What are the core problems for Willie and Sarah Goodell (from the yellow handout)? Who should be in charge of making their situation better? At which point does the government need to step in? Do you want to borrow this revealing book to read about the rest of the cases?
Remember to type your class period number in front of your comment.
Show your parent(s) this handout. What do they think of Willie and Sarah Goodell's situation?
66 comments:
Willie and Sarah do not know how to manage their money. They are caught up in the little things that they forget about the big things that are soon to come up. They are above poverty but are still living off the government because they can and because they have no money. I think they can blame themselves for the way they live. that is alittle harsh, but they spend all there money on things that they want, rather then what they need. Alcohol, eating out, and renting movies are not required things that people need to live. If they only cut down on the misc. items, then maybe they could live a half way decent life.
i thought it was amazing on how poorly they manage their money and that they are barely out of there teens and have three kids already! you'd think that growing up in a poor enviornment like Willie and Sarah did, they would know how to fix it and live better for themselves, but i guess not.
Two main problems: 1) They've never been shown how to manage their money. 2) They have such troubling pasts and childhoods themselves, with the violence and alcohol-abuse, that they seek tiny pleasures (like CDs and junk food) to make up for what they missed out on. And since they waste the money they do earn, the cycle of destitution continues.
Reading this article shows you just how irresponsible people can be and makes you think about how many other families there are who are living lives similar to theirs while putting their innocent children through this. Willie and Sarah are both unhappy and I think that they might have gotten married with the false interpretation that if you are "in love" then that should solve your problems. To me, the more upsetting thing is that they have had to live this life before when they were growing up, but instead of trying to change things they just allow history to repeat itself and spend money on things that satisfy their needs for just a few minutes.
Id say bridgeto summed the whole thing up excellently. Willie and Sarah need to grow up. They made the decision to have children and now need to face the consequences of that and take care of them. If they had such a bad life growing up why would they want the same for their children? I personally can relate to this situation. I have a cousin who is a first class screw up and is just draging the whole family down and causing unneed stress because she too acts like a kid. She has 3 kids and can not hold a job to save her soul. Everyone in the family has tried to help her but she just keeps screwing up and it seems like she doesn't even care. It is really difficult to see someone who is relate to you destroy their life but even harder to see her children suffer.
Willie and Sarah's first problem was that they had kids to young. Even with making that mistake they do not know how to manage their money. They need to give up the nonessential itmes like smoking, drinking, and going out to eat all the time. They need to do something to turn their lives around if not for them for their kids. Right now they are doing nothing to help those kids they can't even keep their discipline consitent. Those kids will have a hard time living normal lives when they get older if their parents do not change.
I was surprised how lazy those parents are, their kids are living in a jungle. They absolutely shouldn't be parents! It is ridiculous, their youngest one was chewing a cigarette while the mother was sleeping, they do not punish them for hitting each other but punish them for leaving cheese crumbs every where. Then they have money problems, first to fix those problems they need to cut expenses completely, such as stop smoking it is bad for their health and cause problems later, and it is a terrible envirement for the children to grow up in. Second they need to create a bank account, if they have $10 they will go by ice cream, if they don't have the cash on them they won't spend it. They need to realize ice cream is okay every now and then, and possible only rent a movie on Friday nights only, they need to find a routine to keep them sane. If they don't have a routine to follow they will collapse and spend more money, then with that bank account they can start their 401K only the man works therefore he will be working the rest of his life unless he has a retirement plan. Third they need to teach their children life sucks and they can't have lunchables. Maybe once a week then the other four days at school he has a pb and j or tuna sandwich, then the parents need to realize the same thing. That they can't always eat out. This will be tough for them but they need to find a friend who can help them.
I found it ironic that Willie and Sarah know they put themselves in the position they are in, and yet they don't want to do anything about it. The best excuse they could come up with for their spending habits is that "we're still kids so sometimes we need to act like kids." At least they are smart enough to realize they are the problem, but at some point they need to grow up and do something to give not only their children a better life, but also themselves.
Whip--because Sarah and Willie are not doing enough, should the government intervene?
I think that Willie and Sarah are stuck between a rock and a hard place to put it simply. They have to many things that require money and not enough ways to get enough of it. They are way to young to have kids let alone three of them and not knowing how to handle the money they do have is only going to dig them deeper into a hole of misery and debt. They are too concerned about the vanities of life and not the necessites and thats why they will never be happy.
I found it interesting how they spent their money and treated their children! Kids with no cloths but yet they go and spend a ton of money on unneeded things. They are this way because it is how they were brought up by their so called parents. This happens alot more than we think in America. A kid is shaped by the person that raises them, and if nobody cares they will never care for anyone niether.
I think Willie and Sarah dont know time/money management. I cant believe their own kids had to wear absolutley no clothes, just diapers. The money that they did have went to food expense mostly; Always eating out. I believe her mom caused her hard troubling life. If she didn't raise Sarah the way she did, she wouldn't be like this. They just need to know how to manage their money and what to put away and what to spend.
Poor parenting is decidedly a vicious cycle that is really hard to reverse. Is poor parenting due to the selfishness of the parent(s) usually? (It's really hard to be selfless, especially in America, where we are taught to get more, do more, earn more...)
I can't believe how Sarah and Willie treat their kids...falling asleep while the kids chew on a cigarrette butts and put a lighter in their mouth. One of the things that really shocks me is that they spent their IRA money on tattoos!!
I think that its really ridiculous that they live like that. It really made me mad when sarah was saying that the only way to keep her temper under control was to spend money. They are both very irresponsible people, not only with money but with their children as well. They live in a house that is barely functioning, but they spend their money on things that they don't need. It makes me mad.
I thought it was amazing to read about how poorly people spend their money. This isn't just a poor problem, the rich can't control themselves either such as the article gives an example of the man that makes a million dollars a year and still doesn't have enough money to pay the bills. I think it would be easier for the rich to solve their problem because they have more property to sell and banks are more willing to lone a rich person money than a poor person. I think the people learn how to spend their money from their parents. So if their parents spent freely then the kids will spent freely.
As you already know this reading built up a lot of frustration and anger for me. I can't tell you how many times I have heard of situations like these where people are so completely irresponsible with their financial problems. The biggest problem that I feel these people had was their habit of spending money as fast as they make it. I believe there was a part in there that said that if they had ten dollars in their pocket they felt they could go out to eat or whatever even though they really couldn't afford it. If they cut their eating out costs and spending so much on holidays, then saved that money they would be completely better off. I personally would expect that if people are stuggling to get by that they would sit down to examine what all their money is going towards and adjust accordingly.
I think Willie and Sarah need to get a clue and help themselves. Cigarettes and movies should not be a top priority in life. If they're spending their money on pointless things like that they'll never get over the poverty line. Their kids need them to raise them properly and show them what's right and wrong. They will never grow to be successful people if Sarah lets them run around with cigarettes in their mouths and both parents punish them inconsistently. First of all they need to sit down and get their finances organized. Second, they need to find a budget for real food instead of feeding their kids fast food for every meal. I think the government needs to step in when the kids start suffering openly about their living conditions and domestic problems.
This handout bothered me because I hate reading about people who live off of money from the government where there are people out there who work hard for a living and for their money. Another thing that bothered me was how they spend their money on cigarettes and movies when they are clearly suffering and should be spending it wisely on important things such as healthy food for their children rather than fast food and the necessity things in life. The children will probably produce the same habits as the parents when they are older and on their own because it's the way they were brought up and they don't know any better and don't have any positive influences to look up to. It's a chain reaction in families such as these.. usually. I don't believe that past experiences such as being molested and what not are good enough excuses to just throw away the rest of your life over, but maybe I don't understand because it's never happened to me.
Sarah and Wille have many problems right now and in the future. I think they need to spend thier money better and not spend it on cigarrettes and other things they don't need. They were brought up just like they are raising their kids. Why would they want thier kids to suffer just like they did? They need to manage thier money and take better care of their kids.
They have a couple of problems, the first is the fact that they can't manage money properly and the second is that they grew up in a broken household. The government should be in charge of their money, and they should step in after someone discovers they can't handle their money properly.
Willie and Sarah Goodells problem is that they had children way to young. They barely know how to take care of themselves. I think the government should take notice of how this family is spending their money. The government should give them 60 days to learn how to manage their money properly and to raise their children right. Maybe have them take a few classes on these issues. If the parents refuse to do this, then the government should step in and take the children away from the parents.
The reason why I believe they are living in such poor conditions and wasting their money is because it is what they are used to. Both of them didnt grow up in ideal conditions and were poor as a kid and their parents each did they same thing they are doing now. So that is one main reason why they arent in a comfortable situation. Also it puzzles me that they realize they have a problem but refuse to try to solve or fix it. Also I belive the government should step in and finally take away their children and place them in a foster home until they can prove that they have changed and fix their way of living
Willie and Sarah Goodell are your common lazy poor american. They neglect their children, and worry about them selves and their needs. They should be able to take care of themselves, and their children. The government should not be responsible to support them.
I find the title of the book a little ironic...at least for the segment we read. The title gives the impression that they are working really hard and yet remain poor. It is true that Willie was working very hard, but he is the only one in the family who is: and with a wife and 3 kids, odds are that they will be poor, or at least lower class. Another thing is that they realize they waste their money. Willie says "if we were smart, we wouldn't be poor". In my opinion he chose a bad wife, or at least one that he would be unable to support. If he lived alone, he would have 4 less people to provide for and he would be well off. The wife needs to get a job so she can see how hard it is to earn money, the money that she wastes.
This hand out was moving. It showed me that parents really do start showing their kids young what they could be doing in their future. Also, that parents play a big role in a childs life; setting them up for what would come next. and if you show your kids that you can't handle money your kids are possibly going to turn out just like you.
The core problem is that Willie and Sarah have to grow up. I do feel sorry for the way they had to grow up but that is no reason what so ever to not take care of there children to the best of there ability. They go out and try to live out a new child life but any one has to realize when you bring kids into this world you have to be done being a kid and let your children be the kids of the house and give them what you did not have instead of taking away from them what you did not have. Parents have to make good situations in life when they have kids or that is when the government should step in and take the kids away but there should be very very good evidence showing that the parents are Neglecting them.
Seeing people like this, without responsibilty for their money or their kids is sad. These people aren't only finacially poor but also morally and mentally poor. They are both victims of poor homes when they were children, and now they are imposing their upbringing on their children. I really think that the government should step in and take the kids. They have tried before, but after what I read, it seems that there are plenty of reasons to take them. However I do not think that the government should help the parents finacially. They make enough to keep a good flow of income, but they splurge on things they don't need like concert tickets and cigarettes.
I believe this handout shows that environment plays a role in a persons success plus i don't think it would help these two out to have the government give them money
The core problem is that they are not spending their money on the right things. Having your kids dressed should be WAY more important than having a big stack of CD's. It is ridiculous on how much money they waste. The person who should be in charge of their situation is themselves, but since that isn't going to happen they should get help from a councelor, maybe that could help them. The government should step in because no child should have to live with that bad of parents. They have tried once to take the kids, but they should try again. The governtment is also providing them with the essentials, but they just don't accept them and do their normal routine of going to McDonalds. It is just horrible that the little baby was chewing of buds of cigarettes. The first thing that they need to do is realize that they are horrible parents and get some help. They need to grow up.
I was so shocked by this reading. It gave me a look at how bad things can get. When i read the part about the baby chewing on the cigarettes. Also that they have all this help from the government and just don't care about any of their childrens well being. They just keep think about themselves and how they don't get to be kids anymore. They have three kids they need to be adults not kids. They should have use the money Willie made and their tax return to help their family out, not go out and get tatoo's.
I thought it was sad that people could care less about how they are living and not really care about their children like that. When i read the part about kayla playing in a dirty toilet and cody playing with the stove with the burners on i thought that the children should be removed from the house. I thought it was interesting how sarah would beat her husband up! This just shows how careless some people can be.
this is just one more case of a poor family with little money and they spend it on things that dont help. i think we need to make it so you can buy any things that help the family
There is no doubt that Sarah and Willie had difficult childhoods, but they should know that you don't have to be like your parents. Most parents want better for their children, but these guys don't really seem like they care at all. Their 3 year old walks around in diapers still...no clothes. The fact that Willie stays with Sarah surprises me because Sarah abuses him, and only one of their 4 kids is his. It amazes me how lazy people can be, and how people have to live. They know that the way they spend their money is wrong, but they don't want to change their habbits. The government shouldn't step in and provide money because it is their fault that they don't spend wisely.
This handout shows how environment affects how people live their lives. Will and Sara treat their children exactly the way they were treated by their own parents. This is probably the start of an abusive cycle that could continue for many generations.
i agree with mostly everyone thusfar, willie does work incredably hard but that doesnt make up for any of the core problems they face, with sara and the kids at home he has to put food on the table for them and with poor decision making skills like smoking, wasteing money on concerts, and working so far away just hinder his ability to live a better life. although it is not my perogative to tell him how to live his live, it is easily seen that by cutting back on a few of those non essential things he could be saving more money to be spent in other areas in his life. smoking alone depending on how much he smokes could save him over a thousand a year, the money spent driving so far would add up faster too if he found something closer to home even if he had a pay cut. last year working at bracco with decently fuel efficient cars, i still spent over 100 dollars a week in gas because of how much i worked, just to put it in perspective, its all interstate highway miles with a 30 min drive each way.
just my .02 cents
This couple just both have their own completely separate problems, both too great to handle with children involved... Alcoholism and violence are terrible, and together its a recipe for disaster... Social Services should step in and help the kids before its too late.
I believe Willie and Sara are terrible parents and it shouldn't matter what environment they grow up in, they shouln't be that lazy and they need to go get jobs. But, their parents growing up had a huge influence on them because parents pretty much mold our personalities and how we think and how we treat others. So, their early childhoods could effect the way they raise and treat their own children. The government should probably step in and get those kids out of that situation and place them with a good, caring family.
The core problems for willie and sarah are that they don't know how to manage their money. As willie said, "we could save money in different places, but we just don't." It seems to me like they're just making up excuses for their failure. They COULD save their money and get out of their situation but they aren't. And sarah usuing the mental disability excuse if a buch of crap if you ask me. There are plenty of other people with disabilities still working jobs because they have to, it seems like to me she just wants to live off her multiple husbands. Later in the handout it says willie leaves her and they get divorced. I bet that since willie left her he has a 30% better chance at getting out of his current situation. I wish they would have done a cover story of willie after they got divorced. And as i said before sarah is content to live off other guys she meets by getting pregnant and haveing their kids and haveing them take care of her. As for the government helping them, there is only so much the government can do before these kinds of people start living off the government. they have to help themselves to get out of what they are in.
the number one biggest problem is they are ignorant, uneducated, and white which is odd because they hardly ever show whites like that
i think that willie and sara are both entirely capable of fixing their lives. however, neither of them wish to cut back on their addicting spending habits. if they would cut back on a few, nonessential things like eating out, buying cds, and going to concerts, they could be more financially secure, and much more happy. not only will THEY be in a better position, they will also give their children an extremely better enviroment to grow up in. these two need to get their lives on track. they need to make a few simple changes in their daily routine to improve their living conditions. if not for themselves, they should do it for their kids.
This article sets a good example of how a couple are destroying their own lives by not doing what they are supposed to be doing and this is affecting their relationships with their kids. Eventually Willie and Sarah will probably break up or will need to seek some prfessional help from a psychiotrist.
This story makes me so mad I can't stand parents that are more worried about themselves then their kids. I consider myself a kid and I'm 100% positive i could manage money better than sara and willie. Kids don't deserve to have parents like this, unfortunately as long as people like sara and willie have excusses there will always be terrible parents.
for the most part it needs to be up to them to change their lives because no one can change it for them if they dont want it to be changed, and i think the government should only step in if it becomes hazardous for the children to live with them, which in this case i believe it is but the choice is not up to me
sara and willie's main problems are that they dont seem to care, they are very immature. unfortunatly they are the only ones who can be in charge of their situation, if they wanted things to be different they could change them but since they dont, they wont.
Their big problems are that they live in the attic of an old house, they can't take care of their kids, and they are still kids themselves. They are the ones that should be in charge of making their situation better. If things get any worse than they already are, the government should sent CPS to take the kids until their parents can shape up.
i do feel that they could do something to help themselves and their children. They could find good jobs. My mom makes about $15 an hour and she is a single mother(3 kids) so i do not feel sorry for them. they just need to give up some things everyone had to do it sometimes. They just want people to feel sorry for them in their "times of need."
I think there just being lazy and accepting that they will never have the money. They know they have a problem and are just settling for it. I think they need to get off there butts and start doing something for their kids, not for themselves. Or the government should take the kids from them. I dont think theyd care too much anyways.
I think that Sarah and Willie need to set their priorties straight. They have the capability of having somewhat of an okay financial status. If they spent their money more wisely on things such as good homemade food rather than fast food, or not buying cigarettes, or renting movies all the time they may be a little better off. I think the government needs to step in and take their kids because they cant even handle themselves.. how are they supposed to support kids?
I agree with paige p. Sarah and Willie can financially live a good life, but choose not to. By buying cigarettes and spending money on things that are not of much importance, they cannot purchase things that would do some good to them (and their kids). Sarah is not making life any better for her children; she's making her kids relive her past. Sarah and Willie have to want to be better. Their kids should've been taken long before.
Period 7
The core problems for Willie and Sarah Goodell are they do not know how to manage what money they have. They buy cigarettes and beer with the money they should be using or food and the essentials. I think that they should be able to make there situation better. I am not saying that this will happen over night but if they have their goal in mind they could achieve it. The problem with them is that they are not disciplined to stay to a goal. The government should step in only if they are spending their money on the right things and not like things such as cigarettes and alcohol. The government should not help them in giving them the basics because then the cycle will never end. They need to learn to be responsible for the decisions that they make.
period 3
Some of Willie's and Sarah's core problems are that they buy unnecessary things and they don't act like adults. They both know that they are financially unstable, yet every pay check they receive they blow it all on cigarettes, tatoos, and eating out. If Sarah and Willie want to get their money situated, they will spend on necessities not what they want. They also do not give their children the best childhood they should receive. No child should be eating cigarettes or eating fastfood everyday. Willie and Sarah should put their kids first before they think about themselves. I think the government should step in soon because the children do not deserve living like this just because their parents can't figure it out. They should take the children, and have Willie and Sarah suffer themselves until they both correct their actions.
This handout kindof bothered me. I dont like the way the parents are not takeing on the parent role and they themselves are acting as children. If they know they had such a bad childhood why would they put their children through it? They should be donig everything in their power to make their childrens lives the best instead of trying to make up for their lost time. And by makeing up for their lost time the same hing is going to happen to their children; they will relive their childhood instead of takeing care of their children. The parents should also set up a spending plan and instead of spending the extra $10 in their pocket save it. The dad also says quitting smoking is out of the question but if he really cared about his kids quitting wouldnt be out of the question. Its a horrible cycle.
Parents need to think about whats best for their kids before whats best for themselves. And if they cant do that then maybe they shouldnt be having kids!
the problem that willie and sarah have is that they dont know any better. so maybe we should blame thier parents for not bringing them up well. but that could possibly be unfair because maybe they didint have good parents either. we could trace this back for generations. it is a vicious cycle. i do think that they are in charge of thier own life. i think they can make it better. if they have a strong enough will. i agree that they do have serious problems in thier way and it could be really difficult. acholoism is a mental illness not just a problem. and post-trauma depression is not somthing to mess around with. but i believe that you can work to make your life better. one great example is miles davis. Miles Davis grew up in East St. Louis. but, he turned his life around and became one of the most well known jazz musicians in the world. it takes a lot of work ethic and support from everyone. but its possible. then you say maybe the problem is work ethic and dicipline? well, there are people to that can help all you need to do is find them. also, maybe they arent doing anything to fix thier life because they are content with how things are.
I know Sara and Willie struggled and unfortunately had to cope with a disastrous upbringing but they need to change themselves in order to give their children a happy life. They need to focus on giving their children support and discipline, and get rid of their own selfish habits. They're the ones who need to take care of their situation that they created. If things around the household get to insecure, the government should step in. But the parents, I think, should take matters into their own hands. They had children at a very young age and they should take responsibilty for it. This book is intriguing and beneficial and I would like to read the rest of the cases.
Is anyone suggesting that Willie be castrated and Sarah be sterilized?
Willie and Sarah Goodell obviously had a bad childhood, but for them to raise there kids the same way they were brought up is completely wrong of them. If they thought there childhood was so bad why would they raise there children the same way? The parents of the children need to step up and be in charge of making the situation better. With some right decisions on managing their money, putting proper discipline on their children, and rewarding their children everything would be so much better in this family. I think the government doesnt need to step in unless the children are becoming sick or badly beat. The Goodell family could be well off if they just managed there money right. I think after they learn that everything else will start to fall into place.
period 1
I believe that Sarah and Willie are irresponsible parents and people. Willie does try to be a good husband and father but he really needs to open his eyes and see what's really going on. Sarah did have a bad childhood and she hasnt gotten over this, but she really Needs to. She cant subject her children to the things she has been, they are neglected and not watched bery carefully. They have learned that hitting eachother is ok, and that's not right at all. Someone needs to step in and take these children away, it is much better for them to get out of there and become decent people when they get older then to live there and grow up to be just like thier parents. I work with foster care children, and yes it's hard to take kids from parents, but they need a home that will teach them to be civilized and have morals and know what is best for their lives. Children learn everything from thier parents at a very early age, which some think about ages 2-4 and so what they take in is vital to how they will act when they are older. So, therefore, we need to make sure they are learning what is best for them, and not what willie and sarah are teaching them, which isn't anything besides the fact that it is ok to mismanage your finanaces, and eat out all the time and neglect your children and be a child yourself when your a fully grown adult. I would like to read further when i have a moment to look into this. More people need to be social workers and work in the law system, because we dont have enough people who care about these children enough to see what's really going on and take them out of it.
pd.7
Sarah and Willie I think are just too young for the situation they put themselves in. They are kids themselves and obviously don't know how to grow up because they can't take care of their own children. I think they are both really irresponsible and can't see what their actions are doing to their kids. They could probably be wealthy but instead they blow their money on useless things they don't really need. I don't really understand why they would just neglect their bills when they have enough money to pay for them. Sarah and Willie didn't have a good childhood and horrible things happened to them. I think because of this it has damaged them and they are maybe only living life how they know how to because they were never taught anything. The kids probably should be removed from them but at the same time the kids could be put in another bad home. Also the kids might get moved from home to home and may never really get a good family. I think either way the kids may turn out like their parents, just like Sarah and Willie turned out like theirs.
willie and sarah need to figure out that they need to grow up a little. they cant afford to have children and be children and try to be adults at the same time. the government needs to step in and take the kids away. its not healthy for a 3 year old to not be wearing anything but a diaper and same for the baby. maybe then they can offer willie and sarah financial classes or something to where they learn how to manage their money and only spend it on the things they actually need. the couple really should not have the kids in these living conditions. think about the kids' futures. they dont look too bright in that house.
3rd
I think willie and sarah need to see that they can have a better life by having a better finance structure. They could very easily live a plentiful life just by fixing the few things they have wrong. If only they would stop buying stupid things like cds and going out to eat everynight. That really adds up by the end of the month. Also some one should send them a copy of Dave Ramsey. He helped me and many others. their children are going to have the same problems when they grow older. it will just be an un-ending cycle of people trying to gain their childhood back. no children should run around naked. the government should look at these cases and stop helping out. There is not enough time to do that of course but something should be done about people living on welfare when they make 30,000.
I agree with almost all the comments above. I don't feel sorry at all for Willie and Sarah just the kids. It's truly sad to see families like this not giving their children the right example on how to live life. It is the parents responsibility to show their own how to live life and teach them morals and lead them to be a good kid. Their is a great chance their kids could turn out like them and then that's just un-ending cycle of generation to generation. But some people also learn from this, their children could also figure out i don't want to live like this and i want to give my child everything to become successful and being successful gives you pride and pride can lead to money. Because if you have pride you try at what your doing and like it and that leads to happiness. I'm sure their kids are not happy and you NEED happiness in life or whats the point.
Great musings, scholars! Keep reading closely and analyzing deeply.
Great musings, scholars! Keep reading closely and analyzing deeply.
5
Both of them have the money to make a better life for themselves. Although they have a place to live they are in a recurring cycle. They spend their money on things they want and not necessarily things that they need. If they think that things are bad for them maybe they need to look around and realize that things can always be much worse. They could live on the streets with no shelter form the weather. Their kids could be taken away from them. Although I think neither of them are responsible enough to take care of the kids. They are still kids themselves. They still have to grow up before they can properly take care of their kids.
period 5
Willie and Sarah's story is very sad, the truth is they aren't alone. This is a problem all across the United States. It isn't a easy problem to fix, but I think it falls back to the people to help themselves. Willie and Sarah can't be helped until they try to help themselves.
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