If the teaching doesn't fell like it's forcing something upon you, it's not good teaching.
- Shunryu Suzuki

Wednesday 10 September 2008
It's harder to see than it is to express.
- Robert Henri

Zen-a-day - Oct 13

2008-10-13T00:00:00.001-07:00

Monday 13 October 2008
The water a cow laps turns into milk. The water a snake licks changes into poison.
- Zen saying

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sunday 7 September 2008
However innumerable sentient beings, I vow to save them.
However inexhaustible the passions, I vow to extinguish them.
However immeasurable the dharmas, I vow to master them.
However incomparable the Buddha's truth, I vow to attain it.
- The Four Vows

Monday 8 September 2008
For all thses years, my certain Zen:
Neither I nor the world exist.
The sutras neat within a box,
My cane hooked upon the wall,
I lie at peace in the moonlight
Or, hearing water splashing on the rock,
Sit up: none can purchase pleasure such as this:
Spangled across the step-moss, a million coins.
- Shutaku

Zen-a-day - Oct 12

2008-10-12T00:00:00.001-07:00

Sunday 12 October 2008
Zen places all objects of belief with one single thing: reality itself. We believe onlt in this universe. We don't believe in the afterlife. We don't believe in the sovereignty of nations. We don't believe in money or power or fame. We don't believe in our idols. We don't believe in our positions or our possessions. We don't believe we can be insulted, or that our honor or the honor of our family, our nation or our faith can be offended. We be don't believe in Buddha.
We just believe in reality. Just this.
- Brad Warner

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Friday 5 September 2008
I really love my barrel-making job; connecting each board into one round barrel.
- Zen saying

Saturday 6 September 2008
There are years that ask questions and years that answer.
- Zora Neale Hurston

Zen-a-day - Oct 11

2008-10-11T00:00:00.001-07:00

Saturday 11 October 2008
There is a man who eats sparingly, but is never hungry.
There is a man who is always eating, but is never full.
- Zen riddle

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Wednesday 3 September 2008
Who needs the Buddhism of ossified masters?
Me, I've spent three decades all alone in the mountains
and there solved all my koans.
Living Zen among the tall pines and high winds.
- Ikkyu

Thursday 4 September 2008
To the mind that is still, the whole universe surrenders.
- Taoist saying

Zen-a-day - Oct 10

2008-10-10T00:00:00.001-07:00

Friday 10 October 2008
You must learn to be still in the midst of activity and to be vividly in repose.
- Indira Ganghi

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Monday 1 September 2008
Sit, rest, work. Alone with yourself, never weary. On the edge of the forest, live joyfully, without desire.
- The Buddha

Tuesday 2 September 2008
People who lean on logic and philosophy and rational exposition end by starving the best part of their minds.
- W. B. Yeats

Zen-a-day - Oct 9

2008-10-09T00:00:00.001-07:00

Thursday 9 October 2008
Your inside is out and your outside is in.
- John Lennon

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Saturday 30 August 2008
Don't seek reality. Just put an end to opinions.
- Seng-ts'an

Sunday 31 August 2008
The mind of the Buddha is like water that is calm, deep, and crystal clear, and upon which "the moon of truth" reflects fully and perfectly. The mind of the ordinary man, on the other hand, is like murky water, constantly being churned by the gales of delusive thought. The moon nonetheless shines steadily upon the waves, but as the waters are roiled, we are unable to see its reflection. Thus we lead lives that are frustrating and meaningless.
- Yasutani Hakuun Roshi

HNT 36 - Used Equipment

2008-10-08T19:47:00.000-07:00

Before I left my job to return to school, they were updating some of their equipment. So I managed to get a second hand laser printer.

I had an ink-jet, but knew that a laser would be better for printing notes, assignments, essays, etc when going back to school. So, the laser printer sounded like a great deal (heck almost anything free is a good deal).

Well, the printer stayed in storage for 6-8 weeks before I could hook it up to my computer. When I did, I was quite disappointed.... as I found the reason it was being tossed out.... the printer failed to properly take the paper from the tray and always jammed up.

Disappointed, I returned the printer to my garage for storage....

As I did so I decided to take a couple photo of the 'useless' printer...

{Photo source lost}
{Photo source lost}
About these photos: Taken Sunday 21 September 2008 in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
They were taken with my camera on the tripod, and I think using the remote.

HHNT everyone.

Don't forget to visit other HNT posts at:
http://osbasso.blogspot.com/

Zen-a-day - Oct 8

2008-10-08T00:00:00.001-07:00

Wednesday 8 October 2008
Don't want anything. Don't make anything. Don't hold anything. Don't attach anything.
- Seung Sahn

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thursday 28 August 2008
A monk asked Pao-chi: "What is the Tao?"
"Come in," said the master.
"I don't understand," said the monk.
"Get out!" replied the master.
- Zen mondo

Friday 29 August 2009
I have no time for lies or fantasy and neither should you. Enjoy or die
- John Lyndon

Zen-a-day - Oct 7

2008-10-07T00:00:00.001-07:00

Tuesday 7 October 2008
Chao-chou asked Nan-quan: "What is the Way?"
"Ordinary mind is the Way," Nan-quan answered.
"Should I turn toward it or not?"
"If you turn toward it, you turn away from it."
:But how can I know the Way if I don't turn toward it?" Chao-chou asked.
"The Way is not about knowing or not knowing. When you know something you are deluded, and when you don't know, you are just mindless. When you reach the way beyond doubt, it is infinite as space. It's neither right nor wrong."
With these words, Chao-chou had a sudden enlightenment.
-Zen mondo

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tuesday 26 August 2008
Yu-ti asked Tao-t'ing: "Who is the Buddha?"
Tao-t'ing called out: "Oh, Yu-ti!"
"Yes, master?" Yu-ti responded.
Whereupon the master said: "Don't seek him elsewhere."
- Zen mondo

Wednesday 27 August 2008
The lost child,
crying, crying,
but still catching fireflies.
- Ryusui

Zen-a-day - Oct 6

2008-10-06T00:00:00.001-07:00

Monday 6 October 2008
A painting of a rice cake does not satisfy hunger.
- Zen saying

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sunday 24 August 2008
The artist has to look at everything as though he saw it for the first time; he has to look at life as he did when he was a child. . . . The first step towards creation is to see everything as it really is, and that demands a constant effort.
- Henri Matisse

Monday 25 August 2008
You are already complete. You just don't know it.
- Zen saying