Friday Fun Video: Foo Fighters and the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge

The rather whimsical effort to raise awareness of and research funding for ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease) has produced some very watchable videos on its way to raising some $15 million so far, but I think the Foo Fighters' spoof of a classic horror flick is my favorite.  Well done, people.



Carrie On.

Life Imitates Conan

Nope, not Conan O'Brien the comedian.  Conan the Barbarian.

Or, to quote Glee's Sue Sylvester, "Your resentment is delicious."  Perhaps this should be on our lunch menu.

On Benghazi and Petraeus Testifying (Or Not)

I get out of an afternoon seminar, and just as I'm breathing a sigh of relief that the weekend's finally here, this mess blows up, and I'm thinking, Really?  In terms of responding, I'm just going to quote an irate Ace of Spades because  it's everything I want to say:

Why Is Petraeus Not Testifying? 

I don't care if he had an affair or not-- you don't get a pass from answering critical questions on a major debacle simply because you also might have done something else wrong in your personal life. 

What the hell is this crap? Who cares if he had an affair? What does that have to do with Benghazi? 

I don't know he should necessarily resign over this -- apart from the security breach (which seems minor, if the FBI already says it's not expecting charges). 

But I sure the hell know he doesn't get a Get Out of Testifying Free Card. 

Testifying before Congress isn't up to your own discretion, when it's convenient for you.

UPDATE: OK, hilarious quip here.

LOL: the World's Cutest Police Chase

Awwwww.  You should absolutely watch the video while playing the Benny Hill theme song in your head or for reals.

The Oatmeal/Scumbag Lawyer Saga Reaches Glorious Apogee

The Oatmeal, after dealing with this entire mess, is even more hilarious in triumph. Kudos, sir, KUDOS.  He even leaves us with a moral of the story spelled out for your viewing pleasure: "Philanthropy > Douchebaggery."  Indeed.  Make that "Philanthropy with a Sense of Humor"!

Quote of the Day: the Secret Service's Naughty Antics

The Insta-Prof has this thought:

If the federal government can’t keep the President’s bodyguards from drinking and whoring on duty, how likely is it to be able to run anything competently?

Bwahahaha!

Apparently I'm Gulag Fodder

John Derbyshire identifies a certain sort of person:

Those few all had a certain distinct type of personality: skeptical, contrarian, prickly, stubborn, and antisocial — the Awkward Squad. The first job for anyone serious about being a totalitarian dictator is to identify these people and hustle them off to the camps.

Well, CRAP.  Add the fact that usually academics, teachers, and nerds get hustled off to the camps too, and I am doubly screwed.

Awesome: Dirtbag Gets Magnificent Comeuppance

Mwahahahaha!  Here's the headline: "Caught On Tape: Clerk Punches, Knocks Out Armed Robber; Clerk Then Makes Suspect Clean Up His Own Blood."  Somebody buy that clerk a beer!

Medvedev asks Putin to Run for President of Russia

Vlad is back.  Oh, boy.