Tag Archives: Balladeer’s Blog

COLLEGE BASEBALL: NCAA D3 REGIONALS

NCAA DIVISION THREE

Denison University Big RedADRIAN, MI REGION, DAY ONE: The top seeds – the DENISON UNIVERSITY BIG RED – took on the 4th seeded LA ROCHE COLLEGE REDHAWKS and shut them out 4-0.    ###     And the 2nd seeded HEIDELBERG UNIVERSITY STUDENT PRINCES won a 4-3 game for the ages over the 3 seeds – the ADRIAN COLLEGE BULLDOGS.

Cortland State Red Dragons logoCORTLAND, NY REGION, DAY ONE: The top seeded CORTLAND STATE RED DRAGONS did battle with the 4 seeds – the ALVERNIA UNIVERSITY GOLDEN WOLVES – and defeated them 7-3.    ###     And the 3 seeds – the TUFTS UNIVERSITY JUMBOS – folded, spindled and mutilated the 2nd seeded PENN STATE AT HARRISBURG LIONS by a final count of THIRTEEN to FIVE.   

Susquehanna University River Hawks logoBALTIMORE, MD REGION, DAY ONE: The 4 seeds – the SUSQUEHANNA UNIVERSITY RIVER HAWKS – toppled the top seeded COLLEGE OF NEW JERSEY LIONS in a 5-4 Instant Classic of an Upset.    ###     And the 2nd seeded JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY BLUE JAYS downed the 3 seeds – the FARMINGDALE STATE RAMS – in a 6-2 affair. Continue reading →

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FOOL KILLER: PART NINETEEN – OCTOBER OF 1919

Balladeer’s Blog continues its examination of the many facets of Fool Killer lore. FOR PART ONE, INCLUDING THE HISTORICAL CONTEXT, CLICK HERE

Fool Killer on cowcatcherPART NINETEEN: James Larkin Pearson, creator of this new Fool Killer, featured a complaint that I can relate to, since I go through the same thing here at Balladeer’s Blog – “Democrats write and ask me to lambaste the Republicans and Republicans write and suggest that I cuss out the Democrats. All right, boys, I am going to comply with both requests, and then you will both be mad.” 

That also captures the position of Charles Napoleon Bonaparte Evans of the Milton Chronicle when he began the Fool Killer Letters around 1850. Evans and his Fool Killer (Jesse Holmes) were Whigs who bashed both the Democrats and the Republicans. After the Civil War, Evans and his Fool Killer bashed both the Democrats of the Ku Klux Klan and the Republican Carpetbaggers. 

Coincidentally, James L Pearson and his Fool Killer observed that (just like today) the upheavals wracking the world of 1919 were proceeding from the bottom UP, so the “Silk Hat Brigade” at the top of the power and money structure (think of today’s Corporate Globalists) were the people least capable of understanding the emerging changes.

The Fool Killer’s targets in this October, 1919 edition: 

*** Sleazy, money-hungry Preachers were taken to the woodshed yet again this time around. The Fool Killer loved preying on them because of their hypocrisy and corruption. And remember, this was long before Sinclair Lewis’ novel Elmer Gantry presented the definitive portrait of the type of Preachers bashed by Pearson. 

            The Fool Killer denied that it was just fear of him which was causing the shortage of young men willing to go into preaching, a shortage bemoaned by churches in 1919. The supernatural vigilante claimed it was also caused by talented men being driven away by the overall corruption in religion at the time.

Arthur Conan Doyle*** Equally sleazy, money-hungry “spiritualists” – nicknamed “Boogers” in the slang of the time. Arthur Conan Doyle was still alive in 1919 and, as usual, that otherwise rational man willingly served as a public cheerleader for those con artists who claimed to be able to contact one’s dead loved ones.

            The Fool Killer came down hard on them and denounced Doyle as a fool, but a fool who had the Atlantic Ocean keeping him safe from our vigilante’s wrath.

*** Politicians who made a big production out of helping royal and wealthy families in Europe but snubbed the poor and the working class from that continent.

*** The biased and unreliable Associated Press, which the Fool Killer always referred to as “the Ass-ociated Press.” (He should see how pathetic they’ve become TODAY!) Continue reading →

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Filed under Mythology, Neglected History

2019 USCAA COLLEGE WORLD SERIES CHAMPS CROWNED, PLUS NCAA REGIONALS

USCAA

Penn State Dubois logoCHAMPIONSHIP GAME: The 3 seeds – the PENN STATE AT DUBOIS LIONS – the defending National Champions of USCAA baseball, played the 7th seeded BRYANT & STRATTON COLLEGE AT ALBANY BOBCATS. The Bobcats did the difficult work for the Lions, having eliminated the top seeded Newport News Apprentice School earlier in the day.

A 2-0 1st Inning lead for PSU-Dubois became a 3-2 Bryant & Stratton-Albany edge in the 2nd. The Lions went back on top 4-3 in the 3rd Inning and extended that to an 8-4 advantage in the 5th. The final Runs came in the 7th and 8th Innings, in which Dubois outscored the Bobcats 4-3 to win the game 12-7. Brandon Orsich threw for the win. * THE LIONS ARE NATIONAL CHAMPIONS OF USCAA BASEBALL *

NCAA DIVISION TWO

Arkansas at Monticello Boll Weevils GOODCENTRAL REGION: DAY ONE – The (5) UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS AT MONTICELLO BOLL WEEVILS utterly annihilated the (4) MINNESOTA STATE MAVERICKS to the tune of THIRTEEN to TWO!   ###   The (1) AUGUSTANA (SD) VIKINGS defeated the (8) OKLAHOMA BAPTIST UNIVERSITY BISON by a Polo Score of 12-10.   ###       Continue reading →

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FIFTEENTH CENTURY BLOCK BOOKS

antichristBlock Books from centuries ago were a form of illustrated storytelling, most often associated with religious topics. Naturally in a period of limited literacy the graven woodblock picture- stories made theological tales even more popular with the masses. In approximately 1455 – 1480 these “proto- comic books” addressed the Antichrist and the End Times.

These particular block books depicted the Antichrist being born “unnaturally” through a caesarean section with a demon serving as midwife. The block book Antichrist is a rare blonde depiction of this figure and he is shown getting an early education in black magic and in sexual depravity, just like Harry Potter. (I’m kidding! … Unless you count slash fiction) Continue reading →

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USCAA COLLEGE WORLD SERIES DAY THREE PLUS NAIA PLAYOFFS

USCAA

Wright State Lake Campus LakersDAY THREE, GAME ONE: The 4 seeds – the WRIGHT STATE AT THE LAKE LAKERS – took on the 10th seeded BLUEFIELD STATE BIG BLUES in an elimination game. The Lakers turned a 2-1 edge over the Big Blues in the 1st Inning into a 3-1 lead in the 2nd.

The only other Run scored by Bluefield State came in the 5th Inning, while Wright State at the Lake drove in additional runs in the 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th to win the game TWELVE to TWO! Pitcher Noah Greathouse got the win. Continue reading →

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FOOL KILLER: PART EIGHTEEN – SEPTEMBER OF 1919

Balladeer’s Blog continues its examination of the many facets of Fool Killer lore. FOR PART ONE, INCLUDING THE HISTORICAL CONTEXT, CLICK HERE

Fool Killer picPART EIGHTEEN: In this issue the Fool Killer stated his mission in his newest incarnation (Or “regeneration” we could say with tongue in cheek.) was “the general overturning of all established institutions of every kind.” … “The Hour of Doom has struck for many of this old world’s pet institutions.” Quite a long way from his 1830s mission of driving the Devil out of the Tennessee Hills and killing fools who tried stealing the “hidden” gold of the Melungeons!

A look at the “fools” targeted by the Fool Killer in the September, 1919 issue of James Larkin Pearson’s publication The Fool-Killer: 

*** Astronomers claiming that an alignment of planets on December 17th, 1919 would cause a solar explosion visible from Earth, resulting in catastrophic storms and a devastating winter here. A nice touch of cultural kitsch is the way that, with the proposed League of Nations a topic of interest, the astronomers were calling the alignment “The League of Planets.” 

*** Democrat President Woodrow Wilson and his operatives who had tried to keep the Bullitt Report out of the public record. This situation came to light when William C Bullitt, Jr was testifying to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee about his mission to the Soviet Union in February and March of 1919. Senator Henry Cabot Lodge allowed Bullitt to enter his suppressed report into the Senate record.

           Pearson’s Fool Killer obviously shared his creator’s suspicion that the Wilson Administration wanted Bullitt’s findings suppressed because those findings put Lenin and the Bolshevik Government in Moscow in a better light than Wilson wanted. Continue reading →

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USCAA COLLEGE WORLD SERIES DAY TWO PLUS NAIA PLAYOFFS

USCAA

Bluefield State Big Blues logoDAY TWO, GAME ONE: The 10 seeds – the BLUEFIELD STATE BIG BLUES – faced another elimination game, this one against the 2nd seeded UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI AT CLERMONT COUGARS. The Big Blues had already sent (6) Southern Maine College home and were looking for another scalp.

After a scoreless 1st Inning Bluefield State went up 3-0 in the 2nd. The Big Blues added another Run in the 5th and rode it the rest of the way for a 4-0 Shutout victory. Bluefield State Pitcher Austin Stambaugh threw for the entire game. 

newportnewsapprentice-school-builderDAY TWO, GAME TWO: The top-seeded NEWPORT NEWS APPRENTICE SCHOOL BUILDERS (Shipbuilders) clashed with the 4 seeds – the WRIGHT STATE AT THE LAKE LAKERS. When the Builders grabbed a quick 4-1 1st Inning lead few knew that they would only score 1 more Run the rest of the way.

Meanwhile the Lakers drew to within 4-3 in the 5th Inning and knotted things up at 4-4 in the 6th. Newport News Apprentice School would slam in their final Run in the 8th Inning and won the game 5-4 behind Pitcher Thomas Packert. Continue reading →

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THE WHAM! SONG FREEDOM

Give Them A Shoutout Before They’re Dead becomes Give Them A Shoutout Before Andrew Ridgeley’s Dead this time around. It’s the Wham! song titled Freedom.

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COLLEGE WORLD SERIES RESULTS: NAIA AND USCAA

USCAA

Wright State Lake Campus LakersDAY ONE: GAME ONE – The 4 seeds – the WRIGHT STATE AT THE LAKE LAKERS – took the diamond against the 5th seeded MISSISSIPPI UNIVERSITY FOR WOMEN (now co-ed) OWLS. The Owls went up 1-0 in the 1st Inning following which neither team scored in the 2nd through 4th.

In the 5th Inning the Lakers grabbed a 3-1 advantage then added 2 more Runs the rest of the way, compared to the 1 mustered by MUW. Wright State at the Lake won the game 5-2 for Pitcher Cross Youtsler.

newportnewsapprentice-school-builderDAY ONE: GAME TWO – The top seeded NEWPORT NEWS APPRENTICE SCHOOL BUILDERS (Shipbuilders) faced the 9 seeds – the SELMA UNIVERSITY BULLDOGS. The Builders parlayed a 2-0 1st Inning edge into an 8-0 lead in the 2nd.

Each team notched a Run in the 4th Inning to make it a 9-1 game with Newport News Apprentice School on top. From there the Builders put up 2 more in the 6th for an 11-1 blowout win. Pitcher Paul Jones was on the Mound for the entire game for NNAS.  Continue reading →

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THE HISTORY OF TIME TRAVEL (2014)

The History of Time TravelTHE HISTORY OF TIME TRAVEL (2014) – This is not a bad movie, it’s simply a weird movie and I mean that in the best possible way. It’s a low-budget affair done as a faux documentary and since those have been done to death this film has not gotten the kind of attention it deserves.   

Writer and director Ricky Kennedy has managed to combine the fake documentary approach with well-established time travel motifs to tell a story that is so touching I was literally in tears at the end. I’m not going Kevin “The Kryer” Smith on you readers, I’m just saying that if you pay attention to the tale unfolding in this enjoyable but challenging movie you can’t help but feel very moved.

The emotional impact has caused me to elevate The History of Time Travel above my previous favorite time travel film, Primer. Just like Primer, this Ricky Kennedy creation requires a viewer’s full attention to be appreciated. If you’re not in the mood to devote as much focus to THOTT as you would to reading a book then save it for a time when you ARE in such a mood.

The movie begins as a seemingly straightforward documentary about a scientist who pioneered actual time travel but that’s just the narrative device for examining the way time travel would enable changes to “history” without the larger world even being aware of what changes have been made. And yes, I know plenty of time travel stories have addressed such issues but THOTT combines it with a powerful emotional punch that sets it apart. Continue reading →

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