Just some links

The ongoing world of security breaches—in this case a mobile-dating app sharing to omuch information.
•If you love Beanie Babies, here’s a documentary for you, about a family that “invested” $100,000 in collectibles. Of course, so many people saved Beanie Babies that the Bonanza (at least after the first few years) never materialized.
This is a common problem. Comics writer Mark Evanier pointed out once that the comic books everyone knows are hot or landmark issues never amount to much because everyone saves them. The most valuable Frank Miller book at the time, for instance, was Daredevil 158 (I believe that’s the right number) because it was Miller’s first work as penciller on the book that became his big breakthrough. Nobody knew he’d be a big deal back then, so nobody made any great effort for it.
•In response to an argument that court decisions have been insignificant in advancing gay rights (and that the change in public attitudes is what’s done it), LGM argues otherwise.
•Digby on whether one candidate for Fed Chair will get passed over because she’s a woman, in favor of Old Boy Network member-in-good-standing (and solid sexist) Larry Summers.
•Repub. Mike Rogers, who chairs the House Intelligence Committee, is unsurprisingly horrified that one of his fellow Republicans would actually propose banning the NSA from collecting phone data under the Patriot Act. The program is totally respectful of our rights, and Saves Lives, in contrast to all those terrible Obama White House scandals (Rogers claims Rep. Justin Amash is just trying to exploit the completely righteous outrage Americans have over Benghazi and “the IRS scandal.”). As noted at the link, he’s wrong about the value of the program. And as far as respecting our rights, check out the links I posted yesterday.
•Ta-Nehisi Coates shows that New York’s stop-and-frisk policy (stopping and frisking blacks Just In Case) really isn’t that effective. Alex Pareene refutes Ray Kelly (the NYC security chief behind the program—happily it sounds like he’s not getting a national security post in the Obama White House) who argues that stop-and-frisk is amazing, and surveilling Muslims is amazing, and no civil rights are harmed in the performing of these policies.
•Oh, here’s one I haven’t heard before: Campus police (USC) say it’s not rape as the attacker didn’t orgasm.
•The ACLU has filed a suit against Rowan County in North Carolina over its policy of starting meetings with prayer. The response: Rowan’s two state congressmen have filed a resolution claiming North Carolina (and it’s counties and cities) can establish an official religion.
•Slacktivist discusses how evangelicals can get into dangerous territory (in the eyes of their fellows) for going too far left, but never too far right: You can be too enthusiastic about women’s equality, but not about their subjugation. You shouldn’t embrace gay marriage, but it’s not beyond the pale to call for locking gays up. And so on.
•Under the Pinochet regime the CIA put in place in Chile, abortions were completely banned. They still are, which is why an 11-year-old rape victim has to give birth.
•The government wants the meat industry to track where it was born, raised and slaughtered, and pass along the information. The industry screams that it’s First Amendment rights are violated.
•Obama picked former Bush White House attorney James Comey as the head of his FBI. It’s a bad idea. And why pick a Republican? Does Obama really think that’s going to build a bridge with the right?
•The Prospect on a recent Supreme Court affirmative-action decision.
•I’ve written a lot of articles about the rules for debt collectors. Apparently the world’s largest debt collector often ignores them.