tagged w/ Families
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Seth Freed Wessler, Applied Research Center/Colorlines.com joins Thom Hartmann. Children are being ripped from the arms of their parents at an alarming rate today in America. 5,000 American children are in foster care today because their parents have been deported. So is this really what Americans want when they call for greater enforcement of our borders? Or has something gone terribly wrong with immigration enforcement?Seth Freed Wessler, Applied Research Center/Colorlines.com joins Thom Hartmann.... more
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Residents of a West Bank village with no electricity have been helped out of the darkness by unlikely benefactors – a group of Israelis who installed solar panels and wind turbines to illuminate the Palestinians' makeshift homes. The villagers of Susya live in tents and caves with power lines darting right above their dwellings, connecting a nearby Jewish settlement to the power grid while bypassing them entirely. It was this lack of basic services that drew the physicists from Comet-ME, a group of pro-peace Israeli scientists and activists, to this dusty, desolate area. Now the entire village of 300 people has access to power that is reliable, free and green. http://www.makeahistory.com/index.php/your-details/43054-israeli-scientistsactivists-bring-green-power-to-west-bank-village-susya-south-hebron-mountains-Residents of a West Bank village with no electricity have been helped out of the... more
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worrg
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4 months ago
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You are about to read about a 3 year old girl named Amelia that was denied a kidney transplant because she is considered to be "mentally retarded". The doctor that made this decision felt as though Amelia would not have a good enough "quality of life" to justify the procedure. Unfortunately, this is yet another example of eugenics in action and this is the kind of thing that starts happening when human life becomes cheap. When a society decides that life is not precious, all sorts of nightmarish things begin to occur. Women start aborting babies that are discovered to be less than "perfect". Life support systems are terminated for those that are considered to be "vegetables". Medical procedures are denied to elderly patients because they would be a "waste of resources". Terminally ill children are regarded as "not worth saving". We often look back in horror on the human sacrifices of past civilizations, but many of the things that we do today are extremely barbaric as well. And as the population control agenda of the global elite continues to be promoted in the classrooms of thousands of colleges and universities around the globe, the value placed on human life is going to continue to decline.You are about to read about a 3 year old girl named Amelia that was denied a kidney... more
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Read more here:
http://fallinfail.blogspot.com/2011/12/mary-fallins-family-values-hurt.html
Governor Mary Fallin and Insurance Commissioner John Doak created and signed an emergency rule (365:10-1-15) eliminating birth as a "qualifying event" for individual healthcare coverage." Says the Oklahoma Democratic Party in a press release.
While you're looking at your children or grandchildren opening presents on Sunday morning, think about how hard it would have been on your budget for insurance not to cover their birth, or your c-section, or if your children had complications. Now insurance companies in Oklahoma don't have to worry about covering you and your family and children. Hey... whatever brings in more business, right?
Read more here:
http://fallinfail.blogspot.com/2011/12/mary-fallins-family-values-hurt.htmlRead more here:... more
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The fascist cabal known as the Bilderbergers, CFR, committee of 300 etc., is desperately and without hope trying to start WW3 and install a fascist world government in an attempt to pre-empt criminal investigations closing in on them from all sides. Their efforts will fail because the Pentagon and the agencies in the US (with the exception of homeland Gestapo) are preparing to remove them from power, according to CIA and other sources. For example, multiple investigations are closing in on alleged President Obama, including one for illegally declaring war on Libya. A count among US representatives show the votes necessary to impeach him are there, US law enforcement officials say. In addition, evidence of bribery and other forms of illegally tampering with government is being compiled against George Soros, among others. There is also a lot going on under and on the surface in Europe, Japan and the Middle East. I highly recommend you watch this first, as it will draw you directly into the mystery -- which flickered for the briefest moment in mainstream media, only to disappear into shuddering silence: http://www.makeahistory.com/index.php/bizzareweird/43041-the-trillion-dollar-lawsuit-that-could-end-financial-tyrannyThe fascist cabal known as the Bilderbergers, CFR, committee of 300 etc., is... more
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worrg
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6 months ago
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If the U.S. economy is improving, then why is child poverty in America absolutely exploding? If we are experiencing "economic growth", then why are more than half of all children in major U.S. cities like Cleveland and Detroit living in poverty? If we are the "greatest economy on earth", then why are one out of every four American children on food stamps? The shocking statistics that you are about to read below should absolutely break your heart. Tonight, millions of precious American children will go to bed without any dinner. Tonight, millions of American children will shiver as they try to go to sleep because their families cannot afford any heat. How bad does child poverty have to get before we all finally admit that our economic system is completely failing many of the most vulnerable members of our society? If you want someone to blame, you can blame Congress, the Obama administration, the Bush administration and the corrupt Wall Street bankers. But most of all, blame the Federal Reserve and the debt-based monetary system that the Fed administers. Our economy is in the midst of a long-term decline and is slowly but surely dying. Many of those that are suffering the most from this decline are children.If the U.S. economy is improving, then why is child poverty in America absolutely... more
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Although the comic in me can't help but sit through the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade every year and make snide remarks about the lip syncing, the bad jokes by the commentators and blatant commercialism of the whole thing the little kid in me just wouldn't be able to make it through the holiday without watching it. I admit I still get a little excited when I see my favorite float and when Santa shows up at the end I can almost forget just how cruel and chaotic this world is. There's a certain magic that just can't be put into words so I took the liberty of imagining what a parade full of my own characters might look like. I hope everyone has a safe holiday and that you find someway to make it magic.Although the comic in me can't help but sit through the Macy's Thanksgiving... more
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To recap, Anthony, a Target employee from Omaha, started a Change.org petition last week asking Target to move back its Black Friday opening time from midnight on Thanksgiving night to (the somewhat less crazy) 5 a.m., so that thousands of workers and shoppers could have Thanksgiving dinner with their families.
More than 100,000 people (including you!) have signed, and more than 50 other petitions have been started asking chains like Best Buy and Macy’s to move back their openings, too.
Even better, several of Target’s competitors have now proudly announced that they’re opening later to give workers time to celebrate the holiday with loved ones. And there’s no doubt that Target and others will think twice before opening so early next year.
http://tinyurl.com/84ptkmkTo recap, Anthony, a Target employee from Omaha, started a Change.org petition last... more
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LOrion
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7 months ago
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http://www.youtube.com/user/WillowCreekPictures
Since 1947, the Edinburgh Festival Cavalcade has taken place in Edinburgh to signal the start of the Fringe Festival. The cavalcade is a parade made up from the performers of the Fringe in addition to local community groups and marching bands which includes the cast of the world renowned Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo. The event takes place at the beginning of August annually and atracts many thousands of visitors visiting Scotland and local families and groups of friends. Despite occuring every year since it's inception, for the first time in it's history, the cavalcade did not take place in 2011 due to a lack of funding to support the event. Hopefully, the event will return in the future. Rumours have been around stating that the cavalcade may now become a two year event which would be possible with current funding available for staging the event.
I have always been a spectator to the event and so I wanted to try and gain an opportunity to film the event on the ground. To achieve this, I approached cavalcade Director, David Todd firstly in 2008 to seek permission to shoot the event. He gladly accepted and I took along my Hi8 camera to record the event. It wasn't until the following summer that David got in contact with me again to record the event a second time of the parade to take place during August, 2009.
My aim was to create a better video of the event than the one I produced in 2008 so I decided that using multi cameras might cover the event in more detail. I've been a member of the Edinburgh Cine & Video Society since 2006 so I posted an ad at the club to see if anyone would like to help collaborate with me on the project as a Camera Operator. The response was good initially where I managed to get together a team of five to record the event.
To gain the best coverage, I put together a very rough diagram of where I wanted to position cameras. One of the members of the team, Peter Dick wanted to try out his new HDV camera at a height so he ended up filming the parade from the Crags in Holyrood Park which produced some excellent results. I particularly enjoyed the shots of the Scottish Parliament in the background and the marching bands seen from afar.
Two of the Camera Operators were positioned on the ground within the parade route which included me. When I arrived a couple of hours before the event, me and Bob Bell, another ECVS member picked up some orange high visibility vests to alert people that we were filming. I quite liked having this as it made me feel more professional. Getting close to performers during filming was a good idea where between us we managed to gain some interesting, comical shots of the performers. Bob Bell managed to capture some shots of the crowds waving and smiling which added a community feel to the video. I especially liked his sneaky shot of a woman singing Batman where she obvisouly seems oblivious to the fact that she's being filmed, only to realize that she is at the last moment.
I enjoyed one of my shots where I weaved in between the Massed Pipes and Drums which I think adds excitement to the video. Another memorable moment for me was filming the Swiss Army band which were kind enough to march in a circle around a roundabout in order for a badly placed crowd to see some action. They loved the band for giving them a photo opportunity. Being able to follow the bands behind them worked well too for giving the audience an unsual look at the performers in my opinion. Bob managed to get a shot of the pipers by using a monopod lifted high in the air which created an interesting look. I found that when filming the bands, you have to be on your feet, watching out for where they are marching to and you have to make sure you don't get hit by a drum major's mace. Another of my shots which worked well was a pan shot on the ground of Royal Air Force Pipes and Drums which added another different perspective to the video. I also found that Chinese Dragons are easy to get tangled up in when filming!
There were two other Camera Operators who filmed the event really for fun which were Ann Sutherland and Jim Close, also members of the Edinburgh Cine and Video Society. Their cameras could only film footage in the 4:3 format so I never used any of the footage from their cameras. Their footage wasn't useable anyway in comparison with the footage from the other three cameras as their positions were within the crowds and the shots weren't very glamarous.
The Post Production stage was a challenging one. The three cameras were quite different from each other, one shooting HDV and the other two SD where Bob's Canon's video quality was superior to my P2 HVX200 I managed to borrow with permission from my college lecturer from Jewel & Esk College, Gerard Lohan. When placing some of the clips on the timeline, Peter's HDV footage played back at slow motion and featured a flickering motion. After a few days of frustration, I managed to set the correct frame field options for rendering within Sony Vegas and produce a good mpeg 2 video master mixing SD with HDV. At the time of producing the video, I was using the Platinum version of Sony Vegas which doesn't support 16:9 export! Sadly, this video should have been exported as 16:9 so I've been left with a letterboxed 16:9 video unfortunately with no option to create a proper 16:9 version. It happens. Having multiple coverage made it easier to cut the marching band segments to music as I could use a high angle shot followed by footage from the ground. I used some crossfading techniques to create the illusion that the shots occurred during the same march when in reality, the footage was taken from various different parts.
The music overlaid over the community floats section of the video was composed by Kevin MacLeod from incomptech.com, well known for providing royalty free music online licensed under the creative commons license. In addition to the video quality difference between the cameras me and Bob had, the sound quality was different too where it was much more muffled on my HVX200 and the video was softer. To compensate, I had to carry out some colour correction and adjust the sound levels although for my footage, the sound recorded just wasn't high enough in comparison with Bob's onboard microphone.
Looking back the day, it was interesting to film some of the Harley Davidson motorcycles prior to the start of the parade. Maybe in the future, I could think about recording some vox pops with some of the participants and carry out an interview with the cavalcade director to add some insight into the event. I chose not to include commentary in the video so that the viewer could enjoy the music more without interruption. I'm not sure if it needs a bit commentary in some places, I think I was right to choose not to for the marching bands. The captions seemed to work well with telling the audience about the group without spoiling the music.
Some interesting facts about the day; Bob Bell had an interesting discussion with a retired police officer he used to work with and he also spoke with a woman from the states which made for some interesting conversation. I was also offered some cheese from a member of the crowd which was delicious. There were a few other crews about on the day where I spoke to some of the photographers although even today, I'm unsure of who they were working for.
Let me know your own thoughts and opinions after viewing the video and post your comments here. If you have any suggestions for future projects too then don't be afraid to tell me them.
Article written by Alan Andrew Taylor, © 2011 Willow Creek Pictures
You are free to distribute this article under creative commons 3.0 attribution non commercially through other social media links, just ensure that you give me a credit.http://www.youtube.com/user/WillowCreekPictures
Since 1947, the Edinburgh Festival... more
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In a nation where problem's are resolved on TV programs within a thirty to sixty minute time frame and products that can cure everything from hair loss to relationship problems are marketed to people who have become so impatient that they can't wait for a meal longer than it takes for the person at the drive through to hand them their order it's no wonder that the initial response to the Occupy Wall Street movement has been one of confusion. The fact that there are so many people with so many different issues and no quick answers has led some to the conclusion that the lack of structure and a recognizable leader is a sign of weakness. Others have gone as far as to dismiss the movement by resorting to cliches about protestors rooted in what they perceive were the more destructive aspects of the activism of the 1960's. The truth is that the shear volume of issues in itself is reason enough for the protest. People have become fed up with not having a say in how their lives and their Country are run. The majority of people do not want handouts. What they do want is an equal opportunity to live and be as productive as they can. When 99% of American citizens are forced to pay more of their income in taxes than the 1% who pay little to none of theirs is it any wonder people are enraged? The image of the protestors as pot smoking hippies who want everything handed to them may be a convenient talking point but it couldn't be further from the truth. It is a Peoples protest and despite what some in power or the media may think it is not something that will go away just because the weather starts to turn bad or they stop talking about it. It may appear to be chaotic and disorganized on the surface but at it's root it is the reason this nation works. Whenever Politicians and self serving Business People have lost track of who and what we are as a nation it is in our best interest to remind them in the loudest and most creative ways we know how. Democracy is chaotic and loud and creative and far better than any of the alternatives. Stand Strong, Speak Loud and never let the Bully's win!In a nation where problem's are resolved on TV programs within a thirty to sixty... more
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In the ten years since September 11 2001 a lot has changed in the world for everyone. Wars have been waged, Technology has made incredible advancements, economies have collapsed children have grown to adulthood, nations have fallen, those who lost loved ones have moved on as best as they can while never forgetting what was lost and enemies have been vanquished while new ones have taken their places. In addition Politics have become more divisive and a general sense of distrust seems to have permeated everything from the motives of someone simply wishing you a nice day to the way in which businesses are run and Teachers teach our children. It's become a cliche to say that our innocence was lost that day but in a sense it was. Even those of us who like to think we are more accommodating of others differences may not admit it but we might hesitate a little bit longer than we used to before putting our trust in someone we've just met. It's said that Time heals all wounds and although I would never want to forget the horrors of that day I know that gradually despite what some may say or how the world may appear right now we will heal and as with all the other horrors in the history of this nation grow stronger for what we have endured. The cartoon I chose to post reflects one of the aspects of our culture that will never fade. Regardless of the scope of an event you can always count on someone to find someway to make money. Which I'm okay with if the majority of the money taken in is intended to help victims. Everyone has a right to make a living I just wish it wasn't a result of someone else loosing theirs. We all morn in our own ways some just can't avoid trying to make a profit.BE SAFE EVERYONE HUG YOUR LOVED ONES AND NEVER FORGET!In the ten years since September 11 2001 a lot has changed in the world for everyone.... more
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The National Day Labor Organizing Network tries "TO IMPROVE THE LIVES OF DAY LABORERS IN THE UNITED STATES. NDLON UNIFIES AND STRENGTHENS ITS MEMBER ORGANIZATIONS TO BE MORE STRATEGIC AND EFFECTIVE IN THEIR EFFORTS TO DEVELOP LEADERSHIP, MOBILIZE DAY LABORERS IN ORDER TO PROTECT AND EXPAND THEIR CIVIL, LABOR AND HUMAN RIGHTS."
http://ndlon.org/
Families are torn apart when immigration officials take parents away from their children. We in the U.S. benefit from day labor in the inexpensive produce we all eat to stay healthy. Is it too much to ask that the people who put food on our tables be treated like human beings?The National Day Labor Organizing Network tries "TO IMPROVE THE LIVES OF DAY... more
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Regardless of the drama that has played out in Washington over the last several weeks the end result is the same. The American people lose. The only comforting aspect of the whole mess is that a lot of people have never had a lot to begin with so they won't miss what they didn't have.Regardless of the drama that has played out in Washington over the last several weeks... more
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In his village, Kiliwehiri in northeastern Kenya, Abdullah Mohamed is known as "that mentally disturbed man".
"It is difficult to be normal after you have watched your entire life's savings get wiped out before your eyes," said Ibrahim Abdi, assistant chief of the village. "We are Somalis, we look after each other," explained Abdi, so the village shares their rations with Mohamed's family.
A month ago, Mohamed was just another pastoralist battling soaring temperatures and drought in the arid Mandera district - identified by the UN, with other parts of the Horn of Africa, as just one step away from famine on a five-point scale. It has not rained in his village for more than a year.
Over 10 days, Mohamed watched 40 of his cattle collapse and die - one by one - as they waited their turn at a water-point along the border between southern Ethiopia and northern Kenya, a few kilometres from his village.
For the people of Mandera and neighbouring Wajir district, their animals are not just an investment but part of the family.
"These carcasses meant the world to someone," said Kennedy Agoi Lumadede, an official with Vétérinaires Sans Frontières-Suisse (VSF-Suisse) as he pointed out heaps of bones along the dirt tracks linking the two districts..
"They [the animals] are like our family members," said an emotional Abdille Muhamed of Garse Koftu village in Wajir district as he knelt beside the carcass of the last of his cows. "I spent 20 years building this herd [of 40 cattle and 270 goats] - you nurture them like your children."
"We were sharing with this cow whatever relief food we were receiving," he said. They did not have enough aid to begin with. Muhamed, his two wives and 12 children, had moved back to his village when he was down to his last cow.
The village has been living off relief food for almost a year. "But we have at least five or six families moving back to the village every day now as their animals die," says a resident. "Each family's portion of aid is getting smaller by the day - the food only lasts a week [from the day it is distributed]."
Muhamed, like many others, had walked about four to five hours every day to raid bird nests in the few remaining trees to feed his cow. "It is the only bit of grass left in this desert. My animals worked with me and walked with me for long distances - it was my duty."
Famine looming
Wajir is also a step away from famine. Two remaining calves in the Garse Koftu village tug at a bit of cloth and an empty food sack. "We have heard of instances where the cows are even trying to eat sand," said Muna Ahmed of Arid Lands Development Focus Kenya, an NGO based in Wajir.
Muhamed said: "Today [when he lost his last cow] is a very sad day but I knew it was coming - the worst day was when I lost 17 goats in one day."
"With these members of my family gone, now I worry about my other children." His 12 children are, unsurprisingly, not healthy either. They have not had any milk for almost a year and have been living on a single meal for most of 2011.
All the money he had saved from selling milk and his goats was re-invested in buying more animals. This year, the value of a cow has plummeted from almost KSh8,000 (about US$88.50) to about Ksh5,800 ($64). His emaciated cow would not have even made that much.
But if Muhamed had had access to a destocking programme such as the one run by VSF, he could have ended the life of his animals in a more humane way, and been paid some money.
VSF-Suisse uses the Livestock Emergency Guidelines and Standards (LEGS) for interventions such as destocking. "But unfortunately we only cover a small part of Mandera district - everyone is working with limited resources," said Lumadede.
Even so, convincing the pastoralists to part with their animals is extremely difficult "because of their relationship with the animals and the pastoralists are eternal optimists - they always think it might just rain the next day or the day after and the situation will change", Lumadede added.
With pasture land completely depleted in Mandera and Wajir, pastoralists have taken their herds to Ethiopia hoping to find some grazing land and water.
"But their animals are too weak - they will all probably die before they can even get there," said Muhamed.
As Mohamed told his story in Mandera, a newsreader over somebody's radio was talking about budgetary constraints on public pensions in Italy.
"Everyone is suffering in the world," remarked a Kenyan in our entourage. But Muhamed's and Mohamed's animals meant a lot more than mere savings.In his village, Kiliwehiri in northeastern Kenya, Abdullah Mohamed is known as... more
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Life isn't easy for some of the players at Poly High but, as Coach Lara explains, the community around the team is always there to support the kids when the need arises.
"4th and Forever" chronicles the 2010 football season of Long Beach Polytechnic High School, touted by Sports Illustrated as the "Sports School of the Century" and boasts the largest roster of high school players who have gone on to the NFL. After decades of success, Poly had a down year in 2009. They had their worst season in 15 years and lost to local rival Lakewood for the first time in over 25 years. After years of being pegged as "the team to beat," the aura of invincibility is gone. The players are worried that their hopes for a college scholarship have dimmed. The clock is ticking and the question is: Can Head Football Coach Raul Lara pull the team together for one more season of greatness? And, can the players avoid the temptations of the street, succeed in the classroom, and emerge victorious on the field?
"4th and Forever" premieres Thursday, May 26 at 9/9c on Current TV.
For more, go to http://current.com/4thandForever
Current Media, the Peabody-and Emmy Award-winning television and online network founded in 2005 by Al Gore and Joel Hyatt, engages viewers with smart, provocative and timely programming -stories that no one else is telling in ways that no one else is telling them. Current's programming shines a light where others won't dare and boldly explores important subjects -- opening minds, sparking conversations and forming deep connections with its viewers. The channel's audience is comprised of affluent, curious, social and connected adults who crave the kind of entertaining, enlightening, witty and informative programming found on Current's TV and online properties. Current is now available via cable and satellite TV in 75 million households worldwide - 60 million households in the US - through distribution partners Comcast (Channel 107); Time Warner ; DirecTV (Channel 358 nationwide); Dish Network (Channel 196 nationwide); Verizon and AT&T. In the UK and Ireland, Current is available on BSkyB (Channel 183) and Virgin Media (Channel 155), and in Italy, Current is available on Sky Italia (Channel 130). Viewers can also find Current online at http://www.current.com.Life isn't easy for some of the players at Poly High but, as Coach Lara explains,... more
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World famous broadcaster, DJ Mona-Lisa portrays the sexy persona of the "dumb blonde" as she strives to celebrate America's "Independence" Day.World famous broadcaster, DJ Mona-Lisa portrays the sexy persona of the "dumb... more
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Hello, I am a children’s author and Andy is an illustrator. We want to reach out to show kids (and adults too!) that there are great, clean ways to help power our world. We have created ‘The Power Families’, a series of beautifully written and illustrated picture books set on renewable energy farms and we need your help to kickstart it!Hello, I am a children’s author and Andy is an illustrator. We want to reach out... more
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A new Ikea shop is opening in Catania and the advertisments bet on gay couples, too. So the Italian undesecretary of family, Carlo Giovanardi, the one who nothing said about Berlusconi bunga bunga and nothing made to increase families fund policies, said this advertisement is against our Constitution.
http://www.inaltreparole.net/en/resistance/giovanardicontropubblicitaikea240411.htmlA new Ikea shop is opening in Catania and the advertisments bet on gay couples, too.... more
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