Cheap Paint on Kitchen Walls...

Kitchen ceiling, kitchen floor, kitchen sink, cooker, washing machine, kitchen window, me....... 

So glad it's just a wee kitchenette....

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Sunset

Having spent the whole day enclosed in the museum once again it was a delight to be out in the open air, even if only taking the free bus down to B&Q for a tin of paint!  The sky was wonderful, and I am afraid my picture does not capture the vibrant colours as they actually were, still it's a good shot.  Such a shame the car park and the rest of the shopping centre spoilt the view.  Such a shame also that after this even more cloud and rain storms will fall across the southern part of the nation tonight adding to the woes already encountered.  I must admit it is only tonight, once I actually took time to look at the TV pictures, that I realised how widespread the floods have been. Indeed one of the streams near here flooded today leaving my boss with an hours delay this morning.  I am even more glad to be here, slightly higher than the area round about.  What devastation the floods have caused, a combination of very heavy continual rainfall and high tides arriving at the same time.  Acres of low lying land flooded, houses also, rail lines destroyed, and only now does the government appear to be responding properly.  Of course at the moment there is little to be done but suffer until the rain stops and the waters recede.  Maybe Councillor David Silvester was right after all?

This was where I spent my day, while on my desk back home among the dust particles lay a long list of jobs requiring urgent attention, hence the trip to B&Q!  The cheapest matt emulsion they had was obtained and I will spend some of Saturday splashing it across the small kitchen as this is a quicker and more efficient way to improve the look than attempting to clean it all down!  The bad side of this is that everything else will look dim in comparison and I will then require more paint to do the East Wing.  Actually sitting putting barcodes on small toys and discussing a historic building was more enjoyable really.  Who knows what will happen next here.  The lass who bullies me is leaving and no one appears sure what will happen now.  We of course will be the last to know as always.  I'm annoyed she leaves as the place was fun, even if she fussed like a woman and panicked too often, that is my job!  Who knows who will arrive now.

So now I am attempting to return my mind to equilibrium (is that a country?) by reading your blogs and seeking sleep.  As the pic features clouds you may wish to peruse Kays blog tonight as she has a few pictures worth a look, although she always ensures she finds a way of getting into at least one of them!  To make matters worse there is no football to watch tonight, how rough can things be I ask?  In the morning, after shopping, painting and clearing up the weeks mess I will respond to blogs that require, indeed need, an answer, till then I just read and enjoy them.

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Per Adva ad Astra Mush

"Smooth runs the water where the brook is deep." 

Suffolk King Henry the Sixth, Part Two.

     WISDOM FROM 

FLIGHT TRAINING MANUALS

'If the enemy is in range, so are you.' 

-Infantry Journal-

 

 'It is generally inadvisable to eject directly 

over the area you just bombed.'

- US.Air Force Manual -

'Whoever said the pen is mightier than the sword 

obviously never encountered automatic weapons.' 

- General Douglas MacArthur - 

  'Tracers work both ways.' 

- Army Ordnance Manual- 

  'Five second fuses last about three seconds.' 

- Infantry Journal -

  'Any ship can be a minesweeper.  

Once.' 

- Naval Ops Manual  - 

  'Never tell the Platoon Sergeant you have nothing to do.' - Unknown Infantry  Recruit

  'If you see a bomb technician running, 

try to keep up with him.'

- Infantry Journal-

  'Yea, Though I Fly Through the  Valley of the Shadow of Death, I Shall Fear No  Evil. 

For I am at 70,000 Feet and  Climbing.' 

- Sign over SR71 Wing  Ops-

  'The only time you have too  much fuel is 

when you're on fire.' 

-Unknown  Author-

  'When one engine fails on a twin-engine airplane,

you always have enough power left to 

 get you to the scene of the crash.' 

-Multi-Engine Training Manual-

  'Without ammunition, the Air  Force is just 

an expensive flying  club.'

-Unknown  Author-

  'If you hear me yell; "Eject, Eject, Eject!” 

the last two will be echoes.' 

If you  stop to ask "Why?", you'll be talking to yourself, because by then you'll be the pilot.'

-Pre-flight Briefing from  a Canadian F104 Pilot-

  'What is the similarity between air traffic 

controllers and pilots? If a pilot screws up, the pilot  dies; 

but If ATC screws up... the  pilot dies.

-Sign over Control Tower  Door-

  'Never trade luck for skill.' 

-Author  Unknown-

  The three most common expressions 

(or famous last words) in military aviation are: 

'Did you feel that? 

What's that noise? 

and 'Oh  S...!' 

-Authors  Unknown-

  'Airspeed, Altitude and  Brains. Two are always 

needed to  successfully complete the flight.' 

-Basic Flight Training  Manual-

  'Flying the airplane is more important than radioing your plight to a  person on the ground incapable of 

understanding or doing anything about  it.'

• Emergency  Checklist--

·        

'You know that your landing gear is up and locked 

when it takes full power to taxi to the  terminal.' 

- Lead-in Fighter Training  Manual -

  As the test pilot climbs out of the experimental aircraft, having torn off the wings and tail in the crash landing, 

the crash truck  arrives. 

The rescuer sees the  bloodied pilot 

and asks, 'What happened?' The pilot's reply: 'I don't  know,

I just got here myself!'  

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Need Sleep

Picgifs

I need sleep!  All this work and no play, the having to stay up late to watch football is grinding me down.  While aiding the museum and watching football I am being worn down.  On Monday I had to stay awake watching Manchester City being shown up by Chelsea, last night I was forced to watch Sheffield United make fools out of Fulham and being a cup tie replay meant there were thirty extra minutes being played. Tonight once again I was, under duress, made to watch Preston North End play Nottingham Forest.  This plays havoc with my sleep patterns you know, especially as once the game is over I have other things to do, a blog to write maybe or emails to send, sometimes I must read other blogs and they insist I respond, even though my mind is clearly elsewhere (if found please return to sender), or there is a game of 'TetriX' or 'Bouncing Balls' that must be played.  

To make matters worse today I was set to endure a long siesta after lunch however the lass from the museum rang and by the simple ruse of crying her eyes out forced me to go in and cover one of the new girls, others having gone off because of family illness.  Being prey to crying women I put aside my ex-army blankets decent lunch 'to do' list and found myself at the museum all afternoon. Would ya believe others are of on a razzle on Friday and I must go in and cover them also!  Jings it's like having a job!  Apart from a sarky woman when I made a mess of the credit card machine and the school party wearing us out it was quite straight forward, but did require a lot of running around. especially after we had finished with the kids when we sat and drank tea and stared at the rain lashing the window, we were unable to do anything else! Lovely bright kids, well controlled and keen, but so many at a pace to much for old folks those of us no longer working full time.  After this we busied ourselves on easy tasks!  A good day in fact, but tiring. 

Of course this means almost nothing has been done here.  The hundreds of jobs awaiting doing are still awaiting.  My desperation to do them is somewhat awaiting also.  My books are lying, each with a bookmark sticking out plaintively screaming at me to open it!  The dust is also lying everywhere screaming at me but I turn a deaf ear to that!  Now I have written this I am finding myself wider awake than when I was watching Notts Forest moving through the rain into the next round of the English Cup, is that not typical? 

Well maybe I can force myself to sleep.....zzzzzz  

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Good Health

As I proceeded in a westerly direction on leaving the museum this afternoon I was hindered in my perambulation by a man with a van.  It transpired and came about that he was offering a 'FREE' 'Health Check.'  Now normally in such circumstances I would call a constable however I quickly realised that this was an authorised NHS service.  The idea is of course prevention rather than cure, a worthy plan and one most people agree with, and then ignore!  I had considered visiting the doc to get such basic tests to ensure long life and happiness but they are too busy these days, in fact my doc has closed the door or newcomers and will only deal with those suffering a disease of some sort, idiocy doesn't count.  So I took advantage of this free check up which was all conducted by digital machinery!  
Everything was done by use of a wee hand held computer.  This calculated all the measurements he obtained including cholesterol, obtained by a pinprick on the finger, then the trained, but not professional nursing, staff were efficient.  A male dealt with me, a female for the other lot. Nothing you wished to keep secret was exposed or discussed, that is for the GP, no stethoscopes were hurt in the making of this diagnosis.   
My weight, height, waist, cholesterol, Blood Pressure like were tested and he pronounced me to be alive, much to my shock, in fact the results were much better than I thought.  By referring to a series of colour coded charts he pronounced me FAT SLOB!  This led to advice I already know on eating, exercise and not eating cheese.  This last I objected to because I must eat cheese or I die I told him.  It appears many men make the same objection but that is one thing that must decrease.  Bah!  'Porage' rules now.
I was impressed by this mobile health check idea, it reminded me of the mobile X-Ray vans that toured factories in the 50's and 60's.  A very good way to encourage good health.  Naturally a lot of people would not take advantage of this as they are afraid they will discover some illness, or indeed that they require urgent weight control.  The refusal appears somewhat sad to me but I was the ninth today to undergo this quick procedure.  Many things in the NHS require change, and NOT by privatisation through the back door Mr Cameron! The idea of a wee van stopping folks in the street and offering a free check for simple procedures can only be good.  


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Late Night Scribblings

I have a strange compulsion to write.  I have nothing to say, little articulation of my thoughts, and no readers to er, listen.

The last bit stops me from being mistaken for the ‘Daily Mail.’

As far as I can remember this desire first found life once I left school, well actually two or three years later as far as I can remember.  On occasions I would sit on a train heading north wondering if it were possible to write about the experiences, such as they were on the journey. Rarely did anything come of this, and the world rests in peace because of it. 

It flared up when Blogger came along and I decided to influence the world by putting my ill thought out opinions on line.  

No-one replied.  

It took a while to work out how to contact the world, and often times it spoke back.  It did not always encourage me to continue.

The good people still speak to me today.  The bad people either stop reading or have sadly missed the opportunity to consider my thoughtful contribution to er, literature.  They have a point I suspect.

Why do I wish to write?  I left school at 15, well 14 actually, the day before my 15th birthday, with no qualifications and a suggestion that I could get an 'O' level if I stayed one more year. That was like asking POW's if they would like to stay another year and get a qualification!  I ran away!  I did obtain an English 'O' level a few years ago through answering questions via buttons on a screen. This gave me a certificate but I suspect the one on offer in Edinburgh would have been harder to obtain!  

So why attempt to write when I have little idea of grammar, syntax (wot?), or the use of a full stop?  Is it because I have something to say?  My words tend not to change the world when I speak to people personally, however I do get a response, but let’s not go into that!  Could it just be my itchy fingers wishing to run across the keyboard?  That certainly is a phenomenon that occurs when I have been unable to use the machine for a while, I need my fix on the keyboard.  It can be worse when the PC or laptop breaks down and I have to leave the house and actually speak face to face with folks! 

No, I think I just want to write something, anything, and so I have.  Therefore I am quite content.  I have had my fix, I have spoken, no-one has listened, and I have said nothing.  Another day at the office then?

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The Wireless, Daffodils and Books!

BBC Radio 3

I am very much enjoying the 15 minute programmes found on the wireless these days.  Both Radio 4 and Radio 3 have a good selection of these all well worth a browse.  Above we have a picture of Andrew Martin the writer (what do we mean 'the writer?  Especially when we have never heard of him until today?).  He offered us five 15 minute programmes on Radio 3s 'The Essay,' and although time is running out to hear the first one I found these very interesting and thought provoking, almost as if I had written them myself, they were that good, what?...oh!

These five programmes come under 'England Ejects' heading, ignoring the fact they cover all the UK rather than just one small portion thereof!   'Boasting,' 'Eating too much,' 'Rules, gentility,' 'Manual work,' and 'Sunday church going,' are the headings, each one very enjoyable little talks. His voice is good for radio, unlike far too many these days, and his honesty is welcome.  You will probably enjoy these, if you are quick!

The advantage of 15 minute programmes is that of they are not too good they soon end, if they are worth a listen there is often the promise of more to follow. Nothing worse than finding Radio 4 is filling all such slots with mediocre or uninteresting rubbish.  I feel robbed when I note this, and it does happen. Finding Radio 3 also doing such offerings was brilliant.  I wonder what else is hiding on radio stations world wide, hidden behind hours of music blasting around the world and found only by looking in dark corners of the wireless?    

The lack of real winter has seen the daffodils rise early this year.  All these bulbs that ought to be welcoming Easter a month or so away are poking through now.  These will bloom in the next few days and while welcome they do indicate how mild the winter has been so far.  I expect the electric and gas directors and most put out by this and attempting to discover ways to increase prices because of the mildness in the air.  The million pound bonus's may not be quite so good at Christmas and a trip to their bank in the British Virgin Islands may be on the cards for these struggling men.  I however am quite happy not to have the heat full blast most days, and look forward to Spring bouncing in as soon as possible!

I should tell you I am almost finished with two more books, and have started another.  This means I may refer to them sometime soon.  Are you waiting for this?......oh!

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Arab Uprisings

Book Depository

If you wish to understand the Syrian situation, or indeed the Middle East today in any way you need to read this book.  The BBC Middle East correspondent Jeremy Bowen has 12 years experience of the region, sometimes in great danger, occasionally being shot at and occasionally hit.  
Bowen takes us through the last few years of 'revolution, from the beginning in Tunisia, through Libya, Egypt, Yemen, and of course a great deal of the book covers the Syrian situation.  The whole area is split into many factions, religious and political.  In some states such as Tunisia a 'secular' approach is found even though the majority call themselves Muslim.  In Egypt the Muslim Brotherhood won the first election because they had a well ordered organisation that had been working since the time of Nasser, the middle class secular city dwellers did not possess such and lost out through squabbling amongst themselves.  A violent uprising in Libya, supported by the western air forces, removed Qaddafi from power but has not led to a peaceful settlement.  Militias, Islamist''s and criminals hold much power yet.  Saudi has thrown £100 billion at avoiding rebellion in the state, more on offer in an attempt to keep the Kings position safe. Yemen alone has begun a six month 'conversation' to decide the future of that troubled state. Some secular people find themselves at odds with Al-Qaeda types from the mountains in the north. Iraqis seek to go their own way in spite of being allies but not lackeys of Iran, and Iran aids Syria and Hezbollah in Lebanon while saying little.  
Iran finds itself Saudia Arabia's main enemy, and the Saudi's have attempted to invite a US invasion.  This has not found much support in Washington where foreign adventures are harder militarily and public opinion opposes violently!   Iran is of course Shia Muslim, Saudi Arabia Sunni. That sectarian divide runs through the region threatening to explode and involve many nations. Syria, led by 'Alawite' Assad who finds himself supported by rich Sunni businessmen and minority Christians now is being opposed by Sunni extremists who are proving stronger than the original rebels, who just wanted a more prosperous and safe life without the secret police beating them. This conflict falls over into Lebanon where the delicate balance is under threat. Here some 18 groupings share power.  Already sections of some towns are unreachable because of the conflict there and almost anything could lead to this part of the world giving us a war of First World War proportions.  That conflict was savage enough, this would be much, much worse! 
Bowen provides no answers here.  This book merely covers the ground, explaining the background, allowing us to see from both sides and here the words, often truthful in spite of the dangers, exposing the immense difficulty anyone has in producing peace quickly in this area today.   The west has little understanding of what to do, William Hague the UK Foreign Secretary spouts comments often but Bowen leaves us in no doubt as to the limited information and government double speak on offer here.  The west wish to support the good side and now, after Iraq, find they have an Iraq government that is friendly to Iran the west's enemy, support by the million given to rebels in Syria, the strongest of whom are Al-Qaeda types, the types that threaten our troops and encourage bombs and murder on UK streets!  The confusion does not stop there just look at the Islamist's in Libya who we provided air cover for!  
To understand the Middle East it is imperative to read a book like this.  No doubt there are others around but I found this book full of clarity on the situation from a man who risks his life, carefully, to meet the people and report the situation.  One of the BBC's better journalists his writing enlightens the minds of those who wish to see the Middle East as she is today.  
  
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Friday Sayings

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Curry

Cook Yourself Thin

I have been listening to Mark Steels in Town tonight, a programme where he visits places and laughs at the people.  This edition finds him in Southall, once a boring a suburb in south west London, now known as 'Little India.'   Here masses of 'Asians,' have settled and filled the hall to here themselves ridiculed. This series is a good one, Steel visits many out of the way places and brings some attention to them.
It was the talk of curry that got me thinking.  In the days of long ago when I was a sweet, blonde haired, skinny child, yes that long ago, we had never heard of curry!  It may well be we in fact had, dad served two years in Poona so must have mentioned it, but we never ate it.  The diet, cooked by mum as we had little money, used a slot of corned beef, mince, spam fritters, home cooked chips, far too many sweets, potatoes and lots of salad stuff in summer.  Dads hobby was the garden and he grew a great deal of veg for us, his potatoes were indeed the best we ever had. Mum made potato soup that kept us alive, brilliant stuff, so good she was forced to continue making this until she died for the younger ones!  Sticks of rhubarb and a wee jar of sugar were used to keep us on the run, and fish came from the wee van that arrived from Port Seton regularly, fish straight from the North Sea!  The cat enjoyed this van more than anyone. Sadly an outbreak of Typhus in Aberdeen in the early sixties was traced back to Fray Bentos in Uruguay if I remember correctly, this resulted in a massive clean up back at base and corned beef, the 'bully beef' beloved of the troops, suddenly rose sharply in price and was soon out of our league.  

One day a new exciting foreign food was made available for us, 'Vesta Curry!' We took absurd delight in the arrival of such exotic foreign foods!  This was the early sixties remember!  We got excited by a lemon in those days, that was alien enough for us.  Only the 'best' shops had anything other than oranges and apples, bananas and grapes in those days, Edinburgh people would not see a 'pepper' on show until the Asians arrived in the 70's!  How we lived then, no wonder folks considered 'chips' to be 'salad!'  Today such foreign delights once found only in the shops frequented by the rich are daily obtained in Tesco's, where dates were once seen only at Christmas they lie, overpriced, next to mango's and yams.  Potatoes however take up much more space, rhubarb is found only in tins.  
The influx of immigrants has been so powerful that many probably believe that curry, Britain's favourite dish, was actually a home grown meal.  Not that I suspect the UK population to be that stupid in reality......hold on!  In the eighties I delivered around Southall with a typical English driver.  Long past any desire to work while retirement approached we drove slowly through the streets while he muttered about the immigrants.  I mentioned my mate was supposed to bring me down to Southall for a proper curry but the promise had not borne fruit so far.  
"Grnnn, I had an Indian once," he growled, "I was sick for days."  
"What did you have," I asked innocently.
"Chilli con carne," he said.
"Isn't that Mexican?" I ventured.
"Grnnnn it's all foreign muck," said he.

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Nothing Day Again

I have nothing to say!  The day has been filled with torrents of rain hindering my attempts to walk the streets looking for lost coins so instead I did the washing.  Now how do you make that sound interesting?  You shove it all in the machine, and leave it for an age while it whirs round, remove the sodden pile and hang it up somewhere.  There it remains until dry, or kind of damp I find, and gets ironed (ha!) later.  There, that's interesting innit?  I paid a debt, bought milk and cheap cheese from Tesco, froze while crossing the park, and warmed my feet on the heater.  
Can you take much more of this?  I can't.
There is a pile of things to do noted on the recycled pad beside me.  In fact I just remembered I did one of those.  Mince!  I made mince, with veg, and it sits cooling on the hob.  The taste will be interesting when I get round to it.  Not quite sure what it will taste like, cooking is not so much a boring necessity, it is an experiment!  Who knows what that brown mush will actually be flavoured by?  
The rest of the 'to do' note glares at me.  Rather in the way women often glare when I say things. It is not an unusual glare, at least I often come across it, like that time I used the word 'fat' to a group of women awaiting the arrival of the woman from 'Weight Watchers.'  Man glaring in unison!  They had reason to use that diet organisation however.  
Indeed I was so lacking enthusiasm for anything today I looked up the 'Daily Mail' to see if the world had changed, it had not.  No news of anything important but lots of terror, death, outrage and fear, usual stuff then.  The real world had little news either, repeats of floods, Syria and the like but nothing new to excite pressmen.  The fact that Liverpool easily defeated Everton last night, that Manchester United also won and that the Heart of Midlothian play tonight was all pushed into second place in the 'Sport' section of the 'Today' programme on Radio 4 this morning.  Why?  An England team had won something!  It was merely cricket, and worse just a bunch of lassies winning, but to Rob whatsisname et al this was important news!  Tsk!  Some folks have no understanding of reality I say.
Possibly my feeling a bit light headed today may have helped my lack of interest, it certainly has resulted in two burnt hamburgers, mash spuds and beans for tea, and possibly an early night is called for, after I have listened to the Hearts game on the radio that is.  

Right, let's clean up this dinner....

 
   
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Tiring Tuesday

Having spent a tiring morning in the museum rushing hither and thither, searching for pictures for one while searching for a card for another, watching the next job(s) piling up on the desk and failing after all this to finish my tea I was glad to escape after lunch for a walk in the sunshine filled park.  Naturally by the time I got there this was the scene.  As I settled in to open the windows and clear the fug that fills the dwelling the rain began teeming down.  The cold attempts to cover my fingers in frostbite, my toes have fallen off inside my socks and the electric people have happily told me they will check my meter, aint that kind of them?

After the day I had, non stop, so busy that I never realised the boiler was off!  Others noticed but I didn't as I was doing all the work.  However.....

Hold on, Liverpool are playing Everton, must dash......

Sorting Out files

Trieris, a replica of an Athenian ship.

Computers are wonderful machines, this wee laptop I use these days can be quite slow but it does the job.  I should say it may be slow but that is because I am listening to the radio at the same time and some things go slow.  One reason it is slow may well be the amount of stuff on it, therefore I have spent the entire day wandering through the files deleting things in preparation for downloading onto disc the items I wish to keep or don't require often.  I discovered the other day my pictures were somewhat messed up.  That is I had doubles and trebles of some, others had moved to other files by themselves, honest, and many left me completely baffled as to why they were put there in the first place.  

   Oxford Street 1897

Some of the pics were quite interesting, this one appeared from somewhere, who knows where, but shows a different view of Oxford Street than that seen today.  You will note some obvious similarities, rain, crowded pavements, shops, and generally dreary appearance overall.  The main difference I suppose it that the photographer can stand in the middle of the road and remain alive....if indeed he did remain alive!

Flitch Way

Some pictures reminded me that Spring sunshine is not far away, well in theory anyway.  I am also reminded that I used to cycle every day, now hardly ever. The weather is against it, icy cold today and looking likely to stay that way all week, the energy appears lacking and the desire also. As the mornings get lighter my desire will return.  Then I rise from beneath the duvet and seek the bright lights outside, unless it rains of course!  The cycling early in the morning, before dog walkers and folks heading for work arise, is enjoyable.  If I go out earlier all sorts of people block the way, hinder my progress and selfishly consider themselves entitled to be there, as if!  

   
This is a self portrait by Lady Clementina something or other, a lass who took to photography in the middle of the nineteenth century.  If I could remember more I would tell you what it is but my dim mind tells me she took pictures of her friends, and women dressed like that make very good photographs, but from her Kensington home she made the most of her hobby.  You had to be amongst the wealthy to be a photographer in those days.  The cost of the camera, the glass negatives, the time and staff required to develop the pictures all combined to make photography very expensive indeed.  George Eastman, and those like him, did the world a huge service by developing his 'Box Brownie' and other cheap cameras. The delight of seeing a successful photograph, no matter how inept to a professional, is just that a delight!

Most of my time however was spent amending the huge amount of Great War pictures that somehow got split into a variety of places.  So many duplicates, so many I canny mind obtaining.  The laptop is not the easiest machine for a hamfisted eejit to operate and the files kept disappearing into one another. This led to more confusion as I fought to get them back where they belonged only to find I had confused two similar files.  Like hitting your head on a brick wall it was so good when it was all over, at least I hope it is now.

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