Britain is having a rare event on May 5^th: the Referendum on the voting system for the UK Parliament.

Currently elections are decided by the “first passed the post” method, which in a multiple party system results in many seats being won by people who receive a good deal less than half the votes. This referendum would change the system to what they are calling Alternate Voting, a form of preferential voting.

As this is a bit complicated, British voters might want to reference an instructional video, like this one that was recorded for moggies.

Even if you aren’t a moggie, if you can vote in Britain you should. I like preferential voting systems, but it’s your system, and your vote.

The BBC reports that Wal-Mart to bring back guns to hundreds of US stores

Wal-Mart has said it will soon bring back the sale of firearms, including rifles and shotguns, at more than 500 of its US stores.

The retail giant stopped selling guns at hundreds of its 3,600 US stores in 2006, citing slumping consumer demand.

But a spokesman said guns would return to the shelves as “part of the overall push to bring 8,000 products back”.

Thursday’s news comes two months after Wal-Mart announced a seventh straight quarterly decline in US sales.
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Federally-tracked gun sales grew more than 12% in the first quarter of 2011. However, growth has mainly been seen in handguns, which Wal-Mart does not carry.

Wal-Mart thinks that more people are going to turn to hunting and fishing to supply or supplement their food supply, and wants to sell them the hunting weapons. After almost two years of sales declines, Wal-Mart knows the hard times are not going away anytime soon.

The BBC reports that India chooses European fighters over US rivals

India has shortlisted two European fighters and ruled out two US rivals for a key $11bn military contract.

The Indian defence ministry picked the pan-European Eurofighter and France-based Dessault’s Rafale ahead of jets made by Boeing and Lockheed Martin.

The US ambassador in India said the US was “deeply disappointed” by the news.

So, Zero goes to India and negotiates with them, just like he negotiates with the Republicants, i.e. he gave them everything they wanted before anything was decided.

The Indian Air Force and their defense¹ ministry have been observing the Typhoon and the Rafale in service with Britain and France. They looked at the reliability, and hard cost-of-ownership figures, as well as the incentives that would go along with the purchase. They know about working with everyone in the arms market, and have decided that the two European fighters are in line with their goals and budgets.

The nuclear deals that might have helped the US manufacturers are already done, so they have no real value any more. Obama really doesn’t have a basic understanding of the principles of negotiations. US military hardware is expensive, and you need a “sweetener” to sell it, but you provide the added incentive after the sale.

1 – UK v. US spelling difference, like “colour” and “color”.

Molly 1994-2011

It is time.

[Editor: Molly was a yearling when Hurricane Opal hit in 1995, but she made it through outside, as well as all of the others that have hit us. As she was always tolerant of people, she was spayed early, which is probably the main reason for her longevity. Despite having neither sisters nor daughters to back her, she made her way through the hierarchy of the local clan to become the alpha female over all of the families.

She will be missed.]

Friday Ark