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Stardate 12.30.2019.A: The End Of All Things Skywalker - A Review Of The Rise Of Skywalker
Like so many who either write professionally or blog about entertainment these days, I was there when the original Star Wars premiered theatrically back in 1977. And like those folks I stared at the silver screen wide-eyed as the rebel cruiser rushed high above Tatooine's atmosphere as the malevolent Imperial Star Destroyer pursued, its guns focused on maiming the escaping ship. Equally dazzled by the rest of George Lucas's two-hour space fantasy, I returned to the theatre again and again and again, as did audiences around the nation: the visual flight of fancy captivated people everywhere, and we seemingly couldn't get enough of these adventures that took place a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away.
Thankfully, the saga didn't end there: Lucas and company delivered a total of six films, with The Empire Strikes Back, Return Of The Jedi, The Phantom Menace, Attack Of The Clones, and Revenge Of The Sith stretching across almost three decades. The quality of the Prequel Trilogy was the subject of much debate – and probably will remain so long as there are fans who flock to the whole Star Wars universe of films – but one thing was clear: the Force was strong, the visuals were compelling, and even things as boring as tax policy and trade tariffs were no match for a good blaster at your side.
Eventually, George Lucas sold his Lucasfilm empire for an astounding amount of money to the Walt Disney Corporation; and the Mouse House promised to deliver audiences once more to the wide, wide world of spaceships, Jedis, Sith, and lightsabers: a new film trilogy (dubbed 'Sequel Trilogy') was forthcoming – one which promised to conclude the Skywalker saga – along with a handful of stand-alone Star Wars adventures. Hollywood wunderkind JJ Abrams was attached, and the rest is history …
For me, it's absolutely impossible to review Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise Of Skywalker without discussing the complete saga because there are so many tie-ins, references, and callbacks to events that have transpired previously. Critics have been understandably unkind to the release – Abrams and screenwriter Chris Terrio's chaotic story covers a lot territory in its two-hour-plus runtime, trying to wrap up everything and anything that's been hinted at and perhaps even a few items that weren't. Audiences have been more accepting (if those parameters truly matter these days), embracing some of the modest revisioning with grins, guffaws, and groans. But – dare I suggest – it's equally impossible to even assume everyone who boarded this great cosmic journey so many moons ago would be pleased with where it all winds up.
NOTE: In the interests of fairness, I'm pleased to disclose that there will be spoilers solely for the sake of discussion on plot and/or characters. Take note: you have been warned!!!
The Rey Of Skywalker
Luke Skywalker was a character designed to essentially appeal to anyone. In the original Star Wars, Luke was the young kid trapped in a dead-end town on a dead-end planet. When his Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru weren't looking, he'd slip off to Toschi Station to hang out with his young friends, or he'd target womp rats from the cockpit of his T-16 Skyhopper. Like so many of us, Luke kept his eyes to the horizon, his mind constantly filled with dreams of enlisting in the Academy and perhaps one day joining the Rebellion to fight the Empire. Though his future was never quite so bright, he imagined a life of adventure amongst the stars, and – galaxy be damned – he wanted something more. Building a saga around such a character was a no-brainer.
Though she hails from a similar desert existence with little prospect for the future, Rey (no last name given for what turns out to be a very, very significant narrative reason) offers very little by way of a 'ray' of hope for the future. She spends her days scavenging the remnants of a once-powerful Empire, hunting and pecking for a means to simply get by. Seemingly, she never truly wonders about who she is much less where she has ended up, apparently having been abandoned for no reason by parents whose elusive identities never quite seems to matter. Essentially, she's an empty vessel, one that can be filled with practically anything a storyteller or audience member desires, and her backstory still makes sense.
When Luke finds himself suddenly thrust into the world of adventure he so desperately craved, even he balks at it. Ben Kenobi asks the young moisture farmer to learn the ways of the Force so that he can accompany him to Alderaan, but the lad refuses; it's only after Imperial stormtroopers destroyed his homestead that he relents. In Mos Eisley, he's literally thrown onto his backside in the cantina, left to allow a man perhaps three times his age to dispatch a couple of greasy regulars. When he tries to match barbs with the smuggler Han Solo, Luke once again is put in his place by the aged Jedi Knight. Finally aboard the Death Star in a rescue attempt gone horribly wrong, he's nearly drowned and then crushed in one of the space station's trash compacters until helped by others. Nothing but nothing goes right for him … and he's still the hero on the hero's quest who's encouraged to fire his torpedo with the Force and ultimately save the day (for the time being) in the climax.
For the record, the defining Skywalker continues to earn his stripes throughout the Original Trilogy. He suffers shortcomings again and again in The Empire Strikes Back, whether it be falling prey to the dreaded Wampa on the ice planet Hoth or suffering the verbal lashing repeatedly dished out by Jedi Master Yoda throughout his training on Dagobah. Luke fails – he fails to understand his place in the universe largely because it's the responsibility to the hero to P-R-O-V-E himself; and any life coach worth his or her salt will remind you that failure is a necessary component of learning. He even fails to accept the truth offered to him by Darth Vader – that he is, in fact, Luke's father – until the facts are confirmed by the ghostly Kenobi much later. In fact, it isn't until Return Of The Jedi that the young Skywalker seems to have come into his own, mastered his skills, and accepts his failures as the opportunities they are to the greatness yet in store for him.
By contrast, Rey seemingly needs no one.
She comes from nowhere but is emotionally, spiritually, and physically equipped for anything. She's a professional scavenger, largely through experience of her own. She's a pilot, though the audience is never treated to any logical explanation of how, where, or why she amassed such galactic skills. She's even a budding Jedi Knight without granted so much as a day's training, one who bests the galaxy's current baddie, Kylo Ren, in her debut film's big finish. And she bests him again she does in The Last Jedi. Should anyone expect a different outcome in The Rise Of Skywalker? Only if they haven't been paying attention.
Chaos By Design … Or Lack Thereof
One could argue that the narrative problems of Rey as well as the entire Sequel Trilogy are owed to the fact that these films appear to have been constructed by committee and not every serving member shared equal weight.
Much ado has been made in the press about Rian Johnson's contribution to the saga, the controversial middle installment better known as The Last Jedi. Though the film was critically praised on its release, audiences appeared upset with its story, and the reasons ranged the simple to the complex. Luke Skywalker had fallen from grace (in a sense) but his exile was largely self-imposed, the Jedi Knight choosing to shelter himself on hidden world because he's concluding that the Jedi and Sith are simply no good for the galaxy-at-large. Eventually, Rey's obvious invulnerability forces cracks in Luke's demeanor, and he begrudgingly begins training her (though his motivations remain a bit nebulous and open to interpretation). To her credit, Rey does put these lessons to good use, though the showdown appears more about establishing a personal heritage than it does saving the universe from evil.
For those unaware, Abrams and company had provided the essentials for a shooting script to the oncoming director; however, Johnson was apparently under no obligation to use it. Thus, he tossed it out (?!?!) and penned his own, one which he promised would "challenge fans" instead of appeasing them. (Sorry, folks, but I still have unequivocally no idea what that means, and I'm guessing that Johnson would conclude that I'm no fan, as a result.)
Because I've no way of knowing what went on behind-the-scenes regarding the differences between Abrams' and Johnson's drafts, I can only speculate that the former would've placed more building blocks onto the foundation creatively established with The Force Awakens. What could that have involved? Well, Abrams' fondness for MacGuffins is legendary, so I can only guess he would've explored the secret of Rey's past … with the possible reveal coming near the picture's conclusion, much in the same way Vader broke the news to Luke about who his real father was. Such a twist would've given The Last Jedi the same narrative energy as The Empire Strikes Back gave the Original Trilogy, and I'm guessing studio executives would've lapped that up and begged for more when essentially all such a delivery does is pave the way for the third act … which brings us back to the discussion of The Rise Of Skywalker, its strengths, and its shortcomings.
Instead, Johnson's script fundamentally destroyed the Resistance, shaking the saga to its foundations. His story also introduced a handful of secondary characters (i.e. Rose Tico, Vice Admiral Holdo, DJ, the Master Codebreaker), many of which seemed inconsequential and colorless in a galaxy more commonly associated with fan-favorites like Boba Fett, Wedge Antilles, and Jabba the Hutt with vastly limited screen time. Lastly, the talented writer/director killed off the central Skywalker, giving him a largely ignoble if not cowardly death in some empty corner of the universe where only Force ghosts could see him pass.
Was this the way Walt Disney truly wanted to expand its billion-dollar investment, truly resting its future on the backs of heroes yet unproven, box office ticket receipts be damned? Granted, any film with 'Star Wars' in the title still faces a lucrative future, but did the Mouse House truly want to turn its back on the past in such an obvious way? Yes, the baton was passed (somewhat) to a new crew with The Force Awakens, a film I personally didn't much care for; straying so far from the path of the quintessential good vs. evil story was a calculated risk, one from which fans only hoped Kathleen Kennedy and her producing crew learned a worthwhile lesson or two.
All Roads Lead To Rome … Or Is That Exogol?
In much the way Johnson tossed out Abrams' work to flesh out his own direction with The Last Jedi, Abrams appears to have done the same with The Rise Of Skywalker: all that remains of Rian's work is that the Resistance is in shambles, but gone (thankfully) from the light of day are any discussions of challenging fans. The Hollywood wunderkind is back in the center seat – for better or for worse – and he brings the saga full circle with a plot that involves the return of Emperor Palpatine in more ways than one. The invincible Rey is also back in top form, her Jedi training apparently completed by none other than Leia Organa herself.
In short, the final film in the Skywalker saga's greatest strength is that it feels like two films, ignoring much of Johnson's creative sidebar in favor of drawing all plots and subplots to closure. In fact, I'd argue that the first half quite possibly included elements of what Abrams' had loosely planned as the Sequel Trilogy's second film, the draft of which ended up being discarded: this half showcases our young heroes along with a few established regulars (Chewbacca and C-3PO) on the quest to uncover just what Luke Skywalker was up to before he went into self-imposed exile. However, feeling like it's two films is also the feature's greatest weakness as much of its second half feels cobbled together around ideas that could've benefited from more screen time and less obvious exposition.
As alluded to above, audiences learn that Jedi Skywalker did more than simply fall from grace after the conclusion of Return Of The Jedi: apparently, he had a few adventures, some of which included training his sister Leia to be a Jedi Knight as well as hunting down some legends (with Lando Calrissian) involving an ancient Sith world known as Exogol. In Luke's absence, Kylo Ren and the Knights of Ren (sounding like the name of the worst grunge band possible) take up this quest. Lo and behold, Kylo discovers that he's been little more than a pawn, and it's none other than Emperor Palpatine (or a suitable clone) pulling the strings all along. Palpatine – last seen falling down a power shaft in Return Of The Jedi – has emerged and wants the galaxy back for himself, and he's amassed a whole fleet of Star Destroyers just waiting to enforce his Imperial might: all he needs (curiously unexplained) is for Kylo to finally kill Rey to set the daring plan in motion.
Whether one likes the idea of Palpatine returning to prominence or not, this arrangement works wonderfully for the purposes of Abrams and Terrio's script as it finally gives these young heroes some quest of their own to fulfill: together, they must locate an all-new MacGuffin, one which will lead them to the Emperor so that they can battle evil before it's allowed to destroy their world. Rey, Poe, and Finn finally have their own purpose in the galaxy far, far away; and this is why I'd argue that the first half of The Rise Of Skywalker is the first original and interesting material since George Lucas passed the franchise to Disney. Like it or not, Rise's set-up staked out an adventure for these "younglings" to go out into this universe and earn their stripes; despite a few questionable choices here and there, this first half succeeds in taking the mantle as 'the next generation' in Star Wars' storytelling. As imperfect as it was, it still worked.
But then came the second half, and I've begun to wonder if Abrams deliberately implodes space fantasy franchises so that he can get fired and go on to other projects.
The Incoherent Trilogy
Because of his long-established penchants for MacGuffins, Abrams is clearly a screenwriter perfectly comfortable with pulling solutions out of thin air (if needed); why not tie up a plot twist simply with a new Force ability? In short, this is what magical devices do – they exist to pull tales into whatever direction the storyteller wishes. Though intrinsic to much of fantasy and fantasy franchises, magic is not organic; thus, shackling the Jedi and the Sith with even greater mystical powers than was ever intended much less seen before in the Star Wars universe was, perhaps, a risk too great to take … and that's probably why both Johnson and Abrams couldn't resist themselves respectively in The Last Jedi and The Rise Of Skywalker.
Johnson saw fit to give Luke Skywalker the ability to Force-project himself – while still alive – halfway across the galaxy in order to help save the day in the big finish to his film. Granted, this effort wasn't without consequence: the expense of such will brought about the Jedi's controversial death in The Last Jedi. As the road was already paved by Johnson, Abrams simply saw fit to craft out a few offramps of his own by imbuing Force users with the ability to heal others and even transfer their own "life source" to another living being. Actress Daisy Ridley is even on record in interviews as confirming that director Abrams specifically wanted to forge new Jedi powers in the ongoing saga, some of which were only hinted at previously. Furthermore, the Jedi are now fully able to transfer solid objects to one another across vast distances by using the Force, and they can even do battle with one another while engaged in Force-enhanced visions.
At first blush, some of these developments do keep within the spectrum of possibilities laid out within Lucas's films. Before the Prequel Trilogy reduced the Force to discussion of midichlorians and blood samples, the Original Trilogy showcased Darth Vader oft using his Force abilities to inflict harm on countless others, so the evolution of using the same abilities to speed healing is debatably plausible. And if the Force can be used to influence the perception of others (i.e. "these are not the droids you're looking for") then it stands to reason that the touch could be medically persuasive, no? (This IS Fantasy, after all.) However, I found the passing of objects across great distances to be a bit too fantastical for my personal tastes; as their was really no grounding for it in the films previously, it just seemed like a screenwriter's creation to move the plot forward.
It's this slapdash development of powers and circumstances – along with the narrative which far too often felt like revisiting the events and situations of the Original Trilogy – that has me labeling these three films as 'the Incoherent Trilogy.' It just rarely felt natural, rarely felt original. When it did try to do something different – even in the appearance of wheel-based technology that had never been seen before in Star Wars – I found myself questioning, "Well, why now? We've never seen this before, so why now?" When I can't comfortably answer that on my own with material provided by the storytellers, I begin to doubt the sincerity of the effort.
Yes, maybe I'm overthinking it, but I still view it as a weakness of the film, not the audience.
The End Of All Things(?)
Like so many, I could go on, but I won't at this juncture, largely because I don't wish to spoil the experience of seeing The Rise Of Skywalker on the silver screen. It's an admirable effort – one that tries too hard in some places and too little in others – but still worthy of being seen, especially in cinemas. Plus, I've a whole idea about a series of articles on redemption and what it means in the Lucasfilm universe, but methinks that's for another time and another place when spoilers can be more openly discussed.
Though I've said I didn't care for The Force Awakens (heck, I even hated the film's title), the flick didn't quench my thirst for all things Star Wars. Though I've criticized The Last Jedi for feeling more like a bloated video game than it did a theatrical release, I've often admitted I had fun with it … in much the same way I would a video game. And I've tried to be as clear with The Rise Of Skywalker as possible without ruining the experience for those yet to partake of what promises to be the last in the initial Star Wars saga: the first half is pretty grand, and the second half is pretty uneven, almost rushed.
So rather than dwell on it as the end of all things, I do choose to find hope in a new beginning.
Star Wars has always been big on dreams, after all. Luke Skywalker had them, and – though Rey's focus always seemed more selfish on finding out who she was – maybe she had them, too. As much as The Force Awakens narratively undid the hero's quest of the Original Trilogy, it still delivered the franchise to a new generation of viewers; that film's gross alone perhaps insures that there's far more stories to tell in the galaxy far, far away.
In the meantime, there's always the novels, the new Disney streaming services, and comic books. So long as there's an audience, there will be Star Wars.
And the Force will always be with us …
Stardate 12.09.2019.A: Billy Pilgrim Remains Our Best 'Witness to History' In Arrow Video's Release of Slaughterhouse-Five
Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. is one of those authors who emerged from a certain era in human history (the 1960's counter-culture movement) whose voice I've always struggled to hear clearly. The few novels of his that I've waded through seemed as grounded in bitterness as they were in humor, and I was never able as a reader to reconcile those somewhat polar positions. Perhaps it's that I found much of his style a bit too experimental for my tastes or maybe even that I found his particular quest to understand our shared existence a bit too crestfallen; however, I'd never argue against giving his work the time and study it's due as his remains one of the most distinct of its generation.
In the early 1990's, I attended a speech of his in suburban Chicago, and the man I listened to certainly was the man who had written those sometimes-angry works. He frowned a lot. He seemed disinterested with answering questions. He talked about things in the world that bothered him. Dare I say that he even seemed a bit resentful of the audience who'd come to hear him speak? While the event was scheduled to last ninety minutes, the writer himself concluded it after just under sixty minutes when he was asked by a student if he planned to write anything new.
"I think I've written enough, and it speaks for itself," he said and walked off stage.
To be perfectly honest, I found his "Slaughterhouse-Five, or The Children's Crusade: A Duty-Dance With Death" occasionally inaccessible … so much so that I even put it down once or twice during reading for an extended break away from it. This wasn't due to its subject matter, some perceived negativity, or even its anti-war stance; rather, it was because I just couldn't 'get' into the character of Billy Pilgrim, the perennial milquetoast of the tale. Having cut my teeth on some of SciFi's more blustery heroes – the Flash Gordon's, the Buck Rogers', the Captain James T. Kirk's – I wasn't prepared for the likes of Billy, nor did I much care for him. Pilgrim was the last person I wanted to discover derring-do with … and now that I'm older (and maybe a bit wiser) methinks that might've been part of Vonnegut's point all along.
As a result, I'd avoided watching director George Roy Hill's 1972 adaptation of the popular novel. I figured I'd be in for more of the same, and – as it was common knowledge that the motion picture had largely tanked at the box office – I concluded I quite possibly wasn't missing much. But I do so love a good film, and I'm thrilled to report that I've been proven wrong (again!) as I just completed a full viewing of Arrow Video's December 2019 Special Edition release of this undisputed masterpiece.
For those uninitiated to the story: Billy Pilgrim is a traveler who finds himself somehow 'unstuck in time,' leaping through the moments of his life in what appears to be no discernible order with no discernible reason. Through this existential device, he experiences the life he's lived again, perhaps eventually finding immortality through his departure from our world by way of an alien abduction which may just deliver him to the life he's always fantasized possible but never achievable on Earth.
If that summation is a bit to swallow, then you really ought to try Vonnegut's book: the synopsis there isn't any easier. Still, Hill's adaptation succeeds largely because it is accomplished on film: transitions are blended in unique ways that pose small answers as to why the audience is being pulled from one bus stop to the next on the ride that becomes Billy's life. In a way similar that chapter breaks help structure a novel, visual fade-outs serve as gateways to fade-ins. A celebration from one's past can be intercut with an entirely different one from the future, giving new meaning to both in a manner impossible with words on the printed page. Remember the adage, "a picture is worth a thousand words?" Hill and his compatriots accomplish this ten-fold in bringing this journey to life on the silver screen.
The only thing missing from the package provided by Arrow Video with this release is, essentially, what it's all supposed to mean; but that's quite probably the way even Vonnegut himself would've wanted it. (For the record, the prolific scribe is on record as being downright thrilled with the film.) His Billy Pilgrim doesn't react to much here – both in the novel and in the film – and that's because he's put in the dubious position of serving entirely as a witness to history. Rarely does he try to influence it, though there are a few small moments. Rarely does he attempt to thwart the Fates, though he ultimately seems pleased with where he ends up. His is the quest of, maybe, just 'getting by' with the least amount of pain and/or sacrifice required, with the author firmly settled into the "and so it goes" impression of his original work. Life is what happens while you're living it, and Billy is his own living observer and participant. His journey after all isn't the hero's quest, a device heavily relied on in literature. His is only a journey, and you can make of it what you will.
Still, the Arrow release is solid with extras exploring the work of art as well as the place it earned itself in film history. There's a great 20 minute 'appreciation' with author and critic Kim Newman (do NOT watch it before watching the film if this is your first time, be warned). There are also a few other shorts which look back at the film's score, distribution, and the typical behind-the-scenes bits. There's also a nice interview with actor Perry King who has a small but critical role in the film as Pilgrim's son. And, of course, there's a commentary track, this one provided by author and critic Troy Howarth: I was a bit disappointed with this as Howarth's observations tend to be more biographical in nature about the folks involved before and behind-the-screen, oft times letting key moments in the flick go by without so much as an interesting aside or observation on what it may've meant … but, still, it's nice to have something that gives the work the inspection long overdue.
The last word? This release is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. If you're a SciFi junkie like me, then there's enough in here to keep you interested even though so very much of the film feels far more conventional than it does a genre flick. If you're a film nerd (also like me), then there's more than enough substance to the film, the commentary, and the supplemental materials (though a bit tangential at times) to invest a few hours in watching director Hill and his cast of players work their cinema magic. And even if you're seen the film before I suggest that you might want to see it again if for no other reason than to enjoy the merits of this brand new 4K restoration: admittedly, the print is grainy in a few spots, but it all looks great nonetheless.
In the interests of fairness, I'm pleased to disclose that the fine folks at Arrow Video provided me with a Blu-ray copy of Slaughterhouse-Five by request for the expressed purposes of completing this review, and their contribution to me in no way, shape, or form influenced my opinion of it.
For those interested in picking up their own copy of this release, Amazon.com has it for sale; and you can follow the link right here.
Stardate 12.08.2019.A: In Memoriam - Remembering Star Trek's Rene Auberjonois
Ach, Trek enthusiasts lost another one this week as word reached the world just today regarding the passing of Rene Auberjonois. For the uninitiated, Auberjonois played 'Odo,' a shapeshifting alien with ties to a civilization hell bent on ruling the galaxy -- aboard Star Trek: Deep Space Nine from 1993 until 1999.
I vaguely recall meeting him at one of the Star Trek conventions I attended in Las Vegas. (Yes, the big annual affair which typically brings out all of the stars.) He seemed like an incredible warm person, and I think there's no discounting the man's obvious talent. He launched into a career in the 1960's that stretched all the way into the current year, and that's no small feat indeed.
Remembering his work aboard Deep Space Nine, I wasn't all that fond of his character right out of the gate. Odo was a bit gruff if not downright mean at times, seemingly put off by being surrounding by so many louder and vastly more colorful species. It's a characterization that wouldn't make much sense until viewers learned more about his background and what central role he and his race would play as the show developed.
However, like so many, I loved his interactions with Deep Space Nine's resident felon -- the Ferengi barkeep and greater galactic swindler, Quark (played delightfully by Armin Shimerman): their banter was the substance of great writing and top-notch performances, harkening back all the way to the work of Bogart and Rains in the 1942 Hollywood classic Casablanca. While Odo stood for justice, Quark stood for everything but; and the spine of this relationship stretched gloriously through the show's seven seasons. These polar opposites were often forced against their own wishes to work together -- a lesson aptly applied to all of us in real life -- and I suggest that the two actors relished these scenes perhaps as much as fans enjoyed them.
Alas, none of us are immortal, and our warmest wishes go out to Auberjonois' family as well as the Trek community.
Stardate 12.03.2019.A: In Memoriam - Remembering Star Trek's D.C. Fontana
Ach. This one hurts, my fellow Trek enthusiasts ...
Mainstream Star Trek fans probably do not recognize the name of D.C. Fontana, other than to do a cursory Google search and learn that she's established herself as an author of several novels and/or teleplays for the original program as well as the subsequent animated incarnation as well as The Next Generation. While we may never know the depth of her entire contribution to Trek, let me mention a few listed from her obituary notice:
First, not only did she pen scripts and serve as the story editor for classic Star Trek, she also served as one of its producers, no small feat in an era when female contributions were somewhat frowned upon by studio executives.
Second, she's credited with largely "founding" Spock. The characters ongoing struggle with his hybrid status -- half-human, half-Vulcan -- was her creation, and she helped bring it alive visually with scripts for both the classic program and Star Trek: The Animated Series.
Lastly, she crafted scripts for not only classic Trek but also Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, and Star Trek: New Voyages, a popular web-based incarnation exploring further missions of Kirk and company.
But her influence on televised Science Fiction doesn't start and stop with Trek alone: her IMDB.com profile shows that she wrote scripts for such other properties as The Six Million Dollar Man, Land Of The Lost, The Fantastic Journey, Logan's Run, Buck Rogers In The 25th Century, War Of The Worlds, and even Babylon 5. That is some record, my friends.
Alas, none of us lasts forever, and she's left our world for whatever lies beyond. Rest in peace, milady, and may your works forever burn brightly.


A small & cosy hostel / guesthouse just 6min walk from Katoomba station, in the heart of the spectacular Blue Mountains. Catering for the quieter, peaceful traveller - definitely not a party hostel!
We pride ourselves on being a relaxed and quiet place to stay. Definitely not a party house - this is not the place to stay if you want to stay up late. Our house is a traditional weatherboard home. All guests being considerate of others is therefore essential.
While there is no curfew, noise must be kept to a minimum 10pm - 7am. This includes common areas and your room.
There are no TVs or radios etc on purpose. Streaming music or other content online must also not interrupt other guests. Please bring ear/headphones.
This is not negotiable on arrival. We are not set able to accommodate children under 12 years. If you have booked with children, please cancel now.
The office is open 9am-11am and 5pm-8:30pm. However self check-in is available during the day. Please come through the side doors and go to the office, where you'll find further instructions.
You MUST make arrangements with us if you think you may not arrive by 830pm or will you not be able to get in.
Please make sure we can contact you on the phone number supplied or via email.
You may store your bags on your day of check in (from 9am) or during the day on your day of check out. This is a free service on a first come first served basis. We take no responsibility for your bags.
We include a simple breakfast in our price: a choice of oats/muesli/cornflakes with milk, tea & instant coffee.
There is a shared kitchen available. There are gas stovetops, oven, microwave oven, rice cooker, pizza and baking trays, and a small Bialetti if you'd like to buy your own ground coffee rather than the free instant.
Salt, pepper, oil, plastic wrap and aluminium foil are also supplied.
The nearest shops are about 5min walk from the station (Coles & Woolworths in Parke St, and Aldi on Waratah St) so you may like to get a few things on your way to us.
Unless you have booked our ensuite, you will use our large unisex bathroom which is downstairs on the ground floor. Please bring your own towels. We have towels for hire for a gold coin donation to the charity we support.
Non-Refundable: Charged on confirmation. However, as we want to make sure that you have made the right choice with us, if you cancel within 24hrs of us receiving it, we will allow it to be refunded.
Refundable: We reserve the right to confirm your booking with payment for special events and peak periods. You may cancel up to 48hrs prior (9am) to your stay. Within 48hrs there will be no refund.
We are a 6-8min (600m) walk downhill from Katoomba station, in a residential area. The easiest way is to turn left out of the main Katoomba St exit. Walk down and cross over to the other side of Gang Gang St. Continue straight down alongside the Kingsford Smith park. When you get to the intersection of Glenview & Lyne St, cross back over to the other side of the street and continue down Lovel St. We are a few houses down on that side.
If you are driving, there is plenty of on street parking. Either park near corner of York St and walk uphill past two houses, or a bit further up there are also stairs if you park near them and walk downhill past two houses.
Complete your details below and your enquiry will be emailed directly to No. 14 Lovel St . Please check your contact details are correct to ensure the quickest possible reply.
No.14 Lovel St is a 6-8min walk from Katoomba station. This short video shows you the way.
Share your room but not your bed with your plus one! Our twin has two king single sized beds for extra comfort. Located downstairs on the same level as the share bathroom. Centrally heated with all bedlinen supplied. Free breakfast cereal (cornflakes/oats/muesli) with milk and tea/coffee all day.


Amend the previously approved Special Use Permit (Aviato), File No. SP17-023, to revise the 302 standard residential units to 800 co-living units (one bedroom and one bathroom or shared bathroom for each unit, with common kitchen facilities for each floor of the building) in an 18-story tower with 2,784-square feet of ground floor retail and three levels of underground parking on a 0.77-gross acre site.
Upon completion of draft reports, documents will be posted on the Environmental Review webpage.


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The Rathsburg Company was originally started in 1954 in the basement of the Rathsburg family home near downtown Detroit. The company consisted of two people, John (Jack) M. Rathsburg, who was the president and only sales person, and Anna A. Rathsburg, his bookkeeper and wife. There was always a huge parcel of kids around who would file papers, type quotes and "build catalogs."
In the early '60s, Jack Rathsburg merged the operation with a man named Rod Butchart, who had a similar but complimentary sales organization. The new company was known as Butchart-Rathsburg & Associates, Inc. The initial direction of the company was selling consumer electronic products into the jobber market in the state of Michigan. Some of the initial lines that the company represented were Antennae Specialists, Cornell-Dubilier, Harman Kardon, Sonotone and Telex.
John M. Rathsburg
The two owners split apart in the late 60's going their separate ways. The Company dropped the Butchart hyphenated name and became Rathsburg & Associates, Inc. Rod Butchart and his nephew, Bob Cowie, ran the Butchart Company for a few years until Rod's retirement but finally closed down the operation. Jack Rathsburg and his son, Bill, moved the firm towards the OEM market working with lines like Cornell-Dubilier that had both OEM components and end user products. Cornell-Dubilier was the core line that helped solidify the company in the mid to late 60's. Products sold into the Appliance and Industrial customer base in Michigan at that time were AC Oil, Mylar, MICA and Electrolytic Capacitors, E-M relays and RFI filters.
Greg Rathsburg joined the company out of college in 1970. One year later, Cornell-Dubilier awarded its sales representation franchise in the automotive market to the firm and they began selling ignition condensers, E-M relays, Radio Noise Filters, and Mica Capacitors in to the Big Three car companies. The company then started to expand beyond their CDE-centric product portfolio with the addition of Lines like AC-DC Electronics, Bourns, Chicago Miniature Lamp and Monsanto LED's.
The two sons bought out their Father's interest in the company in the mid '70s and changed the name of the corporation to Rathsburg Associates, Inc.
John M. Rathsburg was elected to a Life Time Membership in the Electronics Representatives Association (ERA) in 1975.
At the beginning of the '80's decade, the company entered the semiconductor market with the addition of the Intersil, Analog Devices and Fairchild lines. These suppliers brought the Company into personal contact with distribution icons like Paul Carroll, Tony Hamilton and Seymour Schweber.
In the mid '80's, Greg Rathsburg bought out his brother's interest in the company and became sole owner of the company. The company than began an aggressive plan to expand from a Michigan-only Rep Firm to a fifteen state NorthCentral Regional Representative. The expansion phase included six RepCo acquisitions including the Power One Rep in Ohio, the former Analog Devices Rep in the Heartlands and the LSI Logic Rep in Chicago. These three acquisitions in particular helped to facilitate the transition of these major line franchises into a territory-wide relationship that the Company has with most of its major suppliers today.
The hallmark of the company during the spectacular growth decade of the 90's was conservative fiscal management. A great deal of the revenue that was generated was reinvested back into the business in the way of cars, computers, buildings and in-depth employee training programs. Another major differentiator was the strategy to hire technical BSEE Sales Engineers vs. hiring lay Salespeople and backing them up with technical FAE's.
In the late '90's and early '00's, the company fully embraced the Industrial Distribution Channel. An extensive Channel Partnership Program was developed which today includes high level management relationships and nine (9) dedicated Distributor Sales Specialists that focus entirely on growing business for our clients through their distributor partners.
Since the early 70's, Rathsburg has always had a good position in the automotive market. But it has really flourished these past few years as the automotive market has integrated more and more leading edge electronic solutions into automobiles. In 2005, the Company completed its sixth RepCo acquisition by buying a Rep Firm that specializes in selling electronic components to Visteon.
In 2006, the Company created The John M. Rathsburg Technology Center, a Silicon IP lab at its headquarters facility in Novi, MI, to provide state of the art tech support to its customers and suppliers in the automotive space.
Bob, Rachel, Amy, and Greg Rathsburg
Rathsburg continues to pave the way in the industry with innovative new programs like the Technology Center, POShare, Channel University, and easyEquote.
The Company is now the largest and most professional Rep Firm in the Midwest USA. It is still owned by Greg Rathsburg; he serves as its President & Chairman. His three children, Rachel, Amy & Bobby, are working as full time employees in the firm: Rachel works out of the Boston office; Amy works out of the Michigan office; Bobby works out of the Chicago office.
Rathsburg Associates has been in business for over a half century and has sold well over two billion dollars worth of electronic components!
Acquisition History
Rathsburg has periodically used an acquisition strategy to ease territory expansion resistance and to facilitate current-client franchise extensions. We have acquired six (6) other Manufacturers Representative Companies in the process of expanding from a local to a regional to an area RepCo. Today, we are actively considering acquisitions in the Chicagoland and Minnesota territories and we would consider an acquisition in the Texas territory.
Mid-Con Electronics
Acquired from Dan Cavender in June of 1992 to facilitate coverage in the Southern Ohio Military market.
The Tom Mulligan Company
Acquired from Tom Mulligan in October of 1992 to facilitate current-client franchise transition and expansion into the Ohio and western Pennsylvania territory.
Omni Electronic Marketing
Acquired from Jack Rivers in December of 1994 to facilitate current-client franchise transition and expansion into the Illinois and Wisconsin territory.
Technical Sales Associates
Acquired from Duane Mazzacavallo in January of 1999 to facilitate expansion into the Kansas, Missouri, Iowa & Nebraska territory.
International Component Sales
Acquired from Dave Kampen in October of 1999 to facilitate expansion into the Minnesota and Dakota's territory.
Professional Sales Agency
Partially acquired from Bill English in February of 2006 to facilitate current-client transition in the Michigan Automotive market.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Search here for Images clipart serpent tree adam eve collection out of 50 ready to use vector and photo images. You can use them for free.
Already 803 visitors found here solutions for their art work. 5 users visited images clipart serpent tree adam eve this week.
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After most of my last month spent with the Volvo Ocean Race and Barcelona World Race, it seems the phrase "see you later!" has become quite the norm amongst friends and families. This one, though, was a bit different; the BWR is a truly intimate affair amongst the crews and racers, with wives, brothers, sisters, children – even grandparents all chipping in to work, feed, or cheer on 'their' team. I was so impressed with Lili Fa, daughter of Nandor and shore crew for Spirit of Hungary with her mature presence, calm nature and talking about how proud she is of her father. It touched my heart and reminded me why I love what I do. I'm excited to continue to follow the race and always my heart and mind are with the sailors to stay safe, have a great race and enjoy the ride. Thanks for following it along with me, and be sure to follow the race at www.barcelonaworldrace.com.


GSK 2018 results have been announced. They show that the company is making progress in rebuilding its pharmaceutical pipeline despite continued competition from generic products.
Total HIV sales £4.7 billion.
The rebuild of its pharmaceuticals pipeline continues with 33 of the 46 new medicines now in development targeting modulation of the immune system.
Pharmaceuticals turnover in the year was £17,269 million, flat at AER, but up 2% CER, driven primarily by the growth in HIV sales, which were up 9% AER, 11% CER, to £4,722 million, reflecting share growth over the year in the dolutegravir portfolio; Triumeq, Tivicay and Juluca.
Respiratory sales declined 1% AER, but grew 1% CER, to £6,928 million, with growth from the Ellipta portfolio and Nucala partly offset by lower sales of Seretide/Advair.
Seretide/Advair sales declined 23% AER, 21% CER to £2,422 million. Sales of Advair in the US declined 32% AER, 30% CER (9% volume decline and 21% negative impact of price) primarily reflecting increased competitive pricing pressures. In Europe, Seretide sales were down 19% AER, 20% CER to £599 million (13% volume decline and a 7% price decline).
This reflected continued competition from generic products and the transition of the Respiratory portfolio to newer products. In International, sales of Seretide were down 7% AER, 4% CER, to £726 million (5% volume decline and 1% positive impact of price), with declines in markets with generic competition partly offset by growth from other developing markets. Sales of established pharmaceuticals were down 7% AER, 4% CER.
For the Group specifically, over the period to 2020, GSK expects further declines in sales of Seretide/Advair. The introduction of a generic alternative to Advair in the US has been factored into the Group's assessment of its future performance. The Group assumes no premature loss of exclusivity for other key products over the period.
GSK also reports major progress in immuno-oncology pipeline with 16 assets now in clinical development, reflecting organic progression, the Tesaro acquisition and the alliance with Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany. In 2019, major data readouts and other significant newsflow are expected on multiple new medicines in HIV, Oncology, Immuno-inflammation and Respiratory.
Emma Walmsley, Chief Executive Officer, GSK said: "GSK delivered improved operating performance in 2018 with Group sales growth, strong commercial execution of new product launches, especially Shingrix, continued cost discipline and better cash generation.


text:
import * as express from 'express';
import * as path from 'path';
import { copyProjectAsset } from '../../utils/assets';
import { getGlobalVariable } from '../../utils/env';
import { replaceInFile } from '../../utils/fs';
import { ng } from '../../utils/process';

export default async function () {
  if (!process.env['E2E_BROWSERS']) {
    return;
  }

  // Ensure SauceLabs configuration
  if (!process.env['SAUCE_USERNAME'] || !process.env['SAUCE_ACCESS_KEY']) {
    throw new Error('SauceLabs is not configured.');
  }

  await replaceInFile(
    'browserslist',
    'not IE 9-11',
    'Safari 9-10.1\nIE 9-11',
  );

  if (!getGlobalVariable('argv')['ve']) {
    // Workaround for https://github.com/angular/angular/issues/32192
    await replaceInFile(
      'src/app/app.component.html',
      /class="material-icons"/g,
      '',
    );
  }

  await ng('build', '--prod');

  // Add Protractor configuration
  await copyProjectAsset('protractor-saucelabs.conf.js', 'e2e/protractor-saucelabs.conf.js');

  // Remove browser log checks as they are only supported with the chrome webdriver
  await replaceInFile(
    'e2e/src/app.e2e-spec.ts',
    'await browser.manage().logs().get(logging.Type.BROWSER)',
    '[] as any',
  );

  // Workaround defect in getText WebDriver implementation for Safari/Edge
  // Leading and trailing space is not removed
  await replaceInFile(
    'e2e/src/app.e2e-spec.ts',
    '\'should display welcome message\',',
    '\'should display welcome message\', async',
  );
  await replaceInFile(
    'e2e/src/app.e2e-spec.ts',
    'page.navigateTo();',
    'await page.navigateTo();',
  );
  await replaceInFile(
    'e2e/src/app.e2e-spec.ts',
    'page.getTitleText()',
    '(await page.getTitleText()).trim()',
  );

  // Setup server
  const app = express();
  app.use(express.static(path.resolve('dist/test-project')));
  const server = app.listen(2000, 'localhost');

  try {
    // Execute application's E2E tests with SauceLabs
    await ng(
      'e2e',
      'test-project',
      '--protractorConfig=e2e/protractor-saucelabs.conf.js',
      '--devServerTarget=',
    );
  } finally {
    server.close();
  }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


For the Random Acts of Kindness Giveaway Hop hosted you can win your choice of book up to $15 from either Amazon, or Book Depository. Open to where ever Book Depository ships. Click HERE for a list of all the participating blogs and their giveaways.
Thank you so much!!!! *fingers crossed* Have a great weekend Alyssa!
Oops, I forgot to say I'm in the US! Thanks for the giveaway!
Always love the chance to win money to spend on books! Thanks!


text:
'I Am Chelsea Manning,' Says Jailed Soldier Formerly Known as Bradley
Daily Stormer August 23, 2013
Adam Gabbatt
The US soldier who was sentenced as Bradley Manning on Wednesday plans to undergo hormone therapy and has asked to be recognised as a woman.
In a statement on Thursday Manning said she would like to be known as Chelsea E Manning and be referred to by female pronouns.
"As I transition into this next phase of my life, I want everyone to know the real me," she wrote.
"I am Chelsea Manning. I am a female. Given the way that I feel, and have felt since childhood, I want to begin hormone therapy as soon as possible. I hope that you will support me in this transition."
But Fort Leavenworth military prison in Kansas, where Manning is due to serve out her sentence, said on Thursday that it would not provide trans treatment beyond psychiatric support, in a move criticised as unconstitutional by activists and LGBT groups.
Manning was sentenced to 35 years in prison on Wednesday for leaking hundreds of thousands of classified documents. She was found guilty of 20 counts, six of them under the Espionage Act, but her lawyers argued during the trial that Manning was acting out of a sense of duty to her country.
"I also request that, starting today, you refer to me by my new name and use the feminine pronoun (except in official mail to the confinement facility)," Manning's statement read. "I look forward to receiving letters from supporters and having the opportunity to write back."
She thanked her supporters for helping to "keep me strong" during her arrest and trial and for funding her defense.
During her trial it emerged that Manning had emailed a picture of herself, wearing a long blonde wig and lipstick, to her supervisor. In the subject line Manning had written: "My Problem".
Manning's lawyers argued that this was an example of how the soldier's supervisors failed her on numerous occasions and contributed to the stress she was under.
"The stress that [she] was under was mostly to give context to what was going on at the time," Manning's lawyer, David Coombs, told NBC's Today show on Thursday.
"It was never an excuse because that's not what drove [her] actions. What drove [her] actions was a strong moral compass."
Manning has already spent three and a half years in prison awaiting trial. Her sentence was reduced by 112 days in January after a judge ruled she had been subjected to excessively harsh treatment in military detention.
Coombs has confirmed that Manning will spend her sentence at Fort Leavenworth military prison, however a spokeswoman for the prison said this week that treatment for inmates at the prison does not include hormone therapy.
"All inmates are considered soldiers and are treated as such with access to mental health professionals, including a psychiatrist, psychologist, social workers and behavioral science noncommissioned officers with experience in addressing the needs of military personnel in pre- and post-trial confinement," Kimberly Lewis told Courthouse News Service.
"The army does not provide hormone therapy or sex-reassignment surgery for gender identity disorder."
Coombs said on Thursday that he is "hoping" that Fort Leavenworth "would do the right thing" and provide hormone therapy.
"If Fort Leavenworth does not, then I'm going to do everything in my power to make sure they are forced to do so."
Trans and civil liberties groups said it would be "unconstitutional" for Fort Leavenworth not to give Manning treatment.
"This is the United States. We do not deny medical treatment to prisoners," said Mara Keisling, executive director of the National National Center for Transgender Equality.
"It is illegal, it's unconstitutional. That is fairly settled law under the eighth amendment against cruel and unusual punishment. The medical community is now unified that transition-related care is legitimate medical care that can successfully treat a serious underlying condition."
The American Civil Liberties Union said Manning had been diagnosed with gender dysphoria and should receive hormone therapy. Statements by Fort Leavenworth to the contrary raise "serious constitutional concerns", said Chase Strangio, an attorney with the union's LGBT project.
Bradely Manning Domestic Spying Faggotry NSA Transsexuals	2013-08-23
Daily Stormer
Used Up Old Actress Reveals That Her 12-Year-Old Son Licks Anus, Eats Semen, Ejaculates Into Feces
Renowned Alleged Homosexual Matt Gaetz Claims That He's Marrying a Vagina Person
OG Weird Drag Queen Promoted by Jew Media Dies of Drug Overdose


It seems particularly ironic my friend who is a technologist and founder of the gastronomical virtual reality experience, Project Nourished, has lived in a Downtown Los Angeles industrial space for the last several years sans kitchen. He told me he's made it work out of necessity, using a combination of a portable inductive cooktop and a utility sink on wheels. I definitely thought of his past predicament as I helped him move last week to a new place outfitted with a legitimate kitchen, thinking how the challenge of cost of rent versus available space can require sacrifices such as his while living in many of the most dense and expensive cities.
Royal College of Art graduate, Yu Li's portable kitchen concept Assembly addresses this growing need amongst young professionals struggling to meet the desire to cook against the limitations of space. Li envisions an inductive-technology cooking surface nearly as svelte as a first generation iPad, designed to deliver the portable means for cooking, dining, cleaning, and finally hiding away the kitchen into its own carrying case.
Beyond an urban setting, the Assembly presents an appealing cooking/dining solution for car campers/glampers who might prefer its mod-inflected design in comparison to the usual aesthetic attached to camping/adventure gear.
The all-in-one cooking and dining set Assembly is outfitted to serve space-challenged apartment dwellers in cities like New York, London, Tokyo, or anywhere else where a dedicated kitchen isn't necessarily an expectation or option. Comprised of a modular carrying case containing nearly everything one needs to get cooking for a party of one – inductive cooktop, pot, pan, cutting board/serving tray, utensils, and even a dish drying rack – Li's design adopts an IKEA-ish simplicity with some smart double-duty features, like the pan handle that converts into serving tongs, or the cutting board that doubles up for serving board.
The end users are millennials, young professionals who don't have sufficient kitchen space…The idea is to trim the original kitchen space down to a few minimal elements so space can be designed simpler, neater and transformed into other purposes to increase the space utilization.


text:
20 Celebrities Who Love Their Cats
Maria McCutchen+ 3 years ago
Just like us mere mortal non celebrities, our celebrity counterparts care for their cats in the same caring way (hopefully) that we do. Which is why we wanted to put together this awesome gallery of celebrities and cats. We unfortunately don't have the cats names in these photos but we've included the celebrity name. We hope you enjoy the gallery! Be sure to click "next" beneath each photo to view them all.
Melissa Joan Hart played on Sabrina, the Teenage Witch, from 1996 through 2003. During this time, Hart worked with a furry co-star, named Salem. He was really a mechanical cat of sorts, but there were times when he would need a live stand-in. Hart says that because of Salem, there was cat food all over the set. Of course he didn't eat it, but the stand-ins would. After a while, Hart was kind of over cats, she says. She's more of a dog person, but lucky for Salem and the stand-ins, there were plenty of other stars that appeared on the show that did like Salem, and his live furry friends.
Paul Newman was one of the biggest actors of the 1970's. He was often referred to as the "most beautiful man who ever lived." One of his favorite pass times at home, was to spend time with his cat, Louis XIV, a Burmese cat that was often seen in private pictures taken of Newman at home. Newman went on to own a company that made nutritious cat food, Newman's Own Cat Food. It went through some controversial times, having a recall on the product, but finally made it back to the shelves in stores.
Martha Stewart was often posting pictures of her three cats on her blog. She loved to talk about them so that soon, her fans were requesting pictures of them if they hadn't seen them in a while. Stewart owned a beautiful Himalayan, Bartok, and two Calico Persians; Princess Peony and Empress Tang. She would tell her fans how her cats didn't always like stopping in the middle of what they were doing to have a photo op very often, but she would somehow she would manage to capture a beautiful photo of them and post it.
Bam Margera is a Jackass daredevil and was at one time, given backlash for photos he posted of himself holding a pistol at two of his pets' heads. In an interview to clear his name, he explained that he does things for shock value and would never hurt an animal. One of his cats, Trouble the cat, was seen in the background laying on the couch and he smothered the other in kisses. He talked about how he really is a big animal lover, he even hosts a radio show, Passionate About Pets, and says everyone knows how he loves his pets, and all animals.
Penelope Cruz is one of the most beautiful ladies in Hollywood. Shas played in some big hit movies and in television shows and television movies through the years. She talks about her cat, Capucino, who loves to walk on the kitchen counters, especially when the window is open. That's because when the other cats in the area realize the window is open, they come on in to play, says Cruz. So her kitchen is full of cats at times, but she says they just throw them out.
Zach Galifianakis is an American writer, actor and comedian. He has appeared in The Hangover Trilogy, The Lego Batman Movie, Puss in Boots, and many more over the years. He talked about his cat during an interview and divulged his cat's name, and where he came up with it. Mr. Stevens was named after someone famous in the singing world, Cat Stevens. That was very clever, Zach Galifiankis.
Meryl Streep is one of the most recognized actresses of this time. She has won multiple awards for movie roles throughout her career. She is known for her roles in, Out of Africa, Postcards from the Edge, among many others. She has talked about her cat in interviews in the past, how she often would read her scripts to her cat and she could always tell if she wasn't reading with enthusiasm or was boring, he would stop purring, unwrap himself from her leg, and stalk out of the room. She says her Tabby is her biggest critic.
Bill and Hillary Clinton
Socks was a stray cat that the former first daughter, Chelsea Clinton had adopted. Socks lived with the family in the governor's mansion in Arkansas and later moved with them to the White House, and was one of the world's most famous cats. The Clinton's would talk about how much joy Socks brought to the family. He developed throat cancer and battled it for some time, before finally passing away from the illness. Socks was photographed with the Clinton's many times during Clinton's time in the White House.
Jane Fonda hails from a lineage of famous actors and was a popular star in the 1970's and 1980's. Daughter of the famed Henry Fonda, Jane was tied to the Vietnam protest and had developed some disdain from fans during the controversy of her betrayal to the US troops and had been dubbed, "Hanoi Jane." She was a very devoted fan of the Siamese breed of cat and had one as a pet that was photographed many times with the star, and often photographed during Jane's Yoga workouts. She would talk about how she loved to workout with her cat and explain her poses to him.
Snoop Dogg is one of the biggest names in the rap music industry. He is a tough looking guy with an incredible talent and a huge fan base. A couple of his greatest hits include, Who am I? (What's my Name?), Gin and Juice, and Drop it Like it's Hot. It was always imagined that Snoop Dogg would be more of a "dog" person, especially with his name, somewhat developed form the cartoon Beagle, but during an interview at his home, it was discovered that he actually had two adorable cats, one named Teena Marie and one named Rick James
Marlon Brando was one of the tough guys in Hollywood. Often regarded as difficult to work with, Brando was also always getting into trouble during his schooling years. He made many movies in his career as an actor, and worked with some of the biggest names in the business. As tough as he was, Brando had a soft spot, too. He loved his cat and there are several photos with him and his cat to prove it. He has been photographed multiple times while at his typewriter with his cat right by his side, and even pictured kissing his cat, nose-to-nose.
Morgan Freeman is an American actor as well as a producer and narrator. He has been in many box office hits throughout the years and earned an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in 2004, for his role in the movie, Million Dollar Baby. Morgan had a cat named Morgan, that he often talked about and has been photographed with. In an interview, he talked about Morgan not being allowed into his garage, where the laundry was set up. Freeman said that every time he would go to the garage to do laundry, Morgan would act like he'd been abandoned. But the minute Freeman stepped back into the house, Morgan was the happiest cat and would claim him by holding him with his paw on him.
Drew Carey is an actor and a writer and had his own show, The Drew Carey Show, for several years. He is a shy actor with a great sense of humor that won the hearts of many fans. He is also currently the host of the most popular television game show, The Price is Right, which he took over after Bob Barker retired. He is a big animal lover and even wanted to keep the closing line at the end of The Price is Right, the same as Bob Barker used to say, "Have your pets spayed or neutered," which Barker was thrilled to hear. Carey would have Morris the Cat come to visit on the show and was a big fan of the cat's. Here he's pictured with Morris in a director's chair at one of his visits.
Cameron Diaz may be small in stature, but she's big on the big screen and she likes to talk about issues that many women shy away from. She's had some pretty interesting interviews over the years, and has also been involved with one of the biggest pop star's of this era, Justin Timberlake. Diaz has a cat whom she adores, Little Man, and has often been seen shopping with him. Diaz and Nicole Richie, daughter of Lionel Richie, are good friends, and both would be seen out hitting the stores with their pets in tow.
The actress who plays Rachel Berry on the Fox show Glee has been in many Broadway productions, including Fiddler on the Roof, Ragtime, Les Miserables, and Spring Awakenings. She has many photos of her and her cat. She and her live-in boyfriend, Matthew Paetz, have posted a pic on Instagram of her and Paetz snuggled up on the couch with her cat Sheila comfortably laying on his chest. Her cat is obviously a very important part of her life.
The English singer, songwriter and record producer is a big cat lover. She is one of the many celebrities who posts pictures on her Instagram and twitter accounts. Her beloved cats are Bengal kitties and she introduced her two cats back in 2015, Lennon and Wallace and was featured on the "Pets – They're Just Like Us" video series.
The Kardashians are famous for, well, being famous. They are the family on the hit reality TV series, The Kardashians. Khloe has a huge following on Instagram and now she's got something more to post pics of – her and her Bengal kitty. The cat is adorable, no doubt, and it actually goes very well with many Kourtney's outfits.
Nicole Richie is an American actress and fashion icon who currently h as a starring role on Great News. Richie is a big animal lover and has posted pics on her Instagram account of her and her dog, as well as her cat, that she gave the cutest name – Squishy!
Taylor Swift is one of the most popular names in the music industry today. She has sold millions of albums across the world and is a self-proclaimed cat lover. If you follow Swift on her Instagram account, you probably can't help but see she adores her little cat with the folded ears. Her cat is named Meredith and many times, she goes on tour with Swift. Lucky cat; front row seats at the concerts.
Maria McCutchen
Maria McCutchen is an author and freelance writer living in Chattanooga, TN. She is the published author of her memoir, "It's all in Your Head," and a children's book. She has been writing for over 15 years; writing articles, whitepapers, product write-ups and more for multiple online media sites, blogs, company websites and individuals. She is also an advocate for brain malformations, including Chiari Malformation, and works closely with the non-profit organization, The Chiari Project, writing for their quarterly newsletters.
ladybugdebby+ October 4, 2011
5 Awesome Christmas Gifts That Will Make Your Cat Purr!
npooka+ December 2, 2011
Conradukp+ July 4, 2013
Hamilton the Hipster Cat Becomes Latest Internet Sensation
Conradukp+ June 13, 2013
The ASPCA Removes 75 Cats from a Bronx Apartment
Deucy the Two Faced Cat is Born and Set to Take the Internet By Storm
5 Awesome Christmas Gifts That Will Make …
Hamilton the Hipster Cat Becomes Latest Internet …
The ASPCA Removes 75 Cats from a …


ALIQUIPPA — A city man is facing charges after he held a woman at knifepoint then knocked her unconsciousness, police said.
According to a police report, Nathan Diamond, 24, assaulted the woman at about 12:40 p.m. May 27 at a home on Mill Street in Aliquippa.
Officers were called when neighbors noticed an unconscious woman on the ground. The woman was taken to Heritage Valley Beaver for treatment and then went to the Aliquippa police station to discuss the assault, police said.
Police said the woman and Diamond were arguing when the man pulled out a knife and refused to let the woman leave. He told her that if she called for help, he would kill her, police said.
According to the report, the man grabbed the woman by her neck and dragged her outside, where she told neighbors to call police. Diamond then started "kicking, punching, strangling and hitting her head off the wall," police said. She then "blacked out" while trying to get to her feet.
Police said the woman returned to Diamond's home to gather her belongings after she returned from the hospital and police station. That turned into "a domestic dispute," police said. According to the report, officers said Diamond was visibly upset and used obscene language toward the victim.
Diamond, of 2353 Mill St., was charged by Aliquippa police with aggravated assault, harassment, disorderly conduct, simple assault and strangulation.


text:
Q: Enzyme Unit testing a component I cant seem to get a basic unit test to run with enzyme.
describe('<Fixture />', () => {
    it("should the test",() => {
      const wrapper = mount(<Fixture />);
      expect(wrapper.find('#checked')).toBeChecked();
      expect(wrapper.find('#not')).not.toBeChecked();
    })
  });

function Fixture() {
    return (
      <div>
        <input id="checked" defaultChecked />
        <input id="not" defaultChecked={false} />
        <input id="tertiary" defaultChecked checked={false} />
      </div>
    );
  }

I keep getting the following error
TypeError: Cannot read property 'child' of undefined

A: I'm guessing you're using the latest react at least from v17 but still using the v16 adapter enzyme-adapter-react-16 since the enzyme-adapter-react-16 is not compatible with the react v17.
But we have a work-around by using this package @wojtekmaj/enzyme-adapter-react-17 as below:
// Keep in mind install before using
// npm i -D @wojtekmaj/enzyme-adapter-react-17

// Simple set it up globally
const Adapter = require('@wojtekmaj/enzyme-adapter-react-17');

Enzyme.configure({ adapter: new Adapter() });

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Some suggestions for parents who are wondering when and how to introduce their children to music.
While tsunamis can neither be prevented nor precisely predicted, people educated about particular warning signs can save their own lives and the lives of others. This video gives you information to help you be prepared and understand tsunamis better.
You can make an accurate model of a comet nucleus easily and inexpensively. Unfortunately it is difficult to do it neatly. Here is the recipe. It's fun, it's a mess, and it's one of the most memorable and scientifically accurate demonstrations in astronomy!


If you're stuck in Wanted: A Wild Western Adventure, ask your fellow GameFAQs members for help.
Take on the role of Fenimore Fillmore as you confront the evil John Starek, who has been threatening the local townspeople into selling him their land. In this wild adventure, you'll meet more than 30 different characters, collect useful inventory objects, and encounter an array of Wild West situations. Ride the rails, fight in barroom brawls, or choose to take it outside in a deadly gunfight. The choice is yours. If you help the townspeople fight to keep their land, you just might be able to ride off into the sunset with the girl of your dreams.


The Nazis believed the secret to turning a lie into a truth was repetition, for the Spiritualists it was denial, have computers come up with something new? Phase two of our mega-mini series concludes and we return from our tour of the 1930s and 1880s. ToE's Special correspondent Chris wraps up his liar's guide to American history and your host is forced to deal with the Backfire effect!


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Q: HTML5 simultaneously sounds iOs with Starling AFAIK it is not possible to play multiple sounds simultaneously with HTML5/JS in iOS.
But I was wondering if it is possible to have a Starling SWF embedded in your webpage and let that play sounds?
So your JS sends requests to the SWF to play audio tracks.

A: It is possible to do that in web, but not in iOS since iOS doesnt support Flash.
You can also create one web app for sound streaming, which will stream multiple sounds into one based on the user request.
alot work to do, but afaik only way to mimic multiple sounds inside html5.
and, you dont need starling for sounds, you can use regular flash swf


This week we have the oh so lovely Sophie from Soph-Obsessed who has decided to share a post about how she made the choice to breastfeed her son, Henry. In that is wasn't something that she had envisioned before becoming a mother. Sophie grew up in a household where she wasn't breastfed nor was it something that was ever discussed. In fact her immediate family saw breastfeeding as something that only hippies did! Not that she has anything against parent who chose to breastfeed, but it was something that had never really crossed her mind, so with that I shall hand you over to the lovely Sophie.
When I was pregnant with Henry I received a pack of information from the hospital and within that pack there was a DVD with information regarding breastfeeding. Instantly I dismissed it. I had no intention of breastfeeding any baby of mine. Now don't get me wrong it wasn't that I was horrified at the thought andI didn't judge others for choosing to but it wasn't something I had considered. I think we are conditioned in someways by our background and how we grew up.
I grew up in a household where I wasn't breastfed nor was it something ever discussed. In fact my immediate family had this ignorant view that breastfeeding was something only hippies did! I have to admit that opinion was one shared by many people at that time and I was never against breastfeeding but in my vision of giving birth and bringing up a baby breastfeeding never even crossed my mind.
My husband was the one who took me aback when he said he'd always envisioned me breastfeeding our children. I was shocked and defensive at first! This is my body and I'll choose whether I breastfeed or not!! He of course agreed and supported my choice but he did ask me why I was so adamant. I was surprised that when I actually thought about it there was no reason.
I thought about this over the next few days. It didn't matter what I did I couldn't come up with a valid reason for not wanting to breastfeed. So I watched the darn DVD and it actually made me feel reassured about the whole process!
So fast forward to when Henry was born. I was very clear that I would try breastfeeding but I wasn't opposed to bottle feeding if it didn't work for me. Part of me made sure I was clear that people shouldn't try and back me in a corner. I would give it my all but if I wanted to stop I wanted my decision accepted. The first few weeks were hard. It was painful due to incorrect placement and my milk supply was low. I was adamant I didn't want to give up and I had an amazing one on one session with a breastfeeding specialist who helped me get Henry to 'latch on' correctly. Once we mastered this we were unstoppable! Breastfeeding made those night feeds easier and it was a fantastic way to bond with my baby.
I'm now a self converted breastfeeding cheerleader however I think that every Mums journey is different. I don't think breastfeeding makes you a better Mother. If you want to breastfeed your child and it works for you hurrah! If you want to formula feed your child and it works for you hurrah! I'm not entirely sure why people get so strung up on what other people are doing with their children!
What's your stance on breastfeeding?
Sophie is a 28 year-old Mummy to a wonderful five year old and she married to the love of my life. Sophie enjoy a glass of red wine, watching too much reality TV, playing with make-up, writing here on my blog and making videos over on my YouTube channel.
1 comment on "THE BABY FEEDING SERIES WITH SOPH-OBSESSED"


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