LA MALROCHE (1833) – By Louisa Stuart Costello. Halloween month continues here at Balladeer’s Blog with yet another look at a neglected work of Gothic Horror, this one dealing with witchcraft, a monstrous child and supernatural beasts. Louisa Costello, the female author of this eerie tale, deserves to be much better known.
La Malroche refers to a mountain in a dreaded and generally avoided area of 1830s France. At the foot of that mountain is the town of Escures, where only people too poor to have fled the area still live. Also near the foot of La Malroche is the home of the witch called La Bonne Femme (“The Good Woman”) by the local citizenry, a title bestowed on her out of fear rather than merit. Continue reading
NUMBER THREE GETS KNOCKED OFF – The unranked BLINN COLLEGE BUCCANEERS traveled to face the number 3 team in the nation – the TYLER COLLEGE APACHES. A 14-14 tie at Halftime became a 29-24 edge for the Buccaneers to end the 3rd Quarter. From there Blinn College toppled the Apaches by a final score of 50-35. 
“President Obama and Secretary of State/Presidential Candidate Clinton have the lawyer’s ability to give good speeches (though not consistently). A close examination, however, reveals the mess Mrs. Clinton left at the State Department and the news is full of the multiple disasters she has left in her wake since her first job on the Watergate Committee in the 1970s. 
“So, in 2016, I’m voting for common sense. 
THE MAGICIAN – During Halloween Season a few years back Balladeer’s Blog reviewed the 1926 silent movie adaptation of The Magician. This time around I’ll review the original Somerset Maugham novel from 1908. It’s no secret at this late date that the malevolent sorceror of the title, Oliver Haddo, was based on the real-life Aleister Crowley. In fact, Crowley would accuse Maugham of plagiarism when he reviewed The Magician under the name Oliver Haddo, his fictional counterpart.
As always Muslim fanatics continue to kill and kill and kill in countries all around the world. They’ve been doing it for CENTURIES but the Left-Wing Archie Bunkers who pretend to be “educators” in the Western World try their best to obscure that fact. They also try to whitewash Islam’s history of slavery as well, plus its misogyny, homophobia and oppression of religious minorities.
September 18th – Uri, India: Islamofascist suicide bombers killed EIGHTEEN innocent people and injured 19 more. 
He tries to liven up his boring gig on local radio by suggesting some unorthodox public behavior to his listeners and is as surprised as his female producer Sydney Briar (Lisa Houle) when people around the area begin taking him up on the suggestion. As reports continue to come into the tiny radio station it soon becomes apparent that the population isn’t just extremely receptive to suggestion, many of them have become living zombies with a desire to kill anyone not similarly stricken. 
NUMBER TWO FALLS – The 6th ranked UNIVERSITY OF NORTH ALABAMA LIONS hosted the number 2 team in the nation – the UNIVERSITY OF WEST GEORGIA WOLVES. This was a game for the ages which had football fans across the nation on the edge of their seats. In the end the Lions prevailed over the Wolves, eking out a 24-23 victory. 
TOPPLING NUMBER FOUR – Meanwhile the unranked TIFFIN UNIVERSITY DRAGONS did battle with their guests – the number 4 ASHLAND UNIVERSITY EAGLES. This was another hard-fought affair that provided 4 Quarters of gridiron gold. The Dragons managed to drag down the Eagles by a final tally of 35-32. 
