Welcome to the fourth Friday of April!
I was at NorWesCon last week and I wound up blowing off last week’s Friday Five. I hope this week’s offering makes up for that a bit. Also, between lots of bad hay fever days and lots of deadlines at work I haven’t gotten much of my own writing done. I have dropped the ball of Star Trek: Picard reviews and Moon Knight reviews in particular. That also figured into my decision not to push myself to do Friday Five last week. I was on vacation and part of the point of vacation is to rest and recharge.
Anyway, it’s time for the Friday Five in which I bring you: two takes on Tucker Carson’s latest insanity, one story about a major scam, the top five stories of the week, five stories of interest to queers and our allies, five stories about haters, five stories about voting suppression and similar crimes, and five stories about traitors. Plus something a notable obituary.
This Week in the Least Manly Fox Talking Head Is Obsessed with Manliness:
Macho Poser Tucker Carlson’s Journey from ‘Dancing With the Stars’ to ‘The End of Men’ The promo for this special looks like a soft core gay porno. There is no plausible hetero explanation for Tucker’s obsession with hard male bodies and testicles…
Opinion: Why Tucker Carlson wants men to aim lasers at their private parts
This Week in Grifters:
Health Care Sharing Ministry Sharity Leaves 10K Families with Millions in Unpaid Bills – The network went bankrupt in the face of ongoing legal challenges, and regulators don’t expect members will receive the $50 million-plus they’re owed
Stories of the Week:
Ukrainians Line Up For Hours To Buy Special ‘Russian Warship, Go F*ck Yourself!’ Stamp
Your Guide to Independent Alternatives for Books, Audiobooks, eBooks, and Beyond
Frank James: Why did it take NYPD so long to find the Brooklyn shooting suspect?
Missing set of rare Charles Darwin notebooks anonymously returned to Cambridge University Library
Omicron subvariant now almost 90 percent of US COVID cases: CDC
Stories of Interest to Queers and Our Allies:
Jen Psaki breaks down in tears answering question about GOP attacks on trans kids
For the LGBTQ community and other minorities, war is fought every day
Recreational marijuana access reduces demand for prescription drugs – prescriptions for pain, depression, anxiety, sleep, psychosis and seizures significantly decline
Air Force Offers Help To Military Families Hurt By States’ New Anti-LGBTQ Laws
‘100 Years of Men in Love’: New film unearths old stories of gay romance
This Week in Haters and Abusers:
In Florida: Ukrainian family facing hate crime charges for alleged beating of gay man – Police say victim was in gay relationship for months with member of Ukrainian family
Comedian makes a fool out of Republican candidate who wants to make Bible a “basic textbook”
Republican vilifying high school over drag show was part of a high school drag show
School bans unicorn book because it “could be promoting a gay lifestyle”
Transgender Treatment Ban Challenged By Lawsuit In Alabama
This Week in Voter Suppression and Related Crimes:
Texas GOP activist, donor Steven Hotze indicted for voter scheme
Wisconsin Conservatives: Disabled Voters Don’t Exist
Former Staffer Slams Madison Cawthorn, Calls Him a ‘Habitual Liar’ – claimed his district office had ‘more liquor bottles than they do water bottles’
Stephen Colbert Reveals Trump’s Most ‘Embarrassing’ Low Point Yet
Brian Kolfage Of We Build The Wall Agrees To Plead Guilty To Fraud
This Week in Seditious Treason and Related Crimes:
‘Stop the Steal’ leader cooperating with DOJ’s investigation of Capitol riot
Alex Jones Reaches Out to Justice Dept. About Jan. 6 Interview – The effort by the Trump ally to get an immunity deal is the latest sign of progress in the investigation, which recently brought on a well-regarded prosecutor
FBI says Proud Boy tried to derail Jan. 6 investigating by menacing agent – Barry Bennett Ramey was arrested and accused of pepper-spraying officers at the Capitol, calling a FBI special agent later and reading out the agent’s home address
GOP Sen. Mike Lee Flees Reporter Demanding To Know Why He “Lied” About His Role In Election Overturn Plot – Mike Lee Makes Awkward Escape From Reporter Asking About His Texts on Overturning Trump’s Election Loss
FBI has names of hundreds more Jan. 6 rioters. DOJ needs more lawyers to prosecute them – Citizen sleuths armed with the internet say they’ve identified dozens of additional rioters who haven’t been arrested
In Memoriam:
Robert Morse, star of ‘Mad Men’ and Broadway, dies at 90