Ads - Part 88

FTD

FTD (originally Florists Telegraph Delivery, now Florists' Transworld Delivery) was founded in 1910.  They let you order flowers remotely and have them delivered fresh from local florists.  As their symbol, they adopted the Roman god Mercury, as seen in the 1928 ad above.

Mercury was the messenger of the gods.  In the 1910 ad, as in this sculpture of Mercury, he is holding a caduceus, the winged staff held by heralds and messengers.

Later, FTD changed their logo to have Mercury holding a bunch of flowers instead of a caduceus.

That brings us to this Dutch ad from Fleurop Interflora, the European branch of FTD.  It says "First class flowers ... travel with Fleurop."  And it features a nice live recreation of the Mercury logo.

Grab Some Nuts Day 2026

Grab Some Nuts Day

Did you know that August 3 is Grab Some Nuts day?  It has been celebrated at least since 2013.  Officially, the day is about tree nuts.

But there's another kind of nuts you can grab.  All the photos in this post are from my friend Pat's blog Big Whack Attack.  Pat reminds his readers on the 15th of every month to check their balls.  In his blog, he also answers all kinds of questions from readers about the male sexual apparatus and related issues.  Check it out!

If you detect any suspicious lumps in your balls, you should immediately get checked by a doctor.  Testicular cancer is the most common type of cancer for men age 18 to 35, but the cure rate is excellent (98%) if it is detected early, which is the reason to do a monthly self-check.

Pat calls this monthly check the "buddy ball check", but he's not actually advocating having your buddy check your balls and vice-versa, though that idea sounds appealing (above).  You really have to check your own balls to know whether there's something there that feels abnormal.  Pat calls it buddy ball check because he's advising you as a friend to do it, and you should spread the word to your buddies that they should check their balls, too.

Pat has featured lots of photos that apply to "grab some nuts" day today ...

like this one ...

and this one.

Finally, here's an extract from a British YouTube video showing you exactly how to check your balls.  The British are less prudish about these things than Americans are.  So grab some nuts, and do it every month, not just once a year.

Weighing In - Part 90

Kevin Lee

Kevin Lee, born in 1992, is an American mixed martial arts fighter.  In 2017 he fought Tony Ferguson at UFC 216 for the UFC lightweight championship at the T-Mobile Arena near Las Vegas.

Before the fight, Lee weighed in at 156 pounds, which was over the 155 pound limit.  He was given one hour to lose the weight.  Above, at his second weigh-in, he weighs 154.5 pounds.

The photographer's angle managed to catch Lee naked before he stepped on the scale.

The naked view of him was fleeting, so here's a screen grab of that moment.

How did Lee lose 1.5 pounds in an hour?  Actually, shortly before the fight he weighed 174 pounds, so he had to lose 19 pounds in a few days before the fight.  The answer was extreme dehydration.  "Put yourself in my shoes," he said.  "It's 8:00, the weigh-ins start at 9:00, and I've still got five pounds to cut; so they're literally throwing boiling water into the hot tub with me because I've got to get it off now, get it off quick."

In the end, he lost the fight.  However, his overall MMA record is 20 wins and 9 losses.

Events - Part 90

 GNI - The Gathering

Last time we saw The Gathering, an event of Gay Naturists International (GNI).  Today we learn a little more about them.  GNI started in 1982 as a SIG (special interest group) of TNS (The Naturists Society).  But by 1994 they were numerous enough to split off into their own organization, which they called Gay Naturists International.

As the name implies, it's not just for U.S. naturists.  Above is a contingent from Canada, and GNI holds events in Toronto.

The big annual event is The Gathering, held at a resort in the Poconos in Pennsylvania each August.  The resort has a set of cabins ...

and two swimming pools.

The Gathering has been described as the summer camp that you wish your parents had sent you to.  Activities include dressing up as superheroes ...

getting body-painted ...

and just general partying.

There are also some contests, like the Mr. Bare Bear contest.  Obviously, the winner is not the hairless guy holding the winner's sign.  It must be the guy he has his arm around.

And there's a Mr. GNI Leather contest.  This is Matt, the 2025 winner.

But mostly, The Gathering is just an occasion for gay naturists to get naked, be with friends, and enjoy themselves.

Hiking - Part 90

Iron Mountain Trail

Today's hike was in the Sheep Mountain Wilderness in California, which is in the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument and maintained by the Angeles National Forest.

I'm afraid Jim Tighe has photoshopped the sign.  The words "Hike Naked Hike Free" were not really on the sign.

Jim did this hike on the Iron Mountain Trail in 2010.

Above, Jim at the top of a ridge.

Topping another ridge.

We end with this photo that Jim labeled "Skyclad in the mountains."

Poem of the Day - Part 90

Auguries of Innocence

Auguries of Innocence is a long poem by William Blake, thought to have been written in 1803 though not published until much later.  It is most famous for its first four lines, which I have illustrated here with pictures that may not quite fit the "innocence" in Blake's title.

To see a World in a Grain of Sand

And a Heaven in a Wild Flower,

Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand

And Eternity in an hour.

Artists - Part 92

Chris Lopez

Chris Lopez, seen above with some of his paintings, is a multimedia artist, working in acrylic painting, drawing, watercolor, and photography.  Born in Barcelona, Spain in 1966, he has lived in Fort Lauderdale, Florida since 2000.

He specializes in the male nude.  He says of his subjects: "They show something interesting about being sexy and masculine, without any sexual reference."  Above, Carlos.

Dan

Gabriel

Bill and Mark

Jack

Joe Grand.  The piece of composite wood that it is drawn on creates a strange texture.

Jorge

Manolo

Pablo and Palo, a charcoal and pastel drawing.

We end with Pablo and Palo 2.  Although Lopez says his art is not sexual, but merely shows how pleasant it is to be naked, we may be forgiven for seeing a bit more than that.