NEWS FEATURES, August 16 edition, Acoustic Americana Music News 2008

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"Tied to the Tracks"
ACOUSTIC AMERICANA
MUSIC NEWS
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NEWS FEATURES for Aug 16, 2008
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copyright (c) © 2008, Larry Wines. All rights reserved.
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WELCOME to the ACOUSTIC AMERICANA MUSIC NEWS, our weekly news feature companion to the ACOUSTIC AMERICANA MUSIC CALENDAR. Here, you’ll find news for artists and music fans alike, ranging from the immediately useful to the merely informative, from gig opportunities and festival deadlines to early bird discounts, from venue openings and closings to career tips, and hot tips for acoustic music fans.
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The Acoustic Americana Music Calendar with frequently updated posts of upcoming events well into 2009, is available at http://acousticamericana.blogspot.com and various other places around the web. We post links for current editions on our Myspace page, but new editions of the calendar are no longer there. Myspace has made changes that limit the size of posts, and that makes it far too time-consuming and ponderous to post the calendar there in far too many small pieces.
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Our myspace site, www.myspace.com/laacoustic is still the place to go for news of the syndicated “Tied to the Tracks” radio show, and its new TV counterpart that launches soon.
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LATEST NEWS FEATURES always post separate from the calendar. Recent editions are available on Blogspot at http://acousticamericana.blogspot.com; older archived editions are available on the myspace page (www.myspace.com/laacoustic), by using the “View All” button and scrolling, and if you don’t see what you want, then journey farther back by using the “older entries” button and scrolling, as many times as necessary. You can go all the way back to when acoustic music was made by trees crashing to the floor of the primeval forests when the dinosaurs got too rambunctious.
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MOST RECENT previous News Features posted AUGUST 10, 2008 at http://acousticamericana.blogspot.com/2008/08/news-features-aug-10-edition-acoustic.html
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COMMUNICATE WITH US about anything related to the Acoustic Music Calendar & News, or “Tied to the Tracks,” at tiedtothetracks@hotmail.com.
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NEWS FEATURES:
August 16, 2008
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1) FIDDLE CAMP FOR LABOR DAY WEEKEND?
Word arrived late from our friends at the Topanga Banjo Fiddle Contest of a Fiddle Camp in the OZARKS that’s said to be the best in the nation. Early bird registration ends at noon, Aug 16, so if you’re interested, read on, and act promptly to register while spaces remain (whether or not you make the early bird date).
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It’s the JANA JAE FIDDLE CAMP, held at the Civic Center and at Snider's Camp, on beautiful Grand Lake, in Grove, OK, on Aug 29, 30 & 31, Labor Day Weekend. It’s a nonprofit event dedicated to preserving and promoting musical heritage. Go to www.grandlakefestivals.com for details about the great fiddle coaching, jamming, and online registration, or call 800-526-2523.
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2) “CALIFORNIA LAWYERS FOR THE ARTS FILM & MEDIA BUSINESS SEMINAR 2008” is a series that runs Aug 27, Sep 10, & Sep 24; the first session was Aug 13. All sessions are 7-8:30 pm at The Ken Edwards Center, 1527 Fourth St, Santa Monica 90401. You may register for, and attend, one or all seminar sessions. Adv registration strongly advised, by calling California Lawyers for the Arts at 310-998-5590, or email them your contact info, specifying workshop dates, at UserCLA@aol.com. Here are the offerings:
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> Aug 27: Speaker Elsa Ramo, Esq., presents “Show Me the $$$,$$$!: Keys to Financing Your Film Project.” This workshop will address the various means of financing a film project, including LLCs, investor financing, and debt financing, as well as distribution deals.
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> Sep 10: Speaker Jeffrey Winter and Orly Ravid, Film Independent, present “The Down-Low on Distribution: How to Set Up the Right Film Distribution Deal.” Distribution agreements equal profits. But the lingo in distribution deals is complex and confusing. PFD agreements, negative pick-up agreements, pre-sale agreements, rent-a-system deals - this seminar will decode the different distribution deals so that you can get the best rights in your agreement. Topics include terms, territories, language, media, exclusivity, and assignment rights.
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> Sep 24: Speaker Glen L. Kulik, Esq, presents “Going, Going, GONE?: How to Pitch Your Idea and Protect It.” A straight-forward, jargon-free presentation on the law of copyrights and idea protection that will help you understand complex IP concepts and the practical concerns and ways you can try to protect your intellectual property.
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General admission, $20 for each seminar, or all four for the discounted price of $60. (Members of C.L.A. get-in for $10 per seminar, or all four for $30.)
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3) “FOLKTACULAR” TO RETURN LABOR DAY SUNDAY
Robert Morgan Fisher’s semi-annual “FOLKTACULAR” single-stage minifest returns Labor Day Sunday, Aug 31, 4 pm-midnight, with DAN BERN, MANDA, JOYCE WOODSON, MOTHER NATURE’S ARMY, CHAD WATSON, LEE DOMANN (from Albuquerque), SEVERIN BROWNE, DAVE MORRISON, DALE LaDUKE, TIM TEDROW & TERRY VREELAND, ALLAN COMEAU, PAUL ZOLLO, PIPER-GREY, and ROBERT MORGAN FISHER, at Writers Boot Camp Auditorium at Bergamot Station in Santa Monica, Bldg. i, Santa Monica. Robert says, “We expect a pretty big response due to the stellar lineup, which includes (as Ed Sullivan used to say): “A fine balladeer, causing quite a splash with the young people … DAN BERN.” And Robert adds, “Yes, 4-12 is a long show – but this is a luxurious auditorium with couches and everything.”
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Many of these artists have performed live on radio’s “Tied to the Tracks,” including SEVERIN BROWNE, LEE DOMANN, CHAD WATSON, DAVE MORRISON, DALE LaDUKE, TIM TEDROW & TERRY VREELAND, PIPER-GREY, and ROBERT MORGAN FISHER. The event includes food & beverages with admission: beer, wine, soda, hors d’oever munchies, tacos and burritos. More info in the calendar listing. Adv tix encouraged, so they know how much food to get. $15 adv, $20 door. To purchase $15 adv tix, email robert@robertmorganfisher.com.
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4) EXTREMELY ENTANGLING “PERSONAL” MARKETING?
San Diego-based singer-guitarist ALEX WOODARD has a self-titled album set to release on August 19, and he is promising “to write a personal song for every person that pre-orders” his album. This self-titled release features Grammy-winning SARA WATKINS of NICKEL CREEK fame and FOUNTAINS OF WAYNE's BRIAN YOUNG on drums. Preview songs from the new record at http://myspace.com/alexwoodard .
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His promo opens with, “want ALEX WOODARD to write a song about you?” and says, “Storyteller Will Pen Personalized Tune For Everyone Who Pre-Orders 'Alex Woodard,' Out 8/19.”
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Alex is an L.A. Music Awards Singer-Songwriter of the Year and San Diego Music Awards nominee. His new CD is on the Woodshack Music / Adrenaline Music Group label. How serious is his offer? The promo from CHRIS TAILLIE (ctaillie@shorefire.com) at Shore Fire Media assures, “Woodard will be penning personalized tunes for each and every patron, contacting fans himself to get the details he'll use to write their unique, one-of-a-kind songs. In addition to the special tune, each pre-order will come with a limited-edition t-shirt and access to an exclusive section on Woodard's website (www.alexwoodard.com/) called "The Woodshack," where fans can check out photos, videos and never-heard demos, and get details on special meet-and-greets.
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Chris says, “Alex has been getting a reputation for changing the way an artist connects to the fans, by playing in their living rooms. ‘The Woodshack’ will be another opportunity for fans to register for these ‘personal’ concerts. Woodard is drawing comparisons to Tom Petty for his story-driven, country-rock sound and honest, gritty lyrics. Allmusic.com raves, ‘Like John Cougar Mellencamp, Woodard pens tales instantly recognizable, for they're American stories we've all lived and shared, with the album holding a mirror to us all.’ Download.com observes that Alex's ‘cool folk melancholy sounds especially fine next to gleaming country-pop guitars,’ and Today's Country Magazine says: ‘Woodard crafts [his lyrics] in a way that delivers the stories perfectly.’
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So, Chris, will Alex see daylight between now and 2010?
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If you want to take Alex up on his offer, the pre-order link is www.adrenalinemusicgroup.com/CD_AlexWoodard_PreSale.php .
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5) MUSIC LEGEND DOES REVOLUTIONARY NYC TALK RADIO SHOW
Last Sunday, ERIC LOWEN (Lowen & Navarro) did live radio on “STRONG AT THE BROKEN PLACES” on WABC in New York City. Eric's ongoing dedication to fostering awareness, enlightenment, and hope to the mysteries of ALS (aka Lou Gehrig's Disease), is an ongoing profile in courage. Eric was interviewed live by WABC-AM radio correspondent RICHARD COHEN, on Richard’s weekly program about coping with serious illness. In 2005, Eric chose to go public about his own battle with ALS on radio’s “Tied to the Tracks,” to promote a benefit show for ALS research. Eric, with the full support of his family and his musical partner DAN NAVARRO, has continued to be an eloquent and effective voice for awareness and understanding of the disease ever since. The New York City radio show ran a full hour, and it’s archived on the Lowen & Navarro web site, at http://lownav.c.topica.com/maal8AAabJzZYbPhQnzbaehoil.
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WABC (www.wabcradio.com) added Cohen’s show to its lineup this summer, and if you were in New York, it could completely change your opinion of talk radio. Fortunately, you can catch it live, anywhere, via the station’s web simulcast. As Eric says, “This isn’t a show about left vs. right politics, or the stock market…or anything else you have ever heard. This is a show about coping with illness. ‘Strong at the Broken Places’ will take listeners to a world they hope they will never enter. What happens when you or a loved one is hit with a traumatic illness or injury? It changes your world, but not too many people like to talk about it. Author Richard Cohen is not afraid to talk about it, and that is what he does in this program. Richard, a former producer for CBS Evening News, is himself going through a set of issues that would make any normal human being worried. He was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis and lost his sight, but Cohen, who wrote the book ‘Blindsided’ in 2003, about illness, is unafraid to tackle this new show that will help thousands cope with similar concerns. Cohen is the husband of NBC-TV/Today show correspondent Meredith Viera, and he has also faced colon cancer.” The show is on the web every Sunday, 3-4 pm Pacific time.
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LOWEN & NAVARRO’s new CD, “LEARNING TO FALL,” is their long-awaited sixth album of new original material, with 11 tracks, performed by L&N with a stellar lineup of PHIL PARLAPIANO on pianos, organs, mandolins and guitar, TARAS PRODANIUK on bass (Lucinda Williams, Richard Thompson), RAFE BRADFORD on bass (their Chicago bassist, also works with Michael McDermott), HUTCH HUTCHINSON on bass (Bonnie Raitt, Brian Wilson, Paul Simon), GREG LEISZ on guitars (Dave Alvin, Joni Mitchell, many others), DOUG PETTIBONE on guitars (Lucinda Williams, Jewel), PHIL HURLEY on guitar (Stonehoney) and backing vocals by STONEHONEY, WENDY WALDMAN, & JULIE CHRISTENSEN. Info, and CD or track downloads available at http://lownav.com.
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6) NEW “ALT_BLUEGRASS” CD CAPITALIZES ON NATIONAL TV EXPOSURE
CLIFF WAGNER & THE OLD #7 (www.oldnumber7.net) have just released their brand-new CD, “ Hobo’s Lullaby,” following their triumphant appearance on “American Idol’s ‘NEXT GREAT AMERICAN BAND’” show. The CD includes all the songs they played on the show, including “Honky Cat,” “Don’t Think Twice,” “and “You May Be Right,” together with new originals that showcase Cliff Wagner’s song writing talents and the band’s musicianship. Now, we don’t usually announce CD releases here, because there are sooo many of them every week. But this is an exception (and not because Cliff has performed live on radio’s “Tied to the Tracks”).
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The album, like the band’s success on TV - all the way to the final round of competition - shows that the conventional wisdom is wrong, as usual. What’s the band’s genre? They’ll tell you they’re “A cross between bluegrass, alt-bluegrass, alt-country, and Americana.” That’s not the “one-thing” answer the industry will tell you it requires, just to let you in the door. And it’s certainly not Britney-Lohan sh-thump-thud, revolving-door-rehab, pop-tart-du-jour, soundalike crap, or Nashville’s single paradigm of “country” as red-state-trailer-park-rock. The new CD and individual song downloads are available at the band’s web site. For a limited time, orders get free shipping, and they tell us that “ Box Sets” come with a free picture. Smart marketing to stand-out even more after the national TV exposure.
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7) ASHLEY MAHER TO RECORD IN AFRICA
She’s a unique presence on the L.A. music scene, where she is at home doing her originals in a folk-Americana setting, or playing with her “Global Band” and joining her dancers in blindingly fast African dance. Ashley Maher has performed live on radio’s “Tied to the Tracks,” had Top Ten hits on the BBC, and was a big hit at the “Ash Grove 50th Anniversary” concert at UCLA in April.
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Ashley tells us that “Westerners recording with West African musicians have mostly tuned-in to Malian blues - Ry Cooder, Bonnie Raitt, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Taj Mahal, Toubab Krewe - but few have tapped into that magic middle ground between Western music and Senegalese mbalax, since YOUSSOU NDOUR sang on PETER GABRIEL's “In Your Eyes” in the '80's.”
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She continues, “In 2007, Senegal's Youssou NDour recorded a song I co-wrote, ‘Boul Bayekou.’ This was one of the great honors of my professional life. Then, last April, Youssou flew me to Dakar [and Europe] to rehearse, as a dancer, with his seven Senegalese dancers for two weeks before performing in two enormous shows, first in Dakar and then before 20,000 people at Paris' Bercy Arena.”
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That led to a new opportunity. Ashley explains, “it deepened my ties with Youssou's musicians. Simply put, they are free this September and enthusiastic about recording with me … it is an opportunity I've GOT to take! This development is a big surprise. By last February, having raised the money to record CD #5 in Los Angeles, I began working on it with ANDRE MANGA. I never imagined this chance would arise to record in Dakar with Youssou's musicians. Now, we have more-than-an-album's-worth of excellent new material, backing tracks ready to go, a downpayment made on Dogo Studios, and our 'round trip tickets to Dakar in hand. However, the cost of recording will add a minimum of $15,000 to our current budget.”
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Ashley is seeking help from fans who believe in her music. Check her web site for details, www.ashleymaher.com.
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8) VENTURA MEDIA COVERS SINGER-SONGWRITERS (EVEN IF L.A. DOESN’T)
Rachel Sedacca tells us, “I was thrilled to wake up this morning to several phone calls and later emails about the huge picture of me on the front of our local paper, the Ventura County Star. This story talks to several Ventura artists including my friend NATHAN McEUEN.” It’s at http://www.venturacountystar.com/news/2008/aug/07/fuel-pump-blues.
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Rachel continues, “They did a story on gas prices and interviewed me on the phone, sent a photographer out to do a photo shoot and then sent a cameraman to interview and video some of my performance at this cool house concert in Ojai in late July. The video is here on my website where you can also sign up on my email list from the home page.” Video at www.rachelsedacca.com/press.html .
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Check out Rachel’s music, including her 2008 CD, "Patience Pays," at www.rachelsedacca.com/music.html and www.myspace.com/rachelsedacca .
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9) MORE GOOD PRESS FOR THE HOUSE CONCERT MOVEMENT
Russ & Julie, of Russ & Julie's House Concerts (www.houseconcerts.us and www.myspace.com/russjuliehouseconcerts) not only deliver a fine lineup each season, but they also continue to help others learn the ropes to present their own house concerts. A local newspaper in their area, Agoura Hills/Westlake Village, ran a story on them, available on-line at www.theacorn.com/news/2008/0814/On_The_Town/069.html.
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You might also enjoy the YouTube video of the transformation of their living room for concert night, at www.youtube.com/russjuliehousecncrts.
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10) “ACOUSTIC FRIENDS” SITE EXPANDS OFFERINGS
It’s been awhile since we told you about the acoustic music alternative to myspace, at www.acousticfriends.com. They just announced that that www.acousticdownload.com is now on-line on their site, as “a place where you can purchase individual digital tracks or albums from aspiring, unsigned, independent and established artists specializing in acoustic roots music.” They continue that the new feature “provides another venue for aspiring, unsigned, independent and established artists to showcase their music.” You can establish your own page for free at Acoustic Friends.
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11) SONS OF THE PIONEERS LEADER TAKES HIS LAST RIDE
It’s been a year of sadness, fond remembrances and memorials in the Western/cowboy music community. Word arrived that DALE WARREN, the man who had been the leader of the SONS OF THE PIONEERS longer than any other member, passed away in Branson, Missouri, on August 9. He had suffered from heart problems for some time. Dale joined the Pioneers in Dec, 1952. Thanks to his leadership, the group did not fade away when LLOYD PERRYMAN, the man Dale referred to as “Mr. Pioneer,” died in 1977. Dale became the leader that year, and saw the SONS OF THE PIONEERS become the longest-running singing group in history. He brought their music into the 21st century, to the delight of audiences of all ages.
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12) ORIGINAL ONE-ACT HOLIDAY-THEMED PLAYS SOUGHT FOR PRODUCTION
The Lancaster Performing Arts Center (LPAC) is seeking original, one-act play submissions for its 2009 holiday production to be performed December 2-5, 2009 on its Main stage. Scripts must be submitted no later than February 10, 2009 and adhere to the submission guidelines. The winning playwright will be announced March 10, 2009 and receive a stipend of $500 after the play is performed. Send submissions to Mary Tanner at Lancaster Performing Arts Center, 44933 Fern Av, Lancaster, CA 93534 or deliver in person to the LPAC box office at 750 West Lancaster Bl. For submission guidelines and inquiries, contact Mary Tanner, Performing Arts Manager at or 661-723-5950 or mtanner@cityoflancasterca.org.
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13) THIS WEEK’S MUSIC VIDEO PICKS
Our first pick is by DAVE MORRISON (www.myspace.com/davemorrisonmusic & www.davemorrisonmusic.com) a fine performing songwriter whose songs have been recorded by many others for at least a decade. When Dave finally recorded his own CD (on Trough records), he gave radio’s “Tied to the Tracks” the world premiere, then came on the radio show to play much of the album live. Now, the CD gets airplay all over the planet. Our pick is Dave doing his original, "Times Like These," with GREG KREUGER on mandolin, LISA TURNER on backing vocals, and DAN McFEELEY on harmonica, recorded live at last spring’s semi-annual “FOLKTACULAR” in Santa Monica. It’s on YouTube at www.youtube.com/watch?v=vD-G11Eeg7s.
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DAVE MORRISON is playing a house concert Sunday, Aug 17, in Altadena; see the calendar listing. AND, Robert Morgan Fisher has booked the next “FOLKTACULAR” show for Sunday, Aug 31, where Dave will again perform, this time along with DAN BERN and a great lineup, so see that calendar listing and get your advance tix.
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Our second pick, for the first time ever, isn’t acoustic(!) but this must-see video does come to us from AcousticMusic.net founder George McCalip. It’s by WALT HANDLESMAN at New York Newsday, it’s animated, it’s called, “Bored, Tubby, Mild,” and it’s hilarious, regardless of your musical preferences or your age. It’s at www.newsday.com/news/opinion/ny-walt-babyboomers-blurb,0,1036393.blurb
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NEXT WEEK, we’ll bring lots more news.
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copyright (c) © 2008, Larry Wines. All rights reserved.
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Be sure to check EVERY WEEK for
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+ the extensive and always huge Acoustic Americana Music Calendar’s event listings
at http://acousticamericana.blogspot.com, or at www.myspace.com/laacoustic.
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+ news of the “TIED TO THE TRACKS” radio & TV shows coming soon in syndication.
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+ the latest NEWS FEATURES from the acoustic music universe!
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WANT TO CONTACT US?
tiedtothetracks@hotmail.com
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