John Neaves

Railroad iron is a magician's rod in its power to evoke the sleeping energies of land and water. - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Artemis II has reached its maximum distance from Earth. On the far side of the Moon, 252,756 miles away, Reid, Victor, Christina, and Jeremy have now traveled farther from Earth than any humans in history and now begin their journey home. Before they left, they said they hoped this mission would be forgotten, but it will be remembered as the moment people started to believe that America can once again do the near-impossible and change the world. Congratulations to this incredible crew and the entire NASA team, our international and commercial partners, but this mission isn’t over until they’re under safe parachutes, splashing down into the Pacific.

"I had a mother who read to me Sagas of pirates who scoured the sea, Cutlasses clenched in their yellow teeth, "Blackbirds" stowed in the hold beneath. I had a Mother who read me lays Of ancient and gallant and golden days; Stories of Marmion and Ivanhoe, Which every boy has a right to know. I had a Mother who read me tales Of Gelert the hound of the hills of Wales, True to his trust till his tragic death, Faithfulness blent with his final breath. I had a Mother who read me the things That wholesome life to the boy heart brings-- Stories that stir with an upward touch, Oh, that each mother of boys were such! You may have tangible wealth untold; Caskets of jewels and coffers of gold. Richer than I you can never be-- I had a Mother who read to me." - by Strickland Gillilan Painting by James Sant

🇬🇧 VS 🇺🇸 Round 5: Achievements America’s crowning achievement is the Constitution. The world’s oldest written national charter still in force. Brilliant framework of limited government and checks & balances that launched our great experiment. We’ve been battered and bruised, attacked from within and abroad. But we are still standing as the best hope for mankind. And by God, the best is yet to come 🇺🇸  “We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”

Update: Jennifer Koonings is no longer employed with Inspire Mental Health Services.

@StopAntisemites That is good news, the thought process of a "mental health provider" to do this must be truly... unhealthy.

NYC - Mental health provider Jennifer Koonings filmed herself shouting antisemitic slurs - "baby killers" and "f*ck Israel" - at Jewish individuals peacefully going about their day. This isn’t a lapse in judgment. It raises serious concerns about her fitness to treat patients, especially Jewish clients. She's affiliated with Inspire Mental Health Services.

Antisemites may lose their minds over this, but this is what a true American hero 🇺🇸 looks like: General Lucian King Truscott Jr. commanded the 3rd Infantry Division 🇺🇸 during World War II and after World War II. When the War was won General Truscott saw that Nazi destruction of Jewish life left to Jews without any holy books and copies of the Tamud. So he ordered a printing of the Talmud, the first Talmud to be printed after the Holocaust. Where did he choose to print it? In the Nazi Party’s publishing house in Munich, Franz Eher Verlag--the same place Hitler's first edition of Mein Kampf was published. Judaism teaches that "a little bit of light can expel a great deal of darkness". The Jewish people will forever remember "The Survivors Talmud" and everything General Lucian King Truscott has done to defeat and dispel the darkness of Nazism.

@TheBuddyCSM Got your six, Buddy CSM.

Man, having a hell of a time finding an open ejection port cover today. I think the algorithm is hiding them from me.

'To see a world in a grain of sand And a heaven in a wild flower, Hold infinity in the palm of your hand And eternity in an hour.' William Blake

@MiscreaRichard Amen.

Death and life have contended in that combat stupendous: The Prince of life, who died, reigns immortal.

What’s neat about being an American is, even in civilian life, if you’re ever in a place where the shit is *really* hitting the fan (e.g. a bad guy decides to take control of the army and turn the internet off in an entire country, roads are getting blocked, buildings on fire, food stores close down, commercial air travel stops) the U.S. government will aggressively help locate us and help us leave. They answer and won’t abandon you to your fate. When this happens and you’re saying good byes in the hotel lobby there’s always some forlorn French or South Africans just like “we can’t get ahold of anyone and have no idea what to do.” People who don’t constantly marvel at American greatness aren’t living in reality.

@RodeoProfessor You got that right. We are truly blessed to be American, which also means we owe a debt to the Founders and to our children and grandchildren.

A good citizen does more than abide by the laws. A good citizen is able to give a morally compelling account of his country. He is able to justify its defense against its enemies, and to recommend its virtues to citizens of the next generation. - Richard John Neuhaus

The world does need changing, society needs changing, the nation needs changing, but we never will change it until we ourselves are changed. - Billy Graham

Helo buddy of mine trained to do a one-armed pull-up in the event he ever needed to extricate himself from a crash with one arm. It saved his life when he actually needed to do just that.

Free access to article thecritic.co.uk/how-to-save-yo…

Just met w/ @IsraeliPM to thank @Israel on behalf of American ppl for unprecedented assistance to US Military & Intel agencies who conducted a historic rescue mission of our air crew in Iran. US SF carried out brilliant op. @IDF & Mossad were helpful partners in the mission.

Supper at Emmaus, Rembrandt

@Lewisdygl Happy Easter, Ray, He is Risen indeed.

He is risen!!

I want to take you back 31 years to June of 1995. There’s some old timers like me, @CynicalPublius @BuzzPatterson that surely remember the Grit of Basher 52. On June 2, 1995, U.S. Air Force Capt. Scott O’Grady was shot down over Bosnia by a Bosnian Serb SA-6 missile while enforcing the NATO no-fly zone. His F-16 torn apart, he ejected into hostile territory. For six long days, O’Grady evaded enemy patrols in rugged hills, surviving on rainwater, bugs, leaves and sheer willpower. No food. Constant threat of capture. Radio silence most of the time. On June 8, he made contact. Marines from the 24th MEU launched from the USS Kearsarge: two CH-53 Sea Stallions with 51 Marines, escorted by AH-1W Cobras, Harriers and dozens of supporting aircraft. They flew deep into enemy territory under threat of fire. O’Grady sprinted from the treeline, pistol in hand, mud-caked and exhausted, straight into the helicopter. Mission complete in minutes. No U.S. losses. This was classic American resolve: an Air Force pilot saved by Marines, backed by overwhelming joint force coordination. It showed the world we leave no one behind. With yesterday’s daring recovery of the F-15E crew member from the Zagros Mountains in Iran, another high-risk CSAR op involving special operators and massive air support, the O’Grady story feels especially relevant. SERE training works. American fighting spirit endures. God bless The United States Military. 🇺🇸 #LeaveNoOneBehind