First of all, I want to admit I’m prejudiced. It’s not something I feel comfortable admitting, but there is a class of people among us that I’ve noticed is just not as bright as “mainstream” Americans. It’s not that ALL these people are boorish, corrupt, and intellectually inferior, but there are so many of them that fit the bill, that only the most PC person could ignore this truth. I’m speaking of course of county commissioners. In Tampa we had gay-hater Ronda Storms, who was rewarded for her homophobia with a seat in the Florida Senate. In Miami they have manatee-hater Natacha Seijas. And in Dallas there’s physics-hater John Wiley Price.

Mr. Price, in case you haven’t heard, is an African-American Dallas commissioner who took exception when fellow commissioner Kenneth Mayfield (a dead ringer for SNL’s Darrell Hammond) referred to a particular office as a black hole, on account of all the disappearing paperwork. And it wasn’t only Mr. Price who took offense. Another African-American official at the meeting, Judge Thomas Jones, demanded and apology from Mr. Mayfield. You really should just watch the clip, because I simply cannot do it justice:

But it gets better. After the meeting, Mr. Price could have looked up the term black hole, confirmed that there is absolutely no racist connotation, and let the story die. Instead, he grants an interview where he states the term is racist because scientists are white and points out various examples of racist language, such as the fact that Devil’s Food Cake is black and Angel Food Cake is white. And then, the cherry on top of the proverbial racist cake: he compares the whole black hole thing to using the term “jewing down” which actually IS a racist term based on a negative stereotype. Yeah, I know it sounds like I made it up, so here’s the clip:

But maybe, just maybe, Mr. Price has a point. And if he does, diminutive Native Americans are gonna be pissed.

Once again the whole Political Correctness thing has gotten out of hand. While watching FOX News today Mr. Bob let out a blood curdling cry. That could me on one thing. The PC Police are at it again. This time it come from county commissioner in Dallas TX.

Seems two Dallas County official have take offense to the term “BLACK HOLE” felling it was a racist remark. Appears that devils food cake and angels food cake are racist also.

That's Racist!

Yes, that right, the word “BLACK HOLE”! It used to be that any person with even the slightest knowledge of science knew what a “BLACK HOLE” was. So, as a public service message to these two Dallas commissioners Here is a link to the definition of a “BLACK HOLE” is. Just in case that is a little to technical for the, here is a link that even has nice, simple animation for them.

Did I forget to mention the name of these two very insulted gentlemen? John Wiley Price and Judge Thomas Jones. Will I guess this speaks volumes for our judges. (Something both Mr. Bob and I knew for a long time.) Here is the Honorable John Wiley Price defending his argument that the term “BLACK HOLE” is racist.

With our busy lives, we don’t have time to search all of the 11,800,000 English web sites that the Google search produced. We also apologize for not searching all of the 14,600,000 Google images that were found. And yes, “safe search” was turned off. Yahoo Search produced 212,000,000 web page hits and Ask search displayed 11,800,000. Perhaps these two fellas have time to look at all those sites themselves.

As is said, a picture is worth a bunch of words. Here is how Mr. Bob sums it up…

Have a fantastic day,

Ms. Ruby & Mr. Bob

P.S. Don’t even think about using terms “black sheep/white sheep”!

COMEDY CENTRAL or DALLAS CITY HALL?

Thinking of canceling my subscription to Comedy Central. Comedians are amateurs compared to politicians, and they show Dallas County Commissioners meetings on TV for free.

“Where the West Begins” vs Where the East Peters Out”

Before I get tarred with the same brush (I think I can still say that can’t I?)… let me mention I *don’t* live in Dallas. I live in the same metro area, but not even the same county. We are in Southlake, a punt and a pass from Ft Worth. Dallas on the other hand is a hell-hole in my studied opinion.

Dallas is (was?) home of The Cowboys, another local embarrassment. Wasn’t always so, there was a time if you asked about their record you got an answer in terms of wins vs losses. Today it’d be arrests vs convictions. Add to that everyone knows Jerry Jones isn’t fit to carry Tom Landry’s hat and is currently selling longtime fans down the river in return for a new stadium that will play only to corporate interests that can afford tickets (which seriously will cost more than the average house). Jerry Jones IS Dallas. He lacks a soul.

You wanna offend someone from Tarrant County, just say they live in “Dallas”. Might as well spit on their truck while you’re at it, cause they already think you’re a putz. Dallas is like Hell, only with hotter weather and even more lawyers.

So now know my dirty secret… I’m a blatant Dallascist. Go ahead, try telling me some of your best friends are Dallasites, but I’m not gonna budge.

FREEDOM TO BE REALLY REALLY IGNORANT:

The “Black Hole” Controversy

The latest flap at the Dallas County Commissioners meeting concerned a remark made by Kenneth Mayfield with regard to the department that processes traffic tickets. Apparently it is notorious for losing things, and Commissioner Mayfield referred to the problem by indicating it is becoming “a black hole”. {shudder}

John Wiley Price, a commissioner no doubt planted by interests intent on embarrassing the hell outta north Texans… leaps up and loudly voices his objection to the racial insensitivity of the comment, suggested that the department is really becoming “a white hole“… and honest to god folks… he and another cohort in stupidity (this one a Dallas Judge) are still demanding an apology.

The only thing missing from their meetings is a laugh track. Well, that and a good dictionary.

No doubt you’ve figured out Price is one of those dime-a-dozen bozos who gets elected by playing the race card even when it doesn’t apply. Like many politicos, his only skill is getting re-elected. He’d be laughed at by *real* civil rights activists, people who boldly challenged a system that offered liberty and justice “to all men” until you read the fine print and found the word “white” somewhere in the middle. There’s a difference between opposing racism and just being an ass. Price has long since established himself in the second camp.

Ridding the World of Racism one Astronomer at a Time?

On the bright side, with any luck maybe Price will now turn his attentions on all those obvious racists working at observatories. At least it’d get him outta north Texas. Seriously, there are only two possibilities, either he’s disingenuous, or has the IQ of a toaster.

Anyway, thanks for the entertainment John, now run along and let the big kids talk.

I'm Rob Jones... and I approve this message.

Dallas County officials spar over ‘black hole’ comment

A special meeting about Dallas County traffic tickets turned tense and bizarre this afternoon.

County commissioners were discussing problems with the central collections office that is used to process traffic ticket payments and handle other paperwork normally done by the JP Courts.

Commissioner Kenneth Mayfield, who is white, said it seemed that central collections “has become a black hole” because paperwork reportedly has become lost in the office.

Commissioner John Wiley Price, who is black, interrupted him with a loud “Excuse me!” He then corrected his colleague, saying the office has become a “white hole.”

That prompted Judge Thomas Jones, who is black, to demand an apology from Mayfield for his racially insensitive analogy.

Mayfield shot back that it was a figure of speech and a science term. A black hole, according to Webster’s, is perhaps “the invisible remains of a collapsed star, with an intense gravitational field from which neither light nor matter can escape.”

Other county officials quickly interceded to break it up and get the meeting back on track. TV news cameras were rolling, after all.

Source

**Update**

Check out a video interview of Dallas Commissioner John Wiley Price defending his comments and elaborating on other common terms that are apparently racist. Just beautiful.

Video

Predictably, there’s plenty of angry back-and-forth as the Farmers Branch illegal-immigrant  measure comes to a vote two days hence. If you’ve missed the runup, details on the ordinance are here.

As I noted in an earlier post,  many people are unable to discuss the issue without the Pavlovian use of what I call the R-bomb: When in doubt, call the other side racist.

Of course, “racist”  has several meanings. In a metroplex of millions we probably do have a few genuine, back-to-Dixie racists who believe that Mexicans are somehow inferior to their own Mayflower-borne bloodline.

Often, however–and in the Dallas area, this goes back to the 80’s heyday of John Wiley Price, Diane Ragsdale and other former race-baiters–”racism” really  means “disagrees with the actions and proposals of certain minority activists.”

It’s interesting how the “racist” charge clouds minds and wipes away all nuances. For the R-bomb users, there is NO other reason to oppose illegal immigration–none.  You can say you disapprove of widespread lawbreaking. You can point to negative effects on schools and hospitals and services. You can deplore the continued growth of large immigrant ghettoes where thousands speak almost no English. You can even express concern for the way that many illegal immigrants are exploited and cheated by employers.

 But to the R-bombers, all your words are a sham, a disguise for your vile racism.

As for the merits of the Farmers Branch proposal, which I believe will pass with at least a 10-point margin, it may be largely symbolic. The second it passes, the city will be innundated with the lawsuits long promised by lawyers and activists who trust “the people” until “the people” vote the wrong way; then they’re ready to seek real justice from the courts. It won’t surprise me if the city takes a look at the mountainous legal bills and drops the whole thing in a few months.

And, as I noted earlier, Farmers Branch is just a last-ditch skirmish between two sides who don’t seem to realize that the actual war has been over for years.