If you want to keep something private, don’t post it online:

The personal details of 100 million Facebook users have been collected and published online in a downloadable file, meaning they will now be unable to make their publicly available information private. More »

With surprisingly little fanfare, Syria has quietly placed a ban on the face veil:

It’s a small piece of cloth that has become a political symbol.

As a loud and controversial debate continues over wearing the Muslim face veil in Europe, Syria quietly imposed curbs Sunday on the niqab, the veil that exposes only the eyes. More »

Accordingly to NPR, who the bloody hell doesn’t? For a visual breakdown of the Department of Homeland Security, decipher this chart.

A few weeks ago, at a forum in Aspen, Colo., the deputy secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, Jane Holl Lute, was asked about congressional oversight of her department. How many committees and subcommittees have oversight over DHS? More »

Ye basement pot shops of Oakland, beware!

Oakland is on the verge of giving the city’s blessing to large-scale marijuana farms, a plan that has provoked a backlash from small-time growers who fear being pushed out of the booming pot business.

The proposal before the City Council tonight would authorize officials to issue permits to four indoor marijuana farms. There would be no size limit, and some suitors who have expressed interest in winning licenses are proposing growing operations as large as 100,000 square feet – roughly the size of two football fields. More »

Justice. Canadian style:

CALGARY — A Calgary mother won’t spend a day in jail for killing her teenage daughter with a head scarf — a decision that has prompted outrage.

A national victims’ group, based in Toronto, is stunned by the suspended sentence given to Aset Magomadova by Court of Queen’s Bench Justice Sal LoVecchio on Thursday. More »

LA Times:

The most far-reaching overhaul of financial rules since the Great Depression moved to the verge of enactment as senators approved a key procedural measure that sets the stage for a final vote.

Senators voted 60-38 to cut off debate on the sweeping legislation and are expected to hold a final vote later Thursday. Three Republicans — Scott Brown of Massachusetts and Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe, both of Maine — joined all but one Democrat in helping supporters reach the 60-vote margin necessary to overcome a filibuster. More »

The numbers speak for themselves:

How much of a failure was the RIAAs campaign of ridiculous lawsuits of file sharers? How does a measly 2% return on a $58 million investment sound? That’s good business right there.According to leaked tax forms from 2006-2008, the RIAA spent a whopping $58,258,394 on legal fees over the course of those three years, reaping $1,362,572 from accused pirates in return. Ouch. More »

Via Gizmodo:

He may not have the femme fatale appeal of Anna Chapman, but recently deported Russian spy Alexey Karetnikov had something eve more intriguing: gainful employment at Microsoft. Which might explain a lot about Vista, amIright?The twentysomething Karetnikov actually worked at Microsoft for a nine month period as a software tester, meaning he wasn’t actually writing any code. He also, according to his Facebook page, worked for a Romanian software company called Neobit. And yes, Microsoft has confirmed that it’s the same guy. More »

LA Times reports:

A federal appeals court on Tuesday struck down the government’s longstanding prohibition against indecency on broadcast television and radio, ruling that the policy was “unconstitutionally vague” and created a “chilling effect” that violated the 1st Amendment protection of free speech. More »

I was tempted to put the ubiquitous Captain Picard “facepalm” picture here, but that meme has become inherently cliche. Instead, imagine Mount Rushmore being facepalmed by the fist of angry god.  Anyway, I’m sure this proposed law will be highly effective since a prospective purchaser can drive right across the bridge and acquire a pack of hounds or any assortment of pets they might fancy.  I’m not even going to bother listing the other reasons this entire charade is a laughable because frankly if you can comprehend this sentence you already understand. Good day. More »