Tag Archives: blogging

COLLEGE FOOTBALL CHAMPIONS FOR 2018

Here’s one last round of congratulations to this year’s college football champions in the SEVEN divisions covered here at Balladeer’s Blog.

Morningside MustangsNAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics)

National Champions – MORNINGSIDE COLLEGE MUSTANGS

Runners-Up – Benedictine College Ravens 

2017 Champions – University of St Francis Cougars  

Olivet Nazarene Tigers helmet NEWNCCAA (National Christian College Athletic Association)

My National Champions – OLIVET NAZARENE UNIVERSITY TIGERS

Runners-Up – Ottawa (AZ) University Spirit

2017 Champions – Campbellsville University Tigers  Continue reading

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Filed under college football

JUSTICE SOCIETY 6: TWO NEW MEMBERS

Hourman 3Time for more Christmastime kid-friendliness with the 6th installment of the FIRST superhero team in history: DC Comics’ Justice Society of America. 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 8ALL-STAR COMICS #8 (December 1941)

Title: TWO NEW MEMBERS WIN THEIR SPURS

Heroes: DOCTOR MID-NITE, STARMAN, THE ATOM (Original), THE SPECTRE, DOCTOR FATE, HAWKMAN (Original), SANDMAN, JOHNNY THUNDER

Note: First appearance of Wonder Woman, but in her own separate story.  

Villains: DOCTOR ELBA, THE LIGHTNING MAKERS

Synopsis: Starman is being welcomed to the Justice Society of America when suddenly another superhero, Dr Mid-Nite, arrives unexpectedly with his new chemical concoction – Solution K. This solution will restore the sanity of assorted witnesses to heinous crimes, witnesses driven mad by drugs devised by a mysterious villain called Dr Elba. Continue reading

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BEST OF JUNE 2018

Balladeer’s Blog continues its retrospective of The Best of 2018 with this look at June’s Best.

Fiji 4GODS OF FIJI – Balladeer’s Blog’s examinations of neglected pantheons of deities from around the world are always a hit.

The ancient belief system of the islands of Fiji were covered in this blog post which featured nearly 30 Fijian gods and goddesses. CLICK HERE 

mother-jonesMOTHER JONES: RECOMMENDED TRUMP LINKS – Balladeer’s Blog once again posted a roundup of links to the most thought-provoking articles about President Donald Trump.

All of them recommended by Mother Jones.

CLICK HERE

hammett 2HAMMETT (1982) – I reviewed this 1982 Wim Wenders film that was produced by Francis Ford Coppola’s Zoetrope Studios. Frederic Forrest (Chef from Apocalypse Now) plays real-life mystery writer Dashiell Hammett as he gets caught up in a real-life mystery.

A friend from Hammett’s days as a Pinkerton Detective shows up asking for a favor in the mid-1920s, when Dashiell is still working for just pennies a word for Black Mask and other Pulp Magazines. What follows is a fun homage to Film Noir and to Hammett’s stories. CLICK HERE     

Phelim McAleerPHELIM MCALEER ON THE AMERICAN LEFT’S TOTALITARIANISM – Like me and so many others, Phelim McAleer used to consider himself part of the political left but was driven away by the left’s growing fondness of censorship, blacklisting, totalitarianism and their support of ONLY reactionary Muslims, not Muslims who seek reform in their faith to bring it into the 21st Century.

His excellent take can be read HERE

Hellbound HeartHELLRAISER: ORIGINS TRAILER – My love of Clive Barker’s horror novel The Hellbound Heart and the subsequent Hellraiser film series is well known.

In this spec trailer for Hellraiser: Origins you can take a look at a reimagined Pinhead and a depiction of Hell that is a bold departure from Barker’s own. CLICK HERE 

Obama hates childrenSNOPES CONFIRMS BARACK OBAMA’S ADMINISTRATION TURNED ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT CHILDREN AT THE BORDER OVER TO HUMAN TRAFFICKERS – Just one of the many, MANY scandals of Obama’s presidency ignored by the Democrats in the media.

When even Snopes can’t slant an item to try to cover up for their beloved Hollow Man Barack you KNOW the evidence is monumental. CLICK HERE

Silas TalbotSILAS TALBOT: REVOLUTIONARY WAR HERO – Balladeer’s Blog took a look at the Revolutionary War career of Silas Talbot.

BONUS: A descendant of Talbot showed up in the comments for a quick acknowledgement of this recognition of his ancestor’s heroics.

CLICK HERE

donald-trump-and-flagTRUMP-HATERS: ARE THEY INSANE OR ONLY PRETENDING TO BE? – A look at the slobbering, psychopathic behavior of those bizarre people who devote their every waking moment to drooling hatred of de facto Third Party President Donald Trump.

To read this item you can simply CLICK HERE 

declarationTHE INDEPENDENCE DAY SPEECH THAT NEVER WAS – This item examined a much-discussed speech during the deliberations over the Declaration of Independence.

The only problem is, it never happened. But it SHOULD have! Read the fiery speech and the notes about the odd theories surrounding the man who allegedly delivered that speech. CLICK HERE Continue reading

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HUMBUG! SONG FROM THE LIVE-ACTION VERSION OF THE STINGIEST MAN IN TOWN.

Balladeer’s Blog’s Ninth Annual Christmas Carol-A-Thon continues with the song Humbug from the 1953 television version of The Stingiest Man In Town. For my review of the entire production click HERE  

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Filed under A CHRISTMAS CAROL

IROQUOIS EPIC MYTH PART ELEVEN: THE WRATH OF HODADEION

FOR CHAPTER LINKS CLICK HERE

Iroquois longhouse interiorHODADEION PART 11: THE WRATH OF HODADEION – As the demigod Hodadeion stalked angrily toward the large longhouse lodge in which the cannibal wizards and their women were tormenting his younger brother Otgoe, he had but one regret. That was that the Chief of the cannibal wizards, Dagwahgweoses, was away at his private lodge and would need to be dealt with separately.  

On the plus side, the absence of the long-eyebrowed leader of the vile sorcerors made Hodadeion feel sure that his own magic powers would be strong enough to overcome the entire village of cannibal wizards.

The demigod burst into the longhouse lodge before him and angrily took in the tableau of his brother Otgoe bound and being tortured with firebrands. The firebrands brought forth tears from Otgoe and, as the wampum-god, Otgoe’s tears, spit and mucous manifested as precious wampum.

One of the women of the village noticed the way Otgoe’s eyes lit up at the entrance of his older brother and drew everyone’s attention to the new arrival. The cannibal wizards ceased their smoking and the women ceased torturing their bound victim with firebrands.

Hodadeion was concentrating intently, partly speaking and partly singing his latest conjuration. After a few verbal challenges went ignored by the god of magic the cannibal wizards tried to stir themselves from their seated position to attack the intruder. Continue reading

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MEXICO TO ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS: GET IN LINE AND YOU CAN ENTER OUR COUNTRY

Pelosi insanityNot only does Mexico already have harsher conditions for immigration than the United States, but it has been interesting to watch Mexico’s increasing frustration with the destruction and mayhem caused by the most recent illegal immigrant mob.

This week’s figurative Mexico Doctrine – “Get in line and you can enter our country” is demonized as the equivalent of concentration camps when America tries to apply that approach to illegals, many of whom go on to commit multiple other crimes.

You can’t help but envy Mexico in one respect: they don’t have an equivalent to America’s fascist Democrats, a political party whose slogan is “Illegal immigrants: Right or Wrong” or maybe “Illegal immigrants uber alles!”

This past week Democrat and white one percenter Nancy Pelosi humiliated herself by exposing her bizarre fantasies about being “tinkled on” (as the madwoman put it) by President Trump when he refused to elevate illegal immigrants to the aristocratic status that Pelosi and Schumer advocate for.  

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Filed under LIBERALS AND CONSERVATIVES, Neglected History, opinion

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: NAIA AND NCAA D2 CHAMPS CROWNED

Another college football season came to a close here at Balladeer’s Blog with the two final National Championship Games in the Divisions covered here. 

NAIA

Morningside MustangsCHAMPIONSHIP GAME – The last two teams standing in the NAIA were the MORNINGSIDE COLLEGE MUSTANGS and the BENEDICTINE COLLEGE RAVENS. “No more choking” seemed to be the Mustangs’ slogan this postseason as they closed the deal. It wasn’t a sure thing, though, as a 14-14 1st Quarter tie turned into a 20-14 lead for the Ravens come Halftime. Continue reading

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PONSETT’S CHRISTMAS CAROL (1953): CHRISTMAS CAROL-A-THON CONTINUES

Cowboy SantaBalladeer’s Blog’s Ninth Annual Christmas Carol-A-Thon, also called Carol-A-Thon 2018, rolls along with Ponsett’s Christmas Carol. Back during Christmas Carol-A-Thon 2013 I reviewed The Trail to Christmas (1957), Jimmy Stewart’s television adaptation of this particular radio play.

Stewart was basically cannibalizing his own radio show, The Six-Shooter, on which that Old West version of A Christmas Carol, titled Ponsett’s Christmas Carol, first aired. Continue reading

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CHRISTMAS MUZAK PLAYED IN K-MART STORES: 1974

Snowy parking lotHere at Balladeer’s Blog I’m known for my strange sense of humor and my love of oddities, the more obscure the better. How could you NOT love the internet when it lets you find virtually any particular cultural kitsch that you get in the mood for?

In addition to K-Mart Christmas Muzak from 1974 plenty of other years are available, all the way up to the 21st Century. Just pick your favorite year and listen!

After all, what could be more Christmassy than the periodic between-song reminders that smoking is permitted ONLY at the Snack Bar. Or a Blue Light Special in the Deli! It’s like an audio version of a Currier and Ives Christmas Print! (I’m kidding.) 

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Filed under A CHRISTMAS CAROL, Neglected History

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: CRUSADERS UPSET PURPLE RAIDERS FOR NCAA D3 TITLE

NCAA DIVISION THREE

MHBU CrusadersNATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME – The UNIVERSITY OF MARY HARDIN-BAYLOR CRUSADERS are threatening to become the fiercest rivals of the dynastic UNIVERSITY OF MOUNT UNION PURPLE RAIDERS since UW-Whitewater. Last night the two teams squared off yet again for the D3 crown.

The Purple Raiders held a 10-7 edge to end the 1st Quarter but by Halftime the Crusaders were on top 14-13. Continue reading

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