There’s a nice short opinion piece in the NYT today (see link under del.icio.us, "foot-tapping menace"), occasioned by the incident involving the Idaho senator, about consensual sexual behavior in public bathrooms, and the participation of police in charades to catch the guys who engage therein (the article is marred a bit by the author’s misunderstanding of the legal concept of “entrapment,” however). The author asserts that nobody participates in these encounters until agreement is unmistakably secured by a reciprocal series of signals; and that, accordingly, people who are not interested in this kind of behavior need not worry that they will be accosted. So, the author wonders, why must law enforcement get involved? She also points out that some research indicates that the guys who do this tend to be pretty moralistic, uptight, and conservative, with a lot to lose (does this description fit the Idaho senator?). They rationalize what they are doing, and feel sure they cannot be caught. Hence, they are dumbfounded and (sometimes convincingly) outraged when they DO get caught. Any ideas about all this, psychology students?
Today is Labor Day, one last quiet day to make sure that our MBW program is ready to roll, with first class sessions starting TOMORROW. Our beautiful new room in Foyle Hall is still not quite ready for us (a glitch involving lighting and electronics), so we will be holding the first sessions in a meeting room, and that will just have to be OK, for now. I am hearing a lot of positive buzz on campus about this program; it seems to be something people are really ready for. Judging by this, and by the success of similar programs on other campuses (Dr. Lynn Rossy has a very active MBSR program at the University of Missouri-Columbia, for example), I think we will be meeting a significant need and doing a lot of good. What could be better? I can’t think of anything I’d rather be doing.
The Four Seasons Hotel and L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon will not renew their
operating agreement. The restaurant will close June 30.
56 minutes ago
I recently read a commentary by a man who had done considerable research on the "Tea House" trade. His assessment was that many men who are primarily straight stop by such places for a quick sexual release. At most, they are "men who sometimes have sex with men" as opposed to being gay per se. (One might argue whether it is the action or the desire that determines "gay"--must both be present, and in what proportion...) If the Senator fit into the category of a man who sometimes had sex with men, he wouldn't consider himself gay--he'd be just another guy who wanted to "have a quick (probably oral)sexual release."
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