It's the Pits! And Don't Forget to Bring a Towel!

Back in June, I came across these Axe Effect ads with those penisless crotches. My friend Josh discovered and e-mailed me that that hellish ad concept is now a game titled Pitman!

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Thanx to Pua for mentioning that The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is in production and is scheduled to be released in the U.S. May 6, 2005!

Good News for Chocoholics with Bronchitis

A friend e-mailed me this story today. Further proof that chocolate is good for you!

"Chocolate Ingredient May Calm Coughs

Updated 11/24/2004 8:28:50 PM

top story
By Jennifer Warner

Nov. 24, 2004 -- An ingredient in chocolate may provide sweet relief from constant coughing, according to new research.

The study showed that theobromine, an ingredient found in cocoa, was much more effective in stopping persistent coughs than codeine -- the cough medicine currently considered most effective.

Although this was a small study involving only 10 people, researchers say that if more studies confirm these results, the chocolate ingredient could be used in creating better cough medicines with fewer side effects than existing drugs.

'Coughing is a medical condition, which affects most people at some point in their lives, and yet no effective treatment exists," says researcher Peter Barnes, a professor at the Imperial College London, in a news release. "While persistent coughing is not necessarily harmful it can have a major impact on quality of life, and this discovery could be a huge step forward in treating this problem.'

Chocolate Ingredient Has Fewer Bad Side Effects

In the study, which appears in the online edition of The FASEB Journal, researchers compared the effectiveness of a single dose of theobromine versus a placebo or codeine in suppressing coughs.

Ten healthy volunteers were given one of the three choices. The single dose was given during three study visits, each separated by one week. The volunteers were exposed to varying levels of capsaicin, an ingredient found in cayenne pepper used in research to stimulate coughing. They wanted to see what concentration of capsaicin was required to induce five coughs.

Researchers found that when the volunteers were given theobromine, the concentration of capsaicin required to cause coughing was about a third higher than when compared with the placebo. There was no difference between the placebo and codeine.

Researchers say theobromine appears to calm coughs by suppressing vagal nerve activity, which is responsible for causing people to cough.

Unlike other cough medicines on the market, researchers say the chocolate ingredient did not appear to cause any negative side effects, such as drowsiness.

'This means there will be no restrictions on when it can be taken,' says Barnes. 'For example, people using heavy machinery or who are driving should not take codeine, but they could take theobromine.'

SOURCES: Usmani, O. The FASEB Journal, Dec. 14, 2004. News release, Imperial College London."

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FYI: Apparently, five seasons of Pee-Wee's Playhouse are now out on DVD! Off to my Amazon Wish List...

The Monster Mash

A discussion between a couple of friends and myself over on AOL reminded me of a show I hadn't thought about in ages: Chiller Theatre! I used to watch it at night in the 70's on NYC's Channel 11. Here's a link to a site about the show. It's wonderful hearing that creepy theme again and seeing that arm gobble up the letters.

It Was Just a Hoax

As it turns out, Sebastian of holdingtheman.com is actually quite alright and not badly injured at all. Thankfully. If you noticed the yellow heart and ribbon icon on the right column over there that Aaron so thoughtfully created, it generally concerned Sebatian being run over several days ago by a hit and run driver which landed him in the hospital in and out of a coma and with several other injuries.

As it apparently turns out, while Sebastian was away on business, someone hacked into his blog account and pulled a hoax on everyone. Such a shame that someone has nothing else in their lives than to pull something as childish and wrong as that. i'm not sorry that it did pull people together in some way.

Here's the announcement Sebastian posted on his site:

"THE 'SEBASTIAN HATE CRIME' IS A HOAX
FROM HACKERS TO THIS SITE.

I have been away for a week with work and my site has not only been hacked... again,
but some sicko has taken everyone for a ride at mine and your expense.

They have gotten into my email, the site, the blogger account and basically
everything I do online, as I have used the same password on everything I do online,
including forums I use and my mail lists.

These have all been secured again with new passwords (this time, different ones
for each site, forum and account).

This looks as though it has all just been a massive hoax by someone who
is trying to get to who I am in real life. I can't even begin tounderstand
what their motivations are.

I was advised of all this by phone from a friend who I know in real life and through
my blog, and I have returned to a situation that has sickened me.

I don't know what to say. I am so shocked and violated, and have
obviously removed the site until I can work out what the hell happened.

Stuff like this makes me sick to my stomach because of the broader implications
it can have to others. My online reputation is now shattered. But that pales in
comparison to what everyone else must be feeling now that their real emotion
has been cheapened by a hoax that was leveled at myself, and at those who
I have come to know as friends.

I previously had another blog that was compromised, and my identity with it.
I have spent the last 24 hours seriously considering leaving blogging altogether.

But my friends in the blogging world have overwhelmingly come out in support of me
and encouraged me to beat this, and move forward from it. I'll take a little
break and see where to go with it all in a couple of weeks.

Many thanks,
Sebastian"

ABC's 20/20 Matthew Shepard Story

I missed the show this past Friday night so I can't comment from personal experience but there's a statement about the show by Shepard's parents that may be of interest:

"Statement from Judy and Dennis Shepard Concerning 20/20 Upcoming Report on the Murder of Matthew Shepard

On November 26, 2004, 20/20 will air a piece that promised 'new information and facts' about Matt's beating and subsequent death. Dennis and I reviewed an advance copy of the show and were dismayed and saddened by the tabloid nature of the show, its lack of serious reporting of facts in evidence, and the amateurish nature of asking leading questions to the people who were interviewed.

I, too, was asked by 20/20 for an interview and agreed to do so to ensure that all of the facts were correctly stated. My only stipulation was that our legal advisor Sean Maloney, Matthew Shepard Foundation Board member and former senior White House staffer, had to be included in the interview to share his legal knowledge and expertise regarding Matthew's murder. He was quite eloquent in stating the facts pertaining to Matt's case, his knowledge
of hate crimes in general, and in debunking 20/20's attempt to rewrite history. As you may or may not know, Sean was deleted from the interview entirely. The editing by 20/20 of my interview seems to leave out all of my relevant comments regarding the potential bias of the show and my deliberate restating of the facts of the case clearly ended up on the cutting room floor. My remarks were reduced to a few very personal maternal comments taken out of context to make it appear as if I agreed with 20/20's theories. That couldn't be farther from the truth.

This same subjective editing occurred with Dave O'Malley's interview. Dave, a Captain with the City of Laramie police force at the time, was Laramie's lead investigator in the case and worked in tandem with Rob DeBree, the lead investigator for the Albany County Sheriff's Department, to bring the case to trial and to provide the evidence necessary to convict both Russell Henderson and Aaron McKinney. (Both law enforcement officers are in complete
agreement with the facts as stated during the trials.)

Dave gave Ms. Vargas a detailed account of the case. He described the elements of hate and gay bias that were found during the extensive investigation and were substantiated in the large body of evidence collected for this case. Dave's comments were severely edited. Perhaps they were left out because he did not give Ms. Vargas the answer(s) she needed to
maintain her 'new' theory concerning the murder. One of the most glaring omissions in the piece was the transcript of Aaron McKinney's in-custody interview which took place a few days after the murder. This occurred before any 'line of defense' had been established by legal counsel for the two defendants. Had that document been included, it would have shown an un-rehearsed and unemotional anti-gay account of the events before, during, and after leaving Matt tied to the fence.

Despite their promotional efforts to the contrary, 20/20 has not presented a 'new' theory. Much of this information was included in a Harpers Magazine cover story in 1999. What is new is the unfortunate downslide of a reputable news magazine show when its highly respected host retires. 20/20 has sacrificed years of professional journalistic ethics and values for a stab at revisionist history ... and ratings."

It can also be found here.

GLAAD has also put out comments about the show.

I Love It More Than My Luggage

Thanx to Beau for mentioning that it looks like Steel Magnolias will be back on Broadway next April. They already have Delta Burke as Truvy, Christine Ebersole as M'Lynn and possibly Marsha Mason as well. Jason Moore, who directed Avenue Q, directs.

Happy Thanksgiving!

For those out there celebrating this holiday, I hope it's a happy and safe one. For those that aren't, I hope today is a happy and safe one for you as well. Despite whatever nastiness that has gone on in the world this year, I am grateful for all the people who I know or have come to know and appreciate putting up with me.

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Oops! Forgot to mention the other day that NYC's Museum of Modern Art reopened last week after a 2-year, $858 million rennovation. Here's an article about the new look.

I May Have Learned a New Trick!

Lets see if this coding works! Laugh at me all you want! I don't care!

Addendum: TeeHee! It WORKS! It WORKS!

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Imagine my surprize to find that I had over 60 people visit my lil' old corner of bugsplat...er...blogspot! Apparently, I owe it all to Annie at Fishbucket.net who had somehow managed to find me and that "Batman: The Wrong Side of the Tracks Years" picture I posted. Welcome, Annie and anyone visiting from her site.

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Spoke to my parents over the weekend. My mother seems to be holding up after a whirlwind 36 hour trip up to NYC over the weekend. She (and my nephew, as it turns out) went up there to attend a funeral of a friend of hers who died of heart failure last Thurday. They had known each other for nearly 60 years and first met as college roomies. One of her daughters even became friends with my sister.

It's been the first trip back up there since my 'rents packed up their aparment over 2 years ago and she stayed at another friend's apartment on the upper west side one block from where we used to live back in the '60's. (Josh - it was on Broadway) I asked her how it was to be back after a couple years and she said that although she enjoyed seeing the city again, she sure doesn't wanna live there anymore.

My dad apparently, had another fall Friday night when he slipped off the couch in their den and couldn't get up. (His leg muscles have been weak for a year now, dunno exactly why...something to do with blood being in them that had seeped out of his veins. Dunno exactly what it all means) but he can walk around with a cane or walker. Alas, it's hard to impossible for him to get up off the floor if he falls and there's no way in hell my mother could pick him up. He landed up crawling to the living room where my mother was finally awoken by his calling her (it was about 2am when it happened). They landed up calling the paramedics to help out. He's okay save for some bruising on his knees. Yep, getting old can suck.

Dude Looks Like a Lady

Here is Miz Ann and her pet Adam's Apple. For those who think that Miz Ann is or was a man or a Drag Queen, here's a funny site about it: Strap-On Veterans for Truth: An organization dedicating to exposing the truth about the former drag queen now known as Ann Coulter.

Courtesy of Screenhead.

Time for me to toddle off to bed...

"Batman: The Wrong Side of the Tracks Years"

courtesy of Davezilla.

Going Down to Stoney End

I just found out moments ago (Thank the Lawd for google searches) that Columbia Records released this Laura Nyro album back in June. It's a remaster of a tape that was found of her in concert (just her and a piano, nothing else) on May 30, 1971 at the Fillmore East in NYC (less than a month before that famed concert hall closed forever) I've only heard a couple of those snippets/samples that Amazon allows you to hear but it sound purdy gosh darn good for a 33 year old audio tape. There's a couple of never-before-released songs on there as well: American Dove and Mother Earth.

For those who don't know her, (now lets see how much I can get right) she was basically discovered by David Geffen back in 1966 at about 19 years old. She was a singer, songwriter, and musician who is pro'lly best known for writing songs that other people made famous such as Stoned Soul Picnic, Wedding Bell Blues, Eli's Comin' and And When I Die. It's too bad that she was not more well known for her singing since she had a great voice and range and she was able to sing folk, blues, jazz, gospel and rock. (Her cover of Up On the Roof is incredible) Several female singers from the 70's onwards have said she was a major influence on them. She put out a few albums over the years and did concerts as well. Alas, she died back in 1997 at the age of 49 of ovarian cancer.

I first got turned on to her back in 1968 when my sister brought home her first album "Eli and the Thirteen Confession" and I was only able to see her in concert once back in 1975 at Carnegie Hall.

I'm a happy camper now that I have it on my Wish List and also know what to get my sister for ger birthday (or maybe Channukah?)

A Couple of Videos For Your Online Enjoyment

As one reviewer said: "...more blasphemous than an entire anthology of South Park..." but I wonder just how many of us thought about it when we were kids?

Timmy's Wish

And this one goes out to anyone who has ever lived in an apartment:

Hell Is Other People.

Links courtesy of Screenhead.

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Oh! Here's another one that Chrisafer posted which is a hoot!:

Yiddish with Dick and Jane

Cheezus Christ on Toast!

Virgin Mary on a Grilled Cheese Sandwich Ebay auction.

Now, I'm humming...
"When I find myself in auctions of Ebay,
Mother Mary bids for me.
Grilling cheese of wisdom, let it be."

(Thankfully, I'm not a Catholic; otherwise, I'd be so going to hell right now.)

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Speaking of ebay auctions, TooStoned's own Mafia Godfather Joseph Bonanno's estate is up on the block as well as many of his personal effects. Here's at least the link to the house.

From the "Never Underestimate the Depth of Human Stupidity" Department

Mother's Homosexual Fear Cancels Schools' Event

For some reason, I'm not surprized this happened in Texas and the event's title "TWIRP Day" sounds like a perfect title for that woman instead. (In this case, it stands for "The Woman Is Requested to Pay," akin to Sadie Hawkins Day)It was replaced with "Camo Day" where you can get all gussied up in camoflage and black boots. Ahh! A man in uniform! Don't Ask Don't Tell, indeed!

Link courtesy of JillMatrix.

"Byte Me!" Session No. 459 and Mutt Post*

(*=Copyright ZeitMark)

Gotta letter today from my health insurance provider (United Healthcare of AZ) that as of February 1, 2005 my rate is going to go up over 300-fuckin'-percent!!! From $250/month to $758.50/month! (I pay for my own insurance) Yeah, like I can afford THAT! I'm sure the other subscribers are crapping in their pants about it as well. And they don't even cover prescriptions! I take 3 asthmatic drugs per day (plus one other) that are wonderful and I thank The Powers That Be that they exist but they're expensive, even getting them from Canada, which I do since I save over $1,300/year on what Walgreen's charges. Granted, UHC has not raised my rate in at least 8 years but Cheezus H. Christ on a freaking raft! What a shocker!

Well, this means that I gotta scramble to find an alternate and cheaper provider. I'll call up my insurance agent that handles my property insurance and see what he can find that'll accept a pre-existing health problem and one that won't freak if someone's 2 lbs. overweight. I'm also going to check to see what Arizona's policies are about getting a small/home business license and see if I can get a small buisness health plan.

If anyone out there reading this has any ideas, please don't hesitate to let me know. I'll appreciate any and all recomendations.

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Chris has a spiffy interview with Gothamist here. Check it out!

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This Craigs List personals ad is too funny not to post.

Link courtesy of Vince.

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And Chrisafer has hit Celebrity Status since he's now gotten himself name-dropped in Washington, D.C.'s Metro Weekly's Hearsay gossip column. I promise not to trash him on the A-List Celebrity Hate List Parade Tribe unless he starts to hang out with Courtney Love and The Widow Anna Nicole Smith.

Link courtesy of The very woofable Jimbo.

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This is sorta revenge on Gregg for planting that evil Banana Phone song in my head a while back.

Alas, I dunno how well dial-up modems will handle it so my apologies for any difficulties and best to turn yer speakers down a touch.

Miko Miko Nurse.

Link courtesy of Sturtle.

WYSIWYG Tonight

WYSIWYG Talent Show's Home Site

You Can Go Home Again!
(But you probably shouldn't)

Tuesday, November 16, at 7:30 p.m. at P.S. 122
150 1st Ave. at East 9th St.
Tickets: $7

TicketWeb Click here to purchase advance tickets

Featuring:

Matthew Kovach (cowsinthebarn.com)
Nichelle (nichellenewsletter.typepad.com)
Chelsea Peretti (chelseaperetti.blogspot.com)
Liza Sabater (culturekitchen.com)
Amy Salloway (livejournal.com/users/puffpastry)
Alexis Tirado (alexist.com)

Creamed Again!

Apparently Clapton, Baker, and Bruce are getting back together!

Clapton puts sourness aside to reform Cream
November 15, 2004


Eric Clapton has agreed to reform Cream.

Eric Clapton has astounded the music world by finally agreeing to reform Cream, rock's first supergroup, 36 years after they split up at the height of their worldwide fame.

Back then Clapton was declared a "guitar God", Ginger Baker was the epitome of the wild-eyed rock drummer and Jack Bruce was the pioneer of a raw, biting tone for the electric bass. Over two years they sold more than 35 million records, producing a new form of "heavy" music that fused hard rock, blues and jazz. But they were unable to survive their ego-powered celebrity.

There was such venom at the end that, years later, Clapton, right, said the thought of a reunion "scares the living daylights out of me".

John Mayall, the veteran leader of the Bluesbreakers, the British band from which Clapton defected to create Cream in 1966, said on Friday: "I'm amazed. But Eric is always doing something unexpected."

Sources close to the musicians said reunion plans were under way, with Clapton, 59, Bruce, 61, and Baker, 65, talking of "probably two gigs, or maybe more" at the Royal Albert Hall in May.

The hall was where Cream last performed in Britain in November 1968 after shows in America that were earning the trio $US60,000 a night.

Cream have played together only once since, with searing versions of White Room, Crossroads and Sunshine of Your Love, at the Rock'n'Roll Hall of Fame in Los Angeles in 1993.

The Telegraph, London

One amazing thing is that Ginger Baker is still alive! Must've taken lessons from Keith Richards.

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In other news, I did manage to help out my parents by discovering where and when flu shots were being given out in their area and got them on a waiting list to be called when the next round gets in by their county health dept. I'm surprized that, giving the amount of senior citizens that live in Florida, there ain't a heck of a lot of flu shots there this year even with the shortage. At least there's now a chance they'll get one.

We'll (the film selection committee) starts up again tomorrow after a week's break. The three I'm scheduled to see are Slutty Summer, Surge of Power, and Straight-Jacket. I don't know any of the three but will check out what I can via their links momentarily.

Speaking of Resurrections

It looks like the person who did this site doesn't want the South to rise again. (link courtesy of Jonno who seems to be bringing his personal site back from limbo a little at a time.)

And it seems that Jennie is also back from the Great CyberBeyond. (link courtesy of a particular Biscuit God)

"Hopeful and Decent" THIS, Sweetie Darling!

You're Manitoba. Security and family mean a lot to
you. You dream of the white picket fence and
the rest of the Norman Rockwell fantasy. You're
a little reluctant to rock the boat, which
could drain the colour out of life at times,
but you'd rather have that than not know what
tomorrow brings.


What Canadian Province Are You?
brought to you by Quizilla

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Bush to Seek Gay-Marriage Ban in New Term -Aide

If Rove and Shrub actually think that having a federal ban on same-sex marriages is key to a "hopeful and decent society" then they're fools. Yeah, like the over 50% divorce rate amoungst hetersexual marriages is a perfect, pristine example! As if two people of the same sex in a loving relationship who want to commit to each other legally is somehow potentially dangerous to the country and possibly the world. As if there ain't nothing else more important or in need of attention than gay people who want the same rights you've have access to. Rove, dear? Georgie, darlin'? I think there's medicine and professional psychological help for your paranoia.

Apparently, Resurrections Do Happen

If you remember JillMatrix (now a fabu co-editor of Queer Day along with Philo Hagen), she's got a brand-spankin'-new blog of her own at Matrixland.

Yahoo!

Just came across this article here:

"We announced it on September 17th already, but now we can already reveal you the first dates of the upcoming Dead Can Dance reunion tour. The tour will kick off in Ireland on March 10th followed by gigs in Holland (March 12th), France (March 14th and 16th), Belgium (March 17th), France (March 19th), Spain (March 21st and 22nd), Italy (March 24th), Germany (March 26th, 27th, 29th), Poland (March 31st), Latvia (April 1st), Russia (April 3rd) and England (April 6th). More dates are to be announced soon. Lisa Gerrard said already this about the reunion tour: 'The lineup of musicians is absolutely phenomenal, actually it is better then that, this will without doubt be the Dead Can Dance concert to see and hear, it is hard to contain my excitement and anticipation.'"

They should be heading to the States as well. I just checked Brendan Perry's website(which could use a larger font) and it looks like they'll be heading over to this country in September.

Self-Explanatory

BTW - The picture below ain't of me.

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I've just spent the past couple of hours catching up on my blog reading for the day (I normally do this at night since I don't always get the chance during the daytime) and I'm amazed and overwhelmed by the many wonderful (albeit sad, angry, disappointed, and/or frustrated) posts concerning the results of yesterday's elections. Yes, I'm up there with them with my feelings about it but these people all said it before me and all in a far better way than I ever could. I wish I could be as literate and overflowing with talent at the written word as many of these people are but so far only in my jealousy-fueled dreams.

Anyway, I'm going to wallow in pity and sorrow for a bit but I know that will lose its novelty (and I'll find something new to wallow about) and I know it'll be best to find something constructive to do with the negative energy. Chris put it wonderfully:

"What we -- and by we, I don't just mean the organization I work for, but ALL OF US, got it? This means YOU too -- have to do is work our heiners off. We have to be smart. We have to be relentless. Take your time to freak out, by all means. Gnash your teeth and rend your clothing and spend the next few days in the fetal position in an alcohol-induced stupor -- I certainly will. And then pick your ass up off the floor, roll up your sleeves, and get to work. You don't have to go off the deep end and devote your career to it, but you have to do something. Volunteer for a progressive organization that does good work for The Gay or reproductive freedom or civil liberties or your friendly local non-Republican political party. Skip one night of cocktails and write a check to some of these causes instead once in a while. Educate your own damn self. Most importantly, be part of figuring out how to talk to the people who voted for all these Bible-banging nutjobs.

In short, DO SOMETHING. Because, clearly, just voting isn't enough anymore."

Election Stuff

Well, since the polls are now closed everywhere, so much for saying "Go vote!". I hope y'all did, tho. Just sitting here right now watching the returns and Shrub is in the lead. If he does officially win, this is a perfect example of how I'll feel:




.:LeSigh:. I hope it doesn't come to that since my face might freeze like that and that's not a good thing. Speaking of which, I wonder how Miz Martha is doing these days?

So far Clarence Dupnick has been reelected to the sheriff's office here again. I think he's been that since before dirt was invented. Seem like it. Looks like Sen. John McCain also won again.

More later....

Moments later....

Looks like Jim "Formerly Closeted" Kolbe has been reelected and so has Raul Grijalva as congressman for Arizona's District 7 which is great since he's a democrat and supports gay marriage.


Proposition 200 which is on immigration and requiring proof of citizenship for voting and getting public services seems to be passing as well.


On a non-voting but sad point, looks like Everlasting CharlieStalker is putting his blog on hiatus. I certainly hope he doesn't and if he does, I hope it's short and temporary.

Brush Up Your Shakespeare (and a Quiz Added Later...)

Came across this and thought it was funny...

The Hokey Pokey (as written by William Shakespeare)

O proud left foot, that ventures quick within
Then soon upon a backward journey lithe.
Anon, once more the gesture, then begin:
Command sinistral pedestal to writhe.
Commence thou then the fervid Hokey-Poke,
A mad gyration, hips in wanton swirl.
To spin! A wilde release from Heavens yoke.
Blessed dervish! Surely canst go, girl.
The Hoke, the poke -- banish now thy doubt
Verily, I say, 'tis what it's all about.
-- by "William Shakespeare"

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You are an OOMPA LOOMPA!
You are the most evil and foul being to walk this
earth. Get therapy! And stay away from my
family!


Monkey? Pizza? Death? Oompa Loompa?
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