Monthly Archives: February 2017

February 8, 2017 · 12:25 am

THE HOOD: HOLYOKE SUPERHERO

This superhero-crazed culture lets me know if I go too long without a blog post about this topic, so here’s another neglected hero from Holyoke Comics.

hood-holyokeTHE HOOD

Secret Identity: Craig Williams, FBI Agent

Origin: Federal Agent Craig Williams grew frustrated with the way too many slick criminals and supervillains were able to wriggle free from any legal charges. When faced with such dead-ends in the course of his duties he took to wearing a costume and calling himself the Hood. In that guise he brought down criminals who could not be brought to justice by conventional means.

First Appearance: Cat-Man Comics #5 (December 1941). His final Golden Age appearance came in 1945.

Powers: Continue reading →

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February 7, 2017 · 9:42 pm

COLLEGE BASKETBALL RANKINGS: GLITTERNIGHT INDEX

Division Two

Hawaii Pacific*** 1. HAWAII PACIFIC UNIVERSITY SEA WARRIORS    ###    2. NORTHWEST MISSOURI STATE BEARCATS    ###    3. WEST LIBERTY STATE HILLTOPPERS    ###    4. QUEENS UNIVERSITY OF CHARLOTTE ROYALS    ###    5. INDIANA UNIVERSITY IN PENNSYLVANIA CRIMSON HAWKS    ###    

UAM*** 6. UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS AT MONTICELLO BOLL WEEVILS    ###    7. CALIFORNIA BAPTIST UNIVERSITY LANCERS    ###    8. LINCOLN MEMORIAL UNIVERSITY RAILSPLITTERS    ###    9. MINNESOTA STATE UNIVERSITY AT MOORHEAD DRAGONS    ###    10. UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN AT PARKSIDE RANGERS    ###     Continue reading →

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February 7, 2017 · 11:00 am

DEMOCRATS: HOMOPHOBIA IS OKAY WHEN MUSLIMS ARE GUILTY OF IT

vincent-tolliverVincent Tolliver (pictured) has decided to sue the Democrat’s National Committee for breaching his due process rights and his right to free political expression. Tolliver was among the candidates for the new DNC Chair, but was expelled for pointing out that another candidate – Muslim Democrat Keith Ellison of Minnesota – might not be the best chairman because of Islam’s intolerant views on homosexuality. 

Tolliver stated “His being a Muslim is precisely why DNC voters should not vote for him. Muslims discriminate against gays. Islamic law is clear on the subject, and being gay is a direct violation of it. In some Muslim countries, being gay is a crime punishable by death.” 

“Clearly,” he continued, “Mr. Ellison is not the person to lead the DNC or any other organization committed to not discriminating based on gender identity or sexual orientation. I’m shocked [the Human Rights Campaign] has been silent on the issue. A vote for Representative Ellison by any member of the DNC would be divisive and unconscionable.”

Tolliver was consequently expelled from the race by interim chair Donna Brazile, who described his comments as “disgusting.” (Note from Balladeer: But of course Muslim homophobia and general intolerance are NEVER to be criticized according to the Democrats.)

Mascot with demo and repub heads

The symbol of the nonexistent Balladeer Political Party

Tolliver has now pledged to take legal action against the DNC. 

“ The Democratic establishment are denying me due process and are attempting to suppress my voice …” Tolliver elaborated, adding that he stands by his views on Islam.

“The DNC and the Democratic establishment are attempting to prevent me from freely expressing known and indisputable tenets of lslamic law. Moreover, through sleight of hand tactics, interim chair Donna Brazile falsely accused me of discriminating against Mr. Ellison and cast aspersions by suggesting I was intolerant of religious freedom,” he alleged. 

“Furthermore, the DNC’s blocking my candidacy is a glaring contradiction to the 2016 Democratic Platform, that ‘as Democrats, we respect differences of perspective and belief, and pledge to work together to move this country forward, even when we disagree.’ I am a lifelong Democratic who believes in people and not power and elitism which has successfully corrupted the DNC and the Democratic Party.”  Continue reading →

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February 7, 2017 · 6:00 am

COOL-NAMED SPORTS TEAM: OHIO STATE AT MARION

 OHIO STATE-MARION SCARLET WAVE

Location: Marion, OH

Division: USCAA (United States Collegiate Athletic Association)

Comment: The Scarlet Wave is a nickname every bit as cool as The Crimson Tide and The Green Wave. You can’t go wrong with names like this for sports teams as far as I’m concerned and I’ve been saying for years that when Syracuse changed their team’s names from The Orangemen to The Orange that they’d have been better off going with something like … Continue reading →

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February 6, 2017 · 9:47 pm

SUPERFLY (1972)

superfly poster tallSUPERFLY (1972) – While unfairly pigeonholed as a blaxploitation movie Superfly is in reality a monumentally overlooked classic of American gangster films.

Some of the blame for the lack of respect accorded this cinematic masterpiece comes from the outrageous movie posters that make it look like standard blaxploitation fare to modern film viewers. In reality Superfly pioneered some of the story elements that other blaxploitation flicks would turn into laughable cliches with their incessant repetition. 

Another obstacle to celluloid respectability is the title, which became synonymous with the lead character, played masterfully by Ron O’Neal. Actually, O’Neal’s character is named Youngblood Priest. “Superfly” was the adjective used to describe the high quality of the cocaine Priest pushed to his customers, as in the line of dialogue “Priest, you sell some superfly shit!” Continue reading →

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February 6, 2017 · 5:00 am

MUSLIM DR ZUHDI JASSER ON THE WAY THE LEFT USES MUSLIMS IN IDENTITY POLITICS GAMES

“IT’S JUST AMAZING HOW THE IDENTITY LEFT LOVES TO USE US MUSLIMS AS A FOIL OF IDENTITY POLITICS.” – Dr Zuhdi Jasser

zuhdi-jasserThe American Left is apparently worried that their bloodthirsty public mob scenes haven’t yet driven away ALL of us who used to consider ourselves part of them. 

The crazed DemoKKKrats continue shrieking their slogan “If you disagree with us we will beat you bloody to show how compassionate and inclusive we are!”

Meanwhile courageous Muslims like Dr Zuhdi Jasser – who opposes violent jihadists – continue trying to talk sense to the insane political left about President Donald Trump’s Executive Order regarding proper vetting from danger zones.

He also noted that the seven countries affected by Trump’s executive order are “the same seven countries that Obama listed as hot spots.” (italics mine)

Dr Jasser emphatically disputes the propagandist claim made by Left-Wing Archie Bunkers that Trump’s EO “bans Muslims” or applies “a religious test.” 

trumps-muslim-executive-order“I don’t know where they’re getting that from,” he said. “I don’t think they read the same executive order.”

“The executive order from President Trump said nothing specifically about any specific religion. It said we will protect those persecuted in the name of religion, for their religion. So that would include Christians, Yazidis, and even Sunni Muslims like myself who are part of the majority in Syria – or Egypt, or Saudi Arabia, or wherever – but yet have dissident opinions that are persecuted,” he continued.

” … I think it’s appropriate to pause and begin the process of vetting ideology, which hasn’t happened so far. We’re sort of welcoming in anyone, including jihadists.” Continue reading →

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February 5, 2017 · 6:30 pm

NINE MORE COOL FOOTBALL HELMETS FROM NEGLECTED TEAMS

VANDEGRIFT VIPERS

vandegrift-vipers

Comment: The Vipers manage the Hat Trick of having a virtually unique team name, a butt-kicking logo and terrific helmets.

FRISCO RACCOONS

frisco-raccoons

Comment: Let’s face it, Raccoons is one seriously underused name when it comes to sports teams. If the Raccoon tails on these helmets were just a bit bigger they’d be perfect.

CIGARROA TOROS

cigarroa-toros

Comment: Some readers tell me they don’t really care for helmets with white shells but I think they can look good with the right kind of logo on them. Continue reading →

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February 5, 2017 · 11:42 am

GIRLS ON PROBATION (1938) ON THE TEXAS TWENTY-SEVEN FILM VAULT

Girls on Probation

Girls on Probation

In the middle 1980s/ Way down on Level 31 …

Before MST3K there was The Texas 27 Film Vault! Balladeer’s Blog continues its examination of this neglected cult show from the 1980s with another review of an episode where an original air date can be determined. My interview with some of the original cast, my research through VERY old newspapers and emailed memories from my fellow Vaulties are helping in this attempt to reconstruct elements of the show’s history.

EPISODE ORIGINALLY BROADCAST: Saturday March 2nd, 1985 from 10:30pm to 1:00 am.

FILM VAULT LORE: This is the 2nd oldest episode I’ve reviewed. The oldest episode was the February 9th, 1985 airing of Trunk to Cairo with Audie Murphy. Special thanks to my fellow T27FV fan Jessica for the serial episode and a comedy sketch from the episode.

One of the comedy sketches in the show was a mock commercial for Blue Arrow Bus Lines, the fictional bus line in the movie. The phony ad hyped the bus line as the Official Bus Line of female fugitives on the run.

Lost CitySERIAL: Before showing and mocking the movie machine-gun toting Randy and Richard of the fictional Film Vault Corps (“The few, the proud, the sarcastic”) showed and mocked a chapter of the notoriously campy sci-fi serial The Lost City (1935).

That serial featured a super-scientific city lost in the middle of the African jungle plus zombified “giant” African tribesmen, ray-guns, a slinky femme fatale and a tribe of pygmies. There’s also a Great White Hunter as the hero and a mad scientist whose inventions include a machine that turns black people into white people! And the “colorization” is considered a REWARD for tribesmen who serve the mad scientist well! All this plus BOTH William Boyds in one serial! 

THE MOVIE: GIRLS ON PROBATION (1938) was one of the countless Warner Brothers B-movies that future president Ronald Reagan starred in before his career in politics. Reagan had just been inaugurated  for his second term less than two months earlier so the Reagan jokes from our Film Vault Technicans First Class no doubt flew hard and fast. The Texas 27 Film Vault also showed Bedtime for Bonzo, another infamous Reagan pic, but I have yet to narrow down the exact date of that episode.  

Reagan is the Continue reading →

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February 4, 2017 · 11:55 pm

ALLEN WEST: FOR AFRICAN AMERICANS TRUMP’S LABOR SEC NOMINEE ANDY PUZDER WILL INCREASE JOB OPPORTUNITIES

allen-westAllen West has weighed in with the opinion that President Donald Trump’s nominee for Secretary of Labor – Andy Puzder – is an excellent choice to implement Trump’s plans to increase employment opportunities for African Americans.

And I would point out that this is in stark contrast to the Obama administration, whose policies were the usual Democrat carrot-and-stick incentives to give blind support to the Democrats’ party in exchange for vague promises of future changes. Fifty years of condescending nonsense were all that the Democrats gave to working class families of any color.

West pointed out that under Obama black unemployment rates never stopped being sky-high. In cities including Atlanta, Chicago and Washington, D.C., the unemployment rate among African Americans is 19, 23, and 18 percent, respectively.

Nationally, the current black youth unemployment rate is more than double that of whites. President Trump, like a new Franklin Roosevelt, has actual, concrete plans to address the problem. Unlike Roosevelt, however, Donald Trump is a de facto Third Party President and must withstand attacks from both left-wing and right-wing media outlets.

trump-first-weekAnd I actually read what Trump’s policies are. If you are reacting to him based purely on what shallow, uninformed and emotionally unstable entertainers say about him then you’re not a very reliable judge, are you?

Trump’s political foes among BOTH Democrats AND Republicans seem terrified that this President’s departure from the failed strategies of the past will continue to disrupt the current corrupt system which keeps career politicians fat and happy but does nothing for the poor and the working class.

The louder the anti-Trump insanity becomes from the American media (owned by roughly 15 billionaires according to Anonymous and Wikileaks and others) the more you can bet Trump is laying out strategies that people like the Koch Brothers and George Soros and Carlos Slim see as threats to their plutocratic empire.     Continue reading →

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February 4, 2017 · 4:14 pm

SONGS OF MALDOROR: CANTO THREE GUIDE

Back to Balladeer’s Blog’s chapter guide to my examination of Isidore Ducasse’s 1868 work of surreal horror The Songs of Maldoror.

THIRD CANTO

Maldoror 13Third Canto, Stanza 1: THE MYSTERIOUS RIDERS – The enigmatic monster Maldoror and his lover Mario (another supernatural being) terrorize humanity, mate in space and encounter unspeakable creatures beneath the sea. CLICK HERE 

Third Canto, Stanza 2: VICTIMS BOTH LIVING AND DEAD – Possibly the most disturbing and horrific Stanza in The Songs of Maldoror. Read it at your own risk to witness our vile protagonist at his depraved worst. CLICK HERE 

Third Canto, Stanza 3: THE TIGER-HEADED DRAGON – The notorious Wandering Jew of ancient legend is an eye-witness as Maldoror does battle with a winged tiger/ dragon hybrid beast, with humanity set up to be the losers no matter which abomination wins. CLICK HERE Continue reading →

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