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@bostonwriter This is wonderful! Thank you for sharing. Congratulations to you and your AMAZING son!!

The first time I used Twitter in earnest was 18+ years ago. I was sitting in a hospital waiting room, scared out of my wits as my wife went into early labor, and trying to distract myself. A NICU nurse (from Colorado, I think) responded, talked me through what was going on, and calmed me down. Last night, that premature baby crossed the stage to pick up his high school diploma - with honors and distinctions - and I couldn’t be more proud. I know I have a lot of new followers, but the folks who have been my pals for YEARS - some of them for well over a decade - know him as SamWow. I’ve shared his journey a hundred times before, but just in case you’re new, here’s the Cliff’s Notes version: - born premature - eye surgery at 3 - early signs of off-the-charts intelligence - didn’t fit school’s definition of “normal” - Autism + ADHD diagnosis - merciless bullying = 3 school changes - COVID + home schooling hit the reset button - amazing high school support team - advanced STEM program at local university - FAA-certified commercial drone pilot at 16 - summer internship with architect at 17 - internship with CAD designer at 18 - graduated with honors & distinction last night Next step: two-year college where he’ll study 3D animation, 3D modeling & design. Will move into a four-year program “if it will help my career and make me happy.” If I’ve learned anything over these 18 years, it’s this: whatever he decides to do, he’ll do it. Take it to the bank. It has been a long, exhausting, emotional road, but this kid is unsinkable. Just unsinkable. It took a constellation of people who care about him - from NICU teams to surgeons to counselors to teachers - to help him get there, but he did ALL the work himself. Even those bullies and teachers who treated him like garbage along the way, and the administrators who did nothing about it, played a role in shaping him into the remarkable man he is today. Lesser people would have cracked. He crushed it. It would have been so easy for him to give up - to say he was dealt a shitty hand and encountered a bunch of equally shitty people - and let that stuff define him. But he didn’t. He rose above. He’s writing a different autobiography and it’s a glorious one. As a parent, I was reminded time and time again that whenever you think the world is a cold place filled with indifferent people, someone will come along and be so warm - so caring - they’ll change that view in the extreme. The authentic reactions of non-US citizens visiting our amazing country for the World Cup is having similar effect for millions of Americans. For the past decade, our own media (and plenty of their helpers on various social media platforms) have been telling us how awful this place is… that America lost its way and it’s filled with awful people who need fixing. They couldn’t fathom that people could have different views and different experiences, yet still share a common bond. So, they set about sorting the country into two camps and sewing seeds of hate among us. That’s not so shocking. I’ve worked in media before and I know clicks = $ and controversy = clicks. Before the internet and social media, “if it bleeds, it leads” was what newspaper and broadcast news editors would say. Story old as time. The big problem, however, is that a lot of us started to believe them. We comfortably wrapped ourselves in the flag of whatever sub-category we got sorted into and defended it with claws out and teeth bared. But as @elonmusk bought Twitter and started changing things up, we began to see that things weren’t quite the way legacy media was portraying. Sure, there are bots and bad actors, but at the core - at what matters - people connected. The reactions of World Cup visitors to Americans and our way of life has been nothing short of beautiful. Quite a weekend. Thanks to everyone making this world a bit brighter. Even better days ahead.

@jjstyx Oh my gosh. Be right there! 😂

Dinner is served!

@BridgetPhetasy It's great, because a lot of our fellow Americans are trying to ruin it. This celebration of our country has lifted my spirits a lot!

The irony of the Europeans coming to America and through their eyes giving us the 250th birthday celebration we need and deserve.

@JeffMightBWrong His voice! What the hell is that?

This video is turning me into a burn-it-all-down populist ready to toss out the arrogant political elites (these Ivy League ex-Bernie staffers who recruited Graham Platner).

@RoxanneHoge @CaliMAGABarbie @WalkFromDems Does received and verified mean counted? That's what your link shows for me. On ballottrax, it says received and accepted, and the green circle says completed. Neither site says counted. Has my vote been counted? I always thought accepted meant counted.

@CaliMAGABarbie @WalkFromDems Use this link to make sure the ballot signature was verified. lavote.gov/av_inquiry

OK guys, I have my tinfoil hat on! I have come up with my own conspiracy theory that I think can help speed things up! A lot of independents and Republicans have been tracking their ballots that they turned in for weeks and it’s still not updating on the tracker! I have a feeling that they counted anyone registered Democrat first this week for the non-early voters! This way they got her a few more votes. They call the race even though it’s not over till July 6! Everyone who wants to help Spencer Pratt @spencerpratt right now tell all your friends in Los Angeles to track their ballot now!! TRACK BALLOT : california.ballottrax.net/voter/ if it doesn’t show any movement or that it was counted then email it to the DOJ: Election Fraud Tips: CAElectionFraudTips@usdoj.gov

@exjon I'm glad you are getting top of the line treatment, Jon. Hope it isn't painful. I'm praying for you and your family.

This little doohickey sucks my blood, harvests the stem cells, then returns what’s left. Pretty amazing tech.

@TheResoluteLife Every time I see a post by you about Iron Will, it makes me smile. He is just the sweetest! I'll bet he makes the day brighter for thousands of others, too. Thank you for sharing this outstanding young man with us!

“Burden to society,” my ass! Iron Will was intrinsically valuable from the moment he was conceived. And he walked out of the womb with a solid work ethic. In fact, in the face of adversity, discrimination and doubt, this little dude gets more done by 0900hrs every morning than most of his detractors do all year. He wants to contribute and he loves knowing he’s part of the team. And the heck with his 25% lower muscle tone - the wee little man moves virtual mountains at pace - without complaint. Doesn’t matter what they accomplish, are able to do, or how they communicate, this world is infinitely better because everyone with Down syndrome is in it. And I… well, I am a better man because I know Iron Will, learn from him, and was blessed with the opportunity to love him. Full stop. #TeamIronWill #DownSyndromeAdvocacy #IronWill #SayYesToPossibility

@FirePhotoGirl @theedoodle I'm so sorry. The whole incident is unbelievably sad. I'm sorry for your friend's terrible loss.

@theedoodle I am so incredibly sad. I grew up with the mom of those children we have been friends since we were kids. I am so heart broken for her family. 😞

Rodney is a great, great American who has created one of the best, simplest, most beautiful multiplying acts of charity in the country. Been following him for years. Let’s get some Raising Men & Women Lawn Care kids on the WH lawn!

@ProfMJCleveland I enjoyed Heartland, long time Canadian series. I've missed several of the recent seasons. Need to get back into it. Definitely family friendly.

Okay, folks: We need a new family show to watch that EVERYONE will like. DS & I just finished Better Call Saul and Breaking Bad and loved it but DH found it too violent. (I did too but it served a valid purpose.) We've covered Monk, Psych, and Chuck. What do you recommend?

@RoxanneHoge @GOPLosAngeles @Milajoy @CAGOP @RNC @Kalshi @Polymarket Thanks for keeping an eye on all of this, Roxanne. I am hoping for the best!

@Milajoy Jesus, Mary & Joseph. Betting markets are NOT votes. We know our system is screwy. But we also know why. Trust me—@CAGOP @GOPLosAngeles @RNC all have eyes on this. Acting like @kalshi and @polymarket have anything to do with the vote count is pure engagement farming. Stop.

So you don’t feel comfortable celebrating America’s 250th anniversary because of our “complicated past” or some bullshit? Cool, find me a country with a spotless history then. You can’t. And if you go looking you’ll soon learn this one is as close as they come. Why do you think half the world risked life and limb to come here? And why you haven’t left. Look, we all know America isn’t perfect; I’m Gen X and from the Deep South and I learned all about slavery and suffrage and the Trail of Tears every single year from elementary school through 12th grade. They drilled it into our brains ad nauseam. We couldn’t ignore it if we tried, but when you celebrate someone’s birthday you don’t bring up all the dumb shit they did in the distant past, do you? Of course not you miserable f***s! It’s a party for the greatest country the world has ever known, not a struggle session centered on shit that happened a century ago. But you know all this, you just look for stuff to cry about because the only way you keep any fraction of power is by keeping America divided; a truly “United States” would render your ideology extinct overnight. And if Trump was half the dictator you claimed you’d be on the first train out of here. But he isn’t, and America isn’t the fascist nightmare state you love to pretend it is. Quite the opposite, in fact, hence your being allowed to exist here. If there’s anything still wrong with this country it’s people like you who take advantage of its generosity while also somehow playing the victim. So grab your boxed wine, stream your Hasan Piker, and cry into your thrifted cat pillow. Because George Washington, and the rest of us for that matter, are over your bullshit.

@jjstyx @fadde @spencerpratt I am not in the City (so can't vote for Spencer), just the County of LA, but that would give me so much hope that our state is changing!

@fadde @spencerpratt That would be mind blowing. He will win, hope it's by over 50% but think it's going to the run off.

Bass may be in serious trouble. One of the most black precincts in La city are all backing Pratt. It’s very early. But damn. If we can the people of LA push @spencerpratt over the 50%. Wow.

@ingelramdecoucy They never could, why start now?

Politicians keep it in their pants challenge: Impossible

@RoxanneHoge @Saint_Luminus @Elex_Michaelson @spencerpratt Thank you, you are always so kind to answer me. I just hope if they drag the count out waiting for the extra week of mail in ballots, we have Republicans watching that count. God Bless you, and GOOD LUCK!!!

@ancientmomma @Saint_Luminus @Elex_Michaelson @spencerpratt There will only be trends tonight. x.com/rpyers/status/…

"I'm winning...outright...there's a tsunami of votes coming from all the people who are done with politics as usual." @spencerpratt says he's going to get over 50% of the vote in L.A.'s Mayor's race tonight & there will be no need for a runoff. "All those people I have they're not talking to pollsters. They're moms trying to dodge naked zombies with a stroller. They're walking their dog in a park and making sure their dog doesn't step on a fentanyl needle...they don't have time to talk to a pollster."

ELECTION DAY: just remember, if you want to save California, vote for Steve Hilton and Spencer Pratt. You must, however, do even more than that. The Democrats will have an army out there “harvesting” ballots. If you know someone who is sick of the Gavin Newsom/Karen Bass nightmare, help them with their ballot to vote to change California back to the Golden State it once was.

@Saint_Luminus @Elex_Michaelson @spencerpratt @RoxanneHoge will people be watching the counting of the mailed in ballots for the next week if there isn't a clear winner tonight?

@Elex_Michaelson @spencerpratt All of us know that if the election was actually fair, Spencer would win by a mile. Later tonight I expect reports that final results won't be available as many last minute mail in ballots need to be counted. It could take weeks. You should report on THAT Elex.

@Elex_Michaelson @spencerpratt My God, I sure hope so. I want a message sent to my fellow Californians.

@JoanneMason11 I'm so sorry. I'm praying for you to be back to 100% health right away!

Back in the hospital, bit of bleeding, but repaired. So tired of being so tired and weak as a drowned kitten. But, going home in the a.m.! Ran into the surgeon in the hallway - literally, and he said "We've got to stop meeting like this, Mrs. Mason, what will people say?"😂

@spencerpratt @RoxanneHoge @drealMstenberg Thank you!

@drealMstenberg They can have nothing

The New York Times is denying the 6 people dying on our streets in LA every day, including one who died just this morning on the Skid Row livestream. Just like Nithya Raman, the New York Times is from the east coast, and they have no clue how bleak things are in LA.