koch

January 31, 2013, 11:00 pm

≫ Next: napoleon loves josephine

≪ Previous: january

Rest in peace, former Mayor Ed Koch. I will write a real post after I see this documentary. The trailer made me cry.

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napoleon loves josephine

February 3, 2013, 11:31 am

≫ Next: after dark

≪ Previous: koch

I learned my dance moves from these boys, by the way. This is super embarrassing, since I somehow lost touch with the world last year. I was in a perpetual daze for about ten months, so I was completely unaware that We Are The Physics made a music video for Napoleon Loves Josephine! It's my favorite song! How did I miss that? Anyways, this video makes me want to have a special room specifically for clapping and dancing, decorated with strings of cling film (US: Saran wrap) hanging from the ceiling!

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after dark

February 27, 2013, 7:50 am

≫ Next: 85th annual academy awards (2013)

≪ Previous: napoleon loves josephine

So sad I'm missing HITS on Monday, March 4th at Music Hall of Williamsburg! Check them out if you're in the area! Enjoy the live recording of their new song 'After Dark'.

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85th annual academy awards (2013)

February 24, 2013, 3:31 am

≫ Next: february

≪ Previous: after dark

The Oscars celebrate the best films of the year, well I personally think the Independent Spirit Awards acknowledges and celebrates the films I actually really love. But alas, everyone enjoys the Oscars and still seems to care about the results! Of course I do (somewhat), that's why I've been watching it every year since for as long as I can remember, okay since 2000. I was always rooting for Silver Linings Playbook; I was completely blown away by all the performances, especially Jennifer Lawrence's transformation - I didn't recognize her under that sloppy dark hair and make up! I was also really moved by Bradley Cooper. Overall, I really enjoyed the story, the acting and the direction were all up to par.

This year, I was determined to watch all nine Best Picture nominees, but things didn't work out. So I saw 1. Django Unchained 2. Silver Linings Playbook 3. Beasts of the Southern Wild 4. Les Miserables before the Oscars and then after 5. Zero Dark Thirty 5. Lincoln... 3 more to go! As of now, this is my order from best to worst:

1. Silver Linings Playbook
2. Beasts of the Southern Wild
3. Tied between Zero Dark Thirty and Django Unchained
4. Lincoln
5. Les Miserables was the absolute worst, I'm not sorry!

Everyone loves the red carpet and yet no one brought it to the table this year... again. I was glad to see Jennifer Aniston don a stunning Valentino gown and also Sally Field. Adele wore Jenny Packham, representing the Brits! I think Charlize Theron looked very statuesque in the Dior Haute Couture column, but it looks too much like the Chanel column Anne Hathaway wore the Golden Globes and they're both sporting a pixie. Jessica Chastain's best look this award season in Armani Prive, but not that interesting in any way. I read that she never dreamed of wedding dresses, but only Oscar dresses and this is what you came up with? Serious yawn! Octavia Spencer looked stunning in Tadashi Shoji as usual. Kerry Washington is a hit or miss for me, but cute choice in Miu Miu. Melissa McCarthy looked chic in this draped David Meister. Emanuelle Riva looked so elegant and cool, I'd be so lucky if I looked that awesome at 85! I was so bored by the overload of strapless gowns, it was nice to see some ladies sporting an elegant sleeve.

I like the bottom part of Amanda Seyfried's Alexander McQueen dress, but the halter neck and key hole is just ill fitting. Jennifer Lawrence landed on a lot of best dressed lists, but this Dior Haute Couture gown is such a snooze in my opinion. Definitely one of her better looks, hair and make up and gown, but it was a bit OTT and the girl did trip sadly... another "wardrobe malfunction"! Her shimmering Calvin Klein After Party dress was way better.

My least favorite dress at the Oscars this year was Zoe Saldana's Alexis Mabille disaster. No offense, but this one hurt my eyes. I get that Zoe wants to be edgy or different or kooky or whatever, but NO. I'm most disappointed, as are some people too, with Anne Hathaway's Prada column. There is something really wrong with this dress. Why was she wearing a bib? The satin is a horrible choice and the darts are like WTF and the back... NO. Seriously, I am so mad at Rachel Zoe for messing things up. BAD CHOICE. Apparently, Anne Hathaway was originally going to wear Valentino, but she found out her dress was very similar to Amanda's dress... Yikes. I would have stuck with the Valentino. Aw well, it's really not a big deal who wears what! But it's still part of the fun! Now apparently, Anne and Amanda had a fight before the Oscars about their dresses... le sigh.

I'm really glad Jennifer Lawrence took home Best Actress! I screamed when Christoph Waltz won Best Supporting Actor for the second time! I have yet to see Life of Pi, so no opinion of their four wins. I think Daniel Day-Lewis was good, but maybe the film was just too heavy and it didn't move me as much as I had hoped. The concept is inspiring obviously, since Lincoln changed history, but as a film, I never felt that compelled. I was actually more moved by Bradley Cooper's performance in Silver Linings Playbook. I think Anne Hathaway and Sally Field should have tied for Best Supporting Actress. Even though I love Anne and I've loved her since Princess Diaries. People are starting to hate her, which is stupid, give Annie a break! Although, I hated Les Mis, I think Anne Hathaway did a stellar job. I have yet to see Argo, so maybe it was the "Best Picture" according to the Academy, but to me Silver Linings Playbook was the best out of that list. If I had any say, I'd pick Moonrise Kingdom as Best Picture of 2012!

I think Seth MacFarlane made an okay mediocre (as he described himself) Oscar host. I wasn't particularly offended by any of his jokes. Don't even think he attempted to offend anyone to be honest. He was pretty boring compared to Ricky Gervais! I thought the "We Saw Your Boobs" song was genius... hope that doesn't offend anyone. The dude can sing, I'm impressed. The dude has a deep voice... had no idea! I just think Seth MacFarlane lacks stage presence and isn't host material, which is fine. Not everyone can host... I'm sure Anne Hathaway and James Franco have learned their lesson. If you don't know how to host, don't do it!

Now that Award Season is over, we should start looking forward to 2013!

BEST-OKAY DRESSED

OKAY

WORST DRESSED

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february

February 28, 2013, 4:40 pm

≫ Next: madness

≪ Previous: 85th annual academy awards (2013)

I feel so blessed to have spent the majority of February in Hong Kong at home with the family. I haven't been back since Spring Break March 2011. Luckily, I just missed the arrival of Nemo super snowstorm by four days! I've been enjoying pretty warm weather, it feels like late spring or early summer in Hong Kong. The month started off with a lovely reunion dinner with my boarding school friends - yes I went to an all-girls boarding school in England. Then I enjoyed a perfectly sweet and Parisian dinner at Jules Bistro with my lovely girl friends, which inspired me/us to start a girls only club dubbed La Vague de Femmes. As of now it's only a Facebook page, but I would like to start a real website in the near future. Please feel free to join, ladies! I spent Chinese New Year in Guangzhou, China, therefore I had no access to Facebook or Blogger! I've been catching up with friends, food and fun in Hong Kong. Returning to New York City on March 12th. See you soon!

1. Valentine's Day brocade collar by Inez Galvez.
2. Peach Blossoms in Guangzhou, China.
3. Happy Chinese New Year 2013! Year of the Snake.
4. Victoria Harbour (yes British spelling with -our). Skyscrapers, mountains and the Star Ferry.
5. Tipsy Parson reunion with Andrew Adkins. Had brunch with Suzie, lovely catch up.
6. Mini Benenden reunion. Dinner at Schiller's with Sasha and Lydia Shackleton.
7. Inez and I chilling and taking mirror photos at Ikea. We had too much fun.
8. Preparing props for my "side video project"! Still need to edit it! TBA soon!
9. Secondhand All in the Timing by David Ives from Housing Works! Hey, they're doing a Broadway production!
10. Hello Hong Kong Chek Lap Kok International Airport!

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madness

March 4, 2013, 3:49 am

≫ Next: mignonne, allons voir si la rose

≪ Previous: february

I meant to post this when the video premiered a long time ago, but I was waiting to see them at Mercury Lounge on January 31st and then I'd write a post. Guess what happened? Nothing. No, I took a few photos with a disposable camera and wanted to post the photos, but they kind of came out blurry... What do you expect? It's a disposable camera. Anyways, I'm finally posting HITS' first music video Madness. I love that's it's in black and white!

I've been obsessed with black and white since I saw the Picasso Black and White Exhibit at The Guggenheim in January. And I bought LIFE: The Classic Collection, it includes a selection of the most influential and recognizable black and white photos, which moved me to tears. I'm just generally in love with black and white everything and all the in between shades of grey.

But you make my madness a pleasure.

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mignonne, allons voir si la rose

March 9, 2013, 11:43 pm

≫ Next: je m'appelle candy

≪ Previous: madness

I dedicate this beautiful and romantic poem by Pierre de Ronsard to you. We all know life is fleeting, but sometimes we're so distracted by daily life that we forget to enjoy or even notice the small things in life. Seize every opportunity and live life to the fullest. Carpe diem. Bisou bisou.

Mignonne, allons voir si la rose
Qui ce matin avoit desclose
Sa robe de pourpre au Soleil,
A point perdu ceste vesprée
Les plis de sa robe pourprée,
Et son teint au vostre pareil.

Las ! voyez comme en peu d'espace,
Mignonne, elle a dessus la place
Las ! las ses beautez laissé cheoir !
Ô vrayment marastre Nature,
Puis qu'une telle fleur ne dure
Que du matin jusques au soir !

Donc, si vous me croyez, mignonne,
Tandis que vostre âge fleuronne
En sa plus verte nouveauté,
Cueillez, cueillez vostre jeunesse :
Comme à ceste fleur la vieillesse
Fera ternir vostre beauté.

Sweetheart, let us see if the rose
that only this morning unfolded
its scarlet dress in the sun
has lost, at vesper-time,
the folds of its scarlet dress
and its colour, so like yours.

Alas! See how rapidly,
Sweetheart, she has let
her beauty fall all over the place!
Nature is truly a cruel stepmother
when such a flower only lasts
from dawn to dusk!

So if you hear me,
Sweetheart, while your age flowers
in its greenest newness,
gather, gather your youth.
Age will tarnish your beauty
as it has faded this flower.

Ode à Cassandre by Pierre de Ronsard, 1553

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je m'appelle candy

March 19, 2013, 3:46 am

≫ Next: i love it!

≪ Previous: mignonne, allons voir si la rose

Je m'appelle Candy, directed by Wes Anderson and Roman Coppola and starring French actress Léa Seydoux. That face. Those bangs. Her voice. She just has such an effortless beauty and chicness like most French women. I have a serious case of bang envy right now. I am desperately attempting to grow out my hair and bangs for over a year now. I feel like I shouldn't give up, since it's my mother and also Diane Keaton who have inspired me to grow out my hair the same length all around with a center part. But when I see photos of beautifully framed faces of Anna Karina, Jane Birkin, Françoise Hardy, Zooey Deschanel, Alexa Chung and now Léa Seydoux, I can't help but feel the urge to get bangs again.

Prada Candy L'Eau will be out in April. Ready for spring!

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i love it!

April 1, 2013, 1:36 pm

≫ Next: maria sibylla merian

≪ Previous: je m'appelle candy

I LOVE IT! But I don't love it when I discover awesome songs months after it was released! Can I be best friends with these girls, please? This music video is so much fun. I want to have this much fun every day! This song makes me love life! Life's a party, without drugs and alcohol! Which reminds me, my amazing photographer friend Caro Ramirez and I have decided to co-write a book. 365 days of creativity, fun and memories. More on that later! Happy April, everyone!

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maria sibylla merian

April 2, 2013, 2:51 pm

≫ Next: sweet nothing

≪ Previous: i love it!

If I had any control or say, in my next life I would love to be a scientist. Sadly, in this life, I don't have the mental capacity for it. I'm definitely more right brained, therefore, I'm more creatively inclined (that was slightly redundant). Thanks to the ever informative Google Doodles, I discovered Maria Sibylla Merian (2 April 1647 – 13 January 1717). She was a naturalist and scientific illustrator and was known for her documentation of butterfly metamorphosis. I'd say 80% of the time, I click on the Google Doodle, especially if the illustration interests me. In the case of Merian, her illustration immediately grabbed my attention. I love discovering new things or rather people of the past who made a huge contribution to science and art.

I think art and science have a complementary relationship, demonstrated in Merian's illustrative style and subject. I'm always fascinated by women artists of the past. It was Merian's stepfather Jacob Marrel who encouraged her to draw and paint. Her favorite subject matters were botany and entomology, sadly, I'm most afraid of insects. It was unusual for someone to be interested in insects, she was the first naturalists to observe them directly. Nevertheless, I love her visual style. I love the idea of metamorphosis and how it applies to human beings. We all go through many phases in our lives, we have to adapt to all kinds of situations, we're constantly growing, changing, evolving... at least hopefully we are. I think I've grown up a lot over the years. With the help of photo documentation, I can see how I've physically changed over the years. I've also been writing a memoir, which allows me to revisit all my happiest, saddest and angriest memories.

I love that art can evoke so much emotion and that's one of my goals as an artist, writer and filmmaker. I always wanted to be an artist or rather a painter and illustrator as a child, but I never pursued it because I was self conscious. Eventually, I discovered my love for films and realized my desire to be a filmmaker. I think filmmaking suits me best, since it combines everything from storytelling, visuals, sound, music into a single art form. I can best express myself with all these mediums and translate my idea into an actual physical form. I just love finding inspiration in my surroundings. Thanks to the internet, it is so easy to educate yourself. I am looking forward to collecting more books and building a library like in Beauty and the Beast!

Enjoy the stunning illustration of Maria Sibylla Merian! Happy 366th Birthday!

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sweet nothing

April 4, 2013, 8:43 am

≫ Next: march

≪ Previous: maria sibylla merian

"It's more satisfying when you're pursuing something. It's like chasing a girl or something. It's way more satisfying if you put in a year's worth of effort of chasing and then you get the result, you get the vocal."

—Harris on working with Welch.

Sweet Nothing by Calvin Harris feat. Florence Welch is the perfect musical collaboration! I can't believe I just discovered this a few days ago. I added 18 Months on my Spotify playlist, but I never listened to the album. I only discovered this song when I was randomly looking at the Top 100 Billboard Playlist. At first this song may seem like a typical electronica dance song, but the lyrics and the beats together make such a powerful and emotional song. Calvin is a master with beats and Florence's voice is so hauntingly beautiful. As cheesy as this sounds, but this collaboration is a match made in heaven. This music video, directed by Vincent Haycock, made me cry and I was watching it at Little Fox Cafe, cutest coffee shop ever! I don't care if I cry in public! The song speaks to me on so many levels and it makes me happy to know that an electronica song could have so much depth and meaning.

You took my heart and you held it in your mouth
And with a word all my love came rushing out
And every whisper, it's the worst,
Emptied out by a single word
There is a hollow in me now

So I put my faith in something unknown
I'm living on such sweet nothing
But I'm tired of hope with nothing to hold
I'm living on such sweet nothing

And it's hard to learn
And it's hard to love
When you're giving me such sweet nothing
Sweet nothing, sweet nothing
You're giving me such sweet nothing

It isn't easy for me to let it go
Cause I've swallowed every single word
And every whisper, every sigh
Eats away this heart of mine
And there is a hollow in me now

And it's not enough to tell me that you care
When we both know the words are empty air
You give me nothing

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march

April 7, 2013, 3:34 pm

≫ Next: paradise

≪ Previous: sweet nothing

March just flew by and I totally forgot to do one of these posts last week. We're one week into April already, it's freaking me out a little. But that means the weather should start warming up! I'm just really looking forward to cherry blossom season. I got back to New York on the 12th and I couldn't believe how cold it still was - it even snowed a few times. I'm really glad I got to do so much when I was in Hong Kong. I think I only spent a total of three days at home in the five weeks I was in Hong Kong. I got to eat really well, so I've completely spoiled my palette. I refuse to eat Chinese food in New York now. Sorry, but if you're from Hong Kong, you'd understand. Got to celebrate a few birthdays - lots of March babies: Diana, Skye, Sasha, Vicky! Lots of love! I'm looking forward to blog more and post Hong Kong and Guangzhou, China photos this week. Hello spring!

1. agnès b. FLEURISTE !! at IFC, Hong Kong. I love flowers. I could spend all day at a flower shop if I could!
2. I was heartbroken when I missed the Regarding Warhol exhibit at the Met last winter (I had a somewhat valid reason). So I was so happy when I found out there was a Warhol Exhibit in Hong Kong.
3. COS is my new favorite brand; sadly it's not yet available in the U.S. Soon though! Soon!
4. Violet and Rose flavored macarons from Mio Miko.
5. Really glad I made it back to New York in time to see the Matisse: In Search of True Painting exhibit. Although, I was slightly unimpressed with the way they curated the exhibit. But I love Matisse with all my heart.
6. Stanley Kubrick Film Festival at IFC Center (New York) from March 20th-28th. I got to see A Clockwork Orange and The Shining (again, but first time at the cinema)!
7. Still snowing in March.
8. Brunch meet up and catch up at Lokal with Inez.
9. Easter brunch at Jones Wood Foundry with Sasha. Good olde English food.
10. Latte art at Variety Cafe.
11. New glasses 2013. People really seem to like this pair! I just wanted grey frames.
12. Goodbye Hong Kong, mom and dad and friends, thanks for everything! See you next time.

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paradise

April 8, 2013, 4:42 am

≫ Next: honey

≪ Previous: march

At one point of my life, I thought I wanted a career in the music industry. Not as a musician, but as a writer or producer or scout or something. Music was such a huge part of my life and it saved me basically. But around 2008, I became lazy and was content with the same old bands. You can call it loyalty or laziness. I just know I need to be more active! With Spotify and Songza, I really should be thrilled to discover new music. I recently discovered Paradise by Wild Nothing, starring Michelle Williams and her super adorable platinum blonde pixie. I love that the band falls under the genre of dream pop. That just sounds so wonderful. And I love their new album Nocturne and the dreamy album cover. I need to listen to new music and watch more music videos in general. I want to go to more shows - I feel so alive when I listen to live music. I love the experience of being a part of something beautiful, but it only lasts thirty minutes to an hour. You're there in that moment, you know it's going to end soon, but you just want it to last. That's why I love live music. It makes me feel infinite.

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honey

April 10, 2013, 7:23 am

≫ Next: samba de verão

≪ Previous: paradise

The art of perfumery is a wonderful thing. The first ever perfume scent I ever fell in love with was Daisy Marc Jacobs, which launched in 2007. It was love at first smell. The combination of strawberry, violet leaf, spicy grapefruit and gardenia instantly won me over. It was the first time I ever cared for a perfume scent, before then I never had much interest in perfumes. I never had the money to spare on a bottle of Daisy. So any time I walked through a department store or the airport duty free, I would spray some Daisy and I would instantly feel happy. I swear perfumes induce happiness. There must be some study on this! I finally bought the Daisy roller ball last summer - it was a very glorious day indeed. It was my scent for summer 2012.

I've been loving Marc Jacobs perfumes from Daisy to Lola and the different editions every year to Dot and the newly announced Honey, which is due in July/August. Honey is described as a vibrant, sunny, enchanting floral fragrance. Its golden shimmering scent is making me so ready for the summer. The fragrance opens with green pear, fruit punch and juicy mandarin. Orange blossom, honeysuckle, peach nectar in the heart. The base hosts accords of honey, golden vanilla and smooth woods. This combination sounds so warm, fresh and happy! Looking forward to seeing the advertising shots by Juergen Teller.

I've always loved honey. I love the word honey, it always conjures up images of Winnie the Pooh and his beloved honey pot. I love honey as a term of endearment. I love how honey is extracted from the flower's nectar. I love truffle honey - it is delicious. In the spring of 2011, I found the lovely Honey Nectar scent by Love and Toast. It was a happy discovery at a cute boutique on Kearny Street in San Francisco. I wore that scent during the spring and summer months of 2011, so it makes me yearn for that time period of my life. It's amazing how a scent can trigger memories or certain time periods of your life. It's called olfactory memory. Beautiful, huh?

I really love the idea of creating a film or story behind a perfume scent. I've always loved flowers, it just makes sense that I appreciate the art of perfumery. I think it takes a true storyteller, scientist, artist and dreamer to create a beautiful scent and bottle design. It's a very psychological, emotional, historical and literary experience that comes with perfume making. And there is an astrological association with flowers and perfume making, which is just so fascinating. I think it's about creating a girl in mind and then the scent becomes the embodiment of the girl's personality and charm. Who knows maybe someday in the future, I'll be able to create a scent along with each film that I hope to make. I would love to combine my love of storytelling and perfumery and create magic!

For perfume aficionadas, Fragrantica is a great Perfume Encyclopedia.

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samba de verão

April 12, 2013, 8:51 am

≫ Next: american authors

≪ Previous: honey

It's gloomy and raining outside, so I'm listening to Samba de Verão (Summer Samba), the quintessential 1964 bossa nova song by Marcos Valle, this version is by Japanese-Brazilian bossa nova singer Lisa Ono. Daydreaming about being in a foreign land.

Admittedly, I always loved the idea of being a musician (not as a career), but I never truly had the heart or determination to learn how to play an instrument. As a child, I had the opportunity to learn the piano - wasn't interested. At boarding school, I learned to play the harp for two years. I loved the idea that I was one out of three people who was taking harp lessons, but eventually, the novelty wore off. The sad truth is I'm just not musically inclined as much as I would want to be. I'm not the type of person who "sees" colors when listening or playing music. Well, when I listen to music, it's a visual experience for me in a sense that I create stories in my head.

I've been compiling a list of songs for my first feature length screenplay. I think my mind is better at finding or creating complementary visuals for songs and music. But I'm not going to let it stop me from learning an instrument. I also learned to play the bass guitar and I was super into it at the beginning and then I lost all motivation. Now, I am feeling super inspired to pick up the classical guitar. Although, I've always fantasized about playing the drums, but maybe I'm just not the percussion type. I'll keep dreaming and hopefully someday I won't make excuses and just take lessons and then I'll be able to make an informed decision about my percussion playing abilities.

I just need to do and stop making excuses, that's just the bottom line. If I want to learn something or do something, I should just do them, so I won't have to regret anything in the future. I'm going to pick up a used classical guitar at Guitar Center. Looking forward to my musical journey.

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american authors

April 14, 2013, 8:43 pm

≪ Previous: samba de verão

We express our experiences as a shared unit, through music and an agreement of sound. With lows come highs and fighting always has an end. We accept struggle and are passionate about the lives we lead. We create the music that comes naturally to us and we're not afraid of change. We are thrilled about the present. We all have a story to tell, whether it's audible, visual, silence or motion. We are constantly creating new moments to share. We are American Authors from Brooklyn, New York.

I've fallen in love with a band called American Authors after listening to Best Day of My Life on Songza. Now I'm even more head over heels in love with them after reading their About section. I just love it when musicians have so much to say and just say it or rather sing it so beautifully. I admire people who can create beauty and happiness through notes, sounds, melody and words. I think ultimately you need to be happy to create, even though you may want to evoke sadness or anger or any kind of negative energy, but you must be happy to create it or else existence would be such a daunting experience.

I feel happiest when I can cry and feel sadness. I think I am and was most sad when I felt nothing. I need to constantly feel and feel the ability to express myself through any kind of emotion. Music helps me get to a place where I can be in touch with my emotions and my soul. It just makes me happy to discover bands that are passionate about their craft and love what they do! Or else why do we struggle if we're not excited or passionate?! Have a very happy day!

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