Monthly Archives: May 2018

TRUMP CARDS: MAY 8th

mascot new look donkey and elephant headsIt’s no secret that I consider President Trump to be America’s first de facto Third Party President, nor that I consider him to be the new Franklin Roosevelt AND the new JFK. He has accomplished a great deal for the working class and the poor and I’m not going to ignore all that just because the violent fascists and moronic conformists who hate him whine about him 24/7. These are historic times kicked off when Trump shattered the glass ceiling in November of 2016.

JUDGE ELLIS – Judge Ellis has excellently pointed out how out of line and ridiculously crooked Mueller’s absurd “investigation” is. (Most Trump-haters won’t even know who Judge Ellis is since the only thing they know about our political system is that Trump is the president. They’re in over their heads beyond that.)

(And by the way, for you Trump-hating morons who like to sound so butch I’ll advise you right now I’m NOT a conservative, which means I won’t let you get away with lies and misrepresentations like they do and I won’t be the least bit intimidated by what you imbeciles apparently think is blistering language. Okay? Or as you bitchy little boys like to say “M’kay?”)  

The link to the whole piece is below, but first some excerpts per Reuters: 

“I don’t see what relationship this indictment has with anything the special counsel is authorized to investigate,” U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis III in the Eastern District of Virginia said.

Mueller Witch HuntAt a tense hearing at the federal courthouse in Alexandria, Virginia, the judge said Mueller should not have “unfettered power” in his Russia probe and that the charges against Manafort did not arise from the investigation into Moscow’s alleged meddling in the 2016 U.S. election. 

“It’s unlikely you’re going to persuade me the special counsel has unfettered power to do whatever he wants[.]” … “Our investigative scope does cover the activity in the indictment,” Dreeben [the Department’s deputy solicitor general] told the judge.

“Cover bank fraud in 2005 and 2007?  Tell me how!” Ellis retorted. …

During the oral arguments, Ellis repeatedly chided Mueller’s $10 million budget.

He also asked whether Rosenstein, who oversees the probe and is considered an important witness into whether Trump tried to obstruct justice, is recused from the case.

And he repeatedly claimed that the indictment appeared to serve as a way for Mueller to “assert leverage” over Manafort. …

Rosenstein’s May 2017 order laying out the scope of the probe, [Dreeben] told the judge, did not reveal all the details because they involve sensitive national security and counterintelligence matters that could not be divulged publicly, but were conveyed to Mueller.

Ellis balked, saying Dreeben’s answer essentially means the Justice Department was “not really telling the truth[.]” …

[Ellis] directed Mueller’s office to take two weeks to consult with U.S. intelligence agencies to see if they will sign off so that he can personally review a sealed, unredacted version of the memo.

Dreeben told him the redacted portions did not pertain to the Manafort case.

“I’ll be the judge,” Ellis said.  

James Woods, actor, tweeted: “I can’t in my lifetime remember when a case of this import featured a judge calling the prosecutor a liar from the bench. This is a landmark moment.” Continue reading

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Filed under LIBERALS AND CONSERVATIVES, Neglected History, opinion

USCAA COLLEGE BASEBALL WORLD SERIES TEAMS FOR 2018

It’s less than a week until the start of the 2018 College World Series in the USCAA (United States Collegiate Athletic Association). Balladeer’s Blog will, as usual, provide full coverage. Here is a look at the field of 10 teams competing for the title.

Cincinatti Clermont Cougars logo biggerONE SEED

Institution: UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI AT CLERMONT 

Team Name: COUGARS

newportnewsapprentice-school-builderTWO SEED

Institution: NEWPORT NEWS APPRENTICE SCHOOL

Team Name: BUILDERS

*

Wright State Lake Campus LakersTHREE SEED

Institution: WRIGHT STATE AT THE LAKE CAMPUS

Team Name: LAKERS

Bluefield State Big Blues logoFOUR SEED

Institution: BLUEFIELD STATE

Team Name: BIG BLUES 

*

Cleary University CougarsFIVE SEED

Institution: CLEARY UNIVERSITY

Team Name: PROWLING COUGARS

* Continue reading

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TANGAHAU, A FIGURE FROM BEL-REN MYTHOLOGY

Balladeer’s Blog’s look at the gods and myths of Bellona and Rennell Islands has proven very popular as a sub-category of Polynesian myths. (CLICK HERE )

Solomon IslandsTANGAHAU – In my opinion Tangahau is more like an Odysseus of Bellona and Rennell Islands than Takitaki (covered previously). However, Tangahau’s reputation as a wanderer originally from the Duff Islands seems to tip the balance to Takitaki. Here’s a brief look at Tangahau’s cycle of myths.

If there is enough interest I will do one of my exhaustively detailed examinations, like with Nayanazgeni in Navajo myths, Pele and Hi’iaka from Hawaiian myths, Mwindo from Africa or Baybayan from the Philippines and so many others that I’ve covered.

I) On Taumako Island, Tangahau, a sea captain renowned for his raids on many islands, was preparing for another voyage. The young bachelor’s mother was crying and rending her ears in sorrow since she knew every one of his dangerous journeys might be his last.

II) Tangahau and his crew, which included the priest Nasiu and his son, set out and eventually passed between two flaming islands which Nasiu warned were one of the entrances to the realm of the dead. (Rationalizations of the flaming islands of this tale attribute them to volcanic activity during the early stages of island formation.)

III) Next the voyagers spotted Rennell Island off in the distance. Like many ancient mariners they at first mistook it for an enormous whale. As they drew closer, they spotted Mount Gugha and realized their mistake. They determined to stop and mount a raid. Continue reading

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COLLEGE BASEBALL: MORE CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT CHAMPS

point universityAPPALACHIAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE: CHAMPIONSHIP GAME – It took SIXTEEN Innings for a winner to be determined in the clash between the two teams still standing in the AAC. Those two teams were the 4 seeds – the POINT UNIVERSITY SKYHAWKS – and the 2nd seeded TENNESSEE WESLEYAN COLLEGE BULLDOGS.

After a scoreless 1st Inning the Bulldogs grabbed a 2-0 lead in the 2nd, which remained unchanged until the Skyhawks went on top 4-2 in the 5th. Tennessee Wesleyan hits in the 7th and 8th Innings knotted things up at 4-4 and, as I stated at the top, that deadlock lingered until the 16th Inning, when Point University won it 6-5. Pitcher Garrett Brown logged the W. * THE SKYHAWKS ARE CHAMPIONS OF THE AAC TOURNAMENT * Continue reading

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FACULTY LOUNGE FASCIST ROUNDUP: MAY 7th

Education or indoctrination gifAnother look at the make-believe “educators” (LMAO) who have reduced colleges and universities to faith-based institutions that are as irrational as any religious “schools.”

These institutions are no longer interested in intellectual rigor but are instead dedicated to ramming simple-minded notions of “right” and “wrong” down the throats of students. 

What to do with religious narrow-mindedness that doesn’t announce itself as such – as with backward-thinking, ridiculous houses of worship – but instead masquerades as “social consciousness” or “being woke.” Alleged teachers are now really just clergy, or seem to consider themselves to be Missionaries for the Democrats.

The close-minded zealots who claim that “teaching is a political act” (LMAO) are the kind of people who often organize and carry out those “Wikipedia Edit-a-Thons” where they change entries to match their own personal political prejudices. Better to use alternate sites like INFOGALACTIC.COM, where political operatives don’t get to edit articles on a whim. 

“WHY I QUIT TEACHING” by David Solway. Solway nicely deals with the way that bloated administrative staffs have destroyed intellectual inquiry and operate more like punitive boards. For the piece click HERE 

“THE CLOWN QUARTER NOW HAS AN ENGINEERING DIVISION” – A terrific look at how the simple-minded notions of morality that destroyed the humanities are branching into topics like engineering. This article quotes alleged “educators” (LMAO) who teach that requiring correct math results in engineering courses is “racist.” Click HERE

“THE SURREAL WORLD OF TEACHING” – The title says it all. Click HERE Continue reading

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Filed under Education or Indoctrination, Neglected History, opinion

SIX DAYS LEFT FOR SUBMISSIONS: ASIAN ACADEMIC RESEARCH JOURNAL

Mascot sword and pistolSubmissions for the next on-line edition are being accepted through May 13th.

Papers can be submitted under the following areas. (Social Sciences, Humanities, Commerce & Management, Engineering & Technology, Medicine, Cultural Studies, Sciences, Art & Development Studies).

 UGC Approved International Journal Continue reading

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THE TIMES’ SONG “I HELPED PATRICK MCGOOHAN ESCAPE”

Balladeer’s Blog’s Give Them A Shoutout Before They’re Dead strikes again with this tie-in to my ongoing examination of Patrick McGoohan’s science fiction/ existential drama The Prisoner. The video is quintessential 1980s cultural kitsch and was filmed at the Portmeirion Resort for Village authenticity. 

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AVENGERS: THE KREE-SKRULL WAR PART TWO

FOR PART ONE OF THIS LOOK AT THE KREE-SKRULL WAR (1971-1972) CLICK HERE 

Avengers 90THE AVENGERS Volume One, Number 90 (July 1971)

AVENGERS ROSTER: THE WASP (Janet Van Dyne), THE SCARLET WITCH (Wanda), GOLIATH (Clint Barton), QUICKSILVER (Pietro), THE VISION (Not Applicable), YELLOW JACKET (Hank Pym, PhD), CAPTAIN MARVEL (Mar-Vell, Kree Captain)

NOTE: CAPTAIN MARVEL IS THE HERO THAT NICK FURY SUMMONED TO FIGHT THANOS IN THE POST-CREDITS SCENE TO AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR.

JUDGMENT DAY

Captain MarvelSynopsis: We pick up where we left off, at Cape Canaveral, which in Captain Marvel’s own comic book series by Marvel Comics was depicted as an Area 51 type of base. Sentry 459, one of the Kree Empire’s gigantic, kaiju-sized robots scattered throughout the universe, was being studied by Earth scientists at the Cape.

From Hala, the home planet of the Kree Empire, Sentry 459 was remotely reactivated by Ronan the Accuser. In our previous installment Ronan pulled off a coup d’état, seizing control of the Empire from the Supreme Intelligence, the Artificial Intelligence which had been ruling for thousands of years.

Ronan directed the Sentry to kill Captain Marvel and the Avengers & Rick Jones, who were guarding the Kree Captain’s hospital bed at the Cape following the events from last time around. Ronan wants revenge on Captain Marvel for thwarting his previous attempt to overthrow the Supreme Intelligence, back in Captain Marvel # 16 (September 1969). 

 

Ronan the Accuser

RONAN

The Avengers battle the Sentry, intent on saving the barely conscious Captain Marvel. This Sentry, which had previously clashed with the Fantastic Four years earlier, out-fights the Scarlet Witch, Quicksilver and the Vision, who himself was much weakened after draining most of his power to save Mar-Vell’s life last time around. (Those three were the only Avengers on hand at the Cape.)

 

Sentry 459 grabs the bed-ridden Captain Marvel and announces to him and the other Avengers that he has received new instructions from Ronan the Accuser, who has teleported to Earth via a Kree Omni-Wave Projector. The Sentry is now to simply bring the captive Captain Marvel TO him. The Sentry does, teleporting itself to Ronan’s secret location. Continue reading

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MAY THE FOURTH: THE WORST STAR WARS RIPOFF

Humanoid 2Readers of Balladeer’s Blog asked for more May the Fourth material, so here’s an “encore presentation” as they used to call reruns, of my 2015 review of The Humanoid. In my view this is the worst of the Italian Star Wars ripoffs.

I know many people consider Star Crash to be the worst of the Italo-Ripoffs but I’ve always gotten more laughs out of The Humanoid.  

The many, many ways this movie steals from Star Wars will become clear as we go along. Let’s deal with first things first:

Richard KielRichard Kiel plays the title figure. His real name is Golob but the Darth Vaderish bad guy arranges for Golob to be the guinea pig for a treatment that transforms ordinary people into powerful “Humanoids”. As a Humanoid Golob loses his beard for some reason but – even more comically – the beard suddenly reappears when he is returned to normal late in the movie.

Humanoid 5Golob in his amped-up Humanoid form has super-strength, is invulnerable to harm and can deflect energy blasts that the Rebel Alliance-style good guys shoot at him. The bad guys plan to use a warhead to expose every man, woman and child on Earth to the bio-treatment, thus creating an instant army of billions of super-powered Humanoids like Richard Kiel. (Good luck controlling them since the treatment will reduce them to mindless animals like Golob.)  

Corinne CleryCorinne Clery portrays Barbara Gibson, the spunky Princess Leia pastiche. Barbara is a prominent scientist of Metropolis, which is what the entire Earth has been renamed now that it is just one big planet-wide city in the far future setting of The Humanoid. Barbara studies a gifted Asian lad who controls the Force uh, I mean some kind of psychic or magical energy field. 

Lord GraalIvan Rassimov plays the main villain Lord Graal, whose entire army dresses exactly like Darth Vader. He does, too, but to stand out from his underlings HIS black helmet and mask have cutouts that let his eyes, mouth and cheeks show. Lord Graal wants to create the aforementioned Humanoid army so he can conquer the entire Milky Way galaxy. He has magical powers like the Asian boy.  Continue reading

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Filed under Bad and weird movies

STAR WARS MEETS GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY: THE MICRONAUTS

Micronauts 1May the 4th live long and prosper … or something or other.

With this Star Wars festival rolling around once again, I figured a look at The Micronauts would be appropriate.  

The Micronauts was one of those oddly-conceived Marvel Comics titles from the late 70s and early 80s that were about forcing a continuing storyline around an already-existing toy franchise. (Rom: Spaceknight was another example of this ultimate in ass-backward storytelling.)

And a young Joel Schumacher mused "Nipples on black armor, eh? Hmmmmm."

And a young Joel Schumacher mused “Nipples on black armor, eh? Hmmmmm.”

The above example of Six Degrees of George Lucas or whatever you want to call it was just my odd way of pointing out my reasoning for posting this item on the 4th of May.

The Micronauts (First Issue: January 1979) was mostly a strained imitation of the Star Wars universe but also had a few similarities with Marvel’s ORIGINAL Guardians of the Galaxy. Those Guardians – Vance Astro, Charley-27, Yondu and Martinex – were freedom fighters waging a guerilla war to free 30th Century Earth from the dictatorial rule of its alien conquerors, the lizardlike Badoon race.

Baron Karza horseThe Micronauts was set in the Microverse (now called the Quantum Realm), a sub-atomic universe which was being ruled by the evil, black-armored Baron Karza, one of the most blatant Darth Vader ripoffs this side of Japan’s Swords of the Space Ark movies. Karza could detach his arms and legs and could transform the lower half of his body into that of a black horse (think of Centaurs) for no better reason than the fact that THAT was the gimmick of the Baron Karza toys. Kids could move around the arms and legs or replace his regular body with the horse-like lower body. Oh what fun! (?) Continue reading

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