the return of the stardust saint

Now on BBC2, programmes for schools and colleges

2009-08-16T12:16:00.003+01:00

With a little help from Alexis Petridis, The Guardian
30th Jan 2009,

You could never accuse the men behind Ghost Box of lacking ambition. Most people start record labels with the aim of signing a few bands, perhaps making some money, maybe gaining a reputation in the music business for their prescience and ability to pick a winner. Jim Jupp and Julian House, on the other hand, seem unconcerned with any of this. Their label began as a humble website flogging burned-to-order CDRs of the music Jupp records as the Belbury Poly and House puts out under the name the Focus Group. Even today, five years on, with their releases so critically acclaimed they have warranted their own genre (the critic Simon Reynolds borrowed the phrase "hauntology" from Jacques Derrida to describe their very British brand of spooky electronica), Ghost Box still eschews conventional distribution channels and publicity. Perhaps Jupp and House have their minds on higher things: their stated intention was to create "not just a record label but an imaginary world".

Big talk and hyperbole is something to which those who run record labels are prone. The most remarkable thing about Ghost Box is that it genuinely appears to have achieved its goal. Buying one of its releases feels like stepping into another world: like Factory, it seems less interested in developing individual artists than maintaining an overall aesthetic. It makes short films and publishes a periodical, Folklore and Mathematics, the latter replete with fake newspaper articles describing supernatural events, old listings from the Radio Times and quotes from explorer and "psychic researcher" TC Lethbridge. Its CDs come lavishly packaged. Early releases looked like 1970s Pelican paperbacks or school textbooks: the latest, the Belbury Poly's From an Ancient Star, arrives in a sleeve that recalls the torrent of paperbacks published by Erich von Däniken, the Swiss pseudo-archeologist who spent the 70s informing the world that God was an astronaut. Notice is thus served that their artists are unlikely to sound like Stereophonics.

And so it proves. The music on both From an Ancient Star and Ritual and Education (a budget-priced downloadonly compilation that provides the perfect introduction to Ghost Box) conjures up what David Peace might call an occult history of 70s and early 80s children's television, the soundtracks of stuff invariably forgotten in who-remembers-the-Wombles? roundups: the station idents of long-lost ITV franchises; Schools and Colleges programmes; the grimy, low-rent British horror films that provided a cheap way of filling time until the Epilogue and attracted an unintended prepubescent audience thanks to the rise in portable bedroom sets; the public information films that suggested a flatly terrifying broken Britain, filled with people who spent their time Fooling With Fireworks, playing Frisbee near power stations and jamming the bare wires of electrical equipment into sockets with matchsticks.

The point doesn't seem to be nostalgia, with its attendant warm laugh of communal recognition, although there's a certain kind of obscure telly trainspotter who might delight in noting that the female voices on the Advisory Circle's Mogadon Coffee Morning are swiped from a 1973 public information film about supermarket pickpockets.

Instead, Ghost Box's artists deal in eeriness, of varying degrees of subtlety. At its most sumptuous and melodically benign, it's merely vaguely disquieting, as when the electronics chafe at the folky tune of From an Ancient Star's Widdershins. Occasionally, it's genuinely scary: you really don't want the Focus Group's Hey Let Loose Your Love, with its mangled hippy folk sample and disembodied electronics, cropping up on your iPod if you're walking alone late at night. If you're of a certain age, you might say the music conjures up the sense of creepy otherness that accompanied viewing most of the TV listed above: the weird indulgence of watching Schools and Colleges programmes while sick or skiving from school; the extra layer of terror lent to the goings-on in Death Line or Blood On Satan's Claw by illicit long-past-your-bedtime viewing on a tiny black and white screen; the way public information films appeared without warning, disrupting ad breaks with death by electrocution or drowning. But you don't need to have grown up square-eyed in the 70s to find the music Ghost Box release entrancing. Even stripped of their careful packaging and devoid of their arcane pop-cultural connotations, From an Ancient Star and Ritual and Education would fulfill Jupp and House's intentions, creating a strange, spellbinding imaginary world with their music alone: electronica rarely comes as intriguing and atmospheric and laden with weirdly unshakable tunes.

To face the truth

2009-04-03T12:18:00.005+01:00

Quite enjoying ‘White Lies’ at the moment.
Not bad; there is a recession on I suppose, so you take what’s out there.

A few observations so far…

The lead singer Harry McVeigh sounds like Julian Cope. A good thing.
The album sleeve is mysterious, obscure, ambiguous and makes you think about Eastern Europe and spies. A good thing.
The band have a logo of sorts. Well, at least they have played around with their dotted 'i' twice. Clever. A good thing.
The songs are about girls, the end of the world, the cold, stars and shadowy funerals. All good things.
They are on Fiction records, home of The Cure and more worryingly Snow Patrol. Potentially a bad thing.
They need to listen more to Joy Division rather than The Killers doing Joy Division.
The lyrics need to be put away with their other 6th form poetry ringbinders in the loft.
Using ‘A view to a kill’ as a lyric without mentioning 007 is not big or clever.
They have made a better debut album than Friendly Fires.
Tip : avoid photo shoots. To be a real 80s band with any credibility, interest or mystery we don’t need to see you. For reference, see ill advised and badly dressed photo sessions from Ultravox, Japan, Visage, etc…
The album is treading a fine line between brilliantly written and catchy pop and overtly overblown, lip pursing, taking itself WAY TOO SERIOUSLY diluted new romanticism.

I bought the album.
In CD form, no less.
A good thing.

Had I waited two weeks, Spotify would have existed.

You see where this train of thought is parking?

The Beautiful Game

2009-03-07T17:27:00.005Z

Proof, if proof be needed that the man in black is part of the operatic, majestic beauty that is fitba.

Obviously, the stardust saint in no way condones the title of this youtube clip, you understand.
Although he certainly does look very happy at his work.

Peaks and troughs

2009-03-07T17:12:00.006Z

Been a good week in the Stardust household.
Always grateful for that.
A thought for you if you've had a bad one.

Remember, keep chasing the blighters that move your scenery.

Click here for more insights into this big 'ship of fools'

Prodigious, indeed

2009-03-01T22:31:00.004Z

No, I wasn't expecting the new Prodigy album to be that good either?
Well done lads.

The reviews are always a bit of a bluff around these kind of releases (return to form, best since the last one/first one, a real vintage sound blah, blah, blah).
But no, this time Mr Appleton, Mad Keith and the other one have pulled it off. Ravey fairground riffs, Rock samples and old skool reggae vocals firmly in place.

And it is so much fun.

I have even dug out 'Jilted Generation' for another spin. Proper old hard copy CD and everything. Not just a spotify face me, you know.

Anyway, now looking forward now to the Activ8 & SL2 revivals.

Perhaps.

Spotify

2009-02-17T18:04:00.003Z

Imagine being able to listen to virtually any album you'd like to hear.
Old or new.
In it's entirety.

Consider the CD you...

lost at a party
only have the case for
think maybe in box under the stairs
left out and was covered in chocolate spread by your child
can't really be bothered getting out of the loft
watched the dog eat
never got round to buy
were frankly too embarrassed to stump up hard earned cash for

Well, the wonderful web has provided the answer and I am loving it. Spotify.
Full albums, ready to listen to any time.
Yes, an ad pops up every half a dozen songs or so, but hey. (Uninterrupted version available for money. Not today thank you)
And yes, it's not complete. Obvious missing persons, but for starts this is ace.

I wont divulge some of the guilty pleasures mined in the last few days; we've all got them.

This also means being able to really 'try before you buy' and save wads of cash on the ubiquitous 'only really good for 4 songs albums' that are filling up the shelves. So, I've had a chance to listen to new albums by Morrissey and Lily Allen to name but two. And I have certainly saved myself a spend, on one of them. :-)

Result, indeed.

And itunes should now be a bit worried.

It's been a long time...

2009-02-17T17:46:00.006Z

First post on the blog since last June. Felt it was time to share thoughts and ruminations again.
Been trying to work out the best way to approach blogging now that so many networking platforms are being used. We're all facebooking, so I'm keen not to replicate stuff from there.
So, I am thinking of using the stage of the stardust saint to share my ramblings on what music, books, movies, clips and web stuff is best tickling our bits in the Stardust household.

A review site, if you will.

We'll see how it goes.

Popularity breeds contempt.

2008-06-24T20:51:00.006+01:00

Can't give a fully objective review yet. So much white noise around this release.
Don't believe the hype.

But first few listens...

...it's pretty good.

As long as Chris Martin keeps quiet, a full and frank rumination to follow.

The Next Generation.

2008-06-24T20:43:00.003+01:00

Keep your diaries free.
22nd of December.
First glimpse of the glorious bump.
Affectionately (and obviously only temporarily) being referred to as Kermit in the McD household.(try the names together..)
Permanent smiles on mum & dads' faces.

No More Lonely Nights, then.

2008-05-30T19:32:00.012+01:00

I guess the blog as a medium can serve as some kind of public service. An opportunity to provide information that may otherwise remain unavailable to the busy or 'engaged' good people in this globally shrinking community.

So, with this in mind here is my public service contribution after a quiet blogging month. Hey, I've been busy OK!

Six hours in the company of Paul McCartney may not be everyones idea of a great night in but the keeper of the fabled foursome's legacy has put together a rather impressive (OK, perhaps exhaustive) anthology of his solo work on DVD. Entitled 'The McCartney Years' it spans EVERYTHING the thumbs aloft divorcee has thrust out since 1970's debut album (fine t'was too).

If, like me you are a fan this is indeed a good thing. Loads of videos - some rotten, some really rotten. Live stuff e.g. Glasto, cool Wings stuff with flares on and a superbowl thing.
All fun, I am sure you'll agree.

But...

The real appeal to the 'fans' is that Uncle Albert himself has done 'a full and frank commentary' for the WHOLE thing. The image of Paul having to sit through all his 80s war crimes, probably without any alcohol makes me smile.

Now, having sat with Mr. McCartney through every moment of the commentary I would not really wish the experience again on many a living soul.

Why?

Well, let's say it wasn't the warts-n-all kiss and tell gossip mongering session you may hope it to be. Paul is many things but he is a very well trained diplomat after all these years and it is fair to say little muck is spread, precious few shafts of light shafted. Not once does he open a commentary to a video with a phrase like " Oh yeah, and see that Yoko..." or "Michael Jackson, here's the real story about bubbles..." and so on.

No.

It's all, well, nearly almost nice.

Shame.

So, to save you shelling out £40 for this fine pack of musical misdemeanours and visual verandas(!) here are the 'best' bits of Macca gossip straight from the Frog Chorusmeister himself...

+ Johnny Marr once told him that 'C Moon' is one of his favourite songs

+ Nigel Godrich based much of his production work on 'Tug of War'

+ Bruce Springsteen didn't 'get' 'Silly Love Songs' at first, But now, he does!

+ Paul suggested a smile and a wink to Stevie Wonder on the set of 'Ebony & Ivory'
No, said Stevie - maybe I'll smile to you!

+ According to Mary, his daughter, 'Mull of Kintyre' was big favourite of her punk pals in the pub.

+ Michael & La Toya playing lovers in 'Say, Say, Say. (!)

+ Ringo & (10cc) Eric Stewart looking very, how shall we say 'wide eyed and well powdered' in the 'So Bad' 1984 video. Yes, it is.

+ So solid crew (possibly) line dancing with Paul Whitehouse & Charlie Higson in 1999s 'Brown Eyed Handsome Man'

+ Guest appearance from wrestling legend Giant Haystacks in 'No More Lonely Nights'

+ Paul still proud of selling 4 million copies of 1993s (rotten) single 'Hope of Deliverance' Wunderbar!

+ Too much money to spend? Get in Julien Temple to direct 'Beautiful Night' in 1997.
Throw in skinny dipping models too..

+ Still too much loose change? Edit 'Off the ground' video at Skywalker Sound & Light.

Public service fulfilled then. 6 hours of valuable viewing time saved.
20 minutes to waste? Youtube awaits you kind sir...

SPL Newsflash!

2008-04-22T16:37:00.003+01:00

After much deliberation, and putting aside any bad feelings within the Old Firm, it was decided today that the ever increasing backlog of SPL games will be cancelled.

Instead, and as a reward for their general efforts this season (including Gary Mason's wondergoal at Tynecastle on Saturday)the SPL trophy has been presented to the Buddies.

Pictured above, we see life long fan and good will ambassador for the footballing merits of Renfrewshire (currently in exile in West Lothian), the Stardust Saint receiving the silverware.

It is expected that the Paisley Brazilians will automatically take their place in next season's Champions League group phase.

The Incidentals.

2008-04-20T14:22:00.002+01:00

Friday 18th April - 09.24am (approximately)
I am lying facedown staring at the tartan carpet in one of the several conference suites within Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh. Like the other 20 or so strangers around me, I am trying (unsuccessfully) to lie back and grab my ankles. At the same time, I am trying (similarly unsuccessfully) to remember the words to the song being sung from the front of the room. The title of which is 'Albert the Banana'.
Just another Friday, you're saying.

I am attending a conference on Creative Drama in the Primary School. Being such, my colleagues around me have a similar disregard for inhibitions and, like myself are not in the least bit bothered about looking & acting so ridiculously.
What the rugby players, staff & officials thought of us as they passed the open door is a different matter altogether though.

The purpose of the day is to explore the many merits of drama for young people; raising self esteem, developing problem solving contexts, making them more confident individuals. And something often overlooked in these days of attainment...having fun.

And fun it is.
Not many corporate conferences offer the opportunity to sing about bananas, play cat and mouse chase games, throw imaginary custard pies at complete strangers or improvise a BBC news 24 report about the execution of Mary Queen of Scots.

But one discussion point during the afternoon session hit home quite succinctly. We got around to discussing the fact that so much about drama focuses on the informal learning that young people require. Not the formal text book & attainment test education which, while obviously important, is often quite constrictive. O
ften derided (and feared) by teachers, drama has that almost magical ability of unlocking condidence & self esteem in young people if taught properly.
Not through a series of ticklists, textbooks or a set structure of equations & quotes. But informally through imagination, ideas and the extensive blank canvas of no boundaries.
And that scares a lot of teachers, unfortunately.

But this is not about setting any big Political or educational agenda. (Oh really?)
This concept of embracing informality has been following me around over the last week or so. I read Dylan Jones (GQ editor) waxing lyrically about the pleasure of pork pies and old t-shirts over Michelin star restaurants and sharp suits.
Delia Smith making a meal out of frozen chips and tinned meat.
There is the growing culture of happily exposing 'Guilty Pleasures'. Nothing sinister, but DJ/Broadcaster Sean Rowley's concept of owning up to comfortable music/films/books that we often enjoy other than the high brow 'What we should be' lists.
Indeed, on this subject, I heard Radio 1 DJ Chris Moyles confessing to spending a lot of time downloading a lot of old 80s tunes to hid Ipod.
Hearing 'Rain or Shine' by Five Star at 8.10am on Radio 1 is very cathartic.

And of course there is always a place for the serious, the important, the agenda setting monoliths. Lest we forget...

But it is also worth remembering the little things, the informals, the light reliefs, the wide open spaces.
These are the moments that can make a difference in a day and give us something to smile about. And as in my drama experience, help us in ways we may not even know.

Me? I am off now. My pot noodle is almost ready.

Space Eau'ditty (sorry!)

2008-03-24T22:41:00.003Z

David Bowie sells bottled water to the French whilst meeting all his previous past characters in a big old house.
Inspired by 'The Young Ones'.
Possibly.

Hey kids, which is your favourite?
Me, I like that BBC Ashes to Ashes clown.
And the less said about the Diamond Dog the better...

Bank Holiday Special

2008-03-24T22:04:00.004Z

The telly can be rubbish on a bank holiday.
So here is U2's first decade squashed into eight minutes by video directors(and of course 10cc members) Godley & Creme.

Good eh?

Freedom to move

2008-03-20T16:05:00.003Z

The brace is off.

As of yesterday, I have all the freedom of anyone who wants to look at their feet or (if the notion takes them)touch their shoulder with their ear. And you know what, I've missed these privileges. The very nice German consultant basically played the ball into my half by asking the most taxing of questions...

(1)Have you had it on for the full term..?
(2)No pain then..?
(3)Do you feel ready to take it off..?

A bit of a no-brainer there then.

He then laughed and said I could keep it on for another six weeks or take it off and head on down to physio for a 'chat'. No choice there then...

Another wait at physio, a chat and some exercises and a visit to the local Hospital for a check up...some time...in the...near..future.

So the ordeal is over.
Kind of.
Still a bit stiff but that is to be expected after a month in irons.

The general consensus is that I had a lucky escape and well, yes I can see that now. Unless you believe these things are, of course, predetermined...

Ouch, that'll be the neck twinging again...

For a limited time only...

2008-03-17T10:27:00.003Z

Available to see for those that haven't yet witnessed this clip.:-)

...is that really International singing star Daniel O' Donnell dancing with my mother?

..in a galaxy far, far away...

2008-03-13T10:25:00.006Z

Me in my 'finally arrived' Miami J neckbrace

A Stormtrooper

Miami, nice.

2008-03-10T13:28:00.005Z

This is what I am supposed to have.
The miami neck brace. Nice.
It is custom fitted for 'comfort'.
It should have been delivered in two days.
I was measured for mine nearly two weeks ago.

Instead, I still have this.

Still phoning, still out of stock...
Hey ho.

Look Around You

2008-03-10T13:14:00.006Z

Remember (fondly) the days of TV for Schools & Colleges and Thursday nights with Tomorrow's World?
Of course you do.
Here's the spoof. And it's oh so brilliant...
Click here for more experiments and visions of the Future.

Petition your local station for re-runs!!

A Question of Beauty

2008-03-10T12:27:00.006Z

How does one define beauty..?

In the words of John Keats...

For, indeed, ’tis a sweet and peculiar pleasure,
(And blissful is he who such happiness finds,)
To possess but a span of the hour of leisure,
In elegant, pure, and aerial minds.

Or perhaps this...

New car sorted out then.

Or maybe this...

That'll be the spanking new decks arrived then.

Buddies leave it late...

2008-03-10T12:11:00.005Z

Still in the cup though...

Click here for match review

A Song For Guy

2008-03-10T11:16:00.008Z

One of the main reasons for setting up a blog like this is to highlight great things that you may have missed or may have forgotten about.

Last night I was listening to the excellent Guy Garvey (for it is him that sings with Elbow) on 6music. The show is a superb mess of music and irrelevant chat - bit like this blog, I suppose.

Here's the link to the show...

Anyway, Guy played a track that I had (kind of) forgotten about by fellow Mancunians The Doves, 'Sea Song' from their debut album Lost Souls. He trailed the track by suggesting that sometimes a track perfectly combines lyrics and key changes to capture emotion - and this was a fine example.

Guy, you were right. Big thanks for the reminder.

If you don't know the album I strongly recommend adding it and their other two albums to your collection. Don't bother downloading the track - experience Lost Souls as intended, as a good old fashioned LONG PLAYER.

A small nugget of pop brilliance and as this decade rolls on, a reminder that there has been some great music in the noughties.(There's a marketing phrase that we didn't need).

It's not all been Crazy Frog & X-Factor.

Anyway, here's some more links.

Official Doves Site

Lost Souls review on Amazon

Oh, go on have this video clip of 'There Goes The Fear' on me too...

Now, I really must get to work on that essay...

Thanks, Dave.

2008-03-06T19:25:00.002Z

Channel surfing isn't always a waste of time.
TOTP2 on Dave (possibly used to be UKTV G2?!?) provided this fantastic clip of the late, great Billy MacKenzie with The Associates.

What a loss to the pop world..enjoy!

The Associates - Club Country

Add to My Profile | More Videos

Every Little Banksy Helps

2008-03-06T17:04:00.008Z

I have just finished putting on our grocery shopping order online. This is one of our new things for 2008. It saves time, it gives us back a bit more of our weekend, it means being able to avoid the 'Great British Public'.

Yes, we can virtually see the store from our house but it really is a-lot-less-hassle.

We also justify it because we used to spend so much more than the delivery cost on items we didn't need - CDs, DVDs and so on. (The fact that I now buy CDs online means that I tend not to buy supermarket chart rubbish too. It all works so well you see!!)

Anyway, I sat back quietly smug and content at the one-click convenience of pain free, stress reducing grocery shopping.
And then minutes later have my conscience well and truly pricked by everyone's favourite graffiti grappling guru.

Cheers, Banksy.

I wonder where he shops then?

I notice it's not a Waitrose carrier bag.

Oww - a - owwa!

2008-03-05T17:44:00.003Z

Back to the Trevor Horn gig then thanks to Youtube.

You've got to admit, it is a great way to open a gig...

All buggly things present and correct it seems. Even filmed in black and white - what a retro star Trev is!
Now, if only Yes had REALLY gone down this road a bit further...

Listening experience of the week (possibly)

2008-03-05T12:29:00.006Z

After a morning of essay writing I went off on one of those wanders through Youtube (hey come on, I am still recuperating!)and found myself at some fantastic footage of the 2004 Prince's Trust Concert put together to celebrate 25 years of Trevor Horn (he looks older). Further investigation found a quite astonishing line up of artists that appeared on said night out. Pet Shop Boys, Belle & Sebastian, Yes, Buggles reformed, most of the Art of Noise...even Dollar(back, back , BACK!). A guilty pleasure yes, but this is classy pop and have fun looking at some of those session faces behind David and Theresa...

Anyway this led me to Mr. Horn's latest project - The Producers. This involves himself, Steve Lipson (you see) and some mates making some utterly superb music.

Mr. Wikipedia states thus so far...

The band started out playing covers like a pub band playing songs from the members' history (including "Video Killed The Radio Star" by The Buggles, Horn's first band) and songs the band members like. The band then decided to record an album. Being produced by Horn himself, under ZTT Records, they started recording their début album of original material in December 2006.

A second Camden gig in February 2007 followed a similar format to their first show, but also debuted two new songs, "Freeway" (the band's first single) and "Barking Up the Right Tree". At both live performances, the band was joined by percussionist Luis Jardim and a variety of guests joined for particular numbers (David Jordan, Bruce Woolley, Will Young and Anne Dudley in November and Jordan, Lucinda Barry and Jamie Cullum in February).

Their debut album, Studio 1, is due on Stiff Records,[1] while the band played a short UK tour in October 2007. Gary Langan, formerly of Art Of Noise and joint founder of ZTT Records, has been helping to mix and engineer the band.

Rediscovered a load of old Horn stuff then today. Fine way to wile away some hours...

bracing times indeed

2008-03-05T12:22:00.003Z

Me : Yes, hello is that the appliance office?

SRI : Yes it is can I help you?

Me : Yes, Is the neck brace that I was fitted for over a week ago, which has seemingly been out of stock, possibly ordered/possibly not, with the current A & E standard issue brace which is quite frankly hugely uncomfortable and is really beginning to stretch my unboundless patience... by any stretch of the imagination, actually arrived yet?!?

SRI : No.

....to be continued

Thursday, they say.

2008-03-03T12:10:00.005Z

With a bit of luck my shiny new DJ decks should be here on Thursday. (Even though they were paid for over two weeks ago.)

Since then and via much phone calling and apologies from the delivery department, I have been consoling myself by visiting the Pioneer website and (sad, I know) even watching the demo movie of the lovely things in action.

Possibly considering party to air the new arrivals.

This will obviously take place after the departure of DJ Miami Neckbrace from the building. I wouldn't want all the excitement of top tunesmithery to overcome my worthy spinal recuperation.

Another Saturday, another dodgy goalkeeping error...

2008-03-03T11:43:00.005Z

Welcome back Chris Smith after injury.
Good to see that you were watching Mark Howard's juggling antics at Falkirk closely.

Best views, as always...

http://www.blackandwhitearmy.com/

...for those who haven't seen it yet.

2008-03-03T11:25:00.002Z

This is what is left of the car after my brush with the large tree.

The legs aren't mine, by the way. They are still firmly attached and working well.

Every story needs to have a beginning...

2008-03-01T11:39:00.001Z

I don't know if it is a case of pre emptive writer's block or a need to keep my mind from freezing over during the proposed next four weeks of recuperation. Either way, here is my entry level into the world of the Blog.

I have to to thank Mr. Andrew Quinn for the inspiration. (www.onlyhereforthecricket.com - a sterling piece of wicket keeping, sir and thoughts & prayers are with you at this time too...)

So, with my forced house arrest thanks to a falling tree on my car and a snazzy neck brace to boot here I am writing thoughts for the world to ponder over.

Watch this space to see (a) more ponderous ruminations (b) much ramdomness and (c) my attempts at navigating the site's machinations and hopefully making this blog something worth visiting.

As for the title...not greatly taxing if you know me. But it sounds good though eh?

I am off to find cool pictures and stuff for you to look at.
Whoever you are.

I'll be back soon.

This afternoon Ali & I are off to visit a recently departed tree over the Bathgate Hills. First time since the 22nd. Should be interesting.