# Off-Topic >  One of those days

## thehomeengineer

Hi All
Had one of those days when you put something down in the workshop and 6 hours later still cant find it :Headshake: . The piece in question was 1 of 8 webs I machined up for some stands I am building, All the items were machined up ready for welding and housed in a box. Then that moment I am sure we have all suffered where is that bit gone :Head Scratch: . After six hours of tidying the workshop and getting down on my knees looking under every bench, machine and corner and even conscripted my lovely lady to look for it as well, still no web so made another one in 20 minutes :Confused: . Why I didnt make one this morning I really dont know :Brick Wall: .
Very frustrating but every cloud has a silver lining at least the workshop is a lot tidy now :Banana Dance: . 
The Home Engineer

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Philip Davies (Aug 3, 2021),

PJs (Apr 19, 2018)

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## ibdennyak

> Hi All
> Had one of those days when you put something down in the workshop and 6 hours later still cant find it. The piece in question was 1 of 8 webs I machined up for some stands I am building, All the items were machined up ready for welding and housed in a box. Then that moment I am sure we have all suffered where is that bit gone. After six hours of tidying the workshop and getting down on my knees looking under every bench, machine and corner and even conscripted my lovely lady to look for it as well, still no web so made another one in 20 minutes. Why I didnt make one this morning I really dont know.
> Very frustrating but every cloud has a silver lining at least the workshop is a lot tidy now. 
> The Home Engineer



LOL.....all the time. What's even worse is loosing more search items in the process of looking for the original.  :Flame:

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thehomeengineer (Apr 16, 2018)

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## Frank S

I have maintained for most of my working life that I have a doppelganger in a parallel universe who borrows my tools or parts I have made. I wouldn't' mind him borrowing them and carrying them off to the other side as long as he returns them once in a while. 
I swear I could lay as brand new screwdriver on an empty table, turn my back and five minutes later it would be gone.
When this happens and I am the only one in the shop what else am I to believe

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Philip Davies (Aug 3, 2021),

thehomeengineer (Apr 16, 2018)

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## thehomeengineer

> I have maintained for most of my working life that I have a doppelganger in a parallel universe who borrows my tools or parts I have made. I wouldn't' mind him borrowing them and carrying them off to the other side as long as he returns them once in a while. 
> I swear I could lay as brand new screwdriver on an empty table, turn my back and five minutes later it would be gone.
> When this happens and I am the only one in the shop what else am I to believe



Hi Frank
Totally agree with you again. I still have not found the web maybe I am in my own little world and thought I made eight but really only seven appeared in this mad dream world of mine.
BUT! I know I made eight because I cut four then realised it was actually eight I needed so cut another four and gang milled them in sets. I do not know what goes in in that workshop sometimes and like you, I am the only one that uses it.

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## olderdan

Hi Frank
I had a chuckle when I read that, my father always blamed that happening on “those bloody gremlins are at it again”. He was convinced that his garage was infested with them.

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PJs (Apr 19, 2018)

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## Frank S

> Hi Frank
> I had a chuckle when I read that, my father always blamed that happening on “those bloody gremlins are at it again”. He was convinced that his garage was infested with them.



A buddy of mine swears it is the WEE people trying to re fill their pot of gold. He says when that happens put something shiny where you last saw your missing item and they would return it

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## mklotz

Being a physicist, I take refuge in quantum mechanics which says that the act of observing changes the position and momentum of elementary particles. Although the effect is infinitesimal at macroscopic sizes, I like to think that, living here in Herr Doktor Heisenberg's world, I accidentally looked at it too long and thereby made it disappear.

In my long list of implausible excuses, this one is probably my most ingenious.

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PJs (Apr 19, 2018),

thehomeengineer (Apr 16, 2018),

Toolmaker51 (Apr 16, 2018)

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## Frank S

I dare say that there is probably not a single person alive who can lay claim to have never mislaid misplaced had something that they were dead certain should be in one place only to find it in another or never find it at all or find it only after replacing it.
Just a few months ago I was rebuilding my 8N ford I had all of the steel oil and fuel lines off tied together in a bundle after cleaning them. When I went to reassemble the tractor there was one line missing the one from the governor to the oil filter. after searching hig and low for a week I decided the heck with it and made a new one. it wasn't until after I had the tractor running that I found the errant oil line laying on top of the very table I had been working from. No the table wasn't perfectly clean but at one time or another during the reassembly everything on that table had been moved from one end to the other to clear a work space So my question is if the oil line had not transmogrified into a parallel entraphy and returned where was it 
Have you ever disassembled something with several bolts dropping then in a can as you removed them only to find you were 1 bolt short while reassembling? then replace the missing bolt with a new one only to find the missing bolt in the bottom of the can after the job was done? Of course you have we all have at least once in our lives.
I like Marv's explanation however I think the quark or Higgs particles sometimes become over active. or maybe it is simply dark matter that hids things from view at times.

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Philip Davies (Aug 3, 2021),

thehomeengineer (Apr 16, 2018)

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## Jon

We joke, but I often wonder about the genuine scale of this problem. What percentage of work is actually taken up simply by locating items? Anything from hunting for a rarely-used tool, to blindly slapping your hand around while working under a car, grasping for that wrench that's 6 inches away. At what point does ultra-neurotic organization become perfectly worthwhile? Are there working/handling techniques to minimize temporary tool or item loss?

This is kinda the elephant in the room when looking at time/motion study. I guess it counts as "Search" in the 18 Therblig Model.

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Philip Davies (Aug 3, 2021),

thehomeengineer (Apr 16, 2018)

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## thehomeengineer

> Being a physicist, I take refuge in quantum mechanics which says that the act of observing changes the position and momentum of elementary particles. Although the effect is infinitesimal at macroscopic sizes, I like to think that, living here in Herr Doktor Heisenberg's world, I accidentally looked at it too long and thereby made it disappear.
> 
> In my long list of implausible excuses, this one is probably my most ingenious.



Hi Marv
I work in a diagnostic section at work with physicist in a scientific research campus I will see if there is a formula they can come up with to solve the mystery of the missing time we all loose from rummaging around on our hands and knees possibly looking for something that was never there in the first place. :Head Scratch: 
Still haven’t found the missing part, lost it Sunday morning. if it turns up in anyone’s workshop and you think I don’t remember making that its possible it is my missing part. :Confused:  I am starting to doubt myself now, hope I am not going mad well madder than I already am. :Brick Wall: 
If it turns up please drop me an email 
many thanks

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Philip Davies (Aug 3, 2021)

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## Frank S

As MR Spock once said after every logical answer has been perused whatever is left must be the solution no matter how illogical it seems

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## PJs

Roger that! Sometimes I swear there is a 4th dimensional rift that comes through and just boggles the mind and infuriates ones sensibilities. I was building a power supply once and had my favorite screwdriver, used it, set it down and 30 seconds later reached for it and it was gone. Finally showed up 2 days later in about the same spot on the bench. Never forgot that from 40 years ago and it still happens, maybe more so as CRS sets in.  :Big Grin: 

I may have to make an icon or emoji for that...

 :Hat Tip:  PJ

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## thehomeengineer

> Roger that! Sometimes I swear there is a 4th dimensional rift that comes through and just boggles the mind and infuriates ones sensibilities. I was building a power supply once and had my favorite screwdriver, used it, set it down and 30 seconds later reached for it and it was gone. Finally showed up 2 days later in about the same spot on the bench. Never forgot that from 40 years ago and it still happens, maybe more so as CRS sets in. 
> 
> I may have to make an icon or emoji for that...
> 
> 
> 
>  PJ



Still no show on the misplaced, dissolved, evaporated, liquefied, tele transported, or even plain old lost steel web

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PJs (Apr 20, 2018)

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## Jon

There is also the unusual phenomenon of:

1. Frequently forgetting where you put a specific tool.
2. Resolving to solve this problem by moving the tool to its own dedicated and prominent location. Say, on a hook directly over the middle of a workbench.
3. Forgetting that you did #2.
4. Searching again for the same tool, thoroughly checking many places it could be, but failing to find it.
5. Next time you're at your workbench, seeing the tool - literally in front of your face.

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Paul Jones (Jun 15, 2018),

PJs (Apr 20, 2018),

thehomeengineer (Apr 20, 2018)

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## Frank S

Happened to me just today. 1 drawer in 1 of my tool boxes ie where I keep my small tire repair tools valve core removal tools tube buffer files spare valve stems and cores and the like. 
Valve cores are kind of small so they are kept in an old 35 mm film case seems pretty logical way to keep track of the spares. About a week ago I had used all but 1 of my spares. thinking I would replenish my supply the next time I go to town. Today I needed my last spare for a lawn mower tire I was repairing 
the film case was empty. I rummage through the small drawer to see if one had just been deposited in the drawer and not in the case. nothing I remove every large item in the drawer still don't see a core anywhere, Frustrated I cram the stuff back in the drawer then slam it shut. and go out to retrieve a core out of an old wheel bringing back 2 that looked good I use 1 then carry the other to the drawer as soon as I open the drawer there are 2 laying right in the middle in plain sight 
My only logical explanation for them being there is maybe something had them stuck to the underside of the drawer above and I had dislodged them when I slammed it shut. Anyway I now have 2 new and 1 nice looking used in the film case which I probably will not be able to find the next time.

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Paul Jones (Jun 15, 2018),

PJs (Apr 20, 2018)

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## Frank S

I hate it when I rearrange something thinking that what I do will make something easier to find only to spend an hour looking almost right at it and not being able to see it until I turn to walk away then it catches my eye. a few inches away from where I was sure it was and had thought I had look at that very spot.
One of the most errant tools in my collection are my selection of pickle forks those are the tool used to remove things like tie rod ends I have 4 or them I try to keep them all in 1 place so I can find them when I need them a pickle fork is not a tool I use often so why do I always find them in first 1 place then in another each time I se 1 I put it in a drawer with the others or maybe I just think I put them in the drawer but really just left it where it was because when I need 1 I never find the one I want without having to search for it.
There are times when I think about chipping all of my tools then getting an app on my phone to locate them either that or empty the 17 to 20 tool boxes and pile the contents in a heap on the floor then I would probably misplace the floor. :Angry:

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PJs (Apr 20, 2018),

thehomeengineer (Apr 20, 2018)

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## thehomeengineer

Thank you Jon and Frank
I do not feel so stupid now. I do it all the time. One day the steel web will turn up and I will remember why I put it where I did in the first place. There is always a good reason and explanation, why stuff ends up in the wrong place. I just wish I knew the answer at the time of it going missing so I don’t waste days thinking what ever happened to that item I made.

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## Jon

RFID tool tracking looks more appealing as time goes by. This concept is already in use for operating room tracking; specifically to prevent "retained surgical items" - surgical tools and materials accidentally left inside a patient. "RFID" has been popping up in the medical journals for the past few years. Would need a bunch of passive RFID tags (I believe around $0.20 each?), and probably an Arduino or Raspberry Pi.

https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/6521706/
Medtronic
Haldor | Haldor
http://www.corerfid.com/rfid%20shop/...healthcare.pdf
NothingLeftBehind.com

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thehomeengineer (Apr 21, 2018)

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## Stevohdee

I have a friend that uses a manbag, after leaving the cinema he pulled over and rummaged through bag for his phone, not there, i looked, not there. He drives a porsche 911s and when aggitated becomes mr hyde so we go back to cinema in quite a hurry. No use calling the phone because on silent as you do when in cinema. Asked at reception whether anyone handed it in, nuh, searched where we were sitting to the annoyance of movie goers, not there. So increasingly aggitated driving back to my place like a maniac he skids to a halt to search bag again, yes, it appeared!! The same thing happened with his wallet last week. We've dubbed it "the bermuda manbag" now as for tools disappearing....

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Paul Jones (Jun 15, 2018),

PJs (Jun 14, 2018),

thehomeengineer (Jun 15, 2018)

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## Frank S

I carry my wife's cards in my wallet things like id insurance pharmacy bank cards and whatever else along with my cards if we have any cash on hand it is in my wallet as well. 
One day I was trying to locate 1 of my cards I turned the wallet inside out so to speak. and couldn't find it. I told here that she needed to get a wallet and carry her own stuff or maybe start carrying a purse, To that she said that I could get me a man bag to carry everything in. Yeah right. if I had 1 of those it would weigh 30 lbs I've made it to 64 without carrying a man purse yet besides that is what my pockets are for only so many wrenches and tools will fit in them if that is not enough I'll go tot the tool box.
Oh yes the missing card it finally turned up in my wallet when I wasn't looking for it.Probably was stuck to another. either that of that transcendental portal to the alternate universe has found me again.

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Paul Jones (Jun 15, 2018),

PJs (Jun 14, 2018),

thehomeengineer (Jun 15, 2018)

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## Stevohdee

Haha, we need bags with zips on the bottom as well as tops!?!? And wallets that dont hide stuff from us! My man bag is a backpack

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Paul Jones (Jun 15, 2018),

PJs (Jun 14, 2018),

thehomeengineer (Jun 15, 2018)

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## PJs

Stevohdee, busted me up on your earlier one...Is that AKA a PacMan bag?  :Stick Out Tongue: 

Been pondering this since the thread started and had a sharp eye out for Any Mischief in the air since starting to talk about it, which might bring it forward into my reality.

It dawned on me the other day (and *I'm no* theoretic physicist or mathematician...only a dabbler), that perhaps there there is a correlation to one tiny thing being in two places at the same time (Quantum Superposition) and bigger things could if we just didn't look at them because Schrödinger's cat was/is/going to be playing with the other one and the one at hand "seems" to disappears because we are looking for it, in order to hide from the cat. Perhaps that thing we can't see now is changed to a one dimensional Particle, AKA String (String Theory) as a Cat avoidance mechanism which brings us to the AdS/CFT correspondence, which creates Tessellation of the hyperbolic planes between the missing object, it's counterpart and where the Cat may be at any given moment in space/time of the anti-de Sitter space. 

This is also known as the ADHD/CRS correspondence, which states in simpler terms: that because you are focused so tightly on something and bouncing around in your noodle solving life's other mysteries simultaneously that Schrödinger's little buddy stealthily sneaks in and grabs the counterpart and bloink the other one turns one dimensional and the pour old trifocals have no value in the one dimensional arena, hence giving you instant CRS.

As for a solution to this dilemma, and it's only a theory at this point and barely tested yet. I found that just at that twilight point of going Zen on a project you whistle a little ditty at the right frequencies (string theory is based on vibration), it shifts the Cat into another anti-de Sitter space to bug someone else's stuff. I haven't fully correlated Quantum superposition and String yet but know there is a connection Somehow, Somewhen, and Somewhere...but I may be blowin' the proverbial smoke out me ars while whistling dixie. 

Watched a TED talk the other day from a brilliant lady who said her license plate says; Cogito ergo...Zooom Guess it just stuck... :Stick Out Tongue: 

 :Head Scratch:   :Idea:   :Stick Out Tongue:   :Hat Tip:  PJ

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Frank S (Jun 15, 2018),

Paul Jones (Jun 15, 2018)

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## Stevohdee

Thanks for that pj, message came through when man bag mate was here, good timing, laughed our heads off, dam cats!! 
So last week was milling material flat about 5/8" with a 3/4 four flute and forgot to lock z up, grab, bzz, rattle, dug in about 40thou, scared the #¿÷\ outa me. A few days later was milling the jaws even on a cheap milling vice somewhat on edge. Used a re-sharpened hsss cutter coz didnt want to ruin a carbide. Speed.. Check, feed rate.. Check, z locked.. Check, all good so gently start cutting, stress level high, concentration high, hand ready near stop button... BANG!!?? Dam cat knocked my coffee cup off the bench behind me.... Grrrrr

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Paul Jones (Jun 15, 2018),

PJs (Jun 15, 2018)

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## Frank S

PJ this just keeps getting better, One has to wonder if Schrödinger was postulating about the EPR article, or had he in actuality read a science fiction novel that was not even written yet (The cat who walks through walls)(circa 1985) Perhaps he was one of the characters of the novel who happened to have been left behind in our reality by Lazarus of the time police.
Ponder this everything we are everything we were, everything we will ever be may be nothing more that the writings of the imagination of some being. does anything actually exist when we are not looking at it or hearing it torching it smelling it or thinking about it. If you were to be placed in a sealed room and completely deprived of any sensory perceptions other than your thoughts and left there could you unequivocally prove that anything existed outside of that room. or did it suddenly become a perception of reality once you were let out. 
If we are looking at an object but not thinking about it do we see it or is it even there. Its dark outside and I cannot see anything beyond my window is my shop out there how can I prove that it is since I can't see it feel it hear it or smell it without going outside I merely believe that it is out there. But possibly it is nothing more than some of my lucid dreams that I sometimes have while sleeping that always appear to advance though my relaxed state of subconsciousness. the problem with them is I sometimes have them while being awake not a remembrance of 1 I had the night before but a continuation of it

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Paul Jones (Jun 15, 2018),

PJs (Jun 15, 2018)

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## thehomeengineer

Hi PJs
I will give it ago once I understand it lol
The offending item that started this thread turned up the other day in a draw full of springs. :Head Scratch:  This has now been used on another project I am working on and is welded in place so if I loose it again I am in trouble because it is attached to a piece of I beam. About 6" x 12" x 4" (try and hide know you little sucker lol :Evil: )

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Paul Jones (Jun 15, 2018),

PJs (Jun 15, 2018)

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## PJs

Yup, Better and Better...

Stevohdee, As I mentioned earlier I prefer big cats for that very reason. I can keep them in my peripheral vision, but they do require more food, and yet agitative neighbors seem to be abundant out here and they generally don't jump up on the bench. Might give the twilight thing a try, using a dity with predominant A, C, & D notes with a couple of G's in the chorus.

If I'm not mistaken Midsummer Nights Dream, Act 5, Scene 1 came well before Schrödinger, EPR and even Heinlein's multiverse and time corp...yet one could postulate with string theory and an 11 dimensional multiverse there may be circular reference shenanigans going on as well, that we just haven't seen yet because we don't know what, how, where or when to look at yet. Goodness knows Lazarus could actually be Shakespeare in both places simultaneously and Visa Versa...kind of a Reincarnation scenario on steroid strings...theoretically. The additional conundrum is that of E.E. Doc Smith's timing in the mix of the day, that perhaps Seaton with his sixth order projector and the help of the Norlaminian's actually created a Möbius vortex, of multiversal magnitude and we are too busy looking at the hole to see the doughnut¿

However, I will say that I have been working on another theory involving Tachyon's for a long time now and believe strongly that it has merit for the correlation of mind/matter/existence and how that works, but it's not ready for prime time science journals or even this wonderful forum yet...soon maybe, maybe not, as the one scientist I had been following disappeared along with his test device and papers. I sure hope it was the Normalinian's and not Blackie DuQuesne!

Good on you thehomeengineer, I hope the beam works out but be aware the forces at work here are of magnitude and Mystery.

My latest mystery happened yesterday. Been feeling a bit poorly the last few days and we were out on the back deck sit'n quiet enjoying the critters and sounds and the early summer evening. I was looking at the space between top of the big oak and the blue sky I was kind of mutating on it all and started seeing these little sparkles jittering about..."Holy Kadoodle am I seeing Tachyon's or having some kind of silent migraine or about to stroke out"... I told my wife about it and described it to her and she just said; You're just seeing Chi...soak it in...Doh! Instantly I felt better and still do today. Perhaps Chi and Tachyon's work together in this manifestation...and after all these years of eclectic practice and science, quite the Doh! moment.

Till Then I'll be keepin on keepin on, with an eye on those mischievous little bugger fairies. 

 :Cool:  PJ

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Paul Jones (Jun 15, 2018)

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## Philip Davies

This happens to me a lot. I always have several things in process, with limited space, but spread it out as much as I dare. 
I blame myself a great deal, because I have never acquired what I imagine is proper working practices.
However, it is good practice to make an extra component or two, not because you might lose one, but because of cock-ups. Or because of defects undetected, like in timber.
Secondly, it is apparent that women generally are better at seeing things close to hand, whereas generally men are better at detecting things, especially movement, at a distance. So if your wife is amenable, I would say it is good practice also to call for help.

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## jdurand

My wife is an excellent finder of things, including telling a store clerk the item fell into the bucket near his left foot... when we had no way to see or know he had a bucket back there.

In recent years I've learned how to "ping" a search off her, I can ask where it is and then get back the image before she can say anything.

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