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.

THE RULES OF FRONTIERADO POKER

With the Frontierado Holiday coming up on Friday the 7th, how about a reminder of the rules of Frontierado Poker? 

“You’re not goin’ nowhere, ya bottom-dealin’ Hombre,” the gambler-gunfighter exclaimed, “We’ve got us a few apparent paradoxes and their effect upon contemporary religious thought to discuss!”

Here’s a refresher on the rules for Frontierado Poker, the game that is strictly my own invention, to be played on Frontierado (the first Friday of every August).

1. Remove all face cards from the deck. The game is played with a 40-card deck.

2. Every player antes up. (I’m not advocating gambling. You can decide for yourselves what you play for.)

3. Each player is dealt 4 cards (the deal rotates like in many conventional poker games). Continue reading

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BEAR RIVER TOM: NEGLECTED GUNSLINGER

The Frontierado holiday is coming up this Friday, August 7th. As the holiday approaches and we are all making our preparations enjoy another seasonal post. 

Bear River Tom

BEAR RIVER TOM – That’s our neglected gunslinger in the photo to your left. One of the few actual gunmen to wear a fancy two-gun holster, Bear River Tom Smith’s tale begins with his birth in 1838 in New York City. He either did or did not serve in the Union Army in 1861 (accounts vary) but was definitely part of the NYC police force by 1862. By 1867 he headed west, working as a laborer laying track for the Union Pacific Railroad in Nebraska.

By 1868 the crew he was with had reached Wyoming, where the Hell On Wheels town of Bear River sprang up around their work camp. Bear River was to wild, lawless railroad towns what Dodge City, Kansas was to wild, lawless cattletowns.

Bear River Tom put his guns, fists and law enforcement experience to work protecting the town’s citizens from the drunken excesses of the railroad workers and the railroad workers from the Vigilante mobs the Bear River inhabitants had formed to curb the lawlessness.  Continue reading

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AUGUST THIRD NEWS ROUNDUP

Independent Voter Site Balladeer’s Blog kicks off the week with this current events roundup from an America where Democrats are trying to hide from the fact that Joe Biden was letting illegal immigrants flood across the southern border without any medical screening while crushing citizens during COVID aka Fauci Fever.

GEORGE SOROS AND THE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT INVASION OF SPAIN. Another Soros-connected outrage. The Camp of the Saints is still as relevant as Orwell’s 1984.

IN THE U.K. TWO THOUSAND MORE ILLEGALS ARRIVE IN FIRST TWO WEEKS UNDER P.M. BURNHAM.

LOUISIANA JOINS FLORIDA IN PURSUING ITS OWN INVESTIGATION OF ANTHONY FAUCI’S ATROCITIES

ROBERT F. KENNEDY REMINDS DEMOCRAT MEDIA OUTLET CNN THAT ANTHONY FAUCI WAS “LYING ABOUT EVERYTHING.” More HERE.

VIRGINIA’S DEMOCRAT GOVERNOR MAKES SIXTY-SIX THOUSAND FELONS ABLE TO VOTE AGAIN. Look for more Democrat governors to do this type of thing to make up for all the illegal immigrant voters they’re losing. And if this fails, they’ll resume trying to lower the voting age, I’m sure.

“AN EVIL LITTLE MAN NAMED ANTHONY FAUCI.” KEVIN DOWNEY JR. RECAPS FAUCI’S LIES AND THOSE OF HIS DEMOCRAT MEDIA ACCOMPLICES TO AT LEAST SEVEN MILLION DEATHS.

DEMOCRAT SHELDON WHITEHOUSE STILL BELONGS TO A CLUB THAT WON’T ALLOW MINORITIES TO JOIN, YET HE ACCUSES OTHERS OF “WHITE SUPREMACY.

ICE DEPORTS ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS CONVICTED OF CHILD SEX CRIMES, ARMED ASSAULT, KIDNAPPING, COCAINE SMUGGLING AND MORE. If Democrats had their way these people would still be in the U.S.  

SENATOR RICK SCOTT POINTS OUT THAT ANTHONY FAUCI KILLED WITH HIS LIES.

DISTRICT JUDGE IGNORES RECENT SUPREME COURT RULING AND NOW FACES IMPEACHMENT.

ANOTHER REMINDER ABOUT A BLATANTLY INACCURATE FAUCI REMARK ABOUT AIDS. Never forget that Fauci was mishandling public health at least as far back as his involvement in the AIDS crisis. Continue reading

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FLASHBACK: ANIMAL TORTURER ANTHONY FAUCI SATIRIZED IN PETA PORTRAIT OF HIM

FROM FEBRUARY NINETEENTH OF 2022: 

Fauci and animal torture mosaic

real anthony fauci bookWhenever I hear AIDS, I think of Anthony Fauci’s poor handling of it. When I hear Covid-19, I think of Anthony Fauci’s disastrous handling of it and his stream of contradictory statements. When I hear “lysenkoism” I think of Anthony Fauci and that clod’s bizarre attempt to equate himself with science.

When I hear “animal torture” I think of Anthony Fauci and his group’s horrifically sadistic treatment of animals like beagles and monkeys in unspeakable experiments. And when I hear “narcissism” I think of Anthony Fauci and the shrine to himself that he has in his home.

“In a Wednesday press release, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) described its recently created image as a “fitting” portrait for White House Chief Medical Advisor and NIAID Director Dr. Anthony Fauci’s “home office tribute to himself.” 

“No one likes Anthony Fauci more than Anthony Fauci,” the group stated, claiming that proof of it could be seen in a “recent peek inside the world headquarters of the Anthony Fauci Fan Club—his home office.”

rfk jr on fauciPETA was referencing footage of Fauci’s office that appeared in the Disney+ feature documentary in October, and which drew criticism recently after stills began circulating online pointing to the various items depicting Fauci himself. Personally, I find that weird and creepy.

fauci picAt any rate, PETA made an appropriate image of Fauci using multiple pics of the kind of animals tortured as mentioned above.

“If Anthony Fauci is going to surround himself with images of himself, they may as well be accurate,” said PETA Senior Vice President Kathy Guillermo. “Fauci has overseen the torment and death of countless animals in colossally ridiculous, wasteful experiments that help no one but kill animals by the score.”

“He should be reminded of that constantly,” she added. Continue reading

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FRONTIERADO’S TOP THREE FILMS

Here at Frontierado Headquarters we’re doing a mini-marathon of the holiday’s Top Three films for today. Below are my reviews of those three which are perfect for Frontierado (August 7th this year.):

NUMBER ONE

Top Frontierado Movie

Top Frontierado Movie

SILVERADO (1985) – I’ve never made any secret about how Silverado is, to me, THE official movie of the Frontierado holiday. The film has all the high spirits and family appeal of Star Wars plus the well-choreographed action scenes of Raiders of the Lost Ark. On top of that Silverado features all the  highly stylized gunplay of the best Spaghetti Westerns but NOT the mud, blood, sweat and brutality of that genre.

This movie is pure escapism and features the kind of preternaturally accurate gunslingers that I jokingly  describe as “Jedi Knights in the Olllld West”. These guys (as well as most of the villains) can literally shoot the needles off a cactus, simultaneously draw and shoot with pin-point accuracy and can just “sense” when some low-down hombre might be pulling a gun on them, even with their backs turned and from half a room away.   Continue reading

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THONGOR! WARRIOR OF LOST LEMURIA (1973-1974)

This weekend’s light-hearted, escapist superhero post from Balladeer’s Blog looks at the Marvel Comics adaptation of Lin Carter’s sword and sorcery hero Thongor.

CREATURES ON THE LOOSE Vol 1 #22 (Mar 1973)

Title: Thongor! Warrior of Lost Lemuria

Villain: The Demon of Zangabal

NOTE: Pop fiction writer Lin Carter started writing stories about his character Thongor in the 1960s. He was like a cross between two Robert E. Howard creations – Conan the Barbarian and Kull the Conqueror, whose adventures were set on the ancient continent of Atlantis before it sank beneath the waves. Thongor was a sword and sorcery barbarian of sorts whose adventurers were set on ancient Lemuria, the Pacific Ocean version of Atlantis, before it sank.   

Synopsis: Thongor (at right), as always wielding his father’s god-forged sword Sarkozan, is working as a thief in the city-state of Zangabal. During one caper Thongor comes close to being captured by the authorities but is given shelter by Kaman Thuu, a Priest of the Seven Gods of Zangabal.

Kaman Thuu is a fallen priest who wants the ancient relic called the Black Mirror of Zaffar, which is currently owned by the sorcerer Athmar Phong. Zangabal’s Thieves Guild is too frightened to steal it from Athmar Phong so Kaman Thuu hires Thongor to steal it. Continue reading

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AH TOY: A TRUE CRIME FRONTIERADO ITEM

We are just one week away from Frontierado 2026, so let me squeeze in this darker blog post well in advance.

AH TOY – This Chinese American woman rose to notoriety in the San Francisco sex trade of the 1800s. Yes, Frontierado is about the myth of the Old West, not the grinding reality but I’ve never done a blog post specifically about a Madame of the time period. It’s a fine line to walk and I want to make it clear that this item is more of a True Crime story than anything like an adventure.

Ah Toy rose from “working girl” to runner of her own sex industry franchise, often outmaneuvering white gangsters and Tong Lords alike when they tried muscling in on her operation.

In the end, it took corrupt politicians working in conjunction with organized crime to pass new legislation that stopped Ah Toy cold and also furthered injustices against Chinese Americans of the 1800s. Continue reading

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NEWS ROUNDUP: JULY THIRTY-FIRST

End the week and the month with this current events roundup from Independent Voter Site Balladeer’s Blog.

People amazed that “medical monster” Anthony Fauci didn’t get rid of his incriminating diaries are the 2026 version of people being amazed that Richard Nixon didn’t get rid of his incriminating tapes. 

SENATOR MORENO CALLS MENACE ANTHONY FAUCI A “VERY, VERY SICK MAN” WHO TREATED AMERICANS LIKE “LAB RATS.” Related HERE. And HERE.

FLORIDA LAUNCHING THEIR OWN FAUCI INVESTIGATION – AND REMEMBER, THE QUESTIONABLE “PARDON” THAT FAUCI GOT (SUPPOSEDLY FROM BIDEN) DOES NOT PROTECT HIM AGAINST STATE CHARGES. A chance to have this Lysenkoist face consequences. Related HERE.

A REMINDER THAT FAUCI IS OPEN TO CONTEMPT CHARGES FOR “TAKING THE FIFTH” BECAUSE THE FIFTH AMENDMENT DOESN’T APPLY TO A PERSON WHO WAS PARDONED, LIKE FAUCI ALLEGEDLY WAS BY BIDEN. More HERE.

FAUCI’S PANICKED AND HYSTERICAL CLOSING OF SCHOOLS SCARRED A GENERATION OF CHILDREN.

SENATOR COTTON REMINDS PUBLIC HOW “LYING DISGRACE” FAUCI WORKED WITH CORPORATE MEDIA TO SMEAR EXPERTS WHO POINTED TO COVID’S LAB LEAK ORIGINS.

COVID WHISTLE-BLOWER CALLS OUT THE MEDIA’S FAILURE TO PROPERLY REPORT ON FAUCI.

SENATOR FETTERMAN COURAGEOUSLY ADMITS HE REGRETS GOING ALONG WITH THE ABSURD LABELING OF THE LAB LEAK REVELATIONS AS A CONSPIRACY THEORY.

*** HAT-TIP TO THE VENERABLE ALVAREZ GALLOSO – EX-CBS JOURNALIST REVEALS SHE WAS TOLD NOT TO QUESTION FAUCI’S AGENDA.   ALSO, HIS INTERVIEW WITH CASSIA DAWN.   AND WITH ABBY LONDON.

“MY GOD, READ THE REPLIES” ITEM ABOUT FAILED FAUCI.

MCDANIEL MANOR LAYS IT ALL OUT ABOUT ANTHONY FAUCI. “Worse than we imagined”. Related HERE.

PDF OF “FILTHY FAUCI’S” DIARY. Appalling crimes against humanity. Continue reading

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ANCIENT SCIENCE FICTION: INSOMNIUM PHILOSOPHICUM (1647)

Henry MoreHenry More was a Platonist philosopher at Cambridge. Inspired by Keplers’ work of “ancient science fiction” titled Somnium More wrote a poem titled Insomnium Philosophicum which was published in 1647.

In this work More depicted his astral body departing his physical form to fly into space, rowing “with mine own arms in liquid sky” for fans of the cult movie of that name. Continue reading

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B-MOVIE HOST: THE BEARD (1963-1965)

THE BEARD aka THE WEIRD BEARD – This veteran of television and radio – real name Bob Lowrie – first gained the nickname “the Beard” from his time as a rock ‘n’ roll DJ. It is not known if the “Weird Beard” variant nickname started during his radio career or if it was coined to distinguish his Movie Host character from his DJ persona.

The Beard’s Weird Movie aired on Hawaii’s KONA-TV on Friday nights at 10:00 from May 10th, 1963 to September 18th, 1965, with a change to Saturday nights at 10 on April 25th, 1964. The Beard/ Weird Beard presented the kind of So Bad They’re Good flicks that we all love about Movie Host shows to this day.

Assisting the droll host was the beautiful Sugar, played by Letitia McKee, a former Miss Teen Hawaii and Miss Bikini. (She’s shoveling Hawaii’s famed sugar at right.) The program produced 126 episodes.   

Sadly, no footage of The Beard’s Weird Movie has survived, just print advertisements and some promotional pieces. The Beard/ Weird Beard sometimes wore different hats or opened his eyes wide into a creepy stare to play into the horror angle of many of the movies he hosted. Continue reading

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