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Here’s some Poetry from our Young Friend Cecilia, …and starting with a longish quote, (emphasis mine):
I wish I could make patriotism into a pill
And force all to take
In order to –
…overcome the urge to give or take bribe
…overcome the need in harvesting praises for no work done
…cut off strings of whom-you-know
…banish all forms of modeling corruption
…and partake in mending the heart…
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Do Read the full one: https://amoafowaa.com/2019/09/02/a-dream-to-cherish/
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[ Additions below ]
Let us Stop making the courts, – the #SupremeCourt included, into ‘gods.’ They are Mortals, As prone to the foibles of the Human Race as any other, which Includes Corruption.
From: http://www.satyahindi.com/india/india-should-have-been-declared-a-hindu-state-at-time-of-partition-says-judge-100549.html
I recall a fellow, a judge of the same name, who was ‘shunted’ to the NE for corruption. Same fellow?
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Additions:
The so called supreme court of India passing a judgement on the ‘Rafale’ deal is another case of judicial high handedness and underhandedness.
You may like to see: https://indianexpress.com/article/india/rafale-sc-verdict-validation-no-scope-for-probe-says-jaitley-5494025/
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I can only say: Curses.
PS: Below, You will find my response to Mr. Ankur Mithal, on ‘suitable punishments,’ interesting. 🙂
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Sample Image, from the Internet.
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Aadhaar, as it should be spelt in English, means the Base, the Basis.
In effect The Aadhaar Card stands for a Basic Identity Proof for the Citizen of India.
Carrying…
The Aadhaar Card Can and Should be a Foolproof Identity basis.
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If this were Properly Implemented, it can make Short work of Crooks.
They already have it used for Train Reservations, and Hotel Occupancy. Useful if You want to keep track of Crooks. …But, without doing the above mentioned two, this step is Hogwash. Being Penny wise and Pound foolish.
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Mega business understands this. And course, aren’t they the clever ones? In conjunction with the RTI, the Right to Information, the Citizen can know which minister (politics is business, after all) had how much before he took office, and how much later, et al.
And for this Mega business would like to squash this scheme. Through its itsy bitsy mouth pieces, of course.
Whichever good and brave soul dreamed the Aadhaar card up, with whatever half understanding, seems to have garnered enough support to get this going.
But politicos, past masters at saying something and doing exactly the opposite, – and Not wanting the scheme implemented (remember, they are in danger of people knowing how many and which all colleges, not to say jewellery shops, they are running),
Say at one time that the Card in Mandatory for Everything, from the lowly Ration shops (supposed Fair price shops), buying of Cell phones and Sim cards, Bank accounts and what not.
And pesky little Fools, the Media in particular, – who knows, maybe the mouthpieces of the politicos and mega business, knowing little, in the true sense of the word, cry foul, saying their privacy is being invaded.
My Question is: What does the Average, Humble Citizen, got to Hide?
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In all this, the SC of India, the so called soopreem court, not the Scheduled Castes, is supposed to adjudicate.
I Really Wonder just how the courts think they know anything at all. Are they Philosophers? Experts in Any field?
All they carry out are the Wishes of the politicos. Direct ones are Well Hidden; Indirect wishes are given to the judges in the form of new laws. Just remember who makes the laws.
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Aadhaar Card as an End to Corruption can work Only When it is Implemented without Corruption.
Speaking of Corruption, I call the Delay in getting any kind of utterance from the courts, these taking one’s very life time, as the Highest Corruption.
Today, when You can’t trust the findings of a Post-Mortem, just How are We to believe that they would be handling Mega cash in the banks without taking bribes and cooking up reports?
I also hear that right when the scheme came up, Millions of settlers from other states, many of whose subjects are feared to be Terrorists today, got the cards, through Cash changing hands, or through Carelessness.
To wind up, The Aadhaar Card is a Fine Idea. It can even prevent a New-York-Tower kind of thing happening. …If done properly and without Corruption. …Politicos and Mega business would not want this for stated reasons.
I should have Added the names of Joodges among those who have unaccounted Wealth. They would be caught too!
And judges are the ones who have the Final say on all this. Real Embroglio.
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Was just watching the movie – Black Mass, over the TV. …It speaks about Murder, Drug Trafficking, and Mayhem in general, And as to how the govt agencies are Involved, and part of, this. …Did not surprise me at all. To cap it off, there was a Funeral, for one of the dead Drug barons, And there was a Grand Eucharist, with the Priest mouthing away Platitudes.
The World will start Changing the Day when* the Church Refuses Known Murders, Drug lords, Looters of the Poor and Rapists, All Sacraments except that of Reconciliation. (All spoken from the Catholic perspective, of course).
I confess that I do not know enough about the practices of other churches for me to speak. As for the catholic church, of which I am a part, well, it is one of the Most powerful and Most numerous, is it not? So let them start Acting.
They Do do it for those who are not married according to church laws, don’t they?!
[ *The World will change the day politicians, judges and officials will start acting Justly. But, for me, that seems to be Too much to hope for. 😦 ]
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[ This is Important. Directly, this post would Not apply to my Friends, unless You are a Mega-business person, politician, judge, lawyer or high ranking official, Haha! But I DO Request You to Re-blog this post to Your Utmost. ]
And the Essence of this post is that ‘Most’** mega-business persons, politicians, judges, lawyers and high officials are responsible for the woes of the world, due to their Greed. Addressing Christians and especially Catholics, this deprives them of the Brotherhood of Christianity, and,
(** Please note that I have said Most, Not All.)
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Now Continuing from my previous post in this vein of thought of We versus They, let Us consider about Ourselves now. We. What and How are WE?
Let us Not Forget that We are part of the Crowd that Mew, and Sit on Our Haunches.
Given that,
We have to Concede this, If We have the Honesty and the Courage.
Do We mean to say that there are No politicians, judges, lawyers – who had a big hand in the people losing their homes, it seems, – army and police officers, not to say officials of the administration (government) among Us?
Do We mean to say that Each and Every member of the above group among Us, is Corruption Free, and Working off the bones of Our fingers For the Benefit of the Common man and the Betterment of the World, taking On Opposition from ‘Them?’
Why not? Quite possible. It might be happening.
But IF We really believe in the axiom that People are Not Fools, that they Know what they are doing, which We reiterate come every Election time, Are We going to deny that the People Know the Real, the Good ones, the Exceptions, the Corruption-free ones, whom they Celebrate right when they are Alive, – hang all the False Charges against them, – like Arvind Kejriwal, S P Udayakumaran, and Collector Sagayam, ? (I shall have to write more about this last man, Collector Sagayam, another Lion of India. He is Worth writing on. The administration has transferred him countless times, which should be certificate enough.)
The three Greats, named above.
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At this point I have an interesting incident to relate. Just recently I had been to the DRC, one of India’s greatest (in terms of numbers) retreat centres, attending a retreat. During that I had taken time to meet one of the directors.
I said to him that it would be good if We could say that those who err seriously in ‘Caritas,’ – like those who are responsible for the Homeless, the Farmers committing suicides, those responsible through greed and negligence for the death of the 70+ children in UP of India who died just recently, etc, If they are Catholics, – Not to receive Communion without a Serious decision to change.
He said that We cannot categorise like that. But Jesus Did. Look at the way He castigated the pharisees and the sadduccees. And Paul did, in altogether too many times for me to give references here. They are there at the end of Each of his epistles.
The church today is too concerned about Income. If it talks tough, the high and mighty, who are the ones who are contributing to the coffers, after all, (Just look at the way the buildings in the DRC have grown!), these same high and mighty would stop attending church, which means the heftiest fall in income. Oh, the church knows which side the bread is buttered, all right. …It is not just at the DRC, of course.
Jesus had not been bothered about the Many who left Him…
“Because of this,*** many of Jesus’ followers turned back and would not go with Him any more. So He asked the twelve disciples, “And you — would you also like to leave?” John 6:66-67.
(***the way the Jesus spoke, the content of His message and the Words He used.)
All too often we have comfortably been concentrating on Peter’s reply to this question, which had been a Hypothetical one. The point is that Jesus was not ready to change His message. Those who were ready to receive it could, if they wanted it, or leave and keep walking. It is the very same all through the Bible.
I see that altogether in too many places ‘Smoking’ is held to be the greatest sin, next to Sins of the Sexual kind perhaps. So Ok, Rape, of any kind, and Abduction and Torture and all those are Nasty business indeed.
But Driving People onto the Streets, Being the Cause for their Hunger, which are occurring in Countless instances Need to be addressed with Vigour indeed. See Matthew 25:31-46.
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What Does the Bible say about these kinds of things?
This is what the Lord says through our Inimitable St. Paul:
“…A person who calls himself a Brother but is …GREEDY, or a THIEF, Don’t even sit down to Eat with such a person.” (1 Corinthians 5:11).
“Surely You know that the Wicked do not possess God’s Kingdom. Do not Fool Yourselves. People who are …GREEDY … will not possess God’s Kingdom. (1 Cor 6:9-10).
Notes:
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The Bible says:
Check out Psalm 39:11.
I have given a picture, a Still, from the movie The Exodus. Are we going to think that this is all a Story?
Let us consider our lives. If We stop to think, We will realize that,
Are Good Indicators of Happiness. How do our high and mighty fare in this?
Over and beyond that, Are You Sick? Is there Sickness in the Family? Why should it be there, in people eating All the best things? Do Your Children Love and Respect You? Does Your Wife respect You?
The Bible goes to the extent of saying:
“I will give their Wives to Other men.” (Jeremiah 8:10). I think Nothing can be Worse than this.
With regard to the Holy Eucharist, St. Paul says:
“If anyone eats The Lord’s Bread or Drinks from His Cup in a way that Dishonours Him, is Guilty of Sin against the Lord’s Body and Blood. …he brings Judgement on himself. …That is Why many of you are weak and ill, and several have DIED.” (1 Corinthians 11:27-30, passim).
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Amen.
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Some weeks ago, when I had been coming back from my famous ‘Break,’ – at a city called Erode, just when my bus was starting, noticed a healthy, hefty police man – dragging by her hair – a Girl who was a thin 15 year old, from the look of things. He was moving at a goodly pace, and she was Stumbling along, and also falling at his feet and begging him to let her go. But it fell on deaf ears, and he, reaching the police booth in the Bus stand premises, got in, and of the two more of his kind inside, one took off his slipper, and starting beating the Poor Girl liberally. I was able to observe all this because Buses have to take their time starting off, there being quite a lot of traffic inside the stands.
The Poor Girl was a Gypsy, and they get by by asking for Alms and performing minor Circuses. She could not have been a Drug Addict or a Drug Pusher. What crime could she have committed that warranted this kind of behaviour on the part of the policeman?
To Cap things off, I am Not ready to believe that they, the policemen, would not have Sexually abused the Girl.
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With all this, having been tired with a lot of travelling, and as that was the Most convenient bus in terms of connecting with the last leg of my journey, AND as getting down and Protesting/Arguing would most probably only have led to my own Arrest(!), – the Modern Police of India not hesitating to slap charges of Treason, and/or saying that one had been caught Burning the National Flag, and what not, – I had not got down to come the the Poor Child’s aid.
[ I do not have a photograph of that incident as I had left my ‘good’ phone at home. ]
Needless to say I was Seething, not only during that journey, but also for a long time afterwards.
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Are these Isolated incidents? Am I making too much of these things? Let us see.
Sand being transported by Rail, scene captured at the Salem railway junction, the name clearly visible on the railway name board at top right corner. Public photo from Facebook. …And there we were, protesting against Sand being transported by Lorries, en Road.
Those things looking like Granules, to the Right and above the word Google, are Lorries, standing and waiting their turn to carry off sand.
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In light of the infamous incidence of what has become as the Looting of Sand, so called even by Children now, and this looting being carried out by the Administration itself, there was a protest staged in our Town yesterday (12.08.17). Along with two other early arrivals, I was sitting in the shade of a bus stop, when the police, who had arrived in goodly force for this, came up to us and told us to leave.
Not this one, but one something like this. 🙂 Image from the Internet.
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In another of the ‘meetings’ with the RDO (Revenue, Divisional officer?), the senior policemen present had pointed his finger at one of the participants in a rude manner, addressed him, ‘Ei,’ something like: ‘You fellow,’ and Told him to sit down. At this the participants walked out. Then I heard one of the senior policemen saying, ‘We Shall keep mining the Sand; What are You going to do about it?’
At the same meeting, the Tehsildaar, (another revenue officer), pointed his finger at me, and, by the same finger, pointed to the Door, telling me to get out. My offence? I had clapped (along with many), at some of the points presented by the participants.
The RDO, the Tehsildaar, and PWD (Public Works dept) inspector, all fairly holding high office, were all mouthing the governments stand that this mining of sand would not affect Farming or the Water levels, which Everybody else contests. Here is a picture of the latest protest, held on 12.08.17.
Upon this they were ‘arrested,’ and, as usual in these cases, taken by police bus to a ‘marriage hall,’ (one people hire to felicitate the couple), in this case spacey enough to hold a largish number of people. And here they are.
They were release at about 6 PM, one hour later than they should have been, just as a reminder to them as to who the boss is.
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And using the Tricks of Raj Tantra, (politics, which is nothing but Tricks), they have seen that Indians, Tamilians in particular, have Enough Rice to eat, Enough to Drink, and Electrical supply, even though the administration buys current at higher rates and supplies it at lower ones. This keeps the Average Indian Well Satisfied, and he goes to Proudly Sitting on his Haunches.
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The government servants, and particularly the police, are behaving like ‘Dictators.’ …Formerly, the police wanted themselves to be known as The Friends of the People. But now I have decided to call them The Enforcers. ‘அடக்குநர்’ a word in Tamil, puts it better, meaning one who Puts down, Controls. Something like what the pharaoh’s force must have been doing to the Israelites prior to the Exodus.
This one does seem more than a bit exaggerated, going at the rate of one supervisor, (equipped with a whip, of course), to two slaves. But pictures from Ancient scrolls show that there were these kinds of supervisors, all equipped with canes, if not worse. In the one below, I count three of them. You? 🙂
George Orwell dared to call the police as Dogs, and policemen, at least in India, have not done anything to make People Change that opinion about them.
And of course We also have to remember that George Orwell, a Very Wise Man in my eyes, and one whom I appreciate Very much, also called the 1%, who are made up of Corporates, politicos and Army and government officials, as Pigs.
These are the They.
So what is Wrong in separating them as ‘They?’
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In my own Inimitable way (how Humble I am! Haha), I see that I have taken more than a 1,000 words just doing ‘Justice’ to ‘Them.’ To go to ‘Our’ part, please click here.
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A wonderful sharing from a Dear Friend, Indur K Chhugani.
See more at: <https://ikchhugani.wordpress.com/2015/08/05/terrorists-and-jawans-sail-in-the-same-boat/>
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Looks like some cheap, unsuccessful bodyguard. See the hand cuffs on him! Yet such Arrogance!
Here is the ‘report:’
‘Alleged (? Haha!) gangster Chhota Rajan had used fictitious identity with the help of a fake passport to escape the law as he was accused in several cases of heinous nature, involving murder, the CBI today told a special court.
The CBI was arguing on the issue of framing of charges in an alleged fake passport case against Rajan and three retired public servants — Jayashree Dattatray Rahate, Deepak Natvarlal Shah and Lalitha Lakshmanan.’
[ From: http://www.ndtv.com/india-news/cbi-says-chhota-rajan-used-fictitious-identity-with-help-of-fake-passport-1407595 … Comment mine. ]
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Names of ‘officials’ conveniently highlighted so that You can spit on them. …Such are Our politicos, judges, officials and police. Alas.
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When I was a Youth I too had been much worried about Comets and what not, my Dear Charles. To tell the Truth, had been worried about the Y2K bug too. But I had been a Babe as far as computers were concerned, and so had been extremely worried about mine.
As You say, much of our Fears is due to lack of Scientific knowledge, and also, there are very few scientists, and lesser one who are not for sale! Also, Very true about those who stand up for causes while lining their pockets.
For all that, You have mentioned Climate Change many times without really seeming to take a Strong stand on that.
In my opinion, — I am No Scientist, just a Philosopher, — putting ‘Time Tables’ to calamities seems to be the problem.
As I have mentioned elsewhere, Many People in India, particularly in the cities, even in towns, are having to Buy their Drinking Water. I have heard of Water Rationing in California. California in the US! So Ok, if You say that is Not because of the Climate Change, …do Reasons need a Name and Category? Are we going to act Only If the name is correct? If low lying areas are getting flooded now, is it normal?
Water Scarcity, the Looting of Natural resources by the dirty elements in collusion with the politicos and the judges, Corruption, …Have to be Fought.
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Al Gore said that about man-made climate change. A lot of other people have said it, too. But it isn’t true. If the debate were over, then no one would be debating it anymore. There was a time when it was widely believed that there were canals on Mars and bathing was unhealthy, and just a few decades ago doctors said cigarettes were good for us. Those debates are over.
When you announce that the conversation has ended while someone is still disagreeing with you, it does nothing to lure them over to your side. In fact, it accomplishes the opposite. We don’t like to be told we’re wrong, but we really don’t like to be told that we aren’t intelligent enough to recognize the facts. Such an assertion causes us to dig in and cling more fiercely to our position.
That’s easy to do in a…
View original post 860 more words
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Change is Always happening. Growth or Decay, it is change. But We are talking about Positive Changes. And my contention is that the World will Change Positively Only When people like the pope, the cardinals and bishops stand up and Speak. We can of course add those like the Dalai lama, etc, to this list.
Take India. As I write this today, the 13th of March, 2015, it seems that a minister, one KM Mani, wanting to present the budget itself, is facing the Stiffest Opposition, and with good cause too, it seems. He is accused of Bribery. (firstpost.com/politics/bar-bribery-row-kerala-escalates-ldf-yuva-morcha-activists-surround-assembly-protest-2151315.html)
Photo, view of protest, from: www.thehindu.com …TV channels show greater crowds. Happy to note that Educated Youth are Protesting too.
Toon from: indiatoday.intoday.in
Now here is the interesting thing. Mani goes for ‘Mass’ regularly. Am sure he is a great contributor to the church coffers too.
Over this, I ask all Keralans, if they have heard, even once, In Specific Terms, these words: “People, especially those in High posts, like politicians, judges and other officials, IF they are Guilty of Harming the Common Man, Should Not Receive Communion.”
Next, let us take ‘Catholic’ countries like those in South America, and Mexico and Panama. Have You heard the pope raising his voice over the Abominable and Abysmal Violence there? A few Bishops have done that. But, as I said, a Few.
Image Courtesy: nevadastatepersonnelwatch.wordpress.com
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All the Above is Just the Prelude. Actually, The World will Change Only When a Thousand, or Ten Thousand, People will Ask, Tweet, Pester, if Necessary Surround people like the pope, the cardinals and bishops, and ask them:
“WHY ARE YOU SO FRIENDLY WITH ANIMALS LIKE THESE CORRUPT POLITICOS, JUDGES AND OTHER OFFICIALS?”
It’s No use asking Me What I am doing. The More than 480 posts in about 15 months, with my Mother on Her Dying Bed, show that I am doing All that I can. But My Efforts are what? Rather, What am I? I am Something as small, tiny and Puny as a Matchstick. Compared to me, the pope and the bishops are Giants, people with 10 Talents. Mine You can calculate at about 1.25! …It is They who can get things done. The Only thing is, We have to Make them do it. A bit Topsy -Turvy, maybe, but there it is!
ONLY WHEN a Hundred Thousand voices have reached them, will people like the pope and others get up from their Couches, their Comfort Zones, and Start Thinking of Answering Us, and to Speak Out.
And That will happen ONLY WHEN We Common Citizens, Wake Up, Think of Our Children and Grand children and Embolden Ourselves, and Set forth to Ask Them. Only Then will the World Change. Go Ahead and Do it. They have Cleverly fooled Us into thinking that We should Not question them. Christ questioned the Religious Leaders of His day. Paul questioned Peter! [Galatians 2:11,14]. So Let’s Get Up, and Go and Change the World.
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Was watching a programme called ‘Satyameva Jayate,’ (Truth Alone Wins), over the TV, hosted by Indian Cinema Star and Social Activist Aamir Khan. This is aired every Sunday at 11 AM IST, over the Star Plus channel. Worth Watching.
During that I heard that one ‘suresh kalmadi,’ a ‘minister’ of India, (read politico), had ‘spent’ Rs. 996 Crores (9960 million) in ‘renovating’ a stadium in Delhi for the Commonwealth Games, 2010. Whereas, a New Cricket stadium of comparable size and facilities costs just 120 Crores. One for the price of Eight!
Cartoon on kalmadi, with cwg mascot at left: favelissues.com
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So many new schemes get announced, like a Minimum of 100 days work for everybody, pensions for the handicapped and the old, etc. Corruption galore! These schemes reach about Half the populace (100% in the paper-work!), and even many of these recipients find that they are cheated of that after about 6 months or so. Pension sums reaching the post offices are put in the bank for short term deposits, and paid at about the end of the month, and behold, cash without much work!
I Regularly get to meet such Poor People. So what I write above is First hand account.
These poor People belong to all Religions. After Sunday Mass, You will find that people get together according to ‘Income groups’ for some chat, before going home. Most of the time the Well-to-do, even Christians, would not even Know of the Plight of the Poor, who might be working in their own houses as maids, etc. Is this Christian life?
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Anyway, According to the Latest News, Unconfirmed Reports say that Yesudas has gone Mad. People find his writings too Hard, too Hot, Whatnot.
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lovehappinessandpeace 