@EveHasWords@toot.cat cover
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EveHasWords

@[email protected]

They / them. I'm a #writer. I #knit, #cook, #sew, procrastinate on writing, and program very ill. Purportedly a "privacy extremist." :blobcatgiggle: I operate the memes and review account @HabitatRing . My backup account is @EveSharkey . On the Fediverse since August 18, 2018. Contact me for more secure communication channels.

See my pinned / featured posts for more information.

My lewds: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-50NdPawLVY

#NoArchive

This profile is from a federated server and may be incomplete. View on remote instance

@Taweret@timeloop.cafe avatar Taweret , to random

the Kazon were supposed to be the big Delta Quadrant threat and they were literally just dollar store Klingons with bad hair

EveHasWords ,
@EveHasWords@toot.cat avatar

@Taweret "We have Klingons at home!"

"But that's 70 years away!!!!"

"Ok, we can stop for Kazons. And I'm only getting the raktajino."

@EveHasWords@toot.cat avatar EveHasWords , to random

Alright. So. A few things.

  1. The right time to give me a choice in whether or not unasked 'AI' 'features' were shoved down my throat was before you did the shoving
  2. Making everyone refer to obscure guides that involve bypassing scare warnings in order to turn those features off is phenomenally bad user experience
  3. The unasked for, unwanted 'AI' features you've been shoving down our throats behave — from a user perspective — similar to cryptojacking in that their computer suddenly performs very poorly without transparency to the user about why or a choice about turning it off (again, the wrong time to ask is after you've already done the bad thing)
  4. I am not signing up for yet another god damn thing just so I can tell you so

The browser that gives you a say AI controls give you more say in how you move across the web. We believe choice is more important than ever as AI becomes a part of people’s browsing experiences. What matters to us is giving people control, no matter how they feel about AI. If you’d like to try AI controls early, they’ll be available first in Firefox Nightly. We’d love to hear what you think on Mozilla Connect.
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@EveHasWords@toot.cat avatar EveHasWords , to random

As a point of clarification, blocks on Fediverse may not be as private as you’re expecting. Some malicious actors have built tools to notify them when they or their server are blocked at least at an instance level. I’m not 100% clear whether that applies to personal blocks.

In my opinion, if someone is using software to identify people or instances that have blocked them in order to harass those who have blocked them … that should be a Fediblock situation.

I bring this up because of the ICE / Bluesky block situation. I’m seeing some posts here that have me concerned that people here may have overestimated the privacy of Fediverse blocks. Arguably, Fediverse is still better on this point. There’s no public list of all blocks anyone can get to any time. They’re not particularly private though.

Edit: Sorry for the edit notification. A reply has confirmed that the same types of tools can be used to see personal blocks. I'm not linking to the tool in question.

EveHasWords OP ,
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On further review, as far as I can tell, the bot I was linked to appeared to only be able to see blocks where either the blocker or the blocked was on the same server.

That doesn't mean your blocks are private, however. If the person you're blocking is on a well-moderated server not run by shitlords, it's less likely that your block will become everyone else's business.

It's still not actually private. And there may be other tools I'm unaware of which don't have that apparent limitation.

@contrapunctus@fe.disroot.org avatar contrapunctus , to random

Does choice of server affect the reach of your posts? (Assuming you use the same hashtags.)

Obviously you don't want to be posting from a server that's blocked by vast swathes of the network.

But are there any other factors?

EveHasWords ,
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@contrapunctus If you're on a server that gets followed by people across a wide swath of the fediverse, your posts will go out to all the servers that have someone who follows someone on your server.

Provided you're not blocked by the admin on their side.

That means the best "reach" is on the biggest servers.

There are ways to get around that, though. Using tags that are followed by a tagpush.app account will get your posts boosted to servers that otherwise might not see it.

Probably the best way to improve your visibility without moving servers (assuming your server is a factor) is to get followers from a lot of different servers.

@EveHasWords@toot.cat avatar EveHasWords , to random

Tech companies are crying that Americans aren't buying new phones fast enough to keep the economy stimulated. Wages have been stagnant for, what, 44 years and you've got the gall to keep raising prices and cry we're not buying enough?

I don't think you should reward this shit with a click but, in case you must, I've got a barely tweaked URL to save you the trouble I already spent looking up the article.

source: cnbc DOT com/2025/11/23/how-device-hoarding-by-americans-is-costing-economy.html

The Bottom Line Americans are holding onto devices longer than ever and it’s costing the economy Published Sun, Nov 23 202510:05 AM EST Updated Sun, Nov 23 20258:57 PM EST Kevin Williams Key Points Americans are hanging onto their smartphones for much longer than they did a decade ago, but new releases like Apple’s iPhone 17 can entice consumers to upgrade. Businesses tend to hang onto their devices even longer than individual consumers, especially overseas. While it may seem to be a smart money move, it can result in a costly productivity and innovation lag for the economy.
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@EveHasWords@toot.cat avatar EveHasWords , to random

November 1: What creative project(s) do you hope to work on this month?

Other than getting the audiobook and ebook released? Mostly working on the November project.

EveHasWords OP ,
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November 5: Tell us about a podcast you enjoy.

Probably the one I've been listening to the longest is The Bugle. It's framed as a satirical news story but that's just context for the format of the show and how some of the jokes are presented. The main host is Andy Zaltzman and he nearly always has other comedians on as co-hosts.

Since only a few of the hosts are based in the U.S., they cover a wider variety of political news than most other podcasts do. They've introduced me to some of my favorite living comedians. They've been keeping me company for at least a decade at this point.

EveHasWords OP ,
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November 6: Do you subscribe to any newsletters? Do you read them?

I follow a few from musicians, comedians, and writers I follow. How much I read them depends on how often they release updates. If it's pretty regularly, I end up not reading them very often. If they post very infrequently, I'll read every one as soon as I see it come through.

EveHasWords OP ,
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November 9: Which sound in your environment sparks the most creativity?

In terms of writing? Silence. :blobcatgiggle:

EveHasWords OP ,
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November 10: Has your art/craft/writing changed over the years? If so, how?

I'd like to imagine my drawing has gotten better. I hope I've learned to build in more character tension and better pacing. :blobcatgiggle:

EveHasWords OP ,
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November 14: If you could hang one of your pictures anywhere in the world, where would you hang it?

Probably something local. If the prompt had been something other than 'pictures.' I might have gone with something like the Louvre or MoMA. :blobcatgiggle:

EveHasWords OP ,
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November 16: How would you describe your creative process to an alien?

I'd start by asking questions. As Spock told McCoy in the Voyage Home, we'd need a common point of reference. We don't both have to die but I do have to know where they're coming from. :vulcan_hmn_g1:

EveHasWords OP ,
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November 18: Do you feel that television can stimulate the imagination as well as reading can?

According to one source, AO3 hit 10 million stories at some point about 3 years ago. A lot of that is fanfic for TV shows. So I think it can. At least for some of us.

Edit: Sorry for the edit notification. Not sure how 10 million became 3 million but no autocorrect was involved in that one.

EveHasWords OP ,
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November 21: Do you ever change what you're wearing to do your creative work?

Apart from the messy stuff, not for creativity, no. When my brain catches on that my body is uncomfortable, I'll do an outfit change. We're reaching the part of the year where I have to bundle up indoors. :blobcatgiggle:

EveHasWords OP ,
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November 22: You're in a cabin where your supplies are limited to a can of soup, a length of rope, a broken hatchet, and a cast iron skillet. How did you get there,

Narrative expediency. :blobcatgiggle:

and what kind of soup is it?

Butternut squash and red pepper.

EveHasWords OP ,
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November 23: What's the lowest number of readers/viewers/users of your creative work that you would consider cause for celebration?

Considering at last check I've had zero sales on When The Spirit Moves Me, at this point I'd say one. :blobcatgiggle:

@EveHasWords@toot.cat avatar EveHasWords , to random

Today, I found out that 7 months ago, Rick Astley (yes, that Rick Astley) did a cover of Pink Pony Club.

I am very disappointed no one told me about it until today.

Anyway. It's quite good.

And notice how I'm telling you about it on the same day I found out about its existence. Look at me, being a good example. :blobcataww:

@EveHasWords@toot.cat avatar EveHasWords , to random

Paramount is advertising their streaming service more heavily than they have in my memory. Which is kind of odd when you consider all the (presumably) expensive shows they've been running without that heavy advertisement since CBS All Access and Star Trek: Discovery were making their debuts. I'd like to imagine this is because they're getting trounced for repeated and very bad decisions.

Paramount has always been allergic to sound financial decisions. What they're doing now is not merely a continuation of that. Re-creating their news organization as an extremist Right Wing Weasel entity and inserting pro-Trump propaganda pieces as "PSAs" at the end of their streaming shows should be more than enough for you to cancel your streaming service with them.

If you don't have Paramount, don't get it. If you have Paramount, cancel.

@EveHasWords@toot.cat avatar EveHasWords , to random

September 1: With many new people here, let's do another round of introductions. Tell us something about yourself and your creativity.

I'm a weird little critter. Having discovered that no amount of effort on my part was going to make me seem normal for more than about five minutes at a time, I decided to stop trying for normal. Unfortunately, I've been trying to be normal for so long that I don't entirely know what my own version of normality would look like.

I at least dabble in every major art form I can think of. I don't think of art forms as being separate and I define art very very broadly.

EveHasWords OP ,
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September 2: What creative activities are you hoping to work on this month?

I'd like to finish edits and the audio recording for book one of the mainstream SF adventure series. I'd also like to finish Beware Of Fangs! but I'll settle for getting some shorts written and published.

EveHasWords OP ,
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September 3: These are speculative fiction books I've read. Check all the ones you've read too.

EveHasWords OP ,
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September 4: Talk about the book that got the fewest votes yesterday, or say something about them all.

Early in Lethem's career, he had a reputation for writing books that were reminiscent of Philip K. Dick. My own affinity for PKD is what got me into his work. I have fonder memories of Amnesia Moon but Gun, with Occasional Music is still lots of fun. It takes place on Earth. Kangaroos have been 'uplifted' to have human-like intelligence. Wealthy parents stunt their childrens growth, keeping them perpetually babies in a physical sense. Those babies are disgruntled about it. There's a futuristic noir tone to the whole thing. It's pretty wild without crossing over into surrealism (to my recollection anyway).

EveHasWords OP ,
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September 5: What would be a major accomplishment on your current project if you could complete it this month?

Completing all the efforts I have planned for the first book of the mainstream series while also either finishing Beware Of Fangs! or getting 1-2 shorts ready to go.

EveHasWords OP ,
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September 6: What's the hardest thing about gardening?

I've barely gardened so I'll keep this to hydroponics where I have grown an appreciable amount of food.

There are instructions that assume you just need the most basic information and there are instructions that assume every little thing needs a degree worth of information. Sussing them out and adjusting when things go wrong is the hardest thing. Growing basil was easy but the thyme was coming out purple. Adding a bit of Phosphorus solved that and made the jalapeño bloom. Blooming wasn't enough to make the jalapeño fruit. I needed a fan for that. Then they grew too tall for the kit I had them in and that was its own disaster. But I did get jalapeño from it before I accidentally killed the plants.

Like lanything, it involves some trial and error.

EveHasWords OP ,
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September 7: What's your favorite visual art media, either to view or create with?

Probably photography but this question is a bit like asking me what my favorite song by The Mountain Goats is. Is it true in the moment I'm saying it? Probably. Is it true always: almost certainly not.

EveHasWords OP ,
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September 8: Have you ever viewed or read something because of effective promotion? What got your attention?

Almost definitely. I have to kind of narrow the scope to answer this question in a reasonable character count. What attracts me to stories is characters I think sound cool in situations I think sound interesting. Covers have their own language and I kind of know what I'm looking for but, since I read a lot of indie work, I have to account for things outside the "normal" range for the things I'm reading.

EveHasWords OP ,
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September 9: Do you like music with unusal time signatures?

Sure to the extent that I'm aware of them. Despite being a musician and composer, I don't really notice them until I try to perform them myself. I became aware of WILLOW's symptom of life because of its unusual time signature. I think the average person listening is going to notice it's kind of fast pasted musically while being only slightly fast on the lyrical end.

EveHasWords OP ,
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September 10: Do you consider reading a creative activity? Why or why not?

Sure. Even for non-fiction, readers are filling in the details with their own imaginations. If there's a point they can't put details to which is confusing, they're considering the possibilities. That may lead to research or asking questions. For fiction, beyond the things I've already mentioned, they may be theorizing or developing their own interpretations of the characters and the actions of what's going on in the world they're being presented with. Even in the unlikely event that their interpretation is exactly the same as the authors' interpretation, they still arrived there through their own creativity.

EveHasWords OP ,
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September 12: If you write about craftspeople, scientists, or artists, do you ask specialists, rely on a websearch, rely on your own knowledge, or something else?

I've tried reaching out to SMEs for a topic I needed assistance on but I didn't end up finding anyone who could assist. That may change as I establish a mainstream presence on the web. For now, if I don't have some experience in it, I rely on research.

EveHasWords OP ,
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September 13: Shameless self-promotion day. Let's boost away.

My story index is the second pin on my profile. I also recently did a write-up of the issues creators of adult material have on Fediverse with the unscheduled departure of Guppe groups.

I can't really promote what's not finished yet but I'm planning on having some seasonally themed shorter Erotic Romance stories out in time for the most important holiday of the year (All Hallows).

EveHasWords OP ,
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September 15: How's your creativity going? Need help/critique?

Progress is a little slower than I'd like but it's going alright.

EveHasWords OP ,
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September 17: If you have creative parents, do you read what they write/appreciate their art or craft, or keep out of it altogether?

My parents don't write but I follow what they're engaged in artistically. If they did write, whether I would keep up with what they wrote would depend on what they're writing. :blobcatgiggle:

EveHasWords OP ,
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September 19: If you could do anything in the world, regardless of complexity, what would be your dream project?

Doing one of three series I have as a live action or animated TV show.

EveHasWords OP ,
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September 21: How do you define creative rewards? Something that gives you satisfaction, something that pays you money, both, or something else?

I'm not sure I really think about creative rewards in those terms. As long as we do have capitalism, I want creativity to be how I make my money but the creative 'reward' is reading the story or looking at the art or whatever else.

EveHasWords OP ,
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September 22: Do you feel you have a good eye for composing photos?

Not overly so. A lot of photography boils down to the rule of thirds, getting the right light, timing, ... and taking dozens of 'extra' photos. :blobcatgiggle: Getting those things right involves practice and analyzing what went wrong.

Hint on the rule of thirds: there's a good chance that your phone supports an overlay that will show you the grid for the rule of thirds. Helps a lot. And that article I linked has a lot of cool details I hadn't know about like putting your horizon on one of the thirds lines.

EveHasWords OP ,
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September 23: Shameless someone-else-promotion day. Let's boost away.

@KitAuthor offers author platforms at $10/month https://eponaauthorsolutions.com/website-hosting/ . They also have editing services at a 25% discount for the next ... six days https://eponaauthorsolutions.com/editing-services/ .

They also have a podcast and books and a subscription thingy!

EveHasWords OP ,
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September 24: What has been your biggest frustration with your creative work this month?

Time and energy.

EveHasWords OP ,
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September 25: How would you describe your fashion sense?

At this exact moment, tees and extremely colorful capris.

EveHasWords OP ,
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September 26: Is there a book that got you through a difficult time?

Oh, tons. Probably Night Watch by Terry Pratchett would be the best example. I've read it so many times, my copy is barely in one piece.

EveHasWords OP ,
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September 28:

Hi, Nicole! ( @Ink_Soul )

I notice that you use Twine to develop games. I haven't developed any in quite a while but I've had a lot of fun developing with Twine in the past. What story format do you prefer? (I'm pretty big on Sugarcube myself.)

@EveHasWords@toot.cat avatar EveHasWords , to random

Plea for action from Australians copied from Bsky:

If any fellow Aussies think its inappropriate for a registered Australian charity (Collective Shout) to bully an indie website (Itch) into reviewing all NSWF (+ random other) content, and to pretend 'lobbying' is 'charity', here's where you can report misuse of their charity status: https://www.acnc.gov.au/

You're looking for the Raise a concern menu. The option is Raise a concern about a charity.

According to the screenshot, the ABN is 30162159097. As I'm not an Australian, I haven't gone through the process myself.

source: https://bsky.app/profile/eliseswritings.bsky.social/post/3lursey6mqc26

Australian Government Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission Raise a concern about a charity Form Charity details Charity ABN: 30162159097 What is your relationship, if any, to the charity? Member of the public Your concern The following most accurately describe your concerns: Criminal or improper purposes
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@EveHasWords@toot.cat avatar EveHasWords , to random

Heads up about a journalist trying to get in contact with affected trans authors regarding the itch.io horse shit:

https://bsky.app/profile/thetransfemininereview.com/post/3luogyd7z4k2i

🚨🚨🚨 Indie website itch.io has just rolled out a major shadow ban of NSFW content. This drastic escalation in censorship already seems to affecting trans authors.

TRANS AUTHORS ON ITCH: Please check you pages.

I am going to report on this TONIGHT. To those affrcted, DM me with any info.

@wilander@mastodon.social avatar wilander , to bookstodon group

Do people really read 99k words in 7-8 hours? There are fast readers for sure, but this kind of metadata always puts me off. It kind of tells me I'm not a good (enough) reader. bookstodon@a.gup.pe icon bookstodon group

Screenshot of data about an ebook, saying 99k words / 336 pages takes 7-8 hours to read.
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EveHasWords ,
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@wilander I haven't timed me reading a 99K book. I know that for the lower ranges, my speed is faster than their estimates. For fiction at least.

Not like orders of magnitude or anything. If they say 7-8 hours, it's likely I'd read it in about 6 assuming they use the same WPM formula across ranges.

bookstodon@a.gup.pe icon bookstodon group

@nellie_m@autisticpri.de avatar nellie_m , to ActuallyAutistic group

actuallyautistic@a.gup.pe icon ActuallyAutistic group

No one asked me but if you did I’d say:

DON‘T go for an official autism „diagnosis“ if you’re in the US. The fascist takeover is in full swing, and they don’t just use lists of people born elsewhere.

https://turtleisland.social/@Yehuda/114486805142023706

Lists of „diagnosed“ autistics are already being made.

1/

EveHasWords ,
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@JustRosy RFK Jr., a member of this administration, has plainly said he wants to put people on Adderall into “wellness camps.”

Everything else this administration has said it wants to do is something it has taken concrete actions to accomplish. It’s not alarmist to suggest that RFK’s Autism List would be used for the next batch of repeating Nazi history directed at people that RFK considers “disabled.”

The danger isn’t imaginary. It’s already happening to documented, “law abiding” migrants and citizens (and it wasn’t ok when human rights abuses were being perpetrated on undocumented migrants either).

You’re either arguing in bad faith or you’re being incredibly naive.

@roknrol @nellie_m actuallyautistic@a.gup.pe icon ActuallyAutistic group

@cwebber@social.coop avatar cwebber , to random

would someone like to explain activitypub to me... wait no, not with an AI assistant sorry

EveHasWords ,
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@cwebber When two or more compatible servers love each other very much ...

( :blobcatgiggle: I'm sure someone else has done this one before but just in case.)

@hosford42@techhub.social avatar hosford42 , to ActuallyAutistic group

https://www.forbes.com/sites/jenniferpalumbo/2025/05/06/autism-speaks-from-criticism-to-inclusion-and-a-future-of-listening/

I'm curious to get my fellow autistics' take on this article. What do you think? Can Autism Speaks be redeemed? Is their change in direction legitimate? Is it enough?

actuallyautistic@a.gup.pe icon ActuallyAutistic group


EveHasWords ,
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@hosford42 If it was in any way true that the “feedback” was transformative, it wouldn’t have taken them this many years to do something about it. They’ve continued to operate as a hate group for all this time. The criticism has remained the same because their hateful actions have stayed consistent over time.

The only thing they can do to redeem themselves is to spend every last dime they have correcting every hateful thing they did until they are out of money and then shut their organization down permanently.

The question I have is what motivation has for laundering their reputation.

actuallyautistic@a.gup.pe icon ActuallyAutistic group


Screenshot from Forbes article with the text: Over the years, Autism Speaks has faced significant criticism—most notably from self-advocates—regarding its early focus on curing autism, portraying autistic individuals through a lens of fear, and failing to include autistic voices in leadership and decision-making. But Wargo says that the feedback wasn’t ignored—it was transformative. “This is not a PR effort—it’s fundamental to how we operate and make decisions. If we’re serious about impact, we need to build solutions with, not just for, the people we’re working to support.” This perspective has catalyzed a shift in the organization’s core mission—from one focused on early diagnosis and awareness to one that addresses support across the entire lifespan. As Wargo notes, “Autism is a lifelong condition, yet the support available to autistic adults is lacking.”
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  • Reply
    • @ainmosni@ainmosni.eu avatar ainmosni , to random

    So, fedi, what brand marks someone as the biggest douchebag?

    I have my own opinion, but I’d like to hear yours first!

    EveHasWords ,
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    @ainmosni Tesla's the only thing that came to mind for me. I don't really know folks who are wearing name brand, though.

    @Doomed_Daniel