Ordinarily this post would begin with a declaration of gratitude for the arrival of Friday. Ordinarily this post would also have a lot more links than you will find below. There has been a slow stream of unpleasant health news from my extended family for the last few weeks, only some of which have I mentioned online. Most of the news has involved extended family members. Last night I learned of a much closer member of the family moving into hospice care. Several of my immediate family members are naturally distraught, and I am trying to be supportive. I will eventually go into things in more detail, but I think this is all I’ll say for now.

Meanwhile, here are links to some of the interesting things I read on the web this week, sorted into various topic areas.

Link of the Week

Ingrid Lyne’s Murder Is Every Woman’s Worst Fear.

This week in Design

Episcopal Church Fonts.

This Week in Tech

Google just scored a major victory against US authors.

This Week in Diversity

Petition Against School Play Backfires in New Jersey.

This week in Evil People

Rush Limbaugh’s contract is up, his benefactors are broke, and his audience ‘toxic.’ Next?

AP: S. Korea covered up mass abuse, killings of ‘vagrants’.

News for queers and our allies:

A New LGBTQ Victory Is a Victory for All of Us: The Social Security Administration Does the Right Thing.

In the Early 20th Century, America Was Awash in Incredible Queer Nightlife.

In Landmark Decision, Court Rules That Federal Law Protects Trans Students’ Bathroom Access.

Companies with openly LGBT employees at senior level are more profitable.

Science!

Panicdotal Evidence: “Anal Tearing”.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau responded to a reporter’s seemingly sarcastic comment by launching into a genius explanation of quantum computing.

Dara got to visit the certified quietest spot on earth: anechoic thunderdome.

Modern human females and male Neandertals had trouble making babies. Here’s why.

Why Our Science Institutions Fail Us: The Case Of Boaty McBoatface.

How Magicians Trick Your Brain – They hijack its limited ability to deal with perceptual ambiguity.

Astronomers just discovered a huge galaxy orbiting our own.

NASA has detected strange signals coming from the gravitational wave source.

Human brawn may be an evolutionary fluke — courtesy of our big brains.

Let’s go ahead and make Earth invisible to aliens, just in case.

Paleontologists find first fossil monkey in North America – but how did it get here?

Study Finds Straight Parents and Gay Parents Have Equally Healthy Kids.

Science Fiction, Fantasy and Speculation!

‘He Wears the Mask Just to Cover the Raw Flesh’.

How Sleepy Hollow Single-Handedly Destroyed Their Own Show.

FISKING “AN OPEN LETTER TO REY FROM STAR WARS”.

Film’s lost Nessie monster prop found in Loch Ness.

Good Omens: Neil Gaiman to adapt Terry Pratchett collaboration for TV.

This week in Writing

It’s Not Just You.

Novelist Gabby Rivera On Creating A Young Adult Novel With A Queer, Teenage Latina Protagonist.

Culture war news:

Target Shows How Simple It Is To Be Welcoming Of Transgender People.

Religious children are meaner than their secular counterparts, study finds.

Uline supports homophobic, anti-choice politic.

Stop Using Women’s Safety To Justify Transphobia.

10 Things We’ve Learned From the North Carolina Debacle.

Calif. school district bans atheist scholarships — but allows them from Scientology.

Catholicism’s multi-billion dollar brand is struggling — despite Pope Francis.

Corporate opposition to LGBTQ discrimination laws shows the GOP alliance has shattered.

Belinda Carlisle Rips Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant: ‘You Are Making Life Hell on Earth’ for LGBT People.

The Writing’s on the (Bathroom) Wall: State Anti-Transgender Laws Are About to Get Flushed.

The South’s new divide: Blue cities and red states.

This Week in the Clown Car

Seth Meyers Decimates Donald Trump’s Claims About a ‘Rigged’ Delegate System.

John Kasich Doesn’t Understand Why Anyone Would Think He Was Blaming Victims For Sexual Assault.

John Kasich to LGBT People Facing Discrimination: ‘Can You Just Get Over It?’

Donald Trump Tells Supporters He’ll ‘Bring Back’ Penn State Coach Joe Paterno. He apparently doesn’t realize that the legendary coach has been dead nearly four years…

This Week in Racism

PLEASE WATCH THIS INCREDIBLY RACIST HISTORY LESSON FROM VANCOUVER PORT COMMISSIONER JERRY OLIVER.

Why Do So Many Americans Think They Have Cherokee Blood? The history of a myth.

This Week in Misogyny

vox day, eric raymond, and the lambda conference blacklist.

Why Does Hollywood Keep Disrespecting Melissa McCarthy?

Farewells:

Pop music superstar Prince is dead at 57.

Prince Rogers Nelson: ‘Every song was either a prayer or foreplay’.

Doris Roberts, Star of ‘Everybody Loves Raymond,’ Dies at 90.

Gareth Thomas, Blake’s 7 actor, dies aged 71.

Things I wrote:

Weekend Update 4/16/16: Republicans shielding sex criminals (again and again and again).

Why I hate hay fever reason #6273.

I love walking.

Videos!

THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN – Teaser Trailer (HD) {I had no idea that I wanted a remake of this classic, but then I watched the teaser trailer; Denzel Washington and Chris Pratt? Why, yes, I’ll take some!}:

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Stephen Colbert: A Word About North Carolina:

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God is a Boob Man – SNL:

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Purple Rain Prince AVI:

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The Best Prince Videos Available on YouTube.