Designer: Giorgio Armani
via Armani
Friday, March 31, 2023
Wednesday, March 29, 2023
Album Cover: Billie Eilish - When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?
Album Cover
Album: Billie Eilish - When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?
Released: March 29, 2019
Cover Art Designer: Kenneth Cappello
Model: Billie Eilish
Tuesday, March 28, 2023
Annie Wersching
Acting Appreciation
Born in St. Louis, Missouri, on March 28, 1977, Annie Wersching was an American actress best known for her television roles as an FBI Special Agent in 24, and an LAPD officer in Bosch. But us Trekkers remember her as the Borg Queen in Star Trek: Picard.
Annie attended New City School, a St. Louis primary private school. As explained in an interview for St. Louis Magazine, she participated in a school production of the theatre musical Cats, "My music teacher there, Diane Davenport, very ambitiously put on the show Cats when I was in fourth grade. I always think that's such an ambitious show to do with elementary school kids. That was the first show I did, and I did a bunch of shows growing up."
She graduated from Crossroads College Preparatory School in 1995, and received a Bachelors of Fine Arts in musical theatre from Millikin University in Illinois. She then acted in several touring plays and at the Utah Shakespearean Festival.
In 2001, when Annie moved to Los Angeles, she appeared in a revival of the musical Do I Hear a Waltz. Soon after, she made her screen debut in an episode of Star Trek: Enterprise (Season 1, Episode 20).
She then appeared as a guest star in shows such as Charmed, Killer Instinct, Supernatural, Boston Legal, and Cold Case. She then had a recurring role on the ABC soap opera General Hospital.
In 2009, Annie landed a main cast role for two seasons in TV series 24. She played the valiant but ill-fated Special Agent Renee Walker. She appeared in over 35 TV series, 2 films, and voiced for two video games throughout her career.
Annie passed away on January 29, 2023. She was diagnosed with an unspecified cancer in 2020.
Sources:
Wikipedia
https://www.justjared.com/photo-gallery/4886483/annie-wersching-rip-02/
https://www.stlmag.com/culture/st-louis-born-actress-annie-wersching-on-marvel-show-runaways/
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1156709/bio?ref_=nm_ov_bio_sm
Monday, March 27, 2023
Quentin Tarantino
Acting Appreciation
One day, as I was driving on Lavaca Street in Austin on my way to work, a tall thin guy decided to jaywalk 50 feet from my moving vehicle. As I slowed down to prevent injuring this jaywalker, I noticed it was someone oddly familiar. As he turned towards me to wave either thank you or sorry I realized it was the film director Quentin Tarantino.
Where was he going? I thought? The Capitol building? Or perhaps to the Cloak Room, a historical lounge bar frequented by politicians and Hollywood stars.
Born in Knoxville, Tennessee on March 27, 1963, Quentin Tarantino is a pop culture icon known films such as Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction, Jackie Brown, Kill Bill: Volume 1 and Volume 2, Inglourious Basterds, Django Unchained, and so much more.
Before the icon became an icon, Tarantino was interviewed by PLAYBOY for their November 1994 edition. The 20 questions provide some insight into the 31-year-old film director soon after Pulp Fiction about films, his thought on sports, car, and women.
Tarantino is no fan of watching sports. As he explained, "To me, torture would be watching sports on television. If I go to Dodger Stadium, that's OK, because the game is secondary to the beer and the environment. One think I don't understand is that the average American moviegoers cannot watch a movie for three hours, yet they'll watch a stupid, boring, horrific football game for four hours."
He shared that he used his red 1964 Chevy Malibu in Pulp Fiction, "The red Chevy Malibu that John Travolta drives in Pulp Fiction is mine. I could give a shit about it. It's actually a big pain in the ass. I keep it in storage so I don't have to deal with it. I was trying to sell it on the set." The car was eventually stolen from his home. About 20 years later, the car was found and returned back to Tarantino.
He explained how he uses a Mexican standoff in his films, "In movies, I never saw the Mexican standoff taken to what I consider to be the logical conclusion, which is when everyone fucking shoots everybody else because there is nowhere else to go... What's cool about the Mexican standoff is that it's the end of the line. And what's really exciting to me, for the kind of crime story I like to do, is using that one second before the explosion as the point where there's a bit of discussion. It has a reality to it. It takes the rubber band and stretches it as far as it can go."
When asked what he sees as cool women liking, he responded, "If a girl like to sit in the third row at the movies, that's great. I could be serious about that girl; it could be something that could last for a long time. Also, she shouldn't be a stickler when it comes to my personal hygiene... A girlfriend, the one who was the love of my life, once told me, 'I like your smell.' To me, that was the most romantic thing."
One can't watch a Tarantino film without expecting guns, except for American Psycho. But his thoughts on gun control is interesting, "I don't own a gun. But if gun control were to happen in America, I would have no problem with it whatsoever. Gun control would probably do wonders here. The street violence in America is horrific. When you got to Europe, you actually feel like you take a vacation from the threat of violence. Not that people don't get killed and raped in Europe. But it seems like they don't in comparison with here. But I also feel there's a slight hypocrisy about gun control. America was founded on people grabbing guns and just taking it. We are basically a nation of warriors."
Interestingly, soon after Sandy Hook, NRA VP Wayne LaPierre cited Tarantino films as a cause for school violence. Tarantino responded, "I'm really annoyed... [It's disrespectful to] the memory of the people who died to talk about movies. I think it's totally disrespectful to their memory. Obviously, the issue is gun control and mental health."
The interview discussion turned to his film's contribution to fashion, in particular the Reservoir Dogs look, "If an action movie id doing its job, you should want to dress like the hero... Any time a character is really cool in a movie, you should want to dress like him or drink the beer he drinks. I thought Kevin Costner was so fucking cool in Bull Durham that I drank Miller High Life for a while."
Photography by Michael Grecco (PLAYBOY)
Source:
Rochlin, Margy. "20 Questions: Quentin Tarantino" PLAYBOY, vol. 41, no. 11, November 1994, p. 133.
Wikipedia
https://autos.yahoo.com/news/how-quentin-tarantino-s-stolen-chevy-from--pulp-fiction--was-discovered-nearly-two-decades-later-170713276.html;_ylt=AwrEq5rA3MZjXDsVgyRXNyoA;_ylu=Y29sbwNiZjEEcG9zAzIEdnRpZANMT0NVSTA4OV8xBHNlYwNzcg--
https://www.indiewire.com/2013/01/quentin-tarantino-says-newtown-tragedy-about-gun-control-and-mental-health-issues-not-movie-violence-102677/
Sunday, March 26, 2023
Amy Smart
Acting Appreciation
I'm not sure if it was Starship Troopers, Varsity Blues, Road Trip, or Rat Race where I first noticed the beautiful American actress Amy Smart. It was the gorgeous green eyes. 😍
Amy Smart was born on March 26, 1976 in Los Angeles, California. She began her professional career as a model in Italy. In Milan, she met fellow model and actress Ali Larter. Eventually, they both moved back to L.A. to pursue acting.
In 1993, she appeared in a music video for The Lemonheads' song, "It's About Time." Soon after she got her first role in Martin Kunert's horror film, Campfire Tales.
She played a copilot opposite Denise Richards in Starship Troopers. But it was her role in Varsity Blues that may have catapulted her acting career.
She started appearing in romance comedies, like Road Trip, Rat Race, Barley Legal, The Best Man, Just Friends, and Starsky & Hutch where she won an MTV Movie Award for Best Kiss. In 2014, she appeared in Tyler Perry's comedy The Single Moms Club.
Amy starred in TV drama series Felicity for two seasons. She also provided voice acting for stop motion sketch comedy TV series Robot Chicken.
In 2011, she married TLC series Trading Spaces TV personality Carter Oosterhouse.
Sources:
Wikipedia
https://www.giantfreakinrobot.com/cltr/amy-smart.html
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005442/
Saturday, March 25, 2023
Friday, March 24, 2023
Thursday, March 23, 2023
Wednesday, March 22, 2023
Gwen Stefani - Hollaback Girl
Music Appreciation
American singer Gwen Stefani's Hollaback Girl was released as the lead single from her debut solo album Love. Angel. Music. Baby. on March 22, 2005.
Written by Stefani, Pharrell Williams, and Chad Hugo and produced by Williams' and Hugo's The Neptunes, the song is said to be a "attitude song" inspired by Courtney Love's Seventeen Magazine derogatory comment, "Being famous is just like being in high school. But I'm not interested in being the cheerleader. I'm not interested in being Gwen Stefani. She's the cheerleader, and I'm out in the smoker shed."
The dance-pop and electropop song received positive reviews from music critics who praised its catchy hook and Stefani's assertive lyrics. It reached number one in Australia and the United States, where it became the first digital download to sell one million copies.
The music video, which was directed by Paul Hunter, features Stefani as a cheerleader in a California high school dancing with her backup dancers, Harajuku Girls. The video was well received and nominated for several awards, including Video of the Year at the 2005 MTV Video Music Awards.
via Gwen Stefani
Source:
Wikipedia
Tuesday, March 21, 2023
Album Cover: Pixies - Surfer Rosa
Album Cover
Album: Pixies - Surfer Rosa
Released: March 21, 1988
Photographer: Simon Larbalestier
Cover Art Designer: Vaughan Oliver
Model: "Surfer Rosa"
Source:
Wikipedia
Monday, March 20, 2023
Sunday, March 19, 2023
Saturday, March 18, 2023
Friday, March 17, 2023
Fashion is DEFINITELY Art: Maison Schiaparelli Haute Couture Spring Summer 2023
Creative Director: Daniel Roseberry
Via FF Channel
Thursday, March 16, 2023
Wednesday, March 15, 2023
Ice Age
Film Appreciation
Released on March 15, 2002, Ice Age is an American computer-animated comedy film starring the voices of Ray Romano (Manfred), John Leguizamo (Sid), and Denis Leary (Diego).
The film, which features stunning landscapes, realistic animal movements, and detailed character designs, was directed by Chris Wedge and Carlos Saldanha, produced by Blue Sky Studios, and distributed by 20th Century Fox.
The film is set during the ice age, with a group of prehistoric animals on a journey to return a human baby to its family. The film features a strong storyline, with themes of friendship, loyalty, and family at its core.
Source:
Wikipedia
https://www.famousbirthdays.com/movies/ice-age.html
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Tuesday, March 14, 2023
2Pac - Me Against the World
Music Appreciation
Tupac Shakur's third studio album Me Against the World, was released on March 14, 1995, while the rapper was facing numerous legal troubles and embroiled in a feud with other rappers. The album is both considered introspective and socially conscious and showcases his remarkable storytelling ability. It dealt with issues such as poverty, violence, and racism.
His powerful lyrics in So Many Tears is an autobiography of the senseless violence experienced as a kid and his internal struggles in the "Thug Life."
"Now that I'm strugglin' in this business, by any means, Label me greedy gettin' green, but seldom seen, And fuck the world cause I'm cursed, I'm havin' visions, Of leavin'' here in a hearse, God can you feel me?"
The lead single, Dear Mama, was a tribute song to his mother, Afeni Shakur.
"For a woman it ain't easy trying to raise a man, You always was committed, A poor single mother on welfare, tell me how ya did it, There's no way I can pay you back, But the plan is to show you that I understand, You are appreciated."
At the age of 17, Afeni kicked out Tupac and they had little contact for many years; although, the eventually, they reconciled.
In the world of hip hop, Tupac is considered one of the most influential artists of all time. The album's innovative production and fearless lyricism helped redefine the hip hop genre.
Source:
Wikipedia
Monday, March 13, 2023
Album Cover: Elvis Presley - Elvis Presley (1956)
Album Cover
Album: Elvis Presley - Elvis Presley (1956)
Released: March 13, 1956
Photographer: William V. "Red" Robertson of Robertson & Fresch
Model: Elvis Presley
Taken: July 31, 1955 at the Fort Homer Hesterly Armory in Tampa, Florida
Source: Wikipedia
Sunday, March 12, 2023
Album Cover: The Velvet Underground - The Velvet Underground & Nico
Album Cover
Album: The Velvet Underground - The Velvet Underground & Nico
Released: March 12, 1967
Cover Art Design: Andy Warhol
Source:
Wikipedia
Saturday, March 11, 2023
David LaChapelle
Photography Appreciation
Back in 2016, I posted a short blog on American photographer and filmmaker David LaChapelle, which you can read HERE. This entry will expand a little more into the artist.
Born on March 11, 1963, LaChapelle is best known for his distinctive style that combines elements of Pop Art, fashion photography, and surrealism that often references art history and sometimes conveys political and social messages.
LaChapelle was raised in Hartford, Connecticut until he moved with his family to Raleigh, North Carolina at he age of nine. At a very young age, he had an interest in photography. His first photo is of his mother, Helga, while on a family vacation to Puerto Rico. He credits Helga for influencing his art direction.
In his teens, he was bullied in school because of his sexuality. At the age of 15, while he and his family were back in Connecticut, he ran away from home. He became a busboy at Studio 54 in New York City.
He would return to North Carolina and enroll in the North Carolina School of the Arts, and graduate from the high school visual arts program in 1981.
LaChapelle's photography career began shortly after high school when he moved to New York City and enrolled in both the Art Students League and The School of Visual Arts. He began showing his artwork in various galleries, which caught Andy Warhol's attention. Warhol offered him his first professional photography job for Interview Magazine. LaChapelle's images subsequently appeared on the covers of magazines such as GQ, The New York Times Magazine, Rolling Stone, Vanity Fair, and Vogue Paris.
LaChapelle has cited a number of artists who have influenced his photography, such as Salvador Dalí, Jeff Koons, Michelangelo, Cindy Sherman, Helmut Newton, and Andy Warhol.
Throughout his career, he has produced work for ad campaigns such as Diesel, Prada, and Louis Vuitton. He has directed music videos for Rihanna, Britney Spears, and many others.
Pamela Anderson (1998)
Archangel Michael (Jackson) (1990)
Britney Spears with Hot Dog (2000)
Eminem: About to Blow (1999)
Sources:
Wikipedia
https://www.davidlachapelle.com
https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2017/nov/21/david-lachapelle-photographer-hawaii-warhol
https://www.forbes.com/sites/yjeanmundelsalle/2014/09/19/david-lachapelle-from-fashion-photography-to-fine-art/?sh=77599be32023
https://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/the-photographers-mothers/8/
whf c. ai (15%)
Friday, March 10, 2023
Jens Brüggemann
Photography Appreciation
Jens Brüggemann is a German photographer known for his striking and thought-provoking imagery. He is known for his "Faces" series, which captures individuals of all walks of life.
Born in Northeim on March 10, 1968, Brüggemann has been working in professional photography in landscapes, street photography, fashion and abstract imagery. Despite the diversity, a consistent thread in composition noted is the deep understanding of the human experience.
After receiving a Diploma in Economics from the Ruhr University in Bochum, Brüggemann became a freelance advertising photographer. His work has been widely exhibited and published, and he has won numerous awards. He has also published several books of his works.
Sources:
Wikipedia
http://www.jensbrueggemann.de/
whf c. ai (50%)
Thursday, March 9, 2023
Granville Redmond
Art Appreciation
American landscape painter Granville Redmond is best known for his impressionist-inspired landscapes of California.
Born on March 9, 1871 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Redmond contracted scarlet fever, which caused him to be deaf. As a result, his family decided to move to San Jose, California so that he could get an education at the California School for the Deaf.
Redmond's artistic career began at a very young age. After graduating from CSD, he enrolled in the California School of Design in San Francisco.
He associated with other artists such as Gottardo Piazzoni, who became lifelong friends, Giuseppe Cadenasso, and Charlie Chaplin.
After completing his studies, Redmond settled in California where he was deeply influenced by the natural beauty of the state. His paintings are known for their vibrant color palette and impressionist-inspired brushwork. He was particularly skilled at capturing the light and atmosphere of a scene, and his paintings are often bathed in a warm, golden light.
Malibu Coast, Spring (c 1929)
Catalina Island Coast under a Moonlit Sky (1920)
Talk at the Beach (1931)
Sources:
Wikipedia
https://eclecticlight.co/2021/01/08/the-californian-coast-of-granville-redmond/
https://www.artinsociety.com/the-extraordinary-career-of-granville-redmond-deaf-artist-and-silent-movie-actor1.html
whf c. ai (50%)
Wednesday, March 8, 2023
Lothar Schmid
Photography Appreciation
Swiss photographer Lothar Schmid is an accomplished international fashion photographer who is known his stunning images of models and celebrities.
After studying at Zurich University of Arts, he received his first assignment at French Elle, which set off his international career. He arrived in New York City in early 80s, where he was mentored by Alexander Liberman, Condé Nast editorial director.
His clients would later include Elle, British Vogue, Marie Claire, The New York Times, Yves Saint Laurent, Dior, and many others.
Laetitia Casta for French ELLE
Petrine Houlberg for Marie Claire
Diane Kruger
Eva Green
Sources:
http://www.lotharschmid.com
https://mymodernmet.com/passionate-beauty-lothar/
https://mymodernmet.com/classic-beauty-diane-kruger-by/
https://www.bellazon.com/main/topic/68217-lothar-schmid/
Tuesday, March 7, 2023
Milton Avery
Art Appreciation
American painter Milton Avery was born in Altmar, New York on March 7, 1885. He is often associated with the American Modernist movement and known for the unique approach to color and form.
From a young age, he supported himself working blue-collar jobs. His interest in art led him to attend classes at the Connecticut League of Art Students in Hartford. There he studied at the Art Students League under the guidance of the American Impressionist Charles Webster Hawthorne.
He then moved to New York in the late 1920s and practiced painting and drawing at the Art Students League. There he met Sally Michel, a young art student, and they both married in 1926. Both would develop a "lyrical, collaborative style" art historian Robert Hobbs called "the Avery style."
Avery's early work in the 1930s was similar to those of German expressionist painter Ernst Ludwig Kirchner. By the 1940s, his style became more like to that of Henri Matisse.
Avery's work was influential in the development of Abstract Expressionism, a movement that emerged in the 1940s and 1950s. Artists such as Mark Rothko and Adolph Gottlieb were inspired by Avery's use of color and form, and his work had a lasting impact on the American art world.
Avery initially struggled to make a living as an artist, until art patron Roy Rothschild Neuberger bought over 100 Avery paintings and loan or donated them to museums. Avery soon became a highly respected and successful painter.
His work, which often featured large, simplified shapes and vibrant colors, sometimes dreamlike, convey emotion and sensation.
Gaspé Landscape (c. 1940)
Sally Avery with Still Life (1926)
Blue Nude (1947)
Sources:
Wikipedia
https://www.wikiart.org/
Monday, March 6, 2023
Body Paint: Roustan - Julia Nicoletti
Body paint artist Roustan did a wonderful video of model Julia Nicoletti, who passed away on November 2, 2019 from an apparent Fentanyl overdose. He explains how he used VR footage recorded during a photoshoot and created memorial where individuals can now get to know her as a person and an artist in the metaverse. All proceeds collected go to Fentanyl awareness.
https://opensea.io/collection/juliasgift
via Roustan
Sunday, March 5, 2023
Saturday, March 4, 2023
Friday, March 3, 2023
Jean Harlow
Acting Appreciation
The original bombshell was Jean Harlow, an American actress during the late 1920s. She introduced a new type of woman to Hollywood -- a blend of shock and desire.
Born in Kansas City, Missouri on March 3,1911, Jean Harlow (born Harlean Harlow Carpenter) moved with her mom to Hollywood in 1923. Her mother, Jean Carpenter, who was 32 years-old, had hopes of becoming an actress.
Their time in Hollywood was short-lived since their finances dwindled. They moved back to Kansas City after Jean Carpenter's father issued an ultimatum.
While attending high school in Lake Forest, Illinois, Jean Harlow met Charles "Chuck" Fremont McGrew III. They got married in 1927, when she was 16. They would both move to Los Angeles, where Harlow thrived as a wealthy socialite.
In 1928, she was discovered in the Fox Studios parking lot by Fox executives. At first, she was not interested in auditioning and explained that she was there helping a friend. After pressure from her mother, she auditioned and eventually accepted a role. Her first film was Honor Bound (1928) as an extra.
In December 1928, Jean Harlow signed a five-year contract with Hal Roach Studios for $100 per week (about $1,735 today). She had small roles in the 1929 Laurel and Hardy shorts: Double Whoopee, Liberty and Bacon Grabbers.
By the end of 1929, she parted ways from Hal Roach Studios and divorced her husband. She continued to work as an "extra" in films such as This Thing Called Love, Close Harmony, and The Love Parade.
Around that time, she signed with film producer Howard Hughes, who directed her first major role in Hell's Angels (1930). She played a flirtatious vamp. The film was a huge hit.
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer bought out Harlow's contract in 1932 and cast her in leading comedic roles such as: Red-Headed Woman (1932), Red Dust (1932), Dinner at Eight (1933), and Bombshell (1933).
Harlow's popularity rivaled and then surpassed that of MGM's top leading ladies Joan Crawford, Greta Garbo and Norma Shearer. Her platinum blond hair, seductive gaze, and 5'1" hourglass figure was revolutionary at the time when Hollywood actresses were more wholesome. Aside of her beauty, she had comedic timing and a natural charm.
While filming her final film, Saratoga, Harlow began experiencing illness. Her symptoms included fatigue, nausea, fluid retention, and abdominal pain. On May 29, 1937, while filming a scene which her character had a fever, she leaned against her co-star Clark Gabel and said, "I feel terrible! Get me back to my dressing room."
On June 6, she was taken to Good Samaritan Hospital in Los Angeles where she slipped into a coma. She passed away the following day of kidney failure. She was 26. Her death left the film industry in shock.
Her on-screen chemistry with leading men like Clark Gable and Spencer Tracy helped to establish her as one of the most sought-after actresses of the decade. The legacy she left behind, breaking the mold of the traditional Hollywood glamour and introduced the "sex symbol" paved way for future generation of Hollywood stars.
Sources:
Wikipedia
Britannica.com/biography/Jean-Harlow
Jean Harlow. Pictorial. PLAYBOY, August 1994, Volume 41, No. 8, pg. 83
whf c. ai (30%)
Thursday, March 2, 2023
Amber Smith
Actress Appreciation
As a college kid, every month, I looked forward in the cover model of Playboy. March 1995 issue featured supermodel Amber Smith wearing long yellow satin gloves and feather boa.
That issue (vol. 42. no. 3) was filled with great stories, opinions and interviews. Really. There were articles on a father's role in female's reproductive rights, magician David Copperfield, an interview with ultranationalist Vladimir Zhirinovsky, 20 questions with Jon Stewart, and the centerfold of Playmate Stacy Sanches. But lets focus on Amber Smith.
Born on March 2, 1971, Amber Smith started her modeling career at age 16 with South Beach model agency Irene Marie Models. Following her appearance in the 1993 and 1994 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, she modeled for Wonderbra, then posed for photographer Helmut Newton for a Wolford advertising campaign, and Playboy. She was also the spokesperson for Michelob Ultra Amber lite beer. She then landed TV and film roles like L.A. Confidential and American Beauty.
As a 22-year old, Amber was photographed by Bert Stern, who's best known for shooting Marilyn Monroe's last nude session. Amber's photo spread captures all of her 179cm (5'10.5") of beauty wearing only jewelry, sequin shorts, and rhinestone heels.
As explained by the article's writer Christopher Napolitano, the supermodel prepared for the photoshoot by covering her bedroom walls with classic pinups, "To prepare for her starring role in PLAYBOY, she covered her bedroom walls with posters of such pinup classics as Rita Hayworth, Jayne Mansfield and her all time idol, Marilyn Monroe."
Nightscream
Walter Iooss, Jr. / Sports Illustrated
Bert Stern / Playboy
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Bert Stern / Playboy
Source: Wikipedia
Wednesday, March 1, 2023
Three Hours Later
"Call me when you are ready to go," I say.
"Okay," she responds.
"Like, when you have your shoes on and out the door, ready."
"Okay."
This is the conversation I constantly have with my girlfriend. Yet, when I arrive, there's been only a handful of times when she is actually ready to go. More often, I am waiting in the car for her to finally get out of the house. What's worse is when she forgets something and I have to wait another few minutes until she finally returns with whatever she forgot.
Of course, I do appreciate that she takes the time to make herself pretty. Because in reality, she's not doing it just for herself. She's doing this for me. She wants to look her best as my arm candy. Granted, she does make us look better.
by Enzo Comics
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