Friday Open Thread | Jill Scott Week: Duets

TGIF! Hope you’ve been enjoying Jill Scott this week.

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55 Responses to Friday Open Thread | Jill Scott Week: Duets

  1. rikyrah says:

    I’m still sad about Forever’s cancellation. I can’t quite delete the finale from the DVR

  2. Breaking News: #JamesHolmes has been sentenced to life in prison without possibility of parole in theater shooting case

    • Liza says:

      So he evaded the death penalty. Well, I guess that means his insanity defense did that much, the same that could have been accomplished without a trial.

  3. Have a good weekend, Chicas!

  4. Ametia says:

    The jury has reached a verdict in the sentencing of James Holmes, who was convicted last month for killing 12 people and wounding 70 at an Aurora, Colorado, movie theater in 2012. The verdict is to be read at 7 p.m. ET.

    Can we say, FRY, this mofo

  5. rikyrah says:

    the incredible cowardice of senator chuck schumer
    By Liberal Librarian

    Chuck Schumer, senior Senator from New York, last night came out in opposition to the Iran nuclear deal negotiated by the five permanent Security Council members and the EU, a deal which takes an Iranian nuclear weapon off the table.

    The fact that he released his statement when followers of politics had their eyes fixed on the GOP beauty pageant is telling. It was the equivalent of a Friday afternoon news dump.

    Of course, he wasn’t counting that those of us who are Obama supporters and supporters of peace can do more than one thing at a time. The reaction was instant and furious. I’ve tried calling Sen. Schumer’s office, and no one is answering the phone.

    His Medium piece is one roiling paranoid fantasy that Iranians can never be trusted, ever, on a par with Binyamin Netanyahu’s belief that Iran wants to conquer the world.

    Nowhere in his piece does he address the fact that if the US rejects the deal, the other signatories are not bound by that rejection. They are tired of the sanctions regime, and will no longer be able to trust the US on negotiating any accord. Certainly Russia and China will lift their sanctions. And France, Britain, and the EU are not likely to fall back in line when there’s already a breach in the sanctions regime, absolutely fed up by US fecklessness.

    What Senator Schumer is advocating is a dereliction of US leadership. Approving a deal maintains a coalition built painstakingly by Pres. Obama, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and current SoS John Kerry. Rejecting the deal does not enhance the US’s position in the world, but tarnishes it as much as anything done during the Bush Administration. It is strategic and political malfeasance.

    It is also telling that Mr. Schumer spends half of his statement on the non-nuclear aspects of relations with Iran. There he paints Iran as a member of that putative Axis of Evil, on a par with Nazi Germany, unwilling to change, always seeking to dominate the Middle East and the world. His “better deal” would have addressed the totality of the Iranian political system, not just its nuclear program. How he thinks the Powers could have gotten Iran to the table if the ultimate object was complete capitulation he doesn’t adumbrate. Merely the fact that the deal didn’t include curbs on Iran’s strategic interests is sufficient to scupper it.

    What the putative future Democratic Senate leader did last night was to call for war. This is not scare mongering. US strategic interests cannot allow a nuclear-armed Iran. Absent this deal, Iran will be able to, if it wishes, manufacture nuclear weapons. To prevent this, the US will have to launch a costly, catastrophic war, with no support from any of its allies. It is, quite simply, a recipe for the destruction of American leadership. It would also destroy the world economy. Such a man is not fit to have any position of leadership in the Democratic Party.

    Mr. Schumer said a few days ago that he would not be swayed by party in his deliberations over the Iran deal. He obviously was also not swayed by logic, empathy, or plain common sense. If the President’s veto is overturned, the pursuant deaths will be on his head.

    http://theobamadiary.com/2015/08/07/the-incredible-cowardice-of-senator-chuck-schumer/

  6. rikyrah says:

    A Couple of Thoughts on Debates

    by BooMan
    Fri Aug 7th, 2015 at 10:32:44 AM EST

    Eleven years can do bad things to your memory. I was as close to certain as certain can be that it was Brit Hume who asked Al Sharpton to explain his understanding of the Federal Reserve during a debate in New Hampshire in 2004, but it turns out that it was Peter Jennings. What I must have been remembering was Hume laughing and crowing afterward about Sharpton’s inability to answer the question. I also didn’t realize that it was a joint FOX/ABC debate. I thought it was sponsored solely by FOX, although ABC has traditionally been almost as partisan in the way they treat these debates.

    A sample from April 16, 2008:

    STEPHANOPOULOS: A gentleman named William Ayers. He was part of the Weather Underground in the 1970s. They bombed the Pentagon, the Capitol, and other buildings. He’s never apologized for that. And in fact on 9/11 he was quoted in The New York Times saying ‘I dont regret setting bombs I feel we did not do enough.’ An early organizing meeting for your state Senate campaign was held at his house, and your campaign has said you are ‘friendly.’ Can you explain that relationship for the voters and explain to Democrats why it won’t be a problem?

    In any case, going back to the 2004 debate in New Hampshire, the FOX/ABC moderators were trolling the Democratic candidates all night. It opened with a question from Jennings for John Kerry:

    JENNINGS: In your career, you voted to raise billions of dollars in taxes. You’ve advocated spending billions more in this particular campaign. So I would like you at the outset to put yourself in a moment, on a stage like this, if you’re the nominee sometime during the fall. And if you are the nominee, what will you say exactly, precisely, if at that time President Bush says, “Senator Kerry is going to raise your taxes and I am not”?

    Then he asked Howard Dean to answer the same question, but with a proviso that he could use all his time to talk about “The Scream” if he’d prefer to do that:

    JENNINGS: Governor Dean, I’m going to ask you the same question. It happened, of course, to Governor Dukakis, to Walter Mondale and to Al Gore. And you are supporting more tax increases than Senator Kerry.

    But I do also, in fairness, want to give you a choice here, if you’d like to use some of the time to talk about — or maybe all the time, your choice — to talk about what some people think was your overly enthusiastic speech to you supporters the other night, which many people actually think has hurt your candidacy…

    http://www.boomantribune.com/story/2015/8/7/103244/1188

  7. rikyrah says:

    Boycott Over Whitewashing of Upcoming ‘Stonewall’

    Shadow and Act
    By Sergio | Shadow and Act

    August 6, 2015 at 2:17PM

    The Stonewall Riots, which took place in June 1969, in New York, is considered the impetus for the modern-day gay liberation movement. Even though the exact details on what started it are still somewhat sketchy, basically what is commonly reported to have happened is that, the NYC police, who would regularly raid and harass the patrons at the Stonewall Inn in Greenwich Village, showed up on that summer night in June, to harass and arrest as usual. But this time however, the people finally got fed up; and what followed were protests, demonstrations and violence, before things finally quieted down, several days later. But what resulted was the creation of gay activist organizations around the country, and the first aggressive push for the recognition of gay rights, which continues to this day.

    …………………………………………
    But even before its release, Emmerich’s upcoming film is already facing a storm of controversy, with an online boycott movement and Twitter protest, against the film. So what’s at the root of it all? In short, the whitewashing of the actual event.

    In the film, based on the trailer below, we are given the impression that some young, corn fed, bullied and misunderstood gay kid from America’s heartland, and another white guy who he meets at the bar at the center of the Stonewall riots, more or less started the movement.

    In fact, all historians of the event say that it was actually a black drag queen, named Marsha P. Johnson, and a Puerto Rican transgender woman, named Silvia Rivera, who actually started the riots, neither of whom look to be in the film.

    A gay black woman named Stormé DeLarverie, who was one of the people arrested that night by the police, and who reportedly fought with them, threw the first punch. Unfortunately, her role in the film is played by a white woman, as protesters of the movie are saying that barely any people of color are represented in it, when in fact they were very active and involved during the actual rebellion.

    http://blogs.indiewire.com/shadowandact/boycott-announced-over-whitewashing-of-upcoming-stonewall-movie-20150806

  8. rikyrah says:

    Fox Orders Lee Daniels Drama Pilot Set In Cutthroat World of Atlanta Music Scene
    By Tambay A. Obenson | Shadow and Act

    August 6, 2015 at 7:02PM

    In June, Lee Daniels entered into a multi-year deal with Twentieth Century Fox Television, that would see him develop, write, direct and supervise new projects for the studio under his Lee Daniels Entertainment banner, while still remaining as an executive producer of “Empire.”

    The first project to be developed under the new agreement has been announced. Fox revealed today that it has ordered a pilot from Mr Daniels titled “Star,” which will be set in Atlanta, and will follow 3 young women who are working to make names for themselves in the music business.

    The proposed one-hour pilot will be written, directed and executive produced by Daniels, although details on story and characters are scant at the moment, except for Fox sharing that the pilot will “showcase the allure and heartache of the cutthroat music scene, while also exploring cultural themes from a new perspective.”

    The network also acknowledged that there might be potential for an eventual “Empire”/”Star” crossover (of course), but emphasized that it’s still too early to definitely confirm anything.

    http://blogs.indiewire.com/shadowandact/fox-orders-lee-daniels-drama-pilot-set-in-cutthroat-world-of-atlanta-music-scene-20150806

  9. rikyrah says:

    Welcome Back to the Lyons Den – First Trailer for ‘Empire’ Season 2 Debuts!
    By Tambay A. Obenson | Shadow and Act

    August 6, 2015 at 7:12PM

    Here’s a first full trailer for season 2 which will unfold over 18 episodes (the first season had 12), split into 2 halves, premiering in the fall (instead of as a mid-season replacement, which was the case during its first season), with the second half in the winter of 2016.

    “Empire” returns September 23 at 9/8c.

    http://youtu.be/h9bSk7ZedEU

    http://blogs.indiewire.com/shadowandact/welcome-back-to-the-lyons-den-first-trailer-for-empire-season-2-debuts-20150806

  10. rikyrah says:

    Lee Daniels Says an ‘Empire’ Spin-off Which Will Focus on Cookie’s Early Days Is “Without Question”

    By Tambay A. Obenson | Shadow and Act

    August 6, 2015 at 8:46PM

    It’s Lee Daniels day on S&A today… Back-to-back-to-back posts on the TV content creator of the moment.

    This time around, it’s news from the Television Critics Association summer press tour, which is happening right now in Beverly Hills.

    During the “Empire” presentation, Daniels announced that there will be a spin-off of the hit Fox TV series: “I think there is going to be a spin-off of ‘Empire’ without question. We’ve talked about in the writers room already.“

    Talked about what specifically, you’re probably wondering?

    Daniels added: “There’s so much ripe story that we’ve talked about already – about Cookie’s family, what makes her her, about Lucious’ family. That in itself is fascinating to me.”

    He went on to close with a revelation (according to the various press in attendance) that the spin-off would be something like a prequel that will center on Cookie’s upbringing in North Philadelphia.

    He stated, “Here Cookie is now, but how did she get to where she’s at right now? Let’s go back and understand her mother, her sisters. Let’s understand the makings of her. It’d be like a prequel.”

    http://blogs.indiewire.com/shadowandact/lee-daniels-says-an-empire-spinoff-which-will-focus-on-cookies-early-days-is-without-question-20150806

  11. Ametia says:

    How America can fix its voter turnout crisis
    By Andrew Young and Martin Luther King III August 6 at 8:23 PM

    Andrew Young, a former member of Congress, mayor of Atlanta and ambassador to the United Nations, is chairman of Why Tuesday?, a voting-reform organization. Martin Luther King III is president and co-founder of the Drum Major Institute.

    Fifty years ago this week, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the crowning jewel of the civil rights movement — the Voting Rights Act — into law. This momentous occasion took place five months after peaceful advocates for voting rights were brutally beaten by police as they marched across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Ala.

    As we pay homage to the act, we are saddened by the state of our voting system and the lack of political will to fix it. Today, attention is focused on restoring Section 5 of the law, which required federal preapproval of any changes to voting law in certain states until it was invalidated by a 2013 Supreme Court ruling. Although we do not oppose this “fix,” it is not the answer. For example, Indiana — which is not covered — had the worst turnout in the nation in the 2014 midterm elections. Focusing on restoring Section 5 is like treating a symptom and not the disease itself.

    https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/the-voting-system-needs-an-upgrade/2015/08/06/8f18ba10-3bb6-11e5-9c2d-ed991d848c48_story.html?wpisrc=nl_opinions&wpmm=1

  12. rikyrah says:

    BET Will Remember the Tragic Event and Aftermath of Hurricane Katrina with New Original Special 8/26

    Photo of Tambay A. Obenson
    By Tambay A. Obenson | Shadow and Act

    August 6, 2015 at 10:43AM

    On the 10th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, BET Networks will premiere a new original BET News Special, “Katrina 10 Years Later: Through hell in High Water” that will follow a diverse group of people who survived Katrina and now, 10 years ago.

    Hosted by BET News Correspondent Jeff Johnson, and featuring Wendell Pierce, the special premieres on Wednesday, August 26 at 8 PM ET/PT.

    The one-hour program will explore the devastating impact of Katrina and its effect on communities, schools and culture of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast region. Further, it will feature firsthand accounts from survivors such as Robert Greene as he relives the horrifying events of the storm that resulted in the death of his mother and 2-year-old granddaughter. The special will also feature interviews with New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu, Principal Doris Hicks of MLK High School in New Orleans, artists PNC (Partners N Crime) at their recording studio in New Orleans, and B Mike who has used art in New Orleans to transform a neighborhood left dilapidated by the storm and inspired his community.

    http://blogs.indiewire.com/shadowandact/bet-will-remember-the-tragic-event-and-aftermath-of-hurricane-katrina-with-new-original-special-8-26-20150806

  13. rikyrah says:

    Obama defends comparing GOP to Iranian hardliners
    By Jordan Fabian – 08/07/15 09:06 AM EDT

    President Obama is doubling down on his comparison of Republicans with Iranian hardliners who oppose the Iran nuclear deal.

    “What I said is absolutely true, factually,” Obama told CNN’s Fareed Zakaria in an interview that will air Sunday.

    “The truth of the matter is, inside of Iran, the people most opposed to the deal are the Revolutionary Guard, the Quds Force, hardliners who are implacably opposed to any cooperation with the international community,” Obama added.

    The president inflamed his critics with his tough tone in a major speech on Wednesday defending the Iran deal.
    http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/250542-obama-doubles-down-on-comparing-gop-to-iranian-hardliners

  14. rikyrah says:

    A debate literally and figuratively centered around Donald Trump
    08/07/15 08:02 AM—UPDATED 08/07/15 08:07 AM
    By Steve Benen
    This was not a normal presidential candidate debate. The Republican National Committee may have wanted one, and as of a few months ago, the political world may have expected one, but even before the top 10 GOP candidates reached the stage in Ohio last night, it was painfully obvious there was nothing “normal” about any of this.

    After all, national polling shows a former reality-show celebrity with a double-digit lead over his Republican rivals, guaranteeing an even greater spectacle, while simultaneously creating an almost ridiculous dynamic: a debate literally and figuratively centered around Donald Trump.

    Indeed, in practical terms, arguably the most newsworthy exchange came in the debate’s first minutes, when Fox’s Bret Baier posed a question designed specifically to put Trump on the spot.
    BAIER: Gentlemen, we know how much you love hand-raising questions. So we promise, this is the only one tonight: the only one. Is there anyone on stage, and can I see hands, who is unwilling tonight to pledge your support to the eventual nominee of the Republican party and pledge to not run an independent campaign against that person. Again, we’re looking for you to raise your hand now – raise your hand now if you won’t make that pledge tonight.
    Trump, who’s repeatedly raised the prospect of a third-party campaign, raised his hand, drawing audience boos. He added, “If I’m the nominee, I will pledge I will not run as an independent,” which was unintentionally funny, but didn’t seem to impress anyone.

    But notice what happened the next time Trump was in the spotlight. Fox’s Megyn Kelly asked the candidate, “Mr. Trump, one of the things people love about you is you speak your mind and you don’t use a politician’s filter. However, that is not without its downsides, in particular, when it comes to women. You’ve called women you don’t like ‘fat pigs,’ ‘dogs,’ ‘slobs,’ and ‘disgusting animals.’”

    Trump quickly interjected, “Only Rosie O’Donnell.”

    For many viewers, it was an ugly and offensive moment, but the audience that had booed Trump minutes earlier seemed to love it. Trump was back on track – the Caricature Candidate was putting on the show that has propelled him to the front of the pack, condemning “political correctness” and basking in the warm applause of entertained voters.

    Going into the debate, one of the key questions was which Republican would try to take Trump down. The answer, oddly enough, was Fox News.

    http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/debate-literally-and-figuratively-centered-around-donald-trump

  15. Senator Chuck Schumer is siding with a foreign govt over our President. He’s announcing his opposition to the Iran Deal. Siding with Netanyahu! He’s UNFIT for office!

  16. rikyrah says:

    BWA HA HA HA HA AH AH AH HA AHA

    Trump Steals the Show, Mixing Politics and Pizazz

    Donald J. Trump was outrageous. He was demeaning. He was even somewhat menacing, warning a female moderator that he could turn on her at any moment.

    When confronted with his tendency to describe the women he dislikes as “fat pigs,” “slobs” or “disgusting animals,” he dismissively replied that neither he nor the United States “have time for political correctness.”

    After he thoroughly rattled the Republican presidential field and emerged as its singular vexation in the 2016 campaign, the question hovering over Mr. Trump, the developer turned reality TV star turned candidate, was whether he would adopt the measured and diplomatic manner of a plausible president for Thursday night’s debate.
    http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/trump-steals-the-show-mixing-politics-and-pizazz/ar-BBltv2x?ocid=HPCDHP

  17. rikyrah says:

    UH HUH
    UH HUH

    …………

    GOP Debate Spends Less Than A Minute On Police Violence And Black Lives Matter
    BY ALICE OLLSTEIN AUG 6, 2015 11:00PM

    Though the first GOP debate took place in Cleveland, a city rocked by police violence against its African American residents, only one candidate had to speak to the problem: Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker.

    The Fox News moderators asked Walker how to address the problem of “overly aggressive police officers targeting young African Americans,” noting that some call it “the civil rights issue of our time.”
    Yet Walker’s only response was advocating for proper training for law enforcement, particularly when it comes to use of force. He then called for showing those who step over the line that “there are consequences to show that we treat everyone the same in America,” but did not specify if he means police officers who shoot unarmed civilians should be indicted.

    In a case that hits close to home for the debate’s host city, 12-year-old Tamir Rice was killed by Cleveland police eight months ago, and the officers who shot him have yet to face consequences as the investigation drags on.

    Walker’s record on discriminatory policing raises questions about his dedication to tackling the problem.

    Wisconsin already had the some of the worst racial disparities in the country when he took office, but it has gotten much worse under his tenure. Soon after taking office, he defunded a program that tracked the race of people stopped by police, even though black residents of Madison’s Dane County were found to be 97 times more likely to go to jail for a drug crime than a white resident. Now, the Governor’s new budget proposes an $8 million jail expansion in Dane County, at the same time many social services are being eliminated.

    http://thinkprogress.org/election/2015/08/06/3689058/gop-debate-spends-less-than-a-minute-on-police-violence-and-black-lives-matter/

  18. rikyrah says:

    well, she finally re-married.

    …………………

    Jennifer Aniston and Justin Theroux Jet Off on Honeymoon!

    First comes the wedding, then the real celebration begins!

    After marrying Wednesday night in a secret ceremony in Bel Air, California, Jennifer Aniston and Justin Theroux are leaving town for their honeymoon in Bora Bora.

    The two boarded a private jet in Van Nuys, California, just a few hours after their nuptials took place in their backyard. The wedding was disguised as a birthday party for Theroux, who turns 44 on August 10.

    Both were dressed casually for the plane ride, with Aniston, 46, sporting a black-and-white striped tank, skinny jeans and floppy summer hat, while Theroux wore a white tee, black jeans and pork pie hat in the photos seen here.

    http://www.msn.com/en-us/movies/celebrity/jennifer-aniston-and-justin-theroux-jet-off-on-honeymoon/ar-BBlt9CJ?ocid=HPCDHP

  19. rikyrah says:

    Why All The Arguments Against The Iran Deal Sound Familar
    BY JUSTIN SALHANI AUG 6, 2015 8:02AM

    President Obama invoked the memory of Iraq in his latest speech on the Iranian nuclear deal.
    “Now, when I ran for president eight years ago as a candidate who had opposed the decision to go to war in Iraq, I said that America didn’t just have to end that war,” Obama told a crowd at American University in Washington DC. “We had to end the mindset that got us there in the first place.”

    As the president’s term winds down, the Iran deal will largely be what defines his foreign policy legacy just as Bush’s was defined by the 2003 Iraq invasion. Obama has taken flak from critics on his policies concerning Iraq and Syria, and while the Iran deal has also faced criticism from the right and Israel it has also found widespread support among former U.S. ambassadors to Israel and Israeli security chiefs.

    And on Wednesday, Obama reiterated that the same critics of the Iran deal were in support of the Iraq invasion. “What I’ve heard instead are the same types of arguments that we heard in the run up to the Iraq war,” he said. “More than a decade later, we still live with the consequences of the decision to invade Iraq.”

    Obama cited a number of straw man arguments against the Iran deal that he said were recycled from the pre-Iraq days. Those criticisms were:

    http://thinkprogress.org/world/2015/08/06/3688422/the-arguments-against-the-iran-deal-bear-a-striking-resemblance-to-the-arguments-for-the-iraq-war/

  20. rikyrah says:

    Good for them.

    ………….

    Obama heading for Martha’s Vineyard vacation a day early

    Posted: Aug 07, 2015 5:26 AM CDT
    Updated: Aug 07, 2015 5:26 AM CDT

    WASHINGTON (AP) – Eager for a break from Washington, President Barack Obama is returning to his summer vacation spot of choice, the Massachusetts island of Martha’s Vineyard, a day earlier than originally planned for more than two weeks of hoped-for rest coupled with extended pursuit of his favorite leisure sport: golf.

    Obama apparently was so anxious to join the hordes of lawmakers, lobbyists and others who turn Washington into a political ghost town every August that he moved up his departure by a day. He was leaving the White House on Friday afternoon with his wife, Michelle, and teenage daughters Malia and Sasha, instead of on Saturday as initially planned.

    Obama plans no public events during the 17 days he will spend on the island situated south of Cape Cod and known as a summer hangout for the wealthy. The vacation will be his sixth on the Vineyard since taking office in 2009. Obama skipped a trip to the island during his 2012 re-election campaign.

    He was returning to the same secluded estate he rented last year, a seven-bedroom, nine-bathroom property in Chilmark, on the western part of the island, and valued at $12 million, according to local news reports. The property’s amenities include a dual basketball and tennis court.

    With no official appearances on the schedule, Obama will spend his time away from Washington dabbling in his usual vacation activities: leisurely rounds of golf, beach outings, hikes and bike rides with the family, and dinner with Mrs. Obama at some of the island’s top restaurants. He will travel with a cluster of top aides who will update him as developments warrant.

    Obama has to be hoping for a more relaxed summer holiday.

    http://www.whdh.com/story/29732781/obama-heading-for-marthas-vineyard-vacation-a-day-early

  21. yahtzeebutterfly says:

    Bree Newsome ‏@BreeNewsome 5h5 hours ago
    “New York white supremacist blows off his own leg while making bombs at his house: prosecutors”

    http://www.rawstory.com/2015/08/new-york-white-supremacist-blows-off-his-own-leg-while-making-bombs-at-his-house-

  22. rikyrah says:

    Loved this week with Jill Scott

  23. rikyrah says:

    Good Morning, Everyone :)

  24. Ametia says:

    Here you go

    unnamed (3)

    • Liza says:

      Ah, yes, diversity bookends. Don’t leave home without them, at least until after the election. Well, someone correctly advised the old war horse that she looks better with short hair.

  25. Ametia says:

    Good Morning, Everyone. TGIF :-)

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