The trees were on fire...
WEATHER GONE CRAZY?
Two pacific storms blessed Squaw with 83 inches or 7 FEET of fresh snow since Thursday, February 22.
on the road again...
So, I'm sat next to mrNathan in our road warrior... The Toyota noidea. We are currently on the slow road to annesy... No, the slower than slow road. The SLOWEST road. We are listening to clasical music as we cruise through the wonderful country side... Currently in cruseilles. ....more from me later (car sick!) mrNathan sure can drive...
THIS JUST IN... We're almost HALF way to latania after an hour and a half of driving!!!!...
If I can post this picture from the blackberry, I will.... If I can't, I won't...
Catch cry of the drive so far: "ZERO EXCESS"
...wow, what was that bright flash!!... Oh, we're doing 150... I guess it was a camera!...bugger.
...WOW! - another flash!!.. Pasky loses his allowance... ;)
25 minutes to go... Dinner here we come.
Later. Sime
...day one on the hill, after dinner lastnight which was really good.. Lamb shank, meat fell off the bone.. Desert was sticky toffee pudding, I thought it was pretty darn good... So, dinner than bed, accom was fine, smallish but clean and warm...(aint no VAIL) out on the hill day one.. Zero vis in the morning, got a couple of good runs in, then found a tiny place to have lunch.. Omelette with mushrooms "avec fritte" pricy but ok.. So after lunch it had cleared a little and as paskys wingman we were off at just sub usual pace... And for the first time in three seasons I had a LARGE off... Had I not been wearing my helmet it would have been over and out.. Still have a killer headache now.. Anyway, dinner o'clock.. Oh and I forgot, breakfast was great too.. Bacon (crispy) and egg, museli and fruit...etc three valleys... Can not recall www but google hotel telemark in la Tania.. Oh... And it snowed pretty much all day.. Fresh tracks rock.. Over and out.. simE
...I have a neck injury!... Well, I have whiplash muscles in the front of my neck... Hurts. Can't lay down and sit back up!.. Rubbish!!
Chelsea v arsenal.. Chelsea take it, bit of biffo toward the end and a horrific kick to the face of john terry. He is said to be in a stable condition after being a bit groggy... Get well JT
Had a killer headache last night... Not good, this trip hasn't been crash hot... Last day on the hill tomorrow before its back to work tomorrow.
So... Telemark hotel has gone down a little in my opinion... Went down for breakfast this morning to be (not) greeted by some (Australian?) bird who was not at all interested in serving breakfast, but more interested in getting out on the hill.. We had to ask to be served, Nathan had glass in his drink.. ..anyway, not to worry.
Zero vis again this morning, some good snow... Loads infact... Pasky and I slipping through snow upto our knees. Tired legs, tired...
Still got a headache.
!!...landed a nice big jump sideways and didn't die... Great
GREEN: It's not for everyone...
I have "been on this green thing" for the last few months... It is important, it is very important for our kids and their kids, but, it is hard to stay focused when you are like me... I like to see change straight away, I can't cook and that's because I want to have the end result "then and there"... I dont want to have to stir three cups of this into half a dozen of those... I can't DIY 'cause I want things done right away.. I want to walk away from my place and go back in a couple of days to a "new" place... you know? ...so, I guess when I don't see any change, not change in the environment -I realise that it's not going to change overnight, or even in the 8 months I have "been this way"... but I dont see any change in anyone else... a good friend said to me tonight, I wish you would get off this "green thing"... not because he doesn't care for the planet.. but just cause I am always banging on about it. So, what do I do?
I guess I will just have to get on with life and hope the leaders (?! - who) get on with taking some notice... i'm not going to stop recycling or start leaving lights on again... promise...
I guess I will just have to get on with life and hope the leaders (?! - who) get on with taking some notice... i'm not going to stop recycling or start leaving lights on again... promise...
Anyway, that's just heavy... and now, with parking permit in hand - here are some photos for you to ponder (Louise took these, but is way too slack to have a website.. WAY WAY)
Armed Assault
So.... finally Operation Flashpoint has pulled together a second release Armed Assault (aside of all the upgrades, add-ons and patches) of the brilliant game. Kev* iso'd me the demo today which has taken up a little time (what's wrong with the world when you have no time to stop and play computer games at work!!) Setup was a breeze and gameplay is VERY similar to the old Operation Flashpoint... i'm running an AMD64 with a 256mb video card (office machine pretty much) and it played ok at 800x600 on the 19" Dell tft... Looks VERY good... I will have to go buy the game tomorrow... it's just the way it is...
Map of Sahrani High resolution PDF map of the Sahrani island. It shows the entire landscape in the comprehensive detail of the real-looking satelite photography. The site description and ruler can help you during the gamepley or mission design and it also represents nice pin-up artwork.
LOW RES
HIGH RES
Below are some facts pulled together for y'all...
AI is so sophisticated they will find cover before changing magazines.
If there's an explosion nearby your vision and hearing can be affected.
Ambushing an enemy with the sun in your eyes leaves you at the disadvantage thanks to ArmA HDR Lighting effects.
Ballistics and even bullet deflection (ricochets) for machine guns are accuratelly simulated in the game.
When you are tired, your aim is less stable and you run slower.
Your aiming precision is also influenced by your health status and posture.
There are more then 40 weapons in Armed Assault.
There are real star constellations and moon phases ingame.
Walking across the island on foot from one end to the other takes 45 minutes real time.
You can play with more then 100 people in multiplayer mode.
As time passes, weather and daytime changes influence scene lighting and shadowing as in the real world.
Church bells ring on each hour.
Seagulls fly mostly near the sea? You can spot a hawk, if you're lucky.
There are flies, honey-bees, and even dragonflies, mosquitoes or butterflies flying around.
There are more then 40 weapons in Armed Assault.
If a building is between you and an explosion the sound will be muffled by the obstruction.
There is wind on the hill tops.
If you attack an enemy with the sun in your eyes your vision will be greatly reduced.
It's possible to see a rainbow in the game, with the proper combination of rain and sun.
Trees, bushes and grass not only sway in the wind but are also influenced by nearby landing helicopters.
If you see a distant explosion or shot, it takes a while until you hear it as well.
Armed Assault features enhanced ballistic and recoil simulation.
Ambushing an enemy with the sun in your eyes leaves you at the disadvantage thanks to ArmA HDR Lighting effects.
Walking across the island on foot from one end to the other takes 45 minutes real time.
Church bells ring on each hour.
ArmA stormed into the UK PC (full price) Chart at #3 after it's first weekend! It also was amongst top selling games on Amazon.co.uk and all other leading online stores in the UK.
Detailed ArmA review is available from Eurogamer, ranking the game 8/10. ArmA is out now in the UK and you can buy it on Amazon.co.uk or various other game stores.
Map of Sahrani in PC FormatVery detailed topographical map of Sahrani will be available as part of the March issue (198) of the UK magazine PC Format, on sale from the 20th Feb.
Are you creative person? Try to make your own ArmA mini movie online on ArmaTrailerMaker.com. English version of ArmA: Armed Assault will be released today. Buy it on Amazon.co.uk.
Japan, please accept the Greenpeace offer to tow crippled vessel
Dear Ocean Defender,
Help us convince the Japanese Environment Minister to urgently act to get the stricken whaling vessel, the Nisshin Maru, out of Antarctica in order to ensure the safety of the ship's crew and avert a potential environmental disaster. Take action now! Thank you for your support!The crew of the Esperanza
Help us convince the Japanese Environment Minister to urgently act to get the stricken whaling vessel, the Nisshin Maru, out of Antarctica in order to ensure the safety of the ship's crew and avert a potential environmental disaster. Take action now! Thank you for your support!The crew of the Esperanza
RBKC Replied.....with a handball | watch this space
Dear Sime™, We are writing to acknowledge that we have received your recent email. The Recycling Manager, Mr Jay Amies will reply in full as soon as possible.
You can contact us on 020 7361 3001 or email streetline@rbkc.gov.uk if you require any further information.
Kind Regards, Clare Woodward
StreetlineCouncil Offices
37 Pembroke RoadW8 6PW
Tel: 020 7361 3001
Fax: 020 7341 5200
Text: 07967734803
Email: streetline@rbkc.gov.uk
THIS IS THE REPLY I RECEIVED YESTERDAY
Dear Sime™,
Thanks for your email.
I'm afraid we are only able to collect those items that can be handled by the sorting facility and reprocessors contracted to the Royal Borough's Waste Disposal Authority and unfortunately the reprocessors concerned are unable to work with plastic bottle lids at present. We are hoping that this will change however as the market for recycled plastic develops.
As for your toaster unless it can be reused by someone else then I'm afraid the best option at present is probably to simply dispose of it in your rubbish bag. (anyone want a toaster?)
Kind regards.
Mr. Jay Amies Waste Reduction and Recycling Manager
Dept. of Waste Management & Leisure The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea 37 Pembroke Road London W8 6PW ......the search continues S™
Art... what is art?
anyone?...
MrNathan has a thought provoking post up at the mo'... Art or Vandalism - and the image that goes with it is some graffiti... what is art to you, is graffiti art?... email me your version of ART to post...
.....Art or Graffiti
Well - here is someone calling some wall painting graffiti and I sortof agree... BECAUSE it doesn't inspire me one little bit... not to do anything, not even clean it off...(yes, i'm aware there is a KANGAROO painted on the wall... i'll love them again when I move home.. and it aint gunna be because of CHIPS!)
I think THIS is one of my faves... (thx J)
so, it's subjective, it's personal, it's what you make it when you see it, it's the mood you're in when you see it...
EAT WELL | TRAFFIC LIGHTS | GO, or STOP?
You’re standing in a supermarket aisle looking at two similar products, trying to decide which to choose. You want to make the healthier choice but, as usual, you’re in a hurry. Well, help is at hand.If you’re in Sainsbury’s, Waitrose or the Co-op (and a growing number of other stores), some of the products on sale have traffic light colours on the label to help you make your choice.
Dispatches: The Supermarket That's Eating Britain
Tesco is Britain's favourite supermarket. With 2,000 stores and 15 million customers a week, it's almost twice as big as its nearest rival. Dispatches shows how Tesco could soon become even bigger, and asks if this retail giant is abusing its power. Honestly, good stuff!!...
In The Supermarket That's Eating Britain, Ben Laurance pieces together evidence that reveals the true potential of Tesco's expansion plans. In two thirds of Britain, Tesco is already the dominant supermarket.
Dispatches' information shows how that dominance could become even greater. The programme examines the ways in which Tesco avoids paying tens of millions of pounds in tax by exploiting legal loopholes and using complex networks of companies and partnerships here and overseas.
And Dispatches chronicles the links Tesco has forged with New Labour: the programme examines how Tesco has used its connections to exert influence both at Westminster and with local councillors.
The Supermarket That's Eating Britain hears how: councils feel bullied; MPs complain about being put under pressure; and Tesco uses its financial clout to keep its competitors at bay.
The programme also spells out the truth behind Tesco's declared commitment to providing schools with sports equipment and computers. And it exposes Tesco's controversial stance over food labelling.
_________________________________________________________
Not a bad show Lewie... not bad at all, though... spiders!?... close ups of spiders eating bugs! I woman that said "MIDGETS" ...a dirty camera lens!!... I thought you were a PRODUCER DARRRLING...
Britney is Bald.... does anyone care??
Los Angeles (eCanadaNow) - Just days after checking in and out of rehab, Britney Spears went bald.
Spears, 25, showed up at a hair salon in Los Angeles unannounced and demanded that the hair stylist shave her head bald, Cable News Network reported Saturday.
The stylist, Esther Tognozzi, told CNN she tried to talk her out of chopping off her famous blonde mane.
“I said, ‘I’m not going to shave your hair off. Are you sure you’re not having a bad day and tomorrow maybe you’ll feel different?’,” Tognozzi told CNN.
“The next thing I knew she grabbed a buzzer and was shaving off her own hair,” Tognozzi recalled. “She actually enjoyed doing that.”
Spears, who has been tearing up the party scene since the breakup of her marriage in November checked herself into rehab earlier in the week, but checked herself out again after just 24 hours, according to People Magazine Friday.
Spears, 25, arrived at Eric Clapton’s Crossroads Centre in Antigua “two or three days ago” but left after just one day and headed to Florida, an unnamed source told the magazine.
News of Spears’ latest escapade came as her former personal assistant, Felicia Culotta, revealed that the former pop princess and now mother of two was going off the tracks.
“There’s just so much you can do to help a person,” Culotta wrote in a letter to Hollywood.com. “I cannot save her from herself, nor can I commit her to any type of treatment programme against her wishes and will.” 
Crying is good...
A won't stop screaming. Because after three straight hours of being in my arms, I decided to put him down. And now he's pissed. Probably plotting his revenge, which will most likely involve getting up at all hours of the night and then peeing, pooping, and puking on me. 'Cause that's how he rolls.
D, on the other hand, is an angel. Full of smiles and giggles and so cuddly you could cry.I've been up since 3 am. Had a monster headache all day. (Me - not so cuddly today.)I realized I need to buy diapers. And I have no money.And then I broke down in tears. Because I'm so stressed out over bills and jobs and money and babies and life that I can barely form a thought.Yeah, I know. Life is tough. Deal with it, Contessa.
I'm trying.
J... don't let the man get you down... x
Mind if I take a sample of that?....
...CSI, my current fave show, been on since 8pm... re-runs, but still good... I think Emily Procter wins my vote for... um... best CSI
Comedy Shave o'Clock / LATE HNT!!
Will post the before and afters...but - i think we should start a trend... COMEDY SHAVE DAY?...well - here's my contribution... email yours in to me here
BEFORE: (is this HNT on saturday?)
Before:
After:
During:
Af
ter:
Jess from London, Contributes:
obviously i had a facial/face lift/LA makeover afterwards too. Didnt realise it was naked saturday shaving. maybe next time. Maybe...
Before:
After:
...you looked better as a redhead
...mrnathan kicks us off Before: During and After!
MrNathan and his interpretation of..."PORNSTAR"
GEEK ALERT GEEK ALERT!!!!
We all collected things as children. Rocks, baseball cards, Barbies, perhaps even bugs -- we all tried to gather up as much stuff as possible to compile the biggest most interesting collection possible. Some of you may have even been able to amass a collection of items numbering into the hundreds (or thousands).
As the story always goes, we got older, our collections got smaller, and eventually our interests died out...until now.
There are currently organizations around the world in the business of amassing collections of things, and their collections number into and above the trillions. In many cases these collections, or databases, consist of items we use every day.
As the story always goes, we got older, our collections got smaller, and eventually our interests died out...until now.
There are currently organizations around the world in the business of amassing collections of things, and their collections number into and above the trillions. In many cases these collections, or databases, consist of items we use every day.
I'm gonna sue for defamation...
Hey - your blog says Val and Glenda. Come on mate, get it right. It's Val and Matilda. I mean , does Nath look like a Glenda to you??? Glenda's have blue handbags and buns - Matilda's have red flowery handbags and pigtails. I know which one Nath is more like and he ain't wearing no baked product in his hair.
And hey, you told me the other day that I wasn't nuts. I'm gonna sue for defamation...
JUST TO RECAP - YOU ARE NUTS....
Activists abandon whale protest
Activists abandon whale protest: Aus
A FUEL shortage has forced activists to abandon their campaign against Japanese whalers, as minor parties accused the Australian Government of not doing enough to stop the annual slaughter.....<cont..>
Japanese whaling ship on fire, one missing: NZ
CANBERRA, A Japanese whaling ship is on fire and one crew member is missing off the coast of Antarctica after a blaze broke out below decks, New Zealand maritime authorities said on Thursday.....<cont..>
...this is just terrible news!!
New Look, New Outlook... one more time
David Choi is todays "featured Muso" on gtvone.com - cooking for men who hate kitchens, BUT, I bet that isn't the only question that's rolling around your furry little skull - right?
Cooking for men who hate kitchens, well, not so much hate kitchens... more hate waiting for things to cook cause they just want to eat, not men who hate kitchens in a deeply ingrained phobia kind of way - like, the cooker could hurt me, ooow no, I can't go near the cooker.
Yeah, so basically.. i'm crap in the kitchen and I WANT to be better... I just dunno how - i'm not patient, I like things to be ready NOW.. you know... not interested in waiting!!.. I actually like cooking - BUT - I may have been known to put xome weird ingredients in my recipies in the past... QUALITY all the same...
Right - my work here is DONE...
OH... going LATIN DANCING tomorrow, that outta be about as much fun as smacking myself in the "danger zone" with an iron bar... will let you know how it goes.
Sime™
Letting the team down...
...so, mrnathan and I are out just about to finish our photo session... Been a long night of not much motivation.. Currently standing at a bus stop opposite kings cross... Cold, dejected, tired... Working in a few hours... Rubbish!!...
some pictures from lastnight:
How many NO's can one get?...
Was wandering to a client this morning to solve her Mac problem... and started looking for examples of "NO"... some images to explain what I mean...
VIKSTER wants to be DAVE
...the flame trees will blind the weary driver
Kids out driving Saturday afternoon pass me by I'm just savouring familiar sights We share some history, this town and I And I can't stop that long forgotten feeling of her Try to book a room to stay tonight.
Steve Jobs’ DRM-Free Music Sounds Bad for Record Companies
Steve Jobs’ open letter was published on Apple’s site and it was entitled suggestively "Thoughts on music". Apple Inc.’s boss made some considerations about the famous iTunes download service, how it evolved in time thanks to the famous iPod and what the future might bring for online distribution of music. Jobs confessed the fact that the DRM imposed to customers on iTunes was a consequence of tough negotiations with the world’s four largest record companies, which he wanted to bring on iTunes.
iPhone : i'm excited by technology again!
Heavens Be Praised!!! .....we got cake
So, i'm waiting for delivery of a 500gb "My Book" today, but it's coming with citylink... and I have to say, they are THE worst courier company I have ever had to use!... right, coffee...starbucks (one for you too Jinny?)
over and out... s
Standing out the front...
...of starbucks in earls, it opens at 7am.. I have been here 8 minutes, but I feel committed.. The regular girl has seen me, so I can't leave... Or can I? It is pretty cold out here, so I feel for the woman across the street that is handing out the "sport" magazine.. She looks freezing and probably doesn't give a stuff about the thing she is handing out. Delivery man has turned up to hand stuff... Whoa ...the doors are open!!! ...coffee o'clock - laters!
Simon pollock darthvader is rad www.gtvone.com
You just cant turn it off...
....Not so for Anna Nicole Smith who died today - A shock to us all, i'm sure?
I was wrong....
It Snowed - not enough to do anything with, but enough to destroy any Londoners hopes of getting anywhere on time... amazing what a cm of snow does to London...
OK - so pictures will NOT upload to blogger..
i'll stick em on www.gtvone.com ...give me five (they're up now.. click that link back there)
Minor innscuracies...
...ok, so its snowing out there.. And the next five days have snow symbols on them on the three valleys forecast. Well, great! Now, onto things more trivial ...MY SCROLLER NO LONGER WORKS....
Simon pollock darthvader is rad www.gtvone.com
Take a bottle drink it down...
She lived on the curve in the road in an old tar paper shack.On the south side of the town on the wrong side of the tracks.Sometimes on the way into town we'd say, "Mama can we stop and give her a ride?"Sometimes we did but her hands flew from her side.Wild eyed crazy Mary.
Down a long dirt road past the Parson's place.That old blue car we used to race.Little country store with a sign tacked to the side.Said 'NO L-O-I-T-E-R-I-N-G ALLOWED.'Underneath that sign always congregated quite a crowd.
Take a bottle drink it down. Pass it around.Take a bottle drink it down. Drink it... Pass it around. Pass it a...A-take a bottle drink it down. Pass it... Pass it a... Pass it around.
One night thunder cracked. Mercy backed outside her windowsill.Dreamed I was flying high above the trees over the hills.Looked down into the house of Mary.Bare bulb on Newspaper covered walls. And Mary rising up above it all.
Inner Child... will it snow tonight?
TG thinks this is the "kid in me"... maybe it is?
....Maybe it isn't?
Shooting with Kids...
Shooting with the kids tonight, motivation went left, we went right...
.....night
Blair: fossil fool
02-02-2007
The world's top climate scientists have this morning released their latest report on the science of global warming. Their verdict: the world is on the verge of climate catastrophe.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report says that continuing business-as-usual practices is likely to lead to more droughts, heatwaves, floods and stronger hurricanes, rapid melting of ice-sheets and rapidly rising sea levels.
The clear message to governments is that the window for action is narrowing fast, and global emissions must peak before 2020 and start to come down rapidly thereafter if we are to have a reasonable chance to keep global mean temperature rise to less than 2 degrees centigrade compared to pre-industrial levels.
Yet, despite these conclusions, Blair is ushering in a new generation of coal fired power stations on the UK, which will still be pumping out greenhouse gases in 50 years' time!
So, this morning, a truck daubed with "BLAIR DUMPS CLIMATE" tipped four tonnes of coal on DEFRA's doorstep, to expose this government's failure to act on climate change.
By supporting coal and sidelining the real solutions to climate change, Blair is consigning the UK to climate failure. Carbon dioxide emissions have risen by almost six million tonnes under Blair - primarily because of an increase in the use of coal in our power stations, as well as an increase in emissions from cars and planes. And these emissions are still on the up.
Because Blair has made coal cheaper to burn than the less polluting natural gas, he has encouraged a wave of applications from energy companies to build brand new coal fired power stations - the first new applications in 20 years. These power plants would be the nail in the coffin for the UK's attempts to stop catastrophic climate change.
"Blair has presided over an increase in CO2 emissions from coal-burning, aviation and road transport," says Greenpeace climate campaigner Jim Footner. "And as if that wasn't enough to wreck the planet, he now plans to dump new coal fired power stations on the UK."
Blair's legacy will be a compromised climate.
But, as our activists in Paris this week said, "it's not too late". We're on the brink but we can pull back - if we act decisively and meaningfully now.
We're campaigning for an overhaul of the UK's outdated and inefficient energy system. Localised - or decentralised - energy is much more efficient than our current centralised system, and is already working in a number of European countries. In the UK, Woking Council has reduced its carbon footprint by 77 per cent through decentralised technologies.
Instead of dumping the climate, Blair needs to make way for a genuine leader who will implement the real solutions to the climate crisis - decentralised energy.
Key facts from our new dossier - 10 years of hot air:
For the first time in twenty years proposals for new inefficient coal-fired power stations are being submitted by power companies in the UK.
The use of coal for electricity generation has gone up from 47.3 to 52.5 million tonnes a year under Labour.
CO2 emissions in 2005 were only 6.4 per cent below 1990 levels, way off the government's target of a 20 per cent cut by 2010.
Blair's boast that the UK is set to meet and exceed its Kyoto target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions is mainly due to the policies of previous Conservative administrations which made the 'dash' from coal to gas. The Kyoto target was all but met when Labour took office.
C02 emissions - the main greenhouse gas - have risen since Blair came to power in 1997, from 548.4 million tonnes per year to 554.2 million tonnes in 2005.
Blair claims the UK is only responsible for 2% of global emissions. In reality transferral of the UK's manufacturing base to China - the world's most energy inefficient manufacturing nation - has led Britain to, in effect, export its emissions. We are also the world's 7th largest emitter, more than 112 of the world's smallest emitting nations combined.
Take action!
Decentralised energy can double the efficiency of our power stations and is cleaner, cheaper and more secure than nuclear power. Tell the government you care about climate change:
Demand a clean and safe energy future
Help yourself AND the environment!
Help yourself AND the environment!
Users leaving PCs switched on overnight costs you and the environment.
It happens a lot, users want quick access to their PC in the morning but all the time its costing your organisation money. On average it costs over $80 a night per PC left on. Multiply that by the number of PCs left on and per year it adds up to a lot of money.
And the problems are not just overnight. Think about all the times users are away from their equipment like coffee breaks, lunch breaks, meetings etc and the huge waste of resources starts to add up.
It's staggering and that's without taking into account other factors like the increased air temperature, that in turn alters your air conditioning requirements and it becomes a vicious circle of wasted energy and money.
Eliminate Leukaemia Fund
Dear all,
Hope everyone's well and happy. Forgive me for not being able to send this to each of you individually (globally!!) but I hope you'll understand. I'm running the London Marathon this year. (It was a nice idea at the time. I had NO IDEA the amount of hard work I'd need to do in order to train properly for this thing.) I'm raising money for ELF (Eliminate Leukaemia Fund) as my Grandpa died from Leukaemia and one of my netball colleagues is currently recovering from it.
Please see more here http://www.justgiving.com/MichelleSinger and I'd be very grateful if you could sponsor me.Mich xx
ready | set | stop
I am going home - I am not going to turn a computer on all night, ready... set.... stop!!
London Eye - London Burning?
My Feet... 
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