#dog jerky chew machine

[atplblog]

Price: [price_with_discount] (as of [price_update_date] - Details) [ad_1] Food Dehydrator If you love dehydrated treats like homemade jerky, fruit rolls, veggie-chips and more, than we have the home solution for you.Now you can enjoy processing these foods at home with your friends and children without the added preservatives, nitrates and other chemicals found in packaged products,Dry Chips, Crackers, Desserts, Fruits, Vegetables, Fruit Roll-Up Leathers, Dried Flowers, Granola, Trail Mixes, Hiking Meals, Nuts, Herbs, Jerky, Meats, Pet Treats and More! Multi-Layer Food Dehydrator Food drying is a way to preserve fruit, vegetables, and animal proteins after harvest, that has been practiced since antiquity. Our food dehydrator removes moisture from food to aid in its preservation and uses a heat source and air flow to reduce the water content of foods. The water content of food is usually very high, typically 80% to 95% for various fruits and vegetables and 50% to 75% for various meats. Removing moisture from food restrains various bacteria from growing and spoiling food. Further, removing moisture from food dramatically reduces the weight of the food. Thus, our food dehydrator is a great solution to preserve and extend the shelf life of various foods.Dehydrate your food for enhanced preservation. Remove the moisture content from your food to make healthy snacks while retaining 97 percent of vitamins and minerals.This food dehydrator is the new way to dry various fresh fruit, vegetable, meat, etc, which is more healthier and easier than the traditional air dry. 5 trays allow a large capacity at one time. The machine is made of high quality plastic, not easy to aging, sturdy and easy to clean. Buy one to healthy and natural drying food for your families. Easy Operation：A rotary knob allows for easy adjustment to keep the temperature from 95 to 158 degrees Fahrenheit(35℃-70℃).During the process of dehydration, this food dehydrator dog food dryer is quite, You can use it comfortably all night. Storage Benifit：With this item, no food will spoil and go to waste with this food preserver.Instead of buying chemically processed foods try dehydration at home to make healthy snacks for the whole family. Working Principle：A multi-tier electric pro food dehydrator that can preserve varieties of food.Effectively dry foods by removing moisture content, shrinking the food but still retain 97% of vitamins and mineral. It also produces nutritious food with very simple preparation. Convenient Washing：The dehydrator is detachable and the trays are dishwasher safe, making it easy and convenient for you to clean and store. Multiple Using：Made with BPA-free, food safe plastic materials, with 5 removable trays, suitable for drying fruit, vegetables, meat, herbs, mushrooms, or to make beef jerky, turkey jerky, fish jerky, and any other homemade food, also can be used to make chews and snacks for your pets.It also saves on storage space in your pantry. [ad_2]

[dragonextruder]

Good Vendors China Automatic Dog Food Chews Production Line Making Machi...

[antiquecompass]

The other day was slow at work, so I started writing some TUA fic in my head while shopping other people’s groceries, you know, as one does:

The thing is, where they were from--where they were born--being powered or talented or magical wasn’t special. Everyone was special in their home realm. Everyone had an affinity for some element or power or ability that others called magic. Back home, their birthplace, they wouldn’t have stood out at all.

But their father had stolen them from their homes. Raised them as assets in a world without magic rather than the normal children they should have been where no one would think twice about Luther’s strength or Diego’s control of wind and water or Allison’s ability to make her words true or Five’s time and space hopping or Ben’s ability to tap into pure energy and make his own monsters from it or Vanya’s sorcery or Klaus’ affinity with the Dead and Dying. They would’ve have been raised among like people, sent to academies, trained properly, and been relatively normal.

They didn’t get that. Hargreeves wouldn’t let them have that, wouldn’t even tell them the truth of who they were and where they came from until a combination of Allison and Vanya’s abilities forced his hand; until Klaus realized the voices he’d been hearing in the wind and the water and fire were real--not his imagination--and they’d be telling him the truth and calling them home the entire time.

So, what do seven magical kids do in a world without magic?

Luther took over the family business of collecting--art, books, relics, people, things. Allison went to Hollywood to further pretend to be an average human. Five went to Academia--not pretending to be an average human at all as he decided to put all his boredom and significant wealth into inventing time machines. Ben decided to go into writing about his energy monsters and had made it to the top of the New York Times Bestseller’s list twice now. Vanya went into her own business, running a shop and home that provided protection and security for people like them. Diego? He decided to create his own personal security and investigative firm. And Klaus? After he’d traveled the world and fuck, drank, and snorted his way through it, he went to Diego.

Which is how Klaus wound up on a stakeout on a Friday night, in desperate need of a piss, choking down beef jerky, and taking surveillance video of their current case.

Dave Katz, a good Jewish boy from Brooklyn (so described by the lady who was footing the bill), had decided to blow the whistle on the corporation he used to work for after finding significant proof that their accounts were funding human trafficking rings. Someone in the government, or hell maybe the UN, should’ve been the one providing some form of witness protection, but they didn’t want to leave a suspicious paper trail. So Diego’s firm was hired, to twist surveillance into protection and make sure Katz lived to testify at the inevitable trial.

And so here Klaus was, watching Mr. Katz go about his daily routine. As he had been for almost two weeks now.

Leave work. Stop by the bakery to grab some sort of bread or sweet. Go home. Leave in shorts and a t-shirt to jog with his dog. Go home. Leave again to grab dinner, usually pizza or Chinese, go home. Stay in. Repeat. Weekends saw trips on the train Upstate to visit his grandmother in her nursing home and his sister at Vassar. There were occasional deviations from the routine for flea market hauls or concerts or sporting events. Klaus didn’t even know New Jersey had a women’s soccer team until he had to attend a game in his continual following of his mark.

Klaus cracked his neck, popped a bubble of his Big League Chew, and settled back in his recliner and watched the bank of monitors feeding him live footage from the cameras he’d hidden outside Katz’s apartment building, laundry facilities, elevator, and home.

“Coffee?”

Klaus jumped, nearly smashing his face into the monitors, and turned to find Diego laughing at him with a tray full of caffeine goodness in his hands.

“I’m so going to ask the old lady who haunts this building to visit you in your nightmares,” Klaus threatened.

“So then you don’t want this coffee,” Diego said pulling the tray away. “More for me then.”

There was no dignity to be found in the ensuing fight, which involved far more slapping than grown-ass men should be proud of, but at least Klaus emerged victorious with a cup of coffee and his gum stuck behind Diego’s ear.

“There’s something seriously fucking wrong with you,” Diego yelled as he slammed the bathroom door.

Klaus smiled as he took a sip of his second-favorite vice and went back to his mark.

[chaosnradios]

About,

Ark-

Name: Anastasia

Age: Mature Immortal

Height: 5 feet 9 inches

Sexuality: Bisexual

Abilities:

- She can have up to 6 wings, or simply no wings if she chooses.

- She can summon the power of the sun, usually in her hands, to incinerate her enemies in battle, although this is used as a very last resort. Most of the time she just uses that power to warm up things.

- She is able to heal any physical wound and ease tense emotions into a state of calm.

- But she can’t do any spiritual healing, nor can she reverse old wounds/scar tissue. She is also unable to heal herself or others if she’s low on energy.

- She has two main weapons of choice that she can summon at any time, a long sword and a fauchard spear. She’s very skilled with both weapons, but 90% of the time she won’t even draw her weapon if someone attacks her. Since her hand to hand combat usually does the trick for knocking people down a peg.

- With the strength of her wings she’s able to break a person’s bones if she slams them into someone hard enough, she’s can also angle her feathers in such a way to where they can slice through things like small blades. Stabbing or slicing her wings through a wooden structure is also no difficult task.

Spider Knight-

Name: Malachi

Age: 573

Height: 6 feet 5 inches

Sexuality: Bisexual

Appearance (under the helmet): He has four crimson colored eyes, but his eyesight is terrible during the day, however his hearing is very sharp. He can have up to four arms, though he rarely shifts his torso. He has a decent pair of fangs with a split down the middle of his chin, which enables him to open up his bottom jaw into a pair of sharp mandibles. Though he only opens up his jaw if he plans on eating someone.

Abilities:

- With his fangs he can inject 2 different types of poison into someone. One poison can paralyze someone for a limited amount of time, although the more he injects into a person the longer they become paralyzed. The second poison is much more potent and deadly, and used more for his prey. The toxicity of it begins to slowly liquify the internal organs of his victim, and his victim will begin feeling the effects about five minutes in. It takes about 25 minutes for his victim’s insides to fully turn into soup, and from there he can feed accordingly.

- He can form and shoot webbing out of his hands, mostly to use as ropes to lasso his victims. Although he does like knitting with his webs from time to time.

- His only weapon, besides his sharp, iron tipped gauntlets, is a black colored dagger that he wears on his hip, the blade is about as long as his forearm.

- He’s able to climb up sheer walls, or even hang from the ceiling by his feet without much difficulty.

Drift-

Name: Dominic

Nicknames: Drift, Suné, Dom, Nick

Age: 22

Height: 5 feet 7 inches

Gender: Trans guy

Sexuality: Bisexual

Appearance:

He has hazel eyes with soft brown hair, usually styled in a mohawk. Although, it’s almost always hidden under the hood of a hot pink hoodie with black sleeves, that he hardy ever takes off. Black and gold sneakers, black pants with many pockets filled with snacks and cans of spray paint, and a white kitsune mask complete his outfit.

Talents/Habits:

- He’s good at getting into small spaces, and he’s also good at suddenly disappearing should things suddenly go south.

- He’s an excellent climber, not exactly an expert climber but he can get up to about any high place he sets his mind too.

- He has done some side jobs as a hacker to make some quick cash, but his greatest talent is his art. Which he uses to gladly tag and paint up any spot he wants to claim as his.

- The more dangerous a spot, or a spot that’s most likely to piss someone off, he’ll be even more determined to vandalize it.

- He doesn’t do it often, only if he’s desperate for food. But he’s an expert pickpocket and gas station thief. He knows just when and how to strike, and creating a diversion is practically second nature for him.

- Whether it be insomnia or anxiety, he’s unable to sleep for more then a few minutes at a time. Jumping awake at the slightest noise. Although, one could blame his poor eating habits. The man running on beef jerky, soda and paint fumes 99% of the time.

History:

He grew up in and out of foster homes just outside of LA California, due to being a bit of a runaway. He did his best to get along with the other kids, but he never felt like he belonged and that he should be somewhere else. When he turned 16 he booked it for good and was never found again.

He roamed the streets of LA and soon joined one of the local tagging gangs, it’s there that he perfected his art and quickly rose to the top. No place was to high, to low or to dangerous, and his signature kitsune tag had made him rather popular. To popular.

He had a brush with the cops and a brush with death when someone ratted out his next tagging spot, a billboard that hung high above one of the subway tunnels. He had just been finishing up when the cops swarmed the place, and refusing to get caught he had attempted to run.

A gun went off, the bullet barely missing his head and instead grazed his left eyebrow, but it was enough to catch him off balance and cause him to fall onto the tracks down bellow. Right, as one of the subway trains went by.

Rumor has it the bullet killed him before the train ran him over. Another rumor states that the bullet missed and the train took him out, splattering the whole side of the train in red. Some say that the red was a busted paint can, some believe otherwise. But one thing was for certain, the Kitsune of Los Angelas was dead.

Or, so they thought. Reports and media news of a large burger sign had been spotted out in the desert, and on the front of that sign was none other then that famous kitsune tag. Word was all over the news and all through out the dark parts of the streets, but in a matter of days, the burger and the tag had suddenly vanished.

X Lord-

Branded Number: A-S463

Name: Hacksaw

Age: 26

Height: 5 feet 9 inches

Sexuality: Bisexual

Appearance (plus under the helmet):

- He never takes his helmet off, and mainly walks around shirtless, finding it much more comfortable. Although he does keep his jacket close by when the nights get cold.

- He has green eyes with flecks of brown, and dark brown hair. Around the edges of his lips is mild scarring, due to having a bad habit of chewing and shredding his lips with his teeth when under stress.

- There’s a faded brand mark on the back of his neck, just above his shoulders. He received the brand when he first joined the wasteland’s arena.

Weaponry:

- His main weapon of choice are a pair of fully functioning chainsaws, modified to be much lighter so they’re easier to swing. Also modified to run on any fuel or oil, as well as using a trigger system from old gun parts to make revving up the blades much easier.

- In the pouch on his left hip he keeps a pistol and a knife, though he rarely ever uses them.

Talents:

- He’s extremely fast, both in running up on people to take them out, or face to face in a fight. Get the upper hand quick or you may lose more then a few fingers.

- Taking apart or rebuilding machines is child’s play. He’s also very fond of ripping apart and taking down mechs.

- He’s not one to shy away from the most brutal of tasks. Blood is his playground, and he’ll gladly kill more then a few people for coin or two, or even a meal as payment. He also has a tendency to take his victim’s heads as trophies, so long as his current client doesn’t want them first.

History:

Abandoned in the wastelands as a child, he was forced to fend for himself until he was captured by one of the biggest wasteland gangs. Branded, forced to fight, and forced to kill, he was trained to be nothing more then a fighting dog in the biggest gladiatorial arena of the wastelands.

Several times he was pitted against those who were much larger then him, both human and machine alike, and every time he came out on top. However there was one wasteland warrior, a woman who he could never defeat, no matter how many times they fought against each other. She was fierce, she was brutal and he was head over heels for her.

No matter how many times they fought each other, they were always evenly matched in strength and speed. Every fight ended in a draw, and when he found out that she too loved him, he knew he had to get them both out of this place.

Over a span of weeks he hatched a plan with her, and it was with her that they both broke out of the arena and slaughtered those who dared to keep them prisoner. They took over one of the gangs and she became queen, his queen, and may god help anyone who dared to disrespect his queen. He fought for her, killed for her, they fought and killed together. But, love in the wastelands never seems to last.

She had grown tired of the fighting, tired of the gang life, and tired of him, and so she walked out, dumping him and abandoning it all. Heartbroken he tried to fix what was wrong, tried to change for her, but she had made her decision and he obediently just left her be.

He ran the gang for 4 long years, before he snapped and slaughtered nearly 3/4ths of them all. He soaked the sand with blood, and mounted the heads of those he had killed on sticks. With the pain of his old life soothed and cut away, he walked into the wastelands and disappeared. The survivors of that awful day say he was swallowed up by a sandstorm. Some say he was swallowed up by a blinding rift of light. Never to be seen again. At least, that’s what they hoped...

[martinedjohn]

The Damned Dance at Night Part 2

PART I

TUESDAY

SEPTEMBER 1997

Chapter One: Joe’s Mixtape

How Bizarre – OMC

Joseph James regarded the pale blue sky while he ran his feet through the grass. He put his hands in the air and admired the coat of cobalt-blue polish on his nails with the paler background. They looked lovely.

It was the first day of school, but he didn’t care because he didn’t attend school; he was on his lunch break. He ate a piece of jerky and wished it were dried moose meat. It made him miss his Atsoo. She was soft and round, and she chewed tobacco and beaded moccasins. She had paid his way off the Rez.

His earbuds blasted Push It by Salt N Peppa. The drum machine hit hard, always on time, but the song pulsed with life.

He went over his plan one more time: work, save up money, leave the West Coast, fly out to New York and become a hairdresser. He planned to make the world more beautiful, one person at a time, starting with himself. The city had movie stars, musicians, artists, and professional basketball players. If everything went according to plan, he would have saved enough in a year to move out of his basement apartment and into a basement apartment in the city.

His lunch hour stretched out, and a fresh cool breeze blew across his shaved head. He clipped the one guard up the side to where his head rounded and then a two on top.

He daydreamed that he would work at the most beautiful salon and have designer clothes and shoes and a haircut other than what he’d done himself with a clipper.  THE Madonna would phone, “Listen, Joseph,” she would say, “my regular hairdresser has come down with rheumatoid arthritis. I need your services. My roots are out of control, and my ends are a tragedy. Please! I need you.”

“Madonna, I’m busy,” he would say, “with Janet Jackson. I might be able to fit you in. But -- I’m so busy.”

“Name your price,” Madonna would say, “You’re the BEST.”

“A cool half million,” he would reply, “But you have to tell me the deets on Tupac and Dennis.”

“And Jean-Michel,” she would say, and Madonna would become his best friend.

He succumbed to the cushion of grass and looked up at the clouds. He picked out soft shapes and named them ‘dog-faced horse’ and ‘venomous spider monkey.’ There was a dreamlike quality to today, and it made Joseph feel beautiful.

Me against the World started playing. Pac was a poet. His anger felt real, and the third verse was incredible.

He knew it wouldn’t be easy. No one was coming to save him; he had to save himself—just him against the world.

His thoughts drifted to basketball. There was a game tonight. He watched every Chicago Bulls game. He loved Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, and especially Dennis Rodman. Dennis was the hardest-working player and always had the most fantastic hair (pink, purple, leopard print). Dennis had tattoos and piercings and was the first man he had ever seen in a wedding dress. He looked so beautiful in that dress.

Joseph was a solid baller himself. He was quick, wiry, and just as likely to steal the ball from you as pump-fake you into the air. He was the type of guard you wanted on your team: he could shoot the three-ball, pass into tight traffic, and be a fierce defender. More specifically, His defense was maddening to those he played against. He bodied you hard from half-court and made you pay for every step. He made your life miserable on the court. He knocked you just enough if a ref was watching, and if you were playing Rez ball, he hacked at your arms until you couldn’t hold the ball properly. He worked a lot, but he still shot around at one of the nearby schools when he had the time.

He struggled to rise from the comfortable lawn and returned to the restaurant. His manager greeted him with a cold smile that drained his confidence. It was frowned on that he’d left the restaurant to eat his lunch outside. White people: they were always watching you. He put his apron on and headed into the bustling kitchen. He was looking forward to finishing work. He had promised himself a present, the mall had a two-for-one special on piercings, and he planned on taking advantage of it.

Chapter Two: Sam’s Mixtape

Basket Case – Green Dayhttps://open.spotify.com/embed/track/6L89mwZXSOwYl76YXfX13s

1997 was the worst year, and Sam Graves had decided to end it; he was going to kill himself on Friday night. Punk and comics weren’t working as diversions anymore; all he could think about was death.

Green Day’s Dookie played on his yellow Walkman. It clicked and whirred annoyingly as it played. Its chassis was made of bright canary yellow industrial-strength plastic scarred from carelessness. He carried it with him everywhere.

Tapes were cheaper than CDs, but he wanted a Discman. All the cool kids had them, but he didn’t classify himself as cool; he felt like everyone overlooked him. He stuffed his Walkman further into the bottom of his jacket pocket, pushing his fists into the denim, hoping no one could see how poor he was. 

Welcome to Paradise’s solo kicked in, and his stride quickened to the bass drum. He was halfway to school. It was the first day of his senior year, and he had just turned seventeen. He hardly remembered the party. There was a montage of cake and presents in his head, muddied by his depression.

When I Come Around started playing as he stopped to look at his High School across the street. He noticed most kids had all-new clothes, shoes, and backpacks and looked down at his outfit, feeling embarrassed. He had picked up used Levi’s that were too big for him, a second-hand Rolling Stones tongue-logo shirt and an old black jean jacket that he tie-dyed himself.

He felt poor and stupid. He didn’t want to be here. He turned up his music, put his head down and walked forward.

Chapter Three: Kim’s Mixtape

Energy Flash – Joey Bertram

Kim stopped at the fridge to grab a beer on her way out of the house. It was the first day of school after a fantastic summer. She slipped on her pink gumboots, popped the top off her Budweiser with the flick of a wrist, and bounded out the front door.

The first school day was always disappointing, and she planned on ditching. Kim walked down her driveway, taking small sips of her beer and scheming. She stopped, took a slug of beer, and admired her two-door 1986 AMC Eagle 4x4, a blocky black vehicle that resembled a tank more than a car.  She drove it over everything. She took it everywhere, off-road down thin trails to beaches, over meridians in the center of the road; whatever she threw at the Eagle, it took and kept going.

Kim took her last sip of beer and poured the rest on the front lawn before entering the Eagle and firing the bottle into the backseat. She turned the engine over, felt it ‘BRRMMMM’ to life underneath her, and surveyed the road.

She barreled along the roads to the school, following Sarah’s route. Sarah was her best friend. She enjoyed walking -- said it was an excellent way to clear her chakras and invigorate her mind.

Kim liked driving. Peasants walked.

She placed her hand on the black onyx necklace Sarah had gifted her. It protected her from negative energy and made her patient and determined. She wasn’t sure about the patience piece, but she felt more determined with the necklace. She felt optimistic about her senior year.

She noticed someone walking down the sidewalk. What was his name? He strutted with his headphones on and looked rugged and handsome with tousled auburn hair and jeans worn out in the ass and knees. He looked like he never straightened his shoulders because he wanted to appear smaller. His jaw looked chiseled, but not from working out, more like from grinding his teeth together. Was his name Nick? Didn’t he use to be a soccer player or something? He was mysterious. Did he hang out with the skids or the nerds now?

She arrived at school and noticed Sarah in the gravel parking lot, chatting with one of the Goths. She drove over to her and turned up her music. The stereo flooded the parking lot with Mental Cube’s Q. She skidded to a stop, spraying gravel, and Sarah turned around with a smile. Kim jumped out, leaving the car running and the stereo blaring. Sarah’s face went bright red, but she smiled and danced along.

“Who’s this hot boy?” she said, “Too hot to stay at school today.” She ushered Sarah to her car. “We need beers and bikinis and a beach.”

Sarah pulled away, pondering the right course of action, and then piled into the passenger seat, “Okay,” she said, “but get us out of here before someone sees us.” Kim got into the driver’s seat, hit the gas, and nearly ran into ‘Nick.’

“Hey, you!” Kim shouted, “What’s your name? Nick?”

“No,” he said quietly, “My name is Sam.”

“What are you doing today?”

“Nothing,” he said, staring at his feet.

“Well, how about you hop in with some babes, and we go to the beach?” She looked at Sarah for verification, and she shrugged.

“Well, I don’t….” 

She grinned at him, “Last chance.”

“Sure,” he stammered, and Sarah got out and let him climb into the back of the car. His face was flushed red from excitement.

Kim snickered to herself and hit the gas.

Chapter Four: Sam’s Mixtape

Until It Sleeps - Metallicahttps://open.spotify.com/embed/track/63aVbch5VRXtQnCITdeDTZ

Sam stood in the back of the CD store, browsing the metal section to put space between himself and his schoolmates.

“Whatcha looking at?” Kim surprised him, looking over his shoulder at the CD he held. She plunked her chin on his shoulder, grinning from ear to ear. Sam felt her breasts on his back, and his breath quickened. Her energy was frenetic, haphazard, chaotic, and provocative. It was hard to break away once you got sucked into her gravity field. She was incredibly charismatic.

“Metallica.”

“Oh yeah. Those guys used to be cool. Back when they had long hair. They sold out and cut it off.” Kim picked up the album Load. “I heard they mixed all their blood and semen for the cover image. You might get AIDS from the album.”

She rubbed the album on him. He backed away, and the album clattered to the floor. Kim laughed at him as he bent to pick it up, “You can’t get AIDS from just touching something,” she changed topics, “What do you want to do? We’ll buy some hot bikinis and then head to the river. We could bring a picnic. Go grab a couple of beers.”

Sam’s heart leaped into his throat. Beer? He didn’t drink.

“That sounds great,” he heard himself say, and he immediately regretted it. Sam’s heart pounded in his chest.

“And I’ve got magic mushrooms at my place that I’ve been saving for a special occasion. We should get those too.”

Sam looked down at his feet. He sighed and looked back up at Kim’s beaming face.

“It’ll be great. Trust me,” she said, “I might even let you listen to Metallica in the car.”

[redsunsetxiii]

**Please do not repost without credit**

[TRANS] 2018.06.25 SONE NOTE LIVE vol. 16 with Taeyeon

Staff: This time, you tried to make new pet clothes using a sewing machine! Please share any difficulties or particular points you had.

Taeyeon: I think this required more delicacy than what I tried before: glue gun art and accessory making, so I was a little worried at first if I could make it well. It’s the first time I used a sewing machine so I thought it might be dangerous, but it was so fun that those worries disappeared! During the session, I thought of all the stylists who made our stage outfits, finely adjusted and fixed them before concerts, and once again felt gratitude for them ^^

After trying it out, pet clothes and our clothes are the same, so it was difficult to make it thinking if the sizes and corners of the sleeves and neck parts don’t match then it gets hard to wear.

Staff: It was quite a complex process that started with making the pattern, then cutting it, and threading the cord through the hood.

Taeyeon: It might have been because it was my first time making pet clothing, but it was very curious to draw on the back of the cloth with pattern paper as a reference, and then sew it with the sewing machine. How will the shape turn out, how do I connect the sleeves with the body… I believe that it’s difficult work when I haven’t imagined those kind of things. After all, I couldn’t tell that they were sleeves just by looking at the shapes at first.

I couldn’t help but think, “is this really the shape of a sleeve?”, but once I was done with the sewing machine I was surprised it properly became a sleeve (laughs).

Staff: Do you make things like accessories for Zero at home?

Taeyeon: I make food (laughs). I just buy accessories and never thought to make them. I skipped thinking about the process and today suddenly just made pet clothes (laughs).

Staff: There was work with a sewing machine this time, but have you ever made anything using one before?

Taeyeon: I don’t have a sewing machine, so this is the first time I have ever made something with one.

The sewing machines that I think of are what I heard from my grandmother, that is you press down with your foot and have to move something, so for it to be this automated…(laughs)

It’s amazing how technology is so advanced. If the sewing machine I used today was that automated, I feel like I can make anything if just understand how to use it (laughs).

Staff: Has today’s experience kindled your interest with sewing machines?

Taeyeon: I believe so. I’m the type who wants to use a device once I see it, so I thought that I wanted to try using the sewing machine as soon as I saw it on the table today. Also, I did a pretty good job today making the clothing by myself so I’m really satisfied (laughs) I want to do it again ^^

I found myself thinking that if sewing machines were as easy to use as the one today, maybe I’ll buy one (laughs).

It seems very convenient to hem the length of pants, etc.

Staff: If you were to buy a sewing machine, what would you make?

Taeyeon: If I bought one, I’d want to make Zero a blanket.

Dogs need blankets, and they are absolute musts for when you hold them or go out with them. Especially since Zero is small… Now, Zero is 1.7kg, but I think he won’t get any bigger.

Staff: Not just limiting it to sewing machines, but have you had any interest in making accessories by hand before?

Taeyeon: I’m interested in dog scarves and hats. Not just limiting it to those that are handmade, but I often buy scarves, wool hats, socks, etc. I feel like I buy more things for Zero than my own clothes (laughs).

But since I was taught to make pet clothes today, I want to wear clothes that I made in the future!

Staff: How did you select the materials for making pet clothes today? Please share if there was a reason such as the color or texture.

Taeyeon: Since Zero is small, I thought that a thick fabric would be hard to move in, so I chose a cloth that was flexible and could stretch. For the T-shirt, I thought that Zero would suit something basic, so I chose the striped pattern! I chose gray for both, but that’s because Zero is gray! (laughs) Although I said that, after all it’s my favorite (laughs). I don’t think dark colors like black would suit Zero. That’s why I make him wear bright colors and gray clothing.

Staff: What color or item does Zero especially show interest in?

Taeyeon: He shows interest in all clothing. That’s because wearing clothes = going for a walk (laughs). That’s why when I take out his clothes, he happily jumps at it once he sees it.

Although it doesn’t necessarily mean he likes it, most of his clothing is navy or blue. There’s the fact that he’s a boy, but if anything it’s because I like it (laughs).

Staff: Do you usually make Zero wear clothes or accessories?

Taeyeon: Zero is very energetic and free, so whatever I put on him he takes it off by himself. He won’t obediently just wear the scarf or hat. I wonder if he feels restless…

I don’t really give him accessories to wear because he’s a boy. If he was a girl, I’d put a ribbon on him though…

Staff: Please share if there are any important points when you select items for dogs or even pet food, etc.

Taeyeon: I select handmade pet food. I’m especially aware for snacks. Things like chicken breast meat or handmade cheese rolls. Also, recently Zero is growing new teeth and he seems itchy, so I choose bones and the like that he can chew on. I just gave him some during the photoshoot, but also things like duck meat jerky. I believe any dog would like this jerky. I haven’t seen a dog who doesn’t like it so I recommend it (laughs).

Staff: Besides food, what is Zero’s favorite item?

Taeyeon: There’s a lot of toys for Zero at home, but among them he favors a chicken toy that squeaks when chewed on. It’s red and it seems that it’s the perfect size for his mouth.

Staff: Please share if there’s a place you’d want to go to together with him wearing the clothes you made.

Taeyeon: I’ve only walked Zero around the front of my home, but recently I’ve found some paths that look good nearby. However, it was cold and we could never go there...so I want to walk there together with Zero wearing today’s clothes when it’s warm. I want to dress him in these clothes and take him for a walk soon.

Staff: Please tell us how you came to adopt Zero and if you have any episodes. Also, what’s especially cute about Zero?

Taeyeon: Zero is too cute that I made an SNS account from his point of view (laughs).

I had a black poodle named Ginger up until a few years ago, but back then I was too busy everyday and I asked my mother to take him in so that he wouldn’t be lonely. It’s been so lonely with Ginger gone… But I would feel bad to take Ginger back after he got used to my parent’s place, so I met Zero when I decided to welcome a new family member.

Actually, the dog that was supposed to come home with me wasn’t Zero. By chance at the pet shop I dropped by in, Zero was sitting there alone and I felt that it was destiny once I saw him. Because of that, I adopted Zero instead of the dog I was originally going to take home.

Staff: Where did the name Zero come from? Please share more about Zero.

Taeyeon: His name came from my favorite character, Jack Skellington, who has a dog named Zero. So I named my dog after him. My Zero is stubborn and doesn’t have any tricks that I could show, but he knows “sit” and “shake”! (laughs) If there’s a snack in front of him, he’ll perform even better (laughs).

I’ve lived with Zero since October of last year, but in the fourth month in, he was able to “sit” and “shake”! Isn’t that amazing!? (laughs)

Staff: There’s a lot of SNSD members who have pets. Have you met their dogs or cats?

Taeyeon: The other day when the members gathered, I met Yuri’s dogs. Yuri has a pomeranian and a toy poodle and she brought them both! They were so cute! Not everyone at once, but I’ve met the other members’ pets once. Sooyoung’s dogs, and Tiffany’s Prince and Princess, Seohyun’s Poppo, Sunny’s Sogeum….there’s a lot~ (laughs)

Staff: If you were to make pet clothing for the other member’s pets by yourself, what would you give and to who? Please share what color, shape, material, the member and dog, and why.

Taeyeon: I want to give a present to Yuri’s dog, Dooe. She is the same breed as Zero so I want to give a pair look. Dooe is a girl so it’d be great if she could be friends with Zero. Dooe is a slightly brighter gray than Zero, so I think a pink hoodie would be cute! A sporty pair look (laughs).

And, I want to give a present to Ginger, who’s at my parent’s place. Ginger is twice the size of Zero, so I want to make loose sized clothing for him!

Staff: Please share if there is anything that are recently into or are collecting.

Taeyeon: I’ve paid more attention to cleaning my home since Zero came. Dogs move around with their nose on the ground, so I have to properly clean up so he won’t inhale things like dust. Also, I’ve recently bought a robot vacuum cleaner and have gotten into cleaning goods.

Staff: The 2018 Winter Olympics were held in PyeongChang. Was there any sport that you favored or watched?

Taeyeon: I particularly paid attention to and watched curling. It also made the most headlines in Korea. I also often watched ice skating. I think it’s a very beautiful sport! Figure skating outfits resemble our stage outfits, so I often remember performing when I see it. I’ve heard that figure skating is remembering the choreography first and then skating. It feels like a similar environment like my own so I watched with great interest. I’d like to try it out someday.

Staff: If there’s a winter sport that you’ve tried before, please share.

Taeyeon: When I was little, I’ve went skiing before, but I remember it being very difficult and falling down a lot. I’ve skated before, but it was so long ago that I don’t really remember doing it, so if I tried it now I think I would definitely fall (laughs).

Staff: Also, not limiting it to winter sports, but what sport would you like to try out?

Taeyeon: Not to try out, but I’ve recently started pilates. Instead of a sport, I’m concentrating on pilates for stretches and training my muscles.

Staff: Yuri also seems to be into pilates.

Taeyeon: Speaking of which, Yuri has asked me which pilates classroom I go to and for recommendations! (laughs)

Staff: Please share if there’s a hot topic or a memorable episode among members recently!

Taeyeon: The other day, I went to Tokyo to see a SHINee concert with Yoona.

I had a lot of fun and talked to Yoona a lot. Recently, even if we can’t see the other members, we exchange messages.

Staff: SONE NOTE LIVE is where we give preference to what the members what to try out, but do you all talk about your SONE NOTE LIVE activities? Also, please share if there is something you’d like to try next.

Taeyeon: I often think when seeing other member’s SONE NOTE LIVEs, “I should have done that” or “I wanted to do that!” (laughs).

Seeing Hyoyeon trying to make natural cosmetics, I thought, “I’m the one who likes make up the most…” (laughs). Hyoyeon already did make up, so I guess I’ll make soap (laughs). I like things that have fragrances, so I’ve made candles before. Making soap seems like fun so I want to try it!

Staff: You want to try making something then.

Taeyeon: Eh? I can do something outside of making something? Huh, really!? I thought I checked but I didn’t know…!

If that’s the case, I want to try skating next. Let’s go skating~!! Not roller skating, but ice skating!! If so, shall I try figure skating? (laughs)

Staff: Finally, a message for SONE JAPAN please!

Taeyeon: Recently, I’m sad that I can’t meet everyone in SONE JAPAN. Next time I go to Japan, I definitely want to meet you all up close, so I’m very happy to be able to have a showcase. Please expect a lot from my Japan activities. I’ll try my best to meet your expectations!

Translation by RedSunsetXIII source: SONE JAPAN website

**Please do not repost without credit**

[healthycoffeeguy]

Check out what I just listed on Mercari. Tap the link to sign up and get $10 off. https://item.mercari.com/gl/m17980214264/

Did you ever wish that you really understood money? Well, Dave Barry wishes that he did, too. But that hasn’t stopped him from writing this book. In it, Dave explores (as only he can) such topics as: 

• How the U.S. economy works, including the often overlooked role of Adam Sandler 

• Why it is not a good idea to use squirrels for money 

• Strategies that will give you the confidence you need to try for a good job, even though you are—let’s be honest—a no-talent loser 

• How corporate executives, simply by walking into their offices, immediately become much stupider 

• An absolutely foolproof system for making money in the stock market, requiring only a little effort (and access to time travel) 

• Surefire tips for buying and selling real estate, the key being: Never buy—or, for that matter, sell—real estate 

• How to minimize your federal taxes, safely and legally, by cheating 

• Why good colleges cost so much, and how to make sure your child does not get into one 

• How to reduce the cost of your medical care by basically not getting any 

• Estate planning, especially the financial benefits of an early death 

• And many, many pictures of Suze Orman 

But that’s only the beginning! Dave has also included in this book all of the important points from a book written by Donald Trump, so you don’t have to read it yourself. Plus he explains how to tip, how to negotiate for everything (including bridge tolls), how to argue with your spouse about money, and how much allowance to give your children (three dollars is plenty). He also presents, for the first time in print anywhere, the Car Dealership Code of Ethics (“Ethic Seven: The customer is an idiot”). Also, there are many gratuitous references to Angelina Jolie naked. You can’t afford not to buy this book! Probably you need several copies. 

What kind of financial shape are you in right now? This scientific quiz will show you. 

Be honest in your answers: If you lie, you’ll only be lying to yourself! The place to lie is on your federal tax return.

What is your annual income? 

1. More than $50,000. 

2. Less than $50,000. 

3. However much I get when I return these empties. 

Not counting your mortgage, how much money do you currently owe? 

1. Less than $10,000. 

2. More than $10,000. 

3. Men are threatening to cut off my thumbs. 

How would you describe your portfolio? 

1. Conservative, mainly bonds and blue-chip equities. 

2. Aggressive, mainly options and speculative stocks. 

3. My what? 

When analyzing an investment, what do you consider to be the most important factor? 

1. The amount of return. 

2. The degree of risk. 

3. The name of the jockey. 

How do you plan to finance your retirement? 

1. Savings. 

2. Social security. 

3. Sale of kidneys. 

—from the Introduction: “Why You Need This Book” 

"A book so funny it may be dangerous to your health." 

– Janet Maslin, New York Times 

“Read this book. It will make you laugh.” 

— Washington Post

Dave Barry has been awarded the Pulitzer Prize for commentary. His columns for the Miami Herald were syndicated worldwide, and he is the author of a number of bestselling books, including the recently publishedPeter and the Starcatchers with Ridley Pearson. He lives in Miami, where he drives very nervously.

Chapter 1 

How Money Works 

Or: Everybody Clap for Tinker Bell! 

Why is money valuable? Why are people willing to work so hard for it, lie for it, cheat for it, go to prison for it, fight for it, kill for it, give up their children for it . . . even marry Donald Trump for it? 

I mean, look at the dollar bill. What is it, really? It’s a piece of paper! What’s more, it’s a piece of paper that appears to have been designed by a disturbed individual. On one side, you have a portrait of George Washington, who, granted, was the Father of Our Country and a great leader and everything, but who looks, in this particular picture . . . 

. . . like a man having his prostate examined by Roto-Rooter. And then on the other side of the dollar you have: 

What is that about? Why is there a picture of a pyramid, instead of a structure traditionally associated with the fundamental values of the United States of America, such as a Wal-Mart? And why is the pyramid being hovered over by an eyeball the size of a UPS truck? 

Whatever the explanation, the design of the dollar would not seem to inspire confidence in its value. And yet if you drop a few dollars from an overpass onto a busy freeway at rush hour, people will run into traffic and literally risk their lives in an effort to grab them. Try it! 

What does this tell us? It tells us that people are stupid. But it also tells us that money is more than just pieces of paper. But what makes it valuable? To answer that question, we need to consider: 

The History of Money 

In prehistoric times, there was no such thing as money. When people needed to buy something, they had to charge it. And then when the bills came, nobody could understand them, because there was also no such thing as reading. This led to a lot of misunderstandings and hitting with rocks. 

The first form of money that we are aware of by looking it up on the Internet was animals. From the start there were problems with this type of money, particularly the smaller denominations, such as squirrels, which were always biting the payee and scampering away. 

By 9000 b.c., the most commonly accepted form of animal money was cattle. When you bought something, you would give the other person a cow, and the other person would give your change in calves. This was better than squirrels, but still not an efficient system. The cash registers were disgusting. 

By 3000 b.c., the Mesopotamians had invented two concepts that revolutionized economic activity: (1) writing and (2) banking. This meant that, for the first time, it was possible for a Mesopotamian to walk into a bank and hand the teller a stone tablet stating: 

GIVE ME ALL YOUR COWS AND NOBODY GETS HURT 

These robbers were captured quickly, because they had to make their getaways at very slow speeds. Still, it was clear that a better medium of exchange was needed. 

The ancient Chinese tried to solve the problem by using seashells as money. The advantage of this system was that seashells were small, durable, clean, and easy to carry. The drawback was that they were, in a word, seashells. This meant that anybody with access to the sea could get them. By the time the ancient Chinese had figured this out, much of their country was the legal property of gulls. 

And so the quest continued for a better form of money. Various cultures experimented with a number of commodities, including tea, grains, leather, tobacco, and Pokémon cards. Then, finally, humanity hit upon a medium of exchange that had no disadvantages—a medium that was durable, portable, beautiful, and universally recognized to have lasting value. That medium, of course, was beer. 

No, seriously, it was precious metals, especially gold and silver, which—in addition to being rare and beautiful—could be easily shaped into little disks that fit into vending machines. 

Before long, many cultures were using some form of gold for money. It came in a wide variety of shapes and designs, as we see in these photographs of ancient coins unearthed by archeologists: 

The problem was that gold is too heavy to be constantly lugged around. So, to make it easier for everybody, governments began to issue pieces of paper to represent gold. The deal was, whenever you wanted, you could redeem the paper for gold. The government was just holding your gold for you. But it was YOUR gold! You could get it anytime! That was the sacred promise that the government made to the people. That’s why the people trusted paper money. And that’s why, to this very day, if you—an ordinary citizen—go to Fort Knox and ask to exchange your U.S. dollars for gold, you will be used as a human chew toy by large federal dogs. 

Because the government changed the deal. We don’t have the gold standard anymore. Nobody does. Over the years, all the governments in the world, having discovered that gold is, like, rare, decided that it would be more convenient to back their money with something that is easier to come by, namely: nothing. So even though the U.S. government still allegedly holds tons of gold in “reserve,” you can no longer exchange your dollars for it. You can’t even see it, because visitors are not allowed. For all you know, Fort Knox is filled with Cheez Whiz. 

Which brings us back to the original question: If our money really is just pieces of paper, backed by nothing, why is it valuable? The answer is: Because we all believe it’s valuable. 

Really, that’s pretty much it. Remember the part in Peter Pan where we clap to prove that we believe in fairies, and we save Tinker Bell? That’s our monetary system! It’s the Tinker Bell System! We see everybody else running around after these pieces of paper, and we figure, Hey, these pieces of paper must be valuable. That’s why if you exchanged your house for, say, a pile of acorns, everybody would think you’re insane; whereas if you exchange your house for a pile of dollars, everybody thinks you’re rational, because you get . . . pieces of paper! The special kind, with the big hovering eyeball! 

And you laughed at the ancient Chinese, with the seashells. 

So what does all this mean? Does it mean that our monetary system is a giant house of cards that would collapse like, well, a giant house of cards if the public stopped believing in the pieces of paper? Could all of our “wealth”—our savings, our investments, our pension plans, etc.—suddenly become worthless, meaning that the only truly “wealthy” people would be the survivalist wing nuts who trade all their money for guns and beef jerky? 

Yes. But that probably won’t happen. Because, fortunately, the public prefers not to think about economics. Most people are unable to understand their own telephone bills, let alone the U.S. monetary system. And as long as we don’t question the big eyeball, Tinker Bell is safe. 

OK, now you know what money actually is. (Don’t tell anybody!) The next question is: How come some people have so much money, while others have so little? Why does the money distribution seem so unfair? Why, for example, are professional athletes paid tens of millions of dollars a year for playing silly games with balls, while productive, hardworking people with infinitely more value to society, such as humor writers, must struggle to make barely half that? And above all, how can you, personally, get more money? 

We’ll address these questions in future chapters,3 which will be chock-full of sure-fire, can’t-miss, no-nonsense, common-sense, easy-to-apply, on-the-money hyphenated phrases. You’ll be on your way to riches in no time! All you have to do is really believe in yourself! Come on, show that you really believe! Clap your hands!

Also, just in case, you should get some jerky. 

Why Does the Back of the Dollar Have a Pyramid and a Giant Eyeball? 

There is actually a simple explanation for these two seemingly odd symbols: 

Back when the Founding Fathers were designing our currency, they were looking for an image for the new nation, an image that would symbolize the concept of something strong and massive being watched over by something all-seeing and wise. After much discussion, what they came up with—as you have probably guessed—was a picture of an owl standing on an elephant. 

The Founding Fathers passed this idea along to the artist hired to do the engraving of the printing plates for the dollar, whose name was Phil. As it happened, the day he did the dollar, which was his birthday, Phil consumed what historians now believe was at least two quarts of whiskey, and for whatever reason—the only explanation he ever gave was “the squirrels made me”—he engraved a pyramid with a giant eyeball on top of it. Unfortunately, the Founding Fathers, who were in a hurry to get the dollar printed so they could spend it, failed to notice this until it was too late. Fortunately, however, they did catch the error on the front of the dollar, where, instead of George Washington, Phil had engraved a fish playing tennis. Otherwise we might live in a very different nation today.

[chrismerle]

You’re Lucky You Made It: Chapter One

Fandom:  Final Fantasy XV Characters:  Prompto Argentum. Lunafreya Nox Fleuret. Pryna. A couple OCs. Chapter Rating:  G, for the moment. Warnings: Prompto has some self-esteem issues. Word count so far: 2489 Notes:  So, I really like writing about dogs? Obligatory Disclaimer:  I don’t own FFXV, since I’m not Square-Enix and I don’t even know anyone from Square-Enix. I don’t own the characters. I’m just playing with them.

Previously: Prologue.

CHAPTER ONE: Soften a bit until we all just get along

Prompto was pretty sure she was a pure breed, and she looked far too pampered to be a stray, though her pale coat was grimy and she looked nervous, so Prompto could only assume she didn't live in the area. Feeling sorry for her, he lured her back to his house with half a bag of potato chips. He didn't let her eat the potato chips, but he did give her a leftover pork chop from last night's dinner, and he figured she liked that more than she would have liked the chips anyway.

After that, she was more than happy to let him pick her up, and she nuzzled her chin contently against his shoulder. At least until he carried her into the bathroom. Her eyes locked onto the bathtub, and immediately she started whining, squirming in his hold like she was worried he was going to skin her and turn her into a fur coat.

"Hey, hey, come on, just--please stop wiggling, I need to--no, don't!" His grip on her tightened when she nearly wiggled right out of his grasp, and finally he got the bathroom door closed with his elbow. He set the dog down once her path of escape was closed off, and he tried very hard not to feel guilty as she tried to crawl behind the toilet to hide.

"Nope!" he declared abruptly, and he scratched her ears. "You can't make me feel bad for this. You're gross right now." He leaned over the tub and fussed with the water until it was the right temperature. Behind him, as the tub slowly filled, the dog slowly melted to the floor with her paws over her muzzle.

…Okay, he still felt sort of bad. He was only human. So to distract himself, he raided the cupboards. They didn't have any dog shampoo, of course, but he did manage to find a bar of soap that he was pretty sure was organic and it didn't smell awful. He held it out to her and she didn't seem to object to the smell, at any rate.

And then…it began. He scooped her up and dumped her into the tub in one impressively coordinated movement, though he landed on behind anyway. She landed with a slosh and stared up at him with wide, betrayed eyes, which only got wider and even more betrayed as he began bailing water over her with a cup.

Lathering up fifteen pounds of reluctant, wiggling dog with a bar of soap was a comedy of errors, and by the time she was soaped and rinsed, Prompto was just as drenched as she was.

She sulked under a towel in the family room, at least until he started feeding her pieces of beef jerky.

*

The family computer chugged laboriously, completely drowning out the sound of the dog snoring on Prompto's lap as he browsed. He looked up when the front door opened and he waited just long enough for his mom to step inside and close the door before he said, "I'm not keeping her."

"Not keeping--Prompto." His mom was giving him and the dog a Look.

"I just said I'm not keeping her!" he protested. "I found her and she needed a bath and some food, and now I'm trying to figure out where she lives." He flapped a hand at the computer.

His mom sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "You promise?"

Prompto nodded rapidly, dragging one finger in an X over his chest. "Promise. I just couldn't leave her out there."

"No, I suppose you couldn't," his mom agreed, exasperation melting into a gentle smile. "Just please remember to clean up after her."

"Duh, I know."

*

The dog--he called her Pretty Girl, for lack of any sort of name--slept on his bed, upside down and with her legs sprawled out in all directions. Her tongue lolled, she snored, and she started violently twitching and fake-running now and then, and on the whole there was hardly enough room in the bed for Prompto himself. It was some of the best sleep he ever had. It was barely even ruined when he woke up and realized she had peed all over his blanket.

Well, good thing it was the weekend.

He wrestled his bedspread into the washing machine before he scooped the dog up and carried her to the pet shop so he could get a bag of dog food and some potty training pads.

*

"Come on, Pretty Girl, hold still…" Prompto coaxed, camera aimed and ready. She paused, staring at him, and he clicked the button. There was a flash, and she bounced to her feet afterwards, yapping at the camera like it was her best friend and she very much expected it to play with her.

Setting the camera aside, Prompto flopped down onto his side and rolled onto his back, yapping right back at her. She danced back and forth on her front legs, until her paw landed on his face and she threw her head back and howled. It was a tiny, warbling noise and Prompto couldn't help but mimic it back at her. Yapping in delight, she pounced, landing on his stomach and forcibly ejecting all of the air from his lungs.

"Having fun in here?" his dad asked, peering around the doorframe into Prompto's room.

Wheezing on the floor, Prompto flashed him a thumbs up.

*

Prompto's bed was dry the next morning, and Pretty Girl's tail was in his mouth. He fed her and took her outside--she was already reasonably well trained in that regard, since buying a leash had not occurred to him and yet she stuck pretty close to his side--before he started up the computer and started searching for missing dogs again.

And he got results.

He stared blankly at the article, and the he looked down at the dog as she rolled back and forth on her back like a caterpillar and chewed on an empty paper towel roll.

"Pryna?" he called cautiously.

She rolled over onto her belly and cocked her head at him, the cardboard hanging out one side of her mouth.

"Pryna!" he called again, more enthusiastically.

She barked at him once, the roll falling to the floor, before she bounced to her feet and trotted over to him. She stopped in front of the desk chair and hopped up to put her front paws on his knees.

Prompto stared at her and gave her a slow pat on the head, before he turned to look towards the kitchen, "MAMA!"

There was a clatter in the kitchen, before his mom stumbled into the room. "What?" she asked, sharp and panicked. "What is it? What's wrong?"

"Mama!" He picked Pryna up and brandished her in his mom's direction. "I found the princess's puppy!" Pryna dangled in his hold, tail wiggling and head cocked curiously to one side.

His mom stared at him. "You…found what?"

Setting Pryna down on his lap, Prompto shoved the chair away from the desk and flapped a hand at the computer. "Come look! It says right here, one of her dogs slipped her collar, and there's a picture, and she answered to her name!"

His mom came over to look over the article, and then looked down slowly at the dog. Pryna yapped up at her cheerfully, cradled on Prompto's lap like a stuffed animal and content with life.

"You…found the princess's puppy," his mom confirmed slowly.

"This just got so much more complicated," Prompto groaned, leaning forward to bonk his forehead against the top of Pryna's head. She squirmed around in his lap until she could lick his face.

*

The palace was amazing. And enormous. And just staring at it was a little bit terrifying. Prompto's mom offered to go with him, but he insisted on handling it himself.

Which was how he found himself being grilled by a guard, as he assured the man that no, he was not trying to ransom Pryna, he just wanted to bring her home, no, really, she wasn't hurt or sick, she was perfectly fine, he didn't even want a reward, he just wanted to bring her home.

He was escorted inside after that, and told to sit on a couch that was far too comfortable in some sort of lobby that was far too pristine, while the guard picked Pryna up and carried her away.

Prompto sat quietly on the couch, hands clenched together between his knees because he was not going to touch anything, because then he couldn't break anything or get anything dirty. He sat there for only a few minutes before he heard footsteps rapidly approaching, alongside the familiar sound of claws on the floor.

Pryna bounded into the room first, followed almost immediately by--

"P-Princess Lunafreya!" Prompto shot to his feet so he could bow properly.

"You--There's no need for that. You're the boy who brought Pryna home?" the princess asked, and Prompto finally dared to look up at her. Even slightly out of breath and holding her skirt off of the floor, she was lovely. His heart thudded heavily in his chest, and he thought, Oh no.

Slowly, he nodded. "Y-yes, Your Highness."

Without further ado, she launched herself at him, engulfing him in a hug. Prompto was pretty sure he stopped breathing.

She was beautiful, and she smelled like flowers, and she was sixteen, and she was hugging him like he was worth it, and really, how was he supposed to deal with that?

Slowly, she leaned back, her hands resting gently on his shoulders. "Thank you," she said, her voice soft but so sincere.

"Y-you're welcome, Your Highness," he stammered, his fingers fisting in the material of his pants. He couldn't look her in the face, and instead stared just past her ear so it wouldn't look like he was avoiding looking at her, because what if that was rude?

She laughed gently, her fingers squeezing briefly before she let go of his shoulders. "Thank you," she repeated once more. "You're certain you wouldn't like anything in return?"

"I-I-I'm sure, Your Highness," he mumbled, hands clenching against his thighs so they would stop shaking. "I--I just wanted to make sure she got home safe."

"That was very kind of you," she assured him. Her eyes were soft as she watched him. "Will you tell me your name?"

"P-Prompto Argentum, Your Highness." He was going to have a heart attack, he was pretty sure. His heart was going to stop, and he was going to drop dead right there on the princess's dress.

"It was very nice to meet you, Prompto." She set one hand on his shoulder again, fingers just grazing it before falling back to her side.

He stared up at her dumbly, eyes the size of saucers. It took a few seconds before he stammered out, "Th-thank you, Your Highness."

She laughed softly once more, mouth hidden behind the fingers of one hand. She bent down and picked Pryna up, like she didn't even care about getting fur on the white and silver dress, and she held the dog out for Prompto to say a proper goodbye to her.

When he was properly dismissed, the walk home was a blur, and once he was there, he was pretty sure he told his parents every single detail of the encounter at least a dozen times.

He was equally sure he made an idiot of himself, though. It seemed pretty likely. It was one of his skills. He probably made an idiot of himself, but she had been nice about it, at least, even if she probably wouldn't even remember his hair color by the time morning rolled around.

He stared up at his ceiling in bed that night, thoughts churning, until he finally nodded off to sleep.

The next morning, he was woken up by the most peculiar alarm clock.

[jerky-subscription-blog]

What Is Beef Jerky Good For?

When most guys consider Beef Jerky, they consider cowboys or truck drivers. A good deal of western films used to reveal cowboys eating beef jerky out on the road.

When girls consider Beef Jerky they . . .well, they generally don't consider it at all, and this is miserable.

Here are a few things to Think about about beef jerky:

- It's healthy

- It's really nutritious

- It's full of protean

- It's low in fat

- It's low in carbs

OK, these are simply facts. What do they mean to me personally as a housewife and mother or dad?

You want your kids to eat right and eat what is good for them. You certainly would love to believe that you are also eating correctly. However, have you ever wondered what your kids eat throughout the day for snacks?

Would you know what they eat at college or what is at the vending machines in their colleges?

Hostess cupcakes, ding-dongs, Twinkies, biscuits, candies, chewing, etc.. Have you got any idea how bad those are for developing kids? There is a growing national concern regarding the 'junk' food your kids eat in schools throughout the nation.

Wish to do something about it?

Substitute beef jerky snacks in their book bags, lunch boxes, lunch boxes, after college, watching TV, etc.. Beef Jerky is mild, does not require refrigeration and does not spoil easily. It's more protean than just fish or peanut butter. It's less fat than bacon, hamburgers or cheeseburgers. Beef jerky is best for the kids than any other 'junk food' they are eating today. Fruit and beef jerky will be both finest 'snack' foods which you or your kids can eat.

Steak Jerky is a overlooked healthful snack for all ages and for many times.

Pack some jerky as soon as your family goes fishing, hiking, skiing, camping, boating, etc.. It does not occupy much space yet provides a great deal of electricity per pound. That is the reason why almost all mountain bikers pack beef jerky in their backpacks.

And, let's not overlook what meat jerky is great for.

Mothers like to donate it to their own teething infants. Unlike those shop bought 'things' that taste and look like dog snacks, beef jerky really has some nutritional value for the child.

And talking of dog snacks, dogs will love you for feeding on them steak jerky. It is natural and is exceptional because of their coats.

Beef jerky may also be utilized for components in cooking other foods also.

So, the next time you consider hiking, swimming, fishing, watching TV, skiing, boating, etc.. consider beef jerky. No additional snack matches the nutrient benefits which you get from ingesting it.

Beef Jerky isn't just for cowboys or automobile drivers. People have found that it is also for moms, mothers-to-be, dads, kids, infants, and puppies. It is the undiscovered health food to the 21st century advised family.

[atplblog]

Price: [price_with_discount] (as of [price_update_date] - Details) [ad_1] This machine is a hot selling product in markets. It can air dry all kinds of vegetables, fruits (peels), herbs, herbs, beans, bread, mushrooms and other food materials. It can maintain (or even enhance) the food flavor while greatly prolonging its storage time. It is convenient for individuals and families to make natural nutritious food with richer taste! It is easy to store and has a unique flavor (the taste of dried fruit is different from that of fresh pulp, because the dried fruit is only dehydrated, but the minerals contained in it will be condensed instead) Can be used to dehydrate a variety of fruit, vegetable, meat or traditional Chinese medicinal materials, multi-functional and practical. 360°stereoscopic circulatory heating system and four heating tubes ensure high efficiency yet low energy consumption. With fuse protective device, automatically power off when over-heat or earth leakage. Decrease the moisture of food and lock the nutrition, the drying fruit or vegetable is easier to store than the fresh food. Electric Food Dehydrator Machine, Meat or Beef Jerky Maker, Fruits and Vegetable Dryer This food dehydrator is the new way to dry various fresh fruit, vegetable, meat, etc, which is more healthier and easier than the traditional air dry. 5 trays allow a large capacity at one time. The machine is made of high quality plastic, not easy to aging, sturdy and easy to clean. Buy one to DIY healthy and natural drying food for your families. Multi-Layer Stacking Food Dehydrator Food drying is a way to preserve fruit, vegetables, and animal proteins after harvest, that has been practiced since antiquity. Our food dehydrator removes moisture from food to aid in its preservation and uses a heat source and air flow to reduce the water content of foods. The water content of food is usually very high, typically 80% to 95% for various fruits and vegetables and 50% to 75% for various meats. Removing moisture from food restrains various bacteria from growing and sp ✔ Working Principle：A multi-tier electric pro food dehydrator that can preserve varieties of food.Effectively dry foods by removing moisture content, shrinking the food but still retain 97% of vitamins and mineral. It also produces nutritious food with very simple preparation. ✔ Storage Benifit：With this item, no food will spoil and go to waste with this food preserver.Instead of buying chemically processed foods try dehydration at home to make healthy snacks for the whole family. ✔ Multiple Using：Made with BPA-free, food safe plastic materials, with 5 removable trays, suitable for drying fruit, vegetables, meat, herbs, mushrooms, or to make beef jerky, turkey jerky, fish jerky, and any other homemade food, also can be used to make chews and snacks for your pets.It also saves on storage space in your pantry. ✔ Easy Operation：A rotary knob allows for easy adjustment to keep the temperature from 95 to 158 degrees Fahrenheit(35℃-70℃).During the process of dehydration, this food dehydrator dog food dryer is quite, You can use it comfortably all night. ✔ Convenient Washing：The dehydrator is detachable and the trays are dishwasher safe, making it easy and convenient for you to clean and store. [ad_2]

[dragonsmachine]

Dog Jerky Strips Machine China Manufacturer for China Commercial Meat Pe...

[dragonextruder]

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[lenaglittleus]

The Crazy-Busy Person’s Guide to Weight Loss

Losing weight is challenging no matter what, but when you have a hectic schedule full of appointments, errands, and random time-sucking obligations, your New Year’s weight-loss resolution to slim down can feel straight-up impossible.

Here’s the good news, though: You don’t need to quit your job and go to boot camp to successfully lose weight. You can shed pounds — slowly but surely — while continuing to hustle and keep up with your commitments.

The key is learning to plan ahead and organize your day in a smart, efficient way. Before long, your weight-loss habits will become second-nature, not to mention totally worth the extra effort.

Read on for 11 easy tips for losing weight on a busy schedule!

1. Meal Prep Every Week

Meal prep doesn’t just save time and energy, it’s also key to ensuring you stay on track with your nutrition goals.

Every Sunday, block off a couple hours to make a weekly meal plan, go grocery shopping, and hunker down in the kitchen to chop, dice, grill, and plan your meals for the week.

If you don’t want to cook entire meals in advance, you can still cut down the steps by setting aside ingredients and chopping vegetables and fruit ahead of time. Pre-sliced veggies are ideal because you can snack on them raw and incorporate them in meals, says Amy Gorin, MS, RDN, and owner of Amy Gorin Nutrition in Jersey City, NJ.

You can also make things like soup, ground turkey stir-frys, and casseroles ahead of time to store in your freezer. “I like to make crustless muffin-size quiches and freeze the extra portions so I [always] have healthy meals on hand,” says Gorin.

Proper portion sizes are a key part of meal prepping for weight loss: Using portion-control containers is an easy way to make sure your meals are balanced, especially if you’re trying to lose weight for the first time.

Not sure where to start? Check out these healthy meal-prep ideas from the pros.

2. Store Healthy Snacks in Your Desk and Bag

The key to resisting that mid-morning muffin craving at work is to have satisfying, nutrient-rich snacks at the ready.

“Store snacks in your bag and at your desk,” says Gorin. “This way, you’re not relying on whatever’s available at the corner market or vending machine.” For protein-rich snacks, try hard-boiled eggs, beef jerky, or edamame. For snacks under 200 calories, bring in some pistachios, roasted chickpeas, or seaweed.

3. Drink More Water

Research suggests that drinking water before a meal can help you feel more full. An easy way to check that off your list is to carry a reusable water bottle with you at all times. Refill it regularly and aim to drink half your body weight (in pounds) in ounces each day.

If you’re notoriously bad at hydrating, here are 25 easy ways to drink more water.

4. Keep Fruit in Plain Sight

“When you’re at home, keep fruit on the countertop,” says Gorin. “Research shows you may be more likely to reach for it if it’s visible.” A Cornell University study found that women who had a fruit bowl out weighed 13 pounds less than women who had cereal or sodas sitting on their kitchen counter.

Same goes at work: Skip the candy bowl and get a basket and load it with your favorite fruits. Try apples for a hit of fiber, or bananas to sneak in some potassium, and pears for a sweet, low-calorie snack. And don’t forget about seasonal options like grapefruit, oranges, and kiwis.

5. Make Your Workouts Consistent

Although diet plays a major role in losing weight, pairing it with regular exercise is critical if you want to achieve weight-loss success.

But how do you squeeze in a sweat session when your day is jam-packed? “I recommend working out in the morning before people start making demands of you and life has a chance to get in the way,” says Trevor Thieme, C.S.C.S., Beachbody’s fitness and nutrition content manager.

If mornings are out of the question—maybe you have a long commute or an early drop-off time for your kids—identify another time of day that’s consistently free of commitments. For some people, that might be during lunch. For others, it might be after work. Whenever it is, reserve it for exercise.

Working out at home is a good way to make sure you get your workout in — and it’s harder to make excuses! With a streaming service like Beachbody On Demand, you’ll have hundreds of workouts with nutrition guides, calendars, and progress trackers at your fingertips.

6. Eat at a Table (*no phones allowed)

Instead of snacking as you scroll through emails or eating dinner while bingeing on Netflix, walk away from the screens and sit down at a table. (Novel concept, right?!)

You’re probably thinking, How exactly will sitting help me lose weight?! Well, pay attention to this fun fact: Research shows you’re more likely to consume greater amounts of food if you eat while you’re distracted.

While it might seem counterintuitive to carve out 30 minutes just to eat when you could multitask, a 2001 study suggests that multitasking may actually decrease your productivity by as much as 40 percent.

In addition, paying attention to your food — chewing slowly and savoring flavors — doesn’t just help you appreciate your meal, it also makes it easier to recognize the signals your body sends you about whether you’re full or not.

This practice of mindful eating can help you lose weight, but even better than that, it can also help you keep the pounds off once you’ve slimmed down.

7. Swap Cardio for Strength Training

Strength training trumps traditional cardio (think: long slow distance) when it comes to losing the right kind of weight: fat.

“But the most effective method is to combine cardio and strength training by doing high-intensity circuits— sets of several exercises performed back-to-back with little or no rest in between,” says Thieme. “Not only will you burn tons of calories during your workout, but you’ll also raise your metabolism for more than 48 hours afterward.”

Here’s another advantage of such such workouts: They double down on the benefits of both aerobic and strength training in half the time of a typical cardio or weightlifting session. “If you’ve ever tried a program like P90X3, 22-Minute Hard Corps, or INSANITY MAX:30, you know that a half hour is all it takes to get in a killer total-body workout,” Thieme says.

8. Share Your Food

Whether you’re at an office birthday party, on a date, or out to dinner with friends, you’ll inevitably encounter temptations in the form of chocolate and/or salty, carb-heavy sides.

If you want to (and can!) avoid these foods altogether, great. If, on the other hand, you want to enjoy a bite or two every once in a while, go for it. The key to sticking with your nutrition goals is not to deprive yourself, but to be sensible about how much you indulge.

Split your desserts or sides with someone else to cut down on the calories. “You know what [the dessert] tastes like, and the first bite or two is always the best, anyway,” Gorin says.

9. Have “Emergency Food” on Hand

On particularly chaotic weeks, sometimes meal prepping just doesn’t happen. And even if you have plenty of healthy ingredients on hand, sometimes you don’t have the patience or energy to cook.

That’s why Gorin recommends stocking your pantry and desk drawers with quick and easy “emergency food,” like cans of low-sodium soup, canned tuna packed in water, canned low-sodium beans, and whole-grain crackers. There are healthy packaged food options out there; just make sure to check the ingredient list.

10. Move More

The most successful weight loss plans entail not just eating more healthfully and exercising more intensely, but also moving more throughout the day, says Thieme. Your goal: To keep your metabolism humming in a higher gear during more of the 23- and a half hours you aren’t working up a sweat.

For most people, that’s going to require thinking outside the box/gym. If you sit in an office all day, take a three to 10-minute break every hour to walk around the building or perform squats and arm rolls at your desk. Instead of sending emails to people down the hall (or even on different floors), pay them a visit. If you have a phone call with a client or an in-person meeting with co-workers, skip the conference room and talk as you walk.

And don’t limit this sort of creative thinking to your workplace. Do calf raises while brushing your teeth, stretch and foam roll while you watch TV, take your dog for a walk as you chat on the phone — do anything you can to spend more time on your feet and less time on your rump.

11. Rethink Your Beverages

A full day of commitments and responsibilities usually requires a boost (or two… or three) of caffeine to make it through. But the rich, sugary coffee beverages most people rely on (think pumpkin spice lattes) have no nutritional value.

Instead of sipping half your daily calories through a green plastic straw, Gorin suggests taking a walk to get a refill of water or hot tea. “That might reset your mood and your commitment to healthy eating.” If you do have a cup of coffee, says Gorin, swap the creamer for milk and sweeten it with a sprinkle of cinnamon instead of sugar.

Achieving your goal of losing weight doesn’t mean you have to make a bunch of huge, life-altering changes all at once. Sometimes all it takes is making smaller, smarter choices throughout your day to get you moving in the right direction.

from News About Health https://www.beachbody.com/beachbodyblog/weight-loss/the-crazy-busy-persons-guide-to-weight-loss

[atplblog]

Price: [price_with_discount] (as of [price_update_date] - Details) [ad_1] This machine is a hot selling product in markets. It can air dry all kinds of vegetables, fruits (peels), herbs, herbs, beans, bread, mushrooms and other food materials. It can maintain (or even enhance) the food flavor while greatly prolonging its storage time. It is convenient for individuals and families to make natural nutritious food with richer taste! It is easy to store and has a unique flavor (the taste of dried fruit is different from that of fresh pulp, because the dried fruit is only dehydrated, but the minerals contained in it will be condensed instead) Can be used to dehydrate a variety of fruit, vegetable, meat or traditional Chinese medicinal materials, multi-functional and practical. 360°stereoscopic circulatory heating system and four heating tubes ensure high efficiency yet low energy consumption. With fuse protective device, automatically power off when over-heat or earth leakage. Decrease the moisture of food and lock the nutrition, the drying fruit or vegetable is easier to store than the fresh food. Electric Food Dehydrator Machine, Meat or Beef Jerky Maker, Fruits and Vegetable Dryer This food dehydrator is the new way to dry various fresh fruit, vegetable, meat, etc, which is more healthier and easier than the traditional air dry. 5 trays allow a large capacity at one time. The machine is made of high quality plastic, not easy to aging, sturdy and easy to clean. Buy one to DIY healthy and natural drying food for your families. Multi-Layer Stacking Food Dehydrator Food drying is a way to preserve fruit, vegetables, and animal proteins after harvest, that has been practiced since antiquity. Our food dehydrator removes moisture from food to aid in its preservation and uses a heat source and air flow to reduce the water content of foods. The water content of food is usually very high, typically 80% to 95% for various fruits and vegetables and 50% to 75% for various meats. Removing moisture from food restrains various bacteria from growing and sp ✔ Working Principle：A multi-tier electric pro food dehydrator that can preserve varieties of food.Effectively dry foods by removing moisture content, shrinking the food but still retain 97% of vitamins and mineral. It also produces nutritious food with very simple preparation. ✔ Storage Benifit：With this item, no food will spoil and go to waste with this food preserver.Instead of buying chemically processed foods try dehydration at home to make healthy snacks for the whole family. ✔ Multiple Using：Made with BPA-free, food safe plastic materials, with 5 removable trays, suitable for drying fruit, vegetables, meat, herbs, mushrooms, or to make beef jerky, turkey jerky, fish jerky, and any other homemade food, also can be used to make chews and snacks for your pets.It also saves on storage space in your pantry. ✔ Easy Operation：A rotary knob allows for easy adjustment to keep the temperature from 95 to 158 degrees Fahrenheit(35℃-70℃).During the process of dehydration, this food dehydrator dog food dryer is quite, You can use it comfortably all night. ✔ Convenient Washing：The dehydrator is detachable and the trays are dishwasher safe, making it easy and convenient for you to clean and store. [ad_2]

[dragonsmachine]

Cheap price China Fully Automatic Industrial Pet Treat Extruding Machine...

[dragonextruder]

ODM Factory 2020 New Automatic Chicken Snack Forming Machine