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Camp LaJunta & Camp Mystic [Staff Warning on OP]

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JFABNRGR
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94chem said:

What do all the blank "name" frames mean on the Canva link?


There are people missing that have yet to be declared missing. The exact number is unknown.
“You can resolve to live your life with integrity. Let your credo be this: Let the lie come into the world, let it even triumph. But not through me.”
- Alexander Solzhenitsyn
Gmanoutdoors
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Handing my wife the phone, former camper, counselor, and staff, and lost a counselor friend to the flood yesterday.

Today would have marked the first Sunday of the term. A simple day, a day of rest. Wake up at 9am. Eating 'sticky buns' in the dining hall. Devotionals on the beautiful bank of the Guadalupe. At lunch, they always serve peanut butter with plain ol' Bluebell vanilla ice cream for dessert.

Vespers Sunday night. A night for simple lessons on a simple day, but lessons that hold true in every phase of life. One of the poems read at the first Vespers of the term reads:

"All I really needed to know about life… how to live and what to do… and how to be… I learned in kindergarten. Wisdom was not at the top of the graduate-school mountain, but there in the sandpile at Sunday School. These are the things I learned:
-Share everything.-Play fair.-Don't hit people.
-Put things back where you found them.-Clean up your own mess.-Don't take things that aren't yours.
-Say you're sorry when you hurt somebody.-Wash your hands before you eat.
-Flush!
-Warm cookies and cold milk are good for you.
-Live a balanced life learn some and think some and draw and paint and sing and dance and play and work every day some.
-Take a nap every afternoon.-When you go out into the world, watch out for traffic, hold hands, and stick together.
-Be aware of wonder
-Remember the little seed in the styrofoam cup? The roots go down and the plant goes up and nobody really knows how or why, but we are all like that. Goldfish and hamsters and white mice and even the little seed in the Styrofoam cup they all die. So do we. And then remember the Dick-and-Jane books and the first word you learned the biggest word of all LOOK.
Everything you need to know is in there somewhere. The Golden Rule and love and basic sanitation. Ecology and politics and equality and sane living. Take any of those items and extrapolate it into sophisticated adult terms and apply it to your family life or your work or your government or your world and it holds true and clear and firm. Think what a better world it would be if the whole world had cookies and milk about three o'clock every afternoon and then lay down with our blankies for a nap. Or if all governments had a basic policy to always put things back where they found them and to clean up their own mess.And it is still true, no matter how old you are… when you go out into the world, it is best to hold hands and stick together.

Camp is a simple place for lasting lessons. Poems extrapolated into sophisticated terms can't prepare you for all the loss, grief, and pain that those affected and beyond are going through right now.
I thought I might add a few more verses, though I know the magnitude of this tragedy can never be put into words:

It's not the river's fault when it rains and the deep becomes deeper. The river only knows its path. The water does what water does.
Our Lord is God of the river and the rain.
When all is lost, He is not. Clinging to Him is the deepest, strangest, and most innate instinct we have.

Do not forget the counselors who fought so hard to protect these precious children. Do not forget the campers. They will rest forever in the simplicity of God's peace.

All we too can ask for now is peace, peace, peace. An old camp song sings:
(Listen here) https://open.spotify.com/track/4bHsS3vMonnrQaEii2zuhw?si=v6GThOg8Sn2s-rJPN-oSRw

Peace I ask of thee, O river;
Peace, Peace, Peace.
When I learn to live serenely,
Cares will cease.
From the hills I gather courage,
Visions of the day to be.
Strength to lead and faith to follow,
All are given unto me.
Peace I ask of thee , O river;
Peace, Peace, Peace.
Gilligan
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Last night my wife shared "Iney's thoughts" with me. She had pulled out her scrapbook / mementos from when she was a counselor at Mystic.

All good stuff. Stuff we'd all do well to practice everyday.
nortex97
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Wow, that's amazing. What an incredible man. Prayers for him and his daughter/loved ones.
trouble
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What an absolutely precious soul he is.
culdeus
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Hey Nav said:

ANOTHER FLOOD WATCH FOR THE AREA

https://kerrcountylead.com/national-weather-service-issues-another-flood-watch-for-kerr-county/

https://weather.com/weather/alerts/localalerts/l/43a8e2487f8bd80e32496d6c103ea9ae8e8b0e8b36bf8382c95ab0e4f486f378?phenomena=FA&significance=A&areaid=TXZ186&office=KEWX&etn=0004

Weather experts, please confirm and elaborate with better info.


https://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/qpf/excessive_rainfall_outlook_ero.php

Ero here. The forecast has the worst of it north of LBJ. Which isn't ideal.
culdeus
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culdeus said:

Hey Nav said:

ANOTHER FLOOD WATCH FOR THE AREA

https://kerrcountylead.com/national-weather-service-issues-another-flood-watch-for-kerr-county/

https://weather.com/weather/alerts/localalerts/l/43a8e2487f8bd80e32496d6c103ea9ae8e8b0e8b36bf8382c95ab0e4f486f378?phenomena=FA&significance=A&areaid=TXZ186&office=KEWX&etn=0004

Weather experts, please confirm and elaborate with better info.


https://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/qpf/excessive_rainfall_outlook_ero.php

Ero here. The forecast has the worst of it north of LBJ. Which isn't ideal.



...Central Texas...
Fueled by a lingering axis of deep moisture (2 to 2.25 PWs
according to recent runs of the RAP) and weak mid level energy
drawn south by an upstream ridge, concerns remain for additional
heavy rains and flooding across portions of North Texas back into
South-Central Texas and the Hill Country. QPF has trended upward
within the highlighted region, with the HREF once again showing a
strong signal for locally heavy amounts over 3 inches within the
Slight Risk area. These amounts would easily exceed FFGs over those
areas recently impacted by heavy amounts. Therefore, will continue
to monitor for the potential need to upgrade to a Moderate Risk
for parts of the region.
Anti-taxxer
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Glenn!!!

God bless this man!!
OnlyForNow
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Regarding Glenn.

I truly hope and pray he doesn't have survivor's guilt, but doubt that'll be really possibly. I pray he understands he did everything he could for those girls.

Such a horrible tragedy and event, all those people on the ground helping others are hero's as well.
5Amp
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This thread reminds us all how special Texags is. What a blessing it has been for so many people in times of trouble to be able to reach out to the caring. Thank you so much!

Our entire church will be praying for the families and rescue people during the morning service. We are grieving with the families and will continue to pray for miracles and comfort.

allgoaton
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Morning all.

Just wanted to provide an update of some names for your prayer lists.

Sarah, Lila, Eloise, Janie, Renee, Linnie, and Anna Margaret have all been recovered and publicly identified as victims.

May their families somehow find peace in this immense suffering.

DG-Ag
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Got word from our close friend last night that they identified the body of her great niece Linnie McCown. Another sweet little angel gone to heaven. Please pray hard for this family!

Another friend still waiting on word of their granddaughter.
You're from down South,
And when you open your mouth,
You always seem to put your foot there.
jograki
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I am not an expert but a tip I recently learned about is to play Tetris. For those with a close connection, perhaps give it a try. Research suggests that playing Tetris soon after a traumatic event may help reduce flashbacks and PTSD symptoms. Basically it's occupying your visual working memory and disrupting the collection of traumatic memories.

Continued prayers for all!
The Chicken Ranch
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We Gig 'em and hook 'em, but we are all God's children.
allgoaton
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DG-Ag said:

Got word from our close friend last night that they identified the body of her great niece Linnie McCown. Another sweet little angel gone to heaven. Please pray hard for this family!

Another friend still waiting on word of their granddaughter.
Washington Post wrote an article about Michael McCown's search for Linnie, which also provides some other details of the situation. It is truly haunting what he went through trying to find Linnie -- both needed to go to the morgue to id bodies and discovered a body searching himself.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2025/07/05/camp-mystic-floods-parents-missing-children/

Some details they include about the night of the flood:

McCown walked near the black sport-utility vehicle where camp director Richard "Dick" Eastland was found, along with three girls he tried to save from the flood.

"Dick died doing what he loved," said Craig Althaus, who worked on the property for 25 years and described finding some of the surviving girls in trees and on cabin roofs. "Taking care of those girls."

Richard Eastland Jr., said his father tried to rescue the girls in Bubble Inn cabin, situated about 150 yards from the river's edge and about 15 feet above the water level. But the water came too fast.

Girls in adjoining cabins were forced to scramble up a rock face in their bare feet behind their cabins to reach the top of a hill in the dark, Althaus said.
But something went wrong at Twins and Bubble cabins where the camp's youngest slept. Water came in from two directions, the south fork of the Guadalupe River and from a creek nearby.

"It made like a swirl right around those cabins like a toilet bowl," Althaus said.
Eastland Jr.'s brother, Edward, was also busy trying to rescue girls in the Twins cabins, where water rose nearly 20 feet in 20 minutes. He said his brother ordered the girls to get on the top bunk of their beds as the water sloshed them from side to side.

"We've never had water like this," Eastland Jr. said. "I just can't believe it. It felt like every minute, the water rose by a foot."

Mexican and Polish workers who come seasonally to help lead the camp rushed all the girls they could find to higher ground. But it was a challenge for some of the young campers to scramble.




n_touch
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HarvardHouse00 said:

Well. it is officially my birthday but I already received the greatest gift. As stated in earlier posts (along with Badace52), my daughter and her friends in the Wiggle Inn cabin at Camp Mystic were returned safely to their families. This is all due to an amazing Mystic employee/Ag named Glenn.

You asked for it, so here is the message he sent to the Wiggle Inn parents:
------------------------------------
Dear Wiggle Inn Parents,

I'm overwhelmed with gratitude for those of you who reached out to me today. The tragic events at Camp Mystic have left a deep mark on all of us, but they also gave me the opportunity to spend sacred time with your daughters.

Each and every one of those sweet girls endured unimaginable moments with incredible bravery. In the midst of the stormcold, wet, and frightenedthey showed remarkable faith and trust in me as we worked to stay safe together inside their cabin.

We shared a long, difficult night that I will never forget. I'm so proud of them and the strength they showed. I look forward to the chance to meet each of you in person and wrap your amazing daughter in a big, heartfelt hug.

With deep respect and love,

Glenn
-----------------------

God bless this man as well as the families still agonizing over their missing children.

There are a lot of medical professionals, first responders and ex military on the forums. A lot of us have been in situations that many people will only see on TV or in a movie. The difference is, we all trained for it repeatedly to make sure we are ready for that situation. For him to be able to do this with no training and in real time is amazing.

We are all put here to help move God's plan forward. Most of us will never be in this type of situation or make this big impact with any one action. If you ever question if there is a God, here is your proof. To not only have the right person when needed to guide them, and for them to have the faith in him at that moment to listen. There is so much to unpack here.

45-70Ag
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DG-Ag
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allgoaton said:

DG-Ag said:

Got word from our close friend last night that they identified the body of her great niece Linnie McCown. Another sweet little angel gone to heaven. Please pray hard for this family!

Another friend still waiting on word of their granddaughter.
Washington Post wrote an article about Michael McCown's search for Linnie, which also provides some other details of the situation. It is truly haunting what he went through trying to find Linnie -- both needed to go to the morgue to id bodies and discovered a body searching himself.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2025/07/05/camp-mystic-floods-parents-missing-children/

Some details they include about the night of the flood:

Richard Eastland Jr., said his father tried to rescue the girls in Bubble Inn cabin, situated about 150 yards from the river's edge and about 15 feet above the water level. But the water came too fast.

Girls in adjoining cabins were forced to scramble up a rock face in their bare feet behind their cabins to reach the top of a hill in the dark, Althaus said.
But something went wrong at Twins and Bubble cabins where the camp's youngest slept. Water came in from two directions, the south fork of the Guadalupe River and from a creek nearby.

"It made like a swirl right around those cabins like a toilet bowl," Althaus said.
Eastland Jr.'s brother, Edward, was also busy trying to rescue girls in the Twins cabins, where water rose nearly 20 feet in 20 minutes. He said his brother ordered the girls to get on the top bunk of their beds as the water sloshed them from side to side.

"We've never had water like this," Eastland Jr. said. "I just can't believe it. It felt like every minute, the water rose by a foot."

Mexican and Polish workers who come seasonally to help lead the camp rushed all the girls they could find to higher ground. But it was a challenge for some of the young campers to scramble.






Yes thanks read that article last night. My wife is a Mystic alum. She's know the Eastlands for over 50 years. Great people. Heartbroken over this.
You're from down South,
And when you open your mouth,
You always seem to put your foot there.
MF2012
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Howdy-Long time Aggie, first time poster, Kerrville & Mountain Home resident.
I've been following this thread closely over the last few days. The prayers and information here are amazing and a testament to our Aggie network. The level of support our community has received is astounding, from the federal level down to our local VFDs whose volunteers have been working tirelessly to help rescue and recover those along the river.

If anyone is looking for ways to help from where they are, I'm sharing several local groups accepting donations.

Direct donations can be made to the Divide VFD through Venmo- @dividefiremountainhometx

Kerrville chamber of commerce:
https://business.kerrvillechamber.biz/events/details/kerrville-area-rebuilding-recovery-fund-29188

https://cftexashillcountry.fcsuite.com/erp/donate/create/fund?funit_id=4201

Thank you all for helping share information, correcting disinformation and for praying over our community. Grateful today (and all days) to be an Aggie.
swimmerbabe11
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its so wierd, but i couldn't find a picture of the dude literally anywhere
Mark Fairchild
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Please convey to your wife how what she offered so blessed my wife and my hearts. We are saving your post and placing it in our Bibles. God bless you both. Mark
Gig'em, Ole Army Class of '70
hudmoon
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I've shed multiple tears over the weekend every time I open this thread. My heart goes out to everyone that has been affected. Many prayers have been prayed.

Hearing about the heroic acts of Glenn makes me more proud to be an Aggie than what any national championship could bring.

Here are a few Bible verses that I have leaned on over the last few days.

""Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.""
Matthew 11:28-30 NIV

"Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted."
Matthew 5:4 NIV

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight."
Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV

I pray God comforts all.



HarleySpoon
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MF2012 said:

Howdy-Long time Aggie, first time poster, Kerrville & Mountain Home resident.
I've been following this thread closely over the last few days. The prayers and information here are amazing and a testament to our Aggie network. The level of support our community has received is astounding, from the federal level down to our local VFDs whose volunteers have been working tirelessly to help rescue and recover those along the river.

If anyone is looking for ways to help from where they are, I'm sharing several local groups accepting donations.

Direct donations can be made to the Divide VFD through Venmo- @dividefiremountainhometx

Kerrville chamber of commerce:
https://business.kerrvillechamber.biz/events/details/kerrville-area-rebuilding-recovery-fund-29188

https://cftexashillcountry.fcsuite.com/erp/donate/create/fund?funit_id=4201

Thank you all for helping share information, correcting disinformation and for praying over our community. Grateful today (and all days) to be an Aggie.

PSA: From the cfcrexashillcountry link you provided above:

Quote:

Grants from the Fund will support nonprofit organizations, first responder agencies, and local governments actively involved in response, relief, and recovery efforts. While we are unable to award grants directly to individuals or families - or to fund repairs to private property or replace personal belongings - we are committed to channeling resources to the trusted organizations working tirelessly to help our neighbors in need. Together, we can make a meaningful difference during this challenging time.
Any funds donated to the CFC fund will not go to individuals or families or to replace property or belongings but MAY go to local governments. It also appears from the description that the chamber of commerce funds will only go to business owners affected.
HarvardHouse00
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n_touch said:

HarvardHouse00 said:

Well. it is officially my birthday but I already received the greatest gift. As stated in earlier posts (along with Badace52), my daughter and her friends in the Wiggle Inn cabin at Camp Mystic were returned safely to their families. This is all due to an amazing Mystic employee/Ag named Glenn.

You asked for it, so here is the message he sent to the Wiggle Inn parents:
------------------------------------
Dear Wiggle Inn Parents,

I'm overwhelmed with gratitude for those of you who reached out to me today. The tragic events at Camp Mystic have left a deep mark on all of us, but they also gave me the opportunity to spend sacred time with your daughters.

Each and every one of those sweet girls endured unimaginable moments with incredible bravery. In the midst of the stormcold, wet, and frightenedthey showed remarkable faith and trust in me as we worked to stay safe together inside their cabin.

We shared a long, difficult night that I will never forget. I'm so proud of them and the strength they showed. I look forward to the chance to meet each of you in person and wrap your amazing daughter in a big, heartfelt hug.

With deep respect and love,

Glenn
-----------------------

God bless this man as well as the families still agonizing over their missing children.

There are a lot of medical professionals, first responders and ex military on the forums. A lot of us have been in situations that many people will only see on TV or in a movie. The difference is, we all trained for it repeatedly to make sure we are ready for that situation. For him to be able to do this with no training and in real time is amazing.

We are all put here to help move God's plan forward. Most of us will never be in this type of situation or make this big impact with any one action. If you ever question if there is a God, here is your proof. To not only have the right person when needed to guide them, and for them to have the faith in him at that moment to listen. There is so much to unpack here.

We were told that Glenn is a retired police officer, so that likely explains his quick thinking and ability to lead under extreme pressure.
45-70Ag
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swimmerbabe11 said:

its so wierd, but i couldn't find a picture of the dude literally anywhere


I applaud that, but one day down the road this guy should be recognized with whatever the highest award he can be recognized with.
aginlakeway
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45-70Ag said:







Amazing.
45-70Ag
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I don't see the secretary for the dept of homeland security putting out a fictitious name for the world to see on events that didn't happen.
Buttermaker
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https://www.kristv.com/news/local-news/in-your-neighborhood/corpus-christi/corpus-christi-hooks-invites-the-community-to-the-fifth-annual-9-11-memorial-workout First responders reflect on 9/11 during memorial workout

Here is a news article that mentions someone by that name from a different time.
It’s better to be the hammer than the anvil.
milner79
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45-70Ag said:

swimmerbabe11 said:

its so wierd, but i couldn't find a picture of the dude literally anywhere


I applaud that, but one day down the road this guy should be recognized with whatever the highest award he can be recognized with.

Is this gentleman in fact an Aggie? (sorry, I'm only able to read bits and pieces of this amazing thread) If so, cut through all the red tape (maroon tape?) and honor him in THIS FALL'S Distinguished Alumnus Award class. AFS Board, you can make this happen.
2008and1
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I think you are blending together 2 different people in this thread.
aggiez03
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milner79 said:

45-70Ag said:

swimmerbabe11 said:

its so wierd, but i couldn't find a picture of the dude literally anywhere


I applaud that, but one day down the road this guy should be recognized with whatever the highest award he can be recognized with.

Is this gentleman in fact an Aggie? (sorry, I'm only able to read bits and pieces of this amazing thread) If so, cut through all the red tape (maroon tape?) and honor him in THIS FALL'S Distinguished Alumnus Award class. AFS Board, you can make this happen.
Based on what is on this thread, Glenn who worked night time security at the camp, and saved a bunch of girls has been confirmed an Aggie.

I don't think anyone knows anything about USCG swimmer Scott Ruskin.
The Collective
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Yea, swimmer is talking about the coast guard guy. Hard to believe that it isn't legit though given the the tweet from Noem.
trouble
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aggiez03 said:

milner79 said:

45-70Ag said:

swimmerbabe11 said:

its so wierd, but i couldn't find a picture of the dude literally anywhere


I applaud that, but one day down the road this guy should be recognized with whatever the highest award he can be recognized with.

Is this gentleman in fact an Aggie? (sorry, I'm only able to read bits and pieces of this amazing thread) If so, cut through all the red tape (maroon tape?) and honor him in THIS FALL'S Distinguished Alumnus Award class. AFS Board, you can make this happen.
Based on what is on this thread, Glenn who worked night time security at the camp, and saved a bunch of girls has been confirmed an Aggie.

I don't think anyone knows anything about USCG swimmer Scott Ruskin.


Agreed. There's no info about Scott and different sources seem to be attributing different jobs to him.
swimmerbabe11
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Buttermaker said:

https://www.kristv.com/news/local-news/in-your-neighborhood/corpus-christi/corpus-christi-hooks-invites-the-community-to-the-fifth-annual-9-11-memorial-workout First responders reflect on 9/11 during memorial workout

Here is a news article that mentions someone by that name from a different time.


literally the only thing I can find about ruskin thats not the specific Noem quote, but then I found something on Twitter saying the quote was misattributed and a coastie by the last name of hyde said it.

super bizarre that no one on social media has posted a picture or claimed to know him that I can find. my apologies for the derail.



edit: definitely not talking about Glenn (although I haven't seen a pic of him either but that's ok) he's real, hes amazing, and we love Glenn.

Scott Ruskin is the mystery man.
Buttermaker
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Buttermaker said:

https://www.kristv.com/news/local-news/in-your-neighborhood/corpus-christi/corpus-christi-hooks-invites-the-community-to-the-fifth-annual-9-11-memorial-workout First responders reflect on 9/11 during memorial workout

Here is a news article that mentions someone by that name from a different time.


Snapped this from a video in above article. More than likely it is him.
It’s better to be the hammer than the anvil.
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