Monthly Archives: June 2012

June 18, 2012 · 12:12 am

SIX NEGLECTED WILD WEST FIGURES

 The big names in Wild West mythology get smothered with attention but with Frontierado coming up on August 3rd it’s the perfect time of year to shed a little light on the myths of some of the American West’s neglected figures. Here are six individuals who never seem to get the attention they deserve.

6. THE MORMON KID – No, that’s not a joke, Matt Warner really was known as the Mormon Kid for the religion he left to pursue a wild life as an outlaw. Some traditions still hold that the Mormon Kid got his first experience with gunplay as a Danite, the “Old West Knights” of the Mormon faith. (For a Danite as a good guy see the Tom Berenger western The Avenging Angel. For a Danite as a Continue reading →

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June 16, 2012 · 1:24 pm

WNBA RESULTS: JUNE 15TH – 17TH

 A BRAND NEW RECORD – So far the MINNESOTA LYNX have owned this WNBA season. They’re the defending champions, they’re the only remaining undefeated team this year and last night they took sole possession of the longest season- opening winning streak in the Association’s history! The Lynx moved to 10-0, breaking the 9-0 tie they held with the 2001 and 2003 LOS ANGELES SPARKS. Minnesota slapped around the homestanding PHOENIX MERCURY in a 78-60 victory that will live on in the history books.

A FIZZLE FROM THE SPARKS – And speaking of the Sparks, they laid an uncharacteristic egg with a 92-59 butt kicking at the hands of the ATLANTA DREAM. Angel McCoughtry, the undisputed leader of the Dream, went Medieval on the Sparks, chalking up 31 points on her own. Atlanta improved to Continue reading →

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June 16, 2012 · 12:02 am

HAPPY BLOOM’S DAY 2012

 Yes, it’s the 16th of June, better known to James Joyce geeks like me as Bloom’s Day. The day is named in honor of Leopold Bloom, the Jewish advertising sales rep and Freemason who is one of the major characters in Joyce’s novel Ulysses. The novel also brings along Stephen Dedalus, the protagonist of his earlier novel Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man. For those unfamiliar with this work, Ulysses is Joyce’s stream-of-consciousness novel in which he metaphorically features the events from the Odyssey in a single day – June 16th, 1904, in Dublin. (The day he met Nora Barnacle, the woman he would eventually marry after living together for decades) Bloom represents Ulysses/Odysseus, Stephen represents Telemachus and Leopold’s wife, Molly Bloom, represents Penelope.

The novel is Continue reading →

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June 13, 2012 · 11:10 pm

44 NAIA COLLEGE BASEBALL PLAYERS TAKEN IN 2012 MAJOR LEAGUE DRAFT

 It’s once again time for Balladeer’s Blog’s annual ritual of listing NAIA college baseball players taken in the MLB draft. The Fresno Pacific University Sunbirds (logo at left) are among the teams who had players drafted.

An added perk (?) of being covered here is the assignment of Official Balladeer’s Blog Nicknames, the kind of nicknames nobody has ever used for these players (or will again) to the best of my knowledge. THE BEST IS THE LAST ON THE LIST

LEE UNIVERSITY FLAMES – Kris “Kids In The” Hall – to the A’s  ***  Patrick “Machine Gun” Merkling – to the Marlins  ***  “Volatile” Vincent Spilker – to the Diamondbacks  ***  Andy “Whatchoo Talkin’ ‘Bout” Hillis – to the Cardinals  ***  Jorge “The Blue Jay” Saez – to the Blue Jays

OKLAHOMA CITY UNIVERSITY STARS – Dane “The Screwdriver” Phillips – to the Padres  ***  “Fillibuster” Blake Schwarz – to the Nationals  ***  “Manta” Miguel Beltran – to the Rays  ***  Chad “Bizet’s” Carman – to the Phillies  ***

FRESNO PACIFIC UNIVERSITY SUNBIRDS – Michael “Teenage Caveman” Vaughn – to the Marlins  ***  “Smart” Alec Mehrten – to the Rockies  ***

ARIZONA CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY FIRESTORM – Keith Continue reading →

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June 12, 2012 · 11:17 pm

FOUR NEGLECTED WILD WEST FIGURES FOR FRONTIERADO

With the Frontierado holiday coming up on Friday, August 3rd (and isn’t it great to have a holiday that falls on the Friday of its three-day weekend, not on the Monday?) it’s time for another seasonal post. Since Balladeer’s Blog loves to cover under-the-radar subjects today’s post is about four real Wild West figures who don’t get the pub of the big names. My attitude, as always, is that in real life the legends of the west were thugs and worse but Frontierado is about the myth of the west, not the grinding reality. 

1. TEXAS BEN THOMPSON – That’s our number one figure depicted to the right. Ben and his brother were often called Texas Ben and Texas Billy and I  think using the nickname as often as possible will help Ben’s myth get more attention.

Texas Ben served in the Confederate States Army, then after the Civil War he headed south and served in Emperor Maximillian’s army in Mexico. When Maximillian fell Ben crossed back over the border into Texas, and spent the remainder of his life hiring his gun out to Continue reading →

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June 11, 2012 · 9:30 pm

WNBA RESULTS: WEEK OF JUNE 10TH * UPDATED WITH JUNE 13TH’S SCORES

 Right now in the WNBA it’s the Minnesota Lynx’s world and everyone else is just part of their win column it seems. The Lynx are the defending champions of the Association (I feel like Jim Rome when I say that), are the only undefeated team remaining this season AND they just tied the 2001 and 2003 Los Angeles Sparks for the best season-starting win streak at 9-0.

The basketball gods must love drama because we’ll have a whole week of buildup before Minnesota plays its next game this Friday night at the Phoenix Mercury. A win there will naturally give the 2012 Lynx sole possession of a new record for consecutive wins to start the season. Meanwhile this post will serve as a sort of “thread” for WNBA score updates throughout the week.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13TH SCORES – Chicago Sky (7-1, won 6 in a row) over the Continue reading →

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June 10, 2012 · 2:38 pm

BAD MOVIE: THE PRICE OF POWER (1969)

 Time for another look at a Weird Western in anticipation of the Frontierado holiday coming up on Friday, August 3rd. Once again, think of me as The Bronson Canyon Kid as I look at another weirdass western to get us all in the Frontierado mood. This flick restages the JFK assassination in the Wild West.  

THE PRICE OF POWER (1969) – When it comes to Spaghetti Westerns most people are only familiar with the mainstream examples like the Clint Eastwood vehicles or the monumental classic Once Upon A Time In The West. There were literally more than Continue reading →

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June 10, 2012 · 12:04 am

COLLEGE BASEBALL CHAMPIONS 2012

 Balladeer’s Blog presents one last round of congratulations to the 2012 College World Series champions in the divisions covered here. The team they faced in the title game will be in parentheses.

The Cal Baptist University Lancers (logo at left) were the champs of the NCCAA and defeated the defending title holders, the Oklahoma Wesleyan Eagles.

NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) – TWC BULLDOGS  (Rogers State University Hillcats)

NCCAA (National Christian College Athletic Association ) – CAL BAPTIST LANCERS  (Oklahoma Wesleyan University Eagles )

NCCAA Division 2 – TOCCOA FALLS COLLEGE EAGLES   ( Florida Christian College Suns )

USCAA (United States Collegiate Athletic Association) – SPALDING UNIVERSITY GOLDEN EAGLES  (Newport News Apprentice School Builders )

NJCAA1 – IOWA WESTERN REIVERS  (San Continue reading →

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June 9, 2012 · 2:39 pm

FRONTIERADO DRINK RECIPE: DEUCES WILD

With the Frontierado holiday coming up on Friday, August 3rd we need to crank up our preparations. Here’s a drink recipe for those of legal drinking age.  I’ll also be giving the recipe for a Cactus Jack, but for right now I’ll give you the recipe for another traditional Frontierado drink. It’s called a Deuces Wild and like a Cactus Jack it’s my own recipe.

To make a Deuces Wild you first combine 2 parts Tequila with Continue reading →

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June 9, 2012 · 1:28 pm

WNBA RESULTS FROM JUNE 8TH AND 9TH

 Balladeer’s Blog’s coverage of the Women’s National Basketball Association continues with a look at the five games last night and both games scheduled for today.

GIVE ME LIBERTY OR GIVE ME DEATH – The NEW YORK LIBERTY registered their first road win of this young season last night with a 76-70 defeat of the WASHINGTON MYSTICS. It was the Liberty’s first win in Washington, DC since 2009,  which is surprising since road teams often thrive in the Black Hole of Sports that the District of Columbia has become in recent years (except for the Capitals). New York improves to  3-5 after starting the year 0-5.

UNDERCOVER ANGEL – Angel McCoughtry, the undisputed leader of the ATLANTA DREAM, helped rally her team in Continue reading →

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