BALLADEER’S BLOG
While most people focus on the assassination of Julius Caesar on the Ides of March, Balladeer’s Blog takes a look at various other historical events on this date.
200 B.C. – The 2nd Macedonian War begins.
221 A.D. – In China, Warlord Liu Bei claimed to be the legitimate successor in the Han Dynasty and declared himself Emperor of Shu-Han.
493 – In Ravenna, Italy the Ostrogoth King Theodoric the Great drew his sword and killed King Odoacer at a banquet.
856 – Empress Theodora of the Byzantine Empire is overthrown by her son, who becomes Emperor Michael the Third.
933 – The Battle of Riade was fought between the East Franks under King Henry the First and the invading Magyars. Continue reading
MARVEL PREMIERE Vol 1 #41 (Apr 1978) 
The crew members we meet in this debut story – 1. Captain Jordan Shaw (right), a decent man appalled at the way the Six have chosen to play God with who gets to escape and who gets left behind to die. He cooperates just so he and his wife can survive, so he bitterly knows he is no better than the oligarchs in the end. 
And 5. Phaedra (left), a mutant with telekinetic and telepathic abilities. She and Earth’s hundreds of other mutants live in prison camps at the Six’s command while their abilities are probed. They are all forced to wear facial tattoos to prevent them hiding their mutant status. 
NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME – The 1 seeds – the PENN STATE AT YORK LIONS – battled the Cinderella 6th seeded MIAMI UNIVERSITY AT HAMILTON HARRIERS. This game was a defensive epic, with the Lions on top at Halftime by a mere 25-19. After the break, PSU-York kept the Harriers at arm’s length to win the title 56-48. James Barlow led the Lions with a Double Double of 15 points and 21 rebounds. 
FIRST QUARTERFINAL – The 6th seeded CROWN COLLEGE POLARS took the court against the 3 seeds – the MANHATTAN CHRISTIAN COLLEGE THUNDER. The Thunder seemed to be in control at the Half with their 36-28 lead, but from there Crown College roared back. The Polars proceeded to upset MCC by a final score of 71-64. Leading Crown College was Anthony Knight, who tossed in 26 points. 
THE ADVENTURES OF LIEUTENANT PETROSINO (1912) – This 47-minute silent movie was a rushed look at the career of New York City Police Detective Joseph Petrosino, who specialized in fighting organized crime. I meant to cover Petrosino years ago, but other topics kept taking priority. 
THE REEL PETROSINO – Still in uniform, Joseph has made a name for himself as a tough cop capable of dealing with Italian gangs like the Black Hand, the Mafia and the Camorra. When Mafia bank robbers humiliate a pair of policemen who try taking them in, the storied Petrosino is sent for. 
NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME – The 4th seeded NORTH AMERICAN UNIVERSITY STALLIONS fought it out with the 3 seeds – the BRYANT & STRATTON COLLEGE (Syracuse) BOBCATS – for the USCAA Division One title. At Halftime the Stallions clung to a 36-34 edge but after the break they made their move. NAU took the crown with an 89-74 triumph led by Jamarric Hammond’s Double Double of 21 points and 11 rebounds. 
FIRST SEMIFINAL – The Cinderella 6 seeds – the MIAMI UNIVERSITY AT HAMILTON HARRIERS – kept on dancing in this clash with the 2nd seeded UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI AT CLERMONT COUGARS. UC-Clermont watched their 43-32 advantage at the Half melt away as the Harriers came back to win the game 76-66. Kaleb Wanamaker led MU-Hamilton with a Double Double of THIRTY points and 12 rebounds. 
SIR GRAVES GHASTLY – Lawson J. Deming portrayed this vampire character whose eponymous movie show ran from January 1967 to November 1982 in Detroit – a longer run than most other classic Movie Hosts. His Saturday afternoon at 1:00pm program was even syndicated in Cleveland and Washington, DC for a year or two during the 1970s. 
At the start of each episode Sir Graves would emerge from a coffin and make with his signature laugh – “”Nyeeea-aaaa-haa-haaaaa.” At show’s end he would climb back into the coffin and pull down the lid. 
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