Memorial Day is returning to us, and with it the thrill
of picnics, parties, and parades. And why not? This day
is a holiday in which many people (including your
favorite Peasant), and likely some of you, my fantastic
readers, will have the day off to be with family and
friends engaging in the aforementioned activities
or just gathering at the home of a friend or relation
to enjoy each other's company.
But all the while, let us not forget who made this special
day possible, and in fact are whom the day is all about:
the Americans who fought and died for our country in
the uniforms of our military --- Army, Navy, Marines,
Air Force, Coast Guard, and, even though they are not
officially a branch of our military, the Merchant Marines
(whom, however, can be an auxiliary to the United
States Navy in wartime). We Americans pride ourselves
as being citizens of a free, strong, and prosperous nation
and rightfully so, but we must never forget who paid the
price to establish and to preserve our nation as such.
As your faithful Peasant has long acknowledged,
freedom isn't free; freedom costs. However, freedom is
not a luxury but an important necessity.
MEM
Thursday, May 23, 2019
Wednesday, May 15, 2019
Remembering Two Great Entertainers
Your frazzled Peasant apologizes again to you, my grand readers,
for not having a new post for you this week, the second time in
three weeks. But I shall make it up to you, and in this way:
This week we lost two great entertainers, Doris Day and
Tim Conway. Doris was, of course, the wholesome, beautiful
blonde singer and actress best known for singing what many
consider to be her signature song, "Que Sera Sera" (Whatever
Will Be Will Be), and WWII favorite "Sentimental Journey";
Tim was the master of deadpan humor who appeared in situation
comedies, comedy movies, and The Carol Burnett Show where
he often stole the show with his brand of mirth. Well, The Peasant
has for you these links for you to enjoy these wonderful entertainers
at their very best. This is both a loving tribute to them as well as
an opportunity to inject some laughter and joy into your day.
Here are the links:
Doris Day https://youtu.be/SdhAfMor9BM
Tim Conway https://youtu.be/9IUSM4EKcRI
Your busy bee of a Peasant shall return to you very soon!
In the meantime, enjoy these lovely videos of Doris Day,
who took us on a Sentimental Journey and has now gone
on The Ultimate Journey, and Tim Conway, who is busy
making heaven even more joyful and merry!
Thank you all!
MEM
for not having a new post for you this week, the second time in
three weeks. But I shall make it up to you, and in this way:
This week we lost two great entertainers, Doris Day and
Tim Conway. Doris was, of course, the wholesome, beautiful
blonde singer and actress best known for singing what many
consider to be her signature song, "Que Sera Sera" (Whatever
Will Be Will Be), and WWII favorite "Sentimental Journey";
Tim was the master of deadpan humor who appeared in situation
comedies, comedy movies, and The Carol Burnett Show where
he often stole the show with his brand of mirth. Well, The Peasant
has for you these links for you to enjoy these wonderful entertainers
at their very best. This is both a loving tribute to them as well as
an opportunity to inject some laughter and joy into your day.
Here are the links:
Doris Day https://youtu.be/SdhAfMor9BM
Tim Conway https://youtu.be/9IUSM4EKcRI
Your busy bee of a Peasant shall return to you very soon!
In the meantime, enjoy these lovely videos of Doris Day,
who took us on a Sentimental Journey and has now gone
on The Ultimate Journey, and Tim Conway, who is busy
making heaven even more joyful and merry!
Thank you all!
MEM
Thursday, May 9, 2019
Lt. Col. Richard E. Cole, R.I.P.
The last member of the great US Army Air Corps crews that
Colonel James Doolittle led which turned around the fortunes
of the United States' efforts in the early years of WWII,
when directly after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor
Japan won several battles on land and sea against our
forces, Lieutenant Colonel Richard E. Cole went to join
his comrades for the Great Final Reunion, having attained
the grand advanced age of 103.
As Colonel Doolittle's co-pilot, Cole was part of 16 Army
Air Corps volunteers whose mission was to fly from the
aircraft carrier USS Hornet to Tokyo and bomb Japan's
capital city, thereby striking a mighty blow against
Imperial Japan and forcing them to shift their attention
away from the Philippines and the rest of the Pacific
Theatre of War. Doolittle, Cole, and the courageous
volunteers flew 600 miles to execute their lightening raid
which had come to be known as "30 seconds over Tokyo"
(Hollywood later made a movie with that very title to
honor Doolittle and his men for their heroic feat), after
which they had to crash-land their planes in China and
do what they could to make their way to safety.
Although the raid had little significance in terms of
strategic benefit, it did much to boost the heretofore
sagging morale of both the armed forces and civilians.
From the late 1940s to 2013, Colonel Doolittle and his
brave volunteers met every year in reunion to celebrate
their feat and the U.S. victory in that war in which it was
a part; now they shall have all of eternity to reunite,
to remember, and to enjoy the most perfect peace after
enduring the a most hellish war. Rest well, gentlemen.
You shall always have the gratitude and prayers of
your fellow Americans through the years and
the generations.
MEM
Colonel James Doolittle led which turned around the fortunes
of the United States' efforts in the early years of WWII,
when directly after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor
Japan won several battles on land and sea against our
forces, Lieutenant Colonel Richard E. Cole went to join
his comrades for the Great Final Reunion, having attained
the grand advanced age of 103.
As Colonel Doolittle's co-pilot, Cole was part of 16 Army
Air Corps volunteers whose mission was to fly from the
aircraft carrier USS Hornet to Tokyo and bomb Japan's
capital city, thereby striking a mighty blow against
Imperial Japan and forcing them to shift their attention
away from the Philippines and the rest of the Pacific
Theatre of War. Doolittle, Cole, and the courageous
volunteers flew 600 miles to execute their lightening raid
which had come to be known as "30 seconds over Tokyo"
(Hollywood later made a movie with that very title to
honor Doolittle and his men for their heroic feat), after
which they had to crash-land their planes in China and
do what they could to make their way to safety.
Although the raid had little significance in terms of
strategic benefit, it did much to boost the heretofore
sagging morale of both the armed forces and civilians.
From the late 1940s to 2013, Colonel Doolittle and his
brave volunteers met every year in reunion to celebrate
their feat and the U.S. victory in that war in which it was
a part; now they shall have all of eternity to reunite,
to remember, and to enjoy the most perfect peace after
enduring the a most hellish war. Rest well, gentlemen.
You shall always have the gratitude and prayers of
your fellow Americans through the years and
the generations.
MEM
Thursday, May 2, 2019
In Need of a Little Time Off
Friends, so much has been happening with your busy Peasant
of late that I have no post for you this week. I shall, of course,
do better next week for you. Good things have been happening
of late; I was hired for a wonderful job, I sang as a featured guest
on Saint Patrick's Day at a show hosted by a wonderful Irish
pub/restaurant in Milwaukee at the invitation of a dear friend
who put together a great new band and were playing that night
--- and I was well-received! The audience loved my rendition
of The Wild Colonial Boy. One of the band members bought
me a drink, and many members of the audience came up to me
and said that they never heard that song sung quite the way I sang
it (it was an especially dynamic and energetic interpretation,
I can tell you!), all this after I was invited to sing onstage by
another band at another pub earlier in the day. And I've been weeks
making a performance space in my apartment for when I host some
Chuck Ward Celtic Song Circle sessions and have a featured artist,
perhaps a musician, perhaps ... myself! So much going on, so much
to do, so much to plan and to enact. And so much energy being spent
(but all for great things!).
Not to worry though; your faithful Peasant shall return next week and
we'll get down to business again with the latest political and economic
news. Thank you, my great and gracious readers for your under-
standing and indulgence! You're the very best!
MEM
of late that I have no post for you this week. I shall, of course,
do better next week for you. Good things have been happening
of late; I was hired for a wonderful job, I sang as a featured guest
on Saint Patrick's Day at a show hosted by a wonderful Irish
pub/restaurant in Milwaukee at the invitation of a dear friend
who put together a great new band and were playing that night
--- and I was well-received! The audience loved my rendition
of The Wild Colonial Boy. One of the band members bought
me a drink, and many members of the audience came up to me
and said that they never heard that song sung quite the way I sang
it (it was an especially dynamic and energetic interpretation,
I can tell you!), all this after I was invited to sing onstage by
another band at another pub earlier in the day. And I've been weeks
making a performance space in my apartment for when I host some
Chuck Ward Celtic Song Circle sessions and have a featured artist,
perhaps a musician, perhaps ... myself! So much going on, so much
to do, so much to plan and to enact. And so much energy being spent
(but all for great things!).
Not to worry though; your faithful Peasant shall return next week and
we'll get down to business again with the latest political and economic
news. Thank you, my great and gracious readers for your under-
standing and indulgence! You're the very best!
MEM
Thursday, April 25, 2019
Prayers for and Thoughts on the Cathedral de Notre Dame
On Monday, April 15 a terrible tragedy befell an internationally
renown cathedral, not merely a landmark (though it certainly is),
and an iconic house of worship for the Catholics of Paris,
of France, and for the millions of Catholics from around the world
who visit and worship there when visiting Paris, and for many
others who traveled to Paris specifically to worship at this
nine century-old church, but a tribute and a message of love
to the Virgin Mary; its name is French for "Our Lady of Paris".
The Cathedral of Notre Dame suffered a major fire
which consumed much of its roof and caused further damage
to the area of the altar. Its spire, an icon in and of itself, was
destroyed along with the oak frame and the lead roof. In a sad
irony, the cathedral was undergoing some restoration work
in the very area where the fire broke out; authorities are still
trying to determine the origin of the fire as your faithful Peasant
types this post, but they have averred that the cathedral was
no more than half an hour away from complete destruction
as the structural damage would have been severe enough to
cause its complete collapse. Some of the relics and other holy
items in the cathedral were saved, including the crown of thorns
which Jesus Christ wore when he was sent to die on the cross.
In my younger days, when among other things I traveled far
and often, I too worshiped at the cathedral. Having visited
Paris twice, I made it a point to visit the vast House of God
with its flying buttresses and majestic spire, its gargoyles
perched around its structure as permanent sentries watching
out for evil spirits should they come by to menace the cathedral
and all those who pray there. Pity they couldn't do anything to
contain and quench the conflagration that rose up that recent
fateful night. I also attended Sunday Mass there; against the
ornate surroundings which included the most stunning stained
glass windows it was an exquisitely magnificent experience,
one very unique in my experience which I shall never forget.
Worshiping there in attending Mass made one feel a great
level closer to heaven, and it was among the highlights of
my 61 years of life so far. I cannot and do not want to imagine
Paris or the world without the Cathedral of Notre Dame,
and I have been praying for her and her parishioners,
her clergy, and for my fellow Catholics in France and
throughout the world. Of course there are other, many other
Catholic houses of worship in the world, including other
magnificent cathedrals; there is also the Basilica Du
Sacre Coeur (Sacred Heart) that I also visited and worshiped
in. But there is something uniquely mystical and other-worldly
about the Cathedral de Notre Dame which I pray can be
preserved when it is repaired. I am worried that somehow
it won't be preserved at all, or that it will be only poorly so,
because in recent years the French, like the rest of Europe,
has succumbed to the siren song of secularism, the secularism
in the sense of a society no longer recognizing their link to
their heavenly Creator and perhaps even rejecting the
existence of same. Now, I'll save my thoughts on secularism
and related things for another day but I will state here and now
that many French folk have come to regard the Cathedral
as merely a museum, a monument to a bygone time, a
tourist attraction, and I fear that when they repair the place
it will not retain that mystical quality that made it so special.
Could the fire have been a sign from God, as some of the
faithful think, that He is displeased with the people of
France for taking this tack and this catastrophe was an
"attention getter" to get them to think about the course that
they have embarked upon? As a life-long practicing Catholic,
I can't say as to whether or not that is true, but I will say that
it was a truly sad day when the Cathedral de Notre Dame
was partially engulfed in flames, and that it will take many
months to repair and restore the beautiful, medieval
cathedral which was built and consecrated to the Mother
of Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Although after the
work is completed people will be able to come visit
and worship there as before, they may not be able to
enjoy and treasure the experience that I and many others
had been able to partake of with all the fullness of its
heretofore mystical and mysterious atmosphere, for it
may well be eliminated not so much by political edict
but by a lack of understanding of and appreciation for
these spiritual qualities on the part of people who have
no use for them. While I'm happy that they want to repair
the cathedral, and French President Emmanuel Macron
has vowed to get it done, my aforementioned concern
stands. Time will tell.
MEM
renown cathedral, not merely a landmark (though it certainly is),
and an iconic house of worship for the Catholics of Paris,
of France, and for the millions of Catholics from around the world
who visit and worship there when visiting Paris, and for many
others who traveled to Paris specifically to worship at this
nine century-old church, but a tribute and a message of love
to the Virgin Mary; its name is French for "Our Lady of Paris".
The Cathedral of Notre Dame suffered a major fire
which consumed much of its roof and caused further damage
to the area of the altar. Its spire, an icon in and of itself, was
destroyed along with the oak frame and the lead roof. In a sad
irony, the cathedral was undergoing some restoration work
in the very area where the fire broke out; authorities are still
trying to determine the origin of the fire as your faithful Peasant
types this post, but they have averred that the cathedral was
no more than half an hour away from complete destruction
as the structural damage would have been severe enough to
cause its complete collapse. Some of the relics and other holy
items in the cathedral were saved, including the crown of thorns
which Jesus Christ wore when he was sent to die on the cross.
In my younger days, when among other things I traveled far
and often, I too worshiped at the cathedral. Having visited
Paris twice, I made it a point to visit the vast House of God
with its flying buttresses and majestic spire, its gargoyles
perched around its structure as permanent sentries watching
out for evil spirits should they come by to menace the cathedral
and all those who pray there. Pity they couldn't do anything to
contain and quench the conflagration that rose up that recent
fateful night. I also attended Sunday Mass there; against the
ornate surroundings which included the most stunning stained
glass windows it was an exquisitely magnificent experience,
one very unique in my experience which I shall never forget.
Worshiping there in attending Mass made one feel a great
level closer to heaven, and it was among the highlights of
my 61 years of life so far. I cannot and do not want to imagine
Paris or the world without the Cathedral of Notre Dame,
and I have been praying for her and her parishioners,
her clergy, and for my fellow Catholics in France and
throughout the world. Of course there are other, many other
Catholic houses of worship in the world, including other
magnificent cathedrals; there is also the Basilica Du
Sacre Coeur (Sacred Heart) that I also visited and worshiped
in. But there is something uniquely mystical and other-worldly
about the Cathedral de Notre Dame which I pray can be
preserved when it is repaired. I am worried that somehow
it won't be preserved at all, or that it will be only poorly so,
because in recent years the French, like the rest of Europe,
has succumbed to the siren song of secularism, the secularism
in the sense of a society no longer recognizing their link to
their heavenly Creator and perhaps even rejecting the
existence of same. Now, I'll save my thoughts on secularism
and related things for another day but I will state here and now
that many French folk have come to regard the Cathedral
as merely a museum, a monument to a bygone time, a
tourist attraction, and I fear that when they repair the place
it will not retain that mystical quality that made it so special.
Could the fire have been a sign from God, as some of the
faithful think, that He is displeased with the people of
France for taking this tack and this catastrophe was an
"attention getter" to get them to think about the course that
they have embarked upon? As a life-long practicing Catholic,
I can't say as to whether or not that is true, but I will say that
it was a truly sad day when the Cathedral de Notre Dame
was partially engulfed in flames, and that it will take many
months to repair and restore the beautiful, medieval
cathedral which was built and consecrated to the Mother
of Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Although after the
work is completed people will be able to come visit
and worship there as before, they may not be able to
enjoy and treasure the experience that I and many others
had been able to partake of with all the fullness of its
heretofore mystical and mysterious atmosphere, for it
may well be eliminated not so much by political edict
but by a lack of understanding of and appreciation for
these spiritual qualities on the part of people who have
no use for them. While I'm happy that they want to repair
the cathedral, and French President Emmanuel Macron
has vowed to get it done, my aforementioned concern
stands. Time will tell.
MEM
Thursday, April 18, 2019
Happy Easter Wishes!
The Peasant wants to wish you, my grand readers, a most
beautiful, blessed, Happy Easter! We shall resume our
weekly activities after the blessed holiday, and to that
purpose I have some news stories and topics on tap.
We'll imbibe together upon my return next week!
God bless you all, and God bless America!
MEM
beautiful, blessed, Happy Easter! We shall resume our
weekly activities after the blessed holiday, and to that
purpose I have some news stories and topics on tap.
We'll imbibe together upon my return next week!
God bless you all, and God bless America!
MEM
Friday, April 12, 2019
One Juicy Nutburger!
Today your humble Peasant takes on a wayward activist
and conspiracy theorist Alex Jones. For those of you, my
fantastic readers, who may not be familiar with this fellow,
your favorite Peasant first came across Jones during one of
the times that he was a guest on Coast-to-Coast AM, a late
night talk show that tackles subjects considered taboo by
many other talk shows as well as more mainstream subjects
for discussion. Hosted on weeknights by George Noori,
Jones has joined Noori for many discussions about the
latest conspiracy theories going around, some fairly new
while others, such as who really assassinated President
John F. Kennedy, have been around for many years.
While it is healthy for not only public discourse but for
the public's right to know who is contriving to do what
which may be harmful to our country and our world,
I cannot help but think that it would serve everyone better
if these discussion were led by others with more credibility
and less, for want of a more polite term, zaniness.
The Texas born-and-bred Jones started out on his crusade
in the 1990s. hosting a show live on public-access TV.
Often taking up causes championed by conservatives, Jones
has been at the center of many controversies for his espousing
his personal takes on many subjects, some of them quite
hair-raising, i.e. his Sandy Hook Elementary School Shooting
theories which boil down to the shootings being staged by
"crisis actors"; no one dead, no one wounded, just a staged
event concocted to scare the public into demanding new
and more gun control laws with an eye toward repealing
the Second Amendment. The parents of the schoolchildren
who perished at their school, and the relatives of the faculty
who were also killed or wounded have initiated a lawsuit
against Jones for his bizarre claim, and Jones has encountered
banning from some social media sites (Facebook, Twitter,
and YouTube, among others) for these and other roundhouse-
swing claims regarding other actual or alleged conspiracies.
including his belief that the Murrah Federal Building bombing in
Oklahoma City in the '90s was staged by the U.S. government
and at least some of the details of the Moon landing were
falsified.
Regarded by some as the nation's biggest conspiracy theorist,
as a raving lunatic who belongs in an insane asylum, a patriot
and a crank, a brave soul and a malicious mischief maker,
one thing about Jones is certain: he's never ever dull.
But can we take his brand of excitement? He also has hounded
government officials in public places to the point of being
considered not just a nuisance but a security problem;
plotted with political consultant Roger Stone to remove Sen.
Ted Cruz from his senate seat for his not endorsing Donald Trump
for the presidency after the 2016 election; bleated
constantly about a New World Order in which governmental,
business, and banking interests are trying to take over the world
and create a single super-state of all the nations, destroying
sovereignty and placing all under a one-world government;
blathered about nations building weather weapons to conduct
combat against each other by manipulation of the elements;
and claimed that the U.S. government is, with the Democrat
Party, plotting "white genocide" attacks (now, your beloved
Peasant, as you well know, is not a fan of the Democrats, but
to pin their plotting to slaughter millions of white Americans
for political purposes is just plain insanity of the highest
order!), and the Khan Shaykun chemical attack in Syria in 2017
was a "hoax". And these are just a few tidbits to familiarize you
Jones' brand of "news".
For good (or bad) measure, Jones has even threatened a member
of Congress not long ago, Rep. Adam Schiff (D-NY). All in his
quest to be considered a "thought criminal" against "Big Brother".
As a American, a conservative, and a patriot, your faithful Peasant
has no love for "Big Brother", the ever-growing, ever-encroach-
ing government and those who work within it to take away our
constitutionally protected freedoms. And I do want to have open
and honest discussion from the dinner tables to the coffee shops
to the schools to the town halls to the halls of power in the
state capitols and in Washington D.C., and absolutely in the media
about the topics that Alex Jones covers in his shows, his tracts, his
speeches, and on his web site InfoWars. I just wish that they were,
and would be so covered by people with more a responsible,
tempered, and fact-based approach. For one thing, it would give
these topics and its discussion participants not just credibility
but respectability, and therefore facilitate their so being discussed.
No one engaging in such discussions would be seen as tinfoil hat
wearing nutburgers, and more people would be at their ease in
joining in.
Now that would truly serve us better, don't you think?
And conservatives and conservatism would be better served by
not having these discussions headed up by a raving sensationalist.
We have a right as citizens of a free country to be able to have these
discussions; it would be more beneficial if we didn't have Alex Jones
be the moderator.
MEM
and conspiracy theorist Alex Jones. For those of you, my
fantastic readers, who may not be familiar with this fellow,
your favorite Peasant first came across Jones during one of
the times that he was a guest on Coast-to-Coast AM, a late
night talk show that tackles subjects considered taboo by
many other talk shows as well as more mainstream subjects
for discussion. Hosted on weeknights by George Noori,
Jones has joined Noori for many discussions about the
latest conspiracy theories going around, some fairly new
while others, such as who really assassinated President
John F. Kennedy, have been around for many years.
While it is healthy for not only public discourse but for
the public's right to know who is contriving to do what
which may be harmful to our country and our world,
I cannot help but think that it would serve everyone better
if these discussion were led by others with more credibility
and less, for want of a more polite term, zaniness.
The Texas born-and-bred Jones started out on his crusade
in the 1990s. hosting a show live on public-access TV.
Often taking up causes championed by conservatives, Jones
has been at the center of many controversies for his espousing
his personal takes on many subjects, some of them quite
hair-raising, i.e. his Sandy Hook Elementary School Shooting
theories which boil down to the shootings being staged by
"crisis actors"; no one dead, no one wounded, just a staged
event concocted to scare the public into demanding new
and more gun control laws with an eye toward repealing
the Second Amendment. The parents of the schoolchildren
who perished at their school, and the relatives of the faculty
who were also killed or wounded have initiated a lawsuit
against Jones for his bizarre claim, and Jones has encountered
banning from some social media sites (Facebook, Twitter,
and YouTube, among others) for these and other roundhouse-
swing claims regarding other actual or alleged conspiracies.
including his belief that the Murrah Federal Building bombing in
Oklahoma City in the '90s was staged by the U.S. government
and at least some of the details of the Moon landing were
falsified.
Regarded by some as the nation's biggest conspiracy theorist,
as a raving lunatic who belongs in an insane asylum, a patriot
and a crank, a brave soul and a malicious mischief maker,
one thing about Jones is certain: he's never ever dull.
But can we take his brand of excitement? He also has hounded
government officials in public places to the point of being
considered not just a nuisance but a security problem;
plotted with political consultant Roger Stone to remove Sen.
Ted Cruz from his senate seat for his not endorsing Donald Trump
for the presidency after the 2016 election; bleated
constantly about a New World Order in which governmental,
business, and banking interests are trying to take over the world
and create a single super-state of all the nations, destroying
sovereignty and placing all under a one-world government;
blathered about nations building weather weapons to conduct
combat against each other by manipulation of the elements;
and claimed that the U.S. government is, with the Democrat
Party, plotting "white genocide" attacks (now, your beloved
Peasant, as you well know, is not a fan of the Democrats, but
to pin their plotting to slaughter millions of white Americans
for political purposes is just plain insanity of the highest
order!), and the Khan Shaykun chemical attack in Syria in 2017
was a "hoax". And these are just a few tidbits to familiarize you
Jones' brand of "news".
For good (or bad) measure, Jones has even threatened a member
of Congress not long ago, Rep. Adam Schiff (D-NY). All in his
quest to be considered a "thought criminal" against "Big Brother".
As a American, a conservative, and a patriot, your faithful Peasant
has no love for "Big Brother", the ever-growing, ever-encroach-
ing government and those who work within it to take away our
constitutionally protected freedoms. And I do want to have open
and honest discussion from the dinner tables to the coffee shops
to the schools to the town halls to the halls of power in the
state capitols and in Washington D.C., and absolutely in the media
about the topics that Alex Jones covers in his shows, his tracts, his
speeches, and on his web site InfoWars. I just wish that they were,
and would be so covered by people with more a responsible,
tempered, and fact-based approach. For one thing, it would give
these topics and its discussion participants not just credibility
but respectability, and therefore facilitate their so being discussed.
No one engaging in such discussions would be seen as tinfoil hat
wearing nutburgers, and more people would be at their ease in
joining in.
Now that would truly serve us better, don't you think?
And conservatives and conservatism would be better served by
not having these discussions headed up by a raving sensationalist.
We have a right as citizens of a free country to be able to have these
discussions; it would be more beneficial if we didn't have Alex Jones
be the moderator.
MEM
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