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Lennart John Holmquist |
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2020JanuaryKristofer and his dad attends an exhibition at the North Carolina Museum of Art in Raleigh entitled Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera, and Mexican Modernism from the Jacques and Natasha Gelman Collection with paints by both Frida and Diego and many photographs of their lives. The exhibit is crowded with people, sometimes three to four people deep in front of a paint. One of the paintings both liked was Calla Lily Vendor by Diego. CoronavirusSaturday, 03/21/20. Thousands of deaths worldwide. China and now Italy hit the hardest. Hundreds in one day a few days ago in Italy - 627 yesterday. Spain as over 1000 deaths total so far. Deaths in the USA are escalating. Trump is finally taking the virus seriously after weeks of downplaying it. True to his racism he calls it the 'Chinese virus'. The North Carolina governor, as has other governors, has required bars and other public places to shut down including restaurants except for takeout. Kristofer lost his job as a bartender and server the the restaurant 401 Main Street in Carrboro. Len's employer Cisco System required all employees to work from home unless they are absolutely needed to go in to work, such as data center employees. Kristofer is staying away from Len and Jill to be sure he doesn't pass the virus on if he gets infected - a person can have the virus without having symptoms. Children and young adults are less vulnerable, but the vulnerability rises with one's age and certain medical conditions. Len is nearly 70 with medical condition and Jill is nearly 67. They isolate themselves to their small one bedroom apartment in Carrboro except to go grocery shopping, go to the pharmacy and a few other places where not many people congregate - which authorities warn against anyway. The coffee shops are closed except for take-out. Len goes to Open Eye for a cappuccino everyday. Chairs are up on tables. No seating is allowed. Two days ago behind the bar was one cashier and one barrister. Two young women, probably college students, order coffee and leave. Len orders his cappuccino, gives a tip, and drinks his cappuccino in his car in the parking lot across the street. Yesterday, Len was the only customer. The barista says, 'Thanks for coming in,' which by the tone of is voice, Len knew he really meant it. Today the coffee bar had a few more customers who of course left immediately. Len got his cappuccino ($4.50) and gave a $2 tip, more of a tip than he would normally give. Coffee bar employees are beginning to hurting financially like so many others. Coffee bars, and restaurants are tying colorful floating balloons in front of their business to indicate they are open for takeout. Glasshalfull has four balloons one large one in salmon, and three small one - pink, purple and green. Open Eye has a large green balloon. Steel String has a large purple balloon. Wendy's a large blue balloon. (Len took a photo with his smart phone). With most businesses closed people are staying home or going for walks, jogging, bicycling or driving to and fro in their cars. Today Len saw the Greece website owner and writer Matt Barrett, bicycle by Open Eye in the direction of his home. Len got groceries today at Harris Teeter and stopped by the hardware/garden store, Lowe's, for plants for Jill to put in their apartment's balcony planters. He also bought a spray bottle, that he could fill with rubbing alcohol to spray on all store-bought purchases stores after bring them home. Hand sanitizer has been sold out for the last two or three weeks, as has cleaning products like bleach, leaving long empty shelves. Len got onto amazon.com for Hand sanitizer. They were either sold out or priced high by third party sellers, i.e., price gouging. For instance a group of three small bottles of hand sanitizer priced at $26 but cost of shipping $28. Len searched for rubbing alcohol. Sold out. However, he found three bottles of over 99% alcohol, good for cleaning glass including bongs. Bongs, usually made of glass is used to smoke marijuana, etc. He bought a set of three for about $36. He stopped by the German bakery, Guglhupf, and bought a cheese Danish which he ate in the Honda with his coffee which he brought from home. The grocery store, Trader Joe's, nearby had a long winding line of people standing about eight feet apart. TJ allowed a limited number of people inside the store. When a customer left the store, another customer was allowed in. The singer, Kenny Rogers, died today of natural causes. No one that Len and Jill knows in any part of the world has yet died of the coronavirus. This included Sweden, the Netherlands, Turkey, China, Greece, Switzerland, Canada, France, and of course the U.S.A. Saturday night, usually a very busy night in Carrboro. Few people walking about. Not many cars on the streets. Not many places to go. Sunday, 03/22/20. Quieter morning than usual. One class of individuals benefiting from the coronavirus are dogs. They are going for far more walks than usual. More people are wearing masks. In the evening Len was on the phone with his sister. She has the symptoms of the virus: dry cough, fever (though slight), headache, sore body, shortness of breath. She was able to be tested. Test results will arrive in the next day or two. Saturday, 03/28/20. Weaver St. Market, Carrboro, NC. About 1 1/2 dozen people stand outside the market keeping their 'social distance' as to not affect each other with the virus, waiting for the doors to open. Strong morning light intensifies the light lime green young leaves on the trees. Strong purple pink blossoms must have been mixed on an artist's palate, and painted on the thing twig-like branches. Len made a few pencil sketches of a man sitting on a curb eating his lunch and took a few photos of he same, and the people waiting to enter Weaver St. Market. Jill has asked Kristofer to buy Len and Jill's food for the next several weeks, so they don't risk infection. Older people are at much higher risk of infection. Kristofer was concerned about his dad getting a cup of coffee each day at Open Eye, so Len stopped going. The virus has not hit their area hard as far as is know, but few testing kits are available to know how widespread the virus is. At least North Carolina has few deaths so far. Death numbers are rising in New York, California, Washington. Len's sister is doing OK so far, but hasn't gotten her test results yet. Sunday, 04/05/20. U.S. deaths are around 10,000. North Carolina deaths around 35. More people are wearing masks after national medical experts changed their opinion saying now it might be a good idea. Since normal masks are nearly impossible to find, and should be reserved for medical personnel such as nurses, doctors, and first responders, those wearing masks in Carrboro are making due with scarfs, and re-purposed clothing. Len thought he saw a woman at Weaver Street Market wearing underwear over her mouth and nose, and knotted in back, but he wasn’t sure. He didn’t want to stare. Len got his winter scarf out of the closet today and wore it into Weaver St Market, where all personnel and most customers are wearing some kind of mask. Some look like medical-type masks, others winter scarfs, a few wearing folded squares into triangles looking like cowboys herding cattle on the dusty range or about to rob a stage coach. In Ecuador's western city of Guayaquil, bodies of loved ones are put out onto the street. The morgues cannot process the number of deaths. Though families call for help from the police and medical authorities, help is often not available. The families are forced leave the bodies on the side of the road or on the sidewalk outside their homes because the bodies are smelling. Kristofer bought Len and Jill groceries yesterday, and brought them by their apartment. Cookie’s test came back. She does not have coronavirus, but she does have pneumonia. More people are riding bicycles around town, tending toward more middle aged and families. While Jill prepares class lectures and works on her family archives at the apartment, Len often sits in the car in one of three parking lots in Carrboro, Weaver St. Market, across the street from Armadillo Grill or across the street from Open Eye, and reads or gets on his computer or draws. Besides using nudes by Rodin, Egon Schiele and a few other artists as examples, he is also basing his sketches in models from a book of nudes for artists, or models he finds on the web which he prints off, he is also drawing street scenes around Carrboro. A few others are sitting in their cars also, no doubt needing to get out of the house, but also not wanting to mix with people. The day is sunny, not hot, not cold, with a cool gentle breeze. Saturday, 04/11/20. In the U.S. Coronavirus cases are around 500,000 and a day or two again the U.S. had over 2000 deaths in one day. Total deaths are around 19,000, the most for any country. North Carolina has 3,651 report cases and 65 deaths. Len and Jill continue to avoid public places though Jill needed to pick up a prescription. Len either stays in their apartment or sits in the Honda, reading, writing or drawing. Monday through Friday he works on Cisco documents, again either in the apartment or in the Honda. One of the current books he is reading: the private lives of the impressionists by Sue Roe. A few days ago though, while sitting in the car reading, a fellow came up expectedly to the car window, asking for money. The day was warm. Len had the windows down. The young man, in his 20s, said he was laid off from a job at a restaurant and needed money. Len gave him what he had in change. Social distancing guidelines is 6-10 feet. The fellow was about three feet away. Though the chances of getting a virus from the young man was slim, still it is not best to take any chances, especially considering Len's age, now nearly 70, and pee-existing conditions. The singer, song writer, John Prine, passed away a few days ago from complications due to the Coronavirus. Corona beer is no longer being produced its brewery. Though people seem to be taking these times in stride, it is no doubt affecting people. Yesterday, in Carrboro, Len saw and heard a young many running down Main Street, yelling in anger and flailing his arms. A few minutes later saw and heard the same young man in a late model, faded red car driven by a girl who was probably his girl friend or wife. She was making a u-turn at the Weaver St. - Main St. fork. He was still yelling at the top of his lungs and beating the dashboard. She was trying to make the u-turn as fast as she could but had to wait for traffic. Around 17 million Americans have filed for unemployment benefits since mid-March including Kristofer. Last night Len heard a woman screaming at a child, probably her son, who was trying verballing defend himself, coming from inside an apartment across the parking lot in his parking complex. One cannot know if these instances are a result stresses due to the Coronavirus though these types of events are otherwise unusual. Easter is tomorrow. Len and Jill hope to pick up a lamb roast from Whole Foods, a local chain. Approximately at 15:00 Len parked in the gravel parking lot across from Armadillo Grill. He heard bagpipes. Close to the parking lot and next the the train tracks is the Old Carrboro Graveyard. He walked over and entered the gate through the short chain-link fence. A funeral was going on with about five sitting some distance from the grave site. A wood casket positioned to be lowered. A few friends and family members standing about, and two sitting to the right in chairs. At least one person from the funeral parlor wore a mask as did a few people standing about. People generally were keeping their distance as they should during these times. A bagpiper in kilt and very full white beard played. Len standing at some distance took a few photos with his phone, and recorded a short clip of the music. The casket was lowered. Except for the bagpipes all was quiet and somber under the sun, tree shade and gentle wind. At one point the bagpiper came up to the family members saying politely, but matter-of-factly, that it was a good idea if he stopped playing. He was a bit winded from his playing, and so the some of the notes coming from the pipes were not the best quality. They thanked him, apparently, Len couldn't hear, and the piper walked off, put away his pipes in a case balanced on a nearby tombstone. Len then left too, but saw the bagpiper in his car on his cell phone. Len took a photo. A few cars away the undertakers opened the rear door of his SUV, taking out a large plastic bottle. He doused his hands with the liquid, to disinfect them. Sunday, 04/12/30: Sat in the Honda in the Weaver Street Market parking lot. The market had set up a system whereby customers could order their groceries and pay online. Weaver Street employees bag the purchased items, walk it out to the customer's car whenever they arrive, and place it in trunk of rear of the SUV. No human interaction needed. Weaver Street had new signs posted with parking spaces designated for pickup. Len took photos of the operation. Later he went back to the graveyard to take a photo of now flower-covered grave. Weeks or months later the grave will probably have a marker. Yesterday, Jill bravely bought groceries at Whole Foods, including a lamb roast which she hopes to have ready by15:00. Kristofer will be joining them on the other side of the balcony railing. Sunday, 04/19/20. Len's Saturday morning coffee group has not met for three or four weeks. They, naturally, would not meet due to the virus, but also Weaver St. Market is closed to sit-down customers, both inside and at the outside tables. Two of the group, Karen and Liz, have sewing machines, and are making masks, which they donate to an organization who give them to hospitals for use of doctors, nurses, and custodial staff. However, some of their masks are going to friends. Karin made a mask for Jill. Jill picked it up this last week from Karen. Liz brought by a mask for Len two or three days ago. He used it at the supermarket yesterday. Karen made another mask which will go to Kristofer. Masks are difficult or impossible for the general public (and for hospitals, etc.) to buy. Many have home-made masks. Some people are still going without. Testing kids are in short supply anywhere it seems in the U.S., despite what the dishonorable president of the United States has said. Without testing kits, it is impossible to determine how widespread Coronavirus infections are. News sources on cable new report that many families do not have money to buy food because they lost their job due to the virus. Jill and Len donated money to a North Carolina food bank and to Grace church in Chapel Hill who are providing money or food to needy families. Despite the virus, the general atmosphere in Chapel Hill - Carrboro is relaxed. Fathers and/or mothers are out walking or bicycle riding with their kids or friends, others go for walks. Everybody is maintaining a safe distance from everyone who is not part of their nuclear family. It is almost like most people are on vacation. Behind the scenes some are concerned about paying their rent or mortgage in coming months and their other bills, such as utilities. Most though have received a stimulus check or about $1200 from the federal government, which helps for the immediate future. Also, the Chapel Hill - Carrboro area tends to be upscale financially, so many have some savings fall back on. Fortunately, some can work from home as can Len. Len needed a change of location, so instead of his usual parking spots, drove the streets running through the University of North Carolina (UNC), and found parking facing the old Playmakers Theatre, a Greek-revivalist building, four columns topped with leafy Corinthian capitals. Len thought he might as well feel he was in ancient Greece while he tapped away on his computer keyboard. Behind him is the The Carr Building with his short stone Iconic columns flanking the arched doorway. To the left Bynum Hall with tall columns made of brick, also with Ionic capitals. Except for the columns a capitals neither are Greek really, so he faced the Greek Theatre. Joggers pass him on his right. a father and his daughter around age nine, and son around age seven circled the little bush and tree filled courtyard in front of the Theatre. The father seeing Len sitting in his car, waved as they passed. Len waves back. Len got out of the Honda to take a photo of the Greek building. A father with his young daughter on his shoulders was walking by. As he was walking he took out his cell phone, dialed and coincidentally said, "I would like to order Greek takeout - two Greek chicken platters with baklava." Len had been hoping he could retire in July when he turned 70 and take off for Europe with hopes finding a country in which he and Jill could settle. That seemed unlikely. The virus seemed it would be around for a while, and a vaccine would be a year or more in the future. They could not afford to live in the area, even in their small one bedroom apartment without Len having his job. Also, Kristofer needs help in paying his rent, groceries, etc. until he lands a job, and finding one is difficult during these times. Saturday, 04/25/20. Overcast, in the 60s. Len got up, made coffee on the apartment balcony (smell of coffee wakes Jill up) and drove to UNC, sketched the Playmaker Theatre building and sketched a sketch he had printed off by the Austrian artist Schiele who died in the 1918 flu pandemic. He was about 27 years of age. His pregnant wife died a few days before him. Numbers of recorded cases of the coronavirus are climbing though people in the Chapel Hill-Carrboro area are calm, even relaxed it seems, but cautious. Confirmed cases in North Carolina, around 800 with 270 deaths. Deaths in Orange County where Jill and Len live, eight with around 200 confirmed cases. Confirmed cases in U.S. 944,000 with 53,275 deaths. Worldwide, 2.860,000 confirmed cases and 201,000 deaths. Most people are wearing masks if they are near people, such as in stores. Some stores require a mask, as to the Guglhupf bakery where Len purchased a loaf of multi-grain bread, and two mandelhornchens. A scattering of people walk around campus, family groups, couples, a few students dressed in UNC-blue graduation gowns with parents and sometime brothers and sisters. Whatever graduation ceremony is going on are no doubt, small events with 'social distancing'. Bike riders pass by as two joggers, usually students. Monday, 05/25/20. Memorial Day Confirmed cases in North Carolina, around 22,725 with 737 deaths. Deaths in Orange County where Jill and Len live, 39 with around 291 confirmed cases. Confirmed cases in U.S. 1,680,000 with 98,169 deaths. Worldwide, 5,450,000 confirmed cases and 246,000 deaths. No one we know has died of coronavirus as far as we know. Governor on NC as well as many other states has allowed restaurants and other businesses to open with restrictions. Fear of many is this will cause a spike in infections. Older people, those with pre-existing conditions, those who wore face-to-face with the public, such as grocery store clerks, nurses, doctors, bus drivers are, therefore more at risk and more will die. It is a trade off between people's lives and the economy. Len and Jill continue to remain at their apartment though Jill has made a few quick trips to the store. Most of their groceries are still delivered outside their door, or bought by Kristofer. For the most part people seem to be taking things in stride. Families out on bicycles, joggers walkers people starting to go to restaurants taking care of social distancing. No doubt, under the surface some people are stressed. Many feel the affects of self-isolating. Many have lost jobs, and they were not able to pay their rent or mortgage, etc. A few days ago the family in the apartment were again yelling at each other. Kristofer, Jill and Len were having dinner, Jill and Len on the balcony, Kristofer on the grass on the other side of the railing. They yelling got more intense, a baby was crying. This went on for some minutes when Kristofer heard the woman yelled, "Stop hitting me." "Shouldn't we call the police, Dad? She yelled stop hitting me." Len picked up his cell phone and called 911. Before anyone answered three police cars drove up. Len hung up. Some seconds later, Len's cell phone rang. "We received a call for this phone number just now. Is everything OK?" Len briefly explained what was going on and that he had hung up because three police cars arrive. "OK. Thank you," the dispatcher said, and hung up. A few days later on Main Street in downtown Carrboro someone began honking at a car in front of them as the stop light had just turned green. Rather than wait, the honking driver angerlly drove up on the curb and around the car. Again, these were isolated instances, but may reflect the stress some people were going through. About three or four weeks ago Kristofer landed his first full-time job as a web developer at a company, which was a boost to his spirits, and a long-sought initial reward for his many years at school. Sunday, 31 May, 2020. Some days ago in Minneapolis, MN an African-American by the name of George Floyd was killed by a white police officer. The officer was charge with third degree murder. African-Americans have been discriminated against, often unfairly treated by police in some locales, and sometimes harmed and occasionally killed. The killing of Floyd sparked understandable demonstrations by both blacks and whites and colors in-between in many parts of the U.S. Some of these demonstrations became violent with burning of vehicles and stores and sometimes looting. Jill and Len watched live broadcast on CNN. Demonstrations turned violent also in Raleigh, about 40 minutes drive away. The New and Observer wrote, 'As the night wore on, crowds thinned from a peak of more than 1,000. Police repeatedly used tear gas and smoke bombs; and in front of the courthouse on Fayetteville Street, they shot rubber bullets at protesters and journalists.' (31 May 2020). However, Chapel Hill - Carrboro remained calm. Two astronauts took off for the international space station, the first manned U.S. space flight in many years, yesterday, on the SpaceX Crew Dragon. They docked with the space station this morning. The SpaceX capsule looked well designed visually, and also include the most recent technology, naturally. It looked like something from a science fiction movie. Over the years Len was disappointed about the slow progress of space exploration ever since the first human set foot on the moon on his seventeen birthday, 20 July 1967. By now he hoped and expected to be a colony on the moon at the very least. Talk is still going as it has been since 1967 of a base on the moon and/or Mars. Len hopes one is established in his lifetime. Sunday, 08/20/20. Sunday, 19 July Kristofer, Jill and Len drove to the North Carolina coast, parked their Honda in a paid parking lot and boarded a passenger ferry. All those standing in line maintained their distance more or less in line, and all wearing masks boarded the ferry for the two miles to Bald Head Island. Their friends, Tad and Jayne van Dussen, generously allowed them to use their house for a week. That evening they went to a local restaurant sitting on the outside deck, overlooking the marina. Monday was Len's 70th birthday. Kristofer and Jill went all out to make his birthday special. That morning Jill made Len's favorite breakfast, Swedish plattar with th British Lyle's Golden Syrop, also a favorite of the Rinell family for a few generations. Later Len opened his gifts from Jill and Kristofer, a very fine camera, Sony A7r-III mirror-less full-frame. The camera is expensive. He wasn't expecting it and was delighted. He also got two shirts and swim trunks. During the day his mom and sister Cookie, sister Meilynn and husband Steve, and brother Carey called to wish him a happy 70th birthday. It was hard for any of them, including Len, to grasp that Len was 70. Earlier in his life he thought 70 was very old. Now he thought 70 was not old at all. He also got text messages from John Rinell, Kristina Jonell, and more. Carey mentioned that the whole coronavirus was very much overblown. He and Holly don't wear a mask in public unless it's required. The hardware store Home Depot does not require masks and so they don't wear them even if they are looked at with displeasure from other customers. They are not worried at all about contracting the virus, and have no fear with flying mask or no mask. A friend of theirs bring a bag of popcorn on board, Carey related, and eats slowly one at a time so she doesn't need to wear her mask. Carey and Holly usually do international travel related to their ministry. They don't travel, however, because the places they would travel to or the ministries they would interact with have isolated themselves from concern of the virus. In the evening Jill prepared a modified smörgåsbord with Swedish meatballs, knackebrod with canned fish such as sardines in olive oil, and Greek stuffed grape leaves. That week Kristofer, Jill and Len did some fishing with Len catching a baby shark of about 12 inches, they swam in the warm coastal waters, and did a lot of nothing relaxing. With spending an extended time with Kristofer and Jill, on an island in the Pacific, special meals, and gifts, it was the best birthday Len could remember. Some days later, back at the apartment Len got a picture post card wishing him happy birthday from his grand-niece, or is it great-niece, Serenity Whitman in California. Len and Serenity have struck have a bit of a relationship because has sent her a few boxes of used books, roughly in her age bracket, which he has bought at the library book sales, which are not occurring during the pandemic. Sunday, 06 September, 2020. Covid-19 rages on. Trump with his inaction, misinformation and lies is now responsible for thousands more deaths. U.S. death toll now is over 188k with over 6.26M cases. Of course the total is more with many cases undetected or not reported. North Carolina reported deaths are nearly 3000. Reported cases are over 176k. Jill, Len and Kristofer remain very careful, limiting their time in public place such as supermarkets. Kristofer is still buying much of Len and Jill's food. They still receive some food by shipment, such as local vegetables. Kristofer risks exposure the most. One of his house-mates frequents unprotected and undistanced social gathering such as trips to the beach with friends, a wedding and inviting friends of to the house in Raleigh for a night of poker. Kristofer remains in his bedroom when people are invited over. The elections are in November. Many are hoping that Trump will be voted out of office. Many prominent republicans have publically stated the they are voting for democrat Biden. In 2016 Len, and did many, did not think Trump would be voted in as president. Len stated to to his friends in his coffee group, calling Trump a 'clown'. At the time Len's brother and sister-in-law, Holly, said they were voting for Trump, in part because he would appoint conservative federal supreme court justices. Len replied that he understood what he was saying but that a person like Trump could hurt a lot of people as president. Many, including Len, saw Trump in 2016 as a liar, deceiver, prejudiced, con-artist and misogynist. He turned out to be these and much more. In the years since Len and many others saw Trump also being a racist, white nationalist, cruel, corrupt, bully, harasser colluder with foreign powers namely Russia, anti-environmentalist, fear-monger, divider rather than a uniter of people, and a nepotist. Support of these conclusions are well documented in current documents, articles and those sharing first had experience. Len cannot think of any living person that is so ethically and morally bankrupt. In short Len sees Trump as being a despicable person. One must go back in history he maintained to find someone worse. Unfortunately, Trump still has strong support. Ironically, much of this support is among evangelical Christians, though some in this category oppose Trump. Of those evangelicals who support Trump Len sees them as being uniformed, misled, duped, fearful of the calamities that Trump says will come if he is not elected, or frankly sharing some of the values that Trump holds such as white nationalism, racism, and a deeply embedded prejudice toward others not of the same skin hue. Len's inclination is to see them as being uninformed, and duped by Trump and the very right wing media such as Fox News which shares in the duplicty of Trump. Among his immediate family, Jill and Kristofer strongly oppose Trump. His mother and sister, Cookie, once supported him, but now do not. Sunday, 01/01/20. Raining. 275K case in North Carolina with 4.440 deaths. In the United States 9.21M case 231K deaths. Worldwide 46.2M cases, 1.2M deaths. Len, Jill and Kristofer isolate as much as possible though all are very careful, always wearing a mask in public, as does everyone else in their town, minimizing runs to the store, etc. Isolating is getting more difficult. Not easy isolating - for the most part - in a small one bedroom apartment. In call geographies the number of cases and deaths are high and maybe much higher because some cases or deaths are unreported or misdiagnosed. Presidential elections in two days. Most think that Trump will be defeated, but most thought he would be defeated in 2016 including Len who said at the time 'I don't think this clown will win the election.' Saturday, 11/07/20. Election for the president of the U.S. and other offices was on the 3rd. Today is voting day. Len and Jill had already cast their ballots by mail. Both had voted for Biden. Biden wins presidency. Len and Jill are happy and relieved and looking forward to Trump no longer being in the news. They both watch Biden and Harris speeches on TV, and celebrations in the streets of major cities in the U.S. Trump refuses to acknowledge that he has lost, promotes conspiracy theories and court action challenging the election results. All come as no suprise. Many Trump supporters support the consiracy theories. A deeply flawed individual is finally leaving the highest office in America.
Footnotes
web page updated: 08-Nov-2020
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