Make a Feng Shui Bedroom

March 3rd, 2010

A good feng shui bedroom is one that helps to promote a luxurious flow of sensual and nourishing energy. It lures you and invites you in, and calms and excites you. This type of room is pleasurable and fun to be within, whether you are taking a cat nap, a restful night’s sleep, or planning to entertain a lover.

In order to set up a positive feng shui bedroom, here are some simple tips:

Get rid of the PC, the TV and any exercise equipment in your bedroom. Positive feng shui energy is destroyed by these things. These things detract your attention from where it needs to be.

Keep the windows open if the weather permits, or use an air purifier to help keep the air oxygenated, and fresh. The air quality is a prime concern. If the air you must breathe is polluted and stale, you can’t have good feng shui in your room. Plants are not good for the feng shui feeling, unless you have a large bedroom and they are far away from your bed.

Set up several different levels of light in your room, or set up a dimmer for different lights in different areas. Light is the first nutrient in a feng shui bedroom, and a strong energy manifestation. The best type of feng shui light is candles, but they need to be naturally made, without toxins.

Soothing colors help to achieve a balance of feng shui for your room. The decor should be balanced, and one that helps to promote the most efficient energy flow for restful sleep. Sexual healing is also helped along by the appropriate colors. The best colors are skin colors, varying from chocolate brown to pale white. Choose your colors from those in this range that seem to work best with your decor.

Choose pictures or art carefully, because images carry strong feng shui-type energy. The best advice for bedroom art is for you to choose art that reflects what you would like to have going on at present. Don’t use lonely or sad images unless you wish to feel that way. The feng shui bedroom can’t be a positive place with such negative energy.

Make your bed up so that you can get in from either side – don’t put the bed against the wall. Put end tables on either side of the head of your bed. Avoid having the bed directly inline from the door. You want a bed that looks good and is sturdy, to create a close-to-perfect feng shui bedroom. A good quality mattress and a solid headboard and high thread-count sheets will help create harmony.

Learn about feng shui colors and office feng shui at the Knowledge Bin site.

A good feng shui bedroom is one that helps to promote a luxurious flow of sensual and nourishing energy. It lures you and invites you in, and calms and excites you. This type of room is pleasurable and fun to be within, whether you are taking a cat nap, a restful night’s sleep, or planning to entertain a lover.

In order to set up a positive feng shui bedroom, here are some simple tips:

Get rid of the PC, the TV and any exercise equipment in your bedroom. Positive feng shui energy is destroyed by these things. These things detract your attention from where it needs to be.

Keep the windows open if the weather permits, or use an air purifier to help keep the air oxygenated, and fresh. The air quality is a prime concern. If the air you must breathe is polluted and stale, you can’t have good feng shui in your room. Plants are not good for the feng shui feeling, unless you have a large bedroom and they are far away from your bed.

Set up several different levels of light in your room, or set up a dimmer for different lights in different areas. Light is the first nutrient in a feng shui bedroom, and a strong energy manifestation. The best type of feng shui light is candles, but they need to be naturally made, without toxins.

Soothing colors help to achieve a balance of feng shui for your room. The decor should be balanced, and one that helps to promote the most efficient energy flow for restful sleep. Sexual healing is also helped along by the appropriate colors. The best colors are skin colors, varying from chocolate brown to pale white. Choose your colors from those in this range that seem to work best with your decor.

Choose pictures or art carefully, because images carry strong feng shui-type energy. The best advice for bedroom art is for you to choose art that reflects what you would like to have going on at present. Don’t use lonely or sad images unless you wish to feel that way. The feng shui bedroom can’t be a positive place with such negative energy.

Make your bed up so that you can get in from either side – don’t put the bed against the wall. Put end tables on either side of the head of your bed. Avoid having the bed directly inline from the door. You want a bed that looks good and is sturdy, to create a close-to-perfect feng shui bedroom. A good quality mattress and a solid headboard and high thread-count sheets will help create harmony.

Learn about feng shui colors and office feng shui at the Knowledge Bin site.

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Gas Range Cooker

March 3rd, 2010

First of all, when we buy a gas range cooker, we have to think of our safety. And when I say that, I mean we have to fulfill all the necessary steps in order to stay away from the dangers that a gas range cooker can bring to us. Many of you are not aware of these dangers and you think that this can not happen to you, that these things are only shown on TV. Unfortunately the reality is not actually this way and the truth is that bad things can happen to any of us if we are not cautious and if we do not give any attention at all.


Therefore on these lines I made a simple list with the most important steps you should follow when purchasing a range cooker supplied with gas:


1. the most important thing about your cooker is that it has to be provided with a safety device in case of flame failure or something like that. This device is cutting the gas supply when the cooker remains without flame.


2. Before installing the cooker is safe if the gas pipes from your house are well verified from any gas leak by a professional engineer.


3. Also I recommend you to hire an engineer in order to install your appliance, this way you will have almost no risk and if something goes wrong it will be the engineers’ responsibility and not yours.


4. I have to tell you that a well maintained gas range cooker will keep you away from any danger. Poor maintenance can lead to an incomplete combustion of the gas and from here to a monoxide carbon poisoning due to the gas that remains unburned. So you have to make the maintenance periodically in order to ensure that nothing goes wrong.


5. The last thing I advice you to do is that when you have any malfunction and you need any spare you should order it from an approved stockist and you should call the help of a professional trouble shooter.


This way you will have warranty for the spares and also for the repair. I am glad if these advices will be helpful for you and remember: if you don not take care for you nobody will do.

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Feng Shui – 7 Ways to Change Your Life

March 2nd, 2010

My BFF and I were looking to do something fun in the cold winter months when I found a Feng Shui course at the local college. Feng Shui translates literally to “wind-water”. Feng Shui is the ancient Chinese art of placement. The goal of Feng Shui is to achieve harmony, comfort, and balance, first in one’s environment and then in one’s life. We started the six week course with an amazing teacher/consultant Ildiko Brunner and my interest in Feng Shui was born.

We learned the traditional Feng Shui and started by learning the principles of Chi. We did a sketch of our homes, inside and out and our offices and throughout the weeks we learned how to make small changes to address some of our personal concerns.

We learned that if you change 7 things in your life, that dramatic changes will follow. When my husband and I purchased our home, we had Ildiko come and do a consultation on the home. Fortunately by that time I was able to do most changes myself however, I was looking to have a water feature and it is critical to put it in the right place otherwise it can have the negative effect.

Here are some simple things you can do today to improve your environment and increase the positive energy in your life:

Keep your toilet seat down at all times and close your bathroom door – the toxic fumes and germs from the bathroom destroy good Chi

Remove all artificial and silk plants from your home - they just collect dust and let’s not fool ourselves, they’re dead or at least not alive.

Use natural materials, wood, metal, glass, plants whenever possible – they are more harmonious with nature and encourage good energy.

Reduce the clutter in your home because it blocks good chi - get rid of those piles of paper, organize your environment and get rid of junk.

Get rid of plants that are unhealthy - you can always take a cutting and start a new plant.

Place a leafy plant near your computer – plants absorb harmful radiation, a lily is an excellent choice.

Make sure your bed is not directly in front of the bedroom door – in Feng Shui a bed in front of a door is considered to be the death position. The symbolism is when you die you go out feet first.

Get rid of broken items or fix them – broken items disrupt good chi.

This has made a tremendous difference in my life. Try some of the above and tell me if they work for you. Stay tuned for part two when I’ll talk about some of the fixes I did to my house and you can use to improve your personal space and increase the positive energy in your life.

This article on Feng-Shui was brought to you TheKayWay.com where I share my experiences and thoughts with the world. Please come by and visit to participate in the discussion!

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Wood Replacement Windows – Fast and Easy

March 2nd, 2010

When the time has come to replace the wood windows in your house there are two ways you can go about it; you can hire a professional window installation company to do it for you or you can do it by yourself.


Installing wood replacement windows can be done by the industrious homeowner and there is plenty of literature in print and on the internet to explain how to do it in details.


Replacement window installation is affordable and relatively easy to do. Some of the most important points are:




  • Measure the openings properly and accurately. Make sure you are buying windows that will fit in the window sash.
  • Paint the new one before installing them. It will allow for a better and easier paint job than climbing a ladder to paint the outside. Being able to do it beforehand and outdoors will prevent smells in the house.
  • To install the wood replacement windows, after the paint has dried, first remove the window stop moldings on the inside of the window sash. You have to break the paint that covers it and expose where it is in contact with the window jambs.
  • After removing the window stops you can pull out the old windows and install the new ones.
  • Once you have inserted the windows into the window jambs with the counterweight attached, you can install the top molding.
  • Use wood filler to fill the nail holes and repaint them.


Those are only some of the points you have to think about when you plan on installing wood replacement windows by yourself. There are many styles of window and every one of them requires steps that can be different. Having more information is advised before embarking on the project, but with the right planning it can be fast and easy.

Fay Salmons writes about wood replacement windows at http://www.theinsulationreport.com

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Feng Shui Cat – Attracting Good Fortune

March 1st, 2010

Feng Shui Cat is also referred to as a “lucky cat” and they are conventional Asian items that are believed to attract fortune and to offer protection to a household or a workplace. Those families who have lucky cats placed in their homes as well as in their workplaces are believed to be protected and blessed with good fortune. They should be placed anywhere that you wish for prosperity to flow.

Often times, there are two lucky cats placed together so that they can work in harmony for your benefit. The first feng shui cat has its left paw up and is said to be the one that attracts wealth. This lucky cat is depicted to be smiling. This smile invites good fortune to any area where he is placed. The other cat has its right paw up and is responsible for providing protection to those who take care of him and also to the fortune attracted by his partner. He depicts a warming expression which is believed to be a gesture of protection of your income from any misfortunes.

There are some rules to be considered about where these feng shui symbols should be placed. Preferably, they should be placed into a wealth area. This could be at your working space or at the southeast part of your house. If these areas are not available, the lucky cats should be nested in the northeast area. Other considerations such as where the elements of the area are best suited for placement should be determined in accordance with the traditional feng shui guidelines. For example, these particular cats should be placed in areas with metallic elements or in a place with an ambiance of fire or with fire touches which is in accordance with the historical practice of this ancient art.

These lovely kittens provide protection in all aspects. As they are patterned to closely resemble real cats, they are thought to have the capability to see in the dark and shield you from anything that you wouldn’t wish to experience. They are trusted to defend not only financial security but also your entire home and all of those who live in it.

Feng shui experts suggest absolutely placing these prosperity symbols in your place of business as well. While your place of business may be physically located in your home office or in your office located in a traditional setting, it does not matter. What is most important is that you do not leave your business decor untouched by the two wealth guardians. They can be relied on to help you succeed in your career and will also improve and protect your income.

So get busy shopping and make sure that you have a perfect pair of feng shui cats ready to attract your good fortune!

Do you have a feng shui cat protecting your fortune, your home and even your business? Want to know how to decorate your home while honoring the traditional feng shui guidelines? Find out all about the prosperity corner, why your house number matters and more in my free mini-course at livinginfengshui.com

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How to Pressure Wash a House – Use a Gas Pressure Washer, Clean and Save Water

March 1st, 2010

Rare thinking people like you, already know one of the secrets to painting a house like a professional painter, is making sure it is clean before hand, thus ensuring the paint will adhere to it for years to come. What you need to discover is the little known secrets, how to pressure wash a house, like a pro and use a gas pressure washer, clean and save water all at the same time.


Things You Will Need


1. Good Water Source that will provide your pressure washer with the amount of water it requires operating at its peak efficiency. Check your owners’ manual for the specific GPM your pressure washer requires. I mention this because in our area the folks on county water near the end of the line do not get enough water volume in the summer months to operate a 3000 psi washer that requires 3 GPM.


2. Take Your Time, using a power washer will, save you time and use a lot less water in the process than a garden hose. But, take your time and do not miss any spots, they will show up when everything gets dry.


3. The Right Pressure Washer For the Job, cleaning a house with an exterior made of stone and masonry requires enough water volume to suspend and wash away the dirt, I recommend you use at least 2000 PSI and 2.5 or higher GPM (gallons of water per minute) in order to effectively wash the dirt away from their porous surfaces. Exercise caution around the mortar joints, the high pressure water will remove loose mortar from the joints. Which is not entirely a bad thing; it will allow you to prefect your tuck pointing skills.


4. Cleaning Solution, quality pressure washers come equipped with a method to dispense cleaners by siphoning the cleanser from a self contained reservoir or additional container of your preferred cleaning product. The system is set up to mix the chemical at a 15:1 or so ratio for you, so you do not need to break out the measuring cup and do all that math.


5. Overhead Cleaning, working overhead is never easy, and cleaning overhead is no different. Be careful, water and dirt go everywhere and bounce off of everything, protect your eyes and the rest of your body. Wear safety glasses, hearing protection, long pants and sturdy shoes. Working off ladders is never a safe way to clean using a pressure washer. Standing with both feet firmly on the ground is the safest method, when you must reach high spots use scaffolding or a man lift with safety rails installed to prevent falling.


6. Caring For Your Plants and Landscaping, subjecting your plants to direct high pressure water and cleaning solutions and the dirt that is washed off a house will harm your plans and other landscape elements. Covering them with a drop cloth prier to cleaning, and rinsing them off after wards using a low pressure garden hose works well, just remember do not leave the drop cloth on the plants for a long period of time, a few minutes is OK, just not all day.


How to Wash a House


1. Get Started, start cleaning on the side of the house that is not in direct sunlight. Direct sunlight will cause streaking.


2. Setting – Up the Garden Hose, begin by hooking up the garden hose to the water faucet on the out side of the house, first check the hose for, cuts or kinks, the gasket and strainer assembly insuring they are both installed correctly and in good working condition. After that task is completed turn the water on to flush out any debris that may be present inside the hose before hooking it up to the pressure washer.


3. Setting up the Pressure Washer, attach the garden hose to the low pressure side of the pump; it is the only place on the machine a water hose can be connected. Once that hose is firmly connected attach the high pressure hose to the opposite side of the pump. Turn the water faucet on full force, and squeeze the trigger on the handle attached to the end of the high pressure hose to allow the water to flow for a couple minutes, this will remove all the air from the hoses and pump assembly.


4. Start Your Engine, with the hoses attached and water turned on to full force supplying the washer with all the water it needs to operate efficiently, it is time to start the engine. Before starting the engine however, we need to, if we have not already, check the engine oil and fuel. There is nothing worse than just getting into the swing of things and the machine just quit running for no apparent reason. Which brings us to another point of interest, on engines equipped with oil sensors that shut it down when the engine oil is at an unsafe level; the machine must be level for these systems to operate properly. Now you are ready to follow the engine manufactures starting instructions for your specific model.


5. How to Clean a House Using a Pressure Washer,


  • Start washing at the ground level and work your way to the roof to eliminate streaks.
  • When using a soap attachment, start by applying the cleaner to the house at the ground level.
  • Apply the cleaner to the house in small areas at a time, not allowing it to dry then rinse it off with clean water to eliminate streaking.
  • Avoid spraying high pressure spray onto glass surfaces or weather seals around doors and windows.
  • Avoid spraying high pressure water in electrical boxes, light fixtures or receptacles.
  • Avoid directing the pressurized water spray under or through the seams of vinyl siding.
  • Remembering to wash from the ground up, and rinse from the top / roof down will insure streak free professional results every time.


Clean like a Pro, save time, save water using a machine that uses less than half the water a garden hose would when used alone, and have the vest looking house in the neighborhood.

This is what I have: a blog with helpful tips on Pressure Washers.


Jump over to my blog Pressure Wash a House


Much Success,
Mike
http://springcleaning-pressurewashers.blogspot.com/


Mike enjoys sharing helpful resources. In doing so he has created relationships with certain experts and in recommending their products may receive compensation.

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Caring For Your Garage Door – Everything You Need to Know

February 28th, 2010

Not only is the garage door one of the most visible elements of your valuable home, it is also the largest moving part. Therefore, it pays to keep it looking good and working properly. Otherwise, you’ll get yourself into a lot of inconveniences later on. The maintenance should be included in your weekend to-do list at least a couple of times a year. Your garage doors get a lot more use than you may realize, because in an average household a garage door typically is opened and closed 10-20 times per day. Over a year that is a lot of work on the garage door springs and all its other components. Left unmaintained, garage doors will eventually fail causing not only inconvenience, but possibly even damage or harm to your vehicles, your home and even to your family members and yourself.

Painting is the first and most important defense against moisture and sun damage to your door. It does not only make it attractive, it provides protection as well. Most wooden types will require to be painted every couple of years. Once rotted, wood will be hard to repair and it won’t look good. It may even reach the point where door has to be replaced. Ensuring all cracks are filled and protected with paint is a good investment in the life of your garage door. The same care should also be put in garage doors made of high-quality steel, aluminum or fiberglass – keep them well-protected from the elements.

Perform routine maintenance steps once a month. The most common problem that homeowners encounter is difficulty in opening the garage door. Applying lubricant and making minor adjustments usually resolves this issue. It is recommended to use penetrating oil to all the rollers and hinges at least once a year. It is also good to put a light coating of grease on the track, as this seems to free up the opening and closing, and it also minimizes track noise. Do check all your bolts for tightness and re-tighten as required. If your garage door seems unusually heavy, your springs probably require adjustment. Make sure your opener has a reversing feature. If a reversing feature is not present, it should be replaced. Also test the force setting of your garage door opener by holding the bottom of the door as it closes. If the door does not reverse readily, the force may be excessive and need adjusting. Test the reversing feature after any adjustment.

Aligning the rollers with the track is a fairly simple job that can be performed with just basic tools, wrench, hammer and block of wood. Sagging doors or panels can be repaired by adding supports or even replacing just the damaged panel. Electric garage door openers are quite common and are fairly easy for homeowner installation. Ensure the door is properly adjusted so that it closes completely and the auto safety switch is working. Also pay special attention to the photoeyes located at the bottom of your garage door. If they are bumped or blocked, it will not function correctly. The invisible beam created by the photoeyes is intended for your safety. However, photoeye alignment is not covered under warranty.

Lastly, and probably the easiest way, is to keep it clear of snow, leaves or dirt. They might get stuck in the corners and openings which might affect how they operate. Avoid placing things near the garage door, as it can be pushed into the garage door’s way without you noticing as it might damage the door.

Larry Harris is a Garage Door Installation professional with 5 years experience in the Garage Industry. Larry has repaired and installed all types of garage doors. For more information on different services they provide visit http://www.usgaragedoors.com

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Home Theater – Experience Cinema in Your Own Living Room

February 27th, 2010

Many people find watching movies in cinemas entertaining. This is because they got to enjoy their favorite blockbuster in a very wide screen with a sound that could make them them feel like they are part of the movie scene. However, more and more people are bringing movies into their living homes lately. This is made possible through the evolution of home theater systems. Home theaters allow people to enjoy good movies without the hassle of crowds and expensive popcorns.

A home theater system is relatively easy to set up. It doesn’t have to be expensive for anybody to really enjoy a good one. This article talks about setting up a simple, basic home theater system that won’t cost an arm and a leg. If you’re interested in having your own home theater on a tight budget, this is a very good read.

You need a good size of television set – 27 inches wide or more, a DVD player, and a set of speakers. Your television screen doesn’t have to be the biggest. It depends on the size of the room where you plan to set up your home theater. You can still get a good viewing experience from a 27-inch TV screen especially if your viewing position is not more than 8 feet away. However, it is recommended that it should not be less than 27 inches because the reception may be too inferior on a smaller screen.

It is also recommended you get a set of speakers with a good surround sound quality. Speakers provide much better audio quality than the TV’s built-in speakers, especially if the room is quite big. When shopping for loudspeakers, it is always wise to try and listen before you buy. You may also want to check if the store allows returns. There are speakers that sound good inside the limited space of a store but not well enough when put inside a much bigger space like your living room.

To complete your home theater, you need to have a DVD player. DVD players deliver clear, crisp images and flicker-free pictures of your favorite actors on screen. Most DVDs present videos in two ways – wide screen format to match the way the movie looked in theaters and full-screen presentation for TV shows that aired that way.

A home theater system is a more economical way of enjoying recent movie blockbusters in the long run. With a home theater, you won’t have to pay for the tickets and the popcorn every time your family wants to see a movie. The attraction of going to a movie theater to watch your favorite movie will always be there, but advances in technology for home theater systems sure make staying home something you will enjoy.

You can experience and enjoy a blockbuster movie in your own living room with a home theater system that won’t cost you an arm and a leg.

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Affordable Home Redecorating Ideas

February 26th, 2010

Making a few changes around the home can be very expensive, especially if you pay retail every time, most home decor stores are not exactly known for offering affordable prices. Here are a few ideas to save money when you start your next project.


Repainting the walls isn’t difficult and transforms a room almost immediately into something fresh and exciting. You don’t always need to go to your local paint store straight away, did you know that all colored paint is basically white with a tint added by the paint shop? Instead, why not try to buy white base from a discount store or auction, then simply pay for tinting after you’ve chosen the color you want to use.


Buying new furniture for your home doesn’t always have to be new, there are some great second hand bargains to be had, with furniture that has hardly been used, or that is from a different era and could become an antique one day. If the structure is sound, why not simply pay to have sofas etc recovered, wood re-varnished, or maybe new feet installed.


The majority of redecorating projects can be discounted quite considerably if we’re smart about where we buy the materials or furnishings, and if we take time to think the project through before simply rushing into the first store we drive by.


Many thousands of people have a new hobby, visiting the weekend markets and garage sales looking for bargains in good condition that can be quickly turned into a feature piece in their home. With resourcefulness it is possible to redecorate an entire home and furnish it for a fraction of the normal retail price.


Don’t forget to check out craft markets where you can often find part time furniture makers exhibiting their wares for much less than the same item would fetch at retail. Perhaps you could even get them to sign the item, and given time this could become very valuable.


You’ll be surprised how good the finished look will be, and your friends and neighbors will never believe you when you tell them how much the project cost. Of course you could tell them how you did it so cheap, or you could keep that little secret and become the envy of your friends when they think you really have it together.

Andy is a keen decorator, and the founder of an LED desk light website where he offers reviews of LED rope light.

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How to Create A Personal DVD Catalog

February 26th, 2010

When the video tape finally fell out of fashion and the DVD emerged as a way to easily view a movie at home, things changed in the movie world. People were suddenly able to see movies in the crisp detail they were meant to be seen in all from the comfort of home. But this led to people buying more and more movies, without being able to keep track of them. Since DVDs are so much easier to store, it’s become commonplace to have piles of them sitting around your home, collecting dust in many cases. A DVD catalog of your own will help you to maximize the use of your DVDs for entertainment, rather than for straightening out a crooked table.

There are a number of ways you can create a DVD catalog for yourself. Some people will simply write down the DVDs they have in a notebook or a folder. This allows them to add to the list as needed and to make changes as they lose the DVDs. But the main concern with this sort of system is that it’s not easy to reorganize a list you’ve written down. You would need to erase or cross out items in order to make the list more manageable. So, people decided to turn to word processor programs to make their lists. This way, you can easily insert the titles of movies that you add to your collection. You can easily view your collection and see what you have available.

But even using this system can be difficult. With the long word processing file, you can’t sort the list easily or enter in too much information about the movies. Spreadsheet programs can help you with this type of DVD catalog system. By helping you to have multiple fields for information, you can begin to sort the list by any category you create.

The most efficient type of DVD catalog is a software program that does the work for you. Whether you have hundreds of DVDs or thousands, these programs can help you to list the movies you have as well as any move files you have. This way, you can easily search the listings you have and look to see what sounds good for movie night. These programs can be as detailed or as simple as you like as well, helping to make the experience suitable for your movie collection.

No matter how many DVDs you have, it never hurts to have a DVD catalog system of your own. This way, you can easily see what you have and what you might need to buy. This will save you money if you have a habit of buying or of renting duplicate movies. In addition, you will begin to select movies for viewing in minutes instead of hours. No one wants to spend their time looking or a movie to watch – they just want to sit down with a bowl of popcorn and see what the opening credits have to say.

Max Smirnov, DVD Catalog Program Developer

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