# "Friends" who do odd things



## batty (3 Mar 2010)

]Believe me it is true. He was a very close confidant who obviously got his thrill from taping and listening others' conversations. In the heated exchange at the time, he told me he taped all his conversations. I class him as a pervert. Different strokes for different folks but alas and without an apology I will never speak with him ever again.[/QUOTE]

This is from mercman where a mate was taping all his phone conversations (hope you don't mind me using this MM).

So have you encountered anything odd/weird/strange from friends?

A friend recently quoted back to me something I said in an email in 1999, I jokingly asked has she kept every email I ever sent her, apparently yes.   was a bit weirded out.


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## DrMoriarty (3 Mar 2010)

Are you a Fianna Fáil politician, by any chance?


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## Capt. Beaky (3 Mar 2010)

Or was he a local reporter using gmail?


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## Yorrick (4 Mar 2010)

Just because you're not paranoid  doesn't mean they are not out to get you.


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## csirl (4 Mar 2010)

batty said:


> ]Believe me it is true. He was a very close confidant who obviously got his thrill from taping and listening others' conversations. In the heated exchange at the time, he told me he taped all his conversations. I class him as a pervert. Different strokes for different folks but alas and without an apology I will never speak with him ever again.


 


> This is from mercman where a mate was taping all his phone conversations (hope you don't mind me using this MM).
> 
> So have you encountered anything odd/weird/strange from friends?
> 
> A friend recently quoted back to me something I said in an email in 1999, I jokingly asked has she kept every email I ever sent her, apparently yes. was a bit weirded out.


 
Reminds me of an acquitance of mine who I've had to deal with through work from time to time. Seems to keep copies of every email, all correspondence and recordings of important phone calls. Once asked him for his opinion on someone else I was dealing with - was expecting to get the usual sort of reply "yes, he's good to deal with" or " no, he didnt do X,Y, Z etc last time I dealt with him..." Instead, a couple of days later I got couriered a large ring bound file of 100s of pages with detailed background information (including personal life) plus copies of emails/correspondence, transcripts of conversations etc with commentary attached. A bit over the top. Ever since I've confined my conversations and emails to this person to basic one liners and dont engage in smalltalk.


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## Chocks away (4 Mar 2010)




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## batty (4 Mar 2010)

csirl said:


> Reminds me of an acquitance of mine who I've had to deal with through work from time to time. Seems to keep copies of every email, all correspondence and recordings of important phone calls. Once asked him for his opinion on someone else I was dealing with - was expecting to get the usual sort of reply "yes, he's good to deal with" or " no, he didnt do X,Y, Z etc last time I dealt with him..." Instead, a couple of days later I got couriered a large ring bound file of 100s of pages with detailed background information (including personal life) plus copies of emails/correspondence, transcripts of conversations etc with commentary attached. A bit over the top. Ever since I've confined my conversations and emails to this person to basic one liners and dont engage in smalltalk.


 
  Where do people find the time?


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## Caveat (4 Mar 2010)

Stinginess really annoys me. Unable to get a taxi, a 'friend' of a friend once offered me a lift into town without me asking or hinting. Great I thought - until I got there.  He then casually and without batting an eyelid asked me for the cost of the fare that the taxi would have cost.

I said "Certainly sir" and gave him a tip too.

NOT.


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## Firefly (4 Mar 2010)

Caveat said:


> Stinginess really annoys me.


 
+1.. the buddy who buys the 1st round when less that half the group are there, so he avoids the bigger round later.


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## VOR (4 Mar 2010)

Not trying to freak any body out but I have kept some emails from friends as they will come in handy in the future. e.g.

Title: That Mayo girl.
"The blind date wasn’t great. I didn’t fancy her at all and she was way too old for me. I was told she was a babe. I think that mayo girl you introduced to me was nice though. Find out if she still likes me. If she does, ask her can I have her number and I’ll ring her.I did snog her anyway briefly on Friday night." 

The couple have now moved in together and are going out 18 months. That's bestman material if I ever heard it.

There's another one I received from a friend (presumably drunk at time of writing) about "sensual and romantic" tango he witnessed in Argentina. He'll never live that one down. But I wouldn't hold on to emails unless they could be used as slagging against the best of friends.


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## Firefly (4 Mar 2010)

VOR said:


> But I wouldn't hold on to emails unless they could be used as slagging against the best of friends.


 
And that's totally allowed!!


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## VOR (4 Mar 2010)

Firefly said:


> And that's totally allowed!!


 
Of course it is. Where would the world be if we couldn't slag our dearest friends? Perhaps its a male thing. Its all harmless fun.


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## becky (4 Mar 2010)

I know someone who is tight with money even though she insists she isn't. The amount of times she has to confirm this speaks volums imo. 

A few of us shared a taxi one night and we were the last drop. Total fare came to €18 and she waited for the taxi man to give her the €2. The 2 other drop offs gave her €5 each, as I did, so her fare only cost her €3. This is a regular occurance.

Another night we were out for dinner and the bill was paid while I was in the bathroom. We had all thrown in €30 or so which was covering the tip - just about because she doesn't believe in tips normally (not her problem if the employer doesn't pay the staff enough). When I came back to the table she handed me a €1 as my pizza cost €1 less because I didn't get an extra topping.

I avoid being in rounds with her as every 3 or 4 drinks she works out how much the person drinking volka and coke owes the pint drinker.


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## ney001 (4 Mar 2010)

Stingy friends bug the hell out of me I have to say! I have one in particular who has never paid for a taxi in her life.  I have dropped hints as have other friends.  Does the usual with the round of drinks, buys the first and then disappears every time her round pops up again.  Worst of the lot was drinks we had for a birthday recently, I had a full pint on front of me as did another mate - it was her round and we had actually agreed between each other to make her buy her round.  Anyway we made an excuse to leave the table and said to her could she go to bar and get the drinks in when we were gone.  We came back and she had split our two pints between her, her friend and us - two pints split into 4 drinks! .  Stunned I was, asked what the hell she thought she was doing, she laughed it off and said the bar was too packed!


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## TreeTiger (4 Mar 2010)

I know someone (who is good at entertaining but is not a caterer) whose neighbour "friend" asked her to cater for her 40th for about 60 people.  The birthday girl told other people that "it was no bother" for the neighbour who produced the food.  She gave her a bunch of flowers as a thank you for her trouble.


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## truthseeker (4 Mar 2010)

Stinginess is the worst.

Im of the opinion, in a restaurant, Im having the same night out as the rest of my table, regardless of if I drink or not. When it comes to bill splitting I just pay whatever the split is. The way I look at it, sometimes I get a more expensive starter, sometimes I dont bother with a starter, sometimes I drink, sometimes i dont drink, sometimes I get a big steak main course, other times I get a salad, sometimes I get dessert, sometimes I dont etc... A lot of variables come into play and if you were to start calculating exactly how much each person owed itd be endless.

It does my head in when someone goes 'oh I didnt drink so Im giving a fiver less' - eh, I didnt have dessert but Im still paying!!!

I was in a restaurant last saturday night and a table of 12 or 14 people were seated near me, one guy got up and went downstairs, came back and announced to the group 'Ive spoken to the waitress and requested we are billed seperately for food and alcohol'. 

I would have gotten up and left that table were me.


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## sam h (4 Mar 2010)

Stinginess!!!!

A group out for a meal - all had similar things to eat so a split bill would have been about right (I'd normally make an allowance if someone doesn't drink, but we all were drinking that night)

One of the girls insisted on working out who owed what - and went through the bill with each person who then paid their money & headed into the bar.  She was then left with the balance.....but she forgot to add in the sauces which were charged separately & cost her an extra €20.....

I bet that was the last time she itemised a bill like that (it was the last time I ate out with her!!)


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## becky (4 Mar 2010)

truthseeker said:


> Stinginess is the worst.
> 
> Im of the opinion, in a restaurant, Im having the same night out as the rest of my table, regardless of if I drink or not. When it comes to bill splitting I just pay whatever the split is. The way I look at it, sometimes I get a more expensive starter, sometimes I dont bother with a starter, sometimes I drink, sometimes i dont drink, sometimes I get a big steak main course, other times I get a salad, sometimes I get dessert, sometimes I dont etc... A lot of variables come into play and if you were to start calculating exactly how much each person owed itd be endless.
> 
> ...


 
I agree.  I don't drink wine so might have 2 bottles of beer.  Sometimes peole will say - oh we had 3 expensive bottles of wine and insist I pay a bit less.

The one who makes sure she orders a fillet steak or a pizza with 3 extra toppings so as to make sure she gets more bang for her buck drives me mad though.


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## WaterWater (4 Mar 2010)

becky said:


> I know someone who is tight with money even though she insists she isn't. The amount of times she has to confirm this speaks volums imo.
> 
> A few of us shared a taxi one night and we were the last drop. Total fare came to €18 and she waited for the taxi man to give her the €2. The 2 other drop offs gave her €5 each, as I did, so her fare only cost her €3. This is a regular occurance.
> 
> ...


 
Is she a schoolteacher by any chance?


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## Firefly (4 Mar 2010)

I was thinking accountant


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## truthseeker (4 Mar 2010)

becky said:


> I agree. I don't drink wine so might have 2 bottles of beer.


 
Sometimes the non drinkers will drink soft drinks too which are just as expensive usually.

I dont have an issue as such if there is a vast difference with a massively expensive bottle of wine - but in the general group dining experience it tends to balance out.


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## becky (4 Mar 2010)

I prefer for all to pay the same amount regardless of who drank or didn't or who had a starter or didn't.


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## truthseeker (4 Mar 2010)

Me too Becky - its the night out you pay for, not the individual items of food and drink. But I wouldnt object to someone complaining if i ordered a 100 euro bottle of wine and expected the rest of them to cover that too. But thats an exception, in the general case - I agree with you.


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## Mpsox (4 Mar 2010)

2 weird things from friends of mine

One was in college, a friend got into a fight in a pub, me and another guy dragged him out and he punched me in the fact cause I wouldn't let him back in. He's small and I'm a prop forward so it was like being hit by a fly but he spent the next 15 years appologising for it

Also know a guy who insisted on telling me the full gorey details of his son's circumcision. I really needed to know that over my lunch.


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## cork (5 Mar 2010)

truthseeker said:


> I was in a restaurant last saturday night and a table of 12 or 14 people were seated near me, one guy got up and went downstairs, came back and announced to the group 'Ive spoken to the waitress and requested we are billed seperately for food and alcohol'.




Could you imagine keeping track of that?

What person had what desert, drink , food etc?


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## truthseeker (5 Mar 2010)

cork - I assumed he meant, 1 food bill and 1 alcohol bill, and the food bill would be split equally, but the alcohol bill only split among the drinkers.

Thats what i thought anyway.


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## Pique318 (5 Mar 2010)

I used to know a guy who was brutal for avoiding his round when in the pub. if there were 4 or 5 of us, we'd each get a round and when it came to his round, he'd disappear off home.
We didn't let that continue for long and forced him to get his round in early.

He was probably the most well-off outta the lot of us too !


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## truthseeker (5 Mar 2010)

Just remembered a funny one - not my friends - my OHs.

Back in their younger day there were 4 of them who used to go out on a saturday night together. All lived near each other so night out should have been roughly the same in terms of costs, rounds bought, nightclub paid for, taxi fare home for all 4 split equally - they would all get out at the same place and just walk the last bit each.

Anyway, at some point he happened to say to one of the lads, 'wow, I seemed to spend a fortune last night, over 100 quid, how much did you spend?'. The other lad had spent a similar amount, but when the same question was casually posed to the other lads it turned out they had both only spent 60 or 70 quid. 

My OH and the first guy got suspicious and began watching the situation more closely. What they discovered was that although the other two lads would stump up for rounds early on in the night, they would become less forthcoming later on, at which point there was enough drink imbibed that it was difficult to remember whose round it really was, so himself and the first guy always seemed to be the ones going to the bar (their own faults for not noticing!!). Then they noticed that one of the other guys would pretty frequently say things like 'Ive only a 20 left, rather than break it can I pay you back for the taxi/chipper/cigarette machine next week?' and it being so late and them pretty well on, all would be forgotten.

They worked out that over a 2 or 3 year period the two of them had subsidised the other two lads nights out to the tune of a couple of grand a year between them.

Now THATS scabby friends!!


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## Pique318 (5 Mar 2010)

I have to add what the person mentioned in my prev post did one night.

Neither I nor the others in the group were out, but he was and as he had no-one else who'd give him a chance of being a friend, was basically wandering from pub to pub to see if he saw anyone he knew. He had no social skills whatsoever (but yet was somehow married!) and would basically sit a say nothing unless dragged kicking and screaming into a conversation.
Anyhoo, he arrived into one pub and a bunch of mates of mine (about 5 or 6) were there and as they knew him via me really, they said hello and he latched onto them. One of them went to get a round and asked him if he wanted one (Of course he wanted one!) and subsequently the others kindly did the same. He basically said nothing for the entire night with them. 4 rounds later, he pulls his vanishing act and leaves without so much as a word. No round was reciprocated!! Such a scabby person I have never seen before or since !
The worst part was that I was associated with this muppet. I felt so bad for the guys being out of pocket over him. I should have warned them!!


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## Ancutza (6 Mar 2010)

Many are the happy Friday evenings spent at the 'Anglers Rest' in Strawberry Beds with my now brother-in-law.  Nobody was getting out of there alive until he'd bought his round. That's our excuse and we're sticking to it!


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## carpedeum (6 Mar 2010)

I worked with this guy who was as tight as a gnat's chuff.

One time he was building an extension on his house and would drive the builders mad by driving home at every lunchtime to monitor their work and then telling us the positive results of his nit picking and man management. Some months after the job was finished, his wife of the time and himself were sitting in the house and noticed a stink that was becoming more pervasive day by day. When investigating the source, he discovered that the builders had defacated into a big bucket and left the bucket in the attic before they left. When he was telling us about the dirty deed next day it was impossible to keep a straight face. Another tip he used to give us was going to bed early to save heating bills, giving old toys as Christmas presents to younger nieces and nephews, turning off the engine driving down hills (I kid you not.... Even with steering lock dangers), recycling everything possible. He always arrived late for drinks and meals. He never got the fact he was of great amusement to his colleagues.... but, perhaps he did!


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## Sue Ellen (6 Mar 2010)

A good friend of my aunt was very mean especially to herself.  Both she and the husband worked overtime each night when it was plentiful years ago.  She always finished work before him and would wait to light the fire (back boiler central heating only to heat the whole house) until he came home at about 8oc.  The house was always freezing.

Both of them died quite young from cancer and left their savings to their families because they didn't have any children.  Very sad because life's too short to be mean, especially to yourself.

Would have to wonder if these mean people are happy within themselves if they are constantly having to figure out how to save the next cent.


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## Jim Davis (6 Mar 2010)

*House proud*

My friend and his gf bought a house together about 3 years ago. He is so house proud that you cannot relax when you visit in case you spill something or knock something over. He was showing me the attic and I went to open the window and he nearly had a fit in case ant leaves fell in the window. He would then make me a cup of tea and hand me a single biscuit on a plate just in case I spilled any crumbs!

He also splits everything 50/50 with his gf even though they live together and I mean everything. So if he goes shopping and spends €40 he'll come home and she gives him €20. J


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## truthseeker (6 Mar 2010)

People who are overly house proud are head wreckers alright. I knew one guy who'd be wiping under your mug with a damp cloth - while you were still drinking the tea from it. Nightmare.

Not sure if I get the point about the 50/50 split though - dont see how thats an issue for anyone except the couple themselves?

I remembered another one from one of my OHs friends. His friends sister actually wouldnt allow people into her house wearing footwear in case her floors were damaged. I dont just mean spike heels, I mean any footwear. As a result people just refused to call to the house.


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## Lak (6 Mar 2010)

All of the above pale into insignificance to a couple I know who's tightnes is breathtaking.
They have never taken their children on a holiday of any kind, the kids have to wear shoes that are not only hand me downs (nothing wrong in that) but it matters not if they are two sizes to small, will eat meals of just plain pasta to save money, the husband has to be given the grocery receipts for analysis, the house is an igloo because he wont pay for loft insulation, she has to hide clothes she buys, they have serious radon issues and open up all the windows twice a day, he takes out the lightbulbs from most rooms during the summer to save on the electric bills...the list is endless and I cant remember off hand most of the breathtaking things they do to squirrell away into their bank accounts a sum they happily concede runs into six figures.


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## Arabella (6 Mar 2010)

legs-akimbo said:


> ....... ...the list is endless and I cant remember off hand most of the breathtaking things they do to squirrell away into their bank accounts a sum they happily concede runs into six figures.


Am surprise that they have any friends to concede this to


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## bullworth (7 Mar 2010)

truthseeker said:


> I remembered another one from one of my OHs friends. His friends sister actually wouldnt allow people into her house wearing footwear in case her floors were damaged. I dont just mean spike heels, I mean any footwear. As a result people just refused to call to the house.



It seems a common practice in much of the rest of Europe to take your shoes off  as you enter and find some slippers rather than drag the street and anything you stepped on into the home.


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## BOXtheFOX (7 Mar 2010)

I know someone who has brown "pee" constantly in his toilet rather than flush it. He lights the fire at exactly 4 o'clock in the afternoon, hail rain or snow won't change the time. He then disappears to the warm pub and leaves his wife freezing in the house with two pieces of coal in an old biscuit tin. He leaves one radiator on in his hallway with all his upstairs doors exactly open by 18 inches so the warm? air will circulate. He reuses the same Christmas paper over and over for years on end.


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## Complainer (7 Mar 2010)

Some great money-saving tips on this thread - Can't wait to update the SOPs for the missus.


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## casiopea (8 Mar 2010)

Regarding the email thing - its v easy to keep emails. I think I have all mine. Not because I explicitly keep them but rather because they are filtered into folders and the folders are not deleted. Not only that but I back them up as part of an entire laptop back up.   Its never struck me to route one out years later to "hold against someone" but if I had to I suppose I could.  In this day and age where memory, CPU and electronic storage solutions are getting cheaper - Im sure there are many like me - ie people who have emails dating back many years.  

My mum once told me.  Be careful what you put in writing, it often lives much longer than the sentiment itself.

Good advice.


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## Plek Trum (8 Mar 2010)

Professional group (12 - 13 people) who were in college together, graduated, set up their own practices etc meeting up once a year to catch up etc.  One guy in the group each year would break down the bill into how much each person owed to add to the pot (not itemsied but divided by the number of people present).  BIG foodies, plenty of expensive wines, after dinner drinks etc.  He admitted after 12 years of their annual get together that he NEVER included himself in the bill... ever.


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## Firefly (8 Mar 2010)

Plek Trum said:


> Professional group (12 - 13 people) who were in college together, graduated, set up their own practices etc meeting up once a year to catch up etc. One guy in the group each year would break down the bill into how much each person owed to add to the pot (not itemsied but divided by the number of people present). BIG foodies, plenty of expensive wines, after dinner drinks etc. He admitted after 12 years of their annual get together that he NEVER included himself in the bill... ever.


 
Legend!


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## Caveat (8 Mar 2010)

> ...set up their own practices etc


 
Hmmm. What's the bets this guy was the accountant in the group?


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## Firefly (8 Mar 2010)

Caveat said:


> Hmmm. What's the bets this guy was the accountant in the group?


 
Group Financial Controller!


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## johnd (8 Mar 2010)

casiopea said:


> My mum once told me.  Be careful what you put in writing, it often lives much longer than the sentiment itself.



Reminds me of Mae West's saying "Always keep a diary amd someday it might keep you!"

I had a friend who spend all time talking about his job, his family, his social life, his car etc, etc. I knew more about him than about my owm family! He had no interest in anything except his own little world. When the "friendship" lasped and I meet him again by chance one day he railed aginst me because he said when he had needed a friend I hadn't been there. When I asked him why he hadn't confided in any of his very large family he replied "sure they wouldn't be interested". Totally selfish


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## Brianne (8 Mar 2010)

Friends who think you're marvellous when they have a sick child etc and they look for free advise and think nothing of calling you at inconvenient times but never think to invite you out with their real friends. Am waiting for the opportunity to say sorry, but think you should take child to doctor for safety, best spend the 60 euro for peace of mind.


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## censuspro (11 Mar 2010)

Brianne said:


> Friends who think you're marvellous when they have a sick child etc and they look for free advise and think nothing of calling you at inconvenient times but never think to invite you out with their real friends. Am waiting for the opportunity to say sorry, but think you should take child to doctor for safety, best spend the 60 euro for peace of mind.



I know what you mean. Friends of mine expect me to do their accounts for nothing and give them free tax advice.


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