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Confronting the nation’s mounting deficit, President Barack Obama is urging Congress to limit spending on pet home-state projects, while Republicans are challenging him to support an outright ban. (Nov. 13)
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In Maryland, Prince George's County's top elected official, County Executive Jack B. Johnson (pictured at right on NB's home page)
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Apparently you’re only allowed to be “proud” if you’re particular predilection is a minority point of view : A Chicago high school has decided to allow a small group of students to wear “Straight Pride” T-shirts, despite resistance from other students who say they found the clothing offensive on a week that the school was bringing attention to the bullying of gays, lesbians and transgenders. A spokesman for St. Charles North High School says the decision was intended to be an educational moment. “Considering they’re teenagers and becoming more socially aware, we need to do our job as educators,” Director of School and Community Relations Jim Blaney told FoxNews.com. “We need to help students find their way through this new world.” The controversy started on Monday when the high school began “Ally Week,” a program in which students demonstrate their alliance against the bullying of gay students. Three students came to school wearing “Straight Pride” T-shirts bearing the Bible quotation, “If a man lay with a male as those who lay with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination and shall surely be put to DEATH,” which appears in Leviticus 20:13. Several students complained, and the “administration had to determine if the students were posing physical or emotional threats, and that wasn’t the case,” Blaney said. “The discussion they had was that, while you certainly have a right to express your opinion via a T-shirt, please understand that your message can be perceived as hurtful.” The students agreed to cross out the message with a permanent marker, but when two different students came to school the next day with homemade “Straight Pride” shirts without the Bible quotation, they were asked to cover them with sweatshirts. Although the two students complied with the request, they said they weren’t satisfied with how their free speech rights were being treated. “I was shocked,” Jake Pezzuto, a senior, told the Daily Herald. “There is clearly a double standard here, and we’re really upset about this. “They said the reason we can’t wear ‘Straight Pride’ shirts is because they are disruptive. And I can understand how maybe some people were intimidated by the shirts with the Bible verse. But I don’t understand how some students are able to wear ‘Gay Pride’ shirts while we can’t wear shirts that just say ‘Straight Pride.’” I’ve never understood the concept of being “proud” of characteristics over which you have no control, such as sexual orientation (they tell us they have no control) or race.
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Well, thar she blows — the Jolicloud Jolibook . You’ve seen the teaser images and the official specs , but the 10.1-inch netbook is finally showing its keyboard deck and rear in a set of official press shots. Most of the information you need is in that gallery below, but just like we saw in the other images, its lid is skinned with a crowded cartoon scene while its back is home to a bulging battery (though, one shot shows it with a smaller cell). Under the cover it looks to have a fairly standard plastic panel complete with a chiclet keyboard that happens to look strikingly similar in styling to that on the recent Acer Aspire One systems. We’re hoping that all plastic build translates to a seriously low starting price, but naturally, we’re still waiting on that last nugget of information. We dare you to check out the shots in the gallery below and try saying “Jolicloud Jolibook” three times fast! Continue reading Jolibook no longer camera shy, opens its lid on Flickr Jolibook no longer camera shy, opens its lid on Flickr originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 13 Nov 2010 09:50:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Photo: izik The USDA has announced after much grassroot support for the change, that organic beer most be brewed with organic hops, according to a story on EcoCentric . One would beg to question why beer , which is traditionally made of j… Read the full story on TreeHugger
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YANGON, Myanmar-Myanmar’s military government freed its archrival, democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, on Saturday after her latest term of detention expired. Several thousand jubilant supporters streamed to her residence. A smiling Suu Kyi, wearing a traditional jacket and a flower in her hair, appeared at the gate of her compound as the crowd chanted, cheered and sang the national anthem. “If we work in unity, we will achieve our goal. We have a lot of things to do,” she told the well-wishers, who quickly swelled to as many as 5,000. Speaking briefly in Burmese, she said they would see each other again Sunday at the headquarters of her political party. The 65-year-old Nobel Peace Prize…
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A proposed graphic label to accompany cigarette packs. Photo: Food and Drug Administration If you’ve spent time in Europe, you’re probably accustomed to seeing forceful health warnings on cigarette packs. If you’re like me, you’ve wondered why American products can’t pack the same punch as the French classic, Fumer tue (smoking kills). Well, thanks to the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act, signed into law last summer by President Obama,… Read the full story on TreeHugger
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Continuing with our cookery theme this morning, we now have a full tray of scrumptious-looking gingerbread Android men, courtesy of Google Mobile’s Twitter account. The whole world and his poodle already know that Gingerbread , Android’s next iterative update that’s presently expected to be given the numerical identifier of 2.3 , is coming some time soon, but now Google’s taken to fanning the flames of anticipation with some home cooking. What could it mean? Well, if you’re an optimist, it means Android’s about to receive its update imminently , but if you’re a pessimist, you’ll look at that Christmas-themed red and green attire and foretell of another month of waiting and thumb-twiddling. Either way, though, this seems to confirm Gingerbread is on track to land at some point before we welcome in 2011. Which can only be a good thing. Continue reading Google’s gingerbread Androids are fully baked, can the OS be far behind? Google’s gingerbread Androids are fully baked, can the OS be far behind? originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 13 Nov 2010 08:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Farm Sanctuary’s Gene Baur, Olsenhaus’ Elizabeth Olsen and Russell Simmons (left to right). Photo: Getty Olsenhaus founder Elizabeth Olsen is the queen bee of vegan footwear. Not only does she have a slew of celebrity followers, including Moby , Russell Simmons ,
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