I know I’ve mentioned the record-breaking rain three weeks in a row, now, but we have flooding and a state of emergency declared although the medical examiner has yet to release the official ruling, it appears to two teen-agers may have died due to the flooding earlier this week.
Meanwhile, welcome to the Friday Five. This week I bring you: the top five stories of the week, five of interest to queer people, five stories about science and technology, five stories about deplorable people, five stories about people who had it coming, and five videos (plus notable obituaries and things I wrote).
Stories of the Week:
Brooklyn park to be renamed after trans activist Marsha P. Johnson.
Federal judge says Boston can reject raising of Christian flag at City Hall.
This Week in News for Queers and Allies:
Virginia advances LGBTQ rights as Republicans call for secession.
How about those LGBTQ Super Bowl commercials .
German Bishops Declare Homosexuality Is “Normal”.
Touching new Starbucks ad is about a trans teen changing his name.
This Week in Science and Technology:
Identity-Switching Neutrinos Could Reveal Why We Exist At All. But Can We Find Them?
An ‘Off-the-Shelf, Skeleton Project’: Experts Analyze the App That Broke Iowa.
In a rare sighting, astronomers observe burst of activity as a massive star forms.
An ancient skeleton from an underwater Mexican cave sheds light on early Americans.
Beaked Whales Use Coordinated Stealth Mode to Evade Killer Orcas.
This Week in Deplorables:
Hiding in Plain Sight: The White Nationalist Who Toiled Inside a Right-Wing Media Powerhouse.
Boris Johnson is about to find out just how weak the UK is after Brexit.
Franklin Graham Cries ‘Discrimination’ as UK Venues Ban Him Over His ‘Divisive’ Anti-LGBTQ Extremism.
This Week in He Had It Coming:
Pastor sentenced to more than 13 years in prison for sexual abuse of child.
Ex-Gay Torture Minister Charged With Child Molestation.
In Memoriam:
Remembering Kirk Douglas, One of the Last Surviving Links to Old Hollywood.
Remembering Terry DeCarlo, LGBT Leader In Orlando.
Things I wrote:
That has always been here, part two: or politics aren’t a new thing in sf/f — including Star Trek.
Late Tuesday Tidbit: For some, freedom’s just a code word for lawlessness.
Still haven’t posted my goals for the year and other trivial revelations.
Videos!
The Booksellers | Official Trailer:
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Colbert’s LIVE Monologue Following Trump’s 2020 State Of The Union Address:
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Jeep® | “Groundhog Day” | Bill Murray | 02.02.2020:
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The State of Our Union is BAD | Full Frontal on TBS:
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“Cell Block Tango” – Broadway Backwards 2015:
(If embedding doesn’t work, click here.)