The (Daily) Vent 2

(The Frackas From Caracas !) Venezuela has just had its own elections. Incumbent Dictator Nicol ás Maduro, the socialist successor to Hugo Chavez, has been declared the winner. The problem is that most Venezuelan appear to have voted for Maduro's opposition, Edmundo Gonzales, who has doubled Maduro's polling. However, like most dictators, the current Venezuelan leader is loathe to surrender. Of course, the election of Hugo Chavez in 1999 began what had been a prosperous South American country to one where in only a few short years, toilet paper, among other things, went into short supply. The Venezuela petroleum industry was all but destroyed when Caracas nationalized the effort. When Chavez died in 2013, Maduro was his hand-picked successor. In the wake of the allegedly fraudulent outcome, the people are taking to the streets and toppling Chavez statues. The possible election of Kamala Harris will have the same effect as originally electing Hugo Chavez in 1999. Both are avowed...

(Eyes Of The Beholder. . .) It didn't take long. Some weeks ago, after the assassination attempt and a successful GOP Convention, and popular opinion claimed it was Trump's race to lose. Then in a dramatic reversal of fortune, President Biden withdrew from the race and elevated Vice President Harris as the prospective Democrat Nominee, her running mate to be announced shorty. In the meantime, the Trump Campaign is encountering increased resistance, has lost support among women with Harris the Democrat choice and some in-artful comments from Republican Vice President Nominee, J.D. Vance. In fact, things are going so well that the historian that has accurately predicted every Presidential outcome since 1984 is saying that 2024 will be the year of Harris. What happened to all the groundswell support among Republicans ? Their Nominee took a bullet, but the media is pretending the event did not take place. The national press, in print and on air is successfully weaving the narrative...

(Home Before The Leaves Fall ?) This is the end of July and the "Guns of August" are still a few days off. But what the end of July 1914, was the final stage of armies mobilizing all across the Continent. From the Triple Alliance (Germany, Austria-Hungary and, at the time, Italy) to the to the Ententé, (Britain, France, Russia). There was a great elan as the armies took position along the various frontiers. The common phrase among the troops was "home before the leaves fall," meaning the War was supposed to be over by that fall. What followed was the "Battle of the Frontiers." Then the German attack into France failed. The French attack into Germany failed. The Austrian into Russia failed and the Russian attack into Germany failed. Far from being home by fall, what was supposed to be a quick war was to last four the next four years with millions of casualties, the horrors of the Western Front and the utter defeat of Russia that sowed the seeds of Revolutio...

(Job Interviews) Why would anyone want to be President of the United States ? If one asked Donald Trump, he would tell you that you could get shot. As for Kamala Harris, she has to replace President Biden at the head of the ticket. There seems to be more enthusiasm for the former President as evidenced by the thousands that attend his rallies. A return to Butler to "finish his speech" would bring a crowd beyond capacity. Vice President Harris, on the other hand, could perhaps organize an Avon or Tupperware party and perhaps a book club. However, whomever is elected this November, the approach to Israel will need "amendment" at the very least. While Hamas might be decimated in the south, also Iranian-backed Hezbollah launched a fresh rocket attack on a Druze community, There were twelve prompt fatalities, mostly children involved in recreational activity, like playing soccer. Israel has given a vigorous response, engaging Hezbollah in the south of Lebanon with air...

(Means, Modes, & Standard Deviations. . .) For those who remember the nightmare of Statistics, he or she would be familiar with those terms. Statistics are used in politics all the time as well. One thing that gets in the news is the "Real Clear Politics" average of polls. In any campaign, the RCP is used to gauge the polling average between two candidates but there is an increasing margin of error as election day approaches. Take the average for the Trump Campaign when the former President first announced he was running again. The Real Clear Politics average showed Biden way ahead. However, as time went on, and Trump got on the trail, when he was not in court, and the consensus remained that Trump, while the probable GOP Nominee, could still not defeat Biden. Until, it emerged that he possibly could. The RCP so migrated from Plus Biden to Plus Trump. In the end, Trump's position became so un-assailable, especially in the so-called Swing States. As the writing on the ...

(A Shot In The Dark ?) Blake Edwards was a prolific Hollywood director. With films such as Operation Petticoat or SOB, Edwards was known in Tinseltown as a pre-eminent comedic genius, second only to perhaps Mel Brooks. However, it was the "Pink Panther" franchise with Edwards made his name. A flawed pink diamond from the country of Lugash (when the diamond his held to the light, a shape of a leaping pink panther can be seen. Hence the name) Some, like the original film with Peter Sellers, David Niven, Robert Wagner, and Claudia Cardinelle was funny. Some later Pink Panther movies, some good some mediocre, and, when Sellers passed, Edwards had footage shot and, in the can, so, he placed someone in bandages and revealed Roger Moore as the one with the plastic surgery and he had adopted Inspector Clouseau mannerisms. One of the more mediocre Pink Panther films was A Shot in the Dark . The second movie released in 1964. There was a nudist camp and four scheming people who commit...

(Details Of Departure. . .) It is appropriate that Shark Week is back on the air on National Geographic and the Discovery Channels. The four-week affair endeavors to show everything "shark" from the big great white to the smaller hammerheads or tigers. And all the other species. "Sharks" have also been around that forced President Biden to withdraw from the race. It were "sharks" that protested Netanyahu's visit and flew the Hamas flag. Finally, as Biden was giving his farewell "address," Alaska Air Defense Command intercepted two Chinese and two Russian aerial assets. President Biden had been defiant right to the end when it had become clear that he could not defeat Donald Trump. Citing the excuse of health, and saying, for the benefit of the Party, and "in order to save democracy," the President announced his withdrawal from the Campaign so "Vice" President Harris, could pick up the mantle. However, have no illusions as...