THE AURORAPHONE (1890) – Written by Cyrus Cole. This fun piece of vintage or “ancient” science fiction features the character Gaston Lesage, an eccentric genius who moves to the mountains of Colorado to continue his pet experiments. Lesage is obsessed with perfecting transmission and reception of radio signals, especially regarding potential contact with other planets.
The altitude of the Rocky Mountains made Colorado the ideal location for Lesage’s experiments and, together with his assistant – a freed black man named Pete King – he perfects a device he called the Auroraphone.
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One day when Gaston and Pete are entertaining a pair of men prospecting for gold the Auroraphone picks up the first of a series of transmissions from intelligent life on the planet Saturn. In the days ahead Lesage learns a great deal about Saturnian history and science courtesy of his fellow “ham radio operator” Rulph Bozar, a denizen of the ringed planet.
The Saturnians are much more advanced than Earth and already have flying machines, electric automobiles and powerful sensors which let them watch and record events on Earth and other planets. They also have been using metal robots crafted to look just like the Saturnians themselves, who resemble Terrans in general physiology. Continue reading
Here at Independent Voter site Balladeer’s Blog I always point out that America’s CAREER politicians are white-collar criminals who run the country like a Mafia bust-out operation, enriching themselves and their cronies while plundering the public treasury. BOTH MAJOR PARTIES are guilty of this, which is why I always hope to see the Democrats and Republicans splinter into multiple smaller parties for a time. 
Trump became the best president for the working class and the poor of all colors in my lifetime. He was also the first president in DECADES to keep America out of any new wars, which caused our military-industrial complex to hate him as much as they hated John F Kennedy. America’s hopelessly corrupt cesspool of an establishment was at war with President Trump before he even took office. He had to fight BOTH political parties and still does. He so thoroughly frightens the corrupt filth of Washington DC that they remain obsessed with him. Over the years their lies about Russian Collusion (LMAO) and now “insurrection” (LMAO) have fallen flat and they have utterly failed to understand why Trump is still supported by the working class and the poor. 
It was a once in a century gift to have someone like the Donald who is wealthy enough to not be bought by America’s cesspool called a government AND who is thick-skinned enough to endure the non-stop attacks that the Democrats and Republicans and their media outlets will unleash on anyone who tries GENUINE reform like Trump has done.
Trump, more than anyone since Theodore Roosevelt or maybe since 
Gee, Democrats, those concerned Trump supporters “stormed” the citadel of America’s white supremacist system that you’re always talking about. They stormed the citadel of all that privilege and systemic bigotry that you decry. Since when do Democrats of all people revere the Capitol as a Holy Site? 
BRADAMANTE MEETS RUGGIERO – 
FIREPOWER (1979) – Sophia Loren, James Coburn, Tony Franciosa, Billy Barty and O.J. “Alec Baldwin Times Two” Simpson star in this late 70s combination of an espionage tale and a caper flick. Throw in Eli Wallach, Jake LaMotta and Victor Mature and you’ve got what may sound like the cast of a disaster movie but actually Firepower is a very good film from Lew Grade. 
As regular readers of Balladeer’s Blog know, December through Twelfth Night (January 6th) is the time of year in which I look at versions of the tales of Charlemagne and his Paladins. These are the legends about Charlemagne, not the actual history, so there will be dragons, monsters and magic. 
ROLAND VS MORGANA – We pick up where we left off, with the Paladin Roland, nephew of Emperor Charlemagne, having captured the sorceress Falerin. She informed Roland that she was merely a subordinate to Morgana, the Lady of the Lake, and it was Morgana who really imprisoned the many warriors that Princess Angelica wanted Roland to set free. 
CAPTAIN AMERICA & THE FALCON Vol 1 #153 (September 1972) 
This review is dedicated to my beloved nephew Donny, who first introduced me to this movie years ago. 
Four Damon Runyon stories were blended into a 93 minute movie that was released to just one theater … missing a reel. PBS Playhouse gave this romantic comedy its widest exposure before it fell down the memory hole. As of this writing it has only 8 reviews at IMDb. 
LARAINE NEWMAN’S CANNED FILM FESTIVAL (1986) – After Elvira’s Movie Macabre, concurrent with The Texas 27 Film Vault and a few years before MST3K came this short-lived Movie Host show that presented bad and campy movies from the 1930s to 1960s. Click 
FAUST: THE PRE-SPAWN VERSION OF SPAWN – A look at the 1987-2012 horror hero whose comic book adventures featured over the top violence and pornographic sexuality so extreme that the book was banned in various countries around the world. Click 
DUNE AS AN OPERA CYCLE – Frank Herbert’s first few Dune novels presented as a cycle of operas. 
GRAVEYARD SHIFT – A review of the first three volumes of the Malin/ Poulton team of monster superheroes. Meet Professor Blood, the Monster, the Bride, Ghost in the Machine, Monster Girl and Sea Urchin. For villains you have the likes of Lady Shoggoth, Killer 99 and the Crimson Guard. Click 
As always, from December 1st through Twelfth Night (January 6th) Balladeer’s Blog takes a look at some of the old legends surrounding Charlemagne and his Paladins. These are the fictional tales about Charlemagne, so there will be magic and monsters included. 
THE ENCHANTED GARDENS OF FALERINA – We pick up from last time as the Paladins Roland and Reinold are separately heading for the Gardens of Falerina to free all the warriors imprisoned there. Reinold (at last reunited with his faithful steed Bayard) was on this quest on behalf of the beautiful Flordelis, whose true love Florismart is among the prisoners. 
ROLLER BLADE (1986) – My review of this cosmically bad post-apocalypse movie about roller-skating warrior-priestesses who wield switch-blades and perform faith healing. No, I’m not kidding. Click 
FOOL KILLER – Six Fool Killer Tales From American History 
RIKI-OH: THE STORY OF RICKY (1991) – Balladeer’s Blog’s review of this ultra-violent and transcendentally gory martial arts movie. Click 
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