I got all the presents wrapped last Friday before our big party. I finished my Christmas Ghost Story in the wee hours of the morning Saturday, and that night read the story while dressed as Grandfather Frost. My husband and I and a couple friends saw Star Wars: the Force Awakens on Sunday, and I've have a fun week of vacation, including a run down to see a bunch of the family. Given how grueling the previous two weeks at work had been, I'm really glad to have this time off this year!
Anyway, here are links to some of the interesting things I read on the web this week.
Link of the Week
I shared this web site earlier, but it deserves a repeat: Your Holiday Mom: OFFERING OUR LGBTQ YOUTH A VIRTUAL HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS.
This week in Geek
Winnipeg Free Press: Don't Ready the Comments?
'Tis the Season
Speaking to the Soul: Finding Stillness.
Where America's Christmas trees come from, in one map.
Lunch lady who was fired for giving a poor child a free meal offered job back.
The Real Reason for the Coffee Season.
The Only Holiday Decoration in the Florida Capitol Is a Rainbow Gay Pride Festivus Pole.
This week in Heart-wrenching
Why I Am Probably Going to Send the Drunk Driver Who Killed My Parents a Christmas Card: The 10th anniversary of my parents' death brings up many emotions. Hate isn't one of them.
A Christmas Themed Story. "No reindeer. No elves. I think you'll remember it though. You'll say "Safe Travels" and you'll mean it."
This Week in Diversity
Words that Need to Die in 2016.
6 Reasons Your Discomfort with They/Them Pronouns Reveals Unchecked Cis Privilege.
5 Ways Christian Privilege Shows Up During the Winter Holiday Season.
This week in Evil, Greedy People
Listen: whistleblower story that Marineland threatens to sue journalists for disclosing.
News for queers and our allies:
Scholarship Could Be Ray Of Hope For Rural LGBT Students.
My Day in Court.
Free Gay-Themed Holiday Indie Film: 'Red Lodge'.
US drops lifetime ban on gay men donating blood.
Obama Commemorates Fifth Anniversary Of 'Dont Ask, Don't Tell' Repeal.
Anti-Transgender Ballot Initiative Fails in California.
Science!
Astronomers Find New Object, Possible Super-Earth In Our Solar System.
Record heat hit East Coast on Christmas Eve.
HIV antibody curbs virus in trial: Dramatic reduction in circulating HIV produced in those not receiving antiviral drugs.
Science Fiction, Fantasy and Speculation!
How Bad Is the 1978 ‘Star Wars’ Holiday Special? (Even though I was around and a big fan when this aired, I refused to watch it, suspecting rightly that it would be awful)
George Lucas nearly wrote a perfect prequel trilogy. He just didn't notice.
Tales From The Four Color Closet: By The Force, Let Poe Dameron Be Gay.
TOLKIEN, THE FORCE AWAKENS, AND THE SADNESS OF EXPANDED UNIVERSES.
Culture war news:
Waivers Allowing Christian Schools To Ban LGBT Students Spike In 2015. Only two schools applied during the entire Bush administration, but 60 have applied in the last two years!
The Winner of The Stranger's Design a Christian Starbucks Cup Contest!
Most U.S. Christian groups grow more accepting of homosexuality. 54% of all U.S. Christians (including a majority of Evangelicals under the age of 35!)!
Atheist Display Will Force Removal of Nativity Scene. The headline is very misleading: the state allowed all groups to sign up for time periods when their holiday display will be up on public ground. This is the time period the Christian group signed up for, and their turn is now over, so the next group goes up.
Mennonite minister loses U.S. appeal of kidnapping case conviction. "...upheld the conviction of a Mennonite minister accused of helping a woman flee to Nicaragua with her daughter to evade court orders giving her former lesbian partner visitation rights."
Texas Gov. censors Bill of Rights; uses fake quotes and fraudulent history to claim atheists ‘promote ignorance and falsehood’.
Liberty Counsel: We Lost Every Legal Battle to Try to Stop Gay Rights, But Send More Money.
Home Arrests Texas Football Player Gets 20-Years In Prison For Killing Transgender…Girlfriend? [Video].
This Week in the Clown Car
Ted Cruz Vows To Break Up Historic Climate Change Agreement If Elected President.
Blood, Sweat and Trump.
Ted Cruz Can't Decide: Is Gay Marriage a Threat to Democracy, or Not a Priority?
Carson suggests campaign shake-up is coming.
Jeb Abandons Jeb! Trademark.
Donald Trump Signals Support for Vilest Anti-Gay ‘Religious Freedom’ Bill of Our Time: WATCH.
If Trump wins the nomination, prepare for the end of the conservative party. For the first time in a long time George Will has a couple of correct points. But his primary conclusion has a major flaw: the Democrats are the Conservative Party in the U.S., the Republicans are Radical Authoritarians, not Conservatives.
Back to Carson and Trump… and other ideal men!
Ronald Reagan’s Daughter Goes On Tirade Against GOP.
Marco Rubio Doesn't Like Being Called A Bigot For Acting Like A Bigot.
This week in Other Politics:
The Tunnel-drilling Machine Stuck Beneath Seattle for Two Years has Finally Moved--A Teeny Tiny Bit. The Real Test Will Be When the Machine Breaks Out of Its Access Pit and Into Seattle Soil Next Year..
The Justice Department just shut down a huge asset forfeiture program.
Many U.S. Citizens Will Have to Get a Passport to Fly Domestically. Only 22 states have complied with the post-9/11 Real ID act, and Homeland Security is starting to crack down.
The Thing The Atlantic Didn't Mention In Its Profile of Nick Hanauer.
Hillary Clinton Seizes on Donald Trump’s Remarks to Galvanize Women.
Farewells:
George Clayton Johnson, co-writer of Logan's Run and many science fiction TV scripts, has died.
Things I wrote:
Hang your stockings and say your prayers….
Past Christmas or Christmas Past?
Christmas Presence.
Not Yet Christmas.
Videos!
"All I Want For Christmas Is You" MUSIC VIDEO - Steve Grand:
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I Am NOT Black, You are NOT White:
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Bernie Sanders explains Trump's irrational reaction to learning that women go to the bathroom:
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Sean Hayes Gets a Sugar High and Lip Syncs Barbra Streisand’s ‘Jingle Bells’:
Embedding doesn't work except on Facebook, so click here.
Whitney Houston (and Bobbi Kristina) - Little Drummer Boy (HD):
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Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas - Ella Fitzgerald Jazz Collection:
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Billy Idol - 2007 - Winter Wonderland:
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The Christmas Can Can:
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Snoopy's Christmas:
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