All Leads Lead to TelAviv

The media is awash in stories relating to Iran. Everything from the old standard 'nukuler' glow in  the east stuff,  to the recent repetitions of Achmedinjad being 'on the ropes' as he comes before the UN General Assembly for a 5th and final, we are told, time. Meanwhile back in Iran, the 'news' runs the gamut from an incipient uprising of the people, to republican guard commanders threatening a 'preemptive strike' on gallant little Israel and more mullah-mouthing about the destruction of the land of 'malik 'n hunny'. The IAEA is privy to all sorts of new 'evidence' that the Iranian nuclear program is clearly running away with itself and 'discussion' among western leaders is limited now to how much time is left before the mullahs can recreate Mohammed's 'ascension' for all the poor jews.

And where does  90 percent of this 'news' originate?  It comes from Tel Aviv and is  featured in the 'Jerusalem Post', 'Haaretz', 'YNet' or Sheldon Adelson's little fascist rag 'Maariv'. It's picked up in minutes by 'news' services and blatted abroad by the Jewish-owned  media in most of the rest of the world.

Iran can never catch a break from the first world for, whatever she says, or does, the 'stepford wives' are there, with their howling accusations, backed-up by an infinite number of 'concerned' jews; blogging and commenting 'the line'.  What's remarkable is that in all the column kilometers and the Gallilees of ink, there is yet to be found a cogent and credible account of the actual 'problem' that is Iran - thousands of 'points' have been made, but nowhere is there a complete, unbiased story. All is rhetoric and ravings.

Little Joe Goebbels coined the phrase about repeating the lie until it becomes truth. The Israelis have refined that, as they do with all such 'good' things, so that now, the lie has only to be told once - after that, the hallelujah chorus starts to sing the refrain as if it is truth. And no one dare question it or, obviously, they have no love for Israel and would be oven-stuffing, again, given the chance.

One of the reasons that Iran isn't yet a blasted example of humanitarian aggression is that there is too much of this 'good stuff'. For once the smart guys who once controlled the Israeli propaganda machine have been usurped by those who think that creative writing, and lots of it, is the way to go.  Gone are the days of 'the Sphinx' - commenting little and only after the fact -  and replacing it Chicken Little and Claghorn G. Leghorn - neither too smart, or too quiet. Not if you want somebody to start a war for you.

Now that the 'Obamanation' is back in office, things are looking grim for Amerika to start the cotillion,  so a little divertissement is in order before Little Benny gets the atomic vapours again. And what do we have to befuddle the masses.

 Stepping right up to the plate we have the Sultan of Surge - Dave Petraeus copping a guilty plea - Eagle Scout style - and resigning his Directorship at the CIA after being accused of some 'flagrante delicto' with a Lara Croft look-alike. The tea hats have started  describing the incident as a deliberate provocation on the part of the President to shut up a possibly unfriendly witness to administrative shenanigans that led to the 'gassing' of the US ambassador to Libya. And there we would have happily left it had not the plot - in true 'Holly-Bolly' style begun to 'thicken' and turned into real 'ennertainment'.

Seems like his nibs who for most of his 38 year military career was a professed shaolin warrior-monk of the intra-marital variety, until he ran across the strappingly-buffed Mrs. Doctor Lorelei Schmaltz  or Longbottom or something , some six years ago. He mentored and directed her into some studies and thing-ama-jigs and eventually she took up the  Gin'ral as the subject of her PhD dissertation on 'leadership'. That led to her co-writing the official Petraeus bio - appropriately, or not, titled "In ... All the Way". The 'research' required said 'sireen' to tail the General through his postings to Iraq and into Afghanistan. And then into the office at Langley where we're are led to believe 'love' bloomed and the dragon stirred from its torpor.  After a quickie in the office - we're told - the relationship was ended: by her with a raft of plaintive emails from him sent to woo her, or by him after which her longing was only matched by the 'watch' she kept on 'her man'. And here's where it all went to hell.

A breakdown of discipline can be a total asshole and that's what happened. Catching wind the Dave was being 'socialized' by some volunteer  military groupie. The, by now Lt. Col,  let it be known that she needed her man avoided.  However she did that,  put the wind up female two, who, probably visualizing crazy NASA astronauts in Depends, promptly contacted a 'friend' in the FBI to get help with the 'threats and harassment'.  Somebody approved an FBI investigation (or perhaps they were already investigating something else) and Lorelei became the object of more than the General's desires. Some public speaking she had been doing led her audiences to believe she 'knew things' outside her pay grade. A photo showed up taken inside Petraeus' Langley office when he met Angelina Jolie, that wasn't released by the CIA PR department. Everybody knew, as well, that Lorelei was the General's 'ghost writer', or something. Tongues began to wag. As did that FBI agent  who turned himself into a 'whistle blower'. To ensure the word got out he contacted his local Republican representative. Word was that email messages indicated some 'stinky-finger' stuff at the least and, possibly, a full screw.  She was questioned, he was questioned and we know where that went. - he's available for lectures. She's still in hiding.

A 'peckerdillio' that cost a genius his position on the ramparts. Perhaps.

 Some people think it was a honeypot trap engineered by the Mossad to 'eliminate' an increasingly 'unfriendly' Petraeus.  See his CIA was one of the stumbling blocks to Operation Tora Tora Torah and he raised some points about how having Israel as an ally wasn't such a strategically smart or beneficial deal for America. Aside from her obvious assets the Lorelei in question is affiliated with a number of 'Israeli-Americans' through her think-tanks and study groups. She may not have a military career left, but she won't be out of work. If she was mad at Petraeus at all, or even if she only wanted to 'protect him' from bad influences, she could have 'turned' to helping other friends.

To distract from  any 'taint' here, another brouhaha distraction  has developed involving the ISAF commander in Afghanistan, Marine General John Allen and a couple of  thousand emails - some "flirtatious"- with the same dusky Florida social lioness threatened by Lorelei..

The result though?  Petraeus has made way for someone a little more 'serious'  to head the CIA. But America remains secure - after all they're all 'the elite' - just accidentally carried away by a zest for life. All's good, we're safe, no terror here!

But remember,  'eyes on Iran'!

Blessed St. Nicholas, start praying for us

Santa Claus in his holier aspect is 'told off' as the patron saint of prostitutes. It is said that he saved a poor man from pimping his three daughters by giving him a sackful of gold. Why else would a guy want to peddle his daughters' butts than for some of the long green? It seems, though, that this story makes Nicholas the patron saint of almost-prostitutes, gals who get 'on the game'  need more patronage than that.

And so it goes in summertime Canada. For a decent little first world spot, Canada has its share of  'sex trade workers' - males and females who extend whatever paypacket they've got with a little 'professional' sex on the side. Now a non-association "they've" formed to 'represent' them has been hied into court to defend against a government challenge to a lower court ruling on 'anti-prostition laws' being contrary to their Charter rights and freedoms. This after another court ruling that cited prostitution as a "legitimate" occupation. Nobody seemed to challenge the notion that balling for dough was much different than anything else people do for dough, except when it comes to doing it on the street, or by bothering passers-by to find somebody with dough to do it for. Those laws about public prostitution, communicating for prostitution and living on the avails of prostitution are being challenged as laws that 'force' women  to 'work in the shadows' where, sometimes, their customers do them harm. What they want, I imagine, is the right to hang out a shingle, along with the more marketable body parts.

Strikes me that, unless the gals are working out of a high-security establishment, with glorified 'bouncers', that risk of harm isn't much diminished. Nor is any risk to 'johns' from those bouncers - who might be equated with guys who flunked out of police foundations courses at best, or a self-ordained 'lawmen' like 'The Dawg' at worst. One can only imagine the clientele. When you're breaking 'Mom's first law' and exposing yourself to 'strangers' you're asking for some trouble. Just look at the havoc caused by overly-friendly uncles and overzealous persons in authority - even to, we're told, the willing! I would doubt prostitution, even where it's a pillar of the society isn't plagued with a whole whack of related social ills. If it was any sort of social panacea, or even decent way to make a living, it would be promoted world-wide and we wouldn't be trying to remake it, again.

When it comes to banging for bucks there is no telling when a 'relationship' of long-standing isn't going to 'go sour' and somebody receive a good hiding - even in those non-prostitutional relationships. Adding a cash exchange just adds a flillip to the level of customer satisfaction and fogs the notion of another 'tip'. Cash enterprise is the stuff of real-world hurt feelings, donneybrooks and gunshots on  regular occasions. Prostitution has been a risky business since the days when the ladies had to 'show up for duty' in honor of the goddess at the temple once a year. Even nice gals, doing their religious duty, were exposed to the social misfits  who hung around the temple, gland in hand, waiting for just such an opportunity. Just look at the Pig Farmer of Kelowna. He could have slaughtered nice girls, but the hookers' lifestyle made it oh-so-much easier. That wouldn't have changed much, even if there were no 'take-out services', he was inviting them to 'parties'.

The Sex Trade Workers essentially want the law changed so they can 'open' their business in places it's not open now.  Anybody who's had the privilege of living beside an 'illegal' bawdy house can only imagine the fun it would be to have a legal one - running all above-board, 24/7 (closed for Christmas and high holidays)- next door. The increased tax revenue wouldn't begin to cover the increased police costs to fend off the phone complaints and investigate the damage to customers cars. And why would the girls want to give up the goodies they've got now - welfare, state child support  and/or disability payments, untaxed income, free health coverage and other social service benefits? No doubt these lifestyle 'perqs' wouldn't be included in any new legislation, but they will be, eventually, if prostituion continues to be expanded as a legitimate way to earn a living.

Hey, there's a new career field - specializing in the business end of the sex trade for 10 percent off the top. And let's not forget the investment opportunities provided by a chain of franchised high-end bordellos. Or is that just legalized pimping?