Plumbing Repaired, Water Remains Hazardous

Greetings and Salutations to All my Kith and Kin and All the Ships in Outer Space: The plumber did come to my room and repair the damaged fixtures. The plumber also offered to install a new water filter when I get it. However, our little PX has none in stock. Maybe I can order one over the Internet. On my limited fixed income, I don't think I can afford the added expense of purchasing case after case of bottled drinking water. The plumber also stated that he doesn't drink this water. Obviously, it is too contaminated and too dangerous. We have an emergency situation here at the Armed Forces Retirement Home, and somebody needs to do something, but with this stereotypical bureaucracy, who and how? In fact, now I'm wondering about when we transfer down to the new facility in Gulfport, Mississippi, will the drinking water also be contaminated there? Thank you. John Robert Mallernee 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."

EMERGENCY WARNING: DO NOT DRINK DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA WATER ! ! !

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

Here are photographs of the plumbing in my assigned quarters, Room 4305 in the Sheridan Building at the Armed Forces Retirement Home (i.e., the "Old Soldiers' Home") in Washington, D.C., which I took at approximately 0245 Hours on Saint Andrew's Day, Monday 30 November 2009, using my Kodak Easy Share Z710 digital zoom camera.

For a larger view, please click on the pictures, and/or click on the magnifying glass icon located on the toolbar of the Internet Explorer 8 web browser.

Yesterday, my Brita water filter, which was mounted on the faucet of my sink, malfunctioned, as water began coming simultaneously through both the filtered tap and the regular tap.

Just days before this, I had discovered a black tarry substance accumulated on the water tap, most of which I removed with my fingers.

I tried and tried to fix it, but to no avail.

When I went into the cabinet underneath the sink, I discovered everything was wet.

I ran the tap water, and discovered that the drain was severely leaking directly into the cabinet.

Obviously, our drinking water is contaminated with an unknown corrosive which destroys plumbing.

There is discoloration and leakage in my sink, toilet, and shower.

Since this was a holiday weekend, I followed procedure and called the desk sergeant on duty at the Security and Investigations Division (i.e., "S.I.D.", our Home's police force), and after repeated telephone calls and many hours, a maintenance man did come to my room.

However, he stated that he was not a plumber, and could not repair my sink.

When I expressed concerns over the safety of ingesting the water, he stated that nobody he knew drinks this water.

Hopefully, the plumber should be coming today to my room to repair or replace the fixtures, with the exception of the Brita water filter, which I purchased from our Post Exchange (i.e., the "PX".) here at the Old Soldiers' Home.

The administrative management at the Armed Forces Retirement Home should take immediate action to remedy this situation, to include the following steps:

01: Emergency warning notices should be prominently posted in all buildings and facilities at the Armed Forces Retirement Home, accompanied by similar announcements on Television Channel 99, in our Weekly Bulletin, and in the COMMUNICATOR newspaper, stating that the water is contaminated and unsafe to drink.

02: Every water tap in the Armed Forces Retirement Home, to include every sink in each resident's quarters, must have installed, at the Home's expense, a Brita water filter.

03: The Armed Forces Retirement Home, at their expense, should immediately begin distributing cases of bottled drinking water to each resident's room.

04: All plumbing in every resident's quarters at the Armed Forces Retirement Home must be immediately checked for contamination, and repaired or replaced where necessary.

05: If this contamination, with its accompanying destruction of plumbing fixtures is not detected anywhere else in the Armed Forces Retirement Home, other than in Room 4305 in the Sheridan Building, then a criminal investigation should be initiated, using an outside independent law enforcement agency, to determine if an attempted homicide has been, or is currently being, perpetrated in Room 4305 of the Sheridan Building at the Armed Forces Retirement Home in Washington, D.C.

06: If a criminal investigation by an independent law enforcement agency does determine that, indeed, there is evidence of probable attempted homicide, then the Armed Forces Retirement Home, at their expense, should immediately relocate me and all of my material possessions to an undisclosed location of my choice.

Futhermore, I hereby publicly appeal to any news media and/or attorneys-at-law for assistance in investigating and resolving this issue satisfactorily.

Thank you.

John Robert Mallernee
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."

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MY CHRISTMAS AT THE OLD SOLDIERS' HOME

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I just now finished decorating my two foot high fiber optic artificial Christmas tree.

There's a manger scene underneath the tree.

Behind it sits Ted E. Bair, with my Santa Claus cap on his head, and fresh fruit from our mess hall is spread between him and the tree.

There is my crackling fireplace, with my Christmas stocking hung next to it.

That's actually a twenty-seven inch LCD wide screen high definition television, which I'm using as the monitor for my notebook computer, and thus, in addition to the fireplace, I can also listen to Christmas music, as I'm able to use two separate media player programs simultaneously on my computer.

For larger views, please click on the pictures, and to magnify it even further, click on the magnifying glass icon located on the toolbar of your Internet Explorer 8 web browser.

Now that all of this is set up, I can grab my guitar and digital camera and begin rehearsing and recording Christmas songs to be posted on the YOU TUBE web site and and on my blog.

Next week, I'll don my kilt, with all my Highland regalia, and go march with my clan in the annual SCOTTISH CHRISTMAS WALK in Alexandria, in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

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TRAIN DODGE - - - STUPID AND DANGEROUS ! ! !

This unusual amateur video was posted at the YOU TUBE web site by "SKYMAN 2002" on 24 July 2009 in Amherst, Massachusetts.

The two high school girls were identified as Caitlin and Lauren Eddings.

The girl who ran onto the tracks was arrested and charged with Disorderly Conduct, Endangering Public Safety, and Trespassing on Railroad Property.

The boy who recorded this video had no idea those two girls were going to do that, and was very upset.

The older lady is the boy's mother, and she scolded the girls.

"I WILL FOLLOW YOU"

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For the best effect, please be sure and enjoy watching my homemade amateur video recording in "FULL SCREEN" mode.



"I WILL FOLLOW YOU"
As Recorded By: RICKY NELSON 

I will follow you,
Follow you wherever you may go.
There isn't an ocean too deep,
A mountain so high it can keep me away.

I must follow you.
Ever since you touched my hand, I knew
That near you, I always must be,
And nothing can keep you from me.
You are my destiny.

I love you, I love you, I love you
And where you go I'll follow, I'll follow, I'll follow.
You'll always be my true love, my true love, my true love
From now until forever, forever, forever.

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"THE GREAT IMPOSTER"

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For the best effect, please be sure and enjoy watching my homemade amateur video recording in "FULL SCREEN" mode.



"THE GREAT IMPOSTER" 

Well, I went and lost her
To the great imposter.
I stood and watched her fall,
Couldn't help her at all.
Poetry so sweet has her at his feet.
She thinks she's the one.
But, he has just begun.
All her friends, they just watch her,
For they know the great imposter
Don't she know he's on a stage?
It's not real. It's just a play,
And he's playing the part
That is soon to break her heart.
Oh, can't she see tomorrow's misery?
Soon, she'll learn her fate.
But, it will be too late.
All her friends, they just watch her,
For they know the great imposter.

THE FLEETWOODS

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"TODAY"

The New Christy Minstrels

CHORUS:
Today, while the blossoms still clings to the vine,
I'll taste your strawberries, I'll drink your sweet wine.
A million tomorrows shall all pass away
'Ere I forget all the joys that are mine today.

VERSE # 1:
I'll be a dandy or I'll be a rover.
You'll know who I am by the song that I sing.
I'll feast at your table. I'll sleep in your clover.
Who cares what tomorrow will bring?

VERSE # 2:
I can't be contented with yesterday's glory.
I won't live on promises Winter to Spring.
Today is my moment and now is my story.
I'll laugh, and I'll cry, and I'll sing.

MOON RIVER

The theme from "BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY'S", 1961
Lyrics by: JOHNNY MERCER
Music by: HENRY MANCINI

Moon River, wider than a mile,
I'm crossing you in style some day.
Dream maker, you old heart breaker,
Wherever you're going, I'm going your way.
Two drifters off to see the world.
There's such a lot of world to see.
We're after the same rainbow's end,
Waiting 'round the bend,
My huckleberry friend,
Moon River and me.

"MISTER LONELY"

Lonely, I'm Mister Lonely.
I have nobody for my own.
I'm so lonely, I'm Mister Lonely.
Wish I had someone to call on the phone.

For I'm a soldier, a lonely soldier,
Away from home through no wish of my own.
That's why I'm lonely, I'm Mister Lonely.
I wish that I could go back home.

Letters, never a letter,
I get no letters in the mail.
Forgotten, I've been forgotten.
Oh how I wonder how is it I fail?

I'm a soldier, a lonely soldier,
Away from home through no wish of my own.
That's why I'm lonely, I'm Mister Lonely.
I wish that I could go back home.

"LITTLE STAR"

By: The Elegants

Where are you little star?

Whoah oh, oh, oh-uh-oh
Ratta ta ta too-ooh-ooh
Whoah oh, oh, oh-uh-oh
Ratta ta ta too-ooh-ooh

Twinkle twinkle little star
How I wonder where you are
Wish I may, wish I might
Make this wish come true tonight
Searched all over for a love
You're the one I'm thinkin' of

Whoah oh, oh, oh-uh-oh
Ratta ta ta too-ooh-ooh
Whoah oh, oh, oh-uh-oh
Ratta ta ta too-ooh-ooh

Twinkle twinkle little star
How I wonder where you are
High above the clouds somewhere
Send me down a love to share

Whoah oh, oh, oh-uh-oh
Ratta ta ta too-ooh-ooh
Whoah oh, oh, oh-uh-oh
Ratta ta ta too-ooh-ooh

Whoa-uh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh

Oh there you are
High above
Oh star
Send me a love
Oh there you are
Lighting up the sky
I need a love
Oh me oh, me oh, my

Twinkle twinkle little star
How I wonder where you are
Wish I may, wish I might
Make this wish come true tonight

Whoah oh, oh, oh-uh-oh
Ratta ta ta too-ooh-ooh
Whoah oh, oh, oh-uh-oh
Ratta ta ta too-ooh-ooh

Oh ra, ta, ta
Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh
There you are little star!!!

THANKSGIVING AT THE OLD SOLDIERS' HOME

A MODEL RAILROAD IN REAL LIFE

This unusually exceptional video of railroad trains was posted on the YOU TUBE web site by "FASTRAINS 56" on Tuesday 24 November 2009.

He was certainly in the right place at the right time to record this scene.

"JOHNNY REB"

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

For the best effect, please be sure to enjoy watching, in "FULL SCREEN" mode, my homemade amateur video recording of ME (!), performing, "JOHNNY REB", as I accompany myself by strumming simple chords on my Yamaha G-130A classical guitar.

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"JOHNNY REB" 

CHORUS:
You fought all the way,
Johnny Reb, Johnny Reb!
You fought all the way,
Johnny Reb! 

VERSE # 1:
I saw you a marching
With Robert E. Lee.
You held your head high,
Trying to win the victory.
You fought for your folks.
But, you didn't die in vain.
Even though you lost,
They speak highly of your name. 

VERSE # 2:
I heard your teeth chatter
From the cold outside.
Saw the bullets open up
The wounds in your side.
I saw the young boys
As they began to fall.
You had tears in your eyes,
'Cause you couldn't help at all. 

VERSE # 3:
I saw General Lee
Raise the sabre in his hand.
I heard the cannon roar
As you made your last stand.
You marched into battle
With the gray and the red.
When the cannon smoke cleared,
Took days to count the dead.

VERSE # 4:
When Honest Abe heard
The news about your fall,
Folks thought he'd
Call a great victory ball.
But, he asked the band
To play the song, "DIXIE",
For you, Johnny Reb,
And all that you believe.

Andrew Martin Chandler and Silas Chandler

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Recorded in Washington, D.C., at the Armed Forces Retirement Home, on Wednesday 25 November 2009.

Thank you. 

John Robert Mallernee 

Armed Forces Retirement Home 

Washington, D.C.  20011

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"CORYELL COUNTY"

Words and Music by:
JOHN ROBERT MALLERNEE
26 March 1975

CHORUS:
Oh, take me back to Coryell County,
To the girl, I once called mine.
I loved those times deep down in Texas
Growing up along the Sant Fe rail line.

VERSE # 1:
I yearned to go a wandering
When I was just a lad,
And so, I left behind me
The best life I have had.
I put aside my cowboy boots
To wear the Army's green,
So, I could go where I ain't gone
And see what I ain't seen.

VERSE # 2:
I used to work the rodeo
Beneath the Texas sun.
I was a champion rider
When brahma bulls would run.
Now and then, I'd kiss my girl,
Whose name I won't disclose.
She was a Texas tomboy,
But, sweet, just like a rose.

VERSE # 3:
Now, I'm in a foreign land.
I've got my boyhood dream.
But, the dream's a nightmare
When I hear the dying scream.
We're out of ammunition and
The time's run out for me.
So, I'll give a yell for Texas.
That's where I want to be.

"MELODY"

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For the best effect, please be sure and watch my homemade amateur video recording in "FULL SCREEN" mode.



"MELODY"

Words and Music by:
JOHN ROBERT MALLERNEE 

VERSE # 1:
There's a girl in Texas
That I once had met.
She ain't got no equal,
I'd be bound to bet.
She's too good to have a thing
To do with my kind.
Trouble is, she's the one
Who's always on my mind. 

CHORUS:
Melody!
Sweet memory.
Melody!
Sweet memory. 

VERSE # 2:
Her face is fair and precious,
And her eyes are dark.
Though they're kind of solemn,
Still, they don't hide her spark.
And, if I could, I'd take her out
And leave her in a daze.
While the moon would paint her skin
With its silver glaze. 

VERSE # 3:
I guess we'd never marry.
I couldn't win her love.
I'm too wild and restless.
Our stars can't cross above.
For, that's my fate to sing of love
And never taste the same.
If I love, it's from afar,
'Cause roving is my game.

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MAMA SQUIRREL RESCUES BABY

These photographs of a mother squirrel rescuing her baby from a dog were posted in the British newspaper, the DAILY MAIL on Wednesday 25 November 2009.

For a larger view, please click on the photographs and/or click on the magnifying glass icon located on the toolbar of your Internet Explorer 8 web browser.

VERIFIED PHOTOGRAPHS

I thought these photographs were fake, but it turns out that they're GENUINE!!!

The origin and authenticity of these photographs was posted on the SNOPES web site on Sunday 22 November 2009.

For a larger view, please click on the photographs and/or click on the magnifying glass icon on the toolbar of your Internet Explorer 8 web browser.

According to Oklahoma State Troopers, this occurred in July 2008, when a man drove this brahma bull twenty-three miles to return it after his daughter had ridden it in the National History Day parade in Canton, Oklahoma, which is why the bull has "N H D" painted on its side.

"COME, ONE AND ALL"

Words and Music By:
JOHN ROBERT "SAIGON" MALLERNEE

VERSE # 1:
Come, one and all,
And join in the song.
Heed ye the call
And be guided along.
Serve your God.
Hold to the iron rod.
The case for sin
Is groundless.
Praise the Lord
For His holy word,
His charity
Is boundless.

VERSE # 2:
No need to mope
With dispirited sigh.
Rejoice in hope
For glory on high.
Lift your face
And receive His grace.
He'll make your
Burdens lighter.
Constantly pray
As you follow the way.
Work towards a world
That's brighter.

VERSE # 3:
Have high desire.
Kneel and confide.
The spirit's fire
Casts weakness aside.
Strive to live
With love to give.
Hold forth
A helping hand.
Join in the fight
In defending the right.
With our Almighty God,
We'll stand.

CONCLUDE:
Join in the fight
In defending the right.
With our Almighty God,
We'll stand.

"JESSE'S HYMN"

Words and Music by:
JOHN ROBERT "SAIGON" MALLERNEE
Monday 29 September 1997
Saint Anthony, Idaho

VERSE # 1:
From Heaven above,
We come to this life.
Of royal descent,
We're babes in the wood.
We're taught and we're tried
By rigors and strife,
And if the chance comes,
We do the World good.
My heart is breaking.
I know I will cry.
My friend is leaving.
I must say goodbye.
Our father has called him
And he can not stay.
But, I will remember
Each time that I pray.

VERSE # 2:
For just a brief while,
We will live on this soil
Earning our bread
With a dirt calloused hand.
The struggles of life
Are a mountain of toil.
Though weakened by flesh,
We still heed God's command.
From the moment we're born
And we draw our first breath,
It's a part of our fate
That we wrestle with death.
It's an essential part
Of the eternal plan.
It's part of the covenant
With God and all man.

VERSE # 3:
The Lord that we serve
Once walked upon this sod.
Tormented and tempted,
He showed us the way.
He overcomes death
And He brings us to God,
Where we will rejoice
As a family someday.
Though my friend is leaving,
I smile through my tears.
We're destined to meet
In the oncoming years.
What joy there will be
In that Heavenly place
When two long lost friends
Greet in happy embrace!

"RIDE THE LAUGHING WIND"

Words and Music by:
JOHN ROBERT "SAIGON" MALLERNEE
Jensen, Utah
Thursday 28 February 2002

VERSE # 1:
I hear the haunting song of lonely coyotes.
I see an eagle circling in the sky.
There's a dust cloud moving on a distant mesa,
For the spirits of the Old Ones never die.

CHORUS:
Kachina spirits, ride the laughing wind!
Please lead me to eternal teachings true.
As I ever wander through this Indian nation,
I'm relying for my guidance upon you.
I'm relying for my guidance upon you.

VERSE # 2:
In the rugged hills of western Colorado,
Where Utah and Wyoming touch the sky,
The Old Ones left, but we can read their story
In ancient petroglyphs for modern eye.

VERSE # 3:
The Son of God once dwelt among these people.
He taught them truth, but they soon fell away.
Yet, the spirits of the Old Ones are still with us
And Kachina laughter echoes every way.

BRIDGE:
Kachina, I have felt your presence.
Kachina, I heard your spirit voice!
Kachina, we'll ride the breeze together.
Kachina, I know why you rejoice!

VERSE # 4:
In the distant cowboy's high and lonesome country,
Where the Western sun shines on a rancher's land,
Eternal ways of truth are shown among us,
Brought forward by a laughing spirit band.

FINALE:
Kachina! Kachina!
Ride the laughing wind!

Inspired by the novel, RIDE THE LAUGHING WIND,
by Blaine and Brenton Yorgason, and suggested by
Stan Wheeler.

A REALLY CLOSE CALL ! ! !

WARNING: PROFANITY!!!

This video was posted at the YOU TUBE web site by "POLICIA 200" on 29 October 2007.

Watch on the left hand side of the locomotive as they approach the third street crossing the rails.

Afterwards, the crew is laughing, because they are so relieved that they didn't hit that car.

"AU REVOIR"

Words and Music by:
JOHN ROBERT MALLERNEE

VERSE # 1:
There's a storm upon the mountain
Blowing out across the sea.
My restless soul must go out yonder.
There's a dream somewhere for me.
There's no strings to hold me back
Or make me blue.
I'm free and wild, 'cause darling Wife,
I've lost you.

VERSE # 2:
We had tried to grow together.
But we failed, and know not why.
Now, you've gone,
But that's no reason
For me to be alone and cry.
There's alcohol that I could drink
And go wrong.
But, still you're lost,
So I'll enjoy another song.

BRIDGE:
For every man, there is a lady.
For every heart, there is true love.
One day, I'll find another someone
As sure as there's a God above.

VERSE # 3:
I wonder where you are now, Darling?
I wonder if you'll be all right?
I hope you're well.
I hope you're happy.
You're in my prayers every night.
I wander on, and I'll sing without you.
Life goes on, and I won't stay sad and blue.

CONCLUDE:
I wander on, and I'll sing without you.
Life goes on, and I won't stay sad and blue.

SPACEMEN WORKING IN OUTER SPACE ! ! !

This video, posted at the YOU TUBE web site by "NASA TELEVISION" on Friday 20 November 2009, consists of highlights of NASA Mission STS-129 EVA # 01 on Thursday 19 November 2009.

"I LOVED HER AND I LOST HER"

Words and Music by:
JOHN ROBERT "SAIGON" MALLERNEE

VERSE # 1:
While I'm playing,
Hear what I'm saying.
It's a story
That's kind of sad.
It's 'bout a love 'tween
A man and woman
And how he treated
Her so bad.

CHORUS:
Well, I loved her
And I lost her
'Cause I played her
The cheatin' game.
I could have kept her,
But, I left her.
Now, you tell me,
Who's to blame?

VERSE # 2:
I was a smart guy.
I made her heart sigh.
Then, I ran out
And left her there.
She found a new love
Who was a true love.
Now, I'm the one who's
Crying here!

VERSE # 3:
So, now, I'm taking
This song I'm making
So all you cowboys
Can come and hear.
While I miss her,
Someone will kiss her.
Guess I'm the biggest
Fool of the year!

"HIGH LONESOME"

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For the best effect, please be sure to enjoy watching my homemade amateur video recording of my original composition in "FULL SCREEN" mode.



"HIGH LONESOME"

Words and Music by:
JOHN ROBERT MALLERNEE 

Tuesday 20 January 1998
Saint Anthony, Idaho 

VERSE # 1:
Up into the high lonesome country
Of the great American West;
That's where this city cowboy
Can set his mind at rest.
Down here in civilization,
Everything I do is wrong.
My heart is always broken.
Can't you hear it in my song?

BRIEF SOUND OF INDIAN TOM-TOMS:

Alone and lost in these mountains,
I will sing with the wind.
I can be happy.
I can have freedom
And live again.
Music of these mountains
Soothes my pain for a while.
I am one with God and nature,
And we smile!

VERSE # 2:
Up into the high lonesome country
Where tumbleweeds roll,
The wind is always moving,
As it whispers to your soul:
"Cowboy, keep on riding
Across this sacred land.
Legends live forever
You can understand!"

BRIEF SOUND OF INDIAN TOM-TOMS: 

Ride to the high lonesome.
You will find you have a friend.
There is music all around you
On the wind.
From the dust of by-gone ages,
Ancient voices cry aloud,
"Cowboy, ride the high and lonesome,
And be proud!"

VERSE # 3:
Up into the high lonesome country,
Where still, the outlaws roam;
Drums of ancient warriors
Pound from their tribal home.
This land is just as savage
As it was so long ago.
In this high lonesome country,
There's still some buffalo.

BRIEF SOUND OF INDIAN TOM-TOMS:

Like the ones who went before you,
Go and seek wilderness.
You must break free
And find yourself some happiness.
Challenge the high lonesome
In the modern Wild West
Where the music of these mountains
Is still the best!

YODELLING, FOLLOWED BY
GUITAR STRUMMING AND RAPID DRUMMING,
CLIMAXED BY LOUD INDIAN WAR SHRIEK.

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"THE LONELY SONGWRITER"

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"THE LONELY SONGWRITER"

Words and Music by:
JOHN ROBERT MALLERNEE

VERSE # 1:
In my heart, there's a song.
But, the words come out wrong
When I try to write down what I feel.
There's emotional pain.
Memories come again
As the melody says what it will.
If I express what's inside as I play,
Another song can be born in this way.

VERSE # 2:
'Though my mind is now blank,
Still my God, I must thank
For the talent that He's given me.
Yes, my heart, it is full,
And my life is not dull.
I enjoy all the World that I see.
Facing uncertain years all alone,
Inspiration is driving me on.

BRIDGE:
These varied words I must tell
Aren't the sort of songs which sell.
So, the thoughts that I write
Remain my own.
Tortured feelings I can't hide,
So, a lonely trail I ride
To that far Western country
I have known.

REPEAT VERSE # 1

REPEAT BRIDGE

CONCLUDE WITH:
If I express what's inside as I play,
Another song can be born in this way.

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"JOHNNY ANGEL"

This video was posted on the YOU TUBE web site by "WORSHIP 999" on 27 April 2008.

It is KAREN CARPENTER performing "JOHNNY ANGEL", a song originally made famous by SHELLY FABARES.

Tragically, Miss Carpenter is no longer with us, but I love hearing this song.

SPACE SHUTTLE "ATLANTIS" LAUNCH

This high definition video was posted on the YOU TUBE web site by NASA TELEVISION on Monday 16 November 2009.

Do you ever feel so overwhelmed by the daily wonders of life which surround you that you begin suspecting everything is merely a figment of your imagination?

Do we REALLY even exist?

Can we REALLY fly in jet aircraft?

Can humans REALLY travel into Outer Space?

Just imagine traveling EIGHTEEN THOUSAND miles per hour!

Imagine the EXTREMELY rigorous self discipline of an entire lifetime required for someone to become an astronaut, having spent all of those years and decades preparing for this one moment in history.

In a couple of days, the Space Shuttle will dock with the International Space Station, and then, we'll get to see even greater wonders, as Spacemen float around in Outer Space to perform their maintenance duties.

And we get to watch every bit of it, as it's being broadcast over the Internet - LIVE - on our personal computers!

Wow!

Oh, DOUBLE Wow ! ! !

DESERET NEWS EDITORIAL AND MY RESPONSE

"RED FLAGS AT FORT HOOD"

DESERET NEWS Editorial

Published:  Monday, 16 November 2009
1214 Hours Mountain Time

If the flags had been any more red, bulls would have come charging.

Major Nidal Malik Hasan was open about his radical Islamic beliefs.

He tried to convert fellow doctors and patients.

He was aggressive and argumentative.

A defense investigator working with a terrorism task force in Washington discovered e-mails Hasan sent to a radical cleric in Yemen.

There were complaints about his erratic, troubling behavior.

So what was the official response?

The WASHINGTON POST newspaper quoted a staff member at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center as saying supervisors ordered Hasan to attend lectures on Islam, the Middle East and terrorism.

A lot of second-guessing has been swirling through the air since Hasan allegedly opened fire at Fort Hood in Texas last week, killing thirteen and injuring dozens more.

At its worst, the tragedy has been twisted by some on the right as evidence that all Muslims should be treated with suspicion, and by some on the left as nothing more than the result of some sort of trauma Hasan suffered as a result of listening to patients describe their traumatic war experiences.

Both theories are baloney.

Hasan's past behavior, and his alleged screams of "Allahu Akbar!" as he began his murderous rampage may indeed be evidence that he had adopted the dangerous political ideology of Islamic terrorists — perhaps a devout Muslim would call them "heretics" — with whom the United States is at war.

Military investigators cannot let political correctness stand in the way of their honest appraisal of the facts.

More importantly, however, the military cannot afford to allow political correctness to keep officers and other supervisors from taking preemptive steps when one of their own begins to show signs not only of sympathizing, but of actively supporting the enemy.

Tolerance is no virtue when it provides safe refuge for such people.

Nor should the fear of offending someone's religious beliefs stand in the way of seriously investigating warning signs.

America's public schools reacted to the Columbine tragedy by training teachers to identify possibly dangerous warning signs.

The result has been to preempt many potential tragedies.

Although this isn't a foolproof system, it has put teachers and administrators on alert, which in turn has made schools safer.

Perhaps Fort Hood will serve as the same sort of catalyst to make the military more alert to warning signs.

If so, the tragedy is that it cost so many lives to make the nation's defenders more vigilant about defending themselves.

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My response to that editorial:

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"AT ITS WORST"?

Monday 16 November 2009
1110 Hours

Greetings:

I reckon I'm one of those folks that the DESERET NEWS considers the "worst", because I do think we should regard all Moslems with suspicion.

Just because the majority of Moslems aren't openly violent doesn't mean they don't support fellow Moslems who are.

Islamic scriptures, history, and teachings plainly encourage violence, oppression, deviance, and perversion.

Nidal Malik Hasan acted as a Jihadist in support of, and in sympathy with, Taliban and Al Qaeda military operations by carrying out a "lone wolf" act of war behind our lines.

Military casualties at Fort Hood, Texas merit award of the Purple Heart Medal, and civilian casualties merit award of the Defense of Freedom Medal.

Furthermore, soldiers stationed at Fort Hood, Texas during the month of November 2009 are entitled to receive Hostile Fire Pay for that month.

But, first, the United States government must officially acknowledge an act of war was committed.

Will our elected and appointed officials do the right thing, or in the interest of a misguided "political correctness", will our soldiers be denied what is properly due to them?

Thank you.

John Robert Mallernee
Armed Forces Retirement Home
Washington, D.C. 20011-8400

A REALLY GREAT RAIL FAN VIDEO ! ! !

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Are you a rail fan?

For the best effect, please be sure and enjoy watching this video recording in "FULL SCREEN" mode.



This truly fantastical bodacious railroad train video was posted at the YOU TUBE web site by "HOT RAILS PRODUCTIONS" on Saturday 14 November 2009.

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