Author Archives: balladeer

balladeer's avatar

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.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL RANKINGS FROM BALLADEER’S BLOG

Per the Glitternight Index:

helmetmaryhardinbaylorNCAA Division Three    1. UNIVERSITY OF MARY HARDIN-BAYLOR CRUSADERS    ###   2. UNIVERSITY OF MOUNT UNION PURPLE RAIDERS   ###   3. MUHLENBERG COLLEGE MULES   ###    4. WHEATON COLLEGE THUNDER   ###   5. UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN AT WHITEWATER WARHAWKS   ### 

Salisbury Seagulls helmet6. SALISBURY UNIVERSITY SEA GULLS   ###    7. CHAPMAN UNIVERSITY PANTHERS   ###   8. UNION (NY) COLLEGE DUTCHMEN   ###    9. SAINT JOHN’S UNIVERSITY JOHNNIES   ###    10. BETHEL (MN) UNIVERSITY ROYALS   ###      Continue reading

Leave a comment

Filed under college football

THE PEOPLE OF THE MOON (1895): ANCIENT SCIENCE FICTION

People of the Moon biggerTHE PEOPLE OF THE MOON (1895) – Written by Tremlett Carter. An unnamed narrator, a scientist of some sort, sees a glowing 18 inch object floating in the sky. A bird who makes physical contact with the glowing orb is killed by the object’s electric charge.

Our narrator jury-rigs a means of grounding against the electricity and hauling the orb down to his laboratory. The object slowly reaches room temperature and ejects from its interior a book written in an unearthly alphabet.

The anonymous narrator’s friend Professor Hector Goss visits him in the midst of all this and excitedly tells our protagonist about a secret society that he belongs to. Goss and his fellow society members have been performing scientific research by directing the astral/ spiritual bodies of hypnotized human guinea pigs.

Before dying, their most recent test subject visited the moon in his astral body and saw a city on the dark side of Earth’s satellite. He also spotted life – humanoid AND dragon life. Professor Goss jumps to the conclusion that the unearthly book that Nameless Narrator holds came from the moon.

Conveniently, Nameless and Goss had previously devised a fool-proof system of deciphering any and all languages so they translate the mysterious book and learn all about the beings on the moon. Continue reading

8 Comments

Filed under Ancient Science Fiction

ELEVEN MEDAL OF HONOR RECIPIENTS FROM WORLD WAR ONE

Medal of HonorHappy Veterans Day from Balladeer’s Blog! In keeping with the whole “Eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month” tradition here are eleven World War One figures who were awarded the Medal of Honor.

J HUNTER WICKERSHAM

Rank: 2nd Lieutenant, US Army

Site: Limey, France on September 12th, 1918

Citation: Advancing with his platoon during the St. Mihiel offensive, he was severely wounded in 4 places by the bursting of a high-explosive shell. Before receiving any aid for himself he dressed the wounds of his orderly, who was wounded at the same time.

He then ordered and accompanied the further advance of his platoon, although weakened by the loss of blood. His right hand and arm being disabled by wounds, he continued to fire his revolver with his left hand until, exhausted by loss of blood, he fell and died from his wounds before aid could be administered.

Jake AllexJAKE ALLEX

Rank: Corporal, US Army

Site: Chipilly Ridge, France on August 9th, 1918

Citation: At a critical point in the action, when all the officers with his platoon had become casualties, Cpl. Allex took command of the platoon and led it forward until the advance was stopped by fire from a machinegun nest.

He then advanced alone for about 30 yards in the face of intense fire and attacked the nest. With his bayonet he killed 5 of the enemy, and when it was broken, used the butt of his rifle, capturing 15 prisoners.

FRANK MONROE UPTON

Rank: Quartermaster – US Navy

Site: The USS Florence H on April 17th, 1918 Continue reading

8 Comments

Filed under Neglected History

COLLEGE FOOTBALL RESULTS FROM NOVEMBER 9th

HEADLINES

Glenville State Pioneers helmetTAKING DOWN NUMBER SIX – In NCAA Division Two the GLENVILLE STATE PIONEERS traveled to play the number 6 team in the nation – the NOTRE DAME COLLEGE FALCONS (School Motto: “No, not THAT Notre Dame”). The Pioneers needed Overtime to do it, but they brought down the Falcons 23-20 in the extra session.

Central Methodist University Eagles helmet NEWNUMBER NINE NOOGIED – Over in the NAIA the CENTRAL METHODIST UNIVERSITY EAGLES welcomed the country’s 9th ranked EVANGEL UNIVERSITY CRUSADERS. The Eagles proceeded to make the Crusaders their prison brides, thrashing them by a final score of 42-7.

FDU-Florham Devils helmetWAS THE OVER-UNDER ONE HUNDRED-FORTY POINTS? – Defense was apparently optional in yesterday’s D3 game between the FDU-FLORHAM DEVILS and the visiting ALVERNIA UNIVERSITY GOLDEN WOLVES. The Devils won this mega-shootout by a tally of EIGHTY-FOUR to FIFTY-SIX!

Arizona Christian Univ helmet GOODWE WENT TO A FOOTBALL GAME BUT A BASEBALL GAME BROKE OUT – At the other end of the scoring spectrum, the ARIZONA CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY FIRESTORM found themselves on the road against the LYON COLLEGE SCOTS. This defensive epic ended in a 9-7 win for the Firestorm. Continue reading

6 Comments

Filed under college football

BLACK VOICES FOR TRUMP LAUNCHED FRIDAY

Trump, Rosa Parks and AliWelcome back to Independent Voter site Balladeer’s Blog! The organization Black Voices For Trump was launched on Friday to help campaign for the reelection of de facto Third Party President Donald Trump.

Part of President Trump’s maverick battle with the Republican Party establishment lies in the way that he has been far more successful in attracting voters of color than any Republican not named Lincoln. Polls have consistently shown between 23% and 39% of African-Americans support the President, astronomical numbers that reflect Trump’s successful outreach and accomplishments. 

Donald Trump never called racist till running against DemocratsThe prominent racists of the Republican Party like the Bush Family, Mitt Romney, Karl Rove, the National Review crowd and others seem to resent Trump for this and it fuels their attacks on him.  

Links below, but first some excerpts:

“The president celebrated his successful first term presidency, bringing unemployment for the black community to historic lows, restoring the strength of the economy, passing criminal justice reform, and creating tax-exempt opportunity zones.”

Trump black supporters even more“Trump said that Democrats had taken the black vote for granted, criticizing them for failing urban communities by opening up the Southern borders to crime and drugs and failing to reduce crime.”

“The president pointed out that the 20 most dangerous cities were run by Democrats and that 58 percent of the murder victims under 22 were African-American.”

For video click HERE

“Many prominent African-American Trump supporters joined the event audience, Continue reading

16 Comments

Filed under LIBERALS AND CONSERVATIVES, Neglected History, opinion

KILLRAVEN FIFTEEN: SING OUT LOUDLY … DEATH!

FOR PART ONE OF BALLADEER’S BLOG’S EXAMINATION OF THIS OLD, OLD MARVEL COMICS STORYLINE CLICK HERE  The revisions I would make are scattered throughout the synopsis below.

killraven sing out loudly death REALAMAZING ADVENTURES Vol 2 #33 (November 1975)

Title: Sing Out Loudly … Death!

NOTE: Another fill-in issue, this one with Bill Mantlo and Herb Trimpe substituting for the regular writer/ artist team of Don McGregor and Craig Russell. The number of ways that this story fails will leave you shaking your head. Bizarre decisions all the way through. 

REVISION: To make Killraven and his Freemen’s travels make geographic sense I skipped the Nashville story, but I’ll review it next time. It would make no sense for KR and his fellow rebels to go through Tennessee, THEN West Virginia, then BACK to Tennessee for the Chattanooga story. Last time around I had the Freemen in Ohio, so West Virginia and Sing Out Loudly … Death! would be the next logical installment.

Synopsis: May, 44 years from now. Killraven and his band of rebels continue their uprising against the alien conquerors of the Earth. (Zetans, NOT Martians in my revisions) Their attempt to shake off their most recent pursuers has led them into the mountains of West Virginia. Continue reading

12 Comments

Filed under Superheroes

COLLEGE FOOTBALL RESULTS FROM NOVEMBER 7th

Per the Glitternight Index:

Fairmont StateFAIRMONT STATE ON THE ROAD – The FAIRMONT STATE FIGHTING FALCONS traveled to face the URBANA UNIVERSITY BLUE KNIGHTS last night. A 7-0 1st Quarter lead for the Fighting Falcons turned into a 14-7 advantage by Halftime. After the break Fairmont State shut out the Blue Knights while adding 17 more points for themselves to win it 31-7. Continue reading

2 Comments

Filed under college football

“READ THE TRANSCRIPT” T-SHIRTS

read the transcriptAs the Democrats’ attempt to railroad de facto Third Party President Trump continues you can buy a limited edition “Read The Transcript” t-shirt to remind people that the Ukraine transcript proves Trump did nothing wrong while he was investigating Biden Family corruption. YOU CAN BUY IT HERE  

This impeachment inquiry nonsense has proven to be just partisan political theater and is the sequel to the Democrats’ failed “Russian Collusion” fantasy. As Sean Davis pointed out on social media:

Brutal impeachment numbers for Dems in new Monmouth poll: 73% have little/no trust in process, 60% say Dems are more interested in destroying Trump than finding facts, 51% oppose impeachment, only 37% say Trump’s actions are clear grounds for impeachment.

Donald Trump never called racist till running against DemocratsPresident Trump has done more for the working class and poor of ALL colors than any other president of my lifetime.

Unfortunately the working class and the poor don’t own major media outlets like the anti-Trump fascists do, hence the 24/7 flood of slanted coverage against him.

FOR THE MONMOUTH POLL:  Continue reading

12 Comments

Filed under LIBERALS AND CONSERVATIVES, Neglected History, opinion

2 MORE AMERICAN ACES FROM WORLD WAR ONE

With Veterans Day approaching here’s another look at some neglected World War One history.

arthur-r-brooks-betterARTHUR R.”RAY” BROOKS – Captain Ray Brooks graduated from MIT in 1917 and immediately volunteered to serve in the World War that the U.S. had just entered. Brooks got his first 3 kills with the 139th Squadron and 6 more after transferring to the 22nd Aero Squadron. FOUR of Captain Brooks’ kills came in one dogfight as he tackled a squadron of 8 Fokker planes single-handedly. Seriously.

In addition to those kills Ray Brooks had 4 more probables and went on to win the Distinguished Service Cross. He was nominated for the Congressional Medal of Honor but was not confirmed for it, unfortunately. Brooks flew a Smith IV Spad XIII.    Continue reading

4 Comments

Filed under Neglected History

COLLEGE FOOTBALL RANKINGS FROM BALLADEER’S BLOG

Per the Glitternight Index:

Minnesota State MavericksNCAA Division Two –    1. MINNESOTA STATE MAVERICKS    ###    2. VALDOSTA STATE BLAZERS    ###   3. FERRIS STATE BULLDOGS   ###   4. TARLETON STATE TEXANS   ###   5. COLORADO SCHOOL OF MINES OREDIGGERS   ###   

Central Missouri6. UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL MISSOURI MULES    ###   7. COLORADO STATE AT PUEBLO THUNDER WOLVES   ###    8. NORTHWEST MISSOURI STATE BEARCATS   ###    9. OUACHITA BAPTIST UNIVERSITY TIGERS   ###    10. HARDING UNIVERSITY BISON    ###     Continue reading

4 Comments

Filed under college football