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Post 0

Friday, September 23, 2005 - 10:32amSanction this postReply
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When I cut them out and glue them onto the paper, do you prefer:

1. Tearing (sense of urgency feel)
2. Scissors (precision)
3. Pinking shears (foo-foo)
)
I will start with my back copies of Esquire- my wife is making ominous noises about throwing them away. :)
 
rde
Off to the archive


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Post 1

Friday, September 23, 2005 - 5:17pmSanction this postReply
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"Send me articles! Thank you, that is all." [Andrew]

When I first started paying attention to Solo late last year, it had a very good, very rare, and very fragile thing going: a stream of excellently written or at least original, non-boring, not "same old stuff", emotional, articulate, incisive, and moving articles by people like Barbara Branden, James Kilbourne, Alec Mouhibian, Jennifer Iannolo, Robert Bidinotto, Hong Zhang, George Cordero, Jason Dixon, Michael Newberry, and others.

Linz was apparently excellent in the editor's seat, because writers whose posts were incoherent were turning out very well-polished articles.

(Apparently Solo had overcome some earlier negativity before I arrived with someone named FireOff or SteelHammer or something about homosexuality and the moral obligation to wear funny hats during sex - I'm a little vague on the details.)

As did NBI during its growth and energy and exuberance period, it had momentum and a good group of people who got along with each other and weren't trying to disembowel each other.

Like every other Objectivist "community" or institution across the decades, there was eventually a lack of social and interpersonal and (most markedly) benevolence skills developing which caused the 'gathering of eagles' to start to peck each other's eyes out rather than to continue to build something beautiful or to try to live in Atlantis.

When I or others have pointed this out over the years as the deadliest threat to Objectivism - pointed it out to ARI, to TOC, and now to SOLO leaders - there is an immediate flare-up of anger and/or a contemptuous dismissal.

We, the critics, in a form of 'shoot the messenger', get criticized or dismissed as boring or insulting or unsupportive or repetitious. All of which are ways to focus on anything else other than accepting any central part of the criticism, learning from it, radically reexamining what one is doing.

How dare you criticize us. ...Or suggest that the leaders bear any responsibility if the troops throw down their rifles and walk away. You're not a team player, Phil, you execrable malcontent you. Solo, Love it or Leave It: Why don't you get lost if you don't like it - take a hike, move to Russia or something (ignoring the obvious logical point that one can try to improve something from within if one thinks it still has value or can be assisted).

Stop trying to improve us.

Philip Coates

Post 2

Friday, September 23, 2005 - 6:34pmSanction this postReply
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You're just figuring this out now Phil? No wonder Sudoku has taken off the way it has!

But the graphic user interface here is great hey?


Post 3

Friday, September 23, 2005 - 6:43pmSanction this postReply
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Rick, it's taken off in New Zealand as well? I know it's been big here, cause we're selling tables of it at Barnes and Noble...didn't know it was that big.

Post 4

Friday, September 23, 2005 - 6:46pmSanction this postReply
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Phil-
Linz was apparently excellent in the editor's seat, because writers whose posts were incoherent were turning out very well-polished articles.
 

I have to counter what I see as the implication in this statement.  Linz did do an excellent job, but Andrew is doing a thumbs-up job as well.

(Edited by Jody Allen Gomez on 9/23, 6:47pm)

(Edited by Jody Allen Gomez on 9/23, 7:13pm)


Post 5

Friday, September 23, 2005 - 6:48pmSanction this postReply
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All over the bloody place mate.

 Between this and "the taming of the screw" you start to think you're not living at the end of history after all don't ya?


Post 6

Friday, September 23, 2005 - 7:28pmSanction this postReply
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I think we might be, Rick, but it's ok: there's a new book coming out called THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO OPRAH ( I kid you not). Seeing as how Oprah has the power to put any book she picks on the bestseller list, she has decided that God himself must need her publicity. She will guide us through the apocalypse...and Dr. Phil will sound the trumpets and all the faithful will recieve therapy while playing Sudoku.





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Post 7

Friday, September 23, 2005 - 7:48pmSanction this postReply
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"I have to counter what I see as the implication in this statement.  Linz did do an excellent job, but Andrew is doing a thumbs-up job as well."

Jody, I don't sense that Phil is implying that Mr. Bissell is doing a poor job I think the purpose of his post is mainly to argue that the SOLO group peaked several months ago and that due to many unnecessary squabbles and depatures the content is not as strong is it used to be.  This is true and I hope that people will learn from past mistakes however there are still several excellent contributors on SOLO.  Andrew Bissell happens to be one of the most excellent among them.  I am in agreement with Phil's post and I sanctioned it but I have hesitated in making the same comments myself because I have yet to contribute ANY articles to SOLO and until I do I don't have any grounds for complaining that I am not receiving a better quality of free content.   In addition, the last time I tried to get in the middle of one of SOLO's high profile squabbles some of the people I was siding with and defending turned around and posted the worst article (or smear) ever posted to this site.   So I think the best thing to do if we want to improve SOLO is to stay out of useless discussions and squabbles and instead make positive contributions.  That is the better way to fix the current trend.

Phil, I think that you could help the situation a great deal by contributing some articles yourself.  I would be one of the first people in line to read what you have to say.  A while back, for example you mentioned some work you were doing in regard to creating an Objectivism education program.  I would love to hear more of your thoughts on this topic.

 - Jason

(Edited by Jason Quintana on 9/23, 8:01pm)


Post 8

Friday, September 23, 2005 - 8:06pmSanction this postReply
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Jason-
I agree about the quality of the articles and writers in the past.  I too sanctioned Phil's post(perhaps I should have told him that and given my reasons).  The crux of the matter in my mind is this: the quality of the writers.  Linz was good at editing, but he had some great writers to work with.  I admit that I may have read this wrong, but it seemed that with this statement Phil was taking a thinly-veiled shot at the editor, rather than addressing the writing itself.  I am at risk of reading too much between the lines though, as this was not explicitly stated.  And, even if I did read it wrong, any occasion to tip my hat to Andrew is a welcome one.


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Post 9

Friday, September 23, 2005 - 8:12pmSanction this postReply
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But answer me this though; is it mere coincidence that this post by Phil comes near the time of Linz's upcoming announcement of the winner of the September "Boring Old Fart of the Month" award?  I think not.

Phil-
You know, or I hope you know the light-heartedness of that comment.  Rational civility is a virtue and you definitely possess it.  There were many words of wisdom in your post.


Post 10

Friday, September 23, 2005 - 8:34pmSanction this postReply
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Well, I've posted a few, but it seems there's almost no commenting on them - just maybe a couple here and there [yes - LOTS of sanctions, for which I do indeed thank y'all - but almost nothing in comments]... are they too 'off the wall'? too obvious and unimaginative? It was the flow of comments which motivated putting them up - trying to see whether these were new ideas, good ideas, or just so-so ideas - and whether to enlarge on them, or toss them...

Otherwise - why bother?

(Edited by robert malcom on 9/23, 8:35pm)


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Post 11

Friday, September 23, 2005 - 10:17pmSanction this postReply
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Phil,

Whenever I see criticism like yours, I stop and check a few premises. Drooling Beast came out July 31. Here is a small table of articles and authors since August 1, in no particular order except alphabetic by author's first name.

By my count (manual, so it might not be precise, but it will be very close);

42 Authors
100 Articles and Poems

That's in less than two months.

How's that for the genius of Linz? I'm serious. Unless I am missing something, nobody has received a thin dime for all this. I know I haven't.

Frankly, my literary talent is starting to blossom here on Solo, and when I made this list, I realized that I read most of these articles. Not one I read is poor or mediocre. All are good at the worst. Many are excellent and better. I am proud to be in the midst of such good authors. Andrew is such a good editor that he changed my text in a few places on my last article without advising me and I was grateful. That is not like me at all. The boy's a damn fine editor.

I miss the greats that are not here any longer. However, I do not feel the drop in quality of articles that I have heard bantered about a bit. In my opinion, several of the articles are among the most important of the year in Objectivism - worldwide. I admit, there is a certain nastiness that has been creeping in the discussions, but I for one am stonewalling and swatting it when I can. No big deal. This is something that comes and goes. You should read the homosexual discussion threads from before.

I hope you enjoy the list. I certainly did.

(tipping my hat to every one of the authors)

Congratulations to all of us. Solo is a magnificent achievement.

Michael
BOFM Research Assistant

A. Robert Malcom


Two Worldviews - The Trader and Taking Syndromes


Adam Reed


The Ontology of Space

Please Don't Feed The Trolls

Why Cloning Really Matters


Andre Zantonavitch


Propping Up North Korea


Andrew Bates


OE USA: A New Zealander's Travels in the US (Part VI)

Why Vote Libertarianz?


Andrew Bissell


NASA Chooses Environmentalism Over Astronaut Safety

The High Costs of Free Health Care

The New Green Inquisition


Andy Postema


The New Puritans


Bob Palin


"Give It Away?!"


Chris Matthew Sciabarra


Ten Years After


Chris Phoenix


Why Intelligent Design Should Be Taught in Schools


David Bertelsen


The Power of Love (A Sequel)


Dennis C. Hardin


Nathaniel Branden vs. Ayn Rand on Morality


Derek McGovern


A Sense of Life


Duncan Bayne


Self Defense, Part 1


Ed Thompson


The Three Central Tenets of an Objective Philosophy of Science

Ye' Ole' Skills-o'-Icon-Catchin'


Edward W. Younkins


Social Cooperation, Flourishing, and Happiness

A Review of Chris Matthew Sciabarra's "Total Freedom: Toward a Dialectical Libertarianism"

Aristotle and Economics


Eric Scott


Struthio Camelus Syndrome


Fraser Stephen-Smith


The "F" Word


Fred Seddon


Implied Axioms

What Would Ayn Rand Say?


Heidi C. Morris


The Benevolence of the "Robber Barons"


Jeffrey Perren


The Corrosion of Character

Some Admirable Things


Jody Allen Gomez


What I Saw In and Out of the Trenches


John Hospers


The Death of Faith


John Paul Sherman


Counterpoint


Joseph Rowlands


All or Nothing: Philosophy with Degrees (Part 1) - A Survey of Errors

All or Nothing: Philosophy with Degrees (Part 2) - General Reasons

All or Nothing: Philosophy with Degrees (Part 3) - Objectivism's Solution


Julia Brent


Julia Duncan Brent - Another Rising Star


Lindsay Perigo


This Boy's Not For Turning

The New Zealand Election - Statism or Selfhood?

What We Said About Islamo-Fascist Filth


Luke Setzer


Hazards of Benevolence


Marcus Bachler


The Non-Art of Objectivism


Mark A. Humphrey


How the West Was Won


Marty Lewinter


PC Speech Codes

Words

An Open Letter to the Left on Ethical Relativism

Western Pride vs. Multiculturalism

A Tale of Two Political Poems

At Times When I, With Spirits Low

Frontier

Jazz

Limited Government

On the Shoulders of Giants


Max Schwing


A German Perspective on American Education

The New Arabian Dream

Private Financing Revives an Ancient German Marvel


Merlin Jetton


I Didn't Pray Yesterday


Michael E. Marotta


A Healthy Mind In a Healthy Body

The Big Apple Versus the Big Easy: A Tale of Two Cities


Michael Stuart Kelly


Letter to Madalena ... An Homage to the Value of Valuing

Understanding Addiction -- One Objectivist's View


Peter Cresswell


Legal Snouts

Speaking for the Speechless

Who Needs Great Art?

Protecting Our Property Protects Our Lives


Richard D. Engle


The Classic Atmosphere of American Business - How It Shaped Me


Robert Davison (Wolf)


Let Them Melt


Roger E. Bissell


Nuking the Family

Why I Like Genealogy - A Plagiaristic Parody of Ayn Rand's Essay on Stamp Collecting

Beyond Survival and Flourishing


Ron Merrill


Axioms: The Eightfold Way


Ross Elliot


Good Guys, Not Superheroes

The Magnificent Seven Billion

Around the World in Eighty Laughs: Random Musings on Irony, Septic Tanks, Whinging Poms, Frogs, Krauts, Wogs, Micks, Sheep Shaggers, Tussock Jumpers, PC Retards & SOLO's Longest Article Title


Steven Thomas Druckenmiller


468 vs. 15,000

Price Gouging: A Myth

Automatic Deference: A Step Toward Totalitarianism


Tibor R. Machan


Machan's Musings - Some Tricky Ideas to Watch Out For

Machan's Musings - Service and Citizenship

Machan's Musings - On More or Less Just Societies

Machan's Musings - Liberty Isn’t Easy

Machan's Musings - Peter Jennings, Not A Champion Journalist

Machan's Musings - It's All a Matter of Perspective, Isn't It?

Machan's Musings - Is Interpretation Subjective?

Machan's Musings - Whom Do You Blame For Favors?

Machan's Musings - Karl May and the History of Arab Strife

Machan's Musings - Is State-Funded Social Security Risk Free?

Machan's Musings - Is Free Will Real?

Machan's Musings - Small Progress, But Some

Machan's Musings - Religion, Ideology, and Terrorism

Machan's Musings - Those Eager TSA Folks

Machan's Musings - The Gay Marriage Fiasco In California

Machan's Musings - Alan Greenspan's Open Secret

Machan's Musings - Are Societies Owned?

Machan's Musings - Ayn Rand and Philosophy

Machan's Musings - Why Condemn Looting?

Machan's Musings - The Fraud of "Taking Responsibility"

Machan's Musings - Inheritance, Capitalism, Freedom, & Responsibility

Machan's Musings - Judge Roberts Conforms

Machan's Musings - The Myth of Public Ownership

Machan's Musings - Another Effort to Void Our Basic Rights





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Post 12

Friday, September 23, 2005 - 10:54pmSanction this postReply
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Jason, thank you for saying in Post 7 everything that came to my mind as I read Phil's post, in particular,

I am in agreement with Phil's post and I sanctioned it but I have hesitated in making the same comments myself because I have yet to contribute ANY articles to SOLO and until I do I don't have any grounds for complaining that I am not receiving a better quality of free content.

Complaining about the quality of writing on a free website (and, in fact, devoting a lot of time to submitting such complaints, day-in and day-out), when you have contributed almost nothing yourself by way of articles, smacks of hypocrisy and Monday-morning quarterbacking.

Writing does not come easy to some of SOLO's submitters, but they are to be commended for taking the time to try something that isn't necessarily their forté, so that they can participate in this community and help to build SOLO. Sometimes even my editing can't fix everything, and their final article may have weaknesses, which SOLO's more skilled writers may of course see fit to point out in the article's Comments thread. For them to do so, when they have submitted no articles themselves, is shameful.

Editing is a service that I provide to SOLO's writers, free of charge, while trying to earn a math degree, work another part-time job, and get a Wall Street gig for after I finish college. I make many tradeoffs for this position, including sleep, social life, and intellectual development (Chris Sciabarra just sent me copies of the books in his trilogy, but I doubt I'll get a chance to read them any time in the next six months here). That may give you some idea of how I feel when I make a post asking for more work, only to see the discussion once again turned to hand-wringing and speculation as to why some of SOLO's better writers have gone, and why it's all our fault.

This announcement was essentially a commitment on my part to spend more time to provide SOLO writers with a public forum, and to help those whose prose needs a little improvement. Here was a great example of the benevolence you're always carrying on about -- and claiming that SOLO lacks -- staring you in the face, and what did you do, Phil? You opportunistically used it as a chance to once again criticize The Management, and me, by extension. And, as always, you inserted a well-crafted little Catch 22 phrase into your criticisms: if we agree with them, we're in the wrong, and if we don't agree, well, we're just evading the responsibility of an honest reexamination of our policies, so we're in the wrong again. Bravo. (It brings to mind the old trap question: "Have you stopped beating your wife?")

Posted to another thread, your comments could be taken as well-meaning suggestions for improvement of the site. Here, on this thread, where I am asking SOLO's members for contributions, they're an ugly little snipe job that deserves to be thrown back in your face. It's almost like you're telling potential submitters: watch out, this website is waning, you might want to hold off on submitting anything for the moment. I'm just wondering when you're going to start selling contracts on the date of SOLO's demise over on Tradesports.

I'm not saying that helpful suggestions won't improve the site, Phil. I don't disagree that SOLO has lost some excellent writers these past months. But at a certain level, you're starting to look a lot like the guy who stands aside and criticizes a line of relief workers building a sandbag wall, telling one he needs to pile them in a certain way, telling another not to toss them so quickly, and endlessly carrying on and on about how it could all run so much better, when really the best contribution he could make would be to join the line and start chucking sandbags himself. The "SOLO or POMO" thread was a textbook case of this pattern of yours. You made a post complaining about the lack of reasoned arguments, and then sat back to wait for someone else to actually do the heavy-lifting of making them. Contrast this with your posts on the price gouging thread, where well-reasoned posts by you, Adam Reed, Andy Postema, and others, allowed the thread to continue and find new insights even as other posters were doing little more than hurling mud at one another. We don't live in three dimensions here in cyberspace ... verbal brawls and cool-headed exchanges can take place side-by-side, and often do, for those who are willing to participate in them. But I suppose that, as Linz puts it in his characteristically colorful manner, there will always be those "sundry sanctimonious tut-tutters [who] flutter down from their lofty heights, well above any suggestion of a fray, and unctuate about how terrible it is that folk are squabbling, and that there is—horreurs!—acrimony on the board." Well, when SOLO gets back into its groove, they will surely deserve none of the credit.

The ruminations on the demise of SOLO are obviously overwrought, given that these past few weeks have seen many interesting articles and discussions on issues like price gouging, the Brandens, addiction, the Fed, etc. To those writers and submitters, skilled and novice alike, who have made it happen, I offer my thanks, and my humble request that you continue your fine contributions to our site, our community, and our movement.

-Andrew


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Post 13

Friday, September 23, 2005 - 10:59pmSanction this postReply
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One other thing -- I'm getting a lump in my throat seeing all the posts complimenting the work I've done here for the past few months. It's really important to me that SOLO's writers are happy with the changes I make to their submissions, and trust me to do a good job.

To everyone who has praised my editing, here and on past threads (or in SOLOMails to me), I give my heartfelt thanks.


Post 14

Saturday, September 24, 2005 - 2:16amSanction this postReply
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You have to realize one reason why Phil and some of us others do not give forth all the answers, waiting for others to say or do - is that this avoids spoonfeeding... yes, in some cases, it's needed - but in others, am glad to see it refrained, at least for a time to allow the  youngsters to 'reach'...

BTW - yes indeed, you do good as editor...:-)

(Edited by robert malcom on 9/24, 2:18am)


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Post 15

Saturday, September 24, 2005 - 2:27amSanction this postReply
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Amen Andrew.

Phil, you chose the right words -- but the wrong time and place. Don't get me wrong, I find you to be very bright and benevolent. But, if you ask me (and I know you're not asking me), well, you just pulled a James Kilbourne here -- and THAT is reproachable.

Aspiring to greatness, and quite imperfectly harping on others to do so -- are 2 very different things, my friend. I really think that you'd gain more value, and be held in an even higher esteem by others (as a value in their lives), if you focused more on the former.

Of course, you've paid nothing for this advice -- so take it with a grain of salt, if you must. You have an aire about you that calls to my mind a picture of a 'monk who always knows best.' This makes it uneasy for me to criticize you; you, the consumate criticizer (which explains why I'm shaking -- as I'm typing this). I just think it's time that you took some of your own medicine, and stepped back to view the contextual dynamics of your post here, in this thread.

Ed
Harping on the Harper

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Post 16

Saturday, September 24, 2005 - 4:22amSanction this postReply
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Been away for a few days. Catching up. Appalled that Andrew's simple prod for more articles has been seized upon by Boring Old Fart of the Month Phil Coates as yet another opportunity to SOLO-bash, with a snide snipe at Andrew thrown in for good measure. Phil, you no longer bore me ... you disgust me. You are a mean-spirited, up-your-own-ass prick. Benevolence? Who do you think you are kidding, you squalid little sniper?! Fuck off! And you can tell the Brandbourne Christian Temperance Union whose articles you miss so much I said "Fuck off," & you can all get together & counsel each other ... you sordid, subterranean smear-mongers.

For the record, I am absolutely thrilled with the job Andrew is doing as editor. When Phil's puerile pin-up pussies threw their hissy-fits over nothing & flounced off, leaving the editorship vacant, Andrew was among those who put his hand up. I knew him well enough to know that he was the one for the job, & I told him so. To my delight, it came to pass. I've not had a moment's regret since; rather, I have had every cause to celebrate. This boy is a gem, a NEM, a true inhabitant of the SOLOverse.

KASS, Andrew! Don't let the bastards get you down!

Linz

Post 17

Saturday, September 24, 2005 - 5:08amSanction this postReply
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Andrew has demonstrated time and time again that he is the right person for this job. It puzzles me that a simple call for articles would bring forth criticism. For the record Andrew, you have shown yourself to be a true gentleman, especially in the face of criticism.

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Post 18

Saturday, September 24, 2005 - 7:21amSanction this postReply
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Andrew,
Writing does not come easy to some of SOLO's submitters, but they are to be commended for taking the time to try something that isn't necessarily their forté, so that they can participate in this community and help to build SOLO. Sometimes even my editing can't fix everything, and their final article may have weaknesses, which SOLO's more skilled writers may of course see fit to point out in the article's Comments thread.
This is the genius of SOLO.  The pedants can croak about this "t" uncrossed or that "i" undotted, but SOLO lets a participant flourish in ways he or she may not have thought possible by writing an article for publication.  SOLO has standards to make us a shoot for excellence, but it does not have barriers that exclude all but the officially approved from having the spotlight.  This place breathes with the hurly-burly of ordinary people doing things both vile and grand.  Because we can always behave squalidly, it is the latter that is the saving grace of this world and SOLO facilitates it in us.

Good work, Andrew, and my admiration for getting it done under the load you have.

Andy


Post 19

Saturday, September 24, 2005 - 7:34amSanction this postReply
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"This place breathes with the hurly-burly of ordinary people doing things both vile and grand."

Well said.

John

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