AB.com Thanksgiving Open Mic.

Here's your holiday black slate. Fill it with something.

Question: What's on your mind today? Drop some links, start a convo.

The "Knockout Game". Conservative America's Latest Racial Dogwhistle.

I'm a black male (duh). That being the case, I'm keenly aware that people have perceptions of me from the moment they lay eyes on me. I should have a criminal record. I should have at least 3 baby's mothers. I should be unemployed. I should have dropped out of the 9th grade. I should be able to perform pratically any dance move ever invented. I should have a wicked crossover. I should be feared. Mostly the last one.

Every person of color, but particularly black males, walks the thin line between perception and reality on a daily basis. We see it when we walk into stores and are either routinely ignored or clumsily followed. We see it when we walk down the street and people clutch their purses and in some cases move all the way to the other side of the sidewalk, as if to avoid getting anywhere within reaching distance.[1] We feel it when we sit down on the rental car shuttle bus at the airport and people avoid sitting next to us like the plague. Or Charlotte Bobcats tickets. Take your pick.

So yeah, you learn to just suck this up, or find productive ways of processing it, because if you don't, the anger and frustration that builds up will probably result in you doing something in the first paragraph of this post. Not the crossover dribble thing, the other bad stuff. Cause if misplaced race-anger could help you develop a wicked crossover, I'd be Derrick Rose by now. 2010 Derrick Rose, not the guy who just blew out his knee (again!) and will probably never play another high quality NBA game again.[2]

That said, sometimes perceptions are fueled by reality. And reality is, a whole lot of black men are total and complete f*ck ups who make it really, really difficult for the rest of us trying to walk the straight and narrow. Thus, while this latest Conservative Media Meme called "The Knockout Game" is undoubtedly trumped up and waaaay overblown for dramatic effect[3], there's some truth to this idiocy.

A sick so-called game known as "knockout" -- where teens appear to randomly sucker-punch strangers with the goal of knocking them unconscious with a single blow -- is catching the attention of law enforcement throughout the nation.

The assaults can be fatal. In New Jersey, Ralph Santiago, 46, a homeless man, was walking alone in Hoboken on the night of September 10 when he was suddenly struck from behind, said Hoboken Detective Anthony Caruso.

The blow knocked out Santiago, who had a pre-existing brain injury. He suffered a seizure. The victim's body struck a nearby fence, with part of the wrought iron fence piercing his body and killing him, Caruso said.

Surveillance video in the area showed three teens running from the scene. Two weeks later, police arrested the juveniles and charged them in connection with the killing. Caruso said the attack was unprovoked.

Authorities have reported similar incidents in New York, Illinois, Missouri and Washington.

Much like the "roving bands on black kids beating up innocent white people" at county fairs across the country in 2011, and the spate of "convenience store flash mobs" last year, I suspect this is a case of the media making a relatively small series of completely unrelated incidents into an epidemic for the sake of, well, news. That happens. It's the nature of the beast, but it doesn't mean you're any more or less likely to get walloped by some gang of kids on your way into Trader Joes than you were yesterday. Again, perception/reality.

And you get sh*t like this....



Reality is though, that these morons are out here committing pointless crimes and that's nothing new. It's also nothing to defend, so please, please, please black folks, stop deflecting from the story by (rightfully) pointing out that this "phenomenon" is hardly a solely urban occurrence. We know that already. It is a terrible act, and needs to be dealt with accordining. There's no need to make excuses.

Raise your damn kids already. And if you don't have any, mentor/tutor/coach some, before you get knocked upside the head on your way into Trader Joe's.

Question: Is the Knockout Game yet another example of the media making a mountain out of an anthill, or is this a real and increasing threat to public safety?!?

[1] This sh*t just happened to me today. To. F*cking. Day. I'm 40 years old. Does this sh*t ever stop? Ever?

[2] He won't. Sorry, but there is a limit to how many times you can go under the knife and come back close to your former self. The NBA is littered with guys who "used to be good before knee surgery". So shout out to D-Rose. I'm guessing that contrived and corny "Basketball is Everything" corporate slogan nonsense is gonna be put to a serious real-life test now.

[3] And by "dramatic effect", I mean Because Obama.

Annoying Bluetooth Cell Phone Guy... Coming Soon To A Flight Near You.

I love flying, and I do it frequently. One of the things I really enjoy about air travel is the solitude. Sure, you have people sitting all around you. But if you're like me, you can tune them out with a strategically deployed set of noise cancelling headphones. Sometimes I feel like the idle chatter, but more times than not, I'd just rather not be bothered. Between bootleg movies, video games, naps, and the infamous SkyMall, there's more than enough to keep me preoccupied without engaging in a banal episode of "So who are you and why exactly are you flying in first class?" The FAA's recent decision to allow approved electronic devices for the duration of the flight just made the whole thing even better.

This latest major development in the world of air travel though... because Annoying Bluebooth D-Bag is coming soon to a cabin near you.

The nation’s top telecom regulator is planning to propose allowing passengers to make cellphone calls and use their data plans while on an airliner, officials said Thursday.

The proposed rule change by the Federal Communications Commission would overturn the current ban on using cellphones’ wireless features in mid-flight. Commissioners are set to discuss the rule change in their December meeting.

Last month, the Federal Aviation Administration approved the use of tablets and other electronic devices on airliners from gate to gate, but cellular service use was still restricted.

If approved, the new guidelines would let airlines install special equipment to relay wireless signals from the plane to the ground, likely by way of satellite. A similar system already exists in Europe. Last week, the European Commission approved passengers’ use of 3G and 4G data from airplanes.

Cellphone use would still be restricted during takeoffs and landings.

Let's talk about how terrible an idea this is.

People Like Sleeping On Planes - Pretty damn self explanatory. And pretty hard to do with some jerk sitting next to you talking the whole time.

Most Cell Phones Don't Work That High In The Sky - If you've ever accidentally forgotten to put your device in Airplane Mode (wow, that's gonna be an outdated concept soon) then you already know you're gonna see "No Signal" on your phone.

This Is A Grand HuStle, Obviously - How long before some airline comes up with a "quiet cabin" or a "silent phone-free flight" and charges a premium for the convenience?

Here's hoping the FCC uses a little common sense and keeps this not-so-bright idea grounded.

Question: Is this a good idea or a turrible one?

Trey Radel, The "Hip Hop Congressman", Arrested In The Least "Hip Hop" Way Possible.

I don't dabble in recreational drugs. The reasons are many. I don't care for them. I have a family and a Day Job. I'd much rather just play NBA 2K if I wanted an escape from reality.[1] Crack is wack. I could go on, but I suppose you get the point. Still, if I ever did get the urge to procure something to help me get away from it all, I'd prolly be wise enough to use a middle man to carry out the purchase. Why? Because I've listened to more than enough rap music to understand the concept of a weed carrier.

Namely, get someone with far less to lose and far more okay with taking penetentiary chances to obtain and maintain posession of your illicit substances. It's the way reasonably smart people of reasonable means manage to do things that aren't on the up and up without ending up in the clink. I'm pretty sure it's one of the Ten Crack Commandments, but don't quote me on that. I've been listening to more Roy Ayers than Migos lately, but that's another story for another time.



Anyways, Florida Tea Party Congressman Trey Radel, a guy who is some notorious for his knowledge of "classic rap music" clearly hasn't been paying enough attention to lyrics, and finds himself in some serious trouble.

Florida Republican congressman Trey Radel said he would take a leave of absence from Congress and donate his salary to charity after he pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of cocaine possession. "I'm owning up to my actions. I'm taking responsibility. I'm taking it very publicly," Radel told a group of reporters at a news conference Wednesday night from his Cape Coral, Fla., office.

Radel acknowledged that he had let down his country, his family and southwest Florida residents. "I'm struggling with this disease, but I know that I can overcome it," he added. Earlier in the day, Radel appeared in a Washington, D.C. court and was placed on one year's probation with "minimal supervision." The freshman congressman also admitted to being an addict.

"I've been dealing with this on and off for years. The most important thing is to rely on professionals," Radel told reporters.

Radel, 37, plans to start "intensive inpatient treatment" immediately. In the meantime, the congressman said he would donate his salary to charity, but his offices would stay open. He gave no indication he was going to resign. Radel was the target of an undercover sting operation, prosecutors told the court earlier in the day.

Radel, according to sources, first came on the radar of federal authorities when a suspected cocaine dealer under investigation by a joint Drug Enforcement Administration and FBI task force told agents that one of his customers was the Florida congressman. According to prosecutors, confidential sources told authorities that Radel had purchased cocaine "on several occasions" for his own use, and "on occasion" would share that cocaine with others.

About 10 p.m. on Oct 29, Radel met a confidential source and an undercover law enforcement officer at a Washington restaurant, prosecutors said. At the restaurant, Radel told the two that he had cocaine back at his apartment and said they could go back and use some, according to testimony.

They declined the offer to share coke with Radel, but the undercover officer said he could sell 3.5 grams to Radel, prosecutors said. Outside the restaurant, Radel gave the undercover $260, and then inside a car, the undercover gave Radel the cocaine, according to prosecutors.

When Radel stepped outside of the car, federal authorities approached him. He dropped the bag of cocaine on the street. Radel admitted to authorities that he bought cocaine. Ultimately, he and authorities went back to his apartment, where Radel retrieved another vial of cocaine and gave it to authorities, they told the court.

Lemme guess... Trey Radel's favorite rapper is 8Ball.

Get it? 8Ball? 3.5 grams... awww f*ck it.



I could turn this post into an indictment of Conservatives who preach one thing in public and live otherwise privately, but what's the point? All these guys are ethically shaky. You just don't know it until they get busted. I could also point out that Radel voted in favor of a law that would drug test food stamp recipients, but that's low hanging fruit. I could point out how he's cleverly spinning this as alcohol abuse, not the white pony, but that's just good crisis management. Because we all know Miller Lite is a gateway drug to crack cocaine. Amirite Mayor Rob Ford?!?



Nah, my biggest problem with this guy is how dumb he is. He's a public figure. Did he really think he could just continually buy directly from a dopeman forever? Surely he's watched enough episodes of The Wire to know that low level dealers do one of two things when busted. Either give up their supplier or a big time customer. That's precisely what happened here, and precisely why this moron ain't hip-hop. No matter how many "hip hop mixes" he makes while on taxpayer dollar in his spare time.

Next time, hire a coke-carrier, Trey.

Question: Should this guy step down or get himself some help? Can we blame hip-hop for this also?

Monday Links & Open Mic.

I'm busy. Here's a few links for ya'll to chew on.

Don Lemon Takes on Black Writer for ‘Why I Hate Being a Black Man’ Column [Mediaite]

George Zimmerman Arrested After Disturbance Call [Mediaite]

How to get rich in the new Washington [WashPost]

Anyways, here's your blank slate. Fill it with something.

Question: What's on your mind today? Drop some links, start a convo.

"Smoked Crack, Got His Job Back!"

I'm not into betting but if I was, I would look into 2014 Kentucky Derby betting options before I put money on Toronto Mayor Rob Ford making it to Thanksgiving. T-Dot's walking train wreck just continues to rumble on.

The hits keep coming! Embattled Toronto mayor Rob Ford reached a new level of viral infamy when he crashed into a fellow council member. Watch and cringe.

Ford’s downward spiral continued Monday when he plowed into a woman—nearly knocking her over—at a meeting of city council members working to strip him of his remaining powers. Those in attendance at the meeting were heard shouting “Shame! Shame!” at Ford, who has admitted to smoking crack while in office (he said he was drunk) and recently discussed oral sex in graphic terms on live TV. The vote, which a majority of council members have already supported, will cut Mayor McCrack’s office budget by 60 percent and allow his staff to join the deputy mayor.

If you're looking for Horse Betting Action, do that. Ford on the other hand needs to get some help. And another day job.

Crack is wack.

What Are Your Favorite North American Cities To Visit?!?

I travel extensively for my Day Job. I don't always enjoy this, but one perk is the ability to see a lot of places on someone else's dime. I think I've been the every "major" US city with the exception of Cincinnati and Columbus, OH. I'm not sure where I got the idea for this post, but participate anyway. No grand social experiment here, just curious about a few things:

1) What's your favorite North American city? We're not talking international here.[1]

2) What's the city/place you dislike visiting the most?

3) Where's a place you'd love to go, but haven't yet?

4) Name a city that's really, really overrated.

5) Name a city that's kinda slept on.

6) What's the sh*ttiest place you've visited?!?

Mine are pretty straightforward:

1) The Entire Bay Area - I suppose I'd pick San Francisco, simply because it's so beautiful. But Oakland, Berkeley and the rest of the East Bay are also nice. So yeah, the whole Yay Area. Runners Up: Toronto, New Orleans, Austin.

2) Boston - I just don't like that place. The people are rude as sh*t, they cannot drive, the weather sucks, and everything's overpriced. Runners Up: Orlando, Houston, Los Angeles.

3) Vancouver - It just seems like such a beautiful place. Combine San Francisco and Seattle. Throw in some mountains. And so many movies are filmed there. I have no idea of the culture or local vibe, but this is a place I'd probably just visit to take photos. Runners Up: Albequerque, Madison, Anywhere in Vermont.

4) Miami - Lovely if you have money to blow. Otherwise, not so much. Okay, who am I kidding? Miami is awesome! If you're 21 and unmarried. Otherwise, what's the point? I'd take Ft. Lauderdale anyday. Runners Up: Charlotte, Austin (yes, twice!), Las Vegas.

5) Memphis - Other than New Orleans, I don't think there's a city with as much unique local culture. This place is just lovely and laid back. Great food and live music. Nice weather and an easy to navigate downtown. Runners Up: Portland, Hartford, Minneapolis, Salt Lake City (yes, really), Harrisburg, .

6) Camden, NJ - No disrespect to my Jersey peoples, but this sh*t was just depressing. It looks like a city where people used to live. When you cross that bridge from Philly, you better lock your doors and roll up the windows. I'm sure half of ya'll were expecting me to say Detroit. I'm not. #MercyRule Runners Up: Newark, Tallahassee, Topeka..

Tell me yours in the comments section.

Question: Answer any of the questions above.

[1] You probably noticed DC was missing from this list. That's because it (and NC) is home.

White Supremacist Finds Out He's 1/9th Black. (Video Link Fixed)

Update: The video link is fixed.

So I'm guessing this fella's Thanksgiving is officially ruined.



Gotta admire Dr. Shaharazad. Between this and HLN's must-see Trayvon Martin coverage, she's back on the map. #OpenHandedSlapToTheMouth

About My New .AVI And Racist Commenters...

While I love AB.com (duh!) and love interacting with you guys here, I spend time elsewhere on the interwebs. I love a variety of sites like Mediaite, The Atlantic, Salon, Slate, The Fox Nation, BreitBart, and The National Review, mostly because I love occasional trolling and these sites have some dimwitted people more than willing to feed me.

That prior sentence was only partially true: sometimes I like attempting to engage people with opposing viewpoints. Not because I'm trying to impose my opinion on them, but because I genuinely want to know what makes people tick. Some websites (like this one) are pretty reasonable places for people to actually debate topics without things descending into name calling. Mostly because I don't write the sort of content that draws morons, and also because you guys are pretty darn good at self policing. Take a bow.

Every site isn't as civil as this one, of course. Many of the sites I named above are little more than SEO machines troll bait disguised as intellectual discussion. And more times than not, my geniune inquiries on these sites results in someone hurling some racist, ignorant drivel at me without even paying any attention to what I actually typed.

This drivel almost always seems to mention the words "Obama", "welfare", "liberal", "ghetto", "moocher", "plantation", "Africa", "below-average intelligence" "hood", "goverment check", and sometimes the dreaded "N-word". It's almost as if people can't deal with any substantive rebuttal of their own opinions without resorting to time tested racial slurs, overt and otherwise. And yes, I already know this is the sign of a feeble minded person who doesn't deserve a reply. No need to remind me.

That said, I suspect 90% of these replies are knee-jerk reactions to my Disqus profile name (AverageBro) and my accompanying avatar (the handsome cartoon version of the real-life handsomer me). This of course makes me wonder if people would respond without resorting to name-calling if they didn't have a basis on which to form said name-calling.

In short, if people didn't know I was black, would they automatically resort to name-calling? Would I just judged by the content of my comment, rather than the color of my jpeg?

So to that effect, I'm going to momentarily genericize my Disqus profile just to perform my own social experiment. Maybe I'll do a followup post in awhile. Until then, don't be thrown off. My new screen name is "A/B" and my new avi is that little guy holding the American flag. And if ya' don't know, now ya' know...

I'd be interested in knowing your Avi Adventures as well.

Question: Do you find people respond a certain way based on your screen name/avi? Do they make certain assumptions based on this? How/why did you choose your avi/name?

The Man Who Lost $127 Million.

If you love gambling games and visiting casinos on a regularly basis, then you're aware of how luck Seems completely absent on some days. In game pages as CasinoBonusesToday.com you can check the power of chance However unlucky you’ve been, we assure you that it doesn’t even come close to what happened to Terry Watanabe. This man’s yearlong gambling run is believed to be the worst losing streak ever in Las Vegas history (casinobonusestoday.com for more info). He ended up losing $127 Million. Let’s see how this unfortunate event took place.

Harry Watanabe is the founder of a successful gift shop called the Oriental Trading Company. In the early 30’s the company prospered thanks to his efforts until it became one of the largest in its industry. Harry Watanabe until always wanted to make his son Terry the CEO. It was the year 1977 when his son finally assumed leadership of the company. A little more than two decades later, Terry sold his entire stake in the company in order to amass a huge fortune that would play an important part in propelling his drinking and gambling issues.

The beginning of the end started in 2007 when Harry took a trip to Las Vegas. Apparently, he took an enormous liking to the city’s infamous night life and casinos. As a wealthy man with little restraints, the casinos slowly drained his accumulated wealth for an entire year. During that year Harry spent most of his time visiting the Harrah casinos. It is estimated that about 6% of the Harrah’s annual revenue came from Watanabe. It was a sinful gambling and drinking binge that ended up costing him millions.

Harry decided to put an end to his gambling problem after a serious talk with his sister on Thanksgiving. She helped him made sure he found his way to a rehabilitation center in Omaha. Since then, Harry hasn’t laid a foot inside a casino but unfortunately that was not the end to his problems.

The Harrah casinos eventually had to sue Watanabe since he refused to pay his millionaire debts. He agreed to pay part of it, since he felt that the Harrah casinos fueled his gambling problem by supplying him with copious amounts of alcohol. Employees at Harrah's say that Mr. Watanabe would sometimes lose up to $5 million a day and gamble for hours without sleep.

Luckily for Harry, the Casino decided to settle things outside of court: a confidential agreement was made a couple of weeks before the Watanabe’s trial and all claims from both parties were dropped. Harry has kept out of the public eye for a while ever since.

Richie Incognito Wants You To Know "He Isn't Racist". Because Is Anyone Actually Racist Anymore?

I suppose I'm contractually obligated to weigh in on this Richie Incognito/Johnathan Martin story, simply because I occasionally play fantasy football watch pro football while waiting for the NBA season to start. But honestly, I don't know what more to add.

While Martin has seemingly gone into witness protection since leaving the team, Incognito hit a series of softballs lobbed gently in his direction sat down for an interview with Fox Sports' Jay Glazer yesterday.

Suspended Miami Dolphins player Richie Incognito said the apparently threatening and abusive voicemails and text messages he sent to teammate Jonathan Martin, whom he called a good friend, "were coming from a place of love."

Incognito, in an interview with Fox's Jay Glazer, excerpts of which were broadcast today, addressed the accusations of hazing and racism he has faced since his suspension from the team for expletive-laced rants directed at the rookie.

"My actions were coming from a place of love," Incognito said. "No matter how bad or how vulgar it sounds, that's how we communicate, that's how our friendship was. Those are the facts and that's what I'm accountable for."

Dolphins coach Joe Philbin said the team suspended Incognito indefinitely on Nov. 4 after Martin turned in voicemails and text messages showing Incognito using the N-word to describe Martin and threatening his family, according to ESPN.

The controversy came to light after Fox Sports reported that Martin and other rookies had been forced to pay thousands of dollars for dinner tabs and vacations for more veteran members of the team.

The NFL is now investigating the Dolphins' workplace, according to Philbin. Incognito turned his cell phone over to Glazer to let him see the 1,142 text messages between the two men in their 18 months as teammates, including some showing that Martin and Incognito have been in contact even after the scandal broke.

In one message, sent after Martin left the team, the rookie congratulated Incognito on the Dolphins' win, and told Incognito, "I'm good."

In another message, Martin wrote, "I don't blame you guys at all. It's just the culture around football and the locker room got to me a little."

Here's part of the interview. Notice how Mr. Incognito has a fresh haircut, crisp Oxford, and speaks proper English the entire time. Word to Mike Vick.



Seriously, who's a guy gotta lynch around here to be called racist?

It might shock some of you, but I don't think Richie Incognito is racist. He's not racist, because nobody is racist in post-racial America. Richie's got black co-signers in the Dolphins' locker room who give him free license to spew the word "nigger" as frequently as he'd like without retribution, or for that matter, pushback. He's an honorary black man, far more honorable than the "half nigger" Martin, who simply didn't fit in and probably shouldn't have even been drafted by a team with this sort of locker room "culture".

What's most disheartening about all of this is listening to all the former players turns "analysts" essentially agreeing with Incognito and blaming the victim here. Negroes please.

What's clear to me is that Martin and Incognito have likely both played their last NFL games, albeit for drastically different reasons. Martin, because no team wants to hire a guy who will likely go to the press when something doesn't go his way, and Incognito because he's a racist scumbag. This isn't Riley Cooper, a guy who seemed to immediately understand what he did was wrong, make no excuses, and apologize to his teammates. Incognito's got a long history of misdeeds, and I suspect his 9th life was just pissed away.

But I could be wrong, I suppose.

Question: What's your read on this whole situation?

White Republican Pretends To Be Black. Wins Local Election.

Black people are about as likely to vote for Republicans as we are to buy a Downton Abbey box set[1] for our grandma for Christmas, a fact hardly lost on party insiders. You'll remember the party's 2012 post-mortem mentioned ways of reaching out to "the blacks" by reminding us that they're "the party of Lincoln" and that "MLK was a Republican" and whatnot. The GOP also promised they'd actually "go into black communities to talk about how Conservative policies can benefit them".

I suppose this latest controversy from the (sometimes) "great state of Texas" falls under the "community outreach" category.

A white anti-gay activist won a local election after leading voters to believe he is African American.

Dave Wilson, who unsuccessfully ran for Houston mayor in 2011, narrowly won a seat on the Houston Community College Board of Trustees after pretending to be black in his predominantly African American district, KHOU 11 News reported Friday.

KHOU offered details on how Wilson, a conservative Republican, misled voters on his race:

Wilson, a gleeful political troublemaker, printed direct mail pieces strongly implying that he's black. His fliers were decorated with photographs of smiling African-American faces -- which he readily admits he just lifted off websites -- and captioned with the words "Please vote for our friend and neighbor Dave Wilson."

One of his mailers said he was "Endorsed by Ron Wilson," which longtime Houston voters might easily interpret as a statement of support from a former state representative of the same name who's also African-American. Fine print beneath the headline says "Ron Wilson and Dave Wilson are cousins," a reference to one of Wilson's relatives living in Iowa.

Wilson, who had previously made a name for himself in Houston politics by sending out thousands of mailers attacking an openly gay mayoral candidate, defeated 24-year incumbent Bruce Austin by just 26 votes.

"I'd always said it was a long shot," Wilson said.

Austin, Wilson's opponent, called the tactic "disgusting," and told the Houston Chronicle that he will seek a recount of the extremely close race.

I'm sure some of you are expecting me to light into the GOP and Mr. Wilson for intentionally carrying out a campaign of deception. And some of you are likely expecting me to rip the Houston area voters (of which my mother is one) who voted for this guy simply "cause he black", or because that's what they thought.

Nope, not gonna do either.

I'm gonna actually give Mr. Wilson props for pulling off a ruse that likes of which we haven't seen since The Distinguished Gentleman. That was some seriously clever sh*t right there, and here's why.

Most People Have No Clue Who Runs In "Super Local" Elections Of This Level - Let's face it, I doubt any voters even know what Houston Community College Board of Trustees actually is, let alone how many seats it is comprised of. These are "super local" elections that hardly get media coverage, especially in a city the size of Houston. Sure, your typical voter cares about mayors, councilmen, judges, and schoolboards, but beyond that? Most people are simply gonna vote for a name the recognize, or along party lines.

People Vote Via Name Recognition - Wilson was a longshot mayoral candidate in 2011, which means people probably remember his name from a ballot then, if nothing else. Combine this with all the flyers he sent out, as well as the person he (cleverly) name-dropped, and the name is cemented in peoples' consciousness. I honestly don't think the fact that he sent out flyers implying he was black had anything at all to do with this.

I Don't Blame The Voters - Again, this is a super-local election in the 4th largest city in America. The voters simply checked off the guy whose name they recognized, and kept it pushin'. It doesn't make these people dumb, it makes them typical. If you can name your local community college board of trustees without consulting The Google, then you earn the right to call these people embeciles. Otherwise, shush.

I Blame The Black Guy Who Lost - Bruce Austin prolly thought he had this election sewn up and took his electorate for granted, based entirely on his own name recognition. Wilson simply outworked him by sending out more flyers.[2] Did the fact that the flyers had black people prominently displayed help a little? Prolly. But maybe not. Who knows.

Better luck next election, Mr. Austin.

Question: Is Dave Wilson guilty of misleading voters? Are the voters just dumb/racist? How do you typically decide who to vote for in these "super local" elections?!?

[1] Not saying there aren't black people checkin' for Downton Abbey (like my grandmother), I'm just saying there aren't many.

[2] Although I gotta admit, if I saw that Fisher Price© My First Flyer shown above in my mailbox, my Negro Antennae™ would immediately go up.

AB.com Monday Open Mic.

Yeah, about that long absence... I've been out sick. Just regaining my bearings. Bear with me. {Clever double usage of the word "bear", no?}

Anyways, here's your blank slate. Fill it with something.

Question: What's on your mind today? Drop some links, start a convo.

AB.com Friday Open Mic.

Ya'll are on your own today. Play nicely. Here's a few stories that might interest you.

One TSA Employee Killed, Two Other Victims Wounded at LAX [Mediaite]

FAA allowing most electronic device use throughout flights [CNN]

Sen. Ted Cruz's dad: Send Obama back to Kenya [CNN]

What can Jay Z do about alleged racial profiling at Barneys? [WashPost]

The tea party jumps the shark [WashPost]


Question: What's on your mind today? Drop some links, start a convo.