Tag Archives: blogging

May 27, 2021 · 7:58 pm

11 MEMORIAL DAY ARTICLES ABOUT NEGLECTED CONFLICTS AND UNITS

mascot sword and gun pic

BALLADEER’S BLOG

With Memorial Day Weekend fast upon us, Balladeer’s Blog has been getting requests for readers’ favorite holiday-themed blog posts from the past. I want to post some new ones, too, so let me first post this item synopsizing items from the past complete with links if you want to read the entire article.

THE TOP FOUR FORGOTTEN CONFLICTS IN U.S. HISTORY – A brief look at 1781-1782, the neglected final year of fighting in the Revolutionary War, plus takes on the Mexican War (1846-1848), the Nicaragua Conflict (1926-1928) and the Philippine War (1899-1902). Click HERE.

AMERICA’S NAVAL WAR WITH FRANCE (1798-1801) – Often called a “Quasi-War” because of how few land battles there were and because no formal declaration of war was made, this conflict featured a lot of fascinating action on the high seas. The men who died fighting in it deserve to be remembered just as much as those who died in more high-profile wars. PART ONE.  PART TWO.

TWENTY COLD WAR ATTACKS ON AIRCRAFT – Throughout the Cold War, soldiers, sailors and pilots faced danger and even death in multiple clashes which were downplayed at the time to avoid an escalation of hostilities. Click HERE.

Oneida Nation flag

Oneida Nation’s First Allies Unit

TOP FOUR FORGOTTEN UNITS IN AMERICAN MILITARY HISTORY – A look at Doniphan’s Thousand from the Mexican War, the Oneida Nation’s First Allies Unit from the Revolutionary War, the Yankee Samurai Unit from World War Two and the country’s very first racially integrated army unit, the First Rhode Island Regiment in the Revolutionary War. Click HERE.

THE TEXAS NAVY – A very neglected aspect of the Texas War of Independence from Mexico. Click HERE. Continue reading →

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May 27, 2021 · 9:14 am

AND EVEN MORE NJCAA COLLEGE FOOTBALL RESULTS

And the Covid-delayed games roll on – 

NJCAA

sussex county skylandersHISTORY WAS MADE – The SUSSEX COUNTY COLLEGE SKYLANDERS are playing their very first season of intercollegiate football and have now logged their first W, three games in. The Skylanders welcomed the CAPP ACADEMY CRUSADERS and dominated their opponents on both sides of the ball. By the time the dust settled Sussex County College had triumphed by a score of 48-8.

garden-city-broncbusters-helmet-newDEFENSIVE EPIC – The 4-0 GARDEN CITY COLLEGE BRONCBUSTERS traveled to face the INDEPENDENCE COLLEGE PIRATES. After a scoreless 1st Quarter the Pirates held a 7-0 lead at Halftime. Neither team was able to put up points in the 3rd Quarter, but then in a comparatively action-packed 4th the Broncbusters’ offense finally came alive for a 14-10 triumph and a 5-0 record to this point. Continue reading →

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May 25, 2021 · 2:44 pm

TWELVE DEITIES FROM INUIT MYTHOLOGY

 Inuit mythology is almost criminally neglected. Personally I find it  fascinating and there is a  wealth of underappreciated information to be passed along. Inuit is the term used now, largely replacing  ”eskimo”  which was a pejorative term coined by the Algonquin Indians long ago. The geographical area of the Inuit myths ranges from Siberia across the Bering Strait through Alaska, Canada and Greenland. Names used for the following deities vary across that vast area. Some Inuit settlements like Ayaatayat (near present- day Cape Denbigh) date back 10,000 years. The Inuit were often at war with various Native American tribes and, as a testament to the  fighting  ability of the ancient Inuits they drove the Vikings themselves out of part of Greenland. The Inuit deities are as fascinating as the figures in any other pantheon.

12. NARSSUK – The god of the west wind and a son of the god Sila. Narssuk was depicted as an enormous infant whose winds were generated by the flapping of his caribou- skin diaper. In some versions the goddess Pukimna made the diaper for him. Narssuk supposedly would Continue reading →

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May 23, 2021 · 9:40 pm

NJCAA COLLEGE FOOTBALL RESULTS

Even more Covid makeup games from last autumn.

NJCAA

Ave Maria helmetNAILBITER IN GEORGIA – The GORDON STATE HIGHLANDERS welcomed the HOCKING COLLEGE HAWKS. Neither team scored in the 1st Quarter but by Halftime the Highlanders were on top of the Hawks by a score of 6-3. The defenses dominated once again in the 3rd Quarter with no points put up, and in the 4th Gordon State held on for a 12-10 victory. 

Navarro CollegeWHAT IS IT BETWEEN TEXAS AND OKLAHOMA? – Teams from Texas and Oklahoma have some classic rivalries and classic games between them. In this matchup the NAVARRO COLLEGE BULLDOGS took on the visiting NORTHEASTERN OKLAHOMA A&M GOLDEN NORSEMEN. A 7-0 1st Quarter lead for the Golden Norsemen turned into a 10-7 Bulldogs edge at the Half. Each team logged 13 more points after the break as Navarro College won it 23-20.

Tyler College Apaches helmet NEW

ONE TEAM WAS PLAYING BASKETBALL – The TYLER COLLEGE APACHES tore apart the REZOLUTION PREP WILDCATS by a count of 61-0   ###   Meanwhile the GARDEN CITY COLLEGE BRONCBUSTERS humiliated the HIGHLAND COLLEGE SCOTTIES in a 58-0 laugher   ###   And the INDEPENDENCE COLLEGE PIRATES eviscerated their hosts the FORT SCOTT COLLEGE GREYHOUNDS by a “burn the game tape” score of EIGHTY-FOUR to NOTHING!  Continue reading →

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May 21, 2021 · 4:53 pm

MARVEL’S ONE-APPEARANCE HEROES FROM THE 1940s

A few weeks back Balladeer’s Blog took a look at over three dozen 1940s superheroes from Marvel Comics (called Timely Comics back then). This time around here’s a look at several of their one-appearance wonders from that same time period.

phantom bulletPHANTOM BULLET

Created By: Joe Simon

Secret Identity: Allan Lewis

Appeared In: Daring Mystery Comics #2 (February 1940)

Origin: Millionaire Allan Lewis often slummed as a reporter for The Bulletin when stories caught his eye. While investigating some unsolved murders committed by seven-fingered men he met a scientist who had developed a high-tech gun that he believed criminals wanted to steal from him. The scientist was killed but managed to pass along his invention to Allan Lewis, who donned a costume and took on villains as the Phantom Bullet.

Powers: The Phantom Bullet was in peak human condition and excelled at armed and unarmed combat. The experimental gun he wielded compressed moisture from the air into ice bullets which melted, evaporated and left no traces in the evildoers whom he shot to death. That was why the media dubbed him the Phantom Bullet.

Comment: The murders in the Phantom Bullet’s debut were masterminded by former explorer Alvarez Monez. As part of his extortion/ theft/ murder ring he commanded a Lost Race he had captured in Africa. That Lost Race had seven fingers and were part human, part ape, so naturally he called them … Bird-Men. (?)

Rather than wear a mask, this hero disguised his features with makeup when he went into action. That makeup included an exaggerated nose.

thin manTHE THIN MAN

Created By: Klaus Nordling

Secret Identity: Bruce Dickson

Appeared In: Mystic Comics #4 (August 1940)

Origin: Scientist Bruce Dickson was climbing Mount Kalpurthia in the Himalayas when he discovered a cave that led to the hidden, futuristic valley called Kalahia. Determining Dickson to be a noble and altruistic person, the valley’s Council of Elders instructed the man in their advanced science and taught him their mystic power of altering his physiology to make himself thinner and longer.       

Bruce and a Kalahian woman named Olalla fell in love and convinced the Council to permit them to go to the outside world where Dickson could use his new powers against the forces of evil.

Powers: The Thin Man could make his body thin enough to slip under a door or between cracks in a fence while still packing the strength of a heavyweight boxer. He could also stretch and bend his body into different shapes. He piloted a futuristic StratoPlane, which the Council of Elders permitted him to build with Kalahian technology. Among other features that plane sported video screens for observing anywhere on Earth. Continue reading →

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May 18, 2021 · 12:07 am

SEVEN BURIED TREASURES THAT HAVE YET TO BE FOUND

masc graveyard smallerBalladeer’s Blog takes a look at several buried treasures which legends maintain may still be out there for the finding.

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MONTEZUMA’S CARAVAN

Estimated Value: $52,000,000.00 in 2021 terms.

Last Seen: 1520 A.D.

Lore: Observing how the Spanish were stealing every bit of treasure they found, Aztec ruler Montezuma had his treasury and temples stripped of as much gold, silver and jewels as possible. He intended to have it sent northward and buried until the Spanish could be driven out of the New World. Over time everyone who knew where the horde was located died.

Potential Locations: Arizona, New Mexico or Utah.

THE GOLD OF REMY LEDOUX

Estimated Value: As high as $208,000,000.00 in 2021 terms.

Last Seen: Late 1780s-1790s

Lore: In the 1780s French fur traders led by one Remy Ledoux heard about rich veins of gold from some free-spending and loose-talking Spaniards. The fur traders checked out the location indicated and came across their own finds, which they worked for years.

              Amid growing hostility with Spanish prospectors and Native Americans in the area, Remy and his colleagues buried the gold in anywhere from 1 to 3 locations and headed back to civilization until tempers near their gold veins could cool. They suffered more Native American attacks and only Ledoux made it back east alive. The map he left behind has proven to be either incredibly wrong or coded.  

Potential Location: The San Juan Mountains of Colorado. Continue reading →

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May 16, 2021 · 3:52 pm

NJCAA COLLEGE FOOTBALL RESULTS

Like the NAIA, the NJCAA’s 2020 college football season extended into this year because of Covid delays.

NJCAA

Snow College Badgers helmetONE-POINT WONDER – The closest game for this time around pitted the SNOW COLLEGE BADGERS against the home-standing IOWA WESTERN COLLEGE REIVERS. The Reivers led their opponents by a score of 7-0 in the 1st Quarter, 13-8 at Halftime and 27-18 to end the 3rd Quarter. In the 4th the Badgers came roaring from behind for a 31-30 victory.

Navarro CollegeTEXAS TUSSLE – The NAVARRO COLLEGE BULLDOGS welcomed the TYLER COLLEGE APACHES. The opening Quarter ended with the Bulldogs on top 14-10, which became a 24-19 edge at the Half. In the 3rd Quarter Navarro College extended their lead to 38-29 before having to hold on against a furious Apaches rally in the 4th. The final count was Bulldogs 53  Tyler College 50. Continue reading →

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May 15, 2021 · 1:59 am

ALL TWENTY ALL-WINNERS ISSUES FROM THE 1940s

Mascot and guitar

Balladeer’s Blog

Last week’s look at over two dozen 1940s superheroes from Marvel Comics (called Timely Comics back then) was very popular. This time around here’s my breakdown on several issues of All Winners Comics, featuring a mixed bag of their biggest heroes of the time. The one and only STAN LEE, already a master of self-promotion in the 1940s, makes cameo appearances in a few issues.

For information on the superheroes in these adventures click HERE.

all winners 1ALL WINNERS COMICS #1 (June 1941)

Story 1: Carnival of Fiends

Heroes: Human Torch (original) and Toro

Villain: Mr Matzu

Synopsis: The Human Torch and Toro clash with the espionage network of Japanese Imperial Spy Matzu when he tries to sabotage Chinese-Americans who are holding a fundraiser for their native land’s military efforts against Japan’s occupation forces.

Comment: America had not yet entered the war, so this is an interesting piece. It’s set in New York City.

Story 2: The Order of the Hood

Hero: The Black Marvel

Villains: The Order of the Hood

Synopsis: In Los Angeles, a cloaked and hooded gang of bank robbers use machine guns and a solar death ray to rob banks and slaughter anyone in their way. The Black Marvel repeatedly clashes with them and defeats them in the end.

Comment: After the villains capture the Black Marvel they do a pirate television broadcast to show them executing the hero, but he turns the tables on them. There were indeed television broadcasts at the time, but going out to thousands instead of millions like today.

Story 3: The Case of the Hollow Men Continue reading →

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May 14, 2021 · 2:21 am

BEYOND THE UNIVERSE (1981): MOVIE REVIEW

beyond the universeBEYOND THE UNIVERSE (1981) – Well, Balladeer’s Blog has come to the last film in the Anne Spielberg, Robert Emenegger and Allan Sandler batch. If you’re new to the Spielneggerdler oeuvre, various combinations of the trio churned out no less than TEN low-budget, mostly awful sci-fi films in 1980 and 1981. Yes, you read that right. Ten movies in just two years, with results about what you’d expect from that “quantity not quality” approach.

I reviewed eight of them in a movie marathon spirit HERE (Warp Speed, Escape From DS-3, The Killings At Outpost Zeta, Captive, PSI Factor, Laboratory, The Perfect Woman and Time Warp). I reviewed Lifepod, which I consider to be the best of the Spielneggerdler output, separately HERE and now I’m wrapping up with Beyond The Universe.

Going in, we know we’ll be getting reused actors and recycled special effects from the other nine films, assorted offspring of big-name talents of the past, and one or two “stars” in the embarrassing twilight of their careers. Usually a few members of the Cameron Mitchell clan, or even Cameron himself, tag along.

I’ve previously noted how a few of the movies set in E-Space (Emenegger Space) used the name Starfleet for their futuristic space travel organization. This time around we get a global government called the United Federation.

The year is 2081. We learn that in 1993 and 1996 nuclear wars broke out involving China, the Soviet Union and the United States. (Hey, we can look back and laugh at those wars now, but back THEN …) Those conflicts were followed in 1999 by a Five Year Civil War in which what was left of humanity fought each other until, ultimately, the United Federation was established. Continue reading →

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May 12, 2021 · 2:37 am

IN THE YEAR TEN THOUSAND (1890): ANCIENT SCIENCE FICTION

edgar fawcett

Insert your own “Pardon me, do you have any Grey Poupon?” joke here.

IN THE YEAR TEN THOUSAND (1890) – Written by Edgar Fawcett, this odd little work first appeared in the political and literary publication The Arena in February 1890. Fawcett authored some eccentric pieces like The New King Arthur: An Opera Without Music in 1885. In The Year Ten Thousand is written in verse and is in the form of dialogues. Some sources maintain the work was intended as a short play.   

The story opens in 10,000 AD in the sprawling megalopolis called Manattia, where New York City and most of the surrounding area used to be. A pair of citizens in that future location discuss assorted aspects of history and the scientific changes which led to the state of their almost ideal society.

Electric airboats fill the skies and in the year 10,000 a typical family outing would include a weekend flight over the North Pole and back. Massive libraries like the one in Manattia contain 12 million books or more. Continue reading →

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