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Dancing With The Stars S31 Power Rankings (Round 4) Oct 11, 2022: DISNEY+ NIGHT! My favorite night of the DWTS year with a bit of a twist on it (seeing as how these are all Disney+ properties and not just Disney properties, which explains some Greatest Showman and Hamilton editions). Sam didn’t make the cut, as predicted, continuing the trend of the previous bottom 2 person going home next. Maybe the trend will continue next week, we shall see. Let’s rank these routines!

13. Joseph Baena and Daniella Karagach- I’ll admit, I didn’t like this dance. In fact, I’d go as far as saying it’s his worst dance yet. Daniella’s choreography is so good, but I do think Joseph struggled to keep up with it. I do agree with Len in the fact that there were too many lifts and tricks, especially because it starts to make Joseph seem like a one trick pony. He seemed way off from the timing and all over the place with some of his arms and stumbley posturing. His energy was there, as was the chemistry between partners, but it was all in all a bit of a mess. My Score: 4

12. Sam Champion and Cheryl Burke- There was a lot of great paso content in this dance, even if a few moves were still a tad clunky and needed a bit more follow through with the arms. I do still love his smile and connection to Cheryl, as his energy is so infectious. This was a challenging dance and he did pretty well for the most part, despite being a bit distant from most of the rest of the pack. My Score: 6

11. Trevor Donovan and Emma Slater- Definitely an improvement on last week. My only qualm here is that it was very obvious that Trevor was thinking about every single step through his face, and it detracted from the actual quality of the dancing itself, to where I was much more drawn to Emma’s expressiveness and not Trevor’s. Also, there could’ve been a tad more fluidity between steps and a lot more moments together rather than separated. I’m nitpicking, but as the competition heats up, Trevor is still playing catch up to the rest of the group. My Score: 7

10. Vinny Guadagnino and Koko Iwasaki- I’m proud of Vinny. He’s still not quite at everyone’s level yet, but I do think he’s improving for sure. He has a clear energy and joy on his face that would never let on the anxiety that he has inside. This was a tough routine and he hit the mark a bunch, even if some of the connective tissue between sections was messy. This was a breakthrough for him, and I hope he continues along this path. My Score: 7

9. Jessie James Decker and Alan Bersten- I’ll say, between Goldfinger and this, Jessie is really committing to the theme weeks and the costumes! I love that aspect. This was Jessie’s best dance. She continues to improve and impress gradually week by week. I do think Alan upstaged her a tad (how can you not with that makeup and character work?) but the two did nail a lot of the classic jive steps and technique. It had an infectious jolt of energy throughout, and shows lots of great potential for her to come. My Score: 7

8. Heidi D’Amelio and Artem Chigvinstev- This was clean, smooth, and pretty spot on technically. Where it lost me at times was the actual entertainment value. Because it was so clear cut and simple, it honestly came across a tad underwhelming in such a jam packed Disney night. But the actual dancing, which I’m here to rank and judge, was effortless and confident, and most of all: precise. My Score: 8

7. Selma Blair and Sasha Farber- Aw this was cute. I’m so impressed that Selma continues to push herself and take risks. It clearly shows, as this was my favorite routine of hers yet. On such a stacked Disney night, she still manages to land in the middle of the pack, but I still really enjoyed the dance. It had so much great character and some amazing technique and timing. Their partnership is one of the highlights of the season thus far. My Score: 8

6. Daniel Durant and Britt Stewart- The judges scored this a bit lower than his last dance, and honestly…I thought this was his best dance yet?? There were a few moments where the frame could’ve been a tad stronger and the footwork had a few missteps at times, but considering how much more difficult this dance was than anything that came before it, Daniel powered through it really well and didn’t let a second of his mistakes show on his face. I enjoyed it. Like Selma & Sasha, their partnership has been a huge highlight of the season as well. My Score: 8

5. Shangela and Gleb Savchenko- This dance was a hoot! I loved this, the enthusiasm, the pizazz, the flare. And the content! The actual charleston beats were really hit upon really well. I do think the dance only got better as it went along with a lift that was absolutely exceptional. Best lift since Iman’s lifts last season. My Score: 8

4. Charli D’Amelio and Mark Ballas- I’ll be honest, while I did enjoy this dance and the technique throughout was spot on, I honestly felt like the theming got in the way of this one. It just felt like Mark was throwing every single move under the sun out there with little coherency between each step. Maybe the Simpsons is zany and kooky enough where the jarring nature of the steps is welcome, but it was a tad all over the place for me. I also spent the whole time worrying her wig would fly off, it was a bit distracting. ALL THAT BEING SAID, don’t get me wrong, the technique was all spot on. She has been consistently at the top, so this week will just be an opportunity to throw someone else up there. My Score: 8

3. Gabby Windey and Val Chmerkovskiy- This was so cute, so fun. I loved the theming here, as it really allowed for Gabby’s personality to shine even brighter than it had before, and well, I’m a mega Marvel nerd so I loved the Guardians of the Galaxy inspiration. The whole thing was just a masterclass in technique and I cannot applaud them more for it. My Score: 9

2. Jordin Sparks and Brandon Armstrong- WOW! Having Jordin start by singing a verse brought tears to my eyes. And maybe it was the emotional connection to the song that clicked for her, because this was amazing! Jordin has previously been in the middle of the pack for me, teetering toward the bottom, but this week she showed a full realized potential that I knew was there from the pre-season press. I was astounded, especially in the turns which were her and Brandon’s biggest focus. My Score: 9

1. Wayne Brady and Witney Carson- I first have to say, I love Witney’s choreography and all of the sharpness to all the internalized movements she brought to this routine. It was such a cool jazz routine and hit on so many great aspects of the jazz style. Very few notes with this one. Bravo! My Score: 9

This week gave us some great routines, but Wayne really rose to the occasion for me with some of my favorite choreography of the season from Witney. Jordin super surprised me, and Gabby and Charli continue impressing toward the top of the leaderboard. I’m also cementing Daniel and Shangela as the next biggest contenders. As for who goes home, it would be predictable to say Trevor and Emma since they were in the bottom 2, but if Trevor gives us a dance like he did in week 2, America may be unable to put them lower. I think there’s potential for someone like Jessie to land in the bottom (despite the country vote seeming strong) or even Joseph if he underperforms again. Regardless, I think Trevor will go home if he’s in the bottom again.

MY PREDICTIONS:

Going Home- Trevor Donovan and Emma Slater; Points: 22 0 comments
Dancing With The Stars S31 Power Rankings (Round 3) Oct 10, 2022: It’s BOND night, and we sadly (and predictably) said goodbye to Cheryl Laad and Louis (welcome back, Louis, I hope you’re back next season). This night provided some ups and some surprising downs. Let’s talk about them!

14. Sam Champion and Cheryl Burke-Sam has such an infectious smile and charm, it’s impossible to hate his dancing. But that being said, this was a clunky mess. It was far too disjointed and manic and while his face never showed it, you could tell he was struggling. I love Sam and hope he bounces back AND continues to be the dark horse he’s been, but if next week is like this week, he may just be headed home very soon. My Score: 5

13. Vinny Guadagnino and Koko Iwasaki- Vinny is just so charming on his own, I think he’s winning over viewers every single episode regardless of his dances themselves. That being said, oof, this dance definitely wasn’t up to par. I think the footwork was fine, but it was the arms and the hips that were way off for this rumba. I still think it was slightly better than Sam’s, but I do think it was a step back for Vinny who was riding quite a high from last week. My Score: 5

12. Trevor Donovan and Emma Slater- I hate to say it, but I actually think this was Trevor’s worst dance to date. You can tell there’s a clear connection between Trevor and Emma, but I think his manic energy really worked for the first dance and their steamy connection made the second dance soar. This time, he was way too in his head when he needed to be more commanding and technical. It’s a shame, given they were all the way in my top 3 last week, but I do think he can bounce back from here. My Score: 6

11. Cheryl Laad and Louis Van Amstel- Cheryl definitely bounced back. It’s unfortunate that she just didn’t appeal to the younger voting demographic (I see the people complaining on Facebook that the show is now exclusively on Disney+, and let’s just say, most of them are fairly older in the age demographic), because I do think Cheryl could’ve made a surprising run if she continued at this pace. I do think everyone else is also improving though, so Cheryl may have ended up going home early regardless, but I’ll always wonder. This was solid. I hope Louis comes back next season. My Score: 6

10. Jordin Sparks and Brandon Armstrong- I do think this was Jordin’s best dance thus far, but I still think there’s something missing that Jordin and Brandon still haven’t been able to tap into. Maybe it’s the fluidity between motions and transitioning from one step to the next. She has some great moments individually, but I do think there needs to be more cohesion between them. My Score: 6

9. Jessie James Decker and Alan Bersten- Jessie finally gets higher than a 5 for me! She did a pretty solid job with this rumba. I do think her elegance and connection to Alan was on full display…it was a few of the footwork moments that were still a tad off, as the judges mentioned. Her best dance yet though, as she continues to grow. My Score: 6

8. Joseph Baena and Alexis Warr- Bravo for Alexis for stepping up again and coaching a damn good routine. I’m really impressed with Joseph’s growth in just the matter of a few weeks. His lifts were amazing, and he definitely showed some great precision in the footwork, especially as the dance began. I’m excited for him to get back together with Daniella, but this really was a strong showing for someone who has faced the most obstacles thus far with his partnering. My Score: 007

007. Selma Blair and Sasha Farber- Sasha blindfolding Selma was a very ambitious but hugely intriguing choice, and quite honestly, I expected it to be a detriment. But I was amazingly proved wrong and so surprised that Selma was able to perform as well as she did without being able to see her partner. I do worry that as people continue to improve, Selma will fall to the middle of the pack as the weeks progress, but she is far from the worst right now, and I hope she gets even better. My Score: 007

6. Shangela and Gleb Savchenko- Shangela looked so elegant tonight. She really commanded the stage, as she always does. My only criticism is that it was almost a bit too energized to the point where the smooth nature of the rumba was lost at times, and some moves that could’ve had a tad more glide instead felt a bit disjointed. Very small criticisms for an otherwise confident and solid rumba. My Score: 007

5. Heidi D’Amelio and Artem Chigvinstev- Heidi continues to improve time after time. Artem is really stepping up the choreography and stretching Heidi’s range. I do think there was some solid tango moments throughout here, particularly in the dance’s later moments. A solid routine, her best yet. My Score: 8

4. Daniel Durant and Britt Stewart- Considering Daniel couldn’t feel any beats like the previous dances, I was blown away that he was able to keep up like he was. I definitely think Britt was doing way more than him in this routine, but he still kept up with her so well. He had great posture and physique and was in utter synchronization with Britt. I was amazed. My Score: 8

3. Wayne Brady and Witney Carson- Wayne had so much precision and refinement in this dance. It was slick, smooth, and very technical. I almost thought Witney could’ve made the routine even harder for Wayne, but that’s not to say he didn’t nail what she did give him. My Score: 8

2. Gabby Windey and Val Chmerkovskiy- Given that so many people do cha chas in week one, it was cool to see a week three cha cha when so many dancers have already grown so much. Gabby was definitely one of the best tonight with an absolutely terrific cha cha. There was a sexiness that aided in the Bond theme, but also a real confidence and enthusiasm with every step that gave off a sense of pure joy. Her best dance yet. My Score: 8

1. Charli D’Amelio and Mark Ballas- Wow! Charli was worried she would be a one-trick pony and wouldn’t be able to commit to the sultry nature of certain styles, but I do think she proved here that she CAN. She brought such a great elegance and mysterious nature to this dance. I loved the actual theme of the dance, with Mark really nailing the Bond aesthetic and committing 100% to the bit. My first 9 of the season! My Score: 9

I think the trend of who has gone home thus far (and Sam landing in the bottom 2 this week) shows that the younger demographic is winning out in voting, which means we may see Sam take his last dance on Disney night. The question is whether or not someone like Vinny (who has been on the bottom twice now) or anyone else has a bad enough day that the judges are forced to send them home. We always see a shocking boot at some point, so don’t be surprised if Disney night brings that…but I’ll go with the safe bet given the trends in voting.

MY PREDICTIONS:

Going Home- Sam Champion and Cheryl Burke; Points: 0 0 comments
Dancing With The Stars S31 Power Rankings (Round 2) Oct 9, 2022: ELVIS NIGHT! What a fun night of dancing, and some real solid improvement all in all across the board, with very few couples actually getting worse. We did also say farewell to Teresa and Pasha, which, was fairly predictable and given the dances tonight, wasn’t too disappointing. The only qualm was that the backup singers, as good as they can sometimes be, were doing some pretty lackluster Elvis impressions which could get borderline cringe….just an observation.

15. Cheryl Laad and Louis Van Amstel- I’ll admit, while I like Cheryl and Louis better than Teresa & Pasha, I do think this was the weakest dance of the night and probably deserved to be eliminated based on THIS round of dancing. There were mistakes galore, missed steps, a struggle to keep up at times. But Louis led her well to help bounce back in those moments and pitfalls, which I admire. She has a lot to prove next week, but this also means she has SO much room to grow, and if she does, she’ll bounce back powerfully. My Score: 3

14. Teresa Giudice and Pasha Pashkov- Teresa did go home, but honestly, I think she improved a lot! It still paled in comparison to a lot of the others tonight, but there was a playful nature to it and a sure step up in difficulty that I really appreciated. Unfortunately, we won’t get to see her grow some more, but I liked this dance well enough and honestly would’ve saved her over Cheryl & Louis. My Score: 5

13. Jessie James Decker and Alan Bersten- I’ll admit, I think I liked her first dance better because it had a real energy and star power that was infectious. Here, with things a bit simplified in tempo and style, it lacked the same energy. I do think there was some proper foxtrot stuff in there, but I still don’t think Jessie has been able to break into that upper echelon of competitors. Last week had the performance strengths, this week had better actual technique. Next week, hopefully she’ll be able to blend them together. My Score: 5

12. Joseph Baena and Alexis Warr- There was a gracefulness to Joseph that I didn’t expect to see this early from him. He does still have some clunky moments due to his muscular physical presence, but I do think for week 2, this is a pretty solid grounding to build upon. My Score: 6

11. Jordin Sparks and Brandon Armstrong- There were definitely some moves here that were a bit clunky and wobbly, but I think Brandon definitely stepped up the actual choreography and Jordin for the most part kept up, which is very admirable. Considering this was her first ballroom style dance, I was impressed, but give her a quickstep in like 5 weeks, I’m sure she’d astound. My Score: 6

10. Selma Blair and Sasha Farber- I was worried Selma would struggle with a fast paced dance style, and while this certainly lacked the magic of her first routine, I was certainly impressed that she kept up and nailed almost every step. There could’ve been a tad more precision and attack on some of the kicks, but her theatricality and character work definitely made up for any of the flaws in technique. I’m a big fan of hers, and hope she continues along this path. My Score: 7

9. Sam Champion and Cheryl Burke-Sam impressed me in his first dance. He amazed me in his second. This was a clean Viennese waltz, with some great hold and smooth glide across the floor. Was it as difficult as some other waltzes in the show’s history? No. But considering his age and the fact that this is week two, the fact that the dance was as clean as it was, in all its classic nature, is beyond impressive. My Score: 7

8. Heidi D’Amelio and Artem Chigvinstev- I first have to say, Suspicious Minds is my favorite Elvis song. So take with that what you will… I liked this! I was tough on Heidi in week one because I think she could’ve taken bigger risks, and while I still think this routine seemed a bit easy, I do think her technique and elegance was spot on. It really was a smooth routine through and through, and a massive improvement for her. My Score: 7

7. Shangela and Gleb Savchenko- Another solid week for Shangela and Gleb. The choreography was playful but classic. I do think the moments separately were a lot stronger than the moments in hold, but for a week two dance, I was certainly impressed and still think they’re frontrunners. My Score: 7

6. Vinny Guadagnino and Koko Iwasaki- Talk about MOST IMPROVED. Vinny didn’t only do better than his first dance, but KILLED his quickstep! I was amazed at how much he’s grown, and kudos to Koko for really drilling that choreography and taking the judges’ notes and really applying them. The frame was great, the synchronization was great, the performance quality was excellent. Let’s go Vinny! My Score: 7

5. Daniel Durant and Britt Stewart- I was very impressed to see Daniel step it up this week. His facial expressions were so fun, and even if there were times he went off the music a bit and his arms were sometimes flimsy, I was beyond impressed that Britt could play to his strengths and give him some difficult choreography that he was able to nail and bring so much life to. My Score: 7

4. Wayne Brady and Witney Carson- Wayne is proving now why I had such high hopes for him pre-season. His footwork here was excellent (the best of the night), though I still wish he paid a little more attention to his arms which flailed just a tad. Wayne clearly has great musicality and an ability to entertain like very few this season thus far. I think he’s in it for the long haul. My Score: 8

3. Trevor Donovan and Emma Slater- I’m really impressed by Trevor and Emma’s connection here. It was intimate, controlled, and so sincere. I do think there could’ve been a tad more fluidity between the different moves, but the emotional connection was so strong, it didn’t matter much for me. To see him go from the manic, nervous energy of week one to this passionate, mature dancer was quite the amazing turn of events. Next to Vinny, this was the most surprising improvement of the night. My Score: 8

2. Charli D’Amelio and Mark Ballas- Charli is just a firework on the dance floor, full of energy and some of the BEST facial expressions I’ve ever seen on the show. The choreography was fun and playful, even if it was a bit out of control toward the end. But even in the more chaotic moments, Charli managed to keep her composure and still showcase some great technique. Another smash hit dance from her and Mark. My Score: 8

1. Gabby Windey and Val Chmerkovskiy- Gabby was elegant, she was graceful, and she was in complete control. This was a refined dance, and brought the most emotionally beautiful note to an otherwise rough and rowdy Elvis night. So good. My Score: 8

As I said before, we saw so much improvement, particularly from Vinny and Trevor this week. I do think Cheryl Laad being on the bottom and almost going home doesn’t fare well for her chances next week, though anything can happen depending on the James Bond dances themselves. I will say, the field of competition is pretty stacked, and right now, Jessie is the only person next to Cheryl to not break through a 5 yet on my personal score card, so that may end up being the bottom 2. Who knows! Either way, the country vote seems a bit stronger than the Charlie’s Angels one, and should Cheryl and Louis land in the bottom, I assume she’ll unfortunately be sent packing.

MY PREDICTIONS:

Going Home- Cheryl Laad and Louis Van Amstel; Points: 36 2 comments
MasterChef S12 Power Rankings (Top 19) Oct 6, 2022: I am finally catching up on this past season of MasterChef (I’m SO behind and I apologize) but I’m excited to binge this season and give you the rankings as I go. It sucked seeing Stephen go, especially since he went SO far on his original season. But, this just shows that anyone can go home at any time, and that will make for one of the most competitive seasons ever.

19. Alejandro Valdivia- I’m keeping Alejandro at the bottom spot for two reasons. 1) His dish here, while not a bottom 3 dish, still had some issues, particularly in the way he skinned the fishes. 2) I just don’t have faith in him competing at the same level as everyone else given last season. He had a rough start and got better, but this season, a rough start will send you home.

18. Bowen Li- Gordon thought it was weird to put cucumber in a surf and turf. I’m not reading too far into it, but I also think this could be an indicator of Bowen not performing at his best. With zero screen time in his audition in comparison to others (along with Stephen, who as we saw went home tonight), I have to keep Bowen this low. If he were our winner, he would’ve gotten a bigger audition edit.

17. Tommy Walton- Tommy was an absolute mess this first challenge. His burgers were awful, and he just seemed frazzled his entire cook. That being said, I’m still struggling to imagine Tommy going home THIS early since he is such a character and great television. I do think he’ll stick around a few more weeks at least, but I also think he’s not nearly in the top half of the pack like I originally expected him to be.

16. Gabriel Lewis- Gabriel was #2 on my initial ranking, and was one step away from elimination this week. It was tough to see, and that has to land him this low, but I still think he’s got some fight left in him. I hope he doesn’t let me down.

15. Samantha Daily- The judges didn’t seem too impressed with her toffee dish. She got very minimal screen time, so it’s hard to tell, but I am definitely not looking at her as one of the bigger threats just yet.

14. Amanda Saab- Amanda’s dish wasn’t highlighted, but her story was (particularly her elimination clip). I do think she’ll have a bigger impact this season than she did last season, I just need to see a little more from her.

13. Shelly Flash- Similarly to Amanda, she was shown a lot in the video package of everyone’s eliminations, but her food wasn’t really highlighted, so she’s in the middle of the pack for me as well.

12. Bri Baker- Bri and Fred barely got any screen time, but seeing as how they really highlighted the Emily-Shanika relationship, I think we’ll see more of them down the line.

11. Fred Chang- Same as Bri. Minimal screen time thus far, but I think they’ve got much more story to tell.

10. Dara Yu- Dara clearly has grown already in her years removed from the MasterChef kitchen. The judges seemed a bit tough on her when they came around and tasted the dishes. I still have faith in her, but maybe not as much as I did in the previous ranking.

9. Shayne Wells- Side by side with the other junior MasterChef, Shayne had a solid dish, and the judges seemed impressed. Didn’t stand out amongst some of the bigger, better dishes, but still seemed solid enough to show some promise.

8. Michael Silverstein- Michael made a great dish. It didn’t hit the top 3, but I definitely think he’s showing himself to be that underestimated dark horse that I thought he would be.

7. Cate Meade- Cate was able to make three identical cheese souflees. That’s pretty damn impressive, and very bold. She isn’t playing it safe, and I think that’s the determining attitude you need to win a competition like this.

6. Brandi Mudd- Brandi was in the zone, and being a runner-up, I expected nothing less. She wasn’t heavily featured here, but her reputation will be enough to take her far into the competition on its own, and high on this ranking.

5. Derrick Fox- Like Brandi, he wasn’t a huge highlight of the episode, but his poise and expertise is enough to keep him high on the ranking. He is smooth sailing as one of the best to never win.

4. Shanika Patterson- Shanika really impressed me this episode, making her own homemade pasta AND ricotta. I underestimated her based on her audition, and the fact that she and Emily have such a story AND landed in the top 3 of this challenge, I think it’s a good indicator that they’ll both be around for quite some time.

3. Christian Green- Christian, my winner pick, was cool, calm, collected, and cooked a great dish. It didn’t place in the top 3, but it’s enough for me to keep him in MY top 3.

2. Willie Mike- Willie is not messing AROUND. He came back with a powerfully seasoned dish, and a great confidence. I think Willie will be around for the long haul, already placing in the top 3 and showing his strengths off the bat.

1. Emily Hallock- Emily won the immunity pin, so she’s obviously #1 because she’s the safest headed into next week. But I do think Emily’s confidence is really showing and she’s got a great redemption story, especially in relation to Shanika. I’m excited to see them both excel this season.

Aside from Emily, who got the immunity pin, everyone is vulnerable. But I definitely think people like Christian, Willie, Shanika, Derrick, Brandi, and Cate stood out amongst the pack. I put Michael and the MasterChef Juniors right behind them because they’re still too early to tell since the Juniors haven’t competed at the levels of the older contestants and Michael went home SO early in his season. Everyone else is vulnerable in some way shape or form based on edit and/or their dishes in this challenge. Based on this challenge, I’d say Tommy is toast, but the edits for Alejandro and Bowen are more glaring to me.

PREDICTIONS:

Going Home- Alejandro Valdivia; Points: 0 0 comments
The Amazing Race S34 Power Rankings (Top 10) Oct 5, 2022: I will catch up on these rankings soon, but here is my ranking before episode 2

10th Rich and Dom (Motivational Speakers)
9th Aubrey and David (Ballroom Dancers)
8th Quinton and Mattie (Former NFL Cheerleaders)
7th- Abby and Will (Childhood Sweethearts)
6th Luis and Michelle (Married)
5th Emily and Molly (long Lost twins)
4th Linton and Sharik (Father and Daughter)
3nd Marcus and Michael (Military Brothers)
2nd Glenda and Lumumba (Newlyweds)
1st Derek and Claire (Dating); Points: 16 0 comments
Survivor S43 Power Rankings (Top 16) Oct 5, 2022: I will post full rankings later. This is in order of how safe they are going into THIS episode

16th- Jeanine Zheng
15th- Noelle Lambert
14th- Geo Bustamante
13th- Owen Knight
12th- Dwight Moore
11th- Ryan Medrano
10th- Elie Scott
9th- Sami Layadi
8th- Mike Gabler
7th- Nneka Ejere
6th- James Jones
5th- Cassidy Clark
4th- Lindsay Carmine
3rd- Jesse Lopez
2nd- Karla Cruz Godoy
1st- Cody Assenmacher; Points: 30 2 comments

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PowerRankings101's blog

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Posts 960 posts