souldoubt
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Post by souldoubt on Aug 26, 2014 11:55:04 GMT -5
Agreed but any time they have the "worst meals in America" articles 2 or 3 of the top 10 come from Cheesecake factory. Eating out is definitely unhealthy more often than not but they go above and beyond. One of their pasta dishes has like 3k calories. Just reading about that makes me want to go run for an hour.
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NancysSummerSip
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Post by NancysSummerSip on Aug 26, 2014 11:57:57 GMT -5
Cheesecake Factory has some of the most brutal 'meals' when you consider the nutrition content. Quite a few of their lunches or dinners are more than the daily allowance for regular people, i.e. those who aren't training for marathons or athletes for a living. I've eaten there before but it's not somewhere I make plans to go to. Some of their meals are horrendous, but that is true of a lot, if not most of those kind of chain restaurants. Most of them are worse than McDonald's or Burger King, etc. It's a sad day when it's tough to find a meal with under 1000 calories. Got that right. The Center for Science in the Public Interest has three of the Cheesecake Factory's meals on this year's Xtreme Eating Awards: abcnews.go.com/Health/worst-calorie-bombs-chain-restaurants/story?id=24871787
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sapphire12
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Post by sapphire12 on Aug 26, 2014 12:27:44 GMT -5
I like Cheesecake Factory. I like that the portions are huge. I can eat for several meals. Besides overeating every once in a while is not harmful to me. Moderation is key. I can't eat dessert after a meal, but that is true of anywhere I go. I get the cheesecake to go. That by itself could be a meal for me. Of course, I also eat ice cream as a meal. I prefer to have too much food than not enough. I'm healthy. I know how to balance out food and exercise and when to cut back and when I can over indulge. Off to take a lap around the building. The three worst foods identified by abcnews, none of them appeal to me. I haven't been to a Rainforest Cafe in years. I don't remember the food. I could not tolerate the noise and I was much younger then. ![](http://images.proboards.com/new/tongue.png)
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Abby Normal
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Post by Abby Normal on Aug 26, 2014 13:02:43 GMT -5
We don't go there very often, but I usually eat something light so I can have dessert. There is another restaurant ( I think it's mostly West Coast) where the desserts are huge. Like a piece of cake comes on a dinner plate. I don't think I've ever eaten a meal there. I just get soup. I've even considered skipping that. ![](http://images.proboards.com/new/wink.png)
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movingforward
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Post by movingforward on Aug 26, 2014 13:49:36 GMT -5
I am shocked at the number of people who like the huge meals so they can eat leftovers for several days. I HATE leftovers from a restaurant (not too keen on them in general but especially from a restaurant). Restaurant food doesn't taste good to me warmed over again. I am also not one of those people who likes to eat the same thing for several days ![](http://syonidv.hodginsmedia.com/vsmileys/sick.png) . I most always split a meal with someone if I am dining out. If no one wants to split then I just order an appetizer and a dessert. Once or twice I have even begged the waiter to order from the kids menu.
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chiver78
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Post by chiver78 on Aug 26, 2014 13:55:54 GMT -5
I am shocked at the number of people who like the huge meals so they can eat leftovers for several days. I HATE leftovers from a restaurant (not too keen on them in general but especially from a restaurant). Restaurant food doesn't taste good to me warmed over again. I am also not one of those people who likes to eat the same thing for several days ![](http://syonidv.hodginsmedia.com/vsmileys/sick.png) . I most always split a meal with someone if I am dining out. If no one wants to split then I just order an appetizer and a dessert. Once or twice I have even begged the waiter to order from the kids menu. in my case, I also try my hardest to stay away from chain restaurants. if I get outvoted, I try to make it worth the pain and get another meal out of it if possible. pizza almost always reheats well, most pastas too. but if I am given the opportunity to split a meal, I'd rather do that too - much cheaper. can't speak for everyone else. I'm just in a weird spot right now where I'm rarely home so it is always available for showings. I can't wait until I'm out of there and I have a kitchen that I can trash as I please! ![](http://images.proboards.com/new/smiley.png)
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movingforward
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Post by movingforward on Aug 26, 2014 14:05:30 GMT -5
I am shocked at the number of people who like the huge meals so they can eat leftovers for several days. I HATE leftovers from a restaurant (not too keen on them in general but especially from a restaurant). Restaurant food doesn't taste good to me warmed over again. I am also not one of those people who likes to eat the same thing for several days ![](http://syonidv.hodginsmedia.com/vsmileys/sick.png) . I most always split a meal with someone if I am dining out. If no one wants to split then I just order an appetizer and a dessert. Once or twice I have even begged the waiter to order from the kids menu. in my case, I also try my hardest to stay away from chain restaurants. if I get outvoted, I try to make it worth the pain and get another meal out of it if possible. pizza almost always reheats well, most pastas too. but if I am given the opportunity to split a meal, I'd rather do that too - much cheaper. can't speak for everyone else. I'm just in a weird spot right now where I'm rarely home so it is always available for showings. I can't wait until I'm out of there and I have a kitchen that I can trash as I please! ![](http://images.proboards.com/new/smiley.png) Yes, I rarely go to chain restaurants but I do get outvoted from time to time. Local places are much better with portion size IMO. I am guessing because it is fresher with more local ingredients. The price may be the same for a smaller portion but it taste SO much better. I admittedly don't like to cook but at least my city has quite a few local healthier options. My office is close to Whole Foods and they have about 7-8 food bars. I find myself going there about 2-3 times a week for lunch. Personally, I don't think the prices are all that bad. I can get a large slice of veggie pizza for $3.25 (equal to about 2 slices of a regular pizza). They also have a taco/burrito bar where I can get grass fed beef, organic beans, rice and cheese for a very reasonable price. Sometimes eating out is just easier. Obviously, I am not very YM when it comes to food
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chiver78
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Post by chiver78 on Aug 26, 2014 14:10:03 GMT -5
in my case, I also try my hardest to stay away from chain restaurants. if I get outvoted, I try to make it worth the pain and get another meal out of it if possible. pizza almost always reheats well, most pastas too. but if I am given the opportunity to split a meal, I'd rather do that too - much cheaper. can't speak for everyone else. I'm just in a weird spot right now where I'm rarely home so it is always available for showings. I can't wait until I'm out of there and I have a kitchen that I can trash as I please! ![](http://images.proboards.com/new/smiley.png) Yes, I rarely go to chain restaurants but I do get outvoted from time to time. Local places are much better with portion size IMO. I am guessing because it is fresher with more local ingredients. The price may be the same for a smaller portion but it taste SO much better. I admittedly don't like to cook but at least my city has quite a few local healthier options. My office is close to Whole Foods and they have about 7-8 food bars. I find myself going there about 2-3 times a week for lunch. Personally, I don't think the prices are all that bad. I can get a large slice of veggie pizza for $3.25 (equal to about 2 slices of a regular pizza). They also have a taco/burrito bar where I can get grass fed beef, organic beans, rice and cheese for a very reasonable price. Sometimes eating out is just easier. Obviously, I am not very YM when it comes to food haha....I've already been to WF three times this week (once on the way home from the airport Sunday night) so I am totally with you in being un-YM as far as food is concerned. ![](http://syonidv.hodginsmedia.com/vsmileys/whistle.gif) ETA: today was a chicken and veggie soup in a spicy broth. yesterday was a scoop of mashed potatoes (aka: crack) and a pile of sauteed collard greens. Sunday night, I picked up a to-go container of the same soup I had today, which is good for two more meals. out of all of that, the worst thing nutritionally is the mashed potatoes....which someone will have to pry out of my cold, dead hands lol....
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NancysSummerSip
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Post by NancysSummerSip on Aug 26, 2014 14:11:52 GMT -5
I am shocked at the number of people who like the huge meals so they can eat leftovers for several days. I HATE leftovers from a restaurant (not too keen on them in general but especially from a restaurant). Restaurant food doesn't taste good to me warmed over again. I am also not one of those people who likes to eat the same thing for several days ![](http://syonidv.hodginsmedia.com/vsmileys/sick.png) . I most always split a meal with someone if I am dining out. If no one wants to split then I just order an appetizer and a dessert. Once or twice I have even begged the waiter to order from the kids menu. I don't know why more places, especially in areas where there is a large population of older folks, doesn't have a "Kid At Heart" menu, where the portions are kid-sized, but adult in their offerings. In other words, I don't want mac and cheese, PB&J or a burger and fries for dinner, but a salad plate-sized version of the regular menu offering would be nice. Not a thing wrong with a soup, or salad or appetizer for dinner, but sometimes, you want what everyone else is having, just a smaller amount. And no, I don't want to share or split with someone. That's messy and just plain silly. Or maybe the restaurant really does killer desserts or bar beverages and you honestly want to leave room for one. Or you want to try something out of your comfort zone, and a small portion seems like less of a risk. We get bitched at by the nutritionists and dieticians about what we eat and how much we eat in this country. I don't disagree. And yes, most of our bad habits do start at home. But a little help from the restaurant world would be nice, too.
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sapphire12
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Post by sapphire12 on Aug 26, 2014 14:19:02 GMT -5
Some places will give you a smaller option, if you ask. Cracker Barrel gave me a smaller portion on french toast. They didn't have a kids french toast option. The waiter was like no problem. It was for a lower price.
I've been to local restaurants where the portions are too much for one meal also. If I'm going out to eat, I prefer to have enough for at least two meals. Then I feel like I've gotten my money's worth.
I don't like pizza reheated, so luckily I don't get that often.
The less I have to cook, the better. Eating the same thing is preferable to cooking for me. I'm a pretty decent cook, I just don't like doing it. I think my food is mostly better than what I can get out. But, out or in, I want more than one meal for my efforts.
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NancysSummerSip
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Post by NancysSummerSip on Aug 26, 2014 14:29:50 GMT -5
Some things are actually good reheated, like red sauce-based Italian food. I agree on the pizza, though. I make pizza from scratch, and even mine sucks when it's reheated. If there's any left, I eat it cold.
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chiver78
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Post by chiver78 on Aug 26, 2014 14:33:00 GMT -5
I reheat pizza in either an oven or toaster oven. nuked pizza gets soggy. ![](http://syonidv.hodginsmedia.com/vsmileys/sick.png) if either flavor of oven is unavailable, I'll eat it cold.
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cktc
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Post by cktc on Aug 26, 2014 14:36:02 GMT -5
Cheesecake Factory is generally a safe option. Most people have tried it, they have a variety, and it’s reasonably priced. The meals might be a lot of calories but that is true of pretty much any restaurant and it’s not as though they are sneaky, about it. Oh wait, you mean that fried/cheese covered item wasn’t diet?
I actually like that I can expect large portions so I can order something that will reheat well, or if I can’t save it, something light like fish, or that has a cheap component I won’t mind tossing, like a rice bowl or salad. If I’m going to complain about portion size it’s at burger joints. Hamburgers and fries are always ridiculously oversized and don’t reheat well at all.
As for what other countries think of American portion sizes, I’ve been over fed in every country I’ve visited to date.
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violagirl
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Post by violagirl on Aug 26, 2014 14:50:53 GMT -5
My favorite meal was at a restaurant in Toronto. There were about 7 courses, but each course had maybe 3 bites at most. We left pleasantly full but not button-blowing stuffed. Yet managed to have an entire dining experience complete with dessert. Of course it probalby didn't cost Cheesecake factory prices. It was one of my most memorable meals every course that came out was a surprise and delight.
I hate seeing a GIANT plate full of pasta. It is a waste of money. And well, no one should eat an entire plate of pasta. If you start with a small salad or appetizer, at most you only want to eat like 4-5 raviolis..not a huge trucker plate of them.
I'm a bit of food snob though, well not really a snob but I have discovered good food and it is so difficult to go to a restaurant and pay for crap. Like learning to sew and then going to the store to buy a simple article of clothing and seeign how poorly made it is. Disappointing.
My view on restaurant dining is - if I can do it better myself then there is no point eating out. Steak is usually done at home because no one does it right.
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Sam_2.0
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Post by Sam_2.0 on Aug 26, 2014 15:04:16 GMT -5
DH and I don't go there for that reason. I've been there a few times on business- as archie says, OK food. I've never had room for dessert. We prefer locally-owned places and not chains, and we don't want to pay for giant portions even when we can bring leftovers home. If I want a double portion, I'll order one to eat and one to take home. Don't force me to order twice what I want as a single portion just to enhance your bottom line.How is that enhancing their bottom line? If you don't eat it all, it gets thrown away. Or are you saying it's because they don't offer smaller portions for a cheaper price? I don't mind CF for the times we go there - maybe once every 2 years or so. I like the keylime cheesecake. The meals are crazy but I either order an app, or stop eating when I am full and let them throw away the rest (we don't really do leftovers). I could probably order one meal of Chicken Littles and feed our whole family off it though.
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Sam_2.0
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Post by Sam_2.0 on Aug 26, 2014 15:06:51 GMT -5
I reheat pizza in either an oven or toaster oven. nuked pizza gets soggy. ![](http://syonidv.hodginsmedia.com/vsmileys/sick.png) if either flavor of oven is unavailable, I'll eat it cold. Put a mug of water in the microwave with the pizza - keeps it from getting chewy ![](http://images.proboards.com/new/smiley.png) Or you can reheat it in a skillet pretty quickly without having to heat up the whole oven. I am still convinced cold pizza is a breakfast food staple though ![](http://images.proboards.com/new/tongue.png) it's probably the only leftover that will get eaten at my house.
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Chocolate Lover
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Post by Chocolate Lover on Aug 26, 2014 15:10:24 GMT -5
All this thread has done is make me want cheesecake. I made one this weekend but it's all gone now.
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Chocolate Lover
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Post by Chocolate Lover on Aug 26, 2014 15:18:28 GMT -5
I reheat pizza in either an oven or toaster oven. nuked pizza gets soggy. ![](http://syonidv.hodginsmedia.com/vsmileys/sick.png) if either flavor of oven is unavailable, I'll eat it cold. Put a mug of water in the microwave with the pizza - keeps it from getting chewy ![](http://images.proboards.com/new/smiley.png) Or you can reheat it in a skillet pretty quickly without having to heat up the whole oven. I am still convinced cold pizza is a breakfast food staple though ![](http://images.proboards.com/new/tongue.png) it's probably the only leftover that will get eaten at my house. Nope, oven and or griddle (if pizza is already room temp) only. Cold pizza is a no no for me. Ick. ![](http://images.proboards.com/new/tongue.png)
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movingforward
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Post by movingforward on Aug 26, 2014 15:20:24 GMT -5
Pizza is one of the few leftovers I will eat. Like others said it must be heated in the oven or eaten cold. No soggy microwave crap.
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Wisconsin Beth
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Post by Wisconsin Beth on Aug 26, 2014 15:23:28 GMT -5
Put a mug of water in the microwave with the pizza - keeps it from getting chewy ![](http://images.proboards.com/new/smiley.png) Or you can reheat it in a skillet pretty quickly without having to heat up the whole oven. I am still convinced cold pizza is a breakfast food staple though ![](http://images.proboards.com/new/tongue.png) it's probably the only leftover that will get eaten at my house. Nope, oven and or griddle (if pizza is already room temp) only. Cold pizza is a no no for me. Ick. ![](http://images.proboards.com/new/tongue.png) Yeah, cold pizza sucks. Cold spaghetti on the other hand is fine.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Aug 26, 2014 16:31:39 GMT -5
]How is that enhancing their bottom line? If you don't eat it all, it gets thrown away. Or are you saying it's because they don't offer smaller portions for a cheaper price? Right. They pay the staff the same to serve a giant plate of food as they do to serve a small plate- so there's more profit in selling you a larger quantity. The last chain restaurant we went to captioned their Appetizer menu as "Appetizers to Share". Why not offer an individual size and a "share" size? Sometimes I like to order two appetizers (making sure one is lean, green stuff and another is lean protein) instead of dinner.
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Sum Dum Gai
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Post by Sum Dum Gai on Aug 26, 2014 16:46:03 GMT -5
Never had Cheesecake Factory. I've had several people tell me the food is meh, but the desserts are pretty good.
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nutty
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Post by nutty on Aug 26, 2014 17:07:21 GMT -5
What are you saying Sam, pizza IS breakfast food !!!!!
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nutty
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Post by nutty on Aug 26, 2014 17:08:27 GMT -5
Everytime I eat out I bring some home, sometimes I can get two or THREE more meals out of a restaurant meal, and it really doesn't matter where it is from.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Aug 26, 2014 17:56:49 GMT -5
But appetizers are supposed to be yummy and fun.. not healthy. If I'm going to order a lean protein and a veggie I'll just make my sad little meal at home... ![](http://images.proboards.com/new/tongue.png) Well, see, that's where the "quantity-over-quality" people (both the consumers and businesses) can get it wrong. Some of the best restaurant appetizers I've had have included: -a beefsteak tomato at Morton's. (It cost $10. ![](http://syonidv.hodginsmedia.com/vsmileys/yikes.png) ) -a piece of sushi (don't remember the fish) topped by a perfectly-roasted pumpkin seed kernel. -a half-dozen fresh, briny raw clams. -escarole and navy bean soup, suffused with garlic. I ordered it as a main dish. I didn't need anything else. -sautéed fresh mushrooms- also heavy on garlic. -a plate of steamed asparagus, lightly salted. I remember going out to eat with my family when I was about 10 and ordering shrimp cocktail as a main course. I felt like a queen. Now, I do mourn the demise of Hostess Zingers and pray that someone will resurrect the brand (especially the yellow ones with frosting so sweet it makes your teeth hurt), so I'm not a total food snob- but I think that focusing on small quantities of very good food 99% of the time is the reason I still weigh what I did when I got out of HS- in 1971- and I'm not on any prescriptions.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Aug 26, 2014 18:02:24 GMT -5
Nope, oven and or griddle (if pizza is already room temp) only. Cold pizza is a no no for me. Ick. ![](http://images.proboards.com/new/tongue.png) Yeah, cold pizza sucks. Cold spaghetti on the other hand is fine. ![](http://syonidv.hodginsmedia.com/vsmileys/sick.png) to both. Ick.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Aug 26, 2014 18:11:16 GMT -5
I wouldn't consider any of the above to be an appetizer.. they would all be random sides. And a tomato? Was it served whole and raw on a plate? I've never seen a plate of asaparagus served as an appetizer either. Yeah, I guess some could be either. And yes, the tomato was served raw on a plate and I had the asparagus as a main dish at McCormick & Schmick's.
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swamp
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Post by swamp on Aug 26, 2014 18:11:54 GMT -5
I love tomatoes. Especially right out of my garden. But it's not an appetizer. Unless it's chopped up and served on nachos
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Sum Dum Gai
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Post by Sum Dum Gai on Aug 26, 2014 18:13:08 GMT -5
You paid $10 for a raw tomato? Damn. What do they season it with? Some kind of sauce drizzled over it?
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swamp
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Post by swamp on Aug 26, 2014 18:19:53 GMT -5
You paid $10 for a raw tomato? Damn. What do they season it with? Some kind of sauce drizzled over it? The sauce is apparently liquified angels... ![](http://images.proboards.com/new/tongue.png) In the north east. It's sautéed unicorn farts lightly seasoned with ginger.
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