Gary only showers himself in vodka.

How about we actually discuss what the Ice Bucket Challenge is really all about?

ALS is a terrible disease.

That's what I'm talking about!

Awesome!

How about just donate and educate people instead of being a sheep and dumping a bucket of ice on your head because someone challenged you.

Didn't take long, but it was inevitable.

I think it's really stupid to criticize the Ice Bucket Challenge when it's raised as much money and awareness of ALS as it has. Sure, it appeals to peoples sense of narcissism a bit, but face it, that's one of the things that has made it so damn successful. And for that reason alone, I will not criticize it. This is a good thing.

Exactly. I heard on the radio this morning, because of the ice bucket challenge, donations to the ALS fund have skyrocketed. The challenge is all about getting ALS in the public eye. Without it, no one really cares.

I have a nephew (my sister's only child) who was diagnosed when he was 16. Doctors gave him 4 years. Miraculously, he's now 25 and still doing fairly well. It's heartbreaking to know his day will come all too soon, though.

Good post. I did the challenge and agree it works to help spread awareness and donations.

I was getting sick of these challenges all over the place by people that could care less but this is a great point.

Well speaking from the point of view of having 2 family members die from ALS, when I ask friends why they are dumping ice on their heads they respond with because someone called me out on facebook and all of the celebrities are doing it.

The knowledge and understanding of a disease is not at the forefront of the campaign. Even the news just reports the numbers and goofy videos of people dumping shit on their heads instead of educating the public of what happens to someone with ALS.

Thumbs down me all you want.

Until you live through this firsthand, you have no idea.

That's a bit disapointing....

It started grass roots by some guys whom wanted to help there friend with ALS. The response to this simple campaign has been incredible. I hope it continues to drive awareness.

One of the ice-bucket co-founders just passed away in a bizzare diving (water) accident.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-08-19/corey-griffin-ex-bain-capital-manager-in-als-drive-dies-at-27.html

ALS is brutal. We understand so little about this disease, and we cant stop it. And loosing bodily control while the mind is still clear and working, must be utter agony for those that suffer its effects.

I always had heard the disease called by its other name "Lou Gehrig's Disease".

This is just how raising works the best. Might be a bit sad, but thats how it is. Lets us all focus on finding a cure, and after that it is done lets discuss how the fund raising went.

Money = money. And thats whats needed to find what we need to end this terrible desease. People do care!

Sure there are people just playing along..... But in the end, if it's raising awareness and $$$ then i dont care. Those $$$ fund research that will help us eventually accomplish our goal.

I still disagree with you, and your firsthand experience with this terrible disease does nothing to validate your point.

My wife is a physical therapist and she treats people that have been afflicted with ALS. We also became friends with one of her patients, and we go on the local ALS Walkathon every year. It's an absolutely terrible, frightening disease. They are 100% there mentally, but you are literally trapped inside a body that is deteriorating and does not work. How frustrating must it be to not be able to communicate with others? And that's just the beginning.

So again, while I understand some of your perceptions about some people just doing this for the fun of it while not understanding what ALS is, or making a donation etc., the bottom line again is that this is a GOOD thing overall.

The FACT is that it HAS raised more awareness of ALS!

The FACT is that it HAS raised more money for ALS research!

But for some reason you still just want to criticize it as "goofy videos of people dumping shit on their heads". Sorry, I just don't understand that.

I will say it just one more time, because of people dumping shit on their heads, funds raised for ALS research have skyrocketed!!

If dumping shit on your head is what it takes, I'm all for it.

I am not one of those manufacturers....but I did it! Great cause!
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10202481960439190&id=1500140992

Greg
Pinballpro.com
Buckwerxaudio.com

"As of Thursday, Aug. 21, the ALS Association has amassed over $41.8 million in donations, as opposed to the $2.1 million raised during the same time frame in 2013 (from July 29 to Aug. 21)."

Source - http://www.alsa.org/news/media/press-releases/ice-bucket-challenge-082114.html

I'm just gonna make a donation

I think the ice bucket challenge is stupid however it has produce great results for the foundation. It was my understanding that when you did th ice bucket challenge you could support any charity and it wasn't just for ALS. ALS became the popular one so that is obviously the one that has benefitted the most. I personally think it's stupid and dangerous for people to do the so called challenge. There are people out there ending up with serious injuries all because they want to pour ice over their head like a jackass.

That's all it takes.

Yeah it's a rough world out there.

Why don't you attempt to google ice bucket injuries? Firefighters electrocuted and in serious condition, a few deaths from broken necks and countless ER visits. All for what? To post yourself online dumping water on your head? The whole concept is stupid, people use it feel like they are part of something. I guess they are, they prove that they are dumb enough to poor water over their own heads and post it online.

ALS is a horrible thing. I wish I saw more people donating rather than pouring ice water over their head is all I am saying.

^^^^sure there are injuries from doing the challenge. You can't stop stupid. If folks would simply dump a bucket of water on their head, I'm pretty sure there wouldn't be any injuries. It's when folks think they need to go over-the-top or "one-up" everyone that it gets dangerous.

The firefighter electrocution is tragic but of all of the people who *should* know to be careful with their ladder firetruck around power wires, it's firefighters, right? They obviously lost their sense of safety for a bit (all of them by the way) and when that happens, bad things occur.

Accidents happen everyday in life but ultimately, this challenge is raising both awareness and funds. I think I'll take that, in spite of the injuries that happened.

Dave

Later on today, I'll be dumping a bucket of ice water on my head to help the firefighters who got electrocuted. Of course, I'll be trying not to stand on a live wire when I do it.

(Maybe I shouldn't do that. If I'm too stupid not to post something only once, I'll certainly kill myself if I try the ice bucket thing.)

DOUBLE POST! (Sorry...)

Those firefighters should be fired from their job. They are on the clock not to participate if activities outside of their duty to protect the township/county that employs them. Also using the fire departments equipment for something other than its intended use is inexcusable. Taxes pay their salary and for the equipment they used, by injuring themselves and the equipment it has left the town with a major bill, who is going to pay for their stupidity?

Yes I will attempt to learn how to use the internet at some point; I'll message you if I need help.
You're not listening to anyone, you just have 1 basic grumpy point to make over and over that it's stupid.

EDIT Right up there above the "stop wasting water" comments.

double post

I feel like you might be missing the point that regardless of how many bozos pour water and don't have a clue, an amazing amount of money has been raised - and as Bryan said earlier,

So if looking stupid gets something good done, why not? Doesn't mean you have to do it.

1. It's raising monies for research.

2. Doesn't matter as the idea is raising a ton of monies for research.

3. Becasue writing a check for a couple bucks doesn't go "viral" and become a huge monster campaign that raises a ton of monies for research.

I get that you can't grasp the idea, so I'll try to explain it so you don't have to google it.
There are horrible diseases in the world. People are increasingly narcissistic and obsessed with fame. Mold the 2, and you get a pop culture phenomenon that raises a shitload of monies for research. It really isn't that complicated.

Is it stupid? Of course it is. Do I sit around and watch the videos all day and laugh? No, because it's stupid and it's not that interesting to me. Is it an effective tool for spreading information aboot ALS and raising a ton of monies for research? Obviously.

I work in research, once you know how that money gets used it kinda gets to that "you don't want to see how sausage is made if you like to eat it" level.

I work the non-profit industry. In fact, the software used to drive ALSA is my company's software (along with pretty much every other non-profit you know of). Click on the Convio link at the bottom of their page if you want to learn more about us.

I see a lot of people posting info in response to the ALS challenge about how much CEOs of non-profits make, or how much % goes to this and how much % goes to that. The vast majority of them are just misinformation or only part of the story. ALSA found lightning in a bottle with this campaign, and they WILL do some good with the money.

TheLaw gets it. The result, whatever the means, was an outpouring of support for people suffering from ALS. Push all of the stupid shit aside in your mind and see this for what it is: people joining together in the name of something good. I'm positive some people did the ice bucket challenge just because they are attention whores, but even they played a part in spreading the campaign.

I'll admit I really enjoyed watching The Roots & Jimmy Fallon do it, and Chris Pratt's was pretty damn good too. Hearing Anna Faris giggle as they kept coming up with more buckets had me dying.

Also, check this out:

http://imgur.com/gallery/axj6q

I understand where you and TheLaw are coming from, its just obnoxious that people are attention whores and that other people are actually getting hurt doing this "challenge". I just can't stand to see even firefighters use such bad judgment while on the job with the governments equipment. Between this campaign and the recent issues in MO, I find people to be very irritating and only there to get attention. I was fine with the whole ice bucket thing prior to people being stupid about it.

When I saw I work in research I'm referring the the fact I worked for 7 years in a lab actually doing the research, I have since spent more time than that on the administrative side. It does not matter what ALSA, AHA, NIH, Komen, NSF, etc. pass on, I see what happens when it actually gets to the research institutions.

I'm not saying don't donate. Just realize that the "X% of every $ goes to directly to research stuff"

How so? If a nonprofit has 10 million per year in revenue and the CEO is making 1 million, you don't think that is a bit wrong?

Before donating to a chartiy everyone should take a look at the charities tax return. They are all public knowledge and available on guidestar.com. You'll need to register for free to be able to access the Form 990s (the nonprofit tax return). You'll be able to see how much revenue is brought in each year. How much is spent on expenses and the breakout of the expenses between program service, management/general expenses and fundraising. There you can see how much is really spent on the adminstrative side. The ALS Association which is receiving the donations spends aroun 7% on program services. Which is good. Anything about 75% is considered a highly efficient charity.
It also has a score of 90.73 on charitiy navigator, which is a very good score

Those non-profits do exist, but they don't stick around long. I've personally seen plenty get shut down by some form of tax issue or misuse of funds.

There are plenty of high paid CEOs in the non-profit world, but they are also the kind of skilled business people that could earn even more in the private sector. The American Red Cross has as many employees as Southwest Airlines does, plus half a million volunteers that they don't. ARC's CEO makes just over a million a year, compared to Southwest's CEO at around 4-5 million.

I'll do the challenge. I'll do it tomorrow if people agree to donate. I haven't been nominated but i'll take a bucket of icewater over my head rep'n JJP. Maybe I'll nominate a few pinsiders.

Who's up for donating? I'll obviously donate but who will match FlashInstinct's $5 bucks?