Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

People are complicated. Love is not.

Every reporter and pundit should have to declare if they ever vacationed with a billionaire.

Too often we confuse noise with substance. too often we confuse setbacks with defeat.

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

We will not go back.

We cannot abandon the truth and remain a free nation.

Republicans seem to think life begins at the candlelight dinner the night before.

Since when do we limit our critiques to things we could do better ourselves?

Hot air and ill-informed banter

The “burn-it-down” people are good with that until they become part of the kindling.

The fight for our country is always worth it. ~Kamala Harris

I see no possible difficulties whatsoever with this fool-proof plan.

Seems like a complicated subject, have you tried yelling at it?

Petty moves from a petty man.

The revolution will be supervised.

Everybody saw this coming.

If you still can’t see these things even now, maybe politics isn’t your forte and you should stop writing about it.

Roe is not about choice. It is about freedom.

They think we are photo bombing their nice little lives.

Their boy Ron is an empty plastic cup that will never know pudding.

There are consequences to being an arrogant, sullen prick.

This really is a full service blog.

This isn’t Democrats spending madly. This is government catching up.

People really shouldn’t expect the government to help after they watched the GOP drown it in a bathtub.

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Reader Interactions

159Comments

  2. 2.

    sab

    What’s up with Joe Biden promising to nominate people for jobs without asking them first if it’s okay with them? He did this to Stacey Abrams last year also.

  3. 3.

    RedDirtGirl

    Greetings from Portland, Maine. Decompressing with friends after a week with family downeast. Borrowing a dog for a walk in the snow, then enjoying reciprocal privileges at the local YMCA.

  4. 4.

    Omnes Omnibus

    @sab: Jesus Christ, he didn’t promise to nominate Obama.  He responded to a stupid question about whether he would nominate Obama by saying that he would if Obama would accept.

  5. 5.

    OzarkHillbilly

    @sab: He was asked in an interview if he would nominate Obama for the SC. He replied that of course he would, if Obama was willing.

    So don’t blame Joe for the inanity.

  6. 6.

    randy khan

    Although I think that Obama wouldn’t be interested (particularly for an Associate Justice slot), we could do a lot worse.

  7. 7.

    Mo MacArbie

    Is Biden making promises unbidden, or just answering the questions put to him? I’m guessing the latter, and I figure his intention with giving the answer is anything but replying to the question. I’m confident that when the next court appointment is nigh, we will be given a short list of names we don’t know from Adam yet will have strident opinions about.

    Kinda like vice president picks. I think it’s cute how people construct their dream tickets around their favorite two candidates, but It’s more likely to be some pol we’d never given any thought to who gets the nod. Of course, I’m strictly for Ham Sandwich/Swiss in 2020.

  11. 11.

    Betty Cracker

    If we’re nominating Obamas, I say let’s take a chance on Sasha. She’s still a teenager, so I suppose it’s possible she could go rogue, but given the good parenting, the chances of that are small. She could shape the court for decades! And when Gorsuch or Kavanaugh ask a dumb question during a session, she could roll her eyes and say, “Okay, Boomer.”

  13. 13.

    Omnes Omnibus

    @OzarkHillbilly: There were three possible answers to that question.  One, the answer he gave which some will misinterpret.  Two, saying no which would become a rejection of Obama and everything he stands for and thus Biden is a secret [whatever the person believes to be the worst thing on earth].  Three, refuse to answer because he doesn’t do bullshit speculation which would be interpreted as a refusal to disclose his plan to [do something awful].  He chose the best option.

  18. 18.

    Jinchi

    @Mo MacArbie: Is Biden making promises unbidden, or just answering the questions put to him?

    He was explicitly asked if he would appoint Obama.

    At the event, Biden was reportedly asked by a supporter whether he would nominate Obama to serve on the bench if he were elected president next year.

    Biden reportedly responded, “If he’d take it, yes.”

    I’d be all for putting Obama on the Supreme Court, but Joe better clear it with Michelle, first.

  19. 19.

    OzarkHillbilly

    @Omnes Omnibus:

    Three, refuse to answer because he doesn’t do bullshit speculation which would be interpreted as a refusal to disclose his plan to [do something awful].

    After the rigging of the investigation into Kavanaugh’s predilection for sexual assault, I’m having a hard time envisioning something “awful” he might do.

    Wait a minute…. Presidenting while a Democrat.

  20. 20.

    Immanentize

    If I were Biden, I would have planted that question.  Buttigieg is now attacking Biden on his Iraq War vote, what better way to remind the voters that he is down with the Obama coalition?

    PS  I do not think the Buttigieg attacks will make any difference to anyone.  Many have come for Biden….

  27. 27.

    Jinchi

    @Omnes Omnibus: He chose the best option.

    The only really smart move Trump made during his 2016 campaign was declaring that he’d let the Heritage Foundation pick all his judges. It sent the all clear, allowing reluctant evangelicals to give him their unreserved support.

    I don’t think there’s any downside to Joe suggesting that he’d nominate a beloved former president who has a 63% approval rating.

  33. 33.

    Immanentize

    Has TONY JAY been around?  I have a serious post-election Northern Ireland subsidies question for him (or anyone else who might know or be able to opine in an informed way) — Will the new Johnson majority start cutting Northern Ireland subsidies?  If not, why not?  I would if I ware primarily representing the disgruntled older white core of Britain/Wales.

  40. 40.

    Barbara

    @zhena gogolia: As someone who is highly skeptical of Buttigieg, I suspect there is some of that, but I also think that some of what he is being taken to task for is  not the throw away answers to impromptu questions, but the content of speeches and events that were planned.   He gives the impression of having lived in a certain kind of cultural bubble, and not realizing it.

  41. 41.

    Immanentize

    @germy: I am repeating from the earlier thread:

    Ugh.  I just read his recent tweets.  The newsfolks say he died “suddenly.”  He was in a dark place for sure.

    RIP

  46. 46.

    zhena gogolia

    No discussion here of Trump’s phone call with Putin yesterday? I guess since it’s been kept secret from the American public, there’s really nothing to discuss.

  47. 47.

    Starfish

    We need an odd number of justices so he should put both Obama and Hillary Clinton on the Supreme Court.

  48. 48.

    Kay

    John Harwood
    @JohnJHarwood
    · 4h
    Giuliani, Parnas, shadow foreign policy, wealthy-business executive linked to money-laundering through Miami real estate sales…
    …no, not Ukraine
    Venezuela

    So incredibly corrupt. It’s a white collar crime spree. You would need a whole dedicated division of investigators and prosecutors. Just SHOVEL thru the crime.

  49. 49.

    Lock Trump Up

    Biden is a pandering horse’s ass.  Given his advanced age, he needs to stop screwing around and realize his damn medical records.  Throughout this campaign, Biden has shown himself to be undisciplined, tone-deaf, and mentally out of it.  He’s an elderly buffoon who supported the Iraq war and the 90’s crime bill.  I don’t give a damn about his connection to Obama.  His Senate record sucks and being 77 years old, he’s too big a liability to be the Democratic Party nominee.

  54. 54.

    Kay

    That Manafort is in prison and Giuliani is not is a travesty. I mean, come on. What does he have to do?

    He said Barr won’t prosecute him, which I think explains the increasingly blatant criminal activity. They think they’re untouchable.

  60. 60.

    Bill Arnold

    @zhena gogolia:

    No discussion here of Trump’s phone call with Putin yesterday?

    I figured it was just DJT’s monthly review with his manager, with topics of discussion including Russian help in rigging the 2020 election, and a brief discussion about what Putin wants in exchange and an informal verbal contract outline. And/or Putin applying some thumbscrews. And/or something nefarious.

  62. 62.

    Kay

    @Immanentize:

    Agreed. There’s a reason he’s so confident that he spends the whole day on cable tv bragging about his crimes. He thinks the fix is in. It’s like living in some crap 1980’s movie. All of these ancient, corrupted gargoyles are reliving their Glory Days. We won’t be rid of any of them until they actually die of old age.

    He could have had an extremely comfortable life as a 9/11 “security” grifter, leaching off public contracts, but that wasn’t enough. He has to grab and grab and grab until he literally drops dead. More. It’s greed. It’s never enough- enough power, enough fame, enough hearing himself talk. He’s out there drooling but he won’t go away.

  63. 63.

    WaterGirl

    @Immanentize:  @Baud:  People should think twice about doing that this time around.  From Cole’s new comment policy:

    Things That Will Get You an Immediate Timeout

    Intentional disinformation campaigns

  64. 64.

    Chyron HR

    @Lock Trump Up:

    Given [Biden’s] advanced age, he needs to stop screwing around and realize his damn medical records.

    I get that you mentally diseased freaks sincerely believe that Bernie Sanders is a luminous being composed of pure socialism, but it doesn’t change the fact that he’s older than Biden.

  71. 71.

    trollhattan

    @Kay:

    AG Sessions was comically bad while Barr is cunningly bad. And his belief in an American king weaponized Trump to a more dangerous level than ever.

  78. 78.

    Kay

    David Gura
    @davidgura
    · Dec 22
    On Instagram, we learn President Trump welcomed Eddie Gallagher, who posed for photographs with a prisoner’s corpse, to Mar-a-Lago last night.

    John wrote that he’ll kill again, and maybe he will. What I would bet on is he’ll be involved in some sleazy Right wing grift that will involve financial fraud of one kind or another. He has taken to the Trump Administration lifestyle like a duck to water, and he’s gonna want his piece of the pie. I give it 12 months before we read about “angry investors” or a phony charity. The one consistent thing among all the low quality Trump hires is a self-serving financial angle. It’s what they really believe in.

  80. 80.

    Another Scott

    @Immanentize: Not TJ and I haven’t read any other responses yet, but I would assume BoJo would pretty quickly cut the $1£ that Theresa May gave the DUP in NI for their votes.  He doesn’t need the DUP any more and AFAIK doesn’t really care what NI (or Scotland or Wales) thinks.

    Looking forward to other comments.

    Cheers,

    Scott.

  81. 81.

    West of the Rockies

    @Immanentize:

    I’ve wondered about such names, also, too.  A bit like Wily in an Acme female roadrunner costume trying to lure that scrawny beep-beep to his doom.

  82. 82.

    tobie

    @zhena gogolia: We only learned of Trump’s call with Putin because the Kremlin issued a read-out. I’m out of words to describe just how outrageous and disturbing this is.

  84. 84.

    Betty Cracker

    @Kay: True. Remember that grifter fake veteran who started a GoFundMe campaign to pay for Trump’s multi-billion-dollar wall that Mexico was supposed to pay for? IIRC, he actually amassed several million before someone figured out it was a scam. I’ve often thought that donor list would be pure fucking gold — a list of the dumbest saps in the US with disposable income.

  86. 86.

    Kay

    Rosalind Helderman
    @PostRoz
    ·55m
    On one end of the call: The socialist president of Venezuela. On the other: Trump’s personal attorney. When word filtered to the WH, there was worry. “We didn’t know why Rudy was involved.” How Giuliani got involved in w/ back channel talks with Maduro.

    I wonder if Pelosi will pursue this. It fits nicely with the Ukraine criminality – a pattern and practice idea- and we all knew there were other shoes to drop. I suppose we need a whistleblower though.

  90. 90.

    Kay

    @Betty Cracker:

    I would bet on it. I think the only question is whether he becomes a kind of A List member of the grifter club or if they use him for the 2020 campaign and then ditch him when he gets too embarrassing.

    Some of them make careers out of it- but not all. One funny thing is how they never just take JOBS after their celebrity turn. They basically never work again- not in a real job, anyway- where you have to apply and compete and things. They never just quietly go on with their lives.

  93. 93.

    Kay

    @Gin & Tonic:

    I don’t know but I always assumed so. What happened to security clearances, BTW? This drooling gargoyle who runs around with his fly unzipped seems to be privy to some very classified information.

    Can you imagine being a world leader, whether hostile or friendly? Even if you’re friendly your job is to advance your country’s interests, and the US is led by a bunch of addled old men who think they’re in a 1980’s organized crime movie. I personally would think I died and went to heaven – RIPE for the taking!

    You can’t blame them for taking advantage. It would be malpractice not to.

  94. 94.

    Mary G

    Utterly dismayed to hear about Neil Innes. Right out of the blue…A very sweet man, much too nice for his own goodLovely writer and performer. When he worked with Python on our stage show, I listened every night to "How sweet to be an Idiot" on the tannoyVery sad…..— John Cleese (@JohnCleese) December 30, 2019

  96. 96.

    Lock Trump Up

    @Chyron HR:

    I’m equally opposed to Biden and Sanders.  No person over 75 should be President.

    When this campaign started, we had 4 great female candidates: Warren, Harris, Gillibrand, and Klobuchar.

    It’s beyond pathetic that most Democratic voters would rather support 2 old, retread white males than 4 accomplished female candidates.

  97. 97.

    Kay

    @Lock Trump Up:

    I’m not a fan of Biden either but I think one has to recognize he’s in first place. Either peoples primary preferences matter or they don’t, and if they don’t why bother with a primary at all? We’ll do a series of interviews, resume review, and health screen and pick the nominee that way.

    They know he’s old. They know Bernie’s old too. Yet there they are, Number One and Two in polling. They don’t seem to care.

  98. 98.

    West of the Rockies

    @Baud:

    Wait… Anne Laurie?

    I jest, I jest!

    Seriously, her enthusiasm for EW (and for a time Kamala) produces solid posts.  It does seem though like Joe is starting to appear more likely now.

  99. 99.

    Wapiti

    @Gin & Tonic: From the wiki: The Logan Act (1 Stat. 613, 18 U.S.C. § 953, enacted January 30, 1799) is a United States federal law that criminalizes negotiation by unauthorized American citizens with foreign governments having a dispute with the United States. The intent behind the Act is to prevent unauthorized negotiations from undermining the government’s position.

     

    So the obvious question: is Giuliani authorized?

  101. 101.

    Another Scott

    @Gin & Tonic: Laws are for little people, as we know.  It’s a corollary to Cleek’s law:

    Frank Wilhoit: “Conservatism consists of exactly one proposition …There must be in-groups whom the law protects but does not bind, alongside out-groups whom the law binds but does not protect.” This seems increasingly true.— Jeet Heer (@HeerJeet) May 31, 2018

    It would be nice if more of the Greatests and the Silents would recall their love of Gunsmoke and Dragnet and Matlock and all the rest and maybe not be so willing to support Donnie and his incompetent gangsters…

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  102. 102.

    Mike in NC

    @Kay: War criminal Gallagher will do just fine finding a comfortable place in the Wingnut Wurlitzer. Maybe as a frequent guest on “Fox & Friends”, or as a senior associate with the company formerly known as Blackwater (founded by a deranged former SEAL). Might be working on a memoir even now.

  104. 104.

    WaterGirl

    @Baud: Yep.  They are often related, but they are definitely not the same.

    Still, I thought a reminder might not hurt, as it appears that we are about to enter The Year of Disinformation, Part II.

    And like all bad movies, the subsequent ones are almost always worse than the first.

  107. 107.

    Lock Trump Up

    @Butter Emails:

    Biden is a fumbling, bumbling dope who has a constant struggle to keep his foot out of his mouth.  I prefer a nominee who can speak in complete sentences and paragraphs without getting lost in his own word salad.

  109. 109.

    germy

    @Mike in NC:  He and his wife have created a clothing line.  They’re selling shirts and things with various “patriotic” slogans.  They’re probably making millions.

  110. 110.

    Anya

    @Betty Cracker: Trump and his complicit goons in the senate have created a roadmap on how to nominate unqualified judges so why not. At least there is a possibility Sasha won’t do any harm and might be a brilliant choice.

  112. 112.

    Formerly disgruntled in Oregon

    @West of the Rockies: Anne’s had a few good Biden posts now.

    And for those frustrated by the polling and the direction of the primary race… tough shit. This is a Democracy – where you let other people in on the decision making. Even if they make the wrong one from time to time :)

    Democracy is not fun for control freaks.

    This primary only matters to the extent that it helps ensure a Democratic victory in November. Everything else is subservient to that end. We can sort the rest out AFTER we defeat the immediate fascist threat.

  118. 118.

    satby

    @Gin & Tonic: I think they have seats too. Either way: adventure! And there’s another train that goes from Bangkok to Chiang Mai. I think I’ll need to plan on a solid month in Thailand to see it all. Plus catch up with old friends in country. Goals.

  119. 119.

    The Dangerman

    @Formerly disgruntled in Oregon:

    This primary only matters to the extent that it helps ensure a Democratic victory in November. Everything else is subservient to that end. We can sort the rest out AFTER we defeat the immediate fascist threat.

    I feel sorry for Swing Staters and the deluge of shit (and, by shit, I mean the commercials, not members of the Trump Family) they are going to experience in 2020. In sunny CA, the Democrats could nominate a stale bag of chips and it’s beating Trump handily (as long as it has some decent salsa and guac). 2020 is going to be comparatively boring here. Thank goodness.

  120. 120.

    Kay

    Now Gallagher has announced his plans for the next chapter of his life.
    According to his lawyer, Tim Parlatore, Eddie plans to fight for other warriors facing similar situations to what he endured.
    “He intends to continue this on behalf of other service members with fundraising, with education, awareness, advocacy, and hopefully congressional action to reform the system and provide our service members, who put their life on the line to protect us, with the protection they need,” Parlatore said.
    “A year ago, this time, Eddie was in jail surrounded by sex offenders, facing potential life imprisonment without parole for a crime he didn’t commit. A year later, he’s getting a call from the president of the United States and the vice president,” Parlatore told the Washington Examiner. “It’s an absolutely surreal experience.”
    As we reported here, an important part of Eddie’s efforts on behalf of veterans will include his powerful collaboration with Nine Line Apparel.

    Both the fundraising scam AND the apparel line scam. Ambitious! How many family members are on the payroll, do you think?

  121. 121.

    Gin & Tonic

    @satby: Just going by the photo at the top of your link. If you’re on a train for 30+ hours, I think you want a sleeper, but if you have a choice, I advise a compartment as opposed to what you see in the photo. I’ve done both. If you’re not in Western Europe, I’m pretty sure the prices will be negligible.

  122. 122.

    mrmoshpotato

    OT – Amazon yes ma’amazon has apparently improved delivery windows.  A three hour window this afternoon instead of “today by 9PM.”

    What would be better would be USPS delivery because they have a key to my building’s front door.

  123. 123.

    Kay

    Oh, God. What’s horrible is how predictable it is:

    Now Nine Line is launching an exclusive line of apparel in collaboration with Eddie called Salty Frog Gear (SFG), “a coastal lifestyle brand with an edge. With specialty garments flexible enough for a fishing trip at sea or a weekend afternoon on the range, SFG provides functional, versatile, and affordable apparel solutions for your next outdoor adventure.”

  127. 127.

    barbequebob

    @Immanentize: I’ve been a huge fan of the Bonzos since hearing “Ali Baba’s Camel” on WNEW FM in NYC in the late 1960’s. Still occasionally play the LPs if have from my high school days. So many great songs.

  128. 128.

    mrmoshpotato

    @The Dangerman: You vote for that stale bag of chips, and we can talk guacamole and salsa after its inauguration. :)

    As for ads, baseball season is going to be a hoot.

  129. 129.

    Ruckus

    @Formerly disgruntled in Oregon:

    Every generation is just the 2 before it, rinse, repeat.

    Eons this has been going on. The think they know more and learned from their predecessors on how things work and how to best do whatever. And they have all those mistakes to show that they are right. So they make other mistakes, which aren’t new, just from a different generation than the one they are against, and the cycle continues. Animals learn very slowly and from the facts in front of them at the time. It is only in very recent overall time that even has the chance of changing, the last 4 or so generations because we have easily reviewable history, which mostly wasn’t before that. Except of course that history is never concrete, because that would be too easy. Just like not all politicians are horrible or worse than useless, history that can be easily recorded can just as easily be manipulated to say whatever someone wants about it.

  132. 132.

    debbie

    @tobie:

    That wouldn’t have happened if he’d been in D.C. Too many prying eyes. In his fevered imagination, Trump thinks everyone is a whistleblower.

  133. 133.

    Uncle Cosmo

    @OzarkHillbilly:

    Cpt. Oveur is on the red courtesy phone with the Mayo Clinic when the operator breaks in:

    OPERATOR: Captain, I have a call for you from a Mr Hamm on the white courtesy phone, do you want to take it?

    OVEUR: I’ll take Hamm on white, hold the Mayo.

    :^D

  136. 136.

    Butter Emails

    @Lock Trump Up:

    I do as well, but Biden is the top choice of two key voting blocks in the Democratic coalition. He has the older, more moderate voters looking for a return to normalcy and he has a pretty commanding lead with African Americans.

  139. 139.

    Ruckus

    @Another Scott:

    As an early boomer I can say that as people age into retirement time they often are less secure because of lack of positive action – often they really can’t work at anything productive, no matter if they want to or not. So they try to protect what they already have or think they have and want any real or perceived threat to be eradicated. Their future no longer looks the same as it did 5 or 10 yrs ago. That downhill slope steepens a bit every day. And the more they look around the more the world seems to change, so that it is unrecognizable. They want stability more than anything, and that isn’t available to really anyone. People with money are the same way, it’s not the amount that’s critical it’s the stability of the situation. That’s why 50 or 100 billion isn’t enough for some, they are afraid that what they have will end and they won’t be able to do anything about it. It’s illogical but it is reality.

  140. 140.

    Yutsano

    @Lock Trump Up: Thank you for your sincere heartfelt opinion o nym I have never seen before. As long as you vote for the damn primary winner when he/she wins we cool. Also vote for every Dem you can.

    Can’t pledge to that? Feel free to kindly fuck off. We’re already full of cynics here.

  141. 141.

    Steeplejack (phone)

    @mrmoshpotato:

    A lot of my Amazon stuff is delivered by USPS, who does have a key to my building. In fact, I just received a little pedometer that I ordered after the discussion here on Saturday.

  143. 143.

    artem1s

    @Wapiti:

    So the obvious question: is Giuliani authorized?

    and who is paying him?  Rudy can’t afford to work for nothing.  the orange con man never pays for anything he can grift for free or con someone else into paying for. So are the funds coming from campaign money (illegal) or a foreign agent (treason)?

  147. 147.

    Yutsano

    @artem1s: Rudy doesn’t care. Rudy needs bread. He’s going through a very expensive divorce plus he needs dosh to keep the 20 year old possible side piece around. Plus as long as Barr is AG he’s untouchable. I’m not sure what’s going to bring him crashing down, but it better happen soon. He’s undermining the State Department at the very least.

  149. 149.

    Spinoza Is My Co-Pilot

    Only in the unlikely event that Democrats gain a Senate majority will President Warren/Sanders/Biden get any SCOTUS nominee onto the court even as a replacement, let alone be able to stack the court (and stacking would almost certainly be a bridge too far even with a Dem Senate and President).

  150. 150.

    J R in WV

    @Lock Trump Up:

    It’s beyond pathetic that most Democratic voters would rather support 2 old, retread white males than 4 accomplished female candidates.

    Actually, no Democratic voting has yet taken place, at all.

    I am surprised that you, experienced political commenter that you are, wasn’t aware of that!

  151. 151.

    zzyzx

    I don’t understand why people are so cynical. The nick says that they want to lock Trump up so they’re obviously on our side. People can’t lie in nyms!

  155. 155.

    Anya

    @J R in WV: I see this condescending answer all the time whenever someone shows any incredulity at Dem voter preferences. We know people haven’t voted yet but they’re showing their preferences through polls and donations. This is why candidates are invited to the debates or they drop out when they don’t meet that threshold so can we dispense with the condescending replies.

  157. 157.

    J R in WV

    @Anya:

    @J R in WV: I see this condescending answer all the time whenever someone shows any incredulity at Dem voter preferences.

    Believe me, when I decide to be condescending, you won’t have to dream up a fantasy about it. The reason state level primaries are spread out over months is so that we can see who actual voters vote for.

    In case you missed it.

    THERE, that was condescending, in case you missed it!

  158. 158.

    janesays

    @sab: Biden didn’t promise to nominate Obama to the Supreme Court without asking him first. Biden was asked a question by an attendee at an Iowa campaign event if he would nominate Obama to SCOTUS, and his response was, “If he’d take it, yes.” That’s not really comparable to what happened with him talking up Abrams as a potential VP without consulting her first (interestingly enough, Abrams has sort of re-opened the door to considering that if she were asked).

  159. 159.

    tam1MI

    @J R in WV: In all fairness to Lock Trump Up, assuming they are sincere, two of the “accomplished female candidates” they mentioned had to drop out before a single vote was cast. Meanwhile the “old retreads” (plus the billionaire who stole Kamala Harris’s donor info) are still trucking right along. I can see how that would be infuriating.

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