Balladeer’s Blog’s Eighth Annual Christmas Carol-A-Thon continues! Since we’re not even into December yet this is the ideal time to look at this dark-humored version of A Christmas Carol that was done in the style of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.
I AM SCROOGE – A ZOMBIE STORY FOR CHRISTMAS (2009) – Written by Adam Roberts. This book was a gift from a friend a few years ago and it’s pretty entertaining. Think of The Dead Next Door set at Christmas.
Roberts plays with various aspects of the narrative, even joking about superogatory “o’s” in Marley’s moan of “Scrooooge.” He peppers in a lot of similar jokes all the way through the book. The schtick is exactly what you would expect – the title is a joking reference to I Am Legend followed by Dickens’ qualification of A Christmas Carol as “A Ghost Story For Christmas.” Continue reading
A VOYAGE TO THE WORLD IN THE CENTRE OF THE EARTH (1755) – This intriguing work was published in London anonymously and no author has yet been decisively identified. The novel’s narrator – who remains as anonymous as the book’s author – parties away his inheritance and then ships out for Italy. 
Periodically a King is elected for a lifetime term. Common-sense morality prevails, and ingratitude is especially frowned upon. All of the inhabitants are strict vegetarians, as are the animals so the humans and the beasts interact peacefully. 
TAKUGINAI (December 1988) – As always I enjoy reviewing some of the most obscure and/ or neglected versions of the Carol that I can find. 
LIVING BREATH FOUNDATION BOWL – This annual Bowl game is played for charity and is one of the highlights of the CCCAA post-season. The game features a team from the Pacific 7 Conference – this year the LOS MEDANOS COLLEGE MUSTANGS – and a team from the Golden Coast Conference – this year the MERCED COLLEGE BLUE DEVILS. 
Mary Harris Jones, the legendary labor organizer from the 1890s onward, also known as “the Miner’s Angel” and “Mother Jones,” spoke to Balladeer’s Blog yet again, despite being dead since 1930. I wondered if she wanted to discuss the “Social Justice” being meted out on demagogues like Al Franken and John Conyers. It turned out she had other things on her mind. 
BB: I admit the stench from Washington, DC is amazing. “Draining the Swamp” as Trump calls it, is demonstrating the depth of corruption and outright criminal activity the Democrats and Republicans are responsible for. It took a de facto Third Party President like Trump to take the first necessary steps. 
MJ: First off, President Trump is like Franklin Delano Roosevelt. FDR was looking out for the working class and the poor, so rich fat cat scum tried to destroy him like they’re doing with Donald Trump. They even tried the VERIFIED Businessman’s Coup plot against FDR. 
THIRD, President Trump is like that Robert Redford fella when he played Brubaker! Like Trump, Brubaker was trying to clean out a virtual sewer of corrupt officialdom. Even if the scumbags fighting Trump oust him, it will be like the ending of Brubaker, when the prisoners – or American citizens in Trump’s case – gathered around to pay him respect. 
NGUATUPU’A AND TEPOUTU’UINGANGI – The parents of many of the major gods and goddesses in Bel-Ren myths, like Izanagi and Izanami in Shinto beliefs. Nguatupu’a and Tepoutu’uingangi were revered AND feared by ALL of the clans of the two islands. They were represented by two large black stones in the region of Bellona Island called Ngabenga. 
FIRST QUARTERFINAL – The SOUTHERN OREGON UNIVERSITY RAIDERS traveled to the Blue Grass State to play the LINDSEY WILSON COLLEGE BLUE RAIDERS for the right to advance to the Semifinals. The Raiders led 14-0 in the 1st Quarter and 21-10 by Halftime but then had to withstand a furious comeback attempt by the Blue Raiders. Ultimately Southern Oregon University prevailed by a tight 34-29. 
SECOND QUARTERFINAL – In this game the REINHARDT UNIVERSITY EAGLES (should be the Rottweilers) hosted the GEORGETOWN (KY) COLLEGE TIGERS. The Tigers led the Eagles 10-7 after 1 Quarter of play but Reinhardt University went on top 14-10 by the break. From there it was mostly a defensive struggle with the Eagles moving on by a score of 17-10. 
I devote a lot of space to those courageous Muslims who take on the fanatics in their own faith PLUS have to face down the condescending white Westerners who think that ONLY Muslims who hate the Western World are “authentic.”
THE NEW HUMANS (1909) – Written by B Vallance. No other name has come to light for the author of this thought-provoking work. Explorer Montgomery Merrick is roaming around the wilds of 1909 Uganda when he falls down a mountainside and into a concealed valley. 
