Tag Archives: blogging

JUSTICE SOCIETY 25: THE LOST PSYCHO-PIRATE STORY

Wonder Woman and HawkgirlBalladeer’s Blog’s examination of the Justice Society’s World War Two-era stories continues. FOR PART ONE CLICK HERE 

This blog post will cover the only “lost” Justice Society of America story to have definitive artwork and story elements recovered. It’s all in fragments since the story went unpublished so I’ll go with what is known and add my usual revisions for modern audiences.

Will of William WilsonPossible Publication Month: I’ve read anywhere from July to September 1945 so it may or may not have referred to World War Two still raging.

Title: THE WILL OF WILLIAM WILSON

Heroes: FLASH (Original), GREEN LANTERN (Original), HAWKMAN (Original), DOCTOR MIDNITE, THE ATOM (Original), JOHNNY THUNDER

Villains: PSYCHO-PIRATE AND ASSORTED THUGS

Psycho-Pirate 2Synopsis: Well the Spoiler comes right up-front since this story was apparently long known as “the lost Psycho-Pirate story.” In the original plan the fact that the Psycho-Pirate (Charles Halstead) was really the man behind the tale’s villainy was to be a surprise.

Just like when they used their superpowers to raise money for war orphans several issues ago, the Justice Society was drawn into this adventure for the sake of charity. The will of recently deceased eccentric millionaire William Wilson stated that all of his fortune would go to charities if the Justice Society of America could accomplish the seemingly impossible by securing some designated relics from around the world. Continue reading

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COLLEGE BASKETBALL NATIONAL TOURNAMENTS CONTINUE

USCAA DIVISION ONE

bryant and stratton college bobcatsDAY ONE, GAME ONE – The 3 seeds – the BRYANT & STRATTON (Buffalo) BOBCATS – played the 6th seeded CLINTON COLLEGE GOLDEN BEARS to tip off the Division One Tournament in the USCAA (United States Collegiate Athletic Association). By Halftime the Golden Bears had spooked the Bobcats with a 38-29 lead but after the break Bryant & Stratton came roaring from behind to win the game 80-73. Nicc (sic) Johnson’s 19 points led the Bobcats. 

Bluefield State Big Blues logoDAY ONE, GAME TWO – Up next the 7th seeded BLUEFIELD STATE BIG BLUES took on the 2 seeds – the STRATFORD UNIVERSITY CARDINALS. This was a defensive epic which had the Cardinals on top 27-24 at the Half before the Big Blues rallied. Bluefield State outscored Stratford 28-20 in the 2nd Half for a 52-47 Upset victory. Teyon Henry tossed in 15 points to lead the Big Blues.  Continue reading

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CAPTAIN MARVEL, NICK FURY, AVENGERS AND THANOS

Captain Marvel 31CAPTAIN MARVEL! CAROL DANVERS! THE AVENGERS! NICK FURY! THANOS! THE KREE-SKRULL WAR! RONAN THE ACCUSER! OMNI-WAVE PROJECTORS (Intergalactic Pagers)! AND EVEN MORE EXCLAMATION POINTS!!! 

Here are links to all the chapters for reader convenience.

Avengers 89I. THE ONLY GOOD ALIEN IS A DEAD ALIEN – Ronan the Accuser overthrows the Supreme Intelligence to take control of the alien Kree Empire. Meanwhile, the Avengers help the Kree officer Captain Marvel and Rick Jones stop Annihilus from escaping the Negative Zone after Mar-Vell and Rick break out. CLICK HERE 

II. JUDGMENT DAY – Ronan the Accuser comes to Earth to personally oversee Sentry 459’s attempt to kill the Avengers as well as to launch Plan Atavus, a project that will set back Earth’s evolutionary clock by millions of years. CLICK HERE  Continue reading

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USCAA2 CHAMPS CROWNED, NAIA NATIONAL TOURNAMENT DAY ONE RESULTS

USCAA DIVISION TWO

penn state brandywineCHAMPIONSHIP GAME – The title tilt in Division Two of the USCAA (United States Collegiate Athletic Association) pitted the 3rd seeded PENN STATE AT WILKES-BARRE LIONS against the 5 seeds – the JOHNSON & WALES UNIVERSITY WILDCATS. By Halftime the Lions were well and truly in charge, leading the Wildcats by a count of 47-27. From there PSU-Wilkes-Barre coasted to an 86-64 blowout win led by Jordan Williams with his Double Double of 20 points and 12 rebounds. * THE LIONS ARE CHAMPIONS OF THE USCAA DIVISION TWO *

NAIA

jamestown college jimmiesDAY ONE, GAME ONE – The UNIVERSITY OF JAMESTOWN JIMMIES took the court against the SOUTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY FIRE in this game. The Jimmies had managed a 47-39 advantage at the break before leaving the Fire coughing and choking in their dust with a Century Club level 106-85 smackdown. Terrell Alfred led the University of Jamestown with a Double Double of THIRTY points and 10 rebounds.  

Indiana East Red WolvesDAY ONE, GAME TWO – The INDIANA UNIVERSITY EAST RED WOLVES battled the BETHEL (IN) COLLEGE PILOTS (Riverboat Pilots). The Red Wolves and the Pilots exchanged blow for blow and basket for basket. A 39-39 tie at the Half became a 73-73 deadlock to end Regulation. In the Overtime session Indiana University East emerged with an 83-81 triumph. Aaron Thomas of the Red Wolves led his team with a Double Double of 21 points and 12 rebounds. Continue reading

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ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS CRIMES TALLY FEBRUARY 21st – 28th

pelosi sadDEMOCRAT NANCY PELOSI AND EVERY OTHER MEMBER OF CONGRESS WHO HINDERS BORDER SECURITY IS AN ACCOMPLICE TO EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THESE CRIMES.

Kelli BallardJournalist and strong female role model Kelli Ballard courageously continues to compile as comprehensive as possible a breakdown of the additional crimes committed by people in the country illegally.

The victims of illegal immigrant crimes and the loved ones of those victims deserve at least as much care and compassion as the corporate media and the Democrats heap upon every criminal alien who commits murders and rapes.

(Maybe victims of illegal immigrants need their own #MeToo hashtag)

FOR KELLI’S FEBRUARY 21st – 28th ROUNDUP OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS’ ADDITIONAL CRIMES CLICK HERE

Stolen Lives Quilt

 

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BIBLE COLLEGE NIT CHAMPS CROWNED, USCAA TOURNAMENT SEMIFINALS

BIBLE COLLEGE NIT

Davis College FalconsCHAMPIONSHIP GAME – The last two teams standing in this Tournament were the top seeds – the DAVIS COLLEGE FALCONS – and the 2nd seeded TRINITY BAPTIST COLLEGE EAGLES. The 1st Half ended with the Eagles on top 35-29 but the Falcons regrouped in the locker room and came out primed for a comeback. Davis College outscored Trinity Baptist 39-28 to win the game 68-63 for their 4th National Title. Corban Usry led the victors with 17 points. * THE FALCONS ARE BIBLE COLLEGE NATIONAL CHAMPIONS *

USCAA TOURNAMENT

FJohnson and Wales WildcatsIRST SEMIFINAL – This game pitted the 5th seeded JOHNSON & WALES UNIVERSITY WILDCATS against the 9 seeds – the PENN STATE AT YORK LIONS. The Wildcats were chasing the Lions 35-28 at Halftime but after the break they roared back for a 77-65 comeback triumph. Kajuan Madden-McAfee tossed in 23 points to lead Johnson & Wales University. Continue reading

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JUSTICE SOCIETY 24: ALIEN INVASION

Mister TerrificBalladeer’s Blog’s examination of the Justice Society’s World War Two-era stories continues. FOR PART ONE CLICK HERE 

I will review the original issue and then detail how I would “script-doctor” the story for modern audiences.

All Star 26ALL STAR COMICS #26 (Fall 1945)

Title: MYSTERY OF THE METAL MENACE

Heroes: FLASH (Original), JOHNNY THUNDER, THE ATOM (Original), DOCTOR MIDNITE, WONDER WOMAN (Original), GREEN LANTERN (Original), HAWKMAN (Original)

Villains: THE METAL BEINGS OF JUPITER 

flashSynopsis: The Justice Society members are assembled at their Philadelphia headquarters because of the disappearance of scientist Herbert Crawford. Crawford had fallen into disrepute recently over his claims that a spaceship from Jupiter was headed for the Earth with hostile intentions.

Around the world that spacecraft is spotted as it distributes beings of living metal which proceed to run amok. The JSA battle the Metal Men as they not only devour all manner of precious metals like gold and silver but also eat iron railroad lines, copper out of telephone cables and so on.   Continue reading

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EMPIRE OF ASH WEDNESDAY: MOVIE REVIEW

After a terrific Fat Tuesday it’s time for Ash Wednesday … as in Empire of Ash, the awful series of post-apocalypse movies. From Canada! Brave the Canuckalypse with me! 

Empire of AshEMPIRE OF ASH (1988) – Also released as Maniac Warriors, this post-apocalypse movie is, as you would expect, another of the 1980s’ countless imitators of The Road Warrior. In Empire of Ash our year is 2050 and our main location is an American settlement called New Idaho, with Canadian forests passing for the post-holocaust world. All cities have become uninhabitable so survivalists scrape by in woodland communities.

The plague that destroyed civilization is a blood disease and it continues to be one of the biggest threats, along with the usual mutants and rampaging, gun-wielding gangs. There are some scattered scientists trying to come up with a cure for the blood disease but there are also evil sufferers of the disease who prey upon the unafflicted by consuming their blood and bone marrow to survive a little bit longer.

The disease-ridden have been organized into a bizarre religion and they consider the plague to be God’s vengeance, just like AIDS was being called by assorted zealots at this point in the 80s. The religion and government are run by a preacher called the Great Shepherd (Frank Wilson). Before draining the blood and marrow of “pure-bloods” they baptize them as human sacrifices.  Continue reading

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ACCA BASKETBALL CHAMPS CROWNED PLUS DAY TWO OF THE USCAA TOURNAMENT

Arlington Baptist PatriotsACCA CHAMPIONSHIP GAME – The 4th seeded Defending National Champions – the ARLINGTON BAPTIST UNIVERSITY PATRIOTS – faced the 6th seeded CHAMPION CHRISTIAN COLLEGE TIGERS in the title game of the ACCA (Association of Christian College Athletics). The Tigers held a 38-36 edge come Halftime but after the break the Patriots demonstrated the old “heart of a champion” and came back to win this 75-73 Instant Classic. * THE PATRIOTS ARE ACCA NATIONAL CHAMPIONS *

USCAA NATIONAL TOURNAMENT

Central_Pennsylvania_UniversityDAY TWO, GAME ONE – Starting Day Two in the USCAA (United States Collegiate Athletic Association) was this clash between the 8th seeded CENTRAL PENN COLLEGE SILVER KNIGHTS and the 6 seeds – the NEW HAMPSHIRE TECHNICAL INSTITUTE LYNX. The Silver Knights had the Lynx on Upset Alert with a 42-31 lead at the break, then kept NHTI at arm’s length in the 2nd Half for an 82-70 victory. Tyreke Woodard led Central Penn College with 28 points. Continue reading

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AMERICAN COMEDIANS: INSULTING BEGGARS TO MAKE KINGS LAUGH

Bill MaherMany readers have been asking me what I thought of the rancid Bill Maher’s deranged expression of the kind of snobbery that helped elect President Trump. I already addressed it in 2016 with this item from when the rancid Jon Stewart was the face of pretentiousness and pomposity. While the day-long Mardi Gras continues here at Balladeer’s Blog and we move on from breakfast wines to rum-based drinks enjoy this “encore” blog post.  

jonathan stewart

Brown nose ON … Brown nose OFF: Jonathan Stewart – who STILL refuses to donate more to charity –  embodied comedic gutlessness by coordinating with the Obama administration to make sure he never offended them. That’s called being a propagandist and a panderer, not a comedian.

Comedy is at its best when it is irreverent. The more powerful the object of ridicule the richer the laughs. There’s an old saying about a comedian being so supportive of the world’s underdogs that “He’d insult a king to make a beggar laugh.”

American comedians have become such spineless panderers that they’ve lost any real edginess and especially any desire to be on the side of the underdogs. That would be, like, SO not cool, dude! Today American comedians would much rather insult beggars to make kings laugh.

These Court Jesters of the rich and powerful flaunt a deep disdain for the working class and the unfortunate. America’s comic performers of today sneeringly dismiss the working class and the poverty-stricken as “stupid” or “uneducated” the same way bloated rich pig Republicans dismiss the working class and the poverty-stricken as “lazy.” 

Jonathan Stewart older

*** *** *** **  Know what the exact opposite of an irreverant comedian would be? Jonathan Stewart. He took shots at ONLY the safest targets of the moment. Grow a pair and get back to us, worm.

 

The Jonathan Stewarts, Bill Mahers and Samantha Bees of the world would never be caught dead siding with the “ignorant hicks” who aren’t rich or don’t hold positions in their political party. The poor and the unfortunate are there to be ridiculed for the amusement of the ruling class and for the career advancement of those court jesters.  

Genuine satirical comedy follows the path of MOST resistance, but the current worms who play at comedy would rather side with the rich and powerful against the disadvantaged. These pompous pricks are about as “daring” as a bully ridiculing the nearest fat person or someone missing a limb. And ALL to put smiles on the faces of elitist jackasses.

Jonathan Stewart 3

One percenter Jonathan Stewart always sided with Obama – the most powerful man in the world – against the working class victims of Obama’s policies. What a guy!

Jonathan Stewart was so much of a lackey for the Democratic Party he used to meet regularly in the White House with Obama to make sure his humor was Government  Approved. How courageous! Bill Maher ridiculed the elderly veterans of what Brokaw called “the greatest generation” when their infirm bodies and aged minds hindered them from circumventing the barriers put up at war memorials during the government shutdown in 2013. Oh, if only one of them had fallen down and broken a hip! Such hilarity, right Bill?

And yes, I know, Little Jonny Stewart would sometimes pretend that Obama’s disastrous policies were good for the poor and the working class, yet NEVER had an actual member of the working class on his show. Probably because an actual member of the working class would have pointed out how damaging and heartless Obama’s policies really were.   Continue reading

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