Balladeer’s Blog
Balladeer’s Blog presents another Top Twenty list for 2020. This time it’s a look at the 20 Best Silver John Stories. If you’re not familiar with this neglected Pulp Hero created by Manly Wade Wellman, Silver John was a wandering musician who battled evil supernatural forces in the Appalachian Mountains of yore. His nickname comes from his pure silver guitar strings and the silver coins he wields in his war against darkness. Think Orpheus meets Kolchak. For more info click HERE
Silver John
O, UGLY BIRD! – In this debut Silver John story the heroic balladeer squares off against a vile man named Osmer. That villain dominates an isolated mountain community through his ability to send forth his soul in the form of a giant, hideous bird to prey on any who oppose him.
THE DESRICK ON YANDRO – Desricks are old mountain cabins dating back to Colonial times. Such cabins were heavily fortified against potential attacks from hostile Native Americans or wild animals. This particular desrick houses a powerful old witch and is guarded by a virtual army of horrific monsters. Silver John must face the Bammat (the last of the woolly mammoths) and the Toller (a deadly winged creature), plus others called the Culverin, the Flat, the Skim and the Behinder. Continue reading
Democrats usually reserve their vote fraud for the general elections, but beginning in 2016 they extended it to the primaries by robbing Bernie Sanders of the Democrats’ presidential nomination. Always innovative when it comes to robbing the voters of their choices, the Democrats have now extended their corruption of the voting process to the Iowa caucus. 
Heroic role model and member of Congress Tulsi Gabbard courageously spoke out about the corruption at the Democratic (sic) National Committee and elsewhere: “It’s clear that the corporate media, the military-industrial complex, and the party establishment are threatened by [my] message, because it challenges their grip on power. They will do everything to silence us, while also rigging the primary process for billionaire candidates who think they can bypass the kind of grassroots campaigning that is the fuel of our movement.” 
UP IN THE AIR AND DOWN IN THE SEA (1863) – Written by William S Hayward, this story was originally serialized in The Boy’s Journal from February to August of 1863. In 1865 it was published in novel form as The Cloud King. 
Years later, when Volans was a teenager, his parents moved the entire family to California to try to cash in on the Gold Rush. Victor took jobs to earn his own money and returned to his ballooning experiments. 
NCCAA Division Two – 1. GREAT LAKES CHRISTIAN COLLEGE CRUSADERS ### 2. JOHNSON (TN) UNIVERSITY ROYALS ### 3. GRACE CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY TIGERS ### 4. ARLINGTON BAPTIST UNIVERSITY PATRIOTS ### 5. CHAMPION CHRISTIAN COLLEGE TIGERS ### 
6. OZARK CHRISTIAN COLLEGE AMBASSADORS ### 7. MANHATTAN CHRISTIAN COLLEGE THUNDER ### 8. BOB JONES UNIVERSITY BRUINS ### 9. JOHNSON (FL) UNIVERSITY SUNS ### 10. CENTRAL CHRISTIAN COLLEGE OF THE BIBLE SAINTS (Should be the Heralds) ### 
Here at Balladeer’s Blog I often point out that American career politicians are nothing but career criminals. Democrat Joe Biden, head of the so-called Biden Crime Family, often comes to mind when American political corruption is discussed. 
“Due to continued pressure from the Vice President of the United States Joseph Biden to oust me from the job by blackmailing the allocation of financial assistance, I, as the man who places the State interests above my personal interests, I agreed to abandon the post of Prosecutor General of Ukraine.
Sylvester Stallone and the Expendables franchise join forces with independent comic book giants like Chuck Dixon, Graham Nolan and Richard C Meyer! As the promo says, “The creators of ROCKY and BANE tell a story of supernatural combat.” 
Anyway, per Sylvester Stallone’s own story, Barney Ross (Stallone) and his badass mercenary buddies wind up in Hell where they battle dark supernatural forces as well as some of the most vile figures from history in a joyously over-the-top action extravaganza! And it’s all presented by some of the boldest, most daring and iconoclastic talents working in comics today! 
NUMBER SEVEN TAKES A FALL – The 23rd ranked ARIZONA CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY FIRESTORM took it on the road against the number 7 team in the nation – THE MASTER’S UNIVERSITY MUSTANGS. The Firestorm made the Mustangs faithful nervous with a 54-47 Halftime lead, then consummated the Upset, winning the game 93-84. Tim Soares led ACU with a Double-Double of 23 points and 12 rebounds. 
… AND NUMBER EIGHT COMES TUMBLING AFTER – The number 12 LEWIS-CLARK STATE WARRIORS visited the 8th ranked PROVIDENCE (MT) ARGONAUTS yesterday. The Warriors (should be the Explorers) laid down the law in the 1st Half, leading 53-25 by the break. From there Lewis-Clark State authored a 96-65 beatdown led by 25 points from Trystan Bradley. Jake Albright logged a Double-Double of 13 points and 12 rebounds.
OTHER UPSETS IN THE RANKINGS – The UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE & ARTS OF OKLAHOMA DROVERS brought down the (10) JOHN BROWN UNIVERSITY GOLDEN EAGLES (should be the Abolitionists) in OT 90-84 ### Meanwhile the WILLIAM JESSUP UNIVERSITY WARRIORS beat the (18) HOPE INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY ROYALS 96-86 ### And the THOMAS MORE COLLEGE SAINTS won 69-60 at the (25) SHAWNEE STATE BEARS. 
KILLRAVEN GRAPHIC NOVEL (1983) 
February 1st has been designated World Hijab Day. It’s the day the world gets subjected to virtue-signaling, privileged white Western women who think they’re accomplishing something by dressing in the degrading body-bags that the patriarchal Muslim World imposes on women. Every time that happens I run this reminder: 
