And here we are at the second Friday in July!

We’ve had a week of warm but not scorching weather, which is better. It’s still warmer than it used to be before July 12-ish. There are some smoke advisories but so far nothing close to us. Knock wood.

Anyway, it’s time for this week’s day late Friday Five in which I bring you: two headlines I felt needed each needed their own topic, the top five stories of the week, five stories of interest to queers and our allies, five stories about haters and deplorables, and five stories about seditious traitors (plus one post I wrote plus a notable obituary).

This Week in Deserves Its Own Category!:

‘LOVE always wins’: Boise community steps up to replace stolen, damaged Pride flags – Boise Police have arrested someone suspected of stealing Pride flags in the Boise North End

Stories of the Week:

The amazing Hubble Telescope has suddenly stopped working

Higher Education Should Be a Fundamental Right

July 4th weekend shootings: More than 230 people fatally shot in shootings over the Fourth of July weekend

Black on Both Sides, Vol. 1– Thoughts on Black Personhood |

Trump is suing Mark Zuckerberg and Jack Dorsey. Here’s why they shouldn’t worry

This Week in the Pandemic:

Five undervaccinated clusters put the entire United States at risk

Pfizer says it’s time for a Covid booster; FDA and CDC say not so fast

Olympics Bans Spectators From Tokyo Events After State of Emergency Declaration – The Delta variant has spurred new COVID-19 concerns for the Olympics

Coronavirus FAQ: What’s The Latest Advice To Protect Kids In School And On Vacation?

24-year-old urges people to get vaccinated for COVID-19 after undergoing double lung transplant – He contracted COVID in April of this year after attending an indoor concert

In Memoriam:

Richard Donner, Director of ‘Superman,’ ‘The Goonies,’ ‘The Lost Boys,’ and ‘Lethal Weapon,’ Dies at 91

Hollywood Pays Tribute to ‘Lethal Weapon’ Director Richard Donner: “Gifted Across So Many Genres” – ‘The Goonies’ star Sean Astin, Steven Spielberg, Edgar Wright, Ben Stiller and James Mangold were among the first to share tributes to the iconic filmmaker

Things I Wrote:

Following Loki through his “Journey Into Mystery”