Josie's Juice: Interview

Showing posts with label Interview. Show all posts

Sunday, 21 November 2021

PRAI Beauty: 'The Neck Authority' + Interview with Cathy Kangas

A new piece of research recently unveiled that 46 is when the neck starts to give away the age of a woman - according to 47% of 1000 British women aged 40-65yrs (ABC1).

If you're of a certain age, this stat will have you nodding in agreement. If you're in your 30s this stats will have no impact on you... yet.

As a woman still (just) in her 40s, I can vouch that a concerted skincare effort in the neck area reaps results... and moisturising the face but not extending it to the neck will most certainly lead to a smooth face (perhaps hidden by expert layers of foundation and contouring), but neglecting anything south of the chin will lead to a, well... craggy neck.

In the 'Neck Exposé' study conducted by PRAI Beauty, almost half of participants claimed their neck gives away their age, a third claimed their neck looked more aged than their face, yet only 3% were using a targeted neck cream.

A resounding 66% agreed that wearing a polo neck can make a woman look younger (case study available upon request from PRIA) – as claimed by best-selling author Nora Ephron in her book ‘I Feel Bad About My Neck’ - and a quarter of women admitted they too feel bad about their necks.

See the amusing excerpt here...

Other areas of concern when it comes to giving away your age are the hands (according to 66%), followed by the eyes and upper arms.

Cathy Kangas, CEO & Founder of PRAI Beauty - otherwise known as The Neck-xperts - says “What’s evident here is that neck ageing becomes a problem early on, in the ageing process, in your mid-forties – much younger than most of us realise! It’s the biggest giveaway, yet I’m shocked to see almost all women we spoke to didn’t look after it at all!”

Josie's Juice interviewed Cathy about all things PRAI, and asked her about her charitable side, too!

When you introduced the Ageless Throat & Decolletage Crème ten years ago, did you expect it to become such a cult product?

We always knew we were onto something when we launched our iconic Ageless Throat & Decolletage Crème, as the formulation works so well on the sensitive skin in that area. The testing and before and afters were proving this. However, we never quite envisaged it would end up selling one every 60 seconds worldwide and become a bestseller in every country! It makes me very proud.

Find the Ageless Throat & Decolletage Crème HERE.

How soon after did you introduce the Night Crème, and how do they differ?

We launched the Ageless Throat & Decolletage Night Crème in 2019. The formula is different from the day crème, as it contains two types of retinol that are great at helping to repair the skin on the neck and decolletage when you sleep. The duo provides the perfect neck care day and night.

Find the Night Crème HERE.

Explain how the serum complements the duo?

Our Ageless Throat & Decolletage Serum is hugely popular. It has a metal rollerball applicator, which is very cooling and easy to apply. We find the younger customers love this one too! Again, the formula speaks for itself when it comes to the before and afters. It contains Goldenrod Extract, Red Algae and Hematite Extract and is brilliant at boosting moisture and collagen and protecting the skin. I always recommend applying this first and then locking the moisture in with the crème, for the best results.

Find the serum HERE.

Necks and hands show the most ageing of all – was this catylst to kick of PRAI (and what does PRAI mean?)

Yes, I recognised there was a gap in the market for targeted skincare for women 40+. So often women put all of their energy into facial skincare and completely forget other areas of their body that give their age away, such as the neck and hands! These areas are so delicate and need specially formulated, gentle but powerful formulas – just like you would use an eye cream. All of our products contain amazing Prai oil from Thailand, which inspired our name!

Tell me more about why you started PRAI for Paws?

I am passionate about animal welfare. I sit on the board of the Humane Society in the US and work tirelessly to make the world a better place for animals. I set up PRAI for Paws, where every sale of PRAI helps fund our animal rescue efforts, it was a big reason behind launching the brand in the first place. For instance, we were able to run the Free the Shelters campaign which sponsors the adoption fees for thousands of rescue animals, helping to provide them with forever homes. Everyone in our head office has a rescue pet and we offer pawternity leave, it’s a huge part of our company! We don’t just write a cheque at the end of the year!

Tuesday, 14 July 2020

TiffsArt INTERVIEW: behind the Emilee Hembrow art

A few weeks ago, Australian mother and fashion business owner Emilee Hembrow shared her devastating news that her baby died in utero at 30 weeks.

She posted beautiful artwork and sorrowful words about her loss.

The artwork was created by Tiff Nelhams, a UK based artist use under the name of TiffsArt.

Josie’s Juice interviewed Tiff about her art and how she felt when she saw her art on Emilee’s page (see below).

How did you feel when you saw that Emilee had used your art for her sad news announcement?

Whenever I hear of a baby being born asleep, I feel heartbroken. But I have to look beyond that and focus on the parents and family involved. So, when I first saw my picture and the news there was a mixture of emotions. Firstly, extreme sadness that Emilee had to go through such a heartrending trauma. Secondly, pleased that my work helped her to announce the sad news. I wanted to reach out to her to offer my support, and ask to share my details so that others in her position could also contact me for my work to support them. Sometimes, people do not realise that ‘babies born asleep’ have parents who are grieving for life; this is why I offer a range of different items to enable each individual to choose what is right for them.

Have people reached out to you to ask you more about your art?

Yes, I have had some people reach out to me, and many have said how much my work means to them. Previous clients have also sent me pictures of my artwork on display, including one of my Angels artwork on a gravestone which was amazing. However, the media have taken my work and not given my details, which is very sad. This stops others knowing that I am here with support that can be personalised to them and their grief.

Tell me more about your own story of loss?

This was my step-sister’s loss; it shook all of us to the core. She lost her 22 month old daughter and I wanted to give her a memorial for her and her children to keep. That is how my first family drawing, with an Angel started. Her strength was and is phenomenal through the shock of such an unexpected loss.

How have you found you can express yourself through art?

My art has helped me. I struggle with severe depression and anxieties, which can stop me going out. Having my business and working closely with so many people throughout the world helps me deal with my day to day issues. It is a form of expression. My art is a form of communication to the world, helping, supporting and hopefully comforting others.

Can people from around the world buy your art?

Yes, I post worldwide and have done for many years now, I have a lot of regular international customers. Unfortunately, my online shop isn’t set up for international orders yet, so I take them directly via email or social media messages.

See TIFF’s details here:

www.tiffsart.co.uk

www.tiffsart.co.uk/shop

www.instagram.com/TiffsArt

www.facebook/TiffsDrawings

View this post on Instagram

In the name of god, the most merciful the most compassionate. Truly to god we belong and truly to him we shall return. God doesn’t give a person a burden which they can’t not handle in this life. There is really no test harder that a person can face, than a loss of their child. The bond that is created between the mother and her child, through pregnancy forms the strongest of bonds. God loves those who are patient through hardship. This world is short, and we believe our angel Jamal Reign Ada is waiting at the gates of paradise for mum and dad with open arms. Rest In Peace our little angel🤍

A post shared by E M I L E E H E M B R O W (@emileehembrow) on Jun 21, 2020 at 12:58am PDT

Thursday, 29 March 2018

Justin Fischer: 'Married At First Sight' INTERVIEW: "It's not even close to my character."

Justin Fischer from 'Married At First Sight' Australia 2018 season spoke to Josie's Juice this morning and boy did it get interesting.

The conversation was an easy one, with Justin very clear about who he is, and how he was portrayed on the show, and the fact it was not aligned with his actual character.

And before you say, well, that's what they all say at the end of a reality TV show if they're not viewed favourably, Justin has some pretty solid words and stories to back himself up.

'Married At First Sight' finished filming in November last year, and the people on the show all then regrouped in January this year for two days of filming for the reunion shows.

So, how has he felt seeing it all unfold on TV, watching it as we are watching it?

"I could barely watch it, Josie, the way they portrayed me was absolutely disgusting," said Justin.

"It's not even close to my character," he added. "Luckily most of my clients are international clients."

"I export (soft serve ice cream) machines out of my head office which is Guangzhou in China. We manufacture and export around 2000 machines a month worldwide, and Australia is a very small part of that," he said.

"Thankfully for that my clients are business loaners and knew the show was fabricated or not a very accurate representation of me," Justin tells Josie's Juice.

What made Justin go on the show to start with, I ask him, as I hear him speak so eloquently about himself and his life.

"My cousin Trevor from Sydney was a huge fan of season four, and he called me up, we caught for a beer and he said, "You're 41 and you're still single, all you do is travel the world for work and you'll wake up one day at 50 and still be by yourself."

He said, "I think this is a good idea and you should go for it."

"I thought yeah... what can I say to that, Josie, he's pretty spot on there. All I do is work and travel the world and I'm on a plane every week, and when I'm not on a plane I'm spending time with my daughters," says Justin, who is dad to a nine year old and a two year old.

"I don't have time to be dating people and all that muck around so I thought, just getting straight to the point and getting married is perfect," he adds. "And then you get to know the person after that."

So, when did Justin realise during casting that he was in with a chance, and what did he think appealed to the producers about him?

"I can't answer that, Josie, it's been on my mind since we finished film the show," he says honestly.

"With Carly, we had so much really good footage, and they didn't show any of it whatsoever. They showed five percent of the not so good times and just made me look really weird and made me look like an incompetent mute. I'm a salesperson so I never shut up, during the show and in life, I'll talk your ear off for the next three hours straight if you let me," says Justin matter of factly.

"But the way they portrayed me is like I'm mute, or something, on the show.

"Sometimes we're filming for 15 or 16 hours straight, you get picked up at 11 o'clock in the morning but during that period you're not talking your head off, there will be moments or two where you will be looking out the window or relaxing and those are the moments they showed of me. They'd show someone talking to me and then they'd just show me staring out the window.

"It's not fair, it's disgusting," adds Justin.

"The biggest stitch ups I had were, one, they said, let's take Carly into your office. I said, 'My head office is in Guangzhou'. I have 500 staff in Guangzhou, where we build soft serve machines and export them around the world.

"They said, 'We can't go to Guangzhou.'

"I said, 'I will pay for Carly's flights, I don't care'. And they said, 'No, we won't get approval for that.'

"They captured me saying "global headquarters in Guangzhou in China." They cut off the "Guangzhou in China" bit and had only the "global headquarters" bit and then they showed me taking Carly to a little operation in Sydney.

"All the Sydney office is, is a base where I have five girls doing the books for me, and they showed probably one tenth of the office in Sydney anyway, and none of the girls wanted to be on camera so all the girls waited downstairs, and they showed five empty desks and played the sounds of crickets, and used footage of me saying "global headquarters."

"Even when I went to Milan, I begged and pleaded the producers to take Carly with me.

"I was going to pay for Carly's flights, business or first class to come with me, and Carly was agreeing, she wanted to come, because she's in marketing and we thought it'd be great to have her on the stand in Milan, she would have helped and we'd have had some good footage for the show, and they blatantly refused to let her go then made it look like I was the arsehole businessman that took off and left her," add Justin.

"For the first couple of weeks, it was really bad on my mental health because I kept questioning, 'Why would they do that to me?'

"I was polite, I was courteous, I did everything they asked me to do, I followed all the rules, I wasn't going out on drug and alcohol binges getting home at 9 o'clock in the morning, I was spending my spare time at the beach with my kids on the weekends. I'm a genuine person, I was so polite and courteous to them, anything they asked me to do, I did. While the others are going rogue and they were made to look like superstars, and they barely showed me on the show.

"The joke Ryan (cast member on the show) says, and Ryan and I are really good mates, is about my nickname 'Where's Wally.' You've got to watch an episode and try and spot me in the episode," adds Justin.

Justin's company Brüllen has his Guangzhou base and they get all the parts for the machines from Europe, so all then components come from Germany, France, and Italy, and he imports them into Guangzhou, and they build the machines there and export them all over the world.

What led Justin to this path in business?

"This was also all in the footage they filmed, Josie, they talked me into going into my Sydney office, they said all of the couples are going into each other's places at work, saying it was part of the contract and part of the show."

"I said (to the producers) when we go there just film inside my boardroom, I have the girls there, and IP (intellectual property) material.

"When I got there, they were there an hour before me and had already started filming, and they filmed the empty desks, and when I got there I did a presentation for Carly to show my rags to riches story

"I have a 'Justin scrapbook', I want to write a book one day. (My journey) shows me when I was completely broke and moved to Sydney, and I was sharing a place with a bunch of backpackers. I couldn't afford a fridge so I had a polystyrene box a fruit shop gave to me and I'd get a bag of ice each day from the servo for two bucks and I put my milk there, and I started from there. I have never had a job, I have always worked for myself.

"I just get passionate about this stuff, how it all began, and even the camera guys were interested in my story... and Carly was almost in tears. What they (film crew) did was so cool, and then they cut the whole lot out. They could have made a really cool, way more interesting story out of Carly and I, but I don't know what they didn't do that," says Justin.

When you first set eyes on Carly what did you think?

"When I first set eyes on Carly I thought wow, she's gorgeous, she's not the type I would normally go for, but what I am doing is not working so I am going to trust I'm this experiment. They put us together for a reason."

Was it weird in the beginning, the whole doing things backwards thing?

"To be honest we clicked straight away as friends and by the time you meet the person at the altar you're anxious because you're not sure how it's going to go, so by the time I met Carly we were both experiencing the same emotions and feelings because up until that point you don't know how it;s all going to go you're doing all this footage on you own and whiny finally meet you've got that common bond immediately so we hit it off as friends pretty much from the fisrt right and felt comfortable immediately."

"Following on from that, the honeymoon week was the most accurate portrayal of me, and of Carly, and from that point they just assassinated my character throughout the show.

"That week was one of the best weeks of my life. There was no pressure from producers to be intimate. We have a similar lifestyle active sporty and all the things I like in a girl."

"Ninety percent of the boys’ night was just talking about sport and work," says Justin.

An anonymous source told Josie’s Juice that during the boys’ night, a producer walked into the room and said, 'Guys, what you are talking about... it's really boring. Can’t you add something interesting to this?'

I ask Justin about this, and he says: "So, they posed the question, 'If you could be with anyone else on the show, who else would you date?'

"And we all said who we would date, totally as a hypothetical game, and that’s what they aired.

"And I actually said three times during the experiment 'don't disrespect the girls', and one of the guys went off on a rant during the experiment, and I said, 'don’t disrespect them while they’re not here', and none of that was shown.

"Patrick was made out to be a hero, but during this hypothetical, he said he'd choose Davina but they didn't show any of that. Telv I think picked Carly or Davina. John picked Carly. Someone else picked Ash. But they only showed Dean and I and our responses."

For the record, Justin has confirmed he has been on three dates with Ashley, so far.

"Neither Ash or I have acknowledged that story. We've been on a few dates and it's going well so far. We will see where it goes..." he says, without giving a definitive answer.

What does Justin think about Dean and Davina?

“I think both Dean and Davina studied last season. I don’t think they were represented in the way they really are."

"As my marketing person says, ’It’s not why people remember you it’s the fact they remember you.’

“In two years people won't remember me, but they won’t forget Dean or Davina.'

Justin also has a business called Cafequip which fix hospitality equipment, as well as Ruggito Coffee.

"But, I am Brüllen. That's what I am concentrating on now."

That and his young daughters and... well, dating Ashley for now too. We wish you the very best Justin!

Monday, 29 June 2015

Grill’d: Lola Berry Interview + Nourish & Flourish Burger + Reader Giveaway

Tonight is the Grill'd launch in Sydney, and if you are a Grill'd fan you will be thrilled to know there is an all new range to add to the existing menu you know and love.

UPDATE: we tried the new burgers (and the chips: sweet potato, zucchini, and potato) and they are everything. Check out my Instagram @josiegags for pics!

Known for their real food philosophy, Grill’d has made healthy even healthier with the launch of the Nourish & Flourish Burger. Whether you’re paleo, sensitive to gluten, on a low carb and sugar diet, or simply health conscious, you can now give yourself permission to eat the ‘Nourish & Flourish’. The burger launches in Grill'd restaurants on June 30. Here is a sneak peek. (Try not to salivate):

Thanks to the Grill’d real food philosophy, burgers are no longer seen as a once-in-a-while treat. As consumers become increasingly savvy about what they eat, and more and more food trends emerge, the ‘Nourish & Flourish’ is a dream addition to the menu. Served up on a Low Carb SuperBun – the bun that excited people on low carb and no sugar diets after it launched late last year – the ‘Nourish & Flourish’ boasts ingredients that do your body good.

Made with a grilled 100% grass-fed lean beef pattie, avocado, Dijon mustard, dill pickle, shredded carrot, cos lettuce, tomato, and egg mayo, the ‘Nourish & Flourish’ has been created by Lola Berry, nutritionist and author of 'The Happy Cookbook', who has teamed up with Grill’d as a move to cater to those who want to give themselves permission to eat a burger. There is an excellent interview, seen for the first time on Josie's Juice below with Lola Berry. Scroll down for more.

Founder Simon Crowe is excited that his passion for ‘burgers done good’ drives Grill’d to continually cater to Australians with different diets, tastes and lifestyles.

“The Grill’d food philosophy is all about eating real food, selecting our ingredients from the paddock and presenting it on the plate. We wanted to create a unique burger that not only satisfied the emerging low carb, low sugar and paleo movements, but one that anybody can enjoy, guilt-free”, said Simon.

Lola Berry added, “I love a good burger, and I wanted to give myself permission to eat one, so I teamed up with Grill’d to create a burger you could eat and feel like you’ve done good for your body. The Nourish & Flourish Burger is a very clean and nourishing meal that contains ingredients from local producers. The pattie is 100% grass fed, so you know you’re eating the best lean protein available. You’ll be getting your essential, good fats from the avocado, your veggie intake will be topped up with fresh salad ingredients, and finally you’ll get a little, tangy kick from the Dijon mustard.”

“To literally top it off, the burger is served on the Low Carb SuperBun, which is a healthy, gluten free, grain free, dairy free, low-carb combination of free range eggs, almond meal, coconut cream, honey, tapioca flour, and psyllium husk. The Low Carb SuperBun has become a hit for not only being sugar free but also for boasting only 9 grams of carbs per bun which is less than a sushi roll.”

Grill’d will also introduce Lola’s SuperPower Salad to the menu – a meal option that is light and bursting with antioxidants and plant nutrients. It contains grilled chicken breast, avocado, cos lettuce, carrot, Spanish onion, beetroot, cherry tomatoes, almonds, mint and is dressed in extra virgin olive oil.

The Nourish & Flourish Burger and SuperPower salad roll-out in Grill’d stores nationally from Tuesday, June 30. Log onto www.grilld.com.au for a full list of stores.

More about Grill’d:

Grill’d was established by founder Simon Crowe in Hawthorn, Melbourne in 2004, to challenge the notion that burgers are low in nutritional value. 10 years on, Grill’d is still making burgers the old-fashioned way with a zealous focus on nutrition and health. Grill’d is 100 per cent Australian owned, born and bred with all restaurants committed to using only the finest, freshest, locally sourced ingredients, employing the friendliest staff and offering the most delicious, healthy burgers. Grill’d prides itself on giving back and working with each and every local community it calls home through its Local Matters program.

Lola Berry

Nutritionist and author of The Happy Cookbook and Grill’d ambassador

You are well-known for your wonderful, inspiring cookbooks The 20/20 Diet and the recently released, The Happy Cookbook. What is your food philosophy?

For me, food is here for two reasons: 1) To nourish and 2) To share with those you love.

Our bodies absolutely thrive off nutrient dense real food such as farm-grown fruit, veggies, and responsibly grown cuts of meat.

Simplifying the food you eat, know where it comes from, and source it locally. Then, you’re doing good for your body.

What do you feel illustrates the best in Australian food?

Hands down, it’s real food in its pre-natural state that we are blessed to have an abundance of in Australia. In other words, food that’s straight from the paddock to plate. Also, food with as little human interaction as possible as far as mucking around with it. As a nation, we have access to that.

Many Australians are ‘time poor’. What are your top tips for people in this situation?

If you’re time poor, as many of us are, you need to make smart choices whether you eat in or eat out. Making a choice where the food you eat is clean, real and honest. That means things such as trusting the company you buy your food from, making sure it’s locally sourced, and making sure the ingredients are ethical.

If you’re into fitness, eating food when you’re not sure of its source could be as simple as undoing all the good work you’ve been doing to stay fit. A little bit of effort and research goes a long way.

You have recently created two meals for burger restaurant, Grill’d. Tell me about the Nourish & Flourish Burger and your Super Power Salad. They sound amazing! What was your inspiration behind both creations, and what will make people want to run out and give them a go?

The Nourish & Flourish Burger is a very clean and nourishing meal. All the ingredients have been sourced from local farms. The ingredients are clean and simple, but together they taste amazing. It contains avocado, awesome 100% grass-fed beef, tomato, cos lettuce, herb mayonnaise, and a bit of mustard to give it a kick.

The Nourish & Flourish Burger is served on the Grill’d Low Carb Super Bun. The Low Carb Super Bun is gluten free, dairy-free, and grain-free and contains less than 9 grams of carbohydrates – less than a sushi roll! I love it because it caters to all sorts of food tribes - gluten free, paleo, diary-free and sugar-free. And, it tastes amazing.

I love burgers, and I wanted to give myself permission to eat one, so I created a burger you could eat and feel like you’ve done good for your body. The Nourish & Flourish Burger is a truly, healthy, nutrient-dense burger! And, I love Grill’d because they share the same ethos as I which is to eat real food, sourced from local farms. I am excited to have created these menu items for them J

And, the Super Power Salad?

The Super Power Salad is a super clean salad full of lots of different colours, meaning that that you’re getting a broad spectrum of antioxidants and plant nutrients. Antioxidants are important to everyone’s daily diet as they prevent free radical damage in the body.

The salad is light but will keep you going with protein from the chicken and the almonds, and the avocado and Extra virgin Olive oil provide good fats so you can have glowing skin and good hair health.

And what about the recent, growing trend that sugar is a no-no? How do you feel about sugar?

It’s just about eating real food, and refined white sugar doesn’t fall under that category. It causes loads of inflammation in the body. It’s pretty addictive stuff, so if you have a sweet tooth like me, then try going back to basics and eating natural sources of sugar like honey, maple syrup, coconut sugar, rice malt syrup, and fruit… but I think anything sweet is best consumed in moderation. At the moment, I’m loving monk fruit (also called Luo Han Guo) as well as Stevia as neither has an impact on blood sugar levels and still satisfy a sweet tooth.

The Grill’d Nourish & Flourish burger contains zero refined sugar; a total win for those who love their burgers but are cutting down on sugar, and carbs for that matter.

So, the paleo and gluten-free philosophy aren’t just trends or fads?

I think it’s becoming a way of life for people as a lot of people react to gluten with either gluten sensitivities or full-blown allergies to it. The paleo diet is really all about going back to caveman days and really getting back to basics, so eliminating grains, dairy and refined sugars which simply didn’t exist back then.

I love to embrace a paleolithic-inspired lifestyle, as I feel it works for me and is a healthy way to live. I also value the principles based on eating mindfully by enjoying the whole process of making and enjoying food and taking a moment to sit and be present whilst we eat.

At the end of the day, there are so many ‘diets’ that it’s about finding the right fit for you.

So, is it good news for Australians then? Are people waking up to the fact that it’s crucial to examine what we put in our bodies?

Absolutely. I think that we are getting more and more empowered to make the right health choices so we don’t feel so lost. It’s about finding the healthiest version for yourself.

I think that Grill’d is empowering and inspiring Australians to make healthy choices and also giving the consumer voting power to support the local economy, lower growers and local producers.

What are your top tips to readers for accessing real food on a day-to-day basis?

You can purchase the best produce from farmer markets, some health food stores and even in super markets. My biggest tip would be to make sure that you buy food that is as close to its natural state as possible. And, if you're really keen, why not try growing your own? If you don't have space try growing herbs in a window-box. It's about being re-empowered to enjoy real food that nourishes our body, mind and souls.

And here is what you need to do to win one of four doubles of $15 each (so $30 Grill'd meal vouchers) to eat at any of the Grill'd restaurants (total prize value: $120).

- 'Like' the Josie's Juice Facebook page

- Follow me on Instagram and Twitter if you are on the social media platforms. Also, share the 'Grill'd' prize photo on @josiegags on Instagram by taking a screenshot of it, then using these hashtags: #regram #josiesjuice #competitions #giveaways #prizes #Grilld

- Share this link on your Facebook wall

- Comment below on why you'd like to win this prize (although it's on sale now on both formats, only the DVD version - with ALL the extras above - on offer here) AND email me at josiegags@optusnet.com.au so I can contact you in case you are a winner. In the email, please provide your address (so many people forget these steps and don't enter a valid email address below, and I spend lots of time trying to track you down, or simply give the prize to the next person - not fun for anyone!)

(If you find it hard to comment below because your device won't let you - sometimes that happens on an iPhone, for example - simply send me your entry and mailing address via email at josiegags@optusnet.com.au).

*Competition is open to Australian residents only.

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