Hey Everyone:
Don't think I forgot one of my favorite shows on television! As far as personal life goes, things feel like they've been moving in molasses (sp) lately. But on with the show!
So I wasn't a big fan of Episode 3. I really felt like they were just repositioning characters, and using the episode as a filler. They wanted to reveal Sayid as one of the Oceanic 6 and show him working with Ben. They wanted to get Locke's group to the barraks and I guess make the switch of Charlotte and Miles for story reasons. However, nothing really happened to get me excited. Although I really like Sayid episodes, the main plot line was a bit dissappointing.
It is amazing how Sayid so often gets so much right when dealing with people on the Island, but then he always seems to fail at reading people when off the Island. He had to shoot his fellow interogator in Iraq, he couldn't tell the restaurant owner was up to know good when he got captured for torturing his wife, and now he can't tell his girl is playing him. It's quite the paradox, but Sayid almost always seems more Lost off the Island than when he is on it. Which is starting to appear as a common theme.
Because in Episode 4 we get to see Kate off the Island as well, and guess what things aren't going well for her. Maybe she should have stayed on the island, then she wouldn't have had to deal with the whole trial thing. On the Island she seemed to have things well worked out, except for the should I hook up with Jack or Sawyer thing. I enjoyed Episode 4 much more because some intriguing things happened in the main storyline, which is really what I want to know about. The scene with Ben and Locke in the beginning was a great throwback to the fun scenes between the two in Season 2.
Overall, there are some really good things happening on the show, and hopefully next week we will see the Helicopter reach the Freighter. We are probably in for a big surprise when we get to the freighter indeed. But here are some questions to linger on:
1) Seriously, what are the Others doing right now? Are they really afraid to come and get Ben? Does Ben want to be captured? Do they just not know what's going on? Are they really afraid of a physisist, ghostbuster, pilot, and excavationist?
2) I think the concept of Miles wanting money was interesting. But why is him "knowing where Ben is" so important. They have made it clear that names have a very powerful trait on the island, especially last names. Miles didn't want his revealed by Daniel. Now it appears being able to physically come in contact with others might carry weight as well. Does the person looking for Ben have some special ability, maybe like Walt? Also if knowing names is so important do you think Benjamin Linus is really Ben's name? Also why did he only want 3.2 million? That seems like a rather small sum to come all that way for.
3) I've heard some interesting things about Naomi not being dead. Apparently there is an issue with her eyes being closed in an earlier scene and open later with no explanation. Although I'm not so sure I buy into the not dead theory, I don't really see why they are keeping her body so apparent on the show. Usually they just bury people and move on. Is she going to be coming back in the show? Is that why they haven't buried her as a plot item? Eventually dead bodies aren't something you want just lying around.
4) I've also heard an interesting concept that heading in different directions (coordinates) may cause variations in the time discrepancies. That is why it is so important for Walt and Michael to head in one direction, and the copter to do the same. If you get off coordinates you start jumping further ahead or less far ahead. As a result you will miss the right point in time that you are aiming for. If so, it creates some unique opportunities relating to time distortion when leaving and entering the island, which would allow Ben to be very difficult to find if he came on and off the island for various reasons.
So these are just some of my thoughts. I look forward to another week, as I hope you do too! I really would like a Sun and Jin episode this week, but I'm not so sure they are not going the way of Rose and Bernard. That makes me sad :(
Have a great day.
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Giving Back as an Alumnus
It is that time of year that I generally receive a call from my esteemed university about giving back as an alumnus. I generally expect this call every Spring, and generally try to budget toward attempting to donate in some fashion. I once again contributed this year with TCU called, and I was more than happy to do so. I have often discussed the idea of giving back to the university with friends, and I hope that it was to a positive effect. Yet there is always reservations some people have:
"Why should I give back to a university when I paid for the education there?"
"Tuition fees are high enough, why should I give them any more money?"
"I don't want my money going to the sports programs?"
Etc., Etc., Etc.
While I hear these concerns and appreciate them, I really think there are some quality reasons to give back to your university.
Giving the gift of TCU to others:
While I know that TCU is a school with rather expansive monetary means, that doesn't mean the school runs itself. It would be a dream if one day every student that attended TCU could do so at no cost, and that becomes even closer to a reality as TCU is able to increase their endowments and financial means to relieve students of the burden of tuition. This can be in scholarships, stemming tuition increases, and increase quality of faculty and facilities. I don't know about you, but I loved my TCU experience. I hope that many others for generations to come will have the opportunity to experience it as well. If my support can make that happen in the long run, then I am happy to do so.
Showing you value your degree:
I know it sounds a bit wierd, but giving back to TCU actually increases the value of your degree. Quality universities such as Harvard, Yale, Dartmoth, Stanford, and others all have very high alumni participation rates in giving after graduation. The reason why is because people valued their time at the University. The more people that give back to their university often is a solid indicator of the value of that degree to those who attended. So when you give back, you are in a way telling others that your time at TCU was worth it, and you valued your experience.
Giving to Quality Programs:
One thing that a lot of people don't know about the giving programs at TCU is that you can designate your gift to a specific program at the University. Many people as a result give to their respective colleges. However, I kind of think the Neeley School is probably doing well enough on its own, so I designate my gift to the Starpoint School. It is a wonderful program that assists children with learning disabilities to receive a quality elementary education as well as train studens in special education teaching practices. It is truly a wonderful program at TCU, and one that I think should be well funded.
And you know what? They actually send correspondance back every year! It is really rewarding to know that even a small gift from me is going to support a wonderful program at the University. With all the wonderful things on campus, you can find a program you are passionate about and give. If you want to learn more about the Starpoint School visit here: http://www.sofe.tcu.edu/Projects/ProjectLinks/StarPointSch.htm
In Conclusion:
There are a lot of other reasons I support the practice of giving back to our University, but these are a few. It doesn't even mean you have to give a lot, just that you give. Giving shows you care about TCU, and weren't just buying a product. (Your Degree) Even as little as $20 is a valueable contribution to the University. So why not brown bag it for a week to work, or skip a meal out one weekend, and give back to a valuable program at your respective University.
P.S. I didn't write on Lost last week, I hope to return with Episode 4 over the next few days. I apologize!
"Why should I give back to a university when I paid for the education there?"
"Tuition fees are high enough, why should I give them any more money?"
"I don't want my money going to the sports programs?"
Etc., Etc., Etc.
While I hear these concerns and appreciate them, I really think there are some quality reasons to give back to your university.
Giving the gift of TCU to others:
While I know that TCU is a school with rather expansive monetary means, that doesn't mean the school runs itself. It would be a dream if one day every student that attended TCU could do so at no cost, and that becomes even closer to a reality as TCU is able to increase their endowments and financial means to relieve students of the burden of tuition. This can be in scholarships, stemming tuition increases, and increase quality of faculty and facilities. I don't know about you, but I loved my TCU experience. I hope that many others for generations to come will have the opportunity to experience it as well. If my support can make that happen in the long run, then I am happy to do so.
Showing you value your degree:
I know it sounds a bit wierd, but giving back to TCU actually increases the value of your degree. Quality universities such as Harvard, Yale, Dartmoth, Stanford, and others all have very high alumni participation rates in giving after graduation. The reason why is because people valued their time at the University. The more people that give back to their university often is a solid indicator of the value of that degree to those who attended. So when you give back, you are in a way telling others that your time at TCU was worth it, and you valued your experience.
Giving to Quality Programs:
One thing that a lot of people don't know about the giving programs at TCU is that you can designate your gift to a specific program at the University. Many people as a result give to their respective colleges. However, I kind of think the Neeley School is probably doing well enough on its own, so I designate my gift to the Starpoint School. It is a wonderful program that assists children with learning disabilities to receive a quality elementary education as well as train studens in special education teaching practices. It is truly a wonderful program at TCU, and one that I think should be well funded.
And you know what? They actually send correspondance back every year! It is really rewarding to know that even a small gift from me is going to support a wonderful program at the University. With all the wonderful things on campus, you can find a program you are passionate about and give. If you want to learn more about the Starpoint School visit here: http://www.sofe.tcu.edu/Projects/ProjectLinks/StarPointSch.htm
In Conclusion:
There are a lot of other reasons I support the practice of giving back to our University, but these are a few. It doesn't even mean you have to give a lot, just that you give. Giving shows you care about TCU, and weren't just buying a product. (Your Degree) Even as little as $20 is a valueable contribution to the University. So why not brown bag it for a week to work, or skip a meal out one weekend, and give back to a valuable program at your respective University.
P.S. I didn't write on Lost last week, I hope to return with Episode 4 over the next few days. I apologize!
Friday, February 08, 2008
Lost, Season 4, Episode 2
So we are back again for another edition of Lost, the best running show on television. This episode was titled "Confirmed Dead." This is apparently a reference to the discovery of the supposed Flight 815 crash site in the modern day world. However, much more importantly this episode was the introduction of 4 new characters to the Lost story. These characters are currently being referred to as the Freighties.
Although I love the current ensamble cast of Lost, I have to say this enterance of new characters has been a nice pleasant start to the new season. The introduction is much more fluid than previous introductions such as Nikki and Paulo or the Tail section of the plane, and for that I'm thankful. We now have Miles, Daniel, Charlotte, and Frank. Of all the new characters I think I am going to probably enjoy Frank's character most from first impressions. Unfortunately he appears currently to be the least important of the three from a story line perspective.
There of course was a lot of interesting things to look at, see the following:
1) Light Scattering: There are actually some excellent theory posts on this item. Daniel Faraday mentions that the light reflects differently on the island as if it scatters. Actually Faraday is a reference to a famous electromagnetic scientist who experimented on magnetic influences on light bands. Many people are starting to use this comment to further the theory of an electormagnetic snowglobe effect on the island that hides it from regular sight. Thus accounting for the refracting of the light.
When I actually first heard the comment though, I thought of a book reference. A friend of mine just had me read a trilogy by C. S. Lewis that was sci-fi. In the book there are essences called "Eldils" who are supernatural in a sense that appear as strange movements and shifts in light.
2) Darma Bears in Tunisia: All I can say is what in the world? And it was at an archeological sight none the less. Should we actually be asking what time we are in more so than where we are?
3) Jacob's cabin, the smoke monster, Lock, Ben, and Hurley: It appears we are going to building up to a third player in the Jacob saga as Hurley let slip to Ben and Locke that he had seen the cabin. This will definately unnerve Ben as much as the Locke incident, but the bigger question is will Locke start to see Hurley as a threat? I thought it was awful convinient that Ben chose to shoot Charlotte in the middle of Lockes interrogation of Hurley on the subject, quickly changing the subject away from the cabin and Jacob.
4) They are after Ben: But the larger question is why? Notice that the picture of Ben that was shown by Miles appears to show Ben actually in the "Real World." Does this mean that Ben is a frequent traveller off the island as well as on? Why of all the people in the world would they want to find him, and not all the other people that consist of the "The Other's." And of course, what type of organization is Ben running, if he has all these contacts in the regular world, even one on the freighter?
5) Does no one else find it odd that the Others staged a kidnapping mission that failed, Ben decides to go and meet everyone at the radio tower, and is once again captured. And yet, no one has come to rescue him from the Others camp.... So what are the Others up to right now, eating smores and singing Kumbaya?
There of course were tons of other fun little tidbits througout the show, such as Charlotte's initials being those of C. S. Lewis. However, once again it looks like a fun season, and I will definately enjoy it.
Next week we find out another member of the Oceanic Six. Who do you think it will be? And who is the Man on the Boat? I'm going with Michael as Ben's informer, and can only hope that my girl Sun makes it off the island!
See you next Thursday!
Although I love the current ensamble cast of Lost, I have to say this enterance of new characters has been a nice pleasant start to the new season. The introduction is much more fluid than previous introductions such as Nikki and Paulo or the Tail section of the plane, and for that I'm thankful. We now have Miles, Daniel, Charlotte, and Frank. Of all the new characters I think I am going to probably enjoy Frank's character most from first impressions. Unfortunately he appears currently to be the least important of the three from a story line perspective.
There of course was a lot of interesting things to look at, see the following:
1) Light Scattering: There are actually some excellent theory posts on this item. Daniel Faraday mentions that the light reflects differently on the island as if it scatters. Actually Faraday is a reference to a famous electromagnetic scientist who experimented on magnetic influences on light bands. Many people are starting to use this comment to further the theory of an electormagnetic snowglobe effect on the island that hides it from regular sight. Thus accounting for the refracting of the light.
When I actually first heard the comment though, I thought of a book reference. A friend of mine just had me read a trilogy by C. S. Lewis that was sci-fi. In the book there are essences called "Eldils" who are supernatural in a sense that appear as strange movements and shifts in light.
2) Darma Bears in Tunisia: All I can say is what in the world? And it was at an archeological sight none the less. Should we actually be asking what time we are in more so than where we are?
3) Jacob's cabin, the smoke monster, Lock, Ben, and Hurley: It appears we are going to building up to a third player in the Jacob saga as Hurley let slip to Ben and Locke that he had seen the cabin. This will definately unnerve Ben as much as the Locke incident, but the bigger question is will Locke start to see Hurley as a threat? I thought it was awful convinient that Ben chose to shoot Charlotte in the middle of Lockes interrogation of Hurley on the subject, quickly changing the subject away from the cabin and Jacob.
4) They are after Ben: But the larger question is why? Notice that the picture of Ben that was shown by Miles appears to show Ben actually in the "Real World." Does this mean that Ben is a frequent traveller off the island as well as on? Why of all the people in the world would they want to find him, and not all the other people that consist of the "The Other's." And of course, what type of organization is Ben running, if he has all these contacts in the regular world, even one on the freighter?
5) Does no one else find it odd that the Others staged a kidnapping mission that failed, Ben decides to go and meet everyone at the radio tower, and is once again captured. And yet, no one has come to rescue him from the Others camp.... So what are the Others up to right now, eating smores and singing Kumbaya?
There of course were tons of other fun little tidbits througout the show, such as Charlotte's initials being those of C. S. Lewis. However, once again it looks like a fun season, and I will definately enjoy it.
Next week we find out another member of the Oceanic Six. Who do you think it will be? And who is the Man on the Boat? I'm going with Michael as Ben's informer, and can only hope that my girl Sun makes it off the island!
See you next Thursday!
Thursday, February 07, 2008
Rock The House
On Wednesday this week, we were priviledged to have a couple aspiring musicians play a small house concert for us. Some of you guys may remember Matt Jones who went to TCU with us. Others of you might not be aware of our friend Matt. Well Matt has been pursuing his music career for the past few years and has release a number of CD's and is currently touring Texas. As a result he visited us while he was on the Dallas part of his tour which is how we got our house rocked!
As part of marketing his music, Matt has a program he dubbed "Rock the House." As he tours accross the country with fellow musicians he finds fans in the area and offers to play a small house concert for that fan and 15-20 of their close friends. It is actually a brilliant piece of social marketting, and appears to be very effective from the experiences he told us about. Well since it was time for another Dallas/Fort Worth visit, of course we wanted to be those fans!
So we had Matt Jones and Landon Smith over and they preformed a number of their pieces from their new CD releases as well as some classics. Landon Smith is a musician that hails from Lubbock. From what I gathered he has played in a number of bands in the past, and is currently on a solo tour. Both of them are talented guitarist with quality vocals. Landon played songs of his called "Shakin", "Baby", "Bad Luck", and "Rosanne." Matt played some of his tunes named "Parked Car", "Something New", "Your Problems for Mine", and "Austin." He also played us an old favorite of a lot of folks that I think is titled "Single." Anyway, if any of you attended Frogpalooza '02 you might remember Matt opened for the Benjamin Gate at that festival. I'm still very thankful to Matt and I think it was Tyler for opening for us at that event.
It was interesting seeing these two artists play together. They had strong qualities that were definately unique to each of them. I was impressed with Landon's guitar work. He worked the frets and scales with an ease that made his melodies very fluid. It also allowed for some really creative tunes from a musical sense. Also Landon appears to have carried a lot of personal experiences into his music that provide a diverse backdrop of ideas he draws upon in his music. It allows a person to find many different aspects of life in each of his various songs.
For those of you that have heard Matt preform before, you will of course recognize his strong vocal talent. He almost uses his vocal range as an instrument all its own. He can slide up and down vocal scales with ease. It is actually quite impressive. A lot of Matt's music has a good upbeat feel in my opinion which definately makes his songs quality music in good times as well as when you need a lift.
Overall, it was a priviledge to see them. They are touring Texas right now so they might be coming to an area near you if you live around here. Also I'm sure that Matt will at least be on a broader tour over the next few months. If you see he is coming to your town and you want to have your house rocked, get in contact with him!
So if you are interested in checking out their music you can follow the following links. I definately think they are worth listening too, you might miss out if you don't!
Landon Smith
http://www.myspace.com/landonsmithmusic
Matt Jones
http://therealmattjones.com/music.htm
Also if you want to support our friend Matt, he has a facebook group as well as his webpage. I'm sure he would love for you to join if you aren't already a member.
As part of marketing his music, Matt has a program he dubbed "Rock the House." As he tours accross the country with fellow musicians he finds fans in the area and offers to play a small house concert for that fan and 15-20 of their close friends. It is actually a brilliant piece of social marketting, and appears to be very effective from the experiences he told us about. Well since it was time for another Dallas/Fort Worth visit, of course we wanted to be those fans!
So we had Matt Jones and Landon Smith over and they preformed a number of their pieces from their new CD releases as well as some classics. Landon Smith is a musician that hails from Lubbock. From what I gathered he has played in a number of bands in the past, and is currently on a solo tour. Both of them are talented guitarist with quality vocals. Landon played songs of his called "Shakin", "Baby", "Bad Luck", and "Rosanne." Matt played some of his tunes named "Parked Car", "Something New", "Your Problems for Mine", and "Austin." He also played us an old favorite of a lot of folks that I think is titled "Single." Anyway, if any of you attended Frogpalooza '02 you might remember Matt opened for the Benjamin Gate at that festival. I'm still very thankful to Matt and I think it was Tyler for opening for us at that event.
It was interesting seeing these two artists play together. They had strong qualities that were definately unique to each of them. I was impressed with Landon's guitar work. He worked the frets and scales with an ease that made his melodies very fluid. It also allowed for some really creative tunes from a musical sense. Also Landon appears to have carried a lot of personal experiences into his music that provide a diverse backdrop of ideas he draws upon in his music. It allows a person to find many different aspects of life in each of his various songs.
For those of you that have heard Matt preform before, you will of course recognize his strong vocal talent. He almost uses his vocal range as an instrument all its own. He can slide up and down vocal scales with ease. It is actually quite impressive. A lot of Matt's music has a good upbeat feel in my opinion which definately makes his songs quality music in good times as well as when you need a lift.
Overall, it was a priviledge to see them. They are touring Texas right now so they might be coming to an area near you if you live around here. Also I'm sure that Matt will at least be on a broader tour over the next few months. If you see he is coming to your town and you want to have your house rocked, get in contact with him!
So if you are interested in checking out their music you can follow the following links. I definately think they are worth listening too, you might miss out if you don't!
Landon Smith
http://www.myspace.com/landonsmithmusic
Matt Jones
http://therealmattjones.com/music.htm
Also if you want to support our friend Matt, he has a facebook group as well as his webpage. I'm sure he would love for you to join if you aren't already a member.
Monday, February 04, 2008
Super Tuesday Looms...
Over the past few years, I've become more aware of the general political landscape. As most know, I grew up in Kentucky which is primarily a Democratic area in the whole. Not East Coast Democrat, but the kind that inhabits a large section of the Midwest. A type of folk that believe in positive family values and the worth of the "blue collar" worker. Some might not call it the most sophisticated area of the country, but I always thought it was one of the most down to earth.
Anyway, as I moved down to Texas and studied business, I can not deny that my political leanings have shifted more toward a conservative approach than in the past. However, I would still vote Democrat if the right moderate came along and offered a positive and intelligent vision for the future. Add to all this my Catholic background and appeal to social justice, and I think I'm right in the foundation of the "independent" voter.
Yet as I listen to all the pundits, I only become more distressed at the failure our next President will likely become. Currently I can't see any large positives coming from either Obama or Clinton as they support a rediculously horrible plan of socialized medicine that will all but bankrupt the country. I really think all candidates for office should at least have to take one class in modern economic theory to see how horrible these types of ideas are for a capitalistic society. Add in their feelings toward the slaughter of thousands of innocent children every day with their pro-death policies on abortions, and all I can see is a moral vacuum. Two people playing off their racial or sexual identity promising change, but in reality not providing any. For all those out there keep in mind that "change" can be both positive and negative. And next time you hear the word change maybe you should ask what they are going to change. I don't want to live in the USSR, but that would be change.
And then I look at the Republican side, and alas there are few choices there as well. Although I think they probably have a little more economic sense than the other two contenders, that doesn't change the old saying. "Follow the money." I don't see either McCain or Romney being any more frugal than Bush or Clinton previously. Add in the fact that neither would provide any significant draw down to troop levels in the next few years and you are looking at a budget deficit through surely 2011. Furthermore, I'm not quite sure that either of these contenders have any better idea about how to solve immigration issues or inner city violence than the Democratic contenders.
So I guess I'm really just a moderate without a place to go overall. How can we continue to think there will be any semblance of change when all 4 major candidates are backed by the same major corporation, Goldman Sachs? That's right folks, a financial company owns all of these candidates even the golden boy Obama.
I sometimes wish there was a candidate that would follow some basic concepts:
1) Commit to forming a cabinet that included 30% Republican, 30% Democrat, 40% Independant.
2) Pass a truly balanced budget. Or better yet, a budget where we made money at the end of the year. I do it personally, so can they.
3) Promote the family. Make it easier on the working majority by providing access to education, and quality jobs. Stabilize the family unit, and put a focus on saving the family unit.
4) Bring back a national identity. Realize there is something positive about being uniquely American, and embrace that.
If someone did that. I imagine they would win in a landslide. But when all your candidates on both sides are owned by special interest groups, the good of America will always come second.
I'll probably end up deciding on the following issues:
1) Economic policy: Anyone who supports socialized medicine probably has a hard time adding.
2) The Sanctity of Life.
3) Someone that doesn't buy into the falsehood of "man-made" global warming.
But I think I'll wait for November and sit out this very sad "Dog and Pony" show they call a primary.
Anyway, as I moved down to Texas and studied business, I can not deny that my political leanings have shifted more toward a conservative approach than in the past. However, I would still vote Democrat if the right moderate came along and offered a positive and intelligent vision for the future. Add to all this my Catholic background and appeal to social justice, and I think I'm right in the foundation of the "independent" voter.
Yet as I listen to all the pundits, I only become more distressed at the failure our next President will likely become. Currently I can't see any large positives coming from either Obama or Clinton as they support a rediculously horrible plan of socialized medicine that will all but bankrupt the country. I really think all candidates for office should at least have to take one class in modern economic theory to see how horrible these types of ideas are for a capitalistic society. Add in their feelings toward the slaughter of thousands of innocent children every day with their pro-death policies on abortions, and all I can see is a moral vacuum. Two people playing off their racial or sexual identity promising change, but in reality not providing any. For all those out there keep in mind that "change" can be both positive and negative. And next time you hear the word change maybe you should ask what they are going to change. I don't want to live in the USSR, but that would be change.
And then I look at the Republican side, and alas there are few choices there as well. Although I think they probably have a little more economic sense than the other two contenders, that doesn't change the old saying. "Follow the money." I don't see either McCain or Romney being any more frugal than Bush or Clinton previously. Add in the fact that neither would provide any significant draw down to troop levels in the next few years and you are looking at a budget deficit through surely 2011. Furthermore, I'm not quite sure that either of these contenders have any better idea about how to solve immigration issues or inner city violence than the Democratic contenders.
So I guess I'm really just a moderate without a place to go overall. How can we continue to think there will be any semblance of change when all 4 major candidates are backed by the same major corporation, Goldman Sachs? That's right folks, a financial company owns all of these candidates even the golden boy Obama.
I sometimes wish there was a candidate that would follow some basic concepts:
1) Commit to forming a cabinet that included 30% Republican, 30% Democrat, 40% Independant.
2) Pass a truly balanced budget. Or better yet, a budget where we made money at the end of the year. I do it personally, so can they.
3) Promote the family. Make it easier on the working majority by providing access to education, and quality jobs. Stabilize the family unit, and put a focus on saving the family unit.
4) Bring back a national identity. Realize there is something positive about being uniquely American, and embrace that.
If someone did that. I imagine they would win in a landslide. But when all your candidates on both sides are owned by special interest groups, the good of America will always come second.
I'll probably end up deciding on the following issues:
1) Economic policy: Anyone who supports socialized medicine probably has a hard time adding.
2) The Sanctity of Life.
3) Someone that doesn't buy into the falsehood of "man-made" global warming.
But I think I'll wait for November and sit out this very sad "Dog and Pony" show they call a primary.
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