Michigan House moves to legalize ticket scalping over objections from Kid Rock, venues

Michigan House moves to legalize ticket scalping over objections from Kid Rock, venues | MLive.com: "LANSING, MI -- The Michigan House of Representatives on Thursday voted to repeal the state's longstanding ban on ticket scalping, approving legislation that would decriminalize reselling a ticket for more than face value without the written permission of a venue.

House Bill 5108, now headed to the Senate, is opposed by high-profile entertainment venues and Detroit-area musician Kid Rock, who has argued that it would take away "one measly law that venues have to protect artists and fans from scalpers who want to get rich off the backs of the working man."

But sponsoring state Rep. Tim Kelly (R-Saginaw) sang a different tune on Thursday, positing that individuals should have the right to sell a piece of property they own for whatever price the free market allows."

Supreme Court Rules Police May Search YOUR Home Without Obtaining A Warrant

Supreme Court Rules Police May Search YOUR Home Without Obtaining A Warrant | Zero Hedge:
"If the most disturbing, if underreported, news from yesterday, was Obama's "modification" of NSA capabilities, which contrary to his earlier promises, was just granted even greater powers as phone recording will now be stored for even longer than previously, then this latest development from the Supreme Court - one which some could argue just voided the Fourth amendment - is even more shocking.
RT reports that the US Supreme Court has ruled that police may search a home without obtaining a warrant despite the objection of one occupant if that occupant has been removed from the premises. 
With its 6 to 3 decision in Fernandez v. California on Tuesday, the Court sided with law enforcement’s ability to conduct warrantless searches after restricting police powers with its 2006 decision on a similar case."

Who are the "de-growthers" payin' for this Mediterranian junket?----------Environmentalists champion economic 'de-growth'

Environmentalists champion economic 'de-growth' | The Daily Caller:

"Environmentalists are pushing a new way to deal with global warming and overpopulation: the U.S. needs to “de-grow” its economy.


What is “de-growth”?

It means forcing people to work less to make them more equal, consume fewer goods and use less electricity.

Think of it like camping, but for the rest of your life.

Environmentalists at the New Economics Foundation in London and the Worldwatch Institute in Washington, D.C. argue that cutting the 40-hour work week and using less electricity is necessary.

This includes a living wage requirement and a more progressive tax code."

Dude, I thought decriminalization was gonna stop all this prison stuff. Dude........Home alarm worked, so marijuana-growing, gun-owning homeowner headed to prison

Home alarm worked, so marijuana-growing, gun-owning homeowner headed to prison | MLive.com: "MUSKEGON, MI – A home security system led to a more secure home for a Muskegon homeowner, at least for the next three to 12 years.

Marlon Gene Kelley, 53, of Muskegon last week was sentenced to state prison for marijuana-growing and gun crimes uncovered after his home alarm system sent Muskegon police to his house.

Muskegon County 14th Circuit Judge Timothy G. Hicks on Feb. 18 ordered Kelley to the Michigan Department of Corrections for one to 10 years for marijuana manufacture, one year for being a felon in possession of a firearm, and a consecutive two years for possessing a firearm while committing a felony. Kelley was sentenced as a fourth-time habitual offender based on prior felony drug convictions."

What could possibly go wrong......Muskegon County's Michigan Works office paying consulting firm $400K to solve job skills gap

"Economists say....."
They also say don't spend what you don't got.
I guess our "betters" at the county can pick their favorite economist sayings.
Muskegon County's Michigan Works office paying consulting firm $400K to solve job skills gap | MLive.com:
"MUSKEGON, MI – Michigan Works! Muskegon-Oceana will pay a consulting design firm $400,000 to find a solution for the skills gap economists say exists between its job-seekers and available jobs.

The Michigan Works chapter’s local financial agent -- the Muskegon County Board of Commissioners – on Tuesday, Feb. 25 approved a contract with design firm IDEO.

Michigan Works! Muskegon-Oceana Director Deborah Groeneveld said the effort would be aimed at a redesign of the way the local organization works.

Economists say there is a skills gap between the job-seekers’ abilities and the requirements of jobs that employers are trying to fill."

Air Obama: $5.1M for two vacation flights, $2.1M to fly to 'Tonight Show'

Air Obama: $5.1M for two vacation flights, $2.1M to fly to 'Tonight Show' | WashingtonExaminer.com:
"The president spent over $7.3 million on just three trips in 2013, including $2.1 million to appear on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno” in August, according to new flight documents provided by the Air Force to a public watchdog group."

Ukraine accuses Russia of 'armed invasion' after Crimea airports blockaded

Ukraine accuses Russia of 'armed invasion' after Crimea airports blockaded - Telegraph:

"Ukraine accuses Russia of 'armed invasion' after Crimea airports blockaded
Ukranian minister accuses Russia of an armed takeover of Crimea amid reports that airports have been seized"

The "BigEducation" scam on our children is falling apart. With results that hurt everyone. Just like EVERY other Ponzi scheme----Housing market recovery hamstrung by buyers' crippling student loan debt

Unintended consequences.... who'd of thunk?
Housing market recovery hamstrung by buyers' crippling student loan debt | The Daily Caller:
"High school seniors — and the parents encouraging them to attend college on borrowed money — may find the American dream of owning a home out of their reach after the bill for their student loans comes due.

According to the Mortgage Bankers Association, loan applications for new homes fell a staggering 20 percent in the past four months. 
Meanwhile, student loan debt in the fourth quarter of 2013 rose five percent above the last quarter — outpacing mortgage debt, which rose only two percent in the same quarter."

Federal audit calls new school lunch rules a failure

Federal audit calls new school lunch rules a failure - Washington Times:

"The federal government’s changes to school lunch menus have been disastrous, causing problems for cafeterias trying to comply with the rules and leaving the menu so expensive or unpalatable that more than 1 million students have stopped buying lunch, according to a government audit released Thursday.

One school district told federal investigators that it had to add unhealthy pudding and potato chips to its menu to meet the government’s minimum calorie requirements.

Other school districts removed peanut butter and jelly sandwiches from their elementary school menus.

Old story, but it fits with the Arizona Law. I guess...

Sara Casm - Old story, but it fits with the Arizona Law. I guess...:
LESBIAN IN NEED OF A HAIRCUT PICKS AN ALL MALE MUSLIM BARBERSHOP GETS THE BOOT…….

Old story, but it fits with the Arizona Law.

I guess it is okay to force Muslims to bake a pork roast and serve champagne for a gay wedding reception as well?

That stupid lesbian cake story has gone way too far out of hand and turned everybody nuts.

They promote laws to attack Christians to get support from the media and the left, but I am sure there are provisions for every other religion.

Chick-Fil-A refuses to serve customers on Sunday. How long until they are attacked and forced to open their doors rather than deny food to non-Christians that want to do business on Sunday?

I own a business and I will happily take the money of any member of any religion, sexual preference or even felons if I think they will pay and not try to hurt my employees. But, I only service septic tanks and I don't have to take part in your wedding or religious ceremonies. But if I wanted to reserve the right to refuse service to anyone, I should be able to.

If I want to be an ignorant bigot and refuse service to people born on Tuesdays, I should have the right. I am only shooting myself in the foot by doing that, but it is still legal to refuse money, isn't it?

When I don't want customers, it is usually because they are liars, jerks or non-payers. I don't start an argument and tell them why I don't want their business because that is asking for a lawsuit and I don't like throwing money at lawyers. I simply charge them 1000% over the going rate and when they don't want to pay, it was their decision, not mine. A few times they took us up on the offer, so we just got to make a serious profit off of their obnoxious attitude.

Just call it a "Putting up with your crap fee" and it is legal. 

UPDATE!!!-------Ukraine Accuses Russia Of Invasion, Considers State Of Emergency After Masked Gunmen Occupy Two Crimean Airports

Ukraine Accuses Russia Of Invasion, Considers State Of Emergency After Masked Gunmen Occupy Two Crimean Airports | Zero Hedge:

"The bizarre events in the Crimea continued overnight, after unidentified masked men but dressed like those who took over the parliament in Simferopol yesterday, took over two airports by blockading one near the Russian naval base in Sevastopol and another in the capital of Simferopol.

This prompted the Ukraine's interior minister Arsen Avakov, to accuse Moscow's military of blockading the airports, and in a Facebook post, he called the seizure of the Belbek international airport in the Black Sea port of Sevastopol a "military invasion and occupation." "

Choosing a Secure Password

Choosing a Secure Password - Boing Boing:
"So if you want your password to be hard to guess, you should choose something that this process will miss. My advice is to take a sentence and turn it into a password. 
Something like "This little piggy went to market" might become "tlpWENT2m".
That nine-character password won't be in anyone's dictionary.
Of course, don't use this one, because I've written about it.
Choose your own sentence -- something personal.
 Here are some examples:

 WIw7,mstmsritt... = When I was seven, my sister threw my stuffed rabbit in the toilet.

 Wow...doestcst = Wow, does that couch smell terrible.

Ltime@go-inag~faaa! = Long time ago in a galaxy not far away at all.

 uTVM,TPw55:utvm,tpwstillsecure = Until this very moment, these passwords were still secure."

The "Ukraine Situation" Explained In One Map

Bumped, again.
Amazing, and sad, the US media never mentions the real reason behind Putin's takeover of a sovereign country, energy.
Natural gas pipelines.
A national security issue for some countries.
And some leaders.
Buy clearly, an issue not important to Barrack Hussein Obama.
Or his acolytes in the media.

The "Ukraine Situation" Explained In One Map | Zero Hedge:

"Sadly, everything you need to know about the crisis in Ukraine in one worrisome map which summarizes all the relevant "red lines"."



"Given this - is there any doubt this will not end with peaceful resolution."

This Woman Invented a Way to Run 30 Lab Tests on Only One Drop of Blood

This Woman Invented a Way to Run 30 Lab Tests on Only One Drop of Blood - Wired Science:
"Phlebotomy.
Even the word sounds archaic—and that’s nothing compared to the slow, expensive, and inefficient reality of drawing blood and having it tested.
As a college sophomore, Elizabeth Holmes envisioned a way to reinvent old-fashioned phlebotomy and, in the process, usher in an era of comprehensive superfast diagnosis and preventive medicine. That was a decade ago.
Holmes, now 30, dropped out of Stanford and founded a company called Theranos with her tuition money.
Last fall it finally introduced its radical blood-testing service in a Walgreens pharmacy near the company headquarters in Palo Alto, California.
 (The plan is to roll out testing centers nationwide.)
Instead of vials of blood—one for every test needed—Theranos requires only a pinprick and a drop of blood. 
With that they can perform hundreds of tests, from standard cholesterol checks to sophisticated genetic analyses.
The results are faster, more accurate, and far cheaper than conventional methods. The implications are mind-blowing."

What could possibly go wrong........Detroit mayor looking to create city's own auto insurance agency: D-Insurance

Detroit mayor looking to create city's own auto insurance agency: D-Insurance | MLive.com:
"DETROIT, MI -- Mayor Mike Duggan in his State of the City address on Wednesday announced plans to work toward creating Detroit's own auto insurance agency.
 Residents of the city pay notoriously high auto insurance rates and the idea of creating a new provider has long been discussed.
Duggan announced the formation of a team to study the matter and even gave the proposed entity a name: D-Insurance."

History for February 28

History for February 28 - On-This-Day.com
Birth anniversaries of comic strip artist Milton Caniff (1907-88), journalist and screenwriter Ben Hecht (1894-1964),

Happy Birthday! Mario Andretti, Bernadette Peters, Tommy Tune, 

1854 - The Republican Party was organized in Ripon, WI. About 50 slavery opponents began the new political group. 


1885 - AT&T (American Telephone and Telegraph) was incorporated. The company was capitalized on only $100,000 and provided long distance service for American Bell. 


1900 - In South Africa, British troops relieved Ladysmith, which had been under siege since November 2, 1899. 


1940 - The first televised basketball game was shown. The game featured Fordham University and the University of Pittsburgh from Madison Square Gardens in New York. 


1953 - In a Cambridge University laboratory, scientists James D. Watson and Francis H.C. Crick discovered the double-helix structure of DNA. 


1979 - Mr. Ed, the talking horse from the TV show "Mr. Ed", died.
 

1983 - "M*A*S*H" became the most watched television program in history when the final episode aired. 


1986 - Swedish Prime Minister Olof Palme was assassinated in Stockholm.
 

1993 - U.S. Federal agents raided the compound of an armed religious cult in Waco, TX. The ATF had planned to arrest the leader of the Branch Davidians, David Koresh, on federal firearms charges. Four agents and six Davidians were killed and a 51-day standoff followed. 

Mormon Church reveals people do NOT get their own planets in the afterlife | Mail Online

 "Mormon Church reveals people do NOT get their own planets in the afterlife... despite what The Book of Mormon claims"

The Mormon Church is pushing back against the notion that members of the faith are taught they'll get their own planet in the afterlife, a misconception popularized in pop culture most recently by the Broadway show 'The Book of Mormon.'

New nutritional labels on packages will highlight added sugars while reflecting more realistic portion sizes | Mail Online

New nutritional labels on packages will highlight added sugars while reflecting more realistic portion sizes | Mail Online:

New 'Nutrition Facts' labels on packages will let families know whether their food has added sugars for the first time while reflecting more realistic portion sizes.

Calorie counts will also be in larger, bolder type under the label changes being proposed by the Food and Drug Administration, which were announced by Michelle Obama on Tuesday.

Report: NKorea Fires Four Short-Range Missiles

Report: NKorea Fires Four Short-Range Missiles | The Weekly Standard:
The South Koreans are reporting that North Korea fired off four short-range missiles today. 
"South Korea says North Korea has fired four suspected short-range missiles into its eastern waters," reports the Associated Press. 

Girl, 11, shoots cougar that was following her brother in Washington State | Mail Online

Girl, 11, shoots cougar that was following her brother in Washington State | Mail Online: "'She wasn't scared a bit': How girl ELEVEN grabbed gun and shot dead cougar that was stalking her brother, 13, outside their house"

When Thomas White spotted a cougar approaching his teenage son outside their home in rural Washington state last week, there was only one thing to do - hand a gun to his 11-year-old daughter.  

Without a moment's hesitation, Shelby White killed the female cougar, and wildlife officials suggested that the animal may have been sick.

The mountain cat was 4 years old and weighed about 50lbs, which is about half of what an animal that age should weigh.