'The United States belongs at the forefront'

'Deeply bothered and deeply disappointed'

'hand in hand'

The Cure, formed in Crawley, West Sussex, England, in 1976, is one of the most iconic and influential bands in alternative rock. The band was initially created by lead singer, songwriter, and guitarist Robert Smith, along with original members including Michael Dempsey on bass and Lol Tolhurst on drums. Over the years, The Cure’s lineup has evolved, but Smith has remained the creative driving force, shaping their distinctive sound and lyrical depth. Other key members throughout their career have included Simon Gallup (bass), Porl Thompson (guitar), Roger O’Donnell (keyboards), and Boris Williams (drums). What makes The Cure special is their The post 10 Essential Songs By The Cure appeared first on ClassicRockHistory.com.

It turns out that angels sometimes wear brown. UPS driver Raheem Cooper was passing through his normal route in the Georgian town of Valdosta when he saw an elderly woman collapsed on her driveway. Calling emergency services, Cooper stayed with the woman, identified later as Marie Coble, all the while calling her ‘grandmother.’ The woman […] The post UPS Driver Saves Collapsed Grandmother, Then Brings Her Treats Every Week to Hospital: ‘She’s Family Now’ appeared first on Good News Network.

The post Messy Mutts Messy Cats Interactive Slow Feeder Review 2024: A Detailed Look by Sara Seitz appeared first on Catster. Copying over entire articles infringes on copyright laws. You may not be aware of it, but all of these articles were assigned, contracted and paid for, so they aren't considered public domain. However, we appreciate that you like the article and would love it if you continued sharing just the first paragraph of an article, then linking out to the rest of the piece on Catster.com. Click to Skip Ahead About Messy Mutts Overview Key Features Is It A Good Value? FAQ Our Experience  Our Final Verdict We give the Messy Cats Interactive Slow Feeder a rating of 4.9 out of 5 stars. Quality: 4.9/5 Effectiveness: 4.8/5 Durability: 4.8/5 Value: 5/5 Check Price on Messy Mutts If you have a tubby tabby or a food-obsessed Felix, you’ve probably considered using a slow feeder. But finding an effective, quality slow feeder that works for cats can be tricky. I know, I’ve been searching for one for my hungry house cat for months. Thanks to Messy Mutts, I think I’ve finally found it. The Messy Cats Interactive Slow Feeder is the perfect size for cat-sized meals and is made for the short snouts of felines. It is dishwasher safe and works just as well for canned food as it does for kibble. Most importantly, it’s durable and made to slow feeding without causing frustration. Find out what I love about this product, how my cat feels about it, and more in my full Messy Mutts Messy Cats Interactive Slow Feeder review, below. About Messy Mutts Messy Mutts started with a simple vision: Create functional and fabulous-looking pet products that help reduce the mess while blending seamlessly into home decor. This vision grew from dog-centered grooming and feeding supplies to include an entire line of cat products. This “Messy Cats” line includes cat feeders, litter box accessories, and food prep products. Where Are Messy Mutt Products Produced? Messy Mutts, which is owned by Jascor Housewares Inc., is operated out of Toronto, Canada. Most of their products are made in China using food-safe silicone, BPA-free plastic, and stainless steel. Which Type of Cat Is the Messy Cat Interactive Slow Feeder Best Suited For? The Messy Cat Interactive Slow Feeder is a great choice for cats who tend to snarf down their food so fast that they think they’re still hungry after. The bowl’s unique design forces cats to eat slower without causing frustration or confusion. This isn’t a puzzle feeder that forces your cat to actively solve problems to get to their food. Rather, the high ridges prevent your cat from taking full bites, effectively prolonging the eating process. This helps cats avoid regurgitation and feel more satiated once they finish their meal. Overview Check Price on Messy Mutts Here is an overview of the Messy Cats Interactive Slow Feeder by Messy Mutts. We’ll look at the materials it’s made of, how it works, care instructions, and the technical specs. Materials The Messy Cat Interactive Slow Feeder bowl is made from food-safe silicone and BPA-free plastic. The central portion, which is dark gray, is made of plastic and features ridges of various heights. This material is chew-resistant and hard enough to hold its shape, making your cat work to get to their food. The light gray outer ring and base of this slow feeder bowl are made of silicone. This softer material around the feeder means there are no hard or sharp edges to worry about. Built into the bottom of this silicon shell are nine suction cups to help hold the feeder in place while it’s in use. How It Works This slow feeder bowl uses the same principles as most dog slow feeders. The raised ridges in the middle prevent cats from taking big bites of food. Instead, they must use their tongue and muzzle to move pieces until they can grab them, effectively slowing the eating process. Unlike dog slow feeders, which tend to have deep ridges and narrow gaps to force dogs to use their long tongues, this feeder features shallower, wider areas. Since cats have shorter, less dexterous tongues and short muzzles, this feeder works much better for them than those made for canines. This feeder can be used with both kibble, canned food, and raw food. Care Caring for this slow feeder bowl is easy. It’s dishwasher safe, which means you can pop it on the top rack whenever it gets dirty. The curved ridges don’t hold food like other puzzle feeders, making it easy enough to rinse off in between deeper cleanings. You will occasionally need to rinse the bottom suction cups, as well. This is especially true if you feed kibble that leaves behind dust and grease. The Messy Cats Interactive Slow Feeder is made to hold its shape and retain its color for years. Specifications This feeder is six inches in diameter, making it fairly small and compact. It can easily hold ¼ cup of dry food or about one 3-ounce can of wet food. It is only available in one color, cool gray. Like most other Messy Mutts products, this one comes with a one-year manufacturer warranty. Pros & Cons Pros Easy to use Dishwasher safe Small and compact Durable yet lightweight Works for all kinds of food Cons Suction cups don’t stick long Only one color available Limited holding capacity Key Features Check Price on Messy Mutts Built For Cats This slow feeder was made for the anatomical proportions of a cat. The ridges are relatively shallow and the areas between them are wider than most dog slow feeders. This allows cats to extract kibbles and tonguefuls of wet food without frustration while still significantly slowing their eating. The small size and gripping suction cups are also tailored to the needs of cats and their owners. Easy to Use and Care For This slow feeder is super easy to use, even for novice kitties and their owners. It’s not a puzzle feeder, which means your cat doesn’t have to struggle to get their food out. Rather, they can approach eating the same way they normally would, but it will take them much longer to get the bowl clean. As far as care goes, this slow feeder is super simple to maintain. It is easy to clean by hand thanks to the wide gaps and curved ridges. Or it can be tossed in the dishwasher for a thorough cleaning without the effort. Works with All Kinds of Food Whether you feed dry food, canned food, or something in between, this feeder is a great choice. It can hold up to ¼ cup of dry, freeze-dried, or air-dried food or a small can of wet. For the latter, simply use a rubber spatula to push the wet food into the crevices. You can also use this feeder with raw diets, just be sure to wash it between each use. Is the Messy Cats Interactive Slow Feeder a Good Value? Yes, at just $10, this slow feeder is a great value. Most comparable feeders cost much more than this. And those that cost less tend to be made only of silicone, which is not nearly as durable as the plastic-silicone combination used for this bowl. Check Price on Messy Mutts Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) Is this bowl easy to keep clean? Yes. Unlike many slow feeders and puzzle feeders, there are no areas where kibble and wet food can get stuck in this feeder, making it easier to keep clean. It is super easy to rinse off and dishwasher safe. Is this bowl a good choice for my cat who eats silicone? The ridges and main bowl of this feeder are made of hard plastic while only the outer edge and bottom are made of silicone. My cat, who loves to eat silicone, has been using it without issue. However, I would recommend putting the bowl away between feedings. Do the suction cups work on all surfaces? You will need to use this bowl on a clean, smooth surface in order to engage the suction cups. It will work on smooth plastic or vinyl feeding mats but not the textured kind. It works best on granite, finished wood, and tile. Our Experience With the Messy Cats Interactive Slow Feeder I have been looking for a slow feeder for my hungry cat, Makoa, for ages. He is a big foodie and loves to gobble up his food as fast as possible and then claim that he’s still hungry. This is an extra problem since he also has pica, which means he likes to eat non-food items as well. Because of this, it’s even more important that he feel full after he eats. A slow feeder is the perfect solution for his issues because it prolongs the eating process (giving him a healthy activity to engage in) while helping him feel fuller once he has finished eating. The problem is, not only does Makoa eat silicone, which most cat slow feeders are made of, but he also can’t smell very well. I have tried a variety of specialty feeder options for him. The puzzle feeders don’t work because he can’t smell the food well enough to seek it out. And the silicone ones just end up becoming food themselves. Luckily, the Messy Cats Interactive Slow Feeder has the perfect combination of features to work for my special little guy. While this feeder does have some silicone on the sides, the food contact points are made of hard plastic that not even Makoa can chew. And unlike plastic feeder bowls made for dogs, the ridges on this one are shallow, which means even my nose-blind kitty can get all the kibbles out with relative ease. While this bowl doesn’t cause any frustration, it still does a great job of slowing him down. He used to finish a bowl of kibble in about three minutes. Now it takes him at least ten. And often, he’ll take breaks in between. This helps stretch meals out for up to an hour. Not only does this help entertain him, but it also seems to help him feel more satiated by the time he finishes. I’ve noticed a significant decrease in his food seeking behavior since he got this slow feeder. On my end, I love that this thing is dishwasher-safe and super easy to rinse off between washings. All the ridges are smooth, so there are no corners for food to get stuck in. There isn’t even a gap between the plastic and silicone edge, which means food can’t accumulate there, either. The size of this bowl is about perfect for the amount of food Makoa gets each meal. However, if he got any more, things would get messy fast. Even with just feeding ¼ cup of dry food for dinner, a few kibbles end up on the counter around the feeder. This doesn’t bother me too much since it only adds to the time it takes him to eat everything, but owners trying to keep a cleaner home might see this as a downside. But my biggest complaint about this dish has to do with the suction cups. These cups are super strong and do a great job of keeping the bowl in place during feeding. This is especially true if you’re using it on a hard, smooth surface like granite or tile. But this suction doesn’t last long on any surface. After about ten minutes, the suction cups release. This isn’t a huge deal since they also act as an effective anti-slip device. But for smart cats, it wouldn’t take much to lift the entire bowl up and dump the food out. For me personally, not having the suction cups stay engaged means I have to be careful to put this bowl away between feedings so Makoa doesn’t carry it off and use it as a chew toy. But overall, this slow feeder has been a big win for my household. I have been and will continue to use it for Makoa at every meal. He seems to enjoy the challenge of getting all the food out and I love that it gives him some quality enrichment while helping him feel fuller. Check Price on Messy Mutts Conclusion If your kitty needs some help slowing down at meal times, I highly recommend checking out the Messy Cats Interactive Slow Feeder from Messy Mutts. This slow feeder was designed specifically for cats to help them eat slower so they can feel fuller while getting some much-needed enrichment. The design is perfect for those short muzzles and makes cleaning the feeder a breeze. Plus, this slow feeder is durable, affordable, and dishwasher-safe. The post Messy Mutts Messy Cats Interactive Slow Feeder Review 2024: A Detailed Look by Sara Seitz appeared first on Catster. Copying over entire articles infringes on copyright laws. You may not be aware of it, but all of these articles were assigned, contracted and paid for, so they aren't considered public domain. However, we appreciate that you like the article and would love it if you continued sharing just the first paragraph of an article, then linking out to the rest of the piece on Catster.com.

Excerpts Contemporary Fantasy Read an Excerpt From Camilla Raines’s The Hollow and the Haunted A closeted teenage psychic foresees the death of his sworn enemy and is forced to work with him to save his life… By Camilla Raines | Published on September 19, 2024 Comment 0 Share New Share We’re thrilled to share an excerpt from The Hollow and the Haunted by Camilla Raines, a new contemporary fantasy novel out from Titan Books on October 22nd. Miles Warren hails from a long line of psychics. Resigned to a life in the family business, Miles is perfectly happy, thank you very much. Apart from the fact he hasn’t told anyone he’s gay, and that he’s constantly exhausted from long nights spent wrangling angry ghosts in creepy cemeteries. Perfectly happy. But Miles’s comfortable routine is interrupted when he starts having visions of an unfamiliar boy. He soon learns the stranger is Gabriel Hawthorne, whose family have a mysterious, decades-long feud with Miles’s own—and that the visions are a premonition of his murder. Gabriel is everything Miles expects from a Hawthorne: rude, haughty, irritatingly good-looking. But that doesn’t mean Miles is just going to stand by and let someone kill him. The two form an uneasy alliance, trying to solve Gabriel’s murder before it happens. As they begin to unravel the web of secrets between their families, and with dark magic swirling around them, Miles is horrified to realize that he doesn’t hate Gabriel quite as much as he’s supposed to. He might even like him.Too bad Gabriel is probably going to die. Faces blurred together as Miles weaved his way through the crowd towards the buffet table. Everything inside him was urging him to run straight out of this place without looking back. The first thing his dad ever taught him about being an empath was how to throw up a firm mental shield to protect himself in a busy place, but this was too much at once. Too many emotions, a suffocating weight crushing against him. The edges of his shield were splintered, cracked where things were slipping through. Delight, bright and fresh, bubbles popping against his skin. Bitterness, acrid on the tip of his tongue and hard to swallow. Interest, a tickling urge dancing through his veins. The bow tie around his windpipe shrank, cutting off his air. He wished Charlee were here—she’d go find him a chilly drink he could press to the back of his neck, count inhales and exhales with him, make him start listing off details in the room. He recalled what she’d said: bathrooms had locks. Maybe he could find one far enough away that he wouldn’t be so overwhelmed with emotions, but close enough he wouldn’t miss his parents when they were ready to leave. If he was going to have a panic attack, he’d rather be alone. Buy the Book The Hollow and the Haunted Camilla Raines Buy Book The Hollow and the Haunted Camilla Raines Buy this book from: AmazonBarnes and NobleiBooksIndieBoundTarget Having a half-formed plan helped him focus, the room steadying as he skirted around the crowd, keeping close to the walls. It was easier to blend into the background here, though there was no escaping the judgmental gazes of the creepy paintings. He passed Heidi and Landon Cayne admiring a lush tapestry on the wall, their teenage son looking about as thrilled as Miles. They’d never met, but shared a miserable glance. In a group next to them, twin sisters in matching pink hijabs and floral gowns that sparkled when they shifted were talking with the woman Miles had noticed earlier in the peacock-feather headpiece. An older man in a vibrant violet suit and a waterfall of silver-tipped micro braids down to his waist came up behind her and whispered in her ear, making her cackle, feathers bobbing up and down. He had a plate full of macaroons—Chelsea’s mom must have managed all right, even with the tight deadline. Across the room, an open door by a velvet curtain caught his eye and he course-corrected. Felicity Hawthorne herself would have to be on the other side of it to keep him from— A whisper of awareness brushed against his skin, skittering along his senses and stopping him dead mid-step. A warm breath on the back of his neck, heat running down the length of his spine. A group of people in the middle of the room shifted, and Miles saw him. Hair the same shade as fresh ink. Pale face with a pointed chin. Eyes he could tell even from a distance were fringed with thick lashes. A shadow amidst a riot of color. The boy he’d seen in the mirror. He was leaning against the wall, hands tucked into the pockets of his slacks, watching the party with an expression of mild boredom. Miles had the strangest sensation, the room tilting around him. He… he hadn’t thought the boy was real. That he had to be a ghost. But here he was, flesh and blood. He grabbed the nearest person, a stocky man with rich russet skin and gold-rimmed glasses. “Who is that?” he asked, nodding in the boy’s direction. “Against the wall?” He half expected the boy to be visible only to him, but the man followed where Miles was gesturing with a sniff of annoyance. “The young man? That’s Gabriel Hawthorne.” The pit in Miles’s stomach grew into a boulder. “Hawthorne, as in… Hawthorne, Hawthorne?” The man arched a thick eyebrow. “As in, Felicity Hawthorne’s son.” Of course. Of course, he was. He looked like Felicity, with the same hair and sharp features. Miles already knew Gabriel had gray eyes, though they’d been significantly less hate-filled than his mom’s. No one was standing with him, no one stopped to talk to him. He didn’t seem upset, but the set of his shoulders and tilt to his chin was decidedly defiant, as if making a point to not care. But it didn’t make any sense. Miles couldn’t be haunted by the ghost of someone still alive. What could it have been, then? Some sort of vision? A premonition? Miles didn’t know much about premonitions. The closest experience he’d ever had was years ago, when he’d woken in the middle of the night unable to breathe, his lungs on fire. The next morning, he found out his great-grandpa had passed away from pneumonia. He’d written it off as an empathic thing, a fluke. Having more than one gift was unheard of. Certain shared abilities came with being psychic—seeing ghosts and spirits, or sensing auras—but once you started showing your main gift, that’s what you were stuck with. And Miles was an empath, not a seer. It should be impossible. Something else was there too, an urge stronger than curiosity pulling him towards the boy. A string woven through his ribs, tug-tug-tugging insistently. He was moving closer before he stopped to think about it, staring with all the subtlety of a gawking giant who’d realized a worst-case scenario was unfolding before him. Gabriel noticed him immediately. He examined Miles up and down, much like his mother had earlier. His head cocked slightly in confusion, or surprise. Was that recognition that flashed across his face, or just wishful thinking on Miles’s part? A strange feeling thrummed through him, a sensation he couldn’t quite put a name to. Miles had to say something. “Hi,” he croaked. Gabriel stared. “Do I know you?” It was so strange to hear his voice after begging him to speak earlier. It was as cold and crisp as the autumn wind that rattled the tree branches outside. “No, sorry.” What was Miles supposed to say? What could he say? That he’d been seeing Gabriel in his mirror, bleeding and asking to be found? That he had a hunch it was a vision of the future, a warning? “I just… I wanted to tell you to look out for yourself.” Gabriel was quiet, Miles realized with a jolt. Everyone else’s emotions were pressing against him, suffocating even when they weren’t cracking his shield, but Gabriel… he was a blissful void. Even the energy of this house—wrong and sticky, spiderwebs that would linger on his skin long after he left—faded. “Excuse me?” Gabriel’s eyebrows came together. “Are you threatening me?” Yeah, Miles could see why he might jump to that conclusion. God, he was an idiot. “No, no, I’m not, I swear. Listen… I know this seems weird, but be careful, okay? You might be in danger.” If there was the tiniest shred of doubt in Miles’s mind that he was the same boy from the mirror, it dissipated now—that solemn frown was all too familiar. “Who are you?” His name was the last thing Miles should tell him. He shouldn’t be here in the first place, shouldn’t be talking with a Hawthorne. “I’m sorry,” he said, taking a step back. “I have to go.” He turned and worked through the crowd as quickly as he could without making a run for it. Several disgruntled voices followed as he cut through conversations, but no one tried to stop him, and Gabriel didn’t follow. Stumbling over his own feet, Miles retreated through the double doors of the ballroom and into the empty hallway. He leaned against the wall, digging his fingertips into the wallpaper in search of something to grip, something to hold on to. His skin was scorching, his heartbeat thumping in his ears. What did this mean? Gabriel Hawthorne had appeared in Miles’s mirror, asking to be found. Okay, he’d found him—now what? Was his identity supposed to reveal anything other than the universe having a sick sense of humor? Even now, that compulsion was tug-tug-tugging from deep in his chest to go back in there, to find Gabriel and talk to him. A steadier, stronger rhythm than the rise and fall of classical music floating out from the ballroom. No. Miles crossed his arms and pressed his shoulder blades firmly against the wall. He was going to stay right here. Whatever was happening, whatever this was, he wasn’t going to play along. He’d warned Gabriel. That had to be enough. His dad found him there, however long later, his forehead creased with concern and jaw tight. Tonight had been a strain on him, too. “Your mom and I have been looking for you. Everything okay?” The question made a barbed pain settle in Miles’s throat—he felt stupidly close to tears. “I’m… I needed a break.” His dad gave him a sympathetic smile. “Well, good news—we’re ready to go if you are.” “Please.” He’d never wanted to leave a place more in his life. “I’ll grab your mom—I left her by the dessert table.” As his dad went back into the party, Miles couldn’t help peering after him, scanning the crowd one last time. He didn’t see Gabriel again. Excerpted from The Hollow and the Haunted, copyright © 2024 by Camilla Raines. The post Read an Excerpt From Camilla Raines’s <i>The Hollow and the Haunted</i> appeared first on Reactor.

If you're tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties, subscribe to Reclaim The Net. Thierry Breton, EU’s often-blundering, certainly vocal and controversial censorship proponent, and internal market commissioner, recently stepped down. However, all those who thought that was good news for free speech may want to rethink that. The bloc wasted little time in moving to appoint a new figure to a similar position, and it is Finland’s Henna Virkkunen, who is now awaiting confirmation. Her most prominent “claim to fame” to date is the key role in creating EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA) – a piece of legislation lambasted by opponents, including freedom of expression advocates, as simply a “censorship law.” “Tech enforcer” is how the media chose to refer to Virkkunen, and that does sound better than, say – “censorship enforcer.” In any case, Virkkunen’s job title is different: executive vice president for tech sovereignty. But the job’s key point is the same. DSA enforcement. Legacy media spin on Virkkunen – drawing from the likes of UK’s Forefront Advisers, a group that bills itself as providing “intelligence-led insight to public affairs” – is that she is quite different from the “flamboyant” Breton. The Finn is presented here as a “harmless” technocrat of sorts. The message is that Virkkunen’s role will be geared towards sensible things such as promoting EU’s competitiveness around the world (but that will be quite the task, especially since a key member country, France, recently turned to arresting CEOs of major global platforms.) But, the article also informs that one of the first things Virkkunen is expected to contend with is picking up where Breton left off in terms of the crusade against X. Oh – and Meta. “Overseeing the conclusion of ongoing cases (…) against Elon Musk’s X and Meta for potential breaches of the DSA,” is how this is phrased. The EU seems to have picked up from Russia’s political vocabulary (though people in the EU wouldn’t know it, since media from that country has been blocked and censored for years) when introducing the political concept of “digital sovereignty.” And while stifling major US platforms with fines may achieve such, as far as free speech, Pyrrhic victory, it’s unclear how the EU’s “global competitiveness” can benefit from tightening the screws on social media. The Commission is by no means distancing itself from France’s aforementioned “police state” tactics against Telegram, and CEO Pavel Durov. And that would be another of Virkkunen’s early tasks. If you're tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties, subscribe to Reclaim The Net. The post EU Picks Pro-Censorship Lawmaker Henna Virkkunen To Take Over From Thierry Breton appeared first on Reclaim The Net.

For Whom the Polls Tell

Chicago City Council Saves ShotSpotter... Maybe