cannabisnews.com: Life in The Suburbs, Where The Grass Is Greener










  Life in The Suburbs, Where The Grass Is Greener

Posted by CN Staff on September 01, 2006 at 11:39:40 PT
By Alessandra Stanley 
Source: New York Times 

USA -- When “Weeds” began on Showtime it was a “Queer as Folk” for the illegal drug trade, a dark comedy that depicted suburban marijuana use as boldly and matter-of-factly as the previous series did the sexual practices of gay men. Crime is never as illicit as sex on American television, so there was not nearly as much outrage over the mischievous portrait of a suburban soccer mom who deals pot to make ends meet. But it was nevertheless a remarkable feat: no other series, not even on HBO, has been quite so nonchalant about the discreet charm of the pot-smoking bourgeoisie.
“Weeds” turned out to be an irreverent and absorbing nighttime soap opera, a “Desperate Housewives” for smart people. It still is. Yet the second season is trying harder for what Showtime’s advertising campaign coyly calls “buzz.” When it began, “Weeds” was careful not to laugh out loud at its own jokes; three episodes into the second season, the series is straining for shock value and guffaws. The two female leads, played with delicious subtlety by Mary-Louise Parker and Elizabeth Perkins, are in danger of becoming caricatures, while some of the supporting characters are being pushed into the realm of Cheech and Chong. Sentiment and satire are hard to mix, which is why similar shows like “Nip/Tuck” or even “Desperate Housewives” wilt or labor in their second and third seasons. Drama is much easier. A procedural crime show like “Law & Order” is like paddle tennis — as long as the ball is hit in a steady, predictable pattern, the rally can last indefinitely. Series that blend farce and drama (television executives call them “dramedies”) are harder to pull off. They are like those old-fashioned puzzles where the player has to tilt the tiny steel balls just right to make them slip into all the holes at once.The appeal of Nancy (Ms. Parker), who turns to dealing to maintain her family’s affluent lifestyle in a sterile suburban development called Agrestic, is that she has to balance illegal activities with an Erma Bombeck existence: PTA meetings, housekeepers and nosy neighbors. Her motive for turning to crime to stay in a soulless community where neither she nor her children were happy was always hazy, but that was blunted by the charm of Ms. Parker’s performance. As Nancy sinks deeper and deeper into the drug business, she becomes harder to follow. The pathology of a mother who would put her children at so much risk overshadows her spacey, low-key charisma.Nancy’s brittle best friend, Celia, is to “Weeds” what Ari Gold is to “Entourage,” an outré secondary character who steals every scene. Ms. Perkins layered Celia’s tartness and self-absorption with a knowing sadness, and it made her irresistible. This season, she is reduced to deadpan cracks about her daughter’s weight and her husband’s weakness; the lines are funny but increasingly predictable. Her daughter refuses to put on a pretty dress for a campaign poster, saying, “Dick Cheney has a lesbian daughter who is gay.” Celia retorts, “Yeah, and she’s not in any of the pictures, either.” She adds, overworking the joke, “And I didn’t shoot anyone in the face, so stop making comparisons.” The series’ sendup of suburbia is quietly caustic: the housewives attend stripper fitness class, Celia’s daughter is recruited to model for a children’s clothing line called “Huskaroos,” and a western theme restaurant sends customers home with tinfoil doggy bags in the shape of a cactus. Nancy’s hapless business partners form an amusing ensemble, led by Kevin Nealon as Doug, the pothead C.P.A. and City Council member. Nancy’s brother-in-law, Andy (Justin Kirk), a charming ne’er-do-well and parasite, is desperate to get into rabbinical school to avoid Army Reserve duty in Iraq. Struggling to compose an essay on what Judaism means to him, Andy complains, “So far I’ve written that being a Jew means I have no foreskin and I may be a Tay-Sachs carrier.”Some jokes are tapped too many times, particularly the awkward tension between white suburbia and the urban black community. “Weeds” didn’t shrink from casting the series’ only African-American characters as drug dealers, and it moved quickly and confidently beyond stereotypes, particularly in the case of Conrad (Romany Malco), Nancy’s partner in crime and the nephew of the sharp-tongued black matriarch, Heylia (Tonye Patano). But one of the recurring themes — the contempt Heylia holds for middle-class meekness — has been spread to too many other characters. Heylia acquires a suitor who is a strict follower of the Nation of Islam and who nonetheless reins in his militancy in front of his white customers at the airport lost-luggage desk. Conrad seeks a bank loan from a friend from the old neighborhood who also turns mealy-mouthed around his white co-workers. Even Nancy’s brief tussle with a black employee at the power company has a similar dynamic to her relationship with Heylia; the clerk is harsh and dismissive until Nancy stops apologizing and sasses her right back. “Weeds” is still an outstanding show, but it would be better if it didn’t push so hard to stand out. WEEDSShowtime, Mondays at 10 p.m., Eastern and Pacific times; 9 p.m., Central time.Jenji Kohan, creator and executive producer; Roberto Benabib and Craig Zisk, co-executive producers; Mark A. Burley, Shawn Schepps and Devon K. Shepard, supervising producers; Matthew Salsberg, producer; Barry Safchif, Michael Platt and Paul Cajero, co-producers; Michael Trim, director of photography; David Helfand and William Turro, editors. Produced by Lionsgate in association with Tilted Productions.WITH: Mary-Louise Parker (Nancy Botwin), Elizabeth Perkins (Celia Hodes), Kevin Nealon (Doug Wilson), Justin Kirk (Andy Botwin), Tonye Patano (Heylia James), Romany Malco (Conrad Shepard), Martin Donovan (Peter Scottson), Hunter Parrish (Silas Botwin), Alexander Gould (Shane Botwin), Andy Milder (Dean Hodes), Renée Victor (Lupita), Isabelle Hodes (Allie Grant), Indigo (Vaneeta), Maulik Pancholy (Sanjay), Shoshannah Stern (Megan Beals) and Meital Dohan (Yael).Complete Title: Life in the Suburbs, Where the Grass Is a Little Greener Source: New York Times (NY)Author: Alessandra StanleyPublished: September 1, 2006Copyright: 2006 The New York Times CompanyContact: letters nytimes.comWebsite: http://www.nytimes.com/Related Articles & Web Sites:Showtime's Weedshttp://www.sho.com/site/weeds/Weeds Musichttp://www.sho.com/site/weeds/music.doWeeds on MySpace.comhttp://www.myspace.com/weedsonshowtime'Weeds' Grows an Alluring Plothttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread22067.shtmlFind a Way To Watch Showtime's 'Weeds'http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread22066.shtml

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Comment #41 posted by FoM on September 03, 2006 at 21:13:56 PT
AP: Aspiring 'Biotown' Gets Visit From CSNY
September 3, 2006By Associated PressREYNOLDS, Ind. — Tour buses carrying members of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young stopped in a northern Indiana town to support turning it into "Biotown USA." The rock group, whose touring vehicles have used alternative fuels for six years, made a detour Saturday on their Freedom of Speech '06 tour to visit the town. 
The buses pulled into a new gasoline station in Reynolds that sells alternative fuels and filled up on B-20 -- a mixture of 20 percent biodiesel and 80 percent diesel fuel. Footage was shot during the stop for a VH1 documentary. "This is a beginning, a start," Graham Nash said. "Someone has to lead us out of this dark hole of dependence on foreign oil." Bandmate David Crosby agreed. "I think it's much better to produce our fuel here and give our money to American farmers then it is to send it to Saudi Arabia where they don't even like us," Crosby said. State officials hope to break ground in November on a $10 million "technology suite," a privately funded center that will house equipment needed to turn everything from municipal trash to farm waste, hog manure and even town sewage into energy. Copyright: 2006 Associated Presshttp://www.calendarlive.com/music/sns-ap-people-csny,0,1900456.story?coll=cl-music-features
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Comment #40 posted by FoM on September 03, 2006 at 20:58:38 PT
Oops
I posted my last comment on the wrong thread. greenmed, I'm glad those pictures worked for you.
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Comment #39 posted by FoM on September 03, 2006 at 20:57:17 PT
What is a Good Pastor?
I had a really good Pastor one time. He just was kind and listened and spoke his mind but he wasn't critical. It's politics and religion that cause this problem. Not everyone wants to be guided by a church or doctrine. What about people who don't believe in God? Don't they have a right to be able to think for themselves as long as their actions don't hurt anyone?
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Comment #38 posted by greenmed on September 03, 2006 at 20:38:28 PT
FoM
Yes! That works for me ... Peace signs and the Canadian flag ... Thanks!
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Comment #37 posted by greenmed on September 03, 2006 at 20:35:08 PT
potpal
It's good to know the Braemar is still there. I didn't care much for the management, but the residents and visitors were fun, and I made good friends there, if only for the summer.Phillips is an institution - it'll probably be there forever (well, maybe not literally:) I never went crabbing, but heard that one could simply throw a string with bait on it into the bay-side and just pull them in.The boardwalk looks as crowded as ever! Thanks for the link.
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Comment #36 posted by FoM on September 03, 2006 at 20:32:02 PT
greenmed
I never had a computer last that long. That's amazing. Maybe these pictures will work on a lady's web site called Rusted Sister.http://rustedsister.smugmug.com/gallery/1760997/1/87317394
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Comment #35 posted by greenmed on September 03, 2006 at 20:25:59 PT
FoM - re. concert photos
It's too bad but I'm unable to view the concert photos. My new pc is not yet supported by flashplayer, and my older pc needs upgrades (which won't install on a 10 year-old pc) in order to install flashplayer. So, it seems I'm out of luck for now:(I'll try a friend's pc to see if that works.The lesson I've learned: upgrade more often than once every 10 years.
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Comment #34 posted by FoM on September 03, 2006 at 19:57:22 PT

Potpal
Here is the link to the map you posted. Because it threw the page off I'll shorten it and I used the Tiny URL. I hope you don't mind.http://tinyurl.com/k7wr5
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Comment #33 posted by potpal on September 03, 2006 at 19:35:57 PT

OCMD
Ah, The Braemar...still there.
http://www.google.com/mapsI actually vacationed in Wildwood NJ as a boy. First 3 weeks in August, best times of my life. Found OCMD in my 30s. See OC...
http://www.oceancitycam.com/ Phillips is still packing them in. How many crabs are there? I caught 4 crabs this week and munched on 'em with a piece of corn and a salad. Can't imagine living far from the sea. In me blood, matie.Cheers.
Cheers. 

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Comment #32 posted by afterburner on September 03, 2006 at 13:43:13 PT

FoM
You have mail.
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Comment #31 posted by FoM on September 03, 2006 at 11:04:17 PT

CSNY Indiana Tour Pictures
http://www.csny.com/photos/23
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Comment #30 posted by FoM on September 03, 2006 at 09:05:07 PT

greenmed
It's a Dream is my favorite song on Prairie Wind. Ever since we saw Greendale I have been collecting Neil Young's music and DVDs. I read on LWW Today that because LWW is still on the charts they are holding back a new NY release. I have a 25 disc CD player and all but about 3 are his. Heart of Gold is a beautiful DVD too. I know it is said the Bob Dylan is the top songwriter and Neil is second but I think Neil is better then Dylan and I like Dylan. Neil lives in the moment and that's what is great. 
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Comment #29 posted by greenmed on September 03, 2006 at 08:50:46 PT

FoM
I'm glad you both were able to catch the show. "Prairie Wind" is on my to-purchase list on the basis of "It's a Dream" alone. It's a beautiful song. My Neil collection is woefully out of date (I don't buy many cds any more) but I'll soon remedy that.
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Comment #28 posted by FoM on September 03, 2006 at 07:45:29 PT

greenmed
We usually don't watch SNL but last night we turned it on and I saw it was Jack Black as the host and remembered he hosted when Neil was on. We watched it and it was nice to see. Thank you for the heads up. Prairie Wind is a beautiful album like Silver and Gold but LWW is fuel for my soul. 
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Comment #27 posted by greenmed on September 02, 2006 at 21:20:20 PT

FoM
SNL is playing a repeat with Neil as guest musician, thought you might want to know. He just finished playing "It's a Dream" which probably means there is one more to go. Your mileage may vary, according to timezone.btw, that's a nice set list - a good mix of old and new songs.G'night.
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Comment #26 posted by FoM on September 02, 2006 at 19:24:32 PT

greenmed
I don't think I would ever want to meet him. I'd drop dead from a heart attack and I want to live a while longer! LOL!All kidding aside we saw Neil two times during the Greendale tour which was great and once in the current tour. He is amazing. I was also impressed with Crosby, Stills and Nash. They are working so very well together. They are doing over 30 songs and that's a lot for 4 men whose combined age I read would be about 250 years. That's a bunch of wisdom in one place at one time. The songs are priceless. Here's the set list from the show we just saw.http://www.csny.com/setlists/08292006
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Comment #25 posted by greenmed on September 02, 2006 at 19:17:38 PT

FoM
The last show of the tour is bound to be a blast. I wish you all the very best time. Neil came to town about five years ago with Dave Matthews and Santana - of course the show sold out in hours. I heard from people who went that Scott Stadium, an outdoor venue primarily for football and that is shaped like a (cereal) bowl, eventually filled with smoke up to the brim! I sat in my backyard and was able to enjoy the show from there -- couldn't hear everything, but I definitely recognized Neil's guitar.If you get to meet him, please let Neil know he's welcome back any time:)
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Comment #24 posted by FoM on September 02, 2006 at 17:25:54 PT

greenmed
We have a big lake a couple of miles from us and we haven't even been to it in years. The boat hasn't been in the water since I don't know when. There always seems to be work to do and no time for much of anything. Afterburner is coming down to go with us to the CSNY tour in Pa. It's the final show and the one in Columbus was packed and it was on a Tuesday night. I am really looking forward to next Sunday. It is an amazing concert tour. 
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Comment #23 posted by greenmed on September 02, 2006 at 17:05:12 PT

FoM
I know the feeling ... feeling hungry just now:) OC is a five-hour drive from Charlottesville, which I could do ten years ago, but since then, no beach-time for greenmed.
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Comment #22 posted by FoM on September 02, 2006 at 16:39:43 PT

greenmed
I am glad we just finish dinner or I'd be so hungry talking about all those good foods. I haven't been to OC Maryland since the early 70s. Once we moved out here we never went back to the ocean. It wasn't far to travel before but now it is.
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Comment #21 posted by greenmed on September 02, 2006 at 16:10:13 PT

FoM
They sure know how to make crab cakes in Maryland. Phillips restaurant was popular among the residents I knew way back when. My favorites though were the chunky fries and waffle cakes on the boardwalk, and pizza from a place in Rehoboth.
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Comment #20 posted by greenmed on September 02, 2006 at 16:02:17 PT

Potpal
I worked one summer at O.C. at the Braemar condos somewhere around 120th St. Sweeping sand and other pointless tasks. Ever since then I've considered myself a local, but haven't been back for many years.Labor Day weekend was the busiest time as I recall.Glad you weathered the storm safely.

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Comment #19 posted by FoM on September 02, 2006 at 15:25:58 PT

potpal
For many years when I was young we vacationed at Ocean City, Maryland in the summer. It was really a fun time. It was so long ago though all I remember are the best crab cakes that I have ever eaten.
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Comment #18 posted by potpal on September 02, 2006 at 15:03:17 PT

The answer
If its blowin' in the wind, we'd have all the answers this morning. Ma nature did a bit of pruning for sure. We needed the rain. Where there's rain, there's riches.Braemar? No I haven't. Any good? 
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Comment #17 posted by greenmed on September 02, 2006 at 14:31:13 PT

Potpal
Are you familiar w/ the Braemar?
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Comment #16 posted by Hope on September 02, 2006 at 12:52:59 PT

Potpal
Good to see you didn't blow away last night!
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Comment #15 posted by greenmed on September 02, 2006 at 11:48:04 PT

Afghani opium
The article says 92% of the world's opium supply is from Afghanistan. Wow. It is a shame the Taliban encourages farmers to grow that crop rather than cannabis. Afghani hashish was renowned as some of the world's finest until Mohammed Zahir Shah, who actively persuaded his farmers' growing of cannabis for hashish production, was overthrown in 1973 (wikipedia).A shift back to hashish production would be harm-reduction of worldwide proportion. The decision is actually in the hands of the U.S. government, whose incorrect position that cannabis is a narcotic maintains its prohibition under the Single Convention treaty:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Single_Convention_on_Narcotic_DrugsUnder the Single Convention, Afghanistan is required to "purchase and take physical possession" of proscribed crops. That of course means U.S. tax dollars are being used to pay out the opium farmers, who in turn "contribute" to the Taliban.It's a vicious cycle. U.S. citizens are funding either the Taliban indirectly, or the destruction of one of the few crops that can be grown, thereby further entrenching hatred of the West and support of the Taliban in traditional farming areas.A fair and open cannabis trade would cut Taliban revenues, reduce worldwide heroin availability, return a respected and traditional crop to Afghani farmers, and save taxpayers' money as well.
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Comment #14 posted by FoM on September 02, 2006 at 10:58:11 PT

Hope
It's raining a little here today but it's a nice slow steady rain and that is good. The news is slow so I'm trying to put my kitchen back together today. It was really chilly when we got up so we have our first fire burning this fall. It took that chill out of the air. Now I'm nice and toasty. Not toasted just toasty! LOL!
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Comment #13 posted by Hope on September 02, 2006 at 10:44:43 PT

No rain here...
Creek didn't rise.
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Comment #12 posted by FoM on September 02, 2006 at 07:38:34 PT

Potpal
I loved Gallagher when he did Stuck in The 60s. He always made me laugh. Have a nice weekend.
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Comment #11 posted by Wayne on September 02, 2006 at 06:24:46 PT

OT again: the evil heroin takes hold
Found this on the AP feed..
Forget Colombia
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Comment #10 posted by potpal on September 02, 2006 at 04:51:23 PT

Gallager
He's been coming here annually for the past half dozen or so years but have yet seen him advertised to appear this one. Here being Ocean City, Maryland...Making corn bread...wake and bake and bake...enjoy the weekend!
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Comment #9 posted by Wayne on September 01, 2006 at 22:04:11 PT

OT: madness!
OK, y'all should have a look at this. The NIDA gave a $1M grant to a guy developing a 'marijuana-like' drug that, for right now, can only be injected into the BRAIN. They'll let them do research on BRAIN INJECTIONS, but not on smoked marijuana. This is just getting ridiculous...and sickening.
I Thought Marijuana Wasn't Medicine....hmmm???
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Comment #8 posted by FoM on September 01, 2006 at 21:43:08 PT

Hope
Glad you liked it. I thought it was funny. I think I saw it before but I wanted to see if Gallagher ever did tours anymore and found the link on his web site. I sure hope the creek doesn't rise. It is rising on parts of the east coast because of all the rain. 
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Comment #7 posted by Hope on September 01, 2006 at 21:21:26 PT

Thanks, FoM.
The odor eaters running away from his feet was the funniest.The creek could rise tonight...but maybe I'll be here tomorrow anyway...God willing.
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Comment #6 posted by FoM on September 01, 2006 at 21:02:44 PT

A Little Humor
Licensed To Pillhttp://www.flowgo.com/index.cfm?action=view&id=12238
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Comment #5 posted by Hope on September 01, 2006 at 20:35:20 PT

Dean Becker was writing a screenplay
about the reform movement and the medical marijuana movement a few years ago. I haven't heard anything about it in quite awhile,now. Doesn't mean he's not still working on it, though.
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Comment #4 posted by sam adams on September 01, 2006 at 15:34:31 PT

Television
When will the day come when we get a movie about the politics of marijuana reform? Sort of like Traffic was for heroin? Just wondering. I'd like to see one that juxtaposes sick people getting beaten down in California with the lying Congressmen in Washington.When you think about it, films that take on American political culture are few and far between. No more "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington" type movies. Or All the Presidents Men.
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Comment #3 posted by westnyc on September 01, 2006 at 15:09:46 PT

It's my favorite; and, that's saying alot!
6 Feet Under finsihed at 5 seasons; and, it is my favorite of the HBO original series. I think they're all terrific. It goes to show.....how good television can actually be, when they don't have to rely on censors. You must see the final episode.....where.....we find-out how each character dies!
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Comment #2 posted by Dankhank on September 01, 2006 at 15:07:56 PT

6 ft under ...
A good show initially, think we started watching something else after a season or two, but liked it. It ran for a few seasons then ended. Only on pay tv ...http://www.hbo.com/sixfeetunder/for more info ...
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Comment #1 posted by potpal on September 01, 2006 at 13:35:45 PT

6 Feet Under
Another HBO series that treats cannabis use as matter of fact and everyday across all lines, everybody smokes pot. Good show, been watching them via library. There be a large gay streak throughout, not that there's anything wrong with that. Each show starts with a death. Dark. Centers on a funeral home. Not even sure if its still on actively or what year they are from, guess I'll look closer. Wonder if my library will get Weeds? Maybe I'll buy the series and donate it to the library, that will ensure I get my money's worth.Gettin' a big blow here today!
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