NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF INTERCOLLEGIATE ATHLETICS
FINAL FOUR: FIRST BERTH – The FREED-HARDEMAN UNIVERSITY LIONS faced the ARIZONA CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY FIRESTORM. The teams went almost basket for basket in the opening Half, with the Firestorm on top 36-34 going into the locker room. From there the play was just as tight, but the Lions eked out a 79-78 victory. Rico Sain put up 21 points to lead Freed-Hardeman. Continue reading
Filed under College Basketball
With the passing of the iconic Chuck Norris I’m taking a look at my favorite films of his. I was never the biggest Norris fan, so this list is purely from the perspective of a casual fan.
I’m such a casual fan, in fact, that I wasn’t going to do an R.I.P. post about him but I decided to do one based on the vicious attacks on the late Norris by deranged Democrats who always tell the rest of us to “separate the art from the artist” when their celebrities are criticized in any way.
INVASION USA (1985) – Psychotronic cinema in its purest form, Invasion USA was so firmly in the realm of fantasy that it’s ridiculous that some critics tore into it so deeply. The same type of critics probably loved the pretentious One Battle After Another, which was basically Invasion USA in reverse.
Norris starred as former intelligence agent Matt Hunter, who gets called back into action when a communist army from Cuba invades Florida under the leadership of Hunter’s old archenemy – Soviet Union agent Rostov, played by cult actor Richard Lynch.
Matt is among the people fighting back against the communist invaders in escapist, over the top action scenes. Anti-Castro Cubans fight the invaders in alliance with our main character. Red Dawn was too juvenile in my opinion, so I much prefer this Norris flick.
There are lots of Christmas decorations on display since the film is set during Yuletide. Invasion USA was therefore part of my “Very Butt-Kicking Christmas Marathon” years ago alongside Die Hard, Lethal Weapon and Die Hard 2. Continue reading
Filed under opinion
THE VISION OF ADOMNAN – Dated to the late 600s A.D., This was a tale of the vision that Saint Adomnan supposedly had during his lifetime (c 679-704 A.D.). Several centuries before Dante’s Divine Comedy (Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso), The Vision of Adomnan depicted the future saint being conducted through Heaven, Purgatory, and Hell so that he could share this “vision” with others.
Dante was guided in a different order by the dead poet Virgil, but Adomnan is being guided by his Guardian Angel.
I. On the Feast of Saint John, Adomnan feels as if he has died and his Guardian Angel leads him through the Afterlife. The first stop in Heaven is the Land of the Saints, a realm of eternal fair weather where dwell the saints, all of them clad in white cassocks with white hoods.
Oddly, the saints are placed according to the four cardinal directions – those who were from the north when alive dwelt in the north of the Land of the Saints, those who were from the south when alive dwelt in the south of the Land of the Saints and so on.
Positioned the closest to God in the center of the realm are the Virgin Mary and the Twelve Apostles, then come the other significant figures in Christian beliefs. Angels are all around, and the music of bird-choirs is always heard.
The innermost circle is where sits God’s throne, formed like a canopied chair with four columns of precious stones supporting it. Three birds are perched on the throne, staring in adoration at God while they mark the 8 canonical hours. Along with birds, horses are also depicted in Heaven. Continue reading
Filed under Mythology
Independent Voter Site Balladeer’s Blog is back with a current events roundup.
OVER TWENTY NATIONS ANNOUNCE THEIR READINESS TO HELP PRESIDENT TRUMP OPEN THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ.
FIVE MORE PLEAD GUILTY IN MINNESOTA’S FRAUD SCANDALS UNDER TIM WALZ.
ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT IN “SANCTUARY CITY” CHICAGO SHOOTS AND KILLS INNOCENT CITIZEN . I will point out yet again that victims have no “sanctuary” in Democrat sanctuary cities – only perpetrators do.
TWO OF JOE BIDEN’S “CATCH AND RELEASE” ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS CHARGED IN METH LAB OPERATION.
DEMOCRAT PARTY
OHIO TEACHER PLEADS GUILTY TO SEXUAL MISCONDUCT WITH UNDERAGED STUDENT. Democrats, can you please leave youngsters alone?
JAPAN’S PRIME MINISTER GETS HUGE LAUGH OUT OF TRUMP’S PICTURE OF AN AUTOPEN AS JOE BIDEN’S WHITE HOUSE PORTRAIT. And well might she laugh!
DEMOCRAT SENATE CANDIDATE HALEY STEVENS CAUGHT PUSHING FAKE ENDORSEMENTS. Unreal.
SENATE DEMOCRATS AGAIN BLOCK DHS FUNDING – PRESIDENT TRUMP TO DEPLOY ICE TO AIRPORTS INSTEAD OF TSA.
VIDEO: AND YET ANOTHER FORMER DEMOCRAT LEAVES THE PARTY AND BLASTS WHAT A DISGRACE IT HAS BECOME.
DEMOCRATS ACKNOWLEDGE THE PAIN THEIR SHUTDOWN IS CAUSING, BUT AS USUAL THEY DON’T CARE. Continue reading
NATIONAL CHRISTIAN COLLEGE ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION DIVISION ONE
NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME – This title tilt was fought between the 3 seeds – the LANCASTER BIBLE COLLEGE CHARGERS – and the 4th seeded COLUMBIA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY RAMS. By Halftime the Chargers were on top 37-27. After the break, LBC kept the Rams at arm’s length as they won their first ever National Championship 82-75. Camden Hurst tossed in 27 points to lead the Chargers.
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF INTERCOLLEGIATE ATHLETICS
ELITE EIGHT: FIRST BERTH – The AVE MARIA UNIVERSITY GYRENES faced the LOUISIANA STATE AT SHREVEPORT PILOTS (Riverboat Pilots). The Gyrenes put LSU-Shreveport on Upset Alert at the Half with their 46-38 advantage. The Pilots cut into the AMU lead from there, but still lost to them by a Century Club score of 102-98. The Gyrenes were led by Michael Klekas with a Double Double of 26 points and 11 rebounds. His teammates Jack Watkins and Alex Sherwood got Double Doubles of their own with 21 points & 11 rebounds, and 14 points & 10 rebounds, respectively. Continue reading
Filed under College Basketball
Last week I took a look at 2017’s lies and hysteria spread by the ignorant, uninformed and emotionally unstable zealots who spend their every waking moment hating President Donald Trump. Whatever the current lies about Trump were, they pretended they were true and predicted “the walls were closing in” or similar hilariously wrong forecasts. Just like today. Here are 2018 flashbacks.
FLASHBACKS
JANUARY 30th, 2018 – TRUMP-HATERS ATTACK THE WHITE HOUSE PHYSICIAN WHO GAVE PRESIDENT TRUMP A GLOWING HEALTH APPRAISAL AFTER HIS PHYSICAL CLAIMING HE WAS A TRUMP SHILL. IT TURNED OUT HE WAS THE SAME DOCTOR WHO GAVE OBAMA HIS PHYSICAL. Especially absurd considering how Democrats would go on to parade the clearly unfit Joe Biden before the cameras as a figurehead while still unknown parties were exercising presidential powers.
JANUARY 25th – ROBERT “MURKY” MUELLER AND HIS CORRUPT ATTEMPT TO PUSH THE RUSSIAN COLLUSION LIES ABOUT PRESIDENT TRUMP. And since Trump-haters are long on childish snark but short on facts and rational thought, I heard from some of them who said (YAWN) “it’s the end for Trump” and that MAGA really meant “Mueller Ain’t Going Away.” Well, Mueller has gone away and Trump is STILL president.
FEBRUARY 12th – HOUSE DEMOCRAT ADAM SCHIFF HILARIOUSLY GOT CAUGHT DEALING WITH PEOPLE HE THOUGHT COULD PROVIDE HIM WITH NAKED PICTURES OF PRESIDENT TRUMP BUT IT TURNED OUT THEY WERE RADIO COMEDIANS PRANKING HIM! Schiff is a lowlife. A stupid lowlife at that. Continue reading
Filed under Anti-Donald Trump hysteria, opinion
This weekend’s escapist, light-hearted superhero post from Balladeer’s Blog looks at another forgotten pantheon of heroes.
FIRE-EATER
Secret Identity: Mike O’Malley
First Appearance: Choice Comics #1 (December 1941)
Origin: Circus performer Mike O’Malley devised special pills that gave him superpowers then set out to fight crime as the superhero called Fire-Eater.
Powers: Fire-Eater, as his name would imply, could “eat” and suck in large flames as well as blow fire-blasts from his mouth. He was also impervious to fire and was skilled at unarmed combat.
Comment: This hero performed his circus tricks AND fought crime under his masked identity. As Mike O’Malley he kept a low profile and had a girlfriend named Louise Peters, the Head Nurse at State Hospital.
MADAME STRANGE
Secret Identity: Never revealed
First Appearance: Great Comics #1 (November 1941)
Origin: Scientifically developed to fight spies and other forces of evil, Madame Strange went on missions to safeguard America.
She often traveled under the guise of a reporter.
Powers: Madame Strange was strong enough to rip iron bars out of a jail cell’s window, was bullet-proof and could run at greater than human speed. She was also an expert at unarmed combat and was skilled with a riding crop AND at knife-throwing. In addition this superheroine had her own personal plane from which she could drop bombs.
Comment: In her very first story Madame Strange was already a well-known figure. She stopped a ring of Imperial Japanese agents from sabotaging Pearl Harbor, eerily prescient since this would have been written just a few months before the real-life attack on that naval station. Continue reading
Filed under Superheroes
Richard Greene is best remembered for his portrayal of Robin Hood on television from 1955-1960 but he starred in several swashbuckler movies before his success on the small screen.
THE DESERT HAWK (1950) – This fun but hilariously inauthentic Arabian actioner starred Yvonne De Carlo as Scheherazade, whose father is forcing her into a marriage to the evil Prince Murad. Word of the lavish wedding reaches Omar the Blacksmith (Richard Greene) who is secretly the roguish bandit leader called the Desert Hawk.
Planning to steal the treasure trove of wedding gifts at the affair, the Desert Hawk disguises himself as Murad and marries Scheherazade before abandoning her by making off with the priceless gifts. He is aided by his two bizarrely miscast colleagues – Jackie Gleason as Aladdin and Joe Besser as Sinbad. (?)
The real Murad is furious about the theft, so he has his men slaughter some innocents and blame it on Omar and his band in order to justify an all-out war against the Desert Hawk. Scheherazade realizes how vile the real Murad is and escapes him disguised as a slave girl.
Omar recognizes the “wife” he ran out on and buys her as a harem girl at auction. Amid much action, the pair continue defying the villainy of Murad until the inevitable happy ending. Rock Hudson appears as Ras in this 77-minute flick. Future Johnny Carson Tonight Show producer Freddy De Cordova directed. Continue reading
Filed under opinion
End this week with a current events roundup from Independent Voter Site Balladeer’s Blog.
TRUMP GETS JAPAN, THE NETHERLANDS, BRITAIN, FRANCE, ITALY AND GERMANY TO AGREE TO HELP SECURE THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ. This despite their previous claims that they would not.
PROBE FINDS THAT FACULTY MEMBERS ARE FUELING ANTISEMITISM ON COLLEGE CAMPUSES. Democrat politicization of the “educational” (LMAO) system needs to end.
OREGON SCHOOL PRINCIPAL WHO CELEBRATED CHARLIE KIRK’S ASSASSINATION JUST SENTENCED TO FIVE YEARS IN PRISON FOR POSSESSING AND SHARING CHILD PORNOGRAPHY. Democrats in the educational system have replaced Catholic priests in the public consciousness when it comes to scandals involving children.
STATE OF WASHINGTON SPECIAL ED TEACHER CHARGED WITH RAPING A TEN-YEAR-OLD STUDENT – AND FILMING THE RAPES. The rapes allegedly happened up to “five times per day.” Democrats, can you please leave children alone?
IN DEMOCRAT-HELD CALIFORNIA, EVEN MORE HOSPICE FRAUD HAS BEEN UNCOVERED – THIS TIME BY CBS. Continue reading
NATIONAL CHRISTIAN COLLEGE ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION DIVISION ONE
FINAL FOUR: BERTH ONE – The 3 seeds – the LANCASTER BIBLE COLLEGE CHARGERS – faced the 6th seeded CLINTON COLLEGE GOLDEN BEARS. By Halftime the Chargers had compiled a 48-40 advantage. After the break, the Golden Bears rallied furiously but fell just short as Lancaster Bible College prevailed 89-87. Trey Grube’s 18 points led the Chargers, while teammate Connor Storr logged a Double Double of 17 points and 10 rebounds. Continue reading
Filed under College Basketball
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