Born on this day!! Singer-actor Tommy Steele is 84. Actor Bernard Hill is 76. Actor Ernie Hudson (“Ghostbusters”) is 75. Former “Hardball” host Chris Matthews is 75. Actor-comedian Eugene Levy is 74. Actor Marilyn Hassett (“The Other Side of the Mountain”) is 73. Actor Wes Studi (TV’s “Comanche Moon,” “Into the West”) is 73. Drummer Jim Bonfanti of The Raspberries is 72. Actor Joel Brooks (“Six Feet Under”) is 71. Singer Paul Rodgers is 71. Singer Wanda Hutchinson Vaughn of The Emotions is 69. Country singer Sharon White of The Whites is 67. Actor Barry Livingston (“My Three Sons”) is 67. Actor Bill Pullman is 67. Director-producer Peter Farrelly (“There’s Something About Mary,” ″Dumb and Dumber”) is 64. Bassist Mike Mills of R.E.M. is 62. Singer Sarah Dallin of Bananarama is 59. Country singer Tracy Byrd is 54. Bassist Duane Propes of Little Texas is 54. Actor Laurie Holden (“The Walking Dead”) is 51. DJ Homicide of Sugar Ray is 50. Actor Sean Patrick Thomas (“The District”) is 50. Actor Claire Forlani (“Meet Joe Black,” ″CSI: NY”) is 49. Drummer Eddie Fisher of OneRepublic is 47. Actor Sarah Paulson (“American Horror Story”) is 46. Actor Giovanni Ribisi is 46. Actor Marissa Ribisi (“Pleasantville”) is 46. Actor Milla Jovovich (“Zoolander,” ″The Fifth Element”) is 45. Singer Ben Goldwasser of MGMT is 38. Singer Mikky Ekko is 37. Actor Shannon Woodward (“Westworld,” ″Raising Hope”) is 36. Actor Emma Bell (“The Walking Dead”) is 34. Actor Vanessa Zima (Film’s “Ulee’s Gold,” TV’s “Murder One”) is 34. Guitarist Taylor York of Paramore is 31. Actor Graham Rogers (“Quantico”) is 30. Actor-singer Nat Wolff (“The Naked Brothers Band”) is 26.
THIS DAY IN GENIUS HISTORY
1777 – France recognized American independence.
1903 – Orville and Wilbur Wright made the first flight in a heavier-than-air plane at Kitty Hawk, N.C.
1944 – The U.S. Army announced the end of its policy of holding Japanese-Americans in internment camps, allowing “evacuees” to return home.
1969 – The U.S. Air Force ended its “Project Blue Book” and concluded that there was no evidence of extraterrestrial activity behind UFO sightings.
1992 – North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) signed by U.S., Canada, and Mexico.
Today Is: A Christmas Carol Day (Story), Clean Air Day, Free Shipping Day, National Re-gifting Day, Wright Brothers Day
TODAY ON TV!
Primetime TV (All Times Eastern)
CBS – 8:00 – Young Sheldon / 8:30 – Be Positive / 9:00 – Mom / 9:30 – Unicorn / 10:00 – Star Trek: Discovery
NBC – 8:00 – Dolly Parton’s Coat Of Many Colors / 10:00 – Time Person Of The Year
ABC – 8:00 – Station 19 / 9:00 – Grey’s Anatomy / 10:00 – A Million Little Things
FOX – 8:00 – Thursday Night Football
CW – 8:00 – Dogs Of The Year / 9:00 – World’s Funniest Animals / 9:30 – World’s Funniest Animals
TV Talk Shows
Stephen Colbert: George Clooney, Black Pumas
James Corden: Gal Gadot
Watch What Happens Live: Craig Conover, Austen Kroll
The Talk: Debbie Allen, Michael Bolton, Matoma
Live with Kelly and Ryan: Tessa Thompson, guest co-host Anderson Cooper
The Real: Will Packer, Thomas “Nephew Tommy” Miles
WHAT ARE YOU TALKIN’ ABOUT? Here are today’s PPM-Friendly Topics!
QUESTION: He wanted to MURDER a Big Mac!!! A 26-year-old man is arrested after chasing McDonald’s employees with a CHAINSAW!! That just doesn’t cut it!!!
QUESTION: Will Tom Cruise’s next role be “COVID COP AT COSTCO??” Celebrities line up behind the star after his COVID rant on the set of the new “M.I” movie!!
QUESTION: Is Christmas SAVED??? Santa Claus gets his VACCINE shot!!! Now he can safely travel around the world and bring Christmas to all the boys and girls!!
QUESTION: WHO has a problem with Meghan and Harry’s $40 Million Spotify deal?? MUSICIANS!! A group of UK musicians say they’re paid PENNIES by the streamer!!
QUESTION: Is she the most HONEST kid in the world? Her viral letter to Santa starts out, “Honestly, I deserve COAL!!” Then she asks for a lot of cool presents!!!
Gloria Gaynor Signs Up For New Years Day
Gloria Gaynor will perform her 1978 hit “I Will Survive” on New Year’s Eve at the Crossroads of the World during the Times Square Alliance’s “Heroes of 2020” event to honor essential workers and their families. In a fitting way, she will sing out the old year that was rocked by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, a divisive presidential election and more. She also will perform her 1975 tune “Never Can Say Goodbye,” as well as “Joy Comes in the Morning,” from her 2020 Grammy-winning gospel album “Testimony.” The event will again be hosted by “Mean Girls” actor Jonathan Bennett, who most recently appeared in the 2020 Hallmark holiday movie “The Christmas House.” Due to the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, the event will not include a public audience. It will instead be streamed on multiple sites — including TimesSquareNYC.org, NewYearsEve.NYC, Livestream.com/2021 and TimesSquareBall.net — starting with the ball-raising at 6 p.m. on Dec. 31. And, for the first time since 1907, the iconic ball drop itself will take place as a reveler-free event — which, in past years, has drawn a million-plus people to Midtown Manhattan and Times Square.
********The song has been retitled, “I Will Survive, Hopefully!!”
******We’re having our own ball-raising at home!!!!
******2021 will arrive, look around and go, “What the hell is goin’ on??”
Kelly Clarkson Show Renewed
The Kelly Clarkson Show has been renewed for two more seasons, bringing it to Season 4. The news was announced Tuesday on the syndicated, daytime chat show’s Twitter account. “An early holiday present for y’all…TWO MORE SEASONS of the #KellyClarksonShow! Best gift ever?!” the post said. The show debuted in 2019 and won three Daytime Emmys, including Outstanding Entertainment Talk Show Host for Clarkson, in 2020. It will now stay on the air through 2023. “One ray of sunshine in this wildly unpredictable year is that we get to continue to deliver to stations and fans a show that brings people together,” Tracie Wilson, executive vice president of NBCUniversal Syndication Studios, said in a press release.
********To which half the people said, “We don’t think so!!” (kidding)
*******Kelly is the winner of the new crop of talk show hosts, for sure!!!
*******To celebrate, Steve Carrel is getting his chest waxed!!!!
Fox Getting Fantasy Island Reboot
Fox has given a series order to a reboot of Fantasy Island. They are developing a contemporary version of the fantasy drama, which originally had a seven-season run on ABC from 1977 to 1984. The new series is from Liz Craft and Sarah Fain (The Fix, Angel, Dollhouse), Sony Pictures TV and Gemstone Studios, and is expected to premiere in summer 2021. “Fantasy Island is a beloved program, and the world Liz and Sarah have created for this contemporary adaptation is signature Fox and a perfect show for today’s times,” Fox Entertainment president Michael Thorn said. The original Fantasy Island starred Ricardo Montalbán as Mr. Roarke and Hervé Villechaize as his assistant Tattoo. The series inspired a horror film reimagining starring Michael Peña, Maggie Q and Lucy Hale, which opened in theaters in February.
*******In the new version, Tattoo bangs all the hot chicks in the “Fantasy Suite!!”
******This version is kind of a combination of “The Purge” and “Gilligan’s Island!!”
******Mr. Roarke is covered with tattoos and has had his ears removed!!
******When the plane flies over the island, they just throw the guests out!!!
KFC Heiress Not Happy With Lifetime Film
Kaila Methven isn’t at all pleased after Kentucky Fried Chicken and Lifetime produced a soap opera-style film as part of a branded content collaboration. Methven, a 29-year-old entrepreneur who hails herself as the KFC heiress, is fuming after KFC and Lifetime premiered a film starring Mario Lopez as a sexy Colonel Sanders. Methven’s grandfather, Stanley Methven, founded the South African-based Rainbow Chicken Unlimited in 1960 and supplied nearly all of the poultry to the legacy fast-food chain at one point. In the 16-minute short film titled “A Recipe for Seduction,” it sees the fictionalized Colonel as Harland Sanders, resident cook for a wealthy family who sweeps Jessica – the heiress daughter of the deceased company’s founder – off her feet to much chagrin from her devious mother who has already handpicked the heiress’s affluent suitor in a ploy to dig the family out from a mountain of debt left behind by the patriarch. The project is “presented by Kentucky Fried Chicken” but doesn’t mention the brand by name. Now, the lingerie fashion designer told Fox News that the mini movie, which premiered Sunday afternoon on Lifetime, has created nothing but confusion for her since it was announced on Dec. 7. She added that her businesses and personal brand have been inundated with curious souls emerging from the woodwork inquiring if the film is based on the Methven heiress and her wealthy family. “It was really funny, I woke up this morning and I went downstairs in my building and a bunch of people were asking me if that was my grandmother or if it was my mother the film was portraying,” Methven said, adding that she was surprised to see Lopez playing the role of hunky Colonel Sanders as the pair recently appeared on joint Marie Westwood magazine covers and crossed paths at an industry event commemorating the launch in January.
********We’re still not sure who the hell she IS!! Her dad was a South African chicken farmer?? WTH???
*******This has harmed her “personal brand??” Has anyone ever heard of her??
HBO Removes Chappelle’s Show
HBO Max has removed “Chappelle’s Show” starring Dave Chappelle from its streaming catalog. The streamer’s Cheif Content Officer Casey Bloys revealed the news during Variety’s Virtual FYCFest, stating that it would no longer be offered by the end of the year. “We had a conversation with Dave [Chappelle]. I won’t get into it, but it’s very clear that it’s a very unique and specific and emotional issue he’s got,” said the exec. “So at the end of the year, at the end of this year, December 31st, we’re going to honor his request and take the show down.” The move comes just a few weeks after Netflix also pulled the content at the request of Dave. In a lengthy social media video, the Emmy-winning star explained that he “never got paid” after leaving the show.
*******A million comedians just said, “Hey!! There’s an opening on HBO Max!!”
*******We thought HBO Max was the guy who rewinds the movies at HBO!!
******Chappelle spends more time getting stuff OFF TV than he does getting stuff ON TV!!!
Britney Spears Not Speaking With Her Father
Jamie Spears says he and his daughter, pop star Britney Spears, haven’t spoken in four months as a result of their ongoing conservatorship battle. He told CNN he believes their estrangement is by her attorney’s design and defended his role in controlling her finances. “I love my daughter and I miss her very much,” he said of Britney. “When a family member needs special care and protection, families need to step up, as I have done for the last 12-plus years, to safeguard, protect and continue to love Britney unconditionally. I have and will continue to provide unwavering love and fierce protection against those with self-serving interests and those who seek to harm her or my family.” Britney’s attorney, Samuel D. Ingham III, claimed at a hearing last month that she had become “afraid” of her father and wanted him removed from her conservatorship entirely after he had allegedly hired a new manager without consulting her. Though a judge declined to remove Jamie from his role, she did agree to confirm Bessemer Trust’s role as co-conservator at her request.
*******We just hope she makes it to 2021!!
Mariah Carey Is Back On Top
Mariah Carey’s iconic Christmas anthem “All I Want for Christmas Is You” soared to the top of the Hot 100 chart on Monday after hitting 812 million streams. The song, which was originally released in 1994, reached the top of the tree again this year after rising to No. 1 in 2019 — making it the first Christmas song to reach the pinnacle of popular music in 60 years, according to Vulture. She tweeted in appreciation to her fans, thanking them for listening to her music. “WOW! I truly wasn’t expecting this at all!!” she tweeted. “Eternally grateful for the enduring success of this song. ‘I don’t want a lot for Christmas …’ just wishing for a bit more JOY and some holiday spirit for all, especially this year. Merry Christmas! Love, MC.” Along with the song, her album, “Merry Christmas,” also made a resurgence, bouncing to #10 on the Billboard 200.
********Uh, Bruce Springsteen when to #1 in 1985 with “Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town!!” And that’s a fact!!
*******In fact, her song was #1 last year at this time, so we don’t know what the hell they’re talking about!!
******Our version is “All I Want for Christmas is You Naked!!!”
Christopher Walken Doesn’t Use Tech
Christopher Walken claimed that he’s never possessed a cellphone or a computer. He dropped the bombshell during a virtual appearance on “The Late Show” Monday. “Someone had to come and set this up because I don’t have a cellphone or a computer,” Walken told host Stephen Colbert of facilitating the Zoom interview. However, he’s not opposed to technology — he admittedly just “got to it too late.” “I think I’m right at a certain age where it just passed me by,” he explained. “And I never got involved in it, because it would be strange to have a 10-year-old be better at it than I am.” He also disclosed that he’s never emailed, texted or tweeted. “Cellphones are a bit like a watch: If you need one, somebody else has got it,” he said. Although the actor says there is one condition when he uses another’s phone: “Somebody has to dial it for me.”
*********Christopher is not like the other guys!!!
*******Why does it sound like he must be a lot happier??
*****If eh doesn’t have a phone, how will the government know what he’s thinking at all times???
****Try this: when you see your grandparents at Christmas, ask them what it was like before computers and cell phones!! Then, while they’re answering, text your friends and look up the latest news!!!!
Ripping The Tabloids (Throughout the week, we’ll give you the stories from that weeks tabs!)
**Please Credit Publication!
“DWTS” Champ Jordan Fisher Dances Ellie Woods to Altar-(National Enquirer)
“Dancing With the Stars” champ Jordan Fisher finally married longtime love Ellie Woods after delaying their wedding amid the pandemic! “At this point, we just want it done. We’re just over it, we’re like let’s just freakin’ do it!” the 26-year-old actor, singer and dancer said of his eagerness to say “I do” to Ellie, 22. He said they “were best friends growing up” in Birmingham, Ala.
Sam Elliott Is a Family Guy-(Globe)
Grizzled Hollywood veteran Sam Elliott is getting the toon treatment-bringing his signature stache and unmistakable gravel voice to Family Guy. The 76-year-old actor is joining the animated and irreverent FOX series as Mayor Wild Wild West-a cousin of Quahog’s late mayor Adam West, who was voiced by the Batman star himself until his 2017 death. “A few friends of mine looked at me and said, ‘Really? You’re gonna do THAT?!” Sam says. “They just don’t get the show.”
Harry & Meghan: Baby Heartbreak-(Us Weekly)
It was a brave confession. On Nov. 25, Meghan Markle revealed that she and her husband, Price Harry, had suffered a miscarriage in July. “I tried to imagine how we’d heal,” the former actress, 39, recalled. “Watching my husband’s heart break as he tried to hold the shattered pieces of mine, I realized that the only way to begin to heal is to first ask, ‘Are you OK?’” And while the duo had hoped to welcome another child before Meghan’s 40th birthday next summer, “health and safety comes first,” adds the source. For now, “they’re focused on getting through this and enjoying the holidays [as] a blessed family of three.”
Jennifer’s Dirty Money-(Star)
Jennifer Grey has scored big time in her contentious divorce from Clark Gregg. Following a trial separation, the exes (mom and dad to 18-year-old daughter Stella) announced they were splitting in July after 19 years of marriage. As such, the 60-year-old, who admitted her acting career took a major hit following a ‘90s nose job that made her nearly unrecognizable, went to extreme lengths to ensure she gets her fair share. It worked. According to legal documents, Jennifer’s been awarded the royalties and residuals from 1987’s Dirty Dancing and the film’s 2004 sequel. Meanwhile, the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D star, 58, is paying spousal support-and will split his earnings down the middle. The decisions have been a tough pill for Clark to swallow. “Jennifer’s coming out of this better than anyone expected,” a source says. “It bugs him.”
Rebel’s Shed 40 lbs. & Counting-(Life & Style)
Rebel Wilson has goals-including tipping the scales at just 165 pounds by the end of 2020. And she’s already lost 40 pounds. The 5-foot-three star says that, with the pandemic slowing things down, she’s finally been able to prioritize her health, trading 3,000 empty-carb calories a day for a high-protein diet packed with fish, salmon and chicken breast. It’s a food formula that now fuels countless walks, hikes and (also outdoor-perfect!) HIIT circuits full of battle ropes, resistance bands, stairs and medicine balls. “I love my curves and stuff,” notes Rebel, 40. “I don’t think I’ll ever go too skinny, but I feel so much healthier.”
Nick Kroll & Lily Kwong: Just Married-(People)
The Big Mouth star and creator, 42, wed Kwong, a landscape architect, on Nov. 19. They’re expecting their first child together. “So very thankful, Kroll says.
Loser of the Week-(In Touch)
Iggy Azalea
The rapper laments that she “can’t stop dropping weight” after giving birth, while annoyed fans have accused her of photoshopping her pics.
STUPID NEWS
Cat Rescued From Power Pole
Firefighters in Ireland came to the rescue of a cat that climbed to the top of a utility pole and ended up stranded for nearly 24 hours. Limerick Animal Welfare said in a Facebook post Monday evening that residents reported the cat had been at the top of the tall utility pole for nearly 24 hours and appeared to be unable to climb down on its own. The charity posted an update later saying the Limerick Fire Brigade was on its way to the scene. The fire department posted a photo to Facebook showing firefighters using a bucket truck to reach the stranded feline. Limerick Animal Welfare later shared a video of the rescue, which only took about a minute. “Thank you to the Limerick Fire Brigade for responding and rescuing a poor cat that was stuck on top of a very high pole this afternoon,” the video post said. See the video HERE.
********The cat was very grateful: “What took you so long??”
*******Ireland’s pretty wet this time of year, so.. not many fires!!!
******This is why cats need 9 lives!!!!
Lost Ring Found In Costumer’s Bag
A California store employee who lost her diamond ring at work had the precious heirloom returned to her when a customer arrived home and found it in their bag. Geena Ford, an employee at Home Goods in Elk Grove, said she was at work recently when she realized her diamond ring, which had been given to her by her great-grandmother, was no longer on her finger. “My whole team looked all over the front, all over the store. We looked on the camera,” Ford told KOVR-TV. “I thought it was gone.” Ford’s mother posted about the lost ring on an Elk Grove community Facebook page, but several days went by with no leads on the heirloom’s location. Joyce Chock, a customer who had been helped by Ford at the store, said she dumped out her shopping bags several days later to wrap some Christmas gifts and made a surprising discovery. “I was dumping out gifts and out came a ring and I was like, ‘This is not mine,'” Chock said. Chock remembered seeing Ford’s mother’s post on the Facebook page and reached out to reunite the ring with the family. “Oh, the mom was very thankful. She said it was a Christmas miracle. I’m just glad that they got it back,” Chock said.
********Please tell us she at least had it appraised first!!!
TOPIC: Have you ever lost something super-valuable.. and had it returned???
Costumer Leaves Huge Tip
Employees at an Ohio restaurant have an extra reason to be jolly this holiday season after a customer left a $5,600 tip without even ordering any food. Souk Mediterranean Kitchen & Bar said a customer came in during the weekend and requested to be rung up for a penny. An employee complied, and the customer, identified only as Billy, left a $5,600 tip that he requested be split among all of the eatery’s employees. “What an amazing gesture of kindness to my employees,” Chef Moussa Salloukh wrote in a Facebook post. “This is not an ordinary December. Normally this is a month when our employees work extra and guests tip generously. December is a month for them to earn money to buy family gifts, put a bit into savings and take care of bills or repairs that have been lingering,” Salloukh wrote. Salloukh said each of the restaurant’s 28 employees received $200.
*******The employees are so excited, they started adding $5,600 to everyone’s bill!!
******If you’re one of those who have been affected by business closures, we have good news: Bill Gates is doing great!! So that’s one less thing you have to worry about!!
TOPIC: Are you tipping bigger right now???
Camel Goes Shopping
A camel was spotted at a Bath & Body Works in Nevada recently with its owner, video footage shows. The bizarre scene took place in Henderson, just south of Las Vegas. June Hilliard, a passerby who was shopping next to the Bath & Body Works, captured the strange sight on video. The owner can be seen leading the animal by a leash into the store. The camel casually strolls in as staff and fellow shoppers appear to clear a path. Others out on the street can be seen with their phones out capturing the unusual spectacle on video. See the video HERE.
*******Doing a little holiday shopping? You have to take the Christmas Camel with you!!
******The camel needed some new shampoo… she’s been smelling a little gamey!!
*****It happened on Hump Day!!!
STUFF THAT’S COOL AND VIRAL
VIDEO: SOUND OF ICE BEING DROPPED INTO AN ICE HOLE!
A LIST FOR THURSDAY
Parent-Approved Tips For Handling The ‘Santa Talk’ With Kids
Huffington Post
Emphasize the spirit of Santa
If there was one theme that rose above all others in the responses from HuffPost Parents readers, it was the importance of shifting the focus to the underlying spirit of Santa ― i.e., his love and generosity ― and the broader magic of the holiday season.
Like reader Amanda, whose 4-year-old has been asking some tough questions and recently told her mom that magic is not real.
“It damn near broke my heart, so I told her that I very fully believe in magic. … I’ve been reminding her often since then of the everyday magic that’s all around us.” Motherhood, for instance, is magic, Amanda said. “How our kitty cat snuggles and purrs is magic and how flowers grow. I told her that the feeling of Christmas is magic and that’s very real.”
Go the ‘Santa is only real for those who believe’ route
Several parents said they’ve told questioning kids that Santa is real for those who believe in him. And many make it clear that Santa only brings gifts to kids who believe in him. Personally, it’s unclear to me whether this truly convinces kids or simply makes them too nervous to keep pushing, but many parents said it’s an effective way to keep them at least outwardly believing in Santa.
“If you believe, then it’s as real as you make it,” said HuffPost Parents reader Maria. That’s also her explanation for why Santa doesn’t bring gifts to adults, most of whom have stopped believing.
“One of my boys said Santa isn’t real. My answer was: ‘Santa is real if you believe, and if he isn’t real, he doesn’t come,’” said reader Sam. “Suddenly, he believed again!”
Welcome your nonbeliever in on the fun
“When our son finally said he knew we were Santa, we told him that we were excited to be able to include him in the fun,” said HuffPost Parents reader Terri. “We explained that the idea of Santa was real, even if Santa himself as a person wasn’t.” She told her son that Santa is really someone who gets gifts for others without seeking recognition — and her now-15-year-old delights in using money he earns from his chores to buy small presents for younger family members.
“When my older kids outgrew it, I told them that they could help me with it for their younger sister,” said reader Sabrina. “Santa is not a real person, but it’s the name we give to the spirit of giving and the spirit of creating joy for others.”
When her eldest started questioning Santa, reader Andrea explained that “being a grown-up stinks, so Santa is a make-believe game parents play with kids.” She then invited him to help out, and promised him a present if he didn’t spoil the surprise.
Or just never do the Santa thing in the first place
This ship has already sailed in my household, but several commenters noted that they simply never led their children to believe Santa was real.
HuffPost Parents reader Brea said she told her daughter that “Santa is a character, like Paw Patrol or Peppa,” she explained. “Gifts come from us, [and there is] plenty of Christmas magic without making Santa real.”
“We never did the Santa thing! We enjoy the movies, stories and tales,” echoed reader Karen. But her kiddo has always known that mom and dad are the “real” Santas in their home.
Trust them not to ruin it for others.
Many parents noted that their kids have really risen to the occasion when it comes to not spoiling the secret for others. They just told them explicitly not to ruin the fun for other children, and emphasized their key role in keeping Christmas magic alive.
“My 7-year-old told me as we were writing letters to Santa this year that she knew I was the one who really got all the gifts, but she whispered it so her 4- year-old brother wouldn’t hear,” said reader Rita Louise. “I just winked at her and smiled.”
Rita Louise thinks kids don’t make it a big deal if their parents or caregivers don’t, and added that she loves to see her daughter pretend for her little brother’s sake. “It’s super sweet!”
“My 19-year-old son with autism still believes,” noted reader Jennifer Ann. “We let him have that because he loves it so much. His younger siblings who don’t believe love that he does, and they follow along.”
The preceding material was compiled and edited by Brandon Castillo. The Editor-In-Chief is Gary Bryan. The Radio Genius Show Prep Service is licensed for use on-air only by subscribing radio stations. Other means of redistribution is forbidden.
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