Observations focused on the problems of an underdeveloped country, Venezuela, with some serendipity about the world (orchids, techs, science, investments, politics) at large. A famous Venezuelan, Juan Pablo Perez Alfonzo, referred to oil as the devil's excrement. For countries, easy wealth appears indeed to be the sure path to failure. Venezuela might be a clear example of that.
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Is that cute or what?
Markets, love them and hate them!
(Thanks to you know who!)
Note added: Venezuelan bonds went up sharply today, as people bet that Chavez may be out of the picture in the future. It is not a bad bet, if Venezuela’s risk goes down 300 points, the Global 2027 bond goes up 19 points or 25%. If nothing happens you collect 13% annualized.
The Devil's Excrement 
June 27, 2011 at 6:34 pm
By now the odds have changed it used to be 80% in favor of Chavez being out before Dec 31st but there were no takers at that level. Now is down to 20% and someone accepted that bet. It’s 1 to 4 odds.
June 27, 2011 at 5:12 pm
Correction: “only to day” = “only to die”.
June 27, 2011 at 5:11 pm
Tarek El Aissami said on june 9th that Clodosvaldo Russian was in “franca recuperación”, only to day around june 20th.
We can’t believe any of what these clowns say.
June 27, 2011 at 4:59 pm
I tweeted that, Priceless
June 27, 2011 at 4:46 pm
Carómetro ain’t looking good at all!
June 27, 2011 at 5:27 pm
Save this picture for the history books!………………… PRICELESS!
I had my happy hour beer spew out my nose I was laughing so hard!
June 27, 2011 at 5:54 pm
upgraded to post, thanks, those faces are FACT
June 27, 2011 at 6:10 pm
There need to be a caption contest for this photo………
June 27, 2011 at 8:18 pm
Here goes:”If we agree to vote for Capriles as a group (PSUV) may we keep our jobs please and not go to jail?”
June 27, 2011 at 8:15 pm
Is the carometro because their boss is dying and it’s sentiment or because they might lose their jobs or because they might go to jail? That’s the saddest bunch of clowns I’ve ever seen.
Yeah ole Adan might be trying on the Raul Castro clothes but I’d bet he’s a bigger coward than his brother.
June 27, 2011 at 4:11 pm
I’m guessing that’s just one persons bet. This person is willing to bet 100$ with 80% probabilty that Chavez wont last till the end of the year.
June 27, 2011 at 3:39 pm
Sorry I meant odds are 4 to 1
June 27, 2011 at 3:38 pm
Right now the prices are 8$ to bet that he wont be president by the end of this year. If you’re right you get 10$ back for a profit of 2$. That means the odds st this moment are 5 to 1 that he WONT last the year!
Alternatively you can bet 2$ the he’ll still be president by Dec 31st and if that’s the case you get 10$ back for a profit of 8$.
June 27, 2011 at 1:37 pm
Cool. To bad there are only 10 shares to buy/sell.
June 27, 2011 at 1:20 pm
Need a third option. If he had an macro hemorrhoid and the Cubans shaved it off, he may still be a president albeit a half-ass one.
My money goes to the half-ass president bet
June 27, 2011 at 1:31 pm
Carlos:
Brilliant!