Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Speaking of republicans, is there a way for a political party to declare intellectual bankruptcy?

Republicans don’t want a speaker to lead them; they want a hostage.

The Giant Orange Man Baby is having a bad day.

It’s all just conspiracy shit beamed down from the mothership.

Trump’s cabinet: like a magic 8 ball that only gives wrong answers.

Usually wrong but never in doubt

There is no compromise when it comes to body autonomy. You either have it or you do not.

Wow, I can’t imagine what it was like to comment in morse code.

Just because you believe it, that does not make it true.

Tide comes in. Tide goes out. You can’t explain that.

You know it’s bad when the Project 2025 people have to create training videos on “How To Be Normal”.

The line between political reporting and fan fiction continues to blur.

The republican caucus is covering themselves with something, and it is not glory.

Sadly, media malpractice has become standard practice.

He wakes up lying, and he lies all day.

You are so fucked. Still, I wish you the best of luck.

New McCarthy, same old McCarthyism.

… gradually, and then suddenly.

The most dangerous place for a black man in America is in a white man’s imagination.

We cannot abandon the truth and remain a free nation.

We will not go quietly into the night; we will not vanish without a fight.

It’s always darkest before the other shoe drops.

They are not red states to be hated; they are voter suppression states to be fixed.

You passed on an opportunity to be offended? What are you even doing here?

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Open Thread

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Gipsy Kings seems to be what I am listening to tonight. Every time I hear this song I think of that silly movie Bedazzled with Brendan Fraser, someone I like because he completely does not take himself seriously. He just rolls with it and has fun, and I’m cool with that.

Reader Interactions

125Comments

  3. 3.

    Belafon (formerly anonevent)

    When I watch Brendan I get the feeling he’s enjoying acting, and that he knows he’s got it good, rather than feeling he deserves it. I’m not sure that’s really the case, but that’s how I feel.

  5. 5.

    Anya

    Oh good, an open thread. I don’t have to stare at John’s beddings. Lily is fab but those colors…..

    I am just listening to O’s Maine speech. Why did he have to say nice things about Olympia Snow? I know I am just being petty but that woman did not lift a finger to set herself as open minded and independent.

  6. 6.

    fucen tarmal

    i’m watching oliver stone’s w. and he gives me a headache with the creative liberties where the literal transcript might be better, but damned if it doesn’t make me pissed off all over again….

  9. 9.

    John Cole

    Oh good, an open thread. I don’t have to stare at John’s beddings. Lily is fab but those colors…..

    God damnit. Between you and Max, you’re killing me.

    Here is what we are going to do. Tomorrow night’s open thread will be “Choose John some fancy linens” and you can all link something stylish and I will choose one and buy it.

    My attitude is they are sheets, for fuck’s sake. 95% of the time I am near them, my eyes are closed. But apparently that ain’t good enough.

  10. 10.

    Norbrook

    Well, it being April 1’st, the “Pootie & Woozle” group over at GOS went and staged a takeover. Every diary on the Rec List there was LOLcat/LOLDog/LOLanimal diary. Amazing what you can do, sometimes! The screams from the humor-impaired were equally funny.

  12. 12.

    RedKitten

    @John Cole: Dude, we’re just trying to get you laid. And with those sheets, you’re not helping your chances. They kind of scream “This is the set I bought in college back when I was still listening to Color Me Badd.”

  13. 13.

    beltane

    There was a flame war over Glenn Greenwald at Crooked Timber of all places. Not a flame war by our standards here, but a flame war nonetheless. It made for some amusing reading.

    Oh, and Israel launched air strikes against Gaza within the past hour. Good times.

  18. 18.

    John Cole

    @RedKitten: I don’t want to sleep with anyone who is ready to sleep with me and then says “OMG- your sheets aren’t stylish enough.” That’s just the kind of woman I have been aggressively avoiding my… forever.

    Also, have I ever been shy asking for help with anything? When I need help getting laid, I’ll let you all know.

  19. 19.

    Mike Kay

    @beltane: Glenster really is a control freak with a large streak of insecurity, isn’t he.

    I mean, Marcos gets bashed all over the internet and he never feels the need to post breathless hysterical rebuttals. Hell, Marcos doesn’t post any rebuttals, period. I remember when Harold Ford called Marcos an anti-Semite on MTP and he just laughed it off (no setting hair on fire and stigmata).

  24. 24.

    Catsy

    Gotta agree about Brendan Fraser. I’ve always liked him as an actor, and he seems to just have fun with his roles.

  25. 25.

    Kevin

    I do hope you’ve seen the original Bedazzled with Peter Cook and Dudley Moore. Peter Cook’s Devil is hysterical.

  29. 29.

    Mike Kay

    @rootless-e: but he’s a celebrity. So he gets to sake among the blogorati. The blogorati is no different than the beltway media, they’ll never criticize a member of the club, no matter how off base (G Will climate change denier/HippieSphere: “Obama is evil”).

  30. 30.

    gogol's wife

    I can’t wait for the people who are infuriated by pet threads to get wind of the planned “fancy linens” thread.

  35. 35.

    Anya

    @Mike Kay: I admire that about Kos but even Hamsher does not post rebuttals. Dude needs to take a hiking trip in Appalachian trail.

  36. 36.

    demo woman

    Also, have I ever been shy asking for help with anything? When I need help getting laid, I’ll let you all know.

    Is it still April Fools day or did I lose my link to Balloon Juice?

  37. 37.

    IndyLib

    @Loneoak:
    Hey don’t mock, if my husband had Bronco sheets and a Bronco comforter on his bed instead the fugly ’70’s hotel wannabe crap that he had, he’d have gotten laid a week sooner.

  38. 38.

    scav

    @RedKitten: umm, I’m not exactly an expert here, but if sheets are the make or break detail in these sorts of encounters, maybe other things aren’t soaking up the attention span the way they should be. Then again, I am rather fond of Randy Newman’s “Maybe I’m Doing It Wrong”.

  43. 43.

    beltane

    @Mike Kay: The best is towards the end of the comment thread where GG cites Ann Althouse to make his point. It is a case of the pompous being led by the clinically insane.

  44. 44.

    RedKitten

    That’s okay. I like it when you’re snippy.

    And no, I wouldn’t want you to be with some superficial bitch who would dump you for your sheets.

    However, your home decor does give an overall impression as to whether you’re a mature adult who has his shit together.

    It could be worse…at least you’re not still sleeping on the Star Wars sheets that you (and every other guy I know) had at age seven. :) I have known grown men who still sleep on those.

    Bad bedding isn’t a deal-breaker, but it doesn’t exactly set the mood, either. I’ve heard more than one man complain about when women’s beds are too frilly with a bazillion throw pillows and stuffed animals everywhere. No, they’re not turned off enough to cancel the deal, but it does leave niggling doubts in the mind.

  47. 47.

    Linda Featheringill

    OT, although it is difficult to wrench myself away from John’s bedsheets.

    Went to my daughter’s graduation from a technical school tonight. Nice production.

    The school was paid for by the VA, which is a good thing. But I don’t see a job anywhere in the near future.

    Her GI Bill payments were helping us maintain our household of two humans and five non-humans. Those are running out and if there is no further income . . . .

  48. 48.

    lee

    Want a really good laugh at a bunch of glibertarians?

    Here they are trying to explain that you are not really any safer wearing a seatbelt.

    Sadly Radley is one of those that don’t think seatbelts make you any safer.

  49. 49.

    Bad Horse's Filly

    @John Cole:

    Also, have I ever been shy asking for help with anything? When I need help getting laid, I’ll let you all know.

    When I stop laughing I might actually have a snappy come back to that….

    I just can’t wait for that thread – help John get laid – will there be an ActBlue link with it?

  51. 51.

    Omnes Omnibus

    @RedKitten:

    It could be worse…at least you’re not still sleeping on the Star Wars sheets that you (and every other guy I know) had at age seven. :) I have known grown men who still sleep on those.

    I did not have Star Wars sheets at age seven. Of course, the movie came out the summer I turned 13. In case anyone is wondering, I did not ever have Star Wars sheets. So there.

  52. 52.

    RedKitten

    I kind of like this set (without all those fucking pillows, of course).

    It’s modern, but not pretentiously so. Simple, but not juvenile. Grown-up, but not stuffy, or something you’d see in Quagmire’s bedroom. Masculine, but not so much so that a woman can’t even picture herself in between those sheets.

    This set is really nice too. I think I like it even better than the first set to which I linked. http://www.crateandbarrel.com/family.aspx?c=14430&f=35081

  53. 53.

    scav

    As I suspected, I’m a different species. Overly tasteful and coordinated makes me nervous.

  54. 54.

    SMR

    I’m not witty enough to comment about the politics — this is a tough crowd.

    But I do know my Gipsy Kings (great stuff, been listening to them for at least 15 years now). And I am a bedding snob of sorts — I don’t spends zillions on it, but do only buy the soft quality stuff, spending lots if needed. Just go to Costco (if you have a membership). They have great sheets for the money, very good quality. Buy yourself a nice masculine duvet cover (Grey, navy or brown), with light down comforter for the summer, and heavier one for the winter. It’s not something that you want to spend a lot on with the pets spending plenty of time on it. If you don’t have a Costco membership just go to JCPenney.

    I visit often, comment rarely, and love this place. But, as I said, I am not worthy when it comes to commenting on all of that serious political debate that takes place here.

    When you get tired of the Gipsy Kings put on Van Morrison. Thanks for the Mickey Avalon video way back when, had fun watching it w/my uni-aged daughter when she was home on spring break. I bought that one on itunes the day after I watched the second Harold & Kumar movie. New music: One EskimO. They’re pretty good, worth checking out on Vimeo or some site like that. Or lala.com (which they won’t let me play here in canadaland).

    Carry on.

  56. 56.

    Ming

    wow. seriously, ladies (and i am one) — i can’t imagine the color scheme of a guy’s sheets making one iota of difference in my amorousness.

    that said, i do feel investing in high quality sleeping equipment is a major contribution to quality of life. it’s about great cotton and high thread count — sheets so yummy to your skin that you moan just at, er, sliding in.

  60. 60.

    demo woman

    @RedKitten: Some day your son will come home and say Mom please don’t buy me undies with Star War’s on them and then you will feel sad. The helicopters won’t need to cry either.

  62. 62.

    robertdsc

    I have known grown men who still sleep on those.

    LOL. I don’t have those sheets but I do have a couple of SW action figures on my desk. That OK? /wink

  63. 63.

    Maeve

    The sheets I had in college (30+ years ago) are the same sheets Jack Black has on his bed in “School of Rock”. Come to think of it, my bed then was also a mattress on the floor. I still have those sheets (not used on any bed but you never know when a spare sheet might come in handy.)

    Sometimes I wonder why the set designer chose those sheets – how many did they consider before deciding those were perfect? They were white with a bold design of gold, orange, brown and red.

    My sheets now are solid color “Paprika”. And I have a metal frame under the mattress. Progress?

  64. 64.

    beltane

    @Max: Those don’t look very animal friendly. I’ve been looking for a new duvet cover but can’t find anything I like that is compatible with a black lab.

  66. 66.

    randiego

    Hey General Stuck – which high desert you in?

    We briefly discussed camping at Joshua Tree this weekend, but then I checked the forecast and it’s snowing up there, so that was out.

  68. 68.

    jibeaux

    Srsly, overstock is a good place for linens if you don’t have a good linen discounter nearby. Trolling department stores for the sale + coupon specials can net you good deals too.

    There will be no ActBlue link for sheet procurement, as that would be too hasty. There will be a PAC formed to investigate the building of the infrastructure, to look into the recruiting of the sheets that may be purchased at some point. I am willing to consult at $24k a year. Stay tuned.

  72. 72.

    RedKitten

    @General Egali Tarian Stuck:

    Overly tasteful and coordinated makes me nervous.

    If all else fails, go for the safe bet: Nice down duvet, covered with a navy blue duvet cover. White or off-white sheets with as high a thread count as you can swing. Pillows that are no more than a few years old.

    Classic, simple, you can’t go wrong.

  73. 73.

    jibeaux

    Maybe John’s plan is to have a Brendan Fraser DVD playing in the background? He’s not tier one, no, but he has a certain hair-falling-in-his-eyes, non-pretentious appeal.

  74. 74.

    Kristine

    So because of Life and day job and all, I missed Blog Family Feud and the Angsty McAngsterson threads. Managed to post in Anne Laurie’s thread about gardens and view Lily’s butt and now I am here as the rest of you pick out John’s bedding.

    Twue Wuv. I fweew it heew.

    Srsly. There’s no other place like BJ, and that’s why I visit.

  75. 75.

    Max

    @Anya: We’re smart girls. I am switching to the pintuck in all white bedding once I move into my new home in Vancouver.

    To go with my new bed from Pottery Barn.

    @beltane: I have a no-shedding, Max the Wheaten Terrier for a reason. :)

  76. 76.

    Sentient Puddle

    I know I’m no help here, but I kinda like his sheets. They’re colorful…

  77. 77.

    beltane

    @Ming: That is true. A sheet is only as good as its thread count, and anything with even a trace of polyester is a no-no. Color and pattern is secondary at best.

  79. 79.

    Cain

    @beltane:

    Oh, and Israel launched air strikes against Gaza within the past hour. Good times.

    Err… what? Gaza? Isn’t that place peaceful and stuff cuz the good palestinians live there (eg not Hamas?) I can smell the schadenfreude Hamas is feeling right now. Stupid Bibi. I’d like to tell that loser to take a short walk off a pier.

    cain

  80. 80.

    Cain

    The goal is to keep women away from John. It’ll be the end of this place if has one! You know she’s not going to share John with the rest of us.

    cain

  81. 81.

    matoko_chan

    Poor AllahP is still in denial.
    Some one should point out to the teabaggers that Toby Keith is a registered democrat too.
    L’affaire du LL reminds me of the dozen or so aging hairbands that refused to let Palin play their 80s anthems on the campaign trail.
    also, too……foo fighters.
    pop culture rejects conservatism like a disease.

    AllahP also disappeared a post back then where he said he sympathized with Palin refusing to read her press clippings because every day was another band rejection …..Bon Jovi, Heart, Survivor, Van Halen, etc, etc.
    Poor dimbo….just another sad 80s chick with big hair and mall bangs.
    I can’t wait for her to go thru menopause.

  85. 85.

    The Main Gauche of Mild Reason

    @Cain:

    That’s only true if he doesn’t recruit her from the comment section. I hear bloggers are doing that these days.

  86. 86.

    DougL (frmrly: Conservatively Liberal)

    @John Cole:

    I laughed at GG’s first sentence of his first and second paragraphs in his initial response:

    First sentence, first paragraph:

    There’s nothing to respond to.

    First sentence, second paragraph:

    Even if I wanted to respond to you, I wouldn’t be able to.

    GG then goes on for two more paragraphs…lol! Good thing that “There’s nothing to respond to”  and that GG “couldn’t respond if he wanted to”  otherwise Farrell would have been buried in a 19 paragraph avalanche of words saying IM RITE N UR RONG!

  87. 87.

    Anya

    @Max: I agree!

    I love Vancouver. My best friend just moved to Vancouver from Toronto. It will be harder to visit him now, since I visit Toronto all the time because my parents live there.

    Going back to choosing John’s bed-sheets. In my opinion the bedroom is the most important place in the house. Guys, you might disagree but the bedroom is our sanctuary.

    John, try something similar to these. I think you can find something more reasonable. The design is good and a combination of neutrals and small amounts of color can create a cozy feeling

    Here: http://www.home-decorating-co.com/well-dressed-bed-cambria-bedding.html

  92. 92.

    DougL (frmrly: Conservatively Liberal)

    It ain’t just the sheets that matter. You want a bed set up so it looks inviting to a ‘guest’ you may be interested in having over. When you have a bed that invites someone to lie down and ‘test it out’ the first time they see it then you are already halfway there.

    Believe me when I say that when it comes to your bed guys, some guests want to see the ‘whole package’. ;)

  93. 93.

    Nick

    @General Egali Tarian Stuck:

    Don’t get me started on Glenn Greenwald and his latest with mugshots of Obama and Bush side by side.

    What pisses me off about Glenn is that he openly admits that he sees the double standard the media enforces. He sees how the media spins things in the Republicans’ favor and how it plays into the national mindset and yet he is genuinely surprised and disappointed that Obama isn’t winning anyway.

    This is a general problem I have with the Gleen Greenwald/Jane Hamsher/Open Left wackos. They see how the decks are stacked against him and then are mad no one is changing it quickly and easily, then threaten to take their ball and go home. People who say that this President, who got equal pay for women, reauthorization of SCHIP, lifted the ban on stem-cell research, lifted the AIDS travel ban, a stimulus that kept us from becoming a third world country, basically saved the auto industry, reformed credit card laws, signed into law hate-crimes legislation for LGBT Americans, successfully initiated an orderly withdrawal from Iraq, refocused our efforts in fighting Al-Qaeda and the Taliban in Afghanistan where it should have been all along, and have shown signs of success here, took on the Israeli government when they were wrong (did any President before us ever do that, Eisenhower maybe?), reformed student loan rules, and brought the US near-universal health care “squandered” a whole year aren’t dealing with reality and aren’t worth the time to please, because they’ll never be pleased. Nothing will ever be good enough because if you do 10 awesome things, they’ll focus on the 10 you didn’t get done and use that as a defense for their ugly cynicism. If this is our base, we’re just plain screwed and should enjoy the majority while it lasts.

    This is what I mean when I say hippies sometimes need to be punched.

  95. 95.

    John Cole

    @Anya: Before I go to bed, I’m just going to throw this out here right now- you people are smoking crack rock if you think I am dropping close to a grand on sheets so my drooling, farting dog (and I love her dearly) and my cat who shits in a box and then covers it with his feet can sleep in splendor.

    This website is going to have to find a significantly larger revenue stream before that kind of crap happens.

  96. 96.

    Linda Featheringill

    To Anya: Nice bedding.

    Actually, going to bed with John should be a LUXURY that a lady can look forward to even if she is sober and even if she is not desperately lonely.

    I know that no mere woman would ever love John as much as Lily does but still she might have other fine qualities.

  99. 99.

    rootless-e

    @Nick:

    Glenn and Jane
    and David Sirota
    we think what they say
    or we oughta
    ’cause they’re so damn smart
    and morally pure
    obots are the sickness
    and they is the cure
    no need for no disputing
    the idea is just daft
    Obama’s bad as old Rasputin
    if you disagree
    they’ll laugh

  100. 100.

    jibeaux

    my drooling, farting dog (and I love her dearly) and my cat who shits in a box and then covers it with his feet can sleep in splendor.

    Shorter JC: I’m not worried about the sheets because no one’s ever made it that far yet.

  101. 101.

    Violet

    @John Cole:
    John, your sheets and duvet look comfy, like the kind you’d snuggle under on a Sunday morning when you were sleeping in late. Lily’s got the right idea. The color scheme is a bit early 90’s, but so long as they’re clean and comfy it’s all good. Don’t let the West Elm/Pottery Barn trend-followers get you down!

  102. 102.

    Mike Kay

    @Nick: but he didn’t arrest bush on the capitol steps after taking the oath of office, which means he’s just like bush and cheney.

  103. 103.

    eemom

    @John Cole:

    “This website is going to have to find a significantly larger revenue stream before that kind of crap happens.”

    What you need is a PAC. Jussayinzall.

  105. 105.

    Yutsano

    I just wanna say eight minutes before I head off into my Friday from work I hate y’all. I’m trying NOT to spend money this week so I can haz me some fun down in Arizona and ya’ll throw up temptations like that. Crap. I get enough temptation to spend as it is.

  106. 106.

    Ash Can

    @John Cole:

    my drooling, farting dog (and I love her dearly) and my cat who shits in a box and then covers it with his feet

    So that’s what happened to your sheets. Try washing them, then; they might turn out to be a nice beige color instead of all shit-tracked.

  109. 109.

    FlipYrWhig

    @eemom:

    What you need is a PAC.

    Or maybe a special event for high-rollers. At West Virginia’s leading bondage-themed erotic cabaret.

  110. 110.

    Wile E. Quixote

    Bad Horse’s Filly:

    I just can’t wait for that thread – help John get laid – will there be an ActBlue link with it?

    Just as long as there’s not a link to that weird Pamela Sue Anderson ad where she had a third arm growing out of her hoohoo.

  111. 111.

    fucen tarmal

    @bey, i don’t know how you found it, but i kinda got the impression Oliver Stone sorta half-assed it.

    as to the sheets, something in a retro-cool satin, for that chicka-bow-wow feel, and it goes well with the first side of led zepplin 4.

  112. 112.

    Wile E. Quixote

    Every time I hear this song I think of that silly movie Bedazzled with Brendan Fraser, someone I like because he completely does not take himself seriously. He just rolls with it and has fun, and I’m cool with that.

    I’m a huge fan of The Mummy. The sequels sucked, but the first movie was a lot of fun, in no small part due to Brendan Fraser.

  113. 113.

    Wile E. Quixote

    Oh, and as far as the Gipsy Kings go, check out their version of Hotel California. It’s what’s playing in The Big Lebowski when we’re introduced to The Jesus. Sheer fucking brilliance.

  114. 114.

    Mnemosyne

    In John’s defense, those are almost identical to the sheets G had for the four years before we moved in together, and we’re now married and coming up on our 10th anniversary. So, no, butt-ugly sheets are not necessarily a dealbreaker.

  115. 115.

    moe99

    Gotta agree with the recommendation for bamboo sheets, but the goods ones are not cheap. I have a set of bamboo flannel sheets that I prefer over every other sheet set I own. Fabulously warm but smooth and the fabric does not pill. The dachshunds like them too.

  116. 116.

    asiangrrlMN

    All right. I gotta be the one to come to Cole’s defense, I guess. I see nothing wrong with his sheets. They are colorful. I like that. I agree. If a woman is about to get horizontal with him and then balks when she sees his sheets, forget her! I have never once checked out someone’s decor and said, “You know what? I was gonna fuck your brains out, but since you have mismatching sheets, uh, no. Sorry. I’m leaving.” I almost didn’t sleep with someone because he suddenly decided it would be fun to act like a three year old, but that’s another story. Keep the sheets, Cole!

  117. 117.

    Cain

    @Mark S.:

    @Cain:
    I don’t know if you’re being facetious, but Hamas controls Gaza.

    No, looks like I was lazy and just tried to recall from memory. I thought it was Fatah that controlled that. But you are right. Is it the West Bank then that Fatah controls?

    cain

  118. 118.

    Yutsano

    @Cain: West Bank control = Fatah, Gaza control = Hamas. It’s supposedly one of the big excuses reasons Israel doesn’t want to negotiate, they supposedly can’t get them to even work with each other. They don’t, and they hate each other like poison (old legacy of Arafat there) but Israel uses that as a convenient reason to not negotiate.

  119. 119.

    Cain

    @asiangrrlMN:

    rains out, but since you have mismatching sheets, uh, no. Sorry. I’m leaving.” I almost didn’t sleep with someone because he suddenly decided it would be fun to act like a three year old, but that’s another story. Keep the sheets, Cole!

    Clearly, you are a forgiving woman. FSM bless you.

    cain

  121. 121.

    Cain

    @Yutsano:

    @Cain: West Bank control = Fatah, Gaza control = Hamas. It’s supposedly one of the big excuses reasons Israel doesn’t want to negotiate, they supposedly can’t get them to even work with each other. They don’t, and they hate each other like poison (old legacy of Arafat there) but Israel uses that as a convenient reason to not negotiate.

    If anybody wants to point to the reason why Palestinians why they haven’t made forward progress; they can point their finger at Arafat. I detest that man. Selfish asshole.

    cain

  122. 122.

    Yutsano

    @Cain: Arafat had a gift on a fucking silver platter. Bush got him EVERYTHING he was asking for to finally settle for peace, and he told him to fuck off. The simple fact is Arafat was making more money keeping the conflict going even though he could have been set up as the King of Palestine if he had played his cards right. His wife was even worse if you can believe that. She never got over that she would never be as wealthy as the Saudis. Plus any woman who puts down Queen Noor of Jordan (fucking amazing woman) doesn’t even deserve the title of bitch.

  123. 123.

    Cain

    @Yutsano:

    @Cain: Arafat had a gift on a fucking silver platter. Bush got him EVERYTHING he was asking for to finally settle for peace, and he told him to fuck off. The simple fact is

    This was the first Bush right? I think Barack was Prime Minister at the time and I think he pretty much gave the Palestinians everything they wanted and that fucker walked away.

    That’s when I knew that Arafat wasn’t serious about a goddam thing regarding the Palestinians. I feel bad for them because he really betrayed them and they still stuck with the guy. They are like the right wingers here. Pathetic.

    cain

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