Balladeer’s Blog continues its examination of the many facets of Fool Killer lore. FOR PART ONE, INCLUDING THE HISTORICAL CONTEXT, CLICK HERE
PART THIRTY-ONE: Moving on to the July 1921 issue of James Larkin Pearson’s monthly Fool-Killer publication. The Fool Killer’s (I prefer no hyphen) targets this time around were:
*** Politicians and pundits who were still pushing the notion that the World War which ended in November of 1918 really was “The War to End All War” and that the world was poised for an era of peace and tranquility with no more bloodshed.
*** Nations which were still trying to develop ever-deadlier chemical weapons, despite the uproar over the long-term consequences of such weapons in the war from 1914-1918.
*** In particular the Fool Killer targeted jingoistic U.S. War Department scientists and /or officials who spoke of a deadly gas that our country had just developed – a gas which could supposedly “depopulate a whole city in a few minutes.”
Pearson and his Fool Killer wondered if, despite official claims that the government was trying to prevent other nations from getting hold of the formula, the U.S. might wind up using the gas ourselves at some future time and therefore become “the Huns” of a new war.
Here in 2020 we are accustomed to the notion that our own elected officials – from both parties – may be as totalitarian and destructive as any others. That realization came after decades of real-life scandals plus fictional espionage and science fiction stories using (eventually overusing) the “Are we are own worst enemy? theme.
I find it incredibly intriguing to see a contemporary 1921 example of that justifiable suspicion. The image of the Fool Killer – homicidal vigilante though he’s always been – taking down scientists, military men or politicians gambling with such poisonous gasses is wildly ahead of its time.
*** In a REALLY prescient bit, he targeted people who felt that Germany should be forced harder and harder to try to pay war reparations no matter what damage it did to that nation’s economy. We all know where that wound up taking the world. Continue reading
In the style of Balladeer’s Blog’s separate examinations of Hawaiian and Samoan myths as a subset of Polynesian Mythology comes this look at the deities worshipped on the Polynesian outliers Bellona Island and Rennell Island. Despite its much smaller size Bellona had a larger population for much of their history.
MAHUIKE – The earthquake god of Bellona and Rennell Islands (henceforth Bel-Ren). Like his counterparts in Hawaii and Samoa, Mahuike lived far underground and caused earthquakes by pushing at the earth with both of his arms.
USCAA (United States Collegiate Athletic Association) – 1. UNIVERSITY OF SAINT THOMAS (TX) CELTS ### 2. FLORIDA NATIONAL UNIVERSITY CONQUISTADORS ### 3. BRYANT AND STRATTON COLLEGE (Buffalo) BOBCATS ### 4. BLUEFIELD STATE BIG BLUES ### 5. DELHI STATE (NY) BRONCOS ### 
6. NEWPORT NEWS APPRENTICE SCHOOL BUILDERS (Shipbuilders) ### 7. UNIVERSITY OF DALLAS CRUSADERS ### 8. UNIVERSITY OF MAINE AT FORT KENT BENGALS ### 9. CLINTON COLLEGE GOLDEN BEARS ### 10. FIVE TOWNS COLLEGE SOUND ### 
THE LOG OF THE FLYING FISH: A STORY OF AERIAL AND SUBMARINE PERIL AND ADVENTURE (1887) – Written by Harry Collingwood (William J.C. Lancaster). 
NUMBER TWO TAKES A FALL – The MENLO COLLEGE OAKS welcomed the number 2 team in the nation – THE MASTER’S UNIVERSITY MUSTANGS. The Oaks put the Mustangs on Upset Alert by Halftime with a 45-37 lead, then consummated the Upset by a final score of 87-76. Ross Williams led Menlo College with 20 points. 
OTHER UPSETS IN THE RANKINGS – The (19) LINDSEY WILSON COLLEGE BLUE RAIDERS struck down the visiting (4) UNIVERSITY OF PIKEVILLE BEARS 80-69 ### The HUSTON-TILLOTSON RAMS won 84-67 against the (6) LSU-SHREVEPORT PILOTS ### Meanwhile the UNIVERSITY OF MOBILE RAMS toppled the (8) LOYOLA (LA) WOLFPACK 84-82 ### And the ROCKY MOUNTAIN COLLEGE BATTLIN’ BEARS totaled the (13) LEWIS-CLARK STATE WARRIORS 87-57. 
CENTURY CLUB – Teams scoring 100 points or more in Regulation: Just one this time around – the (15) HOPE INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY ROYALS played host to the WESTCLIFF UNIVERSITY WARRIORS. The Royals were on top 48-32 by the Half on their way to a 100-68 blowout win. Josh Powell-Davis led HIU with a Double-Double of 28 points and 12 rebounds. 
SOLO (1980) – Written by Jack Higgins. Solo is not exactly one of my favorite espionage novels but it is definitely my favorite by Jack Higgins. It’s the story of efforts to catch an international assassin code-named the Cretan Lover. Luckily that ludicrous codename is often shortened to just “The Cretan” throughout the novel. I’ll use the same review format that I used for my look at The Top Seven Robert Ludlum Novels. 
With that whole Paul Krugman/ child pornography story it’s been a weird week, so how about another listicle to start the weekend? Balladeer’s Blog will be posting plenty of Top 20 lists in 2020. Here are 20 Quotes from playwright, gold-miner, gambler and businessman Wilson Mizner. 
“If you steal from one author, it’s plagiarism; if you steal from many, it’s research.”
It’s no secret that when the original 1973-1976 run of the Killraven series was canceled, writer Don McGregor transferred many of the story elements he had set up for Killraven over to his independent post-apocalypse comic book Sabre. 
The original Sabre graphic novel was in black & white to accommodate its graphic violence, sexual themes and its female toplessness. When McGregor brought back the character Sabre in a continuing, full-color comic book series at Eclipse Comics in late 1982 the original Sabre tale became more popularly known by its subtitle Slow Fade of an Endangered Species. Human beings were that endangered species, of course. 
*** Killraven wielded a sword, a photo-nuclear pistol and explosive throwing-stars along with his possession of The Power, a pre-Star Wars (as in 1973) version of The Force. 
NAIA Division Two – 1. OREGON TECH HUSTLIN’ OWLS ### 2. MORNINGSIDE COLLEGE MUSTANGS ### 3. BETHEL (IN) UNIVERSITY PILOTS (Riverboat Pilots) ### 4. OTTAWA (KS) UNIVERSITY BRAVES ### 5. INDIANA WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY WILDCATS ### 
6. WASHINGTON ADVENTIST UNIVERSITY SHOCK ### 7. COLLEGE OF IDAHO COYOTES ### 8. MOUNT VERNON NAZARENE UNIVERSITY COUGARS ### 9. MARIAN UNIVERSITY KNIGHTS ### 10. NORTHWESTERN (IA) COLLEGE RED RAIDERS ### 
CHANGE OF HABIT (1969) – This review is in honor of Elvis Presley’s birthday. Change of Habit is a movie that was practically MADE to be ridiculed. You’ve got Elvis Presley, never exactly a master thespian, his sideburns, which out-perform him in this flick and Mary Tyler Moore as a nun torn between her vows and her growing attraction to The King.
