Facebook Party Announcement

 

        Good news about "Death's Garden Revisited."  The Kickstarter for it has been doing well--the 6th goal has been reached, with 16 days to go.  Thanks for everyone who's stopped by and contributed. If you haven't but are interested, please consult my post from a couple of weeks ago for more info.

         Otherwise, this Saturday, April 2nd, Loren Rhoads is hosting a Facebook party for this book, from noon to 3 pm. (Pacific time.)  If you stop by you can directly communicate with Loren and many of the other contributors to "Death's Garden Revisited."  I'll be around from 12:30 pm. to 2 pm., fielding questions about exhumations and archaeology.  Anyway, here's the link: 

                   https://www.facebook.com/events/1416064368811830

                                                                                 

Additionally, I will be posting on my regular day, which is also Saturday, April 2nd.

Exotic/Disgusting Foods and Beverages Forum--Canadian/Swiss Chewing Gum

      This was a total impulse buy.  I saw it on the shelf abutting the checkout line at my local Shop-Rite, while waiting for previous customers to finish their shopping trips.  The box read, "Pur," (with an umlaut over the "u"), and "aspartame free" was also on the front of the package.  When I saw it was a Canadian company, I thought "Why not?"  The two flavors I bought were spearmint and coolmint.

     As some explanation, I realize that including gum as a food (or a beverage!) is admittedly a stretch, since most people don't actually send the product through their digestive system.  But, on the other hand, gum does have calories, so even if consumers spit it out, some tiny amount of it (presumably the sugar, or other flavoring) does actually make its way into their stomachs.  Additionally, I have never reviewed gum on my blog, so I thought it might be a nice change.  I should also note that historically I've not been a fan of gum in general.  I tried many kinds as a lad, but was always frustrated by it, because even the ones that tasted good lost this flavor disappointingly soon.  And then it was like chewing on a piece of plastic, which I found pretty gross and off-putting.  Gag-inducing, often.  So going into this I knew the odds of me enjoying this gum were fairly slim.

     Pur was founded in 2010, by Jay Klein, in Canada.  The company started out just making gum, but in 2015 they added mints to their fold.  Aside from the kinds I tried, Pur also makes a wintergreen, peppermint, pomegranate mint, chocolate mint, bubblegum, and cinnamon type.  The mint kinds are spearmint, peppermint, tangerine tango (mango?), polar mint, and mojito mint.  The products are actually made in Switzerland, largely because this country is more amenable to avoiding nuts and GMO's.  Other than lacking these two substances, Pur products are proudly touted as being free of sugar, gluten, and soy, and being vegan-appropriate.

     Then there's the big issue--aspartame.  The Pur company, and many others, think that this sugar substitute is bad.  Some contend that it causes symptoms like headaches, dizziness, and nausea.  In contrast, Pur claims that their sugar substitute of choice, xylitol, is beneficial, especially for oral health.  But here's the thing--like a lot of health claims, the problems with aspartame seem unproven, or at least highly exaggerated.  The FDA and other health organizations continue to approve aspartame, as no credible scientific evidence indicates that it's dangerous.  Studies that purport to show that it is are questionable.  For example, one small study seemed to find that aspartame can cause headaches in those who get migraines, but so did eating cheese, chocolate, citrus fruits, ice cream, caffeine, and alcohol.  It appears that the negative effect might have been psychosomatic, in other words.  Furthermore, xylitol itself has some adverse effects, which are more proven than aspartame.  The EU forbids its use in soft drinks because in large enough amounts it can cause a laxative effect, or diarrhea.  Finally, the battle against aspartame seems a bit strange for another reason.  While aspartame was very popular in the 1980's and 1990's, since then sucralose has been the most used sugar substitute, since unlike aspartame it has a longer shelf life and maintains its sweetness even after heating.  I realize I may have blundered into a hornet's nest here, but as far as I could learn aspartame's dangerousness is overblown, perhaps completely.  But I get that many people strongly disagree with me.  (To be fair, xylitol does help with oral health, but this seems to mostly be because it stimulates saliva in the mouth, which washes away bacteria, not because it's necessarily anti-cavity in itself.)

Pur spearmint gum:  The pieces were white rectangles, about .75 inches by .5 inch (or about 2 cm. by 1 cm.).  Okay odor.  Taste was alright, minty, but was lost within like 30 seconds.  So it became revolting pretty quickly, forcing me to spit it out.

Pur coolmint gum:  These pieces were the same size, shape, and color as the spearmint variety, and also had a decent smell.  But once again the taste was fleeting.  The flavor was maybe slightly better than the spearmint, but it was tough to tell.  Once again I ejected it rapidly.

     So, just to repeat, I acknowledge that I'm not the audience for this product, so bear that in mind.  Folks who like gum may well enjoy these.  But for someone who usually dislikes gum, these Pur kinds definitely didn't change my mind.  I think they were a bit pricier than average gum, as well.

     One final tidbit--no matter what one's stance is on aspartame, or xylitol, both sides agree that xylitol is very dangerous for dogs.  So if you drop a piece of xylitol-flavored gum, make sure you grab it quick before Fido can get to it.  However, apparently cats, rats, rhesus macaques, and horses can eat it safely.  (I'm kidding here--even though xylitol won't hurt these species, I think allowing a pet to eat gum is cruel and perverse.)

     

Kickstarter for "Death's Garden Revisited"

           

     Way back in 2003 I had my 5th piece of writing published, in a magazine called "Morbid Curiosity."  To use one of its official descriptions, this periodical consisted of, "Confessional first-person essays about the unsavory, unwise, unorthodox, and unusual:  All the dark elements that make life truly worth living."  (My article was about my experiences with heat exhaustion, Lyme Disease, and being bit by a rabid fox.)  Then, in 2004 and 2005 I was fortunate enough to be a part of two more editions of Morbid Curiosity, with an article about  what it's like to exhume graves, and then an account of my childhood fever hallucinations.  Well, a couple of months ago I heard exciting news from the owner/editor of Morbid Curiosity, Loren Rhoads.  In 1995 she had edited a book called "Death's Garden:  Relationships with Cemeteries," which was a well regarded book about people's experiences with the places we bury our dead, coming at it from various perspectives, such as historical, anthropological, sociological, etc., etc., and including people who just like them because they're cool.  And now she's putting out a new edition, with many new and diverse articles about all aspects of graveyards.  Loren was interested in reprinting my nonfiction story about exhuming, and of course I was more than willing to participate.

     But first things first.  As you can see from the title of this post, this book is starting with a Kickstarter campaign.  I invite everyone to go over and check it out, for much more detail on all the book will entail.  The cover is clearly featured above, and here's the address for the Kickstarter:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/lorenrhoads/deaths-garden-revisited-relationships-with-cemeteries 

     Plus I'll provide a contributor list below.  These can be divided into three main categories, although obviously there is significant overlap.

Horror Authors:

A.M. Muffaz           Angela Yuriko Smith         Christine Sutton         Denise N. Tapscott

E.M. Markoff          Emerian Rich                    Francesca Maria         Frances Lu-Pai Ippolito

Greg Roensch         Mary Rajotte                     Melodie Bolt              Priscilla Bettis

Rena Mason           Robert Holt                       R.L. Merrill                Saraliza Anzaldua

Trish Wilson           Stephen Mark Rainey

Cemetery Writers/Genealogists/Historians:

Anne Born             Barbara Baird                    Carrie Sessarego        Carole Tyrrell

Erika Mailman       J'aime Rubio                     Jo Nell Huff                Joane M. Austin

Sharon Pajka          Trilby Plants                     Rachelle Meilleur

Morbid Curiosity Contributors:

Brian Thomas        Benjamin Scuglia              Chris LaMay-West     George Neville-Neil

M. Parfitt               Paul Stansfield                   Rain Graves    

     I believe the book will be published in October, or perfect for the Halloween season.  Obviously I'll post updates along the way leading up to this time.  Oh, and just for regular readers info, this post is a bit earlier in the week than usual, but the next post will return to being on Saturday (March 26th).

Exotic/Disgusting Foods and Beverages Forum--Chilean Brandy

      A while ago I decided to tour the cordial section of one of my local liquor stores, specifically one I haven't been going to much in the past year or so.  I chose that particular aisle because of my disdain for the most common hard liquors--vodka, whiskey, rum, gin, tequila, etc.  So when I saw a distilled grape spirit, from Chile, I jumped at the chance, and brought it home.  The actual drink was pisco, from the Capel brand, and company.

     As I later discovered, the origins, name, and nature of pisco are hotly debated.  In essence, we have a duel between the countries of Peru and Chile.  Pisco is the national drink of both of these nations, and each considers their version of it to be the only "true" pisco.  Let's start this fight off with the name.  Some claim it's the Quechua word meaning "bird."  Why this term for bird became the name of a liquor is kind of left unsaid.  But others claim pisco means a type of earthenware container, and/or the liquor often put in said container.  Finally, some think that the Peruvian town of Pisco was where the drink was initially, or at least most notably made, so naturally it became the name of the liquor.

     As for the origin, both Peru and Chile have old traditions of making wine, and then transforming this wine into other spirits, like brandy.  Supposedly the first written reference to pisco is in the will of a Peruvian man named Pedro Manuel, in the town of Ica, in the early 1600's.  But other historians claim that the drink was simultaneously being made in Chile.  Peru does have one thing on their side--while pisco may have been made in Chile for hundreds of years, it didn't become prevalent and very popular until the early 1930's or so.

     Then there is the spirit itself.  In both Peru and Chile pisco is a brandy, or a liquor distilled from wine, made from grapes.  But there are some differences.  To be legitimate in Peru, the pisco can only be made from 8 recognized grape varieties, while in Chile it's 14 kinds.  In Peru pisco can only be distilled once, while in Chile it can be distilled multiple times.  And, in Peru pisco can be aged in earthenware, steel, or glass containers, but NOT wood ones, while in Chile wood containers are fine.  All of these details seem pretty insignificant to me, but to Chilean and Peruvian pisco connoisseurs these are anything but trivial.

     Capel is an acronym, which stands for Cooperativa Agricola Pisquera Elqui Limitada.  In 1938 23 men and 5 women founded this company.  Over the decades the company became more popular, and by the 1980's Capel pisco graduated from being a small local favorite to a large, national brand.  By the 1990's Capel started exporting it, mainly to the U.S.  Currently it makes up more than 50% of the pisco market in Chile.  Chilean pisco is usually made in various forms, defined by their alcohol contents.  Corriente o Tradicional is 30-35%, Especial is 35-40%, Reservado is 40%, and Gran is 43% and up.  Capel makes several different types of pisco, selling a 35% one, a 43% one, a special edition, and transparent varieties.  The company also makes a rum, and a premixed cocktail.

     There are several ways to traditionally enjoy pisco.  Some imbibers have it neat (plain), either as an anytime drink or as an aperitif (pre-meal drink), or digestif (post meal beverage).  Some have it mixed with fruit and herbs, in a solution called a macerado.  But the most common, as far as I can tell, seems to be as part of a cocktail.

Capel Reserved pisco, double distilled:  This had a clear color, and a boozy odor.  The alcohol content was listed as 40%.  I didn't have any mixers on hand, and drank it before I found about the various cocktail types, anyway.  So I had mine straight, as a shot.  The taste was just awful--like it was industrial alcohol or something.  The only flavor was harshness.  Or, to quote Ralph Wiggum, "It tastes like burning!"  I despised this, and only gritted my teeth and eventually finished it because I dropped about $20 for the 750 mL bottle.  So, in a short while I've discovered one of, or maybe the best liquor I've ever had (Arak Razzouk, see January 29, 2022 post), followed shortly by one of the very worst.  Part of me wants to see if the Peruvian version of pisco is also this terrible.  But only if I can find a single shot, 50 mL tiny bottle of it, so I don't waste money and time on something I'll probably loathe.  To be fair, I can't recall liking any other brandy, so maybe if you like this liquor type you'll also enjoy this.  I won't be fighting you for the bottles, that's for sure!

     I'd like to close by briefly discussing some famous Chileans.  I should note that many of the folks I'll mention have very long names, which are sometimes replaced by shorter pen, or stage names, which I'll use for brevity.  First off, two Chileans have won the Nobel Prize for Literature--Gabriela Mistral in 1945, and Pablo Neruda in 1971.  In the world of acting, there's Cote de Pablo, who was born in Chile but moved to the U.S. as a child.  She's best known for appearing on television's "NCIS" from 2005-13, and 2019-20.  She also appeared in such movies as "The Last Rites of Ransom Pride" (2010) and "The 33" (2015).  Pedro Pascal also was born in Chile but moved to the U.S. as a baby.  He appeared in such movies as "Hermanas" (2005), "The Adjustment Bureau" (2011), "Wonder Woman 1984" (2020), and the upcoming "The Bubble" (2022), and on such television series as "Game of Thrones" (2014) and "The Mandalorian" (2019-).  On the other side of the camera, there's Alejandro Jodorowksy, who was born in Chile but moved to France.  He's recognized for directing films such as "El Topo" (1970), "The Holy Mountain" (1973), "Tusk" (1980), "Santa Sangre" (1989), and "Endless Poetry" (2016).  Alejandro Amenabar is Chilean-born, but is now also a citizen of Spain.  He directed movies like "Thesis" (1996), "The Others" (2001), "The Sea Inside" (2004, for which he won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film), "Agora" (2009), "Regression" (2015), and "While at War" (2019).  Moving to music, there's Chilean-born, now American, Tom Araya, who's been the bassist and vocalist for the thrash metal band Slayer since 1981.  In sports, Anita Lizana (born in Chile, she later moved to the U.K.) was ranked #1 in tennis in 1937, the same year she won the U.S. Open.  And finally, Sammis Reyes is the first person from Chile to play in the NFL.  In 2021, with the Washington Football Team, he suited up for 11 games, with 1 start, at tight end.  He played mostly on special teams, and made two assisted tackles.  Since he's in his mid 20's, I'm sure he'll attempt to play more seasons.

    Additionally, Chile is notable for a couple of natural things.  On the negative side, the world's most powerful earthquake, with a magnitude of between 9.4 and 9.6, occurred here, in the Valdivia quake on May 22, 1960.  (Other quakes in history resulted in more deaths, but had less powerful magnitudes.)  Then there's the Atacama Desert.  It's the driest non-polar desert on the planet, with annual rainfall of well less than an inch (about 2.5 cm.).  Because of its extreme aridity, lack of clouds, elevation, and relative lack of light and radio pollution, the Atacama is one of the best places on Earth for viewing the stars--an astronomer's dream.

     Also, on Thursday, March 17th, I'll be posting about an upcoming anthology that I'll be a part of.  Included in this post will be information about the Kickstarter project that precedes the book's publishing.  The title is "Death's Garden Revisited," edited by Loren Rhoads.

   

Extremely Difficult Trivia about "The Exorcist" (1973)

      Today I'd like to do another of my deep dive, incredibly detailed trivial explorations of famous, usually horror movies.  "The Exorcist" is one of my very favorite films of all time, and was very successful in its day, both critically and at the box office.  As usual, I recognize that almost nobody will know the answers to all of these--including myself, before I went through and re-watched the movie while taking notes.  And clearly there will be many SPOILERS about a nearly 50 year old movie, so be forewarned.  Finally, I'm using the 2000, "The Version You've Never Seen" version, which put back several minutes of footage, including the "spider walk" scene and a brief Kinderman--Dyer conversation at the end.  I think only Questions #46 and  #51 deal with a scene not included in the theatrical cut.  I'll ask the questions first, and then include the answers at the end.

Questions:

1)    What famous archaeological site, and in what modern country, is Father Merrin working at in the opening of the movie?

2)    What is written on the small metal medallion or pendent that Merrin studies in the beginning, which we later see at the conclusion of the movie?

3)    What is the name of the movie that Chris MacNeil is working on in Washington D.C.?

4)    According to director Burke Dennings, the writer of the movie is, uh, "fornicating" where?

5)    What scene, and take, do we see being filmed?

6)    What is the date during this filming day?

7)    Chris's assistant is Sharon.  What is Sharon's last name?  (Kinderman mentions it once.)

8)    What clay sculpture do we see Regan finish painting?

9)    What is the name of the spirit who answers the questions that Regan poses using the Ouija board?

10)   We briefly see a magazine cover which has both Regan and Chris on it.  What is the magazine?

11)   While discussing what to do on Regan's upcoming birthday, Chris suggests more sightseeing.  What D.C. area sight does she specifically mention?

12)   What is Chris's nickname for Regan?

13)   We see Father Karras talking to another priest in a bar, discussing his problems and crisis of faith.  Who is this other priest?

14)   During her birthday, where is Regan's father staying, and in what city?

15)   Chris is awakened with the news that she needs to be on set ASAP.  What number scene will they be shooting?

16)  How is the statue of Mary in the church desecrated?

17)   Regan gets an electrocardiagraph at the doctor's office.  What model machine is used?

18)   In the patient waiting room, a picture from a famous art museum/gallery is shown.  What is this place?

19)   What is the name of the doctor that Regan sees first?  (We also see this doctor in several other scenes.)

20)   What five symptoms of a nervous disorder does this doctor mention Regan shows?

21)   What medicine does this doctor first proscribe for Regan?

22)   What nickname do Father Karras's relatives refer to him as?

23)   At the party, the astronaut mentions the spacecraft he'll be in has how many cubic feet of room?

24)   Burke taunts Karl about being a Nazi.  What nationality does Karl insist that he is?

25)   What is the name of the church where Karras's office is located?

26)   What song does Father Dyer lead the partygoers into singing, while he plays the piano?

27)   Father Dyer brings over a bottle of liquor to help Karras mourn his mother's passing.  What is it?

28)   According to Karras's prayer in the church, what was his mother's first name?

29)   Regan's first doctor is assisted by a colleague, who even joins him over at the MacNeil house to observe her.  Who is this second doctor?

30)   What is the second medication that Regan is proscribed?

31)   Chris and Regan are temporarily staying in Washington D.C. while Chris shoots the movie.  Where is their permanent home?

32)   What two actors does Kinderman say Karras resembles?

33)   And who does Karras say that Kinderman resembles?

34)   What movie does Kinderman tell Karras he has free passes to?

35)   What is the name of the hospital/clinic that examines Regan about midway through the film?

36)   The doctors there suggest an exorcism for Regan, for power of suggestion reasons rather than believing in a real demon.  What is their official diagnosis of her condition?

37)   When Kinderman is talking to Chris, he mentions he's seen one of her previous movies 6 times.  What is the name of this movie?

38)   What three places does Karras mention he was trained at?

39)   What is Karras's initial recommendation for treating Regan?

40)   What brand of tape recorder does Karras use while listening to recordings of Regan's regular voice?

41)   During their second meeting, aside from regular English, Regan speaks 3 different languages.  What are they?

42)   Where is Merrin when he is contacted to perform the exorcism?

43)   What is the name of the cab company that Merrin uses to get to the MacNeil house?

44)   What supplies for the exorcism does Merrin ask Karras to bring back from the Residency?

45)   What kind of liquor does Chris offer Merrin, which he gladly accepts?

46)   What is Regan's middle name?

47)   What number chapter is the Rite of Exorcism that Merrin and Karras use?

48)   There is graffiti written in red on the building to the left of the famous Hitchcock Steps, visible during some of the views looking down it.  What does the graffiti say?

49)   There's a gas station at the foot of the Hitchcock Steps.  What company is it?

50)   What make and model of car are the MacNeils driving in as they leave the house at the end of the movie?

51)   Kinderman offers Dyer a free movie pass at the very end of the film.  What movie is it?

52)   While discussing that Merrin should perform the exorcism, one of the priests mentions Merrin's previous exorcism in Africa, which he thinks happened about how many years ago?

53)   A real life convicted murderer acted in "The Exorcist."  Who is it, and what part did they play?

54)   The writer of the movie, William Peter Blatty, also acted briefly in the movie.  What part did he play?

55)  Why is practically every character, even the doctors, always smoking?

Answers:

1)    Ninevah, in present day Northern Iraq.

2)    Soncte Joseph ora pro nobis.  Or, in English, "Saint Joseph pray for us."

3)    Crash Course.

4)    Paris, France.

5)    Scene 39, Take 4.  Hotel.   (Even though it's filmed outside a university building.)

6)    Evidently it's on Halloween, October 31st, since the fallen leaves indicate it's autumn, and while walking home Chris passes some kids trick or treating.

7)    Spencer.

8)    A bird with an orange body, yellowish head feathers, and a striped beak.

9)    Captain Howdy.  Which is probably the demon's attempt to trick Regan by using a name similar to her father, whose name, Howard, is seen on the magazine mentioned in Question #10.

10)   Photoplay.  Which was a real magazine, that ceased publication in 1980.

11)   The Lee Mansion.

12)   Rags.

13)   Tom.  He's the president of Georgetown University in the movie.

14)   The Hotel Excelsior, in Rome, Italy.

15)   61.

16)   It was given red nippled, pointy breasts, with some black paint on their bases, a sharp phallus, with red paint (blood) on both the phallus and the statue's hands.  In the book Kinderman confirms that the paint and clay are the same that Regan used for her artwork.

17)   The Series 2000 Automatic Electrocardiogram.

18)   The Galerie Maeght, a modern art facility in Paris, France.

19)   According to the nameplate on his desk, it's Harold E. Klein.

20)   Hyperactivity, her temper, her bad performance in math, lying, and swearing.

21)   The later extremely popular drug Ritalin, 10 mg. per day.

22)   Dimmie, evidently a version of his real name, Damien.

23)   210 cubic feet, which the astronaut thinks is quite spacious.

24)   Swiss.

25)   St. Michaels.

26)   "Down on 33rd and 3rd," a 1926 tune created by Ben Ryan.

27)   Chivas Regal, a blended Scotch whisky.  Dyer says he stole it from the university president.

28)   Mary.

29)   Dr. Taney.

30)   The much more serious Thorazine.

31)   Los Angeles, not surprisingly for an actress.  Chris mentions that they've sold their old house, but are building a new one.

32)   First John Garfield, then later, when he's irritated at Karras, Sal Mineo.

33)   Paul Newman.

34)   Othello.  Although Kinderman jokingly says it stars Debbie Reynolds as Desdemona, and Groucho Marx as Othello.

35)   The Barringer Clinic and Foundation.

36)   Somnambuliform possession.

37)   Angel.

38)   Harvard, Bellevue, and Johns Hopkins.  Presumably the second one refers to the famous New York City hospital, and not a university.

39)   6 months of observation at the best hospital that Chris can afford.

40)   A DuKane Monitor.  It also has Radio Learning Laboratories printed on it.

41)   Latin, French, and then backwards English.  If you're really curious, Regan says, translated, "Spoken miracles." and  "I absolve you." in Latin, "Hello!" and "My aunt's pen." in French, and "Give us time.  Let her die.  I am no one.  I am no one.  Fear the priest.  Fear the priest.  Merrin!" in backward English.

42)   Woodstock.  Not the famous New York town, but a Jesuit seminary in Maryland.

43)   The company is Capitol, the phone # is 546-2400, and the car # is 220.  I looked it up, and this is still an actual cab company in D.C., and 546-2400, with the 202 area code, is their actual phone number.

44)   A cassock, 2 surplices, a purple stole, some holy water, and a copy of The Roman Ritual, the large one.

45)   Brandy, in his coffee.

46)   Teresa.

47)   11.

48)   You can clearly see "PIGS," and then what looks like a "GHT" before this.  So probably "FIGHT PIGS," as in an anti-police message.

49)   Mobil.

50)   It's a Mercedes-Benz 280 SE 4.5 (liter engine).  Probably a 1972 model.

51)   Wuthering Heights, with another joke that it stars Jackie Gleason as Heathcliff and Lucille Ball as Catherine Earnshaw.

52)  He says it was 10-12 years before, meaning in the early 1960's.  Which is contradicted by both prequel versions, which have it taking place in either 1947 or 1949.  Maybe the priest misremembered.  Or the filmmakers changed it for their own reasons.

53)   It's Paul Bateson, who was convicted of murder in 1979, and was in prison until 2003.  He plays the radiological technician, since that was his real job at the time.  He's the younger guy with a beard, who has several lines of dialogue with Regan.  "Exorcist" director William Friedkin later did the controversial 1980 movie "Cruising," which added some elements from Bateson's real life case.  Also, some investigators thought Bateson might have killed more people.

54)   He plays a producer that's talking to Burke during the shooting of the film within the film at the beginning.  Ironically, he's asking if these scenes are necessary for the film, implying that he doesn't think they are, while in real life Blatty was put off that some scenes he liked were cut from the final theatrical version of "The Exorcist," and were restored for this 2000 version.  Some sources claim this character is named Fromme, while others state his character is unnamed.

55)   I know, it was the 1970's.  But it was still jarring to me on this most recent viewing.  I'm surprised that the doctors didn't give Regan cigarettes!

     Also, stay tuned--I'll have a writing announcement coming up, probably within the week.