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An Extended Look Inside The Lives Of "Crazy" Cat Ladies
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FatterKitty
11/17/09

In reply to An Extended Look Inside The Lives Of "Crazy" Cat Ladies
Fatter Kitty's doyenne here. I could write extensively about what a funny, bitchy, affectionate kitteh she is, but this family convo says it all.

Mom: I don't think she [me] would have made it through law school without Fatter Kitty.

Grandpa: That must be one smart cat. #catladies
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vamvaki_poulaki
11/16/09

In reply to An Extended Look Inside The Lives Of "Crazy" Cat Ladies
I haven't read all the comments, so forgive me if I'm repeating someone, but I really hope at the end of this program they mentioned the importance of spaying/neutering your animals and the overpopulation problem, if they didn't then they missed a really big point that contributes to why this kind of thing happens.

ETA: ALSO if you have hundreds of cats you probs aren't getting each one spayed/neutered, so that means they are probably reproducing within the home, right? Nuts!! (On cats... ah!)
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Dorilys promoted this comment Edited by vamvaki_poulaki at 11/16/09 5:54 PM vamvaki_poulaki was starred vamvaki_poulaki was unstarred

Dorilys
11/16/09

@vamvaki_poulaki: I was thinking exactly along these lines.

There wouldn't be so many cats for these women to collect if people spayed and neutered their cats!

Incidentally, watching Sigi feed the sick cat made me tear up. While I don't condone cat hoarding, I'm glad someone showed some love to that poor kitteh. #catladies
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esthergreenwood
11/16/09

In reply to An Extended Look Inside The Lives Of "Crazy" Cat Ladies
Funny thing about all this is, it has nothing to do with cats. This is compulsive hoarding. #catladies
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secretlycontroversial
11/16/09

In reply to An Extended Look Inside The Lives Of "Crazy" Cat Ladies
I work for a huge corporation and analyze demographics for a living. On Friday at work, after a co-worker suggested that 99% of cat owners are women, we decided to use some of our research tools provided through the company to check the accuracy of that statistic. The truth was that of cat owners about 56% were women and 44% were men. While women on average are more likely to own cats, IMO, I think this OMGCRAZYCATLADY thing is a bit sensational. #catladies
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sybann
11/16/09

In reply to An Extended Look Inside The Lives Of "Crazy" Cat Ladies
This is heartbreaking. I am so sad for these women. Maybe this is the only unconditional love they have ever had. #catladies
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eeeflopc
11/16/09

In reply to An Extended Look Inside The Lives Of "Crazy" Cat Ladies
Frankly, I'd rather be a crazy dog lady and lead them in a pack on a pair of rollerblades, much like Cesar Milan. Hell yeah, I'd love to be a dog whisperer.

I really am not a fan of felines and don't think I'd ever take one in as a pet. Dogs on the other hand...they don't seem as cold and uncaring as cats do and I think if I were a lonely person I'd rather have a dog that can sense when I'm sad and come and lick my face into a happy smile.

I want a dog :( #catladies
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Questioning Everything
11/16/09

@eeeflopc: Obviously you know nothing about cats, otherwise you'd know that cat's are just as as loving and able to sense your emotions as dogs. Dogs and cat's aren't only like their stereotypes.
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Edited by Questioning Everything at 11/16/09 4:34 PM

Ms.RantyPants
11/16/09

@eeeflopc: you know, I used to have the same attitude towards cats. However, I really wanted a pet and I live in a small apartment without time/money to walk a dog.

I've discovered that cats bond with humans just as much as dogs do. Cats are just more selective - they don't just love everyone who walks through the door. They love their feeders/masters. Also, different breeds have different personality traits - Siamese cats are known to be very friendly and playful.

Calling all cats cold and uncaring is like calling all females bitchy. Broad generalizations tend to be largely inaccurate. #catladies
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eeeflopc
11/16/09

@WashingMyHair: Well, in my defense, I grew up with a dog and the only cats I ever knew were ones that weren't very friendly. I don't doubt that some cats are different than others, but I really do have a personal soft spot for dogs.

There is one cat I love. His name is Snowy and he's a white main coon. He's a beautiful cat with three legs. #catladies
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eeeflopc
11/16/09

@Ms.RantyPants: Apologize for generalizing, but that was simply my opinion based on my own experiences with cats. #catladies
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Questioning Everything
11/16/09

@eeeflopc: I grew up with dogs as well, doesn't mean that I don't like cats - I love both. It doesn't have to be an either or. Cats usually don't like people that they sense don't like them.....that sensing your emotions thing. #catladies
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Sev
11/16/09

@eeeflopc: I've found a lot of people who have never had cats generalize about them being cold & uncaring, so I understand why you would say this.

However, I will say as someone who has had cats all my life and watched more than one avowed "cat hater" turn into a cat owner after meeting the "right" cat, they're a lot different than you think. Are some cats jerks? Yes, but there are dogs that are jerks, too.

Growing up, my parents friends said they didn't like cats. But after coming over to our house every weekend for about six months and hanging out with our three adorable furballs, they became cat people. Last I heard, they had four cats of their own. #catladies
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napalmnacey is an angry feminist
11/16/09

@Sev: Cats are remarkable, intelligent, nuanced and irrepressible little creatures. I get incredibly annoyed when I hear anyone call them cold or unfeeling or thankless. People that say this don't know how to listen to cats. They don't know how to be quiet and abandon human ego. To be a friend with a cat is to know that you are both animals, neither better than the other. You are never a cat's master. You aren't its owner. You're a friend and you're its family, and I think this idea scares a lot of people. I know my cousin has often said "I don't like cats cause they don't know their place."

My cats know their places are wherever they damned well want to be.

That said, I love dogs. They're wonderful animals and I often wish I had a dog in my life. I'm often sneaking cuddles with neighbour's dogs and I can't help it - they're so sweet! But they're different animals with different body languages and you can't compare the two. #catladies
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pamalter
11/16/09

@eeeflopc: Yes, I agree. I don't understand why a lonely person would turn to such a solitary creature for companionship. Surely dogs are more open about their affection. :) I love them. #catladies
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Her Grace promoted this comment pamalter was starred pamalter was unstarred

Her Grace: SNOWED IN
11/16/09

@pamalter: You are so mistaken I don't even know where to begin. But cats are certainly not solitary, on the whole. #catladies
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TallyCola
11/16/09

@pamalter: You've clearly never seen a cat pine for a missing owner. I grew up with five cats and two of them latched on to my brother and sister respectively. When brother or sister went away somewhere these two cats were *devastated*. When my sister was at college we couldn't even say her name around Tiger because he would rush to the door expecting her to be there.

Not to mention when they got old and died and there was only one left. Pocahontas used to sit by Tiger's favourite spots - not on them, but next to them - and mope. It was so sad.

Pocahontas would also sit on my mother's chest and stare at her, which was hilarious and cute. She followed my mom around all the time and kept her on a tight schedule. I miss Pocahontas. :-(
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cirocco promoted this comment Edited by TallyCola at 11/16/09 7:55 PM TallyCola was starred TallyCola was unstarred

meritxell: an erotic life
11/16/09

@eeeflopc: I'm a total cat person, although I haven't had one for awhile. I'm not gonna romanticize cats/dogs (I prefer cats because they are cuddly, clean, make nice noises, and are low-maintenance), but dogs are pack animals and are going to gravitate towards a "leader". Therefore they're gonna show more affection towards their "master". Cats are solitary hunters and aren't evolved to automatically respond to an authority like that. That doesn't mean that cats are cold/uncaring, they're just wired differently.

Plus - fuzzysnorglykittehOMG! #catladies
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Jack_Burton
11/16/09

In reply to An Extended Look Inside The Lives Of "Crazy" Cat Ladies
I hope that Jenny gets some counseling before, or if, she decides to become a parent. #catladies
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thecameralovesyou
11/16/09

In reply to An Extended Look Inside The Lives Of "Crazy" Cat Ladies
I can kind of identify with these ladies. Not in the "Crazy cat" sense, but in the sense that I feel like I could VERY easily become someone who ends up having way too many animals. I have only two dogs right now, but if I let myself think about all the dogs in shelters, or on the streets, or let myself look at petfinder for too long... I start getting the itch to get more. The biggest thing that's stopping me is I'd worry about the impact it would have on my own two dogs. But I could see almost becoming addicted to the feeling that you're saving an animal.
However, some of the cats in Sigi's house have the look like they want to get the hell out of there. Now I kind of want to save them from Sigi. #catladies
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vamvaki_poulaki
11/16/09

@thecameralovesyou: I know, I'm afraid that if I had a house I would become Molly Shannon's character in "Year of the Dog." #catladies
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Zira
11/16/09

In reply to An Extended Look Inside The Lives Of "Crazy" Cat Ladies
Living in a confined space with even just one cat can be seriously injurious to your health if you are elderly, have asthma or other medical problems. You are breathing in the contaminants in the litter box and pet dander all day long. There must be a real toxic brew in the homes occupied by these cat ladies. #catladies
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WashingMyHair promoted this comment Zira was starred Zira was unstarred

Questioning Everything
11/16/09

@Zira: Living in a confined space with even just one cat can be extremely good for your health. There are tons of medical studies to back that up. #catladies
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PhDelish
11/16/09

@WashingMyHair: Really? How is a cat good for your health? I get psychologically / emotionally speaking - there are a lot of benefits of having furry friends from that respect. But @Zira is talking about the very real concern of a (inherently) dirty animal crapping in the house. Yes, I know, you clean it up, etc - but there is still bacteria in the air and cat litter is none too healthy itself (pregnant women can't touch it? why would I be touching it then?) More than one would only be worse.

If you mean emotionally...then I totally get that. #catladies
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Questioning Everything
11/16/09

@PhDelish: I mean both emotionally and physically. They lower blood pressure and help alleviate depression which is both medical and emotional, among other things.

Who touches cat poop? Talk to an educated doctor or vet and you'll learn that it's perfectly fine for a pregnant woman to "scoop" cat litter, with a few precautions. Also, there are many types of litter that aren't clay than one can use.
[www.all-creatures.org]

Plus, you must not like cats much since you consider them "(inherently) dirty". They're no more "(inherently) dirty" than you and I. Not to mention the fact that cats are considered to be one of the most fastidious creatures there are.
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Edited by Questioning Everything at 11/16/09 4:22 PM

FontWhore (the Great Nubling Hope)
11/16/09

@PhDelish: I have lived with cats all my life and I ain't daid yet.

The thing about pregnant women and cat litter has of late been debunked somewhat. It is possible to contract an illness (toxemiaplosis?) from litter, but it generally only emanates from indoor/outdoor cats - and even then, if the woman has changed the litter before, she's been exposed and has antibodies. There's no danger from it unless the person is immunocompromised in some way. Also, you are far more likely to contract the illness gardening (soil being dirty and often tainted with animal poo) than from the box of a domestic cat.

And yes, cats are good for your health. They lower blood pressure etc - it's well documented. #catladies
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kansasgirl
11/16/09

@WashingMyHair: It depends on the person. As @Zira pointed out, for people with asthma, living with cats isn't usually great for your health. I have terrible cat allergies and can scarcely visit friends with cats without becoming a big sneezing itchy phlegmy mess. One clean apartment with 1 cat and hardwood floors is managemable for a short time; any more cats or carpeted floors (they hold in the dander) and I can't last more than a half hour or so. #catladies
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Questioning Everything
11/16/09

@kansasgirl: Of course living with cats could be a bad thing for you if you've bad allergies to cat dander. This is very different the originally posted reasons.
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Edited by Questioning Everything at 11/16/09 4:39 PM

PhDelish
11/16/09

@WashingMyHair: Oh, I seem to remember people talking about some chemicals in cat litter as unsafe for pregnant women. I wonder where that's from (or where I got that from)...or if they changed formulas. I'll take your word for it.

Yes, I didn't think of blood pressure - that's a good point!

And I was really just refering to things like dander and hair, which are "dirty" inasmuch as they tend to affect humans negatively (to varying levels depending on allergies). I mean dirty like all animals are - not that cats are more dirty than other domesticated animals per se. And as far as us being dirty...well our bodies have more tolerance for our own dirt than we do for that of other animals. Of course we have our own...umm..dander issues, too.

:) #catladies
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Questioning Everything
11/16/09

@PhDelish: Thanks. ;) The animal rescue I volunteer with uses a wheat based litter for their kittens. It's great environmentally and for the kittens, but not for me as I've got a gluten intolerance. So in that case, the litter isn't healthy..he he! #catladies
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PhDelish
11/16/09

@WashingMyHair: Ouch! Do gloves help? Good luck with that!

And thank you for your time at a shelter...they always need help. :) #catladies
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Questioning Everything
11/16/09

@PhDelish: I always use glove when I scoop, so that helps. Haven't had any problems yet and don't anticipate to (cross my fingers). If the kittens are happy, I'm not gonna complain.

I believe that most of us on Jez donate time or something related to causes that are important to us, but it's always nice to be thanked. Thanks for the thanks! #catladies
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napalmnacey is an angry feminist
11/16/09

@FontWhore (the Great Nubling Hope): And eating pig meat. Pig meat is the leading cause of getting toxoplasmosis.

Plus, a cat only carries toxoplasmosis once for a limited amount of time in their lives. Once they have it, they don't have it again. #catladies
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Zira
11/16/09

@WashingMyHair: @PhDelish:

Thanks for your responses. When I posted my original comment I was thinking of a family member who died from AIDS in the early nineties whose ultimate cause of death was an infection precipitated from living with two cats. For people with suppressed immune systems (because of HIV, chemotherapy or a variety of other illnesses) sharing an apartment with a litter box can be dangerous. But as many of you pointed out there are a lot of preventative measures that can be taken for sure. #catladies
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Questioning Everything
11/16/09

@Zira: No problem, understandable. FYI - I once had a foster kitten named Zira, she and her brother, Cornelius were the funniest kittens I've ever fostered. #catladies
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Her Grace: SNOWED IN
11/16/09

@napalmnacey is an angry feminist: And once a human has it, they also don't have it again--so if a pregnant lady has lived with cats who were allowed outside, she almost certainly has already gotten it. #catladies
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napalmnacey is an angry feminist
11/16/09

@Her Grace: Precisely. There are things a pregnant woman is exposed to every day that are worse than what cats carry. Pollutants, cigarette smoke or alcohol (if they're still indulging in those things), chemicals from detergents and plastics and just living in a city.

If a woman catches toxoplasmosis at the wrong time, it can go very, very wrong indeed. But the chances of that are not as high as common hysteria would have one believe. #catladies
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AnotherJenn
11/16/09

In reply to An Extended Look Inside The Lives Of "Crazy" Cat Ladies

I want to bring all these women into my house and give them hugs and love. Maybe that makes me the crazy human lady...

Also, now I feel a little guilty for doing this for Halloween: #catladies
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Questioning Everything
11/16/09

@AnotherJenn: MOST AWESOME costume! I'll be copying that next year. #catladies
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candleflame
11/16/09

In reply to An Extended Look Inside The Lives Of "Crazy" Cat Ladies
This doc doesn't challenge the cultural stereotype of cat ladies. It just shows four women who pretty much exemplify the stereotype. It doesn't really explain why or how this happens, or account for cat ladies who just really like cats but are basically OK, or cat men, or people with similarly troubled personal histories who don't end up with a lot of cats.

I think this doc could have been so much better. E.g. more discussion of hoarding in general, some indication of how prevalent it is in Canada (it's a Canadian doc), other countries/cultures that don't have the cat lady phenomenon and why that might be.

I would have been interested to know who was the first cat lady to appear in a novel, film, etc. E.g. how did the stereotype get started? Were there cat ladies in ancient Egypt? Was there ever a time when being a cat lady was considered way cool? Oh, and we can't forget the connection between cats and witches, which has got to have something to do with all this. #catladies
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Questioning Everything
11/16/09

@candleflame: I read a Q&A w/the director and someone else from from the film (producer maybe?) and couldn't help but feel extremely disappointed. I worry that this film will do more to confuse or possibly hurt rather than help people understand the differences between collectors with mental issues, genuine rescuers and people that are otherwise healthy, but have several animals.
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Edited by Questioning Everything at 11/16/09 3:57 PM

Aesop's Foibles. YES.
11/16/09

In reply to An Extended Look Inside The Lives Of "Crazy" Cat Ladies
I watched the 20/20, and it was actually sort of heartbreaking. Sigi's house was absolutely horrifying and I wanted to go in there with buckets and scrub brushes and soap and bleach. And a biohazard container for that CrockPot. Diane played that answerphone tape and got all misty because she missed her life and it made me want to go take her for coffee. Jenny mentioned how she'd be satisfied with "conjugal visits" and I immediately wanted to invite her to Jezebel. #catladies
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KW03
11/16/09

@Aesop's Foibles. YES.: That crockpot gave me nightmares. And the part where she was like - "I just have to keep reminding myself not to lick my fingers" - blarg! #catladies
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Aesop's Foibles. YES. promoted this comment KW03 was starred KW03 was unstarred

Aesop's Foibles. YES.
11/16/09

@KW03: Oh, and lest we forget the shot of her wiping her hands (!) on the cat-which was okay, since the other cats would just lick it off later.

*cheeks bulge* #catladies
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KW03
11/16/09

@Aesop's Foibles. YES.: oh man. I had forgotten that part. vom. I'm super allergic to cats, so just watching this made my eyes start watering and my throat itch. #catladies
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bajita
11/16/09

In reply to An Extended Look Inside The Lives Of "Crazy" Cat Ladies
For people not sure if they're ready to make the plunge into being a cat lady: I am currently fostering two kitties from the ASPCA. My job is to socialize them and make them fat enough to be spayed/adopted. It's so fun and you get to help the animals by letting them out of the shelter cage. I recommend it. #catladies
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sybann
11/16/09

In reply to An Extended Look Inside The Lives Of "Crazy" Cat Ladies
OK - wait just a gol darn minute - women who take care of their children and spouses and stop caring for themselves are not called "Crazy Family Ladies" now are they!? Just sayin'. #catladies
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colormeroutine
11/16/09

@sybann: Well, to be fair, plenty of people call Nadya Suleman and Michelle Duggarr crazy #catladies
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AnotherJenn
11/16/09

@sybann: But they do get condemned. "They let themselves go," "No wonder her husband cheated," etc. It's considered noble to forego your own needs for your family, but only if you still look attractive and are pleasant to be around, otherwise you're a bad, bad woman. #catladies
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sybann
11/16/09

@colormeroutine: we're all crazy - we're wimmens. #catladies
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sybann
11/16/09

@AnotherJenn: And if they DON'T give up everything for their families - we can't win. #catladies
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BytheSea
11/16/09

@sybann: Yeah, we call them fucking crazy hover (s)mothers. Their kids just grow up and stop calling them at all. And then they buy reborn baby dolls. #catladies
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TallyCola
11/16/09

In reply to An Extended Look Inside The Lives Of "Crazy" Cat Ladies
The second one kind of creeps me out. A feral cat in the wild is not the same as an abandoned cat in the city. So feral wild cats might not live as long as domestic cats but they aren't necessarily unhappy or mistreated.

The cat in the screengrab of No 3 is the cutest thing I have ever seen though!
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WashingMyHair promoted this comment Edited by TallyCola at 11/16/09 3:38 PM TallyCola was starred TallyCola was unstarred

Questioning Everything
11/16/09

@TallyCola: Well said. Not to mention, feral cats aren't necessarily happy living indoors. TNR (trap-neuter-return) is the happy medium for feral cats.

Also, I have a cat that looks exactly like that cat from #3. He's my gentle giant!
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Edited by Questioning Everything at 11/16/09 3:46 PM

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