Reporter alert: Markham Street Films Inc./Fanboy Confessions
Posted 14 years agoYeah, as if the name doesn't tip you off already.
The lady politely asked via flickr e-mail to use certain photos in her documentary and for an interview. Her selection was interesting, she pointed out only the photos of murrsuits in my collection and didn't bother to research which suit was mine. She said she was with the Canadian complementary to SyFy channel and wanted to do a light hearted documentary with "no negative portrayal".
I asked Uncle Kage about this, he said that she has contacted them before, and she seems to be looking for a "shlub" to take an interview.
I was approached at the last Furfright like this. This was a lady reporter asking for pictures outside the hotel. I politely refused, and this line threw her completely off: "I've personally been at several conventions where they said what you said, then used none of the material we gave them, but just invented their own material". She did NOT respond by addressing reporter integrity, she kept doing this act where she was rifling through her purse for something and saying "we want to shine a positive light on you".
I used this line again here, in the form of a simple polite refusal, and said she could speak with me personally if she contacted me through Anthrocon staff in-person at Anthrocon. Which at this point I doubt will happen.
Anyway, just an FYI everyone. Don't talk to the Perly! You'll S*** a brick when you read her story about you!
The lady politely asked via flickr e-mail to use certain photos in her documentary and for an interview. Her selection was interesting, she pointed out only the photos of murrsuits in my collection and didn't bother to research which suit was mine. She said she was with the Canadian complementary to SyFy channel and wanted to do a light hearted documentary with "no negative portrayal".
I asked Uncle Kage about this, he said that she has contacted them before, and she seems to be looking for a "shlub" to take an interview.
I was approached at the last Furfright like this. This was a lady reporter asking for pictures outside the hotel. I politely refused, and this line threw her completely off: "I've personally been at several conventions where they said what you said, then used none of the material we gave them, but just invented their own material". She did NOT respond by addressing reporter integrity, she kept doing this act where she was rifling through her purse for something and saying "we want to shine a positive light on you".
I used this line again here, in the form of a simple polite refusal, and said she could speak with me personally if she contacted me through Anthrocon staff in-person at Anthrocon. Which at this point I doubt will happen.
Anyway, just an FYI everyone. Don't talk to the Perly! You'll S*** a brick when you read her story about you!
Furries and the press
Posted 14 years agoRight then, furries, this is the reasonable way of doing things:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YOrALGclg78
The only exception is to remember that in Briton, Taxi drivers need two years of school, and professional press like the one in the video need analogous skills and education, while American press is from a University system which guarantees anyone a degree who isn't too stoned and drunk to not show up for class, just a matter of which degree, and "communications" is at the bottom of the heap.
Therefore, you research the reporters before you consent to an interview, THEN you conduct yourself in an affirmative manner like the ones in this video. do NOT conduct yourself in an NOT PERVERT NOT PERVERT NOT PERVERT NOT PERVERT NOT PERVERT NOT PERVERT NOT PERVERT NOT PERVERT NOT PERVERT manner (wait, I just did the not thing? that's not affirmative... wait I said not affirmative, I mean... dammit) You paint an affirmative picture on a blank slate, like Kage and 2 does.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YOrALGclg78
The only exception is to remember that in Briton, Taxi drivers need two years of school, and professional press like the one in the video need analogous skills and education, while American press is from a University system which guarantees anyone a degree who isn't too stoned and drunk to not show up for class, just a matter of which degree, and "communications" is at the bottom of the heap.
Therefore, you research the reporters before you consent to an interview, THEN you conduct yourself in an affirmative manner like the ones in this video. do NOT conduct yourself in an NOT PERVERT NOT PERVERT NOT PERVERT NOT PERVERT NOT PERVERT NOT PERVERT NOT PERVERT NOT PERVERT NOT PERVERT manner (wait, I just did the not thing? that's not affirmative... wait I said not affirmative, I mean... dammit) You paint an affirmative picture on a blank slate, like Kage and 2 does.
Random article popped on my Windows Live Messenger
Posted 14 years agohttp://www.bing.com/videos/watch/vi.....fetish/pmxhyp4
http://tlc.discovery.com/videos/my-.....it-fetish.html
Searching, I didn't see anything really constructive posted on FA.
This is an TLC article on a fursuiter.
"My Strange Addiction: Fur Suit Fetish"
It's something. The article is fine, just showing Lauren going in public in fursuit. She describes how she created Kiira (not Kira), and says fursuiting cheers her up on down days and makes her less shy. Her mother says her daughter was always creative, and one day she asked her to buy fur for her latest creative project. That's it. The reporters then wedged the words "addiction" and "obsessed" in a splash-captions, and the word "fetish" is wedged in the title. Really, wedged.
Reporters work so hard to keep the meme going. Lauren and her mother did great to show something light and cheerful, I'm sure they were disappointed to see the article come out with the word "fetish" just tacked on like a bad glue gun job. (Not only that, Bing's bad keyword linking thingie posts articles about things like robot fetishes, hair eating addictions, Lauren the Bodybuilder, and a toddler swimSUIT competition.)
If you're at cons when Uncle Kage and 2 the Ranting Gryphon do their "Furries and the Media", go. They have story after story about how ridiculously hard reporters will work. It's awesome, I've seen two versions, they get better and more hilarious every time they do it.
I was approached by a reporter at Furfright while I was in-suit. This was outside the hotel, she had no escort. She introduced herself as someone from MSNBC.com, and asked for a picture. I simply shook my head no. She started digging through her purse while talking with me, saything something about how she "tried to contact us and didn't get an answer", and how she wanted to portray furries "correctly". I said I'd heard reporters say that before, I personally was at three conventions where I saw reporters interview us, and in every case they used none of the material we gave them and instead showed clips from MTV and CSI. She kept talking to me calmly and doing that deceptive purse-dig, but she cringed a bit and slowed down, my words obviously had an effect on her. She ran out of things to say, so I went inside and told staff. I saw her get brought in, then after about ten minutes escorted out by three staffers.
The number three for reporter-furry incidents was a white lie, I've seen this happen only at Texas Furry Fiesta 2010. I saw what the reporters got, I saw how "nice" they were to us, then I saw the article afterwards. They just stripped out almost everything we gave them, then stuck in the MTV fursuit yiff footage, which took more than half of the video in the article. They also related "how strictly we controlled their interviews", turning that against us much like a "no comment" response.
The other two reporter incidents were personal non-furry related incidents friends of mine had, also times when we gave them one thing and what was printed was totally different.
Real reporting is based on relationships with individual reporters. Those relationships take time to build. Reporters compete agressively, even within their own company (read: backstab). That's why events require registration, and registration closes a month or more before the event, so con staff and other officials have time to do a background check on the reporter, do personal interviews with the reporter, as well as plan the reporter's tour.
Every event, EVERY event, professional, trade show, anime con, has a registration process for the press. Anyone wandering around outside and playing dumb about "how they tried to contact us" is skirting this process. That lady at Furfright was likely a newbie reporter being sent on the reporter's version of a landlubber's mission, like fetching a bucket of steam or 100 yards of shoreline. "Oh, do the furry fetish, that should be easy for you. What? You got nothing? You can't cut it in our shop, sorry." I'm guessing, but it would make sense.
I think Lauren and her mom did fine. I can only speculate on the internals at TLC. To me it looks like some well-intentioned recorders put something nice together, but were likely pressured by someone upstairs, "we need something to bring them in, else we can't publish this" or something stupid like that. Enter the words addiction and fetish. Total speculation, but makes sense.
http://tlc.discovery.com/videos/my-.....it-fetish.html
Searching, I didn't see anything really constructive posted on FA.
This is an TLC article on a fursuiter.
"My Strange Addiction: Fur Suit Fetish"
It's something. The article is fine, just showing Lauren going in public in fursuit. She describes how she created Kiira (not Kira), and says fursuiting cheers her up on down days and makes her less shy. Her mother says her daughter was always creative, and one day she asked her to buy fur for her latest creative project. That's it. The reporters then wedged the words "addiction" and "obsessed" in a splash-captions, and the word "fetish" is wedged in the title. Really, wedged.
Reporters work so hard to keep the meme going. Lauren and her mother did great to show something light and cheerful, I'm sure they were disappointed to see the article come out with the word "fetish" just tacked on like a bad glue gun job. (Not only that, Bing's bad keyword linking thingie posts articles about things like robot fetishes, hair eating addictions, Lauren the Bodybuilder, and a toddler swimSUIT competition.)
If you're at cons when Uncle Kage and 2 the Ranting Gryphon do their "Furries and the Media", go. They have story after story about how ridiculously hard reporters will work. It's awesome, I've seen two versions, they get better and more hilarious every time they do it.
I was approached by a reporter at Furfright while I was in-suit. This was outside the hotel, she had no escort. She introduced herself as someone from MSNBC.com, and asked for a picture. I simply shook my head no. She started digging through her purse while talking with me, saything something about how she "tried to contact us and didn't get an answer", and how she wanted to portray furries "correctly". I said I'd heard reporters say that before, I personally was at three conventions where I saw reporters interview us, and in every case they used none of the material we gave them and instead showed clips from MTV and CSI. She kept talking to me calmly and doing that deceptive purse-dig, but she cringed a bit and slowed down, my words obviously had an effect on her. She ran out of things to say, so I went inside and told staff. I saw her get brought in, then after about ten minutes escorted out by three staffers.
The number three for reporter-furry incidents was a white lie, I've seen this happen only at Texas Furry Fiesta 2010. I saw what the reporters got, I saw how "nice" they were to us, then I saw the article afterwards. They just stripped out almost everything we gave them, then stuck in the MTV fursuit yiff footage, which took more than half of the video in the article. They also related "how strictly we controlled their interviews", turning that against us much like a "no comment" response.
The other two reporter incidents were personal non-furry related incidents friends of mine had, also times when we gave them one thing and what was printed was totally different.
Real reporting is based on relationships with individual reporters. Those relationships take time to build. Reporters compete agressively, even within their own company (read: backstab). That's why events require registration, and registration closes a month or more before the event, so con staff and other officials have time to do a background check on the reporter, do personal interviews with the reporter, as well as plan the reporter's tour.
Every event, EVERY event, professional, trade show, anime con, has a registration process for the press. Anyone wandering around outside and playing dumb about "how they tried to contact us" is skirting this process. That lady at Furfright was likely a newbie reporter being sent on the reporter's version of a landlubber's mission, like fetching a bucket of steam or 100 yards of shoreline. "Oh, do the furry fetish, that should be easy for you. What? You got nothing? You can't cut it in our shop, sorry." I'm guessing, but it would make sense.
I think Lauren and her mom did fine. I can only speculate on the internals at TLC. To me it looks like some well-intentioned recorders put something nice together, but were likely pressured by someone upstairs, "we need something to bring them in, else we can't publish this" or something stupid like that. Enter the words addiction and fetish. Total speculation, but makes sense.
FC Room Share at Fairmont, R-M
Posted 15 years agoI roomed with a full house at MFF and it was both a relief on my budget and fun to have people to come home to, I hope I can do that again.
I have a Deluxe room, if I can get a full four people I could split the cost at $205 total. I'm booked from Thursday night thru Sunday night checking out Monday afternoon.
I'm considering the option of being on a standby for a suite, which they sell at a super discount. If so, we'd get a suite for anywhere from $9-$29 extra per night (total, not per person). The math is a bit complicated, basically it would be $210 OR LESS total, maybe a bit less than the original deluxe room... I'm taking out a rollaway bed and putting in the suite price in that cost.
PM me here please!
I have a Deluxe room, if I can get a full four people I could split the cost at $205 total. I'm booked from Thursday night thru Sunday night checking out Monday afternoon.
I'm considering the option of being on a standby for a suite, which they sell at a super discount. If so, we'd get a suite for anywhere from $9-$29 extra per night (total, not per person). The math is a bit complicated, basically it would be $210 OR LESS total, maybe a bit less than the original deluxe room... I'm taking out a rollaway bed and putting in the suite price in that cost.
PM me here please!
MFF Recap
Posted 15 years agoI won't say much here. I felt like I had three cons, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, one con each. A fantastic time in all! And too much to mention in a journal post. MFF, you've always been great to me, three years in a row.
Thanks to
dmk for being the greatest host and picker of roommates, and
kamber for another fantastic Dead Horse party!
Thanks to


AC recap
Posted 15 years agoSeems a lot of people post their AC experiences here, thought it would feel good to recap.
Drove from home on Thursday and got into a fender-bender on the 270 northbound, just outside DC. Had to make phone calls to insurance companies while at the con, but the end story: we both changed lanes at the same time and did a perfect Dukes of Hazard style side-bump. We have minor dents and scuffs, and we both claimed contributory liability. Nicest fender bender you could possibly have.
I'm stoked that AC is now "only" driving distance away from me. It's a pleasant run between cities.
Drove in late Thursday night, unpacked at the Doubletree, and took the walk to the Westin to get a feel for the walk between hotels and the con itself. Ran into






Slept a little too well through Friday, and on top of that the insurance companies started to call, so I had to make those phone calls, didn't get to the hotel until after 5, barely in time to register. Went in-suit. I realized that on the long walk between the DoubleTree and the Westin that I was stopping traffic :) Made it to the femme photo shoot, as well as the dance, other than that I just browsed and talked to people. Thanks

Saturday I had an early start. Went in-suit. I made a panel on "Making your fursuit live", as well as one on character development by a person who has worked on-staff for Sesame Street for decades. Picked up my badge from

The rest of Saturday I browsed leisurely, had a barbecue with


Later outside I ran into Zatuichi who remembered me well from Second Life and was highly eager to meet me. Someone pulled up in a car as we were talking, and as the driver was trying to park, a woman disposed of a lit cigarette out the window unconsciously in my direction. I had my head in my lap, and said, "I'm rather flamable miss", but got NO response at all from any of the two men and two women in the car. Then the guy passenger drank some beer from a 24 ounce glass. Nice. They were trying to find a space to parallel park, and I kept staring right at them as they drove back and forth. Then they seemed to realize what was going on around them, and drove off, but this just as a police car drove onto the street. I flagged the cop down and pointed them gesturing "drink", the cop drove up to me and I gave a brief description, he took off after them. Yay.
Sunday was another late start per the drink and need for sleep. Suited after checking out of the hotel, and ate a goodbye dinner with


One regret I have is not having enough vacation days to spend more time. Seems I spent too many days, as well as too much money, on two or three days at other cons when I could have had a better time at AC if I spent Wednesday through Monday there. I'll budget myself much more wisely next time.
Thanks for the great time everyone!
AC Meme
Posted 15 years ago• Where are you staying?
Doubletree
• What day are you getting there?
Thursday evening
• Who will you be rooming with?
No one!
• How can I find you?
Try all the fursuit panels, roaming the hall in Garnac Skunk, or the dance.
• Can I give you hugs?
Yes! Warning, if I'm in suit and you're a lady, this will get murry purry.
• Can I dance with you?
Yes, but I get tired easily.
• Can I get pics with you?
Yes!
• Can I talk to you?
I'm expanding my furry friends a bit, I'm going to try to get to know more people as much as possible.
• Can I hang out with you?
Sure, but I'm kinda selective.
• Can I buy you drinks?
Yes!!
• Do you wear anything with your suit?
Slacks and polo shirts, and a vest, classy yet fun
• Do you do trades?
I'm rather useless in the art department
• What is your gender?
Male
• Can I give you lots of money?
Yes, and I'll buy you drinks back!
• Can I hug or snuggle with you?
Anyone gets hugs! I love fursuit-mundane snuggles!
• How tall are you?
5' 9"
• Are you nice?
Always! A little more aggressively so when drunk though :)
• Are you cliquey?
No, I'm a drama dampener.
• Can I stalk you?
Yes!
• Do you like parties?
Sure, ask me, but I'll choose a select few to attend.
• If I see you, how should I get your attention?
"Shroom!! Where are your womenzzz??"
• Will you take commissions?
I'm highly useless in this department.
I has fursuit!
Posted 15 years agoWell, it's in my favorites list before my own picture gallery, but there it is, my fursuit Garnac Skunk.
I already debuted it at Fur Affinity United, surprising
Spunky who first designed him.
Look for me at Anthrocon! Please don't knock me on my ass if I'm walking, but Garnac does love hugs!
I already debuted it at Fur Affinity United, surprising

Look for me at Anthrocon! Please don't knock me on my ass if I'm walking, but Garnac does love hugs!
Sleep is for the weak - FA:U here I come!
Posted 15 years agoyay!
Packed and ready this hour, I'll be there Friday late evening, hotel willing, staying through Monday afternoon
Packed and ready this hour, I'll be there Friday late evening, hotel willing, staying through Monday afternoon
Anthrocon is a go
Posted 15 years agoI'm just racking them up aren't I?
I'll be driving in Thursday night and leave Sunday morning. I'm at the Doubletree, with two double bed room.
See you all there!!
I'll be driving in Thursday night and leave Sunday morning. I'm at the Doubletree, with two double bed room.
See you all there!!
FA United is a go
Posted 15 years agoA little out of order, but I placed them in the order they were booked :) I never thought I would live in driving distance from so many cons! I'll be popping in on Friday night and leaving Sunday night, no vacation days needed.
Hopefully I'll be debuting a surprise there!
Hopefully I'll be debuting a surprise there!
A-kon is a go
Posted 15 years agoNot exactly a furry convention, but furs seem to be well accepted here, and many friends who I've seen before and people who I'd love to meet will be attending.
Just making it official now that I've booked room and flight.
Just making it official now that I've booked room and flight.
FC: Packed and ready!
Posted 15 years agoI just finished this hour. I'm excited, many people I haven't seen in almost a year will be here!
I'll be landing at 9:10pm Friday, so at the hotel and unpacked, hopefully, by 10-10:30ish.
Hugs!!
I'll be landing at 9:10pm Friday, so at the hotel and unpacked, hopefully, by 10-10:30ish.
Hugs!!
FC is a go! room's empty but me!
Posted 16 years agoI thought I posted an "FC is a go" a while back, I guess I didn't!
I haven't made any roommate plans, so last-minute requests are okay, as long as I know you.
No fursuit yet! Strangelove and G-man will come. I tried on Loki Dragon on a whim at MFF briefly, quite enjoyable! Would anyone have a spare?
See you all there!
I haven't made any roommate plans, so last-minute requests are okay, as long as I know you.
No fursuit yet! Strangelove and G-man will come. I tried on Loki Dragon on a whim at MFF briefly, quite enjoyable! Would anyone have a spare?
See you all there!
Magfest is a go!
Posted 16 years agoconsidering I now live 15 minutes away from it!
The Music and Gaming Festival. http://magfest.org/ This is a small, obscure con that for whatever reason I discovered many furs I know, some live far away, are going. I'll leave it to them to reveal themselves.
What can I expect there? How should I prepare? What weapons and rations do I bring?
The Music and Gaming Festival. http://magfest.org/ This is a small, obscure con that for whatever reason I discovered many furs I know, some live far away, are going. I'll leave it to them to reveal themselves.
What can I expect there? How should I prepare? What weapons and rations do I bring?
MFF Post-con: great friends and chill time! Need pics!
Posted 16 years agoUnlike last year, where Wolf MacLeod gave me a fantastic tour of the fandom and I took massive pictures and videos, this time I chilled out with the many people I new who went. If you didn't see me, it was likely because I was getting glomps and vodka from them in their room.
I did parade as Dr. Strangelove.
If you took pictures of me, I'd love them! I need to make up for my flickr fail!
Loved Whose Lion is it Anyway, thank you Semjay and Alkali for a fantastic production! Also thanks to Alkali (not as much Semjay on this one :) ) for Lupus in Tabula. I really hope you two can extend both these features to other cons.
I did parade as Dr. Strangelove.
If you took pictures of me, I'd love them! I need to make up for my flickr fail!
Loved Whose Lion is it Anyway, thank you Semjay and Alkali for a fantastic production! Also thanks to Alkali (not as much Semjay on this one :) ) for Lupus in Tabula. I really hope you two can extend both these features to other cons.
MFF is a go
Posted 16 years agoI've finally bounced back in my personal and financial situation. See you at MFF! I'll be rooming with
PopaBear

Evil meme
Posted 16 years agoIf you got 00-10 [you need to get out of the fucking house]
If you got 11-20 [you watch fox news]
If you got 21-30 [your parents must be ashamed]
If you got 31-40 [You're on the highway to hell]
If you got 41-50 [YOU'RE FUCKING HARDCORE]
If you got 51-60 [YOU DANCE ALONG THE RAZORS EDGE]
If you got 61-69 [I'd be scared to know you]
If you got 70+ [you're not allowed within 100 feet of a school]
[] punched the walmart greeter in the face
[x] stolen from a store
[] owned a fake ID
[] broke something and blamed someone else (and got away with it)
[x] drank alcohol to the point of blacking out
[x] not remembering a night
[] drank and drove
[x] had a hangover
[x] been so drunk/hungover you threw up
[x] made yourself throw up
[] woken up in someone elses bed
[] fallen asleep beside a toilet
[] went to an AA meeting
Total: 6
[] gotten into a fight
[x] killed something
[] taken a dump in someone's shoe
[] nutted on an old womans face
[] flushed a kids gold fish down the toilet when you told them you were going to bury it/it was going to heaven
[] used drugs
[] a drug other than marijuana
[] used the bible in a hotel room to snort drugs off of
[] been to rehab
Total: 7
[x] went to a strip club
[] worked at a strip club
[x] bought/watched porn
[] did porn
[] been walked in on
[] punched a hole through a wall
[x] own a gun
[x] had the police called on you
[x] threw a party at your house
Total: 12
[] been arrested
[] spent more than a day in jail
[x] been fired from a job
[x] been asked to leave a store
[] played frisbee with a kid and threw it too hard and it hit them in the face
[] threw a turd at someone
[x] Driven without a license
[] seen a psychologist
Total: 15
[x] had a crush on someone who wasn't single
[x] kissed someone who wasn't single
[x] skipped school
[x] made someone cry
[] gave someone a swirly
[] called one of your teachers/professors a hoe in front of them
[] streaked
[x] skinny dipped
[] did a keg stand
Total: 20
[] stolen gas
[] threw a milkshake at a car because they didn't stop at a cross walk and almost hit you
[x] enjoyed starbucks
[x] donated to charity
[] believed in santa claus past 7
[] called your parents out on being the tooth fairy/santa claus/easter bunny/ect
[] ran away from home
[] egged a house
[] toilet papered a house
[] forked someones yard
Total: 22
[x] set something on fire
[] ran from police
[] gotten away
[x] cheated on a test
[x] stolen money from someone
[x] been called a slut
[x] been okay with it
[x] enjoy kinky bedroom activities
[x] had sex
[x] had sex with the opposite gender
[] had sex with the same gender
[] had sex with more than 1 person
[] drunk sex
[] had to do the walk of shame
[] left with less than your started with
Total: 29
[x] went to a con and lied to your parents about where you were really going
[x] driven more than 12 hours straight
[] signed up your friends for you schools LARP club
[] made a homeless man do a dance for money
[] wished you did
[x] downloaded more than 10g in media that you didn't pay for
[] keyed someones car
[] bumped into someones car and left (hit and run)
[] stolen a cars emblem
[x] forged documents
Total:33
[] seen someone die
[x] been in a car accident
[] been to a party and ran when it got busted
[] done smexual stuff inside a movie theater
[] been in the fandom for more than 3 years
[x] faped to something on FA
[] been banned from FA
[] had your car towed
[] thought kanye was cool
Total: 35
Goooood mornin' DC!
Posted 16 years agoYay, I've moved to the Washington, DC area. Specifically, Alexandria, VA. Just started a new job as of last Monday with the government.
This means I'm a shorter distance away from two great big furcons and many, many more little ones!
So what's a fur to do in DC, besides risk a class 6 felony charge by masking in public?
This means I'm a shorter distance away from two great big furcons and many, many more little ones!
So what's a fur to do in DC, besides risk a class 6 felony charge by masking in public?
AC is a bust
Posted 16 years agoThings turned for the worse for me financially over March and April. They're turning around now, but not fast enough for me to count on a trip to AC.
Shame, AC09 would be my one-year anniversary of furry con-going. I feel like I should go to make up for how tepid I was at my first furcon. I also really looked forward to having G-man appear at the zOMG Aliens! theme year.
Many of my new furry friends feel the same way. But those same friends are talking about taking large trip to Corpus Christi. That should make up for the huge con gap between now and MFF, and be less expensive.
See you all at MFF!
Shame, AC09 would be my one-year anniversary of furry con-going. I feel like I should go to make up for how tepid I was at my first furcon. I also really looked forward to having G-man appear at the zOMG Aliens! theme year.
Many of my new furry friends feel the same way. But those same friends are talking about taking large trip to Corpus Christi. That should make up for the huge con gap between now and MFF, and be less expensive.
See you all at MFF!
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