We have reached the second Friday in December. Which means I ought to be further along and/or happier with t draft scenes I have for my annual Christmas Ghost Story but, alas, it does not.

Work continues to be insanely busy. A conversation I had with one of my medical specialists left me suspecting that my February sickness was more serious than it seemed, but also that it wasn’t useful on either a personal nor a species/scientific community basis at this point to test me for antibodies. Speaking with my specialist left me no less convinced that I need to take the vaccine as soon as it is available to me, but also less than optimistic about a rather large portion of the population. Let’s just say that even though I was already really f–ing angry at Fox News for turning my mother and at least two of my Aunts into sociopaths, I’m not feeling any more optimistic about the future of the general population.

But let’s get to the Friday Five. This week I bring you: three stories that have nothing to do with any of the anxiety-inducing things happening in the world, the top five stories of the week, five stories of interest to queers and allies, five stories about crooks & liars, five stories about the pandemic, five stories about the petty crime boss occupying the whitehouse, and five videas (plus notable obituaries and some things I wrote).

This Week In News We Need Right Now!:

The Voice: Gwen Stefani BREAKS DOWN in Tears Over Carter Rubin’s Rainbow Connection Performance>. Scroll down to the video section to watch and hear the incredible performance.

Dog Was Lost in the Woods for 10 Days With a Winter Storm on the Way – But a Drone Saved the Day>.

‘Best buddies’: Grieving pit bull finds joy again with companion, a tabby kitten rescued by a firefighter>.

Stories of the Week:

Pepperidge Farm parent company warns cookies in short supply this holiday season>.

Those Viral Hospital iPads Are a ‘Lifeline’ for Covid Patients>.

Asteroid capsule located in Australian desert>.

A Mild Case Of COVID May Cause Erectile Dysfunction – Will risk of long-term erection issues be enough to get Trump-supporting men to FINALLY wear masks>?

Conspiracy Theorists Complain 5G ‘Blockers’ Slow Their WiFi>. Who would have thought that a device which claims to block 90% of radio signals would impede the WiFi signal [/sarcams]?

This Week in News for Queers and Allies:

Lithuanian Anti-LGBTQ Lawmaker Caught with ‘Naked’ Man During Online Parliamentary Session>.

Pelosi holds firm to support for transgender kids under hostile questioning>.

‘Your kind is not welcome’: Homophobic confrontation sparks debate in Wyoming – A bigoted incident in the rural northwest part of the state has prompted others in the community to stand up and say, “Enough.”>.

Trump’s new religious exemptions for employers an invitation to discriminate, critics say>.

Frustration builds as Biden’s Cabinet includes no LGBTQ picks>.

This Week in Crooks, Liars and Other Deplorable People:

Man who claimed to have bomb at headquarters of Spokane Democrats in police custody>.

FTC and states sue Facebook for illegally stifling competition>.

He Pretended to Be Trump’s Family. Then Trump Fell for It>.

US Marshalls apprehend fugitive gay basher in Texas>.

Giuliani Witness Melissa Carone Sent Harassing Sex Tapes To Fiancé’s Ex-Wife >.

This Week in the Pandemic:

Vaccine Advisory Committee Endorses Pfizer Covid-19 Vaccine, Paves Way For FDA Authorization>.

Trump Holds Packed Hanukkah Party at White House Amid COVID-19 Pandemic That Has Killed 289,000 in U.S.>.

Giuliani witness whose false and seemingly drunk testimony went viral Mellissa Carone says she’s not self-quarantining after Giuliani’s COVID-19 diagnosis>. Bonus:

This Is Only Going to Get Worse – The United States is entering a long, dark period, and the pandemic is already breaking records from the spring>.

The Billionaires Who Profited from the Pandemic Should Help Pay for Our Recovery – A new plan from the United Kingdom suggests that a onetime pandemic levy on a country’s wealthiest citizens could be the most practical and …>.

This Week in the Deplorable Thug Occupying the White House:

Jake Tapper Delivers Blistering Commentary on the State of the Republican Party: ‘If You Cross the President, You Actually Fear for Your Life’>.

Trying To Force States And The Supreme Court To Overturn The Election… – Trying To Force States And The Supreme Court To Overturn The Election…ON TWITTER>.

Melania Trump ‘just wants to go home’ as president continues to dispute election result – A rumoured run by Donald Trump for president in 2024 would reportedly ‘not go over well’>.

Trump asks Supreme Court to invalidate millions of votes in battleground states >.

Trump campaign strategist Jason Miller tells judge he’ll be unemployed after Dec. 15 – Despite public reporting, Trump campaign is still keeping Jason Miller’s $420,000 salary a secret — but why>?

In Memoriam:

David Lander, Squiggy in ‘Laverne & Shirley,’ Dies at 73>.

Laverne & Shirley’s David Lander Remembered by Michael McKean: ‘This Is a Loss Shared by All of Us’>.

Former Sen. Paul Sarbanes of Maryland dies>.

Things I wrote:

Weekend Update 12/5/2020: Clearing out the tabs…>.

The magic slab of glass that contains all my friends… or not>.

Videos!

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert – Supreme Court Refuses To Invalidate Pennsylvania’s Mail-In Votes In Major Rebuke Of The President:

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New Orleans Orgy Organizers Regret Lax Enforcement Of Social Distancing Rules:

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Chilling Adventures of Sabrina Part 4 | Official Trailer | Netflix:

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Pandemic-era gay loneliness summed up in one video – How Do You Feel?:

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15-year-old Carter Rubin Sings “Rainbow Connection” from The Muppet Movie – The Voice Live Top 9 Performances:

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