Off The Cuff with Danny LoPriore

Latest Episodes:

The Best of Off The Cuff (Part 2) Nov 30, 2022

Show notes

In the history of Off the Cuff, we’ve had some really remarkable people drop by to share their stories, experiences, and mental health journeys, all from a range of backgrounds and seasons of life.

As we tap into some of Off the Cuff’s best episodes, you’ll hear snippets from Dr. Charles Corprew on toxic and conservative masculinity, Cooper Chapman on the pressure that can come with professional sports and performance, Hannah Berner on reality TV’s impact on her mental health, Gianmarco Soresi on the current landscape of stand-up comedy, Terra Newell’s experience with “Dirty John,” and Alyssa Cleland on para-equestrian sports and the disabled community.

These highlights are just the tip of the iceberg, so if you’re new to Off The Cuff, you can find each episode on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. If you’re a longtime listener, just sit back and enjoy some of our best moments.

Diversity and the World of Modeling with Tanaye White Nov 23, 2022

Show notes

After spending her early childhood in Baltimore and then growing up in Connecticut, today’s guest Tanaye White had a winding journey through undergraduate and graduate education and corporate America before finding herself in the modeling industry. While her childhood was filled with challenges as a young person of color that struggled with mental health, she unpacks how it influenced her unique identity.

“My first attempt to take my life at twelve was significant because not only did it remind me, ‘I don’t want to be here,’ – not in life but like, ‘I don’t want to be in Connecticut’ – but also, now looking back, I realize that that experience is very unique because it sort of established the fact that I will never be the same as anybody else. I will also be unique in a certain way… simply because I have such a unique life experience.” (14:53)

Tanaye also touches on the reality of model life, her experiences in corporate America, why she really loves creating art as part of her profession, traveling the world, and the intense cost of living in New York.

“Because I came from corporate America, I’m used to having a paycheck every week and insurance and health insurance and all that stuff; You don’t have that as a model… I have a whole YouTube series about this, about bringing the realities of the model life to the forefront…” (35:20)

After the difficult year that she’s had, Tanaye joins us on the podcast to share her story, reveal how she’s embracing happiness in the current moment, and offer advice to young, aspiring models of color as well as advice to her younger self.

“Be open, but be guarded.” (45:58)

In This Episode:

(1:16) Tanaye’s beginning in Baltimore
(4:45) How Tanaye experienced racism growing up in Connecticut
(10:29) Moving on to the University of Maryland
(13:50) Sharing her suicide attempt and how she found her way into the modeling industry
(19:55) Clout chasing and mental health in relationships
(25:12) Caring for her hair and inclusivity in the industry
(31:59) The process of shooting across the globe
(34:27) Breaking down stereotypes surrounding models
(37:21) Tanaye’s time in corporate America and the cost of living in NY
(44:08) Tanaye’s advice for young and aspiring models of colors
(49:15) The advice Tanaye would give her younger self
(50:55) Significant achievements in her life
(52:52) The importance of reaching out when you need help, treating yourself with kindness, and embracing happiness

Our Guest

Tanaye White is a mental health advocate, fashion and lifestyle influencer, and model that’s been featured in L’Oreal, Victoria’s Secret, and Fenty Beauty campaigns as well as a recurring model for Sports Illustrated. After spending her early childhood in Baltimore and then growing up in Connecticut, she received her Bachelor’s degree in Economics from the University of Maryland, College Park and her Master’s in Public Relations and Corporate Communications from Georgetown University.

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Off The Cuff

Tanaye White

The Reality of Mental Health in the Entertainment Industry with Keltie Knight Nov 16, 2022

Show notes

Before building a prestigious career in the TV and entertainment industry, Keltie Knight was a girl from Edmonton, Canada that had big dreams and a love for dance. It was this beginning as well as her experience growing up with a family member that struggles with mental illness that propelled her toward New York and ultimately toward creating a community that supports others that live in and around mental illness.

“Mental illness is not one of those things. It’s a free flowing thing, and it’s for your whole life and you just have to follow it.” (20:55)

In this episode, Keltie shares how her mental health suffered as her popularity grew and how there was a lack of empathy for her as a successful woman in the industry. She also discusses the mental health crisis in Hollywood, including the current situation with Kanye West, and how these conversations give her perspective on the importance of compassion when unpacking her and other people’s struggles with mental health.

[On Kanye West] “I’m telling you that I believe he’s 75% a motherfucker, and 25% of this is out of his control… I’m giving him grace because I know this struggle, and I’ve been around this struggle my entire life.” (26:28)

“We as humans, we are allowed to feel whatever we need to feel in our situation. And so you can’t allow yourself to be like, ‘Oh well just because my house is not on fire, it’s not burning me.’ We have to be allowed to feel the feelings we have no matter what situation we’re in, and we have to let other people do the same thing.” (33:19)

With the LadyGang podcast, she and her co-hosts are working to create a safe community for women to be themselves, open up about their experiences, and break down the intimate obstacles and achievements that come with mental health and mental illness.

“Success is great. Stability is great. But that level of like ‘let’s pick you apart every second of the day’ fame is nothing to strive for.” (34:24)

In This Episode:

(0:57) Introducing Keltie Knight
(2:13) How The LadyGang podcast began
(5:40) Keltie’s beginning in New York
(7:59) Finding the drive to pursue the NY dream
(11:36) Mental illness and family dynamics/money/relationships
(25:16) Mental illness in the entertainment industry and Keltie’s thoughts on Kanye West
(31:38) Managing the guilt and stress that can come with success
(36:32) Pros/cons of medication and getting professional help
(45:43) Keltie’s Hashimoto’s diagnosis
(48:45) “I’m feeling very hopeful today.”

Our Guest

Former Radio City Rockette, Emmy award winning television personality, New York Times bestselling author, and The LadyGang podcast host Keltie Knight is a dancer, actress, and creator that’s built a vibrant career in the entertainment industry. Alongside co-hosts Becca Tobin and Jac Vanek of The LadyGang podcast, she’s fostering a community that’s safe and encouraging for women, advocating for proper mental health and mental illness care and resources, and serving others through a variety of philanthropic efforts.

Resources & Links

Off The Cuff

Keltie Knight

Unpacking the Power of Transparency in the Digital Space with Ali Weiss Nov 09, 2022

Show notes

When New Yorker, comedian, investigative journalist, and Tales of Taboo podcast host Ali Weiss first dipped into the podcast scene, she realized that there was a hunger for brutal honesty in the digital community, and with her first podcast, Health is Hell, she embarked on a journey to cultivate that sense of transparency. While she thought she might end up in theater after spending her undergraduate years at Chapman University in Southern California, she took a turn into content creation to chase that sentiment.

In the spirit of talking about things that truly matter, she’s joining me on today’s podcast to discuss growing up in the great big city of New York, how she landed in the mental health podcast scene, and the way in which people use shock value and/or brutal honesty on the internet to stay relevant.

“We have become obsessed with feeling as though we matter.” – Ali (24:49)

As comedians, public speakers, mental health advocates, and podcast hosts, Ali and I talk through what it looks like to tell your story and how sharing your triumphs and struggles with the world can make for an intense experience. Despite the difficulties she faced in creating Health is Hell, it informed how she built her current podcast, Tales of Taboo.

“Even if you are an extremely honest person online, you’re still only showing one small part of yourself.” – Ali (29:11)

Finally, Ali dives into her experience growing up in New York, how privilege and money is often regarded in the mental health community, and ultimately, her abortion experience. She boldly analyzes how money and privilege influenced this recent procedure for her and why she felt she had to share her story.

“Almost all of my trauma came from what happened when I stepped outside onto the city streets every morning and walked to school by myself and everything that happened in those hours that my parents were not around. And no amount of money can protect you from that.” – Ali (37:00)

“Did I ever feel remorse? No. And I think a lot of that had to do with just realizing from the get, like realizing from the day that I found out that I was pregnant, my body is my body, and it doesn’t matter what anybody else has to say about it… The only person who knows what’s best for my body is me.” – Ali (1:03:15)

In This Episode:

(1:10) Ali’s current podcast and how it came to life
(5:20) The role anonymity plays in her podcast
(9:17) Exploring the line between true honesty and the shock jock approach
(19:00) What it means to be easily offended and the possible consequences of free speech on the internet
(22:49) Unpacking everyone’s desire to matter
(28:02) Ali’s reputation during Health is Hell and how she had to pivot with Tales of Taboo
(31:20) Money and privilege in the mental health discussion
(38:00) Growing up in New York and the dangers children face in this day and age
(53:41) Holding yourself accountable through struggles with mental health
(54:58) Ali’s experience with abortion
(1:04:58) Why Ali chose to share her story

Our Guest

Ali Weiss is a comedian, investigative journalist, podcast host, and mental health advocate that believes in the power of true honesty. Her podcast, Tales of Taboo, explores a series of taboo topics with anonymous guests that are listeners just like you!

Outside of her work in Tales of Taboo, she’s a quick-witted and sharp comedian that is currently writing a one-woman show. If you’re interested in listening to or engaging with her content, you can find her at any of the links below.

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Off The Cuff

Ali Weiss

The Real World Behind Stand-up Comedy with Matt Braunger Nov 02, 2022

Show notes

On this week’s episode of Off The Cuff with Danny LoPriore, I got to sit down with seasoned stand-up comedian, writer, and actor, among many other things – Matt Braunger, as we discuss the reality behind stand-up comedy, the rise of YouTube and TikTok sensations, and stand-up comedy as a brotherhood and a sisterhood.

Matt has always been into performing arts ever since he was a kid. Now, a 20-year veteran in the stand-up space, he admits that he’s become a lot more experimental when it comes to his sets.

“I try new stuff way, way more. I had a set last night that had a couple of parts that really hit, and a couple of parts that really didn't. And I called them out. But it's like, that's the only way I know how to build. I look back and it's like, I don't know if I can ever get that level of confidence back because I know too much now.” - Matt (13:07)

He also shares about the challenges he has to face as a comedian when he steps on stage to try and give people a good time, while going through something tough himself.

“Various times during the set I'm just like, ‘Guys, I'm going through something right now and I'm gonna get it back and you gotta trust me’. And I did. One thing I've learned is you have to have these experiences to learn from them, otherwise you won't learn.” - Matt (13:49)

Having been in stand-up for two decades, Matt definitely knows what it’s really like behind the scenes, and how the industry has changed over the last 20, 30 years.

“I've never felt more camaraderie in my life in any other art form than I have in stand-up. It is a brother and sisterhood. It always will be.” - Matt (29:19)

In This Episode

(04:09) - Matt on being raised in the city of Portland
(09:29) - How I feel about starting my stand-up tour and getting to see more of America
(12:41) - What Matt misses from his early years as a performer
(14:13) - Matt recalls throwing two guys out during one of his shows
(16:10) - Meeting David Alan Grier at Caroline’s on Broadway and how he’s influenced my passion for comedy
(22:47) - The challenge of selling a ticket in stand-up
(27:05) - Matt’s experimentation on social media
(33:18) - Our advice to younger people who want to make it big in the industry
(42:37) - “The comedian’s job is to show the audience the world through their eyes”
(47:22) - The reason why Matt can’t share all the insecurities he feels about himself
(54:49) - How fatherhood helps Matt in his everyday hustle
(1:02:11) - Stand-up comedy becoming sports entertainment
(1:07:49) - How therapy helped me and Matt as comics

Our Guest

Matt Braunger is a stand-up comedian, actor, and writer. He studied theatre in New York and improvisation in Chicago. Over the course of his career, Matt has appeared in various shows including ABC’s Agent Carter, NBC’s Up All Night, Netflix’s Disjointed, Fox’s MADtv, TruTV series How to Be a Grown Up, and HBO’s Family Tree, among others. In 2009, he was named to Variety’s Top 10 Comics to Watch, and Comedy Central’s Hot 9 in ’09 list.

Resources & Links

Off The Cuff

Matt Braunger

Being Selfish with Your Mental Health Oct 26, 2022

Show notes

On this episode of Off The Cuff I wanted to take some time to update you all on my life, and what has been going on with me mentally. I think it’s so important to always check-in with yourself, so that’s what I did this week and I recommend that you all do the same.

Recently I have been pushing myself to get outside more, whether that’s walking instead of taking an Uber, taking my dogs on an extra long walk, exercising more. I have been really focusing on little goals, which has been extremely helpful for my mental and physical health.

“Little goals are the things that lead to big goals. And by that I mean little stuff like brushing my teeth in the morning, washing my face in the morning, trying to make my bed, taking the dogs for an extended walk in the morning. Just things that are going to help me in the sense of, I can go past my limits if I need to.” - Danny LoPriore (2:22)

Our minds are very powerful things, you can actually trick your mind into having a positive or negative outlook. When I was first diagnosed with bi-polar, I didn’t see the silver lining, all I saw was how my life would change for the worse. The truth is, I couldn’t have been more wrong.

"Especially me with my bipolar diagnosis, is that I have a lifelong battle. I used to look at that as a horrible thing, but now I really look at it as something that I am going to embrace and be happy to be a part of." - Danny LoPriore (6:35)

Remember, always be selfish with your mental health and your time. The only person you owe anything to is yourself. PEACE!

In This Episode

(1:45) Danny pushing himself to get outside more
(3:05) The benefits of exposure therapy
(4:02) The physical effects of panic attacks
(5:59) Home anxiety vs public anxiety
(6:37) Danny’s lifelong battle with bipolar
(6:59) Tricking your mind into being in a negative or positive mindset
(11:25) What happened when Danny finally decided to get better
(14:30) The importance of the Off the Cuff Community
(16:35) Trying to make a drastic change in your life in the next week
(18:51) Our lives can only get better when we help ourselves
(20:20) Being selfish with your time and who you surround yourself with

Resources & Links

Off The Cuff

Fostering Mental Health Through Action with Michael Unbroken Oct 19, 2022

Show notes

On this week’s episode of Off The Cuff with Danny LoPriore, I’m joined by entrepreneur, author, speaker, and mental health advocate Michael Unbroken to discuss trauma and abuse in his childhood and how those experiences informed his journey, businesses, and current mission to help others foster their own confidence and well-being.

As he dives into his background as a biracial child raised in the mormon church, Michael touches on the reality of the abuse he sustained at the hands of his family members and the realization he came to as an adult.

“I had this recollection, or this experience – recollection is the wrong word – and I had this moment of reconciliation where I was like, ‘Oh I get it actually,’ which is a really crazy thing to say because how could you “get” a grown up beating up a child. But that’s because I look at who his mother was, my step grandma, and she was arguably – and I hate to say it but it’s true – she was arguably the worst person I ever met in my life. And you look at that and you go ‘OK, this is what generational trauma is.” - Michael (10:23)

Michael’s journey to unpack his childhood led him through various seasons, some filled with success and others great challenges. As a young adult only equipped with a high school diploma, he made his way to a Fortune 10 company where he learned difficult lessons about what it really means to prioritize your mental health through action and how to ultimately close the gap between where you are and where you want to be.

“The answer to everything in life is action. People are like ‘I hate my relationship’ – well, leave it or make it better… And that’s the thing about all of this – the healing journey, the physical journey, the mental journey, the spiritual journey; do it, man… You’ve got to go and put yourself in the situation.” - Michael (36:05)

Through Michael’s winding journey, he’s found that mental health requires commitment from everyone. Michael suggests that you work through that fear and begin new actions TODAY to grow as an individual.

“Where you are today versus where you want to be tomorrow – there is a gap. And every single day, the mission is to close that gap until you become that version of you.” - Michael (38:57)

In This Episode

(01:36) - Michael’s background as a biracial child living in poverty, growing up in the mormon church, and living with abusive parents
(03:37)- The church’s role in his life as a child
(06:42) - The way he perceived his biological father and how his stepfather treated him and his siblings
(15:34) - Mental health on the internet – what helps and what hurts
(24:13) - Money trauma and the financial lessons Michael learned in his 20s
(33:10) - Michael’s minimalist lifestyle and how it affects his mental health
(36:05) - The importance of action in your own journey
(45:19) - How people living in lower income and impoverished areas can invest in their mental health
(53:23) - Michael’s thoughts on happiness

Our Guest

Michael Unbroken is an author, coach, speaker, entrepreneur, and mental health advocate for those who have survived abuse. With a high school diploma and a mountain of determination, Michael has built coaching programs, written a book, designed courses, and more to help survivors work through their trauma, build their confidence, and invest in their lives.

He is passionate about helping people foster healthy actions and is committed to using his platform as a mental health influencer and his podcast to equip people with the information they need to heal from their trauma.

Resources & Links

Off The Cuff

Michael Unbroken

Mental Health in the Middle East with Ally Salama Oct 12, 2022

Show notes

While the United States still has a lot of work to do in destigmatizing mental health, the Middle East is much further behind us. This week I spoke with Forbes 30 under 30 Social Entrepreneur, speaker, podcaster, the founder of EMPWR MAG, and The Middle East’s Mental Health Ambassador, Ally Salama. Ally has made it his life’s mission to destigmatize mental health in the Middle East, but in addition to the cultural stigma, there simply is not enough awareness.

"We fear what we don't understand, you know. Mental health in the states, you have hundreds of millions of dollars in media and advertising being spent on awareness. Because they know, the West really knows the price, the burden that mental health has on economies." - Ally Salama (3:04)

Ally came from a prestigious family in Egypt, and accomplishments were very important in his upbringing. Because of his father’s job, Ally had lived in several different countries before even turning 18. Despite having great success in swimming, singing, and academics as a adolescent, he never really felt fulfilled and didn’t understand why.

“I always knew I was different, but I’d never understood that it could make me feel alienated.” - Ally Salama (18:06)

Through all of Ally’s ups and downs in life, his determination and upbringing taught him a lot about success and how to never stop learning, improving, and growing.

“Action breeds confidence, and then confidence, if you don’t really work on it, you lose it. And that comfort makes you less confident because that comfort comes from consistent action from you being always at that cusp of your comfort zone.”

- Ally Salama (11:10)

In This Episode

(2:17) Mental health for young people in Egypt.
(6:52) Ally's early upbringing and his relationship with his parents
(10:54) Feeling complacent once getting to comfortable or too confident
(11:53) Ally’s educational background
(12:56) Ally’s background in professional swimming
(16:16) Ally’s mental health issues as a kid and teen
(19:26) The struggles Ali faced when moving around the world as a child
(22:36) Coming from a privileged family and learning how to give and help others
(27:00) The darkest point of Ally’s life when he was clinically diagnosed with depression
(30:13) How dogs help with mental health
(32:45) Ally’s grandfather being diagnosed with Cancer and how it affected his family
(34:30) How Ally started EMPWR MAG
(40:28 )The people Ally looks up to the most
(44:06) Ally’s 5 year plan
(46:19) The mental health stigma for younger Egyptian kids

Our Guest

Ally Salama is a Forbes 30 Under 30 recognized social entrepreneur, an ex-pro athlete, #1 Apple charting podcaster, and The Middle East’s Mental Health Ambassador. He founded empower-mag.com, the first mental health magazine in the Middle East, winning Harvard's top 7 most impactful social initiatives in 2019, earning recognition from the World Health Organization & the World Federation for Mental Health. He currently hosts Apple’s #1 Charting Youth Leadership Podcast “Empathy Always Wins”- the world's exclusive leadership and mental wellbeing podcast focusing on empathy.

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Off The Cuff

Ally Salama

Empowerment and Acceptance with Hannah Blum Oct 05, 2022

Show notes

Not one story about a bi-polar diagnosis is the same. We all have our own experiences to tell and this week on Off The Cuff I was honored to hear Hannah Blum’s, a fellow bi-polar type 2 mental health advocate.

From the outside, Hannah was a normal teenage girl. She had a ton of friends and was even nominated for prom queen. However she knew deep down that something was just not right. For several years she hid behind drugs and alcohol, and the excuse that she was just a hot mess. Her junior year of college she hit rock bottom and knew that she needed help. Unfortunately the system failed her in many ways, and she was involuntarily institutionalized. Overall, it was far from a good experience, but Hannah was able to see some good in a less than desirable situation.

“I think the thing that's positive that came out of the hospital too, was that it motivated me. They told me don’t look back, don’t look back Hannah. And now I see why they didn’t want me to look back. Ya know, they said, ‘these people, you won’t see them, they don’t have hope, you do.’ And I thought, what the hell is wrong with you?!” - Hannah Blum (49:38)

Hannah decided to channel what she was going through by writing and becoming a mental health advocate, which she has found great success in. The more advocacy she did, the better she not only understood herself, but her peers in the mental health community. This sent Hannah on a path of healing and truly helping others.

“So when I got involved in the community, what ended up happening was, I’m with other people with bipolar disorder, in rural America, some of the poorest people I have ever met, and they are out there with their pamphlets doing advocacy, and they have mental illness. And I started saying to myself, these people are amazing. They are kind, they are empathetic, they are supportive, they are cool, why am I believing that this makes me a monster?” - Hannah Blum (17:00)

In This Episode

(2:15) How old Hannah was when she got her diagnosis
(4:16) What happened when Hannah had a breakdown in college which led to her being institutionalized against her will
(16:44) The importance of acceptance and advocacy
(18:18) Hannah’s article on Marilyn Monroe and her mental health
(22:50) Dating as a woman with bipolar
(32:55) Clinging to an identity of being messed up
(34:15) How people with mental health issues have been treated historically
(38:28) Kanye West and other celebrities and their mental health issues
(46:23) Hannah’s experience in the mental hospital
(52:00) Relying too much on mental health professionals and not peers
(53:41) How Hannah overdosed after she left the mental hospital
(56:40) The importance of people with mental illness coming together
(58:29) How television and film are profiting off of suicide
(1:00:49) Hannah’s thoughts on medication and how they have changed over the years
(1:03:30) Men’s side effects from antidepressants
(1:07:00) How Hannah’s blog “Halfway to Hannah” started
(1:14:18) What Hannah’s therapy routine is right now
(1:17:27) What people can do to become a part of the mental health advocacy movement today

Our Guest

Hannah Blum is a writer and mental health advocate. Hannah writes about her journey as a young adult living with bipolar II disorder on her blog, Halfway2Hannah, to encourage others to join the mental health movement and learn to embrace their differences both mind or body. She is also author of the book The Truth About Broken: The Unfixed Version of Self-Love.

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Off The Cuff

Hannah Blum

Dealing with Toxic Masculinity and Imposter Syndrome with Keith Walsh Sep 28, 2022

Show notes

In Ireland, toxic masculinity has been a part of the culture for many, many years. “Be a man,” “Grow a pair,” “Real men don’t cry,” are all thoughts that have been ingrained in society since the country became fully independent in 1949.

In this episode, former radio DJ and media personality Keith Walsh opens up about the historical traumas the people of Ireland have had to go through and how he has learned from those traumas, and has challenged those stereotypes through his own mental health journey.

“And we go back to talking about toxic masculinity, this is how households are run, by men who have trauma who were triggered by things, took it out on everybody in the house, were completely unreasonable, and expected everybody to just turn up for mass on a Sunday morning smiling.” - Keith Walsh (35:36)

After being a host of one of the most successful morning shows in Ireland, Keith was let go from his dream job, which he thought he never deserved in the first place. In turn, triggered imposter syndrome, which had been something he struggled with his whole life.

“I had mistakenly attached my success as a person to the job I was doing. So, my success as a human being, was not how my kids were doing, how happy my wife was, how happy I was, ya know do I love myself? It was, what job I say to people, when they ask me, when they meet me at a party. How successful I was was how big the show was. Me and that job…that was me. So when it was taken off me, I was like who the f*ck am I? What’s left?” - Keith Walsh (23:14)

In This Episode

(3:15) The history of Ireland and how the country has changed
(9:09) Toxic masculinity in Ireland.
(16:21) The pressures of being a performer
(20:53) Keith’s feelings about therapy
(23:44) How Keith coped before finally going to therapy.
(24:55) How Keith’s mental health spiraled after he was let go from his job
(26:12) Imposter syndrome
(31:56) The patriarchal pressure put on men and toxic masculinity.
(36:53) How and why Keith created his play Pure Mental
(44:05) How Keith met his wife
(51:18) What it was like for Keith becoming a dad and learning his new responsibilities

Our Guest

A radio veteran of 20 years, Keith Walsh co-hosted RTÉ 2fm’s breakfast show for five years. He now has his own podcast and wrote, produced, and starred in his own play about mental health called Pure Mental.

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Off The Cuff

Keith Walsh

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