A Special Welcome to Aspies and Others on the Autistic Spectrum

WE HAVE NOTICED an uptick in traffic related to the topics of nudity and autism this week.  This happens from time to time and we especially welcome those on the autistic spectrum to the Bare Platypus.  Stop in.  St ay a while. Feel free to ditch your clothes and no one will judge you here!

Fact is, there are quite a few folks with Asperger's or other conditions on the autism spectrum who just know, inherently, that life feels better without clothes. We understand.  We really do! Clothes can be very uncomfortable for some of us. We also know that Aspies go on to grad school, med school, and much much more.  We hope you will continue to make the world a better place for nudists.

If this describes you, we appreciate you for being you.   And we'll bare with you!

Feel free to check out these Platypus blog posts:

Revisiting Nudity and Autism

Are we wearing naked genes?

Nudity: Therapy for Autism?

I Bare Therefore I Am (a Nudist)

Last week there was an interesting juxtaposition of stories appearing in the news.  First came an announcement from the Ford Motor Company that, effective beginning in 2019, it would cease building cars with the exception of just a model or two (e.g. the Mustang).  That's right, you read correctly. The company that, for over 100 years brought us the Model T, the Model A, the Edsel, the Thunderbird, the Falcon, the LTD (remember Starsky and Hutch anyone?) and a host of other cars will virtually eliminate all cars from its North American lineup.  Ford will still crank out trucks and sport utility vehicles, which apparently produce much greater profits for the folks in Dearborn, Michigan.

Just a few days later another story piqued The Platypus interest.  Seems that after 108 years the Boy Scouts of America will allow girls to join its ranks and work towards becoming Eagle Scouts just like their brothers. The organization is changing its name to "Scouts BSA" to reflect this fact.  We know, we know...maybe this was just a matter of time.  There have been girls in the Explorer arm of the program for decades and women have served for decades now as Scoutmasters as well.

However one feels about these decisions, one must admit that they represent a significant change in philosophy, focus, and direction. Have these respective entities totally lost their way or simply embraced inevitable changes?  It all got The Platypus to thinking about what the essence of nudism is...at least for us.  The views you are about to read reflect our opinions only and not necessarily those of the readership or those who link to us. But here goes:

To us, the essence of nudism IS nudity.  It's being naked, not wearing clothing because that's what nudists like to do.  This may sound obvious but it warrants stating and repeating.  To those publications and resorts that market to the nudist community we would ask you to remember that as well.

Why do we need to say it?  Because often the latest amenity, service, or activity offered does not necessarily enhance the experience of being naked.  Sometimes the opposite is true.  Just a few examples:  (1) hosting a big charity event at your nudist park that eventually becomes so big that your park asks us to wear clothes to avoid offending the new visitors; (2) adding an expensive upgrade to your facility while neglecting to install that fence or grove of trees that would eliminate the need to "cover up" when walking certain trails or areas of your park that could be accessible to nudity if this were made a priority; (3) that gym equipment that is so special that clothes are required when using it.

If you think we're off base here check out some of the advertising and websites from some of the more "sophisticated" European naturist resorts.  Fine dining. Parasailing from a tow boat.  Arts, crafts, science centers,  discoteques.  You know what you also see when all of these are featured? Lots of people wearing lots of clothes!

We're not saying anyone has to listen to us.  We don't pay your mortgage (at least not directly).  But if it's all the same we will gladly exchange the latest gee-whiz technology for something much more simple:  building your business around people like us who like to remove our clothes when we arrive and, having done so, don't put them on until it's time to leave.  This isn't about choice.  Whether strictly nudist or clothing optional, you can still opt for nudity in your messaging.  And scheduling. Let us know that nudity is always acceptable and welcome on your grounds.  Work for a clientele that gets it. Employ people who get it too.

Here's hoping we don't get to the point of reading "swimsuits required" on the nudist pool sign.

Recap on World Naked Gardening Day

THE PLATYPUS CELEBRATION of World Naked Gardening Day was an enjoyable one... if a bit "punctuated" by a few off-and-on rain showers throughout the afternoon.

To begin, the Platypus made the rounds of a few home and garden stores.  Bright annual flowers? Check.  Enhanced potting soil?  Check. Mulch to spread around the new flowers? Check. And a greeting to sales clerks for a happy naked gardening day.  Check.

Once home there were some repairs to be made to backyard "non-offense" screening. Last year there were some severe wind storms that knocked down the more permanent fencing of our yard and hundreds of neighbors.  So the barricades are more temporary this spring and the area to be tilled and planted much smaller too.

But there was an opportunity to put colorful fledgling plants into the ground in a completely naked state.  And that's what we did.

Refreshing.

Natural.

Bare.

No neighbors offended.

A few scattered showers to provide refreshment to the new flowers and our bare skin.

The mulch is not down yet so tomorrow after church may be a time for World Naked Gardening Day Part II: the sequel.

World Naked Gardening Day is Tomorrow and This is One You Should Do

IT'S THAT TIME of year again... first Saturday in May is tomorrow... and that means...you guessed it: World Naked Gardening Day.

This one is fun.  Doesn't matter what your political stripes are.  Doesn't matter if you are a dues-paying nudist or even call yourself a nudist.  Doesn't matter your age. Your gender. Or anything else. You, your spouse, your family can celebrate.  And if the pets lend a hand with digging a hole or two, well they're already naked.

It's about doing something good for the earth while celebrating the act of gardening in the state that the first gardeners---Adam and Eve---did it: sans clothes.

Now we know that the weather may not cooperate for some of you.  Or that you have nosy neighbors and not enough non-offense fencing to avoid causing an "incident."  But even if you have to confine your birthday suit work to indoors you can "garden."  Water your plants naked.  Plant some seedlings. Read up for tips online while starkers.

Equally important, help spread some awareness.  You could post a Twitter tweet.  Or do what the Platypus is planning to do: visit a few garden shops making small purchases of plants (inexpensive bright annuals), soil, or plant food.  Then casually mention that it is World Naked Gardening Day and what brought you to them for business.

We also plan to watch the comic strips... in the past there have been brief "homages" to "going outside to do some gardening," or talk about spring planting that seems to be an oh-so-very-very subtle nod to us that more folks recognize the occasion each year.

There's a saying, "photos or it didn't happen.We'll leave that up to your discretion on World Naked Gardening Day.

New York Times Ponders Nudes and Neighbors in the Big City

Over the weekend the NY Times addressed a question from a 70 year old man about nudity in one's own kitchen, and homeowner association considerations.  Read about it NY Times, Nudity, and the Neighbors .

Hope your week is off to a good start, Platypus readers.

Some Light Reading for a Sunday Afternoon

Brr... Still cold in most parts this winter.  Perhaps too chilly to venture out in your birthday suit.  If you're stuck inside this weekend due to weather, here are a few nude-related stories to occupy your time:

Why A Nude Art Tour Continues to Be Popular in Sydney  ;

Writer for Allure Magazine Describes 1st Visit to Nude Place  ;

Australian Writer Opines Why We Should All Be Naked More .


Here's hoping you all have a good weekend... er... what's left of it!

Parallel Platypus

Hey, the weekend is here and we're celebrating its arrival just a little bit early.  Unfortunately, it is so cold throughout North America that the Platypus team cannot realistically think about being naked... even in our own living quarters with the heat cranked up... It's that cold!

So let's do a bit of imaginative thinking shall we?  What if it was warmer.  If Spring had arrived.  If we could be outside in the sunshine au naturale. 

Now let's turn to even more creative thinking.  If you watched Star Trek episodes, or many other programs on a SciFi network, you know that the subject of parallel universes is a regular theme.  Writers explore alternative realities where Spock and Kirk knew each other as college age friends.  Where Dr. Who never did battle with the Dalek invaders.  Stuff like that.  It's the stuff most episodes of Rick & Morty are made about.

The Platypus Team saw these types of shows, of course, but figured it was all just a matter of fiction.  We'll admit we went for, ahem, a path of "liberal arts" studies rather than hard sciences after high school.  So we never broached anything like theoretical physics and quantum mechanics. 

Turns out, many very sophisticated, educated, experts in the field believe that a theory incorporating infinite universes with infinite possibilities is the best explanation of how we exist.  It makes the mathematical equations work. Professors like Max Tegmark of M.I.T., (who has publicly advocated for the many worlds interpretation) and Brian Greene, Columbia University professor and author of best-selling works about our Universe (who believes the issue and math are not completely settled but admits multiple, infinite universes is a distinct possibility) are among such physicists.

For our part, while we could never make sense of the complex equations and do not know what to believe, we will say that a "many worlds" theory is not necessarily anathema to our faith and belief system. 

Could there be a distinct, different, parallel universe where Adam and Eve never ate forbidden fruit.  Or worlds where, for whatever reason and however history turned out, that nudity is much more accepted than it is in our world right here and now:

- Maybe there are multiple universes where humans never wore clothes, never thought to wear clothes, and didn't need them - so they all go naked to this day;

- Maybe there are universes where people wear clothes day-in-day out for work and school, but always go nude on beaches and lakes, or in the park at summer (On our world Scandinavia once looked a bit like that... parts of Germany too if only for a while);

- Maybe there are worlds where all people always sleep nude, or always live nude in their own homes;

- Or maybe there are worlds where people eventually discovered the joys and benefits of nudity and maybe our own planet in our own universe will get there someday.

Ah well, here's to dreaming and imagination.  Here's to hoping some of those top physicists start mentioning nude universes instead of going to that tired old example of a world where the Nazis won World War II.  No one who is sane wanted that to happen.  But a world full of naked?  Hmmm...

The Platypus Philosophy on Twitter Followers

When the Bare Platypus team began this blog more than five years ago, Twitter was not on our radar screen.  Indeed, it took several years before Platypus tweets and retweets started appearing. As more and more activity takes place on the Twitter forum, we figured the beginning of a New Year would be as good a time as any to explain and clarify our approach to maintaining a Twitter following.

First, we'll note with some regret that there are more than one Twitter users who claim to be "nudists,"  yet make it fairly clear, fairly on in their posts and images that they are seeking a much more risque' audience and conversation.  (We're putting this mildly for the benefit of sensitive folk who may be reading).  If we had a dollar for every Twitter account that began with the disclaimer that "nudism is not about (you know what)" and then went on to present (you know what) in very graphic detail and images... well, we'd have enough dollars that we could arrange to have our Platypus fur dry cleaned, that's for sure.

The approach of many legitimate Twitter nudists is to announce, up front, that any followers with such graphic material will be blocked. While we understand the concerns associated with blurring the lines between nudism and "something else" we're not exactly sure what the term being "blocked" entails.

If, on the one hand, blocking a non-nudist tweeter who doesn't get nudism means that legitimate nudists don't want to (return) follow those accounts, we understand and observe that principle ourselves.  To the best of our ability we do not sign up to receive objectionable tweets and periodically review postings to cull those who post objectionable risque material from our "who we follow" list.  It would not be our practice, of course, to retweet or like objectionable material either.

On the other hand, The Platypus does not usually try to block Twitter accounts from following us.  It's not about trying to inflate lists and numbers...it's from a genuine hope that some folks, at some time, may receive, review, and actually learn something about the difference between exploiting the human body and articles or images legitimately celebrating these creations in a way that respects persons from all walks of life, gray hair, wrinkles and all.

You get the idea.

Occasionally the Platypus Team blocks a follower who consistently demonstrates particularly disturbing trends (such as advocating violence, abuse of persons, etc.) but we try to show more latitude for followers as opposed to those we select to follow for the above-stated reasons.

If you happen to review the list of those who we "allow" to follow Bare Platypus and find some of them objectionable, please understand that allowing people to read legitimate messages about nudism does not mean that we "endorse" those who choose to read what we print.

A bit complicated to explain, but we appreciate your patience.  And your alternative views in the comments to this blog.

Happy Nude Year in 2018 - We Really Mean It!

If you follow nudist blogs or Twitter accounts you know it's fairly common for us to use the pun "Happy Nude Year!"  We say, or type, it enough each January 1st that it tends to lose some of the meaning over time.  But we really mean it... We hope you will make a New Year Resolution to spend more time naked over the next 365 days.

Start by climbing in between the sheets with nothing on to sleep.  If it's cold where you live (where is it NOT cold right now????) just add an extra blanket or two.  Keep a bath robe handy if you need to get up during the night.

Weatherproof one room in your home with extra insulation and turn the heat up so you can enjoy it au naturale.  Plan to take a vacation week in a warm climate and visit a nudist park for at least one day while on winter holiday. 

When it gets warmer be among the first of families to visit a nudist club Memorial Day weekend.  Be sure to celebrate World Naked Gardening Day naked.

You get the idea.

Have a happy NUDE year!