NAVY LOG (1955-1958) – Here’s an unusual segment of Balladeer’s Blog’s recurring Forgotten Television feature. Rather than review the entire series I will take a look at this program’s episodes regarding the often-overlooked Korean War. Most episodes of Navy Log featured half-hour dramatizations of real-life incidents from World War Two, so in keeping with my overall theme of things that slip through the cultural cracks, my focus here will be the few Korean War incidents dramatized on the show.
SEASON ONE
THE FROGMEN – Two U.S. ships are sunk in mined North Korean waters. To prevent the possibility of North Korea or China recovering classified information from those ships a pair of Navy Frogmen are let loose from a submarine to blow up the sunken vessels before that can happen.
Balladeer’s Blog
OPERATION THREE-IN-ONE – When a Marine Corps unit is cut off by North Korean forces and is being whittled down, Army and Navy officers quickly improvise a rescue plan in hopes of saving the Marines.
THE POLLYWOG OF YOSU – Six Navy frogmen are sent in to surface behind North Korean lines and blow up a tunnel being used by the North to transport supplies to their troops. When a member of the unit is wounded by the explosion, he is not left behind, but is evacuated with the others at great risk to themselves.
LUNGER AT KUNSAN – The spectacular exploits of the commander and crew of a Navy Mine Sweeper near Kunsan, Korea. Continue reading
VICTORY BOWL – This season-ending showcase game in the NCCAA pitted the OLIVET NAZARENE UNIVERSITY TIGERS against the SOUTHWESTERN ASSEMBLIES OF GOD UNIVERSITY LIONS. By Halftime the Tigers were on top 21-3 and the Lions cut that to 21-10 to end the 3rd Quarter. In the 4th, Olivet Nazarene won the game by a final score of 21-16. 
NEPTUNE BOWL – This Bowl game features the USCAA facing NCAA Division 3. From the USCAA the NEWPORT NEWS APPRENTICE SCHOOL BUILDERS (think Shipbuilders) played D3’s BRIDGEWATER COLLEGE EAGLES. After a scoreless 1st Quarter, the Builders had a 14-7 lead at the Half. That became 21-7 in the 3rd Quarter before an explosive 4th saw NNAS log a 38-28 victory. 
GAME ONE – The LINDSEY WILSON COLLEGE BLUE RAIDERS took on the REINHARDT UNIVERSITY EAGLES (should be the Rottweilers). It was all defense in the 1st Half, leaving the Blue Raiders with a mere 3-0 edge at the midpoint. After the break Lindsey Wilson College put up 20 points to Reinhardt U’s 22 to win out 23-22. 
This weekend’s light-hearted, escapist superhero blog post will examine the early years of Marvel Comics, which was called Timely Comics back in 1939. 
MARVEL COMICS Vol 1 #1 (October 1939) 
This figure escapes, learns to control its ability to “flame on” and “flame off”, and defeats the crime boss Anthony Sardo and his gang. When Phineas Horton hints at using his android creation to make money, the Torch rebels and flies off to function in the world on his own. 
KONG ISLAND (1968) has also been released under the titles King of Kong Island and Eva, the Savage Venus. Every one of those titles could let viewers build a strong case for false advertising. There’s no island, no king OR King Kong and though the third title listed above may hint at something lurid, the wild jungle woman of that title has very little screen time. 
BURT DAWSON (Brad Harris) is the muscular soldier of fortune who hires on for any job, legal or illegal. Kong Island opens with Burt and a few accomplices on the run after robbing a payroll. They stop in the wilderness to split the loot only to be double-crossed by their colleague Turk (Paul Carter), who shoots down the other survivors of the raid. 
THE CAPTIVITY OF THE PROFESSOR (1901) – Written by A. Lincoln Green, a presumed pen name, this story was first published in Blackwood’s Edinburgh Magazine in the February 1901 isssue. 
VICTORY BOWL – The 2022 edition of this showcase game in the NCCAA will pit the defending Victory Bowl champions – the SOUTHWESTERN ASSEMBLIES OF GOD UNIVERSITY LIONS – against the OLIVET NAZARENE UNIVERSITY TIGERS. 
The MORNINGSIDE COLLEGE MUSTANGS – the defending National Champions – will play the ARIZONA CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY FIRESTORM. 
Independent Voter site Balladeer’s Blog takes a look at the 2022 midterm elections based on what we know now. As regular readers know I despise both the Republican and Democrat Parties and would like to see them both splinter into multiple smaller parties, so I can provide a non-partisan view. 
Without the Democrat losses in 2020 there is no way the Republicans would have taken back the House this time around. Hey, who was at the top of their ballot in 2020? 
LET’S TALK AT HOME (2001-2003) – This cult program is often called “Mexico’s MST3K.” Its Spanish language title is A Platicar a su Casa, which has been translated into English as Let’s Talk at Home, Do Your Talking at Home and similar titles.
Balladeer’s Blog has written a great deal about earlier Movie Host shows, from 1950s efforts like Vampira, Mad Marvin and others on up through Moona Lisa and Ghoulardi in the 60s and 70s to 1980s programs like Elvira’s Movie Macabre, Texas 27 Film Vault, Laraine Newman’s Canned Film Festival, etc,
The wisecracking hosts were Andres Bustamente and Trino Camacho, two legends in Mexican comedy. The jokes were what you would expect – shots at the poor quality and/or low budget of the films, their odd storylines plus some social and political commentary about life in Mexico. 
