Send your thanks to Jenny McCarthy

In case you are wondering where to send your "Thank You" card:

Whooping cough, also known as pertussis, has claimed the 10th victim in California, in what health officials are calling the worst outbreak in 60 years.

10 infants dead in California whooping cough outbreak
 

Do you hate McDonald?

Taste and quality aside... no argument there.
You must have seen the "undestroyable" McDonald's hamburger making its rounds on the Internet recently.
Did the story seem uhm... rotten a bit?
It probably is.
Here are a few good places to see if your average burger should really "decompose":

Some Skeptical Clarity to the Unrottable McDonald’s Burger Videos/Photos - via Science-Based Parenting

The Burger “Experiments” - via Neurologica Blog

Tickle Your Brain Before the Weekend

That'll get you thinking before the weekend:

Brothers Christopher and Peter Hitchens squared off Tuesday in a debate over whether civilization can survive without God. Christopher, the older of the two, is a renowned atheist thinker and author. Peter, the lesser known of the two, is a practicing Christian and also a well-regarded author.

Complete article: Hitchens brothers debate if civilization can survive without God

Book Review: The Grand Design

This book generated more controversy that it deserves in my opinion.















I've heard countless statements about the book, from both non-religious, and religious figures. One side was all gung-ho about the fact that Hawking denounces God claims we do not need any supernatural forces to explain our Universe. The other side was offended for the same reasons.
While I think the book is as great as anything Stephen Hawking wrote in the past, I did not find it revealing, especially in light of his other famous book "A Brief History of Time".
His science is as good as ever, his delivery right on the mark, giving just enough details to keep us, mortals, interested without putting us to sleep. The "revelations" are nothing new in science, which has been staying away from supernatural explanations for many decades (if not centuries).
The only surprise I got: Hawking does not believe that we are going to find a "theory of everything". Many, smaller, more compact theories might have to do, each corresponding to a particular universe.
The rest of the "controversy" was in my opinion just marketing.

I still recommend this book as a great reading!!!

Some links:
http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/showbiz/2010/09/09/lkl.stephen.hawking.interview.cnn
http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/europe/09/11/stephen.hawking.interview/index.html
http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/europe/09/02/hawking.god.universe/index.html
http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2010/09/03/religious-leaders-hit-back-at-hawking/