WEEK TWO OF THE 2018 COLLEGE FOOTBALL SEASON STARTS TONIGHT

Last Thursday kicked off the 2018 college football season in the NAIA and the NJCAA. Tonight NCAA Divisions 2 and 3 join the action. Among tonight’s games are plenty of clashes between ranked teams.

NCAA DIVISION TWO

IUP Crimson HawksThe number 4 team in the nation – the INDIANA UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA CRIMSON HAWKS – will be on the road against the 16th ranked ASHLAND UNIVERSITY EAGLES.

This game has a 7:00pm Eastern Time kickoff. 

Central MissouriThe 19th ranked UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL MISSOURI MULES travel to take on the number 9 FORT HAYS STATE TIGERS in a sure gridiron bloodbath.

Look for this game to kick off at 8:00pm Eastern Time. Continue reading

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PRESIDENTIAL LOSERS – PROS AND CONS

mascot new look donkey and elephant headsOver the years Balladeer’s Blog’s irreverent, tongue-in-cheek looks at the pros and cons of U.S. Presidents have been among my most visited items.

Here’s an encore request for my look at the pros and cons of the LOSERS who were left in a defeated heap enroute to the Oval Office. In reverse order back to just before Tilden:

hillary-clinton-haitiHILLARY CLINTON (Lost to President Donald Trump)

Motto: “When the money keeps rolling in (to your fake charity), what’s a girl to do? Skim a little (well, quite a lot, actually) off the top for expenses wouldn’t you?”

Nickname: The Rapist’s Wife/ Crooked Hillary 

Hillary clinton dough nationPro: Her childish refusal to address her own supporters the night Donald Trump utterly humiliated her provided a look at how truly petty, shallow and classless she is. 

Con: She and her fascist followers tried to threaten the members of the Electoral College into casting their votes for her instead of Trump, thereby reaching the absolute lowest and most disgusting level that any American politician has ever sunk to. 

MITT ROMNEY (Lost to Obama)

Motto: “Pushing women back to the Fifties … the EIGHTEEN fifties!”

Nickname: The Mormon Mondale/ Ol’ Sploog Face (tie)

Pro: His even more pathetic running mate Paul Ryan actually made him look good by comparison. 

Con: Was so thoroughly inept he managed to lose to Barack Obama even after voters saw what a disaster he was. 

John Mccain cheatingJOHN “Let’s fight wars all over the world” MCCAIN (Lost to Obama)

Motto: “I didn’t spend years in the pockets of the McCain Foundation’s billionaire donors just to watch a candidate even MORE deeply in their pockets beat me … but once Barack did I was happy to kiss his butt!”

Nickname: The Crooked Politician Most Deserving of Contracting Brain Cancer. (Don’t blame me! I’m just the messenger. I can’t help what people call him.) Besides, his nauseating way of behaving like a prick then basically saying “You wouldn’t insult a man who has brain cancer, would ya” is so typical of this bought and paid for Republican worm.

Mccain and sorosPro: Soon he will no longer be able to betray his constituents in exchange for bribes.  (NOTE: This post was originally put up back in February)

Con: Is often linked to stories about how he collaborated with his North Vietnamese captors to the detriment of his fellow prisoners, some of whom were beaten to death. And refuses to okay the unsealing of his POW files despite frequent calls to do so. Hmmmm.

Plus this racist did more than anyone else to prevent America from having its first African-American president. And he’ll probably use his impending death to take petty shots at his political enemies since he lacks all integrity.

John McCain hypocrisyNEW NOTE: Hey, I was right! John “Songbird” McCain and his equally worthless daughter DID use his passing and his funeral for cheap shots at people, relying on people’s courtesy over the passing of an alleged human being to prevent them from striking back. The kind of courtesy that a subhuman like McCain would never show anyone else.  

John McCain sleazyJohn McCain was filth and the world is a much better place for him no longer being in it. He was a well-known whore and given how he pathetically exploited his disease and his impending death there is no need for anyone to regret pointing out what an utterly useless man he was. Good riddance, Songbird! EVERYONE KNOWS PEOPLE ONLY PRAISED YOU BECAUSE YOU HATED PRESIDENT TRUMP. YOUR CORPSE MADE A CONVENIENT POLITICAL CLUB TO BE USED BY PEOPLE AS LOW AS YOU ALWAYS WERE. Even the worms will gag on your worthless carcass … but I kid vermin like Songbird McCain. Now back to the list of other presidential losers like McCain:

JOHN KERRY (Lost to George W Bush) Continue reading

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ELEVEN MORE COOL FOOTBALL HELMETS

North East Grape PickersNORTH EAST GRAPEPICKERS

Comment: The stylish look of the N and the E sold me on these helmets immediately.

The unique team name “The Grapepickers” turned things up to eleven in terms of the coolness factor, making them a cinch for this list.

Northampton Konkrete KidsNORTHAMPTON KONKRETE KIDS

Comment: The Kids are far more than just “alright.”

And the spelling “Konkrete” to go with the “Kids” only adds to the already considerable charm of this entire setup. Ya gotta love the Konkrete Kids!

Danville IronmenDANVILLE IRONMEN

Comment: Instead of Boyz II Men we’ve just gone from (Konkrete) Kids II (Iron)men.

I know, that’s a pretty lame segue-way into what may be the coolest helmets on this latest examination of them.  Continue reading

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FLASHMAN ITEM: “SO HOW WOULD I HAVE HANDLED HIS CIVIL WAR ADVENTURES?”

Battle Cry of Flashman Shadow RidersI guess technically this could have been one of my Ask Balladeer segments. Some readers and fellow Harry Flashman fans reacted to my speculative look at what George MacDonald Fraser might have had in mind for Flashman’s U.S. Civil War adventures by asking me how I’d have handled it. Some were just curious, others were ticked off that I dared to criticize what I saw as Fraser forcing Harry into WAY too many Civil War incidents. So here we go with how I’d have handled it:

Last time around I said my prospective title would be The Battle Cry of Flashman as a play on The Battle Cry of Freedom.  I’d have limited Harry’s involvement to part of 1862 and part of 1863. I would also have avoided having Harry – a British Cavalry Officer – outrightly joining American armies.   

Selleck 2THE SET-UP: In February or March of 1862 Flashman has been back in England with his wife Elspeth since the spring of 1861, following his involvement in the Taranaki War in New Zealand.

Queen Victoria’s government is pondering whether or not to recognize the Confederate States of America, which broke away from the Union nearly a year earlier. The fate of nations hangs on this. Official recognition of the Confederacy may well enable them to win, just like the original 13 Colonies were helped against England by recognition from France. Continue reading

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POLITICAL CARTOONS: AUGUST 27th

Here’s a roundup of some recent ones.

Facebook cartoon

Free speech 6

Mr Goodwrench

Continue reading

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BONNIE RAITT WITH DENNIS QUAID: THING CALLED LOVE

Seeing Dennis Quaid in that insurance commercial that’s been getting frequent airplay put me in mind of his appearance in the video for the Bonnie Raitt song Thing Called Love. So here’s a Give Them A Shoutout Before They’re Dead segment that’s technically for Bonnie Raitt.  

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COLLEGE FOOTBALL RESULTS FROM AUGUST 25th

*** NAIA ***

Marian Knights helmet newDOWN GOES NUMBER SIX – The 15th ranked MARIAN UNIVERSITY KNIGHTS welcomed the number 6 team in the nation – the SAINT XAVIER UNIVERSITY COUGARS. The Knights proceeded to annihilate the Cougars, leading them 17-0 in the 1st Quarter and 38-0 at Halftime. After the break Saint Xavier University mustered just 7 points in the 3rd Quarter while Marian University added 14 more in the 4th for a FIFTY-TWO to SEVEN blowout. 

Cumberlands_KYOTHER UPSETS IN THE TOP TWENTY-FIVE – The UNIVERSITY OF THE CUMBERLANDS PATRIOTS were on the road against the 11th ranked SOUTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY FIRE and slipped past them in a 27-26 Instant Classic   ###    And the number 24 FAULKNER UNIVERSITY EAGLES traveled to upset the 19th ranked CAMPBELLSVILLE UNIVERSITY TIGERS 16-10.

Southwestern CollegeLOVING THE SEVENTIES – The SOUTHWESTERN COLLEGE MOUNDBUILDERS hosted the GRACELAND UNIVERSITY YELLOW JACKETS yesterday and eviscerated them SEVENTY-SIX to FOURTEEN   ###    And the 12th ranked BENEDICTINE COLLEGE RAVENS sent their guests the BETHANY COLLEGE SWEDES back home reeling from a SEVENTY-FIVE to SEVEN beatdown. Just burn the game tape and deny the game ever happened, Bethany.   Continue reading

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THE PRISONER: MANY HAPPY RETURNS

Balladeer’s Blog continues its examination of the 1967 science fiction/ existential drama The Prisoner. For Part One, in which I examined the themes and concepts at play in the series click  HERE 

Many Happy ReturnsEpisode Title: MANY HAPPY RETURNS … In the ongoing debate about the exact numbering of the 17 episodes of The Prisoner I place this as the 7th episode.

This is the most relentlessly downbeat installment of The Prisoner saga.

The Story: The Prisoner wakes up on his own, rather than being awakened by the usual syrupy-sweet broadcast of the Village’s “good morning” message. That is odd, but what is odder is the way that there is no running water as our protagonist discovers when he tries to take his morning shower.

Many Happy Returns 2Number Six gets dressed and ventures outside but finds the entire prison-city deserted. The automatic doors don’t work either, because all the power is out, but the doors can be pushed open since they are not locking like they usually do.

Our hero has access to all of the food and bottled water of the Village’s stores so he is in no immediate danger. In a well-rendered moment of irony this most anti-social of characters actually seems to wistfully miss a little human contact after awhile.    Continue reading

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COLLEGE FOOTBALL RESULTS FROM AUGUST 23rd

The 2018 college football season kicked off last night in the divisions covered here at Balladeer’s Blog!

NAIA

Bethel (TN) WildcatsNUMBER TWO TAKES A FALL – The number 2 team in the nation – the REINHARDT UNIVERSITY EAGLES (Should be the Rottweilers) – traveled to face the BETHEL (TN) WILDCATS. The Wildcats put the Eagles on Upset Alert early on by seizing a 21-7 1st Quarter lead.

By Halftime Reinhardt University had pulled to within 24-21, calming their fans for a time. After the break Bethel University’s Defense stepped up big, shutting out the Eagles the entire 2nd Half while adding 7 more points of their own for a 31-21 shocker.

Evangel CrusadersCRUSADE IN MISSOURI – The EVANGEL UNIVERSITY CRUSADERS also knocked off a ranked visitor last night. They welcomed the 22nd ranked SOUTHWESTERN ASSEMBLIES OF GOD UNIVERSITY LIONS and made their own case to be ranked. The Crusaders led the Lions 7-0 after 1 Quarter of play, then 21-3 at the Half. A scoreless 3rd Quarter was followed by an action-packed 4th to make the final score Evangel U 28  SAGU 9. 

Rocky Mountain CollegeROCKY MOUNTAIN HIGH – The number 20 ROCKY MOUNTAIN COLLEGE BATTLIN’ BEARS hosted the CARROLL (MT) COLLEGE FIGHTING SAINTS last night. After a scoreless opening Quarter the Battlin’ Bears took a 13-0 lead into the locker room at Halftime. Rocky Mountain College made it a 19-0 game to end the 3rd Quarter while the Defenses shone in the 4th to make 19-zip the final score as well. Continue reading

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DEMOCRATS LOVE CORPORATE FASCISM

Democrat sloganIn a way it’s fascinating as hell to be alive during this period in which America’s rival gangs of white collar criminals – Democrats and Republicans – have been forced to show their true, ugly, totalitarian faces. 

The Democrats, who have lost countless elections at all levels across the country, are openly embracing the concept of having Corporate Rich Pigs force their (the Democrats’) irrational opinions on the rest of us with a savage ferocity that our actual government could never get away with on its own. The Democrats are being referred to these days as “The Party of CEO’s” and with good reason.

In a move even Machiavelli might have saluted, the Left-Wing Archie Bunkers who run the party of the Democrats have basically said to the country: “You can vote all you want, but we’ll just embrace Corporate Fascism to FORCE our dictates upon all of you!”

“After all,” the Democrats’ reasoning goes, “if we can work hand-in-hand with bloated rich pigs to ensure you won’t even be allowed to make a living if you express disagreement with us, then we think you’ll realize it’s in your own best interest to stop resisting and pretend you go along with even our most ridiculous positions.”

fascism is antifaGoing beyond Orwell’s much-cited “2+2=5” example from his novel 1984 the Democrats simply brush aside the impotent, bought and paid for Republican trash and go straight for the kill.  

*** Instead of Orwell’s 2+2=5 we’ll go with another obvious fallacy just for the sake of variety. Let’s pretend the Democrats have somehow determined there is a political advantage to publicly embracing a similarly obvious fallacy – for that aforementioned variety we’ll say that Democrats want to force people to say “Earthworms are mammals.”

The Democrats will follow their tried and true process:

When free-thinking adults refuse to echo the ridiculous claim that “Earthworms are mammals” the Democrats will wheel and deal with bloated rich pigs like Mark Zuckerberg and similar types, like the powers that be at Starbucks and other companies.

Democrats will make it clear to those rich pig CEO’s that there are advantages to be had by cooperating with the Democrats in pushing their latest irrational Papal Bull. Political favors are to be had if various CEO’s use their bloated rich pig power to push the Democrats’ dogma down our throats.

Soon it gets to the point where these CEO’s (at places like Google, Facebook, Twitter, Silicon Valley, etc) will be firing and/or refusing to even hire people for holding positions that their Corporate Fascist political allies don’t like. It will all be done in the name of “combatting hatred” or “preventing puppy-dogs from being kicked” in the usual drama queen manner that Democrats love to use.

corporate fascist Mark Zuckerberg

CORPORATE FASCIST MARK “SKIPPY” ZUCKERBERG

Bloated rich pigs like Zuckerberg will enforce the ridiculous “Earthworms are mammals” claims by letting all of their social media users hit that all-powerful “report abuse” button to silence all dissenting opinions. Never mind that social media users can block whatever they personally don’t want to see, Democrats ALWAYS insist that opposing viewpoints are dangerous or “hatred” and must be censored.

And if, say, certain states or cities refuse to enforce the Democrats’ “Earthworms are mammals” notion by teaching it in schools then rich pig CEO’s – including the NFL, NBA, etc – will grandly announce they are boycotting those locations until they cave in and go along with what the Democrats have decreed that “all decent, compassionate people” believe. 

Democrats will smilingly approve and Republicans – who apparently only run for office to get bribe money and well-placed connections – will bluster insincerely about how they’re going to “stop this corporate blackmail” but will just get paid off by the same bloated rich pigs working with the Democrats and will do nothing.

Republicans like John McCain, Paul Ryan and Lindsey Graham will publicly lecture the nation that they need to stop being “divisive” and get on board with this whole “Earthworms are mammals” program. After all, if the Democrats have decreed that it be taught at all levels of the educational system then it MUST be the truth.

All the Democrats in the Teachers Unions agree, for crying out loud. (That’s only because teachers who dissent from Democrat dogma get “complaints” filed against them until they’re gotten rid of, but still. Teachers agree! Or else they won’t be employed as teachers for very long. “Haters” don’t you know.)

Besides, the Democrats’ irrational dogma is so thoroughly embraced by shallow, uninformed and emotionally unstable singers, actors and talk-show hosts that – horror of horrors – they MAKE FUN of people who don’t conform!

Why, the underlings who manage the social media feeds of those celebrities might – OMG – BLOCK you or “unfollow” you if you publicly disagree with Democrats.

Corporate Fascism is openly proving on a daily basis that the ballot box can be bypassed and political dictates can be enforced through this totalitarian alliance of political zealots and Corporate Rich Pigs.

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