As IF Times

link  Acquiring Shotguns – Federal Business Opportunities: Opportunities.

This is indeed shocking.  The request for tenders in the article specifies a modified choke on the shotguns.  I would have gone with the full choke myself for reasons of accuracy.

Well at least someone in the government is planning ahead.  By the manner in which the tax bill for everyone may be increasing in the U.S. to fund the programs laid out by the administration, the collectors are assuming many will  have issues with paying their assessments.  This is the most far sighted planning strategy evidenced by this government yet.  It’s also confirmation that somebody up there knows there may be some push back from the masses on tax increases.  Hmm.

If the government were actually trying to help the people in upcoming times of financial hardship, they could at least make  barrels available  for them to wear or provide pencils in cups.  Instead, they choose to go the route of expecting people to be modern day Al Capones.   If you think about it, the people who shoulder the bulk of taxes are the so called wealthier 5% of the population, who by some accounts, pay about 40 to 45% of the tax tab.  I’m trying to envision the Donald Trumps of the world barricading himself in his office holding the shotgun wielding IRS agents at bay.  Not probable.  More likely a team of lawyers armed with motions and restraining orders will be manning the doors.

The likely targets for the collectors would be the hoi polloi, those who are more likely to be in real distress over unpaid taxes, small business owners and average individuals, those for whom strongly worded letters won’t work.    If you think about it, the U.S. was founded in part by the very act of protesting the imposition of taxes upon the then colony by an imperious British government.  Going after taxpayers, reluctant or otherwise with guns drawn may get the populace all wee wee’d  up come election time.

 Still, at  least they’re asking for submissions for American made guns in deference to sensibilities and creating jobs for Americans.  Nothing says “open up”  like the unmistakable click click of a Remington shotgun.   In less turbulent times, they probably would have gone with Beretta.

link  Truckloads of snow dumped on melting Vancouver mountain | Reuters.

When they promised that the Vancouver games were going to be green, they didn’t fool around.  First of all, credit goes to the writers of this story for not blaming the unseasonably warm weather that’s occurring in Vancouver on Global Warming.   A year ago, when the frenzy for everything AGW was at its peak, you can bet that SUV’s  and air conditioners would be fingered as the causes of no snow here in February.  Now that there appears to be some cracks in the case for AGW, there are fewer knee jerk reactions to anything that is ‘abnormal’.  At least the games people had a contingency plan in case of no winter in Vancouver, though I suspect moving snow from 150 km away by truck was probably down the list around plan G.  Hey, it’s Vancouver, we’re famous for rain.  Even pets here wear gore-tex. 

The second thought that comes from this article is the entire circus surrounding the Olympics.  While no one is naive enough to think that the spectacle is really about skiers, skaters and bobsledders, the whole “Olympic spirit” propaganda seems hollow when the reality is that the staging of the events are political and economic operations.  If this were not the case, the venues would be the same every 4  years, in particular, the winter Olympics. According to John Furlong, the Vanoc chair when speaking to the lack of snow,

“This has happened at every Olympics and what we’re trying to do is demonstrate we are on top of this.”

 It would make far more sense to hold the events where winter has a greater than 50/50 chance of showing up.  In addition, it would be easier to compare the performance of participants from year to year.

Instead, a beauty contest is held regularly to determine which city will have the “privilege” of spending billions of dollars on infrastructure and these days, security.  The process resembles the old joke; the good news is, you won; the bad news is, you won.  If nothing else, it’s a good excuse to travel somewhere fun every 4 years.  The unspoken winners however, are those involved with the decision making process as Olympic committee judges.  These guys get wined, dined and feted like royalty as nations vie for their favor and attention like competing lovers.  Why anyone would run for el presidente of a country is beyond me when being an Olympic poobah is a much better gig. 

There is obviously economic benefit from hosting the games of course.  Builders, engineers, contractors and developers benefit.  Vancouver will get new civic structures, possibly legacies for future generations.  So you have to spend a billion or so to get a billion or so.  Minus the cost of medals.  And umbrellas.