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.

WHITE PRIVILEGE, LIBERALS AND CONSERVATIVES

MASCOT SABRE POSE 2

Dystopia? You’re living in it!

All around the Western World and for decades now, bloated rich pigs and their bought & paid for flunkies in the political class have been using the rest of us as whipping boys for THEIR failed policies. They and theirs continue to screw up the world and screw the people of the world and every election cycle they preach to us more loudly about how it’s OUR fault, not theirs.

The ultimate irony is that it was the political left that gave the blueprint for modern oppression to the wealthy elites they used to oppose. The ridiculous notion of the Collective Guilt of the Western World was the best thing that ever happened to the rich and the powerful. I’ll buy that the bloated rich pigs and the political class should have borne the guilt and shouldered the blame, but regular citizens?

Uh, yeah, like it’s the Archie Bunkers who ruled the world of the past, not the George Soroses and the Koch Brothers. Wealthy and/or blue-blooded familes like the Bushes and the Pelosis have gotten a pass, sort of like Death Camp administrators who escaped and lived large in South America while German citizens absorbed the anger of the world. (Remember, Godwin’s Law pussies don’t impress me so don’t bother citing it.)

Mascot with demo and repub heads

The symbol of the nonexistent Balladeer Political Party

The Working Class – yes even the white ones, you “White Privilege” fanatics – never had the money or the power to “oppress” anyone. But the Working Class, who suffered under the yoke of bloated rich pigs and politicians EVEN DURING THE TIME PERIOD WHEN WE’RE TOLD WHITE PEOPLE RULED THE WORLD – now CONTINUE to suffer under the yoke of the rich and powerful but also get lectured and talked down to as if they are to blame for the abuses that those elites inflicted on the world in the past and present.

For Working Class white people and Working Class black people to engage in hostility toward each other is a monumental waste of time that will do NOTHING to improve the lot of either of them. How ironic that the wealthy ultimately co-opted Marxism and used it as the latest lash to whip their victims and all it took was the irrational concept that ALL people of the Western World bore collective guilt for colonialism, war, racism and economic inequality. Continue reading

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Filed under Education or Indoctrination, LIBERALS AND CONSERVATIVES, opinion

THE WISEST SONG OF ALL TIME

Whenever I feel a little down or find myself contemplating the myriad contradictory truths of existence I find contentment in one particular song. I think we can all relate to the larger message behind the lyrics.

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MANTIS 26: KANG WAR TWO

FOR PART 1 OF BALLADEER’S BLOG’S EXAMINATION OF MARVEL’S SUPERHEROINE MANTIS CLICK HERE  

Avengers 132 Kang War IIAVENGERS Volume 1, Number 132 (February 1975)  Kang War Two

AVENGERS ROSTER: Thor, Iron Man, The Scarlet Witch, Hawkeye, The Vision and MANTIS

We rejoin our heroes right where we left off last time around. Kang the Conqueror launched his second attempt to take the Celestial Madonna – Mantis – so that their offspring can provide him with control over all time and space.

Kang double-crossed his newfound ally Immortus, another old foe of the Avengers from years earlier. Using Immortus’ technology Kang then plucked six supervillains out of the time-stream just a nano-second before their violent deaths. He brought them to Immortus’ realm of Limbo, which exists outside of the time-stream.

Those six villains formed Kang’s Legion of the Unliving. Their motive for serving him: if they don’t help him kill the Avengers then Kang will simply transport them back to the moment he plucked them from and they’ll die.

Do what he commands and he’ll let them live, with no repercussions to the time-stream because of the control of time and space that Kang will have thanks to his and Mantis’ offspring.

Mantis story holcaustKang imprisoned Immortus next to his future self Rama Tut II, then hit the Avengers with one of Immortus’ teleportation rays. That ray abducted our heroes and deposited them in scattered, random locations in the endless catacombs and tunnels beneath Immortus’ castle.

Kang announced himself to the Avengers over the broadcast system in typically melodramatic and operatic fashion:  

KANG: Hear me, Avengers! You have defied my will for the final time! Here, lost and alone in the Labyrinth of Limbo, you will die at my direction and at the hands of the most relentless terrors you have ever faced!

So saying, Kang led his Legion of the Unliving into the catacombs to find Mantis and kill the other Avengers.

Kang War IIKANG WAR TWO

Synopsis: Kang, Baron Zemo, the Ghost (should be the Ghost Mariner), Midnight, the Original Android Version of the Human Torch and Wonder Man march swiftly through the dark maze of stone tunnels and corridors. 

In the rear, the final member of the Legion of the Unliving moves more sluggishly and falls behind. Continue reading

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SOCIAL JUSTICE: WEST VIRGINIA GOVERNOR LEAVES DEMOCRAT PARTY TO JOIN TRUMP

donald-trump-and-flagThe Democrats continue their descent into sheer madness over the fact that President Trump is helping the poor and the working class. They seem willing to start another Civil War like they did when they wanted to keep their slaves.

The sheer insanity of their daily attacks on Trump over imaginary Russian conspiracies and their ever-more apparent hatred of the voters defies belief at this point. West Virginia Governor Jim Justice announced his departure from the Democrats over their war on the working class. AND DID IT AT A TRUMP RALLY!

Mascot with demo and repub headsThe only down side is that Jim “Social” Justice felt the need to join the Republicans. He seems more like a Re-TRUMP-lican, just like there are Trump-o-crats instead of Democrats now.

Anyway, Justice made special mention of how the Democrat Party that he left despises the working class and the poor and cares nothing about accomplishing anything positive.

YES, DEMOCRATS HAVE NOW MASTERED THE ART OF LOSING GOVERNORSHIPS EVEN WHEN NO ELECTION IS HELD!

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Filed under LIBERALS AND CONSERVATIVES, Neglected History, opinion

BOOT HILL: A MINOR VALHALLA

JUST SIXTEEN DAYS UNTIL FRONTIERADO! THE FIRST FRIDAY OF AUGUST HAS ARRIVED, MEANING IT’S FRONTIERADO! NOW CELEBRATED ON SIX CONTINENTS!

The joyous day is here at last so let’s enjoy our meals of buffalo meat, Tumbleweed Pizzas, Southwest Fried Rice, corn on the cob, Cactus Salad, mashed potatoes and Western Spaghetti ! Later we can wash down some Deuces Wilds (Red or Black) and Cactus Jacks while playing Frontierado Poker or watching Silverado.

Boot HillBOOT HILL: The name has survived in much western lore as THE name for graveyards filled with gunslingers, outlaws and other stock figures of the Wild West. Today it serves as a blog post in which I focus on the causes of death for many of the men and women who have shown up in my Frontierado items over the years.

Jack Harris Vaudeville TheatreTEXAS BEN THOMPSON – Shot to death by multiple gunmen at Jack Harris’ Vaudeville Theater in San Antonio, TX on March 11th, 1884. It was a revenge killing that also claimed Thompson’s friend and fellow gunslinger John “King” Fisher.

DOC HOLLIDAY – Died of natural causes on November 8th, 1887 in Glenwood Springs, CO.

SAM SIXKILLER – Shot to death while unarmed on Christmas Eve of 1886 in Muskogee, OK (still called Indian Territory at the time).

“QUEEN” KITTY LEROY – Shot to death by her own husband in Deadwood, SD’s Lone Star Saloon on December 6th, 1877. Her husband then took his own life.

KID CURRY – Either took his own life or was killed by lawmen on June 17th, 1904, at Parachute, CO, supposedly after robbing a train. 

LONG-HAIRED JIM COURTRIGHT – Shot to death in a rare Legend on Legend gunfight with Luke Short in Fort Worth, TX on February 8th, 1887.   Continue reading

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THE RIGHT SIDE OF HISTORY?

Mascot FOUR original pics

Balladeer’s Blog

I’m an atheist but I love exploring the mythology behind the world’s various belief systems.

American Liberalism has regressed into a faith-based belief system that’s every bit as irrational as any other religion, but since American Liberals – or “Liberal Fundamentalists” – are such pompous, hypocritical and close-minded fools it’s A LOT of fun to describe their myths as sarcastically as possible.

THE RIGHT SIDE OF HISTORY – The American Liberal version of an afterlife. American Liberals strive to live their lives in such a way that people every bit as pretentious and snobbish as they are will sit around in the future sipping wine and pompously expressing approval of the worldview and political opinions that today’s Liberal Fundamentalists held while alive.

This notion of an afterlife is every bit as flawed and fantastic as any other religion’s tales about what happens after human beings die. No one alive today knows how the people of the future will feel about any of us or about our worldview.

SnobIf anything history has shown that people – ESPECIALLY the self-congratulatory asses called Liberals – take great delight in loudly and repeatedly condemning people of the past for (GASP) having opinions that differ from their own. It takes no courage and little effort to put on an air of moral superiority toward long-dead human beings.

That being said it’s more likely that American Liberals of the future will look down on even the most self-consciously “progressive” Puritans of today as hopelessly misguided or simply ignorant.

Those future Liberal Fundamentalists very well may just sit around sipping wine and reassuring each other that they are morally superior to every Liberal of this era for not having THE EXACT SAME opinions as they do regarding race, gender, etc . Exactly like pompous Liberal Fundamentalists of today do with people of the past. 

The obsessive conformity, status-anxiety and insecurities of American Liberals prevent them from questioning their faith and thereby realizing that their own condemnation of figures from long ago is every bit as much of a shallow, meaningless pose as the attitude that may be shown by Liberal Fundamentalists of the future.

FOR MY LOOK AT THE DEITIES OF AMERICAN LIBERAL MYTHOLOGY CLICK HERE   

OR IF YOU PREFER: Continue reading

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Filed under LIBERALS AND CONSERVATIVES, opinion

NAME THE SITE BEING PARODIED AND WIN A PRIZE

Christopher Nolan: The Most Over-Contemplated Director in History

Christopher Nolan: The Most Over-Contemplated Director in History

The first person to email me the name of the site being parodied in this post wins a special prize!

* TWELVE THINGS THAT TEN-YEAR-OLD CHILDREN DON’T KNOW ABOUT CLASSIC MOVIES *

* THE FOUR MOST EXCITING CRICKET PLAYERS IN HISTORY AND WHY THEY’RE REALLY THE FOUR MOST BORING CRICKET PLAYERS IN HISTORY *

* TEN REASONS WHY WE Continue reading

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LINCOLN COUNTY WAR: THE GANGS

New Mexico map

Frontierado is Friday, August 4th!

The various range wars of the Old West were not truly “wars,” of course but were more like modern-day gangster conflicts with very rare examples of outright good guys or outright bad guys. Frontierado is about the myth of the American West, not the reality, though, so think in terms of Renaissance Festivals. 

THE LINCOLN COUNTY WAR – Billy the Kid’s involvement in this range war has made this the most internationally famous of them all, so I chose it for this premier look at gangs fighting on both sides of the conflict. For fans of the original Young Guns movie I’ll lead off with the Regulators.   

THE REGULATORS

Side: Tunstall-McSween Faction 

Billy the Kid

Billy the Kid

Comment: Like many of the units fighting in the Lincoln County War the Regulators were “deputized” by law enforcement personnel in the pocket of their faction’s leaders. This provided an arguable veneer of legality to the group’s actions. Dick Brewer led the Regulators until he was killed by Buckshot Roberts, then Frank McNabb led them and, after his death Josiah Scurlock took over.   

Prominent Members: Billy the Kid, Tommy O’Folliard, Charlie Bowdre, Jim “Frenchy” French, Dirty Steve Stephens, Tiger Sam Smith and the Coe Brothers. 

SEVEN RIVERS WARRIORS

Side: Dolan-Murphy Faction Continue reading

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MANTIS 25: KANG ASSEMBLES A LEGION

FOR PART 1 OF BALLADEER’S BLOG’S EXAMINATION OF MARVEL’S SUPERHEROINE MANTIS CLICK HERE  

Avengers 131 quiet half-hourAVENGERS Volume 1, Number 131 (January 1975)  A Quiet Half-Hour in Saigon 

It’s back to Vietnam as we continue examining The Celestial Madonna Saga.

A QUIET HALF-HOUR IN SAIGON

Synopsis: We rejoin our heroes the day after their battle with the Titanic Three (plus Slasher) in the capital city of Vietnam where they were investigating Mantis’ past. Thor, Iron Man, Hawkeye, the Vision and Mantis still do not understand her coming role as the Celestial Madonna.

Nor do they understand exactly WHAT this Celestial Madonna will do, let alone who her mate will be or why their offspring will somehow control all time and space. The Scarlet Witch, meanwhile, is still back in New York at Avengers Mansion, being tutored by the sorceress Agatha Harkness.  

There has been no response yet to the repeating radio summons to the Kree superhero Captain Marvel, who Iron Man hopes will be able to shed light on Mantis’ ties to the ancient sect of the Priests of Pama.

Mantis torsoNo one still alive in the criminal empire of Mantis’ late uncle has been able to provide useful information, either. The Madonna Star continues to shine above Avengers Mansion, drawing throngs from around the world and inspiring rumors that the star presages the end of the world.

Presently, as another night approaches Mantis gets to work off some frustration by thwarting an attempted mugging.

Even with all that going on, Hawkeye, who often wallows in even more self-pity than Peter Parker does, ponders his insecurities. He feels in a rut compared to all the mad action and changes swirling around most of his teammates.  

CUT TO: The time-stream itself, where Kang the Conqueror remains locked in battle with his future self, Rama Tut II. Through time-travel technology that is superior even to Kang’s own the pair are plucked from Kang’s drifting time-sphere in which they were fighting.  Continue reading

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THE IMRAN AWAN SCANDAL DEEPENS

Imran and schultz and hillaryHere at Balladeer’s Blog I am still relishing the way that the bought and paid for Democrats and Republicans continue trying to act like everything is fine as the fundamentally corrupt nature of our government’s “Swamp” is laid bare.

Even people who hate our de facto Third Party President Donald Trump can get into the dark comedy being played out now that an outsider is in the White House. No matter how much Anti-Trump passion you feel, you can still comment on the current craziness like so:

POSE ONE: “I cannot abide that uncouth lout Trump but the actions of his enemies in both parties has laid bare what a cesspool of corruption the Democrats and Republicans have created.”

POSE TWO: “As much as I can’t stand Donald Trump he’s looking almost honest compared to the Democrats and Republicans in Congress.”

POSE THREE (Recommended for Europeans in particular): “The Americans should be embarrassed that Donald Trump of all people is emerging as the most honest figure in their make-believe representative democracy.”

There you go! All the snarkiness you love but without the embarrassment of siding with the career criminals called Democrats and Republicans!

In any event, here is a terrific list of questions now needing answered about the whole Imran Awan/ Democratic National Committee/ Debbie Wasserman Schultz affair: (link below)

1. Who coordinated the hiring of the Awan brothers by dozens of Democratic Congressman?

2. Why were they so grossly overcompensated (millions of dollars) for no work?
3. Were they kicking back money to the Democrats, doing “dirty” work for them, or blackmailing them?
4. Why did Wasserman-Schultz keep the Capitol Police from searching her laptop they had confiscated from Imran Awan?
5. Why did Wasserman-Schultz keep him on her payroll after the Capitol Police further barred him and his brothers from accessing Congressional computers?
6. Why did the Iraqi fugitive and Hizb’allah supporter Dr. Ali-al Attar “lend” them $100,000?
7. Who is paying Chris Gowan, a Clinton insider, to represent Imran Awan?
8. Why did the Awan brothers continue to have security clearances when they had declared several bankruptcies and were engaged in financial misdealing?
9. Why were the Awans broke when they were making so much money and living so modestly?
10. Why did eight members of the House Permanent Select committee on Intelligence issue a letter demanding the Awans be granted access to Top Secret information?
11.Were the Awans working for Pakistani intelligence and the Moslem Brotherhood?
12. To whom were the Awans sending data to on an offsite server?

Continue reading

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Filed under LIBERALS AND CONSERVATIVES, Neglected History, opinion