How Turkmenistan turned censorship into a lucrative extortion scheme by intentionally restricting internet access in order to sell its own VPNs to citizens
::: spoiler Comments
- Hackernews.
:::
In July 2021, a sudden drop in Tor usage in Turkmenistan called our attention. Tor would come to understand that this marked the beginning of a new era of censorship and restriction in this post-Soviet country. But let's rewind...The Tor Community has long been defending internet freedom, running relays and providing bridges to combat internet censorship.
Over the years, the Tor Project has called for action to run more bridges, Snowflake proxies, while we've investigated and adapted our anti-censorship strategies, and shared information about online censorship in Turkmenistan.
Modern censorship circumvention systems are generally built around the concept of "collateral damage", where a censor cannot block access without blocking the entire internet or popular online services. However, in Turkmenistan, the censors' behavior has been strikingly different. They have openly blocked vast parts of the internet without concern for the collateral consequences, sparking curiosity: why do Turkmenistan's censors seem unbothered by the collateral damage their actions cause?
Corruption and Control: How Turkmenistan turned internet censorship into a business | Tor Project
In Turkmenistan, one of the most isolated regimes in the world, internet censorship has evolved beyond surveillance and control.blog.torproject.org
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Michigan voters will decide whether to convene a constitutional convention to rewrite the state’s entire constitution
A vote to completely rewrite Michigan’s Constitution? What to know about the “Con-Con.”
There is a huge decision facing Michigan voters in an already huge 2026 election: whether to vote to convene a constitutional convention (also known as a “Con-Con”) to rewrite the state’s entire constitution. The implications are enormous.Zoe Clark (Michigan Public)
Verizon’s ‘software issue’ has disconnected many wireless customers across the US
Verizon’s ‘software issue’ has disconnected many wireless customers across the US
Verizon confirmed a software issue causing an outage for US customers on August 30th, 2025.Richard Lawler (The Verge)
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[ACTIVATE WINDOWS]
cross-posted from: programming.dev/post/36600876
::: spoiler Comments
- Reddit.
:::
[ACTIVATE WINDOWS]
::: spoiler Comments
- Reddit.
:::
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JUST. MOVE. TO. LINUX.
I don't get why people complain about windows when there's CLEARLY an alternative.
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There are alternatives for everything, and most of them are better that the windows-only options. Gimp, for example, is far superior to Photoshop.
That said, some folks do have to use the crappy MS software for work. There's nothing to be done but to pity them.
I am a professional designer with two decades of experience and I gotta admit, you're smoking crack if you think GIMP (the project that is almost entirely held back by its stupid name) is superior to Photoshop.
It might be able to get the job done for small tasks, but it is not a serious tool for serious people. I'm sorry. I'm as pro-FLOSS as anyone can get, and even I recognize that right now there's just no competition in the design department. Affinity is Mac-only, and comes with its own problematic aspects.
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Gimp, for example, is far superior to Photoshop.
GIMP is only superior if your goal is moral superiority. If you want to actually get work done, GIMP isn't even in the running.
Gimp, for example, is far superior to Photoshop.
Except it really isn't, unfortunately. As someone who fucking hates adobe and Photoshop, GIMP falls far short. Photoshop is made to work as part of a toolkit, and GIMP isn't interested in any form of compatibility. Take, for example, an issue that's been around (and in the bug tracker) since the release of 2.10. Something about the way GIMP handles colors means that most programs can't use alpha channels output by GIMP correctly, and see it as having much higher contrast than it's meant to. The stance seems to be that this is intended behavior. However, this is clearly not the case, as even when only using GIMP, re-importing the image shows that, even though the contrast is correct, data was still lost.
Excel.
Show me an OSS alternative to Excel that actually does tables, one of the most used, basic functions in excel.
I use tables every day for things like:I have a list of movies, sort them by producer. Or by production date. Or main actor. All these require a a single click on a column, something Open Office devs refuse to ever implement.
I use Linux every day for my servers, but not as my desktop. There's too much stuff like this that I don't have time for.
Does this LbreOffice example answer your question?
OpenOffice got bought by Oracle apparently so people are jumping ship to LibreOffice.
Gimp
agree 100% on gimp. It took me about a year to get used to it and now I have a free license for photoshop at work, but I still prefer gimp 2.8 on my work computer with windows. At home I use Gimp on linux all day nearly every day and do texture editing for games all of the time. Very productive tool.
I think its mostly sunk cost and "i dont want to invest time to learn new things" that keeps people on windows.
Work is a separate thing. My work laptop runs windows, a matter I dont have a say in. But for personal use cases? I feel there are exceptionally few that are more than "i have to change the programs I use and learn how new ones work". And if that's too major a barrier for someone to overcome, good for them. The least they can do is say "I dont want to use Linux because its too much effort".
To a lot of people it's difficult. Vendor lock-in, support, cartels (the old kind) and familiarity are very important factors in choosing what you're going to use to compute things.
We should embrace the new ones and build things that they are going to use.
Yeah, linux can be almost anything you want it to be. It'll run faster and look and feel just the same as windows, if not better. The only bad thing, and I say this as someone who's still on windows and will switch soon^tm^, is that there's a lot of work that comes with that.
A friend of mine who's all about linux is always fixing something about his installation. Though from what I know, he's using Arch, which apparently is less stable/needs more work to get going (something about bleeding edge).
Only reason why I haven't changed yet is because of VR and adobe programs. As soon as VR is a bit more seamless and I get replacements for adobe I'm off of windows.
What's the alternative then? "dEbLoAtInG" Windows?
It's gonna get re-bloated again and again! And they will add more and more bullshit over time, annoying way more!
No, the alternative is to realise you catch more flies with honey than with vinegar.
Or Windows 11 IoT Enterprise LTSC 2024. That has less bloat in the first place.
Or MacOS. That might work better for the individual user's use case.
1) Win11 IoT Enterprise LTSC is for enterprises, not normal users.
2) macOS needs some sort of mac from apple, and those are ridiculously overpriced and locked down more than north korea.
3) Why would you believe Big Tech? They're lying 99% of the time for profit, heck; they do every bullshit possible on this universe just for money.
- Says who?
- If you truly believe a Mac is locked down more than North Korea you need to do some research. And I pray you never find out how locked down North Korea is first hand.
- I didn't say that I did. Please don't put words into my mouth.
1) The name. The literal name.
2) It was a kinda exaggerated comparison, but my point stands: it is very locked down.
3) Using big tech's products means that you support them. And why would you support something evil?
- You sound like you've never used it. It's still just Windows, but because it's for enterprise it doesn't have the consumer version bloat.
See how that works?
Result: It's pretty good. I just had to remove edge and tweak a lil bit via christitus's tool.
The only thing i worry about it the 90-day-valid windows licence. Will it go kaboom once it expires, or just become "not activated"?
But there's too much apple bullshit saying "no, you can't do that". Like, let me just open the app i just downloaded goddammit! I'm not a moron!
Also, what the fuck can i even customize? I need a window manager or similar experience.
It's also apple-product only. And the one i hate the most, it's closed source.
- then why am I, a normal user, using it?
- mac is shit, just wanted to say that
I'll use what I want, when I want, how I want, where I want.
Who are you to demand otherwise?
People like you are the reason other see Linux people as hostile neck beards.
I'm still running an XP box... Guess I'm dumb. Smh
Security isn't one thing, it's layers.
QW4HD-DQCRG-HM64M-6GJRK-8K83T
sometimes i forget the names of the people but this XP activation key never leaves my brain
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I have my own version of it:
eBay auction number 234839940
Die hard in swabian dialect: youtu.be/WM35KnAx0gY
Wow that's crazy! I've also gotten an XP key burned into my brain, but it's a different one. I had no idea there were multiple people memorised:
FCKGW-RHQQ2-YXRKT-8TG6W-2B7Q8
It used to have it's own Wikipedia page, but now it's just a mention on this page:
i think the only things these days for 'unactivated windows' (home, pro editions) is inability to 'customize the desktop' (change wallpaper, theme...) and occasional activation nags.
it doesn't quit working or shutdown (iirc enterprise or server trials do that after they expire, though) or quit getting updates or anything like that.
More like Current Year + 1.
There isn't really a year of Linux. It's just consistent growth over time, with some boosts here and there.
irm https://get.activated.win/ | iex
the ingenious thing is that they are still making buck both ways
the house always wins, remember that Microsoft owns github
Team V.R suspicious release?
I recently downloaded this file from Audioz (I didn't run the exe, just extracted the rar.) Check out the comments, many people have run it through sandbox environments like any.run or hybrid analysis and gotten iffy results:
virustotal.com/gui/file/d1fdb9…
It looks like there are quite a few analysis services besides virustotal that are marking the file as malicious.
hybrid-analysis.com/sample/d1f…
bazaar.abuse.ch/sample/d1fdb98…
This is a popular upload on Audioz and is also listed directly on Team VR's website, so what gives? I thought Team VR was considered safe. Maybe someone experienced needs to look at their stuff a little more closely?
MalwareBazaar - ValhallaDSP bundle 2025.5 CE.exe
Threat intel on ValhallaDSP bundle 2025.5 CE.exe (MD5 aea38634fa0980e770ab7a6ef6f20761)bazaar.abuse.ch
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Japan’s Transport Ministry issues stern warning to ANA Wings after string of pilot error incidents
A runway incursion at Wakkanai Airport in Hokkaido on Aug 20 is among the serious incidents.
Japan’s Transport Ministry issues stern warning to ANA Wings after string of pilot error incidents
A runway incursion at Wakkanai Airport in Hokkaido on Aug 20 is among the serious incidents. Read more at straitstimes.com.ST
Malaysia eyes a greener future by converting sewage into fertiliser
Malaysia plans to stop sending sewage sludge to landfills by 2030, turning human waste into fertiliser under Indah Water’s circular economy push.
Archived version: archive.is/newest/straitstimes…
Disclaimer: The article linked is from a single source with a single perspective. Make sure to cross-check information against multiple sources to get a comprehensive view on the situation.
Malaysia to tap treated sewage effluent as farm fertiliser, water recycled with Newater-like tech
Indah Water Konsortium is converting treated human waste into fertiliser, part of Malaysia’s 2030 goal to cut landfill waste and boost sustainability. Read more at straitstimes.com.Hazlin Hassan (ST)
Indonesia’s president cancels China trip as protests continue
Days of protests spread further over the death of a motorcycle rider hit by a police vehicle.
Archived version: archive.is/newest/straitstimes…
Disclaimer: The article linked is from a single source with a single perspective. Make sure to cross-check information against multiple sources to get a comprehensive view on the situation.
Indonesia’s president cancels China trip as protests continue
Days of protests spread further over the death of a motorcycle rider hit by a police vehicle. Read more at straitstimes.com.ST
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No. I still bring my reusable bag to the store. I never had a car, use a bike or public transit. I 've always been very careful. But it's just very disappointing to see some moderately rich asshole ruin all of my lifetime efforts in a day. Also, the pandemic showed me that most people don't give a fuck and just wanted to go back to "normal" polluting.
In fact, the whole plastic industry convinced people over the years into cleaning and recycling it instead of reducing its use. Also, I'm sure some of you know that lots of reusable bags are just thicker plastic, that they need to be reused a whole lots of times before being "ecological", that some people like to collect them, and that it can ends up being worse than using disposable ones.
We just can't stop the consumption, but somehow, bringing a reusable bag will remove the guilt.
I still feel very guilty and like it's a failure every time I have to use a car, but that's just me because everyone is encouraging me to get one and use them. Just get an electric one. They are heavier and require like tones of batteries to move 1.5 person around, and their reusable bags, but they are "ecological"!
Google's emissions have risen by 50% in a few years, mostly because of AI. So I try to avoid using "AI". But apparently, most people don't have those concerns.
When I see all the ways the people around me pollute, consume and dispose, the reusable bag is low on the list of things I feel guilty about.
- YouTube
Profitez des vidéos et de la musique que vous aimez, mettez en ligne des contenus originaux, et partagez-les avec vos amis, vos proches et le monde entier.www.youtube.com
This is why I keep boxes from in the back of my truck and just load them up, I hope to find industrial milk crates to replace the cardboard.
Also before folks come at me I drive an 01 Toyota Tacoma which has gas mileage comparable to a particularly inefficient motorcycle. Its the best I can afford.
Last I remember, a cloth bag needs to be used for a minimum of 1000 grocery trips for it to even begin to offset the environmental cost of making it.
Now, I've had mine for 5 years. So I'm making good progress.
But I do miss the plastic ones just because I always used them as garbage bags. The tax on plastic grocery bags are nuts. They cost a buck each. Unless you buy 50 of them for garbage use... then they're all of a sudden dirt cheap and so thin it feels like breathing on them will poke a hole.
Taking garbage from 1000 plastic bags into account is exactly what it does.
You're underestimating just how much is needed for a cloth bag.
From growing the cotton, to processing it, to making the bag. That's a long way. There are a lot of steps involved. A lot of energy required.
There's really not that much plastic in a plastic bag.
There's more plastic in a happy meal toy than most bags.
Here is some info from the UN. They take into account a lot of factors beyond carbon output, including acidification of oceans and land use changes. So the 1000 uses is how many uses to be better in all categories. For carbon output, it is around 150 uses.
I guess it depends which categories are more important to you. Plastic is obviously going to be superior in agricultural run-off issues. Cloth is obviously superior in micro plastic emissions. They don't evaluate microplastics though, so it might be skewed in favour of plastic.
Solution? Sewing DIY bags from old clothing.
More reusable and personal than a factory bag, and you already know how to mend it to keep it going. Uses less raw resources than a plastic bag, as it was going to the trash anyways. It's a great beginner sewing project.
I have this folding/ collapsible crate I keep in my trunk of my car. ( yeah I know car) I love it it holds like 6 bags worth of stuff. Makes 2 trips bringing things in and out of the car into one( no need to do the Heman 10 bags in one hand thing). I always forget bring in the bags I keep in my car but I enjoy using the crate so there is that.
Also I know the crate probably uses same amount of plastic as like a million bags or something. But I have had the crate before the bag thing became an issue and use it for things like camping and day trips. Also I now buy small plastic bags to pick up my dogs shit instead of using the bags I got from the store. Also buy bags for my bathroom now. I wonder how much plastic I have saved by not using plastic bags at the store...
I think it was all a scam to get me to pay for them. Just like the plastic straw. Cool you gave me a paper straw to save the planet or what ever and even charged me for it but then you give me my drink in a FUCKING PLASTIC CUP. WTF. FUCK YOU.
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There should be a second lever filter where the governement is doing the filter in the opposite way
Edit: typo
Is there even a small kernel of truth backing this up? What 'something else' is there other than laying flat?
Or like, are there any last-ditch options for some chronically-ill middle-aged homebody like me? A transhumanist cult, a real-life equivalent to a Rimworld colony, some like-minded individuals living on a boat who can make it to my local port that need a sweeper or mediocre heat-intolerant stirfry-cook who can't swim? No?
Half-ethical brain preservation testing, put me in a The Matrix? I'd roll the dice, the bar is really low at this point.
"Hey! Welcome to the world!
Everything everyone has told you about how things work and the fairness of the system is a lie. Good luck dealing with that.
Also, all the adults who you were brought up to look at as the keepers of the world are actively making it worse and/or going insane.
You have no money, no power, no experience, you're outnumbered and under-resourced, and those same screwed up adults have been actively sabotaging your mental acuity and development for more or less your entire lives.
So you'd better get to fixing it! What's wrong with you lazy bums?"
Genuine question.
Did you not realise the singular missing character in "Extinction" or are you just trying to be a difficult smart ass?
Ngl, I looked the word up because I wasn’t sure if it meant something else or was just a careless typo by OP.
Still don’t get the meme
~~This is eradicating the massive fridays for future movement that was entirely carried by teens, that had a huge impact on policy.~~
got it
I did tomatoes for my first year and I got at least one from seed to red tomato so it worked.
Everything's gone to shit now, but oh well very next year!
UN documents Israeli violations in Syria, calls for accountability
The United Nations is closely monitoring the situation in Syria, particularly the escalation of violence, and continues to document serious violations, including those related to Israeli actions, a UN official said, Anadolu reports.
Archived version: archive.is/newest/middleeastmo…
Disclaimer: The article linked is from a single source with a single perspective. Make sure to cross-check information against multiple sources to get a comprehensive view on the situation.
4 Israeli soldiers missing, others killed in resistance ambush in Zeitoun neighbourhood east of Gaza: Israel media
Israeli media reported that 4 soldiers were missing, and others were killed and wounded in Gaza, as part of a large ambush to capture Israeli soldiers carried out by the Qassam Brigades in the Zeitoun neighbourhood east of Gaza City.
Archived version: archive.is/newest/middleeastmo…
Disclaimer: The article linked is from a single source with a single perspective. Make sure to cross-check information against multiple sources to get a comprehensive view on the situation.
Gaza death toll nears 63,400 as 10 more Palestinians die of starvation
At least 63,371 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s genocidal war on the Gaza Strip since October 2023, as 10 more people died of starvation in the enclave, the Health Ministry said on Saturday, Anadolu reports.
Archived version: archive.is/newest/middleeastmo…
Disclaimer: The article linked is from a single source with a single perspective. Make sure to cross-check information against multiple sources to get a comprehensive view on the situation.
Estonia to borrow up to €3.6 billion in defence loans
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen visited Estonia as part of her four-day front-line state tour, aimed at stressing solidarity with border states and supporting the development of Europe's defense industry.
Archived version: archive.is/newest/euronews.com…
Disclaimer: The article linked is from a single source with a single perspective. Make sure to cross-check information against multiple sources to get a comprehensive view on the situation.
Conscription in Europe: The current state of play
Germany is bringing back a form of conscription to encourage more young people to become soldiers. But in some European countries, conscription never went away.
Piracy Is the number two community on Lemmy?
Does anyone else find it Odd that the number two community for Lemmy is piracy? It's not exactly a good image is it.... 😏
I mean here we are all privacy advocates fighting for the honest man's right to be private on the internet...and yet it kind of seems to validate the idea that the only people who want privacy have something scandalous to engage in 🥴
Anyone have anything to say for themselves? Or would it be true to say that the only people who want privacy online want to engage in things like pornography or stealing?
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Sorry... are you talking about piracy or privacy? They're different things, you start off referring to piracy but most of your post is about privacy 😛
Anyways I've never considered Lemmy as a "privacy" platform so it's not really how or why I ended up here. Most Lemmy instances don't even allow Tor usage, some block VPN usage too, and most require an email to sign up and register. On top of that each Lemmy instance is going to be as private as the instance admin is willing to make it.
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What does privacy have to do with piracy?
Former Biden official justifies the murder of Palestinian children
Former Biden official claims that the death of children is more acceptable if they're children of Hamas members
UK | TransActual report collects testimonies of trans segregation after Supreme Court ruling
Testimonies sent in to TransActual show an incoherent, inconsistent, and often abusive application of the Supreme Court ruling
Archived version: archive.is/newest/thecanary.co…
Disclaimer: The article linked is from a single source with a single perspective. Make sure to cross-check information against multiple sources to get a comprehensive view on the situation.
Prominent Ukrainian politician Andriy Parubiy shot dead in Lviv
President Zelensky said the killing of Parubiy was a "terrible murder" - with a manhunt under way.
Archived version: archive.is/20250830201316/bbc.…
Disclaimer: The article linked is from a single source with a single perspective. Make sure to cross-check information against multiple sources to get a comprehensive view on the situation.
US | Trump administration moves to fire most Voice of America staff
Termination notices have been issued to more than 500 employees of VOA and its parent agency.
Archived version: archive.is/20250830205231/bbc.…
Disclaimer: The article linked is from a single source with a single perspective. Make sure to cross-check information against multiple sources to get a comprehensive view on the situation.
Today’s game consoles are historically overpriced
Ars analysis shows missing price cuts are costing console consumers hundreds of dollars.
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Tesla denied having fatal crash data until a hacker found it
The data was key evidence in the death of a pedestrian in 2019.
Social Security Data Chief Who Blew Whistle on DOGE Resigns, Citing 'Culture of Fear'
SSA employee who blew whistle on DOGE activities resigns
Social Security Data Chief Who Blew Whistle on DOGE Resigns, Citing 'Culture of Fear'
Social Security Administration chief data officer Charles Borges described "fear and anxiety over potential illegal actions resulting in the loss of citizen data" in his resignation letter.brad-reed (Common Dreams)
Kentucky Battery Plant Workers Have Voted to Join the UAW
In a close election, 1,200 battery plant workers at the BlueOval SK Battery Park in Kentucky voted to join the United Auto Workers this week. The ultimate outcome of the vote will hinge on 41 ballots that the union is challenging.
UK | London targets noisy commuters with headphone campaign
TfL wants passengers to plug in and hush up.
London targets noisy commuters with headphone campaign
London’s public transport authority has started scolding noisy passengers who subject everyone to music and calls blasting out of their phones.Jess Weatherbed (The Verge)
Taliban launch crackdown on Afghanistan’s secret beauty salons
The clandestine businesses – a financial lifeline for many women – have been given a month to cease operations
Archived version: archive.is/20250830185546/theg…
Disclaimer: The article linked is from a single source with a single perspective. Make sure to cross-check information against multiple sources to get a comprehensive view on the situation.
Intel Is Laying Off Workers While Raking In Public Largesse
Chipmaker Intel has been laying off thousands of its American workers — as it rakes in billions in subsidies from the US government and lavishes multimillion-dollar severance and compensation packages on its former and current CEOs.
Still no EU action on Israel, despite Gaza famine
Israel will not face any EU sanctions despite creating famine in Gaza, massacring 63,000 people, and declaring the end of the two-state solution.
Archived version: archive.is/newest/euobserver.c…
Disclaimer: The article linked is from a single source with a single perspective. Make sure to cross-check information against multiple sources to get a comprehensive view on the situation.
Still no EU action on Israel, despite Gaza famine
Israel will not face any EU sanctions despite creating famine in Gaza, massacring 63,000 people, and declaring the end of the two-state solution.Andrew Rettman (EUobserver)
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DOJ reassigned top attorneys. They quit after feeling sidelined.
People familiar with the Sanctuary Cities Enforcement working group say members were assigned menial busy work, and their impression was that the real goal was to force senior career lawyers to resign.
Access options:
* gift link
* archive.today
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Israel escalates attacks on Yemen, killing several ministers
The Yemeni resistance movement confirmed that the aggression will not deter it from continuing its struggle against Israel.
Archived version: archive.is/20250830183424/peop…
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Flower
Flower by Shawn D Crabtree
See more of my artwork plus interviews with hot and up and coming artists at shawndcrabtree.com.
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Programmer joke
cross-posted from: lemdro.id/post/28076394
cross-posted from: lemdro.id/post/28076393
cross-posted from: lemdro.id/post/28076341
"Yo mama so fat, she can sit on a binary tree and flatten it to a linked list in O(1) time"
Programmer joke
cross-posted from: lemdro.id/post/28076393cross-posted from: lemdro.id/post/28076341
"Yo mama so fat, she can sit on a binary tree and flatten it to a linked list in O(1) time"
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Programmer joke
cross-posted from: lemdro.id/post/28076393
cross-posted from: lemdro.id/post/28076341
"Yo mama so fat, she can sit on a binary tree and flatten it to a linked list in O(1) time"
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perishthethought
in reply to Tony Bark • • •like this
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