Hey! It’s the fourth and final Friday in May, leading into the fifth weekend of May. Pride Month is just days away!

A week ago I got my second Covid vaccine. The side effects for me were a lot milder for the second shot. Then the middle of this week my husband got his second shot. His side effects seem to be much worse for the second than the first one. So we’re having a very mixed week.

Meanwhile, we have this week’s Friday Five. This week I bring you: one story that made me smile, the top five stories of the week, five stories of interest to queers and our allies, five stories about Pride Month, five stories about seditious traitors, five stories about other deplorables, and five videos (plus some notable obituaries).

This Week’s Story That Made Me Smile:

A group of bikers pull up to a lemonade stand and made the day for some little kids

Stories of the Week:

DC Statehood Gets Huge Push From Constitutional Scholars – No, you do NOT need a constitutional amendment to pass DC statehood, say a wide variety of constitutional scholars

US attorney general expands resources to combat hate crimes – Justice Department move follows passage of anti-hate crimes legislation in US Congress

UN rights council to investigate crimes during Gaza conflict – UN Human Rights Council will also investigate ‘systematic’ abuses in the occupied Palestinian territories and Israel

Democrats, GO NEGATIVE in Your Advertising! It WORKS! "The conclusion is clear: START LABELING THE REPUBLICANS AS THE DANGEROUS RADICALS THAT THEY ARE"

The surge in U.S. coronavirus cases shows a shift in who’s getting sick – Younger, unvaccinated people aren’t just getting mild infections; they’re landing in the ER too

Stories of Interest to Queers and Our Allies:

Oregon’s out governor signs bill banning gay & trans “panic” murder defense – The maneuver is usually attempted when an LGBTQ person is killed by someone they recently had sex with

Nashville prosecutor says he won’t enforce anti-trans law requiring bathroom signs – Tennessee passed a law requiring businesses to warn their customers if they serve trans people equally. This DA isn’t having it

Hunter Schafer’s pastor dad says Jesus inspires his fight for trans rights – The father of Euphoria’s Hunter Schafer has written a powerful essay explaining why people of faith should be rushing to support trans rights

Classmates rally behind trans student as school plans to deadname him at graduation – Soren Tucker’s school says they’re going to use the name he was given at birth at his graduation. His classmates aren’t having it

Federal agencies take aim at Trump’s LGBTQ policies

It is nearly Pride month, y’all:

‘Pride Month Song’ sketch by SNL is wicked and hilarious, but never insulting to LGBTQ people

Pride 2021: Big cities ‘playing the safe card’ with small gatherings, virtual events – “We believe that we certainly can’t have millions of spectators in one massive crowd just yet. It’s just too soon for that,” Dan Dimant of NYC Pride said

Companies need to swap tokenism for authenticity if they want to celebrate Pride with us – Companies hoping to make a buck from slapping a rainbow on their products and calling it a day should think carefully about engaging in pink capitalism this year

No Kink at Pride? What’s Next, a Drag Ban?

Nazis, Puriteens and Accessibility: The pointless ‘kink at pride’ discourse "Coddling normies doesn’t move the struggle for liberation. Rights aren’t granted – they’re taken."

This Week in Seditious Treason:

Scared McConnell Begs GOP Senators To Kill Jan 6 Panel As ‘Personal Favor’ – McConnell is so afraid of Brian Sicknick’s mother that he’s strongarming colleagues not to meet with her and to dump the commission as "a personal favor."

Self-Described ‘MAGA Caravan’ Leader ‘Pi Annon’ Charged with Assaulting Police During Capitol Siege

The Capitol Siege: The Arrested And Their Stories

Capitol Rioters Hoping for a Plea Bargain are in for Some Bad News — They Better Prepare for Prison

Giuliani Defends His Call For ‘Trial By Combat’ on Jan 6 as ‘Clearly Hyperbolic’ in Response to Capitol Riot Lawsuit

This Week in Deplorables, Haters, and Obstructors:

Rick Santorum axed by CNN over racist remarks on Native Americans If any headline in the history of the universe was more desperately crying out to have the word "FINALLY" added to it, I don’t know what it could be…

Court documents allege KS lawmaker left student with bruise – Kansas GOP State Rep Told Police He Was Acting Under God’s Instruction When He Kicked Student In The Balls

Son, ghostwriter of late senator say Trump intervened to stop probe of Patriots’ Spygate scandal

Once Again, Rage-Filled Woman-Abusing Good Guy With Gun Does Mass Shooting

Neo-Nazi arrested after terrorizing gay couple & vandalizing trans support center for months – Officers say Seth Bertrand is behind a campaign of terror targeting the LGBTQ community in Ontario

In Memoriam:

Eric Carle, Author of ‘The Very Hungry Caterpillar,’ Dies at 91 – A self-described “picture writer,” he wrote and illustrated more than 70 books for young children, selling more than 170 million copies

John Davis, one of the real voices behind Milli Vanilli, dies at 66

Samuel E. Wright Dies: ‘The Little Mermaid’s Sebastian The Crab, Broadway’s Mufasa Was 74

Legendary gay rights pioneer Kay Lahusen passes at 91 – The world’s first out gay photojournalist, she documented the birth of the LGBTQ movement

Videos

Click on the image to be taken to the video!

Will Jeff Bezos Release The Apprentice’ Tapes To Shame The Former President?

Biden Bans Justice Department from Seizing Journalist Phone Records

Sponsored Content: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver

If You Don’t Know, Now You Know: New Tech | The Daily Show

Lil Nas X: MONTERO -Call Me By Your Name -Live – SNL

Hey! It’s the third Friday in May! And this year that means that today I’m getting my second Covid vaccine shot!

It’s been a weird week, with some bad news about a relative, the usual stress at work, and trying to deal with some unexpected wildlife issues.

Meanwhile, we have this week’s Friday Five. This week I bring you: one story that made me squee, the top five stories of the week, five stories of interest to queers and our allies, five stories about science fiction and fact, and five videos (plus one thing I wrote and some notable obituaries).

This Week’s Story That Made Me Squee:

Sarah Jessica Parker, Bette Midler and Kathy Najimy Officially Returning for ‘Hocus Pocus’ Sequel

Stories of the Week:

Israel, Hamas Cease-Fire Begins After 11 Days of Conflict – Recent clashes have claimed the lives of more than 200 Palestians

Feds Seize 68 Big Cats From Infamous “Tiger King Park”

Biden proposes doubling IRS workforce as part of plan to snag tax cheats – The department’s total budget would increase by about 10 percent annually

New York and Maryland follow Ohio in creating Covid vaccine lottery – Ohio Vax Rate Surged 28% After $1M Lottery Offer

Novelist Cory Doctorow on the Problem with Intellectual Property

Stories of Interest to Queers and Our Allies:

Creating Gender-Affirming Spaces Literally Saves LGBTQ Kids’ Lives- A Trevor Project survey found that LGBTQ youth who had at least one accepting adult were 40% less likely to report suicide attempts in the past year

U.S. Expands Birthright Citizenship Of Babies Born Abroad To Same-Sex Couples – The State Department now recognizes the citizenship of babies born abroad to same-sex married couples, even if an American parent is not genetically related

Alabama bill to force teachers to out trans youth & ban health care access fails – Trans youth and their supporters protested in front of the state’s capitol to stop the attack on their rights. And the bill failed

Trans/Nonbinary Candidate Has Historic Primary Win in Pennsylvania

TikTok’s recommendation algorithm is promoting homophobia and anti-trans violence

This Week in Science Fiction and Fact:

In the latest wave of science fiction, authors of color take space to imagine multiple new societies

UFO studies and the possibility of alien origin

The Curious Case of the Many Black Supermen

A newfound quasicrystal formed in the first atomic bomb test

China on Mars: Zhurong rover returns first pictures

In Memoriam:

Charles Grodin, Midnight Run and Beethoven star, dies at 86

Charles Grodin, activist, author and actor who made grouchiness cool, dead at 86

Mistress Velvet, the queer intersex dominatrix who made clients read Black feminist theory, has died. She was 3

Riley Hadley – 12-year-old boy died by suicide after relentless homophobic bullying at school

Felicia ‘Flames’ Elizondo, Trans and HIV Activist, Dies at 74

Don Sakers, SF writer and editor, Dies at 62

Writer and editor Marvin Kaye Dies at 83

Things I Wrote:

https://fontfolly.net/2021/05/20/write-what-you-know-is-not-good-advice-but-ignorance-is-not-a-good-tool-either/

Videos

Click on the image to be taken to the video!

What Barack Obama Really Thinks About No. 45, Who May Face Criminal Charges

CDC Says Vaccinated People Can Stop Wearing Masks & Why the Honor System Won’t Work | The Daily Show

Matt Gaetz Wingman Pleads Guilty and Says He’ll Cooperate with Feds – A Closer Look

I promise this story about microwaves is interesting – it involved reviving frozen hamsters

Miss Minutes Teaser – Marvel Studios’ Loki – Disney+

We have reached the second Friday in May. Which, paradoxically, will be followed by the third Saturday. Which I keep forgetting; which is an issue because the third Saturday is when I host the monthly (virtual) Writers’ Meeting.

I have reached the point where I am not only counting down the days until I get my second vaccine shot (and when my husband gets his), I am starting to enter into my calendar the dates when various friends will be fully vaccinated, and when we can start maybe actually visiting some of them in person.

Meanwhile, we have this week’s Friday Five. This week I bring you: one story that made me tear up, one story that made me chuckle, the top five stories of the week, five stories of interest to queers and our allies, five stories about deplorable people, five stories about science, five stories about science fiction, and five videos (plus one thing I wrote and some notable obituaries).

This Week’s Story That Made Me Cry:

A father kicked his son out when he came out. Two dads adopted the teen & now he’s speaking out – Families didn’t want to adopt a gay teen because they thought he would "turn the other children gay." Now he wants to stop discrimination against LGBTQ parents

This Week’s Story That Made Me Laugh:

Tyson blames underperforming roosters for US chicken shortage

Stories of the Week:

The Art in the Oval Office Tells a Story. Here’s How to See It

10 of the World’s Oldest Languages Still Used Today

Dry cleaners suffer as pandemic changes what we wear

Facepalm Pilot: Where Technology Meets Stupidity: An Interactive Guide to Ambiguous Grammar

Biden orders federal cyber upgrade after barrage of hacks – The far-reaching directive is an attempt to close longstanding gaps in the government’s ability to block and investigate hacks

Stories of Interest to Queers and Our Allies:

Judge blocks requirement for ‘gay sex’ offender registration

U.S. Will Protect Gay And Transgender People Against Discrimination In Health Care

‘The love of homosexuals is something good’: German Catholics to bless gay unions, defying Vatican ban

Author fights to keep her queer memoir on a Texas high school reading list — dildo and all – In The Dream House, about an abusive same-sex relationship, is one of 15 titles up for review in Leander

A Gay Man Says He Was Tormented at Liberty University. Now He’s Suing

This Week in Deplorables, Haters, and Obstructors

Lawsuit from Stephen Miller group alleges racial discrimination in distribution of COVID-19 relief

Joel Greenberg set for federal court hearing Monday, expected to plead guilty

Federal Judge Rules NRA Bankruptcy Effort A Sham – Score one for New York Attorney General Letitia James! Judge Harlin Hale ruled that the bankruptcy filing was an effort to escape regulation rather than a financial decision

First active duty service member arrested over Jan. 6 riot

Mum’s internet research on vaccines doesn’t make her an expert, court decides

This Week in Science:

A study of Earth’s crust hints that supernovas aren’t gold mines – The stellar explosions can’t be the main source for heavy elements, new data suggest

Is Mars Ours? – Should we treat other planets like natural resources or national parks?

Voyager spacecraft detects ‘persistent hum’ beyond our solar system

There’s no such thing as a tree (phylogenetically)

Saturn has a fuzzy core, spread over more than half the planet’s diameter – A wave in one of the rings reveals the size and composition of the planet’s core

This Week in Science Fiction:

Cora is the Winner of the 2021 Space Cowboy Award!

15 recent sci-fi books that forever shaped the genre – About the future, shaping the future

Mark Millar is ushering in Netflix’s new superhero universe with ‘Jupiter’s Legacy’

#DisneyMustPay Task Force Updates

Doctor Who fans feel ‘demonised’ by BBC crackdown on fan fiction

In Memoriam:

Norman Lloyd Dies: ‘St. Elsewhere’ Actor Who Worked With Welles, Hitchcock & Chaplin Was 106

Things I Wrote:

Don’t Roll the Dice if You Can’t Pay the Price — or, some writing lessons from a 1960 heist film

Thinking about professional conclusion jumpers

Videos

Click on the image to be taken to the video!

Stephen Colbert: McCarthy Admits Election Wasn’t Stolen, But GOP’s Tent Isn’t Big Enough For Liz Cheney

Republicans Refuse to Move On from Donald Trump: A Closer Look

Let’s Talk About the Israel-Palestine Conflict | The Daily Show

Venom: Let There Be Carnage – Official Trailer 2021 Tom Hardy, Woody Harrelson

LOKI Trailer 3- NEW, 2021

And here we are at the first Friday in May. Wow!

With both my husband and I getting vaccinated within days of each other late last week, we spent the weekend dealing with an ever-changing set of side effects. All of the side effects we had are the sorts of things one experiences when one immune system is having a strong reaction to something, so I’m taking it as a good sign, but it threw me off for the whole week. Still, thank you science!

Meanwhile, we have the Friday Five. This week I bring you: one story that made me chuckle, 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 one thing I wrote and some notable obituaries).

This Week’s Story That Made Me Wonder:

Mountlake Terrace Police close to filing charges in serial crow killings. This is local to me, but the best part is the if you go to this related link and jump to page 16, where they detail such things as the crow murder board assembled by volunteers, and the ludicrous attempt the culprit made to cover his tracks, thus giving police a lot of the evidence they needed: First quarter 2021 Police Report

Stories of the Week:

Rare lobster saved from being dinner at Red Lobster: ‘One in every 30 million’

Maddow: Arizona ‘Recount’ May Violate Federal Law – And Rachel Maddow has a new technical term for the bamboo sniffing "recount" team…

Biden decision on COVID vaccine patent waivers is more about global leadership than Intellectual Property

The reopening of the US economy is driving a steel boom so strong that some are convinced it will end in tears

Alabama Legislature votes to legalize medical marijuana

Stories of Interest to Queers and Our Allies:

Push against trans athletes in girls’ sports fails in Kansas

Country Duo Graciously Responds To Republican Who Blocked Honor For Gay Singer – Tennessee Rep. Jeremy Faison expressed “some concerns” about congratulating T.J. Osborne of the Brothers Osborne, who came out as gay in February

Florida Republican gets slammed by her own daughter: Kids’ lives are at stake

Utah Supreme Court rules in favor of transgender rights – With a sharp rebuke, the court overturned a district judge’s decision to deny two transgender people the right to change their birth certificates to reflect their gender identity

Middle school teacher loses control & scrawls “heteros rule” over students’ Pride flag chalk art – When the group of students refused to erase the Pride flags from their drawing, the situation escalated quickly

This Week in Deplorables, Haters, and Obstructors

Neo-Nazi Hero Tucker Carlson Says ‘Cat Cafes’ Are The Real Threat To America – Tucker Carlson opened his show by doubling down on his love of white nationalism and saying the real threat to America isn’t from these violent racist bastards at all

Traitor Trump Launches A Blog Like It’s 1995 – Donald Trump has been forced to launch his own "social media platform" after being banned from Twitter, Facebook, Tiktok, YouTube, Pinterest, Etsy, Yahoo Groups and Ask Jeeves

Giuliani evidence should be reviewed by an outside lawyer, Justice Dept. says

“Sorry” Neo-Nazi Gets 41 Months In Swatting Scheme

Trump family travel cost $140,000+ in just the first month post-presidency

In Memoriam:

Olympia Dukakis dead: ‘Moonstruck’ actress was Oscar winner – Los Angeles Times

Armistead Maupin & Cher pay tribute to iconic actress Olympia Dukakis – She was one of the first actresses to portray a trans character on American television when she took on the role of Anna Madrigal in Maupin’s Tales of the City

Billie Hayes Dies: Wicked Witchiepoo Of ‘H.R. Pufnstuf’ Was 96

Billie Hayes, ‘H.R. Pufnstuf’ and Broadway Star, Dies at 96

Things I Wrote:

Weekend Update 5/1/2021: Astronauts, Unhinged pundits, Crazed substitute teachers, and how I accidentally quit smoking 26 years ago

Videos

Click on the image to be taken to the video!

Covid Vaccines: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver

Republicans Lash Out at Liz Cheney for Not Supporting Trump’s Big Lie: A Closer Look

‘Deep sh–‘: Giuliani Criminal Raid Has Trump Worried | The Beat With Ari Melber | MSNBC

Stranger Things 4 Teaser | Eleven, are you listening? | Netflix

**ETERNALS Teaser Trailer | NEW 2021 Marvel Superhero Movie HD **

We have reached the fifth and final Friday in April!

My husband got his first dose of Covid vaccine this week. And I get my first dose today. It is difficult to explain how relieved I felt when he got his first shot.

Meanwhile, we have the Friday Five. This week I bring you: one story that made me smile, the top five stories of the week, five stories of interest to queers and our allies, five stories about deplorable people, five stories about the pandemic, five stories about the pandemic, five stories from the world of tech, and five videos (plus things I wrote and some notable obituaries).

This Week’s Story That Made Me Smile:

Meet Kiri, the tiny Japanese fire truck bringing joy to San Francisco

Stories of the Week:

German Bomb Squad: “Hand Grenade” Was Sex Toy

Supreme court dodges dispute between Texas, California over religious freedom, gay rights

FDA says it will ban menthol cigarettes and all flavored cigars

Writers Must Be Paid

Overdue VHS Tape From 1999 Leads to Warrant for Embezzlement – The charge was related to a “Sabrina the Teenage Witch” tape that had been rented from a video store in Norman, Okla. Prosecutors dismissed the case on Wednesday

Stories of Interest to Queers and Our Allies:

Judge tosses suit that sought to block transgender athletes – The federal lawsuit sought to prevent transgender athletes from competing in girls high school sports in Connecticut

Pennsylvania’s governor shuts down legislature’s proposed ban on trans youth in sports – "I’ll veto this discriminatory bill if it gets to my desk," Gov. Tom Wolf unequivocally stated. The Republican-majority legislature is unlikely to obtain a veto-proof vote to override him

Ohio to allow transgender people to change birth certificate gender

Over 400 Major Businesses Endorse Equality Act, LGBTQ+ Civil Rights

Joe Biden has made a lot of progress on LGBTQ rights in first 100 days. Now the Senate needs to act – Biden has an impressive record of getting LGBTQ rights back on track. His one failure: signing the Equality Act into law (and that’s not his fault)

This Week in Deplorables, Haters, and Obstructors

Three defendants in Ahmaud Arbery killing charged with federal hate crimes

Bombshell letter ‘by Matt Gaetz wingman Joel Greenberg claims he did have sex with underage girl’ The letter was written to Roger Stone who was supposed to accept a large payment from Greenberg in exchange for getting a pre-emptive pardon from Trump.

CEO fired after publicly ridiculing Tennessee teen over his prom dress I’ve seen the video, it wasn’t just ridicule. He was a grown-ass man following and harassing the teen-ager at the Prom venue.

Texas Senate is set to redefine supportive parents of trans kids as child abusers – One mother said she’s "terrified" to speak out against the bill because her kids could be taken away from her if it passes. Republicans were not swayed

‘They Don’t Care’: Republicans Blasted for Refusing to Applaud for Cutting Child Poverty in Half

This Week in the Pandemic:

India Covid deaths: Crematoriums overflow with victims, with pyres burning through the night

Brazil COVID-19 Deaths Top 400,000 Amid Fears Of Worsening Crisis

Moderna to Boost Covid-19 Vaccine Production to Meet Rising Global Demand

CDC unveils new mask guidance for fully vaccinated Americans

Gov. Ned Lamont signs bill eliminating Connecticut’s religious exemption for mandatory school vaccinations

This Week in Tech:

Apple’s M1 Positioning Mocks the Entire x86 Business Model

Buying a PC with Dell: My Journey Into Hell

How Pfizer Makes Its Covid-19 Vaccine

Disney Imagineering’s Project Kiwi is a free-walking robot that will make you believe in Groot

Electric cars: What will happen to all the dead batteries?

In Memoriam:

Michael Collins, ‘Third Man’ of the Moon Landing, Dies at 90 – Orbiting dozens of miles above the lunar surface, he kept solitary watch of the Apollo command module as Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin embarked for the moon

Remembering Apollo 11 astronaut Michael Collins, dead at age 90

Daniel Kaminsky, Internet Security Savior, Dies at 42 – If you are reading this obituary online, you owe your digital safety to him

Things I Wrote:

In “One World, One People” Sam and Bucky Bring This Adventure to an End

When you don’t know how anything works, it’s easy to see conspiracies everywhere

Wednesday Update: The Prez is About to Address Congress

Videos

Click on the image to be taken to the video!

Pose – Season 3: Official Trailer – FX

Biden’s Big Speech: Progressive Proposals & Ted Cruz Caught Napping – The Daily Show

One of Trump’s Biggest Scams, the Foxconn Deal, Falls Apart: A Closer Look

Cruz And Christie Roundly Mocked While Biden Enjoys Widespread Approval Of Congressional Address

Lil Nas X – MONTERO (Call Me By Your Name) – But Lil Nas X Makes All The Sounds With His Mouth

It’s hard to believe that it’s already the fourth Friday in April!

We’ve had a bit over a week of warmer than usual days for this time of year. We have already set a new record for the number of days in April with a daytime high of 70 or more! Rain is supposed to come back on Saturday.

Meanwhile, we have the Friday Five. This week I bring you: one story that made me laugh, the top five stories of the week, five stories of interest to queers and our allies, five stories about deplorable people, five stories about the pandemic, five stories about latest mass shooting, five stories about the pandemic, five stories from the world of tech, and five videos (plus things I wrote and some notable obituaries).

This Week’s Story That Made Me Laugh:

In this Tik-Tok Lil Nas X Reveals a Childhood Crush

Stories of the Week:

NASA’s Mars helicopter Ingenuity successfully completed its historic first flight

Why Derek Chauvin was convicted of murder when so many other officers are not – The same factors that spurred millions of people to protest were the same points prosecutors repeatedly made in court to convince a jury to convict

Italian hospital employee accused of skipping work for 15 years …and kept drawing his salary the whole time!

A Texas Rancher Illegally Cloned Deer For Years. Some Lawmakers Want To Legalize It – The Lone Star State has long muddled the line between hunting and farming. Now cloning may help game ranches breed big bucksv

Even Street Artists Don’t Like Seeing Their Work Tagged. Now, Chemists Have Developed New Methods to Clean Murals of Graffiti – The chemistry is complicated, but the resulting product is easy to use and could revolutionize the field of street art restoration

Stories of Interest to Queers and Our Allies:

Scottsdale becomes 8th Arizona city to provide LGBTQ protections

4th grader who shamed Texas Republicans for attacking her rights is now getting death threats – A mother who testified at the same hearing has now filed a police report after getting so many death threats for standing up for trans youth

Texas business leaders say Legislature’s anti-LGBTQ bills could hurt the state’s economy – Texas Competes, which is made up of more than 1,450 Texas employers, chambers of commerce, tourism bureaus and industry associations, is advocating the “economic case for equality.”

Gay teen was suspended for wearing nail polish. He finally won – Trevor Wilkinson’s Texas school banned boys from wearing nail polish. Now their dress code is gender-neutral. "I’m at a loss of words for the joy I am feeling."

‘Yep, America’s Good With a Gay President’; New Study Also Finds Pundits’ Predictions Wrong On Black-Voter Homophobia

This Week in Deplorables, Haters, and Obstructors

A more nauseating than titillating gay scandal has possibly engulfed Tucker Carlson

Rep. Val Demings Yells At Jim Jordan: ‘Did I Strike A Nerve?’ – Fireworks erupted when former police chief Rep. Val Demings smacked down Big-Lie-supporter Rep. Jim Jordan’s accusations that Democrats don’t support police

How Josh Hawley and Marjorie Taylor Greene Juiced Their Fundraising Numbers – Politicians get the veneer of grassroots support, while shadowy consultants get rich

Church sends divorced lesbian a letter saying she’ll be shunned by community unless she “repents” – The church elders were hostile in their letter to the woman, but now they’re hiding from the media who want to know why they did something so incredibly offensive

Elephants trample suspected poacher in South African park; second poacher injured and missing

This Week in the Pandemic:

Is herd immunity to COVID-19 possible? Experts increasingly say no

Biden Helps Employers Give Paid Time Off For Vaccination – Employers under 500 employees can provide paid time off to their employees to get vaccinated AND recover from side effects if necessary

COVID-19 hospitalizations among older Americans have plunged more than 70 percent since start of the year

23 Dogs Test Positive for COVID-19 Antibodies in Washington, Study Finds

New Covid variant detected at Texas A&M lab shows signs of antibody resistance and more severe illness in young people

This Week in Tech:

How To Ditch Facebook: A Guide | Part 1: Hit Them In The Wallet

Apple’s Gay Rainbow Product Launch Was A Coming-Out Party For A Couple of VGL, No-Drama, Well-Endowed, Transgressive, Iconic Tech Products Looking to Hook Up on 4/20

The whole story of the FBI iPhone fight only shows how right Apple was – If someone really wants to get into your iPhone they’re going to have a hard time. That’s a good thing

The Mac and the iPad aren’t meeting in the middle yet

Ransomware gang tries to extort Apple hours ahead of Spring Loaded event

In Memoriam:

Walter ‘Fritz’ Mondale, former vice president under Jimmy Carter, dead at 93

Walter Mondale: The Last Old-School Democrat – His 1984 campaign was a political obituary for a party

Walter Mondale Sent A Touching Farewell Message 48 Hours Before His Death – “Well my time has come,” the former vice president wrote to his staff

Hester Ford, the oldest living American, has died

Things I Wrote:

Sam and Bucky Face the “Truth”

Tuesday Tidbits 4/20/2021: Sometimes bad (white) men face consequences

If Good Days Start With Coffee, Then Bad Days…

Videos

Click on the image to be taken to the video!

Helicopter Ingenuity’s flight on Mars in 4K with dust swirling (enhanced video + sound)

Now You Know: Being Black in America | The Daily Show

Trump Praises Biden’s Decision to Withdraw U.S. Forces from Afghanistan

Did the Mars Helicopter Really Fly?

Cher Recounts The Story Of Sneaking A Drugged Up Music Producer Onto A Plane

Welcome to the third Friday in April!

We’re getting rather warm dry days in Seattle. The curent long-term forecast says no rain for the next eight days. The sky has been so clear that at some times in the day, even with the blinds closed, some parts of the house are so brightly lit I sometimes have to wear sunglasses indoors!

Which brings us to the Friday Five. This week I bring you: five stories of the week, five stories of interest to queers and our allies, five videos about fairly serious topics, and five videos or a slightly more lightweight nature (plus something I wrote and notable obituaries).

Stories of the week:

Enjoy a little restoration of your faith in humanity

The Pandemic’s Wrongest Man – In a crowded field of wrongness, one person stands out: Alex Berenson

The Sand Octopus Was Hiding in Plain Sight

Maxine Waters cuts off Jim Jordan after he keeps arguing with Dr Fauci after his time was up at hearing: ‘Shut your mouth’

Biden civil rights nominee fends off Republican attacks at hearing

This Week in News for Queers and Allies:

Biden Picks Gay Police Chief to Lead Border Protection. Known for BLM Pic, Sanctuary Support, and Being First Gay Chief to Marry

How a Georgia pastor practiced what he preached by accepting LGBTQ members into his Southern Baptist church

Meet Rebekah, a Trans 14-Year-Old Who Just Wants to Play Sport

Tearful mom begs Texas lawmakers not to throw her in jail for supporting her trans child – Amber Briggle is "terrified… that my words will be used against me" and her son "will be taken from me."

Florida’s new ban on transgender students in sports would allow schools to subject minors to genital inspections – The legislation has passed the state’s House of Representatives

In Memoriam

Winfred Rembert, 75, Dies; Turned Painful Memories Into Art – Decades after nearly being lynched in rural Georgia, he began recreating vivid scenes from his life by carving figures into leather

Things I Wrote:

Weekend Update 4/10/2021: Hypocrites, volcanoes, vaccines, and humor

Weekend Supplement 4/11/2021: Images and Ideas that Need to be Shared

Adventures in Memories of the Poorly Educated

Bucky and Sam are reminded that “The Whole World is Watching”

Tuesday Tidbits: Tools Who Have Outlived Their Usefulness

We Have the 2021 Hugo Ballot… and a really looooooooooong time to fill our our ballots!

Eye-rolling from a White Homo Devil, or, Not-So-Hot Take Misses the Point

Heavy Topic Videos

Click on the image to be taken to the video!

Republicans Want to Cancel Dr. Fauci and Major League Baseball: A Closer Look

Trevor Noah Speaks Truth On Policing: No ‘Bad Apples,’ A ‘Rotten Tree’

John Oliver explains the industry behind nursing homes and assisted living facilities, and why long-term care needs fixing

The Daily Show’s Brutal Montage Of Tucker Carlson Using Language Of Mass Murderers

The FBI Seized Matt Gaetz’s Phone Amid Sex Trafficking Investigation: A Closer Look

Less Heavy Videos

Click on the image to be taken to the video!

Saturday Night Live Weekend Update: The Iceberg on the Sinking of the Titanic – Bowen Yang

Stephen Colbert: Quarantinewhile… Another Giant Jesus Statue Rises In Brazil

Lil Nas X Answers Kids’ Questions | Arts & Raps | All Def Music

Years & Years – It’s A Sin (Official Audio)

Rag’n’Bone Man & P!nk – Anywhere Away From Here (Official Video)

Welcome to the third Friday in April!

We’re getting rather warm dry days in Seattle. The curent long-term forecast says no rain for the next eight days. The sky has been so clear that at some times in the day, even with the blinds closed, some parts of the house are so brightly lit I sometimes have to wear sunglasses indoors!

Which brings us to the Friday Five. This week I bring you: five stories of the week, five stories of interest to queers and our allies, five videos about fairly serious topics, and five videos or a slightly more lightweight nature (plus something I wrote and notable obituaries).

Stories of the week:

Enjoy a little restoration of your faith in humanity

The Pandemic’s Wrongest Man – In a crowded field of wrongness, one person stands out: Alex Berenson

The Sand Octopus Was Hiding in Plain Sight

Maxine Waters cuts off Jim Jordan after he keeps arguing with Dr Fauci after his time was up at hearing: ‘Shut your mouth’

Biden civil rights nominee fends off Republican attacks at hearing

This Week in News for Queers and Allies:

Biden Picks Gay Police Chief to Lead Border Protection. Known for BLM Pic, Sanctuary Support, and Being First Gay Chief to Marry

How a Georgia pastor practiced what he preached by accepting LGBTQ members into his Southern Baptist church

Meet Rebekah, a Trans 14-Year-Old Who Just Wants to Play Sport

Tearful mom begs Texas lawmakers not to throw her in jail for supporting her trans child – Amber Briggle is "terrified… that my words will be used against me" and her son "will be taken from me."

Florida’s new ban on transgender students in sports would allow schools to subject minors to genital inspections – The legislation has passed the state’s House of Representatives

In Memoriam

Winfred Rembert, 75, Dies; Turned Painful Memories Into Art – Decades after nearly being lynched in rural Georgia, he began recreating vivid scenes from his life by carving figures into leather

Things I Wrote:

Weekend Update 4/10/2021: Hypocrites, volcanoes, vaccines, and humor

Weekend Supplement 4/11/2021: Images and Ideas that Need to be Shared

Adventures in Memories of the Poorly Educated

Bucky and Sam are reminded that “The Whole World is Watching”

Tuesday Tidbits: Tools Who Have Outlived Their Usefulness

We Have the 2021 Hugo Ballot… and a really looooooooooong time to fill our our ballots!

Eye-rolling from a White Homo Devil, or, Not-So-Hot Take Misses the Point

Heavy Topic Videos

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Republicans Want to Cancel Dr. Fauci and Major League Baseball: A Closer Look

Trevor Noah Speaks Truth On Policing: No ‘Bad Apples,’ A ‘Rotten Tree’

John Oliver explains the industry behind nursing homes and assisted living facilities, and why long-term care needs fixing

The Daily Show’s Brutal Montage Of Tucker Carlson Using Language Of Mass Murderers

The FBI Seized Matt Gaetz’s Phone Amid Sex Trafficking Investigation: A Closer Look

Less Heavy Videos

Click on the image to be taken to the video!

Saturday Night Live Weekend Update: The Iceberg on the Sinking of the Titanic – Bowen Yang

Stephen Colbert: Quarantinewhile… Another Giant Jesus Statue Rises In Brazil

Lil Nas X Answers Kids’ Questions | Arts & Raps | All Def Music

Years & Years – It’s A Sin (Official Audio)

Rag’n’Bone Man & P!nk – Anywhere Away From Here (Official Video)

Welcome to the second Friday in April!

I had a lot of fun at the virtual convention last weekend. I’ve spent the rest of the week scrambling at work, laughing at certain news stories, and taking delight in how many flowers are blooming on my veranda.

Which brings us to the Friday Five. This week I bring you: one story to wonderful it needs its own category five stories of the week, five stories of interest to queers and our allies, five stories about seditious traitors, five stories about other deplorables, and five videos (plus something I wrote and notable obituaries).

This Week in Wonderful:

‘We found a baby on the subway – now he’s our son’ Every time I read about this I cry.

Stories of the week:

Europe’s oldest known humans mated with Neandertals surprisingly often – The two species regularly interbred by about 45,000 years ago

The French army is testing Boston Dynamics’ robot dog Spot in combat scenarios

Jordan Peterson Is Angry That He Inspired Ta-Nehisi Coates’ Take on Red Skull and We Have To Laugh – Have you tried…not being a nazi?

Pete Buttigieg had to go on TV to tell ignorant Republicans “you need water to live” – The anti-LGBTQ Gov. Kristi Noem was at the top of his list.

Macalope: Tim Cook isn’t always right, but his Facebook fight is right on – Apple’s privacy stance is more than marketing fluff

This Week in News for Queers and Allies:

LGBTQ Conversion Practices Cause More Severe Trauma and PTSD Than We Thought …Study Also Find Faith Helps With Recovery

North Carolina Bill Would Force School Staffers to Out Trans Kids For many queer kids, the most dangerous bully in their lives is a homophobic parent. This law will get kids killed!

Repost – Sterilization, irreversible surgeries and chemical castrations – How religious right lies corrupts the conversation about trans children

Falcon and the Winter Solider fans think Bucky Barnes just came out as bisexual

And this, folks, is why Ian McKellen is one of the coolest guys alive

This Week in Seditious Traitors:

Key figure in Matt Gaetz probe likely cooperating with federal prosecutors – “I am sure Matt Gaetz is not feeling very comfortable today,” Joel Greenberg’s defense attorney said

Ted Cruz Allegedly Bought Book Ads With Campaign Funds – Ted "Cancun" Cruz is in trouble for using campaign funds to buy Facebook ads to promote his "book."

Like Matt Gaetz, Alabama GOP Senate candidate denied sexual allegations — until he didn’t

Seattle Police Department had the most officers in DC on January 6. An investigation is underway to determine if they breached the Capitol, but advocates say the problem runs deeper

Confederate Flag-wavin’ Rioter Indicted On Five Counts

This Week in Haters and Deplorables:

White nationalist "groyper" movement links up with anti-vaxxers, threatens use of weapons – "Manipulate my DNA or inject satan juice, nah, I’m good," wrote a follower of young white nationalist Nick Fuentes

Nearly 200 cops with credibility issues still working in Washington state – A Crosscut investigation found at least 183 police officers flagged for issues such as dishonesty, bias and excessive force remain in law enforcement.

An insider-trading indictment shows ties to Bloomberg News scoops

Catholics Responded to a Joke Account Asking When They Felt Unwelcome in Church Note: the real church that they complain about are the hateful and deplorable ones, not the people responding to the question.

‘Psychotic’ fundraising tactics show how unhinged the Republican Party has become

Things I wrote:

Sam and Bucky: the 80s Want Their Plot Cliches Back

In Memoriam

Japanese Nobel-prize-winning semiconductor pioneer Isamu Akasaki dies aged 92

Songwriter who was mentor and uncle of Dolly Parton, Bill Owens,I t dies at 85 – ‘I wouldn’t be here if he hadn’t been there’

James Hampton, ‘Teen Wolf’ and ‘The Longest Yard’ Actor, Dies at 84

Videos

Click on the image to be taken to the video!

McConnell’s Hypocrisy On Corporate Speech Falls Flat As Big Brands Punish Georgia

Marvel Studios’ Loki – Official Trailer 2 (2021) Tom Hiddleston, Owen Wilson

Charli XCX & Christine and the Queens – Gone – Official Video

Pose | Season 3: Official Trailer | FX

TED and LINDSEY! – A Randy Rainbow Song Parody