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Consuming a Modern Day Paleo Diet – Interview with Greg Battagli
The paleo diet is defined by eating meat, fish, vegetables, fruits, plants, nuts and seeds. But
should we be concerned, or at least aware of the modern modifications we often implement
to create a meal? Are we eating paleo with too many modifications, or do we hold the ability
to create an even more nutritiously dense meal and obtain better health than our ancestors?
What if we could find out the exact foods our closest genetic ancestors ate and mimicked
that to our diet as close as possible, would we obtain the same good health our ancestors
had, or has our environment changed too much that our bodies now require more?
To obtain a better insight I spoke with Greg Battaglia.
The paleo or paleolithic diet is one which bases the concept of the foods available to our
hunter gatherer ancestors, which ultimately breaks down to foods provided and found in
nature, without the necessity or addition of modern food techniques, chemicals,
preservatives or processing. The fundamentals of the paleo diet provide us with the basic
guidelines and principles we should apply to our diets and lifestyle today; not necessarily the
exact foods available to our ancestors within their environment.
But the question then arises, are we ultimately in a position now where we are fortunate
enough to have a large range of food sources we can choose from ‐ and have the ability to
achieve even greater health than our ancestors because of this. Or should we possibly be
avoiding many of the food sources our ancestors wouldn't have had available and/or in the
amount they would have had available, because our genes are still adapted from the more
minimal food sources our ancestors consumed and had available?
It is known that our ancestors had good health and didn't suffer from chronic illness as we
do today. Ultimately the diet of our ancestors varied somewhat depending on where they
lived, their environmental climates as well as other factors.
Ancestors living around Canada would live mostly of fresh salmon, deer, elk, berries and
plants. Whereas ancestors living around Africa would have lived on plant roots and animals.
And then there are the Aboriginals in Australia who live off the land who eat animals, bugs,
plants, native nuts and honey.
But research shows all our ancestors had good health ‐ because they where eating natural
food sources available. But if this changed, and Aboriginals suddenly lived in Canada, eating
salmon and berries, and ancestors in Africa suddenly lived in the outback of Australia ‐
would they all still have vibrant health?
This is a great question that I've pondered myself self many times. I can't say that I have an
exact answer. I personally look at paleo as an explanation for why certain dietary strategies
work rather than a prescription, per se. For instance, the fact that many people are gluten
intolerant can be explained using the paleo model. If gluten didn't cause any problems we
wouldn't tell people to not eat grains simply because our ancestors didn't. I guess what I'm
saying is that the paleo model can guide our ideas, but ultimately solid science must be there
to confirm it.
In terms of diets differing based on geographic locating, there is some evidence that isolated
groups develop adaptations to certain foods. For instance, the people on the island of Okinawa
have developed a salivary enzyme that is used specifically for breaking down starches
contained in rice, whereas people of European descent do not have this specific enzyme. This
is obviously due to the fact that Okinawans have been eating a lot of rice for a long time and
somehow were able to develop some adaptations to it.
I think it's also important to consider that probably not all of our ancestors in the Paleolithic
were necessarily healthy. Some probably had to survive long periods on limited food sources
and indeed developed deficiencies. Others probably survived in a lush environment with a
wide variety of nutrient dense foods and flourished with excellent health. I think at the end of
the day the goal is this:
1. Get all essential nutrients needed
2. Avoid things that cause problems (possibly grains, dairy, legumes)
Whether all of our ancestors were able to do this or not is irrelevant to our modern needs. The
fact that the Australian Aboriginals, the Inuit, and the Kalahari Bushmen were able to survive
for so long suggests that all of their diets met the 2 previous requirements. If they didn't, they
would have died off pretty fast, as I'm sure happened to plenty of cultures that failed to thrive.
I think the main reason that paleo works so well is because it simply removes the stuff that we
know to cause problems. Whether you eat lots of fish, broccoli, spinach, and collard greens or
lots of beef, cauliflower, carrots, and sweet potatoes (not saying that you can eat just those
foods and meet all nutritional requirements) and end up meeting all your macro and
micronutrient and calorie needs you'll be healthy since you met your needs and avoided the
stuff that's going to cause damage in the first place.
Our current environment and lifestyle is far different from that which our ancestors had.
What other aspects of our hunter gatherer's lifestyle should we consider to implement in
addition to following the paleo diet food principles, which could ultimately enhance our
health even further?
I think an area that is majorly lacking in many discussions of evolutionary fitness (but certainly
not all) is the psychological aspect of evolutionary fitness. We often hear about what we
should eat, how we should exercise, how many hours of sleep to get each night, what
supplements to take, and other tangibles. But what we don't often address is the primal mind
and how our evolutionary environment has shaped our minds and way to optimize the
function of mind to adapt to industrial living while remaining happy and healthy.
Something that I've noticed and I say this out of compassion, not criticism, is that we
sometimes adopt a primal lifestyle in the tangible sense but do nothing to change our mind‐
set. We still attach our identity to material things and seek happiness and gratification from
external things like shopping, watching TV, drinking, and possessions. We even identify
ourselves by how much money we make, or what cloths we wear and attempt to use this as an
attempt to attain fulfillment. Contrast this with our hunter‐gatherer ancestors who had few
possessions and lived a nomadic existence. The only things they needed for happiness were
food and shelter, social interaction with their tribe and intimate relationships. Now don't get
me wrong, I fall into these same materialistic and consumerist holes sometimes, and I'm
certainly not perfect, but I do feel that it is critical to take some measures to take a step back
and make note of what is really important in our lives and put our main focus on those things.
Indeed, research has shown that money only improves happiness to the extent that it helps
one achieve their basics needs of living and comfort, whereas health is a much more accurate
indicator of happiness.
So, in essence, the take‐home message of this is that our mental perspectives should, ideally,
be focused on the things that really matter in life, like health, family, friends, and what we're
passionate about. That's not to say we should all just go live in shack somewhere and not make
money, but that we should not lose sight of what is most important and not sacrifice quality of
life just to make more money that is not really needed for happiness.
A good way of improving our primal minds that our ancestors didn't have to use is meditating.
Our ancestors certainly weren't sitting around meditating or practicing strategies to become
more present‐minded‐ they had enough down time during their daily activities to not need any
stress relief techniques to keep their stress response in check‐ but meditation has been
supported by scientific findings to lower the stress response, promote a stronger immune
system, decrease blood pressure, reduce chronic pain, improve cognitive function, and
improve sleep quality. The good news is that you don't have to sit around with your legs
crossed like a Buddhist monk to get the benefits of meditation (unless you want to, of course).
The following are some great ways to "meditate":
1. Focus on your breath. When you feel stressed and are thinking about a million things just
slow down and focus on your breathing. Do this for at least a minute and focus on breathing in
deeply and then imagine that every breath out is a release of all the built up tension in your
body. Be completely aware of your body…..feel your body, so to speak, and feel it become
relaxed and loose. This can be very helpful.
2. Become more aware of your body and surroundings. A good quote by the famous
psychologist Erik Erikson's wife, Joan Erikson is "Get out of your mind and into your body."
What this means is that you focus on your senses. Most people in western societies have so
many responsibilities that our minds are always active to the point where the body goes into
autopilot and we completely lose touch with the present moment. We become completely
focused on, and worried about, what we have to do for the future or dwelling on things that
happened in the past rather than focusing solely on the present moment. The key to taking a
break from all this constant thinking is to focus on our senses. What do we see, hear, feel,
smell, or taste at this moment? Focus on it and you'll be present.
3. Practice flow. Flow is a mental state in which a person is completely immersed in an
activity that they are currently doing and any concept of time has been stripped away. It is an
intensely enjoyable state to be in and everyone has felt this at one time or another. The key to
activating it is to do any activity that you enjoy but that also offers a challenge, but not so
much of a challenge that it stresses you out..
4. Accept fully whatever circumstances arise in your life at any point in time. That's not to say
that you don't try to change undesirable circumstances if you're capable of doing so, it just
means that you don't complain or worry about whatever is happening in reality. For instance,
let's say you set up a picnic and tell all of your friends to come because there's supposed to be
nice weather. You get everything set up, bring your grill, a Frisbee for some fun afterward, etc.
Before you know it starts pouring rain as soon as everyone shows up. The natural instinct is to
flip out or complain, get agitated, feel like a victim, etc. But this does nothing but make the
situation worse. Instead, if we simply accept the situation for what it is and take action to fix it
as best possible we will avoid much suffering.
If something goes wrong we simply take action to fix it if possible, or if we can't fix it,
completely accept it for what it is. If we emotionally resist a situation that cannot be changed it
only causes unneeded stress that accomplishes nothing other than to decrease our quality of
life and health. If we complain or feel bad for ourselves it only intensifies our negative
perception of the situation. This sounds like common sense, but we humans can be highly
irrational beings, and this resistance to whatever the circumstances currently are in life is
widespread in western culture.
Another great way to improve your health that isn't always mentioned by proponents of
Primal living is by fostering good relationships and compassion for other human beings. In our
technologically advance societies it becomes increasingly easy and tempting to just throw on
the TV, computer, ipod, or whatever other distractions are available and ignore other people.
In fact, many people do just this on a daily basis and have minimal interaction with other
human beings, at least on any sort of compassionate level. Instead, turn that stuff off and talk
to a friend, family member, or just spark random conversation with interesting people that you
meet. Do things with people, stay socially active, laugh, smile, compliment people and go with
the flow. People will sense this and good relationships will be born.
Also, I know this response is a bit philosophical in nature overall, but another good one that
our ancestors probably didn't think about, or didn't have to at least, was what their purpose
was in life. Having a purpose in life is something that can propel us forward and keeps us
happy and motivated in day‐to‐day living. Many people in our society are told what's
important to them, how they should think and act, and what aspirations they should have in
life. Most people go to a job everyday that they hate just to pay the bills. They use their job as
a means for making money only, and don't enjoy the process. On Monday they can't wait until
the weekend because of their undesirable circumstances. This is another cause of the lack of
present‐mindedness mentioned above.
Our hunter‐gatherer ancestors likely found purpose in their daily hunting and other activities
and enjoyed the process. In our culture we need to think about it and develop an honest idea
of what's important to us in life and then embrace it fully and put all of our heart into it. I truly
believe that is a major key to both health and happiness throughout the lifespan.
On a more tangible note, something else that I think is good for people living in more northern
climates is a light box. Some people in northern climates literally do not see a significant
amount of bright sunlight for weeks or months depending on the location and season. A
10,000 lux light box can be used to simulate the effects of sunlight and has been well‐
researched and shown to have proven benefits in improving mood and preventing/treating
depression. The great part is that some insurance plans cover these things if your doctor
prescribes it. It can be turned on in the morning while eating breakfast and stimulates sensors
in the eyes that help to regulate circadian rhythm, resulting in more alertness and energy
during the day and an easier time falling asleep at night.
I promise this is the last one, but I think recreational dancing is a great addition to a primal
lifestyle. Our ancestors had ritualistic dance ceremonies around camp fires during the night to
entertain themselves and honor their gods. I'm personally a terrible dancer and it's not
something I even take seriously (It doesn't really need to be for our purposes anyway), but if I
go out to a bar with a group of friends and music is playing I'll often dance around and have a
good time just to sort of joke around and have a good laugh. It's great exercise, it makes me
laugh, and my friends get a kick out of my terrible dancing skills, which ties in with the whole
social aspect of primal living. I don't think this one is necessary, but for people who are more
outgoing it's definitely something fun and is actually really good, pumpy exercise that gets the
circulation going.
With all the outside environmental factors we are faced with on a daily basis which impacts
on our health negatively, i.e. stress, pollution and radiation, we are in a positive position
where we have the ability to take extra nutrition through supplementation which can be a
means of helping to balance out the negative impact our environment has on our body.
What supplements should we consider to add into our diets to help increase our nutrition?
Fish oil seems to be a big one.
When it comes to health, I believe that supplements should be kept to a minimum. The main
purpose of any supplement within the context of primal/paleo eating is to put something back
into your diet that you would be getting if you were eating an optimal paleo diet based on all
of the highest quality foods like pastured animal products and organic plant foods.
Unfortunately, not all of us can manage to do that and inevitably some supplements will be
needed to optimize health. Like you mentioned, fish oil is an excellent on that every paleo
dieter should be taking if they aren't eating all pastured animal products. 3g per day is what
most studies have found to have the health benefits of taking fish oils.
Another one that has worked well for many people is a high quality probiotic. Our paleo
ancestors consumed the organ meats of the wild animals that they hunted and the beneficial
bacteria that came along with the certain organs like the small intestines. They also consumed
adequate dietary fiber from non‐cereal plant foods and never had a chance to consume
refined sugar, which can disrupt the balance of intestinal bacteria.
Another supplement that is an absolute must in my book (along with fish oil) is vitamin D.
Indoor living has dramatically reduced our exposure to sunlight and consequently results in
low serum vitamin D levels. 2000 IU's/day is a safe upper limit for vitamin D supplementation if
you haven't had a blood test to measure your vitamin D status. However, for some people
2000 IU's will not be enough to bring serum level into the optimum range. That being said, I
highly suggest that all people taking vitamin D get their blood levels tested periodically to
determine the dosage that is appropriate for them.
Other than that, there are a few supplements that are optional but could be very beneficial for
some people. One of these is ZMA, which should be taken 30 minutes prior to bedtime. It
helps to improve quality of sleep and recovery from exercise, which is very useful for highly
active individuals and athletes.
L‐glutamine is an amino acid that can be taken during the transition phase from a typical
western diet to a lower carbohydrate paleo diet. The body can use L‐glutamine to fuel the
brain during the adaptation period to fat metabolism, while blood glucose level will be low and
cognition will suffer. It basically helps to ease the symptoms experienced while switching to
being a fat burner instead of a sugar burner.
Creatine monohydrate can be used to improve work capacity within an anaerobic domain and
has some nice research to back it up. It also may have other health benefits like improved
cardiac function and cognition.
Although our ancestors wouldn't have combined foods, we are now able to eat more than
one nutritious food source at any one time. Additionally, combining certain foods can help
the synergy of nutrients and help with digestibility. With that in mind, should we be
concerned with high calorie meals, high carb meals or liquid meals even if 100% of the
ingredients are paleo friendly? And does this ultimately begin to go outside the basic
principles of the paleo diet?
When it comes to food combining, I keep a very simple rule: never eat a meal that is both high
in fat and carbs. All meals should be either high in fat and protein or high in protein and carbs,
but never high in both fat and carbs. The reason for this is that the insulin spike that follows
carb consumption signals for fat molecules to be stored at the nearest adipose sites. If blood
insulin levels and blood fat levels are simultaneously elevated body composition will suffer
along with performance, as the body will be running on glucose rather than the more
consistent burning fat.
Don't get me wrong, calories still count when it comes to fat loss and body composition, but so
do macronutrients ratios and combinations. However, it's also important to understand when
to consume a protein/carb meal. The best time is post‐workout if you have a performance
goal. If I don't workout on a particular day I keep all of my meals high in protein and fat and
low in carbs, since my muscle didn't need any glycogen to be replace, hence the absence of a
post workout meal containing starchy carbs.
Here would be my recommendation:
For general health/longevity: 90% of the time eat high protein/high fat meals, even post
workout. Eat meals higher in paleo carbs occasionally to re‐calibrate insulin sensitivity.
For performance goals: Eat a high‐carb(starchy paleo carbs such as sweet potatoes, squash,
yams, etc.)/high protein meal post workout after metabolic conditioning workouts, but not
after strength work. The rest of your meals should be high protein/high fat/low carb.
For fat loss: Keep it low‐carb and zig‐zag your calorie intake. For instance, if you need to
consume 1500 calories per day to lose weight you would eat 1000 kcals one and then 2000
kcals the next day to "trick" your metabolism and hang onto muscle while still losing fat. This
actually has worked very well for me in the past and I highly recommend it. When I keep my
calorie intake the same everyday while cutting I start to notice problems with water retention,
and indication of excessive cortisol production. I also tend to lose muscle mass with that
method. On the zig‐zag approach I lose fat and keep muscle much easier.
When it comes to liquid meals and higher carb paleo meals the above suggestion should be
considered. It really depends on your goals. From a health perspective liquid meals are to be
avoiding due to insulin spikes, and like I said higher carb paleo meals from solid food should be
kept occasional. Some people can benefit from liquid post workout meals, but others will still
present signs of hypoglycemia and hyperinsulinemia. That being said, whole food is always
best, unless your running a marathon or some other long‐distance death grind that requires
high calorie/carb intake on the go that doesn't require tons of digestion.
I think it's important to understand that everything is goal‐dependent. If you want to live really
long and be super healthy you're going to have a different plan than if you want to run a
marathon and a different plan than if you want to become super strong. However, since the
paleo lifestyle is one based on health, longevity, and quality of life I think it's key to stay with
he basics.
Eat whole paleo foods, keep carb and fat meals separate, moderate calorie intake and don't
gorge, load up on veggies and pastured meats, incorporate some intelligent intermittent
fasting, develop some stress reducing techniques, exercise just enough to get the benefits, but
not enough to get injured or cause long‐term wear and tear. When you have goals that go
beyond that, such as performance or body composition goals, you have to stretch the paleo
concept and make some compromises with your lifestyle and sometimes with your health and
Source: http://www.livingpaleo.com/dev/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/The-Paleo-Diet.pdf


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Residence Hall Linens Program
Click here to link to the Residence Hall Linens program website. This program* provides the option for George Fox students to purchase extra-long bed linens. The university has given permission to the company to have linens delivered directly to Fox that will be available for students to pick up when they arrive. As a benefit to the university and the students, 10 percent of the cost of these linens comes back to Fox and is used to serve students. Please consider purchasing your linens from this program.
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subset: commoncrawl


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By Megha Rajagopalan and Adam Rose
BEIJING (Reuters) - China's crackdown on online "rumor-mongering", widely seen as a tool to halt criticism of the ruling Communist Party, has chilled political discourse, with high-profile bloggers saying they have reined in sensitive posts for fear of detention.
Lawyers and activists called the crackdown a significant, if crude, expansion of powers to police the Internet and a blow to those who rely on microblogs to disseminate information that is often not monitored as strictly as traditional media.
"I am really scared now that any whistleblowing might lead to an arrest," said Zhou Ze, a rights lawyer with more than 165,000 followers on the Twitter-like microblog Sina Weibo. "We all have to talk less, and more carefully."
It is common for politically sensitive posts to be taken down by censors and for users to be blocked, but recent detentions have sparked fears of harsher punishments.
At the heart of the issue is a judicial interpretation by China's top court that says bloggers can be prosecuted for posting rumours seen by more than 5,000 people, or forwarded more than 500 times.
"If rumours can lead to detention or arrest, everyone will fear for themselves and become particularly scared about criticizing officials, which we are seeing less of on the Internet," Zhou said.
An estimate of data provided to Reuters by Weiboreach, a social media data analysis firm, shows that in a random sample of 4,500 highly influential users known as "Big Vs", those with a self-reported occupation in government or academia had a much higher rate of deletion in August than those in entertainment.
The data does not differentiate between posts that users had deleted themselves and those that were deleted by authorities.
Analysts said the judicial interpretation specifically targeted the hundreds of Big Vs - "v" for verified - who send opinions, news and information to thousands or even millions of followers. Many are entrepreneurs, celebrities or academics.
Weibo users known for political and social commentary have been detained in recent weeks, enforcing fears that rumor-mongering is not the target of the law.
Wang Gongquan, an outspoken venture capitalist, was taken away by police on Friday on charges of disturbing public order after he helped lead a campaign for the release of another activist.
Well-known whistleblower Wu Dong, more commonly recognized by his online handle "Boss Hua", was taken into police custody in Beijing, the official Liberation Daily reported on its verified Weibo feed.
He said via Weibo on Wednesday that he had been released. His phone was off and he could not be reached for comment.
Wu, a watch lover, is one of many Weibo users who post about official corruption. He drew attention last year when he posted photos of expensive watches worn by government officials last year, helping to bring down one high-flying official.
Chinese-American venture capitalist Charles Xue was detained on charges of prostitution and appeared on state TV in handcuffs on Sunday to apologize, saying his status as a Big V had gone to his head.
"Freedom of speech cannot override the law," said Xue, who was known for outspoken comments on political and social issues online.
Spreading rumours is common on Weibo, and there is little protection against defamation.
"It's important that those who spread slander are held legally responsible," said Peng Jian, a lawyer with more than 100,000 followers on Weibo. "But if it's not implemented properly, it could suppress freedom of expression."
The problem, lawyers say, is that the interpretation takes a broad view of what constitutes a rumor.
"The goal is pretty obvious, and it's certainly not to suppress so-called rumours. In some sense that's just an excuse," said rights lawyer Mo Shaoping. "Most of the things people post on the Internet are just opinions and views. Those things shouldn't be suppressed."
Mo said he had stopped using Weibo two years ago under pressure from officials.
Legal experts said that the court's interpretation amounted to a broadening of authority to police the Internet, as if Weibo were a physical public space.
"It's a significant expansion because it criminalizes postings that were not criminalized before, and not only rumours and libelous comments," said Nicholas Bequelin, of New York-based Human Rights Watch.
Tong Zhiwei, a professor at East China University of Political Science and Law who has about 95,000 Weibo followers, said he had seen a rise in the number of his posts that had been censored in recent weeks.
"It's not so much the judicial interpretation per se that is affecting my comments," said Tong, who frequently comments on social issues from a legal perspective. "It's the atmosphere it has created."
Criticizing one-party rule was in effect forbidden already, Bequelin added.
"Nine tenths of the Internet population would be in prison if you were to apply this very strictly," Bequelin said. "But that is the root of China's regulation of freedom of expression."
The latest crackdown was also significant because it targeted Internet users who didn't see themselves as dissidents, said Sarah Cook of Freedom House, a U.S.-based group promoting political freedom and human rights.
"Now you're having a criminal judicial interpretation and then actual arrests of people who don't see themselves as political," Cook said. "The group of people being targeted is much wider."
(Additional reporting by Li Hui, Beijing Newsroom and Reuters TV; Editing by Nick Macfie)


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"Seeking a Friend for the End of the World" looked promising. While I'm not a huge fan of Steve Carell, the man has talent and he's often funny in that this-shouldn't-be-funny-why-am-I-laughing sort of way.
The basic premise of Seeking a Friend revolves around the end of the world, as one might have gathered from the title. A huge astroid is heading for earth, and the last ditch effort failed when 12 astronauts died enroute to do who knows what to the 7-mile wide rock. Everyone has three weeks to live, what will you do with your last 21 days?
I nearly walked out after about the first 20 minutes or so. A morose Dodge Peterson, played by Steve Carrel, is morbid, and even more uncomfortable than Michael Scott could hope to be. In one of the early scenes after his girlfriend leaves him, Dodge visits a friend who spends most of the time berating his wife. At a party later, the same husband helps his 6 year old daughter down an adult beverage, telling her "ride through the burn, honey, ride through the burn."
Keira Knightley is the narcoleptic (hyper-somniac), pot smoking hipster Penny, who suddenly realizes that all of her meaningless short-term relationships have led her to New York, an ocean away from her family back in England. She still has "meaningless, end-of-the-world" sex with Dodge.
If the first twenty minutes wasn't mind-numbing enough, toward the end of the film Dodge shows up on the front step of his estranged father's (Martin Sheen) house. The ensuing awkward and cliche "I'm sorry I wasn't there for you son / Don't talk about mom" is forced on the audience. Penny watches a tender moment where dad and son are on the porch swing playing their harmonicas together, but the earlier argument was simply too unbelievable to get past.
Yes, Dodge and Penny find each other and fall in love, the ones that they were meant to be with all along, but the whole thing feels forced and one dimensional. In the end, everyone dies.
In a bid to get the film over with and spare us additional agony, the writers provide one of the few redeeming qualities of this film. They decided that the scientists had gotten it wrong – the asteroid would arrive a week early.


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Climate Research
A new study, using tropical tree rings that go back 700 years, connects global warming with a more active ENSO. More >>
This Week in Climate News
Massive Iceberg Breaks off Pine Island Glacier in Antarctica
More Frequent, Stronger Hurricanes Worldwide: Study
Quebec Oil Train Explosion Visible from Space
From NASA
NASA's new polar rover, GROVER, passes its first Greenland test.
From NOAA
NOAA adds a new drought product, a monthly drought outlook (in addition to its previous seasonal outlook and weekly updates).
Tweetable Fact
Across the U.S., record highs have outpaced record lows by a bigger margin each decade http://bit.ly/11CYEPy
Climate Matters is on Facebook
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Story Highlights
Record highs have outpaced record lows by a bigger margin each decade.
Even with a record high temperature standing for 100 years, overall temperatures have been on the rise.
We include a special section on tropical weather.
Click here for a high-resolution version
Today marks the 100th anniversary of the all-time highest temperature ever recorded on Earth: 134°F, measured in Death Valley, California in July of 1913. The recent extreme heat across the West brought that record back into the spotlight. Even though the 129 degree reading on June 30 of this year fell short of the all-time temperature, it did set a new June record both for Death Valley and for the entire United States.
So in a world with global warming, how does a record stand for 100 years? Even in a warmer world, we will still get natural variability with record lows, just as we got an all-time record high back in 1913 before global warming kicked in. But on average, the number of record highs is outpacing the number of record lows by a bigger margin each decade - as shown in the graphic above. If there was no warming trend, you would see the number of record highs more closely matching the number of record lows over the span of a decade.
A Climate Central report "The Heat Is On" took a closer look at the temperature trend for each state in the contiguous United States two different ways: 1) over the last 100 years (right around the time the Death Valley record was set) and 2) from 1970 on. The findings showed that all but three states (Georgia, Arkansas and Alabama) have warmed over the past century, but even those three states show a temperature rise from 1970 on.
Death Valley hasn't always held the record, though. Just a year ago, it was stuck firmly in second place behind a 136°F reading taken in El-Aziza, Libya in 1922. But while the Libyan claim was listed in the Guinness Book of World Records, meteorologists have always been dubious: the thermometer that took the reading was obsolete technology even back then, while nearby weather stations recorded temperatures 18°F cooler on the same day. Last September, an investigation by the World Meteorological Organization reached a verdict: El-Aziza was bunk; Death Valley rules. Scientists and heat lovers are celebrating that record with festivities at the Furnace Creek Visitor Center this afternoon.
Special Section on Tropical Weather
With Chantal spinning in the Atlantic, we wanted to address the impact of climate change on tropical systems - a subject that is actively being studied by climate scientists.
Certain changes are fairly well understood. Warming sea surface temperatures are likely to lead to an increase in tropical intensity compared to the historical record. With more moisture in the atmosphere, rainfall totals are also likely to increase for individual storms. And the combination of coastal population growth (123 million Americans currently living on the coast with 8 million more expected by 2020) with rising seas will make storm surges more destructive.
Other factors aren't as well understood. For example, there are questions on how climate change will affect the overall number of tropical storms and hurricanes. Some research has suggested fewer tropical storms are likely to form in the Atlantic basin in the future. However, a study released earlier this week and covered by Climate Central suggests the opposite. (you can find a link to the research below).
Below are some resources that provide more context on the state of the science when it comes to climate change and tropical systems.
1) Graphic Summarizing the Climate Change & Hurricane Connection
2) Extreme Weather Trends: What Do We Know?
Take a look at where our understanding of hurricanes and climate change is in relation to other extreme events.
3) Recent Research and Stories
Kerry Emanuel's new hurricane study released this week: Downscaling CMIP5 climate models shows increased tropical cyclone activity over the 21st century.
Hurricanes Likely to Get Stronger & More Frequent: Study
U.S. Airports Face Increasing Threat From Rising Seas
As Hurricane Season Starts, U.S. Facing Heightened Risk
Hawaii at Growing Risk of Hurricanes, Studies Show
4) Storms and Energy
You can monitor the effect of tropical systems on energy infrastructure in real time on the Energy Information Administration's (EIA) Energy Disruptions map. Learn about Sandy's immense energy shock in the U.S.
Click here for the interactive map
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Virginia's Scenic Byways
VDOT's free map, Scenic Roads in Virginia, can be ordered online.
Note: We are in the process of reprinting our maps. Your order may take several weeks to ship. We appreciate your patience.
Virginia is for lovers. Lovers of history, scenic beauty and simple solitude can find these pleasures, and much more, simply by taking a drive on a scenic road.
Virginia has approximately 3,500 miles of special roads that offer something for everyone. Many of these are officially designated as Virginia Byways, such as Route 5, or national scenic parkways, such as the Blue Ridge Parkway.
A Virginia Byway offers travelers a side of the commonwealth that is uncommon and revealing. Each byway leads to scenes of natural beauty and places of historical and social significance.
The four regions highlighted here offer a sample of the wonderful variety you'll find on Virginia's scenic roads.
A journey along Virginia's scenic roads is one measured in memories instead of miles.


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http://news.com.com/2061-11199_3-581...5902&subj=newsThe extreme political polarities of the blogosphere--and society--came into sharp relief today with diverse reactions to the fate of Arizona National Guardsman Leonard Clark, who was demoted and fined over a blog posting that the Army said contained classified information. His blog was shut down just minutes ago, with this note posted by "the site administrator": "This issue has spurred heated debate on both sides; however some of the dialogue became very ugly toward each other."
Soldier's blog closed as debate rages | News.blog | CNET News.com


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Currency Displayed in
Configuration: 12 packs per box. 4 cards per pack.
This perennial classic has been significantly upgraded to include a third cut per case, which will be a Mystery Cut of a deceased celebrity! We have also DOUBLED the amount of memorabilia cards per box from two in years past to four in 2008, plus every box will contain 6 Yankee Stadium Legacy cards! Every pack will contain a short-printed base card as well, so there is value in every pack. As for the case hits, there are the three cuts per case plus two autographed cards, two 1 of 1 Historic Moments cards, and one Yankee Stadium Legacy card per case! That's a case hit in EVERY OTHER BOX! Add in a drastically upgraded checklist of cuts, and you have the makings of a true classic!
* Four memorabilia cards per box, on average!
* Three cut signatures per case including ONE MYSTERY CUT EXCHANGE CARD, on average!
* Two autographed cards per case, on average!
* Two unique 1 of 1 historical moments cards per case, on average!
* Look for Generations Cuts, featuring cut signatures with current or retired player autographs!
Regular Cards and Rookies
* Base Set 100 cards
* Base Set 100 cards SP (# to 550)
Inserts and Parallel Cards (2 per case, on average)
* Moments Parallel (# to 1)
Autograph Cards (2 per case, on average)
* Classic Signatures (# to 25)
* Future Legends Signatures (# to 99)
* Generations Signatures (# to 75)
Cut Signature Cards (3 per case, on average)
* Legendary Cuts (Varied Numbering)
* Headliners and Heroes (Varied Numbering)
* Fall Classic Cuts (# to 15)
* Mid Summer Classic Cuts (# to 15)
* Baseball Headlines Cuts (# to 15)
* Dual Legendary Cuts (# to 1)
* Quadruple Legendary Cuts (# to 1)
* Historical Cuts (# to 1)
* Generations Signatures Cuts (Varied Numbering)
* Mystery Cut Exchange (1 per Case)
Memorabilia Cards (4 per box, on average)
* Legendary Memorabilia (# to 99)
* Legendary Memorabilia Parallel (# to 99 or less)
* Destination Stardom Memorabilia
* Destined for History Memorabilia
* Generations Memorabilia
All prices are in USD


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'Divergent' cast almost kicked out of hotel for hard partying
The cast of new film Divergent threw such wild parties while working on the movie that the police had to be called.
The science fiction film features stars including Shailene Woodley, Zoe Kravitz and Miles Teller and the young cast were eager to enjoy their time off while shooting in Chicago, Illinois.
Woodley has revealed the group threw such loud parties that nearby residents called the police to complain about the noise.
She tells New York Post gossip column Page Six, "There was a lot of partying, and I think the cops did get called a few times. When you work long hours you want to hang out on Friday night and be loud, it's not really fair to the people next door when they're like, 'It's 4 a.m., shut the f**k up.'"
When asked about the challenges of managing a cast of young actors, director Neil Burger said, "They were constantly on the verge of getting kicked out of their hotel."


text: The City of Garland relocated its historic Santa Fe railcar Thursday morning from a lot behind City Hall to its new home in the Walnut Pedestrian Corridor directly behind the Central Library on the south side of Walnut St. at Sixth St. The 1910 Pullman car will be transferred to display rails next week. The Walnut Pedestrian Corridor will feature tributes to the positive impact the railroad has had on Garland's past, present and future. It is strategically located at the gateway of historic Downtown Garland, near the DART Light Rail station, to showcase Garland's rail heritage. The Santa Fe Depot that houses Garland's Landmark Museum will also be moved there in late August or early September. The depot was designated as a Texas Historic Landmark in 1974. The Texas Historic Commission approved the City's request to relocate the structure. The development of the Walnut Pedestrian Corridor is part of the City's plan to attract more people to Downtown Garland. Plans include the construction of a new 158-unit apartment development next to City Hall through a partnership with Oaks Properties and a new parking structure to serve the public, residential tenants, and those accessing City Hall. For more information about these developments, visit the Downtown Redevelopment web page. Check out our photo album on Facebook.


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Bartman just part of stuff that happens to Cubs
Cubs fans are a perpetually confused gaggle of baseball fans.
Like, they don't know whether it's politically OK to condemn Steve Bartman for his part in the Cubs going 105 years without winning a World Series and 58 years without even playing in one.
People seem afraid to say out loud that they believe Bartman did something that helped cost the Cubs a victory in Game 6 of the 2003 National League championship series.
The Cubs lost Game 7, too, and along with that their best chance since 1945 to qualify for a World Series.
Few are willing on this 10th anniversary to acknowledge that it mattered that Bartman blocked Moises Alou's opportunity to catch a fateful pop fly down the left-field line.
Maybe leniency toward him is appropriate considering the immediate indignities he suffered. Fans threw junk at Bartman, who was sitting in the front row not far down from the Cubs' bullpen. Security personnel had to escort him out of danger. He later received death threats.
"By the end of the night," The New York Times wrote this week, "he was the most infamous fan, perhaps, in the history of American sports."
My goodness, really? It's not like Bartman committed a federal crime. No, not even in the context of the flustered Cubs proceeding to do what they do best -- play terribly, blow a lead, lose the game, lose again the next night and fail to advance to the World Series.
It's just sports, folks, so maybe Cubs fans should treat Bartman gently now. Still, there must be some response between launching missiles at him and being reluctant to acknowledge his role in the 2003 meltdown.
Cubs fans shouldn't feel required to change history by pretending that Bartman didn't contribute to the debacle. Game 6 still is known as the Bartman game for a reason.
If the young man wearing a Cubs cap, green turtleneck, eyeglasses and earphones didn't get in Alou's way in the eighth inning, the Cubs had a solid chance to pull within four outs of the World Series.
Wrigley Field paranoia being what it is, the widespread theory is that the title of Tuesday night's CSN Chicago documentary "5 Outs" would be different but not "The 10th Anniversary of the Most Glorious Victory in the History of Chicago Cubs Baseball."
It simply would be "4 Outs" because shortstop Alex Gonzalez likely still would have booted a groundball, pitcher Mark Prior likely still would have given up the lead and manager Dusty Baker likely still would have made a couple of debatable decisions.
If all of those guys did everything correctly, the Cubs would have concocted a way to lose Game 6 anyway and then Game 7, right?
They're still the Cubs, after all.
However, their inevitable gaffes don't mean Bartman has to be patronized. It's all right to acknowledge that he played at least a minor role in the Cubs' collapse.
Bartman can be praised for preferring privacy and anonymity the past decade instead of accepting money for telling his story. At the same time he can be criticized for getting in Alou's way … even if you, I and just about anyone else would have reached out to grab at the ball.
Because Bartman happened to be the wrong person in the wrong seat at the wrong time, he was in position to do the wrong thing.
That's enough for the Cubs to have a Bartman curse and for him to be known as a human Billy goat.
All in the spirit of fun, we hope. Please don't throw anything at Steve Bartman if he ever comes out of hiding.
It's just baseball and stuff happens … usually to the Cubs.


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À même le roc (On the Rock)Digital Painting Printed in Limited Edition
À même le roc (On the Rock)
Digital art, inkjet-printed on acid-free, 100% cotton mat paper.
Image: 22X18 in (55,9 x 45,7 cm). Paper size: 24x20 in (60,1 x 50,8 cm). There is a white border of one inch all around the image for framing purpose.
July 2015
This artwork is part of a series of digital paintings I call hybrids. The series explores the possibilities offered with digital means, to edit and merge original ink and acrylic paintings with digital effects.
These hybrid artworks include both the visual characteristics of traditional paintings and digital medium.
More information:
The logo does not appear on the limited edition print.
This digital painting is inkjet printed in a professional photo lab on 100% cotton, acid-free, textured mat paper (25 prints only).
The pigmented ink has a life expectancy estimated to about 100 years in optimal conditions.
The signature of the artist, the numbering and the title of the artwork are written at the bottom, in front of the print, in the white margin.
The print is sold unframed and without mat.
Shopping Cart is Empty
Selling Terms & Conditions
Sale price and delivery of limited edition prints are in Canadian dollars.
The credit cards, Visa, MasterCard and American Express are accepted through PayPal, one of the most reliable ways to make transactions on the Internet. You do not need a PayPal account to pay by credit card.
Of course, payments with PayPal are accepted.
The entire bill, including the costs towards the country of delivery, must be paid at time of purchase. In the shopping basket, select the appropriate delivery option suiting the destination, either: Canada (default option), United States or Other country.
Orders are usually processed within 72 hours of receipt during working days (Monday to Friday) for limited editions printed at a professionnal photo lab.
Parcels are then delivered by Canada Post from Quebec.
Once the parcel is mailed, the delivery time is estimated to:
- 3 to 5 days for Canada
- 6-12 days for the rest of the world.
Note that customs may delay delivery of your parcel.
You are responsible for any customs fees and taxes if applicable.
Damaged item during delivery
Even if orders are always packed with great care, accidents can happen during delivery. If the purchased paintings arrive damaged, please immediately notify me by email. Depending on the case, then I will proceed to a refund or an exchange.
Pictures of the damaged packaging and painting(s) will be requested and will be used for complaint procedures with the carrier.
If you are not satisfied with your purchase, please contact me by email. You have 10 days from the receipt of the parcel to return me the painting(s).
I will proceed to a full refund of your original purchase through PayPal as soon as I receive the items bought in their original state. The custom fees and/or taxes will not be refunded.
You are responsible for the return shipping costs.
When you buy one of my paintings, you become their owner, but I still retain the rights. Any reproduction, distribution or modification of my paintings is prohibited without my written permission.


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By Tim Gaynor
PHOENIX (Reuters) - A U.S. federal appeals court on Thursday tossed out the conviction of a woman who has spent more than 22 years on Arizona's death row after being found guilty of conspiring to murder her 4-year-old son in 1989.
Debra Milke, 48, was placed on death row after she was convicted of first-degree murder, conspiracy and other charges in the death of her son Christopher in December 1989, in a case that drew wide media coverage at the time.
The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals overturned her conviction on Thursday, ruling the prosecution failed to disclose the history of misconduct, including lying under oath, of the detective who allegedly obtained Milke's confession to the crime.
During Milke's trial, the court heard she sent her son Christopher to a Phoenix shopping mall in the days before Christmas in 1989 with her roommate, James Styers, according to court documents.
But on the way, Styers picked up his friend, Roger Scott, and instead of heading to the mall, the two men drove to a secluded ravine where Styers shot Christopher three times in the head. Both men were separately convicted of first degree murder and are on death row.
Milke, who was not present at the crime, was convicted in 1990 of murder, conspiracy to commit murder, child abuse and kidnapping on the strength of testimony by Phoenix Police Detective Armando Saldate, who said she confessed to the crimes.
The detective testified that Milke told him she had contemplated having an abortion while pregnant with Christopher and had complained to Styers about her son. The detective said she confessed to conspiring to the murder, although she protested her innocence and denied the claim.
In its ruling, the court said the state failed to disclose Saldate's substantial misconduct record, which included four court cases where judges tossed out confessions or indictments because he lied under oath.
The court said that, without the detective's testimony, the prosecution had no case against her, as there was no physical evidence linking her to the crime and neither of her supposed co-conspirators — Styers and Scott — would testify against her.
"The panel held that the state remained unconstitutionally silent instead of disclosing information about Det. Saldate's history of misconduct and accompanying court orders and disciplinary action," the ruling said.
"Some of the misconduct wasn't disclosed until the case came to federal court and, even today, some evidence relevant to Saldate's credibility hasn't been produced, perhaps because it's been destroyed."
The appeals court ordered the state to provide Milke's counsel with the detective's personnel records. The district court was then ordered to release Milke, who is one of three women listed on Arizona's death row, unless the state should decide to retry her.
The Arizona Attorney General's office said it was reviewing the opinion and would likely appeal.
(Reporting by Tim Gaynor; Editing by Cynthia Johnston and Mohammad Zargham)


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By Cynthia Grau
Staff Reporter
The first New Year's baby has been born in Livingston County, much to his parents' surprise.
Jaxon Henry Lee was born at 8:16 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 2, 2013, at OSF Saint James-John W. Albrecht Medical Center, to Amie Marie Hogan and William James Lee of Dwight. Little Jaxon was 9 pounds, 10 ounces and 21 inches long. He is the first child born to the couple.
"We didn't even know (he was the first baby of the New Year) until after," said Hogan, laughing. "When I was getting my spinal done, my doctor mentioned it, but I just figured someone else would have had a baby between the day before and yesterday, but he's the first."
She said the baby was born via cesarean section, after previous ultrasounds showed that he was a little bigger than average.
"I didn't really plan on having a C-section but they said that the last ultrasound he was supposed to be 9 pounds, 7 ounces, so I figured instead of going naturally, I would just make sure we were both going to be OK," she said.
Mommy says little Jax is a quiet baby so far and has gotten a lot of attention and gifts since his birth Wednesday. She also said deciding what to name him was a bit of a process.
"We couldn't agree on a name for the longest time but then my mom suggested Jaxon and we would call him Jax and my fiancé finally OK'd that name so we stuck to it," she said. "His middle name is after my grandpa, who just passed away."
1st baby arrives Jan. 2
By Cynthia Grau


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"This is Ian McKellen, who was a member of the 'Lord of the Rings' cast, feeling back home in Middle Earth …"
That's one of the opening lines of a new but brief interview with McKellen, the two-time Oscar nominee. The intriguing tidbit, though, is that the British actor was speaking at Weta, the esteemed New Zealand visual effects outfit that was cofounded by Peter Jackson and became a mighty cinematic brand name with its work on the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy.
The Weta folks who conducted the interview were plainly thrilled to have McKellen in the building, and he sounded especially pleased to be there. "Gandalf sends his love …" he purred into the microphone at one point.
McKellen's presence at the Wellington facility will stir the soul of "Rings" faithful who are growing ever more fearful about the fate of "The Hobbit," the two-film return to Middle Earth that Jackson is producing.
The dejected defection of director Guillermo del Toro from the project and the ongoing fiscal woes of MGM have created a lot unanswered questions about the project.
McKellen is 71 and probably is wondering if the opportunity to return to the Gandalf role is slipping away.
"I've been asking people when 'The Hobbit' begins," he playfully tells his interviewer. "Do you know when 'The Hobbit' begins?"
The British actor's visit to New Zealand, by the way, was part of a tour of "Waiting for Godot" that visited Wellington recently. McKellen has appeared in more than 300 performances of the Beckett masterpiece through the years (including a celebrated staging that reunited him with "X-Men" co-star Patrick Stewart, who was recently knighted himself), but he quipped that this latest revisitation to the role of Estragon is really just him "marking time" until the elusive "Hobbit" gets underway. So it's "Waiting for Gandalf," in a sense …
— Geoff Boucher
Del Toro walks away from Middle Earth — what's next?
ELSEWHERE: Ian McKellen's official website
Ian McKellen and the evil mutants on "The View"
24 FRAMES: Wall Street woes undermine "Hobbit"
Peter Jackson: Fans "fed up with the lack of original ideas"
Del Toro on Frazetta: He gave us a new pantheon
Can "The Hobbit" escape the "Rings" shadow?
"The Hobbit" is just the beginning of Del Toro decade
Daniel Radcliffe as Bilbo? Star says thanks, but no thanks
Del Toro will take Disney on a scary ride
Photos: Top, Ian McKellen at Spain's 57th San Sebastian International Film Festival in 2009. Credit: Carlos Alvarez / Getty Images). Bottom, Gandalf in the "Rings" trilogy.
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Shoshone Forest
The Wilderness Society's work here focuses on preserving designated wilderness, preventing destruction by roads and drilling and strengthening the local economy by maintaining the forest's unique, wild character.
Why the Shoshone National Forest
The Shoshone National Forest is uniquely wild and scenic. It supports abundant wildlife and a strong local economy based on hunting, fishing, recreation and tourism.
Work we're doing
More than half of the Shoshone is designated as wilderness. Another 30% is roadless and pristine. We're defending these wild lands against reckless development and road building.
Our partners
We are working with outdoor businesses and enthusiasts to maintain wilderness and roadless protections in the Shoshone.
Hear artists, activists and adventurers share what the ownership and legacy of these American wildlands means to them.
Need inspiration to protect wilderness? Enter our Wild Days of Summer give-away to win airfare to visit your favorite wild place.
Find fact sheets, reports and other resources related to wilderness policy and conservation.


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(AP) Christion Jones leads No. 1 Bama past VaTech 35-10
By PAUL NEWBERRY
AP Sports Writer
Christion Jones became the first Alabama player since at least the 1940s to have two returns for touchdowns, Vinnie Sunseri brought back an interception for another TD, and the top-ranked Crimson Tide overcame a sluggish offensive performance to beat Virginia Tech 35-10 on Saturday.
Jones scored on a 72-yard punt return less than 2 minutes into the game, then scooted loose on a kickoff for a 94-yard touchdown that led the Crimson Tide (1-0) to a win that could've been much tougher to start its quest for an unprecedented third straight national title.
For good measure, the junior receiver also hauled in a 38-yard touchdown pass late in the third quarter to blow it open against the Hokies (0-1), who largely shut down AJ McCarron and Alabama's highly touted offense.


text: Thank you to Sharon, family and staff for allowing us to have the most wonderful, relaxing time in Savusavu. The massage on the deck was heaven, the daily breakfast was absolutely delicious and the tubing adventure was lots of fun. Savusavu is a beautiful little spot and Naveria Heights Lodge was the perfect place to stay with the stunning views,... More


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Forget everything you thought you knew about Frankenstein's monster. After delving into werewolves and vampires in the Underworld franchise, writer/actor/comic-writer Kevin Grevioux has concocted a new angle on this long misunderstood monster with I, Frankenstein, based on his comic of the same name. Stuart Beattie co-writes and directs this fantasy/sci-fi thriller that stars Aaron Eckhart as Frankenstein's monster. Cast out of human society, he's a soulless wretch who unwittingly becomes the focal point of a holy war between divine gargoyles and evil demons.
Our theatrical review will weigh in on whether or not this new release is worth your time, while this column will focus solely on the film's use of 3D. Considering seven separate categories, To 3D Or Not To 3D evaluates the full scope of the 3D viewing experience. Think of it as a consumer's guide for your movie-going, complete with a viewers poll where you can weigh in on how you plan to see I, Frankenstein.
Fit Score
Planning & Effort Score
Before the Window Score
Beyond the Window Score
Brightness Score
Glasses Off Score
Audience Health Score


text:
Holiday Motel is located at 7290 SW 8th St, Miami, FL-33144. An interactive
Map of Holiday Motel is shown below.
View details of Holiday Motel.
Copyright © 2018 HotelMotels.info. All rights reserved.
Information deemed reliable, but not guaranteed.
All Brand Names, Trademarks and Logos are properties of their respective owners.


text:
You will likely find the following query useful if you work with partitioned objects. I developed this when I first started using table partitioning in order to verify proper partition boundaries, filegroups and row counts. Not only does this provide much more information that can be obtained by querying the underlying table with the partition function to get partition numbers, it runs much faster because only catalog views are used.
As-is, the query includes both partitioned and non-partitioned user objects in the context database but you can customize the WHERE clauses as desired. I think this query would make a perfect...
© Dan Guzman
Theme by PiyoDesign. Valid XHTML & CSS.


text: The shooting of Michael Brown occurred on August 9, 2014, in Ferguson, Missouri, a suburb of St. Louis. Brown, an 18-year-old black man, was fatally shot by Darren Wilson, 28, a white Ferguson police officer. The disputed circumstances of the shooting and the resultant protests and civil unrest received considerable attention in the U.S. and abroad, and sparked a vigorous debate about law enforcement's relationship with African Americans, and police use of force doctrine in Missouri and nationwide.


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Curse of Chucky (US - BD RA)
Gabe begins practicing his killer doll punting exercises again...
When a mysterious package arrives at the house she shares with her mother, Nica (Fiona Dourif) doesn't give it much thought. However, after her mother's mysterious death, Nica begins to suspect that the talking, red-haired doll named 'Chucky' (Brad Dourif) her visiting niece has been playing with may be the key to the ensuing bloodshed and chaos. (From Universal's official synopsis)
I'm not sure a franchise reboot has ever been more undersold than The Curse of Chucky. It was almost as if the development process was a secret, because most people, even fans, weren't sure what they were in for. Was it a remake of the original Child's Play, a sequel to Child's Play 3, the last strictly horror-themed film in the series, or was it a follow-up to the more comedic Seed of Chucky? I'm not even sure Universal knew what they wanted, aside from a new movie starring Chucky. Having already softly-rebooted the series once as a meta-satire didn't make things easier, but, by the time it was announced that The Curse of Chucky was going to be an straight-to-video release, it was pretty clear that no one at the studio was particularly happy with the final product. Personally, I'm not an abiding fan of the Child's Play series, so I didn't have much in the way of expectations myself. The original film was a very well made, genuinely suspenseful B-movie product that got a deserved A-release. It's a product of its time (the wind-down of the '80s slasher cycle) that actually subsists, despite a dated look. The first two sequels are genuinely bad, boring, and unscary horror movies. The first of the spoofs, Bride of Chucky, is my favourite in the series and exactly where the franchise needed to go in the post- Scream era. Seed of Chucky took the goofiness a little too far and proved that the comedic slant had probably run its course. It was time for a return to stronger horror roots that Curse of Chucky promised.
With the massive change-up in tone and style at the center of the series (not to mention five different directors), I'm guessing that most viewers didn't know that the same base creative team – actor Brad Dourif (obviously), producer David Kirschner, and writer Don Mancini – has been behind every one of the films-. Mancini was the original architect of the Chucky franchise and he has stuck with it, owning up to all of its successes and failures equally. Seed of Chucky, his first shot behind the camera, wasn't a particularly well-directed film (I believe even fans hate it), but it was crafted with conviction. Curse of Chucky is a definitive step-up into assured, image-driven filmmaking. It's clear from the beginning that Mancini was working on a constrained budget (there's a steady air of 'made-for-TV'), but it isn't a cheap-looking film. The camera movements are almost shockingly graceful and the compositions are often quite artistically conceived. Mancini takes a lot of time setting up suspense and scares, which adds quite a bit to the film's surprisingly classy image quality, but it also comes back to bite him when he crams two or three too many fake-out scares into the first act. This turns building suspense to cheap filler. Still, it's a largely successful attempt at bringing life to a character that Mancini himself had transformed into a joke. He even finds a clever way to incorporate the ever-popular found-footage motif into the film without it feeling extraneous or gimmicky and embraces gory violence without playing it for lurid laughs, like the last two movies in the series.
Mancini proves his skills as a director, but his attachment to the franchise seems to have led him to not fully commit to the change of tone. For the record, and I guess non-specific spoiler alert for the rest of the next paragraph: Curse of Chucky is a sequel to all of the Child's Play films. It is not a reboot and does not specifically ignore the events of any of the films. The problem that is that, for most of the film, it really seems like we're meant to think that we're watching a soft reboot. Unveiling direct callbacks at the last minute feels dishonest, or at least misguided following the fresh, 'respectable' version of Chucky. The first two acts work well, like they're part of an anthology of movies where Chucky is thrown into an already volatile family situation like a monkey wrench. The basic A-to-B drive of the horror side of the story is relatively predictable, but the characters are well-rounded and take many unpredictable turns. Mancini is also smart to not simply repeat story beats from the other movies, aside from the very basic concept that Chucky is keeping his presence secret from the adults as he slowly bumps them off. Tying events from the original film isn't even an immediate problem – it isn't until the final five or ten minutes (including a post-credit stinger that doesn't really make sense, following the pre-credit revelation) that Mancini reveals his entire hand and sort of insinuates that the previous 90 minutes of well-managed horror was just an extra long set up for a punchline that most of us will only laugh at the one time.
I can't find any video specs on The Curse of Chucky, but it's clear from frame one that it was shot using digital cameras, not 35mm film. This 1.78:1, 1080p transfer is just too clean and grain free to be anything else. Details are sometimes limited by shallow focus, but are still quite sharp in close-up and during the wider shots without any notable edge haloes. Things are so crisp that you can discern the differences between satin and cotton-blended pajamas, even in the dark. Mancini and cinematographer Michael Marshall aim for a relatively muted, but eclectic digital palette. The house's interior is tinted with blues, greens, and browns that are acutely separated and bounce nicely against the more vivid highlights, like blood red and 'Chucky hair orange.' There's also a mostly black & white flashback sequence that includes some cool hints of colour in the yellow of sunflowers (this includes footage from the original movie, which is notably grainier). Despite the deep blacks and the flashy, blown-out white contrasts, the hue gradations are mostly smooth and clean, with only minor cross-colouration effects. I did notice some vertical scanning lines across some of the blurrier backgrounds, but, otherwise, this transfer is free of major compression issues.
Curse of Chucky is presented in lossless DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 audio. The sound design is relatively simple, but the simplicity works with the subject matter. This is, for the most part, a play on traditional haunted house motifs, so silence is, as they say, golden in developing the appropriate mood. Occasionally, the track will spring to life with a shot of the outside world (thunderstorms, police cars) and some of the kills involve multi-channel enhancement (one victim is electrocuted for quite a while, another is trapped in a garage with a revving car engine), but the mix works best when Chucky is sneaking and scuttling throughout the rear channels. Underrated Evil Dead series composer Joseph LoDuca is credited with 'original music,' which, I guess, is something different than a proper score. Whatever the reasoning for the credit, this is a typical showing for LoDuca, including solid, hummable themes and a nice, layered production. The instrumental elements are all acutely separated and well-spread throughout the channels. Some of the less melodic music stands in for moody sound effects as well.
The extras begin with a commentary from Mancini, puppeteer Tony Gardner, and star Fiona Dourif. This is a cordial track that makes time for basic behind-the-scenes facts between charming asides. Mancini is more or less the track's moderator, just like he has been on other Child's Play commentaries, and his slightly scatter-shot, hyperactive approach is infectious, bringing out the best in Dourif in particularly. I'd normally complain about the lack of focus and time wasted congratulating the cast and crew, but it's really difficult to not love the un-waning enthusiasm. I'm even left wishing I liked the climatic reveals a little more. Thanks to Gardner's input, this track is also an effective guide to mark differences between the puppet Chucky shots and the digital Chucky shots.
The Blu-ray exclusive extras include:
- Living Doll: Bringing Chucky to Life (8:40, HD) – A look at the ins and outs of fabricating, mechanizing, puppeteering, and digitally augmenting the various Chucky dolls.
- Voodoo Doll: The Chucky Legacy (7:10, HD) – A retrospective of the Child's Play series, complete with clips from all but the first movie, which I suppose Universal didn't have the rights to include at the time.
- Four storyboard comparisons with Mancini introductions (25:20, HD)
The rest of the extras, which, along with the commentary, are available on the DVD release as well, include:
- Six deleted scenes (6:20, HD)
- A gag reel (1:30, HD)
- Playing with Dolls: The Making of Curse of Chucky (15:40, HD) – A generalized behind-the-scenes featurette that covers Mancini's work on the entire series, his direction, casting, set/production design, make-up effects, and stunts.
Interviews throughout the featurettes include Mancini, Gardner, make-up effects supervisor Douglas Murrow and Emmerson Ziffle, stunt coordinator Rick Skene, stuntwoman Kristen Sawatsky, knitter Adelle Burda, mechanical designer Peter Chekov, both Dourifs, and actors Brennan Elliott, Danielle Bisutti, Maitland McConnell, A Martinez, Summer H. Howell, Debbie Lee Carrington, and two people I won't mention because of spoilers.
The final minutes of Curse of Chucky are definitely cute and do not ruin the experience by any means, but I think there was a better way to manage this film while still making it a part of the ongoing franchise. On the whole, it is a very solid, if not slight horror movie that will please fans and probably confuse series newcomers (without entirely alienating them). This also feels enough like a capper on the series to usher a full remake in the future, so I'm sure sales of this disc will certainly improve the odds of a direct sequel. This Blu-ray features a gorgeous transfer, an effectively subtle soundtrack, and a fair number of entertaining extras.
* Note: The above images are taken from the Blu-ray and resized for the page. Full-resolution captures are available by clicking individual images, but due to .jpg compression they are not necessarily representative of the quality of the transfer.
Review by Gabriel Powers
This product has not been rated
Disc Details
Release Date: 8th October 2013
Discs: 2
Disc Type: Blu-ray Disc
RCE: No
Video: 1080p
Aspect: 1.78:1
Anamorphic: No
Colour: Yes
Audio: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 English, DTS 5.1 French and Spanish
Subtitles: English SDH, French, Spanish
Extras: Director/Puppeteer/Actress Commentary, Living Doll: Bringing Chucky to Life, Voodoo Doll: The Chucky Legacy, Playing with Dolls: The Making of Curse of Chucky, Storyboard Comparisons, Gag Reel, Deleted Scenes, DVD Copy, UV Copy
Easter Egg: No
Feature Details
Director: Don Mancini
Cast: Brad Dourif, Fiona Dourif, Danielle Bisutti, A Martinez, Brennan Elliott, Chantal Quesnelle
Genre: Comedy, Horror and Thriller
Length: 97 minutes
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text: We stayed there this last weekend 4/14 and 15 in the Grand Canyon room. The room was immaculate, decorated with the Grand Canyon theme, and had a gas fireplace, which since the weather turned on us for day one of our trip - was put to good use! The property is on 40 acres, so really helps to feel the... More


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A specification for a standard multi-threading Common Lisp API. It has been superseded by Bordeaux-Threads.
Common Lisp Sockets APIs - An analysis and proposal
Paper by Dave Roberts, 27 December 2005. It proposes a creation of standardised Common Lisp networking API.
DROP: a push/pushnew complement
The DROP macro removes an element from a list in a place.
Literate Programming in Lisp
How to embed text in a Lisp file.
Maintaining Portable Lisp Programs - It's a bug, not a feature
Paper by Christophe Rhodes, 5 February 2004. It examines "the use of read-time feature conditionals, with particular emphasis on writing portable Common Lisp code which aspires to both forwards- and b...
A web site with information and links to papers and resources on Lisp performance issues and profiling, particularly Common Lisp.
Portable Utilities for Common Lisp - User Guide and Implementation Notes
School of Computer Science, Carnegie Mellon University technical report CMU-CS-91-143 by Mark Kantrowitz, May 1991. The autor describes the design, implementation and usage of a set of portable Common...
Some Useful Lisp Algorithms: Part 1
Collection of 3 technical papers written during 1991 by Richard "Dick" Waters and submitted to the ACM Lisp Pointers journal. The first paper, titled "Supporting the Regression Testing of Lisp Program...


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If you thought claims about melatonin were hyped, confusing, and controversial… If you thought everybody you asked had a different opinion about its benefits and shortcomings… Just wait and see what researchers and doctors are saying about DHEA.
What does DHEA stand for?
DHEA is short for dehydroepiandrosterone (D-hi-dro-epp-E-an-dro-stehr-own), a hormone made by the adrenal glands located just above the kidneys.
Is DHEA a new hormone that we've discovered?
Scientists have known about this hormone since 1934 and there have been thousands of articles published about it since then. However, only a small percentage of these studies have involved human subjects.
Why all the hype about DHEA?
Back in 1994, researchers at the University of California, San Diego, School of Medicine, wanted to find out what would happen to older individuals if they received DHEA supplements (Morales and Yen).
The researchers gave middle-aged volunteers 50 mg of DHEA nightly for 3 months. There was an increase in physical and psychological well-being. The subjects reported enhanced energy, deeper sleep, improved mood, more relaxed feelings, and an improved ability to deal with stressful situations. We'll discuss this study more fully in Chapter 3.
When the results of this study were published, there was a flurry of publicity. Stories about DHEA appeared in newspapers and magazines. Radio picked it up. Many local and national TV shows did segments on it. However, since DHEA was not easily available to the consumer, it didn't become popular as quickly as did melatonin.
One of the reasons that this study caused so much publicity was that it was supported by dozens of previous studies (most conducted in rodents) that found DHEA to have a benefit in heart disease, cancer, diabetes, weight loss, lupus, and a variety of other conditions. Some people started calling DHEA "the fountain of youth."
Before the Morales and Yen study was published, DHEA was already well known in the holistic health community. Articles about this hormone had appeared in many alternative magazines and newsletters.
Is DHEA safe?
Whenever doctors talk about the safety of a medicine they separate it into short-term safety over a few days or weeks, and long-term safety over months and years of use. Dr. Nestler, a researcher at the Medical College of Virginia/Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, has given 1600 mg of DHEA a day for 4 weeks to healthy young men without any serious side effects (Nestler, 1988). At this dosage there was a lowering of cholesterol and a decrease in body fat, with a greater response in obese individuals. Most DHEA supplements on the market are less than 50 mg.
As to the safety of using DHEA for 5, 10, 20 years or longer, no formal human studies have been published; then again, few long-term human studies have been done for any medicines, hormones, or nutrients.


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Montreal forward Max Pacioretty might still be perturbed by the NHL's decision to not suspend Bruins defenseman Zdeno Chara for his March 8 hit.
But Pacioretty can take solace that now that he's recovered from injuries sustained in that collision, the league has made a decision to try to prevent similar incidents.
According to Dan Rosen of NHL.com, the padded turnbuckle near the player benches will be replaced by curved glass. Rosen writes:
After hundreds of hours of testing that included the use of crash-test dummies, the NHL has developed a curved-glass system that will replace the padded turnbuckles, which were set on the stanchions at the end of each player bench.
The curved glass flows from the glass above the boards and runs away from the ice. It is designed to eliminate the solid termination point that used to be in place due to the 90-degree angle that was created by the two sections of glass coming together at the end of each player bench.
NHL Facilities Operations Manager Dan Craig explained further to Rosen about the benefits of the curved glass and the reason it won't be padded. According to Craig:
"That's because it's free-flowing. The curve itself is a continuation of the straight line from the glass and then it bends around. There is no place to put a pad. If you put a pad there, you create a hazard of having a shoulder stick and twist because this is a free-flowing system. If you're coming down the wall at the players' bench and there is contact, your shoulder will deflect off of that and you'll continue into the play.
"So, if by chance we do have a player hit that curved glass, it collapses about an inch and a half and then comes back into position. Not only do you deflect, but you deflect and there is a cushioned impact."
The Chara/Pacioretty hit has officially changed the way a NHL rink is built.


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"It really bothers me that we've been at two wars for 10 years and the direct impact for seeing it in our community isn't there."
Karen Citow, owner of a Chicago-area yoga studio, is willing to go to the mat for our troops and their families. The 34-year-old mother of three was looking for a tangible, meaningful way to show her support, so she decided to donate all her profits for the year to the USO of Illinois.
"My husband and I are in complete awe of the bravery and dedication of the men and women who volunteer for our armed forces," she says.
[caption id="attachment_7687" align="aligncenter" width="500"] Karen in action[/caption]
Citow, a former licensed clinical therapist, believes that yoga makes people kinder to themselves and others, resulting in an outpouring of goodwill and good deeds.
This taut, toned and relentlessly optimistic entrepreneur opened Breathe…A Yoga Oasis in 2010 as an entirely philanthropic venture. She draws no salary, and each year, she picks a different charity to receive any studio profits.
Leslie Wooten, associate director of development for the USO of Illinois, thinks the idea is "totally new and totally awesome."
"It's about paying it forward and supporting causes that matter in the world," says Wooten.
But Citow knows she has skeptics. To date, her business hasn't actually generated any revenue beyond its operating expenses, so she's had to come up with other ways to raise money. Once a week she teaches a Dedication Class, with all the revenue—usually more than $100 per week—going directly to her chosen charity.
In 2011, that amounted to nearly $5,000 for a local cancer foundation. In 2010, Citow raised more than $13,000 for UNICEF, with a boost from a successful Halloween, trick-or-treating fundraiser.
She hopes to come up with new fundraising ideas this year, and she believes her business will finally be in the black, allowing her to give even more generously to the USO of Illinois.
Citow chose the USO because of its reputation for supporting active duty troops and military families. She worries that too many Americans have no connection at all to the men and women who defend our freedom.
"I try to make sure that our kids are really aware this is happening, and to be grateful and thankful … that people are sacrificing and serving."
Citow knows that most other small business owners can't forgo their salaries or give away their profits. She calls herself fortunate—her husband is a successful surgeon, so she doesn't have to work. Her studio allows her to use her time and talents to promote the benefits of yoga, while giving back for all her blessings.
"I hate to say I wanted to make the world a better place, but it's true!" she admits with a laugh, "I'm proud of what I'm doing… and I love yoga and believe that if more people practiced yoga the world could be a healthier and kinder place." - Malini Wilkes, USO Director of Story Development
Their journey is everyone's responsibility. From the moment they enlist, through their assignments and deployments, and as they transition back to their communities, they can rely on your support.


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1) CSS3 animated vertical slanted menu
2) http://www.dynamicdrive.com/style/cs..._slanted_menu/
3) I simply love this script and, what I want to do is make a menu on the other side that slants in the opposite direction. I have tried altering the code a bit but, all to no avail. Any help would be greatly received.


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Faculty and Staff
The Chronicle of Higher Education Great Colleges to Work For program evaluates universities on the basis of a dozen criteria such as teaching environment, facilities, compensation and benefits, and the faculty and staffs' sense of respect and appreciation. Notre Dame has participated in the past two years, earning Honor Roll distinctions both years.
E-mail, etc.
Human Resources
Health & Fitness
Family-friendly. Low cost of living.
Core Values
The University of Notre Dame is committed to creating and maintaining a principled workplace. As such, the President encourages all faculty and staff to remain committed to the core values of integrity, accountability, teamwork, leadership in mission, and leadership in excellence.
How are these values demonstrated?
Integrity - Demonstrates honest and ethical behavior that displays a high moral standard. Widely trusted, respectful, and honorable.
Accountability - Takes responsibility and ownership for decisions, actions, and results. Accountable for both how and what is accomplished.
Teamwork - Works cooperatively as a member of a team and is committed to the overall team objectives rather than own interests.
Leadership in Mission - Understands, accepts, and supports the Catholic mission of the University and fosters values consistent with that mission.
Leadership in Excellence - Demonstrates energy and commitment to improving results, takes initiatives often involving calculated risks while considering the common good.


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Rock All Night
Watch Your Step
Guy Like You
Country superstars and sisters alike, Martie Maguire and Emily Robison of the Dixie Chicks are back with a new sound as the country/folk duo Court Yard Hounds. The duo released their eponymous debut album in May of 2010 and debuted at number 7 on the Billboard charts. The acclaimed album featured Robinson on lead vocals for the first time in their career. The band released the EP "Sunshine" in June, which preludes their upcoming full-length album, Amelita. The record is set to drop on July 16, just in time for their Free at Noon show at WXPN and World Cafe Live. The duo will be on the road this summer, including a stop in Chicago at Lollapalooza on August 3.
Website | Facebook
Recent Release: Amelita
Release Date: July 16, 2013
Label: Columbia


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It's day five of our Eurobike and we've seen literally hundreds of shiny new bikes in that time. Here's some highlihgts from Focus, Felt, Scott, Storck, Salsa and Look, who each launched a new bike for next year.
Focus showed their new Izalco Team SL, which we their latest and lightest ever road frame at a scant 930g. While on the surface it looks identical to the 2012, underneath the paint the carbon layup is completely new.
There's four bikes in the range, with a £3699 SRAM RED model that looks like decent value to us. There's another SRAM RED bike with Zipp wheels but don't expect much change from £6500. Both of those frames have internal cable routing for the gear and brake cables.
Focus will offer two electronic bikes, either Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 and Campagolo Record EPS. Instead of using the same frame and plugging the redundant cable entry holes left vacant by the electronic wiring, Focus produce a frame without them for a cleaner looking finish.
The Izalco Pro continues for 2013 with an updated carbon fork that is lighter and stiffer.
The Cayo Evo (they've dropped the Cayo) was their first frame to dip under the magic kilo marker with a weight of 960g, when it was released last year. Danilo di Luca (Acqua & Sapone) has been riding this frame (his choice they tell us) rather than the previous Izalco, and he even won a race on it earlier this year. Race-proven, then.
Focus had this Planet Carbon disc-equipped road bike with massive tyres and a carbon frame on their stand. It tickles a few boxes for us, we reckon it could be an absolute blast on the daily commuter. It's based on the Mares CX with a carbon frame and disc brakes, but loses the drop bars in favour of commuter-friendly flat bars. There's talk of a model with drop bars next year, depending on how this one is recieved. It's part of a whole range of sleek commuter bikes including several with hub gears and one with a belt drive.
The Focus Mares CX 1.0 Rapha team edition bike. This photo does not do it justice, not at all. It looks lovely in the flesh. It's not a limited bike either, though at £3,999 with a full SRAM RED groupset you need to be pretty serious about cyclo-cross. They've already sold a dozen already.
Felt Z2
Felt have updated the Z2 for 2013. It's a much smoother and sleeker looking frame with a revised carbon layup to make it stiffer laterally while still retaining the comfort it provides over the racer F series.
Salsa Warbird
Finally clapped our eyes on the Warbird for the very first time didn't we. Well, to be honest, we made a beeline for the Salsa stand on the first day. Looks even better in real life, not that it looked all that shabby in the press pictures we were sent recently. We don't know anything about the gravel road races it's been designed for that are so popular in the US, but we want one. Oh yes...
I talked about aero bikes in our preview video and there were indeed plenty on display. Scott's Foil goes unchanged into next year, and still looks fast.
The Storck stand is always worth a good few minutes of your time if you like crazy light bikes. They're not only into weight, but integration too. Not a new bike, the Fascenario F0.6 is a good example of the increasing trend towards concealing the brake caliper inside the frame, or tucked away below the bottom bracket. Stork have placed the rear brake inside the seat stays with a very clean and seamless look. The same integration is applied to the front brake too, which blend seamlessly into the carbon fork.
Merida have one of the biggest stands here and also one of the lightest bikes on display. The Scultura Evo SL is brand new for 2013. It has a frame weight of just 844g and is their most advanced road model they've ever made: they use flax fibres in the construction.
Germand brand Ghost celebrate 20 years of designing bikes with the Race Lector.
LOOK had the new 675 proudly on display. It's innovative looks are due to the integrated stem that creates a smooth aerodynamic front profile.
Look call it the Direct Drive Concept and is comprises a short tapered head tube with a stem that allows plenty of height and reach adjustment, without having to resort to buying new stems or juggling spacers about. I had a ride on the bike at the demo day earlier this week and I'll let you know what I thought of it in my first ride article soon.
Van Nicholas
It's easy to be blinded by carbon here at Eurobike, there is a lot of it about. But paving a seemingly lonely path is Van Nicholas with an entire range of titanium bikes. This updated-for-2013 Astraeus caught the eye. We tested it a couple of years back, but its been given a bit of an refresh. Most noticeably with the unique head tube with its flattened sides.
David has worked on the road.cc tech team since July 2012. Previously he was editor of Bikemagic.com and before that staff writer at RCUK. He's a seasoned cyclist of all disciplines, from road to mountain biking, touring to cyclo-cross, he only wishes he had time to ride them all. He's mildly competitive, though he'll never admit it, and is a frequent road racer but is too lazy to do really well. He currently resides in the Cotswolds.


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Anna Kendrick on Drinking Buddies, Getting Drunk on Set, and the 'Cups' Phenomenon
"It makes no sense. Don't get me wrong — it's so cool! But it's bizarre."
Joe Swanberg's latest movie, Drinking Buddies, features two couples: One set is played by Anna Kendrick and Jake Johnson, the other is played by Olivia Wilde and Ron Livingston. The lines are blurry between them, as Johnson and Wilde behave like lovers throughout the film, without actually acting upon it — flirting and drinking and even sleeping side by side in semi-innocent fashion — and Kendrick and Livingston go so far as to kiss. Who's to say which form of cheating is worse? Kendrick, who is in London shooting Into the Woods, called up Vulture to chat about emotional cheating versus physical cheating, drunk acting, and her reaction to the "Cups" phenomenon.
Joe Swanberg had you guys drink real beer during the filming of Drinking Buddies. How did that affect your performance?
During a scene at the bar, they gave me fake beer, but then during a scene where I'm playing cards with Jake, they gave me real beer, and I didn't realize it! And so every time I lost, I was pounding beer, and I didn't realize it was real until halfway through the take. I was like, I'm super drunk right now! And so as soon as the take was over, I had to announce to everybody that I was drunk at work. I was horrified by the idea that I was going to be the next troublesome star who got drunk and started flipping over tables or whatever. I just tried to sit quietly until I sobered up.
Was this your first time being drunk on set while shooting a scene?
Oh, yeah. Yeah. It was very, very bizarre, let me tell you. I'm sure you've never been drunk in the middle of your job, but it is uncomfortable. For some of the movie, it was fine, and it worked in the scene, and so it was helpful for them. But I mostly found it really unnerving.
Had you ever shot a film without a script before, where you had to improv all of your scenes?
It was my first time doing anything quite like it. We did a lot of improv on End of Watch, so I kind of think of End of Watch as training wheels for Drinking Buddies, but this was the first time I had done it to this extent. And it was crazy doing it with Ron, Jake, and Olivia because all four of us were new to this specific world of improv, but also really game for it and really excited about it. So it was a perfect combination of working with people who were really good at it, but also weren't trained professionals. It's not like any of us had done it a zillion times, or the rest of us were left in the dust. That marriage-conversation scene with Jake is the one scene where I said to Joe, "You have to give me the words here, because I've never had this conversation before." I don't know what a believable version of it would be, how to approach this subject in a long-term relationship. Everything else, you can draw on your own experience, but that was the one time where I was like, "I need a line!" Just to get into that thinking.
How did you work out the kissing scene in the woods with Ron, and the scene where you have to tell Jake about it?
The scene in the woods we did in one take. Ron and I were both so nervous about that, because it was supposed to be awkward and unclear whether or not something was going to happen between our characters in that scene. We talked a little about it beforehand, and it was all very, "No pressure! Let's just see what happens!" But everybody was aware that it was an important scene. Joe was like, "Cut! Great! I'm going to put that in the movie. I don't want to do it again." And we were both super relieved.
And after we shot the scene with Ron, I immediately almost started crying, because I felt like, "Oh my God! I have to tell my boyfriend what happened!" And I had to come up with the words, because it wasn't a written scene! If it were another movie, you'd think, "Okay, I'll be as honest as possible," but someone would have written the words for me. Here, it was like I was suddenly responsible for explaining myself, explaining what I had done, and it felt so real, because I had to admit what I had done and no one was going to help me do that. When we were filming the kissing scene, I didn't feel like I was cheating on Jake, but then the idea that I had to tell him that I had cheated was horrifying to me. I had this unbelievable sense of guilt.
Kissing Ron is one kind of cheating. But isn't what Jake is doing with Olivia another kind of cheating, even though nothing technically happens?
I'm so glad you brought that up! [Laughs] Because actually Jake and I got into a little bit of an argument about whether or not what he was doing was better than, the same as, or worse than what I had done. And his feeling was that what I had done was worse, and I was like, [laughs] "You've got another think coming, if you think that flirting with this girl, and basically dating her for the entire period of time that I was away from home, just because you guys didn't physically kiss, isn't cheating." I feel like that is so much more of a transgression, and we basically figured that there is just no way that he can tell me about what is going on with him and this woman he's flirting with at work without it becoming a huge, potentially relationship-ending fight, since he knows in his heart that it's kind of over between them. If he had admitted it to me in a way that was like, "By the way, it's not nearly as bad as what you did," that would start a whole other can of worms. I think it's a very, very interesting conversation, and not a new one. I've been out to dinner with friends where you debate, "Is emotional cheating worse than physical cheating?" It's a hard question.
Did all of this improv work help you prepare for Joe's next movie, Happy Christmas? Did you feel more equipped to tackle scenes where you're playing opposite Lena Dunham?
This was weirdly easier because my character in Happy Christmas just wants to fill up the silence, so sometimes she just puts her foot in her mouth and comes off like a real asshole. So even though I'm exploring an ugly side of things I see in myself or other people, it was easier because I could just say whatever stupid thought popped in my head. Which was terrifying, or easier. And Lena and I had met a while before, so that was helpful. She is so good at this. She is such an amazing improviser, and I think we followed her lead. She was always the one who I followed, like you know when you have a friend you grew up with, and you still kind of revert to being their sidekick? And I think that's a little how I feel about Lena in our film, so it was easy to do that.
Are you amazed at how well "Cups" is doing?
I am bewildered. I don't even know what to say about it. The weirdest thing to me is that it's outpositioned artists who are out there promoting their singles, as they should be — they're musicians! And I've been making movies. Like I just made this little movie in Harlem, instead of doing something to further the success of the single, and yet there it is. It makes no sense. Don't get me wrong — it's so cool! But it's bizarre to me that I'm off doing something else, and it's happening on its own. It's so cool. But it is absolutely bewildering.
People will want to see you do something with Kendrick Lamar next.
Yeah. It's funny that he's having such a moment right now, because it's definitely one of the most popular things said to me on Twitter: "Oh, you should do a mash-up with Kendrick Lamar!" There's a picture of our faces mashed together. It's very weird! It just goes to show you, the Internet is mostly about wasting time.