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What's more kissable this spring break? [Infographic]
Guys, don’t let stubble come between you and the finish line this spring break. Gillette recently conducted a 16-city live social experiment to determine what kind of kiss women prefer – with or without stubble. The results are in, and 85 percent of women across the country prefer to kiss a guy who’s smooth shaven. Furthermore, two out of three women said guys will have better luck with them if they are smooth shaven. Therefore, to help guys achieve the look most appealing to the ladies this...
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Be at the Navy's Hub: operate state-of-the-art nuclear powered vessels
(BPT) - Maintain equipment used to detect enemy planes and ships. Control steam generators. Operate nuclear propulsion plant machinery. These are just a few of the tasks Sailors aboard Navy aircraft carriers and submarines fulfill in both peace and wartime roles around the world. These Sailors are responsible for operat...
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Tips for managing your credit while traveling
(BPT) - When it comes to the excesses and indulgences of vacation, you might like to think that “what happens in Vegas (or wherever you travel) stays in Vegas.” Unfortunately, poor spending and credit choices made on vacation definitely come home with you, so it’s important to take steps to protect your credit – both be...
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Insurance fraud: A $40 billion battle
(BPT) - The last thing anyone wants is for his or her insurance rates to increase. Most policyholders would be surprised to know it’s the last thing their insurance company wants to happen, too. That's why most major carriers have a department of investigators dedicated to stopping one of the primary causes of rate hike...
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Seller's market success tips for buyers and sellers
(BPT) - Key indicators point to conditions for a seller’s real estate market this spring. With fewer homes on the market, low interest rates, rising home prices and lower unemployment rates, there will be increased competition for buyers and faster sales for homeowners looking to move. With some planning and understandi...
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Don't duplicate the stress: think taxes year-round
(BPT) - Now that the April 15 tax filing deadline has passed, so too has the stress associated with filing taxes for most people. This year, resolve to think about taxes early and often so you don’t get caught in a last-minute panic.  Not only does this advance preparation help reduce anxiety, but it also positions you...
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A borrower's guide to impressing a mortgage lender
(BPT) - Who doesn’t like to make a good impression? Whether it’s a first date, meeting the future in-laws for the first time or interviewing for a job, making a good first impression can pave the way for some of life’s happiest experiences. That’s especially true for home-buyers, whose ability to secure their dream home...
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Diet rich in nutrients promotes a lifetime of healthy vision
(BPT) - From dry eye to age-related eye diseases, research shows that nutrition plays a critical role in maintaining the health of our eyes. Caring for eyes includes looking carefully at what you eat. Thirty million (or one out of four) Americans age 40 and older suffer from some level of vision loss. Yet only 30 perce...
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Unsung heroes of cool [Infographic]
Every night at clubs across the country, one thing stands in the way of getting past the velvet rope – the bouncer. Known for letting the cool people in, the work of these unsung heroes of nightlife is often underappreciated, with 68 percent of Americans agreeing.  What is the toughest part about working as a bouncer? Breaking up fights tops the list at 33 percent, closely followed by being surrounded by annoying people (32 percent).  To recognize these arbiters of cool, HALLS, with the po...
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Three tips to make your hospital stay safer
(BPT) - Each year, millions of Americans seek hospital care to treat a wide range of medical problems – from accidental injuries to chronic or life-threatening illnesses. While the majority of patients have positive outcomes, it is imperative to remember patient safety should be a top priority for everyone. In fact, th...
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As housing market warms, keep these buying tips in mind
(BPT) - Ready to buy your first home, or move up to a larger home for your expanding family? Home sales seem to be finally warming up after a five-year chill, as demand gradually builds among first-time homebuyers and existing homeowners seeking more room. Historically low mortgage rates, rising rents and relatively po...
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Preventing medication fraud and abuse starts at home
(BPT) - Prescription drug abuse has reached epidemic proportions across the United States. More than 6 million Americans abuse prescription drugs and much of the abuse begins at home, according to a national survey on drug use and health. In fact, more than 70 percent of those who illegally use prescription pain relieve...
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national news
North Carolina governor signs law aimed at restarting executions

North Carolina Republican gubernatorial candidate, former Charlotte Mayor McCrory meets supporters during U.S. presidential election in CharlotteBy Colleen Jenkins WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina (Reuters) - North Carolina's governor, hoping to resume executions in his state, on Wednesday signed the repeal of a law that has allowed death row inmates to seek a reduced sentence if they could prove racial bias affected their punishment. The Racial Justice Act, the only law of its kind in the United States, had led to four inmates getting their sentences changed to life in prison without parole after taking effect in 2009. ...


2013-06-19 20:20:27 -0500
Stop force-feeding Guantanamo prisoners: Senator

A selection of lunch meals offered to detainees are displayed in a food preparation area at the U.S. Naval Base at Guantanamo BayBy Jane Sutton GUANTANAMO BAY U.S. NAVAL BASE, Cuba (Reuters) - U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein urged the Pentagon on Wednesday to stop force-feeding hunger-striking prisoners at the Guantanamo Bay detention camp and called the practice "out of step" with medical ethics and international norms. Feinstein, a California Democrat who chairs the Senate intelligence committee, sent a letter to Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, saying the Guantanamo force-feeding policy was also out of synch with policies in the civilian federal prisons. ...


2013-06-19 18:07:32 -0500
Head of revived watchdog pledges open look at U.S. surveillance
By Alina Selyukh WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The head of a newly revived federal privacy oversight board pledged on Wednesday to be "as transparent and public as possible" as the board reviews recently exposed U.S. government secret surveillance programs. The Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board, which has been largely dormant since 2008, held its first full-fledged meeting on Wednesday after the Senate confirmed David Medine as its chairman last month. The meeting was behind closed doors to review classified information about the vast and controversial Internet and phone monitoring ...
2013-06-19 19:28:17 -0500
New Colo. wildfire prompts evacuations of homes

A military C-130 drops a load of fire retardant on a wildfire near Pine, Colo., on Wednesday, June 19, 2013. A new wildfire in the foothills southwest of Denver forced the evacuation of dozens of homes Wednesday as hot and windy conditions in much of Colorado and elsewhere in the West made it easy for fires to start and spread. (AP Photo/Ed Andrieski)EVERGREEN, Colo. (AP) — A new wildfire in the foothills southwest of Denver forced the evacuation of dozens of homes Wednesday as hot and windy conditions in the West made it easy for fires to start and spread.


2013-06-19 22:25:31 -0500