It’s no secret that the Techno-Fascists of Silicon Valley are even worse than the old 19th Century Robber Barons.
Here is a terrific article that lays out the many, many alternatives to all Google products.
Click HERE
Monthly Archives: August 2019
JOE MAGARAC: NEGLECTED AMERICAN FOLKTALE
Labor Day weekend is the appropriate time to post this look at neglected working class folk hero Joe Magarac. This figure was the Steel Mill equivalent of Paul Bunyan and John Henry.
Though mostly associated with Polish-American steel workers in Pittsburgh, PA the general figure of a literal “man of steel” helping and protecting his coworkers can be found from the East Coast through the American Midwest. Sometimes the figure is Croation or some other ethnicity instead of Polish.
Written versions of Joe Magarac and/or similar steel worker tall tales seem to have started around 1930 or 1931. Oral legends about such figures – but not specifically Joe Magarac – have been dated as early as the 1890s.
Vintage advertisements from tattered old newspapers indicate that such Man of Steel imagery may have been used for the steel industry prior to World War One. This “Which came first, the chicken or the egg” dilemma for Joe Magarac and other Steel Men puts one in mind of the quandary surrounding Billiken lore.
As a lame play on words since this is Labor Day season I’ll present Joe Magarac’s origin and then depict his tales as “Labors” like in The Labors of Hercules.
BIRTH – Joe Magarac supposedly sprang into existence from a mound of iron ore and – depending on the version – that mound was either in Pittsburgh or the Old Country. Magarac emerged from the melting mound fully grown and spoke broken English like so many of the other Polish steel workers. He was called into being by the urgent need to catch up on production since the current shift had fallen dangerously behind.
Joe was 7 or 8 feet tall, his flesh was like solid steel, his torso was as wide as a smoke-stack and his arms were as thick as railroad ties. His surname Magarac meant “mule” in the workhorse sense, referring to his stamina. Joe’s appetite was such that he carried his lunch in a washtub instead of a standard lunch box.
Magarac’s favorite leisure time activity was polka-dancing and halushkis were his favorite food.
THE LABORS OF JOE MAGARAC: Continue reading
Filed under Mythology, Superheroes
LITTLE SHOPPE OF MONSTERAMA – SEPTEMBER 27th-29th
September 27th-29th in Alpharetta, Georgia it’s the 6th edition of Monsterama. Guests will include cult figures Jane Merrow, Trina Parks, Jackie Joseph, Pauline Peart, Katie Carpenter, Ian Ogilvey and Mark Maddox.
Representatives from film, literature, television, gaming, comic books and the arts will be there.
There will be exhibits, autograph signings and contests being judged once again by figures from the Stan Winston School of Character Arts. And among the films being screened are the 1929 version of Mysterious Island plus Revenge of the Creature.
FOR MORE DETAILS Continue reading
Filed under Bad and weird movies
COLLEGE FOOTBALL RESULTS FROM AUGUST 29th
HEADLINES
NUMBER ONE GOES DOWN – In the NJCAA the HINDS COLLEGE EAGLES welcomed the top ranked, two-time defending champions – the EAST MISSISSIPPI COLLEGE LIONS. A 13-10 lead for the Eagles in the opening Quarter remained unchanged at Halftime. The 3rd Quarter ended with the Lions on top 16-10 but Hinds College dominated the 4th, including a pick-six as they toppled Number One 24-16.
AND NUMBER FOUR COMES TUMBLING AFTER – Meanwhile the COAHOMA COLLEGE TIGERS took on the visiting 4th ranked JONES COUNTY COLLEGE BOBCATS. The Tigers led 6-0 in the 1st before the Bobcats went up 7-6 at the Half. Coahoma College seized an 18-7 lead in the 3rd Quarter and won it by a final score of 18-10.
KNOCKING OFF NUMBER NINE – Up in the NAIA the 23rd ranked ROCKY MOUNTAIN COLLEGE BATTLIN’ BEARS traveled to face the number 9 team in the nation – the DICKINSON STATE BLUE HAWKS. The Battlin’ Bears defense kept the Blue Hawks off the scoreboard the entire 1st Half as a 3-0 Rocky Mountain College lead in the 1st Quarter became 10-0 at the break. That became a 20-7 advantage in the 3rd Quarter before the Battlin’ Bears had to hold on by their fingertips in the 4th for a 23-21 upset win. Continue reading
Filed under college football
ANCIENT GREEK COMEDY: COTHURNUS (circa 405 B.C.)
The Ruins of the Theater of Dionysus in Athens.
Balladeer’s Blog takes another look at an ancient Greek comedy. This time around I’m examining Cothurnus by Philonides, a comic poet who may also have acted and produced for the Athenian stage as well. It cannot be definitively determined if the “Philonides” referred to in those capacities are all one and the same or separate figures.
THE PLAY
Like most ancient Greek comedies Cothurnus has survived only in fragmentary form and with very few fragments at that. The title refers to a type of footwear of the time period. A cothurnus could be worn on either the left foot or the right foot because of its softness and looseness. Because of this the word “cothurnus” also became a sarcastic term for a politician who tried to position themselves on both sides of an issue, claiming victory no matter which way the political winds blew.
This is certainly another element of Old Comedy that we can still relate to 2,400 years later. Philonides was specifically using this term and this comedy to target Theramenes. Continue reading
Filed under Ancient Greek Comedy
PREVIOUSLY DEPORTED ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT PLEADS GUILTY TO MURDERING 10 YEAR OLD GIRL
DEMOCRAT PARTY
THANK DEMOCRATS FOR ANOTHER GROTESQUE STORY COURTESY OF DEMOCRATS’ OBSESSION WITH ABETTING ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS AND ENABLING THE ADDITIONAL CRIMES THEY COMMIT. (I’m an Independent Voter)
Gustavo Zavala-Garcia, an illegal immigrant from Mexico, pleaded guilty to strangling and drowning 10 year old Kayla Gomez-Orozco after attempting to sexually assault her. For the full story click HERE
Remember THIS WOULD BE THE LEAD STORY ON EVERY NEWS SHOW FOR WEEKS IF NOT FOR THE FACT THAT IT DOESN’T FIT THE DEMOCRATS’ PRECIOUS “NARRATIVE.” As it is, Democrat reporters won’t even ask Democrat candidates about this atrocity.
Meanwhile in the Democrats’ de facto “Sanctuary County” Montgomery County, MD illegal immigrants continue their War on Women. A FIFTH illegal immigrant has been arrested for rape IN LESS THAN A MONTH. Maybe the victims need some “sanctuary” from predators, but Democrats will never even consider that. They would find it gauche. Click HERE
Before we get to the main list of additional crimes committed by illegal immigrants recently I’ll post another reminder of the way illegal immigrants can spread disease since they bypass screenings for such diseases – which could be spotted and treated IF we had a secured southern border.
Journalist and strong female role model Kelli Ballard courageously continues to compile as comprehensive as possible a breakdown of the additional crimes committed by people in the country illegally.
The victims of illegal immigrant crimes and the loved ones of those victims deserve at least as much care and compassion as the corporate media and the Democrats heap upon every criminal alien who commits murders and rapes.
The message has long been clear: Democrats care only about illegal immigrants and never the victims of illegal immigrant crime. And never about the diseases on the uptick in areas with a heavy illegal immigrant presence.
FOR KELLI’S AUGUST 15th-21st ROUNDUP OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS’ ADDITIONAL CRIMES CLICK HERE
Filed under LIBERALS AND CONSERVATIVES, Neglected History, opinion
ALTERNATE HISTORY: BIETIGHEIM (1886)
BIETIGHEIM (1886) – Published anonymously in 1886 this work of alternate history accurately predicted some of the actual results and fallout of the coming First World War (1914-1918). Bietigheim is presented as a series of John Minor lectures about world history as seen from “futuristic” 1932.
First off, a summary of the book’s accurate predictions:
a) Tensions between Germany and assorted other nations cause a war that sweeps up many of the Great Powers as well as several other countries.
b) American entry into the war proves decisive.
c) The German side loses the war.
d) The old European monarchies fall.
e) In the wake of Germany’s defeat a popular figure arises and rallies millions to him with his plans for the future of Europe and Russia.
Just before the 1890 outbreak of the war Germany and France are pushing their claims to Alsace-Lorraine, Italy is demanding Austria turn over portions of northern Italy, Great Britain and Russia are clashing over preeminence in India and Afghanistan, plus the Slavic nations are feuding with the Ottoman Muslim Turks over their own future and control of the Dardanelles. Continue reading
Filed under Ancient Science Fiction, Future History
ETHAN VAN SCIVER: THE FUTURE KING OF ALL MEDIA?
ETHAN VAN SCIVER: HUMAN SUNBEAM
Okay, I’m being tongue in cheek with that title, but Van Sciver seems to have the same oddball sense of humor that I do so I figured why not? Ethan Van Sciver’s livestreams about pop culture are as addictive as they are entertaining.
Like so many others I found myself binge-listening to as many as I could do per day for several weeks and now I’m among the many waiting with anticipation for the next day’s installment.
Van Sciver has spent nearly three decades in the comic book industry as an artist and writer. Most of his time was spent at DC with legendary runs on Green Lantern and Flash, but in recent years “Uncle Ethan” as he’s called has become one of the leaders of the indy comic book “Outlaws” going their own way to create works free of the toxic influence of the Big Two publishers. Continue reading
Filed under humor, opinion, Superheroes
MS NEVADA FIGHTING POLITICAL BLACKLISTING
Ms Nevada – Katie Jo Williams – has been blacklisted and prevented from competing in the Ms America pageant for 2019. Naturally if she had implied that police routinely murder or had endorsed protecting illegal immigrants who rape and murder from being turned over to ICE it would have been no problem.
However, Williams instead expressed support for de facto Third Party President Trump and criticism for the bacteria of Antifa (KLAN-tifa) so intolerant anti-Trumpers blacklisted her.
As I’ve pointed out before the American left thrives on censoring dissenting ideas and blacklisting people who hold those ideas even though they pretended to disapprove of censorship and blacklisting when they were used against them. Continue reading
Filed under LIBERALS AND CONSERVATIVES, Neglected History, opinion
COLLEGE FOOTBALL RESULTS FROM AUGUST 24th
NUMBER TEN TRIUMPHANT – In the sole NAIA game yesterday the 10th ranked REINHARDT UNIVERSITY EAGLES (should be the Rottweilers) hosted the WEBBER INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY WARRIORS. The Warriors, coming off last year’s 7-win season, gave the Eagles almost more than they could handle in the 1st Half, holding Reinhardt to a mere 3-0 lead by the break. The 3rd Quarter ended with the Eagles up 9-0 before RU went on to win the game 16-6.
DOWN GOES NUMBER THREE – In the NJCAA the 6th ranked SNOW COLLEGE BADGERS visited the number 3 team in the nation – the GARDEN CITY COLLEGE BRONCBUSTERS. The Broncbusters led 3-0 in the 1st Quarter and 13-3 at Halftime, but the Badgers had a 24 point 3rd Quarter enroute to a 30-27 comeback victory.
NUMBER SIXTEEN FALLS – The FORT SCOTT COLLEGE GREYHOUNDS welcomed the 16th ranked HIGHLAND COLLEGE SCOTTIES yesterday. These two Jayhawk Conference rivals served up one of the best games of the day in a tightly fought smash-mouth affair. In the end the Greyhounds knocked off the Scotties by a final tally of 20-16. Continue reading
Filed under college football
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