It’s the first Friday in June, and that means that it is now officially Pride Month! Wooooooo!

If you don’t celebrate Pride (or at least understand why we do), then I have no idea why you are reading my blog. But, it’s that time of year! Today I need to put out my rainbow flags to kick off a month a queer pride and remembrance.

It’s Friday! That means it’s time to present my Friday Five: This week you get the top five (IMHO) stories of the week of interest to queer people, top five stories about people who are less-than-wonderful, top five general interest stories, and top five videos (plus notable obituaries and a recap of my blog posts).

Queer stories of the Week:

Meet the first trans man to model for an Andrew Christian campaign.

Catholic diocese banned gay valedictorian’s speech so he took matters into his own hands.

Transgender student wins battle to hear chosen name said at graduation.

Straight People Don’t Exist, New Research Says: A recent study shows that human sexuality is fluid and women are hornier than you think.

The Phantom Defeating Homophobes with a Pride Flag Is the Greatest Thing Ever.

Stories about horrible people:

Congressional Candidate In Virginia Admits He’s A Pedophile . He doesn’t just admit that he is both a pedophile and a person who has advocated violence towards women, he is PROUD of it!

White House Blasts Samantha Bee Over Ivanka Slur, Demands TBS Cancel Show.

What Happened to Jill Stein’s Recount Millions? All indications are the bulk has gone to Jill herself, and various luxuries of the staff, not to litigating. Surprised?

Cold-blooded attacker repeatedly stabs gay couple who were holding hands.

Nazis deface hundreds of headstones in St. Louis cemetery — swastikas painted on headstones decorated with Memorial Day flowers.

Other stories of the Week:

Ad-Hominems & the Post-premodern Right.

This researcher programmed bots to fight racism on Twitter. It worked.

Debunking the 6 biggest myths about ‘technology addiction’.

The FBI wants you to do this one thing to your home router, now.

“Bankrupt” Catholic Archdiocese Agrees To $210 Million Settlement With 450 Sexual Abuse Victims.

In Memoriam:

Gardner Dozois, pioneering, genre-defining science fiction editor who helped launch my career.

Gardner Dozois, 1947 – 2018.

Gardner Dozois, 70, acclaimed science-fiction editor.

Alan Bean, moon-walking astronaut and artist, dies aged 8.

The Forgotten True Story of Alan Bean’s Unlikely Journey to the Moon.

Navy vet and fourth man on the moon Alan Bean just died at 86.

Things I wrote:

Weekend Update 5/26/2018: Bad takes, small steps, and more to some stories.

Formerly known as Decoration Day, or Memorial for Grandma.

Videos!

Samantha Bee calls Ivanka Trump a ‘feckless c***’:

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Full Frontal with Samantha Bee Clip:

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Super Drags | Teaser [HD] | Netflix:

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Kesha – Hymn (Official Video):

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Jake Shears – Creep City (Official Video):

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It’s the final Friday of May!

The number of times this week that I and my boss commiserated about how crazy work has been for months and months now is just crazy. I’m looking forward to having this three-day weekend so much.

It’s Friday! That means it’s time to present my Friday Five: This week you get the top five (IMHO) stories of the week, plus the top five stories of interest to queer people, and top five videos (plus notable obituaries and a recap of my blog posts).

Stories of the Week:

Former NFL player lays waste to the league’s hypocrisy on the American flag with one perfect photo.

The Boys Are Not All Right.

The Definition of Insanity: Maybe it’s time to try a different approach to mass shootings.

The FBI’s mountain of uncrackable crimephones was nearly entirely imaginary.

There’s a Reason Conservative Christians Are So Bad At Fact-Checking the News.

News for Queers and our allies:

GLAAD just published its annual report on LGBTQ representation in movies, and… yikes.

Stop telling us about LGBT characters in blockbusters – show us instead.

Transgender kids’ brains resemble their gender identity, not their biological sex.

Updated: North Bend High School principal removed in ACLU settlement. I wrote about this earlier in the week. Alas, a friend who lives nearby reports that local news sources say this deplorable Principal has been reassigned to another job in the district, not actually fired.

More Americans Than Ever Support Same-Sex Marriage.

In Memoriam:

A Guide to the Many, Many Books of Philip Roth.

Bill Gold Dies: ‘Casablanca’, ‘The Exorcist’, ‘J. Edgar’ Poster Designer Was 97.

The Best of Bill Gold’s Movie Posters.

Things I wrote:

Sunday Funnies, part 29.

Wants to be rockstar, doesn’t want to make music, or How did he even get that gig?

Bigot Bulletin: Principal and Police Officer who harassed students at Oregon high school are both fired.

Don’t boo! Register to vote, confirm that you’re registered, show up, and vote!

Videos!

Ryan Amador – Loverboy (Official Video):

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Black and White – Adam Mac (Official Video):

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Stephen Colbert: Nice Try Deep State, Trump Has You Figured Out:

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Stephen King Got Blocked On Twitter By Trump:

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Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO): Mike Pence:

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It’s the third Friday of May!

We had a couple days of much warmer than usual weather, then things went back to cooler… mostly. Unfortunately, the snowpack in the mountains is melting faster than usual because of this odd days. So some parts of the state are experiencing flooding, and it’s no longer certain we’re going to have plenty of water through the summer. Yeesh!

It’s Friday! That means it’s time to present my Friday Five: This week you get the top five (IMHO) stories of the week, plus the top five stories of interest to queer people, and top five videos (plus notable obituaries and a recap of my blog posts).

Stories of the Week:

Months After a Brutal Day in Charlottesville, a Tender Wedding.

How Do They Create The Sounds In Sex Scenes?

Now we know why Donald Trump “won” all four surprise swing states by the same one percent.

Boulder, Colorado, unanimously votes to ban assault weapons, high-capacity magazines.

Bitcoin’s energy use got studied, and you libertarian nerds look even worse than usual. In addition to being a scam, Bitcoin is actually a significant threat…

News for Queers and our allies:

Queer Teens Are Winning Prom, and These Pics Are Proof.

‘Patient Zero’: Correcting the Record on a Media-Made Gay Villain.

Too Many People Still Oppose Marriage Equality. That Could Spell Doom.

No, I Will Not Stop Talking About Queer Pride.

Mitch McConnell Appoints Hate Group Leader Tony Perkins to U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom.

In Memoriam:

Margot Kidder, ‘Superman’ Actress, Dies at 69.

Why MARGOT KIDDER Was the Best LOIS LANE Ever.

How Lois Lane became her own superhero.

Tom Wolfe, novelist and pioneer of New Journalism, dies at 88.

Tom Wolfe, Author of ‘The Right Stuff,’ Dies at 88.

Tom Wolfe’s ‘right stuff’ matters more than ever.

Things I wrote:

Weekend Update 5/12/2018: At least some good news.

Believability isn’t just about fiction, or Let me tell you about my Evil Grandmother.

Videos!

Panic! At The Disco: (Fuck A) Silver Lining (Audio):

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Sannie – Boys on Girls:

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Sam Smith – Pray (Official Video) ft. Logic:

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Years & Years – If You’re Over Me (Official video):

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Michael Medrano – Heal (feat. Steve Grand):

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It’s Friday! And it’s the second Friday of May!

Most of the plants on the veranda are blooming and growing. I repotted one lavender that got drowned during the monsoon like weather we had in April and still waiting for it to recover. Knock wood. In its former pot I planted a rosemary plant last weekend which in a single week has gone from about three inches tall to ber eight, so that’s good! Alas, while I still love my flowers, my sinuses continue to hate all the pollen, so there’s been a lot of hay fever stuff going on all week.

It’s Friday! That means it’s time to present my Friday Five: This week you get the top five (IMHO) stories of the week, plus the top five stories of interest to geeky people, and top five videos (plus notable obituaries and a recap of my blog posts).

Stories of the Week:

Photos: Star Wars characters get Indigenized by Comox First Nation artist.

Boeing to lose $20B as Trump withdraws from Iran pact.

Professor Explores Dark Side of the Anti-Trafficking Movement.

Gay 17-Year-Old Leaves Behind A Heartbreaking Suicide Note. And is family asked the the note be shared with the public.

A megachurch pastor just went viral warning evangelicals that their Trump hypocrisy is “killing” their churches.

Geekery and Science!:

Why Pluto is a planet and many moons are, too.

Corals Are in Serious Trouble. This Lab Could Help Save Them.

Reader Request Week 2018 #6: The Fall(?!?!?) of Heinlein.

There’s six types of straight people who have same-sex experiences, expert says.

The Silurian hypothesis: would it be possible to detect an industrial civilization in the geological record?

In Memoriam:

[R.I.P.] Creature Performer Noble Craig Was an Unsung Horror Icon.

Things I wrote:

One year of being an ex-Seattleite.

Cocky romance author testing my ability to suspend disbelief.

Good, bad; I’m the guy with the gun — more of why I love sf/f.

Videos!

Jim Parsons: It’s Never ‘Too Late’ For Gay Representation On Film:

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Shelby Earl – Strong Swimmer [OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO]:

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Sam Smith – Pray (Official Video) ft. Logic:

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An Unforgettable Performance by Panic! At the Disco:

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Ryan O’Shaughnessy performs ‘Together’ | Eurovision Song Contest | RTÉ2:

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And we’re into May!

The weather is doing it’s usual May thing already: some days that hint at summer, interspersed with cooling and drizzle. And, oh! That is pollen everywhere! I’m maxing out on my allergy meds and it’s barely helping!

It’s Friday! That means it’s time to present my Friday Five: This week you get the top five (IMHO) stories of the week, plus the top five stories of interest to geeky people, and top five videos (plus notable obituaries and a recap of my blog posts).

Stories of the Week:

This 84-year-old Mayor, Bartender, and Librarian Is Her Town’s Only Resident.

White Supremacist Jacob Goodwin Found Guilty of Beating DeAndre Harris in Charlottesville Parking Garage.

Fake antifa posts reportedly tricked police into massive show of force for neo-Nazi rally.

LGBT Alarm As President Trump Signs ‘Religious Liberty’ Executive Order.

Police accidentally released this antigay terrorist from custody and now they can’t find him.

Geekery and Science!:

Gooey, Magma Ocean May Have Once Roiled Inside the Moon.

A new giant virus found in the waters of Oahu, Hawaii.

When You Should—and Should Not—Rescue Baby Birds.

Jenny and Maureen Solve the Genre Wars.

HOW THE CREATORS OF WICOMICON EXECUTED A BLERD CONVENTION IN A WEEK.

In Memoriam:

Charles Neville Of The Neville Brothers Dies At 79.

8-term Washington congressman Al Swift dies at 82. Best known for the Motor Voter law…

‘Golden Girls,’ ‘Partridge Family’ producer Paul Junger Witt dies at 77.

Things I wrote:

Weekend Update 4/28/2018: A lot going on here….

Now is the month of Maying….

A sneaky oral surgeon – or, adventures with the dentally anxious.

Videos!

Alt-right Proud Boy gets beat by sign. May Day in Seattle.:

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Stephen Colbert (The Other One) On Michelle Wolf’s WHCD Speech:

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Trump’s Michigan Rally Goes Off the Rails: A Closer Look:

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Rudy Giuliani Fuels Trump’s Stormy Daniels Scandal | The Daily Show:

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Céline Dion – Ashes (from the Deadpool 2 Motion Picture Soundtrack):

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April is nearly over. Wow.

It has been a very weird month, weather-wise. First couple of weeks temperatures were about 10 degrees below normal and we had a whole lot more rain than usual for this time of year. Then it dried out and for most of this week temperatures were at least 10 degrees above normal. The rain is supposed to come back this weekend.

It’s Friday! That means it’s time to present my Friday Five: This week you get the top five (IMHO) stories of the week, plus the top five stories of interest to geeky people, and top five videos (plus notable obituaries and a recap of my blog posts).

Stories of the Week:

Man fought gunman: He ‘was going to have to work to kill me’. Waffle House Hero.

Man In Underwear Saves Woman From Kidnapping, Knocks Out Attacker’s Tooth. Boxer Short Hero

Wisconsin AG Brad Schimel admits Voter ID a scheme to suppress democratic voters.

The Truth About the 7,000: Why are there still so many AIDS-related deaths?

‘Imploding’: Financial troubles. Lawsuits. Trailer park brawls. Has the alt-right peaked? (Remember the rule of headlines that ask a yes/no question…)

Geekery and Science!:

Back to the wild! How letting Mother Nature reclaim prime farmland and allowing cattle and ponies to run free produced breathtaking results.

Scientists accidentally found this octopus nursery deep in the Pacific Ocean.

It Be Your Own People: On Universal FanCon and the Perversion of Community.

Scientists Genetically Engineered Flies to Ejaculate Under Red Light.

Space-Hopping ‘Avengers: Infinity War’ Raises The Stakes To Infinity — And Beyond. This is actually an NPR portal to a group of non-spoilery reviews they’ve targeted to people with varying degrees of geekiness. It’s an interesting idea…

In Memoriam:

My Best Friend.

Come Thou.

She spoke to the soul.

Things I wrote:

Weekend Update 4/22/2018: Attacking child survivors of school shootings.

My young man.

Water for the temple plants.

Oppressed Oppressors: Hateful, Angry Men.

Videos!

Homophobia In 2018 | Time For Love:

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Seth Meyers: Trump’s ‘FOX & Friends’ Rant Was ‘the First Time a TV Show Had to Change Its Number Because of a Stalker’:

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Patton Oswalt Talks About the Golden State Killer:

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‘We found the needle in the haystack’: Golden State Killer suspect arrested after sudden DNA match:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/video/c/embed/2fdfb162-48d2-11e8-8082-105a446d19b8

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TOP POP, VOL. I MEDLEY – Pentatonix:

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It’s the third Friday in April.

I believe I have shaken off the virus, but this week has been stressful and sad. There are a couple of serious illnesses in my family. A very dear friend’s mother (who I was more than fond of) passed away. Other friends have similar things happening among their loved ones. It leaves one feeling helpless and dismayed. It took longer than usual to assemble this post, as I had a rather larger number of snarky or depressing links. But I think this is a better mix.

So, itt’s Friday, time to present my Friday Five: This week you get the top five (IMHO) stories of the week, plus the top five stories of interest to queer people, and top five videos (plus notable obituaries and a recap of my blog posts).

Stories of the Week:

This Proselytizer Gives Me The Validation My Parents Never Did.

The Canadian Cheese Cartel.

Donald Trump Takes Out Paul Ryan, and ‘It’s Going to Be a Civil War’.
“Ryan owns his share of the blame; too often, he behaved as if he was some deferential junior VP at a Trump resort and not the leader of the House of Representatives in a co-equal branch of government. The idea, popular among the House leadership, that a diet of ass-kissing and deference would make Trump into a normal president who didn’t need the political equivalent of Depends was always a strategic mistake.”

I spend a fair amount of time teaching women to kick men in the balls, and I’ve learned that this activity tends to generate controversy.

The Democrats Are the Party of Fiscal Responsibility.

For Queers and Allies:

How Britain Turned a Fourth of the World Anti-Gay, and What the Ultimate Colonizer Is Doing About It.

The Transgender Pseudo-Skeptics: The ravening hordes of anti-trans bigots screaming on YouTube are not the real problem.

Assembly Votes To Ban Ex-Gay Torture For Adults Too, List It As “Deceptive Business Practice”.

Teacher Says School Reprimanded Him After His Husband Sent Flowers, but that’s not the whole story, because then Parents took over a school board meeting to support a gay teacher & his husband.

‘Queer rights activist’ hosts ‘BGLTQ-accepting’ Bible reading at Harvard.

In Memoriam:

NPR Newscaster Carl Kasell Dies At 84, After A Lifelong Career On-Air.

Iconic NPR newscaster and voice Carl Kasell dead at 84.

TIMELINE: The Life And Legacy Of Newscaster Carl Kasell.

Harry Anderson, magic-loving star of sitcom ‘Night Court,’ dies at 65.

Remembering Harry the Hat: A Magician Hiding in Plain Sight.

Vel Phillips (1923 – 2018), civil rights pioneer: First black person elected to a Wisconsin statewide office.

R. Lee Ermey, Harsh Drill Instructor in ‘Full Metal Jacket,’ Dies at 74.

Obituary: Barbara Bush – former US First Lady and literacy campaigner.

Things I wrote:

Sunday Funnies, part 28.

One year later, way more than a few April showers.

Videos!

Ada Vox & Lea Michele Sing “Defying Gravity” from Wicked – Top 24 Duets – American Idol 2018 on ABC:

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Deadpool 2: The Final Trailer:

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Diner Lobster – SNL:

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Alan Cumming Performs ‘Instinct: The Musical’:

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Seth’s Favorite Jokes of the Week: Trump’s Nickname for Obama, a Four-Eyed Lizard:

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It’s the second Friday in April!

Despite being sick all week, I have also put in a LOT of over time. Which is only possible thanks to work-from-home days. My corporate overlords continue to impose insane deadlines on us, just like everyone else, and I don’t know what else to say about that. I am really looking forward to getting over this virus, how about that?

It’s Friday, and so I bring you the Friday Five: This week you get the top five (IMHO) stories of the week, plus the top five stories of interest to queer people, and top five videos (plus notable obituaries and a recap of my blog posts).

Stories of the Week:

The Looptail Lowercase G: You’ve Seen This Letter Everywhere, But Can You Write It?

Brazil jaguars find safe haven in rainforest trees.

Sinclair commentator resigns after threatening to sexually assault Parkland survivor David Hogg.

TEXAS: Former GOP Rep. Steve “Bengazi” Stockman Convicted Of 23 Felonies, Faces Decades In Prison.

Lynching memorial in Alabama confronts a tortured past.

For Queers and Allies:

QUILTBAG+ Speculative Classics: Un-suppressing Minority Writing.

Jimmy Kimmel and Chelsea Handler Need to Stop Using Queer People for Laughs.

Anti-LGBTQ Extremists Unite As Peter LaBarbera Joins MassResistance.

Pat Robertson: I’m Being Dominated By Homosexuals.

Pompeo Withers Under Questioning By Cory Booker, Won’t Say If He Thinks Gay Sex Is Perverted.

In Memoriam:

Daniel Akaka, first Native Hawaiian in Congress, dies at 93.

Yvonne Staples, Of The Renowned Staple Singers, Dead At 80.

Chuck McCann, Zany Comic in Early Children’s TV, Dies at 83.

Things I wrote:

Words, Pictures, and Thoughts.

More adventures in managing light.

Living in a chemical world, plus dream sequences.

Videos!

This Crazy Series Of Japanese Gum Commercials Packs In A Truly Impressive Amount Of Innuendo:

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Jokes Seth Can’t Tell with Tiffany Haddish:

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The West Cork Ukulele Orchestra :: Ra Ra Rasputin:

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YOU CAN’T STOP HIS TWEETS! A Randy Rainbow Song Parody:

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Deadpool 2 | The Trailer:

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