From the Desk of the Script Doctor

Welcome to the second Friday of November!

We may have averted an existential crisis. Since the news at least in the U.S. has been wall-to-wall election, I tried to find other things for the Stories of the Week. Let me know how I did.

Let's move on to this week's Friday Five, shall we? This week I bring you: one story that just needed its own category, the top five stories of the week you may not have seen because of all the election coverage, five stories of interest to queers and our allies, five stories about mistaken predictions, and five stories about deplorable people (plus some notable obituaries).

This Week in Stupid:

Some Republicans Want to Raise Voting Age After Gen Z Midterm Turnout - “This new generation is totally brainwashed,” a Fox News commentator complained

Stories of the Week:

At least 5 killed after Nicole makes historic, rare November landfall in Florida

“Andor” shows how exploitation leads to the Dark Side, from bureaucratic drudgery to prison labor - The latest episodes see our hero play out the real world reality of prison slave labor in service of the Empire

The connection between social media use and vaccine hesitancy - People who consume a lot of news on social media are more likely to be skeptical of COVID-19 vaccines

Russia’s withdrawal from Kherson is its most humiliating setback since the failed invasion of Kyiv. But there’s no sign Putin intends to end his misbegotten war

Illegal trade threatens endangered tigers, 150 seized a year - Poachers continue to target the big cat for its skin and body parts, undermining conservation efforts

Stories of Interest to Queers and Our Allies:

LGBTQ candidates dominate the midterms in the approaching shadow of DeSantis

At 39, my life began again. ‘My Policeman’ brought memories rushing back

LGBTQ+ Groups Celebrate 'Rainbow Wave' of Queer Candidate Victories - At least 340 out LGBTQ+ candidates won their elections in the 2022 midterms

Is a stupid typo in the Bible the reason for the "Don't Say Gay" nonsense we're dealing with today?

America’s newest trans lawmaker shares beautiful post-election moment with mum of trans kid

This Week in the Don't Count Your Chickens Before the Eggs Hatch:

Gen Z takes control of its future - Three elections makes a trend: The youngest generation of voters is very engaged and highly progressive. Here's what that means

The biggest midterm takeaway: The economy is stronger than we thought

Red Wave to Repro Wave—and What’s Next - In blue states and red, voters backed reproductive freedoms in the midterm elections

Thank You Fox News for Turning the ‘Red Wave’ into a Purple Ripple

Analysis: Why the news media got the midterm ‘red wave’ narrative so wrong

This Week in the Liars, Grifters, Traitors, and Other Deplorables:

'Brutal': Judge sanctions multiple Trump lawyers over failed Russia investigation lawsuit

The leader of the Oath Keepers may have just doomed himself - Stewart Rhodes's decision to testify in his own defense may backfire

Prosecutors Look at Florida Election Protest as a Model for Jan. 6 - The Justice Department is examining ties among the far-right Proud Boys, Roger Stone and others over their roles in 2018 “Stop the Steal” demonstrations

Anti-trans pundit Matt Walsh tells a lie so big even Joe Rogan called bullshit - When Rogan's producer weighed in with a fact check, the rightwing mouthpiece was forced to admit he'd made up his claims

Father and son both cop to felonies for assaulting police during Capitol riot

In Memoriam:

Max Maven Dies: Mentalist, Magical Historian Was 71

Jeff Cook, Alabama Co-Founder and Guitarist, Dead at 73

Susan Tolsky, ‘Here Come the Brides’ and ‘Madame’s Place’ Actress, Dies at 79

Dan McCafferty, original lead singer of rock band Nazareth, dead at 76

---

Welcome to the fifth Friday of October! Halloween is only a few days away!

It's been rainy and cool all week. We had a windstorm in the wee small hours of Thursday and the power went out just a few minutes before the time my alarm usually goes off. I guess autumn finally is here!

I've spent a log of time this week watching videos of various people interviewing Leslie Jordan. I've started a blog post a couple of times about my feelings over his death. I mean, I was also a sissy boy growing up in Southern Baptist churches, so we had a lot common. I need to finish and post that.

Let's move on to this week's Friday Five, okay? This week I bring you: a story that needs it's own category about being comfortable in your own skin, the top five stories of the week you may not have seen because of everything else, five stories of interest to queers and our allies, and five stories about deplorable people (plus some notable obituaries).

This Week in a Light in the Darkness:

Leslie Jordan’s Powerful Contentment and Happiness

Stories of the Week:

As Ukraine war drags into ninth month, Russia’s woes worsen - In week 35 of the war, Russia was on the defensive as Ukrainian morale remained high

U.S. GDP accelerated at 2.6% pace in Q3, better than expected as economic growth turns positive

Pool boy reveals how Trump fixer secured endorsement by getting Falwell Jr out of blackmail jam

SFF’s Big Fat Problem

Exclusive: Twitter is losing its most active users, internal documents show

Stories of Interest to Queers and Our Allies:

GOP national 'Don't Say Gay' bill is a brazen attack on LGBTQ existence

Can we please invite Val Demings to every Pride celebration from here on out?

Marriage Equality Now Legal Across All of Mexico

All 50 States Have Seen LGBTQ+ Candidates in 2022, Says Advocacy Group

Local School Board OKs Pride Flag in Classroom

This Week in the Liars, Grifters, Killers, and Other Deplorables:

Darrell Brooks found guilty on all 76 counts in Waukesha Christmas Parade murders, ending weekslong trial

Three men are convicted of supporting a plot to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer

Epoch Times Loses Defamation Lawsuit About ‘Substantially True’ Reporting on Co-Founder’s Jan. 6th Conspiracy Theories

Fox Corp. Chief Legal Counsel Viet Dinh Failed to Properly Register with California Bar

Here's what changed in Dinesh D'Souza's '2,000 Mules' book after it was recalled

In Memoriam:

Jules Bass, known for work on ‘Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer’ and other holiday specials, dies

Leslie Jordan Dead: Will & Grace, American Horror Story Star Was 67

Leslie Jordan, Iconic Gay Comedian, Dead at 67 - The beloved actor known for his roles on Will & Grace and American Horror Story died after a car accident

I’ll always remember Leslie Jordan as Brother Boy, a Tammy Wynette-loving drag queen - Jordan's role as Brother Boy, a drag queen who talks to the ghost Tammy Wynette encapsulates everything that is beautiful and brilliant about his talent as an actor. It's hilarious and heartbreaking

Welcome to the second Friday of October! Spooky season is is full swing!

It's one thing to have spent the last several decades reading about the causes and consequences of climate change. But still having summer temperatures and wild fire alerts in mid-October just feels wrong.

Let's move on to the Friday Five in which I bring you: the top five stories of the week you may not have seen because of everything else, five stories of interest to queers and our allies, five stories about haters & deplorables, and five stories and insurrectionists (plus notable obituaries).

Stories of the Week:

LGBTQ kid refuses to let ‘Moms for Liberty’ snatch liberty - Being conservative does not have to mean endorsing extremism or demonizing a 13-year-old with nothing but love in their heart

It’s Not About You: Beyond the Hero’s Journey

Black Hole Pukes Up Star Years After Eating It

A Young Man Became Allergic to Orgasms—but There's a Happy Ending

How Iran's protests transformed into a national uprising

Stories of Interest to Queers and Our Allies:

Top surgery: For trans teens, it can take a long time to get much-needed care

Before Stonewall LGBTQ people rose up at the Black Nite bar. It will soon be a historical landmark

Meet the woman who was jailed 3 times for bringing cannabis brownies to AIDS patients

'I'm sick of being silent': Gay teen catches bullies on camera in viral TikTok video

Holy Bullies and Headless Monsters: Vermont station working to correct story of bullied trans teen. Family Research Council isn't happy about that

This week in Haters and Other Deplorables:

On '60 Minutes,' Bart Barber revealed the cruelty of Southern Baptists

Alex Jones unlikely to escape ‘historically high’ defamation award, legal experts say - “He may be forced to live a subsistence type of life,” a New York attorney and former federal prosecutor said.

It’s just murder living in a red state - Republicans' crime message ignores their own murder problem

Parkland Shooter sentenced to life in prison without parole

Supreme Court denies Trump appeal in Mar-a-Lago raid documents case

This Week in the Sedition and Insurrection:

Jan. 6 hearing takeaways: Jarring new footage, evidence Trump knew he lost

New footage shows congressional leadership at Fort McNair on January 6, scrambling to save the US Capitol

These Donald Trump allies are facing criminal referrals from the January 6th Select Committee

Trump isn't the first president to be subpoenaed by Congress: Here are the others - Four past presidents received such demands

Members of Congress stunned by Secret Service 'bombshell' at Jan. 6 hearing

In Memoriam:

Angela Lansbury Dead: ‘Murder, She Wrote’ Star Was 96

Angela Lansbury, star of 'Murder She Wrote,' has died at 96

Let’s not forget what Angela Lansbury did during the worst years of the AIDS epidemic

Welcome to the final Friday of September. September, the most blesséd month, when superior babies are born.

The air quality remained moderately bad until we finally got some light rain this week. There are some days in the 10-day that leave me thinking we should wait another week before putting away the two roll-out a/c units.

Let's move on to the Friday Five in which I bring you: a story that desperately needing its headline fixed, the top five stories of the week, five stories about climate troubles, five stories about traitors & liars, and five stories about haters (plus one thing I wrote and notable obituary).

This Week in Fixing the Headline for You:

Book Thieves Lose, Authors Win in New Amazon Ebook Policy Change - Amazon will accept your ebook return, but only if you haven't read more than 10% of the book

Stories of the Week:

‘Doesn’t Get to Tell the County What They Can Read’: Lawmaker Blasts Christian in Viral Video Attacking LGBTQ Library Books

Ancient fish fossils highlight the strangeness of our vertebrate ancestors - Nearly 440-million-year-old finds from China are of some of the first vertebrates with jaws

NASA crashes DART spacecraft into asteroid in world's 1st planetary defense test

The Jetsons, now 60 years old, is iconic. That's a problem

President Biden surprised Elton John with the National Humanities Medal

This Week in Climate Crisis:

Ian Again A Hurricane And Heading For South Carolina

“Hurricane Maria Never Finished Leaving Us”: The Aftermath of Fiona in a Puerto Rican Town

Pakistan floods: Children face a new disaster -- diarrhea, dengue and other waterborne diseases

Typhoon Merbok spotlights Alaska’s need for science and climate-resilient infrastructure

Typhoon Noru slams Vietnam after unleashing severe flooding in the Philippines

This week in Traitors, Liars, and Thieves:

Ginni Thomas tells Jan. 6 panel she still believes false election fraud claims, chair says

Kevin McCarthy's House GOP Agenda Rollout Goes Disastrously Off The Rails

GOP Poll Worker Charged With 2 Felonies For Tampering With Voter Equipment - A Republican, eh? How unsurprising

Trump’s Paid Speech And Tour Organizer Can't Pay Its Bills

Capitol rioter, a ‘one man wrecking ball,’ gets 7-year term

This Week in Homophobes and Other Haters:

Bisexuality not covered by federal employment law lawsuit claims

Conservatives go full racist after Lizzo plays a crystal flute - "Lizzo playing James Madison's flute was a form of racial retribution," one conservative pundit wrote. Liberals mocked them on Twitter

Drag Performer Sues Right-Wing Blogger Over Indecent Exposure Claims - Eric Posey, who performs as Mona Liza Million, says Summer Bushnell defamed him with a false accusation of indecent exposure at an Idaho Pride event

Doxxed Doctors, Library Bomb Threats, and Attacks on Pride Centers: A Week in Escalating Anti-LGBTQ Violence - Amid a rising right-wing tide of threats, recent incidents have sadly not been out of the norm

LGBTQ Italians on alert as right-wing alliance triumphs in election - Nationalist leader Giorgia Meloni, who is set to become Italy’s first female premier, has denounced what she calls “gender ideology” and “the LGBT lobby."

In Memoriam:

Maximilian Lerner, Whose Espionage Skills Helped Win a War, Dies at 98

Things I Wrote:

Quick birthday thought from an old gay guy

Welcome to the third Friday of September. September, the most blesséd month, when superior babies are born.

Not long after last week's Friday Five posted, the air quality in my region starting going bad. There are wildfires around, some just on the other end of the county I live in, and all that smoke and particulate matter made breathing a bit unpleasant for a few days. So I wasn't surprised that I had a sinus headache and cough last weekend. There were some other symptoms not obviously related, but I attributed most of it to the air quality. As the air cleared up, my symptoms started letting up. But then my husband started experiencing the same symptoms as I had. So now I'm wondering if I didn't manage to catch something last week that was unrelated to the air quality. Joy!

We'll keep you posted.

Let's move on to the Friday Five in which I bring you: the top five stories of the week, five stories of interest to queers and our allies, five stories about reacting to bad folks, five stories about toxic fance, and five stories about crooks and traitor (plus a notable obituary).

Stories of the Week:

Idaho Far Right’s Election Loss to 18-Year-Old Climate Activist

The mystery of why some people don’t catch COVID - Scientists think they might hold the key to helping protect us all

Scholar who saw all this coming: Americans "do not really understand liberal democracy"

These Incredibly Clever Tweets Prove How Complicated The Queen's Death Was For Some Of Us

U.S. Inflation Falls For 2nd Straight Month On Lower Gas Costs

Stories of Interest to Queers and Our Allies:

Two-Thirds of Swing State Voters Support Marriage Equality - The findings come from the Human Rights Campaign as the Respect for Marriage Act awaits debate in the U.S. Senate

Florida city condemns school district for refusing to recognize LGBTQ History Month - The Miami-Dade School Board voted 8-1 against recognizing October as LGBTQ History Month. The "Don't Say Gay" law is to blame

LibsofTikTok targeted a school district’s Pride mural project, with little success - Chaya Raichik called on her army of haters to swamp a California school district's LGBTQ art project. It didn't go so well

Montana judge blocks anti-transgender birth certificate rule - Conservative lawmakers in numerous states have sought to restrict transgender rights

Boston Marathon to feature nonbinary category next year - For nonbinary athletes, the qualifying standards will initially be the same as those in the women’s field, the Boston Athletic Association said

This Week in Reacting to Bad Guys:

Elena Kagan: Judges Create Their Own 'Legitimacy Problems'

GOP senators led by Graham slam Trump Jan. 6 pardon promise

Hardee’s mocks Mike Lindell after he claimed the FBI took his phone at one of its Minnesota locations

Ocasio-Cortez blasts GOP lawmaker’s treatment of witness: ‘I’m trying to give you the floor, boo’

Mueller Investigator on Possible Trump Second Term: ‘I Don’t Have Enough Alcohol in My Apartment to Deal with That’

This Week in Toxic Fans:

Racists Are Worried About the Historical Accuracy of Mermaids - Apparently they can't handle Halle Bailey singing "Part of Your World" in the new 'Little Mermaid' trailer

'The Little Mermaid' Was Originally a Metaphor for Unrequited Gay Love

Fear of a Black Hobbit - The demand to keep politics out of art is too often a demand for art to conform to conservative politics And I have some quibbles with this excerpt, but it makes some good point: "prominent genre brands like Star Wars, or Marvel, or Lord of the Rings also have the difficult task of creating content for children while still satisfying their middle-aged stalwarts, whose nostalgia is ultimately insatiable because they cannot look upon novel material with the same emotional intensity they felt as children. Many older fans are convinced they can’t recapture that intensity only because the producers themselves have failed to create stories of the same fundamental quality, when in reality they have simply outgrown the sentiment they are chasing. These campaigns seek to convince this audience that the feeling they are pursuing can be recaptured, if only those making popular art would reject modern progressive dogma—thus creating a well of cultural resentment they can manipulate for political purposes."

‘The Boys’ To ‘The Rings Of Power:’ Everyone Is Tired Of Toxic Fans

The Sandman creator Neil Gaiman ruthlessly hits back at troll’s ‘woke’ moaning

This Week in the Crooks, Traitors, and Other Deplorables:

Republican county election commissioner is arrested and charged by the FBI

'List of Political Grievances': Judge Delivers Damning Rebuke as He Tosses Trump RICO-Like Lawsuit Against Clinton

Donald Trump’s Lawyers Reveal That Merrick Garland’s Justice Department Has Backed Them Into a Legal Corner

Trump-appointed judge convicts three Jan. 6 defendants but acquits two of them on obstruction charge

Oath Keepers want to suppress evidence of Zello chat host ordering arrests of 'treasonous' congressmembers

In Memoriam:

Fred Franzia, Two Buck Chuck Creator, Dies

Welcome to the first Friday of September. September, the most blesséd month, when superior babies are born.

It's been a week. Again.

It's time for the Friday Five in which I bring you: two bonus categories, the top five stories of the week, five stories of interest to queers are our allies, five stories about election stuff, plus an obituary.

This Week in Justice:

Ex-NYPD officer who assaulted D.C. officer on Jan. 6 gets record 10-year sentence - Thomas Webster, a retired New York City officer, was convicted of several felonies for attacking a Washington officer with a flagpole and tackling him to the ground on Jan. 6

Proud Boy sentenced to 4.5 years in prison in Jan. 6 case, still says election was stolen - The judge who sentenced Joshua Pruitt, a former Washington, D.C., bartender, called the Jan. 6 riot "a national disgrace."

This Week in The Former Guy:

Ex-Trump Aides Say He Probably Has More Sensitive Documents At Other Properties - Michael Cohen and John Bolton said they suspect Trump could have more classified documents stored in Bedminster, New Jersey, and elsewhere

The DOJ's new filing punctures Trump's greatest delusion - Trump thinks that ex-president's are somehow a protected class under the law. The Justice Department disagrees

Stories of the Week:

Biden delivers prime-time speech on the "battle for the soul of the nation" in Philadelphia

Are lightning bugs disappearing from night skies? Dimming prospects face some fireflies

It Is Long Past Time To Give Up On Most Of The Right - The Fever Will Never Break

Attacks on the LGBTQ+ Community Amount to Stochastic Terrorism

Remember Al Gore? - 2000 vs. 2020 (and 2022)

Stories of Interest to Queers and Our Allies:

California may act as U.S. refuge for transgender youths - Legislation would provide legal refuge to parents from other states who risk having their trans children taken away or being prosecuted if they support their children’s access to gender-affirming care

Biden Administration Outlines Measures to End HIV by 2030 - The plan calls for an increase in testing, education, and access to PrEP at a time when those are endangered

‘A League of Their Own’ remake shows what it’s like to be Black and trans in the 1940s - Lea Robinson, a Black nonbinary and transgender actor, plays the role of a Black trans man known as Bertie Hart in the new Amazon series

Virginia Won’t Ban Books for Obscenity—for Now - “We have to keep working our way up the ladder,” said the Republican stage legislator who brought the case

New Super PAC To Target Anti-LGBTQ Candidates - Agenda PAC says their aim is to defeat candidates who oppose same-sex marriage and other rights for LGBTQ Americans

Elections and Related:

Ron DeSantis’ First Voter Fraud Bust Is Quickly Imploding - The governor’s own administration greenlighted the defendants’ voter registration applications. Now it has arrested them for voting

Michigan groups ask state court to put abortion rights measure on the Nov. ballot - The amendment — now in limbo — would insert permanent protections into the state’s constitution for abortion and other reproductive health services

'Really?!' Bewildered Sarah Palin implodes after losing congressional race to a Democrat

Florida GOP leader to quit after conviction in 'ghost' candidate scandal: report

"Corrupt as hell": Ginni Thomas effort to overturn Trump's loss even more extensive than reported - It wasn't just Arizona — messages show Thomas leaning on Wisconsin lawmakers to block Biden's win

In Memoriam:

Mikhail Gorbachev, Soviet leader who helped end the Cold War, has died - Born in the village of Privolnoye, Gorbachev grew up a committed communist during World War II. He wound up winning a Nobel Peace Prize in 1990 for helping end the Cold War

Welcome to the third Friday of August!

Weird week in many ways. Had a bit of an adventure in the middle of the week during my drive down and back from visiting my mom. The weather has continued to be hot, though we didn't break one record some meterologists thought we might this week.

It's time for the Friday Five in which I bring you: one bonus category, the top five stories of the week and five stories about traitors and other deplorables.

This Week in Song Parodies:

Stories of the Week:

World's biggest mod site bans mods replacing Pride flags: 'We don't want to and won't argue this with you' - Following community drama around a Spider-Man mod, Nexusmods says enough is enough

Jim Crow, Science Fiction, and WorldCon

Yes, the Government Really Does Stash Billions of Pounds of Cheese in Missouri Caves

Researchers identify ancient bird behind giant eggs from Down Under

USPS reform act 2022: What the new overhaul law means for you

This Week in the Crooks, Traitors, and Other Deplorables:

Graham, Giuliani run from Georgia DA faster than Hawley during a Capitol riot

MAGA Crowd Already Decrying Now-Dead FBI Attempted Shooter As False Flag Crisis Actor

Arizona Republican secretary of state nominee kept 'Treason Watch List' and posted about stockpiling ammunition on Pinterest

No One Wants to Be Donald Trump’s Lawyer

Kansas Man Offers His House, Dips Into Retirement Savings to Fund Abortion Vote Recount

Welcome to the first Friday of August!

After a streak of record-breaking hot, humid days, we're getting a couple of days of relief including some light rain! If the forecast is correct, the heat will be back soon, alas.

It's time for the Friday Five in which I bring you: two bonus stories about people f-ers facing consequences, the top five stories of the week, five stories of interest to queers and our allies, five stories about elections, five stories about haters and traitors, five stories about another epidemic, and some notable obituaries.

This Week in F-ing Around and Finding Out:

MAGA Influencer’s Social Media Blabbing Leads to Jan. 6 Charges

74-year-old Long Island man sentenced to prison for dozens of anti-LGBTQ death threats - Sentenced to 30 months in prison for mailing more than 60 letters containing death threats

Stories of the Week:

Biden’s long-game economic success story

How Kansas women 'surprised' America - The math never changed. But the mainstream media failed to note just what a paradigm shift the loss of Roe was — and will continue to be.

Randy Rainbow Torches GOP’s ‘Thoughts and Prayers’ Response to Mass Shootings in New Parody Song (Video)

Go Ask Alice: why a Mormon mom made up stories of teen drug life that swept America

The Founder of GeoCities on What Killed the 'Old' Internet

Stories of Interest to Queers and Our Allies:

Study argues that “social contagion” isn’t making the kids today transgender - The "social contagion" claim has long been repeated by right-wing politicians and activists who support laws criminalizing gender-affirming healthcare for trans youth.

West Virginia Medicaid Must Cover Trans Surgery, Judge Rules

House Dems seek IRS review of anti-LGBTQ organization’s tax status - Family Research Council designated ‘association of churches’

Michigan Supreme Court rules sex discrimination ban includes sexual orientation

Some Republicans see good politics in same-sex marriage bill - As the Senate contemplates legislation to protect same-sex marriages, there has been a sharp shift in Republican support for the issue

Elections and Related:

'Kansas will not be our last fight': Abortion rights victory gives Democrats new hope for midterms

Recount confirms Tina Peters lost her Secretary of State primary - Recount Confirms Election Denier Lost Big

A Georgia district attorney opposes Lindsey Graham’s attempt to quash a subpoena in a probe of efforts to overturn the 2020 election

The Republicans Who Want Election Laws to ‘Stay Broken’ - MAGA-Land is trying to make sure the FEC is never able to function again

Florida Republican candidate may be ineligible after canceling registration in fit of rage in January 2021: ‘Thank you communists’

This Week in Liars, Homophobes, and Other Deplorables:

Alex Jones’ spontaneous cell death

How a Child-Killer Set the Stage for Today's Republicans to Revel in Cruelty

The backlash to Christianity: Republicans are now panicked — but they only have themselves to blame

Records tied to $600,000 money transfer subpoenaed in Miami ‘ghost’ candidate case - Probe Widens In Republican “Ghost Candidates” Scheme

Town votes to defund library after claims it was “grooming” kids - "They are trying to groom our children to believe that it’s OK to have these sinful desires," a defund activist said. "It's not a political issue, it's a Biblical issue."

This Week in the Other Epidemic:

Monkeypox Declared Public Health Emergency by Biden Administration

Monkeypox is not a "gay disease" but it is being painted that way worldwide

Here's What You Should Know About Monkeypox In Children - Although there have been at least five cases of monkeypox in kids in the US, public health officials say that they believe the chance of widespread infections in youngsters is remote, even with a new school year just around the corner

It May Be Too Late to Stop Monkeypox Becoming Endemic in the U.S. and Europe

The smallpox vaccine stockpile isn’t the monkeypox solution we need — yet - Public health leaders are weighing significant trade-offs to ACAM2000, including the vaccine’s side effects

In Memoriam:

Nichelle Nichols Dead: Uhura in Original 'Star Trek' Series Was 89

Nichelle Nichols' Death Sparks Tributes From 'Star Trek' Stars

Nichelle Nichols completed her "Star Trek" mission so that I'd never know a world without Lt. Uhura - Nichols' career was mainly related to "Star Trek." But if she'd quit, a galaxy of talent may never have emerged

Nichelle Nichols, trailblazing 'Star Trek' actress, dies at 89

Pat Carroll Dead: Actress and Voice of Ursula in The Little Mermaid

R.I.P. Pat Carroll, staple on classic television and Ursula's voice in The Little Mermaid - The Emmy award-winning actress was 95

Celtics legend Bill Russell, towering champion in Boston, dies at 88

Bill Russell's Lifelong Fight Against Racism

Obama on Bill Russell: ‘Today we lost a giant’

Welcome to the fourth Friday of July!

It's time for the Friday Five in which I bring you: the top five stories of the week, five stories of interest to queers and our allies, five stories about haters, five stories about traitors, and two notable obituaries.

Stories of the Week:

While All Eyes Were on Covid, HIV Researchers Were Making Progress on “The Holy Grail of Vaccines”

US recovers more than half a million dollars in ransom payments to North Korea

'Normal Family' author Chrysta Bilton has a sperm donor dad and 35 siblings

Wild Bison Now Roam the UK for First Time in Thousands of Years

Guard Rails Around the Bottomless Pit - The Villain, Considered as Safety Tool

Stories of Interest to Queers and Our Allies:

This little-known “unabashedly gay” doo-wop duo ran the ’50s club circuit

Penguin Random House erects billboards displaying work from LGBTQ+ writers in response to recent book bans

My Daughter Is Trans. I’m Done Debating Whether She Has a Right to Exist

Gender-Affirming Care Improves Mental Health—and May Save Lives

House passes marriage equality for same-sex couples bill. 157 Republicans voted against it

This Week in Homophobia and Transphobia:

White supremacists destroyed a Pride mural. The video they made got them arrested

2022 is already a record year for state bills seeking to curtail LGBTQ rights, ACLU data shows

Why Republicans support abortion bans with no exception for rape, incest, or health of the mother

What’s Happening With The Vinton Public Library

Anti-LGBTQ Alabama pastor sentenced to 10 years in prison for molesting boys - “He will be a registered sex offender for the rest of his life.”

This Week in Liars, Deplorables, and Seditious Traitors:

There is a gap in the evidence we've seen against Trump. We have to rely on the DOJ to fill it

Stephen Colbert Spots Exact Moment Steve Bannon Spilled The Beans On Trump

National Archives demands Secret Service probe into ‘erased’ text messages

DHS inspector general meets with House select committee regarding Secret Service erasing text messages from January 6

Trump Is Going Down and He Is Taking Evangelicals with Him

In Memoriam:

Eric Flint (1947-2022)

Herbert W. Franke Dead: Pioneering Digital Artist and Science Fiction Author Dies at 95

And here we are at the second Friday of July!

In the post I published on Wednesday I commented upon the fact that I have been doing virtually no blogging for months other than Friday Five. And I plan to continue to publish the weekly Friday Five. But I have to admit that we are all living in what more and more appears to be the absolute worst timeline, and looking back on what categories have been appearing again and again in the Friday Five these last several months makes me feel as if all I'm doing is contributing to everyone else's Doom Scrolling.

I know I can't prevent Doom Scrolling. And I'm not going to try to limit myself only to feel-good stories (for various reasons that I ought to write a real blog post about). What I'm going to do this week, at least, is limit further the numer of links posted.

Anyway, it's time for the Friday Five in which I bring you: the top five stories of the week, a link to the other post I made this week, and two notable obituary.

Stories of the Week:

This couldn’t happen anywhere: How coverage of the shooting failed Highland Park - Mass shootings are seemingly disparate, but almost all mass shooters are motivated by bigoted extremism that festers online

Meet Meraxes Giga, a Ferocious Dinosaur With Teeny Arms Like T. Rex

The Myth of 'I'm Bad at Math'

Wonder Woman stands up for trans people in wake of Bette Midler’s & Macy Gray’s attacks

California Gov. Gavin Newsom signs bill ending “walking while trans” law

In Memoriam:

The Godfather star James Caan dies aged 82

Joe Turkel Dead: The Shining Bartender, Tyrell in Blade Runner Was 94

Things I Wrote:

Midweek Update: Gullibility at its worst?