NC General Assembly 04-30-2009 Legislative Calender

Here is today's schedule for the General Assembly, with a welcome note that next week looks to see less legislative activity from the thieves who serve on that body...

15 MIN. AFTER SESSION	PENDER/NEW HANOVER REDISTRICTING (House)	544
IMMED. AFTER SESSION	STATE GOVERNMENT/STATE PERSONNEL (House) SPA Sick Leave Transfers. (H213) Tax Info Disclosure to State Treasurer. (H649) Bldg. Code/High Schoolers at Comm. Coll. (H735) Expand Membership/Gen. Statutes Commission. (H1202) Firearms Allowed In Certain State Parks. (H1234) Create Global Engagement Commission. (H1258) Recycle Products Containing Mercury. (H1287) Retired Part-Time LEO/Concealed Carry Permit. (H1357) Study BEACON HR/Payroll Implementation. (H1496)	424LOB
8:30 AM	APPROPRIATIONS/General Government (House)	1425LB
8:30 AM	APPROPRIATIONS/Justice and Public Safety (House)	415LOB
8:30 AM	APPROPRIATIONS/Education (House)	421LOB
8:30 AM	APPROPRIATIONS/Natural and Economic Resources (House)	423LOB
8:30 AM	APPROPRIATIONS/Health and Human Services (House)	643LOB
9:00 AM	COMMERCE (Senate) Require Boating Safety Education (S43) Self-Service Storage Facilities (S448) Commercial Dog Breeders (S460) Create Titling Categories-Replica/Street Rod (S476) Create Exemption/Size-Weight for Sage Haulers (S654) Auto Insurance/Diminution in Value (S660) Electronic Reporting of Abandoned Property (S686) Create New Titling Categories (S820) Utilities/Carrier of Last Resort (S889) Mortgage Guaranty Insurance Revisions (S981) PEO Amendments (S1029)	1027LB
9:00 AM	AGRICULTURE/ENVIRONMENT/NATURAL RESOURCES (Senate) Per Diem Erosion Control Penalties (S760) Active Duty Hunting/Fishing License Exemption (H97) Eliminate Overlap Between CAMA and SEPA (S778) AgRELIEF Act/Cost Share Program (S881) Beach Management Study Commission (S998)	544LB
10:00 AM	JUDICIARY I (Senate) Statute of Repose/Products Liability (S882) Civil Liability/Prohibited Debt Collection (S965) Access to Juvenile Records/Violent Offenders (S984) No Smoking/Cell Phones on Prison Grounds (S167) Prevent Racial Profiling (S464) Expand Interpreting Services (S510) Magistrates Provide Appointment of Counsel (S514)	1027LB
10:00 AM	JUDICIARY II (Senate) Renunciation Amendments (S884) The Castle Doctrine (S928) Firearms Qualification Sites/Retired LEOs (S978) Safe Storage of Firearms (S987) Home Improvement Fraud (S709) False Pretenses/Increase Some Penalties (S710) Clarify Wt. Measurement/Meth Trafficking (S1091)	1124LB
10:00 AM	JUDICIARY I (House) Electioneering at Early Voting Sites. (H748) Election Administration Amendments. (H908) Modify Campaign Ad Laws. (H1048) Campaign Finance Amendments. (H1111) Open Government Act. (H1134) Election Director Oversight. (H1281)	1228LB
10:00 AM	JUDICIARY III (House) Railroad Corridor Management. (H116) Assignment of Twins to Charter Schools. (H316) Prevent the Theft of Scrap Metals. (H323) Removal of Electronic Monitoring Device. (H836) Struc. Settlement Annuities/Ins. Guar. Assn. (H889) Limited Hunting Privilege/Nonviolent Felons. (H1444)	1425LB
10:00 AM	JUDICIARY II (House) Clarify Action for Divorce/Incompetent Spouse. (H1091) Amend Adoption Laws. (H1106) Alimony and Post Separation Support Waiver. (H1107) Revise Insurance Financial Conditions.-AB (H1161) Law Student Externs at General Assembly. (H1171) AOC Omnibus Courts Act. (H1269)	421LOB
10:00 AM	FINANCE (Senate)	544LOB
11:00 AM	INSURANCE (House) Update Standard Fire Insurance Policy.-AB (H1165) Insurance Law Changes.-AB (H1166) Regulate Public Adjusters.-AB (H1313) Insurance/Health Care Provider Relationship. (H1485) Revise UM/UIM Coverage Requirements. (H1494)	1228LB
11:00 AM	EDUCATION/Pre-School, Elementary, and Secondary Education (House) Salary Increase for Substitute Teachers. (H285) Legislative Study of ABC Bonus Program. (H707) Study of High School Programs at Comm. Coll. (H717) Honors Courses in Health & P.E. Classes. (H901) Modify History and Geography Curricula. (H1032) Self-Contained Special Ed/Grade Levels. (H1036)	421LOB
11:00 AM	EDUCATION/Community Colleges (House) Fayetteville Tech. Umstead Act Exemption. (H698) Study Community College Construction Process. (H808)	424LOB
11:00 AM	Session Convenes (Senate)	Senate Chamber
12:00 PM	HEALTH (House) Establish Gestational Surrogacy Agreements. (H510) Continue IOM Study/Health Care Access. (H741) Study Mandatory Nurse Overtime. (H812) Consumer Health Freedom Act. (H842) DHHS to Maximize Federal Program Benefits. (H1126) Clarify Volunteer Immunity/AED. (H1433)	544LOB
12:00 PM	ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES (House) Disapprove Jordan Lake Rules. (H239)	643LOB
1:00 PM	Session Convenes (House)	House Chamber

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Swine Flu Infection Update

I've been following the reports of infections in the U.S. and preserving data for the purpose of analyzing the rate of spread of the Swine Flu on Conservative Thunder, and here is a very preliminary report based on 5 days of data...

And I've updated the graph...




The reason I've included the graphs is that infections tend to follow a predictable curve as they burn through a population, and I want to see if this one follows that trajectory...

One very good piece of news is that the infection has reached a status where WHO has declared this a Level 5 Pandemic so quickly after the initial reports of infection. If the decision is a scientific one, and not driven by politics...then that means the Swine Flu will burn out relatively quickly, even if there are multiple waves of future infections...this means that the Swine Flu will be unable to reach levels seen in the 1918 Pandemic. It will probably be unable to even become worse than the regular flu...which kills between 30,000 and 100,000 people a year in the USA.

If the decision to jump the gun was a political one, then all bets are still off.

What I would like to see is criminal indictments of people in the media for inciting a panic.

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Air Force One Buzzes Western North Carolina

Yesterday morning, New York and New Jersey residents had the felgercarb scared
out of them when F16 fighter jets and a 747 painted up like Air Force One buzzed lower Manhattan and New Jersey’s Goldman Sachs Tower (the state’s tallest building). The planes flew at low altitude, rattling windows, stopping traffic and panicking thousands who spontaneously began evacuating their homes, offices and bowels. Was it another terrorist attack? No, thank god. A plane in distress? Nope. A training exercise intended to safeguard American soil? Wrong again! The reason for the flyover that struck fear into the heart of a city still on edge was a photo op. That’s right, ladies and gentlemen, the armed forces sailed these planes dangerously close to occupied buildings - without issuing an advance warning - so they could snap a couple of cool publicity pictures. Not only was this stunt thoughtless and cruel, it was totally unnecessary - haven’t the US government heard of CGI yet?

If you wanted pictures of Air Force One and some F16s flying over NY, why not just pick up the phone and call Hollywood? I hear the governor has a few ties with people who make special effects movies. I’m sure they would have helped you out. When most people want images of something impossible, or just too expensive to do for real, they turn to the magic of visual effects. You guys didn’t think a movie like Independence Day used real UFOs, did you?

Source: Darth Mojo
Hat Tip: Galactica Sitrep

Commentary
Of cource the photos in this blog entry are fakes. If I can whip out something like this in the course of half an hour, imagine what someone with real talent could do? According to Gateway Pundit, the real flight cost over $300,000. These fake photos cost a half hour of my time. If President Obama really wanted to help a guy in need of a few bucks, he coulda hit my tip jar with cool grand...and he could have gotten several photos of Air Force One in some really neat places...and I would have thrown in a cool picture of Obama water skiing from behind the 747 for free!!!
Assignment
If you can use a photo editor, consider whipping up a shot of Air Force One over your town, favorite monument or other place you can think of and send me a link to where I can see it online and I will link to it for others to enjoy.

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A Video Tribute to a Force for Good in Buncombe County

Visit their website to see what they've been up to lately...

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NC General Assembly 04-29-2009 Legislative Calender

There are about twenty different meetings scheduled for today in the Legislative Building of the General Assembly...

15 MIN. AFTER SESSION	WAYS AND MEANS/BROADBAND CONNECTIVITY (House) Use of Deadly Force/SBI Investigations. (H421) Raise Homestead Income Limit to 30K. (H423) Execution/Physician Assistance Authorized. (H784) Increase Penalty/Remove Serial # From Gun. (H787) Clarify/Alien. of Affection/Crim. Conversation. (H1110) Clarification/Hearing on License Restoration. (H1198) Larceny of a Motor Vehicle Part. (H1256) Virtual Visitation/Family Law. (H1299) False Report To Law Enforcement. (H1303) Create Criminal Offense of Felony Affray. (H1332) Create Criminal Offense/Home Invasion. (H1334) Wills/Bequests to Drafting Attorney. (H1390) Drug Felon/No Large Dogs. (H1456) Clarify DV Laws/Arrest/Valid Protective Order. (H1464)	415
15 MIN. AFTER SESSION	MENTAL HEALTH REFORM (House) Clarify SCFAC Appointments. (H25) Study IVC. (H718) DHHS/Procurement Methods. (H1088)	424
15 MIN. AFTER SESSION	COMMERCE, SMALL BUSINESS, AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP (House) Notice on Liens for HOA Assessments. (H806) Workers' Comp/Medical Diagnostic Testing. (H843) Prepaid Wireless Telephone Service/Sunset. (H1027) Abolish Certain Deficiency Judgments. (H1057) Commercial Real Estate Broker Lien Act. (H1356) IDF Limitation Modifications. (H1514) JDIG Technical Modifications. (H1516)	643
8:30 AM AND IMMED. AFTER SESSION	APPROPRIATIONS/Education (House)	421LOB
8:30 AM	APPROPRIATIONS/General Government (House)	1425LB
8:30 AM	APPROPRIATIONS/Justice and Public Safety (House)	415LOB
8:30 AM	APPROPRIATIONS/Natural and Economic Resources (House)	423LOB
9:00 AM	APPROPRIATIONS/Transportation (House)	1228LB
9:00 AM	FINANCE (House) Notice of Special/Emergency Meetings. (H81) Delinquent Tax - Deny Building Permit. (H563) Charlotte-Monroe Executive Airport Quicktake. (H566) Bridgeton Satellite Annexations. (H646) Apex/Satellite Annexations. (H758) Statutory Changes for ARRTA Funds. (H841) Spencer/Amend Property Description. (H986) Montgomery County Debt Collection/Water. (H991) Alleghany/Surry Delinquent Tax - No Permit. (H1000) Eastover Annexation. (S214)	544LOB
10:00 AM	PUBLIC UTILITIES (House) Public Utilities/Faulty Equipment. (H290) Lincoln County/911 Fund Uses. (H546) Montgomery County/ 911 Fund Uses. (H923) Pesticide Spraying on Rights-of-Way. (H1201) Utilities/Collectors/Debt Collection. (H1330) Expand Permitted 911 Fund Uses. (H1480)	1228LB
10:00 AM	HOMELAND SECURITY, MILITARY AND VETERANS AFFAIRS (House) Expand Division of Emergency Mgmt. Authority. (H381) EMS Personnel/Recovery Rehab./DHHS. (H878) Encourage Use of Military Veteran Contractors. (H912) Require Documentation-Certain Special Plates. (H1094) UI/Severely Disabled Veterans. (H1124) Military Wartime Veteran Special Plate Change. (H1143) Facilitate Access to Emergency Supplies. (H1210) Clarify Local Government Evacuation Authority. (S256)	1425LB
10:00 AM	PENSIONS AND RETIREMENT (House) Treasurer's Governance & Transparency Act. (H556) Retirement Technical Corrections. (H642) Amend Survivor's Alternate Benefit. (H766) Clarify Local Special Separation Allowance. (H816) Local Employees' Retirement System COLAs. (H934) Develop State Employee Benefits Statement. (H1221) State Treasurer Investments. (H1507)	415LOB
10:00 AM	LOCAL GOVERNMENT I (House) Fremont Charter Rewrite. (H403) Yancey Commissioners Election. (H633) Harnett/Subdivision Recreation Facilities. (H1007) Greensboro City Attorney Appointment. (H1010) Alamance Agriculture Fairs/Carnival Permits. (H1019) Housing Authorities/Moderate-Income Persons. (H1093)	425LOB
10:30 AM	Rep. Allen/Press Conference Ref: Land for Tomorrow	Press Room LB
11:00 AM	TRANSPORTATION (House) DOT/Fiber-Optic Cable. (H136) Waive CDL Skills Test/Military Personnel. (H271) Require Titles for Scrapped Vehicles. (H608) Require a "First in Flight" Background. (H677) Create New Titling Categories. (H861) Medium-Speed Vehicles. (H1257) Funding for Visitor Center in Wilkes County. (H1521)	1228LB
11:00 AM	LOCAL GOVERNMENT II (House) Franklin County/911 Fund Uses. (H59) Warrenton Overgrown Vegetation Ordinance. (H865) Warrenton/Community Development Target Areas. (H866) Warrenton/ Junked & Abandoned Vehicles. (H867) Wilmington/Acquire Substandard Dwellings. (H966) Regulation of Golf Carts in Deep Run. (H973) Union County Commissioners. (H981) Rescind Advanced Property Tax Appraisal. (H1530)	1425LB
11:00 AM	SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY (House) CCPS Study Automated Pawn System. (H1282) Educate the Public About Cord Blood Banking. (H1331) Videoconference Tech. in Court Proceedings. (H1438) Spectral Fluorescence Signature Drug Analysis. (H1497)	425LOB
12:00 PM	AGRICULTURE (House) Update Rabies Law. (H1063) Extend State Vet's Animal Disease Authority. (H1083) Update Seed Law/Increase Seed License Fees. (H1103) Update NC Meat Inspection Act. (H1104) Clarify License Req/Out of State Weighmasters. (H1108) State Fairgrounds Special Police/Mutual Aid. (H1109) Update NPDES Permitting for CAFOs. (H1175) Funds for Vernon G. James Research Center. (H1513)	1228LB
12:00 PM	WILDLIFE RESOURCES (House) Granville County Hunting. (H970) Standardize Wild Boar Seasons. (H1118) Edgecombe/No Hunting on the Land of Another. (S499)	415LOB
12:30 PM	Session Convenes (Senate)	Senate Chamber
1:00 PM	Session Convenes (House)	House Chamber
2:15 PM	Sen. Stein	Press Room LB

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Barack Obama's Day Off and Photoshoot in New York City

What a bunch of idiots!

Read more about the absolute tone-deafness of the Barack Obama Administration:

A jumbo jet being chased by a F-16 fighter jets buzzed Lower Manhattan this morning, panicking New Yorkers, many of whom were forced to evacuate their office buildings.

It was not a terrorist attack, however, but a photo opportunity for Air Force One, sources told the Post.

President Obama was in Washington at the time, but the low-flying 747 circling the Statue of Liberty was one of the planes used as Air Force One, sources said.

The NYPD and the city were notified of the planned flight, but did not share that information with Mayor Bloomberg and other New Yorkers, many of whom said they were terrified.

Source: New York Post

and...

NEW YORK (Reuters) – One of President Barack Obama's official planes flanked by an Air Force fighter jet flew low over the Statue of Liberty on Monday for a photo opportunity that reminded startled New Yorkers of the September 11 attacks.

The White House Military Office apologized for the mission, which infuriated New York City officials and prompted hundreds of financial professionals to flee their office buildings.

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg criticized the federal government and his own administration for failing to warn the public, which was shocked by the image of a jumbo jet flanked by an F-16 flying near the World Trade Center site.

"The good news is it was nothing more than an inconsiderate, badly conceived and insensitive photo op with the taxpayers' money," Bloomberg told reporters.

"They should know how sensitive people would be if they had low-flying planes down around the World Trade Center site," said Bloomberg, adding that he was "furious."

Source: Reuters via Yahoo! News

Commentary


And notice how everything that happened in the Bush Administration was the President's fault, but nothing in the Obama Administration is the President's fault?

There is your media bias and lefty hypocrisy all rolled into one. It is a big part of why I no longer seek to watch the Main Stream Media newscasts...they are unreliable when it comes to reporting.

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NC General Assembly 04-28-2009 Legislative Calender

Here is the schedule for the General Assembly today, which includes a lot of committee meetings...

8:30 AM AND 2:00 PM	APPROPRIATIONS/General Government (House)	1425LB
8:30 AM AND 2:00 PM	APPROPRIATIONS/Justice and Public Safety (House)	415LOB
8:30 AM AND IMMED. AFTER SESSION	APPROPRIATIONS/Education (House)	421LOB
IMMED. AFTER SESSION	SELECT COMMITTEE ON ECONOMIC RECOVERY (Senate)	544LOB
IMMED. AFTER SESSION	RULES CALENDAR AND OPERATIONS OF THE HOUSE (House) Honor Tar Heels on National Championship. (H1517)	Rep. Owen’s desk
8:30 AM	APPROPRIATIONS/Natural and Economic Resources (House)	423LOB
8:30 AM	APPROPRIATIONS/Health and Human Services (House)	643LOB
9:00 AM	APPROPRIATIONS SUBCOMMITTEE ON THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION (Joint)	1228LB
9:00 AM	APPROPRIATIONS/Transportation (House)	1228LB
9:30 AM	Sen. P. Berger	Press Room LB
10:00 AM	JUDICIARY I (Senate) Amend Speeding to Elude Arrest Statute (S300) Expand Interpreting Services (S510) Modify DWI Checking Station Requirements (S759) Protect Tenants in Foreclosed Property (S953) Continuous Alcohol Monitoring Systems (S1087)	1027LB
10:00 AM	JUDICIARY II (Senate) Salvia Divinorum Schedule I (S138) Home Improvement Fraud (S709) False Pretenses/Increase Some Penalties (S710) Misrepresentation of Bottled NC Spring Water (S925) Misbranding of Bottled NC Spring Water (S926) Delay Bond/Probationer Arrested For Felony (S1078) Clarify Wt. Measurement/Meth Trafficking (S1091)	1124LB
10:00 AM	JUDICIARY I (House) Data Sharing/DHHS Agencies. (H925) Continuous Alcohol Monitoring Systems. (H926) Open Government Act. (H1134)	1228LB
10:00 AM	JUDICIARY III (House) Railroad Corridor Management. (H116) Disposal of Pesticide Containers. (H760) Unattended Children in Vehicles. (H827) Limited Hunting Privilege/Nonviolent Felons. (H1444) Counties & Schools Share P. E. Equipment. (H1471)	1425LB
10:00 AM	JUDICIARY II (House) Unequal Shares/ Joint Tenancy Survivorship. (H799) Stanly County Boards. (H870) Allow Recorded Phone Messages/Public Safety. (H1034) Clarify Action for Divorce/Incompetent Spouse. (H1091) Study Sentencing and Prison Overcrowding. (H1092) Amend Adoption Laws. (H1106) Alimony and Post Separation Support Waiver. (H1107) Revise Insurance Financial Conditions.-AB (H1161) Annual Financial Reporting.-AB (H1314) Gov. Immunity/Adequacy of Remedies. (H1476) Exempt Some Church Facility LU/LA Elevators. (S114)	421LOB
11:00 AM	COMMERCE (Senate) Require Boating Safety Education (S43) No ABC Establishments W/I 1,000 Ft. of School (S68) Stay on Homeowners Insurance Actions (S428) Create Titling Categories-Replica/Street Rod (S476) Create Exemption/Size-Weight for Sage Haulers (S654) Remove Controlled Access Highway Restriction (S656) Auto Insurance/Diminution in Value (S660) Electronic Reporting of Abandoned Property (S686) Street Construction/Developer Responsibility (S761) Struc. Settlement Annuities/Ins. Guar. Assn. (S780) Create New Titling Categories (S820) Mortgage Guaranty Insurance Revisions (S981) Spirituous Liquor Tasting at ABC Stores (S988)	1027LB
11:00 AM	INSURANCE (House) State Health Plan/Taxpayer Recovery Act. (H439) Prohibit Beach Plan Surplus Distribution. (H742) Cancer Drug Coverage Changes. (H896) Insurance Guaranty Association Amendments. (H964) Amend Viatical Settlement Contract Definition. (H1040) Firefighters' Relief Fund Additions-AB. (H1160) DOI Disaster Powers Apply to SHP-AB. (H1162)	1228LB
11:00 AM	AGRICULTURE/ENVIRONMENT/NATURAL RESOURCES (Senate) Grant Funds/Relocate Condemn Water Structure (S636) CRC May Permit Terminal Groin (S832) Improve Success of FMPs (S886)	544LOB
11:00 AM	EDUCATION (House) Limit Foods in School Vending Machines. (H899) Nutrition Stds./All Foods Sold at School. (H900) Safer Schools. (H1054) Report School Violence to LEA Office. (H1078) Study Social Workers in Schools. (H1089)	643LOB
12:00 PM	STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT (Senate) Carrboro/Housing Discrimination (S395) Lincoln County/911 Fund Uses (S521) Kings Mt. Overgrown Vegetation Ordinance (S528) Mountain Resources Planning (S968)	1124LB
12:00 PM	HEALTH (House) Medical Examiner/Presc. Drug Info. (H1002) Create Active Living Communities Commission. (H1121) Long-Term Care Facilities/Drug Testing. (H1239) Amend NC SIDS Law/Medical Waivers. (H1315) DHHS Study/Medical Provider Rates. (H1339) Prohibit Self-Service Displays for Tobacco. (H1487)	544LOB
12:00 PM	ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES (House) Disapprove Jordan Lake Rules. (H239) Authorize Aquifer Storage of Reclaimed Water. (H643)	643LOB
1:00 PM	FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS (House) S.A.F.E. Mortgage Licensing Act. (H1523) Amend Banking Laws. (S668)	1425LB
1:00 PM	JUVENILE JUSTICE (House) Consolidate Expunction Statutes. (H1329) Study Regulation/Beauty Pageants/Under 13 Yrs. (H1348) Children of Incarcerated Parents Study. (H1416) Juvenile Code Revisions. (H1449)	415LOB
1:00 PM	ALCOHOL BEVERAGE CONTROL (all bills are for discussion only) (House) Modernization of the ABC System. (H768) Merger Required-Unprofitable ABC Stores. (H1319) Modernization of the State's ABC System. (H1367)	425LOB
1:00 PM	FINANCE (Senate) Real Property Sales Information (S405) Treasurer's Governance & Transparency Act (S632) Tax Info Disclosure to State Treasurer (S691) State Treasurer Investments (S703) Statutory Changes for ARRTA Funds (S754) Use Pre-Stimulus FMAP for MC Hold Harmless (S871)	544LOB
2:00 PM	WATER RESOURCES AND INFRASTRUCTURE (House) Boone Water Intake Easement. (H972) Revise NC River Basins. (H1333) Water Resources Improvement Act of 2009. (H1337) Capacity Use Areas/Amend Water Withdrawal. (H1399)	1228LB
2:00 PM	STATE GOVERNMENT/STATE PERSONNEL (House) SPA Sick Leave Transfers. (H213) Amend Professional Counselors Act/Fees. (H746) Energy-Efficient State Motor Vehicle Fleet. (H1079) Amend Birth Registration Requirements. (H1112) Designate Psoriasis Awareness Month. (H1115) Property Finders. (H1191) Clarify Social Services Commission Authority. (H1271)	424LOB
3:00 PM	Session Convenes (House)	House Chamber
3:00 PM	Session Convenes (Senate)	Senate Chamber

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