FIVE HUNDRED YEARS HENCE (1818) – ANCIENT SCIENCE FICTION

pocket magazine of classicFIVE HUNDRED YEARS HENCE (1818) – Written under the pseudonym “D” this work was published the same year as Mary Shelley’s novel Frankenstein. The story is presented as written observations of the world in October and November of the year 2318.

London has fallen so far in prominence that it is by then just a fishing village, barely known outside of England. Liverpool is close to becoming a ghost town, and Oxford is closing its sole remaining institution of higher education. In Edinburgh of all places, disparaging Great Britain is a crime punishable by being hanged upside down.

Next, D turned their attention across the pond to the United States. Continue reading →

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THE CASSANDRA CROSSING (1976)

cassandra crossingTHE CASSANDRA CROSSING (1976) – The Andromeda Strain meets the later Supertrain in this railroad version of the Airport movies. I’m sure we all know the formula of Disaster Movies, be they about natural disasters striking cities or manmade disasters striking mass transportation like airplanes, ships and trains.   

The Cassandra Crossing was a co-production of Carlo Ponti and Lew Grade. The film had a lot of potential but was ultimately doomed by oddball acting choices, a script full of holes and a train that clearly changes multiple times during the course of the movie. And I mean it even changes from electric to diesel multiple times as the film progresses.

cassandra crossing posterIn general, the storyline involves a genetically engineered plague covertly developed by government functionaries (think of Anthony Fauci and his ilk) despite international agreements not to conduct such research. Terrorists who want to steal the plague for their own use botch a raid on the International Health Organization (a pastiche of the World Health Organization), which results in a shootout and in two of the terrorists being exposed to the plague.

One of the exposed gunmen escapes and seeks shelter on a departing train, spreading the plague – for which there is no known cure – to the other passengers, instigating a crisis. If the infected aren’t contained, this plague could wipe out 60% of the population of Europe and eventually, the world. The government locks down all the people on the train and proceeds to care more about covering up where the disease originated than they do about public safety.  Continue reading →

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JUNE 2017

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

camille paglia picCOURAGEOUS FEMALE ROLE MODEL CAMILLE PAGLIA SPEAKS OUT ON DEMOCRAT FAILURES AND SNOBBERY, PLUS TRUMP’S SUCCESSES SO FAR.

RESISTANCE, INC: THE FAUX REBELS OF ANTI-TRUMP HYSTERIA. One of my most-read blog posts of all time.

THE NEW YORK TIMES ON THE INTOLERANCE FOR FREE SPEECH AT AMERICAN UNIVERSITIES. And in 2017 we hadn’t seen ANYTHING yet! Continue reading →

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BOOK OF THE DUN COW: PART NINE

Here is Part Nine of Balladeer’s Blog’s look at the various mythological works in Ireland’s Lebor na hUidre, The Book of the Dun Cow. This part features multiple sections. For Part One click HERE.

conchobarTHE CONCEPTION OF CUCHULAINN (Compert Con Culainn) – One of the versions of the birth of the demigod Cuchulainn. This version begins as Ulster’s King Conchobar mac Nessa (at left) goes on a hunt for magical birds with several nobles of Ulster and his daughter Deichtine, his charioteer. (In the later and more popular versions Deichtine is King Conchobar’s sister, not his daughter, and most of the Cuchulainn myths refer to him as Conchobar’s nephew, not grandson.)

        A heavy snow falls, prompting the hunting party to seek shelter in an isolated house where they are made welcome by the man and the pregnant woman inside. The woman goes into labor, and Deichtine helps deliver the baby – a son – overnight. A mare also gives birth to two colts that night. Continue reading →

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SATURDAY NEWS ROUNDUP: APRIL 29th

The latest roundup from Independent Voter site Balladeer’s Blog.

biden creepyEVEN THE DEMOCRATS AT THE NEW YORK TIMES ADMIT THAT BIDEN HAS OVERSEEN AN EXPLOSION IN THE NUMBER OF MIGRANT CHILDREN BEING ABUSED AND TRAFFICKED AND SUBJECTED TO CHILD LABOR. More HERE. And HERE.

JOE BIDEN CALLOUSLY CLAIMS TO HAVE ONLY SIX GRANDCHILDREN, INTENTIONALLY SNUBBING HUNTER BIDEN’S CHILD OUT OF WEDLOCK. Joe Biden is one of the lowest lifeforms on the face of the Earth.

ANOTHER ARTICLE ASKS A QUESTION THAT I CAN ANSWER BY SAYING “BECAUSE THE PEOPLE WHO RUN THE CLUELESS, OUTDATED AND UTTERLY USELESS REPUBLICAN PARTY FAIL TO KEEP UP WITH THE OPPOSITION PARTY IN THE MEDIA ARMS RACE”. That answer won’t change no matter how many ways the question is reworded.

china owns bidenTHE DEMOCRATS AT THE NEW YORK TIMES PROTECT BIDEN’S UNFITNESS BY CLAIMING THAT AMERICA’S GOVERNMENT CAN FUNCTION WITHOUT A HEALTHY PRESIDENT. So get ready for that new narrative through the next election. The Democrats felt differently about this issue when Biden’s predecessor was in office. Continue reading →

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THE HERETIC (1996) – NEGLECTED SUPERHERO

This weekend’s light-hearted and escapist superhero blog post here at Balladeer’s Blog will examine the unjustly overlooked character the Heretic, a NON-Marvel and non-DC character. 

heretic clockTHE HERETIC

Secret Identity: Dominic DeMarco

First Appearance: The Heretic #1 (November 1996)

Origin: Much of the Heretic’s past remains shrouded in mystery. In his early adult life he left the seminary and joined the Brotherhood of Cain, a covert order of religious assassins who presented themselves as righteous warriors crusading against evil.

        That turned out to be a lie, so the disillusioned figure left the order and was branded a heretic, a label he embraced as his nom de guerre. Acting independently, he used the skills and abilities he learned from the order to begin his own war against the crime and corruption at all levels of society, including government and organized religion.

        Gaining bizarre superpowers, the Heretic also battled the infernal forces behind all Earthly evil, from the lowest street crimes to the bloodiest wars. He learned that God and Satan exist. Heaven and Hell exist. And there’s no predicting which side the rest of us will end up on. Continue reading →

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THE TERRORNAUTS (1967) – BAD MOVIE

the terrornautsTHE TERRORNAUTS (1967) – Simon Oates of Doomwatch fame stars as yet another maverick scientist in this effort from earlier in his career. Oates is running a British version of the SETI project and is forever trying to intercept signals from space … signals that might indicate intelligent life forms.

Conveniently, just when their funding is about to be cut Oates and his team at last receive a broadcast from actual alien life forms. And not just any alien life forms but the exact race that use a cave in France excavated by Oates’ father as a teleportation point from their orbiting space station.

terrornautsWild coincidences like that are just the tip of the iceberg in terms of this ridiculous movie’s plot holes, inconsistencies and lack of logic.

At any rate when Oates and company broadcast a reply of their own the extraterrestrials fly to England and snatch the entire building that the scientists’ project is housed in. The Earthlings, including a cockney female janitor along for excruciatingly bad comic relief, find themselves at the mercy of the space station’s Doctor Who (original series) level special effects renditions of androids, monsters and interstellar cooking devices. Continue reading →

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MAY 2017

FOR PART ONE OF THIS RETROSPECTIVE (2016) CLICK HERE.

truth orwellEVEN IN 2017 THE PUBLIC WASN’T BUYING THE “RUSSIAN COLLUSION” NONSENSE. 

DE FACTO THIRD PARTY PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP EVEN DEFEATED HILLARY IN OTHER STATISTICS.

MORE MOCK HEADLINES ABOUT TRUMP.

MAY 2017 MEME AND POLITICAL CARTOON ROUNDUP.

A REMINDER THAT ANY OUTSIDER TO AMERICA’S CESSPOOL OF CORRUPTION WILL GET TREATED LIKE TRUMP IS GETTING. And we continue to see it here in 2023. Continue reading →

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TWIN PEAKS IN B-MOVIE TERMS

Laura Palmer wrapped in plasticIt’s been nearly six years since the finale of the 18 episode run of new Twin Peaks chapters on cable. Like many other fans I’m still debating my final verdict on the series in light of the gloriously dark and nightmarish conclusion, so this particular blog post applies ONLY to the original Twin Peaks television series, the 1992 film Fire Walk With Me and its deleted scenes from The Missing Pieces.

Here at Balladeer’s Blog I’m often surprised at the way so many detractors still try to insist that the show and the movie made no sense. And bear in mind I am NOT referring to the various theories over particular symbolism or the lengthy debates to be had over the ethical and philosophical implications of the storyline.

No, I’m referring to the way some people dismiss the entire project as if it’s a bunch of weirdness with no discernible plot or storyline. There IS a (very) easily discernible plot and storyline. And I’ll say again I’m NOT talking about deeper meanings which no two people may ever agree upon, but the basic tale. Continue reading →

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BOOK OF THE DUN COW: PART EIGHT

Here is Part Eight of Balladeer’s Blog’s look at the various mythological works in Ireland’s Lebor na hUidre, The Book of the Dun Cow. This part features multiple sections. For Part One click HERE.

connla and the maidenTHE ADVENTURE OF CONNLA THE BEAUTIFUL, SON OF CONN OF THE HUNDRED BATTLES (Echtra Condla Chaim meic Cuind Chetchathaig) – Amid the monuments and landmarks on the Hill of Uisnech in central Ireland, Connla and his father Conn, a High King of Ireland, are relaxing with several of their troops around them.

        A beautiful woman in strange clothing catches Connla’s eye and he asks her where she is from. She replies she is from Mag Mell, a mystic island to the west of Ireland, where she says everyone feasts forever without effort and lives in peace.

        conn of the hundredKing Conn and others nearby ask Connla who he is speaking to, because only he is able to see her.  As the smitten Connla continues “chatting her up” his father and others hear the woman speaking but still cannot see her. She makes it clear that she is inviting Connla to come with her to Mag Mell forever, prompting the panicked Conn to call for his Druid Corann. Continue reading →

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