The Cowboy Up Podcast
Dude rancher Russell True and cowboy H. Alan Day team up in Tucson, Arizona to talk all things Western. They'll share adventures from the range, from the seat of a plane's cockpit, from the back of a horse. (You may wonder how they lived to tell their tales!) And they'll have a roundup of guests, Western writers, horse lovers, chuckwagon chefs, ranchers, nature lovers. It's the West now and then.
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In This episode Meet Jeremy, A 28 Year Old White Stallion Wrangler with 27 Years On A Horse
07/20/2024
In This episode Meet Jeremy, A 28 Year Old White Stallion Wrangler with 27 Years On A Horse
What does someone who grew up on a Navajo Reservation next to the Grand Canyon do when life on the Reservation is all they have ever known? Jeremy left, moved to the city and obtained a Masters Degree in Physical Therapy! Once he started on his Doctoral Degree he decided he missed a life around horses and applied at White Stallion. His life history and experience has created quite an impression here at the ranch! Later in the podcast Jeremy shares a story about his 105 year old grandfather who still rides and throws hay along with an interesting alarm clock grandpa used to wake him up one morning. Imagine growing up on over 1400 acres and having between 30 and 50 dogs at any given point in time!
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E2S5 - The Future of Dude Ranching? Ask the Cowboy Who Knows
07/13/2024
E2S5 - The Future of Dude Ranching? Ask the Cowboy Who Knows
Many guests at White Stallion Ranch get to know Russell and some are successful at teasing stories out of him from time to time. People frequently ask ... "Russell, is that a story or is it a True story?" In true Russell style, he smiles and says, "Well that's for you to decide." In today's episode, Steven sits down with Russell and teases new stories about the world of dude and guest ranching today and where Russell thinks its heading. Spending time at a dude ranch is all about someone having their own personal adventure and getting in touch with their inner cowboy.
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E1S5 Franklin: Behind-the-Scenes with Kirk Ellis
06/30/2024
E1S5 Franklin: Behind-the-Scenes with Kirk Ellis
Benjamin Franklin has been the focus of many books and movies. Most recently, the esteemed man of many talents is the focus of the eponymous TV mini series, “.” Michael Douglas stars as the 70-year-old Franklin, who is sent over to France with his grandson, Temple Franklin. Franklin’s assignment? Enlist the help of the French government in defeating the British. The series is written by Kirk Ellis, who also penned the screenplay for the Emmy-winning TV mini series, “John Adams.” Kirk joins the podcast to talk about his experience researching and writing the story of Franklin’s biggest gamble of his career, as well as what it was like to be on set in France during the filming, where he even got to don wig and costume as an extra.
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E52S4 Unraveling Equine DNA
06/23/2024
E52S4 Unraveling Equine DNA
Christa Lafayette, the innovative CEO of returns to the podcast, this time with the results of the genetic tests that her company ran on two of Russell True’s horses. He’s learning the results in real time, as are you. Christa shares her insights on how genetic information can enhance breeding programs, improve horse health, and even predict performance traits. Whether you’re a horse lover or a science geek, this episode is an enlightening journey into the genetic blueprint of our equine companions and how genetic research is shaping the future of the horse industry.
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E51S4 Guns and Gunslingers
06/15/2024
E51S4 Guns and Gunslingers
As a kid, Phil Spangenberger became enamored with guns, courtesy of Davy Crockett and television. Now a renowned firearms expert, historian, writer and True West Magazine editor, Phil joins the podcast to share captivating stories and insights from his extensive research and experiences in Western history, firearms and cowboy culture. In addition to doing some of his own shooting, including mounted shooting, Phil also trained actors how to brandish firearms in films. What American guns helped settle the West? What are the differences between a single-action and double-actions guns? Was Charlton Heston or Mel Gibson a better gunslinger? Join this lively cowboy conversation to find out!
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E50S4 Pack Your Bags!
06/09/2024
E50S4 Pack Your Bags!
Vacations, travels, bucket lists. Sometimes you just have to get away and explore, whether it’s within your state, across the country or on the other side of an ocean. Who better to offer travel tips and suggestions than someone who has visited over 65 countries. Kim Wilkins joins us to talk about what life is like when the travel bug bites you at age six and you end up living in Europe after graduating from college, then eventually become a travel consultant and guide. First stops in a foreign city? How best to explore the Croatian islands? What to pack for that classic Old West adventure at a dude ranch? We gotcha covered in this conversation between and our co-hosts Russell True and Alan Day.
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E49S4 It Began with Bacon
06/01/2024
E49S4 It Began with Bacon
Twenty years ago, two individuals started a company focused on sustainable agricultural and the humane treatment of animals. Over two decades later, that company now employees upward of 100 people, has expanded its products from its original no-sugar-added bacon, and more than ever adheres to its original philosophy. When we learned about , we were so impressed that we invited vice president Neil Dudley to join us. Neil talks about how innovative sustainable agricultural practices can lead to healthier ecosystems, more ethical food production, and a balanced relationship with nature. Whether you’re a farmer, a food enthusiastic, or simply curious about sustainable living, this episode offers valuable insights and inspiration. It may even tweak your appetite! Here’s to good eats and good health—naturally.
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E48S4 Riding the Rails: The Al Harper and American Heritage Railways Story
05/27/2024
E48S4 Riding the Rails: The Al Harper and American Heritage Railways Story
When the opportunity to purchase a western railroad company dropped in Al Harper's lap, he was a real estate executive living in Florida. But the opportunity intrigued him, and sooner than later, he became the CEO of As a result of Harper's passion to preserve and celebrate America's railroading history, company operations now reach nearly 1,500,000 rail passengers annually on three directly owned railroads and license special events on over 50 additional railroads. No surprise Harper was awarded the True Westerner Award by True West Magazine this past March. Give a listen to this inspiring conversation about heritage, innovation, and love of the rails.
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E47S4 Fine Dining with Authentic Foodie, Buffalo Bill Cody
05/18/2024
E47S4 Fine Dining with Authentic Foodie, Buffalo Bill Cody
Who better to explore the culinary legacy of William F. “Buffalo Bill” Cody than Steve Friesen, the Director of the Buffalo Bill Museum and Grave for over 25 years? Friesen joins us to introduce his newest book, “” Buffalo Bill’s culinary roots began on the American Plains with simple foods such as cornbread, fried “yellow-legged” chicken, and hardtack. While leading buffalo-hunting expeditions and scouting, he discovered gourmet dining. As his fame increased, so did his desire and opportunities for fine dining; his early show business career allowed him to dine at some of the best restaurants in the country. He then took it upon himself to introduce his diverse cast of employees, which sometimes exceeded 1500 people, to the same fine dining. As one newspaper reporter observed, “Colonel Cody displays no more care about anything than the proper feeding of horse and man.” The “Galloping Gourmet” includes 250 artifacts and historic photos and over 30 annotated period recipes. This week’s podcast song is “Stories That the Rocks Tell” by singer-songwriter .
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E46S4 Behind the Scenes of Dude Ranching with Russell True
05/11/2024
E46S4 Behind the Scenes of Dude Ranching with Russell True
What’s it like to grow up on a dude ranch? Few people can answer that question. One of them is Russell True, who grew up on the in Tucson and eventually became owner and manager. Our newest podcast team member, Steven Clauson, interviews Russell about his experiences as and how dude ranching has evolved over the decades. By the way, Russell was inducted into the Dude Ranch Hall of Fame in January 2024. "In my opinion the world needs more good people and more of the culture of the American West. The world’s fascination with cowboys and the West is for good reason." -
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E45S4 Trash Talk: For Cowboys, Dudes, and Everyone on Earth
05/04/2024
E45S4 Trash Talk: For Cowboys, Dudes, and Everyone on Earth
It’s estimated that we consume a credit card of plastic every week. Alarming on one hand, too easy to ignore on the other hand. But we all share the problems of garbage, no matter how we vote or where we live. How pervasive are these problems and can we do anything about them? Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist says, you bet we can! The author of the new eye-opening book, “Total Garbage: How We Can Fix Our Waste and Heal Our World,” Humes joins Russell and Alan to highlight what innovative people are doing to help our planet and what we can in our daily lives.
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E44S4 The Last Cowboys
04/27/2024
E44S4 The Last Cowboys
It’s a challenging life, cowboying and relying on the range for your living. And if you saddle up regularly in the rodeo circuit, you have one heck of a challenging and busy life. Just ask the Wright family. That's exactly what Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist John Branch did when he was assigned to write a story about them. Cowboys? Rodeos? Branch, who grew up in the West, was all in. In fact, he turned the New York Times story into a book about the Wrights called the “.” He chats with our podcast cowboys about the Wrights, the future of cowboying, and what life is like on the rodeo circuit. Branch also shares a few additional true stories from his newest bestseller, “.” Concluding this episode is Bethany Zill’s version of “Cowboy’s Sweetheart.” Bethany hails from Tucson, AZ, where she also is a videographer and documentarian.
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E43S4 The Platte River Raids
04/20/2024
E43S4 The Platte River Raids
It was 1864, and Northern Plains Indians were not pleased with settlers migrating from east to west along the Oregon, Bozeman and Overland Trails. Thus began a series of attacks and robberies on unsuspecting emigrants winding their way along the Platte River. Shots rang out and arrows whizzed as miners, doctors, farmers, families, and war widows rallied their covered wagons together. As historian journalist relates in her new book “Emigrant Tales of the Platte River Raids,” some of those involved had familiar names – Brown, Boone, Earp, Kelly, Larimer, Ringo, Rousseau and more. She joins Russell an Alan to share some of the eyewitness testimonies of nearly 70 survivors, presented in one accord for the first time in literary history. And western singer-songwriter Jim Jones shares his song “Rockin’ Chair” from his new album “.”
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E42S4 Unbridled Genetics: The Power of Equine DNA Testing
04/13/2024
E42S4 Unbridled Genetics: The Power of Equine DNA Testing
How cool would it be to build your perfect horse down to their DNA? Can it even be done? Christa Lafayette has an answer to that question. The founder and CEO of , Christa knows that breeding horses is not only an art but a science -- one that lets breeders, as well as all horse lovers, see horses in a new way. Genetic testing can identify potential health risks and prevent disease. It can optimize coat color and performance abilities. Christa joins Russell and Alan to delve into the cutting-edge genetic technologies that go beyond the standard DNA panels required by breed associations, technologies that are revolutionizing the equine industry. Thank you, Cynthia Keefe, for your musical inspiration at the end of this podcast with the song “Dreaming of Paris,” co-written with and Bonnie Hunt while rafting down the Green River in Utah.
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E41S4 Trailblazers: The Story of the Buffalo Soldiers
04/06/2024
E41S4 Trailblazers: The Story of the Buffalo Soldiers
In this episode, historian and author John Langellier saddles up to the ranch to speak with Russell and Alan about the Buffalo Soldiers, the African American soldiers who served from 1866 into the 20th century. From their origins in the 9th and 10th Cavalry Regiments to their invaluable contributions settling the frontier, John highlights their struggles, triumphs and enduring legacy. A few attended West Point. Others helped develop our national parks. Still others served in foreign countries. Many are buried at Arlington National Cemetery. Give a listen as cowboys and historian uncover the narratives of these courageous soldiers who paved the way for diversity and equality in the United State military. And be sure to check out John Langellier's new book "."
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E40S4 Polo, Ponies, & Players: A Look at the Oldest Equestrian Sport
03/30/2024
E40S4 Polo, Ponies, & Players: A Look at the Oldest Equestrian Sport
Believe it or not, polo was first played in Persia, perhaps as early as 6 B.C. or as late as 1 A.D. Originally a training game for the king’s calvary, polo morphed into a game with four riders per side rather than 100 riders per side! The first polo game in the U.S. took place in 1876 in New York. The following year the Westchester Polo Club was formed. Now, polo is played around the country, including the Southwest. Our guests today both play the game. , a large and small veterinarian located in Scottsdale, AZ, is founder and developer of the , also located in Scottsdale with an outdoor field in Casa Grande. Steven True was on Cornell University’s polo team and now plays in Arizona. Diego and Steven speak with the cowboys about the equestrian game that is becoming increasingly popular and is played by men and women, boys and girls of all ages and riding ability. Thank you, , for sharing your musical inspiration at the end of this podcast.
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E39S4 Meet the Real Gidget!
03/23/2024
E39S4 Meet the Real Gidget!
At age 14, Kathy Zuckerman discovered the surfer culture in Malibu, CA. Soon, this wave-catching teen had earned the nickname “Gidget.” The Hollywood versions of Gidget, played by such stars as Sandra Dee, Sally Field, and Karen Valentine, were loosely based on Zuckerman’s life. But how did that happen? And what brought her to the White Stallion Ranch in Tucson, Arizona years later? The real Gidget chats with Russell about how it all went down.
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E38S4 - It's all about preserving the western way of life and the great cowboy tradition. Can we tell you about the DRA?
03/16/2024
E38S4 - It's all about preserving the western way of life and the great cowboy tradition. Can we tell you about the DRA?
DRA stands for the Dude Ranch Association which not only preserves the great Dude Ranch and guest ranch businesses in this country, but also topreserve the Western tradition and the cowboy experience ... We sometimes say with a smile it may take the western way of life to preserve Western civilization! So today join the gentlemen Cowboys as they visit with Colleen Hudson as she tells us the story of the Dude Ranch Foundation and how they seek to do to help the young men and women who want to carry on both the business and tradition of this great way of life.
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E37S4 Stories of the Historic Eaton Ranch: The first ranch for dudes!
03/09/2024
E37S4 Stories of the Historic Eaton Ranch: The first ranch for dudes!
One of my friends has said that deep down almost everybody wants to be a bit of a cowboy. And there are people who are seeking what could be called an adventure, and an adventure is where you're going to do something new and you're not quite sure just what's going to happen to you. Well it is some of those brave hearts and brave souls who in the early days of the settlement of the west made it possible for those from the east to come out and have a western experience, that was new sometimes even life-changing but also safe and sound. One of those places was the historic Eaton ranch now under the big sky of Wild Wyoming! And finishing up with a lamenting song by Carol Markstrom that asks the question that sometimes plagues our spirits and souls.
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E36S4 Mystery Writers C. J. Box and Shannon Baker
03/02/2024
E36S4 Mystery Writers C. J. Box and Shannon Baker
Acclaimed New York Times award-winning author C.J. Box always delivers a mixture of suspense, the outdoors, and family relationships that are the heart of the Joe Pickett series. And so he does again in , the 24thnovel in the Joe Pickett series. In this newest page-turner, Wyoming game warden Joe Pickett faces two different kinds of rampaging beasts—one animal, one human. C. J. chats with Russell and Alan about what inspired this new story about a rogue grizzly bear and an ex-prisoner. Then, Shannon Baker returns to the podcast to introduce her recently released Kate Fox mystery, , once again set in the Sand Hills of Nebraska. When a top bull breeder is mauled to death at a rodeo, Kate quickly realizes that this so-called accident hides a much darker truth. How deep is the corruption? Who will be left standing? Shannon fills Russell and Alan in on what it was like to research and write about a rodeo and what Kate Fox will be up to next. This week’s song, written and performed by , is “You Oughta See Wyoming.” C. J. Box, Shannon Baker, and Micki Fuhrman will all be featured at the Tucson Festival of Books on March 9-10 at the University of Arizona. You can learn more about them in previous episodes of the Cowboy Up Podcast.
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E35S4 The Colorful, Fraught History of Deadwood, SD
02/24/2024
E35S4 The Colorful, Fraught History of Deadwood, SD
Historian and South Dakotan may not live in the city of Deadwood, but he makes it a point to visit a several times a year. It's a town with a remarkable history. Now inhabited by just over 1,000 residents, Deadwood’s population soared to upward of 25,000 during the height of the Black Hills Gold Rush era. Wyatt Earp, Calamity Jane, and Wild Bill Hickok are among some of the renown Old West characters who tread the city's muddy and crowded streets. In this episode, Markely takes a deep dive into some of Deadwood’s fascinating history, which he also writes about in his book “Wild Bill Hickok and Buffalo Bill Cody: Plainsmen of the Legendary West” and his novel “Deadwood Dead Men.” A special thank you to western singer-songwriter for sharing his song “Eights and Aces,” a story based on the infamous Dead Man’s Hand card game.
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E34S4 From Ghost Bears to a Yellowstone Shipwreck
02/17/2024
E34S4 From Ghost Bears to a Yellowstone Shipwreck
When journalist learned that giant short-faced bears stalked North America thousands of years ago, he decided to do a deep dive into this enigmatic creature. From the La Brea Tar Pits of Los Angeles to a cornfield in Iowa, the plains of Texas, and even to the far ends of the Artic, Stark retraced the tracks of this beast that on hind legs towered more than ten feet and eventually became extinct. When Stark learned that a ferry shipwrecked in Yellowstone Lake in the winter of 1906, he went into research mode and dug into another fascinating story. Now the Creative Director at the Center for Biological Diversity in Tucson, Mike Stark joins Russell and Alan to talk about his explorations and his books “Chasing the Ghost Bear,” “Wrecked in Yellowstone,” and his new novel “The Derelict Light.” A special thank you to western singer-songwriter for sharing his song, “The Queen is Dead," a story about a bear.
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E33S4 The Cowboy Way
02/10/2024
E33S4 The Cowboy Way
Ranches can be dangerous places. Unpredictable livestock. Complex machinery. Extreme weather. None of that deterred David McCumber from dedicating a year of his life as a ranch hand up in Montana, even though he had never worked on a ranch. Those twelve months ended up being filled with adventures, lessons and more, enough to fill a book and get it published. Now the managing editor of the Arizona Daily Star newspaper, David joins Russell and Alan to talk about the year he spent in cowboy boots and hat, a journey he relates in his memoir
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E32S4 On the Road with Ben Goldfarb
02/02/2024
E32S4 On the Road with Ben Goldfarb
You probably don’t think much about them, the roads that you take to the store or work. Or the freeway that you take on vacation across state lines or into national parks or onto a dude ranches. About 40 million miles of roads encircle the earth. We tend to take roads for granted. But is that case for all creatures? While roads certainly have benefits, they also cause problems especially for wildlife and vegetation. So much so that road ecology is now an area of study with experts who are seeking innovative solutions to mitigate and alter the havoc roads can cause. Environmental journalist traveled throughout the United States and around the world to investigate how roads have transformed our planet. He joins Russell and Alan to share some of his startling discoveries, which he relates in his new book
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E31S4 Meet Musician Greg Hager: Family Friendly and Cowboy Gentleman
01/27/2024
E31S4 Meet Musician Greg Hager: Family Friendly and Cowboy Gentleman
Without a doubt, ’s western music is getting noticed. In 2019, MFG Records in Nashville signed him. His rural western roots run deep and are wellspring for his lyrics. Hager writes and composes everything that he sings, and his style is heavily influenced by other great 12-string guitar pickers and storytellers like John Denver, Roger Whittaker, Gordon Lightfoot, Paul Overstreet, Clint Black, and George Strait. Now with over ten albums to his name, he performs around the country, as well as overseas. Greg joins Alan and Russell to talk about what it's like to be a career musician.
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E30S4 Noir Westerns: Behind the Scenes with Alan K. Rode
01/20/2024
E30S4 Noir Westerns: Behind the Scenes with Alan K. Rode
When you think of film noir, you might think of “The Maltese Falcon,” starring Humphrey Bogart as the hard-boiled private detective Sam Spade. Or maybe “Sunset Boulevard,” starring Gloria Swanson as the aging, deranged silent-film star Norma Desmond. But there are also noir westerns. None is more celebrated than the 1948 "Blood on the Moon," starring Robert Mitchum. It’s a classic Western immersed in the film noir netherworld of double crosses, government corruption, shabby barrooms, gun-toting goons, and romantic betrayals. Documentarian, producer and film noir expert joins Russell and Alan to talk about the movie and his eponymous book, “Blood on the Moon.”
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E29S4 Meet Mark Sublette
01/13/2024
E29S4 Meet Mark Sublette
is the founder and owner of . A formal Naval physician, Mark is an expert in western art, specializing in the art of Maynard Dixon. He hosts the "The Art Dealer Diaries Podcast," which features over 200 interviews with unique individuals who curate, collect, create, write, sell, and deal in Western and Native art. Mark’s involvement in the arts is all-encompassing. He buys, sells, researches, educates, and has established a foundation for the arts. Mark also is the author of the Charles Bloom Murder Mystery series. The photography featured in his novels is his other love. He joins Russell and Alan for a fascinating chat.
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E28S4 Wild Horses: What’s in Their Future?
01/06/2024
E28S4 Wild Horses: What’s in Their Future?
As a horse trainer and animal communicator, has had the opportunity to work with wild horses. She also advocates for them. What does the future hold for wild horse herds across the West? Will herds continued to be gathered, dooming some horses to a life in feedlot prison? Will birth control be used to limit the growth of herds? Will there be enough forage for herds roaming drought-stricken lands? Does the Safe Act really protect horses? Anna answers these questions and more!
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E27S4 Stories to Ring in the New Year!
12/31/2023
E27S4 Stories to Ring in the New Year!
“Out with the old, in with the new.” Or so the saying goes. But sometimes “the old” is the best, especially when it comes to stories. Russell, Alan and Lynn reflect on the past year and the wonderful guests who we were honored to interview on the podcast. We also celebrate the life of Alan’s sister and one of our national treasures, Sandra Day O’Connor. And as you’ll hear, sometimes one reflection leads to another and then another and before you know it, cowboy storytelling is in full swing!
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E26S4 Wait, You Mean Gene Autry Didn’t Write “Here Comes Santa Claus?”
12/22/2023
E26S4 Wait, You Mean Gene Autry Didn’t Write “Here Comes Santa Claus?”
No, he didn’t! He sang it. Ginia Desmond knows the real story behind this beloved holiday song. She was there in sunny California when the idea hatched and the words were written. Ginia went on to write screenplays and produce movies and a whole lot more. Her award-winning indie film, “,” is a charming coming-of-age story set in Arizona. (Available on Apple TV) And she has more films in the production chute. Ginia joins Russell and Alan for a fun, inspiring chat.
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