With the Alps covering more than 80,000 square miles containing hundreds of ski resorts, the decision about where to buy is never a straightforward one. For the past 9 years, property guru's Knight Frank have released a ski property report hoping to give prospective ski home buyers a bit more clarity about where they might want to invest in their dream ski home.
Investment in Infrastructure is Key.
The ski market as we have always known it is changing, and ski resorts must evolve and adapt if they are going to keep attracting tourists, residents and investors. With ski visits following a downward trend, continual investment in resort infrastructure is vital in ensuring the future of ski-tourism demand and long-term liquidity in property. Despite falling visitor numbers, skiers have higher expectations when it comes to snow reliability and resorts who invest in snow cannons, improving lifts and adding more telecabines they are ensuring these expectations are met. But it isn't just on the hill that people want to see investment. With 25% of alpine visitors not hitting the slopes, investment in non-skiing related activities is necessary if a ski resort wants to attract visitors and buyers. Many resorts are now creating off-mountain leisure activities to cater to these clients, including indoor water parks, thermal spas, ice skating and cultural & educational experiences such as exhibitions and museums.
Chamonix is leading the Alpine Property Index with prime prices up 4.8%.
a. More quality services and amenities such as healthcare, schools, transport and general overall investment in town infrastructure.
b. An established summer season and overall year-round resort as it offers better occupancy rates over the whole year.
There are 2 distinct buyers - those seeking a dual season resort to maximise year-round rentals AND those targeting high-altitude resorts which offer reliable snowfall and longer ski season.
Unlike previous years, Swiss resorts are showing a weaker price performance due to the strength of the Swiss Franc and restrictions on foreign buyers.
The majority of Swiss resorts are sitting at the bottom of the Alpine Property Index this year. The strength of the Franc has slowed sales and reduced budgets of international buyers. Restrictions on foreign buyers in conjunction with the Lex Weber policy which restricts the number of second homes available to 20% has prompted some hesitancy, particularly as many homes in popular ski resorts have already reached the 20% threshold, limiting the buying potential. Overall, Swiss resorts had a 5% decline over the last year.
What is the Overall Outlook for the Ski Property Market?
The demand of buyers is changing and though the draw of the mountains is stronger than ever, it is not just the snow that is attracting them. Investment in infrastructure and facilities are key to attracting buyers, and resorts which evolve to meet these demands are the ones which are thriving. With increasing numbers of non-skiers visiting, and summer attracting more tourists than winters, resorts can no longer rely on snow alone to bring people in. Dozens of high-profile resorts across the Alps have pledged large investments both on and off the mountain by in an effort to keep up with demand, and this is proving to be the way forward with resorts such as Chamonix and Val d'Isere now sitting at the top of the Alpine Property Index for 2017.


text:
Erotica - Page 3 - Blowout Sale! Save up to 71%
Blowout Sale! Up to 71% off on Erotica at Lit Blogger, Page 3. Top brands include Bantam, EverAfter Romance, GRIFFIN, Berkley Books, Brand: Touchstone, Berkley, K.L. Shandwick, Cleis Press, Picador, Da Capo Press, Debolsillo, imusti, Forever, AmazonCrossing, St. Martin's Griffin, Bradley, Eden, Tuttle Publishing, & Brand: Ellora's Cave. Hurry! Limited time offers. Offers valid only while supplies last.
Stark After Dark: A Stark Ever After Anthology
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What happens after she says "yes"? Together in print for the first time, these four novellas—Take Me, Have Me, Play My Game, and Seduce Me—continue the story of billionaire Damien Stark and his fiancée, Nikki Fairchild, from J. Kenner's Stark Trilogy, Release Me, Claim Me, and Complete Me, following the happy couple from their steamy engagement into wedded bliss. I've long dreamed of my fairy-tale wedding, but it wasn't until I met Damien Stark—who captured me with his
Wicked Dirty
By EverAfter Romance
Sometimes bad isn't good enough…On the outside, Lyle Tarpin is a clean-cut Hollywood actor whose star is on the rise. Inside, he's battling his own demons, shunning relationships and finding solace in the arms of a string of anonymous women paid very well for their discretion.But when he's photographed in a compromising position by an over-eager reporter, the only way to save his career is to say that the woman he was with is his fiancée. And now Lyle has to play a very public game
Heat: A Novel
By GRIFFIN
With passion so blazing hot, you don't want to put this fire out in Opal Carew's Heat...When Rikki's first love dies in the line of duty she vows to keep her heart guarded and never give it away again. After moving to a new town for a fresh start, she is given the opportunity to show off her photography skills and shoot a sexy fireman calendar. Although taking the job might bring up painful memories, she knows this is her best chance at fulfilling her dreams of becoming a professional
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The Best American Erotica 2006
By Brand: Touchstone
Star-studded and with something for every sexual taste and curiosity Famous for taking her readers to undiscovered places, Susie Bright has changed the rules for writing about sex. Erotica is no longer under-the-covers reading; it's thrilling literature that showcases the best writing around. In Best American Erotica 2006, Bright chooses stories that toy with desire in excerpts from some of the most sexually charged and fearless writing of the year. John Updike's story recalls his
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Fans of #1 New York Times bestselling author Lora Leigh's scorching Breed series first met Cassie as a little girl in Elizabeth's Wolf. Now Cassie has finally come into her own as a young woman, and she's about to discover the one she is destined for—but it is unclear whether her fate is to be mated for life, or marked for death…The Breeds are humans altered before conception with the DNA of the predators of Earth. But although they all carry the genetic material of beasts within
Enough Isn't Everything: Book 1 (Everything Trilogy) (Volume 1)
By K.L. Shandwick
The Everything Trilogy is filled with music, hot men, lust, fame, love and forever. Enough Isn't Everything is the first book in K. L. Shandwick's wildly popular Everything Trilogy—a Rockstar Romance Series filled with music, hot men, lust, fame, love, and the many pitfalls of life in the fast lane. Remember the feeling of freedom when you left home for the first time? How many mistakes did you make?Lily was smart, beautiful, and musically gifted young London girl who saw herself as
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Whether you're simply curious about submission or regularly revel in the delights of BDSM, these sixty-nine erotic short stories about submissives will turn you on! From participating in a musical recital that takes a very kinky turn to making a grocery run while using sex toys to indulging in a risqué office encounter during working hours, these subs delight in obeying (or deliberately disobeying) their masters and mistresses in public and in private. They're rewarded
Apple Tree Yard: A Novel
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Young, arrogant tycoon Earl Grey seduces the naïve coed Anna Steal with his overpowering good looks and staggering amounts of money, but will she be able to get past his fifty shames, including shopping at Walmart on Saturdays, bondage with handcuffs, and his love of BDSM (Bards, Dragons, Sorcery, and Magick)? Or will his dark secrets and constant smirking drive her over the edge?.
568: Las Orquideas Rojas de Shanghai / The Red Orchids of Shanghai (Best Seller) (Spanish Edition)
sku: 947591, ean: 9788497932288, isbn: 8497932285,
Las orquídeas rojas de Shanghai. El destino de una mujer sometida a la exclavitud sexual. Juliette Murillot. Random House..
The Controversial Princess (Smoke & Mirrors Duology)
Her father is The King of England.She is The Controversial Princess.Regarded as down to earth by the press and rebellious by The King, Princess Adeline refuses to bow to the royal expectations her title carries. She knows better than anyone that the united front of the royal family is nothing but smoke and mirrors - lies and secrets masked by power and privilege. She wants no part of it, and she will never surrender to The King's demand to marry a man she does not love. But despite
Sunstone Volume 5
This is how we fix what is broken, this is how we overwrite the bad memories.One honest smile at a time. Lisa thought this, for a moment at least. It was a hopeful thought...but it was wishful thinking. it takes more than smiles. It takes words, courage, and actions. This is where we finish the first arc, but we'll be back. Like doms, writers too must know when to be cruel, and when to show mercy!Image Comics.
Elizabeth's Wolf (A Novel of the Breeds)
From New York Times bestselling author Lora Leigh comes a new, revised edition of a beloved classic in the passionate Breed series—Elizabeth's Wolf won the hearts of readers everywhere when it was first released, and now experience the magic again in this special, expanded edition!Special-Forces solider Dash has all but given up his will to live until an innocent letter from a little girl brings him back to life. Cassie writes to him every week, strengthening his resolve to recover from the
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Is this love or just a game?Tori Rivera thinks Jamie McCade is rude, arrogant, and worst of all . . . the sexiest man she's ever laid eyes on. His reputation as a player is almost as legendary as his surfing skills. No matter how her body heats up when he's around, she's determined not to be another meaningless hookup. Jamie McCade always gets what he wants. The sickest wave. The hottest women. And Tori, with her long legs and smart mouth, is definitely the hottest one. He knows Tori wants
El multimillonario prohibido (Saga Los Sinclair) (Spanish Edition)
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Jared Sinclair es un atractivo multimillonario que regresa a Amesport para dejar atrás su infancia y el sentimiento de culpa de una tragedia reciente.Mara es una mujer con un futuro incierto. Su vida personal y profesional amenazan con derrumbarse en cualquier momento, como la casa donde vive y dirige su tienda de muñecas.Desde su regreso a Amesport, Jared siente una atracción especial por Mara, la primera mujer que lo aprecia por lo que es y no por lo abultado de su cartera. Cuando ella se
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The Golden Lotus Volume 1: Jin Ping Mei (Tuttle Classics)
By Tuttle Publishing
''The greatest novel of physical love which China has produced.'' —Pearl S. Buck A saga of ruthless ambition, murder, and, famously, Chinese erotica, The Golden Lotus (also known as The Plum in the Golden Vase) has been called the fifth Great Classical Novel in Chinese Literature and one of the Four Masterworks of the Ming Novel. Admired in its own time for its literary qualities and biting indictment of the immorality and cruelty of its age, this Chinese classic has also been denigrated for
Soul Deep (Coyote Breeds, Book 1)
Book 1 in the Coyote Breeds series. Mother Nature has a way of making the most unlikely couples 'fit'. And what could be more unlikely than a sassy, independent President's daughter who doesn't know when to keep her mouth shut and a loner Coyote Breed with a hunger for a cute rosebud mouth that he's determined to still. The vote for Breed Law is coming down the pike. Kiowa's job is to watch Amanda, the President's daughter look, but not touch. Just make sure the Goof Troop, the Secret Service

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
The home rehearsals ! | "Sedute di studio"
THE "LOST" 1953 "MECO ALL'ALTAR DI VENERE" ! | A SENSATIONAL FIND?
FRANCO CORELLI & RENATA TEBALDI | THE VOICE OF FIRESTONE
GIACOMOPUCCINI | CALLAS TOSCA THE UNKNOWN RECORDING
RUGGIERO LEONCAVALLO | PAGLIACCI
FRANCO CORELLI AT CINECITTÀ | THE 1956 COLOR TOSCA
FRANCO CORELLI IN DONIZETTI'S LUCIA DI LAMMERMOOR
A WORLD PREMIERE | GUERRA E PACE
FRANCO CORELLI | THE UNKNOWN RECORDINGS
Ruggiero Leoncavallo
Composer: Ruggiero Leoncavallo
Opera: Pagliacci
Label: Hardy Classic Video DVD HCD4016 (1 disc) • ADD
Duration: 1.43' hours
Regioncode: 0
Optional subtitles: English, French, Italian, Spanish
Value: 7/10 (Gobbi, Corelli) | Sound: 8 | Picture: 8 | Importance: 10
Canio Franco Corelli
Tonio Tito Gobbi
Nedda Mafalda Micheluzzi
Beppe Mario Carlin
Silvio Lino Puglisi
Orchestra & chorus of Radio Televisione Italiana
Conductor: Alfredo Simonetto
Film director: Franco Enriquez
01. Leo Fall: Die Rose von Stambul 'O rosa di Stambul'
Occasion: RAI Television show 'Principesse, Violini,e champagne'
Year of broadcast: 1963
RAI television arias (filmed while playbacking to his earlier commercial recordings) ***
Year of recording: 1982
02. Bizet: Carmen 'La fleur que tu m'avais jetée'
03. Verdi: Aida 'Se quel guerrier io fossi?. . . Celeste Aida'
04. Verdi: Il trovatore 'Ah sì, ben mio. . . L'onda de' suoni mistici. . . Di quella pira"
05. Mascagni: Cavalleria rusticana 'Mamma, quel vino è generoso'
06. Verdi: Messa da Requiem 'Ingemisco'
Carmen actress: Gretel Santamaria
Il trovatore actors: Gabriella Tucci (playbacking herself) & Carlo di Cristoforo (playbacking to the voice of Angelo Mercuriali)
Cavalleria rusticana actress: Gianna Lollini (playbacking the voice of Adriana Lazzarini)
*** 'Nessun dorma' and 'Granada', both present in the original broadcast, are ommitted on the dvd.
This dvd transfer of the famous 1954 Pagliacci truly offers un nido di memorie. Next to the first ever television appearance of Franco Corelli, there is the unsurpassable Tonio of Tito Gobbi and some fine conducting from Alfredo Simonetto. In addition to all that, there are two interesting bonus features including the operetta aria 'O rosa di Stambul' and the notorious RAI costumed stagings by Corelli in the eighties, where he lip-synched to a recorded playback some of his most famous aria recordings. These eighties stagings came at a time when Corelli was contemplating a possible comeback. All this is made available by Hardy Classic Video in a technically impeccable print, with matching sound.
Un grande spettacolo
If this black & white Pagliacci offers anything to match modern color productions of the same opera, it is exactly because this is indeed what Canio promises the spectators at the beginning of the opera: un grande spettacolo. But before discussing young Corelli's merits in this production it is necessary to give due honor to the star of the show, Tito Gobbi. Rightfully so or not, he manages to turn Tonio into the vocal brother of Iago, pointing out that Leoncavallo's melodies were not born of a sudden verismo rain above the mediterranean peninsula. And the only thing in this production that truly matches his vocal phrasing and shading is his acting: Gobbi is the living image of the wretched creature Tonio, despised, submissive, vengeful. Often Canio rules the show because he has the most rewarding vocal parts, but this Tonio is clearly the master mind of this production (and contrary to Iago in Otello, Tonio also gets away with it).
When we consider poor Canio, this production offers another revelation, for Corelli was never more credible as an actor than he is here. There is no doubt that we owe this to a director who understood the importance of credible gestures – it looks like someone designed a ballet for Corelli's arms and hands! And because of this he is finally relieved of being at a loss with his hands, which all too often resulted in the 'great tenor gesture' of the throbbing right arm, ready to rise in a grand way on any occasion. The same can be said regarding his facial expressions: the anger in his eyes expressed while singing 'Un tal gioco' looks truly genuine. And, as with Gobbi, it is matched by a stunning vocal performance; none of his few later renderings of Canio were as convincing as this one. He is in stunning vocal condition, with a free and truly luscious, vibrant voice. His singing is tender, sad, dramatic, passionate and his voice is capable of expressing the full range of emotions contained in the tragedy that unfolds before our eyes, until everything explodes in a thrilling, not to say nervewracking finale, that is as true to life as the libretto wants it to be. Yes, one can see why he wanted to subdue the vibrato that is apparent in his voice here, as it clearly is the result of - as he put it himself - a faulty technique, of breath that hadn't found it's proper way, but how spectacular that ringing vibrato sounds here!
My colleague Marina Boagno is perhaps right when she writes that this opera is the one where Corelli lacked the physique du rôle , as he is supposed to be the ugly one who is betrayed by his young wife Nedda, who desires the bell'uomo Silvio. The fact that Mafalda Micheluzzi's lover, Lino Puglisi, is not the most famous baritone around should not prevent anyone from buying this dvd, as the second string singers in those days would reign unchallenged today. Perhaps things are just the way Magda Olivero recently pointed out to me, when she said that the maestri in the fifties had known all these composers personally and were familiar with the style in which they had intended their works to be performed. Perhaps it was also true then that fine voices were very likely to be discovered at some point, which unfortunately isn't the case today. There's also the difference in training: sound legato and proper blending of the registers were still considered fundamental for a singer's career. Fact is that Puglise acts his part of the simple but physically attractive lover convincingly enough to hold his own, as does tenor Mario Carlin in the part of Beppe/ Arlecchino.
The main problem in this wonderfully staged and filmed production is Micheluzzi's Nedda. Where Silvio and Beppe don't have to be equal to Canio and Tonio, you simply can't put less than the best soprano next to Gobbi and Corelli when it comes to the object of their desires. Micheluzzi's Nedda is vocally solid, though perhaps a little bit old fashioned, but she simply lacks a spectacular voice. Her timbre is monochromatic and her singing rather dull, when compared to the great Neddas of the fifties. She does act the part, but even though she is clearly chosen for her looks, she is not good looking enough to make you believe that Corelli and Gobbi would set the world on fire for her. Perhaps the dress costumes, which turn her all too clearly into a second rate Carmencita, also don't help matters.
Hardy Classic Video decided to fill some space on this dvd after the Pagliacci with the above mentioned stagings of some arias in the eighties and also with a little known rarity from the history of operetta series RAI television broadcast in the early sixties: 'O rosa di Stambul' from Leo Fall's operetta of the same name. The black and white fragment featuring Corelli is staged in the studio and apparently lip-synched to playback of the soundtrack that has been made for this purpose and that never has been released in the audio format. Until recently the only available copy of this came from a pirated copy taken from an Italian TV broadcast, which had fair sound and print but which was marred by a dreaded glitch in the beginning of the aria. Those who have always hoped for an impeccable copy are being well served here, because Hardy Classic Video's cooperation with RAI Italy gives them access to the master tapes of these productions. Perhaps we should follow the line of the author of the accompanying text, who states that Fall's aria has never sounded so luscious and ringing as here. And we can add that it is a great pleasure to see how Corelli's Rolls Royce manoeuvres through such irrisistable Viennesque passages as "Il desiderio dei sogni miei! Tu sola sei." A treasure!
A true fan wouldn't want to miss the eighties RAI stagings of arias, where a sixty-two year old Corelli is lip-synching to playbacks of his recordings from the sixties, but few would disagree that it was an ill born experiment. Perhaps less so when it was presented in it's original context, where the arias were embedded in a long TV interview that somehow seemed to legitimate things because it concerned arias from his great roles that simply didn't exist in any staged film- or video format: Carmen (the recently issued complete Carmen on dvd had been considered lost for many years at the time of the RAI interview show), Aida, Il trovatore (will that long lost film ever pop up in the archives of RAI Italy?), Cavalleria Rusticana. In addition to that we get to see a staged version of the Ingemisco from Verdi's Messa di Requiem . Unfortunately Hardy Classic Video chose to omit the interview portion here, which was rather informative and would have contributed greatly to the value of this release. Even more problematic: the omission of 'Nessun dorma' and 'Granada', that were both present in the original RAI TV show.
Nevertheless we should focus on the positive side of this new dvd release, as we now have the arias in great print and matching sound. Moreover, playback technology has advanced since the fifties and Corelli still seems to be singing along instead of merely making lip movements. Also, RAI Italy also actually did an acceptable job of producing scenic backgrounds in which Corelli can show his beautiful costumes. All in all, the Trovatore fragment is the most convincing, as there is some genuine interaction with the Leonora, which is not surprising as the actress playing the role here is none other than the original Leonora from the recording, Gabriella Tucci herself! Small wonder they asked her, for even today, at more than 70 years of age, she is still looking gorgeous (for those who don't believe this: the promophotos on the cover of Tucci's new G.O.P. Verdi arias release were made especially for that production, that is, in 2005). Equally convincing is the Cavalleria Rusticana fragment where someone seems to have made an inside joke out of finding a mamma that looks like one would expect the mother of Mirella Freni to look. In these portions, Corelli benefits from the interaction with his partner, while the isolated 'Celeste Aida' from Aida shows what has been pointed out above: that he could sometimes be ill at ease with his hands. And, the cardboard setting doesn't help too much either. Worst of all is perhaps the flower aria from Carmen, where he acts in his beautiful (but unflattering) costume opposite a dumb dumbo Carmen starlet who doesn't even move when he assaults her shoulders with a falcon like movement of his claws. Perhaps she'd make a fine Micaela, but as 'Carmen in waiting' she is a mere laughing stock.
Perhaps the most impressive document among these filmed fragments is the 'Ingemisco' from Verdi's Messa di Requiem. This vignette shows his genuine religious side to best effect - this prayer may be lip-synched to playback of an earlier recording, but it certainly isn't acted!
NOTE ON THE PRODUCTION
Though Hardy Classic Video releases fine products that have gained for them an unchallenged position in the field of historical operatic dvd releases, it remains a mystery how an Italian company can present Pagliacci as "I pagliacci" in the index. Worse: Ruggiero Leoncavallo appears on the back cover as Ruggero and Beppe is listed as Peppe. In addition to that the author of the booklet gives us misinformation such as the following statement about the bonus features from the RAI TV interview show of 1983: "Though the great opera star had retired from the stage several years earlier, in his broadcast he appears indomitable, with his fine tenor voice, in some of his beloved roles." Not only does it elude this author that Corelli isn't singing but rather is lip-synching to playback, but also it eludes him that Corelli does so to his recordings from 15 to 20 years earlier! And worse: regarding the Verdi Requiem the author maintains that this 'Ingemisco' is Corelli's first, apart from a live performance in 1967. Apparently the operatic knowledge at Hardy Classic Video stops at the doors of RAI Italy, for how difficult could it be to realize that Corelli released a complete album with religious arias in the sixties, an album that has been out on cd for some years now, and that provides the original for this filmed fragment. And then: how difficult could it be these days to know that he was born on April 8, 1921 and not on April 18, as the biography on the dvd states (although that may simply be a sloppy typographical error).
More important perhaps than the trivia above is the fact that Hardy Classic Video cropped the format of the original Pagliacci film to the extent of cutting even from top and bottom of the celluloid (the names of the participants are cut off on top and below), which is a truly horrible thing to do with any movie. However, these 'trivia' don't affect the pleasure in watching this marvellous production in a serious way and this release should provide some treasured hours to all those who love the lyric stage. Highly recommended! – RS.
For streaming sample clippings we refer you to the Filmography page.


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Q: How to determine if a DynamoDB item was indeed deleted? DynamoDB provides an API for deleting items. In the returned DeleteItemOutcome and DeleteItemResult there is no field or method to determine if the key was found and the item was indeed deleted.
The only way to find out if the item was indeed present and deleted, is to request the items' attributes:
new DeleteItemSpec()
    .withPrimaryKey("key","1")
    .withReturnValues(ReturnValue.ALL_OLD))

This, however, consumes extra read capacity. Is there a more efficient way to check the delete result - key found and deleted / invalid key?

A: Try using conditional expressions like
attribute_exists(my_key)

If element doesn't exist conditional check error will be raised

A: DeleteItemResult#getAttributes() is the way to determine if a DeleteItem operation has actually deleted an item, or not.
If you specify ReturnValue.ALL_OLD and the item was deleted, a map of item attributes is returned, otherwise and empty map is returned. This is the only way to know for sure if the operation was successful. No other confirmation is returned by the API.
Keep in mind that a DeleteItem operation will consume a minimum of 1 write capacity unit every time. If the deleted item is larger than 1KB, consumed capacity will be more than 1.
For reference: http://docs.aws.amazon.com/amazondynamodb/latest/developerguide/CapacityUnitCalculations.html#ItemSizeCalculations.Writes

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


In a RGB color space, hex #6b7eb1 is composed of 42% red, 49.4% green and 69.4% blue. Whereas in a CMYK color space, it is composed of 39.5% cyan, 28.8% magenta, 0% yellow and 30.6% black. It has a hue angle of 223.7 degrees, a saturation of 31% and a lightness of 55.7%. #6b7eb1 color hex could be obtained by blending #d6fcff with #000063. Closest websafe color is: #666699.
● #6b7eb1 color description : Mostly desaturated dark blue.
The hexadecimal color #6b7eb1 has RGB values of R:107, G:126, B:177 and CMYK values of C:0.4, M:0.29, Y:0, K:0.31. Its decimal value is 7044785.
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