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Stephanie Butler

@citizenbutler.bsky.social
294 followers 567 following 61 posts

Impatient optimist. Keen on car-lite streets, climate action, degrowth, cats, stories, and good people doing good things. 🚲🚊🌎😸🧡 Living on xʷməθkwəy̓əm, Sḵwx̱wú7mesh, and səlilwətaɬ lands (Vancouver, Canada.)

PostsRepliesMedia
Reposted by Stephanie Butler
Paris Marx @parismarx.com · 08/01/2026
Every day, thousands of women and children are victimized by people on X using the Grok chatbot to generate scantily clad and naked photos of them. It’s time for governments to take action. Elon Musk’s X should have been banned long ago. They don’t have an excuse to delay any longer.
disconnect.blog
Elon Musk’s X must be banned
Regulators need to stop cowering before the richest man in the world
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Reposted by Stephanie Butler
Jimmy Thomson @jameswsthomson.com · 27/11/2025
"Cooperative federalism is working," Carney announces as he pits one province against another province and a host of First Nations
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Reposted by Stephanie Butler
Jimmy Thomson @jameswsthomson.com · 27/11/2025
The MOU goes much farther than many people expected, giving Alberta's oil producers literally every item on their list of demands, while getting basically nothing in return. Alberta will negotiate a carbon price, something the province had already agreed to the last time Ottawa gave them a pipeline.
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Reposted by Stephanie Butler
Amanda Follett Hosgood @amandafollett.bsky.social · 27/11/2025
This is an important moment. The PM talks about Indigenous consent and Indigenous ownership — despite clear opposition from coastal First Nations. Govt will now try to bring some on board. If we, several years from now, are told that "communities are divided" on a pipeline, it started here.
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Reposted by Stephanie Butler
Catherine McKenna @cathmckenna.bsky.social · 25/11/2025
It’s an interesting approach to provide clarity on a tanker ban while failing to meet with the Coastal First Nations despite repeated requests - the community that would be directly affected by any spill - while having dozens or more meetings with fossil fuel lobbyists, AB, Sask.
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Coast Funds @coastfunds.bsky.social · 20/11/2025
In our latest report, we’re highlighting how First Nations have generated $1.77 billion in economic (gross) output over 17 years of investment in a conservation economy in the Great Bear Rainforest and Haida Gwaii. Report: coastfunds.ca/news/economic-fund-re…
coastfunds.ca
Building a Conservation Economy: First Nations Generate $1.77 Billion in Economic Output for BC
In the Great Bear Rainforest and Haida Gwaii, First Nations’ investments in the conservation economy, supported by a $60-million Economic Development Fund, have contributed $808 million to provincial GDP and netted $1.77 billion in gross economic output. These findings, supported by independent analysis and released in a new report – Building a Conservation Economy –
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Reposted by Stephanie Butler
Brent Toderian @brenttoderian.bsky.social · 29/10/2025
The most insanely frustrating thing about the #ClimateCrisis is how the breakthrough we so clearly need isn’t technological. It’s just a collective willingness, a determination even, to change in ways that would clearly be SO MUCH BETTER than the clear and obvious consequences of NOT changing.
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Reposted by Stephanie Butler
Brian Merchant @bcmerchant.bsky.social · 27/05/2025
Some saw the news that OpenAI is teaming up with former iPhone designer Jony Ive to make an AI device as a sign that AI is speeding up, pushing into new frontiers. I see it as the latest sign that OpenAI is spinning its wheels, and that its quest to become an AI monopoly is more desperate than ever.
bloodinthemachine.com
OpenAI's desperate quest to become an AI monopoly
Plus, the AI-generated journalism crisis comes to print
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Reposted by Stephanie Butler
no. @joles.bsky.social · 05/05/2025
applying for jobs again
screenshot from an online job application form. the question reads "Can you describe specific ways you have integrated AI tools into your development workflow? Please include any custom setups, automations, or use cases beyond single prompt usage" (a red asterisk indicates that this is a required question).

an answer has been typed in the textbox below the question:

"there is a monster in the forest and it speaks with a thousand voices. it will answer any question you pose it, it will offer insight to any idea. it will help you, it will thank you, it will never bid you leave. it will even tell you of the darkest arts, if you know precisely how to ask.

it feels no joy and no sorrow, it knows no right and no wrong. it knows not truth from lie, though it speaks them all the same.
 
it offers its services freely to any passerby, and many will tell you they find great value in its conversation. “you simply must visit the monster—i always just ask the monster.”

there are those who know these forests well; they will tell you that freely offered doesn’t mean it has no price

for when the next traveler passes by, the monster speaks with a thousand and one voices. and when you dream you see the monster; the monster wears your face."
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Reposted by Stephanie Butler
Coast Funds @coastfunds.bsky.social · 30/04/2025
🎥 First Nations are stewarding their land and marine territories, and strengthening coastal communities and economies. Watch our 2024 Annual Report video to learn more. 🔗 coastfunds.ca/news/coast-f... #ConservationFinance #FirstNations #GreatBearRainforest #GreatBearSea #HaidaGwaii
youtube.com
Coast Funds 2024 Annual Report
YouTube video by Coast Funds
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Reposted by Stephanie Butler
Tressie McMillan Cottom @tressiemcphd.bsky.social · 29/03/2025
Shout out to my editor who let me cook.
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Reposted by Stephanie Butler
Dr. Mike P. Moffatt @mikepmoffatt.bsky.social · 26/03/2025
If I knew nothing about Canada except the promises from the three parties, I'd conclude that the federal government must have a large budget surplus and no pressing need to invest in productivity, infrastructure, or defense.
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Reposted by Stephanie Butler
Neil A. Evans @neilevans.rocks · 17/03/2025
This is a really good article from @404media.co about how AI is damaging reality and how through brute force it's pushing out human interaction. www.404media.co/ai-slop-is-a...
404media.co
AI Slop Is a Brute Force Attack on the Algorithms That Control Reality
Generative AI spammers are brute forcing the internet, and it is working.
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Coast Funds @coastfunds.bsky.social · 04/03/2025
On the north coast, Ts’msyen fishers are demonstrating how a more flexible approach to fisheries management can benefit communities. Through an innovative program, fishers can use the boat and equipment they prefer, and keep non-target catch. ⚓ 🔗 Full story: coastfunds.ca/stories/ncsf...
coastfunds.ca
Ts’msyen Nations Pilot a Flexible, Small-Scale Commercial Salmon Fishery
On the North Coast, Ts’msyen fishers are trialling a more flexible approach to commercial fishery management.
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Reposted by Stephanie Butler
Adam Serwer @adamserwer.bsky.social · 03/03/2025
People should be calling this what it is, which is a crypto bailout. They're cutting cancer research so they can bailout rich, degenerate gamblers bsky.app/profile/ronf...
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Reposted by Stephanie Butler
Amy Westervelt @amywestervelt.bsky.social · 06/02/2025
I found this story a helpful reminder! www.404media.co/you-cant-pos... Also now feels like a good time to bone up on the ills of cyberlibertarianism and @parismarx.com has always been pretty on top of that shit
404media.co
You Can’t Post Your Way Out of Fascism
Authoritarians and tech CEOs now share the same goal: to keep us locked in an eternal doomscroll instead of organizing against them, Janus Rose writes.
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Reposted by Stephanie Butler
Michelle Cyca @michellecyca.com · 03/02/2025
enduring another onslaught of appeals to "buy local" and "shop Canadian/Indigenous" & am begging everyone to consider other ways to support their local communities and economies besides consumerism! use your imagination!!
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🇨🇦Joe Vipond🇨🇦 @jvipondmd.bsky.social · 02/02/2025
buy Canadian. Noble idea. an one I will pursue. But I think we need to really consider applying this tactic to perhaps the most important industry. Media. A thread... 1/
media.tenor.com
a canadian flag with a red maple leaf in the middle
ALT: a canadian flag with a red maple leaf in the middle
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Stephanie Smith @ssmithnyc.bsky.social · 01/02/2025
As a former journalist, here’s my pitch to everyone on this site: journalists are key to a healthy democracy. Subscribe to as many news organizations as you can. You are helping. #democracy. #journalism
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404 Media @404media.co · 29/01/2025
OpenAI furious DeepSeek might have stolen all the data OpenAI stole from us 🔗 www.404media.co/openai-furio...
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Reposted by Stephanie Butler
Frances Bula @fabulavancouver.bsky.social · 28/01/2025
Environmental lawyer and cycling advocate Lucy Maloney named as candidate for OneCity in Vancouver by-election coming April 5.
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Stephanie Butler @citizenbutler.bsky.social · 28/01/2025
“If, indeed, everything is suddenly up for review, renegotiation, and replacement, then why not take the chance to demand an alternative that’s equal parts just, inclusive, and grounded in a shift of power from the few to the many.” Perspective for an exhausting time, via @davidmoscrop.com:
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Reposted by Stephanie Butler
Brian Merchant @bcmerchant.bsky.social · 28/01/2025
The entire American AI industry is predicated on a narrative of relentless expansion—it needs more data, more compute, more investment, more state support, more power. It needs all that, to build AGI. A single Chinese startup has undermined all of that. www.bloodinthemachine.com/p/the-great-...
bloodinthemachine.com
The Great Undermining of the American AI industry
How a Chinese app built by a hedge fund has upended not just Silicon Valley, but an economy increasingly tethered to a story about AI
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Stephanie Butler @citizenbutler.bsky.social · 28/01/2025
Helpful thread on what DeepSeek means for the genAI hype cycle:
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Reposted by Stephanie Butler
Celeste Ng @pronounced-ing.bsky.social · 22/01/2025
Been thinking about this a lot (not tagging the sender, for their privacy). Most of us won't have the chance for for grand, capital-R Resistance heroics. But every one of us will have a thousand small choices to make about how to live our lives and where to draw lines. Use them well.
Post from John Perricone
3d • 
Several years ago l invited a Buddhist monk to speak to my Senior elective class, and quite interestingly, as he entered the room, he didn't say a word (that caught everyone's attention). He just walked to the board and wrote this: "EVERYONE WANTS TO SAVE THE WORLD, BUT NO ONE WANTS TO HELP MOM DO THE DISHES." We all laughed. But then he went on to say this to my students:
"Statistically, it's highly unlikely that any of you will ever have the opportunity to run into a burning orphanage and rescue an infant. But, in the smallest gesture of kindness -- a warm smile, holding the door for the person behind you, shoveling the driveway of the elderly person next door -- you have committed an act of immeasurable profundity, because to each of us, our life is our universe."
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Stephanie Butler @citizenbutler.bsky.social · 22/01/2025
“That the men in charge of the companies most responsible for destroying journalism…were in the front row of the inauguration, clapping for Trump, on the same day Musk made his salute, is telling.” via @bcmerchant.bsky.social www.bloodinthemachine.com/p/elon-musk-...
bloodinthemachine.com
Elon Musk did a Nazi salute on live TV to show us there's nothing we can do about it
It was a display of power, and a signal: the tech oligarchy is here, and it will do what it wants
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Reposted by Stephanie Butler
Lucy Maloney @lucymaloney.bsky.social · 13/01/2025
Important editorial in today's Globe & Mail about automated enforcement. In Vancouver we're still waiting for the extra 100 or so speed cameras delayed by Ken Sim's ABC's amendments to Cllr Boyle's Nov 2023 motion.
theglobeandmail.com
Globe editorial: Speeding is the problem, not speed cameras
Lead-footed drivers shouldn’t feel aggrieved that they have to obey the law
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Reposted by Stephanie Butler
David Roberts @volts.wtf · 10/01/2025
LA is burning & our implicit political baseline is still that climate policies are acceptable if and only if they require zero sacrifice or even mild lifestyle change on anyone's part.
independent.co.uk
Public will not have to change lives ‘radically’ for climate goal, MPs promised
Lifestyle change, such as diet and travel, are not in the scope of the 2035 goal
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Reposted by Stephanie Butler
Travis R. Eby @travis-robert.bsky.social · 11/01/2025
I refuse to shut up about this: NYC started charging $9 to bring a car into our most transit-rich zone, the haters & trolls predicted doom, but traffic evaporated instantly and here’s Times Square tonite (even after the holiday tourists have left). For a better future, build transit & price driving!
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Stephanie Butler @citizenbutler.bsky.social · 25/12/2024
After a 10-year hiatus, I started knitting again last month to soothe exam stress & Q4 queasies. 🧶 ~22,000 stitches later, I’ve finished a passable throw blanket just in time for cozy season. 😊
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Reposted by Stephanie Butler
The War on Cars @thewaroncars.bsky.social · 17/12/2024
NEW EPISODE: "How Cars Change Us with Tara Goddard." Why do people behave so badly behind the wheel of a car? Why do reporters use passive language to describe traffic violence? @drtaragoddard.bsky.social joins us to talk about her fascinating research. thewaroncars.org/2024/12/17/1...
Dr. Tara Goddard, wearing white shirt, standing behind bicycle on bike path lined by grass and green trees.
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Reposted by Stephanie Butler
John Scalzi @scalzi.com · 17/12/2024
Saw someone upbraiding someone else for having a hobby while the world is on fire, and, my friends: 1. The world is ever on fire, this is today's conflagration; 2. If you don't find time for rest and joy the fire will consume you; 3. Don't let people shame you for being an entire human.
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Reposted by Stephanie Butler
Charlie Warzel @cwarzel.bsky.social · 11/12/2024
I wrote about crypto. The knock has been that the technology has few use cases. But, post-election I think crypto's legacy is clearer. Its killer app is creating a money/influence flywheel for a specific type of reactionary anti-institutionalist to influence politics. It's gonna get weird (gift)
theatlantic.com
Crypto’s Legacy Is Finally Clear
An anti-establishment technology for an anti-establishment age
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Reposted by Stephanie Butler
Charlie Angus @charlieangus104.bsky.social · 10/12/2024
Trump insults Canada because he thinks he can push us around. Unfortunately the Conservatives are using Parliament to amplify Trump's disinformation in order to score points. We need to stand up for Canadian values in a dark time. www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0SA...
youtube.com
Charlie Angus on Standing Up to Trump and Poilievre's Disinformation
YouTube video by Charlie Angus
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Reposted by Stephanie Butler
The Tyee @thetyee.ca · 05/12/2024
Often the only light shed on so-called factory farms come from hidden-camera investigations. But new laws in Canada are making such investigations illegal. They’re a disservice, write Anelyse Weiler and Tayler Zavitz. #canpoli
thetyee.ca
How Ag-Gag Laws Hurt Animals and Increase Pandemic Risks | The Tyee
Anti-whistleblower laws are being successfully pushed by Canada’s farm lobby.
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Reposted by Stephanie Butler
Corey Burger @burgundavia.bsky.social · 05/12/2024
This is a good petition. I really hope groups like @raincoast.org also start showing up to support bike/bus/walk infra in cities - one of the best ways to reduce tire pollution is to use less tires
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David Roberts @volts.wtf · 04/12/2024
New study confirms no-duh conclusion: "Our results show that beyond a certain point, increases in car dependence yield a decrease in people’s satisfaction with life." www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
sciencedirect.com
Does Car Dependence Make People Unsatisfied With Life? Evidence From a U.S. National Survey
In the United States (U.S.), cars play a key role in facilitating mobility. Americans heavily rely on their cars for daily travel due to the benefits …
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Brian Merchant @bcmerchant.bsky.social · 25/11/2024
This is my attempt to suss out how Trump's victory is already transforming Silicon Valley, and what the coming years will look like for tech. Wound up going so long that I had to split it into two parts. Here's the first: The coming Elon-Trump technocracy www.bloodinthemachine.com/p/tech-under...
bloodinthemachine.com
Tech under Trump, part 1
The election has already transformed the outlook for Silicon Valley. Here's how.
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Reposted by Stephanie Butler
The Narwhal @thenarwhal.ca · 21/11/2024
BC Hydro intends to give the Site C dam and reservoir permanent Indigenous names, a plan called inappropriate by the chief of a First Nation whose traditional territory was flooded by it VIA @sarahkcox.bsky.social thenarwhal.ca/site-c-dam-g...
thenarwhal.ca
Site C dam to get Indigenous name after flooding Treaty 8 territory| The Narwhal
BC Hydro plans to give the Site C dam an Indigenous name but chief of an affected First Nation says it’s inappropriate
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Ketan Joshi @ketanjoshi.co · 19/11/2024
DuckDuckGo Has Fallen
DuckAssist BETA
DuckAssist is an optional feature in our search results that can anonymously generate answers to search queries. To do this, it scans the web for relevant content and then uses AI-powered natural language technology to generate a brief answer based on relevant information found. DuckAssist responses always link directly to one or two sources, citing where the answer came from, so you can easily go and get more detailed information. It’s important to remember that responses are auto-generated from cited sources and based on crawling the web.

DuckAssist cannot answer follow-up questions, however, we also offer DuckDuckGo AI Chat, which is a private AI-powered chat service that supports chat models from OpenAI, and Anthropic, and more.

Phrasing your search as a question and in a complete sentence makes DuckAssist more likely to appear automatically and often yields better answers. To turn it off and hide the Assist button visit DuckAssist Settings.Search Settings
GeneralAppearancePrivacyAI Features

AI Chat BETA

AI Chat lets you have anonymous conversations with 3rd-party AI chat models. Turning this off will hide the AI Chat feature on DuckDuckGo Search. You can still access AI Chat when this setting is off by visiting duckduckgo.com/aichat.


Sometimes
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DuckAssist can anonymously look up and summarize information in response to some searches. You can choose how often you want DuckAssist to appear: Never (completely removes DuckAssist UI from search results), On-demand (only shows if you click the Assist button), Sometimes (only show when highly relevant), or Often (shows more frequently on a wider range of searches). For now, DuckAssist is only available in the U.S. (English) region.

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Save your settings anonymously to the cloud

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Stephanie Butler @citizenbutler.bsky.social · 17/11/2024
Post a picture you took (no description) to bring some zen to the timeline.
Aluminum motor boat skips along a smooth sea, with close reflected in the water.
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Reposted by Stephanie Butler
Canada's National Observer @nationalobserver.com · 13/11/2024
Hi! Looking for someone? You can follow our reporters, editors and some of our regular contributors here: go.bsky.app/3z5fZJY
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Alex Bozikovic @alexbozikovic.bsky.social · 12/11/2024
Doug Ford is playing games with Toronto’s bike lanes. Here’s why it’s important that we call out his nonsense www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/toron...
theglobeandmail.com
Doug Ford’s plan to rip up Toronto bike lanes is a dangerous political stunt
Mr. Ford’s plan to tear up Toronto bike lanes big-government meddling won’t save Toronto commuters any time
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Robert Zaichkowski @rzaichkowski.bsky.social · 16/10/2024
All right, folks! Premier Doug Ford & his gov't have declared a war on bikes with their upcoming anti bike lane legislation! Please come to Queen's Park on Wednesday, October 23 at 5 PM to show your support for safe streets! #BikeTO #TOpoli #ONpoli #VisionZero www.facebook.com/events/13871...
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Stephanie Butler @citizenbutler.bsky.social · 15/10/2024
Boggles the mind. Reason #134 why I won’t move back to Ontario: www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
cbc.ca
Ontario to require provincial approval for new municipal bike lanes | CBC News
The Ontario government says it will introduce legislation that would require municipalities to get provincial approval before building bike lanes that reduce lanes of vehicle traffic.
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Reposted by Stephanie Butler
Hypervisible @hypervisible.blacksky.app · 29/03/2024
Hell. You are describing hell. Nobody wants an “interactive and engaging” dishwasher. They just want their dishes cleaned. www.forbes.com/sites/bernar...
Across all industries, organizations are rapidly embracing generative AI. Among them, makers of home appliances like fridges and ovens. Generative AI in your oven? Why not? Ater all, AI has been creeping into our homes for years (think smart lightbulbs and Alexa) – but thanks to generative AI, these interactions will become even more human and more personal.
Imagine, for example, asking your washing machine whether it’s safe to wash a beloved item of clothing on a certain setting – literally, asking it out loud or via an app. Or you could say to your fridge, “Hey, when am I going to run out of milk?” and it’ll tell you. Integrating generative AI into everyday products could lead to a new era of smart appliances that are not only more adaptive to our needs but also more interactive and engaging.
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