It’s the yearly round-up of yearly round-up videos. First up, DJ Earworm:
Google’s year in search, this one will probably make you cry (I did!):
And YouTube’s year in review:
The good things that happened in 2016, from Super Fruit:
That was all that I came across this year, but I also took the last week of the year off Facebook and Twitter, so your mileage may vary. I’m still working on my personal 2016 wrap-up video, that will be coming (hopefully) soon!
Alright, let’s see what we have today. I’m a (not so) closet transit nerd, and PAT released this awesome blog post about how each route got its number. I knew about the colors, but the numbers were always a bit confusing, but it’s really fascinating to read.
One of the Sabres’ goalies has a pride flag on his helmet (airbrushed, of course), and it’s a cool story that spawned from Pride Tape.
And speaking of goalies:
Supposedly, this song will put you to sleep in under eight minutes. I don’t know if I buy that, I’ll have to test it out.
There is a cute rap about the Hufflepuff House.
The queer community has a lot to fear over the next four (hopefully only two if we can win back the Senate) years. For those not sure why we’re so afraid, here are eight threats, and in true clickbait form: you won’t believe number 8. No really, yo won’t, it’s unconstitutional, the scariest, but a high priority of Republicans and the President-elect.
But in good news, Pittsburgh has signed into a law a ban on anti-gay torture on minors.
The world’s largest musical instrument, an organ made of stalactites.
Would you like to make Eggs Woodhouse from Archer? Probably yes. But don’t try to eat them:
Sassy political buttons from years’ past. I especially love the “not tonight dear, it’s a felony” one.
The NRA chants that the only thing that can stop a bad person with a gun is a good person with a gun. But what about good people with dildos? Better add that to the list.
And in a report that really, should not surprise anyone, members of the queer community suffer from higher rates of mental illness (depression, anxiety and PTSD) due to having to remain closeted, political pressure and dealing with harassment.
This was plugged during New Year’s Rockin’ Eve, and it looks amazing:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6CBZZgXaE_A
That’s it for now, but I’ll be back with more soon!
This post was started before the election and finished after. NaNoWriMo (which was a success) tends to do that, but enjoy!
When Arrested Development meets the debates, it’s perfect:
Aside from one glaring reason why this wouldn’t work (you know the scene in Empire where Darth declares he’s Luke’s father), it’s a great way to watch the prequels
The trailer for ‘Jackie’ staring Natalie Portman looks really good.
Fraggle Rock is coming to Netflix!
Two of my favorite people, Brian Sims and Dylan Marron, sit down to call out political bullshit. It’s wonderful.
The trailer for Fences, probably my second favorite August Wilson play:
Netflix’s new show The Crown premiers in November, and looks really good!
The Supreme Court is taking up a landmark transgender rights case (about using the bathroom, because that’s how basic we have to be, sadly), this will be interesting to watch!
And speaking of, Secret’s new ads have been killing it, and their latest is no exception. Check it out.
Surviving The World takes on politics:
Ben Carson has said that gay marriage will lead to utter chaos and mass killings. Guess I should get to work on that, sorry for the delay!
A man in the UK has run 401 marathons in 401 days to raise money for anti-bullying charities. The craziness is that his cool-down is a month of back-to-back half marathons, then another month of 10Ks and then 5Ks.
Hufflepuffs, the very best house, obviously, are finally getting their own play about their time at Hogwarts!
The Texas GOP is trying to take away rights from gay couples, because of course they are.
Pentatonix covers ‘Hallelujah:’
Remembering the Radioactive Boy Scout. A fascinating read!
A cool new app (and really funny video announcing it) from Google to scan in all of our old, printed out photos!
An amazing new episode of Billy on the Street that just deteriorates and it’s amazing.
A PSA about the best house (along with all the others), Hufflepuff:
A great Surviving the World from the day before the election.
Quite frankly, it’s a really scary time right now, especially for any minority group, and I’m still processing and figuring out how I can help try to protect the rights I have. The podcast Throwing Shade, right after the election had a great quote, which I transcribed:
Anyone who is marginalized in this world, knows the feeling of having to push through and work hard to feel safe and heard, and it’s shitty that it has to keep happening but it does, and then I really do think it’s over. I think this is one of the last death rattles we have to deal with, literally the voice of the angry white man. I think it’s almost over. I think this might even be the last of it. And I don’t care what I think, I’m doing to do all I can to make it the last of it.
And I think SNL nailed it with their cold open. The last line was great, “I’m not giving up, and neither should you:”
I don’t agree with everything here (but most of it), but it’s a good look into what it feels like right now to be queer in Trump’s America.
Matthew Dempsey gives us another perspective on the election.
Leslie Knope (from Parks and Rec) wrote a letter to America about the election!
Eli Lieb wrote a song about the election:
And Surviving the World has some good advice:
That’s it for now, I’ll be back soon with more.
Happy Guy Fawkes Day! (one of my annual posts):
Remember, remember the Fifth of November,
The Gunpowder Treason and Plot,
I know of no reason
Why the Gunpowder Treason
Should ever be forgot.
Guy Fawkes, Guy Fawkes, ’twas his intent
To blow up the King and Parli’ment.
Three-score barrels of powder below
To prove old England’s overthrow;
By God’s providence he was catch’d
With a dark lantern and burning match.
Hulloa boys, Hulloa boys, let the bells ring.
Hulloa boys, hulloa boys, God save the King!
A penny loaf to feed the Pope.
A farthing o’ cheese to choke him.
A pint of beer to rinse it down.
A faggot of sticks to burn him.
Burn him in a tub of tar.
Burn him like a blazing star.
Burn his body from his head.
Then we’ll say ol’ Pope is dead.
Hip hip hoorah!
Hip hip hoorah!
Alright, let’s see what we have today, first up, very exciting news: Bill Nye is getting a talk show on Netflix!
Also exciting, Moulin Rouge is being made into a stage production!
What if the Avengers had an opening like Full House:
WikiLeaks, which for some reason is trying to elect Donald Drumpf, has released the names and personal information of gay men from countries where it is illegal to be gay. For many, this is a death sentence.
“Religious Freedom” has always been a ruse to discriminate against gay people. And now a federal judge has ruled that companies can in fact fire people for being gay, without any fear of retribution. This is why we need a nationwide ENDA.
Related, finally, the federal government has outlawed discrimination in credit lending to gay people.
The trailer for the new Russel Tovey movie (from HBO’s Looking):
Republicans in Wisconsin were trying to promote a phony news story about voter fraud to scare people and boost their own voter turnout.
Google is testing out burrito delivery drones. Best. Sentence. Ever.
I actually knew this, but it pops up every now and then: Disney and Cyan were in talks to make a Myst (or at least Myst-like) island at Disney’s now defunct Discovery Island.
Sadly, I”m missing the Pittsburgh premier, but here is the trailer for King Cobra, which looks amazing:
The FCC is working to kill the set-top cable box. Instead: mandatory apps. Depending on how DRV’s factor in, could be an awesome step forward!
The build team from Mythbusters are also coming back to Netflix!
First up, these guys made Aquaman’s trident, and it’s amazing.
A study has found that playing Mario Kart makes you a better driver!
Third Eye Blind trolled the RNC at a (separate) benefit in Cleveland during their convention, it’s epic!
In case you didn’t see, The Daily Beast ran an article outing gay athletes, treating them like some sort of animals to be gawked at. The larger problem, is that many of those athletes come from countries where it is illegal to be gay. An out swimmer from Tonga breaks it down.
A fun comic from Surviving The World:
Tim Curry has officially endorsed the remake of Rocky Horror, which looks really good!
A great open letter from The Good Men Project: Dear Willfully Ignorant White Men of America.
Sarah Michelle Gellar slays (sorry, not sorry) anti-vaxxers, and it’s amazing.
The Rogue One trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=frdj1zb9sMY
Rocket and Groot, from Guardians of the Galaxy, will be on the official emblem of the mission to Mars.
One more from Surviving the World, including a great pun:
For the last time, “chemtrails” aren’t a thing.
In honor of the spirit of the Olympics, here is the “Anthem of Anthems,” really cool!
Peter Mayhew’s (Chewbacca) moving tribute to Kenny Baker (R2D2)
American Horror Story season 6 launches this year, here’s the anthology trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sRko_9X0PT0
How not to get stuck in traffic, according to science!
A moving and in-depth interview with Colton Haynes about his family life, struggling to come out and life in Hollywood.
I’m so excited for “Hairspray, Live”! Here’s the trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZ7K0sbmIKk
The Pope, once again, attacks trans* kids. The normal reminder, that institutionalized discrimination, especially from something as big as the 1 billion-members Catholic Church leads to increased violence and suicides against those groups. And let us not forget that this is the same church that protects child molesters, so maybe people should stop listening to them. Just a thought.
On the other end of the spectrum, Nike has a great ad about Chris Mosier, a transman who competes in the triathlon.
Alright, let’s see what we have today, first up, the first audio of the Zombies, Run! Board Game has been released!
I’m not sure if I posted it before, but the Stonewall Inn is now a national monument!
Easy litmus test for you to use:
An amazing house built around a tree!
Science proves that bubble baths are the best!
In a surprise (well at least to me, I thought he retired), but welcome move, John Williams will compose the next Indiana Jones and Star Wars movies!
The amazing trailer for The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild:
In case you missed it: the Hamilton performances at The Tony’s
Some dumb bigot decided she wouldn’t bake a birthday cake for someone, because she is a lesbian.
Tribute video for the Pens 2015-2016 season:
Beer and ice cream float recipes! Sadly, there aren’t enough dairy-free ice cream flavors, but they sound delicious!
I hate the sound of my recorded voice. Loathe it. Here’s the science behind that!
Cool video showing the recording of the Legend of Zelda 25th Anniversary soundtrack:
The pro-life anti-choice case for voting for Clinton.
HBO’s “Looking” wrapped up with a movie. Although I loved how the second season ended (and was heartbroken that it wasn’t renewed for a third season), the trailer looks like it’s kept to the tone of the show:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eKKXaX–ifI
This just came up in a game of Cranium, but there is going to be a new run of the “Great Lakes Avengers,” which I described as a bunch of Yinzers with crappy Rust Belt powers trying not to get sued by the real Avengers.
Stunning pictures of the auroras on Jupiter.
I”m more and more convinced the Catholic Church is a hate group. Case in point, they tell gay people that acting on their sexuality and finding love is a sin. And if you ever commit that sin, you can’t take communion. So no chance of love or happiness, but if you do, you can’t partake in a sacrament. Really, they can believe whatever they want and keep whatever rules they want, but we’ll still fight them since they have so much power in the world and make the lives of queer people around the world a living hell.
Adam Lambert continues to impress me:
That’s it for now, have a great one!
Alright, quick update today. First up, after it’s sudden and horrible cancellation, the star of Agent Carter, is doing what she can to bring it back.
It’s an election year. And there’s a new attack ad against….Princess General Leia:
And speaking of Star Wars, watch adorable kids play music with Lightsaber bows!
Back in May, a water and energy bill was killed by republicans in Congress because it contained protections for LGBT workers.
But, some progress, after being called sinners for supporting the same type of rights, some house Republicans walked out of the committee meeting in protest.
A cute ad, very appropriate since the Euro football (soccer) tournament is currently going on:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2j80tCzDZgU
Did you know that Deadpool is actually pansexual? You’d never guess from the movie. So what if there actually was queer representation in comic book movies:
That’s it for now, have a great one!
So, I’ll be back with a post about Orlando soon. Right now it’s too raw, and there’s still too much we don’t know. And every time I think about it I break down. I spent two days a crying, sobbing mess, and right now I’m still a little numb. But I’ll get to that another day. For now, here’s a distraction (of which I’ve needed many) of some of the fun, upsetting and crazy things on the Internet.
First up, the teaser for the live action Beauty and the Beast:
Before Orlando, we were fighting over trans* people peeing. 10 states joined Texas in a federal lawsuit because they don’t want trans* kids, in schools, to be able to go to the bathroom safely. And people wonder why there’s anti-gay animus in this country.
And Texas also voted to keep ex-gay torture in their Republican party platform.
Titus from “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt” auditions for “Hamilton:”
A year later, has the Delta Foundation learned anything? Not really, but they’re a little better at PR moves.
The teaser for the new Rocky Horror. Which, the guy playing RiffRaff, nails that line perfectly, which made me feel a lot better about the whole thing (and Laverne Cox looks awesome):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=outmDIi29Bo
This Saturday is the Ball on the Bridge, bringing Ball Culture (predominantly African American drag competitions) out into the open. Looks awesome, but sadly I can’t go, had I known about it sooner, I would have cleared my schedule.
The Pens won the Stanley Cup! Which was the most needed distraction Sunday night. Hockey Night Canada did an amazing job with their recap, and the music is so, so fitting, you’ll be hearing it a lot I think:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KwQ04ICfEH0
Okay, that’s it for now, but I’ll be back with more, and an in depth look at Orlando soon.
First up today, Pascal Duquis writes for The Player’s Tribune, a beautiful essay entitled “Why We Play the Game,” as we head into Game 1.
Check out this beautiful new clock/bluetooth speaker that uses the night sky to help you tell time!
Also in beautiful, nerdy news, the vinyl soundtrack for Star Wars VII has holograms that display when it spins!
The teaser for the upcoming live-action Beauty and the Beast:
The Babel Fish from the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Universe has been created! Which means you can have a conversation with someone speaking another language!
The trailer for the latest Robert Langdon movie, Inferno, has dropped. I’m glad that they skipped The Lost Symbol, it was the weakest of the books.
Post-Modern Jukebox hits it out of the park with My Heart Will Go On:
Anti-trans* activists admit that they don’t like trans* people because of religion, which is the reasoning behind their legal actions.
While I don’t really like the game, it’s cool to see this record setting game of Carcassonne, using over 10,000 pieces of map!
A beautiful Legend of Zelda themed desk:
