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VALUED SPONSORS |
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| HARLAN
IS BOOKING DATES FOR FALL. LAST YEAR'S DATES INCLUDED: |
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-
UT-Dallas
- Ball State U.
- TCU
- Marietta College
- Pittsburg St. U
- U of Tulsa
- S.E. MO State U
- Eastern IL U
- James Madison U
- George Mason U
- Franklin College
- Manchester College
- Miami of Ohio
-Kutztown U
- Roger Williams U
- Lake Forest College
- Sonoma State U
- U of The Pacific
- DePaul U.
- Northwestern U
- U of Miami
- U of Toledo
- Emporia St. U
- Northern IL U
- Francis Marion University
- Central Michigan University
- New Trier HS Parents' Event
- Johnson & Wales
- UT-Arlington
- UT-Dallas
WANT
TO BRING HARLAN TO CAMPUS? CLICK HERE
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| Signs
that you're uncomfortable in your physical, emotional, professional,
or academic thong: |
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-You change in the dark because you can't bear the sight
of you naked.
- You always wear something to cover something up.
-You give more thought to what people think of you then
what you think of them.
-You don't apply for jobs because of the competition.
-You think something on your body is too big, too small,
too hairy, not hairy enough, or just completely ugly and
disgusting.
-You can take risks, but only when you're drunk, high,
or a combination of the two.
-You've avoided asking someone on a date because of info
listed on their Facebook or Myspace relationship status.
-You've thought that someone you've wanted to date is
"out of your league."
-You're too afraid to approach a professor who can help
you because you don't want to look stupid.
-You've been rejected and haven't figured out the reason
why you were rejected, instead you just become angry or
withdrawn.
-You'd rather not eat than eat alone in public.
-You'd rather not go to an event than to go to a campus/public
event alone.
-You refuse to attend a club or organizational meeting
unless you know someone else who is attending that same
meeting.
-You're shy until you get comfortable with someone.
-Life tends to be more about avoiding humiliation than
taking risks.
-You've wanted to say something that needs to be said,
but didn't say it because you didn't want to upset the
people closest to you.
-You've wanted to do something you needed to do for yourself,
but stopped because you didn't want to upset the people
closest to you.
eBay
Thong Auction (Don't know if this is new or used. Bid at
your own risk) - BID ON MENS THONG SWIMSUIT/UNDERWEAR 33-40
JUNGLE ANIMAL PRINT
|
HOTLINES
(in US)
Free. Confidential. 24/7 |
|
Hopeline
Suicide Hotline
800.SUICIDE
CDC
National STD & AIDS Hotline
800.227.8922
National
Domestic Violence Hotline
800.799.SAFE
National
Sexual Assault Hotline
1.800.656.HOPE
National
Youth Crisis Line
800.999.9999
SEE
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
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SUMMER
IN A THONG |
May
3, 2007 |
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Welcome to Issue #30 of The Naked Roommate Newsletter: SUMMER
THONGS. This issue is NOT about parading around the
beach this summer in a thong (sorry to disappoint you).
It's more about working to get comfortable with the uncomfortable.
And it's the things hanging out of our physical thongs,
our emotional thongs, our academic thongs, and our social
thongs that we need to get comfortable with over the summer.
So much of life (especially college life) is about running
from and hiding the truth. We drink the truth away, drug
the truth away, eat the truth away, smoke the truth away,
gamble the truth away, sex the truth away... the list goes
on and on. This week's Naked Blog is about facing the truth
and being able to face the world in our thongs. And really,
there's no better time to put on that thong and take some
risks than in the summer. In addition to all the thong talk,
I've also included a TOTW that offers a glimpse into students'
summer plans, summer jobs, and how to deal with parents.
But first, THIS IS A NAKED ANNOUNCEMENT: For those
of you who have yet to participate in the nakedness, next
week (the final issue of the season) is the time. For all
who have participated and shared your stories, I ask you
to share for one more week! Next week's topic is about the
UNEXPECTED COLLEGE EXPERIENCE. What did you NEVER expect
to learn about yourself this year? What did you NEVER expect
to learn about someone you met this year? What did you never
expect to SEE, HEAR, or SMELL this year? Send
me your stories please. And as always, I invite you
to be my Facebook
friend, to join The
Naked Roommate Facebook Group, and to share
the nakedness with the world.
NEXT
WEEK'S TOPIC: THE UNEXPECTED COLLEGE EXPERIENCE
What did you never expect to see, hear, or smell this year
in college? What did you never expect to learn about yourself?
What did you never expect to learn about someone else? Share
ALL the details! Sending stories means that you grant
Harlan permission to use your stories in The Naked Roommate
Newsletter, online, in books, and anywhere else Harlan's
writing appears.
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MY
SUMMER PLANS
MY SUMMER PLANS:
This summer I'm MOST looking forward to going to France
and RA training, I'm LEAST looking forward to moving out
and then moving back in next year. My summer job will be
as a manager at a watch company and I'll make $600 a week.
My TOP THREE Tips for living at home w/parents over summer:
1. Don't fight (because they're the ones paying) 2. Masturbate
quietly 3. USE YOUR KITCHEN (while you have one)
- Freshman, Sonoma State University
MY SUMMER PLANS:
This summer I'm MOST looking forward to either traveling
to Italy for three and a half weeks, or the release of the
seventh Harry Potter book. I'm LEAST looking forward to
being away from all my friends. My summer job will be working
as an intern in the Genetics Lab at the National Museum
of Natural History in Washington, D.C. and I'll make $200
a week. My TOP THREE Tips for living at home w/parents over
summer: 1. Accept that they may want to overprotect you,
and try to live with it. 2. Try to hang out with friends
at your house sometimes. Parents will be upstairs and won't
bother you, but at least they'll know where you are. They
might even make you food! 3. Let them know where you're
going. They like to be informed, and they usually won't
say no.
- Sophomore, U of Georgia
MY SUMMER PLANS:
This summer I'm MOST looking forward to: spending my summer
with my grandpa in Syracuse, NY. I'm LEAST looking forward
to leaving behind all my wonderful residents and staff members
from my Residence Hall. My summer job will be working at
an ice cream shop and doing construction on the side and
I'll make $300 a week. My TOP THREE Tips for living at home
w/parents over summer: 1. Sit down with your parents and
discuss rules and regulations the first day you are home!!!
2. Understand that while you are an adult and have been
living on your own the whole school year, your parents probably
still pay for most of your expenses! If they want you home
by midnight each night and they pay for your college and
food, then be home by midnight!! You have the rest of your
life to set your own curfew and stay out and party. You'll
live for a few months of being home by curfew. 3. Talk with
your parents! Most of my friends and I agree that we are
even closer to our parents and can relate more to their
lives. The summer is a great opportunity to get closer to
your family and hear about all your parent's crazy college
stories from when they were younger.
- Junior, Central Michigan University
MY SUMMER PLANS:
This summer I'm MOST looking forward to not having to be
in class five days a week. Online classes are much more
flexible. I'm LEAST looking forward to having to take online
classes. My summer job will be as a bank teller and I'll
make $555 a week. My TOP THREE Tips for living at home w/parents
over summer: 1. If they offer to give you money for something,
take it. 2. Remember that it's still their house and they
pay the bills. As much as you might want to do your own
thing, you've got to listen to them every once in a while,
especially if they do #1. 3. Don't think that you're to
cool to hang out with your parents every now and then. Just
because you think that they're old and boring doesn't mean
that they are actually old and boring.
- Sophomore, Emporia State University
MY SUMMER PLANS:
This summer I'm MOST looking forward to spending time with
my boyfriend and going to Ludington, Mackinaw, and Grand
Haven, Michigan! I'm LEAST looking forward to being back
at home where my parents know what I'm doing every second
of the day. My summer job will be working every night and
weekend at a video store and I'll make $200 a week. My TOP
THREE Tips for living at home w/parents over summer: 1.
Explain to them that you have been away for a whole school
year and prove you're responsible. 2. Stay overnight at
a friend's house. 3. Make sure you spend some time with
your parents so that they understand when you want to spend
time with your friends.
- Freshman, Southeast Missouri State
University
MY SUMMER PLANS:
This summer I'm MOST looking forward to driving back to
California with my mom in my beat up old hail- damaged car
-- five day road trip, whoot! I'm also looking forward to
going home and just relaxing for a month before I have to
go back to school to work orientation. I just got a Wii
so I can play that with my little sisters and take them
out to the park to play Frisbee and soccer. I'll get to
see my cat again and my mom's dog and the kittens my mom
found in our backyard the other day. I'm LEAST looking forward
to airplane rides. I hate flying. I've got an ear problem
so flying is very painful and uncomfortable. I'd rather
not have to do it but I go to school too far away to be
able to drive back. This summer I'll be working with freshman
and transfer orientations on campus. I'll make $600 over
the duration of the summer; $200 at orientation and more
if I work transfer orientations. MY TOP THREE Tips for living
at home w/parents over summer: 1. Respect them and their
rules; especially if you have younger siblings. You need
to set an example. 2. Get out of the house often if you
find heads butting. Go hang with friends. Sleep over at
their houses. Go on little mini-trips to nearby cities,
etc. 3. Understand that they do love you and are glad that
you are home. You just need to return that and accept that
it's only temporary.
- Freshman, U of Pacific
MY SUMMER PLANS:
This summer I'm MOST looking forward to tanning in the sun
and swimming and reading and writing. I'm LEAST looking
forward to summer school. My summer job will be odds and
ends jobs at Wal-Mart and I'll make close to $260 a week.
MY TOP THREE Tips for living at home w/parents over summer:
1. Appreciate that it's free 2.Spend time with them 3. Go
out and do stuff with your friends... go see a movie, your
parents don't really care what you do now... you're in college,
so it's wonderful!
- Sophomore, Pittsburg State University
MY SUMMER PLANS:
This summer I'm MOST looking forward to nice weather. I'm
LEAST looking forward to being too busy. My summer job will
be as a pool monitor and gas station cashier, and I'll make
$400 a week. MY TOP THREE Tips for living at home w/parents
over summer: 1. Set rules you can all live with. 2. Try
to be reasonable. 3. Remind them that you're an adult and
expect to be treated as such.
- Freshman, St. Thomas University
SHARE
YOUR SUMMER PLANS... |
|
THE
NAKED BLOG
Exposing
It All, Hiding Nothing
BY HARLAN COHEN, AUTHOR OF THE NAKED ROOMMATE
SUMMER
IN A THONG
College
isn't only about getting a degree - it's about getting comfortable
in your thong and earning a degree along the way. Now, I'm
not suggesting you receive your diploma in a thong (I wish
I had an illustrator for this column). I'm also not suggesting
to go to Target and walk down the aisles wearing only a thong
(but you can buy a thong at Target). It's also not a good
idea to walk into Blockbuster Video, Starbucks, or Trader
Joe's wearing only a thong. The place to wear your thong is
at home while standing in front of a full length mirror, or
two full length mirrors (the second is a rearview mirror).
If this intimidates you, (or makes you sick) you're not alone.
The truth is that most of the world can't stand living
life in their thongs. And I'm not just talking about our
physical thongs. We are uncomfortable in our emotional thongs,
professional thongs, social thongs, academic thongs, and
various other thongs. The problem with being so uncomfortable
in our thongs is that when we encounter anything other than
what we expect to happen, we're too self-conscious to do
anything other than run or attack. To not run or attack
means having to stand still and allow the world to glare
at us in our thongs. Standing in our thong is too painful
(especially an extremely tight thong). We drink, do drugs,
play videogames, retreat online, text, call, and find ways
to deal with life so long as it doesn't mean exposing ourselves
to the world or having to look at ourselves in the mirror
while wearing an uncomfortable thong.
So do yourself a favor this summer - get comfortable in
your thongs (or at least one). Look in the mirror and change
what you don't love and embrace what you can't change. If
you can't change it on your own, get help changing it. If
you know you're drinking, doing drugs, being abused, abusing
someone, or doing something you shouldn't be doing, figure
out what you're running from. Chances are, it's something
that's hanging out of your thong. And really, the summer
is a great time to do it. Consider finding a group therapy
setting away from campus to deal with a past sexual assault,
an eating disorder, an addiction, etc.. Just do something
different. The more comfortable you can get, the easier
it will be to take risks. Turn your eccentricities into
assets (my protruding ears are my secret weapon). No matter
your size, education, or appearance - if you can learn to
embrace your reflection, the world will embrace it (if you're
looking to have the world embrace what's hanging out of
your thong).
So enjoy this summer, take some risks, and get comfortable
in all of your thongs. Say what you feel. Do what you want
to do. Get help along the way. And come back to school as
someone who is more comfortable, more confident, and able
to stand tall while walking through the center of campus
wearing a thong.
COMMENT
IN THE NAKED BLOG ---> CLICK HERE
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ADVICE
FROM A MAN...
The
Customer is NEVER Right When it Comes to Retail Abuse
Dear
Harlan,
I work at a retail store, and I am very upset about the
way customers treat employees. They scream and yell when
they don't get their way. There is so much anger within
these customers. We are told by management what we cannot
do, and they change policy to suit customers. I believe
customers are always right, but when we are verbally abused
and sometimes assaulted, does that mean they're right?
Retail Punching Bag
Dear Retail Punching Bag,
Angry customers can berate retail workers, but not assault
them. That's not allowed. So should you happen to have a
Harry Potter book thrown at you, tell your boss and alert
the authorities (after regaining consciousness).
As for the angry shoppers, when working in retail, dealing
with miserable people is part of the job. Do NOT take it
personally. Rude customers are just joyless, unhappy people
with little to celebrate in their own private lives (or
they're just having a really bad day). Rather than getting
upset by them, get happy. Do it out of sympathy, or just
because miserable people hate happy people. The unhappier
the person in front of the counter is, the happier the person
behind the counter should react. Answer attitude with a
smile. Nod your head in agreement. Say things like, "Oh
yes, you're so right." Smile brightly until the transaction
is complete. Once the customer leaves, privately tell your
co-workers what you wish you could have told the idiot customer
(make sure it's out of earshot of other shoppers). And should
you find yourself getting upset later in the day, remind
yourself of the irremovable security tag you "accidentally"
left on the merchandise. That's a happy thought.
Got
Better Advice??? CLICK HERE |
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BIO: Harlan Cohen
Harlan
Cohen was born naked. He grew up clothed in the suburbs
of Chicago. Once in college, he got dumped by his high school
long distance girlfriend, he didn't get into the fraternity
he had been rushing, and he didn't find his place in college.
Years later, he found that he wasn't the only one. And that's
why he writes about college life. Harlan is also a syndicated
advice columnist, singer/songwriter, speaker, the founder
of Rejection Awareness Week and Chairman of The International
Rejection/Risk-Taking Project. Harlan can be found online
at
helpmeharlan.com,
TheNakedRoommate.com, on Facebook,
and at
MySpace.
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