Sunday 13 March 2016

MURDER, MISSING, MONEY, MILLIONS



My less than 20/20 vision can only pick out 'Missing and Exploited' on the t-shirt worn by this aged progressed image of Madeleine McCann.  But in any event, my poor eyesight seems to tally with what is going in my brain. 

Today is the day of the 'Ms' it seems.  A FOI request has revealed that Operation Grange is a murder squad and there is no room for doubt.  The irony of course being that the Portuguese and Goncalo Amaral didn't use the 'M' word, they used the 'A' for accident word and the far less serious charges that would have come with it.  Doh!   

The 'pro' McCanns on twitter are pointing out that a murder squad would also investigate a missing person who is at risk.  But due to the fact that Operation Grange were digging up PDL in search of a body less than 2 years ago, I'm not buying it.  Besides which, it would be pretty bad form for OG to take all the time in the world if Madeleine were alive and at risk of being murdered.  What will they say? 'sorry about the extra 3 years with the beast Madeleine, but we still had 200 files to read'.

We have of course known for years that OG is a 'murder squad', but most have been reluctant to point it out, going with the 'she's alive' myth created by the ever efficient McMann Media Monsters Monitors.  The FOI revelation confirms it, but of course, it doesn't give any clues as to who their suspects are.  Some still think it will fall on a 'patsy', a mysterious bogeyman who fits the full profile of all our childhood fears.  He will be ugly, smelly, spotty, godless, murky is a given and caste out Quasimodo style by the rest of society.  Once he is found and hung, we can all sleep safely in our beds. 

Or, they might just have been looking at all the evidence that has kept we McCann junkies hooked for this last 9 years. And their suspect list may spread far and wide.  Those of us who have a good idea of what is going on, know that this is the country pile in the house of cards stakes, and some VIPs are occupying penthouse suites. 

But I am still on the money trail.  In my obsession to discover what it is that makes people truly evil, I study  the behaviour of known murderers and psychopaths and via the amazing World Wide Web, I have no end of resources.  In the case of genuinely grieving parents, part of them dies when they receive the worst news possible. They can't think, they can't plan, they can barely get through the day. Anyone who has ever suffered from depression will know that grief totally immobilizes you, even getting washed and dressed is a major task.  When I lost my beloved father I stayed in my bedroom for a week watching Seinfeld and Father Ted back to back.  It was only the intervention of my best friend that forced me to have my say in the funeral arrangements, 'or I would regret it forever more', that got me out of my 'pit' - temporarily at least. 

With genuinely grieving parents, we can feel their pain, it reaches us on a level that we can all recognise and understand, we grieve with them and for them because we empathise.  With mothers like Coral Jones and Sara Payne we want to comfort them, try to ease their pain, but know that we never can.  They are not buoyed by the public's response, they don't even want the public in their lives, they just want their babies.  Money cannot ease their agony, nothing can.  Aged progressed pictures of their loved ones would rip them apart.  They don't talk about new normalities or their own pain, they talk about the lives their children lost. 


Even without all the circumstantial evidence, the statements that don't match, no signs of a break in, and the 11 alerts of the blood and cadaver dogs, the behaviour of Kate and Gerry McCann has been bizarre, by anyone's standards. In the summer of 2007 when there was a strong possibility Madeleine may have been in the hands of monsters, her mother and father were planning a huge Corporation and an annual Madeleine Day for the whole world. At a time when most fathers would be non functioning, Gerry's grinning face was popping up on the Whitehouse lawn, all over Europe and at press conferences in Edinburgh that he wasn't invited to.  Why are you here asked the interviewer, why indeed. 

Gerry and Kate's success arose out of their perceived 'bravery'.  They didn't sit back and feel sorry for themselves, they took control of the helm.  Their little girl was missing (in a foreign land) and they were going to get her back.  It's the standard fodder of 'tru movies', cherubic child, attractive parents up against a 'brutal' non WASP regime.  We are indoctrinated to root for the heroes, the civilised, clean living, church going professionals and their desperate search for their little Blonde girl stolen from her bed in a foreign land.  I swear the plot comes from DW Griffiths!

I doubt Team McCann knew just how effective their campaign would be.  They had grandiose ideas (don't we all?), but they never seemed to sober up the next day and besides which, the grandiose ideas were coming to fruition beyond their wildest dreams.  Integral to their plan was the belief that Madeleine was still alive. That is what they have been selling us this past 9 years and what they are selling us still.  If she were dead there would be no reason for the Fund to continue and they are not popular enough to go straight to the 'support the family' second objective.  Madeleine is an innocent little girl, Gerry keeps telling us, as if to remind donors, to forget all the questions surrounding himself and his wife, and 'give' to the innocent victim. 

But let's get to the crux - Gerry and Kate have asked us since May 2007 to donate to the 'Search' for Madeleine.  And it must be donate, because where are we being asked to search?  Should we scour all the fields and hedgerows, no matter where we live, or should we treat every blonde (or Asian) girl of 13 as a potential Maddie and demand they give their DNA to the local police?  These age progression pictures are a virtual stalker's charter. Plastering the faces of innocent children all over the tabloids and accusing their parents of kidnap is perfectly acceptable if you are searching for Maddie. 

I would really like someone from the Madeleine camp to explain to me exactly what 'searching' in this case means, because at the moment it is kind of fuzzy.  Do they honestly believe that someone is going to 'find' Maddie based on the image of a shop window dummy?  Have we entered the twilight zone? Until I receive an informed response, I will have to assume that 'search' means fundraise. Though what the funds are actually for, remains unclear.  Deliberate plan or runaway train, the McCanns were receiving millions in donations.  Everyone wanted to help and their help was converted into hard cash.  I would imagine that the Madeleine Fund has probably been the largest 'private' Charity ever to have existed - people responded, and the McCanns collected, as if there had been a global disaster. The people who kindly donated saw their money frittered away on mortgage payments, £50k per month dodgy detectives and 5* travel for the McCann entourage. 

But let's get back to that fundraising. When Gerry and Kate put their heart and soul into something there is no doubt they can move mountains.  For Gerry all his childhood dreams came true, he even went head to head with Paxman (bad move), he was hobnobbing with the elite, heck he was the elite!  Braveheart and Father of the Nation, Scotland's finest, aw shucks.  

Any business minded person will tell you that launching a company while you are riding the crest of a wave is a jolly good idea.  Good Quality yellow wristbands could have become the must have accessory for fashion conscious teenagers and concerned citizens all over the globe.  The online shop was launched in record time, not only with 'must have' wristbands, but Maddie badges, trinkets, t-shirts and car stickers.  

Not unnaturally, the Portuguese police thought this was a very suspicious way for the parents of a missing child to behave.  Kate even wore a cute 'Maddie' badge on her belt when she went along for a police interview.  Kate has never shown that innate grief of a mother yearning for her lost child.  It simply isn't there, not even in her book Madeleine.  There is nothing within the book to connect the reader to the child, or even the mother.  It is a Stepford life for those capable of unshakeable belief.    

But let's stick with the fundraising.  The McCanns and their helpers, turned a tragedy into a 'get rich quick' opportunity.  They quickly became accustomed to the private jets, the paparazzi and the grovelling flunkies, they were getting the treatment they were entitled to.  They have a very strong sense of entitlement.

The Fund was born out of people wanting to help, Gerry told us, in other words the idea did not come from them. It was a bit like his epiphany, the Good Lord (no less) sent him a sign. The chosen one then embarked on a mission to sell wristbands, the like of which has never been seen before.  Flick your wristband and we will all become as one.  Cue group hug.  Just for a bit of trivia, dictators, tyrants and authoritarians love wristbands, badges, stripes or yellow star emblems on sleeves, it enables them to spot instantly who is the friend or foe.  I first encountered this human quirk as a small child trying to sneak a bit of extra time in the swimming pool.  I was betrayed by the colour of my wristband, for the 'reds' the time was up :(

Whilst Aunty Phil sent chainmail letters to large corporations (gaw'd 'elp 'em), the troops on the ground pointed out the good quality of the rubber and the modesty of the price to the general public whilst Clarence shouted roll up, roll up, every personal detail of my clients' lives is negotiable.  Form a queue.

I doubt we will ever know how much money was received by the Madeleine Fund, it never had a top limit, or a goal.  How much was ever going to be enough?  £1million, £2million, £20million?  All for one child and one family. In any event they received the kind of money that would rebuild a small village struck by disaster, or provide much needed medicines and relief in crisis hit areas around the globe.  The kind people who donated, wanted something good to come out of Maddie's tragedy, I doubt they wanted a miscarriage of justice.  Perhaps those misguided billionaire philanthropists can make amends by providing humanitarian relief for the refugees?  Many of whom will be small children, torn from the safety of their homes and thrust into the care of a very uncaring society.   

          

28 comments:

  1. The response to the FOI request is unequivocal and as precise as such responses always are because they HAVE TO BE.
    This is a M U R D E R inquiry and of that there can be no doubt. Time for the charade and "financial support"
    for the family to cease immediately. Let's not even consider how much of the vast donations have
    ever been spent on a "missing" child, I'd much rather not because I feel like vomiting every time I see
    the McCanns happy smiling faces. Not a care in the world.

    Chris Roberts.

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    1. Wow Chris - you are so right. I am sure when you learn how to copy and paste everyone will believe you.

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  2. Hi Ros.
    Thank you for your wonderful blog.I came across this blog some years ago when I was carrying out tests of various web addresses at random (work wise)and I have been avid reader ever since.I must say that I do not originate from UK but I will do my best with the English.I first came to the UK when I was 16 and spent 4 years training to become telecoms engineer.Some years later I returned for a further 7 years to study and train for my current occupation.

    I can't even read or speak English - because I am a bot. But if I did I am sure if I could I would find your blog so insightful as to put me on the path to righteousness.

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    1. 21:10 Is that you again, Tony?

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    2. @ Anonymous13 March 2016 at 22:02

      wrong again - but it keeps the post counts up doesn't it?

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  3. Metropolitan Police Child Homicide Conference 2015

    Tuesday 24th November 2015

    BT Auditorium, London

    This seminar is designed to enhance the knowledge and understanding of practitioners who deal with assault, serious physical abuse and neglect leading to the death of a child.

    Of specific interest for officers of the Metropolitan Police Service's Homicide and Serious Crime Command, this seminar will also be of benefit to those investigators and partner agencies who operate in the area of child protection.

    The one day seminar brings together a host of leading experts in relevant fields to share their experience and views across a broad range of subjects.

    Keeping Child Death at the Investigative Forefront

    Tuesday 22 March 2016

    Leicester Marriott Hotel
    Smith Way
    Grove Park
    Leicester
    LE19 1SW

    http://www.cvent.com/events/keeping-child-death-at-the-investigative-forefront/event-summary-b6c7436e44b74ce5a45a130a8ea8d002.aspx

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    1. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  4. love the analogy of the wristbands se

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  5. The legend is on the photograph, not on the T - shirt. Apart from that it should be easy to find out what it says: namely missing and exploited - not Murder! The outfit which Gerry visited in the US

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  6. 06:19, Err, I know it says Missing and Exploited, that was my point!

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    1. It was a good point, too, it does look like the two Madeleines are wearing Missing & Exploited logo'd shirts. Where on earth was the one on the right supposed to get her swarthy tan from - walnut juice?

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    2. I remember the first time I saw an age progressed picture of a missing child, it was over 30 years ago and the child was fictional, but I wept buckets. I was a young mum myself at the time so I could 'feel' the fictional mother's pain.

      It chilled me to the bone when I saw the way in which the parents of Madeleine reacted to those pictures. How they could bear to look at them without falling to pieces.

      The above age progressed pictures of Madeleine were a new low in this saga for me. As a mother I would have been hysterical with anger at the way in which my child was being used, and I would pulverise the sick bastard who came up with the above. Where were they headed next? One eyed Maddie (Gerry said abductor may do something to her eye), Chinese Maddie? Where is the parental protection? where is the respect for the sanctity for her short life?

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  7. @Robert_D_Guest 43m43 minutes ago

    Some vile creatures celebrating a perceived demise of a child, sorry to spoil your celebrations sickos #McCann

    Clearly, this is emphatically not the sort of person that would ever find themselves cordially invited to an Investigating Child Homicide symposium.

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  8. 16:14 - Facing up to reality is not the same as celebrating Robert. Pretending she is alive, when she clearly isn't, is not a nice thing to do. It prolongs the agony for those who knew and loved her and it prevents her from having the decent memorial she deserves.

    Whilst it may be seen as commendable that the parents will never give up, is it fair on all those around them? They are all trapped in the Missing Madeleine world, the futures of the twins are already mapped out.

    Instead of devoting their lives to the child who is not here, how about devoting their lives to the children who are? That might sound cruel but someone has got to say it.

    The bedroom museum, the presents, the birthday cake, the posters and car stickers etc, have long since moved into the realms of macabre. The McCanns don't hold the monopoly on grief. If they opened their eyes, they would see it is all around them, and who's grief is greater than who's?

    They know the search for Madeleine is hopeless, but there are other kids out there for whom there is hope. The money they have accumulated could be saving lives somewhere.

    Btw Robert, is there a rift between Operation Grange and Kate and Gerry? Because if the police are investigating a homicide, they obviously believe Madeleine is dead. Kate and Gerry however, intend to carry on with the 'Search'?

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  9. I agree with what you say Cristobell.It's not healthy for the twins to be living in the shadow of their sister which they have since Madeleine went missing. It gives me the creeps to think they've kept her room as a shrine with presents piled up waiting for her return, that's if it's true! how can they be so cruel knowing there's not much chance of the twins ever seeing there sister again? It could end up working the opposite to what the McCann's expect, as the twins reach their teenage years they may become resentful of the time and effort their parent's put in trying to find an elusive Maddie, that's if they still have the stamina to keep going!!There will become a point were even the most gullible people will stop believing she is still alive/findable, that's when the fighting fund will cease to be.
    I remember watching a clip were Gerry mentioned the fund, he said something along the lines of...''When Madeleine is found the rest of the fund money will be used to help other missing children'' I can't see that happening myself, and neither does he if the truth be known.

    Thanks Cristobell, always a pleasure to read your blogs.

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    1. They have always added the proviso 'and her abductor' when they talk about passing the fund onto others, so I doubt it will ever happen 18:19.

      Dragging the search on even after Operation Grange folds (whatever the outcome) is not so much inspiring as desperate. I doubt anyone, even in their closest circles have much appetite for raising further funds for the parents. Many suspect that most of the funds raised have been used to protect the parents from prosecution and that the money intended for Maddie has been spent on top lawyers, spin doctors and marketing. There wasn't much good governance observed when they selected their private detectives - several of them are now in prison for money laundering and fraud. Though they have sued and threatened to sue dozens who have criticized them, the parents have never made any attempt to get the Fund's money back from the dodgy detectives. Would they have shown such appalling judgment if they were using their 'own' money?

      The following link is a rarity in that the interviewer asks the McCanns directly what has happened to the money. It is Gerry at his squirming best, looking even more uncomfortable than he did with Jeremy Paxman!

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PsDZb5Ztv8I

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    2. Anonymous14 March 2016 at 18:19
      No need for the McCann twins to feel resentful of the time their parents have spent trying to find Maddie, (if you acquire my drift).
      As for stamina to keep going, I could agree with you if they were, or had been, out there searching those lawless hinterlands.

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    3. Yes, Thomas I get your drift! short of spelling it out, the parent's have brainwashed the twins into believing their sister IS still alive somewhere out there waiting to be found. Short of a miracle I don't believe this is true.At the moment the twins WILL believe anything the parents say, why wouldn't they? the point I am trying to make is.. the parent's might have the stamina now to do their pretendy searches but will it backfire on the McCann's once the twins start to ask questions of their own, and realise all is not what it seems. For a start their lives were put in danger too if the parent's are to be believed! don't you think that alone would cause some resentment plus the fact they were dumped in the crèche so soon after Maddie disappeared surely that would set the alarm bells ringing for the more mature thinking twins! I hope the twins don't read their mothers book 'Madeleine' I think what she's written in there IS truly shocking! and am gob smacked that she has written it as the TRUE account of what happened. It was probably written so she can remember all the lies she's told, same as the diary.

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  10. Absolutely right, where has the vast amount of money donated gone? There was and only ever has been, two searches, one by UK police and one by the PJ, both tax payer funded. The McCanns employed dodgy PI's to 'search' but Brian Kennedy, Branson, Rowling etc paid for that, so what has become of the millions donated directly to the 'fund'? Has it ALL gone on litigation and mortgage payments? that was not what it was intended for. Perhaps team McCann could make public a complete breakdown of income and expenditure from the day they began receiving donations, often in the form of cash thrust into their hands.

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  11. I've often wondered about these rich supporters of the McCann's, they wouldn't have got to where they are now by being foolish with their money! funny they don't seem too concerned about their millions being wasted on these dodgy private investigators, maybe some of them have seen the light and withdrawn their support, who knows. It's also rather odd the McCann's haven't pursued the PI's that spent the money on anything but the search. It's not like them to let anyone get away with anything especially were money is concerned. Didn't someone who worked for them also steal money from the Maddie fund? Probably the money they are claiming to have been stolen is in off shore bank accounts.They lie so much I wouldn't put anything past them.

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  12. 22:49,Sounds to me as if he's almost certain Maddie or her abductor will never be found! but we always knew that didn't we Gerry, we just knew!!

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    1. Dr Jason Roach, a criminologist at Huddersfield University, convened a major conference on child killers and how to catch them last year. Child homicide is a key theme of Dr Roach’s work, but he says the subject is surprisingly under-researched so it seems quite likely that a stranger who has abducted a child is more likely to evade capture. West Yorkshire detective Maxwell McLean, who is completing his PhD research at the university, paper is entitled When A Stranger Strikes – lessons from 40 years ago would make for a quite interesting read.

      http://www.examiner.co.uk/news/west-yorkshire-news/huddersfield-university-stage-child-homicide-9227819

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  13. Prosecution witness: Mom unemotional, reports child missing

    In their opening, prosecutors showed jurors a blanket that was found near Timothy Wiltsey's body, and said it came from Lodzinski's apartment. The item was identified by Lodzinski's niece, who often babysat the boy.

    "The evidence will show it was his mother, Michelle Lodzinski. The very person who brought him into the world took him out of it," assistant county prosecutor Christie Bevacqua said.

    However, defense lawyer Gerald Krovatin told jurors that Lodzinski was a loving mother and that no one has ever found any evidence that links her to the boy's death.

    "There is probably nothing more horrible to contemplate than the death of a child, any child, especially your child," Krovatin said. "Maybe the only thing worse is the day when they turn around and someone falsely accuses you of killing your own child."

    Lodzinski was arrested in 2014 in Florida, where she was living. She has long been a suspect in Timothy's disappearance.

    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/ap/article-3495568/Trial-begins-mom-accused-killing-5-year-old-1991.html

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  14. Agree about the 'strong sense of entitlement' - this is one of the hallmarks of narcissistic personality disorder. They have it in spades, in my opinion. Kate throws in martyrdom for added effect. Their sheer greed and audacity has been mindblowing.

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    1. It certainly takes some 'front' to put out collection boxes for yourself! The sheer wickedness of it is hard to comprehend, especially as it was accompanied by Oscar winning performances claiming victimhood! Gerry said it was degrading asking for cash (not that it stopped him)- perhaps he thinks the public should just give forever more. Though, why his 'Charity' should take precedence over those saving lives, is anyone's guess.

      No-one with a heart or conscious would divert charity funding for themselves. For almost 9 years the vast sums donated to Madeleine have been used to prevent the poor child getting justice. Most of it, it would appear, has been spent on spin doctors, lawyers, marketing and persecuting their enemies.

      The search is nonsense. Why haven't they, or any of their employees, been back to PDL to scour the lairs and lawless hills of the Algarve? Their PI Dave Edgar thought she was there, and recently, Kate has said that she does too. With all those millions they could have hired a ground force and all the high tech equipment they needed. Even without the millions, they could have done as the Needham family did in their search for Ben. They could have gone back themselves every year and physically searched the surrounding area. I can't believe they have never done it. The fact that they have restricted their search to a 'live' child and excluded the possibility that she is dead, is highly suspicious on its' own. Don't they want to find her body and give her and everyone else, closure? Why didn't they attend the digs in PDL? Armed police wouldn't have kept Winnie Johnson away when the diggers were taken onto the moors in the search of her son Keith Bennett. The murderers had it in their power to give her some sort of peace, that they didn't was pure evil. Those who know where Maddie's body is, but will not say, are just as evil imo, they are denying closure to those who loved her. When you really think about it, the wickedness of this crime is blood curdling.

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  15. " Turn your passion into profit.

    AdSense is a free, simple way to earn money by placing ads on your website."

    I notice you have AdSense on this blog Ros - surely you are not trying to make money out of posting about a missing child?

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  16. Oh I am sure no-one would do that would they, least of all the child's parents, surely?

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  17. There is some footage of the McCanns at a packed press reception when that age-progressed picture was released. Gerry is having the time of his life - he fails to entirely suppress an enormous grin, especially when asked about Madeleine's hair-style. He thinks it's hysterically funny that he has taken everyone in (or so he thinks). A great example of 'duper's delight'. Kate is also suppressing a smirk in my opinion. She is acting her socks off pretending to be the victim but I think that she, too, was enjoying the attention and enjoying thinking that they have succeeded in their (money-making) scam.

    Abominable pair. I feel very sorry for the surviving children. What a terrible legacy for them.

    If the pair had put their heads down when the case was shelved (they were given a 'get out of jail free card, imo) then I think they might have got away with it. People would have become bored. But because they were so determined to clear their names - with an independent review if you please - (goodness only knows how they thought an independent review would exonerate them and their friends what with the ridiculously conflicting and obviously lying witness statements and many other huge red flags) - they put another nail in their coffin. And then they wanted the fame and fortune associated with being 'Ambassadors' for missing children. Their hubris, pride and stupidity has been their downfall.

    Now that public opinion is so against them, I would imagine they are like rats in a sinking ship. Gerry had taken a very low profile recently, I'm surprised he put his name to that Leversen open letter - madness because it was bound to infuriate people given the suspicious circumstances of Madeleine's disappearance. Kate's continued association with Missing People is also a PR disaster, imo. It gives the organization zero credibility.

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