Daily Blend: Tuesday, May 04, 2010 – Catch-up edition

Was a little worried after seeing previews of last night’s House, but once again, I find my faith in the show’s generally apt adherence to reality restored as they treat conversion (ie. “gay-to-straight”) therapy exactly how it deserves – as dangerous bullshit.

• Virginia Attorney General and renown kook Ken Cuccinelli is now going after climate researcher Michael Mann with accusations of fraud, based on nothing more than the misinterpreted and distorted “evidence” found in the hacked “Climategate” emails, missives in which Dr. Mann and others expressed their frustration and anger at climate change denialists such as Cuccinelli. Dr. Mann has already been subjected to an ethics review before ^[PDF] based on these same emails and was cleared of any ethical or scientific wrongdoing, which shows how this is nothing more than a petty vendetta on Cuccinelli’s part towards a scientist whose honestly-conducted science has wielded results that contradict Cuccinelli’s climate-change-denying ideology.
  (via Pharyngula)

• Oh, and to prove his committment to pressing and vital issues, Cuccinelli is also trying to cover up an exposed breast on the Virginia state seal. Because, obviously, nothing poses a greater distraction to straight males and lesbians like seeing a fictional female Roman goddess’s exposed mammary on official state insignia.

• “Meet public enemy No. 1 in today's workplace”: the … office chair? (Well, sort of.) Not sure how credible this is, but it does seem to make some amount of sense. After all, humans weren’t designed to stay in a rigid seated position in uncomfortable chairs for hours on end.
  (via The Agitator)

• Just like dogs and wolves, different members of the ursine (that’s “bear” for you) family can interbreed. Unlike their canine counterparts, you probably don’t want to stray too close to this sort of hybrid.
  (via The Agitator)

• When lively dogs meet cops, doggycide invariably ensues.
  (via The Agitator)

• Spider-Man thwarts comic book caper with the help of timely Jedi Knights. (No, I did not write that while high.)
  (via The Daily Grail)

• Note to hack comedians: when someone busts you for blatantly ripping off their works down to the freaking pronunciation, it’s probably best not to lie about it. Especially if the comedian you’re ripping off is, amongst others, Patton-fucking-Oswalt. Bonus: from Oswalt’s rebuttal: “Jesus Christ, Nick -- you craven, pudding-spined clitoris of a man.” Da-yum.

• Sen. Mike Bennett (R-Bradenton) caught looking at either A) porn or B) a curiously porny image during a senatorial debate. I don’t believe it. (His story, that is.)
  (via @todayspolitics)

• Why we need to repeal Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. (Again.)
  (via @todayspolitics)

As always, if you have any story suggestions, feel free to send them in.