You're pretty much correct. RLI can only be committed by a BR running TO first on a throw TO first--anywhere else, a throw anywhere else, there is no required lane for a runner.
As for throwing the hands up, we now are in the realm of potential intentional interference. A live runner is not guilty of interference if he unintentionally interferes with a thrown ball (except for RLI,) but intentionally interfering with one is illegal.