# What is your greatest worry about your prep?



## Karen (Apr 17, 2002)

What is your greatest worry about the preps you've done? 

For me it's whether we will have enough water; or access to constant source if SHTF is very long term.


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## susieM (Apr 23, 2006)

I worry about my neighbors killing me for my preps.


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## strider3700 (Feb 2, 2007)

I worry that my preps turn out to not be enough and I become complacent because I have them.


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## Guest (Oct 5, 2007)

Long-term water in the case of a long-term grid failure.

Not having enough for the number of people I allow in in the case of the more severe long-term scenarios.

.....Alan.


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## cem (May 5, 2006)

Water is my biggest concern. It seems like "ll never be able to store enough. I keep a swimming pool filled just so we will be able to flush the toilet. We live in the high desert and there isn't streams near by.


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## MountAiry (May 30, 2007)

Water is always my number one concern here. I also am concerned about sealing the house or an area in case there was a need (chemical, biological, whatever). 
I also worry how the kids would get home as two of them live in Atlanta. I wouldn't want to live there in a crises and can just imagine how awful leaving the city would be. My only hope is that could get out early enough to do so.


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## claytonpiano (Feb 3, 2005)

Water. Especially with this year's drought. Our stock tank has gone completely dry twice so far and we have never had that happen. It fills from the run-off from the barn roof. 

My parents. Dad has Alzheimer's and just trying to keep him confined will be really difficult. I've also stored all sorts of simple games and books in my preps in anticipation of problems.

Seeds. Heirloom variety. I've got lots stored, but keeping them viable and the rotation is tough. I realized this year that I did not have enough for crop failure.


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## FUNKY PIONEER (Sep 20, 2005)

I think having enough is mine. The basic starter recomendations from the LDS web site( I'm LDS so I follow this) are for a starvation barely keep you going diet. It only allows for one glass a of milk a day for example, no allowances for cooking etc. I need to get more food to eat comfortably, but its just not in the budget right now. ;0(


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## pixelphotograph (Apr 8, 2007)

that a bomb or tornado or whatever hits my direct stash or supplies and I am wiped out


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## MountAiry (May 30, 2007)

LOL Pixie! I had this image of a tornado crashing into stockpiles of supplies!
That certainly WOULD suck! lol


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## baldylocks (Aug 15, 2007)

I am just starting so I worry about having enough of anything...and I wonder how I could possibly find space to store enough of anything to ride out anything longer than a week or two. I am starting to get creative with that but...


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## radiofish (Mar 30, 2007)

Well my main worry is having a major Earthquake here (8.0 or larger). I am at 1800 feet in elevation above mean sea level, so I should survive a Tsunami Wave from the offshore Quake!!! I am quite a distance from any major target in case of a nuclear weapon exchange, but I do have a working geiger counter and dosimeters just in case of fallout being carried accross the Pacific Ocean by the jetstream...

Water is no problem with springs and a small stream on the property, besides the well. Plenty of food/ M.R.E.'s and supplies for myself and a few others for many weeks here. I am ready if we loose commerical electricity, so I can use my solar panels and backup batteries to power my ham radios/ communications equipment. It is best to know what is happening nationally or world wide after an event occurs!! Fire starting is taken care of with magnesium firestarters, metal matches, flint and steel, and other methods. The property is remote enough that I will not have a mass of refugees over running my location, and I have the skills (thanks to the US Marine Corps) and firearms to keep them off the place..

baldylocks - Here in a very humid enviroment (90% most of the time) above the Pacific Ocean, folks use 30 and 55 gallon plastic barrels with the screw on lids to store items. I double wrap items in ziplock bags - before I insert said items into the barrels. Coat the threads on the barrel lids with a thick coating of vasoline to keep the moisture out!! They can be buried or placed in an outbuilding for storage/ to keep them cool. Heat will diminish the shelf life of most items!!!! Just remember to rotate your supplies... Don't expect them (food items) to be usable many years later after you initally store them....


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## Miss Miggles (Aug 29, 2007)

I am not too worried about water, although drinking from the Charles River might not be so great, what with pesticide and industrial run off. We get a fair amount of rain here. The city reservoir is a 1 1/2 mile hike from my home. I plan to get a Kelly Kettle soon as a backup for quick water treatment. I already have a Steripen- wicked easy to use and quick. Also have a disposable camp filter for if I did have to drink from the polluted Charles (which is right down the street from me).

My biggest fear is loss of electric in the winter. I live in an apt building and I fear the pipes busting all over the place. I also don't know how long I could survive no heat here in a NE winter. I have a sleeping bag but that's about it.

I guess that is why my BOB is so important. I might need to bug out on foot for a 25 mile trip to family in the suburbs. I try to keep in shape, have walked at least a few miles every day for over twenty years now. But time does take its toll. My other bug out destination is 100 miles south. Yeeks, also this would be on foot.


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## Chuck-prime (Jul 24, 2007)

Actually, gangs of young thugs/people who are almost starved to death. 

If things get really bad, obviously things will get lousy for women, young and old.


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## baldylocks (Aug 15, 2007)

Thanks for the barrel info Radiofish. I just found a source for 55 gal. food grade barrels. I am starting to set up rain barrels around my place. I know that roof water isn't considered potable and all but I figure that in a pinch, I would make do with it. We are storing bleach to purify whatever water we might have to. I have limited space for inside storage of such barrels but am glad to hear that outside might work. Heat could be a problem but, like you said, rotation might make it ok.


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## Texas_Plainsman (Aug 26, 2007)

baldylocks said:


> Thanks for the barrel info Radiofish. I just found a source for 55 gal. food grade barrels. I am starting to set up rain barrels around my place. I know that roof water isn't considered potable and all but I figure that in a pinch, I would make do with it. We are storing bleach to purify whatever water we might have to. I have limited space for inside storage of such barrels but am glad to hear that outside might work. Heat could be a problem but, like you said, rotation might make it ok.


I bought, what I believe is the best filter element Berkey makes, two "Black Berkey" filter elements off of ebay for $100.00. They came with a small spigot. You mount the spigot, close to the bottom, on a five gallon plastic bucket. The filter gets mounted on the bottom of another bucket. You then set the bucket, with the filter element, over the other bucket. You now have a very high dollar water filter.


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## comfortablynumb (Nov 18, 2003)

my greatest worry is I wont be able to find any neighbors to whack who have a properr stockpile f preps.


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## baldylocks (Aug 15, 2007)

Thanks for the info Texas_Plainsman. The filters are available on ebay still so I am going to get one I think. That should set me up much better for water...now it's just everything else! Anyhow, I really appreciate the info as water truly is my biggest concern. We lost city water for a few hours a month ago and had a chance to see what apain it is to go with out, even for a short time...with no emergency!


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## hillsidedigger (Sep 19, 2006)

Whatever I can do I expect will not be enough for those whom I am attempting to prepare for because:

"Given that the world is encountering these problems in 2007 @ a
global population of "only" 6.6 billion people and at the peak of oil
global oil production, would anyone care to guess how great a
catastrophe will occur between now and 2040, as the human population
peaks @ 9 billion and the oil production declines precipitously?

Add a little Climate Change and Global Warfare to the mixture and
what you get is a fine recipe for the Apocalypse."

http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/energyresources/message/104934


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## TundraGypsy (Feb 25, 2005)

I think my biggest fear would be the house catching on fire and burning all my prep items in the basement. Though I never think about it; but anything is possible. The next biggest fear would be someone walking into the basement and taking everything. DH never locks the downstairs basement. I've had to walk around the house when we leave for a trip and lock all the doors myself. I wished we had a way to store a lot more water too. I have a 300 gal drum that is currently partially filled at all times. I either add a little more water or a little bleach. I also keep 5-gallon containers in the basement and change them out every 6 months.


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## Spinner (Jul 19, 2003)

My biggest fear is that I'm forgetting something that will be very important. After TSHTF it'll be to late to acquire whatever it is that I am forgetting to stock up on today. :shrug:


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## Ernie (Jul 22, 2007)

I don't worry about my in-place stockpile. We can get by on what I can hunt/farm now. My biggest concern is being moved off my place due to government intrusion or hordes of what I call "grasshopper people". (Remember the grasshopper and the ant parable?)

I'm about 2 hours outside of Chicago, which is still too close when those 3 million people suddenly find out that Walmart won't be restocking their shelves and the government handout trucks have stopped showing up. Too much of my farm is visible from the road.


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## Chuck-prime (Jul 24, 2007)

comfortablynumb said:


> my greatest worry is I wont be able to find any neighbors to whack who have a properr stockpile f preps.


They won't need to.

Why stock up on food when it comes through the window with 2 legs anyway?


If you've been eating organic, let me know. I prefer organic.


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## Chuck-prime (Jul 24, 2007)

Ernie said:


> I don't worry about my in-place stockpile. We can get by on what I can hunt/farm now. My biggest concern is being moved off my place due to government intrusion or hordes of what I call "grasshopper people". (Remember the grasshopper and the ant parable?)
> 
> I'm about 2 hours outside of Chicago, which is still too close when those 3 million people suddenly find out that Walmart won't be restocking their shelves and the government handout trucks have stopped showing up. Too much of my farm is visible from the road.



There's been talk of diseases in deer and rabbits, not sure if it's in this country or in Europe.

I take it, then, that it's still quite safe to eat these tasty critters.


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## edcopp (Oct 9, 2004)

No fears, No worries. I do have a little concern that folks will find out that I prep. I do my best to appear to be poor as a church mouse, needy, and somewhat disorganised. :shrug:


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## BillHoo (Mar 16, 2005)

hillsidedigger said:


> Whatever I can do I expect will not be enough for those whom I am attempting to prepare for because:
> 
> "Given that the world is encountering these problems in 2007 @ a
> global population of "only" 6.6 billion people and at the peak of oil
> ...


Years ago, I read an article in Natural History Magazine about how human populations regularly get hit with epidemics that wipe out the population to about 6 percent that have immunity. Unfortunately, we've delayed that for so long with vaccines and personal hygeine practices and such that we are waaaay overdue. But nature will eventually find a way to get past our roadblocks and do what she needs to do.


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## HomesteadBaker (Feb 8, 2006)

edcopp said:


> No fears, No worries. I do have a little concern that folks will find out that I prep. I do my best to appear to be poor as a church mouse, needy, and somewhat disorganised. :shrug:


We do the same. No talking about preps or weapons/ammo, as far as anyone is concerned we are the people in the old singlewide with an old pick-up, and an even older car, with all the "junk" piled around the place. (The "junk" being salvaged building materials, etc.) It is safer that way in case the S does HTF.

Kitty


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## Chuck-prime (Jul 24, 2007)

edcopp said:


> No fears, No worries. I do have a little concern that folks will find out that I prep. I do my best to appear to be poor as a church mouse, needy, and somewhat disorganised. :shrug:


I learned that mistake (and still learning) the hard way.

That's the rub; you want to inform friends of future events, and to prepare the same, but as things go I'll probably share some of my food (food only) and we can all starve together.


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## hillsidedigger (Sep 19, 2006)

BillHoo said:


> Years ago, I read an article in Natural History Magazine about how human populations regularly get hit with epidemics that wipe out the population to about 6 percent that have immunity. Unfortunately, we've delayed that for so long with vaccines and personal hygeine practices and such that we are waaaay overdue. But nature will eventually find a way to get past our roadblocks and do what she needs to do.


When did that last happen, must have been at least 10,000 years ago.


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## Callieslamb (Feb 27, 2007)

pixelphotograph said:


> that a bomb or tornado or whatever hits my direct stash or supplies and I am wiped out


i can't so much about a bomb, but the first thing I would replace after a tornado with my insurance would be my preps. Clothing and furniture would come later.

My biggest concern is having enough and getting my kids to us.


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## ZooNana (Feb 25, 2005)

My two biggest worries about my preps is keeping my kids warm in the winter and getting someone back home if they are away when TSHTF. I don't any trees around here and there's no way I can store enough wood (for SHTF) for a wood stove. The propane for the one we do have will only last so long. 

My oldest child has a new job that takes him out of town a lot (usually within 2-3 hours driving distance of home). When on an out of town job he's in a company van with others so he's at their mercy in an emergency. He's not allowed to take more than his wallet and a jacket so he can't carry any supplies.


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## sgl42 (Jan 20, 2004)

hillsidedigger said:


> BillHoo said:
> 
> 
> > Years ago, I read an article in Natural History Magazine about how human populations regularly get hit with epidemics that wipe out the population to about 6 percent that have immunity. Unfortunately, we've delayed that for so long with vaccines and personal hygeine practices and such that we are waaaay overdue. But nature will eventually find a way to get past our roadblocks and do what she needs to do.
> ...


1492, according to some theories. The first "Old World" visitors to the "New World" reported lots of heavily populated villages, relatively close together. Later reports showed much more sparse population in the "New World." By some estimates, 90% of the population of the Americas was wiped out by smallpox and other European diseases in the first 100 years or so after the first contact. Europeans had much more immunity to these diseases because 
1) they'd been living in closer quarters with animals (pigs, chickens, horses, cows) and had built up various immunities from that
2) the black death (bubonic plague?) that wiped out about 1/3 of the European population. there is a particular gene that gives some immunity, and that gene was much higher proportion of the population after bubonic plague, and it propogated in the offspring too. That same gene gave some resistance to smallpox and the other diseases.

There was a PBS special that talked about the genetic links between the diseases. I think it was one of the "secrets of the dead" series, but I'm not sure. Also, the book "Guns Germs & Steel" talks about the decimation of the Native Americans. 



> http://www.pbs.org/gunsgermssteel/variables/smallpox.html
> 
> Within just a few generations, the continents of the Americas were virtually emptied of their native inhabitants &#8211; some academics estimate that approximately 20 million people may have died in the years following the European invasion &#8211; up to 95% of the population of the Americas.
> 
> ...


(sorry for the thread drift. just geeky and find this kinda stuff interesting...)
--sgl


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## texican (Oct 4, 2003)

My ever recurring fear, is best characterized by an old Louis L'amour inspired painting... "More Brains than Bullets"...

I have a few bullets, but nowhere near enough for the zombie hordes streaming out of the Houston area...


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## rickd203 (Sep 11, 2005)

hillsidedigger said:


> When did that last happen, must have been at least 10,000 years ago.


Black plague, 1492 and 1780 Smallpox pandemics, 1918 influenza pandemic, 1817 cholera pandemic..... just to name a few. If the bird flu virus ever does turn into an airborne virus, it has the potential to kill more people than all the past epidemics combined.


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## Ernie (Jul 22, 2007)

Chuck-prime said:


> There's been talk of diseases in deer and rabbits, not sure if it's in this country or in Europe.
> 
> I take it, then, that it's still quite safe to eat these tasty critters.


Cook thoroughly. Don't eat anything that's "obviously" sick. (Downed animals, limping, foaming, missing patches of fur or severely malnourished)

There's always talk of something, be it chronic wasting disease or some sort of funky parasite.


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## Ernie (Jul 22, 2007)

ZooNana said:


> My two biggest worries about my preps is keeping my kids warm in the winter and getting someone back home if they are away when TSHTF. I don't any trees around here and there's no way I can store enough wood (for SHTF) for a wood stove. The propane for the one we do have will only last so long.
> 
> My oldest child has a new job that takes him out of town a lot (usually within 2-3 hours driving distance of home). When on an out of town job he's in a company van with others so he's at their mercy in an emergency. He's not allowed to take more than his wallet and a jacket so he can't carry any supplies.


What a strange job. Can that jacket have pockets? A lighter, pocketknife, and an extra pair of shoelaces go with me when I travel. I can carry a bag so I stuff a heavy shirt and three times as many socks as I normally would use in with my work clothes. I also have a small roll-up poncho that can be used as rain protection or a tent. It folds up to take up no more room than a small t-shirt. If worst comes to worst, I'll hike it back to the farm. I have told my wife to not count me out of the game until she sees the body. 

Any job that won't let you bring more than your wallet and a jacket probably can't be depended upon to get you home safety, so I hope he's got a phone card and enough cash or credit for a bus ticket back home.


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## shadowwalker (Mar 5, 2004)

To what extent I may have to go. To survive one more day. I know what it may come to. I figure I can do it well enough. But can I live with what I do.


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## Guest (Jan 18, 2008)

Bump.

.....Alan.


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## edcopp (Oct 9, 2004)

HomesteadBaker said:


> We do the same. No talking about preps or weapons/ammo, as far as anyone is concerned we are the people in the old singlewide with an old pick-up, and an even older car, with all the "junk" piled around the place. (The "junk" being salvaged building materials, etc.) It is safer that way in case the S does HTF.
> 
> Kitty


So if things really get bad and the single wide becomes unusable there will still be some high quality, pre- owned meterial around to make a shelter of some kind. Good plan but not unique.


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## Henry (Mar 1, 2006)

We are fully prepped and happy with our situation. The only worry is if the SHTF when we are snowed in our kids will have a tough time getting here. We are a 16 hour drive north of Vancouver and the boys are on board with us and determined to follow our procedures for getting here. We even insisted they each own a good truck set up to get here with an after market fuel tank so no problem with gas stations. Even so my wife and I will be counting time until the families get here. Once we are all here then its shut the road down and teach the grandkids how to hunt and forage for food in the forest.


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## Spinner (Jul 19, 2003)

I've done a lot of thinking since I first posted on this thread. 

I'm not near as prepped as I used to be. We've been using a lot of stuff lately and haven't been able to afford to replace it. I don't think I've done any grocery shopping for about 3 months now, at least not a lot. I've picked up a few things every now and then.

I have a hand pump for the well, but I guess there's a possibility that the well water could become contaminated. 

I worry about my grandsons not being here and not being able to get here. If they make it, I'm sure their mother will bring along unwanted people like her new husband, her mother and sisters, and maybe a few friends (that's when the "Listen up troops" speech would come in handy). Hopefully we'll be able to go get the grandkids and their mother without any of the extra baggage. I also worry that my daughter and her kids couldn't get here, and my father (they are a couple hundred miles away and probably wouldn't even consider heading this way until after the unwashed masses started attacking.)


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## treesonggal (May 4, 2006)

We currently live in a mobile home so I am concerned about a tornado. George just bought a John Deere 410 backhoe loader so he's going to dig a storm.root cellar for shelter. Other than that, my greatest concern is family members who live in cities in Michigan's UP and are totally unprepared. I doubt any of them would consider coming here and in a SHTF scenario they may be unable to anyway. We're still working toward relocating to the UP but in the meantime we do the best we can where we are. Water is our other concern but we're about to get a hand pump for our well.


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## RayG IA (Jan 22, 2008)

My biggest concern is security. If I don't have to worry about security, I'll have time to grow food, hunt, trap and fish to suppliment the LTS.

Water is my 2nd concern. I plan on having the cistern installed this summer.


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## Guest (Feb 18, 2008)

My biggest worry is water. There is water to be had in the nearest river (a couple miles from here at the bottom of a BIG, STEEP hill, meaning a long walk to get it, and a long, hard, uphill walk to bring it back), and there's water in a small dirty lake a mile away. And there are stock tanks, all with icky dirty water. So water is doable but would be a lot of work hauling it, and it would need to be boiled and filtered. Lots of work, and maybe run into roving bands of hungry people when going to fetch it.

Second worry is hungry people. Although that might not be too big of a fear. This is a very tiny town surrounded by cattle, deer, and other edible wildlife. Most men here have a gun. So I'm hoping that people would just shoot meat rather than try to raid neighbors' preps. And hopefully those same armed men would keep roving bands of hungry people run out of the immediate area. Hopefully.


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## RockyGlen (Jan 19, 2007)

Keeping Dh to a 2000 a calorie day diet so the preps last as long as they are supposed to!

Being able to share with those in need, and defending from those who want to take.


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## damoc (Jul 14, 2007)

WATER I have a well 300 feet deep and backup power but its just such a slender thread of safety the pump could break down or the generator or i could run out of fuel?i have storage also drinking and a pond and a small
tank but it doesnt seem enough not for what i want to do agriculturaly
so i plant plants which do well in dry enviroments and want to get better
storage and change my roofing to metal to be able to get drinkable rainwater.

I have lived with unreliable water supplies mainly rainwater and streams
and i can tell you it all falls apart without water.

I have been very hungry and very thirsty and i will take hungry anyday.


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## meancoyote (Jun 9, 2007)

I wish I had more.I would like to never have to turn away freinds and family.


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## Sonshine (Jul 27, 2007)

My concern is not having enough meds to take care of my family's needs.


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