Tom Aiken

@thehankrose @HistoryBoomer I would bet the number of people who understood exactly what he was saying (Crunchy Granola) vastly outnumber those who don’t.

@HistoryBoomer Going with midwives seems like an odd choice, but not as strange as going along with the pet name “crunchy granola.” Honestly surprised she let you call her that.

My (former) wife is very crunchy granola. So when she was pregnant, she wanted midwives, not a hospital. But because we weren't fools, we went with midwives who had a birthing center IN THE HOSPITAL. But that never happened. Instead, seven weeks before the due date, we were at a check-up at the midwife center (a few blocks from St. Luke's Roosevelt Hospital). One of the Scandinavian midwives (they were all Nordic) was listening for the heartbeat. Which was very slow (babies normally have a rapid heartbeat). "That's my heartbeat, right?" said my wife. The midwife said nothing to us, but looked worried, and, after a few moments of moving around the heartbeat monitor, called out, "Inga, Svenga, Helga!" and the other midwives came pouring in like the Swedish cavalry. It was quite impressive. They intently moved my wife's body around until the baby's heartbeat popped up again. And then they said we HAD to go to the hospital NOW to get this checked out. Smart midwives. Turns out the cord was wrapped around our gremlin's neck. Three tense days at the hospital and on the third night, after taking steroids to help develop his lungs (my wife was reluctant but went along), our kid was born via c-section 7 weeks early, 4 lbs 8 oz. Now he's a hulking 5'11" and doing great (age 26), but man, I'm glad hospitals are a thing!

@BonillaJL @ScottJenningsKY Moulton needs to pick up a history book. Only one Nazi sub captain was executed after the war, and what he did far exceeded normal sub operations. Google Heinz-Wilhelm Eck.

WATCH: @ScottJenningsKY checks Anderson Cooper’s sight-unseen denial of Rep. Seth Moulton saying SECWAR Pete Hegseth might be executed for blowing up drug boats ERIN BURNETT: Seth Moulton, do you think Pete Hegseth committed war crimes? SETH MOULTON: What Hegseth did with the drug boats is like the Nazi submarine captains and they were executed. "Listen to THAT, Mr. Secretary? 24 HOURS LATER: SCOTT JENNINGS: Seth Moulton suggested Hegseth may be executed for war crimes ANDERSON COOPER: I didn't watch the segment but I don't think he said that. JENNINGS: He said it to Erin Burnett!

@MarkModsServers Do you guys still exist? Looks like your servers are not up.

@BobSnowdude @whd_93 Right, because the Spanish Flu epidemic from 100 years ago is exactly the same as the seasonal flu strains we currently vaccinate for. Here is the crazy thing, if 1918 level flu reappears they can put the requirement back. Fit 20-somethings really don’t die from flu these days.

@whd_93 @TomAiken43 1918 example! 🤣

I remember way back in the “woke” military… I had been off active duty a couple years…reported to Fort Benning (or Moore, whatever) for mobilization in 2005. Overdue for seven vaccinations. Never crossed my mind to cry to my congressman. I rolled up my sleeve. Well, both sleeves tbh. Went right back to work and didn’t miss a beat. Okay my shoulders were sore, but pushups fixed it. I realize anecdotal evidence isn’t worth much, but that works both ways, my friend. The statistical evidence is indisputable. Vaccines lessen the impact of disease on military formations. Your great-great grandfather probably didn’t die of disease outside of Vicksburg in 1863, but mine did. Bet my great-great grandmother back in Illinois wished there had been a vaccine to save his life.

@indytrog @puckluckbitch @SusieM414141 News flash, annoying little douchebags can also be right. Lots of petty bureaucrats have an adversarial attitude towards the public, rather than treating them as the people they work for.

@puckluckbitch @SusieM414141 LOL. I never said that it was OK. But these little douchebags have nothing better to do with their lives. They do this shit to give themselves some form of relevance. It's actually kind of sad.

This auditor is doing his job by asking for a procedural manual at a local prosecutor's office. According to the law, it should be openly displayed and available for use. Watch as he receives bad treatment from employees who have no idea what he is talking about. They act like he is the one doing something wrong. I bet this is more common than not.

Good morning. Monday. Let’s get after it.

@MikeBales Find Heinlein’s “specialization is for insects” quote.

Man to man: You should know how to change a tire, restart a hot water heater, fix a leaking faucet, love unconditionally, treat others with respect, change an air filter, possess firearm skills, give an amazing hug, mow the lawn, and shake hands firmly.

@SGTWipper1Each Tolerance for bullshit.

What skill from the Military do you use the most in your civilian life?

@chassiskat I'm so sorry.

Not doing well.

She was watching the Isle Of Man TT for the first time 😲 (via ollieeohmedia/TT)

@TheBuddyCSM They used to sell the empties, you could pick up 1K fully processed, ready to load for dirt cheap from a number of places.

First off, this is dumb. It prevents the ability to progress to tough, realistic training. Second, policing up brass is a bonding experience. Shared hardship, as the officers would say. Also, a great opportunity to work on push-ups when a squad leader picks up a piece of brass that you missed. Chuck and Barry also get a vote.

@Recliningdad @TheBuddyCSM @Silverback375 Those places generally don’t let me blow things up ma’am.

Oh this really surprises people. Like really surprises people. And not just the Academy stuff. Or the officers that got to go to Ivy leagues while in. My sons and their floor of college apartment bros as I call them. They range from option 40s to NROTC to weekend warriors etc. Some even didn’t want to do academy, some turned down “fancy schools”, etc His favorite comment was when another parent of a girlfriend said you “you guys are like all crazy smart and should be like at MIT or have banking internships and are organized for college guys…and so and so turned down sport X at college Y?” “All of Gods children have a place in the choir ma’am”

It’s harder to get into the Military than to get into college. Discuss

This is Rex. He found a missing child in just 12 minutes on his first tracking mission. "He’s kind of a triple threat," his handler said. He's trained as a therapy dog, an explosive detection canine, and missing person tracker. As soon as the girl was safe, Rex shifted to comfort mode. 14/10

California is again leading the charge against large-scale identity theft and hospice fraud. Today, we're taking decisive action against 14 providers who tried using stolen identities to bill Medi-Cal for nonexistent hospice services.

@ptw771 @GuntherEagleman Read Article I, Section 8, Clause 11 of the Constitution and tell us what you think it means. The founders were cool with privately owned warships, they would be have been fine with automatic weapons.

@GuntherEagleman How much did automatic weapons feature in the 2nd amendment debates?

JUST IN: Justice Thomas asks the key question: how much did immigration feature in the 14th Amendment debates? Sauer answered directly: The main goal was citizenship for freed slaves. The framers also took it as a given that children of tribal Indians were not covered by birthright citizenship. Multiple mentions of temporary sojourners in the debates cut against automatic citizenship for those without full jurisdiction. Even Wong Kim Ark involved lawfully domiciled Chinese immigrants with permanent residence, not illegal entrants. The opinion mentions domicile three times in stating the legal principle. The original meaning was never universal citizenship by geography alone.

@EugeneSurratt @MrPitbull07 Mine are shorter. I say: "I shit on the beard of your mother" For some reason they get angry and hang up.

My conversations with those types of scams are usually short. Them: "we have detected dangerous activity coming from your device". ME; "what is the name of my device". Them: (repeats phrase). Me: "if you detected that from my device you must also know the name/serial number of my device"... Click. Scammer disconnects.

I had a call from a scammer the other day. Me: “Hello.” Scammer: (Heavy Foreign Accent) “Hello. This is Tom Smith from Microsoft Support. We are seeing a lot of virus activity coming from your device.” Me: “Oh no. My device? Are you sure?” Scammer: “Oh yes, Madam. We have many reports.” Me: “Oh, jeez. How can I fix it?” Scammer: “It’s okay, Madam. We can help you right now. Are you in front of your device?” Me: “Yes. I was just about to use it. I’m glad you called.” Scammer: “Good, Madam. Please push the Start button.” Me: “I think it’s already on.” Scammer: “Okay, Madam. Now click on Control Panel.” Me: “I don’t see that.” Scammer: “Do you see a bunch of information above the Start button?” Me: “Yes.” Scammer: “That is your Control Panel.” Me: “Wow. I didn’t realize it had a name.” Scammer: “Yes, Madam. Now press Internet Options.” Me: “I don’t see any Internet options. I don’t think I bought that feature. This is just a cheap one.” Scammer: “All devices have Internet, Madam. Press the Start button again.” Me: “Okay. Same as before.” Scammer: “That’s fine, Madam. We will restart your device. Please turn it off.” Me: “Um… I don’t know how. I’ve never turned it off. It kind of just stays on.” Scammer: “There must be an off button. How do you stop it when it’s running?” Me: “I usually press the big button.” Scammer: “Okay, Madam. Press that button.” Me: “Okay.” Scammer: “Is your device off?” Me: “No. The door popped open.” Scammer: “Door? Is there a disc inside?” Me: “No. There’s a burrito.” 🌯 Scammer: “Why is there a burrito in your computer?” Me: “Computer? I thought you said this was microwave support.” 🙆🏻‍♂️😂 Click. ☎️🤗

@Loveof1776 @rawlimark @AndyStumpf77 was part of the group that rescued her, she did his podcast if you want the actual story. youtu.be/tzNDhZogCgc

Jessica Lynch was captured during the Iraq War on March 23, 2003, when her convoy, part of the 507th Maintenance Company, was ambushed by Iraqi forces near Nasiriyah. She sustained serious injuries in the attack and was taken prisoner, becoming one of the first American female soldiers captured in the conflict. Lynch was a 19-year-old private from West Virginia when she deployed to Iraq. Three days into her deployment, an Iraqi RPG hit her armored vehicle during a long convoy. "I was just a private from West Virginia, a 19-year-old that was among, you know, 200,000," Lynch said. The blast knocked Lynch unconscious. "Lori lost control of the vehicle. We ended up slamming into the back of a disabled 18-wheeler, the trailer," Lynch said. Lynch was the sole survivor in her vehicle. "My back was broken at the 4th and 5th lumbar. We are suspecting that was caused from the RPG hitting us," Lynch said. Iraqis dragged her into one of Saddam Hussein's palaces, breaking her left upper arm. They also broke her left femur and beat her with a metal pipe, breaking her left shin. "And then my right foot was completely crushed," Lynch said. Captors then took her to a hospital in Nasaria, where the beatings stopped. When she finally woke up, she thought she was paralyzed. She was not fed for nine days. "I was extremely scared, especially during that moment when I opened my eyes," Lynch said. "Nothing compares to that real-life experience of being a POW," Lynch said. Cut off from her unit, Lynch had no idea what would happen. She remained as positive as she could until captors took her to the operating room to amputate her leg. "So at that point was probably the moment that I ... probably lost hope, all hope," Lynch said. "But I cried and I begged and pleaded with them to just please stop, and for whatever reason, they stopped what they were doing and transferred me back upstairs," Lynch said. Unbeknownst to Lynch, Navy SEALs, Army Delta Force, and Air Force Para-rescue specialists were on their way to rescue her. On the night of April 1, 2003, she heard helicopters, tanks, and bombs going off in the distance. "So it actually did not hit me until... the moment that they were coming in for me," Lynch said. "I did not know until literally the moment that they, the guys, were standing next to my bed." "And he said, We're Americans and we're here to take you home," Lynch continued. "And I just remember looking up at him and saying, yeah, I'm an American soldier too," Lynch said. Rescuers carried her out of her room, down the stairs, and to an evacuation helicopter waiting outside. Following her rescue, initial stories claimed Lynch fought her captors like a female Rambo. Lynch spent years refuting those stories, even testifying before Congress that they simply were not true. To this day, she remains confused about how those stories started. Lynch received a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star. She now spends her time substitute teaching and speaking across the country to various groups about the importance of not giving up.

@jelly_gill @WallStreetApes The one constant in the universe over the past couple decades is that everything private equity touches turns to shit. Is there any example of something that improved by private equity?

Private equity ownership in housing is controversial. Supporters argue large firms add rental supply and professional management. Critics argue bulk buying can push prices up in tight markets. The impact depends on scale. Institutional investors own a small share of total single family homes nationally, but in certain metro areas their presence is more concentrated. Even if federal policy limited large investors, housing affordability also depends on supply constraints, zoning laws, construction costs, and interest rates. Blaming one actor can simplify the story. But housing markets are shaped by layered incentives and local regulations. The broader question is whether restricting buyers lowers prices or simply shifts ownership patterns. Affordability usually improves when supply expands meaningfully, not just when ownership categories change.

Cea Weaver, the tenant activist serving as Director of the Mayor's Office to Protect Tenants appointed by Zohran Mamdani, promised to make housing more affordable She’s asked if Trump stopping private equity firms from buying single family homes would help with affordability It goes exactly how you’d expect

@TommyFaceOnFire “You don’t show me yours, I won’t show you mine, cool?”

Me: *gets pulled over for speeding because, well, I was fucking speeding* Just so you know, sir, I’m carrying a concealed handgun in my front waistband. Cop: Thanks for letting me know. May I have your license, registration, and proof of insurance? Seven or eight minutes later I drove away alive and unharmed aside from a $100 ticket that I deserved. And I never even mentioned that I was an ex cop. Wild, right? Like, how did that even happen? I had an extra magazine, military-style optic, military-style flashlight, and everything!