Weekly Blog round-Up

An awesome discussion of atheist bus ads on Vegas Cohort, via Friendly Atheist via Emerging Pensées (I know, the trail of bread crumbs confused me too!)

Understanding Science: A sorta wonky site about Science and how it helps our lives. But some good explanations there.

Inauguration Lunch menu! I wish I could taste this food! I love the idea of the cherry chutney, with wine selections listed too! I also can't wait to see the changes to this page!

The Recently Deflowered Girl: The Right Thing To Say On Every Dubious Occasion, by Hyacinthe Phyppe [Edward Gorey, Mel Juffe] found on: Buzzfeed

Slumdog Millionaire won big at the Golden Globes. This Sojourner's article explains why, w/clip at the bottom.

At right, Noli Mi Tangere - Beautiful from Art Blog by Bob

Scientists to Obama: FDA has been corrupted
from AMERICAblog News| A great nation deserves the truth by Chris in Paris

Won't it be a positive change to have science matter again during the Obama administration? From the AP:

In an unusually blunt letter, a group of federal scientists is complaining to the Obama transition team of widespread managerial misconduct in a division of the Food and Drug Administration.

"The purpose of this letter is to inform you that the scientific review process for medical devices at the FDA has been corrupted and distorted by current FDA managers, thereby placing the American people at risk," said the letter, dated Wednesday and written on the agency's Center for Devices and Radiological Health letterhead.

The center is responsible for medical devices ranging from stents and breast implants to MRIs and other imaging machinery. The concerns of the nine scientists who wrote to the transition team echo some of the complaints from the FDA's drug review division a few years ago during the safety debacle involving the painkiller Vioxx.

The FDA declined to publicly respond to the letter, but said it is working to address the concerns.

In their letter the FDA dissidents alleged that agency managers use intimidation to squelch scientific debate, leading to the approval of medical devices whose effectiveness is questionable and which may not be entirely safe.

"Managers with incompatible, discordant and irrelevant scientific and clinical expertise in devices...have ignored serious safety and effectiveness concerns of FDA experts," the letter said. "Managers have ordered, intimidated and coerced FDA experts to modify scientific evaluations, conclusions and recommendations in violation of the laws, rules and regulations, and to accept clinical and technical data that is not scientifically valid."

Couch surfers welcome, but small-space campers requested! via TreeHugger

Awesome points made by Snuffy, as usual. This time, about Christianity. I have to say, I can't say it any better than she does.

Another beautiful image from Idle Speculations of my fave - John the Baptist baptizing Jesus.

This NYT article is noticeably vague about what this "tough-guy" pastor actually preaches about the role of women, other than that he's mainline Calvin. I don't think I would agree with him, nor be a member of his church, but I share his frustration w/the pansy-@$$ version of Jesus that's out there in full effect.

While I celebrate Obama's inauguration, Russel Means makes the case for the Native American Indian (well, AIM) point of view - Food for thought, to be sure.

I never thought I'd agree w/the CEO of Walmart in my lifetime, but I think he's on to something. Something good for America and Americans. Via AmericaBlog.

Intrepid food fans, check out how easy it is to make sauerkraut! Via Boing Boing.

Water under NYC via bldgblog - and London's lost rivers to be uncovered! from TreeHugger.

Awesome "Jesus for the Working Person" image by Art Young on Art Blog by Bob. I am learning from Bob that I am a big fan of the "Ashcan School."

Via TreeHugger - Google launches the transit map layer to its Google Maps. About time - but this will be helpful fo shizzle. But dag! Philadelphia is not one of the cities included on the first round. Bummer.

Gourmet going down!?! This is terrible news to me. [sniff!] Via Queenie Takes Manhattan.

An awesome riff on what we wish would happen if Bush were actually sent to prison for his crimes from 23/6.

Mr Darcy-Obama at the White House, from Huff Po. I still think it's a stretch - would Obama ever be as RUDE as Darcy? I guess I'll never know. But, at least someone out there is making the comparison.

From Iraq Veterans Against the War - this depresses me no end. When will the soldiers get a break?!

Robert Crumb's book of Genesis via Boing Boing. Huh. Will it be religious-arty enough for me??

And, finally, Jesse's Tree from Idle Speculations.