Archive for the Simple Thoughts category

Posted on Nov 20, 2008 — Philosophy / Simple Thoughts / Uncategorized / Words — 2 comments — Posted by Phil Unofficial

Simple Thoughts For A Complicated Man…The Ties That Bind

laughter_by_dsodenPeople speak as a means of communicating. There are 6,912 languages spoken throughout the world. Language is defined as “communication by voice in the distinctively human manner, using arbitrary sounds in conventional ways with conventional meanings”. You may speak one or two languages fluently, however, unknowingly, every citizen in the world shares a universal form of communication. (I’ll give you the definition first and see if you can get it) “An expression or appearance of merriment or amusement”… get it yet? It’s laughter.

Now, you may think that I am limiting this form of communication to humans, but, by universal I mean animals as well. We all know that animals communicate, but laugh? Animals have shown signs of laughter in response to playful chasing, games and tickling. Different species express laughter in different ways. For example, anyone who has been to a zoo and witnessed a monkey play with himself has probably seen him laugh as well. Laughter has also been observed in other animals, such as dogs and rats. When stimulated by tickling or play fighting, rats emitted short, high frequency, ultrasonic, socially induced vocalizations. Scientists have monitored canine responses to various laughter evoking stimuli. Although the sounds dogs made in these experiments initially resembled an ordinary pant, scientists found upon further analysis that there are bursts of frequencies in this type of panting, showing us that dogs do laugh. Now for the phenomenal part – when scientists played a recording of a dog’s laughter in an animal shelter, it stimulated playful activity and decreased the animals’ stress levels. So, I have to ask; Is laughter contagious?

It is a fact that we are all connected through the action of laughter, although we rarely take time out of our stressful days to think about it. I, fortunately, woke up today in a fairly decent mood, so the world will not end (I’m not really sure what you are trying to get across with this sentence, it seems out of place). In addition to technology, civilization, and some primitive behaviors (which I have discussed in History of Aggression, laughter binds our world. However, until today, I never gave consideration to the link we share through this amiable gesture.

Think about this. How many languages do you hear in a day? How many times do you hear an accent in someone’s speech patterns? How much of a difference is there when you hear those people laugh? Laughs can vary between a boisterous “Ho” and an innocent “teehee”. However, the expression a laugh implies is universal. Laughter means a person is having a good time, or just generally enjoying himself. There are undoubtedly other signs of “peace”, such as smiles, handshakes, and even hugs. But the universal vocal expression of that peace is a laugh.

Posted on Nov 05, 2008 — Philosophy / Simple Thoughts / Uncategorized / Words — 2 comments — Posted by Phil Unofficial

Simple Thoughts For A Complicated Man…The Irony of Simultaneous Events

butterflyeffectIt’s been said that every time somebody dies a new baby is born. That point would be proof that our lives are linked through simultaneous events. On the other hand, that statement is argued by those saying more babies are born than people who die, hence the reason for overpopulation in the world. I cannot find one study that has been conducted to prove this statement one way or the other. On the side, saying that it is a true statement, we can look at the twins, triplets, quintuplets, or any record-breaking number of babies a mother can give birth to that the Discovery Channel will document. If one person dies and three more are born in the same instance, overpopulation will always be a factor. For now, lets look at the basic examples.

How many people conveniently walk outside for a cigarette at the same moment as you? I am not talking about in your environment. I am talking about worldwide. Think about it. How many people drop that cigarette in the same instance that you do? Somewhere in the world, at this very moment, a baby is being born, someone is dying, someone is sleeping, someone is making love, someone is stealing, someone killing, someone crying. How many events are happening at this very moment around the world? How many people are sharing tears over the loss of someone or the joy of a newborn baby? There are more simultaneous events going on in the world that are linked to you than you give credit for, or want to give credit for. What if they are linked? I noticed today that when I dropped my cigarette, a man across the street has done the same. Are we connected by that insignificant act?

There is a quote I heard form the movie Saw IV that Jigsaw says to someone, “You see things aren’t sequential. Good doesn’t lead to good nor bad to bad. People steal, don’t get caught. Live the good life. Others lie, cheat and get elected. Some people stop to help a stranded motorist and get taken out by a speeding semi. There’s no accounting for it. How you play the cards you’re dealt, that’s all that matters.” It’s true, people do get away with committing bad acts, but is it because someone else failed to act?

Can an act be avoided by the actions of someone else who may be “linked”, but not involved in that original act? Not to say that they, or you, would know that you’re supposed to act. That is the irony. We all have “gut feelings” one way or another and by acting on that feeling can effect an outcome. Obviously, those directly involved will be noticeably effected, but how many people around the world will be effected by the butterfly effect? The Butterfly Effect states “a butterfly’s wings might create tiny changes in the atmosphere that may ultimately alter the path of a tornado or delay, accelerate or even prevent the occurrence of a tornado in a certain location.”

The point is, every once and a while, give consideration to the actions you choose to make. You don’t know who they are going to effect. There is a famous quote that states “the only thing worse than the actions of an evil man, is the indifference of good men.” Keep in mind your actions may effect me, and I will be forced to throw a house at you!

Posted on Oct 30, 2008 — Philosophy / Simple Thoughts / Uncategorized / Words — No comments — Posted by Phil Unofficial

Simple Thoughts For A Complicated Man…The Great Escape

sjOur economic status as a country is in decline. Our jobs are rare and our funds are fading. With all this activity and negative energy that surrounds us, do you allow yourself for an escape? I am not talking about a vacation. That’s a little too pricey for American wallets right now. The escape I am talking about is a personal escape. A sanctuary is, by definition, “any place of refuge or an asylum”. A sanctuary, however, does not need to be a physical place. It can be a hobby or activity that distracts you from all your worries and problems. It can be a cigarette you smoke, a book you read, or a gym you workout at. Anything that can take you out of the elemental world we live in.

While on the bus at night, I observe people who cannot leave their work in the office. They are constantly on their cell phones talking about work, or on their phones sending emails. I even witnessed one girl, who was on the bus get off at the last stop before the express ride home, to go back to the office. At what point do we say, I am on my way home. This is not our fault. It’s the companies that hire these people. They drill it into your heads that to be successful, you need to be a workaholic… People go to rehab for being a workaholic. There has to be a drawn line between our time off and our time at work. Even though the time we have off, for the most part, is dedicated to others in our life. We fill our weekends and nights with errands and favors for loved ones.

Money will not make you happy, but like my father jokes “it sure makes life easier”. Do your job while you are at work but take time out for yourself. Go to the gym, read your book, share a conversation with a friend and lose yourself in your own mind. You won’t realize it, but when you’re all finished, you will see that the hour you took to escape let you think of nothing but the task at hand. All the anger, frustration, and stress of your life was forgotten about for one hour that you had for yourself. Find a healthy escape. Do not get caught up with negative escapes like drugs and alcohol. Avoid escapes that are easy to get lost in.

It’s just as easy to become addicted to the positive sanctuaries we’ve created. An addiction is like a forest; it’s easy to wander through, but one step too far and you can lose your way forever. It’s important to find a healthy medium between our escapes and reality.

The world, as I explained in my article Organized Chaos, is an organized machine of chaos. Use your sanctuary as an escape, not a permanent home. Do not use it to avoid your problems, use it to get away from them temporarily. To use it in terms of my metaphor, find a sanctuary to keep your mind from getting lost in the forest, but never forget that you are, in fact, in the forest.

Posted on Oct 23, 2008 — Simple Thoughts / Words — 2 comments — Posted by Phil Unofficial

Simple Thoughts For A Complicated Man…Original Copies

faceless_compositionWhen we are children, our minds are like sponges. They absorb and take in everything that appeals to us. Words, actions, even simply the way we walk are all taken from somewhere. People always say that imitation is the best form of flattery. Your parents try to teach you the correct way to act, eat, and talk amongst others. In a way we are our own clones.

From movies we watch to books we read, we see something that we hope, upon all hope, to be. Singers, actors, athletes, even characters in movies and books inspire us to be like them. Sometimes it can happen with someone close, but it is typically someone older than the child. They are called our hero’s and role models. We look up to them because of their accomplishments and try to act like them in hopes that we can follow in a similar path. Each of us, as “grown-ups”, so to speak, have qualities ingrained in us that make up who we are as people. We are each individuals in the fact that we do not share common goals or interests. However, for each of us there lies a little quality in each thing we do that was mimicked from someone else we looked or look up to.

Halloween is a day where the gloves are off. It’s a day for children, and adults for that matter, to really take on a persona outside our accepted social settings. We dress up and act like our favorite superheroes, cowboys, historic figures, and even our favorite villains. How many people are going to a Halloween party dressed like The Dark Knight’s Joker, or Darth Vader?

There are three characters that make up who each of us are. There is the social you, the personal you, and just you. The social you is the person you are in a formal atmosphere. The personal you is the person you are in your friendships and relationships. Those two forms of you are the ones that are mimicked. Every day we are put in situations that we know how we should act, because we have either seen the proper people act that way in that situation, or you were taught by another that that is the proper way of acting. Think about it. Every action or way of doing something is directly interpreted from someone else though your actions. Like the artist who paints like Monet or a director who takes camera angles from Oliver Stone. Our actions everyday are mirrors and learned lessons of those people who came before us. We mimic them and in some cases, take others failures and turn them into our success.

Then, there is the just you. The person who you are when you are alone. It is in this form of you that we find individuality. This you can be your inner demon or your inner child. It can be full of hate and anger or full of innocents and forgiveness. It is the person who knows all your secrets, lies, and feelings. When no one is watching, what do you do? Do you sit and curse the world? Do you pray for peace?

The just you is the most important of the three you’s. The just you truly defines who you are as a character or person. When you go out into the world, no matter which part you play, no matter which character you are mimicking, remember the just you. That is the only way to be truly happy. If you can go home with the just you and be happy with what you did that day, then there is nothing to be unhappy about. It’s quite simple, just not easy. Peer pressure and social settings can make us do some remorseful things. At the end of the day though, you have no one to answer to…just you.

Posted on Oct 16, 2008 — Philosophy / Simple Thoughts / Words — 7 comments — Posted by Phil Unofficial

Simple Thoughts For A Complicated Man…The Unwritten Rules

disappearing-inkIn life we have many aspects in which we behave a certain way. Some people call them manners, but we can even go as far as naming them “rules”. Rules in business, social settings, and of course dating, force us to examine a certain way to behave. By following these rules we are guaranteed success. What are the rules? Who created them? Why are they held in such a high regard?

Manners are defined as “ways of living, and habits of a people, class, or period”. Given the definition, it is obvious that the rules change with time and even race or background. Now, I’m not talking about traditions. That is a different topic all together. I am talking about the way we are raised to cut our food, or chew our gum a certain way in the company of others. When we are brought up, we are taught the rules of life, under the impression that they are merely suggestions. As we grow up we realize that they are suggestions that should be followed, some, obviously, more than others.

Let’s examine one of the events in life with the biggest list of rules. I am talking, of course, about dating. The “three-day rule” is one of the most common. The three-day rule states that after a first date you must wait at least three days before you can call her again. Now, I am absolutely positive that women have a set of rules all to themselves. However, since I have a penis, and that automatically makes me completely clueless on anything to do with the female perspective, I can only do this from a mans point of view (which is probably wrong, right ladies?). The rules for a guy are fairly obvious, not a real secret, and for the most part have not changed. However, some of these rules have changed with the times. Thanks to equality, we can now take a girl out and can actually accept money from them for the check… if we wanted to be really tacky. Not to mention your date would probably be turned off by such an act. On the brighter side, most women are thrown off by some of us who still get out of the car to ring the bell and show face, instead of honking the horn or calling on the phone. When I say thrown off, I don’t mean it in a negative way. They are usually very appreciative of acts such as that. This list goes on and on, so let’s examine more rules, like tattoos.

Tattoos are becoming more socially acceptable, but are still looked down upon by some. The rules to getting a tattoo are not to get them in an extremely visible location. If you go for a job interview, it looks bad. The interviewers and company representatives are the “some” I was talking about. Unfortunately, that has become one of the unwritten rules. Because of that fact, if you are looking at getting a job in a good company, you shouldn’t get tattoos that are visible. Then what’s the point of getting it? Ladies and gentlemen, that is the point.

We have become so apt at following these rules that we are no longer doing what we feel we should do. Why should I have to wait three days to talk to a girl I really like? I read in a book somewhere about fighting that when you’re in a situation, or fight as the book was explaining, the other person is experiencing the same human feelings as you are. All the nervousness and anxiety is mirrored in the other person. I think that statement can apply to any situation. In dating, the other person you are attracted to is probably feeling the same nervousness or desire to call as you are. Why do we have to follow these rules? These unwritten rules are an attempt to appear a certain way instead of following our gut. What can happen if we chose to go against the rules? The world certainly isn’t going to end, but you DO risk showing the other person that you are in fact human.

Posted on Oct 09, 2008 — Simple Thoughts / Words — 5 comments — Posted by Phil Unofficial

Simple Thoughts For A Complicated Man…Organized Chaos

chaosIt’s 5:22PM in Times Square, New York City. Rush Hour. You’re walking with your partner hand in hand. As you walk the spaces to move through get tighter. Your left shoulder jerks back from another bystander shouldering you to make room, while your right arm is being pulled away from you as your loved one struggles to hold on. The grip tightens just before their hand slips away from yours. You look around at nothing familiar with your loved one swept up in a crowd like an amateur swimmer in a hurricane sea. IT’S CHAOS… but is it really? Not everything is what it seems.

Despite what you may think, within that chaos lies a very organized machine. When looking at the big picture, all we can notice is a scrambled mess. However, when you hone in on individual purpose, we can begin to notice the organization. That is, of course, if you are willing to consider the goal of the individual.

On a cellular level, the best example I can think of is the conception of the human child. If you look at it generally, it appears to be competitive scramble, but individually, there is a single shared goal. The individuals within our chaotic world do not share all goals, however, there is always a strategy for each.

Whether you are planning the best route to work in the morning or what to do on a weekend night, we strategize and plan ahead. If you take a chance to actually consider it, our entire lives are based on this strategic theory. So, although you look down at the streets of chaos from the top of the Empire State Building, underneath lies an organized strategy to each unit.

Even in our most chaotic circumstances, like a war or a bombing, there still lies an organized plan to each individual. Everyone involved has a plan, from the victims to the workers trying to help. The victim’s strategy can vary between a phone call to 9-1-1 or pushing an old lady out of the way to get to safety. It’s a plan; no one said it was a perfect one. I don’t have to tell you that those who work to help in those situations have their own plan as a unit, as well as individually. But, unfortunately life isn’t fair and, as a result, some of our strategies fail while others succeed.

As I always say “life is a game”, so have a game plan. When I say everyone has a strategy, I’m not implying that they plan their entire lives out in one strategy, because circumstances do change. It’s like the old saying, “the only constant life has is change”. I am just saying that everyday make a plan to follow, for reasons such as time management. Have a strategy and don’t get lost, but more importantly, enjoy being part of the chaos.

Posted on Oct 02, 2008 — Simple Thoughts / Words — 10 comments — Posted by Phil Unofficial

Simple Thoughts For A Complicated Man…The Flaws Of Time And Space

timespacee

It’s common knowledge that there are 24 hours in a day and 365 days in a year. WRONG! NASA actually states, on their website, that there are 23 hours, 56 minutes, and 04.09053 seconds in one earth day. For arguments sake, let’s just say that there is actually 23.94 hours in a day. NASA based this off of the knowledge that the Earth’s speed around its orbit is 67,000 mph and spins on an axis of 1,000 mph. Now, lets observe how oblivious we really are. This is a formula my co-worker, Scott, and I have come up with to find out where we actually are in time right now, according to NASA’s claim. Keep in mind that there are a few flaws, for example we did not take the Gregorian calendar into account, we were calculating by the American calendar, and that we used year 1AD as a starting point. Here is what we have come up with… By the way, if you plan to follow this, I suggest having a pen, paper, and calculator on hand for this.

(Note: / -indicate division)

365 (Days in a year) X 2008 (Inaccurate years that have passed) = 732,920 (24 hour days from 1AD – 2008AD not including leap year)

2008 (Inaccurate years that passed) / 4 (Every four years is leap year) = 502 (Days added for leap year)

732,920 (24 hour days from 1AD – 2008AD) + 502 (Leap Year Days) = 733,422 (24 hour days from 1AD – 2008AD including leap year)

733,422 X 24 (Inaccurate hours in a day) = 17,602,128 (Inaccurate hours from 1AD – 2008AD)

17,602,128 / 23.94 (Actual hours in 1 day) = 735,260 (Actual days passed from 1AD – 2008AD)

735,260 – 503 (Actual added days because of Leap Year) = 734,757 (Actual days passed from 1AD – 2008AD)

734,757 / 365 (Days in a year) = 2013.3

Which, by our calculations, would mean that 2,013 years have passed from year 1 AD to 2008 AD. By the same calculations, if we estimated how much actual time has passed from 1,000,000BC (assuming leap year didn’t take effect until 1AD) aproximately 1,004,519 years have passed from 1mBC to 2008 AD.

We are actually ahead of the calendar because the shortened day gives us unaccounted for hours at the end of the year. Which means the year is actually shortened by the concept of the hours in a day.

Keep in mind that our calculated numbers were rounded. However, what we have here, given it’s flaws, is a rough estimation of how much time has changed for the simple reason that we wanted to use 24 hours instead of 23.94. Taking everything we did not either think about or consider, it still shows an immense shift in our spectrum of time. This can also show the nonsense of Global Warming. Nature does not follow our time line. As I stated previously, there is a seasonal climate shift occuring (which is another way of saying nature is just being nature). Stop thinking so human about the way nature works. By making rules we are trying to control everything, only to be pointed out by Phil Unofficial, that we actually control nothing.

Posted on Sep 25, 2008 — Simple Thoughts / Words — 7 comments — Posted by Phil Unofficial

Simple Thoughts For A Complicated Man…Human Chameleons

camoflage

Since we were children, we have gone out of our way to be accepted. We couldn’t wear clothes that were out of style or have a haircut that didn’t fit in; otherwise we would be ostracized and picked on. So, we all, one way or another played the game so others would accept us. You have all heard it. You wanted to be a “cool kid”. Think about it now. How much of that has actually changed?

As teenagers and even adults, we attempt to conform to the group we are with at any given moment. This is even more applicable to those of you in the business world. Salesmen are the most keen at camouflaging themselves to others. From the way we speak to our general mannerisms, we take on a totally different persona in order to be liked…even if it means laughing at a joke you wouldn’t ordinarily find funny.

It’s not unnatural for us, as humans, to seek acceptance. History tells us that the earliest forms of humans were always traveling and hunting in groups. Today, group acceptance is slightly more selective. What group do you belong to? You don’t have one? What about your friends? Your friends are nothing more than a group that was the easiest for you to adapt to. Chances are that you and your friends share similar taste in music, clothing, and humor. Even those who claim that conforming is evil, or Emos, are still conforming to the “anti-conforming” group.

That, my good people, is how we classify our society. By simply looking at an individual, you can classify them as Emo, Hip-Hoper, Rocker, or even a Hippy. So, as it turns out, you can judge a book by its cover. You may not be able to tell every detail, however, you can get a sense for the tastes of an individual by simply noticing their general appearance.

I’m not stating that this is a bad thing; most people make a lot of money, or a lot of friends, by camouflaging. Just be aware that you are doing it. Remember the person in the mirror and think about what you like and think. Camouflaging is a skill, but it is a dangerous one. You can get lost in the game of adapting. Just remember who you are, even when you are standing comfortable accepted in a room full of strangers.

Posted on Sep 18, 2008 — Simple Thoughts / Uncategorized / Words — 3 comments — Posted by Phil Unofficial

Simple Thoughts For A Complicated Man…Wake Up Your Dead

21g
Death. Everyone goes through it. It is the end of the life cycle, right? Who knows but the people who went through it? What we do know is that one way or another we are all going to die, some more than once. I know that sounds grim, but according to the original definition of death, someone was declared dead at the “cessation of heartbeat and breathing.” Today’s modern medicine techniques such as CPR and defibrillators are used to resuscitate a person whose heartbeat or breathing has ceased. Now that the original definition is void, when exactly does someone die? Today, doctors look to brain wave activity as a means of measuring a person’s consciousness. If brain waves are nonexistent (brain dead), then doctors declare a patient “legally dead”. I use the term in quotes because that person’s body can be kept alive using machines. So are they really dead? They can’t react, talk, eat, or even breathe without machines, yet their bodies are technically alive.

People speak of being dead for moments, and then are brought back to life. Some even claim that they have watched their bodies from an outside perspective. Witnesses to these claims have stated they saw a light and visions of their life. I am not so sure that it’s an actual experience as much as a progression. When a body begins its shutdown, there is a blackout feeling where a person doesn’t even remember falling. Now that the heart has stopped and blood ceases to circulate the cells in the organs (the brain in particular) go into a panic state. Without oxygen, these cells fill with toxins and self-destruct. What if that light people see is the self-destruction of some of the brain cells? When a person’s life flashes before their eyes, are they really flying through time? Absolutely not. What might be happening is similar to a computer system. As you are cleaning out a computer, it scans through every folder to delete files, and similarly your mind might be going through the final scan.

When do you die though? We can be brought back from heart failure or a “dead state”, but isn’t death absolute? Maybe death is when your body’s energy (soul) leaves the physical body. In the early 1900’s there was a scientist by the name of Dr. Duncan MacDougall. He conducted a controversial experiment where he would weigh a dying persons body. At the exact moment of death, he noted that the person lost exactly 21 grams of weight. It is considered controversial because scientists rarely acknowledge anything they can’t study or prove. Skeptics say that the weight lost is the result of the deceased releasing their bowels. My response is that the released bowels would still be on the scale and would certainly not cause any weight to be dropped. However, it was his conclusion that the human soul was a measurable thing and it weighed 21 grams; the same weight as five nickels.

Life is about the journey, not the destination. We should not be concerned what awaits us on the other end or even if there is another side to this. The only people that would know, are those that have “passed on” and experienced death. Don’t worry about having a life after death, worry about having a life before death. When do we die? I feel we are dead when we cease to exist and our soul becomes part of the bigger picture. There is an old rule in science that states that energy cannot be stopped or destroyed, only transferred. What is the soul if not the energy source of the body? When that soul becomes part of all the energy that is the universe (heaven, hell, shebalba, whatever you want to call it) we will know. I will leave you with the words of the wise Penn Jillette; “But I could be wrong.”

Posted on Sep 11, 2008 — Simple Thoughts / Uncategorized / Words — 2 comments — Posted by Phil Unofficial

Simple Thoughts For A Complicated Man…Nothingness

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It is an idea that has been considered throughout the ages, yet no one has a conclusive theory. In mathematics, it is represented through zero, in science it is a void or dark matter, and in color, it is represented as black. If you think about it though, we are giving it substance by representing it at all, through numbers, letters, or whatever. By definition it is “something that is nonexistent”, which is in itself a contradiction. Who’s to even say that “something” is, in fact, supposed to occupy that void?

Through science we look at space. It is said that space is infinite, yet keeps expanding. Expanding where? What is beyond infinity? Let’s assume, for the sake of arguing, that we use the term “infinite” as a way to describe something that is immeasurable to us. What is the universe expanding into? Is it really a vast wasteland that has the unthinkable nothing occupying any space? No time, space, density, color, occupants? Is it just dark matter that sucks things into the unknown? However, even dark matter is said to occupy space(about 26% of the known universe). Does anyone else’s head hurt?

Mathematically, the number zero is a way to explain the absence of a thing. If you have two apples and take two apples away, you are left with zero apples. Given that example, are we to assume that something is actually supposed to fill that void? Perhaps instead of nothing being something that is nonexistent, it is the absence of a certain thing.

Let’s take a look at religion. Some religions believe that existence within a void is heavenly. Buddhists believe that Nirvana is an absolute state of peace and enlightenment within nothingness. Zen masters and certain martial artists believe in finding zen through a void mindset; having no thoughts whatsoever, but only reacting. Ironically, enlightenment or zen (living in a void mindset) is not considered a plane of existence as much as it is a moment of clarity. When you realize something you didn’t know or realize previously. You fill a void, so to speak. Let’s consider god, for a moment. What is god? Can you touch or see “him”? A quote from Ghost in a Shell enlightened me by explaining that “god and zero are the same. One is expressed alphabetically, the other numerically, but they are both the existence of nonexistence.”

“Nothing”, as a theory, will be debated for years to come. Today, we study dark matter to try to grasp a concept of it. However, I think the more we think about it and try to explain it, we are giving it more substance and are becoming farther away from the actual concept. We cannot expect to understand the idea of nothing, at least in the realm we live in. Maybe that’s why the void in space is beyond our vision and touch, lost somewhere in “infinity”. Maybe we just have to wait for Nirvana or enlightenment…which ever comes first.

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