Dan Macgowan

I dropped my wife off for a dermatological procedure so I have some time to visit the NAS Oceana Air Power Park. It’s like being home again. #TomcatTuesday

My butterflies have been missing me. I hear some of my friends have missed me, too. I have missed all of you. Many people have asked about ANS storms, so while I’m spending another day or two recovering, I thought I’d explain what they are. The autonomic nervous system (ANS) is the part of your body that controls all the things you don’t have to think about: your heart rate, blood pressure, breathing, body temperature, sweating, digestion, and more. It has two main branches that are constantly working together. The sympathetic nervous system is your “fight or flight” system. It prepares your body to respond to danger by increasing your heart rate, raising your blood pressure, and releasing stress hormones. The parasympathetic nervous system is your “rest and digest” system. It slows things back down, conserves energy, promotes healing, and restores balance once the threat has passed. You may have seen my Welltory posts where I track these and other metrics. The data is invaluable, especially in monitoring patterns on how my body is handling things. After a traumatic brain injury, those two systems don’t always communicate the way they’re supposed to. Sometimes the sympathetic nervous system suddenly goes into overdrive. That’s called an ANS storm, or sympathetic storming. It can cause rapid heart rate, elevated blood pressure, fever, sweating, tremors, muscle rigidity, changes in breathing, and other symptoms. It can be frightening to witness, but it’s a neurological consequence of the brain injury, not a sign that someone is “losing control.” In my case, regulating temperature is usually my biggest problem, and I can go from freezing to a life-threatening fever almost instantaneously. That’s precisely what happened this time, although I could feel it coming all weekend. Many times, simply stopping what I am doing and sleeping will stop it. Resting all weekend wasn't enough this time. The good thing is the storms are getting much further apart. It’s been months now, instead of days. I’m hopeful they will eventually stop altogether. The good news is that these episodes can be treated and managed. They require prompt medical attention, but they are a recognized complication of moderate and severe TBIs, and many people improve over time as the brain continues to heal. One of the most important things I’ve learned is that sleep is when the brain does much of its healing. It’s difficult for someone used to staying busy to accept that sometimes the best medicine is simply rest, but after a brain injury, sleep isn’t being lazy. It’s therapy. Every hour of quality sleep gives the brain another opportunity to repair and reorganize itself. Sleep is the ultimate reset button. I’m doing okay. My doctors want to make sure everything remains stable. I know many of you worry because you’ve walked with me through leukemia, rheumatoid arthritis, and other health challenges over the years. This is different. Recovery from a brain injury takes patience more than anything else. Thank you for your prayers, your kindness, and your encouragement. If sharing what I’m learning helps someone else understand traumatic brain injuries a little better, then it’s worth telling the story. Thank you, @joecourtemanche, for being the lead prayer warrior, and @MikeyDiMercurio for his way of making everything bearable with his sense of humor and understanding of the human condition. Love to all-

Another absolutely stunning piece of pure propaganda, funded by the taxpayers no less. Cry me a fricken river.🤦🏻‍♂️ Respect the sovereignty of this great nation, follow the laws or expect to be held accountable like anyone else.

Family, Please help me in congratulating Dylan & Nolan of Post Falls,Idaho on completing our 50 yard challenge by mowing 50 free lawns for the elderly , disabled , single parents and veteran in their community .

FBI is investigating and offering full resources to the Rapides Parish Sheriff’s Office and our brave partners the @USMarshalsHQ after one of their deputies was tragically killed today while serving an arrest warrant in Alexandria, Louisiana. Suspect is in custody. Please pray for the deputy’s family and friends.

Got him.

Looks like Paid Family Medical Leave is panning out exactly as House Republicans said it would. Fraud. Abuse. Cost overruns. Bureaucratic nightmares. Delayed claims. Do we have a sixth sense that Democrats lack? Yes. It's called math.

@redheadranting Perfect. Do it again!

I grew this.

I’ll tell you guys a secret, too… just keep this between us: The overwhelming majority of the NYPD cops *hate* Mamdani. The only ones who support him are the Islamic cops (the ones who convinced him to go to Didarul Islam’s funeral). There’s also a very small contingent of “Bernie Bro” cops who like him. The rest of us, especially those of us who worked through the de Blasio administration and worked the BLM riots in NYC, hate him just as much as he hates us. It’s going to become a massive problem if the city keeps electing these Socialist Democrats who seem to think cops are criminals and actual criminals just need hugs and warm fuzzies. They said Detroit couldn’t fall, but it did. Let’s see what happens in NYC.

@VikingSeaDub youtu.be/w4tjvbLn8Xs?si…

Wyle E. Coyote, blasting that Roadrunner with his brand new ACME machine gun.

Since this video went viral I keep thinking back 20 years ago to my college physics class where we had to construct a practical demonstration of a known physics phenomenon that could show the math in action. I picked the Magnus Effect, and used empty Bic pen tubes off the edges of desks. An inexpensive crowd pleaser. But this? This would have been A+ make 'em roar material. There is so much physics happening with this, it's breathtaking. Every time.

@VikingSeaDub @shakes346 They were Winchester for about 1 second for the armament control panel to pickle the next item. 500, 500, 500, TER, Buddy store. VS-32.

@shakes346 It’s true. I know the guys that did it.

This is the most legendary story about an S-3 pilot that I’ve ever heard. Navy CAPT Phil Voss was the Commodore of the East Coast S-3 Wing when I showed up to the RAG in ‘93. Grab a bag of popcorn and enjoy this amazing story. It’s a remarkable aviation story from the late Cold War era. In 1985, Fawaz Younis (also known as Fawaz Yunis) was one of five terrorists who hijacked Royal Jordanian Airlines Flight 402, a Boeing 727, at Beirut International Airport. The hijackers (linked to a pro-Iranian Shia group) diverted the plane, failed to reach Tunisia as planned, and returned it to Beirut. They released the hostages but blew up the aircraft on the ground. Younis later sought involvement in drug trafficking. In 1987, the FBI orchestrated Operation Goldenrod: An undercover agent (posing as a drug dealer named “Joseph”) lured him aboard a yacht in international waters off Cyprus/Crete. Younis was arrested there and transferred to the U.S. Navy ammunition ship USS Butte (AE-27). U.S. authorities wanted to bring him directly to the U.S. for trial without risking another international incident like the Achille Lauro hijacking fallout. (In 1985, F-14 Tomcats from the USS Saratoga—the same carrier involved here—had forced an Egyptian airliner carrying Achille Lauro hijackers to land in Sicily, leading to the Sigonella crisis with Italy.) The S-3 Viking Mission Commander Philip “Phil” Voss (then CO of VS-30 “Diamond Cutters,” flying S-3A Vikings aboard USS Saratoga in the Mediterranean) was selected for the high-stakes transport. Voss was a highly experienced S-3 pilot with over 3,000 hours in the type, a Naval War College graduate, and a strong advocate for the aircraft. The S-3 Viking was a carrier-based anti-submarine warfare jet with typical unrefueled endurance of 6–7 hours—not designed for transatlantic flights, especially with a prisoner. Key challenges: • Crew and setup: Voss flew solo as pilot (no co-pilot or navigator to make room). A flight surgeon monitored the sedated Younis, who was secured in a Stokes litter (“clamshell”) strapped in the avionics bay behind the rear seats. Two FBI agents occupied the other crew stations. • Refueling and support: The squadron practiced air refueling. Voss launched from the carrier, joined a KA-6D Intruder tanker initially, then linked with a KC-10 Extender (from Seymour Johnson AFB) for the long haul. A second KC-10 supported the tanker mid-flight. They refueled three times. • Route: Western Mediterranean → Strait of Gibraltar → across the Atlantic (past the Azores) → Nova Scotia → U.S. East Coast. The flight lasted 13 hours and 10 minutes, covering 4,002 miles—a record for an aircraft launching from a carrier at the time. It ended at Andrews Air Force Base near Washington, D.C. Voss later recounted the mission in interviews, noting the improvisation (e.g., air traffic controllers’ confusion over the KC-10’s “wingman”) and the trust placed in him due to his expertise. Aftermath Younis was convicted in U.S. federal court of conspiracy, aircraft piracy, and hostage-taking. He received a 30-year sentence in 1989, served about 16 years, and was deported in 2005. This “Viking rendition” demonstrated the S-3’s versatility beyond its sub-hunting role and avoided jurisdictional headaches with European allies. Voss had a distinguished career, later serving as a wing commodore, and shared his experiences in oral histories. The story highlights the intersection of naval aviation, counterterrorism, and creative logistics in the 1980s. If you’re connected to Voss or the VS-30 community (given your S-3 Viking interest), there may be more squadron lore! Let me know if you’d like sources or related details.

@VikingSeaDub Vikings have been used to carry dead crewman off carriers when they are beyond COD range also. I know that VS-32 flew one off America.

She is back walking!!! Espresso Martini is with a partner organization waiting to going in for her MRI and whole range of tests tomorrow 🤞🤞🤞 3 legs already working and 4th maybe on the way! What a start to the week to see this ❤️

@JanMcLa96148225 🙏🙏🙏🥰🐶

My Mummy’s not coming home today…she needs a bunch of prayers for both of us! Triscuit

🚫 CLAIM: Iranian propaganda claimed today that three American service members were killed in Kuwait by strikes from Iran. FALSE. ✅ TRUTH: There are zero reports of U.S. service member deaths or injuries in the region. All personnel are accounted for.

It took Amy Klobuchar a week to decide that pardoning a child rapist was wrong. Meanwhile, Lisa Demuth, the Republican candidate for governor, issued a press release 11 days ago condemning the pardon. Which one would you trust to make important decisions? If it takes a week to reach such an obvious conclusion, that’s disqualifying.