Balladeer’s Blog takes a look at another university whose sports teams go by a much more memorable name than the overused Eagles, Tigers, Bulldogs and Wildcats.
DAYTONA BEACH CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY Continue reading
THE DAY PENNSYLVANIA’S TREASURER KILLED HIMSELF ON LIVE TELEVISION
JANUARY 22nd, 1987 – It was on this date that one of the most horrible incidents ever captured during a live news report occurred. Pennsylvania’s 70th Treasurer, R. Budd Dwyer (R) was due to be sentenced on January 23rd after having been found guilty of assorted charges in 1986 following a bribery scandal.
On the 22nd, Dwyer held a press conference at which he protested the guilty verdict, produced a .357 Magnum handgun from a large envelope he was holding and shot himself to death. The tragic event was broadcast live and since many schools were out on a snow day on that date countless school children happened to be watching. WARNING: ADULTS ONLY MATERIAL BELOW. Continue reading
Filed under Uncategorized
THE DOBERMAN GANG MOVIES (1972-1980)
Balladeer’s Blog takes a look at the neglected Doberman Gang series of movies.
THE DOBERMAN GANG (1972) – I’m a lifelong dog lover, so let me point out that this was the very first film to carry the American Humane Association’s guarantee that “No animals were harmed in the making of this film.” Despite spawning a franchise, The Doberman Gang flies by the proverbial seat of its pants, and while it’s good to know that no dogs were harmed this flick features a few Doberman attacks on humans that seem too gritty.
This movie bounces erratically between Family Friendly and low-budget gimmick production. Eddie (Byron Mabe) leads his bank robber accomplices Sammy and JoJo (Simmy Bow and JoJo D’Amore) who idiotically screw up heists that seem like sure things.
Fed up with the way that human error keeps messing up his carefully planned capers, Eddie strikes upon the idea of using trained dogs to rob banks for him. That may sound like the premise of a light-hearted Disney movie from the 1970s but The Doberman Gang retains a low-life criminal air that’s too grimy at times. Continue reading
Filed under Bad and weird movies
JANUARY TWENTY-FIRST NEWS ROUNDUP
Independent Voter Site Balladeer’s Blog serves up a mid-week news roundup.
YESTERDAY’S ONE-YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF PRESIDENT TRUMP’S SECOND INAUGURATION BROUGHT A FLOOD OF NEWS ARTICLES ABOUT HIS SUCCESSES AND THE MANY WAYS HE HAS IMPROVED LIFE FOR THE WORKING CLASS AND THE POOR. Year One of Trump 2.0 HERE. More HERE.
DEATHS BY DRUG OVERDOSES HAVE PLUMMETED FOLLOWING PRESIDENT TRUMP’S SECURING OF THE SOUTHERN BORDER.
FLASHBACK: IN 2017 I WROTE A BLOG POST “DEMOCRATS TO VICTIMS OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT CRIME: DROP DEAD.” 2026 Democrats have made it even more relevant today.
MORE ABOUT THE DON LEMON-LED RAID BY ANTI-ICE FASCISTS ON A MINNESOTA CHURCH.
HILLARY AND BILL CLINTON STILL TRYING TO SLITHER OUT OF SUBPOENAS REGARDING THEIR INVOLVEMENT WITH JEFFREY EPSTEIN. Hey, Democrats! I thought you cared so much about the Epstein situation.
DURING PRESIDENT TRUMP’S FIRST TERM CHINA’S GENOCIDAL TREATMENT OF THE MUSLIM UYGHURS WAS CALLED OUT. Organ harvesting from Uyghurs continues but Democrats can’t be bothered to care due to their love of China. Continue reading
BALLADEER’S BLOG’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL RANKINGS
Here are this week’s rankings in the 12 divisions covered here at Balladeer’s Blog.
NAIA
### 1. GRACE COLLEGE LANCERS ### 2. BETHEL (IN) PILOTS (Riverboat Pilots) ### 3. FREED-HARDEMAN UNIVERSITY LIONS ### 4. AVE MARIA UNIVERSITY GYRENES ### 5. OKLAHOMA WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY EAGLES ###
6. ARIZONA CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY FIRESTORM ### 7. UNIVERSITY OF THE CUMBERLANDS PATRIOTS ### 8. HOPE INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY ROYALS ### 9. MONTANA TECH OREDIGGERS ### 10. OREGON TECH HUSTLIN’ OWLS ###
USCAA DIVISION ONE
### 1. NORTH AMERICAN UNIVERSITY STALLIONS ### 2. BRYANT & STRATTON COLLEGE (Buffalo) BOBCATS ### 3. NEWPORT NEWS APPRENTICE SCHOOL BUILDERS (Shipbuilders) ### 4. BLOOMFIELD COLLEGE BEARS ### 5. SOUTHEASTERN ILLINOIS COLLEGE FALCONS ### Continue reading
Filed under College Basketball
THE GREAT ACTRESS SARAH BERNHARDT IN MERES FRANCAISES (1917)
MERES FRANCAISES (1917) – This silent film was made and set during World War One. It starred the legendary stage actress Sarah Bernhardt, whose career spanned from 1862 to 1923. She was practically royalty when she deigned to appear in a few silent films.
The title Meres Francaises means Mothers of France and it was a morale-building wartime film. Sarah Bernhardt was in her 70s but nobly did her best as Madame Jeanne D’Urbex, the matriarch of a French family which suffers more than its fair share of loss and heartache as World War One rages on.
Sarah as Jeanne loses her husband and a son to the grave, plus members of her extended family endure blindness and the loss of beloved friends. Madame D’Urbex puts aside her own pain and becomes the rock on which the women of her family and the young nurses serving under her can rely. Continue reading
Filed under Neglected History
FORGOTTEN TELEVISION: CHANNING aka THE YOUNG AND THE BOLD (1963-1964)
CHANNING (1963) – Also known as The Young and the Bold this hour-long drama series was a college version of Mr. Novak, against which it went head-to-head. B-Movie titan Jason Evers starred as Professor Joseph Howe, a Korean War veteran now teaching at fictional Channing College. Henry Jones portrayed Fred Baker, his former professor and now Channing Dean.
Two episodes of the anthology series Alcoa Premiere served as pilots for the series. It was called ahead of its time, ran for 26 episodes and addressed Generation Gap issues involving instructors and their students. And the students were played by a Who’s Who of up-and-coming stars of the big and small screen.
PILOT ONE: OF THIS TIME, OF THIS PLACE (March 6th, 1962) – This episode of the Fred Astaire-hosted Alcoa Premiere introduced viewers to Jason Evers as Professor Howe and Henry Jones as Dean Baker. The story, based on a Lionel Trilling short story, depicted Howe standing beside a brilliant but mentally volatile student who rankles the staid academic community at Channing College. Also starred Burt Brinckerhoff, Dabbs Greer and Nancy Hadley as Howe’s wife Mary. Continue reading
Filed under Forgotten Television
NEWS ROUNDUP: JANUARY NINETEENTH
It’s a Monday current events roundup from Independent Voter Site Balladeer’s Blog. FOR MY USUAL POSTS HONORING REPUBLICAN MARTIN LUTHER KING CLICK HERE. And HERE. And HERE.
DEMOCRAT HATE MOBS IN MINNEAPOLIS MOVE FROM STOPPING AND THREATENING DRIVERS IF THEY THINK THEY ARE ICE OFFICERS TO STORMING A CHURCH WHERE THEY BELIEVE AN ICE OFFICER IS “HIDING.” More HERE. For the illegal Democrat vehicle stops click HERE. But Democrats continue pretending that enforcement of immigration laws is the problem. This is what Governor Walz has unleashed to try distracting from his state’s multi-billion dollar fraud scandals. And “My Party Right or Wrong” pieces of garbage play along.
AND BY THE WAY, WE ALL KNOW THAT IF OR WHEN THESE RABID DEMOCRAT MOBS KILL INNOCENT PEOPLE, DEMOCRATS WILL NOT CARE. THEIR MEDIA OUTLETS WON’T COVER THE NEWS AND THEY’LL PRETEND THE EVENTS ARE FAKE, LIKE THEY CLAIMED ABOUT ALL THE VIDEO EVIDENCE OF JOE BIDEN’S MENTAL UNFITNESS. And most importantly, they will exploit the human decency of their political opponents, who don’t regularly riot and tear cities apart like Democrats themselves do.
PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP BOULEVARD DEDICATED IN FLORIDA. It passed the legislature in 2025 and is now fully set up. That’s Florida State Congresswoman Meg Weinberger along with Trump in the photo.
MINNEAPOLIS DAYCARE WORKER ARRESTED FOR SUFFOCATING TWO CHILDREN. And I’m sure Democrats want her set free immediately.
INVESTIGATION INTO MINNESOTA FRAUD EXPANDS TO SUSPECT “REHAB CENTER” IN MINNEAPOLIS. Does Walz get kickbacks from THIS type of fraud, too? If his rioting mobs have their way, we’ll never know.
WISCONSIN DAIRY FARMERS CELEBRATE PRESIDENT TRUMP’S LATEST MOVES AFFECTING THEIR INDUSTRY.
CALIFORNIA’s DEMOCRAT GOVERNOR GAVIN NEWSOM VETOED – YES, VETOED – A BILL PASSED BY HIS OWN STATE’S LEGISLATURE TO INVESTIGATE WHERE TWENTY BILLION DOLLARS INTENDED FOR THE HOMELESS DISAPPEARED TO UNDER NEWSOM. Maybe cowardly drama queens who obsess over Trump should expend some energy on this, as well. Continue reading
THE SHIP OF SILENT MEN (1920) ANCIENT SCIENCE FICTION/ HORROR MIX
THE SHIP OF SILENT MEN (1920) – Written by Philip M Fisher. The crew of a ship called the Lanoa set out from Hawaii. A few days later an abnormally powerful electrical storm strikes, leaving the area unusually cold in its wake.
The men on board the Lanoa don’t have much time to ponder that before they begin receiving distress signals from a ship identified as the Karnak. Even though the message indicates that the death of the entire crew seems imminent, the Lanoa receives the message again later, after assuming the Karnak met with disaster.
The Lanoa investigates and eventually arrives alongside the Karnak, whose crew is shambling around performing their normal duties but in a very sluggish manner. An away team from the Lanoa rows over to see what is going on when the Karnak’s crew refuse to respond to any attempt at communication. Continue reading
Filed under Ancient Science Fiction, Halloween Season
BALLADEER’S BLOG’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL RESULTS: JAN 18th
NCCAA (National Christian College Athletic Association) DIVISION ONE
The NCCAA no longer has football, so I had no posts about them from Aug to Dec.
KNOCKING OFF NUMBER TWO – The 11th ranked INDIANA WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY WILDCATS visited the number 2 team in the nation – the BETHEL (IN) PILOTS (Riverboat Pilots). The Wildcats put Bethel U. on Upset Alert with their 47-37 Halftime lead, then consummated the Upset 96-86. Caedmon Bontrager led Indiana Wesleyan with 29 points.
CENTURY CLUB – Teams scoring at least 100 points in Regulation: The (5) OHIO CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY TRAILBLAZERS edged the visiting UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI AT CLERMONT COUGARS 103-102 ### Meanwhile, the (4) NELSON UNIVERSITY LIONS defeated the UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE & ARTS OF OKLAHOMA DROVERS 106-96 ### And the (6) MALONE UNIVERSITY PIONEERS won 107-80 over the KENT STATE AT TUSCARAWAS GOLDEN EAGLES. Continue reading
Filed under College Basketball
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