The International Sex Worker Foundation for Art, Culture, and Education (ISWFACE) is a California corporation formed as an art and education and resource center for research about prostitution and sex work , and for the collection and preservation of art by and about sex workers.
68-618: Its founder and president, Norma Jean Almodovar , is a former LAPD traffic officer, and is also the executive director of COYOTE LA, the Los Angeles chapter of COYOTE . ISWFACE runs the Dumas Brothel Museum in Montana . ISWFACE is a non-profit organization that runs off of donations and sale of the products being created. They want to positively affect the lives of sex workers, and to encourage their artistic work. ISWFACE
136-664: A call girl . In 1984, she may have attempted to recruit a former coworker to begin working as a prostitute. Her actions resulted in her arrest and conviction for pandering . In 1986, Almodovar ran for lieutenant governor in the California gubernatorial election , as a Libertarian . Almodovar's autobiography was published by Simon & Schuster in 1993. She is the founder of the International Sex Worker Foundation for Art, Culture and Education (ISWFACE). As of 2012 , Almodovar also serves as
204-638: A charismatic leader who tightly controls its members. It is in some contexts a pejorative term, also used for new religious movements and other social groups which are defined by their unusual religious , spiritual , or philosophical beliefs and rituals , or their common interest in a particular person, object, or goal . This sense of the term is weakly defined – having divergent definitions both in popular culture and academia – and has also been an ongoing source of contention among scholars across several fields of study. According to Susannah Crockford, "[t]he word ‘cult’
272-489: A rational choice . The application of the labels cult or sect to religious movements in government documents signifies the popular and negative use of the term cult in English and a functionally similar use of words translated as 'sect' in several European languages. Sociologists critical to this negative politicized use of the word cult argue that it may adversely impact the religious freedoms of group members. At
340-515: A "cult movement" is an actual complete organization, differing from a "sect" in that it is not a splinter of a bigger religion, while "audience cults" are loosely organized, and propagated through media, and "client cults" offer services (i.e. psychic readings or meditation sessions). One type can turn into another, for example the Church of Scientology changing from audience to client cult. Sociologists who follow their definition tend to continue using
408-404: A continuity with traditional beliefs and practices, whereas cults arise spontaneously around novel beliefs and practices. Scholars William Sims Bainbridge and Rodney Stark have argued for a further distinction between three kinds of cults: cult movements, client cults, and audience cults, all of which share a "compensator" or rewards for the things invested into the group. In their typology,
476-488: A crisis of faith and began reconsidering her long-held spiritual beliefs, encompassing the teachings of the Baptist church and her personal conviction about the existence of God. When her group of friends expressed their beliefs, she willingly accepted their invitation and joined their church. After she became a member, she began volunteering and serving the church and leadership in various capacities. In summer 1970, she met
544-428: A cult by the media, government and former members is a significant factor as to what lead to the deaths. The term was noted to carry "considerable cultural legitimacy". In the 1970s, with the rise of secular anti-cult movements , scholars (though not the general public) began to abandon the use of the term cult , regarding it as pejorative. By the end of the 1970s, the term cult was largely replaced in academia with
612-519: A cult may be a common occurrence, but it is not scholarship". However, it has also been viewed as empowering for ex-members of groups that have experienced trauma. Religious scholar Catherine Wessinger argued the term was dehumanizing of the people within the group, as well as their children; following the Waco siege , it was argued by some scholars that the defining of the Branch Davidians as
680-691: A destructive cult by "anticult crusaders." In 2002, the German government was held by the Federal Constitutional Court to have defamed the Osho movement by referring to it, among other things, as a "destructive cult" with no factual basis. Some researchers have criticized the term destructive cult , writing that it is used to describe groups which are not necessarily harmful in nature to themselves or others. In his book Understanding New Religious Movements , John A. Saliba writes that
748-401: A hidden tape recorder to document their conversation. Almodovar stated that her coworker had approached her as part of a setup by police officials, who wanted to stop her from completing her manuscript, which detailed her sexual escapades, along with department corruption. This was corroborated by the coworker on the witness stand, when she admitted that she had been working with other members of
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#1732782772514816-609: A missionary to Puerto Rico , believing that God had a higher purpose for her life. In 1969, following her graduation from Binghamton Central High School , Almodovar enrolled in the Philadelphia College of the Bible . After enrolling, she began looking for work to cover tuition and living expenses, but eventually relocated to New York City with a classmate. Soon after arriving in Manhattan, Almodovar began clerking at
884-521: A red light, but upon noticing the police vehicle behind him, stopped suddenly and put his car in reverse, hitting Almodovar's motorcycle. As a result of her injuries from the collision, Almodovar was on disability for over 18 months. Almodovar's second injury came as a result of an attack by a local, well-known businessman and member of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce . He reportedly attempted to run over Almodovar with his vehicle. While he
952-545: A relative of one of the members in the church, who had recently completed his tour of duty with the US Air Force . After a short courtship, she married Radames Almodovar on November 19, 1970. The marriage lasted for three years, during which time, Almodovar continued to evaluate her religious beliefs and eventually chose to distance herself from the Christian beliefs of her childhood and those of her recent conversion to
1020-450: A society which seemed completely untroubled by the police corruption that permeated the LAPD, and yet demanded that law enforcement spend a significant portion of its scarce and valuable resources to set-up and arrest women whose sole crime was to accept money from men for acts of sex in which they could otherwise legally engage, even with thousands of men, provided the sex was free. Almodovar
1088-583: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This article about an organization in the United States is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Norma Jean Almodovar Norma Jean Almodovar (born May 27, 1951) is an American author and sex workers ' activist. Almodovar worked as a traffic officer for ten years. In 1982, she quit her job with the Los Angeles Police Department and began working as
1156-536: Is a cult with a primary interest in political action and ideology . Groups that some have described as "political cults", mostly advocating far-left or far-right agendas, have received some attention from journalists and scholars. In their 2000 book On the Edge: Political Cults Right and Left , Dennis Tourish and Tim Wohlforth discuss about a dozen organizations in the United States and Great Britain that they characterize as cults. In
1224-644: Is a public benefit corporation, organized under the California Non-Profit Public Benefit Corporation Law for public and charitable purposes that is dedicated to offering funding to individuals who have experience with being a sex worker and consider themselves artists. The organization wants to allow them to create and show their work, such as: The courses the ICWFACE provides interactive educational courses online that include: This sexuality -related article
1292-509: Is a shapeshifter, semantically morphing with the intentions of whoever uses it. As an analytical term, it resists rigorous definition." She argued that the least subjective definition of cult referred to a religion or religion-like group "self-consciously building a new form of society", but that the rest of society rejected as unacceptable. The term cult has been criticized as lacking "scholarly rigour"; Benjamin E. Zeller stated "[l]abelling any group with which one disagrees and considers deviant as
1360-437: Is considered to be one of the most important and widely cited studies of the process of religious conversion. J. Gordon Melton stated that, in 1970, "one could count the number of active researchers on new religions on one's hands." However, James R. Lewis writes that the "meteoric growth" in this field of study can be attributed to the cult controversy of the early 1970s. Because of "a wave of nontraditional religiosity" in
1428-404: Is conventional within its culture, is related to a particular figure, and is frequently associated with a particular place, or generally the collective participation in rites of religion. References to the imperial cult of ancient Rome , for example, use the word in this sense. A derived sense of "excessive devotion" arose in the 19th century, and usage is not always strictly religious. The term
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#17327827725141496-428: Is mostly evangelical protestants. The Christian countercult movement asserts that Christian groups whose teachings deviate from the belief that the bible is inerrant, but also focuses on non-Christian religions like Hinduism. Christian countercult activist writers also emphasize the need for Christians to evangelize to followers of cults. Starting in the late 1960s, a different strand of anti-cult groups arose, with
1564-435: Is sometimes presented in contrast to a "benign cult", which implies that not all "cults" would be harmful, though others apply it to all cults. Psychologist Michael Langone , executive director of the anti-cult group International Cultic Studies Association , defines a destructive cult as "a highly manipulative group which exploits and sometimes physically and/or psychologically damages members and recruits." In Cults and
1632-417: Is the oldest daughter, with eight brothers and five sisters. During Almodovar's childhood, her mother began attending the Baptist church, following her conversion to Christianity . From that point, Almodovar's social and spiritual life centered around the church. Fully embracing Christianity along with her mother, Almodovar felt drawn to spend her life in direct service to God. She began preparing to serve as
1700-581: Is variously applied to abusive or coercive groups of many categories, including gangs, organized crime, and terrorist organizations. Sociological classifications of religious movements may identify a cult as a social group with socially deviant or novel beliefs and practices, although this is often unclear. Other researchers present a less-organized picture of cults, saying that they arise spontaneously around novel beliefs and practices. Cults have been compared to miniature totalitarian political systems. Such groups are typically perceived as being led by
1768-555: The APA Task Force on Deceptive and Indirect Methods of Persuasion and Control , literature from previous court cases in which brainwashing theories were used, and expert testimonies which were delivered by scholars such as Dick Anthony . The governments of France and Belgium have taken policy positions which accept "brainwashing" theories uncritically, while the governments of other European nations, such as those of Sweden and Italy, are cautious with regard to brainwashing and as
1836-697: The Empire State Building . In January 1970, Almodovar went to California to visit relatives. After spending a week with her aunt, she spent time with some friends from New York, who had recently relocated to Los Angeles. After their arrival, her friends became involved with a religious sect that presented extreme unorthodox teachings and displayed cultic tendencies . After Almodovar arrived in California, her friends began proselytizing, working to convert her to their fundamentalist beliefs. Prior to her visit to California, Almodovar had experienced
1904-484: The Jehovah's Witnesses , and other sects which were loosely referred to as " neo-Pentecostals ". In the 1970s, the scientific status of the " brainwashing theory " became a central topic in U.S. court cases where the theory was used to try to justify the use of the forceful deprogramming of cult members Meanwhile, sociologists who were critical of these theories assisted advocates of religious freedom in defending
1972-841: The Russian Interior Ministry prepared a list of "extremist groups". At the top of the list were Islamic groups outside of "traditional Islam", which is supervised by the Russian government. Next listed were " Pagan cults ". In 2009 the Russian Ministry of Justice created a council which it named the "Council of Experts Conducting State Religious Studies Expert Analysis." The new council listed 80 large sects which it considered potentially dangerous to Russian society, and it also mentioned that there were thousands of smaller ones. The large sects which were listed included: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ,
2040-530: The court case of United States v. Fishman (1990) ended the usage of brainwashing theories by expert witnesses such as Margaret Singer and Richard Ofshe . In the case's ruling, the court cited the Frye standard , which states that the scientific theory which is utilized by expert witnesses must be generally accepted in their respective fields. The court deemed brainwashing to be inadmissible in expert testimonies, using supporting documents which were published by
2108-542: The 1930s, new religious movements became an object of sociological study within the context of the study of religious behavior . Since the 1940s, the Christian countercult movement has opposed some sects and new religious movements, labeling them cults because of their unorthodox beliefs . Since the 1970s, the secular anti-cult movement has opposed certain groups, which they call cults, accusing them of practicing brainwashing . Groups labelled cults are found around
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2176-463: The 1930s, new religious movements perceived as cults became an object of sociological study within the context of the study of religious behavior . The term saw its origins in the work of sociologist Max Weber (1864–1920). Weber is an important theorist in the academic study of cults, which often draws on his theorizations of charismatic authority , and of the distinction he drew between churches and sects . This concept of church-sect division
2244-433: The 1940s, the long-held opposition by some established Christian denominations to non-Christian religions and supposedly heretical or counterfeit Christian sects crystallized into a more organized Christian countercult movement in the United States. For those belonging to the movement, all religious groups claiming to be Christian, but deemed outside of Christian orthodoxy , were considered cults. The countercult movement
2312-455: The 1950s, American social psychologist Leon Festinger and his colleagues observed members of a small UFO religion called the Seekers for several months, and recorded their conversations both prior to and after a failed prophecy from their charismatic leader. Their work was later published in the book When Prophecy Fails: A Social and Psychological Study of a Modern Group that Predicted
2380-513: The Destruction of the World . In the late 1980s, doomsday cults were a major topic of news reports, with some reporters and commentators considering them a serious threat to society. A 1997 psychological study by Festinger, Riecken, and Schachter found that people turned to a cataclysmic world view after they had repeatedly failed to find meaning in mainstream movements. A political cult
2448-454: The Family , the authors cite Shapiro, who defines a destructive cultism as a sociopathic syndrome , whose distinctive qualities include: "behavioral and personality changes , loss of personal identity , cessation of scholastic activities, estrangement from family, disinterest in society and pronounced mental control and enslavement by cult leaders." Writing about Bruderhof communities in
2516-826: The Hollywood jail, Almodovar was at the hospital undergoing medical tests to determine the extent of her injuries. Radiology reports indicated that she had an injured back and neck. Following the incident of April 18, 1982, Almodovar became disillusioned with the Los Angeles Police Department and her former colleagues. She felt personally offended by individuals on the police force who had knowingly engaged in illegal and corrupt activities. These activities in which officers allegedly participated, encompassed organized crime rings that were responsible for burglaries, drug trafficking , contract killing , and sexual exploitation of minors. The response of
2584-472: The LAPD to set up Almodovar, in an effort to keep her from publishing her book, which was believed to be an exposé of the inner workings and corruption of the Los Angeles Police Department. Almodovar's defense attorney, Lawrence Teeter , offered little credible evidence to refute the prosecution's case. As a result, Almodovar was convicted of one count of felony pandering, which called for a mandatory three- to six-year prison sentence. Following her conviction,
2652-411: The Los Angeles Police Department. It is much more honest and I can live with myself." While Almodovar was working on the night shift for the LAPD, she often spent several hours waiting for a tow truck to arrive and pick up stolen and illegally parked cars. During this down time, she began working on a manuscript that documented her life and career. After leaving the police force, she continued working on
2720-546: The activities of Unification Church members in California in trying to promote their beliefs and win new members. Lofland noted that most of their efforts were ineffective and that most of the people who joined did so because of personal relationships with other members, often family relationships. Lofland published his findings in 1964 as a doctoral thesis entitled "The World Savers: A Field Study of Cult Processes", and in 1966 in book form by as Doomsday Cult: A Study of Conversion, Proselytization and Maintenance of Faith . It
2788-671: The activities of a very small minority of new religious groups, mass culture often extends them to any religious group viewed as culturally deviant , however peaceful or law abiding it may be. While some psychologists were receptive to these theories, sociologists were for the most part sceptical of their ability to explain conversion to NRMs . In the late 1980s, psychologists and sociologists started to abandon theories like brainwashing and mind control. While scholars may believe that various less dramatic coercive psychological mechanisms could influence group members, they came to see conversion to new religious movements principally as an act of
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2856-611: The book Misunderstanding Cults , Julius H. Rubin said that American religious innovation created an unending diversity of sects. These "new religious movements…gathered new converts and issued challenges to the wider society. Not infrequently, public controversy, contested narratives and litigation result." In his work Cults in Context author Lorne L. Dawson writes that although the Unification Church "has not been shown to be violent or volatile," it has been described as
2924-407: The book, adding her experiences as a prostitute. The book was titled, Cop to Call Girl . On September 17, 1983, Almodovar was arrested at her home for one count of pandering, then taken to the police station where she had previously worked. During the investigation, the police confiscated her unfinished manuscript, claiming that it was "evidence" of her crime. The case against her centered around
2992-565: The church that had been embraced by her friends. At the time of her divorce to Almodovar, she no longer embraced Christianity. In 1972, Almodovar joined the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) as a civilian traffic officer. For the majority of her career, she was assigned to the Rampart and Hollywood Divisions, working the night shift. Her responsibilities included issuing parking tickets, recovering stolen property, and directing traffic and spectators at scene of automobile collisions, as well as
3060-423: The classification of a religion as xiejiao did not necessarily mean that a religion's teachings were believed to be false or inauthentic; rather, the label was applied to religious groups that were not authorized by the state, or it was applied to religious groups that were believed to challenge the legitimacy of the state. Groups branded xiejiao face suppression and punishment by authorities. In 2008
3128-694: The executive director of the Los Angeles branch of the sex workers' rights organization COYOTE . Norma Jean Almodovar ( née Wright) was born on May 27, 1951, in Binghamton, New York . She is the daughter of Harold M. and Helen Ruth (née) Doolittle Wright. Her father served in World War II with the US Army and, upon his return, began working in a local factory. Her mother taught school, but retired early as her family continued to grow. Almodovar
3196-567: The formation of the secular anti-cult movement (ACM). This was in response to the rise of new religions in the 1960s and 1970s, particularly the events at Jonestown and the deaths of nearly 1000 people. The organizations that formed the secular anti-cult movement (ACM) often acted on behalf of relatives of "cult" converts who did not believe their loved ones could have altered their lives so drastically by their own free will . A few psychologists and sociologists working in this field suggested that brainwashing techniques were used to maintain
3264-622: The groups. Since the 2000s, some governments have again distanced themselves from such classifications of religious movements. While the official response to new religious groups has been mixed across the globe, some governments aligned more with the critics of these groups to the extent of distinguishing between "legitimate" religion and "dangerous", "unwanted" cults in public policy . For centuries, governments in China have categorized certain religions as xiéjiào ( 邪教 ), translated as "evil cults" or " heterodox teachings ". In imperial China ,
3332-555: The height of the counter-cult movement and ritual abuse scare of the 1990s, some governments published lists of cults. Groups labelled "cults" are found around the world and range in size from local groups with a few members to international organizations with millions. While these documents utilize similar terminology, they do not necessarily include the same groups nor is their assessment of these groups based on agreed criteria. Other governments and world bodies also report on new religious movements but do not use these terms to describe
3400-399: The judge ordered a 90-day psychiatric evaluation to determine whether or not Almodovar posed a threat to society. She was remanded to custody on November 21, 1984, the day before Thanksgiving. Following the completion of Almodovar's psychiatric evaluation on January 9, 1985, Muñoz chose to disregard the mandatory sentencing guidelines, claiming them to be cruel and unusual punishment that
3468-435: The late 1960s and early 1970s, academics perceived new religious movements as different phenomena from previous religious innovations. Destructive cult is a term frequently used by the anti-cult movement . Members of the anti-cult movement typically define a destructive cult as a group that is unethical, deceptive, and one that uses "strong influence" or mind control techniques to affect critical thinking skills. This term
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#17327827725143536-619: The legitimacy of new religious movements in court. In the United States the religious activities of cults are protected under the First Amendment of the United States Constitution , which prohibits governmental establishment of religion and protects freedom of religion , freedom of speech , freedom of the press , and freedom of assembly ; however, no members of religious groups or cults are granted any special immunity from criminal prosecution . In 1990,
3604-609: The loyalty of cult members. The belief that cults brainwashed their members became a unifying theme among cult critics and in the more extreme corners of the anti-cult movement techniques like the sometimes forceful " deprogramming " of cult members was practised. In the mass media , and among average citizens, "cult" gained an increasingly negative connotation, becoming associated with things like kidnapping , brainwashing, psychological abuse , sexual abuse , and other criminal activity , and mass suicide . While most of these negative qualities usually have real documented precedents in
3672-539: The police department following Almodovar's last injury served as the straw that broke the camel's back in the anger and disillusionment that she felt about the LAPD. She became frustrated at the lack of support from her colleagues, who consistently refused or neglected to prosecute individuals responsible for the injuries she had incurred. She was no longer confident that the City of Los Angeles or her coworkers were able or interested in protecting her from harm. After finishing
3740-537: The private nature of personal beliefs. Later sociological formulations built on such characteristics, placing an additional emphasis on cults as deviant religious groups, "deriving their inspiration from outside of the predominant religious culture." This is often thought to lead to a high degree of tension between the group and the more mainstream culture surrounding it, a characteristic shared with religious sects. According to this sociological terminology, sects are products of religious schism and therefore maintain
3808-468: The required paperwork and accident report, Almodovar went home and never returned to work for the Los Angeles Police Department again. When her disability benefits ended, Almodovar began working as a call girl in Beverly Hills . When asked by others why she chose to work in the sex industry , she often replies that she wanted to make a social statement about the moral hypocrisy of our society,
3876-592: The sentencing guidelines. Cult#The study of cults Cult is a term often applied to new religious movements and other social groups which have unusual, and often extreme, religious , spiritual , or philosophical beliefs and rituals . Extreme devotion to a particular person, object, or goal is another characteristic often ascribed to cults. The term has different, and sometimes divergent or pejorative , definitions both in popular culture and academia and has been an ongoing source of contention among scholars across several fields of study. Beginning in
3944-431: The site of local fires or crime scenes. During her employment, Almodovar witnessed felony corruption and criminal activity carried out by other members of the police force. She additionally experienced three injuries while on the job. In 1974, Almodovar was injured, when her three-wheeled, LAPD-issued Harley-Davidson motorcycle rear-ended the vehicle in front of her. The driver of the other car initially intended to run
4012-405: The term "new religion" or " new religious movement ". Other proposed alternative terms that have seen use were "emergent religion", "alternative religious movement", or "marginal religious movement", though new religious movement is the most popular term. The anti-cult movement mostly regards the term "new religious movement" as a euphemism for cult that hides their harmful nature. Beginning in
4080-504: The term is overgeneralized. Saliba sees the Peoples Temple as the "paradigm of a destructive cult", where those that use the term are implying that other groups will also commit mass suicide . Doomsday cult is an expression which is used to describe groups that believe in apocalypticism and millenarianism , and it can also be used to refer both to groups that predict disaster , and groups that attempt to bring it about. In
4148-434: The testimony of a former coworker, that Almodovar attempted to recruit as a prostitute. In her defense, Almodovar stated that she was merely helping to fulfill the sexual fantasy of the coworker and former friend, by setting her up with a wealthy businessman, who was willing to pay her for sex. During the subsequent trial, presided by Judge Aurelio Muñoz , the coworker testified that she had arrived at Almodovar's house with
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#17327827725144216-399: The word "cult", unlike most other academics; however Bainbridge later stated he regretted having used the word at all. Stark and Bainbridge, in discussing the process by which individuals join new religious groups, have even questioned the utility of the concept of conversion , suggesting that affiliation is a more useful concept. In the early 1960s, sociologist John Lofland studied
4284-530: The world and range in size from small localized groups to some international organizations with up to millions of members. In the English-speaking world, the term cult often carries derogatory connotations. The word "cult" is derived from the Latin term cultus , which means worship. An older sense of the word cult, which is not pejorative, indicates a set of religious devotional practices that
4352-469: Was further elaborated upon by German theologian Ernst Troeltsch , who added a "mystical" categorization to define more personal religious experiences. American sociologist Howard P. Becker further bisected Troeltsch's first two categories: church was split into ecclesia and denomination ; and sect into sect and cult . Like Troeltsch's "mystical religion", Becker's cult refers to small religious groups that lack in organization and emphasize
4420-464: Was heavily intoxicated. After the collision, the driver fled the scene of the accident, but was quickly apprehended after a brief pursuit by undercover police officers that were nearby. Following his apprehension, the initial investigation revealed that the driver was an unauthorized Mexican national , who had stolen the vehicle and had just committed an armed robbery . While the individual was released from police custody shortly after being processed into
4488-400: Was initially arrested for aggravated assault , the City of Los Angeles chose not to prosecute him. Due to local statutes, as a city employee, Almodovar was not allowed to file a lawsuit to recover damages for the physical and emotional injuries she received. On April 18, 1982, Almodovar was injured for the third time. The department vehicle that she was driving was rear-ended by a man who
4556-409: Was opposed to arresting women for prostitution, done in an effort to protect them from exploitation, while the arrest itself would establish a police record and label them as a prostitute, potentially limiting opportunities throughout the rest of their lives. In comparing her work as a call girl with her work for the LAPD, she has said, "I would rather be a whore (an outcast from society) than to work for
4624-652: Was out of proportion for the actions for which Almodovar was convicted. Muñoz imposed a sentence of three years' probation. In December 1985, the Los Angeles County District Attorney's office filed an appeal with the California State Court of Appeals, which overturned the sentence imposed by Muñoz and sent Almodovar to the California Institution for Women to serve the mandatory three years required by
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