Here’s another current events roundup from Independent Voter Site Balladeer’s Blog.
TRUMP-ENDORSED MATT VAN EPPS DEFEATS DEMOCRAT AFTYN BEHN IN SPECIAL ELECTION THAT DEMOCRATS AND THEIR MEDIA OUTLETS WERE PRETENDING WAS GOING TO GO TO THE AOC-LITE BEHN. More HERE. He didn’t beat her by as much as President Trump won the state last year (by 22%) but Republican voters have proven rightfully reluctant to show up on Election Day when Trump is not on the ballot. After all, most Congressional Republicans are clueless and outdated.
HOUSE OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE AND THE U.S. TREASURY LAUNCH INVESTIGATIONS INTO DEMOCRAT GOVERNOR TIM WALZ’S INVOLVEMENT IN THE BILLION-DOLLAR MEDICAID FRAUD SCANDAL IN MINNESOTA. More about the state employees accusing him HERE. More about the scandal HERE. And HERE. And HERE.
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION FINDS A FULL THIRD OF MINNESOTA’S ND CDLs WERE ISSUED ILLEGALLY. Walz runs a cesspool of corruption. More HERE.
THE LATEST ON THE AUTOPEN PARDONS AND EOs THAT UNKNOWN STAFF MEMBERS FORCED THROUGH IN UNFIT FIGUREHEAD JOE BIDEN’S FINAL MONTHS – PRESIDENT TRUMP NULLIFIES THEM. Definitely the needed move, but I have a feeling the legal battles over this will go on past Trump’s remaining time in office. More HERE.
WHEN DEMOCRAT MEDIA OUTLETS DUEL: THE NEW YORK TIMES CALLS OUT THE WASHINGTON POST’S LIES ABOUT HEGSETH AND THE STRIKES ON THE NARCOTICS BOATS. More HERE. And HERE. And HERE. And remember, ships that travel flying no flags are unprotected.
“READ ‘EM AND WEEP” – PRESIDENT TRUMP FOILS DEMOCRATS AGAIN BY RELEASING HIS EXCELLENT MRI RESULTS THAT HATERS WERE PRETENDING HAD BAD NEWS FOR HIM. Hilarious! Trump remains the Roadrunner and the Democrats are stuck being Wile E. Coyote. More HERE. And HERE.
KAROLINE LEAVITT SMACKS DOWN DEMOCRAT “REPORTER” (LOL) CLAIMING TRUMP IS “FATIGUED” BY QUOTING THAT SAME REPORTER’S CLAIMS THAT JOE BIDEN “IS DOING JUST FINE” WHEN HE WAS REPEATEDLY STUMBLING AND GIBBERING. More HERE.
A GREAT ITEM ADDRESSING THE DEMOCRAT MYTH THAT ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS “DO THE JOBS AMERICANS WON’T DO.” As I’ve been writing here since 2010 they do jobs that snobbish, pompous Democrats won’t do, but working-class people would love to do them. Continue reading
A CHRISTIAN CAROL (2016) – Balladeer’s Blog’s 16th Annual Christmas Carol-A-Thon continues with this look at a religious-themed variation of A Christmas Carol. Directed by Stan Severance and written by Wesley T Highlander, A Christian Carol follows in the footsteps of the 1983 production The Gospel According to Scrooge.
The HILLSDALE COLLEGE CHARGERS will play the UPPER IOWA UNIVERSITY PEACOCKS. 
The WEST TEXAS A&M BUFFALOES will play the ARKANSAS TECH WONDERBOYS. 
NERO WOLFE (1959) – This was a failed pilot for a potential series about Rex Stout’s iconic detective – the rotund, snobbish but brilliant Nero Wolfe, portrayed by Kurt Kasznar. William Shatner played Archie Goodwin, the affable leg man for his reclusive boss. 
The chemistry between Kasznar and Shatner was remarkable, and at just 26 minutes without commercials, this would have been just the right length for each episode without Wolfe’s egotism and impatience with lesser minds wearing out their welcome with viewers. 
A CHRISTMAS CAROL (2019) – Directed and co-written by Steven Salgado, this adaptation of the 1843 novel sets the story in present-day Miami. Though some may try to pigeon-hole this indy film as “a Hispanic-American Christmas Carol” that would not be quite accurate. 
ROUND TWO: GAME ONE – The BENEDICTINE COLLEGE RAVENS played host to the CAMPBELLSVILLE UNIVERSITY TIGERS. The Ravens led 7-0 in the 1st Quarter but Campbellsville U. was on top 17-7 by Halftime. From there, Benedictine College shut out the Tigers while adding a Touchdown in the 3rd and 4th Quarters each. The Ravens won 21-17.
ROUND TWO: GAME TWO – In this game the MARIAN UNIVERSITY KNIGHTS entertained the DORDT UNIVERSITY DEFENDERS. A 6-0 opening Quarter edge for the Knights became 14-0 at the Half. After the break, the Defenders outscored Marian University 18-12 but that still left them short as the Knights logged a 26-18 triumph. 
ROUND TWO: GAME THREE – The MONTANA TECH OREDIGGERS took the field against the visiting CARROLL (MT) COLLEGE FIGHTING SAINTS. The Orediggers had it all their own way at first and took a 17-0 advantage into the locker room. The Fighting Saints rallied in the 3rd Quarter, pulling to within 24-21 of Montana Tech, but the Orediggers won out 31-21 in the 4th. 
FROM NOVEMBER 9th, 2013. Republican George W. Bush and Democrat Barack Obama are the two presidents I despise the most, but nobody is surprised at what garbage Bush was. Obama loons like to ignore the criticism he received in office. Even when language like “war criminal” and “dictator’s dream” were used to describe Obama, it never approached the hysteria seen in the Trump years. 
SPIDER-WOMAN Vol 1 #17 (Aug 1979) 
Our heroine slips away from Eric to try getting back her costume without exposing her secret identity. At one point, the drunken woman dressed as Spider-Woman falls off the deck of the mountaintop disco. Jessica uses her powers to save the woman and recover her costume before the drunk knows what’s what. 
If it’s the Friday after Thanksgiving, then regular readers of Balladeer’s Blog know it’s the day when I kick off my annual Christmas Carol-A-Thon in which I review several versions of A Christmas Carol. I look at movies, television shows, radio shows and books which adapt the Dickens classic. Every year I present new reviews with a few old classics mixed in since newer readers will have missed them. 
A CHRISTMAS CAROL (2000) – Christmas Carol-A-Thon 2025 begins with a new review. This ITV production from British television which presented the Scrooge figure as a loan shark coincidentally came out the same year as the Brazilian version which featured Scrooge as a drug dealer. 
Neither one was a comedy, but this UK adaptation adds lighter moments here and there. A Christmas Carol runs just under 75 minutes and was made by a creative team that genuinely understands the Carol. You can tell not just from their insertion of some of the more obscure lines from the Dickens novel but by the way that even their necessary departures from Dickens to stay true to their loan shark gimmick still perfectly reflect the novel’s themes. 
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