August 24, 2025 · 10:31 am

COLLEGE FOOTBALL RESULTS FROM AUGUST TWENTY-THIRD

The 2025 college football season kicked off yesterday in a few of the divisions covered here at Balladeer’s Blog. Even more teams will start their 2025 season this Thursday and Saturday.

NSAC

*** What was supposed to be the inaugural game in the new league the NSAC – the ATLANTIS UNIVERSITY ATLANTEANS hosting the SOUTH FLORIDA TECHNICAL COLLEGE WILDCATS – was postponed yesterday over the weather. All of the NSAC teams will play next Saturday.

NJCAA

MANHANDLED – The TYLER COLLEGE APACHES welcomed the DODGE CITY COLLEGE CONQUISTADORS in this game. The Apaches dominated Dodge City College on both sides of the ball and led by a score of 17-7 come Halftime. After the break, Tyler left the Conquistadors even further behind in an authoritative 27-7 rout. 

HI, CHAPARRALS! – This game saw the COLLEGE OF DUPAGE CHAPARRALS take on the visiting ROCHESTER (MN) TECHNICAL COLLEGE YELLOW JACKETS. Usually a close rivalry game, this year’s edition of their clash was all Chaparrals to a degree that Rochester TC should just burn the game tape and deny being in Illinois yesterday. The College of DuPage won SIXTY to FOURTEEN! Continue reading →

8 Comments

Filed under college football

Tagged as , , , ,

August 23, 2025 · 9:08 pm

ANCIENT SCIENCE FICTION: THE THAMES VALLEY CATASTROPHE (1884)

London in ruinsTHE THAMES VALLEY CATASTROPHE (1884) – Written by Grant Allen. The story is presented in the form of a memoir about the destruction of London as seen from “the futuristic” 20th Century.  

“Back” in 1884 a Londoner familiar with lava eruptions and flows that happened in the American West in the past tries – in what would become a trope of later disaster movies – to warn the authorities that danger lurks. Needless to say his warnings go unheeded and lava erupts in the Thames Valley. Continue reading →

12 Comments

Filed under Ancient Science Fiction

Tagged as , , , , , ,

August 23, 2025 · 12:01 am

DEATHLOK: HIS 1970s STORIES

This weekend’s escapist, light-hearted superhero post here at Balladeer’s Blog looks at Marvel’s short-lived dystopian sci-fi series Deathlok the Demolisher.

ASTONISHING TALES Vol 1 #25 (Aug 1974)

Title: A Cold Knight’s Frenzy

Villain: Simon Ryker

Synopsis: This was another of Marvel’s inventive but short-lived sci-fi series of the 1970s and it introduced the character Deathlok (spelled without the “c” for style points I guess). This was the original Deathlok, Colonel Luther Manning, a slain American army officer brought back to life as part-cyborg, part preserved corpse.

Manning is brought back in this tormented form by Simon Ryker, one of the oppressive rulers of 1990s America. Remember, in 1974 the 1990s were still in the future. The premise of this Deathlok series was that a failed corporate coup during the 1980s had caused America to splinter into rival factions, some ruled by the military, some by the C.I.A. and some by other groups we meet as the series progresses.

Luther Manning as Deathlok is an antihero fighting the many forces of evil in the dystopian America of his time period. He uses his military savvy, high-tech weapons and cyborg abilities in that struggle. Continue reading →

8 Comments

Filed under Superheroes

Tagged as , , , , , ,

August 22, 2025 · 7:32 am

AUGUST TWENTY-SECOND ROUNDUP OF NEWS, MEMES AND POLITICAL CARTOONS

Time once again for a current events roundup from Independent Voter Site Balladeer’s Blog.

An arrested drunk? Nope, it’s the alleged judge.

APPEALS COURT THROWS OUT THE JUDGMENT AGAINST PRESIDENT TRUMP THAT WAS IMPOSED BY CORRUPT “JUDGE” ARTHUR ENGORON AND NEW YORK ATTORNEY GENERAL LETITIA JAMES DURING THE DEMOCRATS’ LAWFARE ATTEMPTS TO SABOTAGE TRUMP’S CAMPAIGN FOR REELECTION. Political hack Engoron was overturned AGAIN as rational people knew would happen from the beginning.

        Democrats flushed the justice system down the toilet in their unhinged political persecution of President Trump. The cases against him were clearly travesties all along. 

TRUMP WIN HAILED AS A VICTORY FOR “NOT JUST TRUMP, BUT FOR ALL AMERICANS HARMED BY THE FAR LEFT’S ILLEGAL LAWFARE.”   Marlow laid it out HERE. 

PRESIDENT TRUMP ADDS HIS OPINION ON THE OUTCOME. Needless to say, he doesn’t mince words. More HERE.

DHS AND ICE ANNOUNCE ARREST OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT JONATAN MONZON-OLIVARES, WHO ALREADY HAS THIRTY-EIGHT ARRESTS AND FIFTEEN CONVICTIONS, INCLUDING SEXUAL ASSAULT. “Under the Biden Administration, serial criminal illegal aliens were allowed to terrorize Americans. We are restoring law and order and putting the safety of Americans first. No longer is America a safe haven for the world’s criminals.”

BIDEN-HARRIS REGIME EXPOSED FOR IGNORING RED FLAGS ON THEIR ABUSE OF THE AUTOPEN FOR THEIR ILLEGIT PARDONS, ETC. A scandal the Democrats continue trying to distract from, along with the way we had an unfit buffoon being paraded before the cameras as “president” while unelected and still unknown figures made presidential decisions.

DNI TULSI GABBARD COMMENDED FOR HER WORK IN CLEANING UP AMERICA’S POLITICIZED THREE-LETTER AGENCIES. More HERE. She continues to investigate the Russia Hoax against Trump HERE.

DEMOCRAT MEDIA OUTLET THE NEW YORK TIMES WARNS THAT THE PARTY IS LOSING REGISTERED VOTERS BY CRISIS PROPORTIONS. More HERE. That can happen when your political party becomes a combination of fascists and the Mafia.  Continue reading →

16 Comments

Filed under Anti-Donald Trump hysteria, LIBERALS AND CONSERVATIVES, Neglected History, opinion

Tagged as , , , , , , , , ,

August 21, 2025 · 11:23 pm

GLEN OR GLENDA (1953) ON THE TEXAS 27 FILM VAULT

In the middle 1980s, way down on Level 31 Randy and Richard, machine-gun toting Film Vault Technicians First Class (EO6) hosted this neglected cult show that debuted on February 9th, 1985. Balladeer’s Blog continues its celebration of the program’s 40th anniversary year.

EPISODE’S ORIGINAL BROADCAST DATE: Unknown but definitely before May of 1986. One of the old newspaper articles from early May of that year refers to Glen or Glenda as one of the movies having already been shown on The Texas 27 Film Vault. Anyone with more specific info feel free to contact me.

The Texas 27 Film Vault aired on Saturday nights from 10:30pm to 1:00am. The show was broadcast throughout Texas and Oklahoma.   

SERIAL: Unknown. Again, if you have info feel free to contact me. If this episode aired near the date of the newspaper article mentioned above then Radar Men from the Moon was the serial airing before the movies during that point in 1986. The article makes that clear.

THE MOVIE: Glen or Glenda is so well known I’m sure I don’t need to say much about it. It was Ed Wood’s infamous semi-autobiographical movie about his love of wearing women’s clothing. Incidentally – very incidentally in terms of footage – the movie also touched on the topic of sex-change operations because of the highly publicized 1950s case of Christine Jorgensen. Continue reading →

8 Comments

Filed under Bad and weird movies, Movie Hosts

Tagged as , , , , , ,

August 21, 2025 · 11:17 am

BARBARY COAST (1975-1976) FORGOTTEN TELEVISION

BARBARY COAST (1975-1976) – William Shatner was the main draw for this series set in 1800s San Francisco and its Barbary Coast section famed for gambling, crime, gunfights, brawls, partying and dance hall girls. Shatner starred as Jeff Cable, hero of the Union Army during the Civil War, now serving as a special government agent like Robert Conrad’s character in The Wild, Wild West.

Barbary Coast captured the same “Old West James Bond” appeal of the Conrad series combined with the same creative team’s similar series Bearcats from 1971. Dennis Cole, co-star of Bearcats, played Shatner’s reluctant partner, casino owner Cash Conover in the Barbary Coast pilot movie but was replaced by Doug McClure for the series.

Fans of The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr. and Wildside (reviewed previously here at Balladeer’s Blog) would likely enjoy this series.

BARBARY COAST (May 4th, 1975) – This 2-hour telefilm was directed by the one and only Bill Bixby, who also made a cameo appearance. Jeff Cable (Shatner), West Point Graduate and Civil War hero fresh off fighting the Democrat Party’s hate group the Ku Klux Klan for President Ulysses S. Grant, arrives in San Francisco. Cable’s new mission is to shut down the Crusaders, an organization of Klan members who moved west and started their plot to become California’s version of the KKK. Continue reading →

18 Comments

Filed under Forgotten Television, FRONTIERADO

Tagged as , , , , , ,

August 20, 2025 · 8:20 pm

CCCAA COLLEGE FOOTBALL RANKINGS FROM BALLADEER’S BLOG

The divisions of college football covered here kick off their 2025 season on August 23rd, so here is my last look at preseason rankings.

CCCAA (California Community College Athletic Association)

*** 1. MT. SAN ANTONIO COLLEGE MOUNTIES    ###    2. COLLEGE OF SAN MATEO BULLDOGS (defending champs)    ###    3. RIVERSIDE CITY COLLEGE TIGERS    ###    4. BUTTE COLLEGE ROADRUNNERS    ###   

5. GOLDEN WEST COLLEGE RUSTLERS    ###    6. EL CAMINO COLLEGE WARRIORS    ###    7. BAKERSFIELD COLLEGE RENEGADES    ###    8. COLLEGE OF THE SEQUOIAS GIANTS    ###    Continue reading →

10 Comments

Filed under college football

Tagged as , , , , ,

August 20, 2025 · 10:25 am

NEWS, MEMES AND POLITICAL CARTOONS ROUNDUP: AUGUST TWENTIETH

Independent Voter Site Balladeer’s Blog does another current events roundup.

DEMOCRAT MEDIA OUTLETS ABSURDLY TRY TO SPIN ANTI-TRUMP NARRATIVE OUT OF THE PRAISE THAT WORLD LEADERS SHOWERED PRESIDENT TRUMP WITH OVER HIS PEACE EFFORTS BETWEEN UKRAINE AND RUSSIA. Finland’s President Alex Stubb even dissed Joe Biden by emphatically stating “I think in the past two weeks we’ve probably had more progress in ending this war than in the past three and a half years.” More HERE.

ZELENSKY PRESENTS TRUMP WITH A SPECIAL PUTTER GIFTED BY A UKRAINIAN SOLDIER WHO SUFFERED AMPUTATION. 

PRESIDENT TRUMP MAKES THE U.K. DROP ITS DEMAND THAT APPLE PROVIDE THE U.K. GOVERNMENT WITH AMERICAN USERS’ ENCRYPTED DATA. Starmer was way out of line for ever trying to get that from Apple.

KAROLINE LEAVITT BRAVELY TORCHES THE IRRATIONAL, OVER THE TOP DEMOCRAT MEDIA LIES ABOUT THE ALASKA SUMMIT BETWEEN TRUMP AND PUTIN. She said it perfectly. More HERE.

CONGRESSMAN BUDDY CARTER STATES “ONLY DONALD TRUMP” COULD MOVE PUTIN AND ZELENSKY TOWARD PEACE. Carter further stated “He (Trump) has done more to negotiate peace in the last eight months than anyone in the history of the world.”

DEMOCRAT MAYOR OF BOSTON AGAIN REFUSES TO COOPERATE WITH ICE. THE DHS RESPONDS.

DEMOCRAT GOVERNOR OF ILLINOIS AUTHORIZES TAXPAYER FUNDS TO PAY FOR ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS TO ATTEND IN-STATE UNIVERSITIES, BUT NOT CITIZENS. Pure spite seems to drive the Democrats’ “Illegal immigrants uber alles” actions these days. Continue reading →

10 Comments

Filed under Anti-Donald Trump hysteria, LIBERALS AND CONSERVATIVES, Neglected History, opinion

Tagged as , , , , , , , , ,

August 19, 2025 · 7:40 pm

KARATE GIRL (1973) BAD MOVIE REVIEW

KARATE GIRL aka Karateci Kiz (1973) – As fans of Psychotronic movies know, Turkish cinema’s imitations of B-movies from around the world are known for very eccentric acting and for ignoring international copyright laws.

Turkish Star Wars has long been a favorite of Turksploitation fans but most of us were introduced to the country’s Psychotronic cinema via their home grown costumed crimefighter called Killing or through the movie 3 Dev Adam (1973). Three Divine Men or Three Giant Men as it’s called in English featured the U.S.A.’s Captain America and Mexico’s El Santo teaming up against Spider-Man, who for some reason was depicted as an international criminal.

The Turkish “screw you” attitude when it came to the fact that they didn’t own the trademarks to those three figures added to the bizarre charm. Similarly, Turkish films appropriated whatever music they wanted to use in their productions. For instance, Karate Girl shamelessly uses the Shaft music to accompany its martial arts revenge storyline.

Turkish superstar Filiz Akin stars in Karate Girl as Zeynep, a beautiful young woman who sells flowers to raise money for an operation to fix her vocal chords so she can talk. Zeynep lives with her good-natured father, who verbalizes to the viewers what his mute daughter’s personal sign language means. Continue reading →

10 Comments

Filed under Bad and weird movies

Tagged as , , , , ,

August 19, 2025 · 6:29 am

NORTHWEST SMITH: LIKE HAN SOLO IN THE UNIVERSE OF THE ALIEN FRANCHISE

Female author C.L. Moore’s space traveling smuggler of the 2500s A.D. – Northwest Smith – was like a 1930s forerunner of Han Solo but set in a forerunner of the Alien franchise’s gritty universe.

THE HERO: Space traveling anti-hero Smith was created by the female writer C.L. Moore in the 1930s. Four decades before Han Solo, Northwest Smith was a ruthless swashbuckling smuggler, thief and all-around mercenary. Smith’s less than sterling character made him a refreshing change from the usually wholesome pulp heroes of the time.  

THE STORIES: Northwest Smith’s adventures take place in the far future, when regular trade exists between Earth and the native inhabitants of Mars and Venus. The other planets in the solar system have been colonized by those Big Three worlds. Wielding a blaster like a six-gun and piloting his deceptively fast and maneuverable spaceship The Maid, Smith and his Venusian partner Yarol roam the solar system making a living by plying various illegal trades.

My reviews of their 13 stories from back in 2014:

SHAMBLEAU (1933) – While trying to lie low between smuggling runs, Northwest Smith stays in New Chicago, a dangerous Martian hotel with a deadly clientelle. Walking the nighttime streets, he saves an eerily seductive woman from a mob who want her dead for being one of the sinister race called the Shambleau. Can Yarol save Smith from himself as the Shambleau lures him into deeper and madder indulgences? Click HERE.   

BLACK THIRST (1934) – On Yarol’s home world Venus, he parties with old criminal associates while Northwest gets into trouble of his own. Smith gets on the bad side of the Mingas, a caste of glorified alien pimps who run their harems of biologically altered women from their Hutt-like lair Far-Thursa Castle. One of the genetically engineered temptresses wants Northwest to help her escape the Mingas, and Smith, thinking purely with his man-parts, tries to oblige. Click HERE. Continue reading →

14 Comments

Filed under Pulp Heroes

Tagged as , , , , , ,