Balladeer’s Blog takes another look at a political cartoon from Puck magazine (1871-1918), the famous humor magazine. For more Puck click HERE
This time around it’s the cover illustration from June 9th, 1897. The cartoon depicts a furious Father Knickerbocker breaking chains labeled “Raines Law” and “Hayseed Legislation” while the caption reads “Let Boss Platt beware: Father Knickerbocker is in training for this Sandow Act.”
Father Knickerbocker, then as now, was the symbol of New York. The figure was based on Washington Irving’s Diedrich Knickerbocker, the pseudonym under which he wrote his History of New York in 1809. That history was told from the alleged perspective of the old-line Dutch families who had settled New York before it was taken by the British.
There had actually been a Knickerbocker family in New York since the 1600s and the name appealed to Irving as being quintessentially Dutch-American.
Boss Platt was Thomas C Platt, successor to the corrupt Roscoe Conkling as the head of New York’s Republican Party Machine. (Tammany Hall, synonymous with political corruption, was still the name used for the state’s Democrat Party Machine)
Joseph Keppler at Puck magazine disdained Platt and the New York machine as much as he disdained Tammany Hall. The Raines Law chain being broken by Father Knickerbocker symbolized the Blue Law banning the sale of alcohol in New York on Sundays. Keppler held Boss Platt responsible for Raines Law and other parochial legislation known as Hayseed Legislation, the other chain being broken by Father Knickerbocker. Continue reading
With comic books and their film adaptations dominating pop culture right now it’s time once again for the OLDEST superhero team in history: DC’s Justice Society of America. FOR PART ONE CLICK 
ALL STAR COMICS #16 (April 1943) 
The JSA battles the Fifth Columnists and recruits a “Junior Justice Society of America” to keep alert for signs of Axis agents. Our heroes defeat Nazis at the Bolton Steel Works, the Brackus Coal Mine and a southern Defense Plant. 
CHROME AND HOT LEATHER (1971) THE one and only Marvin Gaye made his big-screen debut in this relentlessly absurd example of the bad biker films of the 1960s and 1970s. 
USCAA (United States Collegiate Athletic Association) Division One – 1. OAKWOOD UNIVERSITY AMBASSADORS ### 2. FLORIDA NATIONAL UNIVERSITY CONQUISTADORS ### 3. WASHINGTON ADVENTIST UNIVERSITY SHOCK ### 4. BRYANT & STRATTON COLLEGE AT BUFFALO BOBCATS ### 5. STRATFORD UNIVERSITY CARDINALS ### 
6. NEWPORT NEWS APPRENTICE SCHOOL BUILDERS (formerly the Shipbuilders) ### 7. FLORIDA COLLEGE FALCONS ### 8. BLUEFIELD STATE BIG BLUES ### 9. UNIVERSITY OF MAINE AT FORT KENT BENGALS ### 10. SILVER LAKE COLLEGE LAKERS ### 
As always Independent Voter site Balladeer’s Blog is the only site on the web that criticizes both major parties equally. Thoughts are turning toward the 2020 Presidential race here in the U.S. At this point the Republican candidate will likely be President Donald Trump. Meanwhile, everybody but the corpse of Lyndon Johnson seems to be announcing their candidacy on the Democrat side of the aisle. 
Getting back to O’Rourke, here’s a quick non-partisan take on what he has going for him. 
Dennis Quaid aka Furious DQ is the subject of this list of brief film reviews. Ignore Buzzfeed reports that Dairy Queen (DQ) is partnering with Balladeer’s Blog to sponsor a Dennis Quaid Film Festival in Rio. In fact, you should just ignore ALL Buzzfeed reports, period, at this point. 
THE BIG EASY (1986) 
GREAT BALLS OF FIRE (1989) 
WHY WAS MARTIN LUTHER KING DAY ESTABLISHED?
Anti-Trump loons have had a VERY bad last couple of days. The Fake News outlets of the Democrats ran with ANOTHER false story – this one about Trump supposedly ordering Cohen to lie ONLY TO HAVE ROBERT MUELLER HIMSELF PUBLICLY POINT OUT HOW WRONG IT WAS. 
DOWN GOES NUMBER EIGHT – The 20th ranked UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE & ARTS OF OKLAHOMA DROVERS played host to the number 8 team in the nation – the LANGSTON UNIVERSITY LIONS. By Halftime the Lions clung to a miniscule 45-44 edge but in the 2nd Half the Drovers came from behind to pull off an 89-86 Upset. Cameron Hines led the way for USAO with THIRTY points. 
OTHER UPSETS IN THE TOP TWENTY-FIVE – The UNIVERSITY OF THE CUMBERLANDS PATRIOTS edged the visiting (10) CAMPBELLSVILLE UNIVERSITY TIGERS in a 77-76 Instant Classic ### Meanwhile the (24) JOHN BROWN UNIVERSITY GOLDEN EAGLES (should be the Abolitionists) won a 73-72 thriller at the (14) WAYLAND BAPTIST UNIVERSITY PIONEERS ### And the LINDSEY WILSON COLLEGE BLUE RAIDERS toppled the (15) UNIVERSITY OF PIKEVILLE BEARS 88-78. 
CENTURY CLUB – Teams scoring 100 points or more in Regulation: The (21) ARIZONA CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY FIRESTORM defeated the MENLO COLLEGE OAKS 103-96 ### The (5) MASTER’S UNIVERSITY MUSTANGS downed the LIFE PACIFIC COLLEGE WARRIORS 104-96 ### And the OKLAHOMA CITY UNIVERSITY STARS put up 106 points to the 80 scored by the SOUTHWESTERN ASSEMBLIES OF GOD UNIVERSITY LIONS. 
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