Tag Archives: Neglected history

March 18, 2020 · 11:00 am

FOOL KILLER THIRTY-FIVE: MAY OF 1910

Balladeer’s Blog continues its examination of the many facets of Fool Killer lore. FOR PART ONE, INCLUDING THE HISTORICAL CONTEXT, CLICK HERE

Fool Killer timelessPART THIRTY-FIVE: Taking a look at James Larkin Pearson’s version of the Fool Killer and the mythic figure’s targets in the May of 1910 Fool-Killer four-pager. (There was no April issue that year.)

*** Democrat Duncan Brown Cooper and his son Robin. Cooper, who had served in the Confederate States Army during the Civil War, shot Edward W Carmack to death on the streets of Nashville over editorials Carmack had written criticizing Cooper’s preferred politician – Democrat Governor Malcolm R Patterson.

               So even THEN Democrats apparently grew violent with people who disagreed with their political opinions. Robin was granted a second trial and released. Duncan Brown Cooper was found guilty of 2nd Degree Murder … Then pardoned by Democrat Governor Patterson. Some things never change!

*** People who opposed the movement to grant women the vote. 

Mascot sword and pistol*** Pope Pius X. Pearson and his Fool Killer – like the folks at the iconic humor magazine Puck – adored ex-President Theodore Roosevelt and sided with him in the public feud between TR and Pope Pius X over the lack of respect the Pope felt Roosevelt had paid him. Luckily for Pius X the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea kept him safe from the Fool Killer’s wrath. 

*** In a fanciful and poignant vignette featuring a ghost he targeted unappreciative family members who allowed the graves of their forebears to become overgrown and neglected. 

*** The political bosses of Albany, Pittsburgh and Philadelphia for their notorious corruption.

*** Cotton millionaire Jim Patten for airily proclaiming that the loss of a million dollars over the past year of a down cotton market was no worse for him than the loss of a dime would be to working class people. Continue reading →

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March 6, 2020 · 1:00 pm

FOOL KILLER THIRTY-FOUR: MARCH OF 1910

Balladeer’s Blog continues its examination of the many facets of Fool Killer lore. FOR PART ONE, INCLUDING THE HISTORICAL CONTEXT, CLICK HERE

Fool Killer timelessPART THIRTY-FOUR – The Fool Killer’s targets in the March, 1910 issue of James Larkin Pearson’s four-pager included:

*** John D Rockefeller and his Standard Oil monopoly. The Fool Killer fought  Standard Oil and its corporate tentacles almost as much as the real-life Ida Tarbell did.

*** Former Unitarian clergyman J.C.F. Grumbine, who claimed to be in correspondence with the late Elizabeth Barrett Browning. This was one of the earliest references to the Fool Killer’s enmity toward conmen spiritualists who claimed to contact the dead.  

*** The Sugar Trust established by Henry Osborne Havemeyer, which was still rolling 3 years after his death.

*** Dandified men who focused on their clothing to the exclusion of all else. Continue reading →

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March 5, 2020 · 10:47 pm

DEMOCRAT ATROCITY ROUNDUP: MARCH 5th

WE NEED THIRD PARTIES! Anyway, here’s the latest edition of Democrat Atrocity Roundup. 

#WalkAway*** DEMOCRAT CHUCK SCHUMER THREATENS SUPREME COURT JUSTICES – Reaching a new level of thuggery even for the party of slavery, the Ku Klux Klan and Jim Crow, Senator Chuck Schumer threatened Supreme Court Justices who make decisions that the Democrats don’t agree with.

He warned them that “(Y)ou will pay the price! You won’t know what hit you!”

The politics of fascist intimidation seem to be the Democrats’ primary stock in trade these days, especially given how they also try to get people fired simply for expressing opinions they disagree with.

This can be added to the many, many reasons to #WALKAWAY from that disgraceful political party and become an Independent voter. And there’s so much more: Continue reading →

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February 29, 2020 · 9:30 pm

JACK BREWER CALLS TRUMP “THE FIRST BLACK PRESIDENT” PLUS MORE

Jack Brewer 3As Black History Month 2020 comes to a close, here are some of the recent highlights.

Former NFL star Jack Brewer, a prominent Democrat who has praised de facto Third Party President Donald Trump’s many accomplishments for the African American Community, called Trump “the First Black President” at the Black History Month Roundtable at the White House on Thursday.

Brewer’s remark was a light-hearted variation on the way Bill Clinton was often called the first black president, but given President Trump’s incredible and unprecedented economic achievements for African Americans, the truth behind Brewer’s levity shone through.

Trump Black History MonthTrump’s rapport with so many African American voters seems to be part of the reason that Republican trash like George W Bush, Mitt Romney and the National Review crowd oppose him.

“I’ve been a Democrat all my life but I’m not a Democrat now,” Brewer said. “You’ve changed me. You touched me. And you made my work go to another level. You inspire me. And every time I go into those prisons and I ask my guys how many of them had their sentences reduced and they raise their hands, I know I’m doing God’s work and I thank you for that.” (Note from Balladeer: A reference to President Trump’s prison reform policies.)

big MAGA hatBrewer also noted that President Trump had ignited “a tremendous awakening in the country” among black Americans. “Donald Trump will get over 20% of the black vote,” Jack said . “That is what’s going to win the election. Why? Because there hasn’t been a Republican to even try to go in and talk to the black community. They don’t go there. They don’t even try. I think he’s trying, finally.” (Note from Balladeer: History is being made, that’s for sure.)

Brewer continued by criticizing the failed policies of Barack Obama – “it left a bad taste in my mouth,” he said . “And then I really started being awakening [sic] to what was happening with the Democratic Party — making so many promises but then abandoning the community that I worked so hard in.” (Note from Balladeer: The Democrats do that to all of the working class and the poor, unfortunately.)

“I said enough was enough, and I really started putting aside what my parents and my grandparents taught me about sticking to the Democratic Party because they were the party for African Americans,” Brewer said. “You know all that rhetoric sounded good back in the ’60s, but the facts are that the (Democrats’) policies just don’t help our families.”  Continue reading →

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February 29, 2020 · 9:00 am

LEAP DAY MILESTONES

Charles “The Bearded Badass” Darwin

Some things happen only once every four years – things like Democrat Joe Biden having a coherent thought and Republican Mitt Romney prying his head out of his ass. Another one of those things would be February 29th: Leap Day. Balladeer’s Blog takes a look at some of the milestone events that got cheated out of a yearly anniversary by happening on this date.

1704 – French provocateurs and Native Americans attack Deerfield, MA and kill roughly 50 inhabitants while abducting 100. Ronald Reagan’s ancestor recommends selling arms to Persia to secure the release of the abductees. Elizabeth Warren’s ancestor recommends killing all the Native Americans and then claiming to BE part Native American when it’s monetarily or politically convenient.

1712 – In Sweden February 29th is followed by February 30th to help usher in the new calendar system … and because Al Sharpton’s ancestor demanded an extra day in February to make Black History Month a little bit longer.  

1720 – Back to Sweden, where Queen Ulrica Eleonora resigns following general public ridicule of her name “Ulrica”. I’m kidding! But she did resign.

1784 – In France, the Marquis de Sade is transferred from the fortress of Vincennes to the Bastille in exchange for 3 other sadists and a masochist to be named later.

1832 – Charles Darwin explores the Brazilian jungle and gets a great idea for how he can screw with religious nuts even long after he’s dead.

1836 – In Paris, Meyerbeers’ opera Les Huguenots premieres. Nobody cared back then either. Continue reading →

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February 26, 2020 · 4:01 pm

DEMOCRAT ANDREW YANG ON HOW DEMOCRATS HAVE BETRAYED THE WORKING CLASS

Andrew YangAndrew Yang, former candidate for president, has joined the chorus of voices pointing out how the Democrats have abandoned and driven away the working class and the poor of all colors.

Yang pointed out that the Democrats’ snobbery and contempt for working class voters was why he entered the presidential race in the first place, to try to bring the party back to its long-abandoned base.

“This is why I ran. When I went around to Democrats – actually, no, not Democrats – working-class Americans across the country, if you have a ‘D’ next your name, it’s like a Scarlet Letter. Like they do not [let] Democrats speak to them,” Yang explained. “I was talking to truck drivers and waitresses and I was like, theoretically, aren’t you who the Democratic Party should be speaking to and standing up for? But they thought the Democratic Party wanted nothing to do with them. And that, to me, is a real problem with the Democratic Party.” Continue reading →

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February 17, 2020 · 6:17 pm

THREE FORMER PRESIDENTS WHO RETURNED TO FEDERAL SERVICE

As Presidents Day Weekend draws to a close here’s one last seasonal post from Balladeer’s Blog. This item looks at the three former presidents who occupied other United States federal government positions after their years in the White House.

William Howard TaftWILLIAM HOWARD TAFT

Gang Affiliation: Republican

Post-Presidency Office: Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court

Comment: In July of 1921, President Warren G Harding took time out from letting his criminal cronies run the country to appoint former President Taft as the new Chief Justice.

Among the Associate Justices serving on the Court when Taft took the position were three of the legends of the Court – Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr, Louis Brandeis and Willis Van Devanter (insert your own “Whatchoo talkin’ ’bout, Willis?” joke here). Continue reading →

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February 16, 2020 · 6:10 pm

AMERICAN PRESIDENTS: EISENHOWER TO TRUMP

It’s Presidents Day Weekend! Here are some of Balladeer’s Blog’s takes on the more recent presidents.  

EisenhowerDWIGHT EISENHOWER

Character Type: Well-meaning but befuddled sitcom grandfather.

Military Service: World War One and World War Two

Motto: “FOOORE!” (Remember,  the traditional cry as you’re teeing off in golf? Oh, never mind!)

Nickname: Uncle Milty

Pro: Knew enough to distrust Richard Nixon long before it became the national pasttime. 

Con: Was the first president to pronounce nuclear as “nucular”. Continue reading →

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February 15, 2020 · 9:55 am

VICE PRESIDENTS – JOKES ABOUT THESE ULTIMATE SECOND BANANAS

John Adams

John Adams

Since it’s Presidents Day Weekend here’s another seasonal post.

John Adams called the Vice Presidency “the most insignificant office that ever the invention of man contrived.” A very old joke went “Once there were two brothers. One ran away to sea and the other became Vice President. Neither was ever heard from again.”

In George S Kaufman’s and Morrie Ryskind’s classic stage work Of Thee I Sing one of the characters turns down an offer to be Vice President because he’s ashamed to have his mother know. He’s persuaded to accept the office when it’s pointed out that if he doesn’t tell her about it she’ll never find out.

The office has featured eminently forgettable figures as well as comic relief buffoons like Dan “The Global Village Idiot” Quayle and Joe “Koo Koo For Cocoa Puffs” Biden. In the light-hearted style of Balladeer’s Blog’s look at U.S. Presidents here’s a look at the men who got to hang around and see if the country’s Chief Executive wound up six feet under. I’m omitting VP’s who went on to actually become President, so no John Adams or Thomas Jefferson, etc. 

aaron-burrAARON BURR

Served Under: Jefferson 

Noted for: Shooting dead more Treasury Secretaries and hatching more plots to start his own country than any other Vice President. (So far, anyway.)

Best Burr Quote: “I’m still searching for the real killers of Alexander Hamilton.” 

GEORGE CLINTON

Served Under: Jefferson and Madison

Noted for: P-Funk and Funkadelic Leading American Rebel forces against the British troops of his loyalist cousin Sir Henry Clinton during the Revolutionary War. Continue reading →

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February 14, 2020 · 11:55 am

VALENTINE’S DAY SHOUTOUT TO PRESIDENT WILLIAM MCKINLEY AND HIS WIFE IDA

MckinleysSince today is Valentine’s Day AND we have Presidents Day coming up here’s a brief shoutout to the often neglected love story about President William McKinley and his wife Ida Saxton McKinley.

The McKinley years were far enough away that there is a certain sincerity to their relationship that could never be trusted in these days of endless media overload. 

Years before they were President and First Lady the McKinleys lost both their daughters in tragic circumstances. Ida was never the same and became epileptic plus showed signs of other disorders. As president, William happily restructured the usual social agenda for First Ladies to accommodate Ida’s special circumstances. Continue reading →

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