jane#39;s daily blah: Epigenetics, BPA, and Can I really live without ...
. The whole concept of epigenetics is really fascinating and quite distressing to think about. We all know that evolution is a process which takes a very long time to change a species, so if you think in grand evolutional terms, nothing you do (smoking, drinking, eating a poor diet, etc) will affect your DNA or that of your children…. right? Well, this whole epigenetics thing says pretty much the opposite. There are apparently genetic markers, or switches, which tell certain genes to turn on and others to turn off. Genetic markers for certain things – good and bad – can be turned on and off in response to things such as smoking, drinking, poor diet, etc. And here’s the kicker. If one of these markers is switched on/off in *your* DNA, you will most likely pass on that “switch” to your offspring, and they in turn will most likely pass it on to theirs. It...
Sundancing with gum on shoe
Marking the first time that it will serve as an officially sanctioned Sundance Film Festival hospitality site, Village at the Yard is returning for a third consecutive year, opening from Friday, January 22 through Tuesday, January 26. Produced by Relevent Group (www.relevent.net), and PMK•BNC, Village at the Yard will again transform the Anderson Lumberyard at 1251 Kearns Boulevard to create an exciting experience geared toward filmmakers and festival guests attending the 2010 Sundance Film Festival. Activations taking part in this year’s Village at the Yard (www.VillageAtTheYard.com) include an impressive roster of high-profile lifestyle brands including: T-Mobile®, Stella Artois, Honda, Fred Segal Fun, the AVEENO® Brand, InStyle, Nintendo, Philadelphia Industry Lounge, Sephora, ABSOLUT® VODKA, FilterForGood®, Fruit2day, The AriZona Beverage Co, Trident Layers™ and HP. Industry, press, corporate partners and their guests attending Village at the Yard will be treated to a 100,000 square-foot winter wonderland, centrally located along the festival shuttle route and situated between two main screening facilities. The venue includes generous space for festival press conferences, events and junkets, as well as specialized boutiques, a full service diner, pop-up salon, interactive fitness club, photo studio, welcome lounge, sledding hill and ample parking for guests. “The Sundance Film Festival is the most anticipated event of its kind and we’re honored to be officially working with the Sundance Institute,” said Chris Robichaud, CEO of PMK•BNC. “Consumer brands and companies continue to covet access to the tastemakers in the entertainment industry who converge here every year. Our goal is to maintain the essence and prestige of the Festival while giving filmmakers a platform to better promote their work, and brands a way to interact directly with the filmmaking community.” Fred Segal Fun: From the beaches of Santa Monica, to the mountains of Park City, Fred Segal Fun is the premier shopping Mecca for Angelenos. Owner and Resident Fashion Maven, Jackie Brander, is bringing Fred Segal Fun back to Village at The Yard for the second year in a row. The lounge will offer celebrities and VIP’s access to some of the most exclusive and sought-after brands. Known for its expansive denim store and high-end designers, Fred Segal Fun will bring current, fashion-forward designer collections to the film festival. In addition, for each item given away a donation will be made to support Sundance Institute, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the discovery and development of independent artists in film and theatre. The famed boutique is no stranger to Park City, as it was the highlight of Village at the Yard last year. With the recent launch of www.fredsegalfun.com , everyone can now have this exclusive and private shopping experience anywhere in the world. Fred Segal Fun at Village at the Yard will be open from Friday, January 22 – Tuesday, January 26. Please contact Chelsea Green for an appointment or further details at 310-704-5251 or chelsea_green@mac.com . Appointments are mandatory. T-Mobile® myTouch Diner: The T-Mobile® myTouch™ Diner will once again become a social center for celebrities and V.I.P’s at Village at the Yard, offering comfort food, warm drinks and a place to relax and socialize during the hectic film festival. The T-Mobile myTouch Diner kicks off on Friday, January 22 for breakfast and lunch and will continue daily until Tuesday, January 26. While at the diner, guests will be able to use the new T-Mobile myTouch 3G – Fender Limited Edition devices at each of table to order snacks, chat with other festival attendees and educate themselves on how to make the T-Mobile myTouch 3G 100% You™ with hundreds of customizable options including dynamic apps, one-of-a-kind home screen themes and exterior shells and gel skins. The T-Mobile myTouch 3G - Fender Limited Edition will also allow festival-goers to view trailers and images for some of the popular films debuting at the festival starring some of today’s most notable and award-winning stars as well as request songs from legendary artists and Fender guitarists. Stella Artois: Stella Artois, the best-selling Belgian beer in the world, is proud to have supported the Sundance Film Festival since 2004 as part of its long-time sponsorship of more than 60 film festivals across the country. The “Stella Artois Cutting Room” lounge will host film press conferences and private parties, serving as the premier place to celebrate the festival. Stella Artois should be served in the signature Stella Artois Chalice to fully experience the golden lager’s crisp, refreshing flavor and spicy hop character. Originally brewed as a special holiday beer, it was named “Stella,” Latin for “star.” For more information about the schedule of press conferences and other events, contact Michael Lourie at michael.lourie@anheuser-busch.com / 314-799-8133. AVEENO®: The AVEENO® Brand, the number one dermatologist recommended brand and the pioneer of ACTIVE NATURALS® ingredients, invites festival-goers to meet renowned international hair stylist Patrick Melville, the AVEENO® NOURISH+ Hair Care Collection’s new celebrity hair stylist, as he unveils the latest styling collection by appointment at the AVEENO® NOURISH+ STYLE and SHINE Pop-Up Salon. Guests who stop by the AVEENO® Brand Suite are also invited to indulge their senses in the scents of the new AVEENO® POSITIVELY NOURISHING™ Fragranced Body Care Collection at the Reshape Your Escape Oxygen Bar and will be treated to an eco-friendly gift bag filled with the newest offerings before they are available in stores. Exclusive salon appointments are available beginning January 22 through January 26 from 10am – 6pm; please contact Victoria LaSardo in advance of and during the festival at Victoria.LaSardo@rprmc.com . Honda: Honda, Presenting Sponsor of the Sundance Film Festival, will showcase its latest documentary film and the world's most advanced humanoid robot, ASIMO, for VIP and Festival attendees at Village at the Yard. Honda will screen "Living with Robots," the sixth film in the Dream the Impossible Documentary Series (dreams.honda.com) followed by a live 10-minute demonstration of Honda's ASIMO robot. Directed by filmmaker, Joe Berlinger, "Living With Robots" ponders life with robots such as ASIMO, alongside science-fiction screenwriters, professors, philosophers, engineers and other thinkers. The film screenings and ASIMO demonstrations will only occur during three days, Fri., Jan. 22 to Sun., Jan. 24. In addition, hot off its world debut Jan. 11 in Detroit, Honda will display its first sport hybrid coupe CR-Z. Due to hit the streets in the summer of 2010, the CR-Z combines futuristic styling, driving enjoyment and the latest in Honda hybrid technology. Come get some brotherly love! From the bustling city streets and quaint tree-lined suburbs, to rolling farm fields and the lush Schuykill riverbed, the Philadelphia region is an excellent place to film for any desired backdrop. The Philadelphia Industry Lounge presented by Janney Montgomery Scott LLC offers filmmakers and entertainment professionals a place to learn about the invaluable resources available in Philadelphia and surrounding areas. Enjoy a “Taste of Philly” including local food favorites like famous Philadelphia cheese steaks daily from 3 p.m. – 5 p.m. while networking with Philadelphia industry professionals including a Janney Montgomery Scott LLC First Vice President of Investments, the head of Cozen O’Connor’s Entertainment and Sports Law practice, the Executive Director of the Greater Philadelphia Film Office and representatives from Shooter’s Post & Transfer/DIVE post-production facility. Information about the tax incentives offered by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania will be available and Film Incentives Group consultants will be on-site to discuss how filmmakers can take advantage of PA’s tax credits. Additionally, the Philadelphia Industry Lounge will allow a chance to speak with filmmakers who have filmed in Philadelphia and felt the love! Celebrity guests and VIPs are invited to sign a replica LOVE statue, which will be auctioned off for charity. Philadelphia-based jewelry designer Lagos is providing special gifts for celebrities and VIPs. Sephora: New to the Village at the Yard beauty beat in 2010, Sephora, the beauty authority, will be onsite to ensure all VIP guests have a pretty fabulous festival. With complimentary touch-ups from Sephora’s national PRO Beauty Team and a beauty-full array of essentials from Sephora Collection to sample, we’ve got your beauty fix covered. Sephora @ Village at the Yard will be open January 22 – 26 from 10am – 6pm. To schedule a complimentary touch-up, please contact Jessica Stacey at jessica.stacey@sephora.com / 917-318-8524. ABSOLUT® VODKA: Returning to Sundance for its sixth year, ABSOLUT, the world’s most iconic vodka, will be treating Sundance attendees to the best cocktails on the planet, such as the ABSOLUT Cosmopolitan and the ABSOLUT Twist. The brand will also unveil its creative collaboration with Spike Jonze, a short film entitled “I’m Here,” a robot love story celebrating a life enriched by creativity. Debuting as part of the first-ever Opening Night’s Shorts Program at Sundance, the film demonstrates Spike’s Vision of “In An Absolut World, Doing Things Differently Leads to Something Exceptional,” a mantra the vodka brand has embraced -- from its production process to its heralded marketing campaigns. FilterForGood®: The FilterForGood® campaign, a partnership between Brita® and Nalgene®, is once again on a mission at the Sundance Film Festival to help attendees reduce their bottled water waste. For the second year in a row, Brita will help eliminate 50,000* plastic water bottles at the Festival by providing Brita-filtered water and FilterForGood Nalgene bottles. More than 40,000 reusable FilterForGood Nalgene bottles will be provided to festival-goers. Do your part by picking up a limited-edition FilterForGood reusable bottle at the Brita Hydration Hub at Sundance House on Main Street and carrying it with you to refill with Brita-filtered water at locations around the Festival. Since one Brita pitcher filter can replace as many as 300 standard 16.9 oz. disposable bottles of water, it’s an easy way to get great-tasting water with less waste. To find out where you can refill your bottle with Brita-filtered water, look for the water drops on the official Festival map. To continue your commitment to reducing bottled water waste after the Festival, go to FilterForGood.com and take the FilterForGood pledge. *50,000 plastic water bottles were distributed at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival. Fruit2day: Fruit2day is a drinkable and edible fruit snack that puts a new twist on getting your daily fruit fill. With real fruit bits and only 110-120 calories, this all natural, no-sugar-added snack delivers on taste and nutrition in a whole new way. At this year’s Sundance Film Festival, Village at the Yard will be home to a Fruit2day Juicebar where attendees can sample the four different varieties of Fruit2day, Strawberry Orange, Mango Peach, Cherry Grape and Pineapple Banana. As an excellent source of Vitamin C that provides half of the daily fruit requirements, Village at the Yard attendees can indulge in smart nutrition on the go, without the peeling and stickiness of whole fruit. Fruit2day will also be served at the T-Mobile myTouch Diner and stocked in the following bars: Fred Segal Bar, Winter Wonderland Bar and Stella “Cutting Room” Bar. Fruit2day is a product of Hero/WhiteWave, a strategic joint venture between Switzerland-based Hero Group and WhiteWave Foods Company, a wholly owned subsidiary of Dean Foods Company (NYSE: DF) based in Broomfield, Colo. Visit www.Fruit2day.com . AriZona Beverage Co: Ferolito, Vultaggio, & Sons (AriZona Beverages) was founded in 1971 by Don Vultaggio and John Ferolito and to this day remains a privately held and family-run American business. AriZona Beverage Company—makers of AriZona Iced Tea, flavored waters, juices, coffees, energy drinks and powdered tea mixes—is the leader in hot-filled beverages for the United States. AriZona’s mission is to create great looking products of the highest quality that people will like and can afford to buy. For more information, visit www.drinkarizona.com . Trident Layers™: Trident Layers™, the newest addition to the Trident® family of products, will be creating a unique Newsstand experience at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, offering daily attendants news and magazines as well as the opportunity to enjoy Trident Layers throughout this five day event. Trident Layers™ is the newest addition to the Trident® family of products. Trident Layers features two exciting flavor options: Wild Strawberry + Tangy Citrus and Green Apple + Golden Pineapple. Trident Layers brings a whole new dimension to chewing sugar free gum with a unique, visible soft center layer infused with real fruit flavor! To learn more about the Trident® family of sugar free gums please visit www.tridentgum.com . HP: For eight consecutive years HP has been a presenting sponsor and technology partner of the Sundance Institute and its annual Film Festival, the world’s premier showcase of independent filmmaking. Through this partnership, HP extends its ability to enable creative expression by supporting the artistry of independent filmmakers from around the world. Each year, HP provides the technology to keep the celebrated ten-day event up and running, from computers and servers to comprehensive graphic arts solutions for bold signage displayed throughout the city. We enable our executive customers and consumers to experience our technologies by integrating our newest consumer products and services throughout the Festival and official sponsor venues.
...