Tag Archives: blogging

GOO GOO DOLLS: BROADWAY

Balladeer’s Blog’s recurring feature Give Them A Shoutout Before They’re Dead returns with this look at the Goo Goo Dolls’ song Broadway aka Broadway’s Dark Tonight.  

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FOUR AMERICAN SERVICEMEN WHO WERE KILLED IN WORLD WAR ONE

This Veterans Day, November 11th, will be the 100th anniversary of the end of World War One. Here is a look at four Americans who met their death during that conflict.

Navy CrossCHARLES AUSBURNE

Ausburne joined the United States Navy February 25th, 1908 and had risen to the rank of Electrician First Class by the time of his death on October 17th, 1917. Charles was serving on the Antilles, which was sunk by torpedoes fired by the German U-Boat U-105.

Ausburne stayed at his post manning the vessel’s emergency wireless station while the ship slipped beneath the waves. He was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross. Two naval craft were named after the 29 year old. 

Albert BaeselALBERT E BAESEL

Baesel got his first military experience in peacetime, serving in the Ohio National Guard beginning in 1912 when he was 22. In 1918 he was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the U.S. Army.

Albert was killed on September 27th, 1918 during the Meuse-Argonne Offensive. For the details of his death here is the citation for his Medal of Honor: Continue reading

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HAPPY BIRTHDAY, COLLEGE FOOTBALL!

Northeastern_Oklahoma_AMIt was on November 6th, 1869 that Rutgers and Princeton played the very first college football game “on the banks of the Raritan” as the Rutgers fight song says. One of the things I love about college football is how far back its history goes.

It feels odd to think that Ulysses S Grant was in the White House when  Continue reading

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CHE GUEVARA AND GUY FAWKES FOR NOVEMBER 5th

Che Guevara 2Yes, it’s once again Guy Fawkes Day, the day Balladeer’s Blog celebrates figures who became symbols of the exact opposite things they represented in their actual lives!

Guy Fawkes was a religious fanatic whose face became a symbol of resistance against a fictional theocratic dicatorship thanks to a comic book. Che Guevara was a murderous, homophobic, racist would-be dictator depicted as a symbol of youthful rebellion thanks to the spiteful cluelessness of Left-Wing Archie Bunkers.  

Thank the forever-childish 1960s generation for elevating such a repulsive and barely human creature to such heights. Even at HUFFINGTON POST the truth about blood-soaked animal Che has been written. Click HERE  

Here are some actual quotes from hatemonger Che:

“Go ahead and try them tomorrow morning — but execute them NOW!”

Viva La Ignorant“Crazy with fury I will stain my rifle red while slaughtering any enemy that falls in my hands! My nostrils dilate while savoring the acrid odor of gunpowder and blood.”

“We don’t need proof to execute a man. We only need proof that it’s necessary to execute him. A revolutionary must become a cold killing machine motivated by pure hate.” (Note from Balladeer: Gee, I thought the poseurs and buffoons of the American Left said they’re AGAINST “hate.”)

 “What we affirm is that we must proceed along the path of liberation even if this costs millions of atomic victims.”

Che QuoteRead more of this animal’s own words and you will see what a callous, unfeeling political fanatic this hate-filled scumbag was. He never wanted to overthrow dictatorships to help “the people”, he just wanted to overthrow them to install dictatorships more to his liking. Continue reading

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COLLEGE FOOTBALL RESULTS FROM NOVEMBER 3rd

HEADLINES

Thomas More SaintsSAINTS PRESERVE US! – NCAA Division Three’s THOMAS MORE COLLEGE SAINTS borrowed a page from NAIA football yesterday by defeating a team from NCAA Division TWO – in this case the LAKE ERIE COLLEGE STORM. By Halftime the Saints had compiled a 28-0 advantage, then coasted to a 44-zip shutout of the higher division team.

Benedictine RavensDOWN GOES NUMBER FIVE – Up in the NAIA the 8th ranked BENEDICTINE COLLEGE RAVENS traveled to face the number 5 team in the nation – the GRAND VIEW UNIVERSITY VIKINGS (should be the Zebras). A 7-7 1st Quarter tie became 10-10 at the break and then 13-13 to end the 3rd. From there the Ravens exploded offensively to win the game 25-13. 

Fort Hays State Tigers NEWANOTHER NUMBER FIVE TAKES A FALL – In NCAA Division Two the number 22 FORT HAYS STATE TIGERS were on the road against the country’s 5th ranked NORTHWEST MISSOURI STATE BEARCATS. The Tigers grabbed a quick 14-0 lead in the 1st Quarter but the Bearcats cut that to just 14-10 by the Half. In the 3rd Quarter the Fort Hays State edge was whittled down to 17-16, which wound up as the final tally, too, since the Defenses dominated the 4th. Continue reading

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BLACK SATAN: ANOTHER CHESLER SUPERHERO

Balladeer’s Blog’s recent look at the superhero pantheon of Harry A Chesler Publishing was pretty popular. To meet demand here is another Chesler superhero. I went ahead and added him to the main list, too. For many more Chesler heroes click HERE 

BBlack SatanLACK SATAN

Secret Identity: Howard Flynn, District Attorney

Origin: Like many in law enforcement Howard Flynn wearied of seeing powerful gangsters going unpunished. 

He adopted the costumed identity of Black Satan and went after those criminals that the law couldn’t touch.

First Appearance: Yankee Comics #1 (September 1941).

Powers: Continue reading

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ELEVEN NEW FICTION CONTESTS WITH CASH PRIZES

BE AWARE THAT SOME OF THEM HAVE ENTRY FEES OF $20.00. Enter your submission(s) in the eleven contests below: Continue reading

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WORLD WAR ONE POSTS ON BALLADEER’S BLOG: THE LINKS

Black Jack PershingWith Veterans Day coming up AND with it being the 100th anniversary of the end of World War One (when it was called Armistice Day) here are links to Balladeer’s Blog’s many World War One posts over the years.

ELEVEN MEDAL OF HONOR WINNERS FROM WORLD WAR ONE – CLICK HERE

AMERICAN FLYING ACE J.M. SWAAB – CLICK HERE

NEGLECTED U.S. NAVAL BATTLES OF WORLD WAR ONE – CLICK HERE

VINTAGE SCI-FI  ABOUT WORLD WAR ONE – CLICK HERE 

SEVEN AMERICAN FLYING ACES OF WORLD WAR ONE – CLICK HERE

FLYBOYS (2006) – CLICK HERE 

SGT YORK OF WORLD WAR ONE – HERE Continue reading

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THE HOUSE ON THE BORDERLAND (1908): HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Happy Halloween 2018 from Balladeer’s Blog!

House on the BorderlandTHE HOUSE ON THE BORDERLAND (1908) – Written by William Hope Hodgson. This tale is a terrific but often overlooked forerunner of Lovecraftian horror blended with traditional haunted house elements. Throw in material that puts the reader in mind of Madame Blavatsky’s and Aleister Crowley’s horror fiction and it’s a magnificent story for Halloween. 

Our tale is set in and around an isolated house in a desolate, eerie location in West Ireland. The main character is an elderly man who lives there with his sister. His sleep is tainted with disturbing dreams that become more like occult visions of barren but impossible landscapes. (Think “If M.C. Esher did landscaping.”)

In those visions his and his sister’s house is always in the middle of the terrifying geography. After these unsettling experiences on the astral plane the material version of those forces are unleashed in the real world by a minor earthquake near our main character’s house.

Swinish humanoids that resemble the illusory pig-faced monster in the movie Boardinghouse emerge from the new fissure and besiege the two terrified humans, Night of the Living Dead style. Continue reading

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SUPERHERO PANTHEON OF HARRY A CHESLER PUBLISHING

Superhero cosplay for Halloween has begun threatening to overtake horror themes in recent years. In recognition of that, Balladeer’s Blog has been including a look at a different superhero pantheon during each October’s Halloween celebration. This year it’s the superheroes from Harry A Chesler ‘s publishing company. 

Alias the Dragon 1THE DRAGON

Secret Identity: Bill Norton, Police Scientist

Origin: Tired of being relegated to the scientific end of crime solving, Police Scientist Bill Norton decides to seek out some action. He devises a flame-thrower pistol for himself plus a costume and starts fighting crime as the Dragon in his series titled Alias the Dragon.

First Appearance: Skyrocket Comics #1 (March 1944).

Powers: The Dragon had the strength and agility of a very athletic man. He wielded a pistol which could shoot fire like a flame-thrower and the dragon-scale cape of his costume was bullet-proof. In addition this hero was a first-rate scientist in criminology.

Comment: The Dragon was one of those Golden Age superheroes who didn’t care if he killed the criminals he fought. As Bill Norton our hero serves under Captain Donovan, no first name given. This character’s willingness to kill and his flame-thrower gimmick can’t help but remind a Bad Movie Fan like me of Robert Ginty’s two-movie character the Exterminater.

Yankee GirlYANKEE GIRL

Secret Identity: Lauren Mason, wealthy socialite 

Origin: Lauren Mason’s family line included practioners of the mystic arts, but the only spell-casting Lauren herself ever employed was a magic conjuration employing the words “Yankee Doodle Dandy.” (I guess her delivery made all the difference.) Chanting those three words transformed her, Shazam-style, into the super-powered Yankee Girl. 

First Appearance: Either Red Seal Comics #17 (July 1946) or Dynamic Comics #23 (November 1947). There is still some dispute. 

Powers: Continue reading

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