A kosher vending machine – for those wanting a knish at 3 am. No Sabbath service, apparently. But if you need some canned bread …
Suicides On Campus
A new study finds that gay students are twice as likely as straight ones to kill themselves. But the most vulnerable group?
In the course of the study, University of Washington researcher Heather Murphy also uncovered a group of students who previously had not been studied and are at increased risk for suicidal behavior. These students identified themselves as heterosexual, but also reported being attracted to people of the same sex or engaging in same-sex behavior.
This group was three times as likely as heterosexuals to have made a plan to commit suicide in the past year and six times more likely to have actually attempted suicide in the same period.
The closet is one of the most destructive forces around. Marriage equality is its most potent solvent. It gives people a sense of a future, a place for them to find a home. If you don’t have that, if you believe you’ll never have that, the temptation for oblivion can become overwhelming.
Mr Gay Iran
Sorry, Mahmoud, he competed in the Mr Gay International contest last year which was won by … the Israeli! Heh.
Maliki on Iran
An overlooked nugget:
He said his government has begun a dialogue with Iran and Syria and has explained to them that their activities are unhelpful. As a result, he said, "our relationships with these countries has improved to the point that they are not interfering in our internal affairs."
Asked about Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Forces, which the U.S. military charges is arming, training and directing Shiite militias in Iraq, Maliki said: "There used to be support through borders for these militias. But it has ceased to exist."
A showdown between the Baghdad government and the Cheney wing of the administration is just a matter of time, isn’t it?
Hetero Bathroom Sex
During a football game! Money quote:
According to UW Police Officer Gerard Pehler, he was assisting a fan who had fallen due to heat exhaustion when a bystander approached and asked him, "Can you do anything about two having sex in the women’s restroom stall?"
"They’re going at it pretty good," added the fan.
Tippity-tap. (Thanks, Chait.) More straight toilet sex here.
Culture War Gasoline
San Francisco’s Folsom Street Fair commits a provocation. Utterly unnecessary, I’d say, and counter-productive to ensuring that events like Folsom can continue to thrive. And not even ballsy. Next year, guys: do a similar parody on a sacred Muslim scene, if you have the balls. Easy, cheap blasphemy impresses no one.
Burma, Not Myanmar
Readers may have noticed my refusal to adopt the nomenclature of the hideous generals who renamed Burma in the wake of their 1988 suppression of democracy. It has nothing to do with cultural empathy; and everything to do with resisting totalitarian p.r. Fallows gets it. So should CNN and every MSM outlet. No one quite puts it as succinctly as Derb, though:
Damn whatever committee of the U.N. is foisting this gibberish on us! To hell with them and all their works! GYPSIES! PEKING! LAPPS! BOMBAY! HOTTENTOTS! Come and get me, you bastards!
European Analysts and Iraq
Most want the US to stay:
While the American public and policy debate revolves largely around exit strategies and “redeployment,” there is apparent consensus among European policy analysts that American troops should remain in Iraq for the foreseeable future. In contrast to both European media opinion and the prevailing views of American liberals, our respondents supported sustained troop levels. Many consider the announcement of a timetable for withdrawal to be counter-productive and even outright dangerous, saying that lack of American involvement would drive Iraq into further chaos.
A Win For Addington?
SCOTUSBlog analyzes the latest detainee ruling:
A special military appeals court ruled on Monday that judges who preside over "military commissions" have the power to decide on their own who is an "unlawful enemy combatant" and thus can be tried on charges of war crimes. Deciding its first case in a way that gives the Pentagon a major — but not a complete — legal victory…
Prison Reform
An encouraging sign that the media are waking up to the state of America’s prisons: Ted Koppel will have a Discovery special on the subject October 7. Details and promo here.
