FIRST SEMIFINAL – The 5 seeds – the SHAWNEE STATE BEARS – clashed with the 9th seeded UNIVERSITY OF SAINT FRANCIS (IN) COUGARS.
At Halftime the two teams were knotted up at 40-40. After the break the Bears outscored the Cougars 42-37 for an 82-77 victory and a spot in the title game. Donovan Carlisle led Shawnee State with 19 points while his teammate James Jones managed a Double-Double of 17 points and 11 assists. Continue reading
Filed under College Basketball
GARRISON TALES FROM TONQUIN (Tonkin): AN AMERICAN’S STORIES OF THE FRENCH FOREIGN LEGION IN VIETNAM IN THE 1890s (1895) – Written by James O’Neill. Seven years ago here at Balladeer’s Blog I examined Washington Irving’s 1809 work The Men of the Moon. I wrote about it because of the way it used an extraterrestrial invasion of the Earth as an allegory for colonialism several decades before H.G. Wells would do so in War of the Worlds. Also because it was written at a time when it was not yet fashionable to be thinking along such lines. In 1809 those sentiments were daring, not de rigueur like they would be today.
In a similar spirit, I am now examining Garrison Tales From Tonquin, published in 1895 and written by American James O’Neill, who had served in the French Foreign Legion during the 1880s and early 1890s. Just as Washington Irving was ahead of his time with his sentiments in The Men of the Moon, James O’Neill was ahead of his time in regard to his observations on the French occupation of Vietnam during and after the Sino-French War. Readers in 1895 who were expecting Kipling would have found O’Neill to be virtually his polar opposite.
I found it staggering to read 1890s accounts written by an American fighting man in Vietnam reflecting on the ugliness and ultimate futility of the military situation. So much of O’Neill’s fictionalized accounts of his real-life experiences in Vietnam read like something from an author in the late 1960s or later using such a tableau as an allegory for America’s involvement in Indochina.
Though O’Neill’s writing makes it clear that he is expressing anti-colonialist sentiments, the stories are thankfully free of sanctimonious moralizing. The first-person narrative from his central figure in some ways anticipates hard-boiled detectives and Film Noir. The narrator has found himself in a situation filled with violence, moral ambiguity and constant danger. He no longer has any romantic notions about his own role, he’s just trying to survive.
(To underline that remark about just trying to survive let me point out that O’Neill arrived in Vietnam with just over 300 fellow Legionnaires in his unit. Only 27 of them would return.)
Sadly, James O’Neill was a victim of cosmically bad timing. When this book came out in 1895 it only sold 104 copies. If it had instead been published in 1898 or 1899, amid the Spanish-American War and the heated domestic debates about whether or not the U.S. should establish dominion over the former Spanish colony of the Philippines, it might have been a latter-day Uncle Tom’s Cabin. It may have even tipped the scales AGAINST annexing the Philippines, so close was the political outcome. There was so much public sentiment against “imperialism” that the Senate vote wound up tied, with Vice President Hobart having to cast the deciding vote in favor of acquiring the Philippines. Continue reading
Filed under Neglected History, opinion
Just as the Wunder Boner from a few weeks back was a real commercial, here is another ad for an old product. This one is from 1982 and proudly tells us “Ayds will help you lose weight.”
Filed under Neglected History
Time for another installment of Independent Voter Site Balladeer’s Blog’s recurring feature Transgress With Me.
*** If you want people killed or injured just because they voted differently than you did, then they aren’t the fascists – YOU ARE.
*** If you actually think any American President has been the equivalent of Hitler, seek professional help. You’re only trying to compare them to Hitler for self-aggrandizement. After all, you pathetic little people think to yourselves that it makes your own whiny complaints the equivalent of “fighting Hitler” which we all know you insecure narcissists would NEVER have had the courage to do.
*** PEOPLE WITH CLOSED MINDS MISTAKE SUCCESSFUL CENSORSHIP FOR “BEING IN THE RIGHT.”
*** If you refer to yourself by that pretentious and childish label “SJW” in a comment or email to me, then you MUST address me as a “Heroic Defender of Freedom” or HDF if you expect an answer or an acknowledgment.
*** IF STANDARD OIL WAS TOO BIG AND TOO POLITICALLY CORRUPTING THEN SO ARE FACEBOOK, GOOGLE AND TWITTER.
*** Every individual is a minority of one.
*** CRITICAL RACE THEORY IS JUST BIGOTRY WITH A SELF-CONSTRUCTED HALO.
*** If the Democrat and Republican Parties splintered into multiple smaller parties it might be the most peaceful way of subverting the cesspool of corruption that masquerades as our government.
*** PEOPLE WHO ARE EASILY OFFENDED AND LOVE ANNOUNCING THAT THEY ARE OFFENDED ARE THE MOST SIMPLE-MINDED FOOLS IN THE WORLD.
*** Academic Freedom is a meaningless sham when alleged colleges and universities become political organizations that fascistically impose just ONE narrow-minded set of views and punish any dissent.
*** JUST BECAUSE SOMETHING IS COUNTER-INTUITIVE IT DOES NOT AUTOMATICALLY MEAN IT IS “DEEP” OR “INTELLECTUAL.”
*** Left-wing Archie Bunkers are still fighting a version of America that hasn’t existed for decades.
*** ANY POLITICIAN CAN REMAIN CIVIL WITH “REPORTERS” WHEN THOSE REPORTERS NEVER ASK ANY CHALLENGING QUESTIONS.
*** Democrats believe that disagreeing with any of them on ANY issue, IN the office or OUT of it, is a firing offense. Continue reading
Filed under LIBERALS AND CONSERVATIVES, Neglected History, opinion
The Final Four teams were set in the NAIA as the Elite Eight clashed.
FINAL FOUR: FIRST BERTH – The 3 seeds – the LEWIS-CLARK STATE WARRIORS (should be the Explorers) – took the court against the 11th seeded LOYOLA UNIVERSITY (LA) WOLFPACK.
By Halftime the Warriors held a 33-30 edge over the Wolfpack. After the break Loyola University came back to knot things up at 66-66 to end Regulation. In Overtime Lewis-Clark State won out by a final tally of 75-70. Trystan Bradley led the victors with 18 points while his teammate Hodges Bailey logged a Double-Double of 12 points and 10 rebounds.
FINAL FOUR: SECOND BERTH – In this game the 7th seeded SOUTHWESTERN ASSEMBLIES OF GOD UNIVERSITY LIONS did battle with the Cinderella 15 seeds – the CARROLL COLLEGE FIGHTING SAINTS.
The Fighting Saints had the Lions faithful worried at the Half with their tight 37-35 lead. In the 2nd Half the Southwestern Assemblies of God University outscored their opponents 38-28 for a 73-65 triumph and a spot in the Final Four. Leading the Lions was Joel Polius with his Double-Double of 27 points and 10 rebounds. Continue reading
Filed under College Basketball
Pop culture at the moment remains superhero-crazed, and Balladeer’s Blog’s readers always want more articles about them. Here is a look at the early adventures of Tigra the Werewoman from the 1970s.
Before Greer Grant went on to become Tigra, she started out as the Cat, a superheroine whose escapades led to the transformation. Therefore, it will be necessary to start this blog post with the five stories featuring the Cat before she was turned into Tigra.
THE CAT Vol 1 #1 (November 1972)
Title: Beware the Claws of the Cat
Villain: Malcolm Donalbain
Synopsis: Chicago resident Greer Grant was the lab assistant for her former physics professor Dr Joanne Tumolo, who was working on an experimental method of taking women to their physical and intellectual peak. Having run out of grant money, Tumolo accepted money from eccentric investor and playboy Malcolm Donalbain.
After subjecting both Greer Grant and Donalbain’s underling Shirlee Bryant to the process, Dr Tumolo accidentally discovered that Donalbain planned to combine Joanne’s enhanced females with high-tech cat-suits which would grant them additional abilities. Through mind-controlling collars he would use his army of super-powered Cat Women to take over the United States. Dr Tumolo saw Shirlee Bryant fall to her death while testing the cat-suits, then stole one for proof and fled to tell Greer Grant what she had learned. Continue reading
Filed under Superheroes
Balladeer’s Blog takes a look at some devastating natural disasters that hit the United States so long ago that some of them have been nearly forgotten.
HIGH MAGNITUDE EARTHQUAKES IN THE MIDDLE UNITED STATES
Dates: December 16th, 1811 … January 23rd, 1812 and February 7th, 1812
Location: Sparsely inhabited sections of Missouri, Tennessee, Kentucky and Ohio
The Events: In New Madrid, MO, residents were literally shaken from their beds by the earthquake at roughly 2:00AM on December 16th. Virtually none of them had ever experienced an earthquake before, but had heard Shawnee legends about one of their gods “stamping their feet hard enough to rend the ground asunder.”
A million-square mile area shook intensely on that day as well as January 23rd and February 7th, 1812. Cincinnati, OH, Louisville, KY and Saint Louis, MO reported falling chimneys and shattered windows. Across multiple states the ground rose and fell, with sinks and ridges forming and trees ripped in two. Continue reading
Filed under Neglected History
The bloated rich pigs of America learned years ago that backing the Democrats can still get all their callous, plutocratic and anti-working class policies pushed through, but unlike the clueless and useless Republican Party, Democrats in politics and the media can make those rich pigs look like the good guys while they oppress the rest of us. WE NEED THIRD PARTIES. Democrat office-holders are selfish, corrupt, hate-filled and destructive. Republican office-holders are corrupt, impotent and care only about money, not human beings. (Not even their own constituents.)
FASCIST JOE BIDEN STILL WAGING WAR ON A FREE PRESS TO HIDE HIS KIDS IN CAGES.
JOE BIDEN’S BORDER CATASTROPHE IS FUELING PROFITS FOR THE HUMAN TRAFFICKING AND DRUG TRADE. “But think of all the new Democrat voters being let in” seems to be the Party’s attitude.
MORE FALLOUT FROM THE FRAUDULENT 2020 ELECTION – ANOTHER DEVELOPMENT IN GEORGIA. The 2020 election was as tainted as the 1876 and year 2000 elections.
EVEN MORE FALLOUT FROM THE FRAUDULENT 2020 ELECTION – ARIZONA SENATE ORDERS HAND RECOUNT OF OVER 2 MILLION BALLOTS CAST. Have I mentioned that the 2020 election was as tainted as the 1876 and year 2000 elections?
YES, AND EVEN MORE VOTE FRAUD FALLOUT FROM THE 2020 ELECTION – WISCONSIN STATE ASSEMBLY HAS NOW ORDERED AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE TAINTED RESULTS. It’s a national tragedy that the country has been saddled with the addled and corrupt Joe Biden.
DEMOCRATS’ CEMENTING THEIR VOTE FRAUD ACTIVITIES VIA HR1 IS VERY UNPOPULAR ACCORDING TO RECENT POLLS. But Democrats feel “Too bad! What’s good for our party is all that matters.”
MORE CALLS FOR A CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION INTO THE BIDEN CRIME FAMILY.
THE DEMOCRATS AT TWITTER STILL HELPING BIDEN BY CENSORING PHOTOS OF HIS KIDS IN CAGES. Needless to say, they claim – as always, after the fact – that it was done “mistakenly.” Continue reading
Filed under LIBERALS AND CONSERVATIVES, Neglected History, opinion
DAY TWO: GAME ONE – The (11) LOYOLA UNIVERSITY (LA) WOLFPACK served up another big-time Upset against the (6) MARIAN UNIVERSITY KNIGHTS.
The Wolfpack utterly humiliated the Knights with smothering defense in the opening Half, leading them 36-19 at the midpoint. From there Marian University could not dig itself out of the hole it was in, and their furious rally attempt was stopped short by Loyola. The final score was Wolfpack 69 Knights 62. Zach Wrightsil led the victors with 19 points. Continue reading
Filed under College Basketball
It’s the Wunder Boner! And yes, this ad really exists, it’s not just an urban legend.
Filed under Neglected History
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