Ronke Abidoye
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Top Ten Song List (The Jane Review)

4/6/2020

Comments

 
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  1. Devil Is A Liar by Colton Dixon: You know what makes this song work so well, aside from the fact it is a truth that we need to hear right now? It's how the melody and the lyrics match so perfectly. It's how Colton Dixon convincingly delivers line after line, like he is trying to assure himself, the singer, along with the listener. The track plays like a chant. Like a catchy power-to-the-people anthem that plays over and over in your head. Except this time we are taking power away from the devil.
  2. Why by T-Classic: Afro beats are a dime a dozen, but this track is a little more. You can hear T-Classic's angst not just in the lyrics, but in. Every. beat. You almost feel a little bad for dancing when he is pouring his heart out. Almost. But not quite. 😉
  3. 0903 by EMO Grae, Buju: Awwwwww. 😭😭I think that's all I got. This Nigerian love song crooners will not kill us. They are truly, as chike's album title says, the Boos of the Boo-less 
  4. Intentions - Acoustic by Justin Bieber: I didn't think Intentions could get better. I was wrong. Yes, the original has a nice bop. But very few things compare to Justin and a guitar. He knows it. Scooter knows it. So here we are. In this track, Justin's voice is the beat and he hits every single one so cleanly. 
  5. Insecure by chike: This song has been on my list for over a month now. I think I might be addicted. 
  6. four and five by Zubi, MYAN: Oh man, the feels. If you were looking for a wedding dance song (for after this coro wahala), please stop your searching. You have found it. It is this one. This song is as close to perfect as...you know what? This song is perfect. Period. Zubi and MYAN were ordained to sing this song together. I am tearing up a little as I am writing this. 
  7. Fever by Iyanya: Okay, Iyanya, I see you. I see you. 👀 "As I dey dance/na she be music." This is an actual lyric from the song. Iyanya, ah-ah, please take it easy with our isolated hearts. 
  8. AWAY by Oxlade: This track is nothing short of innovative. The melodious drums, that sweet alto sax/electric guitar/ I-am-not-even-sure-what-it-was sound at the end was out of the world. You heard it here first: if an afro-pop song is 2 minutes long, it is certifiably sweet. 
  9. Farabale by 1da Banton: I believe you, 1da. 😭😭 Mo ti farabale.
  10. Control by Jesse10s, Limoblaze: Where Limoblaze goes, amazing beats follow. Period. This song teaches us three important things: 
    1. Jah controls all,
    2. Jesse and Limo finna burn up this track, and
    3. No one does it quite like Africa 😉
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Ronke's Top Ten Songs of the Week

4/6/2020

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Hi there beautiful people.
I know it's been a while. As my little cousin would say, "Sorry!" (Imagine this in a cute chipmunk voice)
Onto the list, dear friends!
  1. Devil Is A Liar by Colton Dixon
  2. Why by T-Classic
  3. 0903 by EMO Grae, Buju
  4. Intentions - Acoustic by Justin Bieber
  5. Insecure by chike
  6. four and five by Zubi, MYAN
  7. Fever by Iyanya
  8. AWAY by Oxlade
  9. Farabale by 1da Banton
  10. Control by Jesse10s, Limoblaze

​Access the Spotify playlist by clicking here (or listen below)
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The Carly/Shaun/Lea love triangle on ‘The Good Doctor’: My “Unbiased” Opinion

3/10/2020

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     I was going to start this piece off by calling Shaun an idiot. However, after watching him confront Lea on last night’s episode (S03E18), I can’t seem to summon the vitriol anymore. Mostly because I think he finally realizes how idiotic he has been. And it’s not as fun to kick someone when they’re down, you know?
​
     I kid.
     The Good Doctor centers around a brilliant surgical resident, Shaun, who is also autistic. In the current season (S3), Shaun is caught in a love-triangle of sorts. The incredibly ridiculous Carly/Shaun/Lea triangle.
Laughable, really. As if Lea can hold a candle to Carly in the girlfriend department. Honestly, Carly should be given the Oscars-equivalent for Best Girlfriend.

     But maybe I’m biased. Let’s examine the facts, shall we?

     When we first meet Lea, she is literally the girl-next-door. She breezes past Shaun’s autistic barrier to social interactions and worms her way into his affections. She doesn’t mind that he is autistic. Instead, she seems to like that he is autistic. One time, she even says that he is not like other guys. She takes him out of his comfort zone: road-tripping, driving, drinking, even giving him his first kiss. Perfect, romantic teenage-y stuff, right? No, because Lea drops him like a hot potato almost immediately, claiming that she just wants to be friends and moves right out of San Jose before he could say Dillalo.

    Just when Shaun starts to become okay without her, she moves back to San Jose, right into his house and they become roommates. Poor, confused Shaun. Like he needs this much drama in his first situation-ship.

     Thankfully, the writers realized that Shaun needs some sanity in his life, so at the end of season 2, Shaun asks another doctor out on a date. Her name is Carly and she has sense. Did I mention that she has sense? Yeah, okay.

     In his relationship with Carly, Shaun grows by leaps and bounds. He learns how to be comfortable with his autism. He learns that he is desirable even as someone with autism. He and Carly have open, honest, and deep conversations about their biases (Carly wondering if she is dating him to prove a point because her sister is autistic), their personalities (Shaun disliking intimate physical contact, i.e. handholding), fears (Shaun being afraid Carly will grow tired of his “issues”). For the record, she never gets tired of his “issues.”

      Meanwhile, Lea hovers around their relationship like a visible ghost. She lives with Shaun until Carly tells him that she is not comfortable with their housing arrangement. Lea moves out, but less than two episodes later, she is around again, working in the same hospital as a technical assistant (y’all, Lea is supposed to be an automotive engineer! What does that have to do with medical software?)
​

     Finally, the love triangle seems to be solved in S03E16 when Carly breaks up with Shaun because she thinks he is in love with Lea. It takes him an episode to get there, but Shaun agrees with Carly’s assessment and goes after Lea, because he “loves her more.” If I rolled my eyes any harder, they would pop out of their sockets.
     Here’s why this is problematic: Shaun already picked Carly over Lea! In S03E11, he weighed Lea and Carly against each other, and picked Carly. If Shaun was not autistic, the storyline of him not “realizing” his love for Lea might be plausible. But he is, so it is not. Shaun is brutally honest and does not engage in nuanced emotional interactions that belie artifice. If he wanted Lea over Carly in S03E11, he would have picked Lea over Carly. But he didn’t.

     So, for him to be persuaded that he loves Lea more than Carly because he and Lea sang into one mic at karaoke is a level of idiocy that Shaun should never even have considered. Shaun even tries justifying his decision by claiming Lea makes him a better version of himself (please read: not autistic).

     Either Shaun is an idiot or the writers messed up by making Lea seem prejudiced. Either way, it doesn’t matter. Because Lea is who she is now, and Shaun is autistic. They do not fit together. It’s borderline toxic and just plain wrong. To insinuate that Carly did not make Shaun want to be better is a writer’s cop out. Shaun grew so much in one season with Carly than he did in two seasons with Lea. That might have something to do with Carly’s caring consistency and stability, something Lea is not great at.
​

     I applaud Lea’s decision to reject Shaun, but it also highlights why it shouldn’t even have been an option in the first place.
Comments

Review of the Top Ten List

3/3/2020

Comments

 
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  1. Get to You by DaVido: DaVido has been "accused" of being more of a smart businessman than a talented singer. This song very clearly shows both sides of Davido: the smart businessman and talented musician. You can feel his talent in the way he plays with the notes and lyrics. Like an experienced dancer (think Charlize Glass), he hits every beat with precision and swag. You can just visualize him grooving as he laid the track in the studio. On the other hand, as a businessman, you can see him playing with the notes and lyrics, a smirk on his lips because he knows that, by extension, he is playing with and tugging at our love-crazy heartstrings. So that we'll continue to stream and download and buy the song. Well done, DaVido. Well played. 🤣 (I crack myself up sometimes.)
  2. God Like You by CalledOut Music: It is a triumph when the lyrics and the music of a song fit so well, as if the song already existed before it was composed. This song is a triumph. You know it is a triumph when your spirit joins your body to groove. 
  3. In My Bed by Sabrina Carpenter: This is a song for the introverted, the painfully shy, the anxious, the lovelorn, the ones who are overwhelmed by the depth of their emotion. This song is for the Mr. Darcy in all of us. 
  4. All For You by Joeboy: I don't understand how Joeboy is able to just adequately capture emotions with every song he releases. It's just preternatural. We know we are single, Joeboy. You don't have to remind us all 😭the 😭 time 😭.
  5. Unlooking by Oba Reengy, Limoblaze, Nolly: Firstly, I'm a simple girl: I see Limoblaze, and I click. Secondly, I just want to acknowledge the bass undercurrent in this song that accentuates the feeling of an alluring, yet very dangerous, temptation, which is the message of this song. Thirdly, can every guy just be like the men on this song and un-look from a woman's body? That would be amazing. Tanx. 
  6. Better by Tekno: The beat, the message, Tekno's voice. What's not to like?
  7. Tendre Ami by Rajey: You know how they always say that French is the language of love. Yeah, I didn't buy it. Until this song. I had no idea this was a love song for the Lord. When I found out, it was even all the more sweet, you know? You guys...did you know that "Bolingo na nga" means "my love"?! I mean, come on! Oh, Rajey, j'adore votre chanson (Google Translate for the win).
  8. Insecure by chike: When an artist like Chike comes on the scene, he reminds us that Nigerian music can be more than the mindless repetition of horrible innuendos like "your behind" and "banana." The instrumentation in Insecure helps to make the anxiousness in the lyrics so believable that you almost want to start fasting-and-prayer so that Chike can be delivered from the spirit of insecurity. 
  9. Zion by Efe Oraka, M.I Abaga: This song still manages to take my breath away every time it comes on. I am still waiting for that stop.  
  10. Beautiful People by chike: Beautiful music. Just beautiful music. P.S. my friend is in the music video. I know famous people, hehe. 
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Ronke's Top Ten Songs of the Week

3/2/2020

Comments

 
Hi lovas!
This week's playlist is filled with mood music to get those creative/productive juices flowing. Hope you like. 
I pray that your week will be amazing and everything the Lord wants it to be (which is amazing)
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  1. ​Get to You by DaVido
  2. God Like You by CalledOut Music
  3. In My Bed by Sabrina Carpenter
  4. All For You by Joeboy
  5. Unlooking by Oba Reengy, Limoblaze, Nolly
  6. Better by Tekno
  7. Tendre Ami by Rajey
  8. Insecure by chike
  9. Zion by Efe Oraka, M.I Abaga (repeat offender)
  10. Beautiful People by chike
Access the Spotify playlist by clicking here (or listen below)
Comments

Review of the Top Ten Songs of the Week

2/26/2020

Comments

 
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Have you guys been enjoying the playlist? I hope so! 
Let's get right onto the review... 
​
  1. Forever by Justin Bieber (featuring Post Malone and Clever): Okay, wait. Have you ever heard such distinctive instrumentation on any song? Seriously?! And then Clever's voice. Oh, my heart. Clever's voice is like thick honey dripping off a honey comb 🍯 and you just want to say: yummy (yes, I went there 😆). 
  2. Feel Me by Selena Gomez : Did I think about the Justin-Selena drama before I placed this song right after Justin's? Yes. Do I have opinions on the Justin-Selena drama? Yep, and maybe I will share them with you guys if you are nice to me 🤪. Outside the drama, the beauty of this song is undeniable. Since Selena started working with Julia Michaels, the quality of her lyrics have been top-notch. I mean, really? If this song is truly about Justin (which I don't think is any of our business, honestly), then it's true what they say: hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. 
  3. Jore by Adekunle Gold, Kizz Daniel: Okay, who doesn't love this song? It was like this beat was made for Kizz Daniel's voice. I can't lie: I am not really a fan of Kizz Daniel, but you cannot deny his artistry. His voice is like melted butter on a pancake 🥞.It just goes, you know? And yes, before the AG babies come for me, I know that the song is actually Adekunle Gold's song.  Although Kizz Daniel "makes" this song for me, you can see AG's artistry all over the song like expensive perfume. 
  4. Zion by Efe Oraka, M.I. Abaga: This song is so deep--the water well attached to the pumping machine in my backyard seems shallow in comparison. I wasn't sure whether Efe was talking about God or a lover. You almost get the sense that she is referring to both, in a way. She weaves the metaphors together so seamlessly that you seem to understand that she is comparing her lover's treatment to how the Lord treats her/His own. It's not the same, and she is baffled by that. In the chorus, over and over, she wonders, "why are you lying?" It's almost like you can hear what she is not saying: "This is not what love looks like. This is not what the Lord's love looks like, so why are you lying, why are you rejecting me?"
  5. Show Love by Harper Still, Jamie Grace, Morgan Harper Nichols: I love, love, love, love Morgan Harper Nichols' voice. It just does stuff to my emotions. Plus, I am always game to listen to any Jamie Grace song - she is a beast with the lyrics and instrumentation. Can I just say that MHN and JG killed this? Yes, ma'am, they did. 
  6. Alive by Dami Oniru: Auntie dammy, dammy. E ku ise ma. There is this irreproducible quality in Dami's voice that makes you just want to stop and listen. You know? And the message in this song just about blows you out of your chair when you get that she is re-enacting a conversation between her and the Lord. 🤯
  7.  Like You by Gospel Hydration, Limoblaze, TBabz: Okay, okay. Y'all know, Limo baby is my baby (not to quote Jore or anything, hehe). But this song is so groovy, so vibe-y. How can you not like it? As always, when you sing with/for the Lord, it just hits different. And of course, TBabz with the adlibs. Well done sir.  
  8. Intentions by Justin Bieber, Quavo: I think this song speaks for itself. I mean, how can you NOT love Justin?!
  9. Famous For (I Believe) by Tauren Wells, Jenn Johnson: This song always hits when it comes on. I almost cannot put into words how this song helps put life in perspective when you hear it. You realize that, yeah, God has been God before I was born. He has taken care of thousands of people before me and He is famous for that. He can do it for me, too. It's pretty cool. 
  10. Anyone by Demi Lovato (Clean version): I think, in one way or another, all of us can relate to the sentiments that Demi portrays in this song. I think it sucks especially when you have so many people around, like she does, and it seems that no one cares. I think it sucks even more when you then, as a last resort, pray to whoever is listening and you still don't feel heard. This story, I think, is so beautiful because you can see how, in real life, the Lord saves her from dying of an overdose. I have felt this a despondency akin to this before and I can tell you, the Lord has always shown up for me! 
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Ronke's Top Ten Songs of the Week

2/24/2020

Comments

 
Hey there, beautiful people, here's what I am listening to this week. I think you'll enjoy the playlist (you know, since I have such an unparalleled taste in music, hehe)
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  1. Forever by Justin Bieber (featuring Post Malone and Clever)
  2. Feel Me by Selena Gomez 
  3. Jore by Adekunle Gold, Kizz Daniel
  4. Zion by Efe Oraka, M.I. Abaga
  5. Show Love by Harper Still, Jamie Grace, Morgan Harper Nichols
  6. Alive by Dami Oniru
  7.  Like You by Gospel Hydration, Limoblaze, TBabz
  8. Intentions by Justin Bieber, Quavo
  9. Famous For (I Believe) by Tauren Wells, Jenn Johnson
  10. Anyone by Demi Lovato (Clean version)
Access the Spotify playlist by clicking here
Have a fun week! ​
Comments

Being An Adult...

2/13/2020

Comments

 
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Being an adult is putting the leftover pot of food in the fridge because you can’t come and kill yourself.
Being an adult is leaving dishes in the sink overnight.
Being an adult is sometimes sleeping with makeup on.
Being an adult is dozing off on the toilet seat.
Being an adult is going to the washing machine to find your clothes almost dry because you forgot them in there.
Being an adult is going to the dryer to find your clothes cool because you forgot them in there.
Being an adult is not remembering if you turned the dryer on.
Being an adult is spending hours in traffic listening to a Spotify playlist that makes no sense.
Being an adult is realizing that the playlist radio makes more sense than the playlist itself.
Being an adult is an experience. 
Being an adult is an experience I am grateful for. 
Being an adult is an experience I am determined to consciously and presently enjoy.  

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Ronke's Top Ten Songs of the Week

1/19/2020

Comments

 
  1. Vibration by FireboyDML
  2. Jeje by Limoblaze
  3. We Plenti by Cobhams Asuquo, Simi
  4. I Will Follow by Michelle Benedek, Nathaniel Bassey
  5. Wait and See by FireboyDML
  6. Ring by Selena Gomez
  7. Outsiders (Lockse) - Hagen Remix by Gui Brazil, Dmc Boss, Hagen
  8. Emotions - Sak Noel Mix by RunTown
  9. Demo by DJ Neptune, Davido
  10. Promise by Nkay
​Access the playlist on Spotify by clicking here
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The Uncle and Aunty Rule of Thumb

1/16/2020

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     You trudge into a gathering of Nigerians (so either a church or a party*), trailing behind your Mama-popular mother.
     Suddenly, she looks to the right and wonders aloud, "Is that not Bola Eleko?" Before you know what is happening, she has changed direction and you are rapidly approaching a table of strangers. You get to the table and then begin your own wondering, "Who at this table qualifies as Uncle/Aunty? Do I just curtsy for everyone? Or should I just form omo America and say hi to everyone?"
      Ugh.
      When we were 12, every woman who was old enough to wear a full face of makeup and carry her own purse was Aunty. And every guy who was old enough to have broad shoulders and facial hair was Uncle.
      A decade later, the rules are not so simple anymore. Now that we are now agbalagba*** ourselves, who qualifies as Aunty and Uncle to us?
      The people we've been calling Aunty and Uncle since we were 12 don't count. They've been grandfathered in. 
     But how about the cousins that you are meeting for the first time? Or that family friend who you've only spoken to once?
     Some people use age difference as a guideline, but how-in-the-heck am I supposed to know your age if we met 5 minutes ago? The whole thing is just wahala.
     If you have thoughts, please drop 'em below. I'd like to know

* 
If you know, you know. You know?
**agbalagba - Yoruba word for adult
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Ronke's Top Ten Songs for the Week

1/12/2020

Comments

 
  1. Rare by Selena Gomez
  2. Captivate by Chris Howland, Anh Thai
  3. Vem Incendiar Meu Coração - Remix by Gui Brazil, Andre Aquino
  4. Your Love by Limoblaze
  5. Easy by Camila Cabello
  6. Billionaire by Teni
  7. All For You by Joeboy
  8. Up to Something by Mayorkun
  9. Like I Do by Fireboy DML
  10. What If I Say by Fireboy DML
Access the playlist on Spotify by clicking here
Comments

Toxic

1/10/2020

Comments

 
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Don't.
Just don't. 
    I know it's been said a million times, but here it is again for the million-and-oneth (million-and-first?!) time:
    Don't live your life to please people. Don't make your life choices based on "what would people say."
    First of all, it is not worth it. Second of all, it is not even possible.
    People don't know what they want. Today, they think it is cool that you are the first person of color to marry into British royalty. Tomorrow, they think you are an upstart "black woman" who is trying to rise above her station and steal their beloved prince away. 
    People have unreasonable expectations. They are fickle. How they feel about you is not based on what you do, it is based on how they feel. 
    So, Duchess Meghan , if you ever read this, I hope you are happy. I hope you are thriving. I hope you are proud of who you have become. 
    I hope you are all God created you to be. 

Picture sourced: https://www.vanityfair.com/style/2020/01/prince-harry-meghan-markle-canadian-holiday-photo
Comments

Say My Name

1/8/2020

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    My name is Ronke.
    I wonder if my Nigerian name would be so hard to pronounce if it was European.
    If my five-lettered Nigerian name were a name like Konoplyanka or Vrsaljko or Przemysław, I wonder if that would make it easier for my fellow Americans to pronounce it correctly. 
    Maybe they would take on the necessary accent to pronounce my name correctly. Even if that means pronouncing 'j' as a 'y' or something. Maybe they would do anything. Anything to make sure that my name sounded the same way it does in the language it comes from. 
    Maybe they wouldn't pause every time they had to read my name as if it was a complex mathematics equation that defied solution. 
    Maybe they would roll the 'r' and accentuate the 'e,' so that it actually sounds like the name I was given at my christening.
    Maybe I wouldn't have to listen for every variation of my name to make sure I don't miss my turn to go up for a class presentation, or heaven forbid, my diploma at graduation.
    Maybe my family in the audience at my graduation would not have to listen more intently than others so they don't miss when the announcer inadvertently mumbles and fumbles through my name. 
    Maybe they wouldn't give me a silly nickname that makes every one, but me, laugh. 
    Maybe they would actually try. 
    Maybe I wouldn't have to produce an English name so it is easier on them. 
    Maybe I wouldn't have to learn to respond to an English name outside and a Nigerian name inside. 
    Maybe I wouldn't have to smile and say "it's okay" when they can't pronounce a five-letter-word.
    Maybe I wouldn't have to smile politely to ease their discomfort. 
    Maybe they would actually try. 

Say my name. Say my freakin' name.
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Letting Go

1/7/2020

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Don't be afraid to let go and just let God.
I assure you, the earth will not fall off its axis because you decided to rest in the LORD.
He's got the earth, and you, safely cradled in His Hands. Isaiah 49:15, 40:12
Comments

Makes Sense, Right?

1/5/2020

Comments

 
Just because something makes sense doesn't make it true.
A cheating boyfriend could claim that the perfume you smell on him is his co-worker's. That doesn't mean he is not cheating.

Do you know one of the explanations for "why things fall" that was proposed before Newton? Aristotle explained that objects fall to the ground because objects are always striving to return to their original home. That is why plastic, glass, metal, etc. all fall to the earth. Fire, on the other hand, rises because it is returning to the sun.

Doesn't that make intuitive sense?
But is it true, though?

Just because evolution and natural selection make sense does not mean God did not create the world in 7 days as the Bible says.

Though I am not necessarily a fan of this word, I believe it is appropriate in this case: Stay woke.

The best kind of lies are those that sound like the truth.

Abeg, stay woke.
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    Right-brained extrovert.
    Left-brained introvert. 
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  • Home
  • About
    • About The Jane Review
  • Just Being Blog
    • Dear Dialog >
      • Back Here, Again.
      • Please help
      • I Don't Understand
      • Ranting
      • Wanting and Waiting
      • First Love Letter
      • Not enough
      • Not a Why
      • What Then Shall We Say
      • Broken, Doubting and Destroyed
  • Books/Stories/Thoughts
    • The Perfection in Love
    • Short Stories >
      • The Other Woman
      • Easier to Run - Sade's Story
      • Shorter Stories
      • One-Sentence Stories
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