1. Find your love for wheels. Two wheels, that is. Singular, a magazine for happily single people, is organizing a Valentine’s Day Beginner’s Mountain Bike Ride in the L.A. area. Bike 5-6 miles through the Sullivan Canyon in Brentwood on Valentine’s Day from 10 am to 1 pm. Plus, Singular magazine can be a great Valentine’s Day gift for all your happily single friends.

2. Make art for the environment’s sake. Clear your Saturday night for Lucent L’Amour, an annual “visionary lovefest” with art exhibits, bands, and other live performances happening this year at the Shrine in Los Angeles. In the midst of all the entertainment will be Lighting in a Paintcan, when 20 live painters will create art pieces with used and recycled paint. A silent auction during the event lets attendees bid on the pieces — with the proceeds going to buy art and music supplies for local underfunded schools. Support eco-art and a future generation of local musicians and artists too, while enjoying the lovely spectacle.

3. Lust after free fair trade yummies. WorldofGood.com’s giving away 15 fair trade gift baskets — worth $98 each — filled with a handmade bear, chocolates, cocoa, and candles. To win, all you have to do is reveal who you’re going to give the gift basket to and why in 75 words or less.

Winners will be judged on a “variety of factors including, but not limited to, originality, humor, sincerity and/or desperation” — so a humorous note about why you sincerely deserve to eat the entire gift basket yourself could work. Enter by Feb. 7 — and even if you don’t win, you’ll get a coupon for $10 off a $25 purchase of fair trade goodies from WorldofGood.com.

4. Embrace public transit and celebrate Valentine’s Day a few days early by taking the bus or train to the Move LA Valentine Celebration. The local pro public transit nonprofit is raising funds while celebrating car-free travel in L.A. with music from KCRW’s Tom Schnabel, live music from Latin salsa band Opa Opa, and more. The party begins Thurs., Feb. 11 from 6 pm – 10 pm at The Center at Cathedral Plaza, 555 W. Temple St., Los Angeles. $50 gets you in.

5. Spread the handmade love. Why buy a single Valentine for one person when you can get bargain package deals on Etsy for all your lovers? At the L.A.-based Marmoset shop, get a pair ($4) — or quartet ($8) — of handmade Valentines crafted with upcycled and reclaimed paper to send to everyone you love — in post-consumer recycled brown kraft envelopes, of course.

6. Have a crayon heart. Want little gifts to go with those cards? An instructables member who goes by Some Art Mama’s put up photo-illustrated, step-by-step instructions for turning old crayons into pretty little hearts. Collect old crayons and a few simple supplies — and a little messy work later, and your homemade, eco-friendly, pretty-as-well-as-useful gifts will be ready.

7. Find love for your glove. Lost a glove? Find your widowed glove a mate by sending it in to Glove Love, a cute little initiative by a green website called Do The Green Thing that pairs up single gloves with sorta-matching partners. Jasmin Chua at Ecouterre calls it a “matchmaking service for lovelorn mitts.” You can also buy a pair of pre-loved, mix-and-matched Glove Love gloves for £5.

The bad news: As you may have guessed from the “£,” Glove Love’s in the U.K. A closer-to-home green glove idea’s to plan a Valentine’s Day clothing swap — that includes lonely accessories like single earrings and gloves, or if you’re bold, shoes — to mix-and-match or upcycle.

8. Get green bling. Have too much room in your jewelry box after upcycling the earrings sans partners? Keep your shopping eco-friendly by opting for recycled and ethically-sourced jewelry. I love my Peace Love Earth recycled sterling silver necklace from Annatarian (right, $60), and have my eye on a recycled Silver Butterfly Pendant from Brilliant Earth ($50). Of course, buying pre-loved jewelry is an even greener option — so don’t forget about my guide to pre-loved fashion shopping in Santa Monica!

9. Give with chocolate. Yes, that “with” is supposed to be there, because why would you give chocolate to others when you can eat the perfectly delicious stuff yourself? Okay — Nicobella’s organic fair trade vegan dark chocolate truffles (my review here) come in a pack of six, so sharing does actually come easy — but purchase a $27 duet pack of these and $2 will be donated to help the victims of Haiti through the Happy Hearts Fund, thus letting give with your chocolate while eating it too.

Get the pack by emailing nichole@nicobellaorganics.com or calling 609.792.5231. Fair trade chocolate, by the way, also gives chocolate producers a fairer share of the profits from the money you spent on the delectable desserts.

10. Write a love poem. The Valentine Peace Project collects poems about peace and love, written by individuals who want to share peace and love. Anyone can write a poem to contribute to the project, whether online or in their neighborhoods.

Photos via marmoset/Etsy, Do the Green Thing, Nicobella, Singular, WorldofGood.com

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There’s a RiteAid next door I visit on occasion, and about the only green products I’ve found there are Green & Blacks organic chocolate bars — a somewhat bittersweet benefit of the fact that Green & Blacks was bought up by choco-giant Cadbury, which has recently been bought up by Kraft. Only one Green & Blacks’ flavor, however is currently fair trade certified, which means that as a general supporter of fair trade and its certification system, I’ve tasted a lot more of the orange-flavored, fair trade-certified Maya Gold bar than any of the other flavors I’ve wanted to try.

That’s about to change. Late last month, Green & Blacks announced that it would switch to fair trade ingredients for all its products worldwide. In the U.S., Green & Blacks chocolate bars will start being made with fair trade certified ingredients mid-year. Expect to see fair trade certification logos on 100% of Green & Blacks chocolate bars in the U.S. by the end of this year!

Green & Blacks’ move to fair trade may seem like a brand new initiative, especially to those who’ve thought the company’s single fair trade certified product showed only a token commitment to ethical sourcing. In fact, the story’s a lot more complicated. Green & Blacks’ Maya Gold bar was actually the first fair trade certified product in the U.K., but apparently the choco company had a fallout of sorts with Fairtrade Federation, the certifying organization for fair trade products in the U.K.

Craig Sams, one of the founders of Green & Blacks, goes into more detail about Green & Black’s history with fair trade certification in a 2006 interview on City Hippy. There, Craig says Green & Blacks’ commitment to fair trade practices has never wavered:

We have never changed the way we do business. We always pay fair prices, deal with democratic cooperatives, support our growers with long term contracts, give them cash up front if they need it to pay the cooperative members, help them on maintaining organic standards.

In the same interview, Craig goes on to say that the conflicts Green & Blacks had with Fairtrade Federation happened “several years ago and I think that things have changed and are changing.” Apparently, things have changed enough to reunite the choco company with the fair trade nonprofit now.

This is good news for last minute Valentine’s Day shoppers who’ll be able to grab soon-to-be-fair-trade-certified Green & Blacks bars at pretty much every store near them, though I’m guessing some hardcore eco-ethical foodies will still be loath to buy anything owned by Kraft. Will you be buying more Green & Blacks chocolates?

Earlier:
>> Consumerism and its discontents: The Eco-shopper’s Dilemma
>> When non-eco companies have more-eco products than eco companies

And earlier chocolatey posts:
>> Equal Exchange’s new bars: Dark pleasures for eco-ethical chocoholics
>> nicobella vegan organic chocolate truffles: Decadence with antioxidants
>> Where to get fair trade chocolate in Los Angeles
>> Give me a break of that fair trade Kit Kat bar?

Photo by Quasimime

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The greenest green tea I’ve tasted is also the tastiest! Zhena’s Gypsy Tea’s line of biodynamic green teas will meet every environmentalist’s green criteria — and satisfy every tea drinker’s taste buds too, if my friends’ reactions are any indication.

I invited some friends over for chocolates and tea earlier this week — and the Zhena’s Caramelized Pear biodynamic green tea drew oohs and aahs. The tea’s mix of fruity flavor with rich caramel goodness — derived from organic pears and sugar cane — makes it a deliciously fragrant green tea, no sugar required!

Zhena’s tea also beats out all other green teas I’ve seen yet on environmental criteria. The yummy brew’s not only organic certified but also Demeter certified as biodynamic — and fair trade certified for its ethical labor practices too!

And the tea looks beautiful too, delicately couched in pretty corn silk sachets — that are, of course, GMO-free and biodegradable — though loose-leaf tea fans may rue that even eco-friendlier unsacheted versions aren’t available — at least not yet.

The biodynamic teas are available in xxx flavors: Black Forest Berry, Blueberry Vanilla, Kiwi Peach, Mango Ginger, and my pick, Caramelized Pear. Discerning tea drinkers can buy Zhena’s biodynamic green teas in many stores and online at Zhena’s webstore. A recyclable tin of 15 tea sachets costs $9.99.

Top photo via Zhena’s Gypsy Tea; bottom photo by Siel

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The much boycotted megacorp Nestle’s come out with a green announcement: Its Kit Kat bars will be made with fair trade chocolate — in the UK — come mid-January.

The announcement comes after Cadbury decided last year to make its milk chocolate bars with fair trade chocolate — also just in the UK, though the ethical commitment will expand to Canada, New Zealand and Australia this year. No news of when similar conversions will happen with the bars in the U.S.

The fair trade Kit Kat actually isn’t Nestle’s first foray into the fair trade chocolate market. Back in 2006, L’Oreal — which was more than a quarter owned by Nestle — bought up The Body Shop. The Body Shop at that time owned 14% of Day Chocolate Company, which makes Divine chocolate, Dubble bars, and Co-operative Group’s brand of fair trade chocolate. But soon afterwards, The Body Shop handed back its stake in Day Chocolate to Kuapa Kokoo, the cocoa co-op that helped found the brand, making Nestle fair trade chocolate-less again until now.

More long-term, Nestle’s been in the fair trade coffee marketwith its Partner’s Blend instant coffee, which debuted in the UK in 2005 to much confusion and gnashing of teeth among fair trade activists.

Why such controversy when Nestle seemed to be moving in a fairer direction? Nestle started greenwashing itself as an eco-ethical company, never mind that the megacorp’s one of the major culprits that created the coffee crisis to begin with — and that its Partner’s Blend made up less than .1% of Nestle’s coffee imports.

Similar controversy’s brewing around the new fair trade Kit Kats, since Nestle’s also known as one of the major culprits that allow for unfair labor practices in the cocoa industry. While many activists remain rightly skeptical about Nestle’s choice to create a single fair trade chocolate product, the Kit Kat case is pretty different from the Partners’ Blend case, since Nestle’s making fair trade a very popular product already on the market with a huge distribution, versus launching a new niche token product.

Earlier:
>> Where to find fair trade chocolate in Los Angeles
>> nicobella vegan organic chocolate truffles: Decadence with antioxidants
>> Equal Exchange’s new bars: Dark pleasures for eco-ethical chocoholics

In other fair trade news:

>> Educators: Social justice nonprofit Global Exchange’s planning a National Valentine’s Day of Action to teach kids about fair trade. After all, kids shouldn’t let other kids do slave labor to make candy.

>> Green business students: Interested in starting a fair trade business? Apply for a scholarship to go to the 2010 Fair Trade Futures Conference, happening in Sept. 10-12 in in Boston, Mass.

Photo via Nestle UK

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Chocolate lovers: Look forward to indulging in 2010 with two new organic and fair trade bars from Equal Exchange. Well known for helping to pioneer the fair trade movement in the U.S., Equal Exchange is ever-expanding — this time with an Orange Dark Chocolate bar and Panama Extra Dark Chocolate bar.

Read through the all-organic ingredient list, and you’ll notice these yummies are made with simple, recognizable ingredients with no weird additives or synthetic stuff. The Orange Dark Chocolate’s got a powerful fruity kick in its 65% cacao content bar while the Panama Extra Dark Chocolate, with a very high 80% cacao content, is a dark chocolate lover’s dream.

As with all Equal Exchange products, these chocolate bars are made via fairer partnerships with small farmer-owned co-operatives. The fair trade chocolate comes from the Dominican Republic, Panama, and Peru, the fair trade sugar from Paraguay and Costa Rica, and fair trade vanilla from Madagascar.

Honestly, I’m more of a milk chocolate girl — so while I enjoyed the Orange Dark Chocolate, I found the Panama Extra Dark Chocolate a bit too intense. If you’re a dark chocolate person though, I strongly encourage you to give this bar a try! And of course, Equal Exchange has other yummy chocolate bars — some of which friends and I tried out at a choco tasting party. More expert, less alcohol-tainted reviews of those bars can be found on Cybele’s Candyblog.

You can find Equal Exchange chocolate bars — and coffee, tea, and other snacks — at Whole Foods stores, many neighborhood co-op stores, and online at Equal Exchange’s web store. Each bar costs $4.25.

Photos via Equal Exchange

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Eating local’s great — except when you need a caffeine kick or chocolate fix. That’s where fair trade treats come in! Here’s a short holiday gift list of newish decadent fair trade and organic edibles that’ll make you drool:

For the vegan chocoholic: nicobella vegan organic chocolate truffles. Looking for chocolates with health benefits and antioxidant powers? nicobella truffles are packed with good-for-you ingredients like blueberries, green tea, and flax seeds — all covered in delicious 70% dark chocolate and slightly sweetened with agave nectar and brown rice syrup.

The decadent truffles come in a set of six — Walnut Flaxseed Crunch, Blueberry Almond, Ginger Green Tea, Pure Cocoa Bliss, Sunflower Banana, and Pumpkin Chai — in a recyclable paper box made from FSC-certified paper. Get a box at fair trade, organic chocolatier Theo for $13.20.

For the cookie monster from New England: Taste of New England Gift Basket. Miss home? Comfort yourself with a cookie fix from Dancing Deer, a women-led natural baking company that’s teamed up with fair trade company Equal Exchange to create yummy gift baskets featuring fair trade goodies alongside local treats.

I haven’t tried Dancing Deer’s cookies myself, but the molasses clove cookies, shortbread cookies, and brownies look delicious. The basket also comes with fair trade Equal Exchange Rooibos Tea, which I have tried, plus raw local honey from Boston Honey Co. and trail mix from local nut shop Fastachi — all delivered in a seagrass basket for $59.95. A large basket — which adds on more baked goods plus fair trade coffee and chocolate — costs $99.95.

For the treehugging caffeine addict: Arbor Day Specialty Coffee. You won’t be sacrificing taste for eco-altruism with the Arbor Day Blend;  Coffee Review gave this brew a 92 rating! Enjoy a cuppa with the happy knowledge that the proceeds from this triple certified coffee — organic , fair trade, and Smithsonian Bird-Friendly — goes directly to the Arbor Day Foundation’s Rain Forest Rescue Program to preserve rain forests.

Addicted? Join the Coffee Club, which will send you a 10-ounce bag plus an Arbor Day mug for $6.95 — with two more bags sent every four weeks  at $8.95 per bag. Earlier: 3 Tasty, triple-certified coffees — all with an extra 4th cause with a kick.

Photos via Thoe, Dancing Deer, Arbor Day

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Today marks not only Halloween, but also the last day of Fair Trade Month. Thus, here are 3 tasty coffees that are not only all triple certified — but have an additional little story to make you feel good about what you’re drinking while jolting you awake  too.

Arbor Day Specialty Coffee. Here’s a coffee literal treehuggers will adore. Yes, it’s organic certified, fair trade certified, and Smithsonian Bird-Friendly certified — but the eco-goodness doesn’t stop there. The proceeds from this coffee go directly to the Arbor Day Foundation’s Rain Forest Rescue Program to preserve rain forests.

In fact, according to the foundation, a single cup of this coffee will preserve more than two square feet of rainforest! The coffee’s grown by the ISMAM Co-op in Tapachula, Chiapas in Mexico. Take the online tour to see how the coffee gets from the sustainable forest to your cup.

Eco-altruism tastes good too. Coffee Review gave the Arbor Day Blend a 92 rating — and having tried the yummy coffee myself, I’m seriously considering buying a membership to Coffee Club. That would get me a 10-ounce bag plus an Arbor Day mug for $6.95 — with two more bags sent every four weeks  at $8.95 per bag. You can also just buy a single 10-ounce bag for $8.95 if you want to try out the coffee for yourself — or commit to the 5-pound bulk bag if you’d like to reduce packaging and shipping costs.

Little Feet Coffee. Athletes and sports fans — This coffee’s for you. If you’ve got fond memories of playing in Little League or other kid sports teams, here’s your chance to give a little kid with fewer privileges a taste of the fun opportunities you got. Buy your morning brew from Little Feet Coffee Company, and you’ll be helping to deliver soccer balls to underprivileged kids around the world.

The tasty coffee — which Coffee Review rated an 88 — is also impeccably eco-ethical, since it’s shade-grown by the Las Capucas Cooperative in Honduras and organic, fair trade, and Rainforest Alliance-certified. But it’s the soccer story that’s really heartwarming. Yes, there is a girls’ team!

I discovered Little Feed Coffee at Whole Foods, where a 12-ounce bag (also available online) costs $12. Right now, you can also get a bag of coffee with a soccer ball for $30. A monthly subscription program’s also available, though it doesn’t really save you money (12 ounces of coffee for $13.95 every  month including shipping).

Caffe Ibis’ Cafe Femenino. Feminists who want to help underprivileged women succeed economically should brew this coffee as their morning pick me up. The Cafe Femenino Coffee Project’s “a social program for women coffee producers in rural communities around the world,” giving women economic power in what tends to be a male-dominated profession in male-centric places.

Cafe Femenino coffee’s actually roasted and sold by a number of eco-ethical companies — but Caffe Ibis, whose founder I met a few years ago, adds a triple-certified element to the mix. As you can tell by the name of the company, Caffee Ibis is all about birds — and offers a whole list of triple certified coffees — organic, fair trade, and Smithsonian Bird Friendly certified — to prove its feather-friendly commitment.

Caffe Ibis’ Cafe Femenino coffee’s grown by woman-owned and operated farms in Peru. Get it online at $9.99 for a 12-ounce bag — or in bulk at Co-opportunity for less.

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Confused as to what all these certifications mean? Here’s a quick guide:

>> Organic certification, whose guidelines in the U.S. are set by the USDA, basically ensures that dangerous pesticides weren’t used in growing the coffee. Yes, there are many legitimate controversies about whether or not these standards are tough enough.

>> Fair Trade certification for coffee, provided in the U.S. by nonprofit TransFair USA, ensures that the coffee’s grown by cooperative farms that receive a more economically sustainable price for their coffee and a social premium to invest in farmers’ communities. Again, yes, there are many legitimate controversies about whether or not these standards are high enough. Some activists are pushing for higher minimum fair trade coffee prices, others for more co-op centric standards (tea producers, for ex, don’t have to be organized into co-ops).

>> Smithsonian Bird Friendly certification ensures that the coffee’s not only organic but also shade-grown — with the money from certification fees going towards funding bird research. Word on the street is that this is one of the most expensive certification seals to get — though also one of the most rewarding for bird and rain forest lovers.

>> Rainforest Alliance Certification provides some environmental guarantees — but tends to be controversial as it makes vague economic and environmental promises without actually guaranteeing price premiums for farmers. While Rainforest Alliance certification helps some companies make greener steps, the certification program is often criticized for helping greenwash some of the biggest, most abusive corporations (Chiquita, Dole, Kraft) that refuse to commit to more stringent standards demanded by other certifications.

Earlier:

>> 6-step program for the caffeine-addicted

>> Shade grown backgrounder

Images via Arbor Day Foundation, Little Feet, and Caffe Ibis

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Vegan chocoholics don’t neet to get their fix from mercury-laced, high-fructose corn syrupy Hershey’s stuff. Behold this beautiful box of nicobella vegan organic dark chocolate truffles!

Look at nicobella truffles’ ingredient list, and you’ll notice there are no strange, unpronounceable ingredients in there. In fact, the truffles are full of ingredients known for their antioxidant power — from blueberries to green tea to ginger!

Created by dietitian, nutritionist and yoga instructor Nichole Dandrea, nicobella truffles are made with 70% dark chocolate — fair trade, of course — and slightly sweetened with agave nectar and brown rice syrup. Open the package and you’ll be able to identify the flavor of each truffle by the decorative garnish. The Ginger Green Tea truffle (right), for example, is sprinkled with a green tea powder; the Blueberry Almond truffle has a piece of almond pressed onto a corner.

How do the truffles taste? My favorite of the six is the most crunchy-sounding of the bunch: Walnut Flaxseed Crunch. This decadent truffle had a perfect nutty creaminess — full of Omega-3s, to boot. I also loved the Pumpkin Chia truffle, which tasted like a rich, flavorful pie covered in chocolate, and the Ginger Green Tea truffle, which had a fierce ginger kick that made it the most intense of the six.

I did find the Pure Cocoa Bliss and Blueberry Almond truffles a tad bland — and I actually disliked the Sunflower Banana Butter truffle, which tasted oddly like a low-carb energy bar. But since I generally dislike most truffles in any given variety box, nicobella truffles box scored higher than most for me!

I’m hoping nicobella will start offering boxes with just one type of truffle — in which case I’d order boxes containing just the Walnut Flaxseed Crunch — or mix-and-match options — in which case I’d still order boxes containing just the Walnut Flaxseed Crunch (Yes, I often eat the same breakfast every day too — I’m a creature of habit).

Because nicobella truffles come in an attractive, plastic-free package — made from FSC-certified paper, no less — a box makes a fantastically pretty gift for your favorite eco-chocoholic, vegan or not! nicobella’s Pasadena’s based, but sells its creations through Theo Chocolates in Washington. A box of six truffles costs $15.

Top photo by Siel; bottom photo via nicobella

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Always get your produce at the farmers’ market or through a local CSA? Soon, it’ll be time to deal with that morning caffeine habit too. October’s Fair Trade Month, where we all become extra appreciative of imported luxuries like chocolate and coffee — begotten eco-ethical style.

Never quite understood all the nitty gritties of fair trade? This month you can get an easy crash course, thanks to TransFair USA, the nonprofit that certifies fair trade products for the U.S. market. For Fair Trade Month 2009, TransFair USA’s put together a campaign called “31 Days, 31 Ways” at fairtrademonth.org. Each day in October, the Fair Trade Month site will feature a new fair trade facts — plus coupons, giveaways, and discounts for fair trade products.

This month’s also a chance for you to get involved with local fair trade activists in your ‘hood. After all, a fair trade coffee break’s more fun with like-minded friends. Lots of local events are planned across the nation too; just check out the events calendar to find out what’s happening near you!

If you’re in L.A., Fair Trade Month begins a little early! Local group Fair Trade Los Angeles is holding a “Making Your Holiday Faire More Fair” (PDF) workshop on Sept. 17, 7 pm – 9 pm to bring Angelenos up to speed on both local and global aspects of fair trade — plus offer practical tips for fair trade holiday shopping, including a chance to shop from local fair trade vendors. The workshop happens at St. Monica’s Auditorium, 725 California Ave., Santa Monica. To RSVP for the free event — or to get more info — call 213.637.7560.

Image via fairtrademonth.org

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Coffee addicts in downtown L.A.: Get thee to Lot 44 Coffee, if you haven’t already.

Whether you’re an eco-ethical activist who won’t sip anything but fair trade, organic coffee — or a simple hedonist in need of a caffeine kick — or an artist with a conscience — Lot 44’s got you covered.

Fair trade, organic coffee? Check. Local artist showcases? Check. Organic sandwiches and wraps? Check.

I first stopped by Lot 44 during Downtown Art Walk — and loved the coffee shop’s commitment to environmental and social justice causes — despite the fact that the shop didn’t bother to hire a copyeditor to correctly communicate said commitment to the customers.

Case in point: Lot 44’s got an informative poster about its eco-ethical commitments to “free trade” (right) — but I’m quite certain that whoever wrote said poster actually meant fair trade….

Coffee-enthusiasts will love Lot 44, regardless of the eco-ethical angle. Each cup of coffee gets made individually — which means both a wide selection for your cuppa and a tasty fresh brew. If you’re hungry, you can nosh on organic wraps and sandwiches by Urban Green — or locally-made cupcakes and pastries.

Lot 44 Coffee. 257 S. Spring St., Ste. 115, Los Angeles. 213.626.4646.

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