Iris

As in the flower, not the part of the eye. I'm not certain this piece actually looks anything like an iris, but it has a similar color scheme to some of the ones that grow in my backyard. Of course, those irises are some weird cultivar with lots and lots of ruffles, so my idea of what an iris looks like and your idea of whan an iris looks like might not mesh.

Download links: Right click and hit 'Save Link As' to download. If you just want to look at a larger version of the image, simply follow the link.

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Khaki Coral

This piece has a little bit of blur effect on it, but I'm not sure I like the way I turned out. It didn't work without the blur--the lines were too thin and hard. But I couldn't figure out how to make it blur evenly across the whole piece. I suspect that now I could make it work, but this piece is from about two years ago. As much as I talk about going back and fixing old pieces, I'd rather spend the time making something new. The creative energy required is the same, and it seems to be in finite supply.

Download links: Right click and hit 'Save Link As' to download. If you just want to look at a larger version of the image, simply follow the link.

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Lasing Cavity

I consider the name on this piece to be mediocre, but I really like the piece itself. The textures and shapes have a really fluid, billowy feel to them that is just cool to me. A lot of the pieces I really like have that sort of...mental sensation, I guess you could call it, to them. I don't like the squiggly jet quite so much, but it does provide a needed contrast to the rest of the piece. The colors could use some work, though. This piece is from back when I was still learning how to use them effectively.

Download links: Right click and hit 'Save Link As' to download. If you just want to look at a larger version of the image, simply follow the link.

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Fin-eel

I'm sad to say that I can't remember if this flame's title was supposed to be a pun on the word 'finial' or not. I can't figure out why it would be, but, you know...homonyms. I'm always suspicious of homonyms. There's always that little moment when somebody's talking about a vein and I'm not sure if the blood vessels carry conceit, or maybe point in the direction of the wind. There are plenty of leftover syllabic combinations in the English language. Why do we have to make some of them do double-duty?

Download links: Right click and hit 'Save Link As' to download. If you just want to look at a larger version of the image, simply follow the link.

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Aurora Visions

I've been putting off posting this flame because I'm not really sure what to say about it. I meant for it to look like something, but I'm not sure it does. If I squint really hard with my mind's eye, sure. But I'd really prefer that it looked like something without that kind of effort. There's a certain 'feeling' that I associate with this piece, but I couldn't put a name to it or link it to an object, place, or concept. It's frustrating.

Download links: Right click and hit 'Save Link As' to download. If you just want to look at a larger version of the image, simply follow the link.

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Nebular Flow

'Nebular Flow.' It sounds nice and peaceful, right? Well, I'm no astronomer, but the only reasons I can think of for a nebula to be flowing are black holes and stars sucking it in. That would, admittedly, be pretty fun to watch. But only from a safe distance.

Download links: Right click and hit 'Save Link As' to download. If you just want to look at a larger version of the image, simply follow the link.

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Brain Mold

Is this mold that grows on a brain, or mold that's shaped like a brain? You decide! If it's mold that grows on a brain, I hope it's not growing on yours. That would be gross. Although maybe it would work like mycorrhiza do for trees, allowing your brain to...leach extra thinking from your surroundings? It's obviously not a perfect analogy.

Download links: Right click and hit 'Save Link As' to download. If you just want to look at a larger version of the image, simply follow the link.

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Anemone 2

It might be just a tad spiky for your average anemone, but I couldn't think of anything else that came in that color with that many tentacles. Are they tentacles because it's an anemone, or is it an anemone because they're tentacles? If it were a flower, I'd say they were petals. If it were a bacterium, I'd say they were cilia. So I guess it's the first one.

It's a little tough to pick out in the preview image, but the shape of this flame actually comes from a repeat with the 'waves' variation. It's just squished down so tightly that the oscillations overlap each other and appear solid. It causes some interesting striations and blurring.

Download links: Right click and hit 'Save Link As' to download. If you just want to look at a larger version of the image, simply follow the link.

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Executive Desktop Gadget (recolor)

By 'Executive Desktop Gadget' I mean the sort of thing that comes up when you search Amazon for "Newton's Cradle": Pointless, nifty little toys for people who don't have anything better to do than sit behind a desk and look important. I have a few of these on the desk in my room, and while they're fun, they tend to be dust catchers that don't get touched in months. I'm not certain what manner of gadget the flame at right represents, but I'd want one if I knew.

Download links: Right click and hit 'Save Link As' to download. If you just want to look at a larger version of the image, simply follow the link.

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Alchemical Mix

I'm about 98% certain that this is the same color palette I used for 'Pyrosquid.' It's kind of an interesting mix of hues...I think it says 'noxious chemicals' pretty well for this flame, though. That's kind of what I was going for. Looking at this flame today, it strikes me that this could be a hand that's been dipped in the aforementioned noxious chemicals. I wouldn't put it past some of those kooky old-time alchemists. They did all sorts of unsafe things with their work.

Download links: Right click and hit 'Save Link As' to download. If you just want to look at a larger version of the image, simply follow the link.

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Portal in the Mist

For one reason and another I've always really liked this flame, even though I know it's not the greatest aesthetically. Part of it is probably the balance of colors in the piece; the colors themselves aren't a very appealing set, but the range of hues and intensities is good. The wavy shapes and textures are interesting, but the overall shape isn't that great; that pixelated patch in the bottom left really hurts the rest of the piece. Ah well. Somehow I still like this piece. I hope you do too, in spite of any failings it may have.

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Bad Filing System

I feel sorry for the interns at that office. I mean, sure the files from M to Z look just fine, but the A through L section looks like it has some severe issues. Maybe they have a few problem cases in that section...the kind that make you want to crumple any and all sheets of paper involved into tiny, tiny balls.

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Asymmetric Detonation

I was slightly distraught to discover that I had misspelled the title of this flame. I won't go into details, but it rather changed the intended meaning. Anyway, moving on...the combination of ragged, fractal edges and the circular 'shockwave' looking elements in this piece made me think of an explosion. Lots of flames seem to do that for some reason, but maybe it's just a little bit of innate pyromania. Or maybe it's because they're called 'flames' to start with.

The colors in this piece are a little odd. I think this was probably a random gradient that I didn't bother changing once I was finished with the shape of the flame. I might have to go back and work on this one some more at a future date.

Download links: Right click and hit 'Save Link As' to download. If you just want to look at a larger version of the image, simply follow the link.

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Skeins of Sky

I'm quite fond of this piece. The little specks really sell the name. I think if I were to spend some more time working on it, the only thing I'd want to change is the color of that reddish section running through the middle. It doesn't fit, somehow. But overall I'm very happy with this flame. Somebody feel like giving me an excuse to do a print run?

Download links: Right click and hit 'Save Link As' to download. If you just want to look at a larger version of the image, simply follow the link.

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Streams of Consciousness

When I named this flame I was thinking "Hmm. It's kind of stereotypically brain-colored. And it's got elements that can be loosely described as 'streams'...Aha! Brilliant!" except that I didn't really think it was brilliant. I wasn't terribly happy with the piece overall, and I just wanted to hurry up and render it so I could stop working. I do like the textures quite a bit, though. I think my main problem with this piece is the colors, although it's not any great shakes compositionally. If the colors were a little less jumbled up I think it would be a big improvement.

Download links: Right click and hit 'Save Link As' to download. If you just want to look at a larger version of the image, simply follow the link.

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Sails on the Dawn

The idea behind this flame's name was that these were the sails of ships just barely crossing the terminator from day to night, so that the sun only hit the sails. It veers a little more towards the 'artistic nonsense' side of things than I generally prefer to go, but I think the shape, composition, and color palette hold it together well enough for a nonsensical title to be insignificant.

Download links: Right click and hit 'Save Link As' to download. If you just want to look at a larger version of the image, simply follow the link.

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Haunted Ocean

Between the slightly creepy color scheme and the thin protrusions that could be mistaken for masts or spars, I feel pretty good about the name for this piece. Haunted oceans have to have ghost ships, right? The stormy, heavy seas sort of look helps, I think.

I couldn't tell you how this flame is put together precisely right now, as I'm in the middle of a batch render. I'd rather not joggle its elbow by digging around for flame parameters. But just from looking at this I can tell you what a couple elements of this flame are. See where there are those very defined curved lines coming out of the orange part? The way those scale and twist indicates a plain repeat with down-scaling and some rotation on it. You can see this along the top edge of the flame as well, same thing (probably the same repeat, actually). There's also a foreshortened repeat of those lines coming off at a ninety degree angle to the first, but it's a little hard to see. The rest of the piece is probably foundation material, but it's hard to make distinctions as to which bit counts as what with these. Every piece influences every other piece, so it's mostly a matter of what came first when I was building the flame. It doesn't really matter overall.

Download links: Right click and hit 'Save Link As' to download. If you just want to look at a larger version of the image, simply follow the link.

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Tentatively Tenebrous Tendrils

Tenebrous: An adjective meaning dark and gloomy. So...I guess the tendrils are only a little bit sinister. They're not really sure if they should be looming, threatening, and being generally creepy. Give them a little time. I'm sure they'll be properly gloomy in a few days.

I really like the basic structure of this piece. It only has two real 'shaping' elements in it; they form that blueish section with the pink tinge that runs along the long axis of the flame. Everything else is just fractal repetion of those, and some color changing. I will admit to overusing my vocabulary in the title. But a chance to use alliteration, at least one type of rhyming (I don't have the formal education to tell you which one. Assonance or consonance, maybe both.), and an obscure word at the same time, and have it fit the piece? Too good an opportunity to pass up.

Download links: Right click and hit 'Save Link As' to download. If you just want to look at a larger version of the image, simply follow the link.

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Fog Serpent

I really like the glow effect on this flame. If my memory is correct, this is the only flam I've done with precisely that 'look' to it. It's really just that the orphaned pixels in this flame happened to be very lightly colored, and elements of the main flame were very dark. The unfortunate thing about this is that the effect sort of peters out as you get over to the left side of the image, and leaves a grainy looking mess. I suppose I could correct that with a gradient background (black to a dark grey, from right to left), but those tend to dilute the visual impact of a piece more than I care for. Still, that silhouetted effect on the upper right edge of the flame is pretty cool.

Download links: Right click and hit 'Save Link As' to download. If you just want to look at a larger version of the image, simply follow the link.

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Space-Goo

While I'm fairly confident in the gooeyness of this piece, I'm not precisely certain why it's gooey in space (Hehe!). It doesn't really seem to have a specific up or down to it, or fixed points of attachment or support...so I suppose that could be one reason. It's just as easy to apply that reasoning to an object with neutral buoyancy underwater, though.

This flame has a few relatives. The image you see is pretty much my second draft; I did a version of this flame that lacked some of the repeats present here, and then came back and added them in and fiddled with the colors. I fiddled with the colors again later on, and depending on how fast I run out of flames to show you folks you might get to see that version too.

Download links: Right click and hit 'Save Link As' to download. If you just want to look at a larger version of the image, simply follow the link.

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Mystic Diadem

This flame breaks the mold a bit. I make symmetric flames only very infrequently nowadays, although I did do quite a few of them early on. I like the B-movie prop effect this piece has going for it. It looks like it could be an object, but only if it were an incredibly chintzy and cheap looking object. Clear plastic, maybe some glitter to bring out the pointy bits. And all sitting on the head of an actress who's doing her best to keep a straight face while reading terrible dialogue.

Download links: Right click and hit 'Save Link As' to download. If you just want to look at a larger version of the image, simply follow the link.

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Supervibration

The blurring and lines in this piece have convinced me that it is some manner of strange plant, vibrating to attract pollinators or deter predators.

This piece makes use of pastel colors. Usually when I do this it's to avoid too jarring an image. Some of the more intense shapes and textures aren't enjoyable to look at when they've got a vibrant color palette. Of course, it's also possible that I just like pastels.

Download links: Right click and hit 'Save Link As' to download. If you just want to look at a larger version of the image, simply follow the link.

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Three for the price of one...

...except not really. You are getting three flames today, but I won't be posting any for Friday or Saturday. There are a couple reasons for this. First off, these three flames are a set, three related flames that make a good illustration of the 'artistic process' (quotation marks indicate self-mockery at pretentiousness) I go through. Secondly, I have family in town for Thanksgiving. So it's vacation time.

Bottom Dweller

The first of the set, 'Bottom Dweller' isn't really that great. The colors are interesting and mesh well with the title, but it's a little bit messy. I tend to dislike it when there are faint repeats that don't render fully; they leave orphaned pixels all over the place, like stray toner on Xerox copies. But I really liked the basic form of the piece, so I went ahead and fiddled with it a little more to see what else I could get out of it.

Bottom Dweller 2 (inset)

This piece is quite obviously related to 'Bottom Dweller' even without the title. Same color scheme, same feathery textures. However, this flame builds upon the complexity of the original. The orientation of the two pieces is identical; if you look at the black space at the bottom left of the piece at right, you can see that it is identical to the black space at the base of the bulb in 'Bottom Dweller.' This should give you some idea of how far the second piece was inset.

Still, I wasn't quite happy with the piece. So, on to the third flame, and one of my all time favorites.

Tide Pool

I actually removed some of the elements present in 'Bottom Dweller 2' to make this piece. Specifically the ones making the long, straight lines that overlapped the rest of the piece. This led to a much cleaner appearance, more in line with what I was going for from the start. I also rotated the flame about 120 degrees counter-clockwise. This was mostly because I wanted it to look like seaweed and shellfish on a rock, and that angle seemed to work best.

Download links: Right click and hit 'Save Link As' to download. If you just want to look at a larger version of the image, simply follow the link.

Dragon's Spine

Another recent work, and one that I'm quite pleased with. The patterning on this flame almost seems like zebra stripes or something similar. I'm always delighted when I get an effect that makes use of the 'negative' space in a piece. At the same time, though, this makes it a bit awkward to try and transfer the piece to a different color of background in the future.

Note that the widescreen version of this is matted; I wanted to keep the same aspect ratio on the actual flame this time.

Download links: Right click and hit 'Save Link As' to download. If you just want to look at a larger version of the image, simply follow the link.

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Swooping Down

The first word that comes to mind when I look at this flame is 'frothy.' I think that's mostly the color scheme, although the feathery edges at the bottom aid the effect. I think the texture in the upper right portion of the flame is my favorite thing about it. The thin, bi-colored lines overlaid on the solid surface appeal to me. This flame is part two a three flame set. You can find #3 a little ways down the page. #1 wasn't quite as good as its younger siblings, so it doesn't come out in public much.

Download links: Right click and hit 'Save Link As' to download. If you just want to look at a larger version of the image, simply follow the link.

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Motion Blur

With this flame, the first word that comes to mind is more of an onomatopoeia. "Whap" or possibly "Swish!" The exclamation point is crucial, though. It is interesting to note that both this flame and 'Swooping Down' use a signifcant amount of black or near black coloring. Since they're on a black background, those portions of the image effectively disappear. I usually don't use black when I'm coloring a flame, but in this case I think it turned out well.

Download links: Right click and hit 'Save Link As' to download. If you just want to look at a larger version of the image, simply follow the link.

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Beak of the Squid

Fun flame, weird name. The colors are a little too monotone, but the random elements to the texture and shape make up for it. It's been years since I made this one, but without opening up Apophysis and looking at its innards I'd say this made liberal use of both the 'Waves' and the 'Spiral' variations. You can see an example of 'Waves' here, here, and here. I don't really have a clean example of the 'Spiral' variation. The easiest way to describe it is that it pulls the flame up and to the right in a big, sparse loop. There's some folding and inversion involved at the same time.

Download links: Right click and hit 'Save Link As' to download. If you just want to look at a larger version of the image, simply follow the link.

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Orthogonal Cloudscape

This flame is a recent one, from the end of last month. I was really happy with it; I think it ended up staying as my desktop background for at least a week. The tesselated square pattern is very fun, even if it's not a true tesselation. What I really liked, though, ws the patterning inside the square pieces. Add in the colors and the impression of 'lighting' that the shape of this flame creates, and it's pretty high up on my list of favorite pieces.

Note: The widescreen version of this piece is matted. It just didn't fit in the wider aspect ratio correctly.

Download links: Right click and hit 'Save Link As' to download. If you just want to look at a larger version of the image, simply follow the link.

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Snail

You can't see his shell, so I suppose it's possible he's a slug instead. There are several different ways to look at it. This is not at all a 'serious' piece. But I thought the shape was quite amusing, so here you go.

Download links: Right click and hit 'Save Link As' to download. If you just want to look at a larger version of the image, simply follow the link.

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Nuclear Rainclouds or Atomic Ocean

So interesting that I had to give it two names. Well, not really. The way it's oriented right now, it's 'Nuclear Rainclouds.' If it was rotated 180 degrees it would be 'Atomic Ocean.' Anyway, this flame is another of those with lots of densely packed repeats. I'm fairly certain I've used this color set in some other flames as well, but I can't think which ones at the moment.

Also: Sorry this is a bit late; I completely forgot I needed to do one of these this morning.

Download links: Right click and hit 'Save Link As' to download. If you just want to look at a larger version of the image, simply follow the link.

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Exploding Gas Giant

Do gas giants come in pink? Does anybody know? This flame is the sibling to 'Boiling Planet.' I figured I might as well stick the two of them together and save the trouble of a hyperlink. Overall I think 'Gas Giant' is the superior of the two flames. I can't really point to a specific reason, that's just the way I feel. Go figure.

Download links: Right click and hit 'Save Link As' to download. If you just want to look at a larger version of the image, simply follow the link.

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Bubbles and Foliage

This is the sort of thing I like to picture seeing while scuba diving on an alien world. Maybe it's seaweed, maybe it's man-eating squid roe. Maybe it's a coral reef, or a filter feeder masquerading as one.

From a technical standpoint, this flame is 95% gratuitous abuse of fractal repeats. I like the colors in this quite a lot, although I would tone down the pink a little if I were doing it again today.

Download links: Right click and hit 'Save Link As' to download. If you just want to look at a larger version of the image, simply follow the link.

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Bird and Orchid

If I had to pick a single favorite flame, this would be a strong contender. Any such choice would be almost purely arbitrary, but the simplicity and shapes in this piece make it one of my favorites. The bird mentioned in the title can be interpreted in a couple ways. Either the whole thing is a bird, and it's facing towards the bottom left, or the section at upper right is the bird, and it's a little kingfisher or hummingbird or something.

Download links: Right click and hit 'Save Link As' to download. If you just want to look at a larger version of the image, simply follow the link.

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Abstract 2-15-08

Another one that I couldn't name. I absolutely love this flame, though. The combination of the blurred zig-zags in pink and the sharp lines and gentle curves of the blue and brown areas is quite striking. Someday I'll get around to thinking of a name for this. It really does deserve one.

Download links: Right click and hit 'Save Link As' to download. If you just want to look at a larger version of the image, simply follow the link.

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Fractal Lozenge

It's off center on purpose. It probably needs to be just a little further off center, actually. I don't have a lot else to say about this one; nice, subtle colors. Funky texture. It's fun!

Download links: Right click and hit 'Save Link As' to download. If you just want to look at a larger version of the image, simply follow the link.

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Orchid 2

Funnily enough, there isn't actually an 'Orchid 1.' I didn't have access to a list of titles I'd used when I was naming this one, and I was certain that I'd used 'Orchid' before. I had, but only as a part of another title. This piece is an interesting one technically in that it only uses two pieces in Apophysis. This makes it difficult to make subtle changes to the shape, but it makes it a great deal easier to precisely control colors.

Download links: Right click and hit 'Save Link As' to download. If you just want to look at a larger version of the image, simply follow the link.

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Shimmery

If this were a real object, it would be rippling gently and making a 'Schwaaaaaaaaaa' sound effect. It might also be engulfing mesmerized bystanders and digesting them, but I don't like to speculate. I love the smooth texture the wavy segments around the edges have; those, in combination with the silvery-pink color, give 'Shimmery' its unique look.

Download links: Right click and hit 'Save Link As' to download. If you just want to look at a larger version of the image, simply follow the link.

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Spaceflow

'Spaceflow' was a runner up for both runs of 8"x10" prints (six in the first, four in the second), but it just didn't make the cut. I really, really wanted to get it printed, but I didn't think it would appeal to a wide enough range of people. I hope I get a chance to get it printed off someday, but unless I get a request for it specifically, it's probably not going to happen. (Hint, hint.)

Download links: Right click and hit 'Save Link As' to download. If you just want to look at a larger version of the image, simply follow the link.

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Froth

I'm pretty sure this flame is comprised entirely of little fishies. It might be dolphins instead, I guess. But they're splashing enthusiastically. Maybe one of them is caught on a fisherman's hook. Or maybe they're trying to jump for the moon. Perhaps it's a bait ball trying to escape from a whale. You decide.

Download links: Right click and hit 'Save Link As' to download. If you just want to look at a larger version of the image, simply follow the link.

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Gas Field

To summarize this piece: Something blew up in outer space. This is what's left. 'Gas Field' is one of many, many pieces I've done that look vaguely like an astronomy picture. The radial squigglies are a little unusual. You can see similar on 'Abstract 7-21-07,' but this is the first flame I used the technique on. I was a bit surprised by this looking back in my archive; I had thought 'Abstract' originated that little trick. I suspect I came up with it twice, instead of carrying it over from 'Gas Field' to 'Abstract.'

Download links: Right click and hit 'Save Link As' to download. If you just want to look at a larger version of the image, simply follow the link.

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