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As much as we'd like to trust the Internet, it doesn't always have all the answers. That goes for social media, as well. A new diet, a new skincare hack, or a booming interest in some form of alternative medicine. Sometimes, certain trends come, and they might seem safe and fun, yet in reality, they're not.

So it's nice when professionals tell us what is really up. We've gathered some of the best tips from nurses, dermatologists, paramedics, surgeons, and even chefs on things they would never do because of their insider knowledge. Never knew it's better not to defrost your food on the counter? Read on and find more nuggets of wisdom that professionals from various fields wish others knew as well!

Bored Panda reached out to two doctors who we are featuring in this list, Dr. Betsy Grunch, a board-certified neurosurgeon, spine specialist, and content creator, and Dr. Raj Arora, NHS general practitioner and medical educator.

Both were kind enough to tell us more about how social media can help medical professionals educate people on health and well-being and how people can know who to trust in digital spaces ripe with misinformation. Read our conversations below!

Dr. Raj Arora: Instagram | TikTok | YouTube

Dr. Betsy Grunch: TikTok | Facebook | Instagram | Threads | X | YouTube

#1

30 Incredibly Dangerous Things That Most People See As Safe Ever going to a chiropractor again. Last year, there was a 26-year-old woman in Seattle who died after a chiropractor adjusted her neck. The main danger in chiropractors is when they adjust your neck because your spinal cord is lined with your vertebral arteries. You got one on each side. And any amount of like, quick force in that area could cause those arteries to rip apart. And when those arteries rip apart, the blood that's in them tries to clot off to like stop the bleed. And when it does that, it creates a huge stroke. And that stroke goes directly to your brainstem, and brainstem strokes will kill you so fast. We can't even do anything. By the time you get to the hospital, you're screwed. I personally have taken care of two patients that had this exact scenario happen to them. But I have been in neuro ICU when we had five. Don't touch me. Don't touch my neck. Don't do it. I will never go to a chiropractor again in my life.

travelingnurse , Karolina Grabowska Report

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Airis Malfoy
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8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Those animal chiropractor on internet actually scares he living daylights out of me.. I mean yoo chill!

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Bored Panda compiled advice from nine different professionals who shared on TikTok the things they as insiders would never do. The list of professionals includes a medical student, a dermatologist, a doctor of Chinese Medicine, a paramedic, two registered nurses, a professional chef, a neurosurgeon, and a general practitioner.

Two of the content creators, general practitioner Dr. Raj Arora and neurosurgeon Betsy Grunch agreed to tell Bored Panda more about the ethics of sharing healthcare advice on the Internet.

Both Dr. Grunch and Dr. Arora are content creators on social media, using their knowledge and expertise to educate the public about healthcare. Grunch says that it's a great way for medical professionals to demystify their areas of expertise. 

"It provides access to a much broader audience and empowers patients to take a more active role in their health. As medical professionals, we can present options that patients may not know to ask about." She says it also helps patients who already have a diagnosis but may want "further clarification" or are just looking to alleviate their fears.

#2

30 Incredibly Dangerous Things That Most People See As Safe Put my feet on the car dash.

zemparamedic , Ljupche Vasilev Report

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Cat Chat
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8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My daughter watched the movie Death Proof with me and says ever since watching it she will NEVER put her feet up like that. It literally scared her to be safe.

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#3

30 Incredibly Dangerous Things That Most People See As Safe Not wear a seat belt in a car.

zemparamedic , Kelly Report

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Ge Po
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8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Was at work sn on my way to a different location. My coworker, who was driving, got actually insulted when I wanted to put on my seat belt. He said he was a very good driver and always paid attention and I was really safe I his car. Even when I mentioned other people making mistakes or even doing something crazy, he was sure he would be able to outmanoevre it because of his reaction skills. I told him I'd wear my seat belt, or he's going to do the work all by himself.

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Dr. Raj Arora also observes that social media acts as a helper to educate people in these times when medical professionals in the system feel overwhelmed. "Clinics are often running late, and there is certainly not enough time to educate patients in the most comprehensive way," she says.

"Online resources and social media platforms allow people to access evidence-based medical information that can empower people to make informed choices or to ask questions that matter to them," she goes on.

#4

30 Incredibly Dangerous Things That Most People See As Safe I would not take antibiotics for a viral illness. They just won't work. Antibiotics only work on bacteria. They do not work on viruses. Viral illnesses need antivirals, and those will be prescribed by a doctor if deemed necessary. Or, most viral illnesses are self-limiting. If you take antibiotics and they're not needed, you're going to cause more harm than good. Lots of side effects can be associated with medicines like antibiotics. And not just that, antibiotics can also deplete your normal healthy gut bacteria that we need for immunity and for wellness. It's important to ensure that if you don't need antibiotics, don't take them unnecessarily.

drrajarora , Volodymyr Hryshchenko Report

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Strawberry Pizza
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8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I thought this was common knowledge... we literally got taught this in secondary school... prevent bacterial resistance by avoiding unnecessary prescription and all that.

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#5

30 Incredibly Dangerous Things That Most People See As Safe Never leave a knife in the sink. This is something in restaurants that is widely preached, and for good reason. One of my first, actually no, my first kitchen injury was from someone leaving a knife in a sink. They're hard to see, especially if water starts covering things or other things get placed on top, and it can really do some serious damage.

alihooke , Los Muertos Crew Report

#6

30 Incredibly Dangerous Things That Most People See As Safe I would never use female hygiene products, we just don't need them. Our womanly parts are self-cleansing. And actually, we can do more harm than good if we're altering the pH by using these over-the-counter cleansers. In addition, I would not be using any perfumed products, any sprays, I would not do any douching in the area. I would just leave it alone, use simple water, and that will be more than good enough.

drrajarora , Photoholgic Report

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Almost sunny
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8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Who sprays perfume down there? If there's a bad smell, maybe see a doctor.

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"Although global literacy rates have generally increased over time, there is a gender gap," Dr. Arora notes. "For those who cannot read, visual information in the form of an informative video in different languages can help to bridge the gap and impart knowledge to people from all different backgrounds."

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"Having health professionals put out information and work with bodies like the NHS and World Health Organisation means that we can ensure we are putting out factual information and busting misinformation as much as possible," Dr. Arora says.

#7

30 Incredibly Dangerous Things That Most People See As Safe I would never have my neck manipulated by a chiropractor.

ladyspinedoc , Toa Heftiba Report

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Airis Malfoy
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8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

"you say it hurts here?" "yes" "ok" *proceeds to snap neck like the vampire diaries-*

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#8

30 Incredibly Dangerous Things That Most People See As Safe Motorcycles. Even with a helmet on. I'm telling you right now, you are just asking for it. You could be the safest biker in the world, and I'm telling you right now, you being on a highway, going highway speeds without a closed and circulating object around you is asking to get smashed like a bug.

travelingnurse , Sreenadh TC Report

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Limey
Community Member
8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

…or you could just live your life being afraid of everything and wait to die. C’mon of course they are dangerous. But you only pass this way once and none of us is getting out alive.

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#9

30 Incredibly Dangerous Things That Most People See As Safe Slide down a slide with a child in my lap. No seriously, stop doing this. Every year around this time when the weather's nice and people are going to the parks, there is an influx of kiddos rushed to the ER, urgent care, orthopedics office with a particular injury. 'Toddler's fracture,' or a spiral fracture of the tibia, which is the big bone in your lower leg. It can be caused by a twist when walking, but more commonly, it's caused when their foot gets hung between you and the slide when they're sliding down in your lap, or in a sibling's lap. They'll have pain, swelling in the shin, refusal to take a step, or even like a consistent limp. Typically there's not any bruising, and it's really hard to see on X-ray sometimes too. So the feet are out to the side, they will get hung right here and twist backwards.

the.funny.nurse , Power Lai Report

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But here's the catch: how can we know who to trust online? Both doctors advise looking for credentials and qualifications before trusting a person on social media. "If it's a medical professional, you can normally find their credentials or qualifications on their platform," Dr. Arora says.

She notes how certain platforms are taking action to guarantee credibility. "Social media entities like YouTube Health are creating 'health shelves.' These push videos/information from verified health professionals onto the platform ahead of other sources."

#10

30 Incredibly Dangerous Things That Most People See As Safe If you're at someone's home or staying in a place in which you're unfamiliar, please familiarize yourself with the surroundings. I have seen so many patients that have opened doors thinking that they're walking into the bathroom, but opened doors that are going down into the basement. And we all know how that turns out.

ladyspinedoc , Michal Balog Report

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Per-Ole Sjuve
Community Member
8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

How do other people open doors? With eyes closed and a quick jump forwards as the door opens?

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#11

30 Incredibly Dangerous Things That Most People See As Safe As a skin doctor, I would never use a physical exfoliant scrub such as St. Ives or the ones you can buy over the counter at Boots or Superdrug. Most of them are way too abrasive for your skin and can cause micro tears and early skin aging.

drrajarora , Matheus Costa Report

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keyboardtek
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8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I had very bad acne up to age 29. I had deep scars up to age 65. Then a dermatologist recommended a simple home abrasion thing: once a week use a common dish pan abrasive sponge, the one with the green abrasive side, with a little soap on it, sand my cheeks just for 30 seconds. It has taken three years but 85% of my acne scars are gone and at 69 years old, people tell me I look 50. Just be sure to periodically zapp the sponge for a minute in the microwave to kill any bacteria.

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#12

Go to a trampoline park.

zemparamedic Report

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Shine Chisholm (they/ them)
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8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I shattered my ankle using a trampoline at a park, and every doctor, tech, and physical therapist had stories about people of all ages who had severely injured themselves. They are bad news.

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"Other platforms like NHS Digital are partnering with doctors and health professionals to create and share videos. I am a part of the WHO Fides creator program," Dr. Arora says and tells us more about how it operates.

"Here, the WHO works with health creators and established doctors to ensure that safe, correct, and evidence-based information is put out there when it comes to health content."

#13

30 Incredibly Dangerous Things That Most People See As Safe I would not rely on Dr. Google. So if you have been given some resources by your doctor or health professional, of course, go ahead, read them, and they may be online, so you may use a search engine to get ahold of them. However, I wouldn't blindly type into a search engine for symptoms because this can come up with lots of different variations, lots of different diagnoses, and most of them will be anxiety-inducing and stressful to read. So if you have symptoms, it's important to go and see your doctor and to get the advice you need from a medical professional.

drrajarora , Valeri Mak Report

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Moosy Girl
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8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Dr. Google knew I had endometriosis waaaaayyyyy before doctors believed I did though. :p

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#14

30 Incredibly Dangerous Things That Most People See As Safe Defrost food by leaving it on the counter. This is one of the most dangerous ways you can defrost food. It takes so long, and the outside of the food warms up to a dangerous temperature zone for an extended amount of time before the center of the core even defrosts, so the bacteria has a really great chance to grow and thrive. Best way to defrost food is in the fridge overnight. It's safe and takes up no resources. Second-best way is running under cold water, in a bucket filled with water. Yes, it does require running water, but only really, really small drops of water, just used to replace some of the water in the existing bowl and keep the temperature steady. And it's super quick, like defrosting a few chicken breasts only takes about 15 minutes. Super fast when you need it in a pinch.

alihooke , Bozhin Karaivanov Report

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Nadine Debard
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8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I have a very good defrost function on my microwave (the inverter type).

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"Beauty content is harder to verify as it can encompass influencers and health professionals who may be on two different ends of a platform with regard to their knowledge base."

"I think following an opinion that has experience, states sources and data, and uses evidence-based information but also has a recognized health/beauty qualification is paramount," Dr. Arora concludes.

#16

30 Incredibly Dangerous Things That Most People See As Safe I would never actually put a laptop on my lap. Prolonged exposure to heat sources like laptops or heating pads can lead to a skin condition called erythema ab igne. It can lead to discoloration that can last for a very long time.

dermguru , Kaleidico Report

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Poison Ivy/Boo
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8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I use a breakfast tray for my laptop. It has extra space for my mouse and it's comfy with the beaded bag underneath.

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#17

30 Incredibly Dangerous Things That Most People See As Safe I would never wax my skin when using retinol, retinoids, or Accutane. Retinoids lead to increased sensitivity of the skin, which could leave you with painful, irritated, almost rug-burn or chemical-like burns after waxing.

dermguru , No Revisions Report

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The Original Bruno
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8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

NEVER USE ACCUTANE FOR ACNE!!!! I swear, 99% of dermatologists need to have their licenses taken away! And what's infuriating is that dermatologists won't use safer treatments that are more effective in the long run until you've tried accutane, even though it's supposed to be the last option. And they (wisely) won't give you accutane unless you're on birth control medicine and gosh, some people with acne might want to get pregnant. Accutane's manufacturer notified the FDA in 2009 that they will not produce it for acne treatments, so other manufacturers set up shell companies to sell the generic (isotrenoin) so that when the shell companies get sued, they don't run the parent company out of business. The following side-effects are considered VERY COMMON: anemia, thrombocytosis, myalgia, increased triglycerides (which cause heart disease), arthralgia, ... and God help you if you somehow manage to conceive despite the birth-control requirements.

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#18

30 Incredibly Dangerous Things That Most People See As Safe Propane tanks. This one was really solidified this assignment. I have had three, three patients who have had propane tanks explode on them, and it has left them with debilitating burns. And the numbers have got to be wrong, got to be wrong, because I looked it up and the chances of a propane tank exploding on you are literally one in 37 million. But I have had three patients in the last few months that all had propane tanks explode. So yeah, everyone else, everyone else can handle the propane, I will simply not be participating. Simply put, I like having fingers.

travelingnurse , Isaac Moore Report

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Jrog
Community Member
8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Propane tanks are really, really safe, as long as you take some minimal care and replace them when they are past their life span. They usually hold the gas at 125-170 psi, are designed to hold about 360 psi and must have a regulator valve that vents at 200 psi. To make a propane tank blow it must be so decrepit that the steel lost over half his strength, AND have a neglected and malfunctioning valve.

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Neurosurgeon Dr. Grunch is on the same page: "I always suggest that people do their research when it comes to sensitive topics like healthcare. Learn more about the person before you trust blindly. Ensure that who you're trusting is an expert in their field and can provide objective facts that can be relied upon."

#19

30 Incredibly Dangerous Things That Most People See As Safe Trim tree limbs on a ladder. When you cut that branch down, it will fall and it may fall on you.

ladyspinedoc , Chris F Report

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rorschach-penguin
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8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

That's why you only trim branches that are to the side of you and below the resting point of the ladder.

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#20

30 Incredibly Dangerous Things That Most People See As Safe If I'm driving down the road, and a cute little bunny bounces in front of my car, guess what? I'm going to run over the bunny. Never veer off the road trying to dart around an animal.

ladyspinedoc , Michael Yantis Report

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Deb M.F.
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8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

unless its a moose....then yes I'd swerve. Ever see what a moose or deer does to a car?

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#21

30 Incredibly Dangerous Things That Most People See As Safe I would never pop a pimple in the danger triangle. This is the area from the bridge of the nose down to the upper lip, which forms a triangular area. Pop a pimple here, there's a chance that the bacteria from the skin can enter the bloodstream, which has a direct connection to the skull and the brain through something called a cavernous sinus. It can lead to serious infection as well as blindness or even death.

dermguru , SpooSpa Report

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PFD
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8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

There must be millions of danger-zone pimples popped every day. So where does this lie in the causes-of-death charts? I suspect the number of people affected by this is even lower than the number of people who've never popped a pimple here.

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#23

30 Incredibly Dangerous Things That Most People See As Safe Drink around a fire pit.

zemparamedic , Wren Meinberg Report

#25

30 Incredibly Dangerous Things That Most People See As Safe Sit with my neck exposed in front of the AC or let cold air hit me directly.

drvanessasmithhorning , Airam Dato-on Report

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Strawberry Pizza
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8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Thank you for this detailed and informative explanation as to why we should not do this.

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#26

30 Incredibly Dangerous Things That Most People See As Safe Be in a cold wet bathing suit for prolonged periods of time.

drvanessasmithhorning , margot pandone Report

#27

30 Incredibly Dangerous Things That Most People See As Safe I would never go to sleep with my hair wet. Sleeping on wet hair can lead to a moist environment, which can be a breeding ground for things like bacteria and fungus. And when hair is wet, it's vulnerable since it's at its weakest state, which can lead to breakage, hair thinning, and damage to the hair follicle.

dermguru , Chris Slupski Report

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Adam S
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8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The title of this article is things that are “incredibly dangerous”. Some hair weakened by fungus? Oh my god!! 😱

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#28

30 Incredibly Dangerous Things That Most People See As Safe Use prescription pills to solve my problems as a first resort.

drvanessasmithhorning , Hal Gatewood Report

#29

30 Incredibly Dangerous Things That Most People See As Safe I would never drink fruit juices from concentrate, unless it's been adjusted for. If it's not pure, I don't want it.

itsaghogho , ABHISHEK HAJARE Report

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rorschach-penguin
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8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

"seemingly harmless" has a very different meaning than "harmless".

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#30

30 Incredibly Dangerous Things That Most People See As Safe I'd never fry my food in coconut oil or certain types of sunflower oil. Extra virgin olive oil is the best! Quote me on that.

itsaghogho , Fulvio Ciccolo Report

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Jrog
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8 months ago

This comment has been deleted.

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