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Tardigrade's avatar

I'm rapidly getting hooked on these Matt & Walter shows.

Anybody paying the least bit of attention to developments in England, not to mention Scotland, Ireland, Wales, Brazil, and Germany (h/t eugyppius) knows this has already gone global, no criticism of you guys. We are accelerating down that slippery slope at a fantastic rate.

Just throwing this out there—"Joy" has been tried before: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strength_Through_Joy

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Emma M.'s avatar

Schiller's Ode to Joy (famously set to music by Beethoven) mentioned by Taibbi in this article was also originally an Ode to Freedom. There's a reason the German Shakespeare isn't well known today—his writing and plays were often populist celebrations of freedom against tyranny.

"No, there is a limit to the tyrant's power! / When the oppressed man finds no justice, / When the burden grows unbearable, he appeals / With fearless heart to Heaven, / And thence brings down his everlasting rights, / Which there abide, inalienably his, / And indestructible as stars themselves. / The primal state of nature reappears, / Wherein man confronts his fellow man; / And if all other means shall fail his need, / One last resort remains—his own good sword. / The dearest of our goods we may defend / From violence. We stand before our country, / We stand before our wives, before our children!"—Friedrich Schiller, Wilhelm Tell

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TWC's avatar
Aug 26Edited

Interesting. The Beethoven 9, along with the arguably even more profound Op. 133, has always seemed to me a monument to the Freedom of the Individual. A sort of thumbing the nose at the mechanisms of power. But even moreso, both works point at how an Individual is to pursue his OWN Freedom.

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Reelin’ In The Fears's avatar

Awesome!

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James Roberts's avatar

An Australian court has ruled that a women's only website created as a refuge from male harassment must accept a trans gender woman. I'm sorry, but even trans affirming surgery cannot make a trans gender woman an actual woman, with their shared life experiences and perspectives of growing up female. They may be more sympathetic than a man, but they are still an outsider in that space. Women deserve to have a space just for women. We don't have much hope of arresting our slide.

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JennyStokes's avatar

Why are we even speaking about this? Leave people alone to make their own decissions.

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Mike Eyre's avatar

I love that detail about how Nazis paid for it with a tax on workers and also made them clean their own work places during unpaid overtime. Shawn Fain is an unserious person.

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DaveL's avatar

Same thing for People’s Car, more familiarly known as the Volkswagen, paid for by workers tithes, none of whom ever got a car, since all the money went into the war machine.

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Emma M.'s avatar

They weren't "essential war workers," meine Kamerad! All non-essential workers must contribute to the effort on the front! The Eastern Front may have become a "defensive war on the move", but the "elastic front line" is merely an adjustment to the dynamisch nature of the war, ever straightening and bending to prevent the enemy from ever gaining an advantage! Besieg heil!

https://research.calvin.edu/german-propaganda-archive/goeb36.htm

You know, it is April 19 1945 and that means it's almost the Führer's birthday. If Herr Hitler says we can still win this, well, I believe in the Führer! You do trust the Führer, don't you? Gott mit uns! The Volk will get their Wagen in the end, to suggest otherwise is simply not Völkisch of you.

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Mike Stone's avatar

He's a Marxist.

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feldspar's avatar

I thought he was an electrician.

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Tardigrade's avatar

I thought he was an Irish revolutionary party. At least his parents had a sense of humor.

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Mark Packer's avatar

Yep I'm really looking forward to the Regime-sponsored All-Inclusive Destination Vacations. Proving the Regime truly cares about ALL the people -- not just their donors, supporters & voters -- they insist that the rest of us have the opportunity to embrace the joy that brings freedom -- And, here's what makes this so great! They'll be gifting us much needed time away at one of their Exclusive Walled & Gated FREEDOM THRU JOY Resort Communities. The brochure looks nice. The comprehensive 'Joy Experience' even includes enhanced educational opportunities!

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Tardigrade's avatar

If you talk about RFK at all, you might like to mention the dog video https://x.com/censorshipbot/status/1827497374098317671

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Debbz's avatar

Toooooo Cute! lol lol lol

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Dee's avatar

Thanks for the link!! Saw it, then lost where I had seen it😂

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carily myers's avatar

lol, like

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JennyStokes's avatar

Moron!

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Eileen Thornton Renda's avatar

Fecklessly Political Macron has declared that the arrest was NOT Political! And I have a dirty River named Seine to sell you.

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JennyStokes's avatar

Try doing a swimming event in the US?

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Eileen Thornton Renda's avatar

Would that be Jenny StRokes?

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Sera's avatar

I was waiting all morning to see if this would be the subject of a special report tonight. I think it’s time to form a coalition with these guys. Losing one billionaire to censorship is a tragedy, losing two looks like carelessness. Carelessness on the part of the deep state. They’re pushing too hard, too fast. Matt Taibbi has the brains, the temperament, the experience, and the Rolodex. Any thoughts?

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Emma M.'s avatar

They are pushing so hard because they've never been more afraid. Remember at Davos 2024, "Misinformation and disinformation" was declared their biggest existential threat for the next 2 years. Our speech is the greatest threat to their existence right now, and their suppression of it is its exaltation. They sow the seeds of their own destruction.

https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2024/01/global-risks-report-2024/

Julian Assange predicted this in a paper he wrote. The Internet allows exposure of state corruption like never before seen; states respond with authoritarian measures, precipitating further exposure and leaks; etc. They unravel themselves.

"Hence we may justly mock the stupidity of those, who imagine that they can, by present power, extinguish the lights and memory of succeeding times: for, quite otherwise, the punishment of writers exalts the credit of the writings: nor did ever foreign kings, or any else, reap other fruit from it, than infamy to themselves, and glory to the sufferers."—Cornelius Tacitus

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Michel Angelo's avatar

Although I agree it's "bad," but it's not even as bad as it was before the us entered ww1 - (where the massive piece of shit edward bernays became famous in ww1 propaganda stuff) etc.

IE, it's not the "worst" although it is shitty.

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Mike Eyre's avatar

"They" have all the momentum atm. With the world press already self-subjugating to the Left, the people have precious few sources of unbiased truth. There aren't enough of us here to constitute an informed electorate. What are the odds that if Kamala wins, Matt and Walter are sporting orange jumpsuits before the '26 midterms?

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Sera's avatar

You may be right, but this isn’t the time to be cautious. I don’t think there’s going to be a more auspicious opening. If I had to guess, I’d say the election will make this moot one way or the other.

I think solidarity with the outliers,will change everything, (I no longer think in terms of left and right). Tucker Carlson, Snowdon Greenwald, many others around the globe are ready when there’s a movement afoot. I don’t look great in a leotard, but I’ll do my best to work the Pompoms.

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Sera's avatar

I don’t care one way or the other about Trump, but he scares me far less than Harris. I’m proposing solidarity, imagination, dedication, and action. I can’t offer more than that.

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Mike Eyre's avatar

In the absence of your own plan you need a leader. Who is that? Keeping in mind that who ever steps up will be assassinated, who wants that job? Better to jam the spoon into your frontal lobe and take regular Joy injections in the left ass cheek. The alternateis dissident re-education camps in the valley with snipers at every post.

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Outis's avatar

The sheer dint of a nontrivial segment of the masses speaking up, even uncoordinated, would be of great value. Size can matter. It might also help others overcome their (natural, really) trepidation to do so as well.

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Drewbacca's avatar

Agreed on left vs. right not being the right labels any longer. What is happening now is all about elite power vs. everyone else. Surely we can find coalitions of freedom loving people of all previous political stripes?

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JennyStokes's avatar

Since Americans have never understood 'left and right.'

Go your own way and pretend you know what you are talking about!

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JennyStokes's avatar

Ha.........I am with you without the 'pom poms' which is an American thing.

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Mike Eyre's avatar

I'm not exactly sure what you're proposing. The revolution is well underway and we have yet to organize the counter-revolution, unless you think it's Trump. We're 80 million people and 100 billion dollars behind, and oh yeah, they also have the military in addition to the press. Joe Biden was right once in his life when he said we'll need "F-15s and nuclear weapons" to compete. If they win this time it's probably over.

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DarkSkyBest's avatar

Joe Biden was taken out by people with stilettos and editorial shanks. What the hell does he know.

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Mike Eyre's avatar

Not much. But discounting the power of the fascist Democrat Party is suicidal.

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DarkSkyBest's avatar

Your are correct.

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JennyStokes's avatar

What revolution in the USA?

Sitting in their armchairs with weapons ready.........the FBI or whatever breaks down your front door with a SWAT team are you going to be able to shoot them all?

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Mike Eyre's avatar

Your lens is too narrow and it's pointed in the wrong direction.

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Blissex's avatar

«The revolution is well underway»

It has been well underway since 1980, and the final phase began in 1991, and is nearly complete.

«and we have yet to organize the counter-revolution, unless you think it's Trump.»

Ah this reminds me of "John Titor"'s (probably fake, but still very interesting) story about the Second American Revolution in his timeline.

https://www.reddit.com/r/UnresolvedMysteries/comments/il608y/reexamining_the_predictions_of_john_titor/

«His main predictions can be summed up as follows:

* CERN would discover the basis for Time Travel in 2001

* There would be a Civil War in the US which would be linked to the result of Presidential Election in 2004

* It would be fought by those in the "City" and those in the "Country" (personally I've interpreted this as meaning "North" vs. "South", similar to the 19th Century Civil War). The City would be what we know today as the US Army and the "Country" would be primarily Militia based

* Whoever The President is they "hold the country together, but many of their policies drove a larger wedge into the Bill of Rights".

He also comments that the authorities begin "holding people without due process"»

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JennyStokes's avatar

Americans in a revolution........I am laughing my socks off.

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Blissex's avatar

«Americans in a revolution........I am laughing my socks off»

The story "John Titor" reports seems highly plausible: the government in that "timeline" starts to put a lot of "deplorable" people in concentration camps and to disappear a lot of them, and first the people in "flyover country" hide, while those in coastal cities conform, and then many military units defect. Basically his story is that the "deplorables" are forced to fight back.

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Kate Cahill's avatar

yikes!! Scary thought!!

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JennyStokes's avatar

What 'left?'

In the USA you have absolutely NO idea what 'left' means!

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Mike Eyre's avatar

Find somebody who does.

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feldspar's avatar

For impersonating journalists?

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JennyStokes's avatar

BUT: DO you think that Matt and Walter will not be shut down?

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Spiderbaby's avatar

Dick Cheney 2002: "There is no doubt that Saddam Hussein now has weapons of mass destruction."

Dick Cheney 2022: "No one is a greater threat to our Republic than Donald Trump... A real man wouldn’t lie to his supporters."

Fucking amazing!

If Dick Cheney hates you how bad can you really be?

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feldspar's avatar

Obviously really bad.

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Spiderbaby's avatar

Cool! My day wouldn't be complete without stepping in a little feldspar. I'm going to scrape you off on my step now.

May the soggy waffle of your dreams infect the throbbing gristle of your eyelids.

Night, Night.

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Howie's avatar

Fuck yeah. Where’s my eagle with a hot dog merch?

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DarkSkyBest's avatar

I am taking a liberty here. Using someone else's platform to publish my outrage.

So WaPo published an "op-ed" glorifying the Veep's husband as a "progressive sex symbol; . . . he might soon become the First Gentleman . . ."

Really, Gracie? Getting down with your kids' "nanny" while still married? Abortion to follow? Of course, First Gentleman. So qualified.

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DaveL's avatar

That’s what progressives do! So actually no contradiction. They’d like to see the whole culture transformed into a porn show.

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Mike Stone's avatar

But was he the 'first" with her ... Or the second gentleman even?

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DarkSkyBest's avatar

The point is, he is never a "gentleman," I think.

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Mike Stone's avatar

I think that is true. I get the impression he is a not very bright schlub. Like all good associates of Brandon and Pelosi, mak'n a mint selling contacts and influence.

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Debbz's avatar

From what I've read he's also had/has a long history with being in bed with the ccp...same as Pelosi, Feinstein heck no doubt the entire californication DEM political machine, system, for that matter, probably!

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Mike Stone's avatar

Swalwell (sp?), etc. Yes, I understand he "represents" them. (so does 🐪-a).

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Debbz's avatar

Oh for sure he and his Chinese spy mistress (while married), Fang-Fang. And Feinstein's chauffer Chinese spy for 20 + years. https://www.aei.org/op-eds/explain-the-chinese-spy-sen-feinstein/

(Don't forget too Kevin McCarthy, though a RINO and bff's with pollster Frank Luntz dem/rino,?? who he roomed with in DC, has a son who also works for the DEM party in Cali. The corruption runs deep and for years...

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Spiderbaby's avatar

For variety's sake I think it would be safe to occasionally substitute "Ignorance Is Bliss" for the current Democratic talking syllable, "Joy."

And given Kamala's amazing ability to forge alliances with North Korea & to kill off 65% of the US population with Covid, I am personally looking forward to watching the Kamalapiller shed its cocoon and emerge as a fully formed media butterfly.

Like the Biden/Harris meme says, "Jesus Christ, I'm senile & I didn't say shit that stupid."

And if Trump was serious about the things that RFK Jr. talked about at his Trump Rally speech, then Trump will get my vote in November.

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DaveL's avatar

Not likely, if he’s a junk food aficionado. RFK jr was pretty clear he wants to get rid of that stuff.

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Spiderbaby's avatar

"Time will tell about the circus & the wishing well" - Jimi Hendrix

I'd settle for D/C-ing the WW3 plans & shoving a big fat thumb into the all seeing intelligence eye.

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JennyStokes's avatar

Give me a break....he could care less as long as he has a job.

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Mike Stone's avatar

More like kamalasnake sheds its skin.

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Spiderbaby's avatar

Ewww!

Geez I'm already at the place where the sight of Tim Walz's grinning mug makes me think of the last thing a kidnapped child sees before the horror begins.

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Mike Stone's avatar

Hannibal Walz? John Wayne Walz? You know, the friendly, "neighborly" clown.

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Kate Cahill's avatar

Oops didn't see this when I wrote my comment. I totally get that vibe!!

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Kate Cahill's avatar

I just see him doing the schlubby clown thing like- John Wayne Gacy!!

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Branson Edwards's avatar

These topical podcasts are great. I wish you guys would interview someone. Maybe get Trump and RFK Jr. at the same time, or Rachel Maddow and Stacy Plaskett (a "so-called" newscaster and the "so-called" congressperson who called you Matt a "so-called" journalist. You could call it a "so-called" podcast. Surely there's something Walter does that we could insult with a "so-called" sobriquet?

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Notyours's avatar

So called ironist.

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Branson Edwards's avatar

He does his own ironing?

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Troels Gudiksen's avatar

The world from there our western culture and freedom perception “democracy - as a natural thing” comes from - is rotting from within… the majority still thinks if it’s on CNN / MSNBC then it must be almost true (the time wasted on and invested in being scammed is to hard to cope with)…. Here we are - on the brink - if not Matt and Walter - spoke truth to power - with Schellenburger - Rogan - Russell …we would be fucked! So thanks Matt and Walter …. you are me anchor into the sane world!

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The Design Flaw's avatar

How long until Substack's Chris Best comes under fire for not censoring enough?

I recommend people look into nostr, a decentralized open source version of Twitter. There is no CEO to arrest or to censor.

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DarkSkyBest's avatar

If I was a tough prosecutor like K. Harris, I would want to know if any platform was being used for human trafficking. I would want to disrupt any (any) platform that made it easier for children from anywhere to be shipped and used like commodities. But then, I am not K. Harris.

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Marie's avatar

She can start with the children being trafficked over the US/Mexico border.

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Dana Peck's avatar

Thanks, terrific, really finding these informative and fun. Love to see your passion, not the time for turning the other cheek, all the best

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Matthew Tedone's avatar

We often follow Europe sadly. The proposed “ Dis information Governance Board” was just an opening salvo. The First Amendment line will be breached.

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Danno's avatar

We already know Justice Ketanji Brown-Jackson doesn't recognize it at all, and that the two plus-sized left leaning lady-Justices would like to limit it.

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Mike Stone's avatar

Be ause it "hinders" the government. Really, she figured that out. Kudos!

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Marie's avatar

At least it’s not just us little people but sheesh….

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Tardigrade's avatar

During the live stream was when I first heard about the Mark Zuckerberg letter. I'm wondering if this will have any affect on Murthy v Missouri? I mean, here we have an actual platform owner admitting that they *censored* (his word) due to heavy government pressure. On the other hand, Zuck does take responsibility for the censorship, so maybe he gave them an out.

I found the whole letter to be kind of a soft-pedal. He was very, very indirect about the Hunter Biden laptop. Maybe his lawyers made him write it that way.

I posted the letter on my Facebook page. It will be supremely ironic if they yank it. I doubt they'll do that, but I fully expect the algorithm to keep it out of people's newsfeeds.

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Cycads's avatar

Ive looked for Zuck's letter online, cant find it. I dont have an X account. tardigrade, can you tell me where to find it?

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Tardigrade's avatar

I think you can still read post without an X account. Try this https://x.com/JudiciaryGOP/status/1828201780544504064

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Cycads's avatar

That worked. Thanks!

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