Monday, June 28

Do obese people skinny dip?

In response to last week’s question "Do obese people skinny dip?", my friend Swany concluded, "Only those who don't suffer from bad self-esteem." To this, my friend Tracey, who I don't consider obese, proudly responded, "I have." (Tracey, please see John's note at the bottom of the email.)

My linguistics friend Eileen observed, "Yes and more so than thin people because they have more skin." My cable friend Cheryl added, "and they make a big splash!" My writing and sailing friend Rich noted that, "in terms of displacement they do it much better." However, my dad's beach buddy Bob challenged, "Of course not, they always want another scoop. That is why they are obese."

"Being someone who is a wee bit on the heavy side," my sailing friend Kurt shared, "I have to ask do you really want to see that?" My birthday bud Jon, my friend Patrick and cousin Wes all agreed, "I kinda hope not" and my college roomie John suggesting " we should (call) it double dipping?! ". My friend Royce was less compassionate, writing "only if the Japanese whaling fleet isn't around." Fortunately, my Caribbean sailing friend Jim compassionately wrote, "Hopefully just not around me."

"I hope it's not anywhere where it is visible," responded my biking friend Ted, who then provided a timely suggestion. "Kevin Costner has a good idea. You make them skinny dip in the Gulf which will pick up very large amounts of oil due to the large surface area of their skin. It's much more effective than using pelicans."

Please share your thoughts about "things that make you go 'Hmmm' ”:

What is the opposite of fireworks? (Happy Independence Day to my US friends. Have a safe, fun holiday.)

Live well...laugh often and heartily….be happy, have a good week and never regret anything that made you smile!

Hal

Special note from my sailing friend John:

As the resident nudist of this esteemed group, you knew I had to “weigh in” on this one: Of course they do!!!!

Skinny dipping is all about the intense feeling of freedom that comes from feeling the water flow past your skin when swimming nude. For anyone who hasn’t tried it, they have missed out on a wonderful thing! It’s the most natural thing in the world. Think of it this way, if God had intended for us to be nude, we would have been born that way. Or think about the biblical story of the Garden of Eden … Adam and Eve were always nude (and comfortable being that way) until sin was introduced into the world. Ergo, God intended for people to be nude – being covered up is the result of sin!

And by the way, make sure you don’t miss the upcoming Guinness World Record skinny dipping event on July 10th! Atlanta area skinny dippers can participate at the Bell Acres Resort just north of Atlanta.

The AANR World Record Skinny-Dip
Guinness World Record™ Challenge
Sponsored by the American Association for Nude Recreation
Saturday, July 10, 2010 at 3:00 p.m. Eastern Nudist Time
Thank you for your participation in last year’s record setting Skinny-Dip. Again, this year we need commitment and support to break our own record of 13,648 participants and obtain AANR membership growth. AANR plans to coordinate skinny-dipping events at participating clubs and nude beaches in appropriate settings throughout North America on Saturday, July 10, 2010 at 3:00 p.m. Eastern Nudist Time, to coordinate with Nude Recreation Week.

Monday, June 21

Do flying fish travel in a school or a flock?

In response to last week’s question, "Do flying fish travel in a school or a flock?", my sailing and writing friend Rich concluded, " on Sunday they hang with the flock. Monday through Friday they travel in a school. On Saturday they fly solo."

My friends Royce and Richard agreed, "Squadrons complete with wing fish. If they come from Gorton's, however, they come frozen in a box or bag."

"Since we are in the 21st century and technology is where it's at," my friend Swany concluded, "I say they travel in a 'fly-pod'." Also thinking future, my comedic friend Bruce wrote, "Flying fish should travel in a school that flies. Like something from the Jetsons, they each get in a pill box and fly to their school that sits on top of a long flag pole. Then that school could come off the pole and fly around the universe to planets like Neptune, a big aquarium in space. Yeah, they’d like that."

My dad's beach buddy Bob declared, "In today's education system, you have to be schooled in order to know how to flock!"
"Speaking as an educator," my Parrothead friend Sam wrote, "I would think that the smarter, lead fish try to get everyone to 'fly' as a school... It is the dropouts and vagabonds who head off to join the flock."

My cousin Wes determined it "depends on if they are innies or outies."

However, to all of this, my weather friend Patrick explained, "Your premise is false. You assume all flying things flock. But bees fly as well, so it would be a swarm of flying fish."

Please share your thoughts about "things that make you go 'Hmmm' ”:

Do obese people skinny dip? (from my pilot friend Ted)

Live well...laugh often and heartily….be happy, have a good week and never regret anything that made you smile!

Hal

Mon, June 21: The longest day of the year -- enjoy all of the sunlight and Vitamin D you can. Happy Summer Solstice.

Monday, June 14

What is the difference between slow things up or slow things down?

In response to last week’s question, What is the difference between slow things up or slow things down?," my neighbor Al responded, "It all has to do with Kama Sutra." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kama_Sutra

My friend Richard observed, "If you are on an elevator, slowing things up is OK. Otherwise, you'd shoot past your floor. On the other hand, if the elevator has failed and you are hurtling towards the bottom of the shaft, then slowing things down would be a VERY good thing!" Similarly, my dog loving friend Larry noted, "Depends on what height on the ladder you're at."

My dad's beach buddy Bob understands that "It is a way of getting to the center of things" while my friend Blair explained, "Up north, people slow down. Down south, people slow up."

"My Dad at the Lake of the Ozarks chimed in," wrote my friend Cheryl, "that slowing up is actually speeding them up and slowing down is the only way to go slower. I personally think bank loans are actually slowed up when I apply for them and slowing down refers to dating as in right before you get dumped!"

My pilot friend Ted proposed, "Slowing up means pointing the nose up without adding power so you gain altitude and lose airspeed Slowing down is a bit harder, but can be done by decreasing throttle, extending flaps, lower gear and add up trim, then the plane will slow 'down'".

Please share your thoughts about "things that make you go 'Hmmm' ”:

Do flying fish travel in a school or a flock? (during my sailing trip with my friend Jim)

Live well...laugh often and heartily….be happy, have a good week and never regret anything that made you smile!

Tuesday, June 1

If you can have a cousin once removed, can it be taken back?

In response to last week’s question, "If you can have a cousin once removed, can it be taken back?", my friend Richard explained his affirmative answer with, "I think they are like warts. You can get them removed, but that doesn’t mean they won’t come back again… Usually when they want something from you!" My friend Swany said, " Yes, it's called a second cousin."

My birthday bud Jon understands, "In some parts of the country, only by remarriage. My college roomie John explained, "Since I am from Pennsyltucky, we have a different way a looking at our cousins?! What do you mean by "once removed"? Is that from the dating crowd? We like to think of it as "catch and release"!


My friend (and proud mom of a bar mitzvah this past weekend) Tracey wrote, "I hope so although my family tree is full of nuts and wild monkeys." To this, my dad's beach buddy Bob shared, "Who wants to take them back? They were removed for good cause to begin with. Let the sentence stand...Guilty as charged." My friend Royce agreed, "Do you really want to take "it" back?"

Please share your thoughts about "things that make you go 'Hmmm' ”:

What is the difference between slow things up or slow things down? (from my Caribbean and local sailing friend Mike)

Live well...laugh often and heartily….be happy, have a good week and never regret anything that made you smile!

Hal

Note 1: No update next week (Jun 7) as I will be sailing in St Martin/Anguilla and not near email.


Note 2: A special call-out to the many people involved in this past weekend's Nibble & NoshFest: This is proof of what a team of people can do. We created a food festival that attracted a huge number of people, sold out food from several vendors and heard that even more vendors want to return next year.
As many, many of you expressed your appreciation for my leadership, please know that it was my pleasure to work with you in the name of community outreach, good food and to prove that there are a large number of people that want to help (volunteer).