Give Them A Shoutout Before They’re Dead strikes again here at Balladeer’s Blog! In this case the shoutout goes to the Red Elvises and their song Boogie on the Beach. The video was released promotionally for the excellent but underappreciated film Six-String Samurai, which featured music by the Red Elvises and Brian Tyler back before Brian Tyler was synonymous with movie soundtracks.
AND FOR MY REVIEW OF SIX-STRING SAMURAI CLICK HERE
Filed under opinion, Samurai Films
Regular readers of Balladeer’s Blog are very familiar with my high regard for Patrick McGoohan’s 1967 science-fiction/ existential drama The Prisoner. Over the many times I’ve referred to this 17-episode program I’ve heard back from a few readers here and there saying they have heard of the show but never saw any episodes and don’t understand its appeal.
I’ve decided to do an in-depth look at The Prisoner, episode by episode, for the benefit of readers who’ve never seen the show and in the hope of reigniting interest among Prisoner fans who mistakenly feel the program’s relevance ended with the Cold War. Actually, The Prisoner is more relevant than ever, in my view, what with its brilliant blend of Orwell and Kafka plus its foreshadowing of shows like Twin Peaks and Lost.
The premise of The Prisoner reflects Patrick McGoohan’s disillusionment and disgust with the way pop fiction romanticized Intelligence Agents, who are actually just government thugs, not heroes. From interviews McGoohan did over the years he seemed to feel a certain sense of personal guilt over his own contribution to that romanticized image, especially from his successful run as Intelligence Operative John Drake on Danger Man and Secret Agent. (His acclaim from those programs was such that Patrick was supposedly approached to play James Bond in Dr No. He declined.)
LET’S GET THIS OUT OF THE WAY: Many Prisoner fans still engage in a fairly pointless argument over whether or not Patrick McGoohan’s never-named character on The Prisoner is supposed to be John Drake from his earlier series. IT. DOES. NOT. MATTER. (And in one oft-cited episode another character rather clearly says “break” not “Drake,” but there’s no convincing the pro-Drake crowd.)
Either way, John Drake or not John Drake, the point is that McGoohan portrays a Secret Agent who resigns from the Intelligence Services in disgust. Soon after, he is gassed into unconsciousness and abducted.
He comes to in an isolated, high-tech but dystopian community known only as The Village (or “The Island” if you’re a fan of The Simpsons episode that parodied The Prisoner.) Continue reading
Filed under Forgotten Television, Prisoner (tv series)
Balladeer’s Blog continues its coverage of the world’s OLDEST team sport. FOR MY PRIMER ON POLO CLICK HERE The 115th U.S. Open rolled along with its Semifinal clashes now in the books.
FIRST SEMIFINAL – DAILY RACING FORM VERSUS THE U.S. POLO ASSOCIATION: “Complacency” was the byword of one of the oddest Semifinal matches in U.S. Open history. First up Daily Racing Form – Official Balladeer’s Blog Nickname: The Stat-Hounds – faced the United States Polo Association – Official Balladeer’s Blog Nickname: The Association (Thank you to Jim Rome).
The Stat-Hounds’ biggest problem through Chukkers One and Two was staying awake. They confounded and kicked around the hapless, outclassed Association so thoroughly that the two opening Chukkers ended with Daily Racing Form on top 3-0 and 6-0 respectively.
In Chukker Number Three USPA showed signs of emerging from their collective coma by actually swatting in a Goal for themselves. Going into Halftime the Stat-Hounds led the Match by a count of EIGHT Goals to ONE!
Chukker Number Four saw the Association trying to capitalize on a seemingly complacent DRF team. USPA put 3 Goals between the Uprights compared to just 1 from the Stat-Hounds, whose lead had now been cut to 9-4. Continue reading
Filed under Polo
Balladeer’s Blog’s look at the gods and myths of Bellona and Rennell Islands has proven very popular. (CLICK HERE ) The figure Takitaki is not a deity but he is often considered the Bel-Ren equivalent of the mortal hero Odysseus from Greek myths.
TAKITAKI – This hero of Bel-Ren myths was a very clever thief whose nautical adventures took him all around the Solomon Islands. Sometimes Takitaki traveled in a canoe small enough for one person but other stories feature him commanding an entire crew on much larger vessels. Here is one of the best-known exploits of this member of the Togo Clan:
Arriving at one of the other Solomon Islands after a long voyage from Bellona and Rennell, Takitaki surreptitiously made his way inland until he came across a populated village. The famished hero began stealing taro from one of the gardens.
At length Takitaki was caught in the act by the owner of the garden. A general alarm was sounded and our protagonist ran, stuffing his mouth as he fled. He took shelter in an abandoned home but soon found himself surrounded and besieged by the villagers.
Takitaki wielded his spear so expertly that he finished off the first few villagers who tried coming in after him. The others contented themselves to settle in for a siege, knowing the intruder would have to emerge sooner or later. Takitaki nearly despaired when those surrounding him announced themselves as cannibals who would use him as a meat dish to complement their servings of taro. Continue reading
Filed under Mythology
In the past Balladeer’s Blog has dealt with the way the increasingly deranged Democrats do their best to lie about and whitewash Islam’s violent and intolerant past. I’m an atheist and I’ll point out again that Islam started out on the Arabian Pensinsula and then, through blood and violence like any other religion, spread throughout much of Europe, much of Africa (Muslims ran the brutal African Slave Trade long before Europeans got involved) and then spread Eastward all the way to the Philippines.
Along the way genocidal violence was often unleashed upon non-Muslims. The left is trying to rewrite history to omit all of Islam’s abuses while playing up the abuses committed in the name of other religions. Some especially irrational American “teachers” (LMAO) are even pushing the notion that Muhammad was “a proto-feminist.” Uh. Yeah. That’s like saying “Saint” Paul was, too.
Below is a link to Mr Ibrahim’s latest article on the topic. First some excerpts: Continue reading
Filed under LIBERALS AND CONSERVATIVES, Neglected History, opinion
Once again it’s Give Them A Shoutout Before They’re Dead, except in this case the figure is already dead because they were the inspiration for the recurring segment. It’s Prince with Erotic City: Continue reading
NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) 1. GEORGIA GWINNETT COLLEGE GRIZZLIES ### 2. FAULKNER UNIVERSITY EAGLES (Should be the Furies) ### 3. SOUTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY FIRE ### 4. OKLAHOMA CITY UNIVERSITY STARS ### 5. SAINT THOMAS UNIVERSITY (FL) BOBCATS ###
6. UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND ARTS OF OKLAHOMA DROVERS ### 7. LEWIS-CLARK STATE WARRIORS ### 8. LYON COLLEGE SCOTS ### 9. UNIVERSITY OF THE CUMBERLANDS PATRIOTS ### 10. UNIVERSITY OF MOBILE RAMS (Should be the Iron Rams) ### Continue reading
Filed under College Baseball
Street Artist Sabo has earned genuine folk hero status with his guerilla art projects that he sets up in public, often under the cover of darkness, in various cities. Daylight unveils his masterpieces of dissent. Sabo takes on the subjects that too many faux iconoclasts are afraid to handle, most recently the corporate fascist Mark “Skippy” Zuckerberg.
The guerilla artist simultaneously broached the way that Zuckerberg’s ties to just one political party are a clear conflict of interest (Chuck Schumer’s daughter works there as just one example of dozens) and should call for regulation of Facebook as a public utility. The baby-faced Techno-Tyrant Zuck has a well-deserved name for politically motivated, one-way enforcement of Facebook/ Fakebook’s supposed “Community Standards.”
Since ANY Facebook user can block anybody or anything they want, such heavy-handed interference with the free exchange of ideas is as unnecessary as it is ugly. (Personally I left Facebook years ago since it’s like being trapped in the suburban barbecue from hell.)
Scandals about Facebook’s violation of users’ privacy have provided even more reason to be suspicious of the organization. Go to Gab.ai or Steemit.com or any of the other sites out there. They aren’t yet the obnoxious corporate cesspool that Facebook has long been. Continue reading
Filed under LIBERALS AND CONSERVATIVES, Neglected History, opinion
Balladeer’s Blog continues its coverage of the world’s OLDEST team sport. FOR MY PRIMER ON POLO CLICK HERE The 115th U.S. Open rolled along with the final two teams for the Semifinals being determined.
GAME ONE: FLEXJET VERSUS AUDI – Two Ganzis, one of the First Families of Polo, were in action in this opening Match while a third played in the second one. Melissa Ganzi led the quartet from Flexjet – Official Balladeer’s Blog Nickname: The Aviators – against Marc Ganzi and his foursome from Audi – Official Balladeer’s Blog Nickname: The Bavarians.
FIRST CHUKKER – Things got off to a slow start on the offensive side. Both teams’ defenses were on top of their game and limited their opponents to just 1 Goal. The First Chukker ended in a 1-1 tie.
SECOND CHUKKER – The Bavarians managed to outdo the Aviators this time around. Audi swatted in 3 Goals compared to the 2 scored by Flexjet. The score now stood at 4-3 with the Bavarians on top.
THIRD CHUKKER – Audi dominated this Chukker on both sides of the ball, shutting out the Aviators while thwacking 2 more Goals between the Uprights. Going into Halftime the Bavarians led Flexjet by a tally of 6-3.
FOURTH CHUKKER – To start the 2nd Half the Aviators acted like they had just been playing possum the first three Chukkers. Flexjet notched FIVE Goals while limiting Audi to just 1! The Aviators had gone on top 8-7. Continue reading
Filed under Polo
THE SLEUTH: Ellis Parker, Chief of Detectives in Burlington County, NJ. Parker’s professional reputation was such that detectives from other jurisdictions often sought help from him.
TAGLINE: “The county detective with an international reputation.”
THE CRIME: On October 5th of 1920 bank employee David Paul, known to his friends and loved ones as a quiet, prim and devoted family man, disappeared with a courier pouch containing more than $70,000 in cash and $30,000 in negotiable securities. Eleven days later Mr Paul’s corpse was found in a shallow grave.
THE SCENE: David Paul’s clothing was soaking wet but his grave and the surrounding soil were bone dry. Authorities determined that Paul had only been dead for about 2-3 days despite the 11 day absence. The cause of death was a bullet through the head.
SOLVING THE CRIME: Ellis Parker learned that the seemingly quiet David Paul was known for participating in wild orgies at a cottage far outside of town. None of the other participants in the cottage’s wild sex parties admitted to seeing David during the days after the theft but before his dead body was found. Continue reading
Filed under Neglected History
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