Abbas, Dubai, Kuwait, and the Whizzinator

The Palestinian Authority Council voted its President, Mahmoud Abbas as the top dog of the Palestinian State. Except that there is no Palestinian State and they don't have the authority to do it, a top dog can only be elected by the people. Mr Abbas' tenure runs out on January 9, and he wants to extend his stay at the top, oh, by at least another year. 

Another action that he is threatening to do is dissolve Parliament and call for early elections, though it may backfire in his face if Hamas gains more elected seats or is able to replace him with a candidate of their own. He evidently has been paying attention to what has been going on in Russia, and how they are paving the way for the return of Putin.

And I know that we are all happy that the couple who were sentenced to three months in jail for having sex on the beach in Dubai had their sentence rescinded by a judge and issued orders for their deportation. Except that they were already out of the country. And that they never had sex, though they were arrested on the beach. Next time, just buy the drink, it's cheaper...

The BBC reports that the government of Kuwait has resigned. I didn't know they could do that, the Parliamentary system is so strange to us naive Americans. Evidently, this was spurred by comments a visiting Iranian cleric said about the Sunnis, and we all know how seriously they take such slights, be they real or imagined.

You can question the Prime Minister over religious items, but if you question him about more mundane matters, the Royal Family will juggle ministers around until you get the hint that they are not to be questioned, period. "The Kuwaiti parliament has a reputation for being one of the most independent of any in the Gulf states. But the willingness by some MPs to question the prime minister, a member of the royal family, is still controversial. The three Islamist lawmakers have not confined their criticism of the prime minister to theological matters.

They have also accused him of corruption and allowing public services to deteriorate."

I've saved the best for last, the makers of a prosthetic penis used to falsify urine tests, have been prosecuted in court. The makers of the Whizzinator , sold primarily over the Internet, used a heating element and synthetic urine held in the device to help guys cheat on drug testing. As a result, perhaps guards will have to go with you into the rest room and maybe even hold it for you to see if it's real...