The (Daily) Vent 2

(This Is The End. . .) ". . . This the end , beautiful friend . This the end , my only friend, the end . Of our elaborate plans , the end , of everything that stands, the end . No safety , no surprise , the end . I ' ll never look into your eyes , again ." Good bye, 2023. Within hours, the wheel will have turned and the Times' Square Ball will begin its descent in front of over a million Big Apple revelers (which are assembling as we speak). In any event, here at the end of the year in question, it is appropriate to assess the last twelve months ? However, this is not an Almanac. This will not be a compendium that runs for pages. The audience here does not have the patience to be here for any great length of time, especially on New Year's Eve. What is best is to recount These Pages over the last 364 Days. One can begin with the Man of the Year according to The (Daily) Vent. This "site" has been on air since 2010 and as a "Commentary on Current

(Renegade Provinces) The image one might have about the Roman Empire is a homogeneous whole that at one stretched from the Pillars of Hercules to Mesopotamia. Its Emperors could be some of the most profound personalities in history, it was inter-connected with its road network, and had a large standing professional army, the instrument of the Empire's advent, At least, that was the Roman ideal and for a time, it was reality. At some point, however, things began to sour. Rome had an experience with mediocre emperors, legions began rebelling or proclaiming their commanders emperor themselves. One can only imagine how the combat quality of the Roman Army, their defeat at Adrianople by a combination of Goths and Alans. The Emperor Valens was lost. So, "The Glory that had been Rome" had been significantly diminished. Before the final collapse of the Western Empire in 476 C.E., there had been partitions. The so-called Gallic Empire in the West, comprising the majority of Gaul a

(Civically Minded. . . ) Everybody needs to know the basics of American civics. What is the structure of the American government ? What are the three branches ? Who the President is ? What is the Constitution ? How is it constructed ? In recent days the 14th Amendment has been in the news, specifically  §  Three that precludes any "insurrectionist " from becoming President. That is meaning Donald Trump. A couple of weeks ago, the Colorado Supreme Court took the former President off its Primary Ballott. Trump has since been restored in Colorado but the same stunt was attempted in California and Michigan but those states decided against banning Trump in their states. That was not the case with Maine, whose Attorney General, Shenna Bellows, has followed Colorado's lead and has also ordered Donald Trump's name not appear on the Pine Tree State Republican Primary Ballot either. If people do not like the former President, they should say so. As it is happening, they have be

(Permanant Vacation) Most people know about the rock band, Aerosmith . The "Brom Boston" emerges on the scene in the 1970's and released a number of albums, the commercial break-out with "Toys in the Attic" that delivered such hits as Sweet Emotion and Walk This Way . As the decade wore on, however, tensions within the band as well as significant drug use, Aerosmith , for all intents and purposes, had broken up by the time 1980 came around. The members went their separate ways, went to other acts, and the band's glory days were forgotten. Then, about mid-decade, a brilliant producer took the fledgling music form called "Rap," found a group called Run-DMC and thought that the Aerosmith hit "Walk This Way" but set it to a rap format. This being the heyday of MTV, a video was filmed where the members of Run-DMC were interrupting Aerosmith's frontman Steve Tyler and guitarist Joe Perry. after the song's opening riff, the rap version

(Chinese New Years) It is a fact of life that more Chinese can speak English than English can speak Chinese. In fact, most Americans can only speak what they see on a placemat in any Chinese restaurant. One usually recalls that the mat is ringed by the twelve "animals;." This time it is the Year of the Dragon and it begins on February 10th. This being a "Year of the Dragon" is appropriate as Chinese Premier Xin Jinping has declared that the Peoples' Republic will be made whole when Taiwan is forced to re-join the Mainland. It was no accident that Beijing is signaling its intentions so blatantly. The Year of the Dragon could be the year that Xi fulfills the promise of Re-unification because he is confident that the United States, despite the statements from President Biden, who has yet to decide how to handle Iran, is unlikely to intervene in a cross Taiwan Strait invasion. Chinese tea can be some of the more favorable in the world and when has tea, one has tea l

(Queen Of The Skies) Sometime in the Mid-60's, Boeing CEO Bill Allen and Pan American CEO Juan Trippe want in a fishing excursion in Washington State. The two companies had had a profitable relationship, with Boeing building the venerable 707. However, passenger traffic was expected to increase at such a rate that even the 707 was not large enough to handle the coming surge. Both men knew that a larger airplane as needed. Bill Allen and Juan Trippe fishing planned on what would become the Boeing 747. Allen's Boeing would be the manufacturer and Trippe's Pan American would be the plane's first customer.  The 747, nicknamed the "Jumbo," was truly a revolution in air travel. Boeing expanded its plant in Everett, Washington, building a hanger that proved to be one of the largest buildings in the world. When the 747 was first revealed, in September, 1968, with its length and the distinctive "hump" in the fuselage and four Pratt & Whitney hi-bypass eng

(Chapter One. . .) Normally, this time of the year, one usually speaks of Peace on Earth and Good Will Towards Men. Peace of what ? Christmas should be able to stand on its own as an occasion in itself because what it represents is so much bigger than the petty squabbles that are consuming the world today. Today is a day that Bethlehem should be buried in Christian  Pilgrams though the closed due to the Gaza War. Now, Palestinian Arabs have their own traditions and for them, Jesus is a Prophet. For Christians, however, Christmas Day is only the beginning of the Story and regardless of the contemporary context, that is what is being celebrated today. That is why children now are opening presents. That is why great feasts are being prepared. And, if that does not work out, there is always Chinese take-out. It is un-avoidable that the modern Christmas feel has gone commercial. And that is fine. But while the spiked egg nogg can give a buzz, required to a point. In spite of all the joy Chr

(Scheduling Conflict) Happy Christmas Eve ! One can imagine the legions of children on the edge of their beds in anticipation of what Santa-inspired rapture that is only hours away. To confirm the point, The North American Air Defense Command (NORAD) has confirmed that Santa and his reindeer have departed the North Pole and delivering presents to children in Asia. So, it will still be few hours before Saint Nick gets to the USA. That wait could still be too long for some. So, a compromise was devised. In most households, one present could be un-wrapped on Christmas Eve. That can take the edge off so, when Christmas Day arrives proper, it is the general feeling that it was worth the wait. It is also worth the wait for Donald Trump who had his own gift of a sort. The Supreme Court has refused to fast-track Prosecutor Jack Smith's case to their Bench (the Colorado issue is set to be "resolved'' separately). That being said, the hope of the Prosecution to have judgement re

(By The Numbers. . .) As was mentioned the other day, if the Supreme Court confirmed the Colorado Court and that Trump's expulsion from that ballot can stand, that would allow similar judgments in other states with pending cases. If enough ban the former President, then he would have no chance of securing the 270 required Electors and hence he could not become President, again. And, if President Biden is impeached and then removed, the least favorite choices can be removed and Democrats and Republicans can start the Primary Season afresh with new candidates.  But, in all likelihood, the Supreme Court will be reversing Colorado, it might rule 9-0, and life will go on. So will the race with Trump in his position. However, not everybody is happy with that state of affairs. Of those is Iowa's Governor Kim Reynolds, who is supporting Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. And New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu, just endorsed Nikky Haley. Now, one can notice that Iowa is the first Caucus an

(Rendered Opinions) The relationship between former President Trump and the Roberts Supreme Court have been problematic. The aftermath of the 2020 Decision that elected Joe Biden, the Roberts' Court refused to allow challenges to certain vote tallies. They might have been there, perhaps enough to alter the result, but, and this argument has been made previously, Chief Justice Roberts saw an opportunity to remove Donald Trump and he was able to act on it. Now, the Supreme Court must take on the Colorado ruling, precluding the former President from appearing on the Colorado Ballot. There is wide expectation that SCOTUS will take the matter quickly, next January 4th at the outset, and reverse Colorado, 9-0. That is optimistic. The Members on the Bench have mandates that necessarily go beyond strict interpretations of the Constitution. There are "Republicans" on the Court that were appointed by Trump, and Justice Jackson, who could not define a "woman." So, like the

(Denver's Piles) People can fondly remember Denver Pyle, "Uncle Jesse" from The Dukes of Hazzard . More crudely, "piles" are another name for hemorrhoids. The Colorado Supreme Court, in a vote 4-3, just dropped leading Republican contender Donald Trump from the state Primary Ballot. The justification used was a Section of the 14th  Amendment, Section 3 specifically that precludes anyone that "took part in an insurrection." What insurrection might one be referring ? January 6th ? Was that the Capitol Hill riot, that was over by that afternoon ? The one that did not prevent the Inauguration of Joe Biden proceeded apace. Donald Trump was out of Office and on his way into exile. Until he apparently is making a return. Horror of horrors, Donald Trump could be elected President. Again. The Colorado Supreme Court is doing its best to prevent that eventuality. And of course, the Trump Campaign is appealing the ruling but the whole thing is absurd. Never before

(Where Jokes Write Themselves) The other day, two staffers from the Office of Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD) found themselves in "compromised positions" inside a Senate hearing room, and put the event on tape. The puns that can be generated from this event can be endless and confirms the Senate's standing as a house of ill repute. Speaking of puns but the "dangerous  liaison" that took place was the most consequential piece of Senate business. The Senate has yet to adjourn for Christmas and there is no agreement on Ukraine funding, Israel support, and a new border policy. The excuse being given is that the "text" needs to be produced but there is a time element. Ukraine funding for example is seen as critical if Kiev is to prosecute the war further. The much-hyped Ukraine offensive from a few months ago as apparently stalled. Opposing Russian assets were attritted to a significant degree but the basic correlation of forces has remained unaltered. In Israel,

(Tall Ships And Stars) Aristotle Onassis was at one time the richest man in the world. He made his fortune through the control of global transport of petroleum, from source to market. Onassis tankers, modest ships at first but ultimately the first super-tankers. Onassis' held a virtually monopoly in that regard and while the Greek industrialist has passed on, the tanker routes from the Near East and other petroleum producing areas have been established and the dis-ruption of tanker traffic can have adverse global effects. The Red Sea is one of those heavily trafficked routes, tankers from the Persian Gulf round the Arabian Peninsula and into the Sea is being suspended for the time being because Houthi terrorists in Yemen are bringing commerce under fire. Linking to the Suez Canal and into the  Mediterranean and on to European and American refineries. That being said, however, these stresses on the transport of oil are taking place against the back-drop of Biden's war on fossil

(Something Wicked This Way Comes. . .) This is worthy of comment. With a clear indication of having no life, national pollsters from varying organizations, and all show Donald Trump expanding his lead over the GOP field and still leads President Biden. Now and this has been stressed, it is early. But the 2024 Election will have a broader audience than the millions of Americans to report at polling stations next November, if not sooner. Election night returns will also be closely watched in Beijing, in Moscow, in Tehran and Pyongyang. Each nation on that list has experience with Donald Trump. How will Premier Xi Jinping react when Donald Trump again takes the Oath of Office ? He probably remembers the last time when, while the two leaders were at Mar-A-Lago, and President Trump announced that he had just bombed Syria. Can Jinping depend on all Trump's sanctions returning ? Things between Beijing and Washington had been left in a so-called Phase One. The Chinese tried to play Trump a

(Autumn Mist) The German Ardennes Offensive ( AUTUMN MIST ) which was launched on December 16th, 1944, was the last mass effort of the Wehrmacht in World War Two. The attack has become more colloquially known as the Battle of the Bulge the offensive created a large salient, reaching almost to the Meuse River. The surprise of the attack created a crisis at General Eisenhower's headquarters at SHAEF (Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Forces) and almost caused a collapse of the whole Allied command structure. British Field Marshal Sir Bernard Law Montgomery is perhaps the most over-rated commander of the Second World War. While some field accomplishments like El Alamein were impressive, Montgomery was never a team player and resented the fact that he had to serve under an American, from Kansas no less, and also equates him in rank to General Omar Bradley, the other Army Group Commander. When the Ardennes suddenly became active, and there was a desperate re-deployment of forces

(Squares At A Party. . .) Congratulations to an end to another Hannukah ! Everybody made it to that last Candle. But this year, Israel is at war. Like the original struggles of the Maccabees themselves, be it Seleucid satraps or Hamas  terrorists, the struggle for this part of the world continues. Israel is still developing its destiny and, be it from Second Century BCE (before the common era) or today, it is not allowed to manage its own affairs without some external comment that are neither constructive nor welcome.  As to the current conflict, when Mr. Sulliven of the National Security Council  says that Israel  should limit its operations against Hamas to weeks rather than Jerusalem's is the same kind of thinking that caused the Maccabean  Revolt in the first place ! On the other side of the world but no less important is the other invasion being conducted across the American southern border. A new development has emerged in that 10 improvised explosive devices (IED).  An esca

(PERSONAS NON-GRATAS) Hunter Biden was supposed to be deposed by the House Oversight Committee the other day. Instead, he had a public rant in the Capitol Hill parking lot. He saw to lecture the GOP, blaming so-called MAGA elements. He said that his father was not as entwined in his business dealings as has largely been assumed. Then, Hunter went home. He did not go before the Committee and as a result has been ruled in contempt of Congress. The Congress, at least the Republican House, just voted with 100% of the Conference to expand the Impeachment Inquiry, expand the investigation with more subpoena power to gather more evidence till a point is reached an actual Articles of Impeachment possibly in the spring. But this whole episode is on a dual track. There is the need to have Hunter Biden face justice but also to impeach his father. The former has been a means to the latter and that relationship, business as well as familial, with contacts in China, Kazakhstan, Romania and of cours

(Hills To Die On. . .) The Rolling Stones have it right. You can't always get what you want. A lot of people want a lot of thing, all at cross-purposes. As all this gets sorted out, someone will be coming up short. But who will be making the sacrifice ? Which hill will one die on ?  A lot of hills. President Biden wants to fund Ukraine. House Republicans want a secure border and to support Israel.. Higher education types, the dumbest smart people from the likes of Havard, Penn and MIT are apparently having trouble deciding the morality of genocide. And the President is warning the Israelis to temper their actions against  Hamas as its "global standing" could be adversely affected. Those who have enthusiastic support for Ukraine are starting to re-assess their position. The so-called offensive by the southeast European country has effectively stalled. It has inflicted serious damage to Russian forces but Moscow has staying power that Kiev does not. Any pretense that fact

(Twilight. . .) The term is denouement . A general  resolution of events that mean a new chapter has been turned. The Israeli- Hamas War could be  concluding, hundreds of terror fighters are coming to the realization that the Path to Paradice in the service to Allah has become a more problematic proposition. In any event, and despite Hamas '  threat to dispose of the remaining  hostages, Israeli Prime Minster Netanyahu, has said that the terminal operational phase has been reached and the tactical, if not the strategic, objective of destroying Hamas , is realized. The other instance of something also concluding but decidedly without resolution would be the COP 32 climate conference in Dubai. The irony of holding this summit in an Emerite, a nation that built, and is still building its fortune on oil, would hold this gathering where a portion of its delegates want the elimination of oil and all fossil fuels. Climate alarmists, like Tsar Kerry are  extremists and were disappointed t

(Two Evils. . .) Remember that on some years, the NBA Finals went to the same teams ? How many years did the Johnson Lakers face the Bird Celtics in the 1980's ? Six championships with the Jordan Bulls seems excessive. Three with the O'Neal Lakers , three with the Duncan Spurs and so on. Watching the basketball with these constant repeat offenders, play-offs and Finals could get monotonous. Like repeating NBA teams, so the Presidential contestants from 2020 seem to be repeating for 2024. That does not mean that President Biden and former President Trump have any new talent but they are the two most viable candidates for the Oval Office to emerge. Remaining Republican challengers to Trump still trail and any challengers to President Biden have yet to materialize, if the DNC allows a "Fellow Traveler." You know that the Battle of the Coral Sea was the first navel engagement between the American and Japanese forces never sighted each other. That could also be the cas

  (Who Gets It Worse ?) Today, one can open with a bad case of poison Ivy. Equivocal statements from so-called "elite" universitas such as Harvard, University of Pennsylvania, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology had their respective President's respond to a letter from 72 legislators from both parties that found the leadership of those institutions who seem to be unable to definitively state whether genocide of Jews is not a bad thing ? These university presidents, all women, are confronted by their own polices of diversity, equity and inclusion that do not make moral judgements, think that a broader context is needed instead of a yes or no answer. But, in this case, that is exactly what is required. And, a price is being paid by these universities is accumulating as numerous doners have begun to withdraw the various endowments. In any event, Hunter Biden has joined Donald Trump in the ranks of those in some legal jeopardy. However, Trump's is a wholly polit

(The Battle Of Bagel Heights) There were many famous battles in the War of the American Revolution. Bunker Hill. Saratoga. Yorktown. Bagel Heights. Now, the latter is a classic Warner Brothers feature that pits Patriot Bugs Bunny against (Yosemite) Sam von Spam, the Hessian. The two foils traded fire, Bugs from a wood stockade and Sam from a stone fortress. Bugs flew a green flag that said "We." Sam flying a flag saying "They." When the two finally recognized, Sam demanded Bugs' surrender because he had him out-numbered " one to one !" In recent days, the House Republican Conference has been bleeding Members; George Santos has been expelled because his inherent value to the  GOP Conference and former Speaker McCarthy has completed his tantrum, announcing his retirement, effective at the end of the month. The few suddenly became "fewer." Now, this smaller Majority is re-enacting the Battle for Bagel Heights because they now have Democrats &qu

(Enduring Infamy ?) " Yesterday , December seventh , nineteen forty - one , a date which will live in Infamy . . ." That was the speech that President Franklin Delano Roosevelt was delivering to a Joint Session of Congress in the aftermath of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. As one might recall, a task force comprised of six Japanese aircraft carriers and numerous other fleet units were able to sail within striking distance of O'ahu and in two waves, that decimated the U.S. Pacific Fleet. Pearl Harbor reflected a lack of imagination, a malady that is still infective today. Ask the Israeli Defense Force if they could have used fore-warning before the Hamas ' pre-emption ? Or, with the open southern border, how many potential terrorists might have penetrated into the interior ? And if there's a mass casualty event of some kind and it is traced to an illegal entry ? The world is seldom prepared for the onset of events like Pearl Harbor which had caused such a p

(Making The Cut. . .) Want to run through the jungle ? Donald Trump has not been treated well by these Pages. If one can recall the entries from last March, it was predicting that the former President would be the GOP Nominee but Trump still could not win against President Biden. For the latter, his campaign preferred Trump as the opponent because he had been defeated by Biden in 2020. Trump's was considered as failed Presidency and if he were to "prevail" again, so many voters that left him in 2020 and saw fit to place a Delaware Senator and former Vice President, who spent the campaign in the basement and was still maneuvered into the White House. As the praise went, "even the jungle wanted him dead." That was the general feeling and persisted for weeks. Then commentary emerged in some corners that, with a straight face, said that the former President could be (re)elected. That was received as news and it was the first contradiction of original thinking. That

(Picking Sides. . .) What were the final lines from Colonel Walter E. Kurtz from the Vietnam classic Apocalypse Now ! " the horror , the horror ." What war is not that, and the Israel-Hamas War is no different. But, this is a just fight for Israel. It is a fight for their survival and the claims to the contrary are becoming tiresome. Those who are espousing anti-Semitism and anti- Jewish hate, the pro-Palestinian demonstrations, how American Jews are being threatened, is all a display of a deep ignorance and a lack of common sense. So, today, amid this backdrop of events, let these Pages take a side. Hamas is not a sympathetic organization. They are a terrorist regime that have committed acts of such brutality, including wholesale rape of Jewish women while they were made captives by Hamas fighters. Outrageous comparisons have been made and more moral equivalency that is totally mis-placed. The tolerance for this activity is diminishing. It has to. There is the right of f

(Attention Christmas Shoppers !) It is a spectacle this time of year when one sees toddlers on the lap of a mall Santa, saying they were good all year and give a list of what presents they want for Christmas. Of course, Santa has his agents, namely the child's parents, to go shopping and get what is on the list. Now, depending on a family's financial situation, not every gift on the list can be obtained. Say Johnny gave his list to Santa and mom and look at it and see what is in the Christmas budget. Johnny wants a closed southern border. There is a toy on the shelf at Walmart that looks like an orange buoy a flotation device for a pool, or an impediment on a river to frustrate un-fettered crossings from the other side. Texas has deployed such buoys along a stretch of the Rio Grande. An appeals court has ordered the things removed, a ruling Texas is challenging. In the meantime. the Lone Star State is expanding this floating barrier and that will be in addition to continued con

(Dim People. . .) John Kerry must have a complex. He, like President Biden has been told all his life that he is an important person and when he is acting as Climate Tsar, now in Dubai (Davos is too cold this time of year). That is the conference that had suggested that people eat less meat. An equally absurd idea espoused by Kerry in the Emirates is the pledge that the U.S. will build no more coal plants and would phase out the facilities currently in operation. At this rate, Kerry and his crew could seek to outlaw the lit match ! All frivolity aside, there is a concerted effort to diminish access to energy, not just electricity. Coal has been a source for the latter for decades and now its use has to be constrained because of it is not the best for the environment ? Natural gas could be an alternative but, as a fossil fuel, its use can be dis-counted as well. Dubai is a long way from Beijing which, for its part, is accelerating its own coal plant development, a new facility every few

(Two Lives. . .) There is intrinsic value to each Member in Congress and in the Senate and the leadership of both Chambers needs to decide how best to handle individuals who might have acted improperly and whether expulsion is a desired remedy. However, expulsion removes a vote from the total tally and in a close piece of legislation, removing a Member over some "ethical" concern is self-defeating. A Congressman and a Senator have both faced charges of varying nature recently. Republican George Santos (R-NY) was the one who was dismissed from the House was reputed to have used his Office for personal gain. The other is Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ) who brokered an arms deal with Egypt. He, unlike Santos, is still in Office and, like Santos, who is compromising Republican prerogatives in the House, Menendez's removal would compromise Democrat prerogatives in the Senate. House Speaker Johnson now has a three seat Majority after Santos departure. As close-run things have been

(By The Numbers. . .) One begin this morning with the news that Israel has resumed combat operations against Hamas . The cease fire has expired but renewed hostilities accompany further outrages on the part of the terror group. Some children were drugged and branded in case they escaped. All that being said, how much more difficult will further progress against Hamas be because of this respite that lasted six days instead of the originally planned four. In any event, California Governor Gavin Newsome and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis faced off on the Hannity program last night. On paper, Florida compares very favorably to California. Florida has no income tax and California has the highest in the country. California has experienced an exodus, many of these went to Florida. The Florida Governor could point to his states booming economy and budget surplus. California by contrast is experiencing a slew of social ills.  Newsome complained about Florida's "book banning" where