Despite threats of big fines by state banking regulators, the owner of a Shadyside (Pittsburgh, Pa) ice cream shop who opened his own version of a community bank last summer isn't abandoning his mission.

"We are taking on the challenge of transforming the retail banking industry," his website states.
"PA dept of banks threatening us ... we keep growing," he tweeted in late December.

Instead of deposits he is offering "never-ending gift cards." (More hilarious examples of how this ice cream shop/bank owner is getting around regulations in the article).

Police departments, the FCC and the wireless phone industry have devised a plan to fight smartphone thefts: the creation of a central database to track stolen phones and prevent them from being used again, which will allow wireless providers to disable and block further use of a device once it is reported stolen. Legislation from Congress that would make it a federal crime to tamper with a PHONE'S UNIQUE IDENTIFIERS in an attempt to evade the blocking process.

Russian scientists are falling victim to their own antiquated notions of socialized, government-run science as Moscow demands that all its science arms be further unified under new rules and authority. It's amazing to see the double-think from the scientists as they try to explain government sponsorship of science as a good thing, but in the same breath explain away further centralization and new government mandates as a bad thing. From a libertarian perspective, this reads almost like an article from The Onion.

State lawmakers in country music's capital have passed a groundbreaking measure that would make it a crime to use a friend's login even with permission to listen to songs or watch movies from services such as Netflix or Rhapsody.

Every holiday season, Mary Groth performs magic turning her home on North Broadway into a Christmas playground... 30,000 lights worth. She was issued a summons for not having a certificate for electrical wiring. Toy soldiers were deemed an obstruction for being too close to the curb. One village official said they can't loosen up on what could pose a danger to the community. The electrical work for 30,000 lights needs to be approved by a licensed electrician. If it's not, Groth will have to take down the display.