Monthly Archives: October 2024

OCTOBER THIRD ROUNDUP OF NEWS, MEMES AND POLITICAL CARTOONS

From Independent Voter site Balladeer’s Blog:

KAMALA HARRIS EMBRACES THE PORT WORKERS STRIKE DESPITE THE BLOW IT WILL DELIVER TO THE ECONOMY. But Harris and Biden and their fellow one-percenters will be just fine. 

OVER TWO HUNDRED RETIRED GENERALS AND ADMIRALS ENDORSE TRUMP. This doesn’t impress ME, but I’m posting it because of the way Democrats always pretend it means something when military figures endorse their candidates.

THE TALIBAN HAS BEEN NULLIFYING THE DIVORCES OF TENS OF THOUSANDS OF CHILD BRIDES AND DRAGGING THEM BACK TO THEIR FORMER SPOUSES. But not a peep from privileged white Democrat women who pretend to be bold and daring by indulging in Handmaid’s Tale cosplay. But then, Democrats are big fans of sexually abusing children. Especially Democrat “teachers” (LMAO).

ROBERT F. KENNEDY ONCE AGAIN EXPOSES THE IGNORANCE OF ANTI-TRUMP LOONS BY FOOLING THEM INTO THINKING A QUOTE FROM JFK WAS REALLY FROM A TRUMP SUPPORTER.

AND YET ANOTHER ANTI-TRUMPER REALIZES THEY WERE WRONG. AMBASSADOR GORDON SONDLAND SAYS HE’S VOTING FOR TRUMP“I’ll tell you why. I’ve lived four years under the Biden-Harris policies, and I have to say those policies are not only becoming an existential threat to our country’s way of life but to our allies as well.”

DEMOCRATS CELEBRATING THE DEATH AND DESTRUCTION THAT HURRICANE HELENE DID TO WHAT DEMOCRATS CONSIDER “RED STATES.” Democrats love to “other” and dehumanize anyone they even THINK disagrees with their opinions.

TAMPON TIM WALZ, THE LARGEMOUTH BASS THAT WALKS LIKE A MAN, IS GETTING DESERVEDLY RIDICULED FOR HIS BOAST ABOUT BEING FRIENDS WITH SCHOOL SHOOTERS. More HERE. Also during the event, he called himself a “knucklehead,” a nickname he truly deserves.

WALZ ALSO LIED THAT TRUMP HASN’T PAID TAXES IN FIFTEEN YEARS. Anti-Trumpers are so thoroughly sleazy – REMEMBER WHEN TRUMP DISCLOSED SEVERAL YEARS’ WORTH OF TAX RETURNS BECAUSE DEMOCRATS WERE OBSESSING OVER THEM – AND NOTHING WRONG WAS FOUND! Democrats can’t even keep their anti-Trump hoaxes straight. Continue reading

12 Comments

Filed under LIBERALS AND CONSERVATIVES, Neglected History, opinion

FORGOTTEN TELEVISION: HAWKINS (1973-1974)

hawkinsHAWKINS (1973-1974) – Before Matlock, there was Hawkins! The iconic Jimmy Stewart starred as Billy Jim Hawkins, an aw-shucks country lawyer who was really shrewd and calculating behind his stammering, Good Ol’ Boy facade.

Billy Jim wound up acting as a detective for his clients as much as their lawyer as he solved mysteries to prove his clients’ innocence. Hawkins was part of a CBS attempt to establish their own set of rotating 90-minute detective shows in the tradition of Columbo, McMillan and Wife, Banacek, The Snoop Sisters, and so many others on competing networks.

billy jim and strother martinHawkins rotated with Shaft, which starred Richard Roundtree reprising his big screen role as private detective John Shaft (but a John Shaft who couldn’t be as violent or profane as he was in the movies, of course).

Strother Martin co-starred with Stewart as his private investigator cousin R.J. Hawkins. The pair, despite being based in West Virginia, were hired by big-name, big money clients from around the country. AND despite the fact that not all lawyers are credentialed to practice law in all other states. This was made for TV lawyerin’, bubba!   

THE EPISODES: Continue reading

12 Comments

Filed under Forgotten Television

WNBA PLAYOFF RESULTS FROM OCTOBER FIRST

The two best-of-five semifinal series continued.

LIBERTY VS ACES: GAME TWO – The NEW YORK LIBERTY took the court against the visiting two-time defending WNBA champions, the LAS VEGAS ACES.

The 1st Quarter ended with Las Vegas up 27-22 but by Halftime the Liberty were out in front 46-40. New York led the Aces 69-62 in the 3rd Quarter before winning the game 88-84 in the 4th. Twenty-four points from Sabrina Ionescu led the Liberty to victory as they took a 2 games to none advantage in this series. Continue reading

Leave a comment

Filed under WNBA

FOUR HALLOWEEN FILMS FROM DAN CURTIS

Halloween Month rolls along with this look at four of Dan “Dark Shadows” Curtis’ made for tv movies. 

Jack Palance and THE Billie Whitelaw in Dan Curtis' Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde.

Jack Palance and THE Billie Whitelaw in Dan Curtis’ Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde.

Dan Curtis was well-known for his Dark Shadows tv series, the original Night Stalker telefilm and its sequel The Night Strangler. Throw in The Norliss Tapes, Trilogy of Terror and about a dozen more made-for-tv exercises in the macabre.  

In keeping with Balladeer’s Blog’s overall theme here’s a look at four of Curtis’ overlooked horror productions, ranging from excellent to laughable.

Dr Jekyll and Mr HydeDR JEKYLL AND MR HYDE (1968) – Believe it or not Jack Palance does a decent job as the dual title figure in this made for tv movie which also starred Denholm Elliott, Oskar Homolka and BILLIE WHITELAW, who was introduced in this production. 

This rendition of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde is top quality for a 1968 television effort and reflects the best elements of Curtis’ then-current Dark Shadows but without the frequent on-air gaffes that plagued that live broadcast.   Continue reading

42 Comments

Filed under Halloween Season

NEWS, MEMES AND POLITICAL CARTOON ROUNDUP: OCTOBER 1st

From Independent Voter site Balladeer’s Blog:

kamala or trained seal ICE REPORT REVEALS THAT KAMALA HARRIS HAS LET MORE THAN 425,000 DANGEROUS CRIMINAL ALIENS LOOSE IN THE U.S. More HERE. Democrats covering it up HERE. Once again, anti-Trump fools claimed he was “wildly exaggerating” but as usual he was proven right. And those 425,000 are just the ones we know about.

MOTHERS WHO LOST CHILDREN TO FURTHER CRIMES BY ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS BLAST KAMALA HARRIS FOR THEIR DEATHS AND HER CALLOUS REFUSAL TO MEET WITH THEM.

kamala cacklingKAMALA HARRIS FURTHER BLASTED ON HER “AWOL” “PITIFUL” RESPONSE TO HURRICANE HELENE. More HERE. This is Kamala’s “Hurricane Katrina” equivalent.

NOT LONG AFTER HURRICANE HELENE DEVASTATED ALL IN ITS PATH, CALLOUS KAMALA HARRIS WAS PARTYING WITH CELEBRITY CRONIES. Does Harris have a trace of humanity in her?

MATT TAIBBI WITH A BRILLIANT DEFENSE OF FREE SPEECH.

trump humanitarianPRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP, AS HE DID IN EAST PALESTINE, OHIO A WHILE BACK, IS PERSONALLY PROVIDING WATER, EQUIPMENT, FUEL AND OTHER EMERGENCY SUPPLIES TO HURRICANE HELENE VICTIMS. This is what a leader does. More HERE. And HERE. And HERE.

VICIOUS JOE BIDEN SNAPS AT A REPORTER WHO ASKS ABOUT HIS AND KAMALA’S FAILED RESPONSE TO HURRICANE HELENE. More HERE. And HERE.

OHIO CONGRESSMEN STILL BEGGING KAMALA AND JOE FOR EMERGENCY FUNDING FOR THE HAITIAN IMMIGRANT SITUATION IN SPRINGFIELD. But hey, giving such emergency funding would be admitting that Trump was right about the conditions in Springfield, OH. That’s all Democrats care about.

kamala ashamedHARRIS-BIDEN REGIME WEAKNESS ABROAD PROMPTS ANOTHER HOUTHI ATTACK ON U.S. NAVY IN THE RED SEA.

TIM WALZ’S MINNEAPOLIS SWEARS IN ITS FIRST NON-CITIZEN, RESIDENT ALIEN POLICE OFFICER. Democrats will be bringing non-citizen police officers to a location near you before you know it!

MEANWHILE, THE HARRIS-BIDEN DOJ SUES ALABAMA FOR TRYING TO REMOVE NON-CITIZENS FROM THE VOTING ROLLS. Yet Democrats pretend that non-citizen voting doesn’t happen. Why are they on the voting rolls, then? And part of the DOJ’s reasoning is that IT’S TOO CLOSE TO THE NOVEMBER ELECTION! Yeah, Democrats. Tell us again that you’re not accommodating non-citizen voting. Continue reading

10 Comments

Filed under LIBERALS AND CONSERVATIVES, Neglected History, opinion

A NOVA CALIFORNIA aka A NEW CALIFORNIA (1921) HALLOWEEN MONTH IS UNDERWAY!

The Halloween Season has rolled around once again! For newcomers to Balladeer’s Blog let me point out that I post about more than just horror topics in October. I also cover my usual recurring subjects but throw in reviews of neglected, centuries old novels and short stories from around the world in a Gothic Horror equivalent of my Ancient Science Fiction blog posts. I also review horror films throughout the month. 

a nova california againA NOVA CALIFORNIA (1921) – This short horror story from Brazil was written by Lima Barreto. The tale is set in a fictional Brazilian town called Tubiacango after the river along whose banks it stood. Tubiacango’s population was roughly 4,000.

The tranquil town had never known much in the way of excitement or scandal outside of a few crimes of passion and some political violence committed by the incumbent political party.

a nova californiaNOTE: Something I’ve been struck by as I read more and more Brazilian literature is how even the smallest towns could boast an international population. There will be native Brazilians, newly arrived Portuguese, white Europeans, and – as the literature itself points out – every shade of dark colored people from all over the world.

The end of the tranquility came with the arrival of a wealthy and mysterious man who practiced a form of pharmaceutical science beyond the understanding of Tubiacango’s resident pharmacists, physicians and schoolteachers. Continue reading

10 Comments

Filed under Halloween Season