Tekniquelly correct

Politics ∪ tech ∪ security ∪ privacy ∪ O_o

Several-time EFF Tech Trivia champion.

Sysop of Free Radical.

I blog about this at https://blog.freeradical.zone/.

I’ve got your back.

Very approachable. Bring treats.

Public Key

npub13e30hnrpg768tslwwjveafaazctk7ghf9va2se2k4ygr8cj24veshclhjj

NIP-05 Address

[email protected]

Profile Code

nprofile1qqsguchme3s50dr4c0h8fxv75773v9m0yt5jkw4gv4t2jypnuf92kvcpz4mhxue69uhhyetvv9ujuerfw36x7tnsw43qgljtf3

Publishing to

relay.ditto.pub

Author Public Key

npub13e30hnrpg768tslwwjveafaazctk7ghf9va2se2k4ygr8cj24veshclhjj

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Last Notes

2026-06-23 15:55:27 GMT

Supreme Court says Rastafarian can’t sue prison officials over shorn dreadlocks - The Washington Post https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/06/23/supreme-court-says-rastafarian-cant-sue-prison-officials-over-shorn-dreadlocks/
> The ruling is a departure from a series of decisions by the justices expanding religious freedoms in recent terms.
Hmm, what could possibly be different between this case and ones they supported? 🤔
Never, ever believe the “religious freedom” lie.

2026-04-21 19:54:41 GMT

Clever project for using Flipper Zero to change price tags in a store: https://github.com/i12bp8/TagTinker
Listen to my exact words here and do not attempt to read between the lines or guess what I might "actually" mean:
Hahaha, that's a neat hack. And if you use this for anything *other* than experimenting with tags you own, in a lab setting, there's an excellent chance you're committing a FAFO-grade felony. *Do not do that, ever, lest you end up as the Unabomber's roommate.*

2026-03-07 05:01:14 GMT

Whoa. UTF-8 is older now than ASCII was when UTF-8 was invented.

2026-02-12 17:25:56 GMT

Reddit post:
My wife called Meshtastic "Tinder for Linux users"
I'm never going to emotionally recover from this.
https://nfts.freeradical.zone/media_attachments/files/116/058/826/735/333/108/original/84664d058e553b95.png

2026-01-06 21:44:11 GMT

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@nprofile…ugpy I'm so envious. Our local vet prices are extortionate now after PE ruined it. We needed to have some relatively minor treatment for our dog last year. I did the math and it would have been cheaper to fly first class to a Midwest city, stay at a 4-star hotel, have the work done, and come home than to pay the local vet.
No doubt about it, PE is literally killing pets. Everyone wants to do right by their furry friends, but when you get a quote for $10K, you start to weigh options.

2025-12-29 20:07:23 GMT

I just tried Marmite for the first time, and I ask as a friend: what's wrong with you people? Is peanut butter illegal where you live or something? Was a famine involved? Dire times and zombies, perhaps?

2025-12-16 01:01:31 GMT

Quill OS is an open-source, fully-functional standalone OS for Rakuten Kobo's eReaders. https://quill-os.org
Say what?! That's amazing.

2025-12-13 00:02:11 GMT

I've gotten so many compliments over the years for this ugly Christmas sweater.
Thanks! But, uh, I didn't think it was ugly when I bought it.

2025-12-09 21:43:24 GMT

I'm reading an article about Pebble's new smart ring, with non-replaceable batteries. Someone claimed they'll be illegal according to Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 12 July 2023 concerning batteries and waste batteries. My reading that they'll be legal, according to Article 11, paragraph 2, sub a.
By the same reading, tiny hearing aids without replaceable batteries aren't excluded by (11)(2) sub b.
Am I reading this right?
https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A02023R1542-20250731

2025-12-05 17:31:46 GMT

An escalator (and sidewalk and driving, at least in the US and similar countries) reminder:
Walk to the left, stand to the right.
If you’re not in a hurry, cool, but don’t block the way for people trying to move along smartly. And certainly don’t cop an attitude when someone asks you politely to move. And extra certainly don’t turn up the volume when they politely insist.

2025-12-03 14:59:57 GMT

1. Freaking amazing.
2. Case eyes this suspiciously.
https://www.wired.com/story/a-fentanyl-vaccine-is-about-to-get-its-first-major-test/

2025-11-28 01:32:54 GMT

Thanksgiving dinner is done. It’s officially Christmas season, kicked off with the official seasonal film.
https://nfts.freeradical.zone/media_attachments/files/115/624/743/500/825/806/original/bc132291ccbb1769.jpeg

2025-11-22 03:45:59 GMT

Another new Let's Encrypt-secured website, another case of getting 82 hacking attempts in the first 30 seconds after it came online for the first time ever.
Do. Not. Kid. Yourself. "Oh, I'll delete the config files once I get it working." "Eh, I'm just some nobody. Who's going to care?" Yeah, I'll tell you who: people who watch for new sites come online and then immediately slam them with hacking probes.
"I'll get to it soon" means you better do it within 3 seconds.
https://honeypot.net/2024/05/16/i-am-not.html

2025-11-20 02:21:56 GMT

Depeche Mode, "Ghosts Again" from the album "Memento Mori": https://song.link/us/i/1670265831 #NowPlaying #FediPlay

2025-11-19 15:40:28 GMT

My eBay auction to sell my Freewrite Alpha is almost over: https://ebay.us/m/g5pVLx
Free shipping (in the US) to the winner if they message me that they saw this here.

2025-11-08 17:33:24 GMT

The brothers are getting bigger, and fuzzier, but are still best buddies. #caturday
https://nfts.freeradical.zone/media_attachments/files/115/515/274/137/271/656/original/7319d0a520434aa5.jpeg

2025-11-06 02:53:30 GMT

We're having visitors in our office tonight, and the office manager reminded us to put away valuables, etc., and also to put away USB chargers so no one would be tempted to sneak over and top off their phone.
If you borrow a random data cable from a desk of the security team, whatever happens next is on you.

2025-10-31 23:39:06 GMT

Trick or treat!
https://nfts.freeradical.zone/media_attachments/files/115/471/413/649/157/021/original/33015c04a32f7b12.jpeg

2025-10-25 16:21:19 GMT

Sleepy kitties. #caturday
https://nfts.freeradical.zone/media_attachments/files/115/435/718/282/927/192/original/403e724f53dbf2d9.jpeg

2025-10-20 19:39:03 GMT

Happy Diwali, my friends!

2025-10-20 01:46:01 GMT

Mrs Tek and I are having fun playing “Pokémon Legends: Z-A”. I made the mistake of looking at its online reviews and the hate it’s getting is surprising to me. While it’s not the best game I’ve ever seen, we’re enjoying it.

2025-10-18 01:32:34 GMT

BART smelled like fish.
I don’t want to know.
I don’t want to know.

2025-10-13 04:15:45 GMT

Find someone who looks at you like June Bug looks at this fuzzy blanket.
https://nfts.freeradical.zone/media_attachments/files/115/364/915/852/863/439/original/3a00ace129116eff.mp4

2025-10-07 16:40:55 GMT

Well, that’s brazen.
https://danielpunkass.micro.blog/2025/10/07/im-seeing-more-of-a.html

2025-10-06 16:39:12 GMT

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@nprofile…mkea I freaking wish we had that! 😀
Yes, this, please, ASAP!

2025-10-02 22:25:21 GMT

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@nprofile…mkea I never particularly cared for their stuff. It wasn't a good fit for my working preferences. I know a lot of people absolutely adored it, though, and it's a shame to see them throw it away.

2025-10-02 15:02:42 GMT

JetBrains will be opting all free IDE users into sharing their program code to train JetBrains’s AI models.
Today I’m blocking JetBrains IDEs in our MDM. Then we can turn it back on for employees who show that they have a paid license and it’s configured to opt out of the sharing.
https://blog.jetbrains.com/blog/2025/09/30/detailed-data-sharing-for-better-ai/

2025-09-24 13:57:24 GMT

Huntington's disease successfully treated for first time https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cevz13xkxpro
Don’t lose track of the idea that while we may live in tumultuous times, they are also full of miracles.

2025-08-20 14:51:39 GMT

Mirrorshades: The Cyberpunk Anthology
"By hiding the eyes, mirrorshades prevent the forces of normalcy from realizing that one is crazed and possibly dangerous. They are the symbol of the sunstaring visionary, the biker, the rocker, the policeman, and similar outlaws."
This is now online for free reading. It’s a must for young cyberpunks who want to understand their history. https://www.rudyrucker.com/mirrorshades/HTML/

2025-08-13 14:58:04 GMT

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@nprofile…ywtj Strange, huh? Volvo in Europe does the right thing. Volvo in America demands the right to kill people.

2025-08-13 00:52:58 GMT

Trucking companies sue California, seeking a release from Clean Truck Partnership - San Francisco Chronicle https://www.sfchronicle.com/politics/article/california-trucking-lawsuit-20814422.php
> They include Daimler, which manufactures about 40% of U.S. trucks, and Volvo, which makes about 15%, along with Paccar and Traton.
Those are among the companies suing California for the right to damage our air and our breathing. They are also among the companies whose vehicles I will never, ever consider buying. They can DIAF for all I care.

2025-06-25 00:37:49 GMT

I am coming around decisively on my personal use of AI. Putting preferences, wishes, etc. aside for a moment, I think it boils down to whether I want to ride a wave or let it tumble me against the coral. I’m convinced that this is so, so happening, whether I want it to or not. Like, this is the year where I decide whether my grandkids are corpos or nomads, and not choosing is choosing.
It's happening, and I couldn't stop it if I wanted to.

2025-06-20 14:53:17 GMT

Today I’m trekking the 1.5 mi walking part of my commute with 20 lbs of iron in my backpack. I’m reasonably confident in my ability to get it there with me intact. I’m less confident of my power to schlep it back home tonight.

2025-06-20 00:47:36 GMT

After a round of layoffs, Grammarly is literally hiring for my exact role that they dissolved last month.
LOL, what? I ended up with a huge upgrade in all ways, but… seriously, what? This is leadership by coin flip.

2025-06-03 17:44:42 GMT

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@nprofile…79ya I... honestly hadn't tried that. It's usually cmd-left or cmd-[ in other apps, and it didn't show up in the menus.
Is there a cheatsheet of other keys and their actions? There might be other handy shortcuts I've missed!

2025-06-03 17:25:32 GMT

@nprofile…79ya Please consider adding a "back" menu option. If I click a toot to see its details and replies but want to go back to the timeline, I have to use Keyboard Maestro to click the window at the right place where the < chevron is like to be. I'd much rather use an official keyboard shortcut. Many thanks!

2025-04-30 15:33:58 GMT

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@nprofile…ha2w @nprofile…srrn Don't make me take the mica way from you.

2025-04-30 15:33:35 GMT

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@nprofile…srrn 🥁
I laughed, dammit.

2025-04-30 15:16:55 GMT

The new office’s view is quite nice.
https://nfts.freeradical.zone/media_attachments/files/114/427/573/969/388/744/original/5ce74d93284105fe.jpg

2025-04-30 14:44:53 GMT

Headline: “Massive BART expansion in South Bay to displace longtime San Jose natural stone supplier”
This is the most NIMBY-ass complaint I've rolled my eyes at in ages. “Oh no, won’t someone think of the granite?”

2025-04-30 14:18:37 GMT

Def Con tickets: acquired.

2025-04-29 21:11:41 GMT

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Follow-up: the airport near her recorded 90mph straight line winds. For context, that’d be a solid middle-range F1 tornado if they were swirling instead of straight.

2025-04-29 21:06:43 GMT

My mom called to say some of the elms and hickories at her place blew over and she's waiting for a service to come clear them off her driveway.
The Midwest storms today aren't a joke. Stay safe, people!

2025-04-29 17:17:02 GMT

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@nprofile…73zc I think that's an invalid interpretation. The runner must stay within the baseline, but is not explicitly required to remain visible, or even corporeal.

2025-04-29 17:01:43 GMT

It's impossible to "cancel" someone on Mastodon. It can't be done. This isn't just semantics, either. There is literally nothing I can do to stop someone else from saying whatever they want here. I can’t prevent it. I can't block others from hearing them or replying to them. It’s inherently impossible.
But neither can they make me listen. They can't force me to receive or carry their signal if I don't want to. And I choose not to, I'm not cancelling them. I’m freely saying I disagree.

2025-04-29 00:15:45 GMT

Current status
https://nfts.freeradical.zone/media_attachments/files/114/418/368/172/685/639/original/c6092f108bdd75af.jpeg

2025-04-28 18:58:06 GMT

This is, perhaps, the stupidest damn thing I've seen this year: https://us.olivetreepeople.com/collections/olive
TL;DR $15K antenna to connect you to a meditating olive tree to bathe in its “energy and original information", complete with $50/mo subscription to the freaking thing.
I mean, it's kind of genius in its cynical sociopathy, but I wish I had their customer list so I could sell some other expensive bullshit to people with more money than critical thinking.

2025-04-27 02:05:15 GMT

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A better angle of one.
https://nfts.freeradical.zone/media_attachments/files/114/407/473/966/042/795/original/9621f7b62f8e19f0.jpeg

2025-04-27 02:01:31 GMT

I left for a few hours and came home to Mrs Tek fostering some kittens.
https://nfts.freeradical.zone/media_attachments/files/114/407/458/918/359/505/original/3d23b601d2d01676.jpeg
https://nfts.freeradical.zone/media_attachments/files/114/407/459/263/467/719/original/ad97ccfc4b6cb18b.jpeg

2025-04-26 22:12:09 GMT

The #BSidesSF talk from @nprofile…90wk @nprofile…yk3z is freaking *awesome* and hilarious! I'm in awe.
https://nfts.freeradical.zone/media_attachments/files/114/406/557/386/581/440/original/9897dbc7b2db3be3.mp4

2025-04-26 18:02:08 GMT

I'll be at the 4PM Meshtastic talk at #BSidesSF. Hope to see some of you there!

2025-04-25 14:35:52 GMT

Sharon Osbourne calls for Irish band’s U.S. visas to be revoked after Coachella show - pennlive.com
"“At a time when the world is experiencing significant unrest, music should serve as an escape, not a stage for political discourse.”"
This is the stupidest possible take on music and art. Her husband sang “War Pigs”. https://www.pennlive.com/entertainment/2025/04/rock-stars-wife-calls-for-bands-us-visas-to-be-revoked-after-coachella-performance.html

2025-04-24 22:32:32 GMT

Devs sound alarm after Microsoft subtracts C/C++ extension from VS Code forks https://www.theregister.com/2025/04/24/microsoft_vs_code_subtracts_cc_extension/
🎵And this is why I don't use it🎵

2025-04-24 20:30:59 GMT

What you need to know about the pad kee mao at this place is the color of my plate after I ate a little bit of it.
https://nfts.freeradical.zone/media_attachments/files/114/394/834/617/390/575/original/4b876c6c0b51c801.jpeg
https://nfts.freeradical.zone/media_attachments/files/114/394/834/909/076/303/original/0abdc9649c03b1a9.jpeg

2025-04-24 17:25:41 GMT

Who will I see at #BSidesSF this weekend?

2025-04-24 17:11:33 GMT

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@nprofile…fle4 I honestly don't know. I wonder the same thing. I don't want to go through the discovery phase of that, and I'm generally proud of my country and want to stay a part of it. But if I were forced to choose the trail Cali is blazing or the path of the rest of the country as a whole, call me Golden Bear.

2025-04-24 17:03:56 GMT

California is now 4th-largest economy in world, surpassing Japan
Some Americans constantly talk about how much CA supposedly sucks and is on the edge of collapse. My favorite criticism is that “no one wants to live there because it’s so expensive”, although the fundamentals of capitalism explain that it’s so expensive because so many people want to live there.
Meanwhile, back in reality… https://www.sfchronicle.com/california/article/california-now-4th-largest-economy-world-20291440.php

2025-04-24 05:41:23 GMT

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@nprofile…fp7v That would be so frustrating!

2025-04-24 05:06:38 GMT

Wow, Walmart.com fucked up the Switch 2 preorder. I waited in line on their website for an hour, then they said it my turn to check out and that I had 10 minutes to do it. I hopped into my card and tried to pay a few seconds later, but it was sold out and I couldn't get it.
Turns out Walmart is surprisingly bad at logistics.

2025-04-24 04:31:23 GMT

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@nprofile…m9t3 It's pretty nice, and relatively easy to write your own patterns. The downside is you only get access to a tiny portion of their rules for free. Plan on paying $$$ if you want more than just a demonstration.
Like, I wanted to test integrating it with our CI, and it took me a while to find free rules that covered the languages and packages we use so that I could write code to violate them.

2025-04-24 03:03:20 GMT

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@nprofile…0g6c She’s relatively modest. The other cat is full on “oh, you scratched my back? Let me show you my butthole!”

2025-04-24 03:02:32 GMT

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@nprofile…3hvj And sometimes I give in to it.

2025-04-24 01:08:48 GMT

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@nprofile…sptl Eh, have had fairly good look pssssting her off the counter so that she hardly does it now.

2025-04-24 01:02:40 GMT

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That's a little better. I need to break her of that habit, but I’m sure she's toasty warn there.
https://nfts.freeradical.zone/media_attachments/files/114/390/240/901/072/090/original/91bb2addcae57353.jpeg

2025-04-24 00:59:22 GMT

How we’re currently watching TV.
https://nfts.freeradical.zone/media_attachments/files/114/390/228/175/924/660/original/037e46b0cd830e32.jpeg

2025-04-23 21:31:51 GMT

Semgrep never found a question it couldn't answer with more disk IO.
https://nfts.freeradical.zone/media_attachments/files/114/389/411/979/878/400/original/ecbfef2dd13d24b6.png

2025-04-23 18:49:23 GMT

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@nprofile…pkcd I surely wish I could use RSS everywhere.
RSS isn't incompatible with comments, though! I have both on my own blog, which accepts ActivityPub comments (although I don't have them enabled on posts by default because people suck).

2025-04-23 18:08:22 GMT

I do so wish Nick Cave's blog had a valid RSS feed, because I’d love to follow it.
https://www.theredhandfiles.com

2025-04-23 18:03:39 GMT

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@nprofile…s2ht Nice! I ended up with a TNF Borealis, but which Osprey do you have?

2025-04-23 17:59:43 GMT

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@nprofile…8xrm I could've written every word of that. Yes, yes, yes. I'm going to write their support and tell them this.

2025-04-23 05:04:54 GMT

Jort is keeping an eye on you.
https://nfts.freeradical.zone/media_attachments/files/114/385/531/325/587/472/original/795b68f243d1f688.jpeg

2025-04-22 19:20:37 GMT

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@nprofile…yvdv It's been a while since I had to manage that. I’d kinda forgotten.

2025-04-22 19:15:29 GMT

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@nprofile…yvdv You mean you don't love stuffing your jacket into the bag so you have to dig past it all the time?

2025-04-22 19:06:26 GMT

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@nprofile…m4hr Niiice. I appreciate that they all seem to detail exactly which cameras will fit, which doesn't affect me at all, but is a good signal that they mean business.
I’m maxed out on single-strap bags (up through my Filson tweed briefcase). Love 'em, adore 'em, have no desire to ever log a heavy laptop cross-country in 'em again.

2025-04-22 19:03:17 GMT

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@nprofile…yvdv Ooh! I can see why each was in the running.

2025-04-22 19:02:04 GMT

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@nprofile…pkcd This one? https://www.8000kicks.com/products/everyday-backpack-in-black That looks just like what I had in mind. The shoulder straps look kind of close together, though. Let me know what you think when it arrives?

2025-04-22 18:23:58 GMT

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@nprofile…yvdv North Face sounds obvious in retrospect. Of course they'd have smoething!
Which Osprey had you liked?

2025-04-22 17:06:07 GMT

My broad-shouldered friends, I need a recommendation for a nice laptop backpack. I recently got a Timbuk2 Tuck bag, which is nearly ideal, but per Timbuk2 custom it’s set up for slender, narrow folks. I'm neither. Its straps pinch my neck and make the weight sit awkwardly.
Priorities:
* Comfort (see above)
* Quality
* Style
* Organization
* Water bottle holder
Not needed:
* Huge capacity (I have camping packs for that)
I'm willing to spend a little to be done shopping for a few years.

2025-04-22 16:23:51 GMT

Information Society, "A Knife and a Fork / R.I.P." from the album "Hack": https://song.link/us/i/1604633944 #NowPlaying #FediPlay
If you all gather around the phonograph and listen carefully, I’ll tell you how were going to have a whole lot of fun.

2025-04-22 16:08:59 GMT

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, "The Mercy Seat (2010 Remaster)" from the album "Tender Prey (2010 - Remaster)": https://song.link/us/i/1435938737 #NowPlaying #FediPlay
I've shared this lots of times. Now I'm doing it again. This puts a spell on me in a way few other songs do.

2025-04-22 14:22:55 GMT

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@nprofile…cj0v Yes, I do.

2025-04-22 13:38:34 GMT

Synology Lost the Plot with Hard Drive Locking Move - ServeTheHome
Summary: Synology wants to force users to buy Synology-branded HDs in even their consumer NASes. If they do this, I’ll never buy another NAS from them, ever.
Imagine Toyota requiring you to use Toyota gasoline. No way, no how. https://www.servethehome.com/synology-lost-the-plot-with-hard-drive-locking-move/

2025-04-21 17:10:28 GMT

Tek Jr's acquaintance, who thinks very highly of themselves and their meager accomplishments, posted publicly that they were sorry for Tek Jr "whose parents are ashamed of them".
I assured Tek Jr that we're proud of them, and also of their acquaintance, "who has accomplished far more than, frankly, anyone would have expected, all things considered."
TJ howled with laughter and couldn't wait to share this.
When people describe me as a nice person, it means I've kept my inner bastard in check.

2025-04-21 15:19:46 GMT

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@nprofile…u4lh Fair point. Well, Chelsea Manning’s cell in Leavenworth is empty now. That's where we send leakers, right?

2025-04-21 15:12:56 GMT

Hegseth Shared Those War Plans in a Second Group Chat, Too https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/pete-hegseth-houthi-war-plans-second-signal-group-chat.html
Pull his security clearance. Now.

2025-04-20 14:10:57 GMT

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@nprofile…2z34 Welcome!

2025-04-20 14:06:28 GMT

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@nprofile…rrs2 The map looks like a purple guy riding a yellow moose.

2025-04-20 04:51:15 GMT

Inverse Phase, "What's on Your Drive" from the album "Chiplust": https://song.link/us/i/909478957 #NowPlaying #FediPlay
I wanna know what you're syncing

2025-04-19 19:54:55 GMT

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@nprofile…m50r Soooo good.

2025-04-19 19:31:33 GMT

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Same place’s take on eggs benedict with steak.
We take brunch seriously.
https://nfts.freeradical.zone/media_attachments/files/114/366/289/657/327/275/original/dd47d8c149fa696d.jpeg

2025-04-19 19:15:23 GMT

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@nprofile…fp7v It's tubworthy!

2025-04-19 19:10:48 GMT

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@nprofile…s0wg, I'll save you a seat.

2025-04-19 19:06:35 GMT

This cafe groks mimosas.
https://nfts.freeradical.zone/media_attachments/files/114/366/191/675/534/308/original/3328841cb32062bc.jpeg

2025-04-19 17:47:30 GMT

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@nprofile…syfx This is fine. 🔥🐶

2025-04-19 17:33:58 GMT

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To save you a click, the Credit Karma bypass is to manually change the browser URL to the one you'd go to after a successful 2FA check. That's it. Bookmark that URL and you can hop right past it.

2025-04-19 17:25:27 GMT

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@nprofile…c4cm Yep. And they never responded to my email report, and closed my bug bounty report as a dupe without acknowledging whether it’s a vulnerability.

2025-04-19 01:29:07 GMT

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@nprofile…fp7v That's wonderful.

2025-04-19 00:59:46 GMT

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@nprofile…fp7v That. Is. Gorgeous. ❤️❤️❤️

2025-04-19 00:58:08 GMT

How to bypass Credit Karma's 2FA: https://honeypot.net/2025/04/19/how-to-bypass-credit-karmas.html
It’s trivially easy to work around Credit Karma’s 2FA mechanism.

2025-04-18 05:58:21 GMT

Me: I finished the trip without loading up in things I don't need.
Leuchtturm and LAMY store: Hallo, Freund!