Tag Archives: yoga

Nice To Be Home

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No matter how much you’ve enjoyed a long trip, it’s always nice to come home, isn’t it? Funny how that works. Your own bed & comfy sheets, the way your home brewed cuppa tea in the morning tastes so much better than any hotel tea (except maybe in London)

Other than the unpacking, and the stack of bills awaiting you, it’s a grand feeling.It’s especially nice to come back to roses on the 11th of November!

I know we should be cutting them back, but it’s hard when they’re still making such an effort!

Some of them are about 7 to 8 ft. high.

About the same height as my bills and catalogues.

I’ll be back in a day or so-I went to a much needed “Restorative Yoga” class tonight and my bed, my wonderful bed, is calling to me :)

Namaste Friends

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The Results are In

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I survived The Week of Extreme Healthiness!

It truly wasn’t that difficult. I had plenty of food (‘ceptin for dinner-which was just 1 cup of light soup each night)

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All the breakfasts were good

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Buckwheat-millet pancake with stewed fruits (ya, I couldn’t wait to take a bite before I took the photo)

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Drinks were wonderful and lunches were the heartiest meals of the day, as you can see below

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Cabbage wrapped spring rolls with tahini sauce-totally yummy for lunch

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There was none of this. Nada, zip, vapor.

 aaah, can’t you just smell what you’re missing??

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I don’t want to say that going 7 entire days & nights without wine was hard…

but going 7 entire days & nights without wine was hard.

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Saturday was interesting.

After starting with breakfast at The Cafe I ambled upstairs to a morning meditation class followed by Sound Healing, which might have been one of my favorite parts of the week.

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The Staircase at The Alchemy Arts Center

The lovely Rose sits ramrod straight in front of two extremely large and beautiful gongs and beats not so gently away at them with a large cloth covered …gong beater.

The sound is resonant, intense, and feels as if it’s reverberating  into your very core. With your eyes closed and your heart open, it’s quite an amazing experience.

I would definitely like to do that again. In fact, I’d like to have my own set of gongs for all sorts of reasons, but we won’t go into that.

After The Gong Show

I treated myself to the infrared sauna at Alchemy Arts

(this is not the actual unit there)

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These are NICE! Pretty much like a traditional sauna except  dry (no water poured over coals) and you really don’t start “glowing” until towards the end of a 30 minute treatment.  As most of the infra red saunas I’ve seen on the internet appear to be portable, this would definitely make a luxurious and easy enough addition to a home spa!

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Out of the sauna and into the Isopod;

Slim Paley photo

The flotation tank was fun and not at all claustrophobic, which was my one big concern. Much larger than I’d imagined, you pull the “roof” up and down from inside so you are always in control. I’ve never been to The Dead Sea but it must be a similar sensation- you actually have to fight against not floating. That being said, it takes awhile to relax your neck muscles and “trust” the float, if you will. It took clasping my hands behind my head (like men on a sofa watching football-not a pose I find myself in often) to really relax. The moment I adopted that pose, my entire balance changed and I was able to fall into the experience.

Strangely, I also started to root for The Patriots.

Did I enter into a meditative state? No. Alas, the endless lists that cycle through my mind don’t have an “Off” button.

But I did enjoy feeling a little bit astronaut, a little bit Mary Poppins, a little bit  Gaga…

All in all a good time was had,

and here are just a few things I learned from this experience;

-that I can easily go at least a week without any animal protein

-vegetables are truly delicious and creatively limitless recipe wise-

They’re the Karl Lagerfeld of the Food Pyramid.

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-I can easily manage a week without carbs.

-no bread, no problem.

-that lo and behold, I love like freshly squeezed Wheatgrass shots

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They really grow on you.y

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-That simply adding a single exotic element to an otherwise ordinary ritual (lemon grass in your tea, essential lemon grass oil in your bathwater) can transport you off to Calcon Land after a taxing day.

-But… wine is good.

How about Lemon grass wine, damn it??!

Lemongrass Martinis?!

I might be on to something but…

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back to shopping for just a moment;

The adorably happy tableware  at Alchemy Arts that several of you inquired about  is made by Pip Home

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Perhaps a couple of sweet heart shaped plates for Valentines Day?!

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And lastly,

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I rounded off My Week of Health & Fitness on Sunday with a lovely yoga session with the Divine Denise Zeverdes , yogini extraordinaire and owner of MoYo in Montecito.

As you can see, she brought me a little gift, that just so happened to match the colors of my yoga mat and accoutrements  (sooo Denise!)

And NO it wasn’t candy or chocolates!

PS. I’m loving my ‘tagged’ personal yoga mat! It makes me so happy every time I unroll it, and it comes in handy for instruction too;

“Put your big toe just to the left of the “OM”, “Place your hands on either side of ‘DO NOT COVET YOUR NEIGHBOUR’S DOWNWARD DOG”

I highly rec. graffitiing one of your own.

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So now, all that’s really left to make things perfect is one of these;

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God only knows I have enough marsupials around the property!

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Namaste All

xox

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Off to a Good Start…

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Slim Paley photo

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As we near the end of this first week of 2012, I’m sharing just a few photos I snapped in Santa Barbara where we’ve been blessed with some of the most incredible January weather I can recall  in many years.

Almost guilt-ifying (but not quite )

I popped over the mountains to beautiful Ojai on Wednesday afternoon and on the drive home felt compelled to pull over to the side of the road and capture the moment.

 I’m afraid I missed the best of the light, due to the driver behind me who was obviously neither a proponent of the “Slow Movement” or a person who appreciates spectacular natural lighting but I guess that’s life in the fast lane (see what I did there?)

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Slim Paley photo

In addition to the spectacular vistas encountered on the pass between Santa Barbara and Ojai,  the copious amount of avocados rolling around on the road at this time of year is almost comical.

 I was mashing guacamole the entire way :)

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Slim Paley Photo

and lo & behold the ”Golden Arches” (Montecito Style) are out

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Meanwhile, the last batch of Trader Joe’s frozen chocolate croissants were devoured…

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Slim Paley photo

(Sorry, but these just never get old for me. I mean look-they’re jockeying for position off the baking tray for goodness sake!)

This is the closest I will ever come to baking like Martha Stewart.

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source unknown

I grabbed nice long hugs before I sent my cubs back to school

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Slim Paley Photo

…I did not win the first Scrabble game of the year, despite a last minute “Qi” on a triple point letter square, but did manage to keep several New Year’s “Intentions” in tact, including pulling out my art supplies and reading a non-fiction book ( resolution #4; learn something new everyday and write it down).

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Although I didn’t get a yoga practice in, I intend to this weekend.

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from the book “Bitter with Baggage”

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Lastly, the second season of “Downton Abbey” starts on Sunday night- I can hardly wait!

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Slim Paley photo

and this was the view from my desk most nights this first week in January.

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The world is indeed a wondrous place to live.

Slow down, look around and pick up the free avocados

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Thanks again for all your lovely comments on my New Year’s Post, I truly appreciate each and every one.

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Happy Weekend All!

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PhYsiCaL GrAffiTi

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Slim Paley Photo

Sunlight catching the coloured pencils on my desk.

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Whatever possessed me I don’t know, but while I was in Sun Valley last week I decided  I would graffiti my yoga mat.

Before we go any further, let me share something with you:

Be extremely careful opening large, waterproof felt pens at high altitude.

We’ll leave it at that.

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Slim Paley Photo

 After I cleaned up and started to draw, the most amazing thing happened. The early morning light began throwing wildly vivid rainbows through the beveled windows of the dining room onto my “canvas”!  The photo above is not enhanced in any way.

I took this as a message from Heaven.

Basically, the message was this;

“SLIM!, Standard & Poors is about to downgrade the credit rating of the country for the first time in 70 years, so enjoy any and all forms of Art where you may find them”

Can you believe it??

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From there, I began to ponder the true definition of “Art” and if, in fact, graffiti really could be considered a true art form.

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From  ”Art In the Streets” at the MOCA in LA

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Though steeped in controversy, I believe it is, and a rather primal one at that if you think about how earliest man was painting on his cave walls.

Which might beg the question; Was he painting on his own cave walls, or someone else’s cave walls??

The age old rub with graffiti…

Personally, I enjoy a bit of well done graffiti in a very urban setting, say NYC, but I’m slightly horrified by it in a small town like Santa Barbara, and that’s not a case of “not in my town” as I lived in NY for many years and I love the city. Can’t wait to be there in just a few days!

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“Bloody Tears” bracelet in silver and fluorescent enamel, by Delfina Delettrez for OPENING CEREMONY

(Eerily close to what transpired in my dining room :) )

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Shoe designer Nicholas Kirkwood celebrates artist Keith Haring

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Moschino’s doing it

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Slim Paley photo

Slim’s doing it…

and as really long time, faithful readers of S.P. know- whatever Slim does…

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Karl does…

that little scamp.

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Someone tagged  Daphne Groeneveld

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Playa Vik Jose Ignacio

“Graffiti-esqued” walls are showing up in hotels

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as well as underfoot

 modular area rugs ByHenzel

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Monday, August 8th  (tomorrow!) is the last day you can catch “Art in The Streets” at MOCA

If  you can manage to make it there

your entrance fee will be graciously picked up by BANKSY

You can see the trailer for Banksy’s 2010 film about Street Art “Exit Through the Gift Shop” HERE

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A little “graffiti” I wouldn’t mind owning…

Basquiat squared.

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Miu Miu

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96 Marks Place, the original building on the cover of Led Zeppelin’s “Physical Graffiti” album

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Even old luggage titans like TUMI  are tagging

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The Novogratz’ enlisted street artist Matt Siren to create this bedroom on the first episode of their new show on HGTV.

( hope they’ll be showing more of their adorable kids on the upcoming shows, don’t you?)

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Banksy in NYC

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Keith Haring

Nicholas Kirkwood’s Keith Haring shoes

(Special order only.  D’yathink?!)

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Check out the Sumi Ink Club in LA  ( “All ages, all humans, all styles” ) Cool.

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Playing Safe for the home or office;

Flaunt your points on this very cool chalkboard pingpong table by Puma

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and graffiti to your little vandalizing heart’s content :)

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Banksy

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I love the whole vibe; the huge circular fire pit (including the genius round log holder), graffitied corrugated metal walls, & multi-coloured chairs.  Fun!

I’ve had this image on my inspiration board forever-I think it might be a hotel somewhere in South America.

 Free water-proof felt pens for the first caller.

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Vivienne Westwood, a graffiti soul if ever there was one.

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Basquiat

If it’s on canvas and worth a zillion $, can it still be considered “Street Art”?

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Have to admit I love the combat of the graffitied wall and old classic floor tile.

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Slim Paley photo

It’s not quite finished yet, but I needed to use it this morning!

 I started off with the best intentions of channeling Basquiat and Haring and crew, but somehow ended up with a rose… then vines & hearts…I guess you just can’t teach an old tagger new tricks :)

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I leave you with permission to draw on your walls,

and this little video I first posted in July 2010, but I like it for this post!

Color Me Crazy  by Sarah St. Clair Renard

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Are you getting your felt pens out yet??!

xx

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Totally True Confessions Tuesday

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Slim Paley photo

A little visual sorbet to soften the following photo

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So, I left  Las Vegas perhaps a little lighter of pocket but feeling just a wee bit better about my body image.

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Slim Paley Photo

Can you believe I got this photo?  The Sartorialist is going to be so jealooos!

I suspect the poor sales associate in Louis Vuitton would not have been smiling like that if she’d had the pleasure of this back view…

I admit, I did feel a tad guilty about snapping it- Twas only the deep dedication I have to my readers that guided my finger to the button, and the fact that her boyfriend seemed perfectly happy with the view.

And while we’re on the subject of guilt…

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I had one of these while I was shopping in Vegas.  The powers of the Fast Food kiosks were simply too strong to resist

When was the last time you had a good old fashioned Dairy Queen chocolate dipped ice cream cone?

For me it was decades, but boy it was GOOOOOD!

The trick is to bite off the swirl right before it hardens- Heaven.

And since I seem to have saddled up to the confessional window on this beautiful Tuesday, I might as well go Full Monty and confess to a few more of my heavily weighing sins…

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Poetry

- I read the New Yorker poetry for all the wrong reasons

- I really don’t like the poetry of Anne Sexton or Sylvia Plath either.

Oh sure, I pretended to when I was a teenager or maybe I wasn’t pretending, perhaps I really did like them then…

nah, I was faking it.

What a couple of whinging Debbie Downers those two were.

Anytime your angst makes Dorothy Parker look like a Motivational Coach it might be time to up the visits to your therapist, or put down the cigarette and take a walk in the garden.

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I can’t even hear the words “The Bell Jar” without rolling my eyes now.

Music

-OK, this one is kind of embarrassing;  I hate Jazz music. There, I said it.

That riff-y, Miles Davis, Jazz-Fusion, totally making it up as they go along Jazz? Aargh- instant headache. It seems totally Emperor’s New Clothes to me.

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If Sawyer from Lost asked me to go to a Jazz club I wouldn’t go.

-Here’s another confession;  That was a total lie.

I’d so go to a Jazz club with Sawyer,  jauntily tilted beret, capri pants and black flats in two seconds.

I’d even smoke if need be.

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Bob Dylan??? OMG- just kill me now.

OK, I get that his lyrics were great for the time, blah, blah, blah, but seriously? I don’t get it.

I’d rather go to a Grateful Dead concert and believe me, that’s saying something.

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Movies



-I’ve never seen “Saving Private Ryan”.

I know it’s a totally brilliant film, and I adore Tom Hanks,  but I’ve always been too afraid of the scary war scenes that I’m told you don’t have time to prepare yourself for.

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Never seen “Bridge Over The River Kwai” either, although I love William Holden and my husband insists it’s one of the best movies of all time.

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-Or “2001 Space Odyssey”

I can’t get past how BORing the first 1/2 hour is.  Why do all men love this film so much??! I’d rather watch “Lawrence of Arabia” twice,  back to back, then attempt Space Odyssey again.

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-Another great film I hate;  Orson Welles’ “The Third Man” .

UGH, just thinking of that weird Zither music gives me hives- I dread the moment I hear it and know that my husband will be immediately captivated and this will be the rest of our evening;

He “GENIUS”

Me “Can you please turn it down a little?”

He “The mans a GENIUS“

Me “Um…did the volume go up during the commercial or something? Can’t you turn it down just a bit” (pouring glass of wine)

He ” Just LOOK at that lighting”

Me “Has this ferris wheel scene been on for like 3 hours? Are you listening to me at all?”

He “Every shot is perfection“

Me “I think I am going to buy those earrings after all…”

He “Are you up for “Citizen Kane” next? “

Me “Sure. Probably the coat and the Tom Ford shoes too”

He “It’s unbelievable he was only 25 when he made that film- he’s from another planet”

Me “Where’d the rest of the wine go??”

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Exercise


-If I actually break a sweat when I’m exercising I start to panic.



- Sometimes I run up and down the stairs secretly and quietly just before bed so that I can accumulate steps on my pedometer before comparing it with my husband’s.

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- I bought a posture monitor and never wear it, because guess what? the fricking thing actually works and it’s annoying as hell.

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- I totally cheat on my yoga breathing

Who wants to accidentally snort in  yoga class??

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Random

Slim Paley photo taken with “Hipstomatic” App. on iPhone

-Did you know there are over 350,000 Apps for iPhones  now?  I confess I only use about 5 Apps regularly and perhaps another 3 once and awhile when I’m feeling creative.  I must admit I’m beginning to hate this “Tip of the Iceberg” syndrome I feel more and more lately.  Maybe “App. Clubs” are the new “Book Clubs”?  If I don’t  pull that together, which, let’s face it, I won’t, I vow to set at least one day a month aside to catch up on computer/techno/gadgetry wizardry.

I will not be mocked by my progeny.

Here’s another really bad one;

- I’ve never been to The Getty Museum and I live only an hour and a half away.

Slim Paley photo

-I sweet talk my roses

-and swear at my Tupperware. I know damn well there’s a lid conspiracy going on.

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And lastly, this is the top shelf of my pajama closet next to my bed.

Oh, wait… one more

I’m tired of pretending I don’t like Wiz Khalifa’s

Black & Yellow

(turn it UP!)

It’s my younger son’s ring tone so it’s in my head all the time. Have to admit I love it! :(

I feel utterly cleansed now.

OK, YOU next!

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