SCOTTISH COUNTRY DANCE

New Haven Highland Ball 2008 - Dance : The Wishing Well. Ball is run by the New Haven, Connecticut branch of the Royal Scottish Country Dance Society

This is something I'd like to learn how to do.

Scottish Martial Arts

The 7 cuts of the Singlestick and training in Highland Dirk Dance

Basic Exercises of the Highland Broadsword

These are some of the basic training exercises used in the Cateran Society Broadsword Academy for studying the art of the Regimental Highland Broadsword of the late 18th century.

Male Highland Dancer

In early Scottish history, Highland dancing was originally done only by male warriors, as a means of flaunting their physical ability, or rejoicing after a battle.

Today, almost all Highland dancing is performed by females, and it is relatively rare to see a male performing in a traditional Highland dance competition.

I don't know where or when this particular performance took place.

Treason Within Our Church

Brethren: Today is the Sabbath, and as I struggle to compose this message, I am in the midst of a monumental conflict within my very soul, fearfully questioning every aspect of my personal faith. Indeed, with so many varied aspects to be addressed, I scarcely know where to begin. Those of you who are personally acquainted with me know that I am not a shining example of a Latter-day Saint, nor do I exhibit any remarkable intellect, talents, or capabilities. I regard my own self as an abject failure, for I've accomplished almost nothing worthwhile during my entire lifetime, and to this very day, I remain generally incompetent and unable to earn a living. But, now, I suspect it is time for me to be called before a Church court, and formally be excommunicated. I am a convert in The Church of JESUS CHRIST of Latter-day Saints, and I have a fervent testimony of the Book of Mormon and of the restored gospel. I am also a native American, born and raised in these United States of America, where my ancestors pioneered, and fought in wars of independence, both for the United States, and later, for the Confederate States. I, myself, have followed in my father's footsteps, and gone to war in a foreign land, assisting strangers in their own battle against tyranny. Now, I find my faith and my patriotism in conflict, and I'm wondering why? Indeed, my current emotional torment must be somewhat akin to the spiritual quest of many of our ancestors who sought truth and religious freedom. Until now, whenever I disagreed with pronouncements or policies within our Church, I would turn to JOHN 6: 66-69 for an explanatory answer. Read JOHN 6: 66-69, and you'll see what I mean. But, this time, I think things have gone too far. According to widely published news reports, the leaders of our Church have been actively condoning, supporting, aiding, and abetting the employment of illegal alien immigrants for at least the past fifteen years. They have publicly stated that it is official Church policy to ignore the law, proselytize illegal aliens, baptize illegal aliens, ordain illegal aliens to the holy priesthood, issue temple recommends to illegal aliens, and send illegal aliens on full time missions, so long as those missions are only within the continental United States. Previously, the policy was to have illegal aliens return to their native country, before they could be baptized, ordained, and called on missions. Do you realize the extremely serious consequences of this? I have thought about this for quite some time, trying to figure it all out. Frankly, I can finally come to only one very sad conclusion. Because of the extensive damage which illegal immigration has already done to our national economy, this is a situation that can not be ignored or made light of. It is far more ominous than merely accidentally trespassing on someone's back yard. Our national economy is in imminent danger of total collapse, as our government increases its repression of citizens by despotic tyranny. In my opinion, those Church officials who have actively condoned, supported, aided, or abetted illegal immigration are guilty of high treason against the United States of America, and they should be subjected to immediate arrest and severe prosecution. Unfortunately, they are not alone in this conspiratorial complicity. Many, if not most, of the current political, bureaucratic, military, industrial, financial, and commercial leaders of our nation are also guilty of high treason against the United States of America, and they also should be subjected to immediate arrest and severe prosecution. Government agencies which are supposed to arrest, prosecute, and deport illegal aliens are being formally deterred in their efforts by their own administrators. Due to rampant corruption throughout the current administration, I am of the opinion that our only recourse, as a people, is to rise up in armed rebellion and violently seize control of our government. It is the only possible way to restore our lost republic, our divinely inspired Constitution of the United States, our inalienable rights, our free enterprise economy, sovereignty for the several states, and the powers of localized government. There is a recorded prophecy that, one day, liberty, or the Constitution, would hang by a thread, and if it is to be saved, it will be by the elders of Israel, or the boys from the mountains, stepping forth at the last minute to save it. As I ponder over this, it seems those prophesied elders of Israel will be men of the priesthood who will have to privately organize and act independently of the Church. A similar situation existed during the years following the war in Viet Nam, when Latter-day Saint veterans privately organized, and acted independently of our Church, to assist oppressed Latter-day Saint families in Third World countries. Yes, because I accuse Church leaders of treason, there are those who will accuse me of fighting against our Lord and Savior, Jesus the Christ. Don't you think I wonder about that, also? As I said, this is rather akin to the torturous agony experienced by our forebearers when they strove to determine for themselves what was true or false, and then were accused of heresy and blasphemy by their community. Is that not similar to what men such as, Martin Luther, Thomas Becket, John Calvin, William Penn, and John Wesley must have went through? My own direct biological ancestor (I was adopted), Arnold Trueblood, of Cripplegate, a Quaker, died in Lincoln Gaol for refusing to pay tithe to the Church of England. I'm still trying to figure this out. I do know that, in our case, affairs of Church and State can NOT be separated, for within the precepts of our peculiar faith, the United States of America and The Church of JESUS CHRIST of Latter-day Saints are bound together inextricably. America is our "Promised Land", foretold in sacred scripture, populated by descendants of ancient Israel, where the resurrected Jesus Christ taught, where the gospel was restored, and where the lost ten tribes of Israel are destined to gather. Our Church is corrupted because it is a huge computerized bureaucracy, requiring a monumental workforce of clerical staff. Church employees are products of contemporary society, influenced by peer pressure, mass media, and in almost every case, educated in the public school system. Because of that, popular sentiment, not in keeping with eternal principles, has crept into our Church, and is now generally accepted by the membership. I refer specifically to the onerous Marxist concept of "politically correct" language, and its accompanying revisionist history, now regularly seen in Church publications and periodicals. Do you know what political correctness is? Do you know what revisionist history is? It's merely a nice, innocuous name for lying! It's also satanic. I think it would help our situation if Latter-day Saints would begin teaching their children at home, and cease sending them to public schools, where they are indoctrinated with government approved propaganda. I don't have all the answers, nor do I claim to be an expert on this matter. So, what is left for me? How can I ever hope to qualify for a temple recommend, when I cannot, in good conscience, support Church leaders whom I regard as traitors to this nation? Upon my death, can I even be buried in temple clothing? I still believe the Church is true. But, I suspect we've been betrayed, both by leadership within our Church, and by leadership within our nation. This quandary is far beyond my ability to cope with. What are your thoughts on this Sabbath day? Thank you. John Robert Mallernee Armed Forces Retirement Home Washington, D.C. 20011-8400

Irish AND Highland Dancing!

Greetings and Salutations to All my Kith and Kin and All the Ships in Outer Space: Would you like to see a homemade VIDEO of traditional Irish step dancing AND traditional Highland dancing performed at the same time, together? I tried to post this YOU TUBE video on my blog, and at the FACEBOOK web site, but the owner of the video has denied permission to embed it. I did succeed in posting a video of traditional Scottish country dancing on my blog. That is something I'd like to learn. Our clan did it once at a Christmas ceilidh, the first ceilidh I ever attended. It was also the first time I'd ever seen Highland dancing performed. Thank you. John Robert Mallernee Official Bard of Clan Henderson Armed Forces Retirement Home Washington, D.C. 20011-8400

SCOTTISH COUNTRY DANCING

Corryvrechan Scottish Dance Team performing at Kilkenny Castle after Parade of the Nations at Celtic Festival 2007.

This is something I'd like to learn how to do.

Scottish Dancing in the Highlands

Filmed at Beauly, Scotland

MERRY CHRISTMAS ! ! !

Greetings and Salutations to All my Kith and Kin and All the Ships in Outer Space: Since tomorrow is the Twenty-Fifth, I just want to wish everybody a very Merry Christmas! Have you hung up your stocking, so Santa Claus can fill it with candy canes and chocolate creams? It does seem a bit odd that our mess hall isn't planning to serve any roast goose or plum pudding. Not only that, but our PX isn't selling any fruitcake or eggnog. The local radio stations aren't playing any Christmas carols, and "IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE" isn't being shown on television. I wonder why? Maybe it's part of a secret government conspiracy? I hope it snows tonight. Thank you. John Robert Mallernee Official Bard of Clan Henderson Armed Forces Retirement Home Washington, D.C. 20011-8400

2008 STONE MOUNTAIN HIGHLAND GAMES

This is a major annual event for my clan, which I've never attended.

Oh, well, maybe someday - - - ?

Happy 149th Birthday, SIGNAL CORPS ! ! !

Comrades in Arms: HAPPY BIRTHDAY ! ! ! TODAY, Sunday 21 June 2009, is the One Hundredth and Forty-Ninth Birthday of our United States Army Signal Corps. On this date, in 1860, Congress authorized the United States Army to appoint a signal officer. So, grill yourself a nice steak, pop open a cold one, and enjoy some cake and ice cream! And, for those of you fortunate enough to have young'uns, "HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!" Kick back, gather 'round your young'uns, and regale them with awe inspiring tall tales of when "we were soldiers, and young." I don't know about you, but after all these years have passed, I'm utterly amazed that I actually got the privilege of being one of the guys who's "been there, done that." In a little while, I'll put on my Phu Lam Signal Battalion polo shirt, and wander down to the La Garde Building to visit Ed Stites. It's been several months since I last visited with him, and from what I've been told, he's really in poor physical shape, and even seems to be a little confused. But, he served in the Signal Corps for his entire Army career, and he helped construct the compound that housed the Phu Lam Signal Battalion. If any of you Signal Corps veterans are ever in this area, I'm sure Ed Stites would be delighted to meet you. "PRO PATRIA VIGILANS" Thank you. John Robert Mallernee Official Bard of Clan Henderson Armed Forces Retirement Home Washington, D.C. 20011-8400

SELF DEFENSE TIP

I personally verified this by checking it out at the SNOPES web site.

"THANK YOU, VETERANS!"

A public service announcement from the Paralyzed Veterans of America

http://www.thankyouveterans.org/

Thank You, Paralyzed Veterans of America!

Comrades in Arms: A fellow veteran here at the Old Soldiers' Home anonymously gave me a compact disc, FOURTH OF JULY FAVORITES, distributed by the Paralyzed Veterans of America. I downloaded it into my notebook computer, and as I'm typing this message, I'm listening to it. What is(are) the name(s) of the band(s) that are performing? My Windows Media Player could not locate any album art, which is not unusual, as there are a few other music albums stored in my computer which also don't have album cover art. I'm also looking forward to playing this compact disc in the stereo of my pickup truck, as I drive down the nation's highways. So, this is a really nice gift, and I'm very grateful to the Paralyzed Veterans of America for so generously providing it. 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."

"COWS WITH GUNS"

"I AM COW"

The World's LARGEST Model Railroad!!!

HOW TO WEAR THE KILT

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

Due to expense, I only have the Argyll outfit, which is suitable for formal, semi-formal, or informal occasions.

Anyway, this is how you don the kilt.



But, unlike the model in that video recording, I choose the more traditional military route, and "go regimental"!

Thank you.

John Robert Mallernee 

Armed Forces Retirement Home 

1800 Beach Drive, Unit 311 

Gulfport, Mississippi  39507
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CLASSIC ARGYLL SEMI-FORMAL KILT OUTFIT

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I purchased my kilt here in the United States of America, from J. Higgins, Ltd. as import duties from Scotland can greatly increase the original purchase price.

Here I am, wearing my brand new Clan Henderson kilt for the first time, while attending a National Tartan Day celebration in Alexandria, Virginia.

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US Army Signal Corps Birthday

***** WARNING!!! ***** This dangerously illegal and immoral subversive underground resistance message is being surreptitiously monitored by the Beaming Internet Government Broadband Radio Oscillation Telecommunications Hearing Electronic Reconnaissance (i.e., B.I.G. B.R.O.T.H.E.R.) as part of a coordinated official clandestine domestic surveillance investigation, in cooperation with the National Administration of Zealous Interrogation (i.e., N.A.Z.I.) and the Commission On Message Monitoring Investigative Electronics (i.e., C.O.M.M.I.E.). Serious felony criminal charges are pending, with extreme penalties yet to be determined! ******************** Comrades In Arms: This past Sunday 14 June 2009, we celebrated the Two Hundredth and Thirty-Fourth Birthday of the United States Army, established by the Continental Congress on 14 June 1775. This coming Sunday 21 June 2009, we will celebrate the One Hundredth and Forty-Ninth Birthday of the United States Army SIGNAL CORPS! The Signal Corps began on 21 June 1860, when Congress authorized the Army to appoint one signal officer. Apparently, that decision proved quite effective, as those damn Yankees caused us good ol' Rebel boys a whole bunch of trouble during the following years. Here at the Old Soldiers' Home, we have a fellow, Edward Stites, presently totally incapacitated, who spent his entire Army career in the Signal Corps. Very likely, there are also other residents here at the Old Soldiers' Home who served in the Signal Corps, but I haven't met them. As for myself, after completing Basic Combat Training at Fort Lewis, Washington, I was trained in the United States Army Southeastern Signal School at Fort Gordon, Georgia, in Field Radio Relay and Carrier Equipment Repair, MOS 31 L 20. In order to do the job, the Army gave me a "SECRET" security clearance, but if I ever saw anything secret, I never knew about it. My subsequent Signal Corps duty assignments included: Company "A", 11th Air Defense Signal Battalion, 32d Army Air Defense Command, Kaiserslautern, Germany Radio and Wire Communications Company, Phu Lam Signal Battalion, 1st Signal Brigade, Saigon, Republic of Viet Nam 178th Maintenance Company, 1st Logistical Command, Dong Ha, Republic of Viet Nam Electronic Maintenance Section, Headquarters and Support Company, 501st Signal Battalion (Airmobile), 101st Airborne Division (Airmobile), Camp Eagle, Republic of Viet Nam Instrumentation Company, Combat Developments Experimentation Command, Hunter Liggett Military Reservation, California Company "A", 307th Signal Battalion, 8th Army, Wonju, Republic of Korea Headquarters Company, 16th Signal Battalion, 13th Corps Support Command, Fort Hood, Texas Then, I transferred into the Cavalry, and became a Scout. When you click on the various Internet links in this message, you'll note that many units either no longer exist, or they are in a different location, and sometimes with a different mission, than when I served. I just looked at Sunday's menu for the mess hall here at Old Soldiers' Home, and it says we're having grilled steak for supper, with walnut cream cake for dessert! Now, that's a nice way to celebrate the birthday of the Signal Corps, now ain't it? 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."

Army Birthday Photographs

Ceremony in our theatre

Scott Lounge

Sergeant Major Grimsley and myself

***** WARNING!!! ***** This dangerously illegal and immoral subversive underground resistance message is being surreptitiously monitored by the Beaming Internet Government Broadband Radio Oscillation Telecommunications Hearing Electronic Reconnaissance (i.e., B.I.G. B.R.O.T.H.E.R.) as part of a coordinated official clandestine domestic surveillance investigation, in cooperation with the National Administration of Zealous Interrogation (i.e., N.A.Z.I.) and the Commission On Message Monitoring Investigative Electronics (i.e., C.O.M.M.I.E.). Serious felony criminal charges are pending, with extreme penalties yet to be determined! ******************** Greetings and Salutations to All my Kith and Kin and All the Ships in Outer Space: Here are three (03) photographs taken at the Two Hundredth and Thirty-Fourth Birthday of the United States Army, which the Old Soldiers' Home celebrated this past Friday 12 June 2009. For a larger view, just click on the photographs. The Army's birthday was actually Sunday 14 June 2009, but we celebrated on Friday, because the staff doesn't work on weekends. The picture with the cake was taken at the ceremony in our theatre. I had no idea I was posing with my coat and tie all sloppily crooked! The necktie I'm wearing is the tartan of my Scottish clan. The other photograph, taken by Soldiers' Home resident, Bill Barber, is in our saloon, the Scott Lounge, which Soldiers' Home residents nicknamed "The Snake Pit", where we enjoyed sandwiches, punch, and cake, as "Oldies" Rock 'n' Roll music played in the background. I cropped that picture to focus in on Sergeant Major Grimsley shaking hands with me. Sergeant Major Grimsley, who works in the Pentagon, was our guest speaker. During his slide show presentation, which concentrated on the history and progress of Army Aviation, Sergeant Major Grimsley indicated how strained our resources presently are, that future armed reconnaissance may be done by unmanned aircraft, and that the Pentagon expects our present global conflict to continue for at least the next twenty-five years. We all stood and sang, "THE ARMY SONG", and in keeping with Army tradition, the birthday cake was sliced with an Army sword, held by the oldest soldier present, a ninety year old resident of the Soldiers' Home, and the youngest soldier present, a member of the Color Guard from the renowned "Old Guard" of the Third Infantry Regiment. However, I was disappointed that our celebration did not include a chaplain, with an invocation, as has been done in previous years. I'm of the "Old School" frame of mind, and to me, that omission is a significant indication of the decline of our nation and our civilization. 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."

A Patriotic Duty

A news report about Jeff Olsen, a garbage collector in Elgin, Illinois.

Exercising With Your Pet

Secretary of the Army

Army Chief of Staff

Sergeant Major of the Army

The Army NCO

Happy Birthday, United States Army ! ! !

Comrades in Arms: If you are receiving this e-mail, it is because you served in our beloved United States Army. ***************** ***************** HAPPY BIRTHDAY ! ! ! ***************** ***************** Click on this link to see a video of the official birthday greeting from the Sergeant Major of the Army. When his speech ends, keep that link open, because there's more official United States Army videos that follow. Today, SUNDAY 14 JUNE 2009, is the Two Hundredth and Thirty-Fourth Birthday of our beloved United States Army. On 14 June 1775, the Continental Congress authorized George Washington to raise a body of regular troops. Both my paternal and maternal ancestors served in that original Continental Army, as patriotic rebel soldiers in the American Revolutionary War. During the War Between The States, my ancestors served in both armies, Union and Confederate, and I'm proud of all of them. My father was a soldier, my stepmother was a soldier, my uncles were soldiers, my brother was a soldier, my brother-in-law was a soldier, my cousin was a soldier, and I was a soldier. So, pin your medals on your Sunday-go-to-meetin' suit, and enjoy some nice cake and ice cream. Here at the Old Soldiers' Home, we celebrated the Army's birthday in our theatre on Friday 12 June 2009, because the staff is off duty on weekends. Sergeant Major Grimsley(?), from the Pentagon, was our guest speaker, and he presented a slide show. We all sang THE ARMY SONG, and a nice cake was sliced with a sword held by the oldest Army veteran, a ninety year old resident of the Soldiers' Home, and the youngest soldier, a member of the Color Guard furnished by the famed "Old Guard" of the Third Infantry Regiment. Because I am unabashedly "Old School", I was disappointed that there was no chaplain, and no invocation, as we have had in past years. Afterwards, we went to the saloon (nicknamed "The Snake Pit"!) for sandwiches, punch, and cake, as oldies Rock 'n' Roll music played in the background. Some guys took pictures of the event, and I expect they'll probably be posted in the next few days on the official Soldiers' Home web site. Since I was all dressed up in a coat and tie, wearing my medals, and my Cavalry stetson, complete with spurs on my boots, they also took some photographs of me, but I don't know if I'll be able to get any copies to share with you. So, have a great birthday celebration, and be sure to remind folks what it's all about. Thank you. At Your Service, 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."

Thank You, Whoever You Are ! ! !

***** WARNING!!! ***** This dangerously illegal and immoral subversive underground resistance message is being surreptitiously monitored by the Beaming Internet Government Broadband Radio Oscillation Telecommunications Hearing Electronic Reconnaissance (i.e., B.I.G. B.R.O.T.H.E.R.) as part of a coordinated official clandestine domestic surveillance investigation, in cooperation with the National Administration of Zealous Interrogation (i.e., N.A.Z.I.) and the Commission On Message Monitoring Investigative Electronics (i.e., C.O.M.M.I.E.). Serious felony criminal charges are pending, with extreme penalties yet to be determined! ******************** Greetings and Salutations to All my Kith and Kin and All the Ships in Outer Space: I just got back from the PX, where I got my FREE candy bar, using a coupon I received in my "snail" mail today. I have no idea who it was, but somebody signed me up at the web site, and that's how I got my free candy bar. So, thank you, whoever you are. I hope you also enjoyed some free chocolate candy. I selected the SNICKERS candy bar, for that is my favorite. I had erroneously assumed that the PX wouldn't accept coupons, so I never signed up for the free chocolate candy. But, now, I will sign up. Because I don't know who to thank, I'll have to send this e-mail to everybody I can think of, and post it on my blog. 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."

"CALLIN' ALL THE CLANS TOGETHER"

CALLIN' ALL THE CLANS TOGETHER

By James Hooker

Callin' all the clans together!
Callin' all the clans together!
Callin' all the clans together!
Brothers come arunnin'!

Callin' south and north together!
Callin' west and east together!
Callin' all the clans together!
Brothers come arunnin'!

Can't afford to be abed asleepin'!
Can't afford to be abed asleepin'!
Can't you see the Reaper reapin'?
Brothers come arunnin'!

Never mind the shells aflyin'!
Never mind the dead and dyin'!
Can't you hear the Piper pipin'!
Brothers come arunnin'!

Come arunnin' fast!
Come arunnin' hard!
Runnin' for all your worth!
Come arunnin' through the gates of Hell itself
And, let the devil take the hind most!

We gonna be...
Callin' all the clan together!
Callin' all the clan together!
Callin' all the clan together!
Brothers come arunnin'!

Letter To Barack Hussein Obama

***** WARNING!!! ***** This dangerously illegal and immoral subversive underground resistance message is being surreptitiously monitored by the Beaming Internet Government Broadband Radio Oscillation Telecommunications Hearing Electronic Reconnaissance (i.e., B.I.G. B.R.O.T.H.E.R.) as part of a coordinated official clandestine domestic surveillance investigation, in cooperation with the National Administration of Zealous Interrogation (i.e., N.A.Z.I.) and the Commission On Message Monitoring Investigative Electronics (i.e., C.O.M.M.I.E.). Serious felony criminal charges are pending, with extreme penalties yet to be determined! ******************** Greetings and Salutations to All my Kith and Kin and All the Ships in Outer Space: Here is an open letter to Barack Hussein Obama, written by Lou Pritchett, former vice president at Procter and Gamble. It was originally sent to the NEW YORK TIMES, which refused to print it. I have personally verified the authenticity of this missive by researching it at the SNOPES web site. 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." ****************** ****************** AN OPEN LETTER TO PRESIDENT OBAMA Dear President Obama: You are the thirteenth President under whom I have lived, and unlike any of the others, you truly scare me. You scare me because after months of exposure, I know nothing about you. You scare me because I do not know how you paid for your expensive Ivy League education and your upscale lifestyle and housing with no visible signs of support. You scare me because you did not spend the formative years of youth growing up in America and culturally you are not an American. You scare me because you have never run a company or met a payroll. You scare me because you have never had military experience, thus don't understand it at its core. You scare me because you lack humility and "class", always blaming others. You scare me because for over half your life, you have aligned yourself with radical extremists who hate America, and you refuse to publicly denounce these radicals who wish to see America fail. You scare me because you are a cheerleader for the "blame America" crowd and deliver this message abroad. You scare me because you want to change America to a European style country where the government sector dominates instead of the private sector. You scare me because you want to replace our health care system with a government controlled one. You scare me because you prefer "windmills" to responsibly capitalizing on our own vast oil, coal, and shale reserves. You scare me because you want to kill the American capitalist goose that lays the golden egg, which provides the highest standard of living in the world. You scare me because you have begun to use "extortion" tactics against certain banks and corporations. You scare me because your own political party shrinks from challenging you on your wild and irresponsible spending proposals. You scare me because you will not openly listen to, or even consider, opposing points of view from intelligent people. You scare me because you falsely believe that you are both omnipotent and omniscient. You scare me because the media gives you a free pass on everything you do. You scare me because you demonize and want to silence the Limbaughs, Hannitys, O'Relllys, and Becks who offer opposing, conservative points of view. You scare me because you prefer controlling over governing. Finally, you scare me because if you serve a second term, I will probably not feel safe in writing a similar letter in eight years. Lou Pritchett ****************** ******************

Eventful Weekend

***** WARNING!!! ***** This dangerously illegal and immoral subversive underground resistance message is being surreptitiously monitored by the Beaming Internet Government Broadband Radio Oscillation Telecommunications Hearing Electronic Reconnaissance (i.e., B.I.G. B.R.O.T.H.E.R.) as part of a coordinated official clandestine domestic surveillance investigation, in cooperation with the National Administration of Zealous Interrogation (i.e., N.A.Z.I.) and the Commission On Message Monitoring Investigative Electronics (i.e., C.O.M.M.I.E.). Serious felony criminal charges are pending, with extreme penalties yet to be determined! ******************** Greetings and Salutations to All my Kith and Kin and All the Ships in Outer Space: This coming weekend will be REALLY eventful! On Saturday 13 June 2009, early in the morning, NASA Mission STS-127 is scheduled to blast off, and we can watch everything on our computers at the NASA-TV web site. Yes, for the next week, or so, we're going to get to watch a LIVE broadcast, from Outer Space, of spacemen floating around, as the Earth spins below, just like watching an unbelievable science fiction movie when we were kids. Sunday 14 June 2009 is the Two Hundredth and Thirty-Fourth Birthday of my UNITED STATES ARMY!!! On 14 June 1775, the Continental Congress authorized George Washington to raise a body of regular troops. My paternal ancestor, John Mallernee, of Baltimore, Maryland, served during the American Revolutionary War in the Continental Army, and my maternal ancestor, Uriah Hawkins, of Rhode Island, also served as a Continental soldier in the American Revolutionary War. My father was a soldier, my uncles were soldiers, my stepmother was a soldier, I was a soldier, my brother was a soldier, and two brothers-in-law were soldiers. 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."