Welcome to the third Friday in February!

The snow here in the Seattle area started melting on Monday. Unfortunately most of the rest of the country is still experiencing much colder temperatures than usual, and then there is the disaster going on in Texas. So I’m feeling fortunate that right now we’re not worried about keeping warm or having safe drinking water.

Meanwhile, we have the Friday Five. This week I bring you: the top five stories of the week, five stories of interest to queers and our allies, five stories related to science fiction, five stories about the future of democracy, and five videas (plus things I wrote and some notable obituaries).

Stories of the Week:

NASA’s Perseverance rover nails Mars landing, sends first images of Jezero Crater.

Texas was “seconds and minutes” away from catastrophic monthslong blackouts, officials say – Officials with the Electric Reliability Council of Texas said that grid operators implemented blackouts to avoid a catastrophic failure that could have left Texans in the dark for months.

General Unstructured Thoughts On “Being Cancelled”.

Pentagon report reveals inroads white supremacists have made in military.

COVID shaving years off American life expectancies: – US life expectancy drops in pandemic, most since WWII.

This Week in News for Queers and Allies:

Rep. David Cicilline (D-RI) and Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR) Reintroduce LGBTQ Equality Act.

State anti-transgender bills represent coordinated attack, advocates say – Many proposed bans on trans athletes and transition care for minors share identical language.

Hallmark to homophobes: More gay is on the way.

Chasten Buttigieg had the shadiest reaction to Rush Limbaugh’s death – Rush Limbaugh was obsessed with Chasten & Pete showing any affection for one another in public. So Chasten acknowledged that homophobia one last time.

Texas lawmakers are trying to pass pro-LGBTQ proposals. Do they have a chance?

This Week in Science Fiction:

Baen Books Forum Being Used to Advocate for Political Violence.

Opinion: On Baen Books, Moderating Discussion Boards, & Political Expression.

More bad Baen’s Bar defences.

Masks and Magic 2021 – A Round-up of Indie Mardi Gras Speculative Fiction.

2020 Locus Recommended Reading List.

This Week in the Future of Democracy:

Investigation finds Latino ballots in WA more likely to be rejected – Latino signatures are more likely to be questioned and less likely to be fixed during Washington state elections..

A GOP donor gave $2.5 million for a voter fraud investigation. Now he wants his money back.

After Weeks Of Being Offline, Parler Finds A New Web Host.

FBI Informant Panic Is Ruining Friendships All Over the Far Right.

Trump left them to die. 43 Senate Republicans still licked his boots.

In Memoriam:

Remembering Charlie Brydon, an Early LGBTQ Rights Leader and father of the LGBTQ Civil Rights Movement in Washington State.

Pioneering Out Recording Artist Ari Gold Dies at 47.

‘Extraordinary, trailblazing and inspiring’ trans writer and historian Jan Morris has died, aged 94.

Things I wrote:

Weekend Update 2/13/2021: The truth eventually comes out.

Happy Day Before Discount Chocolate Day.

In which I pedantically remind you that today is NOT President’s Day….

With great satisfaction.

WandaVision Brings Tricks, Treats, and a Growing Menace.

Videos!

The Next Pandemic: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO):

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Ted Cruz Jets To Cancun While Texans Freeze | The Daily Social Distancing Show:

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‘Brazen Lie’: Chris Hayes Calls Out Gov. Abbott, Fox News For Texas Power Grid Lies | All In | MSNBC:

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Reporters WILL NOT STOP Humiliating Themselves with Jen Psaki:

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Rick Astley’s ‘Never Gonna Give You Up’ Video Was Remastered in 4K and It’s So Damn Crisp Fans are Flipping Out:

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