March 8, 2014 · 4:41 pm

LIBERALS AND CONSERVATIVES AND BALLADEER’S BLOG

Two fools who prove that ANYBODY can get reelected and it doesn't prove they are competent.

Two fools who prove that ANYBODY can get reelected and it doesn’t prove they are competent.

Regular readers of Balladeer’s Blog are familiar with my contempt for those walking caricatures called American Liberals and American Conservatives. My overseas readers in particular often leave comments and send emails telling me how refreshing it is to read a fresh perspective on American politics –  a perspective not guided by the simple-minded belief that members of one political faction are “the good guys” and the members of the other political faction are “the bad guys”.

My blog contains plenty of items that piss off both Liberals and Conservatives. Once again thank you to those of you who have stuck with me over these past 3 years and 9 months. The fact that you’re still here means you’re secure enough in your beliefs that you don’t leave in a huff just because you encounter something that offends you.

Which brings me to Continue reading →

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March 7, 2014 · 9:55 pm

AS MUSH MADNESS CONTINUES ROSEMARY WOZNIAK PROFILES IDITAROD PARTICIPANT KATHERINE KEITH

Katherine KeithAs the 2014 Iditarod Dog Sled Race continues I once again turn you over to my sister Rosemary Wozniak, Balladeer’s Blog’s Official Iditarod Correspondent. Take it away, Rose! 

As I have mentioned on my Facebook Page, a woman has not won the Iditarod since 1990. I am hoping that this year one of the women mushers will win.

Today I am going to write about an Iditarod rookie…Katherine Keith.
According to her official biography on the Iditarod website Katherine, 35, was born in Minnesota and lived there until completing high school at which point Katherine decided that it was time to pursue her dream of Continue reading →

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March 7, 2014 · 3:12 pm

COLLEGE BASKETBALL: NAIA CONFERENCE TOURNAMENTS CONTINUE, USCAA NATIONAL TOURNAMENT ENTERS DAY TWO

*** NAIA ***

Park PiratesBIGAMERICAN MIDWEST CONFERENCE – Last night the 4th seeded PARK UNIVERSITY PIRATES played a hardcourt Armageddon against the 5 seeds, the WILLIAMS BAPTIST COLLEGE EAGLES (one of roughly 9,879 college teams called “Eagles”). The two squads went into Overtime before the Pirates emerged with a tight 79-75 victory   ###   Meanwhile in an absolute orgy of offensive output the 2nd seeded FREED- HARDEMAN UNIVERSITY LIONS ran up a Century Club-level victory over the 10th seeded HARRIS- STOWE STATE HORNETS by a score of 120-91 (which NFL Commisioner Roger Goodell has admitted is his target score for every NFL game in the near future)   ###   The top seeded COLUMBIA (MO) COUGARS dispatched the 7th seeded WILLIAM WOODS UNIVERSITY OWLS 79-65   ###   And  in yet ANOTHER 6 seed over 3 seed upset the BENEDICTINE- SPRINGFIELD BULLDOGS eliminated the LYON COLLEGE SCOTS in a 73-72 nailbiter. 

Hope International University RoyalsGOLDEN STATE ATHLETIC CONFERENCE – The 3rd seeded HOPE INTERNATIONAL ROYALS avoided the “6 over 3” curse that has plagued this postseason. The Royals defeated the 6th seeded CONCORDIA (CA) EAGLES (who I still say should go by “Condors” instead) by a score of 73-65.   ###   But the BIG news in this conference last night came from the massive upset that the SEVENTH SEEDED MASTER’S MUSTANGS inflicted on the SECOND SEEDED ARIZONA CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY FIRESTORM. It wasn’t just the 7 over 2 upset NOR the fact that the game went into Double Overtime before the Mustangs won 80-77. No the REAL distinction this game had was that it was the only GSAC game yesterday that did NOT feature a team called Eagles.   ###   Meanwhile the Continue reading →

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March 7, 2014 · 1:30 am

THE MATRIARCH: THE SUPERHEROINE SAVES LAS VEGAS FROM AN ARMY OF PARACHUTING ELVIS PRESLEYS

A photo of the superheroine called the Matriarch in action

A photo of the superheroine called the Matriarch in action

Dateline: Las Vegas, NV  The costumed and voluptuous superheroine known only as the Matriarch was in action once again overnight last night saving the citizens and tourists of Las Vegas from a veritable army of looters all dressed as Elvis Presley and all of whom had parachuted in along the Strip and engaged in a night-long crime spree.

As the hours wore on, however, that crime spree became a running battle with the black-garbed Matriarch, and as she whittled down the numbers of the criminal army that running battle turned into a siege as the crooks attempted to Continue reading →

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March 6, 2014 · 3:13 pm

COLLEGE BASKETBALL – CONFERENCE AND NATIONAL TOURNAMENT RESULTS FROM MARCH 5th

*** NAIA *** 

USAO Drover newSOONER ATHLETIC CONFERENCE – The ever-tough UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND ARTS OF OKLAHOMA DROVERS have a well-earned reputation for being as proficient at sports as they are in the classroom. Last night the 6th seeded Drovers eliminated the 11th seeded SOUTHWESTERN CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY EAGLES by a score of 76-66   ###   Meanwhile in their Opening Round matchup the 8th seeded OKLAHOMA BAPTIST UNIVERSITY BISON scored a Century Club- level 103 points to the 76 notched by their opponents – 9th seeded TEXAS WESLEYAN RAMS   ###   And the 10th seeded NORTHWOOD (TX) KNIGHTS dragged the 7th seeded JOHN BROWN UNIVERSITY GOLDEN EAGLES (I say their teams should be called the Abolitionists) into Overtime before losing to them by a final score of 107-100. 

Evangel-LogoHEART OF AMERICA ATHLETIC CONFERENCE – The 4th seeded EVANGEL UNIVERSITY CRUSADERS trailed the 5th seeded CENTRAL METHODIST UNIVERSITY EAGLES for most of the game but tied it up to force TWO OVERTIME PERIODS. The Crusaders at last emerged with a 125-114 victory   ###   The 3rd seeded MIDAMERICA NAZARENE UNIVERSITY PIONEERS won an 87-80 battle royal with the 6th seeded MISSOURI VALLEY COLLEGE VIKINGS   ###   In the top spot the BENEDICTINE COLLEGE RAVENS bounced the 8th seeded BAKER UNIVERSITY WILDCATS  66-51   ###   And the 2nd seeded CULVER- STOCKTON COLLEGE WILDCATS joined the Century Club with their 105-89 triumph over Continue reading →

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March 6, 2014 · 12:43 am

SIX-STRING SAMURAI (1998) – STILL ONE OF MY ALL-TIME FAVORITE FILMS

Six String SamuraiSIX-STRING SAMURAI (1998) – 91 minutes – Directed by Lance Mungia … Starring Jeffrey Falcon and Justin McGuire … Written by Lance Mungia and Jeffrey Falcon … Soundtrack by Brian Tyler and the Red Elvises  

There’s an old saying to the effect that every American male who loves movies wishes on some level that they had directed The Wild Bunch. Generalizations like that are very seldom accurate and at least in my case that particular one is very far from the truth. If I wished I had directed any one movie it would be Six-String Samurai.  

Trying to offer a brief description of this film is virtually impossible but for the sake of attracting new viewers to this underappreciated flick I’ll take a shot at it by calling it surrealism’s only two-fisted action blockbuster. For its visual style Six-String Samurai slyly adopts the cinematic elements and directorial grammar that are shared by the best samurai films, Spaghetti Westerns and post-apocalypse actioners. And in this age of FAR too many comic-book action movies it has to be said that the fight scenes in 6SS seriously outclass ANYTHING seen in Marvel, Dark Horse or DC’s screen projects.    

Fans of the Coen Brothers, David Lynch, Alejandro Jodorowsky and Guillermo del Toro would likely love this film as much as I do. Just as the Continue reading →

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March 5, 2014 · 11:24 pm

ROSEMARY WOZNIAK PRESENTS THE DEEDEE JONROWE MUSH MADNESS PROFILE

DeeDee JonroweBalladeer’s Blog throws it back to my sister Rosemary, Glitternight.com’s Official Iditarod Correspondent for another look at a participant in the 2014 Iditarod Dogsled Race. This time the featured Musher is DeeDee Jonrowe, Official Balladeer’s Blog Nickname: “Juneau” Jonrowe. Now over to Rosemary: 

Today I am going to write about another of my favorites of the veteran women mushers…DeeDee Jonrowe.
According to her official biography on the Iditarod website http://iditarod.com/race/2014/mushers/95-DeeDee-Jonrowe/  , DeeDee Jonrowe, 60, was born in Frankfort Germany while her father was in the military. The family moved to Alaska in 1971.

DeeDee has a B.S. degree in Biological Sciences and Continue reading →

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March 5, 2014 · 3:07 pm

COLLEGE BASKETBALL CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT RESULTS FROM MARCH 4th

college of idaho coyoteCASCADE COLLEGIATE CONFERENCE – The top seeded COLLEGE OF IDAHO COYOTES brought an end to the Cinderella run of the 6th seeded NORTHWEST CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY BEACONS last night by handing them an 83-59 loss to take the title. * The Coyotes move on to the NAIA Basketball National Tournament as the CCC’s tournament champions as well as the regular season champions. The Beacons, as the conference tournament runners-up, get the CCC’s other bid to the National Tournament. 

Bethel (in) PilotsCROSSROADS LEAGUE – Two Cinderella teams clashed for this conference’s title as the 4th seeded BETHEL COLLEGE (IN) PILOTS (riverboat pilots) won a 70-65 Instant Classic against the 6th seeded GRACE COLLEGE LANCERS. * The Pilots, as the conference tournament champions, advance to the NAIA Basketball National Tournament. The Indiana Wesleyan Wildcats, as the regular season champions, get the Crossroads League’s other bid to the Continue reading →

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March 4, 2014 · 4:46 pm

MUSH MADNESS: ROSEMARY WOZNIAK TAKES A LOOK AT IDITAROD VETERAN ALIY ZIRKLE

Aliy Zirkle

Aliy Zirkle

Regular readers of Balladeer’s Blog are very familiar with my sister Rosemary’s contributions as Glitternight.com’s official Iditarod Correspondent. Rosemary is a sort of good will ambassador for that annual event in Alaska and here she is with her latest piece – a look at female musher Aliy Zirkle: Official Balladeer’s Blog nickname – “Absolute Zero” to match her initials. Take it away, Rosemary!

Here we are in below-freezing temperatures with several inches of snow in Northern Virginia. The mushers participating in the 42nd Iditarod Race which had its Continue reading →

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March 4, 2014 · 4:10 pm

MARDI GRAS MASSACRE (1978)

Mardi Gras MassacreMARDI GRAS MASSACRE (1978) – Category: A neglected Bad Movie classic, but its hard-core gore will prevent it from ever having a Plan 9-sized cult following

It takes a twisted sort of genius to make multiple disembowelment murders look boring, but that’s exactly what Jack Weis accomplishes in Mardi Gras Massacre! Today may be Fat Tuesday, but let’s rechristen it “Splat Tuesday” in honor of this late 70’s splatterfest. 

The actual “massacre” part of this movie is an incredible disappointment. An insane, hate-filled man with a Continue reading →

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