Tim Schilke needs better reference points

In today's Waukesha Freeman, a caller to the Sound Off line makes an excellent point:

Schilke column

In his Nov. 18 column, Tim Schilke quoted freaky rocker (his definition) Marilyn Manson as a source for his anti-gun position.

Last week he was referring to King Arthur’s court and Celtic legends in an attempt to justify his anti-hunting position.

It is time for The Freeman to get a writer who is grounded in reality, not in has-been rock stars and bedtime stories.

Although Schilke may have authored “Growing up Red,” he obviously has not grown up.

I totally agree with the caller. Instead of those references, Schilke should use more Caddyshack, Animal House, Blazing Saddles and Young Frankenstein references. Oh yeah, and heavy on the Seinfeld.

And what's this "vacation" nonsense?

Meanwhile, another caller makes a suspicious prank call to the Sound Off line,

Over the past few months a lot of people have been sounding off about train whistles, baseball in Frame Park, bagging leaves and white deer. It seems people have forgotten what the true meaning of Sound Off is for ... which is making fun of Mayor Larry Nelson! I wish people would get back to the basics and start making fun of our mayor.

God bless them, they must be fans of this blog. That, or it's the mayor wanting to see his name in print more often. Somebody check that phone number, please.

Ht: Spring City Chronicle

Banned at UW-Madison

It had to happen, I suppose. Mel Brook's comedy classic "Blazing Saddles" is no longer suitable for even adult viewing on a university campus.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison has apologized to a black student who during a class last year was shown a clip of the movie "Blazing Saddles" that features racial epithets.

During a seminar for working professionals, an instructor showed a scene of the 1974 comedy in which blacks are shown working on a railroad, according to a complaint filed by the student. Whites call the workers racial epithets and an overseer orders them to sing like slaves.

The student complained and the school's Office of Equity and Diversity, which investigates racial discrimination, got involved. That prompted an apology in March from the Department of Professional Development and Applied Studies, which offered the course.

"It was an insensitive error to use a video clip that included inflammatory and offensive language, and it will not happen again," department official James Campbell wrote. "We strive to plan and offer quality programming that meets the needs of an array of professionals and are sorry we fell short of that goal in this instance."

Here, I think, is the scene in question. (Warning: language)

I suppose if they don't set some sort of standard for the classroom, somebody in the English department might get the bright idea to teach the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.

Guess they'll just have to go back to showing porn films instead.

Who's qualified?

Democrats are claiming Alaska Governor Sarah Palin is not qualified to be vice president. I guess they feel the unqualified should only be nominated for president. Jeff Emanuel at RedState.Org does the side-by-side comparison of the Republican nominee for vice president and the Democratic nominee for president, some guy named Barack Obama. Apparently Democrats think he's qualified because he can use his "tongue prettier than a twenty dollar whore."

Seriously, do Democrats really want to fight a battle of qualifications?

Technorati Tags: RedState.org, Barack Obama, Sarah Palin, Blazing Saddles

Obama campaign echoing Wisconsin left in complaining

The problem of poking fun at the political left and mainstream journalism is that they're often beyond parody. Fred Dooley left a comment at my site wondering, "I thought it was a racist result to not elect the black guy, or is that only in Wisconsin?"

Yesterday's joke is today's news analysis, at least at the New York Times:

Lurking behind that question is another: Is the Democratic Party hesitating about race as it moves to the brink of nominating an African-American to be president?

Mr. Obama remains ahead of Mrs. Clinton in delegates, in the popular vote and in national polls, and Mrs. Clinton certainly has her own problems trying to herd Democrats into her corner.

But just when it seemed that the Democratic Party was close to anointing Mr. Obama as its nominee, he lost yet again in a big general election state, dragged down by his weakness among blue-collar voters, older voters and white voters. The composition of Mrs. Clinton’s support — or, looked at another way, the makeup of voters who have proved reluctant to embrace Mr. Obama — has Democrats wondering, if not worrying, about what role race may be playing.

“I’m sure there is some of that,” said David Axelrod, Mr. Obama’s senior political adviser, as he considered how race was playing among voters in late primary states. Mr. Axelrod said Mrs. Clinton’s biggest advantage had been among older voters, “and I think there is a general inclination on the part of the older voters to vote for what is more familiar.” He added: “Here’s a guy named Barack Obama, an African-American guy, relatively new. That’s a lot of change.”

While arguably critical to determining the viability of Mr. Obama’s candidacy, the role of race is difficult to disentangle from the other strands of the political debate surrounding him, encompassing topics like values, elitism, ideology and experience. Although some polling evidence hints at the depth of racial attitudes in this country and the obstacles Mr. Obama faces winning white voters, it has historically proved challenging to measure how racial attitudes factor into voter decisions. (Respondents do not tend to announce to pollsters that they will not vote for a candidate because he or she is black.)

Who knew that the Democratic primary voters in Pennsylvania were really the Johnsons from the movie Blazing Saddles?

Discretion being the better part of torch bearing

Well, that was quick. Hey, if I was carrying the Olympic Torch and I saw that mob of protestors, I'd high-tail into the nearest warehouse and lock the doors, too.

As Cleavon Little once said, "And now, for my next impression, Jesse Owens!"