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Saturday, February 25, 2006

Keep up the good work, Dick

Baby steps.... Day 3!



Thanks, B.
By: Michael Rogers | permanent link
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Friday, February 24, 2006

DNC Smackdown

See what happens when you piss off the queers, Governor Dean? It's nice to know that the Stonewall Democrats are paying attention to the bloggers. Now that we've smacked the party and Stonewall, they are getting back into line.

Two interesting items in today's update in the Washington Blade. First, this tidbit:
"Stonewall Dems have ZERO spine," wrote gay activist Mike Rogers in a Feb. 15 posting on the Out for Democracy blog .... Eric Stern, executive director of the Stonewall Democrats, responded the next day by issuing a statement calling on the DNC to hire a full-time "LGBT political staff person" to work with Hitchcock to bolster the DNC's outreach to gay voters.
Not quite as exciting as Larry Kramer motivating a room full of hundreds of activists to start ACT-UP, but even a little peep like this from the normally silent Stern shows our influence on groups like Stonewall.

Even more interesting is this:

Ethan Geto
In a Feb. 13 meeting in Manhattan with gay Democrats and the leaders of several non-partisan gay groups, Dean said he replaced the Democratic National Committee’s “political desk" system, which included a gay outreach desk, with a new, "integrated" approach to dealing with constituency groups.

Veteran gay Democratic activist Ethan Geto, who chaired Dean's 2004 presidential campaign in New York, organized the meeting.
Folks, when Ethan Geto calls a meeting with gays over party stupidity and to defend Howard Dean, you can be sure the message has gotten through. Geto, a longtime lobbyist and political operative in New York, is well connected. He is called in for the big stuff.

Geto, however, is not entirely in touch with the latest technology. During the Ford Motor Company advertising matter, my sources inside the national LGBT movement tell me Geto was not happy when a blogger (as if PageOneQ is a blog!) had received access to inside information and had reported some of it on a news service. Imagine that!

The web-based outcry over this matter will, I believe, result in Geto and others paying more attention to the blogosphere. It was the web that sent the message to Dean. As Geto's moves have shown, the message has been received loud and clear!
By: Michael Rogers | permanent link
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Monday, February 20, 2006

If Mary Matalin wasn't full of crap....

I probably wouldn't make fun of the fact that she dressed in a Halloween costume for her appearance on Meet the Press, but there's no way to resist laughing out loud when you read the caption in this photo:



Much has been written on her poor performance on the show, though none I saw mentioned that her husband stayed away from the joint appearance. Less than a month ago, on January 22nd, they both appeared on MTP. There's no way he could respect himself if he appeared on the show and shilled for her this time around.

Right wing gays live for people like Matalin. She gives them cover to be selfish by supporting the ultra-conservative agenda because it serves them personally. Here's Mary giving love to PA Senator Rick Santorum:
Matalin, who has supported a variety of gay causes, defended U.S. senator Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania after he compared homosexuality to bestiality, polygamy, and incest in a discussion of sodomy laws.

Santorum is a "wonderful, caring, loving man" and a "great senator," Matalin said during a May 11 guest appearance on NBC's Meet the Press. She also attacked the RUC, saying it had "raised the tolerance bar" by refusing to grant Santorum the right to express his religious convictions. (Advocate)
For someone who said this:
"My support for gays and lesbians is part of what I know to be conservativism," she said. "To be a real conservative is to be pro-gay because to be a real conservative is to be pro-person.
You think she'd have the guts to stand up on the marriage amendment crap. Then again, she'd have to get into bed with Carville to take that stance and we all know would mean lower book sales.
By: Michael Rogers | permanent link
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Friday, February 17, 2006

The fairness doctrine



The blogACTIVE fairness doctrine means that the DNC gets to reply to my recent criticism. A statement by the party on one year of LGBT accomplishments has been printed on PageOneQ.

For the statement, click here.
By: Michael Rogers | permanent link
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Wednesday, February 15, 2006

A confederacy of dunces

I'm on a bit of a tear I guess, but this is an election year people, WAKE UP!


Another useless Democratic Organization

Remember the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee? Seems as though the brilliant triumvirate of Executive Director J.B Poersch, Political Director Guy Cecil and Comm's Director Phil Singer over there have done it again.

Now they can't even get this shit together with the chairman of the party. Ok, everyone, together now, can you say, "permanent Republican majority?"

By the way, when the progressives lose the Senate seat of this closeted, right-wing Senator, it's the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee trio above you can blame.
By: Michael Rogers | permanent link
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Tuesday, February 14, 2006

Stop the insanity...

Is Howard Dean TRYING to close down the DNC?

I mean, come on... Now they're going to just pretend gays and lesbians don't even exist.
By: Michael Rogers | permanent link
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And the crystal ball says...

Here's a follow-up to my earlier post on the Phil Singer (DSCC) debacle.


By: Michael Rogers | permanent link
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The spiral continues...

Phil Singer of the DSCC has one job, to elect Democrats to the United States Senate. Frankly, from this perspective he doesn't really care all that much about winning. He spends more time isolating the truth from his boss, Sen. Chuck Schumer, than he does trying to flip seats. Trust me, I know. If he paid attention, we'd flip more than one of those 'phobes out of office.

Anyway, the DSCC has officially joined with the DPDP (Democratic Party Destruction Project).



Remember Paul Hackett of Ohio? He is the American here , Iraqi War Veteran and Democrat who came incredibly close to beating Jean Schmidt in an overwhelmingly Republican district. Well, he's been shafted by his country and now shafted by his party. Here's what Mr. Hackett said in today's New York Times:
For me, this is a second betrayal," Mr. Hackett said. "First, my government misused and mismanaged the military in Iraq, and now my own party is afraid to support candidates like me.
and then he added:
The party keeps saying for me not to worry about those promises because in politics they are broken all the time," said Mr. Hackett, who plans to return to his practice as a lawyer in the Cincinnati area. "I don't work that way. My word is my bond.
FINALLY an honest politician...no wonder the party screwed him over.
By: Michael Rogers | permanent link
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Now for the good guys...

Apparently I'm not the only one ranting about the party's incompetence over the past few weeks. Howard Dean on the defensive because of gays.... I love it.

Some have told me I'm a bit too negative when I talk about the failings of the party and LGBT groups who fail to fight. There are, without a doubt, some great groups out there that are worthy of the support of those fed up with the traditional Democratic groups.

Here's a few of the groups I think are actually being effective in the fight:
The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force - Matt Foreman, the Task Force's Executive Director, has brought NGLTF into the fight as a lean, mean, fighting machine. I am a longtime fan of the Task Force (even before I was their Director of Development in the mid-90s.) Mobilizing grassroots activists state by state, NGLTF is unwilling to surrender any corner of the country to anti-gay bigots. [Support NGLTF]

Servicemember's Legal Defense Network - Dollar for dollar, there's no better investment than the national organization representing military affected by Don't Ask, Don't Tell. Their communications department keeps the injustice of our nation's military front and center in the media and is involved in cases coast to coast. [Support SLDN]

Housing Works/Campaign To End AIDS - New York's powerhouse. According to my most trusted source in NYC, Everyone else is cut off from the grassroots. Their Campaign to End AIDS is a brilliant use of the media to bring the message home. [Support HW/C2EA]

Human Rights Campaign - I know that many on the far left will disagree with me on this. And HRC and I have not always had the most agreeable on "outing." (Though they have come around and understood the value of this work.) The bottom line is this, as long as the radical right wing has institutions in DC like the Family Research Council, we need to be there too. You may not always agree with everything they do, but it doesn't stop you from loving your family, right? [Support HRC]

Mass Equality - People....we have two jobs to do in this generation and that's to make sure marriage is legal in one state and fully equal and that the national effort to amend the constitution fails. The right wing knows with those two things, the battle is over...it's just a matter of time. They have a big job to do up there...show 'em how much we appreciate 'em. [Support MassEquality]


By: Michael Rogers | permanent link
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Sunday, February 12, 2006

Thank you, Duncan

This is big. Senior Fellow at Media Matters of America and blogger Duncan Black of Eschaton wrote a very important post Friday:



True, it's not news to realize Ken Mehlman is a manipulative self-loathing bottom dweller.... What's fascinating here is that Duncan calls Ken "Closeted." This is a huge step forward. This is one of the few times that anyone associated with Media Matters has stepped up and so brazenly and supported this work. Thank you Media Matters!!

Many on the left have shunned my work and even resisted advertising on my news service, citing my blog, which reports on hypocrisy. Now that one of the largest blogs in the 'sphere is doing it, I'll be looking forward to a major shift in attitude on the left in support of this work....although I won't hold my breath.

Thank you Duncan and Media Matters!
By: Michael Rogers | permanent link
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What was Cheney doing?

As usual, BradBlog has the goods on politicians who support the NRA and can't shoot straight....

By: Michael Rogers | permanent link
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Saturday, February 11, 2006

People write comments...

Oy, do I get comments:
Typical Blog active stuff. Never any answers, just hype and soap opera like endings....oh wait, it never ends. Either name the senator or shut your mouth. This site is beginning to get tired. Everytime I consider financially supporting the site, I quickly change my mind with the constant teasing.
wayne | Email | Homepage | 02.09.06 - 10:02 pm
And sometimes, they get a personal reply:
From: Michael Rogers
Date: Feb 10, 2006 8:59 AM
Subject: your blogactive comment
To: Wayne
Wow... I am shocked!!! A self-proclaimed left leaning person who says they are interested in my site but for this fact or that fact. I usually don't respond to such comments, but I'm particularly moved by your arrogance... After all, is there some OTHER site doing this work that you like better? And if the site is so damned bad, why spend time here? And oh... you and the others seem more like whining babies who are jealous that you're not in the know about who the Senator is...

So thanks for your support... er, I mean, thanks for nothing.... do you work for the DNC? DSCC? or DCCC? If not, you should think about it...you seem as much on the side of the gays as they do.
In short, Wayne, .... you don't want to support the blog....but you want to call the shots... now THAT's fucking nerve.
By: Michael Rogers | permanent link
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Friday, February 10, 2006

Once again...

...a national gay activist calls out the DNC. Keith Boykin joins the growing chorus of dissatisfaction.

Not to stand silently by as the party trashes gays and lesbians, Stonewall Democrats have issued a statement about Howard Dean's insensitivity to the gay and lesbian community and condemning his actions totally kissing Howard Dean's ass:
Stonewall has communicated to the Democratic National Committee the need to have a strong, established LGBT outreach program that is able to effectively express the strategic interests of our community.

We are lobbying the DNC to hire more staff to support the current work of Donald Hitchcock, while hiring openly-LGBT organizers for Democratic efforts and campaigns across the country. Stonewall is also pressing for the appointment of more openly-LGBT members of the Democratic National Committee. This will help grow the size and voice of the DNC's Gay & Lesbian Americans Caucus, which has been a vocal proponent for a full-time LGBT Outreach Director and for increasing DNC operations targeting the LGBT community. Looking to the future, we are already working with community activists to increase the number of LGBT delegates at the 2008 Democratic National Convention and working to place many of those delegates in positions to determine the direction and platform of our party for the next decade.

Our organization is separate from the Democratic National Committee, and we have already begun implementing our own efforts for the 2006 elections, opening regional offices and hiring local community activists. While we continue to lobby on behalf of our community with individual Democratic campaigns, we support efforts to bring about a full-time position to implement grassroots LGBT outreach for the Democratic National Committee.
Statement Word Count: 224
Mentions of DNC, Democratic, Democrats: 8
Number of words condemning Howard Dean's stupidity: 0
Things are looking up tough...I hear that next week Howard Dean will ask the gay caucus to decorate his new office.
By: Michael Rogers | permanent link
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Thursday, February 09, 2006

Why the wait?

People have written and asked me why I won't release the name of the closeted Senator referred to in the letter.

The reason is simple. Since the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee are so rife with incompetence, I am forced to decide when the most effective time to release these stories by myself. In the case of the subject of last week's letter, he is up for reelection in 2008 or 2010. That is when the Senator's term is up and he runs for reelection.

Sure, I know groups like the DSCC and DCCC can't publicly support this work...but you think the political directors at these two groups would at least have the smarts to put me in touch with some useful people. Nope...the geniuses at the DCCC were too busy give me the WRONG information about Ed Schrock's seat to actually care.

So, last week we have the party Chairman trash the gay desk -- Smart move to offend the people who gave John Kerry tens of millions of dollars -- and now we have the continued lack of caring from staff of the two organizations charged to lead the fight for congress. Maybe they are still trying to find their way to the Gore speech.

So much for the belief that these groups actually care about winning elections.

Over the next year, the site will do some short profiles of the Democratic staffers who are dropping the ball on this.
By: Michael Rogers | permanent link
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Tuesday, February 07, 2006

SHOCKING!

Men in dresses having sex with men! Who knew? Apparently the village Voice does.

Did I mention that the catholic church's most powerful drag queen (see pic.) in the US is also gay.

Egan: "Hey, George, do you like my dress?"
George: "To. Die. For."

Special thanks to PROCEED AT YOUR OWN RISK for this one... And he has something to say about it!
By: Michael Rogers | permanent link
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As regular readers know, blogActive's work is completely bipartisan. The fact that the vast majority of these cases are Republicans says more about Ken Mehlman and his party than it does about his blog.

A reader pointed out to me today that in an update to the post on the closeted US Senator who votes consistently anti-gay I wrote that the Senator was a Republican. This means those keeping track can take a few more off the list:
Max Baucus (D-MT)
Byron L. Dorgan (D-ND)
Daniel K. Inouye (D-HI)
Tim Johnson (D-SD)
Mark L. Pryor (D-AR)
John D. Rockefeller (D-WV)
Ken Salazar (D-CO)
And then there were 36:
Lamar Alexander (R-TN)
Wayne Allard (R-CO)
Robert F. Bennett (R-UT)
Christopher S. Bond (R-MO)
Sam Brownback (R-KS)
Jim Bunning (R-KY)
Richard Burr (R-NC)
Saxby Chambliss (R-GA)
Tom Coburn (R-OK)
Thad Cochran (R-MS)
Norm Coleman (R-MN)
John Cornyn (R-TX)
Larry E. Craig (R-ID)
Mike Crapo (R-ID)
Jim DeMint (R-SC)
Pete V. Domenici (R-NM)
Michael B. Enzi (R-WY)
Lindsey Graham (R-SC)
Chuck Grassley (R-IA)
Judd Gregg (R-NH)
James M. Inhofe (R-OK)
Johnny Isakson (R-GA)
Mel Martinez (R-FL)
John McCain (R-AZ)
Mitch McConnell (R-KY)
Pat Roberts (R-KS)
Jeff Sessions (R-AL)
Richard C. Shelby (R-AL)
Gordon H. Smith (R-OR)
Arlen Specter (R-PA)
Ted Stevens (R-AK)
John E. Sununu (R-NH)
John Thune (R-SD)
David Vitter (R-LA)
George V. Voinovich (R-OH)
John Warner (R-VA)
OK. Discuss.
By: Michael Rogers | permanent link
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Monday, February 06, 2006

Let's shorten that list...

I haven't written much about the overwhelming response to last week's letter to a closeted US Senator. While I thought it might attract a bit of attention inside the beltway, I didn't think so many people would find it that interesting. All of a sudden more people are interested in anti-gay closet cases? Works for me!

For those wondering whom the letter was written to, I've decided to help folks figure it out by removing over 1/2 of US Senators from the list of possibilities.

Let's begin.

First, just to remind everyone, there are 100 Senators -- None of that meaningless DC Shadow Senator garbage here -- I'm talking a full-fledged US Senator.

Let's remove from the list the Senators from the list who supported a filibuster on the nomination of Justice Samuel Alito (28 Senators):
Barbara Boxer (D-CA)
Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY)
Dianne Feinstein (D-CA)
Barbara A. Mikulski (D-MD)
Patty Murray (D-WA)
Debbie Stabenow (D-MI)
Evan Bayh (D-IN)
Joseph R. Biden (D-DE)
Mark Dayton (D-MN)
Christopher J. Dodd (D-CT)
Richard Durbin (D-IL)
John Ensign (R-NV)
Russell D. Feingold (D-WI)
Chuck Hagel (R-NE)
Tom Harkin (D-IA)
James M. Jeffords (I-VT)
Edward M. Kennedy (D-MA)
John F. Kerry (D-MA)
Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ)
Patrick J. Leahy (D-VT)
Carl Levin (D-MI)
Robert Menendez (D-NJ)
Barack Obama (D-IL)
Jack Reed (D-RI)
Harry Reid (D-NV)
Paul S. Sarbanes (D-MD)
Charles E. Schumer (D-NY)
Ron Wyden (D-OR)
NOTE: Since 60 votes are required for cloture (ending debate and opposing the filibuster) Senators who were not present -- Harkin, Ensign and Hagel -- in effect, support the filibuster by their absence.
For those keeping count, now 72 Senators remain in the pool of possible addressees of last week's letter.

Of The 72, twenty-four are up for reelection in 2006. The Senator referred to in the letter is NOT up for reelection this year:
Daniel K. Akaka (D-HI)
George Allen (R-VA)
Jeff Bingaman (D-NM)
Conrad Burns (R-MT)
Robert C. Byrd (D-WV)
Maria Cantwell (D-WA)
Thomas R. Carper (D-DE)
Lincoln Chafee (R-RI)
Kent Conrad (D-ND)
Mike DeWine (R-OH)
William H. Frist (R-TN)
Orrin G. Hatch (R-UT)
Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX)
Herb Kohl (D-WI)
Jon Kyl (R-AZ)
Joseph I. Lieberman (D-CT)
Trent Lott (R-MS)
Richard G. Lugar (R-IN)
Bill Nelson (D-FL)
E. Benjamin Nelson (D-NE)
Rick Santorum (R-PA)
Olympia J. Snowe (R-ME)
James M. Talent (R-MO)
Craig Thomas (R-WY)
You're safe to remove the remaining women Senators from the list:
Susan M. Collins (R-ME)
Elizabeth Dole (R-NC)
Mary L. Landrieu (D-LA)
Blanche L. Lincoln (D-AR)
Lisa Murkowski (R-AK)
So, of the 100, that leaves 43 possible Senators. The remaining pool:
Lamar Alexander (R-TN)
Wayne Allard (R-CO)
Max Baucus (D-MT)
Robert F. Bennett (R-UT)
Christopher S. Bond (R-MO)
Sam Brownback (R-KS)
Jim Bunning (R-KY)
Richard Burr (R-NC)
Saxby Chambliss (R-GA)
Tom Coburn (R-OK)
Thad Cochran (R-MS)
Norm Coleman (R-MN)
John Cornyn (R-TX)
Larry E. Craig (R-ID)
Mike Crapo (R-ID)
Jim DeMint (R-SC)
Pete V. Domenici (R-NM)
Byron L. Dorgan (D-ND)
Michael B. Enzi (R-WY)
Lindsey Graham (R-SC)
Chuck Grassley (R-IA)
Judd Gregg (R-NH)
James M. Inhofe (R-OK)
Daniel K. Inouye (D-HI)
Johnny Isakson (R-GA)
Tim Johnson (D-SD)
Mel Martinez (R-FL)
John McCain (R-AZ)
Mitch McConnell (R-KY)
Mark L. Pryor (D-AR)
Pat Roberts (R-KS)
John D. Rockefeller (D-WV)
Ken Salazar (D-CO)
Jeff Sessions (R-AL)
Richard C. Shelby (R-AL)
Gordon H. Smith (R-OR)
Arlen Specter (R-PA)
Ted Stevens (R-AK)
John E. Sununu (R-NH)
John Thune (R-SD)
David Vitter (R-LA)
George V. Voinovich (R-OH)
John Warner (R-VA)
By: Michael Rogers | permanent link
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Sunday, February 05, 2006

Apparently I'm not the only one who gets it...

Found on my favorite new blog, The Washington Note.



...So does Ward Sutton, See it all here.
By: Michael Rogers | permanent link
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Saturday, February 04, 2006

Howard Dean goes on rampage... Kills constituent desks

It keeps getting worst over on South Capitol Street. Is Howard Dean hitting the bottle? What else could explain his latest move. Get this, he NIXED constituent outreach staff including the gay and lesbian liaison. I admire Jeff Soref for resigning from the national Committee in protest.

Howie, you got some explaining to do.... In the meantime... It's time to at least temporarily change course...

By: Michael Rogers | permanent link
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Thursday, February 02, 2006

DNC: Closed for Business



Yesterday, I received an e-mail from the Democratic National Committee which had a statement on the shooting at a gay bar in Bedford, MA. The release was nothing more than a patronizing effort for the community. I mean, come on, how many bashings have been stopped because of DNC press release?

"This is crazy," I thought. The DNC calls for hate crime laws... but do they assist in exposing those who are gay and voting against hate crime laws? No. They call for equality... but do they demand equal marriage rights for all citizens? No.

A little backstory:
I was on the phone last week with one of the DNC's communications folks, Damien LaVera. Although Damien was able to repeat the new DNC mantra of "Together, America can do better" at least a dozen times, he was incapable of telling me if even ONE member of the entire DNC staff bothered to show up for Al Gore's Martin Luther King Day speech. -- (Note to DNC staffers: Al Gore is your last national Democratic candidate to win a majority of votes, perhaps you should at least listen to what he has to say).

And, oh, If you have any question as to whether the staff of the DNC are in a fight or just another set of political hacks, consider Mr. LaVera's reasoning for the absence of staffers at the speech, "We can't tell staff what to do on their holidays," he explained. Ugh. You'd just think, perhaps, maybe, ONE staffer at the DNC would care enough about the times we're in...even if it is a holiday. Then, yesterday's press release on a bar shooting. Thanks, Damien,… But we need more than patronizing to win this war for our country. Send me an email when you are ready to fight as hard as the opposition.
(And, jeez, I haven't even gotten started on the other Democratic groups' incompetence -- trust me, more than the DNC has obtained draft deferments for this battle.)

I am a lifelong Democrat. It's a shame there's no more national party.
By: Michael Rogers | permanent link
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Yaaaawn.....

Remember the blogger who judged gay men for being too sexually active and then went on the web and sought multiple partners for unprotected sex? Well, Andrew Sullivan is whining again.

Hey, Sully.....you live in DC... go file a criminal complaint against me ASAP. Come on big boy.... Come on "Mr. Milky Loads," I DARE YOU. Take me up on my offer... PLEASE! I can't wait for the nation to see my subpoena list with a slew of Congressional closet cases (including the Senator in the open letter) .

And one more thing, Andy... Haven't we heard enough from people like you who were involved in getting us into this whole damned mess in the first place.
By: Michael Rogers | permanent link
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