James Cary and Barry Cooper are two English friends who live 4000 miles apart and enjoy theology, culture and the arts. Now they record themselves and call it a podcast. Thanks, internet. To get access to well over a hundred Cooper & Cary episodes, plus regular extended episodes and bonus content, subscribe to C&C Plus on Apple Podcasts. Or if you'd like all the above, plus video and access to an exclusive Discord server, become a Patron. Google "Cooper and Cary Patreon" or visit https://www ...
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It’s a podcast. But it’s also an audiobook. No prizes for guessing which book I’ll be reading from. That would be the Gospel According to a Sitcom Writer written and read by me, James Cary. I’m a sitcom writer for the BBC, with a hand in Miranda, Bluestone 42, Thanks A Lot, Milton Jones, Hut 33, My Hero, My Family, Citizen Khan. You get the idea. Half hour comedy is my bag. I’m a sitcom guy. But I’m also a Christian, an Anglican, a stand-up theologian and the author of The Sacred Art of Joki ...
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This is not episode 180. That's still to come. But that'll be the last one. After that, it'll be "So long, and thanks for all the fish." You can listen to back episodes if you join us on Patreon. Support the Show. Unlock extended ad-free episodes, advance access, a huge episode archive, and bonus content, by subscribing to Cooper & Cary+ on Apple P…
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#179 Writing, Rabbits and Mooses with Bazookas w/ SD Smith
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Cary has words with fellow writer, SD Smith (Green Ember) - and whaddayaknow? They complain about how hard it is to be a writer, even though they get to live in castles. In fact, it's mandatory. Anyway, the Green Ember series is huge. Find out why and how and what happened next. And check out SD Smith's wares at his website: https://sdsmith.com Sup…
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Cary has words with Dr Ted Turnau, academic, author and fanboy. What does it mean to be a fan, dress up and go to conventions? Is it a form of religion or a rival faith? And what happened with those guys who collected My Little Ponies? Is it high time we learned to Love Thy Nerd? https://lovethynerd.com And check out Oasis of the Imagination: https…
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#177 Psalms Psalms and More Psalms! w/ Christopher Ash
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Cary has words with Christopher. That would be the utterly delightful Christopher Ash, who has just written a massive four-volume work on the Psalms for Crossway that shows us Christ in the Psalms. You can find it here: https://www.crossway.org/books/the-psalms-hcj-5/ Support the Show. Unlock extended ad-free episodes, advance access, a huge episod…
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#176 Is the Book of Job funny? w/ Ellie Wiener
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Cary has words with Ellie Wiener, a young ancient linguist whose bluff was called and she found herself researching a PhD on the Book of Job. Cary wonders if the beginning is so tragic it teeters over into comedy. And when God speaks to Job, is He sarcastic? Ellie has some thoughts. Support the Show. Unlock extended ad-free episodes, advance access…
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#175 Why Politics is NOT downstream from Culture w/ Dr Graham Shearer
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Cary has words with Dr Graham Shearer about politics following his talk entitled: “Contemporary Politics and the Crisis of the Spiritual Sense”. Turns out politics is not downstream from culture, as Cary had often assumed. Who knew? Well, Dr Graham knew. He's a Lecturer in Theology at Union Theological College, Belfast, so I guess he would, right? …
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#174 The Rest is Baxter (with Rev Ash Carter)
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Cary and (Rev Ash) Carter have words about the life and times of an extraordinary man: Richard Baxter. He lived from 1615 until 1691, and went from preaching to Parliament on a day of repentance for executing the King - to being imprisoned for being a theological troublemaker. What can we learn from his life, ministry and truly voluminous writings,…
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Here's that link to get the final chapters. https://jamescary.samcart.com/products/audio-gospel-according-to-a-sitcom-writer Enjoy! You can buy The Gospel According to a Sitcom Writer: Why John’s Gospel is Much Funnier Than You Thought. In a Good Way (SPCK) on Amazon UK here. If you're in the UK, you can buy a signed copy direct from the author HER…
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#173 Turn Your Life Up To Eleven (With Elizabeth Oldfield)
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Cary has words with author, podcaster, failed atheist and former Director of Theos, Elizabeth Oldfield who looks at the seven deadly sins in her new book, Fully Alive: Tending to the Soul in Turbulent Times. Support the Show. Unlock extended ad-free episodes, advance access, a huge episode archive, and bonus content, by subscribing to Cooper & Cary…
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Hey! This is the final episode. I'm not keeping it the rest back for cynical reasons. Quite the reverse. This podcast isn't working. People aren't listening. No idea why. As I'm recording it, I'm actually thinking it's quite good and occasionally impressed with what my former self has written. But anyway, turns out people don't want short single-vo…
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Christians According to Sitcom Writers PART 2
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Some straight talking - okay, a bit of a rant - to screenwriters on how they could better represent Christians on TV. But don't we all feel better now? You can buy The Gospel According to a Sitcom Writer: Why John’s Gospel is Much Funnier Than You Thought. In a Good Way (SPCK) on Amazon UK here. If you're in the UK, you can buy a signed copy direct…
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#172 Practically Protestant (In Every Way) (With Rhys Laverty)
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What is Protestantism? And why are Protestants reluctant to use the term about themselves? Is it useful anymore? Rhys Laverty should know. He is Editor in Chief at Ad Fontes, Managing Editor at Davenant Press, and Director of Communications at the Davenant Institute. Find him and his work here: https://thenewalbion.substack.com/ Support the Show. U…
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If you see a Christian portrayed on TV, you probably won't be happy if you're a Christian. There are actually good reasons for that, which I explore in the first half of this chapter entitled Christians According to Sitcom Writers. You can buy The Gospel According to a Sitcom Writer: Why John’s Gospel is Much Funnier Than You Thought. In a Good Way…
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One of my favourite cameos in scripture is Rhoda. Allow me to explain why. You can buy The Gospel According to a Sitcom Writer: Why John’s Gospel is Much Funnier Than You Thought. In a Good Way (SPCK) on Amazon UK here. If you're in the UK, you can buy a signed copy direct from the author HERE. You can buy James's previous book The Sacred Art of Jo…
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#171 Drinking Your Culture Through a Straw (With Nate Morgan Locke)
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Cooper, Cary and Morgan Locke talk about The State of the Culture, art, entertainment, distraction, addiction and whether dopamine is all that. Plus some EXCITING new jingles... Referring to this article: https://www.honest-broker.com/p/the-state-of-the-culture-2024 And mentioning The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt https://amzn.to/44c7PIz Sup…
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You'll never look at this part of the Bible the same way again. Sorry about that. But I thought you might enjoy it. Don't forget to share the podcast. I'm not sure for how long it's going to be here and remain free! You can buy The Gospel According to a Sitcom Writer: Why John’s Gospel is Much Funnier Than You Thought. In a Good Way (SPCK) on Amazo…
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Still not a huge fan of Bunyan, although I admire him as a fellow brother and believer immensely! Honest! Anyway, hope you enjoy this. Don't worry. The joke's on me eventually. If you want to find out how, get the book: You can buy The Gospel According to a Sitcom Writer: Why John’s Gospel is Much Funnier Than You Thought. In a Good Way (SPCK) on A…
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#170 Questioning Faith (With Randy Newman)
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Cary has words with friend of the show, Randy Newman, author of Questioning Evangelism, Mere Evangelism and a new book about spiritual journey called, Questioning Faith. This is a conversation about how God uses us despite our terrible attempts at evangelism, and how non-believers are often stopped in their tracks by unexpected things. And it turns…
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The Parable of the Ten Virgins (or are they bridesmaids?)
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By James Cary
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EASTER SPECIAL John and Peter Racing to the Tomb LIVE
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Since this episode drops the day after Easter Sunday, we're going to deviate from the book and jump ahead a few chapters - and go to a live version of this bizarre bit of John's Gospel. And you can find it over on my YouTube Channel. You can buy The Gospel According to a Sitcom Writer: Why John’s Gospel is Much Funnier Than You Thought. In a Good W…
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REPLAY EASTER SPECIAL: #139 Did Jesus Descend Into Hell?
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From November 2022. Cooper and Cary have words about THAT line in the Apostles' Creed. What exactly was Jesus doing between his death and resurrection? https://journal.rts.edu/article/he-descended-into-hell/ Support the show Support the Show. Unlock extended ad-free episodes, advance access, a huge episode archive, and bonus content, by subscribing…
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The Truth Will Set You Free or something like that
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We're back with our friend Nathaneal seeing the funny side to those who say they've never been slaves of anyone. Yeah right. No high fives for Nathaneal again. You can buy The Gospel According to a Sitcom Writer: Why John’s Gospel is Much Funnier Than You Thought. In a Good Way (SPCK) on Amazon UK here. If you're in the UK, you can buy a signed cop…
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The Weirdest Moment in the Bible You've Not Really Thought About
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That bit at the end of Philip and the Ethiopian Eunuch is pretty weird. But we don't think about it much as it's tucked away at the end, not presented like teleportation is no biggie. Well, let's just dwell on that for a moment, shall we? You can buy The Gospel According to a Sitcom Writer: Why John’s Gospel is Much Funnier Than You Thought. In a G…
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In the book, this title is called Evangelistic Strategies, and concerns Christian preoccupation with post-it notes, straplines and street theatre. You can buy The Gospel According to a Sitcom Writer: Why John’s Gospel is Much Funnier Than You Thought. In a Good Way (SPCK) on Amazon UK here. If you're in the UK, you can buy a signed copy direct from…
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How German is the Lego of languages - and what happens when you check some of the quotation of the Old Testament in the New. And Peter has a redemptive trajectory with the rich young ruler. You can buy The Gospel According to a Sitcom Writer: Why John’s Gospel is Much Funnier Than You Thought. In a Good Way (SPCK) on Amazon UK here. If you're in th…
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In case you're wondering how someone like me didn't just end up an Anglican, but up to his neck in it, as a member of the General Synod and the Archbishops' Council. I explain, along with references to Father Ted, The Vicar of Dibley and Rev. Sitcom Geeks with Steven Moffat You can buy The Gospel According to a Sitcom Writer: Why John’s Gospel is M…
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Simon Peter Walks on Water (Tra-la-la-la-laaa-la-la-la-la)
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This is the one where Simon Peter walks on Water. In fact, I've just realised that in the intro I say that only one person has walked on water. It was two. Jesus. AND Simon Peter. But then it started to go south. I imagine what happened next. Let the ribbing begin. You can buy The Gospel According to a Sitcom Writer: Why John’s Gospel is Much Funni…
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We know what the Good Samaritan did but what did he think? What happens when he meets the prodigal son? You can buy The Gospel According to a Sitcom Writer: Why John’s Gospel is Much Funnier Than You Thought. In a Good Way (SPCK) on Amazon UK here. If you're in the UK, you can buy a signed copy direct from the author HERE. You can buy James's previ…
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James Cary explains why he seems to be the only Christian in the World who doesn't like Pilgrim's Progress. You can buy The Gospel According to a Sitcom Writer: Why John’s Gospel is Much Funnier Than You Thought. In a Good Way (SPCK) on Amazon UK here. If you're in the UK, you can buy a signed copy direct from the author HERE. You can buy James's p…
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When Jesus says I AM, everyone knew what it means: that Jesus is the great I AM who showed himself to Moses. James Cary writes and narrates. You can buy The Gospel According to a Sitcom Writer: Why John’s Gospel is Much Funnier Than You Thought. In a Good Way (SPCK) on Amazon UK here. If you're in the UK, you can buy a signed copy direct from the a…
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When Jesus is challenged in the Temple, he escalates is and it gets pretty big pretty quick. James Cary reads between the lines, writers between the lines and narrates. You can buy The Gospel According to a Sitcom Writer: Why John’s Gospel is Much Funnier Than You Thought. In a Good Way (SPCK) on Amazon UK here. If you're in the UK, you can buy a s…
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Jesus makes it look very easy. But making up parable is really hard. Peter has a go and it heads south very fast. James Cary imagines, writes and narrates. You can buy The Gospel According to a Sitcom Writer: Why John’s Gospel is Much Funnier Than You Thought. In a Good Way (SPCK) on Amazon UK here. If you're in the UK, you can buy a signed copy di…
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The Passive Aggressive Wedding Thank You Note
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Can you imagine the bad manners of writing up the wedding at Cana in John's gospel? Did they get permission? What happened next? You can buy The Gospel According to a Sitcom Writer: Why John’s Gospel is Much Funnier Than You Thought. In a Good Way (SPCK) on Amazon UK here. If you're in the UK, you can buy a signed copy direct from the author HERE. …
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Well, that was 2023. Join James and Barry as they choose their favourite episodes, dive into the C&C mailbag, and talk about their favourite books, films, tv, podcasts, and moments of 2023. Pull up a cocoa, recline by the glowing hearth, and - sure, go ahead - stoke the auld acquaintance, as we see out another year together. Support the Show. Unloc…
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The man who invented Christmas (besides Jesus), Charles Dickens, gets a nocturnal supernatural visit. James Cary imagines, explains and narrates. You can buy The Gospel According to a Sitcom Writer: Why John’s Gospel is Much Funnier Than You Thought. In a Good Way (SPCK) on Amazon UK here. If you're in the UK, you can buy a signed copy direct from …
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Nathaneal makes the first joke in John's gospel. What might have happened next? James Cary reads between the lines - and writes too... You can buy The Gospel According to a Sitcom Writer: Why John’s Gospel is Much Funnier Than You Thought. In a Good Way (SPCK) on Amazon UK here. If you're in the UK, you can buy a signed copy direct from the author …
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James and Barry have extended words about Unidentified Autonomous (or Anomalous, or Aerial) Phenomena - UAPs to their friends. Strange things are being seen in the skies, even by highly trained and highly sceptical USAF fighter pilots, there is video evidence which has been made publicly available, and these things are being discussed at the highes…
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Written and read by James Cary. The Ascension of Jesus is one of the weirdest moments in scripture. And the disciples would have found it so. They weren't expecting that! Find out what might have happened next. You can buy The Gospel According to a Sitcom Writer: Why John’s Gospel is Much Funnier Than You Thought. In a Good Way (SPCK) on Amazon UK …
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Written and narrated by James Cary. The text of this podcast can be found in The Gospel According to a Sitcom Writer: Why John’s Gospel is Much Funnier Than You Thought. In a Good Way (SPCK). You can buy The Gospel According to a Sitcom Writer: Why John’s Gospel is Much Funnier Than You Thought. In a Good Way (SPCK) on Amazon UK here. If you're in …
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#167 Land Of Revivals (With Jonathan Thomas)
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Cooper and Cary have words about spiritual revivals with Jonathan Thomas, writer and presenter of the documentary Welsh Awakenings. Jonathan is pastor of Cornerstone Church Abergavenny, and the presenter of All Things Considered on BBC Radio Wales. Watch the documentary trailer here: https://vimeo.com/ondemand/welshawakenings Jonathan's book, Inten…
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James and Barry have words about the TV juggernaut that is The Chosen. Lots of their friends love it. But James and Barry have... thoughts. Is The Chosen a 2CV - second commandment violation - and if not, is it still worth watching? Here's the Justin Peters Youtube Video Cary’s Water into Wine show Support the Show. Unlock extended ad-free episodes…
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Welcome to the podcast! You can buy The Gospel According to a Sitcom Writer: Why John’s Gospel is Much Funnier Than You Thought. In a Good Way (SPCK) on Amazon UK here. If you're in the UK, you can buy a signed copy direct from the author HERE. You can buy James's previous book The Sacred Art of Joking (SPCK) as an Audiobook Find out more about str…
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#165 Power And The Church (With Mark Stirling)
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Cooper and Cary have words about power and its abuse with Mark Stirling, former medical doctor and pastor. He's the author of Not So with You: Power and Leadership for the Church. Mark's book: Not So With You (Amazon UK) Not So With You (Amazon US) The spate of recent scandals of power abuse by leaders within the evangelical world suggests somethin…
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James and Barry have words about the shift from "being anxious" to "having anxiety". What does anxiety have to do with idols? What are the reasons behind the current "anxiety epidemic"? Is anxiety a condition that ought to be pathologised? Is looking back at historic "trauma" always a helpful way to improve mental health? And how does our new ident…
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#163 Should More Christians Write Novels? (With Thomas Umstattd)
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James and Barry have extended words with Thomas Umstattd (@ThomasUmstattd) about writing. In 2009, Thomas started AuthorTechTips.com, a website to help authors use the web to promote their books. In 2014, Thomas’s blog post Why Courtship is Fundamentally Flawed went viral and reached over a million people in just a few weeks. As a podcaster, he hos…
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James and Barry discuss the art of listening. What does the Bible have to say about it? And how does it relate to anger? Are we bad at listening because it's a selfless thing to do? After all, there's no "I" in "LISTENING" is there? Oh wait. Support the Show. Unlock extended ad-free episodes, advance access, a huge episode archive, and bonus conten…
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#161 Man Up Or Man Down? (With Matt Fuller)
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Cooper and Cary have words with Matt Fuller, pastor of Christ Church Mayfair in London - yup, the most expensive one on the British Monopoly board. Matt is the author of Reclaiming Masculinity: Seven Biblical Principles for Being the Man God Wants You to Be. (Cary has known Matt for 25 years and is fine with the fact that Matt did not dedicate this…
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Has the church become a battleground for personal preferences? Is the holy communion of believers threatened by our own biases and individualistic tendencies? Cooper & Cary have words about disagreements and disputes in the church, and how to handle them. In Philippians 4, Paul pleads with Euodia and Syntyche to "agree in the Lord". How do we do th…
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Cooper and Cary have words with Ros Clarke, author of the new book Human: Made and Remade in the Image of God. She writes, "If we want to understand what it means to be truly human, we need to listen to God rather than look inside ourselves”. Why do people prefer to look inside themselves, and what is better about listening to God instead? And how …
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James and Barry have words about what unbelievers really believe. Tara Isabella Burton has written a stimulating book called Strange Rites about people in the States who identify as "spiritual but not religious". She argues that America is not "secular" at all, but "spiritually self-focused". Does that explain why people currently seem so willing t…
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