Tied up in Iran

Watching the news, as I am wont to do way too much, something caught my eye. It was in a story about the two remaining hikers being held by Iran as "spies." It struck me, as I watched the file video accompanying the story, that Iran is pretty laid back.

No, not about social issues. And not about lost hikers. It still seems awfully uptight about way too much. But about men's clothing? Have you noticed? The men never seem to be wearing ties. Not even at important functions... like legal hearings. Shirts unbuttoned at the neck while wearing suits appears to be the norm.

Sure, they want women wrapped from head to toe in public and they have people going around admonishing women over the use of make-up but the men don't need to wear ties. I wonder if this applies to "black tie" dinners and, if it does, what they call them?

Meanwhile, back to the two hikers... they may be released (by the time you read this, they may already be free and on their way home) if they can post a "bail" of a half million or so each. Everyone knows they would jump bail immediately so it really isn't bail. It's a "bribe us, we'll let them go" situation. And, apparently, Iran sells out cheap. They were given 8 year sentences but once the last judge (who may be holding out for a larger piece of the bribe) signs off, they can go free... after payment, of course.

One wonders why they were held longer than the young woman who was with them. One wonders what they were supposed to be spying on in the border region between Turkey and Iran, an area that is a bit like rural, mountainous, Utah only less populated. Now that I think about it, why were these people hiking in that region anyway?

Don't get me wrong, I don't think they were spies. That idea is pretty laughable. Maybe I haven't been adventurous enough but I would never think about hiking in a region that is close to a hostile country and is a hundred miles from absolute nowhere.