Obamacare is radical? Vermont thinks even bigger, with single-payer plan.

Vermont plans to become the first state to adopt a single-payer health-care system. Its backers say it will cut costs and create jobs, but critics say the centralized control will drive away doctors.

By Mike Eckel,?Contributor / July 19, 2012

In this May 2011 file photo, Vermonters rally at the Statehouse for health-care in Montpelier, Vt.. Vermont plans to become the first state to adopt a single-payer health-care system.

Mark Collier/Times Argus/AP/File

Enlarge

When Dr. Alan Binnick decided to retire after 34 years, he tried for more than a year to find someone to take over his dermatology practice in the southwestern Vermont town of Bennington ? free of charge.

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Last November, he gave up, saying his search failed in no small part because of Vermont?s health-care reform effort, perhaps the most radical in the United States.

?There?s a sense of uncertainty that made (potential doctors) choose other positions elsewhere, where they know they?re in demand,? Dr. Binnick says.

Tiny, quirky Vermont is at it again, tackling pressing social concerns with a progressive vengeance. This time, it?s health care, and if all goes well, by 2017 or even earlier, the state of 626,000 plans to become the first in the country to adopt a single-payer system. But there?s serious uncertainty about what it will look like, and how it will be paid for.

?It?s one model for solving the health-care problem, and it?s quite different from what the rest of the country is heading toward,? says Elliott S. Fisher, director of the Center for Population Health at the Dartmouth Institute in Hanover, N.H. ?I think it?ll have tremendous significance.?

The Supreme Court?s June 28 decision cleared the way for President Obama?s Affordable Care Act, with some provisions kicking in as early as next year. The act drew much of its framework from the landmark 2006 Massachusetts law that for the first time mandated that all residents have health insurance.

Last year, the Green Mountain State one-upped the Bay State when its Democratic-controlled legislature passed ?An Act Relating to a Universal and Unified Health System,? laying out a roadmap for a single-payer system.

Such systems have been used in other countries ? Canada, notably ? but in Vermont, the idea is that everyone would be insured through a state-funded pool called Green Mountain Care. A five-member agency called the Green Mountain Care Board ultimately would all but govern the health-care delivery system, including setting rates for everyone from primary-care physicians to cardiologists and for everything from broken bones to open-heart surgery. For now, employers with self-insured plans ? such as IBM, a major employer in Vermont ? would be able to keep their current coverage.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/tRXmLNOGsPg/Obamacare-is-radical-Vermont-thinks-even-bigger-with-single-payer-plan

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Social Netball: A History Of The Recreation Sport | Online Success ...

?

Having a forecasted 1 million players in only one country, netball is among the most sought after social sport. That does not mean, however, that this sport is only for ladies; approximately 20 years mixed netball is currently available in many countries. The recreation activity is truly a refreshing modification from the more normally played basketball and soccer games and also supplies a welcome challenge to individuals searching for a distinct athletic experience.

So what is netball? It is an activity played by two groups each comprising seven team members. Contrary to basketball where dribbling is required, netball is far more aimed at throwing and catching. Goals must be obtained by throwing a ball in a ring placed in a post that is 3.05 metres or 10 feet within a defined area.

Social netball started around 1900, because of the women in England who wanted to play basketball, which was then recently invented by Canadian immigrant James Naismith. The initial version of the game played by women then included utilizing wet paper bags for the baskets, while broomsticks were utilized to function as the posts. The recreation sport was played on grass, not inside an indoor place. The recreation game turned out to be tricky to play, however, because girls were typically attired in clothing with long skirts and nipped waists plus they donned button-up shoes, making running in an area covered with grass difficult. The long leg-of-mutton sleeves their garments had furthermore hindered them from dribbling plus making successful passes. It had become only realistic for the girls to begin looking at ways to make the team sport easier for them.

After the first set of rules was identified in the year 1901, several nations began adopting the game in addition to creating their unique ways of playing it. The sport soon reached countries in the Oceania before 1901 and was identified as Women?s Basketball before the title was replaced with netball in the 2 countries in 1970.

During August of 1970s, the All Australia Women?s Basketball Association was established. The initial official National Championships was held a year later. Several countries competed internationally the first time in the year 1938 opposing other countries in the world ? Australia won the contest, beating New Zealand 40-11.

The first World Tournament for netball occurred in the early 60s. Consequently, the tournament is held every 4 years. The World Championship title is achieved by a single country 9 times out of a dozen. Their most notable win would definitely be against their neighboring country by 4 points during the World Netball Championship games in 2007.

Social netball is now a very prominent athletic activity for boys, females, and youngsters alike. This game offers players with an enjoyable in addition to challenging approach to exercise the mind including the body, socialise with other players and sport fanatics, and start a feeling of community among the playing population. Local sports centres can cater to anyone trying to become a member of a team to get started in playing the well-loved sports activity.

Ball games have their interesting origins. The same as social netball, other games begun from a single principle until adjustments were done. These adjustments make each game diverse from one another.

Source: http://online-success-articles.com/social-netball-a-history-of-the-recreation-sport/

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Do You Need a Real Estate License to be a Successful Investor? -

Thursday, July 19th, 2012 at 6:15 am ?

This is a helpful article written by Sharon Heibing:

Should a Real Estate Investor have a real estate license in order to be successful? Often new investors will ask themselves this question.

What is the answer? Well, it depends on the person asking the question. There is no right or wrong answer. First, each investor must look at their goal in real estate investing. Do they want to purchase one property a year, or twenty?

If they?re taking the ?slow and steady? approach, then access to a lot of property will not be a high priority. This investor can take their time in locating profitable markets, performing market research, acquiring team members, and making offers that are accepted. They basically can accumulate their resources and leads through methods other than being a real estate professional.

If, however, they want to invest at a consistent pace, with a goal of one to two properties a month, and they want to do it in their own backyard, then perhaps having a license would be beneficial. This would give them access to all inventory on the market, in addition to ?insider tips? on new or upcoming listings.

In fact, in a buyer?s market, they may turn a potential listing into an investment purchase, creating a win-win for the seller and the agent, since in a buyer?s market it can take many months to sell a home, and they?ve just saved the seller the realtor commission.

If an agent operates in an area that does not meet their investment criteria (i.e. cash flow, appreciation, etc.), then there obviously is no benefit to becoming an agent in the first place if one of their primary goals is to find investment property.

As many realtors will tell you, it is not an easy job. You have to work when everyone else doesn?t, which means a lot of nights and weekends. People will want to negotiate your salary. You may play tour guide instead of agent if you?re not good at pre-screening clients. And in a down economy, you may find yourself with very little to no income.

So should you become a realtor just because you?re investing ? not unless it?s a job you really want to do and finding viable property is simply a perk!

People generally think they need to have an extensive education in real estate before they can invest. This is simply not true. There are so many ways to get experience without taking risks that it would be silly to spend six months to a year getting a real estate license before you made your first investment.

Yet, many people do exactly that. They feel they must read a ton of books or attend a bunch of seminars before they can ?pull the trigger.? Don?t misunderstand. Education is very important. But when it is sought after to the point of preventing you from taking action, it can become a liability.

Usually people have a lack of confidence in their abilities when it comes to doing something new for the first time. If this is the case, then hire a coach, or find a mentor. In fact, many successful people feel when it becomes time to try something new, they need to have guidance from someone with experience.

After all, why should anyone re-create the wheel when there is always someone out there who has been there, done that. If they?ve already attended the ?School of Hard Knocks,? why should you become one of its alumni? Finding a Coach or Mentor can save a lot of time, a ton of money, and a great deal of heartache in the long run.

So, do you need a real estate license to be a successful investor? It depends?

To Your Sucess

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Source: http://themerrittgrp.info/tmg02/need-a-real-estate-license-to-be-a-successful-investor-by

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Canada to implement enhanced labelling regulations for food allergens

FBR Staff Writer Published 17 July 2012

Canada is set to implement enhanced labelling regulations for food allergens beginning 4 August 2012, as a part of its plan to lower food allergies.

According to Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), products that contain undeclared allergens will be subject to CFIA compliance and enforcement activities which may include product recalls where there is a risk to consumers.

Under the new regulations, prepackaged products must include food allergens, gluten sources, and sulphites in the list of ingredients; food allergen must be written in commonly used words; mustard seed will be considered to be a food allergen; and products that include spelt and kamut must declare wheat as an allergen on their labels.

Sulphites in products above 10ppm will need to be in the list of ingredients; products must list any components of an ingredient that are food allergens, gluten sources, or sulphites; and the common names for the plant sources of starches, modified starches, hydrolyzed plant protein and lecithin must be modified to provide source information.

In addition, prepackaged fruits and vegetables that have a protective edible coating or wax must include the source of any allergen or gluten on their labels.

Source: http://regulatoryandfoodsafety.food-business-review.com/news/canada-to-implement-enhanced-labelling-regulations-for-food-allergens-170712

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Iraqi army seals main Syria border crossing

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[ [ [['did not go as far his colleague', 8]], '29438204', '0' ], [ [[' the 28-year-old neighborhood watchman who shot and killed', 4]], '28924649', '0' ], [ [['because I know God protects me', 14], ['Brian Snow was at a nearby credit union', 5]], '28811216', '0' ], [ [['The state news agency RIA-Novosti quoted Rosaviatsiya', 6]], '28805461', '0' ], [ [['measure all but certain to fail in the face of bipartisan', 4]], '28771014', '0' ], [ [['matter what you do in this case', 5]], '28759848', '0' ], [ [['presume laws are constitutional', 7]], '28747556', '0' ], [ [['has destroyed 15 to 25 houses', 7]], '28744868', '0' ], [ [['short answer is yes', 7]], '28746030', '0' ], [ [['opportunity to tell the real story', 7]], '28731764', '0' ], [ [['entirely respectable way to put off the searing constitutional controversy', 7]], '28723797', '0' ], [ [['point of my campaign is that big ideas matter', 9]], '28712293', '0' ], [ [['As the standoff dragged into a second day', 7]], '28687424', '0' ], [ [['French police stepped up the search', 17]], '28667224', '0' ], [ [['Seeking to elevate his candidacy back to a general', 8]], '28660934', '0' ], [ [['The tragic story of Trayvon Martin', 4]], '28647343', '0' ], [ [['Karzai will get a chance soon to express', 8]], '28630306', '0' ], [ [['powerful storms stretching', 8]], '28493546', '0' ], [ [['basic norm that death is private', 6]], '28413590', '0' ], [ [['songwriter also saw a surge in sales for her debut album', 6]], '28413590', '1', 'Watch music videos from Whitney Houston ', 'on Yahoo! Music', 'http://music.yahoo.com' ], [ [['keyword', 99999999999999999999999]], 'videoID', '1', 'overwrite-pre-description', 'overwrite-link-string', 'overwrite-link-url' ] ]

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/iraqi-army-seals-main-syria-border-crossing-115424112.html

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The Greatest Ideas For Internet Internet hosting On The Web For ...

Chilly Fusion Hosting is all about databases, really. Chilly Fusion, a software suite dropped at us by the high quality people at Macromedia, which permits internet-interactivity with databases. With Cold Fusion web hosting, you can now query, update, index, and chart databases from any net browser.

Chilly Fusion internet hosting adds versatility and interactivity to ecommerce sites. Cold Fusion permits you to publish after which have routinely removed from your site time-sensitive content material, reminiscent of flight schedules or occasion calendars. It adds functionality to creating and managing mailing lists and business reports. It means that you can offer your guests printable content material and customised menus.

Anytime you see .cfm as the extension on an online web page, versus .htm or .asp for example, you know you are dealing with Chilly Fusion Markup Language (CFML).

Although cold fusion is built on the Java platform, CFML permits web developers the advantages of Java without its inherent technical complexities. You need not know Java scripting in order to use cold fusion. CFML is a tag-primarily based language fairly similar to HTML and XML which makes it straightforward for anybody with even the most fundamental knowledge of internet scripting to learn.

Chilly Fusion is a server-side language which means that any web pages utilizing CFML are read and interpreted by the Cold Fusion internet hosting company?s server and transformed into an HTML web page previous to being despatched again to the user?s browser.

Chilly Fusion webhosting might be considerably dearer than other types of web hosting, and will due to this fact solely actually be considered if its unique set of tools are relevant on your site?s supposed uses. Cold Fusion internet hosting is normally run on Home windows 2000/NT/2003 operating methods, though you may also discover assist for Chilly Fusion internet hosting on Linux and Sun servers.

In addition to all the standard factors you have to contemplate when selecting any web host ? value, disk space, bandwidth, uptime, scalability, assist ? you now also have to contemplate sure elements specific to cold fusion hosting, including: potential tag restrictions, further security considerations, whether the chilly fusion internet hosting firm offers database assist, and which model of Chilly Fusion they?re using.

One kind of tag restriction that is also a security concern is ?excessive danger? tags, resembling those that can be used to search out and erase chosen information from a server. For some bigger companies, this functionality is essential to their operation, though probably detrimental if accessed by the fallacious arms, through which case a dedicated server is probably in order. Fortuitously, cold fusion hosting is offered on shared, digital, and devoted servers.

Chilly Fusion is nicely price considering if you?d like the performance of the Java. For more assist, go to the Empower Network Proof Of Income Page: http://www.sbwire.com/press-releases/empower-network-proof-of-income-just-published-by-webtraffictoolkitcom-153769.htm

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Source: http://www.ultimadowntown.com/2012/07/the-greatest-ideas-for-internet-internet-hosting-on-the-web-for-business-success/

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Naughty Bear Panic in Paradise trailer - Gaming Everything

July 18th, 2012 Posted in 360, PS3, Videos Posted By: Valay
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Source: http://gamingeverything.com/25107/naughty-bear-panic-in-paradise-trailer/

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Beasts of the Southern Wild | Arts & Entertainment | South Philly ...

Beasts of the Southern Wild

Hushpuppy (Quvenzhan? Wallis) shares a private moment with her father (Dwight Henry).

No other 2012 film can boast the raw originality of ?Beasts of the Southern Wild,? Benh Zeitlin?s marvelously textured and beautifully realized bayou fantasy, which sees the world through the kaleidoscopic lens of a child at a crossroads. Hushpuppy (Quvenzhan? Wallis) is a 6-year-old girl raised like a boy by her ailing father (Dwight Henry), whose illness coincides with a Katrina-like storm and a calamitous ecological allegory, which thunders forth in the form of prehistoric monsters. Along with documentary-style details that offer access to a shrouded microcosm, Zeitlin weaves these pieces together with near-masterful cohesion, emerging with something that feels gloriously homespun from end to end.

Written by Zeitlin and Lucy Alibar, whose play ?Juicy and Delicious? served as the inspiration, ?Beasts? is driven by earthly philosophies and metaphors, particularly in regard to who the beasts are and how they fit into the grand scheme. Hushpuppy and her co-inhabitants of The Bathtub, the southern-Delta dreamland she calls home, are shown to possess the same animalism as the net-captured critters they consume, yet even more savage are those invading creatures and the ?civilized? aid workers who venture past the levees, draining The Bathtub of its residents.

Remarkably polished in all its un-polished-ness, this movie assumes a lofty perch on virtually every filmic level. It presents a realm that feels otherwise uncharted, it hinges on a poignant bond portrayed by spot-on actors, it achieves aural and visual styles that seem magically unique (even splatters of grease look like glistening fairy dust), and it manages to truly be about something ? a worldly thematic distinction that gives it long-term legs to stand on.

Through it all, ?Beasts? is enchantingly intimate, blessed with Hushpuppy?s guileless and half-articulate narration, and hoisted by the undercurrent of family as a necessary support. Just like the makeshift raft of debris and car parts that carries her through the flood, Hushpuppy?s upbringing is ramshackle at best, made of tough love and damaged goods. In a quest that also sends her searching for her mother, the wee heroine confides that her favorite feeling is to be lifted. It?s a feeling ?Beasts? generously provides.

Beasts of the Southern Wild

PG-13
Four reels out of four
Now playing at the Ritz Five

?

Recommended Rental

Jiro Dreams of Sushi

PG
Available Tuesday

Foodies, look no further: The documentary to sate your hungry eyes has arrived. Telling of Tokyo?s Jiro Ono, considered by many to be the world?s greatest sushi chef, this mouthwatering movie chronicles the painstaking process of making the perfect fish dish, from sea to table. It also offers a bittersweet tale of family, destiny and discipline, pulling back the curtain on a specific discipline while filling the screen with delectable imagery.

?

Contact the South Philly Review at editor@southphillyreview.com.

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  • TheDude said...
    Mandy Moore is pretty smokin. I wish I was cool enough to date her. Does anybody know how I can get her number?

  • */ var formWrap = $( 'media_add_comment' ); var commentForm = formWrap.getElement( 'form' ); commentForm.setStyle( 'display', 'none' ); var msgPar = new Element( 'p', { 'html': 'Thank you, your comment has been added.' }); msgPar.inject( formWrap ); if ( comment != '' ) { if ( !flagged ) { if ( name == '' ) name = 'Anonymous'; var commentWrap = $( 'comments_wrap' ); var commentUl = commentWrap.getElement( 'ul' ); var commentLi = new Element( 'li', { 'class': 'clear' }); var numDiv = new Element( 'div', { 'class': 'num', 'html': '?' }); var commentPar = new Element( 'p', { 'html': '' + name + ' said...
    ' + comment }); numDiv.inject( commentLi ); commentPar.inject( commentLi ); commentLi.inject( commentUl ); } else { msgPar.set( 'html', 'Comment has been sent for approval' ); } } } function displayNewComment() { var msgP = document.getElementById("msg"); msgP.innerHTML = "Thank you for your submission. Your comment has been added below."; if(comment != "") { if(!flagged) { var commentSection = document.getElementById("ajaxSection"); var commentDiv = document.createElement("div"); var timeStamp = 'Jul 19, 2012 at 03:21AM'; commentDiv.innerHTML = ''; commentSection.appendChild(commentDiv); } } } function validateCommentForm(form){ var fieldEmail = document.getElementById("field.email"); var fieldName = document.getElementById("field.name"); var nameValue = fieldName.value; var emailValue = fieldEmail.value; var filter = /^([a-zA-Z0-9_\.\-])+\@(([a-zA-Z0-9\-])+\.)+([a-zA-Z0-9]{2,4})+$/; if (filter.test(emailValue)) { var fieldBody = document.getElementById("field.body") var bodyValue = fieldBody.value; bodyValue = bodyValue.replace(/&/g,"&"); bodyValue = bodyValue.replace(/,"/g,">"); bodyValue = bodyValue.replace(/\r\n/g,"
    "); bodyValue = bodyValue.replace(/\n/g,"
    "); bodyValue = bodyValue.replace(/\r/g,"
    "); fieldBody.value = bodyValue; if(navigator.appName == 'Microsoft Internet Explorer') { if(document.getElementById('submit').disabled) { document.getElementById('submit').disabled=false; } else { document.getElementById('submit').disabled=true; } } return insertComment(form,true,function(){return showEditorialComment(nameValue, bodyValue)}); } else { alert('Please enter a valid Email below.'); form.elements[field.email].focus(); return false; } }

    Source: http://www.southphillyreview.com/arts-and-entertainment/Beasts-of-the-Southern-Wild-162947236.html

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    Eurogroup to approve Spanish banking sector bailout

    BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Euro zone finance ministers are expected to approve an agreement on Friday to lend up to 100 billion euros to Spain so it can recapitalize its banks, but the exact size of the loan will probably only be determined in September.

    Ministers are expected in a conference call to sign off on a lengthy memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Spain spelling out the terms of the aid, which will be fully disbursed by the end of 2013.

    But before Spain can decide exactly how much money it needs, it must first see the results of in-depth audits of its banking sector, which is riddled with bad property loans.

    "The plan is to formally endorse the draft as it stands," one euro zone official said of the conference call, which is due to begin at 6 a.m EDT.

    "All the rest will come later in the year, with the results of the bank-by-bank stress tests in September clarifying recapitalization needs and paving way for restructuring plans to be drawn up in October, as set out in the timeline annexed to the MoU."

    The bank bailout, together with fresh austerity measures and looser fiscal targets agreed with Madrid, are aimed at avoiding a full sovereign bailout that the euro zone can barely afford.

    There are signs of growing discontent at the economic pain being heaped on the Spanish public. Hundreds of thousands of Spaniards marched against the center-right government's latest measures on Thursday evening, following more than a week of demonstrations across the country.

    Parliament approved on Thursday a package of 65 billion euros ($80 billion) of spending cuts and tax hikes which are likely to deepen the recession already gripping Spain.

    Under the bailout memorandum, 14 banking groups that make up about 90 percent of Spain's banking system will be tested for their recapitalization needs in a review due to be completed by the second half of September.

    Madrid expects 30 billion euros in a first tranche of money that will be available immediately for state-rescued banks that urgently need funds.

    An independent audit from consultancy firms Oliver Wyman and Roland Berger, published on June 21, showed the banking sector needed up to 62 billion euros in total.

    But a second, more detailed audit, as well as new stress tests, will help determine precisely how much each bank needs and in which form - loans or cash.

    Spain's three biggest banks - Banco Santander , BBVA and Caixabank - would not need extra capital even in a stressed scenario, the independent audit said.

    It also said immediate problems were limited to four banks: Bankia , and CatalunyaCaixa, NovaGalicia and Banco de Valencia, the last three of which have been nationalized.

    That leaves seven banking groups in the spotlight: Sabadell , Popular , Ibercaja-Caja3-Liberbank, Unicaja-CEISS, Kutxabank, Banco Mare Nostrum and Bankinter .

    FOCUS ON SAVINGS BANKS

    The money for the capital will be provided by the euro zone's temporary rescue fund, the European Financial Stability Facility (EFSF), a 440 billion euro fund set up in 2010 that has about 250 billion euros left, not counting the money for Spain.

    The EFSF has already been used to bail out Greece, Ireland and Portugal, making Spain the fourth euro zone nation to receive emergency aid in the 2-1/2-year-old crisis.

    The EFSF loans to Madrid will have an average maturity of 12.5 years and a maximum of 15 years, with interest rates of between 3 percent and 4 percent.

    Once the permanent European Stability Mechanism (ESM) is operational, probably in September, it will take over the job of funding Spain's programed.

    All Spain's banks will have to increase their core capital ratios to 9 percent by the end of 2012 and keep them at this level until the end of 2014. However, the government will review by December the requirements for setting aside capital to cover losses on real estate assets.

    There will be a special focus on savings banks, or "cajas", which had close links with local governments and were responsible for much of the unsustainable lending over the last decade, and their governance structure will be reviewed.

    According to the MoU, Spanish authorities will prepare by the end of November a new law to reduce the stakes that savings banks have in commercial lenders to non-controlling levels. Banks that are controlled by the cajas and receive state aid would become listed companies.

    The measure is mostly symbolic, applying only to a handful of banks representing a small share of Spain's banking system, but a failure to implement it could worry investors.

    The document also says that holders of hybrid capital and subordinated debt in state-rescued banks will have to take a haircut on their investments in order to minimize the cost to taxpayers of the restructuring.

    Hundreds of thousands of small shareholders who bought instruments such as preference shares are likely to be affected.

    The first injection of capital into banks not already rescued by the state and unable to raise capital by themselves can be expected by October, after reviews by the Spanish government and the European Commission.

    (Reporting By Jan Strupczewski. Editing by Mike Peacock)

    Source: http://news.yahoo.com/eurogroup-approve-spanish-banking-sector-bailout-065413037--business.html

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