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Freaky Friday Rants & Raves 1-6-06
Rave: An announcement came yesterday that a 55 million gal. per year ethanol plant will be built near our town. The ethanol will be produced from local corn crops and help wean America from foreign oil and oil wars. It is called E-85 at gas stations and much cheaper than regular gas. **==
Rave: Temps way above normal for the past three weeks. Highs is the mid 30's is very unusual. ((h)) Rant: Law(less)makers who take bribes, vacations, and perks in exchange for legislation. ((6)) Rave: The cat who stood up to my dog. ((&)) |
jorr, is everything ok with the mail man situation?
Rave: Temps in Portland are in the 50s. Who cares if it rains a little? Today we went on a shopping spree in an Asian antique gallery. Got a couple of very pretty ,very old things :) ( this is good if you are a couple of very old things too LOL ) Jorrs cat that stood up to a dog. This is a lesson we all need to learn lol..((@))((&)) Rant: The loss of the miners Loss anywhere, too much loss in the world these days. The carriage horse accident in NYC. Please, do they need Horse Drawn Carriages in NYC ?? |
Rant: The coal miners who lost their lives this week in West Virginia. Such a tragic turn of events for their families and the community.
Rant: A touch of vertigo this week as a result of a virus that has settled in my head. Rave: I have an interview in two weeks. Rave: My husband gave me Il Divo tickets for New Years Eve. ((l)) Rave: The Allman Brothers perform in NYC in March! <i>Lord, I was born a ramblin' man Tryin' to make a livin' and doin' the best I can And when it's time for leavin' I hope you'll understand ...</i> I hope my dear husband will indulge me... Rave: "Dancing With the Stars" -- I hope George Hamilton makes it to the next round, lol. :D Rave: I had a great time with my sons. The oldest is such a wise man; the youngest, well, he's still young and my sunshine :) So Jorr, what <i>exactly</i> did the cat do? Have a safe and happy weekend everyone ((f)) |
forgot a Rant: that "Gil's Malta & Sicily Trip Report" has been advertised for a month ! How about something new.
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Greetings to all my fellow midnight FFR&R's and greetings to all of you that I will 'see' tomorrow.
I haven't been around for a couple weeks due to the blessings of holiday guests and festivities. I feel like I have been 'gone' for two years, not two weeks, LOL. WHAT'S goin' on!?! :S- Have to share with all of you a funny story that happened just before my holiday sabbatical... (STW, darlin you may appreciate this one and BTW, good luck on your interview!) …I was telling my DH how impressed I was that a dear Fodorite friend remembered that he was an avid golfer (you know who you are!). In the process of my rambling on I actually said those words to him, "DH". When I was all done, he looked at me and said, "DH? You mean Deadhead?" Needless to say his cuteness warranted an immediate kiss on the cheek and I explained the true meaning of "DH". Indeed he is precious… And yes, grew up during that Grateful Dead era. Ahhh, God bless him. Rave ~ All the little things. Rave ~ People who smile at others. Oh the gift you give, do you even realize it? Rave ~ Tree Ornament Gift Givers. I can't even remember what I had to eat yesterday, but I somehow manage to remember each person that gave me an ornament, and with each time I hang it, and each time I take if down, I think of them and it warms my heart. Rant ~ Those without their loved ones tonight. May they continue to live in your memory. ((L)) Tiff |
Rave: STW's rave about her sons. So sweet!
Vertigo's a nasty feeling isn't it, stw? Hope it goes away soon. Rave: Spent Saturday evening through Tuesday morning at my MIL's. She's doing very well. After 54 years of marriage and 8 kids, being alone is a tremendous change for her. Not to mention the fact that my FIL had always taken care of all things financial. It's a real adjustment for her. But she's handling it well. She's an incredibly strong woman. And even more gentle than she is strong. A real inspiration. Rave: This weekend we celebrate a belated Christmas with my family. And we get to start seriously planning the itinerary for our trip. I found out yesterday that one of my brothers' friends (who grew up in our home town and whose younger sister is a good friend of one of my SIL's (S'sIL?). As our daughter says, in a small town everyone is connected to everyone else!) is going too. This is gonna be like no vacation we've ever taken before! I think it's going to be great fun to be part of a group. But I'm glad we're also splitting for part of the time! Hope you get to go to that concert, STW! Happy Friday and great weekend, everyone! |
Can't believe I forgot to wish you luck on your interview, STW! Crossing those fingers again!
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I promise this is the last time! But it took me a long time to post (my dryer stopped mid-post!) and Tiff posted while I was writing.
Cute DH story, Tiff! And I had to agree with your rave about ornament givers. I feel the same way every time we put up and take down our tree. |
Rave -- Jorr's new "neighbor." Great for the environment as well as the local economy. Can't beat that.
Rant -- Hmmm...A bit too many sweets over the holiday season have left their mark. Guess I need to actually break a sweat at the gym... Rave -- My rant is very minor (I left out the one about the run in the hose that I just put on - rough life). Rave -- Planning an upcoming vacation to California. STW - Good luck on the interview. Happy weekend to all! |
Good luck with your interview, STW!
Rant: Still trying to get over a cold that I started to develop New Years Eve. Had to spend my two days off thereafter in bed. :( Rant: The miners and their families loss. Rant: Just found out that after I return from Rome, I have four days at home and then have to turn around and go to NYC for a week on business. That's sure going to be a tiring couple of weeks. Rave: I have a fabulous husband who is so good to me. (sigh) Rave: Ten more weeks until my mom's dream trip to Rome. Gosh, it's sneaking up fast! Rave: 2006 - A year of many possibilities for all of us. Have a fabulous weekend my Fodorite friends! :) |
Hi everyone. I, too, have been away for a few weeks and feel like I've probably missed a lot.
Rant: We've finally moved into the house and are starting to get settled. Rant/Rave: Moving at Christmas-time stinks. My fiance and I didn't even have a Christmas together. No tree, no decorations, nothing. However, we did purchase BB King tickets as a gift to each other and will be going to that on 1/28. That'll be our Christmas. Rant: The house we just moved into required a week of painting and cleaning just to get it liveable. Trying to do that on top of work and juggling different family oriented holiday activities, and being sick, was way too much! Rant: I hope I don't get ripped on for this but...cigarettes!!! I've spent a week cleaning and painting, and still cleaning, because of people who smoked in this house, heavily, for at least 20 yrs. The buildup after 20 yrs. of cigarette smoke is just disgusting. I used to smoke and if I hadn't quit already, just seeing what I keep wiping off the walls would be enough to quite smoking. Surfaces that should be white were brown. The screens that should be gray were brown. The smell that has permeated the bedroom walls is proving to be a b$%ch to get rid of. I've scrubbed them 3 times and it's still there!!! Thermostat and outlet covers were sticky and covered in the brown film. Door casings are brown when they should be white. There were a few times I wanted to give up and not move, but am now glad we didn't because we need this space. Unfortunately, it's only a rental--for now. Phew---see what happens when I "go away" for a few weeks. Just had to get a few things off my chest. I hope everyone has a great holiday and Happy New Year to you all! |
Rant: The Buffalo Bills.
Rave: Marv Levy is returning to the Bills as general manager. He's on of the greatest coaches....EVER....and a great guy, too. Rant: The miners. How awful! Rave: The Buffalo Sabres! 1st place! Rant: The idiot who hit my car last week is telling whopper lies to the insurance companies. I need to get rid of this guy. Rave: My 14 year old son is attending his first date dance tomorrow night. He's gonna look good in the suit coat I bought him. The girl he's going with is a good friend. 14 is too damned young for a real girl friend. Have a great weekend everyone! |
Rave: I had three Ibis march across my yard doing their funky gate!
Rave: Spending the weekend in Asheville! May get to see snow! Rave: Getting to spend the weekend with my stepkids. Rave: My silly husband. He's so funny! Rant: The coal miners. So tragic. Rave: Running last night as the sun was setting over the marsh, these magnificent Pelicans from up north (I know my native flock) were soaring majestically above me heading towards the wild bird sanctuary. Rave: The glass is half full and I'm counting my blessings. Last little rave: I've got 7 of my 20 pounds off. Not too bad considering I did it over the holidays! |
Caph, you're such a night owl, doing your laundry -- you put me to shame, lol. Your family is going to have such a wonderful vacation together :)
Tiff, nice to "see" you! I thought I read somewhere that your husband took a new job and you are going on a trip -- best wishes! I agree with the ornaments! That's why it takes me such a long time to put the tree up and take the tree down. It's really nice to think about the people who gave the ornament or the special place we visited when we bought the ornament. :) Buffalogirl's little boy going to his first dance...and so it begins!!! You'll say the same thing when he's 15, 16, 17, 18....trust me :D Thanks for the good interview wishes. Now I have two weeks to prepare - 13 days too many (if you ask me) as I am ready NOW, lol. Vertigo is a pain, fortunately it "peaked" Wednesday and since then, I am feeling more myself -- watch out! ;) Rant: Getting back on an exercise routine. <b>HELP! Anyone want to loose some weight together? I want to drop 10 pounds but need some motivating. <i>I challenge anyone who is interested to join my effort :D</i></b> |
Rave: Good for you GoTravel! Seven pounds over the holidays is a huge accomplishment! Are you still running?
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Hi gang, I am joining the wanting to lose the weight crowd. I started dieting a few days ago.... I haven't seen any results yet. I need to get into an exercise routine. As I get older, the weight doesn't fall off anymore. I need to work at it.
Rave: It's Friday. RAnt: I have a toothache this morning and this is a tooth I have had trouble with before. I am hoping if I ignore it, it will go away???? Please.... I hate going to the dentist!! Rant: The WV coal miner situation. I am so sorry for the families. I hope this young guy pulls through okay. Rave:Just had a great week visiting family. Everyone got along so well and we all stayed in the same house together..amazing. We visited NY together and saw the Rockettes. I rode my old train to NY and felt like I was going to work all over again... It is more fun knowing that I won't have to do it every day for the rest of my life. I got to see some old faces from my old job. I worried that they would all think I am older and fatter. I haven't seen them in 10 years. Funny enough, they were all about 10 years older then me back then, so they are older and fatter than me now too...LOL Silly huh? Anyway back to the real world. Jorr: What ever happened to the crazy postman? Good luck STW on your job interview. I hope you get it. Congrats Go Travel on your weight loss. Have a great weekend everyone! |
Yes I am still running. It was quite discouraging to actually GAIN weight training for a marathon but looking back at our pictures of Mexico right before I started training, I was a little on the skinny side.
I just decided to run every single day (2-8 miles) and eat only whole grains, lean protein, and fresh fruit and veggies. I'm eliminating white flour, enriched flour, processed sugar and animal fat from my diet. I'm also watching my calories. My big downfall is beer and wine. One of life's simple pleasures is a big ole ice cold beer. Or a glass of sharp crisp white wine. Sigh. |
Ethel, you are putting in such effort to make your home special. You must have such a great sense of accomplishment, but must also be exhausted! I hate scrubbing, lol. To do it once is enough -- three times, well...
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GoTravel, I've been on whole grains, veggies, and lean meat forever. But I will admit to not watching my sugar lately and over the last year I have become sedentary because of my academic goals. I will also have to get back to eating more fruits. Beer and wine is not so hard for me to give up.
I have a gym membership and in the past I would get there <i>at least</i> 4 times per week for a cardio workout and weights. I know this will be key to losing pounds (and regaining my energy). |
ethel, I know what you are talking about. Several years ago I bought a house that had brand new carpet in every room and all the walls were freshly painted. Later I ran across the contractor who did this. He said the realtor couldn't move the house because the carpets stunk from smoke and the walls were yellow from smoke.
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Jorr--the carpet, well that was a whole 'nuther story. That was replaced the day we moved in. I would not have taken the place if they weren't going to replace it. I couldn't imagine walking on it with rubber boots let alone barefoot. It was beyond disgusting.
STW--yes I do have a sense of accomplishment but I think it would be greater if we owned the house. I feel like we're doing all this work for a rental which will only help when the owner does decide to sell. It's like we're doing the work for him. I don't mind because it does have a lot of character and a lot more room (almost 3 times) than what we had. We just outgrew our little apt. and we've been looking to buy but the market in Lake Placid is just insane right now. We've managed to save a large amount so we'll rent this house for a year or so and just keep adding to our savings...Good luck on your interview btw. GoT--congrats on the weight loss. I managed to lose 10 lbs after Thanksgiving and only "gained" 2 of it back after Christmas. The quest is back on and it's even more pressure now because I only have 9 months before my wedding. I think I can, I think I can. Keep up the good work. |
Happy Friday!
Rant: Stressful week back at work after the holidays. Crazy clients who can't make up their minds about what they want but want it immediately! Rave: I'm not the only one trying to focus on heaither diet & exercise habits and get back into shape! I agree 100% about the ornaments. I've got a tree full of wonderfully meaningful decorations, and I too enjoy thinking about each of them as I put up & take down my tree every year. Have a great weekend everyone! Trish |
Rave: Most posters have more raves than rants today.
Rave: The sun is shining this morning; such a nice break from the dreary overcast days we've been having here in mid-Michigan. Rave: Local speedskater who made the 5 man Olympic fast-track team, along with Apolo Ohno. The community has watched him develop over the years and will be glued to the TV as he competes in Torino. Go Izzy!!!! Rave: Road trip in two weeks with daughter to watch granddaughter play hockey - 2 games in Grand Rapids on Saturday and 2 games in Kalamazoo on Sunday. Rave: Upcoming road trip to casino and lunch with group of dear friends to celebrate one's birthday. Rant: The loss of life in the mine disaster in West Virginia and the ice rink disaster in Germany. So much sad news these days. I wish all Fodorites a happy and prosperous 2006, with love of family and friends and lots of exciting travel! |
Rave: I was offered a job yesterday at a place I've been wanting to be a part of for a long while now!
Rave: MY Longhorns beat "the greatest team EVER" for the championship. HOOK 'EM! Rave: The wife and I are headed to NYC for a long weekend next week ... and aren't planning a thing! Rant: My head aches. Rave: The Pennsylvania Farm Show is underway ... it's truly a unique experience. |
Seetheworld,
I'm with you on the weight droppage express. Too bad it's more of a slow crawl on my end...I just want/need to lose about 15 pounds--but mercy, do those pounds want to linger after age 40! Am now doing a modified Weight Watchers diet--lots of fruits, veggies, WATER and exercise. Bleh. I hear you, GoTravel, on the beer and wine--life is good with a lovely glass of Merlot by my side about 6 p.m. Rave: The absolutely fantabulous series of college football bowl games this year. We're football fanatics in our house and this was the best year that I can remember. Rave: that the Christmas decorations and tree are dismantled and the house is back to normal for another 11 months. LOVE having the decorations up--I just don't like putting them away! Seetheworld, how cool is that about the Allman Brothers--would LOVE to see them!!! There's just something about bad boys... :-) We're off to the other end of the state this afternoon to see my husband's parents and celebrate "Christmas" with them. Our family's spur-of-the-moment trip to the Alamo Bowl kind threw Christmas plans out of whack this year. They live on a beautiful farm so the kids have a great time. My 16 year old and his dad will no doubt do a little hunting (ugh from this city girl) and my almost-14 year old daughter will practice her driving with Grandpa in a now-empty cornfield. Grandpa is a very calm man--LOL. Me--I'm taking along a couple of good books and plan on doing nothing! Have a great weekend, everyone. |
Rave--Had a really good trip to the WA mountains over New Year's. Lots of skiing, snowshoeing and just playing the snow. Went with extended family, and then old friends met us there as well.
Rant--DH ended up with the flu the day we got home. He has been miserable, and of course it is throwing my schedule off. Rave--Two old friends were in town before we left for vacation, so we got to spend time with them. Rave--Bought my airline ticket yesterday for my spa trip later this month. Rant--The miners...such a sad thing to happen. |
rave: had a few unexpected nights off from second job this week! whoo-hoo!
rave: booking ireland for may as we speak! rave: the preformances in "brokeback mountain". not one for bandwagons, but this one's a fact! i was really not expecting such a film. Alot of layers, alot of story, the scenery! the most un-boring movie I've seen in a long time. So much fun seeing a movie during the week (no crowds!) with oldest and dearest friend! rant/rave: miss my family and my cats at home, but it's nice to have something to miss! rave: unusually warm temps in nyc. now that cold (6,7,8 degrees sometimes)will hit like a ton of bricks! rant: so terrible about those minors. to think they were just going to work. :-D |
buffalogirl...my bf will second your bills rant. ;-)
and you've brought back memories of my first dances! such a big deal at the time...he'll look sharp, hope he enjoys himself! |
Rant- I will start off with Rants becasue I am in a crabby mood due to imcompetant people who are my clients and actlike 8th graders...ughhh
I have not seen the sun in days and days,.. and those poor miners and their greif stricken families... so sad... Rave - I love my job, everyone is healthy and I am starting to plan a trip St. Kitts island!!!!! Have a great weekend everyone!!! |
No rants today... just raves.
Rave: My 4 year old son who woke up this morning and said, "it's going to be a magic day today!" He has such a sweet soul. Rave: Our Canada vacation was wonderful and all three boys did very well traveling by plane for four hours! Rave: The three new hockey fans at my house who are raising the roof right now (here on the Central Coast of California) playing with their new indoor hockey set. Rave: Finally checked my e mails at work after two weeks without my laptop... no fires to put out! Happy New Year to all! |
Rave: No injuries in the tornados on Monday.
Rant: Join all the others in heartfelt sympathy for the WV coal mining community with such a devestating loss. Rave: No snow forcast and one week of January is almost gone (with a warm 60's, sunny day we enjoyed on Wednesday!) Rave: Seeing my honey this weekend. |
rave: all the truly helpful posters on fodors... love this place!
rant: weddings ;)! rant: like everyone else, the mining tragedy. Went to bed happy with the amazing news, but the first words my husband spoke to me the the following morning were "you're not going to believe this..." So sad. Makes you sorry for complaining about minor things... |
Rant: Our Christmas tree crashed to the floor one night last week while we were sitting in the living room enjoying it. Many of the ornaments that we had collected on trips survived but many of the glass ornaments that I had been collecting for my daughters for the past 13 years did not.
Rave: The ornaments that my ever so wise mother in law gave my daughters DID survive. She was smart enough to select unbreakable ones! Very important as she passed away earlier this year and her gifts could not have been replaced. Rant: Stomache bug hit my youngest daughter yesterday. Yuck. Rave: I'm keeping my fingers crossed but I think we may actually finally really truly do the very sorely needed home renovations this year. Project was designed over 7 years ago by a local architect (whom we couldn't afford now) but we never managed to get the project moving forward. Met with bank and kitchen design guy this week and have general contractor lined up. So maybe it will really happen this time. Rave: The Super Bowl Champion Patriots ready to give it another good try. Go Tedi and Tom! |
RAVE: My Carolina Hurricanes ... way to go, guys! Had tickets to the victory over Atlanta Thrashers Wednesday night! What a really great game ... :-)
RAVE: Carolina Panthers in play-offs against NY Giants Sunday... Gonna show those Yanks what our Southern boys can do! :-d RAVE: NC State versus UNC Tar Heels basketball tomorrow. It doesn't get much better!!! ;;) RAVE/RANT: Getting back on "healthy living program" in this new year ... Update: Long story short, since I took my "break" beginning last June, when I had lost 45 lbs. in a year, as of today, I had gained back 12 lbs. of that BUT this past week, I am back on program, lots of exercise, eating right, and am determined to get that last 35 pounds off by my birthday in June. Anybody interested, hop on this "healthy wagon" with STW and me! We can report our progress on this thread on Fridays, if some of you are game??? :-) STW, good luck with your interview! IMHO, vertigo is about the worst ailment that doesn't kill you because it sure turns your world upside down! You have my sympathies ... RAVE: All of you with trip-planning going on. I'm prodding my DH, but nothing in stone yet... RAVE: My son, DIL and DGD had a great trip to Las Vegas, except for the pools being closed, for some reason. Very disappointing for the little girls. The Luxor was wonderful, and they loved Celine and David Copperfield. Thanks for the advice given here that I passed on to them! RAVE: The Igloo Cake and the Gingerbread Christmas train done with my granddaughter came out great!!!! STW, was it you who mentioned it on last week's thread? Thanks for asking ... you wouldn't want to eat much of that Igloo Cake! You've never seen so many marshmallows, so much frosting, so much crystal sugar in your life! :-d RANT: The mining disaster. :-( How heartbreaking for all those families ... I feel so sad for them. Fellow Fodorites, have a wonderful weekend! |
annesherrod, you'll be only 9 miles from me when you're on St. Kitts! ;) Happy planning!
frankie's rave about weddings. :D STW - Enjoy the Allman Brothers! I saw them in NYC a few years ago and they were great. One word of advice, though. Don't partake in the smoking elements that will constantly be passed to or by you. ;) I was surprised by that at their show in NYC and needless to say, the snack bars were PACKED at intermission. sppunk, congrats on the job offer! |
Rave: Unemployment down and figures lowest in over 5 years.
Rave: Bears, but I'm not as confident as you are (Patriots) that they will be in the Super Bowl. It could be though. I would take a Patroit/Bears replay of 1986 January with the same score. Rant: All industrial accidents and road deaths. We have so many by us that it is getting to be funeral of the week. It is not funny on either count. Miners too. That profession and the high rise iron/construction workers, it just really doesn't change. Your life is in others' hands- literally. Rave: A day off for my birthday next week, and I look at it like another step closer to retirement- nothing bad at all. Rave: Weather has been over 30 and no snow- after Dec. blizzards who would have "thunk" it. Most of the week it was 40 plus. Rant: My polar bears Payton & Hadley are getting sent to the Memphis Zoo to be their new "couple" and to center their Northwest Passage huge acreage and 130,000 gallon pool exhibit. I helped name you Payton (after Walter Payton, of course)- Good luck to you and your offspring. Your mom will miss you, you big lug. Rave: Memphis Zoo - is sounds like a must see. Hope you all have a great weekend. Please drive safely. |
STW, yes, yes, yes, I want to join you! 6 lbs lighter, and can't go down any more :(
Rave (/rant??) only 2 months till next vacation, but feel like haven't done any research, arghh... always something comes up! Rant: a sonogram confirmed my friend's mammogram's fears. Feeling of being helpless - what do I say? how can I help her? Rave: our younger son staying in touch, sending e-mails from Europe Rave: our older son gave us a russian poster which we framed. Our sarcastic tribute to the communist past is now hanging shamelessly in the living room. During the first 2 years at this work I didn't really take vacation days off, now I have 4 weeks a year, so created a "vacation overflow" which will be paid off. It's OK, I don't have enough money to use those days as vacation anyway! |
Rave: Tiff and several of our other Fodor friends have mentioned the Christmas ornaments, so I wanted to add my thoughts. My dad died forty one years ago Christmas. Initially everyone told me I would never enjoy the holiday again, it would be so sad. They were very wrong. My dad loved Christmas services at church, he loved presents and he loved the tree and decorations. Celebrating the holiday keeps him very much with me.
When my mom lost the ability to keep or decorate her tree, I inherited the ornaments. As I hang the ornament my kid brother made in Cub Scouts, or the one my Dad brought back from Austria at the end of WWII, or the one with the picture of the darling little Sealyham puppy he gave me for my ninth Christmas, he is decorating the tree with me and I am truly grateful for such a special way to celebrate his life and reflect with pleasure on all the memories of family and friends Christmas revitalizes. Rave: The secret messages shared in posts. Yes, Tiff, I mean you! My DH thought it meant damned husband. Rave: OK, stw (think of how you will wow them at the interview!),girlonthego, Ethel (what an incentive a wedding dress can be),Tess and Bonnie, you are on. Fodors biggest losers. I am in for twenty in the competition. No fair, GoT, you are already quite trim! Rant: Mine safety issues. Such an unnecessary loss of life. Rave: Our servicemen. Their sacrifices and heroism are inspirational. Rave:Peace in 2006. It can happen. |
Rant:I have not the foggiest notion how the P in peace became a less than appropriate emoticon.
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Statia,
Only 9 miles!!! We may have to have a mini GTG while I am there!!! I could you bring you some supplies from the midwest!! have a great weekend! Oh, and have fun in Rome! We were supposed to go there for springbreak with the kids but it did not work out. Maybe nextg year. sorry to hijack this!!! :) |
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