Once upon a time, I knew a guy at work who had a real Eagle Scout demeanor, and after a couple of years of casual acquaintance I was (naively, on my part) surprised to discover that he was. . . well, that he had something in common with a lot of folks who live in Utah. OK, fine, he was still a good database administrator, and he was unfailingly friendly to me. Though he was just **so** square, you know, that you could hardly resist shocking him from time to time by telling him stuff like how much you like _Thelma and Louise_.
This guy was almost a ringer for Steve Sandvoss in _Latter Days_, except, well, not **quite** that hot. (Good Steve): http://www.imdb.com/media/rm314349824/nm1302182 (Baaad Steve): http://www.baremalecelebsrss.com/category/steve-sandvoss/ http://xab.xanga.com/2771330721733171094874/z101346742.jpg
Anyway, so shortly after we got internet access at work at that place (this was back in the 20th century ;-> ), there was no automatic blocking software such as most workplaces have today, but there was manual monitoring of network activity, and there was a particularly zealous IT security guy at this place (where I and my upstanding friend were both consultants) who just lived for the chance to catch somebody doing something they shouldn't be doing with his employer's computers. And everybody was just **floored** when this company's network fuzz swooped down on this poor Eagle Scout and accused him (privately, presumably, but such things don't stay private for long) of accessing internet porn on company time. I don't think many people who heard the gossip believed it -- I certainly didn't (believe the accusation, that is; we didn't disbelieve the fact that he'd been accused). Everybody figured it must have been a mistake. Now I'm not so sure. Such are the wages of repression. (And where else are you gonna sneak porn, if you can't do it at home?)
Thinking back, I feel awfully sorry for the poor kid, though -- he must have been **hideously** embarrassed by the whole affair. He was married, active in his church, and we were both working for a high-profile, and **stuffy**, consulting company. Well, he survived -- changed jobs, and not for the worse; he was good at what he did.
I'm reminded of that vignette in George Orwell's fictionalized portrayal of his British public school experiences, _Such, Such Were The Joys_.
"At some preparatory schools homosexuality is not a problem but I think that St. Cyprian's may have acquired a ‘bad tone’ thanks to the presence of the South American boys, who would perhaps mature a year or two earlier than an English boy. At that age I was not interested, so I do not actually know what went on, but I imagine it was group masturbation. At any rate, one day the storm suddenly burst over our heads. There were summonses, interrogations, confessions, floggings, repentances, solemn lectures of which one understood nothing except that some irredeemable sin known as ‘swinishness’ or ‘beastliness’ had been committed. One of the ringleaders, a boy named Horne, was flogged, according to eye-witnesses, for a quarter of an hour continuously before being expelled. His yells rang through the house. But we were all implicated, more or less, or felt ourselves to be implicated. . .
During the following term, when we were out for a walk, we passed Horne in the street. He looked completely normal. He was a strongly-built, rather good-looking boy with black hair. I immediately noticed that he looked better than when I had last seen him — his complexion, previously rather pale, was pinker — and that he did not seem embarrassed at meeting us. Apparently he was not ashamed either of having been expelled. . ."
> . . .Porn Again Christians are the fastest growing religious group. . .
ReplyDeleteWell, you know what they say about Utah (and Alaska too, apparently):
http://www.pcworld.com/article/160566/utah_online_porn_capital_of_america.html
Once upon a time, I knew a guy at work who had a real
Eagle Scout demeanor, and after a couple of years of casual
acquaintance I was (naively, on my part) surprised to discover
that he was. . . well, that he had something in common with a lot
of folks who live in Utah. OK, fine, he was still a good database
administrator, and he was unfailingly friendly to me. Though he
was just **so** square, you know, that you could hardly resist
shocking him from time to time by telling him stuff like how
much you like _Thelma and Louise_.
This guy was almost a ringer for Steve Sandvoss in
_Latter Days_, except, well, not **quite** that hot.
(Good Steve):
http://www.imdb.com/media/rm314349824/nm1302182
(Baaad Steve):
http://www.baremalecelebsrss.com/category/steve-sandvoss/
http://xab.xanga.com/2771330721733171094874/z101346742.jpg
Anyway, so shortly after we got internet access at work
at that place (this was back in the 20th century ;-> ), there
was no automatic blocking software such as most workplaces
have today, but there was manual monitoring of network activity,
and there was a particularly zealous IT security guy
at this place (where I and my upstanding friend were both consultants)
who just lived for the chance to catch somebody doing something
they shouldn't be doing with his employer's computers.
And everybody was just **floored** when this company's network
fuzz swooped down on this poor Eagle Scout and accused
him (privately, presumably, but such things don't stay
private for long) of accessing internet porn on company
time. I don't think many people who heard the gossip
believed it -- I certainly didn't (believe the accusation,
that is; we didn't disbelieve the fact that he'd been
accused). Everybody figured it must have been a mistake.
Now I'm not so sure. Such are the wages of repression.
(And where else are you gonna sneak porn, if you can't do
it at home?)
Thinking back, I feel awfully sorry for the poor kid, though --
he must have been **hideously** embarrassed by the whole affair.
He was married, active in his church, and we were both
working for a high-profile, and **stuffy**, consulting
company. Well, he survived -- changed jobs, and not for
the worse; he was good at what he did.
I'm reminded of that vignette in George Orwell's fictionalized
ReplyDeleteportrayal of his British public school experiences,
_Such, Such Were The Joys_.
"At some preparatory schools homosexuality is not a problem
but I think that St. Cyprian's may have acquired a ‘bad tone’ thanks
to the presence of the South American boys, who would perhaps
mature a year or two earlier than an English boy. At that age
I was not interested, so I do not actually know what went on,
but I imagine it was group masturbation. At any rate, one
day the storm suddenly burst over our heads. There were summonses,
interrogations, confessions, floggings, repentances,
solemn lectures of which one understood nothing except that
some irredeemable sin known as ‘swinishness’ or ‘beastliness’
had been committed. One of the ringleaders, a boy named Horne,
was flogged, according to eye-witnesses, for a quarter of
an hour continuously before being expelled. His yells rang
through the house. But we were all implicated, more or less,
or felt ourselves to be implicated. . .
During the following term, when we were out for a walk,
we passed Horne in the street. He looked completely normal.
He was a strongly-built, rather good-looking boy with
black hair. I immediately noticed that he looked better than
when I had last seen him — his complexion, previously rather
pale, was pinker — and that he did not seem embarrassed
at meeting us. Apparently he was not ashamed either of
having been expelled. . ."
http://orwell.ru/library/essays/joys/english/e_joys