Author Archives: balladeer

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About balladeer

I am passionately interested in college sports, ancient Greek comedies, bad/weird movies, mythology, the American Revolution, Puck Magazine, World War I, U.S. Presidential history, silent movies, the English Civil War, epic, lyric and comic poetry, U.S. Supreme Court history, the Revolutions of 1848, the Philippine War and old pulp heroes like The Moon Man, Pilot G8, Silver John and The Rio Kid.
July 11, 2024 · 9:02 pm

THE TOUCH OF BREEZE (2023) – PRITILATA NANDI’S LATEST LITERARY WORK

the touch of breezeTHE TOUCH OF BREEZE (2023) – Last year Balladeer’s Blog reviewed Love of Rain, Indian authoress Pritilata Nandi’s brilliant and moving collection of short stories about Indian life. Nandi has followed that up with a novel about emotional upheaval and eventual atonement … to whatever degree is possible in life.

I’m fairly cynical and jaded but Pritilata has a gift for making even someone like me feel moved by the storm of emotions she conjures up. Through her characters Susmita and her granddaughter Silpa readers get introduced to a family from India who are about to travel to Hawaii.

Susmita, a teacher turned author (like Nandi herself) had hoped to take such a trip with her husband Arijit but unfortunately, he has passed away. The widow will be traveling there with Silpa and her parents, and we get some wonderful bonding between grandmother and granddaughter. Continue reading →

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July 11, 2024 · 7:49 am

THE ALASKANS (1959-1960) FRONTIERADO TV SERIES

The Frontierado holiday is about the myth of the old west, not the grinding reality. This year it will be observed on Friday August 2nd. Here’s another seasonal post.

moore and provineTHE ALASKANS (1959-1960) – The gold rushes in Alaska during the late 1890s and early 1900s provided the usual tableaus of boom towns, claim-jumping, gambling and gunslinging. Unlike such rushes in the Continental United States, the frigid temperatures and monumental snows of Alaska added unique twists to the wild west feel of gold-seeking.

Previously, Balladeer’s Blog covered Alaskan prospectors, gunslingers and gamblers like the Montana Kid, Swiftwater Bill, Klondike Kate, One-Eyed Riley, Silent Sam Bonnifield and others HERE. The Alaskans starred Roger Moore, Dorothy Provine, Ray Danton, John Dehner and Claude Akins searching for gold in the 1890s.   

alaskansThe series was produced by the same outfit behind James Garner’s iconic series Maverick and featured Roger Moore’s character Silky Harris, who ran con games and gambled with as much skill as he displayed at gunplay. Dorothy Provine’s Rocky Shaw was a Klondike Kate-style saloon entertainer who knew how to handle herself in rough company.

John Dehner appeared as the real-life figure Soapy Smith, infamous crime lord of the frozen north. Balladeer’s Blog examined Soapy’s career of crime in Denver and later in Alaska HERE.
Continue reading →

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July 10, 2024 · 8:34 pm

THE FORGOTTEN LAND (1917) ANCIENT SCIENCE FICTION

the popular magazineTHE FORGOTTEN LAND (1917) – Written by H. H. Knibbs. This writer was much better known for his poems about the American West. The Forgotten Land ventured into science fiction and “future history.”

This short story began in “the near future” from its publication in the February 7th, 1917 issue of The Popular Magazine. The narrative drops us into the middle of ongoing events. Sometime earlier, Japan invaded the west coast of the United States.

Japan’s armies have been routing America’s armed forces and multiple tribes of Native Americans have seized the opportunity to try to retake much of their land from both the whites and the Japanese. The story’s central character is a railroad official named Jack Hanley.    Continue reading →

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July 10, 2024 · 12:04 am

RIN TIN TIN: HIS SILENT FILMS

rin tin tin at typewriterRIN TIN TIN (1918-1932) – Here at Balladeer’s Blog, I’m even fonder of dogs than I am of silent movies, so this post will combine the two topics. Sadly, most silent films have become so little remembered that few people even realize that there actually WAS a real Rin Tin Tin, adopted by American soldiers during World War One.

Amid battles in September of 1918, Corporal Lee Duncan of the 135th Aero Squadron was doing recon work on a bombed-out area near Flirey, France. One of the buildings had been a breeding kennel for German Shepherds trained for Kaiser Wilhelm’s troops. The only animals still alive were a starving mother with five nursing puppies who were so young their eyes had not even opened yet.   

Duncan adopted the six German Shepherds and took them back to his unit. His superiors permitted the mother to be given to an officer, one each of the puppies to three enlisted men and the final two – a boy and a girl – were adopted by Lee Duncan himself and named Rin Tin Tin and Nanette. Continue reading →

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July 9, 2024 · 6:31 pm

SUSSEX COUNTY COLLEGE: COOL NAMED SPORTS TEAM

Balladeer’s Blog takes its latest look at a college whose sports teams have a nickname that is out of the ordinary.

SUSSEX COUNTY COLLEGE Continue reading →

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July 9, 2024 · 2:58 am

NEWS, MEMES AND POLITICAL CARTOONS ROUNDUP: JULY NINTH

 Independent Voter site Balladeer’s Blog presents another current events roundup from the land where corrupt career politicians run the country like a Mafia bust-out operation.

casey cartel“CASEY CARTEL” – A REPORT ON DEMOCRAT SENATOR BOB CASEY AND HIS FAMILY’S QUESTIONABLE GRAFT ACTIVITIES. Have I mentioned lately that America’s career criminals – and often their family members – tend to be white-collar criminals? I thought I had.

NON-PARTISAN ETHICS GROUP ACCUSES DEMOCRAT GWEN MOORE OF RUNNING A “SCAM PAC.”  

HUFF-PO, THE SITE FOR HUFFY, POST-MENOPAUSAL WHITE DEMOCRATS ACTUALLY ENCOURAGES THE BIDEN REGIME TO USE A.I. TO MAKE BIDEN LOOK MORE ALERT. You can’t make up this stuff. 

the party on bidens unfitnessA LOOK AT THE MEDIA COVERUP ON HOW UNFIT FOR OFFICE JOE BIDEN IS. More HERE. And considering that Democrats refuse to have his Vice President Kamala Harris replace him I guess they’re admitting that they knew that NEITHER their presidential NOR vice-presidential candidates in 2020 were fit for office.

DERANGED DEMOCRATS STILL INSISTING THAT THE SUPREME COURT DECISION MEANS JOE BIDEN HAS “IMMUNITY” TO ARREST REPUBLICAN OPPONENTS AT WILL AND TO LET THE F.B.I. USE DEADLY FORCE TO GIVE DEMOCRATS CONTROL OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. Have I mentioned lately that people who spend their every waking moment hating Trump are the most ignorant, uninformed and emotionally unstable people I’ve ever observed?

MORE UNHINGED ANTI-TRUMP HYSTERIA. 

EXPLOSIVE STORY ABOUT HOW THE MEDIA COVERED UP BIDEN’S UNFITNESS DURING MEETINGS WITH ALLIES. More HERE.

biden blustering like a foolBIDEN STATES HE IS “RUNNING THE WORLD” We all know what he meant, but if Trump had made that statement we also know that the media would be frantically claiming it proved he wanted to be a dictator.

ANOTHER ROUND OF TAXPAYER-FUNDED DEBIT CARDS HANDED OUT BY DEMOCRATS TO NEW YORK CITY’S ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT FLOOD.

DEMOCRATS FIGHTING BILL IN CONGRESS THAT WOULD PREVENT ILLEGALS FROM VOTING IN FEDERAL ELECTIONS. And they’re buying the votes of illegals via debit cards paid for by the little people.

ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS ARE GETTING CERTAIN SOCIAL SECURITY FUNDS IMMEDIATELY. Another way Democrats are buying their votes. Continue reading →

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July 8, 2024 · 11:45 am

CHARLIE SIRINGO: GUNSLINGING DETECTIVE OF THE OLD WEST

Time for another Frontierado blog post. That holiday is all about the myth of the old west, not the grinding reality, and this year will be celebrated on Friday August 2nd. Here’s a look at cowboy and Pinkerton Detective Charlie Siringo.

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SiringoCHARLIE SIRINGO – Like a real-life Harry Flashman of the American West, Charles Angelo Siringo, cowboy, bounty hunter and lawman, fought alongside or against some of the biggest names of his era. Siringo crossed paths with the likes of Billy the Kid, Wyatt Earp, Bat Masterson, the Wild Bunch, Tom Horn, Clarence Darrow, Kid Russell, Will Rogers, William Borah and many others.

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Charlie was born February 7th, 1855 on the Matagordo Peninsula in Texas. In 1867 he began doing ranch work in whatever positions his youthful frame could handle. By April of 1871 he was working for Abel “Shanghai” Pierce as a full-fledged cowboy. Siringo went on to work on cattle drives throughout Texas, New Mexico, Kansas and Oklahoma (then called Indian Territory).

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L Q Jones as Siringo

L.Q. JONES AS SIRINGO

In 1876 our hero rose to the position of trail driver and led his subordinate cowboys in herding roughly 2,500 head of Longhorn Cattle from Austin, TX along the Chisholm Trail to Dodge City, KS. Spring of 1877 found Charlie once again serving as trail driver from Austin to Dodge City.

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On his trips to iconic Dodge City, Siringo had supposedly friendly encounters with the likes of Wyatt Earp and Bat Masterson and witnessed an altercation between a pair of Dodge City merchants and Clay Allison, the notorious gunfighter and bullying rancher

Continue reading →

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July 7, 2024 · 3:18 pm

BALLADEER’S BLOG: WNBA RESULTS – JULY 7th

indiana fever logoWIN IT IN THE FOURTH – The INDIANA FEVER (9-13) played host to the NEW YORK LIBERTY (17-4) yesterday.

The Fever were clinging to a mere 39-38 edge as Halftime arrived. The 3rd Quarter ended with the Liberty on top 62-55, but Indiana roared from behind in the 4th to win the game 83-78. CAITLIN CLARK led the Fever with a Double Double of 19 points and 13 assists, while her teammate NaLyssa Smith notched a Double Double of her own with 12 points and 11 rebounds.

minnesota lynxTUSSLE AT THE TARGET CENTER – In this game the MINNESOTA LYNX (15-6) welcomed the WASHINGTON MYSTICS (5-17) to their Target Center home court.

The Lynx saw their 25-14 1st Quarter lead melt away as Washington tied things up at 36-36 by the midpoint. After the break, the Mystics were up 57-55 in the 3rd Quarter before Minnesota exploded for a 74-67 victory in the 4th. Kayla McBride and Courtney Williams led the Lynx with 17 points each. Continue reading →

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July 7, 2024 · 2:09 am

MARCH 2022: A LOOK BACK

FOR PART ONE (2016) OF THIS RETROSPECTIVE FROM INDEPENDENT VOTER SITE BALLADEER’S BLOG CLICK HERE.

biden crime family shirtMORE REVELATIONS ABOUT THE INFLUENCE PEDDLING SCAM OF JOE BIDEN AND HIS SON HUNTER, THE UNDERBOSS OF THE BIDEN CRIME FAMILY. And that was March of 2022. Much more has come out since then.

DEMOCRATIC MEDIA OUTLETS CAUGHT COVERING UP HUNTER BIDEN’S CORRUPTION. More HERE.

MORE LONG-AGO PROOF OF JOE BIDEN’S UNFITNESS FOR OFFICE – HE SENILELY BABBLED SECRET INFORMATION IN BRUSSELS. Never forget how the media covered up how unfit Biden was, from 2020 onward.

pelosi old and defeatedNANCY PELOSI’S RAMPANT CORRUPTION. And her husband’s, too, HERE.

HUNTER BIDEN’S LAPTOP CONTAINED DEFENSE DEPARTMENT ENCRYPTION CODES. Don’t let this fall down the Memory Hole, either.

MICHIGAN DEMOCRAT CHARGED WITH BALLOT TAMPERING AND MORE IN THE FOREVER-TAINTED 2020 ELECTION. Remember the Democrats boasting about “fortifying” the 2020 election?

Biden and Bush asterisks

“I didn’t really win mine, either.”

WISCONSIN JUDGE ORDERS THE STATE’S DEMOCRAT HOUSE SPEAKER TO TURN OVER EVIDENCE IN PROBE OF 2020 ELECTION CORRUPTION. The 2020 election was as corrupt and tainted as the ones in 1876 and 2000.

ARIZONA SENATE PROBE FINDS OVER 200,000 BIDEN BALLOTS THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN DISQUALIFIED BUT WERE COUNTED IN THE 2020 ELECTION. Joe Biden, George W. Bush and Rutherford B. Hayes were all “selected, not elected.”

MARK ZUCKERBERG FOUND VIOLATING WISCONSIN’S ELECTION LAWS WITH HIS DEMOCRAT BALLOT “ASSISTANCE” IN THE 2020 ELECTION. More HERE. Continue reading →

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July 6, 2024 · 12:23 am

CAPTAIN AMERICA & THE FALCON: BICENTENNIAL YEAR

This weekend’s light-hearted, escapist superhero post here at Balladeer’s Blog will look at Jack Kirby’s Captain America storyline for America’s Bicentennial Year: 1976. 

ca 193CAPTAIN AMERICA Vol 1 #193 (January 1976)

Title: Screamer in the Brain

Villains: The Elite aka the Royalist Forces of America

NOTE: Legendary comic book artist and writer Jack Kirby, who co-created Captain America back in 1941, had returned for this Bicentennial storyline.

Synopsis: Captain America and the Falcon are casually hanging out at the apartment of Leila Taylor, the Falcon’s romantic partner. Suddenly, a radiation that feels like screaming in one’s brain induces madness in everyone within a couple block radius including Cap and Falc. 

They are eventually able to resist it and fight the destructive mob of other victims until Cap finds and destroys the device responsible. S.H.I.E.L.D. agents arrive on the scene and take our heroes to a briefing by Secretary of State Henry Kissinger. Increasingly large versions of these “Madbombs” have unleashed chaos in multiple locations across the U.S. Continue reading →

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