Yankee Shopper by Hersam Acorn

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December 14, 2011

IN THIS ISSUE: Crossword......................... Page 12 Business & Services ........... Page 2 Classiﬁeds ........................... Page 4 ��

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Real Estate ........................ Page 12

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Auto ................................... Page 15

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Help Wanted..................... Page 16

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Holiday Greetings........ Page 7-10

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editorial email yankee@hersamacornma.com

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advertising email art@hersamacornma.com

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Editorial Deadline: 20th at noon the month before publication.

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Classiﬁed Deadline: January 23, 2012

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Display Deadline: January 23, 2012

Manager’s Memo

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800.234.1432 Fax 802.447.3270 Classiﬁed 800.234.1432 editorial email yankee@hersamacornma.com advertising email art@hersamacornma.com ■

Renee Tassone, General Manager Linda Devlin, Circulation Manager Carrie Devlin, Advertising Sales Kitty Lewis, Advertising Sales Sarah Masiero, Advertising Sales Brad Croff, Web Sales Mark Payton, Web Sales Jen Hathaway, Production Director Chris Sobolowski, Art Director Barbra Retzlaff, Graphic Artist ■

Editorial Deadline*: 20th of month prior Classiﬁed Deadline*: 20th of month prior Display Deadline*: 20th of month prior *Deadlines will change due to Holidays. See special deadline notices published before major holidays. ■

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Notice: The Yankee Shopper will not knowingly accept or publish advertising which is fraudulent or misleading in nature. The publisher reserves the sole right to edit, revise, or reject any and all advertising, with or without cause being assigned, which in the publisher’s judgement is contrary to the interests of this publication. The opinions expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the publisher. ©2010, Hersam Acorn Newspapers. All contents of the Yankee Shopper are copyrighted, and any reproduction without permission is prohibited.

Martin Hersam, Chief Operating Ofﬁcer Thomas B. Nash, Publisher

‘Tis the Season…again. I cannot believe that Christmas 2011 is just around the corner. Where did this year go? I think when you get older time goes faster. I remember back to January 1, 2011 thinking how wonderful it felt to leave 2010 behind and start a new year. My hopes for 2011 were high, but the year had a rough start, the economy seemed to be getting worse instead of better and in March my mother was diagnosed with stage four Pancreatic Cancer. The year seemed to level out, economy seems to have stabilized a bit and my mother is still going strong. Other than the drastic weight loss of 66 pounds she is energetic and feels quite good. We had a family reunion a few weeks ago where I was able to Renee Tassone, General Manager see my mom. She planned the entire reunion herself, 126 people attended and everyone had a great time. While she was here in Massachusetts she went to see Father Diorio who is a healing priest. She did not pass out like so many do, but miraculously her numbers started improving after attending that Mass. Every time she receives chemotherapy, which is every two weeks, they do blood work. One of the things they check are what they call tumor markers, which measure the amount of cancer in your blood. Zero is normal and when my mother was first diagnosed her tumor marker numbers were over 2,600. They have progressively been going down. Even getting as low as 53. Well, the last few months they started to climb again. The doctor told her the challenge is not getting them down but keeping them down. They were starting to get back in to the 100-range and then she went to see Father Diorio. When she returned to Florida she went to her treatment after having four weeks off due to her traveling to Massachusetts. They thought for sure her number would be up since it had been four weeks since her last treatment. The doctor said it was nothing short of a miracle; her tumor marker number had dropped to 42! Not sure if it is the treatment keeping her alive or all of the prayers, Father Diorio or just plain luck, but she is doing well and I am grateful. I always set goals for the New Year. I think it is important. I usually have one or two professional goals, one financial goal, one health goal and one personal goal. I write them down in a notebook and include how I plan on reaching each of them. I try to keep them realistic and within reach. This coming year my health goal is to stay away from foods that have more than 5 ingredients. Have you ever truly looked at what is being put in our food? Some lists are as long as the box they are printed on. I could go on and on but I will save that discussion for another issue. One of my goals this year after getting diagnosed with Celiac Disease was to start a support group for people newly diagnosed with Celiac or gluten intolerance. I was so overwhelmed when I was diagnosed that I wished there was someone to help me through it all. I now own the Berkshire County chapter of the Celiac Sprue Association support group for Celiac Disease & gluten intolerance. The first meeting will be held on January 19 at the VNA offices on Curran Highway in North Adams. I am planning speakers, gluten free refreshments and of course support. I am very excited. I plan on having them at different locations until I see where most of the people are coming from. I am amazed at how many people I meet every single day in this area that are affected by this disease. I hope that 2012 is going to be a good year for all of you. Let’s hope the economy continues to improve, that everyone stays healthy and that you create many wonderful memories for you and your family. Check out our special Holiday Greetings in this issue. Please remember to shop local this holiday season and tell our advertisers you saw their ad in the Yankee Shopper and Berkshire Pennysaver. Please also check out the list of gift certificates we offer for sale at a 20% discount. Gift certificates make great gifts! As always we encourage your feedback. Feel free to send us your press releases to yankee@hersamacornma.com or berkshire@hersamacornma. com. Check us out online at www.ishopberkshires.com. -Renee Tassone, General Manager

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December 14, 2011

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December 14, 2011

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Sanford Biggers Creates the Cartographer’s Conundrum for MASS MoCA’s Building 5

(North Adams, MA) MASS MoCA’s football field-sized Building 5 gallery will soon house The Cartographer’s Conundrum, a major multidisciplinary installation by Sanford Biggers. Opening to the public on Sunday, February 5, 2012, the installation will envelop the viewer as visitors actively become part of a series of optical floor patterns when they move through the space. The work, inspired by the Houston, Texas-based artist, scholar and Afrofuturist John Biggers (1924-2001), addresses ideas of spirituality and the theatrical. A cousin of his subject, Sanford Biggers’ goal is to both study and expand the emerging genre of Afrofuturism while at the same time illuminating the underrepresented career of this master painter and muralist John Biggers. The Cartographer’s Conundrum will play off of the geometric, elemental and architectonic qualities of John Biggers’s work. The series of patterns on the floor will culminate in an installation made up of church pews and colored transparent sheets of plexiglass that rise up in the 25’ tall space. While in the main gallery the viewer actively becomes part of the patterns, and from the balcony above the viewer will get a bird’s eye view of those patterns. A series of

spotlights lighting mirrored stars on the floor and echoes of sound that visitors will hear as they move through the gallery will add to the theatricality of this large space. Afrofuturism engages science fiction, cosmology and technology to create a new folklore of the African Diaspora. The phrase was coined in 1995 by cultural critic Mark Dery in his essay Black to the Future. The movement began in earnest in the mid-1950s with musician Sun-Ra, whose music blended science fiction, mysticism, African culture (with a particular focus on Egypt) and jazz fusion and continued on with George Clinton’s Parliament and Funkadelic. Today the movement is still strong, encompassing contemporary musicians like Saul Williams, Janelle Monae, OutKast and DJ Spooky, along with writers like Paul Beatty and films like The Matrix, Blade and Chronicles of Riddick. The upper mezzanine gallery will contain a reproduction of John Biggers’s 7 x 21-foot mural Quilting Party, from which many of Sanford Biggers’s geometries and patterns are inspired. This mezzanine installation will give viewers the opportunity to see the connection between the two artists as they gaze over Sanford Biggers’s installation.

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December 14, 2011

The video Shake, the second part of Sanford Biggers’s Odyssean trilogy about the formation and dissolution of identity, will screen in the lower rear gallery. In the video Ricardo Camillo, a Brazilianborn, Germany-based choreographer, stuntman, clown and DJ moves through the favelas and oceans of Brazil before transforming into an androgynous silver-skinned figure straight out of Afrofuturism. Just like the journey in Shake, visitors to The Cartographer’s Conundrum will go on a quest -- through history, light, geometry, the spiritual and the Afrofuturist. The installation is a behind-the-scenes walkthrough of the cartographers’ (Biggers & Biggers), workshop, where their explorations of the malleability of identity and transcendental ascension through sonic, luminescent and geometric pattern are left on full display. About the Artist Sanford Biggers was born in Los Angeles and currently llves and works in New York City. Biggers’ work has been shown worldwide in group exhibitions: Prospect:1, New Orleans, LA; Illuminations, Tate Modern, London; Performa 07, the Whitney Biennial and Freestyle at the Studio Museum in Harlem. Solo exhibitions include: Cosmic Voodoo Circus at Sculpture Center, NY; Sweet Funk: An Introspective at the Brooklyn Museum of Art; Grand Arts, Kansas City; Triple Candie, NY D’Amelio Terras Gallery, NY; Contemporary Art Museum, Houston, TX; and Matrix/University of Berkeley Museum, Berkeley, CA. Biggers’s work has been supported by: The Creative Time Travel Grant, Creative Capital, New York Percent for the Arts Commission, Art Matters Grant, New York Foundation for the Arts Award in performance art/multidisciplinary work, the Lambent Fellowship in the Arts, and the Rema Hort Mann Foundation Award Grant. Biggers teaches at Columbia University.

Support Major support provided by The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, with additional support from the National Endowment for the Arts, Toby D. Lewis Philanthropic Fund of the Jewish Community Federation of Cleveland and the Massachusetts Cultural Council. Opening Reception Members receive complimentary admission to the opening reception for The Cartographer’s Conundrum on Saturday, February 4, 2012, from 5:00 - 7:00 PM. Not-yet-members may attend for $8. On Friday, February 3, weekend visitors can enjoy a screening of Anchante, scored by Nick Zammuto of The Books, followed by the premiere performance by his new band The Zammutos About MASS MoCA MASS MoCA (Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art) is one of the largest centers for contemporary visual and performing arts in the country and is located in North Adams, Massachusetts, on a restored 19th-century factory campus. MASS MoCA’s galleries are open 11am -5pm every day except Tuesdays. Gallery admission is $15 for adults, $10 for students, $5 for children 6 - 16, and free for children 5 and under. Members admitted free year-round. For additional information, call 413-662-2111 or visit www.massmoca.org. MASS MoCA is an independent 501C3 whose operations and programming are funded through admissions and commercial lease revenue, corporate and foundation grants, and individual philanthropy. Except for an initial construction grant from the Commonwealth, and competitive program and operations grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Massachusetts Cultural Council, MASS MoCA is privately funded: 90% of annual operating revenues are from earned revenues, membership support, and private gifts and grants.

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FROM MY CORNER — by Susan J. Coons ...favorite music... The house I lived in from the age of 10 to 21 faced the west. It was in Northridge, California. I can remember the sky being orange in the late afternoon as the sun set over the mountains. I would sit out on the front porch and watch the sky change from heavy blue to pale blue, then to gentle yellows and finally fire orange. The windows were open and the sound of my favorite LP was playing “Ebb Tide.” That particular piece of music is loaded with rolling chords and I loved to play it on the piano. Like most folks, I associate certain songs with memories of the past... all of them good. Chuck Mangione reminds me of the long hours I worked at Clark Directory Company in Arcadia, California. I was their art director and spent many midnight hours drawing spec ads in pencil. Chuck Mangione’s “Feels So Good” was playing about once every five minutes on the radio. Most of my favorite songs are about islands, the ocean and the beach. There was a restaurant in Santa Barbara, California called Harbor

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Lights. My husband and I had dinner there before we were married and on the way home the radio was playing “Harbor Lights.” It was a memorable ride for sure, for a number of reasons and I’ll leave the rest to your imagination. “Red Sails in the Sunset” is another favorite of mine. I loved to sit on the beach at sunset, just as the sun would take it’s last blink into the ocean. The beach crowd always thinned out around 4 in the afternoon. It was wonderfully peaceful listening to the waves crashing, ebbing, crashing, ebbing, watching the late afternoon sky change to the pale purple of evening while behind me the lights of Santa Monica popped on one by one. You can tell by my selection of favorites that I’m not a kid. Those are all romantic songs. My favorite groups are The Beach Boys (of course!), The Beatles, and The Rolling Stones. All oldies but very goodies! There will always be Elvis. Paul McCartney is my favorite composer, and Mick Jagger my favorite male performer. I enjoy just about everything that Bette Midler has recorded and she is a favorite female performer. The first record I ever bought was “Eine kleine Nachtmusik” (A little night music) by Mozart. I was 11 years old. The record store had several glassed-in sound-proof rooms where you could listen to a record before you bought it. My friends and I stopped in there quite often on the way home from school just to listen to the music! There are many other bands and artists I have enjoyed throughout the years but these are just a few that pop into my head today. What songs do you associate with good times?

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Greetings from DALTON It’s a Wrap - Green Alternatives for Gift Packaging If your holiday halls are decked with stacks of paper bags, mounds of crumpled wrapping paper, an array of random ribbons, and a gaggle of gift tags that are destined for the local landfill, it’s time to add a little “green” to your gift-wrapping regimen. Given that the average household’s waste jumps by more than 25 percent between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day and that holiday debris adds an additional one million tons per week to landfills, there is a lot that everyone can do to recycle, reuse and reduce during the holidays. According to Eco-Chick. com, “If every family reused just two feet of holiday ribbon, the 38,000 miles of ribbon saved could tie a bow around the entire planet. If every American family wrapped just 3 presents in re-used materials, it would save enough paper to cover 45,000 football fields. The 2.65 billion Christmas cards sold each year in the U.S. could fill a football field 10 stories high. If we each sent one card less, we’d save 50,000 cubic yards of paper.” Here are some ways to go green and even save green on gift packaging this year: Recycle: Conventional wrapping paper typically cannot be recycled since it is often coated in metal foil or is plastic laminated. But if the paper rips and doesn’t glitter or shine, it can -- and should -- be placed in the recycle bin along with other paper products. Check with your local recycling provider to find out which types of wrapping paper they accept. The good news is that recyclable wrapping paper is increasingly available from both online and brick-and-mortar retailers such as Amazon.com, Office Depot and UncommonGoods.com. Reuse: Before the opening of the gifts begins, set aside a box for collecting reusable boxes, wrapping paper, gift bags, bows, ribbons, and other decorative items. Even if wrapping paper is torn, it can be used for craft �� projects, packaging filler or to �� enclose smaller gifts the following year. Gift bags are also great

candidates for reuse. If the surface of the bag is marred from removing ribbon or a bow, the spot can be covered with other decorative items or scraps of used wrapping paper. Reduce: Recycling and reusing boxes, wrapping paper, ribbon and gift bags is a big step in the right direction. But the best way to avoid waste is to reduce the use of these items in the first place. Rather than wrapping gifts in paper, consider using scarves, old tea towels, cloth napkins, or leftover fabric. If you’re crafty, consider creating your own simple fabric sacks that can be easily sewn by hand or machine. If you’re not, try painting an old pillowcase and tying it up with fabric ribbon, string or even shoelaces. And don’t forget newspaper! The comics make colorful giftwrap any time of year, particularly for kids. GG11B306

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Greetings from DALTON The Winter Solstice Each year individuals count down to the first day of winter, be it in Without the tilt of the earth there would be no seasons around the anticipation of the new season or with anguish that the warmer weather planet. Around the latitudinal lines the Tropic of Cancer and Capricorn, is a distant memory. The first day of winter is also known as the winter there really is no fluctuation in season because the sun is never low in solstice. the sky -- meaning it is always hot and humid. Only those living above The winter solstice and below experience varoccurs exactly when the ied seasons. axial tilt of the earth is the Due to less sunlight at the farthest away from the sun. winter solstice and for much The winter solstice features of the winter months, indithe shortest number of viduals may want to take daylight hours and the lonsteps to boost their exposure gest number of nighttime to the sun while they can. hours. Therefore, the winter This can improve mood and solstice is also often referred also contribute to the production of vitamin D in the to as the shortest day of the body, an essential vitamin year for people living in the for bone health and physiNorthern Hemisphere. cal well being. Those who The winter solstice in the experience seasonal affecNorthern Hemisphere also tive disorder, or SAD, where marks the summer solstice pronounced feelings of the in the southern hemisphere, blues occur in conjuncbecause locations below tion with the longer hours the equator experience the There are fewer hours of sunlight during the winter solstice, also of darkness, light therapy, opposite seasons as in the known as the shortest day of the year. vitamin supplementation, north due to the tilt of the counseling, or medication may help alleviate symptoms. earth toward the sun. At the extreme poles -- the Antarctic circle in the To maximize the hours of sunlight received at home, people can Southern Hemisphere and the Arctic circle in the Northern -- there is clear away branches and shrubs from windows and open up the drapes a different type of phenomenon that takes place. The Arctic circle falls widely to allow rays to shine through. The installation of skylights or under 24 hours of darkness on the winter solstice, while the Antarctic sun ports can enable the sun to reach indoors wherever it is in the sky circle has 24 hours of daylight. at a given time. Despite the chilly weather, workers can take walks on their lunch breaks or simply spend the hour outdoors just as they would when the �� summer is in full swing. �� Artificial light can help banish the doldrums associated with the winter solstice. Turning on holiday lights or other accent lighting and candles can create an intimate feeling on this day. TF11C557

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Greetings from PITTSFIELD Eight Ways to Create New Holiday Traditions Much of what makes the holiday season so special is the traditions that people hold dear. While families have traditions that stretch back decades, there is plenty of opportunity to embrace new means of celebration to breathe new life into Christmas, Chanukkah or the season’s other holidays. Chances are you’re already hanging stockings or going caroling this year. You can add some of these and modify as they fit for your family. 1. Feed the wildlife. During the cold days of winter, birds and small animals that don’t hibernate may find it difficult to forage for food. By trimming an outdoor pine tree in edible snacks you’ll have a beautiful tree and one that benefits the wildlife as well. String peanuts and other nuts for the squirrels. Make little ornaments out of suet and string for the birds. Berries and corn can be enjoyed by all. Be sure to choose a tree that is far enough away from the home, so you don’t have too many scavengers hunting and pecking around the house. 2. Create a photo Advent calendar. Make your own Advent calendar that has small doors that open up to photos of different family members. Or use a collection of children’s pictures that showcase how they’ve changed as they’ve grown older. 3. “Adopt” a child for holiday gifts. Each year you can bring a smile to a child in need by purchasing a present for an underprivileged kid. Some post offices sponsor “Letters from Santa” events where participants can respond to one of the thousands of letters mailed to The North Pole. Or work with a local charity that organizes events to bring gifts to children in hospitals or in foster care. 4. Holiday story countdown. Every night in December watch a movie or read a story that tells an uplifting holiday tale. Use this as a method of counting down until Christmas. On the night prior, reading “’Twas the Night Before Christmas” should suffice. 5. Remember someone who has passed on.The holiday season is one made beautiful by lit candles and twinkling lights. Remember a loved one or a friend who has passed away by lighting a remembrance candle in his or her honor. It’s a way this person can still be part of the festivities. 6. Have a holiday sing-a-long. Sure it may be tradition to go around the neighborhood singing carols, but it’s just as fun indoors. Have a sing-

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ing party where guests are given lyrics to popular tunes they can sing around the piano or karaoke machine. 7. Bring some joy to a public servant. Police officers, firefighters, military personnel ... many of these workers do not get off for the holidays. There are a certain number of public servants who must remain on call in the event of an emergency. Treat these people to something enjoyable when they may be missing their own festivities. Cook or cater a meal for a fire house, deliver cookies to the police station or put together care packages for people living on a military base. 8. Banish the holiday blues. When the holidays are set to go for another year, many people find they become a little down. After all, a home that was once filled with merry trinkets may now go back to the bare essentials. Create a tradition where everyone in the family receives one more gift -- a personalized ornament that can be packed away for use next year -- that’s given in January before the decorations are packed away. It’s another opportunity to open a present, and it symbolizes looking forward to the joy of next �� year. HL11C533

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Greetings from PITTSFIELD Bake Cookies Like a Pro Few things are more delicious than a plate of warm cookies with a glass of milk. The holiday season is a prime time of year to make freshbaked cookies to share and enjoy. Ensuring these cookies come out the best they can takes a little work and know-how. Here are 10 tips for cookie-baking success. 1. Measure all ingredients accurately. Successful baking is often about careful measuring of ingredients to ensure the right ratio. 2. Use large-sized eggs and unsalted products, such as butter, unless directed otherwise. 3. Line baking sheets with parchment paper so cookies don’t stick and cleanup of pans will be simple. 4. Use high-quality ingredients as much as possible. 5. Chill cookie dough if using cookie cutters. It will ensure better detail on the cuts. 6. Leave at least 2 inches of space between cookies to allow for spreading while baking. 7. Baking cookies longer produces crispier cookies. Taking them out sooner means chewier cookies. 8. Brownies and bar cookies should be beaten just enough to blend the ingredients well. Too much mixing will cause the cookies to rise quickly and then fall and crack when cooling.

9. Butter should be softened but slightly firm when added to make cookie batters. Too hard or too runny can affect cookie texture. 10. Cookies are best baked in the lower third of the oven. TF10C154

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December 14, 2011

Support Group Meeting for Celiac Disease and Gluten Intolerance

Cherry Street Lights the Night

A meeting of the Celiac Sprue Association of Berkshire County support group for Celiac Disease and gluten intolerance is scheduled for January 19 at the VNA offices on Curran Highway in North Adams, Massachusetts at 6:30 p.m. Dr. Zhang, a gastroenterologist from North Adams Hospital will be speaking about different tests for finding Celiac Disease and why it is important to be gluten free. If you have any questions, feel free to call Renee Tassone, the support group’s founder, at 413-329-4710 or check us out on facebook at Celiac Support Group Berkshire County.

The Berkshire Dream Center is hosting their first annual Cherry Street Lights the Night event on December 17, from 4 to 6 p.m. with the main events occurring between 4:30 and 5:30 p.m. Berkshire Dream Center is located at 41 Cherry Street, Pittsfield, Massachusetts. This holiday season don’t miss out on this one special event. Come celebrate the joy of Christmas carols, the Christmas story, live music, cookies and hot chocolate. Bundle up because this event will be outside with the whole street bright with white lights. Let’s come together as a community this holiday season to enjoy and embrace the spirit of Christmas. This event is completely free. Come spread the Christmas cheer and sing loud for all to hear!

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REAL ESTATE

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AUTOMOTIVE

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JOB CONNECTION

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