Someday at Christmas is a Christmas album by Stevie Wonder, released on November 27th, 1967 under Motown Records. It was his eighth studio album release. It would also be re-released in 1978 with different cover art and different Catalog number (Original 1967 catalog: T-281, 1978 reissue: T7-362 R1). It would again be re-released as part of Universal Music‘s Christmas Edition of their successful 20th Century Masters series in 2003 with additional tracks.
GOP eyes ‘Obamacare trap’ warily
12/18/13 11:45 AM—Updated 12/18/13 04:22 PM
By Steve Benen
Rep. Marlin Stutzman (R) held an event in his Indiana district this week, at which health care was a major topic of conversation. According to a local press account, not everyone in this Republican area necessarily opposes “Obamacare.”
But Stutzman seemed to realize at the event that simply condemning what he doesn’t like won’t be enough. “What are you replacing it with? That’s what everybody is asking right now,” the congressman said, adding, “There’s several Republican plans that are competing with each other right now just internally. After the first of the year, we are going to try to sort through that.”
That last part was actually rather newsworthy – we didn’t know that House Republicans are planning to finally present their alternative to the Affordable Care Act sometime in 2014. In fact, Byron York reported that intra-party talks are still underway.
http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/gop-eyes-obamacare-trap-warily
Baucus to be named U.S. ambassador to China
The White House is set to name outgoing Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.) as its pick for ambassador to China, Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) and a Baucus ally familiar with the decision said Wednesday.
Baucus, 72, announced in April that he won’t seek reelection to the Senate in 2014.
Read more at:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-politics/wp/2013/12/18/white-house-to-nominate-baucus-for-ambassador-to-china/
An alternative look at Obama’s 5th year
12/18/13 10:15 AM—Updated 12/18/13 02:13 PM
By Steve Benen
When books are written on Barack Obama’s presidency, it’s unlikely that his fifth year will be celebrated as the pinnacle of his tenure. On the contrary, it’s a year White House officials almost certainly consider a disappointment.
But I’m not sure it’s been quite as disastrous as advertised.
For much of the Beltway, that the year was an abject disaster is a foregone conclusion. “Little seems to have gone right for the White House in 2013,” Politico noted this morning in a piece asking which administration had the worst fifth year. Obama had the “worst year in Washington,” the Washington Post concluded last week. 2013 “has been a pretty terrible year” for the president, BuzzFeed argued.
This has been “Obama’s year from hell,” The New Republic said. When Beltway pundits aren’t comparing Obama’s 2013 to George W. Bush’s 5th year, they’re comparing it Richard Nixon’s 5th year.
Even the most enthusiastic Obama supporter would probably balk at heralding 2013 as a success, but the premise of these analyses seems a little excessive. Consider:
http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/alternative-look-obamas-5th-year
2013 should go down in history as the year the MEDIA really showed their asses, because PBO won RE-ELECTION!
Warren: credit history shouldn’t matter in employment
12/17/13 04:00 PM—Updated 12/18/13 12:53 AM
By Steve Benen
When someone applies for a job in the United States, employment law already places some limits on what an applicant can and can’t be asked. An employer can’t ask, for example, about someone’s marital status or national origin.
But businesses can and do check applicants’ credit rating, which puts those with poor credit histories at a severe disadvantage, even though credit ratings offer practically no useful information about a candidate’s qualifications. It’s exactly why Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) introduced legislation to prohibit this practice (thanks to my colleague Laura Conaway for the tip).
“A bad credit rating is far more often the result of unexpected medical costs, unemployment, economic downturns, or other bad breaks than it is a reflection on an individual’s character or abilities,” Warren said in a statement. “Families have not fully recovered from the 2008 financial crisis, and too many Americans are still searching for jobs. This is about basic fairness.”
The Hill reports that new legislation, called the Equal Employment for All Act, “amends the Fair Credit Reporting Act to prevent prospective employers from using consumer credit reports as a basis for making hiring decisions. It also blocks companies from using credit checks as a basis for decisions related to current employees.”
http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/credit-history-shouldnt-matter-employment
Public opinion on Obamacare has been locked in for years
By Greg Sargent
December 17 at 4:24 pm
Today’s Washington Post/ABC News poll has some terrible findings for Obama and his signature domestic accomplishment — his disapproval is at record highs, and big majorities remain skeptical of Obamacare’s impact.
But it also finds that overall support for the law is back to pre-rollout levels, with the public now almost evenly split on it again, at 46-49.
I’ve got some new numbers from the Post polling team that shed a bit of light on why the law’s approval has enjoyed something of a rebound. The short version: It originally cratered because of a big drop among young people (aged 18-29), moderates, and independents, and also because groups who were already most hostile to the law turned on it even more fiercely.
The rebound in support is driven mostly by these comebacks, which are the largest changes our poll recorded:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2013/12/17/public-opinion-on-obamacare-has-been-locked-in-for-years/
Elizabeth Warren sheds light on Washington’s failure
By Ryan Cooper
December 17 at 2:36 pm
Today, Elizabeth Warren is introducing a bill to ban the use of credit scores during the hiring process. While this is a fairly small-bore reform, it is probably still worth doing.
But the fact that these are the reforms that most liberal Senators are driven to is striking in and of itself. It’s yet another reminder that Washington has basically given up on trying to deal with the major consequences of the Great Recession.
Five years ago we suffered the worst shock to the economy since 1929, and unemployment exploded. The Recovery Act definitely helped, but didn’t come anywhere close to fixing the problem, and the damage to society has been catastrophic. For example, take a look at the job seekers-to-job openings ratio: it was just over two months ago that the number finally fell below 3-to-1, which is as high as it ever got during the early 2000s recession.
This fact sheet from Demos gives the lowdown on Warren’s bill (which has been previously introduced in the House). Here’s a particularly sharp part of the analysis:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2013/12/17/elizabeth-warren-sheds-light-on-washingtons-failure/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dd8SJlvfrlA#t=19
BWA HA HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
OOPS!
Guess what I just got? A huge bag of homemade peanut brittle from an older woman who lives in our community. She makes me candy every year for Christmas. This woman can throw down!!
I’m so happy!
Cookies!!!
Yummy! May I have a few of these, please?
Help yourself. They’re delicious.
Wow!
Yahtc, how was your experience at the Kwanzaa event?
I am going to it this Sunday, Ametia :) Thanks for asking. (I am to take one item from Africa…..gotta find my Makonde wooden carved panel. Going to borrow the necklace that I made that has brass bell from Nigeria, but I don’t have any African clothing :(
Could you lend me something, Ametia….like a dashiki or head scarf?
Then to Carmen’s house Jan1 for the last day of it.
I just learned about the African clothing part when I was on the phone to Carmen yesterday.
I just remembered! I have a shuka from Tanzania that a friend’s daughter gave me. It is wool and looks like the one on top in this photo:
http://www.barkingzebratours.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/tanzanian-gifts-shuka1.jpg
Her daughter had spent 3 years living in a village in Malawi helping start a farm co-op. She visited Tanzania on her way home.
Wow! Sounds interesting.
There are many ways to wear it…..I think I will just knot it over one shoulder.
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_bDUEHcpk86w/SHjY9c3RiqI/AAAAAAAABqA/xJ13xf_zTJw/s400/08-07-13+Maasai+youth+(Calvert).jpg
I am glad Carmen reminded me that I should wear some sort of African clothing. This is going to be at her church after the service.
Yes, her daughter made a lot of friends that she still stays in touch with and went back and revisited her village this year. She is great with languages.
LOL I’d have gladly shipped you a dress and head wrap!
truth is always stranger than fiction
EPA worker faked secret CIA job for time off
Rachel Maddow tells the story of a top level EPA employee who pretended to be a top secret CIA agent in order to take paid time off from work.
http://on.msnbc.com/1bcUxIo
SMGDH
SG2, where are you?!
love this
Good afternoon, everyone!
I saw this earlier. So happy to see Potus and Steve Harvey spreading Christmas cheer. Steve Harvey has always had such a beautiful smile. I swear he looks just like my nephew. And my nephew is just as crazy. (funny crazy)
Obamas, Bidens Won’t Attend Sochi
Neither President or Mrs. Obama nor Vice President or Dr. Biden will be a part of the U.S. delegation to the Sochi Olympics. Instead, Janet Napolitano, the president of the University of California and former secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, will lead the delegation to the opening ceremony.
http://www.buzzfeed.com/chrisgeidner/top-us-officials-will-be-staying-away-from-sochi-olympics
Stevie’s warming my heart this morning.
When real progressives took on the national security apparatus
Smartypants
“In the need to develop a capacity to know what potential enemies are doing, the United States government has perfected a technological capability that enables us to monitor the messages that go through the air. Now, that is necessary and important to the United States as we look abroad at enemies or potential enemies. We must know, at the same time, that capability at any time could be turned around on the American people, and no American would have any privacy left such is the capability to monitor everything…There would be no place to hide.
http://immasmartypants.blogspot.com/
Talut @Talut1h
Violent Anti-African Race Riot Rocks Israel, Black Men and Women Beaten http://fb.me/21ym3S1ei
http://www.blacknews.com/news/eartha_watts-hicks_love_changes_naacp_image_award101.shtml#.UrGuR6Uw1fQ
http://www.ctpost.com/news/article/Musical-celebration-puts-the-focus-on-Kwanzaa-5072495.php
http://www.sacbee.com/2013/12/17/6007367/pov-awards-grants-to-pbs-stations.html
where are those cooning graphics?
Democrats Have Maxed Out the Race Card
By Ron Christie
December 17th 20135:45 AM
A skirmish on MSNBC underscores the new normal in Democratic thinking: If you disagree with Obama, you must be racist. That’s damaging our cultural fabric.
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/12/17/democrats-have-maxed-out-the-race-card.html
Look Ronnie boy, you can certainly DISAGREE with the POTUS.
It’s waving the confederate flag in front of the WH, calling him a Maxist, Socialist, asking for his BIRTH CERTIFICATE, hanging effigies of his likeness,… shall we go on, fool?
http://youtu.be/D-FhFKl3FXM
WOW! Fabulous!
Thank you SO much for posting this, rikyrah!!!
Beautiful! Voices of angels.
Wednesday, December 18th, 2013
http://www.bellanaija.com/2013/12/18/the-best-friends-youve-missed-tripican-com-presents-morris-chestnut-regina-hall-taye-diggs-nia-long-more-in-the-best-man-holiday/
December 17, 2013, 10:36 pm
First lady to go on radio blitz for ObamaCare
By Justin Sink
Michelle Obama will sit for a trio of interviews with urban radio stations as part of a coordinated White House blitz intended to promote ObamaCare coverage among mothers and minorities.
The first lady will be interviewed Wednesday evening by Yolanda Adams, Al Sharpton, and Joe Madison, three of the nation’s most popular African American talk radio hosts.
Her interviews are part of a broader effort by the White House and partnerships with outside groups, faith leaders, and health professionals to encourage African Americans to get covered,” a White House official said.
The first lady’s radio appearances are intended to compliment an afternoon event with the president and mothers who have worked to promote ObamaCare in the Oval Office.
The White House believes women are crucial to their push to get uninsured consumers to sign up for coverage. That’s especially important after the botched rollout of the ObamaCare website prevented early enrollments in the system, leaving the administration playing catch up in the final three months before enrollment closes.
http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/193475-first-lady-to-go-on-radio-blitz-for-obamacare
BRING IT FLOTUS!
SG2,
it’s 25 degrees here!!!
woo hoo!!!
Good Morning, Everyone :)
http://www.blacknews.com/directory/black_african_american_newspapers.shtml
http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2013-12-16/news/sns-rt-us-usa-santa-race-20131216_1_santa-claus-school-teacher-megyn-kelly
http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/African-American-Santa-Claus-Latino-Santa-Mall–236090381.html
CDC doctor led polio eradication project in India
The Partnership for Public Service
Two years ago, India was declared polio free in large part because of the work and dedication of Dr. Hamid Jafari, a medical officer from the CDC.
http://link.email.washingtonpost.com/r/MEPMRJ/5VC6X5/TTBK20/TP13NEZ/VL0OHK/SN/h
Good Morning, Everyone! GUESS WHAT DAY IT IS!!! :-))))
http://blogs.laweekly.com/arts/2013/12/diversity_forum_pasadena_playhouse.php
December 17, 2013
http://www.thedurhamnews.com/2013/12/17/3462688/black-actors-gaining-ground-in.html
December 17
http://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Valisia-LeKae-Reveals-Ovarian-Cancer-Diagnosis-Withdraws-from-Broadways-MOTOWN-THE-MUSICAL-20131217
I am sending prayers for her healing and speedy recovery.
“Why the debate about Santa’s whiteness actually matters for politics.”
PAUL WALDMAN DECEMBER 17, 2013
http://prospect.org/article/white-me
Thanks for this article, Yahtc. YOUR ROCK!
You are welcome, Ametia.
Wishing you a great day!
TY; same to you. Yahtc,can you Please post these in the Black Santa thread too?
Done!
THIS:
I’m not going to bother going into detail about what a howler that is on both counts, but what’s interesting is how O’Reilly is under the impression that even 2,000 years ago, people living in what is now Israel would have had an idea of whiteness that included them. For O’Reilly, “white” seems to mean something like “people I now like,” but in America, whiteness has always been a fluid category. For example, at one time in our history, Italian-Americans weren’t considered white, and many people think that over time, Hispanics will end up being brought into the white category as well (if for no other reason than so whites can remain the majority).
Now here’s why this matters for politics. As you surely know, Republicans have a problem with minority voters. In 2012, President Obama won not only 93 percent of the African-American vote and 71 percent of the votes of Hispanics, the nation’s largest minority group, he also won 73 percent of the votes of Asian-Americans, the country’s fastest-growing minority group.
They have to CO-OPT POC and claim this as white for their party. DESPERATE MUCH!
http://arts.heraldtribune.com/2013-12-16/featured/theater-review-asolo-rep/
http://www.pghcitypaper.com/pittsburgh/promoter-alleges-discrimination-at-station-square-nightspots/Content?oid=1717108
http://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/theater_dance/shannon-harkins-the-face-of-african-american-ballet-dancers-struggle/2013/11/26/06c28738-5083-11e3-a7f0-b790929232e1_story.html
http://host.madison.com/ct/news/local/city-life/justified-anger-rev-alex-gee-says-madison-is-failing-its/article_14f6126c-fc1c-55aa-a6a3-6c3d00a4424c.html
18 DECEMBER 2013 WRITTEN BY JEFFREY L. BONEY
http://forwardtimesonline.com/2013/index.php/state-local/item/753-no-african-american-women-on-houston-city-council-for-first-time-since-1999
Wishing all of you a beautiful Good Morning!