Author Archives: alanhs961

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Who Do You Need In The Room Where It Happens?

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When your business starts to reach a certain level of success, you do need to think about your boardroom. Your boardroom is going to be made up of key individuals who will run your business and help you make sure it’s success. It might also include investors who have a financial interest in the continued profitability of your company. So, what should your boardroom look like? That’s an interesting question, and the answer isn’t quite as simple as most people assume.

 

You might think we’re thinking about the tech in the room or perhaps the actual layout of this, particular the office. While both factors can be important the most crucial aspect of your boardroom is making sure you have the right people sitting in those chairs at the table. Who should have a seat in the room where it happens? First, let’s think about some broad aspects of your boardroom.

 

Diversity

 

Studies and research has shown that the most successful boardrooms are completely diverse. They ideally, you should be fifty percent male and fifty percent female, right down the middle. You may also want to think about recruiting people from different cultures with various belief systems and ideologies. It’s these differences and variations that will ensure your business heads in bold new directions, and that’s exactly what you want. You need to make sure that your business is ready to compete and focusing on diversity will certainly ensure that.

 

You may want to work to ensure that your business is appealing to different types of people. Focus on this aspect when you are setting up promotions and marketing for a recruitment drive.

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The Best Of The Best

 

You should not settle for anything less than the best people for your boardroom. To ensure you get this, you need to perform an executive search. Services like this are provided by the top recruitment agencies and can guarantee that you have the ultimate team of staff you need to make your business a hit. These individuals will have excellent track records at other businesses, and they may even have a history of taking companies to the next level.

 

Remember, for team members like this in an interview they won’t be pitching you, you’ll be pitching them. You’ll need to show them why they should sign on to your company and the benefits it could bring. Ultimately, you will need to prove why your business is the right choice.

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Read To Go The Extra Mile

 

Finally, the members of your company that make up your boardroom shouldn’t be typical employees. They should be ready, willing and able to go the extra mile for your business every time, each day they come into work. They should constantly be pushing your business in new directions. This is what you should be looking for in the interviews. You need to find the individuals who already have plans and ideas for the ways your business could move forward over the next five years. Find this, and you’ll have the right people at the head table.


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Manufacturers: Are You Doing The Best For Your Factory Teams?

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The manufacturing industry is a vital cog in the economy wheels of almost every country. And behind every successful manufacturer, lies a fantastic team of workers who are productive, innovative, and creative. But, given the critical role factory workers play in the success of their companies, are employers doing all they can to support them? Ultimately, if your factory team starts to ‘turn bad’ the impact will affect your profits. With this in mind, here is how manufacturers should approach building – and creating – high-quality factory workers. Organizations and sites such as https://gofounder.com/the-people/ can be a great help in this regard, and it would be good to check them out.

In the meantime, here are some important pointers to help you get started.

Leading from the front

As a manufacturing employer, you have to lead from the front. Hiding away in your office well away from the factory floor or constantly being away on business trips is going to send your workers all the wrong signs. Don’t forget, as a leader, all your actions will trickle down to the workers, and if they view you as aloof and uncaring about the business, why should they have a stake in its success? It’s these subtle little parts of running a business that many people pick up on – and could be the difference between a motivated workforce and a group of individuals who just don’t care.

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Instill a positive company culture

Factory work isn’t the most glamorous industry to be in, so instilling a sense of a great company culture can do wonders for motivating your teams. It’s important to work hard on that culture, too – you can end up in dangerous territory if you assume your company will just be a great place to work as if by accident. Weave your values and expectations into the heart of your business, and stick to those principles through thick and thin.

Invest in training

No worker in your company wants to stick around for years on end without any hope of progression. So, while new workers might start off on the factory line or packing departments, most will want to explore a lot more opportunity. As paulsonplasticsacademy.com state on their website, thorough training for your employees can result in a skilled workforce that is at the very top of their particular industry. And helping them on the road to being the best is a good reason for them to show you loyalty and commitment for many years to come.

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Care and attention

One of the biggest reasons factory workers take time off sick is due to burnout. Production in manufacturing can be a tiring and repetitive job, which leads to serious issues. Quality control can take a dip, as can productivity. And while there might be other issues at play, FairLabor.org suggest it is often due to burnout. Make sure your workers are achieving an excellent work-life balance, and never push them too hard. There will be times when you need them to work long hours, of course, especially during periods of high demand. But you have to balance it out by giving them time off in lieu, too, so that everyone can recharge the necessary batteries.

Never forget that your workers could be the difference between success and failure. And looking after the factory floor will lead to loyal, productive staff that stick around for many years to come.

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Tackling The 4 Challenges Of A Growing Business

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If you are a business owner, or if you are dreaming of becoming tomorrow’s entrepreneur, you need to be aware of the challenges that a company brings. Besides launching a startup and creating a market for your offering, the biggest obstacles that you will face in your business life are related to a positive event: Business growth. Indeed, business expansion is synonymous with new responsibilities, new tasks, new needs, new customers. While it’s great to grow your business, if you don’t plan growth properly it is likely to turn into a failure.

 

Finding The Right Talent

Hiring new talent

 

Business expansion means that you will need to look for new team members. It’s important to work closely with a professional recruiter as finding the right talent for your company can be tricky. More importantly, when you hire someone new, you are not hiring only a set of skills, but an individual. The right skills but the wrong mindset can be just as destructive in an employee than the wrong skills. Therefore it’s important to sit down with an HR expert to explain to them what your company needs and the kind of soft skills and attitude that the right candidate will need.

 

Embracing The Right Tech And Support

There is no denying it: When you grow your company, your IT needs will also grow. With a large team comes the need for a managed IT solution from certified experts, such as palmtech.net, who can look after your technical system and prevent any costly breakdown. Small companies often try to save cost by embracing a DIY attitude, where the office manager also becomes responsible for the network system. This attitude is, unfortunately, a mistake. Your IT system needs to be constantly monitored to prevent any breakdown and to stay up-to-date. In short, don’t save on cost; use a professional tech support.

 

Reaching Out To New Customers

Business growth means reaching out to a new market, whether it is a new location or new industry sectors. In other words, it is about reaching out to customers who don’t know you. Most small businesses tend to continue as they’ve always done and hope for the best, reasoning that it’s what generated their current success. It’s a mistake. To reach new customers, you need to research the new market pockets that you are targeting. Who is the new audience group, is the question you need to answer to grow. As a result, you will have to modify your marketing approach to appeal to the new target group.

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Dealing With Big Clients

For small businesses, supplying big clients can be daunting and difficult. Therefore it’s important to develop the right approach. Large organizations face important competition and market expectations, that, as a small supplier, you need to research and understand to become deal-worthy. With these clients, knowledge is power and collecting relevant market data is seen as a deal maker. Additionally, the cost of maintaining a contract with a large client can be very high. Therefore you need to ensure that, as a supplier, you are in a position to deliver large quantities to cut your cost down.

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You Won’t See These Driving Issues In The Movies

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Watching movies related to driving and action adventures on the road can be fun, but it’s frustrating once you realize that they could never happen in real life. It can take you out of the moment a little because you start to say ‘well that’s just silly’ and ‘cars don’t fly!’ Still, it’s quite funny to think about some of the worst problems on the road that are completely ignored by Hollywood.

 

Where’s All The Traffic

 

If you happened to catch the latest Fast & Furious film, you will have seen Dominic Toretto and his team cruising around New York City on roads that looks suspiciously empty for one of the most popular places in America. In fact, anyone who’s ever been to New York will tell you you’ll be lucky to travel five blocks in fifteen minutes let alone twenty in fifty seconds! But this is a common trait in Hollywood and even in TV shows. The best example were earlier seasons of 24. Since the show ran in real-time, producers knew they’d have to completely ignore traffic in LA. Otherwise, viewers would have spent the whole show watching Bauer honk his horn and yell at the car in front to move.

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Shaken And Then Arrested

 

Bond wouldn’t be Bond without the classic drink order somewhere present in the film. But viewers will notice that no sooner has he taken a swig he’s back in a car speeding after a bad guy, usually in a fairly populated area of a city. What we’ve never seen is the top spy pulled over for a DUI. Nor have we seen the effects drinking has on driving. Even after a couple, your reaction times are dramatically increased making those tight turns all but impossible. You probably know what to do if you are stopped for DUI, but what would Bond do? We’ll never know because we guarantee it will never happen.

 

Where Are The Speed Cameras?

 

The Fast And The Furious wouldn’t have spawned seven sequels if they hadn’t completely abandoned the idea of being arrested for racing and speeding. Fans of the franchise will know that it actually started with a cop going undercover to catch a thief/street racer. Now, they can quite happily speed as much as they like and never have to worry about the cops chasing them. If you tried to speed in a populated area, you’d soon see red white and blue in the mirror.

 

What Happened To Physics?

 

Lastly, who hasn’t seen a car fly through the air after going up a particularly steep hill in a movie and wished they could try it with their vehicle? Well, unfortunately, it wouldn’t work. Almost every car you can buy without mods is far too heavy for this type of stunt, and you’d be lucky to get it even a couple of inches off the ground. In fact, they’re pretty much designed to always keep the four wheels firmly on the tarmac. But that will never stop Hollywood showing them taking off like a jet plane.

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Spring Cleaning Can Improve Your Health In Ways You Never Thought

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It’s about that time of the year when a complete overall of your home is due. It’s an opportunity to access the state of your house. It’s a chance to inspect your living area from top to bottom, from crevice to cranny. The bright, sunny, long days give your ample time to do all those things you’ve been putting off. But this year, if you follow these steps, your life could improve in more ways than one.

House dust mites 

Image by – Giles San Martin

 

Bacteria and asthma

 

Ever wonder why you’re ill in or out of allergy season? Have you noticed how you might be popping vitamin pills to boost your immune system lately? Static exhaustion can be caused by your living space being filthy. It may not look like it, but neglecting certain parts of your home can lead to detrimental health conditions. Take a closer look at your daily routine, and you’ll notice parts of your home don’t ever get the proper hygiene attention they should.

 

Mold in the home can cause asthma and children are most vulnerable again. Any green sticky patches in your bathroom, on window sills and or on the ceiling, might be mold or fungi. Mold problems in your crawlspace are caused by moisture venting into and under your home’s floorboard. That’s a clear sign, that there’s a chink in the armor of your home. Somewhere there is a leak in your home, where moisture seeps in, and your home loses heat at the same time. Call in an expert if you think this might be relatable to you.  

Credit – Ana Maria Dacol

 

By using springtime as an opportunity to overhaul your home, your health could improve in ways you’ve never thought before. Since your breathing can improve following the techniques mentioned, stress levels can also decrease; giving you a greater night’s sleep.

 

Dust mites are known to feed off dead skin cells which the human body sheds in the hundreds of thousands every day. From the excrement of the dust mites, serious health issues can arise. From their action, dust mites also cause asthma, especially in young children. They’re known to be the leading cause, for asthma in the Western world. If your sheets aren’t regularly changed, vacuuming your mattress and bed sheets could solve the health issues dust mites cause.

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Photo by – Thomas Berg

 

The bathroom

 

How long have you had that body scrub sponge? Sure, you clean after your shower every day, but bacteria can cling onto the microscopic fibers. It may seem like your sponge or scrubber is clean, it probably feels like it too. There comes the point where the fabric becomes so worn out that the fibers become loose, and bacteria digs a hole inside them. It’s recommended that you change your body scrubber every one or two months; however, this can be done quarterly.

 

Bacteria, insects and mollusks like snails can lurk in your bathroom plumbing. Although it may not smell bad, grime can build to a point where one day your bath or sink will clog for no apparent reason. Pouring bleach down the drains once a month to keep bathroom plumbing clean and healthy.

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4 Major Factors that Affect Your Sleep

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In an increasingly busy world in which people are finding themselves pulled in a million different directions at once, getting enough sleep every night can be more difficult than it should be. There are a whole range of techniques that you can use to help you drift off, but sometimes it seems like nothing works as well as it should. A useful bit of information to know is what external factors actually direct your sleep. That way, you are in a better position to be able to control them to help you get the shut-eye that you need for both your physical and mental wellbeing. So, let’s take a look at some of these.

 

Light

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Of course, light is one of the top external factors that can both directly and indirectly affect your sleep. Directly, light makes it more difficult to drift off, while indirectly, it influences the timing of your internal clock. Our eyes contain light-sensitive cells which tell the brain whether it is daytime or nighttime. Since the invention of the light bulb, we have become much more exposed to constant light than our ancestors. If you are struggling with light entering through your bedroom window, try a blackout blind to keep it out.

 

Temperature

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You are probably already well aware how difficult it can be to get to sleep if you are feeling too hot or too cold. When you actually going to sleep, the set point for your body temperature goes down. This is designed to induce sleep which is why people tend to do better in a room that is cooler. Make sure that you don’t pile up your bed with too many blankets and think about getting a Casablanca fan to help regulate temperature. It has also been found that cold feet can be a factor in waking you up in the middle of the night, so consider sleeping in socks if this is the case.

 

Stress

 

Individuals across all age ranges tend to find it more difficult to get to sleep if they are experiencing high levels of stress. When they do actually fall asleep, it tends to be lighter, including more REM sleep and less deep sleep. Your body is designed to wake up to combat any danger, which is why going to sleep in a stressed condition is not a good idea. People use a range of techniques to tackle stress, but it generally helps to stick to a bedtime routine that includes calming exercises such as deep breathing, meditation or yoga.

 

Chemical Factors

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There are a wide range of chemical factors that influence both quantity and quality of sleep. Some of the most common include alcohol, nicotine and caffeine. All of these substances need to be limited as much as possible, particularly when it is leading up to bedtime. Even though alcohol may help you to drift off at first, the quality of sleep that you get is usually a lot worse which is why many of us wake up feeling tired after a few drinks.  

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Bringing the Kids Back Home After Graduation

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For many students, graduation is just around the corner. After that, they’re in the big bad world, where they have to make it on their own…or so the idea goes. First, besides maybe a spot of traveling with their friends, they’ll be moving back in with mom and dad until they figure out whatever it is they’ll do next. This is good news (they’re home!) and bad news (they’re home…) but handled correctly it’ll be good for everyone involved.

Source: Pexels.com

Out of University, Into the Home

 

Your child will have had a fun few years at home, during which they made friends, grew as individuals, and acquired a whole bunch of stuff. If they’re not able to sell the hefty furniture and other bulky items they had in the university accommodation, that’ll have to come back home with them until they move out again. First, use a service like Shiply to get it all home in one piece (and without hassle). Then carve out space in your home where you can store it. It’ll take up more space than you’d like, but it’s easier to keep it rather than have your child buy all new belongings next time they move out.

 

Setting the Rules

 

When they first get home, have a BBQ and toast the successful completion of the student days. Let them relax for a while; they’ve earned it. When the party’s over, though, make sure they’re aware of the ground rules of the house. This isn’t university anymore, and they can’t just do as they please – it’s your home, and if they want to live under your roof, they need to abide by your rules.

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To Make Them Pay, or Not?

 

This is a tricky one. Your child has mostly moved back home as a cost-cutting exercise, so it wouldn’t be fair to make them pay a full rent. However, their presence will bring your home bills up, so they shouldn’t get a free ride. Anyway, life isn’t easy! They have to pay something. Even a token gesture that goes toward the cost of running the house will let them know this isn’t a charity case. If they’re smart, they’ll know they’re getting a good deal and won’t have any complaints.

 

Enough is Enough

 

At some point, you’re going to have to give your child fair warning that they should move out of the house. This shouldn’t be done nastily, of course – sell them the virtues of setting out into the world and living on their own rather than making it sound like you just don’t want them there! Some children never leave the family home, and they’re missing out on important life experiences that they can’t regain later in life!

 

The Good Times

Even though having your child at home might test your patience from time to time, you should appreciate having them there on a short-term basis. Once they really flee the nest, they’ll never really big back, so enjoy their presence while you can.

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Maintaining a Healthy Mouth

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Maintaining a healthy mouth is important, not only for your physical appearance but also for your physical health. Most people think that they have their oral health covered, but if you’re doing nothing more than brushing, flossing and rinsing, you’re not doing all you can do to keep your mouth healthy.

 

Here are some of the key things you need to do if you want to maintain a healthy mouth:

 

Check in With Your Dentist

 

If you’re one of those people who hates visiting the dentist and you do all you can to avoid a visit, you really need to bite the bullet and make an appointment right now. Around half of the US population do not see their dentists at least once a year and this is such a shame because dentists will catch the tell-tale signs of tooth decay gum disease and other problems much sooner than the average person, and they will be able to refer you to places like http://harrelldentalimplantcenter.com/ should you need dental implants, dentures or other cosmetic dental procedures.

 

Ditch the Soda

 

Even if you’re brushing, flossing, rinsing and visiting your dentist as directed, if you are drinking soda more than occasionally, you are doing untold damage to your teeth. It might not be evident yet, but if you continue sipping the sweet stuff, eventually your teeth will fall foul of acid erosion and cavities, and they will start to look less than their best. You might think that switching to diet soda will solve the problem, but diet drinks still contain acid, and this will have a negative effect on your teeth.

 

Give Up Smoking

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If you’re a smoker, there are many reasons to give up the habit, as you can see at http://www.tobaccofreemaine.org/quit_tobacco/ and although the health of your teeth might not be the most pressing one, it is something you should think about, especially if you want to avoid yellow, nicotine stained teeth and bad breath.

 

Choose Your Toothbrush Wisely

 

If you are brushing with a toothbrush that has stiff, harsh bristles, you could cause your gums to bleed, or even recede, which is why you should always choose a brush that has soft bristles and replace it after 3-months maximum.

 

Perfect Your Brushing Technique

 

Brushing twice a day isn’t enough, you need to practice the proper technique too. In order to do so, you should hold the brush at an angle of 45 degrees when pointing towards the gum line. Then, gently brush your teeth using circular motions. This will remove plaque and food without causing damage to your gum-line.

 

Perfect Your Flossing Technique

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Again, it is important that you floss your teeth correctly if you want to maintain healthy teeth and gums. The right way to floss is by winding a foot of floss between both index fingers, allowing a couple of inches to work with. Hold the floss tight to the tooth and use a new piece for each tooth.

 

If you do all of these things and you watch what you eat, you will have one of the healthiest mouths around.

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Your 5-Day Plan For Moving House

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Have you been losing sleep about your upcoming house move? It’s true that moving house can be very stressful, but there are various ways you can try to reduce all the stress and worrying. One of the best ways is to make sure that you are as organized as you can be. And there is no better way to get organized than by getting a plan in order. To help your move go as easy as possible, I’ve created this five-day plan. It includes everything you need to do on each day in the run up to your big move!

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Five Days To Go: Start Packing

Don’t leave your packing until the last minute. Otherwise, you will only rush it and could end up leaving some important items behind. This will also give you enough time if you need to source some extra packing materials, like extra cardboard boxes or bubble wrap. When you take your time packing, you will also find that you are able to be a lot more efficient and won’t need to cram a lot into very few boxes.

Four Days To Go: Consider Auto Shipment

Have you already figured out how you are going to transport your car to your new home? Most families drive it themselves, especially if they are going to put some of their home items in it if they run out of space in the van. However, some cars may not make the long drive for moves that cross through states. This is especially true if the move is a really great distance such as car transport Melbourne to Perth. You have enough to worry about, without having the added stress of moving your vehicle to your new home. You want to find a company you can trust. With a quick Google search, you will be able to find companies local to you, wherever you are based. Spend time reading reviews, and then compare the quotes you get, to find the best one for you! Some websites like carshippingquotes.co will even provide you with multiple quotes. When you hire a car shipping company, they will collect your car and safely transport it to your new home. You will have complete peace of mind knowing that it’s in safe hands!

Three Days To Go: Check In With Your Moving Company

When there are just three days ago, you need to check in with your moving company to make sure that they are ready to help you on your big day. All you need to do is give them a quick call to confirm the time you want them to be at your home. It’s also worth making sure that they know the route to your new property.

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Two Days To Go: Get The Keys

If you haven’t already got the keys to your new home, get them just a couple of days before you move. If you have some spare time before the actual moving day, and your new property isn’t too far away, you might want to take some things to leave at your home.

One Day To Go: Clean Your Old Home

You should clean your old house so that it is ready for the new owners. If you don’t have much time for this yourself, you could always hire a new company such as americanhousekeepingutah.com. Once it’s all cleaned, you can start to focus on what you need to do the next day – moving day!
Hopefully, this will talk all the stress away from your move!

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Communication is Vital!

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Orange 1970’s vintage phone. Seen at 42nd St Station in PDX. 4/17/2015

Ever have a person or business representative say that they’ll call you right back then they don’t? Yeah, it’s happened to me, too. Truth is, this is one of the big complaints people have regarding communication.

If you’re in business, the best way to keep customers is to get back to them when you say you will. All too often, I hear stories about people who have legitimate questions or complaints be told by a company representative that they’ll be called back within a certain amount of time, then never get the call back at all.

In a way, this is also an integrity issue. But aside from that, communicating with the customer keeps them in the loop and let’s them know where they stand. I know that, for myself, I prefer a call back when I’m told to expect one, even if it’s to say they have no answer yet, to no callback at all. I’m sure most people feel the same way.

Now, this is a two-way street, and also applies to person to person communication, not just business communication. If you tell a friend you’ll call them within a certain time, do it. And, if you are the customer, and you say you’ll call or come by to pick up the package, etc, by a certain time, you’re just as obligated to do so as the business was to call you back if that’s what it said it would do.

So, just don’t promise to communicate or call, then forget. It leaves the other party hanging, and also damages your credibility with them.

Photos of my Motorola Moto-e 2nd generation 2015 phone. 4/30/2016

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