A venetian blind, comprising: a head rail having a bottom; a rotatable tilt drum (28*) in said head rail; a front tilt cable (14*) extending from said tilt drum (28*), out through the bottom of said head rail, and extending downwardly from said head rail; a rear tilt cable (16*) extending from said tilt drum (28*), out through the bottom of said head rail, and extending downwardly from said head rail; a plurality of spaced apart rungs (20*), including a top rung, each of said rungs (20*) being secured at a front rung end to the front tilt cable (14*) and at a rear rung end to the rear tilt cable (16*); and a plurality of elongated slats (12*), each of said slats (12*) defining an elongated, left-to-right slat direction and each slat (12*) having a front edge and a rear edge, and each slat (12*) resting on one of said rungs (20*), with the front edge of each slat (12*) lying adjacent to said front tilt cable (14*) and the rear edge of each slat (12*) lying adjacent to said rear tilt cable (16*); characterized in that: said front and rear tilt cables (14*, 16*) are secured to said rotatable tilt drum (28*) and extend downwardly, away from said tilt drum (28*) at front and rear departure points, respectively, wherein, when said blind is in the fully closed position, the front and rear departure points are spaced apart a front-to-rear horizontal distance that is no greater than the front-to-rear horizontal distance between the front and rear edges of the slats (12*); and said rotatable tilt drum (28*) has an outer surface with an oblong cross-section defining a centroid, and is mounted for rotation about an axis of rotation that is offset from said centroid, said axis of rotation being offset at a higher elevation than said centroid when said blind is in the fully open position so that when the tilt drum (28*) is rotated to tilt the slats (12*) to a fully closed position, both the front and rear tilt cables (14*, 16*) extend in a straight line from said tilt drum (28*), out through the bottom of the head rail, to the top rung, without being deflected by the head rail and with neither tilt cable (14*, 16*) being slack. a head rail having a bottom; a rotatable tilt drum (28*) in said head rail; a front tilt cable (14*) extending from said tilt drum (28*), out through the bottom of said head rail, and extending downwardly from said head rail; a rear tilt cable (16*) extending from said tilt drum (28*), out through the bottom of said head rail, and extending downwardly from said head rail; a plurality of spaced apart rungs (20*), including a top rung, each of said rungs (20*) being secured at a front rung end to the front tilt cable (14*) and at a rear rung end to the rear tilt cable (16*); and a plurality of elongated slats (12*), each of said slats (12*) defining an elongated, left-to-right slat direction and each slat (12*) having a front edge and a rear edge, and each slat (12*) resting on one of said rungs (20*), with the front edge of each slat (12*) lying adjacent to said front tilt cable (14*) and the rear edge of each slat (12*) lying adjacent to said rear tilt cable (16*); characterized in that: said front and rear tilt cables (14*, 16*) are secured to said rotatable tilt drum (28*) and extend downwardly, away from said tilt drum (28*) at front and rear departure points, respectively, wherein, when said blind is in the fully closed position, the front and rear departure points are spaced apart a front-to-rear horizontal distance that is no greater than the front-to-rear horizontal distance between the front and rear edges of the slats (12*); and said rotatable tilt drum (28*) has an outer surface with an oblong cross-section defining a centroid, and is mounted for rotation about an axis of rotation that is offset from said centroid, said axis of rotation being offset at a higher elevation than said centroid when said blind is in the fully open position so that when the tilt drum (28*) is rotated to tilt the slats (12*) to a fully closed position, both the front and rear tilt cables (14*, 16*) extend in a straight line from said tilt drum (28*), out through the bottom of the head rail, to the top rung, without being deflected by the head rail and with neither tilt cable (14*, 16*) being slack. said front and rear tilt cables (14*, 16*) are secured to said rotatable tilt drum (28*) and extend downwardly, away from said tilt drum (28*) at front and rear departure points, respectively, wherein, when said blind is in the fully closed position, the front and rear departure points are spaced apart a front-to-rear horizontal distance that is no greater than the front-to-rear horizontal distance between the front and rear edges of the slats (12*); and said rotatable tilt drum (28*) has an outer surface with an oblong cross-section defining a centroid, and is mounted for rotation about an axis of rotation that is offset from said centroid, said axis of rotation being offset at a higher elevation than said centroid when said blind is in the fully open position so that when the tilt drum (28*) is rotated to tilt the slats (12*) to a fully closed position, both the front and rear tilt cables (14*, 16*) extend in a straight line from said tilt drum (28*), out through the bottom of the head rail, to the top rung, without being deflected by the head rail and with neither tilt cable (14*, 16*) being slack.