Seattle is in the middle of a record breaking cold snap, even while other parts of the country are experiencing record breaking heat. We seldom get snow in Seattle at all, and this winter we’ve had it several times. They’re saying it’s going to be this cold for several more days, at least. And the same large atmospheric phenomenon giving us all this icy weather it also what’s making it so warm elsewhere.

Once again I bring you the Friday Five: The top five (IMHO) stories of the week and videos (plus notable obituaries and a recap of my blog posts).

Stories of the Week:

More Than Twice As Many Women Are Running For Congress In 2018 Compared With 2016.

The Pro-Trump Media Has Its Match In The Parkland Students.

Democrats Should Run on Gun Control All Over the Country.

Gov. Greitens indicted for felony invasion of privacy stemming from affair. He is also accused of attempted blackmail. So much for family values…

What Ever Happened To Brendan Fraser? This article is not about what you probably think it’s about.

Death:

Billy Graham: Neither prophet nor theologian. I so seldom agree with George Will, but maybe only a curmudgeonly old ultra conservative can get away from saying (among other thing) in an obituary: “Graham frequently vowed to abstain from partisan politics, and almost as frequently slipped this self-imposed leash, almost always on behalf of Republicans… On Feb. 1, 1972, unaware of Nixon’s Oval Office taping system, when Nixon ranted about how Jews “totally dominated” the media, Graham said “this stranglehold has got to be broken or this country is going down the drain.” He also told Nixon that Jews are “the ones putting out the pornographic stuff.” One can reasonably acquit Graham of anti-Semitism only by convicting him of toadying.”

Even a Graham can’t save Trump. (This is more about Franklin Graham and his ilk and Trump, but the opening paragraphs nicely sum up the way Billy fit into the lives of many, many evangelicals in the 50s through at least the 80s)

Anti-gay evangelical Billy Graham has died, aged 99.

What the Obits Aren’t Saying: Evangelist Billy Graham Was a Homophobe.

Far from being ‘an exemplar to generation upon generation’, Graham is an example of how religion is so often successfully leveraged as a means of making bigotry appear somehow acceptable, even something to aspire to.

Things I wrote:

It can’t be too late for common sense about guns, right?

No, today’s official holiday name isn’t what you think.

When the roll is called up yonder, or queer confessions of an ex-evangelical.

Videos!

Trump vs. The World: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO):

(If embedding doesn’t work, click here.)

The Kids From Florida Aren’t Acting:

(If embedding doesn’t work, click here.)

Fox News retracts story mocking Olympic diversity:

(If embedding doesn’t work, click here.)

Legion Season 2 “No Secrets” International Promo (HD):

(If embedding doesn’t work, click here.)

Matt Gresham – Home (Official Video):

(If embedding doesn’t work, click here.)

It’s been a weird week for us. My hubby caught another cold. Work has been a weird mix of “Rush! Rush! OMG Please hurry!” and “let’s not get ahead of ourselves.” This weekend we’re host Writers’ Night, meeting a friend for a birthday celebration, and will try to see Black Panther.

Once again I bring you the Friday Five: The top five (IMHO) stories of the week and videos (plus notable obituaries and a recap of my blog posts). This week I’m also including for links related to the 19th mass shooting of the year, because awful news sometimes needs a separate category.

Stories of the Week:

Christian Writer: ‘The devil is delighted’ to see evangelicals defending Trump and the GOP at all costs.

The Follower Factory – Everyone wants to be popular online. Some even pay for it. Inside social media’s black market. The interactive graphics on this story alone are with the click!

Jeff Sessions Celebrates “Anglo-American Heritage of Law Enforcement”. A lot of people keep defending this on the grounds that Anglo-American is a technical legal term used sometimes used to refer to the U.S. interpretation of common law. But it wasn’t in the prepared speech, it is something he added over the advice of others, and every racist dog whistle that ever existed is technically a term of something that exist. Doesn’t make it not racist.

‘Skating was always there’: Eric Radford’s road to becoming the first openly gay man to win gold at the Winter Olympics.

Inside Apple’s HomePod Audio Lab.

Horrible News:

Our Moloch.

Leader Of White Nationalist Militia Says Shooter Was Member, Took Part In Paramilitary Drills.

New assault weapons ban will prevent mass shootings, experts say.

How Donald Trump’s Defense of White Supremacists Puts National Security at Risk.

After the Parkland shooting, let’s call GOP hypocrisy on guns what it really is: complicity.

In Memoriam:

These are the innocent victims of the Florida school shooting.

Florida shooting victims: Tributes pour in for students and teachers killed in Parkland school massacre.

Florida school shooting victims identified by authorities, remembered by friends, family.

Things I wrote:

Offended offenders — the joke is on who, exactly?

A Writer Writes: Where do I find my subplots?

“But he wasn’t a very good illusionist” — or, all is fair in camp, love, and war.

Great-grandma’s Gun.

Videos!

P!nk Belts Out the National Anthem! | Super Bowl LII NFL Pregame:

(If embedding doesn’t work, click here.)

Adam Rippon skates clean team event free skate:

NBC won’t allow embedding, so click here.)

Former GOP House Rep. David Jolly: If You Want Any Action On Guns, Democrats Must Flip The House:

"Republicans will never do anything on gun control," says former GOP Rep. David Jolly. "The idea of gun policy in the Republican party is to try to get a speaking slot at the NRA and prove to that constituency that you are further right." pic.twitter.com/4ijiJ4ZwKW

— CNN (@CNN) February 15, 2018

https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

(If embedding doesn’t work, click here.)

STAND BY YOUR MAN (Donald Trump) – A Randy Rainbow Song Parody:

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Otter Snow Day at Shedd – 2018:

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Work was less tense this week as we scrambled to make the crazy deadline and now we’re picking up loose ends and planning for the next crazy deadlines.

Welcome to my Friday Five: The top five (IMHO) stories of the week and videos (plus notable obituaries and a recap of my blog posts). Also this week I’m including five stories from my local news sources.

Stories of the Week:

Russians penetrated U.S. voter systems, top U.S. official says.

Thomas The Bisexual Goose Will Be Buried Beside His Male Partner Of 30 Years.

Meet a Briton From 10,000 Years Ago.

Why Are Murders Of Gay And Bi Men Up A Staggering 400 Percent?

Tillerson Warns Russia Is Meddling In 2018 Midterms, Methods Evolving.

Local Developments:

Mayor Jenny Durkan: Why Seattle Is Erasing Misdemeanor Marijuana Convictions from People’s Records.

As the oceans change, can oysters adapt?

The Mystery Tree Fall Near Lake Quinault: Why Did It Happen? Part I and Part II.

‘We thought we’d pulled a dead person out of the water’: Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation machine saved her life.

Seattle, Tacoma among worst traffic congestion in U.S.

In Memoriam:

John Mahoney, who played cranky dad on “Frasier,” dies at 77.

The Late, Great John Mahoney Was Frasier’s Father, and Yours Too.

Why John Mahoney is an inspiration to late bloomers everywhere.

Things I wrote:

Coffee, coffee, everywhere — and why half of what you know about it is wrong.

Self-loathing self deceivers—they are never just hurting themselves.

A Writer Writes: Subplots and subtexts are not the same thing.

That doesn’t mean what it used to — more adventures in dictionaries.

Videos!

VENOM – Official Teaser Trailer (HD):

(If embedding doesn’t work, click here.)

AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR Official Super Bowl Trailer (2018) Marvel:

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Deadpool, Meet Cable:

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Of Course Trump Wants to Throw Himself a Military Parade: The Daily Show:

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Matt Palmer – Solo Act (Official Music Video):

(If embedding doesn’t work, click here.)

This has been a weird week. Except it isn’t that weird, because in the thirty (30) years that I’ve worked in the software industry, this has been something that occurred several times each year. We had an impossible deadline. Everyone worked extremely long hours (for which we aren’t paid overtime because the suits figured out years ago that you could demand impossible results that require enormous amounts of extra time from people while implicitly threatening their employment and we would allow ourselves to be classified as “exempt” employees and give up many protections).

The upshot is, I was surprised that I had more than five stories bookmarked and actually had to spend some time tonight deciding which five to include in this post, because I worked such long days this week that I had very little time to pay attention to the news. Yet, I did have to spend some time winnowing it down. And therefore…

Welcome to my Friday Five: Only the top five (IMHO) stories of the week and videos (plus notable obituaries and a recap of my blog posts).

Stories of the Week:

Fitness tracking app Strava gives away location of secret US army bases.

Why do evangelicals love Trump? Dumb question: Why wouldn’t they? “Trump is doing the bidding of right-wing Christians — and movement conservatism has become a form of religion”

The Book That Colored Charles Darwin’s World.

‘The Shed at Dulwich’ was London’s top-rated restaurant. Just one problem: It didn’t exist.

Staffing the Accused: Inside the Six-Month-Long Downfall of Seattle Mayor Ed Murray – Their boss allegedly committed sexual assault and abuse. He denied everything. They had to decide: Who do I believe? What do I do? Fascinating story by our local Pulitzer-winning reporter who accepted a 71-day gig as a speech writer for the second of two temporary Mayors we had after the disgraced Murray resigned.

In Memoriam:

Bob Smith, Groundbreaking Gay Comedian, Is Dead at 59.

Things I wrote:

Singular They Isn’t New — more adventures in dictionaries.

Videos!

Samantha Bee on Full Frontal on TBS The Actual State of Our Union:

(If embedding doesn’t work, click here.)

ALL ABOUT HIS BASE – Randy Rainbow Song Parody:

(If embedding doesn’t work, click here.)

Stunning video captures meteorological phenomenon known as cloud iridescence, which painted the sky:

(If embedding doesn’t work, click here.)

Ant-Man and the Wasp Trailer #1:

(If embedding doesn’t work, click here.)

Kylie Minogue – Dancing (Official Video):

(If embedding doesn’t work, click here.)

I continue to feel better every day, so the cold/flu seems to be licked. Work has gotten very busy as some impossible deadlines bear down on us. Which means I haven’t gotten much of my own writing done lately.

But that’s enough about me!

Welcome to my Friday Five: Only the top five (IMHO) stories of the week and videos (plus notable obituaries and a recap of my blog posts).

Stories of the Week:

Sessions’ DOJ Charged A White Supremacist With Terrorism. They Just Didn’t Tell Anyone. Because he’s a born-in-the-USA white “christian” white supremacist man, so of course they aren’t making a big deal out of it.

Analyzing the Gender Representation of 34,476 Comic Book Characters.

Are White Evangelicals Sacrificing The Future In Search Of The Past? “While it is difficult to draw a direct connection between the numerical decline of white evangelical Protestants and their increasing isolation on sexual morality, the views of former evangelical Protestants provide some important clues. Analysis of a 2014 Pew study finds that former white evangelicals are far more likely than current white evangelicals to favor same-sex marriage (60 percent vs. 24 percent) and believe that society should accept homosexuality (67 percent vs. 32 percent). They are also substantially younger.”

In an Israeli Cave, Scientists Discover Jawbone of Earliest Modern Human Out of Africa.

The Crazy Story Of How “Clue” Went From Forgotten Flop To Cult Triumph. I love this movie so, so much!

In Memoriam:

Beloved, Visionary Fantasy Writer Ursula K. Le Guin Dies at 88.

The Fantastic Ursula K. Le Guin – The literary mainstream once relegated her work to the margins. Then she transformed the mainstream.

Ursula K. Le Guin, award-winning science fiction writer, has died at 88v.

We Will Remember Freedom : Why It Matters that Ursula K. Le Guin Was an Anarchist.

Things I wrote:

She Knew What She Was Doing and Why – Ursula K. Le Guin.

Women’s March 2018.

Weekend Update 1/20/2018: One year later….

Videos!

Ursula K. Le Guin accepts the National Book Foundation’s Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters at the 65th National Book Awards on November 19, 2014:

(If embedding doesn’t work, click here.)

We Need to Talk About Stephen Miller:

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Korea’s First Openly Gay K-Pop Star Debuts His First Video, ‘Neverland’:

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The Killers – Rut:

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Fischerspooner – TopBrazil (Official Video) [Ultra Music]:

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I think I might be over the cold. I crossed some tipping point on Wednesday afternoon, the fever went away, most of the symptoms had faded. Thursday morning I woke up feeling fine. So I went into the office—I put in a full day and never hit that wall of exhaustion that happened the previous time I went into the office. I don’t feel 100% well, yet, but I also don’t have anything I can point to as a symptom other than still feeling a little tired.

Enough about that!

Welcome to my Friday Five: Only the top five (IMHO) stories of the week and videos (plus notable obituaries and a recap of my blog posts).

Stories of the Week:

A brief overview of the 1893 overthrow of the Hawaiʻi’s Queen Liliʻuokalani, and U.S.’s illegal annexation.

Most Americans considered Trump’s ‘shithole’ comments racist .

Trump administration’s new ‘religious freedom’ rule will encourage discrimination in health care. It will also kill people.

Opinion: The Turpin child abuse story fits a widespread and disturbing homeschooling pattern.

Bruce McArthur charged with 1st-degree murders of 2 men who disappeared from Toronto’s gay village. Police are mum about whether they can tie this suspect to several other similar recent disappearances…

In Memoriam:

How Peter Wyngarde went from a Japanese prison camp to 70s style icon who refused to button his shirt collar.

How Peter Wyngarde was outed as gay by police in 1975, destroying career of the 1970s pin up who inspired Austin Powers.

Obituary – Dolores O’Riordan, lead singer of the Cranberries.

Dolores O’Riordan to Be Laid to Rest Tuesday, Though Cause of Death May Not Be Determined for Months.

Director Hugh Wilson, Creator Of ‘WKRP In Cincinnati,’ Dies At 74.

Hugh Wilson, ‘Police Academy’ Director and ‘WKRP in Cincinnati’ Creator, Dies at 74.

Things I wrote:

Storytelling should not be preaching, part 3.

Confessions of a whiny patient.

Confessions of a musical junkie (or, a crazy writer and his crazier playlists).

Videos!

Ash vs Evil Dead | Season 3 Official Trailer | STARZ:

(If embedding doesn’t work, click here.)

MSNBC’s Joy Reid Gives Master Class in How to Shut a Trump Drone DOWN:

Embedding doesn’t work, click here!

Samantha Bee on Full Frontal Investigates on TBS: Is This Racist Racist?:

(If embedding doesn’t work, click here.)

Justin Timberlake – Supplies (Official Video):

(If embedding doesn’t work, click here.)

Troye Sivan – My My My! (with so many strobe effects that the video has a warning that it might induce seizures):

(If embedding doesn’t work, click here.)

My husband and I have both come down with nasty colds, though we have very different symptoms. I haven’t gotten much writing done outside of work all week.

Welcome to my Friday Five: Only the top five (IMHO) stories of the week and five videos (plus notable obituaries and a recap of my blog posts).

Stories of the Week:

Found: A Giant Extinct Burrowing Bat.

Close encounters of the racist kind.

Alleged White Supremacist Is Charged With Terrorism After Stopping Amtrak Train.

The Bully’s Pulpit: On the elementary structure of domination. From a few years ago, but ever informative: “Psychologists had long assumed that mean kids were taking out their insecurities on others. No. It turns out that most bullies act like self-satisfied little pricks not because they are tortured by self-doubt, but because they actually are self-satisfied little pricks. Indeed, such is their self-assurance that they create a moral universe in which their swagger and violence becomes the standard by which all others are to be judged; weakness, clumsiness, absentmindedness, or self-righteous whining are not just sins, but provocations that would be wrong to leave unaddressed.”

Millions Are Hounded for Debt They Don’t Owe. One Victim Fought Back, With a Vengeance.

In Memoriam:

R.I.P. astronaut John Young, the first man to get yelled at for smuggling a sandwich into space.

John Young, ex-astronaut who walked on moon and commanded 1st shuttle flight, dies.

R.I.P. Jerry Van Dyke.

Remembering the one-of-a-kind Jerry Van Dyke.

Rest In Peace, Bard Richmond. Bard is the man who gave me my first job out of college…

Matt Palazzolo, Young Gay Rights Activist and Actor, Has Died on a Mountain Hike.

Things I wrote:

Magnanimous oppressors and two-way streets.

Confessions of the sometimes clueless.

Videos!

The Dick Van Dyke Show Full Episodes S01E26 I Am My Brother’s Keeper:

(If embedding doesn’t work, click here. Also, it’s the first episode of a two-parter, and you should really watch the second one, too.)

Anderson Cooper Ridicules Trump’s Claim That News Anchors Sent Letters Praising Him for Running a Meeting Well:

(If embedding doesn’t work, click here.)

Tapper to Trump: Look up, facts are in front of you:

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Calum Scott – You Are The Reason (Official):

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Jussie Smollett Freedom:

(If embedding doesn’t work, click here.)

The work week hasn’t been bad. It’s kind of nice that most of the office was shut down for most of the time I was out. There was a whole lot less email to dig through on my first day back, for instance. But, since I slept in just about every day of my 11-day vacation, my body has not been happy about getting up to go to work!

Welcome to my Friday Five: Only the top five (IMHO) stories of the week and videos (plus notable obituaries and a recap of my blog posts).

Stories of the Week:

In 2017, you were less likely to die in an airplane crash, but very likely to have a rough time as a passenger.

Fort Smith Mosque Forgives Its Vandal, Paying His Debts.

Where Do Ex-Evangelicals Come From?

Rich People Are the Worst at Relationships, Say Scientists.

It’s been one year since N.J. ditched cash bail. Here’s how it’s going.

Local Climate:

Seattle Sets New Rain Records.

In Memoriam:

Louis Collins, a titan of the antiquarian books scene, has passed away. “For a bookseller who made his name as a kind of human Google in an analog time, Collins adapted surprisingly well to the computerized age of bookselling.”

Washington Booksellers Remember Louis Collins, “One of the Best Bookmen in the Northwest”.

Things I wrote:

Weekend Update: Is 2017 over yet?

Confessions of an equivocator with delusions of ruthlessness.

Videos!

Everything Ellen Knows About #DeepState and Eric Trump:

(If embedding doesn’t work, click here.)

LISTEN TO URSULA K. LE GUIN ON CELEBRITY CULTURE AND FICTION VS. FACT:

(If embedding doesn’t work, click here.)

Our President Never Planned On Being Our President:

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Winter Storm Grayson Brings Snow To Tallahassee, Florida For The First Time In Years:

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54 Years of Doctor Who in 2 Minutes:

(If embedding doesn’t work, click here.)

It is also the eighth day of my Christmas vacation. I thought this week would be easier to narrow the stories down to five, because we’re at the part of the year where all the news sites and publications are posted year in review pieces and listicles to fill the gap for all the contributors taking time for the holidays. But even with that, I still had a bunch to sort through.

Welcome to my Friday Five: Only the top five (IMHO) stories of the week and videos (plus notable obituaries and a recap of my posts).

Stories of the Week:

A New Species of Giant Octopus Has Been Hiding in Plain Sight.

From Minneapolis to New York City, nation faces frigid New Year’s Eve and start to 2018.

Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton Retain Most Admired Titles.

4 positive political moments for the LGBTQ community that somehow got past Trump.

Ten Federal Judges Have Now Rejected Trump’s Transgender Military Ban.

In Memoriam:

Rose Marie, ‘Dick Van Dyke Show’ Star, Dies at 94. Rose Marie’s character on the Dick Van Dyke Show, Sally Rogers, was my favorite back in the day.

I missed this op-ed Rose Marie penned earlier this month, even though I’ve been following her on Twitter: ‘Dick Van Dyke’ Star Rose Marie: What Happened When I Publicly Shamed My Harasser (Guest Column).

Rose Marie and her 90 years in show biz are saluted in documentary ‘Wait for Your Laugh’. “Baby Rose Marie was a child star before Shirley Temple was born, sang for Al Capone, opened the first big casino in Las Vegas for Bugsy Siegel and changed the world by playing a female writer on “The Dick Van Dyke Show” when women didn’t work on TV. Spanning vaudeville, radio, Broadway, film, television and more, this new documentary tells the story of the longest active career in entertainment, but it also looks at what it was like to be a female performer in the 20th century, how to work through periods of extreme personal heartbreak, as well as, how Rose Marie and her fellow nonagenarians Dick Van Dyke, Carl Reiner and Peter Marshall still have the drive to create today.”

Things I wrote:

What’s on your list?

We need a rainbow Christmas….

Words and Images: untreatable case of I don’t give a sh*t.

Videos!

Sam Smith – Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas in the Live Lounge:

(If embedding doesn’t work, click here.)

December 2017! Best News Bloopers & Amazing Reporter Fails 2017 !! Funny video:

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Remembering Colo the first gorilla was born in a zoo, 1956–2017:

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THE CHRISTMAS OLYMPIC CHALLENGE | TWERK OFF ft. Matty Lee | Tom Daley:

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New Year’s Eve – Lea Michele “Auld Lang Syne”:

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