Tuesday Open Thread | Lionel Richie Week

Posted on December 31, 2013 by rikyrah

We end 2013 with Lionel Richie

This entry was posted in Music, Open Thread, Politics and tagged , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

53 Responses to Tuesday Open Thread | Lionel Richie Week

  1. Yahtc says:
    January 1, 2014 at 12:24 am

    “U.S. border guards may check, copy laptop files”
    Jan. 1, 2014 at 12:30 AM

    NEW YORK, Jan. 1 (UPI) — U.S. border guards have a right to inspect and copy files from travelers’ laptops and other devices without reasonable suspicion of wrongdoing, a judge ruled.
    Such searches are rare, with “about a 10 in a million chance” of happening, so “there is not a substantial risk” someone’s laptop, cellphone or other device will be searched and seized at the nation’s borders, including at airports and on trains, U.S. District Judge Edward R. Korman wrote.

    But for people whose devices do get searched, the government doesn’t need reasonable suspicion to examine or confiscate them, he wrote, citing case law that holds “searches at our borders without probable cause and without a warrant are nonetheless ‘reasonable.'”

    In making his ruling, Korman, of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York in Brooklyn, dismissed a lawsuit by graduate student Pascal Abidor, an Islamic studies scholar and a dual French-U.S. citizen, who had his laptop inspected and taken by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers in May 2010 while he was on an Amtrak train from Montreal to New York.

    The officers also handcuffed him, placed him in a cell and questioned him for several hours, the New York Times said.

    The law enforcement agency, part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, returned the laptop 11 days later.

    Abidor could prove no legal injury from the laptop’s confiscation, the Washington Post said.

    The National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and the National Press Photographers Association joined Abidor in the case, arguing their members travel with confidential information that should be protected from government scrutiny.

    Represented by the American Civil Liberties Union, they all alleged the policy violated their rights to privacy and free speech.

    “While it is true that laptops may make overseas work more convenient, the precautions plaintiffs may choose to take to ‘mitigate’ the alleged harm associated with the remote possibility of a border search are simply among the many inconveniences associated with international travel,” wrote Korman, who is also a visiting judge on the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in California.

    That court ruled in March extensive “forensic” searches required reasonable suspicion of criminal activity, but simple checks of photos and other files did not. Korman was not one of the judges in that case.

    The ACLU said it was considering an appeal.

    Catherine Crump, the ACLU attorney who argued the case in July 2011, said in a statement the searches Korman’s ruling addressed were “part of a broader pattern of aggressive government surveillance that collects information on too many innocent people, under lax standards and without adequate oversight.”

    Homeland Security spokesman Peter Boogaard said, “These checks are essential to enforcing the law, and protecting national security and public safety, always with the shared goals of protecting the American people while respecting civil rights and civil liberties.”

    Read more: http://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2014/01/01/US-border-guards-may-check-copy-laptop-files/UPI-57721388554200/#ixzz2p7pbZFd2

    Reply
  2. SouthernGirl2 says:
    January 1, 2014 at 12:17 am

    Happy New Year, everyone! 2014!

    champagne

    Reply
  6. rikyrah says:
    December 31, 2013 at 9:16 pm

    I pretty much watched all of them…LOL

    My favorite was Profit – which was so ahead of its time.

    If it had been on cable and two years later, we’d be talking about it’s awesomeness during its long run.

    Anyone else out there among the 100 people who watched Profit back in the day?

    ……………………..

    16 Promising TV Shows That Plummeted
    These TV shows seemed to have the makings of success: good writing, great characters, interesting story, original concepts, but ratings didn’t live up to the hype or the hope, and they were pulled from the air before they even had a fighting chance. So sad to see all these promising TV shows that failed to make a mark. Here’s to all our fallen favorites…
    Reminisce with these 15 promising TV shows that plummeted.

    http://styleblazer.com/198615/15-promising-tv-shows-that-failed/

    Reply
  7. rikyrah says:
    December 31, 2013 at 8:52 pm

    TV Guide Magazine’s 60 Best Series of All Time
    Bruce Fretts and Matt Roush
    Dec 23, 2013 07:01 AM ET
    by Bruce Fretts and Matt Roush

    So many golden ages, so much brilliance from which to choose. In culling from the “60 Greatest” lists we’ve compiled during our 60th-anniversary year, we shook things up, blending drama, comedy and other genres to salute the shows with the biggest cultural impact and most enduring influence. What will the next 60 years bring? We can’t wait to find out.

    1. The Sopranos A family saga like no other and a Mafia drama that whacked us repeatedly
    with its psychological riches and gallows humor, David Chase’s groundbreaking masterpiece asked us to empathize with the most human of mobsters (and monsters): Tony, played by the great James Gandolfini. He and his gang haunt us still.

    2. Seinfeld The hilarious spirits of the masters of their domains echo in shows like Veep and cocreator Larry David’s Curb Your Enthusiasm, but Seinfeld set the bar for lovable outrageousness with memorable shtick that shocked and awed. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.

    3. I Love Lucy No ‘splaining necessary. We’ve loved zany Lucy, hotheaded Ricky and the loyal Mertzes for as long as we can remember. Whether in the candy factory, stomping grapes or cavorting with Harpo Marx, Lucille Ball showed generations of funny ladies and gents how it’s done.

    4. All in the Family Norman Lear brought domestic television ­comedy into the real world with the Bunkers, whose ’70s culture clashing hit home with an ­unflinching pungency but also a surplus of heart. And then came Maude, The Jeffersons, Good Times and more: an empire of meaningful humor.

    5. The Twilight Zone Even 3-D pales next to the endlessly inventive “dimension not only of sight and sound but of mind” created by Rod Serling, TV’s multifaceted Dickens. His anthology of fantastic stories bridged the worlds of sci-fi and horror with whimsy and an abiding faith in humanity.

    6. The Wire Hot-button issues — the war on drugs, political corruption, the failures of the education system — deeply resonated in David Simon’s unvarnished journey into the heart of Baltimore’s urban darkness. The result was so vérité, it often felt more like a documentary than a drama.

    7. The Mary Tyler Moore Show America’s sweetheart turned the world on with her smile, a toss of the hat and a plucky spunk that radiated throughout her TV-newsroom office. A gallery of lovable characters would earn their own spots in the pantheon — Rhoda, Phyllis and Lou Grant among them.

    8. M*A*S*H Laughing in the face of death, Hawkeye, Trapper John, B.J., Hot Lips and the other cutups of the 4077th made war a little less hellish. M*A*S*H wore its Purple Heart on its bloody sleeve, and we cared deeply for these reluctant heroes on the front lines of daring satire.

    9. Breaking Bad From the first tragicomic escapade to the blistering finale, Vince Gilligan’s ­immorality tale was as addictive as the blue meth that made Walter White into a criminal legend. Bryan Cranston’s transformative performance is one for the ages.

    10. The Simpsons After more than two decades and 500 episodes of whip-smart parody that made sacred cows an endangered species, we’re still drawn to Springfield and its colorfully warped denizens.

    http://www.tvguide.com/News/TV-Guide-Magazine-60-Best-Series-1074962.aspx

    Reply
  8. Ametia says:
    December 31, 2013 at 7:44 pm

    4 min ago – @BreakingNews: Former first lady Barbara Bush is hospitalized in Houston – @KPRCLocal2 m.twitter.com/BreakingNews Will update with link.

    Reply
  10. SouthernGirl2 says:
    December 31, 2013 at 6:17 pm

    champagneWhatever You Like

    As long as you got me you won’t need nobody
    You want it, I got it. Go get it, I’ll buy it
    Tell them other broke niggas be quiet..

    Reply
  11. rikyrah says:
    December 31, 2013 at 1:55 pm

    Monday, December 30, 2013
    Conservative Editor Who Was Hospitalized Without Health Insurance And Had To Rely On Donations Is Still Against Obamacare

    A few months ago, I wrote about how a guy named Caleb Howe, an editor for Redstate.com, was hospitalized with a failing liver. As bad as that was, the situation was even worse because it turned out that Caleb didn’t have health insurance. His boss, Erick Erickson, set up a fund to help his family pay their bills. A blogger on Daily Kos named Semdem then set up another fund as well.

    Well, the good news is that Caleb seems to be okay now, and was back on the twitter, twittering away. So I decided to ask a question I had for him months ago:

    ReadingIsForSnobs @RIFSnobs
    Follow
    @CalebHowe Glad you’re okay from your recent medical problems Caleb. But I do want to ask if your experience changed your opinion on O-care?3:16 PM – 29 Dec 2013

    Caleb Howe @CalebHowe
    Follow
    @RIFSnobs I don’t think so. Not my first run-in with the healthcare industry frankly.4:49 PM – 29 Dec 2013

    http://www.readingisforsnobs.com/2013/12/conservative-editor-who-was.html

    Reply
  12. Ametia says:
    December 31, 2013 at 1:22 pm

    Let’s not forget who gets to make nasty, racists, comments on MSNBC, apologizeS, and gets to keep their jobs and those who DON’T

    Now does it depend on who says it, who they say it about, and what was said? JUST ASKING

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z2-HjBI_1ag

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sDmWt6CBevw

    STILL WORKS WITH MSNBC

    WHAT COLOR IS POTUS?

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3fbJE3RUJMw

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8rXWbS6SULA
    RESIGNS/GETS FIRED

    WHAT COLOR IS PALIN?

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=WBXeLNsuAgU

    https://twitter.com/search?q=%23MHPapology&src=hash

    NO WORD ON MHP’S JOB STATUS… YET

    WHAT COLOR IS ROMNEY?

    Reply
    • Yahtc says:
      December 31, 2013 at 2:01 pm

      Let’s not forget who gets to make nasty, racists, comments on MSNBC, apologizeS, and gets to keep their jobs and those who DON’T

      Now does it depend on who says it, who they say it about, and what was said? JUST ASKING

      The only word that comes to my mind is INEQUALITY

      TV’s White power/structure money again rules the day :(

      Reply
      • Ametia says:
        December 31, 2013 at 6:39 pm

        Got that right, Yahtc. They want to shut down Black folks who speak, they don’t want them to have a voice, especailly when it comes to speaking about white folks.
        It’s the “Black GAZE.” Can’t have that.

        Toni Morrison speaks about the “white gaze” and not including it in her writings. We see and hear enough about how blacks are OBJECTIFIED DAILY.

        Reply
  13. Ametia says:
    December 31, 2013 at 12:43 pm

    What your favorite drink says about your politics, in one chart

    I’m a teetotaler; what say you folks who take a swig every now and then?

    http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/govbeat/wp/2013/12/31/what-your-favorite-drink-says-about-your-politics-in-one-chart/?wpisrc=nl_pmpol

    Reply
  14. SouthernGirl2 says:
    December 31, 2013 at 12:18 pm
    Reply
  15. SouthernGirl2 says:
    December 31, 2013 at 11:54 am
    Reply
  16. Yahtc says:
    December 31, 2013 at 11:06 am

    I need to post this video again.

    Madiba, you will always be in my Heart!

    Reply
  17. SouthernGirl2 says:
    December 31, 2013 at 9:22 am
    Reply
  18. TyrenM says:
    December 31, 2013 at 9:21 am

    “Sail On.” Lionel saying goodbye to The Commodores. Thanks Rikyrah for the Lionel Week!

    Reply
  19. SouthernGirl2 says:
    December 31, 2013 at 9:16 am
    Reply
  21. rikyrah says:
    December 31, 2013 at 8:20 am

    December 30, 2013, 6:40 pm 1 Comment

    Assange’s Father Met Assad in Damascus

    By ROBERT MACKEY

    Updated, 8:43 p.m. | Julian Assange’s father met with President Bashar al-Assad of Syria during a visit to Damascus last week as a member of “a solidarity delegation,” The Australian reported on Monday.

    A photograph of the meeting, posted on the Syrian presidency’s Twitter feed and released by the state news agency, showed Mr. Assange’s biological father, John Shipton, seated two places away from Mr. Assad.

    http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/12/30/assanges-father-met-assad-in-damascus/?smid=tw-thelede&seid=auto&_r=1

    Reply
  22. rikyrah says:
    December 31, 2013 at 8:04 am

    Mayor-elect names ex-teacher as head of NYC schools

    New York Mayor-elect Bill de Blasio names Carmen Farina, a former teacher, as the city’s next schools chancellor. Reuters 19 hr ago | By Reuters

    NEW YORK — New York City’s Mayor-elect Bill de Blasio on Monday named Carmen Farina, a longtime teacher and administrator, as the next chancellor of the nation’s largest public school system.

    Farina, 70, will oversee teachers, implement policy and be in charge of curriculum for 1.2 million students in New York City. She will also advise city officials who are negotiating a new contract with teachers.

    “Carmen has worked at nearly every level of this school system. She knows our students, teachers, principals and parents better than anyone, and she will deliver progressive change in our schools that lifts up children in every neighborhood,” de Blasio, who takes office on January 1, said at a news conference.

    http://news.msn.com/us/mayor-elect-names-ex-teacher-as-head-of-nyc-schools#tscptmt

    Reply
  23. rikyrah says:
    December 31, 2013 at 8:02 am

    Jeff Gauvin @JeffersonObama
    Follow
    Conservatives shooting up schools with AR-15s = FREE MARKETS…Calling blacks & gays virulent names = Free Markets.

    9:09 PM – 30 Dec 2013

    Reply
  24. rikyrah says:
    December 31, 2013 at 8:02 am

    Jeff Gauvin @JeffersonObama
    Follow
    lol RW media wants @MHarrisPerry fired for mentioning there’s a token black baby in the GOP but praise Duck Dynasty for calling out gays

    8:26 PM – 30 Dec 2013

    Reply
  28. rikyrah says:
    December 31, 2013 at 7:58 am

    BREAKING: Dwyane Wade CONFIRMS He Fathered A Baby Boy OUTSIDE Of Relationship With Gabrielle Union, Gabby RESPONDS To Critics “Work On Yourself”

    Miami Heat star Dwyane Wade popped the question to Gabrielle Union last week, but now there are reports that he had a baby boy OUTSIDE of their relationship. Get the deets on Dwyane Wade’s youngest son inside…

    According to ET News, Miami Heat baller Dwyane Wade has fathered another baby boy! Now, we all know Gabby isn’t pregnant…so that means…yea.

    Apparently the two took a break from one another and in that time D. Wade got a chick pregnant. It’s being reported that Gabby was made aware of the child BEFORE the engagement and they have worked through this issue privately.

    So who’s the mother? That’s a mystery for now. All we know is that the mystery woman and D. Wade have known each other “for many years.” It’s important to note that Dwyane and the mother are on good terms and ET News says he recently spent time with his youngest son.

    We do find it a bit odd that the new baby boy doesn’t appear in the holiday photos that Gabby and D. Wade just shot with Wade’s two sons Zaire & Zion and nephew Dahveon.

    Meanwhile……Gabrielle has addressed the news on Twitter by asking critics and haters to “work on themselves” before pointing the finger at Dwyane and their situation.

    http://theybf.com/2013/12/30/breaking-dwyane-wade-confirms-he-fathered-a-baby-boy-outside-of-relationship-with

    Reply
  29. rikyrah says:
    December 31, 2013 at 7:56 am

    The Top 10 Awesomely Luvvie Posts of 2013
    December 30, 2013 | Luvvie

    2013 has been a FANTAWESOME (fantastic and awesome) year on AwesomelyLuvvie.com. My traffic tripled from last year, with more people discovering my work and more opportunities came my way. I definitely hit my jig just thinking about it.

    As a space that covers pop culture, TV/movies, technology and social issues, my blog is where I come to rant and rave about what I care about, what I enjoy and what I’m about (and I created a Luvvie Glossary)! So it’s just dope to know that I can connect with folks on a grand scale through my randomness! And your HILARIOUS comments have made writing here a blast!

    Below are the top 10 posts I wrote this year based on how many people read it (not counting any of the Scandal stuff), in case you missed it:

    http://www.awesomelyluvvie.com/2013/12/top-10-awesomely-luvvie-posts-2013.html#comment-325829

    Reply
  30. rikyrah says:
    December 31, 2013 at 7:52 am

    Howard Dean is Dead Wrong on Obamacare’s Individual Mandate
    Monday, December 30, 2013 | Posted by Spandan Chakrabarti at 1:08 PM

    Howard Dean, 2004 Democratic presidential candidate, former Vermont governor and former DNC chair, has a regular gig appearing on CNBC. In one such appearance, he said today that the individual responsibility provision of Obamacare was unnecessary and would hurt Democrats in next year’s elections.

    Gov. Dean is wrong. He didn’t explain his argument much, but from what I can saw together from his previous statements and campaign (his 2004 campaign was what brought me to politics), his argument revolves around his experience in overhauling Vermont’s health insurance market as governor, which he admitted did a great job at. Dean has often argued that because Vermont was able to achieve close-to-universal coverage without the individual mandate, the rest of the country would be, too.

    Except that Vermont isn’t exactly like the rest of the country, nor was what Dean did in Vermont possible in the US Congress. 92% of Vermonters had health insurance when Obamacare was passed into law, and while high, the rate has been pushed up to 93.5% thanks to Obamacare even before the exchanges took effect. Even so, Massachusetts, with nearly the same requirements on the health insurance market, has an insured rate of 96.1%. The difference? The individual mandate, which Massachusetts has but Vermont does not.

    And as John Gruber pointed out during similar rants by Dean during the passage of Obamacare, Massachussetts residents also enjoy broader coverage and more choices than Vermonters. For a 45 year old male, Professor Gruber points out, the Massachusetts marketplace offers 41 choices of plans to Vermont’s 6, and plans with comparable plans have a smaller deductible in Massachusetts.

    Some might point to the fact that Vermont has a smaller pool overall, with a population of only about a half a million to Massachusetts’s 6.5 million civilian non-institutionalized population, as the reason why Vermonters’ choices are more limited and more expensive. Those who claim this point are partially correct, but they also – perhaps unwittingly – concede a crucial point: Vermont’s semi-successful model cannot be extrapolated onto much bigger, more diverse states.

    http://www.thepeoplesview.net/2013/12/howard-dean-is-dead-wrong-on-obamacares.html

    Reply
  31. rikyrah says:
    December 31, 2013 at 5:37 am

    Good Morning, Everyone :)

    Reply

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