The (Daily) Vent 2

(Needing A Bigger Boat, , ,) The best scene from the movie Jaws was when the mechanical shark, "Bruce," breaks the surface as Roy Scheider (Chief Brody) was chumming the water. Stunned, he slowly walks back and informs Robert Shaw (Quint) that "he's gonna need a bigger boat." In the wake of Hurricane Helene , that left most of the Southeast under several feet of water, before that water can dissipate. A lot of people remember Hurricane Katrina that flooded New Orleans in 2005. Recovery efforts were slow as there was a break-down in communications between the federal and local levels. That is when then President Bush "Brownee. you're doing a hell of a job" referring to then Federal Emergency Managment Director, Michael Brown. Of course, he wasn't. The Republican Administration  of George W. Bush clashed with the Democratic leaders in the Big Easy and it took the Army to finally organize things. Whereas Katrina affected only New Orleans and th...

(De-Capitation. . .) At the 1972 Munich Olympics, the entire Israeli delegation were murdered by Palestinian terrorists. There had been a botched attempt at a rescue by the German police, and were not able to save any of the athletes. In the wake of this tragedy, Israeli Prime Minister Golda Mier, sent a special squad from Mossad , the Israeli intelligence agency, called Shin Bet , that are responsible for most of Mossad 's "wet work." The Munich perpetrators were in time identified and then eliminated. In an operation that made the Munich mission pale in comparison, Israel has been systematically eliminating the leadership of both Hamaa and Hezbollah , by a combination of close in (pagers) and aerially. The Israeli Air Force has been striking targets in Lebanon where it killed Hezbollah head Hasan Nasrallah and a couple of others. In Iran itself, the country's  Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei seems to have moved into hiding and remains at a secure location wi...

(Laboratory Experiments) People talk about the Green New Deal as if it is something with which to aspire. Not might be something of a misnomer as the original New Deal was a failure. Not only was it a failure but the Great Depression persisted as a result. It was not until the advent of World War II that the American economy. The President at the time, Franklin Delano Roosevelt and his Cabinet had made a pledge to "have a laboratory of experiments" What FDR was proposing was a massive  expansion of the welfare state, social security and so on. Some programs were ruled un-Constitutional which made President Roosevelt the first one to try and pack the Supreme Court. Vice President finally went to the border. She made some brief comments, but she is there at a time when migrant crime has risen to 415,000 over all while one has 13,000 murders and some 15.000 rapes. Consequences of the open border policy. However, perhaps more "concerning" is that Harris is promising the...

(Tammany Was Less A Hall) On a day when former President Trump promised to blow Iran to "smithereens" if there is another attempt on his, or anyone's life. It is campaign interference. The end result of Vice President Harris' economic plan is government and a transfer of wealth. China is adding stimulus to its economy, but the most significant event is the indictment of New York Mayor. Eric Adams. New York City has always had power brokers that were outside City Hall or Gracie Mansion. Aside from Organized Crime, another source was the brokers from Tammany Hall. While the organization was founded in the Eighteenth Century, in more contemporary times, the Hall was the determining factor in New York Democrat politics. It was also corrupt. Like the mafia , Tammany had "friends." It promoted its own no show and no bid contracts. Technically, Tammany Hall "closed" in 1967, because the Democrat Party expressed a desire to move away from the "bosses...

(Broad Appeal ?) Former President Trump was in Georgia last evening to make an economic speech. The former President is announcing how he, as President, will promote domestic manufacturing and for companies that produce outside the U.S., Trump will place tariffs of up to 200% on their products. Trump also promised the least regulation and wants to lower the corporate tax rate to 15%, And, Trump has been targeted for assassination, by Iran. Vice President Harris ? She necessarily had to release her own economic plan that is the anthesis of Trump's. In contrast to Trump, she wants to raise corporate income tax to 28%. In contrast to Trump, she wants to raise the capital gains tax and she even wants to tax "un-realized gains." It goes without saying that if such policies ever get enacted, there would be a nine-hundred jobs lost, the GDP would be negative one percent  But where the Harris heart truly lies is the codification of Roe vs, Wade and the expansive Democrat Senate M...

(Parting Shots. . .) President Biden has become the "Leopold" of his Administration. While the last few months of his term tick away, with the chances of Vice President Harris to succeed him are yet certain. The world today is one of Biden's making and the litany of the current global conflagration is of his making. That is why the President was unable to introduce India's Prime Minister only managing "Who's next ?" Another hot spot traced to Biden is the Ukraine where Kiev might have caused an explosion on that had been registered seismically, but the over-all situation has not changed. Then Israel has been reducing Hezbollah in creative fashion, exploding pagers and some 300 airstrikes. And it would also appear that the East Coast port stoppage will be called next week. President Biden could intervene, but at this stage, he probably has neither the will nor the capacity. As long as President Biden is still "in Office," he has to navigate pub...

(Not Ready For Prime Time ?) One can easily get confused. In the last Harris-Trump debate, the Vice President did well. For his part, former President Trump had an off night, a "catastrophic performance" according to some analysis. However, there has not been any sustained benefit for the Democrat. So, Harris wants to roll the dice again and confront Trump again. Trump is demurring because voting has already started. That had been the case with Senator Jon Fetterman. who had collapsed in his debate with Senator Dr. Oz but because so many Democrats had already voted, Fetterman was duly elected. Therefore, it would be of limited utility for Trump to engage when votes are being counted. So, while Trump might or might not accede to another meeting with Harris, he will be going to the Al Smith dinner, by himself. Smith had been the Governor of New York State from 1923-1928. Later, he managed the Empire State Inc which had built the Empire State Building and was one of the building...

("Too Cheap To Meter ?") When nuclear power began to be licensed for commercial use, the tag line was that so much power and electricity would be produced that "it would be too cheap to meter." The current reality is somewhat more complicated as a nuclear reactor of modern design is a modern power plant is very complex piece of machinery. The deign might be basic where the heat generated by nuclear reactions, splitting uranium pellets in stacked fuel rods creating heat. The heat moves through an exchanger where it boils water and the resulting steam powers a generator, producing electrify for the surrounding grid. That being said, a reactor that is of poor design and prone to mis-management, like Number Four at Chernobyl that exploded in 1985, that killed hundreds in the end, and forced the abandonment of Prypiat, previously a modern Soviet town. Another nuclear accident of some note was Pennslyvania's Three Mile Island Plant, south of Harrisburg. In the 1979 ev...

(Labor Pains. . .) The first line in the Declaration of Independence reads: "In the course of human events. . ." which basically describes the rights if not duty to be free of the British Empire. As it is now with the American Labor movement and its estrangement from the Democrat Party. Strikes are possible at Boeing and a work stoppage on East Coast shipping, unless President Biden intervenes. For his part, Biden is perhaps not even aware, though is convening his first Cabinet meeting in eleven months. A majority of the Teamsters Union seem to be supporting Donald Trump, though Teamster leadership is holding endorsement to either Harris or Trump. One union that is endorsing Trump is the Local Pipe-Fitters organization. The most serious of all these events is the possible strike of those dock-workers. Boeing is having its problems and is reducing personnel. Union members might vote for Trump or not but halting those big container ships and keep them at anchor and this close t...

(Fair Warning. . .) One can classify government spending into two categories: "fiscal," which focuses on government spending and "monetary," where the Federal Reserve monitors and adjusts interest rates, up or down, to combat inflation that results from fiscal outlays. The current round of inflation was caused by all the "green" spending of the Biden Administration, worth trillions of dollars. Inflation peaked at 9.1% a couple of years ago. To combat this rise in prices, interest rates get progressively raised, the economy slows, and inflation is supposed to moderate. Over the previous quarters, inflation has come down. Not to the Fed desired 2% and prices are still expensive, but the consensus has been that the Fed would finally cut rates, a quarter point (25 basis points). However, when the Fed decision was announced, it was a half point (50 basis points) cut. There were some who could not justify a quarter point cut much less a half point. As this actio...

(Victim Blaming. . .) How many times in some cop drama or otherwise legal procedural where a very powerful man goes too far with a woman but when she attempts to press charges, the man's lawyers destroy her credibility on cross examination and charges get dropped. The same thing has been happening in Israel since October 7th of last year. The same thing has been happening to Donald Trump since the last attempt in his life. Like the hapless date, like Israel, like Donald Trump, there has been the tendency to blame the victim. When Hamas attacked that Israeli music festival last October, killing some 1,200 civilians many in brutal fashion and captured several hundred hostages, including Americans, it had been the equivalent of a Pearl Harbor, and Jerusalem was caught un-aware. So was the Mossad , the Israeli intelligence agency. As the war progressed south through Gaza, decimating Hamas as the campaign went forward, the pro-Palestinian and anti-Sematic protests. Israel was getting ...

(As It Happens. . .) September 17th, 1787, the U.S. Constitution was approved. That day in Philadelphia produced a Document that, as Bemjamin Franklin would put it, produced a "Republic," if it could be kept. What followed were the first Ten Amendments that became known as the Bill Rights, The First Amendment basically allowed for the almost un-fettered freedom of expression. The purist form of such expression would be the national media, where it had been newspapers and other periodicals, exploded in recent years with television and social media. Especially in the latter case, there has been increase in the number of platforms that invariably, politics gets involved. There are liberal sites and conservative sites. Each promotes an ideological narrative. And, there are very large sites, Amazon, Bing, Google, and "X" to name a few. All have main uses, Bing, Google, Meta (Facebook), and X are the main "search" engines. Previously, if one wanted to know somet...

(It Goes Again. . .) For the second time in as many months, Donald Trump was the subject of another assassination attempt. This time, unlike the rally in Butler, Trump was playing golf at the West Palm Beach International Course. In the Green between Holes Five and Six, the new gunman, Ryan Routh, this time with a scoped Kalashnikov (AK-47), planned to ambush the former President's golf party at the spot indicated. As it happened, however, the Secret Service, more active in West Palm Beach while mailing it in in Pennsylvania, engaged Routh and opened fire before the shot had been prepared. So, Trump had dodged another bullet. Liberally. Pot shots like these can be hazardous to a man's health, especially if one is the Presidential Nominee to a Major Party. Particularly the case for Donald Trump. Like Crooks at Butler, Routh in West Palm Beach was a lone gunman. Unlike the Butler shooter, however, Routh is alive and in custody. For one who is going away for a long time, his attit...

(Not SAVEd) In an event as important as voting for President, one would typically prefer to not have anyone off the street casting a ballot. Too many get their information off TikTok or some other platform. Their approach to issues is therefore not informed and is subject to bias. However, those who do vote should have the legal right to do so. That would require proof of American Citizenship. That usually requires some form of identification. Drivers' Liscence, Library Card, Birth Certificate and so on. Identification is required for most private or commercial activity. But when it comes to voting, these requirements are seen as burdensome, especially for minorities. It is a specious argument as identification is a requirement   modern life. What largely Democrats are arguing is that while their voters will get to the polls, not all of them will be legal. Therefore, legislation has been introduced in the House called the SAVEd (Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility) Act that wo...

(Dangerous Territory.. . .) In the spring of 1942, German forces in the East ( Ostheer ), specifically Army Group South, had composed of four Army level Headquarters: Seventeenth Army that was mostly infantry but also had tanks, First Panzer Army, that was mostly tanks but also had infantry. For the up-coming Campaign. these two formations comprised Army Group A. There was also Army Group B, that comprised Sixth Army, that like Seventeenth was infantry with some armor and then Fourth Panzer , that was also armor heavy with its own allotment of foot soldiers. The German strategic objective in 1942 was a march into the Caucuses Mountains and its petroleum resources. Hungarian, Italian, and Romanian armies were also on the march. It was here, however, that Hitler began to intervene. First, he ordered Fourth Panzer south to assist First Panzer . Moving flags on a map might be one thing but transferring thousands of men and hundreds of tanks over Russia's poor road network delayed the...

(On Balance ?) One knows the phrase, "Never look a gift horse in the mouth (unless he is a Trojan). The Harris performance in Philadelphia had been superlative because it had to be. In the aftermath, however, certain complaints have arisen that the debate was not fair. That Vice President Harris failed to specific. That the American people were no more informed after the debate than previously. Informing the public was not why she was there. Harris, along with Muir and Davis, were there to defeat Trump and they did. Where she might be standing on issues, past, present, or future. The debate was a set-up and Trump was compromised because. was unable to parry the attacks. So, mission accomplished. The good guys won. So, what would be the problem ? Donald Trump is now trailing in fund-raising "by a lot !" He has been losing ground in swing states. He might be on the ground giving press conferences and the occasional interview, but the damage has been done. In 1984, the deba...

{(No Excuses (that one knows)} A Seattle grunge band, Alice N ' Chains had this song, "No Excuses That I Know" and that now applies to the Trump campaign and the various talking heads, mostly on Fox News, that played down the former President's debate performance. Trump has been compromised. he has lost an edge in both Georgia and North Carolina. Last time he won Tar Heel State but lost the Peach. Now he is behind in both and Vice President Harris is surging. The debate is proving fatal to Trump. There is no need at this point for a second debate. Harris has been improving and it has been recommended that the Vice President limit media exposure as she is no longer in need. There is some question as to whether Trump will agree to another contest but as he was taken advantage by ABC and the Vice President, and he allowed it to happen. How does Trump recover ? He and his campaign have been outmaneuvered by Democrats since President Biden was tossed. Harris now has to b...

(Stories Of Survival) It has been twenty-three years since the events of September 11th. Traditionally, it has been a day of reverence and ritual. Names are read, wreaths are laid. However, for all the death that permeated, there were also stories of survival. Those who had been able to escape the North Tower before its collapse. All those who did not die at the Pentagon after it had been struck. More recently, there is another survival story and that would be Vice President Harris performance in last night's debate with former President Trump. Harris with the assistance of the ABC moderators successfully baited Trump with Harris engaging in various prevarications. Trump was unable to effectively counter the Vice President. He got distracted on topics like abortion. He seemed angry and frustrated. So, if the debate is considered a Harris win, it has to also be considered an un-mitigated disaster for Trump. The effects of Philadelphia are revibrating. Singer Taylor Swift just endors...

 Win (or go home) First, a word on the passing of James Earl Jones at 93. The actor is perhaps best known as the voice of Darth Vader. Vader had been a character that has been fully implanted in the American consciousness. One says name of Darth Vader and one exactly who he is. Dark suit, flowing cape, a life support control panel on his chest, but, most distinctive of al, it was Vader's breathing, the hissing in, and out. In any event, tonight is the Trump-Harris debate. When the playoffs start in the NBA, TNT has a broadcast called Inside the NBA and its four-member panel, Ernie Johnson, Charles Barkley, Shaquille O'Neal, and Kenney Smith. Eight teams from the East and West Conferences and over the period of weeks teams get eliminated. Quarter finals, then the Semi Finals, the Conference Finals, then the NBA Finals. Each time a team loses, Johnson and crew "send them fishing." Hence the show's motto: "Win, or go home." The build-up to this exchange has...

(Un-Checking The Box ?) The media inspired honeymoon for Vice President Kamala Harris has come to an end. The whole affair had been a house of cards that finally collapsed. Twenty-nine percent of voters do not know Harris and where she stands in the end, where only nine percent are still curious about Donald Trump. To rectify the situation, the Harris Campaign has finally set up its website.  The website breaks Harris and her vice-presidential running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz’ policy proposals into four sections: "Build an Opportunity Economy and Lower Costs for Families," "Safeguard Our Fundamental Freedoms," "Ensure Safety and Justice For All," and "Keep America Safe, Secure, and Prosperous." Meaning what ? Like any of these "prescriptions" have any specifics. It has been fifty days and only now have Harris and Co. put something online. And the result is more sizzle than steak. The big test will be tomorrow in Philadelphia agains...

(Differing Opinions. . .) There is a statistician named Allan Litchman from American University that has used a formula that has successfully predicted every President election since 1984. Litchman has thirteen keys to victory and in a nutshell, Vice President Harris has more "keys" and therefore his prediction to gain the White House. Litchman's conclusion is that the Democrats "got smart" by rapidly rallying around Harris in short order and avoided all the elements that could have de-railed what was left of the Biden Campaign. Litchman's opinion, however, is not isolated. Another statistician, Nate Silver at his 538 Survey has Trump winning the Electoral College and is leading in states in question. This not quantum mechanics, however. Both scenarios cannot be true. There is a reason that statistics, and quantum mechanics for that matter, continue to give people heartburn. That being said, Litchman is relying on his "streak," he is banking that s...

(Reprieve ?) Donald Trump was found guilty on 34 counts of whatever it was. On the other hand, President son Hunter Biden just pleaded guilty to a nine-count indictment. There was a time when Hunter Biden had been the poster child of Biden family corruption and malfeasance, His ties to China, Ukraine, Moscow, Kazakhstan, Romania and so on and in no small part was to have been the mechanism with which President Biden could be impeached by House Republicans. Having Junior describe "high crimes and mis-demeanors," and perhaps remove Biden from Office. President Biden was removed from Office, but it was by other Democrats. With Biden not now running for re-election, efforts to protect Hunter have become un-necessary. The "sweet heart" plea deal," the one that had been rejected by the judge, Hunter has already been found guilty on the gun charges but had been resisting the tax, and the more serious. As those proceedings would have taken place about this time and cou...

(When A Stranger Calls. . .) Have you checked the children ? That is a line from the 1979 thriller When a Stranger Calls . Basically, a babysitter (Carol Kane) gets a phone call asking if she had "checked the children." The call is repeated several times until she is told by police that the caller is inside the house . Kane runs out and into police officer Charles Durning. Sadly, the children were murdered. When any pollster calls, it is like "when a stranger calls." Who actually answers the phone ? Would they lean Democrat or Republican ? Does that affect polling averages ? At this stage of the Campaign, can these numbers be trusted ? Whenever a Party is losing, and polling is reflecting that fact, some take solace in the fact  that they never got a phone call. Grasping at straws. Right now, Vice President Harris is leading in Pennsylvania, Arizona, Georgia, and Wisconsin. Trump is maintaining position in North Carolina. At least that is what current polling is sug...

(A Page Turned. . .) The Roman Empire has been referenced many times in These Pages. The "Glory that was Rome" and it had been the greatest Empire in History. Until it wasn't. The Empire always had endemic weaknesses and proved ill prepared to manage crises like plague and civil war. It is remarkable that it lasted as long as it did. Over time, the Empire was divided into West and East, and the position of "emperor" was split first among four was finally consolidated back into one. However, as they say, all things must come to an end, and the Roman Empire, at least in the West, "ended" September 4th, A.D. 476. Modern analogs to the Roman Empire would of course be the British Empire and the United States. All three had their issues, for the Empire, they were to prove fatal. For the United States it is just the Election and the Imperial nature of Donald Trump. The former President has said he would be "a dictator" on Day one and Roman Emperors ...

{Bedfellows (strange & otherwise)} It has been the period after Labor Day that traditionally people begin to pay attention to politics. The Presidential race begins to crystalize in the consciousness of the body politic . The two candidates, Donald Trump and Kamala Harris are vying for position both, have plus and minus aspects to their efforts. Trump has been saying he is ahead. By "A LOT !" He is not. At best he is tied or Vice President Harris is leading where it counts. It is true that she has become a parrot of the former President and where he is standing but no one is believing she will be keeping those positions once in Office. What one can say is that Donald Trump is not shy. He is in the public almost to the point of monotony. As an example, Trump will be holding a town hall tomorrow on the Hannity program. Could the Vice President deliver in such a venue ? Would she need one ? Harris is 15 points ahead of Trump with women. She has 225 Electoral College votes co...

(Labor Pains. . .) Happy Labor Day ! It is common question being asked of Vice President Harris, "Will the real one stand up ?" Her position changes are becoming infamous. But what about President Biden ? He still thinks he runs the Oval Office and thinks he can still do President stuff like go the Situation Room for a briefing on Israel and to criticize Prime Minister Netanyahu for not reaching a deal with Hamas . As was true from the beginning, President Biden has been the last one qualified to offer Israel any counsel. To his credit, Netanyahu has ignored Biden's advice and the murder of those six hostages. while tragic, is collateral damage. And that happens in War. If the President wanted a cease fire deal, and this was mentioned yesterday, Biden could helped Israel end the war where Hamas would have been defeated early and the hostages recovered. But no one told the President. Al Bundy, from Married With Children , once called Labor Day as " the day off for th...

(Terminal Phases. . .) It has almost been eleven months since the Hamas attack on southern Israel on October 7th of last year.  Hostages were seized during the raid and have been held in Gaza ever since. Sadly, six of the captives were executed in the last few days, among them, American  Hersh Goldberg-Polin. These killings, carried out in the tunnels of Rafah, could be an indication that the war could finally be coming to an end, A desperate enemy, like Hamas , took this action before any rescue could be attempted. Both President Biden and Vice President Harris expressed the required outrage over the executions, but it had been their policy from the start that to slow walk any support for the Jewish State. Escalation into a broader, regional, conflict. That being said, had Israel been given maximum support, had the IDF the benefit of American power, the campaign could have been abbreviated and hostages like Golberg-Polin could have been recovered in time. For political reaso...