We’ve reached the third Friday of November and the news has been quite interesting.

I’m plugging away at NaNoWriMo, so not getting much blogging done. While I’m really happy that the impeachment hearings are proceeding, I’m going to try focus most of my linking to news stories on things that you are likely to have missed with all the other coverage.

Anyway, welcome to the Friday Five. This week I bring you: the top five stories of the week, five stories about sciece & sci fi, five stories deplorable people, and five videos (plus a thing I wrote).

Stories of the Week:

Jimmy Carter’s humanity and Donald Trump’s vulgarity | Editorial.

3 Cows Swept Out to Sea by Hurricane Dorian Are Found Alive.

Millions in U.S. Lost Someone Who Couldn’t Afford Treatment.

What ‘English style’ owes to Asia’s gardens.

5 Ways You Can Support Bullied LGBTQ+ Youth Like Jordan Steffy.

Science and Science Fiction:

NASA’s Curiosity rover makes a baffling oxygen discovery on Mars – Seasonal variations in Martian oxygen levels are puzzling NASA’s planetary scientists.

Silver-Backed Chevrotain, With Fangs And Hooves, Photographed In Wild For First Time.

Disney+ Version of Star Wars: A New Hope Alters Greedo Scene Yet Again.

Are we living in a Blade Runner world?

Secrets of the largest ape that ever lived.

This Week in Deplorable People:

Principal who banned gay books charged with child pornography – “As I said to some friends last night when I got the news, ‘You can’t make this sh– up,'” one of the authors whose books were banned said.. Surprise! Surprise! Surprise! [/sarcasm]

Of the incidents involving sexual-orientation bias, 60 percent targeted gay men- Of the incidents involving sexual-orientation bias, 60 percent targeted gay men.

SURVEY: 40% Of Evangelicals Say They Are Pro-Choice.

Judge Napolitano: Trump ‘Pretty Clearly’ Violated Criminal Bribery Laws.

VP Mike Pence proud of effort to steal LGBTQ tax dollars.

In Memoriam:

Virginia Leith, Star of ‘The Brain That Wouldn’t Die,’ Dies at 94 – She also played the female lead in Kubrick’s first feature and a woman threatened by fiance Robert Wagner in ‘A Kiss Before Dying’.

Things I wrote:

The 11th day of the 11th month….

Videos!

SLAPP Suits: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO):

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Billionaires Freak Out About Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders: A Closer Look:

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Bill Taylor’s Testimony Closely Ties Trump To Ukraine Quid Pro Quo:

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Greyson Chance – Boots (Official Video):

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Jakk Fynn – Fire:

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We’ve reached the second Friday of November and there was a lot of good election news this week.

Before I get into anything else, I want to point out that I am a Baby Boomer, and please put my name at the top of the list of people who say that neither ‘boomer’ nor ‘ok boomer’ are slurs. Furthermore, Boomers are the ones who started the generational conflict by wrecking the housing market, not standing up for workers’ rights, starting wars we don’t intend to pay for, and all those stupid “Millenials kill…” headlines.

Anyway, welcome to the Friday Five. This week I bring you: the top five stories of the week, five stories about reading & writing & sci fi, five stories about the blue & rainbow wave, five stories about the impeachable one & another deplorables, and five videos (plus a thing I wrote).

Stories of the Week:

Hundreds of mammoth bones found in 15,000-year-old traps in Mexico.

Charles Addams: The Long Island Macabre Master Who Created The Addams Family.

Chicago book returns surge 240% after city eliminates fines.

For the first time ever, a US cheese is named best in the world.

Feds Sue Gilead Over Patents On HIV-Prevention Drugs.

Writing, Reading, and Science Fiction:

Ready. Set. Write a Book.

Terminator: Dark Fate Review. I really enjoyed the movie, myself.

Is Publishing Too Top-Heavy? – As megabestsellers command more of publishers’ marketing budgets and retailers’ shelf space, breaking out the next crop of hit makers has become a challenge.

[NOVEMBER 5, 1964] THE STATE OF THE SOLAR EMPIRE: PERRY RHODAN IN 1964. Galactic Journey is a web site that covers important development is science and sf/f—55 years ago. It’s almost like time traveling back once a week.

Round-up of Awards Posts by F&SF Writers, Editors, and Publishers for 2019.

This Week in the Blue & Rainbow Wave:

Massive, Major Victories for Democrats in Virginia and Kentucky as Trump Fails to Deliver Wins for His GOP Candidates.

The Blue Wave Hasn’t Crested – Virginia has been a bellwether in the Trump era, and Democrats hope their historic victory last night points to another national win in 2020.

Anti-LGBTQ Fairfax school board member loses re-election bid.

At Least 100 LGBTQ Candidates Win Elections as Rainbow Wave Continues.

Let’s Celebrate All The Good Shit That Happened On Election Night.

This Week in the Impeachable One and Other Deplorable People:

‘Lawless’ Trump Foundation Must Pay $2M Settlement.

Don Jr’s ‘Book’ Sales Boosted By Republican National Committee – Don Jr’s “book” is climbing the charts due to a huge purchase by the Republican National Committee, who is giving the book away for free to donors.

Hate Crime Verdict In Burning Of Church Rainbow Flag.

Milo Posts Racist Rant By Extremist Richard Spencer – Leaked audio purportedly shows the far-right leader screaming anti-Semitic slurs and threatening further violence in Charlottesville.

Impeachment transcripts reveal a consistent, damaging narrative for Trump – The witness testimonies released so far are all aligned, offering Democrats a powerful political weapon in public hearings next week.

In Memoriam:

Bernard Slade, 89, Dies; ‘Partridge Family’ Creator and Playwright .

Things I wrote:

Weekend Update 11/2/2019: Seamy underbellies everywhere.

Old authors yell at clouds again—or, I thought sf/f was supposed to be about progress.

Videos!

Stephen Colbert – Meanwhile… Is It OK To Say “OK, Boomer”?:

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Seth Meyers’ monologue – Roger Stone’s Trial Begins and Other Topics:

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New Zealand lawmaker shuts down heckler: ‘OK, boomer’:

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Stephen Colbert – “Read The Transcript” Is Trump’s Latest Rallying Cry:

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Sam Smith – I Feel Love (Visualiser):

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And now we reach the first Friday of November!

It continues to be winter-cold, without any rain. Which means the spore counts keep climbing. Having hay fever when it’s cold is never fun.

Anyway, welcome to the Friday Five. This week I bring you: the top five stories of the week, five stories about deplorable people, five stories about the impeachable one, and five videos (plus a thing I wrote).

Stories of the Week:

Who Gave You the Right to Tell That Story? Ten authors on the most divisive question in fiction, and the times they wrote outside their own identities.

Looking at Cute Animals Online Is Literally Good for Your Brain.

Are 90% of giraffes gay – or have their loving looks been misunderstood?

Blast from Waukee gender reveal felt over 2 miles away.

‘He’s a patriot’: Republicans defend key impeachment witness from attacks.

This Week in Deplorable People:

Senate blocks effort to roll back Trump administration’s ObamaCare rule. Excluding pre-existing conditions will kill thousands of Americans… which is what Trump and his billionaire buddies want.

Right-Wing Lobby Divorces Itself? In Lawsuit, NRA Says NRA-TV Is Racist. Which is true… but the NRA is also racist.

Missouri’s state health director says he tracked Planned Parenthood patients’ periods.

Evangelical conservatives are determined to go down in disgrace with Trump. Let them do it.

When One Good Day Is One Too Many.

This Week in Impeach the Mo-Fo Already:

Trump lures GOP senators on impeachment with cold cash.

Why it’s such a big deal that Donald Trump is suddenly selling his Washington DC hotel.

Trump Takes Swipe at Obama for Not Capturing al-Baghdadi Then Admits to War Crime at Police Chiefs Conference.

‘Music to Putin’s ears’: Ambassador McFaul blasts Trump’s pattern of furthering Russian interests.

Security Official Testifies Ukraine Transcript Was Edited.

In Memoriam:

Robin Brett, NASA scientist who studied ‘moon rocks,’ dies at 84.

Tributes pour in for John Witherspoon after actor dies at 77.

Things I wrote:

Weekend Update 10/26/2019: Cold hearts and webs of sin.

Yelling at clouds, pointless nostalgia, and blind spots.

Time to fire up those word processors! #NaNoWriMo.

…and then what happened? And then? And then? — getting the story started and keeping it going.

Evasive geniuses, invisible monsters, and helpful (sassy gay) robots—more of why I love sf/f.

Videos!

Stephen Colbert and the gang go after Hallmark and Lifetime Movies – Just In Time For Halloween, It’s The Late Show Christmas Movies!:

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Lunar Module Costume: Big Sis Lunar Lander, Little Sis Astronaut (with flag):

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Trump & Syria: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO):

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TESS Catches its First Star-destroying Black Hole:

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Galantis & Dolly Parton – Faith feat. Mr. Probz [Official Music Video]:

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Are we really already at the fourth Friday in October?

I believe I’ve figured out what I’m going to work on for NaNoWriMo next month. We’ve had a short break in the very rainy weather, but I’m not sure anything is going to dry out before the rain returns.

Anyway, welcome to 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 about science fiction, five stores about science, five stories about injustice and justice, and five videos (plus a thing I wrote).

Stories of the Week:

Most people in Seattle are from somewhere else. So what does that say about the ‘Seattle Freeze’?

Ivar’s, Seattle Seafood Restaurant Chain, and the Serial Killer. More than 100 years ago, Washington state was the home of a woman who was eventually dubbed the Starvation Killer…

I Ate Like a Member of the Royal Family for a Week and Here’s What Happened.

The Phone Call Isn’t Dead, It’s Evolving.

Inside the Phone Company Secretly Run By Drug Traffickers.

This Week in News for Queers and Allies:

One of Comcast’s top executives is suing for anti-gay discrimination – He was called slurs, paid less, told he was “too gay and flamboyant,” and the cable company retaliated when he complained.

Conservatives, religious right go to the outer limits of audacity in exploiting case of transgender child.

Drag Queens Are Hosting Story Hours Across the Country to Teach Kids Acceptance & We Say YAS to That.

This health care ruling could endanger untold numbers of LGBTQ Americans.

How ‘It’s a gay bar, Pamela’ became the Twin Cities’ favorite meme.

This Week in Science Fiction:

What Is the Time Signature of the Ominous Electronic Score of The Terminator? – The time signature of the Terminator score is a mystery for the ages.

Ray Bradbury’s Tales of the Bizarre – Series 1 – Available for Streaming from the BBC.

Eminent writers, editors and critics choose some favorite works of fantasy and science fiction. Read it for Chabon’s Bradbury comments…

David Gerrold – I disagree with Scorsese. I disagree with Coppola….

‘Watchmen’ Review: A Dazzling Reinvention of a Landmark Comic.

This Week in Science:

Bam! Scientists Watch Distant Exoplanet Collision.

Remarkable fossils capture mammals’ recovery after the dino-killing asteroid – Survivors grew from the size of a rat to that of a wolf within 700,000 years of the impact.

U.S. Air Quality Was Improving. Now It’s Getting Worse .

After A DNA Surprise: 10 Things No One Wants to Hear.

New tsunami evacuation maps show the fastest way to escape the Big One on foot.

This Week in Crimes and the Fight for Justice:

She was raped 15 years ago. Her rape kit was finally tested and turned up a match.

New bulletproof memorial to Emmett Till replaces vandalized sign in Mississippi.

Tennessee Deputy Sued Twice In The Same Day Over A Roadside Anal Search And A Forced Baptism.

Police Seize High-Ranking Atomwaffen Division Member’s Guns. The stripping happened earlier this month. Kaleb J. Cole, the strippee, is a leader of the Atomwaffen Division’s Washington State cell. The Seattle Police Department filed an “Extreme Risk Protection Order” petition against him late last month.

A Bangladesh court has sentenced 16 people to death for the murder of a student set on fire after accusing her teacher of sexual harassment.

Things I wrote:

Ah, yes, the Lady Mondegreen dancing with the devi.

Videos!

Trump Lashes Out After G7 Controversy, Mulvaney’s Ukraine Confession: A Closer Look:

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Colbert Gets A Surprise Visit From Rudy Giuliani:

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Republicans Storm Impeachment Hearing After Bombshell Testimony: A Closer Look:

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O Great Pumpkin | Robot Chicken | Adult Swim:

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MIKA – Dear Jealousy:

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And now it is the third Friday in October.

It’s been non-stop rain for several days and is expected to continue through the weekend, so I’m happy. Also, it was nice to be reminded this week of the word cockwomble, meaning: “A person, usually male, prone to making outrageously stupid statements and/or inappropriate behaviour while generally having a very high opinion of their own wisdom and importance.”

Anyway, welcome to the Friday Five. This week I bring you: the top five stories of the week, five stories og interest to queers and our allies, five stores about science, five stories about deplorable people, five stories about the Impeachable One, and five videos (plus things I wrote and notable obituaries).

Stories of the Week:

Religion Continues to Decline in America.

Cuomo signs law aimed at weakening Trump’s pardon power, closes ‘double jeopardy’ loophole.

Twitter says it will restrict users from retweeting world leaders who break its rules. Um, well, I guess it’s a start… or maybe just an empty gesture.

Former NASA scientist says they found life on Mars in the 1970s.

Trump tweeted a photo attacking Nancy Pelosi. She made it her Twitter cover photo.

This Week in News for Queers and Allies:

Justin Tranter Was Punished in H.S. for Enduring Anti-LGBTQ Bullyingv- The out songwriter shared a disturbing story of harassment at a Spirit Day concert and fundraiser.

Parents of Matthew Shepard use DOJ speech to criticize Attorney General Barr’s stance on gender identity protections.

The way this trans man’s family expresses solidarity with his dream of having top surgery will make your heart burst.

Porno Pete Blames “Radical Lying Homosexual Activist” JMG For Beto O’Rourke’s Stance On Ex-Gay “Torture” . Right, it’s one gay blogger, and not the many juries, doctors, and medical associations that have all call it unconscionable, traumatic, and harmful.

Black lesbian Ernestine Eckstein was protesting when most gays thought protests were crazy – Closeted gays and even many early gay organizations criticized her for being visible and active.

This Week in Science:

Planetary ‘autopsies’ indicate worlds like Earth common in the cosmos.

480-million-year-old trilobite ‘traffic jams’ may reveal ancient migratory behavior.

Hubble telescope captures the best photo yet of the interstellar comet Borisov as it hurtles through the Milky Way at 110,000 miles per hour.

Space Mysteries: If the universe is 13.8 billion years old, how can a star be more than 14 billion years old?

Paris zoo unveils the blob, an organism with no brain but 720 sexes.

This Week in Deplorable People:

Trump’s Fox News Meltdown Proves He’s “the Snowiest, Flakiest Snowflake,” Says Kimmel.

Jury awards Sandy Hook father $450,000 for defamation by local conspiracy theorist.

Inside The Christian Legal Army Weakening the Church-State Divide.

The Heritage Foundation co-hosted a half day anti-LGBTQ event. Here are the worst comments from panelists.

2 Trump officials said the US should be run as a Christian theocracy.

This Week in Impeach the Mo-Fo Already:

Mulvaney acknowledges Ukraine aid was withheld to boost political probe.

THE ACTUAL LAWS TRUMP HAS BROKEN, JUST WITH THE UKRAINE AND CHINA AFFAIRS, COULD LAND HIM 10 YEARS IN PRISON.

Fox News’ Andrew Napolitano: Trump holding G7 at Doral resort is a ‘profound’ emoluments clause violation.

Karma For Republicans: Clinton Rules Apply To Trump Impeachment – Andrew Napolitano reminds Fox and Friends that all the rules Adam Schiff is following were written by Republicans during the Clinton years. Womp, womp.

Sen. Mitt Romney raises a troubling theory about Trump and Turkey.

In Memoriam:

Stephen Moore – known as the voice of Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy’s Marvin the Paranoid Android – has died aged 81.

Rep. Elijah Cummings, LGBTQ Rights Champion, Dead at 68.

Elijah Cummings ‘signed subpoenas from his hospital bed’ for Trump impeachment before his death.

Rep. Elijah Cummings, dignified Democratic nemesis of Trump, dies at 68.

U.S. Rep. Elijah Cummings, key figure in Trump impeachment inquiry and longtime Baltimore advocate, dies at 68 .

Things I wrote:

Join us in the light! #NationalComingOutDay.

Celebrate Indigenous People’s Day — and recognize that Columbus was a violent unscrupulous invader.

Tuesday Tidbits 10/15/2019.

Where do they come from? (or, some things remain ineffable).

Videos!

GIULIANI! (Here He Goes Again) – Randy Rainbow Song Parody:

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Rudy Giuliani Associates Arrested as Support for Impeachment Rises: A Closer Look:

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Harry Styles – Lights Up (Official Video):

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Katy Perry – Harleys In Hawaii (Official):

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MIKA – Sanremo:

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Oh, my goodness! It’s the first Friday in October.

So, I thought I was over the cold, then it appeared I had a relapse or had caught a different cold. But this time the symptoms just got worse and worse such that I was up all night Monday coughing horribly and unable to sleep. I went to the doctor and was diagnosed with bronchitis and a sinus infection. Prescription cough syrup and antibiotics were given, and now I know that I’m not yet well, but I’ve managed to sleep and all the symptoms are slowing declining.

Anyway, welcome to the Friday Five. This week I bring you: the top five stories of the week, five stores about science fiction-y things, five stories about deplorable people, five stories about the Impeachable One and related deplorables, and five videos (plus things I wrote and notable obituaries).

Stories of the Week:

Eat Less Red Meat, Scientists Said. Now Some Believe That Was Bad Advice.

How White Liberals Became Woke, Changing Their Outlook On Race .

Bay Area woman dies at 102, DirecTV charges early termination fee.

‘At What Point Does Malfeasance Become Fraud?’: NYU Biz-School Professor Scott Galloway on WeWork.

Covington man arrested for 1991 cold case murder of 16-year-old Federal Way girl – The body of Sarah Yarborough, 16, was found on the Federal Way High School campus in December 1991.

This Week in Science Fiction and Related:

The NYPD Will Be Stationed At All NY City Theaters Screening ‘Joker’ This Weekend

Joker Review: When Just Looking the Part Isn’t Good Enough – this is what a stupid film thinks an artsy one looks like.

Real-Life ‘Terminator’: Major Studios Face Sweeping Loss of Iconic ’80s Film Franchise Rights.

Yes, We’re in the Wrong Timeline – How time-travel stories explain our uncanny era.

LGBTQ Superheroes, Pro Wrestlers, Immigrants and Teens Hit Screens This Week on TV.

This Week in Deplorable People:

Calgary Preacher: A Rainbow With Six Colors is “a Lie from the Pit of Hell” .

Sixth-Grade Boys Allegedly Attack, Cut Girl’s ‘Ugly’ Dreadlocks at Private Christian Schoo.

“It’s Management Bedlam”: Madness at Fox News as Trump Faces Impeachment. My favorite bit: “Among the powerful voices advising Lachlan that Fox should decisively break with the president is former House speaker Paul Ryan, who joined the Fox board in March. “Paul is embarrassed about Trump and now he has the power to do something about it,” an executive who’s spoken with Ryan told me.” That’s right, when Paul Ryan was the f-ing Speaker of the House of Representatives he didn’t think he had the power to do anything about Trump…

NRA Was ‘Foreign Asset’ To Russia Ahead of 2016, New Senate Report Reveals.

TEXAS: Ex-Cop Gets 10 Years In Murder Of Neighbor – The victim’s mother said Guyger’s sentence would give the former officer time to reflect and “change her life.”.

This Week in Impeach the Mo-Fo Already:

The President Is a Corrupt, Bloodthirsty Tyrant, Reports Suggest. “So, Congress pretends that it needs an inquiry to determine whether Trump is upholding his oath of office, the political press pretends that the Republican Party isn’t a greater threat to American democracy than Vladimir Putin, and we all collectively pretend that the people of Hong Kong don’t put us to shame, as we watch the president’s bribery-intake facilities operate in peace.”

More than 300 former officials call Trump’s actions concerning Ukraine ‘profound national security concern’.

Pence: I Participated in the Ukraine Plot But Only As a Patsy.

Trump and Week Two of the Impeachment Crisis. “This isn’t a presidential administration so much as it is a band of snot-nosed kindergarten criminals who like to eat paste and urinate in their pull-ups.”

‘Felony Violation of Law’: Experts Respond to Trump Openly Calling on China to Dig Up Dirt on Biden.

In Memoriam:

The harmless-looking girl who executed Nazis after seducing them in bars: WWII heroine dies aged 92.

Things I wrote:

Wanting a better world, or, confessions of a queer nerdy survivor.

After summer comes the… cold and flu season already?.

Videos!

Octopus Dreaming:

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Trump Is Having an Impeachment Meltdown: A Closer Look:

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As The Walls Close In, Donald Trump Is Clearly Losing It:

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Rami Malek, After Kissing Daniel Craig: “Does This Make Me A Bond Girl?”:

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Sam Smith and Renee Zellweger Cover Judy Garland’s ‘Get Happy’ :

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Here we are at the fourth and final Friday of Septemper.

I’ve continue to be crazy busy at work. The weather service is predicting a bit of a cold snap for the weekend. And some members of Congress seem to have come to their senses, at last.

Anyway, welcome to the Friday Five. This week I bring you: the top five stories of the week, five stories of interest to the queer community, five stores about science, five stories about the Impeachable One and related deplorables, and five videos (plus things I wrote and notable obituaries).

Stories of the Week:

Saints and people who do not think like us (Fantasticon 2019).

Why Are So Many Democrats Considering Ending The Filibuster?

Jesus Wades Into Seattle Politics. “Jesus H. Christ, in full robes and a staff, strode up in flip flops and urged the city council to pass legislation establishing an oversight board for the Green New Deal, a resolution to implement greener policies in Seattle. He did so by reading a letter from his dad…”

U.S. Military Warns Troops About Violence at Joker Screenings. The actual warning comes from the FBI and the Joint Terrorism Task Force which has monitored a lot of disturbing discussions on InCel and Neo-Nazi chat rooms. These following two stories are related: Joaquin Phoenix Stops Joker Interview Over Violence Questions and Batman shooting victim’s family ‘horrified’ by Joker film’s violence.

Long-lost Italian painting could fetch $6 million at French auction.

This Week in News for Queers and Allies:

Challenge to Maryland gay conversion therapy ban dismissed.

Billy Porter Is First Openly Gay Black Man To Win Emmy For Lead Actor In A Drama .

An origin story for the queer community.

Angelica Ross Leaves Twitter After Abuse by Trump, Sanders Supporters. Such fine people…

Mattel Introduces World’s First Gender-Neutral Doll.

This Week in Science:

Submerged for Decades, Spanish ‘Stonehenge’ Reemerges After Drought.

Face of long-lost human relative unveiled.

Most massive neutron star ever detected strains the limits of physics.

North America Has Lost More Than 1 in 4 Birds in Last 50 Years, New Study Says.

Charts showing gender analysis of SF&F award finalists.

This Week in the Impeachable One and Other Deplorable People:

Trump’s $28B Bailout Of US Farmers (With More To Come) Is Over Twice Obama’s 2009 Bailout Of Detroit .

Trump’s Ukraine gambit could be another campaign finance crime.

Whistleblower says many other national security officials can confirm details on Ukraine call.

Evangelical right-wing groups show themselves to be hypocrites about impeachment.

Trump’s Latest Threat Called Witness Intimidation.

In Memoriam:

‘Star Trek: Deep Space Nine’ actor Aron Eisenberg dies at age 50.

A life for space: Sigmund Jähn, Germany’s first cosmonaut, dies aged 82.

Things I wrote:

Hey, y’all, it’s fall!

It’s good to be prime again—birthday thoughts from a homo devil.

Videos!

Stephen Colbert – Trump-Ukraine Call Log Clearly Demonstrates Quid Pro Quo Demand:

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Seth Meyers – Trump Releases Damning Ukraine Memo Amid Impeachment Inquiry: A Closer Look:

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1 Giant Monster Neodymium Magnet vs 1,000 Small Neodymium Magnets in Slow Motion:

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La Bufadora – Tom Goss (Starring Daniel Franzese) [Content Warning: Song is about domestic violence]:

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WIG by Todrick [NSFW lyrics]:

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Here we are at the third Friday of September.

I’m still sick. My husband is still sick. When I told a good friend that I had more than ten videos that I was trying to choose from for this week’s Friday Five (where I traditionally only post five videos), she suggested that I do a Vidoes section and then a Second Videos and make a Hobbit Second Breakfast joke… then I realized that I had five music videos and 7 non-music videos, and once split apart like that, it was much easier to pick only five of each kind, so…

Anyway, welcome to the Friday Five. This week I bring you: the top five stories of the week, five stories about sf/f & fandom, five stories about deplorable people, five non-music videos, and five music videos (plus things I wrote and notable obituaries).

Stories of the Week:

Why Don’t Police Catch Serial Rapists?

Newest Pterosaur Was Likely as Tall as a Giraffe – Ancient flying reptile dubbed Cryodrakon boreas, the “cold dragon of the north winds,” may shed light on the evolution of these dinosaur relatives.

There’s a Lost Continent 1,000 Miles Under Europe – Scientists tracked down the last remnants of Greater Adria, an ancient Greenland-sized landmass.

I Went to the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. This is What I Saw..

Piece of missing sculpture resurfaces in antiques store 50 years later .

This Week in Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Fandom:

Fantasy and Science Fiction – a collaboration by two of the genre’s founders that was largely unknown ‘til a couple of years ago: Flora Columbia: Goddess of a New Age, by Jules Verne and H. G. Wells.

LET’S FRIGHTEN CHILDREN! Vincent Price & Scooby-Doo.

Letting Go of Our “Heroes”: Ongoing Humanist Training and the (Ex-)James Tiptree, Jr. Award.

How Scooby Doo Revived Gothic Storytelling for Generations of Kids.

Truck Carrying Gaming Dice Spills Onto Highway, Rolls A Perfect 756,000.

Deplorables of the Week:

I’m a comedian. I know Shane Gillis’s words matter – Here are the problems with what Shane Gillis said: It wasn’t said on stage, it wasn’t said years ago, and it wasn’t a joke.

Republican state senator who blocked LGBTQ rights charged with sexual abuse of a minor – As a powerful committee chair, he had blocked LGBTQ rights legislation for years. For the umpteen-millionth time: if a politician is vehemently anti-gay, journalists should dig into their background! You will always find some scandal or crime. Always!

Kavanaugh ‘should be impeached’ just like Trump. He lied to the Senate under oath. Hell, yes, he should be impeached!

What Happens if Trump Won’t Step Down? – National security expert Josh Geltzer on why we should be prepared for the worst.

What happens when the administration won’t tell Congress about a whistleblower complaint regarding the president – ‘A deficiency in the law’: How Trump accidentally exposed a whistleblower loophole?

In Memoriam:

Cokie Roberts, Pioneering Journalist Who Helped Shape NPR, Dies At 75.

Eddie Money, ‘Two Tickets to Paradise’ Singer, Dies at 70.

Ric Ocasek, frontman of new wave pioneers the Cars, dies at 75.

Things I wrote:

As mean as a cornered ocelot.

The Parable of the Speck and the Log, or, telling others how to love sf/f will never work.

Tuesday Tidbits 9/17/2017: On the taxonomy of devils….

All generalizations are dangerous* — especially about generations!

The importance of being seen.

Newsy Videos!

Out Celebs Have a #BiWeek Message for Bisexual+ Youth: You Matter:

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James Corden Responds to Bill Maher’s Fat Shaming Take:

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Filibuster: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver:

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Trump Threatens War with Iran on Saudi Arabia’s Behalf: A Closer Look:

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Beto O’Rourke: Current approach to guns no longer works:

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Music Videos!

Charli XCX – 2099 [Official Video]:

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PJ Brennan- Bones:

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Keiynan Lonsdale – Rainbow Dragon (Official Music Video):

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Kezar – Don’t Touch The Queen (Official Music Video):

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Cher Performs “Waterloo” LIVE On America’s Got Talent! – America’s Got Talent 2019:

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It is the second Friday of September. Which is significant because Septemer is the month when superior babies are born.

I thought that the significant change in the weather last weekend had kicked up a new round of hay fever—plants throwing out more pollen cause they’re soaking up all the water, and so forth. So when I felt more tired and braindead at the end of my workday Monday, I just attributed it to that. Tuesday it was clear that my sinuses had something else going wrong. Wednesday morning I had a soe throat and my voice kept giving out. More symptoms piled on over the course of the day, including a cough that became the Cough of Doom™ during the night. Which meant I didn’t sleep well. And when I did drag myself out of bed my congestion was much worse and my whole body ached. So I took a partial sick day and worked from home again.

Anyway, welcome to 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 about deplorable people, and five videos (plus things I wrote and notable obituaries).

Stories of the Week:

How Bullwinkle Taught Kids Sophisticated Political Satire.

Seattle man reunited with beloved bulldog that was stolen from him.

‘We’re told to be grateful we even have readers’: pirated ebooks threaten the future of book series.

Gender and the Hugo Awards, by the Numbers.

Tina Turner Is Having the Time of Her Life .

This Week in News for Queers and Allies:

Homophobic hate crime charges fall despite soaring reports.

Elizabeth Warren Vows To Fight For LGBTQ Equality In Surprise DragCon Video – The 2020 presidential candidate’s virtual “appearance” also drew attention to violence against transgender people.

Edmund White to receive honorary National Book Award – White, 79, is among the most influential gay writers of his time, known for works such as “A Boy’s Own Story” and “The Beautiful Room is Empty” and for helping to create the market for openly gay literature.

Gay Maryland Couple Sues State Department for Denying Citizenship to ‘Out-of-Wedlock’ Daughter.

The sensational Candlestick Murder trial of 1958 struck fear in Charleston’s gay community .

This Week in Science:

1.7-Million-Year-Old Rhino Tooth Provides Oldest DNA Data Ever Studied.

Astronomers just found an interstellar comet, the second visitor of its kind ever detected.

Moon rocks could help reveal how life evolved on Earth – and may enable us to resurrect extinct species.

Lovers of Modena skeletons holding hands were both men.

The day the dinosaurs’ world fell apart.

This Week in Homophobes and Other Deplorables:

Mike Pence To Meet With Anti-LGBT Group Days After White House Claimed He Can’t Possibly Be Anti-LGBT.

Teachers, Students Leave High School After Official Email Requires Them to Disavow Same-Sex Relationships.

On Tuesday, Jerry Falwell, Jr. learned the definition of the word ‘receipts’ . . . the hard way.

In Defending Falwell, Liberty U Approvingly Tweets Link to Column Calling Him ‘A Greedy Hypocrite’ .

Broke Homocon Milo “Can’t Put Food On The Table”.

In Memoriam:

Meredythe Glass, Mercer Island resident who was in ‘The Wizard of Oz,’ dies at 98.

Things I wrote:

Here comes the rain again… and I couldn’t be happier!

The Dark Domain, or a queer ex-evangelical looks at an agent of intolerance and his scandalous heirs.

Serious topic: and one I still can’t write about.

Videos!

Dion Diamond remembers the risks he took as a young civil rights activist:

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Trump Faces Scrutiny Over Personal Properties, Hurricane Lies:

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“Jerry Falwell’s God” by Roy Zimmerman:

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Ben Platt – RAIN [Official Video]:

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Pet Shop Boys (feat. Years & Years) – Dreamland (Official lyric video):

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