Torn and frayed in Manila

How not to take a breath test

An American friend tells me that this video has been doing the rounds for a while but I saw it for the first time a couple of days ago. Fair play to the cop, who seems genuinely concerned about the man in his charge.

"... and is there any negative effects?" -- classic Ali G

Invisible?

It is always a pleasure to see something done really well, even when it is rather inconsequential. (Don’t worry about the fact that the video is in German, it really doesn’t matter if you don’t understand what the commentator is saying.)

The worst album covers ever created

I think you’ll enjoy these. Here are a couple of samples.

Thanks Nige!

Alanis Morissette's "ironic" is not ironic

As I said, posting video clips is a pretty lazy way to blog, but I think you'll enjoy this one. Ed Byrne nails Alanis Morissette.

Thanks Butch!

Crash

My unbacked-up hard disc crashed a couple of weeks ago and yesterday the data retrieval specialists in Alabang we had sent it to told us they had been unable to retrieve the data. Although there is an outside chance that a Korean friend may have more luck when he returns to Seoul next weekend, it seems likely that we have lost all our photos, music, and documents.

The implications of this disaster grow on me with every passing hour.

Anyway, since I have discovered that posting videos is last refuge of a lazy (or computerless) blogger, here is a cracker, Ricky Gervais on Genesis (as in the Bible, not the band). If you are religiously inclined please don’t upset yourself and resist the temptation to watch it.

Thanks Butch!

Introducing the book

Let’s skip ahead to the lighter stuff. Happy Valentine's everyone.

This one is for all of us who have ever called a a computer help desk with a dumb query.

"Bush pilot" and "German coastguard"

Germans have a reputation for being rather humourless, but these two videos are very funny: “Bush pilot” and "Berlitz”.

The things we do for freebies

I’m not much of a fan of Jay Leno (to put it mildly), but there are some classic moments in these videos at a photo booth.

Who will replace Bono in U2?

Outside the Michael Jackson trial, the most ridiculous statements of recent weeks have come from the “Bono for World Bank president” camp. But what will happen to U2 when Bono, his shades, and his condescending “man of the people” attitude take up residence at M Street, Washington? Fortunately David Borowitz has the perfect solution.

Longtime Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan stunned the worlds of finance and pop music today by announcing that he would leave his post “effective immediately” to become lead singer of the Irish rock band U2.

In filling the key position with the platinum-selling musical act, Mr. Greenspan is replacing U2 lead singer Bono, who is rumored to be heading for the top job at the World Bank.

Mr. Greenspan struck many observers as an unlikely choice to assume such an important role in one of the world’s most influential rock bands, since his convoluted and often cryptic use of the English language seems incompatible with the more straightforward demands of rock music.

Reportedly, the former Fed chairman has already rewritten the lyrics of one of U2’s most famous songs, “With or Without You,” to read, “Going forward, the cost of my living with or without you may exceed my capacity to fulfill any reasonable expectations of success in either or both of those endeavors.”