NJCAA DIV THREE
FIRST SEMIFINAL – The top seeds – the BROOKDALE COLLEGE JERSEY BLUES – took the court against the 5th seeded COLUMBUS STATE COLLEGE COUGARS.
The Jersey Blues were all over the Cougars in every way from start to finish and parlayed an impressive 58-36 Halftime advantage into a Century Club-level ONE HUNDRED NINE to SEVENTY-NINE blowout win. The leading scorer for Brookdale College was Anthony Butler with 18 points. Continue reading
Filed under College Basketball
FOR PART ONE CLICK HERE
JUNGLE ACTION Volume 2, Number 14 (March 1975)
IX. THERE ARE SERPENTS LURKING IN PARADISE
Synopsis: This chapter picks up with the Black Panther surreptitiously following Sombre, the High Priest of Resurrection Altar, through the steamy jungle of Serpent Valley. The narration tells readers that T’Challa has spent the last 4 days and nights trailing Sombre in the steep, dangerous descent from the Land of the Chilling Mist.
That descent took place down the Grand Canyonesque walls of the Chasm of Chilling Mist, which terminates thousands of feet below sea level in Serpent Valley. Down this low there are no surface deposits of vibranium to absorb all the heat energy from the air like in the Land of the Chilling Mist.
That means that in Serpent Valley the “mist” is no longer “chilling” but is instead a heavy, humid natural steam bath. Serpent Valley’s mist is so thick that the sun can never be made out in the sky at all. The steamy mist simply becomes brighter with sunlight (and greater visibility) during the day and more like fog at night.
This sweltering, figurative green house was so thoroughly insulated from meteorological changes in the outer world above that countless species of dinosaurs and other creatures from Earth’s distant past still thrive in Serpent Valley.
We learned last time around that the Black Panther’s foe, Erik Killmonger/ N’Jadaka, plans to further his rebellion against T’Challa’s rule of Wakanda by rounding up dozens of Serpent Valley’s dinosaurs, training them and then using them as a mounted force in a major attack on Wakanda City. (And this was long years before either Jurassic Park OR Dino-Riders.)
Presently, T’Challa moves in to attack Sombre before he can reach Killmonger and warn him that the Black Panther still lives and was not killed by the Devil-Wolves or by the White Gorillas. Continue reading
Filed under Superheroes
A MODERN DAEDALUS (1887) – By Tom Greer. No, the title’s not referring to James Joyce’s character Stephen Dedalus (sic) but this tale IS about Ireland. The main character is a young man named Jack O’Halloran, a recent college graduate who returns to his native Ireland.
Jack has dreamed about flying since he was a child and now he uses his genius to create a winged apparatus that can be worn by a single person to take to the skies. Our modern Daedalus flies around at speeds of up to 100 miles per hour with his new invention. Jack is thrilled but complications arise when he shares the news with his father.
Old Man O’Halloran wants to use his son’s winged apparatus to wage aerial warfare against the hated British and thereby win independence for Ireland. Our protagonist doesn’t want his invention used for such a blood-soaked purpose and in the ensuing argument his father throws him out of the house. Continue reading
Filed under Ancient Science Fiction
NCCAA DIV ONE
FIRST SEMIFINAL – This first clash of the Final Four teams saw the top seeded SOUTHWESTERN CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY EAGLES (should be the Aguilas) duking it out with the 4 seeds – the CENTRAL CHRISTIAN COLLEGE OF KANSAS TIGERS.
The Eagles, determined to prove that THEIR team name is even more overused than Tigers, led their opponents 33-29 at Halftime. From there Southwestern Christian University outscored Central Christian College of Kansas 34-32 for a 67-61 trip to the Championship Game. Fifteen points from Shawn Scott led the Bulldogs Wildcats Eagles.
SECOND SEMIFINAL – The 2 seeds – the EMMANUEL COLLEGE LIONS – and the 6th seeded BLUEFIELD COLLEGE RAMBLING RAMS fought it out for the other slot in the title tilt.
The Lions quickly made sure the Rambling Rams had no illusions about winning, as they slapped them down hard with a 42-24 lead by the break. In the 2nd Half Emmanuel College could relax and coast all the way to a 78-56 triumph. Emerson McClung led the Lions with his 25 points.
NJCAA DIV THREE
FINAL FOUR: FIRST BERTH – The 5th seeded COLUMBUS STATE COLLEGE COUGARS took on the 4 seeds – the HERKIMER COLLEGE GENERALS.
By Halftime the Cougars had laid the groundwork for this minor Upset, leading the Generals 41-36. From there Columbus State College outscored Herkimer College 50-40 to win the game by a final tally of 91-76. Matthew Gierhart tossed in 18 points for the victors. Continue reading
Filed under College Basketball
FOR PART ONE CLICK HERE
JELLY NASH
Real Name: Frank Nash
Birth – Death: February 6th, 1887 – June 17th, 1933
Lore: Frank Nash got his nickname “Jelly” from the chemical jelly explosives he used to crack safes.
Reality: Supposedly the nickname was actually short for “Jellybean,” which Nash was called in his youth because it was a slang term for a sharp dresser. As ZZ Topp said “Every girl’s crazy ’bout a Jell-eee-beeeeeaan.”
Criminal Career: After serving in the U.S. Army from 1904 to 1907, Jelly Nash began applying some of the skills he picked up in the military to committing criminal acts. Tradition holds that Nash robbed close to 200 banks during his career.
Frank was so successful that his first conviction didn’t happen until 1913, and then only because he showed some uncharacteristic greed and treachery. He and “Humpy” Wortman stole around $1,000 from an Oklahoma store and while Wortman was digging a hole to hide the loot, Jelly shot him in the back and made off with all the money.
(Lore: Humpy Wortman got his nickname from his tendency to hump the legs of his fellow criminals. Reality: I just made that up.) Continue reading
Filed under Neglected History, opinion
Another member of Balladeer’s Blog’s Real World League of Extraordinary Women – Anni Cyrus – has been back in the news lately. Anni courageously continues to speak out about the plight of women in the Muslim world and in Muslim immigrant communities around the world.
Ms Cyrus also addresses the dangers of Sharia Law. Democrats at America’s colleges and universities always try to prevent her from even speaking on campus or any other public venues. This is similar to the way Democrats oppose and often threaten other women who dare to criticize Islam’s oppression of women.
(This is made even more hypocritical by the way that White Women of Privilege always act like the U.S. is mere moments away from becoming like The Handmaid’s Tale yet they actively oppose heroic women like Anni Cyrus, Ayaan Hirsi Ali and so many others.)
Dianna Ploss of ACT issued a statement regarding recent efforts to shut down Cyrus’ appearances in Boston:
Anni Cyrus and the organizers of this event condemn the attempt by CAIR-National to stifle free speech in our country. Making allegations that are without foundation against Anni Cyrus and the organizers of this event is a hypocritical attempt to promote an exclusive view of the world in the name of the common welfare.
Anni Cyrus, a noted speaker and activist, will be speaking on the danger of Islamization in the United States and around the world. Included in her talk is the role of Sharia, how it prohibits the rights of women, the rights of free speech, and the Constitutional rights we enjoy, including the First Amendment.
Anni Cyrus has been a strong voice in the defense of women and minorities in Islamic countries. It is deeply ironic that her voice to protect others is mispresented by CAIR-National, and Anni Cyrus and the sponsors of her talk call upon CAIR-National to rescind its’ criticism, which is deeply repugnant to the principles upon which this country was founded.
Additonal articles on courageous women who take on Islam’s oppression –
THIS HAUNTING IMAGE STRIKES RIGHT TO THE CORE OF THE HATRED THAT IS ISLAM.
RAHEEL RAZA – MUSLIM HEROINE: HERE
MUSLIM FANATICS STONE TRANSGENDER PEOPLE IN GERMANY: HERE
MUSLIMS WHO ASSIMILATE ARE REJECTED BY THE LEFT: HERE
YAZIDI WOMEN FORM UNIT TO FIGHT ISLAMIC STATE: HERE
HEROIC MUSLIM WOMAN SHAMS BANDAR: HERE
ANN-MARIE WATERS ON MUSLIM RAPE MOBS AND CENSORSHIP: HERE
THE LEFT’S LOVE AFFAIR WITH ISLAM: HERE
FRANCES BARBER SPEAKS OUT ON MUSLIM MISOGYNY: HERE
ANOTHER COURAGEOUS WOMAN TAKES ON ISLAM: HERE
NONIE DARWISH – HEROINE VS ISLAM: HERE
BRAVE MUSLIM WOMEN: HERE
ANOTHER BRAVE MUSLIM WOMAN: HERE
MUSLIM VIOLENCE: HERE
BOOKS EXAMINING ISLAM: HERE
ISLAM AND THE POLITICAL LEFT: HERE
POLITICO ON MUSLIM FASCISM: HERE Continue reading
Filed under LIBERALS AND CONSERVATIVES, Neglected History, opinion, Superheroes
NCCAA DIV ONE
FINAL FOUR: FIRST BERTH – The 6th seeded BLUEFIELD COLLEGE RAMBLING RAMS went up against the 3 seeds – the MID-AMERICA CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY EVANGELS.
The Rambling Rams were feeling it and put the Evangels on Upset Alert at Halftime with their 35-31 lead. After the break Bluefield College intensified their efforts, limiting Mid-America Christian University to just 27 points while putting up 39 themselves. The final score was Rambling Rams 74 Evangels 58. Seventeen points from Jermiah (middle name “sic”) Jenkins led Bluefield.
FINAL FOUR: SECOND BERTH – Up next the 2 seeds – the EMMANUEL COLLEGE LIONS – battled the 7th seeded COLLEGE OF THE OZARKS BOBCATS.
The 1st Half ended with the Lions clinging to a 39-34 edge. From there Emmanuel College kicked things up a notch on both sides of the ball, putting more and more distance between themselves and the Bobcats. In the end the Lions defeated the College of the Ozarks 80-63 led by Elijah Robinson’s 18 points. Continue reading
Filed under College Basketball, Uncategorized
All-Martian Invasion all the time with a Four-Pack of ‘zines about War of the Worlds and similar Martian invasion themes of yesteryear. Link to buy is below.
FOR THE OTHER THREE AND TO ORDER THE FOUR-PACK CLICK Continue reading
Filed under Bad and weird movies
FOR PART ONE CLICK HERE
JUNGLE ACTION Volume 2, Number 13 (January 1975)
VIII. THE GOD KILLER
Synopsis: After surviving the night following his battle with an entire pack of Devil Wolves, the Black Panther set out at daybreak, trekking through the ice and snow of the Land of the Chilling Mist. At length T’Challa made his way back to Resurrection Altar, where Erik Killmonger/ N’Jadaka has been periodically transforming some of his rebel soldiers into super-powered beings like King Cadaver, Malice and Sombre.
This issue’s main action begins as the Black Panther jumps a pair of Killmonger’s soldiers who guard the outer perimeter of Resurrection Altar: Wenzori and Jakak. The duo are clad in heavy winter wear because of the perpetually freezing temperatures in the Land of the Chilling Mist.
One of them wields a traditional automatic rifle while the other employs a handgun AND a double-chained and double-headed mace, both heads of which sport spikes to enhance their deadly nature. Needless to say T’Challa overcomes both men, while bitterly reflecting on the way Killmonger’s followers never seem to have any identity outside of their powers or specialized weaponry.
Our hero’s interrogation of the sentries has revealed that Killmonger, King Cadaver, Tayette and Kazibe have departed for Serpent Valley. Sombre, meanwhile, has headed further inland from the Chasm of Chilling Mist, toward the Domain of the White Gorillas.
Sombre, the High Priest of Resurrection Altar, took the horribly misshapen remains of those followers of Killmonger who died agonizing deaths upon exposure to the cosmic radiation of the fallen meteor/ asteroid in the pit of the Altar. As usual, that is the fate of most of those human guinea pigs exposed to the unearthly rays.
For every Sombre or Malice or King Cadaver who gain superhuman powers from the radiation infesting Resurrection Altar, there are many more who suffer and die. Killmonger has long been content with those odds. The callous revolutionary accepts the deaths of so many of his men in return for the few super-powered minions he gains to help him in his uprising against T’Challa. Continue reading
Filed under Superheroes
NAIA DIV TWO
CHAMPIONSHIP GAME – The lone 1 seeds remaining – the INDIANA WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY WILDCATS – clashed with the 2nd seeded UNIVERSITY OF SAINT FRANCIS COUGARS in a title tilt that I know regular readers are assuming I’ll label “a catfight.”
The Wildcats – trying for their 3rd National Championship in the last 5 years – led the Cougars 40-29 by Halftime. From there Indiana Wesleyan University kept USF at a distance, ultimately emerging with an 84-71 victory. Kyle Mangas once again led the Wildcats, this time with 23 points. * THE WILDCATS ARE CHAMPIONS OF NAIA DIVISION TWO *
NJCAA
DISTRICT 6: CHAMPIONSHIP GAME – The Top Two seeds in this District met in the title game for the Championship AND the automatic bid to the National Tournament. The (1) COFFEYVILLE COLLEGE RED RAVENS faced the (2) HUTCHINSON COLLEGE BLUE DRAGONS.
The score was deadlocked at 40-40 by the midpoint of the game. The 2nd Half was just as tight and competitive, but in the end the Red Ravens snuck by the Blue Dragons by a final count of 82-80. Travis Washington’s 19 points led Coffeyville College. * THE RED RAVENS ARE CHAMPIONS OF DISTRICT 6 * Continue reading
Filed under College Basketball
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