What is Art?
I define “art” as being the process that a person takes in which something is produced or created, which is an expression of their inner emotions, feelings, and thoughts. It is an expression of them, and also how they may view the things around them.
What is Craft?
I define “craft” as being the repetition of a task that a person may perform that produces something. The task does not take much thought to perform it and is unconscious.
What is Philosophy?
I define “philosophy” as being the act of contemplation about different morals attached to certain types of thought and action. Philosophy delves into the essentials of ideas before acting on those ideas.
What is Science?
I define “science” as being the testing and experimentation of certain speculations and theories. It has little or nothing to do with the morality behind actions taken to find truth and fact in certain things.
Philosophy, Art, Craft, and Science are sufficient means by which to understand all human action because all four terms cover the idea of what it is to be human, in a sense. They cover the tangible and intangible aspects of life and action. Philosophy and Art cover what we conjure in our heads, our thoughts, emotions, feelings, ideas. Science and Craft are all about the tangible and material world in which we live and interact with. All human action can be categorized in these four terms. We think, we exist, we do.
Saturday, November 24, 2007
Monday, October 8, 2007
Self
I think that there is merit in the idea that one’s “Self” is created through interacting with people around you throughout one’s life. How other people view you can also define or add to how you view yourself. This can obviously have a negative or positive effect on the “Self”, such as measuring of self worth, esteem, uniqueness, etc.
But then I wonder; if the interactions of people around you, and their view of “You” is the only thing that is going into how you view yourself. If you take SO much from other people, look to them and their views to be able to form one’s “Self”, then, you become something else than your true “Self”, in a sense. You are made up of OTHER people’s views of “You” and not the way you may/might see it.
Then I think that there are in fact two “Selves”. The one that you hold, the way you see yourself, and, the one which other people around you hold to be true, through their interactions with you.
I think our “Self” is not totally our body. To roughly quote Hideaki Anno, parts that make up the “Self” are things like our clothes, shoes, bedrooms, and cars, but there’s got to be some mental aspect of the “Self” that takes things like clothes and cars and processes it to further produce the mental image or symbol of yourself, that one might create in one's mind.
I am a pessimist and therefore I do believe in the depressing fact that everyone dies alone. I also believe that people exist alone. Sometimes I’ll have thoughts that lead to these things when I’m spending time with my boyfriend. It’s depressing to think that even though one shares intimate moments or spends time with another, and doesn’t feel alone, and is comforted by the company of another human being, as soon as they leave the room, or fall asleep, you are left alone in that instant. Just you and your own thoughts, and then you loose that feeling of “oneness”. “Every man is an island”.
Comedian Chris Rock stated once that you’ll never find a “soul mate”, even though everyone looks for one, or thinks they have one; that there is no such thing as a soul mate. All you’ll ever get is a mate. Just a mate. Someone to spend time with who you feel attracted to. One who erases the feeling of loneliness, to fulfill the need for physical and mental contact. Then I think that by saying this, I make it sound like everyone just uses everyone else to fulfill these things, and it’s true but not true. I think we DO use other people to not feel alone and escape the solitude of one’s mind/existence but I think we mostly do it unconsciously and without another sinister or diffident purpose.
But then I wonder; if the interactions of people around you, and their view of “You” is the only thing that is going into how you view yourself. If you take SO much from other people, look to them and their views to be able to form one’s “Self”, then, you become something else than your true “Self”, in a sense. You are made up of OTHER people’s views of “You” and not the way you may/might see it.
Then I think that there are in fact two “Selves”. The one that you hold, the way you see yourself, and, the one which other people around you hold to be true, through their interactions with you.
I think our “Self” is not totally our body. To roughly quote Hideaki Anno, parts that make up the “Self” are things like our clothes, shoes, bedrooms, and cars, but there’s got to be some mental aspect of the “Self” that takes things like clothes and cars and processes it to further produce the mental image or symbol of yourself, that one might create in one's mind.
I am a pessimist and therefore I do believe in the depressing fact that everyone dies alone. I also believe that people exist alone. Sometimes I’ll have thoughts that lead to these things when I’m spending time with my boyfriend. It’s depressing to think that even though one shares intimate moments or spends time with another, and doesn’t feel alone, and is comforted by the company of another human being, as soon as they leave the room, or fall asleep, you are left alone in that instant. Just you and your own thoughts, and then you loose that feeling of “oneness”. “Every man is an island”.
Comedian Chris Rock stated once that you’ll never find a “soul mate”, even though everyone looks for one, or thinks they have one; that there is no such thing as a soul mate. All you’ll ever get is a mate. Just a mate. Someone to spend time with who you feel attracted to. One who erases the feeling of loneliness, to fulfill the need for physical and mental contact. Then I think that by saying this, I make it sound like everyone just uses everyone else to fulfill these things, and it’s true but not true. I think we DO use other people to not feel alone and escape the solitude of one’s mind/existence but I think we mostly do it unconsciously and without another sinister or diffident purpose.
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
Philosophical...Anime?
This is mostly for my own interest and the interest of my instructor, Mark Achtermann. After one class session last week, I believe, in which the class talked about the "Self" and the "outer" and "inner" world, I remembered the last episode Neon Genesis Evangelion, directed and written by Hideaki Anno, who, before writing the series had suffered from clinical depression.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neon_Genesis_Evangelion_%28TV%29
In this last episode (and in the whole series, really) a lot of philosophy, inner thought processes, and the picking-apart of and defining of reality takes place. I could not find the transcript for this episode online, so I decided to type the majority of the dialogue, since I own the complete series. To put it simply, I found the episode to be interesting and thought it connected and had something to do with what we were talking about in class, even though it may go on a tangent in some areas. So.....this whole thing is pretty long so I just hope someone finds the ideas behind the dialogue interesting and thought-provoking.
Notes: I have the different sections/events of the episode broken up into groups. Just to make all the dialogue more readable. The main character of the series is talking TO other people SO, when there is dialogue that talks in the first person, OBVIOUSLY....that's him talking about himself, or to others, etc.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We are all basically the same.
Our minds lack something basic.
We fear that deficiency.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mankind cannot live without being surrounded by others.
Mankind cannot survive alone.
Although, you, yourself, are always unique.
That’s why life is hard.
That’s why life is sad and empty.
That’s why you want affection, the close physical and mental presence of others.
The human soul is made of weak and fragile elements.
The body and mind are made of brittle components as well.
Why do you exist?
Maybe I live to find out why I exist.
For whom do you exist?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Why not run from something that hurts?
I mustn’t run away.
Why mustn’t you run away?
Because escaping from the reality can be painful too.
Even though you’re running from something more painful?
I can’t bear it.
As long as you know what the pain is, it can be endured.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is me.
This is the Shape that lets others recognize me as myself.
It is my symbol for my Self.
This is a representation. Everything is a description, not my real Self.
Everything’s a shape, an identifier to let others recognize me as me.
But then, what am I?
Is this me?
My true Self? My fake Self?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You are you.
There is little difference between how you interpret yourself and how others interpret you.
Right.
My clothes – my shoes – my room –
These all are parts of what makes up my Self.
These things are connected through your consciousness.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
So, what I think is me, is me.
What I recognize as Self is myself.
But I don’t understand my Self.
Where am I?
What am I?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
No one understands me.
What are you stupid? Of course nobody understands you.
Nobody can ever understand you.
The only one who can take care of you and understand you is you, yourself.
So, you must take care of yourself.
But I still don’t understand myself.
I don’t even know what it is that makes me myself.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(Main character is seemingly laying down, staring up at the viewer. He is surrounded by nothing, represented by a world of white.)
What is this?
A world of nothing?
A world with nobody in it?
This is the world of perfect freedom.
Freedom?
A world of perfect freedom, a world in which you have no restrictions.
Is this really freedom?
Yes, this is what it is.
However, this world has nothing in it.
Unless I do something?
Right, unless you do or think of something.
But – I don’t know what to do or think.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
He is uncertain.
He has no image of Self to orient himself.
There’s nothing solid here.
It is a world in which there are no obstacles.
Is this true freedom?
This is a world in which you can do anything you wish.
But you’re afraid, aren’t you?
Don’t you know what it is that you want to do?
What should I do?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Let me give you a restriction.
(The invisible speaker draws a line beneath the main character, as in creating a "ground")
There. Now, you have top and bottom.
But you’ve lost a degree of your freedom.
Now you must stand on the ground.
But now you feel easier, don’t you?
You have less to trouble your mind.
And now, you can walk.
This is happening because you will it to be.
Is this my will?
This world with the floor is the only thing around yourself.
But now, you can move around anywhere you wish to within it.
You could even turn the world upside down, if you wanted to.
And the position of your world is not the same either.
It changes with the passage of time.
You can change yourself as well.
What forms your shape is your mind, and its interaction with the world that surrounds you.
You can do anything here, because this is your world.
This is the shape of your reality.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
What is this?
An empty space.
An empty world.
A world where nothing exists but myself.
With only myself, I have nothing to interact with.
It’s as if I’m here, but not here at all.
It’s as if I’m slowly fading out of existence.
Why?
Because only you are here.
Only myself?
Without others to interact with, you cannot truly recognize your own image.
My own image?
The image of myself?
Yes. In the act of observing others, you may recognize yourself.
The image of yourself is restrained by having to observe the barriers between yourself and others.
And yet, you can not see yourself without the presence of others.
When there are others, I can perceive myself as an individual.
If I am alone, then I will be the same as everything else.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Then – there will be no difference between myself and nothing.
By recognizing the difference between yourself and others, you establish your identity as yourself.
There very first other person is your mother.
Your mother is a different individual.
Right, I am me and she is she.
But are you really sure that others form my Self?
This is true.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I can be any way I wish to be.
It’s your mind which takes reality and separates it into what’s bad and hateful.
It is only the mind which separates reality from truth.
Your view of reality changes your perception of its nature.
It is all, literally, a matter a perspective.
There are as many truths as there are people.
But there’s only one truth that is your truth.
That’s the one that’s formed by whatever narrow point of view you choose to view it from.
It’s a perceptive that protects you from the twisted truth.
That’s true, and one can have a perspective that is far too small.
But a person can only see things from the perspective they choose.
One must learn to judge all things via the perceived truths that one perceives from others.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
For example, sunny days make you feel good.
Rainy days make you feel gloomy.
If you are told this is so, that is what you will believe to be so.
But you can have fun on a rainy day as well.
Your truth can be changed simply by the way you accept it.
That’s how fragile the truth for a human is.
A person’s truth is so simple that most ignore it to concentrate on what they think are deeper truths.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
One who truly hates himself cannot love.
He cannot place his trust in another.
I am no more or less than myself.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neon_Genesis_Evangelion_%28TV%29
In this last episode (and in the whole series, really) a lot of philosophy, inner thought processes, and the picking-apart of and defining of reality takes place. I could not find the transcript for this episode online, so I decided to type the majority of the dialogue, since I own the complete series. To put it simply, I found the episode to be interesting and thought it connected and had something to do with what we were talking about in class, even though it may go on a tangent in some areas. So.....this whole thing is pretty long so I just hope someone finds the ideas behind the dialogue interesting and thought-provoking.
Notes: I have the different sections/events of the episode broken up into groups. Just to make all the dialogue more readable. The main character of the series is talking TO other people SO, when there is dialogue that talks in the first person, OBVIOUSLY....that's him talking about himself, or to others, etc.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We are all basically the same.
Our minds lack something basic.
We fear that deficiency.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mankind cannot live without being surrounded by others.
Mankind cannot survive alone.
Although, you, yourself, are always unique.
That’s why life is hard.
That’s why life is sad and empty.
That’s why you want affection, the close physical and mental presence of others.
The human soul is made of weak and fragile elements.
The body and mind are made of brittle components as well.
Why do you exist?
Maybe I live to find out why I exist.
For whom do you exist?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Why not run from something that hurts?
I mustn’t run away.
Why mustn’t you run away?
Because escaping from the reality can be painful too.
Even though you’re running from something more painful?
I can’t bear it.
As long as you know what the pain is, it can be endured.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is me.
This is the Shape that lets others recognize me as myself.
It is my symbol for my Self.
This is a representation. Everything is a description, not my real Self.
Everything’s a shape, an identifier to let others recognize me as me.
But then, what am I?
Is this me?
My true Self? My fake Self?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You are you.
There is little difference between how you interpret yourself and how others interpret you.
Right.
My clothes – my shoes – my room –
These all are parts of what makes up my Self.
These things are connected through your consciousness.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
So, what I think is me, is me.
What I recognize as Self is myself.
But I don’t understand my Self.
Where am I?
What am I?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
No one understands me.
What are you stupid? Of course nobody understands you.
Nobody can ever understand you.
The only one who can take care of you and understand you is you, yourself.
So, you must take care of yourself.
But I still don’t understand myself.
I don’t even know what it is that makes me myself.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(Main character is seemingly laying down, staring up at the viewer. He is surrounded by nothing, represented by a world of white.)
What is this?
A world of nothing?
A world with nobody in it?
This is the world of perfect freedom.
Freedom?
A world of perfect freedom, a world in which you have no restrictions.
Is this really freedom?
Yes, this is what it is.
However, this world has nothing in it.
Unless I do something?
Right, unless you do or think of something.
But – I don’t know what to do or think.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
He is uncertain.
He has no image of Self to orient himself.
There’s nothing solid here.
It is a world in which there are no obstacles.
Is this true freedom?
This is a world in which you can do anything you wish.
But you’re afraid, aren’t you?
Don’t you know what it is that you want to do?
What should I do?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Let me give you a restriction.
(The invisible speaker draws a line beneath the main character, as in creating a "ground")
There. Now, you have top and bottom.
But you’ve lost a degree of your freedom.
Now you must stand on the ground.
But now you feel easier, don’t you?
You have less to trouble your mind.
And now, you can walk.
This is happening because you will it to be.
Is this my will?
This world with the floor is the only thing around yourself.
But now, you can move around anywhere you wish to within it.
You could even turn the world upside down, if you wanted to.
And the position of your world is not the same either.
It changes with the passage of time.
You can change yourself as well.
What forms your shape is your mind, and its interaction with the world that surrounds you.
You can do anything here, because this is your world.
This is the shape of your reality.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
What is this?
An empty space.
An empty world.
A world where nothing exists but myself.
With only myself, I have nothing to interact with.
It’s as if I’m here, but not here at all.
It’s as if I’m slowly fading out of existence.
Why?
Because only you are here.
Only myself?
Without others to interact with, you cannot truly recognize your own image.
My own image?
The image of myself?
Yes. In the act of observing others, you may recognize yourself.
The image of yourself is restrained by having to observe the barriers between yourself and others.
And yet, you can not see yourself without the presence of others.
When there are others, I can perceive myself as an individual.
If I am alone, then I will be the same as everything else.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Then – there will be no difference between myself and nothing.
By recognizing the difference between yourself and others, you establish your identity as yourself.
There very first other person is your mother.
Your mother is a different individual.
Right, I am me and she is she.
But are you really sure that others form my Self?
This is true.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I can be any way I wish to be.
It’s your mind which takes reality and separates it into what’s bad and hateful.
It is only the mind which separates reality from truth.
Your view of reality changes your perception of its nature.
It is all, literally, a matter a perspective.
There are as many truths as there are people.
But there’s only one truth that is your truth.
That’s the one that’s formed by whatever narrow point of view you choose to view it from.
It’s a perceptive that protects you from the twisted truth.
That’s true, and one can have a perspective that is far too small.
But a person can only see things from the perspective they choose.
One must learn to judge all things via the perceived truths that one perceives from others.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
For example, sunny days make you feel good.
Rainy days make you feel gloomy.
If you are told this is so, that is what you will believe to be so.
But you can have fun on a rainy day as well.
Your truth can be changed simply by the way you accept it.
That’s how fragile the truth for a human is.
A person’s truth is so simple that most ignore it to concentrate on what they think are deeper truths.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
One who truly hates himself cannot love.
He cannot place his trust in another.
I am no more or less than myself.
Monday, October 1, 2007
Lock and Key
I pick an action and try to identify the presence and relationships of Philosophy, Art, Craft, & Science within it. Locking the door to one’s apartment. Overall I feel that the two categories that have the most presence in this action are Philosophy and Science. First, Philosophy, in gauging how much contemplation and/or thought-process goes into and behind performing the action of locking the door to one’s apartment. Several thoughts can come up while performing the act and even after the act, such as:
- Is the door really locked? – (Questioning if the action has been done or not, or just the factor of doubt or paranoia)
- Did I leave anything on? (Appliances, lights, TV,…the iron)
- Do I have everything that I need with me, before I leave?
- Am I doing this right?
- Different problem-solving thought processes to lock it successfully.
- If you live with someone else or several persons (perhaps roommate in this case of an apartment), will they be by later on during the day to get in/do they have their key (with them)?
- Is this the right key?
_________________________________________________
Second, Science, in reference to the knowledge and skill of executing the action:
- Turning the key clockwise or counterclockwise.
- The way to hold the key.
- Which end of the key goes into the lock.
- Unlocking multiple locks which may be on the door(s).
- Working a chain lock on the door.
- Locking the door technique of pulling the door towards oneself to have the lock be successful (like apartment MY door)
- Jiggling the doorknob or pushing the door to see if each is actually locked after the action.
________________________________________________
As far as Craft and Art, I believe after some thought that they have little or nothing to do with this particular action, Craft being a process in which something is produced and to be utilized by someone, etc. You could say that a product of locking one's apartment door could be the locked door, therefore the safety of one's possession, living space, etc. Any OTHER "product" is unknown to me at this point...In reference to Art being a process in which you express the Self, the use of imagination, etc. - locking a door has nothing to do with creativity/self expression. It is a normal, mundane chore that one does everyday throughout their life.
- Is the door really locked? – (Questioning if the action has been done or not, or just the factor of doubt or paranoia)
- Did I leave anything on? (Appliances, lights, TV,…the iron)
- Do I have everything that I need with me, before I leave?
- Am I doing this right?
- Different problem-solving thought processes to lock it successfully.
- If you live with someone else or several persons (perhaps roommate in this case of an apartment), will they be by later on during the day to get in/do they have their key (with them)?
- Is this the right key?
_________________________________________________
Second, Science, in reference to the knowledge and skill of executing the action:
- Turning the key clockwise or counterclockwise.
- The way to hold the key.
- Which end of the key goes into the lock.
- Unlocking multiple locks which may be on the door(s).
- Working a chain lock on the door.
- Locking the door technique of pulling the door towards oneself to have the lock be successful (like apartment MY door)
- Jiggling the doorknob or pushing the door to see if each is actually locked after the action.
________________________________________________
As far as Craft and Art, I believe after some thought that they have little or nothing to do with this particular action, Craft being a process in which something is produced and to be utilized by someone, etc. You could say that a product of locking one's apartment door could be the locked door, therefore the safety of one's possession, living space, etc. Any OTHER "product" is unknown to me at this point...In reference to Art being a process in which you express the Self, the use of imagination, etc. - locking a door has nothing to do with creativity/self expression. It is a normal, mundane chore that one does everyday throughout their life.
Monday, September 24, 2007
The Picking-Apart of Things
I need more tea.
This class has been established to discuss the thesis, "Can all human activity be placed into the four categories of Philosophy, Art, Craft, and/or Science, or a combination of one or more of them." First, I would suspect one would need to ponder what they think the relationship is between these four categories to therefore be able to "stamp" a human activity with one or more of them, since then one would now have ironed out the differences and comparisons between them, and how they might react with one another in a certain situation.
In my diagram in which I show my spin on things, we see a human figure from the waist up. This diagram shows my thoughts on where each of these categories originates, symbolically, within a person, and where it can "go". I believe that Art, Philosophy, Craft, and Science originate within the mind. This is where they start. I would believe that since humans have a higher brain function, these four things are produced by the human mind. But Art and Philosophy ALSO originate from the "heart"/"soul"/what have you as well. This is to symbolically represent a deeper source from which these two categories come from within a person. From the mind, the "arrows" of Art and Philosophy reach upwards, above the figure. These arrows reach towards the non-tangible world, towards existential thought, and the enrichment of the human soul. Art and Philosophy's "arrows" reach downwards as well towards one of the figure's hands at its side. This is the hand of Self Expression, where the categories of existential thought appear in the tangible world and are restated for others to know, view, etc. From the mind, the "arrows" of Craft and Science reach down, past the figure. These arrows reach towards the immediate tangible world, towards productivity, and the enrichment of Society.
This class has been established to discuss the thesis, "Can all human activity be placed into the four categories of Philosophy, Art, Craft, and/or Science, or a combination of one or more of them." First, I would suspect one would need to ponder what they think the relationship is between these four categories to therefore be able to "stamp" a human activity with one or more of them, since then one would now have ironed out the differences and comparisons between them, and how they might react with one another in a certain situation.
In my diagram in which I show my spin on things, we see a human figure from the waist up. This diagram shows my thoughts on where each of these categories originates, symbolically, within a person, and where it can "go". I believe that Art, Philosophy, Craft, and Science originate within the mind. This is where they start. I would believe that since humans have a higher brain function, these four things are produced by the human mind. But Art and Philosophy ALSO originate from the "heart"/"soul"/what have you as well. This is to symbolically represent a deeper source from which these two categories come from within a person. From the mind, the "arrows" of Art and Philosophy reach upwards, above the figure. These arrows reach towards the non-tangible world, towards existential thought, and the enrichment of the human soul. Art and Philosophy's "arrows" reach downwards as well towards one of the figure's hands at its side. This is the hand of Self Expression, where the categories of existential thought appear in the tangible world and are restated for others to know, view, etc. From the mind, the "arrows" of Craft and Science reach down, past the figure. These arrows reach towards the immediate tangible world, towards productivity, and the enrichment of Society.
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