Weekend Events Guide: February 27th Edition

If the icy mounds of dirty snow and Sunday night's predicted snowfall are getting you down, check out one of the fun events going on in and around Garden City this weekend! 

Friday- If you're tired of pizza during Lent, head to BK Sweeney's for Friday Fish Fest every Friday during Lent. 636 Franklin Ave., Garden City

Friday- The Garden City Casino is hosting the Garden City Lacrosse Night Annual Party and Fundraiser to benefit the GC Boys HS Lacrosse Team. Tickets: $60 online, $70 at the door. 6:00pm-9:30pm. 21 and over. Click here for more information and to purchase tickets. 

Friday and Saturday- See Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater perform at the Tilles Center. Friday 8pm, Saturday 2pm and 8pm. Concert Hall. To learn more about Alvin Ailey Dance Theater, click here. To buy tickets, click here. 

Friday- Hear the acoustic trio Hat Trick perform at Plattduetsche Park in Franklin Square. Enjoy authentic German food and beer while you're there! 7:30pm-11:30pm. Visit their website here. 1132 Hempstead Tpke. 

Saturday- Come to the Lakeshore Learning Store between 11am and 3pm for a different craft every Saturday. 2709 Hillside Ave., New Hyde Park. 

Saturday- Cheer on Hofstra University's Women's Lacrosse team as they play against the defending National Champion- University of Maryland. 1pm-3pm at Shuart Stadium.

Saturday- Sleeping Beauty is showing at the BroadHollow at Elmont Children's Theater. 2pm. Click here to purchase tickets.

Saturday- Be wowed by Masters of Illusion Live! at the NYCB Theatre at Westbury. 960 Brush Hollow Road, Westbury. www.thetheatreatwestbury.com Tickets: $50. 8pm. 516-334-0800

Saturday- The Singles Association of Long Island is holding bowling night at South Levittown Lanes followed by a gathering at the Empress Diner in East Meadow.  $7 per game, $4 for shoes. 516-465-3953 

Saturday and Sunday- See Adelphi's Best of Broadway: Tales of New York. Enjoy songs, duets and ensembles and scenes from many hits that were inspired by the Big Apple, such as Guys and Dolls, West Side Story, Fiorello, Rent and much more! Saturday 8pm, Sunday 4pm. Tickets: $20 adult, $15 senior. Click here to purchase tickets.

Sunday- Love chocolate? The Chocolate Expo returns to the Cradle of Aviation Museum. Purchase tickets online by clicking here or at the Museum. 10am-7pm. $15 adults, $10 children (ages 2-12). 

Sunday- Long Island Children's Museum. Since March is Women's History Month, celebrate the legacy of Amelia Earhart- first female aviator to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean- by creating a miniature clothespin bi-plane. Free with museum admission. 11 Davis Ave., Garden City. 2pm-4pm


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Nutella Nirvana {Recipes}

If you're on a diet, this is your warning to stop reading now.

As some of you may know, I've been on a serious Nutella kick lately. Perhaps it's because World Nutella Day just passed on February 5th (am I the only one who thinks Feb. 5th should be a national holiday?) or because I discovered that Costco sells giant size jars (in a Costco style two pack of course). Regardless, the Nutella has been flowing in my kitchen lately and it's been heavenly. Try these and report back. 

Nutella Brownies:

• 1 cup melted butter
• 1 cup  sugar
• 1 cup  brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons  vanilla extract
• 4 large  eggs, at room temperature
• 1 cup  all-purpose flour
• 3⁄4cup cocoa
• 1⁄2teaspoon  baking powder
• 1 cup nutella

1. Preheat oven to 350-degrees F. Grease a 13x9" glass baking dish.
2. Using an electric mixer, combine sugars & vanilla with melted butter. Add the eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each egg.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, and baking powder.
4. Add flour mixture slowly to the butter, sugar, and egg mixture. Mix well.
5. In the microwave, heat Nutella until it thins out a bit (approximately 1 minute). Stir it well. Stir the softened, melted Nutella into the batter. then pour it into a prepared baking dish.
6. Bake for 30 minutes. Allow to cool completely before cutting.

1. 
   

Grilled Nutella & Marshmallow Sandwiches:

This dessert has appropriately been referred to as the love child of s’mores and a grilled cheese.

Makes 2 sandwiches

INGREDIENTS:
4 slices soft white bread
2 tablespoons Nutella (or more, or less — depending on your taste!)
40 mini marshmallows*
2 tablespoons butter, divided

*You can also sub in 2 tablespoons (or more!) of marshmallow fluff.

PREPARATION:
1. Spread Nutella on two slices of bread, 1 tablespoon on each slice. Spread marshmallows out evenly on the other two slices, 20 on each each slice. Pair them together to make two sandwiches.

2. Heat a small skillet or grill pan over medium-low heat, then melt half a tablespoon of butter in the skillet. Put one sandwich in the skillet and cook until the underside is golden brown, about a minute and a half. Add another half a tablespoon of butter to the skillet, flip the sandwich and cook until both sides are golden brown and the marshmallows are melted, about a minute and a half. 

Nutella Stuffed Brown Butter & Sea Salt Chocolate Chip Cookies :

adapted from Ambitious Kitchen

Makes approx. 2 1/2 dozen cookies

• 2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter
• 1 1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon plain greek yogurt
• 12 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 jar of Nutella, chilled in refrigerator
• Coarse sea salt for sprinkling

Whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt in a bowl and set aside. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. The butter will begin to foam. Make sure you whisk consistently during this process. After a couple of minutes, the butter will begin to brown on the bottom of the saucepan; continue to whisk and remove from heat as soon as the butter begins to brown and give off a nutty aroma. Immediately transfer the butter to a bowl to prevent burning. Set aside to cool for a few minutes.

Using an electric mixer, mix the butter and sugars until blended. Beat in the egg and egg yolk, one at a time. Then add in the vanilla and yogurt and mix until well combined. Add the dry ingredients slowly and beat on low-speed just until combined. Fold in the chocolate chips. Chill your dough and Nutella for 2 hours in the refrigerator, or overnight.

Preheat your oven to 350°. Once dough is chilled measure about 1 1/2 tablespoons of dough and roll into a ball. Flatten the dough ball very thinly into the palm of your hand. Place 1 teaspoon of chilled nutella in the middle and fold dough around it; gently roll into a ball. Make sure that the nutella is not seeping out of the dough. If necessary, use small bits of dough to plug the gaps.  Place dough balls on cookie sheet, 2 inches apart and flatten, just slightly, with your hand VERY gently.

Bake the cookies 9-11 minutes or until the edges of the cookies begin to turn golden brown. They will look a bit underdone in the middle, but will continue to cook once out of the oven. Sprinkle with sea salt right after they come out of the oven, and cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes. Remove the cooled cookies from the baking sheets after a few minutes and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with remaining dough.

I suggest making a batch and keeping them in the freezer for whenever someone pisses you off, breaks your heart or you just have a bad day. You know what I'm talking about. Remember, Nutella makes everything better!


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Still Alice

Inside Garden City is excited to introduce a new column. Carly Hampton will be covering movies and TV- and all things entertainment related- that might peak your interest. Carly has recently returned to the East Coast from California and has a background in film and TV. I am very happy that she will be sharing her expertise with our readers!

Carly Hampton

Inside Garden City Staff

I decided to see the film “Still Alice” after Julianne Moore won the 2015 Oscar for best actress. I usually see all the movies nominated for best picture and because ‘Still Alice’ was not nominated, it was at the bottom of my “must watch list”. I didn’t hear much buzz about the movie, what with ‘Boyhood’ and ‘Birdman’ getting all the attention, so I put it off. I’m a fan of Moore and was curious if she deserved the award. The next day I went to the theater to investigate. 

            ‘Still Alice’ based on the book “Still Alice” by Lisa Genova, follows the story of Dr. Alice Howard (Julianne Moore), a happily married linguistics professor at Columbia University and mother of three grown children.  After forgetting a few words here and there, going blank while delivering lectures and loosing her bearings, she is soon diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s disease. 

            The directing choices gave the audience a feel for the disease from the point of view of Alice. In an early scene, Alice gets lost while taking an afternoon run on campus. During her run she suddenly feels confused. We know she’s lost without anyone having to speak and tell us  – this would feel clunky and expositional. Instead, the camera pulls out of focus around Alice leaving her the only clear thing in the shot. The “out of focus camera” shot happens numerous times during the film.  Another example of the director giving us a sense of confusion is when the story would suddenly jump weeks and even months ahead without filling us in on how we arrived there. Alice is just suddenly somewhere and we are suddenly there too. When Alice doesn’t know or remember what’s going on, neither do we. I personally thought that was helpful in understanding the character.  

            I can’t give the directing and camera work all the credit. What would a movie be without a good lead? I was blown away by Moore’s performance and the more the story unraveled, the more impressed I was. Alice changes drastically during the film- from not remembering words to not remembering people and so on. Moore does an excellent job showing us the progression and the effects of the disease. A scene that stuck out to me was when Alice (well into her disease) watches a video of herself from the past. In the scene, the “old Alice” and the confused “new Alice” are dramatically different; one being coherent and giving out instructions while the other is disoriented and trying her best to follow. Moore was able to capture both and all versions of Alice beautifully. 

            I highly recommend seeing this film. I think it gives a unique perspective on the disease and shows what people are actually going through and how they feel during the battle. Julianne Moore totally deserved the Oscar for this movie and congrats to her for winning.  I hope you check out ‘Still Alice’ and enjoy it as much as I did.  If you do watch it, let me know what you think about the movie by leaving a comment below. Happy watching!

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Ringing in the {Chinese} New Year

In case you hadn't heard, this year's Chinese New Year started on February 19th and this is the Year of the Goat. I never celebrated Chinese New Year before but Orchid's annual celebration intrigued me and I decided to make my rez. Turns out- this was the place to be!

There were two seatings: 6pm and 8pm. Food selections were already made for us with a set menu. I was happy with the menu- one dish with a variety of apps on it per person plus 3 entrees (a chicken, a beef and a fish) for the table to share family style, followed by dessert (chocolate cake or ice cream- not sure if those desserts make it into the authentic Chinese cuisine category but hey, I'm not complaining). Service was attentive as well- despite the busy night. 

The evening's highlight was, of course, the traditional Chinese entertainment. We were treated to a show of traditional Chinese dances, four elaborate (and large) lions/dragons doing their own dance routine and Chinese music. Of course, the most fun may have been putting the traditional Chinese red envelopes with money (tips) inside the lion's mouth as it came to your table. It was here that I basically got my head swallowed by one (all part of the fun).

I will definitely be at Orchid's fabulous celebration again next year. It was more fun than I expected and my whole table had a blast. I'm thinking that I may have discovered a new way to ring in the new year!

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Weekend Events Guide: February 20th Edition

Just when you thought it couldn't/wouldn't get any cooler... welcome to the weekend winter blast! With temps as low as 8 degrees today (feeling like -2), snow expected on Saturday and rain for Sunday, the weather may not be cooperating with your weekend plans. But don't despair- we have lots of other options for you in and around Garden City!

Friday- The acclaimed dance troupe, Taylor 2, performs at Adelphi University. See some of the world’s greatest choreography, performed by some of the world’s finest dancers. 7:30pm, Dance Theatre. Get tickets here. 

Friday- With the start of Lent, BK Sweeney's has got you covered with their weekly fish fest every Friday in Lent. 636 Franklin Ave. 

Saturday- Sleeping Beauty will be showing at BroadHollow Theatre at Elmont at 2pm. Click here for tickets. 

Saturday- Come to Lakeshore Learning to do a different craft every Saturday between 11am and 3pm. 2709 Hillside Ave., New Hyde Park. 

Saturday- Trio Solisti returns to Adelphi. If you missed their last performance, don't miss this one. 8pm, Westermann Stage, Concert Hall. Check out their website and click here to buy tickets. 

Sunday- Don't miss the film screening of Rossini's The Barber of Seville at Adelphi's Concert Hall at 2pm. Running time: 3 hours. Buy tickets here. 516-775-4420

Sunday- Are you caught up on this year's predicted winners for the 2015 Academy Awards? You have until Sunday night and then it's showtime! Catch the coverage starting at 7pm.  

If you'd like to have your business or club's event posted in our weekend guide, please send an email to insidegardencity@gmail.com Thank you for reading and please visit our Facebook page!

Weekend Events Guide: February 13th Edition

It's Friday the 13th and here are 13 things to do (coincidence?) in and around Garden City this weekend!

Friday- Pump It Up Of Great Neck is hosting a Valentine's Day Sweetheart Jump. Receive a Valentine's Day goodie bag, make a Valentine's craft and enjoy food and drinks.
Cost: $19.95 per child. 225 Community Drive, Great Neck. Check the website here for more details.  6:15 pm - 8:15 pm

Twin Rinks in Eisenhower Park is now open for public skating. Click here for schedule information.

Revel on Franklin Ave. in Garden City is offering a special Valentine's Day menu this weekend. Click here to see it.

Saturday- Enjoy Afternoon Tea in the Polo Lounge at the Garden City Hotel. Reservations required. Hours: 2:00 pm until 5:00 pm. 516-877-9385.

Saturday- Learn about Herb Gardening for Health at Hicks Nurseries at 1:00 pm. 100 Jericho Tpke., Westbury.

Saturday- See Tango Buenos Aires at the Tilles Center, 8:00 pm. $33-$63 Click here for ticket information.

Saturday- Head to Lakeshore Learning Center between 11:00 am and 3:00 pm for a different craft each weekend. 2709 Hillside Ave., New Hyde Park. 516-616-9360

Saturday- See the play "Morgan's Journey" at the Long Island Children's Museum. 11:30am and 2:00 pm. Ages: 3 and up. Cost: $5 with museum admission. Click here for more details.

Saturday- Capo on Covert Ave is offering a four course dinner with wine pairing. Click here for more details.

Sunday- See "The Million Dollar Quartet"- the Tony award-winning Broadway Musical at the Tilles Cener. 7:00 pm. Click here for ticket information. Cost: $53-$83

Sunday- See Adelphi University's Student Recital at Recital Hall. Enjoy a variety of vocal and instrumental performances. Cost: Free. 4:00 pm. Click here for more information.

Sunday- Garden City's St. Joseph's Church will be showing the movie Heaven is For Real at 2pm in the St. Agnes Room. Cost: Free. 130 Fifth St.

Sunday- Marc Anthony is performing at Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale at 7:00 pm. Click here for tickets.


Thank you for reading www.InsideGardenCity.com. Please visit us on Facebook. 

Whiten Up for Valentine's Day

It's beginning to look a lot like... Valentine's Day. If your smile isn't at it's best (think Eric Estrada circa Chips), I've got good news for you coffee/red wine/soda drinkers out there who may be in need of some whitening!

Did you know that our own GC resident, Dominique Lizzio, DDS, has joined Dr. Cerrato and Dr. Sheehan at their 60 {wow!} year old family dentistry practice in town? For the old timers, I am referring to Dr. Paloni's practice which was originally on Main St in Hempstead 60 years ago, followed by an office on Franklin Ave. The practice is now at 901 Stewart Ave in a beautiful space. With this being their third office in GC, it definitely seems that this group has staying power. To celebrate her move to the practice, Dr. Lizzio is generously offering a free teeth whitening to one of Inside Garden City's readers!

Dr. Lizzio brings 17 years of experience to this group that handles just about everything- from root canals and restorations to preventive care and invisalign. Dr. Lizzio is a firm believer in holistic care and in forming patient relationships built on trust. As a GC resident and mom of two, she understands the demand for high quality care.

With three dentists and 2 hygienists, this is a busy office but that doesn't prevent them from offering friendly and professional service- from the front office staff to the back. They see children as well as adults and Dr. Lizzio in particular specializes in oral sedation- great for high anxiety patients (you know who you are) as well as those who need a lot of care but are short on time. Through oral sedation, Dr. Lizzio can get a lot of work done in just a few visits.

What's the connection between Valentine's Day and teeth whitening, you ask? Well, what better way to say Happy Valentine's Day than with a sparkling white smile? Or, you can gift this fabulous service to your partner- as in... "Happy Valentine's Day Honey. You should really get your teeth whitened". Now that's romantic!

To enter the whitening raffle, simply like the Facebook page of Dr. Lizzio AND like this post on Inside Garden City's Facebook page. Winner will be announced on Valentine's Day. Good luck!


You can reach Dr. Lizzio's FB page by clicking here and Inside Garden City's FB page by clicking here. 

Find more information on Dr. Lizzio and her practice here: http://www.drdominiquelizzio.com and here: http://www.longislandfamilydental.com

Weekend Events Guide: February 6th Edition

Baby it's COLD outside! But don't despair- there's a lot going on in and around Garden City on this chilly weekend!

This is the opening weekend for The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water. This 3D adventure opens in theaters nationwide. Click here for the deets and to watch a trailer from the movie. 

Saturday- Head to the Long Island Children's Museum between 2pm and 4pm to welcome in the Chinese New Year by making a Chinese dragon puppet. Cost: Free with museum admission. 11 Davis Ave., Garden City.

Saturday and Sunday- Hicks Nursery is getting into the Valentine's Day spirit. Stop by the main greenhouse between 11am and 4pm and your children will have fun planting a small houseplant for Valentine's Day. Cost: Free. 100 Jericho Tpke., Westbury.

Saturday and Sunday- head to Lakeshore Learning Center between 11am and 3pm for a different craft each time. Click here to see what crafts are being made. 2709 Hillside Ave, New Hyde Park. 516-616-9360 

Sunday- Check out The Waldorf School's Summer Program Open House from 11am-1pm. A few highlights of the summer program (which runs from June 29th to August 7th) include: Pancakes and Pajama Day, Crazy Hat Day and the Talent Show. You will learn more about their summer program and have the chance to meet staff members. Click here for additional information. 

Sunday- Visit Hofstra University's Open House for Summer Camps for children in grades K-9. Click here for further information on types of camps offered. Camps run from June 29th until August 14th. 12pm-2pm. 900 Fulton Ave., Hempstead. 

Sunday- If you haven't already, see Aladdin at the BroadHollow Theatre at Elmont at 2pm. Click here for more information. 700 Hempstead Tpke., Elmont. Cost: $10 in advance, $12 at the door. 

Sunday- See Kelley Nassief, soprano and Adelphi's distinguised faculty member, in concert on Westermann Stage in Concert Hall. 4pm. Cost: $20 adult, $15 seniors. Click here to buy tickets. 

Sunday- Hofstra University's Black History Month Concert: African Diaspora: Music and Dance in the Old and New Worlds. Enjoy West African Drumming and Dancing, South African Choral Music, concert music by African, Latin American and African American composers, calypso dances and performances by Hofstra student dancers and musicians plus Hempstead and Uniondale High Schools. There will also be a performance by internationally acclaimed Imani Winds. Click here for more information. John Cranford Adams Playhouse. 5pm. Cost: $12, $10 seniors.

Sunday- Catch the reception for Adelphi's Underground Railroad Hiding in Place photography exhibit. 2pm-4pm at the Ruth S. Harley University Center Gallery. Click here to learn more about this exhibit. 


Enjoy the weekend and thank you for reading www.InsideGardenCity.com. Please visit us on Facebook!

Get A Pouch!

We all know it but some of us continue to do it anyway. Texting and driving kills. Here are some frightening statistics from the FCC:

• 3,328 people were killed and 421,000 people were injured in 2012 due to driver distraction according to The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
• Forty percent of all American teens say they have been in a car when the driver used a cell phone in a way that put people in danger.

Joe Salemi spoke with Inside Garden City today and told us what he is doing to stem the problem. Joe realized the danger of texting and driving and wanted to help. As a result, he created an "inexpensive product that everyone could afford and use." 

His "I Love You" cell phone pouches make phones less accessible while driving, but they also add an extra element of guilt. When you give someone this pouch, you're saying "I Love You. Please don't text and drive". That's more effective than simply tucking your phone away. According to Joe, "If a little added guilt works, that's fine". Joe believes that when your spouse, friends or parents give the pouch to you, it weighs a little heavier on your conscience because someone is telling you how they feel about you. 

In addition to drivers having to deal with the annoying aftermath of a car accident (tickets, car repairs, insurance companies, etc), Joe points out that pedestrians aren't safe from distracted drivers either. And he hopes to get yet another point across to parents- "If your teen is the distracted driver and causes an accident which results in loss of life, your child may end up in jail, not to mention the fact that they will have to live with this forever".

The "I Love You" pouch is only $5. Purchase some today for your children, spouse, friends. Inside Garden City readers are entitled to a special discount. If you order between now and Valentine's Day, when you purchase four pouches, you'll get one free! And they're pretty cute too if I do say so...

We can all work to stem this problem and PUT THE PHONE AWAY when we get into the car. Visit Joe's website: www.hide-a-phone.com


Thanks for reading www.InsideGardenCity.com

Super Chili Bowl Results!

This weekend, Inside Garden City had the pleasure of co-hosting the first {Annual} Super Chili Bowl at Capo on Covert Ave. There were 11 chilis to be tasted. Local residents came out and put their dishes to the {taste} test. It was a packed house.

Amongst the chili tasting, beer and wine were flowing and tasters were tasting. Each taster received a score sheet and went to work. With the tasters as judges, everyone was required to taste and score each chili. It was a tough call- most of the entrants scored equally well on presentation and aroma. The difference came down to taste and texture. After much tasting, re-tasting, scoring, and TUMS- popping, the results were in. Drum roll please...

Howard White went home with top chili honors for his Brixton Chili Bowl. He claimed the fabulous prize which was donated by the North Fork's Hotel Indigo: a one night stay at the hotel and a gift card to their in-house restaurant. 

The second place winner, Toby Gopen, won a $100 gift card to Capo for her "Helluva Chili". Third place went to Donna Sirounian for her "Best New York Skyline" chili. She won a bottle of wine and a $25 gift card to Capo. 

 

Proceeds from this event are being donated to the Hance Family Foundation. 

Amazing job done by all and congrats to the winners. Hopefully everyone has fully recovered from their stomach indigestion!


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Guest Blogger- Food For Thought

Inside Garden City is delighted to introduce new guest blogger Tia Bonacore. Tia is on the blog today with a piece on one of her favorite local places. 


If you are looking for a way to keep your mood boosted and your health in check after the holiday season, here's a thought...It's 'Food for Thought' on 7th Street- Garden City's very own "oasis for health and well being". The Food for Thought health food store has been serving freshly made juices, salads and other organic foods to the Garden City community for over 36 years, yet it still feels like the hip new place that everyone is buzzing about. 

The staff is both knowledgeable and courteous. They also sell a range of hard to find organic beauty products and essential oils. The owner Anju was pleasant as she answered customers' questions while working the register herself. I am a fan of their food and exceptional customer service but I also appreciate the fact that all of the items on the menu are listed clearly if they are vegan, soy/dairy free or gluten free. Whatever your dietary concerns are, there are many options to choose from. 

If you're feeling sluggish from an evening of over indulgence... try the "Super Detox" $6.99 for a 12 oz and your body will thank you. My personal favorite raw juice is called the "Rejuvenator". It consists of green apples, carrot, ginger, beets and lemon..a wonderful way to keep your skin glowing during the dry winter months. If juicing is not your thing, then try one of their many freshly prepared hot entrees like the quinoa sweet potato patty. It's delicious and will give you enough fuel to get through your next power yoga class. Now that's food worth thinking about! 

"Food for Thought" is located at 154 seventh street in Garden City. Check out their website for more info. www.foodforthoughtgc.com

Frequent customers can rack up reward points for discounts.

"The Rejuvenator" Carrot, Apple, Beet, Ginger & Lemon.

Eat your colors! Grilled Veggies with seasoning. 

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