My Latest Discovery (Today!)

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Greetings and Salutations to All my Kith and Kin and All the Ships in Outer Space:

Ah, yes, I call it my latest discovery "today", but I'm typing this in the wee hours, so technically it was yesterday.

Lately, I've been enjoying watching a lot of the programming on the MHz Television Network, which may or may not be provided by your local cable television service.

Fortunately, at the Soldiers' Home here in Washington, D.C., we can watch the MHz Network on Channel Seventeen (17).

The web site URL for the MHz Television Network is:

http://www.mhznetworks.org/

The channel features twenty-four hour programming of foreign news broadcasts, from various countries, sometimes in English, and sometimes in their native language.

For instance, Chinese broadcasts are in both English and Chinese.

They have the ONLY Nepalese broadcast outside of Nepal.

Today (or rather, yesterday), I watched "TARTAN TV" for the very first time.

The web site URL for "TARTAN TV" is:

http://www.tartan.tv/web/site/NewSite/home.asp

They talked about the Picts (from whose king, Clan Henderson is descended) and Aberdeen.

They featured a little of Clan Stewart, one of the commonest names in Scotland and America, and stated little known facts, that far more Scots live in America than in Scotland, and many Americans don't realize they are of Scottish descent.

They compared the DECLARATION OF ARBROATH with America's own DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE.

They even mentioned my own clan, Clan Henderson!

One of the Scots interviewed during the broadcast was surnamed, "Youngblood", which made me wonder about the origin of my own birth name, "Trueblood", which does sound so similar.

If "Youngblood" is a Scottish name, then can "Trueblood" also be of Scottish origin?

Because John and Agnes Trueblood had come to North Carolina from England, and John's father, Arnold had died in the gaol of Lincoln Castle for his religious beliefs, I had always assumed that "Trueblood" was a purely English surname.

In the the book, "THE TRUEBLOOD FAMILY IN AMERICA 1682 - 1963", there is speculation that the Trueblood name might be Welsh, or could be of Saxon origin.

One theory postulates that Trueblood is a derivative of Blood, and the most famous of them was David Blood, who held a sword to the throat of King John on the field at Runnymeade, forcing the signing of the MAGNA CARTA.

But, wouldn't it be nifty if it was Scottish?

Following the "TARTAN TV" broadcast, I watched a documentary of a modern day tour of Dublin, Ireland, and its surrounding sites.

Ireland today is so prosperous, they must import workers.

When I was at chow, one of the guys, a retired Army sergeant of proud Polish descent, told me Ireland was hiring a lot of workers from Poland, because they were more diligent and well-behaved, unlike some other ethnic groups.

I do have some sad news, which is rather shocking.

I ran across a very disturbing article, posted several months ago at THE BLOOD IS STRONG Scottish discussion forum web site.

The URL for that web site is:

http://www.thebloodisstrong.com/

It referred everyone to a report written and posted at Clan Stewart's official web site, and that URL, where you can read the full report, is at:

http://www.royalhouseofstewart.org.uk/news47.htm

Scottish regiments are no longer permitted tartans, kilts, or badges as part of their military uniforms.

The only Scottish item permitted is the hackle.

Scottish soldiers may still purchase traditional military kilts, but at their own expense, and they may not wear them as part of the uniform, or so I understand.

Even worse, Edinburgh Castle will now house an English parachute unit, and not Scottish soldiers!

Little wonder then, for that famous photograph of the Scottish colonel, attired in regimental kilt, (accidentally?) exposing himself when seated next to Queen Elizabeth at a military awards ceremony!

You can see the photograph, and read the accompanying news article at this URL:

http://urbanlegends.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?site=http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html%3Fin%5Farticle%5Fid=325537%26in%5Fpage%5Fid=1770

So, there you have my latest discovery.

"TARTAN TV" has obviously been around for some time, but I only just now stumbled across it, and I'm delighted with the broadcast.

I hope you get an opportunity to also enjoy this program, so search your local TV schedules, or contact your local cable television provider.

Slainte Mhath, y'all!

Is Mise Le Meas,

John Robert Mallernee, KB3KWS
Official Bard of Clan Henderson
Armed Forces Retirement Home
Washington, D.C. 20011-8400

"My personal opinions are independent of my Scottish clan."