CHARLEMAGNE: RUGGIERO BATTLES ALCINA’S MONSTERS

charlemagne with swordThese 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.

RUGGIERO BATTLES ALCINA’S MONSTERS – When we left off last time around, Ruggiero was still stranded on the mystic island where Morgana’s evil sister Alcina lived. He was setting off on foot toward the city ruled by Logestilla, the “good” sister of Alcina and Morgana.

ruggieroRuggiero (at left) was hoping that Logestilla would use her own magic to cure the Paladin Astolpho of the spell that Alcina had cast – a spell that had trapped Astolpho in the form of a tree. The hippogriff – the large, winged horse/ eagle hybrid which had flown Ruggiero to the island last time around – refused to accompany the warrior any further, so our hero walked on alone.

As Astolpho had advised him, Ruggiero kept to a path that led him past the golden city of the evil Alcina. That city was just visible off in the distance, and Ruggiero determinedly kept well clear, the better to complete his mission to save Astolpho, a cousin of Ruggiero’s beloved Bradamante, the Lady Paladin in White Armor. Continue reading

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BEST OF APRIL 2023

Balladeer’s Blog’s annual end of year retrospective continues, this time with a look at April’s best.

golem 1980GOLEM (1980) – My review of this Polish science fiction film that is sort of a blend of Eraserhead and Patrick McGoohan’s series The Prisoner. An authoritarian dictatorship has risen in the aftermath of a global nuclear war. Click HERE.

NEWS ROUNDUP: APRIL 29th – The New York Times calls out Joe Biden for the explosion of child trafficking at his disaster of a southern border. Plus much more. Click HERE.

cover with nelvanaCANADIAN-MADE SUPERHEROES 1941-1950 – From well-known names like the superheroine Nelvana of the Northern Lights (at left) and the superhero Thunderfist to less celebrated figures like Freelance, Nitro, the Blue Raven and Commander Steel. Plus superheroines like the Wing, Ghost Woman and many more. Thirty-eight characters in all. Click HERE.

BOOK OF THE DUN COW PART THREE – The long, action-filled voyage of the hero Mael Duin, an epic myth dated to around the 900s A.D. Click HERE.

pathfinders in space setPATHFINDERS IN SPACE (1960) – The neglected British sci-fi television series. Includes my review of its sequels, Pathfinders to Mars and Pathfinders to Venus. Click HERE.

JESUS: A PASSION PLAY FOR AMERICANS (1969) – Before Jesus Christ Superstar and before Godspell came this rock/ jazz version of the last days before the Crucifixion. Click HERE.

ARK II (1976) – My review of this short-lived American science fiction series about attempts to resettle the Earth after a destructive war hundreds of years in the future. Click HERE.

jla number 124JUSTICE SOCIETY/ JUSTICE LEAGUE TEAM-UPS – 1975-1979 HERE.  1970-1974 HERE.

BOOK OF THE DUN COW PART FOUR – The Vision of Adomnan: Centuries before Dante’s Inferno came this Irish myth about an Angel giving Saint Adomnan a tour of Heaven and Hell. Click HERE.

NEWS ROUNDUP – April 10th: Matt Taibbi exposes MSNBC’s fraudulent reporting HERE. 

BOOK OF THE DUN COW PART FIVE – The epic myth of The Expulsion of the Deissi. Think Game of Thrones meets Exodus. Click HERE. Continue reading

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NAIA COLLEGE FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP RESULTS FROM BALLADEER’S BLOG

keiser seahawks newNATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME – The KEISER UNIVERSITY SEAHAWKS did battle with the defending champs – the NORTHWESTERN (IA) COLLEGE RED RAIDERS yesterday for the NAIA title. The Seahawks converted their 7-0 1st Quarter lead into a 17-7 advantage by Halftime. Continue reading

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DECEMBER 18th ROUNDUP OF NEWS, MEMES AND POLITICAL CARTOONS

shell gameHere is the latest current events roundup from Independent Voter site Balladeer’s Blog. As always, everyone is welcome here no matter who they vote for. 

SOME OF THE CRIMES BEING INVESTI-GATED IN THE BIDEN IMPEACHMENT PROCESS.

CONGRESSIONAL INVESTIGATION REVEALS THAT THE FBI HAS BEEN COVERING UP EVIDENCE OF BIDEN FAMILY’S INVOLVEMENT WITH BRIBERY SINCE 2008! FBI = Fuggeda Bout Integrity.

fbi biden kgbFBI SENIOR COUNTER-INTELLIGENCE MAN CHRIS MCGONIGAL, WHO WAS LINKED TO THE ATTEMPT TO FRAME PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP FOR COLLUDING WITH RUSSIA, HAS HIMSELF JUST BEEN SENTENCED TO 50 MONTHS IN PRISON FOR HIS OWN ACTUAL COLLUSION WITH PUTIN’S RUSSIA. Sometimes the wheel turns slowly, but it turns. More HERE. Someday maybe the people fraudulently going after Trump now will face similar outcomes.

JOE BIDEN’S DAUGHTER ASHLEY IS THE LATEST BIDEN TO BE FOUND OWING BACK TAXES. But it’s difficult not to feel sorry for Ashley given the way her diary revealed that her father Joe took “inappropriate” showers with her when she was a child. The Bidens claimed the diary was stolen, you’ll recall, not that its contents were untrue. More HERE.

biden ordered through the mailJOE BIDEN’S DISASTROUS ECONOMIC POLICIES HAVE DRIVEN HOMELESSNESS NUMBERS BACK TO THE SAME HIGH FIGURES AS UNDER GEORGE W. BUSH. More HERE

A TERRIFIC ARTICLE CALLING OUT THE CLUELESS, OUTDATED AND UTTERLY USELESS PEOPLE WHO RUN THE REPUBLICAN PARTY. We need alternate parties.

GERMANY’S FEDERAL CONSTITUTIONAL COURT RULES THAT VOTING IRREGULARITIES REQUIRE REDOING THE 2021 FEDERAL ELECTIONS IN 455 GERMAN CONSTITUENCIES. Yet many Americans still choose to ignore our own problems with election integrity.  

CNN SHOCKED WHEN DATA REPORTER LAYS OUT HOW HORRIBLE JOE BIDEN’S ECONOMY IS. First, some excerpts: “Enten explained that since Biden took office, the economy has seen a downward spiral of negative growth.” Continue reading

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A CHRISTMAS CAROL: 1973 ON WNBC WITH DON IMUS, WOLFMAN JACK AND BARBARA WALTERS

Balladeer’s Blog’s 14th Annual Christmas Carol-A-Thon continues!

imus and othersA CHRISTMAS CAROL (1973-1987) – Don Imus as Scrooge? Wolfman Jack as the Ghost of Christmas Present? Barbara Walters as Mrs. Cratchit? Murray the K as Bob Cratchit? Yes, believe it or not.

This radio play rendition of A Christmas Carol was first broadcast on WNBC-AM in New York City on Monday December 24th, 1973. The voice actors included on-air talent under contract to NBC (either radio or television) and assorted New York City political figures of the time.

In addition to the breakdown I gave above, the iconic Betty Furness played Scrooge’s sister Fan, Big Wilson was the Ghost of Christmas Past, Gordon Hammet was Marley’s Ghost, Pat Whitley portrayed the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come, Donna Patrone voiced Tiny Tim, Radio City Bill Rockefeller played the lone Charity Collector in this version of the story, and Bob Vernon served as the Narrator. Continue reading

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MARCH 2020: A LOOK BACK

FOR PART ONE (2016) OF THIS RETROSPECTIVE FROM INDEPENDENT VOTER SITE BALLADEER’S BLOG CLICK HERE.   

shakem akhetSHAKEM AKHET BLASTS THE DEMOCRATS FOR DOING NOTHING FOR BLACK VOTERS. He courageously calls out The Party. Click HERE.

JOE BIDEN’S PUBLIC INEPTITUDE AND UNFITNESS ON DISPLAY: MARCH 2020 – It was all obvious VERY early on. But, “By any means necessary” was the slogan of America’s crooked political establishment. Click HERE. In addition, video of Biden’s unfitness on display at his disastrous Virtual Town Hall. Click HERE.

EVEN MORE HILARIOUSLY WRONG PREDICTIONS FROM PSYCHICS – This latest edition of that popular bit kept the laughs coming. Click HERE.

brandon strakaBRANDON STRAKA AND THE #WALKAWAY MOVEMENT WERE STILL ROLLING – A March of 2020 blog post about former Democrats (like myself) leaving the party over its intolerance and growing authoritarianism. Click HERE.

FOOL KILLER: JUNE 1910 – The publication targeted people who wrongly predicted that Halley’s Comet would hit the Earth, Coca Cola Corporation, early nudists, a false Missing Link find, human traffickers, and Speaker of the House Joe Cannon, who was as corrupt as Republican Paul Ryan and Democrat Nancy Pelosi . Click HERE. Continue reading

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BALLADEER’S BLOG’S COLLEGE FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP GAMES: DECEMBER 16th

keiser helmetnorthwestern ia redTHE NAIA NATIONAL CHAMPION-SHIP GAME BETWEEN THE NORTHWESTERN (IA) COLLEGE RED RAIDERS AND THE KEISER UNIVERSITY SEAHAWKS WILL BE PLAYED ON MONDAY THE 18th.

NCAA DIVISION TWO

Harding Bisons helmetNATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME – The battle for the D2 crown pitted the HARDING UNIVERSITY BISON against the COLORADO SCHOOL OF MINES OREDIGGERS. The 1st Quarter ended in a 7-7 tie, but by Halftime the Bison were on top 21-7. Harding University shut out the Orediggers from there while continuing to score on the way to a 38-7 rout. * THE BISON ARE NCAA DIVISION TWO CHAMPIONS * Continue reading

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DC SUPERHEROES FROM FIRST ISSUE SPECIAL

This weekend’s light-hearted and escapist superhero post from Balladeer’s Blog looks at the best new superheroes from DC’s First Issue Special, in which they introduced new characters to see if they drew enough fan response to get their own series.

dc1 12FIRST ISSUE SPECIAL Vol 1 #12 (March 1976)

Title: Starman

Synopsis: A blue-skinned alien from the warlike Tradlavian race, Mikaal Tomas, was sent to Earth to start laying the groundwork for his planet’s invasion of our world. His female mate Lyssa was slain by his own people when she showed compassion for previous planets conquered by the Tradlavians and tried to warn Earth. 

Disillusioned with his own race following that, Starman battled and defeated the first wave of the Tradlavian invasion and prepared to defend Earth from the impending additional attempts. The energy crystal he wore granted him superpowers like flight, the ability to shoot energy blasts from his hands, a degree of superstrength and rapid healing. Continue reading

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NEWS, MEMES AND POLITICAL CARTOON ROUNDUP FOR DECEMBER 15th

Here is the latest current events roundup from Independent Voter site Balladeer’s Blog. As always, everyone is welcome here no matter who they vote for.

joe biden is aCONGRESS TAKES THE IMPEACHMENT PROCEDURES AGAINST JOE BIDEN TO THE NEXT LEVEL.

UNDERBOSS HUNTER BIDEN CAUSES CONTEMPT CHARGES OVER FLOUTING OF SUBPOENA.

breaking bidenONE OF THE FEDERAL PROSECUTORS WHO WERE SCANDALOUSLY TRYING TO HELP HUNTER BIDEN AVOID PROSECUTION LEAVING THE DOJ. About time.

MORNING CONSULT POLL: VOTERS TRUST TRUMP OVER BIDEN ON SAVING THE ECONOMY (AGAIN, IN TRUMP’S CASE) – TRUMP 50%, BIDEN ONLY 32%.

MASTERFUL TAKEDOWN OF THE TOTALITARIAN POLITICAL ESTABLISHMENT IN AMERICA AND AROUND THE WORLD.

SLOBBERING ANTI-TRUMP LOONS SPOUT DERANGED NONSENSE ABOUT WHAT HE WOULD SUPPOSEDLY DO BACK IN THE WHITE HOUSE. Their unhinged claims didn’t come true during his first term, but that doesn’t stop them from making even more irrational claims this time around.

Continue reading

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A SESAME STREET CHRISTMAS CAROL (2006)

Balladeer’s Blog’s 14th Annual Christmas Carol-A-Thon rolls along. Here’s a look at yet another version of the Dickens Yuletide classic for Christmas season.  

Sesame Street Christmas CarolA SESAME STREET CHRISTMAS CAROL (2006) – This 46 minute special, which presents Oscar the Grouch as the Ebenezer Scrooge substitute, opens and closes with some very Christmassy scenes of artificial snow falling on the Sesame Street set. The apartments on that street are all decorated for the holiday so everything looks very festive.

Obviously this version of A Christmas Carol is aimed at children and pretty much only children so don’t expect the broader appeal that lies in A Muppet Christmas Carol. Still, anyone with children of their own or nieces or nephews or really young siblings can take 46 minutes to hang out with the kids while they enjoy this.

The story does not follow the actual plot of A Christmas Carol but instead uses the ghostly visits as framing devices for short sketches featuring the likes of Big Bird, Tickle-Me-Elmo, Bert & Ernie, Snuffle-upagus and Mr. Hooper. This is ideal for children’s shorter attention spans while the adults can enjoy long-ago clips from when Hooper and the original voice actors for those Muppets were all still alive.

We start with Oscar the Grouch trying to barricade himself in his garbage can to avoid all that mushy Christmas cheer. He is visited by Joe Marley, a Muppet who works as a delivery man for the Scaredy-Pants Delivery Service. Marley informs the annoyed Oscar that he will be receiving three packages which contain Ghost-O-Grams.  Continue reading

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