Archive for June, 2009

Are You Getting Anxious about Anxiety Depression?

Saturday, June 27th, 2009

A lot of people who burn the candle at both ends exhaust not only their physical strength, but they also tend to over extend their mental powers to the point where they obviously need some old fashioned relaxation.

Many busy people who are unable to understand the idea of relaxing and taking time of from work, as well as from their worries, have nervous breakdowns, anxiety depression and all sorts of mental illnesses that cause a person’s sanity to alter. Fortunately, if you are one of those who is unable to relax and who is constantly worried and fussing over things, there are several cures and treatments available for dealing with anxiety depression.

Anxiety depression is actually notable for all kinds of irregular behaviour and erratic mood swings in the person suffering from it. This is usually because of specific stress triggers. Also, many people who tend to get quickly anxious in stressful situations are actually prone to having anxiety depression. It is actually a matter of being strong-willed when it comes to facing difficult and stress-prone activities. It may be pretty hard to do at first, but trying to be calm and cool in times of extreme pressure is what will prevent your mental health from going into a downward spiral.

When it comes to effectively curing yourself of a mental disease, you must keep in mind that you must be completely honest with oneself and assess exactly what kind of depression or mental illness one suffers from. Go to see a reputable psychiatrist to get yourself correctly diagnosed as well to get the correct depression treatment. Here is a list of the various types of depression:

Manic or Bipolar depression – is characterized by sudden and extreme mood swings where one minute the sufferer is in an high state of euphoria while the next minute (day or week) the sufferer is in a personal hell.

Postpartum depression – is characterized by lengthy periods of depression and a feeling of emptiness in a new mother where physical stress during child birth and / or an undefined sense of responsibility towards the new born child are just some of the possible factors why some new mothers go through this illness.

Dysthimia – characterized by a slight resemblance to bipolar depression, although in this case, it has been proven to be a lot less severe. However, any case of depression should be treated immediately.

Cyclothemia – is recognizable by a similarity with Manic or Bipolar depression wherein the individual suffering from this mental illness may sometimes suffer from severe mood swings.

Seasonal Affective Disorder – is characterized by falling into a rut only during specific seasons (i.e. Winter, Spring, Summer or Autumn). Studies, however, show that more people become more depressed during the Winter and Autumn seasons. And lastly, mood swings, wherein a person’s mood can change from happy to sad to angry in a really short period of time.

However, the type of depression that has been shown to be most prevalent, is anxiety depression, which is actually recognizable by someone being overly anxious about some things. Anxiety is a natural behaviour that actually will help a person cope more with certain stressful activities like a first date or a gruelling exam the following day. Anxiety helps you get ready for dealing with certain “difficult situations”. Therefore, anxiety is actually quite a good, natural emotion.

Anxiety depression however, is quite the opposite. However, it should not be lightly dismissed as a “case of the jitters”. Anxiety depression is in fact an illness that can be caused by the actual DNA of a person, or, in other words, it can be a family.

Also, there are actually various types of anxiety depression too, each of which has its own unique characteristics. Take for example Generalized Anxiety Disorder or GAD. This kind of anxiety depression is a lot more complicated than the average anxiety depression, in spite of it possibly being a day-to-day problem for those who suffer from this kind of anxiety depression, Generalized Anxiety Disorder actually makes the individual a lot more paranoid than usual. Anxiety attacks are more frequent, even absurdly so at times.

Suffers can get anxious even when there is no apparent explanation for them to behave in that manner. Those people suffering from Generalized Anxiety Disorder often show several symptoms varying from from lack of sleep, to being unable to relax, getting tired easily, inability to concentrate and suffering from depression. This kind of anxiety depression is still curable though.

You should consult a reputable cognitive behavioural therapist who will recommend the therapy that you need to help you relax. Furthermore, prescribed medicines are a necessity to help sufferers deal with anxiety attacks, assist them to calm down and help them relax.

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Tennis Psychology (Part 1)

Saturday, June 27th, 2009

Tennis psychology is the same as understanding the workings of your opponent’s mind, and assessing the effect of your own game on his/her mental viewpoint and also understanding the psychological effects resulting from the different external causes on your own mind.

However, it is also true that you no one can be a successful psychologist of others without first understanding his own mental processes. Therefore, you must study the effect on yourself of the same thing occurring under various circumstances. This is because people react differently in different moods and under different conditions.

You have to realize the effect on your game of the ensuing annoyance, joy, bewilderment, or whatever other form your reaction is. Does it increase your prowess? If so, go for it, but never offer it to your opponent. Does it deprive you of concentration? If so, either remove the cause, but if that isn’t possible, try to ignore it.

Once you have accurately assessed your own reaction to circumstances, observe your opponents in order to determine their characters. Like characters react similarly, and you can judge men of your own sort by yourself. Opposite temperaments you must seek to compare with people whose reactions you know.

Someone who can control his/her own mental processes runs an excellent chance of reading those of another for the mind works along certain lines of thought and can be examined. One can only control one’s own mental processes after carefully studying them.

The regular, unemotional baseline player is seldom a quick thinker. If he was, he would not stay on the baseline. The physical appearance of a player is usually a pretty clear indicator of his/her kind of mind. The stolid, easy-going player, who usually displays the baseline game, does so because he hates to activate up his/her torpid mind to work out a safe strategy of reaching the net.

Then there is the other sort of baseline player, who would rather stay at the back of the court while directing an attack intended to disrupt up your game. He is a very dangerous player and a deep, quick thinking antagonist. He obtains his/her results by changing his/her length and direction and worrying you with the variety of his/her game. This player is a good psychologist.

The first type of player mentioned above merely strikes the ball with little thought about what he is actually doing, while the latter always has a definite plan and sticks to it.

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What Are Low Interest Rate Credit Cards?

Friday, June 26th, 2009

If a credit card is managed cleverly, it is one of the most powerful financial tools. But not everybody can afford to pay the expensive interest rates that most credit card issuers charge. This is where low interest rate credit cards may assist people who plan to maintain a balance on their account and not to repay the full amount monthly. But, what does interest or APR mean for when talking about low interest rate credit cards?

Basically, APR is the charge for credit as an annual interest rate. APR stands for “Annual Percentage Rate” and may be used to compare various credit and loan offers. The APR on credit cards is usually calculated monthly based on the current amount on the credit card.

The monthly interest is calculated as if the current card balance would stay the same over a year; the interest on the amount over a year (APR) is worked out and divided by 12 to get the monthly interest. It is a must that all lenders tell the client what their APR is before signing any agreement.

Although the terms and agreements do differ from one lender to another, it is better to get low interest rate credit cards because the lower the APR, the better it is for those who like to spend more money shopping wherever and whenever they want.

Why ought you choose low interest rate credit cards? Low APR credit cards are a good choice for those people who prefer tighter financial budgeting. The APR affects the balance over a period of time, it being the most important attribute of a credit card.

With regard to low interest rate credit cards, the amount of interest one has to pay on his or her credit card balance depends on its APR. Therefore, the lower the APR is, the better it is him or her because it means they have to repay less interest. APR’s on low interest rate credit cards can either be ‘fixed’ or ‘variable’.

If you are intending to have low interest rate credit cards, there are many cards that offer low APRs to be found online. These low interest rate credit cards are selected using a factoring scheme that ordered these cards by computing a number of their attributes to put the best deals at the top.

One of the questions one has to pose when searching for low interest rate credit cards is about the charges: whether they vary or are fixed. If these charges are variable, they might affect the repayments and if these rate are fixed, the repayments remain the same. Searching for low interest rate credit cards may also include questions on the possibility of any charges that are not included in the APR like optional payment protection insurance or an annual charge.

If there are any, make sure that you know what they are and when you must pay them. Lastly, searching for low interest rate credit cards should include questions on the terms and conditions of the credit and how these conditions affect you.

If you are seeking for low interest rate credit cards, you may begin looking for a scheme that could help you save hundreds in interest with a low interest credit card and low cost processing. Most low interest rate credit cards offer 0% APR for the first months on purchases, cash advances, and balance transfers.

Low interest rate credit cards sometimes offer rebates on certain items purchased. They also offer $0 liability on unauthorized purchases, and no annual fees. Some low interest rate credit cards have very good introductory rates for purchases. They also offer good deals if one carries high amounts on other cards and need to transfer the balance.

Indeed, having low interest rate credit cards can be useful and convenient, and can even help create a strong credit history that will help you with future activities like home-buying, paying for higher education, and even finding a job. But, before you apply for low interest rate credit cards, consider the advantages and disadvantages especially with regard to the current financial situation you are in.

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How to Make UP Your Mind Where to Invest

Friday, June 26th, 2009

There are quite a few different sorts of investments, and there are many factors in determining where you should invest your funds.

Naturally, deciding where you will place your money begins with checking out the various kinds of investment on the market, determining your risk tolerance, and determining your investment style and your financial goals.

If you were going to purchase a new car, for example, you would do quite a bit of research before making a final decision and a purchase. You would not consider purchasing a car that you had not fully looked over and taken for a test drive. Investing works in much the same way.

You will, of course, research as much about the prospective investment as possible, and you would want to see how previous investors had fared too. It’s just common sense, isn’t it?

Does researching the stock market and investments take lots of time? Yes, but it is definitely time well spent. There are numerous of books and websites on the topic, and you can also take degree level courses on the topic, which is what stock brokers do. If you have access to the Internet, you can actually play the stock market with fake money in order to get a feel for how it all works.

You can make simulated investments in a pretend portfolio often called a ‘Wish List’ and see how they do. Create a search with any search engine for ‘Stock Market Games’ or ‘Stock Market Simulations’, although almost every online stock broker provides these facilities. It really is a great way to commence to learn about how investing in the stock market actually works.

Other types of investments outside of the stock market do not always have simulators, so you must learn about those types of investments the hard way – by reading.

As a potential investor, you should study thing you can possibly get your mits on about investing, but make sure you start at the lowest level of investment books and websites, otherwise, you will soon find that you are are hopelessly lost.

Finally, speak with a financial advisor. Tell him your goals and ask them for their suggestions. This is what they do! A good financial planner can easily help you determine where to invest your money, and help you set up a plan to reach all of your financial goals. Many planner will even teach you about investing along the way, so make sure to pay attention to what they are telling you!

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Credit Cards and Choosing One

Friday, June 26th, 2009

Almost everyone over the age of consent has or wants a credit card these days and they are taken in almost every establishment. There are three main sorts of credit card in use in America. The first main kind of credit card is travel and entertainment cards such as American Express or Diners Card. These have to be repaid in full at the end of the month and are liberal on spending limits.

The second major sort of credit card is the bank card such as Visa, Master Cards, GM, and Ford cards distributed mainly by the banks. The bank defines the spending limit, which in bank speak, is known as the credit line and each bank offers different terms and conditions. Banks offer a selection of payment methods: you may either pay the balance in full with no interest charges or pay the minimum or some part of the balance with a finance charge.

The other major sort of card is the retail store card, such as Sears, J.C. Penney, Shell or Mobil. These store cards and those from gas companies, widely known as fuel cards, are only taken in specific countries. They usually do not carry annual fees. There is a large disparity in the terms and conditions for these cards.

Different kinds of credit cards present different opportunities. Some are designed for individual consumers, while others are designed in ways that work best for small business needs. To know what type of credit card fits your needs, you should review a few options.

How to Select your Credit Card.

Credit cards have become a part of everyday living for most people who live in the western countries. It’s becoming increasingly impossible to avoid them, especially for business men. So, if this is the first time you are about to enter into the realm of credit cards, here are some of the basics you ought to look out for.

First, compare the interest chargeable on all the credit cards for which you are eligible. While the rate may not remain fixed for ever, it’s always advisable for first timers to go for the one charging the lowest rates.

Make sure you study the small print carefully, especially with regard to the other charges that may be made, like late-payment fees, annual fees, and whether there is a grace period.

Decide what spending limit is most suitable for a person of your income. Furthermore, the fewer credit cards you use, the better placed you will be to understand your spending pattern.

You ought to compare the services such as the cash back incentives, guarantees, rebates and such like and check whether the card is accepted broadly enough to fit in with your requirements.

You will do yourself a favour by familiarizing yourself with the following terms: 1] Annual Percentage Rate: this is the measure of the annual cost of the credit. 2] Finance Charges: these are the total charges of the transaction. 3] Period of Grace: This is the period the issuer allows you before he starts charging you interest on new purchases. (Note that not all credit cards have a grace period).

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Rapid Weight Loss

Friday, June 26th, 2009

Besides physical appearance, weight affects a person in various ways. This could be the overall quality of life, self-confidence, depression, health risks, and physical incapacities. There are a lot of advantages to losing weight. It is for this reason that a lot of people are searching for a weight loss technique that will slim down those excess pounds and get a beautiful, jaw-dropping body.

The first thing that an overweight individual ought to do is seek a doctor to recommend the best weight loss plan. This will only be done after a complete physical examination, which will to the recommendation of a proper weight loss technique. To shed excess weight fast and permanently, four aspects of your life should be changed: what to eat, how to eat, behaviour and amount of activity.

Here are a few quick recommendations that can change an over-weight individual’s whole life:

1: Fast weight loss consists of a multi-faceted plan that is made up of mindset, exercise, and, in some cases, dietary supplements. Commence by studying a food plan that can be effortlessly incorporated into your current lifestyle. Start an exercise plan that requires at least fifteen minutes a day brisk walking, running, swimming and/or dancing.

2: Set yourself realistic goals. The ability to focus and have a proper mindset enables someone trying to shed weight to quickly shed those extra kilos. You have to develop discipline and a proper mind set, a dieter will not get disheartened and pack the diet in

3: Listen to your body. Each and everyone’s metabolism reacts differently to different quick weight loss plans. Try substituting one program for another to gauge the body’s reaction. An exercise program must be suited to your body, as some can not exercise as rigorously as others can. If walking is all that can be done, then walk, for this is proven to be the best exercise. Muscles burn calories so it’s also a good idea to put on a little more muscle and it looks good too.

4: Eat more fibre since it makes a person feel full sooner and stays in the stomach longer, slowing down the pace at which you will be hungry again. For example, a few slices of whole grain bread will stay in the system longer and stave off hunger longer than white bread, which converts to sugar faster. giving you a quick sugar spike, which soon passes, leaving you hungry again.

5: Keep away from fried food especially deep-fried, since it contains a large amount of fat. But remember, although fish and chicken are considered to be far leaner than beef, these white meats can contain even more fat than beef if it is fried. It is advisable those on a strict diet opt for grilled food, since it does not have much fat after the food has been cooked.

6: Drink plenty of fluid. You should drink at least six to eight glasses of water a day to keep the body ‘flushing’ and since weight loss is dependent on how well the body gets rid of bodily waste, the body must stay properly hydrated.

So, all in all, discipline and consistent application is still the way to fast weight loss. Light dieting, workout, and the right amount of nutritional supplements performed in regularly everyday will result in a quicker weight loss than having a huge, but short-lived campaign that is followed by a return to your bad old habits, since this only leads to adding more weight than before the diet was begun.

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How Do You Get Scholarship Grants or Financial Aid?

Friday, June 26th, 2009

What is the real cost of a college education and is there a financing scheme available? Well, lets face reality – a college education is very expensive, causing a lot of parents to do a double take when their children are considering attending a community college or a state university.

There are many of things that go to make up the total cost of a college education and the tuition fees are just a rather small part of the big picture of getting into college. Some everyday expenditures include meals, transport, accommodation, pocket money and other sundry costs, which, when added up can be a large portion when financing a college education.

Nowadays, many families, even those belonging to the upper class, think about applying for financial aid. College grants and scholarships are a very good kind of financial assistance. Grant and scholarship programmes do not ask the students or even their families to repay the amount given.

Scholarships and grants are of two basic kinds: (i) scholarships awarded according to financial need, depending on the financial inability of the student and their families to pay for the college education, and (ii) scholarships based on merit, for example the talent of the student in tennis is the main consideration. A students academic prowess falls under the merit-based college grant and scholarship system as well.

Sometimes, college grants and scholarships combine the merit and need criteria to ease the whole financial aid process. Numerous students and their families are looking for this kind of financial aid. However, college grants and scholarships are limited in number although there is a growing number of students year after year.

Those students who qualify can get federal or / and a number of state scholarships, some of which are listed here:

Federal or National Pell Grants ” this is a program, funded nationwide, which is intended to give assistance to any qualified undergraduate student pursuing post-secondary schooling. Grants and scholarships of this sort are given to those who have not yet finished a baccalaureate degree.

The amount of the grant varies every year and will depend a lot on the financial needs of the student, the expenses that will be incurred whilst attending the chosen university or college, and the availability of funds from the national government. This sort of grant will open up an opportunity for students to succeed in securing financial aid from the national government.

Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG) ” this is a programme for continuing undergraduate students with dire monetary needs. However, not all students qualify for this kind of grant. It will depend on the eligibility of the student and the availability of finances at the school in question.

Another form of financial aid that students and families can turn to is student loans. However, this type of financial assistance must be repaid. The financial needs of the family should be considered thoroughly to avoid paying higher interest rates.

It is also a must to learn all the terms of the lending agency such as the schedule of repayment and interest rates, before signing up.

Work study is yet another form of financial aid which requires students to work to keep themselves during their college stay. Work study is commonly carried out on college campus and is the most typical type of financial aid in all of the universities and colleges in the USA. Typically, students will work for schools for 10-15 hours a week.

Scholarships, grants and other forms of financial assistance to obtain a college education is really multi-faceted, confusing at times, and even down-right exasperating. However, the good thing is that a college education is a non-refundable and non-toxic form of investment in the student’s future!

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Thinking of Re-decorating Your Bathroom or Kitchen?

Thursday, June 25th, 2009

For the people who seem to have it all or for those who are bored with their lifestyle, there are several things that one can do to spruce-up one’s life. Maybe one of the best ways however is to begin redecorating one’s house. Some of the first places one should look at redecorating are your bathroom and kitchen.

These are usually the most overlooked and yet, most used rooms in the entire house. Think about it, have you spruced up at least even one of these rooms within the past five years? The answer is probably “no”, in which case think back to the last time you even looked closely at your bathroom or kitchen other than to Spring clean them.

More than likely, if you noticed anything at all, you put the idea off until a future date when you could devote more time to refurbishing your bathroom or kitchen, although at that time, the place certainly didn’t look as bad as it does now, after all, the years soon add up and even though you’ve been keeping it rigorously clean you can’t stop the slow progress of time.

It is probably true that if you were to take a closer look now, you’d find that the curtains are looking a bit drab and ragged around the edges, as are the bathroom mats. And do not even talk about the toilet roll holder. It is quite true that they don’t make them like they used to and for a very good reason too!

So, do yourself a favour and throw out all that unnecessary junk in the bathroom and get yourself some new stuff – you will be surprised at what lovely things you can find nowadays. Anyway, you’ve probably been admiring that lovely bathroom set you saw in the shop for some time, so at the very least now you will have a good reason to go out and treat yourself.

And while you’re about it, don’t forget to buy that lovely new spice rack you saw for the kitchen and a few rugs that can be used in either room. Ideally, they should be resistant to such everyday accidents as water spillage, soap, oil grease and all the other things that somehow seem to become embedded on your carpets.

However, if you’re looking for a few new ideas about decorating your bathroom or your kitchen, there are a number of resources you can get your inspiration from. The best one I’ve found so far are the catalogues, which you can browse through to your heart’s content.

With all these options, you could even swap something that is less expensive for the items you want in the catalogues. This is the best method to get your decorating projects started and to keep yourself pleasantly busy for some time and to transform your long suffering bathroom and kitchen into brand new, glitzy areas.

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Debt Consolidation and Reduction Loans

Thursday, June 25th, 2009

So, now you can see the writing on the wall, you are in up to your neck and your creditors are starting to ring you in your home in the evenings as well. You are aware that you have to do something, but you’re not sure exactly what. It’s so embarrassing having to talk to that kid from your creditor’s debt collection department, especially over the phone; but you don’t want to take time off work to go down to their offices either! And you can’t wish the problem away. You’ve heard of debt consolidation and reduction and you think you ought to look into it.

However, before you consider debt consolidation and reduction loans, analyse your debts to work out your total exposure. Debt is a source of credit lines given to you by creditors who felt that you would repay the amount borrowed or owed. When creditors become aware that you are behind on your repayments, they will usually delay a few weeks before telling the collection agencies.

At this time, you might want to contact your creditors and request an extension of time, a balance reduction, or even a complete termination of the sum owed. Creditors do expect to get their money and therefore, they may extend your credit, since they want to avoid the problems that arise when reporting customers for a default on payment.

Creditors do not really want to make enemies of their customers, because they expect their customers to show good faith and pay the debts and eventually continue doing business with them. If you fail to contact your creditors, however they will turn your files over to the collection agencies in the end if they have to. These agencies often use much heavier methods to recover the debt owed.

These agencies will try almost anything to stress you so much that you will go all out to find a method to pay up, or else pressurize you so much that you need to seek professional assistance. Debt consolidation and reduction is one of the processes of eliminating debts; a loan may or may not be required.

When you do get in touch with your creditors, ask them for leniency, so that you can attempt some form of debt consolidation and reduction by cutting back on your expenses. If the creditors agree to debt consolidation and reduction by lowering your payments, terminating it, or else providing you with an extension and you don’t take advantage of their generous offer, ie, if you fail to start repayments after the offer is made, then they will not be as friendly the next time you contact them.

Make sure that you repay your debts as agreed with your creditors to avoid any further complications. Communication is of the utmost importance, because once you have ceased talking to your creditors, they have every right to go all out to recover their money. This will assist you in your debt consolidation and reduction.

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The Treatment of Headaches

Thursday, June 25th, 2009

While we are suffering from a headache it is natural to try to think of ways to stop the pain. However, because there are different types of headaches, the treatments may work for only a some of the headache types. There are two different methods of stopping the pain caused by headaches. These types of headache treatment are named prophylactical and abortive headache treatments.

The prophylactic type of treatment must be taken continuously in order to reduce the frequency of and to control the severity of the headache. Abortive headache treatment is commenced only when the headache starts.

However, you should realize that your doctor will not prescribe any prophylactic headache treatment unless you are having several, frequent headache attacks a month. Furthermore, when you take the prophylactic medication you will be checked for side effects like weight gain, water retention, lethargy, memory impairment and hallucinations.

The treatment of headaches with prophylactic medicine begins with a low dose. The dosage is then increased as time passes. You will also be tested every month or so to see if the treatment is taking effect. Your doctor will also make sure that you are not taking any other types of medicine or vitamins during this phase of your headache treatment.

It is vital to tell the doctor whether the patient is or becomes pregnant. If you do become pregnant, then your doctor must be informed, so that tests can be carried out to uncover any possible side effects on the unborn baby.

The main prescription drugs used for stopping headache are beta blockers like Tenormin and Lopressor. Calcium channel blockers such as Cardizem, Dilacor, and Procardia are also used. Doctors may also prescribe anti-depressants like Elavil and Zoloft. You could also be prescribed serotonin antagonists like Sansert.

Usually, anti-convulsants such as Tegretol, Depakote, and Dilantin are also given for headache treatment. Cafergot and Sansert (ergot derivatives) may also be given by your doctor. The ‘abortive’ headache treatment types that you can take for your headache pain are usually the ‘over the counter’ (OTC) type. These include Paracetamol, Aspirin, Tylenol, Panadol, Motrin, and Advil to mention only a few. Tylenol and Panadol are known as Acetaminophen drugs. Motrin and Advil belong to the family of drugs known as Ibuprofen.

Besides these headache treatments, medicines include nonsteroidal anti inflammatory drugs or NSAIDs. The side effects of NSAIDs like Naprosyn and Meclomen include nausea, gastrointestinal pain, dizziness, diarrhea, light-headedness and constipation. These headache treatment medications can also cause some people to get a different type of headache.

Since these drugs can cause other problems, you should consult your doctor and find out if they are suitable for you or not. People who prefer an ‘alternative’ headache treatment should ask their doctor whether he thinks the alternative medicine, such as aromatherapy, will be efficacious.

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