DEC SIXTEENTH ROUNDUP OF NEWS, MEMES AND POLITICAL CARTOONS

From Independent Voter site Balladeer’s Blog it’s another current events roundup from an America still reeking of the repulsive Biden Regime’s stench.

*** NEW – WRIGHT PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE SHUT DOWN DUE TO DRONE ACTIVITY. While the Biden Regime remains impotent since there’s no way to grab graft money from the situation.

NBC NEWS ADMITS THAT PRESIDENT TRUMP’S STRONG WORDS FOR HAMAS HAVE FORCED THEM TO MAKE CONCESSIONS REGARDING HOSTAGES.

SISTER OF HAMAS HOSTAGE STATES SHE “FEELS BETTER” ABOUT THE SITUATION WITH TRUMP SPEAKING OUT ON IT. Joe Biden, a clump of bacteria sculpted into human form, has utterly failed the Americans held hostage.  

DNC MEMBER CALLS OUT THE BIDENS AND KAMALA HARRIS FOR LYING ABOUT JOE BIDEN’S UNFITNESS FOR OFFICE. Those of us who paid attention realized Joe was unfit back in 2020.

INTERNATIONAL LONGSHOREMEN’S ASSOCIATION VP HAILS PRESIDENT TRUMP FOR “TAKING UP THE MANTLE FOR WORKING CLASS PEOPLE.” Trump did so in his first term, too.

DISGUST WITH CORRUPT, DOUBLE-DEALING PELOSI: ADAM MCKAY, DIRECTOR OF VICE AND THE BIG SHORT, URGES DEMOCRATS TO LEAVE THE PARTY AND FORM A NEW ONE. Nancy Pelosi, Queen of Insider Trading Scandals and other corruption, should have been called out for her selfish maneuvering long ago.

Democrat Party

EVEN DEMOCRAT GOVERNOR HOCHUL DEMANDS THAT THE BIDEN REGIME DO SOMETHING ABOUT THE DRONE SITUATION AFTER DRONES SHUT DOWN RUNWAYS OF A NEW YORK AIRPORT. Everyone associated with the Biden Regime is worthless, criminally negligent garbage.

GEORGIA SPECIAL COUNSEL ADMITS THAT THE LEGAL PERSECUTION OF TRUMP WAS COORDINATED WITH THE BIDEN REGIME. Have I mentioned what filth Joe Biden and his ilk are? Continue reading

14 Comments

Filed under LIBERALS AND CONSERVATIVES, Neglected History, opinion

BEST OF MAY 2024

Balladeer’s Blog’s annual end-of-year retrospective continues with this look at May’s best.

R.I.P. ROGER CORMAN: FILM LEGEND – I noted the passing of the King of B-Movies and the man who nurtured more up and coming talent than most other figures in Hollywood history. Click HERE.

THE 1926 AERIAL BOMBING OF ILLINOIS BY GANGSTERS – The unlikely account of how feuding gangsters unleashed the only aerial bombing of Illinois ever. Click HERE.

BRAZIL’S SUPERHEROES – From the 1950s into the 21st Century, I looked at Brazil’s home-grown heroes like Captain Seven, the Black Ray, Mylar and the Black Lizard.

Plus home-grown heroines like Stupendous Woman, the Bee, Velta and the Gymnoid. Click HERE

ANCIENT SCIENCE FICTION: GUESSES AT FUTURITY (1894-1895) – Frederick Thomas Jane’s work of speculative science fiction about what life might be like in the year 2000. He predicted scientific achievements far beyond what 2000 really had to offer, but his take is still fascinating. Click HERE.

TRADER HORN (1927) – Alfred Aloysius Horn’s book about his experiences as a Trade Agent in Africa during the late 1800s. Various film versions were made over the decades. Part One HERE. Part Two HERE. Part Three HERE.

BLAME CANADA: FORGOTTEN MOVIES AND TELEVISION SHOWS FROM ABOVE THE BORDER – I reviewed the 14-year-old Mike Myers’ tv show, plus five other Canadian dramas and adventure tales. Click HERE.

BLACK LIGHTNING: HIS 1970s STORIES – The early adventures of DC’s African American superhero from the 1970s. Click HERE.

MEDAL OF HONOR WINNERS FROM AMERICA’S INVOLVEMENT IN THE SECOND SAMOAN CIVIL WAR (1898-1899) – Read about them HERE. This forgotten conflict featured American and British forces fighting alongside each other AND Samoan forces against German troops and their Samoan allies on the other side of the civil war. Continue reading

Leave a comment

Filed under opinion

BALLADEER’S BLOG POSTSEASON COLLEGE FOOTBALL RESULTS: DEC 14th

NAIA PLAYOFFS

FIRST SEMIFINAL – This game pitted the defending national champs – the KEISER UNIVERSITY SEAHAWKS – against the visiting BENEDICTINE COLLEGE RAVENS. A 6-0 Ravens lead in the 1st Quarter became a 14-14 tie by Halftime. The 3rd Quarter ended with Benedictine College up 28-14 but the Seahawks exploded in the 4th, coming from behind for a 42-38 triumph. Continue reading

10 Comments

Filed under college football

GARDIEN DE LA REPUBLIQUE: FRENCH SUPERHERO

This weekend’s light-hearted, escapist superhero post here at Balladeer’s Blog will look at a French-created figure.

gardien modern dayGARDIEN DE LA REPUBLIQUE (Guardian of the Republic)

Origin: This costumed hero works in a semi-official capacity to safeguard the people and government of France against external and internal enemies plus menaces created by super-science or the supernatural.

Various figures have been trusted with the Gardien mantle ever since the 1780s and in my opinion this fictional character has the most detailed chronology of any multi-generational line of costumed heroes outside the Phantom.

gardien 1In a nice touch the Marquis de Lafayette was secretly the very first Gardien de la Republique (seen in costume at right) when he returned to France after America’s Revolutionary War. Since then, as mentioned above, the title and costumed identity have been passed down to other figures for nearly 250 years.

Beginning in World War Two, several Gardiens have had costumed female sidekicks who all used the nom de guerre “Marianne.” Continue reading

12 Comments

Filed under Superheroes

A CHRISTMAS CAROL (1984) FRENCH TELEVISION VERSION

TF1 in France

Christmas-Carol- A-Thon 2024, Balladeer’s Blog’s Fifteenth Annual such event, continues with one of the most visually enticing versions ever made. Unfortunately, it’s become virtually impossible to obtain for people who lack the nearly psychotic drive necessary to track down these things.

TF1 Television in France first aired this version of A Christmas Carol, which could be described as a Carol for the arthouse crowd. Not a put-down OR a compliment, just an observation.

The performances are even more low-key than in the George C. Scott version and the direction, by Pierre Boutron, is very inventive, bordering on a surrealist approach. The overall effect is like A Very Jean Cocteau Christmas or something. As with the Spanish Leyenda de Navidad this French production keeps the story in 1843 London and stars Michel Bouquet as Scrooge and Pierre Olaf as Bob Cratchit.

This 90-minute version of the Carol is one of the tiny handful that depict Scrooge at Marley’s funeral, like the 1969 Australian cartoon version. Marley’s Ghost has the look of a bearded badass but delivers his warning to Scrooge with a cold and calculating air that is almost more chilling than the impassioned delivery of most other Marleys. Continue reading

12 Comments

Filed under A CHRISTMAS CAROL, Forgotten Television

NEWS, MEMES AND POLITICAL CARTOONS ROUNDUP: DEC THIRTEENTH

Another current events round up from Independent Voter site Balladeer’s Blog.

dem lies corruptionTHE LATEST BOMBSHELL FROM THE SCANDAL ABOUT DEMOCRAT FUNDRAISERS IGNORING BANS ON ACCEPTING MONEY FROM OVERSEAS SOURCES. So basically it’s bribes from other countries and the money they “donate to a candidate’s campaign” can certainly influence their voting record in office. Have I mentioned lately what a cesspool of corruption America’s political establishment is?

joe biden is aCAREER CRIMINAL JOE BIDEN HANDS OUT MOST PRESIDENTIAL PARDONS IN A SINGLE DAY IN HISTORY. The Biden Regime came in like a bunch of criminal thugs and they’re going out the same way. And by the way, Chinese spies are among the people he pardoned. Like I said long ago, buying Joe Biden was the best investment the Chinese government ever made.

KENNEDY RIGHTFULLY CUTS DOWN ONE OF AMERICA’S RETIRED COMIC OPERA GENERALS WHO HAVE NEVER WON A SINGLE WAR AND TARGET FELLOW AMERICANS AS THE ENEMY.

AND YET ANOTHER DEMOCRAT OFFICIAL LEAVES BEHIND THAT GROTESQUE PARTY TO BECOME A REPUBLICAN – THIS TIME IT’S A LATINO JUDGE IN TEXAS. Among his remarks: “the radicalization of the national Democrats pushed me away a long time ago.” Continue reading

4 Comments

Filed under LIBERALS AND CONSERVATIVES, Neglected History, opinion

BEST OF APRIL 2024

Balladeer’s Blog’s annual end-of-year retrospective continues with this look at April’s best.

L’INFERNO (1911) – My review of the epic silent film adaptation of Dante’s Inferno. This production blew me away given its time period. And it was filmed in Italy just a few years before the horrors of World War One. Click HERE.

SARAH BERNHARDT: HER SILENT FILM APPEARANCES – The iconic Nineteenth Century actress lived long enough to appear in multiple silent movies. Click HERE

ANCIENT SCIENCE FICTION: A DEMIGOD (1886) – A criminally overlooked sci-fi saga about Hector Vyr, whose mad scientist forebears bred him for genetic perfection. The tale of this heroic Platinum Age figure has elements of Philip Wylie’s 1930 sci-fi novel Gladiator but forty-four years earlier. Click HERE

INDEPENDENT ACTION AND HORROR FILMMAKER LEN KABASINSKI REMEMBERS THE LATE LEO FONG – The one and only Kabasinski was gracious enough to leave a few memories about international action star Leo Fong here at Balladeer’s Blog. Click HERE.

SPIDER-MAN: HIS FIRST 1960s STORIES – The early years of the Stan Lee-Steve Ditko creation. Click HERE.

TRANSGRESS WITH ME: APRIL EIGHTEENTH EDITION – Are you daring enough for this? It’s an ongoing series going back several years. Click HERE.

ANCIENT SCIENCE FICTION: BY AEROPLANE TO THE SUN (1910) – The story of an expedition to the sun and other planets by way of a spaceship that the author calls an aeroplane. Click HERE. Continue reading

8 Comments

Filed under opinion

REEL WILD CINEMA: THE FINAL THREE EPISODES (20-22)

Balladeer’s Blog’s Forgotten Television feature wraps up its look at Reel Wild Cinema (1996-1997).

As we close out this item with episodes 20-22, some readers have requested that I add a warning about the extreme nature of some of the bad and weird movies that were presented on this program. So please be aware of that before you click “continue reading.”

THE RUNDOWN FOR EPISODE TWENTY (June 16th, 1997) Continue reading

14 Comments

Filed under Bad and weird movies, Forgotten Television

DEC ELEVENTH ROUNDUP OF NEWS, MEMES AND POLITICAL CARTOONS

Independent Voter site Balladeer’s Blog presents another look at current events from an America where Democrat violence and calls for violence against people who disagree with them are still increasing.

CONGRESSWOMAN NANCY MACE ATTACKED AND INJURED ON CAPITOL HILL. Her pro-trans male attacker injured her wrist and arm before being apprehended.

NEW YORK CITY DEMOCRATS CALL FOR VIGILANTE VIOLENCE AGAINST WHITE PEOPLE AFTER DANIEL PENNY ACQUITTAL. Yes, with crime spiraling out of control in NYC, Democrats can only be outraged by a good Samaritan who acted to protect his fellow subway passengers.

           Once again, Democrat behavior demonstrates one of my joking Democrat slogans – “Democrats: Jury verdicts should have to be ratified by our raging, howling mobs of shallow, uninformed and emotionally unstable political robots.” 

david j. harris jr.DAVID J. HARRIS JR. ON TRUMP’S POLICIES THAT WILL ONCE AGAIN BENEFIT BLACK AMERICANS.

CAREER CRIMINAL JOE BIDEN EXPOSED FOR GIVING TEN MORE BILLION DOLLARS IN RELIEF TO IRAN THE DAY AFTER TRUMP WAS REELECTED. But hey, Joe’s been pronounced too mentally unfit to stand trial, remember? 

FBI STILL MEANS “FUGGEDA BOUT INTEGRITY” – AGENT ARRESTED FOR USING FBI SEARCHES OF HOMES TO COMMIT THEFTS. Needless to say, their victims included a political opponent of the Biden Regime.

BRANDON TATUM VIDEO ABOUT TRUMP DEALING WITH BIASED REPORTER.

AND YET ANOTHER ELECTED DEMOCRAT – FLORIDA HOUSE MEMBER SUSAN VALDES – LEAVES THAT PARTY TO BECOME A REPUBLICAN. Among her remarks she called out how Democrat “leadership expects me to ignore the needs of my community.”

NEW BOOK ABOUT HILLARY CLINTON SCANDALS BY FORMER SECRET SERVICE AGENT. Continue reading

8 Comments

Filed under LIBERALS AND CONSERVATIVES, Neglected History, opinion

A CHRISTMAS CAROL (1982) – THEA MUSGRAVE’S OPERA VERSION

thea-musgrave

A CHRISTMAS CAROL (1982) – Balladeer’s Blog’s 2024 edition of my annual Christmas Carol-A-Thon continues with this EXPANDED look at the great Thea Musgrave’s opera version from Granada Television video in 1982.

Musgrave was British and in my opinion she was one of the few masters of opera from the late 20th Century. I’ve previously looked at her operas about Mary, Queen of Scots, Harriet Tubman and Simon Bolivar. 

As for her Christmas Carol opera, the world premiere of this most accessible of Thea’s works was on December 16th, 1981 at the Norfolk Center Theater. That Norfolk, VA production was by the Virginia Opera Association.

Later the opera debuted at the Royal Opera House in the U.K. and at the State Opera House in Australia.   Continue reading

8 Comments

Filed under A CHRISTMAS CAROL