The (Daily) Vent 2

( GIUK) What a horrible sound ! What is this, someone puking ? GIUK. There goes dinner. Or it is an acronym: Greenland-Iceland-United Kingdom. Add the word "Gap" and one gets the idea. The GIUK Gap is a line of ocean floor sensors called SOSUS. In essence, these are a line of hydrophones that are so sensitive that noise from Soviet submarines were detected before they departed their North Cape bases. During the Cold War, it would not be un-common for any Soviet SSN/SSBN to have an American shadow.  Greenland is the first link in this chain. In addition to its own SOSUS contribution, Thule Air Base re-named Pituffik,  is the northern most American outpost. Over its history, it was a forward station for the Strategic Air Command where B-52 Stratofortress flew CROME DOME missions (when SAC aircraft orbited the periphery of Soviet territory prepared to fly to their targets when ordered). Lastly, Pituffik is one of three BMEWS (ballistic missile early warning systems), The Ameri...

{(At An End Your Rule Is (and not soon enough it was)} President Biden gave a "farewell" speech to the nation last night. The speech was about eighteen minutes in length and Biden laments throughout. He still thinks climate change is the same existential threat he was told it was. President Biden has been the focus of these Pages from Day One in 2021 and have been highly critical. Looking at Entries from that time, Biden several failures like with energy, the economy, immigration and so on. But the greatest rebuke came over the abandoning of Afghanistan. Everything about the world today can be traced to that decision, The consequences were always going to be dire, but the President seemed to never be truly aware. In the news that Israel/ Hamas have reached an "agreement" that includes some hostages release as early as this weekend. Predictably. Biden is taking credit for the development but when the reality of Trump threats being the likely cause, Biden asked if th...

(By The Numbers. . .) Good morning and welcome to the inaugural issue of The (Daily) Vent. That was fourteen years ago. January 15th, 2010 on a lark and a few shots of bourbon at the time, these Pages started as commentary on Current Affaires and Popular Culture. These Pages have seen Obama, then Trump, President Biden, and now Trump again. There have been wars and rumors of wars, political bloodbaths for both sides. In the end, it has been fun and one can only hope that this unique brand of humor (mine) that hopefully entertained as well as educate. Numbers are a big part of what goes on here. This morning a tame inflation report is making Markets rally. Bond yields are retreating There is renewed optimism that there will be a Fed rate cut sooner rather than later. Of course, this turn of economic news has nothing to do with the departing President Biden. The Trump Cabinet Nominees are facing their own Confirmation proceedings. Pam Bondi at Justice, Ratcliff as DCI, Rubio at State, Bu...

(Horatio At The Bridge. . .) A few years ago, there was a reasonably entertaining movie called The Last Legion  though thoroughly  in-accurate. Basically, he last Roman presence in Britain, the IX or "Dragon" Legion, became the basis of the Arthurine Legend, defending Hadrian's Wall as the last piece of Roman Territory after Rome itself had fallen.  As The Last Legion was set at end of the Roman Empire, a story that had been set towards its beginning was the perhaps apocryphal account of "Horatio at the Bridge." That is the account of a singular Roman Legionnaire single-handedly holding off hordes of attackers by standing post on a bridge. Like lone Horatio on his bridge, so Trump's Nominee to head the Defense Department, Pete Hegseth is before the Senate Armed Services Committee. The California fires are persisting as are questions on leadership. President Biden in his waning days in Office just forgave more student debt. President Biden was also making th...

(Strings Attached) Whenever there is a significant aircraft incident, like a crash, there is extensive examination in the aftermath. Be it an engineering fault of some type or maybe pilot error, recommendations get made to replace a part or in a case of pilot error, supplemental training is applied. In the past, the National Transportation Safety Board in the U.S. and other advisory committees in other countries, are made to airplane manufactures to make the suggested changes. The California wildfires are like an air disaster, at the moment stands at sixteen. Any subsequent investigation will make its recommendations. Going forward, water is likely to be retained in reservoirs. Forest management will receive new priority. Logging and farming can be resorted. The Golden State can re-new itself by finally dis-missing excessive environmental regulation and the DEI obsession that it accompanies. That being said, Sacramento might not have a choice if it plans to re-build with federal money....

(Compounded Interest) There is a saying that good news is bad news, at least as far as markets are concerned. Last Friday's December jobs report showed a gain of 256,000, stronger than expected. A large portion of that was still government or government related. Wall Street, however, was expecting a favorable environment to more rate cuts. That has put cold water by the federal reserve who has not decided on any consistent policy for the entirety of the Biden Administration. Biden caused inflation by all his spending and the Fed found itself as the brake to keep this inflation under "control." The ultimate rate got as high as 9%. It has retreated some, but prices are still too high for most people and the Fed remains clueless as to hit the target rate of 2%. Nominally, rates get adjusted on the state of the economy. One recalls the half point cut from September. The Fed has been trying to compensate ever sense. In December, Chairman Powell announced that rate cuts would b...

(Things Lost In The Fire. . .) One can begin this morning by announcing that President-Elect Trump was sentenced today by New York Judge Juan Merchan. Merchan long a Trump nemesis imposed no sanction on the incoming Chief Executive, instead wishing him "Godspeed." So, Trump got away with it. That being said, re-building the Los Angeles area will be a long and extended process. Ten thousand structures have been lost, including hundreds pf homes. However, those dwellings will not be re-covered, Pacific Palisades will not be re-built as long as the permitting process and environmental reviews remain onerous. The destroyed neighborhoods will need an expeditated system for recovery and the red-tape from Sacramento and elsewhere. That standard cannot be applied to re-constructed. Beyond Palisades, what about homes in Eaton or Hollywood Hills, or Malibu ? All the other scorched acreage ? Many of these homes had value. Million-dollar properties. How involved will it be to restore the...

(Scorched Earth. . .) Today, the term has several meanings. Most obvious would be the devastating wildfires that have burned much of the Los Angeles area. Also, on his way out of Office President Biden is conducting his own version of "scorched earth." Smokie the Bear has the public service announcement that "only you can prevent forest fires." However, what happens to a blaze already in progress ? There are several fires in progress, with little to no containment. The situation has been exacerbated, however by a unique wind pattern, Santa Ana blowing at 100 miles per hour in places. That was further compromised when fire crews found their hydrant system lacked pressure, so the win driven flames had no water with which to contend. All told, it was a worse case scenario and the most expensive wildfire in California's history. The toll currently stands at %50 billion. But beyond the monetary loss, thousands of homes have burned. leaving families with nothing. Imag...

(Atlas Shrugged) Who is John Galt ? At this point who cares. Atlas Shrugged is a 1,100+ page novel by Ayn Rand that was basically her social commentary. One poses the question, what happens if Atlas, who carries the world on his shoulders, "shrugs ?" The world would invariably fall off. Of course, the modern "atlas" is a map. Each year, millions if not billions of maps and graphs are published. What happens however if there are sudden changes introduced. Like what if the Gulf of Mexico gets re-named the Gulf of America ? Or when Greenland becomes an American protectorate. That says nothing of what happens to the Panama Canal. The English Channel has always been the English Channel though France is the other coast. The Persian Gulf has generally been the Persian Gulf even though the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is the other shore. The Gulf of Mexico was so named because of early exploration of Mexico made its adjoining "gulf" Gulf of Mexico. If it gets re-named...

(Still Bigger Than U.S. Steel ?) In the Mob Classic The Godfather Part II, Jewish gangster Hyman Roth, a compatriot of Boss Vito Corleone, was singing the praises of the Bautista government in Cuba. A friendly regime that would allow the Organization to make its profits. As Roth put it, they were "bigger than U.S. Steel." Organized Crime is not what it had been in the days of Hyman Roth, having instead to look to The Sopranos . But U.S. Steel is not the same since the days of Roth either. This is not the company originally founded by Andrew Carnegie. The price of steel has fluctuated over the years and like all heavy industries, steel is vulnerable to supply and labor difficulties. Steel plants have been idled. In fact, the state of U.S. Steel is such that there is an acquisition attempt from Japanese concern, Nippon Steel. On the surface, that would seem like a bad idea. Any industry as critical as steel production should be kept in country, so to speak. However, what happe...

(Beyond The Big Lie. . .) Four years ago, there was a "riot" on Capitol Hill. On January 6th, 2021, the 2020 Election results to be Certified. President Trump, at the time, held a demonstration and told those present to march on the Capitol and peacefully protest. Trump thought he had been robbed of a Second Term by Democrat-inspired rule changes to Election Law. January 6th 2021, has gone down in history as a Trump inspired riot. There had even been reports that Trump tried to commandeer a vehicle to take him to Capitol Hill.  Like most of the events that day, an exaggerated narrative that Trump was trying to seize the government and that he was therefore a threat to democracy. Which is why Donald Trump will be certified, today, as the Nations 47th President. The scene is almost surreal. Four years ago, it had to be then Vice President Mike Pence to certify then Vice President Joe Biden as the new President and Senator Kamala Harris as the Vice President. Now, the roles are ...

(East Bound & Down. . ._ ". . . East bound and down , loaded up and truckin '. We ' re gonna do what they   say can ' t be done . We got a long way to go and a short time to get there . East bound , watch that bandit run !" From Jerry Reed and the "Smoky and the Bandit" franchise. But the message is clear. The "long way to go and the short time to get there" is the limited window with Congress has to act. While there had been some drama, Mike Johnson was re-elected Speaker after President-Elect Trump intervened on Johnson's behalf and secured some remaining hold-outs for the Speaker's tenure. The question as to what follows legislatively is being answered and matters of priority are being addressed. Which comes first, the chicken or the egg or what gets priority, the secure border or the Trump tax reform. Ideally, both could be incorporated in the same package along with defense and energy. As Trump himself puts it, a "One Big...

(According To Reports. . .) Professor Gordon Prange is perhaps the foremost authority on the Attack on Pearl Harbor. Fundamentally, Army and Navy commanders in Hawaii were not prepared. The same could be said for the authorities in New Orleans. Fourteen people were killed when that pick-up slammed into that crowd. There was a cascade failure in first identifying the threat and then failing in mitigation measures. The perpetrator,  Shamsud-din Jabbar   had been able to commit this act but traffic barriers were not fully deployed. There was the Sugar Bowl to be played in the New Orleans Superdome and the Super Bowl itself in a few weeks. Like on O'ahu in 1941, there had been a lack of understanding of the threat. It was a question of priority, but the priority might have white supremacy. Or it could have been New Orleans Police Chief Kirpatrick, a possible DEI hire. Ms. Kirpatrick might or might not be such an acquisition. However, her standing she along with federal authorities...

(Assignment Due. . .) Everything old is new again. It would appear that Geico car insurance is re-turning to "So easy a caveman could do it" campaign. That sold coverage, what, thirty years ago ? Or why is there a new Joe Schmo Show contest premiering on TBS later this month. Does anyone not know that there have three other programs with the same plot (a "contestant" is placed in a reality type show but all the other "players" are actors so whatever game is rigged). In other words, these are repeats. Today, either Mike Johnson will be re-elected Speaker of the House, or, like the Caveman Geico spot or the new Joe Schmo Show , there will be a repeat in House Republican Conference history and the question as to who would hold the Gaval remains open. So the new Congress does not get sworn, the Election does not get certified, and President Trump does not take Office. Are the personal proclivities of certain GOP Members, dis-like of Johnson, an impatience tha...

(The President Has Been Briefed. . .) (originally composed 1-1) Normally it would be appropriate to say Happy New Year. And it is. But 2025 has begun with an atrocity. In the early morning with revelers on New Orleans' Bourbon Street celebrating the New Year, a pick-up truck plowed through the crowd, killing ten and wounding thirty were wounded. This individual had been a U.S. Army Veteran who went very wrong. An ISIS flag was apparently in the truck before its deadly run. The "good news," however, is that President Biden has been briefed. Biden has been briefed his entire Presidency and here at its Twilight, with the carnage in New Orleans punctuates all too clearly how the last four years have been like the carnage in the Big Easy. How was the President Briefed on Afghanistan ? Did he get any input on his immigration policy ? Who told him that Bidenomics was a bust ? Either he was he not paying attention, or he couldn't. For how much of the Biden Administration was ...