Author Archives: balladeer

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.

June 28, 2019 · 2:00 am

COLLEGE GOLF CHAMPIONS FOR 2019

Here’s one last round of congratulations to the 2019 golf champions in the 9 divisions covered here at Balladeer’s Blog. I’ll cover the women’s champions separately.

NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics)

National Champions – TEXAS WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY RAMS

Runners-Up – College of Coastal Georgia Mariners

2018 Champions – Oklahoma City University Stars

NCCAA (National Christian College Athletic Association)

National Champions – ERSKINE COLLEGE FLYING FLEET

Runners-Up – Ottawa University (AZ) Spirit

2018 Champions – Colorado Christian University Cougars Continue reading →

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Tagged as Balladeer's Blog, blogging, college golf, college golf champions, glitternight.com, golf, Sport, sports

June 27, 2019 · 9:48 am

DEMOCRAT SANCTUARY CITY HAS ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT RAPIST RELEASED – WHEELCHAIR-BOUND VICTIM REPORTS HE RAPED HER AGAIN

THIS WEEK PELOSI ACTUALLY SAID “WHAT’S THE POINT” OF ENFORCING IMMIGRATION LAWS.

THANK DEMOCRATS FOR THIS GROTESQUE STORY COURTESY OF DEMOCRATS’ OBSESSION WITH ABETTING ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS AND ENABLING THE ADDITIONAL CRIMES THEY COMMIT.

WHITE, PRIVILEGED ONE-PERCENTER DEMOCRAT NANCY PELOSI AND EVERYONE ELSE WHO HINDERS BORDER SECURITY IS AN ACCOMPLICE TO THIS CRIME.

Francisco Carranza-Ramirez is on the run after serving just nine months for raping a wheelchair-bound woman. He was released on time served THAT SAME DAY after serving even less than the mere one year he was sentenced to (ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT PRIVILEGE) with NO notification to the victim and NO notification to ICE, since Democrats hate the thought of illegal immigrant rapists getting turned over to immigration authorities and deported.

The victim reported Carranza-Ramirez RAPED HER AGAIN and fled. Authorities speculate he is back in Mexico now but Democrats have made it so that he and countless others like him can just stroll back across our unsecured southern border whenever he pleases.

Read this and remember IT 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.

Francisco Carranza-Ramirez. Democrats are keeping it so he can stroll back across the border at will. He’ll probably run for office as a Democrat some day.

“An illegal alien is wanted by law enforcement officials after he reportedly attacked the woman he raped following his release by the sanctuary city of King County, Washington.

“Francisco Carranza Ramirez, 35, has been living in the United States as an illegal alien for an unknown period of time, a law enforcement official confirmed to KOMO News. Ramirez crossed the southern border during an unknown time from his native Mexico.

“Ramirez, according to court records reviewed by the Seattle Times, raped a 32-year-old woman — who is bound to a wheelchair because of her disability — in King County on September 26, 2018. In the middle of the rape in her bedroom, the woman was able to convince the illegal alien to allow her to use the bathroom.

“While in the bathroom, the woman called the police but had to return to the bedroom after hearing that Ramirez had gotten up from the bed. That’s when she put the phone, still on the line with police, in her wheelchair and went back to her bedroom where the rape continued.

“Eventually, police arrived at the scene of the rape and the illegal alien was arrested and charged with third-degree rape. At trial, Ramirez entered an Alford plea, indicating that he would not admit to the rape but that he understood the evidence against him would lead to his conviction.

“Though the victim pleaded with the judge sentencing Ramirez to give him the highest penalty for the rape under the law, the court gave Ramirez a sentence of only 12 months in prison on June 13.

“That exact same day, the illegal was released by the King County jail because he had already served nine months in prison while awaiting his hearing.” CLICK HERE

AND DEMOCRATS CAN’T WAIT TO GIVE HIM HEALTHCARE AND A FREE EDUCATION PAID FOR BY THE REST OF US.

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 JUNE 13th – 19th ROUNDUP OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS’ ADDITIONAL CRIMES CLICK HERE

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Filed under LIBERALS AND CONSERVATIVES, Neglected History, opinion

Tagged as blogging, Democrat Presidential Candidates, Democrat Presidential Debates, Democrats, Democrats enable illegal immigrant rapist, Democrats enable illegal immigration, Francisco Carranza-Ramirez, illegal immigrants, illegal immigration, Nancy Pelosi, news, opinion, politics

June 26, 2019 · 11:05 pm

ASK BALLADEER: DARK SHADOWS (1966-1971)

QUESTION: Recently you recapped the saga of Laura Collins the Phoenix from the old Gothic Soap Opera Dark Shadows (1966-1971). Do you plan to review any of the other story arcs from the show?

ANSWER: At this time I don’t but I would emphasize that the original series is always fun to watch for people who like horror, sci-fi and fantasy. Like early Doctor Who episodes, part of the charm comes from the unrefined, seat-of-their-pants, low budget nature of the 5 day a week Dark Shadows.

Even people who aren’t fans of the show seem aware that it featured a vampire, a witch, ghosts and a werewolf. There were also warlocks, a Dorian Gray figure, mad scientists, zombies, an artist whose works came to life because his canvases were made from enchanted wood, plus lots and lots of time travel.

In addition to the aforementioned Phoenix and other tales, Dark Shadows featured two other fun storylines which I’ll summarize briefly:

The Leviathan Cult: The supernatural Collins family clashed with what was basically an imitation Cult of Cthulhu. Dan Curtis (creator and guiding creative force behind Dark Shadows) made the undersea entity worshiped by the cult be Leviathan from the Bible. (“Try suing us NOW, Arkham House!” I’m kidding.) Other serpentine figures from world mythology were tied to the Leviathans, too, like Nagas.

You know the drill: the Leviathans ruled the world long before the dawn of humanity and wanted to rule it again with the help of their human cultists. The thwarted Leviathans punished Barnabas Collins by returning the curse of the vampire upon him. (In a disastrous move that was up there with New Coke, the show’s creative team had actually had Barnabas cured for a while, but babes just didn’t go for the less-than-smoldering Jonathan Frid without his fangs.)

Even the witch Angelique had given up her evil pursuit of Barnabas for a time and had settled down with wealthy publisher Sky Rumson (Geoffrey Scott of First and Ten). When it turned out Sky was really one of the Leviathan worshipers, the heart-broken Angelique was once again free to stalk the re-fanged Barnabas.

The second of the two storylines came by way of Mary Shelley Continue reading →

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Tagged as Adam and Eve (Dark Shadows), Balladeer's Blog, blogging, Dark Shadows, Entertainment, forgotten television, glitternight.com, Gothic horror, Leviathan Cult

June 26, 2019 · 4:47 am

SECOND BATTLE OF MACHIAS: REVOLUTIONARY WAR

With the Fourth of July holiday fast approaching, Balladeer’s Blog makes with another often-overlooked item from our war of independence from Great Britain.

SECOND BATTLE OF MACHIAS – Previously I covered the First Battle of Machias from June of 1775. After that action Machias became a busy base for Privateering vessels. This second battle was fought August 13th-14th, 1777.

British Commodore George Collier learned of American Rebel plans to launch a second Siege of Fort Cumberland (Nova Scotia) after the first one – a nineteen-day stretch often called the Eddy Rebellion after Jonathan Eddy – had failed in November of 1776. To nip those plans in the bud, Commodore Collier launched an amphibious attack on Machias, ME, where supplies and troops for the new siege were supposedly gathering.

The supplies and men for a second siege of Fort Cumberland had not yet arrived in Machias, so the battle wound up instead being fought for possession of the town. Commodore Collier had five war vessels plus a force of 120-150 Royal Marines to throw at the seaside rebel village. The Americans, under Colonel Jonathan Eddy, fought back with an unknown total number of Militiamen as well as fifty or more Native Americans from the Maliseet, Penobscot and Passamaquody Tribes. Continue reading →

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Tagged as 2nd Battle of Machias, 4th of July, American Revolution, Balladeer's Blog, blogging, glitternight.com, Machias ME, Neglected history, Revolutionary War

June 25, 2019 · 10:43 pm

JIMMY BUFFETT: I DON’T KNOW

Give Them A Shoutout Before They’re Dead strikes again here at Balladeer’s Blog. This time it’s Jimmy Buffett with I Don’t Know (Spicoli’s Theme). Say it with me: “Why am I failing History, Mr Hand? I – DON’T – KNOW, Mr Spicoli.”

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Tagged as Balladeer's Blog, blogging, Fast Times At Ridgemont High, Give Them A Shoutout Before They're Dead, glitternight.com, I Don't Know (Spicoli's Theme), Jimmy Buffett, movies, music

June 25, 2019 · 8:00 am

ANOTHER POLL SAYS TRUMP HAS BEEN BETTER FOR YOUNG AFRICAN-AMERICANS THAN OBAMA WAS

It’s no secret that Donald Trump is a de facto Third Party President, which is why he’s had to fight the crooks in both major political parties. Recently yet ANOTHER poll showed people recognizing the fact that President Trump has been better for young African-Americans than Obama was.

Remember, I’m skeptical of polls but anti-Trump loons eat, sleep and breathe polls, so it’s always fun to watch them froth at the mouth every time polls show a result they don’t like. Hilarious! Fifty-five percent of the respondents recognized that Trump was better for young African-Americans, as stated. CLICK HERE

Meanwhile, regarding Africa, even anti-Trump zealots like Aubrey Hruby have been forced to admit that UNDER PRESIDENT TRUMP AMERICA INVESTS MORE IN AFRICA THAN UNDER ANY OTHER PRESIDENT!

The cornerstone to Trump’s strategy is his Prosper Africa program. It’s just another way that the Donald is pretty much “the new FDR.” CLICK HERE

AND REMEMBER, I’M NEITHER A DEMOCRAT NOR A REPUBLICAN – FOR MY LOOK AT U.S. PRESIDENTS FROM EISENHOWER TO TRUMP CLICK HERE

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Filed under LIBERALS AND CONSERVATIVES, Neglected History, opinion

Tagged as African-Americans for Trump, blogging, news, politics, President Donald Trump, Prosper America, Trump is a de facto Third Party President, Trump is the new FDR, WE NEED THIRD PARTIES

June 24, 2019 · 4:29 pm

FIRST BATTLE OF MACHIAS: REVOLUTIONARY WAR

With the Fourth of July Holiday coming up Balladeer’s Blog will be making some seasonal posts, like this one, covering often-overlooked elements of America’s war for independence from Great Britain.

FIRST BATTLE OF MACHIAS – This battle took place June 11th and 12th of 1775, less than two full months after the Battles of Lexington & Concord kicked off our Revolutionary War. At this point in the 1700s Maine was still technically a Department of Massachusetts, which is why Maine is not listed as one of the original 13 colonies despite all the action that took place there.

With British forces under siege in Boston, Loyalist sellout Ichabod Jones contracted with the Brits to supply their troops there. A few of Jones’ ships plus the British war sloop Margaretta arrived in Machias, ME on June 2nd.

Initially the townspeople of Machias voted against doing business with Ichabod Jones since he intended to provide supplies for Redcoats in Boston. The Margaretta, commanded by James Moore, pulled to within bombardment distance of Machias, frightening just enough citizens to change their votes in favor of trade with Jones and his merchant ships.

Colonel Benjamin Foster, leader of the local Rebel Militia, gathered his men to fight back. Continue reading →

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June 23, 2019 · 7:51 pm

KILLRAVEN FOUR: THE MUTANT SLAYERS

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

AMAZING ADVENTURES Vol 2 # 21 (November 1973)

Title: THE MUTANT SLAYERS (Revised Title: DEATHLOK, THE DEMOLISHER)

Synopsis: Another issue means ANOTHER change in creative team for this promising but star-crossed series. This fourth change in four issues gives us Don McGregor as the writer and Herb Trimpe as the artist.

McGregor will stay and will handily develop the flowery prose that also characterized his run on the 13-part Black Panther story Panther’s Rage, previously reviewed here at Balladeer’s Blog. Unfortunately, Don’s writing in this issue is as hopelessly lame and “comic bookish” as Herb Trimpe’s artwork.

We are told that the Martians had their human quislings – in this case led by a human cyborg called the Warlord – transport Killraven and his Freemen, who were ambushed and captured last issue amid the ruins of LaGuardia Airport, to this new underground base. The base’s location is undisclosed for now.

REVISION: Given Riker’s Island’s proximity to LaGuardia Airport I would have made THAT the location that the captive Freemen were transported to. And given the island’s use as a prison before the alien conquest of Earth it would be ideal for my revised storyline.

I would make the Warlord be specifically Warlord RYKER as in Simon Ryker (no relation to the island’s namesake). Simon Ryker was, of course, the main villain in Deathlok (sic) the Demolisher, another of Marvel’s promising but short-lived sci-fi comic books of the 1970s.

I’m combining Deathlok’s story with Killraven’s in a sort of Ultimate Killraven way, since Marvel in recent years had KR, Deathlok and other figures from their canceled post-apocalypse titles get thrown together as a team due to time anomalies, etc ANYWAY.

Warlord Ryker would still hate Killraven for causing the loss and cybernetic replacement of his (Ryker’s) arm and eye during his escape from the gladiatorial pens a few years earlier.

Back to the real story, the Warlord and his fellow quisling Carmilla Frost (in her first-ever appearance) are watching several waves of guards struggling to shepherd Killraven along to join his Freemen in their new prison cells. Expository dialogue makes it clear that Keeper Frost is a molecular biologist and, like all the other Keepers, she is a scientist who sold out her fellow Earth people in exchange for privileges. Mostly, access to the Martians’ advanced science to continue their work.

The Warlord rants a great deal about how he warned the Martians to execute Killraven years ago, but he was such a good fighter in their gladiatorial games that they kept him alive for sport. Eventually the Warlord knocks out KR from behind.

REVISION: As always, I’d have jettisoned the tenuous War of the Worlds connection by getting rid of the ridiculous Martians and just made it regular aliens – say from the Zeta Reticuli area of space – who had conquered Earth.

Instead of watching Killraven struggle against guards I would have Warlord Ryker and Carmilla Frost watching and taking notes as other Keepers subject the rebel leader to various tests – many of them painful, of course – to determine the nature and origin of his paranormal abilities called simply The Power in the first two issues. (This was 4 years BEFORE Star Wars, so The Power is NOT a ripoff of The Force.) Continue reading →

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Tagged as Balladeer's Blog, blogging, book reviews, Comic Books, glitternight.com, Killraven, Marvel Comics, post-apocalypse, superheroes, Weirdness at the End of the World

June 23, 2019 · 5:26 am

LOST FLASHMAN PAPERS

After my 9th anniversary post for Balladeer’s Blog on the 21st I got reader requests to centralize some links for the Lost Flashman Papers blog posts that I’ve done. So here we go:

Lee Horsley: If British, the perfect Flashman.

FLASHMAN DOWN UNDER – Time Period: 1850-1852. Features Harry’s adventures during the early days of the Australian Gold Rush. CLICK HERE

FLASHMAN IN THE OPIUM WAR – Time Period: 1859-1860. Covers Flashman’s escapades in China during the Second Opium War, ending just before Flashman and the Dragon would begin. CLICK HERE

FLASHMAN AND THE KINGS – Time Period: 1860-1861. Phoebe Carpenter and her husband drag Harry into the Taranaki War in New Zealand. CLICK HERE

THE BATTLE CRY OF FLASHMAN – Time Period: 1862-1863. How Flashman – for entirely selfish reasons while being blackmailed by President Abraham Lincoln and Alan Pinkerton – secretly prevented Great Britain from recognizing the Confederate States of America. CLICK HERE

FLASHMAN ON THE GOLD COAST – Time Period: 1873-1874. Chronicles Sir Harry’s exploits during the Third Ashanti War, serving under General Garnet Wolseley. CLICK HERE

FLASHMAN OF ARABIA – Time Period: 1852-1854. Harry’s exotic adventures after getting separated from Richard Burton, the famous explorer, during Burton’s covert journey to Mecca and Medina while disguised as a Muslim pilgrim. CLICK HERE

FLASHMAN’S GUIANA – Time Period: 1876-1877. Sir Harry and his wife Elspeth leave America behind them, only to get caught up in a search for gold in the region of British Guiana being fought over by Venezuela and Great Britain. CLICK HERE

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Tagged as Balladeer's Blog, blogging, book reviews, fan fiction, Flashman Papers, glitternight.com, Harry Flashman, Lost Flashman Papers, Neglected history, pulp heroes