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Post by Jarous on Mar 12, 2004 15:39:57 GMT -5
I still get people who say "You are studying to be some kind of psychologist, right? Or a doctor?". The same here. How much surprised these people would be to hear "Nah, I'm studying to spend my life in the bad payed job which fortunately doesn't require communication skills. But worry not, even factory workers benefit from quantum mechanics knowledge." Am I talking to a fellow overclocker here? Clear enough. But I can add to it. You basically mean fantasy worlds should be believable not looking like a facade. There's more though - even believable 'genuine' worlds can contain 'unrealistic' happenings. That's, in my humble opinion, the fault of Forgotten Realms: there's only so much a man (though a wizzard) can do and I can't imagine how Elminster could have managed all he did. Being a drow weapon-master is quite an achievement, still I must think Drizzt would have been history aftery 10 pages of Salvatore's novels. I can bear much, but dwarves do not call their children Ivan. Cadderly and his friends clearing entire enemy fortress? Wulfgar standing a hundredth hit that would have fell a horse? Despite this you must read on, perhaps waiting to criticise another of the author's 'inventions?' Have you expected otherwise :-) I must admit there is something alluring to the female voice and I, personally, find it much more appealing than male vocals. Another point though is: most music bands have female members and those male-only usually don't last long (with notable exceptions of course). Robbie Williams or Sting make outstanding music too. That's what doomed The Return of the King - though Jackson tried to pack the story into nearly 4 hours - twice that would have probably saved the movie. I believe there are stories aplenty that could very well fit into 2 hours though. I have to disagree. There are games that could grab your attention and let go only after you've finished them (and sometimes not even then - ask Diablo2 die hards with 1000+ hours spent on Battle.net). I still fondly remember Fallout 2 - the first and the best game I tried. When you play first time you only glimpse the plot - you have to start as a different character to see more. The world is incredibly detailed with ingenious hints on contemporary culture, Fallout 1 story, politics etc. If you think the story is shallow - the translators who have done the game into czech localisation claim they had to interpret over 2000 A4 full-text pages (including descriptions of equipement, graffiti etc., even with that the dialogs are MASSIVE). Well, I am quite fond of my Tungsten E PDA always loaded with at least 10 e-books (just to be sure). Yeah, modern heroic epics. Unfortunately, the hero enjoys his morning dawn-walk and without second thought turns on his heel and heads back for home. I hear you. Sometimes I feel sorry when I look over the shoulder of the big bad guy considering his ingenious cunning plans knowing he had to fail. Even though he is probably thousand times more dedicated, gifted, skilled and prepared - he has chosen a bad place for his world-conquest plot - mister up-to-now-nobody is unfortunately more lucky and despite the odds has to win. That's the biggest shortcoming of books. With games you don't know what to expect. If you read a book, it's hard to be afraid the hero would die 500 pages before the end. For example: in TLOTR, Boromir can't claim the Ring - he would cut down Sauron, reunite the world of Men and reign supreme as a beloved king - the book ends about 40 chapters earlier...
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Post by spitzig on Mar 13, 2004 3:23:29 GMT -5
I have to disagree. There are games that could grab your attention and let go only after you've finished them (and sometimes not even then - ask Diablo2 die hards with 1000+ hours spent on Battle.net). I still fondly remember Fallout 2 - the first and the best game I tried. When you play first time you only glimpse the plot - you have to start as a different character to see more. The world is incredibly detailed with ingenious hints on contemporary culture, Fallout 1 story, politics etc. I've still got Fallout 2. I even played it recently. It doesn't seem to want to run under Windows XP, though. I've even considered getting Fallout 1, but have heard it is poor technically. And, even Fallout 2 is slow now, like a battle with a lot of enemies. That's the case with games, too. If the main character dies, you have to start over. It's not really the END of the game.
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Post by Jarous on Mar 13, 2004 6:00:59 GMT -5
I've still got Fallout 2. I even played it recently. It doesn't seem to want to run under Windows XP, though. I've even considered getting Fallout 1, but have heard it is poor technically. And, even Fallout 2 is slow now, like a battle with a lot of enemies. It runned just fine under Windows 2000, so I presume WXP should be OK. Try compatibility mode. Fallout slow? Man, what hardware are you using? The engine is ancient, 2D, no eye-candy, easy on CPU ... when I ran it first it was on Pentium 166 MHz - with no troubles. Loading times are pain though - seems to be a bad algorithm because they nearly do not scale with PC upgrades. Technical problems aside, the original Fallout is great. The engine is the same as in F2 by the way. If you played the sequel it will be a strange mix of deja vu and enlightenment as you visit places the future of which you already know, meet ancestors of your 'former friends' etc. A quality piece - if you don't mind the game can't stand visual comparison with anything newer than 1998, go for it. I agree. There's little permanent death in computer games: the moment you tread upon a landmine is nothing fatal - just a short nuisance before you hit the quick-load button. In effect this means players always succeed in the end. This spawns question like: -whether characters shouln't be immortal because loading previously saved positions only slows down the game-play - and it's exactly what follows every death. -whether there should be chances to failure of certain actions (eg. memorising spells in AD&D games) even if failure is followed by a load and retry. This leads to solutions like Blizzard's Diablo2 or most online/multi-player games: when you're killed you merely lose a portion of money/experience, whatever but are respawned and continue playing. It all boils down to the lack of immersion. With books you always know how much story remains, with games you know the developers will always make you survive. Then for example encounters with omnipotent beings like dragons, liches, demons don't cause you to be afraid but eager to learn how you defeat them. You seldom walk the dungeons, the safety of sitting behind a computer cannot leave so easily. Situations that should send shivers down your spine or send you running with tail between legs just evoke amusement in the form of "Well, so now I'll cut down 5 mountain giants. Lovely!"
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Post by CaryGrant on Mar 15, 2004 12:04:06 GMT -5
Wot, male-only bands don't last? We can't get the Rolling Stones to go away! Though I really like the current mix of feminine vocals and harder "male" music, like Evanescence and the BEP.
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Post by Jarous on Mar 16, 2004 0:46:15 GMT -5
Wot, male-only bands don't last? To be frank, I thought about local male bands. They build their brief success upon appealing to teenage girls, make an album and then disappear as suddenly as they appeared. When I look at the world music scene, I have to admit female bands break apart as often as male ones though. --------------------------------------------------------- So far (and contrary to my expectations) this thread has been of great use to me. Therefore, I'll add yet more and see what I can learn: I live in a suburb of 100,000-inhabitants city. The entire quarter consists of blocks and blocks of apartement complexes - ugly, big, concrete - heritage of the communist's reign. The apartements then are (in jest, yet with insight) called 'rabbit cubicles.' You cannot really do much inside - just a shelter and a place to eat and sleep. Most people live in them and hate it. They are just allright for me - reading and online access are in no way impaired ;-) The neighbourhood? - well there's actually no such a thing. You live with perhaps 50 families in one building but barely even speak to the people on the same floor (I am not talking about shyness issues here, it's so with 99% people). Hanging around in the streets in hope of meeting people is out of question either - mostly you'll encounter 'gangs' of youngsters wasting time with alcohol, cigarettes - maybe even drugs, graffiti etc. Joining clubs is not something shy people do until they recognise their situation and try to change it ... by that time, they have already missed much. Where have you people grown up? Was it a lovely upper middle-class quarter, common terraced houses or the cheapest parts of cities? How did you interact with your neighbours (and their children) when young? Do you think your shyness might be caused - or worsened - by enviroment and were you given a different, friendlier, more communicative place to live would you be better off? I believe I got it wrong when young. There were no big parties or birthday celebrations (ours were private 'cake, presents, wishes, is all'), no neighbourhood barbecues, big family gatherings; my parents never encouraged me to go out and meet my peers until about 14. Too late? I have the idea of overseas housing with neighbours chatting over a low wall separating their properties, inviting each other for dinner, helping out ... is it naive? I wonder what it would be like growing up this way.
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Post by spitzig on Mar 16, 2004 2:42:13 GMT -5
It runned just fine under Windows 2000, so I presume WXP should be OK. Try compatibility mode. Fallout slow? Man, what hardware are you using? The engine is ancient, 2D, no eye-candy, easy on CPU ... when I ran it first it was on Pentium 166 MHz - with no troubles. Loading times are pain though - seems to be a bad algorithm because they nearly do not scale with PC upgrades. No, that's not what I meant by slow. I'm comparing it to the semi-realtime games now popular. Although now that the Great and Powerful Black Isle is gone there might not be as many. Think of how long it took to kill a bunch of rats. They were almost too weak to bother with, most of the time. But, the cycling through took forever. And, a large scale battle did, too. Especially if you had to reload because you or one of your men got killed. I always like it when they have something other than constant load & retry. Especially if it's well written into the plot. Planescape: Torment did it probably the best I've seen. It'd probably be my favorite RPG, but Fallout2 has my beloved SF element. A lot of old NES games had an option to get resurrected at a shrine or something. Or, you could reload, if the cost was too much. I like that more than just the reload option. I liked getting to choose between losing gold(resurrection) and losing experience(reload, probably lose some gold too). They can be very effective for older people, too. We moved around a lot. I went to 12 schools in 12 years. I think my parents were either upper-lower class or lower-middle class. I don't think I ever interacted with my neighbors much. Before puberty, I did with a few kids at the places I lived at. Environmentally, I think my parents' lack of social interactions was the biggest factor(and other situations resulting in my general low self-esteem). I don't think it's EVER too late to change your mind. I think studying Buddhism has shifted me toward the nurture side of the nature/nurture debate. Though, I tend to think most things involve both and they interact. I've got an image of that, too. When I lived in houses, I did not see that much. Most of my parents' social interactions were among family. I only recall a few instances of their social interactions with friends.
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Post by Jarous on Mar 16, 2004 14:43:45 GMT -5
No, that's not what I meant by slow. I'm comparing it to the semi-realtime games now popular. Although now that the Great and Powerful Black Isle is gone there might not be as many. Think of how long it took to kill a bunch of rats. They were almost too weak to bother with, most of the time. But, the cycling through took forever. And, a large scale battle did, too. Especially if you had to reload because you or one of your men got killed. *embarrassed* I knew it had to be different from the hardware, now I see. Yes, battles would get tedious near the end. Killing rats was hell (to add to it, my thrifty nature always thought twice before spending a power cell on a rat). Large scale battles probably even worse - what with the enemies running away not allowing you to switch out of combat mode... Something more irritating than your unarmored ally being blown into pieces was definitely your ally loosing his minigun into your back... Oh, I wonder what was so special about the game after all? Oh, I played intelligent, peaceful character. So combats were not that frequent. And you could set higher difficulty. That made rats more respectable. But Fallout Tactics solved the entire problems with introducing semi-real-time mode. Planescape was excellent. One of the few games that actually made me think. Have you figured the answer to "What can change the nature of a man", spitzig? I haven't and it still sometimes haunts my mind. Also the entire idea of seeking your death and the value of life which was such a burden for the nameless hero... There were so many philosophical ideas and questions about life ... sadly, I haven't found answers to most of them. Reason enough to try then. This is unimaginable to me. I cannot bear the idea of making new friends every year again and then losing (or leaving behind) them. But you may have get a knack of it. Which is true? I can't say my parents are shy. They are by no means outgoing either. They would go to a pub every other weekend or so with their friends. Not an activity to take achild with them. They mostly believed school is enough to make friends on my own - I don't disagree with them. I should have been able to, yet failed. I wonder if I would have fared different if taken to less intimidating situations with people I knew - no way to find out now. I have to change the hard way... I, too, like Eastern religion/philosophy - mostly it's only a study without practice though. My brief attempt at yoga and meditation left me with mixed feelings though I intend to return to it soon. I've got little idea what I think but I HOPE I can change my mind (anytime). Again another idea of USA: what do you call families? In here it's usually the children, parents and grandparents. We are in lesser contact with my parents' siblings and their families. I always think of say Thanksgiving as 20+ people in one house bustling with activity and celebration. Another misplaced image? The biggest familly gatherings for me are when my grandparents (those owning a farm I've grown up at) fell one of their pigs ... the weekends (usually) are then spent eating plenty of meat, smokng and otherwise processing the remainder, drinking etc. Being an abstinent and working to become a vegetarian, I don't fancy those. My relatives can't understand - it's always "by your age I drank, man how I could drink when young...", "forget stinking veggies, take some meat not to look as skinny." The whole idea of killing the animal can make nauseous. I have to admit I can chat pretty well with some of my relatives though - especially uncles and aunts I don't see that often. Still, I'd prefer to do so under different circumstances.
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Post by spitzig on Mar 17, 2004 2:20:57 GMT -5
Planescape was excellent. One of the few games that actually made me think. Have you figured the answer to "What can change the nature of a man", spitzig? I haven't and it still sometimes haunts my mind. Also the entire idea of seeking your death and the value of life which was such a burden for the nameless hero... There were so many philosophical ideas and questions about life ... sadly, I haven't found answers to most of them. Reason enough to try then. I don't remember the possible answers for that one. My reaction is (and probably was) "anything". Different people react differently. I suspect I'm more shy because of it. I think I tended not to get as close. I remember a best friend I had for a year or so cried a lot when I moved. For me, it was just another move. Actually, they were shy, but that's not really the reason they hardly had friends over. It's for more "dysfunctional" type reasons. Different methods work better for different people. And, they only do anything if you do them repeatedly and often. Definitions of family varies dependent upon circumstance. When I think of family, I usually think of direct family. Parents, siblings. I don't see my sister's kids enough to include them. If I ever get married, "family" would probably default to my wife and kids(if I have them). My parents live in Tennessee, near my mother's family. My mother mostly avoids her family. Too many drug addicts, dealers, alcoholics, girlfriend beaters, and other fun stuff. Generally rednecks and white trash. From about age 10-20, the holidays were usually at my mothers' parents' place, though. I'd say about 15 people there. When I was younger, I lived in Chicago near my father's family. His family is Catholic and LARGE. I'd guess 30+ people at most of the holidays. That was a long time ago, and I didn't exactly count, though. Since my grandmother's death, there has been no one successfully keeping these large get-togethers going, though. My father's side of the family occasionally has a Pig Roast, which also works as a family reunion. One of these had greater than 150 people at it. I think about half was family. Grandma had 9 kids. Most of those had kids. Several of my generation are having kids, now... Yeah, I'm a lot like a couple of uncles on that side of the family. Just found that out a couple years ago, since we moved away from them. I don't drink much around my family(ANY of them), because my father is an alcoholic. My father's family is more relaxed about it, but I've not had much opportunity. I don't know if I'd ever get drunk around them. Around direct family and my mother's family, I would not drink. These days, holidays consist of me, my sisters, one sisters kid(now, kids), and my mother. One sister is currently in jail. The other sister lives in San Diego. I live in Pennsylvania. I visited my parents this past Christmas, and it was just me and them. Any holiday other than Christmas is too minor to fly there(time, money).
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Post by Jarous on Mar 17, 2004 14:51:23 GMT -5
I don't remember the possible answers for that one. My reaction is (and probably was) "anything". The game gave several options to answer and accepted any you chose *disappointed.* In the end, though, the hero concluded that it has to be his immortality - I agree that would change a man quite a bit. I liked the 'love' and 'hatred' options better though - and probably 'greed' as well. It's the same with me. I don't like talking about personal stuff (offline only though, and this troubles me greatly) and whenever someone assumes something not exactly true about me I never bother to correct him unless asked specifically (that is - seldom). It makes me less vulnerable and somehow less aware of my insecurities. If people are left wondering who I really am, I feel they cannot hurt me in any possible way. I wonder what so different online about this... I'd still feel really bad leaving all the people I know behind - I don't think I'll cry, at least not openly, though. That's quite a list. At least your familly is not boring. I supposse no one will be able to organise our familly gatherings when my grandparents pass away. Not that they organise anything now ... their children just visit on the weekends and meet and then there are the holidays, anniversaries, pig slaughters, meat smoking ... That will most likely all end - I don't think my parents would visit their siblings that often. 150 people and half of those familly members??!! Now, I will have to reconsider my ideas of famillies and reunions. I know of no place we own that would even accomodate that number of people (not to imagine the logistics and support for them...) My parents cannot be called alcoholics but they do drink. I despise the sight of them when drunk - even slightly - they are pathetic and both ridiculous and pitiful at the same time. They are big example of what not to become to me in this respect. That's probably why I've never drank - and never will, I'm sure of that. Thanks, spitzig, for sharing in your familly life. I do appreciate that. I know how hard it can be to talk about yourself and am aware of the fact some people are so even online.
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Ghost
Full Member
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Post by Ghost on Mar 17, 2004 16:37:25 GMT -5
When I think of family, I usually think of direct family. Parents, siblings. I think of my parents as family and about 3 other relatives. That's all. Other kin doesn' do me much. And I had times I thought I had a screwed up family... Have some of those too. But not as severe, I think. No girlfriend beaters. Well, one person was rather keen on abusing wife and children (and probably passed on a terminal illness to his wife because he had so many women before. I don'tknow if he had any when he was with his wife). I am not close with that part of my family and though they are nice to me, it's just not my thing. But I am quite distant with most people, especial certain family, so it is no surprise. Sounds familiar. My grandmother was "the" place to go to for the family events. After her dead it has been rare that we got together. Even so, it is not the whole family, or as much as at my gran's. Hmm. I hope my gran didn't had a twin sister she didn't told me about, because my gran had 9 children too. Or 10..? Not sure..to be honest... I leave the drinking and smoking to the others I just try to seek out a tactical place to sit out of the smoke, if possible. I don't like talking about personal stuff (offline only though, and this troubles me greatly) I am not a open person on and offline. No real difference...except that if something is bothering me and I have to get it out to get rid of the burden, I will. I prefer the feeling of being vulnerable and out in the open then the feeling that something is eating me from inside out. Depends on what it is in my case. Most things I just leave up to peoples imagination. If they think something about me that is not the truth, fine by me. But if it is something that irritates me limitless, I will stand my ground. To me, nothing much. Almost paranoide in a comical way, because I am so careful with erasing my tracks and not leaving myself vulnerable and open for a attack. Which I always fear will happen. How guarded I may try to be, I will somehow always get the critic I try to avoid. I've been to a couple of different schools. I didn't really had a real missing feeling. One of my friends I knew since I was 4 came every year a couple of times to visit me and the other way around. I never felt any loss of friends until the end year of highschool when I started to feel serious cut off from other people and situations. That's one way to see it. One of my cousins complained once to the "big cousins" (there are practical no non-adult cousins left) that with his mothers family it was so boring: they would sit down and watch tv and with his dad's family (to which I belong) it was much more fun (probably one of the reasons is because he sneaky can get alcohol in his coke ). Strange isn't it? That at least 3 people here tell that their grans were the ones who aranged the family gatherings. And without them, no one will organize anything like that. Would it be a generation thing? That the grandparents come from the time when families were still close knit and in this time people are more focused at other things, like work and own kids and such to think of bonding with other family and getting together? Yeah, I am surprise that spitzig was this open. It would take time for me to open up to even people I know to up to a year to say anything of that nature to them.
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Post by Alecto on Mar 17, 2004 16:52:31 GMT -5
I think pretty much everyone goes to their grandparents for family gatherings.
Though I myself haven't been to a family event in years, being that my parents are divorced.
If there is a get together it is either for a wedding, graduation, or funeral
and even then its probably less than 15 people
I'm suprised Spitzig was open, its very hard for me to open up about my family life
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Post by spitzig on Mar 18, 2004 0:14:30 GMT -5
That's quite a list. At least your familly is not boring. Yeah, in the Chinese curse kind of way--"May you live an interesting life." Yeah, he owns a place out in the country. Lots of land. When my grandmother was alive, she'd rent a park every Independence Day. That was mostly family. Eh, unfortunately, it's because I tend to not get very emotionally connected to stuff online. This has resulted in spending years at one online forum, and having no emotional reaction when a common poster died. I'm thinking the guy was a pretty nice guy, too. Generally, if my life is relevant to the topic, I'll discuss it. GhostI didn't tell all of it. One of my cousins (who's like 14) recently had a baby--by one of my more distant cousins. One of my uncles is getting out of Tennessee because he's got like 9 warrants on him. My grandparents are Fundamentalists. And my mother seems to give my grandfather credit for messing up her siblings. They also largely raised 4 of my cousins(who obviously have problems too). Notably the one who had the kid tried to poison them. I've wondered if it's because it's a "top-down" thing. Generations congregate around their parents' place. And, bring their kids/spouses there. This generation is doing the same, now that they are starting to get married. When my grandmother was alive, her siblings were much less likely to be at holidays than my father's siblings. I don't know what the situation is at my mother's family's house--I've not seen any of them in more than 5 years. The news all comes from my mother and that means that I don't see what the get-togethers consist of.
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Post by Jarous on Mar 18, 2004 1:24:29 GMT -5
"May you live an interesting life." Interesting. Is it a wish of well-being or a curse? I think I'll start using this one myself. I've always feared that when I die, no one will even notice (let alone shed tears). Considering I've got more friends on- than off-line, I wonder what they would think - how did you learn the man died? If he stopped posting I would suppose he switched forums, his computer is down, doesn't enjoy the discussion anymore etc. I think most people wouldn't even register his demise - but that also depends upon the number of members. Sometimes some things are better left unsaid. You don't seem ashamed of your familly though. Not boring in anu way indeed.
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Post by spitzig on Mar 18, 2004 12:06:21 GMT -5
Interesting. Is it a wish of well-being or a curse? I think I'll start using this one myself. It's intended as a curse. Being in a war would be interesting. One person who died, I believe a family member posted about his death. Apparently, they knew he frequented the place and thought the people at the forum might be interested. Another had mentioned that he had AIDS to the owner of the site(he was a mod and had visited the owner). After not posting for a while, the owner mentioned the situation. I don't remember how his death got confirmed. Not on an online forum. Also, I'm kind of detached from my family--their business is their business.
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Post by Jarous on Mar 18, 2004 14:46:18 GMT -5
Something strange happened today. My mother just matter-of-factedly confided to me she prefers not to be around people so that she doesn't have to constantly think up something to talk about. This sort of struck me like a thunderbolt. I thought 'oh my, you don't know anything about these things...' but then I realised I do myself appear pretty OK to my familly and what the truth actually is? The same is apparently my mother's case. Suddenly I can see all the social gatherings we attended together - and my mother seldom stayed in the heat - how blind have I been. You may guess where this places me in the nature/nurture argument. I've never thought one's outlook can change this radically - I feel like my fate indeed is fixed and there is no escaping it. Strange isn't it? That at least 3 people here tell that their grans were the ones who aranged the family gatherings. And without them, no one will organize anything like that. Would it be a generation thing? That the grandparents come from the time when families were still close knit and in this time people are more focused at other things, like work and own kids and such to think of bonding with other family and getting together? I don't think people focus on different things these days. Famillies are still (and will ever be, in my opinion; this is a bane of many utopian societies - like Plato's - people would never stop forming famillies for any reason whatsoever) the most important thing for just about everybody I know. In my case it's probably about the responsiblity of my parents to theirs. They are old and in need of help, comfort and attention. Moreover, it's 'natural' to stay in touch with your parents every so often - and yes, to bring your children with you. I don't know - this may be to 'show' your 'most excellet offspring' (quite a number of parents are uncritically proud of their child). Many times, the grandchildren are loath to come. Yet, I trust when their time comes, they'll be doing the same. Bringing their unwilling children along. So the history repeates itself...
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