Rod Dreher, recently of the National Republic online, goes back home to Louisiana, my old stomping grounds, and finds that the products of the state's petroleum industry products are being put to new uses. (Given the state oil field economy there, well...)

Actually, my little Candide, they do. As it turns out, this sort of thing is a pretty big deal nowadays. Home sex-toy parties -- usually, but not always, all-woman affairs -- are all the rage now among, well, normal people (as distinct from the sort of exotic species you move off to the Big City to meet). Clients and distributors say that these events take the shame out of purchasing "sex toys" (a telling euphemism, given that swinging has now been rechristened "play," to give it an air of childhood innocence). The idea is: Why should a woman have to slink around to a dirty bookstore to examine and purchase these things, when she can do so with friends, and in the comfort of someone's home?

Interestingly, his article was picked up as a kind of sales testimonial for a sex-toys site (warning: adult content).

By the way, I seriously doubt that the phrase "sex toys" can be considered a euphemism, telling or otherwise. What does he think it's a substitute for? Sex tools? Satan's stimulators? Dildos, of course, is far too specific. (Perhaps if someone just asked you, discretely, "do you have any, ah,  toys?" that might be considered a euphemism.

Frank Rich:

Gay Kiss: Business as Usual. CBS staged the first live gay network reality show in prime time. They called it "The Tony Awards." [New York Times: Arts]

Frank Rich is largely right about this, except I didn't get a gay kiss last week. So I'm really hoping that business will get back to usual for me, too.

Then again, there is this.

NEW YORK - Gay-rights activists liken their mood to that of Germans as the Berlin Wall crumbled. Neighboring Canada has just decided to legalize same-sex marriage, and they have high hopes that Massachusetts' supreme court will take a similar step within a few weeks...

"People are going to look back 30 years from now, and say, 'What were we thinking? Why would we deny committed couples the protections of marriage?'" said Evan Wolfson, a gay-rights lawyer who heads the advocacy group Freedom to Marry.

So if this is like the fall of the tearing down of the Berlin wall, like the toppling of the status of various dictators in eastern Europe, the question is: what symbolic structure do we need to destroy during this time of celebration. Have to give props to Shrub when it came to Iraq: he planned in advance.

Statues of Jesse Helms are the first thing that comes to mind. But are there any of those around? Note to self: find a gay man or lesbian who has a large truck with a very strong wench.

Funny comment in the discussion on on Matthew Yglesias's site about Cruising for Dean. Someone wrote

I know I'm opening myself up for criticism as being queer-unfriendly, but I don't like the "cruising" thing.
1) It seems inaccurate of the actual activity.
2) It plays to negative stereotypes.

I don't know what it says about the state of my life when someone is telling me that I'm not cruising the way it's supposed to be done. Anyone want to give me any pointers?

The Minor Fall, The Major Lift says:

DON'T WORRY, SHE'S ALMOST DONE

"I'm provocative! And I sing songs about blowjobs! Buy my record!" (Link via The Yes/No Interlude.)

For better provocative songs about blowjobs, TMFTML should check out the recordings of the amazing drag performer (and home-grown friend of mine), Varla Merman.