Sean D. Naylor Profile
Sean D. Naylor

@SeanDNaylor

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Co-founder of The High Side. Author of Relentless Strike - The Secret History of Joint Special Operations Command: . RTs are not endorsements.

Washington, DC
Joined September 2010
Don't wanna be here? Send us removal request.
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@SeanDNaylor
Sean D. Naylor
2 months
IN THE KILL ZONE: The Life and Times of Willie Merkerson (Part 1)
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@SeanDNaylor
Sean D. Naylor
4 years
Asked directly whether he was relieving Crozier "because he cc'd too many people," Navy Sec. Modly answered: "because to me that demonstrated extremely poor judgement in the middle of a crisis, because what it's done, it's created a firestorm." So in other words, yes.
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@SeanDNaylor
Sean D. Naylor
1 year
@ESPNFC That's certainly what the TV companies and their advertisers want, clearly,
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@SeanDNaylor
Sean D. Naylor
1 year
@MenInBlazers Clearly it was. The player moved his arm to the ball.
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@SeanDNaylor
Sean D. Naylor
7 years
Pentagon Sends Team to Niger to Find Out What Happened
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@SeanDNaylor
Sean D. Naylor
6 months
@ABC7 Why does your headline prioritize the patrol vehicle over the woman he killed?
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@SeanDNaylor
Sean D. Naylor
2 years
@Thogden Gotta be the 1975 European Cup Final, Leeds United vs Bayern Munich.
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@SeanDNaylor
Sean D. Naylor
4 years
As several of you have pointed out, that should have read "Acting Navy Sec. Modly." Sorry.
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@SeanDNaylor
Sean D. Naylor
1 year
@awinehouse1 Another season in the Premier League.
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@SeanDNaylor
Sean D. Naylor
9 months
. @nytimes reporting that JSOC has deployed Delta and SEAL Team 6 elements to Cyprus "in case they are needed to evacuate American citizens from the region." If you were a paying subscriber to , you'd have known that five days ago, courtesy of @JackMurphyRGR
@EricSchmittNYT
Eric Schmitt
9 months
NEW -- 5 U.S. Special Operations troops killed in helicopter crash in eastern Mediterranean Sea. Nighttime crash under investigation, Pentagon says
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@SeanDNaylor
Sean D. Naylor
1 year
@crockpics Achilles Last Stand
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@SeanDNaylor
Sean D. Naylor
4 years
McMaster trashes Trump%27s Afghan peace plan via @YahooNews
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@SeanDNaylor
Sean D. Naylor
3 years
This is an amazing reporting job by @JackMurphyRGR and @zachsdorfman : 'Conspiracy is hard': Inside the Trump administration's secret plan to kill Qassem Soleimani via @YahooNews
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@SeanDNaylor
Sean D. Naylor
2 years
The Ukraine government's claims of the toll it has inflicted so far on the Russian invasion force. (Impossible to verify all of this, of course.)
@MFA_Ukraine
MFA of Ukraine ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ฆ
2 years
Ukraine is inflicting disastrous losses on the enemy. The overall Russian losses in these 3,5 days โคต๏ธ
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@SeanDNaylor
Sean D. Naylor
2 years
@ReturnofR Since Iโ€™ve Been Loving You
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@SeanDNaylor
Sean D. Naylor
4 years
Former NSA and CIA Director Michael Hayden just now: "If there were a second Trump administration, intelligence would be dead."
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@SeanDNaylor
Sean D. Naylor
5 years
Pentagon secretly struck back against Iranian cyber spies targeting U.S. ships via @YahooNews
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@SeanDNaylor
Sean D. Naylor
3 years
I ignore Twitter for an hour and this happens!
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@SeanDNaylor
Sean D. Naylor
4 years
With the news that more W. House staffers, incl. Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, have tested positive, I'm re-upping this story I wrote with @hunterw 'Safer than your local grocery store': How the Pentagon kept the virus at bay as the White House struggled...
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@SeanDNaylor
Sean D. Naylor
1 year
@RnRNationlive @RnRliveRadio Rush; Thin Lizzy; Scorpions
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@SeanDNaylor
Sean D. Naylor
1 month
I should add: Ludwig Faistenhammer is still with us and turned 100 last month, when I interviewed him for our series.
@SeanDNaylor
Sean D. Naylor
1 month
Colonel Ludwig Faistenhammer (right): a German immigrant who returned to fight the Wehrmacht as a tank commander in the Battle of the Bulge and served in Korea before going Special Forces. Led the combat jump at Bu Prang in Vietnam and commanded 10th Group in a divided Germany.
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@SeanDNaylor
Sean D. Naylor
6 years
Her Title: Cryptologic Technician. Her Occupation: Warrior.
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@SeanDNaylor
Sean D. Naylor
3 years
@JackMurphyRGR How did the unit allow the guy to take command a few months after he received a general officer memorandum of reprimand?
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@SeanDNaylor
Sean D. Naylor
2 months
THREAD: Willie Merkerson was inducted last week into the Ranger Hall of Fame. Heโ€™s already in the halls of fame (or equivalent) for Special Forces, CIA Ground Branch and Army Officer Candidate School. To find out why, read IN THE KILL ZONE: The Life and Times of Willie Merkerson.
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@SeanDNaylor
Sean D. Naylor
2 years
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@SeanDNaylor
Sean D. Naylor
1 month
Colonel Ludwig Faistenhammer (right): a German immigrant who returned to fight the Wehrmacht as a tank commander in the Battle of the Bulge and served in Korea before going Special Forces. Led the combat jump at Bu Prang in Vietnam and commanded 10th Group in a divided Germany.
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@SeanDNaylor
Sean D. Naylor
2 years
@ReturnofR Hendrix on "All Along The Watchtower"
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@SeanDNaylor
Sean D. Naylor
3 years
@PhilHay_ Now Iโ€™ve watched it a dozen times. Itโ€™s not even a foul. Exactly the sort of bad/biased decision that VAR was supposed to eradicate. More proof that the big decisions will disproportionately go to the so-called โ€œbig sixโ€
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@SeanDNaylor
Sean D. Naylor
2 years
Got off a transatlantic flight this evening and was a bit surprised at the number of new subscriber emails Iโ€™d received from Substack. This explains it. Anyway, more to follow in the next few weeks, but Iโ€™m very excited to be working with @JackMurphyRGR .
@JackMurphyRGR
Jack Murphy
2 years
This is a bit premature but before Twitter collapses, if you would like to keep up with the reporting of Sean Naylor and I you will be able to find us at The High Side which is a national security news outlet we are developing. Subscribe!
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@SeanDNaylor
Sean D. Naylor
2 years
@ReturnofR Gilmour
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@SeanDNaylor
Sean D. Naylor
2 years
@ReturnofR Whole Lotta Love
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@SeanDNaylor
Sean D. Naylor
4 years
I missed this yesterday. Former head of Joint Special Operations Command and U.S. Special Operations Command weighs in on Defense Secretary Esper's use of the phrase "battle space" to describe American neighborhoods in which protests are occurring:
@TonyT2Thomas
Tony Thomas
4 years
@peterwsinger @EsperDoD The โ€œbattle spaceโ€ of America??? Not what America needs to hear...ever, unless we are invaded by an adversary or experience a constitutional failure...ie a Civil War...
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@SeanDNaylor
Sean D. Naylor
2 years
@jacko55555 Mark, I was sat on the @LUFC bench for that game, as the (volunteer) @dcunited representative to the Leeds contingent for your time in Washington. I was also responsible for arranging the bar for later that night. Great memories.
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@SeanDNaylor
Sean D. Naylor
9 months
@ReturnofR Neil Peart
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@SeanDNaylor
Sean D. Naylor
9 months
@chbooksdc Jim was an absolute rock star. A Vietnam vet who made Capitol Hill Books my absolute favorite place to hang out on the Hill for the entire time that he owned it (I moved away in 2018). He could affect a curmudgeonly air but his heart of gold was never far from the surface. RIP.
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@SeanDNaylor
Sean D. Naylor
3 years
Contrary to the article, the SOF Truths weren't "designed" by SOCOM, they were written in '87 by the late ret. Army Col. John Collins while he was at the Congressional Research Service. For 21 years SOCOM only adopted the first four, only accepting the fifth under ADM Eric Olson.
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@SeanDNaylor
Sean D. Naylor
2 years
As a reporter whose first big interview was with Neil Peart (in 1983), this @strombo conversation with Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson made my week. Brilliant stuff and well worth your time if you're a @rushtheband fan or just interested in music.
@strombo
George Stroumboulopoulos ๐Ÿบ
2 years
This oneโ€™s real special. @rushtheband โ€™s Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson join me at my house for an exclusive in person sit down conversation on the eve of the release of their 40th anniversary edition of Moving Pictures. Friday 10am ET / 7am PT
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@SeanDNaylor
Sean D. Naylor
4 months
The latest from @JackMurphyRGR and me in The High Side:
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@SeanDNaylor
Sean D. Naylor
4 years
@sbbaicker Led Zeppelin IV, Moving Pictures, Rumours
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@SeanDNaylor
Sean D. Naylor
9 months
For several weeks, @JackMurphyRGR was collecting string on what U.S. special operations were doing in response to the Hamas attack on Israel and Israel's response. We finally published that article in The High Side yesterday afternoon. Click on the link in @mirkel 's tweet below:
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@SeanDNaylor
Sean D. Naylor
9 months
Nice for @JackMurphyRGR and me to get some love for The High Side:
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@SeanDNaylor
Sean D. Naylor
3 years
I'm really looking forward to this. (FYI, You have to click on the picture of the much-better-looking @andymilburn8 to get to the link.)
@JackMurphyRGR
Jack Murphy
3 years
Join us at 8PM EST on Saturday w/ @SeanDNaylor Relentless Strike: The unauthorized history of JSOC | Sean Naylor (part ... via @TheTeamHousePod
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@SeanDNaylor
Sean D. Naylor
1 year
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@SeanDNaylor
Sean D. Naylor
1 year
@92FootballBook Top of the league.
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@SeanDNaylor
Sean D. Naylor
1 year
Glad to finally get The High Side off the ground with @JackMurphyRGR ! For your weekend reading pleasure:
@JackMurphyRGR
Jack Murphy
1 year
It's happening folks. Sean and I have published our first article on The High Side detailing Biden's secret visit to Ukraine and the relationship between the Secret Service and JSOC. Many more stories are currently percolating.
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@SeanDNaylor
Sean D. Naylor
3 years
In all seriousness, the book came out more than 16 years ago, so in case it passed you by then (or you were too young to care):
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@SeanDNaylor
Sean D. Naylor
3 years
I'm half really looking forward to this, and half terrified of the infinite number of ways I could screw up. Either way, it should be interesting viewing.
@JackMurphyRGR
Jack Murphy
3 years
Link goes live 8pm EST on Fri.
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@SeanDNaylor
Sean D. Naylor
5 years
Neil was my first big interview. In '83, in the bowels of Wembley Arena after a sold-out show. I was 16, working for @hotpress . Scores of people were waiting to talk to him, the band was throwing a big party later that night, but he patiently answered all my q's. A true gent. RIP
@rushtheband
Rush
5 years
Neil Peart September 12, 1952 - January 7, 2020
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@SeanDNaylor
Sean D. Naylor
1 year
I enjoy your feed but if you're going to reproduce material from my book "Not A Good Day To Die" I wish you'd at least give me credit.
@Samurai19801
Soviet -Afghan Wars Samurai 1980
1 year
2002: Before everything was turned in to conventional army the US- SF units with assistance of Langley defeated Taliban & Al Qaeda in short period of time. Taliban and Al Qaeda leadership ran away and were hiding in FATAโ€™s tribal belt areas and Iran.
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@SeanDNaylor
Sean D. Naylor
7 months
@LUFCDATA Great post. Another highlight worth mentioning was his full-length-of-the-field run (in mid-July, in the 89th minute) to provide the assist for Hernandez to score the key promotion goal away at Swansea in 2020.
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@SeanDNaylor
Sean D. Naylor
2 years
@ReturnofR Thin Lizzyโ€™s โ€œLive and Dangerousโ€
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@SeanDNaylor
Sean D. Naylor
3 years
Proud to work on this with the amazing @zachsdorfman and @Isikoff . A lot of hard work.
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@SeanDNaylor
Sean D. Naylor
2 years
Hard to believe it's been 20 years this week since Army Times photographer @wazinny and I were embedded for Operation Anaconda, at the time the largest battle of the Afghan war, and the Army's highest-altitude battle. 8 U.S. KIA. I wrote a book about it:
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@SeanDNaylor
Sean D. Naylor
8 years
@SiriusXMFC @davisjsn Do away w/ single-entity MLS structure, so fans don't feel like puppets on a string. THEN pro/rel, real transfer mkt.
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@SeanDNaylor
Sean D. Naylor
5 years
Exclusive: The true origins of the Seth Rich conspiracy theory. A Yahoo News investigation. via @YahooNews
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@SeanDNaylor
Sean D. Naylor
3 months
@LUFCMOTcom Farke has to go. That ponderous, plodding football is a crime when youโ€™ve got players of the skill and pace of Summerville, James, Gnonto, Rutter, Gray and Joseph at your disposal. Mark Jacksonโ€™s just won the treble in Australia. Iโ€™d be willing to give him a chance.
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@SeanDNaylor
Sean D. Naylor
6 years
Some personal news:
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@SeanDNaylor
Sean D. Naylor
4 years
@AaronMehta She also seemed to suggest that in his role as secdef he would ensure that the COVID-19 vaccine would be "delivered equitably to all," which seems like an odd responsibility for a defense secretary.
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@SeanDNaylor
Sean D. Naylor
7 months
Targets in Cuba, Eastern Europe, the Middle East and North Korea; exercises run by mysterious men in black; Tudor watches as an E&E plan โ€“ the crazy story of Special Forcesโ€™ Green Light program, better known as the โ€œbackpack nukes.โ€ By @JackMurphyRGR :
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@SeanDNaylor
Sean D. Naylor
9 months
@JackMurphyRGR 's fascinating tick-tock of how the chances of a possible JSOC hostage rescue mission in Gaza waxed and waned.
@SeanDNaylor
Sean D. Naylor
9 months
Gaza Hostage Crisis Led To "Unprecedented" Delta Force and SEAL Team 6 Deployment
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@SeanDNaylor
Sean D. Naylor
1 year
How did two operators from Canadaโ€™s JTF-2 special mission unit end up fighting on a CIA covert action mission in Afghanistan? Itโ€™s part of Jack Murphyโ€™s and my inside look at the JSOC Omega program. Read it on The High Side. #CANSOF
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@SeanDNaylor
Sean D. Naylor
2 years
@haltman That's a bizarre decision on their part, Howard. You're one of the best.
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@SeanDNaylor
Sean D. Naylor
11 months
@RushHistory2112 @rushtheband Favorite memory? I interviewed Neil Peart in the bowels of Wembley Arena after one of the London shows. I was 16 and it was my first big interview. He was an absolute class act and gave me lots of time. Brilliant show as well.
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@SeanDNaylor
Sean D. Naylor
7 years
One of Trumpโ€™s ambassadors beat and โ€œkidnappedโ€ a woman as part of the Watergate cover-up: reports
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@SeanDNaylor
Sean D. Naylor
1 year
@3retro_ Johnny Giles
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@SeanDNaylor
Sean D. Naylor
1 year
@RockNRoLL_85 Zeppelin, easily
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@SeanDNaylor
Sean D. Naylor
1 year
In a First, Army Selects Pilot to Command Delta Force
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@SeanDNaylor
Sean D. Naylor
1 year
@crockpics Rock Brigade
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@SeanDNaylor
Sean D. Naylor
7 years
@ItsWhipple @ussoccer Only one statistic counts in football, and it's not possession.
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@SeanDNaylor
Sean D. Naylor
2 years
@GregRenoff @sammyhagar "Unchained" is a "deep cut" now?!
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@SeanDNaylor
Sean D. Naylor
2 years
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@SeanDNaylor
Sean D. Naylor
4 months
@PhilHay_ Thatโ€™s on Farke. Wrong subs and very poor tactics. Blackburn happy to give corner after corner away because they know we hardly ever score from set pieces (which is on the coaching staff).
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@SeanDNaylor
Sean D. Naylor
6 years
Turkish Officials Say Khashoggi Was Killed on Order of Saudi Leadership
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@SeanDNaylor
Sean D. Naylor
5 months
@PhilHay_ I really hope Farke doesn't regret switching around the best central defensive partnership in the division. That seems like it's asking for trouble. I'd rather have started Firpo at left back, played Byram at right back and moved Archie into midfield.
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@SeanDNaylor
Sean D. Naylor
4 years
@Worville @PhilHay_ Why isn't Gaetano Berardi on your list for Leeds? He's an international defender who's been injured all season, supposed to return to fitness in February.
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@SeanDNaylor
Sean D. Naylor
2 years
Another fascinating must-read from @zachsdorfman
@zachsdorfman
Zach Dorfman
2 years
CIA paramilitaries soon concluded that, in Russia and its proxies, the agency was facing an adversary whose capabilities far outmatched the Islamist groups that CIA had been battling in the post-9/11 wars. โ€œWe learned a lot real quick.โ€
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@SeanDNaylor
Sean D. Naylor
2 years
@timkmak @hunterw Stay plugged in and charged up for as long as possible.
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@SeanDNaylor
Sean D. Naylor
3 years
@broadcastmike Please tell us more.
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@SeanDNaylor
Sean D. Naylor
1 year
@RockNRoLL_85 Two great songs, but Tom Sawyer is peerless.
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@SeanDNaylor
Sean D. Naylor
4 months
@punt_rd Heaven and Hell
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@SeanDNaylor
Sean D. Naylor
2 years
@DPRK_News How many people recognize this radio traffic?
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@SeanDNaylor
Sean D. Naylor
2 years
I deleted a tweet with some incredible footage of civilians taking out armored vehicles with Molotov cocktails because several sources claimed it was from 2014. My apologies.
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@SeanDNaylor
Sean D. Naylor
3 years
@GregRenoff Zep I through IV is a brilliant run, but 2112, A Farewell To Kings, Hemispheres and Permanent Waves is also up there (or even โ€œ...Farewell...โ€ through Moving Pictures).
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@SeanDNaylor
Sean D. Naylor
5 years
Exclusive: Russia carried out a 'stunning' breach of FBI communications system, escalating the sp... via @Yahoo
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@SeanDNaylor
Sean D. Naylor
4 years
@matthewbwake A red barchetta
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@SeanDNaylor
Sean D. Naylor
2 years
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@SeanDNaylor
Sean D. Naylor
3 years
@GregRenoff Coney Hatch, Headpins, Saga, April Wine, Max Webster
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@SeanDNaylor
Sean D. Naylor
2 years
@sethharpesq @MazMHussain Nothing in that bio or photo indicates that heโ€™s SF. More likely heโ€™s either a USASOC staff officer or assigned to Delta. (Standard operating procedure when a Delta soldier dies is to list his unit as USASOC.)
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@SeanDNaylor
Sean D. Naylor
7 years
@PhilHayYEP Lasogga looked hurt. But perhaps TC should have replaced him with Sacko to keep their defenders on their toes. Instead he tried to bunker in, which turned out to be a mistake. #LUFC
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@SeanDNaylor
Sean D. Naylor
3 years
@liveleedsunited Erling Haaland (Maradona would be a close second)
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@SeanDNaylor
Sean D. Naylor
11 days
@punt_rd โ€œAnd the Bands Played Onโ€ by a hair over โ€œ747 (Strangers in the Night)โ€
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@SeanDNaylor
Sean D. Naylor
1 month
The Army gave Willie Merkerson 2 years to get a 4-yr degree at Hofstra in his early 30s. He got TWO degrees while playing on the varsity football (he was a letterman) and track and field teams. Find out more in Part 3 of @JackMurphyRGR 's and my series:
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