--Garota de Ipanema--

"The Girl from Ipanema" ("Garota de Ipanema") is a well-known bossa nova song, a worldwide hit in the mid-1960s that won a Grammy for Record of the Year in 1965. It was written in 1962, with music by Antonio Carlos Jobim and Portuguese lyrics by Vinicius de Moraes with English lyrics written later by Norman Gimbel.

The first commercial recording was in 1962, by Pery Ribeiro. The version performed by Astrud Gilberto, along with João Gilberto and Stan Getz, from the 1963 album Getz/Gilberto, became an international hit, reaching #5 in the U.S., #29 in the UK, and charting highly throughout the world. Numerous recordings have been used in movies, sometimes as an elevator music cliché (for example, near the end of The Blues Brothers).

In 2004, it was one of 50 recordings chosen that year by the Library of Congress to be added to the National Recording Registry.[1]
Although Astrud Gilberto's original version was "The Girl from Ipanema", when covered by other female artists the song has often been rendered as "The Boy from Ipanema", with gender-specific lyrics.

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~http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Girl_from_Ipanema

--Benito Mussolini--

Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini, GCB KSMOM GCTE (July 29, 1883, Predappio, Italy – April 28, 1945, Giulino di Mezzegra, Italy) was an Italian politician who led the National Fascist Party and is credited with being one of the key figures in the creation of Fascism. He became the Prime Minister of Italy in 1922 and began using the title Il Duce by 1925. After 1936, his official title was "His Excellency Benito Mussolini, Head of Government, Duce of Fascism, and Founder of the Empire".[1] Mussolini also created and held the supreme military rank of First Marshal of the Empire along with King Victor Emmanuel III of Italy, which gave him and the King joint supreme control over the military of Italy. Mussolini remained in power until he was replaced in 1943; for a short period after this until his death he was the leader of the Italian Social Republic.

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Mussolini was among the founders of Italian fascism, which included elements of nationalism, corporatism, national syndicalism, expansionism, social progress and anti-communism in combination with censorship of subversives and state propaganda. In the years following his creation of the fascist ideology, Mussolini influenced, or achieved admiration from, a wide variety of political figures.[2]
Among the domestic achievements of Mussolini from the years 1924–1939 were: his public works programmes such as the taming of the Pontine Marshes, the improvement of job opportunities, and public transport. Mussolini also solved the Roman Question by concluding the Lateran Treaty between the Kingdom of Italy and the Holy See. He is also credited with securing economic success in Italy's colonies and commercial dependencies.

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Although he initially favoured siding with France against Germany in the early 1930s, Mussolini became one of the main figures of the Axis powers and, on 10 June 1940, Mussolini led Italy into World War II on the side of Axis. Three years later, Mussolini was deposed at the Grand Council of Fascism, prompted by the Allied invasion. Soon after his incarceration began, Mussolini was rescued from prison in the daring Gran Sasso raid by German special forces.

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Following his rescue, Mussolini headed the Italian Social Republic in parts of Italy that were not occupied by Allied forces. In late April, 1945, with total defeat looming, Mussolini attempted to escape to Switzerland, only to be captured and summarily executed near Lake Como by Communist Italian partisans. His body was taken to Milan where it was hung upside down at a petrol station for public viewing and to provide confirmation of his demise.

~

~

~http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benito_Mussolini

--关羽--

　关羽（160?-220），字云长，本字长生，身长约合1.98米，并州 河东解县人（今山西运城市），汉族。一直是历来民间崇祀的对象，东汉末年刘备麾下著名将领，前将军，汉寿亭侯。演义中为五虎上将之首，与刘备，张飞桃园结义。死后受民间推崇，又经历代朝廷褒封，被人奉为关圣帝君，佛教称为伽蓝菩萨，尊称为“关公”。被后来的统治者崇为“武圣”，与号为“文圣”的孔子齐名。有“千里走单骑”“单刀赴会”“温酒斩华雄”“过五关斩六将”的佳话。

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关羽的专用兵器：青龙偃月刀

~

~http://baike.baidu.com/view/2275.htm

--CityCenter Las Vegas 2009--

- 4,004-room 61-story ARIA Resort & Casino (Cesar Pelli)

- 165,000-square-foot casino (Pelli)

- 400-room + 227 condos - Mandarin Oriental Hotel/Residences (Pedersen / Tihany)

- 400-room + 207 condos - The Harmon Hotel/Residences (Foster and Partners)

- 1543-unit Vdara Condo/Hotel tower (Rafael Viñoly)

- Twin, 337-unit luxury condo towers Veer (Helmut Jahn)

- 500,000 square feet of retail and entertainment space The Crystals Mall (Daniel Libeskind)

- $40 million worth of modern sculptures and installations by world famous artists

- 225,000 square feet of convention and meeting space

- 900,000 square feet for back-of-house operations

- 2,000-seat theater

- 70,000-square-foot spa

- 7,500-car parking garage

- Fire station

- People movers (trams)

- On-site power plant

~

~http://www.citycenter.com/

~

~http://www.vegastodayandtomorrow.com/citycenter.htm

--Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill--

Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, KG, OM, CH, TD, FRS, PC (Can) (30 November 1874 – 24 January 1965) was a British politician known chiefly for his leadership of the United Kingdom during World War II. He served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1940 to 1945 and again from 1951 to 1955. A noted statesman and orator, Churchill was also an officer in the British Army, a historian, a Nobel Prize-winning writer, and an artist.
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During his army career, Churchill saw combat in India, in the Sudan and the Second Boer War. He gained fame and notoriety as a war correspondent and through contemporary books he wrote describing the campaigns. He also served briefly in the British Army on the Western Front in World War I, commanding the 6th Battalion of the Royal Scots Fusiliers.
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At the forefront of the political scene for almost fifty years, he held many political and cabinet positions. Before the First World War, he served as President of the Board of Trade, Home Secretary and First Lord of the Admiralty as part of the Asquith Liberal government. During the war he continued as First Lord of the Admiralty until the disastrous Battle of Gallipoli caused his departure from government. He returned as Minister of Munitions, Secretary of State for War and Secretary of State for Air. In the interwar years, he served as Chancellor of the Exchequer in the Conservative government.
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After the outbreak of the Second World War, Churchill was again appointed First Lord of the Admiralty. Following the resignation of Neville Chamberlain on 10 May 1940, he became Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and led Britain to victory against the Axis powers. Churchill was always noted for his speeches, which became a great inspiration to the British people and embattled Allied forces.
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After losing the 1945 election, he became Leader of the Opposition. In 1951, he again became Prime Minister before finally retiring in 1955. Elizabeth II offered to create him Duke of London, but this was declined due to the objections of his son Randolph, who would have inherited the title on his father's death. Upon his death the Queen granted him the honour of a state funeral, which saw one of the largest assemblies of statesmen in the world.
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~
~http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winston_Churchill

--Cambodia--

Cambodia, a country which has seen great wars and destruction is beautiful, mysterious, exciting, vibrant and eerily haunting. Two key images come to mind when you think of Cambodia – Angkor Wat and Buddhist monks in orange robes.

Angkor Wat, the 9th to 13th century Buddhist temple is the site that most people travel to Cambodia to see. Angkor rises majestically from the surrounding jungles and is truly one of the ancient wonders of the world – it will amaze you with its size and breathtaking beauty. Most visitors to Angkor Wat spend a couple of days exploring. If you can arrange a visit at Sunrise – do, it is stunningly beautiful then.
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~
~http://www.adventuretravel.co.nz/destinations2.asp?id=2&cid=7

--One Hundred Billion Dollars--

HARARE, Zimbabwe, July 19 (UPI) -- Hyperinflation in Zimbabwe hit another milestone Saturday when the central bank introduced a $100 billion bill.

The new bills can circulate legally beginning Monday, CNN reported. But as large as the amount might seem, it is only enough to buy four oranges and not enough to cover the cost of one loaf of bread.

The country has been in an economic tailspin for several years. President Robert Mugabe, blaming profiteers and speculators for the destruction of the economy, announced this week that the government would provide basic necessities at a low subsidized price to end the inflation.

The government announced this week inflation had hit 2.2 million percent.

Outsiders blame much of the inflation on the government-backed takeover of white-owned farms by "war veterans" loyal to Mugabe. The country went from being an agricultural exporter to being unable to feed itself.

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~

~http://www.upi.com/Top_News/2008/07/19/Zimbabwe_introduces_100B_bank_note/UPI-95281216507668/

--The Night Before X'mas-Cambodia--

Have you ever wondered

Where Santa leaves his sleigh,

When he brings toys for children

To find on Christmas Day?

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For reindeers, all the roof-tops

Are much too smooth and steep!

One slip, they'd go sliding down,

And land in one big heap!

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But if they were in the garden,

How could Santa, with his sack,

Climb right up to the roof-top,

Then down the chimney stack?

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There's so much danger in the road,

So, where can he leave his sleigh?

Perhaps you'd like to ask him,

When he comes round your way!

~

~

--Happy Birthday--

--IN GOD -- WE TRUST?--

--Why Would this happen.....?--

Tunjuk Perasaan di Masjid Tanah, Melaka 20/12/2008..

~http://mcawp.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=447&p=1535#p1535

--Cambodia-Phnom Penh--

Phnom Penh's main streets are in good shape; however other streets and footpaths are often rutted and pot-holed, clogged with garbage, stagnant water, parked motos, sleeping people, livestock and building materials. Many smaller streets either lack signage or bear misleading signs, however, Phnom Penh is logically laid out (see orientation) and navigating the city is not difficult if you know where you're going.

• Motorbikes (but not self-drive cars) are available for rent, however Phnom Penh traffic is chaotic and dangerous even by Asian standards: public transport (other than motorbike taxis) is safer.
• Motorbike-taxis (motodops, motodups or simply motos in local parlance) are ubiquitous and will take you anywhere for a small fare. A trip from Sisowath Quay to Central Market costs about 2,000 riel (50 US cents). Fares are higher at night and with more than one passenger.
• Taxis are available at a few locations - most notably outside the Foreign Correspondents Club on Sisowath Quay. Taxis do not have meters, and fares must be agreed in advance. Fares vary, due to fluctuating fuel prices; ask hotel/guesthouse staff for assistance (hotels and guesthouses will organise taxis on request).
• Tuk-tuks Cambodian-style consist of a motorcycle with a cabin for the passengers hitched to the back. They are cheaper than taxis and offer a scenic experience of the city. Their clientele is exclusively tourists, and most drivers in tourist areas speak some English.
• Cyclos are three-wheeled cycle-rickshaws. Considerably slower then a motodop, and gradually becoming less common in the city, they are still popular with locals and foreigners alike. The nature of the seat lends itself to a quick and easy way to transport all manner of goods from one place to another, even other cyclos and the occasional motorbike as well.
• Walking can be a challenge, as cars and motos sometimes do not stop for pedestrians. To cross safely, judge gaps in the traffic and proceed with care - give oncoming vehicles ample time to see and avoid you, or try to cross with the brightly coloured and revered monks. On larger roads, two streams of traffic travel in each direction, totalling four streams of traffic you have to watch for: thus constant 360 surveillance is required when crossing roads. There is almost no street lighting off the major boulevards, and walking there at night is not recommended.

Cautions:

1. As a huge number of scarred or maimed locals can attest, motorbikes - either as rider or passenger - are the least safe alternative. On a motorbike you are exposed to the worst consequences of the city's bad drivers and appalling accident rate.

2. To obviate later disagreements, bargain a fare before you leave.

3. Sometimes the only English a driver knows is something like "Yes, no problem" - leading you to believe he knows where he is going when he does not. Most tuk tuk and moto drivers in Phnom Penh come from rural villages. Incredibly, some cannot find Sisowath Quay or Sihanouk Boulevard. Notwithstanding, drivers are not above some bluffing to get you onboard. Make sure the driver knows where he is going before getting in/on.

4. Don't leave bags or other goods exposed to snatchers on motorbikes: such thefts from tuk tuks and motorbikes are now epidemic in Phnom Penh.

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~http://wikitravel.org/en/Phnom_Penh

--UEFA Champions League Draw 19th 2008--

~
~
Round of 16 ~First leg ~Second leg
~
Atlético - Porto ~24/02 » ~11/03 »
~
Lyon - Barcelona ~24/02 » ~11/03 »
~
Arsenal - Roma ~24/02 » ~11/03 »
~
Internazionale - Man. United ~24/02 » ~11/03 »
~
Real Madrid - Liverpool ~25/02 » ~10/03 »
~
Chelsea - Juventus ~25/02 » ~10/03 »
~
Villarreal - Panathinaikos ~25/02 » ~10/03 »
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Sporting - Bayern ~25/02 » ~10/03 »
~
~
~http://www.uefa.com/competitions/ucl/fixturesresults/index.html

--Meteor Night and Wishes--

--Most Beautiful Girl I ever Saw in Cambodia--

Your beauty is unspeakable.

Your love is inescapable.

~

The heavens twilight stars,

Lit up the night sky,

And I saw you through the midnight gloom.

Winters death,

Took away my breath,

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But the radiance that came from you.

Reflected off the snow,

Melted away all my fears.

And dried all my tears.

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Now I hope to see you again....

In Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

~

~

~

--China's 30 years of reforms--

Beijing - China held a meeting on Thursday 18th Dec 2008 morning to celebrate the 30th anniversary of its reform and opening-up drive, which turned the once poverty-stricken country into one of the world's largest economies.

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Top leaders, including President Hu Jintao, attended the ceremony, which started at the Great Hall of the People in downtown Beijing at 10:00 a.m.

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The celebration also drew nearly 6,000 Chinese from all walks of life.

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In a speech at the ceremony, Hu said 30 years to the day witnessed the opening of the 3rd Plenary Session of the 11th Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee.

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That meeting ushered in a new historic period of reform and opening-up, marking the most significant turning point in the Party's history since the New China was founded in 1949, he said.

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By gathering here today to commemorate the 30th anniversary of that meeting, Hu said they are meant to fully recognize the significance and great achievements of the reforms, sum up experience, and continue to develop the country on the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics.

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Hu said China's gross domestic product(GDP) kept growing at an annual rate of 9.8 per cent for three decades, more than three times the world average.

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The President said China's GDP had soared from more than 360 billion yuan (about 52 billion U.S. dollars) in 1978 to 24950 billion yuan in 2007, making China become the world's fourth largest economy.

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The past 30 years have been a period in which China's overall national strength has risen by a big margin, and the Chinese people have received more tangible benefits than ever before, he said.

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session of the 11th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, which started on December 18, 1978.

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The country has carried out extensive international exchanges and cooperation, through which China's economy was boosted, he said, adding in the process, China has also made important contribution to the world's economic development.

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China's economic reforms started 30 years ago after the 10-year Cultural Revolution (1966-1976), which left the country on the verge of economic breakdown.

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The decision to open up the once-secluded country and reform its moribund economy was made at the 3rd plenary session of the 11th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, which started on December 18, 1978.

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The date is commonly regarded as a watershed in China's development.

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~http://chinadaily.cn/china/2008-12/18/content_7317135.htm

--Albert Einstein (14 March 1879 – 18 April 1955)--

Albert Einstein (14 March 1879 – 18 April 1955) was a German-born theoretical physicist. He is best known for his theory of relativity and specifically mass–energy equivalence, expressed by the equation E = mc2. Einstein received the 1921 Nobel Prize in Physics "for his services to Theoretical Physics, and especially for his discovery of the law of the photoelectric effect."
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Einstein's many contributions to physics include his special theory of relativity, which reconciled mechanics with electromagnetism, and his general theory of relativity, which was intended to extend the principle of relativity to non-uniform motion and to provide a new theory of gravitation.
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His other contributions include advances in the fields of relativistic cosmology, capillary action, critical opalescence, classical problems of statistical mechanics and their application to quantum theory, an explanation of the Brownian movement of molecules, atomic transition probabilities, the quantum theory of a monatomic gas, thermal properties of light with low radiation density (which laid the foundation for the photon theory), a theory of radiation including stimulated emission, the conception of a unified field theory, and the geometrization of physics.
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Einstein published over 300 scientific works and over 150 non-scientific works. In 1999 Time magazine named him the "Person of the Century". In wider culture the name "Einstein" has become synonymous with genius, and he has since been regarded as one of the most influential people in human history.
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~http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_einstein

--MAN and MACHINE--

The Bugatti Veyron EB 16.4 is a mid-engine grand touring car produced by Volkswagen Group subsidiary Bugatti Automobiles SAS and introduced in 2005. It is currently the fastest accelerating and decelerating production car in the world and, at 1.1 million Euro, it is also one of the most expensive cars.

Powered by a 736-kilowatt (1,001 PS/987 hp) W16 engine, it can reach 408.47 km/h (253.81 mph).

The car reached full production in September 2005, and is handcrafted in a factory Volkswagen built near the former Bugatti headquarters in Château St Jean in Molsheim (Alsace, France). It is named after French racing driver Pierre Veyron, who won the 24 hours of Le Mans in 1939 while racing for the original Bugatti company. Two examples of the Veyron are known to have been wrecked since production began.

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~http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bugatti_Veyron

--神風特攻隊 KAMIKAZE--

The Kamikaze (神風, Japanese for divine wind), were a pair or series of typhoons that are said to have saved Japan from two Mongol fleets under Kublai Khan that attacked Japan in 1274 and again in 1281. The latter is said to have been the largest attempted naval invasion in history whose scale was only recently eclipsed in modern times by the D-Day invasion of allied forces into Normandy in 1944.

The first invasion devastated the Japanese. The battle took place on the beaches where the two forces met. The Mongols had several advantages; The Japanese were overwhelmed and began to retreat. Not knowing they had won, the Mongols feared the Japanese were coming back with reinforcements and also retreated.

During the time period between the first and second invasion, the Japanese built walls to protect themselves from future invaders.

Seven years later, the Mongols returned. They found themselves unable to find any suitable landing beaches due to the walls. The fleet stayed afloat for months as they depleted their supplies and searched for an area to land. After months of being exposed to the elements, the fleet was destroyed by a great typhoon. The Japanese called it Kamikaze. The Mongols never returned. The Japanese were saved by the walls they had built and nature's fury.

In popular Japanese myths at the time, the god Raijin was the god who turned the storms against the Mongols. Other variations say that the god Fūjin or Ryūjin caused the destructive kamikaze.

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~http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kamikaze_%28typhoon%29

--Massage Therapy in Cambodia--

Massage is the practice of soft tissue manipulation with physical, functional, and in some cases psychological purposes and goals. The word comes from the French massage "friction of kneading," or from Arabic massa meaning "to touch, feel or handle" or from Latin massa meaning "mass, dough". (In distinction the ancient Greek word for massage was anatripsis, and the Latin was frictio). An older etymology may even have been the Hebrew me-sakj "to anoint with oil".

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Massage involves acting on and manipulating the client's body with pressure (structured, unstructured, stationary, and/or moving), tension, motion, or vibration done manually or with mechanical aids. Target tissues may include muscles, tendons, ligaments, skin, joints, or other connective tissue, as well as lymphatic vessels, and/or organs of the gastrointestinal system. Massage can be applied with the hands, fingers, elbows, forearm, and feet. There are over eighty different massage modalities.

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The most cited reasons for introducing massage have been client demand and perceived clinical effectiveness.

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In professional settings massage involves the client being treated while lying on a massage table, sitting in a massage chair, or lying on a mat on the floor. The massage subject may be fully or partly unclothed. Parts of the body may be covered with towels or sheets.
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~http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Massage_therapy

--CVN-78 ~ 2013--

The Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carriers (or Ford-class) will be the next generation supercarrier for the United States Navy. Before its redesignation as the Ford-class (CVN-78), this new class of carriers was known as the CVNX carrier program ("X" meaning "in development") and then as the CVN-21 carrier program. (Here, the "21" is not a hull number; it is common in "future" plans in the U.S. military, as an allusion to 21st century, to distinguish from existing 20th century equipment.)
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The first hull of the CVN-21 line will be Gerald R. FordTemplate:WP Ships USS instances. The CVN-21 uses the basic hull design of the preceding Nimitz-class.
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~http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supercarrier
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~http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerald_R._Ford_class_aircraft_carrier