Etcetera

Storm!

thefadd.

Posted to Etcetera on Sun Oct 28, 2012 at 09:48:33 PM EST (promoted from Diaries by port1080). RSS.

Supposedly an 11 foot storm wall will dust Manhattan. One paper even reported a man's prediction that people will be fighting in the streets over food and gas.

I'm in Jersey and people seem unable to contain their excitement over mass predictions of doom and gloom. I say it breaks right. Is this US east coast "storm of the century" scheduled to impact you?

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1

Re: Storm!

zyxwvutsr.

Sun Oct 28, 2012 at 07:00:24 PM EST

5.00 (astute)

I'm in Manhattan and will be for the duration.

28

^ 1

Re: Storm!

port1080.

Mon Oct 29, 2012 at 10:44:01 PM EST

none

Let us know how you make out...some scary video & images coming out of NYC over the last few hours...

Allons-y!

2

I was unable to watch it

Ephraim Gadsby.

Sun Oct 28, 2012 at 07:21:19 PM EST

5.00 (informative)

5

^ 2

Re: I was unable to watch it

MinusOne.

Mon Oct 29, 2012 at 12:18:08 AM EST

5.00 (informative)

3

Re: Storm!

pO157.

Sun Oct 28, 2012 at 09:01:27 PM EST

5.00 (astute)

I'm planning on driving from Raleigh, NC to back home in New England tomorrow morning. I didn't cancel my car trip because I figured storm would continue to 1) break NE and 2) it wouldn't make full landfall until tuesday. As of now it appears my predictions (and that of my amateur meteorology buddy) were correct. So we'll see what happens tomorrow on The Road. Hopefully it's less dystopian than the book of the same title.

Since they shut down the federal government in DC traffic should hopefully be negligible through that corridor.

America! I could teach you, but I'd have to charge.

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^ 3

Re: Storm!

pO157.

Mon Oct 29, 2012 at 06:10:30 PM EST

5.00 (dystopian, brilliant)

After action report:
- DC looked like a post apocalyptic whatever.
-I didn't have any problems finding gas since I pulled over whenever I hit 2/3rds and only used rural stations off the highway. I only had 1 instance where the gas was shut off and that was at a state run interchange.
-NJ sucks. They didn't compensate their gas pumpers at the rest stops anything extra due to the storm. Furthermore, dude told me they were banned from leaving their posts even as the warning signs announced "SEEK SHELTER IMMEDIATELY!" I tipped the guy some scratch.
-Scratch as in money, Not like sexual favors or something. Pervert.
-A lot of people will drive like cocks if they know the roads will be empty.
-The Delaware Raritan Bridge is "fun" in a hurricane.
-Due to my facebook documentation of my progress, many/some/a few people now think I'm a badass for traveling in the face of........ CERTAIN DEATH!
-However, some people also thought I was crazy.
-My curmudgeonly pro-libertarian anti-TSA stance paid off bigtime. I drove to NC for this wedding because I hate leisure flying now due to the TSA. My friends who flew were all fucked, and those who tried to get 1 way rental cars after cancelling their plane tickets couldn't exfiltrate the area soon enough due to the car place not opening until 8 or 9am. They're stranded somewhere.
-The Connecticut State Police sucks donkey balls.

I don't know if I would advise anybody to do what I did and drive as far as I did in such a short period of time in the face of a historical weather event, but between that or being stuck in NC/northern virginia/DC hotel for days on end waiting for the situation to unfuck itself, I think I made the right choice. Because you only live once and that's the motto.

America! I could teach you, but I'd have to charge.

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Re: Storm!

thefadd.

Tue Oct 30, 2012 at 01:10:13 AM EST

none

love being out on largely empty roads before/during/after a storm when it's not actually all that dangerous. great story

I HAD HAD SEX WITH HUNTER S THOMPSON. HE CAME IN MY MOUTH AND I SWALLOWED IT. I SHOULD HAVE HAD HIS BABY. WE WOULD BE BALLIN' LIKE KOBE'S SON!!

4

Re: Storm!

port1080.

Sun Oct 28, 2012 at 09:43:02 PM EST

none

Hoping our house in Delaware rides out the storm okay...we're in the safe(r) location of upstate NY.  We're kicking ourselves for not moving some more things out of the basement...

Allons-y!

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Re: Storm!

MinusOne.

Mon Oct 29, 2012 at 12:21:14 AM EST

none

Hope everything goes well for you in both locations.  Keep in mind that the last big storm like this on the East Coast caused considerable flooding due to the huge rain and runoff in areas well away from the coast.  Be very careful with streams, dams, etc.

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Re: Storm!

port1080.

Mon Oct 29, 2012 at 07:08:19 AM EST

none

Believe me, I know...I grew up in an area of central PA that's constantly wrecked by flooding every time there's a bad storm like this (although it never gets any national news coverage, because that's taken up by the whiners in DC and NJ that freak out and then don't actually ever get much damage).  So far so good...power's still on down in Delaware, which is out biggest worry (as long as the sump pump's still running, we're good...if it goes, I'd say we're 50/50 that there's water in the basement).  Hasn't even started raining yet up here in upstate NY.

Allons-y!

8

Re: Storm!

tjb.

Mon Oct 29, 2012 at 10:18:01 AM EST

5.00 (astute)

"Whole Foods on Bowery is like a hipster-yuppie Thunderdome right now"

Having been through a couple of hurricane/tropical-storms on the east coast over the years, I'll take the occasional earthquake, thank-you-very-much - at least people don't go bonkers at the grocery store ahead of time.

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Re: Storm!

zyxwvutsr.

Mon Oct 29, 2012 at 10:21:19 AM EST

none

There are still plenty of delis/bodegas open. Also Duane Reade and CVS.

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Re: Storm!

Haggis.

Mon Oct 29, 2012 at 10:45:38 AM EST

5.00 (astute)

It's the same phenomena that takes hold whenever a snowstorm of more than 4 or 5 inches is forecast.

I am shitfitter; hear me roar.

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Re: Storm!

port1080.

Mon Oct 29, 2012 at 11:01:31 AM EST

5.00 (astute)

On the flip side...if you keep a few days worth of canned food in your pantry at any given time, there's no need to be within a thousand feet of a grocery store...just chill and ride it out.  

Allons-y!

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Re: Storm!

natophonic.

Mon Oct 29, 2012 at 01:31:07 PM EST

3.67 (borrowed, astute)

So it's gettin' real in the Whole Foods parking lot? Now they know how it feels, it happens every day, on the West side of LA.

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Re: Storm!

HidingFromGoro.

Sun Nov 04, 2012 at 01:49:57 AM EST

5.00 (entertaining)

I would unironically pay the market rate[1] to watch hipsters & yuppies battle to the death in a real-life Thunderdome.  

[1]: watch for free on a Chinese or Russian streaming site.

I got more styles than prison got bricks- ain't that some shit?

12

Re: Storm!

port1080.

Mon Oct 29, 2012 at 11:02:51 AM EST

none

Still not even raining in upstate NY...and so far the power outages around our house in DE have been minimal, so, so far, so good.  Looking like the storm is tracking a bit further north than they were initially calling for, so northern DE will be spared the brunt of it.

Allons-y!

14

Re: Storm!

port1080.

Mon Oct 29, 2012 at 01:37:08 PM EST

none

It's raining now in upstate NY, but the wind is minimal...it looks like we're going to dodge the worst of the storm, if Weatherunderground can be believed.  Doesn't look like it's going to be as bad in DE as they were saying, either, but we'll see...Feel bad for folks on the coast though, Ocean City MD, Rehoboth DE and Atlantic City NJ all look like they're going to be wrecked by the time this is all over...

Allons-y!

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Re: Storm!

tjb.

Mon Oct 29, 2012 at 01:53:37 PM EST

none

Are you renting out the house in DE or is it vacant?

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Re: Storm!

port1080.

Mon Oct 29, 2012 at 02:14:51 PM EST

none

Vacant right now, but our neighbor has a key and is looking in on it for us...so if anything does go wrong will know pretty much right away.  It looks like the storm is moving faster that predicted, and further north, so I think we'll be okay...the main worry I had was a flooded basement, but if the storm doesn't stall and dump rain, then we'll be fine.  It looks like NJ is really going to get the brunt of it.

Allons-y!

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Re: Storm!

tjb.

Mon Oct 29, 2012 at 02:44:40 PM EST

none

Well, it's good the neighbor is checking in - water damage is not something you want to let sit around.

About 8-10 years ago, when I lived here and was single and travelling frequently for work I was always worried that some crazy storm would come up the shore while I was halfway across the world and I would come home to a flooded disaster.

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Re: Storm!

port1080.

Mon Oct 29, 2012 at 03:08:10 PM EST

5.00

Yeah...if we get word from him that anything's gone wrong I'll be heading back down the PA turnpike first thing tomorrow morning (or whenever it's safe to travel).  The timing of this is so frustrating...we just accepted an offer and are under contract now, and the buyer's home inspector is supposed to come look at the house on Thursday morning!  Like I said, I'm really optimistic that we'll be okay...and taking some comfort that so far there aren't widespread power outages (our power company in DE has an online outage map..pretty cool).  As long as the power stays on, I think we're pretty good, our sump pump can more than handle the amount of rain they're calling for (and even if the power goes out, we're probably still good as long as the storm doesn't stall...).

Allons-y!

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Re: Storm!

tjb.

Mon Oct 29, 2012 at 03:37:22 PM EST

none

The timing of this is so frustrating...we just accepted an offer and are under contract now, and the buyer's home inspector is supposed to come look at the house on Thursday morning!

That's insanity - good luck on the place staying watertight.

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Re: Storm!

port1080.

Mon Oct 29, 2012 at 04:04:18 PM EST

none

Yeah...three months without an offer, get the perfect offer, and now this...sigh.  But like I said, so far, looks like the storm is moving further north, and faster, than initial forecasts, so we'll probably be okay...and if not, that's what insurance is for, right?  

Allons-y!

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Re: Storm!

Shy Elf.

Mon Oct 29, 2012 at 05:22:45 PM EST

none

If it has some flooding issues but isn't in danger of being washed away, It's probably worth being there, at least if you're heading up that way anyhow.  I grew up in a house with big basement flooding issues, and it was invaluable to actually be there to respond to things.

I missed their brief forecast that it would hit DE directly, so the forecast looks pretty much dead on to me.

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Re: Storm!

port1080.

Mon Oct 29, 2012 at 05:38:39 PM EST

none

Well, I guess I should have been more clear - it is hitting northern DE pretty solidly, but that's better than being on the northern edge...and they're definitely calling for less rain now than they had been yesterday.  Time will tell, obviously.  So far the power's still on down there, which is the main thing.  It's an unfinished basement, and there's no chance the main floors will flood, so worst comes to worse we just have a bit of a mess to clean up tomorrow...but I've got optimism, so far.

Allons-y!

18

Too Much in Never Enough

Gaius Petronius.

Mon Oct 29, 2012 at 02:45:37 PM EST

none

Well, out here on the Prairies of Illinois we don't have storm surges, though I am worried about my nephew who is currently in Hampton Virginia working for the Obama campaign. What will be interesting is to see the level of complaints that come after the air clears. In 2011 Mayor Bloomberg was raked over the coals for shutting down the MTA transit system to prevent problems when Hurricane Irene passed over. It is the perennial problem for city officials, cry wolf or apologize after the disaster. One tonic for this is an interesting article from Popular Mechanics that was actually written before Irene, but wasn't printed until after. It is a pretty scary description of widespread damage to NYC. If this was what Bloomberg was hearing from his experts, I can see why he took drastic action, even if it meant people complaining. I also understand that at this hour (3:42 PM, EDT Oct. 29th) All transit has been suspended, this time by order of Gov. Cuomo.

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Re: Too Much in Never Enough

zyxwvutsr.

Mon Oct 29, 2012 at 03:47:14 PM EST

none

They shut down the MTA about 16 hours sooner than necessary.

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Re: Too Much in Never Enough

Gaius Petronius.

Tue Oct 30, 2012 at 01:45:42 PM EST

none

Well, one might argue about when to close the system down, but doing so seems to have been a good idea. According to this report, all seven tunnels under the East River are flooded, and will take some time to clean up and inspect. It isn't clear exactly where the water came in.

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Re: Too Much in Never Enough

zyxwvutsr.

Wed Oct 31, 2012 at 08:56:36 AM EST

5.00 (informative, informative, informative)

...one might argue about when to close the system down...
Shutting down at 7PM on Sunday had no good effects and two bad effects: 1) I had to go into the city on Sunday rather than Monday, and, 2) Starbucks closed all of their stores at 4PM on Sunday. These were intolerable inconveniences for me.

But seriously:

It isn't clear exactly where the water came in
It's pretty clear to me: the storm surge that inundated lower Manhattan. One building I deal with had three feet of water in its lobby for a prolonged period around high tide Monday evening. It is directly adjacent to entrances to the 1 train and N and R trains. (The subway entrances were sandbagged, by the way, but sidewalk grates were not.)

I was in three large, dead buildings yesterday morning, including New York's largest office building. I say these are "dead" because they have flooded basements. Not only do these buildings not have electricity from the grid like other buildings downtown, but they lost much of their infrastructure, including the diesel fuel stored in the basements for their emergency generators. Those buildings have no lights (not even emergency lighting), no HVAC, and no working elevators. It will be weeks (at best) before any of them are reopened.

26

Re: Ftorm!

Gaius Petronius.

Mon Oct 29, 2012 at 06:29:08 PM EST

none

If you need a bit of relief from the storm-induced tension, Boing-Boing has a reprint of a description of how hurricanes arise, written in 1763! The writer doesn't have the whole story (he doesn't deal much with temperature differentials) but he has some very canny descriptions of the whole phenomonen.

27

Re: Storm!

Shy Elf.

Mon Oct 29, 2012 at 08:35:57 PM EST

none

The really unusual thing about this storm is its slow northerly motion and the way it's moving to the west at high latitudes.  The GFS currently has the center of circulation tracking over Buffalo.

It isn't the only storm to behave like this this year, either.  The center of circulation of Isaac went up into Illinois, before being kicked to the south into the Gulf again, and heading for Mexico, still as identifiably the same circulation.  And then there was Nadine, the fourth-longest lived Atlantic system, which basically spent two weeks wandering in near the same spot at fairly high latitudes.  There were other storms which moved unusually slowly, too.

It's the cold air of the Arctic which pulls storms to the east in mid-latitudes in the North Hemisphere, and that hasn't been as cold lately, which has resulted in much slower motion of systems to the east.  It will be interesting to see if this continues to the same extent for hurricane tracks.  If it does, it should mean more hurricanes making landfall in the Middle Atlantic and Northeast and heading inland.

At least with only moderately warm water, wind shear, and dry air blowing off of land at the surface, storms haven't had an easy time turning into major hurricanes this year.

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Slow moving and headig left.

Haggis.

Tue Oct 30, 2012 at 06:58:27 AM EST

none

It must be Obama's fault!!!

I am shitfitter; hear me roar.

31

Re: Storm!

port1080.

Tue Oct 30, 2012 at 07:37:58 AM EST

5.00 (informative)

Well, the storm was a complete flop here in upstate NY...the local schools and the college my wife works at all cancelled classes today, but the power's on and the rain and wind have stopped.  So, day off for my wife, won't complain about that, but the whole thing didn't amount to a hill of beans.  If the power company's online system can be believed, our house in Delaware never lost power (although the neighborhood one block over did - we got lucky).  Waiting until later this morning to call our neighbor and check in, but since he hasn't called us I'm assuming no trees fell down and we dodged the bullet.  

Allons-y!

32

Born into Turbulance

Gaius Petronius.

Tue Oct 30, 2012 at 09:33:09 AM EST

none

Another dramatic story: A hospital in NYC was evacuated after both the main and backup generators failed. Among the patients moved were a number of newborn infants in the Intensive Care unit.

BTW, my nephew in Virgina was evacuated from coastal Hampton to inland Richmond along with the rest of the Obama staffers, and all is well.

33

Prohibition returns in PA

tjb.

Tue Oct 30, 2012 at 11:54:52 AM EST

5.00 (informative)

Are they trying to cause riots?

34

Pictures tell a thousand words.

Haggis.

Tue Oct 30, 2012 at 12:07:34 PM EST

none

Here's a bunch of pictures showing Sandy's effects on points as far away as Toronto.  Found the link on fark.

I am shitfitter; hear me roar.

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Oh, and.

Haggis.

Tue Oct 30, 2012 at 12:09:54 PM EST

none

Now that Sandy's blasted through half the country, Mitt Romney is reneging on his pledge to take down FEMA.  A spokesperson wants to assure all those with damages that the federal government should stand behind them.

I am shitfitter; hear me roar.

38

Re: Storm Over Staten

Gaius Petronius.

Fri Nov 02, 2012 at 03:05:45 PM EST

2.00 (white)

Well, the recriminations are beginning. The borough president of Staten Island feels that the city has abandoned his area, and he also attacked the Red Cross for ignoring them. The decision to continue this weekend's Marathon Race is a particular sticking point. He also said that they shouldn't pump out the tunnels to New Jersey until they pump out the Staten Islanders.

Of course, this is the difficult calculus that any mayor would have to make. Any extra rescue crews sent to Staten Island mean fewer crews in Brooklyn or the Bronx. Would you rather have the Island president howling at you or one of Rev. Al Sharpton's rent-a-mobs?

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Re: Storm Over Staten

pO157.

Fri Nov 02, 2012 at 06:37:30 PM EST

none

From my friends that live in NJ (Exit 8A) and are involved in Emergency Services in that area, shits already starting to get... tense in regards to electricity and fuel. Nothing outrageous yet but if this continues for more than a few more days I don't doubt we'll see sporadic rioting at grocery stores and gas stations. This society has gotten people so used to convenience items now now now.

America! I could teach you, but I'd have to charge.

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riots averted

thefadd.

Fri Nov 02, 2012 at 07:52:39 PM EST

none

the national guard is delivering fuel

I HAD HAD SEX WITH HUNTER S THOMPSON. HE CAME IN MY MOUTH AND I SWALLOWED IT. I SHOULD HAVE HAD HIS BABY. WE WOULD BE BALLIN' LIKE KOBE'S SON!!

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Re: Storm Over Staten

zyxwvutsr.

Sat Nov 03, 2012 at 02:21:28 PM EST

none

Route 18, Friday-2 gas stations open, lines of 50+ cars.

Route 18, Saturday-6 gas stations open, lines of 10-20 cars.

All that has to happen is for electricity to be restored and the rest will sort itself out.

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Re: Storm Over Staten

zyxwvutsr.

Sun Nov 04, 2012 at 10:12:52 AM EST

none

I went grocery shopping last night. The only thing that prevented me from buying whatever I wanted was, 1) I still have no refrigeration at home, and, 2) they were completely sold out of red potatoes. So I bought a steak and had it with some pasta.

I saw one gas station with 5 cars in line this morning and another with 40-50. No rhyme nor reason to any of this, but it's pretty clear to me there is no shortage of gasoline, only panic-buying.

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Re: Storm Over Staten

Gaius Petronius.

Mon Nov 05, 2012 at 01:26:22 PM EST

none

I wonder how many people are tweeting fuel availability to their friends. If such exists, that station you saw with only 5 cars could have been mobbed only an hour later. I also heard today that according to Gov. Christie the issue is no longer so much a shortage of gas as it is a shortage of stations with power to pump it out, and geting the wholesale distribution depots fully on line. NPR reported a guy with a gnerator who could run his pumps to a large line, while the station across the road without the generator sat idle.

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Re: Storm Over Staten

zyxwvutsr.

Mon Nov 05, 2012 at 01:43:30 PM EST

5.00 (astute)

My observations completely bear out the idea that the problem is almost entirely due to electrical outages, though partly due to non-rational human behavior. On Wednesday my town* was largely without electricity - the main drag had no working traffic signals and there was only one gas station open. Each day since there have been more traffic signals in operation with nearby gas stations operating as well. Now this main road has at least 5 stations operating, but only four had short lines. The one that had been open all week still had long lines. (Must be the cool place to be.)

Also in effect is that people drive up and down the Turnpike and Garden State Parkway looking for gas, see long lines going into the rest stops on these roads, and conclude that must be the only gas available anywhere. The truth is that there are stations only a short distance from highway exits that have relatively short lines or none at all. This is exacerbated by the drivers coming long distance from Brooklyn and Long Island for whom New Jersey is Terra Incognita in the first place and who literally fear venturing off the highways lest they become trapped in some suburban cul de sac, run out of fuel, and have to resort to cannibalism to survive. (Ok, I made up the part about cannibalism.)


* My "town" has a population of nearly 48,000. If it were in Maine it would be the second largest city in the state.

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Re: Storm Over Staten

Gaius Petronius.

Mon Nov 05, 2012 at 01:46:43 PM EST

4.50 (informative, funny)

Isn/t Terra Incognita Tony Soprano's barber?

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Re: Storm Over Staten

zyxwvutsr.

Mon Nov 05, 2012 at 02:05:35 PM EST

none

Part of the problem is no doubt because motorists from more genteel areas pull up to gas stations, ask if there is any fuel available, and are told, "Fuhgeddaboudit," (definition #3) but understand that to mean "no" (definition #2).

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Re: Storm Over Staten

thefadd.

Wed Nov 07, 2012 at 01:07:21 AM EST

5.00 (funny)

no I saw cannibalism in a jersey cul de sac today. or at least a vulture

I HAD HAD SEX WITH HUNTER S THOMPSON. HE CAME IN MY MOUTH AND I SWALLOWED IT. I SHOULD HAVE HAD HIS BABY. WE WOULD BE BALLIN' LIKE KOBE'S SON!!

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Re: Storm Over Staten Update

Gaius Petronius.

Sat Nov 03, 2012 at 10:56:53 AM EST

none

Update: The Marathon has been cancelled.

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