I have mentioned before that my Wednesday Wanderings come from a cute little thing called StumbleUpon.  It’s considered by some to be social networking, although I personally don’t utilize that aspect of it.  I just push the Stumble button to find random websites.  It’s entertaining and helps me find silly stuff to share on my blog.  However, it’s not “safe for work.”

 

This is a concept which has always bugged me.  It’s a matter of “political correctness” but I see it more as being politically uptight.  My Stumble settings allow for websites with R-rated words and sometimes X-rated images.  The latter is from a category called “artistic nudity” or something like that.  I don’t actually Stumble across porn much, but I do regularly see naked women.  Thus, I cannot use this amusing tool at work, as the world might end if too many people saw exposed boobs.

 

Seriously, I have never understood this.  I know it can be distracting–that’s the point, usually–but most workplaces take it much further than that, equating nudity with sexuality and thus not permitted.  I guess I am mostly boggled by people who take offense to either nudity or sexuality, both of which are quite natural.  It’s quite arguable that nudity is, in fact, more natural than wearing clothes.

 

I guess it boils down to a very core philosophy of mine which is that if it doesn’t cause harm to anyone, don’t make it a crime.  This is one thing which drew me to Wicca for awhile, as it is one of their guiding principles, usually stated as “And it harm none, so be it” or something similar.  Seeing nudity doesn’t damage anything.  Being naked causes no harm.  One might argue that having sex has the potential for harm if one of those involved in the act has an STD, but watching sex has never directly harmed anyone.  (No, it’s probably not a good idea to watch porn while, for example, operating heavy machinery, but subsequent damage would be an indirect result.)

 

I have long envisioned that should I win the lottery and establish some big business, I would have anyone who wanted to work for me sign something saying they would not be offended by foul language or crude imagery.  This does not mean there could not be a case for harassment.  Telling somebody to go to hell or something even cruder is still offensive, but not because of the language.

 

Ah, well.  Enough rambling.  I am not at work right now, so…back to my politically incorrect stumbling.  See you tomorrow.