Category Archives: Culture

A History and Worldview of Saunas

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An Excerpt From Discovery fitness & health

by Robert Lamb

In discussing saunas, it’s important to note the antique origins of the Finnish practice and of saunas themselves. The practice spans the breadth of human history, back to when Neolithic tribes inevitably happened across geothermic hot springs and steamy caverns. Just imagine the sensation of walking in from the cold of a Stone Age winter and finding yourself in a hidden pocket of summer. Imagine stripping off your hides and feeling months of accumulated dirt wash off you in a tide of dripping sweat. It’s the sort of thing you can get used to, right? And that’s just what our early forefathers did. The ancient cave settlements in France and Spain are handily situated within walking distance of hot springs. Since then saunas have found their way into cultures throughout the world, from the African motherland to the wilds of precolonial America.

The Finnish have sat in saunas for as long as they’ve been a people. It’s thought that they brought the practice with them when they migrated into modern Finland, splintering off from other nomadic Asian tribes. Like many northern peoples, including Native American tribes, they likely used portable sweat lodges until a more settled lifestyle allowed them to construct semipermanent structures — dugout smoke lodges, then the first savusaunas and finally saunas. Up through the Middle Ages, bathhouse culture ran rampant through Europe. Whole villages of common men, women and children would sluice it up at the local bath house. They’d feast amid the steaming vats, as well as hold birthing and marital ceremonies. They’d also partake of the kind of carnal indulgences that earned them such nicknames as “the stews.” They were kind of a catchall venue for every aspect of common life, a place for weekly cleansings in both the hygienic and ceremonial senses — and of course, a great place to meet prostitutes.

Then, in 1517, the Protestant Reformation came, along with syphilis, plague and rising fuel costs. Together, these forces all but washed public baths from Europe. Only the Finnish, Scandinavians and Russians held tight to their traditions. How naked should you be in the sauna?

If you’ve been following instructions, then you’ve read the previous six pages completely naked. If you’re actually Finnish, there’s a good chance you went the extra mile and read them on your iPhone whilst ladling water on the kiuas. But all this leads to the inevitable question: How naked do you need to be in the sauna? Continue reading →

Breast Feeding … The Time Magazine Cover

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We’ve all seen the cover of Time magazine this week, so I’ll show you a different picture. Breast feeding … I don’t get what all the controversy is about. It’s about the most natural, and one of the most beautiful visuals I can imagine. They say women shouldn’t flaunt it. What’s that all about? What’s flaunting it? Why have we sexualized female breasts to the extent they are considered indecent, even at a beach? Despite all the positive and beneficial qualities of most religions, this is a perfect example of one of the negative impacts religion has on society.

There were complaints the child was too old to breast feed. Many logical, thoughtful people see it this way. On the other hand, many psychologists believe there is nothing wrong with it, that breast feeding until age three or four nurtures the child emotionally, causing him to grow into adulthood better adjusted, more independent and better prepared the face the challenges of life. I’ll buy that.

Don’t forget to eat more Oreo Cookies.

What’s Happened to Male Intimacy?

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From Ishmael to Joey and Ross: Whither American Manhood?

An Article from Arcade By Gregory Jusdanis

Two American classics, two notorious scenes, two different ends. So what happened to American masculinity in the decades between Moby Dick and “Friends?”

Let’s start with that episode from “Friends” entitled “The One with the Nap Partners.”

Joey and Ross wake up from their blissful slumber to realize that Ross is snuggling with Joey, his hand on his buddy’s chest. They recoil in horror. “We fell asleep, that is all,” Ross shouts. Joey rushes out of the apartment, reaching out to shake his friend’s hand. “No touch,” Ross cries out.

Meeting afterwards, Ross complains of their “weird” experience but Joey confesses that it was the best nap he had ever had. When pushed, Ross agrees. So the “best” nap of their lives has been with each other, with another man.

In a later scene Joey says with a wink that he is going upstairs to take a nap, to be followed by Ross. The episode ends with Ross lying in Joey’s arms again, both very content and peaceful. “It was a great nap,” they mumble to each other in half-sleep. But as the camera pans out, we see the rest of the gang staring at them, baffled and displeased. Joey jumps up, hollering, “Dude, what the hell are you doing?” It is all over. The chorus passes judgment without saying a word.

Let’s compare this incident with a similar one in Moby Dick. Ishmael wakes up one morning in a hotel in the whaling town of New Bedford to discover an “affectionate arm” around him. He and the stranger, whose name is Queequeg, are sleeping “socially,” having become “bosom buddies.” As he gradually opens his eyes he realizes that “you had almost thought I had been his wife.” Try as Ishmael might, he can’t unlock Queequeg’s “bridegroom clasp,” hugging him so “tightly.” The following evening Ishmael waits impatiently for Queegueg’s embrace. Continue reading →

Bisexuality and Polyamory

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Many consider it unethical. Others call it immoral, impractical or just plain wrong. For most people, that’s where this subject ends. Based on our upbringing, our traditions, our standards of right and wrong, not to mention a host of religious convictions and the social indoctrinations imposed on us from the day we were born. Nevertheless, polyamory is an intriguing subject that’s a reality for some and worth a look.

But is polyamory wrong for everyone? Specifically bisexual men and women?

Polyamory exists in many forms, though successful polyamorous relationships, in whatever form, all have certain factors in common; such as trust, openness, honesty and mutual understanding.  Polyamory has nothing to do with swinging, wife-swapping or having a boyfriend or girlfriend on the side. It does, however, involve more than two people in a monogamous, loving relationship.

The focus here is to explore the possibility of a couple in a traditional relationship or marriage to bring another male into the relationship to address the man’s bisexuality. Many would say this is tantamount to having one’s cake and eating it too, but can it be a cake his wife can share?

In today’s world there are countless husbands satisfying their biological urges by secretly hooking-up with other like-minded men, or by developing special friendships. In other words he’s leading a double life that his wife usually doesn’t know about. Often she finds out and is devastated. He may have wanted to talk to her earlier, but he fears her reaction. If he’s found out, has actually acted on his urges, the resulting circumstances are much more difficult for both the wife and the husband.

But what if things were different? What if, early on during the dating process, the man had brought up the fact he is bisexual, that he would like to have a male friend when he gets married? Or perhaps he would like to keep the special friend he already has. What if his fiance finds she’s intrigued, even visualizes certain possibilities? A polyamorous relationship might be incubating. Continue reading →

Naked Boys

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Maybe you’ve been wondering if the citizens are enlightened down in Sydney. This should answer the question.

From NINE to FIVE.com.au, by Zilka Grogan

It’s not so much singing and dancing nude in front of a faceless audience that is freaking actor Elijah Rohner out.

Rather it’s the intimidating thought that his nearest and dearest will be watching on as he bares it all in the name of performance.

The Double Bay resident performs in the nuddy for almost the entire 90 minutes of the off-Broadway hit Naked Boys Singing!, opening at the Seymour Centre next week.

“I don’t necessarily care about people I don’t know but I’ve got all my friends coming and that will probably freak me out,” Rohner said.

“The good thing is you can’t really see the audience when you’re on stage because it’s so dark. Or at least that’s what I’m hoping.” Continue reading →

The Male Psyche

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There is a common thread that runs through almost all men. It has to do with both the subtle and vibrant variations of masculinity. It puts us at one with other men, at one with our individual perceptions, at one with our bodies and our genitals. The broad spectrum of men includes characteristics like genuine decency, the desire to share, the need to fit in, the instinct to protect those weaker than ourselves.

The General Brotherhood of Men

Sadly, for reasons we may never understand, there are those deficient individuals outside the general brotherhood of man that live cowardly, misguided lives: wife beaters, child predators, rapists, criminals, bullies, racists … individuals that do not reflect or represent any of the wonderful human elements that comprise the majority of men.

Narrowing the field a little further, a group within the brotherhood could be isolated in a non-criminal but dreary group nonetheless: the selfish, the lazy, the slovenly, the autocratic, the self-righteous and the irresponsible, thus leaving a certain integrity in the remaining majority of men.

You may not think subtracting the deviants, the slovenly and the pitiful leaves a clear majority of men. I do. They are by nature usually a quieter group. They don’t make the evening news nearly as much. They don’t impose themselves on our consciousness by routinely annoying us. They simply carry on, trying to do what’s right, trying to provide a descent life for themselves and those they care for. They are the men that make you glad you are a man and a part of the general brotherhood. They are the men I love, that I watch from day to day in public places, the men about whom scenarios pass through my mind as I quietly admire them and fondly analyze what kind of personae they might have. They are the reason I’m here, the men I support and encourage and celebrate. They are men I write about in my novels.

This vast resource of men still hold doors open for women. They usually feel a little awkward holding a newborn baby. They feel good when they see their wives smile. They would make an extraordinary sacrifice for a friend. They value honesty and integrity. They feel guilty when they lie. Yet they are competitive, ambitious and get back up when they fail.

Of course men are sexual creatures. How many times do we think about sex each day? How often do we masturbate in the shower, or take a firm hold of our balls because it feels good? How often does the mere sight of an attractive man (or woman) empty our brains of all other thought? The fast paced careers, the bigger houses, the expensive watches and cars are merely material distractions that have nothing to do with the true essence of life. Some portion of the general brotherhood are utterly straight, some portion are irreproachably gay, but our greatest numbers fall somewhere in the middle. Continue reading →

The Systematic Degradation of Nudity

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Somehow it began with Adam and Eve . . .

By Dr. Joseph Langen at The Daily News Online dot com

On a recent cruise, I noticed the reproduction of a classic sculpture of a nude male athlete in the fitness center. I found it inspirational. Outside the exercise room I noticed an almost identical sculpture in an area occasionally traversed by teens and children. This sculpture sported a strategically placed scallop shell.

When I returned from the cruise, I installed a digital art exhibit, my latest project. Two of the pieces had whimsical mermaids as subject matter. Questions arose as to the appropriateness of displaying images of mermaids with breasts included. They were eventually fitted with their own shells before display.

These two experiences got me thinking about the topic of this column. The human body has served as a subject for art since the Stone Age. Artists celebrated the human form for centuries. Throughout the history of Western Art, I think it would be safe to say that the historical figure most often depicted nude was Jesus, mostly as a baby.

Things changed with the Puritan and Victorian times. Over the years we have become squeamish about depictions of the human body. Other than in art galleries, sexuality in our culture is often relegated to the realms of advertising and pornography. Sex is used to sell just about everything. Pornography is considered evil by many but remains the most popular topic on the Internet. Continue reading →