SIR GRAPEFELLOW AND BARON VON REDBERRY

Time for another look back at a clash of cereal mascots. Previously, Balladeer’s Blog covered the Monster Cereals like Count Chocula, Frankenberry, Boo-Berry, Fruit Brute and Yummy Mummy as well as the rivalry between Quisp and Quake.

General Mills tried replicating their Monster Cereal success with a pair of cartoon World War One flying aces as mascots for two new cereals. Sir Grapefellow was a stiff upper lip British fighter pilot whose cereal featured oats and grape-flavored marshmallows called Starbits. Baron Von Redberry, clearly based on Germany’s Red Baron, represented a cereal with oats and berry-flavored marshmallows/ Starbits.

The rivalry between the two flying aces and their cereals began in 1972, a year after General Mills had kicked off their Monster Cereal line with Count Chocula and Frankenberry as the dueling mascots. (If you’re wondering, Quisp and Quake were Quaker Oats products.) Continue reading

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FLASHBACK: PERPETUAL DEMOCRAT DISHONESTY ON ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT ISSUES

DEMOCRAT PARTY

The past several days have served as another reminder that Democrats NEVER argue in good faith and that their blatant encouragement of violence is responsible for every killing involving ICE. Rabid animals wouldn’t be trying to kill ICE agents with their vehicles if not for the never-ending lies about enforcement of immigration laws. Which people VOTED FOR in the 2024 election.   

FROM MARCH 29th, 2016 came this item in which I looked at the latest cheap Democrat (I mistakenly called them Liberals back then) exploitation and propaganda regarding illegal immigration. 

Recently the perpetual children who call themselves Liberals tried to make cheap political capital out of a (possibly faked) note that the child of an illegal immigrant addressed to their parents. The child was supposedly sad about the possibility of immigration authorities catching the family and sending them home. Being Liberals the repulsive fools acted like this letter was proof of how supposedly “evil” it is for countries to have immigration laws. 

“To counter that here’s a letter written to Heaven by the child of a law enforcement officer killed by an illegal immigrant. It’s just as sad, Democrats. Do you immature drama queens STILL think that heart-breaking letters written by children should form the basis of a country’s immigration policy?

“Oh, I know, Democrats. Only touching letters that further your political goals count. If the letter below helped push your politics the letter and the little girl who wrote it would be world-famous.

“I’m REALLY sick of the way American Liberals exploit emotion to try to make every one of their political opinions carry the force of law. Below is the letter written by the little girl whose father will never be coming home because of an illegal immigrant. Continue reading

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BALLADEER’S BLOG’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL RESULTS: JAN 10th

The USCAA no longer has football, so I had no coverage of them from Aug-Dec.

USCAA (United States Collegiate Athletic Association) DIVISION ONE

CLOSE CALL FOR NUMBER ONE – The nation’s number one team – the NORTH AMERICAN UNIVERSITY STALLIONS – clashed with the visiting TEXAS A&M AT TEXARKANA EAGLES (should be Texarks). The 1st Half ended with the Stallions on top 37-29 but Texarkana was ready for a comeback. Their rally fell short as NAU held on to win 74-71. Jayden Jackson led the Stallions with 23 points, while teammate Joseph Cormier got a Double Double of 11 points and 12 rebounds.

CENTURY CLUB – Teams scoring 100 or more points in Regulation: The (6) NEWPORT NEWS APPRENTICE SCHOOL BUILDERS (Shipbuilders) obliterated the CENTRAL INTERNATIONAL COLLEGE CARDINALS 121-65   ###   The BLOOMFIELD COLLEGE BEARS won 110-108 at the BRYANT & STRATTON COLLEGE (Albany) BOBCATS   ###   And the (10) PAUL QUINN COLLEGE TIGERS mauled the WILEY UNIVERSITY WILDCATS 107-53. Continue reading

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MARVEL ISSUES: JULY 1967

This weekend’s escapist, light-hearted superhero post from Balladeer’s Blog takes a look at Marvel’s publications from July 1967.

SPIDER-MAN Vol 1 #50 (Jul 1967)

Title: Spider-Man No More

Villain: Kingpin (FIRST APPEARANCE)

Synopsis: Spider-Man stops the robbery of an armored car and bystanders’ wary reaction to him makes him angry about how thoroughly J. Jonah Jameson’s media lies about him have tainted his image in some people’s minds.

That, combined with Aunt May’s latest turn for the worse health-wise (yawn), makes Peter Parker feel even worse, especially since he hasn’t spent as much time checking on his aunt ever since he moved into Harry Osborn’s plush apartment with him.

The next day at Empire State University Peter fails a biochemistry test, prompting Professor Miles Warren (yes) to express disappointment since Peter is such a brilliant student. Privately, Peter blames every bad thing in his life on being Spider-Man and he decides to never again don the costume.

Over the next few weeks, the crime rate in New York City skyrockets with no Spider-Man getting in the way of villainy and only Daredevil fighting street-level wrongdoing. Our hero’s absence is noted in criminal circles, inspiring the Kingpin to at last operate openly.

He clashes with Spider-Man’s old foe the Big Man in a war over control of New York’s rackets. This makes Peter Parker realize that it’s more important to be doing the right thing even if the media attacks you for it, so he swings back into the fray as Spider-Man. Continue reading

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NEWS ROUNDUP FOR JANUARY NINTH

Here’s an end of the week current events roundup from Independent Voter Site Balladeer’s Blog. The Democrats have elevated their war on the rest of us. Every killing involving ICE has been provoked by Democrats and their media outlets lying and encouraging violence. Especially when Democrats need a distraction from the fraud and other scandals engulfing them.

Democrats have made it very clear that not only will they side with the killers of our loved ones if the killers are illegal immigrants, but they will call for violence against those people enforcing immigration laws. Democrats own all of this violence. 

AND REMEMBER – DEMOCRATS NEVER PROTEST LIKE THIS FOLLOWING ANY OF THE MANY CITIZEN DEATHS CAUSED BY ILLEGALS. NOT ONE TIME.

ACCUSED MINNEAPOLIS DOMESTIC TERRORIST SHOT BY ICE. Excerpts – “Good’s death is a tragedy of the left’s making. Their anti-ICE rhetoric convinced people like her that interfering with law enforcement was righteous. It wasn’t.” and “The Democrats own this mess. They’ve spent years demonizing ICE agents as fascists. Governor Tim Walz called ICE “Trump’s modern-day Gestapo” last year.” 

NBC’S VIDEO ANALYSIS SUPPORTS ICE AGENT’S READING OF EVENTS.   Plus – LIFE PARTNER OF THE LATE MN WOMAN BLAMES HERSELF: “IT’S MY FAULT.” 

ITEM: DEMOCRATS GOT MORE BLOOD. IT WILL NEVER BE ENOUGH FOR THEM.

DEMOCRATS WALZ AND FREY CHOOSE MORE VIOLENCE.     “GOVERNOR WALZ DECLARED “WE ARE AT WAR WITH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.”  MAYOR JACOB FREY: DIRTY HANDS?.

COURAGEOUS JOURNALIST NICK SHIRLEY – UNLIKE THE ONE PERCENTER POSEURS OF THE CORPORATE MEDIA – EXPOSES EVEN MORE FRAUD VIA SHELL COMPANIES. I will point out again that “reporters” at the major media outlets of both political parties make so much money that they are part of the corruption and are basically paid spokespeople for the political forces harming the country.

BLACKFACE PERFORMER AND DEMOCRAT PROPAGANDIST JIMMY KIMMEL IS SELLING MERCHANDISE EXPLOITING THE MINNESOTA SHOOTING. Do Democrats remember a time when they were capable of basic human decency? Well, okay, privileged white one percenter Kimmel was never capable of it. He’s a vulture, and a scavenger of human misery.

VENEZUELANS WHO SUFFERED UNDER MADURO’S DICTATORSHIP TROLL HIM IN PRISON AND IT’S HILARIOUS

TREN DE ARAGUA GANG MEMBER INVOLVED IN SHOOTOUT WITH IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT IN PORTLAND. More HERE. Another Democrat-held stronghold wars on the rest of us.  OREGON DEMOCRATS SIDE WITH THE TREN DE ARAGUA GANG MEMBER

THE TRUMP BOOM CONTINUES: U.S. PRODUCTIVITY SURGES. Highest level in nearly six years.    UNEMPLOYMENT FALLS YET AGAIN.

IRANIAN PROTESTERS ASK PRESIDENT TRUMP FOR PROTECTION FROM THEIR COUNTRY’S TYRANNICAL REGIME.

MARRIOTT FIRES EMPLOYEE FOR DANGEROUSLY DOXXING ICE AGENTS ON SOCIAL MEDIA. Continue reading

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ELVIS AND ANDREW JACKSON: TWO PEAS IN A HISTORICAL POD ON THIS DATE

Elvis’ January 8th birthday being the same date as the Battle of New Orleans in 1815 have tied the two figures together in a very offbeat way. Here are some samplings of the offspring from these two strange bedfellows.

I WANT EL SANTO AND I WANT HIM NOW!

ORION: THE ELVIS PRESLEY HOAX/ PUT-ON/ TEASE – My examination of life imitating art imitating life down the bizarre rabbit hole of the 1978-1980 singer Orion and the resulting milking of the whole “Is he really Elvis Presley still alive, after all?” nonsense. Click HERE.

ROCK ‘N’ ROLL VS THE REDCOATS (2015) – The fake musical starring an Elvis impersonator as General Andrew Jackson and a female impersonator as Ann-Margret playing pirate Jean Lafitte. General Elvis defends New Orleans from a British Invasion spearheaded by an army of pastiches of English rock stars of the 1960s. Click HERE. Continue reading

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THE GHOST GOES GEAR (1966) BAD MOVIE REVIEW

THE GHOST GOES GEAR (1966) – Okay, how could anyone resist a film that features a song titled Show Me Your English Teeth? This movie was the Spencer Davis Group’s addition to all the imitation Help! flicks from the 1960s as so many British bands tried to replicate the Beatles’ big screen success but fell below even some of the worst Monkees episodes in quality. 

And speaking of the Monkees, the show starring that pre-packaged “rock band” came out in September of 1966, the same month as The Ghost Goes Gear. Must have been something in the drinking water on both sides of the Atlantic that month. 

For those readers not familiar with them, the Spencer Davis Group was made up of THE Steve Winwood, his brother Muff Winwood (but not his sister Dick Winwood), Pete York and of course Spencer Davis.

Let’s face it, NO multi-band movie could possibly be as bad as Musical Mutiny, the Iron Butterfly (and others) Golden Turkey that I fell in love with back in 2021 and wrote a scene-by-scene review of. Musical Mutiny featured the ghost of a pirate plus a teenage mad scientist, but The Ghost Goes Gear had just a ghost. And just barely at that. Continue reading

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APOCRYPHAL GOSPEL OF THE SAVIOR

A look at one of the many Apocryphal Gospels. 

THE GOSPEL OF THE SAVIOR – The narrative of this gospel centers around dialogues between Jesus and his apostles in the last few days before his arrest and crucifixion.

Some of the material is similar to the Gospels of John and Matthew, but some is Gnostic, with references to discarding the useless garment of the body so the soul can return to the empyrean realm (or Pleroma, if you insist). 

The most striking departure in this gospel comes in the Garden of Gethsemane segment, when Jesus, as God the Son, traditionally prays to God the Father to spare him the ordeals that lay ahead. In The Gospel of the Savior Jesus transports himself and his apostles to the throne-room of God the Father where he makes his appeal in person. Continue reading

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JANUARY SEVENTH NEWS ROUNDUP

Independent Voter Site Balladeer’s Blog is here with a mid-week current events roundup. And, as I said repeatedly last year, I have no idea why Trump keeps making deranged remarks about Greenland.

ALTICA POLL FINDS ENORMOUS LATIN AMERICAN SUPPORT FOR PRESIDENT TRUMP’S ACTION AGAINST DICTATOR MADURO.

MINNESOTA AUDITOR AND THE INNOCENT VICTIMS OF DEMOCRAT GOVERNOR TIM WALZ’S NEGLIGENCE – OR WORSE – ON THE MULTI-BILLION DOLLAR WELFARE FRAUD RING. More HERE.

MORE MEDICAID FRAUD SCANDALS IN MAINE.

LATEST ORGANIZATION UNDER SCRUTINY IN MINNESOTA’S FRAUD RING. And more HERE.

MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR FOOD STAMP FRAUD SCHEME IN DEMOCRAT-RUN BOSTON

DEMOCRATS STILL THREATENING ANOTHER GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN.

LEGAL EXPERT AGAIN SMACKS DOWN ABSURD CLAIMS THAT PRESIDENT TRUMP’S VENEZUELAN ACTION WAS NOT LEGAL.

DEMOCRAT SENATOR FETTERMAN COURAGEOUSLY CHEERS TRUMP’S MADURO ACTION AND BLASTS THE DEMOCRATS INSANELY OPPOSING IT.

ERIC ADAMS CALLS OUT MAMDANI’S RACIST STAFFER CEA WEAVER FOR HER DERANGED STATEMENT THAT HOME OWNERSHIP IS A WEAPON OF “WHITE SUPREMACY.” He also called out her privileged background which keeps her out of touch with real life.

TERRIFIC THREAD OF VENEZUELANS BLASTING TRUMP-HATING LOONS WHO SIDE WITH MADURO.  

VENEZUELAN WOMAN HAS AN UNPLEASANT MESSAGE FOR PROTESTERS.   Continue reading

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CHARLEMAGNE: ASTOLPHO RESTORES ROLAND’S SANITY

These are the legends about Charlemagne and his Paladins, not the actual history, so there will be dragons, monsters and magic. FOR MY FIRST CHAPTER ON CHARLEMAGNE’S PALADINS CLICK HERE.

ASTOLPHO RESTORES ROLAND’S SANITY – Picking up where we left off, the Paladin Astolpho and St. John returned from the moon in the latter’s flying chariot and entered the saint’s palace on a mountaintop. (Yes, I just typed those words.)

Astolpho carried with him the bottle filled with Roland’s sanity from the moon’s Valley of Lost Things. St. John, who was ready to return to Heaven now, parted company with Astolpho by giving him a salve which would heal the blindness of the Abyssinian (Ethiopian) King Senapus.

Mounting his winged hippogriff (part horse, part eagle), our hero flew down from the mountaintop and returned to the court of King Senapus. When he used the salve to cure the king’s blindness, Senapus felt doubly indebted to the Paladin.

Not only had Astolpho driven off or killed all of the Furies preying on Abyssinia, but now that he had restored King Senapus’ vision, he granted the Frankish warrior a boon. Continue reading

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