My Room At The Ol' Soldiers' Home

Greetings and Salutations to All my Kith and Kin and All the Ships in Outer Space: Here are a couple of videos of my room at the Ol' Soldiers' Home in Washington, D.C. As you can see, I am quite comfortable. But, I do wish I had a room with a view. These videos were recorded with my Kodak Easy Share Z710 Zoom Digital Camera. Thank you. John Robert "SAIGON" Mallernee, KB3KWS Official Bard of Clan Henderson Armed Forces Retirement Home Washington, D.C. 20011-8400 NOTE: "My unpopular and controversial personal opinions are independent of my Scottish clan."

Annual ARRL Field Day

Greetings and Salutations to All my Kith and Kin and All the Ships in Outer Space: Here are videos of Amateur Radio Station AF3RH at the Armed Forces Retirement Home in Washington, D. C. during the American Radio Relay League annual field day exercise on Saturday 28 June 2008. To record these videos, I used my Kodak Easy Share Z710 Zoom Digital Camera. Thank you. John Robert "SAIGON" Mallernee, KB3KWS Official Bard of Clan Henderson Armed Forces Retirement Home Washington, D.C. 20011-8400 NOTE: "My unpopular and controversial personal opinions are independent of my Scottish clan."

TV Program Critique: "FEAR ITSELF"

Greetings and Salutations to All my Kith and Kin and All the Ships in Outer Space: Thursday night, I recorded the first episode of FEAR ITSELF, a new television series on NBC, and today, I watched it. Boy, oh boy, what a grrrrREAT show!!! To add to the treat, WRC-TV Channel 4, the local NBC station in Washington, D.C., broadcasts in high definition. Yes, if you've never experimented with a comparison, there definitely IS a huge difference in picture quality when watching a high definition broadcast. I love watching high definition broadcasts on Comcast Cable Television with my ProView RX-276 twenty-seven inch LCD high definition television. I immediately set my Comcast Cable Television DVR to automatically record all future episodes, so I won't miss a single broadcast. My favorite genre of entertainment is edge of your seat suspense, with unexpected twists, and that perfectly describes this TV program. Since it's broadcast during prime time, the program is safe for family viewing. However, just to be sure, I always recommend that Mama and Daddy should BOTH watch all motion pictures and television programs WITH their children, so any questions, issues, objections, or comments can be immediately addressed. Remember, I'm a single guy, and a war veteran, with civilian employment as a peace officer, a firefighter, and a medic, so what I deem to be perfectly normal and acceptable might be seen as revoltingly shocking in a family environment adhering to loftier values. Actually, if you go to the NBC web site, you can watch the program, FEAR ITSELF, on your computer. Ain't that neat? I very highly recommend this show as one of the best programs currently broadcast on television. Pass the popcorn, please. Thank you. John Robert "SAIGON" Mallernee, KB3KWS Official Bard of Clan Henderson Armed Forces Retirement Home Washington, D.C. 20011-8400 NOTE: "My unpopular and controversial personal opinions are independent of my Scottish clan."

Comment On Supreme Court Decision

Greetings and Salutations to All my Kith and Kin and All the Ships in Outer Space: Along with this Supreme Court ruling, there also needs to be a drastic change in the morality of the populace here in the District of Columbia, in order to successfully rekindle the eternal flame of liberty. We citizens have an inalienable right to keep and bear arms, and the purpose of our divinely inspired Constitution of the United States is to severely restrict the power of government. The Second Amendment exists to guarantee that we, the people, always possess the means to rise up and violently overthrow our government. I found it wryly amusing that as soon as the Supreme Court announced their decision, Mayor Fenty immediately held a press conference announcing his intentions to continue deliberately circumventing the Constitution and further impose tyranny upon the residents of the District of Columbia. We don't just need firearms in our residences, but also in our vehicles, and on our persons. We must remember the commandment given to us by Jesus Christ, as stated in the Thirty-Sixth Verse of the Twenty-Second Chapter of the Gospel According to Luke. Personally, I feel our society would be safer and more courteous if everyone was armed all of the time, everywhere they went. Under those circumstances, it would be impossible for violent criminals and terrorists to operate in our midst. Because of the tendency of elected and appointed government officials to violate their pledges, ignore the Constitution, or flout the law, privately owned firearms should not be registered. Thank you. John Robert "SAIGON" Mallernee, KB3KWS Official Bard of Clan Henderson Armed Forces Retirement Home Washington, D.C. 20011-8400 NOTE: "My unpopular and controversial personal opinions are independent of my Scottish clan."

Army Birthday Celebration

Group photo of the Soldiers' Home visiting the Pentagon on Friday 13 June 2008

Me, at the Pentagon, checking out new electronic sensor display

Clan Henderson at the Potomac Celtic Festival, Saturday 14 June 2008

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

On Friday the Thirteenth, a group of us from the Soldiers' Home went to the Pentagon for a celebration of the two hundred and thirty-third birthday of the United States Army.

You can't see me in the Soldiers' Home's group photo (unless you try really hard), because I'm standing directly behind another guy.

I was greeted by numerous soldiers and veterans when they observed my cavalry stetson, for they were also cavalry troopers, and were pleased to see me dressed up in my coat and tie, wearing my medals, with spurs on my boots, and my stetson atop my head.

I wore the Clan Henderson necktie and the Clan Henderson tie pin.

We were given a tour inside the Pentagon to their 9-11 Memorial and chapel, which the public never sees, and our guide pointed out exactly where the plane hit (it was at the very door we entered).

(A 9-11 Memorial for the public is under construction outside the Pentagon.)

I also saw soldiers from the armies of Great Britain and Australia.

As part of the ceremony, a bunch of youngsters were sworn into the United States Army, and a bunch of regulars were given their oath of reenlistment.

The birthday cake was cut with a sabre, held by the United States Army's oldest soldier (he's a seventy year old colonel) and the United States Army's youngest soldier.

We then sang "HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" and "THE ARMY SONG".

There were lots of displays of new equipment to be used in combat.

In the above photograph, I'm examining some electronic sensors used to detect enemy troop movement, as I compare the capabilities of the modern equipment with similar experimental electronic sensors used in Viet Nam.

I was very surprised to see a blonde female wearing an ao dai, the traditional dress in Viet Nam.

When I went to talk to her, I saw she was actually a Vietnamese, and had dyed her hair.

She told me she was also in the United States Army.

We were treated to a light lunch in the Pentagon's central court.

Early the next morning, which was the Fourteenth of June, the actual birthday of the United States Army, I drove to Leesburg, Virginia to attend the Potomac Celtic Festival.

Clan Henderson's tent was situated right next to the Washington Area Folk Harp Society, which meant two things.

First, we'd enjoy listening to the soothing sounds of harpists (and I love listening to the harp).

Second, I wasn't going to get much of an opportunity to play my guitar and sing.

I think I only sang a total of three songs, CALEDONIA, THE LAST FAREWELL, and THE SKYE BOAT SONG.

To tell the truth, I was already exhausted from the previous day's visit to the Pentagon, so I was struggling to do anything at all.

Present at Clan Henderson's tent were Commissioner Leon Hicks, his son Chris Hicks, Chris' girlfriend, Loretta Huertas Del Pino, and Christian Garin, head of the clan bodyguard.

In the photograph, you can see me holding forth my sword.

I'm the guy with the whiskers.

The day was quite hot, but we had plenty of ice, bottled water, and beer, with a bottle of lemonade for me.

Christian Garin generously contributed smoked trout, buffalo wings, crackers, pita chips, and two kinds of cheese.

We were not far from one of the entertainment stages, so we could watch Irish step dancing.

Interestingly, there were several reenactment groups there, including the Roman Twentieth Legion, which fought against the famous Celtic queen, Boudicca.

Led by two ladies on horseback, we marched in the grand parade, to the music of one lone bagpiper.

Leon Hicks bore our clan shield, and Christian Garin and myself escorted him with our swords drawn and held in salute.

Apparently, there were no Scottish bagpipe bands, nor drummers at the festival.

Oddly, among the massed colors, someone had forgotten to include a Scottish flag.

Also, so far as I could see, there was no exhibition of Highland dancing, nor were there any Scottish athletic competions.

Again, I was disappointed to see no Confederate battle flag displayed anywhere at the festival, except for the one that was mounted atop the passenger window of my own pickup truck.

In past years, when I first began attending Scottish games and Celtic festivals, there were Confederate battle flags included among all the other national banners.

It was a beautiful sunny day, until - - -

From out of nowhere, a severe storm suddenly materialized out of nothing, and within only a few minutes, we were struggling to take down the tent, pack everything up, haul everything up the hill to the trucks, and load everything, with the wind and rain soaking us to the skin.

My Rebel flag wasn't mounted properly, and the storm was making it wobble and rattle the passenger window, so I had to run out into the soggy downpour and bring my flag inside the cab, lest the stormy winds cause damage to the cab's window.

It was slow getting home, with lots of stop and go traffic.

When I got to Silver Spring, I topped off my fuel tank.

Eight and four fifths (8.852) gallons of regular gasoline cost me thirty-six dollars and ninety-nine cents ($36.99).

When I arrived at the Soldiers' Home, I was totally bushed, and my back was really hurting bad.

So, I put all my stuff away, ordered some pizza, took a bunch of pills, and got a good night's sleep.

Now, I'm feeling much better.

Thank you.

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

NOTE: "My unpopular and controversial personal opinions are independent of my Scottish clan."

Internet Award to - - - ME!!!

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

I just now received an e-mail from the Berkeley Open Infrastructure for Network Computing (i.e., "B.O.I.N.C.") notifying me that I have been selected as the "USER OF THE DAY" at the web site of SHA-1 Collision Search Graz, a cryptographic analysis program operated by the Institute for Applied Information Processing and Communications, a department of Graz University of Technology in Graz, Austria.

Nifty, ain't it?

I also use the B.O.I.N.C. program as a volunteer to automatically process data for the Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence (i.e., "S.E.T.I."), the Climate Prediction program, and the World Community Grid, where I've selected Nutricious Rice For The World and Help Conquer Cancer as the projects to be researched on my computer.

Doing this doesn't require any effort, intelligence, or unusual ability on my part, for my computer does all of the data analysis.

It's all done in the background, using very little disk space, while still permitting me to go ahead and do other things on the computer, such as compose this e-mail, do a crossword puzzle, participate in a discussion forum, or watch the astronauts floating around in Outer Space.

How much of my computer is required?

Well, folks, I'm doing ALL of this stuff on a Toshiba Satellite notebook computer, using a Windows XP Media Center Edition operating system, with less than one hundred gigabytes on the hard drive.

Every bit of my B.O.I.N.C. volunteer research takes up a grand total of only four hundred thirty-two and seventeen hundredths megabytes on my computer's hard drive!

The notebook sits on a cooling mat, so I can run it all the time, if I want to, and, using a VGA cable, I observe the computer screen on my ProView RX-276 twenty-seven inch LCD wide screen high definition television.

I also have my web camera and microphone connected, so I can chat with folks, face to face.

Ooooh - - - ain't this neat stuff?

I'm having so much fun!

I just wish these folks who run the Ol' Soldiers' Home would install Wi-Fi routers, so we could have FREE high speed access to the Internet.

They've been promising it for months, but we still don't have it, and I'm beginning to doubt we ever will get it.

Thank you.

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

NOTE: "My unpopular and controversial personal opinions are independent of my Scottish clan."

K7UIX Silent Key

Comrades in Arms:

It is my sad duty to relay this message I just received.

************
************

I am so sorry to tell you that Loring lost his valiant fight with Mantle Cell Lymphoma on Saturday 07 June 2008.

He was not in pain and passed very peacefully.

With love to you all, and thank you again for all of the prayers.

June

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For me, Loring "Windy" Windblad was an Internet friend, a comrade in arms from the Phu Lam Signal Battalion and the First Signal Brigade during the Viet Nam War, a fellow descendant of Vikings, and we both loved playing Santa Claus (because we both LOOK like Santa Claus! Ho! Ho! Ho!).

Seventy-three, Comrade.

John Robert "SAIGON" Mallernee, KB3KWS

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

NOTE: "My unpopular and controversial personal opinions are independent of my Scottish clan."

Our NASA Astronauts

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

Oh, I know, I've written about this before.

But, I just can't get over my amazement at astonauts floating in Outer Space, as they perform construction and maintenance on the International Space Station, and using my notebook computer to watch it all on my television.

What a time to be living on this Earth!

Also, being a guy, I'm particularly fascinated with watching Karen Nyberg, as she floats around inside the Space station, with her long blond tresses flying about in a gravity free environment.

It's fun watching her converse with other astronauts, as they are floating upright, and she is floating upside down.

Yesterday, a couple of the astronauts were having a bit of idle fun.

One of them was floating in mid air and deliberately spinning himself like a top.

The guy at the Mission Control Center in Houston, Texas was so struck by the sight, that he temporarily ceased talking in mid sentence.

While examining the space suits, another astronaut was toying with one of the equipment items, just spinning it around and around.

But, these guys are REALLY physically fit and very courageous.

Just imagine (or don't imagine - - - watch it on the Internet) what it must be like to be floating upside down in Space, with the Earth spinning below you, and using tools to do some construction, maintenance, or repairs.

Man, that's guts!

They've got lots of lights and cameras all over the Space Station, the Space Shuttle, and even on top of the astronaut's helmets, so you can observe everything that's happening, and listen to most of the conversations.

If you want to use your computer to watch all this, then go to the NASA-TV web site.

To view the image full screen, just right click on it with your mouse, and on the drop down menu, select "ZOOM", and then, "FULL SCREEN".

If your computer is connected to your television, you might get better screen resolution (as I apparently did) if you opt for the "PEER-TO-PEER STREAMING", which is located on the lower left corner of the NASA-TV web site.

It involves a brief download and installation of a plug-in, the DigiMeld Player.

That's what I'm using to watch this on my television.

Connecting your computer to your television is simple, if your television has the proper connectors.

Just run a VGA cable between your computer and your television, and that will put the image on your screen.

For sound, you need to run a cable between the earphone jack on your computer to the "EARPHONE IN" jack on your television.

That's how I did it.

But, your television and your computer might be different than the ones I have.

For instance, not all televisions are equipped with a VGA connection, and without it, you can't connect your computer.

So, when you shop for a television, make sure you get one that you can connect a computer to.

Also, at the NASA-TV web site, you'll want to download a PDF copy of the STS-124 Mission Schedule, so you can know what's going on.

Gosh, gee whillikers, all this stuff is happening in OUR lifetime!

It's like the ficticious stories in comic books and movies are all coming true.

This is really something!

Wow!

Oh, by the way, I'm still using my computer as a volunteer in the Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence (i.e., S.E.T.I.), and I hope you'll consider joining me in this effort.

The program runs unobtrusively in the background on your computer, so you're able to continue doing your regular activities, uninterrupted.

The volunteer computer operations are coordinated by the University of California at Berkeley, analyzing radio signals gathered randomly from Deep Space.

On 15 August 1977, a signal was detected at Ohio State University, and was dubbed the "Wow!" signal, due to the initial reaction by a professor.

That signal, which lasted a little more than a minute, came from the area of the constellation of Sagittarius, and its exact origin and purpose remain unknown.

However, any detection of a similar signal has not been repeated.

If your computer does detect an intelligent signal from another world, you will be given credit for the discovery.

Wouldn't that be nifty?

Thank you.

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

NOTE: "My unpopular and controversial personal opinions are independent of my Scottish clan."