Books Teen Horror Time Machine As Seen on TV?: The Watcher and Starstruck  Sometimes the lines between reality and TV get a little too blurry. By Alissa Burger | Published on May 30, 2024 Comment 0 Share New Share The teens of ‘90s horror usually keep pretty busy trying to solve dark mysteries and avoid murder attempts, but every now and then, they get the chance to put their feet up and watch a favorite television show or movie, hoping to take their minds off their troubles. But even the mindless entertainment of a soap opera or the latest action movie can open the door to further horrors, as the characters discover in Lael Littke’s The Watcher (1994) and Richie Tankersley Cusick’s Starstruck (1996). In both of these books, the boundaries between fiction and reality blur to the point of invisibility, as in The Watcher, Catherine Belmont loses track of the distinction between her own identity and that of her favorite soap opera character, Lost River’s Cassandra Bly,and in Starstruck, Miranda Peterson finds out the glamour of Hollywood isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. In The Watcher, Catherine Belmont’s obsession with Lost River is profound, overshadowing all other elements of her life. She runs from her high school to the local electronics store downtown to catch the latest episode of Lost River on the display televisions over her lunch break and she has modeled her wardrobe on the fashions of her favorite character, Cassandra. When a new guy in school comments on how much Catherine actually looks like Cassandra—a “dead ringer” (14), in fact, which is an ominous choice of words—Catherine has her hair cut to further emphasize this similarity. In uncertain situations, Catherine asks herself what Cassandra would do, adopting the fictional character’s speech patterns, body language, and mannerisms.  The lengths Catherine goes to in her attempts to emulate Cassandra are bizarre, for sure, but largely harmless and maybe even aspirational, a young woman trying on different identities and ways of being in the world as she works to figure out who she is. Things take a dangerous turn, however, when a mystery someone begins attacking Catherine in ways that mirror Cassandra’s plotline on Lost River: Cassandra’s car is tampered with and her seatbelt cut, she gets a threatening phone call, and the power is cut off to her house, with her attacker menacing Cassandra in the darkness. Similar events plague Catherine, with some minor variations: a cut seatbelt is left in front of her house; she gets the same threatening phone call, word-for-word; and when Catherine is in the auditorium for cheerleading practice after school one afternoon, the lights go out and someone torments her over the sound system. Catherine’s feelings about Lost River become a lot more complicated: on the one hand, it’s the last show she wants to watch, with its reminders of her own terrifying reality, but on the other hand, keeping up with Cassandra gives her a heads-up on what the next threat might look like.  There are several suspects, the strongest of which are Catherine’s neighbor Kade McGregor, the new boy Travis, and Britny Marsh. Kade and Catherine grew up together and Catherine views him as a brother, though he would clearly prefer something more intimate from their relationship. They live next door to each other and Kade spends an unsettling amount of time watching Catherine’s house, monitoring who’s coming and going. After Travis leaves one afternoon, Kade comes over to check on Catherine and make sure she’s okay, and when she assures him he really doesn’t need to do that, he tells her, “I like watching you, Cath” (145, emphasis original). This is creepy and made even more so when Catherine’s mother tells her about a boyfriend she had when she was Catherine’s age, Joe Sims, who “watched me … He was always watching me” (145, emphasis original), though that watching quickly escalated to murder when he grew jealous and shot T.J., another boy she was seeing. The plot thickens from there: T.J. is short for his full name, Travis Jalinsky, and he was the uncle of the new Travis who has just moved to town and become enamored with Catherine. With that new piece of information, Travis’s arrival in town and the quick friendship he has struck up with Catherine start to seem just a bit suspect. While the guys’ motivations could be possessiveness or revenge, with Britny, the cause for suspicion is jealousy and catty female competition, as Catherine assumes that Britny has her own romantic sights set on Travis and is still angry with Catherine about beating her out for the cheerleading team.  Somewhat unfortunately, none of these three are the culprit and Catherine’s real stalker is her supposed best friend, Liz, who just happens to be Joe Sims’ niece. After her uncle was institutionalized following T.J.’s murder, Liz’s mother similarly lost hold of reality. As Liz explains her skewed perspective of this cause-and-effect relationship, “His life was ruined, and hers, too. She got married and had me, but the marriage didn’t work out. She was too upset about her twin brother being locked up for the rest of his life. It made her sick, too. She’s in the same place he is now” (182). This is a flawed and potentially damaging representation of mental illness, particularly since Liz has followed the same dark path, with little awareness of or accountability for her actions.  Catherine may have lost herself in Lost River to some degree, but Liz turns to the soap opera as her playbook for what she should do next. When Cassandra is kidnapped on Lost River, Liz kidnaps Catherine, taking her to a cabin in the woods that belongs to Travis and Britny’s families, tying her up and waiting for the following day’s episode to find out what she should do next. She tells Catherine, “We’ll find out together … We’ll watch your soap opera and find out how Cassandra—and you—are going to die. The script is already written. There’s no way to change it” (185). There are plenty of flaws in this reasoning and Catherine points some of them out, including the fact that in reality, “They make changes to scripts all the time” (185), but Liz ignores all of them and carries on with her plan, only to be thwarted when in the next Lost River episode, Cassandra fights back against her kidnapper (who turns out to be one of her many ex-boyfriends, Dane). Liz is horrified, objecting “That’s not supposed to happen … No. No. No” (191). The two girls fight and Catherine is able to overpower and subdue Liz, just as the cavalry arrives, Travis and Kade coming to rescue, with clues provided by Britny’s astute analysis of that day’s Lost River episode, the cabin’s isolated location, and Travis’s missing keys.  In the closing pages, the tables seem to have turned, with the soap opera echoing art, rather than the other way around. In her final words to Catherine, Liz tells her friend “It’s still not over” (198), a line that is echoed a few minutes later word-for-word as the Lost River episode comes to a close. In soap operas and teen horror, the threat is never really bested and the danger can always return, but for now at least, Catherine seems to be (relatively) safe.  While life imitates art in The Watcher, in Cusick’s Starstruck, seventeen year old Miranda is offered a Hollywood dream when she wins a contest through On the Edge magazine to spend a week with megastar Byron Slater at his house in Los Angeles, and maybe even score a spot in his next movie. There are three winners, with these teenage girls competing against one another for Byron’s attention and affections, while being treated to fine food, shopping sprees with a personal stylist, and all kinds of social and publicity events.  There are a ton of red flags here: apparently these teens’ parents are somehow okay with sending unsupervised, underage girls to spend a week with a famous stranger. The possibilities for exploitation, abuse, and assault of these girls is almost limitless, both from Byron himself and from his cadre of hangers-on. Though there is a film role up for grabs, the screening process clearly isn’t going to be based on acting talent, since performance experience played no role in the selection of the finalists. After Byron and Miranda hit it off at their first meeting, he gives her a room in the main house, away from the guest house accommodations of the other contestants. The other so-called “responsible” adults aren’t much help either: when someone sends an incredibly revealing bikini to Miranda’s room, Lucille, Miranda’s chaperone from On the Edge, shrugs off her objections, saying “Oh, don’t be so shy. Remember, this is a fantasy trip. You can do things here you’d never do at home” (105, emphasis original). Miranda gives in, dons the bikini, and receives plenty of male attention, both from Byron and from his longtime friend and assistant, Nick Howard.  While there are already plenty of real-world dangers to worry about in this incredibly unsettling setup, no one really pays attention to those or bothers to address them at all, because they have bigger problems. Byron is certain that he is being stalked, with a crazy fan out to get him, though some members of his publicity team think he’s just mentally unstable, overreacting to a few weird phone calls, and could use a little break. Whether the truth is the threat of violence or an unpredictable superstar, it doesn’t seem like adding three complete strangers to the mix and intentionally amping up the drama with this competition is the way to go, but Byron’s publicity manager (and ex-girlfriend) Peg figures at least the spectacle will distract the paparazzi from whatever’s really going on. There certainly does seem to be someone out to get Byron: the tiger from his private zoo is mysteriously released and nearly attacks Miranda and one of the other contestants (Miranda does, thankfully, scold Byron and she overtly questions the ethics of him having a private zoo in the first place). Someone tampers with his car, causing an accident that nearly kills Byron and Miranda. There are odd phone calls and threatening notes, which are signed “Starstruck.” When the girls are presented with corsages to wear when the group all goes out to dinner, Miranda’s corsage is replaced with a bloody heart and a note warning her that “Byron’s heart belongs to me” (178). Miranda hides the heart in her bathroom garbage can, because she wants to have a private conversation with Byron before disclosing this horror to the rest of the group, with legitimate threats to her own safety apparently not factoring into her thought processes,and they head out like nothing has happened. After their dinner, the group is surrounded by an out of control group of fans, an altercation that leaves Byron’s bodyguard Harley dead and Byron himself stabbed. No matter how dangerous and apparently straightforward these threats are, however, Peg continues to downplay their severity, dismissing them as unfortunate accidents and the tragic cost of fame, as she repeatedly insists that the show must go on, adhering strictly to the fun-filled schedule she has set for the contest winners … until the moment she turns up murdered in Miranda’s hot tub.  Despite all of these distractions, Miranda and Byron seem to hit it off, having long conversations in which he confesses his fears and vulnerabilities. While Miranda definitely has a crush on Byron, she remains refreshingly level-headed. When he flirts with her, she tells him “Don’t be a jerk. I’ll have a week here, and then I’ll fly home, and then I’ll never see you again. You’ll go on being a famous star and I’ll go on being a nobody who starts college in the fall. I don’t want any misunderstandings between us, Byron. No lies or promises or heartbreaks either” (126). While she may not trust him, Miranda and Byron build a sense of camaraderie in their time together, particularly because she is the only one who believes that he’s in danger.  But Byron is actually more dangerous than in danger. Miranda may not have fallen for his romantic lines, but she completely believes the story of his stalker, who it turns out doesn’t exist. As Nick explains to Miranda, “There never was a Starstruck. He did it for the publicity—so everyone would feel sorry for him and sympathetic—but Peg wouldn’t buy it! So he had to kill her to get her out of the way! And now you’ll be Starstruck’s last victim!” (216). If this is Byron’s plan, it’s not a great one: presumably, the police would want to find and arrest this murderous stalker, who doesn’t exist. How Byron will maintain his innocence while setting someone up to take the fall remains undetailed, but is bound to be tricky. It all goes back to the fickle nature of fame, with Nick telling Byron “You’re afraid you’re on your way down—that some new star will pass you by. This whole Starstruck thing was just a stunt to keep the media attention focused on you” (217). Byron is willing to sacrifice anything and anyone to maintain his star status. Miranda runs and nearly falls over the edge of a cliff (so many conveniently placed cliffs in these stories!), but is rescued by Nick, while Byron in his hot pursuit loses his footing and plunges over the edge to his death. Starstruck’s versions of the credits roll, with Miranda and Nick on a plane as Miranda heads back home, on the precipice of a new—and hopefully murder-free—romance.  In both The Watcher and Starstruck, there is a profound dissonance between fiction and reality, whether that fiction is the convoluted plot of Lost River or the mythos of celebrity. Both Catherine and Miranda are tempted to indulge in fantasy worlds—Catherine through her affinity with Cassandra, and Miranda in the week she spends at Byron’s home—and while they begin by believing that none of it is real, the dangerous breakdown between fantasy and reality puts their lives at risk. Those fictional worlds also elide very real threats, including stalking, jealousy, and manipulation, distracting Catherine and Miranda with exaggerated fictional dramas while the real dangers get ever closer. Those lives on-screen may fulfill these young women’s dreams, but they also hold their own nightmares, ones which Catherine and Miranda are lucky to escape from with their lives.[end-mark] The post As Seen on TV?: <em>The Watcher</em> and <em>Starstruck</em>  appeared first on Reactor.

If you're tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties, subscribe to Reclaim The Net. Australian politics is simply a gift that keeps on giving. Over the last years, several draconian measures have been enacted, from the pandemic to free speech restrictions, and now the time has come to establish a parliamentary role the focus of which will be to change people’s behavior. Specifically – men’s behavior. This is happening in the state of Victoria, where Premier Jacinta Allan was proud to announce the role has been entrusted to MP Tim Richardson. Richardson’s official title is Parliamentary Secretary for Men’s Behavior Change. It’s a first in Australia, and that’s another thing Allan was happy to point out. The result of Richardson’s work should make Victoria safer for women and children, the premier stated. One of the snarky reactions to the announcement left on Instagram wondered if Richardson will, as part of his efforts to change men’s behavior, work to “teach men they cannot identify as women.” But that is highly unlikely what Allan has in mind – instead she spoke about stopping “the tragedy of deaths of Victorian women at the hands of men” and building “respectful relationships.” Yet, how is Richardson supposed to influence such things and do a better job than say, the police, or therapists? Apparently, he will deal with social media and the internet – that Australian authorities at various levels are positively obsessed with, in terms of attempts to control them. Allan said Richardson will “focus largely on the influence the internet and social media have on boys” and their “attitudes” toward women. The MP confirmed his appointment, opting for a statement strong on sloganeering that said, “We know that the time to act on men’s violence against women is now and it starts with us men and boys.” Aside from the fact that “the time” to act against that and other types of violence is surely “always” – it remains largely unclear from these announcements how exactly Richardson’s activities will help with this matter. What has been revealed is that the Victoria MP will work with the state’s Minister for the Prevention of Family Violence Vicki Ward. Australians must be hoping that Richardson will on one hand be successful – and on the other, that the “focus on the influence the internet and social media have” will not be taken as yet another formalized way for the Australian authorities to further crack down on online speech and communications. If you're tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties, subscribe to Reclaim The Net. The post Victoria’s Premier Unveils Controversial New Parliamentary Role To Change Men’s Behavior, Researching Internet and Social Media appeared first on Reclaim The Net.

BREAKING: Unanimous SCOTUS Rules New York Likely Infringed on NRA's First Amendment Rights

The Ayatollah Congratulates Anti-Jewish Protesters

At the Olympic Game Park in Sequim, Washington, a video capturing a unique encounter between a bear and a visiting family has captivated millions. The footage has amassed over 4.1 million views. It reveals a playful, unexpected moment that blurs the boundaries between human and animal, reminding us of the joyful surprises nature can offer.... The post Family waves ‘Hi’ to bear then captures the cutest moment on film appeared first on Animal Channel.

At the Olympic Game Park in Sequim, Washington, a video capturing a unique encounter between a bear and a visiting family has captivated millions. The footage has amassed over 4.1 million views. It reveals a playful, unexpected moment that blurs the boundaries between human and animal, reminding us of the joyful surprises nature can offer.... The post Family waves ‘Hi’ to bear only to get the most adorable response appeared first on Animal Channel.

The post 40 Vet Clinics That Made Our Hearts Burst with Laughter appeared first on Animal Channel.

On Wednesday, Democratic Rep. Jamie Raskin wrote a truly insane New York Times op-ed where he argued that the Justice Department has the right to force Supreme Court justices to recuse themselves and in the evening, he went on CNN’s Erin Burnett OutFront to discuss it. Burnett was not interested in challenging his looney theories, instead claiming that “you would hope” the justices would recuse themselves because the public needs to trust institutions that are under attack, not caring to notice it was her guest who was undermining that trust. Burnett began by reading from a letter Justice Alito wrote back to Raskin about his flags nontroversy, “He wrote to Congress and part of that, quote: ‘My wife is fond of flying flags. I am not. My wife was solely responsible for having flag poles put up at our residence and our vacation home and has flown a wide variety of flags over the years.’”     After introducing Raskin, she snickered, “I don't know if my reaction was apparent to anyone watching, but 'my wife is fond of flying flags' and he asked her for several days to take it down and she didn't. What's your reaction to that? He's written a letter to Congress essentially tripling down on it's all his wife's fault.” The media doesn’t seem to appreciate the difference between blaming and explaining. Alito is simply explaining that his wife is her own person and that the upside-down and Appeal to Heaven flags were her ideas. At the end of the interview, Burnett appeared to again take Raskin’s side, “Well, it also seems, at the very least, just the perception of it, right, that you would hope the Supreme Court justices would care so deeply about that and to preserve institutions in this country, especially at a time when they're under such assault, that he may come to a different conclusion.” The Supreme Court is under attack from Democrats like Raskin because it is possible it will not rule the way they want. Therefore, they've concocted a conspiracy theory that alleges Mrs. Alito’s response to nasty neighborly abuse or flying a flag that was in the title credits of HBO’s John Adams miniseries and a desktop prop in NBC’s Parks and Recreation shows bias in favor of January 6 rioters. Burnett’s great solution to this is for Alito to cave, which would only encourage Raskin and his supporters to come up with even dumber allegations. Burnett added, “He says actually, Congressman, in his letter, quote, ‘any reasonable person’ he says who is not motivated by politics, or again, I quote, ‘or a desire to affect the outcome of the Supreme Court cases,’ any reasonable person who would conclude he doesn't need to recuse himself. Alito is correct because Jamie Raskin is not a reasonable person, but he did reply, “Well, it's interesting he uses that language because any reasonable person is basically the standard that's used in terms of recusal. The Supreme Court says, it's not a subjective test. Alito and Thomas, who's involved arguably in an even more complicitous situation in terms of his wife's political activities, but they seem to think that it's up to them. They can decide for themselves.” Underneath the surface of this story is a media contradiction that says that the January 6 rioters were insurrections out to destroy democracy, but that they should be powerful enough to appropriate a Revolution-era symbol and claim it as their own. Here is a transcript for the May 29 show: CNN Erin Burnett OutFront 5/29/2024 7:31 PM ET ERIN BURNETT: Tonight, defiant Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito in a rare letter to Congress saying he won't recuse himself from January 6-related cases. Alito fighting back against critics who say an upside down American flag flying over his home in January of 2021, as well as the second flag on the property, another one of his properties used by insurrectionists on January 6 show bias. Now, Alito says that his wife flew those flags without his awareness and actually in the case of the inverted American flag, which was sort of a standard bearer for the January 6 crowd, he says his wife actually refused for several days to take it down after he asked her to. He wrote to Congress and part of that, quote: “My wife is fond of flying flags. I am not. My wife was solely responsible for having flag poles put up at our residence and our vacation home and has flown a wide variety of flags over the years.” Okay. OutFront now, Democratic Congressman Jamie Raskin of Maryland, top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, also a lawyer and a former constitutional law professor, right, and he's written an op-ed arguing that there is a way to force Alito to recuse himself from January 6 cases. And, Congressman, I so much appreciate your time and obviously, I want to get to your op-ed, that's the heart of this. But, first, I just as I was reading that, I don't know if my reaction was apparent to anyone watching, but “my wife is fond of flying flags” and he asked her for several days to take it down and she didn't. What's your reaction to that? He's written a letter to Congress essentially tripling down on it's all his wife's fault. … BURNETT: Well, it also seems, at the very least, just the perception of it, right, that you would hope the Supreme Court justices would care so deeply about that and to preserve institutions in this country, especially at a time when they're under such assault, that he may come to a different conclusion. But he got -- he says actually, Congressman, in his letter, quote, “any reasonable person” he says who is not motivated by politics, or again, I quote, “or a desire to affect the outcome of the Supreme Court cases,” any reasonable person who would conclude he doesn't need to recuse himself. RASKIN: Yeah. BURNETT: What do you say to that? RASKIN: Well, it's interesting he uses that language because any reasonable person is basically the standard that's used in terms of recusal. The Supreme Court says, it's not a subjective test. Alito and Thomas, who's involved arguably in an even more complicitous situation in terms of his wife's political activities, but they seem to think that it's up to them. They can decide for themselves. But what the Supreme Court has said is that this is an objective test, not a question of subjective introspection and will on the part of the particular judge. And any reasonable person would look at this situation and say, these judges at the very least have a deep appearance of bias in these cases, you know? And if you look at the Pennsylvania case which I discussed, that the Supreme Court decided, there, again, the court said it's not a subjective test. It's an objective test. And then in looking at it, there are a whole series of criteria that are borrowed from the ABA. And then they also said, finally, that it's not enough to say, well, it's just one justice out of nine because it's not just their vote, which would be unethically, unconstitutionally cast. It's their ability to influence the other justices as well, which is so problematic.

Our Final Verdict We give Diggs Evolv Modern Dog Crate a rating of 5 out of 5 stars. Quality: 5/5 Design: 5/5 Assembly: 5/5 Value: 5/5 Check Price on Diggs Whether you’re training a puppy or kenneling an adult dog, it’s important to have a functional crate. But not every crate checks all the boxes when it comes to safety and design. And with so many brands on the market, how do you know which one to choose? That’s where Diggs comes in. Diggs is a pet brand committed to selling high-quality pet essentials, like crates, walking gear, and training supplies. They’re best known for their innovative dog crates–including their award-winning Revol Crate–and have made a name for themselves in the pet industry with their revolutionary designs. My dog, Micah, and I tried out Diggs’ Evolv Dog Crate and it’s by far the best crate I’ve ever owned. Not only is it quick and easy to assemble but at six years old, Evolv is the only crate Micah actually wants to be in. Between the versatile features and classy look, Evolv is not just a stellar product for pet parents, it’s also a great product for puppies and adult dogs (take Micah’s word for it). If you’re looking for a practical crate that’s convenient for you and safe for your pup, Evolv could be the one for you. Keep reading to find out! About Diggs What is Diggs? Diggs is a pet lifestyle and supplies company that specializes in designing innovative pet crates and travel carriers. The company was founded by dog owner Zel Crampton after he struggled to find a safe and practical crate for his dog, Louise. Upon creating Revol–the brand’s first and most popular dog crate–the company continued to expand their product line with the mission to improve the lives of pets everywhere. Since their founding in 2018, Diggs has grown into a leading supplier of pet essentials, selling everything from crates and beds to leashes and treat spreads. With their recent launch of the Evolv Dog Crate, they’re continuing to reinvent the future of pet products with a commitment to quality, safety, innovation, and design. Who is the Evolv Crate Best Suited For? Evolv is an ideal crate for everyday home use. The high-quality, puppy-proof design makes it great for dogs of all life stages and the tool-free assembly means any dog owner can easily set it up. While this isn’t the best crate for travel (it’s not designed to be), it’s the perfect home base for your pup when they’re hanging out around the house. The crate comes in four sizes (small, medium, intermediate, and large) with the largest size holding dogs up to 90lbs. Micah is a 54lb Standard Goldendoodle and tried out the large (42”L x 28”W x 31”H). He’s technically in the weight range of the intermediate (50-70lbs) but I went with the large based on the size of his current crate and the suggested breeds in the size chart. Even though the crate is a little big for him, the extra room lets him sprawl out and gives me space to put his mat, blanket, and giant stuffed octopus that he loves to snuggle with. Evolv Modern Dog Crate Overview Check Price on Diggs Prioritizing safety and security, Diggs designed Evolv with your four-legged friend in mind. But they also know convenience is key. That’s why they made Evolv easy to assemble and customizable to fit your space and your dog’s needs. What is The Evolv Dog Crate? Evolv is Diggs’ sleekest and slimmest dog crate, featuring a steel frame, mesh wire walls, and two dual-lock doors. The diamond mesh is pinch-free and the modular design lets you add two additional doors for easy access and a personalized experience. Included with the crate is a removable tray and a puppy divider. The tray allows for quick cleaning and the puppy divider lets you crate your furry friend through puppyhood. Speaking of puppies, Evolv comes with a removable ceiling frame, which lets you transform the crate into a playpen. How It Works This is hands down the easiest metal crate I’ve ever assembled. You’ll start by connecting the four side panels to create the main frame. There are a few ways to position the doors, but no matter how you do it, the door handles should meet at the same corner. Next, you’ll secure the base to the four panels using the corner connectors. The connectors were the hardest part for me to get the hang of, but after doing a few, the rest were a breeze. The key is to align the connectors with the corners, snap them into place, and then rotate them to the locked position. At this point the crate is upside down, so you’ll need to flip it over. Once right-side up, insert the tray. If you need the puppy divider, go ahead and install it now. If not, repeat the process with the corner connectors to attach the ceiling frame. Customization Options Evolv is known for its versatility and flexibility. It has a slim, modular design that allows you to add up to four configurable doors to fit your space and give your dog the freedom to move around. This means all four side panels can be replaced with doors. Evolv also easily transforms into a playpen. As a 2-in-1 crate, Evolv has open-frame access that allows you to convert your crate into an enclosed play area during the day and then back into a cozy den at night. Additional doors and the playpen ceiling frame are add-ons and must be purchased separately. Shipping and Returns Your order will ship within 1-2 business days and arrive within 3-6 business days. Shipping rates are calculated at checkout and differ based on where you live. If you receive your order and decide it’s not for you, you can return it within 30 days. A shipping fee will be deducted from your refund and the rate varies depending on the type of product you purchased and the product size. In Summary Pros High-quality and durable 2-in-1 crate with Playpen Mode Tool-free assembly Dual lock doors Innovative design Modern look Puppy divider Quick and easy to set up Fast shipping Cons Expensive Heavy Hard to travel with Key Features Check Price on Diggs High-Quality, Safe, and Durable If there’s one thing Diggs prioritizes, it’s safety. Evolv is made with an ultra-strong coated steel frame that’s free from toxic materials like phthalates and heavy metals. The wire mesh is diamond-shaped to prevent pinching, and there aren’t any sharp edges for your dog’s paws to get caught on. The dual lock doors are finger-friendly and puppy-proof. Even if your dog is a canine Houdini, the locks are integrated into the doors on the outside of the panels, so there’s nothing for your pup to pull on or accidentally open. Easy to Set Up and Maintain This is the only non-collapsible crate I enjoyed setting up. Along with the quick setup, the tool-free, finger-friendly assembly was enough to sell me on this product. My fingers have taken a beating on both standard metal crates and soft collapsible ones, so the fact that Evolv doesn’t require tools or hurt your hands is amazing. It’s also easy to clean. The removable tray makes for stress-free cleaning and the material is easy to wipe down. Stylish If style and aesthetics are important to you, Evolv will not disappoint. This is a good-looking crate and I wouldn’t be surprised if it starts a trend in the pet industry. With its stylish look and modern design, Evolv isn’t a crate you’ll want to hide when guests come to visit. If anything, it’s one you’ll want to show off to all your dog-owning friends. Is the Evolv Crate a Good Value? Ranging from $170.00 to $300.00, Evolv isn’t exactly cheap. When compared to competitor brands, it’s on the higher end of the price range. That said, it has a lot going for it. Between the safety features, high-quality materials, and customization options, it’s a great value and a one-of-a-kind crate. You’re not likely to find anything like it on the market, and with the sturdy design, you’ll have it for a long time. Check Price on Diggs Frequently Asked Questions Is the crate collapsible? While Evolv is not collapsible, it is designed for easy assembly. You can find step-by-step assembly instructions by scanning the QR code included in your box or locating the User Manual on Diggs’ website. Does Diggs make crate-compatible accessories for the Evolv Crate? In addition to their premium crates, Diggs offers a variety of different pet products and crate-compatible accessories. The following accessories are available for the Evolv Dog Crate: Bolstr Crate Bed Groov Training Aid Treat Spreads Crate Bowl Additional doors Playpen Mode Frame Does Diggs Ship Internationally? Diggs only ships to the United States and Canada. However, they’re working on expanding shipping options to include other countries. If you’re interested in international shipping, Diggs has a mailing list specifically for international shipping updates. By signing up, you’ll be the first to know when the Evolv Crate (or any of Diggs’ other amazing products) can be shipped to your door. Our Experience with the Evolv Dog Crate I’ll start out by saying Micah has never been a fan of crates. He hesitates to go in them, is reluctant to stay inside them, and if you close the door, it’s game over. It doesn’t matter if it’s the soft-sided collapsible ones or the standard metal ones. At six years old, he still shies away from them. So, you can imagine how surprised I was when he not only showed interest in the Evolv Crate but decided to go inside and check it out. Within a week, he was going in the crate on his own to take a nap. If you know Micah, you know how huge that is for him. And he’s not the only one who likes it either. I was impressed with the crate when I took it out of the box. Initially, it looked like a lot of pieces but it has an intuitive design, so even without instructions, it doesn’t take much thought to put together. As someone who appreciates convenience, this was a huge plus. Assembly is pretty straightforward. The four panels connect to one another and the ceiling and base are held together with corner connectors. It took me a while to set it up the first time, but a good chunk of that was spent fiddling with the connectors. After mastering the corners, I had the crate up in minutes. Once it was standing, I understood the hype. Evolv is designed with an open, airy concept. Even though it’s a large item, it’s built with a slim design and has a classy feel, so it looks good no matter where I put it in the house. It doesn’t overpower my living space or distract from my home décor either. When you have a big dog, it’s not easy to hide their crate, so the sleek look was a selling point for me. More than anything, this is a crate I’m confident Micah will be safe in. Evolv is made with non-toxic materials and is dog-proof from the inside out. It’s incredibly durable and the double doors make it inviting and non-confining, which is why I think Micah likes it so much. As a crate that’s built to last, I know I’ll have it for a long time. While I’d love to take Evolv with me on road trips, this isn’t a crate I would travel with. Along with being heavy, it has quite a few pieces when disassembled. Diggs also mentions they designed Evolv for in-home use (they recommend their Enventur Inflatable Travel Kennel if you’re planning a pup-friendly getaway). That’s not to say you can’t travel with it, and if you have a small crate, you’d probably be okay taking it on a trip. Just know that it isn’t designed for portability and the large crate is cumbersome to pack up. Check Price on Diggs Conclusion When you buy Diggs’ Evolv Dog Crate, you’re buying the whole package. It’s safe, sturdy, and stylish and has all the add-ons and configurations you need to customize it to your lifestyle. I love Evolv for its easy assembly and I have peace of mind knowing it’s safe for Micah. Many brands make a good dog crate, but Diggs has perfected the design, creating a high-quality, easy-to-assemble, puppy-proof crate without compromising on quality or safety. The post Diggs Evolv Modern Dog Crate Review 2024: Our Expert’s Opinion appeared first on Pet Keen.

In a media-run state, every news cycle is an opportunity to further the regime’s propaganda and reinforce the narrative. The relentless outrage manufactured by our media overlords has become increasingly absurd as their pool of viable candidates for the mandatory two minutes of hate continues to shrink.Leftism demands an eternal revolution, which requires enemies of the people who can be flogged publicly for the amusement of the masses. As progressives achieve near total control, the number of real threats to their power shrinks, so they must go to increasingly outrageous lengths to manufacture the kinds of enemies they desire.For all their pearl clutching about threats to democracy, liberals have enthusiastically overridden the will of the people using the power of the courts.The latest bit of media-manufactured outrage has come in the form of a flag flown by Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito outside his summer home in New Jersey. The “Appeal to Heaven” flag features a tall New England pine tree on a white background, not exactly the most controversial imagery one could imagine. Nevertheless, progressive journalists flooded television and social media with a deluge of hysterical reports warning that fascism was now the ruling ideology of the high court.The high priests of our secular regime quickly connected the flag to the January 6 protest and Christian nationalism, convincing millions of lonely wine-aunts that they are one election away from living in “The Handmaid’s Tale.”The Supreme Court has become a very high-priority target for the left after losing its multigenerational domination of the institution a few years ago. When progressives held sway, they used the judiciary body as a battering ram, forcing through every leftist policy while laughing at the voters. While we are often fed narratives of brave souls leading protest movements that shift public opinion, the truth is that most of the left’s cultural victories were won through judicial fiat, not the ballot box. For all their pearl clutching about threats to democracy, liberals have enthusiastically overridden the will of the people using the power of the courts at every opportunity and have only turned on the institution because they lost control of it.Conservatives often buy into the lie of popular will instead of focusing on the control of the institutions that shape and control that will, but the dedicated forces of the pro-life movement generated a rare moment of political realism on the right. To the great credit of pro-life activists, they realized that control of the judiciary through the dedicated actions of an organized minority was the key to victory and acted accordingly. Popular education and persuasion were not abandoned, but activists realized that disciplined pressure carefully applied to key actors in the GOP could reliably produce the kind of justices that would advance their interests. While a shift in national abortion law was their main goal, the result was a Supreme Court willing to take on other leftist sacred cows, including affirmative action and the administrative state.Progressives were enthusiastic about the court’s ability to override the will of the majority when popular opinion wasn’t on their side but now they have embraced mob rule. The left has invested heavily in the ability to manipulate mass democracy and would like to see it become the only legitimate authority. The framers of the Constitution heavily restricted the influence of democracy, ensuring that it would only directly select one half of one third of the government. Over time, however, those restrictions have fallen away. Democrats have deployed mass immigration, mass media, and mass public education to ensure that the rising tide of mass democracy worked in their favor.Democrats are now openly attempting to remove every constitutional impediment to mob rule by attacking the disproportional representation meant to protect smaller states in institutions like the Electoral College and the Senate. Due to its domination of consensus manufacturing institutions and access to an endless stream of replacement voters through mass immigration, the left is now all-in on rule by manipulated majority.The upshot? The Supreme Court, once a stalwart ally in the quest to dismantle and remake America, has now become an enemy.Though some “conservative” justices betray the right on a regular basis, the fact that the court seems willing to oppose the progressive revolution at all makes it a sinister villain in the mind of the average journalist.With the wild allegations of secret fascism leveled at Alito, many conservative commentators rushed to explain the true history of a flag that had been flown by America’s founders. While this reaction is understandable, even admirable, those deep roots in the American tradition are what made the flag objectionable to the left in the first place.Progressives hate Alito because he serves as a stumbling block to the eternal revolution. They can and have manufactured a reason to call him a fascist out of thin air. But the fact that the justice holds a clear reverence for American history and identity is further justification for hatred from a progressive movement that seeks to destroy both of those things.While the “Appeal to Heaven” flag is steeped in American history, it is an unavoidable fact that our history is one forged in the fires of rebellion. The “appeal to heaven” comes from John Locke, the founder of classical liberalism from whom our Founding Fathers drew heavily when writing the Declaration of Independence. Locke asserted:Where the body of the people, or any single man, is deprived of their right, or is under the exercise of a power without right, and have no appeal on earth, then they have a liberty to appeal to heaven, whenever they judge the cause of sufficient moment.Thomas Jefferson had that passage in mind when he enumerated the reasons for America’s separation from the bonds tying it to the British government.It is this recognition of a liberty ordered under heaven that progressives would like purged from our American identity. Progressives acknowledge no authority higher than themselves and seek the totalitarian power to reshape not only our nation but mankind itself to fit their horrific vision of utopia. They would have found any excuse to make Samuel Alito an object of derision and hate because he stands in the way of their glorious revolution. But the fact that he would appeal to heaven before appealing to the petty gods of progressivism is a crime against the Total State itself.