Halloween Party Ideas?

Sep 9, 2010
294
0
Hey guys, I'm throwing a Halloween party and while I wont be performing, I figured with gimmicks and IT what not I could use some of my materials and stuff and thought you guys might have some ideas for decorations and activities.
It's gonna be teens 13-8 or so, about 15-16 people. I'm a Christian so no tarot cards or oujii boards or anything like that. I got some plastic skulls and stuff to hang and make look like they're floating, and I have
Music im going to play during the party, itll be outside. nothing too cheesy though. So ideas? Fire away
 
Dec 18, 2007
1,610
14
64
Northampton, MA - USA
Ok, first a history lesson or two. . . The Tarot are a Christian creation. Long before the bible saw a printing press the crusaders & Templars used picture cards to teach the lessons of the gospels. These picture cards evolved into the Tarot which ultimately turned into a table GAME called Tarot, which is still popular in much of Europe. In fact, it is normal Playing Cards that are better known for divination type work world wide; the Tarot's popularity being more of an American thing though versions of the Tarot can be found within various cultures. Even at that, it's a relatively recent turn of events.

OUIJA was likewise an outcropping of Christian thinking albeit, the Spiritualist Church. Whether you wish to acknowledge it or not, the tenets of this denomination were based entirely on the Gospel, it's just that they had a bit more than a Holy Spirit helping them learn and do their version of the lords' work. I'll add, that much of the bible itself is, if we go by the descriptions given therein, "Channeled" material a.k.a. automatic writing which is an aspect of the OUIJA type function. The bible is probably one of the best known examples of this while there are numerous bits of scripture and inspirational writing from around the world that is credited to this phenomena.

OH! There is one other point when it comes to the Tarot. . . there are several "parody" decks out there that would probably work well for you and your situation such as the Simpson Tarot, the Peanuts & Doonsbery decks, etc. I think there's a Barbie and My Little Pony deck out as well, so for a whimsical and safe feeling situation you may find these or the old Gypsy Witch Fortune Telling Cards something worth considering. The other "give-away" piece you might thing of is the old Psychic Fish gag. . . you can buy these things for about a dime each or in bulk through companies like Loftus.

Using IT probably isn't wise unless you are actually performing. Use regular black thread or the off the shelf nylon thread sold at most fabric stores so as to keep the better, super thin thread a preserved secret.

If you have an extra TT go out and get yourself a quarter sized clear suction cup that you can glue to the TT. This will allow you to press the suction cup onto things like a drink container or soda can, and make them "float" up and out of your hand. Similarly, you should maybe purchase or simply make your own Static Pour . . . the gag in which you are pouring a drink into a glass but when you remove your hand the glass remains floating in the air as the drink keeps flowing . . . if it's good enough for the Lance Burton show, it should be good enough for your party, don't you think?

Penn & Teller put out a book years back but I can't remember the title; it was filled with simple to do gorish bits perfect for Halloween. Too, if you go on line you can find sources for Ice Cube Trays that make Ice in the shape of brains, skulls, bones, bugs, etc. Same goes with Jello molds and Cake Baking pans. Nothing like a Red-Velvet cup-cake that's skull or brain shape and when you bit into it raspberry jelly oozed out (blood).

Liquorish bugs are an awesome treat, especially if you get the ones that look real. . . you catch a bug. . . say a very large cockroach, and gobble him up . . . get a friend to do the same. Now, bring out a bowl full of them (put a plate lifter into the bottom of the bowl so you can pump it, making the bugs move about when you remove the lid from the bowl). . . this is a sure fire screamer when it comes to young teen-aged girls. . . worms work almost as well.

PK Touches can be done using IT . . . I can't recall the name of the DVD that teaches this method or the guy that made it famous, he's from Israel, but I highly recommend it. At the same time, you can use IT under the suggestion of spider webs. . . when something invisible is felt running over your face or neck it creates a reaction in the first person but with the suggestion of spiders/ bugs the first reaction will spread psychologically and you'll have people waving stuff from their face & shoulder area that's not there as well as those that will swear there's something climbing up their legs. . . it's simply suggestion.

Hope these ideas help get you going.
 
Sep 9, 2010
294
0
Ok, first a history lesson or two. . . The Tarot are a Christian creation. Long before the bible saw a printing press the crusaders & Templars used picture cards to teach the lessons of the gospels. These picture cards evolved into the Tarot which ultimately turned into a table GAME called Tarot, which is still popular in much of Europe. In fact, it is normal Playing Cards that are better known for divination type work world wide; the Tarot's popularity being more of an American thing though versions of the Tarot can be found within various cultures. Even at that, it's a relatively recent turn of events.

OUIJA was likewise an outcropping of Christian thinking albeit, the Spiritualist Church. Whether you wish to acknowledge it or not, the tenets of this denomination were based entirely on the Gospel, it's just that they had a bit more than a Holy Spirit helping them learn and do their version of the lords' work. I'll add, that much of the bible itself is, if we go by the descriptions given therein, "Channeled" material a.k.a. automatic writing which is an aspect of the OUIJA type function. The bible is probably one of the best known examples of this while there are numerous bits of scripture and inspirational writing from around the world that is credited to this phenomena.

OH! There is one other point when it comes to the Tarot. . . there are several "parody" decks out there that would probably work well for you and your situation such as the Simpson Tarot, the Peanuts & Doonsbery decks, etc. I think there's a Barbie and My Little Pony deck out as well, so for a whimsical and safe feeling situation you may find these or the old Gypsy Witch Fortune Telling Cards something worth considering. The other "give-away" piece you might thing of is the old Psychic Fish gag. . . you can buy these things for about a dime each or in bulk through companies like Loftus.

Using IT probably isn't wise unless you are actually performing. Use regular black thread or the off the shelf nylon thread sold at most fabric stores so as to keep the better, super thin thread a preserved secret.

If you have an extra TT go out and get yourself a quarter sized clear suction cup that you can glue to the TT. This will allow you to press the suction cup onto things like a drink container or soda can, and make them "float" up and out of your hand. Similarly, you should maybe purchase or simply make your own Static Pour . . . the gag in which you are pouring a drink into a glass but when you remove your hand the glass remains floating in the air as the drink keeps flowing . . . if it's good enough for the Lance Burton show, it should be good enough for your party, don't you think?

Penn & Teller put out a book years back but I can't remember the title; it was filled with simple to do gorish bits perfect for Halloween. Too, if you go on line you can find sources for Ice Cube Trays that make Ice in the shape of brains, skulls, bones, bugs, etc. Same goes with Jello molds and Cake Baking pans. Nothing like a Red-Velvet cup-cake that's skull or brain shape and when you bit into it raspberry jelly oozed out (blood).

Liquorish bugs are an awesome treat, especially if you get the ones that look real. . . you catch a bug. . . say a very large cockroach, and gobble him up . . . get a friend to do the same. Now, bring out a bowl full of them (put a plate lifter into the bottom of the bowl so you can pump it, making the bugs move about when you remove the lid from the bowl). . . this is a sure fire screamer when it comes to young teen-aged girls. . . worms work almost as well.

PK Touches can be done using IT . . . I can't recall the name of the DVD that teaches this method or the guy that made it famous, he's from Israel, but I highly recommend it. At the same time, you can use IT under the suggestion of spider webs. . . when something invisible is felt running over your face or neck it creates a reaction in the first person but with the suggestion of spiders/ bugs the first reaction will spread psychologically and you'll have people waving stuff from their face & shoulder area that's not there as well as those that will swear there's something climbing up their legs. . . it's simply suggestion.

Hope these ideas help get you going.
Thanks for the info! I wasn't aware of that! I'm planning to use the uber thin but uber strong thread they sell at walmart that's almost like a really thick version of IT, you can't see it if it's in the dark, the plan is to use it to make skulls floating, and maybe if I can find some plastic battery powered candles have them float as well. I actually have a gimmicked TT that works like that, so I can use it probably. Static Pour sounds really cool, and I love the idea of liquorish bugs, that would be awesome and hilarious. And believe it or not I actually found one of those ice brain molds at Target last night, I'm gonna use it in the punch bowl.
 
Oct 20, 2008
273
0
Austin, TX area
OH! There is one other point when it comes to the Tarot. . . there are several "parody" decks out there that would probably work well for you and your situation such as the Simpson Tarot, the Peanuts & Doonsbery decks, etc. I think there's a Barbie and My Little Pony deck out as well, so for a whimsical and safe feeling situation you may find these or the old Gypsy Witch Fortune Telling Cards something worth considering.
There is a "Gummy Bears" deck still floating around Amazon. There is even a Halloween themed deck by Kipling West. Themed decks and parody decks are so common lately that a classic Rider-Waite (Smith) feels hard to find.

Decorations and activities. Wow. I mean, I buy my housewares during this time of year so it's kind of "common knowledge" stuff to me. On the other hand, I almost never entertain at home.

Steve Jackson Games makes some quick and fast dice games: Zombie Dice, Halloween Dice and Cthulhu Dice. They're meant for smaller groups, but it seemed worth mentioning.

Jo-Ann Fabric seems to put their Halloween decorations on the floor at 50% off the stamped price. Most of it is old lady and soccer mom crafts, but you can find good things there too.

Music: My brother DJs on college radio stations, and insists on doing Halloween shows whenever the school lets him. He plays entire not-standard stuff and people will continue to thank him for it months later. You're on a good path by saying "nothing too cheesy."

I would only suggest this part for background music during planned activities. A group called Midnight Syndicate is great for making Halloween background music, and they're a staple of those temporary Halloween stores that pop up every year. Avoid the album "Gates of Delirium" in favor of one of their themed albums. Nox Arcana shows up too, but tend to be more ambient and low-key. You may also want to find the score to any horror movie you enjoy. Just make sure it's the orchestrated score and not the soundtrack. That music was composed to establish a creepy/scary/foreboding sensation.

Once it's time for open socialization you need to ask, "what do your guests like?" If you can offer styles/genres that you would play at a birthday party then maybe we can help meet them halfway there. I could launch into all kinds of off-the-beaten-path Halloween themed music, but it's no good if every girl there wrinkles her nose and curls into a ball. I'm speaking from experience. :D
 
Sep 9, 2010
294
0
There is a "Gummy Bears" deck still floating around Amazon. There is even a Halloween themed deck by Kipling West. Themed decks and parody decks are so common lately that a classic Rider-Waite (Smith) feels hard to find.

Decorations and activities. Wow. I mean, I buy my housewares during this time of year so it's kind of "common knowledge" stuff to me. On the other hand, I almost never entertain at home.

Steve Jackson Games makes some quick and fast dice games: Zombie Dice, Halloween Dice and Cthulhu Dice. They're meant for smaller groups, but it seemed worth mentioning.

Jo-Ann Fabric seems to put their Halloween decorations on the floor at 50% off the stamped price. Most of it is old lady and soccer mom crafts, but you can find good things there too.

Music: My brother DJs on college radio stations, and insists on doing Halloween shows whenever the school lets him. He plays entire not-standard stuff and people will continue to thank him for it months later. You're on a good path by saying "nothing too cheesy."

I would only suggest this part for background music during planned activities. A group called Midnight Syndicate is great for making Halloween background music, and they're a staple of those temporary Halloween stores that pop up every year. Avoid the album "Gates of Delirium" in favor of one of their themed albums. Nox Arcana shows up too, but tend to be more ambient and low-key. You may also want to find the score to any horror movie you enjoy. Just make sure it's the orchestrated score and not the soundtrack. That music was composed to establish a creepy/scary/foreboding sensation.

Once it's time for open socialization you need to ask, "what do your guests like?" If you can offer styles/genres that you would play at a birthday party then maybe we can help meet them halfway there. I could launch into all kinds of off-the-beaten-path Halloween themed music, but it's no good if every girl there wrinkles her nose and curls into a ball. I'm speaking from experience. :D

Wow! Thanks! I love Zombie Dice by the way, Steven Jackson is great, I generally play Munchkin a minimum of two times a month. I really like Midnight Syndicate, just looked them up thanks to you! I also have the Ghostbusters and Monster Mash and Thriller, because are they cheesy? yes, but are they a necessity to me? also yes.xD
 
Dec 29, 2011
703
17
Ok, first a history lesson or two. . .

I've started to really love seeing your posts^

Things like this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AcE6mK54X0I would be cool.

And either of these:
http://www.penguinmagic.com/p/1966
http://www.penguinmagic.com/p/430

Would work really well.

Jay Sankey just released a pack of easy halloween magic to do with a bunch of props, it was limited though and I'm pretty sure its sold out by now. Might be worth looking for though.

I forgot to mention Thread by Wayne Houchin, would be perfect. That or any other geek magic, or even real geek stunts.
 
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American folk lore tells stories of spirits being able to be conjured by use of reflective surfaces such as mirrors. One such popular game is Bloody Mary, or to a lesser degree Candy Man. -Though I believe the Candy Man legend, like that of Slender Man, was a Hollywood created urban legend for the sake of creating a movie franchise. I digress.

Mirror divination has been used for centuries, and can provide some good laughs for your party. Just get five of your friends to go into a bathroom. Turn out the lights and repeat in front of the mirror "Bloody Mary I have your baby." 5 times to 10 times or until something happens. wait. Watch. If done correctly she SHOULD appear in the mirror but be warned. Summoning the dead can upset them and she may try to scratch or break the mirror in order to get out and kill you. Don't worry though... it's just a game... isn't it?

If that doesn't do it for you then I recommend trying one man hide and go seek. You'll need a few things first. Get a soft doll with a plushy body. cut it open and remove the fluff stuffing. Fill the body with rice, and clippings of your own toe nails or a lock of hair. If you really want to do it up right prick your finger and add in a drop or two of blood. sew up the body with red thread. At mid night fill the bathtub with warm water and place the doll inside. Before you do name the doll and then call to it by name telling it: "{Name} We are now playing hide and seek. I am it. " Place it in the water and leave the room. Find another place in the house to hide. Turn on a TV and leave it on a channel with white nose/ static. wait thirty minutes. Return to the doll, pick it up and call it by name telling it : "{name} I have found you! You are the next it. Now find me." then stab it in the chest with a knife, place it back in the tub. Return to your hiding place. Wait. After a length of time has passed return to check on the doll. If it's not in the tub where you left it consider finding a new place to live.

To end the game drain the water from the tub. Tell the doll, calling it by name: "{name} The Game is OVER. " three times. Completely submerse the doll in salt water and then rinse it with cold water there after. Dry the doll out and burn it in a fire. Make sure to completely destroy it.
 
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WitchDocIsIn

Elite Member
Sep 13, 2008
5,877
2,945
I'm not much of a party planner, but those don't really seem like the kinds of things that a light hearted Halloween party is looking for, Draven.

I've always been a fan of telling ghost stories and urban legends and also looking for local haunted places. You can put on Halloween themed movies (scary and not for variety) and have decorations like those above me mentioned. If you decide to use a fog machine make sure it's not on overdrive as it's bothersome to try to socialize in a room full of fake smoke.

I saw a cool decoration concept while helping a friend deliver newspapers the other day. A family had taken one of those huge fake spiders and put it above the gable on their front door, then had some pods made out of that fake spider webbing hanging down in front of it. Fun things like slapping those fake bottle labels from the Spirit store onto soda bottles. Grenadine looks like blood and can be drizzled onto foods/ice cream/into drinks (it's cherry flavored). The Spirit Store also has these skulls that make drinks foam and then leave fake eyeballs floating behind, they're for putting into punch bowls.

I'd say just wander around the various Halloween stores and see if anything seems fun.
 
Sep 1, 2007
3,786
15
American folk lore tells stories of spirits being able to be conjured by use of reflective surfaces such as mirrors. One such popular game is Bloody Mary, or to a lesser degree Candy Man. -Though I believe the Candy Man legend, like that of Slender Man, was a Hollywood created urban legend for the sake of creating a movie franchise. I digress.

Candy Man was indeed a movie invention. Slenderman was a creation from the Something Awful forums in a contest to see who could come up with a new urban legend.

Grenadine looks like blood and can be drizzled onto foods/ice cream/into drinks (it's cherry flavored).

Pomegranate actually.

Among my favorite Halloween soundtracks are Nox Arcana's various albums. Midnight Syndicate to a lesser degree, and Type O Negative are always fun for the occasion.

You can mix together gin and tonics and serve them in graduated beakers under a black light. The quinine in tonic water fluoresces, you see. Gives it the look of something straight out of a mad scientist's lab. On the note of mad science, you could totally do a steampunk Halloween party. "Screampunk" if you will. Have everyone come in period costumes with someone dressed as a sort of Frankenstein's monster. A mad scientist who replaced one of his arms with a clockwork claw, perhaps. Gothic haunted house trappings mixed with hints of Steampunk technology in general. Tricky, but workable.

If you want to go for something a little more exotic, you can have a Gothic Tiki party. Put some plastic vines and creepers around, fake skulls, Tiki mugs. Nox Arcana have an album with a ghost ship theme. You can play The Island of Lost Souls as the evening's feature film. It came out on the Criterion Collection last year, incidentally and you should totally watch it. And for the main course at the refreshments table, "long pig." Cook up a nice big mess of pulled pork in a crockpot (I can supply a recipe if anyone wants to know), wrap it up in aluminum foil, and shove the bundle into the rib cage of a plastic skeleton splayed out on the table.
 
Dec 29, 2011
703
17
I've started to really love seeing your posts^

Things like this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AcE6mK54X0I would be cool.

And either of these:
http://www.penguinmagic.com/p/1966
http://www.penguinmagic.com/p/430

Would work really well.

Jay Sankey just released a pack of easy halloween magic to do with a bunch of props, it was limited though and I'm pretty sure its sold out by now. Might be worth looking for though.

I forgot to mention Thread by Wayne Houchin, would be perfect. That or any other geek magic, or even real geek stunts.

Wow, totally passed over the fact that you WONT be performing. I guess if you change your mind my post might actually be useful to you. Haha
 
CasenW, Tarot cards are NOT a Christian creation, but nevermind. I got asked this question a while back. since you will not be performing, rigged your crib up with IT and make stuff fall, move, and jump. get some fishing wire for some of the heavier stuff. Just don't hurt anyone and rig it safely.
 
Dec 18, 2007
1,610
14
64
Northampton, MA - USA
CasenW, Tarot cards are NOT a Christian creation, but nevermind. I got asked this question a while back. since you will not be performing, rigged your crib up with IT and make stuff fall, move, and jump. get some fishing wire for some of the heavier stuff. Just don't hurt anyone and rig it safely.

Let's put it this way. . . as they are known today, the Tarot has a direct history tied to missionary work well before the advent of the printing press. They are not some kind of ancient Egyptian mystery, nor are they something invented by witches, the Roma, Strega, etc. I've read Tarot since the mid-1970s and heard many tall tales but found only a few believable and pragmatic histories.

The Greater Arcana was used for telling the Gospel Message just as other folkloric tales incorporate the Fool so as to represent Jesus and his journey towards enlightenment and greatness; The Fool's Journey, as it is known, remains representative of that tradition and the link of that message going back to Osiris and of course Dionysus -- all three share the same basic story (at least the bigger chunks are the same. That is one reason why it was so easy to convert so much of Europe, so quickly. . . but that's something we needn't get into)

Fact is, many of the symbols associated with Halloween have a Christian foundation or lore, if you would. Jack O'Lanterns replaced the heads of slain "heathens" that would not convert. Displaying their heads on a pike or fence supposedly warded off other demonic forces during the days of Samhane (Sal-wen) . . . in short time the real head was replaced with carved beats and other root crops with the gourde and pumpkin coming into vogue about 300 years ago (probably less). Even the act of dressing in costume was an adaptation by the church of pagan traditions and again, for the sake of protecting one from demonic forces; this time of year being when the veil between the world of the living and that of the dead is at its thinnest.

I find it very curious, how many people don't know the origins of the holidays and their various ornaments & traditions.
 
Sep 9, 2010
294
0
Wow guys! Thanks for all the ideas! I love the ideas of the "Long Pork", and the Grenadine idea is great too! so many great ideas in this thread!
 
Dec 18, 2007
1,610
14
64
Northampton, MA - USA
Cedric, I have close to 100 books on the Tarot on my bookshelf so I really can't give you specifics off the top of my head. I do believe however the book 78 Degrees of Wisdom by Rachell Pollock covers some of this but the other source is a bit more obscure "Bloodline of the Holy Grail" by Lawrence Gardner (it could be one of his other books but I think this is right) . . . there's probably a handful of theological/historical texts that I can't think of at present.

There's tons of folklore and myth (old and new) tied to the Cards but they are a Medieval development (Oldest Tarot Cards also see Timeline) as best as can be confirmed; and I emphasize "confirmation" in that paper deteriorates fast and there's simply no older tangible proof of greater antiquity, nor are there commentary type references by persons of previous times while you have loads of anecdotes referring to other forms of divination such as pendulum and of course the classic, reading the entrails of this or that critter.

When it comes to actual occult science however, the Tarot is relatively new, based on the research and meditation experiences by Eliphas Levi & Alister Crowley (Golden Dawn/O.T.O. Order). The "secret" deck created in the early decades of the 20th century is what by E.A. Waite and various contemporaries (the Rider-Waite Tarot) are said to have based their deck on when it comes to the artistic representation and much of the meaning assigned to each card; Waite being one of the more renown historians of western occult practice and esoteric science.

Through the many "Secret Societies" that were popular in the latter 19th and early 20th century others would create similar "fraternity only" versions of the Tarot with a great number of them creating a public fervor by way of the literal Artistic Expression sat within the cards. Decks developed by Manly Hall are some of the most amazing works of art you could ask for and yet, it is somewhat rare or even known of by persons outside theosophical thinking.

Since the Victorian-Edwardian era and most especially in the U.S. during two key eras (1960s-70s "Hippie" culture followed by the massive 1980s "New Age" revival) the Tarot was borrowed from and reinvented hundreds of times, frequently confusing the original hermetic & kabbalistic significance behind the cards and how they are discerned. You'll find that the majority of seasoned Readers prefer working with the older deck designs that are more accurate to these disciplines and NOT tied to the commercial fancy found in the 80's or the drug induced versions of expression established during the extended "summer of love" (60s & early 70s).


NOTE: the links given to the trionfi site were strictly convenience, I would encourage you to search other on-line sources on Tarot History in that subtle details exist that will better define your understanding of their history.

TO MODERATORS: It may be best to cut this discussion and create a separate thread dealing with the Tarot, just let me know if you do so.
 
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Justin.Morris

Elite Member
Aug 31, 2007
2,793
888
Canada
www.morrismagic.ca
CasenW, Tarot cards are NOT a Christian creation, but nevermind. I got asked this question a while back. since you will not be performing, rigged your crib up with IT and make stuff fall, move, and jump. get some fishing wire for some of the heavier stuff. Just don't hurt anyone and rig it safely.

Keep in mind, the term Christian is a very wide spread one with many different beliefs under that umbrella. So while Craig is informed, you can't paint all with one stroke.

But I Googled Halloween decorating ideas and there was some interesting stuff. Also I had one friend back in high school whose parents had a clear coffee table with a drawer that they filled with magazines usually, but he caught a bunch of spiders and put them in there and his dad used some rubber/foam stuff (thinking back it may have been the same material used around a car door) to seal off the drawer to keep them in.

Everyone thought it was the creepiest thing ever, and there were so many jokes about spiders getting loose. Still gives me the willies.
 
Dec 29, 2011
703
17
Keep in mind, the term Christian is a very wide spread one with many different beliefs under that umbrella. So while Craig is informed, you can't paint all with one stroke.

But I Googled Halloween decorating ideas and there was some interesting stuff. Also I had one friend back in high school whose parents had a clear coffee table with a drawer that they filled with magazines usually, but he caught a bunch of spiders and put them in there and his dad used some rubber/foam stuff (thinking back it may have been the same material used around a car door) to seal off the drawer to keep them in.

Everyone thought it was the creepiest thing ever, and there were so many jokes about spiders getting loose. Still gives me the willies.

That is a really cool idea.
 
Sep 9, 2010
294
0
Keep in mind, the term Christian is a very wide spread one with many different beliefs under that umbrella. So while Craig is informed, you can't paint all with one stroke.

But I Googled Halloween decorating ideas and there was some interesting stuff. Also I had one friend back in high school whose parents had a clear coffee table with a drawer that they filled with magazines usually, but he caught a bunch of spiders and put them in there and his dad used some rubber/foam stuff (thinking back it may have been the same material used around a car door) to seal off the drawer to keep them in.

Everyone thought it was the creepiest thing ever, and there were so many jokes about spiders getting loose. Still gives me the willies.

Ahahahaha, that's awesome!
 
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