COUNTDOWN CANADA (1970) – Here at Balladeer’s Blog I am amazed that this vintage Canadian Television work of speculative fiction hasn’t received renewed fame in 2026. Countdown Canada uses the approach of the Orson Welles War of the Worlds radio broadcast and the later television production Special Bulletin. Throw in other examples like James Burke’s After the Warming if you like.
Though this aired on Canadian television in 1970 the story is set in 1979. The current head of Canada’s government won election on a campaign of holding a referendum on Canada officially joining the United States, and its provinces each becoming new states in the union. All except for Quebec, which in this fictional 1979 achieved independence earlier in the decade.
The referendum to become part of the United States resulted in a victory for the “yeas” and Countdown Canada is set a few years later as all bureaucratic and constitutional red tape has been dealt with and the last day of an independent Canada has arrived. Continue reading
MADD FRANK – This ghoulish character was played by Kent Kamron, whose real name is Delray K. Dvoracek (but everyone knew him as Nancy). He hosted Madd Frank Presents on KVRR in Fargo, North Dakota from May 1985 to an unknown date in 1995. 
THE GALLERY OF MADAME LIU-TSONG aka MADAME LIU-TSONG (1951) – The great Anna May Wong starred in this Dumont Network program, which was THE FIRST U.S. TELEVISION SERIES WITH AN ASIAN-AMERICAN STAR. Wong had worked in Silent Films like Peter Pan and The Thief of Bagdad, then as Fu Manchu’s daughter in a few talkies. 
CANON ALBERIC’S SCRAPBOOK – Written by Montague Rhodes James, and I’m shocked that I still encounter people today who are not familiar with him and his works. Anyway, that made me decide to examine his first supernatural horror story. 
The story features Dennistoun, a Cambridge Scholar who takes a vacation on the Continent so he can tour, photograph and sketch old cathedrals in France. Dennistoun bicycles to the town of St.-Bertrand-de-Comminges near Toulouse to cover its cathedral. 
KNOCKING OFF NUMBER SIX – In NCAA Division 3 the MARYVILLE COLLEGE SCOTS paid a visit to the number 6 team in the nation – the TRINITY (TX) TIGERS. The Tigers were on top 9-6 at Halftime, but Maryville College went up 13-9 by the end of the 3rd Quarter. In the 4th, the Scots held on for a 16-12 Upset. 
WELCOME TO THE OAK BOWL – Up in the NAIA, the PERU STATE BOBCATS defended their Oak Bowl home field against the MOUNT MERCY UNIVERSITY MUSTANGS. The Bobcats parlayed their 10-3 1st Quarter edge into a 38-3 advantage by the Half. After the break, Peru State coasted to a 59-10 triumph. 
RABID GRANNIES (1988) – This review of Rabid Grannies applies ONLY to the original uncut edition, NOT the edited version distributed by the Troma Team. The uncut version is well worth watching but the cut version is awful.
AVENGERS Vol 1 #57 (Oct 1968) 
The Vision initially helps Ultron, but his logical android mind lets him reject his creator’s commands. He turns against Ultron, saves the Avengers and seemingly destroys Ultron, but obviously he’ll return as Ultron-6. 
RIPLEY and the other humans in the Alien films are American VOTERS. As we struggle to survive in this dangerous setting we need to stand together against the common threats. And that applies whether a voter considers themselves Independent or Democrat or Republican. Political labels have become meaningless for US as the Neo-Feudalists view all of us as peasants and cannon fodder, anyway. 
