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Michael McKee

@deskJet95.ohai.social.ap.brid.gy
37 followers 5 following 185 posts

I'm only here for the hot takes. Latterly #Maryland #MoCo #DMV #UMD and #MontgomeryCounty , and more lately #Albuquerque #ABQ and #NewMexico 🌉 bridged from ⁂ ohai.social/@deskJet95, follow @ap.brid.gy to interact

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Michael McKee @deskjet95.ohai.social.ap.brid.gy · 4h
What do #NewMexico and #Maryland have in common? Getting screwed by energy utilities, of course. PNM in NM, and BGE/PEPCO in MD Consider writing to your senators in favor of the #energy bill that's in the Senate right now (negotiated by New Mexico's senator, go […] [Original post on ohai.social]
Hello,

I am writing to urge Senator Alsobrooks to vote in favor of the Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act, for two reasons.

The first is that claims about increasing carbon emissions are misguided; by enabling electrification of homes in the American northeast, many Americans will be able to switch from dirty heating oil to heat pumps. Displacing coal with natural gas is also net carbon positive. Beyond that, increasing solar, wind and geothermal energy production is fantastic for the planet.

The second and most important is that this bill will save Marylanders money. I've been paying attention to the energy legislation the MGA debated in the 2026 session. No one is happy with the bills they are getting from PEPCO or BGE. Senator Alsobrooks needs to show Marylanders that the entire political system, and not just the MGA, is going to do something about this. Making it easier to send electricity through transmission lines from sunny and windy places to population centers like the DMV and Baltimore is one part of the solution.

Sincerely,
Michael
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Michael McKee @deskjet95.ohai.social.ap.brid.gy · 21/10/2026
sourcenm.com/2026/10/20/alcohol-rel… " #NewMexico ranks first in the nation for #alcohol mortality" Between that, pedestrian fatalities on roadways and math scores, my new home state has only the best superlatives. I'm in […]
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Michael McKee @deskjet95.ohai.social.ap.brid.gy · 21/10/2026
I hope the new $70K employer fee for visas that foreign graduates in the U.S. are getting through OPT gets dropped by the administration, or blocked by the courts as a de-facto (and therefore illegal) change in immigration law. I know some very cool and very smart people whose knowledge could […]
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Michael McKee @deskjet95.ohai.social.ap.brid.gy · 13/10/2026
www.yahoo.com/news/politics/article… "It took Pattern Energy nearly two decades to secure federal permits for the project" of transmitting wind power to #California . The southwest is sunny (and windy, surprisingly), but we can't take […]
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Michael McKee @deskjet95.ohai.social.ap.brid.gy · 07/10/2026
www.yahoo.com/news/science/articles… "Males locate a female’s burrow by sensing pheromones she releases from her body and through her spider silk. At the entrance to these tiny holes in the earth, males […] [Original post on ohai.social]
tarantula on a log
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Michael McKee @deskjet95.ohai.social.ap.brid.gy · 05/10/2026
@ddayen.bsky.social Migrant workers are entitled to just as much respect as native born workers.
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Michael McKee @deskjet95.ohai.social.ap.brid.gy · 25/09/2026
Chapter 8 of The Autobiography of Malcolm X builds up to a damn good climax. I wasn't expecting this book to remind me of Fear and Loathing. It's pretty amazing he didn't die in the 1940's.
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Michael McKee @deskjet95.ohai.social.ap.brid.gy · 24/09/2026
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Michael McKee @deskjet95.ohai.social.ap.brid.gy · 23/09/2026
[GIFT LINK] www.nytimes.com/2026/09/20/magazine… Great feature story on "a system so devastatingly unequal that it puts at odds trying to be a good person with trying to be a […]
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Michael McKee @deskjet95.ohai.social.ap.brid.gy · 21/09/2026
usa.streetsblog.org/2026/09/21/what… Interesting, but I'm wondering about the international comparison. High #transit ridership cities in Asia and Europe typically charge for riding the subway, no? I doubt whether there are any high volume […]
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Michael McKee @deskjet95.ohai.social.ap.brid.gy · 19/09/2026
#Albuquerque #NewMexico is awesome, but after living here for like a month I'm starting to get why all the stats say this is one of the most dangerous cities for pedestrians and #bicycle users I wrote the city council about one bike lane that feels really […] [Original post on ohai.social]
email that read: Please consider doing something to improve the level of safety for bicyclists on the southbound stretch of southern Eubank, or adding sidewalks. My guess is that the military probably controls some of that right-of-way near the fence, so I don't know how much the city can do, but considering the proximity of apartment complexes like Manzano Mesa to the Eubank gate for Kirtland AFB, the lack of sidewalks and crosswalks feels like a missed opportunity.
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Michael McKee @deskjet95.ohai.social.ap.brid.gy · 13/09/2026
#NewMexico state fair. Wish I'd taken a picture of the Wild Mouse coaster with the Sandia mountains in the background at sunset, but, I suppose, at least I have this goat? I also saw a 1960's Dodge that looked pretty cool. Also Holy Molly the parking situation in #Albuquerque was terrible.
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Michael McKee @deskjet95.ohai.social.ap.brid.gy · 13/09/2026
www.kob.com/new-mexico/albuquerque-… "City leaders said they measure the program by how many drivers slow down, not by how many tickets are issued. The city also said drivers who cannot pay the $100 citation can choose […]
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Michael McKee @deskjet95.ohai.social.ap.brid.gy · 10/09/2026
sourcenm.com/2026/09/04/new-mexico-… What's the uranium used for? If it's fuel for #nuclear power plants, couldn't banning uranium mining end up making global warming worse, if we start using more #naturalgas or #coal to […]
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Michael McKee @deskjet95.ohai.social.ap.brid.gy · 07/09/2026
[PAYWALL] www.abqjournal.com/news/as-fentanyl… "“Last week, it was like every other call was an overdose,” one firefighter from Station 5 said. “I don’t know if it’s just bad batches of #fentanyl or […]
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Michael McKee @deskjet95.ohai.social.ap.brid.gy · 07/09/2026
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2026/09/07… "...the contractor had been at the facility only a few weeks and was working as a test technician, a job that involves electrical test equipment." "Workers in the area where the death occurred were sent home for the day. Many were […]
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Michael McKee @deskjet95.ohai.social.ap.brid.gy · 06/09/2026
Looking at a pair of very tiny hikers in the distance also gave me mild vertigo. Gotta say, I was expecting the open space to be more crowded, Saturday of a long weekend, in the immediate vicinity of a medium sized U.S. city? Coming from the east coast of the #USA , it's crazy how much of the […]
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Michael McKee @deskjet95.ohai.social.ap.brid.gy · 06/09/2026
I ran around the #Sandia foothills today and yeah now I see why everyone talks up the hiking here. Standing on the peaks of one of the foothills that's easier to get to, looking at the breathtaking view south of the desert miles away, and North-ish, in the direction of Rio Rancho, also miles […]
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Michael McKee @deskjet95.ohai.social.ap.brid.gy · 23/08/2026
"Nor have I taken up #BlueSky or Threads... these platforms shapes me in ways I don’t want to be shaped. All of these platforms create a feeling of being informed and connected that is fundamentally false. You learn too many of the wrong things and spend too much time in the company of the worst […]
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Michael McKee @deskjet95.ohai.social.ap.brid.gy · 20/08/2026
Santa Rosa Lake State Park, #NewMexico , not too far from North Texas. Like with the canyon, not crowded. I went in the morning so it was almost empty, and I wasn't as scared of heat exhaustion. Even at 8 the sun was strong, though. I stepped on some spiky plant […] [Original post on ohai.social]
Parking lotLake view
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Michael McKee @deskjet95.ohai.social.ap.brid.gy · 20/08/2026
Palo Duro Canyon State Park, #Texas Maybe the hottest temperature I've ever gone running? 5-10 degrees hotter in the canyon. Even with sunblock I feel like I stuck my face in an oven. Standing around the visitor center at the top of the canyon, if you told me it […] [Original post on ohai.social]
bottom of the canyonselfie in the canyon
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Michael McKee @deskjet95.ohai.social.ap.brid.gy · 19/08/2026
The Amarillo Buc-ees is on a hill with amazing sightlines... It's windy here. #Texas
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Michael McKee @deskjet95.ohai.social.ap.brid.gy · 19/08/2026
Elk City #oklahoma . Local news / ads pretty different from Maryland. Why do I feel like playing Johnny Cash in this state?
Newspaper Flat prairie
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Michael McKee @deskjet95.ohai.social.ap.brid.gy · 18/08/2026
Olentangy Trail in #columbus #ohio . Cool trail, cool city. Ran around it on Sunday. #running
trail next to a stadiumbridge over a river
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Michael McKee @deskjet95.ohai.social.ap.brid.gy · 09/08/2026
Recently read this piece on the ongoing effects on both Americans and Cubans of the continuing U.S. blockade on #Cuba www.dollarsandsense.org/the-costs-o… Whatever you think of Cuba's political leadership, preventing necessities […] [Original post on ohai.social]
To the office of Representative Ivey,

Please cosponsor H.R. 7521, the United States-Cuba Trade Act of 2026, introduced by Rep. McGovern, which would lift the Unites States blockade on Cuba. Whatever you think of Cuba's political leadership, preventing necessities from reaching the Cuban population such that their rates of birth-mortality and food insecurity are rising, is unjustifiable. They experience constant rolling black outs, partially because we block oil shipments they depend on.

Additionally, please support repeal of the Jones Act (the Merchant Marine Act of 1920), which affects the cost-of-living for Americans in Puerto Rico.

Thanks,
Michael McKee
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Michael McKee @deskjet95.ohai.social.ap.brid.gy · 05/08/2026
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Michael McKee @deskjet95.ohai.social.ap.brid.gy · 02/08/2026
mocoshow.com/2026/08/01/teen-charge… I've probably guzzled dozens of Cinnabons from the outlet next to where that dude got shot in #wheaton #maryland , holy crap. Glad none of the kids were caught in the cross-fire […]
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Michael McKee @deskjet95.ohai.social.ap.brid.gy · 31/07/2026
@futurebird I feel like it might be harder to cheat on a research paper that requires sourcing be done in a really specific way, though honestly ever since GPT-5 I feel like the LLMs have gotten better at not hallucinating sources?
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Michael McKee @deskjet95.ohai.social.ap.brid.gy · 30/07/2026
@futurebird For people in school it definitely that AI creates a collective action problem. If you don't cheat, you're a "sucker," at least as far as grading goes. Probably have to just start grading homework on completion and save grading on quality for in-class work. Not ideal because […]
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Michael McKee @deskjet95.ohai.social.ap.brid.gy · 29/07/2026
washingtoncitypaper.com/article/789… I went #running outside during one of those days when the haze was so strong you could actually smell it... I think it was around the #July4th […]
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Michael McKee @deskjet95.ohai.social.ap.brid.gy · 27/07/2026
marylandmatters.org/2026/07/26/ocea… "Ocean City responded with a counterclaim seeking an injunction to close the shelter, arguing the operation does not comply with local zoning requirements." "“We are simply […]
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Michael McKee @deskjet95.ohai.social.ap.brid.gy · 26/07/2026
bethesdamagazine.com/2026/07/24/18-… I've got mixed feelings on the moratoria being passed across the #DMV . I don't have the negative feelings about #AI that I do about #BitCoin , which is just purely anti-social and should be outlawed, but I do […]
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Michael McKee @deskjet95.ohai.social.ap.brid.gy · 26/07/2026
www.thebanner.com/community/local-n… The Banner had a story about the arrest of an unauthorized immigrant couple months ago. They were by a #Baltimore school dropping off their kids. The plainclothes […]
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Michael McKee @deskjet95.ohai.social.ap.brid.gy · 25/07/2026
(though on the flip side I think poker and mahjong are pretty cool? IDK)
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Michael McKee @deskjet95.ohai.social.ap.brid.gy · 25/07/2026
marylandmatters.org/2026/07/24/moor… "And there will be pressure for the the agency to find ways to contribute more to covering the costs of the Blueprint for #Maryland 's Future education program. Those pressures are […]
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Michael McKee @deskjet95.ohai.social.ap.brid.gy · 23/07/2026
www.fox5dc.com/news/metro-outlines-… #washingtondc #metro train automation on the horizon? It could probably happen in a few years, it seems, if this story is correct. #transit
fox5dc.com
Metro outlines massive Red Line upgrades and future planned shutdowns
Metro unveiled plans for upgrades to the Red Line, while warning commuters about additional service disruptions and closures on the horizon.
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Michael McKee @deskjet95.ohai.social.ap.brid.gy · 12/07/2026
Also holy shit if you are going to make all your content with AI can you please change the words enough so that I don't notice. I'd prefer to remain ignorant, like that traitor in The Matrix who knows the delicious steak isn't real.
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Michael McKee @deskjet95.ohai.social.ap.brid.gy · 12/07/2026
directlinenews.substack.com/p/a-250… Maryland's Republican #AI Column machine pumps another one out of the assembly line This is a Republican spin on an idea Cory Booker had... I had no clue it got turned into something in the OBBBA! The $1000 is nice […]
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Michael McKee @deskjet95.ohai.social.ap.brid.gy · 12/07/2026
www.thebanner.com/community/local-n… These little guys are all over #MoCo #maryland . My one regret about switching to e-readers because my eye-sight is some garbo is that I don't have the pleasure of lending and […]
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Michael McKee @deskjet95.ohai.social.ap.brid.gy · 12/07/2026
ggwash.org/view/104086/our-reflecti… Nice summary of what went down in the #MoCo #PGCounty #maryland and #Washingtondc primaries. GGW's perspectives are always kind of mechanical and pragmatic because they're an almost single issue […]
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Michael McKee @deskjet95.ohai.social.ap.brid.gy · 06/07/2026
I doubt anyone reading this isn't aware, but, on the 0.001% chance, that approximately $1T cut by congress and the administration to welfare programs is being used to fund a combination of tax cuts that will disproportionately benefit the wealthy, and a dramatic expansion of funding for #ICE
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Michael McKee @deskjet95.ohai.social.ap.brid.gy · 06/07/2026
gburgnews.substack.com/p/county-off… Per this #Gaithersburg blogger, thousands of immigrants (refugees and asylees) in #MoCo #Maryland will lose #Medicaid eligibility this year because of HR1, passed at the beginning of the Trump administration. Another component […]
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Michael McKee @deskjet95.ohai.social.ap.brid.gy · 05/07/2026
mocoshow.com/2026/07/05/maryland-bi… This heat wave is having negative effects on the ecosystem. Rising water temperature in the #potomac in #Maryland is killing fish because of lower oxygen levels. The multi-year long term […]
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Michael McKee @deskjet95.ohai.social.ap.brid.gy · 03/07/2026
streetcarsuburbs.news/state-planner… mdot-sha-us1-md193-to-i-95-i-495-pg… (June 2026 Display) More #bike lanes are coming to #collegepark #maryland . We have lanes on Route 1 closer to campus, but […]
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Michael McKee @deskjet95.ohai.social.ap.brid.gy · 02/07/2026
Is it accurate that #baltimore #maryland and #philly are this undervalued? www.youtube.com/watch?v=dAFgj-A18sM
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Michael McKee @deskjet95.ohai.social.ap.brid.gy · 30/06/2026
mocoshow.com/2026/06/29/noodle-king… I *love* Noodle King. Some of the best Chinese in Silver Spring. Amazing shrimp balls. I hope they stay in business!! #MoCo
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Noodle King, a “Asian Noodle and Hong Kong cuisine” restaurant located at 12705 New Hampshire Ave. in Colesville, is temporarily closed following a recent kitchen fire. For a short period of time, Google had the restaurant listed as permanently closed before recently updating its status to temporarily closed. In a notice shared on the restaurant’s Facebook page on June 10, the owners said the restaurant is closed while repairs and renovations are completed following a fire in the kitchen. “We are grateful that no one was injured and that the fire was contained,” the restaurant wrote. “We sincerely appreciate your patience and support during this time. Our team is working hard to restore the restaurant and reopen as soon as possible.” The restaurant said the work is being done to ensure the safety and quality standards customers expect. A reopening date has not yet been announced.
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Michael McKee @deskjet95.ohai.social.ap.brid.gy · 28/06/2026
www.thecentersquare.com/maryland/ar… I think it's sad that the #Republicans nominated Cox again. I'm happy with #WesMoore , but it's bad that the general has become an afterthought because the R in the race is likely thinking more about […]
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Michael McKee @deskjet95.ohai.social.ap.brid.gy · 28/06/2026
www.montgomeryfix.com/articles/gait… Per this post from a local blogger, #homelessness in the #Maryland suburbs of the #DMV isn't visible like in the city, but people live near highways, railroad tracks and in woods near shopping centers […]
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Michael McKee @deskjet95.ohai.social.ap.brid.gy · 27/06/2026
I wrote to the PG elected officials who represent my address about this just now...
Dear College Park Council Members Hernandez and Hew, and PG County Council Members Dernoga, Blegay and Ivey,

I am a graduate student at the University of Maryland and a current renter at 9008 Autoville Drive, very close to the site that MDG has proposed to develop, which I bike past almost every day. I just read about the concerns that some residents have about the proposed development in Here & Now in this article.

I am in support of this development and would like to see it proceed because market-rate apartment construction would reduce rents in surrounding areas on Route 1, including for students like me who prefer to live in older houses with housemates at the lower end of the market that used to be single-family homes, but have been converted into de-facto apartments, because they are more affordable. Per the PG County zoning law, only 5 people are supposed to live in my current house, but CollegeLivingLLC has arranged subleasing agreements such that 6 people can legally live here, which shows how high the demand to rent in College Park is. As the 4th paragraph of this summary of a Pew study states, market-rate housing development is economically progressive. It disproportionately benefits working class residents who discriminate more on price when choosing where to rent, including graduate students whose stipends only really cover the cost-of-living.

We also need more apartment construction because the existing housing stock at the lower end is very old and increasingly dilapidated. I used to live in Laurel Court, which had many cockroaches and bedbugs in multiple buildings in the complex. I later moved to a house off Metzerott road, which had baby cockroaches that Orkin handled before they got too bad. My current house has lots of bugs, including centipedes, but thankfully no cockroaches. The more that construction is restricted, the more difficulty PG County is going to have enforcing the building code, and the more it will be the case that residents forced to leave condemned properties will have nowhere to go that they can afford.

Councilmember Hew has expressed his displeasure with the lack of retail, and residents are concerned about the possibility of increased traffic. This area has plenty of retail, and the development of that site would stimulate the demand for more. My closet currently contains a decent amount of shirts I bought at Uptown Cheapskate across the intersection from the proposed development, and I eat at many of the excellent restaurants on Route 1 that are within walking distance of the proposed site (this is more biking distance, but the burritos at Tacos A La Madre are very tasty). Amenities like Lidl and College Park's trail network are a little further away, but they are still quite close, and very accessible when you consider that the proposed site for development is literally steps away from north and south-bound stops for The Bus. 

If you are concerned about traffic, please consider not requiring Metropolitan to build reserved parking spaces and instead allowing them to decide for themselves whether or not it would make sense to construct more housing units; many of the possible residents would no doubt be bike commuters. One of my coworkers from China didn't have a car for more than a year after moving to College Park from Xi'an, and he was living in one of the residential neighborhoods off St. Andrews where not having a car is very difficult, so there are certainly people without a car in College Park who would rent there and wouldn't care about having a parking space.

Discussions around development of this site have continued for decades, and in the meantime we've found ourselves caught up in an increasingly severe housing crisis. Please consider the needs of this area's renters and allow the development to proceed.

Sincerely,
Michael
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Michael McKee @deskjet95.ohai.social.ap.brid.gy · 27/06/2026
#PGCounty #Maryland like a 2 minute walk from where I live: streetcarsuburbs.news/residents-voi… The wild thing about Hew saying there's no retail is that there's a clothing store I shop at (Uptown Cheapskate) that is across an intersection […]
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