Cloudeight InfoAve Weekly


Cloudeight InfoAve Weekly
Issue #1050
Volume 21 Number 4
November 24, 2023

Dear Friends,

Welcome to Cloudeight InfoAve Weekly Issue #1050. Thank you very much for subscribing and for being a part of our Cloudeight family. We appreciate your friendship and support very much!  Please share our newsletters and our website with your friends and family.

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Happy Thanksgiving from Darcy & TC!

We hope you're all enjoying this Thanksgiving weekend. Today's edition of InfoAve Weekly is a review edition. On major holiday weekends, we publish a review edition featuring some of the best content from previous issues of Cloudeight InfoAve Weekly. This gives us some time off so we can enjoy the holiday weekend with our friends and family and gives you a chance to review some of the best questions & answers, tips & tricks and more from past editions of this newsletter.

We hope you enjoy this special edition of Cloudeight InfoAve Weekly. Have a safe and happy Thanksgiving weekend!

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Terry's right-click function on Windows 10 no longer works

The right-click function on my Windows 10 laptop has stopped working. It is driving me crazy because I use that feature all the time. I really miss being able to quickly right-click when I need to. I have been using Windows 10 for 3 years and I have never had any trouble with it until now. Do you have any advice for me? Thanks, Terry.

Our answer
Hi Terry. Have you tried this simple fix?

1. Shut down your PC completely (all power lights off)
2. Wait for 4 or 5 minutes.
3. Turn on your computer.
4. Let Windows 10 load completely.
5. Try your computer and check to see if you still have problems.

If you still have the right-click problem, follow the alternate instructions on this page.

I hope this helps you, Terry.
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Terry wrote back: "It Worked! Thanks a lot. I can't believe that just by shutting off my computer for a few minutes fixed my annoying problem. You guys are great! Thanks, Terry"

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Rhonda is fed up with Windows File Explorer
I am using Windows 10 and I am fed up with Windows Explorer and am looking for an alternative. Web searches suggest XYplorer, what is your suggestion? Many thanks for your newsletter and your great help. Sorry, but our sky is grey today! Rhonda

Our answer
Hi Rhonda. I think you mean File Explorer. Windows Explorer in Windows 10 and Windows 11 is the Windows GUI. So, I'll assume you meant File Explorer. With the addition of "Copy to" and "Move to" to the Windows right-click context menu, we find File Explorer sufficient for what we need it for.

One of the things most people find lacking in File Explorer in Windows 10 (Windows 11 has tabs so you can open as many File Explorer tabs as you want) is the difficulty copying and/or moving files from one location to another. Having Copy to and Move to on the right-click menu makes copying or moving files easy.

Since we both use File Explorer and "Copy to" and "Move to" on the right-click context menu we have not tried or tested any of the many File Explorer replacements.

So, based on a quick search, I found several free alternatives to File Explorer that you can try. Some of the more popular ones are Explorer++, XYplorer, and Free Commander.. All of these programs offer features such as tabbed browsing, custom scripts, customizable fonts and colors, and secondary sortings. You can download them for free and try them out to see which one works best for you. The descriptions are from the respective authors and are not ours.

File Explorer ++ (Free)

"Explorer++ is a small and fast file manager for Windows. With tabs, bookmarks, and advanced file operations, it allows you to be much more productive!"

https://explorerplusplus.com/

Free Commander

"Free Commander is an easy-to-use alternative to the standard Windows file manager. The program helps you with your daily work in Windows. Here you can find all the necessary functions to manage your data..."

Read more about Free Commander here.

Q-Dir

"Q-Dir (the Quad Explorer) makes your files and folders easy to manage, either installed or as a portable Windows program. Fast and easy access to your hard disks, network folders, USB sticks, floppy disks, and other storage devices. Q-Dir is a great alternative file manager for Windows with an amazing Quadro-View technique..."

http://www.q-dir.com/

XYplorer

XYplorer is no longer free. A lifetime license is $34.95. There's a free trial you can download but if you want to keep using it after the trial has ended you will have to buy a license.

https://www.xyplorer.com/

And assuming you don't want to pay $35), my first choice would be Explorer++. But again, we had not tested it or any of the File Explorer replacements mentioned here.

We hope this helps you, Rhonda.  

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Mindy wants to remove her personal info from a Windows 10 laptop she's giving away
I will be getting a new computer soon and I want to give m old laptop away. Do you have any suggestions on how I can remove all my personal data from my old laptop and reinstall Windows so the person I give it to will be able to set it up the way she wants? Thanks, Mindy.

Our answer
Hi Mindy. Please read our article here. It explains how to wipe your hard drive, remove all personal files and information from it, and then reinstall Windows 10 so whoever you give it to can set it up as they would a brand-new computer. If you follow the instructions on that page, none of your personal info, files, programs, documents, pictures, music, etc. will be on the computer nor will any of your info or files be recoverable.

We hope this helps you, Mindy.  

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Des asks about SFC and DISM scans
Hi Guys. Thanks for your help in the past, as always it's greatly appreciated.  A new issue I stumbled on whilst researching SFC /scannow which I use regularly. Apparently, there is another test that can be used to repair windows as well and can be used after running Scannow.   That is repairing Windows using the DISM Tool.  Firstly do you recommend it?  And if you do at what point should it be used?  Also, can the ordinary layman who has limited computer knowledge use it without risk just to be sure that Windows is OK. Many thanks. Des

Our answer
Hi Des. Rather than going into the hows and whys of running SFC and DISM scans, I'm going to send you off to read one of several posts we've written about those two scans.

Here's an updated article about running SFC and DISM scans on Windows 10 and/or Windows 11.
 
I'm pretty sure that will answer your question and then some.

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Linda constantly has to sign back in after automatically being signed off Windows 10
Thank you for all you do for us. If I don't move the mouse for 30 seconds, I get signed off. This is very frustrating. Can you give me advice about this? Thanks, Linda.

Our answer
Hi Linda. Assuming you don't use a screen saver, right-click the Start button and click Settings. In Settings, click 'Accounts'. In your account, click on "Sign-in options" on the left. Under "Require sign-in" under "If you've been away, when should Windows require you to sign-in again?" Click the down arrow, and choose "Never".

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And if you are using a screensaver, you'll still need to follow the instructions above, first, then continue as below:

Type Screen Saver in the taskbar search - when you see "Change screen saver" in the results, press enter.

In the Screen Saver dialog that appears, uncheck the box next to "On resume display logon screen", then click "Apply" and "OK" to save the settings.

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The next time your screen saver comes on, you won't have to log into Windows when you're ready to use your computer again.

The "Sign-in Options" dialog is the same in Windows 10 and Windows 11

We hope this helps you, Linda.
-------
Linda wrote back: "It worked. I changed the wait time for the screen saver and unchecked the box. I changed the wait time to 14 minutes. I may make it longer. It didn't affect the pictures that I had set up for the screensaver. It's so nice not to have my computer signed off while I did something else for a few minutes. You and EB are great. I don't know where else I could get such complete information about computers and software. Thanks, Linda." 

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Jill says all her icons disappeared from her taskbar more than once

A couple of weeks ago, the icons in my taskbar suddenly went blank, i.e., no icon. Three of them are Windows apps: Outlook, Word, and Excel and there are four non-Windows apps.

This is the 2nd time this has happened, and I believe that Windows updates cause this. I don't remember how I got the icons back from the first time ... and I don't know how to fix it 'again'. I've read articles on Microsoft, but they don't write about this particular situation.

Help, please... Jill

Our answer
Hi Jill. When Windows Explorer crashes all icons disappear from the taskbar and come back when Windows Explorer is restarted or rebooted. If you've restarted your computer and the icons are still missing then you'll have to re-pin them to the taskbar. There are several ways to do that but the easiest way is this way...
 
Open a program that you want to pin to your taskbar...let's use Microsoft Word as an example... When you open Word and all the while it's open its icon will be in the taskbar. While Word is open and running, right-click on its taskbar icon can choose "Pin to taskbar". Once you do when you close Word, its icon will still be on your taskbar and you can use that taskbar icon as a shortcut to open MS Word.
 
Do the same with any other programs you want on your taskbar.
 
We hope this helps you, Jill.

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Rich wants to know the best way to copy files from his old PC to his new PC and also how to print a list of installed programs
First of all, I want to thank you both for ALL you do for us "Older Folks" (86+ yrs.) and for ALL the helpful "Tips and Tricks" you give us through your Home Page, emails, etc., etc., I have been a "long time" member and supporter (I think from your "birth" as Thundercloud.net). Like you, I started on computers (circa 1970) with DOS 1.0. and my first computer was one with 2 5 1/4" floppy disk drives with the entire OS on one side of one of those floppy disks (long before HDs were even thought of. I cannot count how many computers (desktops and laptops) I have had. I and my wife each have purchased a Computer Direct Care, which I initially purchased for my new Dell laptop, but since then I have purchased a new HP Desktop computer with much more RAM than my current HP Desktop. Before I "call up" my Computer Direct Care purchase, I would ask you to send me the correct instructions on:

1) How to correctly copy my Documents; Pictures; Videos; Downloads etc. from my old HP Desktop.
2) How to get a "list" of all the programs I have on this old HP Desktop so I can download and install the newer versions of the programs I would like to keep on the new HP Desktop?

God Bless you both and may He give you continued health and financing to continue your "Mission" for many more years in His Service. Rich

Our answer
Hi Rich. Thanks for your nice comments and good wishes.

First, you're going to need an external hard drive. I suggest you buy a 1 TB external. They cost around $50-$60. You can buy them at Walmart, BestBuy, Staples, Amazon, etc.

Once you have the external drive and you're ready to go, plug the external drive into the old PC... DO NOT INSTALL THE SOFTWARE THAT CAME WITH THE EXTERNAL, it's not needed.

First, you'll need to copy the files from the old PC to the external drive.

Here are the instructions for copying the files from the old PC to the external drive.

Before you do anything else go to this page and follow the instructions to add "Copy to & Move to" to your right-click context menu if it's not there already.

Now, open File Explorer and browse to the folder at This PC > C:\Users\ <your username>. Right-click on your user folder, select "Copy to folder" from the right-click menu and copy the entire User folder to the external drive. That folder contains all your personal files (Pictures, Music, Documents, Favorites, etc.) If you're not sure of your username, type CMD in the taskbar search and press Enter when you see Command Prompt in the search results. Type WHOAMI at the prompt and press Enter.

Next, unplug the external drive from the old PC and plug it into the new PC. Before you do anything else go to this page and follow the instructions to add "Copy to & Move to" to your right-click context menu.

Important... never copy the entire folder from your old computer on the external drive to your new PC. Always open the folder on the external drive, select all the files in it and move those files to the corresponding folder on your new PC.

OK let's continue... Use File Explorer to browse the external drive. Open the Users folder you copied to the external drive, find the Documents folder, and open it. Select any one of the files in that folder and press CTRL + A to select all the files in that folder. Right-click on the selected files, choose "Copy to folder" and choose the Documents folder on the new PC. It may take a while for all the files to be copied.

Next, open the Pictures folder in the Users folder on the external drive. Select any one of the files in that folder and press CTRL+A to select all the files and folders in the Pictures folder. Now right-click on any of the selected files, choose "Copy to folder" and then choose the Pictures folder on the new PC. Again it may take a while to copy the files.

Do the same with the Music folder and the Videos (if you have Videos), Downloads folder, etc.

Once you do that all of your files will be on your new PC in exactly the same locations they were in on your old PC. It doesn't matter whether you were using Windows 10 or Windows 11 on the old PC - the two operating systems have the same basic folder structure.

In my opinion, you might be better off not making a list of all your programs on your old PC. A lot of the programs we install, we don't use. But if you want to make a list of programs that are installed on your old PC along with other info about them, download and install HiBit Uninstaller on the old PC. You can get it free from here. Install it and then open it.

You'll see a list of all programs installed on your computer. Right-click on any one of them and choose "Select all".

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With all programs now selected, right-click on any one of them and choose "Export List to"...

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From the "Export List to" dialog, choose HTML file (web page), click on Page color (choose white so it's easier to print) then click on "Export". You can name the file anything you want, but by default, it's called "Report" and it's saved to your Document folder when you click on the Export button.

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Go to your documents folder and click on the file you just created. It will open in your browser. Once it's open, press CTRL+P to print it. The list shows the program name, size, date installed, and publisher.

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Whew! That's a lot of information. We hope this helps you, Richard. 
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Cloudeight InfoAve Premium -Tips & Tricks

Optimize Your Browser’s Bookmarks Bar by Using Icons Only
A tip for everyone using Chrome or Edge

This tip will work with any bookmark in your bookmarks bar that already displays an icon. Microsoft Edge calls bookmarks “Favorites” and the bookmarks bar the “Favorites bar” – but bookmarks and Favorites are the same things.

You can only use this tip on bookmarks or favorites that already display an icon.

Google Chrome

Here’s how to show icons only in Chrome’s bookmarks bar.

1. Right-click on the shortcut you want to make an icon only & click “Edit” from the right-click dropdown menu.

Cloudeight Chrome Tips

2. Highlight the bookmark’s name and delete it. Then click Save.

Cloudeight Chrome Tips

3. I’ve done several of my Chrome bookmarks this way to show you what it looks like and how much space it saves.

Chrome tips by Cloudeight
The Apps icon/name, as shown in the screenshot above at the far-left edge, cannot be edited. But as you can see, I’ve changed five of my bookmarks to icons only and it saves a lot of room which means you can display more bookmarks on the bookmarks bar that are always in sight.

The bookmarks are (in the screenshot above) from the left: “Clear Chrome Data settings”, my main banking site, my secondary bank, the Cloudeight InfoAve site, and our Emsisoft web portal. You can see without the descriptive text, they take up a lot less room.

Microsoft Edge

Here’s how easy it is to show icons only in Edge’s Favorites bar.

This tip was suggested by Gary B. Thanks to Gary for sending this tip to us.

Right-click on any Favorite in the Microsoft Edge Favorites bar and click “Show icon only” in the drop-down menu that appears.

Microsoft Edge tips by Cloudeight

Look how nice and neat the Favorites Bar looks with icons only – and you have a lot more room for a lot more “Favorites” on it also.

Microsoft Edge tips by Cloudeight

Keep in mind there are some limitations – you can only do this with bookmarks that already display icons.  

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Using the End and Home Keys
Windows 10 and Windows 11

Darcy reminded me this morning to remind you about the End and Home keys and how handy they are and how much time they can save.  But it seems that many people don’t know they even have End and Home keys on their keyboards or how those 2 keys can save you time.

First of all, you’ll have to locate the End and Home keys on your keyboard. There are so many different keyboard layouts and the location of the Home and End keys varies between laptops and desktops and even between computer manufacturers and models.

We’re going to show you a couple of places to look. However, keyboards vary, so you may have to look closely at your keyboard to find the End and Home keys.

Here are 2 examples:

Cloudeight Infoave Windows tips

Cloudeight Infoave Windows tips

Once you find the Home and End keys on your keyboard…

The Home key takes you to the top of a web page or document; the End key takes you to the bottom of a web page or document.  In some programs, you will need to use CTRL+Home and CTRL+End to move to the top or bottom of a document. And some laptop keyboards require you to use the fn key + CTRL + Home or fn key + CTRL+ End key to access the Home and End keys.

Anyway, using the Home and End keys (or CTRL+Home and CTRL+End) saves you time by taking you directly to the top or the bottom (or the end) of a webpage or document instantly.

If you want to get to the top or bottom of a page or document quickly, this is a little trick you won’t forget.  

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The ABCs of the XYZs
Windows 10 and Windows 11

Today we’re going to show you three very handy CTRL key shortcuts that we use every day. And once you see how useful they are, we’re betting that you’ll use them a lot too. Here then, are our ABCs of XYZ.

Z first

One time I was writing an article for the newsletter when suddenly I accidentally deleted a long paragraph. I put a lot of time and work into that paragraph, I tells ya, and I was none too happy when I accidentally deleted it. Luckily I used a favorite old trick I learned long ago and immediately retrieved the paragraph in all its glory. Since then, I’ve used the same trick to bail me out of similar circumstances hundreds of times. And the trick is simple, but one you may not think of if you’re not reminded of it. So today, consider yourself reminded.

If you’re typing an email, an essay, an article, a journal, or whatever and you accidentally delete a word, a sentence, a whole paragraph, or several paragraphs, all you have to do to bring it back is to use the CTRL+Z shortcut. CTRL+Z reverses your last action.

And just as useful, you can use CTRL+Z to restore files deleted in error. And, CTRL+Z can reverse more than one action.

Y second

Now that you know what CTRL+Z does, do you know what CTRL+Y does? You don’t? OK, we’ll tell you. CTRL+Y reverses your last Undo. You can reverse more than one action that you’ve undone.

X last

You know CTRL+C copies whatever you’ve selected and CTRL+V pastes whatever you selected using CTRL+C. But what if you want to move a file or a text selection from one place to another? That’s easy. Use CTRL+X to “cut” the selected text or file to “cut” it from where it is, then use CTRL+V to paste it in another location.

An example? OK. Let’s say I have a picture of EB in my “Favorite Pictures” folder. I sure don’t want it there! So, I highlight the photo of EB and press CTRL+X. Then I open my “Monsters of the Id” folder and press CTRL+V to paste it there – where it belongs.

Now you know the ABCs of XYZ. Right?  

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Want more tips, tricks, and information?

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Cloudeight InfoAve Premium -Tips & Tricks 

Make Your Own Christmas Cards

Then print or send your cards by email

Yesterday, we spent quite a bit of time looking for a free site where we could create Christmas cards to download and print. We looked for a site that allows users to upload pictures and use them in their Christmas cards. We also wanted a site that gave users a large selection of Christmas card templates to help get them started. After being disappointed many times by sites claiming to be free amd then wanting to charge users for the good stuff, we found Greetings Island.

Not only did Greetings Island offer everything we were looking for but they also allow users to send eCards by email. And they’re even animated. They offer all kinds of cards, birthday cards, Valentine’s cards, friendship cards, sympathy cards, and more. But the Christmas season is here (almost), so we’re focusing on Greetings Island’s Christmas cards

Greetings Island - Cloudeight Site Pick

First, you’ll notice that you’ll have the option of choosing to create a folded card – like you would buy in a store or a flat card you can download as an image. Unless you have a reason not to, we suggest you choose “Folded”. Not only can you download and print your card, but you can also send it as an eCard. And the eCards are very nice — as we’ll soon show you.

Greetings Island has a nice selection of templates to choose from – making it easy to get your Christmas card project started.

 

Greetings Island Christmas Cards - Cloudeight InfoAve

Greetings Island Christmas Cards - Cloudeight InfoAve

We’ll tell you this, to use Greetings Island, you have to create a free account. You are required to provide a name and email address and that’s it. We created an account and then dug right into creating a Christmas card.

We picked the cute snowman template.

Greetings Island Christmas Cards - Cloudeight InfoAve

Then I added some text – in our case, I wrote a little poem. You can write anything you want, choose different fonts, font sizes, and colors – and even add your own images.

Greetings Island Christmas Cards - Cloudeight InfoAve

If you like you can even add your own creative touches to the back of the card. See?

Greetings Island Christmas Cards - Cloudeight InfoAve

The templates offer many customizable options, for example…

Greetings Island Christmas Cards - Cloudeight InfoAve

When you’re all done creating your masterpiece, you can download it and print it. Or you can choose to send it by email as an eCard… and not just any old eCard — but one with cute animation as well.

If you want to have some Christmas fun and you’re feeling creative, visit our Cloudeight site pick “Greetings Island” right now. 

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Cloudeight InfoAve Premium - Essays , Rants, etc.

My Special Thanksgiving

When I think of Thanksgiving, I think of myself as a young boy, watching the Thanksgiving parade on television; my mom busy in the kitchen preparing our Thanksgiving dinner, and the feeling of love all around. I remember a gray, cold, and cloudy day; the steamy windows that cooking made ... and the snowflakes floating in the air.

This was my best Thanksgiving ever. I was 9 years old. It would become the Thanksgiving Day to which all other Thanksgivings would be compared. It was my mom’s last Thanksgiving, although none of us knew it then.

In my memory I can see my dad in his chair, reading the newspaper, my sister, all of seven years old, helping mom in the kitchen, and me in my innocence, unaware of what precious memories were unfolding. And as I remembered that Thanksgiving Day, I felt the warmth of the love that only family can provide. Life was so simple then. My entire world consisted of a very small house, on a very quiet street, in a very peaceful little town on the shores of Lake Erie. It was all I needed then, everything was perfect in that little house on that Thanksgiving Day… a day that seems now so long ago and so far away.

One year later my world would be turned upside down...

Read the rest of this essay here. 

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Cyberweek sale prices are good through December 4, 2023. 

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Cloudeight InfoAve Premium - Back to Basics

Some Basic Computer Terms Defined

1. CPU

CPU means ‘Central Processing Unit’. More commonly known as "the processor, a CPU is not a desktop tower... a CPU is the brain of your computer.

2. Hardware

Hardware means all the physical parts of a computer system. It includes the monitor, the keyboard, the mouse, and the computer or laptop case itself. Other connected hardware devices such as printers are generally referred to as peripherals.

3. RAM

RAM stands for “Random (or Ready) Access Memory". RAM chips are installed in slots on the computer's motherboard. RAM acts like a notebook on which information is stored temporarily. "Random access” means that memory locations in RAM are accessible in any order. Think of RAM as your computer's short-term memory because that's what it is.

4. HDD and SSD

HDD means Hard Disk Drive. These are the venerable old platters that have been around for years. They were invented by IBM in 1956. Although they have greatly evolved over the years, they still work as they always did. They are mechanical. They have moving parts - the disks or platters which spin around up to 7200 times a minute and are paired with magnetic heads, arranged on a moving actuator arm, which reads and writes data to the platter surfaces.

SSD means Solid State Drive. An SSD has no moving parts. It uses NAND... think of a flash drive. If you're seriously interested in NAND, here's some technical information from Wikipedia...

"... NAND flash... uses floating-gate transistors, but they are connected in a way that resembles a NAND gate: several transistors are connected in series, and the bit line is pulled low only if all the word lines are pulled high (above the transistors' VT). These groups are then connected via some additional transistors to a NOR-style bit line array in the same way that single transistors are linked in NOR flash..."
Now, do you see why we simplified and said, "no moving parts... like a flash drive"?

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We hope you have enjoyed this issue of Cloudeight InfoAve Weekly. Thanks so much for your support and for being an InfoAve Weekly subscriber.

To all our friends in the USA, have a happy and safe Thanksgiving weekend!

And to our friends in other countries around the world, have a great weekend... be safe!

Darcy & TC
Cloudeight InfoAve Weekly - Issue #1050
Volume 21 Number 4
November 24, 2023 

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