From the people who brought you The Titmouse on the Titanic
THANKSGIVING IS ALMOST HERE! ONE OF THE GREATEST HOLIDAYS OF THE YEAR!
THE MOUSE ON THE MAYFLOWER (1968) – Country western star Tennessee Ernie Ford narrates and supplies the voice of the title character – a Puritan mouse named Willum – who stows away on the Mayflower during its trip to America.
The little rodent also gets to participate in the very first Thanksgiving celebration with a Native American mouse. Continue reading
Filed under Forgotten Television
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NUMBER SIX GOES DOWN – With the playoffs beginning next weekend this final Saturday of the Regular Season saw the WILLIAM PENN UNIVERSITY STATESMEN welcome the nation’s 6th ranked GRAND VIEW UNIVERSITY VIKINGS. The Statesmen marked Senior Day in style, knocking off the storied Vikings by an authoritative score of 33-14.
EASY AS ONE, TWO, THREE – The top 3 teams in the nation over in D2 prevailed. The (1) INDIANA UNIVERSITY IN PENNSYLVANIA CRIMSON HAWKS logged a 24-7 road smackdown of the WEST CHESTER UNIVERSITY GOLDEN RAMS ### Meanwhile the (2) MINNESOTA STATE MAVERICKS survived a 27-24 visit with the (11) UNIVERSITY OF SIOUX FALLS COUGARS ### And the (3) ASHLAND EAGLES defeated the SAGINAW VALLEY CARDINALS 31-19.
USCAA GAME OF THE WEEK – In the United States Collegiate Athletic Association the NEWPORT NEWS APPRENTICE SCHOOL BUILDERS (formerly the Shipbuilders) were on the road against the HUDSON VALLEY COLLEGE VIKINGS. A 7-7 Halftime tie became a 21-21 deadlock to end Regulation. In Overtime the Builders won it 28-27 off a missed PAT by the Vikings. Continue reading
Filed under college football
Konstantin Eduardovich Tsiolkovsky did real-life work crucial to space-flight and is one of the neglected pioneers of Science Fiction. Balladeer’s Blog takes a look at a few of his works.
DREAMS OF EARTH AND SKY (1895) – The opening section of this piece presents the well-worn Hollow Earth with an interior sun storyline. The real treasure is found in the “Dreams of the Sky” portion.
An asteroid in the Asteroid Belt between Mars and Jupiter is so large that today it would be called a Dwarf Planet like Ceres. The planetoid is inhabited by ambulatory plant-like humanoids who have wings instead of arms and who live in small versions of greenhouses.
These flying plant-people from the Asteroid Belt obtain nourishment through chlorophyll and solar radiation. They also have advanced technology like the harnessing of dismantled asteroids into rings, resulting in lower gravity for manufacturing work.
The beings have even created “space-trains” capable of taking them on interstellar journeys.
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OUT OF THE EARTH (1920) – Coincidentally set in the year 2017 A.D. this tale features what readers are told is the first manned flight to the moon, some 48 years AFTER it happened in real life. An international team of tycoons and scientific adventurers are planning to explore the universe, with the moon an obvious first step.
This international fellowship is headquartered in the Himalayas and boasts members from Russia, America, England, France, Germany and Italy. Tsiolkovsky was ballsy enough to use millionaires and industrialists as the story’s heroes despite the disapproval of the (by 1920) Soviet government.
The fellowship uses a multi-stage rocket propelled by liquid fuel. After perfecting model rockets the group moves on to full-scale spacecraft. The explorers orbit the Earth first, and use space suits for extra-vehicular activities. Continue reading
Filed under Ancient Science Fiction
Balladeer’s Blog wrings down the curtain on Veterans Day of 2017 with this item. In keeping with the whole “Eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month” tradition here are eleven World War One figures who were awarded the Medal of Honor.
J HUNTER WICKERSHAM
Rank: 2nd Lieutenant, US Army
Site: Limey, France on September 12th, 1918
Citation: Advancing with his platoon during the St. Mihiel offensive, he was severely wounded in 4 places by the bursting of a high-explosive shell. Before receiving any aid for himself he dressed the wounds of his orderly, who was wounded at the same time.
He then ordered and accompanied the further advance of his platoon, although weakened by the loss of blood. His right hand and arm being disabled by wounds, he continued to fire his revolver with his left hand until, exhausted by loss of blood, he fell and died from his wounds before aid could be administered.
JAKE ALLEX
Rank: Corporal, US Army
Site: Chipilly Ridge, France on August 9th, 1918
Citation: At a critical point in the action, when all the officers with his platoon had become casualties, Cpl. Allex took command of the platoon and led it forward until the advance was stopped by fire from a machinegun nest.
He then advanced alone for about 30 yards in the face of intense fire and attacked the nest. With his bayonet he killed 5 of the enemy, and when it was broken, used the butt of his rifle, capturing 15 prisoners.
FRANK MONROE UPTON
Rank: Quartermaster – US Navy
Site: The USS Florence H on April 17th, 1918 Continue reading
Filed under Neglected History
Happy Veterans Day!
Well, it’s been nearly 100 years since November 11th, 1918 saw the end of World War One, or the Great War as it was called before anyone knew a second global conflict would occur. As we all know the date eventually became designated as the day for honoring the people who make it possible for the rest of us to lead our lives in relative safety.
Irrational political partisans often forget that the only reason any of them have the luxury of sitting back and making pompous, self-righteous pronouncements is because of the men and women who go out and actually DO something.
And those men and women do it even though they know that Continue reading
Filed under Neglected History
Until Veteran’s Day – which is tomorrow – Balladeer’s Blog continues to salute neglected heroes from World War One.
J.M. SWAAB – Jacques Michael Swaab didn’t even take to the air with the 22nd Aero Squadron until August 27th of 1918 but before the war ended on November 11th he managed 10 confirmed kills and SEVEN more possible. At that rate Swaab could have challenged Eddie Rickenbacker’s total of 26 kills if he had started earlier in the war.
On September 8th J.M. flew his Spad XIII in deadly combat, shooting down THREE German planes – including 2 Fokker D-VII’s. Before long he was an Ace and as an added bonus he shot down and killed Germany’s famed Ace Max Nather on October 23rd. Continue reading
Filed under Neglected History
It’s the Son of the Return of Bride of Give Them A Shoutout Before They’re Dead. Balladeer’s Blog gives a musical nod to the Escape Club and their hit song Wild, Wild West.
Filed under opinion
Yes, Veterans Day is coming so Balladeer’s Blog has been featuring some seasonal posts. In keeping with my blog’s theme I will take a look at more military actions that don’t get the attention that others do. Here is a look at U.S. Navy battles of the First World War.
OCTOBER 15th, 1917 – America entered the war just six months earlier and the Navy had been transporting the American Expeditionary Force under General “Black Jack” Pershing to Europe, with additional Navy craft escorting those transport ships and fighting German U-Boats. On this date the USS Cassin encountered U-Boat 61 and, after an hour’s pursuit the German submarine turned to fight the Cassin. After a lengthy exchange of torpedoes and depth charges the Cassin was battered but still afloat, while the U-61 suffered substantial damage also, including the destruction of its conning tower, forcing the sub to break off the action and flee.
NOVEMBER 17th, 1917 – The USS Fanning and USS Nicholson clashed with the German U-Boat designated U-58 when eagle-eyed sailors spotted the German sub’s periscope above the water line. Depth charges from the two U.S. ships damaged the U-58 and forced it to surface and engage in standard ship-to-ship combat. The Fanning and Nicholson sank the U-Boat, becoming the FIRST United States ships to Continue reading
Filed under Neglected History
RED COUNTIES ON THE MAP WENT TO TRUMP – BLUE COUNTIES TO HILLARY
ISOLATED POCKETS OF POMPOUS SNOBS AND BLOATED HATEMONGERS WERE DEFEATED
Barack Obama was garbage. George W Bush was garbage. Donald Trump is NOT garbage, even if only because he is not a career politician. America’s career politicians called Democrats and Republicans are little more than white collar criminals.
President Donald Trump – the Richard Channing of Presidents – is America’s de facto Third Party President! His election kept career criminal Hillary Clinton out of the White House! Remember LBJ and “the Splendid Tease?” President Trump’s election kicked off the Splendid Snivel, which is STILL going on!
Given the loud howling from DemCorp and RepubCorp what better way to mark this glorious occasion than revisiting the mock headlines I ran after President Trump won.
HILLARY AND OBAMA ON THE WRONG SIDE OF HISTORY!
TRUMP SAVES NATION; POSSIBLY THE WORLD
CAREER CRIMINAL HILLARY CLINTON FAILS IN BID FOR WHITE HOUSE
DEMOCRATS SUDDENLY REALIZE WHY A PRESIDENT’S POWERS NEED REINED IN: And It Ain’t Because of (YAAAAAAWWWN) Racism
WAR WITH RUSSIA AVERTED WHEN MADWOMAN DENIED THE PRESIDENCY
ONE PERCENTERS AND BLOATED RICH PIGS OUTRAGED AT TRUMP WIN
BLOW STRUCK AGAINST AMERICAN LIBERAL COLONIALISM
VOTERS TO OBAMA: DROP DEAD
THE WORKING POOR DEFEAT THE MEDIA-DEMOCRAT MONOLITH
DEMOCRATS BANKED TOO MUCH ON ELDERLY WHITE LIBERALS WHO THINK IT’S 1967
ORANGE LIVES MATTER!
DE FACTO THIRD PARTY CANDIDATE WINS THE PRESIDENCY
DEMOCRATS’ PLANS FOR 2020: ANYTHING WITH A VAGINA!
MICHAEL MOORE ENGINEERS TRUMP VICTORY
NON-DEMOCRAT AND NON-REPUBLICAN BREAKS GLASS CEILING!
One percenter and bloated rich pig Mark Cuban (actual size)
MARK CUBAN: FROM BEGGING TO BE TRUMP’S VICE PRESIDENT TO SOUR GRAPES CRITIC TO IRRELEVANT BUFFOON IN ONE ELECTION CYCLE!
DEMOCRATS VOW: THE NEXT CRIMINAL WE RUN FOR THE PRESIDENCY WILL HAVE ALREADY BEEN CONVICTED AND SERVED THEIR TIME
TRUMP ON HOW HE ATTRACTED SO MANY AFRICAN-AMERICAN VOTES: “I ASKED FOR THEM” (DEMOCRAT TIP O’NEILL STILL HAS WISDOM FOR US)
FIRST LADY MELANIA TRUMP SPEAKS MORE LANGUAGES THAN BOTH OBAMAS COMBINED
LUNATIC FRINGE CONSISTING OF ABOUT 64 MILLION VOTERS ELECTS TRUMP
HILLARY: IF I HAD KNOWN U.S. CITIZENS WERE VOTING I TOTALLY WOULD HAVE PANDERED FOR THEIR VOTES
TRUMP DOUBLES GOP’s USUAL AFRICAN-AMERICAN VOTE, PROVING WHAT A RACIST HE IS …?
GEORGE WILL AND BILL KRISTOL TO STAR IN FEATURE-LENGTH VERSION OF MONTY PYTHON’s “UPPER CLASS TWIT” SKETCH
PARTY OF SLAVERY, THE KU KLUX KLAN AND JIM CROW DEFEATED
MEDIA WHICH ASSURED US HILLARY WOULD WIN IN A LANDSLIDE NOW ASSURES US TRUMP WILL BLOW UP WORLD
DEMOCRATS STUNNED TO LEARN THAT ACTUAL VOTERS OUTNUMBER ACTORS AND SINGERS
CONGRESSIONAL DEMOCRATS SUDDENLY IN LOVE WITH THE NOTION OF CONGRESSIONAL OBSTRUCTIONISM Continue reading
Filed under LIBERALS AND CONSERVATIVES, Neglected History, opinion
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