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When setting up a new home, plastic stools are required to make life easier, just like other essential household items. Plastic stools are durable, easy to maintain and can go through rough usage too, without being damaged. They can also be moved around easily and are suitable for just any space in your house- be it the kitchen, living room, washroom or your garden.<br />Especially important for houses with kids and elderlies, plastic stools will also assist you in pulling off day-to-day house errands with utmost ease. Alternatively, these stools can be used as storage solutions too! So keeping the utility and longevity of plastic stools in view, we've listed out 6 durable and affordable options for you to check out.<br /><br /><bulletContentEmbed name="B089QNQRLD" columns="1"><bulletContentHeading name="B089QNQRLD_head"><div type="image" title="Sturdy Design" msid="87286726" hostid="261"></div></columnHeadThumb>B089QNQRLD</columnHeadTitle></columnHead></bulletContentHeading><bulleteContentBody name="B089QNQRLD_body"><bulletContentRow name="B089QNQRLD_6778112041220413"><bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowHead col="1">Nilkamal Heavy Duty <keyword id="12395020" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="plastic-stool" source="Orion">Plastic Stool</keyword>, White</bulletContentRowHead></bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowBody><bulletContentRowCell col="1">This heavy-duty sturdy plastic stool offers a stylish look to your space while providing functionality and longevity. With a load capacity of approximately 120 kg, this rectangular yellow-cream plastic stool will be a clever addition to your office space, patio, terrace, living room, among other places. You can also buy a set of two for a close one as a practical and durable housewarming gift.</bulletContentRowCell></bulletContentRowBody></bulletContentRow><bulletContentRow name="B089QNQRLD_2104835474730788"><bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowHead col="1"></bulletContentRowHead></bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowBody><bulletContentRowCell col="1">This heavy-duty sturdy plastic stool offers a stylish look to your space while providing functionality.</bulletContentRowCell></bulletContentRowBody></bulletContentRow></bulleteContentBody></bulletContentEmbed><br /><br /><bulletContentEmbed name="B08K3MHS7X" columns="1"><bulletContentHeading name="B08K3MHS7X_head"><div type="image" title="Lightweight Design" msid="87286731" hostid="261"></div></columnHeadThumb>B08K3MHS7X</columnHeadTitle></columnHead></bulletContentHeading><bulleteContentBody name="B08K3MHS7X_body"><bulletContentRow name="B08K3MHS7X_1311814357427776"><bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowHead col="1">Beaver Hindz by Premium Plastic Stool</bulletContentRowHead></bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowBody><bulletContentRowCell col="1">This ultra-light yet super sturdy plastic stool serves various roles and is available in different colours too. Made of supreme quality plastic, this assembled stool is perfect for your bathroom, garden, patio, terrace and so on. It can hold up to 100 kg of weight and because of its size, it is perfect for children to sit on. Although small, the utility of this stool surely packs a punch.</bulletContentRowCell></bulletContentRowBody></bulletContentRow><bulletContentRow name="B08K3MHS7X_9746935743229103"><bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowHead col="1"></bulletContentRowHead></bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowBody><bulletContentRowCell col="1">This ultra-light yet super sturdy plastic stool is available in different colours.</bulletContentRowCell></bulletContentRowBody></bulletContentRow></bulleteContentBody></bulletContentEmbed><br /><br /><bulletContentEmbed name="B01KXQ8E8U" columns="1"><bulletContentHeading name="B01KXQ8E8U_head"><div type="image" title="Anti-Skid" msid="87286739" hostid="261"></div></columnHeadThumb>B01KXQ8E8U</columnHeadTitle></columnHead></bulletContentHeading><bulleteContentBody name="B01KXQ8E8U_body"><bulletContentRow name="B01KXQ8E8U_9558473024296184"><bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowHead col="1">Cello Classic Perfect Posture Plastic Stool</bulletContentRowHead></bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowBody><bulletContentRowCell col="1">This brown plastic stool comes with an anti-skid base, which increases the safety of this product and it can bear a load of 100 kg. Ideal for your kitchen and bathroom, this stool also makes it easier for you to perform everyday tasks. The stool is made of high-quality plastic and its comfortable height makes it easier for the elderly, pregnant women and children to use it. Easy to clean and portable, this plastic stool is a must-have for daily chores and is available in 2 different sizes, to suit your needs..</bulletContentRowCell></bulletContentRowBody></bulletContentRow><bulletContentRow name="B01KXQ8E8U_9714074392465629"><bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowHead col="1"></bulletContentRowHead></bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowBody><bulletContentRowCell col="1">This plastic stool has an anti-skid base and it can carry up to 100 kg.</bulletContentRowCell></bulletContentRowBody></bulletContentRow></bulleteContentBody></bulletContentEmbed><br /><br /><bulletContentEmbed name="B01N4DRLJG" columns="1"><bulletContentHeading name="B01N4DRLJG_head"><div type="image" title="Easy Carrying" msid="87286773" hostid="261"></div></columnHeadThumb>B01N4DRLJG</columnHeadTitle></columnHead></bulletContentHeading><bulleteContentBody name="B01N4DRLJG_body"><bulletContentRow name="B01N4DRLJG_7748263801311924"><bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowHead col="1">Nayasa Strong No 515 Plastic Stool</bulletContentRowHead></bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowBody><bulletContentRowCell col="1">For increased support and a substantial load-bearing capacity, this grey plastic stool has 5 legs which allow equal gravity distribution. It is the perfect choice, particularly for households with children, elderlies. The stool is super light, making it really easy to carry around and its brand swears upon its durability. It can be placed anywhere for daily tasks like bathing, gardening, cleaning the corners of your cabinets, and so on. Add a pair to your house and let life become a bit easier.</bulletContentRowCell></bulletContentRowBody></bulletContentRow><bulletContentRow name="B01N4DRLJG_7084496516045923"><bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowHead col="1"></bulletContentRowHead></bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowBody><bulletContentRowCell col="1">This grey plastic stool has 5 legs which allow equal gravity distribution and increased support.</bulletContentRowCell></bulletContentRowBody></bulletContentRow></bulleteContentBody></bulletContentEmbed><br /><br /><bulletContentEmbed name="B07N976QK5" columns="1"><bulletContentHeading name="B07N976QK5_head"><div type="image" title="Durable Plastic" msid="87286797" hostid="261"></div></columnHeadThumb>B07N976QK5</columnHeadTitle></columnHead></bulletContentHeading><bulleteContentBody name="B07N976QK5_body"><bulletContentRow name="B07N976QK5_1279602964271040"><bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowHead col="1">Milton Duplex Crown Plastic Stool, Blue</bulletContentRowHead></bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowBody><bulletContentRowCell col="1">A blue plastic stool with a sturdy round sitting surface, this product has an acceptable height and seat space. The body of the stool has a double coating and the pebble prints make it a fun addition to any space. Additionally, the stool has an anti-skid bottom surface which increases its grip on the floor. It also has antibacterial properties to prevent termites or other microbe attacks as well. Overall, it can find a place in your bathroom, patio, terrace or kitchen.</bulletContentRowCell></bulletContentRowBody></bulletContentRow><bulletContentRow name="B07N976QK5_3839857451673808"><bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowHead col="1"></bulletContentRowHead></bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowBody><bulletContentRowCell col="1">This durable plastic stool has a sturdy round sitting surface with anti-bacterial properties.</bulletContentRowCell></bulletContentRowBody></bulletContentRow></bulleteContentBody></bulletContentEmbed><br /><br /><bulletContentEmbed name="B0925ZQTNM" columns="1"><bulletContentHeading name="B0925ZQTNM_head"><div type="image" title="Minimalistic Design" msid="87286824" hostid="261"></div></columnHeadThumb>B0925ZQTNM</columnHeadTitle></columnHead></bulletContentHeading><bulleteContentBody name="B0925ZQTNM_body"><bulletContentRow name="B0925ZQTNM_9724571871670720"><bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowHead col="1">Goldfinch Plastic Multipurpose Stool</bulletContentRowHead></bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowBody><bulletContentRowCell col="1">A multipurpose plastic stool for your kitchen, bedroom and living room area, this stylish product comes with years of functionality. The stool is made up of supreme quality plastic which makes it hard-wearing and it's compact size is an advantage for small spaces. It is assembled and delivered, since it is moulded in one piece. Further, the stool requires no re-tightening, like the other available variants. The minimalistic design of this stool offers seating comfort and high functionality too.</bulletContentRowCell></bulletContentRowBody></bulletContentRow><bulletContentRow name="B0925ZQTNM_3765477129992134"><bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowHead col="1"></bulletContentRowHead></bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowBody><bulletContentRowCell col="1">This multipurpose and economic plastic stool offers seating comfort and high functionality as well.</bulletContentRowCell></bulletContentRowBody></bulletContentRow></bulleteContentBody></bulletContentEmbed><br />

Best plastic stool for home in India

Apologising for unintentionally hurting sentiments, restaurant aggregator <keyword id="830092" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="zomato" source="Orion">Zomato</keyword> on Thursday withdrew an ad after it came under fire for depicting the actor who played the Dalit character <keyword id="1339390" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="kachra" source="Orion">Kachra</keyword> in the film "<keyword id="20409" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="lagaan" source="Orion">Lagaan</keyword>" as items made of recycled waste. The ad, which draws a link between the character Kachra with 'kachra', the Hindi word for garbage, was aired on World Environment Day on June 5. <br /><br /> As ire grew and the ad came under attack on social media for being casteist, the company issued an apology from its official Twitter handle and said the intent was to "spread awareness about the potential of plastic waste and benefits of recycling in a humorous way". <br /><br /> "Unintentionally, we may have hurt the sentiments of certain communities and individuals. We have taken down the video," it said. <br /><br />The ad, aiming to show the food delivery company's recycling efforts, was termed "disgusting", "blatantly casteist", and "extremely insensitive" by netizens on Twitter. "Masaan" director <keyword id="1005369" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="neeraj-ghaywan" source="Orion">Neeraj Ghaywan</keyword>, filmmaker Madhurita Anand and Dalit historian Karunyakara Lella were among those who spoke out. <br /><br />In the nearly two-minute ad, actor Aditya Lakhia, who played the character in the 2001 hit film, is depicted as a lamp, paper, paperweight, watering can, and different types of jackets -- the accompanying text detailing how much recycled 'kachra' was used to make each item. <br /><br />The company in its now-deleted ad on YouTube also claimed it has "recycled 20 million kg of plastic kachra so far". <br /><br />"Zomato voluntarily recycles more than 100% of the plastic used to package orders, and keeps it out of landfills. This 20 million kg of plastic waste, recycled in FY 23 under our 100% plastic-neutral deliveries initiative, can be turned into many items of immense value. We believe in the power of recycling, and kachra - the best spinner in the entire British Raj - does as well," the description of the ad read. <br /><br />Discussing the controversial ad campaign, communications strategy consultant Karthik Srinivasan said Zomato did not think adequately about making the character perform "seemingly dehumanising and menial tasks". <br /><br />"There's a context to Kachra's character in 'Lagaan', and within the larger spectrum of commercial entertainment in India, on how castes are portrayed, and how Dalits, in particular, are portrayed or stereotyped. <br /><br />"Coming from that angle, to see the character perform seemingly dehumanising and menial tasks -- even if he is performing them figuratively, as 'waste' and not his Lagaan character per se -- made the ad seem very awkward," Srinivasan told PTI. <br /><br />He added that Zomato attempted to mine a "kind of sly humour" from the name for waste upcycling/recycling. <br /><br />The video was slammed online for its seemingly casteist overtones. <br /><br />"#Kachra from #Lagaan was one of the most dehumanised voiceless depictions of Dalits ever in cinema. @zomato has used the same character and made a repulsive #casteist commercial. A human stool? Are you serious? Extremely insensitive," Ghaywan wrote on Twitter. <br /><br />Filmmaker Madhurita Anand wrote in reply to Ghaywan's tweet: "That is just so offensive. One has to wonder who these people are who created the advert, approved it and put it online without once thinking about it." <br /><br /> Dalit historian and writer Karunyakara Lella also hit out at Zomato for its "Dalit phobic" advertisement. <br /><br />"Why #Zomato is insensitive to Dalit sentiments? Why it takes liberty to hurt Dalit life by humiliating Dalit Identity? #BoycottZomato for #DalitPhobic #casteracist advertisement," Lella wrote. <br /><br /> Another Twitter user, Sana Satpathy, said Zomato is "beyond disgusting" and its marketing head should be fired immediately. She used the hashtag #BoycottZomato and called for a public apology. <br /><br />The food delivery company has found itself on the wrong side of marketing in the past as well. <br /><br /> In 2017, an outdoor ad campaign in major cities including Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru showed Hindi expletives "MC, BC" as abbreviations for mac n' cheese and butter chicken. <br /><br /> The company later withdrew the ad after backlash on social media. <br /><br /> In 2022, Zomato pulled down an advertisement featuring actor Hrithik Roshan who was shown to be craving for a "thali" (food platter) in Ujjain so he ordered it from "Mahakal". <br /><br />Priests of the famous Mahakaleshwar temple in Madhya Pradesh objected, claiming that it offended Hindu sentiments and demanded its withdrawal. Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Narottam Mishra had issued directives to the police to look into the controversy. <br /><br />The company later apologised clarifying that the "Mahakal" reference was for a restaurant and not the temple. <br /><br /> The character Kachra in "Lagaan" is a polio-affected Dalit. When Aamir Khan's character Bhuvan insists on adding him to the cricket team - the central theme of the film -- after spotting his spinning skills, upper caste members openly reject the idea as he is an "untouchable". However, he ends up playing a crucial role in the cricket match.<br /><br /><strong>SEE ALSO:<br /><a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/bajaj-finserv-after-twitterati-scream-foul-about-pesky-calls-rbi-says-will-look-into-it/articleshow/100849176.cms">After Twitterati screams foul about pesky calls, RBI says 'will look into it'</a><br /></strong><a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/careers/news/hiring-in-india-slowed-down-by-7-in-may-foundit-report/articleshow/100848986.cms"><strong>Hiring in India slowed down by 7% in May: Foundit report</strong></a><br />

Zomato takes down ad depicting 'Lagaan' character Kachra as recycled waste items

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Ibuprofen is toxic to <keyword id="11918126" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="dogs" source="Orion">dogs</keyword> and you should never give it to your pup.</li><li>Just three to six ibuprofen capsules can be deadly for dogs, so keep the medicine in a safe place.</li><li>There are canine-specific pain relievers that you can get from your vet or try natural options.</li></ul><p>It's okay to give your dog certain human drugs, <a href="https://www.insider.com/benadryl-dosage-for-dog" target="_blank" rel="noopener">like Benadryl</a>, but many medications may be dangerous for your pooch, including ibuprofen. </p><p>Ibuprofen is not safe for dogs and can lead to stomach or kidney damage, or even death in some cases. </p><p>If your dog gets injured or has aches and pains, your vet can offer safer medical options, and you can try several at-home methods as well.</p><p>Here's why you can't give your dog ibuprofen and what you can do instead to help an achy pup.</p><h2><strong>Can dogs take ibuprofen?</strong></h2><p>You should never give your dog ibuprofen. The medicine can cause damage to your dog's stomach and kidneys, says <a href="http://www.csuvth.colostate.edu/DirectorySearch/Search/MemberProfile/vth/41390/Meindl/Alison" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Alison Meindl, DVM</a>, a veterinarian, and professor at Colorado State University.</p><p>This is because ibuprofen blocks the activity of an enzyme called <a href="https://www.fda.gov/animal-veterinary/animal-health-literacy/get-facts-about-pain-relievers-pets" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cyclooxygenase</a> (COX). Blocking this enzyme reduces inflammation, but it also stymies the blood flow to your stomach and kidneys. And while this isn't a big deal for humans, it can harm your dog. </p><p>Dogs are more likely to get ibuprofen poisoning than humans for<a href="https://www.fda.gov/animal-veterinary/animal-health-literacy/get-facts-about-pain-relievers-pets" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> three reasons</a>:</p><ol><li>Ibuprofen may last longer in dog's systems.</li><li>Dog stomachs and intestines may absorb ibuprofen more quickly.</li><li>Levels of ibuprofen in the blood can be higher in dogs than humans.</li></ol><p>"Plainly, humans can tolerate a much larger dose than can our pets," says<a href="https://amcma.org/about/staff/dr-travis-arndt" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Travis Arndt, DVM</a>, Director of the Animal Medical Center of Mid-America.</p><p>Too much ibuprofen can have dangerous effects for your dog including stomach ulcers, kidney damage, or seizures, Meindl says.</p><p>"As little as 1,200 mg of ibuprofen could be fatal to a small dog," says Arndt. Drugs like Advil or Motrin usually contain<a href="https://www.advil.ca/content/dam/cf-consumer-healthcare/bp-advil/en_CA/pdf/advil_tablets_insert_english.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> 200 mg per pill</a>, or<a href="https://www.advil.ca/content/dam/cf-consumer-healthcare/bp-advil/en_CA/pdf/advil_extra_strength_caplets_insert_english.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> 400 mg</a> in extra strength caplets, meaning just three to six pills can be deadly.</p><h2><strong>What to do if your dog accidentally takes ibuprofen</strong></h2><p>If your dog accidentally ingests ibuprofen, you should follow these steps:</p><ol><li>Contact your veterinarian immediately — depending on your dog's age, <keyword id="11894571" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="health" source="Orion">health</keyword> conditions, and other factors, your vet may be able to determine the best course of action.</li><li>If your vet is unavailable, call Animal Poison Control at (888)-426-4435 or visit the website at <a href="https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/animal-poison-control">https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/animal-poison-control</a>. They may be able to give you instructions on what type of care your dog needs.</li></ol><p>Your vet or poison control may tell you to induce vomiting in your dog, depending on when they took the medication. "If the ingestion is not noticed within 30-40 minutes of the pet swallowing the medication, it may be too late to induce vomiting," Arndt says.</p><p>"Don't wait for symptoms before you contact your veterinarian, as quick treatment of an overdose is important," Meindl says.</p><h2>Symptoms of ibuprofen poisoning in dogs</h2><p><a href="https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/ibuprofen-poisoning-in-dogs">Ibuprofen poisoning </a>can be extremely dangerous  and could cause problems like:</p><p><strong>Stomach ulcers, </strong>which may cause symptoms like:</p><ul><li>Vomiting with or without blood</li><li>Dark or tarry stools</li><li>Decreased or no appetite</li><li>Lethargy</li></ul><p><strong>Kidney damage, </strong>which may cause symptoms including:</p><ul><li>Increased urination</li><li> Increased drinking</li><li>Vomiting</li><li>Decreased or no appetite</li><li>Lethargy</li><li>More severe overdoses can cause seizures or coma.</li></ul><h2><strong>What can I do to help my dog with pain?</strong></h2><p>There are many other NSAIDs specifically formulated for dogs that are much safer than ibuprofen and can provide good pain control, Meindl says.</p><p>The FDA has approved NSAID medications like<a href="https://www.fda.gov/animal-veterinary/animal-health-literacy/get-facts-about-pain-relievers-pets" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> carprofen and meloxicam</a> for dogs, though they are only available with a prescription from your vet.</p><p>There may also be non-NSAID drugs that can help relieve pain, depending on your dog's health needs. "Your veterinarian can talk with you about the best option(s) for your individual dog," Meindl says.</p><p>There are also some at-home alternatives to pain medication that you can try with your dog. Meindl recommends a few options:</p><ul><li><strong>Icing</strong> with a bag of frozen vegetables or an ice pack covered in a thin towel can be helpful with an acute injury, Meindl says. It's best to do this for about five minutes at a time.</li><li><strong>Heat</strong> can be helpful for a more chronic injury, Meindl says, but you need to follow certain safety guidelines:</li><ul><li>"Never place a heating pad on a dog as they cannot communicate that it is too hot and it is easy to burn their skin," says Meindl.</li><li>Instead, microwave a wet washcloth until it is warm to the touch, place the cloth in a plastic bag, and apply to the affected area for five minutes, Meindl says.</li></ul><li><strong>Gentle massage</strong> can also be helpful for aches.</li></ul><p>"You should have your dog evaluated by a veterinarian before starting any of these treatments in order to make sure that the treatment is appropriate for the injury," Meindl says.</p><h2><strong>Insider's takeaway</strong></h2><p>Ibuprofen can be dangerous to dogs and may put them at risk for organ damage or even death. Always keep medication out of reach of pets and contact your vet or poison control if you think your dog may have ingested something.</p><p>"If you suspect your pet is in pain, reach out to your veterinarian for an appointment and advice as soon as possible," Arndt says. Your vet may be able to find a good pain treatment regimen that's safe for your pup.</p>

Why you should never give your dog ibuprofen — and what to give them instead

<p><strong></strong></p><ul class="summary-list"><li>Some viruses spread more easily than others depending on the mode of transmission.</li><li>Viruses that are transmitted through skin-to-skin contact, like Hepatitis B, are harder to spread than viruses that are transmitted by respiratory droplets, like influenza.</li><li>Here are tips on how to protect yourself against viruses and prevent their spread by<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/coronavirus-cleaning-advice-your-phone-home-hands-2020-3" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> disinfecting surfaces</a>,<a href="https://www.insider.com/how-long-should-you-wash-your-hands"> washing hands</a>, and more.</li></ul><p>"<keyword id="10860" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="60" keywordseo="Virus">Virus</keyword>" is a word we hear thrown around a lot. But what exactly is a virus? Biologically speaking, viruses are tiny microorganisms, <a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/infectious-diseases/expert-answers/infectious-disease/faq-20058098">even smaller than bacteria</a>, made up of DNA or RNA.</p><p>What that means for us is that the genetic material carried by the virus can cause a wide variety of diseases, ranging from the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/best-products-remedies-to-cure-cold-fast">common cold</a> to more serious longer-lasting diseases such as HIV and AIDS. </p><p>Once a virus gets inside of an organism, like a human, it's genetic material allows it to <a href="https://medlineplus.gov/viralinfections.html">damage or change cells</a> in order to multiply rapidly. And if your immune system can't fight it off, the viral illness can prove fatal. In this article, we discuss how viruses spread and how you can protect yourself against infection.  </p><h2>How transmission happens</h2><p>Depending on the type of virus, it can be spread through <strong>sneezes, coughs, sexual contact, shared needles, or fecal-to-oral transmission</strong>, according to <a href="https://ph.ucla.edu/faculty/klausner">Jeffrey D. Klausner, MD, MPH</a>, Professor of Medicine and Public <keyword id="6354750" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="health">Health</keyword> at UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine and Fielding School of Public Health. </p><p>"For this <strong><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/coronavirus-covid19-day-by-day-symptoms-patients-2020-2">Coronavirus 19</a></strong>, we're specifically speaking about <strong>respiratory droplets </strong>that can be spread between three to six feet from sneezing or coughing, and from contaminated secretions that could be on people's hands, doorknobs, or [other] devices," he says. </p><p>With other viruses, such as <strong><a href="https://www.insider.com/what-are-the-symptoms-of-the-flu">influenza (the flu)</a></strong>, transmission is also mostly through <strong>respiratory droplets.</strong> The flu <a href="https://www.insider.com/is-the-flu-contagious">is most contagious</a> within four days of first getting it. On the other hand, measles is more contagious because its primary mode of transmission is airborne, meaning that the virus particles can <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MKAHNoni0KI">stay suspended in the air</a> for up to two hours where an infected person has coughed or sneezed.<br /><br />Viruses like <strong>Hepatitis B or HIV</strong> require direct sexual contact and either <strong>shared bodily fluids or blood.</strong> Generally speaking, this makes them harder to transmit compared to the common cold, says Klausner. </p><p>Another way viruses can be transmitted is through <strong>skin-to-skin contact</strong>, like kissing, in the case of <a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/hpv-infection/symptoms-causes/syc-20351596#:~:text=HPV%20infection%20occurs%20when%20the,contact%20in%20the%20genital%20region.">human <strong>papillomavirus (HPV)</strong></a><strong> or <a href="https://www.plannedparenthood.org/learn/stds-hiv-safer-sex/herpes">herpes simplex virus (HSV)</a></strong>, for example. HSV can also be <a href="http://www.childrenshospital.org/conditions-and-treatments/conditions/n/neonatal-herpes-simplex/symptoms-and-causes">transmitted from mother to baby</a> during labor. </p><p>A virus can also be <strong>transmitted by inanimate objects</strong>, if bodily fluids, mucus, or respiratory droplets are left on a surface, like a doorknob. Klausner says viruses can exist on a surface and potentially cause infection for up to a few hours. According to <a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/flu/expert-answers/infectious-disease/faq-20057907">Mayo Clinic</a>, viruses will exist longer on harder surfaces – like plastic or stainless steel – than on soft fabric surfaces like clothing or pillows. (Here's how to properly <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/coronavirus-cleaning-advice-your-phone-home-hands-2020-3">disinfect everyday objects</a>.)</p><p><strong>Animals can transmit viruses to humans</strong>, which is why it's extremely important to be cautious when cooking raw meat from any animal — exotic or wild animals are especially risky. "When we cook animals, whether it be steak or fish or chicken, we kill these viruses and bacteria. But it's by preparing raw animals and the products that we expose ourselves [to the viruses]," says Klausner. Also when preparing foods, it is important to remember that viruses and bacteria can be transmitted from the fecal-to-mouth route, meaning through the stool. <a href="https://www.insider.com/how-long-should-you-wash-your-hands">Handwashing</a> is of paramount importance.</p><p>Getting blood or infected tissue from an animal on your hands can transmit a virus to you, and then you can pass it on to others. Meats that are eaten raw or mostly raw (like sushi or steak tartare) do come along with some risk – but professional chefs at restaurants know how to prepare these meats in a way that kills the potential viruses and bacteria. So leave these kinds of dishes to the pros. </p><p>While a virus can be transmitted anywhere, there are some places that have higher rates of transmission. According to Klausner, anywhere where people are "<a href="https://www.insider.com/when-is-flu-season">in close contact</a>" is at high risk – including nursing homes, prisons, institutionalized settings, colleges, and boarding schools. After that, you have public and mass transportation, like trains, planes, and buses. </p><h2>How to prevent transmission</h2><p>There are measures you can take to protect yourself from viruses. According to Klausner, the best way to avoid getting a viral infection is to stay away from sick people, regularly wash your hands (<a href="https://www.insider.com/how-long-should-you-wash-your-hands">the right way</a>), and avoid touching your nose, mouth, and face. </p><p>You should also try to maintain general good health, which makes your body stronger and better equipped to fight off viruses. <a href="https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/16769-how-to-avoid-catching-the-flu-and-other-viral-illnesses#:~:text=Wash%20your%20hands%20with%20soap,ensure%20you're%20getting%20antioxidants.">Stay healthy by</a> eating a well balanced, nutrient-rich diet, taking vitamins (<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/colds-flu-vitamins-supplements-2016-12">the right ones</a>), and getting enough sleep. It's also a good idea to regularly <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/best-disinfecting-cleaner">disinfect surfaces</a> in your home. Also, when it comes to influenza, you should <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/hcp/vis/vis-statements/flu.html#:~:text=CDC%20recommends%20everyone%206%20months,get%20vaccinated%20every%20flu%20season.&amp;text=Each%20year%20a%20new%20flu,may%20still%20provide%20some%20protection.ion.">get your flu shot every year</a>.</p><p>If you catch a virus, there are ways to prevent spreading it. The best way is to keep away from others, which can mean staying home from school or work and keeping your distance from family members or roommates. Aside from that, here are other things you can do to <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/features/rhinoviruses/index.html">prevent passing your virus on</a>:</p><ul><li>Wash your hands routinely and use an <a href="https://www.insider.com/does-hand-sanitizer-work">alcohol-based hand sanitizer</a> when soap and water isn't available.</li><li>Wear a mask if you <em>must</em> go out while you're sick.</li><li>Clean the surfaces of your home and frequently touched items (including cell phones) with disinfectants.</li><li>Cough or sneeze into your elbow, not into your mouth.</li><li>Throw out tissues immediately instead of leaving them around.</li><li>Wash your hands after blowing your nose. </li><li>Do not share needles if your virus is bloodborne.</li><li>Use protection during sex if your virus is sexually transmitted.</li><li>Disclose your virus status to others so they can make informed decisions. </li></ul><p>Whether you're already sick and trying to not pass the virus on, or you're healthy and want to ward off <keyword id="64150" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Germs">germs</keyword>, make sure you're removing viruses from surfaces the correct way. Klausner recommends using bleach-based wipes, hydrogen peroxide-based wipes, or general antiseptic wipes. Make sure you allow the surface to dry completely before touching it, as the drying process is very important in decontamination since it will allow cells to evaporate. </p><p>As long as you're taking all the proper preventative measures to protect yourself from viruses, you don't have to panic.</p><h1>Related stories about staying healthy:</h1><ul><li><strong><a href="https://www.insider.com/does-hand-sanitizer-work">Does hand sanitizer work? The difference between sanitizer and soap</a></strong></li><li><strong><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/best-hand-soap">The best hand soap</a></strong></li><li><strong><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/best-hand-sanitizers">The best hand sanitizer</a></strong></li><li><strong><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/best-disinfecting-cleaner">The best disinfecting cleaners</a></strong></li></ul>

How do viruses spread and how to protect yourself against infection

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In India,<a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/The-9-most-unconventional-courses-in-Indian-colleges-you-can-pursue/articleshow/51442075.cms"> several professions</a> being passed on within families from one generation to the next have become redundant in 21st Century modern India, thanks to the economic restructuring. The last two decades have completely transformed India's cities. Traditional industries have been rendered redundant and new technologies have outdone the need of laborious tasks. <br />
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We bring you pictures from the new book, <em>The Lost Generation</em>, by author <keyword id="3295934" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Nidhi-Dugar-Kundalia">Nidhi Dugar Kundalia</keyword> and those by photographer <keyword id="1759466" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="clare-arni">Clare Arni</keyword> – both of whom have been chronicling "dying professions" of India.<br />
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First up - Those by Nidhi: <br />
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<strong><keyword id="58099" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Scribes">Scribes</keyword> of Old Delhi</strong><br />

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<br /> Back in the Mughal era, <keyword id="52564" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="calligraphy">calligraphy</keyword> was considered a virtuous and pious act. Members of the royal family often learnt calligraphy from the finest experts and offered them high positions in their courts. Wasim Ahmed, a scribe and teacher of Urdu, Persian and Arabic calligraphy, has been practising the art for over 30 years now. He once inscribed books and made hand-drawn posters and they then went to the printers to be replicated and were sold to people who believed the sacred verses would bring them good luck. But Mr Ahmed and others like him have long lost the patronage and the benefits that came with calligraphy after the introduction of Urdu font on computers.<br />
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<strong>Professional mourners of Rajasthan</strong><br />

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In the Thar desert in the western states of Rajasthan, where women from privileged and upper-caste backgrounds are expected to preserve their dignity by not exhibiting their emotions in front of commoners, the lower-caste rudaalis are called in to mourn for them. They cry out aloud, toss their heads, and wail to the heavens, beating their chests and slapping the ground in front of them. This goes on for 12 days after a death. Over the years, families now prefer sophisticated, quieter funerals with rising literacy rates and migrations. Rudaalis are therefore increasingly losing their relevance.<br />
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<strong><keyword id="3295936" type="POSITION" weightage="20" keywordseo="street-dentist">Street dentist</keyword> of Baroda</strong><br />

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Amrit Singh's humble office is a street shop outside MS Baroda University. There's no mortar-and-brick structure, no ritzy chairs, no surgical light head. What you find is a few dentures, bottles and a tin box that holds extra dental tools. He makes his patients sit on a bamboo stool boot out any pain from their mouth with his corroded set of pliers. The street dentists in modern India learned their skills mostly from the Hubei community of China, who came looking for work in India in the early 1900s. Post-independence, regulations in dentistry practices were introduced, rendering street dentistry illegal but they continued to thrive in the dark underbelly of the country, tending to those for whom licensed dental services are still unaffordable.<br />
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	<strong>Genealogist of Haridwar</strong><br />
	
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	After a death, male members in Indian families travel down to Haridwar to cremate their kins by pouring their ashes in the Ganga. The ceremony conducted by the family "panda" - priests who double up as genealogists. They are also in charge of the family register, of updating the family's genealogical tree with details of marriages, births and deaths. The reason for their existence has to do with the Hindu belief that the family is everlasting and comprehensive and that each Hindu must "look out" for his ancestors and perform ceremonies for their journey heavenwards and immortalise them by recording their names in the genealogical registers known as "vahis". Over the years, digitisation of their records and increasing scientific worldview are eating into the pandas' work but those like Mahendra Kumar continue to work.<br /><br />
	 
<strong>Ittarwallah of Hyderabad</strong><br />

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Before they bought a box-sized shop, Syed Abdul Gaffar's ancestors sold ittars from a wooden box that hung around their necks, walking the streets. They moved about the lanes of the old city that were lined with the homes of nobles and relatives of the Nawabs. The ittarwallahs would be invited in and the women would buy their scented wares - a vial of "raat ki rani", a flowery scent reminiscent of breathing the warm night air, or jasmine that would lure their husbands to their beds. Mr Gaffar now sells the ittar (perfumes) he makes to the few discerning customers who still have a nose for it. There is an increasing demand for branded synthetic perfumes which are more cost effective. But he refuses to make them, says it’s immoral.<br />
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Next up are those by British-born Clare Arni:<br />
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<strong>Tinning Process, Delhi</strong><br />

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Copper is one of the best metals for conducting heat and was often used in cooking vessels, so that the heat spread evenly across the surface of the pot. The metal can, however, react with acidic foods to produce toxins, so in workshops like these the pots are lined with tin on the inside. This profession is now vanishing due to the availability of cheaper stainless steel vessels.<br />
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<strong>Woon Son Shoes, Kolkata</strong><br />

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Christopher Francis Lin’s card said that he was an ‘Expert footwear designer and shoemaker’. At one time, each of the shoe moulds – or lasts, as they're called in the trade – were custom made to the shape and size of the customer's feet. But now, they sizes are standarised. “Then it was good money.”<br />
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<strong>The Potter, Duza Siguiera, Goa</strong><br />

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Several members of Duza Siguiera family work together in a small red laterite workshop producing hand-pinched pots. The market has become less as everyone is using plastic and stainless steel despite the fact that it’s good to use terracotta for health. <br />
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(Image source: Clare Arni)<br />

The 8 dying professions of India

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div>While seeking a higher <keyword id="6355445" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Education">education</keyword>, society expects you to live in a 15' x 15' box with another person.</p>
<p>Welcome to the tedium of dorm life, where the mattresses are hard, the walls are white, and everyone gets the same furniture like some communist utopia.</p>
<p>Luckily, there are a few easy ways to your room so much more livable. Keep reading to see 14 easy college dorm hacks.</p>
<p><strong>1. Loft your bed.</strong> This one's tricky, but raising your bed will create more space in your room, and you can always find an intrepid engineering major in your hall if you need a hand. Once lofted, you can put your desk, a small couch, or storage boxes underneath your bed.</p>
<p>Lofting can be dangerous if done incorrectly, so check with your university first to see if it's allowed or if they provide adjustable loft beds on campus.</p>
<p><strong><div class="KonaFilter image-container float_right"><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div>2. If you can't loft your bed, buy bed risers.</strong> Bed risers come in a range of sizes, and create more storage space under your dorm bed. Some even come with additional electrical and USB outlets, too.</p>
<p><strong>3. Create a DIY headboard.</strong> Dorm room twin beds are not very attractive, but you can spruce yours up by creating your own headboard. All you'll need is cardboard or plywood, quilt batting, fabric, and a staple gun.</p>
<p>Cut out a rectangle (or your own design) from the cardboard or plywood, making sure it will be wide enough to rest on the rail of your bed. Fit a layer of quilt batting to the board and staple. Then lay your chosen fabric over the quilt batting, and secure in the back with more staples. <a href="http://www.starsforstreetlights.com/2012/09/how-to-make-simple-headboard.html" target="_blank">Click here to see one blogger's DIY</a>.</p>
<p>Once your headboard is complete, slide it between the back of the bed and the mattress, and rest on the rail.</p>
<p><strong>4. Hang removable wallpaper.</strong> If your school allows it, decorate one of your blank walls with a sheet of removable wallpaper. It will brighten up the space, and make it feel homier and less like a stark white box.</p>
<p>You can find removable wallpaper at sites like <a href="http://tempaperdesigns.com/" target="_blank">Tempaper</a> and <a href="http://www.chasingpaper.com/" target="_blank">Chasing Paper</a>, or <a href="https://www.etsy.com/market/removable_wallpaper" target="_blank">Etsy</a>.</p>
<p><strong>5. Buy a floor ottoman.</strong> Floor ottomans can be used as additional seating, storage space, or as a stepping stool. You can easily find options for under $50 at <a href="http://www.target.com/s?searchTerm=ottoman+storage&amp;category=0|All|matchallpartial|all+categories&amp;lnk=snav_sbox_ottoman+storage#navigation=true&amp;searchTerm=ottoman+storage&amp;sortBy=relevance&amp;facetedValue=5zja4&amp;&amp;Nao=0&amp;viewType=medium&amp;category=0|All|matchallpartial|all%20categories" target="_blank">Target</a> or <a href="http://www.walmart.com/c/kp/storage-ottomans?facets=price%3A%2420+-+%2450" target="_blank">Wal-Mart</a>.</p>
<p><strong><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_left"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div>6. Frame your posters and photos with colorful Japanese 'washi' tape.</strong> The colorful, easily removable tape comes in a variety of colors and patterns, and will give your photos a frame without having to buy or hang one.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.cutetape.com/shop/japanese-washi-masking-tape.html" target="_blank">CuteTape.com</a> has a lot of color and style options to choose from.</p>
<p><strong>7. Invest in a deluxe mattress topper.</strong> A durable and thick mattress pad will make a world of difference on your tiny dorm bed. Memory foam toppers that are over an inch thick are ideal (don't worry about getting a twin XL - a twin-sized mattress pad will work fine).</p>
<p>Pick out quality sheets, a duvet/duvet cover, plus soft pillows for the best bed ever.</p>
<p><strong>8. Hang over-the-door shoe organizers for extra storage.</strong> Plastic over-the-door shoe organizers can be used to store extra shampoo bottles, hair brushes, make up, candy, water bottles or any other miscellaneous objects that need a home. <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/akikoross/uses-for-clear-shoe-organizers/" target="_blank">See this Pinterest board for inspiration</a>. </p>
<p><strong>9. Label your power cords.</strong> Write "computer," "phone," "lamp," etc. on masking tape, and secure to each power cord so you always know what you're unplugging.</p>
<p>You can also use <a href="http://i.imgur.com/xe0uh.jpg" target="_blank">colorful bread tags</a> if you're feeling crafty.</p>
<p><strong>10. If you can't have curtains, wallpaper your window shade.</strong> Buying a curtain rod at Target is easy, but if you can't or don't want curtains in your dorm, use removable wallpaper on your existing window shade. It will add pattern and style to the room. <a href="http://www.marthastewart.com/272820/wallpaper-window-shade" target="_blank">Martha Stewart has an excellent rundown</a> of how to do it.</p>
<p><strong><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div>11. Use soda can tabs on hangers to hang more stuff.</strong> Pry off your soda can tab and slip onto the hanger's hook. You can now easily <a href="http://pad3.whstatic.com/images/thumb/d/d8/Reuse-Soda-Can-Tabs-Into-Closet-Organizer-Double-Hanger-Step-4-Version-2.jpg/670px-Reuse-Soda-Can-Tabs-Into-Closet-Organizer-Double-Hanger-Step-4-Version-2.jpg" target="_blank">hang another hanger from the empty hole of the tab</a>, thereby giving you more space in your tiny dorm closet.</p>
<p><strong>12. Put velcro on your TV remote.</strong> If you're lucky enough to have a TV in your dorm room,  you might find that the remote disappears behind beds, couches, and doors very easily.</p>
<p>Save yourself the trouble and put velcro on the back. Choose a convenient spot like your desk, bed, or wall to stick the remote to so that you know where it is at all times.</p>
<p><strong>13. Buy command hooks and strips.</strong> These <a href="http://www.command.com/wps/portal/3M/en_US/NACommand/Command/?WT.mc_id=www.command.com&amp;WT.ctod=12:43" target="_blank">genius strips and hooks</a> can hang Christmas lights, picture frames, and anything else you may want to put on your walls without creating nail holes. Find them at any convenience store.</p>
<p><strong>14. Use space-saver bags to store out-of-season clothes.</strong> Clothes take up a lot of space, and there's really no point in hanging your sweaters and winter jackets when it's still 90 degrees. Put unwanted items in a space saver bag, and keep it under your bed until the seasons turn.</p>

14 Simple Hacks To Upgrade Your College Dorm Room

<p><strong></strong></p><ul class="summary-list"><li><strong>Amie T. Keener</strong> is a registered interior designer and associate at Gensler.</li><li>Many people may have set up their home offices not expecting to be there for the long haul, but it's becoming increasingly clear we may be home for several more months.</li><li>Now you may be scrambling to create a better <keyword id="107407" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Home-Office">home office</keyword>.</li><li>But before you do so, pay attention to these possible pitfalls, especially when ordering furniture online.</li></ul><p>Like many others, I initially thought we would be working from home just a couple of weeks.</p><p>I set up a bar height bistro table in the corner of the living room as my desk space. But, as the weeks passed, I moved my desk to the other side of the room to face out the window to take in nature, and occasionally, I'll see a hummingbird quickly dashing around the yard.  </p><div type="image" title="Amie Keener" height="508" width="508" msid="77854061" hostid="261"></div><p>If you're looking — or needing — to improve your home office with some new furniture and accessories, it may be quick, easy, and inexpensive to order something online. Yes, there are many great resources out there. But a word of caution: look out for the following common pitfalls.    </p><h2><strong>Cost</strong></h2><p>Do you have a budget? Establish one up front. Include items like desks, chair, task light, ergonomic tools. Likely items are bookcase, file cabinet, and maybe rug or flooring material. Also consider accessories such as artwork and plants as they can enhance overall well-being in the space.   </p><h2><strong>Size </strong></h2><p>Grab a tape measure and test out what new furniture will look like in the space.  Consider taping it out on the floor with masking tape or cutting out newspaper or a cardboard box the size you are considering.  </p><h2><strong>Ergonomic factors</strong></h2><p>We are all spending more time in our home offices. Comfort is important, and good ergonomic solutions are even more essential. Do you need a desk and task chair? Or would you benefit from soft seating, like a lounge chair or sofa for some of your work?</p><p>Do you like to stand up and work? Maybe a bar height table and stools make more sense for you. </p><h2><strong>Location</strong> </h2><p>Does your home office space have enough light? Will you be on video calls? Natural light can always improve how we look over video. Seek out light sources from a variety of angles. Avoid all down lighting. You want to make sure to provide the best representation of yourself on video.</p><p>Consider the animals in your home: Do they find your workspace cozy too? I'm allergic to cats, but I get a kick out of seeing my co-worker's furry friends jump into the view of the camera. Having an animal join our calls has been a nice treat on occasion.</p><p>Take intp account the noise near your home office workspace; if you are on a morning conference call, will the sound of your toddler in the background alarm your coworkers?</p><p>Consider the temperature of your office space: Is it hot, will you need to add a fan or something to circulate the air? Will the noise of the fan get picked up on conference calls and sound like a jet?  </p><h2><strong>Connectivity</strong></h2><p>Do you need power/data cords? I miss my motorized sit-to-stand desk at the office. Consider cord lengths and distance from wall outlets. Will you need to connect to printer, screen, speakers, camera, etc.? You don't want to create deathly tripping hazards or risks of overloading electrical outlets/circuits.</p><p>I found my internet speed improved by connecting an ethernet cable directly into the router. If you can place your workspace as close to the router you may minimize future technology headaches.   </p><h2><strong>Product</strong></h2><p>Where is the product coming from? What is involved with shipping and handling? Most <keyword id="2191904" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="office-furniture">office furniture</keyword> today is blended with parts from around the globe. Does the company have customer support here in the US? </p><h2><strong>Freight</strong> </h2><p>Is the product insured as it goes from the factory to your home? What if there's freight damage? It's rare, but something to consider, with unknown shipping sources.</p><p>Stick to a reliable company that provides insurance, like the US Postal Service, UPS, FedEx, etc. How much time will it take you to chase down the right part?  </p><h2><strong>Assembly</strong></h2><p>Does it require you putting it together? Do you have the right skill set, tools and patience to assemble the new furniture?  If not, it's critical to find someone who can help in an affordable and efficient manner.</p><h2><strong>Warranty</strong></h2><p>What happens if your new furniture is all set up and a few weeks pass, and something breaks? Read the fine print; what is the warranty on the product you are purchasing?   </p><h2><strong>Care and maintenance</strong></h2><p>You want your furniture to last and be germ free as much as possible. Wood is always a nice feature for desks, but are you willing to take care and responsibility for it?</p><p>Are you like me, who often eats lunch at my desk? Maybe plastic laminate or metal surfaces are more logical for your space.   </p><p>I suspect we will be working from home in some form or fashion in the coming months, so it's important to have a well thought out home office furniture solution. We love our families and roommates, but it's beneficial to have a quiet place to break away in your home.</p><p>Also, you may find yourself using your home office workspace for other uses (paying bills, making out grocery lists, meal planning, writing letters, etc.). Flexible and adaptable solutions are valuable in more ways in one.</p><p><strong><em>Amie T. Keener</em></strong><em>, RID, IIDA, LEED AP, CDT is a registered Interior Designer and Associate at Gensler. With more than 20 years of experience in the commercial building industry, Amie's professional career is a robust blend of commercial interiors projects for energy, automotive, financial services, technology, and professional services firms. Currently, her focus is on furniture services, where she helps develop and implement furniture standards for clients.</em></p>

10 ways to optimize your home office and the biggest mistakes to avoid, according to an interior designer

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span><a href="https://www.instagram.com/harrisonxjacobs/">Harrison Jacobs/Business Insider</a></span></p><p class="caption">Good food doesn't always come with frills.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><ul class="summary-list"><li>What I have found after traveling to dozens of countries and eating at restaurants both fancy and not is that good food doesn't have to be complicated. Most often, you're paying for the setting and the ambiance at a top-notch restaurant.</li><li><strong>I recently visited one of the most decorated<span> </span><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/luxury-hotels">luxury hotels</a><span> </span>in the world, the<span> </span><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/burj-al-arab-dubai-worlds-most-luxurious-hotel-2018-12">Burj Al Arab</a><span> </span>in<span> </span><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/dubai">Dubai,</a><span> </span>to try its flagship restaurant, Al Mahara, an over-the-top spot where checks that can easily top $400 for two people.</strong></li><li>A month later, I ate at a small local fish restaurant in <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/morocco">Morocco</a> that served up what I'd consider to be some of the world's best sardines for $1 a plate. It was a better meal than the $266 fish I had in Dubai.</li><li>If all you care about is good food, you can find that anywhere, so long as you are willing to explore and take the risk. It just has to have good, fresh ingredients.</li></ul><p>Like a lot of <keyword id="6354692" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Travel">travel</keyword> addicts, I have found that my chief pleasure on the road is not being waited on hand-and-foot at some <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/rihanna-kate-hudson-atzaro-ibiza-agrotourism-hotel-review-2018-9">gilded hotel</a>, or marveling at a thousand-year-old <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/egypt-pyramids-of-giza-look-like-2019-1">stone monument</a>. </p><p>Instead, it is trying to see through the eyes of someone who appears to have nothing in common with me and finding, a bowl of ramen or a stick of suya beef later, that we're looking for the same thing.</p><p>The most accessible connector is usually food. As dozens of travel writers have observed, food <em>is</em> culture. It is an unfiltered expression of a people's values, language, and history, served up on a plate or in a bowl or, in some cases, on a banana leaf.</p><p>There's a reason <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/best-chinese-food-in-china-authentic-photos-2018-5">Chinese meals</a> are almost always served communally. There's a reason nearly every culture has a dumpling-like dish. There's a reason the hottest places in the world tend to have the spiciest food.</p><p>At this point, I've eaten at more than a few mind-numbingly fancy restaurants: places with Michelin-starred chefs, tasting menus longer than an essay, and tabs that could pay most people's rent. I'd be lying if I said there isn't a guilty thrill in eating a perfectly seared foie gras or scooping caviar onto a blini with a dollop of sour cream.</p><p><em><strong>Read More:</strong> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/travel-tip-find-healthy-good-cheap-food-2018-11">I've been traveling the world for 6 months and I use the same trick in any city I visit to make sure I find amazing food</a></em></p><p>There are certainly chefs who earn their hefty price tags. Often, they turn meals into works of art, where every flavor is complemented and balanced. Other times, the price is justified by the rarity and freshness of the ingredients. </p><p>As often as not, though, you aren't missing anything by opting to not sell your kidney and skipping the latest uber-hyped restaurant. The tastiest and most revealing meals I've had are almost always at the street cart, the fisherman's stall, or the hole-in-the-wall, whether in New York or in some far-flung destination.</p><p>I've experienced what I would call culinary whiplash many times: that moment where you realize the $5 grub was better than the fancy meal you just spent a whole bunch of money on. Most recently it happened in Morocco.</p><p><span><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span><a href="https://www.instagram.com/harrisonxjacobs">Harrison Jacobs/Business Insider</a></span></p><p class="caption">Al Mahara is the flagship restaurant at the&#xa0;Burj Al Arab&#xa0;in&#xa0;Dubai.</p></div><p></p></div></div></span></p><h2>Nathan Outlaw is considered one of the best seafood chefs in the world</h2><p>In November, I stayed at the<span> </span><a href="https://www.jumeirah.com/en/hotels-resorts/dubai/burj-al-arab/">Burj Al Arab</a>, a Dubai hotel frequently described by travel writers and critics as the most luxurious in the world. The Burj's flagship restaurant, Al Mahara, is currently helmed by the Michelin-starred British chef<span> </span><a href="https://nathan-outlaw.com/">Nathan Outlaw</a>. Staying at the Burj for a story, I had to eat there.</p><p>Outlaw's main restaurant, Restaurant Nathan Outlaw in the United Kingdom, has two Michelin stars and is considered one of the best restaurants in the world. <span>Outlaw is known for his pared-back approach to seafood. </span></p><p><span>While I can't speak to his main restaurant, I suspect that his culinary ethos is chasing that feeling of eating fish pulled by a fisherman straight from the sea to the grill. Seafood that shines because of its freshness.</span></p><p><span>Al Mahara appears to have a slightly more maximalist take on seafood, perhaps to better fit the golden surroundings of the Burj.</span></p><p><em><strong>Read More:</strong> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nathan-outlaw-al-mahara-burj-al-arab-2018-12">I ate at the flagship restaurant of the $1 billion hotel considered the most luxurious in the world and quickly realized the $500 price tag wasn't for the caviar and oysters</a></em></p><p><span>The centerpiece of the dining room, designed before Outlaw took over, is a floor-to-ceiling, 260,000-gallon aquarium filled with fish. The entrance to the restaurant is a golden seashell. The menu is marked by oysters, caviar, lobster, and a </span>vividly orange Porthilly crab sauce, a concoction used at all of Outlaw's restaurants that tastes like a buttery bisque. Checks can easily top $500 for two people. </p><p>While there on assignment, I ordered the salt-baked whole sea bass ($266). It was both simple and theatrical, arriving encased in salt and filleted tableside.  The fish was as fresh and tender as you'd expect in a dish the price of a smartphone, but it wasn't like I was licking the plate. It was, more or less, just that: a big fish. There was plenty left over. My mother is somewhere screaming about the money I wasted.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span><a href="https://www.instagram.com/harrisonxjacobs">Harrison Jacobs/Business Insider</a></span></p><p class="caption">I ordered the salt-baked whole sea bass ($266) while dining at Al Mahara.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><h2>But I found the fish at a modest restaurant on the Moroccan coast even better</h2><p>Then last month, I visited Essaouira, a quiet gem of a city on the Moroccan coast. Just about anywhere in a place like Essaouira, there is fresh, tasty fish. Many Moroccans vacation there simply to enjoy the seafood. It's much the same in other seaside locales, whether it's Busan, Korea, Taganga, Colombia, or Fujian, China. Fresh seafood is a way of life.</p><p>As I ventured outside the tourist-filled medina, I spotted a small restaurant. There was a smoky grill out front and a butcher and fish seller on either side. If you wanted, you could buy a fish or a slab of meat and pay the cook at the restaurant to grill it up for you. </p><p>Locals sat on plastic stools at small tables underneath a tarpaulin and drank mint tea while waiting for the cook to bring over heaping plates of fresh sardines. Moroccan sardines are <a href="https://www.waystocap.com/blog/how-to-import-canned-sardines-from-morocco-2/">considered by many to be the best in the world</a>.</p><p>After fumbling through terrible French and Spanish, my partner and I had ordered two plates of sardines and two bowls of harira, a typical tomato-based lentil soup. The total price for each of us was $1.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span><a href="https://www.instagram.com/harrisonxjacobs/">Harrison Jacobs/Business Insider</a></span></p><p class="caption">Moroccan sardines are considered by many to be the best in the world.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><h2>A high price tag doesn't always signify a great meal, but neither does a low one</h2><p>There's a danger to glorifying authenticity and cheapness in food. As Eater's Sara Jay <a href="https://ny.eater.com/2019/1/18/18183973/authenticity-yelp-reviews-white-supremacy-trap">recently wrote</a>, authenticity is often code for cheap and has racial implications (for example, the connotation that all Asian or Mexican food <em>should</em> be cheap).</p><p>It's a little different when traveling. The fish was $1 because it's the fair price for Moroccans, most of whom earn a fraction of what Americans do. Not because New Yorkers refuse to pay more than a $1 a taco unless the guacamole is made <em>table-side</em>. I would have happily paid far more for it.</p><p>The fish was exquisite. It had been fished that day. The only seasoning was a splash of salt and, if you wanted, a squeeze of lime. Each small fish had a perfect char. I ate the whole plate, despite being full halfway through.</p><p><em><strong>Read More:</strong> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/best-travel-advice-skip-attractions-that-dont-interest-you-2018-10">I traveled the world for 6 months, and here's the single best piece of advice I can give you for any trip you take</a></em></p><p>When it comes to seafood, there is no substitute for fresh fish cooked simply. No amount of money can change that.</p><p>What you're usually paying for in a luxury restaurant like Al Mahara is the ambiance, the setting, and the excellent service. There's no doubt that many people, when celebrating a special occasion or wanting to have a romantic night out, want that atmosphere. There's nothing wrong with that. Outside a handful of restaurants with truly sublime chefs, that's why you're paying the higher price tag. </p><p>The local grill has an ambiance, too. It's smoky and cacophonous, with tea glasses slammed down and plates served up without ceremony. For me, it's a more fun place to eat. Occasionally, the food is bad. That's the risk you take. More often, the food is better. </p><p>As Anthony Bourdain wrote in his seminal "<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Kitchen-Confidential-Adventures-Culinary-Underbelly-ebook/dp/B002UM5BXW">Kitchen Confidential</a>," <span>"Good food is very often, even most often, simple food." What he meant is that you don't need a lot of frou-frou cooking or complicated recipes to eat well. Just good, fresh ingredients.</span></p><p><span> You can get that anywhere, if you know where to look and what to order.</span></p><ul class="read-more-links"><li><strong>More about visiting Dubai from Business Insider's international correspondent:</strong></li><li><section><p><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nathan-outlaw-al-mahara-burj-al-arab-2018-12">I ate at the flagship restaurant of the $1 billion hotel considered the most luxurious in the world and quickly realized the $500 price tag wasn't for the caviar and oysters</a></p><section><p><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/burj-al-arab-dubai-worlds-most-luxurious-hotel-2018-12">I didn't think the $1 billion hotel considered 'the most luxurious in the world' could live up to the hype. I was wrong.</a></p><p><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/dubai-united-arab-emirates-art-middle-east-africa-2018-12">Dubai is already a tourist favorite, and now the city's sights are set on the next milestone: becoming the center of art in the Middle East and Africa</a></p><section><p><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/dubai-development-tourism-workers-problem-2018-12">Dubai's futuristic metropolis came at the cost of hundreds of thousands of workers. Recommending it to tourists feels wrong.</a></p><section><p><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/middle-east-falcons-uae-training-2019-1">I woke up at dawn to follow a top falconer training the fastest creatures on earth to compete for $7 million in prizes, and found the Middle East's oldest pastime grisly and thrilling</a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/cairo-most-polluted-city-in-the-world-americans-air-pollution-2018-11" data-read-more-link="" data-e2e-name="read-more-link"></a></p></section></section></section></section></li></ul>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nasa-earth-supervolcano-apocalypse-2019-1">NASA has a $3.5 billion idea to save Earth from a supervolcano apocalypse</a></h3>        <div>                    </div>    </div>

After a $500 meal at the world's most luxurious hotel, I stumbled across a $1 fish restaurant on the Moroccan coast - and I'd pick the cheaper one every time

<ul class="summary-list"><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/category/foley">Foley</a> artists create the sounds of a character's movements and interactions with the world that you hear in <a href="https://www.insider.com/category/movies">movies</a>.</li><li>Sometimes they need to experiment and get extra creative to find an object that creates a completely unexpected <keyword id="52070" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="60" keywordseo="Sound">sound</keyword>.</li><li>Pieces of fruit and raw meat can be perfect for gore, swords don't always make the best sounds for sword fights, and sometimes a squeaky piece of furniture is all you need to make a convincing bird chirp.</li></ul><p><em>Following is a transcript of the <keyword id="21654" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="video">video</keyword>.</em></p><p><strong>Narrator: </strong>When you see this, you don't imagine that you're hearing this.</p><p>[wet punching]</p><p>Or when this dragonfly floats by on the big screen, you aren't imagining this <keyword id="37533" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="60" keywordseo="Behind-the-scenes">behind the scenes</keyword>.</p><p>[buzzing]</p><p>Foley art is one of those unseen jobs in Hollywood,</p><p>[slopping]</p><p>making our experience at the <keyword id="406" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="60" keywordseo="Movies">movies</keyword> feel real and immersive.</p><p>Take a look at 10 of the most surprising ways Foley artists have created sounds.</p><p>[wet crunching]</p><p>You can't exactly punch a real person, so <keyword id="3018099" type="POSITION" weightage="60" keywordseo="foley-artist">Foley artist</keyword> Shaun Brennan will start by punching his bare hands.</p><p>Punches involve a lot of sound layering. He will add gloves to beef it up, and then take it a step further by punching an old rolled-up phone book wrapped in duct tape.</p><p>[thudding]</p><p>For a more violent and gory fight scene, he needed something more exaggerated and found that punching raw meat worked well. Shaun needed a cut that best imitated the texture of a human cheek and could also lie perfectly flat on his palm. The answer? A 1-pound piece of raw flank steak.</p><p>[wet punching]</p><p>Foley artists often need to cover animals as well as humans. One of the most common animals that they encounter is horses.</p><p>Thanks to "Monty Python and the Holy Grail," coconut shells have become closely associated with horse galloping.</p><p><strong>King Arthur:</strong> Whoa, there!</p><p>[coconuts clacking]</p><p><strong>Narrator:</strong> Foley artist Marko Costanzo might pull out a pair of plastic coconut shells, but they aren't always effective. For instance, the sound of the shells comes out if you're doing the sounds for a horse running on cobblestone.</p><p>But for a movie like "True Grit," where the horses mostly run on dirt and grass, the sound of the shells wouldn't resonate at all. The low-end thud most associated with horse hooves would come out better with a pair of rocks.</p><p>[thudding]</p><p>When a horse is moving, you won't just hear the hooves, so you'll have to layer in a few other sounds as well. If you need some tail flicks in there, waving around shredded rope does a good imitation of a horse's tail.</p><p>[flicking]</p><p>When creating the sound of an animal eating, the first thing you need to figure out is if the food is wet or dry.</p><p>Making the sound of a horse eating is also a particular challenge. They typically eat dry food, which is easy.</p><p>They also have snouts, however, which can complicate how the sound gets made. To account for the snout, Marko makes a cavern by cupping his hands over his mouth while chewing. This creates a cavity of sound.</p><p>[crunching]</p><p>For another take of a scene, he had to pretend to be a horse eating out of a bucket. Now, he couldn't actually stick his head into a bucket. He found that chewing while putting his head between the legs of a stool created the exact echo he was searching for.</p><p>Foley artist Matt Davies has worked on several horror films. A few of them called for the sounds of falling intestines, so he successfully experimented with raw chicken. Not only does the chicken's texture give just the right sound, but the more you handle this meat, the warmer and slimier it gets, making it perfect for multiple takes.</p><p>[squelching]</p><p>But raw chicken isn't always the cleanest product for Foley artists to utilize. So when working on the horror movie "V/H/S/2," he found he could get the same effect squeezing and squishing chocolate pudding and latex hoses for intestinal movement.</p><p>Remember this dragonfly from the opening of "Men in Black"? The camera gets up close to the insect and follows it around, so the viewer needs to be able to hear all of the buzzing. When Marko was tasked with recreating this sound, he first thought about playing around with different types of paper. He tried putting a card in a bicycle spoke and then spinning the wheel around. However, it was mostly the sound of the metal spoke that came through.</p><p>The dragonfly needed to sound organic. He eventually found that what worked best was a handheld fan. With this device, he could more easily account for the insect's variation in movement by sticking his finger on the blade.</p><p>[whirring]</p><p>Plus, there was no metal aftereffect.</p><p>Shaun Brennan works on a lot of action movies, which means he's needed to create the sounds of a gnarly head stomp and smash. For a head crack, you need a bone-crunching effect to get the sound of a skull being crushed.</p><p>[crunching]</p><p>Ideally the object will provide a crunch and a smush. While celery is usually great for a bone crack, it sounds too dry.</p><p>[cracking]</p><p>Shaun said that on one occasion, they had just stocked the kitchen with apples for snacking when a Foley mixer suggested trying one out. So he took a few pieces of the fruit and stomped on them with his foot.</p><p>[wet crunching]</p><p>The apple not only cracks when you stomp on it, but it also gives you that squishy element, which you wouldn't get from drier fruit or veggies.</p><p>Many swords in movies have a ringing quality to them, but it is difficult to make this sound with a real sword, because not only would you get the ringing sound, but you would also get an unpleasant scraping noise. So how do you get the ringing without the scraping?</p><p>For starters, Matt Davies knew he still needed to use a metal object, and he landed on a metal shelf support. However, it couldn't make the desired sound on its own, so he took a cello bow and bowed the side of the metal. Then he immediately waved it around in the air. You can hear what Matt describes as a "magical quality."</p><p>[ringing]</p><p>Foley artists Dawn Lunsford and Alicia Stevenson worked on "Bumblebee" and created many of the sounds of the adorable "Transformers" character.</p><p>While the sounds of transforming between car and autobot were done digitally, the character still moved around and interacted with the world a lot, which required some clever Foley work.</p><p>For the shot where Bumblebee sits on a couch and then breaks it, they had to get both the sound of the massive creature squashing the couch and the couch itself collapsing. To get an object both heavy enough to capture Bumblebee's size as well as his metal features, Alicia banged an old lawn mower against a car door. Then, on a separate track, Dawn hit a car seat cushion with her hands.</p><p>[rustling]</p><p>Sometimes Marko needs to mimic the vocals of certain animals when a digital library just doesn't cut it. Usually he will use his mouth.</p><p>[whimpers]</p><p>But for a mouse squeaking and a small bird chirping, he found that it was better to let some objects do the talking.</p><p>[squeaking]</p><p>So he used this wooden chair leg. Marko found that if he took the wooden leg and attached a squeaky knob to it, he could create the sounds of both a bird and a mouse by just turning it. He will do fast and small turns for the mouse, and for the bird, each turn will go on a little longer.</p><p>[squeaking]</p><p>When Matt had to work on something like the zombies in "V/H/S/2," it wasn't the fleshy chewing sounds that were the problem.</p><p>[snarling and chewing]</p><p>The real challenge came when imitating these creatures vocally. There's a huge history of zombie noises to draw on.</p><p>However, Matt has found that some of the classic zombie sounds just consist of a lot of grunting, which feels less scary today. He found a lot of sounds in more modern zombie features come closer to how gory their noises would be in reality.</p><p>[snarling]</p><p>So he decided to make the sounds more guttural and phlegmy, and he found the result to be much scarier.</p><p><strong>Ian Phillips:</strong> Thanks for watching. If you like learning about how sounds are made for movies, subscribe for many more videos just like this one. And let us know what other Foley sounds you'd like to see in action in the comments.</p>

10 surprising ways sounds are made for movies

<p><em>The<span> </span><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/insiderpicks"><span>Insider Picks</span></a><span> </span>team writes about stuff we think you'll like. Business Insider has affiliate partnerships, so we get a share of the revenue from your purchase.</em></p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><a href="http://www.pntrs.com/t/SENJS0tITE9DR0lJTEhOQ0dNR0hGTg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"></a><p class="source"><span>The Farmer's Dog</span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p><ul class="summary-list"><li><strong><a href="http://www.pntrs.com/t/SENJS0tITE9DR0lJTEhOQ0dNR0hGTg" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Farmer's Dog</a> offers real food for dogs, delivered fresh to your door.</strong></li><li><strong>Each package is customized to your dog's individual profile and pre-portioned in easy pour bags.</strong></li><li><strong>It's significantly more expensive that regular kibble, but the health benefits are worth the cost.</strong></li></ul><p>When it comes time to feed your dog, you probably head to the pantry and open up a bag of dry kibble or a can of wet food. While there are plenty of high-quality commercial dog foods on the market, this type of food has its limitations. The process through which traditional dog food is made often strips away the original nutritional integrity, and most brands design their foods to provide for only the most basic nutritional needs of dogs in certain life stages and different breed sizes.</p><p>Your dog is unique, and so are his nutritional needs. So, doesn't he deserve a dog food that is designed specifically for him and catered to his unique nutritional profile?</p><p>That's what fresh food from <a href="http://www.pntrs.com/t/SENJS0tITE9DR0lJTEhOQ0dNR0hGTg" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Farmer's Dog</a> has to offer, and we've tested the food ourselves to bring you this review. Keep reading to see what we thought of it.</p><h3><strong>Our experience with The Farmer's Dog</strong></h3><p>In mid-November of last year, I opened my home to a new companion - a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel puppy I named Archie. I grew up around Golden Retrievers and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/author/kate-barrington" target="_blank" rel="noopener">have done a great deal of research and writing in the pet food niche</a>, so I already had an idea what I was going to feed him. I selected a popular brand that offered a small-breed puppy formula and called it a day.</p><p>Archie is the kind of dog that will eat anything that falls on the floor or anything I offer him by hand. When it comes to eating from his own bowl, however, he can be a little picky. Most days he doesn't show any interest in his food until one of my cats tries to eat it. So, when I was given the opportunity to try The Farmer's Dog fresh food, I was interested to see how he would like it.</p><p><strong>In this review, I'll go into detail about my experience with the ordering process, testing the product, and the pros and cons. If you'd rather skip to the bottom line, I can tell you right now that neither Archie nor I were disappointed with <a href="https://www.pntrs.com/t/SENJS0tITE9DR0lJTEhOQ0dNR0hGTg" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Farmer's Dog</a> - and he would gladly continue to eat it. </strong></p><p>Before I get into the details, however, I want to point out that The Farmer's Dog is not the only fresh food service available to dog owners. I've also tried products from PetPlate and <a href="https://shareasale.com/r.cfm?b=1095975&amp;u=1088116&amp;m=75617&amp;urllink=www%2Emyollie%2Ecom%2F&amp;afftrack=kate" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ollie</a>, so I'll be mentioning my experience with them as a point of comparison.</p><p><strong>The first step in testing The Farmer's Dog food was to create an online profile for myself and Archie using the company website. The whole process took less than five minutes.</strong></p><p>I plugged in basic information such as my name, email address, and zip code along with some facts about Archie including his sex, age, weight, and breed. From there, I was asked to evaluate his body composition, activity level, and eating preferences. After plugging in the necessary information, I learned that Archie needs roughly 460 calories per day.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><a href="https://www.pntrs.com/t/SENJS0tITE9DR0lJTEhOQ0dNR0hGTg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"></a><p class="source"><span>The Farmer's Dog</span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p><strong>After completing Archie's profile, I was given three formulas to choose from: turkey, beef, or pork. </strong></p><p>With my background in pet nutrition, I decided to steer clear of the beef option due to its risk for triggering food allergies and selected the turkey formula. In addition to turkey as the main ingredient, this recipe also included other nutritious ingredients like parsnips, chickpeas, carrots, broccoli, spinach, and fish oil. Each of the three recipes also includes something called "Farmer's Dog Nutrient Blend" to ensure balanced nutrition.</p><p>After placing my order, the product arrived quickly and in perfect condition. Packed with dry ice to keep the product frozen, the food was pre-portioned in bags that contained enough food for one day. All I had to do was thaw the first bag and put the rest in the freezer. The bags themselves were frozen flat so they took up minimal space in my already jam-packed freezer.</p><p>Once the product thawed, I began incorporating it into Archie's diet.</p><p><strong>I followed the included instructions to mix some of the fresh food with his dry food, working up to feeding him half a bag twice a day.</strong> <strong>While I found the food bags easy to freeze, once they were open it was a little bit tricky to store them.</strong></p><p>My shipment came with what looked like a takeout container with a plastic lid, so I was able to fold up the open food bag and place it in the container in the fridge until dinner time. I found it a little disappointing that the bags themselves were not resealable - I needed to cut them open with scissors.</p><p>When I offered Archie his first bowl of The Farmer's Dog food, he was a little cautious. He spent a couple of seconds sniffing it with interest and then sampled a bite. He didn't act overly excited about the food, but he did seem to find it more appealing than his regular dry food alone. Over the next few days, as I phased out the kibble and began feeding him the fresh food only, he continued to enjoy it.</p><p>During the first few days of feeding Archie his new fresh food, he experienced some mild diarrhea. It isn't unusual for his stools to change a little in consistency from one day to the next (he likes to sneak mouthfuls of cat food whenever he can), so I wasn't worried.</p><p><strong>After a few days of solely feeding Archie <a href="https://www.pntrs.com/t/SENJS0tITE9DR0lJTEhOQ0dNR0hGTg" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Farmer's Dog</a> food, his bowel movements became more solid and regular. He also became a little more interested in eating at meal time rather than ignoring the food for a couple of hours before eating it.</strong></p><p>Overall, I was very pleased with The Farmer's Dog fresh food and Archie seemed to like it as well.</p><p>I liked that there were three protein options to choose from (PetPlate only offers two) and found the flat food bags easier to freeze and store than the larger containers Ollie food came in. The fact that each bag contained enough food for one day was also very convenient because it enabled me to keep the food as fresh as possible.</p><p>On the downside, I had to throw away several portions when Archie didn't eat them right away because my house doesn't have air conditioning and I was worried about the food going bad. Also, while at first I didn't like the fact that the food bags were not resealable, I got used to using the storage container and it didn't end up being a significant inconvenience.</p><h3><strong>Pros for The Farmer's Dog</strong></h3><ul><li>Fresh food customized to your dog's sex, age, and breed and pre-portioned by day according to his unique nutritional/calorie needs.</li><li>Ingredients are human-grade and unprocessed - all food is cooked within days of shipping.</li><li>Recipes are developed by board-certified veterinary nutritionists, comply with AAFCO standards, and are cooked in human-grade kitchens.</li><li>Fast shipping with products packaged in dry ice for freshness and food bags frozen flat for easy storage in the freezer.</li><li>Each food bag contains a day's worth of food that can be divided as you like with leftovers stored in the fridge.</li></ul><h3><strong>Cons for The Farmer's Dog </strong></h3><ul><li>Limited protein options (turkey, beef, and pork), especially for dogs with food allergies or sensitivities - beef is one of the most common food allergens for dogs.</li><li>Individual food bags must be cut open with scissors and are not resealable - they must be stored in a takeout container in the fridge.</li><li>Some dogs may experience digestive upset during the transition from dry food to fresh food - symptoms usually resolve after a few days.</li><li>Fresh food may go bad if not eaten immediately - I'd recommend putting it back in the fridge if your dog doesn't eat it within 30 minutes.</li><li>Very expensive compared to dry food - roughly $40 per week (or more for larger breeds).</li></ul><h3><a href="http://www.pntrs.com/t/SENJS0tITE9DR0lJTEhOQ0dNR0hGTg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>The Farmer's Dog</span></p></div><p></p></div></div></strong></a></h3><h3><strong>The bottom line</strong></h3><p>The fact of the matter is that fresh food will always be the best option for your dog when it comes to quality nutrition. You need to be careful when selecting a fresh food product, however, to ensure that your dog isn't allergic or sensitive to any of the ingredients and to make sure that the formula is backed by board-certified veterinary nutritionists.</p><p>If you can't afford the high price tag of fresh food from The Farmer's Dog, you have the option of using the product as a food topper instead of your dog's sole source of nutrition. By mixing a little of the fresh food with his kibble you can boost his daily nutrition without draining your bank account.</p><p>If you want to improve your dog's nutrition (and his health by extension) and you're considering fresh food, we wholeheartedly recommend The Farmer's Dog.</p><h3><a href="http://www.pntrs.com/t/SENJS0tITE9DR0lJTEhOQ0dNR0hGTg" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Click here to try The Farmer's Dog's for yourself - sign up now to receive 50% off your first order!</a></h3><p class="tagline">Find the best holiday deals on our <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/black-friday-deals-2018">Black Friday Deals</a> and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/cyber-monday-deals-2018">Cyber Monday Deals</a> page. <a href="http://e.businessinsider.com/join/ci/insider-picks">Subscribe to our newsletter.</a>.<br>Disclosure: This post is brought to you by the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/insiderpicks">Insider Picks</a> team. We highlight products and services you might find interesting. If you buy them, we get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our commerce partners. We frequently receive products free of charge from manufacturers to test. This does not drive our decision as to whether or not a product is featured or recommended. We operate independently from our advertising sales team. We welcome your feedback. Email us at insiderpicks@businessinsider.com.<br>Find all the best offers at our <a href="https://coupons.businessinsider.com/">Coupons page</a>.</br></br></p>

I tested The Farmer's Dog, a meal plan service that sends your dog fresh food for as little as $3 a day - here's what it's like

<a href="https://thefarmersdog.otegtm.net/AerNj" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow nofollow nofollow nofollow"></a><p class="source"><span>The Farmer's Dog</span></p><p class="caption">The Farmer's Dog offers customized dog food recipes delivered right to your door.</p><ul class="summary-list"><li><strong><a href="https://thefarmersdog.otegtm.net/AerNj" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow nofollow nofollow nofollow">The Farmer's Dog</a> offers fresh food for dogs that is developed by board-certified veterinary nutritionists.</strong></li><li><strong>Each package is customized to your dog's individual profile and pre-portioned in easy-pour bags.</strong></li><li><strong>While fresh dog food delivery is significantly more expensive than regular kibble, the health benefits are worth the cost. </strong></li><li><strong>Prices start at $3 a day, and you can <a href="https://thefarmersdog.otegtm.net/AerNj" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">save 50% on your first box of The Farmer's Dog</a> food when you sign up.</strong></li></ul><p>When it comes time to feed your dog, you probably head to the pantry and open up a bag of dry kibble or a can of wet food. While there are plenty of <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/best-dog-food" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">high-quality commercial dog foods</a> on the market, this type of food has its limitations. The process through which traditional dog food is made often strips away the original nutritional integrity, and most brands design their foods to provide for only the most basic nutritional needs of dogs in certain life stages and different breed sizes.</p><p>Your dog is unique, and so are their nutritional needs. So, don't they deserve a dog food that is designed specifically for them and catered to their unique nutritional profile?</p><p>That's what fresh food from <a href="https://thefarmersdog.otegtm.net/AerNj" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow nofollow">The Farmer's Dog</a> has to offer, and I tested the food myself to bring you this review. </p><h2>My experience with <a href="https://thefarmersdog.otegtm.net/AerNj" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener nofollow nofollow">The Farmer's Dog</a></h2><p>In mid-November of last year, I opened my home to a new companion - a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel puppy I named Archie. I grew up around Golden Retrievers and have done a great deal of research and writing in the pet food niche, so I already had an idea of what I was going to feed him. I selected a popular brand that offered a small-breed puppy formula and called it a day.</p><p>Archie is the kind of dog that will eat anything that falls on the floor or anything I offer him by hand. When it comes to eating from his own bowl, however, he can be a little picky. Most days he doesn't show any interest in his food until one of my cats tries to eat it. So, when I was given the opportunity to try <a href="https://thefarmersdog.otegtm.net/AerNj" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener nofollow nofollow">The Farmer's Dog fresh food</a>, I was interested to see how he would like it.</p><p>In this review, I'll go into detail about my experience with the ordering process, testing the product, and the pros and cons. If you'd rather skip to the bottom line, I can tell you right now that neither Archie nor I were disappointed with <a href="https://thefarmersdog.otegtm.net/AerNj" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow nofollow nofollow">The Farmer's Dog</a> - and he would gladly continue to eat it.</p><p>Before I get into the details, however, I want to point out that The Farmer's Dog is not the only fresh food service available to dog owners. We've also tried products from <a href="http://shareasale.com/r.cfm?b=999&amp;u=1088116&amp;m=75374&amp;afftrack=biipf_011320_farmers-dog-review&amp;urllink=www.petplate.com%2F" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener nofollow">PetPlate</a> and <a href="http://shareasale.com/r.cfm?b=999&amp;u=1088116&amp;m=75617&amp;afftrack=biipf_011320_farmers-dog-review&amp;urllink=www.myollie.com%2F" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow">Ollie</a>, so I'll be mentioning my experience with them as a point of comparison.</p><p><strong><em>See more: </em></strong><em><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/best-puppy-gear" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">The best puppy gear to make your new dog feel at home</a></em></p><h2>The first step in testing <a href="https://thefarmersdog.otegtm.net/AerNj" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener nofollow nofollow">The Farmer's Dog</a> food was to create an online profile for myself and Archie using the company website. The whole process took less than five minutes.</h2><p>I plugged in basic information such as my name, email address, and zip code along with some facts about Archie including his sex, age, weight, and breed. From there, I was asked to evaluate his body composition, activity level, and eating preferences. After plugging in the necessary information, I learned that Archie needs roughly 460 calories per day.</p><a href="https://thefarmersdog.otegtm.net/AerNj" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow nofollow nofollow"></a><p class="source"><span>The Farmer's Dog</span></p><h2>After completing Archie's profile, I was given three formulas to choose from: turkey, beef, or pork.</h2><p>With my background in pet nutrition, I decided to steer clear of the beef option due to its risk for triggering food allergies and selected the turkey formula. In addition to turkey as the main ingredient, this recipe also included other nutritious ingredients like parsnips, chickpeas, carrots, broccoli, spinach, and fish oil. Each of the three recipes also includes something called "Farmer's Dog Nutrient Blend" to ensure balanced nutrition.</p><p>After placing my order, the product arrived quickly and in perfect condition. Packed with dry ice to keep the product frozen, the food was preportioned in bags that contained enough food for one day. All I had to do was thaw the first bag and put the rest in the freezer. The bags themselves were frozen flat so they took up minimal space in my already jam-packed freezer.</p><p>Once the product thawed, I began incorporating it into Archie's diet.</p><h2>I followed the included instructions to mix some of the fresh food with his dry food, working up to feeding him half a bag twice a day. While I found the food bags easy to freeze, once they were open it was a little bit tricky to store them.</h2><p>My shipment came with what looked like a takeout container with a plastic lid, so I was able to fold up the open food bag and place it in the container in the fridge until dinner time. I found it a little disappointing that the bags themselves were not resealable - I needed to cut them open with scissors.</p><p>When I offered Archie his first bowl of The Farmer's Dog food, he was a little cautious. He spent a couple of seconds sniffing it with interest and then sampled a bite. He didn't act overly excited about the food, but he did seem to find it more appealing than his regular dry food alone. Over the next few days, as I phased out the kibble and began feeding him the fresh food only, he continued to enjoy it.</p><p>During the first few days of feeding Archie his new fresh food, he experienced some mild diarrhea. It isn't unusual for his stools to change a little in consistency from one day to the next (he likes to sneak mouthfuls of cat food whenever he can), so I wasn't worried.</p><h2>After a few days of solely feeding Archie <a href="https://thefarmersdog.otegtm.net/AerNj" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow nofollow nofollow">The Farmer's Dog</a> food, his bowel movements became more solid and regular. He also became a little more interested in eating at mealtime rather than ignoring the food for a couple of hours before eating it.</h2><p>Overall, I was very pleased with <a href="https://thefarmersdog.otegtm.net/AerNj" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener nofollow nofollow">The Farmer's Dog</a> fresh food, and Archie seemed to like it as well.</p><p>There were three protein options to choose from (Pet Plate and Ollie currently offer four) and found the flat food bags easier to freeze and store than the larger containers Ollie food came in. The fact that each bag contained enough food for one day was also very convenient because it enabled me to keep the food as fresh as possible.</p><p>On the downside, I had to throw away several portions when Archie didn't eat them right away because my house doesn't have air conditioning, and I was worried about the food going bad. Also, while at first I didn't like the fact that the food bags were not resealable, I got used to using the storage container, and it didn't end up being a significant inconvenience.</p><h2>Pros for The Farmer's Dog</h2><ul><li>Fresh food customized to your dog's sex, age, and breed and pre-portioned by day according to their unique nutritional/calorie needs.</li><li>Ingredients are human-grade and unprocessed - all food is cooked within days of shipping.</li><li>Recipes are developed by board-certified veterinary nutritionists, comply with AAFCO standards, and are cooked in human-grade kitchens.</li><li>Fast shipping with products packaged in dry ice for freshness and food bags frozen flat for easy storage in the freezer.</li><li>Each food bag contains a day's worth of food that can be divided as you like with leftovers stored in the fridge.</li></ul><h2>Cons for The Farmer's Dog</h2><ul><li>Limited protein options (turkey, beef, and pork), especially for dogs with food allergies or sensitivities - beef is one of the most common food allergens for dogs.</li><li>Individual food bags must be cut open with scissors and are not resealable - they must be stored in a takeout container in the fridge.</li><li>Some dogs may experience digestive upset during the transition from dry food to fresh food - symptoms usually resolve after a few days.</li><li>Fresh food may go bad if not eaten immediately. I'd recommend putting it back in the fridge if your dog doesn't eat it within 30 minutes.</li><li>Very expensive compared to dry food - with prices starting at $3 per day (and more for larger breeds).</li></ul><h3><a href="https://thefarmersdog.otegtm.net/AerNj" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow nofollow nofollow"><strong><p class="source"><span>The Farmer's Dog</span></p></strong></a></h3><h2>The bottom line</h2><p>The fact of the matter is that fresh food will always be the best option for your dog when it comes to quality nutrition. You need to be careful when selecting a fresh food product, however, to ensure that your dog isn't allergic or sensitive to any of the ingredients and to make sure that the formula is backed by board-certified veterinary nutritionists.</p><p>If you can't afford the high price tag of fresh food from <a href="https://thefarmersdog.otegtm.net/AerNj" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener nofollow nofollow">The Farmer's Dog</a>, you have the option of using the product as a food topper instead of your dog's sole source of nutrition. By mixing a little of the fresh food with their kibble you can boost their daily nutrition without draining your bank account.</p><p>If you want to improve your dog's nutrition (and their health by extension) and you're considering fresh food, we wholeheartedly recommend <a href="https://thefarmersdog.otegtm.net/AerNj" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener nofollow nofollow">The Farmer's Dog</a>.</p><h3><a href="https://thefarmersdog.otegtm.net/AerNj" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow nofollow">Sign up for The Farmer's Dog and get 50% off your first box</a></h3><p><a href="http://e.businessinsider.com/join/ci/insider-picks">Subscribe to our newsletter.</a><br /><br /></p><p><a href="https://www.parsintl.com/publication/business-insider/">You can purchase syndication rights to this story here.</a><br /><br />Disclosure: This post is brought to you by the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/shopping">Insider Reviews</a> team. We highlight products and services you might find interesting. If you buy them, we get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our commerce partners. We frequently receive products free of charge from manufacturers to test. This does not drive our decision as to whether or not a product is featured or recommended. We operate independently from our advertising sales team. We welcome your feedback. Email us at reviews@businessinsider.com.</p>

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