2023-10-31T06:01:00
(BPT) – With Hire Heroes USA® and Sperling’s Best Places, Navy Federal Credit Union surveyed over 1,000 Veterans nationwide about the most important characteristics of their ideal job and their financial preparedness for civilian life.
2023-10-31T07:01:00
(BPT) – Each November, Diabetes Awareness Month serves as an opportunity to foster important conversations around diabetes and help educate those who may be at risk for developing it. If you’re currently living with diabetes, it’s also important to understand your risk for other health issues — like pneumococcal pneumonia — and how you can take action to help protect yourself today.
Did you know that if you have diabetes, you are at increased risk for pneumococcal pneumonia? It’s a potentially serious bacterial lung disease that can put you in the hospital and, in serious cases, even be life-threatening.
Adults 19 or older with certain underlying medical conditions, like asthma, chronic heart disease and COPD, are also at increased risk for pneumococcal pneumonia — as are adults 65 or older.
So, what can you do? Getting vaccinated against pneumococcal pneumonia can help protect you and help prevent this infection.
Pneumococcal pneumonia can strike in any season, not just in the winter or during flu season, and vaccination against pneumococcal pneumonia is available year-round. So don’t wait — Diabetes Awareness Month is a great time to prioritize your health and get vaccinated against pneumococcal pneumonia.
Even if you’ve already had a previous pneumococcal pneumonia vaccine, your healthcare provider may recommend another vaccination for additional protection.
If you have diabetes, help protect your health not just this month, but every day. It’s especially important to help protect yourself against pneumococcal pneumonia if you have diabetes, or other certain underlying medical conditions, so ask your doctor or pharmacist about pneumococcal pneumonia vaccination today. Visit knowpneumonia.com to learn more about your risk and how you can help protect yourself with vaccination.
Brought to you by Pfizer.
2023-10-31T08:01:00
(BPT) – While ‘homegating’ offers the convenience of cheering on your favorite team from the comfort of home, hosting your family and friends for the game can be challenging. From setting up the perfect atmosphere to coordinating the food and drinks, here are five tips for putting together a winning game plan. With a little imagination and planning, you can turn any given Saturday, Sunday (or Monday, or Thursday …) into a truly memorable occasion that your friends and family will talk about long after the season is over.
1. Bring the stadium to you
To make the party atmosphere super fun and festive, go all out by decorating your home or tailgate venue with your favorite team’s colors for banners, streamers and/or garlands, plus colorful tablecloths and napkins. To get all your guests in the game day mood, encourage everyone to wear the jerseys of their favorite team or player.
2. Twist up your game day spread
Providing plenty of savory and sweet finger foods to please your whole crowd is a winning play. For example, Auntie Anne’s Snack Stadium is a great way to twist up your game day spread. This large, stadium-shaped holder displays your choice of Pretzel Nuggets that you can mix and match. Choose between two Pretzel Nugget Buckets of any variety — Original, Cinnamon Sugar, Mini Pretzel Dogs and, depending on the store location, Pepperoni — and pair them with up to six dips: Cheese, Hot Salsa, Honey Mustard, Caramel, Cream Cheese and Marinara. Each Snack Stadium is perfect for a group watch party and can feed between 5-7 people, so make sure you know your game day headcount!
3. Bring a game to accompany the game
Depending on your location, you’ll want to make sure to prepare some fun activities for all your friends and family to join as you’re gearing up for the game. You can organize some touch football out in the yard or set up an area for football throwing practice. Limited space? You could create a tabletop football game instead.
Provide a face-painting station for die-hard fans, plus some pompoms and a space for everyone to practice their best cheers. Then set up a football bingo game for everyone to play or create teams to compete in football trivia so your guests have a chance to show off their knowledge of players, teams and stats!
4. Streamline prep time with delivery
When it comes to hosting the perfect homegate, the last place you want to be is stuck in the kitchen. The good news is, you can take the hassle out of your prep and focus on the fun by harnessing the power of delivery. Score a touchdown with your guests and order delivery of game day–ready Snack Stadium(s) directly through the Auntie Anne’s app, online at AuntieAnnes.com, or through your favorite third-party delivery service like Uber Eats, Grubhub or Door Dash.
5. Stay in the game, stay hydrated
Just like the players, all of your partygoers need to stay hydrated, too — so make sure to fill up your coolers with lots of tasty beverage options for everyone to enjoy. For warm-weather games, Auntie Anne’s offers refreshing drinks by the gallon including delicious Original Lemonade. If you’re hosting on a chilly day, you’ll want to include a few thermoses of hot cider or cocoa to keep everyone feeling toasty from the inside out.
With the help of these tips and Auntie Anne’s, you’re sure to turn those ordinary game days into extraordinary memories. So, gear up, get ready, and let the festivities begin!
2023-10-30T15:01:00
(BPT) – Sponsored by Office Depot
A recent survey of 2,000 people who work mostly or entirely remotely found that 63% of respondents now work primarily from a dedicated home office. Furthermore, 55% of people who recently moved, did so, at least in part, because they needed a better workspace at home.
And workers are looking to customize their spaces now more than ever. In fact, 68% of respondents from the survey, conducted by OnePoll on behalf of Office Depot, claimed their home office still needed improvement.
Whether you’re a passionate small business owner or worker who’s adopted a fully remote or hybrid work schedule, consider these four tips when setting up a home office.
1. Find furniture that fits
Whether you’ve designated a room in your home as an office space or work from a tiny corner in your living room, it’s important to find furniture that fits your space. You can turn any area in your home into an efficient office space with a few key pieces of compact furniture and clever storage solutions. If you don’t need a large work surface, a small writing desk will provide you with just enough space to comfortably surf the web, review documents and complete day-to-day tasks.
Office Depot offers home office furniture collections in a variety of sizes and styles both online at officedepot.com and in furniture showrooms at Office Depot® and OfficeMax® stores nationwide.
Ergonomics and flexibility are also important considerations when choosing office furniture. Consider adding an ergonomic office chair to help promote better posture while providing support and comfort. For ease of recline, look for chairs with a tilt mechanism and tile lock and seat and back height adjustments for optimal positioning. Another great investment to consider is a standing desk or standing desk converter. This type of desk allows you to switch up your workday between sitting and standing, which can help you stay more engaged while you work.
2. Terrific tech
Layering in the right technology for your needs helps you not miss a beat while working from home. For example, some people prefer a laptop over a desktop, while still others like to have access to one or multiple monitors. Some additional tech items that may be worthwhile investments for a home office include:
3. Organize and accessorize
Clutter can be a productivity killer and a major distraction. Prioritize organization and try organizers designed for each part of your office to help streamline work and keep spaces neat and tidy. Look for furniture essentials like bookcases and filing cabinets, plus storage carts, decorative bins and baskets, folders and more to help add order to your space.
Staying organized can also help you appear more prepared and professional when conducting video conference calls. You’ll have what you need right at your fingertips, without unsightly clutter. You’ll also have the space if you want to add proper lighting, thoughtful decor and desk accessories. An adjustable desk lamp, floor and ring light are additional options to consider.
4. Using color and light to achieve calm and success
Your environment has a huge impact on your emotions and setting up a home office can be the perfect opportunity to create a space that promotes motivation and a sense of calm, starting with something as simple as color.
Some wall colors that promote a sense of calm and tranquility include blue and green while clean, neutral tones like white, ivory or grey can give a lot of flexibility regarding textures, patterns and statement pieces. When choosing color accents or the right home office decor to contrast or complement the light color scheme, don’t be afraid to try daring wall hangings or a variety of bold colors for office chairs.
When it comes to home office ideas for lighting, it’s always good to go natural as natural light can help decrease eyestrain and headaches while promoting productivity, but regardless of how many windows your space has, a good lighting system can have a big effect on your mood, energy levels and ability to focus. You can choose a combination of task lighting for your work surfaces, general or ambient lighting for more uniform illumination in your workspace, and even accent lighting for something like wall art.
Whether fully remote or hybrid, working from home is here for the foreseeable future. By creating a home office with everything you need, you’ll set yourself up for success no matter what your professional goals.
2023-10-30T08:01:00
(BPT) – An often silent condition that can steal vision, diabetic retinopathy is a complication of diabetes that may have no noticeable symptoms in the early stages and is the leading cause of irreversible blindness in working-age Americans. The condition affects nearly 8 million Americans, and that number is expected to double by 2050. Thankfully, people with diabetes who recognize their risk of vision complications and get regular dilated eye exams, learn the signs and symptoms to watch for, and seek expert treatment from a retina specialist can protect their sight.
A 2023 survey of 1,000 Americans 40 and older commissioned by the American Society of Retina Specialists (ASRS) revealed a frightening lack of knowledge about diabetic retinopathy that could put millions at risk for vision loss. In fact, nearly two-thirds of Americans 40 and over (64%) did not know that one of the causes of spots or floaters in their vision is due to diabetic retinopathy. And more than half who took the survey (51%) did not know that people with diabetes who have high blood pressure are more likely to develop diabetic retinopathy.
“A diabetes diagnosis means many aspects of a person’s health may be impacted including vision, yet awareness about the risk factors for and symptoms of diabetic eye disease remains too low,” said ASRS Foundation President Judy E. Kim, M.D., FASRS. “Everyone with diabetes and those at risk for the condition should pay special attention to their vision. Since there are usually no symptoms at the early stages of diabetic retinopathy, getting regular dilated eye exams is extremely important to detect early signs of disease, and seeking care with a retina specialist at the first sign or symptom of diabetic retinopathy may preserve vision.”
America’s retina specialists urge people with diabetes, those who may be at risk or have prediabetes, and their loved ones to pay close attention to their eyesight and consider adopting lifestyle changes to help safeguard their vision.
To get started, learn the ABCDE and S of healthy habits to prevent vision loss from diabetes. This six-letter range of lifestyle practices can help ease or end retina damage from diabetic retinopathy.
A: Keep track of your A1C and work to manage your levels, as poor blood sugar control over time can worsen diabetic retinopathy.
B: Control Blood Pressure as much as possible. High blood pressure affects the blood vessels throughout the body, including those in the retina.
C: Rein in high Cholesterol to avoid a build-up of plaque that can clog blood vessels and damage eyes.
D: Commit to Disciplined Eating or healthy eating, with an emphasis on colorful fresh vegetables, fatty cold-water fish, nuts rich in omega-3 fatty acids and foods high in fiber.
E: Stay active and make regular Exercise part of your routine. Being active improves insulin resistance and helps control obesity, high blood pressure and cholesterol, which benefits eye health.
S: Just say No to Smoking. Smoking can lead to vision loss and blindness and quitting can significantly improve eye health.
Awareness of diabetic retinopathy risks and symptoms is also crucial to protecting vision. Anyone who has diabetes — including Type 1, Type 2 and gestational diabetes — is at risk of developing diabetic retinopathy. Additional factors that can increase the risk include:
Many people have diabetic retinopathy for a long time without symptoms. By the time symptoms occur, substantial damage may have occurred. Symptoms may include:
For more information about diabetic retinopathy, visit SeeforaLifetime.org/DiabeticRetinopathy. To find your retina specialist, visit FindYourRetinaSpecialist.org.
2023-10-30T08:01:00
(BPT) – Whether you’re enrolling for Medicare for the first time or you’ve had it for years, it’s important to know that Medicare Advantage plans — which include more benefits than Original Medicare, like prescriptions, dental, vision and hearing — can change from one year to the next. On top of that, your own medical needs may change from year to year, too. For these reasons, it’s a good idea to evaluate your current healthcare needs and take a look at available health plans from your carrier and others during the 2024 Medicare Annual Enrollment Period: Oct. 15 through Dec. 7, 2023.
All of the major health insurance carriers providing Medicare Advantage plans include a variety of benefits that may be just what you’re looking for to help keep you healthy — and help you save.
Here are just a few highlights from six major carriers that have updated plans for the 2024 plan year.
UnitedHealthcare®:
Cigna Healthcare:
Elevance:
Humana:
Wellcare:
Aetna:
If you find sorting through the new 2024 Medicare Advantage plans confusing, you’re not alone. Consider consulting with a caring, trained and licensed insurance agent at ClearMatch™ Medicare, who can check to see what plans are available in your area — and if you’re already in the right plan, they will tell you!
ClearMatch Medicare helps you find the right Medicare plan for you. Visit ClearMatchMedicare.com 24/7, or call 888-441-7031/TTY: 711, Monday-Friday 8 a.m.-10 p.m. and Saturday 9 a.m.-6 p.m. for a free, no-obligation Medicare review.
2023-10-30T11:01:00
(BPT) – As the seasons change and the nights grow longer, it’s natural to start looking for new and exciting ways to light up the night, both indoors and out. Whether you’re planning to create a festive holiday atmosphere, enhance your gaming experience or improve the ambiance of your living room, the latest options in strip and rope lighting offer creative solutions. Not only do they make lighting easy, but they also introduce energy efficiencies throughout your home.
“Today’s lighting options have evolved beyond their functional purpose and are now an integral element in accenting, decorating or setting the perfect mood,” said Bethany Wood, senior merchant of light bulbs at The Home Depot. “The Home Depot’s exclusive strip and rope light brand, EcoSmart, offers a variety of color choices, captivating effects, user-friendly remote controls and an array of seasonal options for year-round use — perfect for DIYers looking to transform their spaces.”
Here’s a look at some of the most innovative and dynamic lighting solutions for both inside and outside your home that are sure to brighten any occasion.
1. Embrace the holidays by showcasing architectural features
It’s easy to light up your home in a joyful and celebratory way by using strip or rope lights. Consider highlighting elements of your house such as columns or pillars, porch railings, stairs or windows. Rope lights are generally a better choice for rounded surfaces like columns and pillars, while strip lighting works best on flat, even surfaces.
To make decorating easier, measure the areas you want to decorate before purchasing your lights. The good news is that today’s lighting, such as EcoSmart rope and string lights, are both cuttable and linkable, with sleek right-angle connectors, making it easier to achieve the right length for any space you wish to decorate. You can also rest easy with LED lighting that’s eco-friendly, energy efficient and Energy Star rated — making it better for the environment and your energy bills.
For outdoor applications, like your porch or patio, consider the EcoSmart 32.8 foot Plug-In Bright White LED 360° Outdoor Dimmable Linkable Rope Light with Remote Control. This option allows you to effortlessly customize brightness, light modes and timing. The ability to change colors and brightness levels adds a new dimension to your decorations, making it easy to match your lighting to the holiday spirit.
You can also opt for colorful options, whether that’s RGB (red, green and blue) or RGBW (red, green, blue and white) lighting — or even rainbow or color-changing lights to create the exact look you want to achieve.
Pro tip: Use string to simulate how you want to decorate winding or spiral areas, like columns or pillars, then measure the string to determine the length of lighting you’ll need.
2. Use creative lighting techniques to transform any space into an unforgettable party setting
For any occasion, lighting up your celebration with strip lights is an easy way to get the party started! The easy-to-use EcoSmart 16.4 foot RGBWIC Dynamic Color Changing Dimmable Linkable Plug-In LED Strip Light with Remote Control makes it easy to decorate along the edges of windows, bookshelves, ceilings, doorways and more — and customize the lighting any way you want it.
3. Enhance your movie-viewing experience
Want to amp up movie night? Look no further! You can create a captivating cinematic effect using the EcoSmart 55″ to 65″ TV RGB Color Sensing Dimmable Plug-In LED Black TV Backlight with Remote Control. The installation process is a breeze, thanks to its self-adhesive tape. It also offers dimmable features, allowing you to adjust the brightness to your liking. And if you’re aiming for a truly immersive experience, the lighting can sync with music too. This innovative backlight doesn’t stop there. It’s equipped with a TV detect mode that synchronizes color changes with the hues on your screen. This lighting option is ideal for 55-65″ TVs and includes a remote control for added convenience.
4. Level up your gaming space
Gamers, take note! Nothing will make your gaming room more fun and exciting than adding creative, colorful lighting for a unique experience. By installing the EcoSmart 6.5 ft. Smart RGWBIC Dynamic Color Changing Dimmable Plug-In LED Strip Light Powered by Hubspace behind your gaming setup, you can create a dynamic backdrop that syncs with in-game actions or music. You’ll even be able to connect the lighting to the Hubspace app via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi, allowing you to easily customize colors and brightness, set schedules and choose from dozens of preset modes. This not only adds to the visual appeal but also immerses you deeper into the gaming world.
5. Great lighting for any space or occasion
Have you ever thought about using lighting to enhance every room in your home? Now, you can! Strip and rope lighting options are not just functional but also creative tools to add more color and light to any room. With their ease of use and energy efficient design, there’s no limit to how you can elevate your space and enhance your mood.
Consider the possibilities for decorating your home inside and out with EcoSmart, available in a wide assortment of colors, lengths and styles, exclusively at The Home Depot.
2023-10-27T09:25:00
(BPT) – George Washington is the “father of our country” yet, ironically, he didn’t have any children of his own. If you are like many others, you’ve probably wondered why he didn’t leave any children as his legacy.
As author Steve Yoch described in his book “Becoming George Washington,” at 19, Washington traveled to Barbados with his brother who was dying of tuberculosis in search of a cure. The trip was a failure. Not only did his brother’s condition continue to deteriorate, but Washington contracted smallpox.
Although he survived — and only half of those with the disease were so lucky — it was not without long-term ramifications. He showed the telltale signs of the disease: pockmarks on his forehead and nose and a prolonged fever that likely made him sterile.
A dedicated stepfather
At 27, Washington married Martha Custis, a widow who had already given birth to two young healthy children — Jacky and Patsy. Thus, Washington’s lack of offspring can’t be attributed to Martha. Washington was a loving stepfather to the young children he’d inherited with his marriage. Unfortunately, both children met early, tragic ends.
Patsy died in his arms in an epileptic fit before the Revolution. The day after her death, Washington wrote to his brother-in-law, “It is an easier matter to concede than to describe the distress of this family, especially that of the unhappy parent of our dear Patsy Custis, when I inform you that yesterday removed the sweet, innocent girl into a more happy and peaceful abode than any she has met in the afflicted path she hitherto has trod.”
Jacky was a dandy — a man who valued style and sophistication — and did not fight in the war. With Martha’s encouragement, Washington brought Jacky with him to the siege at Yorktown that ended the war. Jacky, who was inexperienced in unsanitary camp life, promptly caught cholera and died at age 26.
Alone after tragic deaths
By the time the Revolution ended, the “father of our country” was father to no one. In a draft of Washington’s first inaugural address, he wrote: “Divine providence hath not seen fit that my blood should be transmitted, or my name perpetuated by the enduring, though sometimes seducing, channel of immediate offspring. I have no child for whom I could wish to make a provision — no family to build in greatness upon my country’s ruins.”
As Yoch noted, “This may have been a fortunate happenstance, as many called for him to be America’s new king. His lack of children allowed him to truly act in the country’s best interests and sealed his legacy as ‘first in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen.’”
To learn more about George Washington, including his trip to Barbados, visit Amazon.com. Here you can also access Yoch’s newest book, “Becoming Benedict Arnold,” which explores the complex first-person experience of the infamous American traitor.
2023-10-27T09:15:00
(BPT) – School children are taught that after a life of action and harrowing battles, George Washington died peacefully in his bed at Mount Vernon. In reality, the nation’s first president died a slow and bloody death that was far from a pleasant end of life.
In his book “Becoming George Washington,” author Steve Yoch says the founding father was a lifelong believer in the efficacy of bleeding as a medical treatment. “Because of this, Washington and his physicians virtually guaranteed his death by excessive bleeding,” explained Yoch.
Washington’s last days
Yoch says that on Dec. 12, 1799, Washington ignored a blanket of snow and hail and mounted his horse for a five-hour tour of his farms. He chose not to change out of his wet clothes when he arrived home because dinner was ready and he did not want to inconvenience his guests.
The next morning, even though the snow had fallen even harder and he was starting to feel sick, Washington went down to the Potomac River to inspect another part of his sprawling plantation. That night, he retired for the evening in a cheerful mood and said the best treatment for the cold was to “let it go as it came.”
His wife Martha thought he looked terrible, but Washington chose to sit up late in the library reading. In the middle of the night, he woke Martha with throat pain and shortness of breath. Once again, he rejected medical treatment and wanted to rely on his body’s restorative powers.
In the morning, Martha would wait no longer and called for Dr. James Craik, one of Washington’s oldest friends and a trusted physician who had served with him since the French and Indian War 40 years earlier.
”Washington always believed that bleeding improved his health,” said Yoch. “As a young man, he frequently turned to bleeding to address his repeated illness throughout the French and Indian War and it’s only through sheer luck that his physicians didn’t kill him then.”
Unfortunately, he wasn’t so lucky in December of 1799. While waiting for Craik to arrive, Washington ordered Albin Rawlins, a local clerk, to bleed him. When the clerk hesitated, Washington gently but firmly pressed him. When the cut was not large enough Washington told him to press on, over Martha’s protests, until nearly a pint of blood had been drained.
When Craik finally arrived, he immediately drew more blood and applied a treatment of dried beetles to Washington’s inflamed throat. Craik summoned another doctor, Elisha Cullen Dick. As soon as Dick arrived, he and Craik siphoned off even more blood, which “came very slow, was thick, and did not produce any symptoms of fainting.”
Sealing Washington’s fate
Historians estimate that Washington surrendered five pints of blood all together, or about half of his body’s total supply. Washington probably suffered from a virulent bacterial infection of the epiglottis. As it swells, the epiglottis closes off the windpipe, making breathing and swallowing extremely difficult and eventually impossible.
Yoch said that while Washington may have died anyway, “the loss of blood guaranteed his death.” When Washington finally ordered the bleeding to end, he reportedly said, “Doctor, I die hard, but I am not afraid to go.” His last words were: “Tis well.”
For more information on George Washington’s life as well as the life of other important historical figures like Benedict Arnold, visit Amazon.com.
2023-10-27T09:15:00
(BPT) – It’s easy to find out what George Washington looked like. But what did he sound like?
There are many well-known paintings of Washington, and the museum at Mount Vernon displays a painstakingly accurate facial reconstruction to definitively show his appearance during his lifetime. He was a big, strapping guy and 6 foot 3 inches tall (which makes him equivalent to 6 foot 9 inches today), with large shoulders and legs.
Knowing this you likely imagine him having a commanding, masculine voice. However, according to Steve Yoch, author of “Becoming George Washington,” America’s first president didn’t sound like he looked.
“We all imagine Washington as a strapping guy who had a voice to match,” said Yoch. “But Washington suffered from pleurisy — a viral infection that causes an inflammation in the lining of the lungs — as a child and because of this he spoke in a high, weak and breathy voice.”
Washington’s contemporaries often described him as soft-spoken. Yoch says this undoubtedly came from his unexpectedly high voice and from his notoriously bad teeth, which gave him the habit of keeping his mouth closed to hide their unsightly appearance and the bad breath that comes with tooth decay.
As is so often the case with past presidents, Washington would have struggled in the modern era. “Certainly his dental problems could be corrected,” said Yoch, “but his quiet demeanor and high voice would not have played well in our modern 24/7 news cycle.”
For more about George Washington’s early life and his rise to prominence, visit Amazon.com. Here you can also access Yoch’s newest book, “Becoming Benedict Arnold,” about one of America’s most infamous traitors.
