Tuesday, April 30, 2013

4/28/13 Walter of the Week: Greece

This week our Walter Award goes to yet another country: Greece.  There are a lot of reasons why Greeks should be recognized for promoting nudity, of course.

To begin with, the ancient Greeks spent a lot of their time sans clothing.  (Those toga / cloak things they wore never covered much anyway.) We have naked workouts in the gymnasiums, plus the Olympics.  We have all those nude statues and vases.  We even have nude beaches in some parts of the Greek islands today.

The land of Athens and Sparta also deserves recognition for a story we ran on the Bare Platypus yesterday.  It seems that the Greeks loaned an entire museum exhibit worth of artifacts celebrating the Olympic games to the nation of Qatar.  When Qatar put coverings over the male anatomy of two statues, the Greek government called foul and said that would violate the spirit in which the statues had been created, not to mention interfering with their natural beauty.

Bravo to you, Greece.  Your economy may have some challenges, but you have civic pride and a history you refuse to alter for the sake of politics. 

Interestingly, this is not the first time that an audience has tried to put clothing on Greek statuary.  A statue depicting the mythical figure Poseidon---which was a gift from Greece in 1972 to the City of Sacramento, California---was once draped in things like khaki shorts and t-shirts by some attendees of a convention with lots of families in attendance. Apparently the convention ended before any Greeks learned about the clothing and had time to object.

Read that story here: Poseidon statue coverup

Monday, April 29, 2013

Nude Statues Prompt Controversy Between Greece and Qatar

The country of Qatar reportedly told the country of Greece to take their naked statues back.  It seems the statues were part of a traveling Olympic history exhibit with over 600 pieces of archaeological significance .  When Qatar covered up the male anatomy on two statues to "avoid offending female patrons," Greek officials voiced a strong objection that the coverings detracted from the beauty and spirit of the pieces.  Rather than escalate things, they agreed to take the statues to the home country.

Curiously, some statues of bare-breasted women did not prompt any complaints or coverings.

Read about the story:  Take Naked Statues Back says Qatar

Note: The Bare Platypus has written about whitewashing nudity from the history of the Olympics on a previous occasion in Remember the Olympics used to be Naked and in Naked History: Sanitized for your Protection

Friday, April 26, 2013

Good News Story: Dozens Go Skinny Dipping in England for Cancer Charity

In running a news search today, the Bare Platypus came across a story from England about some nude folks doing a good turn for their fellow man.  It seems that a couple dozen beachgoers went naked into the ocean as part of a radio station's fundraising event for a cancer charity. 

One swimmer who got bare said she did so on behalf of her 22 year old daughter who is terminally ill with cancer.  The video, which you can watch by clicking here for nude swim story , shows some people having good natured fun and happy to lend a hand.

We wish the folks in "Tynemouth Longsands" along the North Sea every success with their effort.  Let's hope they raise lots of money to fight the disease.  We also applaud the many nudists stateside who hold events to help pursue a cure.

Thursday, April 25, 2013

Revisiting Autism and Nudity

This week Yale University reported the results of a breakthrough study in which researchers found they could predict the likelihood of a fetus developing into an autistic child based on an analysis of the folds of their mother's placenta.

According to that story as covered in USA Today, one behavioral expert began using intensive autism therapies on her own daughter at very early stages of her life. She did so after determining her daughter was at high risk for the condition given placenta data.

In previous posts, the Bare Platypus has asked, aloud,  Could nudity be a therapy for autism ?  We offered the question after numerous stories about certain persons on the autism spectrum who do not like the feeling of clothes on their body.  Apparently they have an increased sensitivity to the sensation of contact between fabric and skin.

Perhaps we will one day offer increased amounts of "naked time" to those whose placental analysis indicates a predisposition to autism.

Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Update: Where to find nude statuary online

Earlier this week we called for fellow nudists to introduce some nude statuary to their home's landscaping or interior décor.  We have since located at least one online source for finding such statuary: Click Here for Statue Inventory

Caveat Emptor: Our site gets NO commission or referral fee for sending readers to the above link.  We make NO representation or warranty about the quality of the materials offered on the site or their reliability for meeting your order either. You would do well to satisfy yourself before making any purchase(s). We have never shopped on the site in question. However, the selection was VAST.  We stopped after about two dozen pages of products. 

There appears to be something of every shape, size, style, color, and more... indoor and outdoor.  Happy bargain hunting!

04/24/13 Update: Here's another site with many, many Nude Statues

Tuesday, April 23, 2013

4/21/13 Walter of the Week: Denmark

Our Walter Award goes to a country this week... Denmark!

Denmark came to our attention when a story surfaced in the New York Times that the nation is re-evaluating its safety net of social programs .  However you feel about that subject, it got us thinking about what the country does to promote nude living and, thus, to deserve a Walter.

Leisure Time. To begin with, as the above-linked article points out, Danes enjoy significant amounts of vacation time and shorter work weeks.  That translates into more free time with friends and family and, if you're a nudist, more naked time.

Bare Platypus Visitors. Lately we have noticed more and more visitors to our blog site from Denmark stopping by, as well as visitors from Sweden, its neighbor to the North.  Welcome!

Natural Nudity. What we most admire about countries like Denmark, however, is how natural and matter-of-fact they are about nudity.

Imagine, for example, that for just a moment you were reading a blog where the author doesn't claim to be a nudist and doesn't have any hideous disclaimer about being "NSFW." Yet when summer comes round, pictures from the blogger's back yard and vacations depict nude and/or topless bathers and picnic-goers.  We've seen such blogs in "Dansk" but it helps if they use a little English too.

For another example, the famed statue of The Little Mermaid in Copenhagen harbor provides a natural depiction of a subject with bare breasts and none of the Disney seashells covering her up, thank you.

So go on, Denmark.  Just keep on being yourself.  When it comes to natural nudity, we hope that imitation will be the form of flattery paid to you!

Sunday, April 21, 2013

Creative Skinny Dipping

Summer is coming and, for those of a nudist mindset, it definitely means getting in some skinny-dipping. 

Some of us are fortunate enough to live in a home with a fenced back yard and a swimming pool.  That makes for an awesome combination for swimming bare.  Still others live within reasonable drive of a nudist club or nude beach.

But even if you don’t have a private pool or ready access to the sunny bum club, you can still dip.  Here are some creative ideas:

-          Get a wading pool for just a few bucks at your local Walmart.  Set it in the backyard to warm in the sun.   Later, when the light fades, slip out in a swimsuit, but ditch it once you’re in water. A relaxing soak for pennies.

 

-          Offer to “house sit” for friends who own a secluded pool.  Feed their cat.  Bring in their mail. Then go for a naked swim!

 

-          Go to a regular beach or lake and, once you’ve swum out a ways from shore, ditch the swimsuit.  Appoint a designated swimsuit keeper to tread water (or use a float) and hold them until you’re ready to head back into shore.

 

-          A variation on the above, some folks clip their suit to a small buoy or rope line to a raft.

 

-          If all else fails, fill the bath tub.  Turn down your lights and put on a tape of nature sounds… birds chirping, waterfalls, or ocean waves.   If you close your eyes you can imagine you’re soaking among the redwoods in a forest.  Or on a secluded beach.

Friday, April 19, 2013

Memorial Day is Coming

Our favorite time of year is nearly here.  That time when the weather warms up, the days get longer, and we look forward to a holiday weekend where we can doff our clothes for several days straight.

Why not start making your plans for the best ways to spend Memorial Day weekend bare?  Whether entertaining close friends, doing some late-night skinny dipping, having a picnic behind your non-offense fence, or even just enjoying the inside of your home in your birthday suit, we hope you get a great start on the nudist season.

Oh, and while you're planning to celebrate, also plan some time paying respects to the brave men and women of our armed services who sacrificed so that we can enjoy the freedom we do.  Make a donation to a veterans' group.  Proudly display the flag. And join us in saying, "thanks."

Thursday, April 18, 2013

A Call For Naked Yard Ornaments

If you haven't guessed by now, The Platypuses are a bit non-conformist.  So excuse us if we encourage blog readers to shake things up by adding some nude statuary or other objects to their yards.  This would make nudity a topic of conversation and, perhaps, get people to think differently about natural nakedness.

We're not suggesting that this "ornamentation" be large. Or gaudy. Or offend the children waiting for the school bus. 

But what about nude cherubs near a small fountain? Or a figure laying, contemplatively, in the grass with only their backside showing? Or one of those sign cutouts designed to stake into the ground and to look like someone is standing near the corner of a home or garden au naturale? (There are some that look like the subject is taking a whiz, but we have seen ordinary hand-painted butts at some craft shows. Perhaps you could even paint your own.)

We welcome hearing from any of you who know where to buy these objects online.  The Platypuses are likely to patronize any business offering them.

Usually there's more flexibility with what we do with our back yards. And one can definitely take liberties when they have installed a "non offense fence" . Besides, it's hard to issue citations to a nudist who is made of granite, wood, or resin... although we have read a tale or two about code enforcement citations for those who overdo it.

Go reasonably crazy.  Try to avoid violating your homeowner association covenants or zoning regulations in the process. But have some naked fun too!


04/24/13 Update: Click here for a blog entry with more information about finding nude statuary online: http://bareplatypus.blogspot.com/2013/04/update-where-to-find-nude-statuary.html

Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Bare Boating

Summer is coming, and what better topic for summer than boating fun?  Or, more specifically, bare boating!

The Platypus has never had occasion to buy a boat since platypuses are at home swimming in the water already.  However, the next best thing to owning a boat is knowing friends or family who do. We've spent enough time going nautical to make some observations.

First, in our experience, not nearly as many people go nude when they hit the waves as we would think.  After all, it's possible to find seclusion... either in a hidden cove, or by cruising out to an offshore island.  Yet many boaters navigate miles away only to drop anchor among lots of other swim-suited folk.  We'd like to challenge you to think differently and get bare when you're on deck away from others. There's usually plenty of time to cover up if you need to do so.

Second, we're puzzled that more advertisers don't use the imagery of getting to lounge in your birthday suit if you own their craft.  True, they usually depict bikini-clad models.  But they stop short of showing a bare bottom (or even discarded swimwear).  We think selling nude sunbathing would help sell boats.

Finally, we've yet to be invited on an outright bare boating excursion (other than a nude cruise, that is), though we've had lots of friends invite us to join them at nudist resorts---as we have, in turn, invited others.  So we'd like to encourage those of you who do own boats to do a bit of recruiting for our nudist ranks by posing the question to friends or family: "care to join us for some au naturale time on the high seas?"

How about it Platypus readers?  Any tales from the whales you'd care to share?

Tuesday, April 16, 2013

4/14/13 Walter of the Week: "Digital Mom"

 
 

Our Walter of the Week award is named after Walter Bishop, the eccentric but very talented scientist on the hit television series, Fringe.  We named the award in honor of him because he helped mainstream casual everyday nudity by cooking naked on Tuesdays in his home, regardless of guests.

We have not awarded a WALTER since Valentine's Day when we honored Cupid.  But this week we believe DIGITAL MOM deserves one for her humorous article about her toddler turned nudist.  It's cute. It's funny. It's about classic enjoyment of one's birthday suit.

Congrats Digital Mom!  This Walter's for you...

Monday, April 15, 2013

Celebrate Banned Books Day... Buy Something with Nudity

This week Parade Magazine and other media outlets are running a story about the American Library Association's top 10 list of banned books.  Know what's most likely to get a title on the list?  You guessed it: sex or nudity.  Or in one example, underpants.  Captain Underpants to be exact.

Similarly, the Bare Platypus has posted a previous article about Kids Books with Nudity .  It includes examples of stories and texts that parents have demanded be removed from library shelves.  We have also written about Corporate Nudity Bans and about Sanitizing History by purging all mention of nakedness.

We've never been fans of censorship.  So we say, let the whole ban thing backfire.  Go to your local bookstore.  Find something with nudity in it and buy it.  Even if it's just a greeting card.  Go home and read (or write in) your purchase and do so in your birthday suit. 

Saturday, April 13, 2013

IRS Tax the Shirt Off Your Back? Go Naked1


Reposted from 04/09/12:

 
Benjamin Franklin said that the only two sure things in life are death and taxes.  Perhaps it’s fitting that Franklin’s picture appears on the $100 bill when it takes so many of them to pay government. So what can you do when taxes leave you bare?  Stay that way!

In fact, Mr. Franklin would probably agree.  He wrote in his diary that he usually would sit in his bedroom each morning completely nude for an hour or more, depending on the season.

There are several advantages of exercising your right to bare arms, legs, and everything else:
 

·         It will help you beat stress;

·         It doesn’t cost anything;

·         They don’t tax sunshine.

·         It's fun! 

Nude beaches were especially popular in former communist bloc countries like East Germany, Czechoslovakia, and the former Yugoslavia.  In addition to eliminating the expense of bathing suits---something that citizens of said countries could ill afford---nude bathing was one form of expressing the desire to be free from government dictates.

So express yourself a little. Trade your 1040 for some SPF 40 and enjoy the sunshine of your back yard.

 

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

New Platypus Poll Question Asks About Potential Nudists in Your Life

Check out our new poll, which will run through the end of May 2013.  Tell us about who in your life could soon be a nudist.

You can select more than one choice.

Use comments to this post to tell us about choices not listed.


Platypus Update: 4/16/13 - Guess we know how Digital Mom would answer this question.

Saturday, April 6, 2013

Results of When Did You Become a Nudist Poll

On Monday of this week, voting closed in our online poll asking, "When did you become a nudist?" Just a few ballots shy of 275 were cast in the three months that Bare Platypu ran the poll.  Here's how the results stack up:

  • "From the time I could get my diaper off" = 31%

  • "In College"  = 20%

  • "Adult Years" = 43%

  • "I'm not a nudist... Yet!" = 4%
Poll percentages don't add up to 100% because of the math associated with 272 people voting, we guess.  A few additional observations and disclaimers: (1) These results are obviously unscientific; (2) We noted through the process that sometimes people changed or withdrew votes (e.g. the count of those voting would go from 155 back to 153 ) but not often; (3) the percentages you see above varied very little during those three months.  Whether twenty or two hundred ballots were cast, you would typically see nearly a third claiming to be nudists from a young age, 20% college students, and the largest number selecting adult years... that category always earning at least 40%.

But what may these results mean for bringing the message of nudism to the world?  We're going to do a fair bit of "extrapolation" with these figures and take a bit of "creative license," but here goes.

First, we note that many who voted may share the experience of one who commented on the poll when we made a post that there were just ten days left to vote in it.  He explained that he liked having no clothes on as a kid, but only discovered "organized" nudism much later as an adult.  The comment maker probably describes a lot of us.  Unless raised as nudists, we wouldn't experience significant group nudity or organized activities until we were old enough to find them via the library or internet.

It reveals a flaw in the poll in that "becoming a nudist" means different things to different people.  For the Bare Platypus it means, "When did you first think life would be cool without clothes and want to do it?"

 For one of our Platypus it came very early in life, when the first jokes about nudists were heard or introduced as part of a TV plot. We can still remember an episode of the old Bob Newhardt show (when he was the psychiatrist) and he took a group into the woods for a weekend.  One of  Newhardt's group refused to pack clothes and said he would spend the time naked.  We only saw him from the waist up, but the idea of running around and camping in the woods in the buff seemed very cool.  (The Platypus did later manage to sneak some skinny dipping in at night and try going buff in the woods a few times.)

So the point is, if The Platypus had been asked "Do you want to go to a place where people take all their clothes off?" the answer would have been "I'll be in the car!"

Maybe that mindset describes the near-third who selected "from the time I could get my diaper off" but Mrs. Platypus never really thought about nudity until she married Mr. Platypus and he wanted to be bare often.  That's when she became a nudist and would squarely be in the "adult years" category.  Perhaps because of school, career, and social convention it may be that it simply does not occur to many people to try taking their clothes off as a way of being.  Or the 42% in the category may have lounged around the house in the buff but, as we said before, not tried organized / group nudity until an adult.  Certainly the availability of having one's own home or apartment frees you up to try something like nudity, which your parents / room mates may have frowned upon.

Do we chock up the 20% of college and university nudists to a willingness to try new things?  To consumption of alcohol, the proximity of colleges to nude beaches, or to the first freedom from parental households?  No doubt some combination of the above.

We'll be discussing the poll results more in the coming weeks and invite your comments.  If we can determine when and where people start thinking about nudism, we can, perhaps, better target our messaging and outreach efforts.

4/16/13 Update:  Given DIGITAL MOM's article about her toddler-turned-nudist we can guess how her kid will be voting in this poll in about 20 years!

Friday, April 5, 2013

Conan O' Brien, Chelsea Handler Go Naked in Shower Skit

Okay, there's a bit of pixilation in the video you'll see by clicking Nude Shower Skit but it appears they're naked in this one.  The skit involves an argument over "turf" as part of the ongoing late night television wars.

Tuesday, April 2, 2013

New Jersey Bans Those Under 17 from Tanning Salons


Here's a story in the news this week.  Following the well-known case of the mom who was alleged to have brought her 5 year old daughter to a tanning salon where the girl allegedly sustained a sunburn, the State of New Jersey has imposed the new ban against those under 17 from tanning in salon machinery.  Spray tans are also regulated. See http://news.msn.com/us/after-tanning-mom-nj-bans-children-from-tanning-beds .

Mom denies putting her daughter into a tanning bed and claims the sunburn came through more natural causes (i.e. being outside in the sun too long). 

What law could follow next?