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Matthews to Michelle Rhee: Stay Away From Those Ideological Fools on the Right!

On Wednesday's Hardball, Chris Matthews brought on former Washington D.C. chancellor of public schools Michelle Rhee to discuss the state of public education in this country and praised her for work on the part of students but also warned her to “stay away from the right wing” because she was “too good to be grabbed by some ideological fool.” After Rhee explained to Matthews why public school students needed an organization like the one she founded, Students First, to counterbalance the influence of the teachers unions Matthews congratulated her for not becoming a tool of conservatives. (video after the jump) read more

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Lee Returns to Phillies

Veteran left-hander Cliff Lee finalized his contract with the Phillies Wednesday and is back with the team that traded him a year ago.

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Drop-Side Cribs Banned Due to Safety Issues

The Consumer Product Safety Commission is banning cribs with drop-down sides because they have been blamed for the deaths of at least 32 infants since 2001.

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Following the Long Trail of Impacts to Reduce Environmental Costs

Photo credit: akeg / Creative Commons This guest post was written by Ken Lanshe, Walmart vice president of global sourcing. Energy is vital. No matter what you do, from reading a book to eating dinner, energy is required at some point to make it possible, and the demand for energy is only increasing as technology advances and the global population grows. While energy does so much to make our li… Read the full story on TreeHugger

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Regulators push for tough conditions in Comcast / NBC deal, aim to protect internet video

Is it the deal that’ll never go through? Some might hope. For the better part of this year, Comcast has been jonesing to pick up a 51 percent stake in NBC Universal (for a cool $13.75 billion), but as you’d expect regulators have been poking and prodding the arrangement from just about every angle . The potential antitrust issues go on for miles, and now officials are paying particularly close attention to how the deal could shape the future of internet video. As you may or may not know, NBC holds a 32 percent stake in Hulu , and in theory, a Comcast buyout would enable it to limit access to other ISPs or force Comcast internet subscribers to also pay for a programming package in order to have access. A new AP report on the topic mentions that the US government is considering forcing Comcast to sell NBC’s Hulu stake as a stipulation for the deal to go through, and moreover, they may insist that Comcast provide online access to NBC Universal’s content library without a cable sub. Currently, Time Warner Cable requires users to sign up cable in order to access ESPN3 — a nasty, strong-arm tactic at its finest — and if the Fed gets its way, it could also set a new precedent for other operators. Needless to say, there’s quite a bit to be sorted before NBC bigwigs take on corner offices at Comcast , and there’s an awful lot at stake along the way. Regulators push for tough conditions in Comcast / NBC deal, aim to protect internet video originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 15 Dec 2010 18:36:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink

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Dynamic Eye LCD sunglasses blot out the sun, not the rest of your life (video)

Those giant Chanel sunglasses you bought for $450 may make you look happening at the pool, but did you notice the extra squint-lines you’re getting thanks to their barely-there tinting? Not cool, and that wouldn’t be a problem with Dynamic Eye shades. The concept model above admittedly looks worse than that pair of knockoff Oakleys you got for $20 from some mall kiosk, but that’s hugely better than the early prototype demonstrated below, ready for its cameo in Revenge of the Nerds V: Nerds Hit the Beach . The concept is simple: each lens is an LCD that creates a dark box over the sun, blotting out the biggest source of glare and allowing the rest of the glasses to remain rather less tinted. They’re even said to work at night. It’s a project the company has been working on for years and still has many months of development left, but it feels close enough to ask for your help via Kickstarter. If you’re feeling generous, a $400 donation will ensure you get one of the first pairs to roll off the assembly lines — or you can just chip in $10 for now and get an e-mail telling you when you can order. Probably the safer way to go. Continue reading Dynamic Eye LCD sunglasses blot out the sun, not the rest of your life (video) Dynamic Eye LCD sunglasses blot out the sun, not the rest of your life (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 15 Dec 2010 18:07:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink

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Oh noes! The War On Christmas takes a slightly bizarre variation as first Sen. Jon Kyl and then Sen. Jim DeMint complain that it’s just not right to make them vote on the START treaty during the Christmas season. I mean, what will Baby Jesus think ? To Sen. Jon Kyl (R-AZ), Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s suggestion that the Senate come back the week after Christmas isn’t just a way to complete a busy lame duck agenda — but an attack on people of the Christian faith . “It is impossible to do all of the things that the majority leader laid out,” Kyl said today, “frankly, without disrespecting the institution and without disrespecting one of the two holiest of holidays for Christians and the families of all of the Senate, not just the senators themselves but all of the staff.” Not one to miss this opportunity to proclaim his Christian superiority against those mean little heathen Democrats, Jim DeMint quickly jumped on to the “Who Cares About Nukes?” sleigh : Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) called Democrats’ push to force through an arms control treaty and an omnibus spending bill right before Christmas “sacrilegious,” and warned he’d draw the process out to wage his objections. “You can’t jam a major arms control treaty right before Christmas,” he told POLITICO. “What’s going on here is just wrong. This is the most sacred holiday for Christians. They did the same thing last year – they kept everybody here until (Christmas Eve) to force something down everybody’s throat. I think Americans are sick of this.” I think Americans are definitely sick of something, but making Republicans work during the latter half of December is not one of them. Maybe they should be grateful they have a job at all. Way too many Americans don’t during this sacred holiday, and nothing the Republicans are doing will make that better. As Democratic strategist Karen Finney tweets: So the Demint/(Kyl) position on START is that a peace treaty is inconsistent with Judeo-Christian values during the season of peace. Exactly. And just because it’s the holiest of holidays and voting for critical peace treaties would be sacrilegious, doesn’t mean that it’s not prime fundraising time. This Christmas, preserve that blessing by giving them the same gift your parents and grandparents gave you: the gift of Christmas future. By making a contribution to the Republican National Committee, you’ll be providing the resources that we need to continue to protect the America you know and love. You’ll also be ensuring that your children and grandchildren will be able to give future generations the same Christmas you’ve given them. And at that, Baby Jesus wept.

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Engadget’s Holiday Gift Guide: Digital cameras

Welcome to the Engadget Holiday Gift Guide ! The team here is well aware of the heartbreaking difficulties of the seasonal shopping experience, and we want to help you sort through the trash and come up with the treasures this year. Below is today’s bevy of hand curated picks, and you can head back to the Gift Guide hub to see the rest of the product guides as they’re added throughout the holiday season. A new digital camera is a solid go-to gadget present for almost anyone on your list, since everyone loves taking and sharing photos. But pairing the right camera to the right person at the right price can be challenging — with thousands of camera choices spanning every shape, size, and price tag, picking the right camera can be overwhelming. You’re in luck, though — we’ve looked through all of 2010′s holiday camera offerings and narrowed things down for you. Read on! Continue reading Engadget’s Holiday Gift Guide: Digital cameras Engadget’s Holiday Gift Guide: Digital cameras originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 15 Dec 2010 17:49:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink

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Gawker.com Says User Database Compromised

Gawker Media Inc., which runs a series of irreverent blogs on media, technology and other issues, is urging subscribers to change their passwords because someone has managed to hack into the company’s user database. (Dec. 15)

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With Mammograms, Timing May Matter

Women who undergo regular mammograms should consider paying attention to when they are scheduled, as new research finds the timing of mammograms could affect the accuracy of results.

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