PERSIA WHITE TIES THE KNOT WITH FORMER 'GIRLFRIENDS' GUEST-STAR; EXPRESSES THANKS TO FANS.

Former Girlfriends star Persia White (Lynn Searcy) recently married her longtime boyfriend and 'verbal stylist' (poet/musician/actor) Saul Williams on February 29, 2008 which also happens to be his birthday. If his face looks familiar to you all it's because he also guest-starred on several episodes of Girlfriends as Sivad, Lynn's celibate boyfriend who she tried oh so hard to bed down. The couple, who each have a daughter (Persia's daughter, Mecca and Saul's daughter, Saturn--pictured below) from previous relationships spent their honeymoon in Morocco. Congratulations to the newlyweds. Persia revealed the news of their nuptials on her Myspace.com page:

"I danced inside the pages of my book alone for many years. I opened myself up many times to love but I was never filled. I didn't know how, or if I ever would find my other whole -not half-because I knew that what I was seeking had 2 centers and 3 moons. A place where Mecca cold run to Saturn and dance in swirls of light. I was searching for my ONE. The one I searched for was in my life. We had been "friends" for many years. A time to grow and love each other with out being lovers. I loved him before I knew him. my HUSBAND. February 29th 2008~ I married Saul Williams." Click here to read entire excerpt

Persia also sent a message expressing her thanks to all of those loyal, die-hard, true to the game fans of Girlfriends. Read what she had to say by clicking 'READ MORE AFTER THE JUMP!'
"As some of you know, after 8 years Girlfriends has come to an end..... :( I will miss my Girlfriends family and all the crazy fun that went with being Lynn. Most of all I will miss YOU, the fans. You have been with me through the years and I am forever thankful, because without you a girl like me would not have a home on prime time TV. thank YOU, thank you, AND THANK YOU!!!! As with all change, I look for the good and anticipate the beauty of what is to come."

READ MORE AFTER THE JUMP!

CAST OF 'GIRLFRIENDS' TO FILE JOINT LAWSUIT AGAINST THE CW FOR UNPAID WORK.

I told myself I wouldn't post anymore bad news pertaining to the demise of Girlfriends, because just the thought of it makes my head, chest, stomach and feet ache! But reading the following article last week took my level of pisstification to new heights and made me hotter than two fat people sexing each other under a leather blanket during a hot and humid day in southern Mississippi in the middle of August! Yes, I was that mad!

Fans, like myself, of The CW's once top-rated show, Girlfriends, who thought they'd be given a glimmer of hope at seeing the cast (maybe even 'Toni Childs Garrett' a.k.a. Jill Marie Jones) together on-screen for one last time may not want to set their DVRs just yet...or perhaps never. According to AOL Blackvoices columnist Jawn Murray (Black Buzz), The CW made the cast members an offer to return for a "retrospective" episode that would feature recaps of the previous shows and cast members reflecting on those shows. The CW apparently only offered to pay the actors half of their episodic salary to shoot the makeshift finale, thus the stars collectively opted not to participate. Murray says he was told by several people close to the show that network also refused to honor the contracts of the principal cast members and does not intend to pay the actors for the nine episodes that will not be taped. Now the show stars have hired a litigator who will file a joint lawsuit on behalf of the talent, suing the network for the money they are due. An anonymous source revealed to Murray that the network upper-up told the actors "'Sue us!' After using this show to help build its name, The CW has turned their back on them and disrespected them in the most horrible way," says the source. A rep for The CW was unaware of a pending lawsuit or the latest developments with the show's finale. "To the best of our knowledge no lawsuits have been filed. Nor is there any new word on finale special," said show publicist Paul McGuire via e-mail.

Devoted and longtime fans of the show, again, such as myself, have come together to speak their piece on the abrupt cancellation of the show as well as the issue of the taping of the retrospective episode, by filing a petition to the network's brass.

AFTER THE JUMP, READ ALL ABOUT THE PETITION & WHERE YOU CAN SIGN IT.

After 8 successful seasons on UPN and now The CW, the network has abruptly decided to cancel Girlfriends leaving all the storylines hanging in the balance, and without letting it have a proper series finale. It has been a positive show that has touched the African-American community. We all know that everything will come to end, but we ask that the CW gives us closure by having a proper series finale. So sign the petition and hopefully the CW will see that the fans do care. Here is the info also to contact the network executives listed below:

President of Entertainment – CW Network
Dawn Ostroff
818-977-2525
Dawn.Ostroff@cwtv.com

President of CBS Paramount Network TV
Nancy Tellem
323-575-2380
nancy.tellem@tvc.cbs.com

SIGN THE PETITION HERE.

READ MORE AFTER THE JUMP!

WILL THE CW CANCEL 'THE GAME' AS WELL? NEW EPISODES TO BEGIN AIRING MARCH 23, 2008.

Citing Chris Rock's character's most memorable line in the movie Boomerang: 'First the Fat Boys break up, and now this.' I swear on everything I know, the CW is most definitely trying to make me have a coronary conniption. First, they abruptly cancel Girlfriends without giving the cast a proper send-off, now they've gone and announced their fall 2009 line-up and guess what? There's no mention of whether or not The Game, which is a spin-off of Girlfriends, will ever return. I mean, really! It's bad enough we don't have any drama series with a predominately black cast on any major television network (the last one I remember was City of Angels with Vivica A. Fox--before she was replaced with Gabrielle Union, Blair Underwood, Hill Harper, Niecy Nash and Maya Rudolph) and now they want to take this away from us too?!!

Of course Tyra Banks' America's Next Top Model, which happens to be the CW's most popular series will return with its 11th and 12th Cycles. Also, Chris Rock's Everybody Hates Chris will live to see another season this fall, along with Gossip Girl, One Tree Hill, Smallville and Supernatural. Looking on the bright side of things, just because The Game hasn't been green-lighted to return for a third season, doesn't mean it's gone for good. Maybe the upper-ups are still trying to figure out what time slot to place it in...although you'd think they'd place behind Everybody's Hates Chris since The Game is network's only other predominately black-cast sitcom.

On another note, a very good note I might add, The Chicago-Tribune is reporting new episodes of The Game will begin airing Sunday, March 23rd at 9:00 p.m. with re-runs of Girlfriends to follow at 9:30 p.m. Is that the business or what?! And it's about time. They've been gone so long, I can't remember if I'm on Team Derwin or Team Melanie!
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READ MORE AFTER THE JUMP!

THE CW OFFICIALLY CANCELS 'GIRLFRIENDS' BUT WILL GIVE SHOW A 'PROPER SENDOFF.'

Fans who wanted to see the return of favorite, Toni Childs Garrett (played by actress Jill Marie Jones) will never get that chance. Yes, it saddens me too. After opting to cancel its long-running sitcom Girlfriends and scrapping production on the remaining 9 shows of its scheduled 22 this year, the CW brass and Girlfriends creator Mara Brock Akil are reportedly considering giving the show "a proper sendoff" by airing a special Girlfriends retrospective episode paying tribute to the show's history. Last Monday night's two new episodes marked the end of the road for Girlfriends. Hours earlier, the CW told writers that the show would not return for a ninth season. Girlfriends star Tracee Ellis Ross also made her directorial debut on the 9:30 p.m. episode, which ended up being the series swan song. Girlfriends has quietly made a mark as the longest-running live-action comedy currently on network TV.

"Although it's always difficult to say goodbye, I choose to focus my energy on the history that Girlfriends has made, the human stories that we told, the beautifully complex images that we projected and the blessings 172 episodes bestowed on us, both personally and professionally," Girlfriends' creator and executive producer, Akil, said in a statement Thursday. "I am immensely thankful to the amazingly talented cast, writers, directors, staff and crew for their endless dedication and hard work for eight seasons, to the network that always wanted us and the studio that always supported us," said Akil. "But mostly to the audience, especially African-American women, who took the time to tune into us every Monday night at nine to have a dialogue with us and who have been our partner in this journey."

AFTER THE JUMP, READ THE FATE OF THE CW'S OTHER TWO TOP BLACK SITCOMS, 'EVERYBODY HATES CHRIS' AND 'THE GAME.'

As for the fate of the CW's other top black comedies, Everybody Hates Chris has wrapped production of a 22-episode season before the writer's strike kicked in. And the network is looking to crank out eight or nine more episodes of The Game.

READ MORE AFTER THE JUMP!

JILL MARIE JONES ON THE REAL REASON SHE LEFT 'GIRLFRIENDS', HER RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE CAST & IF SHE'LL RETURN.

After nearly two years, former Girlfriends star, Jill Marie Jones is finally clearing up some of the rumors regarding her sudden departure as Toni Childs Garrett on the number one Africa-American show. And what she says just may surprise you. I know it surprised the hell out of me. Jones spoke exclusively and candidly to Essence.com and dished revealed the real reason she decided to leave the show, her relationships today with her former co-stars and Girlfriends creator, Mara Brock Akil, and the snide and jive-ass comments Tracee Ellis Ross' made in an magazine article after Jones left the show. The Dallas Darling also lets us in on what she's doing now and IF she plans on returning to Girlfriends in the near future...which I hope she does, because Lord knows they need her desperately right about now. But then again, seeing as how this is the show's last season...and with the writers on strike, unfortunately, we may never see Toni Childs Garrett grace the small scene again.

Essence.com: And let me tell you, Toni Childs is sorely missed.
Jill Marie Jones: It was so much fun playing Toni Childs. I don�t walk that walk in my daily life. I like to think that I'm a pretty nice person, but to be able to play the diva and say some of the things those types of characters say was a lot of fun.

Essence.com: Do you miss being a part of Girlfriends?
J.M.J: I do miss Girlfriends. I don't know if people know this, but Girlfriends was only my third audition. I booked my first audition for City Guys, a Saturday morning show. My second audition I didn't book and then Girlfriends was my third, so you have to understand that I still very green to this industry and there was the whole film world that I didn't know. So when I left Girlfriends after six years, there was just so much I wanted to know and do. I've just been having a ball having opportunities to do movies. It's just been great.

Essence.com: Nothing wrong with spreading your wings, which brings me to your departure from Girlfriends. Tracee Ellis Ross said in an interview that the reason you didn't return was because the cast did not receive the huge raise they were expecting. Is that true?

BLOGGER'S NOTE: Tracee actually told Vibe Vixen magazine (Fall 2006 issue): "In order for the show to come back, the cast was not going to get the huge raises we dreamed of. So when the calls went out about the new contracts, Jill gave a quick 'no.' It was her decision. Clearly, we all wanted to come back to Girlfriends as we know it. However, like anything, the show is bigger than one person. The show is called Girlfriends, not Jill and Friends." Bitter, Tracee?

CONTINUE READING MORE EXCERPTS FROM JILL'S INTERVIEW BY CLICKING 'READ MORE AFTER THE JUMP!' ON THE BOTTOM LEFT.

J.M.J: First of all, let me tell you why I left. I left because I wanted to do movies. My contract was up after my sixth season and people forget that just like the network can choose whether or not to renew your contract, I can also choose and evaluate whether or not I want to come back. My actor's chair that has Girlfriends and my name on it, you know the director's chair? Well, on the very last day of my sixth season, I told them to grab my chair and put it in my car for me. Then we had to negotiate a contract that doesn't happen until they decide that your show is going to be picked up. You end the show in like February and then they don't decide if they are going to pick you up because the upfronts until May. So why would I take my chair if I thought I was coming back? Believe you me, I would tell you. I've never made a decision based on money. I was on the show for six years and I think that's a good run. There's so much more I want to do in my career and so much more I want to know and learn, but my departure definitely had nothing to do with money.

Essence.com: So were you aware that this was the explanation given for your departure?
J.M.J: Someone sent that article to me a long time ago when it first came out, and you know, I love Tracee, I love Golden, I love Persia, I love Reggie. I really do feel like I was in the University of Girlfriends. I learned so much from them. I mean, where I started on Girlfriends and where I ended up is like night and day and that's because of the great cast I had to learn from. It's difficult when something has been set up for six years and then something changes. I didn't get upset about the comment. It's all good.

Essence.com: That's great to hear. I think most folks speculate that you all had beef because you never responded. But that's not the case is it?
J.M.J: Well, no one asked me a question. I don't believe in adding grease to fire. If I were doing an interview about something I'm working on and someone wanted to ask me something, I have no problem answering it. But for me to make a statement or a rebuttal, to me it's just silly.

Essence.com: Well, the second part of Tracee's quote expressed her sadness that after six years of working together you didn't share your decision to leave with the cast. Is that true?
J.M.J: I'll be completely honest: I just didn't really. I wish I had a better answer or could tell you that I even thought about it. Maybe it was a lapse of judgment, maybe I should have called� I didn't really think about it. When my call came in to say, "We're going to pick up Girlfriends for another season, does Jill want to come back?" My management and I were like, "Thank you, but no thank you." So maybe I should have made phone calls, but I didn't really think about it. When the cast first came back for their seventh season, I sent them all, individually, every single person of Girlfriends a big bouquet of flowers. I didn't leave Girlfriends because I was upset or wanted more money. It really wasn't that deep. It's so disappointing that because I wanted to dream bigger or experience something new, it received all this hoopla and drama around it. I really just wanted to do movies. It really was just that simple.

Essence.com: Do you still keep in touch with the cast?
J.M.J: I've talked to them individually at different times. I have so much love for all of them. But are we hanging out and having some wine and cheese on a Saturday night? No. Do I think of them as friends? Absolutely. In a way, I think of them as extended family, like cousins. I've talked to them individually throughout this, but I don't talk to them on a regular basis. I wish them all well and I still watch the show.

Essence.com: Would you ever return to the show?
J.M.J.: You know anything is possible; it just has to make sense in terms of the direction I'm going in my own career.

Essence.com: Thank you for setting the record straight because people always want to pit Black women against one another.
J.M.J.: Yeah we do that and it's disappointing, especially when it's Black women, and I don't like that. I just had lunch with Mara [Brock Akil, the show's creator]; we met for a coffee like a month and a half ago. When I say we're all good over here, we're good.

BLOGGER'S NOTE: Akil has also had to deal with the sudden departure of Jones, who played real estate agent Toni before deciding to exit the show following last season over reported contract issues. At the end of last season, Toni had a falling out with best friend Joan, played by Tracee Ellis Ross. Jones’s departure, and her refusal to come back for a farewell appearance, has forced Akil to get creative with the storylines. "I would love for her to come back, but Jill doesn't want to return,” says Akil. “I don't know 100% why she made this decision. She didn't tell me. All she said when we talked was that she felt it was time for her to move on. The door is not closed. We've asked her to come back and have offered different ways for her to return. But I completely wish her well. There's no drama involved."

Essence.com: Well how does it feel to be immortalized in Kanye West's song The Glory from his album Graduation when he says "House on the hill two doors from Tracee Ross and I'm asking about her girlfriends yea the dark skined one"?
J.M.J.: (Laughs) Really? That's really cool. I wasn't aware that he references me, I actually have that album and I'll have to listen to it again.

As for Jones movie career, she's been busy breathing life into new diverse characters on the big screen with the same fervor and diva-next-door appeal in three new flicks. In the straight-to-DVD indie dramedy Redrum, she plays a meek housewife turned blood-thirsty serial killer; in Major Movie Star she gets tough and dirty with Jessica Simpson as a single mom who joins the army for a promise of a better future; and in The Comeback she plays a school teacher who mentors a young female student who has joined the town's football team.

READ JILL'S FULL INTERVIEW BY CLICKING HERE

READ MORE AFTER THE JUMP!

NAACP IMAGE AWARD NOMINEES ANNOUNCED; 'GIRFRIENDS' SNAG 7 NODS; KANYE RECEIVES 3.

Actor Richard T. Jones, Entertainment Tonight host Kevin Frazier and Girlfriends creator Mara Brock Akil were on hand in Beverly Hills Tuesday to announce nominations for the 39th annual NAACP Image Awards, to be held next month. Awards will be handed out in 44 categories during a ceremony to be held Thursday, February, 14 and broadcast live on FOX from 8 to 10 p.m. ET. The NAACP Image Awards honors projects and individuals that promote diversity in the arts in television, recording, literature and motion pictures. The theme of this year’s show is “Stand Up and Be Counted.” During this crucial election year, the NAACP encourages everyone to be socially conscious and take a stand on critical human and civil rights issues. The NAACP also announced Tuesday that legendary musician Stevie Wonder will receive the group's prestigious Hall of Fame Award, which recognizes an individual who is a pioneer in his or her respective field and whose influence will shape the profession for generations to come.

The cast of The CW's Girlfriends earned an astounding 7 nominations in the television category this year: Reggie Hayes for Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series, Tracee Ellis Ross and Golden Brooks both received a nomination in the Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series category while Keesha Sharp earned a nomination in the Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series category. Akil's husband, Salim Akil earned a nod in the Directing in a Comedy Series category and writer Karen Gist picked up a nomination in the Writing in a Comedy Series category. And the entire cast pulled a nod in the Outstanding Comedy Series category.

CONTINUE READING THIS POST AFTER THE JUMP!

Actresses Tia Mowry and Wendy Raquel Robinson from Girlfriends spin-off show, The Game were also nominated in the Outstanding Actress (Mowry) and Outstanding Supporting Actress (Robinson) in a Comedy Series categories.

TO READ THE COMPLETE LIST OF NOMINEES, CLICK HERE

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'GIRLFRIENDS' CO-STAR KEESHA SHARP ON JILL MARIE JONES EXIT FROM THE SHOW.

Girlfriends castmember Keesha Sharp (who plays the role of 'Monica Dent') has given her two cents on Jill Marie Jones (who will forever own and brought life to the 'always keeping it real' Toni Childs Garrett character since the show made its debut in 1999) sudden and unexpected departure from the successful sitcom which is now in its eighth and final season. 'We all missed her. It's hard to come up with storylines when you're missing a main character.' However, Sharp still believes that Jill should've reached out and personally explained to her fans...as well as to the fans of the show as to why she made the choice to leave and never return. Because seriously, how many of you all were hoping and praying that Toni Childs would show up at Aaron's house when he threw Joan that surprise engagement party in which he brought back all of her closest friends in last season's finale back in May? I know I did!

Anywhoo, Keesha went on to say, 'One thing that was bad about it was that more conversation didn't happened. Jill just decided to move on, which I totally understand as an actor. But I just wish more people knew. Because then (viewers) were angry, thinking the network did something or that Monica was trying to replace Toni.' Jones walkout from the show before the start of the seventh season alleged stems from irreconcilable contract negotiations as well miscommunication a.k.a. 'he say/she say' bouts between she and the other three stars of the show, Tracee Ellis Ross, Golden Brooks and Persia White.

Keesha is elated now that the show has gotten over its most difficult obstacles since Jones left, and gives a handful of kudos to the writers of the show for implementing more realistic episodes regarding Toni and Joan's friendship ending on such a sour note.

One thing that can never be disputed is the fact that there's no actress in the industry or anywhere else who will ever have the chops to take over the role of Toni Childs Garrett.

AFTER THE JUMP, FIND OUT WHAT KEEPS KEESHA BUSY WHEN SHE ISN'T ON THE SET OF 'GIRLRIENDS' + PIC OF SHE AND HER HUBBY.

Here's a few tidbits you may not have known about Keesha: These days when she isn't on the set, you can usually find her spending time with her 2-year-old son, Solomon and her singer/songwriter husband of 10 years, Bradford Sharp. Also, before branching out into acting, the 34-year-old actress was also a singer. As a matter of fact, that's how she met her husband. 'He saw me onstage and we were both performers at the time,' Keesha said. However, it wasn't until after she graduated from The Boston Conservatory, that the actress stopped singing supposedly due to pressure from the folks who loved her voice so much. Sounds crazy, right? She says, 'People would be like, 'Oh, you've got to hear Keesha.' And you'd walk in the room and everybody's anticipating you. You could either rise to it or you could crumble and I started to crumble, to be honest. I started to feel like I couldn't be as good as everybody's expectations were already, so I eventually stopped singing.'

In the meantime, when she isn't acting, she stays heavily involved in the church. She has even entertained the idea of doing missionary work in foreign countries during the show's hiatus. Will she ever return to her singing roots? Who knows?

Until then, you can catch her portraying the role of Monica Dent on Girlfriends on The CW on Monday nights beginning at 9 p.m.

READ MORE AFTER THE JUMP!

NEW MAGAZINE SCANS: PERSIA WHITE IN URBAN INK MAGAZINE; DISHES ON 'GIRLFRIENDS', MUSIC & HER LOVE FOR TATTOOS.

Persia White is an activist, musician, and actress-best known for her role as Lynn Searcy on the #1 Black sitcom in America, Girlfriends. She's also done several independent film projects, including Red Letters and the cult horror, Blood Dolls. The multi-racial actress also works with at-risk youths, and supports animal activist groups, PETA and the Humane Society, but her true loves are music and tattoos.

PERSIA ON HER TATTOOS: I have two magnolias. They're an homage to the South and Billy Holiday's song Strange Fruit about the lynchings which occurred there--a reminder of how beauty can come from tragedy. The black bars mark change, like marks on a tree. The other is about a negative space; how we must embrace it. We must have the balance of yin and yang. My first tattoo is the cross on my back. I was in my 20s. I had it placed on my spine opposite a chakra point. It represents my life's journey; moving forward.

PERSIA ON HOW HER TATTOOS AFFECTED HER ACTING CAREER: I have lost work over my tattoos! However, I knew the risks of being inked, especially as a woman in Hollywood, and I was willing to live with them. At the same time, the writers for Girlfriends have worked my tattoos into the script. I play an edgy character, so it works. Every season the writers ask to see my new tattoos. They have also blurred the lines a bit between the real me and my character--she's a vegan and I'm a vegan. It's pretty cool! As a celebrity with tattoos, I'm promoting tattoos--like it or not. I have a responsibility to be a good role model.

PERSIA ON HOW HER PASSION FOR MUSIC COINCIDES WITH HER ACTING CAREER: Music is my first love! I was a little worried when I first started doing Girlfriends that it might be a problem, but it hasn't been a problem at all--actually they've let me write music for the show! I've also discovered the fans are not who I thought they were. I thought they would condemn me for not doing R&B or Hip Hop, but if you go to some of their MySpace pages, you'll find Beyonce, Jay-Z and my band XE03. People all over the world have XE03 listed as one of their favorite groups!

MORE PICS OF PERSIA WHITE IN URBAN INK MAGAZINE AFTER THE JUMP!

PERSIA ON THE IMPORTANCE OF HER TATS: People draw quick judgments about those with tattoos. Putting forth the art on my body--as an entertainer is risky. I think that's one reason I got inked; to identify myself. In this business you tire of people trying to make you something you are not. My art makes me more of an individual, having something symbolic to me is important.

PERSIA ON WHAT'S TO COME: Movies! I hope to do some movies soon. As for tattoos--a piece on my thigh; probably some Polynesian-tribal. I can't wait!

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PICS: A 'GIRLFRIEND' AND AN EX-'GIRLFRIEND' IN THE SAME PLACE.

Who would've ever thought we'd see 'Maya Wilkes' a.k.a. Golden Brooks and 'Toni Childs Garrett' a.k.a. Jill Marie Jones in the same venue? To say I miss seeing Jill's presence on Girlfriends would be an understatement. It's just not the same without her. Now, I know Mara Brock-Akil (the creator of Girlfriends) has said she'd love to have Jill back on the show as much as Jill's fans, but for some reason, I'm having a hard time believing her. TRY HARDER! I know Jill knows her fans miss seeing her on the show; therefore and thus and such, I'm totally convinced that there's something Brock-Akil and/or the other network upper-ups are doing...or better yet, not doing, that's keeping us 'Toni Childs Garrett' fans from her. Back in the day, I never missed an episode of what was once my favorite show on television. Today, although it's been recorded on my DVR, I still have yet to see the eighth season's premiere which aired 2 days ago. But I'll digress...at least for now.

Anywhoo, for those of you who don't know, Jones has completed two movie projects. One of which will be released this holiday season, aptly titled, The Perfect Holiday. The film stars Terrence Howard, Gabrielle Union, Morris Chestnut, Queen Latifah, Rachel True, Katt Williams and Faizon Love. The plot revolves around a young who girl turns to a department store Santa (Chestnut) in the hopes that he will help find a new husband for her divorced mother (Union). The film is scheduled to be released on December 12, 2007. Jones other role is in Major Movie Star starring Jessica Simpson and Vivica A. Fox.

Golden and Jill both attended the LA Confidential Pre-Emmy party last month. Check out the pics below.

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