We have reached the third Friday in June, aka Pride Month.

And even though it has only been a week since the last Friday Five doesn’t it feel as if it’s been a rough year or two since?

Meanwhile, welcome to the Friday Five. This week I bring you: a story of this day, the top five stories of the week, five stories of interest to queers and our allies, five stories about the fight of justice, five stories about the pandemic, five stories about science, and five videos (plus notable obituaries and some things I wrote).

Story of the Day:

From Juneteenth to the Tulsa massacre: What isn’t taught in classrooms has a profound impact – On the eve of Juneteenth, educators said the history of systemic racism in this country and the contributions of Black people have been erased.

Stories of the Week:

Tucker Carlson Expertly Trolled By Owner Of Porn Site ‘IsMyGirl’ – Tucker Carlson went off the rails again, this time attacking porn sites who monetize homemade explicit photos and videos, then promptly got pwned by the owner of one of those sites.

L.A. County has found the cause of its hourslong poll lines. It wasn’t the new voting machines – Voters waited for hours to cast ballots in California’s Super Tuesday primary March 3.

Elite CIA unit that developed hacking tools failed to secure its own systems, allowing massive leak, an internal report found. Remember this the next time the FBI, et al get up in arms about Apple not giving them a backdoor into your phone and so on…

How the Name ‘Karen’ Became a Stand-in for White Entitlement.

Please stop the beat: why we’ve had enough of musical episodes .

This Week in News for Queers and Allies:

Understanding the generation gap within the LGBTQ community – Many generational issues separate the LGBTQ community — and also bring them together.

Neil Gorsuch embarrasses his conservative backers with pro-LGBTQ ruling.

HRC To Sue Trump Administration for Eliminating Anti-Discrimination Health Care Protections.

Gender identity: The difference between gender, sex and other need-to-knows.

Openly Gay Black Bishop Ordained by Missouri Episcopalians.

This Week in Demanding Justice:

Arrest Warrant and Indictment Issued in Two Separate Murders of Transgender Women Last Week.

Families Of Two Black Men Found Publicly Hanged In CA Believe They Were Lynched – Communities are demanding investigations and justice for Malcolm Harsch and Robert Fuller, found hanging from trees in Victorville and Palmdale. Police said they found “no foul play” in Mr. Harsch’s death, and ruled Mr. Fuller’s death a suicide.

Trans woman killed by cruel teen who returned to scene of crime to shoot her dead body again.

Police Work Isn’t as Dangerous as You May Think.

Trump Campaign Tied To Second Leader of White Nationalist Party.

This Week in the Pandemic:

It Doesn’t Look Like the Protests Are Causing a COVID-19 Spike – What does that mean for other outdoor activities?

COVID-19 case clusters offer lessons and warnings for reopening.

California requires masks statewide in bid to slow coronavirus spread.

10 states are seeing their highest average of daily new Covid-19 cases since the pandemic started.

Texas coronavirus hospitalizations hit record highs for a full week.

This Week in Science and Technology:

Scientists Have Discovered Vast Unidentified Structures Deep Inside the Earth – Scientists combed through nearly 30 years of earthquake data to probe huge and mysterious objects near the Earth’s core.

Asian giant hornet found in Bellingham.

Endangered cheetahs snapped in award-winning photos.

Scientists Find The Biggest Soft-Shelled Egg Ever, Nicknamed ‘The Thing’.

Black hole plasma jets are shaped like bell-bottoms – Streams of plasma shooting away from galaxies flare at the ends.

In Memoriam:

Jean Kennedy Smith, former Ambassador and last sibling of JFK, diesv- She played a key role in the peace process in Northern Ireland.

Legendary Batman writer, Denny O’Neil dies at age 81.

Things I wrote:

Weekend Update 6/13/2020: Black Lives Matter, Trans Lives Matter, Immigrant Lives Matter, and Dang it Wear a Mask!

Confessions of a homo godparent, or, Transphobes not welcome here.

Sunday Funnies, part 40.

Supreme Court rules that existing federal law prohibits LGBTQ discrimination in workplace.

Tuesday Tidbits 6/16/2020: Differing definitions of tyranny….

Videos!

So Much News, So Little Time: Aunt Jemima & New Trump Tell-Alls:

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Supreme Court Hits Trump Where It Hurts With DACA And LGBTQ Decisions:

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Supreme Court Rules on LGBTQ Rights, Police Reform Gains Steam: A Closer Look:

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Facial Recognition: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver:

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Nick Pes – The Feeling (Music Video):

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I haven’t written as much about Pride so far as I meant to. Part of this the that so very much is going on in the world, and I feel a bit like a broken record pointed out that the Stonewall Riots were also a protest against police brutality and the leaders of that first rebellion were people of color and trans or gender nonconforming… but I do need to write some more and I will.

Meanwhile, 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 the pandemic, five stories about science fiction, five stories about police misconduct and related injustice, and five videos (plus notable obituaries and some things I wrote).

Stories of the Week:

Queensland researchers using drone for turtle survey capture spectacular pictures.

A Long Childhood May Be How Crows and Jays Evolved Their Smarts .

How Apples Go Bad.

Even Southern Baptists Are Celebrating the Removal of Confederate Monuments.

Confessions of a Former Bastard Cop – Officer A. Cab.

This Week in News for Queers and Allies:

Alex Sanchez’s New Gay Y.A. Novel Reimagines a DC Comic Superhero.

How do we celebrate Pride when police are still beating & killing us? – LGBTQ civil rights and black civil rights histories intersect on many issues — with violence and police brutality among them.

Top Latin music star Raymix came out as his song hit #1 on the charts. Here’s why.

Judas Priest’s Rob Halford Offers Advice for Closeted Gay Metalheads.

Crowds turn out to protest outside Ketchikan shop that reportedly refused service for same-sex wedding.

This Week in the Pandemic:

Study: 100% face mask use could crush second, third COVID-19 wave.

Covid-19 Patient Gets Double Lung Transplant – The operation is believed to be the first of its kind in the U.S. The patient, a woman in her 20s, had been healthy, but the coronavirus devastated her lungs.

These Factors Will Determine What The Next COVID Outbreak Will Look Like.

Coronavirus: more than a dozen US states see record high of new cases.

Trump rally attendees must agree not to sue campaign over potential coronavirus exposure.

This Week in Science Fiction:

Fresh off a Nebula Award and kicking off a book deal, West Seattle writer Cat Rambo speaks about craft, George Floyd protests and more.

The Story of Us, or, Read a Fucking Book Once In Awhile, Why Don’t You?: Empathy, Crisis, and the Function of Art Right Now.

Rogue One Revisited.

Five SFF Works Inspired by RPGs.

How JK Rowling Betrayed the World She Created – Gabrielle Bellot on Transphobia and Growing Up with the Harry Potter Universe.

This Week in the Police Brutality and Other Injustice:

This New Jersey City Disbanded Their Police in 2013.

Chicago police made coffee and popcorn in US Rep. Bobby Rush’s office while shopping plaza was being looted, he says.

‘Preposterous’: Court-appointed lawyer in Michael Flynn case slams DOJ attempt to drop it.

Police union loses fight to keep identity of cop who killed Black trans man Tony McDade a secret.

Opinion | It’s Time to Judge Cops by Their Actions .

In Memoriam:

He Left Us Better Than He Found Us: Remembering Activist Ron Simmons.

Bonnie Pointer of The Pointer Sisters Dead at 69.

Things I wrote:

Weekend Update 6/6/2020: Zooming asteroids! And less fun things.

The Cabal That Wasn’t or, SF/F award numbers don’t mean what you think they mean.

Tuesday Tidbits 6/9/2020: Not quite a tinpot dictator, yet.

A white homo devil reflects on years of so-called free speech.

None of those statues mean what you think they mean—bless your heart.

Videos!

Trump Defends the Confederacy, Complains About Polls: A Closer Look:

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Voter Suppression Plagues Georgia’s Primary Election While Trump Sues CNN Over Low Poll Numbers:

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Bill & Ted Face the Music – Teaser Trailer – Warner Bros. UK:

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Doom Patrol | Season 2 Official Trailer :

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THE BUNKER BOY – A Randy Rainbow Song Parody:

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It’s been drizzly and cool this week. Most of my flowers are wildly blooming, and there have been lots of bees flitting from flower to flower. I just wish work wasn’t so freakishly busy that I could take a few more breaks during the day to enjoy it. On the other hand, I’m really glad I still have a job. So…

Meanwhile, 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 the pandemic, five stories about deplorable people, and five videos (plus notable obituaries and some things I wrote).

Stories of the Week:

Jane Roe Confesses Anti-Abortion Conversion ‘All an Act’ Paid for by the Christian Right.

Exclusive First Look at New Photograph of Blues Legend Robert Johnson.

This Alaskan man is making a 14-hour boat trip to Costco every week to supply his entire city with groceries amid the pandemic.

Scientists Might’ve Found the Most Dangerous Place in Earth’s History.

My faith instructs me to stand up for LGBTQ neighbors.

This Week in News for Queers and Allies:

What happened to the gay sex scenes in ‘God’s Own Country’?!

SCOTUS, Incl. Gorsuch and Kavanaugh, OK Trans Prisoner’s Surgery.

Johnson & Johnson pledges to pay repair costs for Pulse memorial defaced by white supremacists.

For gay triathlete, sport helped him get sober and saved his life.

The ‘gender critical’ feminist movement is a cult that grooms, controls and abuses, according to a lesbian who managed to escape. Uh, I thought we all already knew this?

This Week in the Pandemic:

‘Straight-Up Fire’ in His Veins: Teen Battles New Coronavirus Syndrome .

‘Clear, uniform, national’ coronavirus guidelines needed for U.S. air travel, Sen. Cantwell says .

The coronavirus is infecting and killing black Americans at an alarmingly high rate.

Unpacking The Mask Debate.

Catholic church in Houston closes again after 3 priests test positive for COVID-19.

This Week in Deplorables:

Inside Trump’s coronavirus meltdown – What went wrong in the president’s first real crisis — and what does it mean for the US?

US lockdown protests may have spread virus widely, cellphone data suggests.

McConnell admits he was lying when he said Obama administration failed to leave a pandemic playbook .

Haters Petition PBS To Cancel LGBT Pride Series: It’s An “Attack On Christianity And God’s Design For Sexuality”.

Arizona attorney general “actively pursuing” right-wing troll Jacob Wohl.

In Memoriam:

Annie Glenn, speech disorder advocate and wife of John Glenn, dies of coronavirus complications at 100.

White House Butler For 11 Presidents Dies Of COVID At Age 91.

Fred Willard, ‘Best in Show’ and ‘A Mighty Wind’ Actor, Dead at 86 – Prolific comic actor and master of mockumentaries starred in Modern Family and Everybody Loves Raymond alongside Waiting for Guffman and This Is Spinal Tap.

Ken Osmond, Eddie Haskell on ‘Leave It to Beaver,’ dies at 76.

Lynn Shelton, the Brightest Talent in the Seattle Filmmaking Universe, Has Died at 54.

Things I wrote:

Weekend Update 5/16/2020: This is not about freedom.

Tuesday Tidbits 5/19/2020: That’s not faith, that’s stupidity.

Adventures in feeding the birds and squirrels… and some blogging weirdness.

Videos!

Pioneering Gay Newsman Randy Price Chokes Up As He Signs Off After 38 Years:

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Trump Says He’s Taking Hydroxychloroquine: A Closer Look:

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It’s Time to go BACK TO THE FUTURE! | Reunited Apart with Josh Gad:

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The Miracle Sudoku:

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Amazing – Space Rocket built with 1 Million Matches Really Flies – Match Chain Reaction:

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We had record-breaking heat over the weekend, prompting my husband and I to order takeout from a restaurant far enough away that we would up spending more than an hour in the air-conditioned car. Then temps dropped on Monday and we’ve had some drizzling nearly every day this week and temperatures generally in a much more pleasant range.

Meanwhile, 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 the pandemic, five stories about the war criminal pretending to be president, five stories about deplorable people, and five videos (plus notable obituaries and some things I wrote).

Stories of the Week:

The World’s Last Blockbuster Remains Open, Pandemic and Netflix Be Damned – “I had a customer come in and she said, ‘I am so grateful that you reopened, because I couldn’t flip through Netflix one more time.'”.

Panicked over ‘murder hornets,’ people are killing native bees we desperately need.

Washington issues $4,000 cleaning bill to embattled Rep. Matt Shea for incident on Capitol steps.

Calvin and Hobbes makes sense of quarantine life, 25 years later .

The real Lord of the Flies: what happened when six boys were shipwrecked for 15 months.

This Week in News for Queers and Allies:

California Cop: I Was Fired for Being Gay, HIV-Positive.

Germany passes law banning ‘gay conversion therapy’ for minors.

#WOWExclusive: The REAL Story Behind the Rock Hudson/ Henry Willson Storyline in “Hollywood”.

Anti-LGBT+ hate group tries to remove judge because he wouldn’t let them repeatedly misgender trans kids in court.

Historic Places: The Black Cat.

This Week in the Pandemic:

Winter Party attendee who caught coronavirus posts shocking photo of virus’ effect on his body – When he attended the National LQBTQ Task Force’s Winter Party in Miami, he had no idea what the consequences would be.

How “truth decay” is harming America’s coronavirus recovery – Americans can’t agree on basic facts. It’s a big threat to coronavirus recovery.

A class war over social distancing? New data suggests otherwise.

US coronavirus death toll passes 80,000 as states move to phased reopening.

Trump blocks desperately needed national testing program, says tests make things “look bad” – “President Trump is prioritizing his efforts to create the illusion that the country is returning to normalcy over taking concrete steps that might make that actually happen safely”.

This Week in the Deplorable Thug Occupying the White House:

Howard Stern to Trump supporters: He hates you and so do I.

“We’re In Deep Shit”: Whistleblower Rick Bright Details Failure to Act on Mask Shortages.

As coronavirus roils the nation, Trump reverts to tactic of accusing foes of felonies.

Court Revives Emoluments Suit Against Trump Hotel.

Explaining coronavirus to Trump is like ‘bringing fruits to the volcano’: Administration official.

This Week in Deplorables:

Feds Thwart NYC Nazi Incels In Potential Terror Plot – Racist, anti-Semitic Queens man — who hinted he can’t get a date — busted in assault weapon buy, feds say.

Michigan Cultists Fight Each Other Over Noose Display – Fight erupts at Michigan Capitol protest over noose; police take ax.

Anti-Vax Nutbag Sued By Anti-Vax Nutbag For $95M – Anti-Vaxx Movement Civil War Has Erupted and It’s Just as Ridiculous as You’d Expect.

Pulse memorial mural at the LGBT+ Center Orlando vandalized with white supremacist stickers.

Bothsidesism Stalks The New York Times.

In Memoriam:

Little Richard, the ‘Architect of Rock,’ Dies @ 87.

One can’t merely say that Little Richard died a homophobe or renounced his queerness when his life as a queer entertainer made such a cultural impact.

Aimee Stephens, the woman who brought the first-ever trans rights case to the Supreme Court, has tragically died.

Jerry Stiller, ‘Seinfeld’ and ‘Hairspray’ Actor and Comedian, Dies at 92.

Jerry Stiller’s comedy with Anne Meara deserves to be remembered just as much as Frank Costanza.

Roy Horn, of Siegfried & Roy, Has Died of COVID-19 at 75.

Stonewall riots historian, author David Carter dies at 67.

A Beloved Queer Activist Posted This Now-Viral Tweet Moments Before He Was Gunned Down in SF’s Mission District.

A Brooklyn Man Described As “Mr. Hooper From Sesame Street” Died From The Coronavirus – Dozens turned out for a candlelight procession to honor beloved actor and entrepreneur Lloyd Cornelius Porter.

Breakthrough in Scott Johnson Murder from 1988 – Arrest Made in 1988 Murder of Gay American Chased Off Sydney Cliff.

Things I wrote:

Weekend Update 5/9/2020: The Best of Cephalopods, the Worst of Cephalopods.

Confessions of a boy who wanted to be a diva, in spite of the bullying.

Videos!

The GOP ‘has turned Wisconsin into a failed state’:

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Trump’s Rose Garden Hissy Fit, Plus The Dumbest Thing The President Has Ever Said:

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Jimmy Kimmel’s Quarantine Monologue – Jimmy Responds to Pence & Trump:

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If You Accuse Your Predecessor Of Crime, You Darn Well Specify What That Crime Is | Deadline | MSNBC:

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Jimmy Fallon, Brendon Urie & The Roots Remix “Under Pressure” (At-Home Instruments):

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I’ve been doing a better job of taking at least a few minutes at the end of each workday to practice playing the ukulele, but I am way behind on so many other goals I set for the year.

Meanwhile, 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 the pandemic, five stories about the war criminal pretending to be president, five stories about deplorable people, and five videos (plus notable obituaries and some things I wrote).

Stories of the Week:

That Squiggle of the Design Process .

The ‘Credibility Bookcase’ Is the Quarantine’s Hottest Accessory – The bookcase has become the preferred background for applying a patina of authority to an amateurish video feed.

LeVar Burton still loves reading aloud. His storytelling might be what you need right now.

Scientists explain magnetic pole’s wanderings.

How Apple reinvented the cursor for iPad. The fascinating part of this story is the analysis of cursors and computer interface before you get to the iPad part.

This Week in News for Queers and Allies:

Instead Of Canceling, This Couple Had A Socially Distant Drive-In Wedding – Not wanting the coronavirus to interfere with their plans, this Austin, Texas, pair took their ceremony to the drive-in movie theater.

Under Lockdown, Parents Are Discovering Their Children Are LGBT And Dumping Them On The Street – “They’re trapped in the house, cooped up, and haven’t got anyone to let their frustrations out on.”.

Transgender ‘Rock Star’ Is Maine High School’s Valedictorian.

Netflix & Amazon Prime join forces to clap back at homophobes on Twitter.

What gay men can teach us about surviving the coronavirus – Frequent HIV testing is a fact of life for gay people. And even without a cure, we have found ways to lower risk and ease anxiety.

This Week in the Pandemic:

How the Pandemic Is Affecting the Navajo Nation – A conversation about the challenges facing—and the resilience of—the largest reservation in the country, which has become a COVID-19 hotspot.

Young and middle-aged people, barely sick with covid-19, are dying of strokes – Doctors sound alarm about patients in their 30s and 40s left debilitated or dead. Some didn’t even know they were infected.

Don’t Wear a Mask for Yourself . “Models show that if 80 percent of people wear masks that are 60 percent effective, easily achievable with cloth, we can get to an effective R0 of less than one. That’s enough to halt the spread of the disease.”

More people in District dying outside of hospitals during pandemic.

Trump and Tyson should do more to protect meat plant workers.

This Week in the Deplorable Thug Occupying the White House:

Minutes after pledging to not lie, the new White House press secretary lied a whole bunch.

Government orders 100,000 new body bags as Trump minimizes death toll.

Reporter Threatened With Retaliation For Mask Tweet.

Don Lemon Taunts Trump: ‘What is it About Obama That Bothers You? That He’s Smarter, Didn’t Need Daddy’s Help, is Better Looking, That He ‘Punked’ You?

The Trump administration botched the coronavirus response in exactly the shocking way everyone expected.

This Week in Deplorables:

Armed groups in downtown Raleigh protest virus-related restrictions.

Court filings show the NRA is in shambles — and Wayne LaPierre hopes his lawyer can ‘keep him out of jail’.

Loveland CO anti-lockdown protester had pipe bombs, FBI said. Was plotting to blow up a hospital because he believe medical professionals are lying about the epidemic…

NJ Councilwoman Has Obscene Homophobic Meltdown on Coronavirus Conference Call, Calls Gay Mayor a ‘Bitch-ass’ ‘Pedophile’ MF, Accuses Fellow Official of Sex Act.

Activist claims disturbing video depicts ‘modern day lynching’ of black jogger in Georgia — but suspects still not arrested.

In Memoriam:

King County Courthouse Screener Dies After Contracting the Coronavirus.

Things I wrote:

May the Fourth….

Midweek Update 5/6/2020: It’s not peaceful protest when you bring heavily armed vigilantes.

Videos!

Seattle Abandoned: The Empty Streets of America. 4K Aerial:

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Trump’s Fox News Coronavirus Town Hall: A Closer Look:

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Coronavirus VI: Testing: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO):

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Annie Lennox: A Thousand Beautiful Things (The Tonight Show: At Home Edition):

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Into The Woods – No One Is Alone:

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It’s Friday! The first Friday in May.

Remembering what day it is shouldn’t be as difficult as it has become. Even though I check my calendar every morning, and if it’s work day review meetings and deadlines, it still feel like all the days are blended together.

Meanwhile, 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 the pandemic, five stories about deplorable people, and five videos (plus notable obituaries and some things I wrote).

Stories of the Week:

Federal Appeals Court Declares Literacy a Constitutional Right.

This brilliant illustration shows how much public space we’ve surrendered to cars.

Sex doll sales soar with gay people and couples fuelling demand. I have some issues with this headline. Some couples are gay. Not all gay people are not in a couple. Who wrote this headline?

Pentagon declassifies Navy videos that purportedly show UFOs – The Navy videos have been leaked in recent years.

It’s Time for a Bluexit.

This Week in News for Queers and Allies:

The sheriff fired her because she’s a lesbian so she ran for his office. She demolished him – There will be a new sheriff in town soon.

Rep. David Cicilline: Pandemic Relief Must Include LGBTQ Protections.

Puerto Rico government sharply criticized over response to LGBTQ murders.

A group is threatening legal action & demanding payment for use of the bisexual pride flag. A few problems with this: the creator of the Bi Pride flag back in 1998 officially put the trademark in the public domain. You can’t copyright a color combination. There is no record of a copyright. One of the articles you find if you search in Google for the guy who created the flag is one published by this group several years ago where he explains about putting it in the public domain…

What will Pride mean this year? – There won’t be rainbow floats in the streets, but Pride will still happen — online.

This Week in the Pandemic:

Seattle’s Leaders Let Scientists Take the Lead. New York’s Did Not .

Health Care Workers Stand Up To Anti-Lockdown Protesters In North Carolina – “They’re putting me and my family at risk,” a health care worker said of the “ReOpen NC” rallygoers in Raleigh.

30 million have sought US jobless aid since virus hit.

How high will it go? As Covid-19 death toll in U.S. blows past 60,000, there are no easy answers.

‘A phantom plague’: Evangelicals who defied social distancing guidelines are dying of coronavirus in frightening numbers.

This Week in Deplorables:

David Letterman Lambastes Mike Pence for “Taunting” Virus Patients by Not Wearing Mask at Mayo Clinic – The former ‘Late Show’ host also revealed Paul Shaffer’s wife was hospitalized with COVID-19.

Federal Judge Issues Scathing Ruling Against Jill Stein’s Lawsuit To Decertify 4000 Pennsylvania Voting Machines. Among other things the judge noted: “she seeks to promote only herself.” Truer words were never said.

Fox News Cuts Ties With Diamond & Silk, Unofficial Trump ‘Advisers’ Who Spread Bonkers Coronavirus Claims.

Once again we see, Red America wouldn’t last a week without daily bailouts from blue states.

NYT On Hannity’s Retraction Demand: That’s A No.

In Memoriam:

Gene Dynarski, Actor on ‘Seinfeld’ and ‘Close Encounters of the Third Kind,’ Dies at 86 – He also appeared on ‘Star Trek,’ ‘Batman’ and ‘The X-Files’ and ran a small theater in L.A.

Did the ‘Voices Carry’ Hunk Die of AIDS 29 Years Ago?

College HUNKS® Honors Ryan White’s AIDS Legacy on the 30-Year Anniversary of His Death with ‘Hope’ Sculpture by Bill Mack – Moving Franchise Displays Newly Discovered Rare Sculpture at World Headquarters.

Things I wrote:

Confessions of the child of rednecks, or, not all kids had access to the same resources.

Weekend Update 4/26/2020: Bleach Bum and Son of a Mitch.

I’ve already survived one plague… part 2.

Tuesday Tidbits 4/28/2020: Skipping pants is better than pants on fire, I suppose.

Watch the skies! — and keep your terminology correct.

Why I hate hay fever reason #6529 (plus reason 3786 & 3113 & 2488 & 2149 & 1364, and don’t forget #47).

Videos!

Trump Ignored Coronavirus Warnings; Pence Refused to Wear a Mask – A Closer Look:

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Jared Kushner Declares Trump’s Coronavirus Decision-Making “A Great Success Story”:

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Something Happening Here: Billy Porter Drops Cover of Stephen Stills and Buffalo Springfield’s ‘For What It’s Worth’:

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Mask, Gloves, Soap, Scrubs (Official Video):

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Meryl Streep, Christine Baranski& Audra Mcdonald| Ladies Who lunch @Sondheim90concert:

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It has started raining again, and the pollen count has gone down a bit. So I am a bit less miserable and the last couple of days haven’t been quite so anxiously playing the “are my symptoms extreme hay fever or have I finally caught the COVID-19 virus” game? Which, may I say, might qualify as the worst game in the history of games!

Meanwhile, 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 the pandemic, and five videos (plus notable obituaries and some things I wrote).

Stories of the Week:

Poll: Don’t stop social distancing if coronavirus will spread – Only 10 percent of voters surveyed in a POLITICO/Morning Consult poll support ending social distancing to stimulate the economy.

Cecily Strong on Grieving a Loved One While Quarantined – I Don’t Know How to Tell This Story.

With humans shut in by the coronavirus, nature sees an opportunity.

Unemployment checks are being held up by a coding language almost nobody knows – States have been starved of modernization funding for years.

Archeology latest: Treasure trove of Assyrian kings discovered in ISIS excavated tunnels .

This Week in News for Queers and Allies:

The law “subjects all female athletes to the possibility of invasive genital and genetic screenings,” an American Civil Liberties Union attorney said.

Americans Aren’t Polarized on LGBTQ Equality, Survey Finds.

Actor J. August Richards Comes Out as Gay.

School allowed anti-gay abuse of teen, lawsuit claims – The suit alleges that the bisexual teen’s Detroit-area school district did little after he was subjected to persistent bullying and abuse.

Coronavirus closed down colleges – now some LGBTQ students fear an abusive “war zone” at home.

This Week in the Pandemic:

The rightwing groups behind wave of protests against Covid-19 restrictions- Protesters in Michigan and other states claim to speak for ordinary citizens, but are also supported by street-fighting far-right group specifically: 3 Far-Right, Pro-Gun Brothers Behind Anti-Quarantine Protests in Wisconsin, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York.

First US COVID Death Was Weeks Earlier Than Thought – Autopsy Reports Date First COVID-19 Bay Area Deaths to February.

More deaths, no benefit from malaria drug in VA virus study.

CDC director warns second wave of coronavirus is likely to be even more devastating.

Hospital delivers bodies to Philly medical examiner in the open back of a pickup truck. At Daring Fireball, where I found the link to this post, John Gruber noted: ” These aren’t bad people. No one wants to see dead bodies piled in the back of a pickup like bags of sand. This is the result of a system that is overwhelmed by the pandemic’s death toll.”

In Memoriam:

5-year-old daughter of two Detroit first responders dies from coronavirus.

Married Gay Couple Dies of Coronavirus Within Hours of Each Other, Leaving Live-in Mother to Deal with Grief Alone in Quarantine.

Things I wrote:

Weekend Update 4/18/2020: manbabies, misinformation, and racism.

Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it….

Talking to myself – it’s how some of us think, okay?

Tuesday Tidbits 4/21/2020: Discrediting, denying, and deceiving.

Invert the advice, see what happens?

The Stuff of Legend – loving sf/f and the illusion of logic.

Videos!

Meanwhile… The “I Need More Beer” Lady Rocks The Internet:

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Coronavirus IV: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO):

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Jimmy Kimmel’s Quarantine Monologue – Trump & Vegas Mayor Compete for Who’s Crazier:

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Lady Gaga – Stupid Love (Official Music Video):

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Orville Peck – Summertime (Acoustic):

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It’s the third Friday in April.

My hay fever symptoms have been bad all week. This causes the daily panic of my reminding myself that I’m checking my temperature regularly and checking my symptoms against the list from the CDC. It so happened that also this week I was rubbing oil into the wooden veranda furniture as I do every spring and winter to keep the wood safe from the elements. So during my lunch break today I carefully rubbed off all the excess oil from the previous couple of days of work with a dry cloth. Then in the evening I went out to turn on the grill for our first grilled dinner of the year, and I noticed the wooden table looked odd. Between noon and five so much pollen had gathered on the table, I could write in it with my finger. No wonder I had the worst sinus headache in months Thursday!

Meanwhile, 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 the pandemic, five stories about the deplorable alleged president, and five videos (plus notable obituaries and some things I wrote).

Stories of the Week:

Dear right-wing protesters: your ‘liberty’ to swing your fist ends just where my nose begins.

That Time That Jerry Siegel Plundered the Funny Pages to Defeat Superman.

Florida panthers filmed fighting in the wild for the first time ever.

Detectives Recover Stolen Tsutakawa Memorial Gates.

The Oldest String Ever Found May Have Been Made By Neanderthals.

This Week in News for Queers and Allies:

Gay men still unable to donate blood and plasma despite new FDA guidelines. Here’s why.

Prides are getting canceled, so now organizers are coming together for an online, global Pride – For the first time, Pride will come to every country on Earth on the same day as cities and countries band together to ensure LGBTQ people can celebrate despite the pandemic.

Franklin Graham claims he is not homophobic. The paper and video trail exposes him as a liar.

IMPLICATIONS OF COVID-19 FOR LGBTQ YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH AND SUICIDE PREVENTION.

Virginia Governor Signs Sweeping LGBTQ Protections into Law.

This Week in the Pandemic:

Massachusetts Joins New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Delaware and Rhode Island’s Multi-State Council to Get People Back to Work and Restore the Economy.

Washington, Oregon and California to coordinate reopening of West Coast economies after coronavirus is contained.

Coronavirus could attack immune system like HIV by targeting protective cells, warn scientists.

COVID-19 spurs reckoning in crowded homeless shelters.

Biden: People are dying while Trump is ‘having temper tantrums’.

This Week in the Deplorable Thug Occupying the White House:

Editorial: Trump is playing a disgusting political game with our lives.

‘Crime against humanity’: Trump condemned for WHO funding freeze.

White House snubs Azar, installs Trump loyalist Michael Caputo as HHS spokesperson.

Trump claims it’s his call on when to ‘reopen’ the country. He’s wrong – Only the states can give shutdown orders, and only the states can lift them, legal scholars say. Many governors agree.

‘Not Enough Political Viagra in the World’ to Save Trump in Wisconsin.

In Memoriam:

Brian Dennehy, ‘Tommy Boy’ and ‘First Blood’ Star, Dies at 81.

The classic Doctor Who series writer Pip Baker has died at the age of 91.

Prof. John Horton Conway, one of the most renowned mathematicians of the past century, dead from COVID-19.

Time Bandits, Return of the Jedi actor Malcolm Dixon dies at 66.

Witchfinder General star Hilary Heath dies of coronavirus complications.

Things I wrote:

Weekend Update 4/11/2020: We have to look out for each other.

Chocolate bunnies for everyone!

A giant bee-killing hornet!

Predicting is hard… but we should still try!

A round up of Hugo round-ups.

“I’m not a lady, I’m a witch” — or, more of why I love sf/f.

Videos!

Trump Blames WHO and Rushes to “Open Up America Again”: A Closer Look:

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Give Donald Trump A Radio Show And Maybe He’ll Stop Holding These Marathon Coronavirus Briefings:

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The big lesson from South Korea’s coronavirus response:

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Jay MaQ No Love ft. Macc:

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ALMA – Stay All Night (Day 16: Quarantine Video):

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