Category Archives: Ron Paul

Prices for gas, food and housing have skyrocketed in the last year. Less noticeable, to some, is the rising cost of health care.

Medicare, the U.S. government's national health insurance program for Americans age 65 and over, imposed a 14.5% increase in premiums for Part B (outpatient care coverage) for 2022, a record high and nearly double the March reading of the annual U.S. rate for inflation as measured by the Consumer Price Index.

Rising health-care inflation can have major consequences for current and future retirees, as medical expenses are expected to take up an ever greater share of retirees' income. "When you have to prioritize your living expenses versus health care, that's a major problem," said Kathy Martin, a 50-year-old resident of New York state, when asked what worries her most about health-care costs.

Kathy Martin prioritizes her health care by taking time to exercise.

Martin works out a few times a week with seniors who are part of the Silver Sneakers fitness program at her local gym in Somers, New York. Her classmate Laura Rodriguez, 67, shares her concern. "What's going to happen when I get older, you know?" she said. "How am I going to be able to pay for the care that I need?"

Studies illustrate how increasing medical expenses can add up. If health-care costs grow at 2% above consumer inflation for the next two years, a healthy 55-year-old couple could face $267,000 in additional medical costs when they retire at age 65, according to an analysis by HealthView Services.

That same couple could expect to spend more than $1 million on health-care expenses in their lifetime, nearly the same amount as they could expect to collect in Social Security benefits.

Here's a look at more stories on how to manage, grow and protect your money for the years ahead.

"Whether you're affluent or you're the average person when you look at your Social Security check, you're paying for health care," said HealthView Services CEO Ron Mastrogiovanni.

After paying the premiums, Medicare covers about two-thirds of the cost of health-care services, with out-of-pocket spending making up about 12%, according to the Employee Benefit Research Institute.

"Other than housing, food and transportation, [health care is] probably the most expensive item we're going to face in retirement," Mastrogiovanni said."Know what it is; be prepared."

The most important thing is that you start saving and you start saving early.

Paul Fronstin

director of health benefits research at EBRI

HealthView Services estimates that a 55-year-old couple would need to invest an additional $53,000 to cover the $267,000 in added costs from inflation.

Increasing savings now can add to security later.Experts say consider adding more money to your 401(k) plan or a Roth individual retirement account, if you qualify. "The most important thing is that you start saving and you start saving early; the earlier you do, the better prepared you're going to be," said Paul Fronstin, director of health benefits research at EBRI.

Health savings accounts are another tool to save for future health-care costs, but they require a high-deductible health-care plan and have annual contribution limits. For 2022, the HSA contribution limit is $3,650 for single-insured and $7,300 for families. For people over 55 years old, each of those limits increases by $1,000, via "catch-up" contributions.

There was a time when employers offered health benefits to retirees, but EBRI found only about 4% of companies have those benefits, down from about 45% before an accounting rule change in the late 1980s required firms to put the liability on their balance sheets.

"When they had to do that, it just didn't look good on the balance sheet, so they started cutting back on the benefit to the point where very few workers are going to be eligible for this kind of benefit in the future," Fronstin said.

Meanwhile, Silver Sneakers fitness instructor Melanie Scala, who turns 59 next month, said "I definitely feel like I'm heading people in the right direction to cut down on their health costs."

Yet, while physical fitness may help control some health-care costs, experts say planning ahead for medical expenses over a longer life should also be factored into the equation.

Read more here:
Inflation is impacting health-care costs in retirement. Here's how to fight it - CNBC

A former Barnstable County Commissioner said hefiled a complaint alleging the current commissioners violated the state's open-meeting laws in relation to determining how $41.3 million received from the American Rescue Plan Act will be spent.

An advisory committee appointed by the commissioners to study the spending of the ARPA funds met for the first time on April 7.

My feeling is Im going to have to file and open-meeting law complaint, Ron Beaty of Barnstable said.It doesnt look like they posted a public notice (for the meeting). It has to be done 48 hours in advance. "

Beaty, a county commissioner from 2017-2021, lost his seat to Sheila Lyons and Mark Forest in 2020. Helearned of the meeting froma press release announcing the meeting had happened.

An agendawas posted, but it was difficult to locate on the website and it appears a notice for the meeting was posted on March 31, which would meet thetime requirement.

In an email early Tuesday morning to the three county commissioners and administrator, Beatyrequested a copy of a notice to theAttorney General's Officeinforming them of where the meeting notice would be posted.

On April 16, Beaty filed an open-meeting law complaint against thecounty commissioners, who created theAdvisory Committee. The complaint relatesto theApril 6, meetingin whichthe commissioner's voted to rescind a March 30 vote to award $10 million in ARPA funds to the Cape's 15 towns.

Beaty said the vote and discussion was not on the agenda. It was, in fact, conducted under new business, and Beaty argued that it wasn't an unanticipated topic.

"There's a lot money and the public wants to know where the funds go," he said.

The advisory committee did meetand, according to the agenda, received background information on how ARPA funds can be spent and on what citizens, town officials and stakeholders would likedone with the money.

Barnstable county received the first $20.68 million in May 2021 with the rest due to arrive in June. All 15 towns received individual allotments of ARPA money. The funds need to be designated for use by theend of 2024 and spent by theend of 2026.

In November, the commissioners asked County Administrator Beth Albert to create theadvisory committee to recommend how the $41.3 million could be spent. The committee will recommend priorities and regional projects that could utilize the funds. The suggestions are to be driven by data and align with regional priorities.

There are some restrictions, but the money can be spent on water, sewers, broadband, public health costs associated with COVID-19 or other public health investments, services for disproportionally impacted communities, small businesses, housing and education, nonprofits and to replace lost public sector revenue.

On March 16, the board appointed Paul Niedzwiecki, executive director of the Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce, as the (non-voting) chair of the Advisory Committee, which first met April 7 at the Chamber of Commerce in Centerville.

County staff had conducted a detailed survey of 6,000 Cape residents, all 15 towns and a long list of stakeholders to determine their priorities.

The toppriority was infrastructure (61% of the votes) followed by affordable housing (45%), public health (34%), early education and childcare (31%). The lowest priority was replacing lost revenue for local governments (5%).

However, nineof the 15 towns, themajority on theAssembly of Delegates, advocated for direct cash paymentswhile six townsproposed the fundsbe spent on regional projects.

The staff that conducted the survey recommended that a portion of the funds be given directly to the towns. The commissioners voted to distribute $10 millionon March 30,and then rescinded the decision thefollowing week.

The Advisory Committee is scheduled to present its recommendations by September.

Read more:
Committee advisory board meets and is challenged on open meeting law - Wicked Local

The future of Dallas basketball is in good hands.

Four Dallas-area freshmen highlight ESPNs top 25 boys boys basketball recruits list for the class of 2025, which was unveiled on Thursday. Only the state of Florida which boasts the nations top recruit, power forward Cameron Boozer of Christopher Columbus high has as many top 25 recruits as the Dallas area.

Denton Guyer freshman Jermiah Green, a 6-1 point guard, is the areas highest-ranked recruit at No. 12. The District 5-6A Newcomer of the Year is rated a five-star recruit, the states top freshman prospect and the second-ranked point guard. He averaged 12.2 points, 3.7 assists and 4.5 rebounds for Guyer. Both Oklahoma State and Kansas State have already offered scholarships, per 247.

Francis Chukwudebelu, a center at The Greenhill School, is ranked 16th. The 6-8 four-star recruit averaged 5.8 points and 6.5 rebounds as a freshman for the SPC championship finalists. Expect his role to expand in his sophomore season following the graduations of Noah Shelby and Lee Dort, both of whom are four-star recruits signed to Vanderbilt.

Waxahachie freshman center Parker Jefferson The Dallas Morning News Newcomer of the Year this past season is ranked 17th. A 6-8 four-star recruit, Jefferson averaged 14.4 points, 8.5 rebounds, a block and a steal for Waxahachie, which went 15-11 and finished second in its district. He was named District 11-6A Newcomer of the Year, and to the all-district first team. His five scholarship offers, per 247, include Texas Tech, Oklahoma State and TCU.

Lake Highlands freshman B.J. Davis-Ray, a 6-5 small forward, is ranked 18th. Davis-Ray was a first-team all District 7-6A selection and has received offers from Illinois and Texas in the last week.

2024 is loaded, too: ESPN released an updated top 60 recruits list for the class of 2024 on Thursday as well. Lake Highlands forward Tre Johnson, a first-team all area honoree this past season, is the Dallas-areas top recruit at No. 4. The five-star recruit averaged 23.7 points and 5.7 rebounds for Lake Highlands, and holds offers from the two previous national champions, Kansas and Baylor.

John Paul II sophomore five-star wing Liam McNeeley is ranked sixth. The 6-8 forward averaged 16.8 points and nine rebounds per game for the TAPPS 6A state champions, and holds offers from Illinois, Oklahoma and Iowa among others.

Frisco Lone Star four-star small forward Jalen Shelley (No. 36), The Greenhill School four-star small forward Micah Robinson (No. 47) and Faith Family four-star center Doryan Onwuchekwa (No. 51), a 4A state champion in 2022, round out the rankings.

Duncanville and McKinney lead the class of 2023: In ESPNs first-ever top 100 for the class of 2023, the last two teams standing in 6A this past season Duncanville and McKinney are represented.

Duncanville five-star forward Ron Holland is listed as the nations fourth-ranked recruit. Holland led Duncanville to its third-straight state championship this March, and was a first-team all-area honoree after averaging 16 points, eight rebounds and three assists. Memphis, UCLA and Kansas are among the schools that have offered him.

Hollands opponent in the state championship game five-star McKinney guard JaKobe Walter is ranked 17th in the class of 2023, according to ESPN. Walter led McKinney to its first-ever state title game, and averaged 23.7 points and 7.6 rebounds. His offers include Auburn, Alabama and Baylor.

John Paul II four-star junior guard R.J. Jones is ranked 38th. Jones, who transferred to the Plano-based private school last year after playing his sophomore season at Denton Braswell, averaged 19.7 points per game and was named the District 6A-2 MVP. His offers include Texas A&M, Cal and Illinois.

***

Find more high school sports coverage from The Dallas Morning News here.

To view subscription options for The News and SportsDay, click here.

Read the original post:
Four Dallas-area freshmen highlight ESPN top 25 boys basketball recruits list for the class of 2025 - The Dallas Morning News

Ranking the greatest NFL Draft classes originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington

Its deal-making season for NFL general managers and the draft is just the next thing on their laundry list.

Not a single selection has been made in the 2022 NFL Draft, but opinions are already being formed as each team looks to secure the necessary pieces to contend for a Super Bowl. Depending on the strength of the group, teams will gamble everything to score a shot at the cream of the crop.

Just like choosing an exceptional first-round draft pick, determining the quality of a draft class is up for debate, with some showing preference to star power while others give weight to the overall depth of a class.

Only time can tell how a draft class will truly age, but that wont keep fans and pundits alike from weighing in with early evaluations on where a class ranks in NFL history.

Tune in to the NFL draft on April 28 to see how the 2022 class measures up.

Super Bowl MVPs: none

Hall of Famers: 5 - O.J. Simpson, Joe Greene, Ted Hendricks, Charlie Joiner and Roger Wehrli

Super Bowl MVPs: none

Hall of Famers: 5 - Bruce Smith, Jerry Rice, Chris Doleman, Andre Reed and Kevin Greene

Super Bowl MVPs: 2 - Patrick Mahomes, Cooper Kupp

Hall of Famers: not eligible (must be retired for at least five years)

Super Bowl MVPs: 3 - Ottis Anderson, Joe Montana and Phil Simms

Hall of Famers: 4 - Kellen Winslow, Joe Montana, Dan Hampton and Bill Cowher

Super Bowl MVPs: 2 - Hines Ward and Peyton Manning

Hall of Famers: 4 - Randy Moss, Peyton Manning, Charles Woodson and Alan Faneca

Super Bowl MVPs: 1 - Eli Manning - Super Bowl XLVI and XLII

Hall of Famers: none

Im hesitant to start this list out with a draft class north of 2000, but the name recognition among this group simply cant be ignored.

This was the year of the quarterback Eli Manning, Philip Rivers and Ben Roethlisberger all gone by the 11th pick. The first round also included Larry Fitzgerald and the late Sean Taylor. But talent wasnt exclusive to the top of the draft. The 2004 class featured an impressive group of undrafted players such as Wes Welker and Jason Peters, both of whom were named to the Pro Bowl multiple times.

Super Bowl MVPs: 2 - Malcolm Smith - Super Bowl XLVIII, Von Miller - Super Bowl L

Hall of Famers: none

Recency bias aside, the 2011 NFL Draft is generally considered to be the best of the last two decades. Cam Newton coming off a Heisman victory at Auburn headlined this group as the No. 1 overall pick, but the accolades didnt stop there.

Von Miller, the No. 2 pick, has two Super Bowl rings and was named MVP for his effort with the Broncos in Super Bowl L. A.J. Green, Patrick Peterson and Julio Jones -- selected fourth through sixth -- have earned Pro Bowl honors a combined 22 times. For perspective, three-time Defensive Player of the Year J.J. Watt didnt even crack the top-10 in this class.

Super Bowl MVPs: 1 - Larry Csonka - Super Bowl VIII

Hall of Famers: 8 - Larry Csonka, Art Shell, Ron Yary, Elvin Bethea, Charlie Sanders, Curley Culp, Claude Humphrey, Ken Stabler

The 1968 NFL Draft was the second joint draft between the NFL and AFL and it certainly helped establish a tradition of excellence between the two leagues. It featured eight Hall of Famers -- all taken in the first three rounds -- and a host of athletes that left their footprint on the league, including Curley Culp and Ron Yary.

Super Bowl MVPs: 2 - John Riggins - Super Bowl XVII, Jim Plunkett - Super Bowl XV

Hall of Famers: 5 - Jack Ham, John Riggins, Dan Dierdorf, Jack Youngblood and Harold Carmichael

1971 was the original Year of the Quarterback, but few could predict how the legacy of this draft class would play out.

The draft opened with three-straight quarterback selections: Two-time Super Bowl champion Jim Plunkett, Archie Manning whose surname needs no explanation -- and Dan Pastorini. Later in the fourth round, the Miami Dolphins took Joe Theismann off the board. All experienced varying degrees of success in the league, but none of them are enshrined in Canton.

Despite that, this draft class still mounted an impressive resume on the field. Those four quarterbacks combined for 93,514 career passing yards and all recorded over 100 passing touchdowns. Meanwhile, John Riggins rushed for 11,352 yards and 104 touchdowns to earn him a spot in the Hall of Fame. On the defensive end, Jack Youngblood led the way, recording double-digit sacks in eight of his 14 seasons.

Super Bowl MVPs: 1 - Troy Aikman - Super Bowl XXVII

Hall of Famers: 5 - Barry Sanders, Troy Aikman, Derrick Thomas, Deion Sanders and Steve Atwater

What this class lacked in depth, it made up for in star power. Aikmans three Super Bowl rings and Barry Sanders five seasons with at least 1,500 rushing yards are just a few of the highlights that make this class so great.

This class makes a strong bid for the best first round in NFL history, with four of the top-five picks making it to the Hall of Fame. No. 2 overall pick Tony Mandarich is considered to be one of the biggest busts in draft history, in part because of the incredible careers that surrounded him on the list.

Super Bowl MVPs: none

Hall of Famers: 10 - Ken Houston, Willie Lanier, Gene Upshaw, Alan Page, Bob Griese, Jan Stenerud, Lem Barney, Larry Little, Rayfield Wright and Floyd Little

The 1967 draft was so dominated by Michigan State the NFL might as well have held it in East Lansing. The Spartans, coming off a No. 2 finish in the AP and coaches polls, accounted for four of the top-eight picks.

However, despite the impressive start for the Spartans, the real talent from this draft came elsewhere. The ten Hall of Famers this class produced trail only the 1964 draft and names such as Gene Upshaw and Bob Griese put this class in elite company.

The accomplishments of this class extended beyond the football field, stretching from the basketball court to the court house.

Hall-of-Famer Alan Page went on to earn his law degree and serve on the Minnesota Supreme Court. Meanwhile, the last pick of the draft -- known as Mr. Irrelevant -- went to Jimmy Walker, a two-time All-Star who wrapped his NBA career with 11,655 points. One of the biggest surprises from this list is Pat Riley -- yes, the same Pat Riley who has 10 NBA titles to his name and currently serves as president of the Miami Heat. Neither Walker nor Riley ever competed in the NFL but both made their mark on the sports world.

Super Bowl MVPs: none

Hall of Famers: 8 - Mike Singletary, Lawrence Taylor, Ronnie Lott, Howie Long, Rickey Jackson, Russ Grimm, Kenny Easley and Sam Mills

The 1981 draft was the epitome of a stacked class from top to bottom. While the first round had no shortage of stars including Lawrence Taylor, Kenny Easley and Ronnie Lott, the real accomplishment of this class was the complete talent through all 12 rounds. Much like the 2004 group, the 1981 class saw a number of talented players going undrafted, including six-time Pro-Bowler Deron Cherry, three-time Super Bowl champion Joe Jacoby and Hall-of-Famer Sam Mills.

Super Bowl MVPs: 1 - Len Dawson - Super Bowl IV

Hall of Famers: 9 - Jim Brown, Jim Parker, Sonny Jurgensen, Paul Hornung, Len Dawson, Don Maynard, Henry Jordan, Tommy McDonald and Gene Hickerson

Offense was the name of the game in 1957.

Paul Hornung led the group as a fullback, halfback and quarterback combo out of Notre Dame.

No. 3 overall pick John Brodie and No. 43 overall pick Sonny Jurgensen have over 31,000 passing yards, putting both of them among the top 50 in NFL history. The fifth, sixth and eight picks -- quarterback Len Dawson, fullback Jim Brown and offensive tackle Jim Parker -- each have an NFL championship to their name and are all in the Hall of Fame. Thus, the legend of the 1957 class was born.

Super Bowl MVPs: 1 - Roger Staubach - Super Bowl VI

Hall of Famers: 11 - Bob Brown, Charley Taylor, Carl Eller, Paul Warfield, Mel Renfro, Paul Krause, Dave Wilcox, Bob Hayes, Leroy Kelly, Roger Staubach, Bill Parcells

Its hard to argue with the record-11 yellow jackets that belong to the 1964 class. They left an indelible mark on the league and were some the original architects responsible for propelling the NFL into the massive popularity it shares today.

Even more impressive are how many players probably could be in the Hall of Fame -- Dave Parks (5,619 receiving yards), Bill Munson (12,896 passing yards), Pete Beathard (8,176 passing yards and 680 rushing yards) and Jack Concannon (6,270 passing yards) are just a few that come to mind.

Denying this group the top spot might ruffle some feathers among Hall-of-Fame hardliners, but that doesnt take away from their accomplishments.

Super Bowl MVPs: 2 - John Elway and Richard Dent

Hall of Famers: 8 - Eric Dickerson, Jim Kelly, John Elway, Dan Marino, Bruce Matthews, Darrell Green, Richard Dent and Jim Covert

The first-round haul of the 1983 draft puts this class in a league of its own.

The Baltimore Colts kicked things off by taking Stanford quarterback John Elway with the No. 1 overall pick, followed by five other first-round quarterback selections, including Jim Kelly and Dan Marino. In the record books, Elway and Marino sit 11th and seventh, respectively, in total career passing yards while Elway added 3,407 rushing yards throughout his career, good for 10th among quarterbacks.

Just behind Elway was Eric Dickerson, the six-time Pro-Bowler who led the league in rushing yards for four seasons. Rounding out the first round was an unstoppable secondary unit featuring Terry Kinard, Joey Browner, Gill Byrd and Hall-of-Famer Darrell Green.

This class had every dimension of success -- depth, star power, record and rings.

Go here to see the original:
Ranking the Greatest NFL Draft Classes of All Time - NBC4 Washington

There they are again in the compost caddy, littered through the backyard pile, stuck in the sifter, peeping out of the garden beds the eternal bane of many home gardeners: the small, ubiquitous, and remarkably indestructible produce sticker.

I painstakingly remove every produce sticker from every piece of fruit and veg that enters our home, says James Hohman, a professor at the University of Connecticut. But his compost pile lives on top of a compost pile used by the previous owners of his house. When Hohmans family first moved in, he sifted the pile, removing probably hundreds of stickers. But more stickers kept showing up for years in the pile and in the garden beds.

Joshua Simpson, who lives in Washington, knows his pain. I have composted blue jeans well before those dumb stickers have gone away, he says. His family also feeds their food scraps to their chickens, resulting in produce stickers all over the yard.

I have to put down the shovel and pick the stickers out by hand every other scoop, says Gretchen Cheverton, who constantly finds stickers in her compost pile at home in Colorado. No gardener could sleep at night if they left them in the finished compost and spread them around the yard.

Composting is about accelerating the decomposition of organic matter. Your kitchen scraps and lawn clippings are all going to rot eventually. But a compost pile gets it done faster and, ideally, with minimal smells finished compost smells like forest floor and fewer greenhouse gas emissions. The same anaerobic bacteria that make rotting garbage smell so bad also emit methane; home composting focuses on boosting aerobic decomposition, which is both more sustainable and less disgusting.

Home composting can be a fairly hands-off process, but the science behind it can turn this household chore into an optimization mini-game. On the subreddit r/composting, composters fuss over their nitrogen to carbon ratios and post pictures of the thermometers theyve stuck into their piles. (A very hot pile is an achievement worth celebrating.)

For home composters, vegetable scraps and fruit peels are often a source of nitrogen, an integral part of the chemistry of a compost heap. Nitrogen feeds the microorganisms that break down the compost, generating heat in the process. Too little nitrogen, and a pile will stay cold and will break down slowly. Too much, and it starts to smell very bad. Maintaining the balance between nitrogen and carbon is key to composting at home. (Other common nitrogen sources include grass clippings, used coffee grounds, and for the open-minded home composter urine).

Alas, the produce stickers ride alongside the nutrient-rich kitchen waste. They cling to a spent orange rind; they linger on a discarded banana peel; theyre brushed into the compost bucket with a pile of woody kale stems and carrot tops. It requires hypervigilance to prevent a produce sticker from entering a compost pile.

Its worth mentioning the vast range of things people successfully compost at home. While most backyard piles arent capable of breaking down a compostable bioplastic fork (which does break down sustainably but can last for years outside of an industrial composting setting), people have composted popsicle sticks, fingernail clippings, bones, T-shirts, blue jeans heck, even a copy of Ron Pauls The Revolution: A Manifesto. (Hohman, who composted the book after downgrad[ing it] from table leg support, specifies that he first removed the cover). The bones, the T-shirt, or the book disappears and comes out as a nutrient-rich, dark brown humus. But the produce stickers remain.

Produce stickers, which are often made of plastic, will maintain their shape and sometimes their bright colors, though they often wash out to a blinding white. When compost has fully broken down, they stand out like a sore thumb perfect little ovals, circles, and rectangles contrasting sharply against the dark brown earth of finished compost.

It seems like they can get away with just not putting stickers on the fruit, and we would be OK, says Simpson. But Im just some guy who eats fruit so there might be something I dont know.

The Produce Marketing Association (PMA), which has since become the International Fresh Produce Association (IFPA), created the Price Look Up (PLU) system and its accompanying scourge of stickers starting in 1988. A PLU sticker has a number and sometimes a bar code. It exists to help a cashier correctly ring up produce at checkout. The stickers themselves consist of three components: adhesive, plastic or paper, and ink. The stickers are required to be food grade but that isnt the same thing as being compostable. Chewing gum, for instance, isnt compostable, an interesting fact that has finally gotten me to stop swallowing my chewing gum.

Many of the individual components that make a PLU sticker can be either recyclable or compostable, claims the International Federation for Produce Standards, a larger industry group that includes the IFPA. But what good is it for the glue to be compostable if its stuck to plastic that isnt? The IFPS acknowledges that recyclers see the stickers as contaminates to the recycling process.

Following the passage of laws in Europe that ban various kinds of single-use plastics, the IFPA, in conjunction with other industry groups and the USDA, is now looking into developing PLU stickers that can be composted at home. This move comes after many years of criticism and proposed solutions, including a very fanciful idea for laser-etched fruit. Trying to create the combination of the adhesive, substrate (plastic or paper) and ink to be home compostable and durable enough to stay adhered to the produce through the supply chain is not an easy task, Ed Treacy, vice president of supply chain and sustainability for IFPA, wrote in an email.

Both Cheverton and Hohman think that the stickers are more of an annoyance than a real problem. The earth would probably be fine if we didnt fish the stickers out of the compost, says Cheverton. But the solution is just so easy its frustrating that no grower / packer is willing to just switch to biodegradable paper stickers.

I could say it causes a little angst over the sheer amount of plastic that permeates our world, says Hohman. Its symbolic of the problem. He called the stickers a 10,000-year monument to that time I bought a couple over-ripe kiwis and a tomato.

The actual lifespan of the sticker is probably on the order of decades, or possibly centuries, after which the sticker will likely erode into microplastics that permeate the water and the air and everything around us. But thats hardly reassuring. Oceans rise, empires fall, and the produce sticker remains unbowed, undefeated, and thoroughly un-compostable.

Originally posted here:
Fruit stickers are the scourge of the compost pile - The Verge

NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) Norfolk city leaders broke ground on the St. Pauls transformation project on Tuesday.

The project is the start of redevelopment for the Tidewater Gardens, Young Terrace, and Calvert Square public housing neighborhoods.

Phase one of the project includes construction on the Tidewater Gardens area after 618 units were demolished following years of discussion and controversy.

Mayor Kenny Alexander says the idea for the project had been in place for years but he finally decided to take the initiative to get federal officials on board when he took office.

We were able to get this project going and working with the residents. Putting them first has been our principal, he said.

A $30 million grant from the Department of Housing and Urban Development will help pay for this part of the $300 million project.

Historically, redlining, segregation and systemic racism pushed Black people to the St. Pauls area, which is divided off from downtown Norfolk. This created generations of families in poverty.

Alexander says the project is meant to deconcentrate poverty by building mixed-income communities.

This new development will have over 700 mixed-use, mixed-income units. One-third will be replacement public housing. Another third will be market value. Another third will be public housing voucher. Its going to be a nice 21st-century community with high amenities and luxuries and strengthen communities by deconcentrating poverty. Thats the goal and I think well accomplish that, he said.

But some worry the new homes will be too expensive for residents to return to, or they wont be able to find space at all.

Residents sued the city in 2020, calling the project racist and essentially moving poor Black people to other poor areas.

But the city settled with several changes to the plans and a judge dismissed residents lawsuit to halt the project. Residents have a right to return policy that will make sure good standing residents can come back. Right now, more than half of the residents plan to move back when the new homes are built.

In December, NRHA said more than 67% of residents had left, 214 out of the 618 units have already been leveled.

Their settlement agreement included more housing units reserved for public housing residents than planned.

Norfolk Redevelopment and Housing Association Executive Director Ron Jackson said the residential facility that will be the first built in Tidewater Gardens will be for 182 families who have already been relocated from the community.

This part is really important because it sets the stage for what comes after, he said.

Jackson says they havent really run into many issues when it comes to finding housing for those being relocated but there is a lot of educating going on.

Most of the people weve worked with eventually found housing. The folks with vouchers, we have to work with families and landlords. Theres still that stigma attached to housing choice vouchers. Theres education but also with the residents moving out of the public housing setting into private markets, he said. Its education both ways but its beneficial in the long run.

Jackson says some of those who have relocated have chosen to move to other cities across the country.

During Tuesdays groundbreaking, the People Choice Initiatives program also shared information claiming that employment rates have risen among residents in the community.

NRHA closed on Monday on the two plots where the new residential facility will be built. Construction will begin between four to six weeks.

Jackson says it should take about 14 months.

Read the original:
St. Pauls redevelopment breaks ground Tuesday - WAVY.com

This year marks the fifth consecutive year that Sierra Nevada Brewery asked PAUL Component Engineeringto build a bike to launch at the Sea Otter Classic.

However, this year the PAUL Component crew sought to build something extra spicy and special.

If you were at Sea Otter this year, you may have caught a glimpse of this custom one-of-kind beauty by the Sierra Nevada beer tent. Well, we hope youre sitting down. BikeRumor has stellar news: there is time and potential to win this goddess.

To create the Sierra Oddity, the PAUL crew enlisted the help of other top brands in the business: Burnsey of Oddity Cycleswas immediately interested. Confirming his magician-like status, Burnsey operated as swiftly and efficiently as possible to bend, miter, weld, beadblast, polish, and anodize custom logos into the titanium frame, fork, and handlebars.

Other artists stepped up to join the construction fun as well: White Industries and Velocity USA sent the raw parts to anodize and match the Pale Ale green together with PAULs parts. Ron of King Cage custom bent two hollow titanium can cages, and Phil Wood cut custom length spokes. Dynaplug contributed one of their latest Covert bar-end tire plugging systems. Lastly, WTB sent the tires, saddle, grips, and valves needed to complete the build of this ready-to-rock, single-speed dirt cruiser.

All it takes for a chance to take home the Sierra Oddity is todonate 5 dollars or more to California Mountain Biking Coalition (CAMTB)by April 29. Your donation to CAMTB will help fuel their ongoing state-level mountain biking and trail advocacy efforts. Their efforts include working with critical land managers such as the CA State Parks and the U.S Forest Service, to track and influence state and federal legislation and elections that impact access to public lands and natural resource conservation.

1. Frame, Fork, Handlebars byOddity Cycles

2. Stem, Seatpost, Brakes, Levers, Hubs, Seatpost QR Collar byPAUL Component Engineering

3. Cranks, Bottom Bracket, Headset, and Freewheel byWhite Industries

4. Rims byVelocity USA

5. Can Cages byKing Cage

6. Spokes byPhil Wood

7. Tire Plug Bar Ends byDynaplug

8. Tires, Saddle, Grips, Valves byWTB

Link to donate and enter to win

Read this article:
Enter to win the Sierra Oddity: Unlike any other bike at Sea Otter Classic - BikeRumor.com

Ronald F. Doering was born in Saginaw, Michigan, on March 29, 1945. After a year-long battle with cancer, he passed away peacefully at his home in Battle Ground, Washington, on March 28, 2022.

Ronald F. Doering married his wife of nearly 56 years, Laurie Schelb Doering, in June of 1966. They had met while students at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo. Immediately upon graduation as a secondary school teacher, he was sworn into the Air Force. He became a first lieutenant after completing his officer training at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas. During his eight years of service to our country, with multiple states of residence, a year at Osan AB in Korea and the births of their three children, Ron was honorably discharged as a regular Air Force captain. He moved the family to Portage, Michigan, where they resided for the next 30 years. He had dreamed of being a truck driver as a teen and pursued that passion for 13 years, owning his own truck and operating it nationwide. He amazed people all the time with his knowledge of our nations highways and byways. He sold the truck in 1988 when he was employed as a truck driver instructor by Eaton Corporation, thus combining his education training and experience as a truck driver. After advancing through several positions at Eaton Corp in Kalamazoo, he was asked to transfer to Washington state as an automated product specialist in the Western Region. He retired from Eaton in 2011 having worked for Eaton for 23 years. During all these years, he continued to pursue his love of the outdoors through running and cycling many miles each week. Ron and Laurie logged numerous miles on their tandem bicycle and rode in tours in many states. They also enjoyed road trips around the U.S., visiting all 50 states, and cruises to many countries of the world together.

Ron is survived by his wife, Laurie, and children Deborah J. Doering Haney (Phil), Wayland, Michigan, and Robert F Doering (Sarah), Big Rapids, Michigan, and five grandchildren: Paul Jacob Haney (Casey Jo), Madeliene Krystal Haney, Maleah Haney, Emmalyn Sofia Doering and Abby Rose Doering. He was preceded in death by their daughter Barbara J. Doering Baker in 2013 and by his parents, Harold F. and Mary V. Hart Doering. His only sister, Carol Ann Doering Shankwiler, preceded him in death on March 28, 1973, as well as his beloved brother-in-law Richard Shankwiler in July of 1994. Ron remained close to his surviving nieces, Lynn Shankwiler MacDermott (Gordon) of San Rafael, California, and Karen Vanderveer Logue (Tom), of Portland, Oregon, and nephews Paul Richard Shankwiler (Heidi), of Walnut Creek, California, and their son, Kyle Shankwiler, and David Shankwiler (Ruth) of Pasadena, California, and their children Amanda and Carolyn Shankwiler. Ron was also a loved uncle to all of Lauries many nieces and nephews, grands and great-grands in Michigan and beyond.

A celebration of Rons life will be at Salmon Creek United Methodist Church, Vancouver, Washington, on May 14, 2022, at 2 p.m. We invite any of Rons friends to be in attendance. Memorials may be given to Salmon Creek United Methodist Church, 12217 NE Highway 99, Vancouver, Washington, 98686, or to Community Home Health and Hospice, 3102 NE 134th St., Vancouver, Washington, 98686.

Here is the original post:
In loving memory of Ronald F. Doering: 1945-2022 - The Reflector

Good morning. Im Paul Thornton, and it is Saturday, April 16, 2022. Lets look back at the week in Opinion.

Before we delve into the latest developments in the dont say gay craze sweeping statehouses in parts of the nation, lets think back all the way to the mid-aughts, when marriage equality still seemed a ways off and a Republican president called for a constitutional amendment banning non-heterosexual unions. It was a time when California voted overwhelmingly for the first Black president and in the same election banned gay marriage (our second time doing so, in fact); when marriage bans were put on the ballot in several states as part of a cynical ploy to turn out conservative voters; and perhaps most curiously of all, when pundits on the right acknowledged publicly what Republican operatives said in private that marriage equality was inevitable because of unstoppable changes in public attitudes, even if doing everything to delay it still paid political dividends.

It is this cynical political calculation, the Machiavellian moral panic amid broader social progress, that I keep remembering when reading about the rash of bills in Republican-controlled states like the one recently signed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis restricting classroom discussions on sexual orientation or gender identity. Americans awareness of LGBTQ issues beyond marriage equality is increasing, especially with regard to gender identity and transgender people and this is happening precisely at the moment the far right is gripped by paranoia over pedophilia. Is this the opportunity that Republican governors like DeSantis hope to ride to the White House, just as President George W. Bush narrowly won reelection in 2004 on a wave of panic over gay marriage?

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis displays the signed Parental Rights in Education law, also known as the dont say gay bill, in Shady Hills, Fla., on March 28.

(Douglas R. Clifford / Tampa Bay Times via Associated Press)

Ultimately, the political calculations fall far behind other concerns; I speculate about them only because they say something valuable about the humanity of the leaders who make them. Far more important is the grave damage these bills do to LGBTQ students in school who benefit from having their identities affirmed by their teachers and institutions. This is the reality illuminated by LZ Granderson in a column in which he wrote of yearning to be reflected positively as a closeted gay high school student:

Tennessees HB 800 would ban learning materials that promote, normalize, support or address lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, or transgender issues or lifestyle.

My God. They still refer to it as a lifestyle, as if talking about my husband were akin to talking about coastal living. And be not mistaken: The vague wording of that bill could potentially criminalize a family photo sitting on a gay teachers desk if that family doesnt look the way Tennessee lawmakers think that it should.

Meanwhile, seeing that family photo could be the very thing a queer child in Tennessee needs to feel worthy of love.

I dont know what kind of person hungers to take that away from children. I do know that such people have no business commenting on whats best for kids. But the anti-LGBTQ bills targeting trans children keep coming. The book banning in libraries keeps happening. The tropes about pedophilia have returned.

Attempting to answer Grandersons question of what kind of person does this, I suppose its the kind of person hoping to lead a party that has a history of seizing on hatred of a marginalized group whether its same-sex couples seeking recognition of their unions, immigrants desiring a life outside the shadows, or gay and trans students looking for affirmation in their classrooms. I can only hope DeSantis and Co.'s hateful political ploy signals that greater acceptance of the targeted groups is mostly a matter of time, but my heart breaks thinking of the lives and futures destroyed to serve a politicians ambitions.

Indeed, what kind of a person does this?

Amid Floridas fight with Disney over LGBTQ rights, a Disney family member comes out as trans. Robin Abcarian writes about a conversation she had with Roy P. Disneys child Charlee, who came out as transgender four years ago and has spoken out against Floridas dont say gay law: Charlee cant abide the idea that states are trying to make life harder for trans people. LGBTQ kids, Charlee said, already have to deal with high rates of depression and anxiety, not to mention bullying and suicide. Then to put something like this law on top of that? They cant learn about their community and their history at school, or play sports or use the bathroom they want to use? L.A. Times

Remember that record Sierra Nevada snowpack in December? Its basically gone, says one of the researchers who recently measured the snow depth near Lake Tahoe, further indicating how extreme drought and climate change are altering Californias ability to estimate its available water resources: Many storms with near record-breaking amounts of rain or snow would be required in a single year to make a significant dent in drought conditions. October was the second-snowiest and December the snowiest month on record at the snow lab since 1970, thanks to two atmospheric rivers that hit California. But the exceptionally dry November and January to March periods have left us with another year of below-average snowpack, rain and runoff conditions. New York Times

Were seeing how a billionaire candidates money can change the L.A. mayors race. Rick Caruso entered the crowded field seeking to succeed Mayor Eric Garcetti and quickly shot up in the polls. You cant turn on the TV or watch a YouTube video without seeing one of his ads, says the Times Editorial Board, and we need to get used to this even if this endless spending doesnt guarantee Caruso success: Blasting ads across TVs and computer screens is a good way to get voters to start paying attention if it doesnt eventually grate on their nerves. But if history is any guide, money isnt the sole determinant in winning elections in Los Angeles and California. More than one wealthy person Republican gubernatorial candidates John Cox and Meg Whitman come to mind has found that betting their millions on winning support of voters in California was a very bad investment. L.A. Times

Enjoying this newsletter? Consider subscribing to the Los Angeles Times

Your support helps us deliver the news that matters most. Become a subscriber.

California should speed the transition to electric vehicles. The state will require all new car sales to be zero-emission by 2035 a groundbreaking mandate that might not be ambitious enough. The editorial board urges Gov. Gavin Newsom and state regulators to take advantage of several advances and converging crises: Climate impacts are quickly worsening, battery technology is making great strides and surging gasoline prices and Russias invasion of Ukraine have underscored the perils of our reliance on fossil fuels. This moment calls for bolder action on electric vehicles, and Californias regulators should push carmakers to go further and faster. L.A. Times

Ukraine can learn something on holding Russia accountable for war crimes from the Soviets. What Ukraine needs is a dedicated state commission to collect, systematize and analyze evidence of atrocities and other crimes committed during this war, write Francine Hirsch and Eugene Finkel. Russian propaganda falsely presents the war as a fight against Nazism. Yet, ironically, Soviet efforts during World War II to uncover and prosecute Nazi crimes in German-occupied parts of the USSR can provide a useful blueprint to hold Russia accountable. L.A. Times

See original here:
Republicans once went after gay couples. Now they're targeting LGBTQ kids - Los Angeles Times

When you find the theme week you want to spend the rest of your life with, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible. Thankfully, The Ringer hereby dubs this week Rom-Com Week, a celebration of one of the most delightful, captivating genres in film. Head to the top of the Empire State Building, order what shes having, and join us as we dig into everything the rom-com has had to offer over the years.

The first time P.J. Hogan ever flew on a private jet, he was headed for disaster. On his way to Phoenix for a test screening of My Best Friends Wedding, the Australian director was eager to witness the first reactions to his new romantic comedy. But after a friendly plane ride with Sony head John Calley and producer Jerry Zucker, Hogans mood shifted dramatically on the desert ground. Despite uproarious laughter throughout the first two acts of the movie, silence reigned supreme over its final 30 minutes, Hogan recalls. And by the time we got to the end, it was hatred.

Originally, Sony executives demanded their A-list star close out the movie on a high note, prompting Hogan and screenwriter Ronald Bass to give Jules (Julia Roberts) a redemptive meet-cute with a new man (John Corbett) during the end credits. But after watching her repeatedly fail to break up a wedding between her best friend Michael (Dermot Mulroney) and his college-student fianc Kimmy (Cameron Diaz), the Arizona audience had no interest in seeing the movies hero-turned-villain get a happy ending. Inside the theater, it didnt take long to see the decision backfireaudience members crucified Jules on their note cards. Youd have thought we made The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and I was asking them to root for Leatherface, Hogan says. It was just awful.

Hogan, whod broken out a few years earlier with Muriels Wedding, headed back to L.A. believing hed blown his first shot at Hollywood. I felt like my career was over, Hogan says. I felt like it deserved to be over. But Zucker remained optimistic that Hogan had a hit on his handshe just needed to reshoot the ending, something the Aussie director had never considered as an option. When I knew there was a possibility of reshoots, hope rose like the sun over the horizon for me, Hogan says with a laugh. Soon, he and Bass began tweaking the script, revising the end so that Juless fan-favorite gay friend, George (Rupert Everett), showed up to the wedding instead, easing her single pain with a familiar song and dance. Thats the message of the screenplaysometimes the person you love isnt your lover, Hogan says. Rupert kept saying, You need me at the end. I think he knew the impact he was going to have in the film way before any of us did.

The new material rescued the movie (a second test screening proved much smoother) and the last-minute changeson top of a variety of other musical additions and rewritespaid major dividends. Throughout the summer of 1997, My Best Friends Wedding earned $127 million at the domestic box office and added another $172 million globally, turning the genres standard fairy-tale ending on its head while affirming Robertss unwavering star power. Almost 25 years later, it remains a modern rom-com classic, one that Hogan still enjoys dissecting and theorizing about to this day. And over the course of two-plus hours, he was game to answer every question we had. Theres something fizzy and vital and alive about it at its best, he says. But it has a lot to do with the fact that she doesnt get the guy.

Ive heard you say that when you read Ronald Basss script for the first time, it didnt really seem like a rom-com.

No, it wasnt very romantic and it wasnt very funny. I kind of knew around the midpoint, you had to start questioning the strength of [Michael and Juliannes] romance. If you start to think they belong together, the ending would collapse, and the ending was why I did the movie. The major thing to me was it needed to be a lot funnier, so I started riffing with [my wife] Jocelyn [Moorhouse]. Rupert Everetts character, George, was only in two scenesthe opening scene, and when he showed up in Chicago to give Julianne some sage advice.

Considering how big of a role he plays, that seems wild to me.

I wanted George to hang around. Id never read a script in the early 90s that had an openly gay character pleased to be himself in the way his best friend isnt. I said to Jocelyn, I really love this character, and I think he could really make a mark in the movie. We had some Australian friends in town, we all got drunk and we pretty much riffed the whole George visits Chicago scene when Julianne gets the great idea to pass him off as her fianc. We were just roaring with laughter.

What did you make of Julia Roberts at the time? Why do you think she was interested in portraying a darker character?

I found her absolutely charming, and I saw immediately what made her a movie star. I suspected that, much like me, she didnt expect her career to be founded on romantic comedies. I think Pretty Woman was such a blockbuster that she got pigeonholed. This was an actress who really wanted to do something that her audience didnt expect. There was a lot of pressure on Julia that she was returning to her wheelhouse: This one had better connect.

So lets get into the movie: Do you think it was in poor taste for Michael to invite Jules to be part of his wedding at the last minute? It seems obvious hes inviting disaster to happen.

Yeah, look, I wouldnt have done it. I remember talking to Ron about it and Ron simply said, If he doesnt, theres no movie, P.J. So what do you want to do about this? I chalk that up to the Big Ask. Every movie always has a Big Ask to accept this one thing, and if you accept that one thing, we promise well make it worth your while.

Michael is a 28-year-old sportswriter and Kimmy is a 20-year-old University of Chicago student. How do you think that they met?

Im not a sports guy, and I knew nothing about American football or baseball. I spoke to a Sports Illustrated journalist who told me how much of it was unrealistic and unbelievable. But if I were to change his profession, it would be like pulling a building block out of the screenplay. None of us had the time to think of another job that still worked, because it had to be unpleasantJulianne had to have something to inflame Kimmys doubts. Youre going to be stuck traveling with this dude all around the country in a low-paying job. I remember that Dermot and Cameron knew how they met, but I didnt care because the film wasnt about them. Philip Boscos character was the owner of the White Sox. Thats how they met!

Of course, if youre marrying the daughter of the White Sox owner, and hanging around the owners box, isnt that a huge conflict of interest for a sports journalist?

Yeah, I remember talking with Dermot that sportswriting was his love, but we did talk about what his future career was. He wanted to be a novelist, so I think we just decided that eventually he was going to have a shot at the Great American Novel, and maybe it would be sports relatedwhat really happens behind the scenes. I know he had bigger fish to fry than just being a sportswriter.

Well, if you marry into a billionaires family, youre not going to need to scrounge around for writing gigs.

I always thought he should have taken the PR job. When Michael was being noble and going I want to be broke, I want to struggle for a living, I remember thinking, Is this guy not very bright? Take the job with dad and do what you want to do. There should be a whole separate movie about Kimmy and Michaels relationship.

Theres a running gag throughout the movie that shows Kimmy being a terrible driver. Where did she learn to drive, and how tough was that to shoot?

That was Cameron driving. We lucked out there because there was a section of the freeway in Chicago very close to the inner city that was under construction, so Cameron did her own driving and she floored it. Most of the cars were only doing 30 miles per hour, and shes doing 60. So it looks like shes doing 110. I think Kimmy drives like a rich person, like an heiress. Shes also got a gleaming BMW, so nobodys ever going to hit her because theyll be paying for the damage for the rest of their lives.

Why does Kimmy have so few friends to the point of needing to enlist her fiancs former lover as her maid of honor?

As I recall, Kimmys best friend broke her hip line dancing in Abilene. But like Jules says later, You didnt trust me for a moment. You wanted to keep me close. The Michael Corleone rule: Keep your friends close but your enemies closer.

For the karaoke scene, was Camerons voice actually that bad, or did she have to act like she couldnt sing well?

No, its that bad. Cameron told me beforehand that she cant sing, and I said, well thats perfect because the character cant sing. She didnt want to do it live, but Id always noticed that Cameron was one of the easiest blushes, and I really wanted to capture that on film.

I love the bridge scene so much. Was Jules originally meant to struggle with admitting her love for Michael as the boat crosses under the bridge, or was that improvised?

It seems like an odd reference, but The Last Picture Show is one of my favorite films. Theres a character named Sam the Lion sitting by a water tank talking about a lost love, and right when it gets to his close-up, the sun comes out. They couldnt have planned it because it was an overcast day, and then when he talks about how he lost her, the sun goes back behind the clouds. I remember thinking I would love to have a moment like that. I remember trying to time the confession for a bridge, and that was virtually impossible, but it accidentally happened on the first take. The timing never worked again.

Was the rehearsal lunch always going to be centered around I Say a Little Prayer?

Yeah, the scene was conceived around that song, because to have a spontaneous sing-along, it had to be a song everybody knew but didnt know that they knew. I went through a number of possibilities and tested them on people. Id start them on the first line, but the one that really stuck was I Say a Little Prayer. Everybody knew what to say after The moment I wake up

Did every actor go into the studio at some point and record their verses with you?

No, I got them all in at once and we did it as a group recording. And I only did it as a guide track. What we ended up doing was playing the guide track on the set, and then they sang over the guide track. So its both.

Has Dionne Warwick ever reached out to you about the movie?

The original ending was really terribleit ended with leaving Julianne on the dance floor as a waiter starts singing, I Say a Little Prayer. And I thought I may as well turn this into a musical and maybe I can have Dionne Warwick in it. At that time, Dionne lived in South Africa and granted us just one day with her. But she didnt show up. She didnt get on the plane. She would have been cut out anyway, so she made the right call.

Has she ever contacted you?

No, I dont know what Dionne Warwick thinks of her lionization in the film. The most famous version is Arethas version, but Dionne recorded it first, so it was important to me that that be acknowledged in the scene.

Speaking of music, whats the story behind the kids sucking on helium and singing John Denver?

When I read the first draft it was the funniest thing in the script, but originally it was Bridge Over Troubled Water. I loved that song, but Paul Simon asked to see the screenplay because he protects his music like a hawk protecting her eggs. I wanted to get on the phone and talk him into it, but I thought theres no way you can do this song sung on helium respectfully. I just have to send him the screenplay. And Paul predictably said, No, any other song but this one. I cant have a group of teenagers singing it on helium. But Annies Song seemed to work just as well.

Id imagine those kids actually sucked helium, right?

Well, I couldnt stop them. There was helium on set, because the balloons were being filled up for the sequence. We told them not to suck helium because it could be done so easily in post, but from the moment we started rehearsing, they were sucking helium. I think by the end they were so high, and they would talk to me in their helium voices, and I remember having to film them very quickly because I thought there was going to be a helium catastrophethey were going to collapse if I didnt get them off set.

Kimmys dad writes all of his emails during the day, saves them as drafts, and then has his assistant send them all out at the end of the day. Was that a thing people did in the 90s, or is Kimmys dad a gigantic weirdo?

We shot the film in 1996 and honestly, I had never sent an email, so I didnt know. And Ron was an emailer, so I thought Ron emails with people, he knows. But in retrospect, it really is quite ridiculous to write emails, then put them in a box and just say send all my emails at the end of the day. The point of emails is you write them and send them off right then and there. I feel like Im pinning all the films mistakes on Ron. I just thought emails were something corporations and big businesses did, maybe that was true at the time.

Its pleasantly surprising to see Paul Giamatti in the hotel hallway every time I watch this movie. How did you find him for the bellhop role?

We knew it was an important scene. Paul just came in and he was wonderful. It was instantly, Ive got to have this guy. He was just so good. What I didnt know was that Paul had knee trouble and the whole sequence involved him crouching in front of Julia. Paul said, I think Id stay standing the whole time. And I went, You wouldnt, Paul, this is supposed to be an intimate moment. And then he just said, Im in incredible pain when I kneel down. Maybe you can even see a grimace.

I think you have to admit that Jules lending her and Michaels song to Michael and Kimmy seems a little strange.

Yeah. I went for it. She originally also read Michael a poem, which was very beautiful, but was basically saying, Im still in love with you, which is another reason the last act went completely wrong. The audience was going, The bitch still loves him? Whats going on? So we had to re-do the speech. She couldnt be reading a poem. What are you, setting up the sequel? My Best Friends Divorce?

Acknowledging that Georges presence saves the ending of the movie, how plausible was it that he would fly from New York to Chicago twice in two days, considering he hates to fly?

Theres no way I would fly from New York to Chicago to save my loony friend, whose actions I dont approve of anyway. But that always struck me as Jeez, hes a good friend. So I shot that first sequence to at least give him some impetus to do it. I thought in for a penny, in for a pound. Would you really not want him to show up at the end? People absolutely loved it. As implausible as it might seem, everybody in that audience wanted a friend who would do that for them.

Who is the villain of this movie? Do you think Michael is potentially worse than Jules?

Ive had a lot of people say to me, Hes complicit, at the very least. I still believe that the villain and the hero of the movie was Julias character. He still has an attraction to her, thats obvious. But I dont think thats necessarily wrong. Im married, and I know that when the weeks were counting down to my wedding day, I started having cold feet. Theres nothing like a wedding day to start focusing your mind on previous relationships and what could have been.

Why do you think people still connect with this movie so much?

I remember when I saw When Harry Met Sally for the first time. Id been through a breakup and I just remember sitting there, as much as I loved the film, like, Well, arent you the lucky ones. If youve been through a breakup or are not in a relationship, My Best Friends Wedding is a really great romantic comedy for you because its realistic. Even if you didnt live the rom-com dream, that doesnt mean your life is over, and it doesnt mean youll never be happy again. There may not be love, there may not be sex, but there will be dancing.

Do you still find that wisdom to be true?

Its been true for me. Ron had always said, I really want the ending to say that sometimes the person you love the most isnt a lover. You still have to find happiness where you can, and thats why the movie has lived on. It leaves you with hope.

Jake Kring-Schreifels is a sports and entertainment writer based in New York. His work has also appeared in Esquire.com, GQ.com, and The New York Times.

Read more here:
My Best Friends Wedding Is a Rom-Com You Can Talk About for Hours - The Ringer