THE CENTENARIAN (1822) – Written by THE Honore de Balzac. Thirty-one days of Halloween continue here at Balladeer’s Blog! The Centenarian or The Two Beringhelds was one of the “quickie” novels that Balzac wrote in his early career, this one under the pseudonym Horace de Saint-Aubin.
Balzac himself looked down on The Centenarian and other early works that he churned out for quick money like the Pulp writers of a century later. Still, this work has value, just like the early Pulp stories from writers like Tennessee Williams, Dashiell Hammett and others. Plus I’m a Napoleon geek so I love immersing myself in the time period in which the novel is set.
The title character is really Count Maxime Beringheld Sculdans. The Centenarian was born in 1470 and led an adventurous life, supposedly even serving as a ship’s doctor when Columbus visited the New World. During his wanderings across the globe Count Maxime studied all the medicine and related sciences that he could.
Under the Rosicrucians the Centenarian learned various secrets of alchemy, including universal healing powers and immortality. Those last two secrets often worked hand in hand: Maxime would use his powers to mystically withdraw the illness or injury out of a sufferer but his “fee” was the draining of the life essence of another person in return.
The Centenarian leeches out the vitality of his victims but NOT by sucking out blood like a vampire. He drains their life force via alchemical means with his “medical” equipment. By the time of the French Revolution and the Napoleonic Wars, Count Maxime has grown a bit weary of his eternal life in typical Gothic style.
In recent centuries our title character has devoted himself to secretly watching over his family line, mysteriously saving their lives or killing off their enemies at crucial periods. The Centenarian has most recently intervened in Spain during the Wars of the French Revolution, saving the life of his descendant General Tullius Beringheld.
Intrigued, Tullius seeks out information on his enigmatic savior and eventually learns the Centenarian’s true identity and about his supernatural nature. By this point (the 1790s) Maxime’s body is misshapen. His arms are emaciated but his torso and legs are thick and muscular.
He is unusually tall but the skin on his head is so thin that his scalp and facial features resemble a living skull. He smells of the grave but his powers of healing make others treat him with fear and respect despite the awful fee he demands.
The Centenarian’s additional powers include immunity to hanging and other forms of mortal injury. He has superhuman strength and his fiery eyes can induce fear, paralysis or death. He can read minds and teleport as well. Continue reading
The Democrats at NPR and PBS were forced to admit that their own poll’s results showed that Americans trust the administration of de facto Third Party President Donald Trump more than they trust the media and congress. Link below. 
NCCAA 1. OTTAWA UNIVERSITY (AZ) SPIRIT ### 2. CONCORDIA (MI) CARDINALS ### 3. GREENVILLE COLLEGE PANTHERS ### 4. GENEVA COLLEGE GOLDEN TORNADOES ### 
THE WIZARD OF THE MOUNTAIN (1867) – Written by William Gilbert, father of THE W.S. Gilbert. 
It’s no secret that Donald Trump is a de facto Third Party President taking on America’s cesspool of corruption which masquerades as a government. 
“Believing Adam Schiff’s (left) lies and calling for an “impeachment inquiry” has to be one of the worst blunders of Speaker Pelosi’s career. The whistleblower tale has crumbled and the backup witnesses the Democrats are relying on only confirm the Deep State bureaucrats and Democrats believe that they, not the elected president, have a lock on executive powers.”
“It was already ridiculous to think a presidential impeachment, to remove the most powerful elected political representative of The United States, could continue based on an anonymous complaint. However, expecting the same complainant/accuser to remain invisible during the process is so far beyond nonsensical, the light from where nonsense emanates wouldn’t reach this narrative for a year.”
“For one he seems to be involved with those behind the discredited Steele Dossier. “Billionaire Clinton donor Victor Pinchuk sent MP Bielkova to meet with him the same day she met with David Kramer and kicked Steele Dossier operation into high gear.” For another, his association with 
“The real issue that ought to either-or-both frighten and enrage any honest American is that the “Intelligence Community” truly does now consider itself a law unto itself and has arrogated the power to actually decide who is a suitable president and who will be allowed to occupy the White House.”
DIVISION TWO OVER DIVISION ONE – The NCAA Division Two’s MISSOURI S&T MINERS traveled to face Division One’s TEXAS SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY TIGERS. The Miners were on top 10-7 in the 1st Quarter but by Halftime the Tigers tied things up at 17-17. The 3rd Quarter ended with Missouri S&T ahead 23-17 before they held on to win the game 23-20. 
NUMBER FOUR FALLS – Over in the NAIA the 8th ranked UNIVERSITY OF SAINT FRANCIS (IN) COUGARS welcomed the number 4 team in the nation – the CONCORDIA (MI) CARDINALS. With the score knotted at 27-27 late in the 4th Quarter, the Cardinals attempted a game-winning Field Goal only to see it blocked by the Cougars and returned for a Touchdown. USF won this “Miracle at Mirror Lake” 34-27. 
NINETY – Two teams hung 90 points on their opponents AND shut them out yesterday: The NAIA’s KANSAS WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY COYOTES absolutely eviscerated their guests the UNIVERSITY OF SAINT MARY SPIRES 90-0 ### And in NCAA Division Three the JOHN CARROLL UNIVERSITY BLUE STREAKS won 90-0 at the CAPITAL CRUSADERS. 
AMAZING ADVENTURES Vol 2 #28 (January 1975)
HELLRAISER (1987) – “Jee-zuz WEPT!” Clive Barker helped translate his novel The Hellbound Heart to the big screen in this film. It’s incredibly rare for a novelist to get to DIRECT a movie version of one of his own works but Barker made the most of it. 
Just last night Mother Jones described de facto Third Party President Donald Trump as “the new Abraham Lincoln, saving the country from more Democrat perfidy.” 
The link is below, but first some excerpts: 
“Why? Because this president dared to disrupt two-party betrayal of the American people over many decades: betrayal on trade, betrayal on China, betrayal on foreign policy, betrayal on our southern border, betrayal on our economy, decade after decade, year after year, administration after administration. This president dared to stand up to defy that betrayal — was elected to end that betrayal — but the people who profited like parasites off of that betrayal are now the ones trying to prevent him from executing the agenda that the American people installed him to execute. That’s the situation we find ourselves in today.” 
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