NAIA ELITE EIGHT SET AND NCCAA DIV 1 CHAMPS CROWNED

NATIONAL CHRISTIAN COLLEGE ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION DIVISION ONE

ImageNATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME – This title tilt was fought between the 3 seeds – the LANCASTER BIBLE COLLEGE CHARGERS – and the 4th seeded COLUMBIA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY RAMS. By Halftime the Chargers were on top 37-27. After the break, LBC kept the Rams at arm’s length as they won their first ever National Championship 82-75. Camden Hurst tossed in 27 points to lead the Chargers. 

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF INTERCOLLEGIATE ATHLETICS

ImageELITE EIGHT: FIRST BERTH – The AVE MARIA UNIVERSITY GYRENES faced the LOUISIANA STATE AT SHREVEPORT PILOTS (Riverboat Pilots). The Gyrenes put LSU-Shreveport on Upset Alert at the Half with their 46-38 advantage. The Pilots cut into the AMU lead from there, but still lost to them by a Century Club score of 102-98. The Gyrenes were led by Michael Klekas with a Double Double of 26 points and 11 rebounds. His teammates Jack Watkins and Alex Sherwood got Double Doubles of their own with 21 points & 11 rebounds, and 14 points & 10 rebounds, respectively.  Continue reading

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FLASHBACK: SOME OF 2018’s EXAMPLES OF ANTI-TRUMP FOOLS LYING ABOUT EVERYTHING THE PRESIDENT SAID AND DID

ImageLast week I took a look at 2017’s lies and hysteria spread by the ignorant, uninformed and emotionally unstable zealots who spend their every waking moment hating President Donald Trump. Whatever the current lies about Trump were, they pretended they were true and predicted “the walls were closing in” or similar hilariously wrong forecasts. Just like today. Here are 2018 flashbacks.

FLASHBACKS

JANUARY 30th, 2018 – TRUMP-HATERS ATTACK THE WHITE HOUSE PHYSICIAN WHO GAVE PRESIDENT TRUMP A GLOWING HEALTH APPRAISAL AFTER HIS PHYSICAL CLAIMING HE WAS A TRUMP SHILL. IT TURNED OUT HE WAS THE SAME DOCTOR WHO GAVE OBAMA HIS PHYSICAL. Especially absurd considering how Democrats would go on to parade the clearly unfit Joe Biden before the cameras as a figurehead while still unknown parties were exercising presidential powers.

JANUARY 25th – ROBERT “MURKY” MUELLER AND HIS CORRUPT ATTEMPT TO PUSH THE RUSSIAN COLLUSION LIES ABOUT PRESIDENT TRUMP. And since Trump-haters are long on childish snark but short on facts and rational thought, I heard from some of them who said (YAWN) “it’s the end for Trump” and that MAGA really meant “Mueller Ain’t Going Away.” Well, Mueller has gone away and Trump is STILL president.   

FEBRUARY 12th – HOUSE DEMOCRAT ADAM SCHIFF HILARIOUSLY GOT CAUGHT DEALING WITH PEOPLE HE THOUGHT COULD PROVIDE HIM WITH NAKED PICTURES OF PRESIDENT TRUMP BUT IT TURNED OUT THEY WERE RADIO COMEDIANS PRANKING HIM! Schiff is a lowlife. A stupid lowlife at that.  Continue reading

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SUPERHEROES OF GREAT PUBLICATIONS

This weekend’s escapist, light-hearted superhero post from Balladeer’s Blog looks at another forgotten pantheon of heroes.

Fire Eater 2FIRE-EATER

Secret Identity: Mike O’Malley

First Appearance: Choice Comics #1 (December 1941)

Origin: Circus performer Mike O’Malley devised special pills that gave him superpowers then set out to fight crime as the superhero called Fire-Eater.

Fire EaterPowers: Fire-Eater, as his name would imply, could “eat” and suck in large flames as well as blow fire-blasts from his mouth. He was also impervious to fire and was skilled at unarmed combat.

Comment: This hero performed his circus tricks AND fought crime under his masked identity. As Mike O’Malley he kept a low profile and had a girlfriend named Louise Peters, the Head Nurse at State Hospital.

Madame StrangeMADAME STRANGE

Secret Identity: Never revealed

First Appearance: Great Comics #1 (November 1941)

Origin: Scientifically developed to fight spies and other forces of evil, Madame Strange went on missions to safeguard America.

She often traveled under the guise of a reporter.

Madame Strange 2Powers: Madame Strange was strong enough to rip iron bars out of a jail cell’s window, was bullet-proof and could run at greater than human speed. She was also an expert at unarmed combat and was skilled with a riding crop AND at knife-throwing. In addition this superheroine had her own personal plane from which she could drop bombs.

Comment: In her very first story Madame Strange was already a well-known figure. She stopped a ring of Imperial Japanese agents from sabotaging Pearl Harbor, eerily prescient since this would have been written just a few months before the real-life attack on that naval station. Continue reading

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RICHARD GREENE’S SWASHBUCKLER FILMS

Richard Greene is best remembered for his portrayal of Robin Hood on television from 1955-1960 but he starred in several swashbuckler movies before his success on the small screen.

ImageTHE DESERT HAWK (1950) – This fun but hilariously inauthentic Arabian actioner starred Yvonne De Carlo as Scheherazade, whose father is forcing her into a marriage to the evil Prince Murad. Word of the lavish wedding reaches Omar the Blacksmith (Richard Greene) who is secretly the roguish bandit leader called the Desert Hawk.

Planning to steal the treasure trove of wedding gifts at the affair, the Desert Hawk disguises himself as Murad and marries Scheherazade before abandoning her by making off with the priceless gifts. He is aided by his two bizarrely miscast colleagues – Jackie Gleason as Aladdin and Joe Besser as Sinbad. (?)

ImageThe real Murad is furious about the theft, so he has his men slaughter some innocents and blame it on Omar and his band in order to justify an all-out war against the Desert Hawk. Scheherazade realizes how vile the real Murad is and escapes him disguised as a slave girl.

Omar recognizes the “wife” he ran out on and buys her as a harem girl at auction. Amid much action, the pair continue defying the villainy of Murad until the inevitable happy ending. Rock Hudson appears as Ras in this 77-minute flick. Future Johnny Carson Tonight Show producer Freddy De Cordova directed.  Continue reading

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NEWS ROUNDUP: MARCH TWENTIETH

End this week with a current events roundup from  Independent Voter Site Balladeer’s Blog.

ImageTRUMP GETS JAPAN, THE NETHERLANDS, BRITAIN, FRANCE, ITALY AND GERMANY TO AGREE TO HELP SECURE THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ. This despite their previous claims that they would not.

DEMOCRATS CONTINUE THEIR ABSURD ATTEMPTS TO LABEL IRAN A “FOREVER WAR” WHILE IGNORING THE UKRAINE WAR – WHICH STARTED WITH JOE BIDEN’S REMARK TO PUTIN THAT A “MINOR INCURSION” INTO UKRAINE WOULD BE ACCEPTABLE – AND WHICH HAS BEEN GOING ON SINCE 2022.

PROBE FINDS THAT FACULTY MEMBERS ARE FUELING ANTISEMITISM ON COLLEGE CAMPUSES. Democrat politicization of the “educational” (LMAO) system needs to end.

ImageOREGON SCHOOL PRINCIPAL WHO CELEBRATED CHARLIE KIRK’S ASSASSINATION JUST SENTENCED TO FIVE YEARS IN PRISON FOR POSSESSING AND SHARING CHILD PORNOGRAPHY. Democrats in the educational system have replaced Catholic priests in the public consciousness when it comes to scandals involving children. 

STATE OF WASHINGTON SPECIAL ED TEACHER CHARGED WITH RAPING A TEN-YEAR-OLD STUDENT – AND FILMING THE RAPES. The rapes allegedly happened up to “five times per day.” Democrats, can you please leave children alone?

IN DEMOCRAT-HELD CALIFORNIA, EVEN MORE HOSPICE FRAUD HAS BEEN UNCOVERED – THIS TIME BY CBS. Continue reading

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NCCAA FINAL FOUR SET AND MORE

NATIONAL CHRISTIAN COLLEGE ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION DIVISION ONE

ImageFINAL FOUR: BERTH ONE – The 3 seeds – the LANCASTER BIBLE COLLEGE CHARGERS – faced the 6th seeded CLINTON COLLEGE GOLDEN BEARS. By Halftime the Chargers had compiled a 48-40 advantage. After the break, the Golden Bears rallied furiously but fell just short as Lancaster Bible College prevailed 89-87. Trey Grube’s 18 points led the Chargers, while teammate Connor Storr logged a Double Double of 17 points and 10 rebounds.  Continue reading

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THE ORPHIC ARGONAUTICA

ImageIt’s been years since I’ve written about the Orphic variations of mainstream Greco-Roman mythology. For anyone who is not familiar with the Orphic Hymns, Zagreus, etc. these fascinating offshoots of the myths we all grew up with feature a variety of differences.This version of the tale of Jason and the Argonauts won’t always match the more popular rendition. 

ImageTHE ORPHIC ARGONAUTICA – To avoid being too boring I will omit all the arguments about the exact time period in which this variation on the epic was first written. At any rate, as the “Orphic” part of these writings would indicate, this look at the Quest for the Golden Fleece is told from the point of view of Orpheus the musician, poet and keeper of the Mysteries.

ImageOur famous lyre-player Orpheus is approached in his cave at Thrace by the hero Jason. The hero tells Orpheus how he has gathered a crew that will take to sea in the Argo, the first vessel built specifically for ocean voyages. NOTE: Yes, the Orphic Argonautica depicts the Argo as the first ship ever built for a long-range journey. Various allegorical meanings are read into this, but I’ll spare you the details. 

Jason explains that he needs to find and obtain the Golden Fleece of the sacrificed ram in order to mark his claim to the throne of Iolcus. He has named his crew the Argonauts. None of them are willing to risk the dangers of this quest unless Orpheus, he who braved the Netherworld and returned, is with them. Continue reading

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FORGOTTEN TELEVISION: THE INVISIBLE MAN (1975-1976) WITH DAVID MCCALLUM

ImageTHE INVISIBLE MAN (1975-1976) – Before Harve Bennett and Steven Bochco would launch The Gemini Man they tried a very similar premise with The Invisible Man. David McCallum, with his best Cousin Oliver hairdo (below right), starred as Dr. Daniel Westin, a scientist working for KLAE Corporation on matter transformation.

A failed attempt at Westin’s invention has the side effect of making living and unliving matter invisible. Westin fears that the government might want to use his accidental creation for military purposes, so he uses the prototype to turn his naked body invisible and destroys all evidence of the device and his research before fleeing.

Westin is trapped in invisible form but he and his scientist wife Kate (Melinda Fee) work together to make “realistic” fake skin for hands and a seemingly fleshy mask for Daniel to wear as a face in order to appear normal in public. (Though how it made him appear to have teeth is never explained.)

With the help of KLAE Corporation figure Walter Carlson (Jackie Cooper in the pilot movie, Craig Stevens in the series) working with Westin from then on as his handler, he is sent as an invisible secret agent on missions while Daniel tries to rediscover his process and make himself visible again.

This otherwise solid premise was weakened by the fact that the hero had to peel off his fake skin to become invisible, meaning he was always naked in action, which was silly and made him vulnerable. When the creative team started over with Ben Murphy in The Gemini Man the following year they had the main character’s flesh AND clothing turn invisible.

ImagePILOT MOVIE: THE INVISIBLE MAN (May 6th, 1975) – My above description also serves as a synopsis, with the resulting series set up by KLAE Corporation only allowing Dr. Westin to use their laboratory facilities to work on his invisibility cure if he and his wife work for them as spies. Henry Darrow played Dr. Nick Maggio in this 90-minute telefilm. 

THE EPISODES:

THE KLAE RESOURCE – As the secret “KLAE resource” Daniel and Kate are hired out as spies for delicate government assignments. (Mission: Invisible) In this episode they are sent to rescue a reclusive scientist who is being forced to sell his fossil fuel breakthrough to a Middle Eastern country who fear losing their grip on the oil market. With James Karen and Conrad Janis. 

THE FINE ART OF DIPLOMACY – The Invisible Man and his wife Kate are assigned to take down a ring that is stealing original works of art and replacing them with fakes. Ross Martin and Michael Pataki guest star. Continue reading

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MARCH EIGHTEENTH NEWS ROUNDUP

 Independent Voter Site Balladeer’s Blog is here with a mid-week current events roundup.

ImageU.S. SENATE ADVANCES THE SAVE ACT TO ENSURE ELECTION INTEGRITY ON A PROCEDURAL VOTE. Now it faces full debate on the Senate floor. * AND REMEMBER, REQUIRING I.D. TO VOTE IS ALREADY THE POLICY IN EUROPE AND MANY, MANY OTHER NATIONS so don’t buy the Democrat nonsense about it being “voter suppression.” More HERE.

FREQUENTLY DEPORTED ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT WITH LONG CRIMINAL RECORD NOW ARRESTED FOR SHOVING TWO MEN IN FRONT OF A SUBWAY TRAIN. More HERE. Needless to say, Democrat-run New York is threatening to release him.

ImageILLEGAL IMMIGRANT GANG MEMBER IN ALABAMA CHARGED WITH MURDERING A WOMAN, HER DAUGHTER AND HER TWO-YEAR-OLD SON. Democrats will be canonizing him any day now. 

ImageTRUMP EFFECT: INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION ROSE EVEN HIGHER THAN EXPECTED IN FEBRUARY.

MASSIVE “MAKE IRAN GREAT AGAIN” RALLY IN SUPPORT OF PRESIDENT TRUMP AND THE IRAN STRIKES.

REPUBLICAN ANDREW RICE DEFEATS DEMOCRAT OPPONENT IN VIRGINIA SPECIAL ELECTION.

DEMOCRAT PROPAGANDIST JOY REID MAKES IMBECILIC CLAIM THAT WOMEN IN AMERICA HAVE IT “ONLY MARGINALLY BETTER” THAN WOMEN IN IRAN. Privileged one-percenter Democrat women love to pretend that in order to hide their cowardice when it comes to Islam’s treatment of women. Continue reading

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ANCIENT SCIENCE FICTION: THE BRICK MOON (1872)

brick moonTHE BRICK MOON (1872) – Written by Edward Everett Hale, best known for The Man without a Country. This novella started out as a serialized story published in 1869 in the October, November and December issues of Atlantic Monthly. A follow-up installment, titled Life in the Brick Moon, was published in the February 1870 issue.

In 1872, the entire four-part piece was published by Roberts Brothers as part of His Level Best and Other Stories, which contained works by multiple authors. The Brick Moon was published again in 1899 as part of Edward Everett Hale’s The Brick Moon and Other Stories.

brick moon titleThe story begins in the 1840s when Frederic Ingham, the tale’s narrator, and his college friends Orcutt and Halliburton plan a dream project which winds up taking decades to fulfill – a manmade artificial satellite, the first recorded in science fiction stories.

The possibility of wireless communication was unknown in that time period, so the three friends don’t plan to use their Brick Moon to transmit and receive communications. They instead plan for it to serve as a heavenly object that ships at sea can use as a marker. Continue reading

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