Movie Alert: "TWILIGHT"

Greetings and Salutations to All my Kith and Kin and All the Ships in Outer Space: TWILIGHT is a brand new movie which I have not yet seen. But I was pleasantly surprised to learn that the story's authoress, Stephenie Meyer, is a member of The Church of JESUS CHRIST of Latter-day Saints, and that's the reason the story is so clean, and safe for everyone in the family to watch. She's a graduate of Brigham Young University, where she majored in English. A review of the film is posted at the web site of Debbie Schlussel. She says her only complaint about the movie (which she otherwise thoroughly enjoyed) was all the screaming and swooning by the audience full of school girls. At the web site of the DESERET NEWS, in Salt Lake City, Utah, you might also find the movie review, plus the comments from readers, to be informative. I almost never go to public theatres, so I reckon I'll probably see the movie when they show it on cable television. But, it looks like you can gather 'round your young'uns and enjoy this film as a family activity. Pass the popcorn, please. Thank you. John Robert 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."

Thanksgiving Day Movie Special

Brothers and Sisters: On the evening of Thursday 27 November 2008, i.e., Thanksgiving Day, there will be a premier of a brand new movie from The Church of JESUS CHRIST of Latter-day Saints, THE ERRAND OF ANGELS, at the BYU Television web site. THE ERRAND OF ANGELS is about sister missionaries serving in Austria. So, after you've feasted on the turkey and pumpkin pie, gather 'round your young'uns, turn on your computer, access the Internet, and go to the BYU Television web site. The movie, THE ERRAND OF ANGELS, is scheduled to begin at 1800 Hours (i.e., "6:00 PM") Mountain Standard Time. The second showing will be Friday 28 November 2008 at 2100 Hours (i.e., "9:00 PM") Mountain Standard Time. Programs aired at the BYU Television web site are archived, so if you check the schedule, this movie should still be available for you to watch at a time that is more convenient for your circumstances. Pass the popcorn, please. Thank you. John Robert 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."

Computer Award - - - For ME!!!

Greetings and Salutations to All my Kith and Kin and All the Ships in Outer Space: I just now received an e-mail notifying me that I have been selected as the "USER OF THE DAY" at the Climate Prediction web site. I volunteer to use my computer as part of an International scientific research network analyzing data for several projects, one of which is Climate Prediction. Other scientific research projects my computer participates in are the Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence (i.e., "S.E.T.I."), Nutricious Rice for the World, Help Conquer Cancer, and cryptanalysis research. No, I don't actually do any of this stuff. I ain't that smart. My computer does it all, along with a whole bunch of other similar volunteers around the globe simultaneously using their computers, coordinated by the Berkeley Open Infrastructure for Network Computing (i.e., "B.O.I.N.C."), a department of the University of California Berkeley. Operating B.O.I.N.C. research programs takes up very little memory, so it runs in the background on my computer twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, allowing me to still do everything else I want to do on my computer (which is a LOT of stuff! - - - i.e., solving puzzles, playing games, reading news, watching Internet broadcasts, writing articles, doing genealogy, chatting, listening to radio, learning songs, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera). My computer is a Toshiba Satellite notebook with less than a one hundred gigabyte capacity hard drive, using a Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition operating platform. So, why don't you join with me, and volunteer YOUR computer? It's all very easy, and you can enjoy the satisfaction of helping science discover some critically important answers for all of mankind. Thank you. John Robert 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."

Puppy Cam!

Greetings and Salutations to All my Kith and Kin and All the Ships in Outer Space: Here's a special treat for you! Click on this Puppy Cam. Be sure to format it for a full screen view, and turn up your sound, so you can hear all the puppies yipping. Mostly, they sleep, but sometimes, you can watch them romp and roll, nipping and yipping. Due to its obvious therapeutic value, the administrative staff here at the Armed Forces Retirement Home should consider putting this Internet broadcast on the Home's cable television channel 99, since so many of our residents either do not own a personal computer, or do not have knowledge of the Internet. Thank you. John Robert 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."

NASA STS-126 Mission

Greetings and Salutations to All my Kith and Kin and All the Ships in Outer Space: I just now used my computer to watch an Internet broadcast of the Space Shuttle, ENDEAVOUR, as it took off from Cape Canaveral on Mission STS-126. When you go to that web site, you'll probably be asked to download and install the DigiMeld media player into your computer. If you don't want to do that, you can see the same live broadcast at the NASA Television web site. At either of those web sites, be sure to zoom to full screen view. You can download a copy of the STS-126 MISSION SCHEDULE, in PDF or XLS format. I urge the administrative staff here at the Armed Forces Retirement Home to make this NASA broadcast available to our residents on the Home's cable television channel 99, as not all of the residents own personal computers or know how to use the Internet. Thank you. John Robert 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."

Happy Birthday, Jarheads!

Greetings and Salutations to All my Kith and Kin and All the Ships in Outer Space: * * HAPPY BIRTHDAY ! ! ! * * to the United States Marine Corps! Thank you. John Robert 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."

Mysterious Gift?

Greetings and Salutations to All my Kith and Kin and All the Ships in Outer Space: Some time back, I wrote to a bunch of folks (I think - - - or maybe it was just a few folks?) informing them I'd just ordered a three-foot fiber optic Christmas tree from the Haband web site. I received that Christmas tree early last week, and today, I received ANOTHER one! But, this time, the address label was different. Instead of: "John Robert Mallernee Armed Forces Retirement Home Washington, D.C. 20011-8400" which is my correct address, and the one I use to order everything, this most recent package was addressed to: "J. Mallernee USSAH 158 3700 N Capitol St NW Washington, D.C. 20011" Please note the differences. In all of my communications, I always use my full name, and not just the initial of my first name. I never ever use the street address, "3700 North Capitol Street, Northwest", because that gate is now closed to traffic, and has been for a long time. It's been many years since the United States Soldiers' and Airmen's Home (i.e., "U.S.S.A.H.") officially changed its name to Armed Forces Retirement Home - Washington. As for myself, I always refer to this place as "Armed Forces Retirement Home", since the name "Armed Forces Retirement Home - Washington" seems foolishly redundant and tediously lengthy. For some odd unfathomable reason, the administration here at the Ol' Soldiers' Home (the historically traditional name for this institution) continues to insist that our official address is "3700 North Capitol Street, Northwest", which is incorrect and misleading. The actual street address is, "200 Upshur Street, Northwest", or so I've been told. The zip code, "20011", strangely enough, is correct, although incomplete. The original zip code was "20317", but after the anthrax attacks on the Post Office here in Washington, D.C., our zip code was changed to "20011-8400", in order to avoid having our mail destroyed by the routine intensive radiation being employed to counter the anthrax threat. I checked my account at the Haband web site, and sure enough, only one (01) Christmas tree was ordered, and only one (01) Christmas tree was sent. Also, my credit union checking account indicates the correct payment having been made for that Internet order. Thus, in light of all this, I'm concluding that someone out there apparently misunderstood my previous e-mail and sent me a gift. I never asked for a Christmas tree. I only stated I had ordered one. So, "Thank you very much!" to whoever generously ordered this Christmas tree for me. I have no idea who you might be. But, that's why I'm not returning the package to Haband, because I suspect it is a legitimate gift, due to the various clues I've detailed. Since I have my own fiber optic Christmas tree, I reckon I'll donate this extra one to somebody here at the Soldiers' Home, maybe to a bedridden patient down at the King Health Center, or in the Assisted Living Program. Thank you. John Robert 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."