Tag Archives: Balladeer’s Blog

COLLEGE BASEBALL RANKINGS FROM BALLADEER’S BLOG

georgia gwinnettNAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) 1. GEORGIA GWINNETT COLLEGE GRIZZLIES     ###      2. LEWIS-CLARK STATE WARRIORS     ###    3. BELLEVUE (NE) BRUINS     ###    4. UNIVERSITY OF JAMESTOWN JIMMIES     ###    5. UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND ARTS OF OKLAHOMA DROVERS     ###    

south carolina beaufort sand sharks6. UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA AT BEAUFORT SAND SHARKS     ###      7. OKLAHOMA CITY UNIVERSITY STARS     ###      8. FAULKNER UNIVERSITY EAGLES (should be Furies)     ###    9. WILLIAM CAREY UNIVERSITY CRUSADERS     ###    10. SAINT THOMAS UNIVERSITY (FL) BOBCATS     ###       Continue reading →

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PELE AND HI’IAKA: EPIC OF HAWAII PART TWENTY-THREE

OahuBalladeer’s Blog continues its examination of the grand and exciting Hawaiian epic about the goddesses Pele and Hi’iaka.

PART TWENTY-THREE

Following Hi’iaka’s triumph over the renegade shark gods named Kua and Kahole’a she decided that since she was already far up Mount Pohakea she would go all the way to the top and soak in the monumental view. In the waters below she saw the double-canoe in which Prince Lohiau and Hi’iaka’s mortal female friend Wahine were sailing along.

In some versions of the story Wahine – like Pele and Hi’iaka – is beginning to fall prey to Lohiau’s charms and begins rubbing noses with him. Causing her voice to be heard far below Hi’iaka warns the pair to cease and desist, since the prince is, after all, the intended husband of Hi’iaka’s sister Pele. Wahine and Lohiau separate and Hi’iaka uses her divine powers to extend her gaze all the way back to the Big Island. What she sees there fills her with alarm, dread and anger.    Continue reading →

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COOL-NAMED TEAM: COLUMBIA (CA) COLLEGE

Columbia (CA) Claim JumpersCOLUMBIA COLLEGE CLAIM JUMPERS

Location: Sonora, CA

Division: CCCAA

Comment: I always love team names that are tied into elements of their region’s history. The California Gold Rush makes the Claim Jumpers a great name for teams from the Golden State.  Continue reading →

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THE NIGHT AMERICA TREMBLED (1957): FORGOTTEN TELEVISION

Night America TrembledTHE NIGHT AMERICA TREMBLED (1957) – This is a reasonably enjoyable television movie sponsored by Westinghouse. The Night America Trembled presents what may be the very first dramatic production of the supposed panic caused by the 1938 Mercury Theater radio production of War of the Worlds. I’m always fascinated with accounts of this possibly overblown event, but the actual event – not so much.      

Yes, it all comes down to my love of mythology and the manner in which occurrences get embellished until even the wildest embellishments become accepted into a culture’s shared experience and shared assumptions. But I’m an incredibly boring guy.

Newsman Edward R Murrow hosts the dramatization and as usual looks like he’d love to climb out of the screen and kick the asses of news pussies like Chris Matthews and Chris Hayes. The most entertaining aspect of this production is catching the future stars in supporting roles. Ed Asner, Warren Beatty AND Warren Oates, plus James Coburn, Vincent Gardenia, John Astin and more.      Continue reading →

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PELE AND HI’IAKA: EPIC OF HAWAII PART TWENTY-TWO

KauaiBalladeer’s Blog continues its examination of the grand and exciting Hawaiian epic about the goddesses Pele and Hi’iaka.

PART TWENTY-TWO

Hi’iaka and her two mortal companions – the woman Wahine and Prince Lohiau, the intended groom of Pele – departed from Haena in a double-boat. They headed west around the island of Kauai and in some versions of this tale Hi’iaka left the vessel at one point, planning to rendezvous with Lohiau and Wahine at Mana.

On her inland detour Hi’iaka said a formal goodbye to another relative of her and Pele – the mountain god Pohaku. From there she traveled on foot through the sandy domain of the Menehune, the Hawaiian equivalents of elves and dwarves. The Menehune were delighted to see the goddess and accompanied her to the beach at Mana.  Continue reading →

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Q AND A WITH THE DIRECTORS OF ALOHA FROM LAVALAND

The documentary premiers tomorrow, April 7th!

Aloha From Lavaland 1FIRST – SUZENNE (sic) SERADWYN

Why did you want to make this flm?
SS: When our producer approached me about signing on to the project, it was an immediate
yes.

I arrived to the island not long before the
lava began fowing, and quickly learned that
Puna is unlike any place I’ve ever been.
People here have diferent values because of the
natural elements at play, and the rich cultural
history surrounding those elements. Continue reading →

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COLLEGE FOOTBALL: MID-SOUTH CONFERENCE AND THE SUN CONFERENCE MERGE

MidSouth Conference expansionThe NAIA’s Mid-South Conference and the Sun Conference are merging to form the nation’s largest football conference at any level. There will be 20 teams competing for three automatic bids to the NAIA playoffs. 2017 will be the debut year of the combo.

Read on for details. Best of all, those teams called Eagles in the MSC and the Sun Conference will be forced to change their names to something less overused. (I’m kidding. If only it were true.) Back to the facts … Continue reading →

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ALOHA FROM LAVALAND PREMIERS APRIL SEVENTH

HawaiianislandsJust a few more days til the 55 minute documentary Aloha From Lavaland premiers at the Hawaii International Film Festival Spring Showcase. The movie, co-produced by Zoe Eisenberg, covers the way Hawaiians pulled together to deal with the Mt Kilauea eruption in 2014. 

The trailer of the film can be seen Continue reading →

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CCCAA COLLEGE BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP

*** CCCAA ***

City College of San Francisco Rams logoCHAMPIONSHIP GAME – Both the CITY COLLEGE OF SAN FRANCISCO RAMS and their opponents, the SADDLEBACK COLLEGE GAUCHOS, came into the title game having suffered just ONE loss all through the regular season and the postseason! Naturally one of the teams would suffer their second loss in this game.

The Rams built up a 33-22 lead over the Gauchos by the time Halftime rolled around, a lead that was needed since both teams scored exactly 35 points after the break. City College of San Francisco won the game by a final score of 68-57 and now hold both the football AND basketball championships for the 2015-2016 season.  Continue reading →

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PELE AND HI’IAKA: EPIC OF HAWAII PART TWENTY-ONE

Kauai 2Balladeer’s Blog continues its examination of the grand and exciting Hawaiian epic about the goddesses Pele and Hi’iaka.

PART TWENTY-ONE 

Hi’iaka, her mortal friend Wahine and the freshly-resurrected Prince Lohiau soaked in the praise of the throng surrounding them on the beach beneath the cliffs overlooking Haena. That crowd of Lohiau’s family and subjects felt a certain bittersweet elation. They knew that, though their prince had been restored to life they were about to figuratively lose him again when he moved away to the Big Island to become the mate of the volcano and fire goddess Pele. 

Eventually Hi’iaka led Prince Lohiau and the mortal woman Wahine through the rejoicing mob so that they could refresh themselves with the feel of the ocean waves. The trio froliced in the water for a time, then Lohiau could restrain himself no longer. He grabbed the first available surfboard and paddled out to enjoy some surfing. (Many figures in Hawaiian myths surf – even the deities.) 
Continue reading →

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