diff --git a/examples/stick.js b/examples/stick.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..02101f59e1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/stick.js
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+var stickID = null;
+// sometimes if this is run immediately the stick doesn't get created?  use a timer.
+Script.setTimeout(function() {
+    var stickID = Entities.addEntity({
+        type: "Model",
+        modelURL: "https://hifi-public.s3.amazonaws.com/eric/models/stick.fbx",
+        compoundShapeURL: "https://hifi-public.s3.amazonaws.com/eric/models/stick.obj",
+        dimensions: {x: .11, y: .11, z: .59},
+        position: MyAvatar.getRightPalmPosition(),
+        rotation: MyAvatar.orientation,
+        damping: .1,
+        collisionsWillMove: true
+    });
+    Entities.addAction("hold", stickID, {relativePosition: {x: 0.0, y: 0.0, z: -0.9}, timeScale: 0.15});
+}, 3000);
+
+function cleanup() { Entities.deleteEntity(stickID); }
+Script.scriptEnding.connect(cleanup);
diff --git a/libraries/entities/src/EntityActionInterface.h b/libraries/entities/src/EntityActionInterface.h
index 50f862c535..457db8f5c3 100644
--- a/libraries/entities/src/EntityActionInterface.h
+++ b/libraries/entities/src/EntityActionInterface.h
@@ -36,8 +36,6 @@ public:
     virtual const EntityItemPointer& getOwnerEntity() const = 0;
     virtual void setOwnerEntity(const EntityItemPointer ownerEntity) = 0;
     virtual bool updateArguments(QVariantMap arguments) = 0;
-    // virtual QByteArray serialize() = 0;
-    // static EntityActionPointer deserialize(EntityItemPointer ownerEntity, QByteArray data);
 
     static EntityActionType actionTypeFromString(QString actionTypeString);
     static QString actionTypeToString(EntityActionType actionType);
@@ -52,6 +50,9 @@ protected:
     virtual glm::vec3 getAngularVelocity() = 0;
     virtual void setAngularVelocity(glm::vec3 angularVelocity) = 0;
 
+    // these look in the arguments map for a named argument.  if it's not found or isn't well formed,
+    // ok will be set to false (note that it's never set to true -- set it to true before calling these).
+    // if required is true, failure to extract an argument will cause a warning to be printed.
     static glm::vec3 extractVec3Argument (QString objectName, QVariantMap arguments,
                                           QString argumentName, bool& ok, bool required = true);
     static glm::quat extractQuatArgument (QString objectName, QVariantMap arguments,
diff --git a/libraries/entities/src/EntityScriptingInterface.cpp b/libraries/entities/src/EntityScriptingInterface.cpp
index 6f6633ce0f..a091c786b7 100644
--- a/libraries/entities/src/EntityScriptingInterface.cpp
+++ b/libraries/entities/src/EntityScriptingInterface.cpp
@@ -495,6 +495,12 @@ QUuid EntityScriptingInterface::addAction(const QString& actionTypeString,
     QUuid actionID = QUuid::createUuid();
     auto actionFactory = DependencyManager::get<EntityActionFactoryInterface>();
     bool success = actionWorker(entityID, [&](EntitySimulation* simulation, EntityItemPointer entity) {
+            // create this action even if the entity doesn't have physics info.  it will often be the
+            // case that a script adds an action immediately after an object is created, and the physicsInfo
+            // is computed asynchronously.
+            // if (!entity->getPhysicsInfo()) {
+            //     return false;
+            // }
             EntityActionType actionType = EntityActionInterface::actionTypeFromString(actionTypeString);
             if (actionType == ACTION_TYPE_NONE) {
                 return false;
diff --git a/libraries/physics/src/ObjectActionSpring.cpp b/libraries/physics/src/ObjectActionSpring.cpp
index 6883e73766..8eb4f7f652 100644
--- a/libraries/physics/src/ObjectActionSpring.cpp
+++ b/libraries/physics/src/ObjectActionSpring.cpp
@@ -34,7 +34,6 @@ void ObjectActionSpring::updateActionWorker(btScalar deltaTimeStep) {
     void* physicsInfo = _ownerEntity->getPhysicsInfo();
     if (!physicsInfo) {
         unlock();
-        qDebug() << "ObjectActionSpring::updateActionWorker no physicsInfo";
         return;
     }
     ObjectMotionState* motionState = static_cast<ObjectMotionState*>(physicsInfo);
@@ -65,7 +64,7 @@ void ObjectActionSpring::updateActionWorker(btScalar deltaTimeStep) {
         glm::quat bodyRotation = bulletToGLM(rigidBody->getOrientation());
         // if qZero and qOne are too close to each other, we can get NaN for angle.
         auto alignmentDot = glm::dot(bodyRotation, _rotationalTarget);
-        const float almostOne = 0.99999;
+        const float almostOne = 0.99999f;
         if (glm::abs(alignmentDot) < almostOne) {
             glm::quat target = _rotationalTarget;
             if (alignmentDot < 0) {
@@ -75,12 +74,6 @@ void ObjectActionSpring::updateActionWorker(btScalar deltaTimeStep) {
             glm::quat deltaQ = target * qZeroInverse;
             glm::vec3 axis = glm::axis(deltaQ);
             float angle = glm::angle(deltaQ);
-            if (isNaN(angle)) {
-                qDebug() << "ObjectActionSpring::updateAction angle =" << angle
-                         << "body-rotation =" << bodyRotation.x << bodyRotation.y << bodyRotation.z << bodyRotation.w
-                         << "target-rotation ="
-                         << target.x << target.y << target.z<< target.w;
-            }
             assert(!isNaN(angle));
             glm::vec3 newAngularVelocity = (angle / _angularTimeScale) * glm::normalize(axis);
             rigidBody->setAngularVelocity(glmToBullet(newAngularVelocity));
@@ -130,7 +123,7 @@ bool ObjectActionSpring::updateArguments(QVariantMap arguments) {
         if (pscOk) {
             _linearTimeScale = linearTimeScale;
         } else {
-            _linearTimeScale = 0.1;
+            _linearTimeScale = 0.1f;
         }
     }
 
@@ -141,7 +134,7 @@ bool ObjectActionSpring::updateArguments(QVariantMap arguments) {
         if (rscOk) {
             _angularTimeScale = angularTimeScale;
         } else {
-            _angularTimeScale = 0.1;
+            _angularTimeScale = 0.1f;
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/libraries/render/src/render/Scene.h b/libraries/render/src/render/Scene.h
index 8cb29609ba..b9481d367e 100644
--- a/libraries/render/src/render/Scene.h
+++ b/libraries/render/src/render/Scene.h
@@ -245,7 +245,7 @@ public:
     void update(const UpdateFunctorPointer& updateFunctor)  { _payload->update(updateFunctor); }
 
     // Shape Type Interface
-    const model::MaterialKey& getMaterialKey() const { return _payload->getMaterialKey(); }
+    const model::MaterialKey getMaterialKey() const { return _payload->getMaterialKey(); }
 
 protected:
     PayloadPointer _payload;