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Post by Deleted on Aug 26, 2014 18:52:44 GMT -5
You paid $10 for a raw tomato? Damn. What do they season it with? Some kind of sauce drizzled over it? Nope- good basic ingredients don't need to be breaded, fried or smothered in cheese. BTW, add hummus or tzatziki with good pita to that list.
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Plain Old Petunia
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Post by Plain Old Petunia on Aug 26, 2014 19:16:27 GMT -5
Do your kids like iCarly? There is an episode where the kids go on a triple date to The Cheesecake Factory (they change the name a bit) and each course has RIDICULOUS portions, an over-the-top exaggeration.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 26, 2014 19:30:53 GMT -5
I went there a few years ago with a friend and I liked their light fare menu or whatever it was. I should probably take the kids there - DS1 will make sure nobody has leftovers LOL. I've been there a few other times and don't find it great or horrible - the food is good enough and it's nice to have leftovers for lunch the next day.
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swamp
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Post by swamp on Aug 26, 2014 19:38:11 GMT -5
Do your kids like iCarly? There is an episode where the kids go on a triple date to The Cheesecake Factory (they change the name a bit) and each course has RIDICULOUS portions, an over-the-top exaggeration. They do,watch it. I'll have to,pay attention to,see if that episode comes on.
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Miss Tequila
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Post by Miss Tequila on Aug 26, 2014 19:54:59 GMT -5
You paid $10 for a raw tomato? Damn. What do they season it with? Some kind of sauce drizzled over it? Nope- good basic ingredients don't need to be breaded, fried or smothered in cheese. BTW, add hummus or tzatziki with good pita to that list. You paid $10 for a tomato? You aren't a food snob...you're a sucker! ((Grabs some tomatoes out of the neghbors garden and heads to Athena's)
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Apple
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Post by Apple on Aug 26, 2014 20:05:41 GMT -5
I've never been to a Cheesecake Factory, but I love when I get large portions because I LIKE leftovers. I can only usually eat half of any entree, but sometimes I'll order a larger plate just so I can take some home (we have a local Mexican restaurant that does larger plates for $2 more, and you get almost twice as much food). I don't mind eating the same thing a few times if I like it. DS, on the other hand, would rather only eat one round of leftovers, then he's done.
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Miss Tequila
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Post by Miss Tequila on Aug 26, 2014 20:06:17 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... 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. ) -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. That's great that you still weigh what you did in 1971...but I wouldn't want to go through life eating one tomato and piece of sushi for dinner. While I am not at my high school weight, I am not fat either...and I get to eat real food every now and then!
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Miss Tequila
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Post by Miss Tequila on Aug 26, 2014 20:08:34 GMT -5
I've never been to a Cheesecake Factory, but I love when I get large portions because I LIKE leftovers. I can only usually eat half of any entree, but sometimes I'll order a larger plate just so I can take some home (we have a local Mexican restaurant that does larger plates for $2 more, and you get almost twice as much food). I don't mind eating the same thing a few times if I like it. DS, on the other hand, would rather only eat one round of leftovers, then he's done. I love leftovers. We are a two career family...i can't imagine trying to cook every night. I try to cook enough so we get two dinners out if it. That is getting harder as the kids grow!
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swamp
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Post by swamp on Aug 26, 2014 20:10:06 GMT -5
I've never been to a Cheesecake Factory, but I love when I get large portions because I LIKE leftovers. I can only usually eat half of any entree, but sometimes I'll order a larger plate just so I can take some home (we have a local Mexican restaurant that does larger plates for $2 more, and you get almost twice as much food). I don't mind eating the same thing a few times if I like it. DS, on the other hand, would rather only eat one round of leftovers, then he's done. I like leftovers, but we were traveling. I didn't need my van to smell like Bang Bang shrimp and chicken.
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Apple
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Post by Apple on Aug 26, 2014 20:16:02 GMT -5
I've never been to a Cheesecake Factory, but I love when I get large portions because I LIKE leftovers. I can only usually eat half of any entree, but sometimes I'll order a larger plate just so I can take some home (we have a local Mexican restaurant that does larger plates for $2 more, and you get almost twice as much food). I don't mind eating the same thing a few times if I like it. DS, on the other hand, would rather only eat one round of leftovers, then he's done. I like leftovers, but we were traveling. I didn't need my van to smell like Bang Bang shrimp and chicken. Imagine if the bag leaked... (I had milk spill from a kid's thermos on the floor in the back, didn't discover it until that afternoon when I went to pick them up, after a 90°+ day. Took weeks, and a bunch of Nok-Out, to get rid of the smell).
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Plain Old Petunia
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Post by Plain Old Petunia on Aug 26, 2014 20:17:28 GMT -5
Do your kids like iCarly? There is an episode where the kids go on a triple date to The Cheesecake Factory (they change the name a bit) and each course has RIDICULOUS portions, an over-the-top exaggeration. They do,watch it. I'll have to,pay attention to,see if that episode comes on. It's the one where Gibby likes some girl, but she likes Freddie. And some kid named Ruben likes Sam. So, Sam and Ruben, Carly and Gibby, and Freddie and some girl all go on a triple date. Ruben is the boy who talks in nonsensical phrases, and no one but Gibby has any clue what he means. I need to get out more.
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973beachbum
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Post by 973beachbum on Aug 26, 2014 22:40:21 GMT -5
I live in the land of really small mom and pop restaurants that are really open 5 months a year. So when I hear about places like the Cheesecake factory on the Big Bang Theory I actually thought they made it up. I had never even heard of it so didn't realize it was a real restuarant. We do like leftovers though. We actually go to the Lobster House in Cape May and I have to order extra to go because they don't have huge portions and everyone wants some later. It is a fresh fish place, not a pasta and sandwich joint. So while they don't have really small portions they aren't the size everyone here is talking about. My DD has finished most of her dinners there since she was in middle school. We could just be pigs.
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marvholly
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Post by marvholly on Aug 27, 2014 4:58:41 GMT -5
I live 2 ½ mi from one. Never been there. NOT big on chain type places. Prefer locally owned ethnic places. Also, it is in a HUGE mall and all the drivers got their licenses in Cracker Jack boxes plus parking is IMPOSSIBLE.
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8 Bit WWBG
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Post by 8 Bit WWBG on Aug 27, 2014 5:37:12 GMT -5
I think that Americans in general expect larger portions from places like that (maybe not to Cheesecake Factory sizes, but still) and feel gypped if there isn't enough to take home. In my experience, places that offer "smaller portion" options tend to price them unattractively. Its the dark side of the YM mindset... 50% less food but only 20% lower price.
I can eat a whole CF burger, but I remember not being able to finish a salad or the fish and chips. The food is OK. The sad thing... I'm not sure I've ever actually had cheesecake there!
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Post by Deleted on Aug 27, 2014 6:51:52 GMT -5
You paid $10 for a tomato? You aren't a food snob...you're a sucker! ((Grabs some tomatoes out of the neghbors garden and heads to Athena's) It wasn't bad for Westchester County in the middle of the winter, but the in-season tomatoes from our local farmer's market are definitely better. It was a business trip, BTW, and I didn't choose the restaurant, nor did the bill go on my expense account. I made frequent trips to that area and many nights when I was on my own for the evening I went to the hot food/salad bar at the Whole Foods nearby and brought my selections back to the room. Now that I think of it, there was a Cheesecake Factory I passed on the way! But, to get back to the subject of what's "delicious"- zillions of dollars are spent to manipulate our views of what's good to eat. You know those pictures in ads where they pull a slice of pizza out of the pan or show you the inside of a fried cheese stick, and there are strands of melted cheese stretching between pieces? There's a word for that- it's called the "bridge" and food stylists labor to bake and cut it so just the right number of strands are created and they're the right length for the commercial/photo. Take a look at how cupcakes piled with neon-colored frosting in the grocery store "bakery" and other selections are made and packages for maximum eye appeal. Same with the photos in menus. Ever get a dish that actually looked like the photo? I don't let marketers define "delicious" for me. My list includes bakery sheet cake with frosting, which I encounter a few times a year (give me a corner with flowers, please!) and a slice of pizza once or twice a year from a place that doesn't get its mushrooms out of a can and pecan pie (hard to fin, which is probably just as well). It also includes a huge variety of fresh fruits and vegetables. Life is good and I'm happy with the results on my body.
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sarcasticgirl
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Post by sarcasticgirl on Aug 27, 2014 7:56:05 GMT -5
It always baffles my mind when I pass the cheesecake factory in chicago and see how packed it is. The city has such amazing restaurants yet people (many tourists) pack one of the few national chains that we have here. But hey... I guess some people enjoy stuffing large quantities of mediocre food into their face. This is america, after all.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using proboards
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Post by Deleted on Aug 27, 2014 8:02:21 GMT -5
It always baffles my mind when I pass the cheesecake factory in chicago and see how packed it is. The city has such amazing restaurants yet people (many tourists) pack one of the few national chains that we have here. But hey... I guess some people enjoy stuffing large quantities of mediocre food into their face. This is america, after all. Sent from my Nexus 4 using proboards or it could be that you're with your picky kids and find it easier to go somewhere that you know they'll eat something rather than a place where they won't eat and then you have hungry, cranky kids. or you have varied tastes in your party and want to go somewhere that everyone can find something they like.
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Wisconsin Beth
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Post by Wisconsin Beth on Aug 27, 2014 8:04:49 GMT -5
It always baffles my mind when I pass the cheesecake factory in chicago and see how packed it is. The city has such amazing restaurants yet people (many tourists) pack one of the few national chains that we have here. But hey... I guess some people enjoy stuffing large quantities of mediocre food into their face. This is america, after all. Sent from my Nexus 4 using proboards We used to stop at one of the Chicago's CF because they had the most awesome Shrimp Po Boy. Then they changed up the menu and we stopped worrying about it. Now I get better shrimp po boy by going to lunch at a small place that does gluten free and happily works with DH for the dairy free part. And the kids love the place too. And it's a 1 hour round trip instead of 3!
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swamp
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Post by swamp on Aug 27, 2014 8:07:33 GMT -5
Asparagus is yummy. As are fried cheese sticks.
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Cookies Galore
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Post by Cookies Galore on Aug 27, 2014 8:13:50 GMT -5
BTW, add hummus or tzatziki with good pita to that list. You paid $10 for a tomato? You aren't a food snob...you're a sucker! ((Grabs some tomatoes out of the neghbors garden and heads to Athena's) It wasn't bad for Westchester County in the middle of the winter, but the in-season tomatoes from our local farmer's market are definitely better. It was a business trip, BTW, and I didn't choose the restaurant, nor did the bill go on my expense account. I made frequent trips to that area and many nights when I was on my own for the evening I went to the hot food/salad bar at the Whole Foods nearby and brought my selections back to the room. Now that I think of it, there was a Cheesecake Factory I passed on the way! But, to get back to the subject of what's "delicious"- zillions of dollars are spent to manipulate our views of what's good to eat. You know those pictures in ads where they pull a slice of pizza out of the pan or show you the inside of a fried cheese stick, and there are strands of melted cheese stretching between pieces? There's a word for that- it's called the "bridge" and food stylists labor to bake and cut it so just the right number of strands are created and they're the right length for the commercial/photo. Take a look at how cupcakes piled with neon-colored frosting in the grocery store "bakery" and other selections are made and packages for maximum eye appeal. Same with the photos in menus. Ever get a dish that actually looked like the photo? I don't let marketers define "delicious" for me. My list includes bakery sheet cake with frosting, which I encounter a few times a year (give me a corner with flowers, please!) and a slice of pizza once or twice a year from a place that doesn't get its mushrooms out of a can and pecan pie (hard to fin, which is probably just as well). It also includes a huge variety of fresh fruits and vegetables. Life is good and I'm happy with the results on my body.[/quote] Marketing has nothing to do with the fact that you apparently haven't eaten a meal since 1971! Lol :-) eta: f'ing quote function
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sarcasticgirl
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Post by sarcasticgirl on Aug 27, 2014 11:22:50 GMT -5
It always baffles my mind when I pass the cheesecake factory in chicago and see how packed it is. The city has such amazing restaurants yet people (many tourists) pack one of the few national chains that we have here. But hey... I guess some people enjoy stuffing large quantities of mediocre food into their face. This is america, after all. Sent from my Nexus 4 using proboards or it could be that you're with your picky kids and find it easier to go somewhere that you know they'll eat something rather than a place where they won't eat and then you have hungry, cranky kids. or you have varied tastes in your party and want to go somewhere that everyone can find something they like. Just because it isn't a national chain doesnt mean they don't have regular menu items that you might find at places like the cheesecake factory.
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gooddecisions
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Post by gooddecisions on Aug 27, 2014 12:40:10 GMT -5
It always baffles my mind when I pass the cheesecake factory in chicago and see how packed it is. The city has such amazing restaurants yet people (many tourists) pack one of the few national chains that we have here. But hey... I guess some people enjoy stuffing large quantities of mediocre food into their face. This is america, after all. Sent from my Nexus 4 using proboards or it could be that you're with your picky kids and find it easier to go somewhere that you know they'll eat something rather than a place where they won't eat and then you have hungry, cranky kids. or you have varied tastes in your party and want to go somewhere that everyone can find something they like. Totally agree. Or it could be that you're not "stuffing" your face at all, but eating a sensible amount and saving the rest for an additional meal or 2. Not everyone finds it mediocre and not everyone who eats there is fat. As I said before, I haven't found a favorite menu option, but I don't judge anyone who has. I'm so over kale salads, pimento cheese and ramon noodles (seriously, why is that a thing?). The older I get, the less tolerance I have for over-priced, over-rated foodie restaurants. My friends will rave about a place and post a photo on facebook, so I'll go there and am disappointed every time, plus be hungry again 1 hour later. I guess it's like when somebody raves about a movie and it increases your expectations.
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nutty
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Post by nutty on Aug 27, 2014 13:08:57 GMT -5
Just because it isn't a national chain doesnt mean they don't have regular menu items that you might find at places like the cheesecake factory.
I think the point of the post you are commenting on is that a national chain a person knows what is on the menu and does not have to try an unknown, if you have hungry kids and know that CF has a kids grilled cheese that momma knows her kids will eat or would like a grilled cheese, better to go into CF than take a chance on a new place.
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movingforward
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Post by movingforward on Aug 27, 2014 13:21:02 GMT -5
I don't like super frou frou places either.... I like good food at good restaurants and find the "hole in the wall" places to be some of the best if you're going for ethnic cuisine. But I also like a few of the chain restaurants too and for the not too adventurous eaters sometimes having a reliable predictable dining expereince is preferred to taking a chance on a local yet unknown to them place. The best places I have found are "hole in the wall" family owned restaurants. We have a great Indian restaurant here that is very inexpensive and a great family owned Ethiopian restaurant. I remember when I went to San Francisco everyone IRL kept telling how expensive the food was going to be. Eh, not really... we ended up finding this small Italian restaurant that had maybe 6 tables and 8 items on the menu. They were very inexpensive and the food was awesome! We ate there 3 times. This was probably ten years ago. I am going to SF in October and I keep wondering if I will be able to find it again. I have no idea the name of the place and we seriously stumbled onto it. I am sure I will never find it, if it still exist at all. LOL
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Sum Dum Gai
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Post by Sum Dum Gai on Aug 27, 2014 13:31:03 GMT -5
Sure, but I'd still want it seasoned somehow. If it's just a raw sliced tomato, I'm not paying $10 for it. I can get beefsteak tomatoes at the supermarket for one tenth that price or less, and it takes 30 seconds to slice it. I'm all for paying a professional to take basic ingredients and create something amazing out of them. I'm not paying for his prep cook to slice a raw fruit/vegetable and put it on a plate.
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movingforward
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Post by movingforward on Aug 27, 2014 13:37:35 GMT -5
I couldn't imagine paying $10 for a tomato but to each their own. I just got back from lunch at Whole Foods. I had a salad that included strawberries and grilled chicken, along with 2 cookies for dessert and it was $9.72.
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imawino
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Post by imawino on Aug 27, 2014 13:41:34 GMT -5
I don't like super frou frou places either.... I like good food at good restaurants and find the "hole in the wall" places to be some of the best if you're going for ethnic cuisine. But I also like a few of the chain restaurants too and for the not too adventurous eaters sometimes having a reliable predictable dining expereince is preferred to taking a chance on a local yet unknown to them place. The best places I have found are "hole in the wall" family owned restaurants. We have a great Indian restaurant here that is very inexpensive and a great family owned Ethiopian restaurant. I remember when I went to San Francisco everyone IRL kept telling how expensive the food was going to be. Eh, not really... we ended up finding this small Italian restaurant that had maybe 6 tables and 8 items on the menu. They were very inexpensive and the food was awesome! We ate there 3 times. This was probably ten years ago. I am going to SF in October and I keep wondering if I will be able to find it again. I have no idea the name of the place and we seriously stumbled onto it. I am sure I will never find it, if it still exist at all. LOL Go in November instead! You could meet up with a couple of awesome chicks! And MM, too.
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imawino
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Post by imawino on Aug 27, 2014 13:44:41 GMT -5
Sure, but I'd still want it seasoned somehow. If it's just a raw sliced tomato, I'm not paying $10 for it. I can get beefsteak tomatoes at the supermarket for one tenth that price or less, and it takes 30 seconds to slice it. I'm all for paying a professional to take basic ingredients and create something amazing out of them. I'm not paying for his prep cook to slice a raw fruit/vegetable and put it on a plate. LOL. I love how you said "seasoned" and it was equated to breaded, fried or smothered in cheese. I don't generally like my food just plopped on a plate with no seasonings or preparation whatsoever! That doesn't mean I'm a lazy, disgusting fatso that's going to need to be buried in a piano box or something. Doesn't mean I'm not, either - I'll leave that to the imagination.
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imawino
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Post by imawino on Aug 27, 2014 13:46:27 GMT -5
I couldn't imagine paying $10 for a tomato but to each their own. I just got back from lunch at Whole Foods. I had a salad that included strawberries and grilled chicken, along with 2 cookies for dessert and it was $9.72. You ate TWO cookies? How can you stand the sight of yourself? piglet
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Sum Dum Gai
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Post by Sum Dum Gai on Aug 27, 2014 13:47:24 GMT -5
In her defense in parts of the country the two things do seem to mean the same thing. Cooking in the south does seem to consist of breading and frying pretty much everything.
I ate deep fried stuff while I was stationed there that I didn't even know you could deep fry. Crawfish tails with dipping sauce were pretty good. They had them everywhere, and each restaurant had their own unique sauce. We ate a ton of those things.
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