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outandaboutuae September 30, 2016 Beach Clubs, See & Do
Hiltonia Beach Club | Hilton Abu Dhabi
Living on an island like Abu Dhabi we're spoilt for choice when it comes to beaches, swimming pools and all things water, especially when considering our desert location. Team Out and About are firm believers that there is nothing quite like spending the weekend poolside to allow all the stresses from the working week to drift away on the breeze.
With an abundance of hotels and beach clubs, it's become a bit of a gauntlet as to which one will cater to your desired requirements and we honestly think that Hiltonia has you covered. Forming an integral part of the Hilton Abu Dhabi, Hiltonia is separated from the main hotel building via the busy corniche road and provides patrons with a feeling of exclusivity. Surprisingly it's very family friendly, featuring three temperature controlled swimming pools, a pristine beach front, spa, fitness centre and a number of food and beverage outlets. All condensed into one safe and manageable environment feeling like a mini-escape from city life.
We were invited to use the fasclities at Hiltonia last weekend and were thoroughly impressed by the experience. The pristine swathe of golden sand gives way to azure waters that are both shallow and calm, providing an almost lagoon-like environment just perfect for young kiddies learning to swim or as place to play and have a splash about. The waters are calm and noticeably warm due to the fact that they are protected by Lulu island and the peninsula that houses Marina Mall, Marina Eye, the heritage village and national theatre. Famous Abu Dhabi landmarks that punctuate the horizon offshore, giving you a small sightseeing tour without having to leave the comfort of your sun lounger.
Friday's at Hltonia are exceptionally busy with a mixture of families, hotel guests and the post-brunch crowd all looking to make the most of their weekend downtime, by bronzing their bodies and taking a dip in the pool. Arriving mid-afternoon there was no possibility of finding a sun lounger anywhere near the trio of swimming pools but thankfully there were plenty on offer down on the sand (just a short walk away). The private beach is far more picturesque having been awarded blue flag status for its clean waters and 11,000 square meters of premium sand.
The entrance fee includes use of all the facilities, towels and sun loungers and is seemingly a very popular spot to spend a weekend. Feeling more ike a Caribbean island there is plenty of lush greenery, narrow waterways (fed by the excess water from the infinity pools) and small bridges to divide up the space and allow guests to find their own piece of seclusion. We recommend following one of the many tributaries to the peacock garden or duck pond, especially for those who aren't a fan of the sand. Only the faint hum of jet ski's buzzing along the shoreline is likely to upset the harmonious peace and tranquility.
It's not often that we get to decompress and relish in our surroundings during day-t0-day life and the team at Hiltonia understand this fully. Providing a seamless experience of unobtrusive service and enough fun and entertainment to keep the kids occupied. This is what makes the Hiltonia such a resounding success, an ability to balance the luxury for which the Hilton brand is associated, with a distinctly family friendly environment. Our littles one didn't take much persuading when it came to the kids pool, the rainbow coloured shaded playground or the duo of waterslides – one straight and narrow for beginners and one higher and more curvaceous for the more adventurous.
Elsewhere the larger pools cater to a slightly different crowd. The deeper of the two reaches 2m and has a number of tiered splash pools connected via cascading waterfalls. This pool is not heated and was refreshingly cool when we visited. On the other side of the grounds lies another pool, home to Escape, a thatched swim up bar that has a great daily happy hour from 5pm – 8pm, offering selected beverages (hops, grapes, house spirits and cocktails for just 20 AED a piece). Staying poolside, giant chess or beach volleyball are also available for willing participants.
Escape seems to be where the majority of guests can be found and with shisha also available. The sweet smell of tobacco wafting through the air adds an element of exoticness to proceedings, all under the shadow of Nation Towers and the quintuple shards of Etihad Towers.
Additionally there is the spa with complimentary access to the sauna and steam rooms, separate for men and women, though the jacuzzi is mixed. With treatments such facials, body wraps, and massages available at an additional fee, this is likely where you'll find us on future visits (minus the kids).
For the health obsessed the fitness centre offers aerobics, Zumba and spinning classes and a state of the art gymnasium with cardio and strength training equipment. For the more dedicated, there is the option to hire one of Hiltonia's personal fitness trainers.
Thrill-seekers should head down to 'Water-cooled' for windsurfing, standup paddle boarding, sailing and water skiing. It's a great excuse to get out to sea and view Abu Dhabi's iconic skyline from a different perspective.
It's so easy to spend the day here, or perhaps the entire weekend.
Hiltonia is a great place to be and the perfect place to unwind, our only criticism was the staff offered little to no help when it came to locating sun loungers and assisting with umbrellas, essentially elements in this current heat. Despite this, we appreciated the relaxing vibes and if the food and beverage options aren't to your liking, we strongly suggest you hop outside to Vasco's. Who offers international cuisine in an air-conditioned environment overlooking the beach.
Prices for Hiltonia are as follows (correct as of October 2016):
Location: Hilton Hotel, Al Khubeirah, Abu Dhabi
Social: Instagram / Twitter / Facebook
Website: http://www3.hilton.com/en/hotels/uae/hilton-abu-dhabi
Hours: 8am – 10pm
We were invited to Hiltonia. All views are our own and all photographs are © Out & About UAE
Posted in Beach Clubs, See & Do and tagged Abu Dhabi, Attractions, Beach, Beach Club, Blog, Blogger, Corniche, Family, Fitness, Fitness Centre, Happy Hour, Hilton Abu Dhabi, Hiltonia, Hotel, Luxury, Out And About UAE, Outdoors, Pool, Private Beach, Review, Shisha, Spa, Travel, UAE, UAE Blogger, United Arab Emirates, Water Sports, Watercooled. Bookmark the permalink.
Eclipse Terrace Lounge | Four Seasons Abu Dhabi
Caviar Masterclass: Sayad | Emirates Palace


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Exlibris 2012: Odisseo Travel in the myth
"And they lived happily ever after"; this often happens in fairy tales, so it's time for us to put an end to our "adventure". But we would be pleased to find solutions that allow us to continue, without breaking a recurring appointment for the Ex Libris and short story lovers. Perhaps this may be possible by inserting, for the first time in the life of our association, a registration fee for the international contest "The Enchanted Wood". Usually, an event or a prize may become international in time, in our case instead was immediately characterized as international award.
The international contest started in 2000 with the great "festival of Swiss roots in Langhe", with a section of paintings, sculptures, short stories and murals. It has been a continuous growth and we are very proud of that.
In 2004, thanks to Rossella Magliano and don Giusto Truglia, the contest arrives to the Ex Libris with a strong relationship with Remo Palmirani who has been an exceptional promoter even if for a short time because of his untimely death. In Italy, Russia, Turkey, France and Lithuania as in China, Argentina, Germany and Japan our invitations have arrived and we have received a lot of significant answers.
If the "Book's international salon" in Turin is dedicated to "green economy", it is noteworthy that "The Enchanted Wood" is not only art and culture, but it is also territorial defense. The land belongs to everyone, from mountaintops to the valley, because the boundaries do not exist and it must continue to live. Everything perishes, but the richness of the forest in all its forms (flora, fauna, landscape, environmental resource, tourism and the magic of short stories and ex libris) continues to live.
And now we come to the edition "Odysseus, journey into myth". We received many Ex Libris and this year also novels in dialect of Abruzzo and an idiom from Venezuela (wayuunaiki). Odysseus (Ulysses) is the symbol of the immigrant or just the traveler in search of new discoveries. He represents the paradigm of the irrepressible human desire to travel around the world looking for adventure and knowledge. But perhaps more important is the trip back home. It is during the return journey that the maturation of the traveler takes place, just after having completed the tasks for which he had left.
Past and present make sense in anticipation of a future that is a synthesis of everything that happened before, of every experience. It is no longer the house from which he started, but it is a place that holds the world the traveler has known and all the experiences he lived. Usually they talk about the route to a destination, while saying little or nothing about the return trip or about the hope to travel. We think these two aspects are very important and significant too. The voyage of Ulysses to Troia lasted three months. His stay lasted ten years because of war, and his return trip home lasted another 10 years.
In conclusion, we must thank all the artist and novelists who wanted to participate to this initiative, hoping to count again on their precious collaboration next time.
Lina e Tommaso Lo Russo
1st Prize:
Paolo Rovegno
Rosario Amato
Rejane Véron
Short Stories Winners
Stefania Apeddu
Istituto d'Istruzione Superiore "G. Manno" Alghero
"DE' REMI FACEMMO ALI AL FOLLE VOLO"
Sara Petroni
Scuola Media Statale "Ferruccio Parri" Roma
"ODISSEO, VIAGGIO NEL MITO"
2st Prize ex aequo:
Sara Buttarelli
"ANDATA E RITORNO"
3st Pri :
Sergio Tonon
"ADE"
Download the catalog (418 Downloads)
Download the short stories (506 Downloads)
More in this category: « Exlibris 2011: The esotericism Exlibris 2014: In the Sign of the Poet »
Guest - SABRINA COSTA
Grazie Tommaso. Buona giornata!
Edizione 2017: Il Libro della ...
Tommaso Lo Russo
Buongiorno Carollina,
nel caso in cui le opere non dovessero arrivare dopo il 31 maggio, varrà la...
Enchanted Woods Contest 2017 E...
Guest - Carollina Fabinger
Caro Tommaso...sono ancora io con una questione urgente: vale la stampa postale (primo del 31.05.17)...
Buongiorno Sabrina,
La compilazione del modulo, non è obbligatoria, ma gradita.
Cordiali Salut...
Hi Mari,
For this we will inform our community by newsletter, Facebook page and here.
Il Bosco Stregato
Tweet di @boscostregato

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


MARTIAL ARTS WEAPONS CAMPS-BO STAFF AND KATANA FOR SUMMER 2019!
For the third year in a row, we are SO EXCITED to announce that we offer 2 different camps focused on martial arts weapons and how to use them.
We know what FUN is!
This will be an exciting, fun-filled, high-energy and action-packed weapons camp focusing on weapon safety, proper basic techniques, history of the weapon, and a form for that weapon to be shown on the last day of camp.
The cost is $175 per child (age 10 and up) and includes a training weapon that your child gets to take home after camp! If you sign up by May 31st, you will get $25 off! If you would like to sign up for multiple camps, you will receive 10% off each additional camp.
Camp is Monday thru Thursday from 10am - 12pm daily. Because handling these weapons is serious, we can only offer it to our current students at this time.
We will only have 20 spots available for each session (no exceptions)... so space is limited and camps will fill up VERY QUICKLY.
Be sure to register TODAY by call us at (817)377-2111!


The influence of the Pointer (its 'frozen' stance characteristic of its field work) has extended into many other contemporary gundogs, although its origins are now unclear. It has been suggested that it may first have been bred in Spain, using a combination of Bloodhounds, Greyhounds and Foxhounds. The Spanish Pointer is a heavier dop breed today than its English counterpart, which is the form known simply as the Pointer. It is bred in a variety of colors, including lemon, orange and black and liver, as well as combined forms with white. Tri-coloured forms are also know.


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Anthology Issues
Bad Bodies
Kibera, Naitropolis – Jan 4, 2199
"We are standing live outside the building presumed to be where Jake Ongari the son of Sataricom CEO andbillionaire tech mogul James Ongari, has now been held hostage for the last 4 hours by a group of well armed and determined criminals calling themselves the Squatters.
There have been no new developments since the incident was first reported last night, but stay tuned to KCN for the latest updates and analysis with our residents experts as this story unfolds.
I'm Michelle Njeri reporting live from the slums of Kibera!"
Inside the grey washed out dilapidated structure, one of several unfinished ghosts buildings that dot the largest slum in Africa. In a dank dimly lit room that's littered with fragments of furniture and odd bits and ends picked up over time. I sit back in a brown beaten down leather arm chair and grin, sweet and savage. It worked. Who would have thought this could actually work? Not me. Oh, I pretended that it would but honestly the whole plan started out as just another way to vent out frustration. The expectation had always been to make a point, not to actually get away with it. But to succeed…and in such a big way. Safe to say no one is more surprised than me.
Glancing back at the room where we hold the heir to all corporate Kenya, that same feral grin fights its way back onto my face. It is a strange look on me. I can tell by all the uncomfortable shuffles and whispers I get from the others around me. Laura just looks blankly at the screen, pretending not to notice the anxiety in the room. I can see the tightness in her back though, the tension in her fingers as she gives the desk she sits on a death grip that drains the blood from her nails. But what do I care? Honestly, we just pulled off the biggest heist in Kenyan history using three teenagers, one prepubescent kid, a modified shopping trolley, two bits of wire and some blue tack! I feel we deserve a little self indulgence.
The news caster's back on with her resident expert. They're done pretending to know where we are and branding us with names they made up. Now, they're discussing the flaws in Kenya's urban security and the rampant crime and corruption that allow it to fester. I laugh out loud causing little Ron to jump. It's honestly shocking how naive the media is, or pretends to be. I tune it out, I know well how deep the rot goes. Been living and breathing it every day of my life.
Turning back to my motley crew of social misfits, I can't help but feel a warm glow of pride for the crazy bastards. Like me they've grown up on the streets, in the factories, with the gangs.
Like me, they too feel the oppressive hand of the dirty regime every day they wake up fearful and hungry, paralyzed with dread by the thought of the waves of crime that regularly sweep through the slums like so much rain water sluicing through open sewers. Fetid. Septic. They know what it's like to be forgotten, that's what really made the slums what they are. Nobody cared. Nobody has cared for centuries now.
Near the turn of the century, roughly the year 2095, the Kenyan government had been fully superseded in all of its authority by the shadowy group of corporate institutions that would become known as The Trident. They cared least of all.
Sauntering over to where ka-Ron was picking himself up off the ground, I helped him brush himself off. Ronald Nyiro at 11 is the youngest member of our group. We used him mostly for surveillance and running errands. I had found him sitting outside a rundown shack in the rain two years back waiting for his mother to finish with a client. I told him I knew a place he could get out of the rain and get a bite to eat. He's been following me ever since.
"Hey Ronny," Looking down at his dirty brown face and seeing only complete trust and acceptance there, it makes me feel a little uncomfortable knowing what I'm about to do. "Go start bringing the stuff down, we need to set up."
I glance across at Bonny and Solo, the final members of our crew. "You guys go help Ron bring it down, I don't want him breaking my transponder with his neck!"
Bonny immediately puts down his cards down and goes for the stairs to help ka-Ron, Solo on the other hand isn't as quick to respond as his little brother. But that's no surprise, with a name like Solo.
"Nishow tena vile kubeba huyu barbie itatusadia, ju sioni.'"
His voice drips with sarcasm as he lifts himself from a cross-legged position to standing all in one fluid motion. Up close he towers over rest of us, his face is all sharp angles and cruel lines, completely different from Bonny who has much softer features and a kinder expression. The do-brothers, as they are known on the streets, joined me after I beat them in a card hustle they had been using for years on the outer streets of Naitropolis to cheat dumb college kids who had more money than sense. It was really a simple sleight of hand plus a blindside turn, I'd been doing those sorts of shuffles since I could count. Unfortunately for them I'd exposed their game in front of an audience of former marks and angry bystanders.
Of course I helped them get away from the mob that would have lynched and castrated them right there on the street, I guess they stuck around because I was the only one to ever figure out how they did their card hustle.Bonny had accepted my authority without question, he had seemed even a little bit relieved. Solo on the other hand was used to being the big cock in a small chicken farm. I didn't have time for his machismo bullshit just now and decided to put him in his place.
"I'm sorry Sol, did you have another bout at Sally's to go to?" I ask all innocence and fluttering eyelids.
Laura turns away from the TV and arches an eye toward Sol, he blushes furiously and stomps after his brother.
"What was that about?" Laura asks, seemingly bored with everything and already turning back to the TV.
"Oh, nothing. Just motivating the troops."
Often I feel that it behoves a great leader to carry a certain air of mystery and intrigue about them. Laura just scoffs at me as though she read my thoughts and can't even be bothered to fully laugh at my clumsy attempts at leadership.
"The stuffs about to run out soon, he'll be awake in the next 20 mins"
She throws out this tidbit like a comment on the weather. Always so cool. It's part of the reason she's my second in command. I've known Laura longer than anyone else on the crew. She had been with me when my mother was still alive. We had learned how to navigate the streets together, living on the outskirts of Naitropolis in anupright made of scrap metal, plastic sheeting and wire from the dump sites. My mother had taken her in when we were scavenging for parts to make our home, just another unwanted babe left in the trash.
Mother had taught us everything she knew when she could. We had survived the streets of Kibera together, the three of us. Now she is the only part of that old life that still lives on.
But, though I trust Laura with my life, even she doesn't know the full extent of my plans.
Her reminder of the drugged heir in the next room returns me to my task. I walk over to a hole in the far wall of the room that looks like it was punched in by rowdy teens having a slum party. It used to be a fad among the rich of Naitropolis a couple years ago to throw risqué rave parties in abandoned buildings in the slums. It had gone on until some governor's kid got knifed and thrown in the river, his genitals in his mouth and a laminated sign stapled to his chest reading 'feed us now or eat a dick'.
I always found that elegant in its simplicity.
Reaching into the hole, I gingerly pull out a fat old worn binding folder with lots of papers sticking out of it at all angles. This is my bible, my guidebook, my redemption. All the information I had managed to gather on the government over the last 10 years, as well as all my information on The Trident and where they got their power, is all compiled in this file.
According to the articles and blacklisted websites I'd managed to access and research, the shift in power from capitalist democracy to capitalist industrial monarchies had come in gradual steps spanning a century of policy reforms, bills and laws tailor-made to suit politicians who were in bed with the corporations. This turned out to be more literal than anyone could have expected.
By 2100, the laws giving industrialists exceptions had piled up to the point that there was nothing to exempt them from. They had carte blanche. They determined their own business practices and all forms of redress for those injured encumbered bedraggled masses that toiled for their profits had been abolished. In essence, it was a form bureaucratic slavery. Generation upon generation born into their parent's debt and dying with only greater debt as their own children's inheritance.
In my search, I'd found out enough about my own nation's torrid history for the seeds of a plan to begin germinating in my devious mind. However, I realize that delving into the past is not going to provide any relief to the problems we face now. The answers I seek can only be found within the current apparatus, in the belly of the beast as it were. Which brings us to today in the year 2199 and the world works something like this.
Those who are born into Mwangaza Mkuu (the great light) live in Naitropolis, the country's capital. Residents of Naitropolis enjoy abundant light, heat, food, drink, entertainment, safety and just about anything else their pampered existence can conceive. Or so we're told, I've never really been in to see for myself.
As it usually goes with people sitting on that kind of wealth, they started thinking about how best to protect it. And so they introduced the GSS, the Government Security Services or as we call them on the streets, the GoonSquadS. They are the lynchpin in the link between the state and private enterprise. They were formed somewhere In the early 2000's after decades of terror threats from Al Shabab militants against the country.Kenya lived in a state of war with terrorist extremists who had entrenched themselves in neighbouring Somalia and would perform heinous acts of random violence on the population in the name of misguided dogma and zealotry.
For once, the government realized their own inadequacy. It was decided that they did not have the tactical nuance or technological aptitude to wage war on a relentless enemy that was hiding faceless among their own citizenry. But, as usual, they created an even bigger problem with their solution. They asked the heads of the biggest private security firms in the country to come together and solve their problems for them, to make Kenya safe again. The security companies were more than happy to oblige, for a price.
The GSS has a hierarchy and right at the very top are the Dawn Breakers. I myself have never actually seen one with my own eyes. But from the little I could gleam poring over old newspapers from before the information became classified, they are an elite group of super soldiers who have been medically and magically enhanced to be virtually indestructible. They are supposedly stronger, faster and smarter than your average soldier. Some say they can see in the dark and taste sounds. Who knows? No one who's met them has ever lived to tell about it.
Despite the countless myths and rumours about what exactly a deeb (DB) is capable off, there are two things that they all agree on. One, you never want to fuck with a dawn breaker and two, deeb's use magic.
Ron and the do-brothers come back down from the attic carrying the bags and boxes that house the makeshift generators and equipment needed for the change. Putting down my file I move to help clear away space at the back of the room, sweeping away broken chair legs and plastic soda bottles.
When that's done I take a bit of chalk from my shirt pocket and outline a circle on the ground.
I draw squares at various intervals around the circle, sketching lines sticking out of the squares with labels like, micro-capacitor-link-generator. I had set it up once already with Bonny in anticipation for this day. He was good with electronics, not as good as me obviously, but good enough to set this up. Brushing the dust from my knees, I get up.
"Jump to it boys," Laura says, "his royal majestyness should be getting up any time now, we don't want to be late now do we."
Ron beams up at me giggling a little, like its all one big game. Bonny starts unpacking the boxes and setting upthe equipment. Sol looks at me, or rather looms at me. He wants to say something but I arch an eyebrow at him and he starts helping his brother unpack. I return to my folder.
I memorized it years ago, but something about reading it soothes me or gives me purpose. I need to understand magic, to understand how it came to be before I do what I must do. I know it started around the time that the government officially ceded control to The Trident.
The Trident is composed of three entities, first there's Sataricom, the research and communications conglomerate that was formed when all the tech companies and research institutes joined under the Safaricom banner. Then there is the GSS, which I think the less said about them the better. Finally we have Protogen, short for the Prototype Generation. A scientific pharmaceutical and agricultural commune, I think is the best way to describe it.
Protogen's company model was unique in that in the beginning it was not really a company at all, it was a technological African Mecca of sorts. A place for all the scientific minds of Africa to meet and research for cures to all the diseases that had plagued the continent for so long. Malaria, AIDS, Ebola and every other virus and mutation that had crippled a people so strong for so long that we finally decided enough was enough. Every country in Africa contributed to building its campus, and every country on the continent sent their best minds, doctors and scientist to help find cures.
When they did find a cure, it wasn't what they thought it would be. It completely cleared HIV/AIDS from infected blood samples. It seemed at the very least to be a way of stopping new infections from occurring. However, whenever someone was injected with the cure they would go into seizures, not a very promising start you would think. But there was more. As they were going through fits, doctors noted that electrical equipment around patients injected with batch AZ1-22I of the cure, would often go haywire and sometimes even explode.
There is a sparking sound and a gruff yelp in the background, I look up to see Ron in giggles on the floor andSolo sucking on his thumb violently, Bonny is making placating sounds at his big brother but Laura is looking at me. She gives me that familiar curious look of hers with those big brown almond eyes, long lashes waving hello. If she wasn't like a sister and comrade to me I'd have to admit, Laura is beautiful. She has grown beautiful and I have had the privilege to watch it happen. I hope she will be able to forgive me one day.
Turning back to the file I scan down the paper in my hands. It is a leaked email and I'd be dead if anyone knew I even had it. It is from the head of Protogen's research division to the CEO of Sataricoms arms and weapons technology development department. The date reads, April 2150 and it details how one Dr Aziz, a chief medical doctor at Protogen, started doing human experiments on the sly using AZ1-22I and a hybrid metal alloy developed by Sataricom called rin-tin. They uncovered something which they didn't understand but knew was life changing.
That had been almost fifty years ago. In that time, The Trident had managed to perfect its chemical alloy of truth or whatever, and made super soldiers and machines that ran perfectly in any weather or depth or height. People capable of telekinesis and teleportation, cars that could fly you halfway around the world without going above twenty feet in the air. Special alloy studded boots that let their wearers fly.
As for the weapons, I hear that some deebs carry light sabers! LIGHT SABERS!! All powered by some mysterious drug induced trance and the company that produces the drug isn't even really sure of what it's doing. My theory is that the AZ1-22I drug, activates a part of the brain that can see something, I'm not sure what but whatever that light Dr Aziz speaks of in the email is it. Either way, when it's combined with the rin-tin alloy it somehow gives the wearer power over other mechanical objects and apparently even space and time as well.
When the research was done, the science didn't add up, but that didn't let the P.R people and marketers of the three biggest conglomerates on the continent deter them. They called it as they saw it, it was magic and Kenya was the only place you could get it. Never has there been an easier sell in human history. All I wanted was to get my share.
I stand up and put my binder back in its cubby hole. All talking and sounds in the room stop as I take three strides and am standing before the door that holds Jake Ongari, the one day king of all of broken Kenya. I put my hand on the door knob.
"What are we doing here Kay, what's going on?"
It's Laura and she's using that voice. The voice that shows she's genuinely anxious. The same voice I had heard calling me out of a ditch I was hidden in while running away from the kind of people that would take advantage of an eight year old who had just become an orphan. I look back at her, stare down every member of my gang and tell them the half truth I'd prepared beforehand. It's the most I can offer, I hope it's enough.
"We're turning him into one of us"
Turning my back to them I open the door and walk in.
It was a dumb bet. So meaningless in its banality that I can't actually believe it's going to cost me my life. Three nights ago, Joshua, Kip, Wamzi and I were club hopping in westlands. We had just come from doing unspeakable things at Skylust, (naked lubed midget tossing in zero gravity) and my head was starting to pleasantly tilt the world around in a see-saw motion as we careened down the brightly lit club district.
Mwewe was lurking somewhere in the shadowy rooftops with the other bodyguards. I had the shocking image of Mwewe and the other Dawn's taking off their reflective overmasks and beneath them was a pair of statuesque doll faces, with large stitched lines for eyes and eyelashes, blood red puffs of cotton for tender lips. I tell Wamzi my thoughts and we burst into hoots and cackles causing the people around us to stare and point. They usually stare and point, at least now they have a reason.
Joshua has wandered away from our party and is tailing behind a group of girls walking ahead of us. They are dressed in different coloured rin-tin alloy stitched micro miniskirts and matching tops that hug their round hips and ample breasts like a troop of power-puff Beyoncés. A heavy coloured mist swirls and shifts through and around their curves in nimbus clouds as they walk, a dry ice laser show hovering over their privates.
Joshua pulls up in front of the girls and they stop to look him up and down. Kip, Wamzi and I also stop for front row seats to the show. Joshua is speaking animatedly at the three party goers gesturing with his arms and hips, thumping on his large chest. Kip does an expert imitation of Joshua and I almost piss all over my new Cavalli albino white rhino patented leather loafers.
He must hear us because he casually flips us the finger as he keeps trying to persuade the girls to…what? Come out with us? Have a foursome in the nearby alley? I honestly can never tell with Josh. I'm still trying to hold my sides in when I see blossom barbie Beyonce's wristcom glow, her whole body lights up for the briefest instant as her right hand comes up palm first pointing straight at Josh. He vanishes, I blink, and Josh is falling out of nothing on the opposite side of the road into a puddle of old rainwater and vomit from some other merryrevellers.
I give up and fall on the road rolling around struggling to breathe. She must have had her wristcom set to anti-douche mode before the night started to get the jump on Josh like that.
The clouds that were floating around blossom's rin-tin micro mini have dissipated significantly and appear now as no more than a persistent smoke ring which is determined to orbit her impressive figure. Her scandalized friends rush to cover her with their own fuller clouds but she brushes them aside like troublesome geese. She gives me a naughty little wink and struts off down the street swinging her hips and running her hands through her lush hair. Bubbles and Buttercup titter delightfully in her wake. If Mrs Carter were alive today I think she would have applauded that young lady, far too much woman for Josh to handle.
He is picking himself out of the muck just as the silverine street sweepers pass by. Hurling curses at the departed trio, his self cleaning suit has already taken off all the dirt that hadn't really even soaked into it.
"You guys are fucking retarded." Josh moans as he reaches us,
"I was this close before you-"
"Close to what man!?" I had to cut him short, "Being teleported to her bed or the middle of the ocean?"
We laugh uproariously, Joshua's eyes crinkle in the corners and he puts a nasty sneer on his face.
" At least girls don't only go with me for money! You couldn't get a girl on your own merit for all the money in the world."
There was silence then. It had been too much. Joshua had been drinking excessively of late but I hadn't really minded because it had never infringed on my honor before. In Naitropolis' incredibly stratified social hierarchy, Joshua was high enough up the tree to say something like that to me and get away with it. His father was the current CFO of Protogen after all. He even hooked us up with all the P.L.E we could ever need. I couldn't let it stand.
"You sure about that?" I preened, standing tall and raising my carriage to match Josh's naturally more buff stance.
I'm Jake On-fucking-gari, heir to all the wealth and influence of the most advanced nation on the continent, probably on the planet. Even without the title or the fame I was a king among men.
And now here I am.
Naked, cold, tied up on the floor in a dark room and gagged with something that smells like a urine soaked pig's bladder stuffed down my throat. What had happened? The last thing I remember was sneaking away from Mwewe to come to the slums to accept Josh's challenge. We had gone to a bar and then … my mind draws a blank.
My wristcom is gone, as is my pack of Protomix Link Enabler. I can't touch the source. I can't see the light. I hear sounds on the other side of the door, laughter and crackling, footsteps, maybe a TV. They can't have known who I was, or else they would never have even thought of doing such a thing. They must know that right now people are looking for me. The entire G.S.S police force will be breaking down doors in every slum shanty in Naitropolis. I start to panic, my breath is coming in fast shallow bursts, the taste of someone's crusty fluids and waste now coat my tongue and I begin to choke on my own saliva, dry heaving, retching in fear.
The door slams open, I am blinded by light. After being in darkness for so long I close my eyes against the glare and hear bodies moving into the room.
"Bring the chair and strap him down."
The voice is coming from directly in front of me, I squint up to see a medium sized silhouette looking down at me.
"I don't want his royal Ongariness squirming when we start.'"
They know who I am! The shock of this rings through my body. They know who I am, yet still they dare to treat me like some vagabond. Two hulking figures come in front of the silhouetted boy who spoke. I have adjusted enough to the darkness in the room by now to make out the tall wiry boy with the nasty sneering face and the shorter plumper boy who won't meet my eyes. The shorter of the two carries the chair.
The tall mean looking one goes to grab my bound limbs and I flail and whip my arms about in an arching motion, hoping to catch him with a blow to the head then bolt through the open door while they're still all wondering what happened. I strike clean air as the lanky youth easily dodges away from my clumsy throw. He then expertly steps into my reach and lands a heavy left fist right in my solar plexus. I am not prepared for him to move so fast or so violently and I haven't even tensed. Not that it would have made a difference seeing as how I have never been punched by anyone in my life before. I feel my testicles rise into my pelvis and my stomach rolls into itself. The air in my lungs dances with the stars before my eyes. Spit and bile dribble down my mouth and soak into the filthy rag as I cough and convulse in pain on the ground.
"Yo Sol, those nights at Sally's really are paying off huh!" The same voice as before.
I feel rough hands pick me up unkindly and untie my bonds before sitting me down on a stiff metal chair. The bonds are back on before I can even fully comprehend they were gone, only this time I'm strapped tight to the seat.
"Put him in the middle of the circle and get it running, we don't have much time. I need to speak to Laura'"
I am lifted from the ground by the two boys on either side of me and we move into a big empty rundown living room if I were to hazard a guess. They take me to the back of the room and sit me in the middle of a circle of junk. My guts burn and my breathing feels strained, I try to speak to the boys around me, to reason with them, plead with them, beg, threaten. But the gag is in my mouth and the only sounds that come out are muffled whimpering snorts.
After a small eternity I hear a door open and two sets of footsteps heading my way.
I look up and get my first proper look at my would be captor. My first thought is that he is incredibly plain, a dark thin brown face on a dark thin brown body. His clothes or rather, rags are a hybrid nylon pink and yellow jacket pitted with holes over a stained and baggy USAID shirt that is dragging to his knees. His trousers are army camouflage sown and re-sown so many times they are a patchwork of nations at war. The boots however are clean and black and sturdy looking as a set of steel doors. The overall impression is very old-school post-colonial rebel in its vibe. Stark naked tied to a chair, it feels oddly meaningless mocking him for his lack of fashion.
The dawns should be here by now. Father's satellite tracking systems must have already found me. What is taking them so long.
The boy in boots pulls another chair into the circle and sits down opposite me. A shadow walks into the circle behind him and I almost choke in recognition. The girl from the bar, the one Joshua told me I couldn't pick up! How…had he been in on it too?
I roll my eyes towards her and stare death at her forehead but she just looks at me like I'm some kind of ant. She whispers something to her ring leader, they both stare at me and I give my best defiant glare back. He nods at her and the siren pulls out a syringe of glowing blue liquid from behind her and jabs him in the neck, pushing down on the plunger. She steps out of the circle and its just me and the rebel thug.
"You're probably wondering what's going on right now, and if we are about to kill you. Rest assured Master Ongari, yours is to be a much kinder fate."
He pulls out a tangle of wires and metal ends in a band like shape. It looks strangely familiar but I can't figure why. Then he slips it over his right hand and it clicks.
'Hmmmp phmmmm wrrrrapmm pmmph'
I scream at him, that was my bloody wristcom he's shredded. Now it looks more like a magnet made from copper wire and a bar of metal. He has opened all its hinges and attached his own circuitry and additions. Obviously he hoped to somehow override the biometric personal security code linking every wristcom to their owner but it's madness. He is going to try to touch the source, an untrained DIY slum rebel is going to try perform some sort of magic! On ME! The thought is dizzying, I know then with absolute certainty that we will both die. Rocking in my seat I try to break the bonds tying me to the chair, but I just tip myself over and get a bump on the head for my troubles.
The rebel gets out of his seat and comes to look down at me shaking his head in what can only be sarcastic sadness. Walking to the edge of the circle he connects his, I mean my, wristcom to a cable trailing on the ground near one of the boxes.
"Now Bonny."
There is a whirring humming sound as all the casing and circuitry which I had mistaken for trash, sparks on and starts pulsing in a loop around us. The lights go round faster and faster, building a static charge in the air. I hear an alarm going off somewhere nearby and a female voice in the building din shouts over the whirling of machines.
"They're here! Do it now Kay!"
Kay who is now radiating with a near blinding incandescent glow stands over my fallen form. He points his hand at me. I scream. A terrible cry of fear and pain and anguish and the world explodes in light and thunder.
Then I'm running, stumbling and tripping over debris and broken shards of slate. Someone is holding my hand tightly and dragging me through a maze of alleys and openings in the sides of buildings. My head is still ringing from the explosion and disorientation of the shock I just witnessed, but even in my muddled state I can tell that something is different. Almost wrong.
For a start I am not dead, which is a pleasant surprise; also I am no longer naked and bound to a chair as I was a moment earlier. On the negative side I am now considerably hungrier than I ever thought I could be. It's a strange thought to have, I think, running in the dark with the bangs and shouts of men fading in the distance, some stranger dragging me to only source knows where.
I lift my free hand in front of me but it's too dark to see anything. We continue running in the dark, the stranger and I, heading down alleyways and narrow passages between worn down tenements. My running mate stops and turns on a beacon ball, a tennis ball sized material that glows a stark blood red. Somehow I am not at all surprise to see the girl from the bar, I think I heard them call her Laura.
She finds a grate in one of the rooms we enter and slides it open one handed ushering me through with the point of her home made ballista gun. By now I've learned enough fear of my foes' determination in their aim, whatever it is, to just obey. As I step down the ladder rungs my boots clang noisily in the hollow space. My boots, I wonder, I never had boots. I stare at my arms and chest in the dim red light as Laura climbs down after me. It's the nylon pink and yellow jacket that the rebel wore, the stars and stripes USAID shirt. Why am I wearing them, when did they put them on me. Then a horrifying thought seizes me.
The light, the modified wristcom, could it have worked? Impossible, what was it that he had done to me anyway. I stop halfway down the rung quivering in fear and confusion.
She lashes out a boot from above and I nearly lose my grip, but keep moving. Deep down I know what they have done to me. I cannot understand how or why but I know.
We reach the bottom and she points me towards the left. I placidly go where she tells me still numb with shock at my realization. We reach the end of the path and there is a huge hole where a storm drainage gate used to be. The sewers in this part of the city have not been maintained in ages, the stench and smell of waste and death rise up from beyond the hole like a living thing.
"To the edge!" Laura shouts at me, tears streaking down her face. She's looking at me with a mixture of hate and profound sadness. I know she must see the face of her reckless leader, but she is here to kill me nonetheless and tie off any loose ends that might threaten their perfect little fraud. I tell myself there is no way they could pull this off, someone will surely tell. But they have already been able to do this much, who knowswhat they are capable of.
I walk to the edge of the wall and stare out at the city before me. In the far distance I can see a twinkling andspiralling tower that might be the Sataricom main headquarters. To my terror stricken gaze, the city lights shine and dance with malice like the eyes of hundreds upon hundreds of little monsters come to watch me meet my end. Come to devour me whole. I creep closer to the edge. Directly below me is black as tar with the sound of rushing water. I turn away from the city and face my executioner instead. I will not be shot in the back like some cur, I will face death head on.
"Turn back around," she tells me, but I am beyond fear now. I look her dead in the eyes with her comrade's face and say,
As ineloquent as it is, it clearly has an effect on her because she starts to lower her piece. She looks at me quizzically as if second guessing who I really am. I see a chink in her armour and aim straight for it. I must make her believe they failed, that I am her leader still. If he can dare to be me, I can dare to be him. I start to speak but she raises her hand, red ball glowing like a dying sun in her palm.
"When was the last time we came here?"
I look at her stumped, unable to answer as my elegant plan falls to tatters before I even have a chance to fake it. Of course they would have a way to verify who was who, they planned for everything. As I stay silent she begins to raise her gun again, I panic and spurt out an answer hoping to delay her for even a single moment as I figure out a way live.
"Last year on your birthday when we planned this"
It's a pointless stab in the dark and we both know it. I can see it in her lovely eyes as she raises her ballista gun to eye level and aims it straight at my chest. Distantly I think to myself my voice doesn't at all sound like my own.
"It's where we came to toss his mother's body after she died of starvation. She died trying to feed us. We were too young and weren't strong enough to drag her body anywhere further, so we brought it here and rolled it off the edge."
I stare into her beautiful haggard face and know that I can never understand her, can never say or do anything that would make her spare me after the life she has lived.
The fear returns stronger and deeper than ever, I feel death before me. I can fight or I can flee. Outside the hole is at least a forty foot drop to the rubbish strewn sewage river that runs through the slums. Time slows down till it feels like I am moving in syrup, I see Laura's hand tense up and squeeze the trigger. At the same time I jump back trying to flee my death, the pellet spray from her ballista gun moves towards me unbelievably fast, yet also takes what feels like an eternity to hit. When they do, they hit me in two places as I fall, one in the shoulder and one in the gut. I feel a piercing burn as foreign bodies rip through my flesh.
Then I'm falling, falling, falling.
"This is Michelle Njeri from KNC coming to you live from Kibera slums and the scene where just moments ago, GSS special unit officers attempted and succeeded in a daring rescue operation to save the kidnapped heir to the Sataricom fortune, Jake Ongari, who had been reported missing some time in the late hours of last night.
Now, standing before me whole and unharmed after his harrowing ordeal in the ghettos of Naitropolis is none other than Jake himself. Jake, its good to have you back safe and sound. Can you tell us what happened to you in there?"
"Thank you Michelle, I'm glad to be back but honestly its hard to say what happened. They drugged me and locked me away in a dark room. By the time I regained consciousness the GSS squad was untying me from the seat I was strapped to."
"Wow that is absolutely incredible Jake, just incredible. I can see the paramedics wish to get you to hospital, where we will be keeping our viewers updated with live reports on your health. But, before you go is there anything you would like to say to the people of Naitropolis?"
"Thank you for searching for me. I'm glad to be coming back home."
"Well there you have it ladies and gentlemen, the citizens of Naitropolis may rest easy once more now that the prodigal son has returned."
K.G. NDERITU
I grew up in an English boarding school somewhere in the Rift Valley. For the longest time I hated reading but I loved English! It was easy compared to math and science, and I understood it well. But reading for pleasure was not something I could imagine, until Harry Potter came out. That series of books did for me and millions like me the best favour I'd ever receive, it introduced me to fantasy and fiction that related to me. I'm forever gratefully for that.
Now I'm in my fourth year of a film production degree, and spend a fair amount of time writing scripts. I always had intentions of writing fiction outside of script writing but this short story marks my first real attempt. I've enjoyed the experience and plan to keep writing fiction in a semi professional form for as long as it keeps being fun.
The Kenyan Experiment : Episode 2
2. Forms of Protest II : Oaths & Stories
1. Forms of Protest I : The Two Prophets
The Kenyan Experiment
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FOOD ARCHIVES
Try This Contemporary Spin on Afternoon Tea at Langham Place Hotel
by Lauren Mowery
Lauren Mowery for the Village Voice
If your impression of afternoon tea at New York's vaunted hotels ranges from staid service to high prices to sad tea bags, you'd mostly be correct. Langham Place (400 Fifth Avenue), the luxury hotel brand founded in London (and origin of the concept of hotel tea service), hopes to reverse that perception with its modern twist on the traditional affair at the New York Fifth Avenue location.
Service in Measure Lounge, which boasts high ceilings and low-slung furnishings in warm, brown tones, will begin on Saturday, March 28. I attended a preview of the pleasures to come this week. Perhaps the most important point to impress is that Langham Place does not skimp on tea quality.
Langham sources its loose leaf from upscale tea purveyor In Pursuit of Tea, and I had the opportunity to sit with the company's owner, Sebastian Beckwith, at the tasting. Already familiar with his penchant for the unique and rare (sometimes to the detriment of a sound business plan), and his dedication to spending time at origin, he informed me firsthand of the selections he'd chosen for the menu. Beckwith opted for a classic, bergamot-scented Earl Grey; a roasted rice and green tea Genmaicha, obtained from a small family farm near Mount Fuji; and a refreshing, herbal mint tea.
To pair with the teas, chef David Vandenabeele — a veteran of the Langham, London — has created an innovative menu with an appropriately contemporary presentation. Eschewing the classic, silver-plated, multi-tier tower, Vandenabeele organizes courses in hand-crafted wood and slate bento boxes. Edibles are updates on traditional finger-food categories: savory sandwiches, desserts, and scones with cream.
Rather than boring watercress and cucumber triangles, for example, Vandenabeele prepares a mini king crab roll, a warm scotch egg with curry mayonnaise, and hummus gougers. To replace classic desserts, Vandenabeele composes a passion fruit and chocolate macaron, cookie and cream profiterole (adorned with chopped Oreos), and a chocolate-dipped, cheesecake-filled strawberry. Finally, nutmeg and cinnamon scones with clotted cream and house-made jam will likely force patrons to concede defeat and cancel their dinner plans.
Reservations for tea service will be available on Open Table or by calling the hotel at 212-695-4005. Afternoon tea is served as a prix-fixe option, at a very reasonable $35 for adults and $20 for kids. Champagne and mini-cocktails can be added at an additional cost.
More:COFFEETEA


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Nail salons are ubiquitous, and so are labor violations
by Mark Pazniokas August 17, 2015 @ 4:39 pm Updated March 4, 2022 @ 10:39 pm
Creating nail art Creative Commons Photo by @Twingo
One salon paid its workers $4 an hour, less than half the Connecticut minimum wage of $9.15. Others failed to provide workers' compensation coverage, pay overtime or keep payroll records.
In the state's first systematic examination of the nail salon business, investigators fanned out to 25 salons and day spas, finding wage and hour violations at all but two – a 92 percent failure rate.
The investigation was prompted by a New York Times expose in May of the exploitation of salon workers in Manhattan, where immigrant workers were routinely cheated of wages.
"We definitely wanted to find out what the industry was like in Connecticut," said Gary Pechie, director of the wage and workplace standards division of the Department of Labor.
Pechie said Monday that a one-day inspection tour on Aug. 3 of 25 salons chosen at random from Yelp, the online rating service, found an unprecedented degree of wage-and-hour violations.
The continuing investigations already have yielded more than $100,000 in penalties and recovered $47,350 in wages owed employees, primarily for failure to pay the hourly minimum, Pechie said.
Stop-work orders were issued that temporarily shut down 23 salons, all of which have reopened. They are:
La Nails, American Nails, Modern Nails, Pink Nails, Touch Nails in Hartford
Magic Nail and Spa, Fashion Nail and Spa, Outo Nails in New Haven.
Fiji Nail Salon, Cozy Nail Salon, Classic Nails, Lux Nails, Ace Nails in Stamford.
Oasis Nails, Pretty Nail and Spa, Sera Nail Salon, Town Nails, Simply Nails in Branford.
Posh Nail and Spa, which has three locations, Queen Nail and Spa, and Finger Nails in Westport, Darien and Southport.
Pechie said the unannounced appearance of two-person investigation teams, who came equipped with questionnaires in Korean, Vietnamese and Chinese, caused an uproar.
"The biggest pushback was from customers. 'I have two fingernails done.' The customers got really angry with some of my people. We had to back them off a little bit and say, 'We'll let them finish your whole hand,' " Pechie said.
A summer staple of Pechie's division is inspecting construction sites for a common violation: Misclassifying employees as subcontractors, a dodge that saves contractors from paying workers' compensation costs, giving them a competitive disadvantage over legitimate businesses.
The Times article by Sarah Maslin Nir was based on interviews with more than 150 salon workers and owners. She found wage-and-hour violations hardly were a secret.
They were advertised: "Asian-language newspapers are rife with classified ads listing manicurist jobs paying so little the daily wage can at first glance appear to be a typo. Ads in Chinese in both Sing Tao Daily and World Journal for NYC Nail Spa, a second-story salon on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, advertised a starting wage of $10 a day."
The majority of salons in Connecticut are owned by Asian immigrants, and Pechie said his investigators found a widespread lack of understanding about rules for keeping payroll records, but nothing as egregious as an advertised daily rate of $10.
The worst Pechie's teams found was a pay rate of $40 for a 10-hour day.
The voice of the industry in Connecticut is Moo Yong Lee, a prominent civic leader in the Korean community who has owned a martial arts studio in East Hartford since 1974, not long after he emigrated to the U.S.
"We are contacting and trying to set up a good relationship with the labor department, to get more educated," said Lee, who represents the heavily Korean Nail and Spa Association of Connecticut.
Lee said Koreans own 395 of the estimated 900 salons in Connecticut.
Pechie said Lee and the association reacted constructively to the inspections by asking labor officials to conduct a one-day seminar on wage-and-hour laws. The event will take place Aug. 26 at a Korean church in Hamden.
Lee said many salon owners wrongly assumed they were exempt from the minimum wage, because their employees relied on tips, much like restaurant servers. He said the owners hope to lobby for a tip-credit law for salons.
"That's kind of the ultimate goal," he said.
Before the crackdown this month, the Department of Labor's only action against a nail salon came in Greenwhich after workers complained that their wages were withheld.
The department, which employs 31 investigators and agents to enforce wage-and-hour laws, recovered $130,000 in back wages in that case.
"We think it's important work," he said. "When somebody works, they should be paid properly."


The past week's been pretty hectic and this one promises to be the same. First came the last day at school, so shopping for teacher's gifts. Then came graduation day and all that it entailed! This was followed by the class year end picnic. And the inevitable mad rush, shopping for everyone back home. Followed by packing, weighing, repacking & reweighing!
Now, am all set to go. Passport - check, GC- check, PIO Card - check, Tickets - check. Just getting out. Going to India after almost 3 years. Really excited.


StingRay Cafe is a top merchant due to its average rating of 4.5 stars or higher based on a minimum of 400 ratings.
Promotional value expires 120 days after purchase. Amount paid never expires. Valid for dine-in only. Must provide 21+ ID to receive alcoholic beverages. Not valid on Trailblazers or Winterhawks game nights. Limit 1 per person, may buy 1 additional as gift(s). May be repurchased every 90 days. Limit 1 per visit. Limit 1 per table. Must use promotional value in 1 visit(s). Valid only for option purchased. Merchant is solely responsible to purchasers for the care and quality of the advertised goods and services.
The baristas of StingRay Cafe help awaken patrons with fresh espresso drinks, including cappuccinos and americanos, as well as tea, chai, and hot chocolate. Along with the frothy favorites, they whip up a host of snack-'em-ups, such as pizza bagels and mac 'n' cheese, or lunch boxes packed with a panini, chips, and a soda. Located within the Leftbank Project, StingRay Cafe is part of a network of small-business owners reusing city landmark buildings as commercial space, rather than letting them fall into disrepair or join a punk band and graffiti themselves.


Sabor de Siempre's selection of the best typical products from this land.
An extra virgin olive oil for all kinds of taste. An excellent olive oil from Alcañiz, Teruel, with an exceptional smoothness. Perfect for those who prefer olive oils with a milder flavour.
Ideal for every kind of use, whether in salads, on toasts or as an aperitif. A very exceptional premium oil.
Christmas without Fruits from Aragon it is not a propper Christmas! These little delicacies coated with dark chocolate shoul be presented in every Christmas table.
Taste this typical product of Aragon and have the experience of an artisan flavor party in your mouth.
Laus Oak is a wine with Designation of Origin Somontano, made with three types of grapes that complement each other perfectly: 55% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Tempranillo.
A soft and fruity red wine that will leave a pleasant and sweet memory on your palate.
Excellent gift for those who like to give away an affordable quality ham.
Laus Flor de Gewürztraminer is a white wine with Designation of Origin Somontano, made with the Gewürztraminer grape variety.


Don't forget about the FUN contest! Here is a picture of my Mom who is having a Milestone Birthday this May. Guess her age, on the nose, and win a skein of Blue Moon Fiber Arts "Knitters Without Borders" in Lightweight plus another skein of BMFA STR in a weight & color way that is the winner's preference (plus other fun goodies).
Just leave a comment by Friday May 2, Noon PST.
So, come on- Step Right Up and give a guess. If you know shhh and one guess per customer!
Step Right Up, leave a comment with your guess!
Tomorrow morning bright and early I am off to Sock Camp. The car is packed, permission slips for field trips signed and children hugged and kissed.
We had Duncan's big 5 year old birthday party on Saturday and it was wonderful.
Here is a super cute if a little dark picture of my Mom & Duncan.
This year is really a year of milestones- Craig & I will be married 10 years, Duncan turns 5, I turn 40 in August, my Mom turns "X".
We FINALLY sold our house in Virginia after almost 12 months on the market! Yea!! Angels singing!
Love to you and hopefully I will blog from Camp.
If you are reading- THANK YOU!!
Today my baby turns 5. What a cacophony of emotion. It is thrilling that logic and reason are starting to creep in and heartbreaking that there are no babies in the house.
Every Friday Duncan gets out of school at noon, so we have some special time just the two of us. Each and every Friday he says, as he gets in the car: "Mama, can we have a Gluten Fest and then go to the fabric store?" So off we go for pizza (we are a gluten free house- big brother has Celiac) and about half way through lunch, Duncan says to me :"Mama, do you think the fabric store has anything new for my stash?"
Happy Birthday Duncan. You have my heart- always.
Love to all of you- back with much to tell.


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[Tripod]MajorPayne
Recent content by [Tripod]MajorPayne
NVIDIA GPU Generational Performance Part 1 @ [H]
Really enjoyed the article, especially because I just upgraded from a GTX 760 to a GTX 1070 Ti, so I know firsthand how large the performance jump can be when going up multiple generations. One question: In 2013, how many people were even playing at 1440p? I don't really think 2K monitors were...
Forum: Video Cards
New Zealand Makes Cyberbullying A Crime
Another nail in the coffin of free speech worldwide.
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Uber France CEO Taken Into Custody
Uber is providing a service that is functionally identical (ride for hire) to the one that taxi drivers provide. The government has long regulated taxis in a very heavy-handed manner, some would say for good reasons, such as ensuring that people who get in a cab are doing so with a licensed and...
In Wake Of Hack, No Federal Background Checks
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Disney World Theme Parks Banning Selfie Sticks
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Revenge Porn Is Becoming a Criminal Offense in U.K.
I completely agree with your sentiment - people whose photos are posted publicly (or online) by a former trusted partner are absolutely victims. The people who post photos of their exes that were intended for private use only are committing a criminal act, in my opinion. However, I'm not...
Treasury Dept: Tor a Big Source of Bank Fraud
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European Parliament Votes in Favor of Breaking Up Google
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1-in-3 Jobs Will Be Taken By Robots Or Software By 2025
You know, there's always a possibility that using robots to do menial, repeatable, hazardous, or undesirable jobs will just free up people to perform other economic activity that better benefits society. Instead of paying people to make our food, we can pay them to do something else that adds...
Most of Crytek's UK Staff Have Stopped Going to Work
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Should the US Regulate Broadband Internet Access as a Utility?
Pretty sure the broadband problem and net neutrality could be solved pretty easily with two words: "common carrier". Regulate Internet traffic as a common carrier just like the phone system, which protects the internet companies from prosecution based on the data that travels down their lines...
Amazon Granted 'Photography Against A White Background' Patent
You could if you set up the arrangement to do something novel, innovative, and non-obvious to one skilled in the art. If you take a standard lighting setup and swap one of the lights for blue, you have NOT created a novel arrangement. You've done something that would be obvious to someone...
I don't see anything novel or innovative about this methodology. It's like they've attempted to patent a set of instructions on how to use existing technology, which isn't really patentable. They haven't developed a new piece of equipment or a new method of producing something unique, they've...
Google Wants to Teach You How to Breastfeed Your Baby
So the information is available in several formats already (healthcare industry, books, person-to-person advice, training sessions), and you guys are all upset that Google is now making it available in an electronic format? Seems odd.


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package br.com.uol.pagseguro.api.preapproval.search;

import java.io.IOException;
import java.util.Map;

import br.com.uol.pagseguro.api.Endpoints;
import br.com.uol.pagseguro.api.PagSeguro;
import br.com.uol.pagseguro.api.common.domain.DataList;
import br.com.uol.pagseguro.api.exception.PagSeguroLibException;
import br.com.uol.pagseguro.api.http.HttpClient;
import br.com.uol.pagseguro.api.http.HttpMethod;
import br.com.uol.pagseguro.api.http.HttpRequestBody;
import br.com.uol.pagseguro.api.http.HttpResponse;
import br.com.uol.pagseguro.api.utils.CharSet;
import br.com.uol.pagseguro.api.utils.PagSeguroCommand;
import br.com.uol.pagseguro.api.utils.RequestMap;
import br.com.uol.pagseguro.api.utils.logging.Log;
import br.com.uol.pagseguro.api.utils.logging.LoggerFactory;

/**
 * Search pre approval by interval
 *
 * @author PagSeguro Internet Ltda.
 * @see PreApprovalSummary
 * @see PagSeguroCommand
 */
class PreApprovalSearchByInterval implements
    PagSeguroCommand<DataList<? extends PreApprovalSummary>> {

  private static final Log LOGGER =
      LoggerFactory.getLogger(PreApprovalSearchByInterval.class.getName());

  private final Integer interval;

  /**
   * Constructor
   *
   * @param interval Interval in days
   */
  PreApprovalSearchByInterval(Integer interval) {
    this.interval = interval;
  }

  /**
   * Execute search by interval
   *
   * @param pagseguro  Pagseguro
   * @param httpClient Http Client
   * @return Pre Approval list
   * @see PreApprovalSummary
   * @see DataList
   * @see PagSeguro
   * @see HttpClient#execute(HttpMethod, String, Map, HttpRequestBody)
   */
  @Override
  public DataList<? extends PreApprovalSummary> execute(PagSeguro pagseguro,
                                                        HttpClient httpClient) {
    LOGGER.info("Iniciando busca assinatura por intervalo de data de notificoes");
    LOGGER.info("Convertendo valores");
    final RequestMap map = new RequestMap();
    map.putInteger("interval", interval);
    LOGGER.info("Valores convertidos");
    final HttpResponse response;
    try {
      LOGGER.debug(String.format("Parametros: %s", map));
      response = httpClient.execute(HttpMethod.GET,
          String.format(Endpoints.PRE_APPROVAL_SEARCH_BY_INTERVAL, pagseguro.getHost(),
              map.toUrlEncode(CharSet.ENCODING_UTF)), null, null);
      LOGGER.debug(String.format("Resposta: %s", response.toString()));
    } catch (IOException e) {
      LOGGER.error("Erro ao executar busca assinatura por intervalo de data");
      throw new PagSeguroLibException(e);
    }
    LOGGER.info("Parseando XML de resposta");
    DataList<? extends PreApprovalSummary> preApprovalsSummary = response.parseXMLContent(pagseguro,
        PreApprovalSearchResponseXML.class);
    LOGGER.info("Parseamento finalizado");
    LOGGER.info("Busca assinatura por intervalo de data finalizada");
    return preApprovalsSummary;
  }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Piano finish laminate flooring is the ultimate way to add a glow to your home. When deciding what kind of floor will be perfect for your home, you may no longer want that typical old wood look. Thanks to the newest technology, your selection of laminate styles has expanded to the newest generation laminate flooring featuring a super shiny piano finish.
These revolutionary floors have a revolutionary crisp decor layer to get the clearest detail and truest colors. You can decide you want to go with a very modern flooring. Choose a color flooring that you can style no matter what theme you are feeling! This is one of the reasons why this flooring style has become so popular.
When To Use Piano Finish Laminate Flooring?
If your space is small and dark, piano finish laminate may be the best option for your project. The glow reflects nearly all light and makes any space feel bright and fresh. In a large space, the gleam of the gloss gives a rich and luxurious feel. You can also use this flooring to make a statement in your home! If you don't like the idea of focal walls, how about a focal floor? Use this flooring to make a statement you can be happy with for many years down the road.
Order a free sample today and see the glow yourself. It is truly astonishing and hard to believe that a glow so natural and beautiful can be so affordable.
What is Laminate Flooring Texture?
What does knife finish laminate flooring mean?
Lovely looking range. Can we possibly have some information on supplying this in the UK. We currently supply a range of flooring like Karndean, Amtico and Quick-Step.
Hi Will, we'd recommend reaching out to Elesgo directly. They are based in Germany and supply most of our high-gloss looks.
Where is Diamond Living laminate manufactured?
Sara, all Piano finish floors including Diamond Living and Armstrong Grand Illusions by Armstrong are made in China.
I had this flooring installed a couple of weeks ago, and so far it is great. It looks beautiful and seems to be very durable. I had installed it in my home before i was finished with the remodel, and it has withstood some very rough carpenters(me included) and i cant find a single flaw in it. It seems to be a great product and would surely recommend it.
Wondering how DL likes the Santa Fe Oak Home Legend now that is installed. We want to get the same thing, but have read some negative reviews that are scaring us away.
Another option for you will be Armstrong Grand Illusions – check all colors available at http://www.bestlaminate.net. You can order free samples online.
Anyone used the Diamond Living laminate? Found a pretty good deal on it but cannot find any reviews.
I just ordered and received the Home Legends Brand Laminate Flooring, Santa Fe Oak color, with Piano Finish, through Home Depot. It's absolutely STUNNING and BEAUTIFUL!!! I LOVE IT!!!!
Quick-Step also has a piano finish collection called Allustra. You can see this collection online at http://us.quick-step.com/?dir=products&page=viewSeries&series=25.


text:
from office365.runtime.resource_path import ResourcePath
from office365.runtime.resource_path_service_operation import ResourcePathServiceOperation
from office365.sharepoint.file import AbstractFile

class AttachmentFile(AbstractFile):
    """Represents an attachment file in a SharePoint List Item."""

    def set_property(self, name, value, persist_changes=True):
        super(AttachmentFile, self).set_property(name, value, persist_changes)
        # fallback: create a new resource path
        if name == "ServerRelativeUrl":
            self._resource_path = ResourcePathServiceOperation(
                "GetFileByServerRelativeUrl", [value], ResourcePath("Web"))


text:
Developer Plans Major New Downtown Cleveland Project
Stark provided a rendering of project, called nuCLEus, to county council last night.
Nick Castele
Stark Enterprises wants to build two towers just north of Quicken Loans Arena. The towers would house office space, hotel rooms -- and add around 500 apartments to downtown Cleveland.
Developer Bob Stark says one tower could rise around 35 stories. But what gets him excited is the prospect of new shops and restaurants a short walk across the road from eateries on East 4th.
"In the '60s, in the '70s, in the '80s, we built buildings that forgot about what that street is about," Stark told Cuyahoga County Council yesterday afternoon. This should be the opposite. There shouldn't be one inch of frontage of the buildings involved here that isn't active.
Some of those storefronts will line a pedestrian-only path that cuts between the two buildings at street level.
Stark told council the total cost of the project could be near $400 million, roughly. He's asking for a $3 million loan from the county's casino revenue fund. Council members generally sounded receptive at the meeting, but haven't voted on the loan.
Today, Cleveland City Council will consider giving the development a break on some property taxes.


text:
Eating Disorders: Prevalence, Introduction and Treatment
When we hear the words eating disorder, the majority of us think of anorexia or bulimia, extreme dieting and those screaming headlines featuring pictures of underweight girls one can stumble upon at some point on social media. Meanwhile, a systematic review including 94 studies (time period 2000-2018) looking at the prevalence of eating disorders globally found the weighted mean of lifetime eating disorders to be 8.4% for women and 2.2% for men. Point prevalence of eating disorders is 4.6% in America, 2.2% in Europe, and 3.5% in Asia.
Distorted eating is suggested to affect around up to 8% of the population at least at some point in life.
Eating disorders are not diets, "bad habits", purely environmental or behavioral, nor are the skinny people, or people who eat little/a lot or even about food.
While many neuropsychological disorders are correctly associated with eating problems, others go beyond food intake and can be caused by a variety of factors. Let's take it one step at a time and familiarize ourselves with eating disorders (EDs as it is commonly referred to in the literature).
EDs are increasing in prevalence, making this a pressing topic in healthcare institutions worldwide. Distorted eating is suggested to affect around up to 8% of the population at least at some point in life, which means that if you have 300 friends on Facebook ,,roughly 24 of them would be affected". Some reports suggest a much lower rate, which would represent a cross-sectional prevalence, meaning at this particular time or prevalence of one particular ED.
Even though it is more common for women to be diagnosed with an ED, men are also affected. The gender stigma on EDs is particularly harmful as it creates a limiting environment for seeking out help.
The notion that EDs are "dieting" falls very short of reality, given that a restricted food intake manifests usually only in anorexia nervosa.
The variety of EDs are broadly categorized into:
Anorexia Nervosa (AN).
Bulimia Nervosa (BN).
Binge Eating Disorder (BED).
PICA.
Rumination Disorder.
Avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder.
Night eating disorder (and more).
My advice would be to be critical of literature, consider the source and its references, but more importantly never ever try to diagnose yourself or your close one, even if you are concerned.
The staggering amount of questionnaire or checklist-like self-assessment tools on the internet is seriously concerning and instead of helping the situation, more often than not makes it worse - encourages stigma, unhealthy feeding behaviors, misdiagnoses, and alternatively scares the assessment takers.
If you are considering that your feeding behavior might be unhealthy, at all times, contact a physician. It can be extremely uncomfortable and scary to take that step, and if so, try talking to a close someone or reach out through a validated psychological health helpline first (those contacts can be usually found in government health websites).
Before getting into details of the different EDs, it is important to understand what EDs are not. They are not diets, "bad habits", purely environmental or behavioral, nor are the skinny people, or people who eat little/a lot or even about food. EDs are serious mental health disorders that manifest through distorted feeding behaviors, which in some cases have very little or nothing to do with food altogether (E.g., PICA, an eating disorder that manifests through ingesting inedible substances or objects).
The contemporary literature lately yielded a strong body of evidence that EDs start "in the brain". It has been shown that EDs are linked with altered neurobiology within the brain and exhibit a different pattern of functional connections between regions. Granted, the three most common EDs, namely AN, BN, and BED exhibit an unhealthy relation between an individual and food, however, the underlying cause of developing an ED is far more complex. To date, there is no single recognised basis for EDs, but it has been suggested that different EDs do share a number of traits and behaviors. This is referred to as the transdiagnostic view of eating disorders.
The transdiagnostic view recognises that the psychological mechanisms and processes that maintain the distorted feeding behaviors are largely similar in different EDs, therefore, it is proposed that if it is possible to change that behavior in one of the EDs, it should be similarly effective in other EDs, too. This view of EDs has been fruitful in terms of treatment options available. Enhanced Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) has been suggested to be one of the most effective treatment options.
This treatment approach has been developed during the 1970s and 1980s, with its original goal of treating BN, however, with adoption of the transdiagnostic view of EDs, it is currently widely applied to treat all EDs. CBT-E has been primarily developed for treating adult patients, yet currently, with some adjustments is being applied to adolescent patients. As it is the case with the majority of neuropsychological disorders, EDs are not an exception, where treatment is lengthy, involving both therapy and prescription medication. The efficacy of CBT-E has been reported to be as high as 60%, however, there are differences between studies and populations.
Additionally, the differences in diagnosis, prevalence, and treatment outcome is at least in part explained by the fact that EDs are commonly accompanied by other neuropsychological disorders, such as obsessive compulsive disorder, depression, substance use disorders, and anxiety. As with any neuropsychological disorder, support from clinician, family, or friends is essential. In people suffering from ED, it has been shown that family or friend support increases the success rate for long term remission, hence encouraging those suffering to open up to people around them.
Can Youth Sports Reverse the Obesity Epidemic?
Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID). Tips for Parents
Insidious Bulimia Nervosa: Developments, Symptoms, and Referring for Help
Anorexia Nervosa: Inside One of the Most Prevalent Eating Disorders
Sam Andrews
prefix 2 days ago
Yikes! My daughter just revealed to me this morning that one of her colleagues is a bulimic who struggles to stop such a life-threatening habit. In my opinion, his only option now is to consult a therapist to ensure he can recover as soon as possible. It was thoughtful of you to talk about certain medications and therapies that are effective in combatting eating disorders.


Percussion ensemble: What is it?
You are here: Home / Arts and Entertainment / Percussion ensemble: What is it?
Senior Caleb Breidenbaugh plays a marimba.
Percussion ensemble is a group that uses marimbas, vibraphones, bells, and other keyboard instruments to rehearse and perform during the school year. Directed by Luke Helker, the ensemble plays a variety of contemporary classical music. The group has 18 members total, and its participants are Penn Manor High School students.
Despite how new percussion ensembles are, this is not Penn Manor's first year at it.
Helker enjoys teaching students who are eager enough to try something new and helps them learn musical "history, theory, and etiquette" to prepare them for a musical career or path they might choose in the future.
While there are no openings for students to join this semester, the group will have openings available for the spring semester.
The ensemble rehearses at the high school every Thursday from 6-9 p.m. during the school year. Rehearsals are held in the band room (249).


Nothing hurts in having some extra Mangoes in your life, and if these Mangoes come into the system thanks to some homemade recipe, the feeling is special.
Bengaluru-based Nandita Iyer, has come up with a new two-ingredient Mango Ice-Cream recipe and it is currently trending on the internet for all the right reasons. Nandita's recipe is incredibly easy to make and at the same time, packs that Mango punch that we need to quench our Ice-cream cravenness.
Keep this in the freezer for another 15 minutes before serving and if you want, top it off with more mangoes.
And the best part about this is that you could experiment with more fruits like Papaya, Banana and more instead of Mangoes.
Tune into Cookbook for more recipes, foodie fun and more. You can also search for recipes through the Facebook messenger by simply messaging our Facebook page.


With a stay at La Quinta Inn & Suites Chattanooga-Hamilton Place in Chattanooga, you'll be in the business district, within a 10-minute drive of Hamilton Place Mall and Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum. This hotel is 9.9 mi (16 km) from Chattanooga Riverfront and 8.8 mi (14.2 km) from Chattanooga Zoo.
Make yourself at home in one of the 82 air-conditioned rooms featuring refrigerators and flat-screen televisions. Your bed comes with down comforters, and all rooms are furnished with double sofa beds. Complimentary wireless Internet access keeps you connected, and cable programming is available for your entertainment. Private bathrooms with shower/tub combinations feature complimentary toiletries and hair dryers.
Be sure to enjoy recreational amenities including an indoor pool and a fitness center. This hotel also features complimentary wireless Internet access, a television in a common area, and a picnic area.
Grab a bite from the grocery/convenience store serving guests of La Quinta Inn & Suites Chattanooga-Hamilton Place. A complimentary hot/cold buffet breakfast is included.
La Quinta Inn & Suites Chattanooga-Hamilton Place is pet friendly. The pet fee is $20 per accommodation, per night.


A 2-year-old boy from Nebraska has been attacked and dragged into the water by an alligator at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa.
The boy was with his family near the shore of the Seven Seas Lagoon in Orlando, Florida when he was dragged away by an alligator late on Tuesday.
His father entered the water but failed to release the boy from the alligator's jaws.
According to WFTV reports, more than 50 deputies are currently searching for the child.
Four alligators have so far been taken from the lake and killed for examination, but no evidence of the boy has been found, police said.
It has been a tragic week for the Orlando area. A gunman massacred 49 people early Sunday at an Orlando gay club in the deadliest mass shooting in US history.


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Home / Issues / March 1938 / INTERNATIONAL TROPHY RACE-BROOKLANDS
INTERNATIONAL TROPHY RACE-BROOKLANDS
INTERNATIONAL TROPHY RACE BROOKLANDS INTERESTING FEATURES IN REGULATIONS
There is something new in the way of prizes for the J.C.C.'s International Trophy Race at Brooklands on May 7th.
In races of this character it sometimes happens that certain of the cars entered are at a disadvantage on the score of age and, realising this, the Club is offering a special award of ,,,150 for which the entrants of cars raced prior to January 1st, 1937, will be eligible to compete.
The award in question will be made to the entrant of the car which, complying with the condition referred to, is placed highest in the general classification of results and which does not finish in the first three. The principal awards are : lst—L250 cash ; the Wakefield Trophy (value £100);
the S.M.M. & T. Challenge Trophy (with replica in miniature). 2nd—i100 cash. 3rd.—i50 cash. 4th—Trophy presented by Charles Follett Ltd.
There is a cash prize of E,100 presented by Joseph Lucas, Ltd., for the first British car, and handsome trophies for individual group winners are given by Clement Talbot Ltd., "The Autocar " and the 13.A.R.C., together with additional cash prizes presented by S. Smith and Sons (M.A.) Ltd. A perusal of the Regulations for the International Trophy Race reveals the interesting fact that the engine capacity limits for the three groups have been modified as follows :
Group 1—For cars with supercharged engines up to 1,100 c.c.
For cars with unsupercharged engines up to 1,750 c.c.
Group 2—For cars with supercharged engines over 1,100 c.c., but under 1,750 c.c.
For cars with unsupercharged engines over 1,750 c.c.
Group 3—For cars with supercharged engines over 1,750 c.c. Entries at single fees (420 per car)
close on March 81st. Copies of the Regulations and Entry Forms are available from the General Secretary. Junior Car Club, Empire House, Brompton Road, lAridon, S.W.7.
2002 Monte Carlo Rally: the arrival of Sebastien Loeb
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Formula 1: Drive to Survive season 2 will release on February 28 ahead of the 2020 F1 season. Formula 1 confirmed the release date of the eagerly anticipated second season,…
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The third installment of our 'week in motor sport' series. This week Rob Widdows and Ed Foster discuss the Malaysian Grand Prix, the Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso penalties and…
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The Lotus offering F1 to the rest of us, updated
A high-performance 'nearly' F1 machine heads to auction This car certainly has a highly unusual conception. But surely few cars available for auction can match this 2013 Lotus T125 for sheer performance.…
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The Low-Density Supersonic Decelerator (LDSD) touches down gently in the Pacific Ocean.
Over the weekend, a giant balloon carried NASA's Low-Density Supersonic Decelerator (LDSD) up to 120,000 feet over Hawaii and then let it go. The flying saucer then began a half hour of powered flight, at the end of which it set down in the Pacific Ocean.
"The test vehicle worked beautifully, and we met all of our flight objectives," NASA project manager Mark Adler said in a statement. "We have recovered all the vehicle hardware and data recorders and will be able to apply all of the lessons learned from this information to our future flights."
This was the first of three scheduled tests for the flying saucer project. Beyond looking totally badass, the point of the LDSD is to test new landing technologies for future missions such as a return from Mars. The bowl shape is designed to dissipate the heat created as a supersonic craft reenters the atmosphere and must slow down enormously to land.


Dr. Bruce L. Rothschild, DDS, has come to be a top option if you're looking for a family dentist near Pearl River NY or the rest of the local area as a result of providing high quality dental care in an environment that's inviting and caring. You can be sure to be able to receive high quality comprehensive dental services from our experienced and proficient staff. Dr. Rothschild can offer gentle care, expertise, integrity, and even a sense of humor, making him the choice of many for a local dentist in Montvale NJ.
Dr. Rothschild, DDS provides a broad variety of services as a cosmetic dentist near Pearl River NY. Such services include teeth whitening, routine examinations for both children and adults, and cosmetic dentistry services at a facility that's state of the art. Our facility meets and occasionally even surpasses all standards for OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) and CDC (Center for Disease Control), and our staff is professional and well trained. The cutting-edge dental techniques and equipment we use will supply you with cosmetic and family dentistry services which will fulfill your requirements in a comfortable atmosphere. Dr. Rothschild's mission as a recommended family dentist in Montvale NJ is to offer patients a place that's caring and relaxing for your everyone in your family to maintain a smile that's healthy, which is the reason our facility has attained such a great reputation.
Providing family dentistry services including crowns, fillings, prophylactic cleanings and treatment, Dr. Rothschild, DDS is additionally a top tooth whitening and cosmetic dentist in Pearl River NY. Thanks to extensive experience, he is able to make a recommendation for a tooth whitening remedy that is going to best suit your needs from the range of choices for tooth whitening services offered. Depending on if any dental work has been previously done and the results of your assessment, one of several teeth whitening alternatives will have to be chosen. Office teeth whitening treatments, at home treatments, and veneers are examples of these alternatives.
A state of the art facility with the most cutting edge dental equipment in the realm of cosmetic dentistry enables Dr. Rothschild to mend any cracked or chipped tooth and straighten any smile. Discover for yourself the reason Bruce L. Rothschild, DDS has gained a reputation as a leading local dentist in Pearl River NY by contacting us right away and making an appointment.