Homeland Security gets Snowcone machines!

[Pulsar]

At the risk of feeding trolls: It is easy to assume the worst, but the real purpose of this is stated in the article if any one reads it. Get people to visit their booth at an event, fair,etc.

Say you are at a sweltering summer event and you want to attract people to hand out information on being ready for a disaster. Things like what to have on hand, 72 hour preparations,etc. Put up a sign saying free snow cones. While you are making them their desired flavor, chat the person up on whatever you are"selling". You can get good interaction for only pennies.

If you look at what advertising costs for other media, a booth at the local fair can be a bargain. You just need to get traffic to you. Cheap (for you) freebies are a time proven way to do it.

All the other stuff in there was possible alternate uses to get the grant approved.

I've got a better idea.

Just don't.

I don't remember signing up to pay for a government branch that warns about the upcoming apocalypse on a regular basis. I thought they figured this shit out when the got rid of the constant terror-alert bullshit.

 

[BladeVenom]

They can make bacon flavored snow cones. Anyone who doesn't want one is a suspected terrorist.

 

[Sluggo]

Is that the same machine for sale at Amazon for half as much as the government paid? Even the list price is less than what the government paid.

List Price: $695.00
Price: $521.00
Lightning Deal Price: $389.99 Eligible for free shipping with Amazon Prime.
You Save: $305.01 (44% off)

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...=ATVPDKIKX0DER

 

[FirNaTine]

I've got a better idea.

Just don't.

I don't remember signing up to pay for a government branch that warns about the upcoming apocalypse on a regular basis. I thought they figured this shit out when the got rid of the constant terror-alert bullshit.

You really don't have a clue do you? This is a lot more than terror alerts.

People are accustomed to a society where utilities and transportation support their daily life. A power disruption, tornado, hurricane, blizzard, etc can disrupt one or both.

It is sad to say that people need to be told that they should be able to live off of the grid in their house for a few days with simple preparation. Believe me though it is necessary.

Emergency services have finite resources. They can be overwhelmed during an event like this. I can't choose to not respond simply because someone didn't prepare. Those responses consume resources that could otherwise be used during an emergency. By educating the public, you can reduce preventable calls for service during those events. Thus alleviating some of the burden on the system.

Unless you want to pay for a system that has so much surge capacity, as to not have to worry about natural disasters, or other catastrophic events. I guarantee that that would cost more that $75 per person

 

[lxskllr]

You really don't have a clue do you? This is a lot more than terror alerts.

People are accustomed to a society where utilities and transportation support their daily life. A power disruption, tornado, hurricane, blizzard, etc can disrupt one or both.

It is sad to say that people need to be told that they should be able to live off of the grid in their house for a few days with simple preparation. Believe me though it is necessary.

Emergency services have finite resources. They can be overwhelmed during an event like this. I can't chose to not respond simply because someone didn't prepare. Those responses consume resources that could otherwise be used during an emergency. By educating the public, you can reduce preventable calls for service during those events. Thus alleviating some of the burden on the system.

Unless you want to pay for a system that has so much surge capacity, as to not have to worry about natural disasters, or other catastrophic events. I guarantee that that would cost more that $75 per person

Yet we somehow managed for 100 years on the grid...

 

[FirNaTine]

Yet we somehow managed for 100 years on the grid...

How does the fact we have managed to survive 100 years with modern utilities at all address my contention that we are increasingly reliant upon them?

Is your contention that no one has died as a result of these events? Our that it is good that we thin the herd occasionally with them?

We managed during WWI and WWII to lose a large chunk of young able bodied workers from our society. Does that mean all the steps we have taken to reduce combat casualties in armed conflict (body armor, battle field medicine, intelligence/communications, etc.)eweren't necessary?

I mean not only did we manage, we won!

 

[lxskllr]

Is your contention that no one has died as a result of these events? Our that it is good that we thin the herd occasionally with them?

My contention is that government's too big, and adding safety at the cost of liberty is a bad deal. Safety can't be guaranteed no matter how many government agents watch us, and I don't particularly want to pay to be watched. We're already a long way down a path we never should have gotten on, and it's almost getting too late to turn back.

 

[Rubycon]

Probably made in China at that price.
Seriously, the best shavers for commercial duty cost quite a bit more than $900 unless they are Chinese knockoffs.

 

[alfa147x]

Isn't it the best way to shave your man parts?

 

[Bateluer]

Salim: "Do you know what this is?"
Harry: "I know what this is.. it's an espresso machine... no no no.. it's a snow-cone maker.. is it a WATER heater?"

This scene and his interrogation scene with the truth serum with gold. :lol: