When Will We Know What Happened ?

Hi, Zooheads. Do you believe the US miltary command "stood down" on 9/11 or that the hijackers were trained at US military bases or that the World Trade Center towers collapsed because of controlled explosions set before they were hit by two hijacked aircraft ? No ?

Oh, then you must have missed the convention in L.A. 1200, more or less, dedicated conspiracy buffs gathered to pore over reports and photos and hear a range of speakers denounce various villains as actually responsible for what actually happened.

9/11 is the biggest thing to happen for conspiracy fans since the JFK assassination in 1963. (In the interests of full disclosure, the Elder Statesman here at the Zoo still warms his hands over that one.) But 9/11 has the same problem that plagues the Kennedy theories, no matter how lame the Single Bullet Theory or compelling the evidence for a Second Oswald.

And that problem is the requisite size and consequent unlikely silence of the conspiracy. Take for instance the problem of American Flight 77 which, according to the official version, struck the Pentagon. There are various problems with the O.V., some of them quite compelling. The problem with the competing versions, which generally have some kind of a rocket or missile hitting the Pentagon, is: What, then, became of the actual Flight 77 and its passengers and crew ? Was the plane and all of it's occupants destroyed ? Where ? When ? By who ? You see the problem.

On the other hand, the Pentagon has acted to cool the conspiracy jets by releasing (after nearly five years) security video of the "plane" hitting the Pentagon. Apparently, in the nearly two minute video the "nose" of the plane is visible for a "fraction of a second". The Zapruder film it is not. Will the Pentagon succeed ? Will this video still the critics ?

Ha ha. Ha ha ha ha. Ha ha ha HA. HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA !

Ponder the Single Bullet. Consider the too perfect roundness of the final hole in the inner ring of the Pentagon and

Stay Naked
jd

Diamonds Are Not Your Friend . . or Hers

The diamond industry is trembling anew under the possible impact of more publicity about "blood diamonds" or "conflict diamonds". These are the gems that are essentially mined by slaves in war torn areas of Africa with the proceeds going to support warlords and gangsters.

Leonardo DeCaprio is starring in a new film on the subject and the diamond barons are afraid the blood buzz will hurt the rock biz.

It seems to us that DeCaprio is the least of their problems. The 8000 pound gorilla in this story is the fact that diamonds aren't in the least rare and are worth next to nothing after you buy them. That's right. Not rare. Worth nothing.

The "rarity" of diamonds is based entirely on the machinations of the DeBeers Company that created and maintains a monopoly on cut diamonds. There are, in fact, mountains of uncut diamonds in Africa, Russia and elsewhere. Check out Edward Jay Epstein's 1982 book, The Rise and Fall of Diamonds. Don't sweat reading the whole thing. Page One of Chapter One tells the story. That takes care of rarity.

For the skinny on "value", check out this revealing exchange between a would-be diamond buyer and an expert. The chump asks which grade of diamond will have the most resale value and the expert tells him not to be an idiot. The high-grade of diamond he is considering is sold only by the "best" vendors who would not consider buying from him and the pawnshops will give him 20-30% at best. And this is the "high grade" stuff, not the junk you get at WalMart. Or try Epstein's chapter "Did You Ever Try to Sell a Diamond?"

We like rubies and emeralds (email us for a mailing address is you have spares). If you are planning on buying diamonds, read the Epstein book, think long and hard and

Stay Naked
jd

Pot Suddenly Gets Bad Rap!

Pot is in the news once again. A couple of years ago Britain decided to de-classify cannibis. That is, they moved it from a Class B (cocaine/heroin) drug to a Class C drug, implying it's not as dangerous as they previously thought. Not so fast sayeth the United Nations...here's some news from the Sydney Morning Herald.

New strains of highly potent cannabis are as dangerous as heroin and cocaine, and the drug can no longer be dismissed as "soft and relatively harmless", the United Nations has reported.

We've heard this before though haven't we? Are you buying it? (Literally;)Then the UN makes it personal..

Antonio Maria Costa, the head of the UN's Office on Drugs and Crime, said that countries got the "drug problem they deserved" if they maintained inadequate policies.

Yikes! So you dumb Brits deserve a drug problem...damn, talk about not pulling any punches.

"Despite early claims to the contrary, cannabis dependence is a reality. Many people who use cannabis find it difficult to stop, even when it interferes with other aspects of their lives, and more than a million people from all over the world enter treatment for cannabis dependence each year," the report said.

So what do you think Zooheads? Pot=Bad or Pot=Good or both?
-----------------------------------------------------------------------


Speaking of Yikes! Russian leaded Vladimir Putin has reportedly ordered Russian Special forces troops to hunt down and "destroy" the people responsible for killing four Russian diplomats in Iraq.

The speaker of Russia's upper house of parliament, Sergei Mironov, said last week that Russian officials had been negotiating for the diplomats' release, a possible indication that they had identified the kidnappers or knew a reliable intermediary.

So it appears the Russians at least have a place to start in their hunt...great, another band of heavily armed, vengeful men roaming around Iraq...this one has Clusterfu*k written all over it...stay tuned for more on the Russian hit team...
-------------------------------------------------------------
Ok, time for some good news. Are you a struggling democracy? Need a Parliament in a jiffy? Well then we've got the product for you. Check out Global Instant Objects 'Pneumatic Parliament'. They say a picture is worth a thousand words so I'll let the pics tell the story...

Step One: The cry goes out! We need a parliament! (See Iraq, Chechnya, Sudan, Somalia et al)

Step Two: Operation Airdrop Parliament!

Step Three: Deploy Insta-Parliament!


Step Four: Peoples rejoice!
Check it out. This thing is for real...an instant parliament building...



I gots to get me one of these:)

Stay global and as always...

Stay Naked.

ad

Roger....What Ailes you?

Apparently being #1 isn't enough for Fox News Honcho Roger Ailes. Broadcasting & Cable, the Bible of the TV world, is reporting that Ailes is 'sensing complacency'. The reason:

So far during the second quarter, the No. 1 cable news channel’s primetime schedule has dropped 22% in its core 25-54 demo and 8% in total viewers. The first quarter was even worse.

Ah yes...ratings. I know gentle readers, this appears to be good news...is the mighty Fox News faltering? Not so fast...according to the article CNN is also losing viewers...so what's the answer?

War. Hurricane. Flood. Cable news networks are...*gasp*...news dependent and by news I mean NEWS..BIG NEWS...death...destruction...breasts...so until a cute blond co-ed gets murdered or Iraq blows up or Hurricane (fill in the blank) destroys Florida then ratings will slide...it's the way it works...oh yeah...and us Bloggers:)

Limbaugh Detained At Airport For Drugs

When I saw that headline I was happy and sad at the same time. Happy in that sick way you get when someone you depise suffers some indignity and sad in the sense that I understand what a devastating problem addiction is...but then I read the following from a cbs4.com story

Limbaugh was returning on a flight from the Dominican Republic when customs officials found a Viagra prescription that did not bear his name.

Viagra! Now I'm just happy:)


Can you blame the guy? :)

A little soccer fun for you World Cup nuts!



Stay Futbol and as always...

Stay Naked.

ad

Satire is Dead . . . Again

Satire has been pronounced dead in the past. At or about the time that Henry Kissinger received the Nobel Peace Prize (you see what we mean) , the legendary satirist Tom Lehrer retired from the field declaring the practice "obsolete".

Just days ago I saw a clip of Carlos Mencia examining the various proposals for "immigration reform", in particular the plan to run all the illegals out and then build a huge wall to keep them out. "You run out all the illegals", asked Carlos" who's gonna build the wall ?" We got a good laugh on that one.

Then up steps Don Goldwater, a Republican candidate for Governor of Arizona, proposing that illegals be held in internment camps (example of WWII camp for Japanese Americans seen above)and satire is instantly tranformed into reality.

To the credit of Arizona Republicans, Goldwater's notion (which he justifies by a comparison to chain gangs) was quickly repudiated by other prominent Arizona R's.

BTW, the Zoo's guess is that nothing much is going to be done about the non-crisis that underlies the present ranting, bloviating and posturing. Big business likes the illegals, small business likes the illegals, you like the illegals and we like the illegals.

Keep up with the Spanish lessons and

Stay Naked
jd

Credibility . . . C-R-E-D-I-B-I-L-I-T-Y

We are spelling out "credibility" because somebody obviously needs some help on the basics and we here at the Zoo are all about helping.

Now, either Afghani President Hamid Kharzai is talking out of both sides of his mouth (see above), or the Associated Press is failing the most basic standards of journalism or the Voice of the America is spinning the facts. Since we haven't enough evidence to make a determination, why are we feeling faintly nauseous ? Here's the deal.

On June 23 the AP reports a fairly gloomy assessment of the Afghan situation by Karzai and his people. The report has Karzai and his sources identifying the country's problems as "a lack of reconstruction and jobs, a booming drug trade, and a weak government" that the new military offensive will not fix. Also noted are the lack of improvements outside Kabul, the resurgent opium economy, etc, etc.

Then on June 25, under the headline Karzai Says Taleban Does Not Pose Threat to Afghan Government, Voice of America gives us a confident Karzai who proclaims "a host of improvements in the past four years, including significantly higher foreign exchange reserves, more women in business, more Afghan children in schools and thousands of kilometers more paved road."

Which is it ? Who's on first ? We'll keep watching, you

Stay Naked
jd

Only the Best

We don't often do book reviews here at the Zoo and we aren't doing one now. We are doing an author review.

If you don't read fiction (and many don't, nothing wrong with that), don't read further.

If you don't like crime fiction, read no further. You won't like LA homicide detective Harry Bosch, so why bother.

If you read fiction, but haven't tried crime fiction, there can be not better introduction than Michael Connelly's series featuring Bosch.

If you read fiction, like crime fiction and don't know Harry Bosch, you are going to weep with gratitude.

These are the "police procedural" vein of crime fiction, but Connelly is a master of balancing the fascinating details of homicide work with interesting and credible stories.

Connelly has stories that don't have Bosch and they are worth reading, but the Harry Bosch tales are the core of his work. It's summer time. Drop a couple of Connellys into your travel bag. You won't be disappointed and when you're done, you'll feel qualifed to process a crime scene with the best of them.

Stay Naked
jd

Do 'they' really hate us?

And who are 'they'? They...the other...whether you like it or not are Muslims. All of them. When the President speaks about the War on Terror and...'they hate freedom'...'they hate our way of life' every single 'they' he mentions happen to be Muslim. And this is not lost on 'them'. Imagine the biggest gun in the world being held by someone who you think is demonstrating, on a daily basis, that they may be completely insane...they spin around one day, point the gun at you and say....that guy is the problem and watch as he cocks the hammer back...I think that's what being a Muslim today must feel like...It is hard to argue that the United States is not out to get them...so what do you get?
Remember the suicides at Guatanamo a couple weeks ago? Well most of the Muslim world does not think they were suicides at all. They believe those men were murdered and that the US is lying *GASP*...I know, how could they? How could they not?

Here are some excerpts from an op-ed article in a Kuwaiti newspaper Al-Seyassah which is usually fairly friendly to the US.

A few days ago the stench of a new American scandal began to circulate. At the worst prison in history, known as Guatanamo, the prison guards killed three of the mujahideen, and then wrongfully claimed that our mujahideen brothers committed suicide.

How could they say this?

A group of noble lawyers from our sister country Saudi Arabia have shown solidarity with the families of the martyrs, and have uncovered the hidden truth behind the deaths of those mujahideen in the prison of the criminals [Guantanamo]. The lawyers recount that the martyr Yasser Al Zahrani knew the entire Koran by heart and always provided guidance to his imprisoned brothers, calling them to be patient. Zahrani’s younger brother spoke to the Saudi press yesterday, and said:

"It is impossible that Yasser committed suicide, and if he did ever contemplate such a thing, he would have committed suicide at the beginning of his internment. Why would he commit suicide while continuously sending letters urging our parents to be patient regarding his absence?" He swears that his brother was killed.

The article even takes on the angle that maybe they were suicides but...

But let us for a moment suppose that the mujahideen actually did commit suicide in the prison run by those criminals. Doesn't that show the ugliness of the American values that they claim to promote justice and dignity in other lands?! Why would a group of fine young men commit suicide in such a weak and sad fashion?

Here's another article, this one by Qatars Al-Watan. It's titled, "Why are all inmates at Guatanamo Muslim?"

After the events of September 2001, the U.N. General Assembly failed to agree on a global definition of terrorism, because member countries were divided against themselves. While the Bush Administration emphasizes from time to time that the American war on terrorism is not specifically directed against Islam and Muslims, events on the ground in all areas of the world, from the detentions and prosecutions of the security services to torture operations, demonstrate to Islamic peoples that it is they alone who are targeted.

Even outside of the area of security, the United States is pursuing a discriminatory policy toward the Islamic community. The great American fuss being raised over Iran's nuclear program has no other purpose but to keep the Islamic countries in the Middle East at the mercy of Israel's nuclear deterrent.

Is it mere coincidence that the unfortunate residents of Guantanamo are all Muslim?

What can we say? Our actions speak plenty loud...

Thanks as always to WatchingAmerica.com...

Stay Global and please...

Stay Naked.

ad

Framing and Reframing

Words matter. O.k., you knew that.

The context of words also matter. It has famously been said: "Let me set the question for the debate and I will certainly win". So, are we talking about "life" or "choice" ? Are we talking about a "death tax" or an "inheritance tax" ? "Global warming" or "natural weather cycles" ?

Also well know is that the Republican spinmeisters, the wordsmiths of the Vast Rightwing Conspiracy, have this stuff down to a science. The Democrats have been taking a beating on this ground for decades and have seemed helpless to reverse the trend. Until now.

Jeffrey Feldman runs a site called theframeshopisopen.com and keeps a careful eye on the spin mongers.

His most recent posts contrast the "war frame" view of Iraq, used by virtually all Republicans and lots of Democrats, with the "waste" frame urged by Senators Feingold and Boxer. Good and hopeful reading.

Watch Mr Feldman and

Stay Naked
jd

Talk About "Just In Time" Delivery !

Wow ! Its like a miracle or something !

Just as Axis-of -Evil member North Korea is poised to test launch an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of reaching the United States with a nuclear weapon payload and it looks like all is lost because national suicide appears high on Pyongyang's list of things to do . . .

LOOK ! Up in the sky ! Its a bird ! Its a plane ! Its SUPERMAN ! No, more incredible ! Its an operational U.S. Missile Defense System ! And not a moment too soon as those wily Communists plot to have themselves incinerated, man, woman and child in the U.S. retaliatory strike !

Do you mean the system we have been working on without success since the Reagan Administration ? Yes.

Do you mean the missile defense system that flunked its test in December 2004 ? Yes !

Do you mean the missile defense system that flunked its test in February 2005 ? Yes, that's the one !

Do you mean the sea-based system that had a successful test in May 2006 ? No, that's a different system. Apparently because the Koreans are going to launch out over the Pacific Ocean, an ocean based system wouldn't be as good.

No, we're talking about the system that the Arms Control Association described as "unproven" in August 2004 which was, of course, before the system flunked the tests in December '04 and February '05.

Well, we had been preparing for a time of sweaty and fear-filled nights after the DPRK announcement and have now been lulled back to calm by the Bush Administration's absolute determination to say whatever will get them a few ratings points without regard to the facts.

Watch the skies and

Stay Naked
jd

Revolving Door Picks Up Speed

There has long been a "revolving door" in Washington, allowing retiring lawmakers and senior bureaucrats to pass seamlessly from public service to the private sector, generally to the substantial benefit of their personal incomes.

The private sector, you see, values the expertise and contacts that the former public servant gained while on the public payroll performing public duties for the benefit of the public. They (the private, for profit companies, that is) think that a former congressman or department head might well be an effective lobbyist among his former colleagues and subordinates, especially considering the intimate knowledge of the public's business they can make available to their private employers.

Of course, the potential for conflict-of-interest problems this presents are so obvious and numerous that even Congress noticed them and passed a law preventing senior officials from lobbying to the industries they previously regulated for one year. This prevents to former official from calling his former subordinate the day after he leaves office to urge him to buy widgits from the official's new employer.

Or not. For a really disgusting and detailed account of just how many loopholes are available to how many former officials allowing them to cash in on the assets they acquired at public expense. Courtesy of the Gray Lady with her customary thoroughness.

O.K., O.K., some highlights, some teasers. Gee, you're like children.

Try Clinton impeachment star Asa Hutchinson who avoids the one year ban by taking with him a senior aide just junior enough to avoid the ban's restrictions.

Or Carol A. DiBattiste who went from a $155,000 deputy administrator at the Transportation Security Administration to a $934,000 somethingorother for Checkpoint, a contractor for DepHomeSec. That OJT really paid off for Carol.

Oh, did we mention that nearly tw0 thirds of DepHomeSec's senior officials have stepped through the fabled revolving door into these really fantastically greener pastures ?

The graphic comes from an organization that keeps an eye on this stuff with more consistency than anyone can reasonably expect from the Zoo (assuming anything can reasonably be expected from the Zoo), so if you are interested, check out the Revolving Door Working Group,
read the New York Times piece excerpted here and

Stay Naked
jd

What Makes Father's Day

This Norman Rockwell painting has always spoken to me about fatherhood. (How sappy is this ? Father's Day and a Norman Rockwell painting. Maybe we should just check out Al Jazeera.)

The son is clearly off to college. New clothes; excitement and anticipation standing out on him like a halo. Pop is a little worn down and a little beat up, wondering if he really did all he could to get his son ready for the world and knowing he didn't, knowing he fell short and missed the mark.

He also knows the boy will see things and do things he never dreamed of, that he is travelling to places and times where a father cannot follow.

Now Dad will watch and listen, crediting the young man with every success and blaming himself for every failure.

In my extraordinarily fortunate case it appears that the damage I did has not been fatal. My three adult children (and I have seen them all in the last 24 hours: told you I was lucky) are healthy, productive, loving, charming, funny, fond of each other and, oddly enough, of me.

My own father was not so lucky. He lived to see his older two sons die, much younger than my sons are now. I can only hope that I gave him some small part of the pleasure and happiness than my kids have given, and continue to give, me.

Thanks to my Father and His Son for this endless source of joy.
jd

The Turning of the Leaves

Why in God's name are these idiots talking about leaves turning in June ? Good question.

Because turning leaves are a metaphor for the early signs of coming events. The wise observe these early signs and plan or react accordingly.

The coming events we are here concerned with are those signalling the final and fatal loss of our civil rights and liberties, the freedoms that protect our democracy, the freedoms so many have died, and are dying, to protect.

This story, as reported in the Vail Daily, is about Steven Howards and the man pictured at left who needs no introduction. He, that's Mr. Howards, was arrested by Secret Service agents charged with protecting Vice President Cheney because he, that's Mr. Howard, "wasn't acting like the other folks in the area." That's it. That's the charge. Oops, I tell a lie. He, that's Mr. Howard, also was suspected of having "behavior and demeanor that wasn't [sic] quite right."

Now we weren't there, but everything I have ever seen about Mr. Cheney tells me that he also wasn't acting like the other folks in the area and we have never seen him when we thought his behavior and demeanor were quite right, especially whe he is lying about the Iraq war in the face of increasingly indisputable facts.

Mr. Howard, who, by the way, became "argumentative and combative" when confronted by the Secret Police, excuse me, Secret Service, as any free American citizen might when accosted on the street by agents of The State for no apparent reason, was later released. His government (and yours), is however, "reviewing possible federal charges".

Let's see: one possible count of Failure to Conform, a violation of an Executive Order issued by President Bush; one possible count of Suspicious Demeanor, a violation of a Signing Statement issued by President Bush in connection with the renewed PATRIOT ACT and one possible count of Refusal to be Cowed by Federal Agents, a violation of traditional law enforcement practice needing no other authority.

Mr. Howard was released. Charges are unlikely. Maybe its trivial. Maybe its a leaf.

Stay Naked
jd

Which Shoe ? Whose Foot ?

In a house of mirrors things are not always exactly what they seem. Sometimes things seem so out of whac they defy unscrambling.

Consider this strange and inexplicable tale.

A Palestinian gunman boards a bus in Israel and proceeds to shoot several passengers with an assault rifle. Several are killed, many more wounded. As he tries to reload the second time, his victims turn on him and beat him to death.

A callous and horrifying attack and we are appropriately angry at the perpetrator and glad for his fate.

The curious part is the reaction of the Israeli press and police. The press treats the gunman as they do terror victims, running "God Bless His Soul" under his picture and the police start an investigations aimed at finding his "murderers". What is wrong with this picture ?

There's been a switch. The ethnicities have been changed to illustrate how completely we have learned to accept the Israeli perspective on conflicts with the Palestinians. It was an Israeli soldier shooting Palestinians on the bus. Oh, I see ! It was Palestinians who turned on the gunman and killed him. Making him a martyr, of course ! And now his death much be avenged as a murder. Couldn't be clearer.

See the whole story by Jonathan Cook at Counterpunch, be ashamed and

Stay Naked
jd

What is a 'NASCO'?

A NASCO is a "North American Super Corridor Coalition...Inc.;)" Now, according to Jerome Corsi this super-highway is proof the Bush Administration is selling out the American Public (specifically the Unions) to the internationalists...

NOTE: Mr. Corsi is the author of "Unfit for Command: Swift Boat Veterans Speak out Against John Kerry"

So why give this guy ink? He's makes some interesting points in his article on 'Human Events On-line' (which is a peculiar name for a self-described conserviative weekly but hey...:) The article can be found HERE.

Mostly it's because a) I've never heard of this b) I think it's going to be big news at some point and c) it's a wonderful graphic:)

How will the immigration debate morph when people relaize we're building a super-highway from Mexico to Canada? Interesting point, the 1st stop for Mexican trucks is in KANSAS CITY!

“For those who live in Kansas City, the idea of receiving containers nonstop from the Far East by way of Mexico may sound unlikely, but later this month that seemingly far-fetched notion will become a reality.”

That's from a Kansas City Smart Point brochure:) Yeah, what will they think?:)

C'mon, this is going to be huge when the anti-immigration folks get wind of it...so sit back and enjoy the show...(and the cool maps:)

Stay Traquilo...and as always...

Stay Naked.

ad

Life in the Axis of Evil

Alas, it is all too often that when we think of North Korea we think of masses of soldiers, nuclear weapons and the Axis of Evil. On a good day, starving peasants and the ruthless suppression of dissent may enter the list.

But this is not all there is to life in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea as one learns quickly when visiting the website of the official news service of the DPRK. Indeed the home page doesn't mention these matters at all.

Rather, we find the gentle and reassuring news that the cultivation of the sponge gourd is being encouraged. Yes, the sponge gourd whose "attractive fruits and thick vine emitting fragrance make the life emotional." Does this sound like a pursuit of a country bent on evil ?

Consider also that "[T]he sponge gourd plant is resistant blights and harmful inspects." It is not clear whether the writer refers to the kind of "harmful inspects" performed by international monitoring agencies on DPRK nuclear sites, but perhaps we should give them the benefit of the doubt.

In the meantime, visit the Korean Central News Agency of the DPRK, open your hearts and minds to a different view of this isolated land and

Stay Naked
jd

Katherine Harris Forgiven

I feel it my duty as a Christian to open this post by noting that God has forgiven Katherine Harris for her role in stealing the 2000 presidential election through her systematic abuse of her office as Florida's Secretary of State. Her sins involving the illegal exclusion of innocent black voters from the voting roles and stonewalling attempts to achieve a complete and accurate count of the votes have been wiped away. This is indisputable Christian doctine and God's last word on the subject.

Apparently, however, not everybody agrees. If you are the sort of person who might take un-Christian pleasure, and even delight, in a merciless attack on Ms. Harris, launched at a time when her senatorial campaign is staggering under plunging poll numbers, staff desertions, fund raising shortfalls and a host of other problems, then go ahead and click HERE to view a "campaign video".

Remember, this may also be a sin, but, if so, it has also been forgiven, so

Stay Naked
jd

An Invitation for Ann

Everybody knows Ann Coulter, the right wing's answer to . . . well, just about everybody. She's "funny", if your sense of humor runs to ethnic slurs and personal insults, e.g., "If you don't hate Clinton and the people who labored to keep him in office, you don't love your country, " and "Even Islamic terrorists don't hate America like liberals do. They don't have the energy. If they had that much energy, they'd have indoor plumbing by now." These and many more like them can be found HERE. Knee slappin' stuff which many folks somehow found offensive.

Well, she maintained her defenders among the Republican right until her most recent book in which she decided to accuse some of the 9/11 widows of "enoying their husbands' deaths". That proved a little rich for many of her formerly staunch supports, though not all. Mary Matalin seems determined to prove she can spin anything.

Anyhow, this little tidbit has driven a once sober and responsible publication, not noted for its political content to suggest to Ms. Coulter that she . . . its hard to put this delicately . . . kill herself. "Would it kill you, . . . to do us all a favor and kill yourself ? (Oh, well, yes I guess it would kill you.)". Pretty strong stuff if it came from The Nation or MotherJones or Rolling Stone, but from Advertising Age ?

Stay Naked
jd

Zoo Goes Global:)

We're going to take a little jaunt around the world to see what the world is saying about current events courtesy of WatchingAmerica.com, our favorite international translation website (and the only one I know of;)

'Zarqawi has Won' says Le Monde in France.

Zarqawi promised an international rout: by attacking U.N. headquarters in Baghdad he succeeded in making United Nations' agencies, NGOs and businessmen flee Iraq.

Zarqawi promised a ruthless war against the American Army. Even if his participation from a military point of view was undoubtedly less decisive than he claimed - most operations being conducted by Iraqi rebels, ex-Saddamists, Islamists or Sunni villagers - the result is there: no American patrol can hope to leave its base in Baghdad or in the Sunni triangle without being harassed, often to deadly effect.

Zarqawi finally and above all – and this is what differentiated him from an Osama bin Laden who is at war with the West and Saudi Arabia - promised blood and tears to the Shiites, to the Kurds, and a civil war in Iraq: this has come to pass.

'No Shame in Embracing President Bush' El Pais, Uruguay

It is certainly not a shame that our president has cordial exchanges with his counterpart and principal trading partner. First of all, this shows respect and politeness. These are traits sadly absent from many of their colleagues around the world. It also reflects a responsible, realistic and modern approach to the protection of national interests, which takes precedence over the childish left-wing ideology of showing off and verbalizing uncompromising opposition to alternative views.

'Now the Shoe is on Bushs Foot' Tunis Hebdo, Tunisia

By throwing himself into a vast adventure of war from the moment he became president, George Walker Bush hoped to achieve three major goals: to eradicate terrorism, to bring democracy to the Arab-Muslim world and to reduce the price of oil to the lowest possible level by gaining control of the huge oil fields in Mesopotamia. We can now see the results: terrorism has increased in intensity; after the staggering victory of Hamas, the Arab-Muslim world is no way nearer democracy; and oil prices have reached historical highs.

Truly, the shoe is on the other foot.

And now we're back:)....Stay Global and as always...

Stay Naked

ad

NZNR 6-10-2006

Hello Zooheads,
It's the Zoo On-Air Edition:) Below you'll find links to the stories we talked about on todays show. Feel free to let us know if we're on the mark or full of it...

Trouble Brewing in Palestine Part I: Factions in Arms race
from Al Jazeera

Trouble in Palestine Part II

Pentagion Sets it's sights on Social Networking sites
from Newscientist.com

New Deal for Iran or a Prelude to War?
from Asia Times On-line

US Prison Study Faults system and public
From the Washington Post

Iran has 'Weeks not Months' to decide
from Breitbart.com

and of course...the World Cup:)

Stay Informed and as always...

Stay Naked.

ad

Easy Come, Easy Go in the Terror Wars

Well, it was great while it lasted. "London Police Nab Two in Anti-Terror Raid". "London Cops Shoot Terror Suspect". "Terror Suspects Seized in Bomb Factory ". "Terror Cell Was ' Planning Nerve Gas Attack on Capital'".

Man, this yarn had everything. "Hard intelligence", after "weeks of surveillance", so you know that 250 cops weren't wasting their time. References to the terrifying sarin gas attacks on the Tokyo subways immediately following a reference to al Queda and completely ommitting the fact that the Tokyo attacks were the product of a domestic Japanese whack-job with no connection to Islam, to say nothing of al Queda.

A splendid victory for our side in the war on terror. For almost a whole day. Then, not so much.

Security personnel, and specialists at that for we are searching a suspected chemical "munitions factory, search and search and come up with zilch. It is Iraqi WMD all over again. A huge build up, a mighty blow and nothing. Sorry, excuse us, pardon the mess. Terribly sorry about the fellow we shot. For nothing.

Having come up empty on their massive effort, the authorities will, of course, "continue to exhaust all lines of inquiry", just as we are still looking for WMD in Iraq. Or Syria. Or someplace.

Oh, the graphic ? Something carefully planned going completely haywire. How else do you illustrate "gigantic police screwup" ?

Security forces are at work so rest assured and

Saty Neakd
jd

Dateline: Invasion Iran!

Who is this angry gentlemen and why is the Zoo posting his picture? Let's set aside the unfortunate pic for a second. The gentlemen is one Ayatollah Hossein Khomeni, grandson of the face of Iranian Revolution Ayatollah Khomeni



who used to be the poster child for the Islamic Menace before Saddam and Osama. Why is his grandson in the news? Well, in what can only be described as a 'if you live long enough you'll see everything' (I purloined the phrase from a Christopher Hitchens article on Khomeni HERE;)...

Young Khomeini is convinced that the coming upheaval will depend principally on those who once supported his grandfather and have now become disillusioned. I asked him what he would like to see happen, and his reply this time was very terse and did not require any Quranic scriptural authority or explication. The best outcome, he thought, would be a very swift and immediate American invasion of Iran.

From the Hicthens piece on Slate.com

So does he really think George Bush and America are Irans best bet?

"freedom should be promoted in Iran in any way possible, and it is irrelevant whether this freedom comes as the result of domestic or foreign developments. If I were imprisoned, what does it matter? It is in my interests that someone come and break me out of that prison."

You can bet the White House speech writers are not going to miss this one.


=======================================

Conservative Mouthpiece and self-styled 'moralist' Bill Bennett on 'The Daily Show' discussing gay marriage. Just when you thought you couldn't love John Stewart any more than you did...your perfectly acceptable man-love grows deeper:)

Bennett is a bright guy but game, set match to Stewart...oh when will they ever learn?



Stay Gay and as always,

Stay Naked.

ad

Why-O, Why-O, Why-O ?

Why They Won't Be Votin' in Ohio,
to paraphrase the lyric from a famous musical the name of which escapes me at the moment.

You may also recognize the above graphic of the ballot box being abused which we have now chosen to illustrate any story about abuse of voting rights abuse, unless a picture of the abuser is more compelling. In this case, its a toss-up so here is a picture of the abuser, Ohio Secretary of State and Gubernatorial Candidate, J. Kenneth Blackwell, reminding us once again of Mark Twain's admonition to never trust a man who parts his name in the front



The New York Times, staunch guardian of our liberties, via truthout, has opined that Mr. Blackwell's latest hijinks are designed to favor his, that's the Republican, party's declining chances in the November elections. Apparently a catastrophic war coupled with domestic spying, unprecedented expansions of executive power, a gaping and widening division between rich and poor have resulted in such abysmal poll numbers that the Republicans have to consider other strategies. Like cheating.

Well, it apparently worked in '04 when Mr. Blackwell used the power of his office to throw the Ohio race to George W. with few except blackboxvoting around to complain.

Check it out. It may only be an off-year election or it may be our last off-year election.

Wait ! I remembered. "Wonderful Town". So there. I remembered, you

Stay Naked
jd

Net Neutrality explained...

The Zoo wants to thank PoliticsTV.com for putting the above video out. It's a really good primer on the Net Neutrality debate for those you who don't like to read:)

We love to give credit where credit is due so...here are the credits right off of YouTube.

"The internet is under attack by huge telecoms like AT&T. Do Americans care? Musicians like Moby care because your ability to download and listen to music from iTunes and videos from youtube could be in jeopardy. The only way to save the internet from these big companies is through NET NEUTRALITY. Watch this video to see Moby bring the issue of NET NEUTRALITY to Congress.

Produced & Edited by Laura Dawn, Adam Green, and Jason Rosenberg &
Dan Manatt of PoliticsTV
Directed by Laura Dawn
Music by Daron Murphy & Laura Dawn"
====================================



We wouldn't be the Naked Zoo without some truly Naked News every now and then:) Our Naked News today...Animal Masturbation;)

I want to thank a regular listener and big Zoo fan Lem Churchkey for sending me this info...

"Species that can masturbate do so! All humanoid
lifeforms do it with their hands. Those that can will
lick their genitals until orgasm, rub their antlers on
the ground, large wild cats will gyrate themselves
against tree trunks for pleasure & climaxes, some
monkeys even construct particular tools, for example
with leaves & twigs, specifically for the purpose of
masturbation. Octopuses self-stimulate their own
tentacles' sexual organs. The phenomenon is practiced
across the natural kingdoms far and wide using a
wondrous array of techniques.

Masturbation also occurs widely among animals, both
male and female. A variety of creative techniques are
used, including genital stimulation using the hand or
front paw (primates, Lions), foot (Vampire Bats,
primates), flipper (Walruses), or tail (Savanna
Baboons), sometimes accompanied by stimulation of the
nipples (Rhesus Macaques, Bonobos); auto-fellating or
licking, sucking and/or nuzzling by a male of his own
penis (Common Chimpanzees, Savanna Bonobos, Vervet
Monkeys, Squirrel Monkeys, Thinhorn Sheep, Bharal,
Aovdad, Dwarf Cavies); stimulation of the penis by
flipping or rubbing it against the belly or in its own
sheath (White-tailed and Mule Deer, Zebras and Takhi);
spontaneous ejaculations (Mountain Sheep, Warthogs,
Spotted Hyenas); and stimulation of the genitals using
inanimate objects (found in several primates and
cetaceans).

Many birds masturbate by mounting and copulating with
tufts of grass, leaves or mounds of earth, and some
mammals such as primates and Dolphins also rub their
genitals against the ground or other surfaces to
stimulate themselves.

Masturbation in female mammals, as well as
heterosexual and homosexual intercourse (especially in
primates), often involves direct or indirect
stimulation of the clitoris [...]. This organ is
present in the females of all mammalian species and
several other animal groups"

Apes and Monkeys use a variety of objects to
masturbate with and even deliberately create
implements for sexual stimulation [...] often in
highly creative ways"

Biological Exuberance by Bruce Bagemihl, PhD"

I thought this was a great topic for 6-6-06 in light of the proposed Ban People from Having Sex and Telling People Who They Can Love Amednment

Can't we all just get along...with ourselves...in private? :)

Stay Naked.

ad

Where Do We Start With This ?

Well, first of all the story comes from Fox News, not generally our first source, but we couldn't pass this up.

Second, the lead is that an Islamic militia has seized control of Mogadishu, the capital of the long-since failed state of Somalia. So, Islamic militants in control of failed state = more business for our miltary, sooner or later. Can't have anybody allowing Al Queda to open up shop ala Afghanistan.

But, its the third reported fact that makes the story so weird. Fox reports that the triumphant Islamic militia whipped "U.S.-backed secular warlords" after weeks of fighting.

Nobody can watch every pot all the the time and we confess we have not been concentrating on Somalia of late, but the last time we looked it was All Warlords v. U.S., with a gay round of shooting down Blackhawk helicopters and up Army Rangers. When did we start backing "secular warlords" in Somalia ? Fox saith not.

"Anonymous" U.S. government sources confirmed the U.S. backing of the secular warlords, but nobody indicated why the U.S. had failed to back the warlords to an extent that would permit them to win. Oh, well.

Put Somalia back on the list of places where U.S. prestige and influence is once again at risk and

Stay Naked
jd

Presidential Signing Statements...and other weirdness:)

So what is a 'signing statement' and why is it getting news right now?

From Wikipedia: "A signing statement is a proclamation, normally written, issued by a member of the executive branch of a government, usually the head of that branch, to accompany the signing of a law passed by the legislative branch and generally sets forth how the executive branch intends to interpret and enforce the new law."

Sounds pretty straightforward. In the case of the United States, it means the President attaches a 'signing statement' to a bill to say how he intends to enforce it...

Which brings us to the McCain Detainee Amendment, which President Bush promised he'd sign. This was the legislation drafted in response to the global revulsion at the Abu Gharib scandal. The picture you see above is Bush signing the McCain Amendment. But then he attached a signing statement:

The executive branch shall construe section 8104, relating to integration of foreign intelligence information, in a manner consistent with the President's constitutional authority as Commander in Chief, including for the conduct of intelligence operations, and to supervise the unitary executive branch. Also, the executive branch shall construe sections 8106 and 8119 of the Act, which purport to prohibit the President from altering command and control relationships within the Armed Forces, as advisory, as any other construction would be inconsistent with the constitutional grant to the President of the authority of Commander in Chief.

Whew...that's wordy. What does it mean? It means he doesn't have to obey the law he just signed. (Link to great article on this issue by John Dean HERE)

Which brings us to the news from the Boston Globe today that the American Bar Associations Board of Governors has agreed unanimously to investigate whether or not President Bush "exceeded his constitutional authority in reserving the right to ignore more than 750 laws that have been enacted since he took office."

The ABA's president, Michael Greco

``The American Bar Association feels a very serious obligation to ensure that when there are legal issues that affect the American people, the ABA adopts a policy regarding such issues and then speaks out about it. In this instance, the president's practice of attaching signing statements to laws squarely presents a constitutional issue about the separation of powers among the three branches."

Yikes:) Look for the results of this investigation to come out later this Summer...

Stay loose and as always...

Stay Naked.

ad

The Roots of Our Diseducation System

Why is it that the richest and most powerful nation in the history of mankind has such a generally abysmal education system and record. Why do other societies beat our brains in on achievement scores for our children year after year ?

Well, according to documents ressurrected by The Memory Hole, its because the system was deliberately designed that way. The men we have been taught were the heroes of modern education, like John Dewey, in fact were the architects of class warfare on a scale you can scarcely imagine, according to these documents.

Try this on for size : "We want one class to have a liberal education. We want another class, a very much larger class of necessity, to forego the privilege of a liberal education and fit themselves to perform specific difficult manual tasks." That was President Woodrow Wilson speaking. Whose children do you suppose were to get the liberal education and whose trained for "specific difficult manual tasks" ?

Or how about this from William Torrey Harris, US Commissioner of Education from 1889 to 1906, who wrote: "The great purpose of school can be realized better in dark, airless, ugly places.... It is to master the physical self, to transcend the beauty of nature. School should develop the power to withdraw from the external world."

If you have children you might want to think about homeschooling and you certainly want to

Stay Naked.
jd

Could the NY Times have prevented 9/11?

It sounds like an insane question doesn't it? But perhaps not. The American Prospect has a nice round-up of the facts as we know them HERE. Nutshell version. Judith Miller was told by a 'high level counter-terrorism source' that Al Queda appeared to be planning a major attack in the summer of 2001... IN THE UNITED STATES! The following is from a Judy Miller interview:

And the story is that two members of Al Qaeda overheard on an intercept (and I assumed that it was the National Security Agency, because that’s who does these things) were heard complaining about the lack of American response to the Cole, but also… contemplating what would happen the next time, when there was, as they said, the impending major attack that was being planned. They said this was such a big attack that the US would have to respond.’

She went to her editor Steve Engelberg and had the following conversation (according to Miller):

And Stephen said, ‘That’s great! Who were the guys overheard?’

“I said, ‘Well, I don’t know. I just know that they were both Al Qaeda operatives.’

“’Where were they overheard?’ Steve asked.

“Well, I didn’t know where the two individuals were. I didn’t know what countries they were in; I didn’t know whether they were having a local call or a long distance call.

“’What was the attack they were planning?’ he said. ‘Was it domestic, was it international, was it another military target, was it a civilian target?’
I didn’t know.

“’Had they discussed it?’

“I didn’t know, and it was at that point that I realized that I didn’t have the whole story. As Steve put it to me, ‘You have a great first and second paragraph. What’s your third?”’

The end result was that they chose not to run the story. We all know what happened next. Both Engelberg and Miller have gone on record as saying they 'regret' not running the story and now NY Times Editor Bill Keller is going on the record. In a stunning admission, Keller says neither Engelberg nor Miller ever approached him with the story:

I heard nothing about this from Judy or Steve at the time. Obviously it would have been satisfying to have "predicted" the 9/11 attacks -- just as it was satisfying that we identified Al Qaeda as an important threat before 9/11, in the Pulitzer-winning series Judy heavily reported and Steve edited. But what Steve had in hand that day in July was a promising lead from an excited reporter -- not, or not yet, a story. It was the kind of tip that good investigative reporters build on, not something you throw into the paper in all its vagueness.

Umm...yeah. Satisfying...I suppose it would have been 'satisfying' if the NT Times could have 'predicted' the attacks...wh are these people? Unreal. So where are we now? I only have one question at this point. Who was the 'impeccable' source?

Now, in an exclusive interview, Miller tells the details of how the attack on the Cole spurred her reporting on Al Qaeda and led her, in July 2001, to a still-anonymous top-level White House source, who shared top-secret NSA signals intelligence (SIGINT) concerning an even bigger impending Al Qaeda attack, perhaps to be visited on the continental United States.

Check the interview out HERE.

I can't imagine this is the end of the story...
---------------------------------------------------
I shoulda seen this coming. Mediabistros TV News blog is reporting that Fox News is losing viewers in the coveted 'sales prime' time period (7:00pm -2:00am)



Sadly, they are still #1. The blog points out that Fox's problems seem tied to President Bushs...eggselent:)

Stay True and as always...

Stay Naked.

ad

I am 'The Gavin Newsom Guy'

How did I become 'The Gavin Newsom Guy'. On pure merit baby:) Ok, there I am in the pic on the left...I am holding a print by the wildly talented SF artist Niana Liu . It is a painting she made off of a picture she took of the corner of Carl & Cole in San Francisco. So where does Adam come into this picture? I lived on the corner of Carl & Cole directly above 'Crepes on Cole'. While I lived there San Francisco was embroiled in a tense Mayoral race between Gavin Newsom and hippie upstart Matt Gonzales. Matt Gonzales was a prohibitive favorite in our neighborhood as there were yellow 'Matt Gonzales' posters everywhere. I came home one day to find one resting on the coffee table. The following conversation ensued:

Adam: What the hell is that?
Melani: It's a Matt Gonzales poster.
Adam: What are you going to do with it?
Melani: I'm putting it up in the window so everyone can see.
Adam: Screw that. I'm voting Newsom and there's no way you're putting up a Gonzales poster.
Melani: Umm, yes I am.
Adam: Then I'm putting up a Newsom poster.
Melani: Do whatever you want weirdo.
Adam: I will.

So I did and she did. Niana was walking by, saw the dueling posters and thought 'Glad I don't live in that apartment';) and snapped a photo. Flash forward a few years. Raffi (Melani's brother) still lives in the building and got his hands on a postcard made from the print, he gives it to Mels who mails it to me. I am so tickled I contact Niana and tell her the story...turns out she is coming to NYC to visit a friend and offers to bring me a hand-signed copy. She Blogs about it HERE.

And I think to myself...what a wonderful world...:)

Stay Open and as always...

Stay Naked.

ad