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Friday 31 October 2014

Just To Make This Clear

Elliott O’Donnell has NEVER been discredited. He kept detailed daily notes in diaries and MANY papers -some of the cases unpublished that were found amongst these after his death were put into a book by Harry Ludlum – “Elliott O’Donnell’s CGhost Hunters”. Read his books: he moved in circles where it was “not the done thing” to name a society person –it’s a pain but all the details are in his notes.

While talking to the late Brinsley Lord Clancarty in the 1980s he introduced me to people who had seen UFOs but were from "society" so I could not name them.

It's how it worked back then.
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Sunday 26 October 2014

New Research


I am currently looking at writing a new book on strange phenomena.  This is where you folk out there can help.

 If anyone out there has read my books on phenomena you will be aware that I have a very curious interest in "creature" reports.  Think "Dover Demon", Sasquatch -vaguely humanoid types.  Though, of course, any strange and weird creature will attract my attention!

 What I'd like to ask is which case/incident or just plain creature would you think deserves a new investigation/research?

 I ask the same question regarding ghosts, UFOs -you name it.

 Obviously, I would like to hear from people closer to home in the UK for field investigations -Bristol, Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, Somerset.  BUT if you've seen, photographed/filmed anything odd and especially if you have encountered the strange and weird -the unexplained- yourself then I would love to hear from you.

 You can contact me, initially, via the Comments or by email at: aopbureau@yahoo.com

 Thank You.
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Terry Hooper-Scharf Biography

I've been asked for a full bio.  Now THAT would take a lot of space!  Instead I am going to present my Cv that I usually send out to publishers.

Saves a lot of time.

Terry Hooper-Scharf  [A very brief] Biography

Born in Bristol,England,6th June,1957,Terry became interested in nature and wildlife.  While attending Greenway Boys School, the interest in science and mysteries of nature increased resulting into several local investigations of natural phenomena.  At the same time, having accidentally picked up a copy of Brinsley le poer Trench [later Lord Clancarty] “The Flying Saucer Story”, Terry began studying UFO reports and local sightings.

Between 1974-to date, Terry has acted as a wildlife consultant to UK police forces on exotic animals living in the UK, being a noted naturalist.  Also in 1974,Terry set up the Bristol UFO Investigation Team [BUFOIT],joined the British UFO Research Association [BUFORA],covering much of the West of England as an investigator and Regional Investigations Co-ordinator. 

Circa 1976,Terry joined the oldest UK UFO group, the British Flying Saucer Bureau [f.1952] and became an investigator, later Head of Research & Investigation and also editor of the UFO News Bulletin. 

In 1977,as an attempt to promote more scientific approach to UFO investigation, Terry set up UFO International [see Sachs, M., Encyclopaedia of UFOs].

Having established contact with Lord Clancarty and Air Vice Marshal Sir Victor Goddard [a former head of RAF Intelligence and outspoken UFO believer],in 1977 Terry, along with late colleague Franklyn A. Davin-Wilson, visited London for a meeting with Clancarty ,Goddard and others having submitted a document calling for a National Aerospace Commission [NaComm].  Hooper was asked to mount an unofficial investigation into all aspects of the UFO phenomenon –a limited fund for travelling and living expenses was agreed upon.

In January,1978,the Anomalous Observational Phenomena Bureau [AOP B] began its work building up a data base on every aspect of UFOs –historical cases, trace, physio and psychological, animal disturbance, EM cases and much more. 

Original members of the AOP B were:~

Graham F.N.Knewstub             [deceased]
Dave Cowdy                              [deceased]
Franklyn A.Davin-Wilson         [deceased]
Terry Hooper

Between 1978-1984 there was much unofficial assistance given to the Bureau by professional astronomers [some publicly sceptical],former members of the Armed Forces, Air Ministry, Ministry of Defence as well as serving members of the Armed Forces and Police Forces.  A network of UFO investigation & research groups was set up including GUFOI&RG [Gloucestershire],Wessex UFO I&R Group [Somerset],Wiltshire UFO I&R Team and so on.

Much of this cooperation continued well past the closing of the Bureau in 1995,though Governmental changes in policy since then have restricted any cooperation.

In 1984 a 2000 pages “British Report On Unidentified Flying Objects [UFOs]” was completed.  This was later reduced to 1500pp on editing.  Lord Clancarty, Sir Victor Goddard and others, including members of the House Of Lords UFO Study Group, stated that the Report was “…the closest thing the UK will ever have to a Project Blue Book”.

Although copies went to the Ministry of Defence and Sir Victor kindly passed copies on to former subordinates and ex-heads of RAF Intelligence, private UFO groups and Ufologists condemned the Report without even having seen the Summary offered.  The Report is currently being up-dated with more contemporary evidence being added.

Terry edited the in-house AOP Bulletin which it is hoped will re-appear in late 2006.

Apart from this work Terry has specialized, since 1974, on Close Encounters of the Third Kind/Entity cases and provided the data for BUFORA to contribute to Ted Bloecher’s HUM-CAT.  He has also written many articles on Ball Lightning, meteor-
ites, astronomy, CE-3Ks and Alien Entity cases as well as reporting on UFO incidents
[of which he has investigated approx. 2000 since 1974].

Terry re-opened the AOP Bureau on 1st January,2006 to continue the original work, aligned to no other groups or investigators.

Current study includes cases involving non-humanoid alien-entities associated with UFOs, video footage evidence and continued study of “spooklight” phenomena.

Back in the 1970s was also a consultant for the Kentucky UFO Investigators League, a member of the Society for the Investigation of The Unexplained [SITU],of which he operated a UK branch –investigating the Dead Aquatic Creatures of Canvey Island and other incidents. 

Terry also maintained links with Bigfoot/Sasquatch researchers  such as The Bay Area Group [BAG],Bigfoot Investigation Team, Dmitri Bayanove, etc..  Terry maintains files on lake and sea creatures, ghosts and most other unexplained or explained phenomena he has looked into –these include ghosts and hauntings.

Terry has written three books on unsolved/solved mysteries –Some Things Strange & Sinister (2009), Some More Things Strange & Sinister (2011), Pursuing The Strange And Weird (2012) as well as one book on Canids including UK mystery canids and the history of foxes –Red Paper: Canids (2012).  He is currently working on a new book –Phenomena X.




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BCP International Book Fair & Comic Expo Mercure Holland House Hotel & Spa, Bristol UK - 22nd November 2014

Get yours today!!!
The venue for BCP International Book Fair & Comic Expo 2014 is the Mercure Holland House Hotel and Spa in Bristol, UK. The hotel is by the beautiful St Mary's Church and the harbour. With Temple Mead Train Station 10 minutes away and Bristol Airport 20 minutes drive from the hotel.
There are many lovely facilities on site including a fitness suite, swimming pool, spa (a 5 minutes walk around the side of the hotel), restaurants..
We have negotiated a discounted room rate for the convention and these are as follows:
Friday Night (Bed & Breakfast): £99 
Saturday Night (Bed & Breakfast): £109
(Hotel bookable at these convention rates, secured by a credit card and you can pay on departure - available only until the 22nd September after which will revert to full room rate)
You can book your room by using the following code when booking:
BACKCOVER PROMOTIONS

Please quote this code when phoning the hotel to book via phone: 0117 3199004 (UK)

There are free coffee/tea making facilities in each room.

There is free wifi in each room.

The website for the Mercure Holland House Hotel & Spa can be found HERE

The Mercure Holland House Hotel & Spa's address is as follows:

Redcliffe Hill
Bristol
BS1 6SQ
United Kingdom

Guests


We are so excited to have the following confirmed and ready to join us at the BCP International Book Fair & Comic Expo! As more guests are confirmed we will add them to the lists under the right areas! As you can see we are hoping to bring to you a diverse and unique convention with BCP International Book Fair & Comic Expo! We hope you are as excited as we are.

Please click on each name to learn more about our guests

 Headliner:

Authors:

Poets:
Artist In Residence:

Artists:

 Publishers:

 Traders:
Exhibitor Tables
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Friday 24 October 2014

Introduction:Investigation And Research Is Not “Debunking”



This introduction was written for my 2009 book, Some More Things Strange & Sinister. Since that time new books on Sasquatch have appeared including  Jeff Meldrums excellent -and highly recommended- SASQUATCH: LEGEND MEETS SCIENCE.

*************************************************************************



    Some have suggested that in Some Things Strange And Sinister I took the stance of a “debunker” –someone who takes it upon himself to explain away anything unusual or odd.  I suppose that I should not have been in the least bit surprised by that response.

    The last thing I would ever want to be is a debunker.  Some “Forteans” and “cryptozoologists” were quite annoyed –several very annoyed— by the way I had “casually dismissed” the Canvey Island Dead Aquatic Creatures incidents.  Well,I have looked into those events,and others like them,for over thirty years and my conclusions are backed up by full documentation.  “Casually” indeed!

    Some “ufologists” were a tad upset,too.  How dare I dismiss crashed UFO cases!  Well,if there was one iota of evidence in just one case I would not.  Roswell is a big money earner yet it has been adequately explained as a non-crashed flying saucer for a long time.  The 19th Century Aurora,Texas crash –a downright hoax.

    Were I more the cribbing and rehashing from other books type I’m quite sure I would be much more like!  However,if something is false it needs to be shown and declared as such rather than let it continue to be used in literature and the media and all that entails.

    At times I rather feel like that masked magician on TV revealing how all the old tricks are done.  Hated by those “within” that circle because he hopes to push the magicians into developing new tricks rather than continue on with the same old stuff.  If we can rid cryptozoology,Forteanism and ufology of all the fakes and easily explainable cases then we can concentrate on those that seem genuinely unexplainable.

    With UFO landing reports I concentrated a great deal of time on non-humanoid cases since these seemed to hold more promise of finding a genuine,unexplainable case[s].  I was very disappointed when one after another disintegrated into a tissue of hoaxes and lies.   But what was really annoying was the fact that those who had published foreign language accounts in English language publications knew of the follow-up articles/reports that proved hoaxes.  One ufologist complained to me that he had just published two of the accounts [from Some Things Strange And Sinister] in his book and that I made him look stupid.  


 Apparently,though,he had carried out no research but merely taken the accounts from existing UFO book sources.  My response was “Well,had you even vaguely carried out any type of research you would not be looking stupid now!”


    After over thirty-five years of UFO investigation,some of that while running the officially unofficial Anomalous Observational Phenomena Bureau [AOP B],apart from what we termed “UNP” [Uninvestigated [by science] Natural Phenomenon] no evidence was found proving any kind of alien,or extra-terrestrial involvement.

    I witnessed a number of UNP –on one occasion within 100 yards of me and though very impressive it was quite obviously not “alien”.  I’ve climbed around giant rock conveyer belts in quarries,forests,buildings and much more looking for physical traces left behind following UFO incidents but found nothing.  I’ve chased hoaxers over fields and other places.  I’ve advanced by myself toward a supposed landed UFO with occupants while three squad cars full of police hung back “this is your speciality” I was told. 

     Having written that I ought to point out that I was with about forty other “truth-seekers” at Cradle Hill, Warminster,in the late 1970s when a red light moved about the copse there.  Myself and Franklyn Davin-Wilson realised there was something “off” about it and we moved forward –to shrieks and calls from the other folk there not to go toward the “UFO”.  As I said loudly,”What the hell is the point of trying to find proof of what is going on if you stand like lemons and don’t confront anything head on?”  It turned out to be a hoaxer anyway but better the mad dash than add more junk to ufology.

    I have never hidden in conversation or writing the fact that I firmly believe that there are probably unknown large species,commonly referred to as “sea monsters” awaiting discovery.  That is if we are lucky.  The seas and oceans usually take care of dead –rather like jungles and forests can see all remains of a large deer vanish in a little less than a month. 

    Whether the number of such aquatic unknowns is falling we can only guess as by looking at other large species such as whales,etc..  Depleting fish stocks as well as pollution and destruction of aquatic environments probably mean there are not as many “sea monsters” as there used to be.  Unlike in the old days of sail when a ship might look,from below,like a whale or other sea animal,today we have sonar and much more,including very noisey engines,that might scare off unknown creatures –probably why the number of sightings have dropped from the mid-20th century onward.

    I would hope that noise pollution at sea was a better explanation than recent extinction.  But science will not be happy until it can kill and dissect any such creature.  It is the way of science sadly,for that reason,I’d hope –hope— for a dead beasty washed ashore.  The nature of these things is that you might kill a good specimen for study but it could be the last breeding male/female of a species just holding on.

    I’ve also been told that I seem to sit on the fence regarding hairy hominids such as Bigfoot/Sasquatch,the Yeti and so on.  Well,although I used to be in regular contact with hominologists back in the 1970s-1980s,my AOP Bureau work meant I had to restrict some things.  Sadly,a number of those early credible investigators are now no longer with us.

    The late Ivan T. Sanderson produced what we can call the first real technical field book on the subject [1].  I was shocked to learn that out of 101 people professing to be investigators or researchers into Bigfoot/Sasquatch,only three –three— had read Sanderson’s book!  It should be the book read by anyone interested or involved in that field.


    I have always been a little “iffy” when it comes to the Yeti.  A hairy hominid travelling,occasionally,to higher snowy ground..maybe.  But when you come to the kingdom of Nepal you have a different situation.   Nepal is a land of geographical extremes and these include near sea-level elevations in the southern Terai to the world's highest mountains.  And the country contains a variety of eco-systems;from the tree-less sub-alpine pastures and dense fir forests of the high valleys,the oak and rhododendron woods of the middle hills,and the tall sal forests of the south. Along the southern borders of Nepal are preserved much of the lowland jungles and grasslands that once covered this part of the sub-continent and here you can see birds and mammals found nowhere else.  It should be noted that, although animal habitat has been somewhat depleted as a result of agriculture,deforestation and other causes,because of Nepal's extensive and effective park and reserve system the country still has more varied flora and fauna than any other area in Asia.

     An unknown biped is possible. 

    The Orang Pendek is a hominid that reportedly inhabits remote,mountainous forests on the island of Sumatra.  There is the highly likely possibility that this is some unknown form of primate and research certainly seems to be attracting a lot of people from established science.

    There are others,of course.  Certain islands covered with jungle and rarely if ever visited could hold a few more surprises in this field.

    As for Bigfoot/Sasquatch.  John Green [2] and many others who know what they are doing,have looked at everything from food and habitat to possible migratory routes throughout the year.  The food and habitat aspect is the real stuff of any study because if any animal is real it must have a diet –specialised or otherwise.  When you look at some of the habitat consisting of dense forest running into thousands of square miles and into which only a few venture you see that any large hominid could exist.


    Really,it will take a prolonged investigation of a year or so to draw conclusions or gather evidence and I think that there are certain locations that would be perfect for this,but it takes money!

    In the former Soviet Union,research into hominology and the Almas has always been taken seriously and Dmitri Bayanov is a well known and internationally respected researcher.  And in the Peoples Republic of China rsearch and investigation into the Yeren is taken just as seriously and there have been officially sanctioned investigations,some yielding interesting results.  The United States seems to have lagged behind because until more recent years anyone involved in serious science who even suggested that there might be “something interesting in this Bigfoot business” could see a good career suffer.

    So,no,I do not dismiss hominology as a very interesting subject worth delving in to.


    When it comes to ghosts –as opposed to poltergeist activity—I have to admit to really wanting to find evidence.  I think most of us would like to find proof of life after death.  My mother always said that if there was anything after death she would do her best to let me know.  Years have passed and nothing.  I’ve known others who have said the same thing but still nothing.  Franklyn A. Davin-Wilson was a solid believer in ghosts and the paranormal and had a brilliant mind and we both agreed that,whichever one of us “popped off” first,would come back to prove there was life after death.  Over twenty-five years later I still wait on the agreed anniversary of death but Franklyn still hasn’t shown up.

    I think my views on poltergeist activity were adequately explained in Some Things Strange And Sinister.

    With digital technology every particle of dust,pollen or other mundane minute piece of debris became “orbs” –“energy amassing before a ghostly event”.  It just shows how ignorant people are of the technology they use and I think the mass of amoebic-like orbs I photographed and reproduced in my last book proves a point:use a digital camera in a dusty [even seemingly dust-free] environment and the flash will reveal “orb central”.

    The point is that,some 99 per cent of the things I look into sound incredible and unexplainable but turn out to be wild goose chases.  However,I am still holding out for that 1 per cent that will prove that there are genuinely some things strange and,possibly,sinister out there.  That one case or,hopefully,several cases,that will show that this is not a seemingly mundane world devoid of things to stimulate the human mind and further research.

    While working with the University of Wales Swansea Exotic Cat Group,I delved into more 18th,19th and early century newspapers and publications than I care to think about.  However,what these sources revealed were truly astonishing because most modern wrtiters/researchers do not carry out this type of work.  Finding something interesting by accident while reading a book or picking items reprinted for the umpteenth time seems to be the norm.

    Whether gorillas in captivity prior to scientific discovery –such as “Jenny”— or The Beast of Faudiere,Girt Dog of Ennerdale or Beast of Gevaudan:the facts are all there. 

    While certain factions of Forteanism,Cryptozoology and Ufology try to keep the cult of personality alive for their own kudos or to become a “character”,the idea of rolling up your shirt sleeves and getting to work in the field or in research takes a backseat.  Certain “field investigations” tend to be more reminiscent of adventure holidays than anything serious.

    So,I am definitely not a debunker.  I am certainly not a “Ufologist”,”Fortean” or “Cryptozoologist”.  I am an investigator-researcher and naturalist.




    Never be too shy to share your opinion.  And if you can add anything new to any of the subjects within this or the previous book I’d very much like to hear from you.  If you have seen,filmed or photographed anything unusual I would definitely like to hear from you!

    I hope I have a few more years left in me for research and investigation even if my home does appear to be solely decorated with files and folders with some very unusual titles on them.

    Here’s to a few more years!








Terry Hooper-Scharf
Corryn Gwall,
Bristol,
November,2009
   







1.      Sanderson,Ivan T.,Abominable Snowman:Legend Come To Life,[reprinted]
         Adventures Unlimited Press,Illinois,2006

2.      Green,John,Encounters With Bigfoot,Hancock House Publishing,1980.
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It's Been A While

Indeed, far too long.  Some were even asking whether "The Professor" had mysteriously vanished!  No, I am still here and hoping to start work on a new book in 2015 though my UFO work is still, sadly, subject to an unofficial "gagging order".

Still, very interested in hearing from people who have encountered strange phenomena -if in and around the City of Bristol, UK all the better!!
blacktowercg@hotmail.com
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Black Tower Books -These Books WILL Educate You On The Weird And Unknown...and more!



It's been pointed out to me that many people may think that Black Tower Comics just publish comic albums and graphic novels.  well, the banner reads "Black Tower Comics and Books.


Many people may have missed the mention of those books considering the number of newbies each day and, of course, the number of posts.  This is a BIG blog!


So, for those of you who are unaware of the books Black Tower publishes here's a run-down:


The Truth About Spring-Heeled Jack


The Truth About Spring-Heeled Jack
Terry Hooper-Scharf
Paperback (prose)
A4
53 Pages
Price: £7.00
Ships in 3–5 business days
The terror and mystery created by “Jack The Ripper” has been the subject of countless books, magazine articles as well as movies and TV documentaries. Ask anyone if they have ever heard of Jack The Ripper and it is doubtful anyone would respond with a “no idea.” 
By that same token, ask people who “Spring-heeled Jack” was and you would be lucky to find anyone who had ever heard of him. 
Spring-heeled Jack was the subject (loosely) of a film The Curse of the Wraydons (1946) and Dominic Keating also appeared as Spring Heeled Jack in the 2010 film Sherlock Holmes by The Asylum film company. The character has also featured in both American and British comic books and a number of books, for both children and adults. 
But the fact that the Springald held the country –not just London– in a grip of terror much longer that the Ripper did is all but forgotten except for some half-truths and fanciful theories. 

Now be prepared to read the full story of Spring Heeled Jack!

Illustrated throughout.

The Red Paper:CANINES vol.1


The Red Paper:CANINES vol.1

Terry Hooper-Scharf
Paperback,
A4
202 Pages
Price: £10.00
Ships in 3–5 business days
Up-dated 2011 edition includes section on sarcoptic mange in foxes and treatment plus a list of wildlife sanctuaries and rescue centres in the UK.

 By the 1700s the British fox was on the verge of extinction and about to follow the bear and wolf into history having been hunted for sport for centuries.

The first solely wildlife book by the noted naturalist.

 The answer was to import thousands of foxes per year for sport. But foxes kept dying out so jackals were tried. Some were caught, some escaped.

Even wolves and coyote were released for hunting.

The summation of over 30 years research -all backed up with full references including from books and papers by famous British "fox hunters" and manuals and game keeper guides to keeping foxes for hunting- reveals the damnable lie of "pest control" hunting but also reveals the cruelty the animals were subject to and how private menageries as well as travelling shows helped provide the British and Irish countryside with some incredible events.

The legendary Girt Dog of Ennerdale, a favourite of cryptozoologists and mystery writers, is also dealt with in detail.

Arctic foxes, coyotes in Essex and many more near forgotten mysteries of wild nature in the UK and supported by illustrations and photographs once thought to have been lost many years ago.  Trawling newspaper archives does pay off. 

Low price until 24th December, 2014

Some Things Strange & Sinister


Some Things Strange & Sinister

Terry Hooper-Scharf
Paperback,
A4
358 Pages
Profusely illustrated with photographs, maps and illustrations.
Price: £15.00
Ships in 3–5 business days
After more than 35 years as an investigator and more than forty as a naturalist, the author has opened some of the many files he has accumulated dealing with such things as  The Terrifying Events At The Lamb Inn, The Ghosts Of All Saints Church, Dead Aquatic Creatures of Canvey Island, captured bigfoot like creatures in India -all exclusively presented for the first time and with new added research previously unseen.

PLUS a vastly expanded section on Spring-heeled Jack!

Photographs,maps,line drawings and up-dated to make 358 pages looking at Things truly Strange and Sinister. The cryptozoologist, Ghost Hunter,Ufologist or Fortean will find this book has something for everyone -including the just plain inquisitive!

Low price until 24th December, 2014

Some More Things Strange & Sinister


Some More Things Strange & Sinister


Terry Hooper-Scharf
Paperback,
A4
327 Pages
Price: £15.00
Ships in 3–5 business days
Follow-up to the hugely successful Some Things Strange & Sinister.

For those interested in Ufology, cryptozoology, hominology, unusual natural history, ghosts and mysteries in general.

The secret history of gorillas in the UK -before they were officially  'discovered'. The history of  the Wild men of Europe, the UK and US: something that in the 1800s become very "pop culture"!

Hominology. Sasquatch and Bigfoot -is there evidence for their existence?  You might be surprised.

Giant snakes. Amazons. The Giant serpent of Carthage. The Girt Dog of Ennerdale -another big cult 'creature' amongst paranormal and cryptozoological circles. The Beast of Gevaudan -what was it and were there really descendents of the creature in the 19th century?

 Believe it or not more than one incident of historical crocodiles cases in the UK.

And, after more than a century of claims by 'researchers' that it no longer exists: Silent City of Alaska and the near legendary photograph taken of it.

 And much more. Updated with extra pages and photographs. 

Low price until 24th December, 2014

Pursuing The Strange & Weird:A Naturalists Viewpoint


Pursuing The Strange & Weird:A Naturalists Viewpoint



Paperback, 
A4
249 Pages
Price: £15.00
Ships in 3-5 business days.
2013 UP DATE -From Dead Aquatic (Humanoid) Creatures, the giant squid and yet undiscovered sea creatures; submarine and ships crews encountering true leviathans. 
There is a fully expanded section which also refers to the so-called ‘Ningen’ sightings and video footage. 
Extinct animals at sea that have been re-discovered. The subject of Sasquatch and other mystery Hominids around the world is dealt with including a look at the “Sasquatch-killer”, Justin Smeja. 
Dr. Bryan Sykes and his DNA test results for TVs The Bigfoot Files as well as the controversial Erickson Project and Dr. Melba Ketchum’s Even more controversial Sasquatch DNA test results. 
Also included are two early French UFO entity cases that still baffle. Ghosts, strange creatures and the Star-Child hoax. All dealt with by the naturalist and pursuer of the strange and weird

Low price until 24th December, 2014


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