275 lines
8.3 KiB
Plaintext
Executable File
275 lines
8.3 KiB
Plaintext
Executable File
news
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worldnews
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barackobama
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8484141
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# Barack Obama tours devastated Alabama
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## President Barack Obama toured Alabama and met devastated Americans
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struggling to pick up the pieces after the worst tornadoes in decades
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shattered communities across the US south and killed more than 300 people.
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400
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227
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TelegraphPlayer-8484593
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[Link to this video][1]
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5:39PM BST 29 Apr 2011
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[Comments][2]
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With grief and disbelief rippling across the region, stunned residents sifted
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through the rubble of their destroyed homes and emergency crews searched for
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survivors, especially in hardest-hit Alabama where at least 210 people died
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and cities and towns were left forever transformed by nature's fury.
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Entire blocks were obliterated in Tuscaloosa, a city of about 90,000 people,
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where Mr Obama touched down to see the destruction first-hand, meet with
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Alabama Governor Robert Bentley and observe search and rescue operations in
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the aftermath of the worst [**US**][3] natural disaster since Hurricane
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Katrina in 2005.
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As Mr Obama and wife Michelle stepped off their plane at the Tuscaloosa
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airport, the First Lady put her hand on her heart while commiserating with
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local officials.
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"I just want to make a commitment to the communities here that we are going to
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do everything we can to help these communities rebuild," the president said.
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"We can't bring those who have been lost back, they are alongside God at this
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point.
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## Related Articles
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* [Close encounter with tornado in Mississippi][4]
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18 Apr 2011
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* [Huge tornado sweeps through Alabama][5]
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28 Apr 2011
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* [US storms kill at least 230][6]
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28 Apr 2011
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"The property damage, which is obviously extensive, that is something we can
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do something about."
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For those who experienced it up close, the effect of the powerful twisters was
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almost beyond comprehension.
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"I have never imagined a tornado could lead to such destruction in a city,"
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Rose Livingston said outside her Tuscaloosa deli, where she and her children
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were packing boxes filled with deli produce, drinks and appliances into a
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truck.
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The magnitude of devastation was alarming, as tornadoes and storms raging
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across eight states from Arkansas to Virginia left horrific destruction,
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essentially wiping some small towns off the map, scraping homes clear off
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their foundations and leaving thousands homeless and at least 2,000 more
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injured.
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This week's tornadoes, most of which touched down on Wednesday, have already
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claimed the lives of 303 people, while flooding killed another 10 in Arkansas,
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Kentucky and Missouri.
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But with dozens still missing and Bentley and other officials warning the body
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count would rise as rescuers uncover more dead in the debris, the tragedy is
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likely to surpass the tornado outbreak of April 3, 1974, which killed 310
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people.
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Mr Obama, who has called the damage "catastrophic," declared a major disaster
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in Alabama, which frees up federal search and rescue assistance and recovery
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aid to the Gulf Coast state, including grants for temporary housing and home
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repairs and loans to cover uninsured property damage.
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Aside from Alabama, the twisters left 34 dead in Tennessee, 33 in Mississippi,
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15 in Georgia, six in Arkansas, and five in Virginia, according to state
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officials.
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They were among the strongest to ravage the US in years, with Mississippi
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officials reporting that the tornado that ripped through the city of
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Smithville was a rare category EF-5, the strongest rating, with wind speeds up
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to 205 miles per hour.
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Survivors were counting themselves lucky to escape with their lives, but
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coping with the magnitude of loss was proving an enormous challenge.
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Recalling the recent horror of Hurricane Katrina, families picked through the
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remains of homes, businesses and schools, bearing witness to scenes of
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devastation more common in war zones or after earthquakes.
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In Alabama, nearly a million people were still without power, and energy
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companies said it could take days to restore electricity.
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Tuscaloosa Mayor Walter Maddox, who imposed a night curfew, said his city's
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infrastructure had been completely devastated.
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"When you look at this path of destruction, likely five to seven miles long
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and half a mile to a mile wide, I don't know how anyone survived," he said on
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Thursday.
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[X][7] Share & bookmark
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Digg Fark LinkedIn Google Buzz StumbleUpon Y! Buzz
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[What are these?][8]
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* Share: [Share][7] [ ][9] [ ][10]
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[Tweet][11]
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http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/barackobama/8484141/Barack-Obama-
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tours-devastated-Alabama.html
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Telegraph
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## [Barack Obama][12]
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* ### [News »][13]
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* ### [World News »][14]
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* ### [North America »][15]
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* ### [USA »][3]
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In news
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[![US President Barack Obama's state visit to Britain: day two in
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pictures][16] ][17]
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### [Obamas visit Britain: day two][17]
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[![US President Barack Obama's state visit to Britain: security and
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protests][18] ][19]
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### [Obama: security and protests][19]
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[![Queen Elizabeth II and US President Barack Obama during a State Banquet in
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Buckingham Palace,][20] ][21]
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### [Obamas visit Britain: day one][21]
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[![][22] ][23]
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### [Obama honours 'special relationship' in toast to the Queen][23]
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[![Barack Obama UK visit: trip well received in US media: US President Barack
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Obama high-fives with British Prime Minister David Cameron as they play table
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tennis ][24] ][25]
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### [Obama and Cameron team up for ping pong doubles][25]
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[X][7] Share & bookmark
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Delicious Facebook Google Messenger Reddit Twitter
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Digg Fark LinkedIn Google Buzz StumbleUpon Y! Buzz
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[What are these?][8]
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Share:
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* [ ][7]
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* [ ][9]
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* [ ][10]
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* [Tweet][11]
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* Advertisement
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![][26]
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telegraphuk
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Please enable JavaScript to view the [comments powered by Disqus.][27] [blog
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comments powered by Disqus][28]
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[1]: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/barackobama/8484593
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/President-Obama-visits-tornado-hit-Alabama.html
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[2]: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/barackobama/8484141/Barack-
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Obama-tours-devastated-Alabama.html#disqus_thread
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[3]: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/
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[4]: /news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/8459079/Tornado-filmed-close-up-in-
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Mississippi.html
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[5]: /news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/8479552/Huge-tornado-sweeps-through-
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Alabama.html
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[6]: /topics/weather/8481149/Worst-US-storms-for-40-years-kill-at-
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least-230.html
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[7]: #
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[8]: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/news/4590190/Share-this-article-
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What-are-these.html
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[9]: mailto:?subject=A Telegraph reader thought you would be interested in
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this article&body=Depending on your email program, you may be able to click on
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the link in the email. Alternatively, you may have to open a web browser, such
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as Firefox or Internet Explorer, and copy the link over into the address bar.
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%0A%0Ahttp://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/barackobama/8484141/Barack-
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Obama-tours-devastated-Alabama.html %0A%0AFor the best content online, visit
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www.telegraph.co.uk
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[11]: http://twitter.com/share?via=Telegraph
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[12]: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/barackobama/
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[13]: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/
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[14]: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/
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[15]: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/
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[16]: http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/01905/obamas-
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620_1905119g.jpg
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[17]: /news/picturegalleries/uknews/8535498/US-President-Barack-Obamas-
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state-visit-to-Britain-day-two-in-pictures.html
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[18]: http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/01905/obama-
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620_1905049g.jpg
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[19]: /news/picturegalleries/uknews/8535970/US-President-Barack-Obamas-
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state-visit-to-Britain-security-and-protests.html
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[20]: http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/01904/obama-banquet-
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2_1904441g.jpg
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[21]: /news/picturegalleries/uknews/8533109/US-President-Barack-Obamas-
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state-visit-to-Britain-day-one-in-pictures.html
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[22]:
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http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/01904/palace1_1904369g.jpg
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[23]: /news/worldnews/barackobama/8534601/Barack-Obama-honours-special-
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relationship-in-toast-to-the-Queen.html
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[24]: http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/01904/tennis_1904422g.jpg
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[25]: /news/worldnews/barackobama/8534923/Barack-Obama-and-David-Cameron-
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team-up-for-ping-pong-doubles.html
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[26]: http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/imp.gif?client=ca-
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telegraph_uk_420x200&event=noscript
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[27]: http://disqus.com/?ref_noscript=telegraphuk
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[28]: http://disqus.com
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