BIETIGHEIM (1886) – ANCIENT SCIENCE FICTION/ ALTERNATE HISTORY

BietigheimBIETIGHEIM (1886) – Published anonymously in 1886 this work of alternate history accurately predicted some of the actual results and fallout of the coming First World War (1914-1918). Bietigheim is presented as a series of John Minor lectures about world history as seen from “futuristic” 1932.

First off, a summary of the book’s accurate predictions:

a) Tensions between Germany and assorted other nations cause a war that sweeps up many of the Great Powers as well as several other countries. 

b) American entry into the war proves decisive.

c) The German side loses the war.

d) The old European monarchies fall.

e) In the wake of Germany’s defeat a popular figure arises and rallies millions to him with his plans for the future of Europe and Russia.

Just before the 1890 outbreak of the war Germany and France are pushing their claims to Alsace-Lorraine, Italy is demanding Austria turn over portions of northern Italy, Great Britain and Russia are clashing over preeminence in India and Afghanistan, plus the Slavic nations are feuding with the Ottoman Muslim Turks over their own future and control of the Dardanelles. Continue reading

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JOE BIDEN: THE NATIONAL VEGETABLE

Biden corruptFrom Mad King George III to our present-day corrupt, senile and thoroughly creepy Joe Biden, history has thrown a lot of unhinged and detestable worms at us. 

Joe Biden dem in dementiaBIDEN’S LEAST HARMFUL LIE – Let’s start this blog post with some comic relief. Biden has lied and lied and lied relentlessly, with nationally damaging lies mixed in with almost harmless lies like his imagined battle with “a bad dude” called “Corn Pop.” (Remember, in Biden’s racist imaginings he is able to overcome stereotypical blaxploitation-level villains single-handed.)

              Recently the Daffy Democrat regaled his audience with a bizarre lie HILARIOUSLY exaggerating his performance at a Congressional Baseball Game of the past. In a game where he went 0-2, Biden became – in his feverish longings – a mighty hitter of almost Babe Ruth proportions. Considering how one of Biden’s fellow Democrats opened fire on opposition party Congressmen at a practice on the diamond a few years back, we’re lucky that Joe didn’t claim he was the trigger-man in that horrific incident. Give it time and he probably will.  

Tiny hands Joe Biden

Corrupt, senile, tiny-handed Joe Biden

BIDEN CONTINUES TO EMBODY POLITICAL CORRUPTION AS USUAL IN AMERICA – As the head of the Biden Crime Family, with his repulsive son Hunter as the underboss, Joe Biden embodies 48 years’ worth of American political corruption from the white collar criminals called Democrats and Republicans. The only true Reform President we’ve had in decades had to go for opposing the uniparty swamp, with Joe Biden selected but not elected, just like the equally disgusting George W Bush.

IS JOE BIDEN SENILE, DEMENTED OR JUST EXCEPTIONALLY STUPID? – It’s recognized around the world that Joe Biden is mentally unfit, but debate continues over the exact nature of his failings. He showed hostility to people of color long before now with his punitive and draconian legislation against them plus his war on the poor and the working class is not new, so those seem more like malice aforethought than senility.

captain pike

Captain Pike cosplaying as Joe Biden

With Biden’s other doddering behaviors, like stumbling on stairwells and wandering around lost and needing notes to answer the simplest questions, though, who could really say for sure? Continue reading

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ANALOG HORROR: “I AM SOPHIE” IS OVER

i am sophieRegular readers of Balladeer’s Blog know how interested I am in the various ARGs, Analog Horror projects and other forms of “Unfiction” that play out on the internet. Earlier this year I had fun looking back on completed projects like Analog Archives and Channel 7, both of which owed a lot to the ongoing work Local 58.

Many of these projects, especially The Magical World of Ania, display more daring and creativity than we’ve gotten in major movie releases and television shows in recent years. Similarly, I Am Sophie was unfolding as a meta-within-meta horror narrative that was on course to become one of THE best and most disturbing examples of Unfiction. Continue reading

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NATIVE CALIFORNIAN ON TRUMP AND CHINA

democrat republican or awakeHere at Independent Voter site Balladeer’s Blog I was intrigued by this video interview of a native Californian who lived in China for years and the experience made him feel that de facto Third Party President Donald Trump was right about China and other issues. The comments under the original video come from both pro and anti-Trump people. 

How living in China changed my view on Trump and US politics: Californian native – YouTube

 

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MARVEL MANIA

mascot sword and gun pic

BALLADEER’S BLOG

At present pop culture is still Marvel’s world given how their superheroes continue to dominate movies and streaming services. Readers have been asking for a convenient one-stop blog post to use as an access point for Balladeer’s Blog’s assorted Marvel Comics articles, so here we go.

SHANG-CHI: HIS FIRST TWELVE ADVENTURES – Shang-Chi, the Master of Kung Fu, is set to star in the upcoming movie Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. This blog post covered his “senses-shattering origin” (R.I.P. Stan Lee) plus his first dozen stories, featuring his villainous father, his adopted brother Midnight (M’Nai), Black Jack Tarr and more. Click HERE

kang bid tomorrowKANG THE CONQUEROR, MANTIS AND THE CELESTIAL MADONNA SAGA – Plenty of Easter Eggs point to Kang’s imminent debut in Marvel movies and/ or tv shows, plus his true love Ravonna Renslayer has already debuted. Kang’s alias as Rama Tut even showed up in X-Men: Apocalypse.

              Mantis, though a member of the Guardians of the Galaxy in the films, started out as an Avenger in the 1970s. For my detailed look at her first appearance on up through her starring role in the original Celestial Madonna Saga click HERE.  TO JUMP STRAIGHT TO THE KANG PART CLICK HERE. For Mantis’ role in the first THANOS WAR click HERE and HERE.

AGATHA HARKNESS AND THE SCARLET WITCH – Their first meeting HERE.

adam warlock poseADAM WARLOCK, THANOS, GAMORA AND THE MAGUS – And speaking of Thanos, and with Adam Warlock having been hinted at since the first Guardians of the Galaxy movie, here’s another 1970s Young Adult Classic from Marvel. Adam took on his vile other self the Magus, his galaxy-spanning 1,000-world empire and Thanos in his first post-Thanos War appearance. Plus Gamora’s very first appearance. Click HERE.

KIT HARINGTON’S BLACK KNIGHT – This post covered Marvel’s various incarnations of the Black Knight, from the heroic figure who fought in the Crusades through the modern-day supervillain version who fought the Avengers to his nephew Dane Whitman (Kit Harington), who became a hero and redeemed the family honor. Click HERE.

killraven poseKILLRAVEN – The heroic rebel leader and his Freemen take on Earth’s alien invaders on a war-torn post-apocalyptic world crawling with extraterrestrial tyrants and assorted mutated menaces. Click HERE.

THE X-MEN – For the first twenty stories of the ORIGINAL 1963 X-Men, featuring their initial encounters with Magneto, Juggernaut, the Mimic and the Sentinels, click HERE. For the NEW (Wolverine, Storm & Phoenix) X-Men from 1975 click HERE.

BLADE THE VAMPIRE SLAYER – With his own tv series on the way, here’s his early tales, from 1973-1983. Click HERE. Continue reading

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FIVE TERRIFIC ALTERNATIVES TO BIG TECH FASCIST SITES

freedom of expression amnesty internationalHere at Balladeer’s Blog I’ve made multiple posts about the way that today’s Big Tech fascists are even worse than the old Robber Barons of the 19th Century. Here are five great sites to use instead. 

GETTR.COM – This new site calls itself “The marketplace of ideas.” And as we all know, that means that the Big Tech sites run by privileged white male one-percenter fascists like Jack Dorsey and Mark Zuckerberg will be trying to go after their servers as well as trying every other ugly method against this new competitor. Click HERE

INFOGALACTIC.COM – Called “The planetary knowledge core,” Infogalactic.com proves you don’t ever need to use W-pedia OR the g-word. Well, you can use the g-word if you want search results that prioritize sites which PAY the g-barons to place them higher than sites that are actually more relevant to your search. And unlike W-pedia, Infogalactic.com doesn’t allow fools with an axe to grind to “edit” entries. Click HERE. Continue reading

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HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY 2021

American flagBalladeer’s Blog wishes a happy birthday to the USA! What happened in early July of 1776 certainly needs no rehashing so in keeping with my blog’s theme of addressing more out of the way subjects this post will examine various events that took place on other July 4ths throughout American history.

JULY 4TH, 1778 – George Rogers Clark led his rebel forces in taking the British stronghold of Kaskaskia, near the confluence of the Mississippi and Kaskaskia Rivers. Clark and his Rangers were on a mission for then-Virginia Governor Patrick Henry.

JULY 4TH, 1783 – The Massachusetts Supreme Court is finalizing its written decision holding that slavery has been illegal in the state since adoption of the Massachusetts Declaration of Rights in 1780. Continue reading

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Filed under Neglected History, opinion, Revolutionary War

1776: FOURTH OF JULY MUSICAL

1776-musical-movieIt may be my fondness for mythology that makes me love to watch particular movies around particular holidays.  I say that because many of the well- known myths were recited on ancient holidays when their subject matter was relevant to those holidays. The stories helped accentuate the meaning of the special events and that’s the way I use various movies.

At Christmas I watch countless variations of A Christmas Carol, around Labor Day I watch Matewan and Eight Men Out, at Halloween, naturally, horror films like the original  Nightmare On Elm Street, Thanksgiving Eve I do Oliver! and for Frontierado (which is just a month away now) I do Silverado.

Since the actual 4th of July is loaded with activity I always show 1776 on the night before. It’s a great way to get in the mood for Independence Day. It’s a musical but with brilliant dialogue portions and the story involves the political maneuvering  surrounding the Original Thirteen Colonies at last announcing their independence from Great Britain, more than a year after  the shots fired at Lexington and Concord started the war.

The story is excellently conveyed and is moving, comical, invigorating and poignant all at once. As long as you know which parts of the tale are depicted accurately and which are complete b.s. it’s a terrific way to spend each 3rd of July evening. Continue reading

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THE FIRST 20 UNCLE SAM SUPERHERO STORIES FROM THE 1940s

As the 4th of July approaches, Balladeer’s Blog presents one last red, white and blue-themed superhero – Uncle Sam, from Quality Comics. For over 20 more Quality Comics heroes click HERE.

uncle samUNCLE SAM

Secret Identity: Ezra Smith (assumed name)

First Appearance: National Comics #1 (July 1940) His final Golden Age appearance came in 1944.

Origin: During the Revolutionary War, a dying American soldier named Sam (last name unknown) felt such a fervent desire to continue fighting for the new country that he assumed supernatural status. Over the decades he incarnated as Uncle Sam whenever the United States needed him.

In 1940 he appeared to young Buddy Smith, whose father Ezra was just killed for opposing a Fascist organization called the Purple Shirts. Uncle Sam defeated that group and became Buddy’s substitute father, pretending to be his late father Ezra to legal authorities.

uncle sam againPowers: This hero had Superman-level strength and invulnerability. He could fly in a sense by making enormous Hulk-sized leaps. He had a mystic ability to know where he would be needed. Due to his supernatural nature, Uncle Sam could not be photographed or filmed.

Comment: When he was no longer needed in a given time period, this hero faded away, to once again incarnate during the next period of crisis for the country.

national comics 1NATIONAL COMICS #1 (July 1940)

Title: The Coming of Uncle Sam

Villains: The Purple Shirts

Synopsis: The origin of Uncle Sam, including his “adoption” of Buddy Smith, the scrappy kid in short pants depicted on the cover. Uncle Sam wages war on the Purple Shirts army, which is being financed by an unnamed – but obvious – foreign power.

Our hero invades the Purple Shirts’ secret stronghold at Box Valley in the southern Rocky Mountains. Uncle Sam clobbers the villains and rescues the U.S. President, whom they kidnapped earlier in a commando raid. Continue reading

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AND EVEN MORE NEGLECTED BATTLES FROM THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR

american flag revo warThe 4th of July is coming up soon so why not do another seasonal post? The format of my recent look at some overlooked American victories from the Revolutionary War was pretty popular with readers, so in that same format here’s a look at some victories AND defeats from 1778.

george rogers clarkMAY 15th, 1778 – George Rogers Clark and his troops seize the British base at Cahokia on the Mississippi River near what is now East Saint Louis, IL. This officially kicks off Clark’s campaign to take control of America’s northwest frontier (of the time) away from the British. The campaign was begun at the behest of Virginia’s Governor Patrick Henry.

MAY 30th, 1778 – British-educated Mohawk Chief Joseph Brant leads a combined force of 300 Iroquois and British Loyalists against 60 militiamen and Continental Soldiers who were defending Cobleskill, NY. Brant’s army wins, resulting in the looting and burning of Cobleskill.

JULY 3rd, 1778 – At what became called the Wyoming Valley Massacre in Northern Pennsylvania, British Loyalist Colonel John Butler leads 574 combined British Loyalists and Mohawk Indians against 360 Americans under Colonel Zebulon Butler. The Americans lose and the British Loyalists allow the Mohawks to torture to death surviving Americans who could not avoid capture. Roughly 340 of the original 360 men were killed, either in battle or by slow torture.   

JULY 4th, 1778 – George Rogers Clark and his American army attack and capture the British post at Kaskaskia, IL at the confluence of the Kaskaskia and Mississippi Rivers. Continue reading

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