01-30-2006, 04:13 AM | #1 (permalink) |
Illusionary
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The Book Club
Here is a place for the discussion of literature....in all its forms. From the Classics to the latest fiction, cookbooks to sappy romance.
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Holding onto anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned. - Buddha |
01-30-2006, 05:41 AM | #3 (permalink) |
Junkie
Moderator Emeritus
Location: Chicago
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it's not literature... But he did say cookbook... I just bought Rachel Ray 365: No Repeats cookbook... Lots of great recipes, all take less than 30 minutes to complete. She's got a lot of 'master' type recipes then suggestions to make some changes to it so you can easily create a repitiore of easy, but very tasty recipes. I actually like this cookbook because she doesn't always give exact amounts.. which is how I cook... I tend to just throw stuff in - though it's funny to read in a cookbook, "twice around the pan" for an amount of olive oil - and her use of EVOO instead of olive oil is a little annoying... But she writes how she seems to be on the food network - and I'm not sure there are 365 unique recipes... but I was looking for something different cause i'm tired of cooking the same things... all in all - -good purchase... three out of four stars...
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Free your heart from hatred. Free your mind from worries. Live simply. Give more. Expect less.
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01-30-2006, 06:08 AM | #4 (permalink) |
buck fush
Location: Tucson, AZ
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I'll admit we have yet to crack the hour mark on those 30-minute recipes.
Not sure if this counts either, but I just finished reading "Setting Limits for your Strong-Willed Child", which will hopefully help us improve the quality of our lives :-) I'm just starting A History of God by Karen Armstrong, which I've been looking forward to. fwiw, my all-time favorite novel is Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce
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be the change you want |
01-30-2006, 06:08 AM | #5 (permalink) | |
Kick Ass Kunoichi
Location: Oregon
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Might have to buy this one...
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If I am not better, at least I am different. --Jean-Jacques Rousseau |
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02-03-2006, 10:06 AM | #6 (permalink) | |
big damn hero
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Currently, I'm reading a compilation of 'Bertie Wooster & Jeeves' stories by P.G. Wodehouse (The Return of Jeeves...Bertie Wooster see it through...). Hugh Laurie, who played Bertie Wooster in a series for the BBC, recommended them in a magazine article.
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No signature. None. Seriously. Last edited by guthmund; 02-03-2006 at 10:08 AM.. |
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02-03-2006, 10:35 AM | #7 (permalink) |
Addict
Location: Illinois
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I just finished the second part of the Dark Tower series. Amazing books. I really look forward to starting the third one, but I am going to read Don Quixote for my friend. He loves the book and told me I have to read it so I am going to humor him. So far its humerous and not too hard of a read, but I do have to go a little bit slower with it than I did with the Drawing of the Three.
I would definitely recommend the dark tower series, at least so far. Last edited by Xiangsu; 08-06-2006 at 04:10 PM.. |
02-03-2006, 11:24 AM | #8 (permalink) |
Omnipotent Ruler Of The Tiny Universe In My Mind
Location: Oreegawn
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I just finished Tom Wolfe's new(ish) "I Am Charlotte Simmons." I liked it, as an interesting interpretation of the modern college experience. And some of the characters were incredibly well-drawn and there were some fantastic moments. And, true to Wolfe form, he runs circles around modern grammatical use.
I only have a few complaints. Firstly, it ended far too abruptly, (but that's a problem I'm finding more and more, especially with authors like Wolfe and Maguire.) Secondly, seeing as I'm greek, the blatant anti-greek sentiment in the book was hard for me to swallow, but probably generally truthful in the end. Lastly, and most frustrating, was how much I hated the main character (Charlotte, naturally.) When it comes to main characters, there has to be an element of love. I don't mean a romantic entanglement, I mean that we as readers need to empathize and care for the character. We can like them, or we can love to hate them, but there has to be some element of theirs to which we are attracted. Charlotte was incredibly well-written. She was, as all great characters are, flawed. But her flaws were just too great. I hated her. She was intelligent, but spiteful towards those less intelligent, wanted everyone to love her, but in turn, was hateful towards everyone, and incredibly judgemental. She used people, and even in the last two pages of the book, she almost admits she hasn't changed at all in that regard. It wasn't even fun to hate her as a character. She was the biggest disappointment in the whole novel, by far. So, overall, it's an interesting character-study of the instution of college itself, but prepared to want to scream at the main character as you read it.
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Words of Wisdom: If you could really get to know someone and know that they weren't lying to you, then you would know the world was real. Because you could agree on things, you could compare notes. That must be why people get married or make Art. So they'll be able to really know something and not go insane. |
02-03-2006, 12:01 PM | #9 (permalink) |
Unencapsulated
Location: Kittyville
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Oh, I will be stopping by this thread frequently for ideas! Thanks for the Rachel Ray cookbook tip, Mal, I'm all over that.
Currently, I'm reading the latest from Diana Gabaldon. If you are a history buff AND don't mind a little supernatural element, then jump on these. The first book is "Outlander" and most places have it mis-marked as a romance. It has romantic elements, certainly, but it's a whole lot more than that. The first couple books start in 1740's Scotland, and move to England, France, the Caribbean, and then the Colonies. Right now, in the (I *think*) 5th book, we're in the Colonies right before the War for Independence. Why I love these books: they bring the past alive in a real, visceral sense; it's not just what they're wearing, but how things smell, the textures, the sights and sounds, the beauty and the gross in life. I am not a fan of books that spend too much time describing every last detail either - this feels like a natural progression, as if you were sitting in the person's head noticing what they notice. The characters are strong, with each of them growing throughout the books they live in. They're engaging and funny and human, all at once. This is FICTION, but I find myself often wondering what the various characters might think of our world now. That's how real they become. Because the main characters, like Claire (and later, others, but I won't spoil it for you), are not from the 1700's either, seeing things from their eyes gives an interesting perspective on the past. LOVE THESE BOOKS. I do.
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My heart knows me better than I know myself, so I'm gonna let it do all the talkin'. Last edited by JustJess; 02-03-2006 at 12:02 PM.. Reason: GRAMMAR. |
02-03-2006, 02:20 PM | #10 (permalink) | |
Kick Ass Kunoichi
Location: Oregon
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I'm going to have to get digging in boxes, though...they're buried somewhere. I agree completely with what you've said, JustJess--Gabaldon has a style that feels authentic. You can tell she knows her shit, and that's what makes it easy to suspend disbelief about other things.
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If I am not better, at least I am different. --Jean-Jacques Rousseau |
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02-03-2006, 02:26 PM | #11 (permalink) |
Junkie
Location: Ontario, Canada
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Just consumed "Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed" by Jared Diamond. It is an excellent exploration of both ancient and modern societies and why some succeed and some fail. It is a really good read and an important one for anyone concerned with where the world and their nation is headed.
Now reading a bit of fluff for a change - "Stonehenge" by Bernard Cornwell.
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Si vis pacem parabellum. |
02-12-2006, 12:38 PM | #12 (permalink) | |
Psycho
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As a post script, I lobbied to name our dog after a character, but my wife won.. we have Emma as her name.
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The man in black fled across the desert, and the gunslinger followed. Stephen King |
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02-17-2006, 12:36 PM | #13 (permalink) |
Tilted
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I have just finished Anne Bishops last book called Sebastian. It's a goooooodd book. It is on the romance side of the fence but there is enough dark fantasy and the constent strugggle of light vs. dark to make it a great read.(I consider it fantasy) She dosent go into many of the "gory" details, but the main character is half incubi(?) half human ... Its a really good read... I like her dark jewel triology better but i highly doubt there will ever be anything that tops that on my list. This book is worth getting your hands on it will take you to a landscape nothing like our own but you will feel familure with it. 437 pages of page turning excitment
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fyi: I am a female Last edited by poundpuppy34; 02-17-2006 at 12:39 PM.. |
03-24-2006, 11:47 AM | #14 (permalink) |
Junkie
Location: Greater Harrisburg Area
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On the theme of discussing literature and a book club, do y'all think it would be feasible to create a book club on TFP(if we had enough interest) such that we would choose a book and read it together and discuss it while we go along?
Of course, I think it's a great idea, maybe about a book a month divided up so we only discuss sections at a time, then about a week after we finish before we announce the next book. Right now I'm reading Milton's Paradise Lost for the first time(a reference to it in The Sea Wolf by Jack London sparked my interest). Not that we have to start with me, but it's a suggestion, if any of you like the idea I'm more than open to suggestions about what to read next to get this rolling.
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The advantage law is the best law in rugby, because it lets you ignore all the others for the good of the game. |
03-24-2006, 11:54 AM | #15 (permalink) | |
Submit to me, you know you want to
Location: Lilburn, Ga
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I could read her books all day long (and sometimes do lol) I have to say though that the first one is my ab fav of the series I've been spending my time rereading every book Victoria Holt ever wrote
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I want the diabetic plan that comes with rollover carbs. I dont like the unused one expiring at midnite!! |
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05-01-2006, 03:38 PM | #16 (permalink) |
Tilted
Location: Canada
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THE DAVINCI CODE
Has anyone read this book yet? And if so was it a good read?
Its all i've heard about lately ... it has me curious. My last read was a bio of Dany Kane, "Hell's Witness" An interesting peak into their sub culture. I would recommend it if you are into that kind of thing. Favorite of mine would be Tolkien's LOTR's, (and the Hobbit, of course). Last edited by nrclark; 05-01-2006 at 03:47 PM.. |
05-02-2006, 05:07 AM | #17 (permalink) |
Asshole
Administrator
Location: Chicago
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I'm reading Edvard Radzinsky's "Alexander II: The Last Great Tsar". Its very interesting, and there are even some anecdotes that he's found that are new to me (such as the tsarina's crown falling off during the coronation ceremony), and he's drawing some very interesting paralells between Alexander and Gorbachev. The translator's chosen to keep the words "glastnost" and "perestroika" unitalicized in the text throughout which is less distracting that I would normally find. However, the translator (Bouis) hasn't corrected some of the sentence structure that's acceptable in Russian but not English, and that's really distracting at times.
Since I realize that not everyone is the Russofile that I am, Alexander II ruled from 1859 to 1881 and was the one who freed the serfs, introduced the jury system to Russian law and reformed the army. He was assassinated by a group called "The People's Will" as he was about to transform Russia into a constitutional monarchy, although that was unknown to the general population at the time.
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"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." - B. Franklin "There ought to be limits to freedom." - George W. Bush "We have met the enemy and he is us." - Pogo Last edited by The_Jazz; 05-02-2006 at 10:02 AM.. |
05-02-2006, 06:21 AM | #18 (permalink) | |
Junkie
Location: Ontario, Canada
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Si vis pacem parabellum. |
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05-22-2006, 07:57 PM | #20 (permalink) |
Mistress of Mayhem
Location: Canton, Ohio
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Books, books and more books.
DaVinci Code... I read it and adored it! It is a brilliant and well thought out work of fiction (in my opinion which is just that mind you... my opinion). It makes you think and promotes a healthy workout of brain cell synapses.
If you liked DaVinci code, Mr. Brown has written 3 other books as well. The best in my opinion (again only my opinion) being Angels and Demons. (Another good mind screw.) I recently read a book by a "new to me" author named Chuck Palahniuk, the books title is "haunted". Alas, it is not for the faint of heart, as in the back it states that when he read a short excerpt from the book many people fainted. The book itself is eloquently written and extremely messy, if you will with blood guts (literally) and gore. Definately not for the faint of heart! |
06-01-2006, 07:05 AM | #21 (permalink) | |
Upright
Location: Atlanta, Georgia
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I'm just getting started with Collapse. Jared Diamond is a genius and his earlier book Guns, Germs and Steel changed a lot of my thinking in a good way.
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"Thanks to TV and for the convenience of TV, you can only be one of two kinds of human beings, either a liberal or a conservative." - Kurt Vonnegut |
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06-01-2006, 07:07 AM | #22 (permalink) | |
Upright
Location: Atlanta, Georgia
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"Thanks to TV and for the convenience of TV, you can only be one of two kinds of human beings, either a liberal or a conservative." - Kurt Vonnegut |
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06-05-2006, 08:39 AM | #23 (permalink) | |
Junkie
Location: Ontario, Canada
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I have a third book of his The Third Chimpanzee which is OK, but not comparable to the other two.
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Si vis pacem parabellum. |
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06-05-2006, 01:25 PM | #24 (permalink) |
Who You Crappin?
Location: Everywhere and Nowhere
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My wife reccomended "Five People You Meet in Heaven" and I read the first 120 pages in one sitting (earlier today) and will probably finish tonight.
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"You can't shoot a country until it becomes a democracy." - Willravel |
06-05-2006, 01:28 PM | #25 (permalink) | |
Junkie
Moderator Emeritus
Location: Chicago
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I loved that book - really made you think... was a little sappy but it's kind of expected from the author... I still wonder who the five people I meet in heaven (should I get there) will be - and who I will be on the welcoming committee for... Enjoy it.
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Free your heart from hatred. Free your mind from worries. Live simply. Give more. Expect less.
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06-08-2006, 06:11 PM | #26 (permalink) |
Who You Crappin?
Location: Everywhere and Nowhere
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I wanted to get "Choke" at the library but it was out, so I picked up the latest Stephen King novel, "Cell". So far it's basically "The Stand" meets "Night of the Living Dead", but it's a quick read (I'm 120 pages in already) and not terrible so far.
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"You can't shoot a country until it becomes a democracy." - Willravel |
06-09-2006, 06:11 AM | #27 (permalink) |
Mistress of Mayhem
Location: Canton, Ohio
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"Cell" wasnt half bad but I still say "From A Buick 8" is Stephen Kings best work. "Choke" was funny but not nearly as good as "Haunted" by the same author.
I am currently reading "Killer Dreams" by Iris Johansen and am fairly disappointed as it mimics another of her novels. I have higher hopes for "The Husband" by Dean Koontz which is next on my list. |
06-10-2006, 04:04 PM | #28 (permalink) |
Minion of the scaléd ones
Location: Northeast Jesusland
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I recently read "Anal Health and Pleasure". I was surprised at what a neat book it was. I was looking for ideas for a bit of diff'rent lovin' but it turns out to have all sorts of neat things in it about how to feel better about you bum, how to fix constipation and hemorrhoids, and just be heappy and healthy in general. It talks about power gradients in sexual relationships too, and that has actually helped me to get along better with the wife and, as a spill oer effect, to be nicer to my kids.
After that, I re-read the 6 Michael Moorcock "Corum" books, and realized that they're just a short step up from Edgar Rice Burroughs, and then Neal Gaiman's "Neverwhere", which is awseome. Right now, I am poking through Gore Vidal's "Burr", which may not end up holding my attention.
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Light a man a fire, and he will be warm while it burns. Set a man on fire, and he will be warm for the rest of his life. |
06-10-2006, 07:24 PM | #29 (permalink) |
Mistress of Mayhem
Location: Canton, Ohio
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I recently stumbled across a book called "The complete Idiots Guide to Stepparenting". I tell ya what, from dating someone with kids to learning the ropes on how to deal with children in general, it is a very funny and straight up book. It informs you on many of the "games" kids play and bring to light things such as; you can't tell little Jane she cant have nookie til shes married yet you have your unmarried significant other spend the night so you CAN. I'm only a few pages in but its great for learning and laughing... 2 elements that help you remember whats important.
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06-11-2006, 04:43 AM | #30 (permalink) | |
Junkie
Location: Ontario, Canada
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Si vis pacem parabellum. |
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06-12-2006, 07:33 AM | #31 (permalink) | |
Who You Crappin?
Location: Everywhere and Nowhere
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Quote:
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"You can't shoot a country until it becomes a democracy." - Willravel |
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06-13-2006, 05:09 AM | #32 (permalink) | |
Mistress of Mayhem
Location: Canton, Ohio
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06-13-2006, 10:47 AM | #33 (permalink) | |
Who You Crappin?
Location: Everywhere and Nowhere
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Quote:
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"You can't shoot a country until it becomes a democracy." - Willravel |
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06-21-2006, 02:52 AM | #35 (permalink) |
change is hard.
Location: the green room.
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just stumbled across my copy of Eleanor Rigby by canadian author Douglas Coupland... it is slightly far fetched, like all of his work, but uyses his extreme veiws of reality to really connect to you through the fiction. It's just as the book would suggest, a lonely celebration.
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EX: Whats new? ME: I officially love coffee more then you now. EX: uh... ME: So, not much. |
06-23-2006, 04:49 PM | #37 (permalink) |
Junkie
Moderator Emeritus
Location: Chicago
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ooh i saw that book in the store the other day and was gonna get it- it soudned good but his books of late has just been so bad, my groupiedom on his has waned... guess i'll have to get back into the spirit of it again..
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Free your heart from hatred. Free your mind from worries. Live simply. Give more. Expect less.
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06-27-2006, 04:21 PM | #39 (permalink) |
Upright
Location: Up in Washington watching the puddles grow.
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If you like Sci-Fi novels I would definitely suggest "The Old Man's War" John Sciali. It was a great read, very reminiscent of "Starship Troopers" but not in a bad way.
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"Two roads diverged in a wood, and I- I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference." - Robert Frost |
07-12-2006, 02:45 AM | #40 (permalink) |
Mistress of Mayhem
Location: Canton, Ohio
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Just read the first Harry Potter.... I could not put it down... havent been to bed all night and cant wait to start the second. The movie left out so much! The books are definately a treat for child and adult alike and answer many questions the movie doesnt.
It has been a long time since a book has sucked me in so completely. |
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