TWO OLD BUCKS
A frequently thoughtful and sometimes whimsical examination of the world around us as seen through the cataract-clouded eyes of two long-time friends and explorers. Sporadically funny, invariably insightful, sometimes we're not sure.
231: Old Letters, Old Stuff, Free Stuff, and Stuff. No Crypto or Rogue AI Today
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Listeners comment on Dolly Parton. VV1 gives a thoughtful retrospect on the consequences of the forks in the road we take or don't take.
Del anguishes over Florida BOGO laws but is happy to get the second cigar for free.
Bucks wander aimlessly through 1960s giveaways, old stuff, free stuff, too much stuff. What do you do with your STUFF?
Del gives a public safety announcement on bank scams: DON'T CLICK ON THAT!
Dave geeks out on his new ultrasonic cleaner. It's a guy thing.
230: OCT 2 Notables, Seeking Voltage, Hijack, Dumb & Dumber, Still Life
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Dave reviews notable events of October 2, including the infamous cheese riot. So, why is cheese still expensive?
Del frets over potential electrical outages or whatever else AI can foist upon us.
Dave watched the Spacex Crew 13 dock with the ISS. Dazzling display of technology at 17,500 mph. Correction: It was not the new Spacex rocket, it was the reliable Falcon 9. Here's the post-docking welcome party.
Del frets over the recent thwarted plane hijacking, seeing this as happening more frequently. He's doing a lot of fretting lately.
...
229: Habit or Rut, Mold Dog, An 80 Perk, Dark Matter, Eco-anxiety, Distressed Haiku
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Del finds a perk for being 80: free bus rides. Let the good times roll!
Ranger Rick takes the Bucks to task to better define having a habit vs being in a rut. We try to explain. Dave says a habit serves you, but you serve a rut. What's your take? Tell us.
Del has eco-anxiety on top of his AI-anxiety. What's a boy to do?
Dave wants to change his name to Domingo. If you could change your name (hint: you can), what would you change it...
228: Missing Dolly, White Squirrels, Galapagos, Del and Whales
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The Bucks talk about losing Dolly Parton, someone who everyone liked regardless of their politics. What did you like best about Dolly? Here's Dolly with Emmylou Harris and Linda Ronstadt singing a Neil Young song. Three earth angels.
Del is astounded to learn there are white squirrels frolicking in Brevard, NC, where Dave is stating in a hexagonal house of mid-century architecture and furnishings.
Dave recounts his recent trip to the Galapagos aboard the National Geographic Endeavour II. Spectacular in every way, highly recommended.
Del ruminates on t...
227: Crypto Crash, BPH Gash, AI Rash, Talkin' Trash
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Bucks review the ups and downs of cryptocurrency since last September. Well, there are no ups. Don't say we didn't warn you.
Del sends out a one-question litmus test he developed while smoking an El Gordo. Is he set in his wheys or does he have PWS?
An expert phones in a warning about AI. Ignore at your peril. Speaking of phones, Del got a live human when calling a product support line.
Dave discusses his Aquablation surgery experience to fix his BPH. Too much detail?
<...226: We're Baaaaaack! Old Buck Milestones, The Usual Stuff, More to Come
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After eleven blissful yet possibly boring months without us, the Bucks are back to share our stories, life events, and views of the world with you. This is a short episode, mainly because Dave in production and Dave in editing couldn't remember how to do stuff after nearly a year off.
In future episodes, we'll review some of our past topics like crypto [way down], AI [way up], Ukraine [still hanging tough], and more. We'll also be sharing our reading and viewing habits with you.
Right now, Del is re...
225: PARTING IS SUCH SWEET SORROW
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Here's the totally unedited video version.
Hard to believe but the Bucks are galloping (hobbling?) into the sunset. After 225 shows, thousands of laughs and more than a few tears, Dave and Del are headed for new worlds to explore, new mountains to conquer, and new coffee shops.
It really has been a fun journey and we hope you enjoyed it as much as we did. We've created our own little community of loyal listeners (that's you) and we've always appreciated your insights and opinions. As Del often said, "It's a...
224: Dr. Craig Benjamin, Historian Extraordinaire
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The Bucks interview Dr. Craig Benjamin, historian, jazz musician, cruise lecturer and much more. Stay with us for the entire hour to hear about a life well-lived.
HERE'S A LINK TO A 6-MINUTE VIDEO CLIP OF THIS INTERVIEW.
A 2-minute video about three bears.
Books recommended by Dr. Benjamin:
Traditions and Encounters; A Global Perspective on the Past Comprehensive, 8th. Edtn, by J. Bentley, H. Zeigler, H. Streets Salter, C. Benjamin, New York: McGraw-Hill, 2025. This is the top selling world history college-level textbook in the...
223: Del has a Heat Attack and New Teeth, Dave Visits London
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Del panics over losing his phone and blames the heat. Is Del acting like a teenager or is it really the heat?
Del pays for another year's tuition for his dentist's child. But he looks mahvelous.
Dave nods the antlers to Rewen, Francis and Harriett, and Buck and Linda from the Baltic cruise. He also recommends seeing Joshua Jay, the magician performing on the ship. Here and here are videos of a couple of his routines.
Dave tours London and finds the people there extremely kind and he...
222: Del's new TV, Dave's Baltic cruise
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Del has a good purchasing experience and a less than good follow-up with AI.
Dave discusses his 15-day Baltic cruise, the good, the bad, and the ugly.
What are your AI experiences? Have you been to the Scandinavian and Baltic countries Dave visited? What were your impressions?
What is MdDS? Find out next episode.
Dick Clark introduces the bonus track.
Or, do you like this one?
And finally, Dave forgot to give a shout-out to Rewen, another new friend from the t...
221: Dave reports in from Denmark
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Dave manages to get to Copenhagen in one piece after nearly melting in Boston. He met one nice folks over there and highly recommends the city.
In the battle of the bonus tracks, listen and tell us which one you like the best.
1. Born to Run by Bruce Springsteen
2. Monster by Steppenwolf
3. Land Down Under
Give us your thoughts: BUCKSTWOOLD@GMAIL.COM
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220: Whither thy Weather, Speak Up, No Kings
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The Bucks whine about the weather again...and again.
Do you have a butt dial story? Let us know. We're all ears, hearing aids and all.
Bucks reconnect with Old Buck Gene, whose memory issues have taken a turn for the better. Amazing.
Bucks pay tribute to Sly Stone and Brian Wilson, two monsters of the music of our youth. Do you have a favorite song from either? Let us know.
Dave attended the No Kings demonstration in Sarasota. It's a good start.
O...
219: Crazy or just OLD? Gloucester Cheese, Canadian Fires, Spearhead
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Here's a short video clip from the episode
Del displays his geographic knowledge. He cannot be stumped.
Why does Dave have to practice mounting his bicycle?
Del makes milestone soup as only he can.
Those crazy Brits and their cheese chases. Can you do this?
Del expresses concern over proposed Medicaid cuts and the impact on poor people.
Dave recommends Spearhead by Adam Makos.
Our bonus track salutes the men and women who saved th...
218: Bucks interview Curtis Weber, a retiree now teaching English to immigrants
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Maybe retirement is a time to kick back and relax and that's fine. But it wasn't enough for Curtis Weber, a retired educator who relocated to Sarasota and now teaches English to non-English-speaking immigrants who have also found a new life in the area. Curtis teaches advanced English classes at the Sarasota Technical College where his students range in age from 17 to 83. He's had students from 30 countries with diverse backgrounds from cardiologist to ship captain. Send us your questions or comments, we'd love to hear your feelings on this topic.
Dave in...
217: The Lottery by S. Jackson, Tornado !, Del Flips his Lid, Tom's First Kiss
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Dave has an unexpected and unforgettable trip to a tornado shelter. Yikes!
Del proves once again he has too much time on his hands as he sands and drills plastic lids.
Tom recounts songs that carry a signifigant meaning for him, especially the one that was playing when he got his first kiss. What a memory!
The Bucks read and discuss The Lottery, a short story by Shirley Jackson published in 1948. Give us your feedback on the story. Like it? No? Thoughts?
Our most downloaded st...
216: Caregiving, Yo Yo Ma, Black Bag, Three More Love Questions
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Here's a 5-min. video clip.
Del deals with caregiving for an elderly friend.
Dave wraps up his San Diego visit.
Del reviews the movie, Black Bag, and gives it a not so great rating. What do you think?
Dave saw Yo Yo Ma. Highly recommended. Here's the Van Wezel.
Bucks discuss three more questions that lead to love, or maybe friendship. Tell us how you'd answer.
In the next episode, we'll read and discuss The Lottery by Shirley Jackson. You can r...
215: Persia, San Diego, A Question or Four of Love
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Dave's wife makes a new friend on their coast-to-coast flight while he sits next to the perfect passenger-an empty seat. The new Persian friend makes some San Diego recommendations, including the Lafayette Hotel. Just dazzling!
Dave enjoys the cool, perfect weather in San Diego, again visiting Balboa Park. Highly recommended.
The Bucks discuss the first four questions from the NYT article, The 36 Questions That Lead to Love. Read the article and tell us what you think or tell us how you'd answer the first four questions we discussed. View our...
214: Feedback on Mahesh, The Brutalist, Sitting on a Plane, Unbeer
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Got lots of great feedback on 213 with Mahesh Patel. If you haven't listened yet, please do and tell us what you think. There are links to two short video clips in the show notes. C'mon back, Mahesh.
Del gives two thumbs down to The Brutalist. Dave hasn't seen it. What's your vote?
Dave gave 3.5 stars to The Chestnut Man, a series streaming on Netflix. It's a hunt for a serial killer in Denmark, a bit creepy, a bit gory, a bit of a tangled web.
Del laments a...
213: We interview Mahesh Patel, author of RELOCATE ADJUST REPEAT
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Video clip of Mahesh on writing his memoir.
Video clip of 18-year old Mahesh on the Hippie Trail
The Bucks interview author Mahesh Patel, author of RELOCATE ADJUST REPEAT: AN INTERNATIONAL LIFE. Joining us is Old Buck Tom, who will be sharing the load with us from time to time down the road.
Mahesh has led a fascinating life and our interview only scratches the surface of what is in his book. Soooo, we urge you to buy his book; you won't be disappointed. To get his b...
212: Road Trip, Bikes and Books,AI Blues, No Mahesh Yet
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We had to postpone our interview with Mahesh Patel, author of Relocate Adjust Repeat. Mahesh will be with us next time. In the meantime, buy his book on Amazon. You'll love it.
The Bucks do a road trip looking for another bike for Dave and find a self-taught artist and all-around sweet guy.
Dave builds the courage to actually sell a bike so his car can fit in the garage. Seller's remorse?
Del tangles with an AI chatbot...and loses. Get used to it.
Del rec...
211: Planetary Alignment, A Complete Unknown, Martin Luther King Day
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Happy Birthday to loyal listener Linda from Germany! Auf Wiedersehen.
Tomorrow, Jan. 21, you can see six planets align. You can see it on subsequent nights, as well, but they won't be in perfect alignment. Or, you could wait until 2040. Here's the link to the article in WIRED. Tell us what you saw.
Dave saw A Complete Unknown, the movie on Bob Dylan's early career in the '60s. Five stars from Dave. Timothée Chalamet nailed it! Here's a trailer.
And for all the girls from the north country...
210: Jimmy Carter, More Ants, Slow Sisters & Bad Horses
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Del runs more ant experiments, proving once again that he has too much time on his hands.
Bucks pay tribute to Jimmy Carter, our 39th president. We miss him more every day.
Dave recommends two series on Apple+ [where we think you can get a free 3-month trial]:
SLOW HORSES, a British series about MI5 agents who have screwed up and been assigned to a purgatory called Slough House. Gary Oldman is brilliant.
BAD SISTERS, an Irish dark comedy about five sisters who may be bad. Or...
209: Bike Boys, Delmore, Traumas of Youth, Drones, Luigi
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Del discusses Mr. Majestyk by Elmore Leonard. He thinks they're talking about him.
Dave salutes the SRQ Bike Boys, who assembled 477 bikes for Xmas presents handed out by Salvation Army. Great job, guys.
Listeners recall a bad teacher and outdoor plumbing in winter. What's your bad teacher story?
Dave recalls a couple stories from his youth in Smalltown, America. Don't try this.
Del is up in the air about drones. Is he one of the pilots?
Mocha Mousse? Really? Can't we call it...
208: Britches, Banana, Brit, and Brute Banter
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Del's ordeal in getting to the mall incognito to meet Dave.
Bucks salute the growing fanbase in Beaumont, Alberta.
Dave watches the Spacex Falcon 9 takeoff at 5 AM. Send \us an email if you want the video.
Del discusses the "golden bat" rule being considered for baseball but the Bucks vote it down. Baseball will never be as exciting as curling in Beaumont.
Dave "enjoys" the Cardinal Mooney high school football game in the cold, rainy weather.
An old classmate who had a boy c...
207: Del & Amor Towles, Flamboyance, Conclaves and Republics, Scary Spoon, Hearing Doug
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Our trailer on YouTube
Del meets Amor Towles at a book signing and asks him if he can be a gentleman in Moscow, too.
Dave reads the best ever book opening,, and on thermodynamics, no less.
Del and THE WIFE see Conclave and learn how to elect a Pope. Political intrigue ensues.
Dave talks about the lifespan of republics. Can't happen here, though.
Dave gets shingles again. But he still enjoyed the James Museum in St. Pete.
Superman Terry pays the...
206: Carnivorous Cows, Psychopaths on the Road, Love Letter by George Saunders
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Here is our trailer on Youtube. Seven minutes
Dave inadvertantly scares away trick or treaters. Maybe next year.
Del recounts highlights and lowlights of the World Series and wonders why millionaires make so many errors.
Del figures out the right answer to the chicken quiz with a little help from his friends. We had seven winners while Frank and ML lost with style.
Bucks discuss Ragged Clown listener feedback. If you want to know where the name comes from, listen to this.
Dave r...
205: Hurricane Milton, The Ragged Clown, Stump the Buck
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Watch the video version HERE.
Del describes living through Milton and the aftermath. Dave reads an excerpt from a note from his friend, Pete, who also sheltered in place. A lot of people are now reassessing what is important and what isn't. Many find comfort in the day-to-day routines.
Dave reads an excerpt from the essay Using Ritual to Find Meaning by Kevin Lawrence, who blogs under the pseudonym Ragged Clown. Read the entire essay as Dave didn't do it justice and tell us what you think. If you...
204: Water, Losing Frank, Almost Losing Rich, FIRES by Rick Bass
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Bucks discuss Hurricane Helene as Del's prognostication on water is validated again, unfortunately.
Bucks mourn the passing of Frank Young, a two-time guest of the show. Frank was witty, brilliant, firmly grounded and just a great story teller. You can listen to him talk about his sophomore year in India in Episode 135 and his career in the foreign service in Episode 150. We'll miss him.
Welcome to listeners in Dundee, Scotland. It might be Scott Galloway from the Pivot podcast as he just celebrated a birthday there.
Dave...
203: Mountain Bears, Springfield Pets, McGyver Wipes, Ig Nobel Awards, Help Eddie
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CHECK OUT OUR VIDEO CLIP ON YOUTUBE
Dave recounts his time in Black Mountain, NC, which is a bit cooler than Florida.
It included two bear sightings and some challenging bike rides. He had a nice discussion with a Park Ranger about the bears causing local family pets to disappear. Speaking of pets disappearing, watch this video by John Legend on Springfield, Ohio.
Del outfoxes the auto wiper blade industry by learning how to double the life of the blades. Strange detroit-looking men appear in Sarasota. Coincidence?
<...
202: Funny Old Buck, The Anti-Kelce Brothers, Are Emus Real? Is Captain Kirk?
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Bucks love comedian Andy Huggins, another old buck who is out there telling the world how it is. Watch his video clip and let us know what you think.
Dave is overwhelmed by the sound of a clone phone ringing during a thunderstorm at rush hour.
Kelce [Collice?] brothers get a podcast deal even more lucrative than ours. Maybe we'll invite them on sometime.
Del wants to challenge the AI taking orders at Taco Bell. What has your experience been?
Del thinks LiMu Emu in...
201: Fire Time, All Ahead of Them by Tobias Wolff
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Bucks note the invasion of Russia. Whudda thunk it?
Del explains timepiece trivia for Dave.
Bucks contemplate tree felling.
Dave gives a Public Safety Announcement on barbecue grill fires.
Dave reads All Ahead of Them, a short story by Tobias Wolff. He previously read Bullet in the Brain by Wolff in the October 7, 2021 episode. This was the second highest downloaded story after The Quiet by Carys Davies on May 25, 2021.
Give us your feedback on the story or anything else on your mind.
<...
200: A Bucks Retrospective...plus Del Cogitating on Crazy Stuff
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Dave walks 110 miles in Europe. Is he too cheap to flag a cab?
Del flaunts his predictions on too much or too little water and e-bike dangers. The Free State of Florida declares war on bears and the NFL makes rule changes, an independent event.
The Bucks reminisce over the past 200 episodes, talking about some of the highest downloads and some of their favorites as well as guests and co-hosts. Special nod to Bridey Thelen-Heidel, whose book is coming out next month.
Ukraine has been our single...
199: Dave Survives Europe, Hail Olympians, Stormy Weather, Juggling Pythons
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Dave describes his adventures in Sweden and Denmark, where the weather is cool.
Bucks talk Olympics and Mondo the Vaulter.
Then there were the Canadian hammer throwers- Ethan and Camryn.
Del gets some bad weather but survives to do episode 199.
Del proposes the Bucks go on a python hunt. Another sign he has too much time on his hands.
Del uses that time to juggle toilet paper rolls. 'Nuff
198: Dave does Berlin and Del can't seem to move it groove it
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Bucks discuss Olympics and some more obscure sports.
Dave meets his first Rhodesian Ridgeback and finds a new friend.
Dave tours Berlin, a city of 3.8 million people. He walked a lot!
Del is infected by an earworm called Break My Stride. It is recommended you skip this video or you will be infected too. We warned you.
Del is frustrated over losing every battle with his wife over what time to leave the house. He says, "I'd like to move it, move it."
...
197: Dave visits Prague and Dresden while Del does the laundry
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Dave describes his adventures in Prague and Dresden, two beautiful cities.
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WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO WITH THE REST OF YOUR LIFE?
196: Annie and Yulia in St. Omer-OneYear Later
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We interview Annie Tregouet and Yulia Ovstrovska in St. Omer, France.
We first interviewed Annie, who teaches French to Ukrainian refugees, on our Feb. 9, 2023 episode.
Yulia, one of the refugees who was an accountant and lawyer in Kharkiv, was interviewed by Annie's husband Paul on our July 7, 2023 episode.
In today's episode, we revisit them one year or more later to find out what has changed for them and what has not. While Yulia feels safe in France with her daughters and they have adapted to the French culture, she l...
195: Pigheaded Pickles, A/C Agony, Rat Ramblings, Coffee Clutz, Terrific Tour
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Del struggles to open a pickle jar. This is a guy who could open beer bottles with his now-damaged teeth. Dave found this advice on opening a water bottle.
Listeners provide useful gender-specific feedback on the proper air conditioning set point.
Bucks tell their rat stories that got edited out last week. Do you have a rat story? Tell us.
Dave attempts to order coffee in a timely manner. Doesn't happen. Don't even ask him about foreign currency exchange.
Bucks discuss Table for Two by A...
194: What about the skunk?, Young Cap'n Jim sells taxis in Belize
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Dave returns from his road trip of 3522 miles in one piece, a tired piece.
What about the skunk? Paul Harvey and several listeners from last week wanted to know the rest of the story. Now you do. No skunks were harmed in the recording of this podcast.
What is the correct A/C temp setting? Ask your spouse.
Captain Jim tells a story about buying buying cars at an auction and reselling them in Belize. There's a minor subplot involving drug smuggling...not by Jim.
...
193: Buck Hunters, Cruciverbalism, Something Rotten in Denmark, Dr. Del, Counting Crows
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The Bucks learn how to spell that word Del couldn't pronounce last week.
Are the two old bucks buck hunters or the hunted? Maybe, maybe not. You decide.
Del sits in a hot car for five and a half hours and lived to tell about it. He said he learned in medical school that this is a cure for respiratory illnesses.
DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME.
Dave has a bike crash but never hits the ground.
Denmark levies a tax on cow farts. The bucks think this would...
192: MRI Humor, Judith Rebels, Crosswordology, Say Hey, How Hot Is It?
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Dave fails his pre-MRI Quiz. Explicit.
Judith gets ticked off when healthcare people stereotype her. In fact, she's going to start a movement to educate them.
Del shares this knowledge of crosswordology and some other big words we can't spell.
Tribute to Willie Mays, one of the greatest ever.
Del copes with the heat and family stability.
The Hornet Reunion
Bonus track this week is your choice of THIS or THIS
Give us your thoughts: BUCKSTWOOLD@GMAIL.COM
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